South Africa: Continue to liaise with universities, Nzimande urges matrics

Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has wished the 2022 matric class well as learners await the announcement of their examination results.

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, is expected to make the announcement later this afternoon in Johannesburg.

Nzimande assured current and prospective students that the release of the results will not affect the state of readiness for the Post School Education and Training (PSET) 2023 academic year.

This as registration for the academic year 2023 at universities commenced on 16 January and is anticipated to close on 20 February 2023.

There are also several universities that will allow late registrations.

Nzimande advised prospective students to continue to liaise with the universities of their choice through their communication channels.

Most Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have commenced with their teaching and learning, including practicals, following the successful online registration process.

Some of the colleges are still accepting students in areas where the enrolment targets are not met and the departments TVET branch is monitoring the developments at each college, Nzimande said.

Community colleges opened on 11 January 2023 for inland provinces and 18 January 2023 for coastal provinces.

The Minister advised prospective students to go to their colleges of choice for registration for the academic year 2023.

NSFAS application results

Nzimande reminded students that National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) application results will be communicated to all applicants once the scheme received confirmation from the institution that an academic offer has been made.

This will be communicated to all students via SMS, email and through students myNSFAS account. For further information on the NSFAS application processes, applicants are advised to visit the NSFAS website at www.nsfas.org.za.

CACH services to open next week

Meanwhile, in order to assist prospective students, the department has activated the services of the Central Application Clearing House (CACH) to assist individuals access university, college and skills development opportunities.

The system will open on the 24th January to the 31st March 2023, the Minister said.

As part of the departments normal process to work with the sector to prepare for the academic years registration process, consultation meetings are being held with various stakeholders including Universities South Africa (Usaf), South Africa College Principals Organisation (SACPO), South African Union of Students (SAUS) and South African Technical and Vocation Student Association (SATVESA).

Nzimande wished the 2022 matriculation class well as they are awaiting the announcement of their results.

The Minister is expected to announce further details on the departments state of readiness before the end of January 2023.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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After a successful trial for a month through RoPax ferry services on the Gogha-Hazira route in Gujarat, India Post will continue its postal and package delivery services on this route for speedy and economical dispatch on daily basis. On Friday, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan will flag off the daily mail and parcel delivery transportation services of India Post on MV Voyage Express - RoPax Ferry from Hazira terminal. The service will not only bring down the delivery transportation time of about 10-12 hours to 3-4 hours but will also enable swift movements of industrial packages between Saurashtra and South Gujarat and Mumbai regions. the service is estimated to carry daily postal cargo of about 3 to 4 tonne during upcoming months, the Ministry said in a statement released on Thursday. The RoPax (roll on-roll off cum passenger ferry) service between Hazira and Gogha inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2020 has received good public response and has transported more than 3.7 lakh passengers and 1.1 lakh vehicles (car, bus, truck) till December 2022 since inauguration. Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, "This innovative collaboration of postal and package delivery services through waterways is another step towards attaining the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of harnessing waterways and integrating them with the economic development of India along with decreasing the transportation costs and aiding the ease of doing business." Earlier this month, the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways has also directed the major ports of India to waive off vessel-related charges and provide the highest priority berthing for RoPax Ferry services under Sagarmala programme to promote the newly emerging urban waterways passenger transportation ecosystem and enable green transportation in the country. (ANI)
The High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) of Odisha government on Thursday approved nine industrial projects worth Rs 1,53,074.63 crore which have the potential to generate more than 27,030 employment opportunities for the state. The 30th meeting of the High-Level Clearance Authority, was held under the chairpersonship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The organisations who had participated at MIO Conclave 2022 had shown investment intent in the state. The HLCA committee approved nine such industrial projects worth Rs 1,53,074.63 crore that would generate over 27,030 employment opportunities for the people of Odisha. The statement said state government is working hard towards converting the investment intents into ground reality. Projects spread across diverse sectors like green energy and equipment, metals and minerals, paper and IT infrastructure received approvals. The approved projects will be set up across various parts of the state namely, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Khordha, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj. The committee has given a go-ahead to four projects in the Green Energy and Equipment sector, two projects in the Paper industries, two projects in the metals and minerals sector and one project in the IT Infrastructure sector. The HLCA approved the proposal of ACME Clean Energy, entailing an investment of Rs 58,209.13 crore. It proposes to set up a green hydrogen plant and a green ammonia plant with a capacity of 1.1 million tonne, at Kujanga, Jagatsinghpur and captive renewable energy unit of 4500 MW solar power Plant at Koraput and Kalahandi district. It is expected to provide employment opportunities to about 3,400 people in the state. The committee also approved the proposal of Avaada Green H2 at Ganjam district, which promises an investment of Rs 23,500 crore and is expected to provide employment opportunities to about 1,500 people in the state. Alongside these two green energy and equipment sector projects, HLCA approved two other projects in the green energy and equipment sector namely Renew EFuels Private Limited (REFPL) and Ocior Energy Private Limited which aim to provide employment to more than 3,300 people of Odisha in total. While REFPL intends to set up a green ammonia plant with a capacity of 1.09 million tonne, the Ocior Energy Private Limited proposal includes installation of Green Ammonia Plant of 1 mt capacity. In the paper sector, the committee gave a nod to two projects, namely Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited and Deevyashakti India Private Limited. With an investment of Rs 2,500 crore, the Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited, a JV between government of India and Reserve Bank of India, proposes to set up a bank note paper unit at Balasore, which will provide employment opportunities to more than 800 people of Odisha. On the other hand, Deevyashakti India Private Limited proposes to set up an integrated pulp and paper mill at Dhenkanal, which includes an investment worth Rs 1,000 crore, is expected to furnish employment opportunities to around 3000 people of the state. In terms of the metals and minerals sector, the authority approved two large projects which are expected to provide employment to a total of around 12,500 people of Odisha. The proposal of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India includes the setting up of 7 MTPA Steel Plant in Jagatsinghpur with an investment of Rs 38,000 crore, and is expected to churn employment opportunities for more than 11,000 people in the state. The second project in the sector, from Rungta Metals Private Limited (RMPL) is for the expansion of its integrated steel plant from 0.5 MTPA to 1 MTPA in Rairangpur of Mayurbhanj district with an investment of Rs 1,140.00 crore. In the IT and infrastructure sector, the proposal by My Home Constructions Private Limited has been approved by HLCA, which involves the development of IT infrastructure with modern amenities at Bhubaneswar, in Khordha. With an investment of Rs 1,525.50 crore, the project is expected to provide employment opportunities to 2,500 people. (ANI)
With the Union Budget just a few days away and amid expectations that the government is likely to focus on boosting the agriculture sector, heads of public sector banks on Thursday were directed by the government to provide Kisan credit card facility to all farmers in the country. In a day-long review meeting of the banking sector, which was presided over by the Banking Secretary Vivek Joshi, the public sector banks' chiefs were directed to take the help of PM KISAN database to undertake this exercise. The progress of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme was also reviewed in the meeting, sources said. Officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare were also present in the meeting, where review related to agricultural credit was also undertaken. The progress in digitisation of process for getting the Kisan credit card was also discussed to improve the transparency. Public sector banks were advised to take necessary steps to digitise the entire journey of Kisan credit card loans in a time-bound manner. During the meeting, the progress of various social security schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri MUDRA and Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi), and Agri credit etc, were also reviewed. It was emphasised in the meeting that banks need to put in all-out efforts to make customer experience more enriching and pleasant for sustainable banking relationship. Indian Banks Association (IBA) has already been requested to expedite the Consumer Service Rating for all scheduled commercial banks to gauge the consumer expectation and to enable banks to raise their standards of services delivery to every segment of the customer. --IANS ans/vd ( 305 Words) 2023-01-19-19:54:03 (IANS)
The homegrown startup ecosystem players on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's order where it refused to interfere with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision, declining to stay operation of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing Rs 1,337.76 crore fine on Google. Google had moved the apex court after the setback at the NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case. Rohan Verma, CEO and ED at homegrown MapmyIndia said that they are extremely grateful to the Supreme Court for their order against Google's appeal. "MapmyIndia was mentioned and spoken of multiple times in the Supreme court today by multiple parties, who said that MapmyIndia pioneered digital mapping in India since 1995, far before the birth of Google, and offer an alternative in terms of MapmyIndia's 'Mappls' app versus the force pre-installed Google Maps," Verma added. On January 11, the Supreme Court had agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by the NCLAT. Rakesh Deshmukh, Co-founder, CEO, Indus OS, said they welcome the landmark judgment. "We strongly believe that this decision will usher in a cataclysmic change in the Indian smartphone ecosystem and further improve and enhance digital penetration in our country," said Deshmukh. "This will be a watershed moment in the history of India's digital transformation," he added. Google was yet to react to the SC judgment. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) said that the recent CCI decision and the SC upholding NCLAT decision of refusing stay has set a global benchmark, and would cement India's position in preventing Startup's interests and severely restricting abuse of dominance by Google. The verdict is a monumental step towards fair competition and practices in India, said the startups representing body. "It is imperative to send out a strong message that abusing one's dominant position or resorting to unfair practices will not go unnoticed," said an ADIF spokesperson. --IANS na/vd ( 345 Words) 2023-01-19-21:12:03 (IANS)
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea by Google challenging a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order, which refused to stay operation of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing Rs 1337.76 crore fine on the tech giant. A bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala said the findings by the CCI cannot be said to be without jurisdiction or with manifest error and affirmed the NCLAT order declining to grant interim relief to Google. The bench directed the NCLAT to dispose of Google's appeal by March 31, and granted Google seven days to deposit 10 percent of the penalty imposed by the CCI. Additional Solicitor General N. Venkatraman, representing the CCI, argued that Google Play services which are very important for OEMs, cannot be downloaded by users independently and pre-installation creates a behavioural bias, which is used for marketing by Google. He added that all these findings have resulted in a statutory infraction and causes lack of bargaining power in OEMs and deprives consumers of choice. During the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud told senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Google: "Dr Singhvi, all that you gave us in terms of data in fact militates against your argument." "Look at the kind of authority which you wield in terms of dominance... data indicates 15,000 Android models, 500 million compatible devices, 1500 OEMs. When you have that kind of market penetration, then by insisting you necessarily have my bouquet, you (are) directly affecting..what the OEM does, impact upon the ultimate consumer," the CJI said. Singhvi submitted: "I am one of the players in this ecosystem, and people choose Google Play Store due to its excellence and not because of dominance." He added that suppose there is no Android would this revolution in telephony had taken place. Singhvi further argued that in Korea, there is a different user and pressed that Google is there due to excellence and not due to dominance. "Where it is voluntary, non-imposed. It is free, non exclusive, what more you can do," he said. On January 11, the Supreme Court agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by NCLAT, declining to stay a Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI for alleged anti-competitive practices. Google moved the apex court after the setback at the NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case. Earlier this month, the NCLAT did not find any urgency to pass an interim order, after noting that Google filed the appeal in December last year, though the CCI passed the order in October. It directed Google to deposit 10 per cent of the fine amount. The tribunal had said that there was no urgency shown in the filing of the appeal, therefore Google could not be allowed to press for interim relief. In October last year, the CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in relation to Android mobile devices. The CCI also imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies --IANS ss/vd ( 567 Words) 2023-01-19-22:46:02 (IANS)
Actor Jonah Hill's 'You People' co-stars have weighed in on his decision to not promote or do press for his films due to the toll it takes on his mental health. According to Variety, an American media company, 'You People' cast member Lauren London, at the film's premiere at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, said, "Life is tough for all of us... For us to pretend that we're stronger than others and we can handle more, that's unfair. I hold space for Jonah Hill. That's my homeboy. I love him and whatever he needs to do for his soul, I am there for it." Hill, who co-wrote the film with its director Kenya Barris, and London star as Ezra and Amira in the film. He announced in a social media post that he will be taking a break from his upcoming projects' press campaigns. This announcement from Hill comes ahead of the release of 'Stutz', the documentary that features Hill and his therapist openly discussing his mental health issues, reported Variety. "You won't see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself. If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn't be acting true to myself or to the film," Hill continued. Louis-Dreyfus echoed London's support of Hill. "You have to protect yourself and do what feels right to you," she said. 'You People', a romantic comedy follows an unlikely couple as their love blooms and Ezra tries to win the approval of Amira's Muslim parents (Eddie Murphy and Nia Long). His Jewish parents (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny) may be progressive, but prove to be cringe-worthy as they try to demonstrate how open they are to their son's interracial (and interfaith) romance. It will start streaming on Netflix on January 20, as per Variety. (ANI)
Marking the occasion of Exodus Day, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit on Monday paid tribute to the Kashmiri Pandits by screening his documentary 'Kashmiri Pandito Ka Narsanghar' in Mumbai, which was attended by Anupam Kher. While talking at the screening event's press conference, Pandit spoke about his documentary and how he shot it. He said, "On that day, I saw all this and also shot it myself. I had seen that tragedy, how the massacre took place there. How it was announced from the mosques that Kashmiri Pandits, leave your sisters and leave from here. What I had shot has been given the shape of a documentary. This documentary is a tribute to those who have endured it." Talking about the condition of Kashmiri Pandits, he added, "The situation in Kashmir has improved. Security has been increased, tourists are also coming, but this government has also done nothing for those living in the camp. Big leaders go to Kashmir; I request them to visit this camp as well. Things will improve for us when we go back to our homes." Pandit also spoke regarding the views of Kashmiri Muslims as he is in contact with many people. He said, "The views of several people have changed. Today's younger generation feels that what happened was wrong and I have high hopes from the young generation of Muslims." "Salim-Suleman have composed a song which has also been sung by Raj Pandit. That song is on Kashmiri folk. There has been a very good response from Kashmir to that song. People said that what we could not do for 32 years, that one song has done," he continued. Meanwhile, Kher, who belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family and played a pivotal role in last year's Vivek Agnihotri directorial 'The Kashmir Files', which dealt with the same subject, was also present for the documentary screening. He said, "People do not believe and find it a lie. Our family has endured that tragedy and Ashok Pandit has made a documentary on it. Ashok Pandit and The Kashmir Files have brought out the truth which was hidden for 32 years. But there is a saying that the drenched are not afraid of the rain." Kher further spoke on the situation in Kashmir and stated, "The biggest change that has come in Kashmir is that Article 370 was removed, which did not happen for 65 years. Maximum tourism came in Kashmir in 2022 which is necessary for everyone because people need work." Meanwhile, on Sunday, it was announced that 'The Kashmir Files' will be releasing once again in theatres on January 19 to mark Exodus Day, which the Kashmiri Hindu community observes as 'Exodus Day'. (ANI)
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani got engaged to Radhika Merchant at Antilia on Thursday. The couple had a traditional engagement ceremony where they performed old Gujarati rituals such as Gol Dhana and Chunari Vidhi. Gol Dhana is a pre-wedding ceremony in Gujarati tradition, which is a kind of engagement. Gol means jaggery and Dhana means coriander seeds. These items are distributed at the groom's place where the event takes place. The bride's family arrives at the groom's residence with gifts and sweets and then the couple exchanges rings. After exchanging the rings, the couple seek blessings from their elders. The Merchant family received a warm welcome from the Ambani's at their residence amidst aarti and chanting of mantras. Anant and Radhika have known each other for a few years and their engagement ceremony brought them closer to their upcoming marriage in the coming months. Soon after their engagement ceremony, the couple was seen posing in front of the paps in traditional attire along with their family members. Recently, the couple had a traditional roka ceremony at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. Radhika is the daughter of Viren Merchant, the CEO of Encore Healthcare. She hails from Kutch, Gujarat. She has trained in Bharatnatyam for eight years and is the disciple of Guru Bhavana Thakar of Shree Nibha Arts. In June 2022, Radhika made headlines after the Ambani family hosted a grand Arangetram ceremony at Jio World Centre. 'Arangetram' is a Tamil word which means ascending the stage by a dancer on the completion of formal training. It is the debut on-stage performance of a student of Indian classical dance and music following years of training. Anant, son of Nita and Mukesh Ambani, completed his studies at Brown University in the USA and has since served at Reliance Industries in various capacities including as a member on the boards of Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures. He currently leads the energy business of RIL. (ANI)
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced, Reynolds will receive the 2023 Humanitarian Award. The 'Deadpool' fame actor and his wife, actress Blake Lively, have stood by various charitable causes like supporting clean water projects, homeless youth and food banks.

The Canadian Academy will also give its Radius Award to Liu after the 'Kim's Convenience' star made waves globally with his lead role in the Marvel movie 'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings'.

Catherine O'Hara will receive the Academy Icon Award for her legendary career, which includes movies like Schitt's Creek, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and After Hours.

Congratulating the recipients, the Twitter handle of the Canadian Academy shared a post.

https://twitter.com/TheCdnAcademy/status/1615695956766298114?cxt=HHwWhMC4gbK6jewsAAAA

Canada's film and TV awards, which will air on 16 April, will include Tribute Awards for 'Reservation Dogs' actress Jennifer Podemski, the late indie TV producer Paul Pope and a Changemaker Award for veteran TV host Tracy Moore, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

Nominations for the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards will be unveiled on February 22.

Among other honours, veteran actor Peter MacNiell will receive the Earle Grey Award, the Gordon Sinclair Award for broadcast journalism will go to Lisa LaFlamme after Bell Media forced her out as host of CTV National News, the country's top-rated newscast. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Pierre Bruneau, a veteran Quebec TV news anchor. (ANI)
Actor Kim Kardashian surely has an eye for things! The glamorous actress purchased the diamond-encrusted amethyst Attallah cross pendant, famously worn by Princess Diana, at Sotheby's annual Royal & Noble auction, as reported by People, a US-based media company. The 'Kardashians' star bought the piece, which features square-cut amethysts accented by circular-cut diamonds weighing in at 5.25 carats, for 97,453 dollars. According to the statement of Sotheby London's Head of jewellery, Kristian Spofforth, "This is a bold piece of jewellery by its size, colour and style which cannot fail to make a vibrant statement, whether it be of faith or fashion -- or indeed both," as reported by People. As reported by People, Kim is delighted as well as honoured to possess such precious jewels, that were once worn or owned by strong, iconic women who have inspired Kim. The late Princess of Wales donned the pendant on several occasions. The most notable was, Birthright's 1987 London charity gala supporting the organization's humanitarian work for those in pregnancy and childbirth. She wore the floral-detailed pendant on a long pearl chain and with a royal purple Victorian velvet gown by Catherine Walker. According to a press release issued by Sotheby's, the ornament has a decade-long history starting with court jeweller Garrard, which designed the one-off pendant in the 1920s. It was later bought by the late Naim Attallah CBE, the former group chief executive of Asprey and Garrard who often loaned the one-of-a-kind gem to Princess Diana, in the 1980s, reported by People. According to Sotheby's release, the cross was only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it hasn't been seen in public, till date. The organization also notes that Princess Diana had a close relationship with the jeweller. She selected her engagement ring from the same house in 1981. Netizens don't seem happy with Kim's latest purchase. A netizen wrote, "Can't believe that Kim Kardashian has bought a necklace that once belonged to Princess Diana she is not worthy to wear it." https://twitter.com/Mofoman360/status/1616110715517169664 Last May, Kardashian received adulation as well as a backlash at the Met gala, where she appeared wearing the same crystal-embellished Jean Louis gown worn by Marilyn Monroe when serenading then-president John F. Kennedy on his birthday in 1962, reported by People. Borrowed from Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Orlando, Florida, the iconic champagne-coloured silk souffle dress featured a curve-hugging silhouette and a scoop neckline. Kardashian even changed her hair colour to embody the Hollywood icon. (ANI)
On Wednesday, the 'Raazi' actor took to her Twitter account and announced the official release date of her upcoming Hollywood film.

"HEART OF STONE, August 11, 2023, Only on Netflix," she tweeted.

https://twitter.com/aliaa08/status/1615744559371194369

Helmed by Tom Harper, 'Heart of Stone' is intended to be the first instalment in a series akin to Tom Cruise's 'Mission Impossible'. The movie also stars Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighofer, Jing Lusi, and Paul Ready in addition to Gal, Jamie, and Alia.

Interestingly, Alia's husband, actor Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming action thriller film 'Animal' will also be releasing on the same day in five languages - Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

'Heart of Stone' will premiere exclusively on the OTT platform Netflix whereas the 'Besharam' actor's film will be getting a theatrical release.

Recently, makers unveiled the first look poster of the 'Sanju' actor in which he could be seen holding an axe under his arm with blood stains on his shoulder and lighting up a cigarette.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm16FSdpj-W/?next=%2F

Helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga 'Animal' also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles. (ANI)
In a relief to the Noida Authority, the Supreme Court has dismissed the contempt of court filed by the DLF while ordering the real estate group to pay Rs 235 crore to the civic body. The Authority in its arguments said that as per the terms of the lease deed signed between the mall management and the Noida Authority, it was stated that if additional compensation is given to anyone related to the land, that amount will have to be paid by the management. After hearing arguments of both sides, the contempt of court filed by the DLF was dismissed, Noida Authority OSD Kumar Sanjay said. The matter is related to the land at Sector 18 in Noida on which the DLF Mall of India is built. The land was bought from a farmer by Reddy Veeranna of Bengaluru 25 years ago. The authority had 'wrongly' acquired the land and gave it to the mall management following which Reddy filed and contested a case. A few months ago, the Supreme Court, while ruling in Reddy's favour, had ordered the Authority to pay Rs 361 crore. When the officials of the Authority spoke to Reddy, he agreed to take an amount of Rs 295 crore from it. Following the orders, the Authority had paid the amount to Reddy. Later, as compensation for the paid amount, the Noida Authority sent a notice of Rs 245 crore to DLF Mall. On this, the Mall had filed contempt of court. --IANS pkt/pgh ( 263 Words) 2023-01-18-19:56:03 (IANS)
VHP leader Balaswamy told ANI, "The VHP is condemning the state funeral of Mukkram as he never stepped in the country after the independence of Telangana. It is not even clearly known whether he holds an Indian citizenship or not."

While criticising the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led state government, Balaswamy stated that it is an anti-Hindu agenda of TRS.

"This is all done for vote bank. KCR is implementing everything that Owaisi says to get Muslims votes in the state," said Balaswamy as he alleged that the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao follows All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

Mukkaram Jah, former titular Nizam of Hyderabad, had recently passed away. The Telangana government as a mark of respect announced state funeral. (ANI)
Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said Agnipath scheme for army recruitments will be scrapped if his party comes to power at the Centre or plays a key role in formation of the next government at the Centre. Criticising the Agnipath scheme announced last year by the BJP government at the Centre, he said this was disintegrating the defence system. He promised that the next government would scrap the scheme and restore the old system saying the army should have a standard. KCR, as Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly called, was addressing the mammoth inaugural public meeting of BRS, which was also addressed by Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Kerala and leaders of different political parties. Claiming that the public meeting marks the beginning of a new change in the country, he said BRS would soon announce its agenda. KCR gave a glimpse of BRS' vision for India. He promised that if BRS is voted to power in 2024, it would make India free from power cuts in two years. He also promised supply of clean drinking water, free power to all farmers across the country, implementation of Rythu Bandh, a scheme of Telangana government under which farmers are provided investment support of Rs 10,000 per acre every year, and also replication of Dalit Bandhu which provides Rs 10 lakh assistance to every Dalit family to start any business or economic activity of its choice. Stating that India has lost direction, he said there was politics on every issue. He urged people to ponder what is the aim of India and why it is lagging behind despite having abundant natural and human resources to progress. "Today India is seeking loans and help from the USA and others. India is full of assets and abundant resources. But the country is seeking assistance from others. Geographically, USAA is big but it has only 29 per cent ofA farmland while China has only 16 per cent farmland. In India, out of 83 crore acres of land, 41 crore acres is cultivable. 4,000 billion cubic/1.40 lakh TMC water is available in India. 50 per cent of available water evaporated. Still, we have 70 TMC of water for utilisation. We have land, water, solar power, humid weather in coastal and land-locked states like Telangana. India also has cold areas like Punjab. We also have 139 crore hard working manpower," he said. Citing the figures of Central Water Commission, he said 70,000 TMC is available in India but the country is using only 20,000 TMC. "After 75 years of independence, India is still facing a drinking water crisis. The country is lacking aims and objectives. Only a few projects have been taken up. Tribunals were constituted but no action was taken in resolving water disputes. When will we complete the projects and provide irrigation water and improve agriculture," he asked. "Only question to the nation is shall we not utilise all the water available to address the drinking water crisis and irrigation. To achieve this, the BRS has been created. Like the Telangana movement, BRS will take up another movement in India to achieve the goal," he said. KCR said all states except Telangana were experiencing power cuts. The total installed power capacity in India is 10 lakh MW but the country is not using more than 2 lakh MW. He promised to make the country free from power cuts in two years. He blamed both BJP and Congress for incompetency of their governments to address basic issues. He remarked that they engage only in verbal fights. Lashing out at the BJP government at the Centre, KCR remarked that its slogan is socialisation of losses and privatisation of the profit. "You policy is privatisation and our policy is nationalisation," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go home and the next government will save LIC which has assets of Rs 42 lakh crore. KCR also alleged that the Modi government is selling Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and declared that the BRS will save the plant from privatisation. The BRS chief also promised that 25 lakh families across the country will be given Dalit Bandhu benefits every year. Stating that women empowerment helps to grow the country, he said the BRS proposed 35 per cent reservation to women in legislative bodies. --IANS ms/vd ( 739 Words) 2023-01-18-21:16:02 (IANS)
This would be Nadda's first visit to Rajasthan after getting extension as the party's national president.

As the Assembly elections are to be held in Rajasthan after 10 months, the visit of the BJP chief is being seen as a preparation for the polls.

According to a source, since Nadda is in charge of the elections to be held here, his visit is considered to be a quite important one.

Nadda will stay in Jaipur on 24 and 25 as well.

Sources said that strengthening the BJP in Rajasthan and getting all the big faces together in the elections is one of the prime objectives of the party, and keeping this in mind, Nadda will meet the leaders in the State Working Committee.

Also, the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be shared with the leaders of Rajasthan.

Sources said that state in-charge Arun Singh, V. Satish, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje along with Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal, Kailash Chowdhary, and all office bearers of the party in the State Working Committee meeting will be present on the occasion.

--IANS arc/pgh

( 218 Words)

2023-01-18-22:48:03 (IANS)
The mother of the Walayar minor sisters, who were allegedly raped and killed in 2017, has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court seeking monitoring over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case. The mother has also sought a directive from the CBI to investigate the suspicious death of Pradeep, the accused John Praveen. Besides, the victim's mother has also suspected a probe into the alleged intervention of the child pornography mafia in connection with the rape and death of Walayar Minor Sisters. In the petition, she contended, "the present investigation was not on the right track. The agency was trying to submit a final report in a hurry without conducting a proper and efficient investigation." In August last year, the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Court at Palakkad rejected the chargesheet submitted by the CBI in the case and also directed the investigative agency to re-investigate the case. The case pertains to 2017, when one girl, aged 13, was found hanging in her house on January 13, 2017. Within two months, her nine-year-old sister was also found hanging in her house on March 4, 2017. According to the reports of the postmortem, both girls were subjected to sexual assault. The autopsy report in the case of the younger girl even suggested the possibility of homicidal hanging. However, three people were arrested in connection with the case and two of them are in jail and one got bail. One of the four accused, Pradeep Kumar, died in 2020 in a suspected suicide. The remaining accused are Valiya Madhu, Kutty Madhu and Shibu. Valiya Madhu and Kutti Madhu, are close relatives of the family another accused Shibu is a close family friend. (ANI)
Senior Congress leader V Hanumath Rao on Wednesday took a pot shot at the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his courage to call for a 'bandh' on the demise of Mir Mukkaram Jah. Mukkaram Jah, former Titular Nizam of Hyderabad, used to live in Turkey and recently passed away. Reacting to Jah's death, Congress leader Hanumath Rao said that the Telangana government did not call for bandh because it is afraid of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Talking to ANI, Rao said: "The last Nizam Osman Ali Khan before his death gave all the authority to his grandson Mir Mukkaram Jah. Mukkaram Jah who lived in Turkey died and his dead body was brought to Hyderabad. The government has declared a state funeral. The government did not call for a bandh because they are afraid of BJP and RSS." "Today you have become a Bharat party, called Chief Ministers of different states and have organised a huge public meeting," he mocked. Further lauding and quoting his party's former chief Rahul Gandhi statement that he would hug Varun Gandhi, but would never follow his ideology because he (Rahul Gandhi) opposes the ideology of the BJP and RSS, teh ex-MP of the Telangana assembly said: "Rahul Gandhi ahs a fighting nature. You are afraid of RSS and BJP and you will tell that you will fight Narendra Modi." He also talked about Mukkaram Jah's initiatives that have led to the development of the state and alleged that KCR has announced this 'state funeral' for the "namesake". "You should have courage...Mukkaram Jah has given a lot of land to Telangana including KBR park. Hitech City was built on the property of Mukkaram Jah. You have forgotten their history. The last Nizam gave his authority to Mukkaram Jah instead of his son. But you are ignoring him. The state funeral is just for the namesake," Rao said. If he is really secular, he should fight for secularism. We are true seculars and we will fight against RSS and BJP along with Rahul Gandhi, he added. (ANI)
The DSP also said that a team from Jalandhar had come to defuse it.

"A live bombshell has been found in Khanna's military ground in Ludhiana. A team from Jalandhar has arrived here to defuse it," said DSP Harpal Singh, Khanna.

Details into the matter are underway.

Earlier on January 3, a bomb squad reached the spot where a bomb was found near state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's house to diffuse a live bombshell found near the latter's residence.

Additional Director General of Punjab Police AK Pandey, who is also security chief of the Chief Minister, said they had informed the Army also about the recovery of the bombshell and that there was "no risk".

He said the misfired bombshell has been found in bushes in Rajindra Park and that the place is near shops of scrap dealers.

Chandigarh's Nodal officer, Disaster Management, Sanjeev Kohli had said earlier a live bombshell has been found here.

"It has been secured with help of the Police and the Bomb Disposal Squad. An Army team has been called in. The area is being cordoned off," Kohli had said.

Pandey said Chandigarh Police is investigating how the shell reached the place.

"The residence of the Chief Minister is about two-and-a-half to three kilometres. This is an old shell. Such misfired shells have been found in the past too," Pandey said. (ANI)
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tripura asserted on Wednesday that senior citizens and persons with disabilities would have the option to vote from home. As per the CEO, the vote-from-home option could be accessed only by senior citizens above 80 years of age. He further said that for the upcoming elections in the state, an adequate number of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) have reached here and the flag march and night patrolling are also being done. Emphasising fair and transparent polls, the Tripura CEO said, "The adequate number of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) have reached here and the flag march and night patrolling are also being done. We want fair, transparent and peaceful polls. Senior citizens above 80 years and persons with disabilities will have the option to vote from home." As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the voting for Assembly Elections 2023 in Tripura will take place on February 16 and in Nagaland and Manipur, the elections will be held on February 27. The ECI also said that the results to these assembly elections will be declared on March 2. Meanwhile, Ahead of the State Assembly polls in Tripura, the Agartala police have strengthened security across the city. "We have set up 14 nakas to ensure that there is no movement of illegal cash, weapons, narcotics and other material. Announcement for polls likely to happen in 1-2 days," AK Das, sub-divisional police officer, Sadar told ANI. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday exuded confidence in winning more assembly seats than before in the upcoming February 16 Assembly polls while adding that BJP has always worked for the people irrespective of elections. While talking to ANI, the Chief Minister said, "Our party always works for the people irrespective of elections. We are fully prepared for the upcoming polls. We are confident of winning more Assembly seats than before." According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, "There are more than 62.8 lakh electors combined in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura including - 31.47 lakh female electors, 97,000 80+ voters, and 31,700 PwD voters. Over 1.76 lakh first-time voters to participate in the elections in 3 states." (ANI)
Rajasthan Congress seems to be facing new trouble after Sachin Pilot, in his latest attack on the state government, took an apparent jibe at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot calling the paper leak cases an act of "witchcraft". Without naming Gehlot, Pilot said that it was "witchcraft" that the papers which were locked in vault before exams, got leaked. Notably, Gehlot is often referred to as a 'magician' in Congress. "Everyone is saddened when a paper gets leaked. I welcome the action being taken against those who are caught in this matter. But when such incidents take place repeatedly, responsibilities have to be fixed. It is said that no official or leader was involved in this. The question paper is locked in the vault. Being locked in the vault, the paper reached out to the students, it is witchcraft. How can this happen? It is not possible," Pilot said while addressing a gathering on Wednesday However, the Congress leader welcomed the investigation ordered by the state government in the matter. "Somebody must have been responsible. I welcome the investigation which is underway," he said. This comes after Gehlot responded to the allegation of Pilot earlier that there was an involvement of officials in the case. Gehlot had asked Pilot to share the names of those involved in the matter. Stepping up the attack, Pilot also questioned the political appointments being given to the retiring officers and said that the workers who work hard to bring the party to power should be given a first chance. "It has been four years since our government was formed. Many workers have got appointments. But the officers are getting political appointments whose proportion is not right. The officers who retire at 5 pm in the evening are given political appointments by 12 am at night. While the workers and leaders whose blood and sweat brought the government to power, should be given the first chance," he said. Pilot said that he has been fighting for the dignity of the workers in the past as well and will continue to do so in the future. In December, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) cancelled the competitive examination for the recruitment of 2nd-grade teachers for 2022. The exam was rescheduled for January 29. After at least half a dozen major examination paper leaks have rocked Rajasthan since the Congress came to power in 2018. The Opposition, led by the BJP, has accused the Gehlot government of failing to curb the menace. (ANI)
The 14-year-old victim was allegedly raped by the six accused and the hunt is on to nab the sixth culprit, Dumka Superintendent of Police Amber Lakra said on Wednesday.

"The police apprehended five accused from Thadihat village of Ramgarh police station area who had executed the incident and raids are being conducted to arrest another accused involved in the incident," the Dumka SP said.

The victim was admitted to Phulo Jhano Murmu Medical College Hospital in critical condition and her condition is stable, he said.

"The condition of the victim is stable at present. The matter is being investigated. The district administration is providing every possible help for the treatment of the victim," the SP said.

He further said an FIR was registered against the five accused under Ramgarh police station on January 17 under section 376 DA of the India Penal Code and 4/6 of the POCSO Act.

According to Hospital Deputy Superintendent Dr Anushant Purti, a three-member team is treating the victim and her condition is constantly being monitored.

The administration has handed over a check of Rs 1 lakh as interim relief to the victim's family while Rs 20,000 in cash was also handed over by the Welfare Department for her medical treatment.

The five accused were arrested within 24 hours of the gangrape, the police had said.

Later, the Jharkhand Police, in a statement said that the five accused turned out to be juveniles. (ANI)
The Guruthi ritual, performed for propitiating the cohorts of Lord Ayyappa at the Sabarimala Malikappuram temple will be performed on Thursday night marking the end of this pilgrimage season. The pilgrimage season witnessed an unprecedented rush of devotees to Sabarimala. According to the official statement from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), devotees will be permitted entry to the hill temple only till 10 p.m. on Thursday and after the Guruthi ritual that will be led by a member from the Kunnakkattu family from Ranni, no persons will be allowed to enter the Malikappuram. The Kunnakkattu family from Ranni has been conducting the puja for the past three generations. Though the temple will be opened at 5 a.m. the next day, darshan will be allowed only for the representative of the Pandalam royal family. As per the statement, this will be followed by the customary key handing-over ceremony in front of the 18 holy steps and a return journey of the sacred jewellery brought from the Pandalam palace. Meanwhile, the pilgrim footfall to Sabarimala recorded a considerable decline after the Makaravilakku festival and when compared to the previous weeks, the majority of those visiting the temple now is from Kerala itself. The number of bookings for darshan on Tuesday stood at just 66,736. As per estimates, over 45 lakh pilgrims visited the temple during the ongoing season that began in November last year. According to the Travancore Devaswam board, 310.40 crore was the revenue from this season in Sabarimala till 12 January 2023. The online portals of Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala were opened on November 17 for devotees for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festivals, marking the beginning of the two-month-long pilgrimage season. Over 2.5 lakh pilgrims visited Lord Ayappa Temple at Sabarimala in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district in the first six days of the pilgrimage season. 2,61,874 pilgrims visited Sabarimala in the first six days of this pilgrim season. (ANI)
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has said that Congress should see the recent track records of the leaders joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra as some "might use" it to "whitewash themselves". Abdullah was responding to a question about whether Congress should allow leaders like former minister Chaudhary Lal Singh, who allegedly tried to "save the rapists" in the Kathua rape case, to join the Yatra which is scheduled to enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19. "Congress will have to see that some people might use the yatra to whitewash themselves (their past). We should not forget the role of those leaders who tried to save the rapist and played with the sentiments of the people. It is not hidden. These leaders will use the yatra to present themselves as secular. This is wrong. Congress leaders should see who is joining the yatra and what the recent track records have been of those leaders," Abdullah said. Earlier on Wednesday, People Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted on the issue and said that the "motive" behind the yatra is more important than who is joining it. Mufti's reaction came after Congress "allowed" former BJP leader and minister Choudhary Lal Singh to join Bharat Jodo Yatra. "Rahul Gandhi is out on the streets, thousands of people are joining him and trying to stitch back the fabric of the country. It doesn't matter to me who is joining him, what matters is the motive," Mufti told ANI. "J&K had to suffer the most due to communal politics. I think there was no other option for Congress besides Bharat Jodo Yatra, to reclaim their legacy, idea of India, secular and democratic India. So, we welcome Bharat Jodo Yatra and we'll participate in it," she added. On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Congress spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath resigned from the party after its state unit "allowed" former BJP leader and minister Choudhary Lal Singh to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Nath resigned from the party. Taking to Twitter, Nath said that she is leaving the party on ideological grounds as Singh was responsible for "sabotaging" the 2018 Kathua rape case by "brazenly defending" the rapists of an eight-year-old nomadic girl. "In view of Choudhary Lal Singh's proposal of joining Bharat Jodo Yatra and Congress allowing the same, I am left with no other option but to resign from Congress. Lal Singh was responsible for sabotaging the Kathua rape case in 2018 by brazenly defending rapists," she tweeted. "Lal Singh divided the entire region of Jammu & Kashmir to protect the rapists and @bharatjodo is ideologically opposite. On ideological grounds, "I cannot share the party platform with such a person," she tweeted, mentioning Rahul Gandhi. Notably, Singh was forced by then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to resign as forest minister. Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19 where Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah Sanjay Raut, MY Tarigami, Mehbooba Mufti will join the yatra at different locations. (ANI)
Mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Thursday said that his coming to the city was just another "campaign for his party', not for any welfare of the state. "Modi is visiting Mumbai for a few hours and it is being said that in these few hours, he will lay the foundation for the bright future of Mumbai. But the question is since when did the BJP start worrying about Mumbai's future and fortune? This propaganda that the Prime Minister is incarnating for the bright future of Mumbai is false. He is campaigning for his party, but can the saffron of the Shiv Sena be removed from Mumbai?" the editorial argued. It further said that Mumbai would be blessed only if no attempt is made to "loot" the labour of Marathis. "The fate of Mumbai was built by the Marathi people with their own labour and the buildings of 'Delhiswars' were raised on the loot of the same Mumbai. 105 martyrs built Mumbai's future and fortune, if no attempt is made to loot it, then Mumbai will be blessed," the 'Saamana' said. Hitting out at the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde, the editorial said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has swallowed the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) as a crocodile does with a frog. For the PM's tour, cut-outs of BJP leaders are visibly bigger than Balasaheb's cut-outs put up in Mumbai. Why are those who call themselves Balasaheb's Shiv Sena silent on this, the Sena mouthpiece said. "The Prime Minister, programs like the inauguration of ambitious projects, Bhumi Pujan etc. have been organized. The BJP has decorated Mumbai with its flag to welcome the Prime Minister. Somewhere in this, the Shinde group made a futile attempt to show its existence, but the crocodile has swallowed the frog, in the same way, this group has been swallowed and the picture of the frog going into the jaws of the crocodile is visible," it said. The Shiv Sena further claimed that most of the development projects which the PM will inaugurate today were done by Shiva Sena in the Municipal Corporation. "PM is about to inaugurate a super speciality hospital in Bhandup. Shiv Sena had given a promise regarding this hospital in its promissory note and in 2017 itself, a provision of Rs 150 crore was made to complete this work. The planning of the Mumbai sewerage project is going on for the last 10-12 years. To remove the obstacles of various permissions, Central Pollution Board, and the Municipal Corporation took this matter to the Supreme Court and after the order of the Supreme Court, in May 2022, the tender process of this work was completed and a 'work order' was given. Most of the development works of which the Prime Minister is going to perform Bhumi Pujan, inauguration, etc. in Mumbai, were given the go ahead when Shiv Sena was in power in the Municipal Corporation. The Bharatiya Janata Party may try to take credit for this work, but the public knows everything," it claimed. Taking a jibe, the editorial said, "Projects worth 2.25 lakh crore were taken away from Maharashtra. This is an economic blow to Mumbai. Took away the morsel from the unemployed youth of Maharashtra. Should this be called the fate of Mumbai-Maharashtra? A crowd gathering has been planned for Prime Minister Modi's meeting and the security wall of the University of Mumbai at Kalina was broken to facilitate the parking of vehicles for the visitors. Controversy arose regarding this. Mumbai's fortunes began by breaking the walls of the university. Every major structure of Mumbai is being hammered in this way. Still welcome to our Prime Minister! Yes!!" PM Modi will reach Mumbai by the evening to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 38,800 crores in Mumbai. He will inaugurate two lines of the Mumbai Metro and also enjoy a metro ride. To provide seamless urban mobility, he will dedicate to the nation Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7, worth around Rs 12,600 crore. The metro line 2A connecting Dahisar E and DN Nagar (yellow line) is around 18.6 km long, while metro line 7 connecting Andheri E - Dahisar E (red line) is around 16.5 km long. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of these lines in 2015. During the visit, PM Modi will also launch MUMBAI 1 Mobile App and National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1). The app will facilitate ease of travel, can be shown at the entry gates of metro stations and supports digital payment to buy tickets through UPI. The National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1) will initially be used in metro corridors and can be extended to other modes of mass public transit including local trains and buses as well. Commuters will not need to carry multiple cards or cash; the NCMC card will enable quick, contactless, digital transactions, thereby easing the process with a seamless experience, according to the PMO statement. The Prime Minister will further lay the foundation stone of seven sewage treatment plants, which will be built at a cost of around Rs 17,200 crore. These sewage treatment plants will be set up in Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi and Worli. They will have a combined capacity of around 2,460 MLD. (ANI)
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Thursday urged Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena to suspend the ongoing sealing drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in Sadar Bazar till the formation of the new administration in the MCD. "25 shops of 17 buildings in Sadar Bazar, were sealed days back. This has left other shopkeepers at threat as well. Many businessmen are getting threats of sealing. At present, there is no administration in MCD and the power rests with the Delhi L-G only. We request that there should be no sealing till the formation of the new administration," the letter addressed to the L-G said seeking direction to the authorities by Saxena regarding the issue. In the letter to L-G, CTI President Brijesh Goel said that further asked for the de-sealing of the shops which were sealed earlier by the MCD. "New government will be formed on January 24. We want a discussion should be held on the issue," it added. The body also cited a clause regarding the definition of 'commercial area'. "There is one clause in Master Plan 2021, as per which any area where more than 70 per cent commercial activity takes place, is labelled as a 'commercial area'. Because of this, several shops were sealed in Delhi, but in Sadar Bazar. The working DC also sent a report to DDA stating that 95 pc area in Sadar Bazar is related to business, and should be treated as a commercial market," the letter stated. The CTI, in its previous letter to the L-G, had raised questions on the role of the officers accusing them of not taking action for 10 months. "The sealing order was issued on April 11, 2022. But the action was taken 10 months later. What were the officers doingtill now? The role of the concerned officers is also under suspicion which must be investigated," the letter stated. "The shops that have been sealed have already got Trade Licenses. They have been registered under the 'business' category. Many registrations are even older than 1947. We request to notify the whole Sadar Bazar as commercial," the letter further stated. (ANI)
Two trains in Bihar's Buxar were halted for at least 15 minutes for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's convoy to pass through leading to some tongue-in-cheek reactions from the opposition. The incident is from Wednesday when during his ongoing Samadhan Yatra he was en route to a village in the Buxar district. Two trains were held up for several minutes prompting passengers to get down and walk towards their destination and the Buxar station. Union Minister and Bhagalpur MP Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that Nitish should be called 'Samasya Kumar' ('samasya' meaning problem as opposed to his yatra named "Samadhan" which means solution). "If he was sensitive, he would have gone straight to Buxar's Banarpur to meet the farmers and give them their rights. It looked like he had come for a picnic in the name of Samadhan Yatra," Added MP Ashwini Kumar Choubey. Union Minister Ashwini Choubey symbolically protested against the failures of the Bihar government by beating a plate with a spoon. He alleged that Nitish Kumar left after troubling people in Buxar. "The trains were stopped, and people had to stay in a jam for hours," the union minister said. BJP also celebrated "Kaal Divas" black day to oppose Nitish Kumar by tying a black bandage. Choubey questioned Nitish's intentions and said, "The schemes of the Central Government are being suspended and they are trying to mislead in the name of a special state. Had the intentions of Nitish Kumar been right, today Bihar would have been the best state in the country." (ANI)
Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Akhilesh Yadav, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI leader D Raja and many other leaders attended Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's mega rally here on Wednesday, but the Congress and the TMC were not seen anywhere. The opposition did a show of strength at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rally. The third front, without Congress, has been unsuccessful in national politics. Meanwhile, Telangana CM took the first step towards forming a non-Congress opposition front with the first rally of his party at the national level. The Congress and the TMC were absent. "There is no question of a third front. There should be a front in which the Congress is involved, then we can defeat the BJP in 2024," the TMC MP Shantanu Sen told ANI while commenting on the KCR's rally. "Anyone can prepare a platform to defeat the BJP. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has been saying since the beginning that the aim is to defeat the BJP, to form a strong opposition. Only after this, it can be decided who should be made the face of the opposition," he said. Apart from KCR, there have been many contenders for a prominent position in the opposition. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is also in the race. "Mamta Banerjee is also ready to become a soldier in this political battle, which she has repeated several times," Sen said, stressing she has been continuously meeting various political leaders to strengthen the opposition front. "As far as KCR's participation in the rally is concerned, the party chief will be able to comment on it," the TMC MP said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also presented his intention for the PM candidate, he added. (ANI)
The Central government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the process to declare 'Ram Setu' a national heritage monument is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala allowed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, seeking direction to the government to declare 'Ram Setu' as a national monument, to file representation to the Ministry on the issue. The apex court said the Ministry will inform the court about the decision taken by the Centre. The order of the apex court came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the process is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. He said that Swamy may submit additional communication if he may so wish. When the CJI said that Swamy can meet the concerned person, he said, "I do not want to meet anybody if they do not want to. We are in the same party, it was there in our manifesto. Let them decide in six weeks or four weeks..." The bench then disposed of the plea and granted liberty to Swamy to approach the top court if he is aggrieved by the decision of the Ministry. Swamy had earlier said that the case has been pending for eight years but the government has not been able to respond to the plea. In his plea, Swamy had urged the apex court to pass an order and direct the "Union of India along with National Monuments Authority (NMA) to declare Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance." He had also urged the top court to pass an order and direct the "Union of India to engage the Geological Survey of India and Archeological Survey of India to conduct a detailed survey with respect to Ram Setu as an Ancient Monument of National Importance." Swamy said that he has already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of 'Ram Setu' and added that the union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand to declare the Setu as a national heritage monument but subsequently nothing happened. Ram Setu is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka. (ANI)
Pakistan is again in the spotlight with its nefarious act of smuggling drugs into India. A case of heroin smuggling has come to the fore once again from Pakistan through drones. Two persons were arrested after a drone was caught at the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar on Thursday midnight. BSF seized around 6.150 Kg of Heroin, while 3 other persons managed to abscond. There have been more than a dozen attempts from the Pakistan side in the last month, informed Satnam Singh, Additional SP Sri Ganganagar. "Pakistan is repeatedly trying to send heroin to the Indian border through drones. Heroin consignment sent with the help of drones then reaches Punjab and Mumbai. The amount of heroin seized yesterday was 6.150 Kg," the Additional SP added. "BSF has seized 150 kilo heroin in the last month. Heroin sent to India with the help of drones is from Pakistan every time. Sri Ganganagar has become a soft target for the smugglers of Punjab," the Additional SP said while mentioning about the involvement in drug smuggling in India. According to the police, till now all the smugglers caught in smuggling are from Punjab. This month, in a similar incident from Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, 2 were held for smuggling heroin to India from Pakistan through a drone. the incident took place on January 15. Drones from the Pakistan side smuggle drugs and ammunition in India. In a recent incident, the Border Security Force (BSF) had seized four Chinese-made pistols among a consignment of weapons dropped by a Pakistani drone in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Wednesday. The consignment which included 4 Chinese-made pistols, eight magazines and 47 live rounds was recovered from Uncha Takala village in Gurdaspur on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. (ANI)
According to GSM Arena, a tech news related outlet, the lineup is expected to consist of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. They are rumored to have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC under the hood.

However, a new report by 9to5Google suggests that the Galaxy S23 trio will be powered by a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a higher clock speed.

GSM Arena reported that the publication claims to have seen documentation that reveals the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in the Galaxy S23 series smartphones will be called 'Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy'.

It will have a clock speed of up to 3.36GHz instead of 3.2GHz (Prime core) on the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550-AB). The rest of the features of this customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are expected to remain largely the same as the regular version.

The 4nm modified chip is also said to be manufactured by Samsung's foundry instead of TSMC. However, it's unclear whether or not Samsung will use the 'Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy' branding widely or keep it limited to the Unpacked event, as per GSM Arena. (ANI)
American tech giant Apple is working on a brand-new bunch of smart home devices, suggests a new report by Bloomberg, according to The Verge, an American technology news website. According to the outlet, along with the relaunch of the original HomePod, Apple appears to be pushing deeper into the home space with a smaller display akin to a Google Nest Hub or Amazon's Echo Show. Sources close to the discussions, the device would be similar to an iPad but less expensive, oriented toward home use, and would include a magnet for mounting, reported The Verge. The device would appear to be more limited in scope than an iPad and would mainly be used for FaceTime chats, as well as controlling other smart home devices. It might solve the multi-user problem that makes current iPads unpleasant for home control use. Further, Apple appears to be exploring a refresh of the Apple TV with a faster processor for the first half of 2024, but the device will not support 8k. The combination HomePod / Apple TV project also appears to have suffered setbacks but is still in the works, according to the source. These smart displays are still a long way away and will not launch until early next year or possibly later, as per The Verge. (ANI)
Calling the Kejriwal government "anti-farmer," BJP MLAs on Thursday turned up in the Delhi Assembly carrying "plough" and staged a protest against the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation. Farmers in Delhi have to pay Rs 30,000 in road tax as the "anti-farmer" government has declared tractors as "commercial," Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri told reporters here. "In Delhi's Nangli, the Kejriwal government has acquired the land of the farmers and only Rs 22 lakh per bigha has been given as compensation, which is much less than the surrounding areas. The opposition wants a discussion on this in the House. If the government is not ready for the discussion, then all the BJP MLAs will sit on a protest outside the Chief Minister's office," he said. Om Prakash Sharma, BJP MLA from Vishwas Nagar also said that "farmers are being exploited in Delhi. "We condemn this anti-farmer government. The compensation being given in Delhi is very less, and farmers are being exploited in Delhi. We oppose this government and the farmers should be compensated fairly according to the market." Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took a veiled dig at Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in the state assembly session and said that the LG was acting like a "chieftain of a clan to please his masters". The AAP leader attacked the L-G for his alleged "unconstitutional interference" in the functioning of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government. "According to Constitution, the decision on local governance has to be taken by states, not the Centre. Delhi LG is not obeying the Constitution or the decision of the Supreme Court's constitution bench," Sisodia alleged. "I urge Delhi LG to not act like a tribal chieftain to appease his big boss but to follow Constitution. Instead of paying attention to law and order, Delhi Police and land encroachment, the LG is interfering in an elected government's work," he alleged. (ANI)
Sawant was brought to Amboli Police Station for further questioning, said the Mumbai Police.

The police will present Sawant in the Andheri court later in the day.

Rakhi Sawant's anticipatory bail application was rejected by a Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday, following which she was arrested on Thursday.

A feud between the two tinsel town celebrities, Sawant and another has been ongoing for some time now. In November 2022, Rakhi Sawant and the other model filed FIRs against each other for using objectionable language, according to the police on Wednesday.

The Mumbai Police said that upon the complaint, an FIR was registered against Rakhi Sawant and advocate Falguni Brahmbhatt. (ANI)
Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Bandi Sanjay on Thursday hit out at the state Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's 'pan-India' rally calling it a big 'flop'. Speaking to ANI, Bandi Sanjay took a dig at KCR and said, "The meeting of BRS by KCR (Telangana CM) was an utter flop yesterday. What development have they done in Telangana? If he can't do anything in Telangana, what will he do in the country." "KCR is scared of Praja Sangram Yatra. And the cases of corruption of his son, daughter, and family, are being discussed throughout the whole country. KCR has stooped so low to divert all those issues. Where is Nitish Kumar? Why didn't he join the yatra? Whosoever joins hands with KCR, never comes back again," Sanjay added. KCR held a Bharat Rashtra Samithi rally in Khammam on Wednesday which was attended by Delhi and Punjab chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann along with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. The rally was conducted ahead of the 2024 elections as a "pan-India" rally. Left leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and D Raja also joined the rally. Congress, currently focused on the last few days of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, was missing from the rally. This was the first rally of BRS after it got national recognition. The Kerala Chief Minister P Vijayan said that with the rally today, "We will have the beginning of a new resistance". Two leading opposition leaders Nitish Kumar and Mamta Banerjee were also absent from KCR's rally. (ANI)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday opposed the bail plea of Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case in the Supreme Court. The apex court, meanwhile, reserved its order on Ashish Mishra's bail plea. A bench of justices Surya Kant and JK Maheshwari reserved the order after hearing the submission of all parties. "We reserve orders. We will pass the order," the bench said. During the hearing in the Supreme Court, Uttar Pradesh government told the bench that they are opposing the bail plea of Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. UP government apprised the court about the chargesheet where witnesses stated that Ashish Mishra was running from the spot. Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that alleged offences were grave in nature and granting bail in such matters may impact the society adversely. The Supreme Court noted that they are two versions regarding grave and heinous acts and it cannot comment on any of the versions now. Supreme Court also remarked the law will take its course and the trial court will decide which version is correct. The court also said that at this stage they are dealing with bail and there should be a balancing rights of parties and none can be kept in indefinite incarceration. The court also remarked that this case may require further monitoring by the top court. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for petitioner Ashish Mishra, said his client is not a danger to society and insisted to grant bail to Mishra. Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the complainant, told the Supreme Court if Mishra is out on bail then it will send a terrible message. But the court remarked that the counsel cannot say that the Supreme Court is a mute spectator and he cannot curtail the powers of a constitutional court. However, Dave stressed that Mishra should not be given relief and said that it was a cold-blooded murder and there was a conspiracy involved in it. Dave also remarked that as he has experience of 44 years at the bar and therefore he can assure the court that the trial will never see the light of the day if Ashish Mishra is released on bail as they are powerful people who can influence the trial. The court expressed its view that it depends on the conditions that may be imposed by the court. Dave also cited a report and said as on March 31, 2021, there are 13,000 undertrial prisoners in murder cases in UP and Ashish Mishra is not an exception. (ANI)
Flight UK543 scheduled to reach the Odisha capital from Mumbai, Maharashtra, was diverted to the West Bengal capital because of dense fog.

"Flight UK543 from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar (BOM-BBI) has been diverted to Kolkata (CCU) due to low visibility at Bhubaneshwar airport and is expected to arrive in Kolkata at 09:30 hours. please stay tuned for further updates," tweeted the Vistara airlines official Twitter handle as the dense fog continues to hinder scheduled flight operations.

https://twitter.com/airvistara/status/1615915174929788928?s=20&t=9_jt9TjHOcJFXfTOcTrmcw

Although the temperature in Odisha's Bhubaneswar is to remain between 19 and 30 degrees Celsius, dense fog is forecasted till 21 January by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). (ANI)
The year 2022 will go down in history for the Northeastern state of Assam for zero poaching cases in Kaziranga setting a record. This is the first instance of zero rhino poaching since 1977. Assam's Kaziranga National Park (KNP) - located in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra river - is the biggest habitat for one-horned rhinos globally and draws in visitors from across the globe. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while interacting with reporters on the first day of 2023 on Sunday, apprised the people of this positive news. GP Singh also shared data on Twitter which showed 2022 was the first year in decades that no incident of rhino poaching was reported in Assam. The special DGP shared figures for rhino poaching in the state since the year 2000. The highest number of poaching, as per his shared data, was in 2013 and 2014 at 27 each. In 2015 and 2016, the number of rhinos killed by poachers was 17 and 18, respectively, which subsequently declined to two in 2020 and 2021 and zero in 2022. How severe is rhino poaching in Assam and how has the Northeast state been protecting the one-horned herbivore, responding to the question, Special director general of police (law and order) GP Singh said that the government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards poaching. "In his first cabinet meeting after taking over as CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma made his government's intent absolutely clear. It was well known that there would be zero tolerance towards any such incidents of poaching," GP Singh said while talking to ANI. He further said that a task force led by Special DGP Law and Order GP Singh was constituted. According to the data, since 2000, there have been close to 190 plus cases of Rhino poaching with a huge 27 cases being reported in 2013 alone. He further said that apart from the constant push by both the state government as well as from the Union Home Ministry, leveraging the use of technology and coordinated effort helped in achieving this task, which sounded impossible to many. "We focused on mapping the incidents of poaching and collected data and traced the history of poachers who had a track record including following their present activities. We also sensitised the stakeholders especially villagers, forest villagers, and those in buffer zones," Singh explained. The Special DGP further said, "Assam Police also coordinated with other police teams across states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Kerala." According to the Special DGP, use of modern systems and effective tools of communication and monitoring was of big help. "We installed CCTV cameras on entry/exit routes including night vision CCTV cameras. Some other technology use includes wireless connectivity networks, movement sensors and extensive usage of drones and dog squads. Armed commandos of police and forest were deployed in core areas, said Singh who led a 22-member task force team," he said adding that action was taken against any attempt to poach. Briefing the data, as per the records, 58 people were arrested, 5 injured and 4 killed for trying to poach. Kaziranga National Park spread over 430 square kilometers is home to more than 2200 Indian one-horned rhinoceros, approximately 2/3rd of their total world population. The park which also has a home elephant, wild water buffalo and swamp deer was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 after seeing a rise in the tiger population. Kaziranga Park remains closed from May 1 to October 31 every year for visitors due to dry summers followed by the monsoon season. Poaching of Rhinos was rampant in the past, which has now come down due to stringent surveillance and other elevated security arrangements being put in by the authorities. To give a clear message to poachers that Rhino horns don't attach any medicinal or monetary value, the Assam government publicly burnt a stockpile of 2,479 horns in September 2022. (ANI)
Reacting to an Uttar Pradesh college incident where students wearing burqa were stopped from entering the premises, former Samajwadi Party MLA Zameer Ullah Khan has said that "those who oppose burqa should be paraded naked to teach them a lesson". "There should be no ban on the burqa and whoever imposes the ban, first parade them naked. What is this new dress code? Make them roam around naked, then they will know what is to be exposed," said the former Koil lawmaker on the Moradabad's Hindu College incident. He further said that if it is not a crime to remove burqa, then it is not a crime to go naked. Following an October 2022 direction on dress code at the college, the authorities on Wednesday stopped several girl students in burqa from entering the premises, leading to widespread protests in the area, in which the SP leaders and workers also joined. Regarding the ban on the burqa in Moradabad's Hindu College, Khan said that it was absolutely wrong. If girls want to wear a burqa, there should be no ban on it and those who ban it should be paraded around naked. The former MLA said that the burqa is a culture of India. "In villages of India, even the voices of sisters and daughters are not heard, they are forced to stay behind veils," he added. Some students of the Hindu college in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad were denied entry to the college for wearing a burqa despite the prescribed uniform code for the students here. The girls alleged that their college was not letting them enter the college campus wearing a burqa and were compelling them to remove it at the entrance gate. A scuffle broke out between the students, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha workers, and the college professors who remained adamant about sticking to the prescribed rules. Meanwhile, the college professor, Dr AP Singh said that they had implemented a dress code for the students here and anybody who refuses to follow it will be barred from entering the college campus. To this, the members of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha submitted a memorandum to include the burqa in the dress code for college and allow the girls to attend their classes wearing it. (ANI)
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has urged Union agriculture minister NS Tomar to reconstitute the MSP Committee formed by the Centre and also revoke the gazette notification issued in this regard as the panel is not "representative" of the farming community. In a letter to the Union Agriculture minister, Badal said that her party rejects the MSP Committee in its current form as it is not acceptable to the farming community. "We need a fair committee in keeping with the spirit of the assurance given to Kisan Andolan representatives by the Prime Minister on December 9, 2021. Farmers across the country feel the committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the farming community and experts who had agitated against the farm laws." Badal said in her letter written on January 17. She further alleged that the committee formed by the central government is not representative of the community and is "loaded" with government representatives who batted for the laws. "In fact, the committee is loaded with central government representatives and has as its chairman the former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal who was the architect of the three farm laws. It also includes Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand and several other members who have been vociferous defenders of the farm laws," the letter said "In stark contrast, it does not include any government representative from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University even as other state representatives and members from their agriculture universities have been included in the committee. Under the present committee, there is no scope of any discussion which would safeguard the interest of farmers as the three farmer representatives slated to be included in the committee will be outnumbered by government representatives," she said in her letter. Today, she also twisted bout the same. "Farmers feel Committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the community and is loaded with government representatives who batted for the 3 farm laws. It also does not include any government representatives from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University." Terming the MSP committee a "misnomer", Bathinda MP said that the prime minister had clearly stated that a committee would work on ways and means to make minimum support price (MSP) a legal guarantee. "Instead of making this the key mandate of the Committee, the same has been changed to "making MSP more effective and transparent," she said. (ANI)
Delhi Police on Thursday said that "Khalistan Zindabad" and other anti-national slogans that cropped up as graffiti on walls in at least 10 locations in the national capital have been removed. Graffiti written in Gurmukhi and Hindi with 'Khalistan Zindabad', and 'Referendum 2020' was seen painted on a wall in the Paschim Vihar area of the capital city today. The development comes days ahead of Republic Day celebrations for which security has been stepped up in the city. Delhi Police said that it is not a "security-related issue" and that legal action would be taken against those involved in the matter. "Anti-national, Khalistan-related graffiti appeared overnight at some locations in Delhi. The graffiti appears to have been painted under the cover of darkness and appeared in deserted and empty places. This is not a security-related issue. Legal action will be taken in this matter," Suman Nalwa, the Public Relations Officer of Delhi Police told ANI. The PRO highlighted that Delhi Police has put in place robust security arrangements for January 26. "The focus of our security is January 26. Every unit of Delhi Police is working to ensure that no untoward incident takes place," the Delhi Police PRO said. The official further pointed out that the outfit Sikhs for Justice, which is banned in India could be behind such activities and it is resorting to such tactics to remain in news. The official said that legal action would be initiated against those "aiding them". "SFJ is a banned organisation. The Internet has no limitations. Whenever they do something, they do so under some other name. It is a little difficult but legal action will be taken. We will also take action against those who are aiding them. They only want to be in the news with such activities," the Delhi Police PRO said. Further investigation into the matter is underway. There have been sporadic instances in the country where public buildings were vandalised with pro-Khalistani slogans. Earlier on July 6 last year, Karnal Police arrested a Patiala-based man, identified as Manjeet, for writing "pro-Khalistan slogans" on the walls of two educational institutions on June 20, and said that the accused was promised to pay USD 1,000 by a US-based person for accomplishing the job. In another incident in May last year in Himachal Pradesh a resident of Punjab was arrested for allegedly putting Khalistani flags outside the State Assembly. (ANI)
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday claimed that she was molested by a drunk man and questioned the government over the 'safety of women' in the national capital. Taking to Twitter, the DCW chief said that a car driver molested her in a drunken state and dragged her by his vehicle. "Late last night I was inspecting the situation of women's security in Delhi. A driver of a car molested me in a drunken state and when I caught hold of him, he locked my hand in the mirror of the car and dragged me. God saved my life. If the Chairperson of the Women's Commission is not safe in Delhi, then imagine the situation," Maliwal said in a tweet. Earlier, the Delhi Police said that it has arrested one person in connection with an incident in which Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal alleged that she was "molested" and "dragged by a car" for several meters opposite AIIMS in the national capital in the early hours of this morning. Speaking to ANI, DCP South Chandan Chowdhary stated that according to Maliwal she was with her team outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here at around 2.45 am when the arrested accused identified as Harish Chandra, a resident of Sangam Vihar area, appeared to be in an inebriated condition approached her. The DCW chief in her complaint to police alleged that the man who was driving a white-coloured car stopped his car near where she was standing and "made indecent gestures" at her. He then beckoned her to sit inside his vehicle, claimed Maliwal. When she reprimanded him, the man allegedly went away but returned a short while and again repeated his actions, police said. She was standing with her team at Gate number 2 of the AIIMS which comes under the Kotla Police Station area. According to Maliwal's complaint, when she was standing on the footpath, a white-coloured vehicle approached her whose driver offered her a lift and started insisting that she sit inside the car. "When she refused again and went near the driver's side window to reprimand him the man rolled up the car's glass window and her hand got stuck and she got dragged for about 10-15 metres," the DCP Chowdhary said. The police official said that a PCR call was received at around 3.12 am and a police team including ACP Hauz Khas reached the spot at around 3.20 am the accused was apprehended. "The police took a written complaint from Maliwal and sent her and the accused for medical examination," the DCP added. A case was registered under the IPC in which Sections of molestation (354) were also included. Other sections include 323/341/509 IPC and the 185 Motor Vehicles Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway. Maliwal's claims come days after a 20-year-old woman identified as Anjali died after allegedly being dragged in the Kanjhawala area of Delhi for several kilometres. (ANI)
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that a request has been made to its shareholders, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) and Delhi Government to provide a sum of Rs 3565.64 crore as interest-free subordinate debt at an early date. The fresh affidavit filed by DMRC stated that "the decision of its Board of Directors, has approached its shareholders, i.e., GOI and GNCTD and had written letters dated 18.01.2023 to MOHUA and GNCTD, in which DMRC requested to MOHUA and GNCTD that a sum of Rs. 3565.64 crore may please be provided as interest-free subordinate debt at an early date so that the Supreme Court directions may be complied with." In December 2022, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi High Court to execute within three months the arbitral award of Rs 7,200 crore won by the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) run by Reliance Infrastructure against DMRC. The affidavit stated that this matter was discussed in the 148th Board Meeting of DMRC, held on January 16, 2023, and in view of GNCTD's disinclination and also in view of the inability of DMRC to raise money from the open market because of its adverse financial position, it was decided to approach both the shareholders i.e. GOI and GNCTD to share the total awarded amount of Rs. 7,131.28 Crore in equal proportion as interest-free subordinate debt. "Though this step of interest-free subordinate debt brings more financial burden on DMRC, however, the less financially burdensome option of issue of Equity Shares, which was explored earlier, failed to materialise," stated DMRC. The matter was listed in Delhi High Court on Thursday, but later got adjourned for January 31, 2023, because of the non-availability of the Attorney General in the matter. Earlier, the government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) informed DMRC that it is not inclined to provide money for payments arising out of disputes or contractual defaults to the Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL). GNCTD said, "Shareholders cannot be held liable for payments arising out of disputes or contractual defaults. It is further submitted that DMRC may raise money from Open Market or through externally aided Funds or loans from the Government of India to meet this liability." The Court earlier made clear that if the amount is not paid within time, the Court shall be constrained to call the appearance of the Managing Director of the DMRC before this Court. The Delhi High Court earlier had directed DMRC to provide details of funds in its bank account in connection with a Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's (DAMEPL) plea for the execution of an arbitral award against it. The Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) had filed an application requesting Delhi High Court to direct Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) to deposit Rs 6,208 crores available in its various bank accounts into the project escrow account without any delay. DAMEPL, in its application, had rejected any out-of-court negotiations/ settlement or assignment of debt to the DMRC. DAMEPL plea states, "The Decree Holder is not agreeable to settling the matter out of the Court. Accordingly, no alternate proposal by DMRC is acceptable to Decree Holder and it presses for the execution on merits at the earliest." The plea further stated that the delay in payment by DMRC is causing immense prejudice to DAMEPL and its Promoter, Reliance Infrastructure Limited. In case the reliefs as sought are not granted, the Decree Holder shall suffer irreparable loss and injury. The Supreme Court on September 7 2021, upheld the arbitration award of Rs 7,200 crores in favour of DAMEPL. In 2008, DAMEPL entered into a contract with DMRC for running the airport metro line till 2038. As disputes arose between the parties, DAMEPL stopped operating the metro on the airport line and invoked the arbitration clause against DMRC alleging violation of contract, and sought a termination fee. (ANI)
After allegations were levelled that the son of Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay was involved in assaulting a fellow student, the BJP leader said that for him the nation is first, the party second and the family last, and action should be taken against his son if he has done anything wrong. "I am not like KCR to support the family when it is wrong. Earlier, this type of case happened with KCR's grandson also, Congress and every political party commented, but I myself held a press conference and refused to politicise the matter and said that one should not comment on children in this way," Bandi Sanjay said. Launching an attack on Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the BJP leader said, "The kind of politics KCR does is not right. When I saw the video of my son on social media, I sent my son to the police station. If my son has done anything wrong then action should be taken against him." He said that the cops told him that the investigation in this matter now has not started, first evidence will be collected, and then later he will be given a message. "If any evidence is found then he can come to the police station for cooperation," Bandi Sanjay quoted the policemen as saying. "All the students involved in the case, including my son, are friends. This incident happened three months back and I want to urge the media too that it is about the future of the children and I don't want to spoil the future of those students, not only my son but also of the other two children are involved in it," he added. A case was registered against Sanjay's son Bandi Bhagirath Sai based on a complaint filed by the Mahindra University, where both study - after the videos of the alleged assault went viral. Earlier, alleging that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi government "leaked" the video at the behest of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, in a bid to settle political scores, Bandi Sanjay said, "The IT cell of BRS Party has leaked it on social media purely for political gains and with a sole intention to tarnish my image. The cowardly Chief minister of Telangana Mr KCR and his prodigal son is unable to face me politically and resort to cheap politics. KCR is stooping too low and he is dragging my son with the intention of spoiling his career." The Dundigal police have registered a case against Bandi Sai Bhagirath after the alleged video went viral. However, the victim named Sri Ram posted another video stating, "I called up the sister of a friend of Sai Bhagirath in wee hours and asked her to love me. I misbehaved with her and also texted her. Later, Sai Bhagirath, who came to know about this incident approached me to speak about it. He beat me as I spoke to him in an inappropriate manner. However, we have had all these incidents in the past and are now staying together without any problems. We are now friends and also batchmates. The video that is going around is not of any use." According to the police, the police have registered a case U/a 323, 341, 504 and 506 IPC on Bandi Sai Bhagirath after receiving a complaint from the college authorities. (ANI)
A total of three men have been arrested in Gujarat in connection with the case in which four members of a family had frozen to death while attempting to illegally cross into the United States from Canada in January last year, state police said. The Ahmedabad Crime Branch officials last Saturday arrested Bhavesh Patel, and Yogesh Patel who had been involved in illegally sending 11 people to Canada including the family of four who died in the snow on the US border with Canada on January 19, 2022, in their attempt to cross the border illegally. The family hailed from Dingucha village of Gandhinagar. The police arrested a third person identified as Dasarath Chaudhary from Kalol in Gandhinagar for his alleged involvement in the case. According to the police, the deceased family members were identified as Jagdish Patel (39), Vaishali Patel (37) and their two children namely daughter Vihangi Patel (11) and son Dharmik Patel (3) whose bodies were recovered near Emerson, Manitoba in Canada. Bhavin Suthar, Ahmedabad Crime Branch Inspector said, "On January 19, 2022, four members of Dingucha's family died of freezing to death while crossing the border from Canada to America. The Gujarat police along with the embassy was investigating the matter. Agent Bhavesh Patel and Yogesh Patel, who sent Dingucha's family abroad, have been arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch." "Dasarath Chaudhary, who is in the custody of Ahmedabad Crime Branch, has been arrested. He is a resident of Gandhinagar and has been found to be working as a sub-agent for sending illegals abroad," he added. The official informed that Chaudhary had sent two students named Priyanka and Prince, residents of Kalol to America illegally through Yogesh Patel who was arrested earlier. "Crime Branch has started an investigation by summoning Mahendra Patel, cousin of deceased Jagdish Patel," the Police Inspector said. During interrogation, the arrested three men revealed that they received Rs 5 lakh per person for sending people to America illegally. (ANI)
Singh reminded that when the BJP started the Ekta Yatra led by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi in 1992 and hoisted the tricolour at Lal Chowk with Narendra Modi, the Congress-led collision opposed it and adopted the policy of "oppression."

"BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitely and Anant Kumar, were also not allowed to enter J&K and were arrested at Srinagar Airport," Singh said.

He asked if it was possible to forget the whole episode. "At that time J&K ruling parties and Congress also adopted an oppression policy to demoralize the yatra," he claimed.

In fact, the Congress' Yatra is "Bharat Todo (break) Yatra, not Bharat Jodo yatra." It was launched to "show affection to people whose politics is based on separatism," he alleged.

Notably, Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19 where Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah Sanjay Raut, MY Tarigami, and Mehbooba Mufti will join the yatra at different locations.

Singh further alleged that the Congress failed to do what was required for the people of J&K. "PM Modi abrogated article 370 and made the J&K an integral part of India," (ANI)
Earlier on Monday, Kuldeep Singh Sengar was granted interim bail, in the 2017 Unnao rape case, for his daughter's wedding.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma granted him interim bail from January 27 to February 10, 2023.

His plea was accepted on the furnishing of a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety bond where he has been directed to keep his google live location active and is asked to report before the Investigating Officers (IO) at Lucknow everyday.

The High Court has also directed that look-out circulars (LOC) be opened during the period of the interim bail. He has been directed not to indulge with victims or witnesses.

Earlier, Sengar moved a plea through Advocate Kanhaiya Singhal and sought interim bail for his daughter's wedding in February 2023.

His daughter's wedding is on February 8 and ceremonies would start in January 2023 itself.

He was convicted and awarded a life sentence for raping a minor in Unnao in 2017. Sengar was also convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in the custodial death case.

His appeal against the conviction and sentence is pending before the High Court. His plea seeking regular bail is also under consideration before the High Court. (ANI)
The Supreme Court Collegium has resolved to reiterate its recommendation for the appointment of Senior Advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court, stressing that it needs to be processed expeditiously and said that Kirpal as a prospective candidate for judgeship, has not been surreptitious about his orientation. Reiterating its recommendation dated November 11, 2021, for the appointment of Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court, the Collegium said that the overwhelmingly positive aspects of the candidature of Saurabh Kirpal must, therefore, weigh in the balance. In a Collegium meeting held between Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, the decision to reiterate the recommendation for the appointment of Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court was taken. The SC Collegium said Saurabh Kirpal possesses the competence, integrity and intellect and his appointment will add value to the Bench of the Delhi High Court and provide inclusion and diversity. The Collegium appreciated the conduct and behaviour of Kirpal and said, "It may have been advisable for the candidate not to speak to the Press in regard to the reasons which may have weighed in the recommendations of the Collegium being sent back for reconsideration." "However, this aspect should not be considered as a negative feature, particularly since the name has remained pending for over five years. The overwhelmingly positive aspects of the candidature of Shri Saurabh Kirpal must, therefore, weigh in the balance," the Collegium said. "In this backdrop, the Collegium resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated November 11, 2021, for the appointment of Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court which needs to be processed expeditiously," the collegium said. The Collegium mentioned the letter of the Law Minister dated April 1 2021 which states that though "homosexuality stands de-criminalised in India, nonetheless same-sex marriage still remains bereft of recognition either in codified statutory law or uncodified personal law in India and the candidate's "ardent involvement and passionate attachment to the cause of gay-rights" would not rule out the possibility of bias and prejudice. "As regards the first objection, the two communications of R&AW do not reflect any apprehension in regard to the individual conduct or behaviour of the partner of Shri Saurabh Kirpal having a bearing on national security. There is no reason to pre-suppose that the partner of the candidate, who is a Swiss National, would be inimically disposed to our country since the country of his origin is a friendly nation," SC Collegium clarified. "Many persons in high positions including present and past holders of constitutional offices have and have had spouses who are foreign Nationals. Hence, as a matter of principle, there can be no objection to the candidature of SSaurabh Kirpal on the ground that his partner is a Foreign National," SC collegium pointed. "As regards the second objection, it needs to be noted that the decisions of the Constitution Bench of this Court have established the constitutional position that every individual is entitled to maintain their own dignity and individuality, based on sexual orientation," SC Collegium said. "The fact that Saurabh Kirpal has been open about his orientation is a matter which goes to his credit. As a prospective candidate for the judgeship, he has not been surreptitious about his orientation," SC Collegium said. In view of the constitutionally recognized rights which the candidate espouses, it would be manifestly contrary to the constitutional principles laid down by the Supreme Court to reject his candidature on that ground, the Collegium said. The recommendation unanimously made by the Collegium of the Delhi High Court on 13 October 2017 and approved by the Supreme Court Collegium on 11 November 2021 has been referred back to us on 25 November 2022 for reconsideration. The proposal has been pending for over five years. The SC Collegium took note of the letters of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) dated 11 April 2019 and 18 March 2021, and said that it appears that there are two objections to the recommendation which was made by the Collegium of this Court on 11 November 2021 approving the name of Saurabh Kirpal namely, the partner of Saurabh Kirpal is a Swiss National, and he is in an intimate relationship and is open about his sexual orientation. (ANI)
The operation was carried out by a combined team of Assam Rifles and Excise and Narcotics Department, Champhai based on specific information under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (East).

As per the official statement, the seized consignment and apprehended individuals were handed over to Excise and Narcotics Department for further legal proceedings.

"Smuggling of illegal drugs is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the 'Sentinels of Northeast' have been successful in launching such operations against the smuggling activities in Mizoram," the statement added. (ANI)
Highlighting the philosophy of 'Aarogyam Param Bhagyam, Swasthyam Sarwaarth Sadhanam' which translates as 'Good Health is the Greatest Fortune' and 'Health is the only way to Happiness in the World', Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare on Thursday said, "under G20 India Presidency, we plan to strive for equitable access to healthcare for all and to help create a framework which can reduce disparities in healthcare availability across the world." Bharati Pravin Pawar was inaugurating the session on Medical Value Travel on the sidelines of the 1st Health Working Group meeting under the G20 IndiaPresidency, here. Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present at the event. Underscoring the significance of Medical Value Travel, Dr Pawar said that "for centuries, traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health in communities worldwide, and it continues to be a first port of call and a crucial resource for individuals." She highlighted the wide acceptance of traditional medicine and said, "Traditional medicine is gaining worldwide recognition as effective tools for pain management and hold a lot of promise against antibiotic resistance too. Over 170 of 194 WHO Member States have also Pawar lauded India's efforts toward creating a unique ecosystem for holistic wellness and healthcare." "India has been able to combine the best of modern and traditional medicine coupled with wellness treatments. Also, our health system offers quality treatment, has widespread availability and is one of the most affordable in the world," she added. Encouraging the participants to promote value-based healthcare, Dr Pawar urged the stakeholders to discuss and enable equitable access to value-based healthcare services across the globe. Reiterating the need for a holistic policy framework to promote Medical Value Travel, she said "Medical Value Travel across most of the countries is driven by the private sector and while it facilitates provisioning of health services to needy patients cutting across geographical boundaries, the policy imperative to promote Medical Value Travel needs to gain momentum." Dr Pawar stated that "with G20 India Presidency, we have the opportunity to create multilateral collaborations between countries, facilitated by knowledge sharing, leading to the formulation of effective policies aiding accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to citizens across the world." She was hopeful that "G20 nations will forge a unique blueprint for the future of medical value travel through effective collaborations." Dr Pawar along with other dignitaries also visited stalls on wellness and medical value travel. Union Health Secretary Shri Rajesh Bhushan spoke about the significance of Medical Value Travel in the present globalized world. Reiterating the ancient Indian philosophy of healthcare as a service (seva) and Sanskrit saying of SarveSantuNiramaya (may all in the world remain healthy), he urged all stakeholders to synergize their efforts towards the common goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring 'Good Health and Wellbeing' and 'Universal Health Coverage' for all. Shri Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary (AYUSH), Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary (DHR)and Shri Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary (MoHFW)along with senior officers of the Union Government were also present at the event. Representatives from the G20 member countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, The United Kingdom, United States of America and European Union attended the event. Special invitee countries included Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, the Sultanate of Oman, The Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. International organizations such as Asian Development Bank, African Union - AU, ASEAN, BMGF, CEPI, Commonwealth, FAO, G20 Innovation Hub, GAVI, Global AMR R&D Hub, OECD, Rockefeller Foundation, STOP TB-Partnership, World Economic Forum, Wellcome Trust, WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, UNEP etc., also participated in the event. (ANI)
With the Yogi government entering into an agreement with Hyderabad-based medical equipment company InstaShield, Uttar Pradesh is set to add an effective weapon to its arsenal in the fight against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). InstaShield claims that its device, launched in March 2022, is 99.9 per cent effective in guarding against and destroying all types of viruses including SARS-Covid. It is worth mentioning here that the company's turnover has reached Rs 10 crore since the launch of this particular device in March 2022, an official statement said. "The owners of the company gave a presentation of this device during the meeting with the delegation of the Yogi Government while Cabinet Minister Baby Rani Maurya expressed her liking for the innovative product of the company. CM Yogi's team also invited the owners of the company to the Global Investors Summit to be held in Lucknow on February 10-12," the statement added. After meeting with Team Yogi, Instashield promoter and director CS Jadhav and Hitesh M Patel informed that they started the company in August 2017 and it is registered with MSME, Startup India and Gem Portal. According to them, when the whole world was busy devising ways to tackle Covid-19, InstaShield invented its own to prevent the spread of the pandemic, it added. "The device was launched in March 2022 and today the company's turnover has reached Rs 10 crore, changing the entire picture of the company. InstaShield is a plug-and-play device that kills viruses with the help of electron-transmitting technology. InstaShield's innovative technology works in closed spaces like homes, offices, schools, hotels, colleges, hospitals etc. without releasing any harmful radiation in the air and on surfaces and keeps the environment safe and healthy for mankind," a statement from Instashield said. "InstaShield device is a breakthrough device as it uses the first of its kind CCMB approved virus attenuation technology. This technology disables all types of viruses, including SARS CoV2 with 99.9 per cent effectiveness. Hitesh says that a single InstaShield device is sufficient to keep an area of 5000 square feet safe from the virus. The device gets activated within 18 minutes. The InstaShield device technology is patented and supported by TSIC, and ARCI. The device is certified by CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad as well as other labs like EMTAC, and Vimta. CSIR-CCMB is a Government Council. The company claims that the device is 100 per cent safe for humans and the environment," the company claimed in a statement. "InstaShield device is a Make in India product. Hitesh says that when the testing of this device was going on, by that time 8 variants of Corona had arrived. The device was tested for all variants and the results were positive. This device is capable of killing the virus in nanoseconds. Within a month of its launch, this device was sold for Rs.1.25 crore. By November 2022, the sales figure had reached Rs 10 crore. In the current financial year, the profit is expected to be Rs.5-6 crore and the sales will be Rs.14-15 crore. The InstaShield device can be ordered online from the company's website and Amazon. Apart from this, dealers and distributors have been made all over India. The company has appointed Shruti Haasan as its brand ambassador," the statement added. After Hyderabad, the company is now considering setting up its manufacturing unit in UP. "During the meeting with the UP delegation on Wednesday, both the promoters signed an MoU for an initial investment of 20 crores in UP. Apart from setting up the unit in UP, the company will also do its marketing and promotion here. Hitesh said that UP is a big market and he is impressed by the major changes in infrastructure, connectivity and law and order here under the leadership of CM Yogi. He sought support from the representatives of the government for their investments as well as large-scale business in UP. On behalf of the representatives, they were informed about the safe environment and all the reliefs and incentives provided by the government to investors," the release said. "The company is working on enhancing the InstaShield device, after which one device will be sufficient to kill the virus in an area of 25,000 square feet. Work is on to make it effective for swine flu and bird flu as well. InstaShield is set to launch its IPO in December 2023. Exports are expected to start by February 2023. Through investment in UP, the company will be able to use a bigger platform and will be able to earn huge profits under the umbrella of CM Yogi," Hitesh, a company official said. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone and dedicated various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water and a national highway development project at Kodekal, Yadgiri in Karnataka. The projects include laying the foundation stone of the Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission and 65.5 km section (from Badadal to Maradagi S Andola) of Surat-Chennai Expressway NH-150C, and inauguration of the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC-ERM). Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the love and support of the people of Karnataka and said that it has become a source of great strength. He alleged that crores of small farmers were deprived of every comfort for decades and no effort was made in government policies for their long-term welfare. PM Modi said the small farmer is the biggest priority of the agricultural policy of the country. The Prime Minister gave examples of helping the farmers with machinery, taking them towards modern technology like drones, providing fertilizers like nano urea, encouragement to natural farming, small farmers being given Kisan Credit Cards, and support to animal husbandry, fisheries and beekeeping. Targetting opposition parties, he alleged that the governments of the past indulged in vote-bank politics and did not pay heed to basic infrastructure like electricity, roadways and water. Karnataka is slated to go for assembly polls in the first half of this year. Throwing light on the rich history of Yadgiri, the Prime Minister pointed out the ancient fort of Rattihalli, which is a symbol of the "capabilities of our ancestors and reflects our culture and traditions". He also mentioned the heritage of the great king Maharaja Venkatappa Nayak whose idea of swaraj and good governance was noted all over the country. "We all take pride in this heritage", the Prime Minister said. Referring to the projects related to roads and water, the Prime Minister said they will provide massive benefits to the people of the region. Surat-Chennai Corridor's Karnataka portion saw the start of work today and this will enhance ease of living besides contributing to employment and economic activity in the region including Yadgiri, Raichur and Kalburgi. The Prime Minister praised the state government for development work in North Karnataka. He noted that the coming 25 years are 'Amrit Kaal' for the country and for every state. "We have to create Viksit Bharat during this Amrit Kaal. This can happen only when every person, family and state gets associated with this campaign. India can be developed when the life of the farmer in the field and the entrepreneur is improved. India can be developed when there is good crop, and factory output also expands. This will need learning from the negative experiences and bad policies of the past," he said. Giving the example of Yadgiri in North Karnataka, the Prime Minister lamented the backwardness that prevailed in the region. Even though the region had the capability, the Prime Minister observed that the past governments had absolved themselves just by declaring Yadgiri and other such districts as backward. Highlighting the priorities of the present government, the Prime Minister remarked that its focus is solely on development and not vote-bank politics. "Even if one district in the country lags behind on the parameters of development, the country cannot become developed," the Prime Minister said. He said the BJP government addressed the problems concerning most backward regions on priority and initiated the hundred aspirational villages campaign including in Yadgiri. Referring to emphasis on good governance and development in the region, he said Yadgir has vaccinated 100 percent of children, the number of malnourished children has gone down significantly, all villages of the district are connected via roads and there are common service centres in gram panchayat to provide digital services. "Be it education, health or connectivity, Yadgiri has been among the top 10 performers of the aspirational districts programme," the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined the importance of water security for the development of 21st-century India which, he said, stands at par with border, coastal and internal security. "Double-engine government is working with an approach of felicitation and consolidation," he said and informed that of 99 irrigation schemes that were lying pending in 2014, 50 have already been completed and schemes have been expanded. Narayanpur Left Bank Canal-Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC-ERM) with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area, he said. PM Modi also talked about the unprecedented focus on micro-irrigation and 'per drop more crop' as more than 70 lakh hectares of land have been brought into the ambit of micro-irrigation in the last seven-eight years. The project unveiled on Thursday will be beneficial for 5 lakh hectares of land in Karnataka and work is going on to raise the water table, he informed. The Prime Minister noted that when the Jal Jeevan mission began three-and-a-half years ago, only three crore rural families had piped water connections out of eighteen crore rural families. "Today that number has gone up to eleven crore rural families. Out of these, 35 lakh families are from Karnataka." He noted that the coverage of water per household in Yadgiri and Raichur is higher than the overall average of Karnataka and the country. Throwing light on the projects inaugurated today, the Prime Minister noted that the target of providing tap water to every house in Yadgir will get a boost. He informed that a study revealed that lives of more than 1.25 lakh children will be saved every year due to the impact of India's Jal Jeevan Mission. He referred to the benefits of the Har Ghar Jal campaign and noted that the central government gives Rs 6,000 to the farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and the Karnataka government adds Rs 4,000 more which doubles the benefits for the farmers. "About 1.25 lakh farmer families of Yadgir have received about Rs 250 crore from PM Kisan Nidhi", the Prime Minister said. Elaborating on the work done by double-engine government, the Prime Minister said as the Centre launches the New Education Policy, Karnataka Government is helping poor students through Vidya Nidhi schemes. "Karnataka government augments the Centre's help to weavers under Mudra Scheme by giving them further help," he added. The Prime Minister lauded the local farmers for making the region a pulse bowl and helping the country in reducing foreign dependence in this area. He informed that 80 times more pulses have been procured under MSP in the last eight years. Pulse farmers have got Rs 60,000 crore in the last eight years compared to a few hundred crore rupees before 2014. He said 2023 has been declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations and noted that coarse cereals like jowar and ragi are produced in abundance in Karnataka. He underlined that the double-engine government is committed to increasing the production of this nutritious coarse grain and promoting it worldwide. The Prime Minister expressed the belief that farmers of Karnataka will play a leading role in taking this initiative forward. Referring to connectivity, he said it is equally important for agriculture, industry and tourism and highlighted the benefits to large parts of North Karnataka with the completion of the Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor. He said it will also be easy for the countrymen to reach the tourist places and pilgrimages of north Karnataka thereby creating thousands of new employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth. "The focus of the double-engine government on infrastructure and reforms is turning Karnataka into an investors' choice," the Prime Minister remarked and added that such investments will increase due to enthusiasm of people around the world to invest in India. Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, state Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai and Union Minister of State Bhagwant Khuba were among those present on the occasion. Under Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme, a water treatment plant of 117 MLD will be built. The project, with a cost of more than Rs 2050 crore, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns in the Yadgir district. NLBC-ERM is a project with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs and can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area. It will benefit more than three lakh farmers in 560 villages of Kalaburgi, Yadagir and Vijaypur districts. The total cost of the project is about Rs 4700 crore. The 65.5 km section of NH-150C is a six-lane greenfield road project, a part of the Surat- Chennai Expressway. It is being built at the cost of about Rs 2000 crore. (ANI)
The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday dismissed the interim bail application moved by Amit Arora, Director of Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd., who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. The Special Judge MK Nagpal on Thursday said the present application seeking interim bail of the accused Amit Arora is being dismissed with observations that the applicant shall be at liberty to move it again as and when the date for surgery of his wife for removal of gallbladder stones is taken after the requisite tests, if any, from the concerned hospital. Court further said that keeping in view the totality of facts and circumstances and in the considered opinion of this court, the interests of justice require that the wife of the applicant should first plan the above surgery and obtain a date for surgery from the hospital in which she intends to undergo the surgery and only then this court can consider the request of the applicant for grant of interim bail to him on the ground of said surgery. The court further noted that it emerges out from the medical record of the wife of the applicant that though she requires surgery for the removal of gallbladder stones, but as per the verification report obtained by the Investigation Officer from the concerned doctors, the surgery of the patient is not an emergent procedure and it has to be planned and this planning for surgery is required to be made as early as possible. Earlier ED's special public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta earlier had told the court that, on the basis of the investigation conducted so far indicating that Amit Arora is actually involved in the activity connected to the acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime and therefore, Amit Arora is guilty of the offence of money laundering. Arora's name is mentioned both in the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation cases as accused along with Dinesh Arora, another director of Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd. Other accused named are Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the then Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar. Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; authorised signatories of Mahadev Liquors Sunny Marwah, Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Arjun Pandey are some more accused in the case. The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary's report filed in July 2022 showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials had said. A total of six people have been arrested by the ED in this case till now. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection. (ANI)
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday reviewed Ayodhya, Vindhyachal and Kanpur divisions as part of the ongoing series of assessments of development projects being carried out in the interest of the state with regional MPs and MLAs. As per an official statement released on Thursday, in the special meeting, the Chief Minister gathered information one by one from the MPs and MLAs of Sultanpur, Barabanki, Amethi, Ambedkar Nagar, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Sonbhadra, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Etawah, Farrukhabad and Kannauj about the development plans of their areas and also gave necessary guidelines. "The public representatives informed the Chief Minister about the regional aspirations for the new development works during the meeting and also came up with proposals in this regard. The Chief Minister directed his office to seek immediate action on these proposals from MPs and MLAs. Major guidelines were given by the Chief Minister in this meeting held at his official residence," the statement said. "People of the country and the world are eager to see 'Divya Bhavya, Navya Ayodhya'. Many private companies, state governments, and religious organizations from India and abroad are eager to invest in Ayodhya. Our youth will get its direct benefit," CM Yogi said. "With so much natural beauty, Sonbhadra and Mirzapur have a huge potential for tourism. The construction work of Maa Vindhyavasini corridor is going on. This will provide great convenience to the devotees. Here, pure drinking water is being made available to the common people through the scheme of Har Ghar Nal. The carpets made by Bhadohi are well-liked all around the world. Planned efforts have also been made to preserve and promote tribal culture," CM added. "From a social, cultural, historical, and industrial point of view, Kanpur Division has been incredibly rich. The entire Kanpur division, which includes Kanpur, Farrukhabad, and Kannauj, has a significant role in increasing the exports of the state. Be it the Defence Corridor or the One District One Product scheme, the entrepreneurs of the entire Uttar Pradesh including the Kanpur division are being benefit. In many nations around the world today, there is a high demand for Kannauj perfume. Tourism facilities have improved in Sankisa," CM added. "Kanpur is an important node of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor. Due to this, new possibilities have been created for the MSME industries here. The youth here are getting new employment opportunities. It was unimaginable that even a massive drain like Sisamau pouring into Gangaji could ever be blocked off. But because of the public representatives and public participation, this work is now a reality. The whole nation kept watching when the Prime Minister took a boat ride here. Good work has been done in the Kanpur division under 'Namami Gange'," CM Yogi said. "Etawah, Kannauj, and Farrukhabad districts have huge potential for food processing units. Potatoes and tomatoes grow well here. The state government has implemented a new food processing policy. MPs/MLAs should inform the investors about it. The government will provide all necessary resources including land," he said. "In the last five-and-a-half years, good roads have been constructed even in remote villages. Clean drinking water has become accessible in every house. There is strong law and order. There is a huge land bank, better connectivity, and efficient human resources. By developing better infrastructure, a better environment has been created for industrial development. The state government is giving all possible cooperation for the development here. All of you must focus on the 'branding' of this potential of your area. With this, the investment will come here and employment opportunities will be created," CM added. CM Yogi said that Under the guidance of the respected Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh has set itself a target of becoming a $1 trillion economy. The Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit, which will be held from February 10 to 12, is a significant step in this direction. The large-scale investment will generate a lot of employment opportunities that will immediately benefit our youth. "Taking inspiration from foreign and domestic investor roadshows, many districts held district-level investor conferences and received investment proposals worth thousands of crores of rupees. Barabanki alone has received investment proposals of over Rs 800 crore. All the districts of Ayodhya, Vindhyachal and Kanpur divisions should make similar efforts. There are opportunities for every sector here," CM added. "MLAs under the leadership of the Member of Parliaments should prepare a better sector-wise action plan for organizing the District Investors Conference. Seek cooperation from District Administration, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Invest UP and Chief Minister's Office. Make contact with local entrepreneurs, business owners, and migrants, inform them about the industrial and sectoral policies of the state government, Introduce the potential of your area and encourage investment," CM added. "All the districts should be connected with the main event of the Global Investors Summit starting from February 10. With this, everyone will get the guidance of the Prime Minister. Invite local investors and entrepreneurs to this event. In the last five and a half years, more than Rs 1.88 lakh crore has been paid to sugarcane farmers. Timely payment is the priority of the government. Keeping in view the regional requirement, new sugar mills have been established. Capacity enhancement and modernization of old mills are in progress. Sultanpur will also get its benefit," CM added. CM Yogi added that Public representatives should give wide publicity to the new industrial policies of the State Government. Discussion should be organized among the youth in local universities/ colleges/ polytechnics/ ITIs. Public representatives should participate in these programmes. "An action plan is being prepared at the government level for the development of infrastructure facilities in Sanskrit schools. Arrangements are being made to ensure that these schools have hostels and adequate teachers, and provide good education to the students. The MPs and MLAs should cooperate in this important work," CM added. "Rozgar Melas are being organized in all the districts to connect the youth with employment. Public representatives should cooperate in organizing more such fairs in their areas. State Government is setting up fire stations at all tehsil headquarters in a phased manner. Trained personnel will be deployed in every fire station. Construction of the District Court building in Sonbhadra district will start soon," the statement said. "Public representatives should keep inspecting the development projects being conducted in the area. These schemes are helpful in the image building of the local public representatives. Public representatives will have to contribute to ensuring quality and timeliness," it added. (ANI)
One of India's major commercial crops, sugarcane generates a sizable amount of foreign cash while also employing a large number of people. India has become the largest producer and exporter of sugar. India's agricultural success is not only limited to sugarcane. India is leading worldwide in several other high-quality agricultural goods including pulses, spices and jute. Thanks to the mastery of farming techniques added by higher agricultural credit, the farming sector in India has witnessed remarkable growth following the green revolution in the 1960s. "If you look at the irrigated area, it was just 28 million hectares during the time of the sixties which has gone up to 100 million hectares. So, this has resulted in overall improved production along with the dwarf high-yielding varieties", said Dr A.K. Singh, Director, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute. In recent years, the government has also made significant investments in agricultural infrastructure and related industries. With the increased funding for irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, the agriculture sector in India has been able to generate better momentum. In terms of exports, the agriculture sector has seen good growth in the past year. The exports of agricultural and processed food products witnessed an increase of 16 per cent to $ 17.43 billion USD for the period of April to November 2022, compared to $ 15.07 billion USD for the same period last fiscal year, as per India Brand Equity Foundation. Actively pushing digitisation in the sector, the government is supporting agri-tech companies financially and encouraging artificial intelligence to revolutionise farming practices. In a move to boost technology-driven farming, India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, has instructed banks to begin financing the purchase of Kisan Drones, which are meant for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, and spraying insecticides and nutrients. Moreover, the government has rolled out a number of farmers' welfare schemes to provide debt financing facilities for investment in Agri infrastructure. "The government has taken up a large number of farmers' centric schemes supporting farmers in terms of improving their production, productivity and profitability", said Dr A.K. Singh. Though India has witnessed notable achievements in food production since the Green Revolution, the use of high-yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides has brought up a number of issues related to environmental sustainability. In an attempt to incorporate a more holistic approach, India is scaling up nature-positive farming to benefit crop, soil, and human health. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities, India is gradually adopting climate-smart farming techniques. For example, farmers have already begun using solar electricity and other sustainable energy sources for irrigation. In India, there is much-educated youth who have started agricultural businesses, investing time and money. It is predicted that their efforts over the next ten years, combined with technological advancements, will alter the way agriculture is practised in India, catapulting the sector to new heights. (ANI)
As the Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced the dates for assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, All India Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held a public rally in Meghalaya's Mendipathar, considered to be the party's first campaign for next month's polls in the northeast States. Regarding the preparations of Trinamool in the upcoming elections, the party's national spokesperson Jai Prakash Majumdar told ANI that Trinamool will do well in Meghalaya as the party is active there. "The position of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also not that strong in Meghalaya," he added. Jai Prakash said that the BJP government is in power in Tripura, and will get full support from the Centre. He added that Mamata Banerjee has held a rally in Meghalaya, and people there are being told that Trinamool is a grass root party. During the public rally at Mendipathar, North Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, many Trinamool leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, were present. Addressing a public meeting in Meghalaya Mamata Banerjee claimed that Trinamool Congress is the only party that can provide better governance in the northeastern state and fulfil the dreams of the people. Mamata said, "Why is it that even after so many years electricity has not reached the houses in Meghalaya? Why is the young generation not getting employment opportunities? If you want to replace this corrupt and bogus BJP government, TMC is the only credible option. We want a government of the people, by the people and for the people in Meghalaya," she said. Trinamool Congress, which is attempting to spread its influence beyond West Bengal, may be in a dilemma regarding the Tripura election but it seems the party is optimistic about a better performance in Meghalaya because TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has visited Meghalaya twice and Abhishek Banerjee is the party in-charge of Meghalaya. Notably, the National People's Party (NPP), the only political party from the northeast that is recognised as a national party, runs the government in Meghalaya. Earlier on Wednesday the ECI announced that the Assembly elections in Tripura will be held in a single phase on February 16 and in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. The results of the Assembly polls will be declared on March 2. (ANI)
In a step towards offering significant value-added services to its customers, RailTel is launching Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services to a subscriber of its retail broadband service called RailWire from January 26. IPTV is a service that provides television programming and other video content using the Transmission Control Protocol or Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, as opposed to broadcast TV, cable TV or satellite signals. According to the official statement, RailTel has partnered with Hyderabad-based IPTV service provider City Online Media to offer RailWire users IPTV services under the "ULKA TV" brand. The company will provide access to the IPTV content on mobile with its App "ULKA Mini" and on Smart TV with the App "ULKA LITE" to RailTel Broadband users which can be downloaded from the Google play store. This IPTV service will provide the latest 4K technology with HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding) to deliver the best quality video in the industry. "The IPTV services are being launched with effect from 26, Jan 2023 in the Eastern and North Eastern region of the country which includes states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and East Uttar Pradesh. The possibilities of extending IPTV services to RailTel customers in other regions will be explored later after assessing feedback, local demand, and technical logistics," it said. Sharing information with media, Chairman and Managing Director RailTel, Sanjai Kumar said that the OFC network owned by RailTel reaches to over 70 per cent of the population of the country including rural areas. "With its Pan India high-capacity network, RailTel is working towards creating a knowledge society at various fronts. The government of India is keen on the expansion of broadband cable services across the country, especially rural areas," said Kumar. He further said that IPTV services under the RailWire will convert television households to internet households and open possibilities of smart services for homes. "RailTel is committed to improve broadband access to the interior and remote areas in the country to reduce the urban-rural digital divide and further spread digital literacy and accelerate the digital transformation of the country," he said. The official further informed that with this facility, the customers will be able to enjoy high-quality digital TV channels on RailTel's IP network along with Broadband Internet services on the same optical fibre pair. "While Free to Air (FTA) channels can be viewed without a Set Top Box (STB), other channels will require the STB," he said. The ULKA TV STB will be special intelligent device and work as sort of mini-computer. It will provide 600+ Live Satellite TV channels and local stations and popular OTT applications. This STB will provide two-way communication with TV sets to support educational applications without a laptop or computer by adding a Bluetooth keyboard. It can also provide video conference facility by simply attaching USB Camera. The IPTV services can also be viewed in non-smart TVs with the help of this STB. It is pertinent to note that RailWire broadband consumers will have the choice of portable Set-Top-Boxes (Sticks & Boxes), LAN and Wi-Fi Access for using ULKA TV services. The IPTV services shall eliminate the need for additional cable TV dish antenna or cable entry to the home. Since it is being delivered on Optical Fibre, the service shall provide higher quality viewing regardless of the cloudy weather or cable losses. The multi-screen option TV, laptops, tablets, cell phones etc. will also become available & with this option, one can watch one's favourite shows and movies anytime and anywhere as long as one has internet access. IPTV services are smooth streaming services, cost-effective and the viewers will get the facility to record their shows if they missed it by chance. In addition, Health care, Education, Tax collection and other public utility services can be delivered to households using IPTV. The IPTV Service will be delivered from the local Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) installed in RailTel's Network Operations Centres (NOC). It is notable that RailTel, a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure and ICT Solutions and& Services providers in the country, owning a Pan-India optic fiber network covering several towns and cities and rural areas of the country. Along with a strong a reliable network of 61000 plus RKM of Optic fibre, RailTel has two MeitY empanelled tier III data centres as well, the statement said. (ANI)
The Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is in agreement with the Ministry of Information and Technology's proposed amendments to ask social media platforms to take down any such content that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has labelled as "false" or "fake". "The intermediary shall inform its rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreement to the user in English or any language specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution in the language of his choice and shall make reasonable efforts to cause the user of its computer resource not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that, deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any misinformation or information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature [or is identified as fake or false by the fact check unit at the Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or other agency authorised by the Central Government for fact checking or, in respect of any business of the Central Government, by its department in which such business is transacted under the rules of business made under clause (3) of article 77 of the Constitution]" an excerpt of the proposed draft rules released for public consultation reads. Sources with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that they would back the draft amendments, especially calling out 'fake' news. "The Ministry has banned more than 100 such fake media including websites and YouTube channels but such action has been taken by invoking Section 69A of the IT Act. But the PIB Fact check doesn't have the powers to do so. We now welcome such an amendment proposed so that action can be taken against fake news peddlers," an official source told ANI. IT Ministry had earlier initiated a public consultation on amendments proposed to the said rules in relation to online gaming, the last date for which was January 17, 2023. The last date for the same has now been extended to January 25, 2023. The Ministry shall also hold a consultation on the proposed amendment to rule 3(1) (b)(v) of the IT Rules with stakeholders on January 24, 2023. "The draft amendments to IT Rules are in pursuance of our commitment to an Open, Safe Trusted and Accountable Internet. We have circulated amendments for consultation with stakeholders," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said. "As is our practice laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these amendments will also be put through open consultations - to reflect, discuss and deliberate on these amendments or any other such effective means through which we can prevent misinformation / patently wrong information circulated on the internet by state/non-state actors," he added. Earlier on January 12, the PIB's Fact Check Unit (FCU) busted six 'YouTube channels which were working in a coordinated manner and spreading false information in India. The Fact Check Unit released six separate Twitter threads having over 100 fact-checks to counter the fake news spread by these channels. This was the second such action from the Unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Earlier on December 20, 2022, the Unit exposed three channels peddling fake news. (ANI)
While reiterating its recommendations for appointing advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan as a judge of the Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court Collegium said that citizens have the right to free speech and expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office. The remarks were made in a resolution passed by the Supreme Court Collegium of three judges: Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph. "All citizens have the right to free speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office so long as the person proposed for a judgeship is a person of competence, merit and integrity," the Collegium said. The Supreme Court Collegium has reiterated its recommendations for appointing Somasekhar Sundaresan, Advocate as Judge of the Bombay High Court and advocates Amitesh Banerjee, and Sakya Sen as Judges of the Calcutta High Court. On 4 October 2021, the Collegium of Bombay High Court recommended the name of Somasekhar Sundaresan. On February 16, 2022, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the name of Somasekhar Sundaresan for appointment as a Judge of the Bombay High Court. On November 25, 2022, the Government has sought reconsideration of the said recommendation. The ground on which reconsideration of the candidature of Sundaresan has been sought by the Government was that he has aired his views in social media on several matters which are the subject matter of consideration before the courts, the Collegium noted. "Having considered the objection to the candidature of Somasekhar Sundaresan, the Collegium is of the view that the views on social media attributed to the candidate, do not furnish any foundation to infer that he is biased. The issues on which opinions have been attributed to the candidate are in the public domain and have been extensively deliberated upon in the print and electronic media," SC Collegium said. "The manner in which the candidate has expressed his views does not justify the inference that he is a "highly biased opinionated person" or that he has been "selectively critical on the social media on the important policies, initiatives and directions of the Government" (as indicated in the objections of Department of Justice) nor is there any material to indicate that the expressions used by the candidate are suggestive of his links with any political party with strong ideological leanings," the collegium said. "All citizens have the right to free speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office so long as the person proposed for judgeship is a person of competence, merit and integrity." "Somasekhar Sundaresan has specialized in commercial law and would be an asset to the Bombay High Court which has a large volume of cases of commercial and securities laws, among other branches," the SC collegium said. The Collegium said that Somasekhar Sundaresan fulfills the qualities that Department of Justice has set up for selection. "Having regard to the above, the Collegium is of the considered view that Shri Somasekhar Sundaresan deserves to be appointed as Judge of the Bombay High Court. The Collegium, therefore, resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated 16 February 2022 for appointment of Shri Somasekhar Sundaresan, Advocate, as Judge of the Bombay High Court," the Collegium said. The Collegium also resolved to return the file for processing the recommendations for the appointment of advocates Amitesh Banerjee and Sakya Sen as Judges of the Calcutta High Court. The names of Amitesh Banerjee and Sakya Sen were recommended by the Collegium of the Calcutta High Court on December 17, 2018. The Supreme Court Collegium approved the proposal on 24 July 2019. After the Department of Justice referred back their names on July 23, 2021, the Supreme Court Collegium reiterated its earlier recommendation in respect of Amitesh Banerjee on September 1, 2021. On September 27, 2021, the Department of Justice forwarded additional inputs of the IB dated 24 September 2021 in respect of Sakya Sen. The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated its earlier recommendation on 8 October 2021 for the elevation of Sakya Sen. The Department of Justice has referred back the file on November 25, 2022. "The inputs which have been furnished by the Department of Justice in the file on 25 November 2022 do not contain any fresh material or ground. Moreover, after the Supreme Court Collegium reiterated the proposal on 01 September 2021, it was not open to the Department to repeatedly send back the same proposal which has been reiterated by the Supreme Court Collegium after duly considering the objections of the Government," the collegium said. "All citizens have the right to free speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office so long as the person proposed for judgeship is a person of competence, merit and integrity," the Collegium said. (ANI)
In a move that would promote free and fair polls, two villages in Nagaland-- Nihokhu village under Niuland District and Thizama village under Kohima District-- have passed a resolution not to indulge in bribery in exchange for votes in the coming State Assembly Elections. The Assembly Elections are slated to be held on February 27, 2023. "The resolution also unanimously resolves to ban all forms of candidate-setting party camps as well as the drinking of alcohol in the jurisdiction of the village. The resolution also resolved to maintain a clean election in the village," said Chief Electoral Officer, V Shashank Shekhar. Shekhar, IAS, was speaking about the state's preparation for the forthcoming elections on Thursday in Kohima. The Election Commission of India had earlier announced the resolution passed by Nihokhu Village, during its press conference held in the state capital. V Shashank Shekhar said that the State of Nagaland is all set and prepared to conduct a free and fair election. He said that they have sensitised district machinery and enforcement by doing rounds of training and video conferencing. He also informed that a total of 305 Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) will arrive in the state for smooth functioning during the election, out of which 75 CRPF companies have already arrived in advance. While stating that his team is all prepared, he hopes that the people will conduct a free and fair election, in the spirit of true democracy where there will be no violence. (ANI)
Delhi Police on Thursday registered a case over pro-Khalistani and anti-national slogans put up as graffiti in various locations in the national capital. The objectionable slogans appeared in the area of Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi and other parts of West Delhi. The Delhi Police's Special Cell registered a case under Sections 153-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unidentified people. "Today on January 19, 2023, in the early morning hours, multiple graffiti with objectionable slogans appeared in the area of Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi and other parts of West Delhi. Based on above information, a case u/s 153-B and 120-B IPC is being registered by Special Cell, Delhi Police," the Police said. Graffiti written in Gurmukhi and Hindi with 'Khalistan Zindabad', and 'Referendum 2020' were seen painted on public walls in the national capital on Thursday morning. They were removed later as police swung into action and registered a case against unidentified people. Graffiti appeared on public walls days ahead of Republic Day celebrations despite security being beefed up and random checks and safety drills conducted across the city. Delhi Police authorities however said that it was not a "security-related issue" and that legal action would be taken against those involved in the act. "Anti-national, Khalistan-related graffiti appeared overnight at some locations in Delhi. The graffiti appears to have been painted in deserted and empty places under the cover of darkness. This is not a security-related issue. Legal action will be taken in this matter," Suman Nalwa, a Delhi Police spokesman told ANI. He also highlighted that Delhi Police has put in place robust security arrangements for January 26. "The focus of our security is January 26. Every unit of Delhi Police is working to ensure that no untoward incident takes place," the Delhi Police PRO said. The official further pointed out that the outfit 'Sikhs for Justice', which is banned in India, could be behind such activities and it is resorting to such tactics to remain in news. The official said that legal action would be initiated against those "aiding them". "SFJ is a banned organisation. The Internet has no limitations. Whenever they do something, they do so under some other name. It is a little difficult but legal action will be taken. We will also take action against those who are aiding them. They only want to be in the news with such activities," he said. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added. (ANI)
Phookan was admitted to the GMCH on Wednesday night in critical condition and was undergoing treatment, stated the hospital officials.

Born in 1933, Phookan won the 56th Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award for the year 2020.

He was also awarded the 1981 Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese for his poetry collection, Kavita (Kabita) and he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India in 1990 and received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest literary honour in India, given by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in 2002.

His notable works include Surya Henu Nami Ahe Ei Nodiyedi, Manas-pratima, and Kabita.

Phookan's career started as a lecturer in 1964 at Arya Vidyapeeth College and worked until his retirement in 1992.

Assam Chief Minister Dr Sahitya Akademi Awardwhile condoling the death of renowned Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan said that his last rites will be performed with full state honour.

"His death is an irreparable loss to Assam and the Assamese identity. I wish him eternal peace and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families," the Assam Chief Minister said.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also expressed his deepest condolences on the demise of the noted Assamese poet. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives in Mumbai today. The Prime Minister also initiated the transfer of approved loans of over one lakh beneficiaries under PM SVAnidhi Yojana. The projects include dedicating to the nation Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7, laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and seven sewage treatment plants, inaugurating 20 Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana, and starting road concretisation project for around 400 kilometres of roads in Mumbai. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today's projects will play a major role in making Mumbai a better metropolitan and congratulated the beneficiaries and Mumbaikars. "This is the first time since independence that India has the courage to turn its dreams into reality", the Prime Minister recalled the previous period in India where only poverty was discussed and getting aid from the world was the only option. He also highlighted that this is the first instance when the world is showing faith in the resolve of India. The Prime Minister said that as Indians are eagerly awaiting a developed India, the same optimism for India can be seen in the world. "This positivity, said the Prime Minister, is because of the belief that India is putting its capabilities to good use. Today India is full of unprecedented confidence. Drawing inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the spirit of 'Suraj' and 'Swaraj' is strongly evident in the double-engine government," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi remembered the era of scams which harmed the nation and crores of citizens. "We have changed this thinking and today India is spending on its physical and social infrastructure with a futuristic thinking and modern approach," the Prime Minister said. He continued that while housing, toilets, electricity, water, cooking gas, free medical treatment, medical colleges, AIIMS, IIT, and IIM are expanding rapidly, Modern connectivity on the other hand is getting the same push. "Work is going on both, today's needs and future possibilities", he said. He said even in these tough times India is providing free ration to 80 crore citizens and making unprecedented investments in infrastructure development. "This indicates the commitment of today's India and is a reflection of the concept of a Viksit Bharat", he added. The Prime Minister stressed the role of cities in the creation of Viksit Bharat. He said that during the Amrit Kaal, many cities of Maharashtra will drive India's growth. "That is why preparing Mumbai for the future is one of the key priorities of the double-engine government'" the PM said. PM Modi gave the example of the Metro in Mumbai and said that in 2014 Mumbai had 10-11 Km long Metro route, with double engine government Metro got a new speed and scale as Mumbai is rapidly moving towards a 300 km Metro network. The Prime Minister informed that work in mission mode is being carried out across the country for the advancement of Indian Railways and Mumbai Metro and local trains are also benefiting from this. He noted that the Double Engine Government strives to give an experience to the general public of the same advanced services, cleanliness and speed of travelling that were only within the reach of the people who had resources. As a result, the Prime Minister said the railway stations of today are being developed like airports, and one of the oldest railway stations in India, the Chhatrapati Maharaj Terminus is going to get a facelift as part of this initiative and will be developed as the shining example of the India of the 21st century. "The main objective is to make better services available for the general public and create ease of travelling experience. He also added that the railway station will not be limited to services related to railways but will also act as a hub for multimodal connectivity. "All modes of transport, be it bus, metro, taxi or auto, every means of transport will be connected under one roof and this will provide seamless connectivity to all travellers," the Prime Minister said as he informed that such multimodal connectivity hubs will be developed in every city. PM Modi informed that the city of Mumbai will get a facelift in the years to come with the technological advancements of Mumbai Local, expansion of the Metro network, Vande Bharat trains and advanced connectivity faster than the bullet train. "From poor labourers and staff to shopkeepers and huge business owners, living in Mumbai will be convenient for everyone," the Prime Minister said. He also informed that travelling to Mumbai from the neighbouring districts will now become easier. The Prime Minister highlighted that projects like Coastal Road, Indu Mills Smarak, Navi Mumbai Airport, France Harbour Link and such projects are giving new strength to Mumbai. He also observed that projects like Dharavi Punarvikas and Old Chaul Developments are getting back on track and congratulated Eknath Shinde and his team for this remarkable achievement. The Prime Minister also touched upon the work taken up today for the improvement of roads in Mumbai and remarked that it showcases the commitment made by the double-engine government. PM Modi said that work is on for the complete transformation of Indian cities. Solutions are being found for wide-ranging urban problems such as pollution and cleanliness. He said electric mobility infrastructure, Biofuel based transport system, mission mode focus on hydrogen fuel, waste-to-wealth movement and water treatment plants for ensuring clean rivers are some key steps in this direction. "There is no dearth of capacity and political will for the development of cities. Still, development cannot be realised in a city like Mumbai, till the time urban local body also has the same priority for rapid development. That is why the role of the local urban body is critical in the development of Mumbai," said the Prime Minister as he emphasised the need for proper utilisation of the money allocated to the Metropolitan. He also warned against politicising development. He regretted that the past schemes like SVANidhi which has benefitted 35 lakh street vendors with an affordable and collateral-free loan, even in Maharashtra has 5 lakh beneficiaries, was hampered in the past due to political reasons. For this, he stressed the need for perfect coordination and a system that works in sync from the Center to Maharashtra to Mumbai. He reiterated that SVAnidhi is much more than a loan scheme and termed it as a foundation of self-respect for street vendors. Praising the beneficiaries, the Prime Minister lauded the fact that they have done digital transactions with rupees 50 thousand crores in a short span of time. "Digital India is a live example of the fact that when Sabka Prayas is there nothing is impossible," he said. Concluding the address, the Prime Minister told the street vendors, "I am standing with you. If you take ten steps, I am ready to take eleven." He expressed the belief that the country will achieve new heights with the work and dedication of smallholders in the country who will create a huge change. He congratulated the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for the development works of today and assured them that the pair of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra will realise the dreams of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Kohsyari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shine, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Union Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and Ministers of Maharashtra Government among others were present on occasion. (ANI)
The commission in an official statement said on Thursday, "Electronic devices and gadgets will now have to be deposited at the gate itself, added the Public Service Commission."

A ban has also been imposed on the carrying of phones by the employees of the confidential department, it said.

According to the information received from the Public Service Commission, in view of the confidential security, the people coming to the commission are also being monitored through CCTV cameras.

Along with this, entry is being given only after strict inquiry at the gate of the commission office. On the request of Uttarakhand Public Service Commission Chairman Rakesh Kumar, LIU has been deployed by Haridwar SSP Ajay Singh for intelligence surveillance on the commission premises. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday played a traditional drum during a public rally in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka. The Prime Minister distributed title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages of Karnataka. Addressing the gathering, PM Modi recalled that the Constitution of India came into force in the month of January and the rights of the citizens were ensured in independent India and emphasised that today in this holy month of January, the Government of Karnataka has taken a significant step towards social justice. Remarking on this momentous occasion for the Banjara community when more than fifty thousand families received the title deeds for the first time, the Prime Minister said that this will ensure a bright future for the sons and daughters of such families living in 'tanda' inhabitations and took the opportunity to congratulate the citizens of the Banjara community of the five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura. He informed about the crucial decision by the Karnataka Government to declare more than three thousand tanda inhabitations as revenue villages and congratulated Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai and his entire team for this remarkable step. Recalling his connections with the region and the Banjara community, the Prime Minister noted that the people from this community have contributed toward national development in their own ways. He recalled the unforgettable moment when lakhs of Banjara families had come for a rally that the Prime Minister had attended during the 1994 assembly elections, and also noted the mothers and sisters in their traditional attire who showered their blessings upon him. The Prime Minister said that the double-engine government is following the path of good governance and harmony that was shown by Bhagwaan Basaveshwara. "Inspired by the ideals of Bhagwaan Basaveshwara, we are working for the welfare of all," he said. The Prime Minister recalled how Bhagwaan Basaveshwara through platforms like Anubhav Mandapam gave a model of democracy and social justice. He showed the path of rising above all sorts of discrimination for the empowerment of all, the Prime Minister pointed out. The Prime Minister said that the Banjara community has seen tough days, however, now the time has come for them to live with ease and dignity. He talked about the measures like scholarships for Banjara Community youth and help with livelihood, pakka houses. He said problems arising due to the nomadic lifestyle are also being addressed. The Prime Minister said that the steps taken today were recommended in 1993, however, this got delayed in the vote bank politics. "But now that indifferent atmosphere has changed," said the Prime Minister. Appealing to the mothers of the Banjara community, the Prime Minister said, "Do not worry! One of your sons is taking note in Delhi". The Prime Minister emphasised that the development of basic amenities in the villages will get a boost after the tanda inhabitations get recognised as villages. He noted that families will live freely and availing loans from banks will become a lot easier after getting their title deeds. The Prime Minister informed that the Central Government is distributing property cards for rural houses across the country through Svamitva Scheme and now the Banjara community in Karnataka can also avail of it. The Prime Minister highlighted the PM Awas Yojna that gives pakka houses, toilets, electricity connections, piped water connections, and gas connections, and said that the Banjara community can now avail of all these welfare schemes of the double engine government. "Living in the slums is a thing of the past now," the Prime Minister added. The Prime Minister noted the employment opportunities that are being created by the Karnataka Government for the Banjara community. Be it forest produce, dry wood, honey, fruits or other such produces, these are now becoming a source of income. He informed that the previous governments used to give MSPs on only a handful of forest produce but today that number has gone up to more than 90 forest produce and reiterated the decisions of the Karnataka government that will benefit the Banjara community in this regard. The Prime Minister said that even many decades after the Independence a large section of the population was deprived of the fruits of development and was outside the ambit of government assistance. "Dalits, deprived, backward, tribals, divyang, children, and women are getting their due for the first time. They are getting basic facilities and getting them quickly. We are working with a clear strategy for empowering the people," PM Modi said. Mentioning schemes like Ayushman Bharat and free ration, the Prime Minister said "when basic needs are fulfilled and dignity is restored, new aspirations take birth as people rise above everyday contingencies and work to raise the level of living". The Prime Minister noted the sensitivity of the present government towards the welfare of women in society and said that new opportunities are being created in every sector for them. Touching upon the welfare of tribal communities, the Prime Minister highlighted the efforts of the government to make the nation aware of the pride of the tribal society. He also noted the efforts taken in the last eight years to ensure the development of divyang community, and informed that friends from neglected communities are at the apex of several constitutional institutions in the country. He further added that it was the present government that gave constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, reservations to the OBC category in the All India Medical Quota, abolishing the compulsion of an interview in Group C and Group D of Central Government, and making provisions for medical, engineering and technical subjects to be taught in local Indian languages. He underlined that the biggest beneficiaries of these steps are the youth of our villages and poor families from the SC, ST and OBC communities. The Prime Minister informed that this government established a special development and welfare board for nomadic and semi-nomadic communities. "Our government is working to link these families with every welfare scheme", the Prime Minister said. Emphasising that the double-engine government considers the tradition, culture, food and dress of every society living in India as our strength, the Prime Minister said that we are very much in favor of saving this power, preserving it. "Suhali, Lambani, Lambada, Labana and Baazigar, whatever you may name, you are culturally rich and vibrant, the pride of the country, the strength of the country. You have a history of thousands of years. You have a contribution in the development of this country," the Prime Minister said as he emphasised the need to try to take this heritage forward and work towards everyone's development by taking everyone along. (ANI)
Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Thursday issued summons to AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak and AAP Municipal councillor Vikas Goel in a defamation complaint filed by a BJP councillor. It is alleged that these persons levelled false and defamatory allegations against BJP and its municipal councillor. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Vidhi Gupta Anand after taking cognizance issued a summons to Durgesh Pathak and Vikas Goel for the next date of hearing. While issuing the summons the judge said, "Having considered the details of allegations made in the complaint, the statement of the complainant and witness as well as materials on which the Complainant placed reliance, this court takes Cognizance of the offence under section 499/500 IPC. The court has directed Pathak and Goel to appear on January 23 at 2:30 pm. The court said that in the case at hand, the proposed accused persons have allegedly held a press conference and attributed corruption in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to Bhartiya Janata Party Councillors. Even though Complainant has not been specifically named in the statements made by the accused persons, as the averments have been made pertaining to an identifiable specific class of persons i.e. Bhartiya Janata Party Councilors, Complainant is very well covered within the ambit of section 199 Cr.P.C. as the person aggrieved by the offence as he is himself a councillor of the Bhartiya Janata Party, the court added. Also, from the testimony of the Complainant's witness, the claim of the Complainant regarding the offence of defamation committed against him gets reinforced, the judge said. BJP councillor Ravinder Kumar had filed a defamation Complaint against Pathak and AAP councillor Vikas Goel. The complainant stated that they published defamatory statements which have lowered his moral and intellectual character in the eyes of third persons. The complainant alleged that in order to gain mileage in the then-upcoming elections of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and in order to tarnish the image of the Bhartiya Janata Party and its councillors, the proposed Accused persons, started spreading rumours and making false and defamatory statements against BJP, its leaders and councillors. It was stated that the alleged accused persons in conspiracy with each other held a Press Conference on November 1, 2020, on the issue of collection of property tax by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and levelled false and defamatory allegations against the Municipal Councilors of BJP. Accused Durgesh Pathak had alleged that BJP had turned the Municipal Corporation of Delhi into a centre/factory of corruption because of which salaries of doctors, nurses, teachers and employees of MCD cannot be released for want of funds, the complainant stated. The Accused Durgesh Pathak also alleged that the North Delhi Municipal Corporation identified 12 lakh properties for collection of property tax and has issued Universal Property Identification Code to them. If tax is collected from the said properties without any corruption then the same will be approximate Rs. 2100 Crores, however, data shows that property tax has been collected only from 4 lakh properties i.e. around Rs. 700 crores, the complainant submitted. As per the Complainant, Accused Durgesh Pathak made a false imputation that the remaining approximate amount of Rs. 1400 Core has been illegally collected as propertytax from approximately 8 lakh houses and has been distributed amongst the councillors of BJP. Further, it was stated that Durgesh Pathak alleged that every year approximately Rs. 1400 crore is usurped by BJP leaders and officers. It was also alleged that Vikash Goel made false imputations that BJP Leaders through Property Tax Inspectors get notices issued on various properties and then summon the owners to their offices; allegedly thereafter negotiations are held with the owners and after taking money from them in cash notices are cancelled. It was also submitted that the aforesaid allegations and imputations made by the proposed accused persons in their Press Conference were also published on November 2, 2020, in dailynewspapers. It is stated that the press conference was streamed live on the web page of the Aam Aadmi Party and the complete video is still available on the official YouTube Channel of the Aam Aadmi Party. The grievance of the Complainant arose on 03.11.2020 in the evening, when persons namely Rajiv Agarwal and Rakesh Kumar Gupta met him in his office and showed the newspaper and told him that they always thought that he and his party are righteous but after seeing the press conference and reading the newspapers they have no trust on him. The Complainant submitted that the imputations made by the proposed accused persons are utter falsehoods and nothing but self-made propaganda to defame the Complainant and his party in order to win the then-upcoming corporation elections and are neither true nor were required to be made in the public good. He also alleged that the proposed Accused persons with the dishonest intention to lower the moral and intellectual character of the Complainant and his party/colleagues in the eyesof the general public have made defamatory statements which were widely published in print and electronic media resulting in the commission of the offence of defamation as covered under Section 500 of IPC. (ANI)
Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai on Thursday launched the book "Exam Warriors" written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Old Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan here in Goa's Panjim. The book, written in 2018 exclusively in the interest of the student fraternity and considering the seminal impact made by the book, was published by the National Book Trust, India under the support of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, an official statement said. The launching ceremony was graced by Damodar Mauzo, Jnanpith Awardee, Prof Harilal Menon, Vice Chancellor of Goa University along with other prominent dignitaries in the field of education and literature apart from students, parents and teachers. Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai appreciated the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking up the exams-related issues. "The Governor advised the students not to take unnecessary stress during exams," it added. "The book Exam Warriors could give confidence to the students. Referring to the book Governor mentioned, questions and answers are there in the book, and he appealed to make use of it," it said. The Governor further said, the role of Youths in nation-building and in development is important, and this is because the development of any nation lies in the hands of future generations. The Governor said devotion and dedication in nation-building are always first and politics and others are second. "Prime Minister is always a guiding force to all sections of the people to move forward in the right and proper direction. He requested the students to make full use of the book and use the mantras given by Prime Minister in his book exam warriors," Union Minister of State, Port and Tourism Minister Shripad Naik said. Naik emphasised the need for parents, guardians and teachers not to convey their worry to the students and instead create an atmosphere of the festival during the board exams. Shiv S Shankaran, Damodar Mauzo, Jnanpith Awardee, and Prof Harilal Menon, Vice Chancellor, Goa University also spoke. "The first copy of the book was presented to Damodar Mauzo, Jnanpith Awardee, Prof Harilal Menon, Vice Chancellor and later to the students of Dr K.B. Hedgewar School, Cujira, Mustifund High School, Rosery High School, Our Lady of Rosary High School, People High School and to the students of Goa University," the statement said. Reetha Pillai also graced the occasion. Earlier, MRM Rao, Secretary to Governor welcomed the guests, it added. (ANI)
After being appointed as Kerala's special representative in Delhi, former Union Minister KV Thomas said that he has good relations with PM Narendra Modi and will use his experience for various projects of the Kerala government. Talking to ANI, here on Thursday, Thomas said, "I have been in Delhi for more than 15 years, and have lots of contacts, and friendships. I will use these contacts for the development of Kerala." He said that there are various projects the state government has proposed before the centre. "I will make use of this experience for various development projects conceived by the Pinarayi Government. AIIMS is something that we have been waiting for too long, Many states have got AIIMS, but Kerala has been denied that" he said. KV Thomas said that he will work in the direction of GST as the "defects" in the legislation will hurt Kerala. "I am very close with GST. There are lots of defects in the GST legislation, and the state of Kerala will suffer from inadequate GST legislation. I will definitely try to find a way out so that Kerala gets everything it deserves," he said. He said that he has had good relations with PM Modi, since the time he was CM of Gujarat. "I have had a good relationship with the Prime Minister since 2001 when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Later he became the Prime Minister in 2014. I was the PSC Chairman and the relationship still continues," he said. KV Thomas also attacked the Congress leadership and said that he took a stand pertaining to "Nehruvian Socialism". "There was a complete insult from the local Congress leadership. So I took a stand. I am a Nehruvian socialist and will continue on that path. I haven't joined any other party. But I got a good rapport with the CPI(M) leadership," he said. He further added that it is his duty to work with Left Democratic Front (LDF) on various development projects. "Kerala needs development and this is the second term given by the people of Kerala. So, my duty is to work with LDF for various development projects like K-Rail and Vizhinjam projects and find solutions for the problems arising in them. But we cannot abandon the project," he added. He also said that he ignores all criticism and allegations by the Congress party. (ANI)
The Yatra entered the region at Kathua's Lakhanpur area.

Supporters were seen carrying party flags and torch lights as the Yatra marched ahead later in the evening (Thursday)

Earlier party leaders had said that the Yatra will reach Jammu's Kathua at 6.45 pm on Thursday.

After that, the Yatra will halt in Kathua's Lakhanpur for the night, the party said.

Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf will also participate in the yatra at the different locations, Congress leaders said.

Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that a few politicians should not use Bharat Jodo Yatra to whitewash their past on Kathua Rape accused Lal Singh joining the Yatra.

"The INC has to make sure that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not being used to whitewash their past," said Abdullah.

In view of the Bharat Jodo Yatra entering Jammu, the Jammu and Kashmir police authorities have also announced to ensure all the possible security arrangements. The Yatra is to conclude in Srinagar on January 30.

In another similar development, Jammu and Kashmir Congress spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath has resigned from the party after its state unit "allowed" former BJP leader and minister Choudhary Lal Singh to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. (ANI)
Founder and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Party Tholkappiyan Thirumalavalan on Thursday said that Chief Minister MK Stalin's intervention is needed to stop what he called "Caste atrocities" across the state. MP Thirumalavalan while condemning the Vengaival incident reported last month, in which human excreta was found in water tanks, demanded "immediate arrest of the miscreant". "We are protesting against the Vengaiveyil caste atrocity incident. This is a highly sensitive incident. We need CM's intervention in this matter. CM already assured in Assembly that there will be strict action against culprits. It's been more than a month. No arrests have been made. We demand the immediate arrest of the miscreant," Thirumalavalan told reporters. "Such incidents shock everyone," Thirumalavalan added. Earlier the VCK led by Thirumalavalan staged a protest across Tamil Nadu and condemned the Vengaiveyil incident. Earlier taking note of the matter, CM said that Special Investigation Team is investigating the incident. "The incident in Vengaival village of Pudhokottai district, in which human excreta was found in water tanks, shows that caste discrimination and untouchability exist in some pockets of society," CM Stalin said earlier. "The issue has exposed the prevalence of caste discrimination and untouchability in some pockets. Untouchability is saddening and condemnable. A new water tank and distribution pipeline were installed for the 32 houses. Affected people were given medical treatment and clean drinking water was supplied. Medical teams continue in the village," Stalin said. In December last year, human faeces were found dumped in a water tank supplying drinking water to a Dalit colony of Vengavayil village in the Pudukottai district. Residents of Vengaivasal in Muttukadu panchayat in the Pudukkottai district later complained to the police after finding that human excreta was dumped into the overhead water tank that supplies water to the colony. (ANI)
Two persons including a specially abled have been arrested, in connection to a 10-month-old case of murder of a woman, the police said on Thursday. The two accused have been identified as Mohammad Shakir Ali and Mohammad Faiz. As per the police, Shakir is differently abled and is suffering from Limbic disability. Officials said that the arrests were made at a time when the accused were driving a stolen car with a fake number plate. The police also recovered one desi kata, four live cartridges, 315 bores, one Maruti Baleno car and one Jupiter Scooty from their possession, they said. The DCP North, Sagar Singh Kalsi told ANI, "Shakir used his disability to gain sympathy from women. He also used fake IDs to impersonate as 'Hindu' person. During interrogation, the accused told the police that he drew inspiration after watching a movie on French serial killer 'Charles Sobhraj', and used women for financial benefit. "The accused, Shakir, was inspired by French serial killer 'Charles Shobhraj'. He befriended women and used them for his financial gain," DCP Kalsi said. The accused also confessed that he was the owner of the vehicle, and to avoid loan default he lodged a complaint of his vehicle being stolen and used a fake number plate instead. The murder incident was reported on March 3, 2022, where the two accused killed the victim woman named Sushilvati, with the intention to acquire her flat in DLF Ghaziabad. They then dumped her body in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, the police said. Shakir Ali came in contact with two to three women while posing as a Hindu. "He also created fake Voter ID card and PAN card and opened a bank account with the name of Rajesh," the DCP said. The DCP North further said that the accused came in contact with the victim, identified as Sushilvati while she was looking for a buyer to sell her flat at DLF Ghaziabad. Shakir entered into an agreement and paid her Rs 1.5 lakh as the initial payment. He took possession of her flat while promising to pay the remaining amount soon. Later he came to know about other properties of the victim, and hatched a plan to get rid of her and sell properties, the DCP said. On March 3, Shakir called Sushilvati for final payment, where he gave her a sedated cold drink and shot her. The other accused was also present. The two dumped her body on a farm in Bulandshahr and returned to Delhi, officials said. The police also took the accused to Bulandshahr, where he identified the place of the incident. It was found that back in March, the body of an unidentified lady was found and a case was also registered at the Chola Bulandshahr police station. At the same time, it was found that Sushilvati's brother lodged a missing person complaint at Dayalpur Police Station. (ANI)
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here on Thursday extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee till February 2 in connection to the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in the state. Similar extensions were ordered for co-accused - the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education's (WBBSE) former President Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay and the West Bengal School Service Commission's (WBSSC) former Chairman Subiresh Bhattacharya. On Thursday, Chatterjee's counsel Selim Rahman made a forceful argument in the court while moving the bail plea on behalf of his client. Even drawing the reference of Bollywood blockbuster movie "Jolly LLB", Rahman also claimed that going for a sit-in demonstration will be the only course left for him and his client. "The court is accepting all the pleas moved by CBI on this count. However, the plea of the central agency is not backed by any logic. My client was not responsible for giving appointment to any teacher, be it eligible or ineligible. So, he cannot be held responsible for the appointment of ineligible teachers. Not a single penny was recovered from his possession," Rahman argued. He also countered the CBI counsel's plea for extension of judicial custody under the influential theory. "All the documents related to the case have been confiscated by the CBI. My client will not be able to visit the office of the state Education Department after being released on bail. So where does the question of influencing the matter come from?" Rahman questioned. On Monday, the judge of the court expressed satisfaction over the progress of investigation by CBI and also observed that almost three-fourths of the investigation relating to the probe on non-teaching staff recruitment irregularities have been completed. The judge also expressed satisfaction on the progress of the probe in case of the secondary teachers' appointments. Finally, he ordered extension of judicial custody for the seven accused till February 2. --IANS src/vd A ( 337 Words) 2023-01-19-19:20:06 (IANS)
The Central government on Thursday told the Supreme Court it was examining the issue in connection with declaring the Ram Setu a national heritage monument. A bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, asked petitioner Subramanian Swamy, a former Rajya Sabha member, to make a representation to the government, if he wants. The bench, also comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, said that Justice Narasimha will not be part of the proceedings as he had earlier appeared in the matter as counsel. The top court noted that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the process is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. "He states that the petitioner may submit additional communication if he may so wish," the bench said. The bench asked the Centre to take a decision on the issue and granted Swamy the liberty to move before it again if he is not satisfied. The two-judge bench, comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Pardiwala, disposed of Swamy's interim application on the issue. During the hearing, Swamy said he does not want to meet anybody. "We are in the same party; it was there in our manifesto... I will come again," he said. Mehta said the process is underway. Swamy informed the top court that in 2019, the then Culture Minister Prahlad Patel had called a meeting on the issue and recommended declaring the Ram Setu as a national heritage monument. He submitted: "The issue is that they have to say 'yes' or 'no'." On January 12, the Centre had told the Supreme Court it would file its response by February first week on a plea filed by Swamy seeking a direction to declare the Ram Setu a national heritage monument. Swamy's plea sought a direction to the Central government and the National Monument Authority to declare 'Ram Setu' as a monument of national importance. Ram Setu, which is also known as Adam's Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island or Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka. Swamy contended that the government has already accepted the existence of 'Ram Setu' and in 2017, a meeting was also convened to examine his demand, but things have not moved after that. In April last year, a bench headed by the then Chief Justice S.A. Bobde had directed that the plea seeking National Heritage Status for Ram Setu be listed before the next Chief Justice of India. The UPA government, in 2007, had proposed a Sethusamudram project. Under this project an 83-km-long deep-water channel was to be made by extensive dredging and removal of the limestone shoals, to link Mannar with Palk Strait. Swamy moved against this decision in the court and the government resorted to another plan to link Mannar with Palk Strait. --IANS ss/vd ( 489 Words) 2023-01-19-19:30:06 (IANS)
The police stated that the video was of a hotel in the Sahibabad area of Ghaziabad, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Tila More police station.

"A viral video was floating on social media from the area under Tila More police station, in which a man was making rotis by applying spit," said Poonam Mishra, Superintendent of Police, Sahibabad.

The Sahibabad SP then added that the police had lodged a complaint against the man on January 18 at the Tila More police station.

The Ghaziabad police have identified the accused as Taseeruddin and arrested him on the morning of January 19.

According to the police, a legal investigation of the accused is underway. (ANI)
Umar Khalid, former JNU student leader and accused in the larger Conspiracy of Delhi riots, has moved an application seeking access to a daily telephonic call facility. The court has issued a notice to Tihar jail authorities. A similar application moved by Sharjeel Imam is also pending before the court. Additional Sessions Judge Amitab Rawat issued notice to Tihar Jail superintendent and asked him to file a reply on the application of Umar Khalid. The matter has been listed on January 21 for further hearing. Umar Khalid is in judicial custody since September 2020. Last year he was granted one week's interim bail for the wedding of his sister. Earlier, his regular bail application was dismissed in October 2022 by the division bench of the Delhi High court. Sharjeel Imam also moved an application seeking the resumption of the Inmate phone calling facility provided to him in Tihar jail earlier. The facility was stopped in September after a circular issued by the jail authorities. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had summoned the jail superintendents along with law officers. The officers had submitted that they have been following the rule. Subsequently, the court summoned the conduct report of the accused. This matter was also listed on January 21. The application filed on behalf of Sharjeel seeks the resumption of the Inmate phone calling facility provided to the Accused/Applicant under Rule 629 of the Delhi Prisons Rule, 2018 since he had been lodged in judicial custody. The application moved through Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim has stated that the facility was stopped by the jail authorities without any reason or providing any opportunity for the Applicant to oppose the same and the same has not been resumed till date. It is worth mentioning that the Applicant has been informed that he will be allowed to make one call each week as against daily calling facility which was available earlier, the plea stated. Sharjeel Imam has been in continuous custody in the Tihar Jail since January 28, 2020, in connection with the case registered under UAPA and other sections related to Sedition. The jail authorities regarding the reduction of the facility to a weekly basis, the Applicant was informed that the same was in accordance with a standing order of the Additional Inspector General, Prison HQs, Delhi Prisons (AIG) issued on September 2, 2022. This order was circulated internally among jail authorities to streamline and regulate the Inmate Phone Call System facility to the extent of High-Security Prisoners/ category of prisoners specified under Rule 631 of the Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018. (ANI)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a report on Wednesday's clash between the supporters of two political parties in West Tripura, the sources said. According to the sources, the ECI has sought this report from the Director General of Police (DGP) and Chief Secretary of the Jirania sub-division by 3 pm on Friday. "ECI seeks a report on the incident of a clash among supporters of two political parties at Jirania Sub-Division (West Tripura) on 18th January from DGP and Chief Secretary by 3 pm," the sources said. Reportedly, the alleged attack occurred almost half an hour after the ECI announced the Assembly election dates in the three Northeastern states. The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the schedule for Assembly elections to Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland to be held in February-March this year. The results of all three states will be declared on March 2, 2023. "Voting for Assembly elections in Tripura will be held in a single phase on February 16 and in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. The results will be declared on March 2," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said during a press conference. The CEC said that the terms of the poll-bound states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura are coming to an end on March 12, 15, and 22 respectively. "The term of Assemblies of respective states in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura are respectively due to expire on March 12, 15, and 22. The 3 states have 60 Assembly constituencies each," the CEC said. Detailing the number of voters in the poll-bound states, Kumar said, "There are more than 62.8 lakh electors combined in Nagaland, Meghalaya & Tripura including - 31.47 lakh female electors, 97,000 80+ voters, and 31,700 PwD voters. Over 1.76 lakh first-time voters to participate in the elections in 3 states." He also informed that there will be some polling stations managed completely by PwDs and women staff. Women will be in command in 376 PS across Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura. (ANI)
After returning to power in 2019 with a thumping majority for the second consecutive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned "Mission Kashmir" to his most trusted lieutenant, Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Just within a few months after assuming the charge of the all important Union Home Ministry, Shah moved a Bill in the Parliament on August 5, 2019, to revoke J&K's special status and to divide the erstwhile princely state into two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh. The Bill was passed in both the houses of the Parliament and the government led by PM Modi achieved the feat which no dispensation at the Centre could during the past 70-years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the past three years has played a pivotal role in pulling J&K out from the quagmire of uncertainty. He has led from the front by reaching out to every section of the society in the Himalayan region. While addressing his first public rally after the abrogation of Article 370 in north Kashmir's Baramulla town in October 2022, Shah had said that the people who ruled J&K for seven decades were suggesting to the Central government that it should talk to Pakistan. He had ruled out any talks with Pakistan and had announced that the Centre would reach out to youth of Kashmir, Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis and others. "I am clear. I don't want to talk to Pakistan. I would talk to people of Kashmir. They (Pakistan) have spread terrorism here. What good have they done for Kashmir," Shah had said. Besides engaging with the different sections of the society, the Union Home Minister has personally ensured that the contribution of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the country's honour, is acknowledged and their families are provided with all the possible help and support. Whenever Amit Shah has visited J&K, he has made it a point to visit the families of martyrs and express solidarity with them. Public infrastructure, including schools, roads and buildings, in Jammu and Kashmir after 2019 has been rechristened after prominent martyrs and eminent persons. It's an acknowledgement of their exceptional contributions towards J&K. J&K among top performers After J&K's transition into a Union Territory, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have been monitoring all the developments closely in Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre taking keen interest in J&K has transformed the Union Territory into one of the most developed regions in the country. Post abrogation of Article 370, the erstwhile princely state has figured on top of the various development surveys conducted by independent and government agencies. It's among the top performers in the country. During the 70-year rule of Kashmir based politicians in Jammu and Kashmir the investments stood at only Rs 15,000 crore. However, in the past three years, the Centre has brought Rs 56,000 crore investment in the Union Territory. Books, pens and laptops have replaced stones, guns and grenades. Youngsters have been provided with multiple opportunities to chase their dreams. Peace has returned to the strife torn region after three decades as the government has launched a decisive war against Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. During the past three years Kashmir has not witnessed a shutdown even for a single-day. Stone-pelting has become a history and the gun culture introduced by the neighbouring country in J&K is on its last legs. True warrior The Union Home Minister has handled the "Mission Kashmir" like a true warrior and has ensured that nothing escapes his eye. Shah along with his team has shattered all the myths that revolved around J&K's relationship with India being unstable and temporary. After the scrapping of Article 370 all the confusions have been put to rest as Jammu and Kashmir has been merged completely with the Union of India. Ones who used to claim that the Article 370 is a bridge between New Delhi and J&K and if it's fiddled with it would lead to large scale violence and bloodshed have been proven wrong. People of J&K have endorsed all the decisions of the Centre as the government led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has ended the discrimination which they faced for 70-long years due to so-called special status being in vogue. When Amit Shah had tabled the Bill in the Parliament to revoke Article 370 on August 5, 2019, he had stated that the 'J&K's special status' was the root cause of terrorism and a biggest hurdle to normalcy. He had assured the House and the people of the country that once Article 370 is gone, J&K's pristine glory would be restored and within five years it would be turned into one of the most vibrant places in the country. Shah had lauded the strong political will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end an obstacle of Article 370 to integrate the Himalayan region with the rest of India and develop it. The promises of development that were made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been implemented in the letter and spirit. Promises fulfilled In the beginning of this month, the Union Home Ministry in its year-ender review report for 2022 noted that the number of terror incidents in J&K decreased from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, while the number of security personnel martyred reduced from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021. According to the report there has been about 54 per cent reduction in terrorist incidents, 84 per cent in the deaths of security personnel and about 22 per cent in recruitment of terrorists in J&K. It stated that under the PM's Development Package for Jammu and Kashmir, about 63 hydro-electricity projects have been completed at the cost of Rs 80,000 crore. The work on Kiru project, costing Rs 4,287 crore, is under progress. The Union Home Minister laid the foundation stone of 240 development projects worth about Rs 2,000 crore in Srinagar on October 5, 2022. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has worked hard to take "Mission Kashmir" to its logical end. He has worked towards achieving the goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end terrorism and discrimination in J&K. Shah by reaching out to one and all in Jammu and Kashmir has built a strong relationship with the people of the Union Territory. Common man in J&K has understood that whatever the government says it does it and the central leadership fulfils the promises which it makes. --IANS scor/ ( 1092 Words) 2023-01-19-21:26:02 (IANS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he had "no doubt" Moscow would emerge victorious in Ukraine, despite military setbacks in the nearly year-long offensive, reported Al Jazeera. Speaking during a visit to a factory in St Petersburg that makes air defence systems, Putin said he had "no doubt" Russia would emerge victorious in the conflict - despite suffering a string of military setbacks in its now nearly year-long offensive. Victory is "guaranteed, I have no doubt about it," Putin told workers at a factory in Russia's second city Saint Petersburg, saying "the unity and solidarity of the Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters and, of course, the work of the military-industrial sector" will secure victory. The statement comes as Ukraine grapples with the loss of its interior minister in a deadly helicopter crash. Ukraine's interior minister Denys Monastyrskyy is among at least 14 people killed after a helicopter crashed in a Kyiv suburb Wednesday, officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the crash a "tragedy" and authorities have launched an investigation, reported CNN. One child was among the dead and 25 others were wounded in Wednesday's incident in the town of Brovary, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said. Monastyrskyy, 42, was in charge of the Ukrainian police and other emergency services. He is the highest-profile Ukrainian casualty since Russia launched its invasion last February. It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter, which authorities said had been en route to front-line positions in the country's east, to come down. Ukrainian officials made no reference to any Russian attack in the area at the time and said they launched an investigation, reported Al Jazeera. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ihor Klymenko, the national police chief, had been appointed acting interior minister. Zelenskyy urged Western leaders to make faster decisions to counter Russia's war and support Kyiv with heavy weaponry, saying in virtual remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos that "the tyranny is outpacing the democracy." The US is expected to announce one of its largest military aid packages for Ukraine in coming days, according to officials. Kyiv has been pleading for modern tanks, a request the US is not yet willing to grant, despite the UK and Poland saying they will, reported CNN. Earlier, Putin attended an event with veterans to mark the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the World War II siege of St Petersburg, then known as Leningrad, which Nazi German forces blockaded for nearly 900 days, reported Al Jazeera. He told the war veterans Russia was fighting in Ukraine to defend ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, who Moscow alleges are subject to systematic discrimination in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv rejects that allegation and says the Kremlin has used it as a pretext for what is simply an aggressive land grab. However, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow saw no prospects for peace talks and reiterated the Kremlin's position that there can be no negotiations with Zelenskyy's government. Russia has said talks are possible only if Ukraine recognises Moscow's claims to Ukrainian territory in the country's east and south. Kyiv says it will fight until Russia withdraws all of its troops from the country, reported Al Jazeera. (ANI)
A notice in the official gazette said the 13 troops were dismissed from the institutional security office attached to the presidency.

The decision follows the removal of 40 military officers on Tuesday from the Alvorada presidential residence, as Lula expressed his distrust in the military for failing to act against supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed government buildings on January 8.

Just days after the attack on the presidential palace, Supreme Court and Congress by backers of far-right ex-president Bolsonaro, Lula said the rioters likely had inside help and hinted at security force involvement.

He ordered a thorough staffing review, saying he was "convinced that the door of the Planalto (presidential) palace was opened for people to enter because there are no broken doors."

The demonstrators were protesting Bolsonaro's loss in the October elections and calling for a military coup to oust Lula and restore the far-right populist leader.

Leftist Lula, 77, beat Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin in October elections that followed a vitriolic and divisive campaign.

Some 1,400 alleged rioters remained in custody as investigators track down the masterminds and financiers of the January 8 revolt.

So far, 39 people have been officially charged.

Anderson Torres, a former Bolsonaro justice minister who was in charge of Brasilia security but abroad when the riots happened, has been arrested on suspicion of collusion.

Like his former boss, Torres has denied any link to the revolt. He appeared before investigators for a first deposition on Wednesday, and opted to remain silent according to the G1 news portal.

The violence recalled the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. (ANI)
As the tension in the Taiwan strait escalates, China is planning an AI-warfare plan for Taipei based on informationized and intelligentized warfare to advance them to a new strategic level, writes Gabriel Honrada in Asia Times. Chinese military experts are reportedly exploring "smart deterrence" concepts, marking a significant evolution in China's use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies from tactical and operational military levels to influence strategic-level decision-making. Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies, opined in the peer-reviewed journal Cross-Strait Taiwan Studies that China should use AI and other enabling technologies to deter the US and pro-independence factions in Taiwan, in addition to blockade exercises around the self-governing island, the South China Morning Post said. Ni also wrote that smart deterrence is already being studied in Chinese military circles. He stated that China should normalize military exercises beyond the median line, the de facto sea border separating China from Taiwan, approaching the baselines of the latter's territorial waters and cutting off maritime transport. He also says that such exercises would be a powerful deterrent against Taiwan's independence and foreign intervention, in addition to nuclear and conventional deterrence, reported Asia Times. China has enacted a long-term and flexible strategy for the self-governing island. This strategy involves periodic military exercises that amount to blockades, with a tighter military noose increasing the threat level. Moreover, it sends the message that any large military exercise could quickly be the real thing - an indefinite blockade of Taiwan to starve it into submission. Apart from staging military exercises near the baselines of Taiwan's territorial waters, Ni stated that China should hold similar exercises in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and Dongsha Island, which Taiwan controls. Smart deterrence adds a cognitive aspect to China's strategy for Taiwan, as deterring the latter from declaring independence by military and economic threats alone may not be sufficient. China has long been able to threaten Taiwan with severe military and economic consequences should it declare independence, but has not been able to convince the population that refraining from taking steps to independence will be met with restraint, rather than reunification on Beijing's terms, reported Asia Times. Asia Times has previously noted that while China has devised numerous military strategic and operational concepts, including informationized and intelligentized warfare, China has not fought a conventional war since the disastrous 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. (ANI)
In assuming the G20 Presidency on December 1, India, the fifth largest economy, has an unprecedented chance to check its clout and credibility in tackling the fragmented global order and India's G20 Presidency is a big deal, according to Global Britain Centre. Global Britain Centre was established to drive the conversation around Global Britain - the promise signalled by the historic vote in June 2016 to take back control and renew the country as a free, independent, and sovereign Global Britain tilting to engage fully with her natural allies around the globe. With its Vaccine Maitri global outreach and as the world's fastest-growing major economy, India has cemented its place on the world stage. India's plans until the final G20 Summit in September 2023 are "ambitious, inclusive, action-oriented, and decisive". India is hosting the largest ever number of participants from 43 heads of delegations and India intends to make a difference globally, said Antonia Filmer in an op-ed article in Global Britain Centre. The Presidency falls during 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', which is an emotionally significant initiative of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government to celebrate 75 years of independence, with a powerful programme of sharing 5000 years of the history of India's people, culture and achievements. India will hold events the length and breadth of the country to showcase the wondrous diversity and modernisation of India. No G-20 member has ever welcomed the presidency like India did when she illuminated hundreds of sites, including UNESCO world heritage sites, across the country on December 1. Numerous other locations were also decorated with the G-20 logo representing 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or, 'the world is one family.' With the motto, "One Earth, One family, One future", India is prepared to bring the world together as she hosts around two hundred G-20-related events, including the marquee summit in September next year, under her year-long presidency. As G20 President, India intends to develop and strengthen international support for energy and environment, agriculture, trade, digital economy, cyber security, health, employment, tourism, anti-corruption and women's empowerment, including in focus areas that impact the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, said Filmer. Presently the G20 accounts for 80 per cent of the gross world product, 75 per cent of international trade, 64 per cent of the global population, and 60 per cent of the world's land area. Prime Minister Modi believes there is scope for broadening the G20 to include representatives not only from the African Union but South America and countries from the Global South. This gives clear insight into the New India worldview and his multilateral ambitions for the assembly, this is supported by the close strategic relationships PM Modi has been forging with Brazil and South Africa, said Filmer. GBC supporter, Professor MD Nalapat's leader asserts Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is determined that the G20 year will end with setting up new elements of a global monetary architecture that could soon replace the Bretton Woods structure, which was created during a period when the US and Europe dominated trade and commerce. Nalapat believes the UNSC, the IMF and the IBRD need to be better representatives of the 21st world. He suggests adding to the G20 similar representative bodies to the EU from Asia, Africa and South America because the Bretton Woods system created tailwinds for the developed countries outside the Soviet bloc and headwinds for the rest. A favourite focus is the defence of the Indo-Pacific and its Himalayan border, particularly the Indian Ocean, and India's role in the Quad, Grant Newsham writes "If you can read a map you can understand India's importance to the Quad--and vice versa....The United States hasn't got the "bandwidth" of any sort--military, diplomatic, commercial--to hold its own in the Indian Ocean Region....And India's local knowledge and intelligence coverage--not least of Chinese political warfare efforts throughout the region--are better than anyone else's, by far. India is at the forefront of dealing with two of the main threats facing the free world for the foreseeable future: The Chinese Communist Party and "extremism." Moreover, the Global Britain Centre celebrates the UK-India 2030 Roadmap milestones achieved in 2022; including the agreement on Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications- the bespoke Young Professionals Scheme a scheme which provides 18 to 30-year-old Indians to reside and work in the UK for 2 years at ease; and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch's first visit to India last month for the sixth round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. The GBC strongly believed that Global Britain is well placed to strengthen further our unique and unparalleled partnership with a New India, rooted in shared values, shared languages and shared objectives to strengthen free democracy, free trade and free enterprise - One Earth, One Family, One Future, wrote Filmer. (ANI)
During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to have official discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry and pay courtesy calls on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minster Dinesh Gunawardena and other dignitaries, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka press release.

Jaishankar will be accompanied by Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri from the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

Regarding Sri Lanka's tour, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Jaishankar's visit will follow his earlier trips to the bankrupt country in January 2021 and March 2022. Sri Lanka is a close friend and neighbour, and India has stood with the people of Sri Lanka at all times.

"During the visit, EAM will call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and also hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs MUM Ali Sabry on the entire gamut of close India-Sri Lanka partnership and steps to strengthen it in all spheres," the statement stated.

India and Sri Lanka share a good relationship. Under the "Neighbourhood First Policy," India had extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items, Sri Lanka based news publication News 19 reported.

In February 2022, India in order to help Sri Lanka overcome its fuel shortage, signed an agreement for the supply of petroleum products worth USD 500 million from the Indian Oil Company through a credit line.

This was expanded by an additional USD 200 million worth of petroleum products in April 2022.

India's EXIM bank and State bank of India, for the import of essential commodities, extended export credit facilities worth USD 1,500 million to Sri Lanka. India also concluded a USD 400 million agreement with Sri Lanka to help preserve the country's forex reserves.

Earlier Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the parliament that talks with India and China on debt restructuring are successful.

"We are continuing discussions in that regard and I am pleased to announce to this House that the discussions are currently successful," read Sri Lankan President Media Division press release. (ANI)
Lord Rami Ranger, a member of House of Lords of UK Parliament on Wednesday slammed BBC over new series attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Condemning the biased reporting of BBC, he tweeted, "@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians It insults a democratically elected@PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting." The British broadcaster came under fire over its two-part series "India: The Modi Question" on BBC Two. It stated, "A look at the tensions between Indian PM Narendra Modi and India's Muslim minority, investigating claims about his role in 2002 riots that left over a thousand dead." The series will examine how "Narendra Modi's premiership has been dogged by persistent allegations about the attitude of his government towards India's Muslim population" and "a series of controversial policies" implemented by Modi following his 2019 re-election, including "the removal of Kashmir's special status guaranteed under Article 370" and "a citizenship law that many said treated Muslims unfairly", which "has been accompanied by reports of violent attacks on Muslims by Hindus," the BBC stated. Taking a potshot at the biased reporting, many people of Indian origin suggested BBC run a series on the 1943 Bengal famine, which resulted in the deaths of some three million people due to malnutrition or disease. One of them on Twitter suggested BBC run a series on the Bengal Famine called "UK: The Churchill Question." Then UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as part of the western war effort, ordered the diversion of food from starving Indians to already well-supplied British soldiers and stockpiles in Britain and Europe. Meanwhile, another Twitter user advised BBC to focus on UK problems given Britain has fallen behind India on almost parameters. Recently, India became the fifth-largest economy in the world beating the United Kingdom and is set to be the third-largest economy by the end of the decade. Now India is just behind four countries in terms of the size of the economy in terms of dollar terms. The countries whose economy size is bigger than India are - the United States, China, Japan and Germany. The UK is now behind India in the sixth position. Earlier, PM Modi said that the government aims to take the country to the list of top three world economies. (ANI)
"Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has rolled over their deposit of $2 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan, as discussed by #PM @CMShehbaz with His Highness the President of UAE during last week's official visit to UAE! Long live Pak-UAE friendship!," Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced in a tweet.

The finance minister disclosed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had discussed the rollover with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during his recent visit to the country.

It is pertinent to mention here that the UAE President had agreed to roll over the existing loan of USD 2 billion and provide a USD 1 billion additional loan, reported Geo News.

The UAE's financial support offered some respite to the country still reeling from devastating nationwide floods that have caused more than USD 30 billion of damage.

The International Monetary Fund's ninth review to clear the release of a further USD 1.1 billion tranche of funds to Pakistan has been pending since September, so external financing is crucial for the country's broken economy.

Presently, the State Bank has foreign exchange reserves of four and a half billion dollars and these Foreign exchange reserves with the central bank are equivalent to three weeks' worth of import bills.

Foreign exchange reserves held by SBP fell to a critical level of USD 4.3 billion, the bank said, barely enough for three weeks of imports, reported Geo News.

Net foreign exchange reserves held by commercial banks stood at USD 5.8 billion, and total liquid reserves at USD 10.1 billion, the bank added. (ANI)
The Ulamas (the learned of Islam) and non-governmental organisations have strongly condemned the visit of the World Council of Muslim Communities to East Turkestan (a region in the western province of China). They said the visit aims to beautify the ugly face of China at the expense of the Muslims in East Turkestan, according to a joint press release by Ulamas and non-governmental organizations on the misleading Chinese propaganda against the Islamic world. "We, the signatories of this Declaration, remind all Muslims that China conceals tricks and lies to persuade the Islamic world to organize such visits," the release read. The press statement was released with the signature of more than 30 religious scholars and more than 55 civil society organizations from different countries of the world against China's misleading propaganda in the Islamic world. According to the release, the delegates who made a visit praised China's atrocities in East Turkestan which China calls its "fight against "terrorism" and "extremists" in the region. The East Turkestan tragedy continues, as millions of people are still in Chinese concentration camps, and mosques and some of them are turned into bars and cafes, Qurans are burned, and all kinds of Islamic worship is prohibited, the release read. In East Turkestan, it is completely forbidden for women to cover their heads. China's policies to erase the Islamic identity of the people of East Turkestan are intensifying with such activities. China's aim is to sinicize the people of East Turkestan and to destroy their beliefs and cultures. The Ulamas and non-governmental organisations condemned the visit of the aforementioned Council delegation to East Turkestan, which is occupied by China and named as "Xinjiang", in response to the invitation of the Chinese regime to beautify its ugly face, the press release by the Ulamas said. It further said the council does not represent Muslim scholars' views because Muslim scholars' views on Muslims in East Turkestan are clear. The Ulamas called for interviews with the Uyghur community in the diaspora to learn the real conditions of Muslims. They said scientists, politicians, writers and journalists should conduct independent visits to East Turkestan, as well as conduct independent field trips and communicate directly with the people of the country, to examine the situation of Muslims there. They should also visit camps and prisons called rehabilitation centres. "We call on the delegations visiting the region not to get involved in political calculations that will turn a blind eye to the suffering and grievances of the people of East Turkestan. Because making statements that will make China's ugly face beautiful justifies those crimes by participating in China's crimes against the Uighur people, and this attitude will not suit a free person, let alone being a Muslim scholar," the release said. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said that currently his party has no contact with the new military leadership, Pakistan based The News International newspaper reported. Khan said that he has no links with the current Pakistan army chief, General Syed Asim Munir and claimed that the general elections will take place in April 2023. He blamed the former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for helping the present Pakistan government in ruling the country and said that now, the government will be forced to hold the general elections in April. "When they came to power, they ended their corruption cases worth Rs1,100 billion," he said, as quoted by The News International newspaper. He blamed the incumbent government for the country's economic crisis and said that Pakistan's economic conditions were never like this, emphasising that fair and transparent polls were the only solution to these problems. "The current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has come to power through horse trading," Khan said. According to the PTI chief, the coalition rulers kept themselves above the law and ended the corruption cases that they were booked in years ago. "Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Maryam Nawaz, all of their cases have been forgiven," he said, as quoted by The News International newspaper. Khan said that PTI sacrificed two assemblies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to move towards free and fair elections. "Now this government will be forced into holding elections in April." He said that no investor or business person trusts the government and neither do foreign investors. "Pakistan has been plunged into a quagmire. To save the country from a Sri Lanka-like situation, we need free and fair elections," Khan said. Khan recently said that "establishment is a reality" and "above the law." Speaking on the existence of the establishment in the country's politics, Khan said that the situation in Pakistan will improve when the establishment starts working for the rule of law, Daily Times reported. "The establishment is a reality and it is above the law. The situation [of the country] will improve when it starts working for the rule of law," Daily Times quoted Imran Khan as saying. The PTI chairman said that political engineering continues to exist and stressed that his party will resist if attempts to reduce the mandate are made in Punjab, Daily Times reported. He said that the members of his party were provoked against him and were asked to become part of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). (ANI)
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, and the G20 delegates started their second day of the Health Working Group meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala with a yoga session on Thursday. With a relaxing yoga session at Kovalam beach here, the dignitaries of G20 were seen performing different forms of yoga as a part of the ongoing Health Working Group Meeting taking place under India's Presidency. Earlier on Wednesday, MoS Bharti said that Pandemic policy must be a defining part of our health policy as any health crisis today leads to an economic crisis due to the multisectoral nature of our interconnected world. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in her address to the first Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency, MoS Pawar noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multi-sectoral, multi-agency coordinate efforts. She not only emphasized the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies but also underscored the importance of building resilient health systems and investing in lifesaving vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. The first Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency is being held from January 18-20 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. In a significant milestone, India assumed the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2022. India is currently part of the G20 Troika comprising Indonesia, India and Brazil, marking the first time that the troika is consisting of three developing and emerging economies. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Health Track of the G20 India Presidency will comprise four Health Working Group (HWG) Meetings and one Health Ministerial Meeting (HMM). The meetings will be held in different locations across the country including Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Goa, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Gandhinagar (Gujarat), highlighting India's rich and diverse cultures. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar who is on a diplomatic visit to Maldives, paid homage to Sultan Mohamed Thakururufaanu, a revered national hero of the island nation at his Memorial Centre on Thursday. Jaishankar stated that the struggle of the Sultan is a reminder to continue his commitment to national development. "Paid homage to Sultan Mohamed Thakururufaanu, a revered national hero of the Maldives at his Memorial Centre. His struggle is a reminder of a shared history and a continuing commitment to national development," Jaishankar tweeted. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka to further expand bilateral engagement with India's two key maritime neighbours. He reached Maldives on Wednesday on his fourth visit to the island country after assuming office in 2019. He was warmly welcomed by Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid. On Wednesday, not only Jaishankar reviewed India's joint projects with the Maldives but also reaffirmed the strong development partnership between the two countries. After holding discussions with Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, Jaishankar said they reaffirmed the strong development ties between both sides. Addressing a press conference alongside Abdulla Shahid, Jaishankar also said that both sides reviewed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Expansion Project, which he described as one of the most anticipated projects in the northern part of Maldives. "We have jointly reviewed our infrastructure projects and the groundbreaking ceremony of what is one of the most anticipated projects in the north, the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Expansion Project will be held later this evening. This project once completed will transform the lives and livelihoods of all," he said. Jaishankar also talked about the Greater Male Connectivity Project, which he said was another ambitious project in the country. India also handed over two Sea Ambulances to the Maldives on Wednesday that were procured under the Indian Grant Assistance scheme. Jaishankar and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid attended the handover ceremony held at Noonu Manadhoo today. A number of significant Memorandums of Understanding were exchanged between Maldives and India in various fields, as part of Jaishankar's visit to Male. Jaishankar and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday joined in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo international airport project. "Joined President @ibusolih and his ministers and local leaders at the ground-breaking ceremony of Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project," tweeted Jaishankar. Speaking at the ceremony, Jaishankar said, "For us, the redevelopment of Hanimaadhoo International Airport is first and foremost. This project will bridge the gap between the people of Northern Maldives and the rest of the world and bring our people together. And India is privileged to be with the Maldives for its implementation." "I am truly delighted to be part of today's historic ceremony for the ground-breaking Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project. I bring to all of you the warm greetings and best wishes of India's leadership, especially, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and of 1.3 billion plus Indians," he added. (ANI)
Nepal Prime Minister Pushp Kamal Dahal on Thursday promised the families of the Yeti airlines plane crash victims to "expedite" the process so that they can have the bodies of the deceased soon. The Prime Minister met the kin of those killed in the tragic crash as he was not able to go to the site at the time of the accident and assured them of accelerating the procedure. Notably, the families and relatives are waiting for the bodies to be handed over to them at the morgue. "PM Dahal promised the families to hand over the bodies as soon as possible expediting the procedures. The hospital can ask the government for additional resources in case they need to expedite it," according to an official statement of the PM secretariat. The ill-fated aircraft with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in central Nepal's resort city of Pokhara on Sunday. Moreover, Yeti Airlines in a statement said that 22 bodies that underwent autopsy were being handed over to families in Kathmandu. "Among the 49 bodies brought to Kathmandu, 22 of them are being handed over to their families after the post-mortem while the post-mortem on the remaining bodies is ongoing. Twenty-two bodies that were post-mortemed at the Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences have already been handed over to their families. Also, we would like to inform you that the search for a missing person is ongoing," the official statement of Yeti Airlines read. Rescuers recovered one more body of the crash victim on Wednesday. The total number of bodies found has reached 71 now. The search for the remaining one is reportedly ongoing. "One more body has been found among the two missing persons in the Yeti Airlines plane crash that occurred in Pokhara on January 15, 2023. The total number of dead bodies has reached 71. It is reported that the search for the remaining one is ongoing. Search and Rescue Coordination Center," the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said in an official release. Kathmandu Post on Sunday quoted Sudarshan Bartaula, a spokesperson of Yeti Airlines as saying that the ATR 72 Yeti airlines aircraft crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport. Earlier, the black box of the Yeti Airlines aircraft was handed over by the Nepal Army to Civil Aviation Authority officials. A black box is a flight data recorder that records all flight information through a special algorithm. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that he is delighted to inaugurate the India-funded Community Centre in Foakaidhoo, an island in the Maldives, with the Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. "Delighted to inaugurate the India-funded Community Centre in Foakaidhoo with FM @abdulla_shahid. Applaud the Council and local community for its successful completion," Jaishankar tweeted on Thursday on his official Twitter handle @DrSJaishankar. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka to further expand bilateral engagement with India's two key maritime neighbours. He reached Maldives on Wednesday on his fourth visit to the island country after assuming office in 2019. He was warmly welcomed by Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid. "Our development partnership is creating quality social infrastructure in Maldives, spread over 16 atolls and 36 islands. Our joint efforts benefit women and youth development & promote sports," Jaishankar tweeted on Thursday. Jaishankar said that the spirit of PM Modi's Fit India and Khelo India campaigns is also expressed in Neighborhood First. "Today's event shows how a good foreign policy transforms people's lives. Proud to have been part of it," the Russian foreign affairs minister tweeted. Jaishankar who is on a diplomatic visit to Maldives, paid homage to Sultan Mohamed Thakururufaanu, a revered national hero of the island nation at his Memorial Centre. Jaishankar stated that the struggle of the Sultan is a reminder to continue his commitment to national development. "Paid homage to Sultan Mohamed Thakururufaanu, a revered national hero of the Maldives at his Memorial Centre. His struggle is a reminder of a shared history and a continuing commitment to national development," Jaishankar tweeted. Addressing a press conference alongside Abdulla Shahid, Jaishankar also said that both sides reviewed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Expansion Project, which he described as one of the most anticipated projects in the northern part of Maldives. "We have jointly reviewed our infrastructure projects and the groundbreaking ceremony of what is one of the most anticipated projects in the north, the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Expansion Project will be held later this evening. This project once completed will transform the lives and livelihoods of all," he said. Jaishankar also talked about the Greater Male Connectivity Project, which he said was another ambitious project in the country. India also handed over two Sea Ambulances to the Maldives on Wednesday that were procured under the Indian Grant Assistance scheme. Jaishankar and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid attended the handover ceremony held at Noonu Manadhoo today. A number of significant Memorandums of Understanding were exchanged between Maldives and India in various fields, as part of Jaishankar's visit to Male. (ANI)
The World Health Organization envoy for multilateral affairs at the G20, Stephanie Seydoux called the global health body a very strong supporter of the health agenda set by India in its G20 Presidency and said that it is indeed very ambitious. Calling it well-focused, Seydoux said that the agenda speaks about the priorities of the day. "WHO is a very strong supporter of the global health agenda which is set by India's presidency and which is also supported by G20 members and participants," the WHO envoy told reporters at the India Health Working Group Meet. The Health Working Group Meeting, which is taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala aim to build on the efforts and proposals laid down by previous health working groups and G20 leaders. Calling India's G20 Health agenda an ambitious one, the WHO envoy said, "it is focused, well articulated, it certainly speaks to the priorities of the day." She further added that it is time to discuss the global health architecture, preparedness and response, and see how to move this forward in order to be better prepared in the future. "We are discussing how to improve access to better vaccines and diagnostics," she added. Earlier on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, said that Pandemic policy must be a defining part of our health policy as any health crisis today leads to an economic crisis due to the multisectoral nature of our interconnected world. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in her address to the first Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency, MoS Pawar noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multi-sectoral, multi-agency coordinate efforts. Earlier today, the G20 delegates started their second day of the Health Working Group meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala with a yoga session. She not only emphasized the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies but also underscored the importance of building resilient health systems and investing in lifesaving vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Health Track of the G20 India Presidency will comprise four Health Working Group (HWG) Meetings and one Health Ministerial Meeting (HMM). The meetings will be held in different locations across the country including Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Goa, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Gandhinagar (Gujarat), highlighting India's rich and diverse cultures. (ANI)
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) lawmaker, Dev Raj Ghimire has been elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives as he received 167 votes, The Kathmandu Post reported. According to The Kathmandu Post, the proposal to elect the CPN-UML lawmaker received 167 votes. At least 100 votes were cast against him, while one lawmaker abstained. Just 138 votes were required for a win in the 275-strong Lower House. "I declare the proposal to elect Ghimire as Speaker has been endorsed through a majority," said the oldest parliamentarian Pashupati Shumsher Rana, who chaired the meeting as a Speaker. Ghimire's candidacy was proposed by UML vice-chair Subas Nembang and seconded by CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Hitraj Pandey, Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden, as per The Kathmandu Post. Ghimire, who won from Jhapa-2, is a UML standing committee member and party in charge of Province 1. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1999. Another candidate, Ishwari Neupane from Nepali Congress, had also filed their nomination for the post. Neupane's candidacy was proposed by Congress lawmaker Bishwa Prakash Sharma and was endorsed by Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist). This comes as the two candidates are in the fray. The Congress and the Unified Socialist, who had voted for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a floor test in Parliament on January 10, had earlier decided to field their own candidate against the ruling alliance's candidate for Speaker. President Bidya Devi Bhandari on December 25 appointed Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal as prime minister after he showed his support for 169 lawmakers including those from the JSP. The constitution makes it mandatory to elect the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives within 15 days of the House's first meeting. The first meeting of the lower house, elected through the November 20 elections, was held on January 9. As per Article 91 (2) of the Constitution, either the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker must be a woman and the occupants of the two posts should be from different parties. The secretariat on Thursday will publish the schedule for the election of the Deputy Speaker which is likely on Saturday. Meanwhile, the election for the Deputy Speaker of the House is expected to take place on January 21. (ANI)
India on Thursday denounced the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described it as a "propaganda piece" that is designed to push a discredited narrative. Addressing a weekly media briefing External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said this documentary show, based on some internal UK report, shows the colonial mindset. "We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and the lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are belatedly visible," Bagchi said in response to the question on the PM documentary series. UK's National broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms. Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the "BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians." The MEA spokesperson said the documentary is a reflection of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. He even raised questions on "the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it." "The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts," he added. Referring to apparent remarks made by former UK Secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said "He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It's a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy." "I heard words like inquiry and investigations. There is a reason why we use the colonial mindset. We don't use words loosely. What inquiry they were diplomats there...investigation, are they ruling the country? Bagchi asked. (ANI)
Defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the British Parliament, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart. Sunak made these remarks on the controversial documentary that was raised in the British Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain. "The UK government's position on this has been clear and long-standing and hasn't changed, of course, we don't tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization that the honourable gentleman has put forward to," Sunak said while responding to Hussain's question on the BBC report. UK's National broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms. Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the "BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians." Condemning the biased reporting of BBC, Rami tweeted, "@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians It insults a democratically elected@PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting." Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to the BBC report and said that this is a completely biased copy. While addressing a weekly briefing in New Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We think this is a propaganda piece. This has no objectivity. This is biased. Do note that this hasn't been screened in India. We don't want to answer more on this so that this doesn't get much dignity." He even raised questions on "the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it." "The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts," he added. Referring to apparent remarks made by former UK Secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said "He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It's a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy." "I heard words like inquiry and investigations. There is a reason why we use the colonial mindset. We don't use words loosely. What inquiry they were diplomats there...investigation, are they ruling the country? Bagchi asked. (ANI)
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Tibetans in-exile have welcomed the UN human rights experts' communication raising concern over the Chinese government's colonial-style residential schools and its assimilationist impact on Tibetan cultural and national identity. Four UN Special Rapporteurs voiced their concerns about China's assimilationist policies threatening the existence of Tibet's language, culture, and religion. "...We would like to bring to the attention of your Excellency's Government information we have received concerning what appears to amount to a policy of acculturation and assimilation of the Tibetan culture into the dominant Han Chinese majority, through a series of oppressive actions against Tibetan educational,religious and linguistic institutions, in contradiction with the right to freedom of religion and belief, the right to education and cultural rights of the Tibetan people," UN Special Rapporteurs wrote in a letter to then-Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in November last year. These UN experts raised serious concerns over China's vast network of colonial boarding schools in Tibet while also asking several questions to China about its "policy of acculturation and assimilation of the Tibetan culture. Human rights group estimate that nearly one million Tibetan children, ages ranging from 4 to 18, are currently forcibly enrolled and placed in Chinese boarding schools in Tibet away from their families, depriving them of the opportunity and the space to learn and acquaint themselves with their own religion, culture, and language. Tenzin Lekshay, spokesperson of the Tibetan government-in-exile said there is a very systemic practice that China has been enclosing to assimilate Tibetan people and Tibetan culture under the framework of second-generation policy which intends to marginalize the Tibetan language and Tibetan culture. "Therefore, the colonial boarding schools, there are a lot of reports coming out which says that over a million Tibetan children are put up in boarding schools where they were introduced Mandarin courses and they were taken away from the Tibetan language and Tibetan culture so it was being very restrictive and they were not allowed to go to their parents during vacations," he added. Lekshay said the Tibetan children are facing psychological and emotional traumas. And therefore, he said UN expert concerns are timely CTA welcomes concerns shown by the special Rapporteurs and we felt that China needs to consider the voice of the people. Gompo Dhondup, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress also welcomed the United Nations' interference and thier concern about the Chinese continued assimilation into mainland China. "From the very beginning we urge the United Nations and international agencies to look after the systematic Chinese assimilation especially in the Chinese colonial education system so we showed our dissatisfaction and meanwhile we requested the international community to raise voices in support of Tibetans to call up so-called colonial boarding schools so now we highly welcome the support shown by the United Nations," he said. (ANI)
India is fast emerging as one of the significant roles in the evolving global order, said Suzy El-Geneidy, the Deputy chief editor of Egypt's premier daily, Al-Ahram Al-Aribi. In an interview with ANI, she said that the current geopolitical circumstances are drastically different from what they used to be historically when the United States and Russia would be the only powers dominating the global discourse. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first ones in the global community who had condemned the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and urged for its peaceful cessation. "The world is not in good shape now, unfortunately. Because of Covid-19 and then because of the war, the Russia-Ukraine war. So, I think the lesson we should learn here is that all the countries should cooperate and not have war, they should have peace. I think that we as human beings should think about other challenges. Climate Change is one of them," the Egyptian journalist said. "There are many other things that we should work for. And I think India is playing a very good role in that. Earlier, the world was either the United States or the Soviet Union. The world is reshaping now and a lot of powers are coming up and I think one of them is India and it is very important," she added. Suzy El- Geneidy also said that India had witnessed a rapid positive transformation in the last decade and was poised to grow even faster in times to come. The senior Egyptian Editor is currently in New Delhi as part of the Middle East Media Delegation which is visiting India. It comes ahead of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi joining India's celebration of its Republic Day as the Chief Guest on 26th January. Experts and commentators who are visiting India have heaped praise on India for what it has achieved in recent times. Experts have also said that one must visit India to see the phenomenal developmental leaps it has taken in recent years. Ms El- Geneidy said "It's very important to know about India. India has gone on a very good road lately, especially in the last ten years or so. There is an IT industry, there is a defence industry that we need to know more about. We need to enhance our relations in certain fields. So, this visit I guess is very important. This is not my first visit to India. This is my third visit to India. And I saw that a lot of changes have happened over these years". "My last visit to India was in 2010, so it's been 13 years, and many changes have happened here. I think it's great, it's great," said Ms El- Geneidy. As per a release by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, "India and Egypt, two of the world's oldest civilizations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times". Observers on both sides believe that the visit of the President of Egypt to India will provide a fresh impetus to the relations between the two sides. The Senior editor from Al - Ahram newspaper said, "Egypt and India have very good ties, very strong ties. Not only in modern times but before as I have seen a lot of monuments that seem to have one or other connection with Pharos (laughs) and also in the coming years, it's going to be important as we know President (of Egypt) is going to visit India to celebrate (Republic Day of India) and India has very generously accepted Egypt as one of the countries that are being hosted in G20, which is a good gesture from India". "We thank India for it. I think both countries are going to be benefitted from further improvement in their ties," she added. (ANI)
India will be "very happy" to receive Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. Responding to a question regarding Nepal's Prime Minister's desire to visit India for his first foreign trip, Bagchi said, "We would be very happy to receive the Prime Minister of Nepal at a suitable convenient date." He further said, "I don't know what the modalities exactly when under which he said but yes I have also heard that he has expressed a desire to visit India when I am sure we would be happy to welcome when he comes and it has been practised that on various occasions Nepali leaders, as well as some other neighbouring country leaders, have tried to come to India as their first foreign visit and I think its a reflection of the strong relations between India and Nepal." In his remarks, Bagchi stated that he does not have an update yet. He further said, "I certainly will not be in a position to speculate whether anybody is going to give a formal invitation. But, obviously we will welcome his visit." On Saturday, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that he expressed his desire to visit New Delhi on his first port of call after taking office, The Kathmandu Post reported. Speaking to reporters at Baluwatar, Dahal said the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi was coordinating with relevant offices and officials in India on the visit. Dahal's visit will reportedly take place after the election of the new president, the Nepal-based news agency quoting the two leaders of the CPN (Maoist Centre) who are familiar with the developments. "However, if the Indian side insists on the visit before the new President is elected, the trip may even take place earlier," one of them told The Kathmandu Post. The presidential vote is scheduled to take place in February as the term of President Bidya Devi Bhandari expires in March-end. According to the constitution, the election is held a month before the expiry of the incumbent's term. (ANI)
India reiterated its position on relations with Pakistan and said that a "conducive atmosphere free of terror" is needed for talks. Reacting to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's desire of holding a conversation with PM Narendra Modi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have already said that we have always wanted normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. But there should be a conducive atmosphere which does not have terror, hostility or violence. That remains our position." This statement came after Sharif offered last week to hold talks between the two countries to resolve outstanding issues such as Kashmir. Earlier, in an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV, Sharif said, "My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Modi is that let's sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning points like Kashmir. It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other and waste time and resources." In an interview with a Dubai-based Arabic news channel, Pakistan's Prime Minister said, "We have had three wars with India, and they have only brought more misery, poverty, and unemployment to the people." Pakistan, which is battling a severe economic crisis, public discontent against the ruling regime due to flour crisis and fuel shortage among others is also faced with rising instances of terror attacks by the proscribed outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which had ended a ceasefire with the country's security forces late last year. "India is our neighbour country, we are neighbours. Let's be very blunt, even if we are not neighbours by choice we are there forever and it is up to us for us to live peacefully and progress or quarrel with each other and waste time and resources. That is up to us," Sharif said in the interview with Al Arabiya. After this interview went viral, Sharif's office took a U-turn and raked up the issue of Kashmir and called for the restoration of Art 370. "Prime Minister has repeatedly stated on record that talks can only take place after India had reversed its illegal action of August 5, 2019; without India's revocation of this step, negotiations are not possible. The settlement of the Kashmir dispute must be in accordance with the UN resolutions & the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir," read Pak PMO statement. "In reference to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's interview with Al Arabiya channel, the spokesman of the Prime Minister's Office has said that the Prime Minister had consistently maintained that Pakistan and India must resolve their bilateral issues, especially the core issue of Jammu & Kashmir, through dialogue and peaceful means," added the statement. In 2019, on August 5, the Government of India revoked the special status granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir through an amendment in Parliament and also scrapped Article 35 A, and the state was bifurcated into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI)
Amid the rising militancy in Pakistan, a shocking incident has emerged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where a teenager was found beheaded in a remote area of Lakki Marwat area. The Police official said that the beheaded body of a teenager was found in Bargai village, the Dawn newspaper reported. The report said the 19-year-old victim was killed by unidentified armed men believed to be militants on charges of spying. The militant group 'Ittehadul Mujahideen-i-Khurasan' had left a dagger and a handwritten chit in the Pashto language along the body, carrying a message that Raheedullah was found guilty of spying for the army, Dawn reported. An uncle of the slain boy told police that his nephew had gone to the fields on January 15 but did not return home. This latest report comes amid rising militancy in the country. A total of 419 people were killed in Pakistan in 262 terrorist attacks in 2022, according to an Islamabad-based think-tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). "Different nationalist insurgent, religiously inspired militant, and violent sectarian groups perpetrated a total of 262 terrorist attacks in Pakistan in the year - including 14 suicide bombings - which marked an increase of 27 per cent from the year before," PIPS said in its annual report titled "Pakistan Security Report 2022". "These terrorist attacks claimed in all 419 lives - an increase of 25 per cent from those killed in such attacks in 2021 - and injured another 734 people," the report added. About half of the total fatalities or deaths caused by terrorist attacks in 2022 in Pakistan were concentrated among personnel of security forces and law enforcement agencies. Another 234 personnel of security and law enforcement agencies were also injured in the reported terrorist attacks. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), local Taliban groups such as Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and other similar religiously inspired groups perpetrated a combined total of 179 terrorist attacks - compared to 128 in previous year - which killed 250 people and injured 262 others. (ANI)
India has taken "strong note" of an Indian woman's allegation of sexual harassment in Pakistan High Commission and asked them to investigate the matter, Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said in a press briefing on Thursday. Responding to a question regarding an Indian national's complaint regarding sexual harassment in Pakistan High Commission, Arindam Bagchi said, "The ministry has taken strong note of this complaint. We have raised the issue with Pakistan high commission authorities and we have asked them to investigate the matter." In the press briefing, Bagchi further said, "We have also seen in recent days the statement by Pakistan foreign ministry that they are looking into the case." A female academician from Punjab accused some senior staff of the Pakistan High Commission in the visa section in Delhi of indecent behaviour and sexual harassment. She had applied for a visa to visit Pakistan and had booked an online visa appointment with the Pakistan High Commission. The female professor alleged that during this time another employee came and started asking her personal questions, which made her uncomfortable. The female academician claimed that the employee asked her, "Why am I not married? How do I live without marriage? What do I do for my sexual desire?" The female academician claimed that she was uncomfortable with the questions and tried to divert the topic. However, the Pak official still insisted on asking the same questions. Last week, the Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson has said it is looking into allegations by an Indian woman against a Pakistani official at their mission in New Delhi, The Express Tribune reported. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said all their diplomatic staff are strictly instructed to conduct themselves professionally. "We attach high importance to proper etiquette and behaviour towards all visa and consular applicants. All our diplomatic staff is under strict instructions to conduct themselves professionally," The Express Tribune quoted Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch as saying. "While we are looking into this case, we are surprised at its timing and the manner in which it has been raised. There are robust mechanisms in place for the redressal of all public grievances. There is zero tolerance for misbehaviour and mistreatment of individuals visiting our Missions," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch added. (ANI)
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to Tanzania, called on Prime Minister of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa and said that solutions to global issues require joint action. Taking to Twitter, Birla said, "Fruitful meeting with Hon'ble Prime Minister of Tanzania, H.E. Mr. @KassimMajaliwa_. Shared thoughts on wide-ranging issues of mutual interest. Reiterated our commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties & cooperation in multilateral fora." "Mentioned India's perspective that solutions to global issues like climate change require collective action. Strengthening relationships in the post-Covid world order, development of tourism, health infrastructure, parliamentary cooperation & several other issues were discussed," he added. Birla, who reached Tanzania on Wednesday, during the meeting said that the solutions to global issues like climate change require joint action. He further said that India and Tanzania are important maritime nations in the Indian Ocean Region. During the meeting, Birla also added that the relationship has been developed over between the two maritime nations has developed over centuries on the basis of mutual political understanding, deep faith of both nations in democratic systems of Governance, and multifaceted economic-commercial relations. Mentioning about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tanzania in July 2016, Birla noted that the visit was an important milestone in the relations between the two countries. India always looks forward to continuing the course of high-level visits between the two countries to further strengthen and develop mutual relations, observed Birla. Observing that the Indian-origin community in Tanzania forms an important link between the people of the two countries, Birla said that he was happy that the people of the Indian community have assimilated within Tanzania for centuries and are contributing to the economic development of the country, working alongside Tanzanians. Birla expressed confidence that India will continue to remain a reliable partner in Tanzania's development journey. Mentioning that Trade and investment between the two countries have grown over the years, Birla noted India is investing in Tanzania in diverse sectors like ports, health services, agro-processing and small-scale enterprises. He added that Water sector projects are also underway in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Birla also expressed pride saying that Tanzanian Students have obtained higher education in many universities in India. Speaking in the context of the close relationship between the two maritime nations, Birla said that the defence partnership between India and Tanzania has grown significantly over the years. He added that for the first time, many remarkable achievements have been made in this area; like the bilateral defence expo and training programs for capacity building. He added that we look forward to further development of cooperation and mutual partnership between the two countries in the defence arena in the future. Speaking about India's leadership of the G20 Birla informed that in this sequence, the Parliament of India will also organize the P20 conference of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the G20 countries this year. Birla added that India being the world's largest democracy will try to effectively resolve global issues through this platform. Strengthening relationships in the post-Covid world order, development of tourism, health infrastructure, parliamentary cooperation and several other issues were discussed between the dignitaries. During his visit, Birla interacted with the Tanzanian Alumni. Speaking on this occasion, Birla said that India has always been and will always be a reliable partner in the development journey of Tanzania. The Indian education system with an inclusive approach and assured academic and career development attract students from all over the world to study in India, added Birla. Later on, he met the Indian business communities' members and apprised them of the enabling business environment being provided by the Government of India. Birla was informed that the business community in Tanzania is getting support and cooperation from the Government of India. "During the visit to Tanzania, met members of the Tanzania-India business forum & apprised them of the enabling business environment being provided by the Government of India. They appreciated Govt. of India for its consistent support and cooperation," Lok Sabha Speaker tweeted. Birla was also informed that most of the members of the business community come to India for education and then come back to Tanzania for business and investment. Shri Birla assured that their sentiments will be communicated to the Government. (ANI)
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N supreme leader-in-exile Nawaz Sharif is likely to return to his home country next month, the Dawn newspaper reported. On Wednesday, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman indicated that Sharif would return 'within a month'. "Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan within a month and I will go to the airport to receive him," the Punjab governor claimed in a chat with journalists, as quoted by Dawn. This development comes in the wake of the dissolution of the Punjab and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies. Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz have been in the UK since November 2019 and October 2022, respectively, for different medical reasons, the report added. "In the face of the rising popularity of the PTI chairman who was ousted as the prime minister in last April, most of PML-N local leadership is unanimous that the party needs Nawaz to be in Pakistan ahead of the polls if it wants to score a victory, especially in Punjab that was once the party's stronghold," a PML-N leader from Punjab told Dawn. Sharif, 72, was allowed to leave for London in 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for medical treatment. He has since been in the UK, commanding the reigns of the party from there. PML-N supremo's return was on the cards ever since his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif became Pakistan's Prime minister in April 2022. The party insider said the PML-N supremo takes his own decision with the consultation of his close family members. In an earlier report, The Express Tribune reported that party consultation was only a formality, which was why giving any date before time was risky. (ANI)
Ministry of External Affairs will organize the third Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture on January 23. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will preside over the event and the topic of the lecture will be "The Future of Global Uncertainty." Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan will deliver a lecture at the event, the Ministry of External Affairs said in the press conference. The memorial lecture has been organized as a tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Ministry of External Affairs will be organizing the third Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture on 23 January 2023. The lecture will be delivered by Amb. Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, and currently Chairman, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore," the Ministry of External Affairs said in the press release. The MEA noted that Vajpayee has contributed immensely to crafting India's foreign policy as External Affairs Minister and as Prime Minister. According to the press release, the lecture will be live-streamed on all the social media platforms of the Ministry of External Affairs. "This memorial lecture series is organized as a tribute to late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a towering statesman who immensely contributed to crafting India's Foreign Policy both as External Affairs Minister and as Prime Minister," the Ministry of External Affairs said in the press release. (ANI)
India's largest and most valuable drone startup Garuda Aerospace is participating in World Economic Forum 2023 to unveil the first-ever carbon-neutral drone at the Indian Sustainability Lounge, Davos. Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO at Garuda Aerospace discussed ESG and carbon neutrality and how it owed responsibility to the greater good of the world with drones along with technology and innovation. Garuda Aerospace will manufacture over 25,000 drones in the next 15 months and will revolutionize the agricultural sector. The agricultural Green Revolution 2.0 began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off 100 Kisan drones in 100 villages across India. This led to job opportunities for youth across India. PM Modi inaugurated the 'Kisan Drone Yatra', an initiative by Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd and flagged off 100 'Kisan Drones' in various cities and towns across India to spray pesticides in farms across the states of India. The 100 Kisan Drones were set off in 100 villages in 16 states across India which includes Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa. The farmers can use the high-capacity Kisan drones to transport their produce such as fruits, vegetables and flowers to markets in a minimal time and boost their income. While Inaugurating, PM addressed the farmers in Manesar, Haryana. The Kisan Drone Yatra was flagged off from the Manesar in Gurgaon, Haryana. The Kisan Drones will also be promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records and spraying of insecticides and nutrients. "It's such a privilege to present Garuda Aerospace DGCA-approved, Made in India, carbon neutral drones and the ESG goal of impacting 1 billion Indians positively through Drone Technology at Davos 2023 hosted by the World Economic Forum. Representing Tamil Nadu, it's an immense honour to share my experience with Industry stalwarts, Global political leaders, and policymakers. I spoke at an impactful panel discussion and highlighted progressive government policies and how the startup community is transforming India into a Global Drone Hub by 2030," said Agnishwar Jayaprakash. "I also thank the government for its progressive policies and for transforming the environment by using a green carbon-neutral drone that has also impacted climate change and farmers across India", concluded Agnishwar Jayaprakash. Garuda Aerospace DGCA-approved, Made in India drones are catering to several multi-billion dollar sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, industry 4.0 and defence. Garuda's growth plan is to become India's first ever-drone unicorn startup by impacting 1 billion lives. (ANI)
The PM's spokesman said he had made an "error of judgment" by briefly taking it off to film a social media clip during a trip to the north of England.

In the clip, recorded for Instagram, Sunak addresses the camera without wearing the safety device while the vehicle he is in keeps moving, reported Politico.

Under British law, drivers and passengers can face a fine of up to Pound 500 for not wearing a seatbelt while a vehicle is in motion, with some limited exemptions including for emergency service workers.

Asked if Sunak had any exemptions while riding in a government car, the spokesperson told reporters, "It was a mistake and he has apologized."

The Downing Street spokesman said Sunak -- who was previously fined by police over a breach of coronavirus rules -- "fully accepts this was a mistake and apologizes."

The spokesperson said, "The prime minister believes everyone should wear a seatbelt," reported Politico.

"It was an error of judgment, he removed it for a short period of time to film a clip, which you've seen, but he accepts that was a mistake."

The gaffe was seized on by the opposition Labour Party, which has tried to hammer Sunak over a previous clip that showed him struggling to use a contactless debit card, reported Politico.

"Rishi Sunak doesn't know how to manage a seatbelt, his debit card, a train service, the economy, this country," a Labour spokesperson said. "This list is growing every day, and it's making for endless painful viewing." (ANI)
China's demographics and economic growth rate are raising the biggest questions among business people about whether to invest in China or not, reported The New York Times (NYT). China ventured back onto the global stage on Tuesday, sending a delegation to the World Economic Forum to assure foreign investors that after three years of the pandemic cutting off their country from the world, life was back to normal. However, a rapidly ageing population, slowing growth in productivity, high debt levels and rising social inequality will continue to weigh on the country's economy, reported NYT. China's economy is witnessing its worst downward trend with the economic growth rate plunging to a mere 3 per cent in 2022. China has been engaging foreign financial institutions, market analysts, major investment groups and think tanks to paint a rosy picture of the future of China's economy. Vice-Premier Liu He also sought (January 17) to restore foreign institutional investor's confidence in the Chinese economy at the ongoing 'World Economic Forum' (WEF) at Davos, by stressing that China's economic growth would return to pre-pandemic levels this year, as the country reopens after casing of the "zero-Covid" policy. Chinese Government announced that its population shrank in 2022 for the first time in 61 years. A short time earlier, it confirmed that economic growth had slowed to 3 per cent, well below the past decade's trend, reported NYT. Moreover, China faced a wary audience at the annual event of WEF, attesting to both the dramatically changed geopolitical landscape after Russia's war on Ukraine, as well as two data points that highlighted a worrisome shift in China's own fortunes. Liu sought to reassure his audience that China was still a good place to do business. "If we work hard enough, we are confident that growth will most likely return to its normal trend, and the Chinese economy will make a significant improvement in 2023," he said. Liu, a well-travelled vice premier who is one of China's most recognizable faces in the West, insisted that the Covid crisis was "steadying," seven weeks after the government abruptly abandoned its policy of quarantines and lockdowns. China had passed the peak of infections, he said and had sufficient hospital beds, doctors and nurses, and medicine to treat the millions who are sick, reported NYT. However, he did not mention the 60,000 fatalities linked to the coronavirus since the lockdowns were lifted, a huge spike in the official death toll that China announced three days ago. Moreover, the decline in population lays bare the country's falling birthrate, a trend that experts said was exacerbated by the pandemic and will threaten its growth over the long term. The 3 per cent growth rate, the second weakest since 1976, reflects the stifling effect of the government's Covid policy, reported NYT. The signposts of China's economic weakness are everywhere: the government announced on Friday that exports fell 9.9 per cent in December relative to a year earlier. "China has an export slowdown, construction is in crisis, and the local governments are running out of money," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University. "China needs the world: to boost its economy, to accompany the return to more normalcy." (ANI)
Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki on Thursday released a video from the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, denying any links with Al-Qaeda. "I believe that the grounds for my listing are based on heresy and disinformation by the Indian government. I never met Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri or Abdullah Azam as alleged by some propaganda reports," Makki said. He also denounced the views and actions of Al-Qaeda and said that it was totally the opposite of what he believed in. "I denounce all kinds of terrorism and violence perpetrated by such groups. I believe in the principal position of the Pakistani government regarding Kashmir...," he said. Regretting the UNSC decision, he said, "No due process was followed or information was provided regarding these listings." Notably, India's relentless efforts to list Pakistan-based terrorists paid off as Makki was finally listed as a 'global terrorist'. India had made listings of Pakistan-based terrorists a top priority of its United Nations tenure during 2021-22, according to the sources. A total of five names were submitted by India for designation under 1267 in 2022: Abdul Rehman Makki (LeT), Abdul Rauf Asghar (Jaish-e-Mohammed, JeM), Sajid Mir (LeT), Shahid Mahmood (LeT), and Talha Saeed (LeT). Each of these five names was initially placed on technical hold by one member state while all other 14 members of the Council agreed to their listing. Makki's case was submitted on June 1, 2022, by India with the US joining as a co-designating state. One member state placed a technical hold on 16 June 2022 and after the six-month period again renewed its hold in mid-December, according to the sources. Even though the successful listing comes just after India left the Council, this was a culmination of long-standing and persistent efforts made over the last several months, along with partner countries. Earlier, on Tuesday, China finally lifted its 'technical hold' on the designation of Makki as a global terrorist under the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee after the country was left isolated in the Security Council. This listing comes after China last year put a 'technical hold' on India's bid to name the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader a global terrorist. In June 2022, India slammed China after it blocked the proposal to list terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee. "On 16 January 2023, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities approved the addition of the entry specified below to its ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations," the UN said in a statement. India and the US have already listed Makki as a terrorist under their domestic laws. He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Makki has performed various leadership roles within the LeT, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), while also playing a role in raising funds for LeT operations. In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison, according to the US State Department. (ANI)
[Source]

Three people have been arrested for allegedly targeting South Asian residents in a series of burglaries in Plano, Texas.

Colombian nationals, identified as Jose Gonzalez, Melba Gaitan and Libardo Soto, are believed to be responsible for eight cases in Plano and seven other cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area in 2022.

According to the Plano Police Department, the suspects broke into more than a dozen homes with at least one Asian or Indian resident and stole gold or jewelry.

Police expanded their search and tracked them across Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, where they are also responsible for at least nine other burglaries.

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The suspects have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.

Gonzalez was arrested in Miami, while Gaitan and Soto were caught near Houston.

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Detectives reportedly recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry and tools for dismantling jewelry.

Following the news of the arrests, Dinesh Hooda of the Indian Association of North Texas expressed relief on Tuesday afternoon.

They were specifically targeting the Indian community because they see we wear lots of jewelry, are wealthy people and keep a lot of cash, Hooda said, according to WFAA. We definitely need to be secure, be safe, and protecting their property.

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Hooda believes that there are more threats to the South Asian community. While Plano has been working with the community to address concerns, members have been discussing ways to change cultural perception of South Asians and break stigmas.

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Three prison guards at Rikers Island, home to New York Citys largest jail, covered up an unprovoked inmate assault that occurred over a year ago, prosecutors said. Now, the trio has just been indicted for falsifying records.

One of the guards, a 31-year-old man, approached an inmate who was standing with his arms by his sides in October 2021, according to a statement from the Bronx County District Attorneys Office.

The guard then struck the inmate in the face before taking a fighting stance, officials said. The attack was captured by a surveillance camera and witnessed by two other guards.

Afterward, all three guards submitted reports stating the inmate had been the aggressor and the use of force was justified, officials said.

Attorneys for the three defendants could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News.

On Jan. 17, the Bronx District Attorney announced the trio had been charged with falsifying business records and official misconduct, among other charges. They are scheduled to reappear in court on April 19, officials said.

These defendants violated the trust put in them by allegedly filing false instruments about an officers assault on an inmate, District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement. Just as the alleged violence will not be tolerated, neither will the coverup, especially in this turbulent time in Rikers Island.

Rikers Island has become synonymous with dysfunction as the complexs roughly 6,000 inmates have been subjected to violence and neglect for years, according to the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news outlet focused on criminal justice.

Nineteen inmates died in 2022, the highest number since 2013 when the prisons population was nearly twice as large, according to the New York Times.

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The federal government is set to hit its borrowing limit of roughly $31.4 trillion on Thursday, setting the stage for whats likely to be a months-long fight between House Republicans, the Biden White House and congressional Democrats.

The Treasury Department is set to start deploying extraordinary measures to avert a debt default, buying time, likely until June or later, for lawmakers to again raise the borrowing limit  or at least battle over the idea while financial markets sweat out the possibility of an economic calamity.

Where things stand: House Republicans led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA) and a band of conservatives are demanding spending cuts in exchange for raising the limit and are pressing the White House to start negotiations now.

Of course, Republicans did not make such demands when it was necessary to raise the debt limit under former President Donald Trump. But some in the party see this as a rare opportunity to force cuts they have long pursued  and to make Democrats swallow some of the blame for moves that could well be politically unpopular. And some in the GOP are dead set on having a fight, convinced despite past evidence that they can win if only they hold strong. There are two ways to [avert a default], conservative Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), told CNN recently. Democrats and Republicans sit down and work honestly around the table to avert it, or brinkmanship, forcing the question by bringing it to the brink.

For its part, the Biden administration refuses to engage, recalling the similar showdown under the Obama administration in 2011 that highlighted the nations growing political dysfunction and led to an unprecedented downgrading of the U.S. debt rating.

The White House has insisted that Congress should raise the ceiling without conditions. On Wednesday, it seized on a tweet by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) to warn that the GOP was playing with fire. We cannot raise the debt ceiling, Biggs tweeted Tuesday afternoon. Democrats have carelessly spent our taxpayer money and devalued our currency. They've made their bed, so they must lie in it. The White House responded by accusing Republicans of unprecedented economic vandalism, according to Bloomberg News.

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This is a stunning and unacceptable position that would lead to economic chaos, collapse, and catastrophe, White House Spokesman Andrew Bates said of the Biggs tweet.

Not all Republicans are threatening to send the economy over that cliff, but it remains unclear what specifically the GOP would ask for in any potential talks  or whether the party can reach a consensus among its members.

The problem for right-wing Republicans, as others have noted, is that they are choosing to use the full faith and credit of the United States as their leverage in effect, taking a hostage that they cant shoot. Some, like Biggs, may be willing to shoot the hostage, consequences be damned, under the assumption that President Joe Biden and Democrat will get the blame, or at least a hefty share of it. House Republicans are reportedly preparing a contingency plan that would instruct the Treasury Department how to prioritize payments if a debt deal isnt reached.

Whats at stake: The consequences of a debt default could be massive, inflicting widespread financial pain. Per Yahoo News: Credit analysis firm Moodys Analytics predicts that a four-month default would result in a 4% drop in the U.S. GDP, a 30% decline in stock prices, the erasure of $15 trillion in household wealth and cause companies to slash 6 million jobs.

The bottom line: This will probably drag out for months. All signals right now point to a protracted fight with extremely high stakes for the global economy. And then, potentially, another fight over government spending and the federal budget, which could result in a government shutdown this fall.

The first step may be to ensure that everyone involved understands whats at risk, and the difference between the two battles. The Washington Posts Leigh Ann Caldwell said on CNN Wednesday: There is an education campaign that is currently ongoing among House Republicans to teach House Republicans the difference between defaulting on the debt and a government shutdown and how these things dont necessarily need to be linked so that people understand the parameters of the debate.

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"There's no need to be enslaved like this!" said right-wing YouTuber Steven Crowder, left, over a $50 million offer from The Daily Wire, a conservative website co-founded by Ben Shapiro, right.

Every now and then, the figureheads of right-wing media pull back the curtain and tell the truth: Theyre rich babies.

Thats what Steven Crowder, the far-right YouTuber known for that change my mind meme, and for getting beat up by pro-labor demonstrators in Lansing, did this week, when he loudly complained that a $50 million offer was actually a form of slavery, and that he was bravely speaking out in the name of human rights.

As The Daily Beasts Will Sommer noted, the dust-up began when Crowder posted a video Tuesday calling out an unnamed right-wing media company for what he said was an immoral offer to host Crowders show and produce other content for him. Among other things, Crowder griped that the unnamed company wanted control of his official social media accounts, and that they wanted to be able to penalize him for missing shows, and for being demonetized on social media platforms, should that occur, as it already has on YouTube.

Theres no need to be enslaved like this! Crowder said of the offer, while repeatedly telling viewers to join his mailing list, which he said was akin to letting people know at Big Con that you want something different, that you require better. (Big Con, to Crowder, is the conservative-industrial complex.)

The offending company didnt stay unnamed for long. The next day, Jeremy Boreing, the CEO of The Daily Wire  the right-wing web media company he co-founded with Ben Shapiro  confirmed in his own video that Crowder was talking about an offer from The Daily Wire.

Boreing laid into Crowder, who he said is not exactly a self-made man, pointing out that Crowder has worked for years for companies founded or backed by billionaires, including The Blaze and CRTV.

Steven, the whole time Ive known him, has worked for someone else, Boreing said, adding later: Stevens philosophy seems to be I deserve to be paid millions and millions and millions of dollars whether my show drives the revenue or not. Hes not looking for a business relationship, hes looking for a benefactor.

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Shapiro himself briefly responded to Crowders video as well, noting that the offer was negotiable, and that there is something rather nasty about attacking people who have been friends  colleagues, defenders  for over a decade on the basis of your own misinterpretation of a document that offers you $50 million over the course of four years.

In his video, Boreing laid out the numbers: Under the initial offer, which he said he expected Crowder would negotiate, the right-wing YouTube star would make $50 million over a four-year initial term, with an additional $25 million for an optional two-year extension. The offer, Boreing said, was based on what Crowders agent had said would be the minimum necessary to get him interested. Other parts of the offer included additional pay for longer content, as well as $15,000 per day for additional video shoots, Boreing said.

Steven Crowder is the focus of a meme about offensive or controversial opinions.

Steven Crowder is the focus of a meme about offensive or controversial opinions.

Those are astounding figures for mere mortals, but this is conservative media, where the best-kept secret is that plenty of personalities positioning themselves as workaday populists are actually swimming in cash  just ask multimillionaire Sean Hannity.

Crowder notably hadnt mentioned the topline number in his own video, though he did criticize multimillion-dollar penalties that he said were part of the terms. Crowder didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost about Boreings video.

Crowder is feeding from the same trough as generations of right-wing media figures. Its not a hard recipe to figure out: Be edgy, transphobic, homophobic, sexist, and superracist, and profit sometimes follows. Crowder has millions of YouTube subscribers, but the slap fight over his Daily Wire offer shows just how profitable the insult-slinging game can be.

In the end, the squabble is a fascinating window into the economics of the right-wing outrage machine, particularly the focus on social media content moderation policies and their importance to the bottom line. More fundamentally, its a fun little diversion from the burdens of this cruel world. There are really no losers, except for Crowder and Boreing, both of whom, performatively or not, appeared saddened by the ordeal.

This likely isnt over, either. Crowder said at the start of Tuesdays video that hed tried to avoid discussing the topic, but Boreing told a different story, saying that Crowders rejection of the Daily Wire deal had actually happened months ago, and that Crowder had called out of the blue a week ago, just before posting his video, to pick at the scab.

We got off the phone, and then I wake up yesterday and he puts out this video laying into us the way that he did, Boreing said.

Related...
If youre headed on a vacation anytime soon, the last thing you want is to fall victim to some scam. Of course, scammers and swindlers are everywhere you go, but its best to be prepared for anything that can happen. Here are seven scams for travelers to be aware of. Weve also included tips on how to avoid becoming a target when traveling to busy tourist destinations.

Public Wi-Fi Networks

Photo Credit: Rodnae Productions

Wi-Fi networks that dont require a login should be a red flag when traveling out of the country. Its possible you could be logging on to some hackers server that can provide them with access to all the data on your phone or computer.

The Best Alternative

The best thing to prevent this is to ask an employee at the cafe and verify login credentials before you sign in. Also, look for menus and signs that mention the Wi-Fi login credentials.

Phony USB Charging Ports

Photo Credit: Karolina Graboska

By now youve most likely seen plenty of charging stations at many airports worldwide. These kiosks are safe to use since they are in a restricted location. However, charging kiosks in public places, such as street corners and malls, can be questionable. Scammers can set up these charging stations to steal information/data from your phones. You would plug in your phone, and it would say it is charging, but then start installing malware in order to keep track of your phones activities.

The Best Alternative

Carry your own charger and cables. You can also purchase charging banks on Amazon.com before your travels.

ATM Scams

Photo Credit: Alexandros Chatzidimos

ATM scams occur less frequently as more travelers pay with a chip-embedded credit or debit card. However, they can still take place, and you should inspect the card reader of ATMs and self-service gas pumps before inserting your card.

Another type of scam that could occur is two people hanging out at ATM kiosks. One person would seem to be a bystander and would tell the other person that the machine is not working. Then the tourist tries to use the ATM and gets assistance from one of the scammers. Eventually, you end up typing your passcode into a skimmer.

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The Best Alternative

One way to prevent a data breach on your card is to do slight checkups of the card readers at the ATMs. Pull on them a bit and make sure they arent a part of another device. Secondly, use ATMs that are actually inside a bank or in a protected area.

Watch Out For Pickpockets

Photo Credit: Emil Kalibradov

Pickpocketing has been around since Bible days, but unfortunately, its always tough to see them coming. Here are a few you should be on the lookout for when traveling:

Bump and Grab: You get bumped in a public area by a complete stranger and they take your wallet without your knowledge.

Spilled Drinks or Stains: Someone would mention you have a stain or bird dropping on your shirt. As they get in closer to help you, they steal something from your person.

Friendly Locals: When there is a friendly group of locals around, be alert. They can engage in conversation and at the same time be plotting what to steal from you once theyve rocked you to sleep.

The Best Alternative

Dont travel with your valuables. Or, keep them in the hotel safe.

Friendly Street Vendors

Photo Credit; thegiansepillo

Be leery of these kind-hearted individuals trying to force you to buy touristy trinkets. They usually start with where are you from? and then try to get to know you in 45 seconds. Common items they sell in different countries are key chains, woven bracelets, small toys, and rosaries.

The Best Alternative

The best thing to do is just walk away from the individual. At times they can be pushy, but at least use a slightly aggressive tone and theyll get the point.

Shady Taxi Drivers

Photo Credit: Aforizmart

The most common taxi scams move you from Point A to Point B, but youre overcharged. Taxis outside airports and hotels may look legit, but the driver may claim their meter is damaged or inaccurate. Its also likely they have a working meter, but the cab is unlicensed.

If getting into taxis in our hometown can feel sketchy, imagine a foreign city! A lot of cab drivers will claim their meter is broken or that the fare listed on their meter is not correct since they know youre from another country.

The Best Alternative

By now most major tourist cities are using rideshare apps such as Uber or Lyft. In some countries, they have their own taxi apps you can use to get around town.

Now if downloading an app isnt an option then be sure to ask the driver what the fare would be before getting into the car.

Tuk Tuk Tours

Photo Credit: Ingo Joseph

The tuk-tuk hustle has been popular in most Asian countries. Usually, where theres a high rate of traffic, tuk-tuks are good for getting around and weaving through highly populated cities.

Tuk-tuk tours can be great but drivers often have relationships with stores where they receive commissions for bringing you to their store, causing you to spend so much time in gift shops instead of the actual excursions.

The Best Alternative

Look for tours on sites such as TripAdvisor, Airbnb, Viator, or Expedia. You should also avoid tours that are too well-priced, as those prices could be representative of the experience youre about to have.

Related: Scam Alert: Officials Call Out Tourist Taxi Rates In Cancun
Nuns from the Jain community attend the ongoing Sparsh Mahotsav festival in Ahmedabad on January 16, 2023. SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images

An 8-year-old girl meant to inherit a $61 million business abandoned her fortune to become a nun.

Devanshi Sanghvi was initiated to monkhood under the Jain faith in an extravagant ceremony.

An Instagram page, run at least in part by her family, documents her initiation in more than 100 photos.

An 8-year-old diamond heiress in India gave up her fortune this week to become a nun under the Jain faith.

Devanshi Sanghvi stood to inherit Sanghvi and Sons, her family's jewelry business in the city of Surat, until she officially renounced worldly comforts and took her new role under her religious order on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse first reported.

Her family business is worth around $61 million, according to ICRA, a credit agency in India.

Sanghvi was initiated into monkhood over an extravagant five-day ceremony, documented by a robust campaign on an Instagram account with 9,400 followers.

More than 100 photos on the account show the young girl, dressed in elegant clothing and jewelry, posing or participating in various rituals with her parents and sister this week.

Prior to the ceremony, the Instagram page started promoting the prospect of Sanghvi's initiation as far back as September, while also making posts extolling religious virtues and respected figures in Jainism.

"Today Devanshi has chosen to live a life on the path of spiritual development," read a post that appears to have been written by her parents. "We know it is tough, but we are aware that the Diksha life will bring far more happiness than we can ever provide."

The page's latest posts on Wednesday show Sanghvi after her transformation, smiling in white cotton garb that covers her head as she is surrounded by other nuns and Jain followers.

The Instagram page did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Her family are also members of the Jain faith, AFP reported.

Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions and originated in India at least 2,500 years ago, per the Pew Research Center. The religious minority emphasizes the importance of non-violence, meditation, and rejecting worldly pleasures and vegetarianism, with around 5 to 6 million followers in India.

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Sanghvi is one of the youngest people to be inducted into Jain monkhood and relinquish worldly possessions, per AFP. Some Jain families are said to encourage their children to become nuns or monks to raise their family's social standing, the outlet reported.

Upon being initiated, nuns stop addressing their relatives as family members, will pluck out their own hair, never shower, always walk barefoot, and only eat what they receive in alms, the BBC's Priyanka Pathak previously reported.

Bipin Doshi, who teaches Jain philosophy at Mumbai University, told the BBC that once a person becomes a Jain nun "your level of spirituality, social standing, religious standing becomes so high, even the richest man will come down and bow to you."

Sanghvi and Sons did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Abercrombie & Fitch, headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, is permanently closing several of its stores, including its location in the Kenwood Towne Centre.

Note: Abercrombie & Fitch is moving to a new Kenwood Towne Centre location. Read more here.

An Ohio-based national retailer is leaving the Kenwood Towne Centre.

Abercrombie & Fitch, headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, is permanently closing several of its stores, including the Kenwood mall location. The company notified the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services about the upcoming closure on Jan. 12.

The retailer cites a "significant downturn in business and a resulting corporate-wide reorganization" as the reasons for the closure.

'Originalitees is not going away': Local apparel business to close its storefront

According to the notice, 11 employees will be terminated, and 59 will be retained.

The date of the closure has yet to be announced.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Abercrombie & Fitch to close Kenwood Towne Centre store in Cincinnati
A guest room at Hotel Les Capitouls Toulouse Centre, that is expect to join Accor's new Handwritten Collection in May. Source: Accor.

Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, will reveal on Thursday a new global soft brand, Handwritten Collection, featuring so-called lifestyle hotels. These mid-priced properties have funky furniture and buzzy restaurants and bars but dont offer the full services of a premium boutique.

Handwritten Collections first two hotels are Hotel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental, Handwritten Collection, which officially switched from being a Sofitel on Thursday, and Le Saint Gervais Hotel & Spa in Saint Gervais, France. A few more properties  in Australia and France  aim to join to the collection by May.

Accor said it has a dozen secured signings and a pipeline of leads with interested partners reflecting about 100 properties.

Handwritten Collection aims to appeal to owners of lifestyle hotels by letting them tap into Accors loyalty program  which can drive a lot of direct bookings that are typically more profitable for a hotel than reservations made through online travel agencies.

Coming out of the pandemic, weve seen that a lot of independent boutique hotel owners are longing for support from big groups such as Accor in reaching customers around the world without losing their identity and personality and characteristics that they have put in their blood, sweat, and tears over many years to achieve, Alex Schellenberger, group chief brand officer.

Roughly 80 percent of these deals will be conversions, with the rest new construction, Schellenberger said.

Soft brands like Handwritten Collection involve fewer rules, or standards, from the Paris-based headquarters of Accor than hard brands. Accor in 2021 added a soft brand for the luxury category called Emblems, which it positioned between hard brands Sofitel and Fairmont in terms of amenities and service. For over a decade Accor has had MGallery, a soft brand for boutique hotels  now numbering about 100.

Moving Soft Branding Down the Scale

Soft-branded collections have been around since 2008 with the launch of Choices Ascend Hotel Collection.

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Other hotel groups have pursued similar strategies. For example, Hyatt in 2018 bought boutique hotel company Two Roads Hospitality for $280 million. The deal included the brands Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson, and Tommie. It created the JdV by Hyatt brand as a soft-branded collection of boutiques. In October, the company said it would fold in most of the 5,500 rooms in Germanys Lindner Hotels to JdV by Hyatt.

Whats notable about Accors Handwritten Collection is that it showcases properties with the market segmentation called midscale. Theyre at a middle point in a spectrum of amenities and decor that range from the simplicity of budget properties to the pinnacle of four-star resorts.

From a guest perspective, the properties would be between the hard brands Novotel and Mercure in terms of amenities.

We want this brand to be accessible to as many people as possible to gain global traction, including in markets such as Latin America and Asia Pacific, said Alex Schellenberger, group chief brand officer.

While rates would vary by market, the goal is for rates that are affordable worldwide, meaning, not upper midscale rates, Schellenberger said. Think: under $150 on average in the U.S. and Europe.

Nearly all of the soft-branded collections of other major hotel groups have been either in the upper-midscale through luxury spectrum of service and rates.

So if Accors new branding gains traction, its peers will be tempted to copy the move down the chain scale. Though the companies may run out of names, given that Marriott has the Autograph Collection. Will there be a Hilton Letterpress Collection?

Whats Next for Accor in Branding?

The hotel giant has more than 40 brands, more than any other hotel company. One possible path is that it may attempt to take some of its regional brands and scale them up.

We ask ourselves, do we maybe have the opportunity to take one of our existing regional brands and take them global? Schellenberger said. Because thats always easier. It doesnt require a lengthy ideation process, from coming up with a name and a design aesthetic, or a lengthy IP process, with all the trademark work worldwide that is associated with it.

Creating new brands from scratch in response to changed customer behavior is another option.

Were in the process of doing a social media segmentation study, Schellenberger said. Instead of doing the traditional survey, where its claimed behavior, we actually see observed behavior via social media, such as by tracking what people interact with, what they engage with, and what their interests are. That gives us also some further insights into where future guest demand trends are heading.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
Actor Julian Sands was reported missing in the Mt. Baldy area on Friday.

Actor Julian Sands was reported missing in the Mt. Baldy area on Friday.

British actor Julian Sands, known for his work in films like A Room With a View and Snakehead, has been identified as one of two hikers recently reported missing in Californias San Gabriel Mountains.

Authorities are also searching separately for another hiker, Hawthorne resident Bob Gregory, whose family reported him missing on Monday, according to ABC News.

Sands was reported missing in the Mt. Baldy area on Friday, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department told the Los Angeles Times. Ground crews promptly began searching the area but had to stop on Saturday evening due to avalanche risks and unsafe trail conditions, a department spokesperson said. However, aerial searches have continued with helicopters and drones. Ground searches will resume when conditions improve.

Sands had been in the Baldy Bowl hiking area, approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles, Variety reported.

The actor has dozens of film and TV credits, including the Warlock series, Leaving Las Vegas, Smallville, Arachnophobia and Naked Lunch.

A representative for the actor did not immediately return HuffPosts request for comment.

On Wednesday morning, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department issued a warning about dangerous winter weather on Mt. Baldy. It said its search and rescue teams had responded to 14 rescue missions in the area over the past four weeks for lost, stranded or injured hikers.

Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous, the alert read. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous. Sheriffs Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions.
Julian Sands attends a 2020 Chanel event in Beverly Hills. (Willy Sanjuan / Invision/Associated Press)

British actor Julian Sands has been identified as one of two hikers who recently went missing in Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains.

Search-and-rescue teams have been looking for Sands since he was reported missing in the Mt. Baldy area on Friday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

Sands, 65, is known for his work in "A Room With a View" (1985), "Naked Lunch" (1991), "Warlock" (1989), "Snakehead" (2003) and dozens of other films and TV series. Born in the United Kingdom, Sands lives in North Hollywood.

A representative for the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said that ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening due to avalanche risks and dangerous trail conditions. The search has continued, however, using helicopters and drones, and ground searches will resume when weather and safety conditions improve.

The spokesperson urged others to avoid the Mt. Baldy area, which is currently "much too dangerous, even for the skilled hiker."

Representatives for Sands did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times' request for comment.

An avid mountaineer, Sands told the Guardian in 2020 that he is happiest when "close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning." In the same interview he said the closest he had come to death was in the early 1990s when hiking in the Andes Mountains above 20,000 feet with three others. A storm had blown in and "some guys close to us perished."

Sands once conducted an entire interview from the face of the Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps.

And, you know what? Mountain climbing and film making are very connected," Sands told the Yorkshire Post while phoning in from along the ridge in 2013. "Theres always another mountain. And ultimately the point of climbing a mountain is that the mountain is within. And I think thats true, too, of the acting experience.

In addition to Sands, authorities are searching separately for Hawthorne resident Bob Gregory, a hiker who was reported missing by family on Monday afternoon, according to KABC-TV The Los Angeles County Sheriff's San Dimas station told the station that the search for Gregory is being conducted in the Crystal Lake area of the San Gabriel Mountains.

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According to KABC-TV, Gregory's loved ones are worried he might have injured himself and suffered a fall, adding that police have been tracking his cellphone.

Mt. Baldy is considered one of the most dangerous peaks to climb in the United States. In recent years, its icy terrain has led to the deaths of several experienced hikers. Seuk Doo Kim, a 78-year-old South Korean hiker from Culver City, had climbed the mountain more than 700 times but fell to his death in 2017.

Another experienced hiker, Sreenivas Mokkapati, 52, of Irvine, also died on the mountain after he became separated from his group in December 2019. Authorities had suspended the search for Mokkapati at one point after a volunteer searcher, Tim Staples, 32, of La Verne, fell and died on the mountain.

Most recently, Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landas, known by her family as "the dancing hiking queen," died earlier this month after falling down an icy slope along the mountain, according to People.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILES-US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-ACCIDENT-RUST-BALDWIN

Image courtesy of Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, released April 25, 2022, shows actor Alec Baldwin being processed after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M. Credit - Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office/AFP/Getty Images

Alec Baldwin will face involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of the movie Rust in October 2021.

He could face at least five years in prison if a jury finds that the actions that led to Hutchins death were more than simple negligence.

New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and Rust Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced the decision to press charges on Thursday in a written statement posted to the District Attorneys official social media accounts.

The films armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of overseeing weapons on the set, will also be charged with involuntary manslaughter. The films first assistant director, Dave Halls, who handed Baldwin the loaded gun, agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.

If any one of these three peopleAlec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Hallshad done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple, said Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by the DA to the case, in a statement. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that dont take our states commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.

The movie set of "Rust" at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 23, 2021. Jae C. HongAP

Carmack-Altwies and Reeb will formally file charges with New Mexicos First Judicial District Court before the end of the month.

An attorney for Baldwin, Luke Nikas, criticized the charges in a statement on Thursday: This decision distorts Halyna Hutchinss tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gunor anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.

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Why is Baldwin being charged?

Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, and Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins, according to the statement. The first charge is for involuntary manslaughter, which requires proof of underlying negligence. The second charge is for involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death.

In New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act is used to hold people accountable for doing things that an ordinary prudent adult would know better than to do, says University of New Mexico law professor Joshua Kastenberg. That includes not point[ing] a gun at somebody else unless youre absolutely sure its unloaded and safe.

Image courtesy of Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office shows Alec Baldwin talking with investigators following a fatal shooting. Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office/AP

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be charged in the alternative with both counts, which happens when the charges are each of the same severity. This means that a jury would decide not only if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty. They can only be found guilty of one charge.

What does involuntary manslaughter mean?

Involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico consists of manslaughter committed in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to felony, or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death in an unlawful manner or without due caution and circumspection.

Under New Mexico law, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

However, if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, there will be a sentencing enhancement because the manslaughter was committed with a firearm. Under New Mexico law, that carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

Kastenberg says that part of that five-year sentence can be abated by a judge if the accused are found guilty, but its unlikely Baldwin or Gutierrez-Reed will have to spend that much time in jail.

Kastenberg adds that it wont be enough for Baldwins defense to argue that he did not know that the gun was loaded. Instead, the jury will have to decide if Baldwin should have taken steps to ensure it was unloaded.

For Gutierrez-Reed, the charge means that she may not have fired the gun, but could still be found culpably negligent for handing over a prop that led to Hutchins death.

What happened on the set of Rust?

Hutchins, who was 42, was killed on Oct. 25, 2021, when Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the Rust set while rehearsing a scene in which he pointed a revolver at the camera, which was held by Hutchins. The gun went off, hitting Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder.

Hutchins was flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she died. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincents Regional Medical Center for treatment for his injuries.

A final report from the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office, which was delivered to prosecutors in October, included interviews from some of the films crew members in which they claimed there had been a lack of consistent meetings devoted to on-set safety, the New York Times reports.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Swen Studios/Handout/Reuters

The night before the shooting, the films A-camera first assistant, Lane Luper, resigned from the production, stating in an email to others working on set that the filming of gunfight scenes had been fast and loose.

So far there have been 2 accidental weapons discharges and 1 accidental SFX explosives that have gone off around the crew between takes To be clear there are NO safety meetings these days, Luper said in the email. There have been NO explanations as to what to expect for these shots. When anyone from production is asked we are usually met with the same answers about not having enough time to complete the day if we rehearse or that this is a 21 day shoot.

What has Alec Baldwin said?

Baldwin addressed the incident on Twitter the day after the shooting, writing: There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.

Baldwin later placed the blame for the fatal shooting on members of the Rust crew. Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasnt even supposed to be on the property, he said in a December 2021 interview with ABC News. Someone is responsible for what happened, and I cant say who that is, but I know its not me.

Baldwin told CNN in August 2022 that he didnt believe he or anyone else would face criminal charges in the shooting and that the incident has taken years off his life.

He also placed responsibility for Hutchins death on Gutierrez-Reed and Halls. There are two people who didnt do what they were supposed to do, he said. Im not sitting there saying I want them to, you know, go to prison, or I want their lives to be hell. I dont want that, but I want everybody to know that those are the two people that are responsible for what happened.
Photo: Citizen staff photo. B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon fields questions from local media on Wednesday.

B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon roundly criticized Wednesday the governing New Democrats' recently-announced plan for generating new manufacturing jobs in the wake of the permanent closure of a line at Canfor's Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill.

Fielding questions from local media during a gathering at Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond's office, Falcon said the plan lacks details and will do nothing to help displaced workers in the short term.

"Rather than announcing $90 million over three years with uncertain details and all the rest, why can't they practically deal with big slash piles that are being burned that could actually be, with the proper dollars and incentives, delivered to the pulp lines so the pulp mill actually has some fibre? There is potentially 1.2 million cubic metres of fibre out there that is currently being burned that could be utilized to keep that mill operating," Falcon said.

In announcing the closure on January 11 of the mill's pulp line, Canfor Pulp president and CEO Kevin Edgson cited "reductions in the allowable annual cut and challenges accessing cost-competitive fibre," as the reasons for the step.

The closure is expected to be completed by the end of March, and result in about 300 jobs lost, 220 of them unionized. The mill's specialty paper facility will continue to operate.

On Tuesday, Premier David Eby said the government will earmark as much as $90 million over three years to encourage job development in the value-added forestry sector.

Through the fund, the province will contribute up to $50,000 towards completion of business plans and technical assessments for fledgling capital projects and up to $10 million for "investment-ready" capital projects. Examples of the latter include "adopting innovative processes to manufacture value-added forestry products from biomass or other alternatives," according to a government backgrounder.

Those interested will have to wait until February 28 to get a program guide and proposal form, leading Falcon to question whether the government really knows how it wants to spend the money. He accused the government simply "blowing out" more of an unexpected $5.7-billion budget surplus before the fiscal year ends, "and I feel that is irresponsible."

The NDP's refusal to let Canfor sell excess electricity generated through the mill's $140-million cogeneration plant also drew criticism.

"That provided a lot of revenue to the mill which helped the competitiveness," Falcon said.

Falcon mocked Premier David Eby's promise to create a one-stop approach to processing natural resource projects permits.

"Their solution to red tape issues...is to hire up to 200 more bureaucrats to help make the permitting process go faster, which is actually laughable when you think about it," Falcon said. "What they need to do is fix their current process for getting permits issued, not add a whole new layer of bureaucracy and hope that that bureaucracy can speak to this bureaucracy to try and make things move quicker. It doesn't make sense."

However, Falcon acknowledged that, thanks to the last of the beetle-killed timber now being logged out, the forest industry is going through a transition and suggested the industry will become more locally based and conducted on a smaller scale.

"For a lot of the bigger companies, maybe that's not a space they can get to and have the scale to be able to do," Falcon said. "But there are a lot of companies, especially smaller, mid-sized companies that are quite willing to operate in that kind of environment."

Asked about companies' decisions to invest elsewhere and particularly in Alberta, Bond said B.C. is the highest cost producer in North America.

"We just basically taxed ourselves out of being competitive," Bond said.
Alec Baldwin's legal team has responded to the criminal charges that will be filed against their client over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in 2021.

Baldwin, an actor and producer on the Western, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced Thursday morning.

"This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice," Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel said in a statement provided to EW. "Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win."

Jason Bowles, a lawyer for Gutierrez-Reed, released a statement shortly after Baldwin's team commented on the charges.

"Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter," Bowles said. "These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury."

Alec Baldwin attends the Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and GFI at Cantor Fitzgerald on September 11, 2018 in New York City.

Presley Ann/Getty Images Alec Baldwin

In addition to the forthcoming charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed, the film's assistant director, David Halls, has already signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. He faces a suspended sentence and up to six months of probation.

No other charges have been announced at this time.

"After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew," Carmack-Altwies said in a statement released to press and on social media. "On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."

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Hutchins died more than one year ago on Oct. 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe. She and Rust director Joul Souza were setting up a camera angle as Baldwin held a pistol towards the frame. The gun fired, wounding Souza and killing Hutchins.

Baldwin settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed against him by Hutchins' family, and he's currently suing several crew members on Rust, including Gutierrez-Reed, for negligence for providing him with a loaded weapon without his knowledge.

While he initially maintained that he did not pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins, Baldwin's lawsuit states that he pulled back and released the hammer of what he thought was a nonlethal prop pistol.

Carmack-Altwies and Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor hired by the state, will formally file the announced charged with the New Mexico's First Judicial District Court by the end of the month.

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Attorneys for accused double murderer Alex Murdaugh have asked a South Carolina judge to bar a key prosecution trial witness from discussing blood spatter evidence they describe in a new court motion as merely a flawed science fair effort.

In their 63-page motion filed Wednesday, defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin detail numerous alleged missteps by a prosecutions technical expert who analyzed purported spatter evidence.

Further, the motion decries alleged selective and deceptive leaks about the purported// blood spatter evidence they argue the prosecution made in an improper effort to convince the public that Murdaugh is guilty before he is tried for shooting his wife and son.

In response, South Carolina Attorney Generals Office spokesman Robert Kittle said, As is our policy, we will respond only in court or in court filings. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, whose agents were involved with working up the spatter evidence, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Murdaugh, 54, is accused of killing his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, at the familys Colleton County estate in June 2021.

Jury selection for Murdaughs murder trial is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection in Walterboro. He is pleading not guilty.

Maggie was killed with a rifle, and Paul was killed with a shotgun inside the dog kennels at the familys hunting lodge, known as Moselle, according to court documents. The death weapons have not been found, multiple sources have told The State.

Alex Murdaugh sits in the Colleton County Courthouse with his legal team including Dick Harpootlian (center) and Jim Griffin (right) as his attorneys discuss motions in front of Judge Clifton Newman in a December hearing.Murdaughs trial for murder is scheduled to begin Jan. 23, 2023 in Walterboro.

What do Murdaughs attorneys want?

Harpootlian and Griffin want trial Judge Clifton Newman to prohibit testimony from Oklahoma-based expert, Tom Bevel, about blood spatter and anyone whose opinion derives from review of Bevels work product. In their motion, both criticized the prosecution for its deliberate refusal to comply with the court order requiring they turn over any documents related to Bevels testimony.

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In a court hearing in early December, attorneys sparred over the blood spatter evidence, which could be central to the prosecutions argument that Murdaugh was at the scene of the shooting on the 1,700-acre estate and Maggie and Paul were killed.

Newman had not yet ruled on whether hell allow the spatter evidence, and testimony around it, to be introduced at trial.

Spatter evidence is made up of ricochets of tiny bits of blood or flesh that travel from the victim to the shooter if both are in close range when a projectile hits flesh. Similar to fingerprint or DNA evidence, it potentially can be crucial evidence in a trial involving shootings done up close.

Since April 2022, spatter has been publicized as a possible component in the case, particularly after journalist Mandy Matney, then with online news blog site FitsNews, published a story titled, High-velocity impact spatter directly ties Alex Murdaugh to double homicide, sources say. The sources were not identified.

In their motion, Murdaughs defense attorneys said the state  presumably either prosecutors or SLED agents  deliberately leaked the information to a news-blog site.

The only possible motive for this leak was to convince the public that Mr. Murdaugh was guilty of the murders before trial, even before he was formally charged, their filing said.

Three months after the article was first published, in July 2022, Murdaugh was indicted for his wife and sons murders.

This leak was an extrajudicial statement made on behalf of the state with the deliberate intention to prejudice the present judicial proceedings, the defense filing said. It was also a lie.

Defense attorneys did not specify where they believe the alleged leak originated from.

Will Folks, FitsNews founding editor, declined to comment on his sources, saying his site has a longstanding tradition of guaranteeing confidentiality.

Matney, who now runs her own independent media company and airs a weekly national podcast focusing on Murdaugh matters, crime and corruption, also declined to discuss sourcing.

I would never reveal a source, but I stand by my reporting and Im looking forward to seeing the evidence at trial, she said.

A defense motion alleges that on Feb. 15, 2022, investigators discovered that the shirt was destroyed after chemicals applied to test for blood stained the entire shirt blue and sections were cut from it to test for DNA and blood stains.

Judge to decide whether spatter evidence can be used

The defense motion Wednesday described FitsNews report as centering on a T-shirt allegedly worn by Murdaugh June 7, 2021.

The shirt, the site described, contained evidence of a significant amount of high-velocity impact spatter on it from at least one of their bodies, referring to Maggie or Paul. It did not say whether that particular spatter was blood.

The spatter could only have come from one thing. ... The spatter indicates that Murdaugh was physically close to one or more of his family members when they were shot, Matney reported then, according to the defense motion.

Defense attorneys say in their motion that the blood spatter evidence was actually the result of a flawed analysis performed by Bevel, the technical expert, who the defense claims was influenced by SLED agents.

Attorneys said in their motion that a draft report obtained by the defense showed Bevel, a former Oklahoma city police captain and crime scene consultant, found the stains on the white T-shirt are consistent with transfers and not back spatter from a bullet wound.

The motion goes on to say that, after a visit from SLED agents last spring, Bevel changed his opinion, writing to investigators that the had been able to use Photoshop to highlight areas of blood spatter.

I dont see any other mechanism to get so many misting stains onto (Murdaughs) shirt other than the spatter created from the shotgun wounding (of Paul Murdaugh), Bevel wrote, according to the defense filing.

The defense had previously requested all files, including original Photoshop files, that they argue would show Bevel re-evaluated his initial determination that the shirt contained no evidence of back spatter. Defense attorneys allege that because the prosecution has failed to produce those records, they should be barred from using any of Bevels analysis in the upcoming trial.

The motion also asks that the court consider awarding Murdaugh attorneys fees incurred related to the spatter issue.
On the heels of Amazon beginning its latest round of layoffs that cut thousands of jobs, the e-retailer announced it plans to shut down its charity donation program.

The online retailer and cloud computing giant donates a percentage of eligible purchases on the site to the shoppers chosen charity organization through the program AmazonSmile, launched a decade ago.

Amazon said it has donated at least $449 million to charities since the program launched in 2013.

In a notice to customers posted to its website, Amazon said it plans to "wind down" AmazonSmile by Feb. 20.

After almost a decade, the program has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped, the company said. With so many eligible organizations  more than 1 million globally  our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.

The average donation to charities was less than $230, according to Amazon.

Tracking tech layoffs: Why companies like Amazon and Meta cut jobs in 2022

Microsoft to lay off 10,000 employees: Roughly 5% of workforce affected

Amazon will give a portion of every purchase to charity with AmazonSmile.

"To help charities that have been a part of the AmazonSmile program with this transition, we will be providing them with a one-time donation equivalent to three months of what they earned in 2022 through the program, and they will also be able to accrue additional donations until the program officially closes," the company wrote in the notice.

Once the program closes, Amazon said, charities will still be able to "seek support from Amazon customers by creating their own wish lists."

More layoffs began Wednesday

As of October 2022, Amazon had over 1.5 million employees.

Amazon began making layoffs to its devices organization, retail division and human resources divisions in November, cutting about 10,000 employees.

On Jan. 4, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the company planned to lay off more than 18,000 employees "between the reductions we made in November and the ones were sharing today."

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Additional layoff notifications began Wednesday.

Amazon begins next round of layoffs: Tech giant cuts total of more than 18,000 jobs

Amazon made the staff reductions in its human resources and stores division, as the company is expected to lay off about an added 8,000 employees. Doug Herrington, Amazon's worldwide retail chief, said in a memo the company would begin to notify employees by email Wednesday.

In his Jan. 4 note, Jassy wrote the company will be providing severance packages to affected employees, including separation payments, transitional health insurance benefits and external job placement support.

Microsoft and more tech companies lay off employees

Amazon's news on Wednesday came the same day Microsoft announced it would be reducing its workforce by 10,000 people through the end of the third quarter of the 2023 fiscal year.

They aren't the only tech companies to recently lay off employees; there were at least 154,000 layoffs from more than 1,000 tech companies last year, according to Layoffs.fyi, a website that has been tracking tech layoffs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

More than 26,000 jobs have been cut in 2023 so far, as Layoffs.fyi creator Roger Lee previously told USA TODAY he doesn't see layoffs "going away anytime soon."

Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AmazonSmile ending: Amazon discontinues charity donation program
The former Disney princess met her husband in 2014 as part of a Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun.

Anika Noni Rose and fellow actor Jason Dirden tied the knot in Los Angeles last year, and now the former Disney princess is speaking out about her big day.

They met in 2014 as part of a Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun, PEOPLE reports. Dirden proposed in December 2021 and the actress told the latest issue of Brides magazine that they planned their nuptials in eight weeks. The couple even wrote their own original vows.

Anika Noni Rose and Jason Dirden / Getty

Without consulting each other, we ended up using the same phrase at the end of each [of our vows], Rose told Brides. We couldnt have planned it better.

Rose and her husband started out as friends for a couple of years she said, before deciding to take their relationship to the next level.

We created this friendship walking 60 blocks from rehearsal to the gym, just talking about life, or about anything really, Dirden shared with the publication. It had nothing to do with the play that we were working on. Theres always been that kind of comfort and ease between us.

We both went off and did our things and were disconnected for a while and then swung back, Rose added.

As part of Dirdens proposal, he played a video recapping their relationship, accompanied by Norah Jones Come Away With Me. Rose surprised Dirden on the day of their wedding with an original cover of the song. The couple chose Roses rendition as their first dance song.

The only other person who knew that this was happening was the DJ, Rose told Brides. I saw the moment Jason realized it was me singing. Meanwhile, my family knew it was me from the moment the first beat dropped! Jason was so focused on the dance that it took him about two lines in before he had that Ah moment.

Dirden described the moment as moving and magical.

This woman is so silly. She has a four-year-old child living inside of her that will never go away, he explained. She loves to prank people, and she has that kind of spontaneous silliness to her that allowed us both to release any type of armor, or any type of defense mechanism, and allowed us to really just be who we are with each other.

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Euphoria actor Colman Domingo served as the officiant of the intimate ceremony that was held at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 2022. For her wedding dress, Rose teamed with London-based designer Gbemi Okunlola of Alonuko Bridal, to create a custom gown.

When we met, we talked about the story we wanted to tell with the dress, she told Brides. [Our vision was] that of a rose coming into full bloom, but without being too fussy. I also didnt want anything I could wear on a red carpet, she said.

Rose and Dirden capped off their wedding by riding away on a tandem bike together.

Neither one of us really planned to end up with somebody in the business, said Rose, who shared photos from the wedding on her Instagram page. We have fun. We laugh a lot, which is really, really important. And we dont talk so much about the business.

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The post Anika Noni Rose is married appeared first on TheGrio.
Anne Heche's unfinished memoir, "Call Me Anne," will be released on January 24. Jesse Grant/Getty

Director Ivan Reitman once asked Anne Heche to hide her sexuality, she wrote in a posthumous memoir.

Reitman asked Heche why she couldn't be "like Jodie Foster," who had not publicly come out then.

Heche's forthcoming, unfinished memoir, "Call Me Anne," will be released on January 24.

Film director Ivan Reitman once asked Anne Heche, who was dating Ellen DeGeneres at the time, to conceal her sexuality.

The actor, who passed away in August following a car crash, discussed the extremely awkward encounter in her unfinished posthumous memoir, "Call Me Anne," which will be released on January 24.

Heche dated DeGeneres between 1997 and 2000. Being one of Hollywood's first openly gay couples, their relationship was heavily scrutinized by media at the time, which among other things, reported on rumors that Heche and Degeneres were planning on having a child.

The news irked Reitman and Harrison Ford, her costar at the time, who confronted her on the set of the 1998 film "Six Days, Seven Nights," according to a memoir excerpt published by People.

"They had seen the evening news," Heche wrote, per People. "Rumors were reported that Ellen and I were pregnant. Our 'pregnancy' was everywhere. They showed me this as proof of why this openness about my relationship was becoming a pain in the ass for them. Why, Ivan asked me, can't I just be like Jodie Foster?"

Heche professed she didn't understand what Reitman meant.

"'Everybody knows it,' he explained, 'it' being her sexuality,'" she added. "She just doesn't talk about it.'"

Reitman, who also produced "Animal House" and "Ghostbusters," died last year.

Foster at the time had not officially come out to the public, opting to disclose her sexuality at the 2013 Golden Globes while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award.

Heche continued to discuss in her memoir why she was so transparent about her relationship with DeGeneres at the time, despite a painful "stigma" the actor later said hurt her career.

"Since nobody asked, I will tell you why," Heche continued. "Because I had lived in a family that was built upon lies. My father hid his sexuality his entire life. When I met Ellen, and she was open and honest about her sexuality, it was the most attractive and alluring quality in a person that I had ever seen. I was mesmerized by her honesty, and that is why she was the first and only woman that I ever fell in love with. I was in love with a person who had chosen to leverage her very public persona in support of the cause she was standing up for, which was LGBTQ+ rights for everybody on the planet who wanted them."

Read the original article on Insider
(AFP via Getty Images)

Apple is planning to make an entirely new kind of iPad, aimed at living around peoples homes, according to a new report.

The new device would be a essentially a low-end iPad, according to reputable Apple leaker Mark Gurman, and be part of a major push into the smart home by the company.

Apple has long looked to be part of peoples smart homes, with a range of technologies of its own: the HomePod smart speaker, for instance, and the Home app that can be used to control various devices.

But the category has mostly been dominated by Google and Amazon, which offer their own smart assistants at lower prices and with support for a range of devices.

Apple is now looking for ways to grab more of that market share, with a range of new smart displays that can be positioned around the house.

The home version of the iPad will be the first of those, Mr Gurman reported. It could be used for controlling the smart home devices as well as for features such as video calls, he suggested.

It will be sold with a magnetic mount, so that it can be attached to the wall and left there as a smart display, rather than being taken around in the same way as the iPads the company already sells.

That could be followed by other, larger smart displays, he also reported. Both Amazon and Google sell smaller and larger versions of their smart displays  running from those intended to be used like alarm clocks to others that are more like small televisions.

The report comes shortly after Apple relaunched the larger HomePod, after it was discontinued in 2021. The new version includes a range of new smart home features, including support for new standards and temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to activate other devices.

The new plans could also come with updates to Siri to make it more useful around the home, Mr Gurman reported.
Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A Washington, D.C., appeals court on Thursday declined to shield Donald Trump from the first of two civil defamation lawsuits by E. Jean Carroll, a writer who said the former U.S. president raped her nearly three decades ago. The district's highest local court, the Court of Appeals, said it did not have enough facts to decide whether Trump deserved immunity, after he accused the former Elle magazine columnist in June 2019 of lying about the alleged encounter. A ruling that Trump was acting as president, and not in his personal capacity, would have immunized him and doomed Carroll's first lawsuit because the government could substitute itself as the defendant, and the government cannot be sued for defamation.
Photo: The Canadian Press Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday she is stepping down as New Zealand's leader and will not contest general elections set for October.

Fighting back tears, Ardern told reporters in Napier that Feb. 7 will be her last day in office. She will hold her seat as a lawmaker until the general election, which she said would be held on Oct. 14.

I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months into the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role, comes responsibility, the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also, when you are not. I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple, she said.

Ardern had faced a tough election campaign this year. Her liberal Labour Party won reelection two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.

She was lauded globally for her country's initial handling of the coronavirus pandemic after New Zealand managed for months to stop the virus at its borders. But it's zero-tolerance strategy was abandoned once it was challenged by new variants and vaccines became available.

She faced tougher criticism at home that the strategy was too strict.

Ardern in December announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry would look into whether the government made the right decisions in battling COVID-19 and how it can better prepare for future pandemics. Its report is due next year.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said he wouldnt be contesting the leadership of the party, throwing open the competition to become New Zealands next prime minister to other members of the Labour Party.
This week, Ukrainska Pravda is announcing the beginning of an auction where we will be selling property of the Russian Ministry of Defence. These are samples of the basic food supply for Russian servicemen fighting against Ukrainians.

You have the opportunity to purchase dry rations (individual food rations) designed to meet the needs of a Russian occupier for one day - i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner. The package is clearly labelled that it is not for sale and is the property of the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The samples of the basic food supply of Russian servicemen

What catches the eye is the canned meat in the ration, some of which bears propaganda imagery from the Russian-Ukrainian war - in particular, the "Z" and "V" symbols, as well as the slogan "Svoikh ne brosaem" ["We don't abandon our people"]. The latter symbolises the supposed unity, mutual aid and kinship of the Russian army. This is one of the myths that the empire has been cultivating since the Second World War.

These lots are currently located in Swindon, to the west of London. They were brought there by the family of an employee of Ukrainska Pravda who found refuge from the war in England.

This particular lot was given to us by the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a trophy captured during the Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk Oblast.

By purchasing it, you have the opportunity to contribute to the support of the Ukrainian Defence Forces. The funds raised by the auction will be used to cover logistics costs for the delivery of pickups and jeeps that Ukrainska Pravda buys for the Armed Forces in England.

Technical information:

The starting price for the lot (everything you see in the photo in the Facebook post linked to below) is 300. The minimum price we would like to sell this lot for is 750. This sum, in our experience, is equivalent to the cost of shipping one pickup truck or jeep from England to Ukraine.

You can place your bids by replying to this Facebook post from the manager of the lot, Natalya Ryasnaya, who is currently living in England and already has experience in transporting English cars for the Armed Forces.

The auction will be won by the bidder who offers the highest price. The auction will begin on 20 January and end on 30 January.
The Richmond County Sheriff's Office is investigating one of its own.

Sheriff's Sgt. Caleb Lee reported via news release Wednesday that Deputy Jermaine Rockett had been fired and arrested for allegedly bringing contraband to inmates at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

Lee said the sheriff's office was made aware of the allegations on Jan. 9, and after an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division, Rockett was fired and arrested Wednesday. He is charged with violating his oath of office and items prohibited for possession by inmates.

Rockett was a member of the prison's transportation division. He had been a member of the sheriff's office since September 2021.

Wife Stabbed: Columbia County man calls 911 after stabbing wife in back with kitchen knife

Protect Your Vehicle: Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta-Richmond County deputy arrested, fired for prison contraband
If you want to know who really controls Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. We can see that individual insiders own the lion's share in the company with 54% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

It's interesting to note that insiders have been buying shares recently. This might indicate that they expect share prices to rise in the near future.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Austral Resources Australia.

Check out our latest analysis for Austral Resources Australia

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Austral Resources Australia?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Austral Resources Australia. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Austral Resources Australia's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Austral Resources Australia. The company's CEO Daniel Jauncey is the largest shareholder with 49% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 3.0% and 2.5% of the stock.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 2 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

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While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Insider Ownership Of Austral Resources Australia

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own the majority of Austral Resources Australia Ltd. This means they can collectively make decisions for the company. So they have a AU$86m stake in this AU$158m business. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish todiscover (for free) if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 37% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 5 warning signs with Austral Resources Australia (at least 3 which are a bit concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Two congressmen are once again urging Americans to express support for troops and veterans by saying "thank you for our freedom" instead of "thank you for your service."

Republican Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan, a retired Marine lieutenant general, and Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat from California, first introduced the measure last fall as a way to "renew and affirm" Americans' commitment to troops. But it failed to pass.

Despite its initial failure and an outpouring of troops and veterans balking at the idea, the bill sparked a renewed conversation about military gratitude, and how Americans express it. Now, the pair are reintroducing the provision.

Read Next: The Army's Long-Awaited New Pay and HR System Is Here

The legislation does not request any legal mandates on speech, but rather "invite[s] citizens" to embrace the phrase "in appreciation to all who serve or have served."

Military.com contacted the offices of Bergman and Correa and asked why the measure did not pass in the 117th Congress and whether they believe it will pass in the new year.

"Now that Republicans are in the majority, the politics of who gets their bills brought to the floor have been removed and fairness dictates our legislative calendar," James Hogge, a spokesperson for Bergman, told Military.com via email, adding that he believes the resolution will be brought to the House floor. Correa's office did not respond by publication.

The legislation is identical to its predecessor, which was introduced in September 2022. And while many former and current service members believe the phrase "thank you for your service" offers a sometimes empty sentiment, the proposed bill did not explain why it needed replacing.

"When we change the language to 'thank you for our freedom,' I think that comes from a place of -- or at least sounds like -- entitlement," said Rhasean Stephens, an Army captain and legal aide for Baylor Law School's Veterans Clinic, which offers pro bono legal advice for in-need veterans.

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But the proposed phrase, according to Stephens, might offer a deeper consequence.

"There's an assumption in there, right?" said Stephens, an aspiring judge advocate general. "Some people don't believe that we necessarily need to be in every single conflict to ensure our American freedoms."

Others Military.com spoke to had slightly different reactions to the reintroduced bill.

One active-duty senior noncommissioned officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the press, simply said the bill is "cringeworthy."

One former Army captain, Jacob Pachter, told Military.com that the measure is "misguided."

"With regard to bills supporting the veteran community, I'd prefer the legislature focus on items that would provide real, tangible benefits to those who have served," he said.

Bergman's office said that the resolution would accompany "more substantive" veterans bills.

Publications, including Military.com, took to calling the measure "awkward" or "performative" in their opinion sections after the bill was first introduced last year.

Military.com's Fire Watch podcast aired an episode on Veterans Day, a month after the initial legislation was introduced, asking current and former service members -- ones from different generations of war, genders and ethnicities -- their opinion on military gratitude.

Despite near feverish online reactions to the new legislation, its introduction saw many veterans -- some just beginning to reckon with the tumultuous pullout from Afghanistan -- reevaluating what that gratitude means after 20 years of war.

Retired 1st Sgt. Jonathan Hill, who earned a Silver Star in the now infamous Battle of Kamdesh in 2009, said he almost always appreciates being thanked, but is sometimes skeptical of the motivations of the person who said it.

"Hearing it now is sort of like it's a cliche.  Are you just saying it? Are you being genuine, or you're just saying it because it's a cool thing to say?" he said. He did add that "thank you for my freedom" may be an apt alternative.

Jack McCain, a Navy pilot and son of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, said that the sentiment should be used as a step to connect with or reflect on those who have served, especially on Veterans Day.

Others, women and people of color in particular, said that they rarely hear "thank you for your service" at all, or have a complex relationship with the sentiment, given historical shortcomings or discrimination they and their peers experienced around their service.

For example, Daniele Anderson, co-founder of a nonprofit organization called the Black Veterans Project, said she has gone through "many iterations" on how she's received the phrase.

"When I was in the military  I felt a sense of pride," Anderson, who graduated from the Naval Academy and served as a Surface Warfare Officer, said. "But I had so many varied experiences out of uniform in some of the ways that I was treated.

"The picture that comes in our head when we think of a veteran isn't a woman and often isn't a Black woman," she continued. "And so while I was in uniform, I felt like 'thank you for your service' began to kind of erode for me."

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Fire Watch: Thank You for Your Service
Some Bank of America members are in a frenzy due to allegedly missing funds in their accounts.

I Am PISSED. @BankofAmerica and @Zelle yall need to get it together and give me my damn money back!!! I have been calling BOA since 8 this morning !!! After waiting 45 minutes on hold they are literally started ending the calls !! Whats going on !?!?  Nykaira (@nykaira_) January 18, 2023

Customers have taken to social media to share their disbelief when they checked their bank accounts on Jan. 18, due to an alleged outage impacting the systems of Bank of America and Zelle.

According to Downdetector, claims of Zelles outage increased drastically starting at 7 a.m. EST.

So, I woke up to find hella Zelle deposits missing from my Bank of America account. When I called customer service they said due to extenuating circumstances we cannot take your call and the phone hung up, writer Gennette Cordova tweeted.

So, I woke up to find hella Zelle deposits missing from my Bank of America account. When I called customer service they said due to extenuating circumstances we cannot take your call and the phone hung up.  GNCordova (@GNCordova) January 18, 2023

TheStreet reports  as of At 11 a.m. EST  700 outages have already been submitted, 90 percent of individuals have documented discrepancies with transferring funds via Zelle, and eight percent of users are citing issues with accessing their Zelle account.

Customers took to Twitter to express what an inconvenience this has been for them.

See below.

So cool how @BankofAmerica magically disappeared a large Zelle transaction that HAD ALREADY POSTED and I had used to pay bills. Now Im extremely in debt in my checking and I cant get ahold of them. Unbelievable.  Brianna (@briannaleopard) January 18, 2023

Theres a Bank of America issue where zelle transfers after 1/9 arent being reflected in the balances of ur bank account. I almost lost my mind when I saw $2,000 was missing from my account. Not accepting calls because of extenuating circumstances is insane. CALL ME!!!  Greggie Murphy (@gregNEVERchills) January 18, 2023

According to Bleeping Computer, a message from Bank of America was sent out, informing customers transactions from Saturday leading up to Tuesday was delayed.

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The outlet also reported that the bank has started the process of restoring the missing funds back to its members.

Zelle transactions made between January 14 and January 17 may be delayed in occurring and posting to accounts as requested, a message from Bank of America read, according to Bleeping Computer. Transfers will be completed and will appear in your account activity and balances as soon as possible. We apologize for any delay or inconvenience.
Bank of America came under fire Wednesday when customers logged onto their accounts and found that Zelle funds either had not landed or were missing.

Starting around 9 a.m., irate customers took to Twitter to blast Bank of America and Zelle as their funds evaporated.

The apparent tech snafu left clients with little money, or even overdrawn. Customers of the North Carolina-based bank said they were unable to get through to customer service.

I spent two hours on hold when $1,000 I received yesterday went missing this morning, wrote one user.

So cool how Bank of America magically disappeared a large Zelle transaction that HAD ALREADY POSTED and I had used to pay bills, posted another person. Now Im extremely in debt in my checking and I cant get ahold of them. Unbelievable.

The persons experience seemed typical as complaints blew up and prompted a response from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has called out banks and the cash-transfer service for not policing potential fraud enough.

Bank of America and Zelle are apparently failing customers again, with money somehow disappearing from accounts, Warren tweeted. This should be fixed immediately and customers should be compensated. Ive called out serious fraud issues on Zelle, and this is their latest failure.

Zelle said the problem was with the bank, not the cash-transfer company.

Transactions on the Zelle Network outside of Bank of America are not impacted, a spokesperson told the Daily News via email, referring all other inquiries to the bank.

By late afternoon, Bank of America said the problem had been solved, but did not say what had gone wrong.
Jan. 18A man carrying a hunting rifle in one hand and camouflage backpack in the other held up a Womelsdorf bank, punctuating his demand to a teller by discharging the weapon, state police said Wednesday.

Related Articles

 January 18, 2023

1 dead after police standoff in western Berks [Update]

The holdup unfolded about 3:50 p.m. Tuesday at Fulton Bank, 2400 Conrad Weiser Parkway, which is Route 422, troopers at the Reading station said. There were no reports of injuries.

According to investigators:

The suspect, described only as a white male with a medium build, was wearing a blue puffer coat, black jogging pants and black gloves when he entered the bank brandishing a 30-30 lever-action rifle in his right hand.

Approaching the teller with a camouflage backpack in his left hand, he demanded money.

"The suspect canvasses the inside of the bank and discharges a single shot in the direction of the bank teller," Trooper Bradley C. Smith wrote in a news release.

The suspect was last seen driving eastbound on Route 422 in a silver Chevrolet Impala.

The release didn't state if the suspect received any money.

Anyone with information should contact Trooper Smith at 610-378-4011.

Tips may be made anonymously to Crime Alert Berks County by calling 877-373-9913 or by texting 847411 and using the keyword "alert berks" followed by the tip. Crime Alert will pay a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.
The Port Huron Police Department is taking applications for its Citizen's Police Academy. Officer Dan Stocker demonstrates an arrest with Jenny Leach at the police station during a previous academy.

Community members will have the chance to learn more about the inner workings of the Port Huron Police Department this spring. The Citizens Police Academy is set to take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday from March 16 to April 27.

The first class will take place in the Port Huron Police Department, located at 100 McMorran Blvd. The remaining classes will take place at the SC4 Applied Technology Center, room 145, located at 323 Erie St.

Sam Baker, the department's community service officer, said the program shows attendees the daily lives of police officers.

It basically allows citizens to get more of a hands on, in-depth understanding of not just law enforcement, but more specifically Port Huron and our community, he said.

People interested in the program can get applications at the Port Huron Police Department or www.porthuron.org.

For the first class, attendees will be given an introduction to the police department, including a tour of the facilities, equipment demonstrations and a break down of criminal law. Program material will be shown in a classroom setting and hands-on exercises.

We really cover a lot of topics in regard to law enforcement, Baker said.

Those topics include the different departments of the police department, evidence collections, crime scene reconstruction and traffic stops.

Baker said the program is a way to create an open dialogue between the community and police department.

Additionally, Baker said some people who attend become volunteers for the department.

They offer wonderful things and are a fantastic representation of the community, he said.

Sarah Murray was a student in the 2021 program and has since become a part of the volunteer program at the police department. She said she enjoyed working out in the community and learning more about law enforcement.

"It was really neat to see a whole new aspect of law enforcement," Murray said. "It was a huge eye opener."

Murray said she's always been interested in law enforcement. She works as a prevention specialist in Port Huron, and part of her job is to teach addiction treatment in the jail system. She said she joined the Citizen's Police Academy to learn new information that she could incorporate into her classes.

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Murray said she would recommend the program to anyone interested in learning more about the police department. She said people should take the class before passing judgement on law enforcement.

Anyone 18 years or older can apply to the Citizens Police Academy. Applications are free and due Feb. 23. Participants do not have to be residents of Port Huron.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Port Huron Police Department
Photo: The Canadian Press Odelia Quewezance speaks to media outside the Court of Kings Bench in Yorkton, Sask. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. Lawyers for two women who spent nearly 30 years in prison are to argue why they should be released while they await the results of a federal conviction review at the second day of a bail hearing. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were convicted in 1994 of second-degree murder in the death of 70-year-old Saskatchewan farmer Anthony Joseph Dolff. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Bell

Freedom still remains out of reach for two sisters who have spent nearly 30 years in prison for what they say are wrongful murder convictions after a judge reserved his decision on whether they should get bail while awaiting the outcome of a federal review.

"It's sad that we couldn't be free today ... but today I'm still keeping on with the hope and faith," Odelia Quewezance said Wednesday outside Court of Kings Bench in Yorkton, Sask.

Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were convicted of second-degree murder in the 1993 stabbing death of 70-year-old Anthony Dolff near Kamsack, Sask.

Lawyers for the sisters told court during the two-day bail hearing that the women are victims of systemic racism in the justice system and false confessions.

The Crown prosecutor argued that even if there were issues with the police investigation, there was still enough evidence to show the sisters were involved in the murder.

The federal Justice Department started a review of the case last year, saying there may be a reasonable basis to conclude there was a miscarriage of justice.

The sisters' lawyer James Lockyear said the all-male police force that arrested the sisters did not follow a court order to have the women transferred to Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert, Sask., and instead housed them in police station cells for four days.

"That order was just ignored," Lockyear said.

He said neglecting the order demonstrates the attitudes the sisters encountered "in a police station full of white men."

The sisters from the Keeseekoose First Nation have always maintained their innocence. Another person, who was a youth at the time, confessed to the killing in a statement that was recorded by police, Lockyear said.

Lockyear said statements the sisters allegedly made to officers over multiple days in the police cells were never recorded.

Odelia Quewezance was 20 years old and her sister was 18 when they were arrested.

Both sisters attended residential schools. Court was told that Odelia Quewezance ran away after she was repeatedly sexually abused by a staff member.

Lawyers said Nerissa Quewezance suffers from scoliosis linked to physical abuse as a child before her bones were fully formed. She has arthritis from kneeling too long on the hard ground of the school.

Odelia Quewezance turned 51 on Wednesday and said that between her time in prison and residential school, she has spent most of her life confined.

"I'm praying to be free so I can live my life now," she said outside court.

Crown prosecutor Kelly Kaip said it has also been a difficult and distressing 30 years for Dolff's family.

"I don't want us to forget how much this haunts his loved ones," she said.

Kaip said the sisters and the youth went to the farmer's house. She said the original trial heard how the sisters found an envelope with $700 and took it. Violence broke out soon after Dolff realized it was missing.

She said he was beaten with a kettle, a whisky bottle and other items found in the home before he was stabbed.

"I don't want us to forget for one second how much violence it took," Kaip said.

Members of Dolff's family quietly cried in the courtroom while Kaip read details of the killing.

Kaip said there has been no decision on whether there were issues with policing or if the confessions were coerced. She argued the sisters should not be released as there's too much risk and both have a history of breaching conditions.

Odelia Quewezance received day parole last year with strict conditions. She is currently staying at the YWCA in Regina. Nerissa Quewezance's parole was denied and she has remained behind bars at the Fraser Valley Institution for Women in British Columbia.

If released, Odelia Quewezance would live with her partner of 26 years and their children in a small Saskatchewan community, court heard.

Her sister wants to stay with Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin in his Saskatoon home if she were to get a conditional release.

A criminal conviction review can take years. When it is over, a report and legal advice will be prepared for the federal justice minister. The minister can then order a new trial or appeal, or dismiss the application if he is not convinced there has been a miscarriage of justice.

The judge asked for more information on what conditions the sisters would have if they were released on bail. Lawyers said they do not expect a judgment to be reached for six to eight weeks.
Following a wave of government complaints against the retail coffee giant, Senator Bernie Sanders has demanded Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz stop shutting down pro-union stores and reinstate workers who were allegedly fired for their union campaigns as hundreds of workers unionise at more than 300 stores across the US.

Unfortunately and unacceptably, Starbucks has shown a flagrant disregard for ... fundamental freedoms and has engaged in a pattern of egregious unlawful behavior, the progressive senator from Vermont wrote in a letter from his Senate office on 18 January.

Therefore, I urge you to immediately halt your aggressive and illegal union busting campaign, resolve any existing violations and pending allegations, and negotiate a first contract with workers that is fair and just, he added.

Roughly one year after Starbuck workers in Buffalo, New York, voted to form a union, galvanising a nationwide campaign among workers at corporate-run Starbucks cafes across the country, workers at more than 330 stores in nearly 40 states have held union elections, demanding safer conditions, better wages and more reliable schedules. On Tuesday, workers at three more stores in three states filed petitions for union elections.

The National Labor Relations Board has levied dozens of complaints against Starbucks, encompassing roughly 1,200 violations related to an alleged anti-union effort, including firing workers and closing stores, according to Starbucks Workers United.

It has been nearly 400 days since the first Starbucks union was certified by the [federal labour agency], and yet you and your company have refused to bargain a first contract in good faith, the senator wrote on Wednesday. Instead, you have approached bargaining sessions with increasingly intense obstacles that include shutting down pro-union stores.

He added: Mr Schultz, my request to you is simple: Obey the law. Sit down with your workers and bargain in good faith. Agree to a first contract that is fair and just. Stop shutting down pro-union shops and reinstate workers who have been fired for union organizing.

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The senator has requested that the company answer a series of questions about its anti-union efforts by 1 February. Mr Sanders had previously requested answers from the company in another letter sent last October.

Last month, hundreds of Starbucks workers at roughly 100 stores participated in the union campaigns three-day strike, marking the largest work stoppage among the coffee retailers workers in the companys history.

Though he has not directly commented on the high-profile union campaign, which has attracted widespread support from progressive lawmakers, including New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others, President Joe Biden met with a union leader from Starbucks flagship New York City roastery during a White House meeting with labour organisers last year.

That meeting drew the ire of the coffee retailer, with a spokesperson writing to the administration that it is deeply concerned that Starbucks was not invited.

A letter to Mr Schultz from recently launched union campaigners in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday said the company has failed time and time again to provide adequate measures to ensure partner safety.

We deserve to feel safe and valued at work, workers wrote. We believe that equitable pay, empowered safety practices, and consideration for the actual partner experience will lead to a better Starbucks.

Mr Sanders  the incoming chairman Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions  delivered a state of the working class speech from the steps of the US Capitol this week as he prepares to enter the role in the new Congress.

Why do we want to grow the union movement and support workers who are trying to organize? he said in his remarks on Tuesday. Because unions provide better wages, benefits and working conditions for their members.  The American people know that workers have a constitutional right to form unions and that corporations that engage in illegal union busting activities must be held accountable.

The Independent has requested comment from Starbucks.
AMIR LEVY/Getty

Israel skid into constitutional limbo on Thursday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined for a second day to fire a top minister and key ally that Israels supreme court barred from holding high office.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Aryeh Deri, who is serving as Interior Minister and Minister of Health, was unfit to fulfill a ministerial role due to accumulated moral turpitude.

Deri is a person who in his life has been convicted three times of offenses, and violated his duty to serve the public loyally and lawfully while serving in senior public positions, wrote Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut, in response to a petition presented by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel. She added that Netanyahu could not ignore the accumulation of serious corruption offenses."

Deri, 63, leads the right-wing religious Shas party that traditionally represents Sephardic Jews. He has been a dominant actor in Israeli political life, and in legal circles, for more than thirty years. But his appointment to senior government positions had been restricted by the Deri Law, which in 1993 established the courts standing to order then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to fire Deri after he was indicted on criminal corruption charges.

If Aryeh Deri is not fired, the Israeli government is breaking the law, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, said in a video. A government that does not obey the law is an illegal governmentIf Aryeh Deri is not fired, Israel will fall into an unprecedented constitutional crisis and will no longer be a democracy and will not be a state of law.

Netanyahus Big Lie Will End Rule of Law in Israel

In the early 2000s, Deri served almost three years in jail for corruption and bribery, and was barred from public office for seven years for moral turpitude. He was most recently convicted of tax evasion in January, 2022.

Having Deri in charge of two of the most important ministries in the government damages the image and reputation of the country's legal system and contradicts the principles of ethical conduct and lawfulness, Hayut wrote.

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The ruling, which was expected, threatens the stability of Netanyahus coalition government in his third week back in office after an 18-month hiatus. On Tuesday, as the anticipated decision loomed, Shas legislator Avraham Bezalel warned that "if the Supreme Court rules that Ariyeh Deri is unfit to serve as minister they're shooting themselves in the head, they know where the public stands on this.

Netanyahu has not commented on the decision, and affected nonchalance on Thursday, meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and calling British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Deri and his followers charge that he has been the lifelong victim of judicial over-persecution due to his ethnic origins as a Sephardic Jew born in Morocco. Speaking on Israels national broadcaster on Wednesday after the ruling was announced, Eliad Shragawho argued for the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, dismissed the charges outrightsaying, Aryeh Machluf Deri is a recidivist crook!

Shas newspaper announced the decision with a broadsheet headline reading THE SUPREME COURT VS THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.

The courts decision has fast-tracked a constitutional confrontation between Israels executive and its judiciary, which began to loom when Netanyahu announced a legislative blitz aimed at overhauling and diminishing the judiciary. The move was deemed an all-out assault on Israels judicial system and a fatal blow to Israels democracy by Hayut in a speech she delivered last week.

The proposed legislation includes a constitutional change allowing the Knesset, Israels parliament, to override supreme court decisions with a majority of 61 votes. But even such legislation, if rushed through, would be unlikely to have retroactive effect.

Netanyahu cannot take on Deris portfolios because he is, himself, on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He cannot fire Deri without risking his coalition of 64 out of 120 legislators. Shas could let Netanyahu off the hook by appointing other legislators to take over Deris roles, but the party is sticking by its leader. And Deri has made it clear he will not resign.

He simply cannot be a minister, said Professor Yaniv Roznai of Reichman Universitys law school. There is no way around this. The prime minister needs to remove him now.

Assuming Deri is compelled to relinquish his positions, any legislation rushed through the Knesset with the aim of facilitating his return to the cabinet would face significant legal challenges.

Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has sent Netanyahu two letters, on Wednesday and on Thursday, informing him that Deri must immediately be fired. Only the prime minister has the authority to fire a minister.

Netanyahu calls his planned judicial revamp a long-needed revision of a judiciary that has run amok. He claims Israels judiciary, along with the media, form a cabal perpetrating a judicial coup detat against him through the indictments, which were served in late 2019.

Critics call Netanyahus project an attempted power grab intended to effect regime change which will dismantle Israeli democracy.

Netanyahus office on Thursday floated the possibility of allowing Deri until Sunday to consider his options.

There are no options, Roznai said, responding to a question from The Daily Beast.

Attorney Yonatan Green, Executive Director of the conservative Israel Law and Liberty Forum, said the Deri case underscores the need for judicial reform. We are in a very strange situation, he told The Daily Beast, in an interview. The government made a very senior appointment, the court does not argue that the appointment, itself, breaches the law, yet the court can tell the government whether an appointment is reasonable.

Netanyahu formed an extremist hard-right coalition government with ultra-orthodox Jewish religious parties and with authoritarian nationalists after winning his most recent election in November. Itamar Ben Gvir, his new Minister for National Security, was previously convicted of hate crimes against Arabs and of associations with terror organizations.

Despite the victory, polls published since the government was established show that Netanyahu does not enjoy public support for upending the judiciary and only 20% of the Israeli public approves of Deris appointment as minister.

On Saturday, an estimated 100,000 Israelis protested against Netanyahus measures in Tel Aviv. Massive demonstrations are planned for this weekend in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem.

There is no precedent under Israeli law for a prime minister refusing to comply with court rulings. The closest similar case occurred in March, 2020, when then-Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, a close ally of Netanyahu, refused to hold a vote on his replacement as speaker after the supreme court ordered a vote be held. The crisis was resolved when the court deputized the longest-serving Knesset member to preside over the vote. It is unclear what the court could do if Netanyahu continues to ignore the ruling.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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State Dept. seal MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The Biden administration unveiled a new program on Thursday that will allow American citizens to sponsor refugees, CNN reports. The new program, named the "Welcome Corps," was called "the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades," by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The program has groups of five people apply to sponsor refugees with the help of various nonprofit groups. The groups do not provide ongoing financial help, but they must raise a minimum of $2,275 per refugee to "provide the initial support for the refugees during their first three months in the country," per a State Department official. Sponsors will face a screening process where they will have to provide a plan for receiving and supporting the refugees.

The measure can help settle far more displaced refugees than before and similar programs already exist in multiple countries including Canada, writes The New York Times. "We believe that by engaging more Americans in this effort, we will rebuild broad public support for the refugee resettlement program," said Julieta Valls Noyes, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

The Welcome Corps hopes to mobilize 10,000 sponsors and help 5,000 refugees in its first year. "We hope it will become as widely known and engage as many Americans as the Peace Corps," continued Valls Noyes. "It's not about money. It's about commitment. It's about the community. It's about bringing people together and forming a group so that the refugees have more than one person that they can refer to and can work with."

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When it comes to the Obama-era classified documents discovered at President Bidens home and personal office, 64 percent of U.S. adults support a congressional investigation, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll.

A majority of Democrats (52 percent) also support a congressional investigation, while just 16 percent of Americans and 27 percent of Democrats oppose a probe.

A set of classified records from Bidens time as vice president were first recovered by Bidens lawyers, according to a statement from the lawyers, on November 2 at the Penn Biden Center. The center served as Bidens private office from 2017 to 2019, after his time as vice president came to an end. The White House Counsels office then searched Bidens homes in Delaware last week and discovered two additional sets of documents with classified markings, including in a storage space in Bidens Wilmington garage.

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into the alleged mishandling of documents. That investigation has the most support of any investigation House Republicans are conducting, the poll found. Support for the Biden probe is tied with support for an investigation into the security of the U.S. southern border, which 64 percent of Americans also supported. Fifty-nine percent favored an investigation into the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, 53 percent supported an investigation into the DOJ and FBI and their criminal investigations into former President Trump. Investigations into Hunter Biden and the U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan were tied, with 49 percent support.

Bidens document scandal has drawn comparisons from both Democrats and Republicans to Trumps own alleged mishandling of classified documents. The FBI raided Trumps personal residence at Mar-a-Lago in August as part of an investigation into allegations that he had mishandled documents the government claimed as its property and that the National Archives say should have been delivered into their hands.

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Democrats have defended Biden, arguing that the two scenarios differ in that Biden reportedly had fewer documents and quickly returned them to the National Archives upon discovery. But just 31 percent of Americans believe that Bidens mishandling of documents was less serious than Trumps, the poll found.

By contrast, 32 percent saw both situations as equally serious, while 21 percent believed Bidens situation was more serious than Trumps.

The poll also found shrinking support for a potential Biden 2024 run. Last month, 46 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they would prefer him to someone else as the nominee, while that number was down to 39 percent this month. Thirty-eight percent said they would prefer someone else this month, up one percentage point from the month prior. The number of Democrats and Democratic leaners who said theyre not sure increased by seven percentage points from the month prior.

The poll was conducted between January 12 and January 16 among a pool of 1,538 U.S. adults.

More from National Review
"TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users' devices ... and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government," Gov. Greg Abbott said in December. Marco Bello/Reuters

Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have blocked TikTok from campus WiFi.

Texan universities are also banning TikTok from devices under Gov. Greg Abbott's recent directive.

Abbott claimed the app offers a "trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government."

Students and staff at some of Texas's biggest universities will no longer be able to scroll TikTok on campus WiFi while waiting for their next class or taking their lunch break.

Texas A&M University  thought to be the state's biggest university with close to 70,000 students  is blocking TikTok from its IT network under a directive by Governor Greg Abbott, local news outlets reported on Tuesday.

The University of Texas at Austin, which has around 52,000 students, made a similar announcement on Tuesday, saying that students wouldn't be able to access the video-sharing app if they were connected to the university's wired or WiFi networks.

Both universities had said they had already started removing the app from government-issued devices, including university-issued cell phones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers. A&M told staff in December to delete the app, stop posting, and remove all links to TikTok from university webpages, local news outlet The Eagle reported.

Abbott issued a directive on December 6 ordering state agencies to ban their employees from downloading or using TikTok on any government-issued devices, citing cybersecurity concerns.

"TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users' devices ... and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government," Abbott said in the directive. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is based in China.

FBI Director Chris Wray said in December that he had national-security concerns about TikTok and warned that China could use the app to collect user data for espionage operations.

"TikTok has never shared US user data with the Chinese government, nor would we if asked," a TikTok spokesperson told Insider. "We're disappointed that so many politicians are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies that will do nothing to advance cybersecurity in their states and are based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok."

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Representatives for the following universities told Insider that they had banned TikTok on university-issued devices and on campus wired and wireless networks:

The University of Texas at Dallas

The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at San Antonio

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Houston  Downtown

The University of North Texas

Texas State University

Lamar University

A spokesperson for the University of Houston told Insider that the college "immediately" ceased activity on all university-managed TikTok accounts following Abbott's order but hadn't made any changes to its wired and wireless services. The spokesperson added that the university had scanned more than 20,000 university-owned devices and removed the app from six of them.

"We no longer post to TikTok," A&M's Physics and Astromony Department wrote in the bio of its TikTok account, which has 1.5 million followers. It directed people to its YouTube channel instead. The department had previously posted on TikTok regularly, with many videos getting millions of views. It last posted the day before Abbott's directive was issued.

Staff at Texas State and Lamar University, meanwhile, were told to not delete university-affiliated accounts but to make them private and remove all institutional branding, such as logos and contact information.

Lamar University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Texas at Dallas told students that TikTok would continue to work at its residence halls.

It's not just the Lone Star State. More than half of US states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices, including Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who all made the move in recent weeks. Colleges at other states have been blocking TikTok from their WiFi, too.

The University of Texas at Austin said that it can consider exceptions to the ban for "legitimate uses of TikTok to support university functions," including law enforcement, investigations, and academic research, but said that this would have to be approved by the president, UT System chancellor, and governor's office.

Even then, access would only be granted on devices connected to cellular services, not to the university's WiFi or wired network.

Do you study or work at a US university that has banned the use of TikTok on campus WiFi? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
NASA launched its eco-friendly aviation contest last year to help the US reach net-zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050, according to the agency. Reuters

NASA selected Boeing as the winner of its contest to build a new fuel-efficient plane.

The plane's design  it will have single aisles and slim wings  is expected to cut emissions by up to 30%.

Check out a rendering of Boeing's winning entry.

Boeing has won a contest from NASA to build and test a new environmentally friendly airplane.

According to Boeing, the plane will have "ultrathin wings" and only have single aisles, which could cut down fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30%.

NASA didn't reveal the other candidates in its contest, called the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Project, which sought ways to lessen commercial airlines' climate change impact.

"The SFD program has the potential to make a major contribution toward a sustainable future," Boeing's chief engineer said in a statement.

"It represents an opportunity to design, build and fly a full-scale experimental plane, while solving novel technical problems."

Check out a rendering of Boeing's winning entry into NASA's contest:

The Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator airplane

Boeing's winning plane has longer, thinner wings supported by struts. Boeing

Boeing's jet will be funded with $425 million from NASA, while the company and its partners will contribute $725 million.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing plans to fly the new fuel-efficient plane in 2028.

The experimental plane was developed for more than a decade by Boeing, according to the company.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Texas House and Senate are closely aligned on their priorities for how to spend a $288.7 billion budget over the next two years, with a special focus on border security, employee raises and property tax relief.

The preliminary budgets from the House and Senate, released Wednesday, come as state lawmakers are preparing for a trickier battle over how to spend an unprecedented $32.7 billion budget surplus from the previous biennium.

Some lawmakers have suggested spending it on one-time investments on infrastructure, while Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick say they want to return it to homeowners through property tax relief. Complicating the exercise are limits on budget increases, as outlined by the Texas Constitution and state law, that state budget officials have set at 12.3% for the 2024-25 budget.

The budget surplus is included in a historic $188.2 billion total in general revenue that state Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week would be available for discretionary spending. The House and Senate budget bills both leave tens of billions of those dollars unallocated, and do not touch the states rainy day fund.

The bills were authored by Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, and Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who are the chief budget writers in their respective chambers. Their plans are indicative of the Republican-dominated legislatures fiscally conservative approach to budget writing.

Texas Legislature: What Austin-area House representatives want to pass in the 88th session

The spending proposals are likely to go through many changes before the end of the 140-day session. The two-year budget is the only bill lawmakers must pass every session.

The money in the budget is made up of $93.7 billion in federal funds, $130.1 billion in state general revenue funds, and $64.9 billion in other funds.

Property tax relief

Both drafts set aside $15 billion for property tax relief, including $3 billion in the Senates proposal to increase the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000, as Patrick touted in his inauguration speech Tuesday. The House version also calls for a reduction of $2.2 billion in recapture payments.

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Border security

The Senate and the House proposals jointly call for allocating a total of $4.6 billion to the states border security efforts, which will largely go to three departments  $2.3 billion to the Texas Military Department, $1.2 billion to the Department of Public Safety, and $1 billion to the Office of the Governor. Texas has already spent just under $4.4 billion on Gov. Greg Abbotts border security program known as Operation Lone Star.

Public education

Both House and Senate draft spending bills propose $36.1 billion for the Texas Education Agency but note the Legislature also intends to increase funding for public schools. The Senate draft proposes increasing the teacher incentive allotment, a new program to reward teachers who raise student scores. The House draft also proposes raising funding per pupil, also known as the basic allotment, or putting more money into the instructional materials allotment, according to the proposed budget.

Raises for state employees

Both chambers proposals include a pay raise for state employees  a 5% increase in September and an additional 5% increase in September 2024. The minimum increase is $3,000.

The House draft also lays out a pay raise for employees in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, totaling $674 million. Of that, $374 million is for corrections officers and is already approved.

Texas Legislature: What Austin-area senators hope to pass in the 88th session

Rural law enforcement

Patrick says that he wants to provide additional resources to rural law enforcement agencies. The Senates budget places the cost at $350 million, which includes an increase in sheriffs' pay.

Supplemental appropriations bill

The House and Senate drafts also include plans for a supplemental spending bill, including:

$2.3 billion for state hospital construction and additional inpatient capacity.

$1 billion for a one-time legacy payment to the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

$600 million to TEA to assist school districts with school safety initiatives.

$400 million to the Water Development Board for flood mitigation.

$100 million to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for park acquisition.

$148.9 million to fund three months of a 5% pay increase, or $250 per month if greater, for classified state employees.

Higher education

Both budget versions propose allocating an identical $27.1 billion for higher education over the upcoming biennium, according to the Legislative Budget Board.

That is a 2.6% decrease from the 202223 biennium, partially because colleges received extra federal funding due to COVID-19 during the previous two years.

Each budget proposes allocating $650 million more over two years for the states community colleges and creating a $2.5 billion endowment to support higher education institutions that dont currently benefit from the Permanent University Fund, but both proposals are contingent on the passage of additional legislation.

The House budget notes that certain colleges and universities may receive additional state funding if they freeze tuition and fee prices at Sept. 1, 2023, levels for the next two fiscal years, but the specification is absent from the proposed Senate budget.

American-Statesman reporters Megan Menchaca and Keri Heath contributed to this report.

Hegar: A once-in-a-lifetime legislative session

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: Budget priorities: border security, tax relief
Photo: provinceofbc Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked about the new sub variant at a news conference earlier this week.

The highly transmissible coronavirus strain nicknamed the "Kraken variant" is spreading more rapidly in parts of Canada, according to a new report.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters in a Jan. 13 briefing that the lion's share, about 95 per cent, of B.C.'s COVID-19 cases is still the BQ.1.1 subvariant. But in Ontario, cases of the XBB.1.5 strain  the Kraken subvariant  are increasing rapidly.

Public Health Ontario projects the proportion of XBB.1.5 to increase this week up to 22.2 per cent of all cases in the province. From the data available from Dec. 25 to Dec. 31, the proportion of XBB.1.5 was only two per cent.

B.C.'s surveillance data shows about five to six per cent of new COVID-19 cases are this new subvariant. While this new subvariant appears to be particularly transmissible, Henry said there is no evidence at this time that it's been causing any more severe illness and that the latest bivalent vaccine appears to be effective against it.

A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the genetic composition of XBB.1.5 makes it difficult to detect through wastewater surveillance.

Since the subvariant is a recombinant  its genome is the product of the Omicron BA.2.10 and BA.2.75 strains spliced together  it is more difficult to detect if it is only circulating at low levels.

That said, XBB.1.5 can still be detected in wastewater by scanning for the "presence of defining mutations" as well as locating the parent lineages.

PHAC says metagenomic sequencing is revealing "an increasing XBB.1.5 signal in municipal wastewater samples collected since mid-December." So far, 19 cases of the subvariant have been detected using Canadian wastewater samples.

Dr. Sarah Otto, a professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia, told V.I.A. that scientists haven't noticed a significant change in symptoms with XBB.1.5 but it is showing a "transmission advantage."

With this advantage, the new subvariant is expected to continue the turnover in variants that have led to "high and fairly constant levels" of COVID-19 in Canada across the past six months.

People should continue to follow the province's long-standing COVID-19 advice, such as getting vaccinated with all recommended doses to prevent severe illness.

With files from Glen Korstrom
Boris Pistorius

At the request of Bundestag Speaker Barbel Bass, Pistorius took the oath at the beginning of the plenary session.

Prior to that, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier handed over the certificate of appointment.

Steinmeier also dismissed Pistorius' predecessor, Christine Lambrecht.

On Jan. 16, Lambrecht officially filed a resignation notice with Chancellor Scholz, and he accepted it the same day.

In a statement, she made it clear that her decision was due to a number of scandals.

Here are some of them:

Shortly after taking office in December 2021, she admitted that she did not know the ranks of the Bundeswehr, and five months later said she still had not learned them;

claimed that Germany was supporting Ukraine by sending 5,000 military helmets;posted a New Year's message on Instagram against the backdrop of fireworks, in which she said that the full-scale war in Ukraine allowed her to meet interesting people;

was criticized for Puma infantry fighting vehicles breaking down during exercises;

failed to improve the situation with the poor equipment of the German armed forces, despite the allocation of 100 billion euros;

embroiled in scandal over her son taking a trip in a military helicopter.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
On April 23, yoga enthusiasts of all levels will gather at Gillette Stadium to participate in the largest yoga-focused fundraising event in the U.S., raising money to help fight childhood disease

BOSTON --News Direct-- Boston Childrens Hospital

Yoga Reaches Out, an annual fundraising event organized by Boston Childrens Hospital, has opened registration for this years event set for Sunday, April 23, 2023. Each year, the event brings yoga lovers of all abilities together at Gillette Stadium to practice yoga, meditate and collaborate to raise money, helping sick kids, and their families find lifesaving answers to some of the most challenging illnesses at the one hospital thats cured more childhood diseases than any other.

Since its inception in 2010, the annual Yoga Reaches Out event has raised over $3.5 million. The cost to register for this years event is $25 and participants will be required to raise a minimum of $300. Interested participants can register starting today at the following link: www.yogareachesout.org.

After hosting the event in-person last year for the first time since 2019 and experiencing such a great turnout, we are excited to bring the yoga community together again for an inspiring day of practice, celebration and fundraising in support of the patients and families at the hospital," said Rachel Hunter, Manager of Yoga Reaches Out at Boston Childrens Hospital Trust. "We have some exceptional teachers on board to lead us through various practices during the day and inspire participants of any level to move, meditate and mingle for a worthy cause. We hope this years event will be the best one yet.

Money raised during the event will support the hospitals Every Child Fund. This fund powers promising research, supports lifesaving care, and enables vital family services not covered by insurance for those in need.

About Boston Children's Hospital

Boston Childrens Hospital is ranked the #1 childrens hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Home to the worlds largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Childrens research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Childrens is now a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care. For more, visit our Answers blog and follow us on social media @BostonChildrens, @BCH_Innovation, Facebook and YouTube.

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Contact Details

Carrie ONeil

+1 617-587-2918

coneil@brodeur.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/boston-childrens-hospital-opens-registration-for-annual-yoga-reaches-out-event-977825679
A Boston man is facing charges after an alleged instance of rape, assault and attempted money extortion in a Boston hotel Monday afternoon.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorneys office, police responded to the Doubletree Hotel on Washington Street at 8:00 a.m. after receiving a 911 call from a man who claimed his ex-girlfriend was in danger in a hotel room.

When police arrived at the fourth-floor room, they found the female victim crying, sweating and breathing heavily.

The victim told officers that Herbert Jones, who was in the room when police arrived, raped and hit her. The victim also told police that Jones forced her to call her ex-boyfriend to request money.

Jones was charged in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday with kidnapping, two counts of aggravated rape, two counts of assault and battery and threats.

Judge James Stanton revoked Joness bail on an existing case for 60 days, ordered $50,000 bail on the new case, and ordered Jones to stay away from the victim and the incident location.

Jones will return to court on February 17 for a probable cause hearing.

The DAs office says Jones has a 15-page criminal record dating back to 1991.

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Jan. 19Brownsville police are seeking the public's help in the search of a 68-year-old Brownsville man who has been missing for five days.

Juan Antonio Garcia was last seen at about 12 a.m. Jan. 14 at 24 Lindale Court, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for the Brownsville Police Department.

Although Garcia's family said he suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, the police department cannot put out a Silver Alert because they don't have a doctor's statement saying this, Sandoval said.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which issues the alerts, the following criteria must be met in order for one to be issued:

Is the missing person 65 years of age or older or been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease?

Does the senior citizen have a diagnosed impaired mental condition, and does the senior citizen's disappearance pose a credible threat to the senior citizen's health and safety? (Law enforcement shall require the family or legal guardian of the missing senior citizen to provide documentation from a medical or mental health professional of the senior citizen's condition).

Is it confirmed that an investigation has taken place verifying that the senior citizen's disappearance is due to his/her impaired mental condition, and alternative reasons for the senior citizen's disappearance have been ruled out?

Is the Silver Alert request within 72 hours of the senior citizen's disappearance?

Is there sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the senior citizen? (Highway signs will be activated only if accurate vehicle information is available and it is confirmed that the senior citizen was driving the vehicle at the time of the disappearance).

Sandoval said all patrol officers have been provided with a photograph of Garcia in case they happen to come upon him.

Brownsville police urge anyone who has seen Garcia to call Brownsville PD at (956) 548-7000.
Bulgaria covers up to 40% of Ukraine's needs

Read also: Bulgaria secretly supported Ukraine in first six months of war, investigation shows

According to the report, the fuel is produced at a refinery on the Black Sea coast, owned by Russias Lukoil.

The article notes that shortly after Moscow launched its invasion, the then-Bulgarian Finance Minister Asen Vasilev insisted that the Lukoil Neftochim Bourgas AD refinery start exporting oil products to Ukraine, following the Russian missile attacks on oil depots and refineries across Ukraine.

Since then, about half of the fuel produced by the company has been exported to Ukraine through Romania by road and rail.

Bulgaria became one of the largest exporters of diesel to Ukraine and at times covered 40 percent of Ukraine's needs, the former minister said.

Read also: Bulgaria greenlights first military aid package to Ukraine

According to Die Welt, Bulgaria has also played a leading role in pushing for EU sanctions against Moscow and the blocs efforts to replace Russian energy imports.

Read also: Bulgarian president criticizes Sofia sending weapons to Ukraine

On Jan. 13, Reuters reported that the Bulgarian government is going to take control of the Neftochim Burgas refinery for up to one year. The corresponding decision was made by the country's parliament to protect critical infrastructure and ensure a steady fuel supply.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The equipment was illegally imported with the assistance of employees of the Transcarpathian Customs Service

Read also: Anti-corruption court to rule on confiscation case involving Russian titanium oligarch

The equipment was seized from a group of persons who, with the assistance of employees of the Transcarpathian Customs Service of the State Customs Service, imported it in violation of customs rules.

It is noted that by not declaring the goods, they evaded payment of value added tax and customs duties, which prevented the flow of a particularly large amount of funds to the state budget.

Read also: Ukraines financial investigations service seizes large, Russian-owned logistics center

The people who brought the equipment into the customs territory of Ukraine have been charged under Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional evasion of the payment of value-added tax, customs duties, which led to the actual non-receipt of funds to the state budget in particularly large amounts, committed by a group of persons based on a prior conspiracy).

More people involved in the custom tax evasion scheme are being identified.

At the beginning of January the BEB seized goods from the Russian Federation worth UAH 40 million ($1 million) after it crossed the border into Lviv Oblast in the west of Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo: Glacier Media

A pastor facing charges for alleged sexual offences against children in New Westminster is set to appear in court in March.

Edwin Enrique Alvarez is scheduled to appear in court in New Westminster March 1 on six charges: three counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual interference with a person under the age of 16.

Four of the charges (two of sexual interference and two of sexual assault) relate to incidents that happened on July 1, 2017. The remaining two (one each of sexual interference and sexual assault) relate to an incident or incidents that took place on Nov. 11, 2021.

The charges were sworn on Dec. 22, 2022.

The New Westminster Police Department issued a press release about the case on Jan. 9, saying Alvarez had been arrested in Saanich on Jan. 4 after a months-long investigation by the NWPD.

The department began an investigation in the spring of 2022 after receiving multiple reports of sexual offences involving children, the release said. At the time, the NWPD said Alvarez was a pastor at a small church in the Metro Vancouver area, but it did not name the church.

B.C. Court Services information says the incidents that led to the charges took place in New Westminster.

Court information shows Alvarez as born in 1978, making him 44 or 45 years old. He is not in custody.
Embattled Newly Elected Rep. George Santos (R-NY) Is Sought After By Reporters On Capitol Hill Win McNamee/Getty Images

Constituent calls to George Santos' local office were redirected to another GOP Congressman.

A representative at Santos' office told Insider they don't know why the calls were being forwarded.

GOP officials and Santos' constituents have called for him to resign amid his fabricated resume.

The chaos surrounding newly elected New York Rep. George Santos continued this week when constituents tried calling his office but were inexplicably forwarded to another GOP Congressman's office in a neighboring district, according to Newsday.

A Facebook user posted on Wednesday that their call to Santos' constituent office in Douglaston, New York, was forwarded to the office of Nick LaLota in Huntington, New York. Newsday reported that as of Thursday morning, calls were still being rerouted from Santos' office in New York's 3rd Congressional District to LaLota's office in New York's 1st Congressional District.

"Unfortunately, this is not George Santos' office  or fortunately, depending on your perspective," Adam Saccardi, LaLota's director of constituent services, told Newsday.

When Insider called Santos' Douglaston office Thursday afternoon, a representative who answered the phone said it was unclear why constituent calls were being redirected, but that the issue had been resolved.

Santos has made headlines in recent weeks after several parts of his life and resume turned out to be fabricated. In recent weeks it was revealed that false claims include that he's Jewish, that his mother survived the 9/11 attacks, that he was one of the first people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the US, and more.

Since Santos entered office on January 7, members of his own party have called on him to resign, but he has repeatedly refused. Even his constituents have held protests urging for his resignation, as reported by CBS News.

Representatives for Santos and LaLota did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Five years after snapping up Charlotte-based snack maker Snyders-Lance Inc., food industry giant Campbell Soup Co. is closing its office here amid a consolidation effort.

PAST COVERAGE: Campbell Soup buys Charlotte-based Snyder's-Lance for $4.87B

The company announced Wednesday morning that it will shutter the local office as well as one in Norwalk, Connecticut. It will consolidate those operations at its headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, where it plans to invest $50 million.

The office at 13515 Ballantyne Corporate Place employs about 212 people, a Campbell Soup spokesperson tells CBJ. While a small number of facility-related roles will be eliminated, the majority of the jobs at the Charlotte and Norwalk offices will be relocated.

Read more here.

VIDEO: Charlotte-based Snyders-Lance snack company sold to Campbell Soup Co.
In their first week in power, House Republicans were busy.

They voted to gut the Internal Revenue Service  again  to help millionaires cheat on their taxes. They passed a pair of efforts to further restrict womens freedom and bodily autonomy. They rewarded right-wing extremists with seats on important committees.

As a coming attraction of House Republicans aims and priorities, these next two years will be rough for Americans who care about good governance.

But the first-week measure that may turn out to be the most damaging is Republicans creation of a new subcommittee to examine, what they label, the weaponization of the federal government.

The description is Orwellian. The new panel is itself a weapon to attack the government and batter public trust. By Republican leaders own descriptions, the new committee will work to undermine open investigations of former President Donald Trump and his pawns, spread unfounded conspiracy theories, whitewash the Jan. 6 insurrection and smear law enforcement officers.

The panels likely chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is one of the most relentless right-wing partisans in all of Congress. Naturally, he voted to throw out the 2020 election results.

Updates on the GOP's first week:House approves new rules, first big test for Republican-led chamber

He wasnt alone. In the hours after the insurrection, 68% of House Republicans  more than two-thirds of their entire caucus  voted to finish the rioters work. In this new Congress, the roster of Republicans who do not fully acknowledge Joe Bidens victory have not shrunken, but likely grown.

January 7, 2023: Newly elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy takes the oath of office after he was elected on the 15th ballot at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, - Kevin McCarthy's election to his dream job of speaker of the US House of Representatives was secured through a mix of bombproof ambition, a talent for cutting deals, and a proven track record of getting Republicans what they need. He only won election as speaker after they forced him to endure 15 rounds of voting -- a torrid spectacle unseen in the US Capitol since 1859.

At the same time, the ranks of pro-democracy House Republicans has withered. Of the 10 House Republican members who bravely voted to impeach Trump, just two remain in office. The others were defeated or routed into retirement by right-wing invective.

With this membership it should be no surprise House Republican members have never embraced investigating the insurrection. While the just-concluded Jan. 6 Committee produced stunning, superlative work on that dark day establishing the culpability of both Trump and conservatives in Washington, Republicans in Congress reject and ridicule the findings.

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Members of Congress targeted by the insurrection have placed their party over their own institution because of their fealty to Trump, who incited the insurrection. This new weaponization committee should be considered the dark twin of the Jan. 6 panel in the way nighttime complements sunlight.

House Republicans want to delegitimize the findings of the Jan. 6 panel at any cost. And law enforcement is their collateral damage.

This is especially galling given Republicans recent record on policing. Following the death of George Floyd and ensuing public protests, Republicans once again lied about Democrats by falsely claiming we sought to defund police departments and resources.

As the longtime co-leader of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, these gibes stung. Especially because of their untruth and hypocrisy.

All four of the budgets proffered by Trump sought to gut the Community Oriented Policing Services and Byrne Memorial Justice, programs essential to state and local departments across America.

Republicans killed the HEROES Act during the pandemics worst days. This bill would have provided $900 billion for state and local governments to avoid cuts to essential services, like first responders.

On May 20, 2021, every single House Republican voted to defund our Capitol Police force. When we voted again to fund the Capitol Police on July 28, 2021, just one Republican out of 206 voted for the funding. Worse, in the final months of last year, cries from MAGA Republicans seeking to Defund the FBI grew louder.

And to this day, Trumps deadbeat campaign still owes nearly $2 million to over a dozen different police departments who kept order at his political rallies.

Republicans recent record on police funding is so poor, its no wonder they want to deflect.

Recently, we marked the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 riots. We held a ceremony on the steps of the Capitol to mark this solemn occasion. We stood with the relatives of fallen police. Only a single Republican member showed up. One.

It may seem strange that a political party which long prided itself for support of law and order would be so hostile to police.

The reason GOP leaders want to delegitimize policing isnt complicated: the erosion of American democracy is now perhaps the central unifying tenet of the Republican Party. Courageous law enforcement officers, whether police officers on the beat, FBI investigators, or prosecutors execute the laws to protect our democracy.

Republicans fight is with the rule of law itself, and so with the men and women who uphold the law.

Over the 118th Congress, Democrats can and must push back at the tidal wave of lies that are sure to emanate from this shameful committee.

Bill Pascrell Jr. represents New Jersey's 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell says oil and gas companies are "robbing" consumers as executive profit with stock buybacks.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: GOP and Jan. 6: We can't let Republicans undermine panel's findings
Jenson Brooksby, left, stunned second seed Casper Ruud, right, at the Australian Open (Dita Alangkara/AP) (AP)

Casper Ruud admitted a lengthy exhibition tour with Rafael Nadal may have compromised his Australian Open chances after joining the Spaniard in making an early exit.

A day after Rafael Nadal limped to defeat against Mackenzie McDonald, second seed Ruud was beaten 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-2 by another American, Jenson Brooksby.

The result means the mens event has lost its top two seeds before the third round for the first time at any grand slam since here in 2002.

Ruud, a finalist at the French Open and US Open last year, had limited pre-season training after joining Nadal on a tour of Latin America lasting nearly two weeks.

The Norwegian said: Its very easy to sit here now and say that was bad for maybe both Rafa and I due to the fact that we lost early here.

(The preparation) was maybe not enough to be able to perform well here this year. So it will be considered by me and my team what we will do in December this year, and if this was the right way to prepare for the Australian Open or not.

Maybe it looks like it was not the right way, but there are many factors that come into play.

Ruud struggled from the start with the unorthodox style of 22-year-old Brooksby, who is named after former British racing driver Jenson Button.

He had reason to curse his luck, too, after losing the second set when a shot from Brooksby hit the tape and dribbled over the net.

Ruud then took an off-court medical timeout for what he later revealed to be an ongoing abdominal issue and was clinging on by his fingernails at 5-2 down in the third but Brooksby was unable to serve it out, missing three match points in agonising fashion.

Ruud looked like he might turn the match around when he took the tie-break, with Brooksby beginning to struggle physically, but he forged ahead again and finally clinched his fifth match point.

He raised weary arms in the air, and then said: I was really proud of the mental resolve after the third set didnt go my way.

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Ruud gave credit to his opponent, saying: Its a tough match-up for me, and I know its going to be for many years probably. I will try to learn from it. I think that he played great today. He didnt make many errors at all.

I didnt feel like I played particularly bad or not the level that I wanted to play, but he just ended up winning many of the longer rallies and had sort of an answer to all the questions that I asked him.

It has been a hugely successful tournament so far for the American men, and Brooksby was joined in the third round by Tommy Paul, JJ Wolf  who upset seeds in Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Diego Schwartzman, respectively  and 20-year-old Ben Shelton, who is on his first ever trip outside the US.

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev also advanced, defeating Emil Ruusuvuori 6-2 6-4 6-7 (2) 6-3 to set up a third-round clash with Dan Evans.
STORY: Part of the protesters moved towards the French consulate in Barcelona, where some separatists clashed with police when trying to reach Sant Jaume square.

Waving pro-independence "estelada" flags and holding signs reading "Neither Spain, nor France," they chanted separatist slogans ahead of the arrival of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Catalonia launched a failed independence bid 2017.

Carles Puigdemont, the leader of the attempt to separate from Spain, is in self-imposed exile in Belgium to avoid prosecution in Spain.
More than 625 business and community leaders attended the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Annual Breakfast that offered a state of the organization and a moment to celebrate its 100-year milestone.

Two tables were filled with men and women who've previously served as past chairs of the Chamber's Board of Directors. Glenda Thornton was one of them.

Fifteen years ago, she made history. Thornton  an attorney who's now the assistant dean for strategic initiatives and legal writing professor at Florida State's College of Law  blazed a trail by becoming the first African American to chair the Chamber's Board of Directors.

She did it during a recession and mounting uncertainty surrounding the nation's economy. The Chamber's position then was simple: get back to basics and help small businesses cover their bases.

Origin story:An 'all together' push and a war on peddlers: How the Tallahassee Chamber was born a century ago

The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce celebrates its centennial during the organizations annual breakfast at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

Thornton said she's thrilled to still be involved and witness the Chamber's evolution, noting an increase in new businesses and young faces.

"It really looks more and more like Tallahassee," Thornton said. "So, I'm just really excited about that."

She and others pondered the Chamber's place in Tallahassee 100 years from now. Most remarks made during the packed event centered around being more community driven and using metrics to target challenges and systemic problems.

'Without business, there's no community'

Immediate past Board of Directors Chairman Sammie Dixon urged the audience to get involved, adding "it's going to take us all to move this community forward."

Sammie Dixon, 2022 Board Chair, speaks during the chamber's annual breakfast at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

He also touched on contentious moments involving attacks on the Chamber in recent years.

The most visible put the Chamber and Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow at odds after he penned a blistering column in the Tallahassee Democrat, in which he said business leaders had turned a blind eye to public corruption.

Matlow chided the optics surrounding the Chamber's annual conference in Amelia Island that year considering the timing of the high-profile trial of businessman J.T. Burnette, who's serving three years in federal prison for his role in a public corruption case targeting City Hall.

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The corruption case also led to the trial and conviction of disgraced City Commissioner Scott Maddox, who's serving five years in federal prison and his longtime friend Paige Carter Smith, who's serving two years.

Matlow's stance prompted Chamber's executive committee to counter with a censure of Matlow, the first time in the organization's history. Committee members expressed their deep disproval of Matlow's letter and said reflected a pattern of misdeeds" and a violation of his oath of office.

"We live in a great community but a lot of people have seemed to want to fight the business community over the past few years and attack the chamber," he said. "Let me tell you, without business, there's no community. And that's what we're here for."

'That truly is the crisis, building skills'

Terrie Ard, president and COO at Moore, a marketing and communications agency, is the incoming chair of the Chamber's Board of Directors. The role represents a full circle moment.

She landed her first job as the Chamber's part-time receptionist at age 16. For nearly five years, Ard worked while in high school and later as a struggling college student at Florida State.

It also marks a moment to reflect on some of the Chamber's wins  championing efforts for businesses to read to kindergarteners, providing 49 complimentary memberships to women- and minority-owned businesses, securing $200,000 with an HCA Foundation grant partnership and launching TalentHub, an online platform that bridges jobseekers, employers and resources.

Terrie Ard, 2023 Board Chair, speaks during the chamber's annual breakfast at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

While Ard said talent is Tallahassee's economic currency, she didn't gloss over the hardships employers face while finding skilled workers. With more than 10,000 job openings, Ard said there are two jobs available for every one job seeker.

"So our issue is not job availability, it's skills," Ard said. "That truly is the crisis, building skills."

Back story:'A workforce crisis': Tallahassee Chamber scorecard points to challenges, opportunities

The challenge creates an opportunity for the Chamber to increase its advocacy role with a three-pronged approach: pro-jobs, pro-business and policy. In addition, the Chamber plans to push for more site readiness for new businesses that will attract new businesses to the city and enable existing ones to grow.

Another major focus area will surround affordable housing. Like many cities across the state, Tallahassee has an anemic inventory of affordable housing that's getting smaller and harder to find for residents already struggling to make ends meet.

Sometime this year, the Chamber plans to release an affordable housing report and its recommendations to address the complex issue.

"If you do No. 1 well in terms of jobs, it starts to have that domino effect," Ard said. "Then you get affordable housing and getting people into housing and the domino effect of all of the other areas creating a great quality of life."

The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce celebrates its centennial during the organizations annual breakfast at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

The Chamber, she said, has for 100 years maintained its interest in seeing Tallahassee thrive. Ard pointed to the Chamber's support of bonds to support public schools in 1923 as one of many examples of how the organization's comfort in rallying toward certain causes.

When asked where Tallahassee will be 100 years from now, Ard said she hopes it maintains its "same charm, inviting spirit and family approach that we see today." She said Tallahassee is facing a transformational time.

"I do believe we have more assets and levers than ever before ... We should embrace and foster the things we love about this community while expanding with progress," Ard said. "The strength of our community will guide us as we tackle the complex issues to ensure we have the best jobs, an experienced and successful workforce and a community that is inviting."

Contact Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Chamber savors 100-year milestone, looks to next century
Photo: The Canadian Press A Shoppers Drug Mart is shown in Bowmanville, Ont., on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.

Calgary police say six teenage boys have been charged in a swarming attack that left two store employees injured in November.

Police say the group of male youth was asked to leave a Shoppers Drug Mart store on 17th Avenue, a popular pedestrian street in the city's southwest, after causing a disturbance.

They say the teens left the store but remained outside the entrance, where they argued with one of the store's employees when he left at the end of his shift.

Police say it escalated and the employee was physically assaulted.

They say another employee who tried to intervene was also assaulted by the group.

A seventh teen is expected to be charged and investigators are trying to identify an eighth person who is believed to have been involved.

Each of the six youth charged face one count of aggravated assault and one count of assault.

They are between the ages of 15 and 17, and cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

It's the second so-called swarming attack by a group of teens in Canada in a matter of months.

Eight teenage girls were charged with second-degree murder in the swarming death of a 59-year-old man who lived in Toronto's shelter system in December.

Toronto police said the girls, who range in age from 13 to 16, met on social media and congregated on a Saturday night in the city's downtown core.
Alec Baldwin watches the men's singles final of the US Open tennis championships in New York on September 12, 2021. AP Photo/John Minchillo

Alec Baldwin's lawyer slammed prosecutors' decision to charge the star over the "Rust" shooting.

The attorney called the expected charges against Baldwin "a terrible miscarriage of justice."

Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on the film set in 2021.

Alec Baldwin's lawyer slammed a New Mexico district attorney's decision to charge the star with manslaughter over the fatal 2021 "Rust" shooting, calling it "a terrible miscarriage of justice."

In a statement to Insider on Thursday, attorney Luke Nikas said: "Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set."

Nikas continued, "We will fight these charges, and we will win."

Santa Fe prosecutors announced earlier Thursday that Baldwin will face two counts of involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the indie Western flick on October 21, 2021.

"This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice," said Nikas who added that Baldwin "relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds."

The movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of weapons on the movie set, is also expected to be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the shooting.

The flick's assistant director, Dave Halls, has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The criminal charges in the case will be formally filed before the end of the month, according to Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.

Baldwin, who was producing and starring in "Rust," fatally shot 42-year-old Hutchins during a rehearsal inside a church building on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set.

A bullet from the gun struck Hutchins, a married mother of one, mortally wounding her. The movie's director, Joel Souza, was also injured by the bullet.

Baldwin has called the shooting a "tragic accident" and said that he never pulled the trigger of the gun that fired and resulted in the death of Hutchins.

Read the original article on Insider
A Cherokee County grand jury indicted a man after deputies said he assaulted and falsely imprisoned his grandmother.

According to the indictment, in October 2022, 20-year-old Nathan Bellino of Canton kept his grandmother trapped inside his residence for several days.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

It is unclear how long Bellinos grandmother was trapped in the home.

Officials said when his grandmother attempted to leave, he blocked the exits and repeatedly refused to let her go.

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The indictment said Bellino assaulted his grandmother by hitting, strangling and covering her nose and mouth so she couldnt breathe.

In addition to assaulting her, the indictment said he also deprived her of using any form of communication to receive medical services.

It is unclear why Bellino didnt let his grandmother escape the home and why he assaulted her.

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Bellino was charged with four counts of exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult, aggravated assault, family violence, false imprisonment and battery.

IN OTHER NEWS:
BEIJING (AP)  China on Thursday accused some Western media of bias, smears and political manipulation in their coverage of Chinas abrupt ending of its strict zero-COVID policy, as it issued a vigorous defense of actions taken to prepare for the change of strategy.

The move in December to end mass testing and quarantines led to a sharp rise in cases, with some hospitals and crematoriums overwhelmed with victims.

An editorial in the ruling Communist Party mouthpiece Peoples Daily outlined what it called Chinas optimization and control measures and blasted reports by media outlets they didnt identify as completely biased hype, smear and political manipulation with ulterior motives.

Since the initial wave of new cases, life in much of China has largely returned to normal, although officials have expressed concern about a further spread of the virus into the countryside during the Lunar New Year travel rush now underway.

Despite that, the editorial said many localities have passed the peak of the epidemic, and production and life are speeding up to return to normal.

Zero-COVID," as the strategy came to be known, sought to track and isolate every case of infection, along with those who had contact with them and even third-hand contacts. It confined millions of people in cities such as Shanghai to their homes for two months or longer, with many suffering from food shortages and lack of access to health care.

China strongly defended the policy but began dismantling it under economic pressure and after highly rare street protests broke out in Beijing and other major cities denouncing the ruling party and its leader, Xi Jinping. On Jan. 8, it took the further step of eliminating the requirement that those arriving from abroad undergo lengthy and expensive quarantines.

China rejected both foreign and domestic criticism of the policy's excesses, denouncing earlier calls from the World Health Organization for it to adjust to changes in the nature of the virus, calling them irresponsible."

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That made the abrupt mid-winter shift to a policy of merely seeking to prevent the most serious cases all the more jarring for the population, many of whom have defied censors to express anger online. Virtually overnight, testing stations where people had stood in long lines disappeared, while field hospitals used to quarantine millions simply packed up.

China also ceased publishing figures on new cases and deaths, which it had long been suspected of underreporting, leading to further complaints from the WHO and foreign nations about a lack of transparency. Unconfirmed estimates now put numbers of new cases at tens of thousands a day, with up to 85% of the population in some provinces having become infected.

China has also rejected calls to release more data and provide more information about the origin of the virus, first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, accusing those making the requests of politicizing" the issue.

The government has also lashed out at countries that require travelers coming from China to show a negative virus test, calling the demand discriminatory" even though it requires the same of anyone entering China.

That defensive attitude was reflected in the People's Daily editorial, which said: Thanks to meticulous medical preparations, sufficient production capacity reserves, and strong organizational planning and equipment, China has smoothly passed the adaptation period after the transition' and shift' of the epidemic prevention policy."

In the face of Chinas prevention and control achievements, any political manipulation is pale and powerless," it added, citing endorsements from academics in Nigeria, Kenya and Russia, all close Chinese diplomatic partners.

All parties should focus on fighting the epidemic itself, avoid any words or deeds that politicize the epidemic, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and work together to defeat the epidemic," the editorial said.
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres called for the removal of China's "trade impediments" on Australian exports in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, his office said.

China's Xinhua news agency earlier reported that Thursday's meeting between Australian and Chinese officials had agreed that trade ministers from the two nations will hold virtual discussions "in the near future."

No date has been set for the video meeting between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his Australian counterpart, Don Farrell.

"Assistant Minister Ayres raised the importance of cooperation to deliver the outcomes of the World Trade Organization 12th Ministerial Conference, and the removal of current trade impediments affecting Australian exports to China in both countries' interests," a spokeswoman for Ayres said in a statement.

Trade ministers for the two nations have not met in three years.

Relations between the two countries are improving after years of strained ties with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit last November. However, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday it was a "step-by-step process".

China put unofficial bans on Australian products from coal to wine in 2020, after Australia urged an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 and put a 5G network ban on telecoms giant Huawei.

Several Chinese companies received permission to resume purchases of Australian coal in January.

Canberra has two complaints at the World Trade Organisation against China's tariffs on Australian wine and barley, and is watching to see if Beijing lifts unofficial trade blockages on other Australian exports, including lobsters.

Australia's Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said on Friday there was talk around the industry of approaches from Chinese buyers but "nothing really solid".

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"We've got a long way to go... we haven't received any official notification that some of those trade bans have been dropped," he said in an ABC radio interview.

"If we're starting to see the renewal of that kind of dialogue, then that's obviously a good thing for our producers," he added.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham, Brenda Goh, Twinnie Siu and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Toby Chopra, Sandra Maler and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Bernard Orr and Martin Quin Pollard

BEIJING (Reuters) - The number of COVID patients needing critical care in China's hospitals has peaked, health authorities said on Thursday, as millions travelled across the country for long-awaited reunions with families, raising fears of fresh outbreaks.

There has been widespread scepticism over China's official COVID data since it abruptly axed anti-virus controls last month that had shielded China's 1.4 billion people from the disease for three years.

China said last Saturday that nearly 60,000 people with COVID had died in hospitals between Dec. 8 and Jan. 12 - a roughly ten-fold increase from previous disclosures.

However, that number excludes those who die at home, and some doctors in China have said they are discouraged from putting COVID on death certificates.

As travel picks up during the busy Lunar New Year holiday season, as many as 36,000 people could die each day from the disease, according to the latest forecasts from UK-based health data firm Airfinity. Other experts predict over 1 million will die from the disease this year.

But a National Health Commission official told a news conference on Thursday that China has passed the peak period of COVID patients in fever clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions.

The number of patients with critical conditions in hospital were more than 40% lower on Jan. 17 than a peak seen on Jan. 5, an official said.

The fresh data comes after President Xi Jinping expressed concern that rural areas were ill-equipped to deal with a surge in infections as holidays, which officially start on Jan. 21, bring throngs of city-dwellers back to their home towns.

Before COVID first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the holiday season was known as the greatest annual migration of people anywhere on the planet.

"China's COVID prevention and control is still in a time of stress, but the light is ahead, persistence is victory," Xi said on Wednesday in a holiday message carried by state broadcaster CCTV.

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"I am most worried about the rural areas and farmers. Medical facilities are relatively weak in rural areas, thus prevention is difficult and the task is arduous," Xi said, adding that the elderly were a top priority.

China's chaotic exit from a regime of mass lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass COVID testing, has also prompted a run on drugs as people fend for themselves against the disease.

To meet soaring demand, drugmakers in China are rushing to triple their capacity to make key fever and cough medicines, the state-run China Daily reported on Thursday.

China has so far relied on domestic vaccines to combat the pandemic, eschewing foreign-made ones, which some studies have suggested are more effective, while other foreign treatments for COVID-19 have been hard to come by in China.

Pfizer's COVID-19 anti-viral drug Paxlovid is available in China but has been very difficult to obtain through official channels, according to media reports and personal accounts. Merck & Co's antiviral treatment molnupiravir has also been approved for use but is not yet widely available.

Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel told Reuters on Wednesday that the U.S. company was in active discussions to supply COVID-19 vaccines to China.

At a meeting this week, China's National Medical Products Administration pledged to stabilise the prices of COVID-related drugs and crack down on counterfeit sales.

'SIGNIFICANT BURDEN'

Airfinity on Wednesday estimated 62 million people could be infected with the virus between Jan. 13 and Jan. 27 and that COVID-related daily deaths could peak at 36,000 on Jan. 26, up sharply from previous forecasts.

"Our forecast estimates a significant burden on Chinas healthcare system for the next fortnight and it is likely that many treatable patients could die due to overcrowded hospitals and lack of care," Airfinitys analytics director Matt Linley said.

Looking beyond the death toll, there is optimism that China's reopening will reinvigorate a $17 trillion economy suffering one of its lowest growth rates in nearly half a century.

Owners and managers of China's factories, which make almost a third of the world's manufactured goods, hope to return to normality after years of virus restrictions and a recent wave of infections disrupted business.

China could see a sharp recovery from the second quarter onwards, IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath told Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.

Those hopes have nudged China's main stock markets and yuan currency to multi-month highs in recent sessions.

Chinese-controlled Hong Kong, which is trying to revive its finance and trade-reliant economy, said on Thursday it will not require people with COVID-19 to quarantine from Jan. 30, removing one of its last major virus restrictions.

(Reporting by Bernard Orr, Martin Quin Pollard and the Beijing newsroom; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Neil Fullick and Tomasz Janowski)
A crib. Illustrated | Getty Images

There are fewer people in China. The country's population shrank by 850,000 people in 2022, the first time the country has seen a decline since it experienced a devastating famine in the early 1960s. The difference now? China is a rising economic and military power  and its loss of population threatens those accomplishments. The new numbers have prompted fears that the day is coming "when China will not have enough people of working age to fuel its growth," The New York Times reports.

What does this mean for China's future as a superpower? And who might replace China as the world's most populated country? Here's everything you need to know:

Why is China's population decreasing?

There are a number of reasons. Pew Research Center points out that China has long been a place people simply leave. "In 2021, for example, the country experienced an estimated net out-migration of 200,000 people." Of those who stay, the population is disproportionately male: There are approximately 30 million more men than women in the country, and those women are increasingly waiting until later in life to have children. The pandemic may also be playing a role: "Some have cited China's [now-abandoned] zero-COVID policy as a contributing factor to delayed motherhood."

Didn't China actually try to slow its population growth?

Yes. For decades, China famously had a "one-child" policy. "Anxious that rapid population growth would strain the country's welfare systems and state-planned economy, the Chinese state began limiting how many children families could have in the late 1970s," NPR reports. That happened after the country's population nearly doubled between 1940 and 1980, adds the South China Morning Post. The system was enforced with "fines for violators and often forced abortions." That policy led to "sex-selective abortions" that produced the skewed male-to-female ratio. And it also led to plunging numbers of new babies. In response, authorities raised the limit to two children in 2016  and then to three children in 2021.

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Does China no longer have the biggest population, then?

Maybe. Reuters reports that U.N. population experts last year estimated that India's population had grown to 1.412 billion. That would just edge out China, its neighbor. But the numbers are a little fuzzy: Like the United States, India does a census only once a decade  and the 2021 count has been delayed because of the COVID pandemic.

What does a declining population mean for China's future?

It's bad news for the country's growing economy. "China faces a shrinking workforce that will struggle to support a rapidly aging population," The Washington Post reports. According to The New York Times, "By 2035, 400 million people in China are expected to be over 60, accounting for nearly a third of its population."

One model for what happens next is Japan  once considered an economic rival to the United States  where a graying populace has served as a drag on the country's economy. The same could happen in China, CNN reports, and make it difficult to keep the country's already-stumbling economy humming. "The Chinese economy is entering a critical transition phase, no longer able to rely on an abundant, cost-competitive labor force to drive industrialization and growth," one economist told the news network. That could have ripple effects on the global economy.

What does that mean for the budding U.S.-China rivalry?

"Ironically, the population crash is coming just as the People's Republic asserts itself on the world stage like never before," Canada's National Post notes. China's newfound riches have powered a massive expansion of the military and made the country more aggressive and influential abroad. That's led to increasing talk in the United States of "great power competition" and a "pivot to Asia" that has authorities taking action to limit Chinese influence on American social media and industry. But the population decline could undermine China's ascendancy on the world stage. "If you have to spend more than a quarter of GDP to take care of the (aging) population itself, you obviously have less to spend on military, to buy aircraft carriers," the University of North Carolina's Cai Yong tells the National Post. "You cannot project force."

What does this mean for Taiwan?

China considers Taiwan to be a renegade province. There have been growing fears of a possible war that could draw in the United States. The population decline could exacerbate tensions. The RAND Corporation's Timothy Heath writes for Lawfare that China's "compounding troubles"  which include the demographic challenges, but also the pandemic and a troubled property market  could prompt President Xi Jingping to take rash action. "Analysts warn that the situation could motivate China to risk aggressive behavior against Taiwan, disputed islands in the first island chain, and in foreign policy more generally," Heath writes, although he expects that "Beijing's tolerance for risk will likely decline."

What's next?

Bloomberg reports the government has tried to make childbearing easier by lowering educational costs. Beijing has also introduced new rules discouraging abortions. More incentives to encourage couples to have more kids, sooner, are probably on the way. The problem? A population decline, once begun, is difficult to reverse: If "the experience of Japan, South Korea, and other developed nations is any guide, it's incredibly difficult if not impossible to radically raise birth rates." One thing to remember: While China's population is shrinking, it's still plenty big. The number now stands at 1.41 billion people.

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By Samuel Shen and Georgina Lee

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese brokerages are in a race to raise billions of dollars in capital to meet regulatory requirements, jumping on a market upturn to bolster operations as they brace for tougher competition from Wall Street banks on their home turf.

Chinese equities have rebounded more than 10% on economic recovery bets since Beijing dismantled zero-COVID curbs last month, opening a window of opportunity for share issues by the brokerages. Morgan Stanley expects another 13% jump from the current level by end-2023.

The index tracking shares of brokers in China touched a six-month high this week, while the same in Hong Kong has jumped roughly 50% from October lows.

At least six listed brokerages - including China International Capital Corp (CICC) and Huatai Securities - are seeking to sell new shares in private placements or rights issues to raise up to 82.5 billion yuan ($12.2 billion), according to calculation based on their exchange filings.

The brokerages need fresh capital to meet Chinese risk management rules, and finance capital-intensive businesses such as margin financing and market-making, having weathered volatile markets in the last couple of years. The sector saw a 19% profit slump during the first nine months of 2022, according to the industry association.

Other peers could join the pipeline later in the year, say analysts. Chinese brokerages raised just 77 billion yuan via follow-up share sales last year, Refinitiv data showed.

"The market revival is good news for brokerages as they can choose to sell additional shares at a better price," said Xia Chun, chief economist at Shanghai-based wealth manager Yintech Investment Holdings.

"Securities firms need capital to transform their business model by reducing reliance on traditional businesses."

The brokerages traditionally make money mainly from trading commissions, underwriting fees and propriety trading. Many are now expanding into more stable businesses such as wealth and asset management.

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It may not be plain sailing for all seeking fresh capital.

"For big share placements, existing shareholders need adequate cash to participate. Some would choose to sell" rather than buy, said Liam Zhou, founder of Minority Asset Management Co.

WESTERN COMPETITION

The key driver in the rush to raise capital is regulatory change: China's securities watchdog tightened risk-management rules in 2020, requiring that a brokerage's core net capital must not be lower than 8% of total assets.

In addition, quality liquid assets must exceed net cash outflows for the next 30 days, while a brokerage should also have adequate, stable capital base, the regulator has said.

CICC, Huatai, and several other listed brokerages are near the regulatory borderline on one or several metrics, Haitong Securities said in a research note this month, adding they need fresh capital to expand.

Another challenge is looming: Western competition.

Chinese brokerages face stiffer competition after Beijing allowed Western banks, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, to take full control of their China brokerage units.

Rights issues - in which a company invites all shareholders to subscribe to new shares - are being adopted by big brokerages as the preferred channel to raise capital, said Gui Haomin, analyst at brokerage Shenwan Hongyuan.

"The challenge (for Chinese brokerages) is to sustain the good performance and that will depend on the government's policy towards capital markets," said Alec Jin, investment director of Asian equities at Abrdn, which owns shares in CICC.

"If we see clear signals from the government, backed by policy action, of its intent to liberalise the capital markets, the sector's current valuation is very attractive compared to its long-term potential."

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Georgina Lee; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Kenneth Maxwell)
[Source]

Before you read:

A video of a Chinese woman, who says she is being detained by police in a secret location after attending a protest vigil in Beijing last year, has been circulating on social media.

The video, which purportedly shows Cao Zhixin, a 26-year-old editor at Peking University Press, began circulating online on Monday.

In the video, Zhixin explains that she and her five friends were summoned by the police three days after the widespread protests in Beijing on Nov. 27.

More from NextShark: New Poll reveals nearly 3/4 older AAPI women are suffering from the impact of racism amid pandemic

Zhixin and her friends reportedly attended a riverside vigil to mourn the victims of a building fire in Urumqi, which killed 10 people on Nov. 24. Residents blamed the governments strict zero-COVID policy and its lockdown measures for the slow response of firefighters.

We pay attention to the society we live in. When our fellows die we have the right to express our legitimate emotions. Our sympathy is for those who lost their lives and thats why we went to the scene, Zhixin explains in the video, which is captioned with English subtitles.

Although Zhixin says she and her friends were released a day after they were summoned, they were all detained again between Dec. 18-24, with Zhixin being the last to be taken.

More from NextShark: 3-Year-Old to Play at Carnegie Hall After Becoming Youngest Elite International Music Competition Winner

When you see this video, I have been taken away by the police for a while, like my other friends, Zhixin says.

The 26-year-old claims her friends were forced to sign blank arrest warrants without criminal accusations listed and that police refused to reveal the location of their detention.

Zhixin recorded the video after four of her friends  Yuanjing, Yuan Liu, Dengdeng (Zhai Dengrui) and (Li) Siqi  were detained. She had asked other friends to publish the video online if or when she was arrested.

Story continues

More from NextShark: CDC Accused of Racism After Using Chinese Art to Connect to Disease-Carrying Bats

Here and now, when I recorded this video, four of my friends have been taken away without any notices, she says, adding that their families have been desperately trying to find out their locations.

According to Zhixin, she and her friends followed the rules at the vigil and did not cause any conflict with the police.

Why do you want to take us away quietly? What is this revenge for? Why use the lives of ordinary young people like us as the cost? We want to know why it is us who are convicted. What is the evidence to convict us? Without any criminal record, why can we be taken away so arbitrarily? If they want to convict us, show the evidence to the public! Dont let us disappear from this world unjustly. More from NextShark: Tourists claim their alleged attack on Asian hostess was instigated by use of the N-word, lawyer says

The video claims the arrests continue, with 13 people currently missing. It goes on to list the names of people who had attended vigils or protests and have since allegedly disappeared.

After the video began circulating online, U.S.-based scholar Jing Wang tweeted that she recognized the 26-year-old as her editor for a translated book.

Shes one of the best editors Ive met, Wang wrote. We just chatted a few days before she disappeared. Now, she is still out of reach. It breaks my heart to watch this video.d

Zhixin, the young woman in this video, is my editor for a translated book. She's one of the best editors I've met. We just chatted a few days before she disappeared. Now, she is still out of reach. It breaks my heart to watch this video https://t.co/m38j3WmR2s#A4Movement  Jing Wang (@JingWang0815) January 16, 2023

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Update, 5:20 p.m.: The National Weather Service has lifted a severe thunderstorm warning for part of Warren County, which included Waynesville and Lebanon.

The weather service's website no longer lists the county as being under a severe storm warning.

Nearly 8,000 customers were without power as of 5:10 p.m., according to Duke Energy's online outage map. Most of those outages are concentrated in Hamilton and Butler counties, with estimated restorations times as late as 11:30 p.m.

Widespread outages appear to be located in the areas near West End, Over-the-Rhine, Oakley, Loveland and Fairfield, the map shows.

Previous reporting: A severe thunderstorm warning is in place for part of Warren County, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.

The warning is in place until 5:15 p.m., the weather service said. Impacted areas include Waynesville and Lebanon.

Forecasters are warning of 60 mph winds and pea-sized hail.

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in place for much of the region until 7 p.m.

The weather service has warned of a cold front moving across the Greater Cincinnati region Thursday afternoon and evening that will bring showers and thunderstorms, along with strong to severe wind gusts as high as 45 mph.

Forecasters said damaging winds are the primary threat. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and knock down tree limbs, according to the weather service. Power outages are also possible.

Showers and embedded thunderstorms are expected throughout the region until 7 p.m., though there is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather, forecasters said.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Kettering OH, Beavercreek OH and Xenia OH until 5:15 PM EST pic.twitter.com/XCeXir1g48  NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) January 19, 2023

Detailed forecast from the National Weather Service

Friday: A slight chance of snow showers, mixing with rain after 7 a.m., then gradually ending. Cloudy, with a high near 36 degrees. West wind 13 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low around 28 degrees. West winds of around 6 to 10 mph.

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Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41 degrees. Southwest wind around 6 mph. A chance of snow after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy at night, with a low around 29 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.

Sunday: Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 1 p.m. High near 39 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 90%. A chance of rain and snow after 1 a.m. Cloudy at night, with a low around 31 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39 degrees. Mostly cloudy at night, with a low around 29 degrees.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43 degrees. Rain and snow likely at night. Cloudy, with a low around 32 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Severe storm warning ends for Warren County; nearly 8k without power
Photo: The Canadian Press New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh listens to a question during an availability on Parliament Hill, Thursday, January 19, 2023 in Ottawa. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh says it will be a deal-breaker if the Liberal government doesn't introduce a pharmacare bill in Parliament this year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh says if the Liberal government does not introduce a pharmacare bill in the House of Commons this year, he will consider it a deal-breaker.

Both parties signed a confidence-and-supply agreement last March, in which the NDP agreed to support the minority Liberal government in key votes until 2025.

In exchange, the Liberals would advance some NDP priorities, including by passing pharmacare legislation by the end of this year.

Singh says health care will remain his party's top priority heading into the next sitting.

He says his party would also withdraw their support of the Liberal government if they do not expand dental care this year.

Singh says he wants to see dental coverage expanded for teens, seniors and those living with a disability, which is also spelled out in the agreement between both parties.
Jan. 19A legal case against a Cullman High School senior, who has diagnosed Autism spectrum disorder, was filed by Cullman City Schools and had its first preliminary hearing Thursday, Jan. 12.

Court documents  submitted to The Times by the student's mother, Melanie Roberts  list CHS Principal Allison Tuggle as the plaintiff and claim that she was the recipient of verbal threats made by the student in October.

Roberts said that while her son has never threatened violence in the past, he does have a well-documented history of making inappropriate comments at school.

"He's always had a problem saying inappropriate things, it's part of his autism. He has no filter," Roberts said.

Roberts said that the previous administration  led by former CHS Principal Kim Hall  had been willing to work with her son to find solutions and appropriate disciplinary action. That changed, she said, at the beginning of this year when Tuggle stepped into the position, and that the recent outburst prompting the legal action came as a response to her son not receiving the appropriate required support measures.

According to her son's current Individualized Education Plan  submitted to The Times by Roberts  her son was to receive 40-minute sessions each month to address his deficits with interpersonal skills. Roberts said that he never received those sessions and began to receive frequent calls from the school over her son's behavior.

"I was getting called to the school every day," she said.

Roberts submitted a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights with the Department of Education in September 2022. In the complaint, Roberts said that she had been faced with similar issues with her older son  who also is diagnosed with ASD and graduated in 2020  and stated that she has filed numerous similar complaints with the district dating back to 2010, but that no action has been taken. Roberts said that she was told this was due to the district being unable to maintain a contract with behavioral support specialists.

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CCS Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff told The Times on Tuesday that there had been no staffing difficulties.

"That's inaccurate. We got them working in our schools right now," Kallhoff said. "Since I've been here I haven't seen that as an issue."

In a follow up statement sent to The Times, Kallhoff outlined the support given to neurodivergent students by the school system: "The district holds contracts with several behavioral companies that provide us with school psychologists and or BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts), who evaluate and provide the appropriate behavioral services necessary for individual students to make progress in light of their circumstances. Part of those contracts is staff training as needed."

Kallhoff previously told The Times that it had been difficult to find special education workers and that the district approved to offer pay increases for those workers  along with other school support staff  as part of its $1 million dollar investment that was added to the 2023 State Education Budget.

"Those are very difficult jobs for us to fill: custodians, the CNP (Child Nutrition Program) workers and cafeteria, special education aids. Those are positions where we post advertisements and we just don't get a lot of applicants," Kallhoff told The Times in July 2022.

In addition to not receiving behavioral services, Roberts said that her son has had his class schedule changed multiple times since the beginning of the school year  which due to his disability, she said, has negatively impacted his attitude  and that he has been approached by administrators on multiple occasions trying to suggest he request to participate in at-home education services.

This resulted in the outburst in October, Roberts said, when her son allegedly said he would "just love to kill administration" after being denied his request to use the school's resource room to calm himself down.

Guidance issued by the USDOE in July 2022 indicates that schools are prohibited from enforcing disciplinary action against a disabled student if the offense was caused by their disability. Roberts' son was removed from school and required to continue his education at home.

A threat assessment was performed by a counselor in November at the request of CCS, and according to Roberts it was determined that her son did not present a threat. The criminal harassment charges were also filed in November.

Kallhoff said that Tuggle was legally required to file the charges. Mike Tafelski, Children's Rights Senior Supervising Attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), said that this practice of "punishment and police" is not uncommon, but was not an effective method of addressing school safety.

"In Alabama and across the South, students with disabilities are commonly and unlawfully being referred to law enforcement and the juvenile court system. The are not being provided services and supports as required under federal law. That is a common occurrence in Alabama," Tafelski said.

"You need to conduct a comprehensive investigation. You need to not just look at a statement in isolation, but you need to contextualize it and validate whether there is a true threat. Not every time that a student says something  particularly a neurodivergent student  does the default need to be, 'Well this needs to go to our criminal legal system.' There are questions and investigations that schools conduct every day with respect to disciplinary decisions because schools have so much discretion with how they discipline students."

While her son has not been formally suspended or expelled, he has been required to continue his senior year at home. Roberts said that this has resulted in him falling behind in his classes and that being separated from his friends has caused him to feel isolated.

Roberts said that her son was ordered by the court to undergo an additional evaluation and that a hearing was scheduled for March 2.
Jan. 18A Clairton man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a fatal shooting Jan. 2 in Pitcairn.

Daniel Kelly, 21, of Clairton, faces a homicide charge and weapons violations, the sheriff's office said.

The victim, Nekye Smith, had been shot in the head around 4 p.m. in the 400 block of Robinson Street and died at Forbes Regional Trauma Center, police said.

A warrant for Kelly's arrest was issued Jan. 5, according to court records.

The sheriff's office said Kelly was arrested Wednesday morning by the Allegheny County Sheriff's Fugitive Squad in Pittsburgh. He surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff's office said.

A preliminary hearing date had not yet been scheduled.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
CNN

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) told CNN on Thursday that it wasn't his place to call for his truth-allergic colleague George Santos resignation, only for anchor Victor Blackwell to remind him hes had no problem demanding President Joe Biden to step down.

Amid growing uproar for Santos to resign over the non-stop flood of allegations that he fabricated most of his resume and biography, the freshman New York congressman has remained defiant. Even with most lawmakers from his home state urging him to quit, Santos has said he wont leave Congress unless everyone who voted for him individually calls on him to do so.

Despite the vast web of lies hes been accused of weaving, House Republicans rewarded Santos with two assignments earlier this week on the small business and science committees.

As a member of the influential House Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee seats, Donalds was asked on Thursday about Santos qualifications. (Donalds, one of the MAGA holdouts during this months contentious speaker vote, obtained his own marquee committee assignments after flipping his vote for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.)

The GOP lawmaker essentially told Blackwell his hands were tied when it came to placing Santos on various committeeswhile simultaneously justifying the disgraced congressmans new assignments.

Specifically to George and this situation, thats something that is really not my ability to get involved with because thats between him and his voters, the Florida lawmaker stated. But every member of Congress is actually placed on committees. Thats how the process works.

He continued: Were going to place him on committees and then if something else happens down the line, then well revisit the decision. But there are members who do sit on committees in Congress thats not a biographical background part of what theyve done in their life before Congress. And they sit on these various committees and try to do the best job possible on behalf of their district but also on behalf of the American people.

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Noting that several House Republicans and most Democrats have now called for Santos to resign as his scandals continue to multiply, Blackwell wondered why Donalds hasnt joined that push.

Do you think he can serve effectively? Blackwell asked.

I think its gonna be difficult, no doubt about it, but again if he has the wherewithal to deal with these things that have been caused by him and other things, and still do his job, that still remains to be seen, the Republican congressman replied.

About the growing list of people calling for resignations, no, I have not joined that, Donalds added. Simply because I dont think thats the job of another member of Congress to say or call for. I think thats something between him and his voters. He has to deal with that on an individual basis.

The CNN anchor, however, brought up an inconvenient truth to push back on Donalds sudden reticence. Well, I will say that you called for President Biden to resign and 84 million people voted for him, Blackwell retorted, concluding the interview with that parting shot.

While Blackwell did get the number of votes Biden received in the 2020 election wrong (it was actually 81.3 million), he was correct that Donalds has called for Bidens resignation. In August 2021, the then-freshman lawmaker insisted that the president resign immediately over the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday said officials have been tracking a suspected Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii for weeks.

While foreign military ships are allowed to move through U.S. waters, the Coast Guard said in a press release that it is monitoring the vessel and sharing updated information with the Department of Defense to appropriately meet presence with presence to encourage international maritime norms.

Cmdr. Dave Milne, the chief of external affairs, said the Coast Guard tracks all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities.

The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest, Milne said in a statement. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific.

The Coast Guard on Wednesday also shared a video clip of the vessel, which it called an intelligence gathering ship, when it was moving through the waters off Hawaii on Jan. 11.

Last May, the U.S. also tracked another Russian ship near Hawaii, which alerted U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Tensions remain sky-high between the two countries amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MIAMI (AP)  Colombia on Thursday extradited to the U.S. the brother of powerful leftist senator on charges that he conspired with dissident guerrillas to smuggle huge quantities of cocaine.

A handcuffed Alvaro Cordoba was handed to agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for a chartered flight to New York.

The case was something of a minefield for President Gustavo Petro, a former leftist rebel who signed off on the extradition of his ally's brother despite his own increasing criticism of Colombias role as the U.S. caretaker in the war on drugs.

Cordoba was arrested in Medellin, Colombia, last February on drug trafficking and weapons charges returned by a federal grand jury in Manhattan.

Cordoba's sister, Sen. Piedad Cordoba, was elected to the Senate as part of Petro's coalition in a historic victory last year. For decades she has been a leftist stalwart in deeply conservative Colombia who promoted peace with rebel groups, closer ties to Venezuela's socialist government and more support for traditionally overlooked Afro-Colombian communities.

She has said that she and her brother are the targets of a set-up akin to the manhunt decades ago that brought down Medellin cartel boss Pablo Escobar.

But her complaints of political persecution have so far fallen on deaf ears, with Petro shortly after his election suggesting she take a breather from politics. In September, he signed off on Cordobas extradition  something that was taken as a hopeful sign in Washington, which has relied on Colombia's support for more than two decades to limit at the source the supply of cocaine entering the U.S.

Although the U.S. case against Alvaro Cordoba remains sealed, Colombian court records from his attempt to block extradition show that the 63-year-old nutritionist was targeted in a coordinated sting by a unidentified confidential source working at the direction of the DEA.

In several recorded meetings, the confidential source told Cordoba that he was looking for protection inside Colombia to smuggle as much as three tons of cocaine per month through Mexico to New York, according to an affidavit by DEA Special Agent Matthew Passmore accompanying the extradition request authorized by Colombia's Supreme Court.

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Cordoba then put the source in touch with an associate who said he had a large amount of chickens  allegedly a coded reference to cocaine, the affidavit says.

Cordoba also allegedly offered to make arrangements for the DEA source to visit a clandestine camp in southern Colombian jungles where 300 guerrillas armed with surface-to-air missiles and other weapons would supply and provide safe passage for the narcotics. The rebel unit was run by a holdout commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who refused to go along with a 2016 peace deal that Piedad Cordoba helped broker.

Right before Christmas in 2021, Cordoba and an associate allegedly delivered to the confidential source and an undercover Colombian official a five-kilogram sample of cocaine in exchange for $15,000. A few months later, Cordoba was arrested.

___

Associated Press writer Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

___

Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman
It was a tragic accident when Carlos M. Favours Jr., 24, fatally shot his friend, 20-year-old Khalil J. Swayne, at Swayne's house in 2019, according to Favours' attorney and a Franklin County prosecutor.

Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor George W. Wharton told The Dispatch there is no evidence Favours intended to kill or harm Swayne.

Now, Favours is facing at least 14 years behind bars for the incident.

Previous coverage:Arrest made in fatal shooting on Southeast Side

Favours pleaded no contest in December to one count of involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification. On Wednesday, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft sentenced Favours to an indefinite prison term of 12 years to 16 years and six months, which included a mandatory three years for the specification. When Swayne was killed, Favours was on probation for a charge of failing to comply with an officer's orders. Due to the conviction in Swayne's death, Cocroft revoked Favours' probation and he was sentenced to another two years in that case.

Favours has already spent over a year in jail, which will count toward time served.

He thought the gun was broken

A memo submitted to the court by Gerald Simmons, Favours' attorney, describes the chain of events that led to Swayne's death:

Favours got a gun from a friend because he was afraid for his life. Favours' roommate was fatally shot in the parking lot of their apartment building in October 2019, and Favours believed he was the intended target.

A friend lent Favours a gun, but it would not work for him. A different friend who used that kind of gun in the National Guard agreed to meet Favours at Swayne's house on Maybury Road. The three of them met in Swayne's basement on Dec. 22, 2019 to hopefully repair the gun. The ex-Guardsman took the gun apart, failed to discover the problem and reassembled it before placing it on a couch in the basement.

More related to gun violence:Bullets fly often at Hilltop complex where Sinzae Reed, 13, was shot

Story continues

Shortly after that, a fourth friend arrived at the door. The ex-Guardsman started to go upstairs to let the new person in, and Favours picked up the gun to free up another place to sit, the memo states.

"As Carlos was handling the gun to remove it from the couch it accidentally, inexplicably fired, hitting Khalil (Swayne) in the back," Simmons said in the memo.

Carlos was administering CPR when police arrived. Swayne was taken in life-threatening condition to Mount Carmel East hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:05 p.m.

While in police custody, Favours was informed Swayne had died and he broke down crying, according to the memo.

"I was moving the gun  it went off," Favours said to the detective, according to the memo.

More court news:Multiple fatal shootings by officers among notable Columbus cases set for 2023

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Carlos Favours Jr. sentenced for 2019 involuntary manslaughter
Fatteh at Nawal is a creamy, savory dish of garbanzo beans, fried pita chips, yogurt, hummus, fried almond slivers and chopped parsley. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Looking down at a bowl of fatteh at Nawal, a weekend pop-up in Solano Canyon near Dodger Stadium, the carefully sectioned ingredients look as if theyre poised to begin whirling. The color palette isnt too far off from the spinning pinwheel that can appear on Mac screens. Almond slivers fried in ghee and stained burnt orange from spices; a mound of chopped parsley; pickled turnips dyed pink from beets and cut into batons; and thinned hummus drizzled in triangle-shaped patterns all pop atop a layer of smooth yogurt.

The disruptive crunch of fried pita lurks underneath. Fatteh  the name derives from the Arabic word "fatta," which broadly translates as break in pieces  is a staple Levantine dish of infinite variations built on crisped bread and yogurt flavored with garlic. Dinner versions might incorporate sliced poached chicken, or an overlay of spiced chopped or ground lamb scattered with buttery pine nuts, or cubed fried eggplant. Whole chickpeas usually tumble through, adding a creamy-grainy contrast to the scope of textures.

Enjoying a soujouk wrap in the Nawal backyard. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Street vendors and home cooks throughout the region compose vegetarian riffs on fatteh as breakfast. The one that brothers Armbay and Dotee Zakaria assemble for Nawal is the recipe they learned from their mother, who grew up in Damascus, Syria. They go easy on the garlic, and they achieve a glossy lightness to the yogurt by stirring in some of the cumin-scented broth in which they cooked the chickpeas.

Whether you take it to go or settle at one of three tables on the small fenced-in patio in the back of Dotees home, youll want to inhale the savory comforts of fatteh fast before the pita goes soggy.

The brothers named the pop-up after their mother. Nawal means gift in Arabic, and the honorific strikes me as doubly appropriate. We have few restaurants serving this kind of homey Syrian cooking in Los Angeles; the Zakarias' tiny operation has been a boon to the city since they started service in June.

Story continues

A spread of dishes from Nawal's backyard pop-up surrounds a bowl of fatteh: clockwise from top left, labneh crisp with soujouk, ful, soujouk wrap and ful medames. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Their menu is short, with five or six core items and a monthly rotation of specials. They open for orders at noon on Saturday and Sunday, though the mix of dishes leans into the traditional Syrian breakfast repertoire. Ful  the long-simmered fava beans that are a cornerstone food across southwest Asia and North Africa  comes in three forms. Two of them present whole favas, yielding but also retaining some chew, dressed with olive oil, garlic, diced tomatoes and chiles. One leans into lemon as the brightening flavor, and the other uses tahini for nutty richness.

A third expression of ful sees these same base ingredients, including the tarator (tahini sauce), blended into a fudgy puree and finished with a peppery glug of olive oil. Plenty of warmed flatbread comes alongside. Fruity green olives and labneh balls rolled in soft-tasting herbs, which are paired as a small plate, complete the spread.

Theres also a wrap, folded around blistered Armenian lavash, that the brothers will readily concede was created out of things they might pull from their mothers refrigerator and throw together as a snack. Slices of soujouk, a small hunk of fried halloumi, tomatoes, pickled turnips and peppers peek out of one end. Its earthy, spicy and gone in seven or eight bites. Same goes for a rectangle of lavash baked into a cracker, spread thickly with labneh and sprinkled with zaatar, dried mint and olive oil; slices of soujouk are optional.

Nawal's Dotee Zakaria, left, Armbay Zakaria and Danny Zakaria. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Makdous, oil-cured baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts and garlicky chile paste, show up as a frequent special. Ive only tasted makdous before from Lebanese friends who haul back jars of it in their suitcase after a visit home. Theyre squishy-plush and pleasantly tannic. The Zakarias lay the makdous across sliced baguette, though Id suggest plucking them off the bread and arranging them over the fatteh, which pushes the soothing combination into sharper, edgier territories.

Take the experience at face value  the charmingly covert system of ordering through a window cut in the wooden fence behind the house; the elegant, sun-soaked flavors punctuated with pickles and herbs  and Nawal is a straightforward pleasure, relaxed and wholesome and gently evolving.

Armbay frequently drifts out of the kitchen, delivering dishes and engaging with customers. Get him talking and he will unravel stories that illuminate the brothers project as an uplifting declaration of identity.

Customers enjoy dishes in the Nawal backyard. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Their parents assimilated into Syria, but they are Circassian by heritage. The Circassians, a group of people indigenous to the mountainous Northwest Caucasus region flanked by the Black and Caspian seas, have experienced profound displacement over the last two centuries. They were expelled from their homeland in the late 1800s after they lost a protracted war resisting subjugation by the Russian Empire.

Most Circassians resettled across the Ottoman Empire; Armbay and Dotees parents were among those who settled in Golan Heights, a hilly tract of land in far southwestern Syria. The Circassians established villages where they were able to retain their cultural customs for nearly a century. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Golan Heights came under Israeli military occupation. Armbay visited the area 20 years ago; his father, Muchir, drew him a detailed map of the destroyed town, called Khushnia, where both his parents had grown up. Armbay was able to follow his precise instructions  the site was frozen in time  and stand on the rubble of their family homes.

After fleeing to Damascus, Muchir and Nawal eventually immigrated to Paterson, N.J., a town designated by the United States government for a relocation program offered to Circassians in the 1970s and 80s. (Emily Efraimov, whose roving pop-up Little Dacha Ive followed since she launched it in 2020, also explores her Circassian roots in her cooking and has ties to New Jersey.) In 1978, Muchir and Nawal moved their young family to Anaheim.

One of the most popular dishes at Nawal is the Fatteh. A shareable dish of Whole garbanzo beans, fried pita chips, house yogurt sauce, house hummus sauce, fried slivered almonds, parsley, chili oil drizzle, and house seasoning. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

Woodworking has been the family trade since Syria. Armbay and Dotee built the soaring white oak panels that frame the panoramic dining-room views at 71Above in the U.S. Bank Tower downtown. Cutting a hole in a fence for their pop-up was childs play.

One Saturday in November, the brothers veered from the Syrian dishes and tackled making haliva  crimped and fried turnovers filled with herbed potato or adiga, a homemade Circassian cows milk cheese known for taking the shape of the patterned basket in which it sets. Danny Zakaria, the cousin of Armbay and Dotee who takes orders at the windows, brought out the haliva in brown paper bags. A colleague and I ate them hot and fast, nibbling on olives and sipping strong black tea between bites.

Im thrilled to have a local destination for comforting fatteh, but I also hope the brothers occasionally circle back to haliva and other Circassian dishes that Nawal prepared and taught them. Neither Armbay nor Dotee see their project as some sort of culinary steppingstone. They arent chefs aiming for inroads and investors. They like their weekend project as they envisioned it: as a backyard hang, a place for sharing their wildly nuanced heritage, a way to remember. Nawal is totally unique, but it also fluently joins the lineage of ephemeral food spaces  trucks, street vendors, kitchen takeovers, one-off collaborations and creative side hustles  that keep L.A.s character vital. What a gift.

At Syrian food pop-up Nawal, guests order through a fence and come around into the backyard for communal seating. (Oscar Mendoza / For The Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Jan. 18Encouraging the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the message that Pastor Sonnye Gibson brought to the ceremony held on Monday evening to mark MLK Day.

The event differed from previous programs in that preteens and teens read sections of King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech as well as serving the meal to those in attendance.

Gibson said teaching the true meaning of King's contributions is vital to extending his legacy. To do otherwise, he said, "is doing them a disservice." He urged adults to emphasize each step and its significance in the yearly event so the younger generation would understand and appreciate the struggles that King faced.

The tribute to King included activities at the London Community Center that morning in which children composed essays about King's contributions and the influence he had upon today's society. Debbye Allen oversees that portion of the program and presents certificates to the essay winners each year.

The re-enactment of King's March on Washington D.C. in August 1963 takes place with comments from the Judge Executive and Mayor at the Laurel County Courthouse before the group gathering together walks to the London Community Center. In true fashion of the freedom march, "This Little Light of Mine" is sung by those participating in the march.

Mayor Randall Weddle said that King stressed love for all people, something that each person should do. Laurel County Judge Executive David Westerfield seconded that, adding that King loved all people and wanted to spread the message that love should not stop with race, color, or religion.

Each year, persons who have supported the MLK Day celebration are honored. This year's honorees were former Mayor Troy Rudder and retired educator Bill Moore. Rudder is also a retired educator, having served as teacher and assistant principal before being elected mayor, where he served for 16 years. Moore was noted for his compassion and dedication as both a teacher and as a person.

2023 is the 60th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech that has served as the cry for equality. It also marks 55 years since he was assassinated during an appearance in Memphis, Tenn. on April 6, 1968.
On Wednesday, a national coalition of companies and nonprofit groups announced a big vision for community solar in the U.S.: 30 gigawatts by 2030. Thats nearly six times the 5.3 gigawatts installed now.

The Coalition for Community Solar Access, which counts companies Arcadia and Con Edison and nonprofits Groundswell and Grid Alternatives among its members, made the announcement at the Community Solar Power Summit in San Diego.

Community solar puts renewable power within reach of those who cant install solar panels on their roofs. Users can instead subscribe to a part of an offsite array, and in return for the energy their portion of the array produces, earn credits that save them money on their electric bills.

Community solar offers an amazing opportunity to access clean energy and reduce the monthly energy burden ofAmerican households today, said Jeff Cramer, CEO of CCSA. Signing up for community solar is as easy as signing up for Netflix, he told Canary Media. (Read our guide on community solar to learn more.)

Community solar can especially benefit low-income households, Cramer said. These families spend a high proportion of their paychecks on electric bills: on average, almost three times (8.6 percent) what other households spend (3 percent), according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Getting to the coalitions vision of 30 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030  a number informed by a 2021 study on decarbonizing the grid  will require action sooner rather than later, Cramer said. Energy markets and energy policy work on a decades-long time scale.

To achieve its goal, CCSA lays out a handful of directives for community-solar companies, nonprofits and supportive policymakers, including prioritizing low- and moderate-income customers, growing grassroots partnerships, partnering with utilities and state utility commissions, and getting 10 new states to adopt policy or legislation to make community solar possible.

Story continues

As of now, 22 states plus Washington, D.C. have created community-solar markets. Theyre not necessarily perfect; California passed a bill last year to create a new structure that could drive much faster expansion than its existing, floundering community-solar programs.

Six more states will be considering community-solar legislation this year, according to the CCSA: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Community solar also stands to benefit from long-term incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, Cramer pointed out. The climate law provides investment and production tax credits, as well as a bonus tax credit for serving low- to moderate-income customers, through 2032 that apply to community-solar projects. Those tax credits also cover grid-interconnection costs, a significant part of overall community-solar costs that previously werent eligible, he said.

The landmark climate bill also creates a $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a national green bank that could spur up to 10 times its seed funding in private-sector lending for projects including community solar. Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to start implementing the program within 180 days of the bills passage, Cramer anticipates that funding to start flowing within weeks.

So is CCSAs 30-gigawatt-by-2030 goal outlandish? Cramer doesnt think its anything pie-in-the-sky. In fact, its a floor, not a ceiling, he said. The vision also lines up with the DOEs own target of 20 gigawatts of community solar by 2025, which is expected to save subscribers $1 billion in energy costs.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, and it certainly wont be easy, Cramer wrote in an announcement on the CCSA website. But if were successful, we will provide at least 10 million Americans with the ability to choose local, clean, reliable, and affordable renewable energy, empowering customers to lead the clean energy transition.
Teen Helping to Raise Money for New Wheelchair Lift for Best Friend

GoFundMe

A 15-year-old Connecticut student is hoping to raise enough money to buy her best friend a new wheelchair lift and vehicle so he can be "as happy and successful as possible."

Lily Gardiner recently created a GoFundMe campaign to benefit her friend, 14-year-old Chad Chlebowski.

"I had a very tough time going to school and an even harder time staying happy while I was there," Gardiner told Patch about her time in school before meeting Chlebowski.

"As soon as I met Chad, his presence and his familiar face made it feel easier to go to school," she explained. "Knowing I had someone to look forward to seeing was something that helped me so much."

When Chlebowski recently received a new motorized wheelchair to replace the one he relied on, he encountered an unexpected set of difficulties.

RELATED: High School Student Saves Money for 2 Years to Surprise Friend with an Electric Wheelchair

Teen Helping to Raise Money for New Wheelchair Lift for Best Friend

GoFundMe

Gardiner said in the post on the fundraising site that the weight of the motorized wheelchair made it impossible for Chlebowski to easily use a lift at home and with his car.

"Chad is truly the light of my life and to know him is to love him," Gardiner wrote. "I don't know what I would do without him and he deserves the absolute world!! Chad can make you laugh like no one else can, he lights up every room he enters and he can make you happy even on your worst day."

RELATED: Dad Pushes Daughter with Rare Disease in Wheelchair as They Finish Boston Marathon Together

"It would mean so much to me if you could join me in raising money for him, in an attempt to give back half of the joy he gives to all of us!" she added. "I'm hoping to raise this money so Chad can be as happy and successful as possible in his new chair."

As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign has raised nearly $13,000 of its $15,000 goal.

RELATED VIDEO: Dad Pushes Daughter with Rare Disease in Wheelchair as They Finish Boston Marathon Together

"He's really excited about it," Gardiner told Patch of her fundraising effort to get her friend a new lift and vehicle. "Knowing so many people are helping him, it's really special."

She continued: "Chad is always in a good mood, and always the best version of himself. That's taught me a lot."
A man missing with his partner and their newborn baby has been revealed to be a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison.

Mark Gordon went missing with aristocrats daughter Constance Marten and their newborn baby on 5 January, after leaving their broken-down vehicle on the M61 near Bolton.

Gordon, 48, was jailed in the late 1980s in the US after raping and assaulting a woman in her early 20s when he was 14 years-old.

The state of Florida convicted him when he was 16 and he served a 20-year sentence before being deported back to the UK in 2010.

Police are appealing to the public to help find the family, who they said could be anywhere in the UK. The baby is believed to have been one to two days old at the time the family disappeared.

Key Points

Mark Gordon spent 20 years in US jail for rape

Couple knows how to dodge police, says Met

Constance Marten was promising actress and featured in Tatler magazine

Couple missing with baby have cash to stay off-grid

07:15 , Shweta Sharma

A couple missing for 11 days with their newborn have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.

Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their baby have no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.

Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family, while Mr Gordon is a sex offender who served 20 years in US jail for rape and battery.

Police are worried for the newborn and say neither Ms Marten nor the baby have had medical attention since the birth.

Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.

Mother missing with partner and newborn spotted 200 miles from where they vanished

06:30 , Shweta Sharma

A mother who has disappeared with her newborn baby and partner may have been spotted twice at sites more than 200 miles away from where they went missing three days ago, police say.

Story continues

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believe Constance Marten may have been seen in Essex, firstly near to Harwich Port on Saturday at 9am and then in Colchester around an hour later.

Ms Marten, Mark Gordon and the child have been missing since their vehicle broke down near junction four of the M61, near Bolton, on Thursday evening.

Mother missing with partner and newborn spotted 200 miles from where they vanished

Man missing with aristocrats daughter and their newborn is convicted rapist

06:00 , Liam James

The partner of a woman missing with a newborn baby is a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison (Thomas Kingsley writes).

Mark Gordon and aristocrats daughter Constance Marten went missing with their newborn baby on 5 January, when they left their broken-down car on the M61 near Bolton. Police were alerted to the vehicle when it caught fire, destroying most of their possessions.

The Metropolitan Police has released a fresh appeal in the high risk search as officers fear the family could be anywhere in the UK.

Gordon is a registered sex offender who was jailed in the late 1980s in the US, after raping and assaulting a woman in her early twenties when he was 14 years old. He was put behind bars in Florida when he was 16 and served a 20-year sentence before being deported back to the UK in 2010.

The Independent previously revealed that Ms Marten is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Man missing with aristocrats daughter and newborn is convicted rapist

CCTV image released in search for missing couple with newborn baby

05:30 , Shweta Sharma

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Police searching for a missing couple and their newborn baby have released a CCTV image that is believed to be of the mother amid fears for their safety.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for Constance Marten to make contact and seek medical assistance.

Ms Marten, Mark Gordon and their child have been missing since their vehicle broke down near junction four of the M61, near Bolton, on Thursday.

CCTV image released in search for missing couple with newborn baby

Constance Marten was promising actress and featured in Tatler magazine

05:00 , Liam James

Constance Marten was promising actress and featured in Tatler magazine

A mother who is missing with her newborn baby and partner was a talented actress, according to friends (Thomas Kingsley writes).

The mother and baby belong to an aristocratic household that once possessed a sprawling country estate with links to the royal family, as revealed by The Independent.

As concern for the family grows, worried friends have spoken out about the former Tatler magazine babe of the month who enrolled at East 15 drama school in Essex before dropping out in 2016. Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former friend revealed that she had been a promising actress in her youth.

Mother missing with newborn baby was talented actress and featured in Tatler

Mother missing with newborn baby is part of aristocratic family with links to the Queen Mother

04:30 , Shweta Sharma

A mother missing with her partner and newborn baby belongs to an aristocratic family which used to own a sprawling country estate and has close links to the royal family.

Constance Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Ms Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their child were last seen on Thursday evening after their car broke down on the M61 motorway, at which point they left the road safely and walked towards Anchor Lane bridge, near Bolton.

Mother missing with newborn baby belongs to aristocratic family with royal links

Search for Constance Marten involves 200 police officers

04:00 , Liam James

More than 200 police officers are involved in the search for Constance Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their newborn child.

Metropolitan Police said officers had scoured more than 200 hours of CCTV footage so far.

The missing couple appear to know how to evade authorities, making the search more difficult, police said.

It recently emerged that Mr Gordon is a convicted rapist who had been jailed in the US.

The last confirmed sighting of the pair was on 7 January, two days after their disappearance, on CCTV at Londons East Ham station.

Newborn hasnt been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal

03:00 , Liam James

Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordons newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.

Metropolitan Polices Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constances car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.

As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.

Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.

DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.

Couple know how to avoid authorities, say police

02:00 , Liam James

Police investigating the disappearance of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their newborn baby said the couple appears to know how to evade authorities, making the search harder.

Officers believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may help find them.

Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.

Met Polices latest missing poster for the couple, issued last Friday (PA)

Newborn hasnt been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal

01:00 , Liam James

Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordons newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.

Metropolitan Polices Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constances car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.

As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.

Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.

DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.

Constance Marten and partner have cash to live on, say police

00:00 , Liam James

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.

The aristocrats daughter, the convicted rapist and their baby had no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.

The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends.

Last September, they began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods before going missing after abandoning their car on 5 January.

Constance Marten: Couples known steps since disappearance

Wednesday 18 January 2023 22:50 , Liam James

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been missing with their newborn baby since 5 January.

The pair abandoned their car at the side of the M61 near Bolton after it caught fire. They walked to Anchor Lane bridge and hailed a taxi to Liverpool before taking another taxi to Harwich in Essex arriving just after midnight on Friday 6 January.

They were spotted in Colchester and further inquiries revealed they took a taxi to East Ham station, where they were seen on Saturday 7 January between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

The east London station was where they were last confirmed to have been seen.

Marten and Gordon on CCTV at East Ham (Met Police)

Marten lost touch after school, says friend

Wednesday 18 January 2023 21:35 , Liam James

A woman who says she was friends with Constance Marten at drama school said the aristocrats daughter lost touch in an out of character way.

I tried to contact her several times, the friend told The Sunday Times. On Facebook, and on my phone, but she never replied. It was very unlike her. I was very upset after it.

A former classmate from the East 15 drama school told the paper Ms Marten was a promising actress at school.

She was just beautiful, full of life, full of kindness ... and she was very, very talented. Just a stunning person inside and out. I was kind of bowled over by her really, they said.

(Supplied)

Constance Marten: The It girls aristocrat links

Wednesday 18 January 2023 20:20 , Liam James

Andy Gregory walks through the roots of Constance Marten, the aristocrats daughter missing with her child:

Constance Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Her grandparents were Toby Marten, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, and his wife Mary Anna, who had close links to the royal family, attending the Brownies pack at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret in her youth.

A notable archaeologist, Ms Marten was awarded an OBE in 1980 and appointed High Sheriff of Dorset nine years later. She was also made a trustee of the British Museum and travelled widely in aid of her profession, making frequent trips to Iran and 30 visits to Russia.

The late couple and their family lived at the vast Crichel House  used as the backdrop for several period dramas, including Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow  the ownership of which in the wake of the Second World War became the centre of a notorious political scandal.

They were survived by five daughters and one son, Napier Marten, who was a Page to Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996 he took a voyage of spiritual discovery in Australia, later returning to work as a tree surgeon near Crichel House.

Search for Constance Marten involves 200 police officers

Wednesday 18 January 2023 19:40 , Liam James

More than 200 police officers are involved in the search for Constance Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their newborn child.

Metropolitan Police said officers had scoured more than 200 hours of CCTV footage so far.

The missing couple appear to know how to evade authorities, making the search more difficult, police said.

It recently emerged that Mr Gordon is a convicted rapist who had been jailed in the US.

The last confirmed sighting of the pair was on 7 January, two days after their disappearance, on CCTV at Londons East Ham station.

Constance Marten was promising actress and featured in Tatler magazine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 18:51 , Liam James

A mother who is missing with her newborn baby and partner was a talented actress, according to friends (Thomas Kingsley writes).

The mother and baby belong to an aristocratic household that once possessed a sprawling country estate with links to the royal family, as revealed by The Independent.

As concern for the family grows, worried friends have spoken out about the former Tatler magazine babe of the month who enrolled at East 15 drama school in Essex before dropping out in 2016. Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former friend revealed that she had been a promising actress in her youth.

Mother missing with newborn baby was talented actress and featured in Tatler

Couple know how to avoid authorities, say police

Wednesday 18 January 2023 17:05 , Liam James

Police investigating the disappearance of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their newborn baby said the couple appears to know how to evade authorities, making the search harder.

Officers believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may help find them.

Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.

Newborn hasnt been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal

Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:36 , Liam James

Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordons newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.

Metropolitan Polices Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constances car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.

As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.

Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.

DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.

Constance Marten and partner have cash to live on, say police

Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:13 , Liam James

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.

The aristocrats daughter, the convicted rapist and their baby had no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.

The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends.

Last September, they began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods before going missing after abandoning their car on 5 January.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon sighted outside of East Ham station at around 11.45am on Saturday 7 January (Metropolitan Police)

Man missing with aristocrats daughter and their newborn is convicted rapist

Wednesday 18 January 2023 15:54 , Liam James

The partner of a mother missing with a newborn baby is a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison (Thomas Kingsley writes).

Mark Gordon and aristocrats daughter Constance Marten went missing with their newborn baby on 5 January, when they left their broken-down vehicle on the M61 near Bolton.

The Metropolitan Police has released a fresh appeal in the high risk search as officers fear the trio could be anywhere in the UK.

Man missing with aristocrats daughter and newborn is convicted rapist
Jan. 18The Corbin man accused of robbing a southern Laurel County bank on September 27 has entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court.

Shawn Martin Fox, 35, of Gooden Lane, pled guilty to the federal bank robbery count in connection to the theft from Community Trust Bank on US 25W (Cumberland Gap Parkway).

Fox was initially arrested by the Laurel County Sheriff's Office for first-degree robbery at the state level before he was indicted by a federal grand jury in November.

According to testimony from LCSO Detective Robert Reed at Fox's preliminary hearing in Laurel District Court a week after the incident, Laurel Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call at 12:50 p.m. on September 27 from a Community Trust Bank employee that there was a robbery in progress at the bank.

With video capturing the suspect's likeness and a description of the getaway car as a maroon Honda Civic, the investigation led officers to Fox's residence, where they found the Honda Civic and some discarded clothing.

Det. Reed said further investigation led them to another residence where the property owner said Fox had left in a Ford F-150 truck. The Knox County Sheriff then located Fox on Moore Hill Avenue and other agencies joined in to take him into custody.

Had Fox gone to trial, he faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. According to his plea agreement, he is expected to pay $1,965 in restitution to Community Trust Bank in addition to the sentence he will receive.

Formal sentencing had not been scheduled at press time.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/TLC

Netflix viewers raised their eyebrows last year when the streamer announced Dated and Related, a series that sounded semi-incestuous. Siblings, cousins, and other related duos entered a Love Island-esque villa to find loveeach one canoodling around with the other love-hungry singles, while their relatives were doing the same thing right next to them. It was a little cringey but, all in all, tamer than the title suggested.

Dated and Related looks like a G-rated Pixar movie compared to MILF Manor, a raunchy romp with that huge relative twist. Going into the TLC seriesyes, this is on TLC, though it feels like it should live on HBO Max next to FBoy Islandwe knew that we would be meeting a handful of MILFs looking for love. What we didnt know is that the dating pool would be completely made up of their sons, also eager to sleep around in the same villa. The hilarity! The awkwardness!

TLC

If MILF Manor sounds familiar, you may be thinking of MILF Island, a fake competition show developed by NBC in an episode of 30 Rock, in which older women schmooze with eighth graders on an island. Though there are some differencesthere arent 20 MILFs, there are eight; there arent any eighth graders, but there is a 20-year-oldMILF Manor feels like it was ripped straight from Liz Lemons desk. Its satire drawn up into a real show.

The show purely exists to inspire WTF reactions, clickbait headlines about mothers feeling up their sons, and total outrage. Perhaps Fox News will drum up a segment about the lack of family values from the so-called Learning Channeloh wait, it already haseven though Rupert Murdoch has a penchant for women at least 30 years younger than him. Any press from Fox News on this risque show (in fact, any coverage at all) is good press. The more people that do a double take upon hearing MILF Manor, the more people that will watch at least one YouTube clip out of curiosity.

Whether or not that YouTube clip leads to a new fan is the real question. The show itself is lazily produced, with no host or prize set up to guide viewers along. The women are looking for love, so are their sons, but whats the end goal? Without any structure, its hard to foresee where an entire season of MILF Manor may go. Even though other bizarre reality dating shows like FBoy Island (in which women find love in a sea of fuckboys and nice guys), there are often cash prizes and, in FBoys case, Nikki Glaser to guide them to the end. Instead of a host, text messages are sent out to the moms and sons, announcing the challenges and any updates. MILF Manor could use a bit of restructuring toward giving it a real personality leading the chargemaybe all the stars turned town the opportunity to host, though.

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But the twist still lends itself to a thoroughly entertaining piece of reality television for folks who like to cringelike myself! The moms have varying levels of wackiness, while most of the sons are pretty awkward; together, they equal complete chaos. In the first challenge, the moms are blindfolded and must feel up all the men to find their own son. Several moms get really into the challenge, playfully rubbing their fingers all over abs that they hope dont belong to their son. In another scene, a son talks about how he wants to massage one of the moms feet, lather them in oil, and then eat them. When you have a premise as naughty as MILF Manors, you can really go all out with the cheesiness.

Remembering FBoy Island, the Best Reality Dating Show of Our Time

There is a problem at the core of MILF Manor that needs to be addressed: The show is misunderstanding what a MILF really is. Google the acronym; theres no need for me to spell it out for you. But a MILF does not exclusively include women who go after men of a younger age. A MILF is simply an attractive woman with kids. A cougar, rather, is an older woman who goes after men half her age. A MILF could be pining after a DILF. This show assumes instead that all MILFs are cougars. The MILF Manor contestants try to clear this up in the first episode, arguing instead that cougars are older than MILFs, but the show ultimately fails to understand the difference between these two types of women.

None of this matters if you just want to watch a goofy show with a bonkers premise straight out of a Mad-Lib, though. MILF Manor doesnt dwell on the difference between MILFs and cougars, nor does it try to make a huge political point out of the double standard at play: that older men can date younger women without commentary, but its novel for an older woman to date a younger man. Its not as wonderfully cheesy as FBoy Island or Love is Blind, but the premise is jaw-dropping enough to tune in for at least one episode. Once MILF Manor is able to lean into the cheese factor while also adding a fun-spirited host and a clear-cut focus, well all be thanking 30 Rock for accidentally inspiring such brilliant TV.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Southport's Waterfront attracts thousands of tourists each year. Southport leaders hope to get legislative support to levy a prepared foods tax that will allow those visitors to shoulder some of the burden for upgrading the city's infrastructure.

If Southport leaders get their way, those who dine at city restaurants may be paying a bit more tax.

The board of aldermen recently approved a resolution to request the state legislature support a prepared meals tax in the city.

Heres what you need to know.

Why consider a prepared meals tax?

When it comes to paying for infrastructure, municipalities usually accomplish this through tax revenue from their residents. But in areas with many tourists and day-trippers, residents arent the only ones benefiting. This tax allows visitors to share the burden of infrastructure maintenance and repairs.

Passing the resolution is the first of many steps.

While Southport approved a resolution seeking an additional 1 percent tax on prepared meals purchased at city restaurants, it's just the first step. The next is to garner support from the citys legislative representative in Rep. Charlie Miller and have him introduce the bill in the legislature.

More:Southport pitches new food, bar tax

More:Prepared meals tax sits in finance committee

How much extra will people pay when dining out?

In North Carolina, prepared foods are subject to the regular sales tax, which is 4.75 percent. Counties also adopt their own sales tax rate. In Brunswick, that is an additional 2 percent, which brings the total sales tax to 6.75 percent.

Southports request is for an additional 1 percent and applies to prepared meals only, bringing the total sales tax to 7.75 percent for prepared foods.

What other areas have a tax on prepared meals?

If Southport is successful, it would join several other local governments across the state. Currently, Cumberland, Dare, Mecklenburg and Wake counties, as well as Charlotte and Hillsborough, are all authorized to levy a prepared food and beverages tax of 1 percent.

Durham and Union counties have both sought the tax, but voters in both counties defeated the measure in referendums.

When would it start?

While it depends on how long it takes to get it through the process at the state level, city officials have indicated it would not begin this fiscal year.

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More:Southport becomes 'the attraction' as 10,000-plus homes planned nearby on busy corridor

This isnt the first time Southport has talked about a prepared meals tax.

Southport officials have discussed the tax for many years. In 2017, Reps. Deb Butler and Frank Iler sponsored House Bill 398, which authorized Brunswick County and municipalities within to levy a one-half percent tax on prepared meals. Proceeds would be used for beach nourishment or to construct or improve infrastructure. The bill passed the first reading but was later withdrawn from committee.

In 2019, Iler and Butler filed House Bill 17, which would authorize municipalities within Brunswick to levy a prepared food and beverage tax of one-half percent by either resolution or referendum.

The bill passed the first reading, and changes to the text were later made in committee that no longer allowed the tax to be levied by resolution. Once again, the bill was never voted into law.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Southport leaders seek legislative support for prepared meals tax
(Reuters) - Crypto outlet CoinDesk Inc is exploring a full or partial sale of its business and has hired investment bank Lazard Ltd to lead the process, the media company's chief executive said on Wednesday.

The crypto industry is going through one of its worst phases, with prices of major tokens at two-year lows and a string of bankruptcy filings from top players.

"My goal in hiring Lazard is to explore various options to attract growth capital to the CoinDesk business, which may include a partial or full sale," CEO Kevin Worth told Reuters in a statement.

The development comes amid an industry turmoil, which began with the crash of stable coins TerraUSD and Luna early last year.

More recently, top crypto exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy, while publicly traded Coinbase Global Inc laid off a fifth of its workforce after slashing over 1,000 jobs last year.

New York-based CoinDesk launched in 2013 to track Bitcoin, but the platform has emerged as a key source of news and pricing benchmarks for the entire range of crypto currencies.

The company is wholly owned by crypto-focused venture capital firm Digital Currency Group, which also has interest in Coinbase, according to its website.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
By Axel Threlfall and John Irish

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday urged allies to double down on sending military equipment to support Ukraine and speed up an end to the war with Russia.

Johnson, who left office in September 2022 amid a wave of scandal, was leading Britain when Russia invaded Ukraine in February and in subsequent weeks sought to position Britain as the Ukraine's number one ally in the West.

"There is nothing to be lost by doubling down on the materiel, equipment that we are sending to Ukraine and there is nothing to fear in escalation, and the best thing for the world is to get this thing done, and done fast," Johnson said in an interview as part of the Reuters Impact Arctic Warning series on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

"That is the cheapest solution. It's the solution that has the lowest cost in human life and suffering."

Johnson was speaking at Ukraine House, an exhibition front on Davos' main high street, where Ukraine's high-level delegation has been drumming up support for the country as it nears the end of the first year of the war.

The former mayor of London was made an honorary citizen of Ukraine's capital on Wednesday night by Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko in Davos.

Waving his residency card proudly, Johnson said it would be his "golden Oyster card" - a reference to the travelcard used in London - to one day return to the Ukrainian capital, although he had no immediate plans to go.

"I hope one day I will be able to use it," he said, adding that he had great relations with Ukraine President Voldomyr Zelenskiy.

'HUMBLE BACKBENCHER'

Johnson dismissed suggestions that his activism on Ukraine could be seen as undermining current British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as he ramps up military support.

Britain this week said it would supply Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks - the first modern Western tanks to be promised to Kyiv - and other heavy weaponry.

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"Im a humble backbencher and Im backing my government which remains wholly supportive of Voldomyr Zelenskiy, and the Ukrainian people and where I can be useful is keeping the narrative up and reminding people," he said.

Johnson, who was also prime minister when a deal was struck in Glasgow in 2021 to combat climate change, added that the war in Ukraine should not be used as an excuse to go back on pledges.

"It was a big moment and then Ukraine happened and everybody panicked and thought we had we gone too far, too fast," he said.

Johnson said the world should not reverse course, but press ahead with new green technologies, such as wind and nuclear power, and that the results would eventually appear.

"You have to overcome people's scepticism," he said. "You have to show them that green agenda is going to bring their bills down and if we hadn't put in the offshore wind in the United Kingdom the impact of what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin did would have been far worse."

When asked whether one day he could see himself wandering the WEF again as British Prime Minister, Johnson remained diplomatic saying he was more than happy representing his constituents as a member of parliament.

"I'm having a very happy and productive time getting on representing Uxbridge and South Ruislip and doing some things I care about, amongst them Ukraine, which is very important," he said with a wry smile.

(Reporting by Axel Threlfall and John Irish, writing by William James and John Irish; Editing by Kate Holton and Alex Richardson)
By Maha El Dahan

DAVOS (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is in early discussions with India to trade non-oil commodities in Indian rupees, Emirati Minister for Foreign Trade Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi said on Thursday.

The UAE signed a wide-ranging free trade agreement last year with India, which, along with China, is among the biggest trade partners for Gulf Arab oil and gas producers, most of whose currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar.

Al Zeyoudi, asked by Reuters whether trade in rupees with India was on the table, replied "yes, we are in discussion with the Indians". The talks are related to non-oil commodities, he added.

"They are in the early stages," he said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The UAE's trade deal with India aims to increase bilateral non-oil trade to $100 billion in the next five years.

Other countries, including China, had also raised the issue of settling non-oil trade payments in local currencies, the minister said, but discussions were not at any advanced stage.

The large majority of Gulf trade is conducted in U.S. dollars but countries such as India and China are increasingly seeking to pay in local currencies for various reasons, including lowering transaction costs.

"We have to be realistic, we are planning our budgets based on (US) dollars so it is not an overnight movement," Al Zeyoudi said. "There is a discussion, not only with India, but we are managing it in a way that does not conflict with the overall interests of the nation."

He said any advance in discussions would have to make sense for all countries involved, and for the UAE, would have to add value to the growth of the Gulf Arab state's economy.

The UAE has said its trade relations were increasingly looking to Asia, while its primary security and investment ties were in the West where Gulf Arab states have long-standing strategic partnerships especially with the United States.

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Zeyoudi said that following bilateral trade deals with India and Indonesia, an agreement with Cambodia was expected to conclude in the first quarter.

China's president visited Saudi Arabia in December where he participated in a Gulf Arab summit and called for oil trade in yuan as Beijing seeks to establish its currency internationally.

Saudi Arabia's finance minister said this week that the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter and the largest Arab economy, would be open to trade in other currencies, aside from the U.S. dollar.

(Reporting by Maha El Dahan in Davos; writing by Rachna Uppal in Dubai; editing by Jason Neely and Angus MacSwan)
By Brenda Goh

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer set out his green growth plan in Davos on Thursday and criticised British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for not showing up at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

Starmer, whose left-leaning opposition party is riding high in polls before an election in the next two years, told attendees at the Swiss resort that a future Labour government would pursue an "active state" ready to partner with business.

He said that Britain, gripped in a cost of living crisis that has fuelled widespread strikes, could benefit from a clean energy plan that would bring down fuel costs, create jobs and contribute towards tackling the climate crisis.

"There's huge potential for this in the UK in terms of wind and offshore wind," Starmer told a WEF panel.

Starmer said the Davos meeting was an opportunity to speak to CEOs and investors who could partner with a future Labour government to push the party's green prosperity plan, which involves establishing a new vehicle called Great British Energy.

He said Sunak's absence from the meeting had been noted by some of the people he had spoken to, a criticism that was taken up by his party colleague Rachel Reeves, who would likely fill the role of finance minister in a future Labour government.

"Somebody has got to be an ambassador for Britain and the prime minister and the chancellor are not here," she told a separate audience referring to finance minister Jeremy Hunt.

"We are here to send a message that at the next election ... the British economy will be open for business again."

Although Sunak did not attend the event, the British government did send Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch and Business Minister Grant Shapps to Davos.

And former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also made an appearance, which he used to urge Britain's allies to double down on sending military equipment to Ukraine.

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

Labour's economic credibility with financial institutions and markets, which have in the past been wary of some of its policies, suffered under Starmer's more radical predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who was popular with far-left voters but unable to oust the ruling Conservative party at the polls.

Corbyn's finance policy adviser of the time, John McDonnell, famously went to Davos in 2018 to tell the global elite that capitalism was living on borrowed time.

This time, Reeves and Starmer took part in a business roundtable hosted by U.S. bank JP Morgan with mainly energy, private equity and other financial services participants.

Starmer said Labour wants to establish a new role for fossil fuel firms in the energy transition and that there would be no new investment in oil and gas fields under a Labour government.

"What we've said about oil and gas is that there does need to be a transition. Obviously it will play its part during that transition but not new investment, not new fields up in the North Sea, because we need to go towards net zero, we need to ensure that renewable energy is where we go next," he said.

Britain has just held a new licensing round for oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea under the Conservatives and has refrained from joining international clubs of countries that ban new oil and gas field developments.

Reeves said Labour had been consulting with business on what they saw as regulatory and other priorities in other key sectors including life sciences, financial services and improving EU ties in the wake of Brexit.

"We've been developing these plans in tandem with business so I think they can see their fingerprints on a lot of things we are saying," she told Reuters.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Consequences of the Russian missile strike on the Dnipro

The governor said that 11 people have not yet been identified, and the same number are missing.

Read also: Dnipro attack cements Russia as a terrorist state, Zelenskyy says

"80 people are injured, Reznichenko stated.

In the city hospitals, 24 victims remain under medical supervision. Three are in serious condition, including a 9-year-old girl.

Earlier, Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov suggested that the death toll could exceed 50.

Read also: 11 remain missing after Russian missile strike on high-rise building in Dnipro

On Jan. 14, during a mass Russian attack on Ukraine, an enemy missile hit a residential building in Dnipro, trapping people under the rubble. At least 230 apartments were damaged, and 72 were completely destroyed.

Read also: Russia may have hundreds more Kh-22 missiles like the one used in Dnipro, Ukrainian Air Force says

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the strike was carried out by an Kh-22 hypersonic missile, which the Armed Forces do not have the means to intercept.

The Security Service of Ukraine has identified the Russian officials involved in the missile attack on the building in Dnipro, and says it is opening war crimes cases against them.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  A jury began deliberating Thursday in the federal criminal case of a man who told them that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.

Federal prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman's Topeka office that included, I will kill you. Neill's trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.

Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God's creation.

This is not me saying, Im going to chase you down with a knife,' or something like that, Neill said in his closing argument.

Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his testimony Thursday as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him.

He is charged with a single count of threatening a U.S. government official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury must decide whether his June 5 voicemail represents a true threat and whether Neill intended to intimidate LaTurner or interefere with LaTurner's work as a congressman.

You cannot cloak yourself in religious belief and justify such a threat, federal prosecutor Stephen Hunting said in his closing remarks. There is a line you cannot cross.

Threats against members of Congress have increased since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October, an intruder severely beat former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.

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Local school board members and election workers across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over a series of shootings targeting elected Democratic officials homes or offices.

In Neill's case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a May 13 story on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials' power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee, was quoted as saying, The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation."

In court Thursday, Neill told jurors he values his soul and was required by God to act when he heard the sound of the trumpet.

He also showed jurors a LinkedIn page for himself, saying he dealt with matters concerning over 400 million lives lost with high sorcery.

I am held to an obligation by our Creator, Neill said.

LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office. Cross-examined by Neill, the congressman said he considered some of Neill's language ridiculous talk but added, I'm more focused on the the threats of death.

A U.S. magistrate judge said in an August order refusing to release Neill from custody that Neill had suffered a head injury four or five years ago characterized as a head fracture. Neill told jurors Thursday that in 2018, God came to me very directly, without elaborating.

But the trial judge concluded last month that Neill is capable of following what goes on in court and assisting his lawyers, making him mentally competent to stand trial. She granted his request to act as his own attorney, starting Wednesday.

Neill, a convert to Judaism, said his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted.

I'm really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it's a difficult explanation, Neill told jurors during his testimony. I apologize.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
Detectives have arrested an 18-year-old man suspected of robbing students last month near their Sacramento high school in broad daylight, thefts reportedly committed by masked suspects.

Keavie Letoria Young Jr., 18, was arrested Tuesday in connection with two robberies that occurred Dec. 19 near C.K. McClatchy High School, the Sacramento Police Department announced Wednesday in social media posts.

Young remained in custody Thursday at the Sacramento County Jail, where his bail was set at $100,000. He faces charges of robbery and attempted robbery, according to jail records.

The two McClatchy High students were robbed by masked suspects in broad daylight about 10 to 15 minutes after students were dismissed for the day, Principal Andrea Egan wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to parents. The principal said the students were robbed near the student parking lot along Freeport Boulevard.

Egan said the students were not harmed during the robbery, but the incident rattled them. The principal said the robbers wore hoods and COVID-style medical masks.

The suspects ran from the scene and got away in a nearby black Nissan Altima, according to Egan. It was unclear whether any weapons were brandished during the Land Park robbery. The school, less than a mile northeast of William Land Regional Park, has more than 2,000 students.

Thanks to tips, photos, and videos witnesses provided, Sac PD had a lot of information to use in this investigation, Egan wrote Thursday in an emailed message to parents announcing the arrest. I hope this provides some peace of mind that this case is nearing a resolution.

The Police Department assigned detectives to investigate the robberies. Police said the detectives later identified Young as one of the suspects and obtained a felony arrest warrant for him. The Sacramento County District Attorneys Office on Dec. 30 filed a criminal complaint against Young in the robbery case.

On Tuesday, detectives found Young in the 2900 block of Marconi Avenue in Arden Arcade and arrested him. While taking him into custody, the detectives found Young in possession of a concealed and loaded gun reported as stolen, according to the Police Department.

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Young also faces charges of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle and being in possession of stolen property, according to jail records. He was being held without bail on those charges.

Police said the robbery investigation remains active, and detectives continue to follow up on leads to identify and locate additional suspects.

Violent crime has a significant impact on our community, police said in the social media posts. We continue to use diligent investigations as part of our strategy to reduce it.

Investigators asked anyone with information relevant to this investigation to call officers at 916-808-5471.
DETROIT (AP)  A judge heard arguments Thursday over control of a 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh and said he hoped the dispute could be settled without entangling a Detroit museum.

There was no immediate decision about the future of the painting, The Novel Reader, which is on loan to the Detroit Institute of Arts as part of a rare van Gogh exhibition that ends Sunday.

Brazilian collector Gustavo Soter filed a lawsuit last week, declaring that he bought the art in 2017 for $3.7 million but hadn't been able to locate it after turning it over to a third party.

Brokerarte Capital Partners LLC and Soter, its sole proprietor, want a judge to order the museum to give it up.

The museum hasn't disclosed how it obtained the painting or what will happen to it after the close of the exhibition, which opened in October and includes dozens of works by van Gogh borrowed from collectors around the world.

Brokerarte Capital's attorney, Andrew Phelps, offered a few new details Thursday. He said the painting, worth an estimated $5 million, was supposed to be in storage in Brazil for future sale.

My client would like to get it back before it disappears again, Phelps told U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh.

An attorney for the museum argued that the judge has no authority to even step into the dispute, under a federal law that protects the temporary sharing of international art or works of cultural significance.

Phelps, however, said the law is obviously not designed to protect stolen art.

The painting was not listed as stolen by the FBI or the international Art Loss Register, the museum said.

The judge said he's faced with a case that doesn't have much legal precedent to guide him.

The museum is blameless in this case, Steeh said.

I would encourage the attorneys here to address the possibility of resolving the dispute that will avoid the court's ultimate ruling, he said.

Attorneys for both sides declined to comment after the hearing.

___

Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez
Members of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation urge Disney to speak out against the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Dan Steinberg/AP

Disney chief corporate affairs officer Geoff Morrell worked at the company for around three months.

During his stint there last year, he got $8.37 million in total compensation, filings show.

Disney faced intense criticism over its slow response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill.

A Disney exec who left the company after just over three months was given $8.37 million in total compensation, or nearly $120,000 per day, for the 70 weekdays he spent at the company.

Geoff Morrell, who had served as the company's chief corporate affairs officer, joined Disney on January 24, 2022 and left in late April.

During his time at the company, Morrell got a $489,500 salary, Disney's proxy statement released on Tuesday shows. He also received a $2.75 million cash sign-on bonus, $2.9 million in stock awards, and $1.2 million in option awards.

Morrell got a further $1 million in other compensation, including $527,500 in relocation costs as he moved his family from the UK to the US for the role and $500,000 paid in June "to account for his unique circumstances."

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Morrell's compensation.

Disney botched its response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law

Morrell's role at the company, under the leadership of CEO Bob Chapek, who has since been ousted, focused on heading up Disney's government affairs and corporate communications. Morrell, an outsider to Disney, had previously worked at BP, the Pentagon, and ABC News.

But during Morrell's tenure the company faced intense criticism over its response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. Disney was slow to respond to the bill despite mounting pressure to denounce it, angering the public and its staff alike, though Chapek ultimately spoke out against it in early March.

This fueled a battle between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis, leading to Florida's legislature voting to strip Disney of the special tax status it had benefitted from since 1967. DeSantis signed the bill repealing the status on April 22.

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A week later, Morrell said that he was "resigning from the company to pursue other opportunities." His role at Disney was "not the right fit for me and not the right move for my family," he said at the time.

However, in a copy of Morrell's general release from the company, Disney said that it had exercised its termination right in late April. It said in Tuesday's filing that the company had "made the unilateral decision" to release him from the company, and he signed his general release in late June.

On top of his compensation in 2022, Morrell is eligible for millions more in severance from the company.

Disney said in Tuesday's filing that Morrell was entitled to $2.5 million in remaining base salary through the end of his employment agreement term, December 2024, and a $1.5 million payment equivalent to a target bonus for fiscal 2022, as long as he completes the terms of his post-employment consulting agreement and general release.

Disney said that Morrell was also entitled to a buyout for the home he purchased in Pasadena, Southern California after taking on the job with a $1.36 million down payment. The home had been purchased by a third-party vendor on the company's behalf in June at its original sale price and will be sold by Disney.

The company said in the filing that it would realize any gains or losses on the sale of the property and that "in no situation will Mr. Morrell monetarily benefit from the sale of the property."

Disney has previously said that it would pay to ship Morrell's household goods to Washington, D.C., where he was born and raised and where he has relocated to work for advisory firm Teneo.

Disney and Morrell did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, sent outside normal US working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Department of Justice and FBI on Wednesday announced a civil rights inquiry into a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee, that preceded the death of a Black man.

Tyre Nichols, 29, died three days after being taken to a hospital in critical condition following the Jan. 7 stop. The Memphis Police Department said the case was referred to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation the next day, and an internal investigation was opened into the incident.

The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Tennessee announced Wednesday that the FBI's Memphis field office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice have also begun looking into the Nichols' death.

"As this is an open investigation, we are not able to provide additional comment or release further information at this time," Kevin G. Ritz, U.S. attorney for the district, said.

Nichols' family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump and have demanded the public release of body camera and any other surveillance footage from the stop.

Family members and local activists hold a rally for Tyre Nichols at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 16, 2023. (Mark Weber / Daily Memphian via AP)

"Nobody should ever die from a simple traffic stop  the footage is the only way to discern the true narrative of why and how that happened to Tyre, Crump said in a statement Monday.

Crump did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment regarding the civil rights investigation Wednesday.

Memphis officials, including police Chief C.J. Davis and Mayor Jim Strickland, said Tuesday the footage would be released after the conclusion of the internal investigation. The police department said it anticipates that happening by the end of the week.

Neither the mayor's office or police department immediately responded to a request for comment from NBC News Wednesday.

Police said a confrontation between Nichols and the officers occurred when they approached his car on Jan. 7. He ran away, and the officers pursued, police said.

While attempting to take the suspect into custody, another confrontation occurred; however, the suspect was ultimately apprehended, the police department said in the statement Jan. 8. Afterward, the suspect complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called to the scene.

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Police gave no details about the confrontation. A photo provided by his stepfather, Rodney Wells, showed Nichols in the hospital with blood on his face and what appeared to be a swollen eye.

Wells has also told NBC affiliate WMC of Memphis that Nichols was placed on a dialysis machine at the hospital.

The police department said in its initial statement the district attorneys office had been contacted and the state's bureau of investigation had been asked to investigate. The officers, who were not publicly identified, were relieved of duty pending the outcome, a routine practice.

Sierra Rogers, holding her daughter Khloe Rogers, 1, wipes away tears as she speaks during a memorial service for her friend Tyre Nichols on Jan. 17, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (Mark Weber / Daily Memphian via AP)

Nichols' friends and family held a memorial service for him on Tuesday, sharing memories of the 29-year-old as a "goofy" boy who grew up into a caring man.

From the first day that I met Tyre, I was Pops. I was Dad, Wells said at the service. He embraced me. The first Fathers Day, he brought me a Fathers Day present, and he was so happy. ... Tyre is a great person.

LaToya Yiza, whose mother was Nichols godmother, remembered Nichols as a baby. She said they grew up like siblings, walking to school together when she was in high school and Nichols was in elementary school.

He was just a happy kid, just so goofy, Yiza said, getting emotional. Youd walk in and hed just be saying the craziest thing. ... Im gonna miss him. To see the man he turned out to be  he was a good man. He did not deserve this.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Photo: Ilya S. Savenok, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Rob Kim (Getty Images)

In a newly unsealed excerpt from an October 2022 deposition, former president Donald Trump mistook journalist E. Jean Carroll, a woman who he once claimed he couldnt have sexually assaulted because shes not his type, with his ex-wife, Marla Maples.



Thats Marla, yeah, Trump said, when shown a photograph of Carroll during the filmed deposition. Thats my wife. An attorney for the accused rapist corrected his mistake for him, the Guardian notes. Unfortunately, the mistakeinevitable for a man whose rape allegations are now well into the double digitsisnt the only egregious part of his testimony.



Read more

The deposition is part of an ongoing battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress lawsuit Carroll filed against Trump in September 2022, following the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, which instituted a lookback window for survivors over the age of 18 to sue their abusers, regardless of when a sexual assault occurred.

Since 2019, Carroll has publicly alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a changing room of Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-199os. However, given the New York state law statute of limitations, Carroll was unable to seek legal retribution until last year. Notably, Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that Carroll is totally lying.

Carroll testified about the alleged assault in her own deposition in October: Its all one action, she said. I stepped into the room, the door was banged closed and he pushed me up against the wall.

In another excerpt from Trumps deposition, he described Carroll as a nutjob and mentally sick and claimed that she lied about the alleged assault in a bid to drum up publicity for her really crummy book, What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal.

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I will sue her after this is over, and thats the thing I really look forward to doing, Trump told Carrolls attorney. And Ill sue you, too.

The former president also falsely claimed that Carroll said rape was sexy in a way that implied she enjoyed it, referencing an interview shed done with CNNs Anderson Cooper. Rape, she said, was not the term she preferred to use in reference to the assault, as she believed some people thought rape to be sexy.

I didnt think of it as rape, she said during the sit-down. I thought of it as a violent incident. I thought of it as a fight. And Ill tell you how stupidI thought I won because I got out.

During Trumps deposition, Carrolls lawyer asked if she was implying that she loved being sexually assaulted by him. He replied: Well, based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I believe thats what took place. And we can define that...I think she said that rape was sexywhich its not, by the way.

No part of deposition arrives as a surpriseleast of all confusing women whove accused him of rape with ex-wivesgiven at least one of them has said on the record that he raped her. In a sworn deposition in 1989, first wife, Ivana Trump, alleged that while they were married, he ripped out of fistfuls of her hair from her scalp during intercourse. Four years later, she publicly retracted the word rape.

On one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage, she said. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a rape, but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.

Carrolls rape accusation is due to go to trial in April.

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Mexico's president said Wednesday that he would consider a request by convicted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to return from the United States to complete his sentence on humanitarian grounds. The message from El Chapo was described as an "SOS" by one of his attorneys.

The Sinaloa cartel founder has appealed to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for help due to alleged "psychological torment" that Guzman says he is suffering in a U.S. prison.

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin

"We're going to review it (the plea)," Lopez Obrador told reporters.

It was unclear if Mexico had the power to grant the request, "but the door must always be left open when it comes to human rights," he added.

El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 of charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offenses.

He is incarcerated at the "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, which holds a number of high-profile inmates, including Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and Oklahoma City bombing accomplice Terry Nichols. The facility is so secure, so remote and so austere that it has been called the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."

According to one of his lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, Guzman is unhappy with the harsh prison conditions including isolation and a lack of sunlight.

The message, described as "an SOS," was transmitted via one of Guzman's lawyers in the United States as well as his family, Rodriguez said.

He hopes to return to face outstanding charges and complete his sentence in Mexico under a prison agreement between the two countries, Rodriguez told AFP.

On Tuesday, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard had downplayed the chance of any government intercession in favor of Guzman, who twice escaped from jail in his home country.

"Frankly I don't see any possibilities for him, but I'm going to review it with the prosecutor's office," Ebrard told reporters.

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One of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested by Mexican security forces this month in an operation that left 29 people dead and sparked a dramatic shootout at an airport in the city of Culiacan.

The U.S. Department of State had been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ovidio Guzman-Lopez.

Ovidio Guzman had not been one of El Chapo's better-known sons until an aborted operation to capture him three years ago. That attempt similarly set off violence in Culiacan that ultimately led President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to order the military to let him go.

Supreme Court says it's unable to identify who leaked draft of abortion decision

U.S. to allow private sponsorship of refugees' resettlement

With U.S. hitting debt ceiling, "extraordinary measures" being used to prevent possible default
You may be able to get a refund on taxes you inadvertently overpaid three years ago.

And getting a refund on your 2022 taxes could be easier.

Thats the promising news from the Internal Revenue Service as it prepares for the new tax filing season. Deadline for filing most 2022 tax returns is April 18, though residents of many storm-stricken counties in California, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have until May 15.

Many consumers may have already seen new refunds that were due them years ago.

IRS recently finished what it called final corrections of tax year 2020 for people who overpaid taxes on the unemployment compensation they got in 2020.

About 12 million people nationwide are due $14.8 billion in refunds. The average refund is $1,232.

Its not clear how many of those returns were from California residents. In 2020, 4.9 million California returns reported unemployment compensation. The states unemployment rate was more than 16% in the spring of 2020.

The refund confusion is the result of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which became law in March 2021. It allowed people to exclude from their taxable income of up to $10,200 in 2020 if their income was less than a certain amount.

The problem came because many people filed their tax return before the provision became law.

So the IRS began looking over those filings, computed how much tax people owed, and is sending eligible people refunds. In some cases it is applying the found money to other taxes due or other debts.

Affected taxpayers should get a letter from the IRS explaining its action.

Tax refunds in 2023

IRS in the recent past has had trouble keeping up with tax returns. Last year, about two-thirds of individual taxpayers were eligible for refunds, with the average amount about $3,200.

But Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate, reported this week that the IRS failed to meet its responsibility to pay timely refunds to millions of taxpayers for the third year in a row.

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She saw some reason for optimism in the future.

Her report said IRS has received significant additional funding to increase consumer service staffing. Its hired 4,000 new customer service representatives, and it is aiming to hire another 700 people to provide in-person service at Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

Of course, that doesnt mean the process will suddenly be more efficient.

Staff increases come with growing pains, said Collins. As new employees are added, they must be trained. For most jobs, the IRS does not maintain a separate cadre of instructors.

That means veteran IRS employees have to be pulled away from their jobs to provide that training.

In the short run, that may mean that fewer employees are assisting taxpayers, particularly experienced employees who are likely to be the most effective trainers, Collins said.

The IRS has become a favorite target of House Republicans, who Monday voted to dramatically cut IRS funding. They maintained that it would be used to unleash an army of thousands of IRS agents who would target middle class taxpayers by scrutinizing their tax filings too closely.

The bill, though, is likely to go nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is expected to be called to testify as soon as Friday in a federal trial in California to settle Tesla shareholder claims of billions of dollars in damages against Musk and the company's board.

Tesla shareholders began their case in chief on Wednesday, following opening statements from Musk's attorney that laid out the Tesla chief's defense of a 2018 tweet, saying he had "funding secured" to take the electric vehicle company private.

On Friday, New Jersey resident, Timothy Fries, the second of two Tesla stockholders to testify was called to the stand. Fries said relying on Musk's tweet caused him to lose about $5,000 in Tesla stock transactions.

I assumed Elon spoke for the board, Fries said about Musk's claim that he had secured funding to take Tesla private. Fries said he invested about $18,000 in Tesla on the day of the Aug. 7, 2018, tweet, then sold at a loss when the deal didn't come to pass.

On cross examination, Fries admitted that despite the tweet, he understood that a deal to take Tesla private hadn't been finalized.

"I knew it was still being negotiated, he said in response to questioning from Musk's lawyer.

August 7, 2018 Tweet from Elon Musk

The class of Tesla shareholders that brought the lawsuit alleges that Musks Aug. 7, 2018, tweet about funding was false and therefore violated U.S. securities laws. They relied on the information to be true, they argue, leading to trading losses over a 10-day period that began on the day of the tweet.

The shareholders say the new information in the tweet caused Teslas stock price to shoot up because the $420 per-share offer that Musk tweeted represented a 20% premium to its trading price. The stock then dropped below where it had been before the tweet. (Tesla's stock has since had two stock splits and currently trades around $129 per share.)

"These tweets are informal, sporadic thoughts," Musks attorney Alex Spiro told jurors on Wednesday about the take-private deal that never materialized. Musks word choice may have been reckless, Spiro said, though the tweet reflected a split-second decision to benefit  rather than harm  investors.

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According to Spiro, at the time of the tweet, Musk had already held a series of private meetings with executives from Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund. The fund's executives, he said, agreed in a handshake deal to take Tesla private at $420 per share.

That commitment, Spiro said, led Musk on Aug. 2 to email Tesla's board a private, informal bid to acquire the company at that price. The bid, he added, positioned Musk as a counterparty to his own directors.

"He was more than merely considering" taking Tesla private, Spiro told the jurors about Musks thought process in crafting the tweet. He was the bidder.

Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS

However, on Aug. 7, Musk's responsibility to Tesla shareholders changed, Spiro said, when a report published in the Financial Times cited an anonymous source who revealed what Musk already knew  that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had bought up shares on the open market, making its sovereign wealth fund one of Teslas major shareholders.

Knowing that he had previously engaged in non-public talks with the fund and that shareholder information must not be selectively disclosed to shareholders, Musk abruptly tweeted the take-private possibility, Spiro told the jurors.

Spiro went on to say that everyone who was in the room at the time the Saudi fund committed to take Tesla private would back up the accord, and that the fund's executive in charge agreed to "do what needed to be done" to privatize the then-struggling EV company.

Spiro addressed a subsequent Aug. 7, 2018 tweet from Musk that reaffirmed his funding secured post and said only shareholder consent was needed to close the deal, as well as a same-day blog entry that offered additional detail about contingencies on Teslas website.

Tweet posted to Elon Musk's twitter account August 7, 2018

The blog clarified that Tesla had not yet made a final decision about the take-private deal. And Spiro downplayed the word "only" in Musks secondary tweet, saying that the lack of market response to Teslas blog post shows that Musks tweets did not move the often volatile stock.

"These tweets...they matter to plaintiffs' lawyers. They didn't matter to the market," Spiro said.

The shareholders first witness, class representative Glen Littleton, took the stand Wednesday after both parties gave opening statements.

Littleton testified that he liquidated his call-and-put options on Tesla once he learned of Musks initial tweet.

When he saw the words funding secured, he said, he began dumping his positions because he was out of the money at Musks stated $420 go-public price. Both sets of his options, Littleton said, would quickly fall to $0 had the deal materialized.

In a separate case brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in response to the funding tweet, Musk and Tesla settled the matter, each paying a fine of $20 million. Musk also agreed in the accord to step down as Tesla's board chairman and to have Tesla's general counsel review potentially "material" tweets before they are posted. Musk is currently seeking to have that part of the settlement dissolved.

Musk is expected to testify following testimony from the shareholder's expert witness, Harvard Law School professor, Guhan Subramanian.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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(Bloomberg) -- Even before millions of Chinese citizens started heading back to their home villages for Lunar New Year, tensions were brewing across the nation over annual bans on fireworks.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Unrest boiled over in early January, when residents of a central Chinese city flipped over a police car during a heated altercation with law enforcement over the right to set off fireworks, a traditional practice to banish bad luck and usher in a new year. While people usually complain about the curbs, the response this year was unusually violent.

Whats even more surprising is how quickly the government backed down. Even though the suspects were swiftly nabbed by the authorities, cities across China  from the central metropolis of Zhengzhou to Kunming in the southwest  started lifting fireworks restrictions in some urban areas during specified hours.

The swift retreat underscores how much Chinese President Xi Jinping and his coterie are concerned with a potential backlash as families reunite all across the nation just weeks after he abruptly lifted Covid restrictions. With a deluge of cases, crowded hospitals, overwhelmed crematoriums and a struggling economy, residents will have plenty to talk about  and none of it makes Xi look great.

Xi Jinping is embarrassed, and the Chinese people unhappy with the bungled opening  wondering what the last three years were all about if it ends like this, said Frank Tsai, a lecturer at the Emlyon Business Schools Shanghai campus. This may therefore explain tentative moves toward responsiveness and openness.

Since the historic wave of anti-lockdown protests in November last year broke a taboo on calling for the removal of the Communist Party, and even Xi himself, more people are speaking out despite Chinas massive surveillance system and rigorous censorship apparatus.

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Besides the unrest over the fireworks, students have protested prolonged lockdowns of campuses after the governments pivot, while inbound travelers at airports in Guangzhou and Nanjing clashed with police to avoid mandatory quarantine measures that were being phased out. Earlier this month, workers who helped Xi enforce his flagship Covid Zero policy protested over unpaid wages after the government abruptly ended three years of strict virus rules.

Read: What Lunar New Year Treks Mean for China Covid Surge: QuickTake

More citizens are also openly questioning the credibility of government experts tasked with defending the abrupt U-turn on Covid policy, such as Liang Wannian, who posted a speech on the social media platform Weibo explaining why China opened up during the winter instead of the spring. The top comment said he shot the arrow first before drawing up the target, while another declared: Everythings unprepared, but they made it out to be well thought out  how laughable.

Trust in the Chinese Communist Party will surely have been diminished, not so much by the fact of a U-turn, but by its consequences and because there was no Plan B, said Charles Parton, a former British diplomat based in China who is now a fellow at security think tank Royal United Services Institute. Claims of having the best form of governance wilt in the face of overwhelmed hospitals, lack of medicine and people feeling the effects of Covid.

No Bigger Incidents

Xi seems to be aware of the discord. In an address Wednesday ahead of Lunar New Year, he called the current outbreak fierce while adding that the dawn is just ahead. Earlier he said it was only natural for 1.4 billion people to have divergent views, adding it was important to build consensus through communication and consultation.

At the same time, the Communist Party is looking to prevent any new protests. The Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday vowed to resolutely defend national political security over the Lunar New Year and crack down on infiltration by hostile forces. It said it would guide the public to burn fireworks in a lawful and civic-minded manner, and ensure family and wage disputes dont turn into bigger incidents.

Chinas top internet watchdog also kickstarted a monthlong campaign to counteract rumors about experiences with Covid to avoid misleading the public and causing social panic during the holiday. Regulators will strictly monitor homecoming stories that spread anxiety around and exaggerate the dark side of society.

Economic Focus

Xi is seeking to jumpstart the economy with a surprise pivot on a number of signature policies, including crackdowns on the property and tech sectors. Chinas economy only clocked 3% growth last year, way below the original target of around 5.5%, and faces weak consumer confidence as the population declines for the first time in six decades.

The immediate issue is to get the economy back on its sea legs again, said George Magnus, an economist and associate at the University of Oxfords China Centre. The government has made kind of mistake after mistake after mistake in recent years and it has a serious governance problem.

As more people recover from Covid, and life returns to normal, pressure on the government will inevitably ease. But the experiences of the past few months will have a lasting impact, according to Hanzhang Liu, an assistant professor at California-based Pitzer College who specializes in Chinese politics.

There are definitely some impacts on the psyche  some people will re-evaluate the government and the individual-state relationship, Liu said. The pushback on fireworks bans, she said, offers a small window into peoples thinking that they dont have to always comply with the government policy if its not sensible.

--With assistance from Lucille Liu, Colum Murphy and Rebecca Choong Wilkins.

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According to the monitoring group Belaruski Hajun, the engine of a Russian MiG-31K caught fire during a flight over the city of Maladziecna in Belarus.

Source: Belaruski Hajun [an independent Belarusian military monitoring media outlet] on Telegram

Details: It is noted that information about an explosion in Belarus began to spread in Ukrainian Telegram channels. Data from Belarusian analysts indicate that it was not an explosion, but probably an engine surge.

Around 11:00 (Minsk time), residents of Maladziecna district (Minsk Oblast) heard a loud explosion in the sky; a lot of people wrote that it shook windows in houses both in Maladziecna itself and in the suburbs.

According to the monitoring group Belaruski Hajun, at exactly this time, and more precisely at 10:59 (Kyiv time), over the Maladziecna district, a MiG-31K fighter jet of the Russian Air Force (RF-95194) caught fire in one of its two engines, which was accompanied by an explosion sound  in fact, it was a sound of the engine surging after ignition.

As a result, MiG-31K PKS of the Russian Federation (RF-95194) was forced to end the flight urgently and return to the airfield Machulishchy.

According to Hajun, the engine caught fire in the same MiG-31K that was on fire on 25 December 2022, during an attempt to take off from the airfield in Machulishchy.

Background: On the morning of 19 January, an air-raid siren was announced throughout Ukraine. The danger lasted a little more than 1.5 hours.

Belaruski Hajun reported that fighters and an AWACS aircraft have taken off in Belarus.

The Russian MiG-31K can potentially carry hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, against which Ukrainian air defence is powerless. Due to this, an air-raid siren is being announced throughout Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Epic Games and Match Group now have a court date for their antitrust case against Google. A Northern District of California judge has set the start of a jury trial for November 6th. Both Epic and Match accuse Google of abusing its control of Android app distribution through the Play Store by establishing unfair fees and requirements for in-app purchases. This comes alongside a lawsuit from 39 attorneys general as well as a customer class action suit demanding $4.7 billion in damages.

Epic sued Google in 2020 after the Android creator kicked Fortnite out of the Play Store for letting customers use an alternative in-app payment system. Match sued Google last year over the "exorbitant" store fee. Epic and Match consolidated their case and a filed motion last fall to expand their allegations, accusing Google of further antitrust violations by paying major developers hundreds of millions of dollars to keep their apps in the Play Store.

Unlike Epic's partially successful lawsuit against Apple, this case has to acknowledge that customers do have a choice. Where Apple requires that all regular app downloads go through the App Store, Android's sideloading option lets customers install software without downloading it from Google. The issue, as you might imagine, is that those apps are both harder to install and less likely to be noticed when the Play Store is included by default on many Android phones.

Google denies misusing its power, and argues that the fees are necessary to maintain and invest in the Play Store. It maintains that the incentive program doesn't forbid developers from launching third-party stores, and that its portal competes fairly. In December, Google called on the court to deny the expanded requests over timing and other issues.

Google has made some concessions, including a test program for Play Store billing alternatives. That pilot still gives Google a cut of each transaction, though, and it remains to be seen if moves like that will satisfy the court and regulators. As it is, the internet pioneer is facing a raft of other antitrust cases that include a Justice Department lawsuit from 2020. Even if Google prevails against Epic and Match, it may not escape unscathed.
New York Citys Democratic mayor Eric Adams said during an interview Wednesday that Theres no more room in the five boroughs to support any more asylum seekers since the arrival of roughly 40,000 illegal immigrants in 2022.

Speaking from the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Adams echoed his pleas to the White House and President Biden, asking them to play an active role in helping New York City accommodate the influx of immigrants.

The White House must ensure the immediate needs, that cities that are impacted receive the support they deserve, Adams told Politico.

The city has struggled to provide social services for the housands of newcomers who have strained local resources. In 2022, City Hall spent $366 million providing for asylum seekers, with Adams projected that the figure will rise above $2 billion in 2023.

Nevertheless, Adams reiterated a willingness to make the best of the situation in the absence of help from the federal government.

At the same time were going to continue to do our moral and legal obligation. . . . Whoever comes to the city  youre not seeing individuals sleeping on the streets with families  because were continuing to pivot and shift as needed, Adams said.

Since governors in southern states decided to bus immigrants to the city, Adams has become increasingly vocal about the Biden administrations failure to address the border crisis.

PHOTOS: Border Crisis at El Paso

On Sunday, Adams toured El Paso, Texas, a border town adjacent to Juarez, Mexico, which is a hot spot for illegal crossings.

Were pointing the finger at our national government, Adams said during a press conference featuring El Pasos Democratic mayor, Oscar Leeser.

This is a national problem. We must have real immigration reform, and we must immediately have a short-term fix of making sure that the cost of this does not fall on our local cities, Adams added.

The campaign to raise awareness for New York Citys struggles continued Monday when Adams told the New York Post that the border situation was a disaster.

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John Spiropoulos doesn't let a coal strike bother his peanut and popcorn business as he uses gasoline for light and heat on Nov. 25, 1946, at North Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago. (Howard Borvig / Chicago Tribune)

Are the Chicago people fond of popcorn? asked a Tribune reporter in an article from Dec. 2, 1883.

A food vendor replied emphatically: Fond of it? Well, I should rather say so. Who can help but be fond of fresh corn nicely popped, sugared, salted, or buttered to suit the taste? Yes sir, they are decidedly.

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Since at least the 1870s, Chicago has been a hotbed of popcorn innovation. Part of that has to do with Chicagos role as a transportation hub for grain in the Midwest. But the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens certainly helped.

Not everyone at the Tribune was thrilled about the explosion in the popcorn business. On April 5, 1874, the paper noted that commercial popcorn makers have seen business rapidly attaining gigantic proportions. But the unnamed reporter lamented that the romance of pop-corn has departed; it is all a matter of business now. Instead, he apparently preferred it when it was once manufactured by every Eastern fireside, when winter came to sadden the year.

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While some businessmen did sell popcorn in bags, one of the most popular options was solidified pop-corn, which was shaped into either a ball or a brick. On July 8, 1883, an unnamed reporter wrote in remarkable detail about visiting two Chicago popcorn factories to better understand the process.

If readers had never encountered the snack before, he had it covered with details of the beautiful metamorphosis as corn transformed into something which resembles nothing so much as a white blossom 

He also wrote that after the sugar had been added, one place added a dye made of cochineal, a dried red insect, to give the popcorn a carmine tint. The reporter wondered if the dye was harmful. No, said the proprietor, it is quite harmless; and then, you see, it gives the pop-corn a sort of Fourth-of-July look.

A drawing shows the Lincoln Park popcorn vendor, published in the Chicago Tribune on June 1, 1896. The Tribune said the vendor sticks "to the old-fashioned balls of white kernels sprinkled with clean sugar. (Chicago Tribune)

The 1883 article also quoted one of the popcorn factory owners as saying popcorn balls were going out of fashion. That turned out to be wildly premature. A decade later, in 1896, the Tribune wrote about a popcorn vendor in Lincoln Park who served old-fashioned balls of white kernels sprinkled with clean sugar. Though the reporter claimed his figure is as familiar to the people of the North Side as the Grant statue, he also didnt bother to find out the vendors real name. Nobody knows his name, but the fat policeman who has been on the same corner for nearly a dozen years says everybody calls him Popcorn John.

Recipes for popcorn balls continued to be printed well into the 20th century. A bare-bones recipe appears in the paper Nov. 6, 1915. On July 6, 1930, a reader with the initials C.G.P. wrote in that she had made some money by selling popcorn balls around the neighborhood. The venture proved a success  and I could have sold double the amount prepared daily. A recipe for cinnamon popcorn balls shows up on Jan. 4, 1935, while an Oct. 28, 1966, recipe proves popcorn balls were still fairly popular eight decades after the ill-fated prediction of their demise.

Another innovation in the popcorn arts was also taking place during the end of the 19th century. On March 8, 1896, the Tribune reported that Louis Rueckheim, a Chicago candy manufacturer, recently hit upon a very bright, new idea in confections.

The Tribune couldnt hide its enthusiasm, declaring in uppercase letters in the headline, DO NOT TASTE IT. IF YOU DO YOU WILL PART WITH YOUR MONEY EASY. The product the German-born immigrant created? Cracker Jack.

A 1902 advertisement for Cracker Jack features the company's famous slogan. (Chicago Tribune archive)

Chicagoans apparently couldnt get enough. The Tribune quotes a jobber who said it was almost too easy to sell: Cracker Jack reminds me of fishing. Offering Cracker Jack for sale is like baiting a hook. When the fish bite theyre caught. When people bite Cracker Jack they, too, are caught.

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In 1908, Cracker Jack was mentioned in Take Me Out to the Ball Game by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, ensuring millions would associate the snack with the national pastime.

Of course, not everyone in Chicago enjoyed so many people hawking popcorn. On Aug. 9, 1925, a disgruntled reader wrote, A fellow has been operating a popcorn stand near me and it detracts from the appearance of the neighborhood  none of us like it.

Though Garrett Popcorn Shops would eventually gain citywide popcorn prominence, the stores first mention in the Tribune had nothing to do with its food. On Oct. 27, 1953, an article explained how a man held up the companys first location at 10 W. Madison St. for $147.

But as the man ran out of the store, co-owner Claude Garrett gave chase, and an unidentified sailor overtook the robber and grappled with him. Though the robber wriggled out of his coat and ducked into the subway at State and Monroe, the money from the register was in the coat and was returned.

The popcorn man found ready customers as he paused to vend his wares at Skiles Junior High School at Greenwood and McDaniel streets in Evanston in June 1962. (Evanston Photographic Service)

Mentions of Garrett Popcorn were scarce for the next few decades, but there were other big popcorn developments in between. On Oct. 13, 1972, George Lazarus reported on an exciting new popcorn brand in Valparaiso, Indiana. Orville Redenbacher had been selling popcorn for years, along with various other things like fertilizer and snowmobiles, until a Chicago marketing firm convinced him to change the company from RedBow to his own name. Lazarus sounded skeptical in the article, noting there was disbelief in both the cost and name of such a product.

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Of course, by Nov. 23, 1988, Orville Redenbacher was doing so well he was called the corn king. But even he didnt think the name would work as well as it did. He told Mike Ebert he paid the Chicago firm $15,000 to come up with a name for the corn, and it was the same name my mother thought of 81 years ago.

Throughout the 20th century, the Tribune published a number of articles exploring why popcorn was so popular at movie theaters. In a snarky article Oct. 21, 1957, a writer loudly lamented the practice. Popcorn didnt really get big until people with teeth discovered that if you took it into a motion picture theater, and ate it loudly enough, you could not hear the actors.

That writer was obviously in the minority, as popcorn and the movies continued their productive partnership. On Dec. 12, 1986, now-former Tribune dining critic Phil Vettel eloquently described why the two worked so well together: (Popcorn) also may be the perfect movie food. Its cheap, easy to share and simple to find in the dark. People who cant get through an ordinary meal without spilling gravy on their ties still easily manage to stare attentively at a movie screen, share a jumbo popcorn to the very last kernel and never once look down.

Diane Lee fills a bag with popcorn at the Water Tower Plitt Theatre on Dec. 4, 1986, in Chicago. (Bill Hogan / Chicago Tribune)

Even Gene Siskel, the Tribunes nationally acclaimed movie critic at the time, was a longtime popcorn enthusiast. On Dec. 12, 1986, he created a comprehensive guide to eating popcorn at the movies.

He did not mince words: The key concept of popcorn is that you can make better popcorn at home than they can make at the theater. He even suggested smuggling some in. In wintertime, that should not be a problem. Ive used my briefcase in the summertime. If you forgot to make some at home, he also had helpful advice for scoring the freshest movie popcorn. I try to get there as its popping out and say, Could you just hold the box under the popper? So you get the real hot stuff.

But Siskel also declared that if you have the money, you should really stop at Garrett Popcorn Shops before going in: My recommendation  and it will sound disgusting to you, as it did to me when I first saw someone order it; but dont let that put you off  is to order a half-and-half mixture of caramel and cheese  You get a sweet-and-sour effect thats fabulous. This appears to be the first mention of this fateful combo in the paper, though deciding on what to call it took much longer.

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Mentions of Garrett Popcorn Shops balloon in the 1990s, and by 1997 the store is mentioned as a must-visit attraction for tourists. In an impressively long feature about the Magnificent Mile, reporter Victoria S. Lautman marvels at the line outside Garretts Michigan Avenue location.

Even in subzero, dead-of-winter temperatures there can be double lines and waits of 45 minutes outside the tiny, 1,000-square-foot store. She also notes that the most popular order is the so-called downtown mix. This name didnt last long.

Clerk Kendra Hudson prepares to fill up a customers popcorn bag at Garrett Popcorn Shops flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Jan. 12, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Assorted sizes of popcorn are on display at Garrett Popcorn Shops flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Jan. 12, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

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In the same article, the vice president of Garrett at the time, Karen Galaba, explained the history of mixing the flavors. We started getting requests 10 years ago for a combination of our CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn mixed together. Theres apparently something about the sweet and salty combination thats really satisfying to the palate.

The Tribune also found some time to write about other popcorn vendors, including one very small one. On July 4, 2000, David Sharos wrote about The Popcorn Shop, a 5-foot-wide popcorn store in suburban Wheaton. Owner Bill Wakefield said hed gone through two tons of popcorn the year before. His secret? Its not what we do to the popcorn, its what we dont do  We use white corn, which is sweeter and smaller and less tough than yellow corn. Now called The Little Popcorn Store, the tiny operation just celebrated its 102nd anniversary.

But the majority of the Tribunes popcorn coverage centered on Garrett Popcorn. On Jan. 29, 2003, Eric Paul Erickson referred to the company as a cherished institution. Michael Roach quotes a couple of tourists from Iowa saying Garrett Popcorn was an essential stop in Chicago: This and Marshall Fields  It just wouldnt be a visit to Chicago if you didnt stop at Fields and pick up some caramel corn.

That didnt mean that Garrett Popcorn figured out the right name for the combination of caramel and cheese popcorn. Though it had once been called the downtown mix, on Oct. 15, 2009, reporter Denise Joyce referred to the combination as the Chicago Mix.

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But that also didnt last long. On Sept. 2, 2014, a story explained how Candyland Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, had copyrighted Chicago Mix back in 1992. Faced with a lawsuit, a spokesman for Garrett Popcorn said the company was transitioning away from calling its world-famous CheeseCorn and CaramelCrisp flavor Chicago Mix to the more ownable Garrett Mix.

The rest, as they say, was history.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union's assembly called on the member states on Thursday to back the creation of a special court to judge any war crime of aggression by Russia in Ukraine.

The nonbinding resolution was approved by a 472-19 vote with 33 abstentions in the European Parliament, and underscored the EU's willingness to make sure Moscow should be brought to justice for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The legislature called on the EU to work in close cooperation with Ukraine to seek and build political support in the U.N. General Assembly and other international forums ... for creating the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine."

The call came despite the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court saying his court was capable of effectively dealing with war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Karim Khan at the time pushed back against the plan by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to establish such a special court.

The European Parliament said, however, that it considers that the establishment of the special tribunal would complement the investigative efforts of the ICC and its Prosecutor, as it would focus on alleged genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.

The Hague-based ICC has launched an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine but can't prosecute the crime of aggression  the act of invading another country  because the Russian Federation is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the court.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, his military forces have been accused of abuses ranging from killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha to deadly attacks on civilian facilities, including the March 16 bombing of a theater in Mariupol that an Associated Press investigation established likely killed close to 600 people.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
BRUSSELS (AP)  The new executive director of European Union border agency Frontex pledged Thursday to ensure that illegal pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Europe wouldn't take place under his watch.

Hans Leijtens was appointed as a replacement for Fabrice Leggeri, who resigned last year following media allegations that the agency was involved in that practice. A report by EU anti-fraud watchdog OLAF into Frontex later concluded that employees from the agency were involved in covering up pushbacks of migrants from Greece to Turkey.

Pushbacks  forcing would-be refugees away from a border before they can reach a country and claim asylum  are considered violations of international refugee protection agreements, which say people shouldnt be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger because of their race, religion, nationality or being members of a social or political group.

Pushbacks by Frontex officers are not legal. They are forbidden," Leijtens said during a news conference with Ylva Johansson, the EU commissioner for home affairs. I'm responsible for the fact that my people don't participate in ... pushbacks."

Leijtens will start his new job on March 1.

According to the OLAF report made public in October, top managers at Frontex committed serious misconduct and other irregularities in covering up pushback incidents, not investigating them or not handling them correctly.

Leijtens said there is nothing secret about Frontex" and that he would promote a nothing-to-hide attitude while improving transparency and putting an end to defensive attitudes."

We can't do our work when we are not trusted," he said.

Leijtens' nomination comes as the EU's 27 member countries struggle to make progress in discussions over a long-delayed overhaul of the blocs asylum system proposed by the EU's executive arm more than two years ago.

The number of attempts by migrants to enter the EU without authorization reached around 330,000 last year, the highest number since 2016, the EUs border and coast guard agency said last week.

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Johansson said the increase is mainly due to the arrivals of citizens likely not in need of international protection, who need to be returned to their country of origin.

Frontex is well equipped to actually support the member states, she said, adding that the agency last year carried out the return of 25,000 people.

Johansson added that she will next week present a new strategy on returns next week before a summit of EU leaders in February. She also exhorted EU countries to step up their cooperation with Frontex for a better management of returns.

Johansson cited a rise in arrivals to the EU by Bangladeshis, with most of them not in need of international protection. She said that after Bangladesh was put on a list of visas sanctions, local authorities improved their cooperation and are now open to taking back their citizens.

But we are also in a situation where member states only do readmission requests for approximately 10% to 20% of the return decisions" she said. And when Frontex are flying the planes to Bangladesh (...), they are not full. When we have a political momentum with a third country, it's important that we work together: (the European) Commission, Frontex, all member states, to really make these returns happen."

Johansson and Leijtens were also asked about reports from nongovernmental organizations, which argue that the use by Frontex of aerial surveillance to enable the EU-trained Libyan coast guard to intercept boats carrying migrants makes the agency complicit in the abuse that refugees are exposed to once they are returned to Libya.

Johansson responded that Frontex's priority is to save lives and should obviously warn coast guards if they spot a vessel in danger.

When it comes to Libya, there is a special challenge because of the conditions in Libya," she said. That's why we don't want to leave people there."

Johansson said that the EU is working with the United Nations and the African Union to make sure that refugees are taken out of camps located in Libya and resettled in better locations elsewhere.

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Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European lawmakers adopted a resolution on Thursday calling for more sanctions against all Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human right violations and also voted for the Revolutionary Guard Corps to be designated as a terrorist entity.

"Iranian authorities must end crackdown on their own citizens (...) Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi should be added to the sanctions list," the European Parliament said in a statement.

Anti-government demonstrations erupted in Iran in September after the death in custody of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code for women.

"The Iranian regime's blatant disregard for human dignity and the democratic aspirations of its own citizens as well as its support to Russia "necessitate further adjustments in the EU's position towards Iran", the adopted resolution said.

Iran warned earlier that the European Union would "shoot itself in the foot" if it designated the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament called for the EU to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, blaming it for the repression of domestic protesters and the supply of drones to Russia's military for use in Ukraine.

Iran and world powers, including EU members France and Germany, have engaged in negotiations since 2021 to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, with discussions in a stalemate since September.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
The European Parliament voted for a non-binding resolution on Thursday, 19 January, calling for the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The European Parliament believes that establishing such a tribunal would fill the large gap in the current international institutional criminal justice system and should be based on the standards and principles that apply to the International Criminal Court.

In the resolution, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) emphasised that the special international tribunal must have jurisdiction to investigate not only Vladimir Putin, but also Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, and the political and military leadership in Belarus.

Quote: "The European Parliament considers that the special international tribunal must have jurisdiction to investigate not only Vladimir Putin and the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation, but also Alexander Lukashenko and the political and military leadership in Belarus, as an enabling state, from the territory of which and with the logistical support of which the Russian Federation is committing its war of aggression against Ukraine."

The MEPs said that the EUs preparatory work on the special tribunal "should begin without delay", focus on establishing the arrangements for the special tribunal in cooperation with Ukraine and support Ukrainian and international authorities in securing evidence to be used in the future special tribunal.

MEPs called on EU institutions, in particular the European Commission and the European External Action Service, to provide support for the establishment of an interim prosecutors office in the meantime. They believe that setting up this office would be a very important practical step forward in the investigation and prosecution by the future special tribunal of the crime of aggression against Ukraine. As European Pravda previously reported, the European Commission is considering the possibility of creating an international prosecutor's office to investigate the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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A separate clause of the resolution is devoted to the use of sovereign assets of the Russian state as reparations for the violations of international law by Russia in Ukraine.

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, commented on the adoption of the document.

Quote from Metsola: "The consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine are huge. Children, women, men murdered. Families split. Hospitals destroyed. Homes demolished. Schools ruined. Today, the European Parliament calls for an urgent special international tribunal. War criminals must be brought to justice. Now."

The consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine are huge.



Children, women, men murdered. Families split. Hospitals destroyed. Homes demolished. Schools ruined.



Today @Europarl_EN calls for an urgent special international tribunal.



War criminals must be brought to justice. Now.  Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) January 19, 2023

Previously: Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, supported the creation of a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
We connected with a pediatrician and pediatric pulmonologist to answer your most pressing questions about children and asthma.

Take A Pix Media / Stocksy

There is nothing more heartbreaking than a child who is struggling to breathe. If your child has recently been diagnosed with asthma, or you think they are showing signs of it, you likely have many questions. You probably also have some concerns. You may want to know what exactly asthma is, for example, and/or what causes it. You probably want to know the symptoms of asthma and the warning signs of an approaching attack. And, finally, you'll want to know how to get proper treatment so that your child can breathe easily again.

Related:

We connected with a pediatrician and pediatric pulmonologist (lung doctor) to answer your most pressing questions about children and asthma. Read on for more.

What Is Childhood Asthma?

Childhood asthma refers to asthma symptoms among children under the age of 18. "Asthma is a chronic condition in which a child may experience coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and/or chest tightness from the inflammation and narrowing of small airways and obstruction of airflow," describes Kelsey Malloy, M.D., pediatric pulmonologist and medical director at Pediatrix Pulmonology of Nashville.

Christina Johns, M.D., pediatric emergency doctor and senior medical advisor for PM Pediatric Care explains that childhood asthma is generally categorized based on how frequently your child presents with asthma symptoms and how severe those symptoms are. "Asthma can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe," Dr. Johns says.

How Common Is It?

Asthma is more common than you might realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 6 million children under the age of 18 have asthma; that's one in every 12 kids. As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) notes, asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases diagnosed in children. About 44% of kids under 18 who have asthma will experience one or more asthma attacks in any given year. Among school-age kids, asthma is a frequent reason for missed school, according to AAFA.

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That said, it's important to note that asthma doesn't impact all kids equally. Children assigned male at birth are more likely to experience asthma symptoms than children assigned female at birth. Black children are also more likely to experience asthma than white children. They are three times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, as the AAFA reports.

Why Do Kids Get Asthma?

"The exact cause of asthma isn't known but is thought to be partially passed down through families," says Dr. Johns. That means that if you or your partner have asthma, your children have a higher likelihood of developing it. Still, the truth is, says Dr. Malloy, there are multiple factors that may cause a child to develop asthma. "Research is ongoing to further understand why some children are affected while others aren't," she says.

According to Dr. Malloy, there are certain risk factors that may make it more likely for children to develop asthma or that may trigger asthma symptoms in kids. These include:

Exposure to indoor or outdoor pollution

Allergens, such as pets, dust, pollen, and mold

Exposure to smoke from cigarettes, vapes, and burning wood

Viral infections, including RSV, which seem to increase asthma risk

Additionally, a recent study found that gas-burning stoves are responsible for roughly 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in America. Why? Because gas stoves can emit significant amounts of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that can trigger asthma and other respiratory conditions.

There are also some factors that occur during pregnancy or early childhood that may make a child more likely to develop asthma. "Some children may experience it because they have chronic lung disease or were born prematurely, both of which have a higher risk for the development of asthma," says Dr. Johns.

Finally, Dr. Malloy explains that having a family history of allergies, such as eczema, may increase your child's risk of asthma. Children who have a history of reflux or sleep apnea may have more difficulty controlling their asthma, she adds.

What Are the Signs of Asthma, Particularly In Kids?

The most common signs of asthma in kids are:

Tight chest/tight breathing

Ongoing cough, especially when lying down

Labored, quick breathing

Exhaustion from not getting enough oxygen and struggling to breathe

Wheezing, which sounds like a whistling sound

Trouble coordinating sucking and swallowing (in breast- and bottle-fed babies)

That being said, sometimes the signs of a child struggling to breathe can be more subtle, according to Dr. Malloy. "Parents may notice a dry cough that doesn't resolve for a few weeks after the child is feeling better from a cold virus. They may also observe a cough that keeps their child up at night," she says. Not only that, but small children can't always tell you what's going on. "Young children may not yet be able to vocalize how they are feeling or if it is difficult to breathe," Dr. Malloy describes.

How Is Childhood Asthma Diagnosed?

There is no single test to diagnose asthma, says Dr. Malloy. "Diagnosis of asthma involves a thorough review of a child's medical problems, family history, and environmental exposures," she explains. It can be particularly difficult to diagnose younger children with asthma. "Asthma symptoms can start early in life and are sometimes difficult to differentiate from recurrent viral symptoms, especially since infants and toddlers can have wheezing from viruses," she describes.

Besides taking a full medical history, asthma diagnosis may involve the following tests and diagnostic assessments:

X-rays of the chest

Tests that measure the functioning of the lungs, such as spirometry

Allergy tests to ascertain if an allergy may be triggering your child's asthma

How Is It Treated?

Asthma treatment involves avoiding possible triggers, such as allergens or inhaling smoke. Additionally, asthma is usually treated with medication that can be taken via an inhaler, an inhaler with a spacer, or a nebulizer.

Medications for asthma focus on two main components, says Dr. Johns: treating the swelling and inflammation that happens in the airway as well as treating any wheezing, coughing or labored breathing. "Steroids such as dexamethasone or prednisone are used to decrease swelling while inhaled bronchodilator medicines like albuterol are used to open up the airways in the lungs," she explains. Children who have ongoing asthma issues may need a daily inhaler to help prevent asthma attacks, Dr. Johns adds.

The good news is that asthma treatments are very effective, and sticking to your child's asthma plan usually results in fewer asthma attacks, doctor's appointments, and ER visits. That being said, you should never ignore signs of an asthma attack in your child, even if they are being treated with medication.

"Parents should seek medical attention if their child is experiencing coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing that does not improve with asthma quick-relief medications, like albuterol," says Dr. Malloy. Rapid breathing and/or breathing so fast your child can't talk, eat, drink, or play is also cause for concern, she adds.
By Lewis Jackson and Alasdair Pal

(Reuters) -New Zealand's ruling Labour Party is looking for a new leader after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation on Thursday.

Ardern said on Thursday she had "no more in the tank" to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election.

A Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than Feb. 7 and a general election will be held on Oct. 14.

Here are four Labour party lawmakers who could become prime minister:

CHRIS HIPKINS

First elected to parliament for the Labour Party in 2008, Chris Hipkins became a household name fronting the government's response to the pandemic after being appointed minister for COVID-19 in November 2020.

Leading a response that was hailed around the world for leaving the country virus free for the first half of 2021, criticism grew over harsh lockdowns as officials struggled to control a Delta outbreak that began in August 2021. The 44-year-old later said quarantine measures should have been scaled back earlier.

Having built a reputation for competence, Hipkins became Minister for Police in mid-2022 amid a crime wave. He is also Minister for Education, Public Service and serves as Leader of the House.

Hipkins held several roles in politics before joining parliament. He was senior adviser to two education ministers and served in the office of former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

KIRI ALLAN

New Zealands Minister of Justice, Kiri Allan, 39, would become the country's first prime minister of Maori descent, as well as the countrys first openly gay leader if elected.

Allan, whose portfolio also includes disaster management, was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in 2021 on the same day a powerful earthquake struck off the country's coast, triggering tsunami warnings. She took a leave of absence to seek treatment before returning.

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Before entering parliament in 2017, Allan worked as a manager in the agriculture industry, and was heavily involved in new kiwi fruit developments. She has also practised commercial and public law in several areas of the country.

MICHAEL WOOD

Michael Wood, 42, has swiftly scaled Labour party ranks since joining parliament in 2016 after a landslide by-election victory.

Wood was elevated to Minister of Transport and Workplace Safety in 2020 after Jacinda Ardern's historic election, the best result for the Labour Party in half a century. He added Immigration to his portfolio in a mid-2022 cabinet reshuffle.

Before becoming a member of parliament, he served on Auckland's city council. He also worked at the finance sector union.

NANAIA MAHUTA

A veteran parliamentarian of 26 years, Nanaia Mahuta became New Zealand's first female foreign minister after the 2020 election victory.

The 52-year-old has used her role to advocate a diplomatic middle ground for Pacific nations caught between the United States and China, saying late last year that the region is not "altogether comfortable with either superpower".

With a traditional facial tattoo that celebrates her Maori heritage, Mahuta has long championed Maori causes as a tribal member of Waikato-Tainui, Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Manu. She is the daughter of Sir Robert Mahuta, the adopted brother of the late Maori queen and respected Maori elder.

Mahuta has also held the local government portfolio and pushed through controversial legislation to change the ownership structure of the country's water infrastructure.

(Compiled by Lewis Jackson and Alasdair Pal in Sydney. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's armed forces general staff, which coordinates activities between its conventional army and the Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned the European Union on Thursday not to list the elite force as a terrorist entity, state media reported.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament called for the EU to list the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, blaming it for the repression of domestic protesters and the supply of drones to Russia's military engaged in Ukraine.

Following are some questions and answers about the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Iran's dominant military force, with its own army, navy, air force and intelligence wing:

WHAT IS THE IRGC?

It was set up shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the Shiite clerical ruling system and provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces.

It answers to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The IRGC has an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units. It also commands the Basij religious militia, a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to the clerical establishment which is often used to crack down on anti-government protests.

Basijis mounted human wave attacks against Iraqi troops during the 1980s war. In peacetime, they enforce Irans Islamic social codes. Analysts say Basij volunteers may number in the millions, with 1 million active members.

The Quds Force is the foreign espionage and paramilitary arm of the IRGC that heavily influences its allied militia across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria. Its members have fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war and have backed Iraqi security forces in their battle against Islamic State militants in recent years.

Its top commander, Major-General Qassem Soleimani, was killed by the United States in a drone attack in Iraq in 2020. His death raised fears of a major conflict. The killing of all American leaders would not be enough to avenge the assassination of Soleimani, a senior Iranian Guards commander said later.

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The IRGC, branded a terrorist group and sanctioned by the United States, has sought for years to shape the Middle East in favour of Tehran. For instance, it founded Lebanon's Hezbollah in 1982 to export Iran's Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces that invaded Lebanon that same year.

Hezbollah is now a major military force which has played a role in regional conflicts.

WHAT ARE THE IRGCS MILITARY CAPABILITIES?

The IRGC oversees Irans ballistic missile programme, regarded by experts as the largest in the Middle East.

The Guards have used the missiles to hit Sunni Muslim militants in Syria and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq. The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for a 2019 missile and drone attack that crippled the world's biggest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia. Iran denied any involvement in the assault.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pointed to Irans missile programme as one of the points not addressed in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and which he cited as a reason for pulling out in 2018.

The Guards have extensive conventional combat hardware and capabilities which were showcased in their involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

WHAT IS THE IRGCS POSITION IN IRAN'S POLITICAL SYSTEM?

Former Revolutionary Guards officers occupy key positions in Iran's establishment, from the government to parliament. Most of President Ebrahim Raisi's cabinet are former IRGC officers.

The IRGCs mandate to protect revolutionary values has prompted it to speak out when it felt the system was threatened.

WHAT ABOUT BUSINESS INTERESTS?

After the 1980s Iraq war, the IRGC became heavily involved in Irans reconstruction and has expanded its economic interests to include a vast network of businesses, ranging from oil and gas projects to construction and telecommunication. Its business interests are worth billions of dollars.

(Reporting by Michael Georgy; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) - With the 2022 U.S. midterms over, this year will feature some elections that take the measure of the public mood on major issues - and former President Donald Trump's influence - ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Here are some races to watch:

GOVERNORS

Perhaps the highest-profile election this year is the gubernatorial contest in Kentucky, where Democratic Governor Andy Beshear will seek a second term in a state that voted for Trump, a Republican, by more than 25 percentage points in 2020.

Morning Consult tracking poll data released this month pegged Beshear as the country's most popular Democratic governor, with six in 10 Kentuckians approving of his performance, despite the state's Republican dominance.

He won high marks for his handling of two disasters: deadly tornadoes that killed 80 people in western Kentucky in 2021 and historic flooding that killed more than 40 people in eastern Kentucky last year.

His Republican challengers include the state attorney general, Daniel Cameron, who snagged Trump's endorsement and would be the country's first Black Republican to be elected governor. Other candidates include the state auditor, Mike Harmon; the agriculture commissioner, Ryan Quarles; and Kelly Knight Craft, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. The primary is in May.

In Louisiana, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards is term-limited from running again, giving Republicans a prime opportunity to recapture the governorship in a state that Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points. State Attorney General Jeff Landry is among three Republicans to announce gubernatorial bids. Notable Democrats have yet to enter the race.

All candidates will run in the state's October "jungle primary," so named because all take part in the same primary regardless of political party. If no one reaches 50%, the top two vote-getters face off on Nov. 18.

WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT

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The balance of power on Wisconsin's highest court will be on the ballot on April 4, with profound implications for abortion rights and other issues. The current court has a 4-3 conservative majority, but the seat of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack is open after she decided not to run again.

The court is expected eventually to determine whether to enforce an 1849 near-total ban on abortions that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court decided last year to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion. The state's abortion providers have all stopped offering the procedure, but Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the 174-year-old statute.

The court could also face cases that affect voting access ahead of the 2024 presidential election in the competitive state. In a 4-3 ruling last year, the conservative majority effectively banned ballot drop boxes, finding they violated state law.

MAYORS

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, faces a slew of challengers when she seeks re-election on Feb. 28. Her eight rivals include U.S. Representative Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who easily won re-election in his Chicago-based district in November two days before announcing his mayoral campaign.

If no candidate reaches 50%, the top two vote-getters advance to an April runoff.

Voters in cities across the United States will elect mayors this year, including Houston and Philadelphia, whose Democratic mayors are unable to run again due to term limits.

STATE LEGISLATURES

In Virginia, control of both legislative chambers is at stake in November, two years after Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's victory in a state that backed Democratic President Joe Biden by a double-digit margin. Democrats hold a thin majority in the state Senate, while Republicans have an even narrower edge in the state House of Delegates.

Abortion will likely play a crucial role. Youngkin, a potential presidential contender in 2024, has pushed for a 15-week abortion ban, which could become reality if Republicans win control of the legislature. The state currently allows abortions in the first two trimesters, or up to approximately 26 weeks, though the vast majority are performed in the first trimester.

New Jersey will also hold legislative elections, after Republicans had an unexpectedly strong performance in 2021. Nevertheless, Democrats are expected to maintain their control of both chambers.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Howard Goller)
Photo showing plastic screens locked across the aisle with infant formulas at NTUC FairPrice outlet. (PHOTO: Reddit)

UPDATE: Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai responds to the "misleading impression" of infant formula shoplifting

SINGAPORE  Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice has installed screens and locks on shelves displaying infant formula in one of its outlets at the Bukit Batok MRT Station, in a trial to prevent theft of the baby milk powders.

Fairprice confirmed this on Wednesday (18 January) after a viral picture of the locked shelves raised concern among netizens.

Twitter user Shawn Lim tweeted a viral photo of a locked display of infant formula on 17 January 2023. (PHOTO: ShawnLim/TwitterScreengrab)

Twitter user Shawn Lim tweeted a photo of a locked display of infant formula earlier this week, and the photo became viral across other social media platforms like Reddit, with the original post garnering over 106,000 views on Twitter.

In his post, Lim said that FairPrice had locked up the baby milk powder because the powders were allegedly stolen.

"Breaks my heart that there are people out there who are struggling to feed their babies," he added.

This prompted confusion and worry among netizens. Twitter user Clara Tan said it was strange and had never seen food being shoplifted, claiming that it sounds "like an overreaction."

In response to the picture, Reddit user kormanny questioned whether it was real and requested more support for the afflicted.

Based on the Fairprice's online store, baby milk powder can cost as low as $18.47 for a 900-gram Abbott Grow Baby Infant Milk Formula Step 1, or as high as $383.35 for a multipack Enfamil A+ Gentlease Baby Milk Powder formula 6x900g.

Trial to prevent theft

Following the viral incident, a FairPrice spokesman told Yahoo News Singapore on Wednesday that it had started a trial at the Bukit Batok Station outlet since infant formula is commonly stolen.

"This trial started two weeks ago, and we continue to assess the feasibility of continuing or extending this initiative," the spokesman said in a media statement

The statement said the trial complemented other security measures, such as CCTV cameras and plain-clothes security officers, that it had put in place to deter shoplifting.

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CNA reported on Wednesday that a similar plastic screen with a lock was seen at another FairPrice outlet in Boon Lay Shopping Centre. Its report noted that every row of baby formula was kept behind a transparent plastic screen and that the screen was long enough for consumers to touch the tins but not remove them.

According to CNA, the FairPrice outlet staff confirmed that the screens were installed to prevent theft. They added that the outlet was open 24 hours daily and had fewer staff in the wee hours of the morning to watch over the items.

Measures not implemented at other supermarkets and outlets

The Straits Times reported that supermarket chain Sheng Shiong has encountered theft cases involving milk powder in its stores. It is working with the police to deter theft requiring employees to wear vests reading "Shopwatch, May I help you?"

CNA also visited six other NTUC FairPrice stores islandwide in addition to Bukit Batok and Boon Lay, none of which secured formula milk behind screens.

Most outlets had similar signs warning shoplifters, and CCTV cameras were also visible.

Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai responds to the "misleading impression"

In a Facebook video, Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai said on Thursday (19 January) that a "misleading impression" has been given over FairPrice's decision to tackle milk infant formula shoplifting.

"Some people understandably are getting an impression out here that some people cannot afford milk powder for their children."

According to Mr Murali, he checked with the police and clarified that it wasn't true.

"The typical shoplifter that the FairPrice is concerned about are people who steal with the view of wanting to make a profit, which means selling and making a profit. It is certainly not the situation many readers are concerned about," he added.

Assuring everyone that a very established system was in place to assist families in need, he expressed gratitude for the public's willingness to help by offering to buy milk for the residents.

"The South West CDC mayor Low Yen Ling has a good number of programmes helping low-income families, and I am in touch with her on this specific matter. There are also help schemes (available) in Bukit Batok, " said Mr Murali

Low-income families can, for instance, purchase infant and adult milk at substantial discounts through a program.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
Visitors file past at the Van Gogh painting "Une Liseuse De Romans", also known as "The Novel Reader", during the Van Gogh in America exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (Andy Morrison/AP)

A judge heard arguments Thursday over control of a 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh and said he hoped the dispute could be settled without entangling a Detroit museum.

There was no immediate decision about the future of the painting, The Novel Reader, which is on loan to the Detroit Institute of Arts as part of a rare van Gogh exhibition that ends Sunday.

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Brazilian collector Gustavo Soter filed a lawsuit last week, declaring that he bought the art in 2017 for $3.7 million but hadnt been able to locate it after turning it over to a third party.

Brokerarte Capital Partners LLC and Soter, its sole proprietor, want a judge to order the museum to give it up.

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The museum hasnt disclosed how it obtained the painting or what will happen to it after the close of the exhibition, which opened in October and includes dozens of works by van Gogh borrowed from collectors around the world.

Brokerarte Capitals attorney, Andrew Phelps, offered a few new details Thursday. He said the painting, worth an estimated $5 million, was supposed to be in storage in Brazil for future sale.

My client would like to get it back before it disappears again, Phelps told U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh.

An attorney for the museum argued that the judge has no authority to even step into the dispute, under a federal law that protects the temporary sharing of international art or works of cultural significance.

Phelps, however, said the law is obviously not designed to protect stolen art.

The painting was not listed as stolen by the FBI or the international Art Loss Register, the museum said.

The judge said hes faced with a case that doesnt have much legal precedent to guide him.

The museum is blameless in this case, Steeh said.

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I would encourage the attorneys here to address the possibility of resolving the dispute that will avoid the courts ultimate ruling, he said.

Attorneys for both sides declined to comment after the hearing.
Care to see the Eiffel Tower without going to France? With over 80 replicas of the iconic tower all over the world, you have plenty of copies to choose from. But it isnt the only landmark to be replicated. There are many you can find duplicated in the places youd least expect to see them. Here are some places you can visit famous landmark replicas around the world.

Leaning Tower of Pisa - Niles, Illinois

Heidi Kaden

The Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois is a replica of the one in Pisa, only half the size of it. It was erected in 1934 to conceal a water tower that supplied water to two large pools nearby.

Taj Mahal - Dhaka, Bangladesh

Jovyn Chamb

The Taj Mahal is Indias most popular monument and a New Wonder of the World. In 2008, a Bangladeshi filmmaker had a replica created in Dhaka with hopes of making a version of the famed landmark that everyone could see. In addition to this one, there are six other Taj Mahal clones around the world!

Statue of Liberty - Odaiba, Japan

Freddy G.

Visitors to Odaiba, Japan can check out a version of the Statue of Liberty that is just 1/7th the size of the real deal. Built in 1998, the fake was only supposed to be erected temporarily in honor of the relationship between Japan and France. However, it was such a hit they decided to let it remain.

Singapore Merlion - Medan, Indonesia

Jay Ang

The famous half-lion, half-fish symbol of Singapore not only appears in statue form there. Medan, Indonesia has its own version. But not only has the town recreated the merlion statue; it has replicated many of Singapores landmarks, including the Fountain of Wealth and the Fullerton Hotel arches.

The Parthenon - Nashville, Tennessee

Spencer Davis

While the original Parthenon is in Athens, Greece, you can find a replica of it in Nashville, Tennessees Centennial Park. The full-scale copycat, which was designed by architect William Crawford Smith, came to be in 1897.

Christ the Redeemer - Almada, Portugal

Ckturistando

Another New Wonder of the World and icon of Brazil is its famed Christ the Redeemer statue. Lisbons Cardinal Patriarch, Manuel Goncalves Cerejeira, saw it when visiting Rio de Janeiro and loved the statue so much that he had one created in Almada, Portugal.

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There are also numerous other replicas of Christ the Redeemer in countries like Angola, Mexico, Poland, Italy, Vietnam, Switzerland, and even various others in Brazil.

Mount Rushmore - Chongqing, China

Jean Beller

When it comes to replicas of famous world monuments, China takes the cake. The country has more than any other nation, including a replica of the United States Mount Rushmore. Located in the former capital of Chongqing, the government built the monument in honor of the Americans who helped them defeat Japan.

Among the other famous copies found in China are replicas of Londons Tower Bridge, Athens Parthenon, Gizas Great Sphynx, Romes Colosseum, Paris Arc de Triomphe, and the Sydney Opera House.

Eiffel Tower - Various Countries

Denys Nevozhai

With so many copies around the globe, the Eiffel Tower is the worlds most duplicated landmark. Replicas of the famous tower can be found in countries like Japan, Australia, Pakistan, Greece, Panama, Germany, Czech Republic, Morocco, Denmark, Israel, and the United States.

Related: Same, But Different: 5 Eiffel Tower Replicas In North America
The FBI office of Charlotte is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who can lead them to the individual responsible for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Lincolnton Crisis Pregnancy Center.

On June 25, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Lincolnton Police received a 911 call regarding a fire at the center, the FBI said in a release on Thursday.

FBI Charlotte Offering $25,000 Reward in Lincolnton Crisis Pregnancy Arson Investigation: The FBI and law enforcement partners are seeking the publics help to identify the person who threw a Molotov cocktail at the Crisis Pregnancy Center on June 25, 2... https://t.co/IFKfGIVtC2  FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) January 19, 2023

An individual can be seen on surveillance video shared by the FBI throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at the building, officials said. The fire resulted in minor damage to the building.

The FBI is offering the reward as part of a national effort to bring awareness to a series of attacks and threats targeting reproductive health service facilities across the country.

The crime carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, the FBI said.

Another crisis pregnancy center in Asheville, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, was vandalized in June, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), contact their local FBI office, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

The FBI; the Lincolnton Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are asking for the publics assistance to identify the individual who threw a Molotov cocktail at the Crisis Pregnancy Center on June 25, 2022.

What are crisis pregnancy centers?

Crisis pregnancy centers are not abortion clinics and most oppose abortion.

We exist to recognize all unborn as humans with potential through providing various resource and supportive services in a loving, Christian atmosphere to those facing an unplanned pregnancy, the Lincolnton Center says on their website.

The center offers pregnancy tests, some ultrasounds, and classes on parenting and abortion.

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A 2012 academic study on crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina found that 86% of the centers studied provided false or misleading information about abortion, the News and Observer previously reported.

These centers are not regulated in the same way other medical facilities would be, and are mostly staffed by volunteers who are not medical professionals, NC Health News previously reported.

The North Carolina General Assembly recently voted to increase state funding to these centers, bringing the total amount of funding for 2021-2023 to approximately $19 million, according to the NC Budget and Tax Center.
ane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images

Prosecutors are investigating whether Amazon deceived lenders about its injury rates.

Federal regulators are increasingly scrutinizing Amazon's safety record.

Insider previously found that Amazon's pace of work increases the risk of debilitating injury.

Prosecutors for the Southern District of New York are investigating whether Amazon "engaged in a fraudulent scheme" to deceive lenders about injury rates at its warehouses in order to obtain credit, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

The investigation was announced on the same day federal workplace safety regulators filed four new citations against Amazon over hazards related to its pace of work, which inspectors found put workers at high risk for back, muscle, and joint injuries. The citations were the latest in a string of fines leveled against Amazon for putting workers at risk of such injuries.

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions.

Media reports and federal inspections have previously alleged that Amazon has underreported and misrepresented injuries at its facilities.

In December, federal regulators cited Amazon for not recording worker injuries properly. A 2020 investigation by the nonprofit newsroom Reveal found that Amazon had "deceived the public" about an epidemic of injuries among its warehouse workers. As far back as 2015, regulators fined Amazon for failing to record injuries as required.

In his first letter to shareholders last April, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cited misleading statistics to claim that Amazon's injury rate is "sometimes misunderstood." Jassy's statements prompted the Strategic Organizing Center, a union umbrella group, to ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the company was deceiving investors.

The precise details of the SDNY's investigation into whether Amazon misrepresented injury rates to potential creditors are not immediately clear from the Department of Justice's press release. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to questions.

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The investigation is taking place as regulators and media have increased their scrutiny of injuries in Amazon warehouses.

An Insider investigation last year found that Amazon's pace of work wildly increases the risk of debilitating muscle and joint injuries for its more than 750,000 US warehouse workers. Workers at Amazon warehouses are four times as likely to suffer such injuries as workers in non-Amazon warehouses, a review of Washington state workers' compensation data showed.

Do you have a tip or insight to share? Contact reporter Katherine Long via phone or the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-206-375-9280) or via email (klong@insider.com).

Read the original article on Business Insider
STORY: This month, the Biden administration said it would broaden use of the so-called CBP One app to allow asylum seekers to enter their personal information as a pre-screening step for a U.S. appointment to request asylum.

Since it was activated for pre-screening last week, the app has been in such demand that it is telling applicants it has run out of appointments, according to Mexican officials and a dozen migrants, some of whom shared phone screenshots with Reuters.

To receive a U.S. appointment, migrants first must go to a border entry point in Mexico determined by the app. Some migrants told Reuters the app only had appointments far from where they currently are.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately reply to requests for comment from Reuters about the app.
Florida will not allow schools in the state to offer a new Advanced Placement course on African-American history, claiming it significantly lacks educational value and violates state law.

Floridas Department of Education (FDOE) informed the College Board of its decision to reject the class, which is now in a pilot stage, in a letter dated Jan. 12, The New York Times reported. The letter did not cite any specific law, the Times noted.

Under its Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida enacted the so-called Stop WOKE Act last summer to hinder teaching about systemic inequality. The law expands the legal definition of discrimination to include lessons about racial or gender-based privilege and oppression, stating that no one should be instructed to feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress as a result of their race or gender.

Although it is being challenged by groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, for being unconstitutionally vague, some college instructors have been modifying their curricula on race-related topics to avoid running afoul of the legislation. Some have even canceled courses altogether rather than risk landing in legal hot water.

The College Board, a nonprofit that oversees college entrance exams, offers AP classes as a way for high school students to obtain college credit and bolster their college applications.

Currently, the AP African-American Studies course is being taught at 60 schools nationwide. However, the College Board plans to make it widely accessible by the 2024-2025 school year.

The organizations website states that the new course, which has been in development for a decade, reaches into a variety of fields  literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography, and science  to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans. In addition, the College Board says it consulted college professors around the country for input, although the entire curriculum is not publicly available.

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The course would not be automatically introduced at Florida schools. Like all AP courses, schools must apply with the College Board to offer them.

However, the Florida Department of Education is not giving school administrators any choice.

As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value, read the departments letter to the College Board, according to WESH, an Orlando NBC affiliate.

In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion, it said, WESH reported.

In November, a judge blocked the state of Florida from enforcing the Stop WOKE Act, but only for colleges and universities.

Related...
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former chief executive of FTX U.S., has rejected claims by the companys current leadership made in a presentation on Tuesday that the team has only recovered US$181 million worth of funds from the exchange.

See related article: FTX says US$415 mln in crypto hacked since bankruptcy filing

Fast facts

Current FTX chief executive, John J. Ray III, said half of those funds were lost to unauthorized transfers following FTX.com filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11.

These claims by [restructuring firm Sullivan & Cromwell] are wrong, and contradicted by data later on in the same document, Bankman-Fried wrote in a Substack post on Wednesday. FTX U.S. was and is solvent, likely with hundreds of millions of dollars in excess of customer balances.

FTX U.S., established in 2020 to cater to U.S.-based customers, is a separate entity from the Bahamas-based crypto exchange FTX.com.

Bankman-Fried is currently under house arrest for his involvement in the collapse of FTX.com and faces charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and violating campaign finance rules. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He launched a Substack on Jan. 13, an online, personal newsletter that users can subscribe to.

In this recent post on Substack, Bankman-Fried gives lengthy explanations for how he believes FTX U.S. is still solvent. However, as Ray has been distancing himself and the company from its former head, it is possible Bankman-Fried does not have access to the most up-to-date information.

FTX leadership told creditors on Tuesday that US$415 million had been lost to hackers since the Nov. 11 bankruptcy filing, of which US$90 million had been siphoned from FTX US.

Roughly US$5.5 billion worth of liquid assets have been marked for recovery by FTX consisting of US$1.7 billion in cash, US$3.5 billion in cryptocurrencies  including FTX Token (FTT)  and US$300 million worth of liquid securities.

See related article: US lawyers, Bahamas liquidators trade barbs over who rules FTX bankruptcy jurisdiction
The emerging queen of country rock is Suki Waterhouse, a graceful and mannerly Englishwoman with perfectly tousled blonde hair. Waterhouses background, as one can probably deduce from the aforestated description, is anything but downscale. Raised in London, she was first a model, then an actress; in time she graduated to It Brit (thats how Vogue characterized her in 2017). Waterhouses progression  from It Brit to grungy country-rock heroine  has been, shall we say, nonlinear, and not infrequently hasslesome.

I was very nervous about potentially being laughed out of the room, Waterhouse says. Theres all this stereotyping and backlash, especially in England. They can be quite harsh on their homegrown talent.

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One of Waterhouses earliest singles, Brutally, was written from the depths of a world-ending heartbreak. The world repaid Waterhouses candor with 8 million individual streams. Even this, however, failed to impress the invidious keepers of independent rock music. Says Waterhouse, The consensus was really  it was actually quite difficult. It was quite difficult to get a label to sign someone whos not primarily a musician. Theyre not particularly interested in a model, or an actress, or something like that.

Waterhouse, who turned 31 at the top of the year, is forever in transition. Shes forever learning as she goes. Take, for example, the West Coast leg of her North American tour, which is still ongoing. At every stop there were adjustments to be made, logistics obstacles to be surmounted. Waterhouse prefers it this way.

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Its great adjusting to these different-sized rooms each night, she says. I just did the Constellation Room in Santa Ana, and the subs were, like, blaring; my drummer was pretty much levitating off the stage (laughs). But theres something about those smaller spaces, being a tight-knit unit with your band, bumping into guitars and so on. Theres something to be said for capturing intimacy.

In a sense, Waterhouse shares a common history with her long-term boyfriend, the actor Robert Pattinson. The former Twilight divo has since matured into a lion of the big screen, enthralling Cannes jurors as he once did tweenyboppers. Waterhouse, like Pattinson, has worked hard to overcome the biases of a skeptical public. Only instead of heist dramas or superhero epics, Waterhouse makes honkytonk love songs.

Released via Sub Pop in early May, I Cant Let Go is Waterhouses full-length debut. The album is remarkable not least for its lack of affectation. Rare is the Brit who can pull off bluesy country-rock twang, but Waterhouses voice is strong, buttery and, crucially, believable. She also has a near-clinical recall of the liaisons that have shaped her romantic life. Having said all that, I Cant Let Go wouldnt be nearly so powerful without the guidance of avuncular producer Brad Cook.

Cook and Waterhouse recorded I Cant Let Go in a hovel-like space in North Carolina. Their digs may have been modest, but Waterhouse had endured worse. Back when she was just an unproven starlet shopping her demo to wary labels, she would sometimes record in the kitchen, amid the racket of cookware.

Waterhouse describes Cook as legacy-conscious and nobly indifferent to record sales, although his clients  The War on Drugs, Bon Iver  not only move units but frequently overperform. And thanks to a zany video-sharing platform, Waterhouses star is rising faster than it might otherwise. Not long after I Cant Let Go was released, the non-album track Good Looking became a fixture on TikTok. Good Looking is years old; its a little goopy and puerile, compared with Waterhouses more adultlike recent work. Waterhouse though is a good sport. Having learned long ago to roll with the punches, she wasnt terribly displeased with her newfangled TikTok celebrity.

That was one of my first releases, Waterhouse says of Good Looking. We were debating whether or not to delete it because its a bit jumbly and it doesnt make, like, cohesive sense (laughs). Its also in swing time  incredibly distorted. It never would have struck me as a song that would be big (on TikTok), but thats the amazing thing about the chaos of the internet.

To hear more of the younger, more jumbly Waterhouse, listeners should stream Milk Teeth, her odds-and-ends EP from last fall. Some of the material thereon dates back to 2016, when Waterhouse started making music right under the noses of her oblivious fashion industry peers. Also included is Neon Signs, an unusually rhythmic synth-rocker that captures Waterhouse as she sounds today. First she perfected the honky-tonk sound, now this? What cant Waterhouse do? You could say shes a model of versatility.

Suki Waterhouse with Blondshell, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.; tickets $27-$130 (sold out) at metrochicago.com

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M.T. Richards is freelance writer.
(Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is looking into the possibility of reviving its business, Chief Executive Officer John Ray told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Ray, who took over the reins in November, has set up a task force to explore restarting FTX.com, the company's main international exchange, he said in an interview with the WSJ.

The CEO also told the Journal that he would look into whether reviving FTX's international exchange would recover more value for the company's customers than his team could get from simply liquidating assets or selling the platform.

FTX's native token FTT surged nearly 30% after the report.

"I'm glad Mr. Ray is finally paying lip service to turning the exchange back on after months of squashing such efforts!" FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said in a tweet.

"I'm still waiting for him to finally admit FTX US is solvent and give customers their money back," Bankman-Fried added.

A legal representative for FTX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Bankman-Fried has been accused of stealing billions of dollars from the exchange's customers to pay debts incurred by his crypto-focused hedge fund, Alameda Research. He has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges.

The future of customer funds, however, remains unclear. Earlier this week, FTX said in a report to creditors that hackers stole about $415 million in crypto from its international and U.S. exchanges since its bankruptcy in November.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Anil D'Silva)
A pedestrian in Belgrade, Serbia, walks past a mural depicting Russia's paramilitary mercenaries, labeled "Wagner Group  Russian knights" on Nov. 17, 2022. (Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty Images)

A shadowy paramilitary outfit is making gains for Russia in eastern Ukraine  and, in the process, apparently exacerbating tensions back in Moscow, where military chiefs are hesitant to give credit to the influential Kremlin insider responsible for the effort.

The Wagner Group, as the militia is known, is operated by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Frustrated by months of military setbacks, Putin tacitly allowed Prigozhin last year to recruit soldiers for the Wagner Group from prisons, offering them freedom in exchange for service.

The recent military successes of Wagner fighters have stoked suspicions that Prigozhin is hoping to assert himself politically at a time when few other Kremlin advisers can credibly point to victories of their own.

To be sure, Prigozhins successes are modest. But as far as the Kremlin is concerned, at least they are not defeats that have to be explained away with convoluted and unconvincing conspiracy theories by state television propagandists.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, attends the funeral on Dec. 24, 2022, at the Beloostrovskoye cemetery outside St. Petersburg, of Dmitry Menshikov, a Wagner Group fighter who died in a special operation in Ukraine. (AP Photo)

In recent days, the Wagner Group appears to have taken the village of Soledar, north of the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine.

Incremental progress in the Bakhmut area has come at a great cost, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told Yahoo News at a press briefing Wednesday. But considering that Russia had expected to conquer the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in a matter of days when it first invaded in February last year, any progress at all is significant.

Although the Wagner Group has long operated in Syria and Africa, where it bolsters despotic regimes, its commitment to Ukraine appears to signal an acknowledgment that traditional means of waging war have failed, if largely because Russias moribund military has been in desperate need of reform for decades.

Both Prigozhin and the Wagner Group were sanctioned by the U.S. and European governments last spring, with the State Department accusing him of forging a trail of lies and human rights abuses.

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The Wagner Group is beholden neither to Kremlin bureaucracy nor to history. But by registering as a publicly traded company earlier this week, Prigozhin appears to be seeking official recognition for his army of irregulars.

Men in military uniform, purportedly soldiers of the Wagner Group with its head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, center, pose in a salt mine, apparently in Soledar, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, in this handout picture released Jan. 10. (Press service of "Concord"/Handout via Reuters)

Its a brutal fight that he is waging, Kirby said of Prigozhin, describing the Wagner Groups offensive as part of an extravagant effort to increase his influence with the Kremlin. He also suggested that Prigozhins interest in Soledar was not purely strategic, as the town is home to enormous salt and gypsum mines. Such a conflation of interests would not be new: In Sudan, the Wagner Group plundered a gold mine while suppressing democratic dissent.

A native of St. Petersburg like Putin, the 61-year-old Prigozhin is a restaurateur and caterer who started out selling hot dogs. He earned the nickname Putins chef for the bevy of government catering contracts, including for schools and the military, that eventually came his way.

A pioneer of information warfare, he started the Internet Research Agency, the St. Petersburg troll farm that U.S. intelligence officials believe interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Prigozhin recently owned up  proudly  to that feat. Though himself a likely billionaire, Prigozhin has little in common with the oligarchs who support Putin but see the Ukraine war as an unseemly distraction from lives of leisure in London or New York. Sarcastic and profane, Prigozhin recalls an earlier, less polished style of political leadership that may appeal to older Russians.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, assists Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a dinner with foreign scholars and journalists at the restaurant Cheval Blanc on the premises of an equestrian complex outside Moscow on Nov. 11, 2011. (Misha Japaridze/Reuters)

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has all but disappeared from view, but Prigozhin has eagerly courted public attention. Last November, after a Wagner Group defector was executed with a sledgehammer, Prigozhin adapted the tool as a kind of symbol, even sending one to members of the European Parliament, its handle smeared with fake blood, after an effort there to brand the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization.

Earlier this week, Prigozhin similarly threatened supposed traitors within Russia  including, he suggested, within Putins own administration  who he predicted would try to flee to the United States: They wont take you in, he warned. And then you will come to us, where Wagners sledgehammer will already be waiting for you.

(When asked for an interview last year, representatives for Prigozhins Concord Group told Yahoo News that Prigozhin would only accede to the request if Yahoo News sent a reporter to St. Petersburg and also brought colleagues from major American outlets.)

Himself hardened by a nine-year prison sentence handed down in 1981 by Soviet authorities for a range of crimes  these included, according to court documents, theft, robbery and at least one assault  Prigozhin spent much of the fall of 2022 in Russian prisons recruiting inmates for the Wagner Group. He spoke to them in frank, unadorned terms about what they could expect if they agreed to serve in Ukraine.

If you arrive in Ukraine and decide it's not for you, we will execute you, he warns in one such recording. Disseminated online, the footage of Prigozhins unusual efforts attracted outrage in the West, but also seemed to indicate that he was willing to risk a personal involvement that other Kremlin officials simply would not undertake.

A man walks in front of a destroyed school in the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Ukranian region of Donbas on May 28, 2022, on the 94th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

In Foreign Policy magazine, two Eurasia experts, Peter Rough and Can Kasapoglu, predicted that Prigozhin was making a power play intended specifically to challenge Shoigus leadership of the military,

Prigozhin ultimately managed to recruit an estimated 40,000 prisoners into the Wagner Group. They were deployed late last year in the Bakhmut region, where Russia has been concentrating its attacks. A senior Pentagon official acknowledged in mid-December that the fighting around Bakhmut had become very tough, in part thanks to the ragtag Wagner forces.

The capture of Soledar appears to be the fruit of Prigozhins efforts, but that effort is predicated on a disregard for human life that most Western military leaders would simply not countenance. They continue to throw body after body into this effort, Kirby said of the Russian advances around Soledar, which he assessed as having been largely driven by the Wagner Group.

Last week, credit for Soledar became a point of contention between Prigozhin and the Kremlin, which tried to downplay the Wagner Groups role, claiming that regular forces were responsible for taking the town. The ensuing disagreement between Prigozhin and the Kremlin played out publicly, in contrast to most Kremlin disputes, which are customarily conducted behind the citadels soaring red walls.

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, addresses a press briefing at the White House on Jan. 12 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

We believe that those tensions remain, Kirby told Yahoo News, adding that the rift between Prigozhin and officials like Shoigu has not healed.

With his profile elevated, Prigozhin has become the subject of inevitable political speculation, especially since Putins own future  as well as his health  appears more uncertain today than it has been in years.

Prigozhin, or anyone else for that matter, dare not raise the question of a post-Putin Russia for obvious reasons, but its safe to assume that the scenario has crossed his mind, Rajan Menon, a senior scholar at Defense Priorities, a Washington, D.C., policy center, told Yahoo News.

Prigozhin is hardly the first prominent Russian to see the invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity for advancement. But he may be among the more politically skilled. He certainly hopes Wagners success will boost his standing with Putin, but the risk is that he may stoke Putins suspicions if he gets too much political attention in the public space  and that wont work well for him, Menon wrote to Yahoo News in an email.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, with the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, left, and First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, right, enter the Obukhov State Plant in St. Petersburg for a meeting with workers on Jan. 18. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Whatever his ambitions, Prigozhins influence is sustained by the lives of wayward Russians who form the wave upon wave of fighters whose sheer persistence is meant to exhaust Ukraines defenders.

Still, given the infamous brutality of Russian prisons, the mere promise of freedom may be enough to entice more recruits. As long as the Wagner Group continues to muster new forces, Prigozhin's influence with a Kremlin hungry for victories is bound to increase.

One recent clip posted to social media shows Prigozhin addressing former prisoners who had fulfilled their military service and were preparing to head home.

I told you I needed your criminal talents to kill the enemy in war, Prigozhin says in the footage, which serves as a kind of recruiting video for the Wagner Group. Now, criminal talents are no longer needed.

He then tells the outgoing soldiers who surround him that they should do all they can to avoid returning to prison.

Try to be a little more careful, Prigozhin says.
The owner of an art gallery in downtown San Francisco was arrested and charged with battery after a video emerged of him spraying a homeless woman with a hose.

Collier Gwin, the owner of the gallery, was taken into custody outside his business, the Foster Gwin Gallery, on Wednesday, according to CBS News.

San Francisco District Attorney Brook Jenkins issued a statement saying "the alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable.

"Mr Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions," she said.

The video of the incident  which occurred on 9 January  shows Mr Gwin standing next to a building with a hose and spraying a woman seated on the ground with water.

This man should be arrested. This is what white supremacist do abuse, homeless, Black people, anti-blackness in San Francisco. Nancy Pelosi Districk. You got a black woman who is the mayor. pic.twitter.com/pGgLDGPuOc  Don Salmon (@dijoni) January 10, 2023

Mr Gwin spoke to CBS San Francisco last week and admitted to being the man in the video.

"What they saw is very regrettable," he told CBS San Francisco last week. "I feel awful, not just because I want to get out of trouble, or something like that, but because Id put a tremendous amount of effort into helping this woman."

The citys mayor, London Breed, told CBS San Francisco that the images of Mr Gwin spraying the woman reminded her of how civil rights protesters were treated in the 1960s by police.

"When I saw it, all I can think about is what happened during the civil rights movement," Ms Breed said. "This is sadly, at a time when African Americans were fighting for our rights to be considered equal in this country. Even at that time law enforcement and others used water hoses to stop protesters. And it just kind of takes us back, unfortunately, to that time. And no other human being should be able to do that to any other human being, period. As far as Im concerned, its assault."

Mr Gwin faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $2,000 fine if he is convicted.

The woman in the video has since been connected with resources from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, according to reporting from CBS San Francisco.
How far off is Gear4music (Holdings) plc (LON:G4M) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Gear4music (Holdings)

The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK8.75m UK2.80m UK5.75m UK5.97m UK6.15m UK6.30m UK6.42m UK6.53m UK6.63m UK6.72m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ 3.87% Est @ 3.00% Est @ 2.40% Est @ 1.98% Est @ 1.68% Est @ 1.47% Est @ 1.33% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 12% UK7.8 UK2.2 UK4.1 UK3.8 UK3.5 UK3.1 UK2.9 UK2.6 UK2.3 UK2.1

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK34m

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 12%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK6.7m (1 + 1.0%)  (12% 1.0%) = UK60m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK60m ( 1 + 12%)10= UK19m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK53m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK1.4, the company appears quite good value at a 45% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Gear4music (Holdings) as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.645. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Gear4music (Holdings)

Strength

Debt is well covered by cash flow.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Gear4music (Holdings), we've compiled three fundamental aspects you should assess:

Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Gear4music (Holdings) (of which 2 are concerning!) you should know about. Future Earnings: How does G4M's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the AIM every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Ridofranz / iStock.com

Everyone knows how it feels to miss the boat on a good investment.

Take Big Tech as an example. If you would have thrown some money into Microsoft, Apple or Google when they were just fledgling companies on the market, instead of missing the boat you'd be sitting on a boatload of money.

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A more relatable example for Gen Z and millennials may be Pokemon cards. A 1999 first-edition card of the popular Pokemon Charizard recently sold for $420,000. Another, rarer card -- a Japanese Pikachu Illustrator -- sold for just shy of an incredible $5.28 million in July. Anyone who deftly handled their childhood cards or put them up in a garage sale feels the sting on that one.

While that kind of hindsight is disappointing, it's not surprising -- accurately predicting what's going to make it big is a little like winning the lottery. However, if you're 20, 30, 40 years down the road with no investments, you may be more than disappointed.

Here's a look at five sure investments to make now that can pave the road to financial freedom in the future.

HRAUN / Getty Images

Skills and Networking

One of the most effective ways to set yourself up for financial success is by increasing your earning power. If you put the effort in now to learn a lucrative skill or build a powerhouse network, you'll be paid back tenfold in the jobs and salaries you can net later on.

Roger James Hamilton, founder and CEO of Genius Group, breaks it down very simply. He said there are three types of capital: financial capital, intellectual capital and social capital. While financial capital is a very measurable form of success, intellectual capital (what you know) and social capital (who you know) are the better investments.

"Unfortunately for Gen Z, their financial investments are limited, which often discourages them from investing at all. But your personal net worth isn't made up of financial assets alone," Hamilton said.

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"It's far easier and far faster to build your knowledge and connections and turn that into money than turning your money (or your time alone) into more money. While some people are lucky enough to be born smarter or born into a family with better connections, every member of Gen Z can go out today and improve what they know and who they know by simply investing their time."

Take Our Poll: How Do You Think the Economy Will Perform in 2023?

Marvin Samuel Tolentino Pineda / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Retirement

Retirement isn't the most exciting investment for someone in their teens or 20s. After all, they likely won't benefit from it for 40 years. But the secret to having money in retirement is by socking it away early.

"Open any retirement plan," said Levon L. Galstyan, certified public accountant (CPA) at Oak View Law Group. Those without access to a 401(k) can choose a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. If your employer offers a 401(k), you should make investing in one a priority -- especially if they match contributions.

"If you make $10,000 annual contributions to a retirement plan at age 25 and earn 7% annually, you'll have $2,008,829 saved for retirement by age 65," Galstyan said. "The results, however, are less gratifying if you wait. If you start at age 35 and save $15,000 annually, your retirement funds will only total $1,426,427 when you turn 65.

"Even though your annual contributions will increase by 50%, [you'll have] more than 25% less [money]. That is a strong argument in favor of starting early retirement savings."

leminuit / Getty Images

Life Insurance

"One investment Gen Zers should seriously consider is a cash value life insurance policy," said Jasper Smith, founder of The #BuildWealth Movement. "Life insurance gets expensive as you get older. Also, most people don't get healthier as they age so taking advantage of their current health status is a plus."

The obvious benefit of life insurance is to leave your family financially secure in the event you die. Well, if you're young and without a spouse or kids, this may seem like a silly investment to make. But there are benefits to life insurance while you're still living, too.

With cash value life insurance, you can:

Take out a loan from the value of your policy. This can help you buy a house or a car, and any loan money will be low-interest and tax-free.

Withdraw money. You can take money out of your life insurance before you die, but you'll be hit with early withdrawal fees. You can even surrender the policy for the total value, but at that point you'll pay the fees and income tax.

Sell your life insurance policy. Life settlement brokers will pay you cash for your policy, but the caveat is it's typically much less than your policy is worth -- and you still have to pay fees and taxes on it.

In addition, if you have the right type of policy your life insurance can cover costs related to chronic or terminal illness, as well as long-term care.

Tempura / Getty Images

Index Funds

Young people should invest in the stock market -- specifically in index funds, said Erica Tan, CEO and founder of Best in Singapore.

"An index fund holds shares of all the stocks in the index, hundreds in the case of the S&P 500. By holding so many stocks across a wide variety of industries, the fund is highly diversified and typically offers less volatile returns than owning individual stocks," Tan said.

"Another advantage of an index fund is that you don't have to know a lot to get started. Buying an S&P 500 index fund is like buying the market, and you'll get the market return. It's a great way to learn how investing works, and it's the strategy recommended for most investors by legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett."

The average annual market return is about 10%, meaning if you put $100 into an index fund now, by this time next year you could have $110. This varies depending on the year, but in the long run, it should average out.

The true power of this 10% return, however, is in compound interest. Not only will you earn interest on the $100 you invested -- and any additional amounts you invest -- but you'll earn interest on the $10 of interest, and every dollar after. Earning interest on your interest is what makes investing while young so lucrative.

Viorika / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Riskier Assets

"Youth is actually an ideal time to pursue high-risk investment strategies, because you'll have plenty of time to make up for your losses," said Carter Seuthe, CEO of Credit Summit.

Every investor needs to evaluate how much risk they can mix into their investment portfolio. When you're young and decades away from retirement, it makes sense to go for more growth-oriented or volatile investments. The likelihood of striking out is higher, but it's not the end of the world if you do.

"I'm not suggesting that you go and put your entire 401(k) into crypto or hot tech stocks, but you can definitely have a higher percentage of your investments in these kinds of assets," Seuthe said. "When and if you do make it big on one of these, that's the time to shift to a more conservative strategy and settle in for the long haul with index mutual funds."

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Gen Z: Youll Regret It If You Dont Invest In These 5 Things While Youre Young
Rep. George Santos in the House chamber on January 6, 2023. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Rep. George Santos competed as a drag performer in 2008, former acquaintances said.

Santos, who is gay, has backed anti- LGBTQ legislation and conspiracy theories.

Santos has faced a slew of allegations related to his past, and has admitted lying about his resume.

Embattled GOP Rep. George Santos competed as a drag queen in Brazil in 2008, according to two acquaintances, despite the new lawmaker, who is gay, now backing anti-LGBTQ legislation and aligning himself with the most right-wing Republican lawmakers.

Two acquaintances of Santos' from the Niteroi suburb of Rio de Janeiro told Reuters that Santos used to compete in drag beauty pageants there.

One of them, a performer who uses the drag name Eula Rochard, said Santos competed in a pageant in 2008, and that she met Santos three years before that, when he cross-dressed for the suburb's first-ever pride parade.

The other source told Reuters that Santos had taken part in drag queen beauty pageants and had wanted to be named Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro.

According to MSNBC columnist Marisa Kabas, who spoke to Rochard, Santos went by the drag name Kitara.

Kabas shared a newspaper picture that allegedly showed Rochard and Santos in drag together.

Santos on Thursday denied the reports.

He tweted: "The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or 'performed' as a drag Queen is categorically false. The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life while I am working to deliver results."

Since being sworn into office earlier this month, Santos has increasingly aligned himself with the far-right of the Republican Party, some elements of which have accused drag queens of grooming children.

Santos has also backed legislation that has been criticized for harming LGBTQ people.

Santos said he supported Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics have labeled the "Don't Say Gay" bill and which bans discussion of LGBTQ issues in classrooms between kindergarten and the third grade, while also limiting discussions for older children.

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Santos said last year that Florida's governor had "signed a law to protect values and the innocence of children."

He added: "The Left is hellbent on creating a false narrative because they want to groom our kids. As a gay man, I UNAPOLOGETICALLY support this law!"

Human Rights Watch said last year that it was supporting Santos' election rival, pointing to his support of the Florida bill and saying Santos "has been a vocal opponent to pro-equality values."

Since his election victory last November, Santos has admitted to lying about his education background and work history, as well as previous claims to be Jewish.

More recently it was reported that Santos used a fake Jewish name on GoFundMe because he thought Jews would give more, and that despite claiming that his mom was at the World Trade Center on 9/11, she wasn't even in the country at the time.

Santos did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
It can be difficult keeping up with the list of fictions that George Santos has been accused of telling, admitted telling, or merely been caught spinning red-handed following a contradictory statement.

But, do not fret: The Independent is here, and were keeping track of the whole list of lies even as it continues to grow  both in number and in the sheer scale of the humiliation that it presents for not just Mr Santos, who remains adamant that he will serve two years in office as representative for New Yorks third district, but for the Republican House caucus as a whole.

Home state Republicans and Democrats alike are calling for his resignation from Congress while major conservative groups are vowing not to work with him. Still, he has found a niche for himself among the GOPs far-right Maga caucus, among fellows like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.

On Wednesday 11 January, New York Republicans called on Mr Santos to resign, saying that he disgraced the House of Representatives. Mr Santos, meanwhile, has held firm, telling reporters on Wednesday that he will not step down.

Lets dive in to every fabrication, fiction, lie, mistruth, and embellishment that Mr Santos has admitted to telling or been caught spreading by journalists and others (so far):

He went to college

Our first one, and one of the primary batch of lies uncovered by The New York Times and other news outlets, is Mr Santoss claim that he obtained degrees from NYU and Baruch College, another New York City-based school.

As it turns out, not only did he not graduate from either school, officials at both said there was no record of him attending under any alias. Mr Santos has now admitted this, chalking it up to the effort to make his resume more impressive.

He went to prep school

Mr Santos claimed in a campaign biography during his failed 2020 bid for Congress (in the same district) that he had briefly attended a prestigious prep school in New York.

He began Horace Mann preparatory school in the Bronx, however, did not graduate from Horace Mann due to financial difficulties for his family, read the biography.

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As you might expect, Horace Mann officials said there was no record of him ever attending. Mr Santos has not responded to discovery of this apparent fabrication.

He worked at banks

Another from the initial dispatch: Mr Santos did not, as it turns out, work at either Citigroup or Goldman Sachs. He has now admitted that this too was a fiction: Instead, he claims to have worked for the two banks through a third company, though he has provided no evidence to back that claim up.

What we do know is that an investment firm he founded in May of 2021 came into sudden wealth, bringing in millions of dollars to the degreeless Mr Santos, whose employment history remains murky. He has yet to explain how this firm he founded (and shut down in 2022 after failing to file paperwork) operated or made its millions in such a short period  or how he made his connections in the industry at all.

He ran a charity

The political newcomer claimed not only to be an ex-banker but also a lover of animals: Mr Santos previously claimed to have founded a charity group called Friends of Pets United, taking credit for supposedly saving thousands of dogs and cats. But no IRS records of the group could be found, and Mr Santos himself even backed away from the claim that he founded the group, later telling reporters that he only campaigned for the group and tried to find foster homes for some animals.

Hes Jewish, and his grandparents fled the Holocaust

Its becoming almost impossible to count every time Mr Santos has been accused of telling various audiences that he is Jewish. The Republican Jewish Coalition says that he represented himself to them as Jewish, and he has made public comments to that effect in interviews. Then there was the position paper uncovered by Axios in which he simply refers to himself as an American Jew, removing all doubt as to what he said.

Nevertheless, in a recent interview with Fox News he insisted that he had not lied, and in fact only referred to himself as Jew-ish  an explanation that sounded like it was ripped straight from a Weekend Update joke.

Not only has he come clean about actually being Catholic, genealogists contacted by The Forward said that there was no evidence to prove his other past claims on the issue; namely, that his grandparents on his mothers side escaped the Holocaust. They were born in Brazil.

He knew victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting

Among many other claims, Mr Santos told WNYC last year that he personally had lost four of his employees at the tragedy at Pulse nightclub in 2016.

It was later determined by news reports that no one on the list of those killed in the mass shooting were identifiable as being employees of any business owned by Mr Santos.

The congressman then changed his story to say that well, actually, they hadnt been officially hired yet  the four unnamed persons were supposedly all new employees.

Theres no evidence of that, either.

He owns real estate

During the 2020 campaign, Mr Santos told voters that he owned more than a dozen rental properties across the state of New York. Turns out, thats not true: He told City & State New York that he actually does not own any properties at all. Some may be owned by his family, but he only at the most had use of them.

His mother died twice

This one easily takes the crown for most bizarre lie told so far. In one tweet uncovered Wednesday by reporters, Mr Santos claimed that his mother had died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York.

Then he sent another tweet, five months later. In that message, his mother had a new time of death: 23 December, 2016.

While Mr Santos has not admitted to this fib or addressed it publicly, it is reasonably safe to say that his mother did not come back from the dead.

Some have pointed out that it is possible Mr Santos could have been referring to his mother contracting cancer or another disease resulting from the fallout from the towers destruction. However, a review of her employment history found no signs of her ever working or living anywhere near Ground Zero.

His apartment was robbed

In a sworn statement in housing court in 2016, Mr Santos claimed he was mugged on his way to pay hundreds of dollars in back rent to his Queens landlord during an eviction case. The New York City Police Department has no record of any such attack.

A report from New York outlet Gothamist revealed that Mr Santos wrote that he was mugged on his way to deliver a rent cheque to Queens Housing Court on 15 January 2016 in an effort to resolve his case.

The Republican wrote that he was unable to provide a police report and was told to return to police several days later to pick one up, according to an affidavit that was filled out under oath.

Mr Santos was set to pay $2,250 in back rent for his Queens apartment.

A spokesperson for NYPD told the outlet there was nothing on file related to Mr Santoss claims.

He goes by George Santos

This one doesnt count as a lie, but its still worth mentioning in this long list of fibs.

Mr Santos as recently as 2019 was introducing himself publicly and privately as Anthony Devolder, which appears to be his middle name  George Anthony Santos  as well as his mothers maiden name, Devolder.

He even hated that his friends would sometimes refer to him as George, according to The Washington Post, and insisted on being called Anthony by his friends and others.

His whole family called him Anthony. He wanted to be called Anthony. He would use the name Anthony Devolder, said that former acquaintance, described as an ex-friend and coworker.

He may have performed as a drag queen in Brazil

Mr Santos has most recently been accused of having performed as a drag queen named Kitara Ravache in Brazil more than a decade ago.

The allegation came from Brazilian drag professional Eula Rochard, 58, who reportedly recognised him on TV following his elevation to the House of Representatives, excitedly told her friends and then reacted to their disbelief by digging out an old photograph she insists shows the pair of them together in costume, posting it on Instagram.

Hes changed a lot, but he was always a liar, Ms Rochard told Reuters. He was always such a dreamer.

Mr Santos emphatically denied her story on Twitter, writing: The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or performed as a drag Queen is categorically false. The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life while I am working to deliver results. I will not be distracted nor fazed by this.

Alex Woodward contributed to this report
The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall can provide Ukraine with over 100 combat tanks, including the Leopard 1, Leopard 2 and Challenger 1, if the German government agrees to it.

Source: German media outlet Handelsblatt, referring to its sources in the industry

Quote: "The German defence industry is preparing to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks.

Leopard 1 and the British model of Challenger 1 tanks, in addition to Leopard 2, can also be repaired and delivered to Kyiv."

Details: It is noted that under such conditions, the Bundeswehr (the Armed Forces of Germany  ed.) would not have to give away their own armament.

In particular, the Rheinmetall company can purchase and modernise a large "double-digit quantity of British tanks" in Oman. There are plans to transfer these tanks to Ukraine by the end of this year.

Ukraine is already getting more modern British Challenger 2 tanks, but both tanks are equipped with the same main weapon, which will make the shell supply and logistics easier.

Rheinmetall also offers to supply Leopard 1 and Leopard 2.

Thus, 20 Leopard 1 main battle tanks can be converted and sold this year, and 80 more will be sold within 20 months.

Meanwhile, the decision about supplying Ukraine with German tanks must be approved by Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor. He stated that he was ready to transfer the Leopard tanks to Ukraine only if the US would provide it with the Abrams battle tanks.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, stated he was awaiting manufacturer state approval regarding supply from European partners.

This is likely talking about Germany, as a number of European countries, including Poland, Spain and Finland, have expressed their readiness to provide Ukraine with the Leopard tanks but have not yet received permission from the German government.

On 20 January, another meeting of Ukraines allies at the Ramstein airbase is planned where principal decisions concerning the supply of new armament to Ukraine may be made, specifically German tanks.

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Background:

One of the German media outlets reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz put forward a condition for supplying German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in a phone conversation with the US President Joe Biden; this condition is that Washington decides to send their Abrams tanks first.

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Water. We cant seem to get away from it, living so close to Lake Michigan in the Chicagoland.

During this past holiday season, Lake Song was an audio drama that centered water and Chicago and came to life with the myriad voices of Chicagoans. Now, the Goodman is featuring the ripple, the wave that carried me home, a work by Christina Anderson that won the 2022 Horton Foote Prize for a playwright, in a co-production with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The play is about a Black family fighting for the integration of public swimming pools in Kansas in the 1960s. The narrative features Janice, the child of activist parents, who has grown apart from her family through the years, only to have to return to her hometown to honor her fathers work. Racial justice, political legacy and family forgiveness are all themes in the story, as Janice (played by Chicago native Christiana Clark) decides to deal with her past that she has compartmentalized away from her life and current family.

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Playwright Christina Anderson on the set of the ripple, the wave that carried me home at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

We caught up with Anderson and Clark during a technical rehearsal of the play to talk about political inheritance, going home again, and the history of water and Black bodies in our country. The following has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Q: This play talks about political inheritance. What is our responsibility to legacy and heritage and keeping it going?

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Anderson: I deal with a lot of political, social, cultural aspects across my body of work. Im very interested in American history, and how we as a culture tend to repeat things. The lessons that we fail to learn and the consequences of that, but also the lessons that we do learn and the celebrations of that. Im always interested particularly in Black women and how they navigate American politics. And even though I use these terms  politics and social and cultural, Im still very committed to character and who these people are specifically and how they navigate the world. Im very interested in balancing real life people. And even though I lean into poetry with a lot of my work, and into Black folks relationship with the police  I like to think of myself as someone who writes dramedies. Im interested in history and how to articulate that and how to watch people navigate that. But also staying true to life because theres a lot of humor in life, but theres also a lot of tragedy and darkness and how we, as humans can still survive and thrive in that.

Q: Going home again is an aspect in this play. Theres revelations, secrets, a certain element of forgiveness. Is forgiveness and grace always a theme in your work?

Anderson: To some degree, yes. And within that, really exploring whos seeking it (forgiveness) and who is denied it. Because I think in a lot of ways, so many of us are grateful when we receive that grace. A lot of my characters are trying to build and maintain relationships. And sometimes they fail at that. But sometimes they succeed. I had a friend who always said people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. And I feel that a lot of the people who populate my plays experience different elements of that. People can come in and change your life in a week or they can change your life in half a century. Those are things that Im exploring, definitely.

Aneisa Hicks, playing the role of Helen, and Ronald L. Conner, playing the role of Edwin, rehearse for the ripple, the wave that carried me home at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Q: The character Janice, is she conflicted in her relationship with her parents because she felt her childhood was slighted?

Anderson: Thats a part of it. I dont want to give it away any spoiler alerts because I would like for you to have a unique experience where you come to see it, but the other aspect of this show and something Ive always been fascinated in is the children of activists. I have a very good friend whose mother worked closely with the Black Panther Party, and he was saying that he has vivid memories when he was 5 or 6 years old where hed come out of his bedroom and see three Black men sitting in the living room and his mother is hiding them out. Shes telling him when you go to school, dont talk about these dudes, and he would often say: When Id wake up in the day I didnt know if Id have my mother or Id have the activist, and that notion always stuck with me. With Janice, the inner conflict that shes wrestling with is as this Black woman she can understand how important the fight is. But what does that mean for her and her parents and the sacrifices they made at home? Over the course of the play, they as a family have some intense events happen that they didnt talk about and that had a real effect on their relationship as a family. In the community and in the local press of that town, Janice feels that her parents knew how to be the face and how to be communicative and articulate in the fight, but at home theres a lot of silence that happens around these events. In a sense, Janice feels like her parents were consistently choosing the movement, but not necessarily the family. And she carries the responsibility for not knowing how to fix it. Its complicated relations. Im super grateful for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black Lives Matter and the history of activists that weve had in this country, but I acknowledge that there is a great deal of sacrifice when you do that type of work, especially the type of activism where youre physically putting yourself in spaces, in the press and out in the world. Thats the thing that Janice is wrestling with.

Q: As an individual and Chicagoan, were you aware of the amount of history surrounding water and the Black body before this play?

Clark: I feel like I had the information of the experience as a Black person in America. My parents grew up in Chicago, they swam. I remember hearing about them swimming in high school, they both went to Hirsch. My dads sister, if Im not mistaken, was on the swim team. But the knowledge of the segregation of pools  I dont know so much that it came from school, it came from family. Im excited for sharing the story for those who are in the know and for those who are not. For some, its a beautiful honoring and validation of stories. And for others, its a chance to shed a light and put in greater context things we think about when theres stereotypes of Black people not knowing how to swim, Black people being afraid of the water, I dont want to get my hair wet  all that stuff. When you open up and have context of societal reasons and reasons of law that were placed on us, that limited access, that does so much for speaking of things that ripple and are handed down through generations. Its a history that Im surprised more people arent aware of. But I feel like the more I live on this Earth and in this country, surprise starts to go away.

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Aneisa Hicks, playing the role of Helen, and Christiana Clark, right, playing the role of Janice rehearse for the ripple, the wave that carried me home at the Goodman Theatre. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Q: Water is life, and in the plays program, there is a brief history of the racial politics surrounding public pools. Do you think the Black community can move past the historical trauma that exists around water in this country?

Anderson: I hope we can get past it. Ive been working on this play for a couple of years and I end up having a lot of different conversations around swimming and water with a lot of different types of people. But the one consistent thing that I keep hearing from lots of people is how swimming can be a form of peace and relaxation. And its also very meditative and spiritual. I want, hope, and wish that for Black folks, to have that kind of access because I think its very important.

Q: What are we, as outsiders looking at your work, missing from your process of world building?

Anderson: Im very inspired by Black women artists who created bodies of work, and women in general. Paula Vogel is a mentor who I now consider a friend. The same with Lynn Nottage, and Im an eternal fan of Ntozake Shange. I would encourage people to consider the body of work that Im making, because each play is its own world.

Christiana Clark, playing the role of Janice, rehearses for the ripple, the wave that carried me home at the Goodman Theatre on Jan. 12, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Q: Its been over two years since the letter to white American theater was penned and delivered. Have you seen or felt a difference in the landscape, as an artist?

Clark: In the face of perceived were all woke now and we all see it, theres so much work to do. Theres so much at the root institutionally that has not allowed opportunity, that has deemed work by Black artists less than, that has upheld what had been in mind of the cannon or the classics that were predominantly, if not all, Eurocentric and one years focus is not going to bring the change to an institution like the American Theatre. I think it has brought more opportunity right now for a lot of Black artists and Black artist leaders. They are doing incredibly hard work but its hard work thats up against boards and established systems and mindsets of what sells and everybodys in a financial hardship now  we have to make money. I believe that we are in the growing pain phases of establishing this change, that can bring Black artists and other artists of color, to a better equity among this landscape. But its more than just putting Black stories on stage. It is changing things in boards, it is changing our audiences  because Ive had the experiences of doing a play like ripple where there were audiences all white. Being in a place, being vulnerable, telling our stories, takes something away from you when constantly sharing our stories, but were not there to receive them. Theres much work to be done to develop Black audiences, to invest in critics who are being able to watch and take in what theyre saying. People are really facing the fact that it is more than just assigning this artistic director or plotting this play. Its a deeper work that requires coming to communities as opposed to expecting them to show up.

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the ripple, the wave that carried me home opens Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 12 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; tickets ($15-$45) at 312-443-3800 and GoodmanTheatre.org/Ripple

drockett@chicagotribune.com
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's new defence minister said on Thursday it was his task to strengthen the armed forces so that they could do their job at a time of conflict in Europe with Russia waging war against Ukraine.

Boris Pistorius was officially made minister on Thursday at a time when Germany is under pressure from Western allies to allow German-made battle tanks to be used in Ukraine to strengthen its defence against the Russian invasion.

Pistorius, a Social Democrat, is due to meet his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin later on Thursday, and on Friday defence leaders from about 50 countries and NATO gather at Germany's Ramstein Air Base to discuss how to supply Kyiv with more weapons.

"These are not normal times, we have a war raging in Europe. Russia is waging a brutal war of annihilation on a sovereign country, on Ukraine," Pistorius said after a ceremony with military honours at the defence ministry.

"Our task is to make the Bundeswehr (armed forces) strong now, it is about deterrence, effectiveness and readiness. And it is about continuing to support Ukraine, also with material of the Bundeswehr," he said.

A German government source has told Reuters that Berlin will only allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States agrees to send its own tanks.

Pistorius also said it was a huge task to revamp Germany's armed forces, as announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, saying they had been neglected over the last few decades.

"It will be my job to make tangible progress," he said.

Earlier, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promised further military support to Ukraine and told the incoming defence minister that Germany's armed forces must once again become capable of protecting the nation.

"Germany is not at war, but the years of the peace dividend from which we Germans have benefited so long and abundantly are over," Steinmeier said.

Pistorius takes over from Christine Lambrecht, who after a series of blunders, announced her resignation on Monday.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Madeline Chambers, editing by Rachel More and Angus MacSwan)
By Marie-Louise Gumuchian

LONDON (Reuters) -A German remake of the anti-war classic "All Quiet On The Western Front" led nominations for the British Academy Film Awards on Thursday, overtaking other award season favourites with 14 nods.

Based on the epic 1928 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque about the horrors of conflict during World War One, the Netflix movie was recognised in the best film category, as well as for films not in the English language, director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, original score and other craft and technical prizes.

It equals 2001's "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" as a film not in the English language that has garnered the most nominations in BAFTAs history, organisers said.

Malte Grunert, producer of "All Quiet On The Western Front" told Reuters the nominations in 14 categories was "unbelievably special when looking at who we are up against and the other nominees, we really are in the best company."

"And these 14 nominations puts us on par with 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', which is one of my favourite films and that is a huge honour and a great joy."

Anna Higgs, chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, told Reuters cinema viewers were watching a broader range of films, adding: "We're really getting to a stage where subtitles aren't considered scary anymore and actually the power of cinema can communicate across borders and cultures."

The last non-English language movie that won the BAFTA best film prize was Netflix's "Roma" in 2019.

Dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and the dimension-hopping "Everything Everywhere All At Once" each secured 10 nominations.

"Banshees", a tale of two feuding friends on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, received nominations for leading actor Colin Farrell as well as supporting cast members Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon.

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That film and Steven Spielberg's coming-of-age story "The Fabelmans" were the two big winners at the Golden Globes earlier this month, but the latter received just one BAFTA nod, for original screenplay.

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" secured nominations for leading actress Michelle Yeoh, supporting actress Jamie Lee Curtis and supporting actor Ke Huy Quan, as well as for best film, original screenplay and director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic "Elvis" came in third with nine nominations, including best film and a leading actor recognition for Austin Butler.

Drama "Tar", in which Cate Blanchett plays a gay conductor of a Berlin orchestra whose career comes tumbling down due to an abuse scandal, had five nods, including best film, director, original screenplay and leading actress.

Box office hits "Avatar: The Way of Water" and "Top Gun: Maverick" received nominations in technical categories.

Gina Prince-Bythewood ("The Woman King") is the only woman in the running for the director award, but the outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer category features all female nominees.

Known as the BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), Britains top movie honours will be awarded on Feb. 19 in London.

For a FACTBOX of the main nominations, click [L8N3442R0]

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Additional reporting by Sarah Mills and Natasha Mulenga; Editing by Jon Boyle and Bernadette Baum)
New York Congressman-Elect George Santos speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) annual leadership meeting. David Becker for the Washington Post/via Getty Images

GoFundMe says it took down a 2016 fundraiser for a dying dog that was linked to George Santos.

GoFundMe said its trust and safety team could not contact him, and later suspended his account.

GoFundMe told Insider it has a "zero tolerance policy" for the misuse of its services.

GoFundMe says it suspended Rep. George Santos' account from its platform in late 2016 and removed a fundraiser he started for a dying dog.

GoFundMe was responding to queries from Insider about a new scandal plaguing Santos. As first reported by Patch, a military veteran is accusing Santos of taking $3,000 worth of GoFundMe funds meant for the man's sick dog.

"When we received a report of an issue with this fundraiser in late 2016, our trust and safety team sought proof of the delivery of funds from the organizer," GoFundMe told Insider. The platform was responding to Insider's questions on the fundraiser, started by one Anthony Devolder. Devolder is one of Santos' known aliases.

"The organizer failed to respond, which led to the fundraiser being removed and the email associated with that account prohibited from further use on our platform," GoFundMe added in its statement.

The platform told Insider that it has a "zero tolerance policy" for misuse of its services. It added that it cooperates with law enforcement officers who are investigating accusations of wrongdoing.

GoFundMe did not immediately respond to follow-up queries on when the fundraiser was removed.

Rich Osthoff, a veteran who lives in New Jersey, is accusing Santos of pilfering the GoFundMe funds. Osthoff told Patch that a man named Anthony Devolder started a GoFundMe page for his sick dog, Sapphire, in 2016.

Insider saw multiple posts on Osthoff's Facebook page from May to July 2016 linked to a GoFundMe page titled, "Click here to support sapphire The Veteran rescue! by Anthony Devolder."

GoFundMe confirmed to Insider that the fundraiser raised over $3,000. But Osthoff says Devolder changed tack after the fundraiser hit the $3,000 mark, saying the cash would go to other dogs before eventually ghosting Osthoff altogether.

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Questions about the GoFundMe funds join the swirl of lies and controversies surrounding Santos, who has admitted to lying about his education, his heritage, and his work history.

Santos has denied knowing Osthoff, calling the Patch story "fake" in a text message to Semafor.

Osthoff and representatives for Santos did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SPRING VALLEY  A violation-ridden, rundown adult facility  including a history of poor care, maintenance, and vermin  is being closed and residents moved until the owners cure multiple health and safety violations through renovations, according to an agreement with the state.

The same owners also are seeking state approval to rebuild the Evergreen Court Home for Adults on nearby Lafayette Street, where a Spring Valley firefighter and facility resident died in an inferno on March 22, 2021. Criminal cases involving the fire and Spring Valley's lack of inspections are continuing.

The closure of New Golden Acres Adult Home is expected by the end of February as residents will be transferred from the 79-bed facility at 11 Prospect St., according to a state official and a stipulated agreement with the New York State Department of State. The residents will have first dibs to return when the state approves the renovated facility, according to the state.

The Golden Acres Home for Adults in Spring Valley is shown April 5, 2021.

New Golden Acres: Agreement with the state for closure pending renovations.

Inspection report: State Health Department record on New Golden Acres Home for Adults in Spring Valley,

The stipulation includes the owners canceling their Supreme Court actions against the state regarding administrative charges and potential fines.

In return, the state will not pursue fines, civil or administration charges, and sanctions in connection with the violations, according to the agreement. The owners have six months to close down and begin renovations based on plans submitted and approved by the state. The owners would have a year to complete the renovations but can seek an extension from the state.

If the violations are not rectified, the state has the option of taking remedial action and seeking daily penalties, the stipulation states.

The adult homes are family-owned

The owners named in the stipulations for three adult facilities are Joseph, Steven and Jeffrey Schonberger. Another owner, Phillip Schonberger, is not a party to the agreements and refused to sign, according to the stipulations. The family members live in Monsey. Their attorney, Lee Vartan, said Wednesday that he could not comment on the stipulations.

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The Schonberger family owns several money-making assisted living facilities in New York but provides a corporate address in Lakewood, New Jersey, with the New York Department of State. Phillip Schonberger of Monsey is listed as the state contact for Evergreen Court, while Steven and Joseph Schonberger are named contacts for Golden Acres.

New Golden Acres: Vermin and poor conditions among 53 violations cited at Spring Valley facility

Evergreen Court: Fiire victim's sons and firefighter's family sue facility owners. What to know

The New Golden Acres closure comes after Health Department inspectors cited the owners with 79 violations resulting from 21 inspections from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2022. Five inspections resulted in no violations.

Another Schonberger facility  the New Village View in Highland, New York  was closed for violations and its residents transferred to another facility. The health commissioner issued an emergency order in June 2021 to suspend the facility's certificate.

The owners cannot reopen New Village View until the state determines the violations are cured, according to the stipulation for New Village View. The facility has 80 beds, 46 of which are part of its assisted-living program, according to the state. The state defines an adult home as a facility that "provides long-term residential care, room, board, housekeeping, personal care and supervision to five or more adults."

The state cited the facility for nine violations from nine inspections between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2020, according to the state health department.

A sign for the Golden Acres Home for Adults in Spring Valley.

The New York State Department has issued Stipulated Orders for New Golden Home for Adults and New Village View to shut down and relocate residents beginning in late February so that the facilities can be totally renovated to the Departments satisfaction," spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said in a statement.

Hammond said that every resident can choose to return to either of the facilities because they will be given a preference upon admission. The department's approvals for the facilities' future operation will also be contingent on the ongoing sustained correction of their pending violations.

The Health Department violations at Golden Acres mention a wide array of standards not met:

Keeping a facility free of vermin and rodents;

Failure to manage the storage and distribution of medicine;

Substandard food storage and sanitation;

Substandard smoke and fire protection;

Odors and failure to clean;

Failure to supervise residents;

Peeling paint and cracked floor tiles, uneven floors;

Ventilation and air conditioning and plumbing are not maintained.

For example, on April 12, 2019, Golden Acres was cited in violation of regulation 487.11 (f) (19), which includes keeping a clean and comfortable environment free of vermin and rodents, with all areas clean and free of odors.

The citations also involved Golden Acres' supervision of residents, including keeping track of their whereabouts, medication management, and providing the resident with proper dosage.

The Rockland Health Department also has inspected both facilities. Spring Valley officials, who are responsible for local fire and safety codes, contend building department personnel have inspected both facilities but can't release their inspection reports due to the criminal investigation into the March 23 fire.

Firefighters work at the scene of the March 23 fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in Spring Valley.

Spring Valley fire: Resident and firefighter die at assisted living home

Evergreen Court had been cited for administrative enforcement action in August 2021, but no final decision has been made, according to the state stipulation. Like Golden Acres and New Village Views agreements, both the owners and state are ending their proceedings against each other.

The owners have 120 days to submit plans for building a new adult home and assisted living facility on the Evergreen Court property. If plans are approved, the Schonbergers would have 30 months to complete the building. The owners would have an initial two-year permit and provide quarterly reports to the state on maintaining the facility.

Following the 2021 fire that destroyed Evergreen Court Home, a number of residents were moved to New Golden Acres.

Spring Valley firefighter Lt. Jared Lloyd, 35, the father of two young boys, died in the fire after getting lost in the smoke and flames and the building collapsed. He was one of the dozens of firefighters who evacuated 112 Evergreen Court residents.

Before the fatal fire, Spring Valley firefighters said they had concerns for their safety about entering the 115-year-old building with its internal construction, such as extensions, narrow hallways and rickety stairs.

Evergreen Court resident Oliver Hueston, 79, died from injuries when flames destroyed the massive adult home at 65 Lafayette St. Two of Hueston's three sons have sued the Schonbergers and others seeking a financial award, including punitive damages and legal fees.

Jared Lloyds mother, Sabrail Davenport, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Spring Valley officials, two rabbis charged criminally with causing the fatal 2021 fire, and the Schonbergers.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.

Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Owners want to rebuild Evergreen Court, will close Golden Acres
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) urged the Biden administration to provide longer-range munitions to her native country of Ukraine as the sovereign countrys war with Russia slowly approaches a full year of battle.

In a statement on Wednesday, Spartz said that the Biden administration must be proactive to address and provide the proper security assistance to Ukrainian armed forces, noting how the next six months of the war can be brutal for Ukraine without the necessary artillery.

Spartz, a Ukrainian-born lawmaker, asked the White House to provide Guided Multiple Rocket Launch System (GMLRS) or Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) munitions to her native country.

The next six months will be critical to the brutal war in Ukraine and longer-range capabilities will be crucial for its success, Spatz said in a statement Wednesday. The Biden Administration needs to be proactive for a change and provide proper security assistance to the Ukrainian Army more timely to deter further Russian aggression.

Spartz also added that it doesnt make any sense to provide resources based on the notion that an 80 km rocket cant reach Russia while a 300 km rocket can, noting how both countries share over a thousands miles of border with one another

What these capabilities would do is to help the Ukrainian military to better defend its cities in Eastern Ukraine where the Russian army has pulled back its artillery to a safe distance on the occupied Ukrainian territories, Spartz concluded in her statement.

Spartzs remarks come a month after Congress passed a $1.7 trillion government funding package that includes $45 million for Ukraine and other allies of NATO.

Meanwhile, prominent GOP lawmakers like Lauren Boebert (Colo.) have been public about their disapproval of the continuing aid to Ukraine in the latter half of the past year.

Biden needs to understand that we are the USA not the US-ATM, Boebert wrote on Twitter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- A top Republican lawmaker asked the Commerce Department for documents linked to the enforcement of export controls on sensitive technologies, amid concerns that the Biden administration isnt doing enough to restrict Chinas access to advanced semiconductors.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in the letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that her department hasnt responded to previous requests to explain how it enforces the controls.

The United States needs a whole-of-government approach to protect sensitive and military-useful technology from foreign adversaries, such as the Peoples Republic of China, McCaul wrote in the letter, which was sent last week but not previously made public. The initial deadlines for the enclosed letters passed long ago  in some cases more than a year  without acceptable responses.

President Joe Biden expanded export controls last year on the sale of semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China. President Donald Trump had earlier imposed restrictions on blacklisted companies such as Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, or SMIC.

McCauls demands began in November 2020, late in the Trump administration. His office points to data it received from the Commerce Department in 2021 that showed the agency issued more than $100 billion of export licenses to suppliers of Huawei and SMIC in 2020 and 2021.

A Commerce Department spokesperson, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said implementing robust controls is a bipartisan priority and the department wants to ensure McCauls committee has the information it needs.

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McCaul, who became chairman when his party took control of the House earlier this month, now has expanded powers to compel the department to respond and intends to make the bureaus enforcement of export controls a focus of his tenure.

Later Wednesday, McCauls office said he would meet with Raimondo on Thursday to discuss the issue.

In the event of noncompliance, the committee will use the authorities available to it to enforce these requests as necessary, including through compulsory process, McCaul wrote. He asked that the information be provided no later than Jan. 25. According to the letter, he is renewing earlier requests to the departments Bureau of Industry and Security and will conduct a 90-day review of the agencys processes.

The bureau is responsible for enforcing export controls on so-called dual-use technologies that can be used in both commercial and military applications.

Last Congress, a group of lawmakers introduced legislation that would move some export control enforcement functions from the Commerce Department to the Department of Defense, a prospect McCaul alluded to in in his letter.

A principal objective for this review is to determine if the Department of Commerce should continue to lead implementation of the export control system, he said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Representative Greg Steube (R., Fla.) was injured in an accident on Wednesday, according to a statement posted from the congressmans Twitter account.

Congressman Steube was involved in an accident on his property late this afternoon and has sustained several injuries, the statement read. We will provide additional updates when possible. Please pray for the Congressman and his family.

Congressman Steube was involved in an accident on his property late this afternoon and has sustained several injuries. We will provide additional updates when possible. Please pray for the Congressman and his family.  Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) January 19, 2023

Steube, 44, was sworn in earlier this month to serve his third term in the House representing Floridas 17th congressional district. He has served on the House Judiciary and House Foreign Affairs Committees.

Before he was elected to the U.S. Congress, he served for two years in the Florida Senate and six years in the Florida House.

He also served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2008.

More from National Review
Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 11% in the last month. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. After all, the share price is down 48% in the last three years, significantly under-performing the market.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for Gray Television

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Although the share price is down over three years, Gray Television actually managed to grow EPS by 25% per year in that time. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or else the company was over-hyped in the past, and so its growth has disappointed.

Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics.

Revenue is actually up 16% over the three years, so the share price drop doesn't seem to hinge on revenue, either. This analysis is just perfunctory, but it might be worth researching Gray Television more closely, as sometimes stocks fall unfairly. This could present an opportunity.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. If you are thinking of buying or selling Gray Television stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

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A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Gray Television shareholders are down 43% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 13%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 6% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Gray Television better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Gray Television (of which 1 is potentially serious!) you should know about.

Gray Television is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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A Binghamton resident has pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest stemming from a New Years incident in which a Binghamton police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck.

More than 50 people packed the gallery of Binghamton City Court on Wednesday morning in support of 24-year-old Hamail Waddell, who is Black and Asian. Waddells right hand was heavily bandaged and his left eye still visibly bruised and swollen from the injuries he sustained during his arrest in the early hours of Jan. 1.

Multiple bystander videos show Waddell, who was facedown in handcuffs on the sidewalk at Hawley and Collier streets, shouting, I cant breathe! as bystanders pleaded with Officer Brad Kaczynski to remove his knee from Waddells neck  a scene that local advocates have described as similar to the events leading to the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

UPDATE:NY Attorney General investigating Binghamton police's arrest of Hamail Waddell: What to know

Video:See the videos and photos posted of Hamail Waddel's arrest in Binghamton

Waddell sisters Natalie, Ahmoni and Aysha hold enlarged photographs of their brother, Hamail Waddell, depicting his Jan. 1 arrest and Christmas morning with his two daughters.

The City of Binghamton has not responded to requests filed under New Yorks Freedom of Information Act to obtain body camera footage of the incident.

In the weeks since Waddells arrest, advocates have called for Kaczynskis arrest, marched to police headquarters and shut down a city council meeting. There, his sister spoke emotionally of her brothers arrest.

Imagine youve just had your face brutally dragged along the concrete. Now youre lying on your stomach with your hands tied behind your back, and suddenly a man who towers over you like the Jolly Green Giant shoves his knee into your neck and back. While he hangs out there just carelessly resting his body weight on your neck for what feels like hours, youre anything but careless.

Officer: Waddell 'engaged in large, mutually combative fight'

It's 2023 and here we go again. No matter what this man may have done, police should not be putting their knees on people's necks, especially if they are already handcuffed. This happened in Binghamton, NY on 1/1/23 #HamailWaddell #JusticeForHamail #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/vLDWbeaS0X  Darryl Wharton-Rigby - (@whartonrigby) January 3, 2023

In a signed deposition obtained by the Press & Sun-Bulletin / pressconnects, Kaczynski claims he attempted to arrest Waddell for disorderly conduct after he engaged in a large, mutually combative fight near the Collier Street parking lot.

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I advised said defendant that he was under arrest and attempted to handcuff him when he intentionally pulled away from myself and other uniformed Police Officers, Kaczynski wrote. I ordered said defendant to put his hands behind his back and to stop pulling away and he refused to comply with my commands.

Local advocates have disputed the claim that Waddell was engaged in a fight of any sort at the time of his arrest, claiming instead he was the victim of an assault by a group of college-aged men.

Two other individuals were also arrested in connection with the incident, though their names were not released.

Adelaide Castro comforts her boyfriend's sister, Aysha Waddell, as she and her mother, Sonya, and sister, Ahmoni, left, address members of the Binghamton City Council on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

The Binghamton Police Department announced Jan. 6 that Kaczynski would be placed on administrative duty while the department investigates.

Describing Waddells handling by BPD as horrific, his attorney, Dara Silberstein, contended that the restraints employed against her client constituted a violation of the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Law.

It is our hope that the Binghamton Police Department will take the appropriate measures to respond to violations of this law and not use my client as some kind of scapegoat to justify what seem to be illegal actions of their officer(s), she said in an email to the Press & Sun-Bulletin / pressconnects.

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Sister says officer's actions were 'malicious'

Several dozen community organizers shut down the first Binghamton City Council meeting of the year last week, calling for Kaczynskis immediate firing and arrest under the anti-chokehold law, which establishes grounds for felony charges for police officers who engage in violent strangulation, or criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.

My brother is a light, Waddells younger sister, Ahmoni, told city council members last week, going on to describe Hamail as a bright, sensitive, strong-willed, intelligent, passionate and protective person.

Aysha Waddell, right, is brought to tears as she and her sister, Ahmoni, address Binghamton City Council about the Jan. 1 arrest of their brother, Hamail Waddell.

I know that there are people out there that have or will create their own narratives of him and our family to excuse this injustice that has been forced upon him, she continued. But no matter which way you try to spin it, Brad Kaczynski of BPD was malicious and incredibly inconsiderate of human life.

The very least we each deserve in this life is humanity. My brother deserved at least that, and thats exactly what he was deprived of that night.

[Watch the video at the top of this story]

The Broome County District Attorneys Office has not responded to requests for comment on the case.

The Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James confirmed it is aware of the incident, but its Office of Special Investigation is only authorized to investigate instances of police use of force that result in the death of a civilian or detainee.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton police officer under fire for Hamail Waddell arrest
Looks more like a concert-style staging, I wrote in my notepad Sunday at the start of BoHo Theatres new production of the late Jonathan Larsons tick, tick ... BOOM!, before crossing out the sentence. Id realized that this pre-Rent musical actually was penned to look that way, before Lin-Manuel Miranda directed, expanded and elevated the piece into surely the best movie adaptation ever made about the agony and ecstasy of creative desire, insecurity and determination.

Aside from that Netflix film, made with buckets of love by a fellow Broadway romantic, Id not seen tick, tick ... BOOM! since 2012, when Porchlight Theatre produced this musical (very much about the dread of turning 30) in the face of an opening night hailstorm raining down on the roof of the theater as if an expressionistic manifestation of this autobiographical shows internal struggle.

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Its a show to which Chicagos young theater artists long have related: I remember a musically spectacular 2006 Pegasus Players version with future Jersey Boy Michael Ingersoll, Jess Godwin and Quinton Guyton; and even a terrific 2003 tour downtown directed by Scott Schwartz. Given that Larson died at 35 of an aortic aneurysm in 1996, an incalculable loss, the show has (for those of us who admired him so much) long been freighted with emotion.

BoHos production, directed by Bo Frazier, is billed as an all trans and gender-nonconforming production and, toward the end, the shows anthemic number Louder than Words, becomes a celebration of the aspirations of that community (cages or wings, which do you prefer?). Its a contemporary application in terms of explicit terminology, of course, and it chooses not to worry about evoking the very real people Larson was writing about in the AIDS era. But the concept (if thats the right word) is legitimately rooted in Larsons nonconformist East Village 1990s milieu.

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Luke Halpern as Susan in "tick, tick  BOOM!" at BoHo Theatre. (Jenn Udoni )

Larson, of course, was something of an interloper from White Plains; I think, were he still alive, hed have liked the idea of his show now being used to celebrate folks with a far longer East Village history and heritage than he had himself. With that in mind, TGNC audience members get in for $12.

On opening weekend, the young cast members in the show had a ways to go, musically. More specifically, the three lead performers Crystal Claros (Michael), Alec Phan (Jonathan) and Luke Halpern (Susan) all felt much more secure when singing alone than when performing together. I think that all just needs more work on harmonics and mutual interaction; the hearts and passions are there, especially when the actors face outward and dont disappear too much into themselves. Thats also true more generally of the show; what Frazier is trying to do here will work better when they increases togetherness and vulnerability.

Id also beef up the volume a bit more, helping Phans young voice  this is, after all, a rock musical wherein Larson was taking on boring old Broadway, even as it was always the locus of his dreams.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: tick, tick  BOOM! (2.5 stars)

When:Through Feb. 5

Where: BoHo Theatre at Edge Theatre, 5451 N. Broadway

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Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Tickets: $35 at bohotheatre.com
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  The Colombian navy rescued a man from Dominica who says he survived 24 days adrift in the Caribbean on a sailboat by eating ketchup, garlic powder and seasoning cubes.

Elvis Francois, 47, had scrawled the word help in English on the boat's hull, which officials said was key to his rescue.

The sailboat was spotted from the air 120 nautical miles northwest of La Guajira peninsula and Francois was taken to the port city of Cartagena by a passing container ship, the Colombian navy said in a statement Wednesday.

Francois told Colombian authorities that his ordeal began in December when currents swept the sailboat out to sea while he was making repairs off the island of St. Martin in the Netherlands Antilles, where he lives.

I called my friends, they tried to contact me, but I lost the signal. There was nothing else to do but sit and wait, Francois recalled in a video released by the navy.

He said subsisted on a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder and Maggi cubes.

Cmdr. Carlos Urbano Montes told The Associated Press on Thursday that Francois said he collected rainwater with a cloth. He said Francois was found in good health, but told official he had lost weight.

Francois said on the videotape that he had to constantly remove water from the boat to prevent it from sinking. He also tried to light a fire to send a distress signal without success.

Finally, a plane passed by and he signaled with a mirror. He said the navy told him that he was spotted when the plane passed again.

At some point I lost hope and thought about my family, but I thank the coast guard. If it werent for them I wouldnt be telling the story, Francois said.

Urbano Montes said the sailboat was abandoned at sea when Francois was picked up by the merchant ship.

The navy said Francois received a medical check on shore and then was handed over to immigration authorities for his return home to Dominica.
High-ranking Catholic clergy conducted a fact-finding visit to the Diocese of Knoxville late last year, three sources confirmed to Knox News, as two lawsuits targeting the local church over its handling of sex abuse allegations are ongoing.

The visit - known as an apostolic visitation - was headed by Bishops Barry Knestout of Richmond and Michael Burbidge of Arlington, according to one of two priests with direct knowledge of the trip who spoke to Knox News. To protect them from retaliation, Knox News is not identifying the two priests and a third person who has firsthand knowledge of the visitation.

Apostolic visitations are ordered by church authorities to dig into the spiritual well-being of a diocese. Apostolic visitations often are a signal that church leaders are concerned about a matter and gives them a chance to speak directly with people involved.

Additionally, a letter from parishioners in Chattanooga was sent in October to high-ranking church officials detailing concerns about Bishop Richard Stika, who leads the 70,000-member diocese located in East Tennessee. Another letter, from Susan Vance of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, was sent in October to Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, who oversees the Knoxville diocese, saying that the diocese is silencing victims of clergy sexual abuse.

The two priests told Knox News they spoke to church officials as part of the apostolic visitation, though both declined to say what was discussed or the purpose of the meetings. The visitation was first reported by The Pillar, a publication that covers the Catholic Church, and attributed to unnamed sources.

A spokesperson for the diocese declined to confirm the visit, saying confirmation would have to come from the Vatican in Rome.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese in Louisville, which oversees the Knoxville diocese, referred questions to the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington, D.C. The Apostolic Nunciature, which would likely have authorized such a visit, did not respond to emailed questions from Knox News. Neither did the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika celebrates Easter Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville in April 2020. Stika is the target, along with the diocese, in a lawsuit that says the diocese did not properly investigate a rape allegation reported against a seminarian by a diocesan employee.

What is an apostolic visitation?

Apostolic visitations are rare and indicate trouble for the diocese, said Gerard J. McGlone, a Jesuit priest and senior research fellow at Georgetown University. The purpose, he said, is to address questions and concerns parishioners and others have raised about the governance of a church or diocese.

Visitations require approval by the Vatican in Rome or, at the very least, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nunciature who serves as an ambassador from the Vatican.

This is something thats gotten the attention of the top bishops and not something Stika wouldve wanted," McGlone said.

"If the body of Christ is suffering, this is a way of addressing the suffering."

The Pillar reported the visitation likely was scheduled after a September meeting between priests and Louisville Archbishop Fabre that did not include Stika. The publication also has reported complaints about Stika were previously made to the Vatican.

Earlier this week, Knox News reported Stika personally interfered with a diocesan investigation into whether a seminarian raped a diocesan employee in 2019, independently confirming allegations that are detailed in a sexual abuse lawsuit by the man who says he was sexually assaulted. That lawsuit relies heavily on revelations unearthed by The Pillar, which first reported on Stika's removal of investigator George Prosser in May 2021.

Knox News also reported this week that three months after the diocese and Stika were named in the lawsuit last year, leaders made the churchs sexual abuse review board meetings much more secretive, including requiring members to sign nondisclosure agreements.

What did the letters say about the Knoxville diocese?

Parishioners said Stika has not been transparent about the sex abuse allegations and the diocese's finances, is frequently late for Masses, intimidates priests and church members. They also were upset that a Vatican investigator looking into the diocese's affairs has not spoken to any church members in the Chattanooga deanery, a grouping of parishes within the diocese.

Vance said the diocese silenced a man who settled a sexual abuse lawsuit by requiring him as part of the settlement to sign a nondisparagment agreement. Vance said the agreement violates church rules about transparency in sex abuse cases.

What's in the lawsuit involving a seminarian?

The lawsuit filed by John Doe, a placeholder name to protect his identity, asserts the diocese did not properly investigate sexual abuse allegations against a former employee, a seminarian.

The complaint outlines in vivid detail several instances of sexual harassment and abuse the plaintiff said he suffered.

The abuse occurred in 2019 when the plaintiff was a musician at The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, according to the lawsuit, and when the former employee worked as an assistant to Stika, a job that involved travel to different parishes.

The plaintiff contends he was subject to a pattern of grooming and details one instance on Feb. 5, 2019, when the plaintiff said the former employee raped him.

Following subsequent instances of harassment, the former employee wrote a letter to the plaintiff on Feb. 14, 2019, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit included a copy of the letter.

And for what was wrong  I apologize with all my heart, the letter read, according to the lawsuit.

What's in the lawsuit involving a priest?

The lawsuit filed by Jane Doe, a placeholder name to protect the identity of the woman, a Honduran asylum seeker living in Gatlinburg, asserts the Rev. Antony Devassey Punnackal, of St. Mary's Catholic Church, groped her while he counseled her after the death of the father of her infant.

The woman says she went to the police soon after the assault, but it took until Jan. 4 for Punnackal to be indicted by a Sevier County grand jury on two counts of sexual battery. He was removed from ministry two days after the indictment, a diocesan spokesperson said.

The boards bylaws require officials to immediately contact any adult who says they were sexually exploited to offer assurance of the concern of the diocese and its commitment to hear and respond in an appropriate way to the accusations. No one contacted Jane Doe, her lawsuit asserts.

Instead, members of the board contacted police investigators, first to tell them the woman had engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Punnackal.

The diocese also hired an investigator to look into the allegations and, after obtaining her employment documents, contacted police and told them the woman had committed employment fraud by working under a false name and asked for her to be arrested, the lawsuit says.

Such an allegation, true or not, could cause problems for the womans pending asylum claim, and the investigator knew this, the lawsuit says.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @tyler_whetstone. Make our community, our society and our republic stronger by supporting robust local journalism. Subscribe online at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville diocese came under review from Rome
(Bloomberg) -- New Zealands Jacinda Ardern has announced her shock resignation just months before she was expected to run for a third term in office, saying she no longer has the energy or inspiration to continue as the countrys Prime Minister.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Since becoming the worlds youngest female head of government in October 2017, at age 37, Ardern has become one of the most-admired politicians on the planet. But after being lauded for guiding New Zealand through the Covid-19 crisis, support for her Labour Party waned and her approval rating slipped. The effort required to win a third term was not something she was prepared to undertake.

Here are some of Arderns biggest achievements and some of the low points of her years in office:

The Highs...

Response to Christchurch terrorist attack

On March 15, 2019, a lone gunman attacked Muslim worshipers at two mosques in the South Island city of Christchurch, killing 51 people, while live-streaming the attack to social media. Within days of the attack, Ardern had moved to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles and established a nationwide buyback of the weapons. Her swift actions were routinely compared to the US, where a string of gun massacres have failed to spur political action.

Ardern also joined forces with French President Emmanuel Macron, to urge big tech companies to curb the promotion of violent extremism online  a pledge that become known as the Christchurch Call. The Prime Minister won international praise for the empathy she showed in the aftermath of the attacks.

Keeping New Zealand safe as Covid-19 erupted

At the onset of the pandemic, Ardern moved swiftly to effectively close New Zealands borders and impose one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, essentially shutting down the economy even as the country had notched barely 200 cases.

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It was a decision that paid dividends  the country recorded few virus deaths in the first two years of the pandemic and New Zealand was, for a time, one of the few places in the world with no community transmission of the virus. It also paid political dividends for Ardern, helping her to win a majority in the 2020 general election  the first outright majority in parliament since the introduction of proportional representation in 1996.

Gaining status on the world stage

Ardern won fame outside New Zealand in 2017 as the worlds then-youngest female head of government and as the first world leader to bring her baby to the UN General Assembly. She was feted abroad as a compassionate leader and star of the political left. As a small country at the bottom of the world, she brought New Zealand the recognition it craved. Still, her fame overseas didnt always win her praise at home.

Id say shes New Zealands most popular prime minister ever overseas, said political analyst Bryce Edwards in 2019.

...and the lows

Its Covid again

After her initial success in keeping the virus at bay, Ardern and her government at times floundered. There were missteps in handling isolation facilities, where people returning to New Zealand were quarantined, and with the rollout of vaccines. One of the most aggrieved groups were the tens of thousands of Kiwis stuck overseas who were unable to return to New Zealand due to the lack of isolation places.

The governments handling of Covid vaccine mandates lead to societal divisions that New Zealanders were largely unfamiliar with. The most extreme manifestation was a three-week anti-vaccine protest on parliament grounds in Wellington last year, which ended in violent clashes with police and fires on the front lawn.

Not managing to close the inequality gap

Ardern came to power in 2017 promising to address growing inequalities and close the gap between rich and poor. But in her first term her governing coalition ditched plans for a capital gains tax over concerns it was too politically risky, while a program to build tens of thousands of affordable homes fell well short of goals.

Her second term as prime minister was largely dominated by Covid, leaving less space for domestic reforms, while the cost of living crisis spiralled globally.

Lawlessness and disorder

A wave of ram raids around the country  where people use stolen cars to bash their way into locked shops late at night to steal goods  alarmed the public and added weight to the main opposition National Partys ongoing criticism that Arderns government is soft on crime.

The fatal stabbing of a corner-store owner during a raid in November last year added to the furore, while the National Party's pledge to impose stiffer penalties proved popular with the electorate.

--With assistance from Justin Chin.

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A hiker stumbled upon a human skull near a desert trail in Arizona, police said.

The skull was discovered at 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 14 in South Mountain Park, the Phoenix Police Department said in a Thursday, Jan. 19, news release.

South Mountain Park includes 16,000 acres with over 50 miles of trails and three mountain ranges, according to the City of Phoenix.

Its unclear how far the skull was found from the main trail, police said.

When police responded to the hikers call, they discovered the skull had what appeared to be trauma, according to the release.

The case was turned over to homicide detectives.

The skull was given to the Maricopa County Medical Examiners Office. Investigators are working to identify the skull and any suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377, or 480-837-8446 for Spanish speakers.

Human thighbone found on rocky California beach poses mystery, police say

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Every skull is missing from 37 skeletons in this prehistoric mass grave  except one
ALBANY, N.Y.  New Yorks governor suffered a historic defeat in just the first few weeks of her new administration.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday became the first governor to lose her bid to appoint the states top judge, a major rebuke by progressives, unions and her Democratic colleagues in Senate.

Hochul, who barely won election to a full term in November, plowed ahead into Wednesdays confirmation hearing despite aggressive opposition. She was met with fierce resistance from fellow Democrats. Its the first time New York lawmakers have denied a gubernatorial nominee to the state Court of Appeals under the current system that started in the 1970s.

The committees decision to reject Hector LaSalle after a bruising confirmation hearing means that the full Senate will not consider her choice. The decision, which failed by one vote, is an extraordinary blow to Hochul as the six-month legislative session gets underway.

Hochul swiftly dismissed the committees integrity and authority and called for a full Senate vote. The fight pits the moderate governor against the Democratic majority in the Legislature and its allies who rallied against LaSalle, who would have been the states first Latino chief judge of the state Court of Appeals.

LaSalles opponents, despite his backing among Latino leaders and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were able to outflank Hochul, who has left open the possibility of suing to bring her pick to the Senate floor for a vote.

While this was a thorough hearing, it was not a fair one, because the outcome was predetermined, Hochul said in a statement. Several senators stated how they were going to vote before the hearing even began  including those who were recently given seats on the newly expanded Judiciary Committee. While the Committee plays a role, we believe the Constitution requires action by the full Senate."



The committee chair, Manhattan Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, said the judiciarys nearly five hours of public questioning Wednesday fulfilled the review process, and he was incredulous Hochul wanted to stoke a brawl over the state constitution.

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I hope that litigation is not our future  its obviously the governors decision, but we have so much work to do in Albany. To be distracted by a lawsuit would be a travesty for the people of New York, he said.

Ten Democrats on the 19-member panel voted against LaSalle, two voted for him and one, along with the committees six Republicans, voted to advance the nomination without recommendation.

But it was one vote short, a rare case of a vote in Albany failing to get approved. It could put Hochul in a weakened position heading into the six-month legislative session after expending her political capital on LaSalle over other potential candidates and after narrowly winning the election last November in the closest race in New York since 1994.

I hope and Im sure that few of us have time to extract revenge and so on, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said about the decision and Hochuls rejection. We have work to do, and we have work to do on behalf of the people, and we never lose sight of that.

Most of the votes had been all but decided prior to the hearing  the culmination of weeks of tension surrounding LaSalles ethnicity, record and relationship with the courts status quo that has resulted in an intraparty clash exacerbated by Hochuls fierce defense of her pick.

At the heart of discourse Wednesday was whether LaSalles ability to drive forth Democratic values could be determined by dissecting any number of some 5,000 cases included on his legal record, including a handful of decisions he had joined that invited labels from opponents such as anti-abortion and anti-labor.



LaSalle, who currently presides over the New York Supreme Courts Second Department in Brooklyn, said that his positions have been misrepresented based on conclusions drawn from a small fraction of cases.

When we talk about my record, I couldnt agree with you more  we should look at the record, but I only ask that this body look at my entire record, not the record that certain advocates have chosen to look at, he said.

We can look at those  its entirely fair, Id only ask that you look at the others and give those equal weight.

Opposition to LaSalles nomination snowballed since Hochul chose him from a seven-member list in late December. It has reached such a fever pitch that Hochul raised eyebrows on Sunday by comparing the treatment of LaSalle to that of Martin Luther King Jr. during a speech in a Brooklyn church.

Hochul has pointed to LaSalles strong legal reputation, his intention to reinvigorate the states massive court system following pandemic-related delays, and the historic possibility of having the first Latino chief judge. Several Democratic senators and progressive advocacy groups had decried the more moderate pick as the wrong direction for the increasingly conservative-leaning top court, particularly due to his background as a former prosecutor.

Wednesdays hearing was atypical amid normally quiet procedural committee votes  preceded by two opposing rallies from the primary groups organizing around the pick  The Court New York Deserves and Latinos for LaSalle. The demonstrations continued into the packed hearing room, with chants of Hector, Hector as LaSalle entered, forcing Hoylman-Sigal to pound the committees small, largely symbolic gavel.

This isnt going to be a roast, but it wont be your bar mitzvah, either, Hoylman-Sigal told LaSalle.

Hoylman-Sigal began the hearing suggesting that LaSalle's rulings lean toward the prosecution and against civil rights and pointed to groups like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund that have announced opposition. He was also among a number of senators who expressed concern that LaSalle said he was proud to have run on Republican, Democrat, Working Families Party and Conservative party lines during judicial elections.

As an LGBTQ person, the Conservative Party stands for everything I'm against, against my right to marry, against my ability to have kids, against transgender youth, he said. It's hurtful.



LaSalle, 54, sought to address the framing of several cases that have emerged in the discourse.

One was related to a crisis pregnancy center that limited subpoena access to their promotional materials for an investigation by the state attorney general.

LaSalle said that his agreement with the decision was not an indication he personally defends crisis pregnancy centers. But he did agree with the boundaries set on what prosecutors could obtain amid the investigation.

Another involved Communications Workers of America and a companys ability to sue a union official as an individual.

LaSalle said the decision he supported was not new  it was the application of a necessary precedent set out decades earlier. He also drew attention to his background as a working class kid, from Brentwood, New York and said labor got him to his position today.

So when people say I'm anti labor because of the decision in Cablevision, I believe thats simply a mischaracterization intended to derail my nomination, but it's certainly not an adequate characterization of who I am, he said.

But though LaSalle expressed the nuances of the legal choices hes made, he also stated: I stand by every decision I signed on to.

The hearing was an odd twist on a nominee from a Democratic governor most of the committee's Democrats hammered him on political and ideological positions, casting doubt on his ability to lead New Yorks massive court system and to head a bench responsible for countering conservative decisions coming down from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Republicans, however, were effusive with their praise for a record they say proved hed approach the role with fairness. Some members of the GOP have expressed no small amount of glee at the messaging  some of it dividing their colleagues in the majority party.

You know, reading your decisions, and especially in listening to your opening statement, I thought for a moment I was in the wrong room. You do not come across as a right wing conservative nut, Staten Island Republican Andrew Lanza said.

Lanza said while he doesnt agree with Hochul often, he cant imagine her finding a more qualified nominee.

The intensity of the public discourse has amounted to character assassination, said Bronx Sen. Luis Sepulveda, one of the two Democrats who approved the nomination.

But both lawmakers and LaSalle said that has not been representative of conversations theyve had privately. In the end, the committees decision was only a nod to the important implications of the nomination, Queens Sen. John Liu said, and none of this is personal.

Everyone has treated me with respect and dignity, LaSalle said. The private conversations that I have had have not mirrored the public statements that have been made.
A 24-year-old man on probation faces a murder charge in the death of another 24-year-old in a shooting that took place in Dania Beach two days after Christmas.

Tra-Onzx Pierre died at Hollywoods Memorial Regional Hospital after being shot at 712 SW 10th St. around 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 27, the Broward Sheriffs Office said. Charged Wednesday with one count of premeditated murder was Romin Audeus, who lives just over a half-mile from where Pierre was shot.

In addition to the first degree murder charge that sent Audeus to Broward County Main Jail, he faces two probation violation charges. Audeus three-year probation on two counts of delivering cocaine and one count of carrying a concealed firearm runs until June 22, 2024.

That probation allowed Audeus to be taken into custody on Jan. 12 after a traffic stop half a block from his home. The reason given by BSO Jonathan Miranda in his arrest report: Audeus wasnt wearing a seat belt. The report says a search of the Volkswagen turned up marijuana residue in various places and five partially-smoked joints in an ashtray sitting in the cup holder.

Audeus was booked into jail and charged with murder the next day.

Online Broward County court records dont list an attorney for Audeus on the murder charge. The public defenders office handled his cocaine case.
HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong will scrap its mandatory isolation rule for people infected with COVID-19 starting Jan. 30 as part of its strategy to return the semi-autonomous Chinese city to normalcy, the city's leader said Thursday.

For most of the pandemic over the last three years, Hong Kong has aligned itself with mainland Chinas zero COVID strategy, requiring those who test positive to undergo quarantine. Many residents had to be sent to hospitals or government-run quarantine facilities even when their symptoms were mild.

Currently, infected persons are allowed to isolate at home for a minimum of five days and can go out once they test negative for two consecutive days. After the rule is dropped, a mask mandate will be the only major COVID-19 restriction left in the city.

Chief Executive John Lee told lawmakers he made the decision based partly on the city's high vaccination and infection rates, saying the local community has a strong "immunity barrier.

As most infected persons only suffer mild symptoms, the government should shift from a clear-cut, mandatory approach to one that allows residents to make their own decisions and take their own responsibilities when we manage the pandemic, he said.

He said it is a step all countries make on their paths to normalcy and that Hong Kong has reached this stage now, adding that the city's pandemic situation has not worsened since it started to reopen its border with mainland China about two weeks ago.

Edwin Tsui, the controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said people with asymptomatic infections can go out freely or return to their workplace, but infected students should not go to school until they obtain a negative test result. Those who suffer from COVID-19 symptoms should avoid leaving home, he said at a news conference.

Residents will no longer need to report to the government when they self-test positive, and doctors will be asked to only report serious cases and deaths, he added. The government will only publish daily data on the number of deaths and people who test positive using PCR tests.

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We will monitor COVID-19 similar to the way we monitor influenza. It is an endemic respiratory disease, he said.

Hong Kong's daily tally has fallen to about 4,000 cases from 19,700 over the past two weeks. With many infected residents only having mild symptoms, most choose to isolate at home. The figures dont include those who never report their cases but stay at home to avoid spreading the virus to others.

The city has one government-run facility in operation for those who are unable to quarantine at home, according to a government reply to a lawmaker's inquiries on Wednesday. A daily average of about 150 people requested to go to the facility this week, Tsui said.

Hong Kong, which once had some of the world's strictest COVID-19 rules, has been easing its restrictions to revive its economy, including removing an isolation rule for close contacts of those who test positive for COVID-19 and vaccination requirements to enter certain types of venues.
A home in the 600 block of Correll Avenue NE in Canton has been a focal point of a killing and torture case.

The ongoing aggravated murder trial of Jeremy Morlock is both disturbing for the details about torture that took place inside a Canton home and confusing to follow because of how many suspects and victims there are in the case.

Six people are facing charges ranging from aggravated murder to gross abuse of a corpse to grand theft of a motor vehicle. There are three victims  one is dead. There also were two separate homes  one where the killing took place and another where the kidnapping victims were held. Not all the suspects were involved with each victim. And there are allegations of drug use and multiple relationships among the suspects and victims.

Morlock is the first individual who has gone on trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court. Prosecutors have said three of the suspects have made plea deals and will testify at Morlock's trial.

Authorities have yet to discuss a clear motive for the killing or torture, although it appears that the personal relationships and drugs may have played a role.

Morlock trial day one:'I was straight victimized.' Victim recalls horror of being beaten and sodomized

Morlock trial day two:Co-conspirators take stand, describe deadly assault of Canton man and dumping body

Here's a rundown of what we know (and don't know) and who's who in the ongoing case:

Joseph Pomeroy

Joseph Pomeroy, 31, of Canton, was killed. His body was found in May in a ditch along Hardington Avenue NE in Canton Township. The body was wrapped in a blanket and plastic bag bound together with a chain and bungee cord.

According to court records, he had been beaten to death inside a home in the 500 block of Ninth Street NW in Canton and his body later dumped. He died from blows to the head. He also had a slash wound across his back and other body trauma, police records show.

Pomeroy's mother, Meg, has told The Canton Repository that her son was estranged from the family since at least 2019 because of "drugs, alcohol, theft, robbery, stealing, lying ..."

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Victim No. 1

A 38-year-old Malvern man  the Canton Repository has chosen not to identify the victims in the case  testified that he received a text May 4 from the mother of his children, Bonnie Metz, asking him to come to a Canton home where she lived with Morlock, her boyfriend at the time.

The pair share two children, ages 7 and 5.

The man testified that he arrived at the home on Correll Avenue NE and was confronted by Mary Soliday's boyfriend, Clayton Smart, who pointed a 9mm handgun at him and told him to empty his pockets. Soliday and Smart later left in his 2008 Saab 3 Turbo and his car has never been recovered, he said.

He also testified that he was handcuffed to a couch with the use of a leash chain and held at gunpoint. He later broke the chain and ran to his grandmother's house and called authorities. He was still wearing the handcuffs when Canton police responded.

Victim No. 2

The second victim, a 22-year-old man who moved to Canton from Mississippi, had lived with Soliday for a time. But Soliday and Smart began a relationship when he spent some time in a psychiatric facility.

He also testified that Smart had a physical confrontation with him and he moved to another city home. In May, he met up with them at a nearby park and then went to the Correll Avenue home with another friend.

There, he testified, he was pistol-whipped and taken by gunpoint to the basement, where he was shackled to the ceiling by his wrists and ankles. He said he was beaten with a tire iron and a sex toy was inserted into his rectum. He testified that a blowtorch was used to stop his bleeding.

He said he was held captive for days.

"I was crying and screaming and they didn't like that," he said.

The victim was found by authorities on May 13 while the Adult Probation Authority and Stark County Metro Narcotics Unit conducted a parole check for Morlock.

Jeremy Morlock listens to testimony during his trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court.

Jeremy Morlock

Jeremy Morlock, 44, of Canton is the first person to go on trial in the case. He was living at the Correll Avenue home where two of the kidnappings and torture took place, according to court records.

He was in a relationship with Bonnie Metz, who is the mother of two children with the first victim.

He is charged with aggravated murder, murder, three counts of kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

Morlock has a lengthy criminal history that involves assault, harassment, breaking and entering, resisting arrest, aggravated possession of drugs, gross sexual imposition, and failure to register as a sex offender.

Mary Ann Soliday

Mary Ann Soliday, 34, of Canton was living at the Correll Avenue home where two of the kidnappings and torture took place, according to court records.

She apparently was in a relationship with Smart. The second victim testified that Soliday and Smart had sex in front of him while he was being held captive in the basement.

She is charged with aggravated murder, murder, three counts of kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

Clayton Smart

Clayton Smart, 24, of Canton was living at the Correll Avenue home where two of the kidnappings and torture took place, according to court records.

He apparently was in a relationship with Soliday. The second victim testified that Soliday and Smart had sex in front of him while he was being held captive in the basement.

Prosecutors said he reached a plea deal and would testify in Morlock's trial. He testified that they devised plans to kill the first victim and Joseph Pomeroy.

Smart is charged with aggravated murder, murder, three counts of kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

As part of the deal, the state agreed to dismiss the aggravated murder and rape charges adn amended the murder charge to involuntary manslaughter. He agreed to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, three counts of kidnapping, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felonious assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

His criminal history includes convictions for aggravated possession of drugs.

Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams, 28, of Paris is charged with aggravated murder, murder, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

He is accused of taking part in Pomeroy's killing and participating in the kidnapping of the other two victims.

But prosecutors agreed to dismiss the aggravated murder charge and reduce a murder charge to involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement in exchange for him testifying in Morlock's trial. Williams testified that he saw Pomeroy alive in the basement and Morlock, Smart and Soliday were taking turns beating him. He also testified to beating Pomeroy.

He said he left the basement to smoke methamphetamine and later helped wrap Pomeroy's body, clean the basement and dispose of the body with McWeeny.

Williams is expected to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in exchange for a prison term of 12 to 15 years.

He is being held at the Stark County Jail after being convicted in April of aggravated possession of drugs and receiving stolen property.

Bonnie Metz

Bonnie Metz, 29, of Canton was living at the Correll Avenue home where two of the kidnappings and torture took place, according to court records.

She had a relationship with the first victim and was the mother of their two children. She also was in a relationship with Morlock at the time of the killing and torture.

She is charged with three counts of kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

Jordan McWeeny

Jordan McWeeny, 34, of Canton is accused of dumping Pomeroy's body.

He is charged with tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. But authorities agreed to drop the tampering charge in a plea deal in exchange for testifying in Morlock's trial.

McWeeny testified that he helped Williams, who is related to McWeeny's stepdaughter, dispose of the body.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: House of Horrors: What we know in Canton torture, killing case
Republicans will turn their focus to the U.S.-Mexico border with a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing featuring four Border Patrol agents next month.

Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced the hearing on Thursday, to take place sometime during the week of Feb. 6. Border Patrol agents Jason Owens, Gregory Bovino, Gloria Chavez and Patricia McGurk-Daniel were invited to testify.

The Biden Administrations deliberate actions are fueling human smuggling, stimulating drug cartel operations, enabling deadly drugs such as fentanyl to flow into American communities, and encouraging illegal immigrants to flout U.S. immigration laws, Comer charged in a statement. Republicans will hold the Biden Administration accountable for this ongoing humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis that has turned every town into a border town.

Comer separately sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday requesting documents and communications detailing accounting of illegal border crossings, border security plans, changes in certain migration policies, interior enforcement actions and several other matters.

The hearing is the second that the high-profile panel has scheduled. A hearing on waste, fraud and abuse in COVID-19 relief programs is set for Feb. 1.

A focus on the border, which Comer has long said will be a top priority for his committee, comes as several House Republicans are renewing their calls to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the border. Any impeachment actions would be pursued by the House Judiciary Committee rather than the Oversight panel.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has called on Mayorkas to resign, but has stopped short of supporting impeachment.

We can investigate, and then that investigation could lead to an impeachment inquiry. I dont predetermine because Ill never use impeachment for political purposes, McCarthy told reporters on Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Chicago man remains in custody Thursday, accused of false reporting of a crime and several other felonies after a shooting that injured a 3-year-old boy and the man on Sunday on the South Side, police said.

Michael Howard-Owens, 23, was charged with disorderly conduct for falsely reporting a crime, reckless discharge of a gun, reckless conduct that caused great bodily harm, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to Officer Michelle Tannehill, a spokesperson for Chicago police.

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On Wednesday, Howard-Owens appeared before Cook County Judge Maryam Ahmad, who ordered him held without bail for violating his bail bond on an unrelated aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charge from 2020, according to Cook County sheriff spokesperson Shereen Mohammad.

Howard-Owens, of the 800 block of West Grace Street on Chicagos North Side, remains in custody and is due back in court on Jan. 25, court records show.

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Around noon in the 6600 block of South Stewart Avenue on Sunday, Howard-Owens was handling a gun when it discharged, hitting him in the leg and the 3-year-old boy in the right foot, according to Tannehill.

The boy was taken to Comer Childrens Hospital where he was listed in fair condition. Howard-Owens was taken to Thorek Hospital in good condition.

Originally, Howard-Owens told police he was on a sidewalk in the 6000 block of South Stewart Avenue when an unknown offender approached and shot him in the leg.

Area 3 detectives are investigating.
By Kyaw Soe Oo

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (Reuters) - A Canadian company supplying battle-ready armoured vehicles to Ukraine plans to deliver the 200 vehicles Ottawa promised to Kyiv before summer, the firm's Chief Executive Officer Roman Shimonov said on Thursday.

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand visited Kyiv to meet Ukrainian officials on Wednesday and announced the supply of 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, as part of its latest military assistance package.

Ontario-based Roshel Inc builds armoured vehicles for government and commercial organizations, including the U.S State Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Its Roshel Senator armoured personnel carriers, built on Ford Motor Co's F-550 large pickup truck chassis with ballistic steel and fitted with mine-protection seats and other safety features, has been used by Ukrainian soldiers in their defence against the Russian invasion that began last February.

"Ukraine right now is in full-scale war ... and they have to have a way to transport their personnel safely, and our vehicle provides them with this solution," Shimonov said.

The Senators can be used be used as a medical evacuation vehicle or as a tactical combat vehicle, he said.

The company has established a "sophisticated" secure supply chain and has been shipping a few armoured vehicles every day, Shimonov said in an interview at Roshel's assembly plant in Mississauga.

Canada has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in aid, including over C$1 billion in military supplies. Shimonov declined to share details, but said Ottawa's order of 200 armoured vehicles for Ukraine is expected to be delivered by summer.

(Reporting by Kyaw Soe Oo; Writing by Ismail Shakil; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
A pillow with a reddish/brown stain. A collection of dark red spotting. A disposable glove. At least a dozen strands of hair.

These are just some of the items that investigators seized from the apartment of 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, the former doctoral student charged with killing four University of Idaho college students, according to a search warrant released Wednesday, Jan. 18.

The warrant was served Dec. 30, the same day Kohberger was arrested at his family home in Pennsylvania.

Included in the items taken from Kohbergers apartment in Pullman, Washington, according to the warrant, were a stained mattress cover, a computer tower, various receipts, the dust container from a Bissell Power Force vacuum cleaner, a Fire TV stick with a cord and plug, and whats described as one possible animal hair strand.

The other hair samples arent specifically identified as human in the warrant signed by Washington State University Assistant Police Chief Dawn Daniels. Nor does the document divulge if any had been tested.

Investigators have said that it is likely that the person who killed the four students would have been spattered by blood in the aftermath of the Nov. 13 massacre in the small college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Four days after Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were found slain, Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt said they were likely attacked with a large knife and died from multiple stab wounds.

Police also searched Kohbergers office at WSU, where he had been working on a Ph.D. in criminal justice and was a teaching assistant, but did not seize anything, the documents reveal.

The quadruple murder shocked the country and stymied police for seven weeks before Kohberger was arrested.

He has not yet entered a plea to killing the students.

But the four charges of first-degree murder carry sentences that could include life in prison to the death penalty.

The document describing the physical evidence seized from Kohbergers apartment came in the wake of revelations that police had used male DNA found on a leather knife sheath found at a crime scene  and matched it to samples found in the garbage of the suspects family home in Pennsylvania  to link the WSU grad student to the killings.

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Police have not found what they believe to be the murder weapon. Nor have they revealed a motive.

Kohberger is expected to face a preliminary hearing in June.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  Two EMS workers accused of killing an Illinois man by strapping him tightly against a stretcher appeared in court Thursday, as preliminary hearings began in a case that has gained national attention.

Peter J. Cadigan, 50, and Peggy J. Finley, 44, both of Springfield, appeared before Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow to confirm a preliminary hearing for each would be held Friday. Cadigan and Finley were first in court Jan. 10 when a $1 million bail was set for each.

The two are accused of killing Earl Moore, Jr., 35, of Springfield on Dec. 18 by strapping him tightly and face down on a stretcher, causing "compression and positional asphyxia," according to Dr. John Scott Denton, a forensic pathologist from Bloomington.

Earl Moore Jr.

As Cadigan and Finley were in court Thursday, Moore's family announced they filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Sangamon County court, with civil rights attorney Ben Crump representing the estate. Cadigan, Finley, and LifeStar Ambulance Services, Inc. were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

At a press conference at the NAACP building in Springfield, Crump called Moore's case "unlike any case in America." Robert Hilliard, another attorney on the civil lawsuit, did not specify an amount of damages the family is seeking.

What happened to Earl Moore Jr?

According to Springfield Police, officers called an ambulance to Moore's residence early on the morning of Dec. 18. After initially receiving a call about multiple subjects at the residence with guns, three police officers found Moore was in medical distress after detoxing for several days.

Video captured by police body cameras showed Finley and Cadigan strapping Moore faced down onto a stretcher. He was pronounced dead at a hospital more than an hour after the incident.

Prosecutors charged Cadigan and Finley with one count of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say EMS workers should have known better

According to the criminal complaints filed by Sangamon County state's attorney Dan Wright, Finley and Cadigan should have known that "based upon their training, experience and the surrounding circumstances, that such acts would create a substantial probability of great bodily harm or death."

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Finley has worked as a paramedic in the Springfield area for four years. She has four children and six grandchildren.

Cadigan, a father of two children, has worked as an EMT for over 25 years.

Defense attorneys say murder charge is 'a huge leap'

Attorneys for both Cadigan and Finley said the body-camera video captured by Springfield police officers did not show their clients committed any wrongdoing.

"In this case, I can't see what crime was committed," said Edward Unsell, Cadigan's attorney. "He's charged with first-degree murder. I certainly don't remotely believe that he committed first-degree murder, but I can't envision what crime he committed. I want them to articulate it."

Scott Hanken, lawyer for defendant Peggy Jill Finley, appears in court at a preliminary hearing for his client Jan. 19, 2023 at the Sangamon County Building.

Finley's attorney, W. Scott Hanken, said that while Finley's conduct could be considered negligent, he didn't believe it reached the level of first-degree murder.

"I think for them to charge them with first-degree murder is a huge leap," Hanken said. "They're trying to turn negligent conduct into criminal conduct. Quite simply, what occurred does not rise to the level of first-degree murder as they have charged it."

EMS worker involved in previous wrongful death lawsuit

Cadigan and the former ambulance service he worked for, MedicsFirst, Inc., were subjects of a 2010 wrongful death lawsuit.

On April 19, 2008, Cadigan struck and killed 7-year-old Truvonte Edwards, who was riding his bike. Edwards died at a hospital the next day.

Edwards' mother, Brandy Houston, and father, Matthew Edwards, filed the lawsuit, but a court ruled in 2014 that Cadigan was not culpable for failing to stop in time. A three-judge panel affirmed the decision.

No charges were ever filed against Cadigan in Edwards' death.

Who was Earl Moore Jr?

Moore was a manager at McDonald's for more than 15 years, according to his cousin, Aaron Cutler, though he worked there even longer. Cutler and his wife lived with Moore at the time of his death.

Moore was a Lanphier High School graduate. He is survived by his mother, Rosena Washington; and sisters Chatara Moore, Mahogany Moore, Shikira Brooks and Ciara Brooks, all of Springfield.

Crump calls for 'whole justice'

Crump on Thursday said he wanted to make sure Moore's family got "whole justice," including "criminal culpability and civil accountability."

Crump has represented families of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery and others in high-profile civil rights cases.

Crump said Finley and Cadigan offered Moore "no consideration ... no professionalism, no humanity."

Hilliard, the attorney joining Crump in the lawsuit, said Moore slowly suffocated after being strapped to the gurney. He compared the asphyxia Moore suffered from to "being buried alive."

Dig deeper

Edward Unsell, lawyer for defendant Peter J. Cadigan, attends in video a preliminary hearing for his client Jan. 19, 2023 in Sangamon County Circuit Court.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois EMS workers accused of Earl Moore's murder appear in court
This combination of photos provided by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Dept. shows Peter J. Cadigan, left, and Peggy Jill Finley on Jan. 9, 2023, in Springfield, Ill. Sangamon County Sheriff's Department via Associated Press

Two EMS workers are facing a wrongful death lawsuit over strapping a patient facedown on a stretcher.

Peter Cadigan and Peggy Finley were sued Thursday by the family of Earl Moore Jr.

Cadigan and Finley have also been charged with first-degree murder in Moore's death.

Two EMS workers charged with first-degree murder in the death of a patient they strapped facedown to a stretcher are now also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the patient's family, attorneys announced at a press conference Thursday.

Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 44, are accused of killing Earl Moore Jr., a 35-year-old patient who called 911 for help on December 18, 2022.

Moore's mother, Rosena Washington, sued the two emergency responders in Illinois state court. Washington told reporters on Thursday she wanted Cadigan and Finley to be held accountable for her son's death.

"He needed emergency medical attention. Instead, these workers treated him like he wasn't even human. They tied him down like some kind of animal," she said. "They killed him. My baby suffocated because of their actions and their inaction."

Body camera footage from the Springfield police officers at the scene showed the EMS workers treating Moore with apparent disdain and indifference throughout their interaction with him. First, Finely refused to help Moore to the stretcher waiting outside his home, then Cadigan helped position Moore facedown on the stretcher before strapping him in.

Finley could also be heard in the footage making rude comments to Moore throughout the incident and threatening to leave him behind if he didn't walk out to the stretcher on his own. Moore, who was incoherent and in visible discomfort, was seen throughout the footage writhing on his bed and the floor of his bedroom.

"You're gonna have to walk, because we ain't carrying you," Finley told Moore at one point. "Cause I am seriously not in the mood for this dumb s---."

She also ordered Moore to "get up, or you can stay here" at another point. Finley and Cadigan also made no apparent attempts to physically examine Moore or assess his vitals before loading him into the ambulance, according to the footage.

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An autopsy report listed Moore's cause of death as "compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone facedown restraint on a paramedic transportation cot/stretcher by tightened straps across the back and lower body, in the setting of lethargy and underlying chronic alcoholism."

The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Moore's family, said Cadigan and Finley's actions that night were inexcusable.

"These healthcare professionals, they knew better. And if they know better, they should do better. But I guess they said Earl didn't matter," Crump told reporters at the press conference. "Well, Earl matters, Black lives matter, and we're going to make sure they're never going to be able to forget the name Earl Moore Jr."

An attorney representing Cadigan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, nor did a representative of LifeStar EMS.

Finley and Cadigan made their first court appearances in connection to their first-degree murder charges on Thursday morning. They will appear again for a preliminary hearing on Friday.

Finley's attorney, W. Scott Hanken, told Insider Finley intends to plead not guilty. Hanken said he believes the claims his client are better handled in civil rather than criminal court.

"To try to turn this into a criminal matter is something I cannot comprehend," Hanken told Insider. "And I've been doing this for a while."

Read the original article on Insider
CHICAGO  Illinois flagship gun rights organization on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit alleging the newly signed state law that prohibits high-powered guns and large-capacity ammunition magazines violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Filed on behalf of the Illinois State Rifle Association and nearly a half-dozen other gun rights advocates, the lawsuit was anticipated after Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week signed the ban on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

Its also the first known federal lawsuit filed against the ban, which was passed six months after the deadly mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park left seven dead and dozens more injured. Two other lawsuits were filed in state court in recent days in downstate Crawford and Effingham counties.

The federal lawsuit echoes many of the arguments made by the bans Republican opponents in the Democratic-led state legislature, including that the new law criminalizes law-abiding citizens who have a right to bear arms under the Second Amendment. The suit also alleges the ban violates the 14th Amendment of the constitution, meant to assure equal protection rights for anyone protected by U.S. laws.

Aside from the rifle association, the plaintiffs include two other gun rights groups, the Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation, two gun shops, one of them from McHenry County, and a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who owns firearms and magazines affected by the ban.

Two of the named defendants are Attorney General General Kwame Raoul and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, whose agency will oversee a process under the new law that allows current owners of assault weapons to register them with the state police by Jan. 1. Other defendants are a handful of law enforcement officials from different counties, including sheriffs who, prior to the lawsuit, either publicly opposed the ban or vowed to not enforce it.

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The real problem is that there are existing gun laws that do not work because they are not enforced, Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson said in a statement. We would all be much safer if the police had the resources they need, and there were stronger consequences for the non-law-abiding citizens.

A spokeswoman for Kelly said the agency would not comment on pending litigation. A representative for Raoul could not be reached for comment.

Pritzker is not a named defendant in the lawsuit. On Wednesday, in a CNN interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Pritzker said hes confident the new law is constitutional based on the fact that there ... have been challenges of other states assault weapons bans.

Were simply copying, frankly, whats been done in other states, Prtizker said. In fact, ours is perhaps one of the most stringent, but it fits within the confines of what is constitutional and acceptable.

Still, Pritzker left open the possibility that the law could be struck down if a legal challenge makes it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Who knows? Pritzker said. This Supreme Court (is) certainly a very right-wing one, and well have to let the courts play this out.

Among the case law cited by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit is a U.S. Supreme Court decision from last June that struck down New York states concealed carry law. In New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the high courts conservative 6-3 majority found, among other things, that the plain text of the Second Amendment protected the right to carry guns for self-defense.

The lawsuit also cites case law that holds that firearms and magazines can be banned if they are dangerous and unusual, and says that the guns and magazines listed in the Illinois law are in common use and do not fit that definition. Therefore, they cannot be banned, and the Illinois laws challenged herein must be declared unconstitutional, the suit argues.

The Illinois law bans dozens of pistols, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles, including all AR-type rifles. The lawsuit argues that the AR-15 rifle is in standard use among law-abiding gun owners and is an optimal firearm to rely on in a self-defense encounter.

AR-15 rifles are among the most popular firearms in the nation, and they are owned by millions of Americans, the lawsuit states. What is more, the designation assault weapons is a misnomer, developed by anti-gun publicists in their crusade against lawful firearm ownership.

By prohibiting Plaintiffs from possessing and carrying popular semi-automatic firearms and common ammunition magazines, Illinois has prevented them from keeping and bearing arms within the meaning of the (Second) Amendments text, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit uses a similar argument to allege that the law violates the Second Amendment by depriving the public of high capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets for long guns and more than 15 bullets for handguns.

Magazines capable of holding more than 10 or 15 rounds of ammunition are normal features of firearms in the United States and are more accurately described as standard capacity, magazines, the lawsuit states. Magazine capacity is important for average citizens seeking to defend themselves because most shots fired in armed altercations miss their target.

While the Bruen decision expanded Second Amendment protections by imposing a new test requiring gun laws to be historically consistent with laws on the books in the 18th century, the lawsuit notes there is no historical tradition of prohibiting the  importation, or sale of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are represented by Wheaton-based attorney David Sigale. He represented Chicago resident Otis McDonald in a successful U.S. Supreme Court case in 2010 that prompted the high court to overturn the citys nearly three-decade-old handgun ban.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune last week, Sigale warned the new Illinois ban could be in jeopardy if the Bruen decision is applied.

The Second Amendment says the people have the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense purposes. That right is not limited to arms that just existed back in 1791 and its not the governments place basically to say what firearms someone needs or should have or should want for those self-defense or other lawful purposes, Sigale said.

Those claims have to be analyzed under a historical tradition test, and when that test is applied I dont think that these restrictions are going to hold up as passing muster, he said.

After Jan. 1, people who possess an unregistered firearm covered by the ban face a misdemeanor for a first offense and a felony for subsequent offenses.

As for the ban on large-capacity magazines, only current owners as of April 10 will be allowed to possess them on private property, at a firing range or a sport shooting competition, or at a federal licensed gun dealer for repairs. Violators will be subject to a $1,000 fine.

The bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines dont apply to law enforcement.



(Chicago Tribune's Dan Petrella contributed.)


By Arpan Chaturvedi, Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Google on Thursday lost its fight in India's Supreme Court to block an antitrust order, in a major setback that will force the U.S. tech giant to change the business model of its popular Android operating system in a key growth market.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ruled in October that Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc, exploited its dominant position in Android and told it to remove restrictions imposed on device makers, including related to pre-installation of apps. It also fined Google $161 million.

Google challenged the order in the Supreme Court, saying it would hurt consumers and its business. It warned growth of the Android ecosystem could stall and it would be forced to alter arrangements with more than 1,100 device manufacturers and thousands of app developers. Google also said "no other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes".

A three-judge bench at the Supreme Court, which included India's chief justice, delayed the Jan. 19 implementation of the CCI's directives by one week, but declined to block them.

"We are not inclined to interfere," Chief Justice D.Y Chandrachud said.

During the hearing, Chandrachud told Google: "Look at the kind of authority which you wield in terms of dominance."

About 97% of 600 million smartphones in India run on Android, according to Counterpoint Research estimates. Apple has just a 3% share.

India's top court asked a lower tribunal, which is already hearing the matter, to decide on Google's challenge by March 31.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions such as mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. The company argues such agreements help keep Android free.

Faisal Kawoosa, founder of Indian research firm Techarc, said the Supreme Court ruling meant Google may have to consider other business models in India, such as charging an upfront fee to startups to provide access to the Android platform and its Play Store.

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"At the end of the day, Google is for profit and has to look at measures that make it sustainable and power growth for its innovations," he said.

Android has been the subject of various investigations by regulators around the world. South Korea has fined Google for blocking customised versions of it to restrict competition, while the United States Justice Department has accused Google of executing anticompetitive distribution agreements for Android.

In India, the CCI has ordered Google that the licensing of its Play Store "shall not be linked with the requirement of pre-installing" Google search services, the Chrome browser, YouTube or any other Google applications.

It also ordered Google to allow the uninstalling of its apps by Android phone users in India. Currently, apps such as Google Maps and YouTube can not be deleted from Android phones when they come pre-installed.

Google has been concerned about India's decision as the steps are seen as more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission's 2018 ruling, when Google was fined for putting in place what the Commission called unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device makers. Google has challenged the record $4.3 billion fine in that case.

In Europe, Google has made changes including letting Android device users pick their default search engine from a list of providers.

Google also argued in its legal filings, seen by Reuters, that the CCI's investigation unit "copy-pasted extensively from a European Commission decision, deploying evidence from Europe that was not examined in India".

N. Venkataraman, a government lawyer representing the CCI, told the top court: "We have not cut, copy and pasted."

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra, Arpan Chaturvedi and Munsif Vengattil; Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and Supantha Mukherjee Editing by Jason Neely, Vin Shahrestani and Mark Potter)
An off-duty Chicago police officer shot a person who was allegedly committing a robbery on the South Side Wednesday afternoon, police said.

It happened in front of an apartment building in the 1300 block of West 90th Street around 12:55 p.m., Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said in a statement.

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When the officer took out their weapon and announced who they were, a person involved in the robbery was shot when a struggle ensued between the two over the officers gun, Brown said in the statement.

The suspect was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition while the officer was taken to an area hospital for observation.

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COPA is responding to the scene of an officer-involved shooting in the 1400 block of West 90th. If you or anyone has any information related to this incident, please call our office at 312-746-3609 or visit https://t.co/LqABRQVdBc  COPA (@ChicagoCOPA) January 18, 2023

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating with cooperation from the Chicago Police Department. The officer involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.
Asian Americans at Indiana University Bloomington are reeling after an 18-year-old student was stabbed on a city transit bus last Wednesday, allegedly because of her identity. But they dont feel that theyve received sufficient support.

Since the incident, a sense of shock has rippled through the schools Asian community. The suspect, Billie Davis, told the Bloomington Police Department that she targeted the student, who survived the incident, for being Chinese, adding it would be one less person to blow up our country, court documents show. With fears around their safety amplified, Asian American students who spoke to NBC News said theyve been disappointed in the response from both those outside the Asian community and the school administration, who made their first statements around the attack two days afterward.

Its very tiring for the Asian community to be doing all the work, Audrey Lee, a senior, said. I think a lot of Asian Americans internalize the feeling that if they do kind of speak out, when these situations happen, theyre going to be viewed as crazy or overreacting.

Mara Yankey, senior media relations consultant for Indiana University, responded in an email that the victims request for privacy limits what IU or other local officials can say publicly.

But it does not diminish our universitys commitment to provide support to them, their family, and  of course  to our students, faculty and staff, she wrote.

The student, whose identity has not been released, was allegedly waiting for the bus door to open when a fellow passenger struck her repeatedly in the head before walking out, police said in a statement. While the suspect told police that she targeted the victim due to her race, Jeff Kehr, Monroe County chief deputy prosecuting attorney, previously said in an interview that the state does not have a hate crime law that would alter the severity of the charges.

The students say that conversations around the incident have been active among the Asian Americans on campus. But they admit that when stepping outside of their safe spaces, they often feel a sense of loneliness. Zhang, a sophomore and resident adviser for the schools Asian American Thematic Community, said he isnt confident that those outside the Asian community are all aware of the violent attack. And its this lack of awareness, the students say, that shows the administration could be doing more to promote education and solidarity around Asian American issues not only to the student body, but also to the surrounding community.

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IU Asian Culture Center

Theres not really any advocacy group in the community that makes Asian issues very visible. I think the administration should make that more of a priority, just expanding their own diversity and inclusion efforts to the community, because the students cant do that alone, Lee said.

On campus, Lee said she has also had several uncomfortable experiences with microaggressions and rarely do non-Asian bystanders speak out or offer support. Theres been other cases, both Lee and Zhang said, in which the Asian communitys concerns have been minimized, devalued or completely dismissed by their peers. And without efforts to mitigate racism and promote an understanding around the Asian population, many have felt the looming potential for more serious instances of racism, such as the attack.

Karen Cheng, a senior at the university and the president of the schools Asian American Association, noted a similar sense of fear. As an Asian American woman, she said, public safety concerns predate the tragedy. The city of Bloomington itself has a small but sizable Asian population, making up just over 10% of its residents. But the community is also flanked by some areas with white supremacist activity, something many Asian American students are aware of, Cheng said.

In the 1920s, an estimated 1 in 3 white protestant males in the state were dues-paying members of the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Washington Post. Over a century later, the Southern Poverty Law Center tracked 15 active hate groups throughout Indiana.

Race-related violence against Asian students also lives in the citys not-so distant past as former IU student Benjamin Smith, a vocal white supremacist who had disseminated white power pamphlets on campus and across the city, murdered 26-year-old doctoral student Won-Joon Yoon in 1999 outside the Korean United Methodist Church. Smith, who had previously been sought in a series of shootings earlier that year that targeted Black, Jewish and Asian people, fatally shot himself the same night.

And many continue to have uncomfortable encounters with racism, and some say its an ever-lingering anxiety as they move through their college years. Cheng recounted an incident at a grocery store in December that left her shaken.

I shop there all the time, students go there all the time, too, she said. And this angry, old white man almost bumped into me and then he was like, Excuse you, nasty Asian.

The students say that it has been up to Asian Americans themselves, including faculty members of Asian descent, student groups and loved ones to begin the healing process.

One of my residents asked me  if we could all write letters to the victim even though we dont know what her name is, Zhang said. We just want to show support, make sure she knows that theres people out here advocating for her.

They praised the universitys Asian Culture Center for releasing a statement shortly after the attack and organizing a night of open discussion last week, inviting the campus community members to talk about their emotions and write letters to the victim. And many took it upon themselves to offer rides to those who felt unsafe and check in on their friends emotional and mental health.

In many cases, the Asian communitys strength is empowering, said Cheng, whose organization boasts more than 200 members.

We are the only ones who truly understand, she said. We can almost save ourselves, in a way.

For now, it seems the Asian American population will continue to do what they do best and find comfort in one another.

Theres a lot of people here who are just so willing to help even if they arent your best friends, Zhang said of the Asian American community. We all have a mutual understanding of this fear and have all at one point experienced it, or know someone who has experienced it.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Google has been dealt a significant blow in one of its key overseas markets. India's Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block an antitrust order that requires the Android-maker to make a series of changes that could topple its financial viability.

India's apex court rejected to block the ruling against Google by the nation's antitrust watchdog Competition Commission of India. The court extended the deadline for enforcement of CCI's order by one week, however.

The matter will now go back to the countrys appellate tribunal, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), where Google previously failed to secure any relief. The Supreme Court has directed NCLAT to make its decision by March 31. The challenge for Google is that unless NCLAT reaches a decision in Google's favor by this month, the tech giant will have to make a series of changes to Android.

India is Google's largest market by users. The firm has amassed over half a billion monthly active users in the country. The vast majority of the smartphones shipped in India run Android.

The Competition Commission of India late last year slapped two fines against Google, alleging the Android-maker abused the Play Stores dominant position in the country and required Android device makers to pre-install its entire Google Mobile Suite.

The CCI has ordered Google to not require licensing of its Play Store to be linked with mandating installation of several Google apps such as Chrome and YouTube. The watchdog has also ordered Google to allow removal of all its apps from phones and give smartphone users the ability to change their search engine provider. The CCI also fined Google $162 million in its first order.

Google warned earlier this month that if the Indian antitrust watchdogs ruling is allowed to progress it would result in devices getting expensive in the South Asian market and lead to proliferation of unchecked apps that will pose threats for individual and national security, escalating its concerns over the future of Android in the key overseas region.

Predatory apps that expose users to financial fraud, data theft and a number of other dangers abound on the internet, both from India and other countries. While Google holds itself accountable for the apps on Play Store and scans for malware as well as compliance with local laws, the same checks may not be in place for apps sideloaded from other sources, the company said.

Google is facing mounting scrutiny from governments across the globe as policymakers begin to worry about the reach of technology giants and assess whether that is in detriment to local companies. Google lost its appeal against a record $4.3 billion fine in EU for using the dominance of Android to thwart competition. Its also subject to Germanys new regulation that targets large companies.
Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Tortilla Mexican Grill plc (LON:MEX) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

Check out our latest analysis for Tortilla Mexican Grill

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) -UK1.25m UK436.9k UK1.00m UK2.80m UK4.52m UK6.47m UK8.45m UK10.3m UK11.9m UK13.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 61.34% Est @ 43.24% Est @ 30.56% Est @ 21.69% Est @ 15.48% Est @ 11.13% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 11% -UK1.1 UK0.4 UK0.7 UK1.8 UK2.6 UK3.4 UK4.0 UK4.4 UK4.5 UK4.5

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK25m

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 11%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK13m (1 + 1.0%)  (11% 1.0%) = UK129m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK129m ( 1 + 11%)10= UK44m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK69m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK1.0, the company appears quite undervalued at a 43% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Tortilla Mexican Grill as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.506. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Tortilla Mexican Grill

Strength

Debt is well covered by cash flow.

Weakness

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for MEX.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Tortilla Mexican Grill, we've compiled three pertinent elements you should further research:

Risks: As an example, we've found 1 warning sign for Tortilla Mexican Grill that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does MEX's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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LONDON (AP)  Ireland fined WhatsApp for breaching strict European Union privacy rules in a case that has exposed divisions among EU watchdogs over how to regulate its parent company, Meta.

The chat app was ordered to pay 5.5 million euros ($5.9 million) Thursday by the Data Protection Commission for forcing users to allow personal data to be used to provide service improvements and security - but only after some of its European counterparts balked at its initial decision to let the company off.

In a related decision earlier this month that played out in a similar manner, the Irish watchdog hit Meta Platforms Inc. with $390 million in fines for forcing Facebook and Instagram users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity.

All three cases date back to May 2018, when the 27-country bloc's stringent privacy regulations took force.

The commission, which is Meta's lead European privacy regulator because the company's regional headquarters is in Dublin, originally sided with the Silicon Valley giant. But a slew of other EU data protection watchdogs objected to its draft decisions and the Irish watchdog was forced to overturn them and issue stiffer punishments.

In its final decision on the WhatsApp case, the commission also ordered the company to bring its data processing operations into compliance with EU privacy rules within six months.

WhatsApp said it disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal.

We strongly believe that the way the service operates is both technically and legally compliant, it said in a statement.

The Irish watchdog's decision was written in dry technical language but signs of the tension with its EU counterparts were evident in a section near the end, where it said that a board of EU data protection regulators purported to direct" it to carry out a fresh investigation of all of WhatsApp's data processing operations.

It's not up to the board to instruct and direct an authority to engage in open-ended and speculative investigation, the Irish watchdog said, adding it would ask the EU's top court to annul the order because it's problematic in jurisdictional terms."

____

This version corrects number of EU member countries to 27 in fourth paragraph.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Israels U.N. ambassador accused the Palestinians on Wednesday of stabbing a knife into any chance for reconciliation by seeking an advisory opinion from the U.N.s highest court on Israels decades-old occupation  and the Palestinian U.N. envoy accused Israels new government of seeking to crush its people.

The always contentious monthly U.N. Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was even more vitriolic and threatening this week, and U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland warned that a dangerous cycle of violence persists on the ground, amidst increased political tension and a stalled peace process.

Israelis and Palestinians remain on a collision course amid escalating political and inflammatory rhetoric as well as heightened violence in the West Bank -- both with potentially grave consequences, he said. Absent a concerted and collective effort by all, with strong support from the international community, spoilers and extremists will continue to pour more fuel on the fire and we will move still further from a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Underlying the ongoing violence is the Palestinians decades-long quest for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory and has built dozens of settlements that are now home to roughly 500,000 Jewish settlers.

In the latest confrontation, the Palestinians and their supporters won U.N. General Assembly approval on Dec. 30 of a resolution asking the International Court of Justice or ICJ to intervene in one of the worlds longest-running and thorniest disputes and render an advisory opinion on the legality of Israeli policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

While the courts rulings are not binding, they do influence international opinion.

Israels new hardline government responded on Jan. 6 by approving steps to penalize the Palestinians in retaliation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were aimed at what he called an extreme anti-Israel step at the United Nations.

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The measures include withholding $39 million from the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority and transferring the funds instead to a compensation program for the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian militant attacks, deducting an amount equal to the sum the authority paid last year to families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed in the conflict including militants implicated in attacks against Israelis, and ending VIP travel privileges for leading Palestinians.

The Palestinians responded by getting more than 90 countries to sign a statement expressing deep concern at penalizing the Palestinians for going to the court, and urging Israel to reverse the punitive measures. Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen rejected the statement.

At Wednesdays Security Council meeting, Israels U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the Palestinians of drafting a poisonous and destructive resolution referring Israel to the ICJ with the sole purpose of destroying Israel as the Jewish state.

He claimed this has been a Palestinian goal since before Israel's founding in 1948, and said one weapon they use is the manipulation and abuse of international bodies to force Israel to agree to their demands, which he called multilateral terror.

Erdan pointed to anti-Israel activities spurred by the Palestinians at the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, and said that with the adoption of the General Assembly resolution on the ICJ, the Palestinians stabbed a knife in the heart of any chances for dialogue or reconciliation.

He also accused the Palestinians and the U.N. of exaggerating Palestinian casualties and under-reporting and discriminating against Israeli victims. While 2022 may have been the deadliest year for Palestinian terrorists," he said, it was also the year with the most terror attacks committed against Israelis in a decade.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the council the new Netanyahu-led government has said openly its program is to increase settlements, annexation, systemic discrimination and oppression.

It does not recognize our rights anywhere, and proclaims a right for its settlers everywhere, Mansour said.

The international community overwhelmingly considers settlements to be illegal. Israels annexation of east Jerusalem, home to the citys most sensitive holy sites, also is not internationally recognized.

Mansour said peace is still possible, but only if the Security Council and the international community stand up to the supremacists and take action to end Israels occupation, ensure accountability for its annexation of Jerusalem, recognize the state of Palestine, and reject Israeli settlers in occupied territory.

We face the absurd situation where impunity is enjoyed by those who violate the law and collective punishment is endured by those entitled to its protection, Mansour told the council.
By Ali Sawafta

JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians, one a teacher and one a gunman, in the occupied West Bank on Thursday during a raid in the flashpoint city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and a witness said.

Violence in the West Bank has surged over the past year, following stepped-up raids by Israel in response to a spate of Palestinian street attacks in its cities. At least 17 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Jan. 1.

The Israeli military said its forces had come under heavy fire by Palestinian gunmen during a counter-terrorism operation in Jenin on Thursday and had returned fire.

Asked about the teacher's death, a military spokesperson said the incident was under review.

"It should be noted that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) does not intentionally fire toward civilians," the spokesperson said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death of the teacher and of the gunman, who was later identified by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group as one of its members.

Farid Bouaqneh, 31, son of the 57-year-old teacher Jawad Bouaqneh, said the gunman was shot outside the family house and that he and his father went out to help the militant.

"My father went out to help the man, to provide first aid," Bouaqneh told Reuters. "We dragged him (the gunman) inside and my father was shot," Bouaqneh said, pointing at his upper body while standing at a doorway with a blood-stained floor.

One Israeli soldier was wounded, the military said.

U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem side by side with Israel, broke down in 2014.

Prospects of their revival have dimmed further since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in December at the head of a religious-nationalist government, many of whose members are opposed to Palestinian statehood. His cabinet has set the expansion of West Bank settlements as a priority.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was expected to meet on Thursday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and stress Washington's commitment to the two-state solution, spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jeusalem and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; editing by James Mackenzie, Angus MacSwan and Bernadette Baum)
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen decided to accept the invitation and visit Kyiv after a conversation with Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart.

Source: The Times of Israel, referring to officials of Israel and Ukraine; Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on Twitter

Details: Cohen will be the highest-ranking Israeli official to visit Ukraine since the war began 11 months ago.

During their phone conversation, he promised Kuleba that he would finally open the Israeli Embassy in Kyiv within 60 days.

It is also reported that due to Russia's use of Iranian-made weapons, Cohen called on Ukraine to join the fight against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to call on Europe to declare this armed force a terrorist organisation.

Kuleba reported on Twitter that during the first conversation with Cohen, they "discussed cooperation within international organisations and ways to counter shared security threats".

Quote from Kuleba: "Minister Cohen condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine, affirmed Israel's plans to step up humanitarian aid and assistance in other spheres."

Earlier: In early 2023, Cohen said Israel would start "talking less publicly" about the Russia-Ukraine war.

After his appointment, Cohen had a conversation with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister. This was the first conversation between the foreign ministers since the beginning of the war against Ukraine. Cohen's predecessor did not communicate with Lavrov after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Cohen refused to comment on the provision of defence weapons to Ukraine and said that Ukraine would continue to receive "significant humanitarian aid".

Background:

The American news agency Axios, referring to the words of unnamed Ukrainian and Israeli officials, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly negotiated a change in Ukraine's position at the UN regarding the resolution on the Palestinian territories in exchange for air defence.

According to an Israeli source, Netanyahu asked Ukraine to vote against the UN resolution, or at least abstain from voting.

In response to this request, Zelenskyy allegedly said that in exchange for such a vote from Ukraine, he would like to hear how the new Israeli government plans to change its position on aid to Ukraine, in particular, whether it is possible to count on means of protection against ballistic missiles and Iranian drones. According to the Ukrainian source, Netanyahu did not make any promises but noted that he is ready to discuss Zelenskyy's request in the future. Zelenskyy was not satisfied with such an answer.

As a result, Ukraine chose a neutral option and decided not to participate in the vote at the General Assembly in order, as the Ukrainian interlocutor Axios reported, "to give a chance to the relationship with Netanyahu".

An Israeli source says that Netanyahu was disappointed that instead of abstaining, Kyiv decided not to attend the vote.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau led tributes to Jacinda Ardern as she announced her decision to resign as New Zealand prime minister next month.

Mr Trudeau tweeted: Thank you, @JacindaArdern, for your partnership and your friendship  and for your empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership over these past several years. The difference you have made is immeasurable. Im wishing you and your family nothing but the best, my friend.

Ms Ardern said during the partys annual caucus meeting she is leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. Its that simple.

Several world leaders paid tribute to her leadership qualities and for being a no-nonsense politician. Australias prime minister Anthony Albanese tweeted: Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength.

Key Points

Justin Trudeau leads tributes to Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

09:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Candian prime minister Justin Trudeau led tributes to Jacinda Ardern as she announced her decision to resign as the prime minister of New Zealand.

Mr Trudeau tweeted: Thank you, @JacindaArdern, for your partnership and your friendship  and for your empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership over these past several years. The difference you have made is immeasurable. Im wishing you and your family nothing but the best, my friend.

Story continues

Thank you, @JacindaArdern, for your partnership and your friendship  and for your empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership over these past several years. The difference you have made is immeasurable. Im wishing you and your family nothing but the best, my friend. pic.twitter.com/72Q5p9GZzg  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 19, 2023

He continued: The difference you have made is immeasurable. Im wishing you and your family nothing but the best, my friend.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand prime minister said in a tearful address that she planned to stand down in February, adding that she was too tired to seek a third term.

I no longer have enough in the tank, said the 42-year-old, who had secured a reputation internationally for a no-nonsense approach to leading the country through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clarke Gayford

13:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her plans to get married to her partner Clarke Gayford as she said she is resigning from the top role in a farewell speech on Thursday.

As she confirmed her move to quit politics ahead of the October polls, Ms Ardern mentioned her family members, her four-year-old daughter Neve who she was conceived during her prime ministership, and her partner.

So, to Neve, mums looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke, lets finally get married, Ms Ardern said.

Read the full story by Arpan Rai here:

Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clarke Gayford

ICYMI: Ive got nothing left in the tank: Jacinda Arderns resignation speech in full

13:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that she is stepping down from the position before 7 February.

Read her full speech here:

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arderns resignation speech in full

Christchurch remembers Jacinda Ardern as mother of compassion after mosque attacks

13:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Muslim leader from Christchurch, who survived the 15 March 2019 mosque shootings, thanked Jacinda Ardern for leading the country at the wrong time in history.

Imam Gamal Fouda of Masjid Al-Noor in Christchurch, who survived the terror attack at his Deans Ave mosque where 44 worshippers were shot dead during Friday prayers, said her resignation shocked me.

We lost one of New Zealands best leaders in history. Jacinda Ardern, I wish you all the best. You led our country at the wrong time in history.

He continued: You led our country at the wrong time in history. You are a mother of compassion and care in a time when people have forgotten to feel or care for others.

From the archives: Jacinda Ardern asked how it feels to be more popular abroad by reporter

12:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

ICYMI: What led the New Zealand prime minister to resign

12:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The 42-year-old said during the partys annual caucus meeting that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job. Its time.

Read the full story here:

Jacinda Ardern resigns: What led the New Zealand prime minister to quit

Watch: Tucker Carlson calls Jacinda Ardern lady with big teeth and puppet of Chinese government'

12:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

True global power: World leaders pay tribute to Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

11:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Tributes poured in from world leaders and party members after New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she would step down from office and not seek re-election.

Politicians are human, she said, adding: We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then its time. And for me, its time.

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of Britains Labour Party, called Ms Ardern a true global power with whom he has always enjoyed talking.

Whatever comes next, Ive no doubt shell continue to champion her values and New Zealand across the world, he added.

Read the full piece by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar here:

True global power: World leaders pay tribute to Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

Australian prime minister says great friend Ardern led with intellect and strength

11:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Jacinda Ardern and said that she has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength.

He tweeted: She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.

Mr Albanese described the 42-year-old New Zealand leader as a fierce advocate for New Zealand and a great friend to him.

Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength.



She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.



Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me. pic.twitter.com/QJ64mNCJMI  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 19, 2023

Ms Ardern became the worlds youngest female head of government when she was elected prime minister at age 37 in 2017.

Profile: Jacinda Arderns legacy of effective crisis management and kindness

11:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The popular New Zealand leader, who made waves in global politics with her policies, said that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job justice. She added that it was time to make way for someone else and step down.

Identifying as a feminist, Ms Ardern is the third woman PM New Zealand has had and was known for breaking stereotypes.

She became the second elected world leader to ever give birth while in office after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990. In 2018, she gave birth to a baby girl with her longtime partner, television presenter Clarke Gayford.

Read the full profile of Jacinda Ardern by Stuti Mishra here:

Jacinda Arderns legacy of effective crisis management and kindness

Watch: Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand

10:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former Labour leader says Jacinda Ardern faced unprecedented level of hatred and vitriol

10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former Labour prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark expressed deep sadness at Jacinda Arderns resignation as the leader of the country.

In a statement, Ms Clark said that the 42-year-old feminist leader of the Labour Party has faced an unprecedented level of hatred and vitriol.

She wrote: The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country.

The former leader added: Our society could now usefully reflect on whether it wants to continue to tolerate the excessive polarisation which is making politics an increasingly unattractive calling.

Ardern admirers recall moment New Zealand leader and Sanna Marin shot down question about their age and gender

10:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

As Jacinda Ardern announced today she was too tired to run for a third term in office, her admirers fondly recalled the moment New Zealand prime minister and Finlands leader Sanna Marin shot down an unexpected question from a reporter who asked whether the two were meeting because they are both of the same age and gender.

Read all about it here:

Jacinda Ardern and Sanna Marin shoot down awkward question about their age and gender

ICYMI: Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clarke Gayford

09:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her plans to get married to her partner Clarke Gayford as she said she is resigning from the top role in a farewell speech on Thursday.

As she confirmed her move to quit politics ahead of the October polls, Ms Ardern mentioned her family members, her four-year-old daughter Neve who she was conceived during her prime ministership, and her partner.

So, to Neve, mums looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke, lets finally get married, Ms Ardern said.

Read the full piece by Arpan Rai here:

Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clarke Gayford

World leaders pay tribute to great friend Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Tributes poured in from world leaders and party members after New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she would step down from office and not seek re-election.

The Labour Party premier said in a tearful address that she planned to stand down in February, adding that she was too tired to seek a third term.

I no longer have enough in the tank, said the 42-year-old, who had secured a reputation internationally for a no-nonsense approach to leading the country through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the full story by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar here:

World leaders pay tribute to great friend Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

ICYMI: Jacinda Arderns resignation speech in full

09:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Jacinda Ardern announced today that she will step down as the prime minister of New Zealand on 7th February.

You can read her full speech here:

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arderns resignation speech in full

Former New Zealand PM says Jacinda Ardern set for global roles

09:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jim Bolger believes that Jacinda Ardern will definitely be approached with offers similar to what he received, including ambassadorships and chairing international companies.

Mr Bolger, 87, who was prime minister from 1990 to 1997, said that shes had a high public profile for a young woman whos become Prime Minister. Shes a young person. Clearly, therell be other opportunities that she may wish to take up.

He told the New Zealand Herald: I of course went as ambassador to Washington for nearly four years and then I did a number of things like chair an international agricultural forum. I helped set up KiwiBank. I managed that for a number of years. I chaired a number of companies, still do. So theyll be tasks for her, theres no question about that.

Jacinda Arderns legacy of effective crisis management and kindness

09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The popular New Zealand leader, who made waves in global politics with her policies, said that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job justice. She added that it was time to make way for someone else and step down.

Identifying as a feminist, Ms Ardern is the third woman PM New Zealand has had and was known for breaking stereotypes.

She became the second elected world leader to ever give birth while in office after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990. In 2018, she gave birth to a baby girl with her longtime partner, television presenter Clarke Gayford.

Read the full profile of Jacinda Ardern by Stuti Mishra here:

Jacinda Arderns legacy of effective crisis management and kindness

Business leaders in New Zealand react to Arderns resignation

08:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern will be remembered for being a decent person with great personal style and excellent in crisis, Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive and former National Party leader Simon Bridges said today.

Ms Ardern resigned as the prime minister of New Zealand in a shock announcement today. The 42-year-old wont be seeking re-election later this year as she no longer has enough in the tank to do it justice.

Christchurch remembers Jacinda Ardern as 'mother of compassion' after mosque attacks

08:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Muslim leader from Christchurch, who survived the 15 March 2019 mosque shootings, thanked Jacinda Ardern for leading the country at the wrong time in history.

Imam Gamal Fouda of Masjid Al-Noor in Christchurch, who survived the terror attack at his Deans Ave mosque where 44 worshippers were shot dead during Friday prayers, said her resignation shocked me.

We lost one of New Zealands best leaders in history. Jacinda Ardern, I wish you all the best. You led our country at the wrong time in history.

He continued: You led our country at the wrong time in history. You are a mother of compassion and care in a time when people have forgotten to feel or care for others.

Former Labour leader says Jacinda Ardern faced unprecedented 'level of hatred and vitriol'

08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former Labour prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark expressed deep sadness at Jacinda Arderns resignation as the leader of the country.

In a statement, Ms Clark said that the 42-year-old feminist leader of the Labour Party has faced an unprecedented level of hatred and vitriol.

She wrote: The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country.

The former leader added: Our society could now usefully reflect on whether it wants to continue to tolerate the excessive polarisation which is making politics an increasingly unattractive calling.

I am human: Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand

08:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Jacinda Ardern resigned as the prime minister of New Zealand in a shock announcement on Thursday, 19 January.

The 42-year-old wont be seeking re-election later this year as she no longer has enough in the tank to do it justice.

She appeared to be fighting back tears as she broke the news to the world.

This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life, she said.

Assuring the public that there is no other real reason for her resignation other than the fact that she is human and it was her time.

Watch the video here:

I am human: Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clark Gayford

08:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her plans to get married to her partner Clark Gayford as she said she is resigning from the top role in a farewell speech on Thursday.

As she confirmed her move to quit politics ahead of the October polls, Ms Ardern mentioned her family members, her four-year-old daughter Neve who she was conceived during her prime ministership, and her partner.

So, to Neve, mums looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke, lets finally get married, Ms Ardern said.

Read the full story by Arpan Rai here:

Jacinda Ardern says its time to get married to partner Clark Gayford

Tucker Carlson dubs Jacinda Ardern lady with the big teeth and Chinese puppet while garbling her name

08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Fox News host Tucker Carlson called New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern the lady with the big teeth and a Chinese puppet just moments after she announced her resignation.

On Wednesday, Ms Ardern said at a press conference that she would be standing down next month.

I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months into the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role, comes responsibility, the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also, when you are not. I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple, she said.

Read the full story by Sravasti Dasgupta here:

Tucker Carlson dubs Jacinda Ardern lady with the big teeth and Chinese puppet

Jacinda Ardern resigns: What led the New Zealand prime minister to quit

07:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The 42-year-old said during the partys annual caucus meeting that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job. Its time.

Jacinda Arderns sudden resignation surprised her party members, New Zealanders and the world. Several world leaders paid tributes to Ms Ardern on Thursday with Australias Anthony Albanese congratulating her for her leadership qualities. Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength, he wrote on his Twitter.

Ms Ardern clearly explained in her speech why she was resigning from her role as the prime minister of New Zealand.

Im a politician who is first and foremost human.

Read the full story here:

Jacinda Ardern resigns: What led the New Zealand prime minister to quit

World leaders pay tribute to great friend Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

07:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Tributes poured in from world leaders and party members after New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she would step down from office and not seek re-election.

The Labour Party premier said in a tearful address that she planned to stand down in February, adding that she was too tired to seek a third term.

Read the full story by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar here:

World leaders pay tribute to great friend Jacinda Ardern as she resigns

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation in tearful address

07:31 , Maroosha Muzaffar

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has sent a jolt around the world by announcing she will not seek re-election.

The Labour Party premier said in an emotional and tearful address that she planned to stand down next month, saying she was too tired to seek a third term.

I no longer have enough in the tank, said the 42-year-old, who had secured a reputation internationally for a no-nonsense approach to politics and leading her country.

Read the full story by Andrew Buncombe here:

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation
James Norton was bullied at school. (PA Images/Alamy)

James Norton has revealed he had therapy after being "badly bullied" at boarding school.

The Happy Valley star, 37, opened up on the Comfort Eating podcast, explaining that he his "school years were complicated" and that he was bullied for several years.

"I didn't have the greatest time," he said.

Read more: James Norton responds to crazy James Bond speculation

"I was quite badly bullied for five years and I was at boarding school so I couldn't leave. So it's complicated."

The actor, who stars as ex-convict Tommy Lee Royce in the hit crime drama, went on: "I've had a great therapist for the last four years, and it's not from a place of drama.

James Norton said his school years were 'complicated'. (Invision/AP)

"I'm luckily not suffering from depression or anything like that but it's been really, really helpful just understanding what that was."

Norton said that in his opinion boarding schools are "really weird places".

"We're the only country who still sends our kids away voluntarily," he said.

"Most countries if you have got some sort of discipline problem or the parents are in the army or whatever then maybe they send them away. But we do it because it's this old-fashioned hangover from the colonial era really."

James Norton in Happy Valley. (BBC/Lookout Point/AMC)

The star also opened up about missing home, saying "all these young kids are just deeply, deeply homesick and they're just lost".

Read more: James Norton: Its important to know the war doesnt represent Russia as a whole

"For some of them, that pain manifests itself in kind of being needy or rebellious, maybe the class clown," he said.

"But some of them get angry and rather than crying out for their mum they just bully someone."

Watch: Is James Norton the next James Bond?
Its been a weird winter weatherwise, so we asked WGN-TV chief meteorologist Tom Skilling to put it in context.

Starting his successful career at 14, Skilling was hired by WKKD in Aurora while attending West Aurora High School. He went to Madison in 1970 to study meteorology at the University of Wisconsin. This year marks his 45th anniversary at WGN.

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Skilling spoke with the Tribune during a phone interview Wednesday. (This conversation has been edited for clarity.)

Its been warm. Why is January such a crazy weather month for us?

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Well, Ill tell you  its an extension of that same Pineapple Express atmospheric river pattern thats been lambasting California and areas in the West. Obviously, they need the rain. I wish they had the infrastructure to capture all of it. Unfortunately, a lot of it runs off, floods and produces mudslides.

You know, this is a La Nina winter and weve done some in-house work on these. Since 1950, La Nina winters have been very volatile in this area. You move from arctic air masses one week to unseasonably mild air the next. We had that cold blast that hit around Christmas week. Now, were in the 22nd consecutive day of above normal temperatures. This already is the second-warmest January on the books here  at least so far it is. You have to go back to 1850 to find a January 1-17 period thats warmer than what weve seen this year. Were running 10 degrees above normal, 14 degrees warmer than the same period a year ago.

[ Record warm start to Chicago winter to continue this week ]

I was mentioning last night that we are also in a snow drought, by the way. This season today ties for the second-least snowy in 79 years  back to World War II  in 1944. Weve had five days, and thats it, with a little bit of snow measured on the ground. None in the month of January.

Fog and mist envelop the Nature Boardwalk at Chicago's Lincoln Park on Jan. 3, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago has experienced some of its coldest and snowiest weather on record during January, right?

You so accurately point out that January is typically our coldest and one of our snowiest months and home to some of our blockbuster historic snowstorms, not the least of which is the benchmark blizzard of 1967 that shut the city down.

[ Vintage photos remind us Chicago has always been cold ]

And, of course, the Chicago Machine-defeating Jane Byrne-Michael Bilandic blizzard in 1979, which was part of the winter that produced more snow than any other winter here. (Bilandics poor handling of snow removal helped Byrne to a mayoral victory.)

In Chicago, the winters of the 1970s were collectively our coldest and snowiest on record  and we have records that go back to 1871 and the Great Chicago Fire.

[ Chicagos coldest recorded temperatures and longest stretches of deep freezes ]

The coldest temperatures occurred in the 1980s. We had back-to-back 26 below zero temperatures in January 1982. And then we had the all-time coldest three years later in 1985 (that was minus 27 degrees).

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If you dont believe climate change is at work, just look at whats happened to the character of our winters around here. While the decade of the 1970s was the coldest and snowiest on record, we have warmed precipitously since then.

Last time I looked, our winters are running more than 3 degrees on average warmer than the winters of the 70s, which is a big change. I dont know if you remember the 1970s, but those winters were barbaric. Wed have these incredible snowstorms and then theyd be followed by these sieges of subzero weather. We dont get that anymore.

A single cold spell or any weather event doesnt prove or disprove climate change. Climate change is alive, well and ongoing as with planetary warming and you can still get cold and snow during planetary warming  its just that you get it less frequently over less area.

I mean, they had a temperature over the weekend of 80 below zero in Siberia, which broke a record there. And thats the same area that was up over 100 degrees two summers ago, in 2021.

So, these extremes that we are seeing are part of this changing climate regime that were in. And, Ill tell you, you hark back to those bitterly cold episodes in January of 1982 and 1985. Oh my gosh  you realize what a different world were in today.

For people whove moved here since, what was it like to live in Chicago during the 1979 snowstorm?

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You couldnt drive down a side street here in town and they were running out of places to put the snow. It was awful. That was my first year working in media in Chicago.

[ Chicagos 10 largest snowfalls since 1886  and how the Tribune covered them ]

I was born in Pittsburgh, my dad worked in New York City for 13 years, then we moved out to Aurora in 1965. I went to school up in Madison at the University of Wisconsin. So Ive been here in the Midwest  except for a stint down in Jacksonville, Florida  since.

Ill tell you, its indescribable these cold surges. I really wonder how the population today would handle it. You would leave work at night, and I can recall leaving WGN, and go out to a car that would not start. As you walk to it in this bitter cold, youd hear cracking buildings and trees.

I remember one night we had to push my car from the parking lot into a back garage at WGN to allow it to warm up. They used to do Bert Weinman Ford commercials in that garage so they had a big turntable that they put the cars on as the announcer told you about the latest deal. Well, thats the same garage into which we pushed my car and after a couple of hours, I could finally get it going again. But, oh, it was just awful!

The atmosphere took on a very almost unworldly state at that point.

Thats so hard to imagine when I look outside now and my son hasnt even been able to go sledding yet this winter.

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We havent had a day with measurable snow on the ground in January. And another thing I was looking at last night and mentioned on the air, we have less than 3% of Lake Michigans surface covered by ice. Thats all. Only 5% of the Great Lakes as a whole has ice on the surface and most of thats way up in the upper Midwest.

A group of runners are reflected in a window as they move by the intersection of North Halsted and West Roscoe streets in Chicago on Jan. 18, 2023. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

By comparison, I was looking back through the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Labs ice coverage data last night and by the end of January 1977, 75% of the surface of Lake Michigan was covered by ice. Its really stunning.

Is there a chance that well get walloped with cold in February, March or later than usual?

It definitely can happen. This is a La Nina winter, which is volatile. You will switch jarringly to arctic air for some periods of these winters historically. Even though our days have begun to lengthen since the shortest day back on Dec. 21, the winter solstice, well have picked up about a half-minute of daylight per day in the early part of January. By the end of this month, well be gaining more than two minutes a day of sunlight. Also, the sun is tracking across the sky higher and higher with the passage of time. That means you get more direct sunlight and, with time, that alters the air mass. But theres usually a lag time between the shortest day and the coldest temperatures.

Our average daily temperatures dont start increasing until the end of January. Jan. 29 is the day when the average daily high and low will begin to go up.

Yes, there is a possibility of cold outbreaks. In fact, weve got a pattern change coming later next week that will bring colder air and now, at this point, it doesnt look like it will be of the same intensity of Decembers cold outbreak. But weve got to watch that.

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Its interesting. Bill Snyder, who works with me in the office, was saying he looked at the past winters that have had so little snow by this point and found that on average they have produced 2 feet of additional snow beyond this day. The fact is that weve gone through the highest snow producing portion of the winter, but that by no means means that were out of the woods for a big snowstorm.

In fact, one has this fear after such an abnormally warm and snowless winter that the other shoe will drop at some point. So, were going to be watching the modeling very, very carefully in the weeks ahead because history is replete with examples of big February and even March snowstorms in the area.

The first couple of weeks in April are renowned for these windshield wiper-braking snows. The really heavy, wet ones. They are called heart attack snows because of the difficulty shoveling them due to their high water content. Your fear is an honest one and climatologically supported.

You are amazing at what you do and obviously have a great staff. How many slides do you typically produce for one weather spot?

I dont know! Its hard to put a number on it because we run animations that go through 30, 40, 50 frames of satellite imagery. I would imagine that we go through as many as 20 different graphics.

The intention, really, is not to go through the most graphics. The intention is to visualize whats going on. And were in this amazing era in meteorology, where we can visualize and very effectively with computer assistance share that with our viewers.

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Im sitting down right now and before this morning is over, Ill pull down the forecasts from eight to 22 difference numerical models. Were in this magnificent situation where we dont just have one model to look at  we have scores of them. And, therefore, the assurance with which you can approach your audience and say, Hey, weve got a pattern change coming, is higher today than it used to be in the past.

Youre prolific on social media too.

I love this social media thing. Some people say, Why do you spend time doing that? Well, first of all, its all part of my prep for everything else I do, so everything overlaps. When you invest time looking at your models, at weather history, climatology and all the rest. Everything you do can be channeled into every one of these outlets through which we reach our audiences.

And we loved doing the Tribune page. We did that for many years. (Editors note: Tom Skilling debuted on the Tribunes weather page on June 17, 1997, and continued to give readers his forecast and weather expertise explained with data and maps until August 2022.)

How much longer can we look forward to having you as a meteorologist in Chicago? Frankly, if you didnt share photos from your travels to Alaska and Hawaii, then I would think you never take a day off.

Ill tell you the truth. You know, Ive worked since I was a teenager. Work has been my life. I mean, I could do sometimes without the deadlines and the constraints put on us by our profession. But even that is challenging and fun.

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Ive been privileged in the 50-plus years  the half century  Ive worked in this business to watch some of the greatest advances in meteorology that have occurred in all time back to Aristotle and his Meteorologica that really started the whole science of meteorology, or at least was widely recognized as having done so.

University of Wisconsin was the birthplace of satellite meteorology. They were working on that when I was going to school up there. I remember sitting in classrooms watching in real time landfalling hurricanes or thunderstorm complexes. We had never seen that before.

And, of course, now were able to look down and infer what the winds are and the humidities so we can feed that into our computer models to know whats going on over the 70% of the world thats covered by ocean in order to do their forecasts for those of us on land. So, its been a fun time. Theres a fellow on our engineering staff whos 82 years old. I said, Bill, theyre gonna carry us both out of here on a stretcher if were lucky.

I hope to keep going for a while.

krumore@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @rumormill

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The third trial of Dana Chandler, a Kansas woman accused of the 2002 murders of her ex-husband and his fiancee, has been postponed until fall. The case had previously been scheduled for Feb. 6, but the judge set a new date of Oct. 16.

In Chandler's first trial in 2012, a jury found her guilty of the shooting deaths of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness, but the conviction was overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct. Her second trial in 2022 ended with a hung jury.

She has consistently maintained her innocence.

Shawnee County Judge Cheryl Rios ordered the continuance delaying the third trial after the defense recently submitted reports from six of its experts to the prosecution.

Dana Chandler in court during her second trial in 2022. / Credit: Pool photo

The prosecution argued that the reports had been submitted too late, referring in particular to a report it received on Jan. 12, written by John Wilson, a consultant and retired Kansas City Police Department criminalist, who previously testified for the defense at Chandler's 2022 trial. At that trial, Wilson testified that based on ballistics and the trajectory of the bullets, Chandler was too short to have committed the murders. The prosecution rebutted those findings at trial.

Wilson's new report for the upcoming trial was provided to the prosecution less than a month before the February trial date. The judge's ruling to delay will allow the prosecution time to review and respond to the report's findings and other submissions by the defense.

Chandler's third trial will be taking place in a new location, Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Her previous trials were in Topeka, in Shawnee County, where the murders occurred. Judge Rios granted a change of venue in October, citing "the excessive amount of media coverage" of the case, but she will still preside over the trial.

The defense had previously moved to dismiss the case against Chandler, claiming violations of her constitutional right to a speedy trial and her due process right to a reasonably timely prosecution. It also asked that the next jury be sequestered. Those motions have been denied.

Story continues

Chandler had spent 11 years behind bars with bail set at $1 million. As she awaits her third trial, she is out of jail on a reduced $350,000 bond, with GPS monitoring.

Gunfire damages another North Carolina substation

Microsoft joins list of tech companies to announce sweeping layoffs

Ukrainian troops in U.S. for training on Patriot missile defense system
[Source]

Before you read:

Former University of Kansas researcher Feng Franklin Tao, who was accused of concealing his previous work in China, has been sentenced to time served on Wednesday.

According to U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, Tao did not deserve a prison sentence for his actions.

Tao, who was arrested in 2019, served a week in prison and has since been restricted from traveling and forced to wear an electronic monitoring device.

More from NextShark: 'Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias' Campaign Seeks to End COVID-19 Racism Against Asian Americans

His wife, Hong Peng, lamented the case's effect on her husbands life.

He wants his reputation back, she said following the verdict. This has turned our lives upside down.

Robinson has ruled that Tao no longer needs to wear the ankle monitor and will not be confined to his home during his supervised release since he had no prior criminal record.

More from NextShark: Supreme Bought for $2.1 Billion By Vans, Timberland Owner

Taos prosecution was initiated as part of the U.S. Justice Departments China Initiative.

The program, which began in 2018, aimed at curbing alleged espionage efforts by Chinese scientists working in the U.S. Failed prosecutions and public criticism resulted in the programs shutdown last year.

Tao was indicted in 2019 for not disclosing his participation in the Chinese talent program, the Changjiang Professorship, on a form he filled out for Kansas in 2019.

More from NextShark: Three Asian Students Brutally Attacked by Gang of Teens in Australia

As part of the program, he set up a laboratory and recruited staff for Fuzhou University in China. Instead of divulging the information, he told Kansas officials that he went to Germany at the time.

Story continues

Prosecutors accused Tao of defrauding the University of Kansas, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation arguing that he lied about the work he did for the Chinese university. According to the university and government institutions that gave grants to Tao for research projects, they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars due to his actions.

In April, Tao was convicted of false statements and three counts of wire fraud but Robinson dismissed the wire fraud convictions in September.

More from NextShark: Woman Gets 10 Years in Prison for Killing Nail Salon Manager After Skipping on Bill in Las Vegas

Robinson noted in her verdict that prosecutors failed to present any evidence showing Tao received money for his work in China, a prerequisite for a conviction in wire fraud.

She further stated that she expected to hear evidence showing the financial loss that Tao purportedly caused or proof that he shared important research with Chinese officials at the expense of the federal agencies.

Robinson highlighted that the evidence only showed Tao fulfilling his responsibilities to the University of Kansas by working 70-hour weeks and inspiring his students to perform as diligently.

She also pointed out that the important research Tao did during his tenure is accessible across the scientific community.

This is not an espionage case ... If it was, they presented absolutely no evidence that was going on, Robinson was quoted as saying. Believe me, if that was what was going on, it would have been a much different sentence today.

Taos lawyer Peter Zeidenberg revealed that he intends to file an appeal for Taos remaining conviction.

Chinese-born Tao, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2002, became a tenured associate professor at the University of Kansas Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis in 2014.

Related stories:
A Fresno County Superior Court judge slashed the bail for a motorist accused of a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed 15-year-old Hoover High School student Rashad Al-Hakim Jr. on Oct. 4.

Judge Gabriel Brickey on Wednesday reduced Lisa Ellen Spoors bail from $1.5 million to $150,000, at the request of attorney Marc Kapetan, who argued his client was improperly charged.

He said the evidence given to him shows Spoors was not under the influence and could not have stopped in time to avoid hitting Al-Hakim Jr.

The million-dollar bail is based on a charge of murder but that is not the correct charge, Kapetan said.

Spoors posted bail and left the Fresno County Jail just after 3 a.m. Thursday.

The 39-year-old Spoors is facing charges of murder, driving under the influence of a drug while causing injury and hit-and-run resulting in permanent injury or death.

Spoors pleaded not guilty to all charges during an arraignment hearing Wednesday.

Objections to lowered bail

Prosecutor Steven Ueltzen objected to lowering Spoors bail citing public safety concerns over the substances in her blood and her prior DUI conviction.

Friends and relatives of Al-Hakim Jr. also disagreed with the judges decision.

This is wrong, said Ragina Bell, Al-Hakim Jr.s mother. (Spoors) is charged with the murder of my son. This just isnt right.

Lisa Ellen Spoors, 39, of Fresno has been charged in the death of 15-year-old Rashad Al-Hakim Jr. The Fresno County District Attorneys Office filed the charges on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Police said Spoors was driving under the influence of a prescription drug on Oct. 4 and struck Al-Hakim Jr. as he was crossing the road in front of Hoover High School at First and Barstow avenues.

Spoors is accused of fleeing the scene and returning about 20 minutes later. Spoors was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail on Dec. 27 with bail set at $1.5 million.

Spoors is charged with murder as a result of having another conviction in Fresno County for driving under the influence in 2008.

During the sentencing hearing in 2008, Spoors was advised by the court that driving under the influence was dangerous to human life and that a person could be charged with murder if they did so and someone was killed as a result.

Story continues

In the current case, results from Spoors toxicology report indicate the presence of a combination of illicit and prescription substances.

If convicted on all charges, Spoors faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Spoors next hearing is Feb. 7.
Julian Sands, the British star of films such as A Room With a View and Arachnophobia, has been identified as the hiker who has been missing in a California mountain range since last week.

Sands, who has also appeared in the film The Killing Fields and the TV series 24, has been missing in the Mount Baldy area since Friday 13 January, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

The actor, 65, was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail, which climbs 3,900 feet over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Search and rescue crews looking for Sands had to suspend the search over the weekend because of severe weather and avalanche threat, a department spokesperson told CNN.

When its been too unsafe for people on the mountain, authorities have continued to used drones.

California has been hit by a series of violent winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall in the past few weeks.

The sheriffs department said that it has launched 14 search and rescue missions in the Mount Baldy area alone in the past month, with two hikers dying on the mountain.

Sands, who lives in north Hollywood and has appeared in more than 150 movies and television shows during his career, most recently appeared in the horror film The Ghosts of Monday.

Among his forthcoming releases is a thriller called Double Soul co-starring F Murray Abraham.

Many have been posting well wishes for Sand on social media

07:46 , Ellie Harrison

British film producer Cassian Elwes said he was devastated and was praying for Sands.

A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did, he wrote on Twitter.

Actor Jim Piddock called Sands a wonderfully talented and unique man and a delightful, generous friend and added he was hoping for a miracle.

Fellow actor Melanie Kinnaman wrote: Our friend Julian Sands has been missing from a hiking trip in the mountains of Southern California for nearly one week... Please send prayers for his safe return.
Julian Sands, the British star of films such as A Room With a View and Arachnophobia, has been identified as the hiker who has been missing in a California mountain range since last week.

Sands, 65, has been missing in the Mount Baldy area since Friday 13 January, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

The actor was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail, which climbs 3,900 feet over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Search and rescue crews looking for Sands had to suspend the search over the weekend because of avalanche threat, a department spokesperson told CNN, with authorities continuing to use drones.

The Independent understands that Sands son Henry has joined the search. He is retracing the route his father took, with the assistance of an experienced climber.

California has been hit by a series of violent winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall in the past few weeks.

Sands, who lives in north Hollywood and has appeared in more than 150 movies and television shows during his career, most recently starred in the horror film The Ghosts of Monday.

Among his forthcoming releases is a thriller called Double Soul, co-starring F Murray Abraham.

Key points

Actor was reported missing after going hiking on 13 January

Ground rescue operation currently halted due to avalanche threat

Fans and peers send well wishes and prayers on social media

Sands son Henry has joined the search

Police update: Sands is believed to have still been on the move on Sunday

07:42 , Ellie Harrison

Sands appeared to be on the move two whole days after he was first reported missing.

A spokesperson for San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said: On January 15, 2023, phone pings showed Sands to be heading to the Mount Baldy area.

Additional phone pings from the cell provider were attempted but were unsuccessful, due to the lack of cell service and most likely cell phone power failure.

Story continues

Actors car found near to where he was reported missing

10:41 , Isobel Lewis

On Thursday (19 January), Sands car was found in a car park near to the spot from where he set off on his hike.

The car was towed away by his family, police confirmed.

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

Sands name continues to trend on Twitter

09:23 , Isobel Lewis

Julian Sands name is still trending on Twitter this morning as fans hope he is found safe and well.

I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the 80s when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend. He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry. Im praying for his safe return. pic.twitter.com/t8gkDtzDEE  Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) January 19, 2023

Sands shown mountaineering in pictures shared by family

08:37 , Ellie Harrison

Images sent from Sands to his grandson Billy in September, which have been given exclusively to The Independent, show the father of three using climbing gear including ropes, wearing a helmet and with a rucksack strapped tightly to his back.

What he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

More well wishes have been coming in for Sands

08:25 , Ellie Harrison

Matthew Modine, who starred with Sands in the 1994 film The Browning Version, tweeted: #JulianSands is a wonderful man, husband, father, and friend to so so many. A gentle, kind soul. Keep candles burning for his safe return from the mountain he loves.

Frank Marshall, who directed the actor in one of his most famous movies, Arachnophobia, posted: Hope and thoughts going out to the family of my dear friend and wonderful actor, Julian Sands, who is missing on Mt Baldy. Lets all pray for a miracle.

Julian Sands: Prolific British film star named as missing hiker in California mountains

08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

British actor Julian Sands has been identified as the hiker who went missing in the California mountains last week.

The 65-year-old, known for his role in the Oscar-nominated 1985 film A Room with a View, has been missing in the Mount Baldy area since Friday 13 January, according to authorities.

He was reported missing by his wife, writer Evgenia Citkowitz, on Friday evening and was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains. Mount Baldy is a 10,000ft peak located northeast of Los Angeles, in the Angeles National Forest.

Sands is a keen hiker and mountain-climber who once described his happiest moment as close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.

Prolific British film star Julian Sands goes missing in California mountains

Watch: Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A car believed to belong to Julian Sands has been found by crews during a search operation for the missing British actor.

This footage shows the scene in Mount Baldy, California, as the vehicle was towed away as officials continue the search.

Mr Sands, who has starred in The Killing Fields and A Room With a View has been missing since Friday, 13 January.

The 65-year-old is thought to have been hiking along the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to local reports.

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

Doing what he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent to his grandson from snow-clad mountain peak

07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The family of missing movie star Julian Sands say he was doing what he loved best when he vanished  as they released the last known images of him mountaineering.

With the hunt for the British actor in the California mountains entering its sixth day, poignant photographs that he sent to his grandson show him looking relaxed and happy while climbing well above the clouds.

What he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

So dazzling and so delightful'

06:56 , Ellie Harrison

Reverend Richard Coles has posted about Sands on Twitter as the search continues, writing: I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the Eighties when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend.

He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry. Im praying for his safe return.

No hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands  authorities

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Authorities say there is still no hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands, one week after the British actor was first reported missing in the southern Californian mountains.

San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation, though snow, sleet and fog continued to hinder operations on foot.

No hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands  authorities

Please let him be okay: Friends fear for missing British actor Julian Sands

06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Friends of Julian Sands said they hope he is found to be OK after the awful news the British actor was confirmed to be missing after a hiking trip in southern California.

Please let him be okay: Friends fear for missing British actor Julian Sands

Julian Sands: Who is the Hollywood British actor missing in California?

05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Family of Julian Sands tow away car discovered in search for missing actor

05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The family of Julian Sands have towed his car from a car park where it was discovered during a search to find the British actor who went missing after a hiking trip in southern California.

The 65-year-old was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel mountains on Friday evening, with searches by local authorities continuing by helicopter and drones when weather permits.

Read the full story here:

Family of Julian Sands tow away car discovered in search for missing actor

Doing what he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent to his grandson from snow-clad mountain peak

04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The family of missing movie star Julian Sands say he was doing what he loved best when he vanished  as they released the last known images of him mountaineering.

With the hunt for the British actor in the California mountains entering its sixth day, poignant photographs that he sent to his grandson show him looking relaxed and happy while climbing well above the clouds.

Mr Sands, who starred in more than 150 films and television series including A Room with a View, sent the pictures of himself climbing the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps to his grandson last September.

What he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

No hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands  authorities

04:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Authorities say there is still no hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands, one week after the British actor was first reported missing in the southern Californian mountains.

San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said the incident was still being classified as a search and rescue operation, though snow, sleet and fog continued to hinder operations on foot.

Read the full story by Mike Bedigan here:

No hard deadline for calling off the search for Julian Sands  authorities

Fans share clip of Sands in A Room With a View'

03:30 , Tom Murray

A clip of Sands in 1985s A Room With a View has been viewed more than 300,000 times on Twitter. The clip shows Sands embracing and kissing a young Helena Bonham Carter.

I really hope that Julian Sands is found soon. A beautiful actor, and one half of the greatest screen kiss in cinematic history, one person tweeted alongside the clip.

I really hope that Julian Sands is found soon. A beautiful actor, and one half of the greatest screen kiss in cinematic history. pic.twitter.com/aAn98S4DWx  Cromwell (@Cromwell606) January 19, 2023

A video breakdown of the story so far, with the search ongoing.

03:00 , Inga Parkel

Vehicle believed to belong to Sands has been located by authorities near the trail.

02:00 , Inga Parkel

A car believed to belong to Sands was found by crews during a search operation for the missing British actor.

Footage shows the scene In Mount Baldy, California, as the vehicle was towed away as officials continue the search.

Watch the video here:

Julian Sands, and the actors car, as found by a search party following his disappearance (Getty/Fox 11 News)

Sands is a heroic mountaineer and an adventurer'

01:29 , Tom Murray

The last known photos of Sands mountaineering the Swiss Alps last September before he was reported missing were sent in a text message to his beloved grandson Billy.

Exclusively shared with The Independent, his family member said of the photos: This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best  a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy to share with his beloved grandson, Billy.

A friend additionally described Sands as a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the freedom of mountains.

Julian Sands (Supplied)

Reverend Richard Coles says Sands is dazzling and delightful

01:00 , Tom Murray

TV personality, writer and Church of England clergyman Richard Coles shared his prayers for Sands safe return on Twitter.

I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the 80s when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend, he wrote.

He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry. Im praying for his safe return.

I knew #JulianSands a bit back in the 80s when his brother shared a mouse-infested flat with my best friend. He was so dazzling and so delightful and everyone who loves him is beside themselves with worry. Im praying for his safe return. pic.twitter.com/t8gkDtzDEE  Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) January 19, 2023

Search continues by air

00:30 , Inga Parkel

With the recent avalanche warnings in the Mount Baldy area, the search and rescue teams were suspended. However, authorities confirmed they will still continue the search by air, with drones.

With @erinmyers in Mt. Baldy covering the search for missing actor #JulianSands who went hiking last week and was reported missing Friday night. @sbcountysheriff told us this morning, they will be searching by air. #KTLA @KTLA #news #LosAngeles pic.twitter.com/FoylmEDaw1  Chris Gierowski (@tepall14) January 19, 2023

A refresher about what happened to Julian Sands

00:00 , Inga Parkel

On Wednesday (18 January), authorities identified Sands as the hiker who went missing in the Southern California mountains last week.

Hes been missing since Friday (13 January), when his wife, writer Evgenia Citkowitz, reported him missing. Sands was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Mount Baldy is a 10,000ft peak located northeast of Los Angeles, in the Angeles National Forest.

Read more:

Julian Sands (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

Drones are continuing to search for prolific British actor who has been missing since Friday

Stranger Things star Matthew Modine calls Sands a gentle, kind soul'

Thursday 19 January 2023 23:30 , Inga Parkel

#JulianSands is a wonderful man, husband, father, and friend to so so many. A gentle, kind soul. Keep candles burning for his safe return from the mountain he loves.   Matthew Modine (@MatthewModine) January 19, 2023

Steven Spielberg collaborator and film producer Frank Marshall sends prayers'

Thursday 19 January 2023 23:00 , Inga Parkel

Hope and thoughts going out to the family of my dear friend and wonderful actor, Julian Sands, who is missing on Mt. Baldy. Let's all pray for a miracle.  Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) January 19, 2023

Who are Sands children?

Thursday 19 January 2023 22:30 , Inga Parkel

Sands three adult children have joined rescue teams in search of their father. Henry, 37, Sands eldest son  with whom he shares with his first wife Sarah Sands  is retracing the route his father took, with the assistance of an experienced climber.

The actors two daughters Natalya, 26, and Imogen, 23, with whom he shares with his wife Eugenia Citkowitz, have joined the ground search.

Thursday 19 January 2023 22:00 , Inga Parkel

Fellow actors and friends of Julian Sands  including Rufus Sewell (The Man in the High Castle), Barbara Crampton (From Beyond), Frances Fisher (Titanic) and Elizabeth Perkins (About Last Night)have shared messages of concern for the actor on social media.

Read more:

Julian Sands (Getty Images)

The 65-year-old star was reported missing in the mountains of southern California

Why was the British actor in LA?

Thursday 19 January 2023 21:10 , Inga Parkel

While Sands was originally born and raised in the UK, he later moved to Hollywood in the 1980s to pursue a career in American films.

Some of his bigger titles include The Killing Fields (1984), A Room with a View (1985), Warlock (1989), Arachnophobia (1990), Boxing Helena (1993) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995).

Sands described as a friend bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and living life to the full'

Thursday 19 January 2023 20:24 , Tom Murray

Julian Sands (Supplied)

In a statement shared exclusively with The Independent, a friend of Sands described him as a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature.

Julian is wild and never contained by rules or boundaries, they said.

He is deeply inspired by the Romantic poets and his performances of their work are spellbinding and come from a passionate love of literature.

He is a friend bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and living life to the full.

He takes no prisoners and yet is as gentle and generous and sensitive as the poets he so admired.

Picture exclusive: Last known images of Sands mountaineering shared with The Independent

Thursday 19 January 2023 19:57 , Tom Murray

Sandss family has shared the last known images of him mountaineering exclusively with The Independent.

A family member told The Independent: This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best  a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy to share with his beloved grandson, Billy.

And a friend described him as a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the freedom of mountains.

Sands was scaling a section of the 14,783ft Weisshorn when the colourful pictures were taken.

Read more:

What he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

Mount Baldy is considered one of the most dangerous peaks in the US to climb

Thursday 19 January 2023 19:00 , Inga Parkel

In recent years, several experienced hikers have died due to Mount Baldys icy terrain. Its considered one of the most dangerous peaks to climb in the US.

What weather conditions did Sands disappear in?

Thursday 19 January 2023 18:30 , Inga Parkel

Sands was believed to have been hiking the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in the Mount Baldy area, which at the moment is said to be experiencing snow showers.

The actor has been missing since Friday 13 January, and according to weather forecasts, 16cm (6 inches) of snow are predicted to have fallen in the 48 hours between Sunday 15 of January at 10AM and Tuesday 17 of January at 10AM PST.

Thursday 19 January 2023 17:50 , Louis Chilton

More detail about the ongoing search can be found here...

Prolific British film star Julian Sands goes missing in California mountains

Thursday 19 January 2023 17:10 , Louis Chilton

Police have revealed that two hikers have died within the last four weeks attempting to climb the trail on Mount Baldy and the surrounding area.

The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department is asking everyone to follow these simple tips to keep yourself and others safe, they wrote.

 Heed all posted warning signs

 Look at weather conditions (both current and forecasted) for the area

 Make sure you have the proper gear, training and are properly prepared for alpine conditions (Crampons, ice axe, proper clothing)

 Hike with a partner

 Bring a tracking or GPS device such as a SPOT Device or INREACH Device

 Make sure your cell phone has a full charge and bring a charged extra power pack for it

 Let someone know where and when you are going, and what time you will be back

 Most importantly- If you dont know, please dont go!

Read the full Facebook post here.

Thursday 19 January 2023 16:30 , Louis Chilton

To reshare, in case you missed it...

A vehicle believed to be Julian Sands car has been located by authorities near the trail.

See the video here:

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:50 , Louis Chilton

More of a detailed look at his career and life here...

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:11 , Louis Chilton

Its a testament to the range of Sands talent that everybody seems to be sharing different favourite performances from him.

Whether its playing villains, or sidekicks, or romantic leads, there seems to be no end to the ways Sands has connected with audiences.

Take Ken Russells Gothic, for example...

#JulianSands and extraordinary Natasha Richardson in #KenRussell's #Gothic. Hope he makes it home safely and soon. pic.twitter.com/7OJTKNm8da  Matt Melia (@DocMelia) January 19, 2023

Thursday 19 January 2023 14:40 , Louis Chilton

Friends of Julian Sands including Rufus Sewell, Barbara Crampton, Frances Fisher and Elizabeth Perkins have shared messages of concern for the actor on social media.

Read more...

Please let him be okay: Friends fear for missing British actor Julian Sands

Thursday 19 January 2023 14:10 , Louis Chilton

A bit more information on the storms that have hit California in recent days.

The extreme weather conditions have already complicated search and rescue efforts.

Read more...

Last in series of deadly California storms dumps 50 inches of snow in just three days

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:42 , Roisin O'Connor

British actor Julian Sands has gone missing while hiking in southern California.

The prolific film and TV star was reported missing by his wife, the writer Evgenia Citkowitz, after going hiking in the San Gabriel mountains on Friday 13 January. He is a keen hiker, who once described his happiest moment as close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.

Authorities are carrying out an extensive search-and-rescue mission for the 65-year-old actor, though extreme weather conditions had caused delays and interruptions. His adult son, Henry, is assisting in the search with an experienced climber.

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:40 , Louis Chilton

The Archers and Casualty star Lisa Bowerman also among those sharing concern for Sands.

Crikey. Julian. Hope this ends on a positive note. Deeply worrying, she wrote.

Crikey. Julian. Hope this ends on a positive note. Deeply worrying. #juliansands https://t.co/eiTB9oBSOk  Lisa Bowerman (@TheLisaBowerman) January 19, 2023

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:09 , Louis Chilton

Sands has long spoken openly about his love of hiking.

In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed that he was at his happiest when he is close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.

Thursday 19 January 2023 12:38 , Louis Chilton

Authorities have found what is believed to be Sands car, near the hike route.

Footage shows the vehicle being towed away as officials continue the search.

More here:

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

Thursday 19 January 2023 12:00 , Louis Chilton

Read the full story here...

Prolific British film star Julian Sands goes missing in California mountains

Thursday 19 January 2023 11:25 , Louis Chilton

Writer-director Ted Geoghegan was also among those to share a message with followers on Twitter.

I am not a praying man, he wrote. I do not believe in higher powers. But I certainly hope dear, sweet Julian Sands is okay.

Five days outside in freezing rain is no joke, and I know we would all love for him to come out this mess all right.

I am not a praying man. I do not believe in higher powers. But I certainly hope dear, sweet Julian Sands is okay. Five days outside in freezing rain is no joke, and I know we would all love for him to come out this mess all right.  https://t.co/vharDt8YFX  Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) January 19, 2023

Thursday 19 January 2023 10:55 , Louis Chilton

A video breakdown of the story so far, with the search ongoing.

Thursday 19 January 2023 10:25 , Louis Chilton

The Sherrifs Department has also issued a warning on Facebook, which includes a list of precautions for hikers.

Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt Baldy and in the surrounding area, the post reads.

These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves.

Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous. Sheriffs Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.
Julian Sands, the British star of films such as A Room With a View and Arachnophobia, has been identified as the hiker who has been missing in a California mountain range since last week.

Sands, 65, has been missing in the Mount Baldy area since Friday 13 January, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

The actor was thought to have been somewhere on the popular Baldy Bowl Trail, which climbs 3,900 feet over 4.5 miles to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Search and rescue crews looking for Sands had to suspend the search over the weekend because of avalanche threat, a department spokesperson told CNN, with authorities continuing to use drones.

The Independent understands that Sands son Henry has joined the search. He is retracing the route his father took, with the assistance of an experienced climber.

California has been hit by a series of violent winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall in the past few weeks.

Sands, who lives in north Hollywood and has appeared in more than 150 movies and television shows during his career, most recently starred in the horror film The Ghosts of Monday.

Among his forthcoming releases is a thriller called Double Soul, co-starring F Murray Abraham.

Key points

Actor was reported missing after going hiking on 13 January

Ground rescue operation currently halted due to avalanche threat

Fans and peers send well wishes and prayers on social media

Sands son Henry has joined the search

Why was the British actor in LA?

21:10 , Inga Parkel

While Sands was originally born and raised in the UK, he later moved to Hollywood in the 1980s to pursue a career in American films.

Some of his bigger titles include The Killing Fields (1984), A Room with a View (1985), Warlock (1989), Arachnophobia (1990), Boxing Helena (1993) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995).

Sands described as a friend bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and living life to the full'

20:24 , Tom Murray

Julian Sands (Supplied)

In a statement shared exclusively with The Independent, a friend of Sands described him as a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature.

Story continues

Julian is wild and never contained by rules or boundaries, they said.

He is deeply inspired by the Romantic poets and his performances of their work are spellbinding and come from a passionate love of literature.

He is a friend bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and living life to the full.

He takes no prisoners and yet is as gentle and generous and sensitive as the poets he so admired.

Picture exclusive: Last known images of Sands mountaineering shared with The Independent

19:57 , Tom Murray

Sandss family has shared the last known images of him mountaineering exclusively with The Independent.

A family member told The Independent: This is how he would love to be seen, doing what he loved best  a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to send a picture of him looking so happy to share with his beloved grandson, Billy.

And a friend described him as a Byronesque romantic and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the freedom of mountains.

Sands was scaling a section of the 14,783ft Weisshorn when the colourful pictures were taken.

Read more:

What he loved best: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent from snow-clad mountain

Mount Baldy is considered one of the most dangerous peaks in the US to climb

19:00 , Inga Parkel

In recent years, several experienced hikers have died due to Mount Baldys icy terrain. Its considered one of the most dangerous peaks to climb in the US.

What weather conditions did Sands disappear in?

18:30 , Inga Parkel

Sands was believed to have been hiking the popular Baldy Bowl Trail in the Mount Baldy area, which at the moment is said to be experiencing snow showers.

The actor has been missing since Friday 13 January, and according to weather forecasts, 16cm (6 inches) of snow are predicted to have fallen in the 48 hours between Sunday 15 of January at 10AM and Tuesday 17 of January at 10AM PST.

17:50 , Louis Chilton

More detail about the ongoing search can be found here...

Prolific British film star Julian Sands goes missing in California mountains

17:10 , Louis Chilton

Police have revealed that two hikers have died within the last four weeks attempting to climb the trail on Mount Baldy and the surrounding area.

The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department is asking everyone to follow these simple tips to keep yourself and others safe, they wrote.

 Heed all posted warning signs

 Look at weather conditions (both current and forecasted) for the area

 Make sure you have the proper gear, training and are properly prepared for alpine conditions (Crampons, ice axe, proper clothing)

 Hike with a partner

 Bring a tracking or GPS device such as a SPOT Device or INREACH Device

 Make sure your cell phone has a full charge and bring a charged extra power pack for it

 Let someone know where and when you are going, and what time you will be back

 Most importantly- If you dont know, please dont go!

Read the full Facebook post here.

16:30 , Louis Chilton

To reshare, in case you missed it...

A vehicle believed to be Julian Sands car has been located by authorities near the trail.

See the video here:

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

15:50 , Louis Chilton

More of a detailed look at his career and life here...

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

15:11 , Louis Chilton

Its a testament to the range of Sands talent that everybody seems to be sharing different favourite performances from him.

Whether its playing villains, or sidekicks, or romantic leads, there seems to be no end to the ways Sands has connected with audiences.

Take Ken Russells Gothic, for example...

#JulianSands and extraordinary Natasha Richardson in #KenRussell's #Gothic. Hope he makes it home safely and soon. pic.twitter.com/7OJTKNm8da  Matt Melia (@DocMelia) January 19, 2023

14:40 , Louis Chilton

Friends of Julian Sands including Rufus Sewell, Barbara Crampton, Frances Fisher and Elizabeth Perkins have shared messages of concern for the actor on social media.

Read more...

Please let him be okay: Friends fear for missing British actor Julian Sands

14:10 , Louis Chilton

A bit more information on the storms that have hit California in recent days.

The extreme weather conditions have already complicated search and rescue efforts.

Read more...

Last in series of deadly California storms dumps 50 inches of snow in just three days

13:42 , Roisin O'Connor

British actor Julian Sands has gone missing while hiking in southern California.

The prolific film and TV star was reported missing by his wife, the writer Evgenia Citkowitz, after going hiking in the San Gabriel mountains on Friday 13 January. He is a keen hiker, who once described his happiest moment as close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.

Authorities are carrying out an extensive search-and-rescue mission for the 65-year-old actor, though extreme weather conditions had caused delays and interruptions. His adult son, Henry, is assisting in the search with an experienced climber.

Julian Sands, the prolific star of Arachnophobia, missing in California

13:40 , Louis Chilton

The Archers and Casualty star Lisa Bowerman also among those sharing concern for Sands.

Crikey. Julian. Hope this ends on a positive note. Deeply worrying, she wrote.

Crikey. Julian. Hope this ends on a positive note. Deeply worrying. #juliansands https://t.co/eiTB9oBSOk  Lisa Bowerman (@TheLisaBowerman) January 19, 2023

13:09 , Louis Chilton

Sands has long spoken openly about his love of hiking.

In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed that he was at his happiest when he is close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.

12:38 , Louis Chilton

Authorities have found what is believed to be Sands car, near the hike route.

Footage shows the vehicle being towed away as officials continue the search.

More here:

Julian Sands car discovered as search for missing actor continues

12:00 , Louis Chilton

Read the full story here...

Prolific British film star Julian Sands goes missing in California mountains

11:25 , Louis Chilton

Writer-director Ted Geoghegan was also among those to share a message with followers on Twitter.

I am not a praying man, he wrote. I do not believe in higher powers. But I certainly hope dear, sweet Julian Sands is okay.

Five days outside in freezing rain is no joke, and I know we would all love for him to come out this mess all right.

I am not a praying man. I do not believe in higher powers. But I certainly hope dear, sweet Julian Sands is okay. Five days outside in freezing rain is no joke, and I know we would all love for him to come out this mess all right.  https://t.co/vharDt8YFX  Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) January 19, 2023

10:55 , Louis Chilton

A video breakdown of the story so far, with the search ongoing.

10:25 , Louis Chilton

The Sherrifs Department has also issued a warning on Facebook, which includes a list of precautions for hikers.

Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt Baldy and in the surrounding area, the post reads.

These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves.

Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous. Sheriffs Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.

09:54 , Louis Chilton

The Independent understands that Sands son Henry has joined the search in California.

He is retracing the route his father took, with the assistance of an experienced climber.

Henry is Sands child from his previous marriage to journalist Sarah Sands (nee Harvey).

Sands also shares two adult daughters, Imogen and Natalya, with his current wife, the author Evgenia Citkowitz.

09:27 , Louis Chilton

The full statement from the San Bernadinho County Sherrif:

Because of avalanche risks and trail conditions, the ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening.

However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits. We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews.

08:49 , Louis Chilton

Director Elliot Blake has also responded to the news of Sands disappearance.

Wow. Julian Sands was in the first movie I ever worked on, and he was really nice to me and the other production assistants, he wrote on Twitter.

I hope hes found soon and that hes safe.

Wow. Julian Sands was in the first movie I ever worked on, and he was really nice to me and the other production assistants. I hope hes found soon and that hes safe. https://t.co/qrIX5Jb6JI  Elliot Blake (@elliotblake) January 18, 2023

A friend and an inspiration'

08:22 , Ellie Harrison

Samuel West, who starred with Sands in 2004s Sword of Xanten, tweeted this morning: Please, please let Julian Sands be OK. A friend and an inspiration. Awful news.

Many have also been sharing this classic scene between Sands and Helena Bonham Carter from 1985 film A Room With a View.

CINEMA : A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Helena Bonham Carter & Julian Sands 

James Ivory (1985)  pic.twitter.com/BqYKzDUWIP  si no (@maduixaipressec) January 15, 2023

Ground rescue operation was halted over the weekend due to avalanche threat

07:51 , Ellie Harrison

California has been hit by a series of violent winter storms in the past few weeks.

The sheriffs department said that it has launched 14 search and rescue missions in the Mount Baldy area alone in the past month, with two hikers dying on the mountain.

Drones are continuing the search for Sands while it is too dangerous for people to go on the mountain, and a ground search will resume as soon as possible.

Many have been posting well wishes for Sand on social media

07:46 , Ellie Harrison

British film producer Cassian Elwes said he was devastated and was praying for Sands.

A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did, he wrote on Twitter.

Actor Jim Piddock called Sands a wonderfully talented and unique man and a delightful, generous friend and added he was hoping for a miracle.

Fellow actor Melanie Kinnaman wrote: Our friend Julian Sands has been missing from a hiking trip in the mountains of Southern California for nearly one week... Please send prayers for his safe return.
Julie Chrisley on red carpet at awards show, blue dress.

On Tuesday, news broke that instead of going to FCI Marianna in Florida, which would have put her nearish her husband Todd, Julie Chrisley was to be housed at Federal Medical Center Lexington, a prison in Kentucky. This revelation led to rampant articles and speculation about possible medical treatment. Given Chrisley had a well-documented battle with breast cancer, the rumor mill ran a bit wild, but we've learned the sudden prison shift reportedly had nothing to do with the reality stars health.

On Tuesday, news broke that instead of going to FCI Marianna in Florida, which would have put her nearish her husband Todd, Julie Chrisley was to spend her sentence at Federal Medical Center Lexington, a prison in Kentucky. When the news broke it led to rampant articles and speculation about whether Julie was sick, perhaps prompting the change in location.

Those who were following the Chrisley Knows Best couple before the recent trial and sentencing may already know that Julie Chrisley was fighting breast cancer for an extended period of time. First diagnosed back in 2012, she took medication for the condition for nearly a decade. It was only last year that docs said she could wean off the medication and move forward with her life.

Chrisley had admitted during an episode of "Chrisley Confessions" that taking medication for so long had led to medical issues, mainly weight gain, pain and brain fog. She had trouble remembering things while taking the breast cancer meds and found that lack of control to be "scary." She ultimately announced she came off the medication in March of 2022.

Its been a direct result of having the hysterectomy and the medication. I remember season one of Chrisley Knows Best, I literally spent the entire season searching for my phone, because I would lay it down, and I couldnt find it. It was so scary to me.

Still, given her past history with cancer, I suppose it's easy to see why people might have been curious about the prison shift.

Story continues

What's Actually Going On With Julie's Prison Stint

According to a new report at TMZ, however, the matriarch of the Chrisley clan is doing just fine. The prison in question in Lexington does have the medical and mental health unit, but the outlet also reports it has a regular minimum security prison, where the reality star will be housed. The outlet did not determine why the move occurred, but it does seem that Julie will not be getting treatment at this time.

For his part, her husband Todd will still be spending his prison sentence at FPC Pensacola. Chrisley may have to "scrub toilets" or do other chores during his decade-plus stay.

Ahead of this, Todd and his wife took it slow during their final days of freedom, running errands and spending time with several of their kids. Several of those children, including daughter Savannah and son Kyle, have been vocal with support as Todd and Julie start their 12-year and seven-year sentences, respectively.

The Chrisleys had hoped to stave off entering prison this month, but their appeal was denied by a judge.
New Online Bible Symposium on Ancient Israel's Gods, Religion, and Sacred Texts

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Biblical Archaeology Society

Jan. 19, 2023



WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Biblical Archaeology Society, publisher of Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR), a niche consumer magazine, will host a new online event. The BAS Winter Symposium on Saturday, February 11 will offer live talks on "Gods, Religion, and Sacred Texts in Ancient Israel" from leading Bible scholars and archaeologists via Zoom from 1-5:15 pm Eastern.



Attendees will learn the discoveries about the origins, development, and practice of Israelite religion from the Iron Age (1200586 B.C.E.) through the Exilic period. Presentations and case studies will explore:

The origins and background of Israel's god, Yahweh



Jerusalem, Solomon's Temple, and "official" Israelite religion



Everyday religious practice in ancient Israel and Judah



Art, imagery, and iconography in Israelite religion and worship



How Israel's sacred texts evolved during the Babylonian Exile

The leading experts in the field joining us are:

Theodore J. Lewis, Johns Hopkins University (and winner of a BAS 2021 Publication Award)



Erin Darby, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (and past lecturer at the BAS St. Olaf Seminar)



Mary Joan Leith, Stonehill College (and frequent speaker at the BAS Bible & Archaeology Fest)

In addition, Christopher Rollston, renowned scholar of ancient texts, will lead a lively discussion among the scholars, and BAR Editor-in-Chief Glenn J. Corbett will moderate the symposium and give attendees the chance to share their own questions and comments with the presenters.



Early Registration for this event is $79 through January 28, 2023 (Regularly $99); Students: $49. To register online, go to www.biblicalarchaeology.org/symp23. Or for more information, visit the online event page at www.biblicalarchaeology.org/sym. Or call BAS Travel/Study at 1-800-221-4644 ext. 424, 9 to 5 Eastern.



The Biblical Archaeology Society founded in 1974 is the premier nonprofit educational organization that bridges the academic communities in the archaeology of the Holy Lands to a global lay audience.



SOURCE Biblical Archaeology Society



CONTACT: Peter Megginson, 202-364-3300 ext. 424, travelstudy@bib-arch.org


Gas stoves are getting grilled.

Speculation rose last week that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission could ban the appliance. The agencys head has since clarified that the agency has no plans to ban gas stoves, but debate is raging: On social media, consumers fought over the potential risks of the appliance. Natural gas stoves do emit air pollutants at levels the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have deemed unsafe. A peer-reviewed study published last month found that more than 12% of current childhood asthma cases in the U.S. can be attributed to use of the common kitchen appliance.

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Gas stoves are also taking heat from environmental groups. The burners produce carbon dioxide andaccording to a studyleak methane, the main component of natural gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Already, a number of cities including New York and San Francisco have moved to restrict installation of gas burners.

Bans aside, some two-fifths of U.S. homes already have one. Every household looking to change finds two options, in theory: an electric or induction stove. To the experts, that choice is easy.

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Not electric, insists Jane Lok, manager of Flamtech Appliances Inc. in New York.

Electric stoves transfer heat from the burner to the surface. The result, explains Lok, is a cooktop that changes temperature slowly. It doesnt have the control that induction has, she says.

Multiple high-end retailers suggest an induction stove, which relies on magnetism, not direct heat. An electrical current passes through a copper wire and into the pot or pan, where its concentrated and converted into heat. Relative to electric appliances, induction burners cook food more consistently, thanks to a more precise level of control over the temperature.

While gas stoves adorn the kitchens of many celebrity chefs and Michelin-starred eateries, induction stoves have perks, particularly for amateur home cooks. They dont heat up the surrounding area as much as a gas burner, nor do they stay hot the way an electric burner does after being turned off, which reduces the risk of burns.

Those converting from gas stoves wont need to search hard for the best brands: Wolf, Blomberg, Gaggenau and so forth produce the markets top induction ranges, too. But unique touches and added featuresfrom Wi-Fi connections to artificial flames that give the look of a gas stovecan take an induction cooktop from good to great. Finding the right one is a matter of what a buyer is looking for.

If money is no object: Gaggenau, says Lok. The German manufacturer offers a full-surface induction cooktop that targets heat directly to a pot or pan placed anywhere on the surface, with its induction stovetopsboth full surface and regularselling from roughly $4,500 to $6,100.

Germaine Bennerson, a sales consultant at M&M Appliance in Washington, recommends Boschs cooktops for their AutoChef feature; the induction stovetops sell from about $1,800 to $3,500. Essentially, the mode allows a chef to select a desired cooking level, and the appliance will flash when the countertop has reached the desired temperature. The burner will then consistently regulate the temperature of the pan.

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Clumsy cooks might like Fulgor Milanos induction cooktops, according to Greg Jones, a sales associate at SR Appliance Depot in Atlanta. The Italian company sells range tops with stainless steel finishing, a durable surface thats easy to clean. Adds Jones: The price is good, with the induction rangetops starting at roughly $3,150.

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Some buyers care more about how a stove looks and less about its potential gadgets and gizmos. For the aesthetically oriented, Bennerson recommends products from Fisher & Paykel, a New Zealand-based subsidiary of Chinese manufacturer Haier Group. The company markets cooktops by style: minimal, contemporary, and professional, with prices ranging from roughly $1 ,700 to $3,600.

Lok likes the sleek, minimalist style of Wolfs stovetops, but she says buyers for kitchens with marble countertops might consider the silver mirrored finish on Thermadors stovetops, which cost from $4,450 to $4,950.

Notwithstanding their allure as shiny new appliances, induction cooktops have detractors. They cost more than the purely electric option, and theyve yet to win over many gourmet chefs who still sear steaks over gas flames.

Moreover, induction purchasers should be prepared to throw out their pricy copper pots. Cookware compatible with induction stovetops must be manufactured from such materials as iron or steel, which can tap into the magnetic field spun off from the copper that stirs up the heat. All those cast-iron pots and pans can stay, in other words, as well as anything of stainless steel. But all-copper potsand glass disheswont work unless they have magnetic materials attached.

Last, Lok advises consumers eyeing a new induction stove to ensure that their kitchens are properly ventilated. While much of the recent backlash against gas burners comes from the pollution they produce, cooking is cooking: If you burn food, the house will get smoky.

Dont think that because its an induction, the air will magically be clean, Lok says. Get a hood.
Ye, also known as Kanye West, in Los Angeles on November 27. MEGA/GC Images

The LAPD had over 19,000 emails about Kanye West and Donda Academy in their inboxes.

The volume of emails was so large that LAPD could not export them all at once.

West, who now goes by Ye, has been dodging his lawyers and mostly out of sight in recent months.

The Los Angeles Police Department sent and received so many emails referring to Kanye West and his secretive private school in the last two years that they exceeded the maximum number of gigabytes their computers could search.

Between January 1, 2022 and November 4, 2022  when Insider submitted a public records request  there were 19,155 emails that mentioned "Kanye West" or "Donda Academy" in the in-and-outboxes of LAPD employees, an LAPD records analyst told Insider.

There were so many emails, in fact, that the files were too large for the police record system to search and export without narrowing them down, the analyst said. The LAPD asked Insider to narrow down the request so they could export and search for records.

"The query resulted in a file(s) that exceeds the maximum gigabyte that our system would allow to export; therefore, we are unable to search for and identify emails responsive to your request," the analyst said in an email to Insider.

In a phone conversation, an analyst told Insider that each of the 19,155 items were individual emails sent or received by the department. About 100 of the emails had to do with Donda Academy  the artist's controversial and secretive private school.

Insider's request asked for all emails that include the phrases "Donda Academy" or "Kanye West." The emails likely include person-to-person correspondence about the artist as well as include alerts that some employees may have set up to notify them about news events or posts online, the analyst said.

Kanye West, who now goes by the name Ye, came under fire last fall after he donned a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt, incorrectly insisted George Floyd died of a drug overdose, and made repeated antisemitic comments.

Story continues

His comments prompted companies like Adidas, Balenciaga, and Gap to bow out of their corporate partnerships.

Since the fallout, Ye has stayed mostly out of the public eye and has been ghosting his lawyers in several open civil cases against him.

Several of Ye's lawyers at the firm Greenberg Traurig have asked a judge to let them stop representing him, but they haven't been able to get in touch with him on the phone or at his addresses. In that lawsuit, the company Ultra International Music Publishing accuses Ye of stealing elements from the 1986 Marshall Jefferson song "Move Your Body" for his song "Flowers," which is reportedly about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

Lawyers for his former business management firm, Thomas St. John, also say the artist has been avoiding them and that they spent weeks trying to track him down over a lawsuit over unpaid bills.

The Donda Academy, Ye's private Christian School, also came back into the spotlight in recent months.

In October, after the resignation of the then-administrator Tamar Andrews, Donda Academy parents received an email that the school was abruptly closed.

Days later, though, Insider spotted what appeared to be students and staff wearing the school's signature black uniform at the academy's secret location on November 2.

Ye was also present that day at the school's San Fernando Valley location, which is located in an industrial building about 20 miles from where the school was originally registered with the state.

Read the original article on Insider
Azamat Abildayev

According to the statement, Abildayevs position contradicts the partys principles and also violates deputy ethics.

Read also: Kazakhstan says CSTO will not participate in war against Ukraine

The party submitted a letter to the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan about the revocation of Abildayevs mandate.

In a comment to Radio Libertys Kazakh service, Abildayev said he agrees with the partys decision as he does not want to mislead the political force before the elections.

Read also: Kazakhstan refuses to recognize results of Russian sham referendums in Ukraine

In an interview on Jan. 18, Abildayev said that he supports the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russias aggression against Ukraine.

He also repeated the Kremlin propaganda trope that Nazis are supposedly in power in Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ALMATY (Reuters) -Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dissolved the lower house of parliament on Thursday and called a snap election for March 19, his office said.

Tokayev had previously said he would dissolve the chamber, elected in 2021, after wresting power away from long-time leader Nursultan Nazarbayev last year and overseeing constitutional reforms.

Kazakhstan has had no genuine opposition parties in parliament for decades and, although party registration requirements have been relaxed under Tokayev, the legislature is likely to remain strongly pro-government.

In the election, 30% of deputies will be elected in single-mandate constituencies while the other 70% will be nominated by parties.

Tokayev last year resigned from the Amanat party, which dominates parliament, and said he would stay out of party politics.

(Reporting by Olzhas AuyezovEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky and John Stonestreet)
Two prominent Kentucky liquor stores known for buying and selling vintage bourbons were raided Tuesday by Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control.

According to the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, on Jan. 17 the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control conducted inspections at two retail locations of Justins House of Bourbon, one located at 101 West Market Street, Louisville, KY and the other located at 601 West Main Street, Lexington, KY.

The raid was first reported by Whiskey blogger Fred Minnick.

Because this is seemingly the first major enforcement action under Kentuckys vintage whiskey law, there is global interest among collectors in the bourbon community.

Justin Thompson, left and Justin Sloan, right, in the vintage bourbon room at their Justins House of Bourbon at the corner of Jefferson and West Main streets. They opened in 2018. Bottles and other evidence were seized on Tuesday by Kentucky ABC inspectors.

What did the ABC seize at Justins House of Bourbon?

The state has not released the citation listing the alleged violations.

According to the state, ABC received complaints alleging several violations associated with Justins House of Bourbon for the improper acquisition, possession, transport, and sale of bourbon, including Vintage Distilled Spirits, prompting the inspections.

The state seized numerous bottles of bourbon and other items of evidence were seized associated with suspected improper purchasing and sale of these products.

The investigation is continuing, according to the state.

Cabinet spokeswoman Kristin Voskuhl said the state is not planning to release more information at this time.

Under KRS 241.090, Kentucky ABC may inspect any premises where alcoholic beverages are manufactured, sold, stored, or otherwise trafficked in, without first obtaining a search warrant and may confiscate any contraband property. We routinely conduct inspections of our licensees to ensure their compliance with all statutes and regulations governing the alcohol industry, the cabinet said in a statement.

Justins House of Bourbon is in downtown Lexington at 601 West Main St., at the intersection of Jefferson Street and near the Mary Todd Lincoln House.

Justins House of Bourbon response to raid

Justin Thompson, co-owner of Justins House of Bourbon, in an email Thursday morning declined to comment on the ABC action other than to say: At this moment all I will say is our license is active and we will be in business. We wont have any more comment until the investigation process is complete.

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According to the ABC licensee database, Justins House of Bourbon is owned by Thompson, Justin Sloan and Phillip Lee Greer.

Greer, a well-known Lexington developer, is an investor in Justins House of Bourbon and not involved in the day-to-day operations, according to his attorney, J. Guthrie True of Frankfort.

The business is cooperating with the regulatory inquiry, True said in a statement. Given that Mr. Greer knows nothing about the details of the inquiry, we are unable to comment further.

Thompson also is a co-owner of Belles Cocktail House in Lexington, which has not been implicated in the ABC actions.

The Lexington location of Justins House of Bourbon was scheduled to open at 10 a.m. Thursday but a closed sign was tapped to the front door. According to the state, both licenses remain active while the investigation continues.

A closed sign on the front door of Justins House of Bourbon Jan. 19, 2023 at 601 West Main St. in downtown Lexington.

What is Justins House of Bourbon?

Thompson and Sloan, who also are co-owners of The Bourbon Review magazine and website, opened their Lexington store in 2018 after the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation in 2017 legalizing the purchase and sale of vintage spirits not regularly available from regular distributors.

The idea behind the law is that collectors of vintage dusties as the bottles are sometimes called, could legally sell to a licensed store who could then offer the unique items to the general public.

The vintage whiskey bill was passed in 2017 and signed into law by then-Gov. Matt Bevin and requires notification of purchases of the bottles by licensed retailers.

The Kentucky ABC was not able immediately provide details Thursday on how many purchases have been made since the vintage distilled spirits regulation took effect in January 2018.
Jan. 18PETERSBURG, W.Va.  When it came time to close out one of its demons, Keyser struggled to finish the job. That is, until one of its seniors came to the line.

The Golden Tornado, who had dropped eight straight to Petersburg dating back to 2018, saw a six-point lead in the final minute evaporate due to six missed free throws in a row.

With a chance to ice the game, Averi Everline sunk a pair of foul shots with 5.1 seconds left to allow Keyser to hold off No. 4 Petersburg, 53-49, on Tuesday night.

"It's been few years since we've had a win over here," Keyser head coach Josh Blowe said. "I know it was an ugly game overall, but I was very pleased with my inexperienced team finding a way to win.

"We turned the ball over, we missed free throws, we missed a couple defensive assignments, but when you find a way to get a win on the road, especially against a really quality team like this ... it means something to our girls."

The victory was Keyser's first over Petersburg since Jan. 30, 2018  a 57-42 rout in Grant County that capped a string of 18 wins in 19 tries against the Vikings.

Entering Tuesday, the bout appeared to be dead even on paper.

Keyser (9-4) is still trying to find its footing after graduating six seniors from a team that made the Class AAA state tournament but had won 3 of 4 games coming in.

Meanwhile Petersburg (7-6), the two-time defending area champions, seemed primed for another strong season before All-Area first-team guard Kennedy Kaposy suffered a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 3 against Tucker County. Since then, the Vikings have dropped 4 of 6.

With the clock dipping below a minute Tuesday, Keyser led 50-44 yet saw its lead evaporate after a series of turnovers and missed foul shots.

A bucket by Braylee Corbin, an Ayden Mayfield free throw and a Sammy Colaw score brought Petersburg within 50-49 with 38 seconds remaining.

The Vikings got the ball back down by one point with 13.6 seconds left and again down 51-49 seconds later but turned it over both times. Everline finally sealed the deal with a pair of foul shots, the final two points of her game-high 17. Kiara Kesner joined her in double figures with 10.

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"The last couple minutes we had a couple opportunities to tie or take the lead and we just couldn't get it to go," Petersburg head coach Jon Webster said. "We fought back until the end."

Keyser contained Petersburg early with its 2-3 zone, limiting the penetration of the Vikings' guards and keeping Corbin, who still ended with a team-high 14, out of the paint. The Tornado opened to an 8-4 lead and were up 11-9 after the first.

Petersburg guard Nellie Whetzel, who finished with eight points, leveled the score at 15-all with an old-fashioned 3-point play at the 5:35 mark of the second quarter, yet Keyser regained control.

The Tornado scored 11 of the next 15 points to go up 26-19; however, Petersburg close the half on a 7-0 burst to enter the locker room tied at 26.

The Vikings continued their period of good play to begin the second half, as Addison Kitzmiller converted a 3-point play and hit a mid-range jumper  she finished with 11 points  to put Petersburg ahead 35-28 early in the third.

Between the two halves, Petersburg's run swelled as high as 16-2.

"I thought we did a good job during that period when we were able to get out in transition and get some baskets," Webster said. "We were able to keep that going for a little bit, but then Keyser had a timeout, made a few adjustments, and they were able to get control back to the tempo that they wanted."

Keyser responded with a 6-0 flurry to get within 37-35 after three quarters, and the Tornado retook the lead for good when Everline drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer over top of the Petersburg zone with 6:19 to play.

Everline scored 15 of her 17 points after halftime, including seven in the fourth quarter.

"Averi hit a couple shots, we had a couple nice sets there for her," Blowe said. "When we went on our little run, it was because we took care of the ball, we executed on defense."

Petersburg waged a furious response late, but it just couldn't get over the hump.

The Vikings are still trying to figure out their rotation without the do-it-all Kaposy at the top of their offense and defense. Fortunately or Webster, they still have plenty of time before the postseason.

With a wide-open region, a third consecutive trip to the Class AA state tournament is still in the cards.

"She's been a big part of what we've done as a program the last four years," Webster said of Kaposy, who averaged 13.8 points per game last season. "To replace someone like her is really tough. We're trying to find out how to play without her and figure out who needs to step up and fill certain roles.

"It's a learning curve right now that we're trying to figure out. We're doing better, but we still have a long way to go."

It doesn't get any easier for Petersburg, which hosts No. 3 Hampshire (6-6) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Keyser welcomes Berkeley Springs to Mineral County on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

"Beginning of the season, I had no clue where we'd be," Blowe said. "If you'd have told me we'd be 9-4 at this point in the season, I'd have said I'll take it. I'll take it every day and twice on Sunday."

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.
Liza was proud of her city. She had spent all her life in Mariupol; she was a steelworker and frequent theatre-goer, as she had a great love of the theatre.

Everything changed on 24 February. Although Ukrainian military vehicles and equipment had already started rolling through the citys streets, no one in Mariupol believed that war would soon put an end to their happy, peaceful lives - let alone that all of Mariupol would be razed to the ground.

Liza lived on the citys right (west) bank. She says there were no explosions in her neighbourhood on 24 and 25 February; they could only be heard from afar, from the left bank. She recalls that when people who lived on the left bank started to arrive in her neighbourhood and talk about what was happening where they lived, the right bank residents could hardly comprehend what they were talking about: it all still seemed so far away from them On the evening of 26 February, Russian forces started to attack the right bank. At that point, Liza and her daughter sought shelter in their buildings basement.

Liza told Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia about how she survived the hellish days of Mariupols siege with her 10-year-old daughter. She didnt just talk about herself, but also told us about what was going on in the city, recreating its gradual methodical destruction by the Russian forces.

She spoke with particular warmth about the defenders of Mariupol, including the soldiers from the Azov Regiment, whom she sees almost as family. She spoke about the pro-Ukrainian sentiment which has grown in Mariupol since 2014, infusing the citys public life.

This is Lizas story in her own words.

[BANNER1]

"2 March: The first terrible day"

First the Russians destroyed the municipal heating system. They destroyed all of it: heating pipelines, control facilities, switchboards, administrative offices in charge of utility payments and management. These were deliberate attacks. The Russian forces were deliberately depriving the city of heat. In late February, early March, this was hellish. The cold was all-consuming.

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For a while we still had access to gas; the first things to be destroyed were the heating system, the waterworks, power lines. The first terrible date is probably 2 March, when all of that was gone, as was mobile service. You could no longer find out what was happening to your relatives in the next building over, let alone in the neighbouring district. We were isolated  from our relatives, our friends, our acquaintances There was fighting on the streets and you couldnt leave the shelter or move far from your home. You couldnt call anyone either

The only thing we could do was team up with others sharing bomb shelters with us. People started to gather in communes to try to survive together. Men risked their lives to leave these basements: some set out to reach their parents, others their wives and girlfriends, others still to find out what was happening outside. Many of them never came back. If they were absent for a day or two, we knew they were dead.

Once a young guy came to our bomb shelter looking for his wife and child  I think hed been away from Mariupol on business when the war started. Hed been told theyd been taken to a shelter and he was looking for them at different bomb shelters. The next morning he was found dead  he was killed when he left our shelter

"For a while we still had access to gas; the first things to be destroyed were the heating system, the waterworks, power lines. The first terrible date is probably 2 March, when all of that was gone, as was mobile service."

"Our forces refused to surrender the city until the very end"

Of course our forces put up a fierce resistance to the Russians. I dont remember the exact day when Mariupol was finally encircled, but I remember the Azov Regiment waiting for reinforcements. A soldier from Azov once came to the bomb shelter where we were hiding, and we all tensed up  its always concerning when someone with a gun approaches civilians. He said, "Dont worry, Im here on a reconnaissance mission." They were waiting desperately for help.

There was a day when it seemed possible that reinforcements might arrive. When that day passed, with no reinforcements in sight, the news that Mariupol had been encircled started to spread among the citys residents. In fact the city had been encircled several times, with multiple rings of enemy forces closing in on it. It was no longer possible to get help from the outside.

Our defenders were being increasingly pushed out from all sides: they were being pushed towards the city centre from the sea and from the left bank. Street battles were being fought in the vicinity of the National Drama Theatre [located in central Mariupol - ed.].

Our forces put up a fierce resistance. Later on they retreated to the Azovstal steelworks, though even there they continued to put up a fight. They engaged in street combat. Mariupol residents would talk about going to get water and ending up in the middle of a fight. Theyd drop their water containers and run

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"The Russian soldier was taken aback that we werent glad to see him"

Mariupol was being destroyed. The Russians were pounding the citys beautiful buildings, some of which had been recently refurbished, reconstructed or even built. The city centre was burned to the ground. The Russians deliberately targeted historic buildings; their claims that they were targeting strategic facilities dont hold up  there are no such strategic facilities in the vicinity.

The citys historic quarter, full of 19th-century buildings that survived World War II, has been eviscerated by the Russians. They burned the local history museum to the ground - but only after looting it. Now it seems as if Mariupol never existed, that it was never built. How can we prove to our descendants that this city existed once, if all its history has been burned?

Once a Russian soldier on a reconnaissance mission came to the basement where we were sheltering. He asked us, "So, how are you doing?" It was a stupid question. There were a lot of men in our shelter, so he didnt dare go in. People asked him for some water: the kids were sick, they all had a high fever (it was -13C outside) and they were parched with thirst.

He said, "Weve liberated you, and now we have to give you water and food as well?!"

One of the men picked up a shovel and said, "Ill murder you with this shovel and then youll be liberated too!" The Russian soldier was really taken aback: how could it be that we werent overjoyed to see them?

He stood there and shrugged. Not a single person rushed to meet him with a delighted "We are so happy that you came." Not a single person!

Meanwhile, when our Ukrainian soldiers were able to stop by once or twice, everyone said to them, "You just hold on, guys! We are here Hold on!" When the shelling was at its most ferocious, at least one Ukrainian soldier would stop by our shelter to warn us: "Dont leave the shelter for a day or two, it will be very dangerous outside." Though they themselves were in a difficult situation, they still took care of the local residents, always finding ways to give us a warning.

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"Mariupol residents hid Azov Regiment soldiers in their bomb shelters"

Once theyd encountered resistance in Mariupol, the Russians became truly savage. They continued to shell the areas where they met with resistance even after our forces had retreated. They were vengeful: "If you dont surrender, we will kill all of you." Peaceful civilians supported the Azov Regiment, so they took out their rage on civilians.

Some people said, "They are taking revenge on our city because we gave shelter to Azov." But what does that mean  "gave shelter"? The regiment isnt a stray puppy. Those people are our defenders, they were on their rightful land and they were defending that land.

Mariupol is a Ukrainian city, and it is defended by Ukrainian forces. Yes, we supported the Azov Regiment  how could we not? We hid Azov soldiers in our bomb shelters  for example, whenever a couple of soldiers ended up separated from the rest of their comrades, got ambushed, and couldnt reach Azovstal.

The Russians used to search everywhere, combing through every shelter looking for them. People would give our boys civilian clothes, theyd get changed, and single women would tell the Russians, "This is my husband." This happened a lot in Mariupol.

"People would give our boys civilian clothes, theyd get changed, and single women would tell the Russians, "This is my husband."

"What the hell do we need the Russian World for?"

I have not met a single person  neither among my friends, nor among my acquaintances or colleagues  who said theyd been waiting for the "Russian World". [Russkiy mir, literally "Russian world" or "Russian order," is the concept of the total domination of Russian culture over other cultures; it gives rise to and "legitimises" Russias current expansionist, colonial politics - ed.] There might have been some people like that, but they werent in the majority.

People in Mariupol were not waiting for the Russians. No one was glad to see them, no one rushed to greet them with cries of "At last you are here!" We lived perfectly happily until 24 February.

Everything was great: no one humiliated, killed or raped us; no one forced us to do things we didnt want to do. What the hell do we need the "Russian World" for? We are Ukraine!

Im not sure that the crowds at the city-wide demonstrations in support of the "Russian World" in 2014 were entirely made up of Mariupol residents. I thought at the time that a lot of "outside" people were brought in for these "rallies".

When a Russian tank broke through to the House of Communications, Mariupol residents came out to stop it. Men armed with makeshift batons stood in the tanks way. A snipers bullet killed my former classmate  he was shot in the head. He went to stop the Russians, not the Ukrainians.

Of course, there were some fools who treated Ukrainian soldiers as enemies. There were a few "vatniks" [a slang term for someone with a (post)Soviet mentality, usually implying active support for the Russian government, a nostalgia for the Soviet past, and a refusal to recognise Ukraines political and cultural independence - ed.]. People are strange. Whenever they dont like something the government does  for example, whenever theres a price hike  grandmas sitting around on benches get annoyed: "It was better in Soviet times!" Many people associate Russians with the Soviet Union. Perhaps thats why some people were waiting for them to arrive.

But that was back in 2014. Now, I dont know a single person who was glad to see the Russians. When the bombings became really relentless, when people were being shot in front of fires theyd made to cook food on, when we were gathering dead bodies in the streets and burying them in courtyards  how could we rejoice over any of that?

When the building where our bomb shelter was located was hit, one of the walls shifted some 20 cm and there was a danger that the entire structure might collapse  you should have heard how people were cursing the Russians! When the buildings around us were on fire, no one cursed the Azov Regiment  everyone cursed the Russians.

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"Soldiers from the Azov Regiment taught open lessons for the kids in our schools"

After 2014, soldiers from the Azov Regiment would often teach open lessons for the kids in our schools. They didnt talk to the kids about the war; they told them about Ukraine and its culture. They never encouraged aggression.

At the school my kids went to, we always knew when they would come, and the kids would make little presents for them. The guys from Azov would then pass those gifts on to their comrades at the front, and those soldiers would send back videos which showed the kids drawings on the walls of their dugouts. The children were so happy when they recognised their drawings in those videos! If you ask any child in Mariupol what country they consider their home, they will all say Ukraine, especially the little ones, six- and seven-year olds. That must be one of the reasons why the Russians were so intent on destroying Mariupol.

I think they must have lost their minds when they saw my apartment. On top of one of the cupboards I have a Ukrainian flag with the words "Mariupol is Ukraine!" emblazoned on it. That was something quite ordinary, really, for me and for many of us.

"The Russians deliberately targeted lift shafts  that way a whole building would catch fire and burn down"

The Russians often used their mortars to launch bombs at the fires we made to cook food on. The second you left the shelter, youd hear the bombs whooshing. Fragments would explode in every direction, and you had to run and hide behind the iron doors of the nearest apartment block and then wait until it was over. Though of course, not everyone could reach safety in time.

Men always let women go first. As soon as they heard the whoosh, theyd rush us - "Faster, faster!" - and cover us with their bodies. Many of them died from shrapnel wounds.

Whenever there was a break in the shelling and bombardments, wed run out with our spoons and our pots, trying to gather what little of our food was left. Because you only had those three potatoes you were boiling for your child  and they were gone. Try finding something to eat in those circumstances. Every time you left the basement to go to the fire, you werent sure if youd make it back. But we took the risk and we went, because we couldnt let our kids go hungry.

What sort of people are those Russian soldiers? They didnt use Grads [multiple-launch rocket systems - ed.] or long-range artillery to attack us, they used close-range weapons from a distance that would allow them to see clearly that we were civilians, not the military. Civilians chopping wood to make fires, civilians making fires, civilians cooking food

They pounded residential buildings; they even used tanks to do that. They deliberately targeted lift shafts  that way, the whole building would catch fire and burn down. And their aircraft! They dropped bombs on us every night, every single night! Theyd drop seven to ten bombs on tiny neighbourhoods, clusters of a handful of buildings each  they called this a "mop-up operation", claiming that Ukrainian soldiers were hiding in those buildings

"Many of the older people jumped out of the windows so as not to get burned alive"

In the early days, we had water from our peacetime stocks. Later wed go to bombed-out shops, and the first thing we took was always water. We used anything we could find and even used sparkling water and sodas to cook food in.

There was no way to wash ourselves at all. The last time we were able to wash was on 7 March. We put together whatever water we could find, half a litre or so, and the three of us washed using that water. First we washed my child, then I and another woman also washed ourselves.

Most people were killed by snipers, in attacks on residential buildings, and in strikes on the fires people used to cook food on. There were many instances when a building would catch fire and the older people jumped out of the windows so as not to get burned alive. It was practically impossible to rescue them otherwise: the fire is raging, the walls are crumbling, theres no way to get close to the windows to stretch out a blanket for them to land on because of the rubble.

There was a private residential neighbourhood right next to my house that was razed to the ground. Not even the frames of the houses remain, just ruins. Why? Because people from high-rise apartment blocks used to go and get water from their wells.

Whenever a residential building was hit, people had to rescue themselves and each other; all of the rescue workers from the State Emergency Service had joined the military. I dont know about other districts and neighbourhoods, because as I said, we were cut off from each other, so I can only speak about what was happening near where I was.

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"People broke into shops to get food"

I used to store food on my balcony, so when it was destroyed, my daughter and I only had dry biscuits to eat for two days. All the balconies in all the neighbouring buildings were destroyed. We had to do something, all these hungry women and children

Men started to break into grocery stores to get some food. All the shops were quite far away from us - we had to survive bombardments to get there. People used parts from several damaged cars to assemble one that could be used to get to a shop or to fetch water from wells.

Sometimes people would return from these excursions with burns on their arms because the shop was on fire. Everyone helped one another. This unity is what makes us invincible as a people.

At the bomb shelter, we divided the food so that everyone would get some. Of course some people only cared about themselves, theyd steal a bunch of stuff and refuse to share it, but people like that were few and far between.

I remember several men decided to go to a market which was also quite far away. There they found a car trailer, loaded it with food, and the three of them pulled the trailer, like horses, all the way to our shelter. When we went out to meet them they said, "What are you standing there for? Come on, unload it all, it's for all of us."

There were a lot of elderly people, many on their own, some unable to walk. The men used to walk around the nearby damaged buildings, breaking locks to enter apartments so they could reach those people and get them to bomb shelters. We cooked food for them too.

It was a real siege. When we got out of Mariupol and reached Zaporizhzhia, we bought some fresh bread at a stall near the train station. My daughter really went for it!

Shed not had any bread for a month. Many of our children can no longer eat chocolate or biscuits: that was all we could get for them in the nearby stalls which we were forced to break into.

"All the top doctors in Mariupol were killed"

So many doctors were killed in Mariupol. They continued to do operations until the very end. The Russians bombed hospitals mercilessly. They knew that wounded soldiers were brought there along with injured civilians. An ear, nose and throat specialist from a hospital where there were wounded Azov Regiment soldiers betrayed them to the Russians. They came and took our guys away. The doctor then left with the Russians.

All operations took place in hospital basements; many were accompanied by airstrikes, some of which destroyed those basements. Many doctors were killed during surgery. Many top professionals - highly accomplished, award-winning doctors - have lost their lives.

One doctor who used to drive around in his car to search for injured civilians and take them to hospital was killed. He was killed in a strike as he was handing some injured civilians over to other doctors.

Children in bomb shelters started getting ill from the cold.

Where did we get medicines from? Some people brought everything they had at home with them. Once a man came in and said, "I broke into an apartment." Hed used a screwdriver to carefully open the lock, took only medicines, then locked the apartment again. In many of the flats, the front doors had been blown off: windows in the entrance halls and stairwells were broken, and the doors were blown off by blast waves. People would go into those apartments to look for medicine. It was thanks to the medicine brought by these men that my daughter survived.

"Bodies were no longer recovered from under the rubble"

How were peoples bodies recovered from under the rubble of the destroyed buildings? They werent. For any sort of recovery work to take place the shelling would have to stop, however briefly, but it was relentless throughout March and April.

It was nearly impossible to clear away the rubble. For a while there was no way to bury people either: you could get killed while digging a grave.

From around 9 March, we started making fires for cooking in the entrance halls of buildings. We made a metal pipe and put it through a broken window to prevent the fumes from going into the basement where we were hiding.

We couldnt leave the shelter at all, not for a minute! You couldnt even go near the dead bodies in the streets to bury them, let alone try to clear away the rubble Mariupol continued to be bombed even after all of its defenders had retreated to Azovstal and there were no Ukrainian military personnel there.

There were no Ukrainian soldiers in my district for a long time and it was still shelled. They just pounded residential buildings. The top floors of most buildings were destroyed. The fourth to ninth floors just burned down.

At first municipal services would pick up corpses from the streets and bury them in mass graves, but then the Russians started firing on those municipal workers as well.

"These kids hate anything to do with Russia. They draw torn-up Russian flags."

"Our kids draw torn-up Russian flags"

My 10-year-old daughter completely rejects everything Russian. Before the war, she could watch Russian films and listen to Russian music. Now she refuses to.

Now and again she asks me whether an actor or a singer is Russian, and if I say yes, she scrunches up her face in distaste: "Booooo! Ew!" A complete rejection. All of the kids from Mariupol I know or have heard about do the same. There is no need to explain anything to them, to tell them what the Russians have done: theyve seen it all with their own eyes, they understand everything, regardless of their age.

These kids hate anything to do with Russia. They draw torn-up Russian flags. Teenagers are taking an active part in Mariupols underground resistance movement.

Some partisans flew a Ukrainian flag atop a Mariupol building on Ukraines Independence Day [24 August - ed.]. Its a miracle that they were able to get it up there

"Plays for children are being performed in the square in front of the National Drama Theatre!"

Many people from my neighbourhood were sheltering in the National Drama Theatre. Everyone was convinced that the Russians would not attack it: there were no military personnel there, only civilians, and huge letters in front of the theatre spelled out the word "CHILDREN".

The Russians bombed the Drama Theatre soon after their attack on the maternity hospital. Heavily pregnant women and newborns had been evacuated to the right wing of the Drama Theatre where the dressing rooms were, as it was relatively warm there. It was the right wing that the Russians hit.

And now the Russian occupiers have poured bleach, then concrete, over the corpses. They are performing plays  even childrens plays  in the theatre. The small stage survived the attack  thats where rehearsals take place. Performances are being given on the square in front of the theatre where countless people were killed: men whod gone out to get some tea, young women who volunteered to cook and deliver food to people. The Russians have set up a screen on the square to show Soviet cartoons to children.

Who are we being "liberated" from? Not a single rally with people holding banners saying "SOS! Dear Russians, help us, we are being killed here!" has ever been held in Mariupol.

Not a single Mariupol resident who went abroad for business or leisure has ever organised a picket in any foreign country begging for Mariupol to be saved from Ukrainian fascists. No one has ever pleaded for help  "Help! Azov Regiment soldiers are raping and killing us!"  on social media either.

The Russians call the Azov Regiment "fascists", but can any Mariupol residents present any evidence of crimes against humanity that have been committed by Azov fighters? Many of my acquaintances visited Lviv before the full-scale war  they returned bearing souvenirs and beautiful photos and brimming with wonderful experiences. None of them were beaten up for speaking Russian there.

"The kids were hysterical when we finally reached a Ukrainian checkpoint: These are our guys! Were home!"

We left Mariupol at the end of March, under mortar-launched bombs. We prayed out loud. The men fixed up several damaged cars and we drove to the first checkpoint near the entrance to the city which the Russians used to enter Mariupol.

We wanted to get to the burned-down Port-City shopping mall, where the Ukrainian government organised evacuation convoys. The Russians knew about this and constantly shelled the approaches to the mall.

We couldnt make it onto a single evacuation bus, so decided to go under our own steam. At the Russian checkpoint we were searched and only allowed to keep going on foot.

There was truly a sea of people. Everyone was trying to leave the city however they could. There were DPR buses there [the DPR is the illegally self-proclaimed and Russian-controlled "Donetsk Peoples Republic" - ed.]: they were taking people to Russian-occupied Volodarsk, a tiny town near Mariupol. But going to Volodarsk meant saying goodbye to Ukraine for good: there were multiple buses waiting there that were bound only for Rostov [Russia].

Some Russians approached us, asking, "Why dont you get on? These are comfortable buses. Well take everyone to Rostov." We knew that we had to make it to Berdiansk at any cost  at the time you could still leave for Zaporizhzhia through Berdiansk.

The journey from Berdiansk to Zaporizhzhia was a nightmare. It took us seven hours to get there: we took numerous detours and were travelling as part of a large convoy, because the bigger the convoy, the less likely it is to be shelled. The Russians who let us out of Berdiansk were so puzzled about why so many of us were leaving: "Where are you all going? To Zaporizhzhia, to Ukrainian-controlled territory? Why?"

In Berdiansk we boarded a chartered minibus. When we reached the first checkpoint in the "grey zone" between the Russian- and Ukrainian-controlled territories, we looked back and saw that the convoy we were part of stretched all the way to the horizon, its end out of our sight.

There were many burnt-out cars on the roads that we travelled. Peoples belongings scattered, emptied suitcases I will never forget one burnt-out white SUV with a burnt childrens car seat lying right next to it and a pair of blackened childrens shoes.

We drove through a small village and the minibus driver told us, "Dont let your children look out of the windows." It wasnt his first time driving this route. We asked him, "Because we might get shelled?" and he replied, "No. The children mustnt see whats outside the windows."

We moved the kids away from the windows and looked out There were dead bodies wrapped in rags in every yard. In every single yard. Those whod survived and been able to wrap them in those rags had left the village. All of the buildings were completely destroyed. Some bore signs of tank attacks.

There were women, elderly people and children in our minibus. The kids were exhausted by the journey: there were many Russian checkpoints on the way from Berdiansk, and at each one we were met by nothing but rudeness and endless searches As soon as we left one checkpoint, wed be queuing for the next one.

We werent allowed to leave the minibuses we were in. We were told that if we needed to use the toilet, we could just go right by the minibus. Finally, after driving off from one of the checkpoints, one of the kids in the minibus spotted a Ukrainian flag in the distance.

The kids were hysterical. They started screaming, "Those are our guys! Look, those are our guys! This is Ukraine!" God, how we cried

As we approached the Ukrainian checkpoint, we saw our guys there. One got into our minibus to check our documents. Everyone was crying, the kids were screaming, "Our guys! Our guys! Were home!" and rushing to hug him At first he tried to calm everyone down: "Everything is okay, youre safe now." Then his eyes filled with tears as these dirty kids who hadnt washed for a month, who had spent weeks in bomb shelters, stretched their arms out to him, saying, "Youre our guys! Youre ours!"

Olena Cherednychenko, Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia

Translation: Olha Loza

Editing: Teresa Pearce

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Kim Kardashian is now the owner of one of Princess Dianas precious jewels.

The Kardashians star bought the Princess of Wales amethyst and diamond Attallah Cross for $197,453, Sothebys London announced on Jan. 18. The piece was worn by Diana on Oct. 27, 1987, when she attended a charity gala in London.

For the occasion, Diana wore a purple velvet Catherine Walker gown, with the crucifix suspended on a pearl necklace. There were four bidders hoping to get their hands on the cross, with Kardashian acquiring the piece at more than double its pre-auction estimate, Sothebys London said.

Diana, Princess Of Wales, arrives at a charity gala wearing a gold and amethyst crucifix in 1987. (Tim Graham / Getty Images file)

The Attallah cross was created in the 1920s by Garrard, who had a close friendship with the late royal. Dianas famous sapphire engagement ring, which now belongs to the new Princess of Wales, the former Kate Middleton, was also designed by Garrard.

Diana wore the cross several times over a number of years. According to the auction house, it is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it was never seen in public again until now.

Per Sothebys London, The cross has a total diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats and measures approximately 136 x 95mm.

The unique piece was sold for almost $200,000. (Courtesy Sotheby's)

Over the years, Kate and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have also worn their late mother-in-laws jewelry. Most recently, the former Meghan Markle wore the emerald-cut, aquamarine solitaire ring she wore on her wedding day to attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala on Dec. 6.

On Nov. 22, Kate donned the Cambridge Lovers Knot tiara during King Charles IIIs first state banquet held at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 22.

Kardashians big purchase comes after she wore Marilyn Monroes Happy Birthday dress to the 2022 Met Gala. The Skims founder made headlines when she arrived in the iconic 1962 dress, with many having mixed reactions.

Kardashian was able to borrow the dress from owner Ripleys Believe It or Not museum. While she only wore the dress for less than five minutes at the Met Gala, there were rumors that she damaged it.

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Both Ripleys and Kardashian denied the claims that the dress was ruined.

It was such a process. I showed up to the red carpet in a robe and slippers, and I put the dress on the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs. I probably had it on for three minutes, four minutes, and then I changed right at the top of the stairs, Kardashian told TODAYs Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb in June 2022.

I respect her, she said about Monroe and selecting it for the Gilded Glamour theme. I understand how much this dress means to American history, and with the theme being American, I thought, What is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to the president of the United States?

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Photo: Samuel Corum (Getty Images)

If youve sent a money transfer over $500 to another person in recent years, theres a decent chance U.S. law enforcement agencies could know about it. Thats according to new documents unearthed by The American Civil Liberties Union and The Wall Street Journal that show more than 600 law enforcement agencies reportedly had access to a database that includes more than 150 million transfer records for Americans and people from more than 20 different countries. Officers were reportedly able to access those records, which include the full names of senders and recipients, without a warrant. In a statement sent to Gizmodo, the ACLU described the previously undisclosed monitoring system as, One of the largest government surveillance programs in recent memory.

Law enforcement agencies, from small-time local police departments to some of the largest federal policing agencies, accessed the records from a shadowy database housed in Arizona. Ostensibly, those records would help law enforcement collect evidence of fraud, money, laundering and other crime. Critics, however, say the program vastly overstepped its reach and potentially puts at risk immigrant and low-income communities mostly likely to use money transfer systems. Continue reading for some of the biggest takeaways of the report.

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More than 150 million transaction records implicated

Photo: Matt Cardy (Getty Images)

The database in question reportedly includes money transfer traction records of more than 150 million people in the U.S. as well as records of individuals in more than 20 countries. The transfers reportedly include full names of the sender and recipient and each transaction amount. Money transfers like these are used for a variety of purposes and are often used by unbanked people to send funds abroad.

Crucially, the database isnt just a long list of names and records. Law enforcement agents are reportedly able to search through the database using a variety of keywords to search for trends. In one internal slideshow viewed by The Journal, for example, an investigator demonstrated how officers could sift through the database using demographic keywords like, Middle Eastern/Arabic names.

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Critics of the database say immigrant communities and low income individuals are more likely to use money transfer services, which in turn means they are potentially the most at risk if law enforcement misuses the system. The ACLU says it was able to trace at least three criminal prosecutions back to the database but claims the real figure is likely much higher.

Why does law enforcement want this data anyways?

Photo: David McNew (Getty Images)

In a nutshell, law enforcement agencies value transaction records because they can be used to paint an investigative picture and collect evidence of money laundering and fraud. Though the data on its own isnt necessarily enough to make an arrest, supporters of the program say they establish a pattern and show the flow of funds potentially associated with criminal activity.

These money transfer services, which are typically less regulated than larger banking institutions, have drawn scrutiny form lawmakers over concern their lack of reporting makes them more susceptible to criminal activity. On the flip side, that lack of regulations means law enforcement entities are able to tap into money transfer data more easily than they could traditional banking records.

Rich Lebel, the director of the nonprofit organization responsible for housing the records, told The Wall Street Journal the data had contributed to hundreds of law enforcement leads and busts related to drug cartels and other money laundering operations.

What types of money transfers are implicated?

Photo: Dan Kitwood (Getty Images)

The transaction records in question include exchanges greater than $500 dollars. That cutoff point was selected by the organization running the database as a type of safeguard to avoid over collecting records of individuals using money transfer for remittances back to other countries.

The database reportedly captures records from some of the most popular money transfer providers, including Western Union, MoneyGram and Euronet. Newer digital first money transfer services such as Apple Cash, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle, meanwhile, do not appear to have shared user transaction records to the database, according to an investigation from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. Though the program appears primarily concerned with transfers occurring in and out of the U.S. some purely domestic transfers are reportedly being caught up in databases as well.

Who is able to view the money transfers?

Photo: Octavio Jones (Getty Images)

All told, several thousand officers spread out across more than 600 law enforcement entities on the state, local, and federal levels may have had access to the records. On the national level, those agencies reportedly include the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and smaller local police forces spread out across nearly every state. ICE and Homeland Security alone, according to Senator Ron Wyden, reportedly used customs summonses to suck up roughly six million money transfer records from Western Union and Maxitransfers since 2019.

Is any of this even legal?

Photo: Sean Gallup (Getty Images)

The short answer here is, its still unclear. Though many of the private money transfer firms named in the report agreed to hand over the implicated transaction data willingly, civil liberties advocates argue this massive database of records grants law enforcement wide access to sensitive information they otherwise would have needed a warrant to view. At the very least, the workaround looks like a loophole to sidestep proper oversight. The thousands of authorized law enforcement officers, according to documents reviewed by the ACLU and The Journal, were able to parse through the database without a warrant to search for evidence of money laundering or similar crimes in the U.S.

At the same, the ACLU claims the 140 administrative subpoenas issued to money transfer companies by Arizonas attorneys general between 2014 to 2021 requesting customer transaction records knowingly violated federal law.

What is the Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC)

Photo: John Moore (Getty Images)

The crux of the story revolves around a shadowy nonprofit organization called Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC), set up by Arizonas attorney generals office back in 2014. TRAC was formed following a settlement between Western Union and Arizona over cross border drug trafficking from Mexico. Though originally funded through funds from that settlement, those have reportedly already dried up and its unclear where the organizations current funding comes from.

Experts speaking with The Journal said they believed TRAC had expanded far beyond its original mandate.

It was never the intent of the parties I worked with to summarily allow for the sharing of personal financial data of individuals with law enforcement, Oscar Herasme, a lawyer who helped establish TRAC back in 2008 said. Wholesale access to customer dataruns counter to the expectation of privacy afforded to financial service consumers.

The pushback

As seen from the air, the U.S.-Mexico border fence (U.S.-L) stretches through the Sonoran Desert on December 9, 2010 in the Tohono Oodham Reservation, Arizona.

Arizonas state attorneys general has so far defended its practices and claimed money transfer customers should expect less privacy protections than others.

Courts have held that customers using money transmitter businesses do not have the same expectation of privacy as traditional banking customers, an Arizona attorney general spokesperson told The Journal.

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to the Journal, TRACs director Rich Lebel, tried to downplay claims this surveillance network was operating in secrecy.

Its a law-enforcement investigative tool, Lebel told the Journal. We dont broadcast it to the world, but we dont run from or hide from it either. Lebel went on to say use of the TRAC database has increased in recent years due to law enforcement efforts to address the growing opioid crisis.



One of the largest government surveillance programs in recent memory

Photo: Jason Kempin (Getty Images)

The money transfer surveillance apparatus drew the ire of civil liberties organizations, most notably the ACLU, which collected the 140 subpoenas sent by the Arizona state attorney generals office. In statement sent to Gizmodo, the organization called the system, one of the largest government surveillance programs in recent memory.

These records paint a damning portrait of government overreach, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project Deputy Director Nathan Freed Wessler said. The government should not be allowed to abuse subpoenas and sweep up millions of records on huge numbers of people without any basis for suspicion. This financial surveillance program is built on repeated violations of the law and must be shut down.

Democratic lawmaker demands an investigation into, bulk surveillance program

Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)

Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden wrote a letter to the Department of Justices Inspector General this week calling for a deep investigation into the relationship between federal law enforcement and TRAC. Though Wyden previously disclosed information regarding money transfer surveillance by the Department of Homeland Security last year, the new trove of documents reportedly includes many more states and foreign governments than was previously known.

My investigation uncovered that the U.S. government is conducting mass surveillance on domestic and international money transfers. Now, Im calling on the DOJ to open an investigation into this practice and its impact on Americans rights. https://t.co/J6cedcORM0  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 18, 2023

This unorthodox arrangement between state law enforcement, DHS and DOJ agencies to collect bulk money-transfer data raises a number of concerns about surveillance disproportionately affecting low-income, minority and immigrant communities, Wyden said in a statement. Members of these communities are more likely to use money transfer services because they are more likely to be unbanked, and therefore unable to send money using electronic checking or international bank wire transfers, which are often cheaper. Moreover, money transfer businesses are not subject to the same protections as bank-based transactions under the Right to Financial Privacy Act.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea and Iran have summoned each others ambassadors in a diplomatic spat triggered by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols comments describing Iran as the enemy of the United Arab Emirates during a trip to that country this week.

While visiting South Korean special forces stationed in the UAE on Monday, Yoon described the hosts as South Koreas brother nation tied by growing economic and military cooperation, and then compared the threat he said UAE faces from Iran to the threat South Korea faces from nuclear-armed North Korea.

The security of our brother nation is our security, Yoon said. The enemy of the UAE, its most-threatening nation, is Iran, and our enemy is North Korea.

Yoons remarks triggered an irritated response from Irans Foreign Ministry, which said it was investigating Yoons interfering statements. South Koreas government insists Yoon was trying to encourage the South Korean troops in the UAE and didnt intend to comment on Irans foreign relations, urging against an unnecessary overinterpretation of his comments.

About 150 South Korean troops are stationed in the UAE, engaging in combined special forces training and other joint military activities. The deployment, which began in 2011, grew out South Koreas deal with the UAE to build the countrys first nuclear power plant.

South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong on Thursday called Iranian Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari to the ministry to explain Seouls stance once again, ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a briefing.

Lim said the meeting came in response to the summoning of South Koreas ambassador to Tehran by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday over Yoons comments.

Lim said Shabestari told Cho that he would faithfully convey Seouls explanation of Yoons comments to his bosses in Tehran, but didnt provide further details about the conversation.

As we explained several times, (Yoons) reported comments were meant to encourage our troops serving their duties in the UAE, and had nothing to do with Irans foreign relations, including South Korea-Iran relations, Lim said. Our governments will to develop relations with Iran remains unchanged.

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The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on its website that its deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Reza Najafi, lodged a strong protest over Yoons meddlesome comments after summoning South Korean Ambassador Yun Kang-hyeon.

Najafi said during the meeting that Yoons comments were tantamount to interference in what he described as Irans friendly relations with most Gulf states and undermined peace and security in the region, the ministry said.

Najafi also mentioned friction between Iran and South Korea over billions of dollars in Iranian funds remaining in Seoul, frozen by American sanctions over Irans collapsed nuclear deal with world powers.

Najafi said South Koreas failure to resolve the dispute could prompt Tehran to reconsider bilateral ties, according to his ministry. Iran held a South Korean oil tanker for months in 2021 amid the dispute.

Najafi also took issue with separate comments by Yoon on North Korea and questioned whether South Korea is considering acquiring its own nuclear weapons in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a suggestion Lim dismissed as groundless.

In a meeting with defense officials in Seoul last week, Yoon entertained the possibility of South Korea pushing for a redeployment of American nuclear weapons or seeking a deterrent of its own if North Koreas growing nuclear threat gets out of control.

But Yoon made clear those scenarios weren't part of his official policy and emphasized his realistic goal of strengthening South Koreas defense under its alliance with the United States, including joint military planning potentially involving U.S. assets, and boosting the Souths own capability to retaliate to deter North Korean attacks.

The comments of our president were intended to (emphasize the importance) of strengthening the effectiveness of the (U.S.) extended deterrence to counter North Koreas escalating nuclear and missile threats, Lim said, referring to the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear ones.

Our country has been sincerely carrying out our nonproliferation obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and there has been no change to our willingness to carry out those obligations, Lim said.

Yoons comments during his UAE visit, which have been criticized by his political opponents at home as a diplomatically disastrous, came as the UAE attempts to hedge in its relationship with Iran, a major business partner. The UAE also is home to around 3,500 American troops at Al Dhafra Air Base, a naval outpost in Fujairah and other locations.

The UAE has spent billions of dollars purchasing South Korean surface-to-air missile systems in part of efforts to protect itself against aerial threats. Those threats include long-range drone attacks by Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels  weapons likely built by or with Tehrans help.
Elden E. and Barbara Krzyske

WALTZ  Elden E. and Barbara Krzyske of Waltz are observing their 55th wedding anniversary today.

Mr. Krzyske married Barbara Matthes Jan. 19, 1968, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Monroe.

The couples children and their spouses are Tim (Heather) Krzyske of Brownstown Township, Sue (Rich) Calkins of Carleton and Karen (Bob) Makowski of Brownstown Township. They also have six grandchildren.

The couple in 1968

Elden Krzyske was the co-owner and worked for Krzyske Brothers hardware store in Waltz for 44 years

He served in the Army during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Germany from 1962-64.

He is a 1956 graduate of Huron High School, New Boston.

Mr. Krzyske has made more than 1,500 Jesus plaques that he has given to numerous schools, churches, businesses and area residents. He also enjoys puzzles.

Mrs. Krzyske worked for Union Camp Paper Co. for 12 years and then was the secretary at the church office of St. Patrick (Divine Grace) for more than 22 years.

She graduated from St. Mary Academy in 1956 and enjoys making very detailed personalized greeting cards for loved ones and scrapbooking.

Both are active members of the Huron Township Seniors and have traveled to Europe, the Bahamas, the Holy Lands in Jerusalem and all U.S. states except for Oregon and Washington state. They have attended nearly all of their six grandchildrens events over the years.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Krzyskes celebrating 55th anniversary
An egg is cooked on a gas stove in Berkeley, Calif., on March 13, 2018. Berkeley was the first city in the nation to ban gas hookups in most new homes and buildings, a policy adopted in 2019. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)

For years, elite liberals worked up over the environment have assuaged their consciences by checking a box and writing a check.

Flying to Davos on that cozy private jet, Democratic senator or governor? Just buy some offsets and you can claim with a straight face that your flight is so-called carbon neutral, with no net negative impact on the warming of the planet. Easy-peasy for anyone wealthy, self-righteous and averse to removing liquids from their carry-on bags.

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But a major, nine-month investigation published this week by The Guardian, the German weekly Die Zeit and the nonprofit investigative journalism outfit SourceMaterial  hardly a clutch of conservative rags  revealed that the practice has, to a large degree, always been bogus.

After investigating the ubiquitous, Washington, D.C.-based Verra carbon standard, the paper found that more than 90% of rainforest offset credits  among the most commonly used by companies  are likely to be phantom credits and do not represent genuine carbon reductions. 90%!

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The investigation (which its main target has vehemently disputed) found that very few of Verras claimed rainforest deforestation reductions actually did anything of the kind; that the problem of rainforest deforestation had been widely overstated; and that some of the projects that were supposed to be helping the environment actually resulted in human rights violations on the ground.

In other words, the investigation claimed that carbon offsets may well have been making everything worse.

What does all of this have to do with a middle-class family in Chicago concerned that someone is going to tell them they cant heat their Edgebrook bungalow with natural gas anymore? Plenty.

Voluntarily buying carbon offsets (and its a $2 billion business) has always been a ruse to let liberal elites not have to change their ways. In reality, doing better for the environment means maybe flying public not private, or maybe doing the complex and nuanced work of deciding what actually is necessary. We cant all just stay home because that leads to other problems, but maybe we dont need to be on a five-seater over the Atlantic.

By making environmentalism showy and purchasable, the rich have had no incentive to change their ways, even as they pass regulations impinging on the individual choices of ordinary folks who drive to Costco. And those folks understandably get mad at the hypocrisy.

That has led to a pernicious cycle of events, very much in evidence this week. And this is Chicago. Heat matters a heck of a lot here.

The gas stove panic, a child of social media, began with a single study published in the fall and linking stoves to childhood asthma. That gave environmentalists who believe electricity to be better for the environment the chance to argue anew for the end of natural gas in the home.

That in turn led conservatives to stoke the fear that Orwellian Biden bureaucrats were coming to rip out stoves and hand homeowners the bill; which led to liberals arguing the panic was overblown, even though the concerns were legitimate; which led to ... the usual dysfunctional stalemate resulting in extreme positions and no positive change for the planet.

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The algorithms of social media, which love nothing so much as entrenched, easy-to-understand positions (Harry vs. William, Biden classifieds vs. Trump classifieds, gas vs. electric) have amplified the whole thing.

Are they coming for your stove or your gas boiler? Sure, some people are pushing hard for that, even as they say otherwise. There are strong arguments that an electric heat pump is the better way to heat your home and that induction stovetops are the way to go. America has no shortage of people who insist on telling others what to do. Already, there are reports that Evanston may ban gas hookups for new homes and apartments.

But the issue is very complicated, contested, and ranges far beyond real questions about the effectiveness of electric heat pumps in subzero Midwestern temperatures. The issue involves both money (who pays for all of these conversions and regulatory requirements?) and that most precious of American attributes: the freedom to live your life as you wish and, at least from time to time, sear your cornfed steak over a roaring gas flame under a starlit sky.

You can imagine the ease with which a conservative columnist can seize on that metaphor, and so they have and will, but we should all understand its importance. Freedom of choice matters; just ask the Davos crew as they keep their laptops in their leather cases.

On the other hand, the climate crisis is real and wholesale change is necessary. There should be an honest debate about how we get around, how we power our cars, how we heat our homes and, yes, with what fuel we choose to cook. Plenty of potential converts have yet to try induction cooktops; theyre cool.

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None of that can happen if there are different rules for the liberal rich, which has been the most notable achievement so far of the carbon offset racket.

Ordinary folks have long known that elites will find a way to do what they want even as they stick it to the masses. And thats why they will wrap their arms around their gas stoves and wont let them go.

All of this needs to change.

Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Parrots gather in a roost in Temple City, where their loudness can be overwhelming. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

That the parrots of Los Angeles are loud is an indisputable fact. The voluble squawks, warbles and trills of the colorful non-native birds (descendants of those originally imported from Mexico as pets that were freed or escaped) have been part of the SoCal soundtrack for more than half a century.

The volume of their vocalization has been chronicled in the pages of The Times as far back as the early 1960s, and it's the rare account of the feathered fauna that doesn't mention the cacophony that accompanies a pandemonium of parrots (yes, that's the appropriate collective noun for a group of them). But if you've been treated to an earful from a local treeful lately, particularly in the last month or so, you might have wondered: Have L.A.'s parrots gotten louder? And if they have pumped up the volume, why?

To get a bead on just what kind of volume level we're talking about, I joined a recent field trip to the Temple City roost  the nightly home to one of the largest flocks of the mouthy birds around  organized by the Pasadena Audubon Society. (Temple City is located in the west San Gabriel Valley, about five miles southeast of Pasadena.)

Parakeets sit in a tree in Temple City. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Shortly after 4 p.m., the first groups of four or five birds at a time (mitred parakeets at first) flapped into view, alighting in the spindly sycamore trees in the Rosemead Boulevard median near Olive Street, their calls barely audible against the thrum of rush hour traffic.

About a half-hour later, the volume had risen markedly, and the groups were noticeably larger  six and eight bright green birds at a time (red-crowned parrots, red-masked parakeets and at least one yellow-headed parrot swooping in to join the dozen or two parrots already perched in each tree).

At 4:45 p.m., the median birds took wing en masse, circling in the sky a few times before taking up residence in a denser stand of trees a couple of hundred feet farther away along Eaton Wash and behind a Korean restaurant, cranking up the volume knob another few notches along the way. Noisy? Sure. Loud? Yes, but hardly distractingly so.

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Then, at about 5 p.m., just as the sun was setting, things seemed to go all Hitchcock movie on us as hundreds and hundreds of flapping, squawking, chirping and tweeting parrots (and a good number of parakeets) converged on the trees surrounding the intersection and accomplished the rare feat of drowning out  for a good 10 minutes  the sound of all the automobiles driving by just a few feet in front of us.





And, yes, they were loud. Ear-piercingly loud. Two hundred pet shops, a dozen zoos and a good-sized rainforest all mixed together and turned up to 11 loud.

A few days later, Pasadena Audubon Society board member and field trip chair Corey Husic sent a final tally: a total of 1,323 individual birds had been spotted, a number that included 1,000 red-crowned parrots, 180 mitred parakeets, 20 lilac-crowned parrots, 25 red-masked parakeets, four each of red-lored parrots and yellow-headed parrots, and a random assortment of less flashy feathered creatures including American crows (3), common ravens (2) and a single Cooper's hawk.

Loudness confirmed, I turned to the leaders of the excursion  Husic and PAS president Luke Tiller  to find out if the birds had somehow gotten their beaks on the volume knob. While they had sound suggestions as to why the resident parrot population might seem louder now to the average Angeleno (or Temple Citian, in this particular instance), Husic suggested I reach out to John McCormack, director of the Moore Laboratory of Zoology at Occidental College and a lead investigator of the school's Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project.

Luke Tiller, president of the Pasadena Audubon Society, looks through binoculars as he guides visitors on a visit to Temple City to see a roost of parrots and parakeets who make the area their nightly home. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

"They've definitely been increasing in numbers over the last 15 years," McCormack said. "So what started as small, local populations has sort of expanded across the city, as well as individual flocks becoming bigger. So that's one reason for the increased noise.

"It used to just be that the Temple City flock was kind of the main flock around for the [Amazona genus] parrots. And that was their epicenter, and you didn't find them anywhere else," he explained. "And in addition to that one growing in numbers, there's also all these satellite flocks." McCormack described recently tracking down a flock of 100 yellow-headed parrots in Altadena, which is about seven miles northwest of Temple City.

"The yellow-headeds were actually kind of the original OG parrot in L.A. back in the 1960s, and they were thought to be declining," McCormack said. "But they seemed to be doing pretty well out in Altadena."

In addition to the more parrots in more places equals more noise explanation (an hourlong instead of decades-long version of which I watched unfold in Temple City as the birds gathered together to roost for the night), there are several other reasons why people might perceive the birds to be a bit louder  especially right now.

It's peak flocking season

McCormack explained that the parrot breeding cycle has the birds going off in (much less noisy) pairs in the spring. "Right about now is when they start breaking off and searching for nesting locations," he said, adding that they'll reform into larger (and noiser) flocks again beginning in August and September.

"Right now," he said when I spoke to him in mid-January, "is sort of peak flocking." (McCormack also noted that parrot vocalization has its daily cycles as well as seasonal ones. In addition to the evening come-home-to-roost socializing I'd observed just before sunset, there's increased morning-time chatter. "We've got flocks that come in here, right by Occidental College where I live. And they're always making a lot of noise in the morning as they're waking up," McCormack said.

A large flock of parrots takes off through the dusky sky in Temple City. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

You've got new neighbors

During the visit to the Temple City roost, PAS' Husic offered a simple explanation as to why the parrots might seem louder to some people. They might have recently decided to alight in your hood. "The roosts tend to move around a little bit," he explained. "In previous years, this particular one has been centered a few blocks northeast, up near Workman Avenue. There still seem to be some over there too, but the bulk has shifted [here]."

The result? Anyone living within earshot of a fresh roost site could be forgiven for thinking a full-scale parrot-geddon was in full swing every night of winter.

Some species are louder (and more grating) than others

Pointing to the first few birds spotted during the Temple City field trip  a pair of mitred parakeets alighting in a sycamore tree  Husic suggested another explanation for a perceived noise increase. "The parakeet has a higher-pitched call that can be more grating," he said. "So maybe people are picking up on that." He also singled out the yellow-headed parrot as a possible culprit, describing its call as "sometimes sound[ing] like a shrieking child." In large enough numbers, that can be hard to tune out.

Two red-masked parakeets interact with each other while perched in the branches of a tree in Temple City. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

"Those are really loud," McCormack said. "Really loud and really grating. ... They're every bit as shrieky as the red-crowned parrot, but with an added staccato burst, that makes it extra grating. If you've got a flock of a hundred right by your apartment complex, which they were in Altadena  they were literally roosting right next to a bunch of apartments  that's going to be insane."

McCormack's comment made me think back to the field trip and the Kahlua Apartments complex strung along Rosemead and facing the spindly parrot-filled sycamores in the median. Noticing the cluster of apartments, one of my fellow birdwatchers asked exactly what I'd been thinking: "Does the parrot noise bother people?" she asked over the din of parrot socializing.

Tiller gave a slight shrug. "This is L.A.," he answered.

Yes, the sounds generated by the free-flying parrots of Greater Los Angeles  with their green plumage flecked with shades of yellow, red and lilac  are as much a part of the city's soundscape as the rustle of wind through the palm trees (all but one species of which are also non-native, by the way) and the soft, almost pneumatic whoosh of freeway traffic.

And now if you notice that crazy-colored ornithological orchestra getting louder, you'll know there's substance behind the squawk.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Rev. Clayton Cowart holds posters of two people he said were beaten by Lakeland police, Timothy Davis, left, and Eric Kent, right, during a Black Lives Matters Restoration Polk Inc. news conference in front of the Lakeland Police Department on Thursday.

LAKELAND  Black Live Matters Restoration Polk Inc. leaders say that during the past month, four Lakeland residents have come forward with videos demonstrating a pattern of violent behavior by Lakeland police officers.

Carl Soto, Polk BLM co-founder and vice president, said there was a meeting with Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor and Assistant Chief Marvin Tarver on Tuesday in which he shared several videos displaying the conduct of Detective Dillon Cornn and Officers Jason McCain and Anton Jefferson. All are members of the departments Street Crimes Unit, and all three were involved in a December arrest captured on video that appeared to show a suspect being punched on the ground.

The officers are under active investigation after the Dec. 18 arrest of Antwan Glover, who was detained on West 9th Street for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt, then officers spotted marijuana inside the car. Two videos posted to Facebook of Glovers arrest went viral, showing what appeared to be an officer punching Glover in the head and upper torso.

In the wake of Mr. Glovers incident, videos have surfaced all over social media that have outraged the community, Soto said. This pattern of violent behavior is inexcusable.

A video posted Dec. 21, 2022, on Facebook appears to show a Lakeland police officer repeatedly punching a suspect, Antwan Glover, while arresting him after a traffic stop. Witnesses used phones to record videos during the incident that occurred shortly after midnight. In 2 clips posted to the Facebook page of the suspect, 4 officers can be seen helping to subdue him in the Paul A. Diggs neighborhood.

PreviouslyPolk BLM calls for arrest of 4 Lakeland officers, removal of new police chief

How it beganVideo from arrest at traffic stop shows Lakeland officer punching suspect on ground

BLM asserts it was after Tuesdays meeting that all three officers were placed on modified duty effective immediately.

Taylor issued a press statement Wednesday stating the officers duties were changed in light of new information.

"When this new information is considered along with the previously known facts of this case, and after consulting with the City Manager Shawn Sherrouse, we have decided it is prudent to place Detective Dillon Cornn and Officers Anton Jefferson and Jason McCain on a modified duty status effective immediately," he said.

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Taylor said the "modified duty status" means the officers will have limited contact with the public and are restricted from working extra duty details. These restrictions will remain in place until the investigation is complete.

Under the LPD policy, the investigation has to be completed within 180 days, according to LPD spokeswoman Robin Tillett.

Carl Soto, vice president of Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk Inc., left introduces two more people who allege they were victims of excessive force by Lakeland police.

Pastor Clayton Cowart, founder of the faith-based civil rights group Poor and Minority Justice Association, said his organization stands by BLM in calling for Lakeland Police Department and its officers to be held accountable.

As far as we are concerned, Jason McCain is a wanted man by this community, Clayton said. This community does not trust law enforcement.

These groups are calling for State Attorney Brian Haas to arrest all the officers involved and charge them with crimes. Clayton said two letters have been sent to the State Attorneys Office without response.

Were talking about active criminal cases and we cant comment, Jacob Orr, chief assistant to Haas, told The Ledger on Thursday afternoon.

Soto said BLM is reaching out to the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the Lakeland Police Department and its behavior.

We believe pursuant to federal standards these officers should be charged with hate crimes, he said.

The four cases BLM presented as evidence span a period of 13 months from June 2021 to July 2022 in which family or bystanders captured cellphone footage of an encounter with Lakeland police. Three of the individuals were arrested and face criminal charges.

Polk BLM founder Jarvis Washington, who provided a video, was not arrested or detained after officers recognized him as a active member of Lakelands Black community, according to Soto.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland officers accused of punching man are put on modified duty
Family members console one another on Saturday at a vigil for Keenan Anderson, who died after being tased by Los Angeles police. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

For a disturbing 42 seconds, a Los Angeles police officer repeatedly stunned a teacher with a Taser gun this month as other officers tried to pin and handcuff the man in the middle of a busy Venice street.

The gaps between pulses were so brief that Keenan Anderson, 31, could get out only a few words  including "Help me, please"  as he repeatedly cried out in agony.

Anderson died several hours later, though his cause of death has not yet been established.

The actions of the officers, captured on LAPD body cameras, have sparked protests, an internal investigation and calls for changes in police policies.

In particular, the case has placed scrutiny on Los Angeles Police Department guidelines on officers' use of Tasers. Its written policies address the circumstance under which Tasers can be used but are vague when it comes to how often the weapon should be fired.

LAPD policy states that officers "may use the Taser as a reasonable force option to control a suspect when the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officer or others."

There is already much debate about whether Anderson posed the kind of threat to officers that six Taser discharges were necessary, with several policing experts saying it was not.

"Just because he is actively resisting, that doesn't mean he is a threat," said Seth Stoughton, a University of South Carolina law professor and use-of-force expert who reviewed the LAPD body-cam videos.

An image from LAPD video of the tasing of Keenan Anderson. (LAPD)

"He is not a threat of harm to the officers. The only threat is a delay," said Stoughton, a former Florida police officer. "It doesn't appear to me the officers believe the Taser protects them from harm."

LAPD policy attempts to address this distinction, saying Tasers "shall not be used on a suspect or subject who is passively resisting or merely failing to comply with commands." Not responding to verbal commands, the policy states, is not grounds for using a Taser.

Another major question for use-of-force experts concerns the number of times Anderson was tased.

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LAPD policy does not address how frequently an officer can use a Taser on a suspect and what to do if the first discharge does not resolve an incident. A 2021 directive urged officers to "avoid repeated Taser applications where practicable to avoid possible injury."

The directive also instructed officers to "continually evaluate the situation they are in and the apparent effectiveness" and, if Taser use isn't working, to "consider transitioning to another" tactic.

According to LAPD policy, the duration of a Taser activation on a suspect is five seconds. "During this period of incapacitation that the suspect/subject experiences, the arrest team should take positions of advantage to immediately control the suspect/subject and take them into custody."

In releasing a video of the tasing of Anderson compiled from officers' body cameras, Chief Michel Moore said that there is no limit on the number of times a Taser can be used in a particular situation and that the actions must be reasonable given the totality of the circumstances.

Some policing experts said the current rules give much latitude  perhaps too much  to officers.

Ed Obayashi, a Northern California deputy, police lawyer and use-of-force expert who reviewed the LAPD's body-cam footage, said the department is among many that have not set limits on how often Tasers are used.

Crowds attend a candlelight vigil Saturday for Keenan Anderson. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The most problematic repeated uses occur when a person falls into a specific risk category, such as those who are on drugs. Moore has alleged that Anderson was in an altered state and resisted officers' efforts to detain him. His bloodwork showed the presence of cocaine and cannabis in his system, the chief said.

In the wake of Anderson's death, some community activists have called for new limits on Taser use by officers.

Stoughton said the six uses of the Taser on Anderson are a significant issue. "The more you use it, the higher the risk," he said. The stun gun, he said, was initially conceived as a replacement for deadly force and a response to edge and blunt weapons. "The term 'lazy tasy' has become common. It is as easy as snapping a photo."

A dozen years ago, the Police Executive Research Forum advised law enforcement agencies that people should not be exposed to an electronic control weapon, such as a Taser-branded stun gun, for more than 15 seconds total. Personnel should be trained to use an ECW for one standard cycle (five seconds) and then evaluate the situation to determine if subsequent cycles are necessary, the guidelines stated.

Some departments have, however, offered more specific rules.

In Eugene, Ore., the "number of Taser discharges against a person should not exceed three, or a total duration of 15 seconds." Eugene police officers are cautioned that "multiple Taser discharges or discharges exceeding the standard five-second duration may increase the risk of injury or death and should be avoided when possible."

In 2020, the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police issued a 20-page report saying that agencies may wish to consider imposing a limit of three cycles or a total of 15 seconds absent exigent circumstances.

But use-of-force experts caution that when departments set time limits, they are in effect telling their officers to use other means to subdue a subject, which can lead to physical blows.

The LAPD training guidance advises against repeated usage but instructs officers that "because the department recognizes that each tactical situation is unique and that officers must be given the flexibility to resolve tactical situations in the field there is no pre-set limit of number of times the Taser can be used in a particular situation."

Police encountered Anderson around 3:40 p.m. Jan. 3 after he crashed his BMW on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. Officers say he ran into the busy street afterward, and a motorcycle officer pursued him. He was initially cooperative after he was detained and sat down at an intersection to speak with an officer, but while backup was being called, Anderson bolted into the road again, police said.

Officers then swarmed Anderson, trying to flip him onto his stomach and handcuff him as he declared, "They are trying to kill me," according to police video. It was during this encounter when a Taser was used on him.

Moore said Anderson was a felony hit-and-run suspect who tried to get into another person's car and, in an altered state, resisted officers' efforts to detain him.

Christopher Anderson wipes his eyes at a vigil for his brother Keenan Anderson. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The chief said that the first two activations of the Taser, which was fired from afar, "weren't effective" on Anderson and that the stun gun was then directly applied to the man's skin four times. A Times investigation in 2016 found that of the 1,100 times an LAPD officer used a Taser, the weapon worked 53% of the time.

Taser activations fell from 1,363 in 2016 to 545 in 2020 and then to 432 in 2022, according to LAPD data.

Taser maker Axon Enterprise Inc. has acknowledged the devices might pose a risk to some people and began discouraging targeting the chest and advising officers to aim at a subject's back or, with front shots, nearer the belt. In 2017, it warned that some people might be more susceptible to the effects of the devices.

"These susceptible individuals include the elderly, those with heart conditions, asthma or other pulmonary conditions, and people suffering from excited delirium, profound agitation, severe exhaustion, drug intoxication or chronic drug abuse, and/or over-exertion from physical struggle. In a physiologically or metabolically compromised person, any physiologic or metabolic change may cause or contribute to sudden death," the company stated.

LAPD policy requires suspects who have had Taser darts stuck to their skin to be examined, Moore said, and Los Angeles Fire Department personnel treated Anderson at the scene before taking him to a hospital in Santa Monica, according to a police news release.

After a medical emergency there, Anderson died, the chief said.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office will conduct an autopsy, and extensive testing will determine the cause of his death. His family is planning its own independent autopsy.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Scott Verti, left, stands with Kurt Zaner, one of his attorneys, as he takes questions at a press conference announcing the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Denver, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish, and Timothy Evans, a former priest Verti said sexually abused him more than 100 times as a teen, Thursday in Denver.

A man who says he was sexually abused more than 100 times by a former Fort Collins priest as a teen has filed a lawsuit against him, the church he was employed at when the alleged abuse occurred and the Archdiocese of Denver.

The former priest, Timothy Evans, was one of four priests from different parishes in Fort Collins and Loveland named in a special report from the Colorado Attorney General's Office released in 2019 detailing credible claims of abuse by Catholic priests and the Archdiocese of Denver's handling of the acts. Evans' was the only Larimer County case that led to criminal charges.

Evans was sentenced to 14 years to life in prison in 2007 for sexually assaulting a teen boy who worked at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, where Evans was a pastor. He was also convicted of the same charge for a separate incident in Jefferson County.

Evans was granted parole in July 2020. When Scott Verti read about his release in the news, he said he realized he was ready to speak up for the first time and come forward with his own allegations against Evans.

Scott Verti appears at a press conference with his lawyers to announce the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Denver, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish, and Timothy Evans, a former priest Verti said sexually abused him more than 100 times as a teen, Thursday in Denver.

Five victims have come forward with accusations against Timothy Evans

Verti, now 38, said Evans sexually abused him more than 100 times between 1999 and 2003, starting when Verti was 14 years old and working at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church as an altar boy and then a sacristan, which involved setting up for mass, supervising altar boys and assisting priests and deacons with whatever they needed during mass, according to a civil lawsuit filed Thursday. The abuse was sexual and physical, and occurred at the church and in Evans's apartment, the lawsuit claims.

Three teens were identified as victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Evans during the 2005 criminal investigation, Verti's attorney Kurt Zaner said during a news conference Thursday, and a fourth victim was identified years later in the 2019 report from the attorney general's office. Verti is not included in either, which would make him the fifth victim to come forward with abuse accusations against Evans.

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Verti told the Coloradoan in an interview Wednesday he wasn't ready to speak out about the abuse he experienced when Evans was being criminally investigated in 2005 for sexually abusing a different child at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.

"When that case came and I got the call from police, that was the first time I actually realized he was an abuser, he abused my friends, he abused me," Verti said. "It took years for me to really come to terms with that."

Verti said he saw this lawsuit as "an opportunity for me to right a regret that I had over the last however many years as an adult, wishing I had come forward."

A temporary state law change that took effect in January 2021 established a three-year period allowing victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their alleged abusers in instances of abuse dating as far back as 1960. Victims have until the end of 2024 to file those lawsuits.

That law change only applies to civil lawsuits. Zaner said he's not sure if criminal charges could still be filed as a result of Verti's allegations, but its possible the statute of limitations has expired.

Verti said he has dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction, among other challenges stemming from the abuse he said he experienced as a teen. He struggled with insomnia as a teen, and has struggled to form deep relationships with anyone, he said Thursday.

"I had no ability to trust anybody," Verti said during the news conference.

He is now two years sober and said speaking up and filing this lawsuit has been part of his recovering and has "been a relief," Verti said.

"That abuse ... corrupted my entire adult life," Verti told the Coloradoan.

Verti said, in coming forward, he hopes it encourages families to have conversations about what children should do if an adult makes them feel uncomfortable  something he never talked about with his parents.

"I hope that part of me coming forward encourages that discourse in families, as well as to let other victims know they have this opportunity to come forward and there is this chance to hold not only their abusers accountable, but the institutions that enabled their abuse," Verti said.

Lawsuit: Archdiocese of Denver knew about previous abuse allegations

Evans was accused of sexual harassment starting while he was in seminary, and was accused of sexually abusing two other teen boys at other parishes in Arvada and Lakewood prior to being transferred to a church in Fort Collins where he is accused of sexually abusing Verti and at least two others, according to the 2019 attorney general report and the civil lawsuit.

As early as 1987, the Archdiocese of Denver "knew about and failed to investigate serious and recurring personal relationship, boundary, and sexual issues that indicated he may engage in sexual misconduct with children," the report states.

"The archdiocese has a chance at every single step of this guy's path to stop him," one of Verti's attorneys, Kurt Zaner, told the Coloradoan.

The report stated that Evans exhibited inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature as early as his seminary formation years (1985 to 1993), long before he was ordained as a priest," and another seminarian told the archdiocese at the time that "Evans should not be ordained because he would misuse the priesthood in the parish."

"There shouldn't have been any victims of Father Tim Evans," Verti said during the news conference. "The church had that opportunity and they obviously squandered that."

Evans was diagnosed by a priest psychologist with "boundary issues," a term the lawsuit alleges the Catholic church frequently used as code for sexual abuse or misconduct to avoid investigations, the lawsuit claims.

Evans was accused of sexually abusing a teen at his parish in Arvada and then another teen when he was transferred to Lakewood before being moved by the archdiocese again to Fort Collins, according to the attorney general's report.

"It seemed like the archdiocese transferred him to my church because of his sexual harassment issues," Verti told the Coloradoan. "That really was emotional for me to read."

Verti said he hopes the current archbishop of Denver  Samuel Aquila  takes allegations and instances of sexual misconduct more seriously than past leaders.

"He has the opportunity to protect the children in his parishes and to do something that is long, long overdue in the Catholic Church," Verti said.

Zaner said he and Verti's other attorneys reached out to the archdiocese several months ago through a program the archdiocese has to mediate and settle these kinds of claims but had not heard back at the time the lawsuit was filed.

The archdiocese said in a statement emailed to media Thursday afternoon that both programs it has been involved in related to sexual abuse claims  the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program that operated in 2019-2020 and the Reparations and Healing Protocol, which currently operates  are confidential and that it can't comment on whether Verti participated in either.

"The AG's report was very clear that if (the Catholic Church) doesn't implement the suggestions of the AG's office, more children will be victimized and abused, those that speak out will be silenced and abused again, and the priests that are committing these atrocious acts will continue doing so with access to children," Zaner said.

The Archdiocese of Denver said it had not been served a lawsuit by Verti or seen the complaint as of its Thursday statement and noted it does not comment on pending litigation. The Coloradoan confirmed the lawsuit was electronically filed Thursday morning.

In that statement, the archdiocese said it "cares about all survivors of sexual abuse and is fully committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community  children, youth, and at-risk adults."

If you think a child is being harmed

ChildSafe has compiled child abuse resources for those in Northern Colorado needing emergency help or long-term support. For more information, visit childsafecolorado.org/resources-b/ or call 970-472-4133.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an anti-sexual violence organization, lists tips for what to do if you suspect a child is being harmed.

1. Recognize the signs

The signs of abuse aren't necessarily obvious, but they include:

Behavioral signs: Shrinking away from physical contact, thumb sucking or other regressive behaviors, changing hygiene routines, engaging in age-inappropriate sexual behaviors, or having sleep disturbances or nightmares

Verbal cues: Using words or phrases that are "too adult" for their age, unexplained silence or suddenly being less talkative

Physical signs: Bruising or swelling near the genital area, blood on sheets or undergarments or broken bones

2. Talk to the child

Pick your time and place carefully and find a place the child feels comfortable. Be aware of your tone. Try to make the conversation more casual and be non-threatening.

Talk to the child directly. Ask questions that use the child's own vocabulary but are a little vague. For example, "Has someone been touching you?" In this context "touching" can mean different things, but it is likely a word the child is familiar with. The child can respond with questions or comments to help you better gauge the situation like, "No one touches me except my mom at bath time," or "You mean like the way my cousin touches me sometimes?" Understand that sexual abuse can feel good to the child, so asking if someone is "hurting" them may not bring out the information that you are looking for.

Listen and follow up, but avoid judgment and blame.

Reassure the child, and make sure they know they're not in trouble.

Be patient. Remember this conversation may be very frightening for the child. Many perpetrators make threats about what will happen if someone finds out about the abuse.

3. Report it

Reporting a crime like sexual abuse might not be easy, and it can be emotionally draining.

Keep in mind that reporting abuse gives you the chance to protect someone who can't protect themselves.

Before you report, tell the child that you're going to talk to someone who can help. Be clear that you are not asking their permission.

Learn more at www.rainn.org.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fifth man claims years of sexual abuse by former Fort Collins priest
A lawyer set fire to his exs home while wearing an ankle monitor that hed had since his release in June on charges including aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon involving a different victim, according to Louisiana officials.

The woman who lives in the home and shares a child with the man posted a video on Facebook on Jan. 14 that she said was captured by her surveillance system. It shows a man walking up to her house with what appears to be a fuel container and a lighter, setting a fire and walking away as it spreads. She also said the man slashed her vehicles tires.

Now my house is destroyed, my cars are damaged, and the emotional damage is irreversible, she wrote.





She did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Firefighters responded to her Baton Rouge home at around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 14 and found the front door on fire, according to a news release from the Baton Rouge Fire Department. No one was home at the time.

The department determined the cause to be arson, the release says. The blaze caused around $2,000 in damage, according to the department.

The department issued a warrant for Christian King, 30, on charges of simple arson, violation of protective orders and simple criminal damage to property. The police department took him into custody on unrelated warrants, according to the release.

King, who is listed as a lawyer eligible to practice in Texas, had been previously arrested in Orleans Parish on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and domestic abuse aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, according to sheriffs office records.

King could not be reached for comment. An attorney for him could not be found.

Records show that King appeared in court on June 12 on those charges and was required to be monitored by a GPS system upon his release.

Jill Dennis, director of the Assured Supervision Accountability Program, a monitoring company for people released from the criminal justice system, told McClatchy News that her company was hired to monitor King on June 12 in connection with the Orleans Parish case.

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On Jan. 5, the address of the Baton Rouge home was put on the companys radar because the woman living there had filed a protective order to keep King away from the property, Dennis said. The protective order was a civil matter and unrelated to the charges King was previously arrested on in Orleans Parish, she said.

King violated the protective order multiple times after Jan. 5, and the company alerted Baton Rouge police each time, Dennis said. On Jan. 14, the company received an alert that he was at the property at around 3:15 a.m. and again at 8:20 a.m., she said.

At 8:20 a.m., Dennis said she was on the phone with emergency dispatchers telling them King was at the house when the woman called to say that she was watching King remotely through her surveillance camera feed. She was not home at the time.

Dennis immediately connected her with dispatchers.

I merged her with 911, and she said, Christian just set my house on fire. Please help, its burning, Dennis said. I could feel the pain and the fear and the anguish in her voice when she said, He set my house on fire. She was watching in real time.

Dennis said police later arrested King, and he is now in custody being held without bond. Baton Rouge police did not respond to a request for comment.

Dennis said she hopes the case will help bring attention and change to the powers afforded to GPS monitoring programs. She said if King had violated a protective order in a criminal matter, her company could have taken him into custody, but because the protective order in Baton Rouge was civil, the most she could do was call the police.

I wish we couldve done so much more for (this woman) rather than just call the police department, Dennis said.

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Husband in midst of divorce repeatedly rams dump truck into wifes home, CA cops say

14-year-old shot his teen girlfriend in fit of rage over breakup, Wisconsin cops say

Shootout between boyfriend and ex leaves woman dead, daughter shot, Florida cops say
STORY: The unrest persisted on Thursday (January 19) with road blockades.

Local media reported that at least one 30-year-old woman died during the conflict. Another person was severely wounded. Fires were set to the justice departments building and a police station in the city of Macusain, in the southern department of Puno.

The clashes mark the worst violence Peru has seen in over 20 years as many people in poorer rural regions vent anger at the Lima political elite over inequality and rising prices, testing the copper-rich Andean nation's democratic institutions.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, fast new elections, a clear out of Congress and a new Constitution to replace a market-friendly one dating back to strongman leader Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.
A Central Kentucky man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for the production and distribution of child pornography after thousands of explicit images of children were found on his phone.

Justin Tyler Ainslie, 25, of Lexington, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell. He pleaded guilty in March 2022, according to the Department of Justice.

Ainslie used a phone line and Google account to upload images of child sexual abuse to cloud-based storage, according to a federal affidavit.

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc., a company that provides storage services to Verizon customers, first noticed the images in May 2020. The company reported the images to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

According to the Department of Justice, in June 2020, the Lexington Police Department received two cyber-tips about Ainslie uploading child sexual abuse material to social media platforms.

A search of Ainslies residence resulted in the seizure of multiple electronic devices that contained 11,524 images and 1,501 videos of child sexual abuse material.

According to the Department of Justice, the production charge was based upon a review of Ainslies phone that revealed photos Ainslie admitted to taking. The photos depicted child sexual abuse material of minor girls.

Ainslie was originally indicted in the Eastern District of Kentucky for the distribution of child pornography charge and then charged in the Western District of Kentucky for production of child pornography. Ainslie consented to a transfer of the Western District charges to the Eastern District for his guilty plea and sentencing.

Under federal law, Ainslie must serve 85% of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. Additionally, Ainslie will be required to pay $138,500 in restitution.
Christophe Lehenaff / Getty

Since the industrial age began, light pollution has slowly transformed the night sky into a brighter scene that increasingly obscures our view of the stars, constellations, and other planets. Artificial lighting emanating from streetlamps, lit up buildings, dazzling advertisements, and a host of other sources can all cause an excess of luminescence that lingers into the night and produces what scientists call skyglow. Nearly a third of the worldincluding 80 percent of Americansis unable to properly see the massive glowing arc of the Milky Way galaxy due to skyglow. None of this is new, but its happening at an astonishingly faster rate that we thought possible.

A new study run by an international team of researchers has found that light pollution is causing sky brightness to increase about 7 to 10 percent every yearfaster than the 2 percent per year increase that satellite measurements have originally suggested. The average human who could see about 250 stars in the night sky today will probably only see about 100 stars in less than two decades.

The findings, published Jan. 19 in Science, were pulled together from an analysis of data from Globe at Night: a collection of 51,351 naked-eye observations made by citizen scientists scattered in 19,262 locations around the world, from 2011 to 2022. North Americas increase in skyglow seems to be the worst among the worlds continents, ticking up by roughly 10.4 percent every year.

Infographic illustrating the impact of light pollution on our ability to see stars and other objects in the night sky. Increased light pollutionand therefore skyglowcauses worsened view of the night sky. The numeric scale is similar to the one used by study participants. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, P. Marenfeld

The disappearance of the night skys starry view is more than a sentimental loss. Light pollutions negative effects on wildlife has been well-documented. Newborn sea turtles, for example, rely on stars as a literal lodestar to tell them to head for the ocean after they hatch. Other animals need the veil of the night to hide from predators. Many, including humans, rely on a dark night to help them regulate their own sleep patterns that help modulate a host of different physiological behaviors.

Moreover, astronomers employing ground-based instruments have found it more and more difficult to do their research thanks to a brighter night sky.

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Though the study included participation around the world, the majority of observations were made in North America and Europewhich means the progression of light pollution in other parts of the world is not as well known. The authors of the study note that sky brightening is likely occurring faster in developing parts of the world, thanks perhaps in great part to the modern day popularity of LED lights for outdoor lighting.

Ultimately, however, the studys biggest impact may not really be in its impact at all, but its methodology. The inclusion of over 50,000 participants in a citizen science project is remarkableand it points to the potential of amassing as much support for implementing solutions that could help reduce skyglow across the globe.

Those solutions, however, really all converge on the same approach: reducing artificial lighting. And its not yet clear whether there is enough appetite from the public to pass aggressive policies. In an accompanying essay in Science, Spanish astronomers Fabio Falchi and Salvador Bara wrote: Most people associate artificial light with road safety and personal security, connections that are not well supported by evidence. Eradicating light pollution might actually require a bigger rethinking of our relationship to light itself.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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RENO, Nev. (AP)  Five days after the U.S. Energy Department announced a $700 million conditional loan to an Australian mining company pursuing a lithium project in Nevada, federal land managers cited it for trespassing within the habitat of an endangered flower.

The Bureau of Land Management said in Wednesday's trespass notice to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC it has confirmed land was disturbed within the designated critical habitat for Tiehms buckwheat, a 6-inch-tall (15-centimeter-tall) desert wildflower with yellow blooms.

The agency said the disturbance was prohibited under a permit it issued Ioneer in November to drill for underground samples at the proposed mine site still facing environmental hurdles near the California border halfway between Reno and Las Vegas.

The Bureau of Land Management said the agencys drilling permit required any disturbance of the land occur outside areas identified as critical habitat for the plant the Fish and Wildlife Service listed as endangered last month. The mine is intended to bolster the domestic production of a critical element in the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries.

Ioneer said no plants were disturbed but acknowledged what occurred was a violation of BLM regulatory requirements.

We take full responsibility for the breach and sincerely regret the inadvertent noncompliance with the permit, Ioneer Managing Director Bernard Rowe said in a statement.

Since day one, Ioneer has instructed our staff and contractors about the need to observe all permit conditions. We are investigating exactly how this failure occurred and we will take action to assure total compliance in the future, he said Wednesday.

It wasnt immediately clear if the violation could jeopardize or otherwise affect the conditional loan. The Department of Energys Loan Programs Office announced the loan last Friday for Ioneer to pursue the project. The Energy Department said the loan was contingent on, among other things, the completion of an environmental impact statement.

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Department of Energy spokesperson Ramzey Smith said Thursday in an email response to a request for comment from The Associated Press that Ioneer has made DOE aware of its BLM permitting violation related to the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project, as well as its intent to fully cooperate with BLM in responding to this incident.

But Smith said further questions regarding this matter should be directed to'' the Bureau of Land Management or Ioneer.

The bureau said it inspected the site Jan. 13, the day after it received a complaint from conservationists who oppose the mine and petitioned for the flower's protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The BLM did the right thing here to hold Ioneer accountable for the harms its caused to the buckwheats critical habitat, said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity.

It certainly calls into question whether Ioneer can adhere to the terms of any buckwheat protections they agree to for the mine, he told AP.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said in listing the plant and designating 910 acres (368 hectares) as critical habitat it was on the brink of extinction and mining posed the single biggest threat to its survival.

Ioneer has hoped to begin mining there by 2026.

Donnelly discovered the drilling staging area with a truck, water tanks, materials and explosive storage at Rhyolite Ridge on Dec. 26. That was the same day he documented cattle he said were trespassing in flower habitat.

The group filed a 60-day notice Jan. 9 of intent to sue the Bureau of Land Management to force the removal of the livestock.

The bureau has declined comment on the cattle. It said Wednesday Ioneer had 14 days to respond and/or present evidence disputing the drilling-related violation.

Perry Wickham, the bureau's field manager, said Ioneer is liable for any costs the government incurred as a consequence of trespassing, fair rental market value of the trespassed lands and rehabilitation.

The Fish and Wildlife Service must be consulted before any reclamation begins, and Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service must be onsite during all reclamation actions, Wickham said.

Failure to resolve the trespass liability may result in further trespass penalties, he wrote in the formal notice.

The Energy Department said the site could produce enough lithium to support the production of about 370,000 electric vehicles annually for decades. The Biden administration has made a plan for a half-million charging stations for electric vehicles a signature piece of its clean energy agenda to help accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.

Jigar Shah, director of the Department of Energy's loan office, said Friday Ioneers proposed mine is a major step towards bolstering domestic lithium production for clean energy technologies.

But we clearly are not committing any capital to the project yet, Shah told AP. They still have to meet the conditions.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP)  The Latest on the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland:

Trade ministers from a handful of nations have announced an initiative to promote trade policies that support action on climate change at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland.

Their aims include ensuring better access globally to clean technologies that would reduce emissions and promoting products that were made in line with climate and sustainability goals.

Speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forums annual gathering, Ecuadors production minister Julio Jose Prado said the discussion on aligning trade policies with climate goals is way overdue.

He added, As trade ministers, we need to deliver both economic results and sustainable results  we should have done this years ago, but this is the time for action, and its time to start these sorts of coalitions.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissions executive vice president and commissioner for trade, said countries need to do a better job in terms of joining those different dots between trade, development and climate action.

The coalition is being co-led by trade ministers from Ecuador, the European Union, Kenya and New Zealand and over 50 nations have joined the initiative.

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:

 Thunberg, Nakate slam lack of action on climate crisis

 Zelenskyy urges West to speed up flow of weapons to Ukraine

 Putin foe Bill Browder slams jacked-up fee to attend Davos

 World Food Program postpones, not averts Somali famine

Follow APs coverage of the World Economic Forum meeting at https://apnews.com/hub/world-economic-forum

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Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says data from a new project tracking greenhouse gases suggests oil and gas companies are emitting three times as much as they report.

Gore, speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forums gathering in Davos, Switzerland, presented findings from a tool called Climate TRACE that can help hold countries to their climate pledges and let companies compare which manufacturers are emitting the most greenhouse gases when making decisions on where to source supplies.

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It was unveiled at United Nations climate change conference last November.

He says that for the first time, we know exactly where the pollution is coming from. Of oil and gas producers, Gore said, Most (other industries) are not this far off.

The inventory was created by researchers, data analysts and non-governmental organizations from around the world using satellite data, remote sensing and artificial intelligence. Its open to the public and free to use.

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With many European leaders fearing a clean energy law that benefits American-made green technology, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says the world should be happy the U.S. is acting on climate change.

In a panel session Thursday about global energy at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, Rutte said that we have for years told the U.S.: You have to step up on Paris. You have to step up on climate change. Now, they are doing it.

He added that the Inflation Reduction Act aims to close the gap on Paris climate goals, so lets be happy about it.

He says there are some unintended consequences, but European officials are working with the Biden administration and hes not pessimistic.

Some fear European companies will be boxed out of the U.S. market and denied green tech investment.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin says the law doesnt intend to hurt allies but get clean technologies to scale quickly.

To calm geopolitical unrest and help the environment, he says that you better be able to do it quicker, faster and better than any place in the world and then share it with your friends. Thats what were going to do.

Ilham Kadri, CEO of Belgium-based chemical company Solvay SA, says the U.S. legislation is not the enemy, (it) is the best thing which could happen to Europe.

Companies like hers require constant energy, and she warns that Europe has a huge risk of deindustrialization.

Russia largely cut off natural gas to Europe. Energy prices soared, leading energy-intensive industries like fertilizer and steel to scale back production because it was no longer profitable.

U.K. opposition leader Keir Starmer also said the U.S. law is not just a challenge.

He says its the single biggest opportunity weve been given for a very long time to transition, to take the jobs and opportunities of the future.

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Greeces prime minister says he still believes its possible to resolve his countrys differences with Turkey by speaking with Turkeys president, stressing the neighbors will not go to war.

Relations between the two NATO allies have been particularly strained over the past two years, with the rhetoric from Turkish officials alarming. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Turkish troops could descend on Greece suddenly one night and even threatened to hit Athens with ballistic missiles.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday during a session at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, that we will not go to war with Turkey.

He added that we should be able to sit down with Turkey as reasonable adults and resolve our main difference, which is the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean.

Long at odds over a series of issues, including territorial and energy exploration rights in their shared waters, Greece and Turkey have come to the brink of war three times in the last half-century. Recent tension has centered on energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and on the presence of Greek troops on eastern Aegean islands near the Turkish coast.

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FBI Director Christopher Wray says hes deeply concerned about Chinas artificial intelligence program.

Speaking Thursday during a panel session at a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said China has the largest hacking operation in the world.

He says the countrys AI initiatives are not constrained by the rule of law and are built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that theyve stolen over the years.

The statement from Wray is consistent with prior warnings from Washington about Chinas AI ambitions. In 2021, for instance, U.S. officials raised similar alarms to business leaders, academics and state and local government officials.

Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fear-mongering about its intentions and attacked U.S. intelligence for its assessments of China.

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The head of the International Monetary Fund had strong words for global governments when she and others were asked on a panel session in Davos for one thing they would change to accelerate the transition to net zero.

IMG Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday at the World Economic Forum gathering that she would lock the U.S., China, India and E.U. in a room and lock the door.

Let them out after they sign in blood a commitment to work together to save the planet, she said to applause from the audience.

Patrick Dlamini, chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, said more of the IMFs international reserves should be diverted to the Global South.

Earlier, the panel had discussed how smallholders across Africa could be funded at scale to pursue green projects using market mechanisms.

Oliver Bate, chief executive of German asset manager and insurer Allianz, said, We need to do things faster by setting deadlines.

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Tunisias prime minister insists her countrys move toward democracy is absolutely not in danger despite paltry turnout in a first round of legislative elections that culminate in a decisive runoff in 10 days.

Najla Bouden, speaking Thursday in a panel session on Africa at a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, predicted the Jan. 29 second round would probably see a much stronger participation than last months initial vote.

In response to a question from The Associated Press, she said, I can assure you that the democratic transition is absolutely not in danger. We are in the process of changing a paradigm  to move from one regime to another.

Angry Tunisian demonstrators and some outside observers have expressed concern that the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings against autocratic leaders 12 years ago is now teetering away from democracy under President Kais Saied.

Only 11% of voters cast ballots in disastrous parliamentary elections last month that were called to replace and reshape a legislature that Saied dissolved in 2021. The country is also facing rising joblessness and higher prices for staples like sugar, vegetable oil and rice.

Bouden added that I have a lot of hope that Tunisia is going to get better and better, and it will accomplish things that will probably astonish you in the coming months.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says his country will lean on nuclear energy to meet its climate goals and promoted the South Korean industrys push to sell its nuclear-power technologies to other nations.

Speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forums annual gathering in the Swiss town of Davos, Yoon referred to the countrys goals to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050 by expanding nuclear power plants. He offered to cooperate with other nations that need South Koreas world-leading nuclear power plant technologies.

Yoon said South Korea also is seeking to develop hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative, which he said would be effective in reducing emissions in industries such as steelmaking, chemicals and maritime transport.

He says cooperation is crucial between nations in the Middle East and Europe, which have strengths in producing green hydrogen, and nations such as South Korea and Japan, which are leading the way in the application of hydrogen.

Yoons goals to increase the share of nuclear power in the countrys energy mix-up is a departure from the policies of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had sought to reduce the countrys nuclear reliance. Global interest in nuclear power has increased as governments face greater pressure to cut carbon emissions while also grappling with soaring fossil fuel prices, worsened by pandemic lockdowns and Russias war on Ukraine.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says is calling for international solidarity to restore stability in supply chains undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russias war on Ukraine as well as technology competitions and trade barriers.

South Korea, a major producer of computer memory chips, has struggled to strike a balance between its ally United States and China, its biggest trade partner, amid their intensifying rivalry over technology and regional influence.

Speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forums annual gathering in the Swiss town of Davos, Yoon said that while it would be an inevitable choice for South Korea to cooperate with countries that share common universal values, such cooperation should not result in trade blocs or the exclusion of certain nations, apparently referring to China.

He said that Japan, as well as the United States, has a similar political, social and economic system with us and shares most of our universal values and noted some differences with China.

But he said our close cooperation between the countries that share universal values should not proceed in a way that excludes and blocks the relations with nations that have different systems with us or have a lot of differences regarding universal values.

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Prominent climate activists including Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate are condemning corporate VIPs and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, for prioritizing short-term profits from fossil fuels over people affected by the climate crisis.

They were joined by campaigners Helena Gualinga and Luisa Neubauer and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol at a roundtable Thursday at the World Economic Forums annual gathering.

Nakate, who at one point choked up, said that leaders are playing games with peoples futures. She added that the effects of climate change are already a living hell for many communities across the African continent, across the Global South who are facing extreme drought, heat and flooding.

The activists brought a cease and desist letter calling on fossil fuel companies to stop all new oil and natural gas projects, signed by nearly 900,000 people.

Scientists say no new fossil fuel projects can be built if the world is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in line with climate goals set in Paris in 2015.

Thunberg added that without persistent public pressure corporations will continue to throw people under bus for their own gain.

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In a discussion on climate finance that focused on the lack of common standards, the head of the International Monetary Fund compared the worlds current trajectory to being on the Titanic.

IMG Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, that while there are a couple of bright spots on the horizon, this was not good enough.

She warned that when it came to designing universal standards for green finance, the perfect is the enemy of the good.

A global set of minimum benchmarks on, for example, corporate emissions disclosures would reduce the scope for companies to police themselves and engage in greenwashing. Without common standards, companies will be able to continue burying bad news or defining their emissions disclosures to give a more favorable impression.

She says Europe can be a leader bringing us together on common standards.

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European leaders say they are working with the U.S. on issues over subsidies for American-made green technology but that dealing with trade tensions with China is more difficult.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Thursday on a panel session about European growth at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, that the main issue in Europe is we have no coordinated China policy.

He says that its not that we have to choose between the U.S. and China. We need to have our own policy. And our own policy should be, first of all, that we have the mindset that we want to be a player and not a playing field.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a major clean tech industrial plan earlier this week at Davos for that would ease the way for subsidies for green industries and pool EU-wide projects that are boosted with major funding.

It aims to bolster the 27-nation blocs push for climate neutrality by 2050 and guarantee its economic survival as it faces challenges from China and the U.S.

EU Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis says the concerns about the U.S. Inflation Reduction Acts funding for made-in-America green technology  like electric vehicles  is that its done in a discriminatory way.

He says its not helping to build trans-Atlantic value chains but actually severing them.

But he noted that EU-U.S. task force has a satisfactory solution on clean vehicles tax credits. But there are many other areas which we need to address.

On China, Rutte says offers a huge innovation base and potential but at the same time, we have legitimate security concerns. He says its important to keep the Western edge in industries like semiconductors, which can be used in defense systems.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic noted that theres a big difference between China and Russia. He says that with China, he doesnt see a similar pattern of threats that would endanger our economy, our way of life and our security.

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Key European leaders see improvements in expectations for the economy this year in the face of high inflation and Russias war in Ukraine but warn that there is more work to do.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday on a panel session about European growth at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, that activity is declining compared with an excellent 2022. She says expected economic growth of 0.5% in 2023 is not a brilliant year, but it is a lot better than what we had feared.

Inflation is still high  reaching 9.2% in December  so she says the bank will keep raising interest rates to get it under control. Inflation has been fed by high energy prices after Russia largely cut off natural gas to Europe amid the war in Ukraine.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also worried about inflation and praised the bank for doing the right thing.

European Union Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis pointed to how well energy relief for households and businesses targeted. He says around 70% of the support measures are not targeted, which feeds into inflation.

He and Rutte say Europe needs to concentrate on building energy security, focusing on the transition to renewables.

Rutte urged bringing down government borrowing  saying it is too high in Italy, France and other countries  because it is hurting long-term economic growth. To do that, he says changes to the pension sector are difficult but necessary, adding Im happy that the French have now decided to to move on the pension issue.

French workers angry over proposed changes to pension rules that would push back the retirement age are holding nationwide strikes and protests Thursday.

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Nadir Godrej, chairman of Indian company Godrej Industries, limited presented a poem instead of speech during a panel session at the World Economic Forums annual gathering.

Godrej launched into a more than six-minute-long poem with the phrase: It is no longer climate change within a tolerable change, a crisis is what its about with fires, floods as well as drought.

The poem presented Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, details the work his organization has done on blue carbon projects and his views on the climate crisis and action needed in general.

Blue carbon refers to carbon captured by the worlds oceans and coastal ecosystems. Despite occupying only about 5% of land area, coastal wetlands store about 50% of all carbon buried in ocean sediments.

A plethora of restoration projects have been launched in recent years to restore coastal ecosystems, especially mangrove forests that are highly effective carbon sinks.

Virginijus Sinkevicius, the European Unions commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, said on the panel that without a blue there is no green.

She says we must ensure that the ocean ecosystems remain healthy and said a deal to protect 30% of land and water considered important for biodiversity by 2030 plays a key role.

Countries committed to the agreement at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, that was held at Montreal in December last year.

The Montreal deal is considered the most significant effort yet to protect the worlds lands and oceans and provide critical financing to save biodiversity in the developing world.

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Pfizers chief executive says the biggest challenge the company and other vaccine-makers faced during the pandemic was negotiating the politics.

Albert Bourla, who was speaking Thursday on a panel on pandemic preparedness at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, said mask-wearing, vaccine efficacy or questions about delivering the vaccines were all politicized and were constant obstacles for vaccine-makers.

He says the biggest challenge ... was the political challenge.

He added that protectionism as a result of fear meant the governments closed down borders, making it difficult to export vaccines or bring in raw materials needed to make them.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair made the distinction between the forgivable politics of government leaders trying to vaccinate their own population when an election was beckoning and the unforgivable politics of politicizing public health.

He says turning mask-wearing into a political issue was unforgivable and stupid.

Blair added that for most countries, the virus had receded into the rear-view mirror and the only way to keep the focus on it was to convince politicians that there are votes in it.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has bared his frustration about not obtaining enough tanks from some Western countries to help Ukraines defend against Russian forces.

The Ukrainian leader, at a breakfast Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forums annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, offered a veiled critique of countries like Germany, Poland and the United States  crucial supporters of Ukraine  that have nonetheless hesitated about sending tanks.

Speaking by video link, Zelenskyy bemoaned a lack of specific weaponry and said that to win the war, we cannot just do it with motivation and morale.

Through an interpreter, he told the Victor Pinchuk Foundation breakfast that I would like to thank again for the assistance from our partners. But at the same time, there are times where we shouldnt hesitate or we shouldnt compare when someone says, I will give tanks if someone else will also share his tanks.

Zelenskyy also said air defense was our weakness in light of targeted Russian strikes, including use of Iranian-made drones, and reiterated his call for supplies of long-range artillery to fire at Russian forces in Ukrainian territory  not fire into Russia itself.

Ukraine has for months sought to be supplied with heavier tanks, including the U.S. Abrams and the German-made Leopard 2 tanks, but Western leaders have been treading carefully.

The United Kingdom announced last week that it will send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and France has said it would send AMX-10 RC armored combat vehicles to Ukraine, designated light tanks in French.

Poland and the Czech Republic have provided Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Ukrainian forces. Poland has expressed readiness to provide a company of Leopard tanks but has said it would only do so as part of a larger international coalition of tank aid to Kyiv.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who attended the breakfast, said, Get them the tanks, get Volodymyr Zelenskyy whatever he needs.
Cesar Pino Marcano, 28, a recently arrived migrant from Venezuela, makes his bed at a shelter in an apartment building in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood on Jan. 12, 2023. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago is poised to receive $20 million from the state of Illinois under an appropriation bill passed by legislators for migrants, but thats less than half of what Mayor Lori Lightfoot requested to address a recent influx of asylum-seekers.

Lightfoot sent a letter late last month to state legislators asking for $54 million to help fund emergency services to asylum-seeking individuals. She noted that Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration sent a letter to the city saying the state is out of funds and will no longer be able to support city migrant services efforts as of Feb. 1, 2023.

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To fund emergency services to migrant and asylum-seeking individuals, Lightfoot asked for $54 million. State legislators responded by passing a $20 million appropriation for asylum-seekers in the lame-duck session.

At her customary post-City Council meeting news conference Wednesday, Lightfoot said her administration is taking a wait-and-see approach.

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If you look at the conversation around the $20 million, it was that theyre going to give this to us as an initial installment. Wait and see what if any, monies that we get from the federal government and give us the opportunity to come back and ask for more, Lightfoot said. So Im never going to say no to that kind of money. We could use it because we will put it to good use in helping support migrants in the city.

The measure, which still has to be signed by Pritzker, and also includes an additional $90 million for state welcoming centers for immigrants and refugees.

Since the first bus arrived from Texas in the fall, nearly 4,000 asylum-seekers turned up in Chicago from Texas and another 1,400 from elsewhere by the end of 2022. About 1,500 remained in the citys care at that time, officials said. The city has set up 11 shelters to house, clothe and feed migrants and provide other services, costing the city an estimated $7 million in December alone, Lightfoot wrote her letter to lawmakers, sent after state officials said they planned to cease financial assistance to the city for the migrants at the end of January.

Lightfoots administration has also floated a controversial plan to convert a vacant former school in Woodlawn into a temporary migrant shelter. Some residents have objected, saying the neighborhood is already lacking in adequate services.

But the need remains, with asylum-seekers sleeping in bus shelters, police stations, churches and other makeshift locations.

Chicago Tribunes Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner contributed.

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gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Iranians have been protesting for weeks (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Sara* had barely begun to take part in the protest near a square in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah. She, her sisters and their mother took off their hijabs and began chanting slogans, Death to the dictator, they cried. Thats when plainclothes and uniformed security forces arrayed nearby swooped in. They grabbed them and shoved them into vehicles.

They resisted and tried to get away. But the police assured them they would be held for an hour if they came willingly and simply allowed authorities to record their names.

Instead, the 32-year-old and her family were eventually held for weeks in squalid detention centres in the wake of the protest at the back end of last year. She recounts being threatened, subject to abuse and humiliation before being charged with draconian offences and released on astronomical bails. They were roughed up, separated from each other, and taken one by one into an interrogation room.

They took off the blindfold, Sara says in a phone interview. They told me to remove my clothes. I noticed there was a camera. They told me they would beat me if I didnt strip.

She was terrified. Many years earlier she said she had also been arrested as a Kurdish activist and brutally raped by security forces. When they told me to take my clothes off, I thought five or six men would come rushing in, she says of her latest ordeal.

Harrowing accounts of abuse and deprivation are emerging from inside Irans network of some 250 long-overcrowded detention centres. Tens of thousands of protesters and activists have been detained across four months of protests sparked by the death-in-custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been taken in by morality police for allegedly failing to wear proper Islamic clothing.

Protesters have demanded an overthrow of the Islamic Republic and called for the toppling of its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The response has been harsh. In addition to jailings, four young protesters have been executed after short, secret trials condemned as highly irregular by international observers.

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Tehran has sent the message that no one is safe from prosecution. This week a court sentenced Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian president Ali Akbar, Hashemi Rafsanjani, to five years in prison after she was arrested in September on charges related to the protests.

The Oslo-based monitoring group Hrana estimates that 20,000 protesters have been arrested, but some legal experts and activists suggest it could be even more. Every day hundreds of activists and family members of the detained gather in front of detention facilities in vigils, seeking to draw attention to those held inside.

Some attribute the relative decline in protests in recent weeks to the detention of the informal protest leaders who have emerged from the movement.

In an interview from Iran, a 30-something legal expert and activist in the city of Arak described to The Independent his own recent arrest and what it showed him about the determination to stamp out the protests.

I was told they would beat me if I didnt strip

Iranian protester

He said he was abducted by security forces while sitting with friends at a restaurant in Arak in mid-October. He was shoved into a car, blindfolded, and taken to several detention centres over the course of the next several days.

Well-connected and media savvy, he was spared all but one beating throughout his ordeal  for refusing to give interrogators the password to his phone. But even while blindfolded. he heard prisoners weeping, in agony, begging to be released, and was eventually stuffed into a four-ward filled with some 50 prisoners, many of them visibly recovering from harsh beatings.

He described a lack of medical attention for injured, filthy conditions and inedible food.

Over days of hours-long interrogations, he learned that he had been arrested by the intelligence branch of the Revolutionary Guard. He also gleaned the extent to which the his activities had been monitored over the weeks of protest.

His interrogator quizzed him about specific Tweets and Instagram posts, as well as his comments to media outlets. He realised that security forces also had used his phone to track him being near the protests, though not in the heart of them, and accused him of being a ringleader. They knew whom he had met with and which other civil society figures were in his proximity.

Why are you encouraging people to protest? he says his interrogator demanded of him.

He was eventually charged with propagandising against the regime and freed on bail pending trial.

Solidarity protests have happened in countries all over Europe - including this one in Strasbourg, France (AP)

The legal consultant, who has been in and out of Irans prisons for much of his adult life, says the experience of arrests is often enough to discourage all but the most dedicated activists from protests.

He described the experience of one 40-year-old woman who was grabbed by security forces as she was walking home after a protest.

In the car they pulled her hair and threatened to rape her, he said. They ordered her to say, God is great. Khamenei is the leader. She thought they would rape and murder her.

Once she was taken to a police station, the security forces completely changed their behaviour. They became polite and professional, formally charged her and freed her on an exorbitant bail. She continues to suffer nightmares about her ordeal and will likely never return to the protests, says the legal consultant.

Another prisoner, activist Sepideh Qolian  who has been locked up since 2018  described the brutality of interrogators aiming to extract false confessions from detained protesters in a written account recently smuggled out of Tehrans Evin prison.

"The exam room is filled with young boys and girls and the shouts of torturers can be heard," she wrote in a letter obtained by BBC.

She described overhearing a young man being pressured into admitting he had attacked one of the those deployed to suppress protests.

"Its freezing cold and snowing. Near the exit door of the building, a young boy blindfolded and wearing nothing but a thin grey T-shirt sat in front of an interrogator, she wrote. "Hes shaking and pleading: I swear to God I didnt beat anyone. They want him to confess. As I am passing I shout: do not confess, and death to you tyrants."

Sara, her mother and sisters say they were held in prison for weeks. They were separated and subject to repeated interrogations. Each was told the others had already been released. But eventually they all found themselves in the same general prison ward.

Saras husband lives in Europe, and based on evidence of money he had sent her, she was charged with collaborating with hostile powers against the regime, a charge that amounted to treason and carried a potentially heavy prison sentence.

A lawyer in Kermanshah advised the family to head to the Iraqi border and flee the country. She was under a travel restriction. So she and her family hired a smuggler to take them across. The path over the Zagros Mountains was gruelling, and she says she broke her leg along the way.

She and her relatives are now sheltering in Iraq. A veritable prisoner inside a small flat in an Iraqi jurisdiction with strong political and security ties to Irans Revolutionary Guard, she is weighing whether to try to join her husband or wait for the right moment to return to Iran.

My dream is to go back to Iran, she says. My hope is that the revolution succeeds.

*Names have been changed to protect identities
When most travelers think of a cruise vacation, they might imagine four or five days at sea sunbathing in the Caribbean. By that point, Joyce Halee has hardly begun her trip.

"Two weeks is a short cruise," Halee, 78, told USA TODAY. The retired legal secretary spends much of her time on cruise ships, sailing by herself exclusively on long voyages, sometimes for more than 80 days. Halee, who is based in Sun City West, Arizona, likes both the camaraderie lengthier sailings foster among passengers and crew, and the convenient access they provide to far-flung places such as Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

"They're just fabulous because you get to see all these places that you'd never otherwise see unless you sat on a plane for 12 hours, which I don't like to do," she said.

Joyce Halee at the Great Wall of China in 2017.

Halee is among a number of travelers who enjoy long cruises, from a couple of weeks to many months, and some cruise lines have taken note of rising interest in those itineraries. Now, they are updating their offerings accordingly.

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'I think the camaraderie is definitely higher'

Steve Miller and his wife, Janet began taking longer sailings in 2017 after they had both retired. Miller said the couple, who is based in Adelanto, California, found the more diverse itineraries appealing. "I mean, we've been to Ensenada and Catalina so many times on a cruise ship," he said.

The pair has since traveled to destinations like the Panama Canal and Alaska, and have plans to sail to Nova Scotia, Iceland and more. Some long trips have also offered unique opportunities: They had so much time on board a recent 28-night Princess Cruises sailing to Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa, that they took ukulele lessons on sea days and performed with other students in the ship's theater at the end of the cruise.

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While Miller, 71, has found three- or four-day cruises lend themselves to on-board partying, longer itineraries tend to attract "more serious cruisers" and an older demographic.

Even those who are new to longer cruises have felt a difference in the atmosphere on board. Before Juan Botino and his wife, Mikaela, took a 12-day Norwegian Cruise Line cruise for their honeymoon, he joined a Facebook group with fellow passengers who organized onboard events.

Juan Botino and his wife, Mikaela, took a long cruise for their honeymoon in December.

During the December sailing, which took place over Christmas and New Year's, they did a pub crawl through onboard bars and group slot pulls at the casino. They even participated in a gift exchange featuring presents from each passenger's hometown, during which guests had to explain the meaning behind the selection.

Botino, who lives in Atlanta, chose a platter featuring landmarks from around the city and received some chocolates and a beer koozie from the Berkshires in Massachusetts.

The 37-year-old, who had previously done four and seven-day cruises, also met some other passengers at lunch on the first day and got together with them throughout the cruise to grab a bite to eat or go to the pool. "Having more days with them, I think the camaraderie is definitely higher," Botino, who is the director of operations for an event security company, said.

Cruise lines are offering more long sailings

Holland America is among the cruise lines that have invested in lengthier sailings recently. The line made the shift both in response to guest feedback and as a means of differentiating itself from other lines, according to Beth Bodensteiner, the line's chief commercial officer.

"We've often been known for our unique and long itineraries," she said in an interview.

This year, the line is offering 25% more sailings of 25 days or longer compared with 2019, and 117% more sailings of 50 or more days. While the line saw passengers prioritize features like cleanliness earlier in the pandemic, Bodensteiner said guests are now placing the most emphasis on destinations when booking.

She added that the line will offer some unique programming like "destination-rich lectures," allowing guests to get to know those places better than they would on a shorter cruise, and will stay overnight in some ports.

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The line has launched new itineraries as part of the shift in focus, such as a 22-day sailing on its Koningsdam ship from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in April 2024, with stops in Mexico and Hawaii, and a sea day timed for prime viewing of a solar eclipse.

Holland America will also sail a similar 14-day solar eclipse voyage on Zaandam departing in March 2024, as well as a 12-Day Historic Baja Peninsula & Sea Of Cortez sailing designed to follow in the footsteps of author John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts' famous 1940 expedition. The latter will depart in December 2023 on Volendam.

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Other lines have made similar moves.

AmaWaterways: In early 2021, travelers were anxious to start catching up on lost travel opportunities and yearned for longer and more immersive small ship river cruise experiences," AmaWaterways executive vice president and co-founder Kristin Karst said in an email. To meet that demand, the line launched its first Seven River Journeys itineraries for 2023. AmaWaterways added two more departures in 2024 and over 49 nights, guests can sail to destinations such as the Danube Delta and the Black Sea.

Oceania Cruises: Oceania has seen a "significant increase in demand" for long sailings ranging from 12 to 64 days in the wake of the pandemic, a spokesperson said in an email. The line's 180-day Around the World cruise for 2023 sold out in under 24 hours, and more than one-third of reservations were from first-time passengers. The line also recently added a 33-day Grand Voyage from Venice, Italy to Barcelona, Spain, that will stop at 28 ports.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises: Uniworld has seen similar interest in longer trips, and is sailing its first Rivers of the World itinerary this year, making its way to nine countries - including Egypt and France - over 46 nights. There's also another longer version on the books for 2024. "Longer sailings, and especially our world cruises, give guests the opportunity to quite literally see the world in one single vacation, with all details taken care of," president and CEO Ellen Bettridge said in an email.

Tips for taking a long cruise

Sailing for longer periods of time does require extra planning, though. Halee said she typically has a house sitter check on her condo once a week or stay there while she's cruising. She noted that the post office will hold mail for up to 30 days, which travelers may want to keep in mind ("My mail goes into a slot into my garage, so I have no problem with that," Halee said).

She also makes sure to have enough medication on hand for the duration of the journey and to pack clothes for the temperatures at various destinations, as long cruises can sail through a range of climates. Halee typically ships most of her baggage to the cruise line ahead of time via Luggage Forward, so she doesn't have to lug it around on her own.

Halee chooses her cruises based on the destination and how she's feeling. She's going back to the South Pacific later this year. "I've been there several times before, but I feel that's what I want to do right now," she said. "I'm sick of cities. I just want to swim in the South Pacific water."

For some, even one long cruise is enough to get hooked, and Botino already has other long itineraries in mind.

"I haven't talked to my wife yet, but ... I actually found a 21-day and an 18-day (sailing) that I want to run by her," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can you go on a cruise for 6 months? Yes. How to sail for half a year
Dictator Lukashenko

Read also: Lukashenko may order mobilization any moment, says Belarus opposition member

Lukashenko said the security of Belarus is even more important today because of the plans of its Western neighbors.

Not only Ukraine. They are also trying to use Ukraine against Belarus, Lukashenko said during a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

But what amazes and pleasantly surprises me is that Ukraine is still holding on. It does not react to provocations against Belarus. Although it is actively encouraged by our western neighbors. You also know who (Im talking about).

Lukashenko appeared to be referring to Poland, which he has frequently accused, without evidence, of plotting to attack his regime.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhiy Nayev, on Dec. 18 said the two dictators of Belarus and Russia planned to discuss the wider involvement of Belarus in the war.

Read also: Lukashenko compares himself to Putin in toxicity

Lukashenko and Putin held talks in Minsk on Dec. 19. A few days later, on Dec. 24, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus flew to Moscow.

On Dec. 23, the U.S. think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reported that the Russian Federation has been creating conditions for a new invasion of northern Ukraine since October.

However, there is still no evidence of any active preparations of a strike force in Belarus for an offensive.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi in an interview with UK news magazine the Economist in December said that Russia may launch a new major offensive in February 2023. These actions may start from the territory of Belarus in the direction of Kyiv, Zaluzhnyi said.

In turn, the spokesman of the State Border Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, reported on Dec. 27 that no offensive groups are forming on the territory of Belarus, and that Ukraine is monitoring the situation.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, said that Ukraine "pleasantly surprises him" because it does not engage in any provocations against Belarus, although "it is actively being pushed."

Source: the video of Lukashenko's meeting with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov, posted by "Pul pervogo" Telegram channel

Quote from Lukashenko: "Today, security is not only even more important for us. You know, the plans of our Western neighbours, not only Ukraine. They are also trying to use Ukraine against Belarus. But what amazes and pleasantly surprises me is that Ukraine is holding its own, it is not pursuing any provocations against Belarus, although it is being actively pushed by our Western neighbours, you know by whom."

Background:

On 1 January, Lukashenko, who became an accomplice of the Russian Federation in aggression against Ukraine, signed the first New Year's decree declaring 2023 the "year of peace."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Mask Architects wants to help you live out your treehouse fantasies and do something good for the environment at the same time.

The Italian design firm has unveiled renderings of the forthcoming Baobab Luxury Safari Resort, which it plans to build in South Africa. The resorts conceit centers on airy, design-savvy treehouse lodges set amid the verdant South African forest. But thats not all: These treehouses are designed to autonomously produce their own green energy and water for your stay, making the property a first of its kind. They will also distribute water to communities nearby, as part of the firms goal to enhance the infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing on the worlds second largest continent. Ideal for couples or families that want to reconnect with nature and wildlife, the luxe treehouses will literally offer an elevated vacation experience with a decidedly eco-conscious ethos.

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Inspired by the prehistoric Baobab tree, the cone-shaped lodges appear to be floating mid-air, raised just 3.5 meters (about 11 and half feet) above ground. The condensation area, or base of the shelters, is where youll enter the space. Taking a curved staircase one floor up, youll enter a living area anchored in natural beachwood furnishings and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that drench the space in sunlight. The primary bedroom and a balcony are on this level as well, offering lush landscape views. Two levels up, youll find a sundeck surrounded by your own private panoramic pool.

Of course, the tech is the real star here. Each treehouse is fitted with Mask Architects air to water technology system, which is powered by a transparent solar device that can produce water by extracting moisture from humid air. This is facilitated by air filters that are built into wood-covered aluminum lattice poles that surround the treehouse facades. Air and humidity passing through these filters is then condensed and processed through an additional multi-step filtration system in a room below ground.

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The water-producing system will not only hydrate your stay but also help serve those in Africa who struggle to access water. When enough purified water is collected over time, it will be delivered to local communities via a distribution network, according Mask Architects.

With this project, our goal is to make the most basic need of water accessible rather than a luxury experience, and to prevent hunger, thirst and the diseases and deaths its causes, the firm writes its website. Thats a goal everyone can get behind.

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Student-loan company Nelnet just laid off over 500 employees.

The company confirmed the reason for the layoffs was due to lack of work from Biden's stalled debt relief.

Insider first reported in May 2022 that Nelnet laid off 150 employees due to the student-loan payment pause.

A major student-loan company just laid off over 500 of its employees  and blamed President Joe Biden's debt relief for it.

On Wednesday, Nelnet sent an email to 560 employees informing them that they were being laid off, an impacted employee told Insider. The company confirmed in a statement that 350 of those employees were hired in the past six months after Biden announced up to $20,000 in debt relief to help with what was expected to be high call volume as the relief was implemented and student-loan payments were turned back on.

But the debt relief has been blocked since October due to two conservative-backed lawsuits, and Biden extended the student-loan payment pause past December 31. It will now end 60 days after June 30, or 60 days after the lawsuits are resolved, whichever happens first. Nelnet said that the lack of work for those additional employees led to this decision.

"These decisions are never easy," Ben Kiser, Nelnet's executive director of corporate communications, said. "With the delay of federal student loan repayment through much of 2023, regrettably, it isn't feasible to maintain increased staffing levels for work that will remain on hold for a significant amount of time."

The 350 employees hired since August were given 60 days notice of their termination from the Nelnet Diversified Services (NDS) division, and the 210 other employees were laid off due to performance reasons.

"We will continue to actively search for opportunities within the organization to redeploy eligible associates, and we hope many will consider reapplying to join our NDS team when repayment does resume," Kiser said.

This is not the first time Nelnet has made layoffs during the student-loan payment pause. Insider first reported in May 2022 that Nelnet laid off about 150 employees, with the company writing in the email at the time that the student-loan payment pause has resulted in "limited work for certain teams."

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"Although we've been able to redeploy hundreds of associates to other opportunities in the last several months as well as minimize unused capacity through voluntary time off, reduced hours, and voluntary leave of absence, unfortunately there are not enough opportunities for everyone, and we've had to make the difficult decision to right size our loan servicing teams," the email at the time said.

Insider spoke to two employees who were impacted by that first round of layoffs, and they described the abrupt decision as creating "mass panic."

"We just didn't know who was going to be next, and they weren't saying anything to us," a former employee said. "These people were being fired and removed without a word."

Other student-loan companies have not yet publicly confirmed any employment changes due to Biden's debt relief  but the industry will go through significant changes this year. The plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers is going to the Supreme Court on February 28, and the Education Department has made clear that payments will resume this year, regardless of what the Court ultimately decides.

Along with transitioning millions of borrowers back into repayment, student-loan companies will also likely be tasked with implementing the range of reforms to targeted debt relief plans the department has put forth, including changes to income-driven repayment plans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. An exact date for those reforms to go into place is not yet set, but it's likely to be a significant undertaking.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Malaysian Pacific Industries Berhad (KLSE:MPI) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Malaysian Pacific Industries Berhad

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM314.2m RM504.4m RM529.4m RM551.5m RM573.6m RM595.7m RM618.1m RM641.0m RM664.4m RM688.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.18% Est @ 3.99% Est @ 3.86% Est @ 3.77% Est @ 3.70% Est @ 3.66% Est @ 3.62% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 13% RM278 RM395 RM367 RM339 RM312 RM287 RM263 RM242 RM222 RM203

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM2.9b

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 13%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM689m (1 + 3.6%)  (13% 3.6%) = RM7.6b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM7.6b ( 1 + 13%)10= RM2.2b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM5.1b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM33.2, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Malaysian Pacific Industries Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.224. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Malaysian Pacific Industries Berhad

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Semiconductor industry.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Semiconductor market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.

Threat

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For Malaysian Pacific Industries Berhad, there are three further elements you should further examine:

Financial Health: Does MPI have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does MPI's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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A Malaysian woman received praise online after a video of her defending a male hawker against two machete-wielding men went viral on social media.

On Tuesday, two armed men, aged 44 and 47, raided a hawker center at Taman Segar Perdana in Cheras, Malaysia, at around 9 p.m. local time.

In the CCTV footage uploaded to FTopNews News Frontlines Facebook page, customers can be seen running in terror as the two men brandishing parangs try to attack a male hawker wearing a blue T-shirt and a red apron.

As the men slash at the hawker, he stumbles to the ground. That is when a woman, who is believed to be the owner of a business at the center, steps in to defend the man.

More from NextShark: Repeat offender faces up to 107 years in prison for brutal attack on Delaware jewelry store owner

She charges at the attackers with a plastic chair. Although the men appear to try to intimidate her with their machetes, the woman is seen clinging to their arms and pleading with them to let the hawker go.

The video ends with the attackers running after the victim out of the center.

Malaysian news outlet The Star reported that the two suspects have since been detained by the police.

More from NextShark: Chinese father-of-2 works 19-hour shifts to help 7 additional children from struggling families

The male victim reportedly suffered a broken finger and wounds to his knees.

According to Kajang district police chief Mohd Zaid Hassan, the altercation began after one of the assailants was reprimanded by the male hawker for causing a disturbance after his drinks were delivered late.

Investigations showed that the incident started when one of the suspects was reprimanded by the victim for causing a ruckus at the restaurant due to his drinks being delivered late. One of the suspects was then instructed to leave the restaurant but he came back with another man while armed with machetes and attacked the victim. More from NextShark: Healthcare worker filmed beating corgi to death in locked-down Shanghai sparks anger

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The woman has since garnered praise online for her bravery.

Wow, that girl is so brave! Men are all useless, one viewer wrote.

The woman in black is too strong! Grabbing him so bravely, the other party pointed a knife at her. [She] is not afraid! another person commented.

More from NextShark: Student food delivery driver in China splashed with soup by customer over poorly packaged $2 order

If you meet this proprietress in the future, you must praise her. Calm and strong, one viewer said.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Dec. 7, 2022, as the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois hosts the largest ever naturalization ceremony for people becoming U.S. citizens at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

In his two winning campaigns to become Illinois chief executive, billionaire Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the nations wealthiest politician, has spent $350 million, including more than $167 million to defeat Republican Darren Bailey by nearly 13 percentage points in November, according to newly released state and federal campaign records.

Bailey, a former state senator from downstate Xenia, spent $17.6 million on his campaign. Most of that was spent before he won the June 28 Republican primary election, with only $6 million spent between then and his loss to Pritzker in the general election, records show.

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Baileys primary campaign was assisted by another $43.2 million from People Who Play By The Rules, a political action committee run by political operative and right-wing radio host Dan Proft of Naples, Florida. Of that total, $35.8 million was spent after the primary, records show.

The PAC was almost entirely funded by ultraconservative megadonor Richard Uihlein, who founded the Uline office supply and packaging company. Uihleins total outlay for the primary and general election for governor was $48 million  $6 million to Baileys campaign and $42 million to the aligned PAC, records showed.

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Pritzker, an entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune who largely self-finances his campaigns, faced no significant primary opposition in his bid for reelection, spending $140 million since he kicked off his reelection campaign with a $35 million donation in March 2021.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker dances with his wife, M.K., to "You're Still the One" during the inaugural celebration on Jan. 9, 2023, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Pritzker gave an additional $27 million to the Democratic Governors Association, federal Internal Revenue Service reports showed. Leading up to the primary, the DGA aired ads that labeled Bailey as too conservative for Illinois in a backdoor campaign aimed at helping him defeat a better-funded GOP contender, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin.

Irvin, who finished third in the GOP primary, got $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin, the founder of the Citadel financial firm.

Pritzkers spending, including the DGA funding, along with Baileys spending and that of the aligned Uihlein-funded PAC, puts a total price tag of $228 million on the campaigns of the two candidates who competed in the November general election.

The total falls short of the total spent by one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy investor, and Pritzker in the 2018 campaign, which at the time was the most expensive race for state chief executive in the nations history. Rauner spent $79 million on his reelection bid compared with $173 million by Pritzker.

The 2018 figures dwarfed the previous record total of $112 million spent on an Illinois governors race four years earlier, when Rauner spent $65.3 million in defeating then-Gov. Pat Quinn.

Records show that from the time Pritzker announced his first bid for governor on April 6, 2017, through the end of 2022, his campaign fund has spent $322.6 million. Adding the $27 million he gave to the DGA puts his total spend at $349.6 million in his two campaigns for governor.

For his reelection campaign, records show Pritzker spent nearly $70 million on advertising, including non-DGA TV commercials, $20 million on consulting and more than $15 million on voter outreach, in addition to a $5 million payroll, to win reelection.

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Pritzker also used $25 million to assist other Democrats and party organizations including $11.2 million to the state Democratic Party; $8 million for the Illinois House Democratic campaign fund; $2 million for the state Senate Democrats fund; $1 million apiece to Attorney General Kwame Raoul and now-Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias; and another $1 million to the Cook County Democrats.

Of the more than $17 million that Bailey spent, $12 million was for advertising and media, while $441,000 was spent on lodging  including nearly $30,000 for nine visits to the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. Bailey avidly sought and gained Trumps endorsement.

Bailey, who often spoke on the campaign trail about thousands of volunteers knocking on voters doors, also paid $560,000 for Door Knocking Service to Higher Ground Strategies. The firms Glen Ellyn address is listed to a home owned by Matthew Besler, a former Rauner political adviser who is the chairman and CEO of the Illinois Opportunity Project. A co-founder of the conservative group is Proft.

Bailey, who referred to Chicago as a hellhole during his campaign, received only $607,709 from donors with a Chicago address. Of that total, $462,000 was from the Illinois Republican Partys office in Chicago as an in-kind donation for postmarking Bailey mailings through the use of the GOPs postage meter, which has a lower postal rate. Bailey reimbursed the GOP for the expense.

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An Illinois man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old outside a Missouri gas station, police say.

The fatal shooting happened around 2:10 a.m. on Jan. 7 in the parking lot of a Conoco gas station, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Surveillance footage showed Jesse Lopez was trying to steal a car belonging to Brett Kress, when Kress shot at him, KSDK reported, citing a probable cause statement. Kress, from Sauget, Illinois, chased after Lopez and shot him three times, according to KSDK.

Officers found Lopez unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police in St. Charles County, which neighbors St. Louis County, discovered a suspicious vehicle on Tuesday, Jan. 17, that officers determined belonged to Kress, KMOV reported. He was captured nearby hiding in a shed of a mobile home park, according to the TV station.

Kress, 26, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, St. Louis police said.

Missouri law states that a person can use deadly force for self-defense but not to protect ones property.

A person who uses deadly force must prove he or she reasonably believed physical or deadly force was necessary to protect him or herself, the law states.

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A man has been booked on several charges after driving 4 miles without tires before crashing into a car, Arizona authorities said.

Officers with the Glendale Police Department were dispatched to a call where a 35-year-old man crashed into a car after driving miles without tires, according to a Facebook post from the department.

The man was under the influence and found unconscious in the drivers seat, according to the police department. He blew out his tires before the crash, police said.

During the incident, police found a handgun, knife and two bags containing methamphetamine and 228 fentanyl pills, according to the release.

The man was booked on charges of weapons misconduct, drug possession with intent to use, two DUI charges and tampering with physical evidence, police said.

Glendale is about 10 miles northwest of Phoenix.

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A man was found shot dead in a car early Thursday morning near Pio Nono Avenue in Macon, according to a statement from the Bibb County Sheriffs Office.

Ishmael Hassan Saleem, 47, was found shot in the chest at about 2 a.m. on the 2300 block of Lincoln Street, just east of Pio Nono near Interstate 75. He was unresponsive and lying in his car, the statement said.

Saleem was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead by staff. His death marks the third homicide in Macon this year, including the shooting of a teen Jan. 9.

There were no other details on the shooting in the sheriffs office statement.
A person was killed and a Georgia trooper was injured Wednesday as officials cleared out the site of a controversial proposed law enforcement training center in Atlanta.

Tensions have been rising in the city over the proposed Public Safety Training Center: a sprawling stretch of 85 acres of forested land in DeKalb County that will have a shooting range, an amphitheater and a mock city that will be used for training.

Opponents have called the center "Cop City," and protesters have camped out in the area to decry construction.

A multiagency operation to clear out the area was conducted around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Law enforcement found a man in a tent inside the woods who "did not comply" with verbal commands and shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

GBI Director Mike Register said the man opened fire "without warning."

Other law enforcement officers returned fire, hitting the man, who died at the scene, the GBI said.

Release of the mans identity is pending notification of his family, officials said. A handgun and shell casings were found at the scene.

The injured trooper was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery.

The trooper was stable in intensive care after he underwent surgery, but he still has a "road to recovery," State Patrol Col. Chris Wright said in a news conference.

The GBI is investigating.

Register said four people were arrested in the clearing-out operation. The GBI release said that they were taken to the DeKalb County Jail and that charges are pending.

A movement called Defend the Atlanta Forest, which opposes the training center plans, contradicted the GBIs account, saying: Police killed a forest defender today, someone who loved the forest, someone who fought to protect the earth & its inhabitants. This is why we organize to stop Cop City. And we will."

The organization said the operation was part of a pattern of police directly threatening the lives of protestors and moving through the woods with drawn weapons, which has occurred intermittently for the last 8 months.

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The group said its ground sources reported hearing 12 continuous rapid fire shots, not an exchange of gunfire.

"We know there is no history of protestors shooting firearms at police in this movement thus far, but there is a significant pattern of police acting jumpily, making verbal threats, and pointing firearms at people they encounter in the woods," the statement said.

NBC News has asked the GBI for comment about the allegation.

The Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a group that supports people arrested at protests, tweeted: We are preparing a legal team to investigate and pursue a wrongful death suit.

Register said that over the past "several months" law enforcement has experienced "growing criminal behavior and terroristic acts" by people and groups who oppose the training center, which is part of a $90 million public safety campaign in Atlanta.

He said the acts included arson, physical attacks, intimidation, the use of explosives and the setting of booby traps that have the potential to cause great bodily harm.

Last month, five people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism after they threw rocks at police cars and attacked EMTs outside fire stations near the proposed site with rocks and bottles, the GBI said.

In that incident, authorities arrested people found occupying makeshift treehouses. The GBI said they found explosive devices, gasoline and road flares after they cleared out the area.

Protesters who oppose the facility say it would devastate one of the largest preserve forest areas in the city, say the land has historical Native American significance. It was once the site of the Old Prison Farm, where prisoners farmed the land, a practice scrutinized for its profit generation and exploitation of unpaid labor, NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
DENVER (AP)  A man who says he was repeatedly sexually abused as a teen by his Catholic priest more than two decades ago filed a lawsuit against the now-defrocked priest and the Archdiocese of Denver on Thursday, taking advantage of a recently passed law that allows victims to sue even if the statute of limitations has expired.

The lawsuit targets Timothy Evans, a priest convicted in 2007 of sexually abusing other teens in two Colorado counties around the same time frame. The Vatican laicized Evans, essentially removing him from the priesthood, while he was in prison. He was paroled in 2020 with plans to live with family and find work in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The lawsuit was filed in state court by Scott Verti, alleging about 100 instances of abuse while he was an altar boy at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fort Collins from 1998 to 2003. Verti, 38, was between the ages of 13 and 18 at the time.

The filing is allowed under a 2021 Colorado law that opened up a three-year window for people to pursue litigation for sexual abuse they suffered as children dating as far back as 1960. It's part of a nationwide effort to make it easier for victims to seek justice later in life after they have had time to come to terms with what happened.

A spokesperson for the Denver archdiocese, Kelly Clark, said it had not been served with the lawsuit or seen it yet but added that it does not comment on pending legislation. Evans could not be located for comment.

According to CHILD USA, an advocacy group in Philadelphia, over the past 20 years about two dozen states have extended their statute of limitations, or eliminated them going forward.

Some states have allowed claims to stretch back decades, with New York, California and New Jersey among those allowing sex abuse claims to be pursued, regardless of how much time has elapsed.

Until the law was changed in Colorado, victims of childhood sexual abuse only had until the age of 24 to file lawsuits against abusers and had to file lawsuits by the time they turned 21 against employers of alleged abusers.

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When he was 24, Verti said he was not in a place where he could talk about what had happened to him, let alone file a lawsuit. He said he was deep in the throes of addiction that developed as the result of the abuse. Verti alleged that Evans told him that no one would believe him if Verti reported the priest's actions.

Verti said the abuse caused him to be diagnosed with chronic insomnia at 14 and prevented him from maintaining long-term relationships of all kinds. He said he wasn't able to process what had happened until his mid-30s, following therapy. Then, after learning that Evans was released from prison early, Verti said he wanted to speak up for other victims after staying quiet for so many years.

It allows me to right this regret about not coming forward, Verti, who is now engaged, said of his lawsuit.

The Associated Press does not normally identify victims of sexual assault but Verti filed the lawsuit under his name and agreed to be identified publicly.

Evans was investigated by law enforcement after three victims stepped forward starting in 2003  a year after the Catholic church sexual abuse scandal exploded in Boston after being exposed by The Boston Globe  to report abuse several years before.

Verti's lawsuit alleges the archdiocese is at fault because it knew of the risk posed by Evans even before he was ordained a priest in 1993, citing conclusions from a 2019 review of the archdiocese's records commissioned by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. According to Weiser's report, Evans was sent home early from the North American College in Rome after fellow students at the seminary reported that Evans made them uncomfortable and one of them later told the archdiocese's vicar of clergy that Evans had sexually harassed him.

Evans was then assigned to complete a carefully supervised pastoral internship in churches in the archdiocese, where he was then accused of having inappropriate boundaries and judgment in relationships with teen boys. The supervising pastor reported this to the archbishop and the vicar of clergy but nothing was done to investigate and Evans was moved to another parish, the report on the review said.

The review, conducted by former Colorado U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, was conducted under an agreement brokered by the attorney general's office. The archdiocese agreed to make its files available and to pay abuse victims however much a mediator decides is appropriate. However, victims accepting those reparations were required to waive their right to sue.

One of Verti's lawyers, Kurt Zaner, said Verti applied to use the church's reparations process around Thanksgiving. However, after one meeting to discuss his case, they have not heard anything back from officials, prompting Verti to move ahead with the lawsuit, Zaner said.

They haven't rejected us from the program but they also haven't accepted us, Zaner said.

In a statement, the archdiocese said the process is confidential and it cannot comment on Vertis participation. It noted that it paid out more than $6 million in reparations in over 55 cases in its reparations program from 2019 to 2020. Since that ended, it said it has offered a protocol that uses independent administrators to resolve certain claims.

The Archdiocese of Denver cares about all survivors of sexual abuse and is fully committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community  children, youth and at-risk adults, it said.

____

This story has been corrected to show that Verti is 38 years old, not 37.
A former Pittsburgh resident who rode a Port Authority bus to travel to and from several bank robberies in the city last year pleaded guilty in federal court this week.

Calvin Leavy, 68, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery charges, according to a report from the Department of Justice, and remains in custody pending sentencing in May.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man facing charges in connection with three Pittsburgh bank robberies

Leavy entered First National Bank at 3721 Forbes Avenue on Jan. 31, 2022, and told an employee to give him money, but he left the bank without receiving any, according to the report.

About 12 minutes later, he entered PNC Bank at 4600 Fifth Avenue, told an employee he had a gun and demanded money. He took $1,338, according to the report.

On Feb. 8, Levy took $1,238 from First National Bank at 307 4th Avenue after telling an employee he had a gun and demanding money.

Using surveillance footage, investigators found that Leavy used a Port Authority bus to travel to and from each of the bank robberies and used his bus card to pay for the fare.

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Watch: Mark Wright gets visibly emotional as he reveals he tried to save a man's life using CPR

Former The Only Way is Essex star, Mark Wright, welled up on This Morning today after he revealed that he once attempted to save a mans life using CPR while on holiday.

Wright, 37, told This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that the incident occurred while he was holidaying with his wife Michelle Keegan in Tenerife.

He explained that the mans wife approached him at the hotel they were staying in, looking distraught as her husband had collapsed. Sadly, the man died from a heart attack.

Read more: Mark Wright opens up about long-distance relationship with Michelle Keegan

I did what I could  he was there for a while before I got there, Wright, who was visibly emotional, said.

He wasn't necessarily alive when I gave him CPR but it allowed the ambulance to put him on a life support machine.

Coincidentally, Wright had just finished shooting a campaign to raise awareness of CPR when the incident happened.

Wright explained that the incident happened while he was on holiday in Tenerife. (ITV)

Posting to Instagram earlier this week, he explained: Last month, strangely enough, one week after shooting this film, I was first [to respond] to an out of hospital cardiac arrest, whilst on holiday in Tenerife.

Because of this filming day and lesson, I could instantly recognise the difference [between] a heart attack and cardiac arrest, convincing me that CPR had to be performed immediately.

Read more: Mark Wright shares fears as he opens up on cancer scare

Sadly I was either too late by the time I got to the patient or the trauma was too bad for this mans life to be saved. Around the hotel, including staff, not enough people knew how to perform CPR and a defibrillator was not on site so we had to wait 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive with one. Sadly it was too late.

This was a day that will stay with me forever. I will never forget this husband and fathers life fading away under my hands.

Mark shows hosts Holly and Phil how to do CPR. (ITV)

The mans daughter Victoria commented on Wrights Instagram post thanking the former reality TV star for trying to save her fathers life.

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It was my Dad who had the cardiac arrest in Tenerife, she wrote. I want to thank you again for your help and support, without it my mum wouldn't have had the opportunity to say her goodbyes to Dad. You are an absolute star and I'm so grateful you were there, you did your best and I'll forever be grateful to you. Sending love, Victoria.

Read more: Mark Wright slams trolls who body shame Michelle Keegan for her slim physique

Wright replied to the message, writing: There you are Vic. Ive been trying to find you. You were incredible for your dad and did him proud. You was stronger than I can ever imagine someone would be in that situation. Send you all, all the love in the world Vic. Xx.

The NHS says CPR that includes chest compressions and rescue breaths should only be performed if you have been trained in CPR.

Those not trained can try hands-only CPR which consists of a chest compression. If the incident happens in the UK, you should call 999 immediately.

Watch: Mark Wright opens up about cancer scare
Martin Scorsese supported Ukrainians

Responsible for critically acclaimed pictures Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Departed, among others, Scorsese said that Ukrainians have become the light of the world.

Read also: Sociologists say 95% of Ukrainians believe in victory  poll

My dear Ukrainians, Im sending this message to simply say that youre not alone, said Scorsese.

We admire your courage, your perseverance, resilience, and your extraordinary, remarkable determination in the face of this unspeakable barbarity. In this moment, your strength of spirit is like a light of the world, and I pray that its bright enough to guide you through this darkness.

Read also: Stressful conditions: What will 2023 be like for Ukrainians

In December 2022, Scorsese hosted the Notes from Ukraine concert in New York, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the introduction of Ukrainian folk song Shchedryk as the Carol of the Bells.

Read also: US official says Japan rolling out specific plans to support Ukraine

I want to offer my deepest respect and gratitude to the Ukrainian people, the director said at the event.

Whenever anyone stands up, as bravely as they have, to such extraordinary cruelty and indiscriminate terror, they deserve everybodys deepest thanks. They provide us with something really precious  an example of humanity at its very best, facing the very worst.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Massachusetts health officials on Thursday announced the states first two cases of a highly concerning new gonorrhea strain.

A novel strain of gonorrhea was detected in a Bay State resident who showed reduced response to multiple antibiotics, in addition to another case with genetic markers that indicate a similar drug response, according to the Department of Public Health.

This marks the first time that resistance or reduced response to five classes of antibiotics has been identified in gonorrhea in the United States, health officials noted.

Both cases were successfully cured with ceftriaxone, the antibiotic currently recommended to treat gonorrhea. To date, no direct connection between the two individuals has been identified.

Gonorrhea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection. It may present without symptoms, and if left untreated, can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and other health problems.

This new strain of gonorrhea has been previously seen in Asia-Pacific countries and in the United Kingdom, but not in America, according to Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke.

The discovery of this strain of gonorrhea is a serious public health concern which DPH, the CDC, and other health departments have been vigilant about detecting in the US, Cooke said in a news release. We urge all sexually active people to be regularly tested for sexually transmitted infections and to consider reducing the number of their sexual partners and increasing their use of condoms when having sex. Clinicians are advised to review the clinical alert and assist with our expanded surveillance efforts.

Field epidemiologists in the states Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention are now conducting contact tracing to determine if other individuals have acquired this infection.

Gonorrhea has been increasing in Massachusetts and nationally, adding to concerns about the potential spread of this strain, health officials noted. In Massachusetts, laboratory-confirmed cases of gonorrhea have increased 312% since a low point of 1,976 cases in 2009 to 8,133 in 2021.

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The Will County Board is moving forward with plans to demolish the old courthouse in Joliet, though preservation groups are still fighting to save the building. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown )

The Will County Board is moving forward with demolishing the vacant courthouse in downtown Joliet while area preservation groups are working to save the building.

The board voted Thursday on an engineering contract with Kluber, Inc. for $173,750 to prepare the scope of services needed to demolish the four-story concrete building, which was built in 1969. The engineering firm will provide a timeline for demolition, a budget and handle how the courthouse with its unique features, such as a jail in the basement, should come down in the middle of bustling Joliet.

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The former courthouse, 14 W. Jefferson St., has sat vacant since November 2020 after the new 10-story courthouse opened nearby, and county board members have been planning for its demolition since 2019.

In November, the board allocated $2.5 million for demolition in its fiscal year 2023 budget. Asbestos abatement work that began in October has recently been completed, according to the countys executive office.

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The demolition of the vacant courthouse will continue, County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said. As the project moves forward Will County will be working with our partners in Joliet to establish a long-term plan to redevelop the property for continued public use.

Despite the countys intentions to raze the building, Landmarks Illinois and the Joliet-based Courthouse Preservation Partnership are hoping they can change officials minds.

The two organizations Wednesday issued a request for developers and architectural firms to come up with ideas by March 10 to preserve or repurpose the courthouse.

Within hours, the groups received two promises from firms interested in repurposing the building, said Quinn Adamowski, regional advocacy manager for Landmarks Illinois. The firms are not being compensated for their ideas, he said.

In the request, it asks for developers or architects visions, potential partners and potential funding sources. Ideas for reusing the building include a boutique hotel or apartments or condominium units located above a first floor dedicated to commercial development, Adamowski said.

The courthouse is located in one of Illinois largest cities and near five wedding venues, a casino and the Rialto Square Theatre. A hotel, for instance, could be in high demand, Adamowski said.

Landmarks Illinois, a historic preservation nonprofit group, included the courthouse, known for its Brutalist style, on its 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list due the demolition plans. The advocacy organizations also received a favorable opinion from the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office in Springfield to potentially get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.

Landmarks Illinois and the Courthouse Preservation Partnership plan to provide the county the responses from developers as early as April as a way to encourage the county to issue an official request for redevelopment proposal, Adamowski said.

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How can it be harmful to explore whether or not there are redevelopment options, Adamowski said.

All this potential could go inside this building, he said. Instead of exploring this, the county has decided to tear it down without a plan.

County board member Jackie Traynere, the Democrat leader from Bolingbrook, said although the board voted in 2019 to demolish the courthouse, there wasnt anyone in the community interested in redeveloping it, unlike now.

One of the possibilities in a proposal for reuse of the former Will County Courthouse was for a rooftop bar in the downtown Joliet building. (Nathaniel Hollister)

I value architecture, even ugly architecture, Traynere said. (Buildings) have been in place for hundreds and hundreds of years in many other countries. Its just in our country we seem to consider everything disposable. We build it that way and treat it that way.

She said it will be difficult, dirty and noisy to tear the building down.

Traynere said she hopes the advocacy groups find a firm that can repurpose the building and the county board can potentially reconsider our decision.

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The countys legal team has said the county cannot enter into a public-private partnership, stating while the county owns the building, the property is held in trust as public ground for public use.

The Will County states attorneys office has said the property cannot be conveyed or leased except to public, municipal or governmental bodies, and that the county does not have the authority to sell the property since it would be inconsistent with its dedicated public use.

Though the countys legal department said the land is only allowed for public use, the firm Neal and Leroy, LLC issued Courthouse Preservation Partnership an opinion last year saying otherwise.

The courthouse site was dedicated as public ground in 1834 and is held by the county government in trust for public use, its legal opinion said. The preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic courthouse is a public use, consistent with this dedication, even if accomplished through private investment. Preservation of historic and cultural resources has long been recognized in Illinois and throughout the country as public use. The public use may be carried out through a private entity.

Meanwhile, Landmarks Illinois professional committee the Skyline Council and the Courthouse Preservation Partnership are preparing an event known as a heartbombing at the former courthouse on Saturday, Feb. 11, for residents to share their public displays of affection toward the building.

The event includes crafting hearts or other artwork at 10 a.m. at MyGrain Brewing Company in Joliet followed by traveling to the courthouse to display the hearts and taking a group photo at noon. Group organizers said this is one way to show how the building is irreplaceable.

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Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
The lights at Minnechaug Regional High School have been on since August 2021. Minnechaug Regional High School

A Massachusetts school finally can turn off its lights, which have been on since August 2021 due to a technical glitch.

The company replacing the system received the equipment and began fixing the problem this week, NBC Boston reported.

"We are very much aware this is costing taxpayers a significant amount of money," a school official told NBC.

A high school in Massachusetts that cost taxpayers thousands because it couldn't turn off its lights for a year and a half is finally going dark.

Officials are now able to dim the approximately 7,000 lights inside Minnechaug Regional High School that had remained on since August 24, 2021, when the software operating the lighting system failed, NBC News reported. For a year and a half following the glitch, attempts to fix the system were thwarted or delayed, leaving residents of the town of Wilbraham to bear the consequences  and costs.

Reflex Lighting, the company contracted to fix the lights, arrived at the school this week to reprogram the faulty system and begin turning off the lights, NBC Boston reported. The company previously said it would be ready to replace the system this month, but the preceding comedy of errors turned what seemed like a quick fix into a much lengthier debacle.

The first blip arose when the school discovered the company that initially installed the system, 5th Light, no longer had access to the system's software, according to The Smoke Signal, the high school's newspaper.

Part of the issue was that ownership of the software company changed several times after the initial installation, according to NBC. But the new owner, Reflex Lighting, said it couldn't send contractors until the following year due to the pandemic.

Though officials sought faster alternatives, Reflex appeared to be the only company equipped to fix the issue  to the tune of $1.2 million, per NBC. Meanwhile, the energy bill just kept climbing.

"We are very much aware this is costing taxpayers a significant amount of money," Aaron Osborne, the assistant superintendent of finance at the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, told NBC News. "And we have been doing everything we can to get this problem solved."

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According to NBC, replacement parts were ordered in November 2021 and installation was expected in February 2022, but a series of issues  including back orders on equipment and contractor scheduling issues  meant the lights remained on for the duration of 2022.

Now the town  and its taxpayers  can rest easy.

"And yes, there will be a remote override switch so this won't happen again," Paul Mustone, president of Reflex Lighting, told NBC.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As researchers dug through a centuries-old trash heap, seven tombs emerged from the tan sands of Egypt, undisturbed for centuries  perhaps millennia. Removing the ceiling of one burial chamber, archaeologists came face to face with a very different kind of mummy.

Archaeologists began excavating the Qubbat al-Hawa burial site along the Nile River in Aswan, according to a study published Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the journal PLOS One. The burial site contained a number of known rock-cut tombs where dignitaries were buried.

The researchers noticed a thick pile of trash from the Byzantine empire, which ruled from 330 until 1453 A.D. Beneath this trash pile, they found seven small rock tombs, simple and undecorated.

Looking into one small tomb, archaeologists found a cache of 10 crocodile mummies.

The tomb area at Qubbat al-Hawa. A red arrow points to the tomb where the crocodile mummies were found.

The chamber contained five more or less complete bodies and five crocodile heads, the study said. The find was unlike any other crocodile material described so far.

The largest crocodile had an estimated length of 11.5 feet, and the smallest had an estimated length of 6 feet, according to the study. Based on the type of preservation and the lack of resin and pitch, archaeologists estimated the mummies were at least 2,300 years old. The crocodiles were buried before the Ptolemaic period, which began around 330 B.C., researchers said.

The most complete crocodile mummy  named crocodile #5  was about 7 feet long and wrapped in palm leaves. Inside the crocodiles stomach, researchers found stones called gastroliths, eggshell remains from small lizards or snakes the reptile may have eaten and insects that likely invaded the corpse.

A photo looking down at crocodile #5, the most complete mummy.

The second most complete mummy, crocodile #4, was so well-preserved its snout still had scales, photos show. The crocodiles eye sockets still had soft tissue in them.

The snout of crocodile #4 and the preserved scales.

The five skulls varied in completeness and quality of preservation, researchers said. The best-preserved skull still had skin on the nostrils and snout. Another skull showed signs of being cut and bludgeoned, likely from the mummification process.

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The skulls of crocodiles #4, #11 and #1.

Researchers could not figure out how the crocodiles died, the study said. Most mummies did not show signs of being chopped, possibly implying the reptiles died from drowning or suffocation.

Based on the variations in mummy quality, the archaeologists concluded the crocodiles were likely preserved through deliberate natural mummification, the study said. For this process, the animals were buried in the ground at different depths, time periods or soil types. As ancient Egyptians dug the reptiles back up and placed them in the tomb, the mummies were likely damaged.

The collection of crocodile mummies showed a unique way of mummification in ancient Egypt, according to a news release from EurekAlert.

The crocodiles are being stored at the Qubbat al-Hawa site, the study said. Excavations at the Aswan site began in 2018, but the findings werent announced until the study was published.

Aswan is about 510 miles south of Cairo and along the Nile River.

Every skull is missing from 37 skeletons in this prehistoric mass grave  except one

Trash mounds of 1,300-year-old fabrics  still vividly colored  unearthed in Israel

Paw prints lead spelunkers to ancient cat bones, untouched for millennia in Texas cave
Red states, blue states, big cities, small towns  mayors from across the country this week are venting about their struggles to address a housing affordability crisis and increase in homelessness.

Leaders spanning places like Richmond, Va., and Albuquerque, N.M., aired concerns about establishing affordable housing and strengthening community development during the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week in Washington, D.C. They also voiced frustrations in dealing with investors, housing density and racial disparities while federal funding is often channeled to them indirectly through their state government.

At the end of the day, as mayors, people arent looking to their senators to solve homelessness, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said to applause at the conference Wednesday. Theyre not looking to their state legislators to solve homelessness. Theyre looking to their mayor.

In Richmond, everything from parasitic capital investors making below-value cash offers to a lack of adequate care for acquired property has ruined swaths of his city, Democratic Mayor Levar Stoney said during a panel discussion at the conference, particularly in low-income and historically Black areas.

Stoney and other local leaders also blamed short-term rental markets, house flippers and corporate investors as detractors in struggling housing markets. He called for mayors to establish a new working group to convene on pilot programs and initiatives.

Mayors cannot address this problem alone. We need to work together with all levels of government, private corporations, landlords, tenants and community organizations, Stoney said. Housing is a vaccine for poverty, and home ownership is one of the fundamental ways for families to build generational wealth.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller sought to offer a Western perspective, hailing from a city that didnt face a housing shortage until a few years ago. All of a sudden, people want to move to Albuquerque, he said, which created a 30,000-unit-wide gap. Cheap housing from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as dilapidated apartments and hotels, worsened the issue, added Keller, who has led the city since 2017.

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The city is considering whether to convert some old buildings, particularly hotels and commercial areas, into condos or apartments to make them renter-friendly. Keller said the next four months will decide the physical future of the citys housing situation.

Weve got to understand the big picture, but also the details.  The problem in our city is our zoning code, Keller said. We zoned our entire city for single-family dwellings, and it is destroying Albuquerque. It will hollow us out.

This year, several state legislatures have proposed widely different solutions to their individual housing problems and needs. In Washington state, a bill in the Senate would increase the amount of single-family detached housing options, while a bill in the state House aims to address the shortage by issuing up to $4 billion in general obligation bonds and give loans to some organizations that develop low-income housing.

Other chambers in states like Virginia, Washington and Connecticut have introduced measures that would strengthen protections for tenants against landlords on issues like rent increases and document translation in attempts to prevent unfair evictions. Many have also adopted stronger regulations on short-term rentals, cracking down on out-of-state property managers and adding new regulations like license requirements.

Biden administration officials sought to highlight what kinds of relief mayors could tap to quell their housing struggles.

Marion McFadden, principal deputy assistant secretary of community planning and development at HUD, touted a federal loan guarantee program that provides grants for low-cost and flexible housing. She also listed new funding sources, including $75 million in permanent supportive housing construction and $225 million in new money for manufactured housing communities.

But some mayors in the audience expressed irritation with funneling grant money through the state coffers instead of going directly to local leaders themselves.

A lot of us are frustrated. We need more funds to go directly to local government, Frank Cownie, the Democratic mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, said to a flurry of applause, citing concerns with how the state had doled out federal funding in the past. Other mayors in the room concurred, with one adding that small cities seem to receive even less attention and financial support.

HUD panelists responded by reiterating current federal funding, including the 2021 HOME American Rescue Plan program, a one-time infusion of affordable housing and preservation money.

This is still low on every policymakers radar, Keller, the Albuquerque mayor, said. We are trying to push it at the state level, we are trying to let our federal delegation know about this, and were trying to let everyday citizens know we have to do something about housing or were going to lose our city to the suburbs.
Mayors from across the country called on Congress to prioritize serving local communities over party politics at The Hills Future of Cities: Mayors Forum on Thursday.

Four mayors representing both large and small cities spoke to The Hill Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack about the issues facing their communities as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and look to tackle challenges like infrastructure, climate change and affordable housing.

Mayors just got to get the job done, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D). The people see us each and every day. They dont care if youre a Democrat or Republican when theyre talking about a pothole or talking about making sure that your garbage is picked up on time.

Dickens said Washington, D.C., has a political lens of partisanship, but that local communities dont venture into that realm until election season. He said he has his own partisan preferences, but most mayors are talking about issues like infrastructure, public safety, crime and housing stability and affordability.

Arlington, Texas, Mayor Jim Ross, who ran for the office as a nonpartisan candidate, echoed Dickens, saying that members of Congress should follow mayors lead in taking actions to address the problems that are facing their communities instead of actions that just appeal to their political party.

Ross repeated a statement from Thomas Cochran, the executive director and CEO of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in telling Congress to act like a mayor.

The Hill event took place as mayors from throughout the country are meeting in Washington, D.C., for the conferences annual winter meeting to discuss common issues facing their communities.

Ross said Cochranes statement means that lawmakers should speak in a nonpartisan way and avoid taking actions that will only rile up their political partys base.

Do the things that are important to your community. Make a difference in the community, he said. And thats what I love about this conference. Thats what I love about my fellow mayors in this country.

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Because I dont care if youre a Democrat, an independent or a Republican, he said. We all have the same desire, and thats to benefit our community.

Ross said mayors are the only group of politicians that do not focus on party politics. He said he is tired of party politics, along with most of the American people.

He said the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed with support from both parties and was signed into law in 2021, was critically important to build a foundation for communities to grow.

James Hovland (D), the mayor of Edina, Minn., said a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was a bipartisan commitment to restore and advance transportation infrastructure and broadband capabilities on a national level.

He said the country has a lot of work to do on parts of infrastructure like ports, roads and bridges.

Hovland said President Bidens call for the country to establish nationwide broadband access came from a notion discussed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

He also emphasized that government can still have accomplishments during periods of divided government, noting that divided government has been typical in Minnesota.

You can find that common ground just like President Biden did with Congress with some of these things that he wanted bipartisan support on and was able to achieve, and I think we can continue to find some of that common ground on some of these issues, Hovland said.

He said some of the issues include technology, diversity and housing affordability. He said local officials are clamoring for states and the federal government to take steps to make housing more affordable, but action has not been seen much on the federal level yet.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
State Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green on the impact of declining public-school enrollments since the COVID-19 pandemic began: "I think what we will have to do is make adjustments at the district level, unfortunately."

Gov. Dan McKee's proposed budget would boost education funding by nearly $58 million, the grand total surpassing $2 billion. A large part of the pot  about $21 million  would be spent on charter schools, and public schools would see nearly the same level of increase.

Schools are still trying to recover from pandemic losses. According to state Office of Management and Budget Director Brian Daniels, roughly 5,700 students have left public schools since COVID-19 took hold in 2020, causing the state to re-think its use of $30 million in so-called "hold-harmless" money that continues to fund school districts as if they hadn't lost students.

"We had to think about 'how do we stop paying for empty seats and really start targeting our education dollars to what its supposed to be intended for in the funding formula?'" Daniels said. For the coming fiscal year, those funds aren't being factored in.

Instead, added spending would go to other areas: more than $13 million is proposed for multilingual students and nearly $10 million is proposed for impoverished students. Additionally, McKee wants to set up a fund to compensate public schools when they lose students to charters. That plan, modeled on one in Massachusetts, would see nearly $8 million spent. The first year after losing a student, the sending district would receive 60% of the cost of the student, and in the second year 30%.

Other proposed investments include $8.5 million for other enrollment losses and $2.5 million for homeless students.

Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said she is "hoping that the enrollment changes will level off a little bit," but statewide, that would take a 3,000-student increase.

"I think what we will have to do is make adjustments at the district level, unfortunately, but I think all urban school districts are seeing this decline," she said. Even so, she said, public schools still need to hire more teachers, and there are no plans for further school closings like those recently in the Providence district.

"I dont see any of that right now," Infante-Green said. "Right now were in a good place."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: McKee budget aims to make up for decline in public-school enrollment
A man who was shot to death by a deputy after allegedly holding a juvenile hostage has been identified by the Merced County Sheriff Coroners Office as Adolfo Cruz, 37, according to Deputy Alexandra Britton.

Authorities said deputies were dispatched to a domestic incident at an apartment complex in the 8800 block of Globe Avenue in Dos Palos at about 11:44 a.m. Jan. 13.

Deputies arrived on scene and located the suspect, who allegedly attempted to set fire to an apartment complex.

Britton said it appears Cruz had been living at the residence for a couple of years.

Authorities said Cruz was holding the juvenile hostage inside the residence while armed with a knife. According to Britton, deputies were able to enter the top floor of the building, and Cruz was ultimately shot and killed.

The incident remains under investigation by Merced County Sheriffs Office and the Merced County District Attorneys Office.

The Sheriffs Office has not released the name of the deputy involved in the shooting.
U.S. tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, no longer designates Ukraines Azov Regiment as a dangerous organization.

This means that Azov Regiment members will be allowed to have accounts on Meta platforms, while content posted by other users about Azov Regiment will no longer be removed, Metas spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent in an emailed statement.

Ukraine has been negotiating with Meta for a long time to convince the company to allow publishing content about the Azov Regiment and its members.

Azov Regiment is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine formerly based in Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city now occupied by Russia. The group has sparked controversy over its alleged association with far-right groups  a recurring theme used by Russian propaganda.

The war in Ukraine has meant changing circumstances in many areas and it has become clear that the Azov Regiment does not meet our strict criteria for designation as a dangerous organization, Metas spokesperson said.

Azov Regiment will still have to comply with the platforms Community Standards.

Metas decision will allow the whole world to learn about the feat of the defenders of Mariupol, and Russian propaganda will lose its argument for blaming Ukrainian heroes, said Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

"The ministry has been in constant communication with Meta. Hundreds of accounts of Ukrainian military personnel, bloggers and activists have been unblocked (before)," said Fedorov.

Other groups associated with the Azov Movement, including its founder Andriy Biletsky and his far-right political party National Corps, are still designated as dangerous by Meta.

Meta makes a distinction between Azov Regiment and Azov Movement.

Azov Movement has strong ties to far-right extremists in many EU countries and the U.S., said Alexander Ritzmann, a senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project, in an interview with Euronews.

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The Azov Regiment that is fighting against Russian invaders is something completely different, he added.

Azov Regiment was fully integrated into the Ukrainian national guard and since then operates under the command of the Ministry of the Interior, Ritzmann said.

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Daryna Antoniuk, I hope you enjoyed reading my story.

I cover tech for the Kyiv Independent during one of the most difficult times for my country. We need stories like these because the fight on the digital front is just as important as the fight on the ground. I really want to write again about investment in Ukraines hi-tech, cool startups and the booming Ukrainian IT market.

But first, Ukraine needs to win the war. Our part in it is keeping the world informed. Consider becoming a patron of the Kyiv Independent so you can read more stories about tech and business in the future.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  A Mexican human rights group launched an online guide Wednesday for people searching for missing relatives, a real need in a country where authorities are slow to act.

Mexico has almost 110,000 people listed as missing, but many of the most effective searches are carried out by relatives or activists. Mexico's antiquated, underfunded police system has been overwhelmed by waves of gang-fueled abductions and killings.

The legal system, meanwhile, is arcane in both terminology and procedures, and makes little allowance for people unfamiliar with legal terms.

Because families have to confront a steep learning curve when someone goes missing, the online guide tells people what the legal steps are for filing anything from a crime report to a constitutional injunction.

The Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez human rights center hopes the guide will help people find and preserve evidence and testimonies, and eventually find their loved ones.

Maria Luisa Aguilar, a director of the rights center, said families face prosecution officials every day who are at best indifferent to their requests.

Relatives often have to request and collect evidence like video camera footage and telephone records themselves.

Jacqueline Palmeros had to learn all this quickly for herself 2 1/2 years ago, when her daughter Jael Montserrat disappeared after boarding a vehicle on the outskirts of Mexico City.

Palmeros hopes the new guide will help others to persevere in the pursuit of truth and justice, and avoid having to learn it all as they go.

It is an uphill battle. Mexican authorities have about 52,000 unclaimed bodies on their hands that they have been unable to identify. With morgues overflowing, they have been forced to bury them in paupers' graves. This means the cases of many missing people may never be solved.
By Kylie Madry

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador defended his plan to move all cargo flights from the capital's principal airport to a new site on the outskirts of town Thursday after a draft proposal to do such was made public earlier this week.

"An agreement is being reached between the directors of the two airports, with customs, with everyone," Lopez Obrador said in a regular news conference.

The draft decree, which was sent by the president and published on a government regulatory body's website, would halt all cargo flights out of the Benito Juarez International Airport, the busiest airport in the country.

The decree must be published in the federal gazette to take effect.

The nearest airport is the Felipe Angeles International Airport north of Mexico City, one of Lopez Obrador's signature but controversial public works projects opened last March.

Lopez Obrador said the government was not seeking to make the change "by force" and that it was looking to have buy-in from cargo operators.

Last year, officials moved to limit commercial flights out of the Benito Juarez airport, citing oversaturation.

Lopez Obrador said cargo flights would be moved due to lack of space at the hub. Around 3% of flights at the airport last year were for cargo, according to flight data.

The president also said Felipe Angeles had the room and "security conditions" to manage the change. Experts, however, warn that moving cargo flights to the facility could snarl supply chains.

Despite being one of Lopez Obrador's top infrastructure projects, military-led construction at the Felipe Angles site is still ongoing and an area highway has yet to be completed.

The transportation ministry, charged with implementing the decree, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by David Alire Garcia; editing by Diane Craft)
By David Alire Garcia

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Brightly-painted Zapotec murals invoking warfare recently unearthed from tombs in southern Mexico may date back nearly 2,000 years, officials said late on Wednesday of the find that sheds new light on the ancient civilization's funerary rites.

The well-preserved murals found in the largest of five tombs, its chambers arranged in a cross-like structure, show sharp black lines and richly-dressed figures painted in colorful red and yellow hues, in the town of San Pedro Nexicho, in southern Oaxaca state.

The town is located about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of the ruins of what was once the Zapotecs' imposing hill-top capital known as Monte Alban, featuring towering temples and palaces, and today a major tourist draw.

A portion of one mural found in the tombs appears to depict a war procession, according to a statement from Mexico's antiquities institute INAH, and was laid out in a "codex style," referring to pre-Hispanic books painted by scribes on bark paper or animal skins that incorporate complex symbols and mythic scenes.

Some of the latest murals were partially reconstructed from fragments originally found on the tomb floors, according to INAH.

The institute noted that the largest tomb was looted years ago, though an overlooked golden bead was still found there, as well as small ceramic pieces, shells and green stones elsewhere at the dig site.

Two of the tombs were found completely intact, with further study of the human remains expected. In one crypt, some 240 objects were found, including stucco pieces with Zapotec writing, INAH said.

The burial chambers date back to the Zapotecs' classical and post-classical apogee, from around 200-1100 AD, with the area's ancient occupation extending up until the Spanish conquest in 1521.

The Zapotecs were contemporaries of the ancient Maya, with both cultures known for their elaborate writing, among the world's first-ever literary traditions.

(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
By Andrew Hay and Brendan O'Brien

TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) -Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony punishable by prison time, in the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the movie "Rust" in New Mexico, a state prosecutor said on Thursday.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, the top prosecutor for Santa Fe, said Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the western, would also be charged with involuntary manslaughter. All charges would be filed by the end of this month, he added.

Hutchins' family welcomed the announcement, while Baldwin attorney Luke Nikas said, "this decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."

The charging decision was met with surprise in Hollywood and followed more than a year of investigation after a pistol fired a live round in October 2021 as Baldwin was rehearsing with it on the set of the movie being filmed outside Santa Fe, the state capital. The movie's director, Joel Souza, was hit and wounded by the same .45-caliber bullet that killed Hutchins.

A Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office investigation did not reveal how live ammunition got onto the set.

According to a police report, David Halls, the assistant director who handed the gun to Baldwin, told the actor it was "cold," an industry term meaning it did not contain live ammunition or even blank rounds.

Halls has signed an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. Gutierrez-Reed had handled the gun before Halls.

Prosecutors told several media outlets it was part of industry standards for actors to check that firearms were safe to handle and to follow basic gun rules such as not pointing weapons at people.

Baldwin has pushed back at that idea, saying firearm safety was the responsibility of the armorer and the first director and that he was instructed to aim the pistol at the cinematographer.

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"On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice," Carmack-Altwies said in her statement.

Prosecutors could face long odds securing a conviction, according to legal experts, who said that if on-set professionals told Baldwin the gun was not loaded, he wouldn't be obligated to inspect it himself.

"It's a very aggressive charging decision, and the defense has a strong case," said personal injury attorney and former prosecutor Neama Rahmani, who was not involved in the "Rust" case. "Accidents like this are not enough for criminal liability."

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged "in the alternative" with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, meaning a jury will decide not only if they were guilty, but under which legal definition of the offense, the prosecutor said.

Simple involuntary manslaughter for negligence is punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Should prosecutors prove there was more than simple negligence involved in the use of a firearm, they could each face a mandatory five-year prison term.

Baldwin has denied responsibility for Hutchins' death and said he did not pull the trigger of the replica Pietta .45-caliber long Colt revolver.

'WE WILL FIGHT THESE CHARGES'

An FBI forensic test of the revolver found it "functioned normally" and would not fire without the trigger being pulled.

"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win," his attorney Nikas said.

Firearms guidance from actors union SAG-AFTRA instructs performers to treat guns as though they are loaded with blanks and rely on weapons handlers to instruct them on use, including when they can safely point a firearm at someone on camera.

An actors job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert," the union said, slamming Carmack-Altwies' charging decision as "uninformed."

Among actors who spoke out in support of Baldwin was Kirk Acevedo, who appeared in HBOs World War Two series "Band of Brothers."

"Most actors have never even fired a real gun before. They have zero knowledge on handling fire arms, its up to the armorer or the prop master to show," Acevedo said on Twitter.

Brian Panish, a lawyer representing the Hutchins family, said his investigation found charges were warranted.

The cinematographer's husband, Matt Hutchins, sued Baldwin in 2021, alleging the Emmy-winning "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live" star, and others, disregarded standard industry safety practices. Hutchins last year reached a settlement in which he became an executive producer of "Rust." Production was set to resume early in 2023 outside New Mexico.

New Mexico's worker safety agency in April fined the film's production company $137,000, the maximum amount possible, for what it described as "willful" safety lapses leading to Hutchins' death.

Hours before the incident, camera operators walked off the set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, south of Santa Fe, protesting against what they saw as poor safety and working conditions.

(Reporting by Andrew Hay and Brendan O'Brien; additional reporting by Lisa Richwine and Tyler Clifford; editing by Jonathan Oatis, Rosalba O'Brien and Simon Cameron-Moore)
FARMINGTON  There was a change in leadership at The Daily Times earlier this week, as New Mexico native Jessica Onsurez succeeded John Moses as the newspapers news director.

The move was effective Monday, Jan. 16. Moses has accepted a position as the editor at the Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times, which also is owned by the Gannett Co. Inc.

Onsurez, who lives in Carlsbad but plans to relocate soon to Las Cruces, also serves as news director for the Carlsbad Current-Argus, the Alamogordo Daily News, the Ruidoso News and the Las Cruces Sun-News. She joined the Current-Argus in 2013 as a reporter and now oversees the news operations at five Gannett papers in New Mexico.

Onsurez, who was born in Loving, earned a bachelors degree in journalism from Eastern New Mexico University. After serving an internship in the office of then-U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, she joined his staff full time, eventually rising to the rank of assistant to the chief of staff.

Some people called it the end of an era, but I like to call it the wrapping up of an era, she said, referring to that period when the partisan divide in Washington was much less stark.

When Domenici retired from the Senate and joined a nonpartisan nonprofit organization in Washington, Onsurez followed him as a staff member while earning her masters degree from American University, where she studied a program focused on multimedia journalism.

Upon graduation, she felt the need to do something different, so she signed up for a hitch in the Peace Corps, serving more than two years in Peru as a community economic development volunteer. Onsurez acknowledged that, on the surface, that position might not seem to have much in common with what she does now. But she said the two jobs require similar skills.

It teaches you a lot about how to interact with people, how to actually listen when youre having conversations with people, she said.

Onsurez, a native Spanish speaker, said her ability to interact with Peruvians in their own tongue was invaluable and taught her a lot about the value of being able to communicate with and understand people on their terms.

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She recalled with a laugh how a fellow Peace Corps volunteer, a young man she was mentoring in Spanish, was rebuffed by a bakery owner after trying to order a piece of cake one day. Onsurez asked him to tell her what he had said to the woman, and when he repeated his order in Spanish, Onsurez burst out laughing.

I said, No, no, no  no wonder she got mad. You told her you wanted a piece of poop, she said.

Upon returning to New Mexico, Onsurez quickly found work as a reporter at the Current-Argus, which she described as her hometown paper. A decade later, she now finds herself leading the coverage at nearly a half dozen Gannett properties in the state.

Onsurez said she plans to respond to the challenge of leading those papers by remembering that each of those communities has its own identity.

Farmington is a distinct community from Carlsbad or Las Cruces, she said. I want to make sure we are true to our goal of covering our communities truthfully and accurately.

Onsurez noted that that journalism has changed dramatically over the last decade with more changes likely coming.

Its an industry that is beginning to rethink its tradition in print, she said, referring to the increased emphasis on digital journalism.

Despite the change in leadership at The Daily Times, Onsurez said the paper would practice an inclusive and comprehensive brand of journalism.

Our readers should continue to expect great journalism that is fair, accurate and timely, she said.

Her predecessor as The Daily Times editor, Moses, joined the paper in April 2017. Moses began his career in the San Francisco Bay area, where he worked for 20 years before joining papers in Alaska and Wyoming.

John R. Moses

Moses said he enjoyed his time in Farmington.

The Four Corners is a unique and special area, he said. Im glad I had time to explore it.

He said he is especially proud of the papers coverage of the 2017 shooting at Aztec High School, its annual coverage of the Connie Mack World Series and its everyday coverage of San Juan County, a 5,500-square-mile county that is home to more than 120,000 people.

My time in Farmington was really well spent, he said. I think we covered a lot of great news, and I hope we served the county well. Im looking forward to my time in Corpus Christi, and I wish the very best to Jessica, who is a fine journalist and who will take fantastic care of the newsroom, which is being left in very good hands.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Jessica Onsurez named news director at The Daily Times in Farmington
Schools that have lower enrollment, less funding per student, or don't already have an SRO were given priority for their share of $25 million in SRO grant funding.

This week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a program that will award 195 school districts funding to bring in school resource officers.

A total of $25 million will be split amongst the districts. The money is specifically meant to pay for 50 percent of an SROs wages, benefits and trainings for three years.

More:Public Schools of Petoskey to have full-time SRO in district

Schools that have lower enrollment, less funding per student, or don't already have an SRO were given priority.

Public Schools of Petoskey is receiving $104,250. The district and city both approved the hiring of Ben Carlson as an SRO back in December, planning to split the costs.

I've had school resource officers in my previous districts, and I know just what a blessing it can be to the schools and for the community, so I was just excited for us to have that funding source here now, said Petoskey Superintendent Jeff Leslie.

I think my first reaction was relief," he said about the grant. "It was really good news."

More:School resource officers across the state are shifting from DARE to TEAM: Here's what that means

In Allegan County, Hamilton Community Schools and Fennville Public Schools were among those chosen as grant recipients. Hamiltons grant is $161,750, while Fennvilles grant is $158,443.

With the grant secured, Fennville will begin the hiring process of an SRO. Superintendent Jim Greydanus said, to his knowledge, the district hasn't ever had one. Like Leslie, prior to coming to Fennville, Greydanus had experience working with an SRO.

The benefits I saw there were the relationships he built with our students, being around campus all the time, getting to know the students, he said. Kids would share with him if there were safety concerns. Most of the work became prevention of problems, but if there was an emergency, a medical situation or safety concerns, he was there to help respond.

Fennvilles SRO will serve the entire district, which is centralized on one campus. Greydanus said the hope is to have an officer in place by July or August.

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Hamilton recently hired its first ever school resource officer Joe Knapp, a longtime deputy with the Allegan County Sheriffs Office. He began in the role Dec. 1.

Hamilton Superintendent Brad Lusk said in November the district would utilize state grant funds to establish the position. He also said hiring an SRO was an opportunity to bring in somebody to provide that safety and security for the schools.

In Otsego County, Gaylord Community Schools and Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools were both selected for funding. Gaylord will be getting $141,513 and Johannesburg-Lewiston will be getting $141,626.

Gaylord Superintendent Jim Cracraft wrote in a statement the district is currently fine-tuning safety and security protocols while engaging in a school safety audit. He also said the district regularly meets with local law enforcement agencies and first responders.

The Gaylord Community Schools is very appreciative of receiving the SRO grant to allow for additional SRO coverage for our district, Cracraft wrote. Currently, Gaylord schools enjoys an outstanding relationship with local law enforcement and having additional support at our school site will help to provide additional security.

Charlevoix Countys East Jordan Public Schools grant was for $55,437. Charlevoix County provided an SRO to five districts within county lines, but Superintendent Matt Stevenson said having the opportunity to have their own SRO will be good for the school.

It's really a great opportunity for schools like ours to bring a full-time school resource officer in the district and really help on a lot of different levels, he said.

Stevenson said the district had been really working hard on trying to secure an SRO for ourselves over the last couple of years, and this funding is really going to help make that dream a reality.

Stevenson said the goal is to have the job posting up this week.

Down in Coldwater Community Schools, funding will be used to bring on a second school resource officer. Officer Robin Swartz has worked for the district since 2020. With the new grant, a second officer will join her at Legg Middle School.

"We (won't) have to share an officer now, or jockey for priority when an officer is needed at both schools," said Legg Principal Julie Slusher.

Besides dealing with illegal substances, tobacco, vaping and drugs, It allows us to educate the students ... about online safety, cyberbullying.

Subscribe:Get unlimited digital access to the news that matters to you

St. Joseph County also saw a payout, with Colon Community Schools receiving $91,329, White Pigeon Community Schools receiving $110,000 and Pathfinder Educational Center receiving $185,000.

Click here for a full list of schools.

Reporters Mitchell Boatman and Donald Reid contributed to the reporting of this article.

 Reporters Mitchell Boatman and Donald Reid contributed to this article. Contact education reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Michigan school districts express relief, excitement about resource officer funding
Police have identified a woman who died Jan. 11 after being struck by an SUV while walking on Interstate 75.

With the assistance of the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory in Northville, the woman was identified by her fingerprints as Paula Quarterman, a 41-year-old Warren resident, a news release from the state police's Monroe Post said.

"Quarterman had no known acquaintances in the area," the release said. "It is unknown why she was in Monroe County or why she was walking on the freeway."

The incident happened at about 9:45 p.m. on northbound I-75 near the northbound weigh station near mile marker 8, a news release from the Monroe Post said. Troopers were dispatched to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle and located the woman, but initial efforts to identify her were unsuccessful.

The SUV driver called 911 to report the collision, post commander 1st Lt. Stephen Borello said. Neither speed, drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Michael Peterson of the Michigan State Police Monroe Post at 734-242-3500.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Police identify pedestrian struck, killed Jan. 11 on I-75
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's population rose to an all-time high of 84.3 million people in 2022, after stagnating over the past three years, as Ukrainian refugees came to Germany fleeing the war.

In 2022 there were 1.l million more people living in Germany than in the previous year, the federal statistics office said on Thursday. Immigrants more than compensated for a low birth rate and ageing population.

In just the first half of the year, Ukrainians arriving in Germany swelled the population by 740,000. At the peak of the earlier refugee crisis prompted by violence in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, in the second half of 2015, Germany added 756,000 new residents.

The flow of immigrants coming from countries other than Ukraine also increased in 2022, following years of sluggish growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statistics office's data showed.

The balance between the number of immigrants and emigrants was at its highest level since Germany started collecting the statistics in 1950, and four times higher than in the previous year, the statistics office said.

The arrival of immigrants of working age compensated for the ageing of the population. While the overall proportion of Germans of working age (15 to 63 years) was 61.6% in 2022, it was 75.9% among people coming from abroad.

(Reporting by Maria Martinez, editing by Rachel More and Alex Richardson)
Jan. 19 marks the 25th anniversary of the day that Bill Clintons affair with White House intern Monica Lewinskybecame public news.

In honor of the dubious historical date, which led to Clinton getting impeached, Lewinsky revealed 25 random things shes learned in the aftermath of the scandal in a piece for Vanity Fair.

Some of her life lessons may seen obvious, such as her revelation that the 24/7 scandal cycle has turned out to be even more devastating over time  to lives, careers, reputations, public discourse, and the American psyche than it was in the 1990s.

Or this one:

Choose your friends carefully. Twenty-five years ago I had one of the worlds worst friends: Linda Judas, hold my beer Tripp. While I have since let go of the resentment and bitterness that surrounded her and her betrayal, its not lost on me how very fortunate I am to have been able to trust new people.

But some of the random things shes learned, really do seem random, such as:

It took me 22 years to be able to watch The West Wing  which, yes, I agree, was brilliant. (And thankfully, no one wore a beret.)

Turns out our parents are not dumb. Quite the opposite. (But they are still annoying at times.)

The multiverse is real.

Paul Rudd looks the same. How can that be?

Lewinsky saved what she thought was the most important random thing shes learned for the end.

Lastly, I dont know how to say this other than to be direct and insufferably corny: You can survive the unimaginable, she wrote, nothing that not for nothing did I name my film and TV production company Alt Ending.

Read the entire article at Vanity Fair.

Related...
Abortion-rights protestors march between the Indiana Statehouse and the Indiana State Library where Vice President Kamala Harris was meeting with Indiana legislators to discuss reproductive rights in Indianapolis on July 25, 2022. The fate of Indianas Republican-backed abortion ban goes Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, before the state Supreme Court as it hears arguments on whether it violates privacy protections under the state constitution. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) (Michael Conroy/AP)

Abortion rights advocates Thursday called oral arguments before the Indiana Supreme Court over an injunction stopping the states restrictive abortion law promising.

Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana and Kentucky, said she was grateful for the argument made in court today.

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I am very hopeful we will prevail, Gibron said.

Representatives from Lake County Right for Life, which has half-day office hours, could not be reached Thursday. Porter County Right to Life issued the following statement late Thursday from Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter:

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There is no right to abortion in the Indiana Constitution. The United States Supreme Court made it clear abortion policy is to be decided by the people of each state, which is exactly what happened when the Indiana legislature passed restrictive legislation following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. We hope the court will act quickly in upholding the new law so Indiana can move forward in ending the majority of abortions in our state. There is a great urgency to the courts proceeding as over 150 unborn children continue to die from abortion in Indiana every week the new law remains blocked.

The five-member Supreme Court, all of whom were appointed by Republican governors, heard arguments Thursday from the states attorney generals office and the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, which is representing Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinic operators challenging the ban.

What Im seeing right now, outside the courtroom, is a lot of supporters of access to abortion care for Hoosiers, Gibron said.

Protesters gather on the corner of Courthouse Square in Crown Point for a rally in support of abortion rights on Monday, June 27, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Indiana became the first state to enact tighter abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated federal protections by overturning Roe v. Wade in June.

Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon, a Republican, blocked the Indiana ban from being enforced in September a week after it took effect after he decided there was a reasonable likelihood the lawsuit filed by abortion clinics would prevail in the legal challenge. Abortions have been allowed to continue in the state since Hanlons ruling.

Gibron said Planned Parenthood does not support any type of abortion ban limit access but will follow the law if the injunction is overturned.

We will not turn our backs on our patients like the extremist anti-abortion politicians we have in the state. Our doors remain open, Gibron said. The agency will continue to assist Hoosier women in obtaining the reproductive health care they seek even if that means facilitating care out of state.

I think every day that abortion is accessible to patients in Indiana is a good day. We will continue focusing on our patients and ensuring our access to care, she said.

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Gibron has worked in the movement for 26 years.

I never really thought wed be facing this moment we are facing in this country, Gibron said. Dobbs has created a national public health crisis impacting 26 million women in states where abortion is illegal.

We have to think about the future of fighting to reinstate abortion access, not only in the state of Indiana but across this country, Gibron said. Anti-abortion activists have been playing the long game since Roe v. Wade was decided in the 1970s. She said it is time for the abortion rights movement to do the same.

Statistics show that 71% of Hoosiers support access to abortion care in Indiana and Planned Parenthood will continue the fight and remain open to its patients.

We have to be every bit as diligent reversing this decision and reestablishing access to abortion care and not take 50 years to do that, Gibron said. We will not give up on our fight to reinstate basic health care in the state of Indiana.

Julie Storbeck, President of Northwest Indiana National Organization for Women and Indiana NOW, speaks during a protest at the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso, Indiana Friday June 24, 2022. Earlier in the day the Supreme Court announced the overturning of Roe v. Wade. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

Julie Storbeck, president of Northwest Indiana NOW, said abortion care is health care and access to care is a right.

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We are trying to promote the idea of reproductive rights more than just abortion rights. It has to do with people being able to own their own bodies, Storbeck said.

Every gender needs reproductive health care. If there are people trying to take that away, the organization is there to fight it.

NOW as an organization looks at womens rights holistically in terms of racial, reproductive and economic justice, LBGQT equality and ending violence against women. She said anti-abortion legislators think carveouts for rape or incest somehow make the law not a violation of basic rights.

Why is it that a womans body has to have already been violated by someone else before you allow her to have autonomy. Its just mind boggling this attitude that is permeating, the fact we are cattle, that our bodies belong to men, Storbeck said.

Storbeck said she doesnt want to speculate on the outcome of Thursdays oral arguments, but she is hopeful the panel will listen with open minds and hear the argument.

I know its not going to be a slam dunk either way. I think the case has some merit, she said.

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Its not known when the court could issue a ruling.

Both sides made their arguments during the hourlong hearing.

Indiana Solicitor General Tom Fisher said that liberty as defined under the Indiana constitution does not mean abortion.

Roe v. Wade was federal judicial micromanagement, while the Dobbs decision restored the right to restrict abortion to the state with narrow exceptions.

It would simply return things to where they were before Roe, he said.

A vehicle plastered with anti-abortion signs drives past a rally in support of abortion rights in Valparaiso on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Chief Justice Loretta Rush appeared to push back against the scope of Fishers argument, saying they were there only to consider the preliminary injunction that temporarily halted what the legislature passed this summer.

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Fisher countered that he believed a trial court would not rule differently on the new law the legislature passed.

Its not clear what wed be having a trial over, he said.

You want to tie everything up in the preliminary injunction, Im struggling with that, Rush said.

Indiana case law protected a womans right to make a medical decision to save her own life, she said, but noted the extra paperwork and burden on doctors under the new law to prove it.

Fisher said the state was perfectly fine with the exception for a mothers life, noting if removed it would likely be successfully challenged in court.

Justice Christopher Goff noted a near total abortion ban would affect the poor or other women with lack of access to a clinic.

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Why wasnt it problematic that most abortion clinics under the paused law would be forced to shut down unless owned or operated by a hospital or surgical center?

Why is it all or nothing, Goff asked.

ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk, representing Planned Parenthood, said the new law was unwarranted constitutional interference.

Liberty has meaning, Falk said, noting a nearly total ban would mean women and girls would suffer. Some may die, he said later.

The right to terminate a pregnancy was afforded to Hoosier women for nearly 50 years, he said.

Typically, medical providers are not allowed to bring cases on behalf of their patients, Justice Geoffrey Slaughter noted.

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They have legal standing because they also can face punitive consequences under the law, Falk argued.

How far should the standard or controlling ones body go, Slaughter asked, to drugs or doctor-assisted suicide?

The courts can narrow that scope, Falk said. He was asking to go back to Indianas former 20-week ban.

We are not saying a woman had a right to abort eight months into pregnancy, he said.

Slaughter asked why a womans right to terminate a pregnancy should overrule the rights of an unborn fetus?

Indiana never made that distinction, the lawyer said. The fetus itself needs to reach viability, Falk said.

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Abortion is not a modern manifestation of liberty, Fisher said during his brief rebuttal, saying an embryo had a right to life.

Indiana became the first state to enact tighter abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated federal protections by overturning Roe v. Wade in June.

The Indiana ban, which eliminated the licenses for all abortion clinics in the state, includes exceptions allowing abortions at hospitals in cases of rape and incest, before 10 weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly.

Court orders have allowed abortions to continue under previous Indiana laws generally prohibiting abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy and tightly restricting it after the 13th week.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com

mcolias@post-trib.com

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The Associated Press contributed.
When she became the worlds youngest female leader in 2017 at 37, Jacinda Ardern ignited a wave of euphoria known as Jacindamania in New Zealand while thrusting the Pacific island nation into the global spotlight.

In the six years since then, she has become an icon of the left and a champion for women in public life, bringing a compassionate and authoritative energy to the hypermasculine realm of world politics.

But on Thursday, Ardern said she would leave office, an announcement that was greeted with shock throughout the nation of 5 million people.

I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. Its that simple, she told reporters in Napier, a coastal city on the North Island. I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader  one who knows when its time to go.

Fighting back tears, she added that Feb. 7 would be her last day as prime minister after five and a half years in office.

An unconventional leader

By the time she reached the top job, Ardern had spun some records as a part-time DJ, served fish and chips and volunteered at a soup kitchen in New York where she was working as a researcher. She had also served as a member of Parliament with the center-left Labour Party for nine years.

Unlike most heads of state, she was not married and she is yet to tie the knot with her partner, Clarke Gayford, the host of a popular fishing show called Fish of the Day, although she said they would now have more time.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, smiles during a news conference in Sydney on June 10, 2022. (Brendon Thorne / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In 2018, Ardern became just the second world leader, after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto, to give birth while holding office in modern times and she would become the first elected leader to take maternity leave.

Her daughter, Neve, then 3 months old, made headlines later that year when Ardern took her into the chamber of the United Nations General Assembly.

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Worldwide praise

Just eight months later in March 2019, Ardern led New Zealand through one of its darkest days in history after a white supremacist gunman slaughtered 51 worshippers during Friday prayers at two mosques in the city of Christchurch.

Her empathy was widely praised by leaders of Muslim countries after a photo of her wearing a headscarf while tightly embracing a Muslim woman went viral.

Within weeks, Ardern moved to pass laws that banned the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons; a subsequent buyback scheme run by police saw more than 50,000 guns destroyed, including many AR-15-style rifles.

By forcefully condemning Islamophobia, warmly embracing New Zealands Muslim community, and banning weapons of war to prevent future acts of mass violence, Prime Minister Ardern set an international standard for how nations should counter anti-Muslim bigotry, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement on Thursday.

Ardern was also lauded for her leadership during the Covid pandemic after New Zealand closed its borders, allowing life inside the country to continue largely as normal while minimizing deaths.

In April 2021, the country staged the worlds largest music concert since the pandemic began, attended by 50,000 people with no masks and no physical distancing.

But her government was forced to abandon the strategy as more contagious variants spread and vaccines became widely available.

Death threats

Despite making strides at home and abroad, death threats followed Ardern throughout her premiership.

Data released last year to New Zealands Newshub media outlet showed police recorded 18 threats to the prime minister in 2019, 32 in 2020 and 50 in 2021.

Not only is this a distraction from the job, not only does it impact immediate loved ones, its why were seeing an exodus of women like myself and Ardern leaving politics, Seyi Akiwowo, the founder of Glitch, a United Kingdom-based organization that seeks to end online abuse, said via email Thursday.

Richard Shaw, a politics professor at Massey University in New Zealand, said Ardern has become a totem for the political right, and the misogynists in particular, and the anti-vaxxers and the fringe dwellers in our political community.

I think what she offered to the world actually was a model for doing democratic politics that does not rely upon abusing other people, he added. She never uses the term enemy to describe anybody.

Praise from world leaders

Vice President Kamala Harris led the tributes to Ardern, tweeting that she had inspired millions around the world.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also thanked Ardern on Twitter for her friendship and empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership.

Prime Minister Ardern is a forward-looking, global leader who has inspired millions around the world. Thank you, Madam Prime Minister, for your leadership and for strengthening the ties between the U.S. and New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/Y70gaIsDdk  Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 19, 2023

Closer to home, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted that Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength, and had demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.

In Dubai, Arderns image was projected onto the side of the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, in a tribute.

What now?

Though Arderns pandemic strategy helped propel her party to a historic landslide win in 2020, it also drew criticism that it was too strict, with the entire nation going into lockdown in August 2021 after the discovery of a single case. An official inquiry into the governments response is underway.

The Labour Party will hold a vote for a new leader Sunday. If that person receives more than two-thirds of caucus support, Ardern said, she will resign soon after and the new leader will be sworn in as prime minister. Otherwise, the vote will go to the wider party membership.

Ardern said she plans to remain in Parliament until April, avoiding the need for a snap vote in her suburban Auckland electorate. Beyond that, she said, she has no plans other than spending time with her family.

So, to Neve, Mums looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke, lets finally get married, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
MUNCIE, Ind.  A Muncie mother was charged this week with charges stemming from an arson investigation.

On Wednesday, counts of aiding, inducing or causing arson, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, were filed against 31-year-old Tiffany Marie Burdine in Delaware Circuit Court 1.

Both charges are Level 4 felonies carrying up to 12 years in prison.

According to an affidavit, Muncie police began an investigation last Aug. 22 after vehicles  and a trampoline  in the 2000 block of East 16th Street were "vandalized and set on fire."

The FBI for a time took over the investigation because racial slurs, apparently written on the vehicles, prompted speculation the blazes were the result of a hate crime.

It was eventually determined the crimes were "not racially motivated."

More:Portland man sentenced for COVID-linked church arson

However, FBI agents did identify three suspects in the investigation  Burdine and three juveniles.

According to interviews conducted by the FBI, Burdine reportedly admitted she and one of the juveniles served as a "lookout" for the other two juveniles, who "vandalized the cars, popped the cars' tires, put substances in the cars' gas tanks (and) set the trampoline and cars on fire."

Burdine allegedly said she and the juveniles then watched the fires from "a neighboring yard," and that she later "drove all of the juveniles back by the scene to look at it."

She also reportedly acknowledged she was acquainted with the owner of the damaged property.

On Dec. 2, Burdine was charged with two crimes  contributing to the delinquency of a minor and intimidation  in Delaware Circuit Court 3.

An initial hearing in that case is set for Feb. 9.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: August fires lead to arson, contributing charges against Muncie woman
DENVER (AP)  Jamal Murray hit a go-ahead floater with 55.9 seconds remaining, Nikola Jokic broke Denvers record for assists on the way to his 14th triple-double of the season, and the Nuggets rallied for a 122-118 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Jokic finished with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as he navigated foul trouble. The two-time reigning NBA MVP passed Alex English for the most assists in team history. Jokic has 3,686 career assists in 568 games  English recorded 3,679 over 837 games in a Denver uniform.

Jokic's teammates made sure to appreciate the achievement.

We clapped a little bit, said Murray, who finished with 28 points. Thats a lot of passes. Thats pretty impressive.

English thought so, too.

I knew that eventually my all time assist record would be broken. Im honored to see that its 2 time, I mean 3 time MVP of the NBA do it. Congrats big fella, English posted on his Twitter account.

Never one to dwell too much on individual accolades, Jokic said he appreciated this particular mark.

When you have a lot of assists, it just shows that youre a good team player, said Jokic, whose teammates plan to sign the ball for him. "Thats something I want to be. I want everybody to remember me as a guy who was a really good team player.

Murray took over down the stretch to help the Western Conference-leading Nuggets win their 15th straight at home.

The Nuggets trailed 118-115 when Murray hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 remaining to tie the game. Then, he nailed a driving floater to give Denver a lead it didn't relinquish.

Bruce Brown finished with 16 points for a Denver team playing the second game of a back-to-back. Nuggets coach Michael Malone remained in the NBAs health and safety protocol for a second straight game. David Adelman filled in as acting head coach.

Winning ugly. Winning pretty. Who cares?" Adelman said. Good team win.

Adelman compared the combination of Murray and Jokic to a modern-day version of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Given the way Jokic passes, though, it's hard to say who would represent who.

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I dont think Stockton can score like me, Murray cracked. I think were very unique, because they try to guard us in so many different ways.

Jaden McDaniels led seven Minnesota players in double figures with 18 points. The Timberwolves led by 10 early in the second half.

Im mad. Im mad as hell we lost because I played bad, said Anthony Edwards, who was 7 of 17 from the floor, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range, and finished with 16 points. "I could have helped us, for sure.

It was an eventful first quarter for Jokic, who had a basket taken away on review (shot-clock violation) and an offensive foul rescinded courtesy of a challenge. He still had 13 points in the period and five assists, including a full-length pass to Brown for a dunk.

He has a John Stockton kind of mind in a 7-foot body, Adelman said.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: F Kyle Anderson finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. ... C Naz Reid had 17 points as he started with Rudy Gobert sidelined by a sore groin. ... G Austin Rivers (bruised knee) was inactive.

Nuggets: F Jeff Green (broken hand) has started playing 1-on-1 and is trending the right way, Adelman said. ... Aaron Gordon added 12 points.

FAMILY CIRCLE

Nuggets veteran guard Ish Smith played for coach Rick Adelman when he was a rookie with Houston in 2010.

Now, he's a reserve on the bench for Adelmans son.

Small world, Smith cracked. I always tell (David), Youll be a head coach soon.' This is a great audition for him. Guys are playing hard.

EASY GOING

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch appreciates the easygoing demeanor of Tim Connelly, the president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves. Connelly had a similar role with Denver  and helped build the team to where it is today  before leaving last spring.

Hes always telling me to have fun, which is simple but hard to sometimes maintain, Finch said. Hes always really positive.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Toronto on Thursday night.

Nuggets: Host Indiana on Friday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
(Reuters) - At least seven civilians were killed when Myanmar's armed forces launched air strikes at a village in the country's central Sagaing region, according to a witness and BBC Burmese.

The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power nearly two years ago, ending a decade of tentative steps towards democracy, triggering global outrage and prompting domestic opponents to set up guerrilla forces.

According to a witness account and reports in BBC Burmese, which Reuters could not independently verify, military planes dropped bombs on a neighbourhood donation ceremony in Moe Tarr Lay village of Katha township late on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the junta could not immediately be reached for comment.

Seven villagers were killed, with some bodies burned beyond recognition, while at least five others were injured, according to the witness and media.

Zin, a 44-year-old resident who witnessed the bombings, said dozens of houses were destroyed and communication and power lines severed in some districts.

"Some bodies that got burned terribly were buried last night and others are going to be buried today," Zin, who declined to give his full name for security reasons, told Reuters by phone.

Villagers from Moe Tarr Lay had fled in fear of further air strikes, he said.

Myanmar has been gripped by fighting since the army overthrew an elected government in February 2021. Resistance movements, some armed, have emerged across the country, which the military has countered with lethal force.

The UN Security Council has demanded an end to violence and urged the Myanmar military to release all political prisoners including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Nick Macfie)
An artist's concept of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing aircraft. Boeing

NASA announced Wednesday that it will be investing $425 million in aerospace manufacturer Boeing to help with an emissions-cutting project at the behest of the White House.

In a press release, NASA said the project, known as the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator, would seek to "develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft," a single-aisle airplane that would be significantly greener than those currently available.

NASA noted that the TTBW, unlike other single-aisle planes, would "result in fuel consumption and emissions reductions of up to 30 percent relative to today's most efficient single-aisle aircraft." The TBBW will have longer, thinner wings with stabilizers that make it more aerodynamic and thus more fuel efficient.

The TTBW's first test flight is planned for 2028, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he hoped to have this next generation of aircraft in service by the 2030s.

In a separate statement, Boeing said that it will contribute the remaining $725 million needed for the project through its own funding. Boeing chief engineer Greg Hyslop added, "The SFD program has the potential to make a major contribution toward a sustainable future."

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun, perhaps in a bit of foreshadowing, had said last November, "There'll be a moment in time where we'll pull a rabbit out of the hat and introduce some new airplanes sometime in the middle of next decade," per Reuters.

The SFD program is a way to try and achieve the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan. Created by the Biden administration, the plan's goal is to have the U.S. reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  A jury has convicted a Navy reservist from Virginia accused of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 on separate charges that he illegally possessed silencers disguised to look like innocuous cleaning supplies.

The conviction Wednesday night against Hatchet Speed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria comes a month after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his first trial, resulting in a mistrial.

At the retrial this week, the jury needed only a few hours of deliberation before convicting him on all three counts of unlawfully possessing unregistered silencers.

Speed's case is noteworthy not only because of his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot with the far-right Proud Boys group, but also because he espoused antisemitic views in undercover recordings and discussed strategies for eradicating the Jewish population in the U.S.

The case against Speed in Virginia hinged on three devices he bought in March 2021 that the government argued were unregistered silencers. Speed contended the devices are solvent traps to collect excess liquid that spills out when a gun is cleaned.

Prosecutors said while the company selling the devices marketed them as solvent traps, they are designed to be easily converted into silencers, which is why people spend more than $300 for them.

The devices bought by Speed are made of titanium and contain baffles that would be found on silencers. They can be screwed onto the threaded barrel of a 9 mm handgun. A firearms expert for the government said it takes about 10 minutes to convert the device into a fully functional silencer by using a hand drill to make a hole in the end for a bullet to pass through.

Prosecutors said Speed obtained the silencers during a post-Capitol riot panic-buying spree in which he spent more than $40,000 on firearms, ammunition and accessories. He bought the solvent traps in March 2021 after learning that the delivery of several silencers he had just purchased would be significantly delayed by paperwork and registration requirements, they said.

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Speed's lawyers, though, contended that the devices were indeed solvent traps, not silencers. They said Speed never modified the devices to make them functional as silencers, and that he had no intent to break the law.

The defense urged jurors to ignore Speed's antisemitic philosophy.

Some of Mr. Speeds thoughts may be distasteful but his conduct in this case was not criminal, defense lawyer Courtney Dixon told jurors.

Prosecutors played recordings in which Speed told an undercover FBI employee that he understood the devices' true purpose was as a silencer.

Prosecutors said the law governing silencers covers devices intended for use as a silencer, regardless of whether they are functional or sold under another name.

The law does not allow that kind of gamesmanship, prosecutor Thomas Traxler said in closing arguments Wednesday.

In recent years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has shut down and seized several websites that sold solvent traps, including the one from which Speed purchased his devices.

Speed was taken into custody after Wednesday's verdict and awaits sentencing in April. Each of the three counts contains a potential maximum sentence of 10 years. While Speed is unlikely to receive a maximum sentence, it's likely that the sentence will exceed any term that is imposed on him for his participation in the Jan. 6 attack.

His lawyer, public defender Brooke Rupert, said Hatch intends to appeal the verdict.

Speed is scheduled to go on trial in that case in Washington, D.C., later this year. The case involves five counts, including disorderly conduct in the Capitol and obstructing an official proceeding. His lawyers there have filed a motion seeking to limit evidence to the jury about Speed's ideology.

Speed is among more than 940 people arrested in connection with the riot in which former President Donald Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress was certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 election victory.

___

This story corrects the penultimate paragraph to reflect that a superseding indictment this month in Washington has added a fifth count against Speed.
A Navy veteran has accused Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., of refusing to hand over thousands of dollars raised in a 2016 online campaign to fund lifesaving surgery for his dog.

Richard Osthoff said in an interview Wednesday that a charity group linked to Santos created a GoFundMe page for his dog but never provided him with the money. Osthoff said he believes access to the $3,000 donation pot, which he said Santos withheld from him, would have saved his dogs life.

I was so livid that I realized that this guy is now a serving congressman. He doesnt deserve that job. Its horrendous that he could lie and steal and cheat his way through life, Osthoff said.

Richard Osthoff. (NBC News)

And now hes somebody that were supposed to trust. Its disgusting. Its horrible. [He] should be ashamed of himself, but he doesnt. ... Hes a psychopath.

NBC News has asked Santos for comment. He has denied the allegations to Semafor.

Fake, Santos told the news outlet. No clue who this is.

Santos on Thursday appeared to again respond to the story in a tweet, calling it "shocking & insane."

The reports that I would let a dog die is shocking & insane. My work in animal advocacy was the labor of love & hard work. Over the past 24hr I have received pictures of dogs I helped rescue throughout the years along with supportive messages.



These distractions wont stop me!  George Santos (@Santos4Congress) January 19, 2023

Patch.com first reported Osthoffs allegations.

Santos has admitted to embellishing and lying about major aspects of his biography when he ran for Congress last year. The New York Times published a story after the election that cast doubt on Santos real estate portfolio and a claim that he had founded an animal rescue charity that saved over 2,500 cats and dogs.

Osthoff, who was stationed in Louisiana and Washington beginning in 1998, said that less than a year after he left the Navy, in 2005, he got his dog, Sapphire, from a rescue organization to help cope with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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I was going through some really bad times when I got out of the service. My dad even told me at one point he thought I had a death wish, he said in the interview.

Osthoff said that by 2016, Sapphire was suffering from health problems in her old age and had developed a fatty cyst on her rib cage that over a few months got to the size of maybe two grapefruits.

A veterinarian estimated her surgery would cost $3,000, money Osthoff said he did not have at the time.

I was homeless and living in a tent, he said. I didnt have that kind of money.

It was then, Osthoff said, that he first learned about Santos and a charity he touted on the campaign trail known as Friends of Pets United, which a vet technician told him raises a lot of money for animals in need.

Osthoff said that Santos group created a GoFundMe page for Sapphire and that friends, family and people he didnt know made contributions, helping him to reach the $3,000 goal.

When the veterinarian treating Sapphire said she would need a different surgeon, Santos suggested using his vet, instead, Osthoff said.

Everything had to be done through his vets and his technicians and all that stuff at that point, Osthoff said, adding that when he suggested going a different route, Santos began coming up with all these excuses about the money.

I knew there was something up. I knew it was fishy. And he started telling me that if the dog wasnt able to be worked on, the funds werent going to go to me anyway. They were going to go to another animal that needed it, Osthoff said.

I told him, I was like: Look, I know whats going on here. Youre mining my dog and my friends and my family for funds, and youre putting them in your own pocket.

Osthoff said he never received the money raised from Sapphires campaign and ended up having to panhandle to pay for her to be euthanized and cremated.

Asked whether he wanted the money, Osthoff said, The money doesnt mean anything.

That dog was the thing that kept me alive, he said.

Twice, Osthoff said, he would likely have taken his own life if she wasnt there with me and I didnt have her to think about.

Its [Santos] fault that she passed as early as she did. I do think that she could have been taken care of. There could have been more veterinary care, something to prolong her life, even if they couldnt remove that thing. She could have been more comfortable, he said.

Santos has lied about much of his background and resume and is the subject of investigations at the state, local and federal levels. In an interview last month with the New York Post, he apologized for aspects of his biography.

Im embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume, he said, according to the paper. I own up to that.  We do stupid things in life.

The Hill reported last week that Santos told reporters, I have done nothing unethical.

Santos has resisted calls from fellow members of Congress to resign. He was awarded seats on two House committees this week.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Former Portage Mayor James Snyder and his family arrive to Federal Court in Hammond for his sentencing on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

An attorney for former Portage Mayor James Snyder argued Wednesday that his convictions on federal bribery and tax charges should be vacated and he should be granted a third trial due to evidentiary issues and mischarging him under the federal bribery statute before a three-judge panel at the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

In October 2021, Snyder was sentenced to 21 months in prison and one year supervised release for soliciting bribes and obstruction, but the judge ruled that Snyder did not have to report to prison while his appeal was ongoing. Snyder was first indicted in 2016, on the same day former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich was indicted for receiving bribes as part of a towing scheme. While Buncich was sent to federal prison in 2018, Snyder has been convicted twice, shaken up his legal team and spent most of the past six years proclaiming his innocence.

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Chicago attorney Andrea Gambino argued on Snyders behalf before Circuit Judges David Hamilton, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi and John Z. Lee. Gambino focused on three main issues: the screening process of Snyders communications was insufficient; prosecutors did not provide enough evidence that Snyders actions constituted a bribery scheme; and the District Court erred in failing to grant Snyders motion to acquit him on the bribery count.

Gambino alleged that the U.S. Attorneys office in Northern Indiana erred in putting an nonlawyer in charge of determining what emails and phone calls could be entered into evidence and didnt adequately set aside all attorney-client privilege communications.

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This issue means that Mr. Snyders case should not have gone to trial at all, Gambino told the court. The government interfered with attorney-client communications in several ways, she said, arguing that the search warrants scope was too broad in terms of time period and content.

It was a particularly important in this investigation because the relationship between Snyder and his attorney was specifically in preparation for litigation, and the government had reason to believe there would be communications between the two.

Gambino also alleged that attorneys, who are not involved in the investigation or prosecution of the case, could still be biased during the screening process.

In a very small office, like the office in Indiana, its very hard to imagine that (the Great Wall of China) is going to be effective, she said.

The evidence was examined by several groups at the U.S. Department of Justice, including in Washington, as Judge Hamilton pointed out.

Debra R. Bonamici, a U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, countered that its not useful for the government to ignore attorney-client privilege claims.

The court identified certain aspects of the implementation that resulted in the disclosure of documents that shouldnt have been disclosed, albeit just a small number, Bonamici said. The government has a compelling interest to be as thorough as possible to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

The district court expressly found none of actors in this case did anything untoward; none had any intent to breach the privilege at issue here.

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Prosecutors argued at trial that Snyder rigged a garbage truck bidding process so his preferred company  Great Lakes Peterbilt  would get the contract. Not long after it was awarded, Snyder got a job doing health insurance consulting from Great Lakes Peterbilts owners Stephen and Robert Buha, but no contracts were written and there was no documented proof work was done, prosecutors alleged.

Its our position that even if you draw inferences in favor of the government, you cant get to a finding of a bribe or a gratuity without speculation, Gambino said. In order to get to corrupt intent, you have to speculate content of phone calls or meetings and those were few.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

When Gambino mentioned Snyder doing work for the Buhas, Hamilton responded Thats the work that nobody could remember.

Bonamici said the evidence supports that Snyder was properly convicted under the federal bribery statute.

The defendant was properly convicted of that count, and the evidence was more than sufficient to establish his violation of that statue  and that is true whether or not we were to accept the defendants construction of the statute, which we disagree with entirely, Bonamici said. In this case... there is ample evidence to support the notion that the defendant had an advance agreement with the Buhas and that the payment that was made after the delivery of the trucks was a function or the product of that prior arrangement. Thats what the District Court found when it reviewed the evidence and denied the (Snyders) Rule 29 motion.

Kim asked why the government viewed Snyder entering into an installment payment plan with the IRS as a benefit.

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Bonamici detailed Snyders attempts to avoid paying $40,000 in personal taxes and $97,000 in payroll taxes while he was moving $110,000 from his business to his personal account, which didnt go toward settling the debt but other purposes.

Everything that he did was not an effort to repay the debt as soon as possible or whenever he could but rather to misrepresent to the IRS his ability to make payments, she said. He went to a lot of effort if he didnt get anything for it.

Alexandra Kukulka contributed to this report.
Nearly half of Americans believe Harry and Meghan should be stripped of their titles. (AP)

Nearly half of Americans believe the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should both be stripped of their royal titles, according to a new poll.

Harry and Meghan have enjoyed greater popularity in the US than the UK in recent years, with a poll taken last month showing just 27% thinking they should lose their titles.

But after the couple's Netflix documentary and the publication of Harry's autobiography, Spare - which saw the prince repeatedly interviewed US television - Americans appear to have significantly fallen out love with the royal couple. For the time being at least.

The Redfield and Wilton poll for Newsweek found 45% are now in favour of Harry and Meghan losing their royal titles  an increase of 18% from last month.

The polling comes after the release of Harry's memoirs. (AP)

The poll also found that 26% think the couple should keep their title  a big drop from the 43% of those who answered that way in December.

Harry himself hinted that the couple would not give up their titles when asked by Anderson Cooper on his 60 Minutes interview.

Asked about it, Harry said: "What difference would that make?"

Watch: Prince Harry's memoir divides public opinion

The couple's UK popularity has also tumbled recently. After the release of their Netflix documentary last month, a YouGov poll for The Times found that 44% of Brits thought Harry and Meghan should have their titles removed, compared to 32% who said they should not.

Meanwhile, recent polling on the couple's popularity in the UK has seen them plumb new depths, with just 24% now thinking positively of Harry, compared to 68% who have a negative opinion.

This gives him the lowest ever rating on YouGov's royal favourability tracker, having dropped to -44 from -38 last week, which was a previous record low.

Prince Harry gave a series of interviews promoting his controversial book. (ITV)

Among over-65s, Harry and Meghan are more disliked that Prince Andrew, while Meghan's popularity is even lower than Harry's, with just 8% of the public saying they have a positive view of her.

Harry's memoir, which hit the shelves on 10 January, includes claims that the Prince of Wales physically attacked him and teased him about his panic attacks, and that the King put his own interests above Harrys and was jealous of the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales.

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In a US broadcast promoting the work, Harry branded the Queen Consort the villain and dangerous, accusing her of rehabilitating her image at the expense of his.

He also described his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, as his guardian angel and said she is with him all the time.

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have not commented on the contents of Spare or the Netflix series.
[Source]

Netflix has announced an official release date for Part 2 of its recent revenge K-drama series The Glory.

Part 1 premiered on Dec. 30 and has stayed on the platform's most-watched Top 10 chart with a recorded total global watch time of over 40 million hours.

The Glory follows Song Hye-kyo as Moon Dong-eun, a woman with a life mission to get revenge on her vicious childhood bullies.

More from NextShark: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan win Golden Globes for Everything Everywhere All at Once

The hit series is written by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, best known for writing other series like Goblin, Heirs, Secret Garden and Descendants of the Sun.



If youve watched Part 1, you wont be able to resist Part 2, teased Kim. Part 2 is refreshingly satisfying and shockingly intense.

Director An Gil-ho added, The fight between Dong-eun and Yeon-jin really takes off and the perpetrators dynamically meet their end. You wont be able to take your eyes off of the screen. All elements of the story will now come full circle.

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Revealed on Tuesday as part of Netflixs massive announcement of its Korean titles for next year, Part 2 of The Glory will be available to stream on Netflix on Mar. 10.

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Tank Leopard 2

Read also: World Economic Forum in Davos to be held without Russian tycoons  Bloomberg

That is definitely something we would be willing to do, Ollongren said in Davos, Switzerland, where she is attending the annual World Economic Forum meeting

According to the minister, the Netherlands had previously paid for Soviet T-72 tanks to be sent to Kyiv from the Czech Republic, and is ready to do the same with German-made Leopard tanks.

Ollongren noted that Poland and Finland have announced their willingness to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but that would still require a permission from Berlin.

Read also: Poland and Lithuania will insist on security guarantees for Ukraine, Polands Duda says

We are all waiting to hear what the German position is on this, but Im an advocate of trying to find a solution and trying to send tanks to Ukraine, the minister concluded.

Read also: Ukraines NATO membership would have prevented Russian invasion, Finnish PM says

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has also indicated his countrys willingness to supply a small number of Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine.

Read also: Germany weaned off dependence on Russian fossils, finance minister assures

On Jan. 17, Reuters reported that at Davos, Germany's partners increased pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow the transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda was the first to announce the transfer of 14 Leopard tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On Jan. 16, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that London will transfer 14 Challenger-2 tanks to Kyiv.

On Jan. 18, German media reported Scholz told U.S. President Joe Biden that Berlin will greenlight shipments of Leopard tanks to Ukraine after Washington sends its own Abrams main battle tanks.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  Oh-so-close to completing a straight-set upset of No. 2 seed Casper Ruud at the Australian Open, Jenson Brooksby frittered away three match points, sat down at a changeover and began yelling at himself.

How?! How?! God!!

His face was flush, his emotions unhidden, his game unraveling. Soon enough, that set slipped away, as Ruuds confidence seemed to surge and Brooksbys collapse momentarily continued. And then, in a blink, Brooksby was back in charge, taking command immediately in the fourth set along the way to a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2 victory over Ruud and a spot in a surprisingly American-filled third round at Melbourne Park.

I was getting a little more frustrated out there that I didnt close it out, and my mentality was changing a little bit, said the 39th-ranked Brooksby, who sipped from little jars of pickle juice in the fourth set at Rod Laver Arena. Those are the situations you have to handle sometimes in matches, and youre going to face. I think the biggest question is: How do you respond? I just told myself to reset.

So leave it to a pair of 20-something Californians to rid the mens bracket of its two highest seeded players: Brooksby, 22, delivered his unexpected triumph at the same stage and in the same stadium that Mackenzie McDonald, 27, defeated No. 1 seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal a day earlier. That makes this the first Grand Slam tournament since the 2002 Australian Open that the Nos. 1-2 seeds lost before the end of the second round  and the first time since the 1994 French Open that a pair of Americans took out the top two men's seeds at any Grand Slam tournament.

Nadal owns a mens-record 22 Grand Slam titles. Ruud was the runner-up at the French Open to Nadal last June and at the U.S. Open to Carlos Alcaraz last September.

Like Ruud, Ons Jabeur reached the finals of two Grand Slam tournaments in 2002. Like Ruud, she came to Australia as the No. 2 seed. And like Ruud, she was bounced in the second round, beaten 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 by 2019 French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in a match that ended at about 1 a.m. on Friday.

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That was actually rather mundane compared to what Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis went through, starting the fifth set of their match at about 3 a.m. Murray ended up with a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 victory that ended just past 4 a.m.

The exits of Nadal and Ruud make nine-time champion Novak Djokovic  who dealt with a persistent heckler and a left hamstring that he says worries him during a four-set victory over 191st-ranked qualifier Enzo Couacaud on Thursday night  even more of a title favorite in his return to Australia after being deported a year ago because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Also a big deal: The progress of U.S. men through the year's first major championship. None has won a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.

By reaching the third round, Brooksby joined countrymen Michael Mmoh, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and J.J. Wolf, who also won Thursday, along with McDonald, No. 16 Frances Tiafoe and No. 29 Sebastian Korda, who all won Wednesday. The highest-seeded American man, though, could not make it that far: No. 8 Taylor Fritz bowed out with a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-2 loss to 113th-ranked Australian wild-card entry Alexei Popyrin.

Still, the eight men from the United States remaining are the most into the third round in Australia since the same number did it in 1996.

Mmoh, who lost in qualifying but got into the main draw when another player withdrew, made it this far at a major tournament for the first time by defeating No. 12 Alexander Zverev 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Life is crazy. Right when you think everything is looking dim, everything is looking dark, there's light at the end of the tunnel, the 107th-ranked Mmoh said. My week is proof of that.

Shelton, the NCAA champion from the University of Florida participating in just his second Slam, beat qualifier Nicolas Jarry of Chile 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), 7-5; Paul came back to edge No. 30 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4; and Wolf breezed past No. 23 Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Brooksby now plays Paul; Mmoh takes on Wolf.

Frances is probably my best friend. I grew up with Tommy," Mmoh said. Ive known these guys for so long. Ive competed with them.

There was also a big win for an American woman Thursday: 21-year-old qualifier Katie Volynets defeated No. 9-seeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Elsewhere, No. 4 Caroline Garcia beat 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (5), 7-5, No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka improved her 2023 record to 6-0 by topping Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-1 after trailing 3-1 early, and No. 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Taylor Townsend 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

I literally have the chills, because the fans here are just incredible, said Volynets, who reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Ive never played in a stadium this packed and with that many people keeping the energy up for me. It was awesome.

Brooksby was supposed to enter the Australian Open a year ago but came down with COVID-19 the day before he was supposed to fly overseas.

Hopefully this is the first of many many good years here to come, Brooksby said.

His unusual playing style, including his two-handed backhand volleys, and ability to track down opponents shots, were trouble for Ruud, who took a medical timeout after the second set because of a bothersome abdominal muscle.

He was annoyingly good today, said Ruud, a 24-year-old Norwegian coached by his father, a former pro player.

The biggest problem for Brooksby was closing this one out. He held a trio of match points while trying to serve for the victory at 5-3 in the third set but could not cash any of them in.

Ruud raced through the end of that set, but Brooksby righted himself in the fourth, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Brooksby finished things off 1 hour, 15 minutes after his first chance.

When the match ended, Brooksby said, The first thing that popped to my mind was I was just proud of my mental resolve just to stay focused out there.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
A letter from ITVs CEO, responding to a call for Jeremy Clarkson to be removed from the channel, has stated that the presenters views are not shared by the broadcaster.

John Nicolson, SNP shadow culture secretary and MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, wrote to ITV chief Carolyn McCall in December, after the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host published a column expressing his opinion on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

In an op-ed for The Sun, Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted shame and threw excrement at her.

The piece was widely criticised and Clarkson issued a public apology to the couple earlier this week.

Nicolsons letter called Clarksons words grotesque and demanded that he was no longer featured on the channel.

Now, McCalls response to Nicolson has been shared publicly. She states that Clarksons comments are not representative of ITVs views.

The letter, published by Deadline on Wednesday (18 January), reads: Everyone at ITV is very aware of our responsibilities as a Public Service Broadcaster and Id like to be clear that the comments made were Jeremy Clarksons own and are in no way endorsed by ITV. There is no place on ITV for the comments made in that article.

It is also worth adding that Jeremy Clarkson is not an ITV employee and that when he appears on ITV it is as a quiz show host on a show which does not provide a platform for his opinions.

In December, Kevin Lygo, ITVs director of television, said that Clarkson would remain the host of Millionaire for the moment.

However, his future on ITV has come into question after recent reports emerged of Amazon Studios having plans to cut ties with the presenter.

He currently has the programmes The Grand Tour and Clarksons Farm on the platform. Reports claim that Amazon has no plans to work with him beyond the episodes already commissioned.
[Source]

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and Filipino online news site Rappler have been cleared of tax evasion charges.

In its ruling on Wednesday, the Philippines Court of Tax Appeals stated that prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the press freedom advocate and news site evaded tax payments.

The acquittal of the accused is based on the findings of the court  that respondents did not commit the crime charged, the decision read.

Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, said after the verdict that the acquittal is not just for Rappler. It is for every Filipino who has ever been unjustly accused."

More from NextShark: China launches effort to purify the internet ahead of Lunar New Year celebration, Winter Games

According to Ressa, the charges filed during the term of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte were politically motivated and displayed a brazen abuse of power."

A known critic of Duterte, Ressas in-depth journalism drew international attention to the administrations deadly war on drugs.

Observers believe Duterte had a hand in filing the cases against Ressa and her platform to muzzle their reporting.

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The state revenue agency accused Rappler of omitting proceeds from a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors from its tax returns. The securities regulator later used the accusation as a basis to revoke the platforms license.

The 59-year-old journalist said the number of government lawsuits she faced since 2018 indicated a pattern of harassment.

She is also appealing a six-year prison sentence she received in 2020 over a libel conviction.

More from NextShark: SF Boba Shop Shares Shocking Hate-Filled Online Order

Human rights groups and press freedom advocates hailed the decision as a victory for the Philippines, which, by recent estimates, still ranks as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde took to Twitter to celebrate the verdict, which he called a victory for press freedom and solidarity.

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According to Conde, the Marcos administration must now "take stock of this and ensure that journalists did their jobs without fear.

Former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo also celebrated the verdict in a tweet, saying, Truth and light prevailed today. To more ahead!

Truth and light prevailed today. To more ahead, @mariaressa! https://t.co/5GqMkQXAjL  Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) January 18, 2023

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Jan. 18DICKINSON  Oil and gas production in North Dakota has dropped in recent months, according to the latest report from the state's Department of Mineral Resources. The report also shows that fewer drilling permits have been issued, and the number of active drilling rigs is low.

In November, oil production dropped to 32,931,469 barrels, which is 2.1% less than the previous month. Despite this decline, 96% of the state's oil still comes from the Bakken and Three Forks formations, with the remaining 4% coming from legacy pools.

Gas production and capture also saw a decline in November, with 90,870,989 MCF produced, which is a 4% decrease from the previous month. However, capture rates remained high at 95%.

The number of wells permitted for drilling also decreased in November, with only 86 permits issued, compared to the all-time high of 370 in October 2012. The number of active drilling rigs also remained low, with a total of 40 in November and 44 in December. The all-time high for rig count was 218 in May 2012.

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is located in the northwestern part of North Dakota. It is home to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation covers over 1.4 million acres and includes parts of the Bakken and Three Forks oil-producing regions. The reservation saw a decline in activity, with a total of 5 drilling rigs and 2,638 active wells. However, there were 235 approved drilling permits, with the potential for 3,914 future wells.

Despite the decline in production and activity, the report states that the oil and gas industry in North Dakota is expected to see a gradual increase in activity over the next two years. This could be due to various factors such as OPEC production management and potential fluctuations in the economy.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's parliament has outlined plans to normalise industrial production and meet its economic goals this year, despite the "worst-ever upheaval" amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2022, state media said on Thursday.

The reclusive country's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, held a two-day meeting from Tuesday to discuss government budget, economic policy and personnel changes, the official KCNA news agency said.

South Korea's central bank has said the North's economy shrank in 2021 for a second straight year after suffering its biggest contraction in more than two decades the year before, hit by COVID-19 lockdowns and international sanctions over its weapons programmes.

Leader Kim Jong Un did not join the meeting, but Kim Tok Hun, premier of the cabinet, reviewed last year's work and laid out tasks this year for key industries.

The premier lauded the country for "successfully tackling the worst-ever upheaval since the founding of the country" amid the COVID-19 outbreak, despite "shortcomings" in implementing last year's plans.

The cabinet aims to expedite the production of overall sectors and make 2023 "a year of great turn and change in the course of development" marking the 75th anniversary of the country's foundation, Kim said.

"It will make sure that the economic indices and 12 major goals to be attained by all the sectors of the national economy are carried out without fail," Kim said, according to KCNA.

He called for normalising the production of metal factories and reinforcing iron mines and steel plants, and for operating chemical plants "at full capacity" to accelerate construction projects.

The country will also take "strong measures" to supply equipment, materials and funds to boost coal production, Kim said.

In another KCNA dispatch on budget deliberations, Finance Minister Ko Jong Bom said this year's overall spending is expected to rise by 101.7% from last year, without specifying numbers.

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Some 45% of the total expenditure will be allotted to promote the economy and the people's livelihoods, while defence spending would take up 15.9%, about the same as last year, Ko said.

"The state budget for this year should be implemented without fail to financially support the work for bolstering up the country's defence capability, developing the economy and improving the people's standard of living," Ko told the parliament.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Michael Perry)
A man who admitted to traveling from Florida to Texas in 2021 to rob at least five banks in Dallas and Richardson was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 11 years in a federal prison, a federal official said.

His co-defendant, who drove him to Texas, has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bank robbery. She is awaiting sentencing.

Thomas Joseph Banno, 54, pleaded guilty in August to bank robbery and he was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr to 140 months imprisonment, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas.

Banno admitted to the holdups in Dallas and Richardson from June 2021 to August 2021 while he was on probation for a bank robbery in Florida, authorities said.

Each time, Banno donned a mask, entered the bank, and demanded all the $50s and $100s from the teller. On at least one occasion, he gestured as if he had a gun concealed under his shirt; on another, he told the teller he had a gun; and on two others, he brandished what appeared to be a silver pistol.

Federal court documents estimated that he stole almost $30,000 in the Dallas and Richardson holdups.

After each robbery, Banno fled the scene in a Dodge Caravan driven by his co-defendant, Sade Miranda Salters, 36, federal officials said.

Shortly after two of the robberies, Salters posted a Facebook Live video of herself flashing a stack of banded cash, according to the release. The video later pans to Banno asleep in the backseat of the van.
The Town of Schererville is planning to bring more business to its downtown in the vicinity of Joliet Street (Old Lincoln Highway) under a plan to develop the area as a riverfront district.

The Schererville Town Council approved the establishment of the riverfront district at its meeting on January 18. The district is an area 1,500 feet wide along either side of Schererville Ditch.

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Town Manager Jim Gorman explained that state law allows some leeway over what type of waterway can be used to declare a riverfront district. Although Schererville Ditch is essentially a creek used for drainage and not navigable, it suits the purpose fine. The waterway begins in an area behind Schererville Town Hall and meanders toward U.S. 30.

By establishing the riverfront district, Schererville can petition the state of Indiana for liquor licenses, which the town will distribute to new businesses that meet local zoning requirements and adhere to its developmental plan. Gorman said the town is envisioning, long term, a mix of restaurants/bars and other retail establishments within the riverfront district. The town plans to ask for 10 liquor licenses initially, which cannot be used anywhere but Schererville.

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Another long term vision is the extension of Kennedy Avenue to U.S. 30. The Town Council took another step in that direction by approving the purchase of four parcels along Kennedy. Collectively, the purchases tallied $571,500, with the cost to be covered by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The project will be completed in four phases, with construction set to begin in 2024, according to Gorman. However, the extension is not expected to be completed until 2031.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A Lancaster man faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court Tuesday to dealing in firearms without a license, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas.

Armani Morris, 22, received a cease and desist letter explaining firearms laws from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in December 2021, officials said. In spite of this, he continued to buy and sell firearms for a profit without a license. According to the release, Morris admitted to selling 52 guns between 2021 and 2022.

Morris was arrested after an undercover gun buy in July. Officials said undercover agents purchased seven firearms from Morris on four different occasions during the summer. Among the firearms were two AR-type pistols and a Glock 9 mm pistol with a Glock switch that turned the pistol into an automatic machine gun.

Federal law says that anyone engaged in buying and selling firearms for profit needs to obtain a license and run background checks on potential buyers.

Subverting these laws allows guns to fall into the wrong hands, endangering the public, said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton in the release. Despite being warned that his conduct was unlawful, this defendant brazenly continued selling to anyone who would buy. Let there be no mistake: The Justice Department will aggressively pursue anyone who flouts federal firearm laws.
Officials in Illinois say they're searching for a suspect after a fire was set at a Peoria Planned Parenthood facility Sunday. No one was inside at the time of the fire, they say, and one firefighter suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Peoria police say they're looking for a truck that was seen on video footage leaving the scene.

Police are looking for this truck in connection to an intentionally-set fire at a Planned Parenthood facility in Peoria, Illinois. / Credit: Peoria Police Department

"Senseless acts of vandalism have been on the rise across the country and Illinois has become a target as extreme and divisive rhetoric increases," said Planned Parenthood of Illinois president and CEO Jennifer Welch. "This act of vandalism will have a devastating impact on the community's ability to access birth control, cancer screenings and gender-affirming care."

According to the National Abortion Federation, attacks against abortion providers increased by 128% in 2021. Many abortion clinics across the U.S. also shut down in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

CBS News reported back in June that a masked woman was caught on video setting fire to a Wyoming abortion clinic that was planning to open.

In addition, fire officials in December 2021 ruled that a fire at a Tennessee abortion clinic was intentionally set, and that the site had been previously targeted by the same person. Knoxville officials say Mark Thomas Reno, 64, fired a shotgun at the abortion clinic in early 2021, shattering glass and leaving bullet holes in the reception area. The clinic was forced to close for months to undergo a $2.2 million renovation.

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One person was fatally shot late Thursday morning inside a residence in Kansas Citys Ruskin Heights neighborhood, according to police.

Police officers were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. to the 7600 block of 108th Terrace on a reported shooting, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a KCPD spokesman, said in a statement. Arriving officers were directed inside a residence and found a gunshot victim.

The shooting victim, described as an adult male, was taken by ambulance to the hospital, Becchina said. Detectives were notified Thursday afternoon that he died of his injuries, Becchina said.

One person of interest was taken into custody at a location nearby, Becchina said, and police were not searching for any other suspects as of Thursday afternoon.

Detectives continued to canvass for witnesses as crime scene investigators looked for evidence at the shooting scene, Becchina said.

Further information was not immediately available from police.

The killing marks Kansas Citys seventh homicide so far this year, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, the city saw its second-deadliest homicide total on record with 171 killings.

Kansas City police were asking anyone who has information about the case to contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has teased forthcoming scandalous s*** on OnlyFans (Getty)

Iggy Azalea dangles a cherry over her tongue. She rolls across a bed in a motel room bathed in sex-dungeon lighting. A vintage camcorder captures her every move. Surprise! the Australian rapper declares, as she announces a collaboration with adults-only subscription site, OnlyFans. Im dropping a mixed media project called Hotter Than Hell! Azalea, best known for hits including Fancy and Change Your Life, promises photographs, videos, merch and hot as hell things. She leans further into the optics of joining OnlyFans, a platform best known for its use by sex workers, by teasing scandalous s*** in the works: My art slut era has arrived.

OnlyFans is a self-described subscription social network where users pay a direct fee to performers, influencers and creators to get access to videos and photos. Launched by British entrepreneur Tim Stokely in 2016 with the intention of promoting content made by all types of people  fitness instructors, artists or musicians  it quickly became synonymous with sex work. This was, after all, a rare digital platform in which adult entertainers could sell, share and produce explicit content on their own terms, and pocket the majority of the profits; OnlyFans itself takes just 20 per cent. By 2019, The New York Times had dubbed the platform the paywall of porn and, thanks to its loose content policy, the name OnlyFans rapidly became shorthand for homemade adult material.

Despite the sites seemingly unbreakable bond with the sex work community, OnlyFans pledged in October 2021 to ban sexually explicit content  effectively halting the livelihoods of many creators. The move was swiftly reversed, following a barrage of criticism. At the time, Stokely gave an interview blaming the short-lived decision on banks refusing to work with the platform (claiming they worried about reputational risk). He assured users, though, that his site had struck a deal that would allow normal service to resume.

But with the relationship between OnlyFans management and its sex worker users already shaky, the increasing presence of celebrities on the site is worrying those reliant on making an income from it. Azalea isnt the first celebrity to launch a presence on OnlyFans. Stars, in fact, have a track record for joining the site as part of promotional campaigns for other projects  Cardi B, model Amber Rose and socialite Jordyn Woods have all had their own, mostly PG-rated OnlyFans pages. What tends to happen is that a celebrity lures fans into exchanging money for what could be risque content. Fans hypothesise about what could be waiting behind the paywall. Twerking videos? Nudes? A sex tape? In reality, celebrities such as Azalea tease X-rated content that doesnt actually exist, all in order to promote a bigger project closer to their heart  such as Azaleas forthcoming album. At the time of writing, Twitter users are somewhat disgruntled after spending $25 on an Azalea OnlyFans that turned out to be a rather tame multimedia campaign.

Susbcription costs have long been a point of contention on the site. Most OnlyFans creators typically charge between $5 and $10 for base-level access. But when former Disney star Bella Thorne joined the site in 2020, she charged $20 (16) per month for paywalled content that turned out to be non-nude selfies. Many subscribers complained they had been scammed. Meanwhile, sex workers criticised Thorne for gentrifying the platform.

At the time of Thornes arrival on the site, Azalea tweeted that she agreed with OnlyFans creators who claimed that Thornes presence on the site would lead smaller creators  who dont already have fanbases of thousands of people  to lose out. I think OnlyFans can be really empowering for people, But I WILL NEVER, EVVVER join, Azalea wrote in a since-deleted tweet. I dont want to make that type of content & it only f***s up the bag for ppl on there who really bout that life. [sic]

Its a publicity stunt. She doesnt really need to use OnlyFans

Alice, an adult model

She was, for the most part, correct. When Thorne joined OnlyFans, Insider reported that she made $1m in one day. Shortly after, OnlyFans set a $50 limit on creator tips (down from $200) and extended the pending payout period from seven days to three weeks  meaning creators would potentially have to wait significantly longer to receive their money. While the company has said that the changes were unrelated to Thornes presence on the site  or the controversy it generated  sex workers and explicit content creators felt otherwise.

The day after joining the site, Thorne issued an apology, writing that she wanted to bring attention to the site and to remove the stigma behind sex, sex work, and the negativity that surrounds the word SEX itself by bringing a mainstream face to it. Thorne said that, in joining OnlyFans, she only ever intended to help bring more faces to the site to create more revenue for content creators on the site.

The Independent contacted Azaleas representatives for comment, but the star herself did seem to allude to her earlier thoughts on the platform, and Thornes involvement, in a separate statement. Admittedly, I never knew OnlyFans was a place where I could be creative, she said. So I didnt expect to be collaborating with them on my biggest project to date! She has also denied reports that she earned $307,000 (248,000) from subscribers in her first day on the site, claiming the figures were pulled outta thin air.

Azaleas fans can access illustrations, poetry, photography, video and unreleased music for $25 a month (20.50), as part of her year-long Hotter Than Hell OnlyFans rollout. But while her fans may see the move as a new era of her artistry, sex workers see it differently.

Bella Thornes presence on the site sparked controversy (Getty)

Thirty-year-old Alice is an adult model who makes a portion of her income from OnlyFans. She laughs out loud when I say Azalea charges subscribers $25 per month, as she charges only $5. For Iggy, its a publicity stunt, she tells me. She doesnt really need to use OnlyFans, while some people make their living from it. Alice, who has been sharing content on OnlyFans for two years, worries that celebrities are giving the platform the wrong reputation  one that pushes the idea that vaguely deceptive advertising, such as sexualised teasers for non-sexual content, is built into the sites content creation. This, she says, will severely dent the earnings of smaller creators, whose livelihoods are wrapped up in the site far more than the likes of Azalea.

Creators not delivering X-rated content on the site are quickly accused of being misleading. When Bella Thorne joined, people paid for what they thought was going to be nude photographs and when it wasnt, they asked for their money back, Alice explains. People called her a scammer [at the time]. If celebrities keep doing this, people are going to think, wow, these [other] girls are just scamming people [too].

Whats worrying Alice and creators like her is that there are few platforms where sex workers can have full control over their own content and be fairly paid for it. If celebrities keep flocking to OnlyFans, its unclear what effect that will have on those whove already made it home. Particularly when, as proven by recent history, the site could easily change course and block them and the industry they represent in the blink of an eye.

Many people make their incomes on here, Alice sighs. Im not sure where else theyd go.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport saw a record number of firearms seized at security checkpoints last year, while overall statewide numbers declined, federal officials said Thursday.

Agents confiscated 117 firearms at CLT in 2022, compared with 106 the previous year, according to figures released by the Transportation Security Administration. Thats a 10% increase.

Charlottes airport is an American Airlines hub and one of the busiest airports in the world.

The number of firearms seized at Ashevilles airport rose from 15 in 20201 to 25 last year, while dropping from 100 to 75 last year at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, according to the TSA.

Near Charlotte, agents seized three firearms at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, down from four in 2021, agency officials said.

Fifteen firearms were confiscated at Piedmont-Triad International Airport, up from 12 in 2021, the TSA reported.

Statewide, the TSA found a total of 250 firearms in carry-ons in 2022, down slightly from 254 the previous year, according to an agency news release.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw a record number of firearms seized at security checkpoints last year, according to figures released Thursday, Jan. 19, 2022, by the federal Transportation Security Administration.

No. 1 excuse for guns at airports

About 85% to 90% of firearms are loaded when found at TSA checkpoints across the Carolinas and all other states, agency spokesman Mark Howell told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday.

The No. 1 excuse that passengers give to TSA agents for having a firearm in their carry-ons? Oops, I forgot it was in my bag, Howell said.

Thats the case 99% of the time, he said. Very rarely do we have someone who intentionally brings it.

Firearms are never permitted in carry-ons.

No rhyme or reason to number of guns at airports

Howell said its impossible to explain why firearm seizure numbers jump or fall one year to the next. Theres no rhyme or reason to it, he said.

Last year, TSA screened about 19.79 million departing travelers at North Carolina airports, a more than 27% rise over 2021, the agency reported Thursday. Travel has continued to rebound since the COVID pandemic began.

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Higher seizure rate for guns in NC

Still, the rate of firearms seized at NC airports was higher than the national rate, the TSA found.

Nationally, a firearm was found for every 116,394 people screened, while the North Carolina rate was 1 per 79,167 passengers.

State-by-state gun laws may explain the difference, as some states are more restrictive than others in their open-carry and concealed-carry laws, according to Howell.

Madison Cawthorns loaded gun

Perhaps the highest-profile passenger caught with a firearm last year in North Carolina was then-U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-NC.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn found with a loaded gun at Charlotte airport, police say

He had a loaded gun in April and was cited for possession of a dangerous weapon on city property after TSA agents found the gun in a bag. Agents notified CMPD officers who are assigned to the airport, CMPD said on Twitter at the time.

Cawthorn violated a city ordinance by having the gun in the airport, according to police.

Police said they released Cawthorn and confiscated the gun. CMPD called it standard procedure for airport officers to cite and not arrest a passenger for the misdemeanor charge unless there are other associated felony charges or extenuating circumstances.

Cawthorns appearance before a judge was scheduled for Jan. 13 but was continued until May 5 because the charging officer is away on leave, Charlotte Observer news partner WSOC reported.

Hefty fines for firearms at checkpoints

A firearm found in a carry-on at a TSA checkpoint is typically kept in the machine that spotted it until a TSA supervisor and then local police arrive, Howell said.

The mistake can be costly.

The civil penalty for firearms found at TSA checkpoints near $15,000 per violation.

First-time offenders typically face $2,000 to $3,000 in penalties for an unloaded firearm and $3,000 to $4,000 for a loaded gun, according to Howell.

9mm personal handguns are the most common firearm seized at airports, he said.

The TSA explains on its website, TSA.gov, how to legally store firearms in your luggage and what you should do when you arrive at the airport.
City officials are proposing changes that could have a major impact on downtown nightlife.

For months, efforts have been made to quell violence downtown.

Now, city leaders are proposing not allowing any new nightclubs for at least six months, and much stricter requirements on businesses that want to sell liquor after midnight.

Officials have become increasingly concerned about violence after incidents like July, after a fight led to a shooting where several people were injured. As a result, the city increased police presence and installed security checkpoints.

READ: Orlando police investigating after windows shattered at downtown LGBTQ bars

David Barilla with the Downtown Development Board said the city has been paying about $40,000 each weekend for extra police presence in downtown.

Now, the city is considering the other initiatives, including the six-month moratorium on new nightclubs, which would give the city time to study the concentration of clubs already in downtown.

The proposed new permit for downtown businesses to serve alcohol after midnight would start in May, which Barilla said is in other cities.

READ: Tonight: Volusia County school fair helps inform families and students

The permit would entail hiring off-duty police. For businesses that hold more than 50 people, it would require walk-through metal detectors and ID scanners, and licensed security personnel at each entry point.

Some bar owners have expressed concerns that, with high rent downtown, the extra costs could put them out of business. The city said shared burden and other changes are needed to balance the citys resources and make downtown safer for everyone.

A first reading and vote will take place during the next City Council meeting on Monday. If approved, a final vote would take place early February.

READ: Armed security guard accused of sexual battery of teen at Central Florida movie theater, police say

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An employee promotes chestnut products through live-streaming at a chestnut farm in Bohai Township of Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20. 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

It is estimated that China's online retail sales of farm produce achieved a rise of about 10 percent in 2022, as the agriculture sector further embraced the booming e-commerce market.



The robust agriculture e-commerce business has been built upon the country's growing farm produce processing industry. This industry is estimated to log an increase of about 4 percent in the revenue of major firms in 2022, Zeng Yande, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told a media conference Wednesday.

Over 16,000 facilities for refrigerating and preserving agricultural products were built last year, Zeng said.

Official data showed Tuesday that China's online retail sales expanded 4 percent year on year in 2022 to nearly 13.8 trillion yuan (about 2 trillion U.S. dollars) -- consolidating its status as the top online retail market on the planet.

A total of 50 modern agriculture industrial parks were established nationwide last year, and 200 rural townships were recognized as national leaders in terms of their strong competitiveness in certain agricultural industry sectors, according to Zeng.

The rapid development of industries in rural areas has led to rising income for local residents, who saw their average per capita disposable income expand 4.2 percent year on year in 2022, further narrowing the gap with that of urban residents.
File

A Ouachita Parish man was sentenced to life Tuesday for the February 2020 murder of a West Monroe man.

A jury unanimously convicted Lester Ramsey, Jr., 23 in October of second-degree murder following a less than two-hour deliberation. Second-degree murder carries a life sentence in Louisiana.

Several of the victim's family members and friends were present on his behalf. The Court heard Victim Impact Statements from two of the present, according to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office.

According to an arrest report for Ramsey, officers with the West Monroe Police Department working a Feb. 28, 2020, missing person complaint for Cadarrion Buggs, age 21, learned he was last seen with Ramsey on Feb. 20, 2020.

On March 4, 2020, the detective interviewed him. Ramsey said he was at his Austin Avenue house on Feb. 20 but could not explain what happened to Buggs.

A search warrant was later executed at Ramseys home, and officers found evidence that a violent crime occurred in multiple rooms of the home. During a subsequent interview, Ramsey allegedly told officers he hit Buggs with a hammer after an argument.

According to the report, Ramsey said he wrapped the victims body in a rug and dumped the rug in a Monroe alley. On March 4, Buggs body was found.

Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Suspect in February 2020 murder of Cadarrion Buggs sentenced to life
Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss Department of Education has rejected a request from the College Boardwhich runs the SAT and approves advanced placement (AP) courses for high schools across the country to approve a high school African-American Studies course in Florida on the grounds that it violates state law, according to a copy of the letter provided to The Daily Beast.

Specifically, some on the right are saying the Advanced Placement (AP) program, which is currently undergoing a nationwide pilot, was vetoed because state officials believe it promotes Critical Race Theory, recently banned from schools under the states Stop W.O.K.E. Act.

The brief rejection letter, dated Jan. 12, reads: as presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.

If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the Department will reopen the discussion, said Florida Department of Education spokesperson Cassie Pelelis in an email to The Daily Beast.

The College Board, for its part, said revising the curriculum is par-for-the-course and remained tight-lipped about whether it expected the class to be offered in Florida classrooms.

The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks change significantly as a result, the College Board said in a statement to The Daily Beast. We look forward to publicly releasing the updated course framework as soon as it is completed and well before this class is widely available in American high schools.

Ron DeSantis Squares Off With New Woke Foe: The NHL?

But Wednesdays denial nonetheless enraged some Florida educators, who have had to contend with the controversial Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which was signed into law last April as part of a spurious effort to combat the teaching of critical race theory in Floridaand make other drastic changes to schooling in the state.

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It means an insult to me, it means an injury to me. said Dr. Marvin Dunn, former professor of psychology at Florida International University and a specialist in the states Black history.  Florida is doing its best to shut down discussions about race, slavery, anything having to do with a challenge to the idea that racism is still a real factor in American life today.

Representatives from the Florida DOE and governors office did not respond to immediate requests for comment on this, and other claims by educators.

In his march towards a possible presidential nomination, DeSantis has at what seems a blistering pace taken up a war on what he calls woke education in Florida. He has packed K-12 school districts with far-right extremists, pushed book bans, passed the notorious Dont Say Gay bill and appointed right-wing advocates to the board of at least one liberal arts college.

And on Wednesday, the heads of Floridas 28 state colleges pledged that they would not fund any program that compels belief in critical race theory or related concepts such as intersectionality.

While details of the African-American studies course havent been publicly released, last August Florida educator Marlon Williams-Clark told NPR that the first weeks of his pilot program classroom in Tallahassee focused on the birth of the subject and the many backgrounds and cultures that make up Black identity in the United States.

When asked about whether DeSantis efforts to ban conversation about race in classrooms has effected the way he teaches, he said:  I can never stop the conversations theyre having with each other, but I stick to the Florida state standards for African American history and other social studies standards that are integrated within the course, and thats just the route we go.

Inside the One-Way Feud Between Ron DeSantis and Kristi Noem

Neither the College Board nor the Florida DOE would release the details of what exactly had irked the DeSantis administration, but one right-wing outlet, the National Reviewwhich claimed to have obtained a copy of the curriculumblamed the course for teaching Critical Race Theory.

CRT is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society, according to the NAACPs Legal Defense fund, but the theory is often misused by right-wing activists to mean any teaching about race and racism in the U.S. There is little evidence to suggest that CRT is being taught in American pre-primary and primary schools.

Spiking the AP course infuriated educators and Democratic legislators across Floridawho said the decision was unsettling at best.

If I can take American and European history theres absolutely no reason why, I see no reason why our students shouldnt have the option to take African-American history, one Democratic state legislator, Anna Eskamani, told The Daily Beast. These are optional elective classes and and theyre designed for a level of academic rigor that is reflected in some of the best and brightest students we have. To deny them the ability to learn history is is is scary, its unsettling and its unfortunately, all too common for the standard administration who would rather people be in the dark.

Even middle school educators who spoke with The Daily Beast worried about what this would mean for the future of their students.

Rejecting [the course] means that our students once again will not have access to a true definition of what history looks like from their perspective, said Hillsborough County teacher Denise Thomas Ford, who works in a district with a high percentage of Black students. And not just an African-American student perspective, but every student needs to have access to this information  If youre you're not giving them all sides of something so that they can think, youre damaging them. Youre giving them a biased education.

Dunn explained that he sees these steps to take away students opportunity to learn their history as a warning shot for the countryand a call to vote.

What just happened in Florida that this is coming your way. This suppression of Black history is going to become a national thing if DeSantis and people who support him gain control of the federal government and the White House, said Dunn. I say: Youve been warned.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP)  Aman, a 22-year-old transgender man from the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, says he was always close to his father. When he was little and it was cold out, his father held his hands to warm them. When he was at university, his father would wait until he got home to eat dinner together, regardless of how late it was.

Now they are cut off. Aman's decision to live as a man has cost him everything. His parents and five siblings no longer speak to him. He dropped out of university and had to leave home. He has attempted suicide three times.

Trans men face deep isolation in Pakistan. The country, with a conservative Muslim majority, has entrenched beliefs on gender and sexuality, so trans people are often considered outcasts. But trans women have a degree of toleration because of cultural traditions. Trans women in public office, on news programs, in TV shows and films, even on the catwalk, have raised awareness about a marginalized and misunderstood community.

The Pakistani movie and Oscar contender Joyland caused an uproar last year for its depiction of a relationship between a married man and a trans woman, but it also shone a spotlight on the countrys transgender community.

Trans men, however, remain largely invisible, with little mobilization, support or resources. Trans women have growing activist networks  but, according to Aman and others, they rarely incorporate or deal with trans men and their difficulties.

Its the worst, said Aman. We are already disowned by our families and blood relatives, then the people we think are our people also exclude us.

Trans women have been able to carve out their space in the culture because of the historic tradition of khawaja sira, originally a term for male eunuchs working in South Asias Mughal empire hundreds of years ago. Today, the term is generally associated with people who were born male and identify as female. Khawaja sira culture also has a traditional support system of gurus, prominent figures who lead others.

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But there is no space within the term or the culture surrounding it for people who were born female and identify as male.

Every khawaja sira is transgender, but not all transgenders are khawaja sira, said Mani, a representative for the trans male community in Pakistan. People have been aware of the khawaja sira community for a long time, but not of trans men.

He set up a nonprofit group in 2018 because he saw nothing being done for trans men, their well-being or mental health.

Trans people have seen some progress in protecting their rights. Supreme Court rulings allow them to self-identify as a third gender, neither male nor female, and have underscored they have the same rights as all Pakistani citizens.

Although Mani was involved in the trans rights bill, most lobbying and advocacy work has been from transgender women since it became law.

Nobody talks about trans men or how they are impacted by the act, said Mani. "But this is not the right time to talk about this because of the campaign by religious extremists (to veto changes to the act). I dont want to cause any harm to the community.

Another reason for trans mens low visibility is that females lead a more restricted life than males in Pakistan, with limits on what they can do, where they can go and how they can live. Family honor is tied to the behavior of women and girls, so they have less room to behave outside societys norms. On a practical level, even if a girl wanted to meet trans people and get involved in the community, she wouldnt be able to because she wouldnt be allowed out, said Aman.

Coming from a privileged and educated family, Aman said his parents indulged him as a child, letting him behave in ways seen as male and dress in a boyish way. He wore a boys uniform to school.

But there came a time when he was expected to live and look like a girl. That meant fewer freedoms and the prospect of marriage. He didnt want that life and knew there were operations to change his gender. But his father told him he was too young and would have to wait until he was 18, apparently hoping he would grow out of it.

Aman had nobody to speak to about his gender identity struggles. He used social media and search engines, making contact with a trans man in India who connected him with a WhatsApp group of trans men in Pakistan.

Aman grew his hair long and dressed like a girl just to survive while still at home, he said. He also felt he shouldnt do anything to jeopardize the familys honor.

These restrictions created a war in my mind, he said. You have to socialize, and it was difficult for me because I had to socialize as a girl.

He wasnt allowed male friends because of the taboos around mixing with the opposite sex, nor was he allowed female friends because his parents feared it would lead to a lesbian relationship.

Still, Aman set goals to get educated, earn money and be independent, planning eventually to live as a man. By 2021, he was on hormone therapy and his voice was changing.

But it all changed when a family member asked outright if Aman was changing his gender. The question inflamed all the doubts and worries his parents already had about his steps to transition. They disowned him, saying he could no longer live under their roof if he wanted to live as a man.

They said everything can be tolerated but we cant tolerate this, Aman said. His mother said it would hurt his siblings and their marital prospects. His sisters locked him in a bathroom once. Only his older brother supported him.

Aman moved out and began living alone  and fully as a man.

Mani has helped, giving him an office job at the non-governmental organization. Still, Aman barely gets by and faces constant problems. One is that he hasnt changed his gender to male officially on his ID card, which he needs to vote, open a bank account, apply for jobs and access government benefits including health care.

He went once to NADRA, the government agency responsible for ID cards, but there the officials harassed him. They inspected him, talked derisively about him, and demanded a bribe. One official felt his chest.

He feels isolated.

Im satisfied with my gender, but Im not happy to live anymore, he said. I love my family. I need my father, I need my brother.
A crew member said the incident took place on a Celebrity Summit cruise ship in August. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Getty Images

A cruise passenger was accused of sexually assaulting a crew member in August, per court documents.

The passenger, Daniel Farias, was indicted this month on a charge of abusive sexual contact.

Farias is accused of grabbing the crotch of a crew member who was cleaning a restroom.

A grand jury indicted a passenger on a Celebrity Cruises trip over what federal authorities said was abusive sexual contact on a cruise from Iceland to Boston last August.

On January 14 the jury indicted Daniel Farias, 45, of Bloomington, Minnesota, for allegedly sexually assaulting a 40-year-old crew member on the Celebrity Summit by grabbing his crotch on August 30, 2022, according to court documents seen by Insider.

Farias was charged in August last year and was due to appear in federal court in Boston Friday.

"Daniel anxiously awaits his opportunity to establish his innocence at trial, if necessary. He will enter a plea of not guilty at his arraignment tomorrow," said Farias' attorney Robert Goldstein on Thursday.

A number of travel companies have documented past incidents involving passengers and transport workers. In November, a woman was seen on video threatening to kill a Southwest flight attendant. Meanwhile, Carnival Cruises has introduced new rules threatening passengers with fines of up to $500 for rowdy behavior.

The cruise departed from Reykjavik, Iceland on August 19, and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on August 31. Staff asked police to meet the ship when it arrived in Boston.

According to the District of Massachusetts' US Attorney's Office, the crew member was cleaning a men's restroom when Farias left a stall and approached him.

According to the crew member, Farias began rubbing the staff member's forearm after the staff member had handed him a towel. The crew member asked the passenger what he was doing before Farias allegedly tried to grab his crotch and made a lewd comment.

The incident occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., according to the crew member, who said that Farias did not seem to have been drunk.

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After Farias left the restroom, the crew member notified his supervisor, who then alerted security, according to the court documents.

Video showed Farias entering and leaving the restroom around the time the crew member said the incident occurred.

A conviction for abusive sexual contact carries a jail term of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to the court documents, Farias said he did not recall an encounter, but was sorry if he had done anything.

An attorney for Farias did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

A representative for Celebrity Cruises declined to comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense has asked its forces stationed in South Korea to provide equipment to help Ukraine in the war against Russia, the U.S. military said on Thursday, adding the move has "zero impact" on its operations in the Asian country.

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), which has some 28,500 troops in South Korea, said the move is part of U.S. efforts to help Ukraine with its inventories.

"This has zero impact on our operations and our ability to execute on our ironclad commitment to the defence of our ally, the Republic of Korea," USFK spokesperson Col. Isaac Taylor said in a statement.

USFK declined to provide further details, including what types of equipment and how much has been requested or already transferred.

The statement comes after the New York times reported earlier this week the United States was diverting munitions in Israel and South Korea to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine "a special operation".

Asked about the report, Seoul's defence ministry said it was closely coordinating with the United states to maintain readiness posture.

South Korea's policy is not to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. Seoul has sought to avoid antagonising Russia, both for economic reasons and because of the influence that Moscow can exert with North Korea.

A U.S. official said in November Washington was in talks with South Korea to buy artillery shells to send to Ukraine, though Seoul insisted that the United States must be the ammunition's end-user.

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
ATLANTA (AP)  Investigators on Thursday released the identity of the person who was shot and killed by law enforcement officers who were trying to clear protesters camping at the site of a planned Atlanta-area public safety training center that opponents have dubbed Cop City.

Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, was shot and killed Wednesday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Teran was inside a tent in the woods and did not comply with verbal commands from law enforcement officers trying to clear the area, the GBI has said.

When Teran shot and injured a state trooper, other law enforcement officers returned fire and killed Teran, the GBI has said.

Activists have questioned the police version of events and called for the release of law enforcement body camera footage.

Opponents of the training center have been protesting for over a year by building platforms in surrounding trees and camping out at the site. They say that the $90 million project, which would be built by the Atlanta Police Foundation, involves cutting down so many trees that it would be environmentally damaging. They also oppose investing so much money in what they call Cop City, which they say will be used to practice urban warfare.

Col. Chris Wright, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, told reporters Wednesday that the injured trooper underwent surgery and was in intensive care. He told state lawmakers during a budget hearing Thursday that the trooper remained in intensive care and was scheduled to undergo another surgery Thursday morning.

The agency said in a news release that it would not release the name of the trooper involved in the shooting because disclosure would compromise security against criminal or terroristic acts due to retaliation.

The GBI said about 25 campsites were located and removed Wednesday and that mortar-style fireworks, edged weapons, pellet rifles, gas masks and a blow torch were recovered.

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Seven people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and criminal trespass with other charges pending, the GBI said. They range in age from 20 to 34 years, and none of them are Georgia residents.

GBI Director Mike Register said Wednesday that people are illegally occupying the area and are committing acts that endanger the community, including arson and using explosives. The clearing operation was conducted in the same area where a handful of people were arrested last month and also charged with domestic terrorism. Authorities said at the time that firefighters and police officers were attacked with rocks and weapons as they removed barricades blocking entrances to the site.

The 85-acre (35-hectare) property is owned by the city of Atlanta but is located just outside the city limits in unincorporated DeKalb County, and includes a former state prison farm.
In this photo provided by Oregon State Parks, a dead sperm whale is seen washed up on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Oregon State Parks via AP

A 40-foot sperm whale carcass washed ashore an Oregon beach this month after being hit by a ship.

Sperm whales are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Their global population was decimated by commercial whaling, which wasn't banned until 1986.

A massive 40-foot sperm whale carcass washed ashore an Oregon beach on Saturday, bloodied and broken in a loss to the endangered species.

The juvenile male was found on a beach in Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon on Saturday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a Facebook post. Video footage of the whale showed large gashes across its body.

State park staffers removed the whale's lower jaw soon after discovering the animal in order to keep its teeth intact for scientific purposes, the aquarium said.

The whale likely died after being struck by a ship at sea and its body floated to shore, experts said.

In this photo provided by NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries employees conduct a necropsy of a dead sperm whale beached on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon, on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, two days after it washed ashore. NOAA Fisheries via AP, NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries conducted a standard animal autopsy, known as a necropsy on the whale and determined that the creature was likely dead when it washed ashore.

Michael Milstein, a public affairs officer for the West Coast Regional Office of NOAA Fisheries told media outlets that scientists observed internal bleeding in the whale which indicated it collided with a vessel while at sea.

The necropsy also showed that the male whale was around 20 years old and in good health at the time of its death, Milstein said.

This sperm whale's presence along the Oregon coast is somewhat unusual.

In this photo provided by Oregon State Parks, a dead sperm whale is seen washed up on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Oregon State Parks via AP

Milstein told The Washington Post that sperm whales are less common in the Northwest during the wintertime than compared to the summer.

Scientists believe about 2,000 sperm whales live off the West Coast, Milstein told the outlet.

Healthy male sperm whales can grow up to 60 feet and weigh over 20 tons.

In this photo provided by Oregon State Parks, a dead sperm whale is seen washed up on the Oregon coast near Fort Stevens State Park in Clatsop County, Oregon on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Oregon State Parks via AP

The Seaside Aquarium said male members of the species can live up to 60 years  an extra 40 on top of this beached whale's mere 20 years.

Male sperm whales typically mature around the age of 50 after reaching an approximate average length of 52 feet, according to the aquarium.

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The massive mammals are the largest of the toothed whales and usually feed on other water species, such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish.

Sperm whales are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

In this image taken from an Italian coast guard video a whale trapped in a fishnet in the waters near the Eolian islands, in the Mediterranean Sea in 2020. Italian Coast Guard via AP

Scientists estimate there are about 850,000 sperm whales left in the world after commercial whaling during the 19th and 20th centuries put a massive dent in the species' population numbers.

Sperm whales were among the most coveted targets of the commercial whaling industry, according to NOAA, and excessive hunting nearly decimated the species. A recent study suggested there were close to 2 million sperm whales in the world before the start of large-scale commercial whaling.

"The last sperm whale hunted and killed off the West Coast was 1971. It really wasn't that long ago," Milstein told The Post.

The International Whaling Commission put a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, which helped whale species bounce back in numbers. But sperm whales have struggled to recover as quickly as other species, according to Milstein, though they are "on the upswing," he told the outlet.

Conservationists believe sperm whale numbers are slowly increasing.

Despite their massive size, sperm whales face a variety of threats in the waters.

Rescuers sprinkle water on a sperm whale stranded on a beach on April 19, 2022 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of China. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Vessel strikes, like the one that killed the juvenile male discovered in Oregon this month, are common culprits in injuries or deaths to sperm whales, according to NOAA.

The species is at greater risk of dangerous vessel impacts because sperm whales spend long periods of time "rafting" at the ocean's surface between their deep dives, the agency said.

The animals are also at risk of becoming entangled in fishing gear; sensitive to underwater noise pollution; prone to ingesting marine debris; and, like all animals, impacted by climate change, according to the organization.

Beached whales and marine life carcasses washed ashore often draw large crowds of people.

An Indonesian puts an offering on a stranded sperm whale for praying, in Bali, Indonesia Monday, March 14, 2016. AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

The spectacle of massive whales on the shore is known to bring scores of people to the beach to observe the creature, dead or alive.

There are noted incidents in which crowds worked together to free or save struggling beached whales. Other times, a beach burial can draw mournful observers.

But whale carcasses can also pose a risk to human sightseers. Methane gas-buildup in a dead whale's gut as the creature decomposes can result in spontaneous explosions in warmer climates.

Staff at the Seaside Aquarium warned people not to touch the whale carcass discovered this month, noting that any whale, dolphin, porpoise, or pinniped can spread potential diseases to humans and pets.

Oregon state officials said this week that they will move the juvenile male's carcass further up the beach in order to allow it to decompose naturally "while giving birds and animals a chance to get nutrients."

"Eventually, the carcass will be buried if needed," Oregon Parks and Recreation Department spokeswoman Stefanie Knowlton told The Register-Guard.

Read the original article on Insider
Toppling Roe: Documentary on the Largest Peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement in American History Now in Production Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and HUNDREDS of anti-abortion activists that were arrested and abused by police are highlighted in this promo.



NEWS PROVIDED BY

Randall Terry

Jan. 19, 2023



WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Operation Rescue Founder and pro-life leader Randall Terry announces the production of the controversial documentary: "Dragon Slayers: How the Rescue Movement Slew Roe."



The promotional video of "Dragon Slayers" is now available to be seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi-JQQbgqVE



The crowdfunding site, which includes this video:

www.GiveSendGo.com/DragonSlayers



The producers have 100's of hours of never before seen footage telling the incredible story of "Operation Rescue" and "the rescue movement" from 1987 to 1994. The documentary will show how this massive civil disobedience movement paved the way to overturn Roe vs. Wade, as well as providing political firepower for a multitude of state-level anti-abortion "trigger laws" that have gone into effect.



Operation Rescue, founded by Randall Terry, became the largest peaceful civil disobedience movement in American history, accumulating more than 70,000 arrests for peaceful protest between 1987 and 1994. In 1994, the federal government passed the "Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances" (F.A.C.E.) law that brought an end to large scale civil disobedience.



Operation Rescue and the rescue movement mobilized tens of thousands of activists around abortion facilities. As Judy L Thomas and Pulitzer Prize winner James Risen show in their book "Wrath of Angels: The American Abortion War," these pro-life activists provided the momentum and the manpower that fueled "the religious right" which made abortion a critical, unbending issue in Republican politics. Operation Rescue changed the face of American politics.



To schedule an interview with Randall Terry, call or text 919-525-4431.



SOURCE Randall Terry



CONTACT: Caroline Taylor, 919-525-4431



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With the approaching Spring Festival, a large number of Chinese cities are distributing consumption vouchers to stimulate spending. The trend is expected to help expand domestic demand and strengthen market vitality, experts observed.

Following the government's optimization of COVID-19 response measures, the domestic consumer market began to regain vigor during the holiday season.

Tianjin started its second round issuance of consumption vouchers on Jan 11, and the vouchers can be redeemed until the end of February. The local government will invest 115 million yuan ($17 million) in boosting consumption by issuing four types of vouchers that can be redeemed when purchasing cars, home appliances, daily consumer goods, and catering and travel products.

Based on calculations by the Tianjin commerce bureau, coupled with various discounts launched by retailers and online platforms, the amount of consumption coupons released by the local government this round is expected to boost spending by more than 3.3 billion yuan.

"As Spring Festival, a peak consumption season, draws near, issuing consumption vouchers serves as an effective way to help stimulate spending in the short term," said Zheng Lanxiang, a professor at Anhui University.

To revitalize small- and micro-sized businesses and highlight the theme of benefiting residents, many cities have also issued general consumption vouchers in small amounts through different online platforms such as payment platform Alipay, short-video platform Douyin and on-demand retail platform Meituan.

After obtaining such general consumption coupons online, consumers can enjoy preferential treatment when shopping at numerous application scenarios, such as supermarkets, convenience stores and food markets, said Yu Pengzhou, deputy secretary-general of Tianjin's local government.

With Spring Festival around the corner, the ways of using the consumption coupons issued in this round boast distinctive festival features. At the time of issuing consumption vouchers, many cities have also introduced traditional Spring Festival promotional activities to comprehensively activate spending potential.

For instance, Tianjin has organized New Year's marketplaces, focusing on the sales of time-honored local brands, local specialties and supplies for Spring Festival, as it aims to fully tap the sales potential of local products and brands.

In Maanshan, Anhui province, customers can get a discount of up to 10,000 yuan per person when they purchase cars with consumption vouchers, according to Lu Xiaojian, general manager of an experience store of Hongqi, the premium arm of China's FAW Group, in Maanshan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

To help promote the recovery of the cultural tourism market during the holiday, many places have issued consumption vouchers that can be redeemed for booking hotels, scenic spots and other cultural tourism products.

On Jan 11, Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, issued 35,000 travel consumption vouchers to residents and tourists, and the total value of the vouchers reached 7 million yuan.

Those who have obtained the coupons can book hotels and guesthouses on a specified platform before Feb 11, and each voucher is worth 200 yuan in discounts, according to the cultural and tourism bureau of Xiamen.

Next, Xiamen will also introduce a number of awards and subsidies for qualified travel agencies and commercial operators to promote the recovery of the cultural tourism sector.

Between mid-December and Spring Festival, the Nanshan district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, will issue 200 million yuan worth of consumption vouchers to encourage the purchase of consumer goods such as cars, home appliances, digital devices, clothing, jewelry, watches and food, the local government said.

Previous data from the commercial departments of local governments showed that the issuance of consumption vouchers has an obvious effect on stimulating consumption.

From June to December last year, Hubei province invested 1.26 billion yuan in financial funds to issue consumption vouchers that helped boost consumption value by 5.05 billion yuan.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is moving to fire a deputy accused of sexually assaulting another employee while off-duty.

Marissa Hernandez, a department spokesperson, issued a news release on Wednesday evening announcing that the department launched a criminal investigation into Sgt. Ricardo Garcia on Dec. 18 and found probable cause to arrest him for sexual assault.

The news release said the department "will be moving forward with the termination process of Mr. Garcia" but didn't specify whether he was on administrative leave.

The department didn't immediately respond to inquiries as to whether Garcia had been arrested and what charges he faced. It also did not elaborate about the assaulted employee's condition or if they still worked for the department.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pima County deputy accused of sexually assaulting co-worker
Florida Congressman Injured (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Congressman Greg Steube fell off a roof on his property late on Wednesday and sustained several injuries, his team said.

The representative, 44, who serves Floridas 17th congressional district, was taken to a hospital, according to reports.

Congressman Steube was involved in an accident on his property late this afternoon and has sustained several injuries. We will provide additional updates when possible. Please pray for the Congressman and his family, his team tweeted.

According to news media platform Florida Politics, the Republican was being taken to a Sarasota region hospital.

Local sources tell @Fla_Pol that Republican US @RepGregSteube fell off his roof this afternoon and is being taken to a Sarasota region hospital.



Developing#FlaPol  Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) January 18, 2023

The report said the Sarasota Republican was reportedly doing routine home maintenance and apparently fell from his roof about 25 feet to the ground.

He was found by a staffer to US representative Vern Buchanan, who serves with Mr Steube on the House Ways and Means Committee, the Florida Politics report added.

Republican Brian Mast tweeted: Praying for you, brother.
A Monroe County man has been sentenced to to 20 years prison time for distributing fentanyl which led to the death of a New Jersey man.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday Matthew Luce, also known as "Luck," 36, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

Luce was also sentenced to 188 months prison time on a separate drug trafficking conspiracy case, with the sentences to run concurrently.

According to United States District Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Luce knowingly and intentionally distributed an unspecified quantity of fentanyl to a 36-year-old Clinton, New Jersey man within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in his death on Feb. 6, 2021.

Related:Poconos man pleads guilty to fentanyl delivery resulting in death of NJ resident

Recent case:Monroe County man and NJ co-conspirator sentenced in drug delivery death

Luce was also responsible for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of heroin. Luce had previously pleaded guilty to both charges.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office, the Clinton Police Department, the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case

According to the DOJ, the case was brought forth as a part of a district-wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic of the distribution and use of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the U.S. District Attorney's Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, utilizing federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend and prosecute those who commit heroin-related offenses.

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The case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program which brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

Statistics from the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania show Monroe County hit a peak of drug delivery resulting in death in 2020 with 31 offenses filed that year. Between 2017 and 2021, Monroe County saw 82 such charges, exceeded only by Lancaster and York counties, which saw 132 and 117 charges respectively within the same time frame.

Fentanyl rapidly replaces heroin in PA

In a report released by former attorney general-turned Governor Josh Shapiro in May 2022, fentanyl has become an even greater problem than heroin in the Keystone State, with the Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation regions seizing more than double the amount of fentanyl than heroin in 2021. Within the first quarter of 2022, the BNI seized approximately 40 times the amount of fentanyl as compared to heroin  even more than was seized in the entirety of the previous year.

According to the report, overdose deaths rose by 16.4% in 2020, and continued rising to 5,438 reported overdose deaths in 2021  a 6% increase from the prior year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which are increasingly found in counterfeit pills, were "some of the primary drivers of the increase in overdose deaths in the last several years."

The DEA notes that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, while analysis of counterfeit pills found a range of 0.02 to 5.1 milligrams of the synthetic opioid in the pills.

Fentanyl has rapidly replaced heroin as the dominant opioid in Pennsylvania. Last year, our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation seized more fentanyl than they had in the last four years combined. The rise in fentanyl has also contributed to a rise in overdose deaths. Last year, we lost 15 Pennsylvanians each and every day to a drug overdose. Law enforcement and policymakers alike must continue to do more to combat this crisis and devote additional resources to stopping fentanyl at the Southern border, Shapiro said.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono man faces 20 years for fentanyl delivery resulting in death
S-60 cannon

Poland will continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as long as necessary, the statement says.

Read also: Top Ukraine and US military commanders meet in Poland

The new Polish package consists of S-60 anti-aircraft guns with 70,000 rounds of ammunition. Poland has already donated 42 Infantry Fighting Vehicles along with training package for two mechanized battalions. In addition, Poland continues delivery of 155mm KRAB howitzers and supplying Ukraine with various types of ammunition.

Read also: Poland pledges Leopard tanks to Ukraine

According to the statement, Poland will also constantly provide Ukraine with medical and engineering training.

On the top of it, Poland is ready to donate a company of Leopard 2 tanks with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, pending a wider coalition of Leopard 2 tanks donors being established, reads the report.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Andrzej Duda

Duda said he was the first Western leader to publicly discuss the subject of NATO potentially guaranteeing Ukraines security, adding that its too early to tell if Warsaws fellow allies will be convinced by its arguments.

Read also: Duda and Nauseda meet with Zelenskyy in Lviv to sign agreement on mutual cooperation

Theres one thing we can be certain of: Poland and Lithuania, asked to support Ukraine, will do everything we can to ensure NATO extends these (security) guarantees, said the president.

Read also: At UN Security Council, Ukraine calls for support and promotion of Zelenskyy peace formula

On Jan. 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office presented its draft proposal for security guarantees to Kyiv, developed with expert input from former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The document envisages the United States, the UK, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, and Turkey being among Ukraines allies, committed to ensuring its safety from foreign invasions. Ukrainian officials maintain this format does not replace Ukraines goal of becoming a full NATO member in the future.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Jan. 18Colorado Springs kids can enter a crafty contest with a handmade Valentine's Day card for the chance to win a big, plushy doughnut.

As part of its fourth Annual Valentine's Day Contest, the Colorado Springs Police Department is accepting creative, handmade valentines from kids ages 3-10, now through Feb. 6.

Police Chief Adrian Vasquez will select the top three valentines, which will be posted on social media for the community to vote on. The creator of the card with the most votes will go home with a large, smiling plushy doughnut, sprinkles and all.

The submitted Valentine's Day cards will be handed out to CSPD officers after the contest.

Cards should be addressed to The Community Relations Unit and dropped off or mailed to the Police Operations Center at 705 S. Nevada Ave. They can also be dropped off at CSPD substations. Cards should include the name and age of the child and parent or guardian's name and phone number.

CSPD is accepting valentine submissions through Feb. 6. The three finalists will be posted on Feb. 8, and the winner will be announced on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14.
Police are investigating an arson incident at a Wendell daycare after someone threw a Molotov cocktail at the building Tuesday night.

Just after 9:30 p.m., a fire was reported at the ABC Land Daycare at 610 Raymond Drive, according to police. Investigators said a bottle containing a flammable chemical was located near the building.

The building sustained minor damage, police said.

Earlier this month, multiple parents alleged that a worker at ABC Land Daycare sexually assaulted their children.

While no charges have been filed, Wendell police have turned the investigation over to the State Bureau of Investigation, according to a statement.

Wendell police Capt. John Slaughter confirmed that an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the daycare is underway.

However, Slaughter said he cannot confirm a connection between the arson and the sexual abuse allegations.

Slaughter said police have increased security at the daycare.

Anyone who has any information regarding this incident is asked to call Sgt. Todd Williams of the Wendell police at 919-355-4297.
Dallas police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl who was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a creek on Monday, officials said.

The Dallas Police Department said it received a call shortly after 10 a.m. about a body in the creek located in the 1700 block of Brookhaven Drive in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the scene and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds.

Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV identified the victim as 16-year-old Venus Rodriguez.

According to WFAA, police havent identified a suspect yet and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Jeffrey Loeb at 214-671-3702 or Jeffrey.loeb@dallaspolice.gov.
The secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is "very confident about China's economy," he told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday.

Chinese economy

Asked about China's COVID-19 reopening, Haitham Al Ghais said: "This means a lot to the global economy, to energy. And, of course, to trade between China and the rest of the world. This has a significant impact."



"Having lived in China for almost four years ... I have faith in China. I've always said that when people have doubted the Chinese economy, do not discount China, China will come back," he said.

Al Ghais of Kuwait assumed the post of secretary general in August, succeeding the late OPEC chief Mohammad Barkindo, who died in July last year.

China reported steady economic growth in 2022 despite pressures, including the resurgence of COVID-19 and a complicated external environment, with its gross domestic product (GDP) reaching new highs.

The economy grew 3 percent year-on-year to a record high of 121 trillion yuan (18 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.

"We are very confident in the Chinese economy and the strength of the leadership and the government and the people of China," said the OPEC chief.

"OPEC and China have had a long-standing relationship and great dialogue, which we as well as our member countries have enjoyed over so many years," he noted.

Global economic outlook

Oil prices, which came close to the all-time high of 147 U.S. dollars a barrel in March last year due to the conflict in Ukraine, have since unwound most of their 2022 gains.



In its monthly oil market report released on Tuesday, OPEC stuck to its global oil demand forecast for this year despite an improving economic outlook in top crude importer China.

The group said it still expects oil demand to grow by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) this year, which is lower than its previous estimate of 2.5 million bpd growth for 2022.

The 2023 global economic growth forecast remained unchanged at 2.5 percent, it also said in the report. For China, the OPEC kept its economic growth forecast unchanged at 4.8 percent for 2023.

"We see the global economy still growing at a relatively good pace in view of the circumstances. Last year, the world was witnessing signs, especially in the second half, of an economic slowdown, especially in the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) developing countries," Al Ghais said.

"We also had issues related to Chinese oil demand because of the extensive lockdowns after the COVID cases were spiking in China and the measures that were implemented there," he said.

Oil demand

For 2023, OPEC kept its world oil demand growth projection unchanged at 2.2 million bpd, with the OECD members growing by 0.3 million bpd and non-OECD members by 1.9 million bpd.



As a policy, OPEC does not forecast or comment on oil prices but only on supply and demand, Al Ghais explained.

"Our initial projections for this year show that there is optimism, especially since China has opened up. China is a major global economic powerhouse."

He emphasized that more investments were needed to transform the industry.

"OPEC's forecast from today until 2045 is that we see a requirement of 12.1 trillion U.S. dollars to be invested in the oil industry. This is a holistic view, investments not just in production and exploration but also in logistics, shipping, downstream refining, petrochemicals, the whole value chain," he said.

China's green transition

The secretary general also highlighted the importance of China's green energy transition.



"We are extremely proud of the steps taken by the Chinese government to promote renewable energy as a part of the energy mix that's required for China to fuel its continuous development and economic growth," he said.

The OPEC chief said that the world "will require all sources of energy," which fits in line with the Chinese green energy transition, where all sources of energy will be required.

He hailed China's "ambitious targets" that have been laid out by the leadership to be carbon neutral.

On Sept. 21, 2020, China announced at the 75th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly that it aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
Hometown International's sole asset was this deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. Google Maps

Thai police arrested a man over an alleged fraud involving a firm that owned a New Jersey deli.

Peter Coker Jr. was detained on January 11 at a hotel in Phuket, the Bangkok Post reported.

His father, Peter Coker Sr., and James Patten were arrested in September and have pleaded not guilty.

Police in Thailand have arrested an American man linked to an alleged stock market conspiracy that left a deli in New Jersey worth about $100 million.

Jirabhop Bhuridej, commissioner of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), told the Bangkok Post that Peter Coker Jr was arrested on January 11 in a hotel room near Surin Beach on the island of Phuket.

Coker Jr was on the run from authorities after he, his father Peter Coker Sr, and James Patten were allegedly involved in boosting the value of shares in Hometown International, which owned the deli, to give the company a valuation of as much as $100 million.

Hometown's only asset was the Paulsboro sandwich shop, which had sales of just $35,000 over a two-year period. The Department of Justice said the owners had "conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices" in its arrest warrant for the men.

Coker Jr was the subject of arrest warrants issued by Interpol, per the Post, after being accused of stock market manipulation and fraud in September.

Bhuridej told the newspaper that the suspects had listed the business on the OTC Marketplace at $1.25 a share before they hired stock traders to manipulate its share price.

Hometown stock soared by more than 900%, and was delisted in 2021 for failing to comply with "over the counter" market rules. E-Waste, another company set up by the group, spiked by almost 20,000%.

The Bangkok Post reported that the CIB had been working with the FBI to locate Coker Jr. Coker Sr. and Patten were arrested in North Carolina in September last year and have pleaded not guilty.

Matt Reilly, a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in New Jersey, confirmed in an email to CNBC on Wednesday that Coker Jr. had been arrested in Thailand.

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The Post reported that Coker Jr. admitted he was the man wanted on the Interpol register.

The US Attorney's Office in New Jersey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his forthcoming memoir that former President Trump told him to shut the hell up about China in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, Semafor reported on Thursday.

My Mike, that f guy hates you! Trump reportedly said to Pompeo in March 2020 after a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The disagreement was detailed in Pompeos new memoir Never Give an Inch, which is set to be released next week, Semafor reported.

Xi had warned Trump on the call that his secretary of State was endangering the recently signed phase one trade deal, which sought to rein in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

The call came one day after Pompeo created a stir at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven, accusing China of engaging in a disinformation campaign on COVID-19 and calling for the virus to be named after the Chinese city of Wuhan where it was first detected.

Several days later, Trump accused of Pompeo of putting us all at risk by angering Xi, telling him, Stop, for Gods sake!

Trump was reportedly also concerned about obtaining protective health equipment from China as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold around the world, according to Semafor.

Pompeo is currently considering a 2024 bid for president, putting him at odds with his former boss. While the former secretary of State is waiting to make an announcement on the subject until the spring, Trump launched his own campaign just one week after the midterm elections in November.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Content warning: This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault.

EVANSVILLE  Police in Posey County, Indiana, arrested a man Wednesday who stands accused of repeatedly raping, hitting and assaulting a young girl over over a span of years.

After considerable investigation alongside the Indiana Department of Children's Services, the Mount Vernon Police Department said it arrested 37-year-old Stephen Cox Jr. Wednesday morning. He is preliminarily charged with two counts of child molesting, a Level 1 felony, and one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Cox's case, a juvenile victim younger than 15 years old told investigators Cox had raped her multiple times between 2018 and 2022.

More:Indiana lawmakers propose withholding bail for defendants who pose 'substantial risk'

The victim reportedly said this during a forensic interview after DCS of Posey County contacted the Mount Vernon Police Department in 2022, the affidavit states. Detectives said the victim told a school counselor about the alleged abuse prior to this.

Investigators reportedly asked the juvenile victim a series of specific questions that elicited detailed responses about the timing, circumstances and context surrounding Cox's alleged assaults. The victim reportedly told detectives she had "begged (Cox) to stop" and that they were "scared."

According to the affidavit, the victim also said Cox would beat her and that he had attempted to record video of the alleged sexual abuse.

Cox is currently being held at the Posey County jail on a $100,000 cash bond.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at walter.harwood@courierpress.com with story ideas and questions.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Posey County resident Stephen Cox Jr. accused of child molesting
Prince Harry has drawn sympathy for claiming in his record-breaking book Spare that he was never able to hug his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke of Sussexs highly-anticipated memoir finally hit shelves on Tuesday, 10 January. Just hours after the autobiography was released, more than 400,000 copies were sold in the UK, making Spare the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.

The 38-year-old royal has shared many shocking revelations about the royal family in his new book, including an alleged fight between himself and his brother, Prince William; his emotional struggle after the death of his mother, Princess Diana; and the last words he said to Queen Elizabeth after she died in September.

Now, one claim has gained sympathy from Prince Harry fans online after a clip from the Spare audiobook was posted to TikTok.

On Tuesday, TikTok user @sugarnspicey went viral when they shared an excerpt of Spare narrated by Prince Harry, in which he writes about seeing his grandmother enjoying her Golden Jubilee concert in 2002.

To see her tapping her foot and swaying in time, I wanted to hug her, he wrote. But of course I didnt. Out of the question. I never had done and couldnt imagine any circumstance under which such an act would be sanctioned.

Harry went on to describe the moment his mother, Princess Diana, attempted to hug the late British monarch. Theres a famous story about mummy trying to hug Granny, he continued. It was actually more of a lunge than a hug, if eyewitnesses can be believed. Granny swerved to avoid contact, and the whole thing ended very awkwardly with averted eyes and murmured apologies.

The father of two then wondered whether the queen had ever hugged her own son, now King Charles III. I wondered, watching Granny rock out to Brian May, if Pa ever tried [to hug her]. Probably not, he said, before recalling how the Queen offered her son a firm handshake after she returned home from a months-long royal tour.

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According to Prince Harry, his grandfather, Prince Philip, is no different, writing, Which may have been more than he ever got from Grandpa. Indeed, Grandpa was so aloof, so busy travelling and working he barely saw Pa for the first several years of his life.

Prince Harrys revelation instantly drew sympathy from viewers, with TikTok user @sugarnspicey captioning their post: This is sad, where is the family love.

The lack of physical affection he grew up with makes me SO sad, another person commented.

This is the saddest thing Ive ever heard. I wish I didnt know this. Grandma hugs are one of the best things in life, said someone else.

Meanwhile, others pointed out how often Harrys mother Diana was pictured hugging her two sons, before her tragic death in 1997 when he was just 12 years old.

Diana gave a speech around the divorce, saying the boys would be raised with lots of hugs, one person recalled. SO MUCH DEEPER MEANING in context.

I feel like H is just a scared little boy who lost his nurturing mother too soon and wants a normal life and Megan makes him feel safe and loved, another user commented, while someone else wrote: I think Harry just wanted his mother he missed being hugged and loved.
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian and pro-Ukraine activists filed criminal complaints against Russia's Wagner paramilitary group and its supporters on Thursday, accusing it of recruiting Serbs to fight in Ukraine.

Cedomir Stojkovic, a Belgrade-based lawyer who also leads the October civic group, said that those accused include Russia's ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, and Aleksandar Vulin, head of Serbia's state Security and Information Agency (BIA).

We have reasonable suspicion that Vulin ... gave orders, directives and guidelines that the activities of the Wagner Group in Serbia should not be prevented, he said.

Stojkovic said that Botsan-Kharchenko, who enjoys diplomatic immunity, could not be prosecuted in Serbia, but that he should be ordered to leave the country.

Once a criminal complaint is filed, it is up to the state prosecutor to decide whether or not to proceed.

Neither Russian embassy to Belgrade, nor the BIA replied to requests for comment.

Petr Nikitin, the head of the Russian Democratic Society, a group that opposes policies of the Kremlin, said those who spread hatred against Ukraine must be prosecuted.

Spreading hatred among Serbs towards Ukrainians, towards a people who have never done anything bad to Serbia ... is a crime," he told reporters.

According to observers, dozens of Serb volunteers and mercenaries took part in the fighting alongside pro-Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014.

The Serbian legislature prohibits participation of its citizens in conflicts abroad and several people have been sentenced for doing so.

On Monday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic criticised Russian websites and social media groups for publishing advertisements in the Serbian language in which the Wagner group, led by Evgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calls on volunteers to join its ranks.

Vucic also denied allegations that the Wagner group has a presence in Serbia where pro-Kremlin and ultranationalist organisations have long supported the invasion of Ukraine.

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Serbia is a candidate to join the European Union, but it also has close ties with Russia, a Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally, and entirely depends on gas imports from Russia.

Earlier this week, Prigozhin denied his organisation has a presence in Serbia.

Although it has repeatedly condemned Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations and several other international forums, Belgrade has so far refused to impose sanctions against Moscow.

After big Ukrainian gains in the conflict in the second half of 2022, the frontlines have largely been frozen in place over the past two months, with neither side making big gains despite heavy casualties in intense trench warfare.

Wagner has taken a leading role in fighting near the eastern city of Bakhmut and Prigozhin claimed on Thursday his forces had seized the village of Klishchiivka on Bakhmut's outskirts. Kyiv has previously denied that the settlement has fallen. Reuters could not confirm the situation there.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), presents a certificate of order at a ceremony to promote Huang Ming, commander of the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, to the rank of general in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. The event was held by the CMC. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Wednesday presented a certificate of order at a ceremony to promote Huang Ming, commander of the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, to the rank of general.

Xi extended his congratulations to Huang, who saluted Xi and all the attendees of the event.

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CMC, announced the order of promotion, which was signed by Xi, at the ceremony.

The ceremony was presided over by He Weidong, another vice chairman of the CMC.

The event was held by the CMC in Beijing. General is the highest rank for officers in active service in China.
London, United Kingdom --News Direct-- London House Exchange Limited

Property Partner, the UKs leading fractional property investment platform, is rebranding as London House Exchange. The rebrand follows an additional 2.4m of investment from leading US digital homeownership company, Better.

With the rebrand, London House Exchange ("LHX") reprises its original legal name since its 2014 founding and returns the spotlight to being the worlds first and leading stock exchange for individual properties. LHX has 120m of fractionalized property assets under management and over 8,000 investors. Our investors have come from over 80 countries, many via a network of UK and international affiliates.

Since inception, 55m of property shares have been traded on the FCA-regulated trading exchange, the only one of its kind for individual residential properties. The new brand gives the company a clearer and more recognisable identity, one which transcends borders.

The name London House Exchange speaks directly to what we already do and reflects our plans for a truly international trading exchange, said Warren Bath, CEO of London House Exchange. "Only on LHX are our clients from across the world able to instantly buy and sell shares in UK properties, delivering liquidity today to an otherwise illiquid asset class."

Real estate is the largest asset class in the world, worth more than shares, stocks and bonds combined, and residential property makes up approximately 75% of this total. However, unlike those other asset classes, property transactions take months rather than seconds. Our mission is to successfully make property assets liquid and tradable at global scale, said Michael Lamont, CEO of Better UK.

Market liquidity is the driving force behind a 2.4m programme of direct investment in London House Exchange by its parent company, Better Holdco, Inc. (Better). Better is a leading digital homeownership company that has funded over $100 billion in mortgage loans since inception, $4.6 billion in real estate transaction volume and $38 billion in insurance coverage written. Better is revolutionising the home finance industry, helping thousands to more easily find a path to homeownership through its low-cost and transparent platform.

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Better's direct investment will increase liquidity on LHX, encouraging efficient pricing and asset valuation across the platform.

We acquired Property Partner in 2021 on account of their unique platform which allows any property anywhere in the world to be fractionalized, turned into shares and traded on an FCA regulated exchange, the only one of its kind in the world, said Vishal Garg, CEO & Founder of Better. "Renaming the business to London House Exchange encapsulates their reason for being: the worlds first and leading stock exchange for individual properties. Enabling the purchase of shares in property from Nottingham to New York is just the beginning, and we are thrilled to support the team with this additional investment.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Simon Draper-Coates

London House Exchange

media@londonhouseexchange.com

About Better

Better is Americas #1 online, commission-free home finance, insurance and realty company. In just six years since launch, Better has leveraged its commission-free service offering and Tinman, its industry-leading technology platform, to fund more than $100 billion in home financing. In addition to being the first fintech to reach this milestone, Better has completed over $4.6 billion in real estate transaction volume through its realtor service Better Real Estate and agent network, as well as over $38 billion in coverage written through its insurance arm, Better Cover and Settlement Services. Better has earned countless awards for its work in making homeownership more affordable and accessible to all Americans. Better was ranked #1 on LinkedIns Top Startups List for 2021 and 2020, #1 on Fortunes Best Small and Medium Workplaces in New York, #15 on CNBCs Disruptor 50 2020 list, and was listed on Forbes FinTech 50 for 2020. For more information, follow @betterdotcom.

About London House Exchange ("LHX", formerly Property Partner)

Founded in 2014, LHX created the worlds first regulated stock exchange for individual properties, making fractional residential property ownership a reality. Over 8,000 clients from over 80 countries have invested in 120m in assets under management and have traded over 55m on the trading exchange. London House Exchange was acquired by Better in September 2021. LHX has an international network of partners, affiliates, and introducers, who through the Exchange, have provided their clients with a simpler way to invest in property. For partnership enquiries, please email partnerships@londonhouseexchange.com

Contact Details

Simon Draper-Coates

+44 7799 411702

media@londonhouseexchange.com

Company Website

https://www.londonhouseexchange.com/

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/property-partner-rebrands-as-london-house-exchange-parent-company-better-invests-additional-ps2-4m-291979841
WEST PALM BEACH  Prosecutors are no longer accusing Arya Singh of premeditated murder in connection with the death of Baby June, a newborn found floating in the ocean off the Boynton Inlet in 2018.

Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in December arrested 29-year-old Singh and charged her with first-degree murder after identifying her as the infant's mother through the use of investigative genetic genealogy. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office dropped the charge Friday and replaced it with second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.

The line between the two degrees of murder hinges on whether prosecutors can prove premeditation: In first-degree cases, the state must prove the killing was planned. According to information filed with the court Friday, prosecutors believe Singh killed her newborn "without any premeditated design."

Internet history, covert DNA samples: What led police to Baby June's mother

The case's early days:Who was Baby June? Six months later, mystery persists

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Detective Brittany Christoffel speaks to media during a press conference at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office satellite office on Thursday, December 15, 2022, in West Palm Beach, FL. On Thursday, PBSO announced the arrest of the 29-year-old mother of Baby June, a 2-day-old infant who was found dead in the Boynton Beach Inlet in 2018.

Theres no legal standard for how much time counts as premeditation. Prosecutors have said it can be a split-second decision, formed in the same amount of time it takes a batter to decide whether to swing at a fastball.

While the line between the two charges isn't always clear, the difference in sentencing can be vast. Prosecutors can seek the death penalty in first-degree murder cases. For a second-degree murder conviction, the maximum sentence is life in prison.

Newborn was found floating facedown in the ocean in 2018

Singh pleaded not guilty Friday to the second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse charges. The latter charge stems from allegations that after the infant died by asphyxiation, Singh put her body in the ocean on or around May 30, 2018. An off-duty firefighter found the newborn floating naked and facedown two days later.

The baby's father, who detectives have not named or charged with a crime, convinced investigators he had nothing to do with the newborns death and pointed them instead toward Singh  a Santaluces High School graduate and security guard at Lynn University with no criminal history.

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Singh told detectives she didn't know she was pregnant until the day she delivered the baby  a phenomena known as a "cryptic pregnancy," which some researchers in Germany and the U.S. say is about three times more common than the birth of triplets. Singh said she delivered the baby into a toilet and didn't know whether the newborn was alive or dead.

According to a report by the magazine Mother Jones, there are no infanticide laws in the U.S. that would find women who kill their own children less culpable than other murderers. Such laws exist in England, Ireland, Canada and a handful of other countries based on the idea that a childbirth alters a woman's mind; that the ensuing hormonal changes are akin to a psychological condition. The maximum charge for women who commit infanticide in these countries is manslaughter.

A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office declined to comment Wednesday on the change in charges that Singh is facing. Her defense attorney, Gregory Salnick, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mom no longer faces first-degree murder charge in death of 'Baby June'
Seven people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and criminal trespass near a police training center under construction in Georgia, according to officials.

Officers located and removed approximately 25 campsites belonging to protesters. Officials said they recovered mortar style fireworks, multiple edged weapons, pellet rifles, gas masks and a blow torch.

Three other people who were at the site provided their names to authorities and were let go. One protester died on Thursday in a wooded area just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

"As law enforcement was moving through the property, officers located a man inside a tent in the woods," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement following the incident. "Officers gave verbal commands to the man who did not comply and shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper."

Police returned fire on the man, who died on scene. A Georgia State Patrol trooper was hit in the shooting and was evacuated to a safe area before being taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for injuries.

PHOTO: DeKalb, Ga., and Atlanta SWAT members are pictured leaving the Gresham Park command post in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

The man killed has been identified as 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Paez Teran.

Activists who are protesting the 85-acre and $90 million construction project -- nicknamed "Cop City" -- have been camping out on the site for months in an attempt to cease progress on the development.

In December, five people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and other charges following a joint operation at the planned construction site.

Authorities said there are a litany of crimes being committed at the protest site following the five arrests last month.

"Some of the criminal activities include carjacking, various crimes against persons, destruction of property, arson, and attacks against public safety officials," the GBI said. "Law enforcement continues to address the criminal acts committed by the individuals that continue to occupy the area of the proposed training site."

The GBI even said that protesters threw rocks at police cars and attacked EMTs outside nearby fire stations with rocks and bottles in December.

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PHOTO: Georgia state troopers stand along Key Road in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

A handgun and shell casings were located at the scene of the latest incident on Wednesday and the investigation into what happened is still active and ongoing, said the GBI.

Several other people were arrested and taken to the DeKalb County Jail after Wednesdays shootout though the GBI did not confirm how many were taken into custody or confirm their identities. Charges against the individuals are now pending and the GBI said updates will be provided at a later time.

A tweet published by the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement blamed the police for the shooting, saying police killed a forest defender today, someone who loved the forest, someone who fought to protect the earth & its inhabitants.

Police killed a forest defender today, someone who loved the forest, someone who fought to protect the earth & its inhabitants. This is why we organize to stop Cop City. And we will. In honor of their life, and the lives of everyone killed and imprisoned by the police.  Defend the Atlanta Forest (@defendATLforest) January 18, 2023

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also acknowledged the shooting in a tweet and said that his thoughts remain with [the injured trooper] and his family, our resolve also remains steadfast and strong to see criminals brought to justice.

Marty, the girls, and I are praying for this brave Trooper and public safety officers across all law enforcement agencies today. As our thoughts remain with him and his family, our resolve also remains steadfast and strong to see criminals brought to justice. https://t.co/ZTS6zcNOCH  Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 18, 2023

Kemp later thanked law enforcement for their effort to "stop illegal activity in and around" the site of the center.

"The state respects peaceful protest. In fact, three protestors were asked to vacate the area yesterday, complied with instruction and were able to leave without incident. But as I have also always said, acts of violent intimidation, destruction, and terrorism will not be tolerated in Georgia. The safety of our citizens is my top priority. Those who break the law with no regard for those harmed by their actions will face justice, and I am grateful for these arrests," Kemp said in a statement on Twitter.

Protesters claim the police training center will only serve to further militarize law enforcement and that the conflict between the protesters and authorities have been escalating in recent months.

"What is taking place is a classic example of tyrannical government overreach," activists said in a statement published by the Atlanta Community Press Collective. "The public has a right to defend its interests. We are advocates of a free and peaceful society built on cooperation and mutual understanding. The government is escalating this situation pointlessly."

7 protesters charged with domestic terrorism after fatal shooting incident originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
STORY: More than a million people took part in demonstrations across France, halting trains and cutting electricity production, in protest against government plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

French government said a total of 1.12 million people had taken part in the demonstration, including 80,000 at a march in Paris.

The stoppages are a major test for French President Emmanuel Macron, who said on Thursday (January 19) that his pension reform plan, which opinion polls show is hugely unpopular, was "just and responsible" and had to be carried out.
By Guy Faulconbridge and Felix Light

MOSCOW (Reuters) -An ally of President Vladimir Putin warned NATO on Thursday that a defeat of Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war, while the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said the world would end if the West tried to destroy Russia.

Such apocalyptic rhetoric is intended to deter the U.S.-led NATO military alliance from getting even more involved in the war, on the eve of a meeting of Ukraine's allies to discuss sending Kyiv more weapons.

But the explicit recognition that Russia might lose on the battlefield marked a rare moment of public doubt from a prominent member of Putin's inner circle.

"The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Putin's powerful security council, said in a post on Telegram.

"Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends," said Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012.

Striking a similar tone at what he described as an anxious time for the country, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said in a sermon for Epiphany that trying to destroy Russia would mean the end of the world.

Medvedev said NATO and other defence leaders, due to meet at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday to talk about strategy and support for the West's attempt to defeat Russia in Ukraine, should think about the risks of their policy.

Putin casts Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine as an existential battle with an aggressive and arrogant West, and has said that Russia will use all available means to protect itself and its people.

'ALARMING TIME'

The Kremlin chief has sought in recent months to gird Russians for a much tougher battle while promising eventual victory in a war that the leaders of the West say they will never let him win.

The United States has denied Russian claims that it wants to destroy Russia, while President Joe Biden has cautioned that a conflict between Russia and NATO could trigger World War Three.

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But top Putin allies say the tens of billions of dollars' worth of U.S. and European military assistance to Ukraine shows that Russia is now in a confrontation with NATO itself - the Cold War nightmare of both Soviet and Western leaders.

Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said in a sermon: "We pray to the Lord that he bring the madmen to reason and help them understand that any desire to destroy Russia will mean the end of the world."

"Today is an alarming time," state news agency RIA quoted him as saying. "But we believe that the Lord will not leave Russian land."

Putin's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, told reporters in Minsk that Russia would do everything to ensure NATO and European Union leaders "sobered up" as soon as possible.

"I hope that the sobering up will come," Lavrov said. "We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible."

NUCLEAR DOCTRINE

Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of the deadliest European conflicts since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The United States and its allies have condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an imperial land grab, while Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Medvedev has repeatedly raised the threat of a nuclear war, but his admission now of the possibility of Russia's defeat indicates the level of Moscow's concern over increased Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

Russia and the United States, by far the largest nuclear powers, hold around 90% of the world's nuclear warheads.

Asked if Medvedev's remarks signified that Russia was escalating the crisis to a new level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "No, it absolutely does not mean that."

He said Medvedev's remarks were in full accordance with Russia's nuclear doctrine which allows for a nuclear strike after "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened".

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Felix Light in Tbilisi; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, warned on Thursday that a Russian defeat in Ukraine could cause a nuclear war to break out.

Medvedev said in a Telegram post that a nuclear power losing a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war, which he said was an elementary conclusion. He noted that many countries from around the world are meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and have agreed that Russia must lose the war in Ukraine to achieve peace in the region.

Medvedev said nuclear powers have not lost major conflicts on which their fate depends before, but this should be obvious.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February that the conflict will only end after Russia completely withdraws from Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula that Russia has occupied since 2014.

Putin has repeatedly threatened to use at least tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine as the conflict has dragged on much longer than experts think Putin intended. Tactical nuclear weapons are meant to be more contained than other nuclear weapons and used on the battlefield.

Putin claimed in October that Russia would not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but President Biden cast doubt on that, questioning why he continually mentions Russias nuclear arsenal if he does not have any intention of using it.

Reuters reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Medvedevs comments do not mean that Russia is escalating the situation. He said his post is in line with Russian policy to use nuclear weapons after conventional ones have been used and the very existence of Russia is threatened.

The Biden administration announced it would send an additional $3.75 billion in military aid to Ukraine earlier this month. The aid includes infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems and surface-to-air missiles.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Putin at the Obukhov Plant, part of the concern Almaz-Antey (develops anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense equipment), January 18, 2023

The only thing the dictator tried to do was to reinforce the Kremlins absurd narrative about the "Great Patriotic Special Military Operation, ISWs analysts wrote.

Despite expectations and a number of predictions, the Russian leader did not use his speech on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the Leningrad blockade to make significant statements about the Russo-Ukrainian war.

This demonstrates that he is not confident in his ability to significantly influence the Russian information space, ISW analysts believe.

They note that in his speech on Jan. 18, Putin merely parroted the standard Kremlin lie that Russia began its invasion of Ukraine to defend Donbas from "neo-Nazis" in the Ukrainian government.

At the same time, there were no statements about a new wave of mobilization or a formal declaration of war, as speculated by a number of Russian "milbloggers" or military blogger, ISW wrote.

ISW said that this is not the first time that Putin has refused to use major public appearances to declare war  including a confusing New Year's speech and a canceled annual address to the Federal Assembly.

The ISW believes that Putin remains committed to influencing the Russian information space, but seems unwilling or unable to attempt a "dramatic speech" that would represent a significant deviation from his usual rhetoric.

At the same time, Putin's speech is likely part of a larger and relatively new information attempt by the Kremlin to fit the war against Ukraine into Russian national mythos about the Second World War in order to bolster support for the protracted campaign and mobilization.

The dictator traditionally tried to use a symbolically important date for a domestic audience. Speaking to mark the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the Nazi siege of Leningrad in 1943, Putin drew a parallel between the genocide of Leningrad and how modern Russia is allegedly fighting Ukrainian neo-Nazis in the Donbas. These statements echo the narratives that were heard in the run-up to the Feb. 24 invasion about "Ukrainian neo-Nazis" and "Russian genocide."

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complemented Putin's efforts by explicitly stating that Ukraine and the West are allegedly committing genocide against the Russian people. He said that the United States "organized a coalition of European countries to use Ukraine as a proxy in a war" against Russia  allegedly with the aim of "finally resolving the 'Russian question'."

This in being done "in the same way that (Nazi dictator) Adolf Hitler sought a final solution to eradicate Europes Jewish population," the ISW quotes Lavrov as saying.

Lavrov claimed that Western officials desire for the strategic defeat of Russia was tantamount to the genocide of the Russian people.

ISW sees this as Lavrov's attempt to present the war against Ukraine as being as vital for Russians as the fight against Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

The ISW analysts also said Lavrov's comments were "far more noteworthy" than Putin's speech: The ISW believes that such statements may indicate that the Kremlin is trying to safeguard Putin from possible criticism, instead instructing other senior officials to make more strident statements in an attempt to prepare Russia for a protracted war.

However, Lavrov's drawing parallels between Ukraine and Nazi Germany are "ludicrous and almost certainly aimed at a domestic Russian audience," ISW believes. The analysts note that Ukraine has never threatened to invade or seize territory outside its internationally recognized 1991 borders. Neither has NATO or any of its member states threatened to invade Russia, let alone seek the destruction of the Russian people.

The purpose of Lavrov's "outrageous and absurd" comparison was likely to complement Putin's rhetoric and other Russian attempts to convince its people that Ukraine and its Western allies allegedly pose a real and imminent threat to Russia and Russians, experts say.

The demonstrative construction of trenches and the creation of "people's militias" in the border regions of Russia  allegedly to protect against the non-existent threat of a Ukrainian invasion  probably served the same purpose. ISW sarcastically characterized such steps as an attempt by Putin and Lavrov to conduct a "Great Patriotic Special Military Operation wrapped in the banners of the Red Army."

In fact, Putin and Lavrov continue to deny Ukraine's sovereignty and categorically refuse to hold direct talks with it. In his speech, the dictator reiterated that Russia is allegedly fighting to protect people living in its "historical territories," while Lavrov explicitly stated that "there can be no talk of negotiations with Zelenskyy."

In addition, Putin continues his efforts to revitalize Russia's military-industrial complex in support of the ongoing war against Ukraine. On Jan. 18, he visited workers at the Obukhov Plant, part of the state defense concern Almaz-Antey. There, the dictator made a number of statements about increasing the production of the Russian defense industry, emphasizing that the plant's employees work in three shifts and are exempt from mobilization.

In addition, Putin also used the visit to call the war against Ukraine "absolutely justified" because of the alleged "fight against neo-Nazis."

Meanwhile, Wagner PMC head Yevgeny Prigozhin has become increasingly bold in his verbal attacks on the Russian Defense Ministry.

Putin's chef (as Prigozhin is nicknamed) criticized the new rules of the Ministry of Defense for Russian military personnel (restrictions on the use of personal vehicles, telephones, requirements for uniforms and appearance, including shaving).

Prigozhin stated that "war is the time of the active and courageous, and not of the clean-shaven. He also called for "developing (the military) along with the development of modern warfare, learning how to effectively kill the enemy and seize territories," rather than "combing everyone under your ridiculous rules, principles and whims."

ISW said this was another statement by Prigozhin among others aimed at undermining the credibility of the Russian Defense Ministry and promoting Prigozhin himself as the face of Russia's campaign against Ukraine.

Prigozhin also made one of his most direct attacks on the Putin administration so far. Speaking about the ongoing debate on the ban of YouTube in Russia, Prigozhin called those who oppose the closure of the service "traitors to their people and their country, traitors to previous and future generations of Russians."

"We have a huge number of people today on Staraya Square in the Presidential Administration who think only of one thing  that Russia would rather lose the war, that the Americans would rather come and regulate us," Prigozhin said.

He also said that "in the near future YouTube will be closed" in Russia, "and those who actively use YouTube, in turn, will be identified and will be punished as they deserve."

The ISW believes that in this way, figures like Prigozhin and military blogger and convicted MH17 murderer Igor Girkin are creating a new space in Russia for criticizing Vladimir Putin "without fear of retribution."

Prigozhin, Girkin and other leading Russian nationalists "have been opening a new sector in the Russian information space where certain figures can criticize Putin and the highest echelons of the Russian government without any apparent retribution," ISW states.

At the same time, Putin has so far been hesitant to censor these voices.

Other takeaways of ISW analysts over the past day:

Russian forces continued limited counterattacks to regain lost positions near Kreminna;

Russian forces continued offensive operations near Soledar, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City;

The Russian MoD continues to attempt to downplay the role of the Wagner Group in claimed tactical advances in the Soledar area;

Ukrainian officials have indicated that Russian forces are concentrating in Zaporizhya Oblast, possibly for a large defensive or offensive effort;

Russian forces increasing use of incendiary munitions to conduct what appear to be otherwise routine strikes in southern Ukraine supports ISWs recent assessment that Russian forces likely face a shortage of conventional artillery rounds;

Ukrainian and Russian sources continued to indicate that Russian authorities are likely preparing for a second wave of mobilization.

Battle map: battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, fighting in Donbas, southern and northeastern Ukraine

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A ransomware attack forced the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell to close several hundred restaurants in the United Kingdom this week.

A government filing posted Thursday says the attack impacted information technology systems. Yum Brands said the attackers took company data, but that there is no evidence customer data was stolen.

Around 300 U.K. stores were closed for one day but are now operational, Yum said. There are more than 1,000 KFC and Taco Bell outlets in the U.K. and Ireland, according to company websites, yet it did not divulge which brands were impacted.

Ransomware is used to hold a target's data hostage until the attacker is paid, though it is not known if Yum paid any money in this case. Yum Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press Thursday.

The U.K. was the European country most targeted by observed ransomware attacks last month with 21, with Germany No. 2 with 11, according to the cybersecurity firm NCC Group.

The company said it alerted law enforcement and hired cybersecurity professionals to conduct an investigation. The company also took some systems offline and installed enhanced monitoring technology.

Yum said its not aware of any other restaurant disruptions due to the attack and doesnt expect the closures to have a material impact on its business.

Ransomware attacks have hit food companies before. In 2021, Brazil-based JBS SA __ the world's largest meat processing company __ paid the equivalent of $11 million to hackers who broke into its computer system.

_______

AP Technology Writer Frank Bajak contributed to this story from Boston.
What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Having said that, while the ROCE is currently high for Best World International (SGX:CGN), we aren't jumping out of our chairs because returns are decreasing.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Best World International is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.37 = S$175m  (S$656m - S$179m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

Thus, Best World International has an ROCE of 37%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 10% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Best World International

roce

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Best World International's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating Best World International's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Best World International doesn't inspire confidence. Historically returns on capital were even higher at 52%, but they have dropped over the last five years. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

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Our Take On Best World International's ROCE

We're a bit apprehensive about Best World International because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Yet despite these concerning fundamentals, the stock has performed strongly with a 67% return over the last five years, so investors appear very optimistic. Regardless, we don't feel too comfortable with the fundamentals so we'd be steering clear of this stock for now.

One more thing to note, we've identified 1 warning sign with Best World International and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke with medical workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village via video link.

Xi wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups healthy and happy lives in the Year of the Rabbit and expressed his hope that the country will enjoy prosperity and the people live in a safe and peaceful nation.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 22.

Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- were also present during the virtual talks.

Speaking with medical workers and an elderly patient at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Xi said that facing this latest wave of COVID-19 infections, medical workers have worked long hours under heavy pressure and with an excessive workload to treat patients.

Acknowledging their great contributions to protecting people's lives and health, Xi extended festive greetings to medical workers across the country.

"We have now entered a new phase of COVID-19 response. Tough challenges remain, but the light of hope is right in front of us. Perseverance means victory," he said.

The country had made "the right choice" to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic with strict measures over the past nearly three years, Xi said, adding that China has thus withstood several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations.

China has lowered the proportion of severe cases and the case fatality rate to the greatest extent possible, protected people's lives and health, and bought precious time for the later moves to optimize response and downgrade the management of COVID-19, Xi said.

The focus of the current COVID-19 response has shifted from infection prevention to medical treatment, with protecting people's health and preventing severe cases being the priority, said Xi, noting that hospitals are now undertaking more arduous tasks.

Xi demanded efforts to increase medical resources and the supply of medical services and drugs, and to prepare for medical treatment of severe cases in particular.

While talking via video link with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, on the same day, Xi said stricter epidemic prevention and health management measures should be taken at nursing homes and welfare facilities to prevent clusters of infection, as older people are the top priority in the current COVID-19 response stage.

As China's population aging is becoming more prominent, Xi called for the proactive development of elderly care programs and industries, state-run elderly care institutions and more affordable elderly care services.

Special efforts should be made to guarantee the provision of elderly care services for those most in need, including people with financial difficulties, of advanced age or unable to care for themselves, he said.

During another virtual talk, Xi stressed the importance of stable energy supply and price.

"Energy security concerns the overall economic and social development of our country. It is one of the most important security issues," Xi told employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Noting that winter is the peak season for energy use in China, Xi said that no efforts should be spared to ensure the supply of coal, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, and to keep their prices stable.

He stressed the importance of being fully prepared to deal with possible extreme cold waves, guaranteeing energy supply and ensuring people stay warm this winter.

Noting the important role of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government, Xi asked them to make all-out efforts to increase output and ensure supply to meet the energy consumption needs of economic and social development.

Located in the Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang, the Tarim oilfield of the China National Petroleum Corporation is a major natural gas source for the country's West-to-East gas pipelines. It provides natural gas for residents in southern Xinjiang and provinces, regions and municipalities along the pipelines.

Through video link, Xi extended his festival greetings to passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station -- one of China's largest high-speed railway stations -- in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, and talked with passengers on the station platform.

He asked the passengers if they were heading back home for family reunions or out traveling and reminded them of safety awareness during their trips.

Xi underscored the importance of the Spring Festival travel to people's immediate interests, economic development, and social stability.

He said this year's Spring Festival travel rush is the first after the country entered a new phase of COVID response, with a major recovery of passenger flows. He urged efforts to ensure safe and sound trips for the people and smooth and orderly flows of essential supplies.

Xi called for efforts to strengthen the monitoring and early warning of extreme weather conditions and carry out safety overhauls to prevent major safety accidents.

Xi demanded strict implementation of anti-COVID measures to reduce infection risks to the minimum.

Xi also extended his holiday greetings to vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing.

To his delight, Xi heard that the food price was stable and the provision of various produce was sufficient.

Xi urged the wholesale market to expand its suppliers and the diversity of products, maintain good quality, and step up food safety examination and market management.

Xi stressed redoubled efforts to ensure sound production, sale, and supply of essential commodities such as grain, edible oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables.

A smooth delivery, sufficient and diversified provisions, and the stable market price of these commodities should be guaranteed during the holiday so that people can have a happy and sound Chinese New Year, Xi said.

Speaking with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Xi called on them to strive for common prosperity to make their lives better.

Shiyi Village is one of the villages rebuilt after being heavily stricken by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

Xi extended festive greetings to the villagers and tourists, and he also sent Spring Festival wishes to all rural residents across China and those working hard on the frontline in the country's rural revitalization cause.

He asked local officials and tourists about the village's tourism. Hearing positive feedback, Xi stressed the role of agricultural specialties and rural tourism in the rural revitalization of the new era.

Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its COVID-19 response measures.

Xi stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas, and ensure the health of rural residents and their normal running of work and life to the maximum extent possible.

At the end of the virtual talks, Xi delivered an important speech.

"As we greet the Spring Festival, I care more about my fellow people and officials working at the primary level," Xi said.

Xi said this year's virtual talks enabled him to speak with people from across the country. He said that he could feel the happiness and joy of the people, even from behind the screen.

"My heart is always with you all and people of all ethnic groups across the country," Xi said. "My biggest wish is that we all have a happy Spring Festival."

He ordered sound implementation of COVID response measures in the new phase and effective prevention of emergencies and accidents so that people across the country will have a joyful and safe Spring Festival.

The past year was extraordinary but not easy, Xi said. "We have overcome all kinds of difficulties and challenges, making new achievements on all fronts."

For the year ahead, Xi called for concerted efforts to make more progress and greater contributions to the country.
Russia's FSB security service said Thursday it opened a criminal case against a U.S. citizen suspected of espionage, as ties between Moscow and Washington disintegrate further over the Kremlin's nearly year-long Ukraine offensive.

"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against a US citizen on the grounds of a crime under the 276 'Espionage' Article of the Criminal Code," the FSB said.

"The American is suspected of collecting intelligence information in the biological sphere, directed against the security of the Russian Federation," it added.

It gave no further details.

Ties between Russia and the United States, already strained for years, have reached new lows since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine last year.

FSB (Federal Security Service) headquarters, the grey building at the center, in downtown Moscow, Russia, Dec. 30, 2016. / Credit: AP

Several Americans are currently in detention in Russia and both countries accuse each other of political arrests.

There have been several high-profile prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Washington.

Last month, Moscow freed U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner -- arrested for bringing cannabis oil into the country -- in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Paul Whelan, a retired U.S. Marine, was arrested in Russia in 2018 and given a 16-year sentence on "espionage charges."

"We've not forgotten about Paul Whelan," President Biden said after Griner's release on Dec. 8. He went on to say that the U.S. "will never give up" trying to negotiate for Whelan's freedom.

In a written letter shared to Instagram last month, Griner asked her supporters to write letters to Whelan and "advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families."

"Thanks to the efforts to many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months," she wrote. "You took time to show me you cared and I want to personally take the time to write to you and say that your effort mattered. Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined."

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Alec Baldwin charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in fatal "Rust" shooting

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Economic turbulence looms ahead of U.S. hitting debt ceiling
Igor Russak/Reuters

While Russias Wagner Group embarks on a frenzied recruiting spree after massive losses in Ukraine, pissed-off family members of dead recruits say theyve been ripped off by the shady band of mercenaries.

I buried my son, and havent gotten any kind of payment for him yet, not a cent! I will not be quiet about this! said Yelena, the mother of Sergei Shevchenko, a prison inmate in the Krasnoyarsk region who died after being recruited by Wagner.

Local authorities in the town of Kodinsk announced Shevchenkos death and wrote that the family was in need of financial support to give the former inmate a proper burial, according to local media. This despite Wagner promising to cover burial expenses and issue compensation for war deaths.

Yelena said she didnt know that her son, whod been jailed on a repeat drunk driving offense, had been swept up by Wagner until hed already been taken away to join the war.

Ive already raised a fuss with the military registration and enlistment office, and reported it to our local newspaper  . If this Wagner doesnt give me anything, I will seek him out! she said.

Other families have made similar complaints. After Nikita and Alexander Arychenkov, two brothers from the Krasnodar region, were killed while fighting for Wagner in late December, their sister took to social media to shoot down claims the family could at least take consolation in the fact they now have material prosperity.

Nobody has paid [us] anything, she said.

Russias Shadow Army Exposed and Humiliated by Bogus Recruit

The problem has apparently been widespread enough that it served as inspiration for graffiti in Voronezh, St. Petersburg, and other cities where messages went up demanding Wagner pay up on its promises.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin responded to the allegations late last month, saying through his press service that the graffiti must have been done by someone with a grudge against him.

All fighters get paid down to the last penny, he said. All the dead receive the funds written in the contract. That is why not a single person in this world can have a complaint against me regarding payment, he said.

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It was not immediately clear if the same rules apply for those who are executed by the group over perceived betrayals or infractions.

Human rights groups and former members have spoken out about several executions being carried out within the private army to force other fighters not to step out of line. The most high-profile case linked to the group, of course, was the brutal sledgehammer execution of former member Yevgeny Nuzhin, filmed and circulated by a Wagner-linked channel on Telegram to demonstrate the groups retribution last November.

An anonymous Wagner fighter told the VchK-OGPu Telegram channel earlier this month that the group doesnt issue payouts for the executions, or in cases where there is no body.

He also said the group has subtler ways of executing its own undesirables.

As a nice type of execution, [there could be] an explicitly fatal task, where it is basically impossible to survive: Storming positions as far as you can go; reconnaissance by fire without a chance to return, etc., he said.

It has become kind of a tradition.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration has reported that the number of deaths caused by the Russian missile attack on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro on 14 January has increased from 45 people to 46.

Source: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration on Telegram

Quote: "According to updated information, the Russian missile that hit the apartment building in Dnipro killed 46 people. Eleven people have not yet been identified, and the same number remain missing. Identification is ongoing."

Details: There were also reports that 80 people had been injured. Twenty-four victims are in the citys hospitals. Three of them are in critical condition, including a nine-year-old girl.

Background:

On 14 January, Russians hit an apartment building in Dnipro during a large-scale missile attack.

The attack involved the use of a Kh-22 missile, designed to destroy aircraft carrier groups at sea.

On 17 January, Ukraines State Emergency Service reported that the search-and-rescue operation at the site of a Russian missile strike on 14 January in the city of Dnipro had been completed, with 45 people dead, including 6 children.

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Russian forces deployed Grad multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and heavy artillery in an attack on the Nikopol district (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) on the night of 1819 January.

Source: Valentyn Reznichenko, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Reznichenko: "Last night the Russians attacked the Nikopol district with Grads and heavy artillery

Over 30 deadly shells hit two hromadas: Chervonohryhorivka and Marhanets." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.]

Details: The head of the Military Administration said that several private residential buildings and outbuildings were destroyed, but, according to early reports, there were no civilian casualties.

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Ukraine called upon the authorities of Israel and Jewish organisations around the world to react to the statement made by Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, who compared Russians to Jews who were being killed by Nazi Germany during WW2.

Source: Statement by Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Quote: "The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia compared Russians, who are waging the war of aggression, to millions of Jews killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Turns out, it is not Russian missiles that are destroying residential buildings in Ukraine, but the West, which formed a coalition to deal with the Russian question.

We strongly condemn the shameful statement by Sergey Lavrov, which disgraces the memory of millions of Holocaust victims."

Details: Nikolenko stated that modern Russia is filled with hatred towards other nations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also called upon Israel and Jewish organisations around the world to react to yet another anti-Semitic statement made by Lavrov.

Quote: "At the Nuremberg tribunal Ribbentrop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany, denied his involvement in Nazi crimes but it did not help him to avoid punishment. Likewise, Lavrov will not avoid it by trying to pass Russia off as the victim."

Background:

On Wednesday 18 January, Lavrov compared Russians to Jews and the West to Hitler and Napoleon.

In spring, Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, compared Zelenskyy to Hitler due to his "Jewish blood". The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel strongly reacted to this statement and recalled the Russian ambassador to express protest.

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The incident happened over the town of Molodechno, Minsk Oblast. Local residents heard a loud explosion in the sky, which caused windows to shake in their homes.

It was probably the result of an engine pumping loss after a fire. The incident with the Russian fighter jet was recorded at 10:59 a.m. Kyiv time, and an air raid alert was declared throughout Ukraine for about half an hour due to the MiG-31 taking off in Belarus.

Allegedly, after the engine caught fire, the Russian fighter jet with tail number RF-95194 was forced to end its flight and return to the Machulishchi airfield.

The monitoring group also clarified that this is the same MiG-31 that was reported to have caught fire on Dec. 25, 2022.

On Jan. 19, the second stage of joint aviation training with Russia also started in Belarus, and the units began performing exercises.

The air exercises of the Russian and Belarusian troops are to take place from Jan. 16 to Feb. 1.

The Kyiv City Military Administration noted that a repeated attack on Kyiv by Belarus could happen in the future, but these exercises should not be taken as a direct threat to the capital.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has opened a criminal case against a United States citizen on suspicion of espionage, its Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday.

The FSB did not name the person or provide any other details, nor did it say whether the suspect had been arrested.

"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against a U.S. citizen on the grounds of a crime under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - 'Espionage'," the FSB said in a statement.

"The American is suspected of collecting intelligence on biological topics directed against the security of the Russian Federation," the FSB said.

It did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.

The U.S. embassy could not be immediately reached for comment.

The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the "unconfirmed reports" that Russia has opened a criminal case against a U.S. citizen on suspicion of espionage.

"We're looking into this matter and we'll continue to monitor," State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Thursday.

Patel added Russia does not generally abide by obligations to provide timely notification of the detention of U.S. citizens in Russia.

A number of U.S. citizens have been detained on criminal charges in Russia in recent years, with some ultimately freed in exchange for Russians detained in the United States. In December, U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was freed after being sentenced to 9 years in prison on drug charges.

She was exchanged for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who spent 14 years in U.S. jail for arms trafficking, money laundering and conspiring to kill Americans.

However, espionage cases are seen as especially fraught, with Russian security services often unwilling to release those it accuses of being spies.

Russia has so far refused to swap U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan, who was arrested by the FSB in 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Raissa Kasolowsky and Grant McCool)
Samsung may have found a way to strike a hefty blow to the United States burgeoning right to repair movement. It has approached the International Trade Commission (ITC), requesting an investigation into the importation of third-party OLED displays for independent repair stores. And if the ITC finds in Samsungs favor it would, in the words of Louis Rossmann (who published the text of the complaint), fire a kill shot on the entire repair industry.

Put simply, Samsungs claim says that it creates AMOLED displays for mobile devices, and that those displays are covered by a number of patents. But factories in China (and elsewhere) are, according to Samsung, churning out similar screens that infringe upon those patents. And that these screens are often imported by third-party repair businesses in the US as a cheaper option than buying authorized parts directly from, in this case, Samsung.

Several businesses are named in Samsungs complaint, including MobileSentrix, Injured Gadgets and DFW Cellphone & Parts. Many offer wholesale parts and equipment to other repair companies, as well as their own over-the-counter repair service. Samsung wants the ITC to issue orders blocking the importation of these replacement display parts at the border. It has also requested that the named companies be ordered to stop importing, selling or using the products in question.

Now, Samsung is well within its right to protect its intellectual property, even if its going about it in a very interesting way. Rather than address the violating factories directly by seeking remedy where those businesses operate, its opting instead to block imports into the US. Given the cavalier manner that foreign IP is treated in some parts of the world, it may be easier to go after the customer than it is to attack the suppliers. Samsungs lawyers did not respond to our requests for comment at the time of publication.

On January 4th, 2023, the ITC announced that it would open an investigation into the import activity under section 337 of the Tariff Act (1930). This gives the ITC broad latitude to look into if the act of importing a product into the US would harm a business operating here. That includes both the infringement of registered patents, as well as the misappropriation of trade secrets. And the remedies on offer include the prohibition on further imports as well as the blanket ban on further attempts to acquire this hardware.

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The ITC has become a useful tool in corporate Americas arsenal when looking to avoid a drawn-out courtroom battle. Law firm Meyer Browns report on section 337 explains that companies use Commission because it offers a highly accelerated procedure and powerful remedies which are not available in federal courts.

If Samsungs request is successful, it could prevent large volumes of third-party OLED displays from being imported to the US. This would have consequences for the small and medium-sized repair businesses that have grown up around repairing broken smartphone screens. It would also funnel significantly more people toward Samsungs network of authorized service centers.

Few individuals are willing to speak on the record concerning the present state of Android device repair for fear of souring already-strained supplier relationships. We heard from multiple sources that the perpetually under-fire third-party Apple repair ecosystem is luxurious compared to its Android equivalent. One individual, who asked not to be named, said it was often difficult to source replacement parts for Android handsets, which regularly cost more than those for equivalent Apple products.

Another said that standalone Android repair businesses often struggle to stay afloat since they have to charge higher prices for display replacement. And many customers, when shown the potential cost, prefer to ditch their device in favor of replacing it outright. (We noted, too, that on Samsungs US cracked display support page, the first option in the list is to upgrade your phone rather than opting for a screen replacement.)

In its case to the ITC, Samsung says that it has sufficient manufacturing capacity to assure demand is met for OLED displays as replacement, which are supplied through authorized channels. We could not contact anyone inside Samsungs authorized repair channels for comment, but one independent repairer who claimed knowledge of the situation said that wasnt necessarily the case. They believe that Samsung repairers often face long wait times for replacement parts, and that the company often cant fulfill demand quickly enough.

The Repair Association and US Public Interest Research Group issued a joint submission to the ITC on January 12th, which was shared with Engadget. It said Samsung was behaving in a manner contrary to the US present push to reduce the proliferation of e-waste. They added the move was likely anti-competitive and designed to box out independent repair technicians. And that, if Samsung is concerned about patent infringement, it should seek to negotiate with the infringing factories directly or propose fair and reasonable licensing terms.

When contacted, the ITC said that it did not comment on ongoing matters, and it will likely be some time before we learn its decision. Rossmann, in a YouTube video posted to his channel, added that this may not just affect Samsung displays, but also any OLED display supplied by Samsung. Which includes a number of displays for iOS devices, given that Samsung Display reportedly supplies 70 percent of all screens for iPhones. Which means that, if the ITC interprets this in the broadest possible terms, the right to repair movement may be in for a long battle.
Buffy Summers is one of the most beloved and admired television characters thanks to Sarah Michelle Gellars ability to portray a relatable and heroic vampire slayer who can utter a few funny quips in between landing a punch.

In the years since Buffy the Vampire Slayers finale aired in 2003, longtime fans and newcomers have continued to celebrate the show, but allegations of abuse by creator Joss Whedon make the shows legacy difficult to explain.

The 45-year-old actor spoke about how she handles being associated with the supernatural drama and revealed some of the treatment she received on set during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on Jan. 18.

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards - Portraits (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for Hallmark Channel)

Ive come to a good place with it, where its easier to talk about, she told the publication, without mentioning Whedons name. Ill never tell my full story because I dont get anything out of it.

She added, Ive said all Im going to say because nobody wins. Everybody loses.

Later in the interview, Gellar commented on the show's lasting impact in the media.

Im not the only person facing this, and I hope the legacy hasnt changed, she shared. I hope that it gives the success back to the people that put in all of the work. I will always be proud of Buffy. I will always be proud of what my castmates did, what I did.

She then acknowledged the working conditions she experienced behind the scenes.

Was it an ideal working situation? Absolutely not, she said. But its OK to love Buffy for what we created because I think its pretty spectacular.

In 2021, multiple Buffy co-stars opened up about their experiences working with Whedon. In a lengthy Twitter post, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on Buffy and the spinoff series Angel, detailed alleged hostile and toxic work environments created by Whedon.

Other cast members like Michelle Trachtenberg and Amber Benson also spoke up at the time.

Gellar posted a statement on Instagram on Feb. 10, 2021, to show support for her former cast members.

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While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I dont want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon, she wrote.

She concluded, But I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.

Whedon denied the allegations when speaking with New York Magazine in January 2022.

THR also spoke to Gellars husband and actor Freddie Prinze Jr. about her time on the show in the publications cover story.

She had to deal with a lot of bull on that show for all seven years it was on, he said. The stuff they pressed upon her, without any credit or real salary, while she was often the only one doing 15-hour days  yet she was still able to get the message of that character out every single week and do it with pride and do it professionally.

The outlet interviewed Buffy co-stars Seth Green and Emma Caulfield who also praised Gellar for being a leader on set who stood up for the cast and crew.

The Cruel Intentions star also revealed in her sit-down with THR that she started watching Buffy with her children, 13-year-old Charlotte and 10-year-old Rocky, during the first year of the pandemic.

However, the family did not watch all 145 episodes.

We watched seasons one through five, she said. We skipped around a lot on those last two.

For most of Season Six, Buffy is depressed and looks to villainous vampire Spike (played by James Marsters) to distract her. During an episode titled Seeing Red, Buffy tells Spike she wants to end their sexual relationship and he attempts to sexually assault her.

Speaking about the penultimate season, Gellar said, I have trouble with six. It wasnt appropriate for them at the time, and I just dont want to rewatch it.

Now, Gellar is getting ready to return to television as the star and executive producer of the Paramount+ series Wolf Pack.

She said the new show, which premieres on Jan. 26, shares some of the Buffy show's best qualities in its approach to tackling heavy subjects.

I liked (creator Jeff Davis) work, but I wasnt going to do a werewolf show, she said. But they convinced me to give it a look, and I loved what he was doing in the pilot. It reminds me of Buffy, not the show itself, but the way it addresses the horrors were facing today: anxiety, the stress of daily life, feeling isolated.

She hopes that her committed fans will enjoy her return to the supernatural realm.

Its not a next act for me, but its certainly a new chapter, she said.

CORRECTION (Jan. 20, 2023 at 4:14 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" aired in 1997. This story has been corrected to show that the show premiered in 1997 and the finale aired in 2003.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
More than 50 research results on the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission have been published in notable academic journals at home and abroad, pushing China's lunar science research to the international forefront, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Over 150 scientists and researchers participated in the first Chang'e-5 Lunar Sample Research Results Seminar held by the CNSA on Monday. They discussed topics ranging from the characteristics of Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples, the history of lunar volcanic activities, meteorite impacts on the lunar surface, and space weathering to the new techniques for analyzing extraterrestrial samples, etc.

In 2020, China's Chang'e-5 mission retrieved samples from the moon weighing about 1,731 grams, the first lunar samples retrieved in over 40 years.

After the first batch was handed over to Chinese scientists on July 12, 2021, 65.1 grams of lunar samples have been distributed to research units in five batches, said the CNSA.

Experts attending the seminar agreed that the forum not only provided a valuable opportunity for the researchers to exchange ideas but also offered a platform for the display of vital scientific research results, which will further promote and facilitate the development of lunar scientific research and exploration in China.

According to the CNSA, one of the most notable research results on the lunar samples is about the history of volcanic eruptions in the Chang'e-5 landing region, which was published in October 2021 in three Nature papers.

In the study, a research team at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) dated the youngest rock on the moon at around 2 billion years in age, extending the "life" of lunar volcanism 800-900 million years longer than previously known.

In the following study published one year later in the journal Science Advances, Chinese scientists further revealed how volcanism takes place on the moon.

The IGG researchers proposed a new mechanism for how young volcanos took shape on the cooling moon 2 billion years ago. They found that the mantle melting-point depression due to the presence of fusible, easily-melted components could generate young lunar volcanism.

The CNSA pointed out that apart from exploring volcanic eruptions on the moon, Chinese scientists also made progress in lunar mineral research.

In September 2022, Chinese scientists announced that they discovered a new lunar mineral through research on the lunar samples.

It is the first new mineral discovered on the moon by China and the sixth by humankind. The new finding makes China the third country in the world to have discovered a new mineral on the moon.

The new mineral, which has been named Changesite-(Y), is a kind of colorless transparent columnar crystal. It was discovered from an analysis of lunar basalt particles by a research team from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation.

According to the CNSA, Chinese scientists also found clues about the moon's water resources by studying the lunar samples.

In a study published in December 2022 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the National Space Science Center (NSSC) and IGG, both under the CAS, revealed that lunar soil grains retain more solar wind-implanted water in the middle latitude region than previously thought.

The scientists also predicted many water resources for utilization at the high latitude region of the moon.
A file photo of Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Washington, DC, in October 2020. MANUEL BALCE CENETA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said at Davos the country was right to cut oil production.

The cut drew fury from the Biden administration, which swore to retaliate but ultimately did not.

The kingdom is steering a new, more independent foreign policy despite opposition from the US.

A senior Saudi Arabian official celebrated the country's decision to defy the US last year and cut its output of oil, cementing a new Saudi approach to world affairs that is unafraid to upset the White House.

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the comment at the Davos economic summit in Switzerland on Wednesday.

He addressed the diplomatic spat that erupted with the US last October after the Saudis announced alongside Russia that they would cut oil production.

At the time, the Biden administration believed it had secured a secret deal with the Saudis to boost production in a bid to cut inflation, a key domestic priority for Biden.

US officials and top Democrats were enraged by the Saudi decision, and two countries  ostensibly allies  exchanged accusations and insults. Saudi Arabia has always insisted it made the decision for economic reasons.

"Energy security is absolutely key. And here what we feel in the kingdom is that stability is absolutely the key to that energy security," the outlet Al Arabiya reported Prince Faisal as saying at Davos.

"So one of what we believe the successes of, for instance, OPEC+ has been it has been able to deliver a relatively stable oil price, one that is predictable by both consumers and producers."

Analysts say that one of the reasons that Biden didn't follow through on threats to retaliate against Saudi Arabia over the cut was that oil prices did not spike, as some had expected.

China's economic slowdown has been cited as a major reason for prices being dampened. Oil prices overall have been volatile in recent months, driven by events such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's COVID-19 lockdowns.

Saudi Arabia's defiance of the Biden administration over oil is one of the ways the kingdom is steering a new, more independent foreign policy, driven by its de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

It is drawing closer to the US' foes, Russia and China, amid perceptions that US power is waning.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Law enforcement officials seized dark clothing, medical gloves, a flashlight and other items from a Pennsylvania home where they arrested a graduate student charged with stabbing four University of Idaho students to death, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Pennsylvania State Police swabbed Bryan Kohberger's DNA and seized a silver flashlight, four "medical-style gloves," a white Arizona Jean Co. T-shirt, a black Champion sweatshirt, a pair of black-and-white size 13 Nike shoes, black Under Armour socks, black Under Armour shorts and black Under Armour boxers, according to an inventory of the items.

The significance of the items, if any, was not immediately clear.

The records were made public Tuesday, two months after Pennsylvania State Police arrested Kohberger at his parents' home in eastern Pennsylvania.

Kohberger, a 28-year-old former doctoral student at Washington State University, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in connection with the stabbing deaths in Moscow, Idaho.

The details come after it was announced in January that investigators seized stained bedding, strands of what looked like hair and a single glove  but no weapon  when they searched Kohberger's Washington state apartment.

An animal hair was also found during the search of Kohberger's apartment, according to a separate search warrant unsealed in January. A dog that belonged to one of the victims, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, and her ex-boyfriend was found in the Moscow residence when local police officers initially responded to the scene, the search warrant documents said, and dog hair was one of the items police were hoping to find during the search of Kohberger's apartment.

A more elusive item was the murder weapon, which police have not yet recovered. The search warrant said, however, that on Nov. 13, 2022, an empty knife sheath was recovered at the crime scene under or next to the body of victim Madison Mogen, 21.

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In the search warrant application, investigators detailed that the King Road residence  where the murders occurred  contained a significant amount of blood splatter, which occurs when drops are released due to intense motion. Police suspected blood would be found on Kohberger's person, clothing or shoes, the warrant said.

Police also found a latent shoe print while processing the crime scene, which showed a diamond-shaped pattern similar to the one found on Vans shoes, the search warrant revealed. No results from blood testing were reported in the search warrant.

Bryan Kohberger / Credit: AP Photo

In the search warrant documents, investigators said they had located a tan leather knife sheath laying on the bed next to one of the victims. The sheath was later processed and had Ka-Bar, USMC and the United States Marine Corps eagle globe and anchor insignia stamps on the outside of it.

The Idaho State Lab later located a single source of male DNA left on the button snap of the knife sheath.

Law enforcement sources had previously told CBS News that forensic analysis allegedly linked Kohberger to the crime scene in Idaho, and an affidavit stated that DNA was found on a knife sheath left at the scene of the murders.

Police also gathered a computer tower, receipts from Walmart and Marshall's, a dust container from a Bissell Power Force vacuum and a Fire TV stick with a cord and plug, according to the search warrant.

Kohberger was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant in Pennsylvania, police announced on Dec. 30, and extradited to Idaho, where he was formally charged with the murders.

Police also searched Kohberger's office at Washington State University, which is only about a 15-minute drive from Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger was a Ph.D. criminology student and teaching assistant who had just finished his first semester at WSU, the school said in a statement.

The 28-year-old faces four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary for his alleged involvement in the murders, said Latah County, Idaho, prosecutor Bill Thompson during a news conference after his arrest.

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[Source]

Before you read:

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) held a roundtable discussion to address and support Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence.

Held on Tuesday, the discussion highlighted the challenges and obstacles faced by Native Hawaiian organizations that support survivors of gender-based violence and sex trafficking.

Native Hawaiians, like other Native groups across the country, continue to face disproportionate levels of gender-based violence and sex trafficking, Hirono explained.

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Alongside Hirono, Khama Jabola-Carolus  executive director of the Hawaii State Commission on Status of Women (HSCSW) and co-chair of Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls  addressed the militarys involvement in sexual violence.

Pinpointing the recent growth of what the Department of Defense has called an unhealthy military climate and an increase of service members who have been sexually assaulted, Jabola-Carolus proposed an anti-trafficking campaign in Hawaii modeled after an anti-trafficking campaign in South Koreas military installations.

Joining the conversation, survivor Kalei Grant argued for breaking the invisible chain of generational trauma. Grant continued by suggesting a form of generational healing, which would give survivors a chance to connect to [their] roots through traditional healing practices.

More from NextShark: Kamala Harris Names Indian American Sabrina Singh as Her Press Secretary

As an advocate for the Native Hawaiian community, Hirono has worked towards providing further protection and action for survivors of sexual violence.

In August, Hirono called for FBI director Christopher Wray to take action against the sexual exploitation of the Native Hawaiian community. She also requested the FBI include Native Hawaiians when addressing missing and murdered Indigenous people.

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However, the senators groundbreaking moment came this past November.

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Requesting amendments to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Hirono introduced a bill that would allow Native Hawaiian survivors and organizations access to federal funding and resources provided by Congress via VAWA.

After Hironos bill was passed unanimously by the Senate, President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in December, which the senator referenced during the roundtable.

More from NextShark: Hate has no place in America: Biden meets hate crime survivors at White House summit

Now that the president has signed my legislation into law, my hope is that we can better support Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence  our work is far from over.

More than two-thirds of Hawaiis sex trafficking victims are Native Hawaiian women and girls, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs reports.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women released the Holoi a Nalo Wahine Oiwi report late last year, detailing the disproportionate consequences sexual violence has on Native Hawaiian women and girls.

Other participants of the roundtable discussion included Dr. Sylvia Hussey (Office of Hawaiian Affairs); Lisa Watkins Victorino (Office of Hawaiian Affairs and representative on Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls Task Force); Shawn Kanaiaupuni (President & CEO, Partners in Development Foundation); Venus Rosete-Medeiros (President and CEO, Hale Kipa); Dr. Sheri Daniels (Ed.D., Papa Ola Lokahi); Sarah Kamakawiwoole (Papa Ola Lokahi) and Ashley Mahaa (Survivor).

Related stories:
PC Kane Haywood is charged with two counts of rape and sexual assault. (SWNS)

A serving police officer has been bailed after he appeared in court charged with rape and sexual assault.

PC Kane Haywood stood in the dock at Plymouth Magistrates Court to face three allegations said to have taken place in Exeter in March 2021.

The 29-year-old is charged with two counts of rape of a woman aged 16 years or over and sexual assault by penetration.

Haywood, an officer for Devon and Cornwall Police, was not required to enter a plea during the brief hearing on Wednesday.

PC Kane Haywood (l) faces three allegations that are said to have taken place in Exeter in March 2021. (SWNS)

District Judge Jo Matson told Haywood, from east Devon, his case was too serious to be heard by magistrates and would be sent to Crown Court.

Haywood, who is currently suspended from duty, was granted conditional bail until the next hearing at Exeter Crown Court on 17 February.

His court appearance comes as police conduct is under the spotlight after serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick was unmasked as one of the UKs most prolific sex offenders.

PC Kane Haywood was granted conditional bail until the next hearing at Exeter Crown Court on 17 February. (PA/Alamy)

The 48-year-old, who has now been officially sacked, was found to have committed gross misconduct after admitting 49 criminal charges including 24 counts of rape against 12 women over an 18-year period.

Carrick faced complaints about his behaviour before he joined the force in 2001, then again as a probationer in 2002 and several times throughout his policing career until 2021.

He was only suspended from duty in October 2021 when he was arrested for rape, and his pay was finally stopped in December 2022 when he admitted the majority of the criminal charges he faced.

More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have previously been accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences are now having their cases reviewed.
[Source]

Marvel star Simu Liu is among the recipients of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television 2023 Special Awards.

On Wednesday, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television unveiled nine recipients ahead of Canadian Screen Week, which recognizes and celebrates the contributions of Canadian talents who have positively affected society and the film industry.

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor will be receiving the Radius Award, which recognizes a Canadian whose work is making waves globally.

Liu, who has become one of the countrys breakout stars, made history as the Marvel Cinematic Universes first Asian lead.

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The actor also played a lead role in CBCs sitcom series Kims Convenience, which won the award for Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards.

I am moved beyond words to be the recipient of the 2023 Radius Award, Liu said. Im grateful to the Canadian Academy for this tremendous honor and vow to continue pushing on towards a more diverse and equitable screen.

On behalf of the Canadian Academys Board of Directors, I offer a hearty congratulations to the nine remarkably talented recipients of this years [sic] Special Awards, John Young, chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, said in a press release. Each one of these honorees is a testament to how hardworking, dedicated, and talented our homegrown creative community is, and we look forward to celebrating them at Canadian Screen Week 2023.

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The awards will be presented during Canadian Screen Week from April 11 to April 16 in Toronto.

Related stories:

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A potential negotiated resolution in the NCAA infractions case involving the Michigan football program broke down this week after the NCAA demanded head coach Jim Harbaugh state that he lied to investigators, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

According to sources, Harbaugh has acknowledged his program committed four Level II violations, as the NCAA initially alleged. He has further apologized to the university that they occurred. However, he has refused to sign any document or publicly state that he was ever untruthful with the enforcement staff.

The 59-year-old has maintained he didnt recall the events when first speaking with investigators but that he was never purposefully dishonest.

The NCAA delivered a draft of a notice of allegations earlier this month citing the four Level II violations. They include meeting with two recruits during a COVID-19 dead period, texting a recruit outside of an allowable time period, having analysts perform on-field coaching duties during practice and having coaches watching players work out via Zoom, according to sources.

Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that he will indeed return to Ann Arbor for his ninth season as head coach of Michigan. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

The NCAA defines Level II violations as resulting in less than a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage. It further calls them systemic violations that do not amount to lack of institutional control.

Punishments are usually minor.

However, the NCAA claims that during the investigation, Harbaugh lied to enforcement staffers about those infractions, which is, itself, a Level I violation. Thats what turned this into a more serious case.

A Level I violation could carry with it a six-game suspension and significant recruiting restrictions, according to NCAA statutes. In the past, coaches have been hit with show cause penalties that make their employment difficult.

During two meetings this week, the NCAA and Harbaugh held firm and refused to back down from their positions. The NCAA said the coach lied. The coach said he merely forgot otherwise insignificant actions. An impasse resulted.

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All of this has occurred during an eventful time for the football program. The Wolverines lost to TCU on New Years Eve in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs. It capped a 13-1 season that saw Michigan reach the playoffs, win the Big Ten and defeat Ohio State in consecutive years.

Within days, Harbaughs name emerged again for various NFL head coaching openings, including the Denver Broncos, with whom he spoke. Then word broke of the NCAA infractions case and Harbaugh remained coy about returning to his alma mater for a ninth season.

Earlier this week, Harbaugh and the university stated he would be back for the 2023 season, but the looming NCAA case remained. Additionally, co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was suspended Tuesday as police investigate an allegation of someone at Schembechler Hall accessing university email accounts without authorization.

As for the NCAA case, at this point, the battle lines are drawn.

Harbaugh is not expected to back down and would likely mount a ferocious defense against any allegation he purposely lied. Harbaugh is famous for being stubborn, both as a player and as a head coach in the NCAA and NFL.

Additionally, it is generally challenging to prove someone knowingly lied without detailed contemporaneous evidence, which sources say the NCAA either lacks or simply doesn't exist.

The NCAA could back off its attempt to gather that admission and resolve the case otherwise, however it has made no indication that it will do that. An NCAA punishment, even a short suspension, on the Level II violations without any admission of lying might be acceptable to Harbaugh. Anything involving admitting dishonesty would not, sources said.

Or the NCAA could proceed with a full case and issue a notice of allegation. A prolonged infractions case would take at least a year and potentially even longer, meaning Harbaugh could coach the entire 2023 season, where the Wolverines are again a national title contender.

Michigan would also have a decision to make on whether it should go to the wall in backing its coach in a fight with the NCAA. In the past, cooperation was often the path of least resistance for schools, but the NCAA has lost significant credibility and power over the past decade.

Public opinion has turned on amateurism in general  and thus the NCAA rules that stem from it  as well as the infractions process that has failed to punish high-profile cases with far more significant recruiting allegations. Initial public support has been heavily on Harbaughs side and whether that should or should not be a consideration for the enforcement staff, the reality is this isnt 2003, or even 2018, any longer.

So does the NCAA still go all-in on trying to prove Jim Harbaugh lied? Does Michigan stand with its coach and tell the enforcement staff to pound sand and prove it?

Or can this still be resolved before an epic battle emerges between one of college athletics' most powerful, popular and well-heeled institutions and one of footballs most famous coaches and a weakened governing body that even with diminished relevancy might still have might?
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that a new space to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin is being carved out in Russia. Those responsible appear to have no fear of retribution.

Source: ISW report from 18 January 2023

Details: Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin is becoming increasingly bold in his verbal attacks against the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).

Prigozhin criticised the MoDs new guidelines for Russian troops in Ukraine that restrict the use of certain personal electronic devices in combat zones and set stricter guidelines for mens grooming standards on 18 January.

Prigozhin defended Russian line soldiers who do not adhere to grooming standards (he observed that beards are customary for many Muslim and Orthodox Christian fighters) and claimed that soldiers use of smartphones and tablets is necessary for modern warfare.

He stated that "war is the time of the active and courageous, and not of the clean-shaven who turned in phones to the warehouse."

Prigozhin further criticised "out-of-touch" Russian MoD officials and directly attacked President Putins presidential administration.

According to the ISW assessment, Prigozhin and other voices in Russia are creating a new space to criticise the Russian president without fear of retribution.

Key Takeaways from the ISW report:

Russian President Vladimir Putins speech commemorating the siege of Leningrad continued to illustrate that Putin remains uncertain about his ability to significantly shape the Russian information space.

Putins speech is likely part of a larger informational effort to wrap the "special military operation" inside the greater Russian national mythos of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) to increase Russian support for a protracted war and mobilisation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov augmented these efforts to increase Russian support for a protracted war by explicitly and ludicrously claiming that Ukraine and the West are pursuing the genocide of the Russian people.

Putin continues efforts to reinvigorate Russias defence industrial base to support a protracted war in Ukraine.

Putin and Lavrov continue to deny Ukrainian sovereignty and outright reject direct negotiations with Ukraine.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin is becoming increasingly bold in his verbal attacks against the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin.

Prigozhin and other notable voices in Russia are carving out a new space to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin without fear of retribution.

Russian forces continued limited counterattacks to regain lost positions near Kreminna.

Russian forces continued offensive operations near Soledar, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and the city of Donetsk.

The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to attempt to downplay the role of the Wagner Group in claimed tactical advances in the Soledar area.

Ukrainian officials have indicated that Russian forces are concentrating in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, possibly for a large defensive or offensive effort.

Russian forces increasing use of incendiary munitions to conduct what appear to be otherwise routine strikes in southern Ukraine supports ISWs recent assessment that Russian forces likely face a shortage of conventional artillery rounds.

Ukrainian and Russian sources continued to indicate that Russian authorities are likely preparing for a second wave of mobilisation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a friendship treaty in Barcelona on Thursday to strengthen relations between the European neighbors, as both leaders faced protests on their home fronts.

The one-day summit came amid a day of widespread strikes on the other side of the Pyrenees against Macrons bid to increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Sanchez, as host, had to endure a noisy rally by Catalan separatists near the meeting venue.

The Treaty of Barcelona signed by the leaders establishes working groups between their governments in a variety of areas. The leaders and several of their ministers discussed issues including energy, migration and support for Ukraines war effort  all in line with finding common cause in steering European Union policy.

We are not just reinforcing our countries, we are reinforcing Europe, Sanchez said, calling the treaty historic.

Both governments consider this a diplomatic bond of the highest order. Spain only has a similar treaty with Portugal; France has them with Germany and Italy.

The agreement comes with Macron and Sanchez seeking stronger positions inside the EU. Macron is profiling himself as the continents leading politician to fill the void of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while the equally pro-EU Sanchez wants Spain to have a more influential role in Brussels following Britain's exit from the bloc.

After years of cordial but sometimes distant relations, France and Spain have grown closer recently.

Spain, France and Portugal agreed late last year on a major undersea pipeline to transport hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula to France and eventually the rest of Europe. The energy pipeline, dubbed H2Med, will run from Barcelona to Marseille.

Macron and Sanchez also both want the European energy market to be reformed to respond to the energy crisis provoked by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Spain also hopes France could back its request that the EU extend the permission granted last year for Spain and Portugal to apply special measures to lower energy prices, a plan that could possibly serve as an inspiration for all of Europe.

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Both of our countries have presented our proposals (for energy market reforms), which I deem solid and detailed, and they both point in the same direction, Sanchez said. We are going to work together so that the market is reformed in the coming months.

The meeting was held in Catalonias National Art Museum perched atop the Montjuic hill that overlooks Barcelona.

Several thousand Catalan separatists rallied along a wide promenade at the foot of the hill to try to energize their flagging movement to carve a new state out of this corner of northeast Spain that borders France.

The sound of distant jeers could be heard from afar as Macron and Sanchez reviewed Spanish soldiers before the national anthems were played on arrival. North of Barcelona, protesters disrupted traffic on a highway. There was a brief scuffle between protestors and police in central Barcelona after the peaceful protest had dispersed. But the moments of tension were a far cry from the widespread and violent clashes seen in years past.

Sanchez has spent quite a bit of political capital in defusing the separatist movement, with pardons for imprisoned leaders of a failed 2017 secession bid and recent legal reforms. While that has succeeded in reducing tensions in Catalonia, there is still a hardcore group that refuses to go away.

Catalonias regional chief Pere Aragones greeted Macron and Sanchez outside the museum but then broke protocol by leaving before the group photo and anthems.

There has been an attempt (by Sanchez) to use todays summit to impose a false vision of the reality, to make it look like the political conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state has been resolved, Aragones said. But nothing is farther from the truth.
Luohu has recently held investment promotion affairs in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, and the Macao Special Administrative Region, to attract local enterprises and talents to the district.

Committed to building an international jewelry and jade trade platform, the district showcased its strengths in the gold and jewelry industry in Bangkok, outlining how it looks forward to strengthening whole industry-chain cooperation with partners from Thailand.

Earlier this month, Luohu reached a preliminary intention with Macao business association, planning to take advantage of the transformation and upgrading projects of Dongmen pedestrian street and Renmin South commercial zone to attract famous brands and specialty products from Macao and other Portuguese-speaking regions.

The district will also work closely with partners from Macao to tap into the complementary development of jewelry brands and cultivate jewelry talents.
(Bloomberg) -- Federal prosecutors dropped their case against a New York City police officer they charged with spying on ethnic Tibetans for China, an embarrassing reversal after they fought to keep him in custody.

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US District Judge Eric Komitee granted their request to dismiss the indictment against Baimadajie Angwang at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday, after prosecutors said they had developed new evidence in the case.

Komitee praised the prosecutors for serving the interests of justice in dropping the charges but criticized them for refusing to release Angwang as the case proceeded. He noted that Angwangs lawyer John Carman had battled for release after his clients September 2020 arrest. Angwang was freed in February 2021.

All of us well remember, of course, the fanfare with which this case was brought initially and the fairly protracted litigation over Mr. Angwangs release, the judge said. Everyone in the room owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Carman for litigating and relitigating this issue. Wed be sitting in a very different position today had Mr. Angwang been incarcerated during the duration of this case.

Marine Corps Veteran

After court, Angwang stood in the rain, struggling to compose himself.

I just want to say thank you for coming, he said. Thanks for all the people who trusted me, who believed me since the beginning  my family, my friends, my Marine Corps brothers, my NYPD colleagues. Thank you, especially, my attorney, Mr. Carman.

Carman said Angwang served in the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan.

Angwang, 36, a naturalized US citizen born in China, was charged in 2020 with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, along with wire fraud, making false statements and obstruction of a national security background investigation by the US Defense Department. He faced as many as 55 years in prison had he been convicted.

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Read More: New York City Cop Spied on Tibetans for China, U.S. Says

Prosecutor Matthew Haggans said at Thursdays hearing that the US had determined its appropriate to seek dismissal based on the interests of justice.

Close Call

Asked by the judge if he could explain the governments reasons for dropping the case without disclosing classified information, he said were limited in the information we can proffer but that the decision was based partly on an assessment of information developed subsequent to the charges.

Angwang was scheduled to go on trial in July, but earlier this month prosecutors said they had obtained additional evidence bearing on the charges and wrote to Komitee asking for the dismissal hearing.

Carman said after court that his client is not and he has never been an agent for the Peoples Republic of China, nor has he entered into any type of agreement with the government of our country in order to induce them to dismiss the indictment.

I dont think that anybodys really in a position to talk about it, he said of what made the US decide to drop the case, noting that the government had been very sparing in describing the reasons.

John Marzulli, a spokesman for the US attorneys office in Brooklyn, which brought the case, declined to comment on the outcome.

Entirely Trumped Up

At the time of the charges, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called them entirely trumped up and said the attempts by the US side to smear Chinese diplomatic missions in the US will never succeed.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington didnt immediately respond to an email Thursday seeking comment on the dismissal.

The truth is, Angwangs lawyer said after court, Mr. Angwang was innocent from the very beginning.

The case was US v. Angwang, 20-cr-442, US District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

(Updates with remarks by US, judge, Angwang and his lawyer and with further background.)

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Jan. 18The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich plans to sell St. Bernard School in Montville and the 113 acres of land it sits on to help fund its proposed bankruptcy plan.

The diocese and school officials said Wednesday that they hope to be able to lease back the land  which has been appraised by the Town of Montville at $21 million  from the unidentified buyer, so the 67-year-old Catholic school can continue to operate. It serves 400 students from across the region in grades 6-12.

"Despite this concerning news, we are committed to the preservation of Saint Bernard School, and its profound, educational, social, and spiritual impact upon eastern Connecticut," Head of School Don Macrino wrote in a letter to alumni and donors on Tuesday. "To that end, when we learn more about the unknown buyer, we will arrange to meet with them. Our goal will be twofold: first, to convince the buyer of the school's importance to eastern Connecticut and second, to seek a lease that will allow the school to continue its mission for many years to come."

The diocese filed a bankruptcy plan late Tuesday in federal court that calls for approximately $29 million to be distributed to as many as 142 people who allege they have been sexually assaulted by priests and other diocesan employees.

The plan means the victims will receive an average settlement of $204,000, which is a fraction of the approximately $1 million award the diocese had paid victims before it filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2021. Because of the filing by the diocese  which was later joined by its 51 parishes in seeking bankruptcy protection  victims are prohibited from filing lawsuits against them and current lawsuits cannot proceed.

The diocese filed for bankruptcy as it faced more than 60 lawsuits filed by men who say they were sexually assaulted as boys by Christian Brothers, staff and students at the diocese-run Mount Saint John Academy, a residential school for troubled boys in Deep River, from 1990 to 2002.

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Christian Brother K. Paul McGlade is accused of sexually assaulting many of the boys at Mount Saint John. Former Bishop of Norwich Daniel Reilly, now retired, served as the president of the school's board of trustees during the period of the alleged assaults by McGlade. Reilly has never commented publicly on the allegations.

Since the bankruptcy filing, 82 additional people, whose sexual assault allegations involved not only the school, but diocesan churches, have filed claims in the bankruptcy case.

Since the diocese filed for bankruptcy, it has negotiated with its insurance company, parishes, the committee representing victims and creditors and other entities to create a fund to compensate the victims. There have been more than 1,000 court filings in the case and the diocese has spent more than $5 million in legal and other fees.

When it filed for bankruptcy, the diocese estimated its assets at between $10 million and $50 million, and its liabilities between $50 million and $100 million.

In a statement Wednesday, the diocese wrote that a trustee and an independent claims reviewer, and not the diocese, would determine which victims are eligible for compensation and how much they will receive. The diocese's statement did not indicate if any of the 142 victims, who filed claims but are too old under state law to file lawsuits, will receive payments.

In addition, the diocese said it will ask the survivors and creditors to vote on approval of the plan.

The diocese said that it has maintained a zero-tolerance policy regarding child abuse since the enactment of its first Sexual Misconduct Policy in 1990 and the implementation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002.

But an investigation by The Day found that during his time as bishop of Norwich, which ended in 1994, Reilly transferred priests accused of sexual assault, made payments to victims and did not report allegations to police.

Records in the McGlade case show the Norwich diocese requested to have McGlade transferred to the Deep River school from Australia, where he also had been accused of sexually assaulting young boys. The diocese has never explained why it sought the transfer.

"There is no higher priority within the Diocese than the protection and spiritual welfare of our young. The Diocese of Norwich continues our longstanding commitment to the support and healing of victim-survivors of abuse and reaffirms our commitment to protect our children, young people, and vulnerable adults from harm," the diocese said in its statement Wednesday.

Details to come on bankruptcy plan

While the diocese filed a 80-page plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Haven, it has yet to file exhibits online that detail items such as which of the 14 properties it has listed as assets it will sell, who the trustee will be and how much each parish has contributed to the settlement.

The diocese owns two other high schools, Xavier High School and Mercy High School in Middletown. The plan states that Xavier will be sold with proceeds contributed to the victims' fund. An additional $7 million will come from Christian Brothers Oceania organization, $5 million from Catholic Mutual, the diocese's insurer, $5.3 million from the sale, mortgage and a cash contribution from Mount Saint John, $2.5 million from the 51 parishes in the diocese and the proceeds of the sale of the former St. Mary School building in Jewett City.

New London attorney Kelly Reardon, who represents 25 of the victims, said Wednesday that there are sections of the plan that are concerning to her, but until she can review the exhibits it is difficult for her to comment on the plan. Reardon pointed out that the proposed plan has to be agreed to by the involved parties.

Bridgeport attorney Eric Henzy, whose firm is representing the committee of victims and creditors, said Wednesday that he had not yet had a chance to review the diocese's proposal so he could not comment on it.

St. Bernard's long history in the region

Generations of southeastern Connecticut students, many from the same families have attended the school off Route 32 in the Uncasville section of town.

Macrino, the head of the school, said Wednesday that the sale of the school tentatively includes the option for St. Bernard to lease back the land for a period of time. He said Wednesday he did not know the identity of the buyer or the sale price.

"As the Diocese's plan was just submitted yesterday, we are still processing the implications. Realizing this news will create any number of questions from our community, we intend to provide future updates as conversations advance with the bankruptcy judge, the Diocese, and the proposed purchaser of the land," he said in his letter.

Macrino said the school's recent increased enrollment and other improvements and achievements "have the school well-positioned to address the educational needs of this generation of students and the next."

"The need and desire for Saint Bernard has only been growing, and its directors and administration will work in unison with their partners to continue the school's good work for decades to come," the school stated in a press release.

Word of the sale began to spread among alumni on Wednesday.

"There's tons of families that have had generations attend there. To think that would be in jeopardy is heart wrenching," said Colin Ahern, a 2010 graduate of the school.

"I think a lot of alumni, parents, current students are going to be really upset by this," Ahern said in a phone interview. "I'm close friends with someone who's on the board of the school and I texted them right when I got the news and the board of directors only found out two nights ago."

Ahern continued, "Everyone is still kind of in shock. The whole idea of the diocese selling a school, it just seems like they're going to be causing more harm to children in a situation the diocese caused harm to children. It sounds like a terrible decision.'

"There are so many at Saint Bernard who have worked for decades to make that school a special place and the Diocese of Norwich has made a decision that could put that all in jeopardy," he added.

Staff reporter Kevin Arnold contributed to this story.

This version is updated with the contributions from various parties to the trust, the latest enrollment figure provided by Macrino and the correct name of attorney Eric Henzy.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A U.S. labor board official is seeking a rare order requiring Starbucks Corp to collectively bargain with workers at a Florida store, even after they voted against unionizing by a nearly two-to-one margin.

The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board's Tampa, Florida office filed a complaint on Tuesday claiming unlawful threats, retaliation and surveillance by Starbucks managers were so severe that holding a new election at the store would be futile.

Starbucks in a statement provided by a spokesperson said actions taken at the Estero store were in full compliance with federal labor law.

"We look forward to a full legal review of the matter and argue that the request for injunctive relief is inappropriate," the company said.

Workers at the Estero, Florida store voted 21-11 in May against forming a union amid a nationwide organizing campaign that has involved hundreds of Starbucks locations.

The campaign, Starbucks Workers United, has won elections at more than 260 U.S. stores and has lost about 70 elections since late 2021. The union is seeking increased pay and benefits, improved health and safety conditions and protections against unfair firings and discipline.

The new complaint claims that in the weeks leading up to the election at the Estero store, managers threatened to withhold raises, supervised workers more closely than usual and held mandatory anti-union meetings.

The regional director is asking the board to issue a "bargaining order" forcing Starbucks to recognize and bargain with the union at the Estero store.

The NLRB only issues bargaining orders in cases where it finds severe misconduct that cannot be addressed by traditional remedies, such as requiring employers to post notices of violations.

Starbucks is facing similar claims in a pending case involving a Buffalo, New York store where workers voted against unionizing in 2021. The company has generally denied wrongdoing in response to the union's dozens of claims of misconduct.

The complaint will be heard by an administrative law judge, whose decision can be appealed to the five-member board and ultimately to a federal appeals court.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Bernadette Baum and Diane Craft)
A State College borough council member announced their candidacy for judge of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas Thursday  and hopes to make history by doing so.

Gopal Balachandran said he is running for the Democratic nomination for judge of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas during a press conference at the Graduate State College. If elected, he would be the first Indian-American to become a Common Pleas judge in Pennsylvania, according to his campaign.

Balachandran leads the Criminal Appellate and Post-Conviction Services clinic at Penn State Law and is the co-founder of the Centre County Pardon Project. He was formerly a public defender.

During his announcement speech, he said hes seen the sad, endless dance of the justice system, where one week a client is the defendant in a criminal case and the next week theyre the victim. What defines his professional responsibilities and ethical obligations is compassion, he said.

Compassion for individuals in poverty. Compassion for those in the hell of addiction. Compassion for the improper circuitry in brains. Compassion for the victims of crime, suffering harm and looking to be seen, heard and made whole, Balachandran said.

Balachandran said the Court of Common Pleas is one of the most powerful institutions in the county, as it hears custody, municipal agencies and, most importantly, he said, criminal law cases, where the profound power of the government can take away a private citizens liberty, property and privacy, he said.

Its essential that any court has judges with experience and expertise in criminal law, particularly in Centre County where conservatively 50%, if not more, of the cases heard by a judge are criminal in nature, Balachandran said. And yet the court, as currently constructed, has no judge with significant criminal law experience or experience in representing everyday people with everyday problems.

Balachadran lives in the College Heights neighborhood of State College with his wife, Jyoti, and their two kids, Nakula and Nikhil. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago and earned his Juris Doctor at George Washington University.

Attorney Julia Rater announced in December that she is running for Centre County judge. The seat is open with the retirement of President Judge Pamela Ruest.
Chicago is poised to receive $20 million from the state of Illinois under an appropriation bill passed by legislators for migrants, but thats less than half of what Mayor Lori Lightfoot requested to address a recent influx of asylum-seekers.

Lightfoot sent a letter late last month to state legislators asking for $54 million to help fund emergency services to asylum-seeking individuals. She noted that Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration sent a letter to the city saying the state is out of funds and will no longer be able to support city migrant services efforts as of Feb. 1, 2023.

To fund emergency services to migrant and asylum-seeking individuals, Lightfoot asked for $54 million. State legislators responded by passing a $20 million appropriation for asylum-seekers in the lame-duck session.

At her customary post-City Council meeting news conference Wednesday, Lightfoot said her administration is taking a wait-and-see approach.

If you look at the conversation around the $20 million, it was that theyre going to give this to us as an initial installment. Wait and see what if any, monies that we get from the federal government and give us the opportunity to come back and ask for more, Lightfoot said. So Im never going to say no to that kind of money. We could use it because we will put it to good use in helping support migrants in the city.

The measure, which still has to be signed by Pritzker, and also includes an additional $90 million for state welcoming centers for immigrants and refugees.

Since the first bus arrived from Texas in the fall, nearly 4,000 asylum-seekers turned up in Chicago from Texas and another 1,400 from elsewhere by the end of 2022. About 1,500 remained in the citys care at that time, officials said. The city has set up 11 shelters to house, clothe and feed migrants and provide other services, costing the city an estimated $7 million in December alone, Lightfoot wrote her letter to lawmakers, sent after state officials said they planned to cease financial assistance to the city for the migrants at the end of January.

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Lightfoots administration has also floated a controversial plan to convert a vacant former school in Woodlawn into a temporary migrant shelter. Some residents have objected, saying the neighborhood is already lacking in adequate services.

But the need remains, with asylum-seekers sleeping in bus shelters, police stations, churches and other makeshift locations.

Chicago Tribunes Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner contributed.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Police have arrested a suspect who they believe is responsible for multiple residential home burglaries in Gig Harbor.

In December, multiple homes in Gig Harbor were robbed. According to the Gig Harbor Police Department, the burglars gained access through unlocked doors and windows.

Police believe two burglars entered three homes and attempted to gain access to others during early morning hours.

The burglars stole wallets, purses and credit cards from the homes.

Detectives said video obtained from businesses in Tumwater and Bellevue, where the stolen credit cards were used, corresponded with video from the affected homes.

The burglars have also been associated with thefts in Kitsap and King counties.

On Wednesday, police announced a 24-year-old man from Seattle was booked into jail on 3 counts of residential burglary, 3 counts of theft and 15 counts of financial fraud.

A second suspect was also identified, and Gig Harbor police are working to locate him.

Police remind Gig Harbor residents to keep their doors and windows locked, and to not leave valuables in their cars.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that attacks from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are inspiring death threats against him.

Swalwell told MSNBCs Nicole Wallace on Deadline: White House that McCarthy plans to remove him from his committee assignments for political vengeance.

Swalwell has emerged as a particularly controversial individual among House Republicans over his connection to a suspected Chinese spy during his 2014 reelection campaign, which became public in 2020.

Swalwell ended his ties with the Chinese national when the FBI informed him of her identity, but Republicans have called for him to be removed from sensitive committee assignments and accused him of jeopardizing national security.

McCarthy reiterated a promise to prevent Swalwell and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) from joining the House Intelligence Committee last week.

If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldnt have Swalwell on any committee, McCarthy said.

But Swalwell has repeatedly rejected the accusation that he is compromised, including in the interview on Wednesday. He said the FBI has said on multiple occasions that he was never suspected of wrongdoing and only helped them with their investigation.

He also noted a Washington Post report that gave McCarthy four Pinocchios for his claims, providing a fact-check to his accusations. He added that McCarthy continuing to make these claims despite them being false is leading to threats against him and his family.

It inspires these death threats. People parrot what Kevin McCarthy is saying when they call and make the threats, Swalwell said.

He said he has told McCarthy about his concerns in person and through public forums but said McCarthy has not been interested in hearing him. He said McCarthy has wanted to continue to carry out the vengeance he has promised.

Many Republicans were incensed after Democrats voted to remove Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) from their committee assignments during the last Congress while Democrats held the majority in the House.

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Swalwell said one person recently told him that they wanted to rape and kill his children and used similar language that McCarthy has used in his accusations.

There is a cost to all of this, he said.

Swalwell said in August that a staffer of his received a call from a man who threatened to kill the congressman with an assault rifle at his office. He blamed McCarthy and former President Trump for being architects of the violent times that the American people live in.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -The Swedish government announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine on Thursday that will include armoured infantry fighting vehicles and the Archer artillery system.

The package is worth 4.3 billion Swedish crowns ($419 million) and will also include light, portable NLAW anti-tank weapons, mine-clearing equipment and assault rifles.

"Ukraine's victory in this war is of almost indescribable importance," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference, adding that Ukraine was fighting for the freedom of all of Europe.

"That's one of biggest reasons to why so many countries are doing so much to help Ukraine right now. The moral support is important, but also our joint security," he said.

Sweden will send about 50 of its tracked and armoured Type 90 infantry fighting vehicles. It can be used to transport up to eight infantry soldiers and is equipped with a 40 millimetre automatic canon.

The government did not specify how many Archer systems it would supply.

Sweden has 48 Archer systems, which is a vehicle-mounted self-propelled gun howitzer made by Bofors BAE that Ukraine has long expressed an interest in adding to its arsenal as it seeks to repel Russian forces.

Ahead of the package presented on Thursday, Sweden had announced around 5 billion Swedish crowns of military aid to Ukraine as well as several instalments of humanitarian supplies.

Sweden currently holds the rotating EU presidency and has applied to join the NATO alliance along with Finland, a move that abandons decades of non-alignment following the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation".

Later this week, defence leaders from around 50 countries and NATO will gather at Germany's Ramstein Air Base to discuss how to supply Kyiv with more weapons.

The focus is expected to be on whether Germany will send its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine or at least approve their transfer from third countries.

($1 = 10.2725 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Niklas Pollard; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Lawmakers and activists gathered in the rain on Thursday outside a Manhattan apartment building once dubbed the Towers of Power and famous for being the home of millionaires and billionaires, calling for higher state taxes on the super-wealthy.

Im asking you now, help the people of New York City by sharing some of the wealth that you have, the New York state senator Robert Jackson shouted up to the apartments above, most of which had their blinds drawn. If not, were going to pass legislation that makes you pay for it.

The art deco co-op on the citys Upper East Side has been home to dozens of wealthy financiers and celebrities since it opened in 1929. The building at 740 Park Avenue has been home to John D Rockefeller Jr, Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman, David Koch of the Koch brothers and Donald Trumps treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin. An apartment in the building currently on the market is going for $27.5m.

Umbrellas up, outside the building, the lawmakers promised to fight to ensure the wealthy in New York are fairly taxed.

A little rain is not going to stop us and neither are decades of trickle-down economics, said Jabari Brisport, a state senator.

Im asking you now, help the people of New York City by sharing some of the wealth that you have, State Senator Robert Jackson shouted to the apartments above. If not, were going to pass legislation to make you pay for it. pic.twitter.com/JRYD8D8wS8  Lauren Aratani (@LaurenAratani) January 19, 2023

Lawmakers across seven states, including New York, are working together to introduce higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations in their respective legislatures. Along with New York, legislators from California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland and Washington have been working on bills that would increase taxes for the wealthy living in their states.

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Many of the new proposals include taxes on the overall wealth of the rich, not just on their annual income. In 2021, ProPublica released a report based off a trove of tax documents from the wealthy that showed how the rich avoid paying income tax. It showed that in some years, the wealthiest billionaires sometimes avoided income tax altogether by holding and adding to their wealth through stock and property ownership, which are taxed at lower rates than income.

Joe Biden introduced a 20% wealth tax at the federal level, which would apply toward an individual total income, including growth in their assets like stocks, when proposing his budget last spring. But with Republicans showing no interest in wealth taxes, progressives are hoping that taxes on the super wealthy can happen at the state level.

In New York, progressive lawmakers are looking to pass the Invest in New York package, which will include a slate of tax reforms on extreme wealth. The tax reform includes adding new tax brackets for the highest earners, higher corporate taxes for the wealthiest companies and wealth taxes on capital gains, including unrealized capital gains, and inheritance. Over a dozen state senators have signed on to the proposal.

We are tired of subsidizing billionaires here in New York. For a long time, we see how they underpay employees at work and then at home, the workers who help them are also unpaid, said state senator Jessica Ramos, who is proposing a tax on unrealized capital gains. When that happens, we end up having to step up with services to help those families make ends meet.

State Senator Jessica Ramos talking about how the wealthy underpay their employees at work and at home. And when that happens, we end up having to step up with services that help these families make ends meet, she said. pic.twitter.com/52CxsVedNz  Lauren Aratani (@LaurenAratani) January 19, 2023

State senator Gustavo Rivera, who is proposing higher taxes on long-term capital gains, said the lawmakers are unconcerned about the wealthy leaving New York, a point often brought up by opponents of a wealth tax.

This notion that they will leave is not true. It does not happen. They live here, they have Broadway, they have restaurants, they have culture, they have Central Park. Theyre not going to move, Rivera said.

Activists and lawmakers at Thursdays rally called on the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, to work with them to pass higher wealth taxes. Hochul last month said she did not think raising taxes makes sense after the state passed tax cuts, primarily aimed at the middle class, last year.

I dont believe that raising taxes, at a time when we just cut taxes, makes sense, she said in December. We are not going to turn around and say last year we lowered your taxes, now we are raising them. So, I dont foresee that.

Thursdays rally and the unveiling of the wealth taxes across the blue states coincided with Wednesdays release of a letter from 205 members of the global super-rich elite who called on governments around the world to tax us, the ultra rich, now. The letter signers, including Abigail Disney and actor Mark Ruffalo, urged lawmakers to tackle extreme wealth via taxes.

Defending democracy and building cooperation requires action to build fairer economies to build fairer economies right now  it is not a problem that can be left for our children to fix, the letter said.
(Reuters) -Citigroup Inc has discriminated against the firearms sector, the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, making a decision that "has the effect" of Texas halting Citi's ability to underwrite most municipal bond offerings in the state.

Republicans have been ramping up pressure on the finance industry over environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment practices. Texas enacted a law in 2021 prohibiting government contracts with entities that discriminated against the firearms industry.

"It has been determined that Citigroup has a policy that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association", the assistant attorney general chief of the public finance division of Texas AG wrote on Wednesday in the letter seen by Reuters.

"Citi's designation as an SB-19 discriminator has the effect of halting its ability to underwrite most municipal bond offerings in Texas," Paxton's office told Reuters, referring to the law.

Until further notice, The Texas AG will not approve any public security issued on or after Wednesday in which Citigroup purchases or underwrites the public security, she added in the letter.

"Citi does not discriminate against the firearms sector and believe we are in compliance with Texas law", a Citigroup spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters, adding that the company would remain engaged with the Texas AG office to review options.

In 2018, Citigroup put restrictions on new retail business clients that sell guns, requiring that they pass background checks. That followed a high school shooting in Florida in February of that year in which 17 people died.

Bloomberg News first reported the news on Thursday.

(Reporting by Lavanya Ahire and Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru,Additional reporting by Urvi Dugar and Mrinmay Dey; Editing by Bradley Perrett, Bernadette Baum and David Gregorio)
After Zkira Kemps untimely death in a car accident, while traveling with friends, Kemps mother is searching for the truth.

According to Jalanda Kemp, her daughter was last seen alive in July of 2022, before she embarked on a cross-country road trip with a group of friends. Nothing makes sense so far, the information is hazy, and even the details on the body of the deceased are inconsistent.

Zkira, a 20-year-old student at Prairie View A&M University, spent the summer in her hometown of Killeen. However, she and her friends decided to return to the campus ahead of schedule. Her mother said that Zkira voluntarily left early to accompany Michael Dukes and his girlfriend, Rhonda Ellis Tinsley, to Maryland for Rhondas birthday celebration. Aydon Fair, a mutual friend, was to host the visiting trio.

PVAMU community mourns the loss of management major Zkira Kemp:https://t.co/mYPkfprsDs pic.twitter.com/13axXIxpHM  Prairie View A&M (@PVAMU) July 20, 2022

Jalanda shared that before she left on July 4th, she instructed Zkira to keep her location on at all times. Zkira complied with her mothers wishes until Friday morning, when Jalanda realized Zkiras location had been turned off. The worried mother told The North Carolina Beat that she had located her daughter at a Maryland bowling alley on the evening of July 7 at about 10:30 p.m. When she left her job at 1 a.m. and checked her phone, Zkiras location services were disabled.

Zkiras friend, Lakisha Coles, called Jalanda later that morning to tell her that Aydons mother had been trying to reach out to her. Something terrible had happened to the kids but Coles didnt know what. When Jalanda finally got through to Aydons mother, she was unable to learn the news. It was difficult for Aydons mother to speak through her sobbing, and Jalanda frantically yelled, Is my child dead? She asserted thats when the phone hung up in her face.

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The Maryland Sheriffs Office for Charles County said Zkira died in a car crash. However, Jalanda contended that the police and her daughters friends have given her conflicting versions of what transpired. Zkira was driving while intoxicated when the collision occurred, according to her friends at the time.

The autopsy, however, showed that Zkira was not drunk at the time of the collision and was sitting in the back seat. Additionally, Jalanda revealed to 6 News that Zkiras dental records found at the crash site were never verified to be her daughters. She was also denied the chance to view her daughters body after the crash.

Another thing, the autopsy reported that the body they found inside of the car after the crash was 88 pounds and three-feet three-inches tall. But my daughter was 169 pounds and five-feet four-inches tall. Its not making sense, Kemp also shared with the outlet.

Jalanda learned that everyone in the car, except Zkira, had survived the accident. Michaels mother even informed her that he required open heart surgery and had two collapsed lungs in addition to a fractured skull, broken hip, and broken leg. However, after hearing Michael call her name and seeing him in person, Jalanda was doubtful of his wounds.

Hearing Michaels version of events only heightened Jalandas suspicions. His first report of the area around the crash site was that it was entirely a forested area. Then he added that he had only been able to get Rhonda out of the vehicle and couldnt save Zkira. Jalanda was baffled as to how someone with such severe injuries was able to help someone else out of a car. She also affirms to have heard that the car caught fire while Zkira was still inside. Neither Michael nor Rhonda made any effort to rescue her.

In this pictures the first one shows where it happened and you can also see there is no tree there and the second picture shows how the car looked after  its definitely more to this story #zkirakemp #justiceforzkirakemp pic.twitter.com/MzbaovBFFb  . (@LADDY__BEE) January 12, 2023

According to Rhonda, all she can recall from that evening is hearing everyone laughing and then waking up in the hospital. Jalanda said she has suspicions that everything was staged and planned because the medical examiners office in Maryland refused to allow her to see Zkiras body until she signed an agreement to cremate it.

To top it off, she went to the location where the accident happened, which she was told was in the middle of the woods and discovered that the crash site was in fact in the middle of a residential area. When I got there everything looked staged and I knew something just wasnt right, she suspiciously said.

Social media users became aware of this case and immediately started generating countless alternate explanations for what they think actually occurred. There were even some conspiracy theories mentioned.

Conspiracy theories I dont to much care for it but this is wild I think its worth looking into Zakira Kemp Mother Is Still Trying to Get justice For her daughter Till this day ! Please help her #abc13 #CNN #shaderoom #justiceforZkiraKemp pic.twitter.com/hP4R41Tbwz  . (@LADDY__BEE) January 13, 2023

In this pictures the first one shows where it happened and you can also see there is no tree there and the second picture shows how the car looked after  its definitely more to this story #zkirakemp #justiceforzkirakemp pic.twitter.com/MzbaovBFFb  . (@LADDY__BEE) January 12, 2023

Sounds like she was either unalived, someone attempted to dismember her & when that didnt work, they staged a car accident & fire. OR someone kidnapped her and replaced her body with that of someone who had already passed away.  Your Fave Publicist (@_CallMeTJ_) January 14, 2023

Jalanda said to 6 News that she has tried to get answers about her daughters death by contacting local, state, and federal officials, but her pleas have been completely disregarded. She is optimistic and thinks her daughter may be alive and hopes to see her again.

I dont feel like shes gone. I dont know if Im holding on to hope, but I dont feel it. I never felt it, but I thought I was crazy. I thought I just didnt want to let go. But the more Im seeing all of these different reports and more of these people come out with information, it is not adding up. Jalanda said.

Once I read 911 was not called at all.I knew it was an inside job. Smh Prayers to her family and I hope she gets justice man that shit aint right.  . (@_mentionMikeG) January 13, 2023

Once I read 911 was not called at all.I knew it was an inside job. Smh Prayers to her family and I hope she gets justice man that shit aint right.  . (@_mentionMikeG) January 13, 2023

According to Baller Alert, no 911 call was ever made to report the crash.
Texas spent just under $9 million busing migrants across the country over the holidays.

That figure was provided to Insider following a public records request.

In total, Texas has now spent roughly $29 million on the program since April 2022.

On the night before Christmas, three buses full of migrants pulled up, unannounced, outside Vice President Kamala Harris's home in Washington, DC, with dozens of people  some just in t-shirts  left to fend for themselves in freezing temperatures.

It was part of a stunt organized by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who accuses the Biden administration of failing to secure the US-Mexico border.

According to public records obtained by Insider, Abbott's migrant bus program cost the Texas Division of Emergency Management $8.97 million over the November and December holidays.

Since it began in April of last year, the program has now cost taxpayers roughly $29 million.

Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, defended the price tag.

"The real cost to consider is that on the small Texas border towns that are burdened and overwhelmed as the Biden Administration dumps migrants into their communities," Eze said in a statement.

The Texas governor, who won re-election last fall, has sold his busing program as a means of relieving the stress on these border communities  and also as a way to shame liberals and their "sanctuary cities," which generally limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

In November, when Texas began dropping off migrants in Philadelphia, Abbott said the program would continue until President Joe Biden addresses the "invasion along the border."

Many of those on these Texas buses are people seeking asylum  a legal right  fleeing poverty and political persecution in countries such as Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela. Under Title 42, a Trump-era pandemic policy, most people can no longer apply for asylum at legal ports of entry, forcing them to instead cross the US-Mexico border and present themselves to US agents to ask for legal protection.

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Those who get on Texas's buses do so voluntarily, after being screened by the Department of Homeland Security, many wishing to be relocated closer to friends or family elsewhere. But migrant advocates have criticized Texas authorities for not sharing exact arrival times or providing much more than a 36-hour heads up that a bus is coming, saying it has created unnecessary crisis scenes for political purposes.

Since April 2022, Texas has paid to relocate more than 16,690 migrants, according to the governor's office.

In November, Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, argued that the millions spent busing migrants would have been better spent elsewhere, according to WFAA.

"Instead of going for schools, scholarships, things that will improve the lives of Texans, here's the governor of Texas spending $20 million for a political stunt, using immigrants as political pinatas," Garcia told the Dallas outlet.

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

January 19, 2023: This story has been updated to include a statement from Abbott's spokesperson.

Read the original article on Business Insider
An investigation is currently underway after a traffic stop led to a officer-involved shooting in Doraville.

The shooting occurred just before noon on DeKalb Technology Parkway. Channel 2 Action News at Noon reported from the large police scene near Chamblee Tucker Road.

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A Channel 2 Action News photographer spotted a man being taken away on a stretcher.

More than a dozen police and EMTs were in the area, where officers were searching through a car.

The Doraville Police Department says the shooting occurred during a traffic stop.

A witness who asked not to be identified says, he saw a man jump out of his car, run from police and then seconds later gunfire.

I heard about four or five shots, the witness said.

TRENDING STORIES:

The suspect was taken to a hospital by DeKalb County EMS. Authorities have not released details on how the suspect was injured or the suspects condition.

Doraville police say no officers were injured.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation.

This is the second officer-involved shooting in less than 24 hours.

A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot, and the protester who shot him was shot and killed during a raid at the site of a proposed Atlanta Police Department training facility on Wednesday, the GBI said.

As of Thursday evening, DeKalb Technology Parkway remains closed off to traffic as the investigation continues.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Great news for Houston foodies or people planning to visit Bayou City. Cali, a culinary infusion of California cuisine and a taste of Texas, is coming to Houston from L.A.s Trap Kitchen.

The hybrid dining concept will bring the best fresh ingredients and flavors to a new Houston location; the former Brick House Tavern + Tap restaurant on Northwest Freeway.

The West Coast foodie phenom is the culinary foundation for owner Oscar Edwards new restaurant. The California-Cajun menu will indeed feature Trap Kitchen favorites. Guests will enjoy, for example, their famous pineapple bowls with charred teriyaki chicken or seafood. Fried shrimp, chicken, lamb chops, and other favs will also be introduced to Houston via Cali. Also, they offer a diverse mix of specialty dishes from multiple chefs and a full bar with themed signature cocktails.

The menu is full of exciting and approachable dishes we think will be a perfect fit for Houstons diverse culture and dynamic culinary scene, said Edwards. Cali takes the concept of a Trap Kitchen location in Houston to a whole other level, expanding the menu to include Trap Kitchen signature dishes, along with the best recipes we have from chefs in California and other locations, and bringing them home to Texas with local chefs and flavors, he added.

Trap Kitchen

Lobster Pizza | Courtesy of Cali Restaurant/Trap Kitchen

Malachi Spank Jenkins and Roberto News Smith are the founders of Trap Kitchen, a popular Black-owned restaurant, cookbook and catering empire. The two chefs started cooking and selling soul food meals out of a cramped Compton apartment in 2013.

Currently, the brand is a favorite among celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Also, it has a huge cult following. It has three Los Angeles trucks, restaurants in Oakland and Portland, a pop-up in Las Vegas, and a weekly stand at Smorgasburg Miami.

Edwards is transforming the 7,500-square-foot former Brick House Tavern + Tap restaurant into a cool urban eatery with a West Coast vibe. It will be located at 12910 Northwest Freeway in Houston.

Related: Famed Houston Restaurant, Turkey Leg Hut, Is Bringing Its Infamous Stuffed Turkey Legs To Atlanta
jacoblund / Getty Images/iStockphoto

High prices due to staff shortages dominated air travel throughout 2022, while the year closed out in a frantic flurry of flight delays and cancellations due to inclement weather and FAA system outages. Whats expected for flyers in 2023? According to Scott Keyes of Going, previously known as Scotts Cheap Flights, theres plenty to be excited about  especially for those looking for savings and roomier flights.

See: Why Buying Property in These Vacation Destinations Could Be a Great Investment

Read: Get Your Credit Score On Track With These 3 Tips for Success

Find: How 2023 Recession Will Differ From 2008 and How You Should Prepare Differently

Airfare will fall at least 5%

Keyes is 70% confident that airfare will fall by at least 5% compared to 2022. Right now, average airfares are 36% higher than they were this time last year.

Prices on Flights to Asia Will Fall

Keyes has 90% confidence that China, which has been holding fast to COVID-19 travel restrictions, will continue to smoothly reopen and, as a result, get less expensive to travel to and from. Travel to other countries in Asia should follow suit.

There Will Be More Mistake Fares

In 2022, Going found seven mistake fares for members. These included Iceland for $100 round trip, London/Amsterdam for $174 round trip and Tokyo for $316 round trip. Keyes is 60% confident that Going will find at least eight mistake fares this year.

Cheap Flights to Tokyo Will Abound

Going uncovered only 82 cheap flights to Tokyo in 2022. Now that Japan has fully reopened, Keyes is 80% confident many more cheap airfare deals will surface in 2023.

Flights Will Be Less Full

Flights were pretty crowded in 2022, but thanks to less demand and more flight volume, Keyes is 70% confident that more empty seats will abound in 2023.

Flight Volume Will Be Below 2019 Levels

In 2019, U.S airlines averaged more than 26,000 flights per day, compared to 22,300 in 2022. Keyes has 80% confidence that the 14% gap will shrink by a fair amount, but that we wont reach 2019 levels in 2023.

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Seat Volume Will Exceed 2019 Levels

In 2022, the number of daily seats was down 7% (2.93 million vs. 3.16 million in 2019). Keyes is 60% confident that well top pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

The Fed Will Step in To Block the Spirit/JetBlue Merger.

Keyes is 60% confident that federal regulators will move in to block the merger between JetBlue and Spirit because of its adverse impact on airfares and choice for consumers.

There Will Be No Bankruptcies Among Major U.S Airlines

Keyes is very confident (90%) that we will see no major U.S airlines enter bankruptcy in 2023.

More Countries Will Announce Plans To Lift Airport Liquid Restrictions

Keyes has 70% confidence that at least three more countries will announce plans to lift airport liquid restrictions. The U.K has already done this. They announced in December that by June 2024, air travelers will once again be allowed to bring liquids through security.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Will Propose Its Final Rule On Flight Refunds

Last August, the DOT proposed a regulation that would give travelers rights to a refund in case of long delays or pandemic restrictions. Keyes is 60% confident that the DOT will propose a final rule similar to its initial proposal in 2023.

Take Our Poll: How Do You Think the Economy Will Perform in 2023?

More: Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Heres When and How To Ask For Compensation

One of the Big Six U.S Airlines Will Acquire A Smaller Carrier

Keyes is 60% confident that one of the six largest U.S airlines (American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue or Southwest) will try to purchase a smaller carrier.

There Will Be Fewer Flight Cancellations

Keyes is 70% confident that there will be fewer flights canceled in 2023 than there were in 2022.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Travel Predictions 2023: 13 Things To Expect From Airlines, According to Flight Expert
The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper that was shot while trying to remove protesters from the site of a proposed Atlanta police training facility will undergo another surgery.

Channel 2s Richard Elliott spoke with the head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and GSP Thursday about the trooper and the investigation.

GSP commander Col. Chris Wright said the trooper remains in the intensive care unit and is stable, but will undergo another surgery today.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Elliott spoke with Wright at the state capitol about the moment he got the call that one of his troopers was wounded in the line of duty.

Of course, when I got the call yesterday, it was, you know, its a big lump in your throat, Wright said. Because you just dont know whats going to happen, and you dont know the condition of your officer is.

The still unidentified trooper was part of a larger operation to clear illegal protesters from the woods inside the proposed site for the facility.

Investigators say as they tried to remove the demonstrators, one shot the trooper.

Other law enforcement officials returned fire, killing the gunman, identified as Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26.

Demonstrators accused law enforcement of causing the aggression.

TRENDING STORIES:

Overnight last night, he was able to write a short note to the doctor to tell him he was having difficulty breathing, Wright said. Hes scheduled for another surgery today.

Elliott also spoke with GBI director Mike Register at the capitol.

Register says theyre working with local, state, and federal partners to investigate what happened and the people behind it.

Register says theres a big difference between protesting and what happened Wednesday morning.

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The GBI embraces every individuals right to protest, but when you start creating, when you start doing criminal activity that has the potential of harming the community and citizens, thats where we have to draw the line, Register said.

Wright is asking the public for their thoughts and prayers for the troopers recovery.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto in the White House on October 2, 2019. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Trump ranted about the journalists who published a draft of a major abortion opinion.

He called for the arrests of the journalists to get them to divulge the leaker's identity.

The Supreme Court's investigators on Thursday said they were unable to figure out the leaker's identity.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday called for the journalists who published a leaked draft opinion of a major abortion ruling last May to be jailed.

"Arrest the reporter, publisher, editor - you'll get your answer fast," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, hours after the Supreme Court released a report concluding that investigators have not yet identified the leaker.

"Stop playing games and wasting time!" the former president added.

Politico first published a copy of the draft opinion in the monumental case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, on May 2. Chief Justice John Roberts instructed the court's marshal to investigate the leak a day later. But after eight months of inquiry, which included interviewing nearly 100 of the court's personnel and assessing the court's information technology systems, the court could not determine who was behind the leak.

The news appeared to disturb Trump, who shared his disapproval on social media.

"The Supreme Court has just announced it is not able to find out, even with the help of our 'crack' FBI, who the leaker was on the R v Wade scandal," Trump wrote. "They'll never find out, & it's important that they do. So, go to the reporter & ask him/her who it was. If not given the answer, put whoever in jail until the answer is given. You might add the publisher and editor to the list. Stop playing games, this leaking cannot be allowed to happen. It won't take long before the name of this slime is revealed!"

Nine minutes after his first tirade against the journalists, Trump called for them to be arrested in a follow-up post.

Politico declined Insider's request for comment.

While investigators were unable to determine who leaked the draft, they did discover that some Supreme Court employees told their spouses and partners about it, calling the behavior a violation of the court's confidentiality procedures. The report also highlighted many gaps in the court's record-keeping and security practices, and offered recommendations to address them, including restricting the distribution of sensitive documents via hard copy, email and outside cell phones.

The draft opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, showed that a majority of the justices appeared ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The justices ultimately did so in the court's June 24 ruling. At least 13 states have banned abortion altogether or restricted the procedure since then.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump promised Thursday to deliver a big political speech at the annual roundtable for Judicial Watch  a tax-exempt charity that under the law is not supposed to be engaging in politics at all.

The coup-attempting former president, apparently still smarting from a recent magazine story that described his 2024 effort as virtually nonexistent, claimed Thursday nights appearance proved that he is, in fact, campaigning.

Making a big political speech today at TRUMP DORAL, in Miami, he wrote. The Fake News says I am not campaigning very hard. I say they are stupid and corrupt, with the Election still a long time away.

His appearance will be hosted by Judicial Watch, which has a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. This allows donors to deduct their gifts to the group but also prohibits it from engaging in politics.

Jill Farrell, Judicial Watchs communications director, said she had no concerns about Trumps planned remarks at a private event that is not permitting news media coverage.

This is not a campaign speech, she told HuffPost. There is no there there.

Robert Maguire of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Judicial Watchs coziness with Trump is proof that the IRS is incapable of enforcing regulations on tax-exempt groups. This is further evidence of the absolute inability of the IRS to take action against these groups that are clearly political outfits that are using their tax-exempt status as a shield, he said.

Other tax-exempt groups have been more careful about avoiding politics.

When failed Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake appeared at Turning Point USAs conference last month in Phoenix, group president Charlie Kirk made a point of coming on stage prior to her remarks to state that her visit was being sponsored by TPUSA Action, the charitys 501(c)(4) arm.

Organizations registered under that provision can engage in some politics, and donations to them are not tax deductible.

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On its tax forms for both 2019 and 2020, the latest available to the public, Judicial Watch checked the NO box in answer to the question: Did the organization engage in direct or indirect campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office?

Lloyd Mayer, a professor and tax-exempt organizations expert at Notre Dame Universitys law school, said Judicial Watch had the right to invite Trump as a former president and would not be breaking rules so long as Trump did not speak about his campaign. And even if Trump makes such a mention, if Judicial Watch instructed him not to but he went off script, Judicial Watch would have a defense because it could claim it took reasonable measures to avoid any such mention, Mayer said.

Marcus Owens, a former head of the Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS, said a narrowly tailored speech by Trump about his experience as president was legitimate. The challenge for Judicial Watch is that its very difficult to imagine Donald Trump staying on script and not talking about his political future, he said.

Owens said the fact that the event is being held at a Trump property, with profits flowing directly into Trumps pocket, was also curious. It calls into question whether Judicial Watch is making a contribution to Donald Trumps campaign, he said. They are counting on the IRS not having the agents and ability, financially, to undertake an audit of Judicial Watch at this point.

Judicial Watchs president, Tom Fitton, has been a public supporter of Trump for years. According to an email found by the House Jan. 6 committee, Fitton advised Trump on Oct. 31, 2020, to declare on election night regardless of the result: We had an election today  and I won.

Fitton sent another email on Election Day itself to remind Trump of his earlier memo. Soon afterward, in the wee hours of Nov. 4, Trump took Fittons advice and declared: Frankly, we did win this election.

Trump continued lying about a stolen election for the next two months and attempted to coerce his own vice president into declaring him the election winner. The effort culminated in the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which resulted in five dead police officers.

In a statement, Fitton said Judicial Watch was honored to have Trump speak to its supporters. President Trump engaged in a historic battle against government corruption and abuse, a battle which continues to this day, Fitton said. We are honored he will address and educate Judicial Watchs supporters about the ongoing rule of law crisis that so threatens our republic.
(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that his campaign was in talks with Meta Platforms about a possible return to Facebook and Instagram, two years after the company banned him for inciting violence.

"We are talking to them, and we'll see how it all works out," Trump said, according to the report.

"If they took us back, it would help them greatly, and that's okay with me," he said. "But they need us more than we need them."

Meta declined to comment to Reuters.

Trump launched his bid to regain the presidency in 2024 in November.

Meta, the world's biggest social media company, is set to make a controversial decision on the future of Trump's accounts this month.

While Trump has shunned Twitter since its decision in November to restore his account, saying he preferred his own Truth Social platform, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that being back on Facebook "will be an important tool for the 2024 campaign to reach voters."

Meta revoked Trump's access to Facebook and Instagram after removing two of his posts during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including a video containing false claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

The company's independent oversight board ruled later in 2021 that the suspension was justified but objected to its indeterminate nature. In response, Meta committed to reviewing the suspension two years after it began.

"If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded," Meta VP of Global Affairs Nick Clegg wrote at the time.

(Reporting by Katie Paul; Editing by Leslie Adler)
By Idrees Ali

BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will press Germany's new Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday to allow for the transfer of German-made tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, as the two countries remained at loggerheads over the issue.

Germany will allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine to help its defense against Russia if the United States agrees to send its own tanks, a German government source told Reuters.

But U.S. officials publicly and privately insist that Washington has no plans to send U.S-made tanks to Ukraine for now, arguing that they would too difficult for Kyiv to maintain and would require a huge logistical effort to simply run.

"The secretary (of defense) will be pressing the Germans on this," one senior U.S. defense official said.

The U.S. official said supplying Ukraine with German-made Leopard tanks made the most sense as a number of countries already had them and were willing to transfer them quickly.

The United States has committed roughly $24 billion to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russian forces.

A second U.S. official said President Joe Biden's administration was set to approve a new aid package to Ukraine, worth more than $2 billion.

The package, which could be announced as early as Friday during a meeting of defense leaders at an airbase in Germany, would likely include Stryker armored vehicles for Kyiv, but not M1 Abrams tanks.

The United States aims to break the dynamic of grinding warfare and near-frozen front lines in Ukraine with newly announced military capabilities that it hopes will breath fresh momentum into Kyiv's battle against Russian forces, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

But Colin Kahl, the Pentagon's top policy adviser, said the Pentagon still wasn't prepared to meet Kyiv's calls for gas-guzzling M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

Some Eastern European officials have publicly called on Germany to allow the transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday urged Germany to send Ukraine the weaponry it needed to take the fight to invading Russian soldiers, lacing a speech in Berlin with implicit criticisms of Scholzs government.

Britain has said that it would send 14 Challenger 2 tanks, its main battle tanks, along with additional artillery support to Ukraine, a step officials hope will open the door for Germany to make similar moves.

Some U.S. officials remain hopeful that they can convince Germany to allow the transfer of third party tanks to Ukraine.

"We are very optimistic that we will make progress on this requirement by the end of the week," a second U.S. official said.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the war in Ukraine with Israel leaders during a trip to Israel and the West Bank, the White House said on Thursday.

In meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and other senior officials, Sullivan discussed U.S. support for Israel's security and continued threats posed by Iran, according to National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

"They also discussed Ukraine, as well as the burgeoning defense partnership between Russia and Iran and its implications for security in the Middle East region," she said in a statement.

While Israel has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has limited its assistance to Kyiv to humanitarian aid and protective gear.

Netanyahu has spoken about reviewing Israeli policy on the Ukraine-Russia war, but has stopped short of pledging any direct supply of arms to Kyiv, despite repeated pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for Israel to join the fight against Russia and provide air defense systems.

Statements issued by Netanyahu and other Israeli officials who met Sullivan did not mention Ukraine as being among issues discussed.

But one of the officials, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Thursday, Cohen's office said in a statement after the minister's meeting with Sullivan.

In the phone conversation, the statement said, Cohen "promised that Israel would continue supporting the Ukrainian people with humanitarian aid, in building and rehabilitating in the realms of water, energy and medical equipment, and with continued training for hundreds of emergency-management and trauma-care professionals."

Cohen encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to support the designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group, the statement said.

The United States respects the considerations other nations have on the matter of Ukraine, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday when asked whether Sullivan would push Israel to provide weapons to Ukraine.

"We're not twisting arms," Kirby told reporters. "But we are certainly talking directly with our allies and partners around the world to see what they could provide and what might be available to them or what they might be able to make available to Ukraine."

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Leslie Adler)
By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) - Mayors from across the United States gathered in Washington for their annual winter conference this week to tackle major issues facing their cities, with mental health, addiction and mass migration high on their lists.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, mayors have been on the front lines as their cities struggle to revitalize business districts decimated by a shift to working from home and confront an explosion in mental illness and economic woes.

Mayors from Tampa, Florida, to Tacoma, Washington, were meeting with federal officials including President Joe Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss their concerns and collaborate on solutions.

Their long to-do lists also include reducing crime, invigorating local economies hurt by inflation and getting citizens in psychiatric crisis the care they need, attendees at the bipartisan United States Conference of Mayors meeting said on Wednesday.

The related crises of mental illness and drug abuse have skyrocketed in the United States, with fentanyl-laced drugs now killing tens of thousands of Americans annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mayors are determined to tackle the suffering they see on their streets, said Reno, Nevada, Mayor Hillary Schieve.

"That is the No. 1 issue in every city," Schieve, an independent, said at a news conference, adding that she personally wanted to see an end to "treating jails as mental health hospitals."

City leaders also cited immigration as a major challenge, as migrants continue to come across the U.S.-Mexico border, with many of them put on airplanes or buses by Southern states and taken as far north as Boston. That has forced local agencies in those cities and near the border to provide temporary shelter and help them connect with contacts in the States.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he is concerned that Congress members are too wrapped up in the politics of immigration to deliver the comprehensive reform he thinks is needed.

"My fear is that the political benefits of pointing at the problem exceed the benefits of actually solving the problem," the Democrat said. "And we as mayors have to solve problems."

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
The U.S. has decided not to provide the long-range missile systems called ATACMs to Ukraine at this time, according to one of the most senior civilians in the Defense Department.

We think the Ukrainians can change the dynamic on the battlefield and achieve the type of effects they want to push the Russians back without ATACMs, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Ukraine has been asking the U.S. for ATACMs, which are surface-to-surface long-range missile systems, for months.

Just back from a surprise trip to Ukraine, Kahl was blunt in his assessment: Our judgment to date has been that the juice isnt really worth the squeeze on the ATACM.

He said that could change, but for now, were not there yet on the ATACM.

We think there are other capabilities that enable the Ukrainians to service targets, said Kahl, adding that while there have been other times the Ukrainians have asked for things the U.S. has not provided, our track record as a partnership is pretty good.

Asked whether the U.S. is concerned Ukraine could use longer-range systems like ATACMs to strike inside Russia, Kahl said Ukrainians are going to make their own decisions but U.S. policy remains not to enable strikes inside Russia.

Kahl also said the U.S. is not yet prepared to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine, explaining that some systems arent helpful if they are difficult to maintain or difficult to train troops to use.

Kahl described the fighting in the east as a grinding slugfest, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces dug in. The fighting is really brutal, he said. Theres a lot of exhaustion on all sides.

The U.S. is working to give the Ukrainians the tools they need to break through Russian defenses, he said.

Kahl said the U.S. is working to surge capabilities to Ukraine for the next phase of the conflict but would not say when the surge will begin.

The goal is to change the dynamic on the ground, Kahl said, and continue the momentum that the Ukrainians had in the late summer and early fall.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LONDON (Reuters) - A group of nine nations including Britain, Poland and the Netherlands on Thursday pledged to pursue providing an "unprecedented set of donations" including main battle tanks to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

"We commit to collectively pursuing delivery of an unprecedented set of donations including main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition, and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraines defence," a joint statement said.

The statement, published on the british government website, was made by the defence ministers of Britain, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and representatives from Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia following a meeting in Estonia.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)
LONDON (AP)  The father of a British woman who has been missing for two weeks with her partner and newborn baby appealed Thursday for her to contact police.

Police say they are increasingly concerned for the welfare of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and the infant. Detectives say Marten, 35, gave birth a day or two before the couple and baby left their broken-down car by the side of a highway in northwest England on Jan. 5. The car was later found in flames by firefighters.

Since then, there have been reported sightings of the couple in southeast England and the London area, the most recent more than a week ago.

Marten comes from a wealthy, aristocratic British family and grew up in a Georgian mansion on a country estate in southwest England. Gordon, 48, served 20 years in prison in the United States after being convicted in Florida of kidnapping and sexual battery, according to U.S. law enforcement records. He was deported from the U.S. after his release.

Martens father, Napier Marten, urged his estranged daughter to make contact.

I beseech you to find a way to turn yourself and your wee one into the police as soon as possible, so you and he or she can be protected, he said in an audio message issued through the Independent newspaper. Only then can a process of healing and recovery begin, however long it may take, however difficult it may be.

Police say they have no evidence the three have come to intentional harm. Detectives say Marten and Gordon have been using cash and taking other steps to avoid being found.

We just need to ensure they are OK, especially the baby, and do not require any medical assistance for any underlying issues, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said.
In the course of the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have repelled Russian attacks near 14 settlements in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, and also carried out attacks on Russians positions.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: Over the past day, units of Ukraines Armed Forces repelled occupiers attacks near the settlements of Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast and Terny, Verkhnokamianske, Soledar, Sil, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Kurdiumivka, Vodiane, Marinka, Pobieda, Paraskoviivka in Donetsk Oblast.

At the same time, the Russians delivered 25 airstrikes and carried out more than 85 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS).

There were no significant changes on the Volyn, Polissia, Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts; no Russian offensive groups were detected in the areas bordering Ukraine. Certain units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus continue to perform firing missions.

In this way, the opponent is demonstrating its presence near the state border. The Russians deployed mortars and artillery to fire on Buchky in Chernihiv Oblast, Popivka in Sumy Oblast, and Budarky, Zemlianky, Hatyshche, Zelene, Vovchansk, Ternova, Krasne, Kamianka, Chuhunivka, Novomlynsk and Dvorichna in Kharkiv Oblast.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russians fired on Kurylivka, Petropavlivka, Kyslivka, Ivanivka, Krokhmalne, Synkivka, Berestove, Tabaivka in Kharkiv Oblast, and Stelmakhivka in Luhansk Oblast.

On the Lyman front, the Russians fired on the positions of Ukraines Armed Forces near the settlements of Druzheliubivka in Kharkiv Oblast and Novoiehorivka, Nevske, Chervonopopivka, Dibrova in Luhansk Oblast.



On the Bakhmut front, the Russians deployed artillery to fire on 22 settlements, including Verkhnokamianske, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Maiorsk, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Kurdiumivka and Druzhba.

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On the Avdiivka front, the settlements of Avdiivka, Vodiane, Nevelske, Pervomaiske, Heorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast came under Russian fire.

On the Novopavlivka front, the Russians again fired on Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast.



On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Russians deployed artillery to fire on areas of 24 settlements, including Vremivka and Novopil in Donetsk Oblast, and Poltavka, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Shcherbaky, Stepove, Kamianske and Plavni in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

On the Kherson front, the occupiers do not stop terrorising civilians. In particular, the areas of more than 20 settlements came under tubed artillery and MLRS fire, including Antonivka, Berehove, Vesele, Kachkarivka, Yantarne and Kherson. Casualties among civilians were reported.

Over the past day, Ukraines Air Force delivered 13 strikes on clusters of Russian personnel, and three strikes on the occupiers anti-aircraft missile system positions.



A Russian Ka-52 helicopter and Merlin-VR UAVwere also shot down.

In the course of the past 24 hours, units from Rocket Forces and Artillery of Ukraines Armed Forces hit three command posts, five clusters of Russian personnel, one ammunition dump and two other important Russian facilities.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ukraines Foreign Ministry has responded to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs claim that negotiations on the terms of the "Peace Formula" proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are impossible. Ukraines Foreign Ministry believes that Lavrovs statement bears out Russias unwillingness to engage in the peace process.

Source: Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for Ukraines Foreign Ministry, on Facebook

Quote from Nikolenko: "Lavrov has once again articulated Russias real intentions. Moscow has no interest in peace at all.

Public manoeuvres by the representatives of the Russian regime, the Christmas cease fire, expectations of real propositions from the West  all of this is just smoke and mirrors as Russia prepares for a new terrorist attack on Ukraine."

Details: Nikolenko underscored that Ukraines partners have long ignored the statements made by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The spokesman for Ukraines Foreign Ministry added that Ukraine has received widespread international support for Zelenskyys "Peace Formula".

Quote from Nikolenko: "Its a complex document comprising 10 points. Implementing them will help restore peace in Ukraine and create mechanisms to prevent Russian aggression in the future.

Whether the Kremlin likes it or not, Russia will have to comply with the peace formula."

Details: Nikolenko said that the Foreign Ministry will continue to work to secure the supply of tanks, anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, long-range missiles, ammunition, finance, and training opportunities for Ukrainian soldiers.

Background:

On 18 January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the plan for a peaceful settlement of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which was proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is "out of the question".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has outlined 10 proposals that comprise Ukraines "formula for peace" in his video address to the G20 summit in Bali.

Zelenskyy discussed the Ukrainian peace formula with US President Joe Biden. The American leader supported the idea of holding a peace summit.

Zelenskyys team plans to present the peace formula officially on or around 24 February 2023.

Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, is convinced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys peace plan will be implemented in full and on schedule. According to him, the longer the Kremlin sabotages President Zelenskyys 10 conditions for peace, the more catastrophic the situation for the Kremlin and the tougher Ukraines position will be.

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During reconnaissance in the area of the city of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast, soldiers of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine entered into battle with Russian forces that vastly outnumbered them.

Source: Special Operations Forces press service on social media and in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "While conducting special reconnaissance in the area of the city of Kreminna, soldiers of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine came across a concentration of enemy forces.

The operators of the Special Operations Forces immediately decided to engage in combat. The Russian occupiers came under fire, from mortars among other things."

Details: As the press service of the Special Operations Forces specified for Ukrainska Pravda, the occupiers prevailed in terms of manpower. The video also shows how the retreat of Ukrainian fighters is covered by mortars.

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Ukrainian partisans have killed a group of Russian soldiers in the temporarily occupied village of Kyrylivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: National Resistance Center (NRC)

Quote from NRC: "Underground resistance in the temporarily occupied territories continues to do its job. The partisans managed to kill a group of Russian soldiers who occupied one of the houses in the city [sic] of Kyrylivka. There are also wounded."

Details: The NRC noted that they are grateful to the residents of the temporarily occupied territories who report on movement and deployment of the Russian military.

The NRC reminded that information can be submitted through a form on the website.

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Anna Borys remembers the conversation clearly.

Over breakfast in early May, she sat down with her husband, Eugene, at their home in Ukraine and tried to decide whether they should leave everything behind.

Should we go, and start everything from the beginning in a different country, or should we stay? Borys recalled.

The verdict that day was to stay. Borys was pregnant, and she and her husband wanted to continue operating their business, doing what they could to support their employees and their homeland.

But by July, the war with Russia wasnt getting any better. Previously safe cities in western Ukraine were being bombed. The family decided to do what had been unthinkable when the war began months earlier: move to the United States with their two young daughters.

By early September, Borys was stepping into a home in Pewaukee furnished by an American friend she met 12 years ago.

That friend, Jennifer Raml, had stocked the fridge with food and the cabinets with pots and pans and dishes. There was shower gel in the bathroom, a coffee maker on the counter and a television in the living room.

Raml had even baked a cake and hung birthday decorations around the home for one of the girls birthdays, which was two days earlier.

Borys was overwhelmed with emotion.

It just made me cry, she said. It was very important and very sweet, and very supportive.

Eugene and Anna Borys of Ukraine, top left, are pictured with their children, Emily, 4, and Yeva, 8, along with their sponsor Jennifer Raml in Pewaukee , October 28, 2022. The family was able to enter the U.S. through a private sponsorship program called Uniting for Ukraine. It is the largest private sponsorship effort for refugees in U.S. history.

Borys and her family found themselves in their new home because of a federal program called Uniting for Ukraine, which allows Americans to sponsor Ukrainians independently, circumventing traditional refugee resettlement agencies. Private sponsors like Raml must agree to financially support the Ukrainian newcomers and take responsibility for helping them start fresh in the U.S.  from providing housing to helping enroll children in school.

U4U, as its known, has become the largest private sponsorship effort in U.S. history, bringing tens of thousands of Ukrainians to the country since April.

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While sponsors and beneficiaries like Raml and Borys have lauded how the program allowed them to skip the years-long wait and red tape of the refugee route, there is also concern that Ukrainian newcomers lack a safety net if sponsors can no longer provide for them.

Refugee agencies and other aid groups in Wisconsin say they have seen an increase in Ukrainians seeking their help and expertise as they try to find affordable housing and apply for public benefits.

For some, the financial stress of supporting a second family has been extended indefinitely as the government remains slow to issue many Ukrainians employment authorization cards  which would allow them to work and earn money in the U.S.

More:'Our strength and power as one': Milwaukee Ukrainians celebrate the first Orthodox Christmas since Russia's invasion

With private sponsorship, average citizens take on task of resettlement

More than 85,000 Ukrainians have already arrived in the U.S. through the private sponsorship program, according to the Department of Homeland Security. President Joe Bidens administration has set a goal for 100,000, which experts believe is achievable.

The Ukrainian arrivals come on the heels of a similarly large influx of 88,000 Afghan evacuees, which strained resettlement agencies already strapped for staff and resources following the lean years of former President Donald Trumps administration.

Comparatively, just about 25,000 people from other countries arrived through the traditional refugee pipeline in the last fiscal year, which ended in September.

Anna Borys of Ukraine, left, is pictured with her children, Emily, 4, and Yeva, 8, and her sponsor Jennifer Raml in Pewaukee October 28, 2022. Anna and her husband Eugene are Ukrainian refugees who resettled in Pewaukee in a house Raml fully furnished. The family was able to enter the U.S. through a private sponsorship program called Uniting for Ukraine.

That means that a sizable chunk of those who entered the U.S. last year fleeing danger were helped not by the well-established network of resettlement agencies around the country, but by average citizens.

Ukrainian-American family members and friends make up the bulk of people volunteering to be private sponsors in Wisconsin, experts said. Borys and Raml are outliers because the two met while Borys was interning at a Chicago company where Raml also worked.

The refugee aid nonprofit Welcome.US, which provides training and information on Uniting for Ukraine, recommends that sponsors raise about $3,000 per person, and they should plan to support their Ukrainian beneficiaries for at least 90 days.

Still, the document that sponsors sign pledging financial support is not legally binding in most cases, according to the nonprofit.

Local resettlement agency staff report that Ukrainian clients who have resettled here with the help of private sponsors are increasingly asking them for assistance. Lutheran Social Services in Milwaukee is working with about 60 Ukrainians and fielding calls from across the state, said Mary Flynn, refugee resettlement program manager.

In a handful of cases, the relationship between the sponsor and beneficiary has broken down and the agency has had to step in to help, she said.

In other cases, Ukrainian newcomers and their sponsors are seeking the agency's expertise. Initially, the agencies weren't receiving government funding to help Ukrainians as they do for other clients, but the government since has made some resettlement dollars available for them.

What's "hard work" for sponsors is, from Flynns perspective, what agencies do every day: spending time troubleshooting issues with Social Security or employment authorization, for example.

We see a lot of stuff and were able to adapt, Flynn said. Were able to kind of cut through that red tape.

She advocates for a model in which would-be private sponsors instead partner with the agencies. The volunteers would find and furnish apartments, take newcomers grocery shopping and on excursions to the zoo or library, teach them how to ride the bus and more.

And the agencies would handle the technical issues.

Lutheran Social Services has put this co-sponsorship model into practice already, but Flynn envisions its expansion. Helping orient newcomers to American culture is crucial, she said. But most case managers at the agency don't have time to offer the level of attention that co-sponsors could.

Humanitarian parole provides quick entry, but an 'immigration conundrum'

The relatively speedy arrival of Ukrainians in the U.S. is largely because theyre receiving a temporary status called humanitarian parole, which allows them to stay in the country for two years.

From there, they must apply for asylum  a permanent status in which they have to prove they would have faced persecution if theyd stayed. It is unclear if many of the Ukrainians who arrived via private sponsorship would meet the governments narrow requirements for asylum.

Eugene and Anna Borys of Ukraine are pictured with their children, Yeva, 8, and Emily, 4, in Pewaukee October 28, 2022. The family was able to enter the U.S. through a private sponsorship program called Uniting for Ukraine. Anna met the family's sponsor, Jennifer Raml, 12 years ago when she was an intern at a Chicago company where Raml also worked.

More:A year after evacuating, Afghans in Wisconsin must ask to stay in the U.S. permanently. Here's how corporate attorneys are helping

Plus, federal authorities report a backlog of over 600,000 pending asylum cases as of November.

Theyre just in this immigration conundrum, said Kay Weeden, a Stoughton woman who has helped resettle several Ukrainian families.

Conversely, those who arrive through the traditional refugee resettlement process receive permanent residency automatically. But refugee applicants often must wait years in another country with no guarantees of ever making it to the U.S.

Jennie Murray, president and chief executive at the National Immigration Forum, an advocacy organization, said she appreciates that humanitarian parole allows the U.S. to quickly expand its capacity to take in large groups of people who need to evacuate.

But she also pointed out Uniting for Ukraines limitations. Its only available to people who can pay for their own flights to the U.S., and until Congress intervened, newly arrived Ukrainians werent eligible for federal aid such as Medicaid and food assistance.

Its a good tool, but it cant be the only one, she said. We would also love to see a more robust and strengthened refugee resettlement process.

Earlier this month the government announced it was expanding its humanitarian parole initiative. Up to 30,000 people from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti can enter the country through parole if they have a private sponsor, Bidens administration said.

More:A Ukrainian city asked Milwaukee for guns. They're getting body armor, face shields and handcuffs.

Wisconsinites, other refugees step up to fill in the gaps

While private sponsors typically support just one family, Weeden is an example of someone who has taken the sponsorship program to its fullest extent.

From their home base in the Dane County suburb of Stoughton, Weeden and two other women effectively created their own unofficial, mini resettlement agency. They were lacking resettlement experience but full of determination.

Weeden, Renee Lushaj and Sharon Mason-Boersma first began helping a Ukrainian family who came to Wisconsin in April before the Uniting for Ukraine initiative was announced. The family needed a place to stay, and the women stepped in to help.

Then, another family came, and they helped.

The Stoughton Resettlement Assistance Program, as it came to be known, now has helped 11 families and two single people settle in the suburb, directly sponsoring several of them.

Its just the right thing to do to get these families out. I wish it could be any family and every family, not just Ukrainians, Weeden said.

Moved by the plight of Afghan evacuees, the women initially signed up to be co-sponsors with the agency Lutheran Social Services in Milwaukee  pledging to furnish an apartment and drive one Afghan family to appointments while LSS handled the technical details.

When they found themselves instead helping Ukrainians, and doing it on their own, the women got what Weeden called a civics lesson, applying for Social Security and health care and trying to figure out why some of the families had months-long delays on work permits.

Its just requiring us to do A through Z instead of just X, Y and Z, she said.

Recently, Weeden had to take a break from the group. It became overwhelming, she said, as the project had gotten so big, so fast.

Still, Weeden is awed by how well everything has worked out. Just when the group would think it couldnt take any more families, a landlord would reach out to say he had three open units. When theyd be running short on cash to pay another month of rent for a family who didnt have a work permit yet, a donor would come forward.

Things just seem to fall out of the sky and the universe has our back on this. As soon as we think we cant do something  something just happens, Weeden said.

Although most of the Ukrainians that arrived most recently have received their work permits, the first family who arrived back in April prior to U4Us creation has not. The group has pulled every lever to help them, to no avail, Weeden said. She doesnt know what else to do.

Even as she had to step back from the day-to-day operations of the group, Weeden remains a big proponent of private sponsorship and encourages capable Wisconsinites to sponsor a family.

She agrees that parts of U4U have been messy, like the initial lack of government benefits for Ukrainians, the continued uncertainty over their immigration status and the potential for sponsors to leave their beneficiaries without support.

But she sees it as the best thing since sliced bread for Americans because they can directly help someone in need.

After volunteering with Afghan evacuees at Fort McCoy, one of the young men shed met there sent her a suicide note, despairing that hed never get off the base.

When Weeden went to see him again, she realized that shed erroneously assumed that helping people like him was someone elses responsibility. The experience has fueled her work with the Ukrainian families in Stoughton.

With all the bad things happening in our world, this was a way that we could make a difference, she said.

Ukrainians across Wisconsin have seen an outpouring of support from residents who have stepped up to help fill in the gaps. Months after they arrived, Boryss new Pewaukee neighbors still regularly dropped off donations and gifts on their front step.

Raml, the family's sponsor, still sees them several times each week. She helps drive the girls to and from school and activities and rents them her second home at a discounted rate. The Borys family has become quite self-reliant, she said, and like a part of her family.

Newly arrived Ukrainians in the state are also helping each other. On an online messaging platform, they exchange tips on taking the driving test, the ins and outs of American health insurance, and the best stores to find buckwheat, a common ingredient in Ukrainian cooking.

There is a very good proverb in Ukraine, Borys said. Its like, Dont have 100 dollars. Have 100 friends.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukrainian refugees with private sponsorships in Wisconsin now in limbo
Thousands of nurses in the nations largest public health system are staring down the expiration of a union contract, demanding better wages and contending with staffing levels that are currently overwhelming staff.

After their peers in private hospital systems reached tentative agreements on new contracts after strike threats and a historic three-day walkout earlier this month, more than 9,000 nurses in New York Citys public health system are hoping to make similar gains. Theyre arguing that their hospitals have even worse staff-to-patient ratios than private hospitals.

Less than a week after 7,000 private hospital nurses were on strike, dozens of public hospital nurses picketed the systems lower Manhattan headquarters on 18 January for their own upcoming contract battle.

Their current contract expires on 2 March. But as public employees, they cannot legally go on strike.

Our nurses in the public sector are under-resourced, understaffed, and underpaid, New York State Nurses Association president Nancy Hagans said in a statement shared with The Independent.

They do the same life-saving work as nurses in the private sector, yet they are paid so much less  and the disparity in pay is only growing, she added. We are all nurses. We demand health equity for our patients and communities, and we demand pay equity for the hardworking [public hospital] nurses.

New York City Health+Hospitals serves more than 1.4 million New Yorkers each year, including 475,000 uninsured patients, according to the union. The system accounts for 18 per cent of total citywide hospital beds and provides nearly half of all of New Yorks level 1 emergency trauma care  the most comprehensive level of care for critically ill or injured patients  as well as in-patient mental health services.

With a contract expiring in mere weeks, nurses are demanding city officials negotiate a contract. The union, which represents 40,000 New York City nurses, notes that thousands of nurses have already reached tentative agreements at 10 private hospital systems, seeing historic gains in safe-staffing ratios and wage increases reaching 19 per cent over three years.

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With that increase in pay, the widening disparity between private- and public-sector nurses will grow to more than $19,500 a year. The union says this could dramatically impact retention rates in the citys already-struggling public health system.

Nurse retention is the worst Ive ever seen it, according to Dr Judith Cutchin, union vice president and president of the unions New York City Health+Hospitals/Mayorals executive council.

Public health nurses are leaving the system or the profession entirely, she said in a statement shared with The Independent, because its just too difficult to know that you cannot provide the level of care every patient deserves when you are always understaffed.

Public sector nurses cannot wait months and months to settle a fair contract, added Sonia Lawrence, a nurse at Lincoln Hospital in The Bronx. We will bleed too many nurses if the city waits to negotiate with us.

New York City Council member Crystal Hudson, whose mother was a nurse at Harlem Hospital for more than 30 years, said the citys nurses have handled the impossible through the Covid-19 pandemic and an explosion of flu and respiratory illnesses.

Fair contracts for our nurses means greater care for our loved ones, she said in a statement. It means equity, and it means paying our nurses more than lip service.

The hospital system is grateful for the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice our highly-skilled nurses make every day, according to a statement from spokesperson Christopher Miller to The City.

We look forward to negotiating a new contract with [the union] when the current one expires in March and welcome new opportunities to strengthen our partnership with [the union] and the nurses who are so essential to our mission and our systems success, he added.
The union membership rate in the U.S. hit a new low in 2022 despite a wave of organizing efforts across the country, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The percentage of workers who were members of a union dropped to 10.1 percent, down from 10.3 percent. While the number of union workers increased by 273,000 last year, that only accounted for a small fraction of the 5.3 million jobs added.

This disproportionately large increase in the number of total wage and salary employment compared with the increase in the number of union members led to a decrease in the union membership rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics wrote in a news release.

Union membership has steadily fallen for decades amid anti-organizing efforts by corporations and Republican lawmakers. Roughly 20 percent of workers were union members in 1983.

That trend continued last year, even as workers at Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and other companies voted to unionize for the first time, overcoming intense opposition from their employers.

The number of union petitions rose 53 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The number of strikes also rose dramatically as workers protested stagnant wages, long hours and difficult working conditions.

The AFL-CIO said that the figures dont capture the recent surge in organizing. The nations largest labor federation said that those efforts will result in significant union member growth in the coming years.

In 2022, we saw working people rising up despite often illegal opposition from companies that would rather pay union-busting firms millions than give workers a seat at the table, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. The wave of organizing will continue to gather steam in 2023 and beyond despite broken labor laws that rig the system against workers.

Unions are pushing lawmakers to make it easier for workers to organize, pointing to data that shows strong support for unions. An August Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans approve of unions, the highest figure in 57 years.

While Republicans will continue to block pro-union legislation in Congress, labor has an ally in the Biden administrations NLRB, whose general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, is a former union official. The NLRB has filed lawsuits against Amazon and other employers for cracking down on organizing and aims to ban anti-union tactics such as captive audience meetings.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Well, Halloween has either come late or very early. A grisly discovery in the form of a human skeleton was made on the University of Californias Berkeley campus recently.

ABC News reported that the remains were found in an unused building in the Clark Kerr complex.

The outlet wrote, its unclear how many years the remains were in the shuttered building on the Clark Kerr Campus, which is a residential hall complex and event space thats about a mile from the main campus.

An investigation is pending.

How Long Did The Building Go Unused?

The building hasnt been used in many years, police told the media.

According to CNN, it is not clear how many years they have been there. There are no outstanding cases of missing individuals from the campus community.

CNN reported, the Alameda County Coroners Office has also opened an investigation into the remains.

Is It Known How The Person Died?

Not at this time. CNN wrote, the cause of death hasnt been determined.

The Alameda County Coroners Office will be inspecting the skeletonized remains, which will hopefully lead them to an answer.

The police said, we understand that there are many questions and we anticipate that the coroners report will provide additional information. We do not anticipate this investigation will disrupt resident activities at the Clark Kerr Campus.

The School Describes The Clark Kerr Complex On Its Website

According to the universitys website, Clark Kerr is a mini-neighborhood with Spanish-style architecture and tree-lined courtyards.

Its approximately six blocks from the main campus.

Clark Kerr housing includes both residence hall and suite accommodations. The suites are single-gender and include a shared bathroom, a common area, and a separate locked entrance. Residence hall floors share a central bathroom and are all gender.

UC Berkeley Ranks Well And Is Respected

Dont let this macabre discovery keep you from applying to this school if you really want to.

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According to College Gazette, UC Berkeley was founded in 1868. It was the original university of the University of California System, and the second-oldest university in California.

Several alumni over the years have gone on to make names for themselves across numerous fields.

Some of the most notable graduates include Ashley Judd, Gregory Peck, Alex Morgan, and George Takei.

You can find other graduates listed here.

According to U.S. News, the top majors students pursue include: Social Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Engineering; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Mathematics and Statistics; Natural Resources and Conservation; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Physical Sciences; and Communication, Journalism, and related programs.

There Are Three (Maybe Four) Reasons Why Berkeley Is Cool

San Francisco it isnt. Not even close.

However, there are three reasons why you should visit Berkeley at some point.

The food is diverse and fantastic. As Travel Noire reported in 2019, if you enjoy foods from all over the world, just across from campus, you will find the popular food street. This road literally has almost anything you could possibly crave.

Its a great spot for artists and those who appreciate art. Theres visual art and even performance art to take in, depending on when you go.

Love Sake? Hit up Takara Sake which offers daily tastings that will take you through a brief history of this Japanese spirit.

Takara Sake has the distinction of being the only Sake distillery in the U.S.

Theres also a fourth reason that we listed as an honorable mention. Check out the marina, offering great sunset views, and The Berkeley Boathouse, a great restaurant with views of the Bay.

Related: Woman Stopped At Munich Airport After Husbands Skeleton Found In Her Luggage
Experts say the discovery of classified documents at President Joe Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home and at an old Washington office of his at the Penn Biden Center has put Attorney General Merrick Garland in the middle of two "unprecedented" special counsel investigations.

The parallel probes of both Biden and Donald Trump are an extraordinary circumstance, legal experts and former prosecutors told ABC News, and will inevitably require Garland and the Department of Justice to walk a tightrope to avoid any appearance of politicization while investigating if crimes were broken by the current or former president.

"We're really in uncharted waters here," said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor in California who now leads the firm West Coast Trial Lawyers.

Garland announced on Thursday that he was naming former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur as a special counsel in the investigation of Biden's handling of classified material that he apparently kept from his time as vice president.

MORE: Who is special counsel Robert Hur, the Trump appointee overseeing DOJ's Biden probe?

The attorney general previously appointed special counsel Jack Smith to lead the Department of Justice's probe into the retention of classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Biden's attorneys have cast the discovery of the classified documents at his home and office as an inadvertent "mistake."

Trump denies wrongdoing and has said, without evidence, that he allegedly declassified the records at his home. Trump's attorneys have also refused when pressed by the Justice Department to back up his declassification argument in court, where making false claims carries the potential for sanctions or other punishment.

Garland stressed Hur's appointment was reflective of the department's "commitment to both independence and accountability, in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions guided only by the facts and the law."

PHOTO: US Attorney General Merrick Garland names an independent special counsel to probe President Joe Biden's alleged mishandling of classified documents at the US Justice Department in Washington, DC on Jan. 12, 2023. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

While the special counsels will operate with autonomy, it is Garland who will have the final say over whether to charge either Biden or Trump with a crime, such as violation of the Presidential Records Act or statutes that dictate proper handling of classified material. One expert who spoke to ABC News was skeptical of Garland charging one individual and not the other.

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"It's an enormous amount of pressure upon the attorney general," said Sarah Krissoff, a former federal prosecutor in New York and current defense attorney.

"This is really an unprecedented moment, mind-boggling frankly," she added.

In both cases, it also remains unclear how the materials at issue could affect national security. Lawmakers in Congress expect to be briefed on their contents and have asked for an intelligence assessment of the documents.

Meanwhile, there is technically a third special counsel also at work under Garland: John Durham was appointed by then-Attorney General William Barr in late 2020 to investigate the origins of the FBI's investigation of the Trump 2016 campaign's ties to Russia. Durham has not formally closed his investigation and is expected to issue a report that Garland could decide to release publicly.

Politics at play

Trump is already using the revelation about classified documents at Biden's home and office to claim selective prosecution -- that the Democratic Party has "weaponized" federal law enforcement against him.

His allies have decried a "double standard" over the handling of Biden's case, though Biden aides highlighted his stated willingness to cooperate in returning the classified material from his vice presidency and in explaining why it was kept.

House Republicans, who are now the majority in the chamber, have launched their own investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents while out of office. Many have seized on the fact that his residence was not similarly raided after federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago.

"I mean, there's a two-tier system of justice here with respect to how the former president [is] treated versus the current president," Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis.

According to court documents and public statements, Biden and Trump's teams seem to have responded to the government with much different levels of cooperation regarding their classified documents: The National Archives said it negotiated with Trump's team throughout 2021 to retrieve 15 boxes taken from the White House, finally receiving them in January 2022 and alerting the DOJ to investigate that February, resulting in the discovery of further classified materials.

The Biden matter, by contrast, was first flagged by his attorneys to the National Archives in November, his lawyers have said. They have stressed how they have readily returned the documents they found over multiple searches.

Experts told ABC News that Garland's selection of Hur to be special counsel was likely an attempt to placate concerns of politicization or bias. Hur was appointed by Trump to serve in one of the largest U.S. attorney's offices in the nation, when he was the chief federal law enforcement officer in Maryland.

"You want someone like that so there's no appearance that it's not in a truly independent prosecutor conducting the investigation," said Rahmani.

The special counsel investigations are likely to play out in the background of the 2024 race. Trump has already announced his candidacy, and Biden has said it's his intention to run for a second term but hasn't made an official decision.

Another layer to the situation is the fact that Biden cannot be charged while he is in office, according to longstanding Department of Justice policy, which views impeachment as the only method to hold a president accountable for their actions while in office.

But Trump, as a private citizen, can be charged -- though such a move would be unprecedented, too.

Will it impact the outcome of the cases?

Despite the differences between the two investigations, experts said one question going forward will be whether the Trump case influences the Biden probe and vice versa.

"How much does what's happening with President Trump impact this?" Dan Abrams, ABC News' chief legal analyst, said during an appearance on "Good Morning America."

"For example, are they going to subpoena the Biden team?" Abrams said. "The Biden team will say, 'Look, we're giving them everything that we have, you don't need to subpoena us.' Do they subpoena them anyway, just to show that they are using the same legal tools that were used in the case of Donald Trump?"

Experts noted the biggest distinction between the Trump and Biden matter so far: the apparent level of cooperation with law enforcement. Biden attorneys have said they immediately notified the National Archives when the documents were found, while court documents show the FBI search of Trump's home came after a yearlong effort by the National Archives and Justice Department to get documents back from him.

PHOTO: This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. (Department of Justice via AP, FILE)

"We're really looking at apples and orange, but to many people this is gonna look like apples and apples. And I'm not sure even with the most successful messaging from the Department of Justice, they're going to be able to overcome that," Krissoff said.

Garland has indicated he is well aware of the public scrutiny around both special counsels. Hur, who is investigating the Biden matter, said in a short statement that he intends "to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor."

MORE: How does the Biden classified documents matter compare to Trump's?

Krissoff said she expects the DOJ to bring forward charges against Trump if they have the evidence, telling ABC News: "If they have a strong case, I expect they will move forward regardless."

But Rahmani, who said the classified documents debacle appeared to be the department's strongest criminal case against Trump out of his legal troubles, believes the addition of Biden apparently mishandling classified documents has muddied the picture.

"Ultimately, I don't think the Department of Justice, who tries to stay out of these types of political waters, is going to prosecute one individual but not the other," Rahmani said.

'Unprecedented' special counsels for Biden, Trump put 'enormous pressure' on Garland: Experts originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Those who claim that "China's economic slide is dragging down the global economy" should retract their rumors.

Faced with the impacts of multiple unexpected factors, China's economy withstood the pressure and maintained overall stability. China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3 percent year on year to a record high of 121.0207 trillion yuan (about 17.95 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday.

This economic performance was hard won, given the scale of the world's second-largest economy, which surpassed 100 trillion yuan and 110 trillion yuan in 2020 and 2021, respectively, as well as headwinds from COVID-19 and downward pressure in the global economy.

The Chinese economy is integrating with the world more closely and strongly. In U.S. dollar terms, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, increased 8 percent year on year to 189.13 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

The country's goods trade totaled 42.07 trillion yuan, up 7.7 percent year on year, ranking first globally for a sixth consecutive year, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The figure exceeded 40 trillion yuan for the first time, the GAC said.

In 2022, China strived to balance its epidemic response with economic and social development, steadily improved the quality of development, made substantial achievements in scientific and technological innovation, deepened reform and opening-up in a comprehensive way, and stabilized employment and prices.

The 3 percent growth rate, a relatively high rate among the world's major economies in 2022, highlights the strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality of the Chinese economy, and the effective coordination of epidemic response with economic and social development.

With China now in a new phase of its epidemic response, analysts predict the accelerated growth of the Chinese economy in 2023 despite various challenges. The international community generally believes that although China's economic growth slowed in 2022 due to the epidemic and other factors, China's economic and social vitality will be released further as COVID-19 prevention and control work enters a new stage, and it will continue to be the "stabilizer" of world economic recovery and the "engine" of growth.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that China will achieve stable economic growth in 2023, and become the largest positive factor in the global economy.

Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, said recently that China's optimization of its COVID-19 response will lead to stronger and more prosperous growth and contribute to global growth.

The current international situation is still complex and China's economic growth is still faced with the triple pressure of decreasing demand, supply shocks and weaker expectations.

In 2023, China will focus on boosting domestic demand by prioritizing the expansion of consumption, increasing personal income through multiple channels, and encouraging more private capital to participate in the construction of key national projects, according to the annual central economic work conference last month.

"This year's Spring Festival holiday is expected to achieve the best results in the past three years," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. The Spring Festival travel rush is one of the signs that life and production are returning to normal across the country.

In contrast to those who advocate a decoupling from China, there is a growing awareness of the opportunities China presents to the world.

China's economy is expected to show strong growth, with its momentum strengthened considerably, said Liang Guoyong, a senior economist for the United Nations (UN) Conference on Trade and Development. "This will provide an important impetus for the growth of the world economy and contribute to its overall stability," Liang said.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  U.S. authorities handed over a key suspect in the 2014 disappearance of 43 college students to Mexico, after the man was caught trying to cross the border Dec. 20 without proper documents.

Mexicos National Immigration Institute identified the man only by his first name, but a federal agent later confirmed Thursday that he is Alejandro Tenescalco. The institute said he failed to qualify for asylum in the United States.

Tenescalco was a police supervisor in the city of Iguala, where the students from a rural teachers college were abducted by municipal police. Investigations suggest corrupt police turned the students over to a drug gang, who killed them and burned their bodies.

Alejandro Encinas, the head of the government Truth Commission, has called Tenescalco one of the main perpetrators of the crime.

He faces charges of kidnapping and organized crime. The Mexican government had offered a $500,000 reward for his arrest.

In 2022, the Truth Commission declared the disappearances a state crime, because authorities at all levels of government were involved in the disappearances and cover-up.

The investigations resulted in the arrests of three soldiers, including a now retired general who had been the army commander in the area when the abductions occurred. Also, then federal Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam has been accused of inventing the governments original account based on torture and manipulation of evidence.

But some charges against dozens of other suspects have been tossed out because of tainted evidence.
(Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands and Japan, home to key suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, are close to joining a Biden administration-led effort to restrict exports of the technology to China and hobble its push into the chips industry.

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The Dutch and Japanese export controls may be agreed to and finalized as soon as the end of January, according to people familiar with the matter. Japans prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, discussed their plans with US President Joe Biden at the White House earlier this month.

Im fairly confident that we will get there, Rutte said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Hague and Tokyo likely wont go as far as Washingtons restrictions, which not only limit exports of American-made machinery but also impede US citizens from working with Chinese chipmakers. Even so, Beijing may find itself even more cut off from either the technology or know-how it needs to build the most advanced kinds of semiconductors once all three countries act.

While the US is home to the biggest group of chip-gear makers, the Netherlands boasts ASML Holding NV, which controls the market for lithography technology thats one of the most important steps in producing the electronic components. Japans Tokyo Electron Ltd. is a major rival to US companies in other types of machinery. Without access to their state-of-the-art products and those supplied by US firms Applied Materials Inc., Lam Research Corp. and KLA Corp., Chinese companies would find it almost impossible to build production lines capable of the most advanced chip manufacturing, analysts say.

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Shares of Applied Materials fell 3.2%, Lam Research declined 2.8% and KLA dropped 3.1% in New York trading on Thursday. Tokyo Electron closed down 0.2% on Friday and ASML had fallen 0.3% as of 12:27 p.m. in Amsterdam on Friday.

On Friday, Japanese ruling party heavyweight Akira Amari, the main architect of Tokyos effort to elevate Japans semiconductor industry, said his country must join the US in containing Chinas chip ambitions, warning that Beijing is part of a group of nations seeking global hegemony and must be curbed.

But any sanctions need to be carefully calibrated to avoid a complete decoupling that risks global economic stability, Amari told Bloomberg News.

Countries like China, Russia and North Korea are vying for global hegemony, and we should never help them achieve that, Amari said in an interview. We must join the US in stopping exports of cutting-edge chips that can be diverted for military use and pose serious security concerns.

A spokeswoman for the White Houses National Security Council declined to comment.

China Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday at a regular press briefing in Beijing that the US effort showed its selfish hegemonic interest and that Washington was seeking to benefit itself at the expense of its allies.

Beijing would follow what is developing and defend our own interests, Wang added.

The Biden administration issued sweeping new rules in October that include restrictions on the supply of US manufacturers most advanced chipmaking equipment to Chinese customers and limits on Americans working for Chinese semiconductor firms, a move aimed at choking off access to certain expertise.

A comment period on the Commerce Departments rules  opposed by some US semiconductor companies but supported by lawmakers in both parties  closes Jan. 31. Republicans in Congress have pressured Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to crack down even tighter on Chinese chipmakers, questioning in a letter on Wednesday whether the export controls are being sufficiently enforced.

Semiconductors have become a key battleground for the growing rivalry between the worlds two largest economies. The US is the inventor and largest provider of the technology, while China is the biggest single market. Beijings dependence, combined with growing efforts by Washington to limit access to advanced chips and their military use, have prompted China to seek to reduce its reliance on imports.

For Biden, broadening his move against China to include the Netherlands and Japan will add to its effectiveness. For the Dutch and Japanese, as for some US companies, the geopolitical concerns must be weighed against losing access to a huge market.

I commend the Biden administration for working with our partners to apply export controls on equipment used to make advanced semiconductors and am eager to scrutinize the specifics of what comes out of these talks, Texas Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement to Bloomberg News. A Republican Congress is ready to use its authorities to protect U.S. national security and defend human rights, should the outcomes not substantially match the controls currently in place.

McCaul is set to meet with Raimondo to discuss the matter on Thursday. Its uncertain how long it will take the other countries to implement their measures.

It could even be something which just happens without big announcements, Rutte said in the interview. Its still not clear. It depends a bit on how the discussions with various countries will evolve.

After the US announcement in October, some American companies were forced to warn investors that they may lose out on billions of dollars in future China revenue. Since then, theyve argued it also exposes them to losing market share, if overseas competitors are allowed to continue to operate in China relatively unrestricted.

Tokyo Electron has said the general clampdown on its Chinese customers is already hurting business.

ASML has said that demand elsewhere in the world for its most advanced products can make up for any revenue shortfall from China, though Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink also said last month his company has given up enough with the pre-existing restrictions on the sales of its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to the Asian country.

--With assistance from Debby Wu, Alberto Nardelli, Diederik Baazil, Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa.

(Updates with ASML, Tokyo Electron share price in sixth paragraph)

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Its like playing information roulette

Recent news stories about artificial intelligence (AI) and the revolutionary breakthroughs showcased by OpenAIs ChatGPT made me curious as an employment lawyer: can AI accurately answer legal questions and draft employment documents, like non-solicitation agreements? It cannotat least not with consistent accuracy. AI churns out confident-sounding, personalized answers but those answers often miss the mark. Heres my experience so far.

I went for broke on the first question. I asked the software to write an employee non-solicitation clause enforceable in New Hampshire. To my amazement, it wrote one.

Brian Bouchard asks AI software to write an employee non-solicitation clause enforceable in New Hampshire.

Looks passable, right? It even includes buzz phrases like directly or indirectly. But looks are one thing; substantive compliance is another. Most problematically, the AI-generated clause impliedly includes all prospective and potential clients of the company, which is verboten in New Hampshire. While prohibiting solicitation of active prospects the employee was courting while employed with the company might fly, it is unlikely a NH court would enforce the broad language generated here. There are also other issues of being too broadly written because the clause is not tailored to the legitimate needs of the company. The advice at the end about consulting legal counsel turns out to be good advice.

I next asked the software for the differences between Federal and New Hampshire tip pooling laws. Heres the response:

Brian Bouchard asked AI software for the differences between Federal and New Hampshire tip pooling laws. This was the AI response.

Much of this is either misleading or wrong. For example, its misleading because it says the employer is not allowed to keep any portion of the tip pool but doesnt explain that the term employer includes managers and supervisors. It also totally fumbled New Hampshire law. In New Hampshire, employers cannot require employees to participate in tip pools. NH RSA 279:26-b requires that any tip pooling or tip sharing must be completely voluntary and without coercion.

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Changing the search inputs generates different results. Indeed, it seems that the more legal jargon used, the more accurate the results become. Heres an exchange about ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protection:

Heres an exchange about ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protection between Brian Bouchard and AI software.

This answer mostly tracks the ADAs definition of a qualified individual with a disability and isnt wrong per se. The fact that it personalizes the answer to Mark is impressivebut could also just be a fun parlor trick.

The takeaway is that to receive a correct answer from AI, the user often has to be knowledgeable enough to know what to ask and how to ask it. It took me three or four tries to get the ADA answer above and even then, much was left unsaid about what constitutes an essential function of the job. The answer also lacks nuance about when the individual may be entitled to job reassignment or preferential treatment in the interview process as an accommodation. Perhaps most frustratingly, I rarely received the same answer for the same inputs.

Using AI for legal compliance is like playing information roulette. The AI technology is very clever and sometimes will provide the right answers (and very quickly) but often it will not. The user must ultimately be competent enough to know the difference.

None of this is surprising. OpenAIs website discloses that ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers. Confirmed. Users may be tempted to trust the software anyway. Unlike a Google search that simply directs the user to potentially relevant websites, ChatGPT provides a unique and personalized narrative response in real-time. Users can watch the AI type its response. That personal touch creates an alluring but false air of credibility.

Other problems lurk beneath the surface. If anyone thinks that questions asked to ChatGPT are confidential or privileged, think again. Savvy plaintiffs attorneys might soon ask for ChatGPT inputs and results in their lawsuit discovery requests. Legal woes could await the HR professional who asked a hypothetical question about how to terminate Mark even with his alleged disability.

The OpenAI technology is breathtaking and at times a little spooky. At one point in my experiment, it drafted an official looking legal Complaint based on a simple timber trespass inquiry. Technology like ChatGPT could one day provide legal compliance information with consistent accuracy and disrupt our entire white-collar service economy. Today is not that day, however. Until that day, businesses still need qualified employment counsel to draft their employment agreements and to help manage all manner of legal compliance. But if you think information roulette is more your speed, I encourage you to look at the US Department of Labors press releases from 2022 showing aggressive (and public) enforcement efforts with huge sums of money collected; you may feel differently about trusting your organizations legal compliance to AI.

Disclaimers: This article is not intended to be and is not a substitute for legal advice. This article also is not a product review of any kind.

Brian J. Bouchard

Brian J. Bouchard is an attorney with Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green PA in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. You can reach him at bbouchard@sheehan.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Using AI for legal compliance
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KTVX)  A Utah plastic surgeon, his neighbor, and two others are facing charges in connection with allegations that they gave people fake vaccination cards and destroyed government-provided COVID-19 vaccinations.

They are also accused of giving children fake COVID-19 shots.

According to court documents, Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., 58, and three others allegedly ran a scheme out of Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah Inc. to defraud the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Man arrested for allegedly strangling and threatening to kill girlfriend multiple times

The documents say Moore and his neighbor, Kristin Jackson Andersen, 59, were members of a private organization seeking to liberate the medical profession from government and industry conflicts of interest.

The pair, along with office manager Kari Dee Burgoyne, 52, and receptionist Sandra Flores, 31, are accused of destroying at least $28,000 worth of COVID-19 vaccinations and distributing at least 1,900 doses worth of fake completed vaccination record cards.

The court documents allege the fake vaccination cards were sold either for direct cash payments of $50 per person per occurrence or required donations to a specified charitable organization.

The documents estimate the fake vaccination cards have a total value of nearly $97,000.

Moore and his co-defendants are also accused of giving children saline shots at the request of their parents so the children would think they were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

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By allegedly falsifying vaccine cards and administering saline shots to children instead of COVID-19 vaccines, not only did this provider endanger the health and well-being of a vulnerable population but also undermined public trust and the integrity of federal health care programs, said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.

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Moore, his co-defendants, and the Plastic Surgery Institute have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey, and dispose of government property; and conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property and aiding and abetting.

The defendants are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The state Senates blue wall gained another brick Wednesday when Democrat Aaron Rouse was sworn in to replace Republican Jen Kiggans.

That brick wall is looking good, isnt it? said Portsmouth Democrat Louise Lucas, laughing as she left Senate chambers.

Rouse, a former Virginia Beach city councilman, narrowly defeated Republican Kevin Adams last week in a special election for Virginias 7th Senate District seat. Kiggans, who had another year on her term, stepped down after winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats now hold 22-18 advantage in the Senate.

Rouse told The Virginian-Pilot that his most pressing concern is fighting back against any effort to restrict abortion access.

I think obviously my election sent a signal that we are going to protect womens reproductive rights, he said. But I also want to find measures so we can support teachers pay and look at the budget and see how we can support Virginias families.

With a Republican governor and GOP-held House of Delegates, Democrats largely depend on their Senate majority  which has dubbed itself the brick wall  to block Republican policies. But their majority is slim, meaning even a couple of defections could cause the wall to collapse.

After flipping Kiggans seat, Lucas said she now feels confident Senate Democrats will stand strong this session.

It gives us just the little bit of cushion we need to make sure that we can beat back all those draconian bills that are going to be sent down by the governor and his party, she told The Pilot.

Benjamin Melusky, assistant professor of political science at Old Dominion University, said that extra buffer comes at a vital time. All 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for election later this year.

Defections are more likely during election years, he explained, as legislators may be more inclined to buck the partys agenda on specific issues if it appealed to their districts voters.

In addition to fighting off abortion restrictions, Melusky said Democrats might also feel more empowered to push for policies they want, such as gun control.

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This basically just gives the Democrats more breathing room, he said.

The Republican Party of Virginia did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Liam Watson, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Virginia, said he believes the GOPs focus on restricting abortion ultimately cost them Kiggans seat. The debate over reproductive rights in the commonwealth heated up after Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer.

They are the dog that caught the car, and now theyre going to have to bear the consequences, Watson said.

Shortly after he was sworn in, Rouse took to Twitter to express gratitude to his Hampton Roads supporters.

Thank you to the voters of Senate District 7 for your trust and faith in me, he tweeted. I look forward to working everyday to fight for you in Richmond.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
Jan. 18WATERTOWN  Residents and businesses could save about 10% on their electric bills if the city proceeds with a proposal to sell hydroelectric power to them.

City Council members on Tuesday night directed City Manager Kenneth A. Mix to start investigating how the city can sell power from its hydroelectric plant on Marble Street directly to residents and businesses.

The city's hydro consultant, Amber Energy US Inc., recommended selling electricity to residential consumers through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Community Choice Aggregation program.

Councilman Cliff G. Olney III asked that a resolution be put on Tuesday's agenda that directs Mr. Mix to "investigate and determine" how the city can go about selling electricity to residential and business consumers.

Tuesday's action is the first step in determining how to go about the proposal.

The discussion comes after the city's hydroelectric task force last month recommended selling power as a way to generate revenue and help save money for residential consumers.

Three years ago, Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith put together the hydroelectric task force to find ways to offset the loss of a lucrative contract to sell hydro power to National Grid before the agreement ends in 2030.

For years, city officials have warned about the city is facing a fiscal cliff after the National Grid agreement expires.

But they believe that selling hydro power to consumers and taking a series of initiatives could generate between $1 million and $4 million a year, with an annual average of $2.5 million.

The task force determined it's a way to generate revenue, help save money for residential consumers and ease the financial crunch of losing the National Grid agreement.

"If we get some revenue, I think it's a good thing," Mayor Smith said.

The task force also recommends generating revenues through the wholesale market.

The city now uses hydroelectricity to power all of its buildings and then sells its excess to National Grid. The city could begin selling electricity to residents and businesses anytime before the end of the National Grid contract, Mr. Butler said.

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Residents would still pay the same amount for National Grid to distribute electricity to those customers. However, they could save about 10% in discounts by purchasing the power from the city.

There are two ways that the city could go when going through NYSERDA's Community Choice Aggregation program, Mr. Butler said.

The city could run the electric company on its own and hire employees. But the city would most likely retain an Energy Service Company (ESCO) to market the program, explain to residents how it works, conduct the day-to-day operations and bill to customers.

In 1991, the city began the franchise agreement to sell electricity to National Grid. When the agreement expires, the power company will pay the city 34.78 cents per kilowatt-hour, much more than it will be valued on the open market.

At the end of the agreement, the city will receive about $6 million a year. In 2022, the city received about $4 million from the power giant.
Xi makes video calls to people across China, extending festive greetings ahead of Year of Rabbit

Xinhua) 08:08, January 19, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke with medical workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village via video link.

Xi wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups healthy and happy lives in the Year of the Rabbit and expressed his hope that the country will enjoy prosperity and the people live in a safe and peaceful nation.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 22.

Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- were also present during the virtual talks.

Speaking with medical workers and an elderly patient at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Xi said that facing this latest wave of COVID-19 infections, medical workers have worked long hours under heavy pressure and with an excessive workload to treat patients.

Acknowledging their great contributions to protecting people's lives and health, Xi extended festive greetings to medical workers across the country.

"We have now entered a new phase of COVID-19 response. Tough challenges remain, but the light of hope is right in front of us. Perseverance means victory," he said.

The country had made "the right choice" to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic with strict measures over the past nearly three years, Xi said, adding that China has thus withstood several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations.

China has lowered the proportion of severe cases and the case fatality rate to the greatest extent possible, protected people's lives and health, and bought precious time for the later moves to optimize response and downgrade the management of COVID-19, Xi said.

The focus of the current COVID-19 response has shifted from infection prevention to medical treatment, with protecting people's health and preventing severe cases being the priority, said Xi, noting that hospitals are now undertaking more arduous tasks.

Xi demanded efforts to increase medical resources and the supply of medical services and drugs, and to prepare for medical treatment of severe cases in particular.

While talking via video link with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, on the same day, Xi said stricter epidemic prevention and health management measures should be taken at nursing homes and welfare facilities to prevent clusters of infection, as older people are the top priority in the current COVID-19 response stage.

As China's population aging is becoming more prominent, Xi called for the proactive development of elderly care programs and industries, state-run elderly care institutions and more affordable elderly care services.

Special efforts should be made to guarantee the provision of elderly care services for those most in need, including people with financial difficulties, of advanced age or unable to care for themselves, he said.

During another virtual talk, Xi stressed the importance of stable energy supply and price.

"Energy security concerns the overall economic and social development of our country. It is one of the most important security issues," Xi told employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Noting that winter is the peak season for energy use in China, Xi said that no efforts should be spared to ensure the supply of coal, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, and to keep their prices stable.

He stressed the importance of being fully prepared to deal with possible extreme cold waves, guaranteeing energy supply and ensuring people stay warm this winter.

Noting the important role of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government, Xi asked them to make all-out efforts to increase output and ensure supply to meet the energy consumption needs of economic and social development.

Located in the Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang, the Tarim oilfield of the China National Petroleum Corporation is a major natural gas source for the country's West-to-East gas pipelines. It provides natural gas for residents in southern Xinjiang and provinces, regions and municipalities along the pipelines.

Through video link, Xi extended his festival greetings to passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station -- one of China's largest high-speed railway stations -- in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, and talked with passengers on the station platform.

He asked the passengers if they were heading back home for family reunions or out traveling and reminded them of safety awareness during their trips.

Xi underscored the importance of the Spring Festival travel to people's immediate interests, economic development, and social stability.

He said this year's Spring Festival travel rush is the first after the country entered a new phase of COVID response, with a major recovery of passenger flows. He urged efforts to ensure safe and sound trips for the people and smooth and orderly flows of essential supplies.

Xi called for efforts to strengthen the monitoring and early warning of extreme weather conditions and carry out safety overhauls to prevent major safety accidents.

Xi demanded strict implementation of anti-COVID measures to reduce infection risks to the minimum.

Xi also extended his holiday greetings to vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing.

To his delight, Xi heard that the food price was stable and the provision of various produce was sufficient.

Xi urged the wholesale market to expand its suppliers and the diversity of products, maintain good quality, and step up food safety examination and market management.

Xi stressed redoubled efforts to ensure sound production, sale, and supply of essential commodities such as grain, edible oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables.

A smooth delivery, sufficient and diversified provisions, and the stable market price of these commodities should be guaranteed during the holiday so that people can have a happy and sound Chinese New Year, Xi said.

Speaking with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Xi called on them to strive for common prosperity to make their lives better.

Shiyi Village is one of the villages rebuilt after being heavily stricken by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

Xi extended festive greetings to the villagers and tourists, and he also sent Spring Festival wishes to all rural residents across China and those working hard on the frontline in the country's rural revitalization cause.

He asked local officials and tourists about the village's tourism. Hearing positive feedback, Xi stressed the role of agricultural specialties and rural tourism in the rural revitalization of the new era.

Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its COVID-19 response measures.

Xi stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas, and ensure the health of rural residents and their normal running of work and life to the maximum extent possible.

At the end of the virtual talks, Xi delivered an important speech.

"As we greet the Spring Festival, I care more about my fellow people and officials working at the primary level," Xi said.

Xi said this year's virtual talks enabled him to speak with people from across the country. He said that he could feel the happiness and joy of the people, even from behind the screen.

"My heart is always with you all and people of all ethnic groups across the country," Xi said. "My biggest wish is that we all have a happy Spring Festival."

He ordered sound implementation of COVID response measures in the new phase and effective prevention of emergencies and accidents so that people across the country will have a joyful and safe Spring Festival.

The past year was extraordinary but not easy, Xi said. "We have overcome all kinds of difficulties and challenges, making new achievements on all fronts."

For the year ahead, Xi called for concerted efforts to make more progress and greater contributions to the country.

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao)

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- were also present during the virtual talks. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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This photo taken on Jan. 18, 2023 shows the crash site of a helicopter in Brovary, a town in the suburbs of Kiev, Ukraine. [Photo/Xinhua]



The Ukrainian government on Wednesday appointed Igor Klymenko, chief of the National Police, as the acting interior minister, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.



The appointment was made following the death of Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky in a helicopter crash earlier in the day.

An EC 225 Super Puma helicopter went down on Wednesday morning near a kindergarten in the residential district of Brovary, a town in the suburbs of Kiev, causing a fire in an area of 500 square meters.

The crash killed all nine people on board the helicopter, including Monastyrsky, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and State Secretary of the Interior Ministry Yuriy Lubkovych.

The latest data from the State Service for Emergencies suggested that 14 people were killed and 25 others were injured in the crash. Earlier, officials gave an initial death toll of 18.

The government has decided to set up a special working group to investigate the crash, Shmyhal said.
Closeup of Aedes mosquito (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  The number of weekly dengue cases has remained high over the start of this year, and the National Environment Agency (NEA) has warned that it could lead to another dengue outbreak if not properly managed.

The agency said in a media release on Thursday (19 January) that there were 279 dengue cases reported between 9 and 15 January. This is almost double the number of cases reported within the same period in 2022.

As of Wednesday, 82 active dengue clusters have been identified. This includes 13 large clusters with 10 or more dengue cases.

Clusters with the fastest rate of dengue transmission are found in Hougang Avenue 1 (81 cases), Lorong 4 Toa Payoh (46 cases) and Hougang Avenue 6 (34 cases).

Dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) remains the predominant serotype circulating across Singapore. As population immunity to DENV-3 is low, more people are susceptible to infection with this serotype.

NEA has reminded the public to remove potential mosquito breeding habitats in their homes and surrounding areas and stay vigilant against the continuing dengue threat, to help prevent an early rise in dengue cases.

Stepped up inspection amid Chinese New Year period

Leading up to the Chinese New Year period, NEA has stepped up inspection measures at all plant nurseries.

A festive publicity campaign has also been launched at these nurseries which include distribution of a festive dengue prevention package. The package includes red packets and posters with dengue prevention messages to remind both plant sellers and buyers to maintain vigilance and prevent mosquito breeding

Homeowners doing spring cleaning are reminded to properly dispose of any refuse, including large furniture or household items. This is to prevent discarded materials from becoming unintentional mosquito breeding habitats.

Plant owners are urged to ensure water does not accumulate in flower pot plates, or on top of any hardened soil.

Members of the public are encouraged to practise the following B-L-O-C-K steps:

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B reak up hardened soil

L ift and empty flowerpot plates

O verturn pails and wipe their rims

C hange water in vases

Keep roof gutters clear and place BTI insecticide

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
Faith Anne Heeren vividly remembers the day she first became aware of her weight.

It was first grade. Nurses came to her North Carolina private school to practice taking vitals, which included weighing in front of the entire class.

Heeren watched from the back of a single-file line as each one of her classmates stepped up onto the scale. After it was her turn, she suddenly felt a hand grab her arm and yank her out of the classroom.

They took me to a private room and told me if I didnt focus on my weight that I was putting myself at risk for all these health issues, said Heeren, now 25 and living in Gainesville, Florida. They sent me home to my parents after having this traumatic experience where my weight was being used against me.

Faith Anne Heeren, then 5 years old, at her home in 2003.

For the next 10 years, her mother took her to countless providers to seek help, but they were always met with variations of the "eat less, move more" response. Eventually at age 15, Heeren became one of the first teens to undergo weight loss surgery.

Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its first comprehensive guidance for evaluating and treating childhood obesity, recommending early and proactive treatment for children as young as 2. The new guidance suggests doctors may prescribe weight loss drugs to kids 12 and older who have obesity and may refer teens 13 and older with severe obesity for weight loss surgery, though situations may vary.

There is no evidence that watchful waiting or delayed treatment is appropriate for children with obesity, said Dr. Sandra Hassink, co-author of the guideline and medical director for the AAP Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight, in a statement.

While the procedure changed Heeren's life, the guidance has drawn scrutiny from advocates and other experts who say it contributes to weight stigma and could fuel disordered eating. They also criticize the guidelines because there is no long-term data for how weight loss drugs and surgery affects children and teens.

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While the American Medical Association acknowledges obesity as a disease, many fat-acceptance advocates argue excess weight is not a disease on its own.

Fat is not nearly as unhealthy as it has been portrayed to be by the mainstream medical establishment, said Tigress Osborn, board chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. There is good reason to ask lots of questions about the motivations of industries and institutions to continue to maintain the narrative that fat is deadly.

Advocates worry new guidance promotes weight bias and stigma

More than 14.4 million children and teens in the United States are affected by obesity, according to the AAP.

Young people with obesity have a body mass index  a measure of body size based on a calculation of height and weight  that meets or exceeds the 95th percentile for kids of the same age and gender. Kids have severe obesity when they reach a BMI at or above 120% of the 95th percentile.

reduce their own biases before discussing treatment options with patients and families.

We know that excess body weight can be associated with health conditions, which we have an obligation to identify and manage, said Dr. Sarah Armstrong, section chair on obesity for the AAP who helped author the new guideline. At the same time, we dont want to stigmatize children and their parents for what is essentially a medical condition.

Diabetes in kids is projected to surge: Can it be prevented?

Teens and surgery: Some experts think more needs to be done

Health experts argue classifying obesity as a disease helps reduce stigma that excess weight is a personal, moral failing. But even after the AMA officially designated obesity as a disease in 2013, a study found about two-thirds of Americans report experiencing weight stigma from doctors.

People with higher internalized weight bias also reported greater health care avoidance, lower frequency of obtaining routine checkups, and lower quality of health care, according to the 2021 report published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One.

Although the data only reflects adults, Osborn argues calling obesity a disease is stigmatizing and the new guidelines put kids at risk for experiencing weight bias. Weight bias is "negative attitudes, beliefs, judgements, stereotypes, and discriminatory actions" aimed at people due to their weight, according to the Obesity Action Coalition.

Theres no way that this advice doesnt further stigmatize fat kids, she said. Having a national organization be like, hey, fat kids are an even bigger problem than we thought they were, does not lessen stigma for children.

Board chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, Tigress Osborn, poses for a photo in her home on June 9, 2022 in Chandler, AZ.

Ragen Chastain, a board-certified patient advocate and medical researcher in Los Angeles, received calls from parents who were worried about how the guidelines would affect their children who have excess weight.

"A lot of panic, a lot of fear," said Chastain, who also authors a blog called "Dances with Fat." "They were put through this as kids and they know how much it harmed them and are terrified it's going to happen to their kids."

Americans don't choose to be fat: Many live within a 'system they don't control.'

Despite getting weight loss surgery at a young age, Heeren said she still experiences instances of weight bias at the doctors office. Although her high blood pressure and insulin resistance has gone away, providers still press on what shes doing to manage her weight.

She believes more education on obesity and related treatments  especially in medical schools and clinical settings  will help combat weight bias and stigma.

Ive never been something that's socially accepted as thin and I still have to love my body and appreciate my body for what is and what it does for me, Heeren said. My treatment actually led me to feeling most comfortable in my body.

Faith Anne Heeren, 25, says getting bariatric surgery at age 15 changed her life. It led her to pursue a career in obesity research as a doctoral student at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

'Recipe for eating disorders to flourish'

In the new guideline, the AAP acknowledges adolescents with obesity may engage in unhealthy practices to lose weight, and refers readers to previous guidelines to prevent, identify and manage disordered eating. Eating disorder experts played a role in shaping the guidelines, according to AAP's Committee on Adolescence, which authored the academy's eating disorders guidance. The guideline also provides resources to screen for disordered eating among teens and children with obesity.

But some argue AAP guidance for children as young as 2 years old may ruin their relationship with food and exercise without giving them a chance to develop intuitive eating skills.

These guidelines set up a recipe for eating disorders to flourish, said Alexis Conason, psychologist, certified eating disorder specialist and author of the "Diet Free Revolution."

When we take kids in larger bodies ... and we tell them in the medical profession that there is something wrong with their body, it can set kids on a lifetime path of difficulty around food and disordered eating," she said.

Research suggests young adults with excess weight are more likely to have an eating disorder diagnosis or report disordered eating behaviors, such as binge eating, vomiting, skipping meals or using laxatives, according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Theres a huge concern that teaching kids to use foods and movement as a way to manipulate their body is how eating disorders start, Chastain said. Not every diet leads to an eating disorder, but every eating disorder starts with a diet.

Ragen Chastain is the author of "The Weight And Healthcare Newsletter" and the blogger behind Dances With Fat.

Other research shows supervised treatment for obesity may decrease the risk of disordered eating or developing an eating disorder.

Heeren recalls how her own problematic relationship with food manifested after a lack of clinical guidance. Her mother looked to health care providers for help but was told to stop feeding her daughter cookies at dinner.

My mom spent a lot of time and energy looking for resources, trying to figure out how to make foods without added sugars, Heeren said. We were monitoring it but without any kind of clinical help.

Obesity medications and surgery lack long-term data for kids, teens

Advocates argue the AAP shouldn't make recommendations that include weight loss drugs and surgery that don't have more than three to five years of follow-up data in children and adolescents. It's impossible to know the long-term impacts of these weight loss interventions, especially in young children, Chastain said.

Last fall, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk announced results of its latest clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of their weight loss drug semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy. Results showed adolescents who got a weekly injection of the drug lost an average of 14.7% of their starting body weight, while those who got a placebo gained 2.7% of their initial weight. Health experts say patients who take other medications on the market typically lose an average of 5% to 12% of their body weight.

Weight loss in 2023: Treatment is on the verge of transformation

This image provided by Novo Nordisk in January 2023, shows packaging for the company's Wegovy drug.

However, researchers stopped reporting results at 68 weeks. Like other weight loss methods, Chastain said most of the participants will likely experience weight regain.

She's worried this could lead to harmful weight recycling, where people lose and regain dangerous amounts weight repeatedly. Regaining weight after medical interventions may also deter people from seeking care out of shame for not keeping the weight off, she argues, leading to worse health outcomes.

Were allowing them to make this decision with little long-term data and those who arent successes are often blamed for their poor experiences, Chastain said. They stop reporting and accessing care because theyre ashamed they havent had the desired outcome.

Weight loss surgery has a few more of years of data. In teens between 13 and 19 with severe obesity, researchers saw improvements in weight, cardiometabolic health, and weight-related quality of life three years after the procedure, according to a 2016 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"There are many things we dont know about what happens when we treat individuals for years and years, potentially decades upon decades, with these medications, but years and years and decades and decades of obesity has known consequences," said Dr. Margaret Stefater-Richards, pediatric endocrinologist at Boston Childrens Hospital adolescent weight loss surgery program.

Experts say when left untreated, obesity can cause serious short- and long-term health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression.

At about 10 years after the procedure, Heeren hasnt experienced any long-term effects from her bariatric surgery. Although she has reported some weight regain, she says obesity is a chronic condition that requires care even after bariatric surgery.

It can be exhausting being a person living with obesity, she said. It never really goes away.

Faith Anne Heeren, 25, and her husband, David Heeren, during their wedding in December 2022.

Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AAP childhood obesity guidelines on surgery, treatment draw scrutiny
Some airlines fared better than others.

Nearmap/Getty Images

The year 2022 was a tumultuous one for airlines in the United States, full of cancellations, baggage delays, and staffing shortages, all coupled with high demand and a bounce back for the travel industry as a whole. Yet some airlines fared better than others.

When it came to overall performance, Delta Air Lines took the cake, ranking first among major U.S. carriers with the lowest cancellation rate, according to The Wall Street Journals 15th annual airline scorecard. But the airlines on-time arrival rate of 81.7 percent was still much lower than 2021 when it was 87.9 percent and lower than 2019 when it was 83.4 percent.

That may be no surprise considering Deltas Chief Executive Ed Bastian recently called 2022 the most difficult operational year in our history.

Despite that, Delta ranked high in nearly every other category, including having the lowest rate of involuntary bumping and canceled flights.

But not every airline weathered the storm so well. Allegiant Air had the lowest on-time arrival rate of just 62.7 percent, also lower than the airlines rate in 2021. An Allegiant spokeswoman blamed a confluence of factors, including weather, COVID-19 infections, and staffing shortages.

JetBlue similarly had a bad year, experiencing issues in nearly every category, like delays, cancellations, mishandled baggage, and customer complaints. In fact, it had the most 2-hour-plus tarmac delays of any U.S. carrier and the second-most canceled flights.

JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty told the WSJ much of that is due to its hub in the congested metro New York and surrounding Northeastern area.

On the other hand, Southwest Airlines, whose Christmas week meltdown was felt for weeks, had fewer overall problems than other carriers in 2022. It actually had the smallest rate of customer complaints and long tarmac delays, but did suffer when it came to canceled flights and involuntary bumping.

Baggage issues also plagued much of the airline industry in 2022, and that was especially true for American Airlines, which saw the highest rate of mishandled bags. And Frontier Airlines had the most complaints of any U.S. airline.

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But the WSJ noted the rankings may be skewed as baggage handling and complaint data for December were not available and not factored into the rankings.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Correction & clarification: A previous version of this article misstated the number of Marylands Eastern Shore counties.

Wes Moore put his hand on the Bible that once belonged to abolitionist and fellow Marylander Frederick Douglass and took the oath of office on Wednesday to become the 63rd governor and the first Black person to hold the position in the states history.

He started his first speech as governor alluding to Marylands past and pointing the way hopes the state will move forward. He later outlined his plans for the state, including adding jobs, addressing climate change, improving public safety and offering a service year option for high school students.

As I stand here today, looking out over Lawyers Mall, at the memorial to Justice Thurgood Marshall, its impossible not to think about our past and our path, said Moore, from the stage erected on the steps of the State House in Annapolis near the spot where Marshall once argued civil rights cases about school desegregation in Maryland.

Wes Moore is sworn in as the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader administers the oath. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, Pool)

"Maryland, our time is right now," he added later.

Several members of the Maryland congressional delegation and at least three former governors of both parties were on hand, as was Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame infielder Cal Ripken Jr. Another celebrity, Oprah Winfrey, introduced Moore.

Historic moment should 'not be taken lightly'

Marylanders from across the state recognized the implications of the day, where Moore was sworn in as the nations third Black elected governor in United States history and his lieutenant governor, Aruna Miller, a native of India, became the first immigrant to hold that position.

Maryland Gov.-Elect Wes Moore and his family meet with Oprah Winfrey at Government House prior to his inauguration in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

Our Union became a little more perfect this day, Tom Perez, a competitor of Moore's in the Democratic primary and a U.S. Labor Secretary during the Obama administration, said in an interview near the gates of the Governors Mansion.

One of the inheritors of Marshalls legacy, former NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, indicated what the day meant to the nation and to Maryland.

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More: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy through intimate, iconic images

It is a moment that is woven into the arc of our history, said Ifill, a Baltimore native, It should not be taken lightly.

Over 20 buses brought over 1,000 Marylanders to the event from as far away as Flintsone and Hagerstown in Western Maryland to Ocean City and Easton on the Eastern Shore. Harriette Lowery, a Talbot County resident, had never been to an inauguration previously.

Maryland Gov.-elect Wes Moore, center, leads a march to the State House prior to his inauguration in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

I want to represent my family, said Lowery. I was standing in the gap for our ancestors.

Moore won Talbot County during the primary, his only Eastern Shore county victory, and again during the general election, one of only two of the nine shore counties that he won. Statewide, he received more votes than any Maryland governor had previously.

Moore calls for service opportunities for high school graduates

Moore called the state asset-rich and strategy poor in outlining his priorities.

"For too long, we have left too many people behind," he said.

The new governor started his discussion of the future with the environment before transitioning to schools and concluding with his desire to enact a service year option for every high school graduate in the state.

He said paths for Marylands students begin with high quality schools from pre-K to 12th grade, a nod to his aim to make pre-kindergarten classes more accessible.

Moore, a combat veteran, discussed his own years of military service and his desire to grow those opportunities for the states young people.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore kisses daughter, Mia, after being sworn in as the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

My years of service transformed me, he said. I want every young Marylander, of every background, in every community, to have the opportunity to serve our state. That is why we will offer a service year option for all high school graduates.

He told the thousands on hand to see him in the sunshine and mild winter weather: Youve elected me to serve as your governor, but the work will be done together.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Wes Moore sworn-in as Marylands 63rd governor, calls for service
CAMDEN - A Westmont man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for distribution child pornography.

Mark Dailey, 33, also must spend five years on supervised release after completing his 135-month term, according to a court record.

His sentence was imposed Jan. 13 by U.S. District Judge Christine O'Hearn in Camden federal court.

Dailey admitted guilt in August 2022 to distribution of child pornography.

He was accused in July 2020 of providing a sexually explicit photo of a young girl to an undercover officer working with a child-pornography task force in Washington, D.C.

A criminal complaint alleged Dailey contacted the officer through an online messaging app.

It alleged he also "sent several images he claimed to be of himself, along with that of a young child who was partially clothed."

As part of his Jan. 13 sentence, Dailey is to forfeit an Apple iPhone, along with "all computer and computer accessories" on which investigators found illicit images, a court record says.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Mark Dailey of Westmont sentenced for child-porn distribution
WhatsApp has been fined 5.5 million euro for a data protection breach Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

WhatsApp has been fined more than five million euro by Irelands data watchdog over data protection breaches.

The 5.5 million euro fine was imposed on WhatsApp Ireland by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) for breaches of the EUs GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

The penalty was described as administrative and is relatively low in comparison to other sanctions imposed on Meta-owned services in Ireland in recent months.

WhatsApp has signalled an intent to appeal the decision.

In a draft ruling, the DPC initially did not propose issuing a fine for the GDPR transparency breaches it identified.

However, it has now moved to impose the sanction on the direction of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), which reviewed the commissions original findings.

The commission has also directed the Meta-owned instant messaging service to bring its data processing operations into compliance within six months.

The DPC fined WhatsApp 225 million euro over transparency breaches in a previous case.

The latest fine comes after a WhatsApp user complained about how the app had asked users to agree to accepting its updated terms of service when GDPR came into effect in May 2018.

At the time, WhatsApp Ireland informed users that if they wanted to use the app they had to click agree and continue to accept the terms of service and, if they declined to do so, then they would be unable to access it.

The user argued WhatsApp was forcing them to consent to the processing of their personal data for service improvement and security.

The complainant contended that was a GDPR breach.

While the forced consent claim was not upheld by the DPC, it found that WhatsApp was in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency.

However, as the commission had imposed the very substantial fine of 225 million euro on WhatsApp in 2021 for similar and other transparency breaches, it did not initially propose issuing another fine.

WhatsApp Ireland had argued that acceptance of the updated terms of service saw the user enter a contract with it.

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It further contended that the processing of users data in connection with the delivery of its service was necessary for the performance of that contract, and that included the provision of service improvement and security features.

The DPC initially ruled that GDPR did not preclude WhatsApp Irelands reliance on the contract legal basis it asserted.

After some other data watchdogs in Europe disagreed with this aspect of the DPCs draft determination, the commission referred the matter to the EDPB to issue a final resolution.

The EDPBs binding determination backed the DPCs findings in relation to transparency and also identified a further breach.

However, it disagreed on the contract legal basis issue, ruling that WhatsApp Ireland was not entitled to rely on it as providing a lawful basis for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security.

The DPC has adopted the EDPBs resolution, resulting in the 5.5 million being imposed for the additional transparency breach identified.

The EDPB has also directed the DPC to conduct a fresh investigation into WhatsApp Irelands processing operations to determine compliance with GDPR.

However, the commission has challenged whether the EDPB has the authority to direct such an investigation and said the move may involve overreach.

The DPC is set to bring an action for annulment before the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to seek the setting aside of the EDPBs direction.

The fine is the latest in a series of sanctions imposed on Meta-owned services by the DPC in recent times.

Earlier this month, Meta was fined 390 million euro for breaches of EU data privacy rules relating to Facebook and Instagram.

The DPC and EDPB both adopted the same opposing stances on the contract legal basis issue in those cases as well.

Responding to the latest DPC ruling, a spokeswoman for WhatsApp said: WhatsApp has led the industry on private messaging by providing end-to-end encryption and layers of privacy that protect people. We strongly believe that the way the service operates is both technically and legally compliant.

We rely upon contractual necessity for service improvement and security purposes because we believe helping keep people safe and offering an innovative product is a fundamental responsibility in operating our service.

We disagree with the decision and we intend to appeal.
The White House blasted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday after he compared the United States approach to Russia with the Nazis effort to eradicate the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Our first reaction is how dare he compare anything to the Holocaust, anything. Let alone a war that they started, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing.

Its almost so absurd that its not worth responding to, other than the truly offensive manner in which he tried to cast us in terms of Hitler and the Holocaust, he added.

Lavrov accused the U.S. of attempting to form a coalition of European countries to solve the Russian question at a news conference on Wednesday, referencing the Nazis plan for the genocide of the Jewish people during World War II, known as the Final Solution.

They are waging war against our country with the same task: the final solution of the Russian question, Lavrov said, according to Reuters.

Just as Hitler wanted a final solution to the Jewish question, now, if you read Western politicians  they clearly say Russia must suffer a strategic defeat, he added.

The Kremlin has repeatedly sought to frame its invasion of Ukraine as an effort to denazify the country, a move that has sparked intense backlash from the international community.

Kirby said that Ukraine posed no military threat to Russia before the invasion, and that Western backing of Ukraines fight against Russia was the Kremlins own doing.

There would be no need for the United States or Western nations to provide these kinds of weapons and capabilities to Ukraine if Ukraine hadnt been invaded in an unprovoked way, by Russian military forces, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty

Legal experts say prosecutors will face an uphill battle in securing a conviction against actor Alec Baldwin, who will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for a tragic on-set shooting that left a young cinematographer dead.

This is a very aggressive prosecution, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The Daily Beast. This is overcharging, in my opinion.

On Thursday, the Santa Fe district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced her office planned to file charges against Baldwin and 25-year-old armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed for the Oct. 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the set of indie western Rust. Baldwin insisted that he didnt know the Colt revolver was loaded when it accidentally went off as he pointed it at Hutchins. The incident also wounded the films 49-year-old director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed are expected to face two charges each by the end of the monthinvoluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act. The latter charge has an added mandatory penalty of five years in prison because it was carried out with a firearm.

On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice, Carmack-Altwies said.

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty

But while Carmack-Altwies alleged that the evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on set, legal experts canvassed by The Daily Beast are not convinced. In fact, most thought the decision to file charges was more about setting an example than the facts at hand.

For Duncan Levin, a former federal prosecutor who has defended several high-profile clients, the move speaks more to Baldwins celebrity than the allegations themselves.

I think this is an example of a prosecutor trying to make an example out of somebody who is famous and in the public eye, Levin, who is currently representing high-society scammer Anna Delvey, told The Daily Beast. Clearly a tragic incident happened, and somebody's responsible, but I think that charging Alec Baldwin with a crime has a lot to do with the fact that he is Alec Baldwin.

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Levin believed that the case would have normally been a civil onebut because of Baldwins celebrity, its now playing out in a criminal courtroom and becoming a battle about forcing Hollywood to update their industry standards.

I think this is a message to the film industry and I think the message is received, loud and clear, Levin said. It seems like the prosecution will be able to establish that gun safety protocols were not followed on set, but that does not mean that Alec Baldwin is personally responsible criminally for a homicide. It's a far leap from safety protocols being breached on set.

Rahmani, who is now in private practice in the Los Angeles area, also noted that other parts of the case seemingly undermine the DAs decision to file criminal charges. For example, Carmack-Altwies said Thursday that the films assistant director, David Halls, who admitted he didnt properly check the gun, faces a suspended sentence and six months probation after signing a plea agreement for negligent use of a deadly weapon. Halls essentially received a slap on the wrist while Baldwin could get five years, Rahmani noted.

The prosecution thinks that he's criminally responsible because not only are they charging him with involuntary manslaughter, theyre adding firearms enhancements that under New Mexico law has a five-year minimum mandatory sentence, Rahmani said.

The entrance to the Bonanza Creek Ranch, where Rust was filming. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

Criminal defense attorney Richard Kaplan also believed charges were overblown, telling The Daily Beast that he thought the criminal case will spur a chilling effect on production companies seeking to film movies in New Mexico.

I could see a lot of film sets avoiding the state, he said.

Los Angeles entertainment attorney Tre Lovell described movie sets as different from the real world, saying in an email that the rules and protocols in Hollywood are extremely specific in ascribing responsibility at every stage of production. Actors are not in charge of ensuring prop safety, and the idea that they might be tasked with inspecting their own equipment will never fly with the Screen Actors Guild, he said. However, he added, insurance companies may now start requiring additional safety measures on film and TV sets.

Former Los Angeles County prosecutor Joshua Ritter said he thought the buck stops with Baldwinbut that Baldwin has an obvious out, as well.

In an email to The Daily Beast, Ritter called the decision to charge Baldwin a bold step and noted that the star can argue he wasnt responsible for prop safety. But, said Ritter, [A]t the end of the day, the gun was in his hands.

At the same time, Ritter believes Baldwin may have dug a hole for himself by being as outspoken as he has.

I find it astounding how much Baldwin has talked about this case since the shooting, Ritter said. His attorneys need to sit on his chest until this plays out because the more he opens his mouth, the worse hes making it for himself.

And it seems like Baldwin has already gotten himself into trouble by insisting on speaking out about the case. He previously insisted that he never pulled the trigger, a claim refuted by an FBI forensic report that found the Colt .45 wouldnt have discharged if not for Baldwin firing it.

Nevertheless, if Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed opt to go to trial, Rahmani believes prosecutors face the bigger obstacle in trying to convince a jury.

Juries love celebrities. But prosecutors like going after celebrities to make a name for themselves, but juries love celebrities and acquit them all the time, he said. Baldwin is no spring chicken. He is going to fight.

In a statement provided to The Daily Beast, Gutierrez Reeds attorney Jason Bowles said, Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter. These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.

Baldwins attorney also voted to fight the charges, calling them a terrible miscarriage of justice and reiterating that Baldwin relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.

Matt Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins widower, did not respond to a voicemail left Thursday on his personal cell phone. In an email, Brian Panish, a lawyer representing the Hutchins family, thanked authorities for bringing charges in the case, adding that their independent investigation also supports charges are warranted.

It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law, Panish said. We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law."

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been one of the few Republicans willing to offer a full-throated defense of Santos. Win McNamee/Getty Images

George Santos offered a rare public denial of claims made about his past on Thursday.

He called reports that he performed in drag more than 14 years ago an "outrageous" lie.

Santos faces more pressing questions, but performing in drag could hurt his standing with fellow Republicans.

Republican Rep. George Santos of New York, facing yet another barrage of stunning revelations about his past, offered a rare public statement of denial on Thursday morning.

"The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or 'performed' as a drag Queen is categorically false," Santos, who is gay, wrote on Twitter, calling the recent allegations an "outrageous claim."

This came after a 58-year-old performer in Brazil named Eula Rochard told both Reuters and reporter Marisa Kabas that Santos performed as a drag queen and engaged in cross-dressing between 2005 and 2008, when he was living in Brazil. According to Rochard, who also provided photos allegedly showing Santos in drag, Santos performed under the name "Kitara Ravache."

"He's changed a lot, but he was always a liar. He was always such a dreamer," Rochard told Reuters.

While performing in drag and partaking in drag culture isn't especially out of the ordinary for a gay man, it's Santos' position as a conservative Republican that likely makes him quick to offer a public denial, even as more pressing questions remain.

In recent years, Republicans have centered drag queens and drag culture within a broader culture war against what they claim is the sexualization of children and encroaching cultural liberalism. Nearly three dozen of Santos's Republican colleagues introduced a bill taking aim at drag queen story hours.

Jonathan Hamilt, executive director of Drag Story Hour, told Insider in October that such legislation is "just part of a nationwide program attacking LGBT people." He said that attempts to criminalize their work is rooted in "tired homophobia and transphobia and hate and misinformation."

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As he's settled into Congress, Santos has found a largely sympathetic audience among the right flank of the House Republican caucus, and has been friendly with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia for at least a couple of years. Since Santos's fabrications became known, Greene has been among the few Republicans willing to offer a full-throated defense of the Long Island congressman.

But she's also one of the most vociferous critics of drag queens.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) June 16, 2022

Santos has been found to have fabricated much of his purported background and faces investigations related to potential campaign finance violations. Questions continue to swirl around a $700,000 loan he made to his campaign, as well as the Devolder Organization that he purportedly ran prior to running for Congress.

But while he has at least partially admitted to lying about certain aspects of his resume, religious background, and marriage history, he hasn't addressed questions about his financial situation in a direct manner.

In an appearance on Steve Bannon's "War Room" show earlier this month, he repeatedly dodged questions from fellow Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida about the origins of the $700,000 loan.

"I'll tell you where it didn't come from. It didn't come from China, Ukraine, or Burisma," Santos said.

But Santos is also the first non-incumbent gay Republican elected to Congress, and is one of just a handful of out gay Republicans to ever serve in Congress.

That's already been a complicated identity for him to navigate. Last year, he took to social media to offer a full-throated defense of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act  colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay" law  which forbids classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for students in the third grade and younger.

If Santos has any hope of outrunning the litany of investigations he faces and serving as an effective member of Congress, he will have to maintain relationships with at least some of his Republican colleagues.

And in today's Republican Party, performing in a drag pageant over 14 years ago may pose a larger threat to those relationships than potential violations of federal law.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Forecasted wind gusts anywhere from 65 mph to 85 mph prompted a high wind warning across southeast New Mexico and western Texas Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Weather may have led to the closing of the Ski Apache resort near Mescalero, although NWS could not confirm. A spokesperson from Inn of the Mountain Gods, which is part of Ski Apache enterprises operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe was not available for comment.

Ski Apaches website anticipated reopening on Jan. 19.

More:Rare winter rains reported throughout southern New Mexico could mitigate drought

Matt Demaria, forecaster with NWS in Albuquerque, said a storm system leaving the plains and increased wind pressure along New Mexicos Central Mountain Chain brought heavy wind gusts to portions of Lincoln County Wednesday.

Westerly winds of 35 mph with a gust up to 41 mph was recorded at the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport near Ruidoso early Wednesday afternoon.

De Maria said a high wind warning for Lincoln County was effective until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

High winds blew across Eddy County, southeast New Mexico and west Texas on Jan. 18, 2023, as high wind warnings were forecast for the region.

Conditions at the Sierra Blanca Airport were partly cloudy Wednesday afternoon. De Maria said the Ruidoso area had different rounds of snow during the month of January.

He said a weather station near Alto reported 1.1 inches of snow as of early January and 3.5 inches of snow fell in December.

De Mara said the last measurable snowfall in the Ruidoso-Alto area was around Jan. 4.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) noted fair driving conditions on United States highway 70 near Ruidoso Downs Wednesday from snow fall.

More:'Not optimistic' as fall rains do little to evade dire drought in southeast New Mexico

High wind warnings extended from the Ruidoso area well into West Texas Wednesday.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas was open despite westerly winds of 46 mph with gusts up to 66 mph before 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Gusts from 65 mph to 85 mph were forecast by the NWS out of Midland, Texas for the Guadalupe, and Davis Mountains. The NWS predicted difficult travel for high profile vehicles.

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Severe turbulence near the mountains will be hazardous for low flying light aircraft. Winds will be particularly hazardous at higher elevations where the strongest winds are likely to occur," according to an NWS online statement.

More:Winter greets southeast New Mexico travelers and shoppers on the day after Thanksgiving

Around 2 p.m. Wednesday winds at Carlsbads Cavern City Air Terminal were westerly at 37 mph with gusts up to 51 mph.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: High winds hamper southeast New Mexico and West Texas Wednesday
 Flash

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for bridging the divides plaguing the world and restoring trust in his address at the World Economic (WEF) Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos.

The world faces interlinked challenges and "the gravest levels of geopolitical division and mistrust in generations," he said, noting that "we need to bridge all these divides and restore trust."

According to Guterres, "our world is plagued by a perfect storm on a number of fronts." The challenges include the slowdown of global economic growth, the cost-of-living crisis, supply chain disruptions, the energy crunch, geopolitical conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.

The theme of the WEF Annual Meeting -- "Cooperation in a Fragmented World" -- "perfectly sets out the dilemma: we need cooperation, yet we face fragmentation," he said.

He also urged the world to reform and build fairness into the global financial system. "Developing countries need access to finance to reduce poverty and hunger and advance the Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

"Bridging divides and restoring trust means meaningful climate actions ... We must act together to close the emissions gap, to phase out coal and supercharge the renewable revolution," he said.

Developed countries must provide financial and technical assistance to help major emerging economies accelerate their renewable energy transition, he said.

The UN chief called for efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. He also urged the expansion of economic opportunities for women, greater engagement and cooperation for vaccine equity, and the achievement of global food security.

"Now, more than ever, it's time to forge the pathways to cooperation in our fragmented world. The world can't wait," he said.

The WEF Annual Meeting lasts until Jan. 20.
The Biden administration's big push to engage more with Africa is underway as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen begins a 10-day visit aimed at promoting all the economic possibilities that lie between the U.S. and the worlds second-largest continent.

Yellen is the first administration official to visit the continent since President Joe Biden announced during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December that he plans to make a trip to the region this year, as will Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and a number of Cabinet secretaries.

Yellen's travels will take her from a business incubator for entrepreneurs in Senegal to agricultural sites in Zambia to a wildlife park and Ford assembly plant in South Africa, each stop designed to highlight areas of U.S.-African cooperation. She'll also connect with plenty of top African officials along the way.

Yellen arrived in Dakar, Senegal, late Wednesday and was starting up her public schedule on Friday.

At the business incubator on Friday, Yellen plans to stress that Africa, with its growing middle class, will shape the trajectory of the world economy over the next century," offering important opportunities for the U.S.

This can be a win-win for our economies, Yellen plans to say, according to excerpts of her prepared remarks released Thursday.

Continental Africa will make up one quarter of the worlds population by 2050 and is rich in natural resources.

China's increasing economic entrenchment in Africa is also motivating the U.S. to deepen ties.

Before arriving in Africa, Yellen met with her Chinese counterpart, Liu He, in Switzerland on Wednesday as part of an effort to ease tensions with the Asian superpower.

Her job on the more than 13,000-mile (20,000-kilometer) circuit from Washington to Zurich, Dakar, Lusaka, Pretoria and back home is to engage with African leaders and showcase investment opportunities for American firms.

A rising share of working-age people presents an opportunity for the continent," Yellen plans to say. More workers can drive growth, generating more resources to increase investment, and making educating the young and supporting the vulnerable easier.

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She plans to note that Africa's growing middle class also presents an opportunity for the U.S. It means a bigger market for products. And it means more investment opportunities for American firms that are already creating jobs on the continent, she plans to say.

The White House strategy on Sub-Saharan Africa raises concerns about China's involvement in the region, stating that Beijing sees the region as an important arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests, undermine transparency and openness, and weaken U.S. relations with African peoples and governments.

Yellen's stop in Zambia will serve to highlight its huge debt to China, its biggest creditor. Zambia is renegotiating the nearly $6 billion debt, and Yellen has been critical of Chinas failure to make progress on negotiations. She said in December that it is imperative to find a solution to Zambia's debt problem as quickly as possible.

A senior Treasury official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks, told reporters that Yellen discussed Zambias debt with Liu on Wednesday and tried to gauge China's reasons for its hesitancy on rescheduling the debt.

Joseph Siegle, who leads the Africa Center for Strategic Studies research program, said the scope of Yellen's visit was far broader than the matter of China's influence.

From an emerging market standpoint there is a lot going on there  with its resources and growth and a large African diaspora in the U.S. Arguably the U.S. has not paid enough attention to Africa with the rigor that's warranted," he said. "I think the significance of this trip is trying to rectify there hasn't been enough high-level engagement on the part of the U.S. in Africa.

He added that African nations don't want to be put in position where they have to choose between China and the U.S., but would rather maximize" their choices and build long-term partnerships.

Africa holds 30% of the critical minerals that power the modern world, including 40% of the worlds gold, up to 90% of its chromium and platinum, and the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium in the world, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Rama Yade, senior director of the Atlantic Councils Africa Center, wrote this week that the Biden administration may be believed when it says it doesn't seek to turn Africa into a sphere of great-power competition.

Africa will not have to choose between potential partners, Yade said. If it can make up lost ground and build on what it started with the December summit, the United States and Africa will prosper.".
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement that she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country and would step down and not seek re-election.

Ardern, holding back tears, said it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and that she was only human and needed to step aside.

"I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term - because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that," Ardern, 42, told a news conference.

"I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called 'real' reason was ... The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human," she continued.

"Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it's time. And for me, its time."

Ardern burst onto the global scene in 2017 when she became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37.

Riding a wave of "Jacinda-mania", she campaigned passionately for women's rights, and an end to child poverty and economic inequality in the country.

Tributes poured in after Ardern's announcement, even though her popularity has dipped and support for her party has fallen.

World leaders voiced appreciation for Ardern, who became one of the most recognisable global figures through the COVID-19 pandemic and after mass shootings at two mosques in 2019.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "The difference you have made is immeasurable."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said they had exchanged text messages on Thursday, adding: "I believe that she is a formidable leader, in New Zealand, but also in the region, and in the U.N.."

While noting how she understood Ardern's point in stepping down, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said: I think she is a brilliant leader and she is a very courageous woman."

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NEXT LEADER

A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday. The party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than Feb. 7 and a national election will be held on Oct. 14.

Ardern said she believed Labour would win the vote.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.

Ardern's successor as party leader and prime minister faces a stern test, with support for Labour falling and the country expected to go into a recession next quarter.

A 1News-Kantar poll released in December had Labour polling at 33%, down from 40% at the start of 2022. That means that even with traditional coalition partner the Green Party, polling at 9%, Labour could not hold a majority.

Commentators point to several of Arderns ministers as possibilities for the role, including the former COVID minister and current Minister of Education and Police Chris Hipkins and current Minister of Justice Kiri Allen.

FAMILY TIME

Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do it better.

She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married.

Eight months after becoming premier she became the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. Many saw Ardern as part of wave of progressive female leaders, including Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

Her empathetic leadership style was cemented by her response to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 that killed 51 people injured 40.

"Her universal call for human unity with compassion made me cry with joy then, and it makes me cry now," said Farid Ahmed, survivor and husband of a Christchurch attack victim.

Ardern swiftly labelled the attacks terrorism and wore a hijab as she met with the Muslim community a day after the attack, telling them the whole country was united in grief. She promised and delivered major gun law reform within a month.

"She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

Ardern won plaudits across the political spectrum for her handling of the COVID pandemic, which saw the country face some of the strictest measures globally but also resulted in one of the lowest death tolls.

But her popularity has waned over the past year as inflation has risen to nearly three-decade highs, the central bank has aggressively increased the cash rate and crime has risen.

The country has become increasingly politically divided over issues such as a government overhaul of water infrastructure, and the introduction of an agricultural emissions programme. Ardern and Labour have seen their opinion poll support suffer.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in WellingtonWriting by Alasdair Pal and MIchael Perry; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Alison Williams)
New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on Thursday.

The surprise resignation will be official on February 7, before the country's October election.

Ardern said she "no longer had enough in the tank" to continue in her position.

The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, shocked supporters on Thursday by announcing that she will not stand for reelection this fall.

"It's time," the 42-year-old, center-left politician said at her party's annual meeting, The Guardian reported. In office since 2017, Ardern said she "no longer had enough in the tank."

She will leave office by February 7, months before the general election scheduled in October.

Ardern said that, when she realized she did not have the energy to compete in the upcoming contest, "I knew unfortunately there wasn't much alternative other than to hand over now," CNN reported.

"The decision was my own," Ardern added. "Leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also the most challenging. You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges."

Ardern governed over tumultuous times in New Zealand

Ardern was elected to her role in October 2017 as New Zealand's youngest prime minister, and as the third woman to serve in the position. She was also the first female world leader to bring her baby, Neve, to the United Nations General Assembly in 2018.

Over her terms, she earned praise for a commitment to tackling racism and sexism, and eventually her response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting, where 50 Muslim worshippers were killed by an extremist in a mass shooting.

The outgoing prime minister called the attackers "extremists" who "have absolutely no place in New Zealand," and later showed support to the nation's Muslim community, expressing grief while wearing a hijab at a community event in the aftermath.

By early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had gripped the world, positioning Ardern as a sensible leader in the face of varied policy reactions.

Story continues

Ardern's health-forward and lockdown-heavy policies shaped New Zealand's response to the pandemic at a time when much of the world oscillated between staying open and shutting down. By 2023, New Zealand had recorded 2,437 COVID-19 deaths, registering over 2 million cases, according to the country's Ministry of Health.

At least 90% of citizens age 12 and up have at least received one round of COVID-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Health added.

'Sheer exhaustion' from the pandemic

But as Ardern was lauded for unwavering and strict policies that kept the spread low, she spoke openly about the difficulties of leading during the crisis.

"It's one thing to make a big decision a week, but with Covid, it was constant," Ardern told New Zealand broadcaster 1 News in April 2022. "It got to the point where sleep came to you out of sheer exhaustion."

Ardern was also forced to cancel her own wedding in January 2022 amid an Omicron surge in the country.

"Sometimes I would just take really long walks, thinking about the consequences. If we got it wrong on this side of the equation, [what were] the consequences, versus on this side Did I spend a lot of time angsting over decisions? Absolutely," Ardern told 1 News.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Praveen Menon

(Reuters) - Jacinda Ardern has put tiny New Zealand on the map in her five years as prime minister, becoming a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership, even as she struggled at home with the economy and COVID-19 restrictions.

The 42-year-old - who gained attention for bringing her baby to a United Nations meeting and wearing a hijab after a massacre targeting Muslims - announced in similarly dramatic fashion on Thursday that she will step down in less than three weeks, saying she had "no more in the tank".

"Be strong, be kind," New Zealand's youngest prime minister in more than a century repeated through her eventful tenure, but her empathetic leadership and crisis management skills often masked her government's shortcomings.

Considered personable and engaging, Ardern turned speaking from the heart and smiling through adversity into a winning formula for surging to power in 2017 and returning with a blowout win in 2020 that ushered in New Zealand's first purely left-leaning government in decades.

Her leadership was marked by unprecedented events for the island nation of 5 million: the 2019 massacre of 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch by a white supremacist and the eruption of the White Island volcano, and, the next year, the pandemic.

"I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focussed," Ardern said in an emotional resignation announcement. "And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when its time to go."

PROBLEMS MOUNT, RATINGS FALL

Ardern received worldwide praise for her response to the Christchurch attacks, which she labelled terrorism. Wearing a headscarf, she met the Muslim community, telling them New Zealand was "united in grief".

She delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs within weeks of the massacre, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence despite regular mass shootings.

Story continues

Launching a global campaign to end online hate, she has often herself been a target of right-wing extremists online.

Ardern made global headlines in 2020, presiding over New Zealand's most diverse parliament, with more than half the members women and the highest number of indigenous Maori lawmakers.

When COVID arrived, she was among the first leaders to close borders and pursue a zero-tolerance strategy that kept New Zealanders safe from the virus, holding death rates far below those of other advanced nations.

But not everyone was happy with her "go hard, go early" approach, which included a nationwide lockdown over a single infection.

While Ardern's popularity rose internationally, at home she has faced growing political headwinds, struggling to prove that her leadership extended beyond crisis management and kindness.

Her ratings have dropped in recent months on a worsening housing crisis, rising living costs and mortgage rates, and growing concerns about crime. She remains, however, more popular that her rivals.

Despite her promises of transformational leadership, Ardern's affordable housing programmes have been set back by blunders. Even on climate change, which Ardern called "my generation's nuclear-free moment", progress has been incremental.

REFRESHING

Ardern burst onto the global scene in 2017 when she became the world's youngest female head of government at the age of 37.

Riding a wave of "Jacinda-mania," she campaigned passionately for women's rights and an end to child poverty and economic inequality in the country.

Raised a Mormon by her mother and police officer father, Ardern left the church over its stance on LGBTQ people in the early 2000s and has since described herself as agnostic.

Hours after being appointed Labour Party leader, she was asked whether she planned to have children. Ardern said it was "totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace".

Eight months after becoming premier, she had a baby daughter, becoming only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. Less than three months later, Ardern brought the baby, Neve Te Aroha, to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Many took her pregnancy and prime minister's maternity leave as symbolising progress for women leaders, part of a wave of progressive female leaders including Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

Meeting with Marin in Wellington in November, Ardern shot back at a question whether the two were meeting only because of they were young and female.

I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age, Ardern said, in reference to the former U.S. president and New Zealand prime minister. "Because two women meet, its not simply because of their gender."

(This story has been corrected to fix Ardern's age in the second paragraph)

(Reporting by Praveen Menon in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to regain the Russian-controlled territory of Crimea as American officials begin to consider whether to assist the war-battled country in its campaign to retake the peninsula.

Crimea was annexed by Russia after an invasion in 2014. Nearly eight years later, Zelensky has the disputed territory in his sights in the wider war between the two countries.

Crimea is our land, our territory, Zelensky said in a video appearance at the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. It is our sea and our mountains. Give us your weapons  we will return what is ours.

The address from Zelensky comes as the White House and American officials have started to soften their view on sending resources specifically to target Crimea, according to The New York Times.

While the U.S. has long held that Crimea is still Ukrainian territory, there has been little appetite to arm the country with the resources to mount an offensive to regain control of it, fearing an escalation in the conflict. But now American officials are starting to concede that Ukraine may need to strike Crimea, according to the Times.

Russia has up to 70,000 troops defending the northern part of the peninsula, and an American official described them as dug in, according to an NBC News report about a military briefing to members of Congress in December.

The focus on Crimea by Zelensky also comes as Germany is coming under increased pressure to supply Ukraine with tanks after other countries have made such commitments.

Last week the United Kingdom said it would supply Ukraine with tanks and eyes have turned to Germany to deliver on a similar commitment. But so far, the countrys new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, has remained noncommittal.

In the Davos address, Zelensky laid the blame for the war solely at the feet of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The abyss between our countries is large and deep, Zelensky said. But we must all realize that they dug this abyss themselves. It is Putin who stands with this shovel and he will remain with it in the history of the world.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Ukraines partners to show Russia that it will never be able to defeat Ukraine. He explained that Western-supplied tanks are key in this respect and stressed the importance of Germanys role.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Now the key task of our state, the key task of all of us and of all our partners, is to make the terrorist state realise that they will not be able to achieve any of their goals in Ukraine. No matter how long the war lasts. No matter how much effort they expend or how many of their people the Kremlin's masters throw on the battlefield.

Several elements, some defence and some political, have to be put in place in order to fulfil this goal. One of the most important elements is tanks. Modern Western tanks, the supply of which we are negotiating with our partners. I am grateful to everyone who has already approved the necessary decisions."

Details: Zelenskyy thanked Charles Michel, President of the European Council, who was in Kyiv today and who is urging European countries to approve decisions to supply tanks to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President said that "the required coalition of partners has actually already been formed, and now we are waiting for a decision from one European capital that will activate the established cooperation networks" to supply tanks to Ukraine.

"I have faith that German leadership will remain unwaveringly strong," Zelenskyy added.

"Today we also saw several of our partners make powerful decisions to strengthen our defence, primarily by strengthening our artillery."

Zelenskyy thanked:

Estonia for another package of military aid, the largest to date; and for howitzers and ammunition;

Sweden for a new military package, NLAW, Archers and IFVs;

Denmark for approving the decision on CAESARs for Ukrainian soldiers; and

Lithuania for a new military package, anti-aircraft systems, ammunition and helicopters.

Story continues

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We are preparing for tomorrow's Ramstein format meeting [which gathers Ukraines allies and partners to discuss the countrys defence - ed.]. We expect powerful decisions. We expect a powerful military support package from the United States.

Thank you to everyone who is defending freedom with us!"

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
NEW YORK (AP)  Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade, Jeff Lynne, Glen Ballard, Teddy Riley and Liz Rose have been chosen to join the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a class that includes the writers of such varied hits as Man In the Mirror, Drop It Like Its Hot and Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.

The seven songwriters from the class of 2023 will be inducted at a gala June 15 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Snoop Dogg, whose hits include Drop It Like Its Hot and "Gin & Juice," will be joining such rappers as Missy Elliott and Jay-Z in the hall. Estefan is credited for popularizing Latin rhythms with such crossover smashes as Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and Lets Get Loud.

The inductees include soul-jazz vocalist Sade, whose 1980s soft rock hits include Smooth Operator and The Sweetest Taboo, and Lynne, of ELO, who penned Mr. Blue Sky and Evil Woman.

Im very excited about this honor. Songwriting has always been my passion. This means so much to me, Lynne tweeted Wednesday. Estefan took to Instagram to thank all the incredible fans that, by listening to my music, have made it possible for me to receive this incredible honor!

Read more about the 2023 class here:

25 musicians with rich acting careers 25 musicians with rich acting careers Beyonce Mary J. Blige David Bowie Cher Harry Connick Jr. Bing Crosby Ice Cube Snoop Dogg Ice-T Kris Kristofferson Lady Gaga Jennifer Hudson LL Cool J Lyle Lovett Madonna Tim McGraw Bette Midler Mandy Moore Mos Def Willie Nelson Dolly Parton Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra Justin Timberlake Tom Waits
The Bruce family of Short Pump will compete on Family Feud next week.

Susan Bruce and her four grown children will be featured on the popular game show on episodes airing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. each night on FOX Richmond (WRLH).

The Bruces applied in November 2020 to be on the show. They were accepted about a month later, but an opportunity to be on the show did not arrive until June 2022 when family members flew from around the country to Atlanta, where Family Feud is recorded.

My entire family loves Family Feud! wrote Molly Bruce, now 24, in the original show application. My three siblings and I grew up watching Family Feud and have always dreamed of being on the show. All of us are grown now and living in different cities. It would be the best experience in the world if we all got to reunite and be on the show together. My mom would play with us, and my dad would just be there to watch.

Besides Susan Bruce, who still lives in Short Pump, the other show participants were her four children, all of whom grew up in Short Pump: Devynne Webb, 33, now of Raleigh, N.C., David Bruce, 27, San Clemente, Calif., Molly Bruce, 24, Washington, D.C., and C.F. Bruce, 29, Nashville. Cliff Bruce, the father, did indeed attend the taping in Atlanta to cheer them on off-camera.

Most popular baby names for boys in Virginia Most popular baby names for boys in Virginia #50. Leo #49. Lincoln #48. Anthony #47. Cameron #46. Josiah #44. Sebastian (tie) #44. Miles (tie) #43. Hudson #42. Ezra #41. Mateo #40. Charles #39. Christopher #38. Dylan #37. Jayden #35. Matthew (tie) #35. Caleb (tie) #34. Isaac #33. Carter #32. Asher #31. David #29. Thomas (tie) #29. Daniel (tie) #28. Jacob #26. Joseph (tie) #26. Grayson (tie) #25. Luke #24. Logan #23. Gabriel #22. Aiden #21. Wyatt #20. Ethan #19. Michael #18. Samuel #17. Jack #16. Alexander #15. Owen #14. Levi #13. Mason #12. Theodore #11. John #10. Jackson #9. Benjamin #8. Lucas #7. Henry #6. Elijah #5. Oliver #4. William #3. James #2. Noah #1. Liam
A Lynchburg man was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison after previously pleading guilty to charges in connection with two separate shooting incidents.

Dennis Lafayette Bennett, 31, entered guilty pleas Feb. 22 in Lynchburg Circuit Court to one count each of unlawful wounding, child abuse and cruelty to an animal causing injury, according to court records.

The unlawful wounding and child abuse charges stem from August 2021, when Bennetts wife was shot in the abdomen, Senior Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jessie Dumond said during a sentencing hearing Wednesday in Lynchburg Circuit Court.

She said Bennetts wife suffered damaged organs from the shooting, and he claimed it was because a gun went off unintentionally while they were tussling over it.

For the animal cruelty charge, officers reported to Bennetts apartment off Floyd Street on Aug. 4, 2020, to check on the welfare of his dog, according to testimony from Animal Warden Danny Marks at Bennetts December 2020 preliminary hearing on the animal cruelty charge in Lynchburg General District Court.

Marks previously testified he was led into a back room, where he found a kennel full of dog waste and a dog nearby that was hardly moving. Dumond described the dog as emaciated and covered in filth.

Marks testified Bennett told him the dog was injured after slipping on rocks during a walk earlier that evening, but the story didnt add up and an X-ray showed it had a bullet inside its affected leg.

Marks said Bennett eventually admitted to getting upset one day and shooting the dog. The incident led to the dogs leg later being amputated, according to the officers testimony at the preliminary hearing.

Dumond said Bennetts actions in the two incidents show a continued pattern of using firearms out of anger and covering it up without immediate remorse. She said sentencing guidelines called for a high end of two years and eight months and requested that Bennett serve three years on the charges.

These are very serious charges that could have ended with the death of his wife, Dumond said.

Lynchburg Public Defender Aaron Boone presented evidence of Bennetts mental health issues from a professional evaluation and said a three-year prison sentence would have disastrous effects for Bennett and the community.

Bennett would not get the adequate mental health treatment he needs while in the prison system and hes already been victimized in previous confinement at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail from August 2021 to February 2022 because of his small stature, Boone told Judge F. Patrick Yeatts.

The animal cruelty charge was reckless and unnecessary, Boone said while pointing to Bennetts mental health issues.

He cant even take care of himself, Boone said.

Boone said Bennetts wife produced the firearm, he tried to put it away and the shooting was unintentional and not malicious.

Bennett has no criminal track record of being violent, has been punished enough in having his parental rights terminated and has taken many strides in the past year of doing what has been asked of him, including employment and a steady residence, Boone said.

The six months Bennett previously served had an effect on him, Boone said, and Boone asked that Bennett serve no additional jail time.

I can say hes been punished, Boone said.

After Bennett apologized for his actions, Yeatts said he is sympathetic to the defendants mental health struggles but has to consider public safety of the community also.

The judge said, God helps those who help themselves, and Bennett could have helped himself by not owning a dog if it would anger him to the point of shooting it.

Yeatts said in choosing between jail and letting Bennett walk out of the courtroom Wednesday and promising to do what he needs to do under supervised probation, he doesnt think the court order would be followed.

He said he feels the commonwealths recommendation of three years is generous for two heinous and horrific acts when the maximum for all Class 6 felonies is 15 years.

Im shocked by the guidelines, Yeatts said. Three years is not an appropriate sentence for shooting a dog and shooting your wife.

He sentenced Bennett to three years of active prison time on the wounding charge, two years active time on the animal cruelty charge and a year active on the child neglect and suspended nine years of a combined 15-year sentence.

Bennett was credited for time already served toward the sentence and is ordered not to further own any companion animals, the judge ruled.
 Flash

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (L), also chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, holds talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]



Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, held talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Zurich on Wednesday.

Focusing on the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Bali, the two senior officials had professional, in-depth, candid and practical exchanges on the macroeconomic and financial situation of the two countries and the whole world as well as on addressing common global challenges. The talks were constructive.

The two sides agreed that the world's economic recovery is at a critical stage and it is in the interest of both countries as well as the whole world for China and the United States to strengthen macro-policy communication and coordination and jointly address challenges in the economic and financial fields.

The two sides discussed issues related to deepening cooperation in macroeconomic and financial fields.

The two sides recognized the importance of sustainable financial cooperation and agreed to strengthen cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Both sides agreed to continue to support emerging markets and developing countries in green and low-carbon development and economic transformation.

The Chinese side also expressed concern over the U.S. economic, trade and technological policies toward China, and hoped that the United States will pay attention to the impact of these policies on both sides.

Yellen is welcome to visit China at an appropriate time this year, Liu said.

Both sides agreed to maintain communication and exchanges between their economic and trade teams at various levels.
COVID-19 cases are dropping in Virginia, suggesting Virginia might avoid a January surge.

COVID has surged in each of the past two Januarys, and this time last year, Virginia was engulfed by omicron variant, which led to the highest number of COVID hospitalizations since the pandemic began.

But in each of the past eight days, hospitalizations have dropped, reversing a seven-week trend of rising numbers.

It's good news, but Dr. Elaine Perry, director of health in Richmond and Henrico County, said it's too early to know if the downward trend will continue.

"It's too soon to know if this will be a steady decrease or not," Perry said.

For the past two weeks, COVID metrics have showed good signs across the state. The percentage of emergency room visits with COVID-like illness has dropped from 20% the final week of December to 14% last week. The number of reported cases in the same time frame fell from 16,000 to 9,000.

The number of COVID-associated deaths, which remains low, hasn't begun to drop yet. Deaths are typically a lagging indicator, and in the past three weeks, deaths have been steady, averaging 13 deaths per week. Those figures are much less than in August, when were more than 100 deaths per week. Sometimes death numbers aren't updated until weeks after the death occurs.

Several COVID variants have spread through Virginia in recent weeks. Sequencing conducted by the state health department showed the XBB.1.5 represented almost 40% of cases, followed by BQ.1.1, which accounted more than 30% of cases in the state.

The prevalence of XBB.1.5 in Virginia mirrors a national trend. The variant likely isn't more virulent than earlier strains, the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute reported. But it can infect those with prior immunity. That's why the Biocomplexity Institute recommends residents receive bivalent booster shots, which are designed to stop new COVID variants.

About 1.3 million Virginia residents have received a bivalent booster. The majority of recipients are over the age of 65.

Charts that track COVID-19 variants, vaccination rates and hospitalizations in Virginia
Two sweeping revisions of Virginia wildlife law  one on deer hunting the other on the states largest fishery - effectively died for the 2023 session on Wednesday.

The deer bill would have allowed year-round hunting on private property, instead of the current limited seasons for various weapons and different counties set by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Im hearing from so many constituents about hitting deer" when driving, said Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, the bill sponsor.

My parents, whove never had an accident, hit a deer when they came to visit at Christmas, she said. When my son took drivers ed, he hit a deer and totaled the drivers ed car.  after my parents accident I bought a scanner and Im hearing deer hits all day long.

State Farm says Virginia is a high risk state for deer collisions, with a 1 in 72 chance of insured drivers filing a claim.

But a House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee panel unanimously voted to lay the bill on the table  which means it is technically possible but extremely unlikely to be revived.

There was no debate.

The full committee did the same with a proposal by Del. Tim Anderson, R-Virginia Beach for a two-year ban on Reedville-based Omega Proteins menhaden fishing in Chesapeake Bay.

It also acted without debate, or even any public comment from Omega's lobbyists.

Weve heard this issue before, committee chairman Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, said.

The companys harvest in the Bay, currently capped at 51,000 metric tons, accounts for about 29% of Virginias total quota for the catch.

But Omega says being able to fish in the Bay is vital when weather and sea conditions mean operating out on the ocean would be unsafe.

Sports fishermen have pressed for years for more limits on the menhaden catch, arguing that Omega is taking too many fish, and leaving the population too low to help the popular gamefish striped bass that feed on menhaden.

But the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissions new way of assessing the stock, which looks at how menhaden population affects the numbers of striped bass and other species concluded that the menhaden stock was healthy and was not depressed striped bass numbers. The commission, which sets coastwide quotas for threatened species, has said striped bass are overfished  that is, that fisherman are catching too many to sustain the population.

Anderson said Virginia shouldnt rely on the coastwide analysts of the ASMFC, and said his moratorium was needed to study the impact of the menhaden fishery on other species and on Bay water quality,
Young dancers can put their toes to the test Saturday by auditioning for American Midwest Ballets production of The Wizard of Oz.

Dancers ages 9 and older who live in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area can audition Saturday, Jan. 21 for performances April 7 at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center and May 13-14 at Omahas Orpheum Theater. The dance company is also auditioning dancers in the Sioux City and Dubuque areas for performances in those communities.

American Midwest Ballet, a professional dance company based at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center in Council Bluffs, is looking for munchkins, cornstalks, apple trees, guards, attendants and other dwellers of the Land of Oz, according to a press release from American Midwest Ballet.

The Wizard of Oz, choreographed by AMB ballet master Erin Alarcon, is an original full-length story ballet that interprets the Oz story and characters through a seamless blend of classical ballet and other dance styles, including jazz, tap and musical theater.

Pre-registration is required and can be completed at amballet.org/wizard-auditions.

Auditions will be held at the Hoff Center at 1001 S. Sixth St. in Council Bluffs as follows:

Ages 9-11  American Midwest Ballet students

2 to 2:30 p.m.  Check-in

2:30 to 4:30 p.m.  Auditions

Ages 9-11  Community students

2:30 to 3 p.m.  Check-in

3 to 4:30 p.m.  Auditions

BREAK

Ages 12+  AMB School students

5 to 5:30 p.m.  Check-in

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Auditions

Ages 12+  Community students

5:30 to 6 p.m.  Check-in

6 to 7:30 p.m.  Auditions

Casting will be announced by Saturday, Jan. 28. Costume fittings will be held on Sunday, Jan. 29 and are mandatory for all cast members.

The first rehearsals will be held on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11. No absences will be permitted for the first weekend of rehearsals.
Education, immigration and workforce development were just a few of the topics U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra touched on during his roundtable discussion with the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

The Republican from Iowas 4th District was in Council Bluffs as part of the two-term congressmans 36 County Tour, which will take him to each county in his district to hear from his constituents about the issues most important to them.

I started my 36-county tour yesterday, and no different than my 39-county tour last year, whats the number one thing that everybody, every manufacturer, every hospital, you name it, talked about? Its workforce, Feenstra said. People are absolutely struggling with workforce and the big question people say is, Where did everybody go?

Something that could help the country, and Iowa, grow and retain a workforce is an expansion of the federal Pell Grant program so that young people just getting out of high school can use them for community colleges or trade schools.

When kids are in their sophomore, their junior years in high school, theyre starting to think about what they want to do, Feenstra said. And we have to make sure they stay here. We cant lose them to other states  we need to reinforce it through incentives, through the Pell Grant. The Pell Grant, we have to expand it, grow it, so its just not, for the most part, four-year universities and colleges using it.

Feenstra, who was recently named to the House Ways and Means Committee, also wants to focus on foreign trade, particularly with Pacific Rim countries and Europe, and to do that, Feenstra said, the United States has to end tariffs on certain products.

The tariffs that are prohibitive when it comes to rubber, when it comes to steel, theres a lot of things we can do to open up some of these markets, Feenstra said.

Feenstra said that he is expecting to travel to a number of Pacific Rim countries this year to discuss trade policy.

Were talking in the next month, or two months, to go to Taiwan, Japan and other Pacific Rim countries, to engage and see what we can do, collectively with the administration, to get some trade going, Feenstra said. We have an opportunity here, and we have really struggled over the last year and a half as a country.

Feenstra also briefly talked about the struggles the House Republicans had a couple of weeks ago in electing Kevin McCarthy to the speakership, saying that hes optimistic about working together going forward.

One thing that came out of this whole thing is, we had a really top-down government, where it came from leadership  both sides, quite frankly, it doesnt matter if youre a Democrat or a Republican  we always had strong leaders who said, This is what youre going to do, just fall in line, vote our way. Were changing that, Feenstra said. Were going from grassroots up, where I can have a say, the committee will have a say, that we can build the budgets, and were hoping that works out, that everybody can have a say and we can say, Hey, in Council Bluffs, theres a big deal here, theres something thats going on, we gotta figure out how we can help. And thats what, hopefully, from bottom up can do. At this point, Im optimistic, Im excited.

Talk to me in July, well see. But I think were on the right path.
NORFOLK  We conservatives have been shouted down continually for the last decade, despite the fact that we are at least half the country! We appreciate your Uncommonly Conservative stance. You will likely see a significant rise in subscriptions from this!
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Viajar magazine, one of the prestigious Spanish magazines specialized in tourism and travel, has designated Morocco as the best emerging sustainable destination for the year 2022-2023.

The award was presented by the magazines director Josep Palau to Director General of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Adel El Fakir, at an awarding ceremony held Tuesday in Madrid.

Adel El Fakir said he was honored to receive this award which recognizes the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco in the field of sustainable tourism. This recognition strengthens the influence of the Morocco brand through the attributes of sustainability and responsibility to which travelers around the world are very sensitive, he said.

The event was an opportunity to consolidate the achievements of the Light Tour organized on June 21, 2022 in Madrid, and to confirm the performance of Morocco on the Spanish market, the first market in terms of recovery of the performance of the year 2019 (98% at the end of November 2022).

The awarding ceremony and networking event was attended by the magazines main prescribers and over 250 senior executives of Tour Operators and airlines from Iberia and Latin America, as well as several Moroccan tourism professionals.
The same parliament that is outcrying at foreign interference is itself interfering in the judiciary of an European Union neighbor, Morocco, by issuing a non-binding resolution that shows contempt for Moroccan courts to say the least.

The European Parliament has on Wednesday adopted a biased resolution that disrespects Moroccos judiciary and its independence while meddling in the domestic affairs of a sovereign nation that has a strategic partnership with the EU.

Instigated by circles hostile to Morocco and its vital issues, the resolution turned a blind eye to the rights of the victims of rape by two indicted journalists serving their jail sentences in Morocco, namely Omar Radi and Taoufiq Bouachrine.

The penholders of the resolution and those who voted for it were intent on stripping the case of its criminal character as a rape case by sticking to it the sexy label of freedom of expression, insinuating that reporters are insulated from sexual harassment.

Moroccos foreign minister Nasser Bourita has previously warned of the judicial harassment and the maneuvers of some parties within the parliament that aim at undermining its partnership with the EU.

The European Parliament had better focus on resolving its own fading legitimacy as evidenced by a drop in election turnouts.
The United Nations Secretary-General has warned of the worsening security situation in central Mali, deepened by Al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups that are driving insecurity.

Both extremist groups continue to clash near populated areas in the northern Gao and Menaka regions, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a new report to the UN Security Council that highlights key findings on the Sahelian country that was circulated this week. The level and frequency of incidents of violence remain exceptionally high, with attacks by violent extremist groups against civilians accounting for the majority of documented human rights abuses, he said. Going forward, military operations to combat the extremist groups will continue to be a crucial component for the restoration of security, Guterres added.

The UN secretary-general also stressed in the report that the ultimate success against the extremist groups will hinge on whether the operations are accompanied by efforts to ensure respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, foster social cohesion, address structural fragility and deliver basic services.

The landlocked country located in central Africa 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 launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen started Wednesday an 11-day trip to Africa, aimed at deepening economic ties on the continent where China has become a key player.

Yellens travel to Senegal, Zambia and South Africa comes after a detour to Switzerland where she was to meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on macroeconomic issues.

The visits to Senegal, Zambia and South Africa will discuss trade expansion, investment and the United States commitment to African economies.

Yellens trip comes after President Joe Biden pledged at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in December that he and members of his Cabinet would visit Africa in 2023, which has been widely interpreted as an attempt at countering Chinese inroads on the continent.

According to senior US Treasury officials, the purpose of the trip is to exchange ideas with African government officials, private sector leaders, entrepreneurs and youth, and to deepen economic ties between the United States and Africa, charting new opportunities for trade and investment.

In Senegal, Yellen is scheduled to visit a business incubator providing credit and sector-specific technical assistance to young women entrepreneurs in the capital, Dakar. She will also attend a business forum with leaders from the American Chamber of Commerce in Senegal and take part in the groundbreaking ceremony to launch a rural electrification project being led by US engineering firm Weldy Lamont.

In Zambia, the second leg of her Africa tour, Yellen will meet with President Hakainde Hichilema, along with his finance minister and the nations central bank governor. Shell also tour two agriculture-related sites in an effort to promote climate-resilient agriculture and food production and mitigate the effects of the Russian war in Ukraine. Among other issues, the treasury secretary plans to discuss the enormous economic effects of the war on the global wheat, energy and fertilizer supplies.

In South Africa, she will meet with the countrys finance minister and reserve bank governor and also plans to visit a Ford Motor Co. assembly plant outside Pretoria. Yellens Africa tour coincides with a visit by IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva to Zambia next week while Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang just completed a five-nation Africa tour.
Authorities in Goma in eastern DRC on Wednesday clashed with demonstrators who were demanding the pullout of East African Community (EAC) force deployed in the east of the country to fight armed groups, Africa News reports.

Around one hundred demonstrators gathered in the eastern town to protest against the presence of the regional force, composed of hundreds of Kenyan and Burundian soldiers.

The demonstrators claimed the EAC force, to be joined soon by 750 soldiers from South Sudan, are not helping them to restore peace. The EAC Kenyan forces, we dont want these people to stay in our country as tourists. They came to help us, but until now they are doing tourism in our country. That is why today we are saying that they should go home, because we do not want to stay with tourists in our country, demonstrator Gloire Bagaya told Africa News.

Frustration is mounting after the Kenyan military organized ceremonies to mark the withdrawal of the M23 rebels, and for the EAC to take back control, in two villages north of Goma in late December and early January, the media notes.

We demonstrated today to push the EAC force to launch offensives as stated in the Luanda agreement. Unfortunately, the unprofessionalism of our Police, especially the General of the Police, they came and violently attacked us, said another demonstrator identified as Lumumba Mumbere.

M23, one of the rebel groups, allegedly backed by Rwanda has been giving headache to the Congolese army in the east of the country. Authorities have blamed the group for several atrocities and crimes.

Former Kenyan leader Uruh Kenyatta has been mediating between the rebels and Kinshasa. He has managed late last year to snatch a ceasefire deal between the two sides and withdrawal of the rebel group. However, M23 has continued to confront the Congolese army.
General Michael Langley, the commander of the United States Africa Command has indicated his force is keen to deepen ties with Gabon and expand bilateral relations between the two countries.

Langley met Wednesday with President Ali Bongo Ondimba, the supreme commander of Gabons armed forces.

The US general was on a two-day visit to the central African country, as part of an African tour.

The US military commander met Tuesday with Defense Minister Felicite Ongouori Ngoubili. Both officials discussed a range of topics centering on security. Langley told media that his visit aims at forging and expanding bilateral relations in the areas of maritime safety and security, professionalization of forces through exercises or maneuvers in order to share experiences and ideas.

The US General took command of the force in August last year.

According to Africom website, the command counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces, and responds to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

Headquartered in Germany, the command works with all of the African continent except for Egypt.
King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, plays a key role in the protection of the legal, civilizational and religious status of the Holy City, said Moroccos Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Kadiri.

Speaking during the quarterly open debate held Wednesday by the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue, the diplomat said the Moroccan King follows closely all developments related to the Palestinian cause and continues to endeavor for the protection of Al Quds Asharif, cradle of the three monotheistic religions and symbol of peaceful coexistence and tolerance.

He also highlighted the various actions carried out by Al Quds Committee and Bayt Mal Al Quds agency in support of the Palestinian people in general and the Maqdissis in particular.

Since its creation in 1995, the agency has carried out numerous educational, social, economic, cultural and health projects aimed at improving the living conditions of the Maqdissis and preserving the civilizational and spiritual legacy of the Holy city, said Mr Kadiri.

He cited in this regard, the Kings mediation which led to the re-opening of the Allenby/King Hussein border crossing linking the West Bank to Jordan. The move had a positive impact on the daily life of Palestinians and has facilitated the movement of people and goods.

The diplomat said Morocco remains convinced that the stability and prosperity in the region hinge on finding a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.

He reaffirmed Moroccos strong supportive stand of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to establish a sovereign, independent and viable state on the basis of 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel, in peace and security.

Morocco opposes all unilateral measures that could undermine the legal, historical and geographical status of the city of Al-Quds and Al Aqsa mosque, underlined the diplomat.

He said Rabat will leverage its special ties with all parties and international community for the resumption of talks between Palestinians and Israelis, the only pathway to achieve security and stability in the Middle East region.
Workers at a Melbourne warehouse were surprised to find a family of endangered northern quolls hiding inside a large box of pumpkins.

Authorities believe the carnivorous marsupials likely ventured into a hole in the cardboard while chasing mice, at a farm 5600km away in Far North Queensland.

With all species of quoll extinct in metropolitan Melbourne, workers at Melbourne Wholesale Market were unfamiliar with the species and initially thought they were possums. Despite this confusion, they managed to catch one animal before authorities arrived.

Northern quolls stowed away inside a pumpkin box in Far North Queensland and travelled 5600 to Melbourne. Source: Conservation Regulator/Supplied

Speaking with Yahoo News Australia on Wednesday, Megan Hain, a wildlife officer with Victorias Conservation Regulator, said rescuers arrived at around midday on December 13.

Because warehouse workers often work early hours, staff who had reported seeing the quolls had already left for the day. It was a bit of a needle in the haystack mission to find where (the quolls) were located because they're quite small animals, she said. The only lead we had was they had come down in some Kent pumpkins, and had hidden away.

The quolls were spotted in the warehouse (left) and soon captured (right). Source: Conservation Regulator

Miraculously the quolls were quickly located as they scurried along the shelves and attempted to return to their box, which was located a metre from the ground. In terms of getting them out of the box, it was a little bit precarious, because you don't want to have any pumpkins move and hurt the animals because theyre quite small.

Endangered quolls returned home to Queensland

After their long journey, the quolls were quite tired and easy to handle. They were then assessed by veterinary staff at Melbourne Zoo, before ultimately being flown to Cairns airport on January 5.

The moment a quoll was released in Far North Queensland. Source: DES

Because northern quolls are territorial, the animals were transported back to the Tablelands farm where they originated by Department of Environment (DES) staff.

Story continues

Northern quolls are native to tropical and sub-tropical climates across Australia and have adapted to thrive in warmer conditions, which means they are not built to live in a typically colder place like Melbourne, DES wildlife officer Dinouk Perera said in a statement.

These quolls are very lucky to have been rescued and taken into care, as they had travelled a long way without food or water.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
Nearly 11 years after discovering the remains of an unidentified young girl, known during investigation since as Opelika Jane Doe, the Opelika Police Department announced Thursday morning that she has been identified and arrests have been made in connection to the investigation.

OPD identifies the girl as Amore Wiggins. OPD announced that law enforcement has arrested Lamar Vickerstaff Jr. and Ruth Vickerstaff in connection to her death. Both were arrested in Jacksonville, Fla., prior to Thursday's press conference and are in custody.

I was worried about being able to get through this today, and I did struggle a few times because it felt really good to say her name out loud, Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey said after the conference.

On Jan. 28, 2012, the girl's skeletal remains were said to be found in a wooded area behind a mobile home off Hurst Street in Opelika called Brookhaven Trailer Park. No one knew who she was or where she was from.

The remains, along with a pink childs shirt and a small bundle of curly hair that were also recovered from the area, were sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va., for medical examination. The report stated the remains were of a Black female between 4 and 7 years old.

Detectives believed Wiggins was killed in 2010 or 2011 and said she was likely malnourished and physically abused before her death. The autopsy revealed Wiggins had fractures to her skull, arms, legs, shoulders and ribs, making a total of 15 individual fractures. Detectives also believe she was blind in her left eye because of a fracture to her eye socket.

Throughout the years, Opelika detectives never gave up on the case and continued to hope that one day this young girl would find peace through justice.

Since the day she was found, Healey said shes been a part of the OPD family.

The level of dedication to this case, I have never seen in my entire career, he said.

Sgt. Alfred White, a detective who has worked on this case since 2015, said he never had any doubt that they would figure out her identity.

I knew wed get here I just didnt know how, he said. Were never done with a murder, especially with a childs murder, because it affects all of us. A lot these detectives have children.

Captain Johnathan Clifton said there is still more work to do and they will need people in the community to come forward with any information.

New technology

Since Jan. 28, 2012, Healey said Opelika detectives like Sgt. White have worked immeasurable hours on this case, have reviewed over 15,000 case files and have investigated thousands of tips from across the country.

None of those tips or those files were able to lead us to her name, Healey said.

With assistance from Othram Inc., an advanced forensic DNA company in Woodlands, Texas, another step towards justice has been made.

Kristen Mittelman, Othram Chief Development Officer, and her husband David, Othram CEO, built the lab for the company in 2018, and about two years ago, they were given the DNA to start working on this case.

This is one of the most horrible cases weve ever worked here at Othram for a couple of reasons, Kristen Mittelman said.

One being that the DNA was in terrible shape.

When she was found, according to all the anthropological reports you can read and see that she was clearly neglected, abused and it was obvious she endured abuse for a very long time, Mittelman said.

Wiggins DNA was also contaminated with bacteria and other nonhuman components after being outside for a long period of time.

Using the new investigative method of DNA technology called Forensic Genetic Genealogy and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, forensic scientists were able to build a genealogical family tree and identify Wiggins parents.

Mittelman said they were able to confirm a 100% parent-child relationship with the father, Lamar Vickerstaff Jr., and the mother, Sherry Wiggins.

The technology involved in Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing builds a digital profile from DNA evidence that normally wouldnt be usable.

So, instead of confirming identity, you can actually upload them to genealogical databases that are consented for law enforcement use, and you can infer where this person left the DNA at the crime scene, whether its a victim or perpetrator, where they belong in a family tree and thats exactly what happened here, Mittelman said.

After building the profile and getting enough data, Mittelman said they turned the information over to Barbara Rae-Venter, a well-known genealogist who helped police identify the Golden State Killer. She was able to identify where Wiggins belonged in her family tree.

After Othram received this information and confirmed Wiggins relationship to Lamar Vickerstaff and Sherry Wiggins, Mittelman said they found out more of the story.

Arrests

Lamar Vickerstaff was identified in Oct. 2022. Healey said he was born and raised in Opelika and is a graduate from Opelika High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and during his career, he lived in Norfolk, Va., Honolulu, Hawaii and Jacksonville, Fla.

In Dec. 2022, Opelika detectives traveled to the Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla., where Lamar Vickerstaff is currently stationed, to notify him of this daughters death, Healey said. During the meeting Vickerstaff did not provide investigators with any information on the identity of Baby Jane Doe. Detectives then met with Lamars wife, Ruth Vickerstaff. Ruth, whos been married to Lamar since May of 2006, advised detectives she did not know Lamars daughter or who may be the mother of Baby Jane.

Later that month, detectives met with Sherry Wiggins, 37, in Baltimore, Md., and she confirmed that she was the biological mother of Opelika Jane Doe. Wiggins, a native of Norfolk, Va., told police she gave birth to Amore Joveah Wiggins on Jan. 1, 2006.

Around 2009, Lamar Vickerstaff obtained custody of three-year-old Wiggins. Sherry Wiggins lost visitation rights and lost contact with her daughter, but she continued to pay child support to Vickerstaff since then.

She had no idea that she was missing, Healey said. She thought that she was with her father. She didnt know she was missing until we contacted her in December.

Amore Wiggins was never enrolled in school and was never reported as a missing person.

Opelika detectives met with the Lee County District Attorneys Office to determine the charges related to Wiggins death. On Jan. 17, 2023, Lamar Vickerstaff Jr. was arrested and charged with felony murder and Ruth Vickerstaff was arrested for failure to report a missing child.

They are currently being held at the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office in Florida pending extradition to Lee County, Ala.

Healey said they are unsure at this time if there will be additional arrests in this case, but there is a possibility.

This case remains under investigation, and Healey said the OPD needs the publics assistance in gathering additional details regarding Lamar and Ruth Vickerstaffs relationship with Amore Wiggins and her time spent in Opelika.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Opelika Police Department Detective Division at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Opelika Police Mobile App.

Our hearts go out to Sherry Wiggins, who was a tremendous help in solving the case and helping bring justice to her baby girl, Healey said. I also want to make a special mention of the late Lee County Coroner Bill Harris, who until his death in June of last year, continuously worked towards identifying Baby Jane. I have no doubt that he is celebrating with Amore today.

The OPD also thanks everyone involved in identifying Amore Wiggins including: Sherry Wiggins, NCMEC, Dr. Barbara Rae Venter with Firebird Forensics Group, Othram Labs, Astrea Labs, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Lee County District Attorneys Office, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the Baltimore County Police Department.
Two automotive adjacent factories in Auburn announced plans for expansion earlier this week.

Rausch & Pausch LP, known as RAPA, is investing $25.26 million into its 2450 Paul Parks Lane location, and Schmidt Automotive will invest $7.7 million into its 2471 Innovation Drive location. Both plants are in Auburn Technology Park West and are expected to bring a combined 98 new jobs to the area.

RAPA has said that it plans to purchase the 70,000-square-foot location it currently operates out of. The company will invest in new equipment and will create 73 new jobs at the facility over the next three years.

RAPA manufactures pneumatic and hydraulic chassis and transmission components for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Their products serve automotive companies including Audi, Tesla and Stellantis.

The family-owned Germany based company has a had a footprint in Auburn for 10 years now. They also have operations in Selb, Germany, and Jintan, China. The company was founded over 100 years ago and is based in Bavaria, Germany.

Roman Pausch, great grandson of RAPAs founder and the companys current leader said: The purchase of the Auburn facility will allow RAPA to continue our growth trajectory in the U.S. market and support the potential expansion of the company in the future.

Schmidt Automotive is expanding its production in Auburn by investing in new highly automated equipment. The companys expansion is expected to create up to 25 additional jobs over the next two years at their Auburn facility. The company manufactures powertrain components and assemblies for vehicles.

This new investment will enable us to establish new product lines and further diversify our product portfolio and customer base, ultimately increasing our long-term attractiveness as a U.S.-based supplier for U.S.-based customers, said Joerg Wilmink, general manager with Schmidt Automotive in a recent press release.

As a member of the MAT Foundry Group, Schmidt Automotive is part of a multinational conglomerate with a footprint in eight countries. Schmidt has operated in Auburn for 15 years now. They create products for original equipment manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers throughout the automotive industry.

On Tuesday night the Auburn City Council voted to approve tax abatements for both RAPA and Schmidt Automotive. Mayor Ron Anders said at the meeting that he was certainly grateful for both of these industries.
Twenty years after 'Buffy,' Sarah Michelle Gellar is back with more high school horror and battling to protect her younger co-stars from the industrys abuses: I hope that Ive set up a safety net for these actors that I didnt have https://t.co/niTxRHCsF9 pic.twitter.com/Q7PkBgwIk1  The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 18, 2023

 On the upcoming Wolf Pack, on which she stars and is an executive producer, she recalls being undermined on set: "There was an issue at work the other day where they kept forgetting to send things for my approval but remembered to send them to a male actor whos not a producer. Oh, just old processes, they said, Sorry. OK, then lets make a new process. The old me would have backed down. But if you look how long Ive been working, Ive earned the right to stand where I am. I wont make any more excuses for that." Despite working since the age of 5, her daughter Charlotte will not be allowed to professionally act until she graduates high school, which Charlotte is unhappy about. "She says to me, Thats unfair. You were a child actor. Yes, I was. But I was not the child of two famous parents." She went into Wolf Pack wanting to create safer spaces on set than what she had growing up and to be valued for the discipline that sometimes got her labeled difficult when she was younger.  Longtime friend Selma Blair talks about SMG being a form of stability on the set of Cruel Intentions and everyone wanting to be on their best behavior around her. Her residuals from Buffy are apparently shameful and nothing anyone can live off of. Seth Green recalls SMG making enemies on Buffy for trying to use her rank to make the work days less grueling. "We were working crazy hours, and a lot of things that got pushed werent necessarily safe or under the best conditions. Sarah was always the first one to say, We agreed this was a 13-hour day and its hour 15  weve got to wrap, or, Hey, this shot doesnt seem safe, when nobody else would stick up for the cast and crew. I saw her get called a bitch, a diva, all these things that shes not  just because she was taking the mantle of saying and doing the right thing." Emma Caulfield agrees: "It was obvious that Sarah lacked the support to be the leader she needed and wanted to be. There was a tremendous amount of resentment and animosity [toward her] from a certain someone  and I suppose now we can all guess who." And husband Freddie Prinze Jr will get right to the point: "She had to deal with a lot of bullshit on that show for all seven years it was on. The stuff they pressed upon her, without any credit or real salary, while she was often the only one doing 15-hour days  yet she was still able to get the message of that character out every single week and do it with pride and do it professionally." SMG has started rewatching Buffy with her kids but will not let them watch some of the final two seasons. "I have trouble with six. It wasnt appropriate for them at the time, and I just dont want to rewatch it." For those Buffy viewers still eager to debate Buffy's onscreen couplings: daughter Charlotte preferred David Boreanazs Angel, while son Rocky gravitated toward Spike, played by James Marsters. She is fuck Tesla and Elon Musk all day. SMG doesn't mind being called a bitch: "If people think youre a bitch, its almost better. Theres less expectation that way...There was a time when I had a reputation of being  difficult. Anyone that knows me knows it came from the fact that I always put in 100 percent. I never understood people who dont. Ive mellowed a bit in [my expectations of others]  I think because I got burned out." She distributed her phone number to her young Wolf Pack co-stars with a promise to discreetly handle any concerns. She described one scenario where a crewmember made someone in the cast uncomfortable, offering back rubs. He was gone as soon it was brought to her attention. SMG still goes by her maiden name professionally but legally took her husbands in 2007 to commemorate their fifth wedding anniversary. Both SMG and Prinze got back into acting when their daughter expressed an interest in it and SMG never lost the passion for it. Prinze says, "Once our daughter started taking it seriously, both of us just instinctually wanted to show her the way we think it should be done." SMG has plans for her career, including another collaboration with the writer/director of Do Revenge, and she wants to have fun.Sources: one
recall election when NY?



I don't know shit about NY election laws so how does this process work there. Like do they submit an official petition? And then is there a whole new election or does the governor appoint??

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Oh. I don't think Hochul will want to seem partisan by removing Santos, knowing that a Dem would likely win the seat.



So uh, guess the best chance to get rid of Santos is just for other Members of Congress to bully him out, lol.

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There are no recall elections for federal office  the US Constitution doesnt permit them. Santos has the seat until one of four things happens:



(a) he resigns;

(b) he dies;

(c) he is expelled by a two-thirds vote of the House of Representatives; or

(d) he loses reelection and his term expires.



Edited at 2023-01-19 07:31 pm (UTC)

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I'm not American and I know nothing about this guy, so seeing all of this together in one post was like a fever dream.

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oh that's not even HALF of the lies he told



there's way more

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This post only scrapes the surface. If this dude told me the sky was blue I would go outside to check, that's how much he lied.

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I'm starting to feel like we can't handle the truth of who he is. He's honestly (hah) the perfect republican. I'm starting to feel like we can't handle the truth of who he is. He's honestly (hah) the perfect republican.

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Holy shit what a ride. What a piece of shit. Didn't he claim to be gay at one point too?



Edited at 2023-01-19 04:50 pm (UTC)

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Thats what I thought! So Im surprised to see that hes so anti-LGBT.

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Politicians/public officials betraying their communities once they get any semblance of power is the norm at this point so I'm not surprised he'd support harmful anti LGBTQIA2S+ laws. That's basically the only believable thing about this insanity.

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Self hate is a horrible thing. :(

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Probably hates himself too just to find the irony in that and blames other minorities for everything

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Self-hating is not uncommon in the Republican party.

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I think he's still claiming that, even though it came out he fairly recently divorced his wife.

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he's married to a man...allegedly

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He's still saying he's gay.



The weird thing about that was that he claimed to have been out and proud for 10 years but until 2020 he was married to a woman. So...

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Accusing Democrats of wanting to groom our kids, Santos peddled right-wing talking points that equate discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with children as tantamount to sexual abuse. Such talking points often go further, holding that drag shows, or even LGBTQ people generally, groom and abuse children.



it's this part that fucks me up. like, I think I hate gays against groomers more than I hate libs of tiktok because it FEELS like they should know better, despite the fact that I KNOW there are shitty LGBTQ+ people who hold regressive views on gender and sexuality

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Imagine how fucked up it would be if after everything, him dressing in drag was what got him kicked out.

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OK this is just WAY beyond your standard North Shore Bro Exaggeration bullshit; a disabled homeless vet's dying service dog?

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And the guy was also homeless at the time living in an abandoned chicken coop and when Santos refused to give him the money he had to panhandle to raise the money to euthanize his dog so she wouldn't be in anymore pain because Santos kept dragging him along by referring him to a vet (in a shady looking clinic, the vet said) who claimed the tumor was inoperable and that the other vets in NJ were wrong when they said they could remove it. The vet in NY was working with Santos, i wonder what other shady shit was going down with that vet.

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Goddammit, it gets worse that the VET WAS IN ON IT TOO??? That district truly is a hotbed of villainy and ill repute.

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Great. Because of his shit people are going to make it harder for drag performers to get work because of that false narrative that they're all groomers.

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that man is a straight up villain. it's pathological.

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Kitara Ravache is the most brazilian drag name ever

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It trully is lol

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I cant watch the dog videos because I will fucking lose it. Can anyone explain how he stole the money?



Fuck this piece of shit.

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Go fund me. He set up a go fund me under the guise that it was for the dog and then never gave the funds to the veteran so his dog could get help. Santos basically just used this man's story to scam people.

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Oh HEs the one who set up the GFM? Wow. Just fucking scum.

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The way he did it was super sick, the vet was pointed in his direction and Santos started the Go Fund Me, hit up the guy's friends, then pointed him to a different vet than the one who said he could do the surgery, new vet said no surgery, the vet was like "Give me the money so I can go to my original vet" and Santos said he was untrustworthy, he had a reputation to uphold, and he was putting the money into his charity.



The vet said he had to panhandle just to get enough to cremate his dog. He has texts, links, and a Facebook post from 2016 when he reveals Santos' scammy behaviour.



A really sad and horrible story.

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Brazilian crazies  American crazies

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Don't know this guy but he deserves to be ******. That shit about us grooming children makes me spit fire.

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I worked with a pathological liar once. He made up the oddest lies (that were sprinkled with truth) but the more I thought about them, the more impossible they seemed.



Pathological liars always get caught. Stupid.

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I worked with one too, insane. To this day he still insists he was Rihannas contact for all the parties when she was in Brazil

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I've known a few and they are no longer a part of my life for a reason. If every third word that comes out of your mouth is a lie I don't want you anywhere near me.

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we have one at my work

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My current boss is a pathological liar. Its bizzare cause everyone knows shes a liar.



She only works in the office one day a week. EVERY WEEK something happens that means she cant come in. Theyve started making her come in to her days if shes sick



Weve had 5 food positioning from chicken in 10 months. One time she couldnt come in because of DOMS and we have stairs. (Literally everyone in my office has had that at some point)



She told two of us her grandchild was super sick when theyd be born and under care of specialists. Child was born. Was home from hosptial within 2 days



I hate her because Im not a distrustful person. And I just dont believe her now and I hate it.

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Maybe she just really hates working there

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Her impersonator said that people "chose to donate" and that "it doesn't magically become a loan because they regret it now." This week she told the New York Times: "From a legal standpoint, I did nothing wrong. Morally, I might have done something wrong. But legally, theres nothing wrong."





Oh girl... F.R.A.U.D.



Edited at 2023-01-19 05:35 pm (UTC)

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The biggest of red flags when someone tries to hide behind legality when their morality is questioned, but perfectly aligns with someone who would profit off of their fake suicide.

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It's not fraud if he can produce the dead wife and the funeral for the dead wife. lmao to be this delusional..

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Don't give him any ideas

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I mean it's clearly fraud?

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MIGHT have done something morally wrong, lmfaoooooo OH MAN.

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My absolute favorite argument is the "I didn't do anything LEGALLY wrong" it's like their own personal red flag they wave. Like if you have to talk about "well I can't get arrested for it so..."

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Who admits to being the brains behind fraud?

Its freaking bizarre

Im over all these fuckers

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See, I don't think he admits that. He explains, that he was protecting mental health and well-being of his wife, and that sort of makes sense (deleting your accounts makes more sense though).

But then there is money part, and denying the fraudulent nature of that is beyond my comprehension.

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Maybe he didnt mean it the way it came out but people still might take it as admission. Especially since there could be charges.

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Me with the front page this morning.

Does Hilary Duff not walk anymore!? Me with the front page this morning.Does Hilary Duff not walk anymore!?

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I think she got some jobs. 

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How does the good sis get there? Does she teleport?

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Comment of the year tbh

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Absolutely psychotic to fake your suicide and gain money from it

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i have a REALLY hard time with people faking this shit (for obvious reasons). last night i found out someone i know tried to take his own life yesterday and hes still not out of the woods.



fuck these people



Edited at 2023-01-19 05:39 pm (UTC)

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When you take Gone Girl too seriously

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And you are a clearance type of gone girl)

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You got your fake death plot from ROSS!!!

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omg i didn't know they scammed other writers in the process too/had them working on her "posthumous" releases unpaid. that's so fucked up

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According to this article, Susan/her daughter was actively soliciting people in the FB group. This is a post from October 2020:



Afternoon everyone! I and my family are looking for an editor. My mom had two in editing with someone and they are unable to edit the books. One book has been edited before it needs cleaning up and the other is a Novela she wrote for my wedding day. Any help would be great. Thank you for your time.



Edited at 2023-01-19 06:12 pm (UTC)

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If that post was written by Susan then I can see why she needed an editor so badly. It galls me that there are authors who are such terrible writers.

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I am absolutely losing my mind at the idea of a romance author writing her daughter a novella for her wedding day.



"And now we'll all take a few minutes to read the romantic erotica my mother wrote just for today, before dying. Allegedly."

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I still dont follow their reasoning to pulling that gimmick other than being stunt queens, but this language "I told them that she is dead to the indie world, the internet, because we had to stop her, period... is ambiguous enough for me to think that theyll try to say that they meant that her online presence died not herself and that people misunderstood and for that theyre not liable for donations done after what people misinterpreted.

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"Actually, it's YOUR fault for thinking I was dead after I implied I was dead"



Like what in the IASIP

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lol RIGHT



Some serious Charlie Kelly energy there.

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lmao its like mac playing jesus in an easter pageant

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That's what he is saying in this interview, but when they announced her death, they said she committed suicide and solicited money for a funeral. Which is far less ambiguous lol.

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Fuck all of these people.

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"Even to this day, I'll take 100 percent of the blame, the accolades, whatever you want to call it."



no one's calling it accolades, son

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wow, he has just as strong a command of language as his wife!

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I'm trying to figure out what he meant by that, since "accolades" is a kind of obscure word, or at least I think it is when we're talking about people this dumb. Did he mean "accusations?"

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I think if she just announced the death, the family didn't profit from it, and she came back apologetic explaining about her mental troubles people would have been angry, but more understanding. Instead, they deliberately took money and free services from people and she comes back with a flippant "Let the fun begin?" Fuck her, fuck her husband, fuck every family member who had anything to do with this because he could have easily announced a hiatus for her due to illness. Instead, they announced her death and collected money from people. That's fraud.

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She should've just stayed "dead". If it's true that the online community escalated her mental health issues, either because they actually bullied her or because she got too obsessive, then why go back? Them taking the money, her reappearing and the flippant comments makes it all so performative and makes the family look like soulless opportunist who think this scandal can bring them free press and more sales or sth. Yuck.

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Exactly. And fraud is not a victimless crime, as they desperately try to make it look. It's not just the money that they take away, it's the ability to trust, that they rob people of, and next time somebody gets a letter from St. Jude's with the picture of "Emily", they are going to doubt that (Emily is most probably dead, btw, but it doesn't mean that your money wouldn't be used to help some other family in most dire need).

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It's not just about the money. Even if you just know someone from "online" it doesn't make the friendship any less real. I have online friends that I've had for over twenty years. A few years ago, one died from cancer and all of us who knew her pitched in and bought bricks in her name for a garden for this non-profit pet shelter she donated time to and were glad to do it. Our grief was real. If she came back years later saying "Guess what guys...I'm ALIVE! Let the fun begin" I would be evil.

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YUP!



The people in her community mentioned how they went out of their way to try to honour her memory donating money and TIME to projects which she ended up benefiting from financially while she was supposed to be dead.

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Blocking Facebook is freer than hiring a lawyer to defend why you're not a fraud.

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Im gonna read the post in detail, but what cracked me up from the original post about this is that I thought the whole book Twitter/TikTok/etc were mourning this asshole, but it was really like 5 people. She really scammed 5 fucking people and really ruined her whole life over it. What a moron.

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So even though she denies that was her in the other interview, she essentially has the same answer?



I can totally believe that the online world was triggering her. But, how would faking her death not be as (or even more) triggering? Like what the fuck. The whole moral vs legal thing is so gross, too. Apologize to every single person that cared to give a shit about you and give them back their money.

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I wish there was a surprise emoji! I had no idea that 5 was the range.

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Im a LIAR. I thought it was that low, but apparently it was in the dozens. Based on how many people commented on one of the old FB posts about this I thought it was just a handful of folks. Oops!

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Morally, I might have done something wrong



might have??

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Bless this woman for bringing the drama. The average messy author sits around harassing Goodreads reviewers while this woman temporarily DIED for her art. Queen!

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What I still don't get is why she thought coming back could ever be a good idea?? There is no world were grown people will accept you back without any problems after pulling this stunt on them.

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Bc getting away with it isn't as fun as people knowing you got away with it (until it bites you in the ass)



Edited at 2023-01-19 06:52 pm (UTC)

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idk was she inspired by Jesus and the fact Easter is soon?

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Because she went from being a writer maybe 10 people have heard of, to being a writer profiled in the NYT....

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At the start of 2023, the main U.S. oil lobby resumed calls on the Biden Administration to increase access to domestic oil and gas resources, reform the permitting process, and reverse the hostile rhetoric toward the industry, which could bolster Americas energy security if given the right incentives to do so. The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued a report outlining a plan for the 118th Congress to make, move and improve Americas energy.

As consumers face growing energy costs, API urges policymakers to take a more realistic approach and ensure that American natural gas and oil are prioritized as long-term strategic assets, the oil lobby said.

The U.S. has the resources to ensure homegrown production of oil and gas, which in turn would ensure that America doesnt deepen its reliance on foreign resources, according to API.

If America doesnt lead, others will, API President and CEO Mike Sommers said.

Global oil and gas demand is expected to continue rising this year and in the coming years, he said in the State of American Energy 2023 keynote address last week.

Related: Europeans Lowered Heating Temperatures Amid The Energy Crisis

That demand will be met one way or another. If America does not meet it, it will be met by countries that do not share our security interests, environmental standards, or values.

Sommers called on the Administration and the new Congress to craft and enact bipartisan policies to make, move, and improve American energy.

Last year, our friends in Europe learned the hard way that energy security is national security. Its time to implement that lasting lesson here in America, with business and government working together.

APIs report, entitled The Solution is Here focuses on three pillarsmake, move, and improvethat is, policy recommendations to boost oil and gas production, increase takeaway capacity to demand centers, and support innovation in solutions to lower the industrys carbon emissions.

In energy production, the problem, as identified by the API, is that there isnt enough energy to meet rising demand. Despite the recovery in oil and gas demand post-Covid and despite the dire need for non-Russian energy in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Since the end of World War II, no presidential administration over its first 19 months in office leased as few acres on federal lands and waters for oil and natural gas production as the Biden administration, the API said.

The policies to address this problem include the Administration increasing access to federal offshore and onshore drilling and signaling government support for needed energy investments, according to the oil and gas industry body.

The Biden Administration is currently finalizing the next five-year offshore leasing program, which has been delayed by several months already, creating yet more uncertainty for the U.S. oil industry, which has had to grapple with numerous mixed messages from Washington since President Biden took office.

In oil and gas transportation, America lacks sufficient infrastructure to meet demand as permitting and review delays block necessary infrastructure, the API said.

Ten major infrastructure projects, reflecting $34 billion in capital expenditures, were canceled, stalled, or were at risk of cancellation due to permitting and review delays in recent years, API noted. The canceled projects include four natural gas projects in Appalachia that could support 4.6 billion cubic feet per day of production needed by families and businesses in the region.

In fact, many homes in Boston use fuel oil or imported natural gas for heat, because they lack access to cleaner American natural gas. Thats the sad irony of blocking pipelines on environmental grounds, the APIs Sommers said in his keynote address.

API calls for reforms in the permitting and review processes, uniform environmental reviews with established time limits, an end to FERC overreach of permitting authority, an end to steel tariffs to alleviate supply-chain bottlenecks, and the use of performance-based regulation to help advance new technologies.

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The global energy crisis, the result of a post-pandemic surge in demand and a war in Europe, wont be resolved by asking other countries to produce more, Sommers said.

We wont resolve it by tapping the nations emergency petroleum reserve. Thats a band-aid, not a cure, he added.

The solution is right here in America, right under our feet. We just need to seize it.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Last year was a good year for the oil industry. Despite predictions of its looming demise as renewable energy leads to electrification that in turn leads to the death of oil, fossil fuels were the stars of the year, with demand for all, including coal, notably rising. Meanwhile, opposition to Big Oil grew louder and protests turned more extreme, with activists gluing themselves to streets and buildings, and vandalizing world-famous works of art in order to raise awareness of climate change.

Oblivious to this rise in the amount of activism, Big Oil went on to rake in record profits thanks to higher prices for the commodities it produces. According to Reuters, Big Oil majors will report combined earnings of close to $200 billion for 2022, with many of the supermajors booking record quarterly profits during the year thanks to the combination of strong demand for energy and limited supply.

The industry also had a chance to reduce debt thanks to the strong performance of its products last year. Per Reuters, the combined debt of Big Oil has fallen to $100 billion, which is the lowest in 15 years and down by more than 50 percent from 2020, when it reached more than $270 billion as companies borrowed to survive.

But its not all smooth sailing from here on out. First, there is the windfall profit tax that the EU and the UK decided to impose on energy companies in order to generate some money for its energy aid programs.

Shell said it expected the effect of the UK and EU windfall taxes will cost it $2.4 billion. It also said it may have to reconsider investment plans for the North Sea in light of that hit. Meanwhile, despite political opposition to developing more oil and gas reserves in the UK, more than 100 bids were submitted this month for new exploration in the basin.

Related: Canada Sees Unprecedented Number Of People Claiming EV Rebates

French TotalEnergies also said it would take a substantial hit from windfall taxes in the UK and the EU. According to the supermajor, it would come in at about $2.1 billion. As a result, the company said it will reduce its investments in the North Sea by a quarter, noting that the levy did not provide for any adjustments in case oil and gas prices fell.

Meanwhile, oil and gas prices did fall. Right now, oil is trading at around the same level it was trading a year ago and natural gas prices have fallen substantially in both Europe and the United Statesits biggest supplier.

The energy industry operates in a cyclical market and is subject to volatile commodity prices, Jean-Luc Guiziou, TotalEnergies British head of exploration and production, told the FT this month. We believe that the government should remain open to reviewing the energy profits levy if prices reduce before 2028.

Exxon took it a step beyond criticism, filing a lawsuit against the European Union to get it to drop the windfall tax. The company argued that the tax is counterproductive, would discourage investments and undermine investor confidence.

Yet Big Oil has some big investment plans, just not for Europe. Exxon and Chevron, per Reuters, plan to spend 10 percent more this year than they did last year, to the tune of a combined $41 billion.

BP will be spending more on its U.S. shale and Gulf of Mexico operations even though European supermajors as a whole are expected to be more cautious with their money because of the windfall taxes. But they will continue spending heavily on low-carbon projects.

The European majors appear much more attractively valued than the U.S. majors on our estimates, HSBC said in a recent note quoted by Reuters. It is among banks that predict stronger share performance for European Big Oil majors after last year U.S. supermajors ruled the stock market.

If investment in low-carbon projects is the guarantee for stronger share performance, then HSBC is right. Indeed, pressure is growing on the oil industry to set itself more stringent emission-reduction targets and make stronger commitments to decarbonize. This pressure is unlikely to let up this year as governments in the EU, the UK, and the U.S. double down on their climate change plans, too.

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Chances are that 2023 will be another strong year for the oil industry simply because those companies came in strong into the new year and demand for oil and gas is not expected to fallon the contrary.

The EU will need to buy more gas to refill its storage and it will continue using oil products that it no longer buys from Russia. China is reopening and most observers expect a rebound in oil and gas demand to come sooner rather than later. Even the U.S., for all its green ambitions, is unlikely to stop being the biggest consumer of oil in months. The immediate future of Big Oil is certainly bright.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Russias large-scale war against Ukraine has become a game-changer for the architecture of international securityand not only from a regional perspective. Most recently, it provided a window of opportunity for South Korean security and energy companies to deepen engagement with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Over the past few years, South Korea has witnessed rapid and spectacular growth in its arms exports. The country, which for 20172021 was the eighth-largest arms exporter accounting for 2.8 percent of the global share, increased the value of its exports by an enormous 177 percent as compared to 20122016 (Sipri.org, March 2022). What is more, as reported by the Korea Eximbank, this trend continued throughout 2022 and will most likely increase moving forward (Nikkei Asia, September 29, 2022). Yet still, for that period, only one-fourth of South Koreas arms exports reached Europe, with the United Kingdom alone accounting for more than half of those imports (Armstrade.sipri.org, accessed January 15). This, however, may very well change as the war in Ukraine has pushed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to significantly and rapidly develop their military potential.

Already in June 2022, this shift began to materialize when Polish Defense Minister Mariusz B?aszczak signed agreements for the purchase of 1,000 K2 main battle tanks, 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft from South Korea. The total net value of the contracts signed by Korean companies Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha Defense and Korea Aerospace Industries amounts to $8.77 billion. This bilateral cooperation intensified even more in October 2022, when Poland decided to purchase 218 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems with logistics packages and ammunition supply worth $3.55 billion. All four deals represent the largest arms contracts in the history of the Korean military industry (Polskieradio.pl, August 27, 2022).

Related: EIA: Soaring Production Will Keep Natural Gas Prices In Check



The scale of arms purchases from South Korea is also unprecedented from the Polish perspective. Their implementationcombined with other deals from American and domestic contractorswould make Poland one of the largest non-nuclear military powers in Europe. And this is strategically critical given the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the necessity to deter Moscow on NATOs eastern flank. What is more, if Warsaw is to continue further arms deliveries to Kyiv, replacements for the donated armaments are essential. Unquestionably, Ukraine needs such assistance as it is unlikely that the war will end soon. And Poland should have the ability to sustain this aid as the Technical Modernization Plan announced in 2019 assumes that the Polish military plans to replace the vast number of post-Soviet armaments still in its arsenal, including T-72 tanks and their Polish-developed PT-91 tanks (Polska-zbrojna.pl, October 10, 2019). Around 300 of these tanks are left after Poland donated more than 200 to Ukraine. This shift is even more likely as it is counterproductive to keep four active types of tanks in the Polish arsenal. What could come next, in this context, is the replacement of the post-Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) with the Korean-manufactured AS-21 Redback. This IFV was already tested by the Polish Armed Forces in late 2022 (Pap.pl, Nov 26, 2022).

In Poland, the South Korean offer was seen favorable for several reasons. To begin with, the Korean industry offers a rapid pace of manufacturing and deliveries. The first batch of 10 K2 tanks and 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers were already delivered to Poland in December 2022. Another gap-filling delivery of 180 K2 tanks will be deployed by 2025 and an additional 24 K9 howitzers by the end of 2023 (Dziennikzbrojny.pl, July 24, 2022). Warsaw expects the first 12 FA-50s to be delivered by mid-2023 (Yonhap News Agency, July 28, 2022).

In truth, the speed of delivery was one of the key arguments for the K239 Chunmoo deal as well. At first, Poland wanted to purchase 500 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), but when it became obvious that such a giant supply would be impossible in such a tight timeframe, Warsaw decided to proceed with the deal for the Korean alternative. The first batch of Chunmoo systems is expected to reach Poland sometime in 2023. Furthermore, such large-scale contracts include beneficial offset agreements. Delivery for the rest of the tanks are planned to start in 2026 and will include modernized and partly Polonized equipment in its K2PL version. The K2PL will be largely manufactured in newly established industrial plants in Poland. This will trigger the transfer of know-how and technologies from South Korea, which would improve the production and service capacities of the technically backward and long-neglected heavy military industry in Poland (Defence24.pl, September 23; December 9, 2022). That, in turn, would create logistical facilities that are not only essential for maintenance but could also provide an opportunity to become South Koreas production hub for further arms deliveries to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

A great example of this is Hanwha Defenses aims to combine its potential with the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) in the production of the K9 howitzer. To this end, the new K9PL version will be produced in Poland starting in 2026. These two companies have already enjoyed some past cooperation, as Hanwha Defense has supplied the K9 Thunder chassis for the AHS Krab self-propelled howitzer designed in Poland. The Krabs generally successful production, however, cannot meet the urgent requirements of the Polish Armed Forces due to the Polish Armaments Groups low production capacity, which is only now being boosted. Nevertheless, the Polish Ministry of Defense continues to expand the purchase of home-grown howitzers (Defence24.pl, September 5, 2022). In this context, it is interesting that the K9 and Krab systems may be merged into one project, starting with development work in 20252026 (Dziennikzbrojny.pl, July 24, 2022).

Additionally, in striking these deals with Poland, South Korea had a doctrinal predominance that resulted from the Law and Justiceled governments decision to resign from any major military purchases with its European partners. This policy has been only recently reversed as Poland acquired two observation satellites and a receiving station from French Airbus (Notes From Poland, December 29, 2022). One should not exclude, however, that such a deal may have been a one-off.

A few factors undergird such reasoning. The deal was politically motivated and most likely resulted from Warsaws distrust of other Western European states. This distrust was caused by Western Europes decades-long ambiguous policy toward Russia, which has only started to dissipate following Russias re-invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, given the Polish policy of putting all its eggs in the American basket, South Korea is a political beneficiary of its close ties with the United States.

Finally, these arms purchases were in fact a package deal. On October 31, 2022, the Polish Energy Group (Polska Grupa Energetyczna) signed a deal on developing a nuclear plant with South Korean state-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). What is more, KHNP vice director added that the offer included additional investments in the semiconductor, battery and hydrogen industries (Energetyka24.pl, July 22, 2022). Additionally, the Korean offer was much cheaper that its, for example, German equivalent (Nikkei Asia, September 9, 2022).

As Russias war against Ukraine moves into a more protracted phase, the Korean-Polish deal represents only the tip of the iceberg for the overall impact South Koreas arms exports could have for defense and security in Central and Eastern Europe.

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By The Jamestown Foundation

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Australias energy giant Santos reported today record sales revenues for 2022 on the back of the energy crisis in Europe that spurred higher LNG exports from every producer country.

Sales revenues rose 65% on the year in 2022, Santos said, adding its cash flow also benefited from the strong demand for gas, rising more than twofold from 2021.

Unsurprisingly, annual gas production was also at a record level of 105.4 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Santos is the largest liquefied natural gas producer in Australia but last year, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its chief executive warned that Australian LNG will not be able to replace Russian gas in case of a conflict between Moscow and Brussels.

The reason, Kevin Gallagher explained at the time, was that most volumes were already contracted by buyers in Asia on a long-term basis. Santos, he said, only had about 16% of its production sold on the spot market.

As later developments proved, however, LNG producers could violate long-term contracts in order to take advantage of the bigger profits made possible by the spot market as Europe rushed to find alternatives to Russian pipeline gas.

Yet the availability of enough LNG for the spot market was not the only challenge for Australian LNG exports last year. Government policies also posed a threat temporarily as Canberra considered caps on exports to secure supply for the domestic market. Eventually, the government struck a deal with LNG producers to make sure there was enough gas for the domestic market and gave up on its export cap idea.

Direct Australian LNG shipments to Europe make little sense except in extreme circumstances because of the freight costs. Germany was in such circumstances at one point because it contracted a cargo of LNG directly from Santos competitor Woodside and it arrived in Germany in November last year.

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By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on January 18 with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to discuss steps to restart bilateral talks with Azerbaijan amid escalating tensions over a blockade of the only direct access road to the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Blinken "expressed deep concern for the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockage of the Lachin Corridor," the State Department said in a statement.

"He also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support efforts toward a lasting peace and to our strong multifaceted bilateral relationship," the statement said.

The call between Blinken and Pashinian came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin was ready to send a mission from the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow on January 18, Lavrov said that while "there are difficulties linked to the current situation in Armenia" within the CSTO, Russia is still ready to send a mission from the military alliance, which also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Those difficulties center mainly on Yerevan insisting the CSTO condemn Azerbaijan's actions. Yerevan accuses the Azerbaijani government of backing protesters identifying themselves as environmentalists who have been blocking the road since last month.

"We had difficulties related to the situation in Armenia, when our Armenian friends pushed the need to send a CSTO mission to the border with Azerbaijan to ensure some stability there," Lavrov said.

"We agreed on a document and on the parameters of the mission...but it was not possible to accept it, because Armenia started insisting that the document contain a harsh condemnation of Azerbaijan."

Armenia has called the blockade a gross violation of the Russian-brokered agreement from November 2020 that suspended more than a month of intense fighting in the decades-old Armenian-Azerbaijani war over the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Close to 7,000 people died on both sides during the 2020 war that ended with Baku's regaining control of a big part of the region and seven adjacent districts that had been under ethnic Armenians' control for three decades.

The cease-fire ushered in a deployment of about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to the area and joint monitoring of the situation with longtime Azerbaijani ally Turkey.

But Pashinian has also questioned the CSTO's effectiveness, criticizing its refusal to assist Yerevan in September during border clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.

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Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of capturing dozens of square kilometers of sovereign Armenian territory in a series of incursions since May 2021. Azerbaijan denies the accusation.

"If we want to send a CSTO mission, the move cannot be influenced externally and carry some statements, especially strict ones," Lavrov said.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Crude oil imports in Japan, the worlds fourth-largest crude buyer, jumped by 8.5% annually in 2022, the first yearly increase in a decade, while the value of crude imports nearly doubled to a record, data from the Japanese Finance Ministry showed on Thursday.

Last year, many large energy importers  including resource-poor Japan  focused on energy security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the spike in commodity prices as a result of the war.

So Japan imported last year a total of 156.62 million kiloliters of crude oil, or 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the data. The value of the imports surged by 91.5 % compared to 2021 and hit $103 billion (13.27 trillion yen), due to the jump in oil prices and a weakening of the Japanese yen.

The average price of crude per kiloliter of imports hit the highest level on record in data going back to 1979, according to the finance ministry.

Meanwhile, Japans imports of LNG fell by 3.1% in volume but almost doubled in value as it surged by 97.5%.

Thermal coal imports for power generation rose by 2.5% but the value jumped by 196.7% after global thermal coal prices hit records last year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the EU ban on coal imports that came into effect in August.

To limit its dependence on fossil fuel resources it has to import, Japan is bringing back nuclear power as a key energy source, looking to protect its energy security in the crisis that has led to surging fossil fuel prices.

The Japanese government confirmed in December a new policy for nuclear energy, which the country had mostly abandoned since the Fukushima disaster in 2011. A panel of experts under the Japanese Ministry of Industry decided that Japan would allow the development of new nuclear reactors and allow available reactors to operate after the current limit of 60 years.

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By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Kyrgyzstan has bought a fresh batch of Turkish-made military drones, bolstering an aerial fleet that already includes Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Writing in a post on Facebook on January 17, Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the press secretary for the presidential administration, linked the acquisition of the drones to the recent history of border conflicts with Tajikistan.

Orunbekov identified the new purchases as Aksungur and Anka UAVs, but provided no details of either how many have been bought or how much was paid for them. When contacted by Eurasianet for those details, he stated that he was unable to immediately provide specifics.

He did suggest, however, that the government was able to afford the drones through economies achieved by cutting salaries to civil servants.

It is clear that if the country cannot defend itself, then quarterly bonuses and additional payments to government workers have no meaning. That is why it is wholly out of place for colleagues to feel demeaned by the supposed bonus cuts, Orunbekov wrote on Facebook.

When alluding to the need for Kyrgyzstan to defend itself, Orunbekov was unmistakably referring to last years deadly border conflicts with Tajikistan.

Since clashes in Batken, particular attention is being paid to strengthening the armed forces, he wrote, alluding to the Kyrgyz province worst affected in that conflict.

Kyrgyzstan acquired an unspecified number of Bayraktar TB2 drones at the end of 2021 and then added to that complement with Bayraktar Ak?nc? drones the following October.

In September, President Sadyr Japarov oversaw the ceremonial inauguration of the countrys maiden unmanned aerial vehicle base, which is run by the border service, a branch of the State Committee for National Security.

I would like to emphasize that efforts to strengthen our armed forces are focused only on defense, Japarov said at the time.

Japarov has elsewhere said that the Kyrgyz government is spending unprecedented amounts on bolstering its defense capabilities, although he did not offer any specific figures.

Kyrgyzstans race to strengthen its military arsenal since the most recent spates of unrest on the Tajik border have not only been focused on airpower.

In October, Defense Minister Baktybek Bekbolotov announced that Kyrgyzstan had bought a Belarusian-made Pechora-2BM anti-aircraft missile system.

The system will arrive in the near future and will be deployed in Batken," the minister said at the time.

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This clamor for building up a powerful arsenal of weapons is playing out against a persistent frost in relations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan following hostilities in September that claimed more than 100 lives, mainly among civilians.

Both sides blame one another for sparking the clashes. Most available evidence indicates the bulk of the damage to infrastructure inflicted in the conflict was sustained by Kyrgyz civilians, however.

By Eurasianet.org

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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, an ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday that the defeat of Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Medvedev has repeatedly raised the threat of a nuclear apocalypse, but his admission now of the possibility of Russias defeat indicates the level of Moscows concern over increased Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war, Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Putins powerful security council, said in a post on Telegram.

Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends, said Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012.

Medvedev said NATO and other defence leaders, due to meet at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday to talk about strategy and support for the Wests attempt to defeat Russia in Ukraine, should think about the risks of their policy.

Russia and the United States, by far the largest nuclear powers, hold around 90% of the worlds nuclear warheads. Vladimir Putin is the ultimate decision maker on the use of nuclear weapons.

Asked if Medvedevs remarks signified that Russia was escalating the crisis to a new level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: No, it absolutely does not mean that.

He said Medvedevs remarks were in full accordance with Russias nuclear doctrinewhich allows for a nuclear strike after aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened.

While NATO has conventional military superiority over Russia, when it comes to nuclear weapons, Russia has nuclear superiority over the alliance in Europe.

Putin casts Russias special military operation in Ukraine as an existential battle with an aggressive and arrogant West, and has said that Russia will use all available means to protect itself and its people against any aggressor.

NOT BACKING DOWN

Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of the deadliest European conflicts since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The United States and its allies have condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine as an imperial land grab, while Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory.

Since a grim New Years Eve message describing the West as Russias true enemy in the war on Ukraine, Putin has sent several signals that Russia will not back down. He has despatched hypersonic missiles to the Atlantic and appointed his top general to run the war.

Putin said on Wednesday that Russias powerful military-industrial complex was ramping up production and was one of the main reasons why his country would prevail in Ukraine.

Washington has not detailed in public what it would do if Putin ordered what would be the first use of nuclear weapons in war since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

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U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns cautioned Putins spy chief Sergei Naryshkin in November about the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, U.S. officials said at the time.

Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads while the United States has 5,428, China 350, France 290 and the United Kingdom 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Medvedev, 57, who once presented himself as a reformer who was ready to work with the United States to liberalise Russia, has recast himself since the war as the most publicly hawkish member of Putins circle.

He said that the nuclear risks of the Ukraine crisis should be obvious to any Western politicians who had preserved at least some traces of intelligence.

By CityAM

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Russia still hasnt completed its review of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Deputy Russian Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.

As for whether gas supplies will resume in the surviving lineor whenNovak told reporters that it is too early to talk about it now. An examination of this infrastructure is taking place. There is no final conclusion on this from the point of view of the integrity of this infrastructure. We will look at the results.

Novak failed to provide an update as to an estimated completion date.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were rocked by explosions last September, although neither pipeline was in service at the time. Russias state-run gas company, Gazprom, stopped operations of Nord Stream 1 in August, and Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation.

At the time, Germany believed that Nord Stream 1 and 2 would be indefinitely unusable, but as recently as this week, German utility Uniper said that the Nord Stream pipeline could be repaired within a year. Of course, that assumes Germany is interested in resuming its purchases of Russian natural gas.

The Kremlin and Russian state media accused the United States in September of damaging the pipeline, which was later followed by accusations against the UK of directing the Nord Stream blasts. The litany of Moscows charges continues with Russias Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accusing Sweden this week of hiding something in their investigation of the blasts after Swedish authorities concluded that the gas leaks were the result of detonations and likely the result of serious sabotage.

Germanys natural gas import costs more than doubled compared to a year earlier in the January to November 2022 time period, official monthly data showed on Thursday. This is despite import volumes for Germanys nat gas falling 29%.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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On Thursday, a strike in France halted wholesale fuel deliveries from three refineries operated by TotalEnergies on the first day of a series of planned nationwide strikes in many sectors against President Emmanuel Macrons plan to raise the retirement age.

The Donges, Normandy, and Feyzin refineries of TotalEnergies stopped the wholesale supply of gasoline and diesel today, and the refinery at Feyzin had to reduce processing rates to a minimum, the CGT trade union told Bloomberg.

TotalEnergies and the French unit of ExxonMobil hold most of the refining capacity in France. The strikes against Macrons unpopular pension reform are expected to continue with new industrial actions later in January and in early February, and they could further disrupt fuel supply in France, just as the EU embargo on imported Russian oil products by sea comes into force on February 5.

According to the CGT union, France will see a 48-hour strike on January 26, and a three-day strike in February.

On Thursday, fuel supply was disrupted from TotalEnergies refineries, but there were fewer signs of disruption at the Exxon refineries.

The nationwide strike, which affected public transportation and schools, too, comes three months after refinery workers went on strike for weeks in September and October amid a pay row.

Strikes at refineries in France in the autumn of 2022 left more than 60% of the countrys refining capacity offline while gas stations in and around Paris and in the northern part of the country began to run out of fuel. France moved then to requisition essential workers to staff Exxons French oil depot and threatened to do the same for TotalEnergies French refineries if talks failed to progress. Strikes at Exxons refineries ended after some of the French trade unions reached an agreement with the company for a 7% pay rise.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Western allies are stepping up consultations on whether to give modern heavy weaponry to Ukraine as Kyiv calls for urgent deliveries of tanks in the face of Russia's incessant offensive, where President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says the frontline situation remains "tough."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his newly appointed German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Berlin on January 19 a day before hosting a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. military base in Ramstein to discuss further support -- including military aid -- for Ukraine with allies.

"Germany remains one of our most important allies.... I'd like to thank the German government for all that it has done to strengthen Ukraine's self-defense," Austin said at the start of his meeting with Pistorius.

Austin is expected to press Pistorius to allow for the transfer of German-made tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said.

Zelenskiy said on January 16 that he expected a "key decision on arms supplies from our partners" to result from the Ramstein meeting.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on January 19 for talks with officials. "Back in #Kyiv to discuss all strands of cooperation," he wrote on Twitter.

"Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for the future of their children. But they are also fighting for our common European values of peace and prosperity. They need and deserve our support," he wrote in an earlier message on Twitter.

Irked by the slow pace of negotiations between allies about the delivery of heavy weapons, Ukraine has been urging Western allies to speed up the delivery of tanks and air defense systems.

"We have no time, the world does not have this time," Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, wrote on Telegram.

"The question of tanks for Ukraine must be closed as soon as possible. Just like the questions of additional air defense systems," he said. "We are paying for the slowness with the lives of our Ukrainian people. It shouldn't be like that."

Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily report on January 19 that over the past 24 hours it repulsed 14 Russian attacks in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Russians mainly targeted Bilohoryvka in Luhansk as well as Bakhmut, Soledar, and Avdiyivka in neighboring Donetsk.

"At the same time, the enemy carried out 25 air strikes and launched more than 85 attacks from rocket salvo systems," the General Staff said, adding that the threat of air and missile strikes on civilian targets "remains high throughout the territory of Ukraine."

The military said that it continued to monitor Russian and Belarusian troop movements to Ukraine's border but no offensive moves were detected so far.

Kyiv has repeatedly called on Berlin to send German-manufactured Leopard 2 tanks, considered to be among the best in the world.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking on January 18 to the Davos forum, said Germany will support Ukraine "for as long as necessary."

"We are continuously supplying Ukraine with large quantities of arms, in close consultation with our partners," including artillery, air-defense systems, and armored vehicles, Scholz said.

But Scholz, despite criticism not just from Kyiv but also from NATO allies and members of his own coalition, has so far held out against sending Leopard 2 tanks.

U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told AFP on January 19 that Scholz told U.S. congressmen in Davos that Germany will supply heavy tanks to Ukraine if the United States sends tanks too.

German government sources have told Reuters that Berlin wants the Americans to specifically send Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

"It's basically that it's got to be the United States and Germany. There's no question about that," Meeks told AFP.

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But U.S. officials say the Abrams is not the right tank for Ukraine since it runs on turbine engines that use too much fuel for Kyiv's strained logistics system to keep them supplied at the front.

Amid the negotiations for further military aid to Ukraine, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, once seen as a reformer but since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February has made strongly hawkish statements on the conflict, warned that Moscow's defeat could spark a nuclear war.

Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the powerful Security Council and a top ally of President Vladimir Putin, said in a post on Telegram on January 19, that Western allies should understand the risks of increasing supplying powerful military equipment to Kyiv and that the defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war "could trigger a nuclear war."

Asked about Medvedev's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the remarks were in line with Russia's nuclear doctrine, which states that after "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened."

Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly used high alerts and hints at a readiness to aim or use nuclear weapons since their invasion of Ukraine began.

Kyiv and Western leaders have accused Moscow of "nuclear blackmail" and "nuclear terrorism" in those statements and in Russian actions around captured Ukrainian civil nuclear facilities, including the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's largest atomic energy station.

By RFE/RL

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As Europe discusses the possibility of further lowering the G7s $60 price cap on Russian crude oil to squeeze Kremlin coffers more, Bloomberg is citing unnamed sources as saying that the Biden administration would likely oppose such a move.

The price cap implemented on December 5 is slated for review every two weeks, which is next week, at which point market conditions are considered to ensure that the price cap remains at least 5% below average prices.

Poland and Lithuania are seeking to lower the price cap on Russian oil below $60 and are also pushing for sanctions targeting Russias nuclear industry, Reuters reported. Estonia has also pushed for a lower price cap.

On February 5, an additional price cap on Russian refined oil products will come into force, and according to Bloomberg sources, the Biden administration would prefer to wait to see the impact of this before considering any changes to the December 5 price cap, which require unanimity.

Russian Urals crude is now trading well below international prices.

According to CEPA (the Center for European Policy Analysis), complications in trading Russian oil, in particular, have now resulted in a large (30%-40%) discount being applied to Russian oil. The oil price cap might have been set at $60, but the Urals oil blend is now trading significantly lower than this.

The net results, Timothy Ash writes for CEPA, is that Russia has lost more than half the physical volume of its former gas sales to Europe, and prices of gas in Europe are now back to pre-February levels. This could potentially see Russia lose $50bn in annual business in 2023.

This counters initial criticism of the cap scheme by several politicians, including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin who described the cap idea as not only not feasible, but the most ridiculous idea Ive ever heard.

So far, Russia has responded by placing a ban on the purchase of Russian crude and petroleum products for five months from any country obeying the cap.

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By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Solid demand in China, India, and Japan lifted global oil demand by 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in November to the highest level since February 2022, new data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) showed on Thursday.

Chinas oil demand rebounded by almost 1 million bpd in November compared to October, while Chinese crude oil imports surged to a 20-month high, according to the JODI data shared by the Riyadh-based International Energy Forum (IEF).

In China, oil demand rose by 985,000 bpd in November to a nine-month high, while crude oil imports rose by 1.22 million bpd to 11.41 million bpd. This was the highest volume of crude imports into China in 20 months, according to JODI data. Chinese fuel exports rose by 495,000 bpd to 1.61 million bpd, a 17-month high.

Data from this week showed that Chinas fuel exports jumped in December, with gasoline sales abroad matching an October 2020 record, following a huge export quota the authorities issued to refiners at the end of 2022.

Going forward, analysts and industry professionals expect Chinas oil demand to rebound in the coming months from a slump at the end of 2022, as China lifted its Covid restrictions after nearly three years.

Saudi oil giant Aramco expects the Chinese reopening and a pick-up in jet fuel demand to lead to a rebound in global oil demand this year, Amin Nasser, the CEO of the worlds biggest oil firm, told Bloomberg in an interview published on Wednesday.

According to the JODI data released today, global oil demand was at 100% of pre-COVID levels in November, while crude production was at 97% of pre-pandemic levels.

Crude oil production dropped by 599,000 bpd in November to a four-month low, led by reductions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as part of the OPEC+ deal that had its members reduce output as of November 2022.

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By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Ukrainian media is citing President Volodymyr Zelensky as questioning whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is even alive and who is responsible for decision-making in Moscow these days.

Cited by Ukrainian media during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Zelensky is said to have told an audience: I dont quite understand who to talk to and about what. Im not sure tha the Russian president who sometimes appears against a green screen  is actually the [right] one.

"I don't quite understand if he is alive or whether he makes decisions, or whoever else makes decisions there. What group of people [could be making any decisions in Russia]? I don't have that kind of information, the Ukrainian president continued.

I just dont quite understand with whom we are dealing. When we say peace talks, I dont quite understand with whom [we should be negotiating], Zelensky was quoted as saying.

The statements, cited by Ukrainska Pravda and the Kyiv Independent, prompted a rebuttal from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, saying that Zelensky would prefer that neither Russia nor Putin exist.

Peskov insisted that the war will end when the Ukrainian regime shows readiness to take into account the demands of Russia  which will be achieved one way or another 

Still, Zelenskys statement, considered to have been delivered in the heat of the moment, will have media impact and raise additional challenges for Putin at home, where speculation abounds over high-level reshuffles as Moscows becomes bogged down in a protracted war in which any real notion of victory remains elusive.

Fox News surmises that Zelenskys comments questioning whether Putin is still alive may have been rooted in the Russian presidents recent withdrawals from public events, including a traditional annual press conference that was cancelled in December.

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Earlier this week, Putin was quoted as saying that victory in Ukraine is guaranteed, while Zelenksy this week vowed to retake Crimea, the first territory that Russia occupied in 2014 to a muted Western response.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment in helping bring arts and humanities to all Nebraskans. This is an opportunity to showcase the endowments uniqueness as well as some of the endowments people and accomplishments leading to this milestone year.

The endowment was created and exists to benefit the programs and projects of its two partners, the Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) and Humanities Nebraska (HN). The endowment is a Nebraska original in both concept and result. Like our Unicameral Legislature, it has broad appeal and its nature is nonpartisan. It combines and conserves public and private resources to benefit the essential public functions of education, culture and economic development.

The endowment has now grown to more than $25 million in combined public and private funds, on the way to $40 million by 2030. Since inception in 1998, income from these funds has enhanced Nebraskas funding for arts and humanities programming and projects throughout the state by more than $13 million without diminishing the principal. On a per capita basis, Nebraskas annual public investment in the arts and humanities currently averages about $1.25, which consistently ranks around 12th in the nation. Most importantly, these efforts bring the arts and humanities to more than 600,000 Nebraskans each year on average.

Discussions started nearly 30 years ago to address instability in federal support of the arts and humanities. A small group of NAC and HN leaders approached Lincoln Sen. LaVon Crosby for assistance in creating a homegrown model to support these essential educational and cultural functions. Senator Crosby, among the more conservative members of the Unicameral, knew the value of the arts. She spoke often of the Hastings Symphony and its enduring positive effect on her family LaVon shared an office suite in the capitol with North Platte Sen. Don Pederson, a lawyer who ultimately became chair of the Appropriations Committee. Don provided invaluable guidance and leadership that resulted in near unanimous support for the endowments establishment in 1998 when the Legislature set aside $5 million under a unique arrangement: the income from this fund is available for arts and humanities projects and programs subject to matching the income from non-state sources.

We have also had the privilege of leadership in the Legislature from Omaha Sen. John Nelson, and Gering Sen. John Stinner, and unanimous support from the Unicameral. Both senators championed legislation that increased the state set-aside subject to private matches. Senator Stinner, a forensic accountant by training and a banker by trade, used his considerable skills to devise solutions that cost less and provide better results and under his leadership the Legislature committed to set aside an additional $10 million over 10 years, subject to a private match.

Today, we also mention two more individuals in particular, Pamela Hilton Snow and Suzanne Wise, whose contributions to the arts and humanities have tangibly enhanced Nebraskas quality of life. Pam, who passed away well before her time last summer, served as the endowments executive director from 2006-2014. Pams leadership brought structure and organization to the endowment. Even though she had never been a professional fundraiser, she enhanced the endowments visibility and impact, particularly by attracting substantial private support for the endowment during her tenure. The humanities were among Pams many avocations. She spent several years as a member and chair of the HN, and then as a site visitor of state humanities councils on behalf of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) assessing the quality of state humanities council programming and helping address occasional challenges.

Suzanne Wise retired as executive director of the Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) in December 2022. In her 34 years at NAC, 20 as director, Suzanne represented the agency at the state, regional and national levels in a variety of ways. In particular, she worked with the NAC board to implement the agencys goals and objectives and respond to the needs of the states arts community through financial support, services, and advocacy. Suzanne served on the committee that helped bring the endowment into being. Suzanne was a particularly active and effective leader who served on the boards of the Mid-America Arts Alliance, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), which she chaired. In 2018, she was honored by NASAA with its Gary Young Award, recognizing her extraordinary contribution to public support for the arts.

The Nebraska Cultural Endowment would not be nearly as effective but for NAC and HN. The endowment provides some funding but these two irreplaceable institutions provide the substance. They were here first and it is only due to the content they generate and their uniformly positive reputations that the endowment has succeeded so well. And in turn, their success is due to the abilities and long-term commitments of the people who have served the endowment and the councils.

Thank you to our Legislature for your leadership in creating and nurturing a unique and uniquely effective educational and cultural adjunct that has improved the quality of our lives for 25 years and to the people who have helped shape it. And thank you Nebraska for embracing it.
Reader functions no longer presuppose that CRs have been stripped from the input. (They strip CRs themselves, before parsing, to simplify the parsers.)

Added support for translations (localization) (#3559). Currently this only affects the LaTeX reader, for things like \figurename . Translation data files for 46 languages can be found in data/translations .

Make --ascii work with DocBook output too.

Rename --latex-engine to --pdf-engine , and --latex-engine-opt to --pdf-engine-opt .

Removed --parse-raw and readerParseRaw . These were confusing. Now we rely on the +raw_tex or +raw_html extension with latex or html input. Thus, instead of --parse-raw -f latex we use -f latex+raw_tex , and instead of --parse-raw -f html we use -f html+raw_html .

With --filter R filters are now recognized, even if they are not executable (#3940, #3941, Andrie de Vries).

Support SVG in PDF output, converting with rsvg2pdf (#1793).

Make epub an alias for epub3, not epub2.

Removed --epub-stylesheet ; use --css instead (#3472, #847). Multiple stylesheets may be used. Stylesheets will be taken both from --css and from the stylesheet metadata field (which can contain either a file path or a list of them).

--mathml and MathML in HTMLMathMethod no longer take an argument. The argument was for a bridge JavaScript that used to be necessary in 2004. We have removed the script already.

--katex improvements. The latest version is used, and the autoload script is loaded by default.

Change MathJax CDN default since old one is shutting down (#3544). Note: The new URL requires a version number, which well have to update manually in subsequent pandoc releases in order to take advantage of mathjax improvements.

--self-contained : dont incorporate elements with data-external="1" (#2656). You can leave an external link as it is by adding the attribute data-external=1 to the element. Pandoc will then not try to incorporate its content when --self-contained is used. This is similar to a feature already supported by the EPUB writer.

Allow --extract-media to work with non-binary input formats (#1583, #2289). If --extract-media is supplied with a non-binary input format, pandoc will attempt to extract the contents of all linked images, whether in local files, data: uris, or external uris. They will be named based on the sha1 hash of the contents.

Make papersize: a4 work regardless of the case of a4 . It is converted to a4 in LaTeX and A4 in ConTeXt.

Make east_asian_line_breaks affect all readers/writers (#3703).

Underlined elements are now treated consistently by readers (#2270, hftf); they are always put in a Span with class underline . This allows the user to treat them differently from other emphasis, using a filter. Docx, Org, Textile, Txt2Tags, and HTML readers have been changed.

Improved behavior of auto_identifiers when there are explicit ids (#1745). Previously only autogenerated ids were added to the list of header identifiers in state, so explicit ids werent taken into account when generating unique identifiers. Duplicated identifiers could result. This simple fix ensures that explicitly given identifiers are also taken into account.

Use table-of-contents for contents of toc, make toc a boolean (#2872). Changed markdown, rtf, and HTML-based templates accordingly. This allows you to set toc: true in the metadata; this previously produced strange results in some output formats. For backwards compatibility, toc is still set to the toc contents. But it is recommended that you update templates to use table-of-contents for the toc contents and toc for a boolean flag.

Change behavior with binary format output to stdout. Previously, for binary formats, output to stdout was disabled unless we could detect that the output was being piped (and not sent to the terminal). Unfortunately, such detection is not possible on Windows, leaving windows users no way to pipe binary output. So we have changed the behavior in the following way: Output to stdout is allowed when it can be determined that the output is being piped (on non-Windows platforms).

If the -o option is not used, binary output is never sent to stdout by default; instead, an error is raised.

option is not used, binary output is never sent to stdout by default; instead, an error is raised. If -o - is used, binary output is sent to stdout, regardless of whether it is being piped. This works on Windows too.

Better error behavior: uses of error have been replaced by raising of PandocError , which can be trapped and handled by the calling program.

Removed hard_line_breaks extension from markdown_github (#3594). GitHub has two Markdown modes, one for long-form documents like READMEs and one for short things like issue comments. In issue comments, a line break is treated as a hard line break. In README, wikis, etc., it is treated as a space as in regular Markdown. Since pandoc is more likely to be used to convert long-form documents from GitHub Markdown, -hard_line_breaks is a better default.

Include backtick_code_blocks extension in mardkown_mmd (#3637).

Escape MetaString values (as added with -M/--metadata flag) (#3792). Previously they would be transmitted to the template without any escaping. Note that --M title='*foo*' yields a different result from --- title: *foo* --- In the latter case, we have emphasis; in the former case, just a string with literal asterisks (which will be escaped in formats, like Markdown, that require it).

Allow em , cm , in for image height/width in HTML, LaTeX (#3450).

HTML writer: Insert data- in front of unsupported attributes. Thus, a span with attribute foo gets written to HTML5 with data-foo , so it is valid HTML5. HTML4 is not affected. This will allow us to use custom attributes in pandoc without producing invalid HTML. (With help from Wandmalfarbe, #3817.)

Plain writer: improved super/subscript rendering. We now handle more non-digit characters for which there are sub/superscripted unicode characters. When unicode sub/superscripted characters are not available, we use _(..) or ^(..) (#3518).

Docbook, JATS, TEI writers: print INFO message when omitting interior header (#3750). This only applies to section headers inside list items, e.g., which were otherwise silently omitted.

Change to --reference-links in Markdown writer (#3701). With --reference-location of section or block , pandoc will now repeat references that have been used in earlier sections. The Markdown reader has also been modified, so that exactly repeated references do not generate a warning, only references with the same label but different targets. The idea is that, with references after every block, one might want to repeat references sometimes.

ODT/OpenDocument writer: Support lang attribute (#1667).

attribute (#1667). Added support for --toc (#2836). Thanks to @anayrat .

Docx writer: lang meta, see #1667 (Mauro Bieg, #3515).

Change FigureWithCaption to CaptionedFigure (iandol, #3658).

Use Table rather than Table Normal for table style (#3275). Table Normal is the default table style and cant be modified.

Pass through comments (#2994). We assume that comments are defined as parsed by the docx reader: I want some text to have a comment on it. We assume also that the id attributes are unique and properly matched between comment-start and comment-end.

Bookmark improvements. Bookmark start/end now surrounds content rather than preceding it. Bookmarks generated for Div with id (jgm/pandoc-citeproc#205).

Add keywords metadata to docx document properties (Ian).

RST writer: support unknown interpreted text roles by parsing them as Span with role attributes (#3407). This way they can be manipulated in the AST.

HTML writer: Line block: Use class instead of style attribute (#1623). We now issue <div class="line-block"> and include a default definition for line-block in the default templates, instead of hard-coding a style on the div.

and include a default definition for in the default templates, instead of hard-coding a on the div. Add class footnoteBack to footnote back references (Timm Albers). This allows for easier CSS styling.

to footnote back references (Timm Albers). This allows for easier CSS styling. Render SmallCaps as span with smallcaps class (#1592), rather than using a style attribute directly. This gives the user more flexibility in styling small caps in CSS.

With reveal.js we use data-src instead of src for images for lazy loading.

instead of for images for lazy loading. Special-case .stretch class for images in reveal.js (#1291). Now in reveal.js, an image with class stretch in a paragraph by itself will stretch to fill the whole screen, with no caption or figure environment.

Added warnings for non-rendered blocks to writers.

Writers now raise an error on template failure.

When creating a PDF via LaTeX, warn if the font is missing some characters (#3742).

Remove initial check for PDF-creating program (#3819). Instead, just try running it and raise the exception if it isnt found at that point. This improves things for users of Cygwin on Windows, where the executable wont be found by findExecutable unless .exe is added. The same exception is raised as before, but at a later point.

Readers issue warning for duplicate header identifiers (#1745). Autogenerated header identifiers are given suffixes so as not to clash with previously used header identifiers. But they may still coincide with an explicit identifier that is given for a header later in the document, or with an identifier on a div, span, link, or image. We now issue a warning in this case, so users can supply an explicit identifier.

CommonMark reader now supports emoji , hard_line_breaks , smart , and raw_html extensions.

Markdown reader: Dont allow backslash + newline to affect block structure (#3730). Note that as a result of this change, the following, which formerly produced a header with two lines separated by a line break, will now produce a header followed by a paragraph: # Hi

there This may affect some existing documents that relied on this undocumented and unintended behavior. This change makes pandoc more consistent with other Markdown implementations, and with itself (since the two-space version of a line break doesnt work inside ATX headers, and neither version works inside Setext headers).

Org reader (Albert Krewinkel, unless noted): Support table.el tables (#3314).

tables (#3314). Support macros (#3401).

Support the #+INCLUDE: file inclusion mechanism (#3510). Recognized include types are example , export , src , and normal org file inclusion. Advanced features like line numbers and level selection are not implemented yet.

file inclusion mechanism (#3510). Recognized include types are , , , and normal org file inclusion. Advanced features like line numbers and level selection are not implemented yet. Interpret more meta value as inlines. The values of the following meta variables are now interpreted using org-markup instead of treating them as pure strings: keywords (comma-separated list of inlines), subtitle (inline values), nocite (inline values, can be repeated).

(comma-separated list of inlines), (inline values), (inline values, can be repeated). Support

export option (#3940). This turns all newlines in the text into hard linebreaks.

RST reader: Improved admonition support (#223). We no longer add an admonition class, we just use the class for the type of admonition, note for example. We put the word corresponding to the label in a paragraph inside a Div at the beginning of the admonition with class admonition-title . This is about as close as we can get to RSTs own output.

Initial support of .. table directive. This allows adding captions to tables.

Support .. line-block directive. This is deprecated but may still be in older documents.

Support scale and align attributes of images (#2662).

Implemented implicit internal header links (#3475).

Support RST-style citations (#853). The citations appear at the end of the document as a definition list in a special div with id citations . Citations link to the definitions.

Recurse into bodies of unknown directives (#3432). In most cases its better to preserve the content than to emit it. This isnt guaranteed to have good results; it will fail spectacularly for unknown raw or verbatim directives.

Handle chained link definitions (#262). For example, .. _hello: .. _goodbye: example.com Here both hello and goodbye should link to example.com .

Support anchors (#262). E.g. `hello` .. _hello: paragraph This is supported by putting paragraph in a Div with id hello .

Support :widths: attribute for table directive.

Implement csv-table directive (#3533). Most attributes are supported, including :file: and :url: .

Support unknown interpreted text roles by parsing them as Span with role attributes (#3407). This way they can be manipulated in the AST.

HTML reader: parse a span with class smallcaps as SmallCaps .

LaTeX reader: Implemented \graphicspath (#736).

(#736). Properly handle column prefixes/suffixes. For example, in \begin{tabular}{>{$}l<{$}>{$}l<{$} >{$}l<{$}} each cell will be interpreted as if it has a $ before its content and a $ after (math mode).

each cell will be interpreted as if it has a before its content and a after (math mode). Handle komascript \dedication (#1845). It now adds a dedication field to metadata. It is up to the user to supply a template that uses this variable.

(#1845). It now adds a field to metadata. It is up to the user to supply a template that uses this variable. Support all \textXX commands, where XX = rm , tt , up , md , sf , bf (#3488). Spans with a class are used when there is nothing better.

commands, where XX = , , , , , (#3488). Spans with a class are used when there is nothing better. Expand

ewenvironment macros (#987).

macros (#987). Add support for LaTeX subfiles package (Marc Schreiber, #3530).

Better support for subfigure package (#3577). A figure with two subfigures turns into two pandoc figures; the subcaptions are used and the main caption ignored, unless there are no subcaptions.

Add support for \vdots (Marc Schreiber, #3607).

(Marc Schreiber, #3607). Add basic support for hyphenat package (Marc Schreiber, #3603).

Add basic \textcolor support (Marc Schreiber).

support (Marc Schreiber). Add support for tabularx environment (Marc Schreiber, #3632).

environment (Marc Schreiber, #3632). Better handling of comments inside math environments (#3113). This solves a problem with commented out \end{eqnarray} inside an eqnarray (among other things).

inside an eqnarray (among other things). Parse tikzpicture as raw verbatim environment if raw_tex extension is selected (#3692). Otherwise skip with a warning. This is better than trying to parse it as text!

extension is selected (#3692). Otherwise skip with a warning. This is better than trying to parse it as text! Add \colorbox support (Marc Schreiber).

support (Marc Schreiber). Set identifiers on Spans used for \label .

. Have \setmainlanguage set lang in metadata.

set in metadata. Support etoolboxs \ifstrequal .

. Support plainbreak , fancybreak et al from the memoir class (bucklereed, #3833).

, et al from the memoir class (bucklereed, #3833). Support \let . Also, fix regular macros so theyre expanded at the point of use, and NOT also the point of definition. \let macros, by contrast, are expanded at the point of definition. Added an ExpansionPoint field to Macro to track this difference.

. Also, fix regular macros so theyre expanded at the point of use, and NOT also the point of definition. macros, by contrast, are expanded at the point of definition. Added an field to to track this difference. Support simple \def macros. Note that we still dont support macros with fancy parameter delimiters, like \def\foo#1..#2{...} .

macros. Note that we still dont support macros with fancy parameter delimiters, like . Support \chaptername , \partname , \abstractname , etc. (#3559, obsoletes #3560).

, , , etc. (#3559, obsoletes #3560). Put content of \ref , \label , \eqref commands into Span with attributes, so they can be handled in filters (Marc Schreiber, #3639)

, , commands into with attributes, so they can be handled in filters (Marc Schreiber, #3639) Add Support for glossaries and acronym package (Marc Schreiber, #3589). Acronyms are not resolved by the reader, but acronym and glossary information is put into attributes on Spans so that they can be processed in filters.

and package (Marc Schreiber, #3589). Acronyms are not resolved by the reader, but acronym and glossary information is put into attributes on Spans so that they can be processed in filters. Use Link instead of Span for \ref . This makes more sense semantically and avoids unnecessary Span [Link] nestings when references are resolved.

instead of for . This makes more sense semantically and avoids unnecessary nestings when references are resolved. Rudimentary support for \hyperlink .

. Support \textquoteleft|right , \textquotedblleft|right (#3849).

, (#3849). Support \lq , \rq .

, . Implement

ewtoggle , \iftoggle , \toggletrue|false from etoolbox (#3853).

, , from etoolbox (#3853). Support \RN and \Rn , from biblatex (bucklereed, #3854).

and , from biblatex (bucklereed, #3854). Improved support for \hyperlink , \hypertarget (#2549).

, (#2549). Support \k ogonek accent.

ogonek accent. Improve handling of accents. Handle ogonek, and fall back correctly with forms like \"{} .

. Better support for ogonek accents.

Support for \faCheck and \faClose (Marc Schreiber, #3727).

and (Marc Schreiber, #3727). Support for xspace (Marc Schreiber, #3797).

(Marc Schreiber, #3797). Support \setmainlanguage or \setdefaultlanguage (polyglossia) and \figurename .

or (polyglossia) and . Better handling of \part in LaTeX (#1905). Now we parse chapters as level 0 headers, and parts as level -1 headers. After parsing, we check for the lowest header level, and if its less than 1 we bump everything up so that 1 is the lowest header level. So \part will always produce a header; no command-line options are needed.

in LaTeX (#1905). Now we parse chapters as level 0 headers, and parts as level -1 headers. After parsing, we check for the lowest header level, and if its less than 1 we bump everything up so that 1 is the lowest header level. So will always produce a header; no command-line options are needed. Add block version of \textcolor (Marc Schreiber).

(Marc Schreiber). \textcolor works as inline and block command (Marc Schreiber).

works as inline and block command (Marc Schreiber). \textcolor will be parse as span at the beginning of a paragraph (Marc Schreiber).

will be parse as span at the beginning of a paragraph (Marc Schreiber). Read polyglossia/babel \text(LANG){...} (bucklereed)

(bucklereed) Improved handling of include files in LaTeX reader (#3971). Previously \include wouldnt work if the included file contained, e.g., a begin without a matching end.

wouldnt work if the included file contained, e.g., a begin without a matching end. Support \expandafter (#3983).

(#3983). Handle \DeclareRobustCommand (#3983). Currently its just treated as a synonym for

ewcommand .

(#3983). Currently its just treated as a synonym for . Handle \lettrine (Mauro Bieg).

Math improvements due to updates in texmath: Improved handling of accents and upper/lower delimiters.

Support for output in GNU eqn format (used with *roff).

Allow \boldsymbol + a token without braces, and similarly with other styling commands.

+ a token without braces, and similarly with other styling commands. Improve parsing of \mathop to allow multi-character operator names.

to allow multi-character operator names. Add thin space after math operators when faking it with unicode.

walk is now used instead of bottomUp in the ToJSONFilter instance for a -> [a] (pandoc-types). Note that behavior will be slightly different, since bottomUp s treatment of a function [a] -> [a] is to apply it to each sublist of a list, while walk applies it only to maximal sublists. Usually the latter behavior is what is wanted, and the former can be simulated when needed. But there may be existing filters that need to be rewritten in light of the new behavior. Performance should be improved.
Nate LaHue, a wildlife veterinarian for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, talks about the disease called bighorn pneumonia and how its affecting bighorn sheep in Nevada and other western states. The disease is taking a major toll on the herds of animals. LaHue explains the cause of the disease and the measures being taken to help.
NORMAL  Police said a woman needed hospital treatment after she was hit by a vehicle Wednesday night in Normal.

Brad Park, community services officer for the Normal Police Department, told The Pantagraph that dispatchers were called at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday to a collision at Pub II, 102 N. Linden St., Normal.

He said a 22-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle and taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Park said the driver of the vehicle was issued a citation. He added a preliminary investigation did not show the driver was intoxicated.

The officer noted Wednesday is one of the busier nights for bars in uptown Normal, and that entails more pedestrian activity. Park encouraged drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution when passing through areas near the Illinois State University campus.

Today in history: Jan. 19 1944: Railroads 1953: "I Love Lucy" 1966: Indira Gandhi 1981: Hostages 2006: Dick Cheney 2009: Russia and Ukraine 2012: Megaupload.com 2012: Rick Perry 2017: Donald Trump 2017: Miguel Ferrer 2021: National Guard 2022: NCAA transgender athletes
The Illinois Board of Higher Education is asking for funding increases for public institutions in the state and for grant funding for low-income students.

The board unanimously approved its annual budget request on Wednesday during a meeting at Governors State University.

The budget request goes to the General Assembly and governor for their consideration in passing the state budget later this year. It includes a 7.5% increase in the total direct funding for the states public universities and community colleges. Last years budget included a 5% increase.

The total proposed budget is around $2.5 billion, an increase of $180 million from the current year budget.

The request distributes the increase to the public universities based on the percentage and number of students at each institution receiving federal Pell grants, IBHE Executive Director Ginger Ostro said during the meeting. The board is using the federal grants, which are awarded to students with great financial need, as a temporary funding procedure while the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding seeks a more permanent solution.

Having that measure to move toward equitable funding was a deciding factor for board member Jennifer Garrison.

If an equitable distribution had not been presented, my vote would have been no, she said.

However, she also noted that last year the board had recommended increases using this formula, only for the legislature and governor to implement a 5% across the board increase.

Under the recommendation approved on Wednesday, Illinois State University would receive a 10.7% increase in its funding from IBHE, from $73.1 million to $80.6 million. ISU President Terri Goss Kinzy serves on the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding.

The agency is also continuing to ask for more money for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) which provides grants for Illinois students to attend college and university. This years budget included a historic $122 million increase in the program, expand award size and eligibility. The coming years budget request includes a $50 million increase, to $651 million.

The continued increase in MAP funding received support from Advance Illinois, a statewide organization that advocates for improving equity in public education. Jelani Saadiq, director of government relations, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting to praise the move.

It is an important lever for increasing access to higher education, he said. ()For years, Illinois has under invested in this program.

While the governor has not outlined specifics, Pritzker has said that his priorities include more support for higher education and those pursuing it. Since I took office weve increased scholarships by more than 50%, he said during his Jan. 9 inaugural address. Now lets focus on making tuition free for every working-class family.

Close Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Eureka advances to the McLean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament championship game with a 46-36 victory against GCMS on Friday at Shirk Center. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Photos:: Tuesday action during McLean County Boys Tournament See photos from games at Shirk Center. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Tremont vs. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Tuesday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Eureka advances to the McLean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament championship game with a 46-36 victory against GCMS on Friday at Shirk Center. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Lexington vs. Le Roy on Monday during the McLean County Boys Tournament at Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University.
NORMAL  The future of three spots on Normal ballots next spring is now set for a hearing Friday at the McLean County Circuit Court.

Former Republican attorney general candidate Tom DeVore filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the Town of Normal and Clerk Angie Huonker on behalf of three residents who filed nominating petitions for positions that were not set to appear on the ballot.

Both Charles Sila and Robert Shoraga are trying to file for town collector and town supervisor, two offices that are not currently part of Normals government body. Amy Conklin is attempting to run for town clerk, long an appointed position.

The town previously hired attorney Michael Kasper of Chicago, who reviewed the petitions and determined that each position is non-conforming with the towns municipal code. He indicated in letters to each petitioner last month that the towns legal counsel found there was no legal basis for them to be on the ballot on April 4.

Residents Patrick Dullard and Jeffrey Frizten filed objections on Dec. 5. They argued that the municipal code does not provide for the offices of a town collector or supervisor, the code states the clerk is not an elected position and it is not mandatory under state law or a municipality to have those positions as elected offices.

This was followed up with the Normal Electoral Board meeting on Dec. 9 but additional hearing are on hold and the board is waiting on the outcome of the lawsuit filed by Conklin, Sila and Shoraga.

The situation stems from a legal dispute earlier this year about how to classify Normals form of government.

A group of residents calling themselves Citizens for a Better Normal sought to place a referendum on the November ballot that could have changed the makeup of the Normal Town Council. The group wanted to divide the community into districts, similar to Bloomingtons ward-based system, rather than electing council members at large.

State law allows for such ballot measures in communities that are classified as villages. Supporters of the referendum maintained that Normal meets those standards, specifically arguing that an incorporated town must elect a president, assessor, clerk and supervisor.

Their efforts were unsuccessful. Normals board of electors found, and a McLean County judge agreed, that the community is an incorporated town.

An example cited by the referendum supporters is the town of Cicero, a suburb of Chicago. It follows all the rules and definitions of an incorporated town and elects a town clerk, supervisor, collector, treasurer and a president.

Todd Greenburg, counsel representing Dullard and Fritzen, previously told The Pantagraph that Cicero has township offices with those elected positions, but Normals municipal government does not include a township and it never did. He argued that it would be absurd to add additional roles that already exist in different capacities.

This is not how you create offices, by filing for the candidacies, Greenburg previously said. There have to be offices that are set forth by the government. They have to have appropriations for staff so the people who get elected can spend the money and  for all officers, they have to set forth what the duties of those offices are. None of those exist.

DeVore, who is representing Conklin, Sila and Shoraga, has said that a state statute passed in 1980s requires certain elected offices for any incorporated town is over 25,000 people.

Now prior to their petitions, those offices havent been elected in Normal, DeVore previously said. Their suggestion is that they dont have to follow the state law; my clients position is you do have to follow the state law.

As to the practicality of adding the offices, DeVore previously said thats a matter for state lawmakers.

The hearing is set at 1:30 p.m. Friday with 11th Circuit Judge Mark Fellheimer presiding over the cases.
NORMAL  The Humane Society of Central Illinois will host its annual fundraising gala from 6-8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4, in the Brown Ballroom at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center.

This is the first time the event will be held in person in two years, following the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's theme is "The Roaring '20s: A Pawsome Affair."

The auction will have items including trips, condo rentals, paint your pet opportunities, as well as a wine pull and a trip raffle. The event will also have strolling appetizers, a cash bar, and a professional auctioneer.

The event supports the work of the Humane Society, which cares for abandoned, abused or unwanted pets in the area, while finding them forever homes. The organization runs 100% on on donations from individuals, businesses and foundations.

Tickets for the gala can be purchased at hscipets.org.

Contact gala co-chair Angela Kelly at angela.feesehomes@gmail.com for more information.
The new year 2023 has come out with very much political antagonism. It will get much worse. The Republicans in Congress struggled to elect a speaker. And many classified documents were scattered around President Biden's private property, which is terribly unlawful.

Of course, we see the double standard, or hypocrisy, from the left liberal media trying to spin this as not important as it was with Trump. There are so many high-profile liberal media embedded with the far-left Democrat party that it is disgusting. Many complain about Fox News for the right, but AP and Reuters an NBC News and CBS News and ABC News are very much with the high-profile Democrat party.

Now it has come upon the FBI that they have a cover up with these classified documents to hide or shield President Biden. America is at a far tipping point, and I fear it is gone beyond return to the former days of true liberty and freedom.

There are so many bureaucrats and evil enemies in our government, it is not a democracy. Even so much that the fairness of the balloting and polling places has been corrupted. So many of the Democrats are scheming for power. And the liberal media is locked in with them.

Media of all sorts in this country are ruining our fair democracy. Journalists have become opinion pushers in an unjust manner to corrode the minds of citizens. Plus, some social media is sanctioned by the FBI to sell their stories. Social media has become the mainstream rapid distribution of opinion.

We should be very fearful that our government has taken action to control the opinions of the people who use social media. I can only solicit that we pray for America and when judgment comes our soul is ready for God.

Leon Kaeb, Bloomington
Signing up onto the Debt Exchange Programme is voluntary says the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.



According to him, no bondholder is bound to accept the terms of the programme.



Mr. Ofori-Atta said these when delivering his opening remarks ahead of a meeting with individual bondholders on Wednesday, January 18.



He pointed out that the government is targeting 80 percent participation in the programme to help the government progress with plans to restructure the crisis-hit economy.



He gave assurance that the welfare of Ghanaians will be considered in finalizing the programme.



It is a voluntary programme and the expectation is that we have an 80 percent participation and so, that should be factual for everybody, Mr Ofori-Atta said.



Government launched the programme to invite holders of bonds to voluntarily exchange approximately GH137 billion domestic notes and bonds of the Republic including ESLA and Daakye for a package of new bonds as part of efforts to address economic woes of the country.



It is currently unclear how many institutions and individuals have signed onto the programme.



The domestic debt exchange programme since its announcement has faced huge opposition from labour groups which managed to get pension funds exempted. Several groups made up of individual bondholders have also rejected the programme by the government.



Some individuals have threatened to sue the government if not excluded insisting the programme will negatively impact on them.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has appealed to the Ghana Association of Banks to encourage its members to acquiesce to the arrangements by Finance Minster, Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the government's Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).



He asked them to support the government in order to build confidence in the programme.



The government launched this DDEP last year inviting holders of bonds to voluntarily exchange approximately GH137 billion domestic notes and bonds including ESLA and Daakye for a package of new bonds.



As a result, existing domestic bonds were to be exchanged as of December 1, 2022, for a set of four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2037.



But this programme has been met with vehement opposition, particularly from individual bondholders and pensioners.



Individual Bondholders Forum (IBF), a voluntary group of individual bondholders, and Pensioner Bondholders Forum have kicked against it with the pensioners petitioning government to exempt their members holding sovereign bonds from the programme.



Reacting to the position of the bondholders, Kwamena Duncan feared there will be terrible consequences on Ghana should the government be compelled to suspend this debt exchange programme.



According to him, the Bankers' Association is a major problem to the progress of this initiative because they are failing to make their members accept the programme in good faith.



"They must bear in mind that whatever they say carries weight, especially relative to this matter and in this peroid. So, they need to be a little bit discreet in the things they put out. For instance that they are not ready and prepared to go along with this arrangement; it is dangerous," he stated and advised them as well as all Ghanaians to note that "we may be right in whichever opinion we hold. We may be correct in the assessment and evaluation we make but my point and I want to emphasize it is that it is a very sensitive matter; very sensitive! Because if we are unable to join and rally together to go over this hurdle and we suspend this, the consequences, I'm telling you, are dire . . . let us all rally together this time to go over this challenge".



He further noted the DDEP is in the interest of the nation, hence urging the bondholders and the general public to cooperate with government and endure the challenges now for the good of the country in the future.



"I assure the Ghanaian people that we will overcome this. It's a temporary setback and we will overcome this difficulty. This challenge shall be behind us," he said.



Kwamena Duncan made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Police have on Wednesday, 18th January, 2023 arrested a man suspected to be the person in the audio tape describing an alleged elaborate incident of criminal behaviour on the part of the police.



In the audio tape that has been widely circulated, the man who introduced himself as Dr Patrick Asiedu claimed that he had been stopped by some police officers who planted substances suspected to be narcotics in his car and attempted to extort money from him.



Police investigations, so far, have established that the man who has been arrested and is in police custody, is indeed called Patrick Asiedu, he is an Uber driver and not a Doctor.



According to a statement issued by the Police, The investigations show that the entire story narrated in the audio tape is false and a total fabrication by the suspect.



The supposed military intervention and the alleged fight between the Police officers and the Military described in such dramatic detail in the audio tape are all false and a figment of the suspects imagination.



It added: Equally false are the vivid descriptions of having been taken to the Accra Central and East Legon Police Stations as well as the Narcotics Control Commission. The claims of fingerprints being taken are all also untrue.



Patrick Asiedu, the suspect, however, alleged that he had once witnessed a similar incident to what he described in the audio tape, happen to one of his passengers.



Police say in another audio tape that has come to its attention, the suspect alleges to have met with the Inspector-General of Police.



We wish to categorically state that this claim is also false and should be disregarded.



Investigations are still ongoing and suspect Patrick Asiedu who is currently in police custody will be brought to face justice, the statement said.









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, the worlds leading cryptocurrency and blockchain infrastructure provider, reveals applications to study Web3 education have reached ~ 82,200 in just six months. Over $2.2 million in BUSD was donated during 2022 with projects spanning France, Senegal, Nigeria, Australia, Germany, Cyprus, Ukraine, South Africa, and Brazil, offering students the opportunity to study Web3-related courses free of charge.



So far our donations have funded 259,180 hours of training and education in the classroom, in boot camps,and in community workshops. In total Binance Charity will be offering 67,155 scholarship places but many of these are yet to even open to applications.



Binance Charity is partnering with Binance Academy and several top academic and vocational institutions to deliver these projects including the University of Western Australia, the University of Nicosia, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management - Blockchain Center, Simplon, Utiva and Women in Tech, Kyiv IT Cluster and Ministry of Digital Transformation in Ukraine.



The response to our Web3 education projects has been unprecedented, showing the keen appetite of so many people to learn about blockchain, De-Fi, NFTs, coding, and much more. And, were seeing interest from a diverse range of people, including a great ratio of women, which is something I feel particularly passionate about. With so many more education initiatives and amazing pipeline partners, weve never been more excited to build a more inclusive Web3 world, Said Helen Hai, Head of Binance Charity.



IT Generation kick-started the global Binance Charity Scholar Program in June, an initiative designed to help Eastern Ukrainians, who have lost their jobs due to the war, to re-train and re-enter the job market in Western Ukraine, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.



Other projects include vocational training for 10,000 people, including a specific course for 2000 women reducing the gender gap in the ecosystem and increasing the diversity of talent supply with the Frankfurt School of Blockchain, Germany. In France, weve partnered with Simplon to enable 10,000 people from disadvantaged communities in France - where unemployment is rapidly rising - to learn, study and enter the growing Blockchain industry.



What we saw was interestingI knew a little bit about the world of cryptocurrency before, but this time I got to learn about blockchain technology. It was clear I had no idea you could do so much with it. I cant wait to learn more, comments Terry Genly, student Simplon.

In Brazil and South Africa, were working with Women in Tech to provide vocational training for 2,800 women in rural communities, creating future entrepreneurs and job creation. And, UTIVA in Nigeria educates 50,000 young people in Blockchain/Web3 and provides scholarships for 1,000 Africans in a 1-year intensive skill training program, supporting them to move into employment.



Courses are available both online and offline, varying in length from short intro classes to a 12-monthcommitment. Topics include blockchain application, coding, cryptocurrency, decentralization, NFT, Metaverse, Fan token, and Trading. This is just the beginning of Binance Charitys education initiative, more projects are set to be announced early this year.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed the management of three hospitals to lodge a complaint with the police for the arrest of guarantors of three former staff who have failed to honour their bonds after receiving support from the facilities.



The Chairman of the PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, gave the directive yesterday at the committee sitting in Accra.



That, he said, would compel the beneficiaries to refund all money spent on their studies by the state.



Every year, we have this, especially in the universities, we spend government money on them but they go and do not come back, Dr Klutse Avedzi lamented.



The former staff were from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and the Nkawie-Toase Hospital in the Asanti Region.



Dr Avedzi further suggested that the facilities should rather accept bank guarantees against the sponsored staff because individual guarantors were not sufficient.



Next time look for bank guarantee before you spend on somebody, they should go to the bank and get a guarantee so that if they dont return, we take the money from the bank, he said.



Korle Bu



In response to the infraction cited by the committee, the KBTH led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Opoku Oware Ampomah, explained that the nurse, Anita Okyere Darko, was sponsored by the state to go for further studies in Nursing in the United States of America (USA) but refused to return upon completion.



The Deputy Director of Human Resources of the hospital, Ebenezer Prince Arhin further noted that the hospital, after spending GH84,000 on her studies, had already reached out to her two guarantors through a series of letters but they also refused to respond.



So our legal unit is going to start the process to get them to stand in for the student since they guaranteed for her, Dr Ampomah added.



Accra Psychiatric



With regards to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the former employee, Benjamin Nyarko, who was a nurse, was sponsored by the hospital to school in the country but left for the United Kingdom (UK) without completing his housemanship.



The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Pinamang Apau, said the management of the hospital had already made efforts to reclaim the GH42,517.00 spent on his studies.



That, he said, they were doing by writing to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) to help them recover the amount.



They could not get far so they advised us to write to EOCO and take legal action as well and we have done that, she added.



Nkawie-Toaso



In response to the infraction concerning an unearned salary of GH47,000 at the Nkawie-Toaso Government Hospital, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, explained that the employee, Roland Adjei, was given study leave but it was later found out that he never attended any training.



Dr Kuma-Aboagye said Mr Adjei, who was currently not in the country, had, however, objected, through his lawyer, the services claims disputing that the salary was earned.



We are chasing the guarantors but he has made his lawyer respond disputing the fact that it is not an unearned salary, he said.



To curb such a menace, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the service was now requesting semester reports from state sponsored students to ensure they actually used the study leaves.

Source: Graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Nestle announced today that it is partnering with the Africa Food Prize to help accelerate the transformation of food systems in Africa, as a way of strengthening the continents food security and building greater climate change resilience.



The Africa Food Prize awards USD 100,000 to individuals and institutions that are pioneering agricultural and food systems transformation in Africa. The Prize puts a spotlight on uniquely impactful agri-food initiatives and technological innovations that can be replicated across the continent to increase food security, spur economic growth and development, and eliminate hunger and poverty in Africa. The Africa Food Prize is hosted by AGRA, an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continents growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. AGRA is headquartered in Kenya and works in 15 African countries.



This year, Dr. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, a plant geneticist from Ghana, was awarded the prestigious prize during Septembers AGRF Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Dr. Danquah was celebrated for his outstanding expertise and leadership in establishing the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) and developing it into a world-class center for the education of plant breeders in Africa.



Nestle will contribute CHF 100,000 to the Africa Food Prize, which will be awarded in 2023. Part of the contribution will go to the main award and part to a special category focusing on innovations that advance regenerative food systems.



Remy Ejel, Chief Executive Officer of Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, Nestle S.A. said, Transforming agriculture to be more productive and sustainable is key to reducing hunger and improving livelihoods for the long term. We aim to support and amplify efforts that spearhead regenerative agriculture and food systems to enable better productivity, better nutrition and better incomes for people in Africa.



Commenting on the partnership, Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA said, We are happy to be partnering with Nestle to recognize Africas best in food systems. The Africa Food Prize is a great opportunity to shine a bright spotlight on Africas outstanding minds, giving the rest of us a chance to learn and replicate their good work that is moving us closer to sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2 on Zero Hunger.



Nestles partnership with the Africa Food Prize builds on its years-long work in Africa to improve the continents nutrition and agriculture. The company has taken great strides to expand access to affordable nutrition in many communities, for example, by fortifying Maggi bouillon cubes with iron in Central and West Africa. It is also pioneering regenerative dairy farming with the establishment of the first net zero dairy farm in Skimmelkran, South Africa.



In early 2022, Nestle launched an innovative income accelerator program, aimed at addressing child labor risks and closing the living income gap for cocoa-farming communities in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Recently, Nestle announced an investment of CHF 1 billion by 2030 under the Nescafe Plan to transition to sustainable coffee farming, including in Cote d'Ivoire.



Entries in the Africa Food Prize are evaluated by a judging committee comprising some of Africas greatest food system leaders. Winners are selected based on proven results and scalable efforts.



Submissions for next years Africa Food Prize will be open from January 2023 and winners will be announced at the AGRF, Africa Food Systems Forum, in September.











Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Team has disclosed that all 124 housing units of Appiatse which forms part of the first phase of the project are currently under various levels of construction and hopeful to be completed within the stipulated time frame.



This, he said is impressive work as the committee used about 4 months of the year time frame given by the government to work on the temporary structures acquired from FGR to provide safe shelter for the people.



The Deputy Minister made this known when he lead the Reconstruction Implementation Team to pay a working visit to Appiatse on Wednesday, 18th January 2023 to among others, inspect the progress of work ahead of the 1year anniversary.



Addressing the media the Deputy Minister explained that all contractors who were trailing behind due to mashy lands at the beginning of the construction, have been relocated successfully, and therefore currently, all 124 housing units which is the core part of the Appiatse township are being constructed.



Hon. Benito in his interview with the media gave a brief on government's interventions and efforts since the incident occurred a year ago. "We have just about two days to 20th January, which is exactly a year on since this unfortunate incident occurred and as you are aware, so far government through the Minister for lands and Natural resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor has been working tirelessly to salvage the situation".



Taking the media through the process he recapped that "government through the Ministry, NADMO and other agencies provided tents, food and basic amenities at the initial stages of the incident, the government also had to move the people into the temporary settlement provided by FGR when the rains set in, the Ministry on the instructions of government also set up the Appiatse Support fund and the reconstruction team, while enforcing the saftey laws to ensure that such an occurrence does not repeat itself".



He continued that government also commiserated with the people of Appiatse and helped burried the dead while providing medial assistance for the injured.



Sticking to their promise, Hon. Benito disclosed that GETFund has also commenced the construction of a six-block primary classroom and Kindergarten for children of school-going age at Appiatse as their contribution towards the reconstruction of the township.



The Deputy Minister applauded their effort and called on other organisations who made similar commitments to follow the GETFund example and redem thier promise as the time to put actions to their words has come.



He indicated that road demarcations are currently underway with trenches and gutters to properly demarcate the walkways from the road and the buildings, giving the construction site a better outlook.



Hon. Owusu-Bio assured the media and the people of Appiatse not to fret "as the government has begun this good work, it shall surely bring it to a completion as promised"



Mr. Blankson-Hermans, a member of the ARIT team spoke to the technical details of the construction saying "so far the process is commendable because in terms of quality and speed, the most performing contractor is about 39% complete and the lowest performing contractor around 29% and considering our time frame and work schedule I believe it's great work and we will surely meet the time".



He however hoped that the contractors will speed up work as he noted that when the rains set in, it may disrupt or delay the progress of work.



Responding to the question of government supporting some students in Appiaste to the tertiary level, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality, Hon. Isaac Dasmani said the Municipality is on top of welfare issues and so far one student has been successfully admitted at UMat with some others in the process to gain admission.



Hon. Benito after his tour of the construction site took the media to the temporary residence of the Appiatse indigenes to give them an appreciation of thier current state of living.



The media explored this opportunity to interview a number of indigenes of Appiatse who testified that adapting to a whole new lifestyle was not easy at the beginning but with the support of the government, the red cross and other organisations who visit every now and then to donate, has helped their economic growth and progress.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A lawyer for the billionaire told jurors in San Francisco that Musk had merely used the "wrong words" when he shared claims that he had "secured" funding to take Tesla private on Twitter.



Elon Musk "lied" when he claimed he had "secured" funding to take Tesla private, a lawyer for investors has told a court.



The company's chief executive wrote in 2018 that he had "secured" funding to take the electric carmaker private and later that investor backing was "confirmed", causing shares to fall and then to soar.



Less than three weeks later, Musk backtracked on the plans.



Tesla investor Glen Littleton is seeking damages on behalf of shareholders who bought or sold stock in the days after the tweets, claiming Musk's tweets cost them "millions".



However, a lawyer for Musk argued in court that the billionaire merely used the "wrong words" when he tweeted about his plans.



During opening statements, Nicholas Porritt, lead attorney for the investors, told a jury in San Francisco that "millions of dollars were lost when [Musk's] lies were exposed".



But Alex Spiro, representing Musk, said the billionaire was "serious" about taking the company private in 2018, but ultimately encountered shareholder opposition.



"You will come to learn very soon that this was not fraud, not even close," he told jurors.



The lawyer did however tell the jury that Musk's Twitter post contained some "technical inaccuracies".



"In a rush, he used the wrong words," he told the court.



Littleton, giving his testimony to the court, said he had invested in Tesla in 2015.



He said after seeing Musk's "funding secured" post he had scrambled to unwind his Tesla options positions, which the tweet made unprofitable.



A jury of nine will decide whether Musk's tweets artificially inflated Tesla's share price by playing up the status of funding for the deal, and if so, by how much.



The trial will resume on Friday with an expert witness and might include Musk taking the stand.



The judge, Edward Chen, denied a request by Musk to have the case moved to Texas last week, with the billionaire expressing concern that potential jurors in California would be biased against him.



He cited negative media coverage of the thousands of jobs he has cut at Twitter, which is based in San Francisco, following his takeover of the social media platform last October.



The jury will be tasked with deciding whether Musk's tweets influenced investors, whether he acted knowingly, and whether damages should be awarded.



Judge Chen has already ruled that the statements the SpaceX owner made were untrue, but the defendants will argue that he had good reason to believe funding for taking Tesla private was secured.

Source: Skynews.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithfuls in Gomoa Central are heaving a sigh of relief as Rachel Appoh, a former Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has declared her intention to contest the seat.



The announcement brings to an abrupt end the drought in the constituency of her sterling leadership qualities and development in the life of the constituents.



Her decision to return follows, intense pressure from traditional authorities and community leaders in the constituency for her to come back and continue the good works she started.



Honourable Appoh is mounting a fierce comeback to wrestling back the seat she lost in 2016.



Multiple Sources close to the philanthropist, farmer and first-time MP for the area who has been credited with numerous projects in the Constituency.



Honourable Appoh is credited with the establishment of Vocational Skills Training Schools, Electricity expansion, 5 community road construction among others.



Ms Appoh through her Obaa Sima Foundation undertook several projects in the area which impacted many lives .



The charity projects were aimed at empowering women in the Constituency by providing them a source of livelihood.



A professional accountant, Honourable Appoh rose through the political ranks to become the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central.



Her dedication to the growth of women and gender issues saw her appointment as Deputy Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection under the Mahama administration.



She is the Executive Director of Obaa Sima Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that sets out to offer help and provide hope to widows, the physically challenged and children from deprived areas.



In Parliament, Hon Appoh served on the Health,Youth and Sports, Employment Committee, Chieftaincy and Poverty Alleviation and Finance Committees.



She was also on the Public Account, Committee and a friend to Mines and Energy Committee



She is also the Executive Producer of Ahenfie Court, a popular series on UTV

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong continues his tour of the regions with the view to energising the base of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in order to give hope to the party people.



He touched ground in the Upper West Region of the country in the afternoon of Wednesday, January 18, 2023, and there was a massive crowd that gave him a warm but tumultuous reception.



Many of these people were party supporters, sympathisers and persons who believe in his ideas.



Over the past couple of months, Hon. Agyapong has been crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country to motivate the members and supporters of the NPP to continue to support the party despite the economic challenges the country is going through.



The ravages of covid 19 and its accompanying conundrum, have made many Ghanaians show resentment toward the ruling party. Some government appointees even find it difficult to explain things to the masses and groups in public places.



Mr Agyapong, being a man of the people, has taken it upon himself to go around the country to sacrifice in convincing the masses that, the NPP government will still deliver and that Ghanaians should be a bit patient.



In his tours, the business mogul cum philanthropist has also been motivating the youth particularly young entrepreneurs with his business experience.



Hon. Agyapong has declared intentions to contest the NPP presidential primaries should the party open nominations. According to him, Patriotism, Honesty and Discipline (PHD) will be the cornerstone of his administration should he get the chance to lead the party and government.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, paid a working visit to the headquarters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The visit was in consonance with the stronger Party-Government relationship of the NPP.



Dr. Kokofu was welcomed by Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, on behalf of the entire national leadership of the Party. In a succinct welcome statement, Chairman Ntim resounded the need for a strong and effective collaboration amongst various stakeholders of the Party and government functionaries as the Party seeks a-historic third consecutive general elections victory in 2024.



Recounting the success stories of his outfit, Hon. Dr Kokofu indicated that as the primary regulatory body of the countrys environment, the Environmental Protection Agency, under his leadership, has formed international alliances in furtherance of Ghanas climate mitigation and adaptation interests.



In accordance with this, the EPA, during the recently held Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the Paris Climate Agreement in Egypt, strongly advocated for rich industrial countries to bear the cost of climate-induced disasters and disruptions to the local economies of developing countries. This, he intimated, bears the potential to attract international donor funding for Ghanas climate adaptation and mitigation interventions.



Dr Kokofu also disclosed that the EPA and the government of Ghana have relentlessly sought to make Ghana, a leader in global environmental concerns, culminating in Ghana assuming the Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an association of 55 of the most climate-threatened countries in 2022. He further noted that upon assumption of office, he has pursued a robust recruitment drive to shore up the staff strength of the Agency, which he said, has improved its operational efficiencies.







Commenting on the menace of illegal small-scale mining in the country, Hon. Kokofu asserted that while the laws of the country do not prohibit mining, it is incumbent on all miners to adhere to safe environmental practices to sustain the countrys natural environment. He hinted that plans are far advanced to make the Environmental Protection Agency an Authority, a development that would make his outfit the first to issue permits for all activities related to the environment. This he noted, would contribute to the Agencys effectiveness in pursuing its mandate of safeguarding the environment.



The National Executives of the Party who were led by Chairman Ntim to welcome Hon. Kokofu were: Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary; Alhaji Masawudu Osman, National Third Vice Chairperson; Madam Kate Gyamfua, National Women Organiser; Dr Antoinette Tsibu Darko, Deputy General Secretary; and Mr Haruna Mohammed, Deputy General Secretary.



Also present were: Mr Joseph Kwayaja, Deputy National Organiser; Mr Isaac Jay Nii Amahtey Hyde, Deputy National Youth Organiser; Miss Sandra Sarkodee-Addo, Deputy National Youth Organiser, Miss Miriam Awurama Duah, Deputy National Women Organiser, Miss Safia Mohammed, Deputy National Women Organiser; Mr William Yamoah, Director for Finance and Administration; Mr Richard Ahiagbah, Director for Communications and Mr Ernest Owusu-Kumih, Director for Research, Mr George Krobea Asante, Deputy Director for Communications, Hajia Rabi, Deputy Director for Communications, Mr Asiedu Kokuro, Deputy Director for Communications, Mr Stephen Forson, Deputy Director for IT and Mr Kwabena Frimpong, Deputy Director for Protocols.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has lauded the genius of Vice President Dr Mahaudu Bawumia following the successful takeoff of his gold-for-oil plan.



Reacting to recent news of the policys successful implementation, Annoh-Dompreh said Bawumia is a gift to Ghana who will rescue us from the current challenges via his unconventional policy ideas.



Taking to Twitter, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri wrote: He is a gift to this Nation, lets not take it for granted. Do away with your Hatred for him.. He will rescue us, certainly. Dr. Bawumia, ever proud of him.



His reaction comes after news broke that Ghana has received the first batch of fuel procured under the gold-for-oil policy on Monday, January 16th 2023.



The 41,000 metric tonnes of fuel procured under the governments revolutionary gold-for-oil policy arrived at the Tema Port, delivered by the vessel SCF YENISEI.



The relatively cheaper fuel was procured from the international market with gold instead of U.S dollars in a landmark new policy intended to fight the effects of cedi depreciation on the Ghanaian economy.



Speaking on the policy during his opening of the 42nd Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, Bawumia touched on the ingenuity it took to come up with the policy.



We have mined gold for over 200 years, and when I looked at the data I realized that our total reserves of gold in Ghana was just 8.7 tonnes at the end of 2021. One of the largest gold mining countries, we are in the top 10 in the world but we have not accumulated gold to build our reserves.



We looked at the other side of the balance sheet, we export gold and we import oil. The cost of oil import is about 3 billion dollars a year. So we ask the simple question, why dont we, since we have always got pressure in finding US Dollars to buy oil, rather reach an agreement to change our gold for oil and then, sell the oil in Cedis and then, use the Cedis to buy more gold, use that gold to pay for oil, sell the oil in Cedis and then you dont need to look for the scarce foreign exchange to buy oil, which always leads to depreciation on the currency.



With this idea, we said, let us do something that the textbooks dont teach you, let us do something that is out of the box and this is why we said gold-for-oil. We quickly looked at this and we negotiated with the suppliers of oil who were very excited and happy to receive gold in payment. Thankfully, yesterday, Monday, Ghana took its first delivery of oil under the gold-for-oil programme, Bawumia espoused.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A 99-year-old Kenyan man, Johana Maritim Butuk, has married his girlfriend, Alice Jemeli, 40, after 20 years of dating.



The lovebirds tied the knot in a colorful wedding ceremony in Soy, Uasin Gishu County on Saturday, January 14, 2023.



When they first met in 2003, Jemeli was only 20 years old and Butuk was 69. Despite their age differences, their love blossomed as they dated.



The nonagenarian proposed to Jemeli in December 2022 and plans of a wedding ceremony started.



According to The Standard, it was Butuk's first marriage since he has never dated a woman for the 99 years he has lived. However Jemeli has three children from a previous relationship and is happy Butuk has accepted them.



The couple celebrated the nuptial at their mud-walled house in Tuiyobei Soy B village. They were walking around the unfenced homestead, with a few relatives present.



The couple exchanged their marriage vows at the nearby St Marks Soy B Catholic Church, and locals who attended the ceremony described it as very colourful.



Residents say they had never seen a 99-year-old man marrying a woman the age of his granddaughter.



When The Standard arrived at their home, they found the love birds discussing plans to build a grandiose house for themselves, their financial inadequacy notwithstanding.



"I did not marry my entire life because I have always wanted peace of mind. I was also busy with menial jobs, and when I decided to marry all my friends were already grandfathers. But when I met my wife, I discovered that I found what I wanted in life. Alice talks less and helps navigate challenges in life, Butuk says.



He adds: She was young when we first met, and I loved her because of her humility. I was first introduced to her by a woman called Tabasei, and we connected well despite the age differences. I am happy because my wife is now mature and responsible.



"I loved him when we first met in 2003. I had quit an abusive relationship, but when I met Mzee (Butuk) through a woman, I loved him because he was humble and listened to me. He was old, and I decided to be his helper because I knew that I would become a married woman like other women, Jemeli says



She says Butuk was homeless and unkempt when they first met, and she prides in changing his life. Butuk lived with one of his brothers, only identified as Arap Kenei, who died in 2010.



After his brother died, Jemeli said her husbands troubles increased and she had to move in. They later built the mud-walled house they currently live in.



Butuk, a man of few words, was a herder in his younger days. He often fled quarrels and confrontations commonly associated with relationships and courtship. Residents say he loved eating guava leaves and never interacted with girls.



"I have been late in many things, but today I am happy because I am a married man. I was initiated in 1943, way after my age mates had been circumcised. I am confident that the happiness in my marriage will make me live longer, says Butuk.



Jemeli, his wife, says she earns Sh3,000 a month as a house girl in a neighbouring home.



Their colourful wedding was made possible by contributions from neighbours and well-wishers who heard of their plan to walk down the aisle.



Our wedding was colourful, and we are celebrating it at our humble home. We have no money because even our wedding ceremony was financed by neighbours and our friends in the Church. We cant even go to the nearby Soy Club for a meal," she says.



The couple says they plan to build a bigger and more comfortable house despite their financial challenges.



"Many people did not approve of our marriage because they thought I was after Mzee's wealth. But it is not true because my husband has no wealth. Compared to young men that I dated before falling in love with my husband, I chose mzee because he gives me the freedom to work and take care of my children in peace, Jemeli explains.



"What makes me even happy is that mzee is now happier, she adds.



Butuks nephew Sally Chepkoech says all of her uncles siblings are dead. He was the eldest.



Another nephew, Roseline Mutai says Butuk is healthy because of eating raw traditional vegetables and wild fruits.



He eats just one meal a day, and he hates food cooked with refined oils. He was never married or dated his entire life. We thank his new wife for helping him. We want him to live many more years, she says.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A group in Belgium was noisily playing Monopoly on the sidewalk at 5am, leading to a frustrated neighbour bringing out a Japanese katana sword.

Nearly turned to a game of death 
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Students who take math in the 12th grade improve their chances of enrolling and continuing in higher education, according to a new report by the Los Angeles Education Research Institute at UCLA.

In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the institute's researchers followed the educational journeys of nearly 27,000 students beginning in the 11th grade. Those who took a full year of math in the 12th grade were more likely to enroll in a four-year college and return for a second year, compared with academically similar peers who did not take math, the study found.

The report yields several findings that can inform current debates over education policy in California, said Meredith Phillips, co-founder of the institute known as LAERI, which is housed at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

One key takeaway is the importance of a robust curriculum that allows all students to continue their math education into their senior year, said Phillips, whose research focuses on the causes and consequences of educational inequality.

"School staff, parents and other adults would be wise to encourage students to take these courses, which open up college opportunities and a path to longer-term social and economic mobility," she said.

The University of California and Cal State systems recommend but do not require a fourth year of high school math for freshman applicants. However, those who take math in the 12th grade may have an advantage in a competitive admissions process, particularly on campuses that no longer consider SAT or ACT test scores, the researchers noted.

"Enrollment in 12th grade math may also expose students to a peer group that is more college-focused, motivating them to pursue higher education," said Leonard Wainstein, a visiting assistant professor at Reed College who served as the report's lead analyst.

About a quarter of the students in the study did not take math in 12th grade. To determine whether specific groups of students were less likely than their peers to enroll in these courses, the researchers examined differences by gender, ethnicity, English proficiency and socioeconomic status. The findings can be used to inform L.A. Unified staff about whether particular types of students need more encouragement to take math or more access to 12th grade math courses.

The study, which followed high school students who were academically similar at the end of their junior year, identified benefits from taking any kind of math class in 12th grade, including traditional offerings such as precalculus or alternatives such as statistics or data science.

Even though students who took 12th grade math experienced a very slight reduction in their overall grade point average, the researchers identified positive effects on college enrollment and persistence.
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Image of the structure of ZEO-3, a new extra-large pore silica zeolite. / ICMM-CSIC. Credit: ICMM-CSIC

An international team of researchers, with the participation of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has created the most porous stable zeolite known to date, a new pure silica zeolite called ZEO-3. This zeolite was formed by an unprecedented topotactic condensation of a 1D silicate chain to a 3D zeolite.

The process is topotactic because the structure of the chain is not altered. It can be applied to remove and recover volatile organic compounds from a gas stream that may even contain water. The discovery, to which scientists from the Institute of Materials Sciences of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) and the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA-CSIC-UNIZAR) have contributed, is published in the journal Science.

Zeolites are microporous silicates that find an ample variety of applications as catalysts, adsorbents, and cation exchangers. Stable silica-based zeolites with increased porosity are in demand to allow adsorption and processing of large molecules, "but challenge our synthetic ability," explains Miguel Camblor, researcher at ICMM and one of the corresponding authors of the research.

As the zeolites pores are the size of small molecules, there is a limitation on the size of molecules you can process. That is why zeolites with larger pores have always been sought and, specially, those with inpores along three dimensions. "When you have a pore in only one direction, even if it is large, it is easy for it to be blocked, but if you have them in all dimensions, it's difficult," Camblor says.

After more than 80 years of extensive international research in this field, this team has created the most porous stable zeolite known so far. "Until now, the zeolites with extra-large pores were not stable, as they were made by germanium instead of siliconm," he says. Previous stable zeolites could reach up to 7 angstroms.

Last year, this team of researchers published another article in Science about a new zeolite with aluminum and large pores (ZEO-1). Now, the new zeolite has a composition of pure silica. "In both zeolites, ZEO-1 and ZEO-3, there are pores that reach more than 10 angstroms," says Camblor.

Miguel Camblor, ICMM-CSIC researcher, and a representation of the structure of ZEO-3. Credit: ICMM-CSIC

The peculiarities of ZEO-3

This new zeolite has two peculiarities: extra-large pores in all three dimensions and it is formed though the synthesis by calcination of a one-dimensional chain silicate in a topotactic condensation (what means it was made without changes in this chain).

"This had never been seen before," says Camblor. "Two-dimensional to three-dimensional topotactic condensations were known, that is, a thing that was lamellar and that by a similar mechanism condensed to give a zeolite, but not from one-dimensional to three-dimensional," he adds.

After the creation of this zeolite the team, with researchers also from Sweden, China and U.S., started to experiment wiht its properties. "Since this is a material that is pure silica, it does not have a catalytic capacity, but it has a capacity to absorb very large things. Big organic stuff," says Camblor.

"This zeolite can be applied to remove and recover volatile organic compounds from a gas stream that may even contain water," he explains. "In a site where harmful volatile organic materials are being produced, you can decontaminate and not just remove it but recover the contaminant," Camblor illustrates. With further research this zeolite could be also useful at catalysis and in drug delivery.

More information: Jian Li et al, A 3D extra-large-pore zeolite enabled by 1D-to-3D topotactic condensation of a chain silicate, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade1771. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade1771 Journal information: Science

Provided by Spanish National Research Council
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-China fervor stoked consumer discrimination that cost Chinese restaurants $7.4 billion in lost revenue in 2020losses 18.4 percent greater than at other types of restaurantsaccording to a new study by researchers from Boston College, the University of Michigan, and Microsoft Research, published today in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

The findings begin to put a finer point on the broad economic costs of anti-Asian discrimination during the pandemic and the role of politicians who focused blame on China, where the coronavirus emerged in late 2019, said study co-author and Boston College Assistant Professor of Political Science Masha Krupenkin.

Attitudes towards Chinese and non-Chinese Asian food declined precipitously during the pandemic and this change in attitudes was driven by a mix of assigning blame for COVID-19 spread to Asians and experiencing fear of Chinese food, Krupenkin and colleagues from the University of Michigan and Microsoft Research found.

"The COVID-19 pandemic originated in China," said Krupenkin. "Many actors in US politics and media, especially those that were ideologically conservative, emphasized the connection between COVID and China as a way of placing blame for the pandemic. At the same time, there was a sharp increase in incidents of discrimination and violence against Asian-Americans."

The pandemic effectively delivered a "shock" to consumer discrimination against Chinese and other Asian restaurants, survey data, online search trends, and consumer cellular device mobility data studied by the team revealed.

"Our analysis estimates that COVID-related stigma and anti-Asian hate cost Asian American businesses $7.42 billion in lost revenue in 2020, highlighting how negative sentiment towards foreign entities can spillover into consumer discrimination targeting domestic minority groups," said co-author Justin T. Huang, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan. "These patterns echo how Muslim Americans faced widespread discrimination, hate, and stigma post-9/11 and exemplify how some American minority groups are perceived through the lens of the perpetual foreigner stereotype."

There were political aspects to the downturn in business, according to the team. A range of data found anti-Asian discrimination was stronger in areas that had a higher percentage of residents who voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

According to the organization Stop AAPI Hate, there were almost 11,000 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders reported to the organization between March 2020 and December 2021.

"While there's been research on violence against Asian-Americans, most acts of discrimination are more subtle," said Krupenkin. "We set out to measure one of these more subtle forms of discriminationconsumer discrimination. This allowed us to examine a much more commonand economically meaningfulform of discrimination against Asian-Americans."

The teamwhich also included Julia Lee of the University of Michigan and David Rothschild of Microsoft Researchwas surprised to find that anti-China bias among consumers also affected restaurants serving cuisine from other Asian cultures.

Consumers would sometimes misidentify other Asian restaurants as Chinese, leading to decreased visits to those restaurants as well.

"Trump and conservative media had very thoroughly connected COVID to China specifically, so it was surprising to see a decrease in visits to other Asian restaurants as well," Krupenkin said. "We tested this more thoroughly and found that many Americans misidentify other Asian restaurants as Chinese, which likely explains the spillover effects we saw."

Parsing unique economic challenges faced by Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team believes the research has substantial implications for the study of consumer discrimination and stigmatization in public health communications.

Krupenkin said the researchers hope to further examine and connect patterns of discrimination to negative media narratives about specific groups.
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Protesters hold posters in Santiago against the Dominga mining project on January 18, 2023.

Chile's government on Wednesday torpedoed a controversial billion-dollar mining project due to be built near a nature reserve that is home to a rare species of penguin.

Environmentalists had criticized the proposed open-pit mine and port project in the north of Chile close to the National Humboldt Penguin Reserve due to its potential ecological impact on a unique area known for its natural diversity.

The $2.5 billion project was unanimously rejected by left-wing President Gabriel Boric's cabinet.

"We are confident that a robust, traceable, evidence-based (decision) has been adopted here," said Maisa Rojas, the environment minister.

The project aimed at extracting millions of tons of iron ore and thousands of tons of copper in an impoverished area of northern Chile around 450 kilometers (280 miles) from Santiago, the capital.

But the area comprises a nature reserve encompassing three islands that are home to 80 percent of the world's Humboldt penguins, which are an endangered species, as well as whales, sea lions and the world's smallest otter species.

'Unique ecological value'

Chilean company Andes Iron, which also wanted to build a treatment and deposits plant, a water desalination plant and a port for loading minerals, said it would appeal the decision.

People celebrate after the government rejected the Dominga mining project due to its impact on the environment.

"The port is in a place that has an absolutely unique ecological value," said Rojas.

When taking office in March 2022, Boric's government had expressed its rejection of the port's construction.

"The Dominga project doesn't just comply, but exceeds all standards and is aligned with principles established by the government for sustainable industrial and mining projects," Andes Iron said in a statement.

That was disputed by Matias Asun, the director of Greenpeace Chile.

"It's a project that not only does not meet the norms required for approval, but was also pushed by the main groups associated with corruption in our country," said Asun.

Right-wing opposition senator Matias Walker branded the decision as political.

Activists, though, applauded the decision.

"I'm defending my home, the place where I live, which is pristine," Maud Ferres, an activist who opposed the project and had traveled to Santiago to hear the decision, told AFP.

A Chilean voices his protest to the Dominga mining project in Chile on January 18, 2023.

However, Alexis Sanchez, spokesman for a community association in La Higuera, where the mine would have been, said the project would have provided economic opportunities for the village of 3,700 people.

"This is project we want to achieve our development to stop being one of the poorest communes in the country," Sanchez told AFP.

Had it been approved, the Dominga project would have involved the extraction of 12 million tonnes (tons) of iron ore a year along with 150,000 tonnes of copper, over a 22-year period, making it the biggest such venture in Chile.

Andes Iron promised to create 10,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect ones during the construction phase of the project.

Once operational, the company said the mine would have created 1,500 direct jobs and 4,000 indirect ones.

Pandora Papers scandal

Andes Iron's Dominga mine project has had a controversial history in Chile.

Protesters hug after learning of the Chilean government decision to reject the Dominga mine and port project.

It first underwent an environmental impact evaluation a decade ago before it was rejected in 2017 by the socialist government of then-president Michelle Bachelet.

But under her conservative successor Sebastian Pinera, the supreme court ordered a new evaluation.

The controversy then turned into a scandal in 2021 when leaked documents known as the Pandora Papers implicated Pinerathen serving his second nonconsecutive term as presidentin a seemingly shady deal surrounding the Dominga project.

Dominga was sold through a company owned by Pinera's children to a businessman close friend of his for $152 million.

The leaked papers said a large part of the operation was carried out in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven.

Despite the embarrassing revelations, the Senate voted against impeaching Pinerait failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to do sothus sparing him a potential jail sentence of up to five years.

 2023 AFP
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Credit: Shutterstock

China's National Bureau of Statistics has confirmed what researchers such as myself have long suspectedthat 2022 was the year China's population turned down, the first time that has happened since the great famine brought on by Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1959-1961.

Unlike the famine, whose effects were temporary, and followed by steady population growth, this downturn will be long-lasting, even if it is followed by a temporary rebound in births, bringing forward the day the world's population peaks and starts to shrink.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported on Tuesday that China's population fell to 1.412 billion in 2022 from 1.413 billion in 2021, a decrease of 850,000.

The Bureau reported 9.56 million births in 2022, down from 10.62 million in 2021. The number of births per thousand people slid from 7.52 to 6.77.

China's total fertility rate, the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, was fairly flat at an average about 1.66 between 1991 and 2017 under the influence of China's one-child policy, but then fell to 1.28 in 2020 and 1.15 in 2021.

The 2021 rate of 1.15 is well below the replacement rate of 2.1 generally thought necessary to sustain a population, also well below the US and Australian rates of 1.7 and 1.6, and even below aging Japan's unusually low rate of 1.3.

Calculations from Professor Wei Chen at the Renmin University of China, based on the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics data on Tuesday, put the 2022 fertility rate at just 1.08.

Births declining even before COVID

In part, the slide is because three years of strict COVID restrictions reduced both the marriage rate and the willingness of young families to have children.

But mainly the slide is because, even before the restrictions, Chinese women were becoming reluctant to have children and resistant to incentives to get them to have more introduced after the end of the one-child policy in 2016.

The total fertility rate is the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children at the current age-specific fertility rates. Credit: Our World in Data/UN Population Division

One theory is that the one-child policy got them used to small families. Other theories involve the rising cost of living and the increasing marriage age, which delays births and dampens the desire to have children.

In addition, the one-child policy left China with fewer women of child-bearing age than might be expected. Sex-selection by couples limited to having only one child lifted the ratio of boys to girls to one of the highest in the world.

Deaths growing, even before COVID

The number of deaths, which had roughly equalled the number of births in 2021 at 10.14 million, climbed to 10.41 million in 2022 under the continued influence of population aging and COVID restrictions.

Importantly, the official death estimate for 2022 was based on data collected in November. That means it doesn't take into account the jump in deaths in December when COVID restrictions were relaxed.

China might well experience a rebound in births in the next few years as a result of looser COVID restrictions, an easing of the pandemic and enhanced incentives to have more children.

But any such rebound is likely to be only temporary.

When the total fertility rate is as low as China's has been for a long time, without substantial inward migration, a decline in population becomes inevitable.

Population prospects bleak

Last year the United Nations brought forward its estimate of when China's population would peak by eight years from 2031 to 2023.

Credit: Source: UN, National Bureau of Statistics of China

My calculations suggest that if China was to quickly lift its total fertility rate back to the replacement rate of 2.1 and keep it there, it would take 40 or more years before China's population began to consistently grow again.

And bringing fertility back to 2.1 is most unlikely. Evidence from European countries, which were the first to experience fertility declines and aging, shows that once fertility falls below replacement it is very hard to return it to 2.1.

If China was instead merely able to lift fertility to 1.3 by 2033, then gradually to 1.49 by the end of this century as the United Nations assumed last year, China's population would continue to decline indefinitely. That central UN projection has China's population roughly halving to 766.67 million by the end of the century.

Just as likely is that China's total fertility rate will slip even lower. The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences experts a drop to 1.1, pushing China's population down to 587 million in 2100.

A more severe scenario, put forward by the United Nations as its low case, is a drop in total fertility to around 0.8, giving China a population of only 488 million by the end of the century, about one third of its present level.

Such a drop is possible. South Korea's total fertility rate fell to 0.81 in 2021.

China's population drives the globe's population

China has been the world's biggest nation, accounting for more than one sixth of global population. This means that even as it shrinks, how fast it shrinks has implications for when the globe's population starts to shrink.

In 2022 the United Nations brought forward its estimate of when the world's population will peak by 20 years to 2086. The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences forecasts for China would mean an earlier peak, in 2084.

India is likely to have overtaken China as the world's biggest nation in 2022. The UN expects it to have 1.7 billion people to China's 1.4 billion in 2050.

Forecasting when and if the global population will shrink is extraordinarily difficult, but what has happened in China is likely to have brought that day closer.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Optical images of cAMP (left) and calcium (right) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Credit: Daisuke Ono

Circadian rhythms are inherent cycles of approximately 24 hours that regulate various biological processes, such as sleep and wakefulness. A research group at Nagoya University in Japan has recently revealed that neural networks play an important role in the regulation of circadian rhythms through the mediation of an intracellular molecule called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).

This finding may pave the way for new strategies to treat sleep disorders and other chronic health conditions affected by disruption of the circadian rhythm. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.

In living things, almost every cell contains a biological clock that regulates the cycle of circadian rhythms. In mammals, a group of neurons that form a structure called suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is known as the master clock. It is located in the hypothalamus of the brain and synchronizes biological clocks in the peripheral tissues.

Circadian rhythms are regulated by the transcription and translation mechanism of clock genes, which encode proteins that regulate daily cycles. However, some scientists suggest that in the SCN, so-called second messengers, such as cAMP and calcium ions, are also involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms. Second messengers are molecules that exist in a cell and mediate cell activity by relaying a signal from extracellular molecules.

"The functional roles of second messengers in the SCN remain largely unclear," said Dr. Daisuke Ono, the lead author of the study. "Among second messengers, cAMP is known as a particularly important molecule in various biological functions. Therefore, understanding the roles in the SCN may lead to new strategies for the treatment of sleep disorders and other health problems due to circadian rhythm disruption."

To investigate this issue, a Nagoya University research team led by Dr. Ono, in collaboration with Yulong Li of Peking University and Takashi Sugiyama of Evident Corporation, conducted a study focusing on cAMP in the SCN.

The researchers first visualized the patterns of circadian rhythms of cAMP, using bioluminescent cAMP probes they developed. For comparison, they also visualized the rhythm patterns of calcium ions. When they blocked the function of a neural network, the rhythm of cAMP was lost, whereas the rhythm of calcium ions still existed. This suggests that in the SCN, the rhythm of cAMP is controlled by a neural network, while the rhythm of calcium ions is regulated by intracellular mechanisms.

They next focused on an extracellular signaling molecule called vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Its receptor is known to modulate cAMP in the SCN. To analyze how VIP affects the rhythm of cAMP, they inhibited VIP signaling. Their results showed a loss of the rhythm of cAMP, indicating that the intracellular cAMP rhythms are regulated by VIP in the SCN. If this is correct, then there should also be a circadian rhythm in the VIP release.

To verify this, they introduced a G-protein-coupled receptor-activation-based (GRAB) VIP sensor using green fluorescent protein. Time-lapse imaging of the VIP release in the SCN revealed a clear circadian rhythm. Furthermore, this VIP release rhythm was abolished by blocking the function of a neural network. These results indicate that VIP is released rhythmically depending on neuronal activity and that the VIP release rhythm regulates the intracellular cAMP rhythm.

Lastly, to determine how cAMP affects the rhythm of clock genes' transcription and translation mechanisms, they conducted experiments using mice. They expressed a light-inducible enzyme called adenylate cyclase (bPAC) in the SCN slice and measured the protein level of the clock gene Per2, using bioluminescence imaging.

They then irradiated the cells with blue light to verify the effect of cAMP on the circadian rhythm. The results showed that the manipulation of cAMP by blue light changed the circadian rhythm of the clock gene. They also manipulated the rhythm of cAMP in the SCN of living mice and found that the behavioral rhythm also shifted. These results suggest that intracellular cAMP affects both molecular and behavioral circadian rhythms that involve clock genes.

"We concluded that intracellular cAMP rhythms in the SCN are regulated by VIP-dependent neural networks," Ono explained. "Furthermore, the network-driven cAMP rhythm coordinates circadian molecular rhythms in the SCN as well as behavioral rhythms. In the future, we would like to elucidate the ancestral circadian clock, which is independent of clock genes and exists universally in life."

More information: Daisuke Ono et al, Network-driven intracellular cAMP coordinates circadian rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq7032 Journal information: Science Advances
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A saltier Red Sea could threaten its marine life. Credit: Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

More than 2 billion people live in "water stressed" countries. These are territories where more than 25% of the available freshwater resources are withdrawn for human use each year.

Desalinationthe process of removing salt from seawateris increasingly being used to tackle water scarcity worldwide. Roughly 16,000 desalination plants now produce 35 trillion liters of freshwater annually. And Jordan, a country located north of the Red Sea, is planning a major desalination plant on the Gulf of Aqaba that will increase its desalination capacity from 4 billion to 350 billion liters each year.

But desalination tends to be energy intensive and produces saline wastewater called brine. On its return to the sea, brine can damage marine ecosystems. Research suggests that desalination may be making some water bodies, including the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean, saltier.

We analyzed whether current and future desalination plans present a threat to salinity levels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. For both water bodies, the increase in salinity will likely be undetectable and less than natural seasonal variations, in which case it would not harm marine life.

An important marine habitat

The Red Sea is connected to the Indian Ocean at its southern end via a narrow and shallow strait. The Gulf of Aqaba branches off its northern end and is connected to the Indian Ocean only through the Red Sea.

Neither water body has a freshwater inflow, so salinity levels are determined by evaporation and the inward and outward flow of water from the Indian Ocean. Water entering the Red Sea flows north where it evaporates and cools, raising its salinity and density. At the head of the Red Sea, this more saline water sinks and flows southwards as a deeper water layer back to the Indian Ocean.

Between where water enters the Red Sea and where salinity peaks at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, salinity rises naturally by 10% from roughly 36.8 to 40.6 practical salinity units (psu). One psu is equivalent to 1g of salt dissolved in 1000g of water. Marine life in the region has adapted to the natural salinity level of their location.

The Red Sea region. Credit: Peter Hermes Furian/Shutterstock

Several Unesco Natural Heritage Sites are located in the northern Red Sea, including Sanganeb and Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island Marine National Parks. The national parks are home to coral reefs, seagrass beds, mudflats, mangroves and beaches. These habitats hold significant scientific and conservation value as they support a diverse range of marine species, including the endangered dugong.

Most marine species can tolerate minor variations in salinity, but they cannot withstand significant and sustained change. Research reveals that rates of photosynthesis and respiration in Stylophora pistillata, a species of Red Sea coral, falls by as much as 50% when salinity levels are raised from 38 psu to 40 psu. Most colonies of this coral will die if salinity is kept at this level for a sustained period.

Making the sea even saltier

Our research used scenario analysis. This is where a number of plausible future scenarios are modeled and their consequences explored.

The most extreme scenario we developed involved high population growth, rapid economic development and falling desalination costs in the Middle East. Nearly 10 trillion liters of water could be desalinated on the Red Sea coast by 2050 and over 2.5 trillion liters along the Gulf of Aqaba in this case.

A less extreme scenario assumed limited population growth and restrained household water consumption. Nearly 2 trillion liters of water could be desalinated by the Red Sea and over 560 billion liters by the Gulf of Aqaba by 2050.

For both scenarios, salinity in the Red Sea increased by less than 0.1%. This increase would be less than the natural seasonal variation in salinity levels and would likely be undetectable.

The Gulf of Aqaba, however, is smaller and more isolated from the Indian Ocean. Salinity in the north of the Gulf therefore varies naturally between 40.2 psu and 40.75 psu. We found that the high growth scenario could increase salinity at the head of the Gulf by 0.5%, from approximately 40.6 psu to 40.8 psu. But even this increase is close to the maximum increase in salinity caused by natural variability. Neom will accomodate 9 million people by 2045.

The medium growth scenario would instead produce a change less than natural seasonal variation and would again be undetectable.

Tackling water scarcity in the Middle East

Our research suggests that, if carefully managed, rising rates of desalination may not harm the region's marine ecosystems. This is particularly important as a considerable growth in desalination is likely to occur in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia plan to construct an entire new city in the country's north west, called Neom, to accommodate 9 million people and water intensive sectors like agriculture by 2045. The city will depend on water desalinated from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba.

Beyond the vicinity of each desalination plant, increased rates of desalination are unlikely to affect broader salinity levels in the region. But good plant design and strict environmental regulations will remain critical to avoid environmental harm.

Plant outfalls, through which brine is channeled towards the sea, must ensure rapid dilution by dispersing brine into the Red Sea's deeper water layer. Ocean currents can then carry the brine out to the Indian Ocean, where it will be further diluted.

Desalination will continue to grow worldwide. If carefully implemented it can be a crucial tool to tackle water scarcity without damaging fragile marine ecosystems.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A growing number of public schools and colleges in the U.S. are moving to ban TikTokthe popular Chinese-owned social media app that allows users to share short videos.

They are following the lead of the federal government and several states, that are banishing the social media app because authorities believe foreign governmentsspecifically Chinacould use the app to spy on Americans.

The app is created by ByteDance, which is based in China and has ties to the Chinese government.

The University of Oklahoma, Auburn University in Alabama and 26 public universities and colleges in Georgia have banned the app from campus Wi-Fi networks. Montana's governor has asked the state's university system to ban it.

Some K-12 schools have also blocked the app. Public schools in Virginia's Stafford, Prince William and Loudoun counties have banned TikTok on school-issued devices and schools' Wi-Fi networks. Louisiana's state superintendent of education recommended that schools in the state remove the app from public devices and block it on school-issued devices.

As a researcher who specializes in cybersecurity, I don't believe these schools are overreacting. TikTok captures user data in a way that is more aggressive than other apps.

The version of TikTok that is raising all these concerns is not available in China itself. In an effort to protect Chinese students from the harmful effects of social media, the Chinese Communist Party has issued a rule that limits the time students can spend on TikTok to 40 minutes a day. And they can view only videos with a patriotic theme or educational content such as science experiments and museum exhibits.

Aggressive tactics to capture and harvest user data

All major social media platforms raise privacy concerns and include security risks for users.

But TikTok does more than the rest. Its default privacy settings allow the app to collect much more information than the app needs to actually function.

Every hour, the app accesses users' contact lists and calendars. It also collects the location of devices used to access the service and can scan hard drives attached to any of those devices.

If a user changes privacy settings to avoid that scrutiny, the app persistently asks for that permission to be restored. Other social networking apps, like Facebook, don't ask users to revise their privacy settings if they lock down their information.

How TikTok handles the data it collects from users also raises concerns. Ireland's data protection regulator, for instance, is investigating possible illegal transfers of European citizens' data to Chinese servers and potential violations of rules protecting children's privacy.

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities

As with other social media services, researchers have found serious vulnerabilities with TikTok.

In 2020, cybersecurity company Check Point found that it could send users messages that looked as if they came from TikTok but actually contained malicious links. When users clicked on those links, Check Point's researchers could seize control of their TikTok accounts, get access to private information, delete existing content and even post new material under that user's account.

Hackers have also taken advantage of viral TikTok trends to distribute malicious software that creates additional cybersecurity problems. For instance, a trend called the "Invisible Challenge" encouraged users to use a TikTok filter called "Invisible Body" to film themselves nakedassuring users their followers would only see a blurry image, not anything revealing.

Cybercriminals created TikTok videos that claimed they had made software that would reveal users' nude bodies by reversing the body-masking filter. But the software they encouraged users to download actually just stole people's social media, credit card and cryptocurrency credentials from elsewhere on their phones, as well as files from victims' computers.

National security concerns

Many U.S. lawmakers have objected to the app's location tracking services, saying it could allow the Chinese government to monitor the movements and locations of U.S. citizensincluding members of the military or government officials.

If the Chinese government wants information about the more than 90 million TikTok users, it does not need to hack anything.

That's because China's 2017 National Intelligence Law requires Chinese companies to share any data they collect if the government asks.

Technology industry observers have also raised concerns that ByteDance, the company that makes TikTok, may be partially owned by the Chinese government.

These problems take on even more importance in the context of the Chinese government's alleged efforts to build a huge "data lake" of information about all Americans. China has been linked to several large-scale cyberattacks targeting federal employees and U.S. consumers. These attacks include the 2015 hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2017 attacks on the consumer credit reporting agency Equifax and the 2018 attack on hotel group Marriott International.

Negative effects outweighing positive ones?

Teachers and school administrators have used TikTok in some interesting, and useful, wayssuch as connecting with students, building relationships, teaching about the risks of social media and delivering small, quick lessons.

But it is not clear whether those positive effects counterbalance the potential and actual harm. In addition to general concerns about the possible risks of social media addictions, some school officials say increased TikTok use has distracted students from paying attention to teachers.

Also, the app's algorithm for recommending videos to watch next has increased students' risk of suicide and eating disorders. The "One Chip Challenge," which asks TikTok users to eat a single chip containing two of the world's spiciest chili peppers, sent some students to the hospital and made others sick.

TikTok videos have also led students to engage in vandalism. In response to one viral challenge, some students stole bathroom sinks and soap dispensers from schools.

With all that potential for harm and damage, it's not surprising school officials are considering a ban on TikTok.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Contrast between plant-bearing chert and layers of phytodebris. Phytodebris layers have more total organic carbon (TOC), but lower degree of pyritization (DOP). Greater oxide formation in these layers implies fungal activity, which overrides normal redox characteristics. Oxides and sulfides (pyrite) sequester different trace elements. Credit: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022GC010647

Analysis of world-renowned plant fossils in north-east Scotland has revealed the oldest evidence for environmental clean-up on Earth, over 400 million years ago.

The discovery was made by scientists studying deposits from what is thought to be Earth's oldest ecosystem on land in Rhynie, Aberdeenshire.

Known as the Rhynie Chert, the exquisitely detailed plants, spiders, fungi and other life were preserved by hot springs about 410 million years ago.

The hot springs also introduced toxic elements like arsenic, antimony and tungsten, but new research has shown that these toxic metals were soaked up by minerals that were deposited among the plants, with the aid of bacteria and fungi, limiting their impact on the environment.

Professor John Parnell from the University's School of Geosciences led the study which has been published in the Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems journal.

He says, "This study is the first examination of the distribution of toxic elements in the Rhynie ecosystem.

"While there are no exposed rocks at Rhynie, the University has a valuable archive of samples from trenches and boreholes, which we analyzed at the Aberdeen Center for Electron Microscopy, Analysis and Characterization in this study.

"Today, fungi are used to remediate land contaminated by harmful metals but the evidence from Rhynie shows how natural processes have helped clean the environment since life first colonized the land."

Professor Parnell adds, "Researchers at the University have studied the Rhynie Chert closely over several decades, including analysis of the earliest plants and mineralization by gold from the hot springs.

"This latest research is another chapter in the ongoing story of this globally important deposit, which continues to provide valuable insights into how the Earth behaves."

More information: John Parnell et al, Trace Element Geochemistry in the Earliest Terrestrial Ecosystem, the Rhynie Chert, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022GC010647
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Fuji catchment. Top left: Fujis location on the trenchtrenchtrench triple junction between the Amur, Okhotsk, and Philippine Sea plates in central Japan. Top right: map of Fuji catchment, its four sub-basins (with the southwestern sub-basin highlighted in yellow), the general groundwater flow directions of the southwestern and southeastern sub-basins, the major fault zones, the currently active tectonic faults, the sampled sites and all data points obtained in this study or gathered from literature and the national groundwater database of Japan. Black dots in the symbols for sampled sites indicate the locations of eDNA analyses. Bottom: 3D map of Mt Fuji oriented towards the southeast. Fuji catchment is highlighted, and the sampling sites and general flow directions of the southwestern and southeastern sub-basins are indicated. KMFZ = Kotsu-Matsuda Fault Zone. Coordinate reference system: WGS 84/Pseudo-Mercator. Credit: Nature Water (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s44221-022-00001-4

Where does the water come from that provides drinking water to people in a particular region? What feeds these sources and how long does it take for groundwater to make its way back up to the surface? This hydrological cycle is a complex interplay of various factors. A better grasp of the system allows us to understand, for example, why pollution is worse in some spots than others, and it can help us implement sustainable water management policies and practices.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) provides some important data to improve our understanding. In combination with the evaluation of other natural tracersnoble gases, for examplethis microbial data provides important glimpses into the flow, circulation and functioning of complex groundwater systems.

"It's a vast toolbox that's new to our field of research," says Oliver Schilling, Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of Basel and at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Quantitative hydrogeology maps out where and how quickly new groundwater will accumulate.

Starting in 2018, Schilling conducted various measurements on Mount Fuji in Japan in order to determine where spring water comes fromthat is, where the groundwater flows through before it arrives back at the surface and forms the hundreds of pristine natural springs which are scattered around Mt Fuji. His results are published in the first edition of the journal Nature Water, which just came out.

Determining water origins from eDNA

The choice of this particular mountain was no coincidence: "The geological setting of Mount Fuji is unique on Earth since it is the only place where three tectonic plates meet up like this. This makes the groundwater system highly complex and therefore poorly suited to investigation using the standard methods," Oliver Schilling explains.

It was thanks to a Japanese colleague that he arrived at the idea of examining microbial eDNA in the region. "He told me about water sources on Mount Fuji that exhibit noteworthy signatures, namely that the eDNA contained in the water shows the presence of organisms that can only grow at a depth of 500 to 1,000 meters," he recalls.

This is an indicator that some of the source water comes from deep groundwater. "This was the first indication that microbial eDNA might provide some clues as to the groundwater's flow trajectory when combined with other, independent tracers such as noble gases," Schilling continues.

His curiosity was piqued. During his time as a postdoc at the Universite Laval in Quebec, he traveled to Japan during his vacations and conducted various measurements together with his Japanese colleague. He also delved deep into the existing scientific literature, which is primarily in Japanese. Along with eDNA, the hydrogeologist also analyzed two groundwater tracers with higher incidences due to Mount Fuji's unique geological setting: the noble gas helium and the trace element vanadium.

"All three natural tracers tell the same story: there is systematic deep circulation of the water within Mount Fuji. Such analyses are the key to understanding the system," Schilling concludes.

Potential findings for Switzerland, too

This new application of tracers can be used to examine groundwater systems all over the world. In Switzerland, for example, it can be applied to determine where the water comes from that is pumped out of the ground for drinking water. "A large proportion of eDNA from cold-loving microbes in the groundwater, for example, would indicate that meltwater from snow and glaciers forms a substantial proportion of the sourced groundwater," Schilling explains.

"If we know the importance of these natural water reserves, we can look for alternatives ahead of time in order to shield affected regions from seasonal water shortages as much as possible," the hydrogeologist continues.

As a result of climate change, in Switzerland glaciers are melting and snow is reducing, which means that these important sources of water for streams and groundwater are slowly disappearing. This will negatively affect the water availability particularly in the more and more frequent hot and dry summer months.

One possibility to prevent severe water shortages in summer would be to collect more rainwater in reservoirs during the winter half year, for example by artificially enhancing groundwater reservoirs or adapting how above-ground reservoirs are managed.

"The analysis of microbiological eDNA offers us a new tool for better calibrating the hydrological models used in groundwater management," Schilling explains. This in turn is an important part of making realistic prognoses for water quality and availability and allows a sustainable, long-term planning for the management of groundwaterour most valuable and abundant source of drinking water.

More information: Oliver Schilling, Revisiting Mt Fuji's groundwater origins with helium, vanadium and environmental DNA tracers, Nature Water (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s44221-022-00001-4. www.nature.com/articles/s44221-022-00001-4
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of the American Chemical Society (2023). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11407

The rapid growth of plastic waste is an ever-growing environmental and energy challenge. Selectively converting waste plastics to naphtha, a main feedstock for ethylene and the plastic industry, shows high potential to partially replace petroleum-route naphtha and alleviate global net carbon emissions.

However, these active metals on supported catalysts with an open microenvironment showed less effect on the generation of intermediates and selectivity of naphtha.

Recently, a research group led by Prof. Wang Hui and Assoc. Prof. Luo Hu from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a tandem catalytic reaction to efficiently convert low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into naphtha. In this reaction, a naphtha yield of 89.5% was obtained with 96.8% selectivity of C5-C9 hydrocarbons at 250 C, catalyzed by mechanically mixed  zeolite and Pt@S-1 catalysts.

The study was published in Journal of the American Chemical Society on Jan. 12.

The selectivity of normal alkanes catalyzed by Pt@S-1 and  zeolite reached 34%, about 1020% higher than that on Pt/S-1, and the alkane products were narrower. The differences between the two catalysts were possibly due to the confinement effect and shape-selectivity of Pt@S-1.

Combining density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations, the researchers found that during the shape-selectivity process, the diffusion and shipping of olefin intermediates with the right size were boosted within Pt@S-1, which led to narrower-distributed products.

This catalyst system displayed stability and high performance for most abundant plastic waste like low-/high-density polyethylene and polypropylene at moderate conditions. Compared with conventional routes for plastic production, this approach showed 15% energy saving and 30% reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

More information: Lin Li et al, Converting Plastic Wastes to Naphtha for Closing the Plastic Loop, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2023). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11407 Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The folded leaf of an oak tree, faded yellow, dotted with dark spots. We pick up on the information contained in leaves almost subconsciously when strolling through the forest. But the researchers at UZH's Remote Sensing Laboratories are taking this ability to the next level.

Using a spectrometer, they measure the light reflected by leaves, which gives them insight into the chemical and structural properties of plantseven from outer space. "The spectrum is like a fingerprint unique to each plant," explains Meredith Schuman, professor of spatial genetics in the Department of Geography.

Monitoring plant life using satellites, airplanes and drones is known as remote sensing, and it could become an important tool to counteract the biodiversity crisis. Remote sensing makes it possible to monitor the health and species composition of ecosystems, almost in real time. This could help governments identify areas that require protection at an early stage and provide direct feedback on conservation measures.

Calibration using field measurements

"We're in the process of finding out which aspects of plant biodiversity can be measured with remote sensing," explains Anna Schweiger, a researcher at the UZH Remote Sensing Lab. Schweiger and Schuman need reference data from the field to ensure that they are interpreting the spectral data correctly. Computer models help them pinpoint concordance between spectral and field data and provide input on how to read the spectral information that they have obtained. "Pigments like green chlorophyll are the easiest to identify, since they absorb specific wavelengths," explains Schuman.

Spectrometry isn't just confined to visible light, however: it also includes additional parts of the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared light. Leaves reflect infrared rays at the edge of the visible light spectrum, the near-infrared spectrum, particularly strongly. "We call this transitional area the 'red edge,'" says Schuman. "This reflection pattern provides insight into chlorophyll content and the waxy layer on the surface of the leaves."

Her group is working on using spectral data to obtain information about the genetic profiles of plants, which would allow researchers to study genetic differences within species and to draw conclusions about genetic diversity. A long-term study of beech trees in the Lagern mountain range led by doctoral student Ewa Czyz showed that spectral data points involving water content, phenols, pigments and wax composition are suitable indicators for obtaining information about the genetic structure of flora.

One of the team's goals is to improve their understanding of these relationships. Genetic variation within a species is particularly important for biodiversity, since a large gene pool gives plants more leeway to react to negative environmental factors such as pests or droughts. "If we lose genetic diversity and species diversity, ecosystems lose their ability to absorb external shocks," explains Schweiger.

Researchers in Schuman's unitchiefly the 4D Forests group led by Felix Morsdorfcombine spectroscopy with laser scanning, which involves measuring a laser beam reflected back by the soil or plants and recording the topography and height of the vegetation. "The 3D models that we calculate from this provide insight into the macrostructurethe structure of the plants visible to the eyeas well as how this influences spectral data," says Schuman. The combination of laser scanning and spectroscopy is considered highly promising, as these data allows researchers to calculate the biomass and the amount of stored carbon, for example.

Diverse plant communities

The two researchers aren't just looking for direct connections between spectrums and plant characteristics; they are also comparing the spectrums with one another. "Plants with similar characteristics and related species display similar spectrums," explains Schweiger.

She has developed a spectral diversity index that shows diversity both within and between plant communities (alpha and beta diversity, respectively). The resolution of the spectral data is critical in terms of assessing diversity of this kind. "We need extremely high resolution in order to identify individual plants, which is required for estimating the alpha diversity. This means that there should only be one plant per pixel," says Schweiger.

Satellite-based image spectrometerssimilar to what NASA and the ESA are currently developingmake records of the Earth's surface in 30 x 30meter chunks. "What's easy to compare with these large pixels that capture a lot of individual specimens are the differences in species composition between plant communities: in other words, the beta diversity," explains Schweiger.

From leaf to soil

The idea is that in the future, leaves should even be able to provide information about soil quality, since plants are a main contributor to soil characteristics. "Dead vegetation, for example, influences soil processes and microbial activities," says Schweiger. She worked on a study that used remote sensing data to investigate which properties of plants impact the enzyme activity, microorganism diversity, organic carbon content and nitrogen content of soil.

The results of the study indicate that the relationships between vegetation and soil processes vary depending on the ecosystem. "First we need to understand how productive and species-rich a particular ecosystem is compared to other ecosystems before we can start making statements about the properties of the soil," adds Schweiger. It is this complexity that makes it a challenge to analyze remote sensing datain addition to the vast quantities of information that remote sensing generates. The data points depend on when they were recorded and the environmental conditions at that momentspectrums that change within a matter of seconds.

Schuman would even like to extend remote sensing to certain chemical compounds that are emitted by cells and organisms to communicate with one another. Insects can detect molecules from food plants several kilometers away and use these scents to navigate toward their source of sustenance. "For our technology, it's still difficult to record this kind of information remotely," says Schuman. A geneticist by training, Schuman is particularly intrigued by the idea of using remote sensing to record molecules of this kind, since they have a direct tie to genes. "Genes contain the assembly instructions for proteins, which in turn put these chemical compounds together," she explains.

The only one of its kind

Schuman and Schweiger found their way to their current research field in part thanks to conversations with UZH president and remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman. For decades now, the University of Zurich has been on the bleeding edge of developing remote sensing technology, and the university recognized the significance of remote sensing for biodiversity early on. UZH has been commissioned by NASA and the ESA to conduct test flights with AVIRIS-NG, the latest device in imaging spectrometry. "This measuring instrument is the only one of its kind in the world," says Schweiger.

It wasn't always the case that the two researchers' work forced them to gaze upon the heavens. They both spent a lot of time evaluating small patches of land in the field, particularly early on in their careers in ecology. "I always wondered if my findings also held true for nearby habitats," says Schweiger. Remote sensing methods allow for field measurements to be extrapolated to larger areas and for larger areas to be monitored more easily. Remote sensing was also the missing piece for Schuman. "This method poses new questions and has changed the way we research ecosystems," she says. It remains to be seen what mysteries leaves will reveal about the Earth's ecosystems in the future.
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Credit: ESA-Science Office

One of last year's space highlights was the NASA DART mission's collision with Dimorphos, the small moon of the binary asteroid Didymos (seen left). The impact measurably shifted the target asteroid's orbit around its primary while casting a plume of debris thousand of kilometers out into space.

Next comes ESA's Hera spacecraft which will return to the binary asteroid to perform a close-up survey of the crater left by DART, as well as measuring Dimorphos' mass and make-up, along with that of its central body.

"Hera is due to be launched in October 2024," explains Ian Carnelli, heading the mission. "In order to make that deadline our team has been working hard during the last year to finalize and test the various spacecraft subsystemsincluding the two CubeSats that will be deployed from Hera itself in the vicinity of Dimorphos. Meanwhile the overall mission passed its system Critical Design Review at the end of 2022, at the same time as Hera received funding for its launcher and operations.

"This coming year is when everything comes together: all elements of the Hera flight model are due to be integrated so that we can perform a full campaign of environmental testing on the spacecraft at ESA's ESTEC Test Center in the Netherlands. So this is going to be another extremely busy year, but at the end of it we aim to be well on track for launch." Credit: ESA-Science Office

The ESTEC Test Center is the largest satellite test facility in Europe, equipped with facilities to simulate every aspect of the launch and space environment. Hera's spacecraft-level test campaign is forecast to begin in the autumn.

Hera will be equipped with automated guidance, navigation and control to allow it to safely navigate the double-asteroid system, akin in function to a self-driving car. Its desk-sized body will carry instruments including an optical Asteroid Framing Camera, supplemented by thermal and spectral imagers, as well as a laser altimeter for surface mapping. Hera is also three spacecraft in one, because it will also deliver a pair of shoebox-sized CubeSats to the vicinity of Dimorphos.

The Juventas CubeSat will perform the first ever radar probe of an asteroid interior, while also carrying a gravimeter and accelerometer to measure the body's ultra-low gravity and surface mechanical response. The other CubeSat, Milaninamed after the mission's original inventorwill perform near-infrared spectral imaging and sample asteroid dust.

The CubeSat pair will remain in contact with their Hera mothership and each other through a novel inter-satellite link system, to build up experience of overseeing multiple spacecraft in exotic near-weightlessness, before eventually touching down on Dimorphos.

NASA's DART and ESA's Hera missions have been supported by the same international teams of scientists and astronomers, and take place through an international collaboration called AIDAthe Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment. Planetary defense has no borders and is a great example of what international collaboration can achieve.
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Uber, which has operations in 72 countries, is a household name of the gig economy. Credit: Creative Commons, CC BY

The ever-expanding gig economy has brought with it the rise of the independent contractor, from delivery drivers to personal shoppers and dog walkers. Compared to traditional employees, independent contractors are classified as self-employed and do not benefit from a minimum wage, paid time off, or other protections. This kind of work arrangement is becoming increasingly common, with a recent study showing 20% of professionals surveyed are considering switching to independent contract work.

Growing popularity has also raised questions about how to appropriately categorize and regulate workers in the gig economy. In France and the U.K., courts have held that rideshare drivers are employees entitled to protections like a minimum wage and paid time off. In the U.S., states such as Massachusetts viewing rideshare drivers as employees, while in California, a similar proposition failed to pass.

The promises and perils of limitless flexibility

Gig economy companies have a clear interest in influencing these public debates, as was the case in California, and have gone so far as to pay economists in the United States, Germany, and France to produce research painting independent contractor arrangements in a favorable light. Gig economy companies often highlight the freedom workers have to set their own schedule as one key reason to preserve the independent contractor status. For example, Uber's website seeks to recruit drivers by highlighting the flexibility their app offers, complete with statistics about how much current drivers value this autonomy. DoorDash and Instacart make similar claims on their websites.

But there is a downside to all this flexibility that is rarely discussed. Instead of an hourly rate or salary, independent contractors are paid for each task they complete with no minimum wage protections. Without guaranteed income, these workers experience "pay volatility," or frequent changes in earnings over time. As a researcher interested in uncovering the ways that work affects our lives outside of work, I wanted to understand what impact pay volatility has on workers' health. I recently conducted three studies dedicated to answering this question.

Headaches, back aches, and stomach problems

In my study, I recruited 375 gig workers from across the United States using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online platform where workers complete small tasks for a fee. Because these workers are paid varying rates for each task they complete, they experience volatility in their pay. As one participant said, "I can make $80 one day and barely hit $15 the next. It is very unpredictable." Assuming an eight-hour workday, that's like switching between earning $10/hour on one day and $1.88/hour the next. I focused only on "dedicated" MTurkersthose who spent at least 20 hours per week on the platform and completed at least 1,000 tasksand surveyed them over the course of three weeks.

My findings showed that gig workers who reported more volatility in their pay also tended to report more physical symptoms like headaches, back aches, and stomach problems. The reason why? Workers experiencing more pay volatility were more concerned about making ends meet and were preoccupied with thoughts about their personal finances. Dealing with pay volatility means never knowing how much money you'll make in a given week or month, and that insecurity makes it difficult to cope with ordinary expenses. As one participant described, they like working from home on their own time, but:

"Mturk is too unpredictable in terms of the money and effort required that it becomes frustrating and depressing."

This challenge seemed to weigh on workers, enough to impact their physical health.

One worker in the study reported strong variations in the tips received per day, ranging from $250 to nothing at all. Author provided

While the problem of pay volatility is clearly relevant for gig workers, they aren't the only ones who experience it. People who rely on tips, such as restaurant servers, bartenders, valets, and hairdressers, also have constantly changing take-home pay. In a second study, I asked 85 tipped workers in the US about their earnings and health every day for two weeks. Here is one participant from that study reporting the tips they earned each day, underscoring how much volatility can exist for some:

Results indicated that earning more in tips on any given day didn't make people feel better or worse that evening. But experiencing more volatility in tips over the two weeks was related to more physical symptoms and greater insomnia.

One thing that gig and tipped workers have in common is that they often have lower-than-average income. It might be that pay volatility is not harmful on its own, but only when coupled with low income. After all, Elon Musk probably wasn't losing much sleep when Tesla shares recently dropped, even if the effect on his net worth was substantial. Hard-pressed to find a sample of billionaires willing to complete my surveys, I conducted a third study with 252 higher-paid workers in sales, finance, and marketing in the United States. Commissions and bonuses are common in these industries, meaning that workers still experience pay volatility even if their income is higher. While the effects were not as strong, I saw the same pattern where workers who were more dependent on volatile forms of pay reported more physical symptoms and worse sleep.

I also considered how workers could protect themselves from the harmful effects of pay volatility. Mindfulness, for example, refers to one's ability to focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the future and thinking about the past. Although people who are more mindful tend to show resilience in the face of stress, they were equally affected by pay volatility in my study. Workers who were able to save a larger percent of their take-home pay were also similarly affected by pay volatility. These results show that pay volatility is equally harmful for most people. The only factor that actually weakened the observed effects of pay volatility was individuals' reliance on volatile sources of pay. When volatile pay made up a smaller percentage of their total income, pay volatility didn't seem to impact their health or sleep.

Hidden costs demand consideration

So what can be done? First, lawmakers need to consider both the benefits and drawbacks of these independent contractor work arrangements. The benefits like flexibility and job creation are well advertised by gig economy companies, but there are also hidden costs that receive less attention. As one participant in my survey stated:

"There are no safeguards in place for workers to guarantee a fair wage on any tasks which, as you can imagine, is probably the one singular aspect of working that produces the most stress, angst and anxiety."

Ensuring stronger legal protections for independent contractors can help create these safeguards.

Second, companies that employ independent contractors or pay workers based on piece-rate or commissions should carefully consider whether the perceived benefits to motivation or performance outweigh the costs to worker health. Aside from this economic calculation, there is also a moral imperative to offer decent work and preserve good health and well-being among employees, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Third, companies could strike a balance by reducing workers' reliance on volatile forms of pay, offering more substantial base pay instead. This strategy should weaken the link between pay volatility and health according to my findings. Overall, it's clear that while work arrangements popularized by the gig economy hold benefits, we must also consider hidden costs and move toward improving conditions for this substantial swath of the population.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Aerosols emerge from the nozzle of an unelectrified, gas-focused whipping jet. Credit: University at Buffalo

Aerosols are tiny particles that can have a significant impact on Earth's climate and human health.

For example, these microdroplets can reflect incoming sunlight back to outer space, helping to cool a warming planet. Or they can be used to administer drugs to the lungs, especially to treat respiratory ailments.

Thus, the ability to more precisely control how aerosols move is critically important to pharmaceutical sciences and climate research. Aerosol science is also a key aspect of many industries, everything from automobiles to food processing.

Now, scientists have published a study describing a breakthrough devicea new whipping jet aerosol sprayerthat is relatively inexpensive to build and operate.

"We have created a unique, steady-state, gas-focused whipping jet that does not use electricity," says the lead author Sankar Raju Narayanasamy, Ph.D., a researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and an affiliate researcher at Berkeley Lab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Credit: University at Buffalo

"This development is a significant feat that can have a wide range of applications," says Narayanasamy, who conducted the research as BioXFEL scholar, a research consortium led by University at Buffalo, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI) and partner institutions.

Martin Trebbin, Ph.D., SUNY Empire Innovation assistant professor of chemistry at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-corresponding author of the study. He says that "fine monodisperse aerosols with controlled sizes are useful in sample environment instrumentation, such as in mass spectrometry, X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), and cryo-electron microscopy, which are used to study bio-macromolecules for structural analysis and drug discovery." Credit: University at Buffalo

Trebbin, who says that the research is an "important achievement in fluid dynamics and microfluidics," is a core faculty member of the UB RENEW Institute, and he holds an appointment at the BioXFEL Science and Technology Center.

The technology is described in a study titled "A sui generis whipping instability-based self-sequencing multi-monodisperse 2D Sprays from an anisotropic microfluidic liquid jet device," which was published Jan. 11 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Physical Science.

The study marks a third-generation advancement in liquid jet technology. First came cylindrical liquid jets in 1998, and flat liquid sheet jets followed in 2018.

The new whipping jet is the first of its kind because it produces homogeneous droplets in a two-dimensional profile, says co-corresponding author Hoi-Ying N. Holman, Ph.D., director of Berkeley Synchrotron Infrared Structural Biology imaging program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In the past 20 years, scientists have tried many ways, such as piezoelectric actuation or local heating, to precisely control the movement of aerosols. Use of those techniques, however, is limited because they tend to alter the specimens that scientists are using the aerosols to study. This is especially true with biological samples.

In the study, researchers discuss the important role that analytical fluid dynamicsa branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems involving fluid flowsplayed in their work.

This includes explaining the "jet diameter, whipping regime and spreading angle" of the devices, says Ramakrishna Vasireddi, Ph.D., co-first author and a research scientist at SOLEIL, the French synchrotron facility in Paris. He adds, "The phenomenon is further characterized experimentally by measuring the angle with respect to the flow rate, the distances between droplets, the droplet shapes, and the reproducibility of these parameters."

In the study, the team also explains how to build such devices, which are relatively inexpensive.

More information: Sankar Raju Narayanasamy et al, A sui generis whipping-instability-based self-sequencing multi-monodisperse 2D spray from an anisotropic microfluidic liquid jet device, Cell Reports Physical Science (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2022.101221 Journal information: Cell Reports Physical Science
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The warming of the waters off the East Coast has come at an invisible, but very steep costthe loss of microscopic organisms that make up the base of the ocean's food chain.

The growing warmth and saltiness of the Gulf of Maine off New England is causing a dramatic decrease in the production of phytoplankton, according to Maine-based scientists who recently reported results of a yearslong, NASA-funded study. Phytoplankton, sometimes described as an "invisible forest," are tiny plant-like organisms that serve as food for marine life.

The scientists found that phytoplankton are about 65% less productive in the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by New England and Canada, than they were two decades ago. The Gulf of Maine has emerged as one of the fastest warming sections of the world's oceans.

Potential loss of phytoplankton has emerged as a serious concern in recent years in other places, such as the Bering Sea off Alaska. The loss of the tiny organisms has the ability to disrupt valuable fishing industries for species such as lobsters and scallops, and it could further jeopardize imperiled animals such as North Atlantic right whales and Atlantic puffins, scientists said.

"The drop in the productivity over these 20 years is profound," said William Balch, a senior research scientist with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine, who led the study. "And that has large ramifications to what can grow here. The health of the ecosystem, the productivity of the ecosystem."

The scientists did the study using data gathered since 1998 by tracking chemical changes in the Gulf of Maine. The samples used to perform the work were gathered via commercial ferries and research vessels that run the same routes over and over.

The data showed changes between the gulf and the broader Atlantic, Balch said. Intrusions of warm water from the North Atlantic since 2008 have created a gulf that is hotter, saltier and less hospitable to the phytoplankton, the study states. The scientists published their findings last June in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

Phytoplankton are eaten by larger zooplankton, small fish and crustaceans, and they are critically important to sustaining larger marine life up the food chain such as sharks and whales. Loss of phytoplankton "will likely have negative impacts on the overall productivity" of larger animals and commercial fisheries, the study states.

Decline of fish stocks in the Gulf of Maine would be especially disruptive to American fishermen because it's a key ground for the U.S. lobster industry. Other important species such as haddock, flounder and pollock are also harvested there.

Researchers have tracked similar warming trends in the Bering Sea, Southern Ocean and northern Barents Sea in recent years. Warming's impact on plankton is an ongoing subject of scientific inquiry. A 2020 article in the journal Nature Communications found that climate change "is predicted to trigger major shifts in the geographic distribution of marine plankton species."

Cyclical ocean conditions also have placed more stress on phytoplankton. An El Nino climate pattern, when surface water in the equatorial Pacific becomes warmer, can reduce phytoplankton production, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said. The impacts include lack of anchovies off South America, fewer squid off California and less salmon in the Pacific, NOAA said.

The Maine scientists say loss of phytoplankton is also significant because the organisms absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, much like plants do on land.

It's part of the toll climate change is taking on ecosystems all over the world, said Jeff Runge, a professor in the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, who was not involved in the study.

"There's mounting evidence that it's linked to climate change," Runge said. "It's having all kinds of effects on the system that we're beginning to see."

More information: William M. Balch et al, Changing Hydrographic, Biogeochemical, and Acidification Properties in the Gulf of Maine as Measured by the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series, GNATS, Between 1998 and 2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022JG006790 Journal information: Nature Communications

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Scanning electron microscope images of tiny, ancient planktonic foraminifera, recovered from Gubbio, Italy. Credit: Gabriella Kitch

Nearly 100 million years ago, the Earth experienced an extreme environmental disruption that choked oxygen from the oceans and led to elevated marine extinction levels that affected the entire globe.

Now, in a pair of complementary new studies, two Northwestern University-led teams of geoscientists report new findings on the chronology and character of events that led to this occurrence, known as Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2), which was co-discovered more than 40 years ago by late Northwestern professor Seymour Schlanger.

By studying preserved planktonic microfossils and bulk sediment extracted from three sites around the world, the team collected direct evidence indicating that ocean acidification occurred during the earliest stages of the event, due to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from the eruption of massive volcanic complexes on the sea floor.

In one of the new studies, the researchers also propose a new hypothesis to explain why ocean acidification led to a strange blip of cooler temperatures (dubbed the "Plenus Cold Event"), which briefly interrupted the otherwise intensely hot greenhouse period.

By analyzing how an influx of CO 2 from volcanoes affected ocean chemistry, biomineralization and climate, the researchers hope to better understand how today's Earth is responding to an increase of CO 2 due to human activities, which potentially could lead to solutions for adapting to and mitigating anticipated consequences.

A paper, with findings from deep-sea cores, including a newly drilled site near southwest Australia, will be published on Thursday (Jan. 19) in the journal Nature Geoscience. A complementary paper detailing findings from ancient malformed microfossils was published on Dec. 13, in the Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment.

"Ocean acidification and anoxia resulted from massive CO 2 release from volcanoes," said Northwestern's Brad Sageman, a senior co-author of both studies. "These major CO 2 emission events in Earth's history provide the best examples we have of how the Earth system responds to very large inputs of CO 2 . This work has fundamental applicability to our understanding of the climate system, and our ability to predict what will happen in the future."

"Based on isotopic analyses of the element calcium, we propose a possible explanation for the Plenus Cold Event, which is that a slowdown in biocalcification rates due to ocean acidification allowed alkalinity to accumulate in seawater," said Northwestern's Andrew Jacobson, a senior co-author of both studies. "Increased alkalinity led to a drawdown of CO 2 from the atmosphere. It could very well be the case that such cooling is a predictablebut transitoryconsequence of warming. Our results for OAE2 provide a geological analog for ocean alkalinity enhancement, which is a leading strategy for mitigating the anthropogenic climate crisis."

Experts on climate during the Cretaceous Period and isotope geochemistry, Sageman and Jacobson are both professors of Earth and planetary sciences in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The two studies were led by their former Ph.D. students, Gabriella Kitch and Matthew M. Jones, who initiated this research while at Northwestern.

Reconstructing Cretaceous conditions

Based on over 40 years of study, OAE2 is one of the most significant perturbations of the global carbon cycle to have occurred on planet Earth. Researchers have hypothesized that oxygen levels in the oceans dropped so low during OAE2 that marine extinction rates increased significantly. To better understand this event and the conditions leading up to it, the researchers studied ancient organic carbon-rich and fossil-bearing layers of sedimentary rock in widely distributed outcrop sites, as well as deep-sea cores obtained by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).

The sites included Gubbio, Italy (a famous area in mainland Italy that used to be a deep ocean basin), the Western Interior Seaway (an ancient seabed stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean in North America) and a several deep-sea sites, including a new one from the eastern Indian Ocean, offshore of southwest Australia.

Deep-sea cores provide an invaluable record of conditions in parts of the paleo-oceans that were completely unknown prior to the development of ocean drilling programs. In all three cores, the researchers focused on sections from the mid-Cretaceous Period, just before the boundary of the Turonian and Cenomanian Ages, in order to reconstruct conditions leading up to OAE2.

"The challenging part of studying ocean acidification in the geologic past is that we don't have ancient seawater," said Jones, who is now a Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution. "It's extremely rare that you would find anything that resembles ancient seawater trapped in a rock or mineral. So, we have to look for indirect evidence, particularly changes in the chemistry of fossil shells and lithified sediments."

Malformed fossils

For the study published in Communications Earth & Environment, Kitch and her co-authors focused on fossilized foraminifera, ocean-dwelling unicellular organisms with an external shell made of calcium carbonate, which were collected at the Gubbio site by an Italian collaborator, Professor Rodolfo Coccioni at the University of Urbino.

Kitch and her collaborators were drawn to the Gubbio specimens because Coccioni's optical observations and measurements of their shells showed abnormalities, including a consistent pattern of "dwarfing," or a decrease in overall size, coincident with the onset of OAE2.

"These are optical signs of stress," said Kitch, who is now a Knauss Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We hypothesized that the stress could have been caused by ocean acidification, which then affected the way the organisms built their shells."

To test this hypothesis, Kitch analyzed the calcium isotope composition of the fossils. After dissolving the fossilized shells and analyzing their composition with a thermal ionization mass spectrometer, the Northwestern team observed that calcium isotope ratios shifted in the malformed specimens in a way consistent with stress from acidification.

"This is the first paper to marry calcium isotopic evidence for acidification with observations of biological indicators of stress," Sageman said. "It's these independent biological and geochemical observations that confirm there was an impact on biomineralization during the onset of OAE2."

Sediment core from the eastern Indian Ocean, offshore of southwest Australia. Lighter colored sedimentary rocks (below right) are rich in carbonate microfossils deposited before the ocean acidification event, and darker mudstones (left) represent the time interval when ocean acidification occurred. These stones are darker due to the absence of carbonate microfossils caused by more corrosive seawater during the acidification event. Credit: Matt Jones

'Cause-and-effect relationship'

For the second study, published in Nature Geoscience, Jones and his co-authors focused on deep sea cores of lithified sediments from offshore southwest Australia, which he and colleagues collected during an IODP expedition in 2017. For this piece of the puzzle, the researchers were less interested in what was in the sediment and more interested in what the sediment was noticeably lacking.

The core contains stacks of limestone, rich with calcium carbonate minerals, but is punctuated by a sudden absence of carbonate right before OAE2.

"For this time interval, we found that calcite is absent," Jones said. "There are no carbonate minerals. This section of the core is visibly darker; it jumped right out at us. The carbonate either dissolved at the seafloor or fewer organisms were making calcium carbonate shells in the surface water. It's a direct observation of an ocean acidification event."

In his geochemical analyses conducted in collaboration with Professor Dave Selby at Durham University, Jones noticed that carbonate was not the only component showing significant change. Coincident with the onset of OAE2, there is also a marked shift in osmium isotope ratios that signal a massive input of mantle-derived osmium, the fingerprint of a major submarine volcanism event. This observation is consistent with the work of many other researchers, who have found evidence for the eruption of a large igneous province (LIP) preceding OAE2.

These events of massive volcanic activity occur throughout Earth history and are increasingly recognized as major agents of global change. Many LIPs were submarine, injecting tons of CO 2 directly into the oceans. When CO 2 dissolves into seawater, it forms a weak acid that can inhibit calcium carbonate formation and may even dissolve preexisting carbonate shells and sediments.

"Right at the onset of OAE2, osmium isotope ratios shift to really, really low values," Jones said. "The only way that can happen is through a large igneous province eruption. That helps us establish a cause-and-effect relationship. We can see the evidence that volcanoes were really active because the osmium values crash. Then, suddenly, there's no carbonate."

Biological feedback

While ocean acidification following a LIP is not necessarily surprising, the Northwestern team did uncover something unusual. Acidic conditions during OAE2 lasted much longer than other widely recognized acidification events in the ancient world. Jones posits that the lack of oxygen in ocean waters may have extended the acidification state.

"Organisms that consumed sinking plankton and organic matter in the water column during OAE2 were also respiring CO 2 , which contributed to the ocean acidification that was initially triggered by CO 2 emission from LIP volcanic activity," Jones said. "So, marine anoxia can be a 'positive feedback' on ocean acidification. That's important because the global ocean today, in addition to having its pH levels decrease, is losing oxygen content as well. That suggests that decreases in oxygen may prolong acidification and highlights that the two phenomena are closely related."

In Kitch's study, she found that biology played yet another role during the event. Global warming and ocean acidification did not just passively affect foraminifera. The organisms also actively responded by reducing calcification rates when building their shells. As calcification slowed, the foraminifera consumed less alkalinity from seawater, which helped buffer the ocean's increasing acidity. This also heightened the ocean's ability to absorb CO 2 , potentially triggering the Plenus Cold Event.

"We call this phase a 'hothouse period' because temperatures were really, really warm," Kitch said. "However, there is evidence for relative cooling during the OAE2 interval. No one has been able to explain why this cooling happened. Our study shows that by decreasing carbonate production in the ocean, you actually bump up alkalinity, which gives the ocean a buffering capacity to absorb CO 2 . The ocean suddenly has the capacity to draw down CO 2 and balance carbon fluxes."

Stabilization 'comes with a cost'

But just because brief cooling interrupted this otherwise hothouse period, the researchers caution that the oceans' natural ability to buffer CO 2 is not the answer to current human-caused climate change. Sageman explains the scenario by comparing climate change to cancer.

"It's like if a patient had cancer, and the cancer went away for a month," Sageman said. "But then it came back and killed the patient. Don't get fooled into thinking the ocean will cool us off and everything will be OK. It was cool for a tiny sliver of time."

"Although the Earth rebounded and healed itself, extinctions in the marine realm helped achieve that," Jacobson added. "The Earth has some stabilizing feedbacks, but they come with a cost."
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A young bee emerges with deformed wings caused by the feeding of an infectious mite. Much focus has been on these symptomatic bees. However, mites regularly move from one adult bee to another to feed, leaving behind a population of symptomatic bees which can still develop high levels of virus. Credit: Lamas, et al, 2023. (CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite that can cause European honey bee colonies to collapse by spreading Deformed wing virus as they feed. A study published in PLOS Pathogens by Zachary Lamas and colleagues at the USDA-ARS and the University of Maryland suggests a relatively small number of mites can contribute to a large number of infected bees.

Arthropod disease vectors transmit pathogens while feeding on susceptible hosts. However, little is known about how the feeding dynamics of Varroa spread viruses in adult honey bees. In order to better understand Varroa mite parasitism on honey bees, researchers conducted a series of experiments.

First, they used fluorescent microspheres to test if Varroa were feeding on adult bees each time they entered a known feeding position. They next determined whether microspheres could be transferred from a Varroa to an adult bee via Varroa feeding by allowing Varroa to feed on bee pupae which had been injected with fluorescent microspheres.

In the third experiment, researchers observed mites switching from adult bee host to host. The researchers then observed how a single mite could spread pathogens by feeding on multiple bees and calculated the relative risk of Varroa parasitism on adult workers.

Mites with high virus levels and which switched the most frequently contributed to the highest mortality in adult honey bees. Varroa are promiscuous feeders and switch hosts at a high rate. Mites switching hosts at the highest frequency were responsible for nearly three times as many parasitized hosts as their lower switching counterparts. Future studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms driving mites to switch hosts.

According to the authors, "Our work shows that viral spread is driven by Varroa actively switching from one adult bee to another as they feed. Relatively few of the most active Varroa parasitize the majority of bees. The ability to parasitize and infect multiple adult bees provides the best explanation to date for the maintenance and subsequent host-to-host spread of viruses among the long-lived worker bees common in these crowded and vulnerable colony populations."

More information: Zachary Lamas et al, Promiscuous feeding on multiple adult honey bee hosts amplifies the vectorial capacity of Varroa destructor, PLoS Pathogens (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011061 Journal information: PLoS Pathogens
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

University of Wyoming College of Education faculty members have published a paper in the journal PLOS ONE describing the development of an interactive dashboard that combines data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The manuscript, "Using R Shiny to Develop a Dashboard Using IPEDS, U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics Data," explains how the dashboard was developed and includes examples of R programming language.

Authors Mark Perkins, assistant dean for assessment, data and accreditation and assistant professor of educational research, and Jonathan Carrier, assistant professor of higher education administration, created this innovative dashboard to allow users to quickly gain a comprehensive view of the educational landscape in the United States.

The dashboard's interactive visualizations enable users to discern patterns, trends and insights from data that can be used to inform strategic decision-making.

"Our leaders and policymakers can make better decisions when they have the best data available to them," Carrier says. "Administrators at higher education institutions can use information from the dashboard to project career and wage outcomes that inform adjustments to academic programs. They also can identify enrollment trends to improve recruitment efforts and better allocate resources."

"There is a plethora of publicly available data through various agencies; however, pulling and using these data is not always easy. We used R programming language to gather data and present them in a way that is easily usable for others," Perkins says. "The article describes our process and will help support data scientists and researchers use public data sets to program similar interactive dashboards or data tools."

The strategies and programming code presented in the article have implications beyond higher education. Professionals and policymakers can use the process pioneered by the authors to build user-friendly informational dashboards that combine publicly available data. These entities then can use the dashboards to inform decisions in areas such as transportation, health care, government and law enforcement.

"The methods and skills in the article could help Wyoming initiatives such as the Wyoming Innovation Partnership and Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System, because the programming and data skills covered are generally applicable. These initiatives could use the large data sets from the state in this type of programming to inform decision-making in educational and economic arenas," Perkins says.

More information: Mark A. Perkins et al, Using R Shiny to develop a dashboard using IPEDS, U.S. Census, and bureau of labor statistics data, PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278573 Journal information: PLoS ONE
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Artistic depiction of a pair of holes caused by the magnetic background of the system. Credit: MPQ

Using a quantum simulator, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) have observed pairs of charge carriers that may be responsible for the resistance-free transport of electric current in high-temperature superconductors. So far, the exact physical mechanisms in these complex materials are still largely unknown.

Theories assume that the cause for the pair formation and thus for the phenomenon of superconductivity lies in magnetic forces. The team in Garching has now for the first time been able to demonstrate pairs that are formed this way. Their experiment was based on a lattice-like arrangement of cold atoms, as well as on a tricky suppression of the movement of free charge carriers. The researchers report on their results in the journal Nature.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors almost 40 years ago, scientists have been trying to track down their fundamental quantum-physical mechanisms. But the complex materials still pose mysteries. The new findings of a team in the Quantum Many-Body Systems Department at MPQ in Garching now provide new microscopic insight into processes that may underlie these so-called unconventional superconductors.

Crucial to any kind of superconductivity is the formation of tightly linked pairs of charge carrierselectrons or holes, as electrons vacancies are called. "The reason for this lies in quantum mechanics," explains MPQ physicist Sarah Hirthe. Each electron or hole carries a half-integer spina quantum physical quantity that can be imagined as a measure of a particle's internal rotation. Atoms also have a spin. For quantum statistical reasons, however, only particles with an integer spin can move through a crystal lattice without resistance under certain conditions. "Therefore, electrons or holes have to pair up to do this," says Hirthe.

In conventional superconductors, lattice vibrations called phonons help with pairing. In non-conventional superconductors, on the other hand, a different mechanism is at workbut the question of which one it is has remained unanswered until now. "In a widely accepted theory, indirect magnetic forces play a crucial role," Sarah Hirthe reports. "But this could not be confirmed in experiments so far."

Binding mechanism in a magnetically ordered system. The red and blue spheres are spins of opposite orientations, the shaded bands connecting the spheres show the magnetic order. The white spheres are holes. When a hole moves as shown in (i) and (ii), it perturbs the magnetic order. However, if a second hole is connected to the first, as in (iii), the magnetic order is maintained despite movement. The holes thus pair to maintain the magnetic order in the system. Credit: MPQ

Solid state model spiked with holes

To better understand the processes in such materials, the researchers used a quantum simulator: a kind of quantum computer that recreates physical systems. To do this, they arranged ultracold atoms in a vacuum with laser light in such a way that they simulate the electrons in a simplified solid-state model. In the process, the spins of the atoms arranged themselves with alternating directions: an antiferromagnetic structure was created, which is characteristic of many high-temperature superconductorsand stabilized by magnetic interactions. The team then doped this model by reducing the number of atoms in the system. In that way, holes emerged into the lattice-like structure.

The team at MPQ now could show that the magnetic forces indeed lead to pairs. To achieve this, they used an experimental trick. "Moving charge carriers in a material like high-temperature superconductors are subject to a competition of different forces," explains Hirthe.

On the one hand, they have the urge to spread out, i.e. to be everywhere at the same time. This gives them an energetic advantage. On the other hand, magnetic interactions ensure a regular arrangement of the spin states of atoms, electrons and holesand presumably also the formation of charge carrier pairs. However, "the competition of forces has so far prevented us from observing such pairs microscopically," says Timon Hilker, leader of the research group. "That's why we had the idea of preventing the disruptive movement of the charge carriers in one spatial direction."

The graph shows an experimentally measured hole distribution, with a clear maximum at distance d=0, which corresponds to two neighbouring holes and shows that the holes pair. In the inset, an exemplary experimental image of our quantum gas microscope with neighbouring holes at distance d=0. Each green spot is the signal of a single atom. Credit: MPQ

A close look through the quantum gas microscope

This way, the magnetic forces were, to a large extent, undisturbed. The result: holes that came close to each other formed the expected pairs. To observe such pairing, the team used a quantum gas microscopea device with which quantum mechanical processes can be followed in detail. Not only were the hole pairs revealed, but the relative arrangement of the pairs was also observed, suggesting repulsive forces between them. The team reports on their work in the scientific journal Nature.

"The results underline the idea that the loss of electrical resistance in non-conventional superconductors is caused by magnetic forces," says Prof Immanuel Bloch, Director at MPQ and Head of the Quantum Many-Body Systems Division. "This leads to a better understanding of these extraordinary materials and shows a new way of how stable hole pairs can form even at very high temperatures, potentially significantly increasing the critical temperature of superconductors."

The researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics now plan new experiments on more complex models in which large two-dimensional arrays of atoms are connected. Such larger systems will hopefully create more hole pairs and allow for the observation of their motion through the lattice: the transport of electric current without resistance due to superconductivity.

More information: Sarah Hirthe et al, Magnetically mediated hole pairing in fermionic ladders of ultracold atoms, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05437-y Journal information: Nature
Commentary: China's economy retains resilience, vitality, potential

Xinhua) 08:18, January 19, 2023

SHANGHAI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Those who claim that "China's economic slide is dragging down the global economy" should retract their rumors.

Faced with the impacts of multiple unexpected factors, China's economy withstood the pressure and maintained overall stability. China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3 percent year on year to a record high of 121.0207 trillion yuan (about 17.95 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday.

This economic performance was hard won, given the scale of the world's second-largest economy, which surpassed 100 trillion yuan and 110 trillion yuan in 2020 and 2021, respectively, as well as headwinds from COVID-19 and downward pressure in the global economy.

The Chinese economy is integrating with the world more closely and strongly. In U.S. dollar terms, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, increased 8 percent year on year to 189.13 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

The country's goods trade totaled 42.07 trillion yuan, up 7.7 percent year on year, ranking first globally for a sixth consecutive year, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The figure exceeded 40 trillion yuan for the first time, the GAC said.

In 2022, China strived to balance its epidemic response with economic and social development, steadily improved the quality of development, made substantial achievements in scientific and technological innovation, deepened reform and opening-up in a comprehensive way, and stabilized employment and prices.

The 3 percent growth rate, a relatively high rate among the world's major economies in 2022, highlights the strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality of the Chinese economy, and the effective coordination of epidemic response with economic and social development.

With China now in a new phase of its epidemic response, analysts predict the accelerated growth of the Chinese economy in 2023 despite various challenges. The international community generally believes that although China's economic growth slowed in 2022 due to the epidemic and other factors, China's economic and social vitality will be released further as COVID-19 prevention and control work enters a new stage, and it will continue to be the "stabilizer" of world economic recovery and the "engine" of growth.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that China will achieve stable economic growth in 2023, and become the largest positive factor in the global economy.

Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, said recently that China's optimization of its COVID-19 response will lead to stronger and more prosperous growth and contribute to global growth.

The current international situation is still complex and China's economic growth is still faced with the triple pressure of decreasing demand, supply shocks and weaker expectations.

In 2023, China will focus on boosting domestic demand by prioritizing the expansion of consumption, increasing personal income through multiple channels, and encouraging more private capital to participate in the construction of key national projects, according to the annual central economic work conference last month.

"This year's Spring Festival holiday is expected to achieve the best results in the past three years," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. The Spring Festival travel rush is one of the signs that life and production are returning to normal across the country.

In contrast to those who advocate a decoupling from China, there is a growing awareness of the opportunities China presents to the world.

China's economy is expected to show strong growth, with its momentum strengthened considerably, said Liang Guoyong, a senior economist for the United Nations (UN) Conference on Trade and Development. "This will provide an important impetus for the growth of the world economy and contribute to its overall stability," Liang said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Comparisons of areas modeled for floodwater levels during Hurricane Harvey by the sophisticated model and by the simpler models.

The extreme flooding and mudslides across California in recent weeks took many drivers by surprise. Sinkholes swallowed cars, highways became fast-moving rivers of water, entire neighborhoods were evacuated. At least 20 people died in the storms, several of them after becoming trapped in cars in rushing water.

As I checked the forecasts on my cellphone weather apps during the weeks of storms in early January 2023, I wondered whether people in the midst of the downpours were using similar technology as they decided whether to leave their homes and determined which routes were safest. Did they feel that it was sufficient?

I am a hydrologist who sometimes works in remote areas, so interpreting weather data and forecast uncertainty is always part of my planning. As someone who once nearly drowned while crossing a flooded river where I shouldn't have, I am also acutely conscious of the extreme human vulnerability stemming from not knowing exactly where and when a flood will strike.

About two-thirds of flood-related fatalities in the U.S. are classified as "driving" and "in water." If people had known the likelihood of flooding in those locations in real timevia a cellphone app or websiteit's possible some of these deaths could have been avoided.

Yet even emergency management personnel currently operate with surprisingly little information about when and where flooding is likely to strike. They know where flooding may occur, particularly along rivers. But each flood is different, and key questions, such as which roads can safely be used and which populations are exposed, still require firsthand observation.

I have been working with colleagues to develop a method that gets around the current roadblocks to that kind of forecasting. Using "probabilistic learning"a type of machine learningthe method can create local flood hazard models that can pinpoint conditions street by street using real-time storm forecasts.

The flood forecast challenge

Computer programs that can predict what happens to rainwater after it hits the ground are the ultimate tools for predicting in real time where and when floods will strike.

However, such flood models require immense amounts of computing power. Currently there is no means to quickly predict flooding in real time just anywhere. The level of detail relevant to human decisionsrepresenting buildings, evacuation routes or infrastructure assetsis out of reach.

A second challenge is the high uncertainty in precipitation forecasts and many other inputs of flood models.

Research over the past decades explored the possibilities of solving these formidable challenges using "brute force" approaches: faster computers and more computers. Ultimately, it suggests a need to rethink how we forecast floods. Scenes of flooding from Californias January 2023 storms.

Designing effective local flood forecasts

The approach we developed tackles these challenges by using a sophisticated flood model to develop and train simpler models that can then mimic flood behavior in local environments at nearly the same level of accuracy as their more powerful teacher. Importantly, we have shown in studies that even a personal computer can then use these simpler models to forecast flooding in real time. Perhaps even a cellphone.

To forecast flooding, one needs to predict how flooding starts and evolves in urban communitieswith a high level of detail and an understanding of the bounds of uncertainty around the prediction.

Our approach builds on key information that many cities already have: detailed data on topography of their communities and the surrounding watershed, how land is used, the layout of buildings and roads, and the characteristics of stormwater drains and pipes, such as how much water they can carry. Pavement and outdated stormwater infrastructure in particular can affect how water flows and which areas flood in an urban environment.

We then use one of the most up-to-date, sophisticated flood models available to train simpler models.

These simpler models are faster and require far less computing power because they use extremely simple functions, and each focuses on a single variable at a given location and time such as, for example, inundation level or water flow velocity. Thousands of them can provide a remarkably accurate picture of likely flooding when real-time weather forecast information is added.

The crucial point is that these simpler models are developed in the "off time"well before the storms. These analyses can be performed using a freely available toolkit developed by the Department of Energy.

This approach replaces the nearly impossible burden of computation in real-time with the easier task of using previously trained, simple models of the local community.

We demonstrated the approach in a study using the 2017 flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey. The results showed that a computational problem that would otherwise take years to run on a typical computer can be executed in just a few seconds with a comparable level of accuracy.

Looking ahead

As global warming increases rainfall intensity and populations grow, flood risks will rise. Another increasingly recognized problem is that the standards of how communities manage stormwater are based on the climate of the past. Existing storm drains and pipes simply cannot handle the additional water, increasing the costs of flood damage.

While further work is needed to put this into wide use, we believe the method opens avenues for making flood forecasting more relevant, detailed and accurate. It also offers the means of assessing the adequacy of existing stormwater infrastructure and can be restyled to assess the impact of other hard-to-quantify natural hazards, such as landslides and fires.

Cities with high home values are likely to see more flood-forecasting services from the private sector. However, government agencies could use this kind of novel modeling to expand their forecasting mission to assist everyone. One could envision counties, with the right skills and resources, providing local flood forecasting. Who, if not the local communities, is most vested in the effective flood response management and mitigation?

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Dr. Lauren McWhinnie

Dr. Lauren McWhinnie from Heriot-Watt's Institute of Life and Earth Sciences contributed to a new study investigating the nature and extent of whale entanglements in Scottish fishing gear.

The report identifies potential solutions to avoid and reduce such entanglements in the future.

Dr. McWhinnie was working with the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA), which brought together the government, academia, NGOs and the fishing industry.

Revealing the scale of entanglements

Whales and other marine animals can become entangled in fishing equipment, including the ropes linking creels, also known as pots, which are set around Scotland's coasts to catch prawns, crabs and lobsters. If whales become entangled they often cannot escape, which can lead to injury and even death.

The study, published in Endangered Species Research estimated that in Scottish waters approximately six humpback whales and 30 minke whales become entangled in creel fishing ropes each year.

Dr. Lauren McWhinnie said, "Entanglement is the largest identified cause of death due to human activity for minke and humpback whales in Scottish waters. There have also been reports of basking sharks and dolphins becoming entangled.

"Not all entanglements are fatal, but even non-fatal incidents can pose a serious welfare problem. This study reveals the extent of the issue and some potential solutions."

Russell Leaper from the International Fund for Animal Welfare said, "There is now a legal obligation in Scotland for fishers to report entanglements, which will improve our understanding of the issue.

"Our current understanding of the extent of entanglements in Scottish waters only became apparent through this study and the valuable contribution made by the fishermen who participated.

"This collaborative approach means that we now understand so much more about how entanglements occur, which has led us to be able to develop strategies for how to reduce entanglements in the future.

"There are many cases globally where the problem of marine animals becoming accidentally caught in fishing gear is very hard to solve. But here in Scotland, we can see a way forward, and the key to our success is working together with fishers."

As well as the number of entanglements taking place, the study also showed that a high proportion of entangled whales had become caught in the groundline, the rope that links creels together on the seabed. As groundline is usually made from rope that floats, it can form arches in the water between creels in which basking sharks or whales can get caught by their mouths, flippers or tails.

Potential solutions

This key finding has led to a possible way forward. If the groundline is made of rope that sinks rather than floats, it will lie on the seabed and pose no entanglement risk. This has shown the way for a new plan to trial sinking groundlines in the Scottish fishing industry.

Bally Philp from the Scottish Creel Fisherman's Federation (SCFF), a SEA partner, said, "It's great to see Scotland's fishermen are at the forefront of understanding and addressing the issue of marine animal entanglement and we hope to continue the collaborative approach in partnership with government, NGOs and researchers. We really want to trial solutions, and look forward to the next stage in this work."

More information: R Leaper et al, Estimates of humpback and minke whale entanglements in the Scottish static pot (creel) fishery, Endangered Species Research (2022). DOI: 10.3354/esr01214
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This figure shows a process for implementing the essential-use approach by triaging decisions about the necessity of chemicals of concern in specific consumer products and industrial processes. Once any question is answered no, the process concludes. Credit: Balan et al. (2023) Optimizing Chemicals Management in the United States and Canada through the Essential-Use Approach. Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05932

A new approach can help governments and businesses eliminate harmful chemicals from daily use and exposure, according to a paper published today in Environmental Science & Technology.

It's a simple concept, but a drastic departure from the status quo of chemicals management in the U.S. and Canada. The authors lay out recommendations for implementing this approach to benefit public health, the environment, and the economy. The authors advocate for using "essential use approach" to speed up and more efficiently take harmful chemicals out of the marketplace.

"In the U.S. and Canada, most chemicals have not been evaluated prior to use," said Carol Kwiatkowski, co-author and scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. "Once a chemical is suspected of causing harm, it can take decades before any restrictions are enacted. By that time, the chemical is often replaced with a similar one that will also take years to regulate. The essential-use approach is a more efficient strategy to minimize risk before harm occurs."

The essential-use approach states that chemicals of concern should only be used where the use of such chemicals in a product is "necessary for health, safety or is critical for the functioning of society" and where feasible alternatives are not available. The idea originated in the Montreal Protocol but was more recently adapted by an international group of scientists in its proposed approach for managing the whole class of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In 2020, the EU endorsed this approach in its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, calling for phasing out all PFAS and other most harmful chemicals, except for uses that are determined to be essential for society.

The approach has gained traction in some U.S. states for PFAS. In 2021 the U.S. state of Maine banned the use of PFAS in all products by 2030, except where the state determines a use is "currently unavoidable." Other U.S. states are similarly banning the use of PFAS in specific products.

The authors recommend that governments and businesses in the U.S. and Canada fully transition to the "essential use approach" by:

Defining chemicals of concern using a broad range of hazard traits. Expediting decisions regarding the use of chemicals of concern by asking the easiest of three questions: Is the function of the chemical necessary for the product? Is use of the chemical the safest feasible option? Is use of the chemical justified because such use in the product is necessary for health, safety, or the functioning of society? Applying the essential-use approach early in the process of developing, using, and managing chemicals of concern. Supporting decisions by engaging diverse experts and sharing information necessary for identifying essential uses.

More information: Optimizing chemicals management in the United States and Canada through the essential-use approach, Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05932 Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology

Provided by Green Science Policy Institute
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Forest regions of Scotland that act as natural strongholds (shown in red) and support red squirrels against grey squirrel incursion (yellow areas show suitable grey squirrel habitat near strongholds). 1. Newtyle Forest, 2. Elchies Forest, 3. Teindland Forest, 4. Aultmore, 5. Clashindarroch Forest, 6. Fetteresso Forest, 7. Montreathmont Forest, 8. Glenisla Forest, 9. Glenmore Forest Park, 10. Glen Affric, 11. Glen Garry, 12. Glen Spean, 13. Craigvinean Forest, 14. Loch Doine, 15. Tentsmuir Forest, 16. Kincardine, 17. Kintyre peninsula, 18. Glentress Forest, 19. Muirkirk, 20. Newton Stewart, 21. Wauchope Forest. The 19 currently designated strongholds (Scottish Forestry, 2020) are outlined in black. Map from Forestry and Land Scotland (2020). Credit: Red squirrels and forestry  is it time for a review of policy and practice? Scottish Forrestry Volume 76 No. 2 Summer 2022.

New research and a five-year study of red squirrel behavior indicates that conservation efforts targeting one of Scotland's most-loved species need a rethink.

A report from Heriot-Watt University, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Inverness indicates that red squirrel populations are viable in landscapes managed for timber under the UK Forestry Standard and that current special protection measures are ineffective and should be relaxed.

Further development of mathematical ecology models by Heriot-Watt's Professor Andy White also suggests that work on squirrel strongholds, which is currently focused on areas where grays are absent, would be more effective if it were instead focused on areas where gray squirrels pose a danger, such as south of the central belt or in lower Tayside.

FLS's wildlife ecologist Kenny Kortland said, "Red squirrel habitat includes Scotland's productive forests and it has long been a challenge for foresters to balance the production of timber with the legal duty to protect red squirrels."

"This latest research with ecologists and modelers shows that commercial forestry isn't a threat to red squirrels and that, when managed carefully, forestry plantations can be great habitats for red squirrels."

"For example, work that UHI has done over the past five years to track squirrel movement before and after thinning operations found no detrimental impact on red squirrel breeding activity or survival. In fact, population density was higher after the operations. The only measurable impact was a slight shift in space use for a couple of individual squirrels, which was likely due to food availability."

"This suggests that there are probably better management tactics from both the forester and the squirrel's point of view."

"It would also mean that much of the 100k upwards that is currently spent annually on red squirrel management measures could be more effectively channeled to other conservation efforts."

The team's research indicates that while special management measures (the right tree species mix and age structure) are required where gray squirrels are also present, in areas without gray squirrels some red squirrel protection measures, such as drey surveys, are ineffective and could be relaxed.

Tree felling operations almost always result in members of the public contacting forest managers with concerns about the impact of tree felling on their local red squirrels.

As well as the need to make use of evidence-based and targeted protection measures, red squirrel behavior and adaptability should also inform decisions on when forests are felled, and how.

Currently, operations in important squirrel forests are scheduled to avoid the breeding season and felling work will often be postponed if pre-operational surveys find dreys.

Site-specific mitigation can include retaining drey trees and felling in such a way as to make it as easy as possible for squirrels to relocate into adjacent crops.

Dr. Louise de Raad, formerly a research fellow at UHI Inverness, said, "Since 2017, FLS and UHI Inverness have been studying how red squirrels respond to tree felling by fitting squirrels with radio collars and tracking their movements before, during and after the tree-felling work."

"When we combined the tracking results with drey survey returns we found that the survey missed over 80% of dreys that were actually used by red squirrels."

"It's clearly not an effective mitigation to leave identified drey trees and it would be better to focus on other methodssuch as looking for signs such as chewed cones, for examplethat only indicate the presence or absence of red squirrels in a forest."

"What we also found was that red squirrels are well-adapted to dispersing within and between forest blocks and being able to cope with forestry activity. They can move out of the way when the work is being done."

"When there is adjacent suitable habitat available for red squirrels to disperse to, standard thinning and felling operations seem to have no significant impact on their survival or breeding success."

"We must continue to protect red squirrels, but we need to review the current mitigation strategies to make sure we do this in the most effective way."

Red squirrel behavior is highly flexible in these conifer habitats and individuals adapt their space use to seasonal and annual changes in food availability. When a cone crop fails naturally in one year, they simply relocate.

Further research carried out by Professor Andy White, a mathematical ecologist in Heriot-Watt's School of Mathematical and Computer Science, and squirrel expert Dr. Peter Lurz suggests that management of Scotland's 19 designated red squirrel strongholds also needs to be reviewed.

The stronghold forests have been altered, by removing or not planting the broadleaf species preferred by grays, to favor red squirrels and prevent grays from moving in. However, the modeling questions whether focusing on these areas is an effective strategy.

Professor White said, "Many of the current 19 strongholds are in regions where the grays are absent. So the time and money spent modifying these forests to better prepare reds for the impacts of gray competition may have little additional benefit."

"Even in a worst-case scenario of gray squirrel invasion, there are large forested regions where the tree species present would support the reds but would be unfavorable to grays. Clearly, these areas would not require specific management by foresters."

"It does suggest that the stronghold program would be more effective if it were adapted to where grays pose a danger, such as south of the central belt or in lower Tayside."
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Two interacting galaxies viewed from the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team

Research led by the University of Southampton has revealed how supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are feeding off gas clouds which reach them by traveling hundreds of thousands of light years from one galaxy to another.

An international team of scientists has shown there is a crucial link between the interaction of neighboring galaxies and the enormous amount of gas needed to 'fuel' these giant, super-dense, space phenomena. Their findings are due to be published in Nature Astronomy.

A black hole can be created when a star collapses, squeezing matter into a relatively tiny space. This increases the force of gravity to a point where nothing can escape, not even lighthence the name.

Some black holes are gigantic, with masses millions of times greater than our sun, emitting enormous amounts of energy. These are known as 'supermassive black holes' and exactly how they are formed or gain enough fuel to power themselves is still a mystery.

Astrophysicist and lead researcher from the University of Southampton, Dr. Sandra Raimundo, says, "Supermassive black holes fuel their activity by, in part, the gradual accumulation of gas from the environment around them. Supermassive black holes can make the centers of galaxies shine very brightly when they capture gas and it's thought this process can be a major influence on the way that galaxies look today. How SMBHs get enough fuel to sustain their activity and growth still puzzles astronomers, but the work we have carried out provides a step towards understanding this."

The Southampton scientist, working with researchers at the universities of Copenhagen and California, used data from the 4-meter Anglo-Australian telescope in New South Wales, Australia to study the orbits of gas and stars in a large sample of more than 3000 galaxies. They identified those with the presence of what is known as 'misaligned' gasin other words, gas which rotates in a different direction from the stars in the galaxy, signaling a past galaxy interaction. They then found that galaxies with misaligned gas had a higher fraction of active supermassive black holes.

The results showed a clear link between misaligned gas and supermassive black hole activitysuggesting the gas is transferred where two galaxies meet, meanders vast distances through space and then succumbs to the huge gravitational forces of the supermassive black holepulled in and swallowed up as a vital source of fuel. Astronomers have long suspected that a merger with another galaxy could provide this source of gas, but direct evidence for this has been elusive.

Dr. Raimundo explains, "The work that we carried out shows the presence of gas that is misaligned from stars is associated with an increase in the fraction of active supermassive black holes. Since misaligned gas is a clear sign of a past interaction between two galaxies, our work shows that galaxy interactions provide fuel to power active supermassive black holes."

"This is the first time that a direct connection has been observed between the formation and presence of misaligned gas and the fueling of active supermassive black holes."

Dr. Marianne Vestergaard, a co-author in the study, says, "What is exciting about these observations is that we can now, for the very first time, identify the captured gas and trace it all the way to the center where the black hole is devouring it."

The scientists now hope to extend their research and use their findings to calculate how much of the total mass of supermassive black holes grew from this mechanism and how important this was in the early universe.

More information: Sandra Raimundo, An increase in black hole activity in galaxies with kinematically misaligned gas, Nature Astronomy (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-022-01880-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01880-z Journal information: Nature Astronomy
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A. India, showing location of the former region of Malabar (yellow) and the border of the modern state of Kerala; B. Kerala, showing the locations of ancient (modern) trading ports; C. The study area, showing the locations of the earlier Calicut at Beypore and the later Calicut at Kozhikode. Credit: International Review of Environmental History (2022). DOI: 10.22459/IREH.08.02.2022.03

UniSC's Professor Patrick Nunn and Roselyn Kumar didn't set out to rewrite history.

They were simply trying to research how India's coastline had changed over the centuries.

"There were these accounts from ancient voyages describing this fabulous harbor in Calicut (present day Kozhikode) and how it was one of the greatest ports in Asia," Professor Nunn said.

But something was bothering him. At some point in the 16th century, the depictions and illustrations of Calicut stopped matching up with the old ones.The river was wrong. So were the boats. Where was the promised great maritime city and the trees heaving with fruit?

"It was just a sandy beach. It looked like the worst possible place for a harbor," Professor Nunn said. "It didn't make sense."

It was like Calicut had somehow teleported to a completely different location.

He now thinks that's exactly what happened.

The trouble started in 1498 with a man who was no stranger to troubleVasco da Gama. Da Gama had been sent by the King of Portugal to find a sea route to India and establish trade relations in Calicut. But instead of anchoring off in a grand harbor that compelled previous visitors to espouse its magnificence, Professor Nunn and Kumar believe da Gama missed the mark and landed 33km to the north near a significantly less impressive beach town he thought was Calicut.

A simple mistake that rewrote history.

The Portuguese later realized their error, as evidenced by their repeated attacks on the actual Calicut, but never rectified this in their language or writing. Things were complicated further when the centuries-old port of legend appears to have met its demise.

"Decades after that, what I infer is that a massive tsunami swept ashore and destroyed the old Calicut. So, the Zamorin (the local rulers) simply decided to move to what the Portuguese thought of as the new Calicut," Professor Nunn said.

With the old city gone, subsequent travelers to the "new" Calicut believed it to be that same grand harbor of antiquity. The histories of two different places, became onea confused amalgamation, riddled with inconsistencies.

"What seems particularly extraordinary, is that almost all visitors to the area after the year 1590 thought there was just one Calicut, even though local informants undoubtedly told them what had happened to the other," Roselyn Kumar said.

This is the bigger issue raised by Professor Nunn and Kumar. Why have the oral histories of other cultures been met with such skepticism and doubt over the course of Western history, while that same critical gaze is not turned to our own written accounts?

"The story of the two Calicuts is a reminder of the incompleteness of history and the danger of reconstructing it only from what can be seen, touched, read or related. There is much that is missing from current understandings of human history, requiring that novel and occasionally imaginative approaches are sometimes needed to complete it," Roselyn said.

It also raises another question. If we were wrong about Calicut, what else did we get wrong?

"If historians make assumptions about the past that turn out to be incorrect, then entire sequences of deductions may need to be reeled back. That's difficult for us narrative-loving humans to accept," Professor Nunn said. "Growing up you're taught one history as the truth. But the truth is a lot more nuanced than that."

The findings are published in the journal International Review of Environmental History.

More information: Patrick Nunn et al, 'A once capacious haven': What happened to Calicut (Malabar coast of India), 13351887, International Review of Environmental History (2022). DOI: 10.22459/IREH.08.02.2022.03

Provided by University of the Sunshine Coast
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JOHNSBURG  Andrea Hogan, who has served as the town supervisor since 2018, announced on Tuesday at the Town Board meeting her intent to resign in February.

This evening at the Town Board meeting I announced my plan to submit a letter of resignation from my position as town supervisor. The letter will be presented to the town clerk later this week, and effective 8 a.m. on Feb. 17. It has been an honor and privilege to have served the people and the town for the past five years as supervisor and 10 years prior to that, with the ACOC (Adirondack Community Outreach Center), wrote Hogan in a post on her town supervisor Facebook page.

Hogans resignation comes before her term is up on Dec. 31. She could not be reached for a comment on Wednesday.

Glens Falls 3rd Ward Supervisor Claudia Braymer, a colleague of Hogans on the Warren County Board of Supervisors, commented on the post.

Thank you for your service to the town and for your voice of reason at county. Its been an honor to work with you under difficult circumstances the last few years at Warren County. The town has enormous shoes to fill when you leave this role and I wish them the best in finding a suitable candidate, Braymer wrote.

At the organizational meeting of the county board on Jan. 4, Hogan expressed her dismay about the behavior of her colleagues on the county board and claimed no action has been taken against a Glens Falls supervisor who has personally attacked and harassed her and her family.

We treat each other like crap, people, and it needs to stop. I think as a body we need to discuss what to do when members of this body act that way. It is becoming a hostile work environment. I do not want to come to work because I am being harassed here by my colleagues, she said at the January meeting.

Hogan experienced criticism in November for accepting a job as executive director of the Vinalhaven Land Trust in Maine. She and her husband, Jim, have owned a home there since 2018. Hogan said she is still a resident of Johnsburg and working remotely.
Pam Vogel, the longtime Warren County clerk, announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election for the term that begins next Jan. 1.

Vogel, a Republican, was first elected clerk in 2003 after the retirement of Caryl Clark.

Vogel obtained the Democratic endorsement first and then went on to defeat Glens Falls 5th Ward Councilman Scott Pauquette in a Republican primary. She then defeated Conservative candidate Carol Birkholz in the general election.

Vogels election followed her 23 years in history and records management for the county.

In a letter addressed to the residents of Warren County, Vogel offered a reminder on the reach of her office, from obtaining that first drivers permit as a 16-year-old, to recording the deed to ones first home, or to submitting a passport application for a well-deserved retirement cruise.

The clerks office processes thousands of transactions each year, she noted, while also pointing to the modernization of the records system.

Five million digital pages later, 24/7 online availability to the county clerks records (so essential as the pandemic became real for all of us), electronic filing and recording, an archives that models New York state agency specifications, and an efficient, well-organized, and customer-focused Department of Motor Vehicles.

Vogel thanked her fellow clerks across New York state for their guidance and encouragement, and others including her staff of 20 in the offices of County Clerk, Public Records, Pistol Permits, Archives and Records Management, and Historian, as well as in the Department of Motor Vehicles.
HARTFORD  The town of Hartford has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the coming winter storm and asking other municipalities for help in plowing as there is only one person working in the Highway Department.

In the interest of assisting the town in keeping the highways cleared of winter weather, this state of emergency allows me to make whole any neighboring town/county/state expenses for assisting Hartford, said Supervisor Dana Haff in the emailed notice.

He said a formal memorandum of understanding can be put into effect, but until it is completed, he is allowed to reimburse neighboring municipalities that assist.

I think it is only fair that our neighbors be made whole in this regard if they spend some of their tax dollars to assist Hartford, he said.

The emergency also gives Haff the authority to hire highway workers at a rate of $21 per hour.

The storm is expected to hit early Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory through 1 p.m. on Friday for the Lake George and Saratoga region. Mixed precipitation is expectation with total snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze, according to the NY-Alert notification system. Road conditions will be slippery and could impact the Thursday evening commute and Friday morning commute, according to the notice.

The high temperatures will be around 32 degrees on Thursday and 35 degrees on Friday.

Haff said in a follow-up email to The Post-Star that the town should have full complement of four full-time employees, but it only has two, and one of them has been on workers compensation since October.

The town has had some labor strife, according to Haff.

We are at an impasse with the Teamsters union, which represents the full time highway employees. Of the two employees remaining, they joined well after a year of no new contract but asked to be hired anyways, he said.

Haff said the town has made a number of offers, most recently on Jan. 5, but the union is slow to respond. He said he is not allowed to comment on the particulars of offers and counteroffers, but said that he did a comparison of the wages of the highway workers in the surrounding towns of Granville, Hebron, Argyle, Kingsbury and Fort Ann and found that the average is $20.82 per hour.

Without giving details of our offer, we have offered more than the average but to date they have not respond, he said.

Haff said anyone interested in becoming a highway worker should contact the highway superintendent at 518-632-9178 or 518-222-2394.
GLENS FALLS  Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins focused his 2023 State of the City address on taxes, future projects and efficiency of city services and departments, as he starts his second year as the citys leader.

He began on Wednesday by looking back at the last decade in Glens Falls, regarding the history of tax rates in the city and credited the work of former mayors Dan Hall and Jack Diamond.

Let me first go on record saying no tax is a good tax and that any tax increase is too much, but I am still impressed by the budgeting of my predecessors. Over the last decade, the total city tax increase on this average home valued at $150,000 was only $237. Thats less than a $24 increase each year, Collins told the crowd of about 50 people inside City Hall on Wednesday.

He said overall in 2022, the property tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value decreased from $13.49 to $8.38.

Collins said that the taxes from residents of the city of less than 4 square miles support both paid police and fire departments, which he added are both in need of new recruits.

The mayor also reminded the crowd of a study conducted in 2022 that analyzed crime statistics and comparative crime rates and showed that Glens Falls was the safest city in the United States.

He said he does not believe the city has seen an increase in crime over the past year, but said because of the size of Glens Falls, all crime is reported and publicized.

Collins claimed part of the reason for the relatively small tax increases over the past 10 to 15 years is the number of vacancies that exist in city positions, more specifically 45 full-time and eight part-time positions.

Many of those positions will never come back. For those who may remember, the city had an open pickup of yard debris year-round, but now you can understand why the time frame is limited to just a few weeks a year, Collins said. We dont have the staff to keep it up anymore and the attrition cuts across most departments.

Collins noted that the Recreation Department supervisor position has been vacant for 12 years and the tourism director was only supposed to serve as an interim director, but he vowed to focus on tourism and marketing of the city in 2023.

We are a bustling, vibrant city and our downtown looks amazing. Those positive changes will continue as our South Street revitalization finally starts, new businesses continue to open and long-established businesses continue to invest in our wonderful city, he said.

Collins thanked all of the 16 department heads by name for guiding him through his first year in office and making him aware of all the moving parts of the city.

He also praised the Common Council for not allowing party politics to have any place in their chambers.

Looking back on 2022, Collins said he was focused on keeping the positive momentum of the city going.

Currently, city staff are administering 39 grants to move infrastructure and our neighborhoods forward and we are always looking for more, he said. Secondly, we need to improve efficiencies in each department in order to keep spending down and examine our opportunities for consolidation of services, all while providing essential services and keeping our city tax rate as low as possible.

Collins cited the upcoming merger of Greater Glens Falls Transit with the Capital District Transportation Authority, or CDTA, which serves the Albany area, as a step in the right direction for transportation in Glens Falls and the surrounding communities.

Many people wouldnt know that Greater Glens Falls Transit, developed by none other than Ed Bartholomew, is an anomaly, to have a city-run transportation authority. First of all, its really small and the fact that its run by the city is very unusual. So, what weve done is struggled over the last several years, especially during COVID, to keep drivers and keep routes going, the mayor said.

He was also eager to update the crowd on the progress of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, or DRI, which includes projects on South Street set to break ground this spring. The projects, which include commercial and residential space, total over $36 million in investments for the city.

Of course, there is also the event and market center on South. We are working toward the final design decisions and approvals from the state of New York and plan to break ground this spring, Collins said.

The mayor also addressed some of the not-so-pretty statistics in the city.

Glens Falls has plenty of challenges. Roughly 50% of our residents have an annual income that places them in HUDs (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) need of service (category). Glens Falls is the center of services for not only Warren County, but also northern Washington and northern Saratoga county. The city hosts 90% of the providers of human services for those in need in our region. As a community, we need to make sure we do all we can to help those down and out, especially those facing homeless or dealing with issues of substance abuse and mental illness. We cannot and will not ignore those in need, he said.

Collins listed his goals for 2023:

Investing in parks

Local waterfront revitalization

Event and market center

Engage community residents and leaders

Complete merger between GGFT and CDTA

Improve communications from the city

Increased collaboration with the Warren County Board of Supervisors, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, the citys Business Improvement District, the Civic Center Coalition and the Downtown Business Collaborative

The reality is Glens Falls has so much going for it; we are growing, we are vibrant and we are on the rise, Collins said of the city.
A Camden man on Wednesday was sentenced to 54 years in prison for sexually assaulting an Atlantic City hotel maid in 2020, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said.

Following a six-day trial in September, a jury convicted Kye Hardison, 35, of sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and burglary.

Hardison was arrested in July 2020 after police were called to the Claridge Hotel for a report of a 61-year-old housemaid being sexually assaulted.

According to state law, anyone found guilty of first-degree aggravated sexual assault ordinarily is sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, but given Hardisons criminal history and the crimes nature, prosecutors sought an extended prison term.

Camden man found guilty of assaulting Claridge housekeeper A Camden man was convicted Monday of sexually assaulting a Claridge hotel housekeeper in July 2020.

Atlantic County Superior Court Judge William Todd Miller, finding the states request plausible, agreed to the extended sentence, the Prosecutors Office said in a news release.

After his release, Hardison will be subject to Megans Law sex offender rules and must undergo lifetime parole supervision.

Police responded to the Claridge at 3:14 p.m. July 7, 2020.

After arriving, detectives found Hardison had unlawfully entered a 12th-floor hotel room. The victim, whose name was withheld by police, entered the room, seeing Hardison inside.

The woman left, but Hardison followed shortly after.

The woman then went back into the room, and Hardison pushed her inside and physically and sexually assaulted her, police said.
ATLANTIC CITY  The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University will house its largest exhibit to date at two different locations beginning next month, the school said Thursday.

Mother Nature vs. Human Nature: The Inequity of Climate Resilience will run from Feb. 1 to June 24.

The exhibit will feature 105 works by 103 artists who either live or work in the state. It will be held at the Noyes Arts Garage in the resort and Stocktons Kramer Hall in Hammonton.

It is the largest group of participants in the museums history, Noyes Museum Executive Director Michael Cagno said in a news release. And its compelling evidence of New Jerseys dedication to and passion for the arts.

An opening reception for the exhibit, featured as the New Jersey Arts Annual Exhibition of 2023, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Arts Garage.

Stockton extends million-dollar Nolan Ryan memorabilia exhibit until February Theres still time to hop on The Ryan Express, as Stockton University announced this week 

The museum received a $50,000 grant from the state last summer to stage this exhibit. The host of the Arts Annual Exhibition rotates each year among different museums, and the Noyes last hosted in 2016, Cagno said.

Through this exhibition, the public will gain a profound understanding of the interconnection between life and the disturbances related to the climate, Cagno said. The artists have presented a renewed sense of responsibility for action.

Artwork will include sculptures, ink drawings, multimedia, photography, and oil and watercolor paintings.

The Noyes Arts Garage, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, is located on Fairmount Avenue in Atlantic City. It houses two museums  the Noyes Museum of Art Galleries and the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey  along with eight artist studios, a cafe and an art classroom.

The Noyes Galleries at Kramer Hall, open 7:40 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and until 7 p.m. during Third Thursdays, is located on Front Street in downtown Hammonton.
MAYS LANDING  A familiar face is returning to local government.

The Township Committee has appointed Art Schenker its newest member. He was voted into the position unanimously Tuesday and was sworn in by Atlantic County Commissioner Amy Gatto.

The appointment was made to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Sue Hopkins, which was effective Jan. 10. Because Hopkins was a Republican, nominees for her replacement were made by the local Republican county committee. The Township Committee voted to select Schenker from the nominees the GOP had offered.

Schenker was previously a member of the Township Committee from 2016 to 2021 and served three years as mayor from 2018 through 2020. He resigned from the committee in February 2021 to take a leadership position at the township Municipal Utilities Authority.

Mayor Carl Pitale credited Schenker for the experience he brought to the township. He also thanked interim township Administrator Brett Noll, who was appointed at the reorganization meeting Jan. 3, for putting out a couple of fires in a period of transition and credited other township employees for lending Noll their support.

Hes going to bring a wealth of knowledge to the committee and to our town, so welcome aboard, Pitale said of Schenker.

The New Jersey AFL-CIO issued a statement Wednesday congratulating Schenker, who it says is a member of UA 322 and Labor Candidate School graduate.

As a former Mayor of Hamilton Township, former Atlantic & Cape May Central Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer, and member of UA 322 for over 40 years, we know that Brother Schenker will use his skills, experience, and knowledge to fight for the interests of working families, the labor organization said, adding 1,284 labor candidates have won office across the state.

The fate of the MUA was a topic of discussion at Schenkers first meeting back on the committee, considering a change order for $5,840 of heating, ventilation and air conditioning work to the MUA building.

Although the township announced in August that it would acquire the building from the MUA, township officials said Tuesday the property was still not under deed to the township. An MUA official present at the meeting said the deed was being prepared and that township officials would likely receive it Wednesday.

Committeewoman Thelma Witherspoon, concerned about paying for work at a property the township did not yet own, asked that the resolution be pulled until the matter is resolved.

The committee ultimately voted to have the change order take effect upon receipt of the signed deed. As of about 2 p.m. Wednesday, a township official said the deed had not yet been delivered.

Hamilton Township police seek missing teen HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Police are searching for a missing teen reported to have last been seen 

The committee has a 3-2 divide between Republicans and Democrats following the election of Witherspoon, a Democrat, and defeat of GOP Mayor Charles Cain in the 2022 election. There were bipartisan overtures Tuesday, with Schenker telling Democratic Committeewoman Judy Link he was eager to work with her to reform how redevelopment agreements are made in the township. He said the agreements could be leveraged to promote growth but agreed with Link that the practice could be adjusted.

As I saw before I got up here, theres a lot of contention with the redevelopment ordinance, Schenker said. A lot of things have changed in there in a few years, and I dont know if theyre all working well for us, so we need to look at it and revisit it.

The committee, under Schenkers mayoralty, voted in 2018 to designate the entire township an area in need of redevelopment, allowing the township to offer tax abatements and exemptions to incentivize new development projects. Link has since expressed dissatisfaction with redevelopment agreements, describing them at the township reorganization as the wild, wild west.

It is an important tool that this town must have, Schenker said, citing what he said was the successful use of redevelopment agreements by neighboring municipalities. Were stumbling a little bit right now, but I think we can get that back on track.
rsted, the Danish company constructing offshore wind farms off New Jerseys shoreline, intends to gain full control of one of the projects, Ocean Wind 1.

The company announced its acquisition of Public Service Enterprise Groups 25% stake in the project Wednesday, giving it full ownership of the 1,100 MW offshore wind energy farm planned to be built 15 miles off the shore.

A dollar amount for the deal was not disclosed in the announcement.

The wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power about a half-million homes. It was the first of three offshore wind projects approved thus far by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

PSEG has been a valuable partner as we have advanced Ocean Wind 1 to this point and as weve successfully advanced our offshore wind vision in the United States, said David Hardy, an executive vice president at rsted.

The company is keeping PSEG on board to assist in construction.

Nearly $695 million is being committed to in-state spending on wind, spurring what is said to be hundreds of jobs throughout the projects construction phases.

On top of placing windmills miles off the coast, rsted is building an operations facility in Atlantic City, as well as investing more than $100 million in a monopile facility in Paulsboro, Gloucester County.

Construction on the project in the Bungalow Park neighborhood of Atlantic City is underway.

With a well-established presence in the U.S., were confident in our ability to drive the project forward with commercial operations beginning as planned, Hardy said.

The transaction is expected to be completed during the first half of the year, rsted said.

Ocean Wind 1 is expected to start producing power by the end of 2024, with a full commissioning in 2025.

Within the past week, offshore wind has come under scrutiny by environmental advocates alleging ties to a set of whale beachings in several shore towns, most recently last week in Brigantine.

That humpback likely was, based on necropsy results, injured by a collision with a vessel, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.

Since the deaths, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have argued for and against suspending offshore wind activities while the deaths are examined.

rsted said its current work off the New Jersey coast does not involve using sonics or other actions that could disturb whales.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a spy in the upcoming release 'Pathaan', may have been idolised as the king of romance by his countless fans across the globe, but the actor personally loves the action genre and always wanted to be an action hero.



In a video released by the producers, Yash Raj Films, SRK said: "I came to the film industry 32 years ago to be an action hero but I missed the boat because they made me a romantic hero instead. I've only wanted to be an action hero. I mean I love DDLJ and I love Rahul and Raj and all these good sweet boys but I always thought I was an action hero, so for me it's my dream come true."



The 'King', as he is known, is returning to the silver screen after a wait of four long years, and his fans are certainly waiting with bated breath to watch him in action on screen.



Talking about his character in 'Pathaan', the superstar shared: "Pathaan is an easy guy, doing a lot of tough things and I think he's naughty, he's tough but doesn't wear it on his sleeve. He's trusting. He's honest and I think he very single-mindedly thinks of India as his mother."



For the film, he has teamed up yet again with Deepika Padukone, together they have doled out epic blockbusters like 'Om Shanti Om', 'Chennai Express' and 'Happy New Year'.



Commenting on this reunion, Deepika and her impact in 'Pathaan', Shah Rukh said: "You need someone of the stature of Deepika to be able to pull off a song sequence like 'Besharam Rang' and then you know, to be able to do action, where she takes a guy and pulls him right over herself and beats him, she's tough enough to do that too. That kind of a combination could have only been achieved with someone like Deepika. It's a quite a layered character for an action film heroine so to say."



'Pathaan', which also stars John Abraham as the antagonist, is set to release on January 25, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Ruling DMK and its allies burnt his effigy across the state

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday said that he had used the word Thamizhagam in a historical and cultural context, and an interpretation or inference that it was a suggestion to change the name of the state was erroneous and far-fetched.

Ravi is in the midst of a controversy after he referred to Tamil Nadu as Tamizhagam after which the ruling DMK and its allies burnt his effigy in many areas of the state.

He, in a statement, said that in an event at Rajbhavan on January 4, to felicitate the volunteers of the Kashi -Tamil sangamam, he had used the word Thamizhagam. He said that the Kashi- Tamil sangamam was a month-long programme that celebrated the age-old cultural connect of the Tamil people with Kashi and that there was no Tamil Nadu during those times.

He said that without understanding the basis of his speech, arguments have surfaced that he was against the word Tamil Nadu.

Two-day Delhi visit

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, who is on a confrontationist path with the state government, on Wednesday left for a two-day Delhi visit. IANS
According to police, Gupta and his group reportedly committed many crimes in a coordinated fashion

The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has been invoked by Pune city police against notorious criminal Avinash alias Sunny Gupta (20) and 11 of his gang members, including a minor boy, who opened fire and then looted money from the office of an Angadia (a private courier service system) in Market Yard area in November last year.

According to authorities, at about 11.30 a.m. on November 12, Gupta and his aides barged into the office of "P M Courier" located at the Ganraj Market in the Market Yard neighbourhood, armed with sharp weapons and a revolver. One of the thieves fired fire, and they took Rs 27.45 lakh in cash and two mobile phones from the scene.

An FIR was filed at Market Yard police station in this regard under sections 395, 397, and 120 b of the IPC, as well as portions of the Indian Arms Act.

During the inquiry, police apprehended Gupta, a resident of Mangalwar Peth, and eight of his associates, including history sheeter Aditya Ashok Marne (28) of Warje. A juvenile kid who was involved in the crime was also apprehended. Three suspects are still on the run.

According to police, Gupta and his group reportedly committed many crimes in a coordinated fashion. As a result, senior police inspector Anagha Deshpande proposed to assistant commissioner of police Ranjankumar Sharma that they invoke MCOCA against them.
Two teens were arrested after a paan stall owner filed a complaint alleging that they threatened to damage his stall if he did not pay them money on a monthly basis

The Pune city police detained a teenage boy on extortion charges after they reportedly demanded money from a paan stall owner in Dhankawadi.

The suspects were detained on Wednesday, Ganesh Sunil More (25) and Mayur Narayan Darwatkar (26), both residents of Sambhaji Nagar in Dhankawadi.

According to the police, on January 11, the Crime Branch's anti-extortion unit got a complaint from a paan stall owner who stated that two persons were threatening to damage his stall if he did not give them money every month.

The accused were recognised by the authorities as criminals with a criminal past. Following a tip from police officer Sanjay Bhapkar, a Crime Branch squad led by inspector Ajay Waghmare apprehended the suspects in the Dhankawadi area.

A first information report (FIR) was filed against them at the Sahakar Nagar police station under sections 384, 386, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, alleging accusations of extortion and criminal intimidation, among others.
Residents claim that the civic body has taken an arbitrary decision as access to water is their fundamental right

Pending dues: Hsg societies federation writes to CM Shinde, civic chief to not penalise all for non-compliance by a few

The civic bodys decision to cut off the water supply to the entire building or housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad due to non-payment of property tax by a few members has not gone down well with the residents of the twin cities.

These societies have written to Chief Minister Eknah Shinde and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, expressing their discontent with the decision.

In its letter, the Chikali Moshi Pimpri-Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation (CMPCHSF) has urged the chief minister and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) chief to refrain from initiating the coercive action of disconnecting water supply because a few members have not cleared their property tax.

It may be mentioned that the PCMC has started taking action against the citizens who have their property taxes dues. On Wednesday, the civic body issued notices to over 100 housing societies in the twin towns. The civic body stated that the citizens of housing societies like Imagica Park, Ashirwad Society, Nilay Housing Society, Sai Shradha Housing Society, Aishwaryam Courtyard were amongst several other societies who have been served notices by the PCMC.

The PCMC has started taking action against property tax defaulters. All members of the housing societies have to support the civic body by paying their taxes on time. However, disconnecting the water supply of the entire housing society just because a few society members have not cleared their dues is unfair. This is an injustice towards all society members, said the federation in the letter.

Sanjeevan Sangale, chairman, CMPCHSF, said that citizens access to water is a fundamental right and the civic body cannot take it away from them. He pointed out that the housing societies are already facing acute water shortages for a while.

How can the civic authority cut off the water supply in such a situation? This is not right. The PCMC cannot punish everyone for the actions of a few. Even if four or five members owe taxes, the water connection is severed, and the remaining hundreds suffer, he said.

It is against the rules. Even the housing societies cant disconnect the water supply of anyone if their society dues are pending, he said.

Nilesh Deshmukh, assistant municipal commissioner of PCMC, said that the civic body has a huge challenge to collect the pending dues, and even after several reminders, residents are unwilling to comply.

We have confiscated over 500 commercial properties for tax dues and issued notices to over 8,000 tax defaulters who had dues of over Rs 1 lakh. We are trying to take minimal action against residential property for unpaid taxes. So, only 50 residential properties, which were closed, have been confiscated, he said.

We have disconnected water lines in cases of individual houses. Although the law allows us to disconnect the water connections of the entire society, the civic administration has no plans to do so. I will speak to my team to refrain from disconnecting the water lines of housing societies. However, housing societies should also assist the civic authority in collecting their tax dues, he stated.
NHAI postpones reopening of Chandoli toll plaza but locals want it to go forever, threaten to protest

Close on the heels of the protest launched by local residents against the reopening of the Moshi toll booth, Khed residents have also joined the chorus against the National Highways Authority of Indias (NHAI) decision to reopen the Chandoli toll plaza on Pune-Nashik highway. The Khed residents have threatened to agitate if the toll booth is reopened.

The local residents are enraged over the recent NHAI decision to reopen the Moshi and Chandoli toll booths on the Pune-Nashik route.

After the contract of Infrastructure Developers Limited (IRB) to manage the facility expired in 2021, the toll booths were closed. The NHAI intended to reopen the booths. The revenue generated through them was planned to be used for road maintenance. However, locals claim that the road, which is used by a large number of people to commute to industries located in Chakan and adjacent districts, is narrow, causing major traffic jams at the peak hours.

Sanotsh Dolas, local resident of Chandoli village, said, The administration is still undertaking construction activities on the highway, but they want to reopen the toll for collection in the name of road maintenance. The area already has traffic bottlenecks during the peak hours. Reopening this toll will exacerbate the problem. A large population from Khed taluka uses this route daily. This decision will affect them because they cannot afford to pay the toll for every short trip they take.

We recently held a meeting with the administration on this issue. We asked them to remove the toll booth structure from the road. If they do not remove it within the next 15 days, we will take the earth-moving machine and remove it ourselves. There is no point in collecting toll as people have already paid enough money to the administration when it was with IRB until 2021, said another resident, Ashok Khanderbhrad.

Rajan Pardeshi, another resident of the area, said, We do not want that toll booth to be in the Khed taluka area because many villages nearby have to take this road to visit city areas. Many important establishments such as market, court and offices are on the other side of the toll. They cannot afford to pay the toll every time.

Even if the administration offers us passes, we will not accept it. Our only demand is that the toll be removed from this road, he added. If the officials claim that they are starting this toll for the maintenance, they should understand that the road does not require major maintenance for the next few years. Besides, they are also starting flyover construction in a few days. So there will be no need to start collecting tolls from locals, said Amol Pawar, a daily commuter, he said.

I received the letter from the protesting citizens and shared it with the concerned officials. A letter has also been written to Union minister Nitin Gadkari to check if local residents may be exempted from paying tolls at these toll booths, said Dilip Medage, who has been named the coordinator for Pune-Nashik highway by the ministry.
CAMBRIDGE, Ill.  The Granite City man charged with murder in the death of Knox County sheriff's deputy Nicholas Weist has changed attorneys from Henry County public defender Lance Camp.

In Henry County Circuit Court Tuesday, Daylon K. Richardson, 23, hired private attorney Bruce Carmen. Camp was allowed by Judge Colby Hathaway to withdraw from the case.

Richardson was charged with murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated fleeing and improper traffic lane usage after an April 29 car chase from Galesburg during which Richardson fatally hit Weist as the latter was putting out the stop sticks that were successful in bringing Richardson's vehicle to a halt. He was apprehended on foot shortly afterwards.

The chase began when Galesburg police were notified of an individual with a gun at a gas station on East Main Street in Galesburg about 8 a.m.

During a preliminary hearing in May, Special Agent Walt Willis of the Illinois State Police testified it didn't appear to him that Richardson's vehicle took any evasive maneuvers to avoid striking Weist.

Another pre-trial hearing was set for March 7.
Citing a desire to get out of law enforcement, Bobby Flaherty is resigning from the Blue Grass Police Department.

The chief started with the department last year. Since 2010, Flaherty also has worked for the Davenport, Eldridge and Sioux Falls police departments.

He became involved in a dispute last year that resulted from the drunken-driving arrest of Councilman Matt Sampson and the subsequent resignation of arresting officer Mason Wilson.

Flaherty and his home were subject to a search warrant in the matter, though the chief never was the "direct focus" of an investigation, the county attorney said at the time. He was, however, on administrative leave from the Blue Grass Police Department for more than a month last fall, "due to a pending investigation," the city's website indicated.

"  he said that it was best for him and his family to get out of law enforcement," Blue Grass City Clerk and Financial Officer Ann Schmidt wrote in an email Wednesday, explaining the departure.

The chief did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Scott County court records indicate that Flaherty asked for the resignation of one of his officers shortly after a member of the Blue Grass City Council was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.

Councilman Sampson was accused by former officer Wilson of threatening Wilson's job in Blue Grass as a result of the arrest. The police chief specifically told Wilson he should not include the statement in his arrest report, records show.

Several days later, Wilson included information about the comments he said were made by Sampson in a supplemental report, and Flaherty issued him a letter of reprimand and asked for his resignation, according to court documents.
Nearly a dozen people displaced by a fire in Moline this week could begin returning as soon as Friday.

Firefighters were sent to the Homewood Manor Apartments, 5612 34th Ave., at 5:53 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of a structure fire, Moline Deputy Fire Chief Kris Johnson wrote in a news release.

The fire displaced 11 people who were receiving aid from the Red Cross.

They were awesome, Melody Lara, office manager for Homewood, said of the Red Cross during an interview on Thursday. They came in right away.

The agency distributed food, water and other necessities, Lara said.

Some of the tenants might be back in their apartments Friday and others in the next few days, she said.

The tenants of the apartment where the damage was most severe will move to another unit, where they likely will remain. When the most-damaged apartment is repaired, it will be rented to other tenants, Lara said.

Homewood is accepting donations to assist the affected tenants, she said. Items sought include clothing, socks and shoes for a 16-month-old boy and a 6-year-old boy as well as for men and women.

Anyone wishing to help may contact the apartment office at 309-764-7767. Lara is available at Homewood from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

When firefighters first arrived, they noted light smoke throughout the second and third floors of the three-story complex. Moline police were first to arrive and began evacuating residents.

Firefighters were met with heavy, dense smoke in the involved apartment, Johnson said, where two residents were able to escape on their own. One was injured while attempting to extinguish the fire, he said.

The resident was treated at the scene, then taken to a local hospital by ambulance. The person who was hurt did not suffer a serious injury and returned to the complex later Wednesday night to speak with the Red Cross, Lara said.

Firefighters were on scene at the complex for about two hours and called in backups from several other departments. The only obvious sign of the fire Thursday was a boarded window on an upper story and a scatter of broken glass beneath it on the ground.

The fire was limited to one section of the building, Lara said. That section can be repaired.

It is salvageable  a lot of work  but it is going to get done, Lara said.

The fire remains under investigation by the Moline Fire Department.
Federal child pornography charges have been filed against a former East Moline Firefighter who was arrested by Scott County Sheriffs investigators in November on similar charges.

According to U.S. District Court, Davenport, electronic records, Kyle Daniel DuPrey, 36, of LeClaire, was indicted Jan. 11 by a federal grand jury on two counts of distribution and receipt of child pornography.

DuPrey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum of 20 years in prison, on each of the charges if he is convicted.

The federal case against DuPrey was unsealed Wednesday and DuPrey was arrested.

During a detention hearing, DuPrey was allowed to be released on bond pending trial.

Federal Magistrate Stephen Jackson Jr. scheduled a jury trial for Feb. 27 in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

East Moline Fire Chief Robert DeFrance said that DuPrey resigned his position with the East Moline Fire Department on Wednesday. DuPrey had previously been on administrative leave.

According to Scott County District Court electronic records, the three charges of sexual exploitation of a minor filed against DuPrey in November are still pending. A trial date has been set for March 6 in that case. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Scott County Sheriffs deputies arrested DuPrey on Nov. 21. Sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years.

According to arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs Investigator Ethan Roling, at 2:59 p.m. Aug. 22, 2021, DuPrey disseminated a video depicting an underage female engaged in a sexual act.

At 10:53 a.m. and at 1:54 p.m. on May 4 of this year, DuPrey disseminated two videos showing underage females engaged in sexual acts.

The videos were sent through Kik Messenger.

A cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the investigation.
Sherlock Holmes statement It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data, in Arthur Conan Doyles A study in Scarlet, is a pearl of wisdom to use when thinking about Americas political future.

The following data applies to the Nov. 5, 2024, presidential election notion that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are too old to be president.

First, according to a Nov. 10-14 Morning Consult poll, 65% of Americans dont want Biden `OR Trump to run again. Likewise, the Nov. 26-30, 2022 CNBC All-America Economic Survey found 61% of the public think Trump should not seek the presidency and 70% say the same about Biden.

Second, in a fall 2022 Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, 60% of Americans would consider voting for a moderate independent if Biden and Trump were seeking office.

The data is quite consistent regarding electorate thoughts of Trump and Bidens presidential future. It gets worse.

According to a Media voting exit poll on Nov. 8, 2022, only 44% of the respondents had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party as well as of the Republican Party. Political party perceptions are hurting.

Karl Rove, a GOP consultant and contributor to the conservative Wall Street Journal stated  Americans may believe they can do better than a 78-year-old Republican and a nearly 82-year-old Democrat holding a rematch (The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 17).

In reference to age, longitudinal research indicates that cognitive deterioration typically accelerates in ones 70s (Aartsen, et al, Journal of Gerontology, 2002). Both Trump and Biden are united in dotage, along with 26 Senators and 76 in the House of Representatives.

Take note of Derek Thompsons comments from his article (Why do such elderly people run America?) that was published in The Atlantic, ... old governance can be bad governance.  it seems risky to leave the most important issues of life, death or welfare in the hands of a group of septuagenarians who are in the cross hairs of biologically predictable cognitive decline (March 5, 2020).

The four data bases plus a reality therapy understanding of cognitive decline and the importance of presidents making wise decisions strongly suggests it is time to seek presidential candidates under the age of 70. Lets examine the GOP and Democrats presidential candidate bench.

The under age 70 Republicans who have hinted of wanting to be president include: Greg Abbott, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Brian Kemp, Kristi Noem, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Tim Scott, Chris Sununu and Glenn Younkin. GOP presidential wannabees over 70-years-old include John Bolton, Mike DeWine, Asa Hutchinson, Rick Scott and Donald Trump.

On the Democrats side, the potential under 70-year-old presidential candidate pool might include: Stacey Abrams, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Ro Khanna, Amy Klobuchar, J.B. Pritzker, Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer. The over age 70 Democrat presidential hopefuls include Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Brookings Institution senior fellow and Wall Street Journal contributor William Galston noted a 2024 rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump would feature two of the least popular presidential candidates in modern history even within their own parties. If 2024 were a rerun of 2020, 58% of voters say that they would `consider a `moderate independent presidential candidate (Aug. 12, 2022, Brookings). Galstons data reference is similar to the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll cited earlier.

In 2022, dozens of former Republicans and Democrats created a new centrist-based party, called Forward. Some interesting moderate presidential candidates could include Liz Cheney, Larry Hogan, David Jolly, John Kasich, Christine Todd Whitman or Andrew Yang.

The 2024 presidential race is in full swing. Its going to be a wild ride for Republicans, Democrats and the Forward Party, let alone the voters.
In the weeks before four students were found dead inside a residence near the University of Idaho, suspect Bryan Kohberger messaged one of the victims on Instagram  and then kept reaching out after she did not respond, according to a new report.

Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at Washington State University, was arrested in December for the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. They were all found fatally stabbed on Nov. 13 at a home the female victims shared with two other people in Moscow, Idaho.

Weeks earlier, an account authorities suspect belonged to Kohberger attempted to connect with one of the women he would allegedly go on to kill, a source familiar with the investigation told People. The first message landed in her inbox in late October. It was a seemingly friendly greeting  but they kept coming.

"He slid into one of the girls' DMs several times, but she didn't respond," the unidentified investigator said. "Basically, it was just him saying, 'Hey, how are you?' But he did it again and again."

It's not clear which student he specifically reached out to, but the account did follow all three female victims on Instagram.

Police previously said they'd been looking into whether Kohberger had stalked the victims before their grisly deaths, according to court documents. A motive for the murders remains unclear.

Kohberger was taken into custody at his family home in Pennsylvania after weeks of eluding law enforcement officers. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge for allegedly entering the home with intent to kill. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Earlier this month, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy probable cause hearing. He is due back in court in June.
A Houston man who authorities said directed shipments of 20-30 kilos of heroin a week into the Richmond area and played a key role in an international, multi-state drug conspiracy tied to a Mexican drug trafficking cartel was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 4 1/2 years in prison.

Hector Ruiz, 30, was trusted by leaders of various drug trafficking organizations with procuring drugs, paying for drugs and transferring the proceeds for the sale of drugs throughout the United States and internationally, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Anthony wrote in a sentencing memorandum for the government.

Ruizs primary role locally was to provide the means by which heroin would be transported into the Richmond area and to move the proceeds and payment for those drugs into and outside of Virginia. That involved transporting money outside of the U.S. so that it could be filtered back to sources of supply in Mexico, federal prosecutors said.

Over the course of the 6-month conspiracy for which Ruiz was charged, he was responsible for assisting in the trafficking of about 26-27 kilograms of heroin locally. That translates to roughly 260,000 to 270,000 individual doses of heroin for users who typically consume 0.1 grams of the drug at a time.

The defendant played a very important role in sourcing Richmond drug dealers with the means to pump a large amount of drugs in the community that are, at best destructive, if not deadly, Anthony said

At the end of a sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Richmond  which was partially sealed to the public and press due to an undisclosed compelling interest that the court ruled could be harmed if disclosed  Judge Robert E. Payne sentenced Ruiz to 55 months in prison on his earlier guilty plea to conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

The punishment was well below the low end of discretionary federal sentencing guidelines, which for Ruiz was calculated at a range of 87-108 months.

The information presented and discussed during the closed portion of the proceeding  about 10 minutes  appears to have figured prominently in crafting the punishment. The defenses reasons for closing the proceeding were found to be so compelling that the reason itself was sealed.

Although rare, federal court proceedings can be sealed when a compelling interest exists and the court determines there is a substantial probability that the interest will be harmed if disclosed. Such interests could include information about an ongoing law enforcement investigation, the safety of cooperating defendants and the privacy of innocent third parties, among others.

When the defense moved to seal Ruizs initial sentencing hearing on Nov. 3, the Richmond Times-Dispatch objected and the judge continued the hearing to allow the Times-Dispatchs counsel to file a memorandum in opposition. The judge took the matter under advisement and on Dec. 12 ruled the hearing would be partially open and partially sealed.

Ruiz told investigators that he ran a drug operation out of Richmond beginning in December 2018, and the bulk quantities of heroin he controlled usually would arrive on tractor-trailers. Ruiz would then instruct an accomplice to meet with the traffickers to take possession of the drugs, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

The Mexican drug traffickers paid Ruiz $1,000 per kilogram of heroin that was shipped to Richmond, authorities said.

Ruiz, who rented a room in a South Richmond house, also served as the main accountant for the resulting drug trafficking proceeds and payments for the kilos of heroin. He admitted he put the drug payments on the same tractor-trailers that delivered the heroin, or he would use a different semi-truck that would pick up the money in Richmond after the heroin was delivered.

In addition, Ruiz would deliver and organize the pick-up of large sums of money that was to be wired to Mexico from U.S.-based accounts. He kept detailed records of the transactions and admitted that ledgers discovered by law enforcement in his bedroom were the same ledgers he would take to Mexico to show the heads of the drug trafficking organization.

In the event that ultimately led to Ruizs arrest, Homeland Security agents seized 23.8 kilos  more than 50 pounds  of heroin and almost 4 1/2 pounds each of fentanyl and methamphetamine hidden in five commercial tractor-trailer batteries in Brownsville, Texas, on June 5, 2019.

Three of the batteries were destined for Richmond and the rest for Chicago. The three batteries headed for Richmond contained almost 4 pounds of heroin, and federal agents, working with Virginia State Police, coordinated a controlled delivery of the heroin to the Travel America truck stop in Ashland on June 7, 2019. The location was prearranged.

Before the transfer of the heroin, Ruiz procured a white utility van to pick up the drugs and recruited a person to drive the vehicle and another to ride as a passenger to ensure the transaction went as planned, according to the governments statement of facts.

The federal agents delivered the batteries to the van occupied by Ruizs accomplices, which included Jose Martin Zavala-Higareda of Guerrero, Mexico  who gave the agents $16,500 concealed in a shopping bag for transportation expenses. The van then left but was kept under observation before being stopped by state police on Interstate 95 in Hanover County. Officers found the batteries with the drugs.

Following the heroin seizure, investigators executed a search warrant in the 600 block of West 19th Street in Richmond, where Ruiz and Zavala-Higareda rented two rooms from the homeowner from December 2018 to June 2019.

Investigators found $30,000 in stacks consistent with drug money proceeds in Zavala-Higaredas room; they discovered ledgers, assorted documents and transfer receipts in Ruizs room.

Prosecutors said the documents reflected the money transfers that Ruiz made to assist in the transfer of drugs to the Richmond area, and the payment for those drugs to people outside of Virginia and U.S.

Zavala-Higareda was sentenced in October 2020 to 7 years in prison for his role in trafficking heroin in the area.

Investigators discovered that Ruiz was not only transferring drug trafficking proceeds through his bank accounts and his business  HR Hair and Beauty Products  but was also wiring money directly to Mexico. He also laundered drug proceeds through a Latino party store in Richmond, prosecutors said.

Federal law requires a defendant convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving 1 kilogram of heroin or more to serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. But since Ruiz had no prior criminal history, along with other factors, the mandatory minimum does not apply in the case, despite the large volume of drugs he trafficked.

Ruizs attorney, Ali Amirshahi, asked the court for a lower sentencing of 60 months, arguing Ruiz did not directly profit from the sale of heroin.

He did not own the heroin that was being distributed, Amirshashi said in a court filing. He was an employee of a criminal enterprise.

On Wednesday, Amirshahi noted that Ruiz had no prior criminal history before the present case, has worked non-stop since age 16 and has removed himself from the drug cartel world.

Ruiz was born in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated from Mexico, and lived in Mexico from age 2-14. His mother sent him to live with her sisters husband in Gainesville, Georgia, in an effort to avoid drug cartel violence in Guerrero, Mexico. He secured his legal emancipation at 16 and has supported himself and his family since, Amirshahi said.

I would like to apologize for all the people I have hurt either directly or indirectly, Ruiz told the court through an interpreter. I made a mistake and I have paid for it now. I want to be able to go back into society.

How gas prices have changed in Richmond in the last week How gas prices have changed in Richmond in the last week
In the 2023 round of two long-running General Assembly turf wars, doctors and hospitals again succeeded in fending off what they see as competition.

A bill that would have sped regulators review when doctors want to set up a clinic for outpatient surgery, as well as when medical facilities want to add imaging equipment, a single operating room or psychiatric beds, died when sponsor, Del. Roxann Robinson, R-Chesterfield, could not persuade colleagues on a Health, Welfare and Institutions subcommittee to make a motion to either approve the measure or kill it.

And Robinsons effort to cut the time nurse practitioners need to practice under a doctors supervision failed on a tie vote.

Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Stafford, who chairs the full committee, said he found the nurse practitioner-doctor standoffs frustrating.

Both sides in this equation say theyre right, and I dont want to say either is wrong because theyve both dedicated their lives to public health, he said.

Nurse practitioners can provide some care that doctors traditionally had, including prescribing medications.

We dont want to replace our physician colleagues, said Alysia Pack, a Hampton Roads nurse practitioner, adding that the scope of doctors and nurse practitioners practices are different.

Dr. Harry Gewanter, of the Medical Society of Virginia, said nurse practitioners need to be supervised for several years before they can practice independently.

And Dr. Elizabeth Ransone told the committee that she and other physicians often practice under supervision for several more years than the current five years required for nurse practitioners in Virginia.

Health care is in need of providers, Robinson told the committee.

She had revised her original bill, which would have allowed nurse practitioners to practice independently once licensed, with the revision saying their period of supervision should be two years. Thats the standard in most other states, she said.

Her failed bill on regulatory review would have chipped away at the protections Virginias certificate of public need process provides hospitals.

Virginia is one of 35 states with a certificate of public need law. The idea is to have state officials review proposals for new medical facilities, including in many states, like Virginia, imaging and outpatient surgery clinics, to make sure operators arent cherry-picking profitable lines of business that offset losses hospitals say they see on some core services.

Critics say the laws create effective local monopolies and keep the cost of health care high.

Brent Rawlings, senior vice president of the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, said hospitals opposed the measure because it created an expedited review for only a select class of applicants.

Localities with the longest life expectancy in Virginia Counties with the longest life expectancy in Virginia #33. Surry County #33. Bedford County #31. Spotsylvania County #31. Hanover County #29. Rockbridge County #29. Harrisonburg #28. Frederick County #27. Highland County #25. Northumberland County #25. Botetourt County #23. Rockingham County #23. Greene County #18. Montgomery County #18. Charlottesville #18. Powhatan County #18. Stafford County #18. Fauquier County #17. Augusta County #16. Virginia Beach #15. Fluvanna County #14. Falls Church #13. Prince George County #12. Goochland County #11. Rappahannock County #9. Prince William County #9. York County #8. James City County #6. Williamsburg #6. Albemarle County #5. Alexandria #4. Loudoun County #3. Fairfax County #2. Arlington County #1. Manassas Park
RAMALLAH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians, including a militant, were shot dead on Thursday by Israeli soldiers during clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said.

Adham Jabarin, 27, was one of the militants of a military group called "Jenin's battalion." The other victim, Jawad Bawaqneh, was a teacher at one of the camp's schools, Palestinian eyewitnesses and security sources said.

According to the sources, an Israeli army force, backed by a bulldozer, stormed the refugee camp to remove booby-trapped barriers placed by militants at the entrances to the refugee camp.

The soldiers stormed several houses in the area and arrested several Palestinians wanted by Israeli security forces, said the sources, noting clashes broke out between the soldiers and the militants in the streets of the refugee camp.

Jenin's battalion announced in a statement that Jabarin was one of its militants and declared a day of grief.

Meanwhile, the Israeli media reported that the Israeli army killed two Palestinians during regular military activity in the area to arrest wanted Palestinians.

Since early January, tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been flaring. Around 17 Palestinians have been killed, and dozens were injured by Israeli soldiers since Jan. 1, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. 
When it came to saving pet owners a few bucks on dog or cat license taxes or having a way to track rabies vaccination, it was a no-brainer for the House of Delegates agriculture subcommittee.

It summarily killed a bill that would eliminate the fees and the current law that makes it a misdemeanor to not pay the tax.

Its just a nickel-and-dime tax that makes Virginians criminals, the bills sponsor, Del. Tim Anderson, R-Virginia Beach, told the subcommittee.

Its not right for people to pay a penalty for not paying a $7 tax, and Im not a fan of people losing their dogs because of this, he said, referring to the Virginia Beach tax.

Opponents said they feared eliminating the tax was a first step to eliminating the licensing requirement, which is local and state officials main way of tracking rabies vaccinations.

Have you ever been treated for rabies? Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell, asked Anderson.

No, I understand it is painful, said Anderson, adding that rabies can be tracked when people report bites.

The idea is to avoid that, by vaccinations, Fariss said.

The subcommittee also rejected a proposal by Del. Wendy Gooditis, D-Loudoun, to ban declawing cats except if needed for a therapeutic reason.

While some cat owners seek this to avoid the damage a cat can do to furniture or its owners skin, and hope it will keep their pet from menacing songbirds, Gooditis bill said declawing a cat would bring a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for the second violation, and $2,500 for any additional offenses.

The subcommittee also rejected a proposal from Del. Kaye Kory, D-Fairfax, that would have required the state veterinarian to certify that any supplier of dogs or cats to state colleges and universities for research or experiments had complied with all state animal welfare laws.

5 statistics about the COVID-19 pet adoption surge 5 statistics about the COVID-19 pet adoption surge 19% of Americans added a dog or cat to their homesand household budgets 90% of dogs and 85% of total pets are still in their home 87% of new pet owners say they wouldnt consider re-homing their pet The top concern among new pet owners is financial security 22% of new pet owners say theyd like to travel more but feel limited by their animal
A few weeks ago, Alexsis Rodgers was pushing a cart of sealed boxes filled with ballots into a small conference room at the Democratic Party of Virginia headquarters.

As the chair of Virginias 4th Congressional District Democratic Committee, she was at the helm of managing a Democratic firehouse primary following the Nov. 28 death of U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th.

Nearly 28,000 people voted, with state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, receiving about 85% of the tally to become the partys nominee and potentially the first Black woman in Virginia to ascend to Congress.

Now, Rodgers hopes to succeed McClellan in Virginias Senate.

Im a millennial. Im a queer brown woman in Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy  and theres an opening for someone like me because of people like [McClellan] who have opened doors in our communities, she said.

If McClellan were to win and resign her Senate seat before the end of the 46-day session in late February, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, would set the date for a special election to fill the current 9th District Senate seat. That seat includes all of Charles City County and parts of Richmond, Hanover and Henrico counties.

Then, later in the year, all 140 seats in the legislature will be up for election on newly drawn district maps  McClellans will become District 14.

Because Rodgers has an address in both the 9th District and the 14th District, a spokesperson for her said she will be eligible to run for both a potential special election and later in the year when Virginia holds elections on the new maps.

If elected, Rodgers said she aims to continue work on some of the issues that McClellan has championed in the state Senate.

For me, its about continuing in that spirit of service and fighting for the issues that also matter to me like access to abortion, making sure that our teachers are well taken care of and our students have the ability to thrive in their learning environment and making sure that our health care is protected, she said.

Rodgers is the latest in a growing list of Democratic candidates vying for the state Senate seat. Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, had announced for McEachins seat before dropping out of the congressional nomination fight and endorsing McClellan. Now, he is running for her possibly soon-to-be-vacated seat. Additionally, Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, said she plans to run for the seat, and Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday that he is strongly considering running as well.

Rodgers, who ran for mayor of Richmond in 2020 and lost to incumbent Levar Stoney, has not served as an elected official, but she has spent years assisting them. She worked as a policy director when former Gov. Ralph Northam was lieutenant governor, and she currently works as a director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Rodgers said she first became interested in public service and politics around the time of the 2008 recession. Her father was let go from his job at Circuit City, a now-defunct electronics store, and she began to take notice of how other working families were struggling and the role that the government could play in assisting people.

When he lost his job  a lot of things shifted as far as, like, how we pay the bills and what priorities we had and I was about to go to college, Rodgers explained. It rocked my world in a way that allowed me to really think about how the recession and decisions around economic policies really impacted working families.

With Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats controlling the Senate, Rodgers said she hopes her candidacy is about more than holding the line for Democrats in the Senate. She said she hopes to infuse more progressiveness into her party if elected.

Noting how Democrats did not accomplish all they set out to when they held majorities in both chambers, Rodgers said she plans to push her colleagues in the Senate to be bold. She believes Democrats can take back the House in 2023.

Whats at the top of my list is just making sure that you know, were not just holding the line for democratic progress, she said. But were continuing to advance what we know working families need.

Top five weekend events: Lunar New Year, Jim Gaffigan & Poe Birthday Bash Lunar New Year at Children's Museum of Richmond Jim Gaffigan Poe Birthday Bash Israeli and Jewish Film Festival Moon Market at Stone Brewing
Like getting a second opinion from a doctor, Attorney General Jason Miyares has hoped Virginias legislature would allow his office to step in to prosecute certain local crimes.

Since his 2021 campaign, Miyares has sought to expand the jurisdiction of the office to prosecute alleged sexual crimes against minors. A bill to achieve this, sponsored by Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, failed to progress in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

A similar bill also failed in the 2022 legislative session.

Under state law, most violent offenses arent the purview of the attorney generals office and are handled by commonwealths attorneys  local prosecutors. Its the role of the attorney generals office to advise the state government as well as handle appeals and prosecutions of other criminal offenses.

The purpose of the bill was to provide victims with additional resources to ensure that victims of these crimes are able to get justice, Miyares said when he renewed his push for the legislation last fall.

Miyares had also taken jabs at Democratic Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano  alleging he had mishandled cases.

Descano has called Miyares push for more jurisdiction wrong-headed and noted how the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys opposed the previous attempt to pass similar legislation.

Pulaski County Commonwealth Attorney Justin Griffith said the legislation provides a fallback option for the victim.

He spoke in favor of the bill during public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

If I meet with a victim and their family and I say, Ive reviewed the evidence, I dont believe theres enough evidence for charge, and then the Attorney Generals Office comes behind me or with me and says, with all due respect for Mr. Griffith, we disagree. We do believe theres evidence, we do believe we can attain that conviction, Im going to be their biggest fan, he said.

Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, asked Griffith and others who testified in support of the bill a series of questions. He asked how much support there was from other commonwealths attorneys around the state, and if the local prosecutors would be able to refuse the attorney generals office from stepping in if it wanted to.

If the [attorney general] steps in and takes over a prosecution, do they have any option against that process, against the attorney general? Morrissey asked.

I hope the option would be to support what the [attorney general] is doing, Griffith replied.

After some back and forth, Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, suggested the committee stop the bill from progressing since similar past attempts have failed. Then-Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, had also sought to expand his offices jurisdiction.

Every single time the Attorney Generals Office has asked for additional authority to prosecute, we have rejected that, he said. I think we need to maintain that policy.

The committee voted 8-7 to pass the bill by indefinitely, one of a number of phrases in the legislature for defeating a bill. Democrats, who have the majority on the panel, voted yes, while Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, joined the Republicans in voting no.
A Roanoke juvenile court judge granted a request by state Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, on Tuesday to approve a preliminary protective order against his estranged wife, Myrna, based on alleged physical abuse by her live-in boyfriend against the Morrisseys young son.

Judge Frank W. Rogers III, who sits in Roanoke Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court, also denied a request by Myrna Morrissey for a protective order against her estranged husband.

In the preliminary protective order granted to Morrissey, the judge specified that Myrna Morrissey not have contact of any kind with her husband or other members of the family and household. The order also gave Morrissey repossession of the Chesterfield County house he had given his wife to live in after their marital separation in late 2019.

The order, as well as his decision to deny a protective order to Myrna Morrissey, is subject to a full hearing before Rogers scheduled on Jan. 27 at Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court in Chesterfield.

Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, who has known Morrissey for more than 30 years and represented him on other legal matters, also verified that the judge approved a preliminary protective order against the boyfriend of Myrna Morrissey.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Morrissey said, I do not intend to comment about the case.

Due to the sensitive nature of this matter, I will only say that given the courts emergency actions and emergency protective orders issued, my children are now safely with me at my home, he added. So I will let the criminal justice system run its course.

Mary White, a Fredericksburg lawyer representing Myrna Morrissey, said, There has been no hearing before a judge yet.

We intend to go in and find out exactly whats going on, White said. I told her, Let the system work. Eventually, the truth will come forward.

However, she added, I was surprised that an expedited order was made so very quickly by a judge out of another jurisdiction.

Protective orders obtained

Morrissey had obtained emergency protective orders from a Chesterfield magistrate Saturday against his wife and her boyfriend, who allegedly whipped the senators son with a belt on his buttocks as a punishment, according to a statement the senator issued late Friday night that detailed the alleged abuse. The son turned 5 years old on Wednesday.

The Roanoke judge reviewed the petitions for protective orders after all six of Chesterfield Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court judges recused themselves from the case because of Morrisseys prominent role as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which helps to elect state judges.

Jennifer Nicely, clerk of the Chesterfield court, said the Virginia Supreme Court had chosen the Roanoke judge to preside over the case. The judge sent three orders to the Chesterfield clerk late Tuesday afternoon and the Richmond Times-Dispatch obtained them Wednesday.

The family drama become public Friday night after Myrna Morrissey posted a long statement on her Instagram social media account that alleged sexual infidelities by her husband since their marriage began in 2016. She posted her allegations in response to Morrisseys decision to notify police about the alleged beating of their son.

Morrissey then issued a statement that detailed how he discovered welts on his sons buttocks from the alleged beating after swimming with his three children Thursday night at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. He said the other children said their mothers boyfriend had beaten the son with a belt multiple times for being disrespectful. In an affidavit with the request for a protective order, Morrissey said the boyfriend whipped his son six times with a belt  including four times after soaking the belt in water  for refusing to apologize for being disrespectful to his mother.

The senators office said he notified Richmond police, who contacted Chesterfield police late Friday to investigate the allegations and photograph the physical evidence. Chesterfield police confirmed Saturday they were investigating the incident through the departments Special Investigations Unit. The department released no further details and said, The investigation is in its preliminary stages and the safety of the child is paramount at this time.

In an interview Saturday, Myrna Morrissey said her husbands allegations were completely false.

In an affidavit with her request for a preliminary protective order, she said Morrissey had a history of being physically and verbally abusive.

Relationship became public issue

Myrna Warren Pride was 17 years old and working as an assistant in Morrisseys Henrico County law firm when they began a sexual relationship that led him to accept an Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2015. Now 26, she said she has been separated from her husband since 2019  the same year he was elected to the Virginia Senate.

In January 2022, just before he left office, then-Gov. Ralph Northam pardoned Morrissey for a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor related to his relationship with his future wife. Morrissey had entered an Alford plea to the misdemeanor count and was sentenced to 12 months in jail with six months suspended. He was allowed to work as a state delegate from Henrico through a work release program, spending nights in jail in 2015.

Their relationship was a public issue in a heated race for Richmond mayor in 2016, in which Morrissey finished third. He defeated Sen. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, in a Democratic primary in 2019 and was elected to the Senate that fall. Last month, he lost a congressional bid for the 4th District in a Democratic firehouse primary that Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, won resoundingly.

Morrissey, a former Richmond prosecutor and local defense attorney, has been disbarred but now wields significant power as a member of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, often scrutinizing judges, and expresses more independent views than other Senate Democrats.

His license was previously revoked in 2003, and he won reinstatement in 2012 in a 4-3 decision by the Virginia Supreme Court. A three-judge panel revoked his law license again in mid-2018, and the Supreme Court denied his appeal a year later.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is further amplifying his criticisms of school leaders in Northern Virginia who delayed notifying students about their earning of runner-up awards by requesting legislation that would prevent a similar situation in the future.

Youngkin announced Wednesday that he has asked Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, and Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, to introduce legislation on the governors behalf that aims to require Virginia schools to inform students and their parents about National Merit Scholarships and other awards in a timely manner.

The proposed legislation would prohibit any school board or public school employees from withholding recognition, awards, or postsecondary scholarship eligibility earned by a student. It would require any awards be sent to students and their guardians as soon as possible after the school system receives the notification.

Earlier this month, Youngkin called for Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate school administration at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County because school leadership failed to notify students of the National Merit Commendations in a timely manner. Miyares later announced that he was broadening the probe in order to look into processes at other Fairfax schools.

The Commended Student awards from the National Merit Scholarship Program are determined by student PSAT scores, and fall into the category under semi-finalists.

Liana Amburn, who graduated from Thomas Jefferson in 2019 and has a sister who graduated in 2021, said the controversy seems disingenuous.

Being in the top 3% of students nationwide is a huge accomplishment and I dont want to diminish that, but that being said, at TJ the goal for almost every student is to strive to be a semifinalist, Amburn said.

Youngkin said school leadership deliberately withheld information from students about their academic awards so that students who did not receive them wouldnt get their feelings hurt.

We now know that at least 16 schools across three different school divisions in Northern Virginia withheld notification of accolades from high-performing students in the name of equity. Parents are rightfully upset and they should be, Youngkin said in a statement.

It was later discovered that additional Fairfax schools had similarly delayed notifying students of awards they earned.

The award can boost student college applications, but school leadership didnt notify students of the awards until after many early application deadlines had passed. A spokesperson for National Merit Scholarship Corporation said students can find out about their status in the program on their own in multiple ways and do not need to be notified by schools.

Close In April 1942, about 26,000 Richmond men ages 45 to 64 participated in the countrys fourth Selective Service registration. These men were registering at Ginter Park School. Men in this age range were not subject to military service at that time, but they were being asked about special skills to determine how they could best aid the war effort. 05-14-1946 (cutline): Waiting for the last man--Captain John E. Brior, commanding officer of the Richmond Induction Center, sits in the front row of the seats so mny inductees have waited on, waiting for the last man to be inducted under the Selective Service Act, which will die at midnight unless Congress acts rapidly today. 08-19-1948 (cutline): Colonel Neal on Rostrum outline procedure to draft officials. 07-29-1953 (cutline): The mental test requires concentration. 07-28-1953 (cutline): Service Trip for J.W. Miller, Jr., begins at 900 North Lombardy. 01-05-1955 (cutline): Draft headquarters plans to dispose of all records in these files. Captain Thomas White and Mrs. S. Orville Masten make a preliminary check. 08-12-1953 (cutline): Draft Board clerk Dorothy B. Farrar registers Raymond C. Murphy (seated) Norman Boughman (right) and John Adams, who face a draft call, watch. From the Archives: The draft in Richmond The U.S. government has enacted the draft four times: The Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Cold War. Here is a look back at draftees and draft offices in Richmond. In April 1942, about 26,000 Richmond men ages 45 to 64 participated in the countrys fourth Selective Service registration. These men were registering at Ginter Park School. Men in this age range were not subject to military service at that time, but they were being asked about special skills to determine how they could best aid the war effort. 05-14-1946 (cutline): Waiting for the last man--Captain John E. Brior, commanding officer of the Richmond Induction Center, sits in the front row of the seats so mny inductees have waited on, waiting for the last man to be inducted under the Selective Service Act, which will die at midnight unless Congress acts rapidly today. 08-19-1948 (cutline): Colonel Neal on Rostrum outline procedure to draft officials. 07-29-1953 (cutline): The mental test requires concentration. 07-28-1953 (cutline): Service Trip for J.W. Miller, Jr., begins at 900 North Lombardy. 01-05-1955 (cutline): Draft headquarters plans to dispose of all records in these files. Captain Thomas White and Mrs. S. Orville Masten make a preliminary check. 08-12-1953 (cutline): Draft Board clerk Dorothy B. Farrar registers Raymond C. Murphy (seated) Norman Boughman (right) and John Adams, who face a draft call, watch.
Update at 10:44 a.m.: A spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company said Thursday that the company had not made a site selection decision on its plans for an electric vehicle battery plant in partnership with a Chinese company.

The statement from the company came in response to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report Thursday citing two sources saying the company had notified Virginia officials that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County for the plant. They sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Our earlier this story ...

Ford Motor Co. notified Virginia that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill for an electric battery plant prior to Gov. Glenn Youngkin scuttling the plan, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ford was also working on the site.

Youngkin said those facts are fundamentally wrong, but repeatedly refused to answer whether anyone had told him Ford had decided on Virginia.

The location is in Pittsylvania County, near Danville, and is one of the poorest areas of Virginia. The $3.5 billion plant would have created an estimated 2,500 jobs in Southside Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee reported Monday.

Youngkin has said that he pulled Virginia from consideration for the project over his concerns about Chinese government influence and the possibility of federal tax incentives benefitting a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Democrats slammed Youngkin for killing the plan over what they said were right-wing talking points for a possible 2024 presidential run, which Youngkin is considering.

The new details confirmed by the two people with knowledge of the situation contrast with statements from Youngkins office.

Youngkins press secretary said by email Monday, A location has not been selected yet and Virginia was removed from consideration, it was never in the final discussion stage.

A Youngkin spokesman said in a text message Monday: Virginia did not win the project. ... We removed ourselves from consideration in an ongoing process.

Youngkin, in a phone interview Tuesday, told the Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee that what youre writing is wrong. ... The fact set that you are navigating around is fundamentally wrong and I just wanted to be able to explain to you why.

But when repeatedly pressed on whether he had been told that Ford had chosen Virginia and wanted to move forward with an incentive package, Youngkin would not answer.

I just cant answer that question, he said, twice. The fact is, of course, that Ford investigated this site and how their interest stacked up against any other site was clearly yet to be determined because we had not even submitted an incentive package.

Youngkin: Other companies are interested in Berry Hill site

The workers would have built lithium iron phosphate batteries for Fords electric vehicles. But Youngkin cited Fords partnership with the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), saying after his State of the Commonwealth address last Wednesday that he feared the plant would be a front for Chinese influence.

Ford, based in suburban Detroit, would own the plant while CATL would operate the factory and own the technology, Bloomberg reported.

At that point, Ford representatives had been at the Berry Hill site repeatedly as they worked on a deal. About five days after Bloombergs report, the conservative news website The Daily Caller reported that Youngkin was removing Virginia from consideration over his concerns about China.

Without naming names, Youngkin said in the interview that there are other companies interested in the Berry Hill site, near the North Carolina border. More than $200 million has been spent over 15 years to make Berry Hill a premier site, but it has no tenants.

Albemarle Corp., a spinoff of Richmond-based Ethyl Corp., said Wednesday that it is still considering a site in Virginia for a project to process lithium for electric vehicle batteries and eventually recycle the material from spent batteries.

Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political observer and former dean at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the Ford Motor Co. situation is counter to Youngkins brand of bringing jobs to Virginia.

Virginia governors work closely with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, he said. Thats the state authority that helps localities land economic deals and oversees trade development and promotes business expansion in the state.

This project had been in the works for quite some time, Holsworth said. At a minimum, its been in the works for months that hes been familiar with.

And then something changed in that five-day window in December between the Bloomberg report and the Daily Caller report, Holsworth said.

Thats why people are speculating that it had more to do with presidential ambitions.

Senate panel rejects bills to de-link Virginias emissions standards from California's The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources voted to stop the five bills on party-line votes of 8-7.

All kinds of Virginia connections with China

Youngkin is among Republicans considering a presidential run in 2024 and, like others, he has expressed concerns about Chinese Communist Party influence in the United States.

That creates a dilemma for Youngkin, Holsworth said.

Essentially what theyre saying is that the Ford Motor Co. was duped by the Chinese.

This looked to be an excellent fit with an iconic American company.

Aside from that, Theres all kinds of Virginia connections with China, Holsworth said.

Asked for comment on Youngkins action, Ford spokesman Hannah Ooms said by email: As we shared in July, Ford plans to localize and use approximately 40 GWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery capacity in North America starting in 2026. We also announced a separate (memorandum of understanding) with CATL to explore a cooperation for supplying batteries for Ford vehicles in markets across North America, Europe and China. Our talks with CATL continue  and we have nothing new to announce on either front.

A spokeswoman for Albemarle, the Charlotte-based company considering a site in Virginia, said she could not disclose a possible location.

The company hopes to reopen a lithium mine west of Charlotte, North Carolina, as early as 2027 to take advantage of the fast-growing U.S. market for electric vehicle batteries that use the metal, company spokeswoman Kim Ronkin Casey said.

Albemarle publicly disclosed the project in June, and said it was talking to automakers about supplying them with lithium for electric vehicle batteries. The company already supplies Tesla and other automakers.

We are hoping in the next several months we will have a final site, Casey said.
Legislation to broaden Virginias definition of obscenity, proposed as a response to parents concerns about books their children read in school, died in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

The committee also killed a bill to make getting hold of a companys trade secrets without authorization a felony that could send a defendant to prison for at least a year.

The obscenity bill would have replaced the current definition in Virginia that says material with a dominant theme or purpose to appeal to a prurient interest in sex, with a new standard that would say material or performances are obscene if they affront community standards of decency.

You realize this has 1st amendment implications? state Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, asked the sponsor, state Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania.

I understand the 1st amendment, but we have a lot of pissed off parents, Reeves replied.

State Sen. Jennifer McLellan, D-Richmond, said Gov. Glenn Youngkin has already signed a measure that gives parents the power to review and reject books or other material a school makes available to students.

What this bill defines as obscene opens up a whole can of worms, she said. Parts of the Old Testament could be declared obscene under this bill.

The committee voted to kill the bill on a party-line 9-5 vote.

State Sen. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, said corporate espionage is a growing problem, especially by foreign agents trying to secure business secrets from defense contractors in Hampton Roads.

I work in corporate America; I understand the impact corporate espionage can have, but this is not something we ought to make a class 6 felony, McLellan said.

If someone steals the keys to the kingdom, they ought to go to prison, state Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, replied.

State Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, who had handled civil lawsuits seeking damages for stealing trade secrets, said he was concerned the bill would dilute the stiff penalties Virginias current trade secrets act imposes, with offenders subject to triple damages.

This bill, too, died on a 9-5 party-line vote. A version has been filed in the House of Delegates, but its Courts of Justice Committee has not yet taken up the measure.

The committee also rejected a proposal that would have allowed members of the clergy to testify about confessions they heard while counseling individuals.

Virginias current law says members of the clergy cant be required to testify, giving them the same privilege granted lawyers under the attorney-client privilege.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, would have allowed them to be ordered to testify if the person confessing to them agreed that they could and if the clergy members faith did not prohibit disclosure of confessions, as the Catholic Church does.

After an, at times, heated back-and-forth, the committee also killed another bill that would have overturned a recent law that allows a defendant to introduce evidence of a mental illness during a trial.

PHOTOS: General Assembly, Wednesday January 18
Any money recovered in the Garcia Luna case should be returned to Mexico says AMLO

Mexico City, Mexico  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says the United States should return reclaimed money in the Garcia Luna case to Mexico. Lopez Obrador says that Mexico will insist, before US authorities, that any resources recovered from Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Federal Secretary of Public Security, be returned to the country.

Garcia Luna is facing facing a trial for drug trafficking in the United States. US prosecutors accuse Garcia Luna of accepting a million-dollar bribe to facilitate the entry of 53 tons of cocaine into the United States, which the El Chapo-Guzman cartel introduced between 2001 and 2012.

The US government says that the former Mexican official has been part of the ranks of the Sinaloa Cartel since January 2001.

AMLO says that money recovered in the case should be returned. Even if they are trials that are carried out in the United States, they have to return the money to us, whatever the amount, he said Wednesday at his morning press conference, adding this is something the government of Mexico has raised in all cases in which Mexicans are tried in the US.

During the upcoming Garcia Luna trial, some former members of the Sinaloa Cartel are expected to testify. The trial is being referred to as the sequel to the so-called Trial of the Century against Joaquin El Chapo Guzman due to the alleged links of the former director of the Federal Investigation Agency (between 2001 and 2005) with the Sinaloa Cartel.

In total, Garcia Luna faces five charges. Three for drug trafficking conspiracy, one for continued membership in a criminal organization, and another for issuing false statements to US authorities when he applied for US citizenship in 2018.
Bacalar Lagoon records three boat incidences in less than three weeks

Bacalar, Q.R.  Another vessel has sunk on the Bacalar Lagoon for being over capacity. It is the third incident on the lagoon involving a boat already this year.

Earlier this week, a pontoon ended up sinking after being overloaded with passengers. The incident was videoed by people from another boat who watched the pontoon sink. While others watch, only one jet ski comes to its aid.

In less than three weeks, it was the third boat incident on the Laguna de los Siete Colores. Carlos Briceno Villagomez, the General Director of Public Safety and Traffic of Bacalar, said this latest incident is not isolated.

Three tourist service vessels have taken on water already this year on the Lagoon, he said. The first was on January 1 with a sailboat that ended up capsized in the lagoon due to its mishandling. The second occurred on January 3 when a boat began to sink due to the excess weight which was the result of too many passengers.

That boat was towed to shore. Fortunately, no one was injured. The third incident happened on January 17 when another vessel took on water due to being over capacity.

Briceno Villagomez said that these incidents involving boats take place in Federal Zone territory, whose security is in the hands of the states Port Captaincy. However, in the case of this latest sinking, the aquatic unit of the Bacalar Police provided assistance to tourists who were on the boat.

He said that while most of the boat incidents involve mechanical failure due to a lack of maintenance, that is not always the case.

These pontoons have floats, but there was an oversight by the service providers who do not care about the maintenance of the units. They do not correspond to public safety because they operate in the federal zone, he said, adding that he does not know what measures the Port Captaincy is going to take against these service providers, but acknowledges that they are the only body able to impose sanctions.
Hotels are not police says former Association head regarding new anti-smoking laws

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  While hotels are obligated to comply with the new anti-smoking laws, we are not police officers, says the former head of the Hotel Association.

Roberto Cintron Gomez, the former President of the Cancun Hotel Association, says hotels will comply with the new laws as much as possible, but points out that they are not police.

He also says that it is difficult for them to have control over the situation of guests smoking outside their facilities and questions the adequacy of the laws since non-compliance results in a fine to the hotel, not the person breaking the law by smoking.

It is very important to point out that we are not police officers, we are going to monitor that the law is complied with in our facilities, but we cannot stand behind people who come to have a good time and put out their cigarette on the beach, that will be up to the authorities, he said.

Hotels already have their own anti-smoking rules in place, he added, saying that they will add additional signage where and when possible, informing guests of the new, more strict laws.

Smokers who ignore the signs should be dealt with by authorities, he stressed.

They have to hold whoever they find smoking responsible, not the companies. The companies will do everything possible to maintain signage, even going as far as to tell people that smoking is prohibited here, he said after the new anti-smoking laws, which are being called the most strict in Latin America, went into effect January 15, 2023.
Greece is ready to welcome back Chinese tourists after China optimized its COVID-19 response.

From Athens International Airport (AIA) to the country's hotels and restaurants, China's recent optimization of its COVID-19 response has boosted hope that it will help strengthen a vital pillar of the Greek economy.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
No reasons provided by City Council on the construction delay of new Cozumel post office

Cozumel, Q.R.  Work on the new Cozumel Post Office remains at a standstill after the old building was demolished in November. However, staff from the Municipalitys Public Works Directorate have no information regarding the delay.

The construction of the new Cozumel Post Office has been at a standstill for nearly two months. The new building, which was set for completion for February of 2023, has not been started.

Carlos Daniel Pomol Gomez, the Municipal Public Works Directorate, says he does not have information on the reasons for the delay since the City Council is only responsible for matters relating to construction permits.

The building, which was demolished in early November, was supposed to be finished in February of this year. At the time, Rocio Barcena Molina, who heads Correos de Mexico, announced the 2023 completion date.

The construction announcement for a new building was made with both Molina and Cozumel mayor, Juanita Alonso Marrufo, who is currently in Madrid attending the Tourism Fair.

The old post office building, which was demolished November 8, was built in 1972.
Two extradited to face charges in New York courts

Mexico City, Mexico  Two men have been extradited to the United States to face charges in two separate New York incidences.

The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) reported the extradition of Leonardo J, a Mexican national, for criminal association, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, interstate prostitution, trafficking of undocumented immigrants and distribution of profits from a prostitution business.

Leonardo J has been wanted in New York since at least 2018. According to the FGR, between 1997 and 2018, Leonardo J lured young Mexican women, leading them to believe he was interested in a romantic relationship with them.

Instead, he smuggled them into the United States and subsequently threatened and physically assaulted them to force them into prostitution. The financial profits that he generated were sent to partners in Mexico.

Alejandro L, a dual Mexican-American citizen, was also extradited this week. He was handed over to US authorities and transferred to New York where he was wanted on drug and criminal association charges.

According to the FGR, Alejandro L is a member of a criminal organization, who, during 2017, was responsible for distributing large quantities of drugs from California to the East Coast of the United States, as well as transferring drug sale profits to Mexico.

Both men were handed over to US authorities at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM).
Police located an autistic teen who disappeared from his Roanoke County home early Wednesday morning in Tennessee late that night.

Elijah Campbell, 17, was found safe in Bristol, Tennessee, county police said in an update at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

No other details were provided.

Campbell went missing from his residence off of Rutrough Road in the Mount Pleasant area at about 2 a.m., the police said in a press release.

Campbell was spotted again around 11 a.m. in the area of Williamson Road and Orange Avenue, police said in a Facebook post, wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt and black shorts. He also had a cast on his leg.

In the early afternoon, he was observed in a U-Haul truck at a Walmart store in Pulaski County, police said in a 4:30 p.m. update. The truck has an Arizona license plate with tag number AL66786.

He was then seen leaving Walmart in the same vehicle traveling in the direction of Giles County, the update on Facebook read.

The police department has asked law enforcement personnel in all Virginia localities and surrounding states to be on the lookout for the U-Haul.

Campbell is a Black male who is about 5 feet and 4 inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds, police said. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Campbell is part of the Roanoke County Police Departments Project Lifesaver program, which equips people at risk of wondering off with a radio transmitter that allows authorities to track their location.

County police said Campbell has wandered off before, but officers were unable to locate him through the tracking device Wednesday, the departments press release said.
A new Roanoke College studies curriculum is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the growing population of people with disabilities.

Understanding the wide-ranging nature of disabilities will enable future professionals in health care, education, research and elsewhere to provide better services, according to Andrea Burchfield, assistant professor of psychology, in an announcement about the curriculum.

The rates at which people are being diagnosed with a disability increases every year; especially autism and dementia, Burchfield said in the announcement. As numbers rise, students entering many career fields are more likely to encounter clients, patients and employees who live with a disability.

The five-course disability studies concentration is designed to blend interdisciplinary coursework from departments across campus with experiential learning, the announcement said.

Interdisciplinary is the most rational approach to disability studies, said Frances McCutcheon, a biology lecturer and co-coordinator of the concentration, in the announcement. A disability can impact multiple aspects of a persons life and consequently multiple aspects of society, including employment, income, health behaviors and legal needs.

In the announcement, Teresa Milbrodt, an assistant professor and co-coordinator of the concentration, added that the curriculum focuses on a wide range of concerns held by people with disabilities.

Our goal is to introduce students to the variety of differences in human form, abilities, and expressions of personhood, Milbrodt said. They can integrate that perspective into their life and work.

The disability studies concentration, approved by Roanoke College in fall 2022, reflects the colleges commitment to ensuring that its programs serve emerging workforce demands and student needs, the announcement said.

Other additions at Roanoke College in recent years include the establishment of an engineering science major, a comprehensive department for education majors, and an health studies partnership with Carilion Clinic, the announcement said.

The new concentration meets a growing demand from students who want to be better prepared to be advocates for people with disabilities, both in their future careers and in their personal lives, the announcement said.
BLACKSBURG  Virginia Tech will revisit and refresh its plans and goals to better fit a post-pandemic context, said President Tim Sands during his 2023 State of the University address on Wednesday.

The world around us has changed over the last three years, Sands said. We are taking this opportunity at the dawn of our next 150 years to update key performance indicators and reset milestones.

Virginia Techs two primary aspirations are to become a top 100 global research university, and to make college education more accessible and affordable for students, especially for people from underrepresented backgrounds.

We saw the impact of financial fragility during the pandemic, Sands said. A small unexpected expense is enough to make a student interrupt their education or leave the university entirely.

Land grant universities should be a positive force for upward economic and social mobility, not just an engine for propagating wealth and opportunity from generation to generation, he said.

While we have been successful in increasing access, with over 40% of our entering undergraduate class identifying as first-generation, low-income, veteran, or underrepresented minority, we know that many students among these populations do not have the full experience of being a Hokie, Sands said. And its not just about financial aid. Our students need support in the form of advising, mentoring and engagement.

But also, more financial aid is needed for students  between $25 million to $45 million annually, he said.

Virginia Tech achieved an enrollment goal of 30,000 students in 2019, and has since held its population steady at that number, to assess and develop capacity for further growth on campus, Sands said.

Applications for undergraduate admissions increased 65% over the last five years, and this week we surpassed last years record for the fall of 2023, Sands said. The demand for the Virginia Tech experience is robust and momentum continues to build.

That increase in applicants, paired with holding the student body at 30,000 enrolled, has led to side effects.

As we assess the need for growth to best serve the commonwealth, were upgrading and expanding our campus infrastructure to support our teaching and research mission, Sands said. Projects currently underway or planned for the near future do not fully address the need for additional residential space on campus.

A historical Virginia Tech acceptance rate of 70% has dropped to 57%, and is likely to drop more unless the school can support more students, Sands said. Becoming increasingly selective runs counter to the access issue that is a top university priority.

I would rather fulfill our role as a land-grant institution by growing to accommodate all prepared Virginia students who really want to attend Virginia Tech, Sands said. If we dont, many of them will leave the commonwealth and well lose their talent and future contributions to other states.

As for becoming a top 100 research university, that goal is meant as an indicator of excellence and competitiveness with other colleges, he said. Increasing emphasis on research is also part of serving the state of Virginia, providing solutions to tough problems.

Extramural research expenditures were impacted by the pandemic, but are rebounding nicely here, up 13% during the first half of 2022, and up a total of 24 percent since 2017, Sands said. Today, in 2023, we are fulfilling our commitment to the commonwealth, and we are on the path to becoming a top 100 global research university.

One significant growth in research at Virginia Tech has occurred through universitywide investment in biomedical research, including at institutes that are a part of Virginia Tech Carilion in Roanoke, he said.

Were also working with our partner Carilion Clinic to address the coming shortage of physicians in Virginia, Sands said. This year, with support from the commonwealth, we hope to begin planning for the expansion of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Other topics covered by Sands during his address included freedom of speech, expansion efforts outside of Blacksburg, brief interviews with various campus figures, and the schools 150th anniversary celebration in 2022.

A campus crowd filled the lower level of Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre in Moss Arts Center to hear Sands speech.

He brought others on stage during the address, both in-person and digitally via a 25-foot projector screen behind him on the dark-lit stage.

Sands appeared after an introduction from student leaders, and behind a drumline performance by the Virginia Tech Highty-Tighties cadet marching band.

2023 will bring exiting opportunities, new challenges, and important work for all of us, Sands said. I have great confidence in our success, and our future, because of you and the entire Hokie Nation.
Correction Jan. 19, 2023, 10 a.m.: The originally published version of this article incorrectly stated the time interval between Shawn Smith's fatal shooting and the filing of a wrongful death suit by his widow. The article has been updated.

In seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit that claims a Roanoke County police officer shot and killed an unarmed man, lawyers are asking a judge not to second guess the split-second judgments made in a chaotic situation.

Matthew Jennings was justified in using deadly force against a man he believed was armed and dangerous during a Nov. 26, 2021, standoff at a home in the North Lakes subdivision, according to court papers filed this week in Roanokes federal court.

Less than a year after Shawn Smith died at the scene from two gunshot wounds to his neck, his widow, Lisa Smith, filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against the officer and the Roanoke County Police Department.

The lawsuit claims that the 52-year-old was unarmed and in the midst of an mental breakdown when he walked out of his house and onto a screened porch, where he spoke with police who had responded to a 911 call about a suicidal man holding a handgun to his head.

Jennings, who had taken cover near a neighbors utility shed about 50 feet away, opened fire with a high-powered rifle after Smith pointed a strobe flashlight at him and took several steps in his direction.

Instead of de-escalating the situation, the RCPD officers at the Smith home did everything possible to escalate it and exacerbated the mental health crisis that Shawn Smith was already suffering, the lawsuit alleges.

But in asking a judge to dismiss the case, attorney Jennifer Royer wrote that Jennings reasonably feared that Smith was a threat to him and others.

A judges decision should be based on the circumstances at the instant force was used, and with the recognition that officers on the beat are not often afforded the luxury of armchair reflection, Royer wrote, quoting from an appellate court decision.

Although Jennings was blinded by the flashing strobe light, he believed that Smith had a gun, based on earlier reports to police and the way he was holding his hands at chest level, the response to the lawsuit states.

If Smith had a gun  as his tactical posturing suggested  and pulled the trigger, Jennings would be dead had he not fired when he did, Royer wrote.

After additional court filings, attorneys will make oral arguments at a hearing later this year. That will likely be followed by a written decision from the judge.

Last year, an investigation by Roanoke County Commonwealths Attorney Brian Holohan found no wrongdoing by Jennings.

At the time of the shooting, and six months later when Holohans finding was announced, authorities did not name Jennings in their public comments about the case. They also declined to identify him to Lisa Smiths attorney, Terry Grimes, when told that a lawsuit was possible.

Grimes sought the name through a Freedom of Information Act request. Police denied the request. Grimes then appealed to circuit court, where the county argued that the officer was a crime victim and should not be identified.

After a judge ordered the county to release the information, Grimes filed an amended lawsuit that substituted the pseudonym John Doe with Jennings name.

The identities of seven other officers who are defendants for their roles in the case remain unknown; they are identified as John Does 1-7. Also named in the lawsuit are Roanoke County, the police department and its now-retired chief, Howard Hall.

Smiths lawsuit alleges that police conducted a sham investigation of the incident, allowing Jennings to read from a typed statement during his questioning and not keeping the document afterward.

The countys lawyers counter that an exhaustive investigation was followed by Holohans independent determination that Jennings was justified. A separate, internal probe found no policy infractions by the officer, who remains employed by the Roanoke County Police Department.

A response to the lawsuit does not address claims that Jennings was the subject of nine use-of-force reports, five of which involved him pointing his service pistol or a rifle at a person.

In a search of Smiths house following the shooting, police did not find the handgun they believed he was holding during the standoff. But a large Bowie knife was found near his body on the screened porch, which indicates that Smith did, in fact, possess a weapon during his encounter with Officer Jennings, the response to the lawsuit states.

Grimes disputes that assertion.

The filing also emphasizes that Jennings asked Smith more than a dozen times to step outside of the porch and speak with police. When Smith went back into his house and later emerged with a flashlight that he pointed at Jennings, a police recording capturing the following exchange:

Jennings: Is that a flashlight or a gun?

Smith: I dont know. You tell me. Am I pointing it at you?

Jennings: I dont know.

Smith: Then shoot me. You got probable cause?

Jennings: Yeah, you need to drop that.

A few seconds later, Smith was dead.
A long-running legal dispute over a corporate ventures authority to seize private property for a natural gas pipeline has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where landowners see signs of hope.

The Supreme Court has so far declined to dismiss an appeal by three couples whose land was taken by eminent domain for construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which passes through the New River and Roanoke valleys.

Inaction by the high court comes at a time when it has denied appeals in other cases considered at the same time  and suggests the justices have decided to put the case on hold until separate but similar cases can be decided, according to an attorney for the landowners.

The case has overcome a major hurdle, said Mia Yugo, a Roanoke attorney who represents property owners who are contesting the court-approved taking of their land for the pipeline.

Each year, the Supreme Court gets more than 8,000 requests to hear an appeal, but declines to do so in about 99% of them.

So, the odds are typically stacked against you, Yugo said. But landowners may yet defy the odds.

On Jan. 6, the court held a conference to consider the Mountain Valley case along with about 350 others. One-line orders denying most of the appeals were issued the following week, and again this week.

Yugos case did not appear on the list of denials, leading her to believe it has caught the courts attention.

In their lawsuit, landowners argued that Congress improperly allowed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to give eminent domain powers to private ventures once their projects were approved, which the commission did for Mountain Valley in 2017.

A Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled in 2020 that he lacked jurisdiction to decide the case, and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld his decision last year.

The Natural Gas Act requires lawsuits such as Yugos to be filed in a federal appellate court, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled. That happened in a similar challenge brought by other landowners, which was denied in 2019.

Yugo is now asking the Supreme Court to reverse the appellate courts finding.

In a motion filed late last month, she asked the court to place the case on hold until it decides two other cases that raise similar issues. A decision in those cases is expected by June.

Mountain Valley opposed the request. This court should not entertain a belated effort by the petitioners to reimagine their case, attorneys for the joint venture of energy companies building the pipeline wrote.

There has been no official order placing the case on hold, which Yugo said is not unusual in the relatively few times it happened.

Should the landowners ultimately prevail, it is not clear what impact their case would have on the 303-mile pipeline. But it threatens to be yet another complication for the project, construction of which has been repeatedly delayed by other legal challenges to its government permits.
A request to rename the Richard H. Poff Federal Building has won the support of Roanoke City Council.

Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to back a proposal to change the name of Roanokes federal courthouse to honor Reuben E. Lawson, a civil rights attorney who fought for the very racial integration of schools that was opposed by the late Poff, a congressman and member of the Virginia Supreme Court.

The idea was first broached last year by John Fishwick, a prominent lawyer and former U.S. Attorney, and the Rev. Edward Burton, the retired long-time pastor of Sweet Union Baptist Church in Roanoke.

It is important that our public institutions represent the principles of equality and civil rights for all regardless of gender, race or ethnicity, read city councils resolution embracing federal legislation needed for the name change.

Fishwick said he is working to garner community support for the idea before its introduced in Congress.

The Roanoke branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a group of area ministers, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, and state Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, have already lent their names to the effort.

In 1956, when Poff, of Radford, represented the 6th District in the House of Representatives, he signed the so-called Southern Manifesto, which maintained that states could resist the federal governments order to integrate schools.

Poff also voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1968 and also opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Lawson was a Black attorney who filed the regions first desegregation lawsuit in in 1960, which led to a federal judge ordering Floyd County Public Schools to admit 13 students who had been excluded from the all-white student population.

Similar legal challenges followed in Roanoke and Lynchburg and the counties of Grayson, Pulaski and Roanoke. Together, the cases put an end to segregation in Southwest Virginia that was still carried out in the years following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954.

Lawson, who died in 1963, has been described as one of Roanokes undeservedly forgotten legal titans.

Whats commonly known as the Poff Building currently houses federal courts, offices of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies. It opened in 1975, and has borne the Poff name ever since.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he met visiting U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday and explored ways to forge official ties with Saudi Arabia.

The two discussed "the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the circle of peace, with emphasis on a breakthrough regarding Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

The Abraham Accords are a series of normalization deals signed in 2020 in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco agreed to establish official ties with Israel, breaking the country's relative isolation in the Middle East.

Upon his return to office last December, Netanyahu declared that he wish to form diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, a move that he hopes will "bring an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict."

Netanyahu and Sullivan also discussed "joint efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear program and Iran's actions in the region," the office said.

Sullivan is the most senior U.S. official to visit Israel since Netanyahu's new extreme-right government was inaugurated last December. The swearing-in of this coalition government, which includes ministers who advocate the annexation of the occupied West Bank and voice anti-Arab rhetoric, has caused discontent in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden. 
Update at 10:44 a.m.: A spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company said Thursday that the company had not made a site selection decision on its plans for an electric vehicle battery plant in partnership with a Chinese company.

The statement from the company came in response to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report Thursday citing two sources saying the company had notified Virginia officials that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County for the plant. They sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Our earlier this story ...

Ford Motor Co. notified Virginia that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill for an electric battery plant prior to Gov. Glenn Youngkin scuttling the plan, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ford was also working on the site.

Youngkin said those facts are fundamentally wrong, but repeatedly refused to answer whether anyone had told him Ford had decided on Virginia.

The location is in Pittsylvania County, near Danville, and is one of the poorest areas of Virginia. The $3.5 billion plant would have created an estimated 2,500 jobs in Southside Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee reported Monday.

Youngkin has said that he pulled Virginia from consideration for the project over his concerns about Chinese government influence and the possibility of federal tax incentives benefitting a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Democrats slammed Youngkin for killing the plan over what they said were right-wing talking points for a possible 2024 presidential run, which Youngkin is considering.

The new details confirmed by the two people with knowledge of the situation contrast with statements from Youngkins office.

Youngkins press secretary said by email Monday, A location has not been selected yet and Virginia was removed from consideration, it was never in the final discussion stage.

A Youngkin spokesman said in a text message Monday: Virginia did not win the project. ... We removed ourselves from consideration in an ongoing process.

Youngkin, in a phone interview Tuesday, told the Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee that what youre writing is wrong. ... The fact set that you are navigating around is fundamentally wrong and I just wanted to be able to explain to you why.

But when repeatedly pressed on whether he had been told that Ford had chosen Virginia and wanted to move forward with an incentive package, Youngkin would not answer.

I just cant answer that question, he said, twice. The fact is, of course, that Ford investigated this site and how their interest stacked up against any other site was clearly yet to be determined because we had not even submitted an incentive package.

Youngkin: Other companies are interested in Berry Hill site

The workers would have built lithium iron phosphate batteries for Fords electric vehicles. But Youngkin cited Fords partnership with the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), saying after his State of the Commonwealth address last Wednesday that he feared the plant would be a front for Chinese influence.

Ford, based in suburban Detroit, would own the plant while CATL would operate the factory and own the technology, Bloomberg reported.

At that point, Ford representatives had been at the Berry Hill site repeatedly as they worked on a deal. About five days after Bloombergs report, the conservative news website The Daily Caller reported that Youngkin was removing Virginia from consideration over his concerns about China.

Without naming names, Youngkin said in the interview that there are other companies interested in the Berry Hill site, near the North Carolina border. More than $200 million has been spent over 15 years to make Berry Hill a premier site, but it has no tenants.

Albemarle Corp., a spinoff of Richmond-based Ethyl Corp., said Wednesday that it is still considering a site in Virginia for a project to process lithium for electric vehicle batteries and eventually recycle the material from spent batteries.

Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political observer and former dean at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the Ford Motor Co. situation is counter to Youngkins brand of bringing jobs to Virginia.

Virginia governors work closely with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, he said. Thats the state authority that helps localities land economic deals and oversees trade development and promotes business expansion in the state.

This project had been in the works for quite some time, Holsworth said. At a minimum, its been in the works for months that hes been familiar with.

And then something changed in that five-day window in December between the Bloomberg report and the Daily Caller report, Holsworth said.

Thats why people are speculating that it had more to do with presidential ambitions.

All kinds of Virginia connections with China

Youngkin is among Republicans considering a presidential run in 2024 and, like others, he has expressed concerns about Chinese Communist Party influence in the United States.

That creates a dilemma for Youngkin, Holsworth said.

Essentially what theyre saying is that the Ford Motor Co. was duped by the Chinese.

This looked to be an excellent fit with an iconic American company.

Aside from that, Theres all kinds of Virginia connections with China, Holsworth said.

Asked for comment on Youngkins action, Ford spokesman Hannah Ooms said by email: As we shared in July, Ford plans to localize and use approximately 40 GWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery capacity in North America starting in 2026. We also announced a separate (memorandum of understanding) with CATL to explore a cooperation for supplying batteries for Ford vehicles in markets across North America, Europe and China. Our talks with CATL continue  and we have nothing new to announce on either front.

A spokeswoman for Albemarle, the Charlotte-based company considering a site in Virginia, said she could not disclose a possible location.

The company hopes to reopen a lithium mine west of Charlotte, North Carolina, as early as 2027 to take advantage of the fast-growing U.S. market for electric vehicle batteries that use the metal, company spokeswoman Kim Ronkin Casey said.

Albemarle publicly disclosed the project in June, and said it was talking to automakers about supplying them with lithium for electric vehicle batteries. The company already supplies Tesla and other automakers.

We are hoping in the next several months we will have a final site, Casey said.
Dr. Karina Miller is among a handful of pediatric dentists practicing within the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Departments jurisdiction, which covers four counties and three cities with a combined population of nearly 280,000.

Consequently, she has a busy schedule. On Wednesday, just a few minutes after attending a ceremony to announce Carilion Clinics new pediatric dentistry residency program, Miller quickly returned to seeing patients.

Earlier, Carilion officials announced a new partnership with Delta Dental of Virginia to foster more licensed dentists interested in specializing in pediatric dentistry.

To establish the program, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation pledged a $2 million endowment. Dr. Lee Jones, head of Carilions dentistry department, said he hopes to see the new program begin service in 2024.

Once fully established, the residency will certify four new pediatric dentists annually, each able to see roughly 3,500 patients annually, according to Jones.

We are on the cusp of addressing a stubborn and nagging deficiency for our area, he said during Wednesdays ceremony.

To his knowledge, Jones said there are four private practice pediatric dentists in the Roanoke and Alleghany health districts region, together with two that work for Carilion and one that works for New Horizons Healthcare.

Their workload is further challenged by the fact that about 30,000 children in the region get their healthcare through Medicaid.

For a regular clinic, you can only have maybe 25% of your patients on Medicaid before you start to lose money, Jones said.

While Carilion has worked to expand its pediatric dentistry services, The need has been greater than weve been able to address so far, Jones said.

Miller threw on a white lab coat over the business clothes she wore to the ceremony held on the malls ground floor and rushed upstairs to Carilions newly established childrens clinic. She had an appointment to see a patient, Xander Cash, whom shes treated since he was a toddler.

Cash, soon after Miller entered, announced that one of his teeth is wiggling.

A tooth is wiggling? Miller said. You know what that means? It means youre a big boy now.

Miller, originally from Brazil, moved to the United States to work with Carilion, one of the few health systems with a dedicated dental program. She underwent a lengthy recertification process to work a job abut which shes passionate.

Your smile is the window into your soul, Miller said. We live in a society of band-aids. We put caps on rotten teeth. I love to be able to ingrain in peoples minds at the beginning, at an early age, that their teeth and their smile are important, so they dont need those band-aids.

While the hope is that some of the pediatric dentists who enroll in the two-year residency will choose to stay in Southwest Virginia, the program will also have the more immediate benefit of bringing certified dentists to the area who will be able to see patients while completing their residency.

Dentists completing a residency would train at the Carilion Clinic Dental Care wing at Tanglewood Mall. Nancy Agee, CEO of Carilion Clinic, said that the new program represents another step in efforts to revitalize the mall, once a vital commercial center that has hemorrhaged stores and customers to new shopping trends.

Our work here has shown progress, as you can see by the dozen or more businesses that have opened or plan to open here since the project began, Agee said.

Frank Lucia, Delta Dental of Virginias president and chief executive officer, said the desperate need for relief and support of dental health providers in the region motivated his organization to get involved.

Delta Dental and Carilion already cooperate on oral health education and community initiatives, including a Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine lecture series, an endowment to create the first oral health curriculum in a U.S. medical school, and the creation of a community wellness center at Fallon Park Elementary School in Roanoke.

We continue to search out unique opportunities to strengthen our partnership with Carilion and leverage the capabilities of our two organizations to benefit the communities we serve, Lucia said.

Miller, who will be among the dentists working closely with the new residents, said that pediatric dentistry is very different from adult dentistry, requiring both unique skills and perspectives.

A lot of people think that kids are just smaller adults, Miller said. They are not, theyre completely different, and to work as pediatric dentists, you have to work on understanding the growth and development of children, and behavioral management to get kids to open up to you.
CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
Physicists are still debating whether hot water consistently freezes faster than cold water. When it does happen, certain conditions have to be met.

When a vessel of water is submerged in a freezing environment, different parts of the water reach equilibrium at different times. Water around the outskirts of the vessel gets colder faster, which means that it may freeze while water in the middle of the vessel stays liquid. And when you specifically place a vessel of hot water in a freezer (like the 212 degree boiling water described by Mpemba), it is also releasing steam from the top of the vessel, and this decreases the total volume of water that needs to freeze.

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Furthermore, cold water (or even room temperature water) often develops a layer of frost on its surface as part of the freezing process. Ironically, this frost temporarily insulates the water (kind of like how an ice igloo insulates its inhabitants against cold air), which can slow down the overall freezing process. Hot water, at least in the early stages, blocks the formation of frost, which allows cold air to penetrate deeper into the vessel.

These are some of the ways that hot water can engender freezing faster than cold water can. But remember that for water to freeze and stay frozen, it must achieve a state of equilibrium.
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THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, access to surgical abortion became increasingly restricted in several states, pushing many women to pursue medication abortions.

But the case of a 22-year-old who took mifepristone and misoprostol -- bought on the internet to end a pregnancy -- serves as a cautionary tale.

She was about six weeks pregnant based on her last menstrual period and developed severe abdominal cramps six days after taking mifepristone.

She thought she had had a "regular" pregnancy, but after increased pain and two visits to the emergency department, doctors instead diagnosed a life-threatening ruptured ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. It requires immediate surgery.

The danger is that in its earliest stages, when medical abortion pills are indicated, a woman may not know that a pregnancy is ectopic.

Fortunately, this woman was treated without complications.

While rare, this situation could occur more frequently due to abortion restrictions, according to Dr. Isabel Beshar, co-author of a research letter describing the case in the Jan. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"While self-managed abortion has been shown to be safe and effective, it does not include some of the same safety checks for rare, but potentially serious, complications such as ectopic pregnancy," said Beshar, a resident at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

A medication abortion involves two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol, which can end an early pregnancy. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone needed for pregnancy, and misoprostol brings on cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus. More than half of U.S. abortions are now done using pills rather than surgery, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

Access to medical abortion has increased in the wake of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Now, retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens can fill prescriptions for mifepristone, and the U.S. postal service will continue to deliver these medications to people with a prescription. Recent research shows that medical first-trimester abortions are safe and effective.

Google searches for medication abortion surged after the Dobbs decision, Beshar said. "Looking ahead, more people will opt to manage their pregnancies outside of the formal medical system," she said.

The health care system has not yet adjusted to this paradigm shift, and this case reflects the current uncertainty around management," Beshar noted. "With time, we anticipate health care providers will become more comfortable assessing people after self-managed abortion."

Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy include a history of prior ectopic pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections or previous surgery on the fallopian tubes, the two tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus, she said.

People with these risk factors should consider speaking with a physician before self-managing an abortion," Beshar said. However, this isnt always an option as doctors can face prosecution for discussing abortion in some states with bans.

Outside experts agree that this case serves as a cautionary tale.

This story "outlines just one reason why abortion bans and restrictions are so harmful," said Dr. Jen Villavicencio. She is the lead for equity transformation at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

"While medication abortion is safe and effective, there are some instances in which it may be contraindicated or in which a different treatment protocol would be more appropriate," she said.

"This patient did the right thing by seeking medical attention when something didnt feel right. Too many patients will not have that opportunity or will be penalized for doing so," Villavicencio said.

Signs of an ectopic pregnancy

It can be hard to tell the difference between ectopic pregnancy symptoms and typical pregnancy symptoms early on, Villavicencio said. Early signs of an ectopic pregnancy may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, low back pain, mild pain in the abdomen or pelvis, or mild cramping on one side of the pelvis.

"If that ectopic pregnancy continues without treatment, more serious symptoms may develop, which would include sudden severe pain in the abdomen or pelvis, shoulder pain, weakness, dizziness or fainting," Villavicencio said. If this occurs, go to an emergency room, she said.

"Because of the Dobbs decision, we will see more patients without access to abortion and without access to gynecologic and obstetric care," Villavicencio said. "Data show that abortion restrictions do not decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies, so it is likely that we will see more people forced to self-manage their abortions."

Dr. Eran Bornstein agreed. He is vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"Although this is an overall uncommon scenario, given the potential catastrophic outcome of undiagnosed ruptured ectopic pregnancy, efforts to minimize such cases is crucial," he said.

"Clinical scenarios in which a pregnant person, and especially one with underlying risk factors for ectopic pregnancy, self-manage abortion without confirming it is an intrauterine pregnancy [a normal pregnancy inside the uterus] is likely to result in more complications from undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, as the authors presented," Bornstein said.

Women who are at high risk to develop ectopic pregnancies should have an early ultrasound to confirm the location of the pregnancy and assure it is not an ectopic pregnancy, he said.

"I would generally recommend taking the pills only after ultrasound confirmation of intrauterine pregnancy to avoid potential complications from misdiagnosis and wrong treatment," Bornstein said.

More information

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides more on ectopic pregnancies.

SOURCES: Isabel Beshar, MD, MPH, resident, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.; Eran Bornstein, MD, vice chair, obstetrics and gynecology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Jennifer Villavicencio, MD, MPP, lead, equity transformation, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, D.C.; New England Journal of Medicine, Jan. 19, 2023
In 1981, the United States and Iran signed an accord paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months, and more events that happened on this day in history.
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's intelligence forces busted two "terrorist rings" affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

The two "terrorist rings," which were directed by foreign forces, had sought to cause insecurity in the southeastern parts of the country in recent months before they were identified and smashed by Iranian security and intelligence forces, the report said.

One of the objectives of the rings is taking foreign nationals and businessmen hostage in the southeastern port of Chabahar, it said.

Some arrested members of the "terrorist" gangs, who are Afghan and Tajik citizens, confessed to having hatched extensive plots to "instigate insecurity" in southeastern Iran, according to the report. 
SIOUX CITY  Siouxland saw forecasts calling for up to 11 inches of snow for Wednesday and into Thursday.

National Weather Service predictions of significant snowfall Wednesday afternoon did not materialize. Snow started falling in Sioux City around 5 p.m. Wednesday. And Siouxland remained under weather-related alerts,

Before noon, the National Weather Service-Sioux Falls office projected 2-to-3 inches of snow for Sioux City between noon and 6 p.m. with an additional 6-to-8 inches between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Indeed, Sioux City, as well as portions of northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota, were placed under a Winter Storm Warning, beginning at noon Wednesday and ending at 6 a.m. Thursday.

During a Winter Storm Warning, travel can be difficult as heavy falling and blowing snow can significantly impact visibility. The NWS said hazardous conditions could impact commutes Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

As a consequence, the Sioux City Community School District was among the school districts to announce early dismissals for Wednesday afternoon. Bishop Heelan, South Sioux City Schools, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Lawton-Bronson, Woodbury Central and Hinton all announced early dismissals as well. West Monona opted to not have school on Wednesday.

Sioux City has also declared a snow emergency, beginning at noon Wednesday. A snow emergency declaration prohibits parking or leaving a vehicle unattended on an emergency snow route, which is noted by a blue-and-white snowflake. Vehicles needed to park on the even-numbered side of the street on Wednesday and then move to the odd side of the street, beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday.

"Give our drivers room to do our job, just be patient," Sioux City Interim Streets Superintendent Brad Baldwin said. He also recommended that residents don't travel if they don't need to do so.

According to Baldwin, the City of Sioux City had four trucks out "pre-treating" roads such as Floyd Boulevard, Morningside Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard for the past two days. "When it comes with snow, we are 12 hours on clock, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and then we have a night staff that comes in," Baldwin said.

Sioux City Transit Operations Supervisor Jason Allen referred to the decision-making process for his department as a game time decision. He said a lot of what Sioux City Transit decided to do was dependent on if the snow came in slow and steady or all at once.

"What I would recommend to the public is they sign up for the CodeRed emergency notification system and it will text them if were not operating or two hours behind," Allen said. He also suggested residents check the City of Sioux City social media accounts or call the dispatch office at (712)-279-6404.

"Northeast winds of 15 - 20 mph will gust to as high as 30 mph on Wednesday afternoon," he said. "That will make things blustery."

Wednesday's forecasted high of 30 degrees dropped throughout the day with a forecasted low of 27 degrees by evening.

While a 30 percent chance for snow was in the forecast, Masters said the system would be east of Siouxland by Thursday morning.

The forecast for the next five days calls for highs around 30 and lows in the teens.

"As with any major snowstorms, travel is not recommended," Masters said. "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."
SIOUX CITY  A man who set a fire inside a Sioux City convenience store was sentenced Wednesday to probation.

Orlando Castro, 64, of Sioux City, pleaded guilty in September in Woodbury County District Court to second-degree arson and third-degree criminal mischief, which were reduced as part of a plea agreement from first-degree arson and second-degree criminal mischief.

District Judge Patrick Tott suspended a 10-year prison sentence on the arson charge and placed Castro on three years' probation. Castro was sentenced to 15 days in jail for criminal mischief and credited for 15 days already served.

Castro entered Sam's Mini Mart, 923 W. Seventh St., on June 22, went to shelves stocked with flammable automotive products, ignited an object he was holding and tossed it on top of the shelf before leaving.

A former employee at the store, Castro was located at his home less than two blocks from the store. A cigarette lighter was found in his pocket when he was arrested.

During an interview with police, Castro said the store owner had falsely accused him of theft and dishonesty.

Castro was ordered to pay restitution to the store owner in an amount to be determined.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man who threatened two women with a gun in a bar has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison on a gun charge.

Luis Gomez, 37, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user. He was sentenced Tuesday to 49 months in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gomez threatened to shoot the two women in a Sioux City bar on Dec. 9, 2021, then fled in a vehicle after police were called. A police pursuit ensued, and Gomez' passenger threw the gun out the window during the chase. After police stopped Gomez' vehicle, officers retrieved the gun containing seven live rounds and a magazine from the path of the chase. Marijuana and other ammunition also were found in the car or in Gomez' possession.
SIOUX CITY  Before the month is up, Sioux City's League of Women Voters will host its first town hall of the year.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, the organization is inviting the public to go to the Sioux City Public Museum and voice questions or concerns with their elected representatives.

"Siouxland area legislators will be asked to share their legislative priorities for 2023, followed by questions from the audience," the League said.

Those who are unable to attend will be able to watch a livestream on the "League of Women Voters of Sioux City" Facebook page. Future town hall events are scheduled for Feb. 25 and March 25. Siouxland Cares is sponsoring the January event, while the NAACP Sioux City branch and Inclusive Sioux City are sponsoring the subsequent two.
SIOUX CITY  Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023 was one for the record books in Sioux City.

The amount of snow that fell in the Sioux City metro from midnight to midnight more than doubled a previous single-day record set in 1975 and was the largest total the area has seen since 2018, according to the National Weather Service- Sioux Falls office.

"With how dry it's been, for the past couple of winters, this is one of the more significant snowfalls," NWS-Sioux Falls meteorologist Peter Rogers said. "It's been five years since you have seen something of this magnitude."

Winter snow storm A person traverses a windrow of snow while crossing Fifth Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area receiv

PHOTOS: 50 photos of Sioux City snow Close Mike Slossberg shoves his sidewalk along Jackson Street in Sioux City Feb. 1, 2015 after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow on the Sioux City area. Trinh Luong clears snow off his Sioux City driveway after a storm dumped several inches of the white stuff Nov. 30, 2015. Cars are seen covered with snow in Sioux City on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. A lone antenna is the only part of a car not covered in snow in this photo taken in Sioux City on Feb. 2, 2016. Melanie Goodteacher and her son, Rylee McDaniel, dig out a neighbor's car Feb. 3, 2016 along Seventh Street in downtown Sioux City. Siouxlanders spent Wednesday digging out from about a foot of snow overnight. Three snowbound vehicles are shown Feb. 4, 2016 in the 1100 block of Jennings Street on the city's north side. A person works to dig out a vehicle stuck in the middle of Jennings Street in Sioux City's north side March 24, 2016. Snow covers a hand railing in the Morningside area in Sioux City, Wednesday, March 24, 2016, following a heavy snow storm overnight. A car drives past a car stuck in the snow after an overnight snowstorm in Sioux City on March 24, 2016. Damon Mothershead, center, and Caleb Weber, left, clear snow off sidewalks along Jones Street in Sioux City's north side March 24, 2016. In back is Mothershead's daughter, Socorra Mothershead. A spring snow storm dropped about 14 inches of snow in Sioux City, according to the National Weather Service. Jennifer Johnson of Rockinghan, North Carolina, uses a garbage can to help dig out her fiancee's car Thursday morning, March 24, 2016. A spring snow storm dropped about 14-inches of snow in Sioux City according to the National Weather Service. Snow builds up on the side of trees in Chris Larsen Park in Sioux City, Friday, November 17, 2016. A pedestrian crosses Fifth Street early Wednesday morning, Jan. 25, 2017, in downtown Sioux City. Morningside College employee Renee Lund plays in the snow while posing for photographs with friends on the Morningside College campus January 25, 2017. A person clears snow off a vehicle parked along Jackson Street on Feb. 8, 2017. Sioux City received 2.7 inches of snowfall overnight. Evelynn Padgett, 5, dives into the snow pile as her mother, April Padgett, clears snow after an overnight snowstorm in Sioux City on Feb. 24, 2017. Ronnie Campbell of Sioux City walks down the middle of Nebraska Street in Sioux City, to avoid snowy sidewalks Friday morning, Feb. 24, 2017. The Sioux City area received 9 inches of snow. John Castor of Sioux City gives the snow blower a break after an overnight snowstorm in Sioux City on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 A pedestrian crosses the street as a city snowplow works to widen a lane on Sixth Street in downtown Sioux City on March 13, 2017. Roger Fehr shovels snow off of a long stretch of sidewalk along 26th Street on Sioux City's north side Monday, March 13, 2017. A person shovels snow from a sidewalk along Fifth Street in downtown Sioux City on Dec, 22, 2017. About an inch of snow fell overnight, the city's first measurable snowfall of the 2017-18 season. Jared Langel of Ames Lawn Care shovels snow near the intersection of Court and Fourth Streets in downtown Sioux City Jan. 22, 2018. A worker pushes away snow in a parking lot along Pierce Street in Sioux City Jan. 22, 2018. The storm prompted road closures, power outages and the shutdown of scores of area schools, businesses and government offices. Ethan Garnett, 6, throws a snowball Jan. 22, 2018 while playing in an otherwise deserted downtown Sioux City. Siouxland's first major winter storm of 2018 paralyzed the region, dumping more than a foot of snow in some areas. Effforts to clear snow from streets created a window wonderland as shown on Pierce Street in downtown Sioux City on Jan. 23, 2018. The city was digging out from a blizzard that dumped about a foot of snow in the region. Randi Stender digs out in Morningside Tuesday, January 23, 2018, after a snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow on Sioux City. A man clears snow from a sidewalk in Morningside Tuesday, January 23, 2018, after a snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow on Sioux City. A Sioux City Community School District bus gets stuck in snow while picking up students along its route on West 5th Street near Ross in Sioux City Jan. 24, 2018. Many of Sioux City's streets were still clogged with snow and snowbound cars following the blizzard that dumped a foot of snow on the city. A pedestrian crosses Douglas Street in downtown Sioux City on Feb. 5, 2018. Snow began falling in the early morning hours Monday and a totaled 3.2 inches by the end of the day. Jim Kolvek clears snow for his neighbor in Sioux City on Feb. 6, 2018. Sioux City was expected to see up to an inch of new accumulation Friday. A resident shovels out their car along 22nd Street in Sioux City early March 6, 2018after wind-whipped snow fell overnight. Sioux City received about 3.7 inches of snow. City plows worked into the night to clear residential streets. Steve Fairley shovels a sidewalk April 3, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Sioux City. An early spring snowstorm caused Sioux City to be put into a winter weather advisory, and dumped somewhere between 1 and 4 inches on the city -- depending on the location. City of Sioux City workers clear snow April 18, 2018 morning along Fourth Street in downtown Sioux City. Around 2.5 inches of snow feel Wednesday in Sioux City, but it melted quickly during the afternoon. Nisa Salmen, owner of Hardline Coffee Company, shovels snow Feb. 7, 2019, from the sidewalk in front of her business on Fifth Street in downtown Sioux City on Feb. 7. A person crosses 10th Street near Pierce in downtown Sioux City on Feb. 18, 2019. Sioux City received about 6 inches of snow over the weekend prior. A person takes a break while shoveling snow in a not-quite winter wonderland along Jackson Street in Sioux City on Feb. 20. A Sioux City snowplow pushes snow off of Jackson Street on Feb. 20, 2019. Sioux City received about five inches of snow Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Crews from the Iowa Department of Transportation push back a large snow drift that was blocking the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 59, north of Ida Grove, Iowa, Feb. 25, 2019. People brush snow off a car the morning of April 2, 2019, along Summit Street in Sioux City. An Iowa Department of Transportation snow plow spreads material on the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 north of Salix, Iowa, on Nov. 26, 2019. Danny Loggins of Sioux City, shovels snow from a sidewalk along Fifth Street in downtown Sioux City Wednesday morning, Nov. 27, 2019. Sioux City received about six inches of snow in the storm, the first significant snowfall of the 2019-2020 winter season. A pair of pedestrians cross Eighth Street in downtown Sioux City as early morning snows taper off Dec. 9, 2019. Snow driven by winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour created low visibility in the early morning hours, according to the National Weather Service. A person walks a dog against a backdrop of snow and frost-covered trees Jan. 13, 2020, in Sioux City's Grandview Park. The storm left 2.3 inches of snow on the ground in Sioux City. Meanwhile, Ponca, Neb., got 5 inches, and Yankton, S.D., got 7 inches. Pedestrians walk along Douglas Street in downtown Sioux City, early Friday morning, Jan. 17, 2020, as snow swirls around them. Dan Sundars cleans the sidewalks for Sioux City Hotel & Conference Center, Friday, in downtown Sioux City, Iowa, Jan. 17, 2020. A city worker clears snow on Peters Avenue in Sioux City, Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. A person shovels snow on a sidewalk along Grandview Boulevard in Sioux City on Nov. 10, which was the second snowfall of late 2020. Dan Saunders uses a snow blower on the sidewalk outside the Sioux City Hotel & Conference Center on Dec. 29, 2020. Sioux City was expected to get about 7 inches of snow during the day. Joy Rode shovels snow off of her driveway at her home on Seger Avenue on Jan. 6, 2021, in Sioux City. A person crosses Seventh Street as plows move snow in downtown Sioux City on Jan. 26, 2021. Sioux City received 5.7 inches Monday through Tuesday, while other parts of the tri-state region had over a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service. +49 +49 +49 +49 +49 +49 +49 +49 +49 +49

The official observation NWS-Sioux Falls has for Sioux City is 7.4 total inches of snow, 6.2 inches on Jan. 18 and 1.2 more since midnight. Based on the most-currently available reports, few places in Siouxland saw totals much larger than that.

Rock Valley, Iowa had 8 inches as of 7:05 a.m. on Thursday, North Sioux City and Dakota City both reported 8 inches as well. A total of 8.2 inches was listed for Jackson, Nebraska through 4 o'clock in the morning but snow was still falling at that time.

To the southeast, snowfall amounts were less significant. Both Denison and Mapleton, Iowa reported figures of 6 inches.

To the east and northeast of Sioux City, Hull and Pocahontas, Iowa provided similar totals too but only through the early morning.

"Right now, the Sioux City area is kind of the epicenter for the highest snow mounts," Rogers said.

Winter snow storm A pair city snow plows clear the northbound lanes of Jackson Street Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4

PHOTOS from some of Sioux City's worst historic blizzards Close This unidentified man stands on top of a snow drift in which a tunnel has been dug in this 1949 photo. Wind blows snow along Fourth Street in Sioux City on Nov. 11, 1940. Temperatures fell as much as 30 degrees in two hours that day. A motorist drives by toppled poles following a storm in Leeds on April 26, 1937. This photo from Feb. 11, 1936, shows Highway 20 after a blizzard. This image was taken approximately four miles from Sioux City. Branches on bushes around the Grandview Park Rose Garden bend under the weight of snowfall in 1947. Snow is piled high on the side of a Sioux City road in this January 23, 1937 photo. Guardsmen deliver coal after a March 17, 1962 blizzard that hit Sioux City. M.H. Woodring Service Station on Highway 20, approximately five miles out of Sioux City, had to temporarily suspend business after a blizzard dumped a large amount of snow on Feb. 11, 1939. Poles and wires were blown down during a blizzard April 24, 1937, near Leeds. A motorist tries to drive through a windrow following a April 1992 blizzard, which dropped up to 10 inches of snow on Sioux City. Fifteen men from rural McCook Lake, S.D., dig out snow along a half-mile stretch of road after the blizzard of March 5, 1962. The men were joined by some boys and several dogs. Sioux City's "Auto Row" along Sixth Street was called "A case of go and no-go" when a blizzard struck in 1975. The truck at the right was stuck. TO DATE Sioux Citys highest-recorded 24-hour snowfall: 20.0 inches. Snow started the early evening of April 10th and did not stop until the next evening. All streetcars were inoperable for 18 hours. Power and telephone lines fell, putting some 1,500 without service. The hog shed at Cudahy Packing Co. collapsed, killing 5 hogs inside. Total digging out for the city took about a week. 8 inches of snow fell in Sioux City from the evening of March 10 to the morning of March 11. All busses and airlines in the area were halted. Biting cold of around 5 below zero combined with gusty winds added to the danger, and the high moisture in the air led to ice buildup in many places. The Citys snow removal department asked people to remove their cars from the main thoroughfares for the plows, so many people were out bright and early the morning of the 11 to dig out. Sioux City was actually spared from the worst of this system  other areas of Iowa were reporting 18-to-26-inch snowfalls. This blizzard caught everyone off guard simply by how early it was. Around 11 inches of snow was on the ground on Halloween night, combined with 50mph wind gusts. Tick-or-treating was postponed until November 2, and kids were stepping around snow piles for their candy. The snowfall smashed the previous record for the most snow in the month of October, which had been 8 inches. Sioux Citys second-highest snowfall in a single day occurred on March 15, 2004. Snow began around 3am and ended around 6pm. This was one of those systems where only a few inches or less were expected in the area, but the system shifted farther south than expected. By noon city crews had been out at least three times to clear the major streets, and the snow just kept coming. The snow closed Sioux Gateway Airport and most area schools. +16 +16 +16 +16 +16 +16 +16 +16 +16 +16

Aside from breaking meteorological records, Wednesday's snowstorm forced waves of school cancellations for Siouxland.

Both the Sioux City Community School District and Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools called classes off before 7 p.m. on Wednesday as snow was still falling fast and heavy.

When severe weather is approaching the area, Sioux City Interim Superintendent Rod Earleywine is in charge of determining any delays or cancellations of the school day.

He said he monitors various local weather services including the NWS-Sioux Falls. With many different variables to take into consideration, there are no set rules for what is required to cancel school. Freezing rain, wind, snow accumulation, plowing throughout the city, are all variables that go into the decision.

Winter snow storm A person walks down the Nebraska Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4-inch

On Wednesday, school districts in the area had a two-hour early out. Early estimates showed the weather hitting Sioux City around noon, but it didnt start snowing until after 4 p.m.

Earleywine said the district has to make the decisions in a timely manner and "err on the side of caution."

Historically the district has opted for late starts and early outs if possible due to the high number of students relying on free and reduced lunches. Earleywine said the decision was made to cancel school due to the forecasts and what was expected to hit Sioux City.

"We just try to do the best we can to keep students and staff safe," he said.

The South Sioux City Community School District made its Facebook announcement for no Thursday classes at 8:19 p.m.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton announced "No school tomorrow Warrior Nation!" on Twitter around 8:21 p.m.

At 9:01 p.m., the Dakota Valley School District initially announced a two-hour late start before making it a full cancellation at 5:14 a.m. on Thursday.

Woodbury Central shifted from a late-start to closed at 9:25 p.m., Wednesday.

West Monona's news of no school came to social media at 6:17 a.m., Thursday.

The MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District posted to Facebook at 8:59 a.m., Thursday: No school. Thursday, January 19.

Winter snow storm Don Lopez shovels a sidewalk in the 500 block of Nebraska Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area receiv

Despite the major powder deposit, city offices in Sioux City remained open on Thursday.

Community Policing Sgt. Thomas Gill said city plows have been out since Wednesday night clearing Sioux Citys main thoroughfares, but he said side streets remained almost impassable for many vehicles late Thursday morning.

"It takes them a while to get those side streets done. So, I would say unless you have to go somewhere and unless you have four-wheel drive, I would stay home and not risk getting stuck on the side street," he said.

Winter storm preparation An Iowa Department of Transportation plow operator spreads de-icer on U.S. Highway 75 in Sioux City Wednesday afternoon. State and local road 

Sioux City Interim Streets Supervisor Brad Baldwin said Wednesday the City had four trucks out "pre-treating" roads such as Floyd Boulevard, Morningside Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard for the previous two days. "When it comes with snow, we are 12 hours on clock, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and then we have a night staff that comes in," Baldwin said.

Up through noon, the Iowa DOT showed most major roads in the Sioux City area were still partially covered. Iowa DOT listed a stretch just north of Sioux City as "completely covered". Nowhere in greater Siouxland was marked as "travel not advised" or "impassable."

9 p.m. Wednesday, the South Dakota DOT mentioned "no travel" advisories were in place throughout southeastern South Dakota.

In Nebraska, I-80 was shut down between the Wyoming border and Grand Island. Nebraska 511 had reports of Highway 35 in Hubbard being closed "due to an incident."

Thursday morning, Sioux City adjusted its usual transit routes.

"Due to the snow, #SiouxCity buses will be running primarily on the priority one streets and possibly some priority two streets Thursday morning. Transit will not be on any residential streets at this time," the City said via Twitter.

Wednesday afternoon, Sioux City Transit Operations Supervisor Jason Allen referred to the decision-making process for his department as a game time decision. He said a lot of what Sioux City Transit decided to do was dependent on if the snow came in slow and steady or all at once.

Snow storm starting Pedestrians cross Pierce Street in front of the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre as snow falls in Sioux City, Wednesday.

From 10 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday, 10 weather-related crashes were reported in the city. Gill said all of those crashes appeared to be "minor fender benders," as no personal injury accidents were logged during that time period. He said the department tallied nine vehicles in the ditch or motorist assists.

"Weve seen several cars all over town on the side streets. The side streets are terrible right now, so weve had cars stuck just trying to get out of their driveway," he said.

Gill said windrows of snow downtown often pose challenges to motorists who try to cut across them and end up high centered.

"That happens a lot. And, a lot of times, those go unreported," he said. "Now, if an officer sees a vehicle stuck in one of those and nobodys around, theyll just call a tow truck. So, Im sure the tow trucks, like Meier and Stockton are pretty busy this morning."

Because of the road conditions, the City of Sioux City canceled Thursday garbage and recyclable collection. Garbage and recycling collection will return on Friday with a one day delay for the remainder of the week. Residents are encouraged to remove all containers from the curb to prevent damage and allow space for snow plows.

Despite the winter blast, power did not seem to be severely affected in Siouxland. Per the MidAmerican Energy outage map, no halts in service were detected by 1 p.m., Thursday.

In Dakota County, Nebraska, officials declared in an email at 6:50 a.m. that the courthouse would be closed.

As for what the rest of the work week will look like, Rogers said anyone getting out can expect blustery northwest winds.

"Those winds will be strong enough to blow around snow," he said.

Into next week, Rogers said residents should expect temperatures to stay below freezing.

"I wouldnt expect the snow thats fallen to disappear rapidly so folks are definitely going to want to take that into consideration," Rogers said.

Dolly Butz and Caitlin Yamada contributed to this report.

PHOTOS: Sioux City reckons with single day record-breaking snowstorm, Jan. 18-19, 2023 Close An Iowa Department of Transportation plow operator spreads de-icer on U.S. Highway 75 in Sioux City Wednesday afternoon. State and local road crews have been preparing for an anticipated winter storm which has been forecast to dump up to 11 inches of snow on the city through Thursday. Pedestrians cross Pierce Street in front of the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre as snow falls in Sioux City, Wednesday. A person walks down the Nebraska Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4-inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A pair city snow plows clear the northbound lanes of Jackson Street Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4-inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A person traverses a windrow of snow while crossing Fifth Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4-inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Don Lopez shovels a sidewalk in the 500 block of Nebraska Street in downtown Sioux City Thursday morning, Jan. 19, 2023. The metro area received a little over 7.4-inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Jose Ambrocio Ayala removes snow with a snow blower at the 2600 block of Jackson Street after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Jose Ambrocio Ayala removes snow with a snow blower at the 2600 block of Jackson Street after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Ross Johnson, back, Avery Johnson, and Ryleigh Johnson, front, sled down a hill at Grandview Park after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Marissa Williams pushes Ross Johnson, in the back, Avery Johnson, and Ryleigh Johnson, in the front, in a sled down a hill at Grandview Park after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Alex Potter, and Matt Murfield, behind, with Davis Brothers Landscaping remove snow from the sidewalk on Jackson Street near 14th Street Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa, Jan. 19, 2023. Last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow. Seth Pointer pushes Madison Stablies sled down a hill while Annie Trieber watches at Grandview Park after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Matt Murfield from Davis Brothers Landscaping removes snow from the sidewalk on Jackson Street near 14th Street after last night's storm dropped a total of 7.4 inches of snow in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. +12 +12 +12 +12 +12 +12 +12 +12 +12 +12
Here's a look at trending news for today, Jan. 18:

Brian Walshe

Brian Walshe killed and dismembered his wife Ana Walshe and disposed of her remains in dumpsters because he wanted to end their marriage, a prosecutor with the Norfolk district attorney's office said at his arraignment on Wednesday.

"Rather than divorce, it is believed that Brian Walshe dismembered Ana Walshe and discarded her body," prosecutor Lynn Beland said.

In their criminal complaint prosecutors stated that Brian Walshe assaulted and beat his wife to death.

Beland read aloud the allegations and suspected motive in Quincy District Court as Walshe, 47, was arraigned on charges of murder and disinterring a body without authority.

Read more here:

Polar bear attack

A polar bear chased several residents around a tiny, isolated Alaska Native whaling village, killing a mother and her 1-year-old son in an extremely rare attack before another community member shot and killed the bear, authorities said.

The fatal mauling, the first in more than 30 years in Alaska, happened Tuesday near the school in Wales, an isolated Bering Strait coastal community located on the westernmost tip of the North American mainland  about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Russia  that is no stranger to coexisting with polar bears.

Summer Myomick of Saint Michael and her son, Clyde Ongtowasruk, were killed in the attack, Alaska State Troopers said in a statement.

Myomick's parents declined interviews with The Associated Press when reached Wednesday at their home.

Read more about it here:

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has confirmed a star-studded guest list that's set to appear on her forthcoming rock album, including Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Pink and Brandi Carlile.

On Tuesday, the country icon appeared on an episode of "The View" and discussed the highly anticipated project, telling co-host Joy Behar: "If I'm going to be in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, I better do something to earn it. So I'm doing a rock 'n' roll album and I'm having a lot of the rock stars that I met that night be on the album with me."

Parton said she and McCartney are singing a song together and additionally revealed that her song with Nicks had been finished the night prior. Parton had previously said that the record, titled "Rock Star," would be set to come out

Get more info here:

***

Get more of today's trending topics here:

Jay Briscoe

Ivan Provorov

This morning's top headlines: Wednesday, Jan. 18
Two years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democrats in New Mexico is a violent reminder that the false claims about a stolen election persist in posing a danger to public officials and the country's democratic institutions.

While no one was hurt in the Albuquerque attacks, this latest outburst of political violence underscores how election denialism has become deeply embedded across much of the country and how it is driving grievance-filled anger over the nation's politics and officeholders.

Over the past year, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was seriously injured in an attack in his home by an assailant who said he was sick of the "lies coming out of Washington D.C.," election workers were intimidated and harassed, and prosecutors won convictions in a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor.

Further sign of the unrelenting threat came this week when authorities arrested a Republican candidate for the New Mexico House who refused to accept his loss in last fall's election. Police said Solomon Pena hired four people to shoot at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers.

"I think we are really entering a new era where political rhetoric has gotten so heated and people with mental health issues or extreme conspiratorial viewpoints on the world have resorted to political violence," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, who took office Jan. 1, said in a recent interview.

He wants the Legislature to address political violence and said he plans to talk with the secretary of state's office about ways to shield some information about elected officials or candidates from public disclosure.

Torrez noted that other countries have become destabilized when extremists use threats and intimidation rather than work through the institutions of government. He said such violence is destabilizing and needs to be dealt with forcefully.

"It is a threat to the very fabric and foundation of a democratic republic," he said.

Lies by former President Donald Trump and his allies about the 2020 presidential election led to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as threats and harassment against state and local election officials. The insurrection in Washington also contributed to a drop in confidence in election results among Republicans.

Some election deniers ran last year for offices that oversee elections, as well as for governor and attorney general  all losing in battleground states. The turn to violence in New Mexico suggests the lasting impact of the campaign by Trump and his allies to discredit the 2020 race he lost and sow doubt about how elections are run.

A large segment of Republicans, 58%, still believe Democrat Joe Biden's victory in 2020 was not legitimate, according to an October poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Pena, a 39-year-old felon and self-proclaimed "MAGA king," faces charges in the Albuquerque-area attacks on the homes of two state lawmakers and two county officials, including one house where a 10-year-old girl was asleep.

Pena refused to accept his landslide loss in November when he won just 26% of the vote in a state House race in Albuquerque against the longtime Democratic incumbent, Rep. Miguel P. Garcia.

Pena parroted Trump's rhetoric, claiming without evidence that the House race was "rigged" against him. There is no evidence of fraud or widespread problems in New Mexico's election.

He spent nine years behind bars after his arrest in April 2007 for stealing electronics and other goods from several retail stores as part of what authorities described as a burglary crew. He was released from prison in 2016, and had his voting rights restored after completing five years probation in April 2021, corrections officials said.

There also was no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines in the 2020 election, and Biden's win was affirmed after exhaustive reviews in the states where Trump disputed his loss.

Dozens of judges  including some appointed by Trump  rejected lawsuits by Trump and his allies challenging the outcome, and Trump's own attorney general, William Barr, said the fraud claims were bogus.

Despite that, the conspiracy theories surrounding the presidential election have prompted a surge in threats and harassment of state and local election officials.

Concerns of political violence have been growing in recent years.

Last month, the co-leader of the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the 2020 election was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whitmer, a Democrat, was not harmed.

In California, prosecutors said the assault of Paul Pelosi was part of a plot to kidnap the Democratic congresswoman and that the suspect also planned to target other politicians.

Members of Congress have seen a sharp rise in threats in the two years since the insurrection. In Kansas, a trial began this week for a man prosecutors say threatened to kill a Republican congressman.

Images of chaos: AP photographers capture US Capitol riot
The incident occurred about 2 p.m. Tuesday near Elm Creek, the patrol said Wednesday. A Buffalo County 911 dispatcher told the patrol about a report of a driver brandishing a handgun toward another driver.

A trooper stopped the suspect vehicle, a westbound Ford Fusion, at the Lexington interchange. The trooper found that 40-year-old Jose Rolison, of Denver, had a stolen handgun and arrested him on suspicion of possession of a stolen firearm, terroristic threats, use of a firearm to commit a felony, possession of a concealed weapon, and possession of marijuana  less than one ounce. He was lodged in the Dawson County jail.
A 56-year-old Lincoln man maintained his innocence at sentencing Wednesday for the sexual abuse of two young children who had been placed in his care.

"Mr. Lovell appears to take zero accountability for his crimes he's perpetrated on these two children," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Reid said.

He said there was no motive for the children to lie, they gave detailed disclosures of what he did and forensic testing corroborated their accounts.

Reid said Lovell's DNA was found on the inside of one of the girl's underwear.

"He was placed in a position of trust and violated that. So we're asking for a lengthy term of incarceration," he said.

Lovell maintains he didn't do anything wrong and in an interview with a probation officer said he believed it was a set-up to get him in trouble.

He pleaded no contest to first-degree attempted sexual assault of a child, a felony, and third-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor, as part of a plea deal.

In a probable cause affidavit for Lovell's arrest, police said they took a report from the girl's mother on Nov. 22, 2020, saying Lovell had touched her 5-year-old daughter while she and her husband were out for a walk.

When she returned, she found her daughter lying in the opposite direction on the bed, and the girl said Lovell had touched her privates, police said.

A second charge was added later involving an 8-year-old girl.

Lovell's attorney, Eddy Rodell, said Lovell didn't want the girls to have to go through a trial and he didn't want to risk going to trial as originally charged and face a 15-year minimum term if convicted.

So he took the plea deal, but does maintain his innocence, Rodell said. He argued for probation so Lovell could get additional counseling.

Visiting District Judge Robert Steinke said he was concerned about Lovell's criminal history, which was old but voluminous.

He said Lovell's crimes involved him sexually assaulting an 8-year-old child who was placed in his care, and he breached that responsibility.

"Your crimes are of great concern to the court. They are very serious offenses. It is significant you take no responsibility for your crimes," Steinke said.

The judge sentenced Lovell to 10 to 14 years in prison. He will have to serve five years before he's eligible for parole.

Photos: Nebraska hosts Ohio State at PBA
BEIRUT, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday condemned the United States for having imposed an economic siege on Lebanon since 2019.

"The blockade is implemented through various means, including preventing external assistance, grants, and loans from reaching Lebanon, as well as blocking the Lebanese government from accepting donations, investments, and addressing the issue of Syrian refugees," Nasrallah said in a speech aired on Hezbollah's Al Manar TV channel.

Nasrallah also accused the U.S. of disrupting the businesses of Lebanese expatriates who constitute an important financial source for the livelihood of the Lebanese.

"The U.S. puts merchants and wealthy individuals on the sanctions lists based on unjust charges, exposing expatriates to danger, harassment, and hostility," he said.

Nasrallah also called on the Lebanese government to be courageous in facing the U.S. sanctions by accepting support from Iran and other friendly countries. 
One of the final bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature would allow doctors and other medical providers to deny non-emergency health care to patients if they morally disagreed with it.

State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduced the bill (LB810) Wednesday, as one of the final bills and constitutional amendments introduced this session. The total for the session was 812 bills and 20 constitutional amendments, the most introduced since 2001.

LB810, dubbed the "Medical Ethics and Diversity Act," would permit medical practitioners, like doctors and nurses, and health care institutions like hospitals to deny performing elective medical treatment that violates their "right of conscience," which refers to religious, ethical or moral beliefs. The bill also allows health insurance providers to deny coverage of non-emergency care under the same principles.

Health care institutions and health insurance providers would have to disclose what treatment they would not cover ahead of time, Murman said. Emergency and life-saving treatment would also not be affected.

Murman introduced a similar bill last year, and said this time, he may prioritize the legislation to give it a better chance of passing. He said he is concerned that conservative and Christian medical students are hesitating to enter the medical field out of concerns that they will be asked to participate in treatments that violate their religious beliefs, and that is contributing to the ongoing nationwide nursing shortage.

"The swift pace of scientific advancement and the expansion of medical capabilities, along with the mistaken notion that medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payers are mere public utilities, promise only to make the current crisis worse," the bill reads.

Murman said there were three procedures he had in mind while drafting the bill: abortions, gender-affirming treatment for transgender patients and euthanasia.

Restrictions on abortions and transgender medical care have been introduced in other bills this session by Sens. Joni Albrecht and Kathleen Kauth, who both co-sponsored LB810. Though Murman also co-sponsored each of their bills as well, he said his bill was not meant to be a companion piece to either.

The bill includes a provision specifically on abortions, stating that medical practitioners would be allowed to participate in an abortion only if they first consent to participating in writing. Under the bill, pharmacists would also have the ability to deny contraception to patients, Murman confirmed.

Murman said he wasn't concerned the bill would restrict health care for some Nebraskans. In fact, he said the bill aims to improve health care, as patients would have the option to seek different medical options from providers that want to provide the treatment they're seeking.

Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who opposed Albrecht's and Kauth's bills, said LB810 was a civil rights violation. She described the bill as "unserious" and said it was insulting to Nebraskans and the Legislature itself, as it doesn't address issues that actually impact their constituents.

"It's a waste of everybody's time," Hunt said.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
DES MOINES  Iowa Legislative leaders expect Gov. Kim Reynolds private school assistance proposal to come to a floor vote early next week in both the House and the Senate.

Reynolds, a Republican, announced the bill last Tuesday, and it has dominated the first two weeks of the legislative session. Republicans have fast-tracked it through the lawmaking process in both chambers.

I havent set an exact time, but I would say early in the week would be the expectation, Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley, of New Hartford, said Wednesday.

House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, said she expects the bill to go to a floor vote on Monday.

If the bill passes through both chambers, it will go to Reynolds desk to be signed into law. Next week is National School Choice Week, a week of advocacy and events focused on giving parents broader options in education.

012023-qc-iowa-patgrassley Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley speaks to reporters about the private school assistance proposal being considered in the Legislature on Thursd

Grassley maintained confidence that Republicans have the votes to pass the bill this year. A far narrower private-school scholarship program last year failed to gain support of several Republicans in the House, some from rural areas who were concerned about how a loss of funds would affect schools in their districts.

I dont think Id be moving the bill along the process if we didnt have that expectation that it will pass, Grassley said.

Reynolds proposal this year would provide parents the option of using $7,598 in taxpayer funds  the states per-pupil K-12 education allotment  to send their child to a private school. The money can be used on tuition, supplies and other educational expenses.

In the first year, the program would be open to all public school students and students starting kindergarten at a private school. Private school students in families making up to 300% of the federal poverty level would also be eligible in the first year. Reynolds' office estimates the program would cost nearly $107 million that year.

By the time its fully phased in, the program would be open to all students in public and private schools, regardless of income, and would cost the state, according to estimates from Reynolds' office. The states nonpartisan fiscal agency has not yet analyzed the bill.

School districts would get $1,250 in state funding for each student who lives in the district but attends a private school. Schools would also be able to use unspent money in certain categorical funds to increase teacher salaries.

Democrats urge public pressure

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Democrats urged Iowans opposed to the measure to contact their representatives over the weekend in preparation for the upcoming floor debate. Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers, have uniformly opposed the bill as it has gone through committees.

Konfrst said the bill is unpopular with Iowans: More than half of Iowans opposed Reynolds narrower proposal in a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll last year.

Remind your legislators that we dont work for the governor; we work for constituents, Konfrst said. So were asking Iowans to let them know that and remind them that we are not here to do the governors bidding; were here to do the work of the people.

Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville said he expects the Senate will consider the legislation early next week as well.

Bill clears last hurdle in Senate

The legislation advanced through the Senate budget committee Thursday. Committee leaders from the Republican majority combined the two legislative committee steps into one hearing, and the bill passed both steps along party lines.

Because the proposal includes new state spending, it was required to pass through both education policy and budget committees. The Republican-led House drafted a new rule that allowed them to skip the budget committee in that chamber.

Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, a Republican from Fort Dodge who chairs the Senate budget committee, said he expects the governors estimate is a conservative figure, and that the program would cost even more.

Still, Kraayenbrink said, he supports the bill and believes it will work within the state budget because of majority Republicans' "conservative budgeting practices."

012023-qc-iowa-democrats Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst and Senate Democratic leader Zach Wahls hold a press conference on Gov. Kim Reynolds' private sc

Nonpartisan fiscal note

The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency has not analyzed the fiscal impacts of the bill, and Democrats have said theyd like to see those estimates before it goes to a floor vote.

Konfrst said the agencys fiscal estimate may come on Monday.

Thats not a lot of time to look over something thats going to be a billion-dollar project over four years, she said. We think that its only fair, when were spending this much taxpayer money, we should know where its coming from and how much its going to impact the rest of the budget.

Grassley said hed like to see the fiscal estimate, but he pointed to the numbers coming out of the governors office and said Republicans have been transparent about the cost of the program.

The goal is obviously to have that, but if we dont have that, we have been very transparent and clear with what the costs are, not just with this but in the entirety of the budget moving forward  up to even five years he said. "Thats really a long projection to make any sort of budget decision.

Erin Murphy of the Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed.

Photos: Gov. Kim Reynolds delivers the condition of the state address Close Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds hugs her husband First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds at the conclusion of the Condition of the State address, inside the Iowa House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Iowa Senate President Pro Tempore Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, applauds during Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State address, inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Attendees to Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State address applaud during the speech, inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber on Jan. 10 at the State Capitol in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address to members of the Iowa Legislature inside the House Chamber, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. Gov. Kim Reynolds is escorted into the Iowa House of Representatives, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2023, to give the annual Condition of the State address, at the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines. +9 +9 +9 +9 +9 +9 +9 +9 +9 +9
DES MOINES  Iowa House lawmakers for a third time have moved forward legislation that would prevent a defendant from using a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity as a mitigating factor if charged with a violent crime or assault.

The legal strategy asks a jury to find that a victims sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for a defendants violent reaction, including murder.

The so-called gay panic defense has been used successfully in other states, Keenan Crow of One Iowa told a subcommittee that voted unanimously Wednesday to move the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee.

Subcommittee member and freshman Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, said he was shocked to learn such a defense could be used in legal proceedings, and voted to advance the bill.

Perpetrators who use the legal strategy claim a defense of diminished capacity. They argue that learning another person's sexual orientation or gender identity  in a non-violent sexual advance or come-on from a LGBTQ-plus person  led to a loss of self-control and the subsequent assault.

What this bill aims to do is not excuse these assaults or murders simply because their victim is a LGBTQ person, Crow told the subcommittee of House lawmakers.

Damian Thompson, director of public policy and communication for Iowa Safe Schools, cited the 2016 killing of Kedarie Johnson, a gender-fluid Burlington teenager who was shot twice, his head covered by a plastic bag and another shoved down his throat. Thompsons body doused with bleach by a man who intended to have sex with the 16-year-old, who often presented as female and was dressed in women's clothing on the night of his death.

The fact the panic defense is even legal in the code is a bit of an insult to the LGBTQ community here in Iowa, Thompson said. And it kind of dishonors the memory of students like Kedarie Johnson.

The legislation was approved unanimously by the House in 2020, but the Legislature suspended its session a week later because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers again unanimously approved the bill in 2021, but it was never taken up by the Senate.

I find the use of this defense to be preposterous and heinous, said Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, who again is managing the bill. It does not pass the common-sense test. This shouldnt be a defense for anybody.

Kaufmann said he expects the bill will again pass the House unanimously, but said he could not speak for why senators did not consider the bill in previous sessions.

Im just hopeful that our persistence pays off, he told reporters. I stand ready to answer any questions that may be needed to get this down to the governors desk.

Kaufmann added hes found quite a bit of support" for the bill in the Senate and is optimistic it will be signed into law this year.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, and Senate Republican leadership did not immediately respond Wednesday afternoon to a request for comment on the bill.

The move, though, comes at the same time Republicans are pushing forward legislation that would prohibit teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in certain grades, and would prohibit schools from taking steps from affirming or recognizing a students preferred gender identity in school without written consent from their parents.

This bill and those bills couldnt possibly be more diametrically different, Kaufmann said, responding to a reporters question. So I am dealing with each bill in a vacuum, and this bill is simply the right thing to do.
DES MOINES  A depleted state fund for emergency financial assistance to Iowa veterans would get a boost under multiple proposals from Iowa lawmakers.

The available funds from the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund ran out  for the first time in a decade  in October. State officials said recently expanded eligibility and increased costs exhausted the funding.

That meant funds were unavailable to veterans who had hoped to use the program to help pay for myriad eligible expenses, like medical equipment, emergency room care, dental and hearing care, emergency housing and vehicle repairs, counseling, unemployment assistance and job training.

The Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs, housed in the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs and operates the program, has been forced to reject veterans requests for financial assistance.

Its pretty heartbreaking to turn away a widow or a veteran who needs a new roof and doesnt have insurance, said Carol Whitmore, a commission member from Des Moines.

The commission spent $632,000 in 2019 and $573,000 in 2020. During 2021, in an effort to aid more veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of the August 2020 derecho, the commission spent nearly $1.3 million.

By October 2022, however, the entire available funding from the trust fund was exhausted, and the commission postponed accepting new requests until additional funds became available.

Lawmakers Wednesday started working on potential remedies.

The Iowa Veterans Trust Fund contains $38.6 million, according to the funds 2022 report. But that money cannot be spent until it reaches $50 million. Spending from the program comes from an annual $500,000 allocation from the states lottery fund, plus interest on the lottery fund, which totaled just shy of $60,000 last year.

A bill in the Iowa House would increase the annual allocation from $500,000 to $800,000. House Study Bill 21 was introduced by Rep. Chad Ingels, a Republican from Randalia who chairs the Houses veterans affairs committee. The state veterans affairs department made a similar request last year, and the bill was approved unanimously by the House but was not considered by the Senate.

But that would only help the trust fund in future years; meantime, the fund remains empty through June 30, the end of the state budget year.

A bill in the Iowa Senate would double the annual allocation from $500,000 to $1 million, and also would immediately appropriate $500,000 for immediate use. Senate File 82 was proposed by Senate Democrats, including Sen. Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo.

As a state, we should never turn away veterans in need, but thats exactly whats happening now, Dotzler said in a statement. This bill will erase the existing shortfall in the Veterans Trust Fund and help ensure were keeping our promises to those who served. We owe it to our veterans to honor their service and meet their needs  especially in emergency situations.

Rep. Martin Graber, a Republican from Fort Madison, said the House Republican bill could also eventually include an emergency appropriation to the trust fund, or a separate allocation could come via the state budgeting process.

There are veterans who have bills that arent getting paid. So yes, theres a sense of urgency, Graber said.

Iowa Veterans Affairs Director Todd Jacobus was at the Iowa Capitol on Wednesday to address state legislators. He said there should be a discussion about eligibility for the program in order to ensure that funds are not depleted again, and that veterans who are truly in an emergency have access to the funds.

More resources would definitely provide more flexibility, Jacobus said. And I really think that we need to re-look at the rules associated with what qualifies an individual for an emergency.

Meantime, Iowa veterans in need of financial assistance should talk to their local veterans services officials about other options and programs, the state veterans affairs office said.
BEIJING  For seven decades, China's Communist Party has ruled the world's most populous country. As the nation's population crests and begins to shrink, experts say, it will face challenges ranging from supporting the elderly to filling the ranks of its military.

Population growth has been slowing for years, but the announcement Tuesday that the country's population fell by about 850,000 in 2022 came sooner than earlier projections.

Those developments  may well feed domestic challenges at home and strategic challenges abroad. The Party, in short, may be in for a rough go," said Mike Mazza, an analyst of Chinese military modernization at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

Others are less pessimistic.

Chinas increasingly becoming a higher-tech nation, so concentrating on improving the educational system, particularly in impoverished rural areas, and even in cities, is vital. So as well is increasing productivity. Wealthier people will buy more, which also increases GDP, said June Teufel Dreyer, a Chinese politics specialist at the University of Miami.

With the trend expected to continue, the U.N. estimates Chinas population will fall from 1.41 billion to about 1.31 billion by 2050 and keep shrinking from there.

Beijing previously tried to rein in its population growth. Worries that China's population was getting too big prompted it to adopt its one-child policy in the late 1970s. Beijing says the policy prevented 400 million additional births, but demographers disagree about how much of the drop in birth rates is explained by the policy.

The one-child policy came on top of existing societal changes, notably the flocking of people to live in cities during the economic boom, demographers say.

Of course, the one-child policy had an effect, said Sabine Henning, who heads the demographic change section at the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. But lifestyles have changed. Living expenses have increased so people are less inclined to have children. All of this has resulted ... in a further decline in fertility since the one-child policy stopped.

Experience in Europe and Japan shows how difficult it is to change mindsets and reverse the decline with government incentives and campaigns.

Faced with a crashing birthrate, the policy was abandoned seven years ago, but efforts to encourage bigger families have been largely unsuccessful, like similar efforts in other countries. Europe and Japan have also struggled to change mindsets and reverse the decline with government incentives and campaigns.

It amazes me how everyone seems to agree that the planet already has too many people whose demands for even the basics of existence like food, water and shelter are placing intolerable demands on the ecosystem  yet as soon as the population of a country begins to decline, its government reacts with near panic, Dreyer said.

Beijing's most immediate demographic challenge is an aging population: Tuesdays figures showed almost 20% of the population is now age 60 or older, and Chinese estimates say the number will rise to 30%, or more than 400 million people, by 2035.

Similar changes took decades in Europe.

They had more time to adjust, whereas its happening much faster in in Asia, said Srinivas Tata, director of the social development division at the U.N. commission in Bangkok.

To support this population of retirees, China may increase the retirement age, currently 50-55 for women and 60 for men.

The demographic news comes as Chinas economy is still recovering from the three-year struggle against COVID-19, which not only battered the economy but sparked rare antigovernment and anti-party protest.

Even with a shrinking population, China maintains considerable economic advantages over emerging manufacturing rivals such as Vietnam and India, which is set to overtake China as most populous this year. China has superior infrastructure and long-standing private sector relationships that it can rely on for years to come, said Mazza.

Chinas political system also plays a role, said Mary Gallagher, a scholar of Chinese politics at the University of Michigan.

Becoming the workshop of the world  requires a political system that can take advantage of that cheap young labor without much regard for the laborers political and civil rights, Gallagher said.

U.S. economic sanctions and its push to block Beijings access to cutting-edge processors and chip-making technology are further complicating efforts at recovery.

The Party also faces a challenge finding qualified recruits for its military, the 2 million-member People's Liberation Army, experts say.

It is doubtful that the PLA is getting the best and the brightest, given that families who have the means will discourage military service, said Daniel Blumenthal, director of Asian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and an expert on East Asian security issues and US-China relations.

Some American observers argue that these challenges could prompt Beijing to make aggressive moves sooner.

Still, the effects may not be known for some time, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies and a longtime observer of Chinese political and social trends.

Since demographic changes happen slowly, at least at the start of the turn, their effect on Chinas standing and influence globally will take time to happen, Tsang said.
WEST OKOBOJI, Iowa -- West O Beer, Okoboji's premiere craft brewery, has announced "Blue Taps = Blue Water," which seeks to protect waterways in the Lakes area and beyond.

In collaboration with Doll Distributing, "Blue Taps = Blue Water" will connect craft beer drinkers across West O Beer's distribution area with water quality efforts in the region by raising money with every keg sold to bars, restaurants and other venues.

"Blie Taps = Blue Water will feature new, water-inspired blue-coated tap handles signaling to patrons that West O Beer enjoyed anywhere those blue handles (are) directly impacting their water," owner Matt Matthiesen said.

A portion of the proceeds from those kegs sold will go to identify water quality efforts. Doll Distributing will be matching the proceeds. Blue Taps = Blue Water will begin with Northwest Iowa bars and restaurants, with proceeds going to Keep Okoboji Blue.

Since opening in 2013, West O Beer's main mission has been to work hand in hand with local and regional clean water groups, to connect their beer directly with efforts protecting that vital resource. Their long-standing partnership with Keep Okoboji Blue has included annual cleanups, an environmental symposium and a collaborative beer that raises money for and awareness of Keep Okoboji Blue's effort.

"Our beer starts with our water, and the uniquely soft blue water of West Okoboji Lake," Matthiesen said. "It always comes back to the water. West O Beer can connect our beer with water quality initiatives protecting water wherever our beer is sold, poured and enjoyed."

Blue Taps rollouts will begin in Northwest Iowa throughout January and February. More information can be found at westobeer.com.
The appointment of various members of Congress to various seats on committeessomething that happens at the start of each new Congressis typically not that interesting of a process. But then, this is not a typical Congress.

Republicans, back in the majority, are seeking to reinstate the committee assignments for two members, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom Democrats had stripped of their assignments in the previous Congress. (Republicans are also looking for revenge by stripping a few Democrats of their assignments). And some members are fresh off of a very public standoff in which they used certain committee seats as a cudgel to bend McCarthy to their will in exchange for supporting him for speaker.

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To be clear, committee assignments arent officially set yet, even though were a few weeks into the new Congress. First, the leaders of the respective parties have to cut a deal on committee ratios, and then each partys respective steering committee decides who goes where. Thats where we are now. Next, each respective party caucus and conference will approve their steering committees recommendations, and then the whole House has to sign off on them too.

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But with most of the steering committee recommendations in, lets look at some of the notable placements.

Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene are back.

For a long time, the House majority wouldnt fiddle with the minoritys committee selections. But they always could. After all, a majority can do whatever it wants with 218 votes. Twice in the last Congress, then, Democrats took a step that was unprecedented in modern times: They voted to strip two separate members of the minority from their committee assignments for incidents they found beyond the pale.

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In February of 2021, barely into the new Congress, all Democrats (and 11 Republicans) voted to strip Greene from two committee assignments for a series of dingbat stunts and amping of conspiracy theories that occurred mostly before she got to Congress: liking Facebook posts about shooting then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, dabbling in 9/11 trutherism, and confronting school shooting survivors.

Nine months later, Gosar was removed from his committeesand censuredfor posting an anime video in which he was depicted killing New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden with swords. (Gosar and AOC, interestingly, were spotted having a floor conversation during this months speakership ordeal.)

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McCarthy pledged that each of these members of Congress would get their committee assignments back if Republicans retook the majority. They ran with that information in different ways. Greene became one of McCarthys most loyal allies as he sought to corral the votes for the speakership, while Gosar was one of the 20 holdouts who didnt come around to McCarthys side until the 12th ballot.

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It didnt appear to make a lick of difference. Gosar was still restored to the same committees from which he was removedNatural Resources and Oversight. Greene also landed on Oversight, the committee that has wide latitude to investigate and make a spectacle of the Biden administration, as well as on Homeland Security, which has jurisdiction over happenings at the southern border. Neither of Greenes committees are going to produce major bipartisan legislation that unites America. But they will hold many televised hearings during which Greene can yell at Biden administration officials.

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What of the other McCarthy-speaker-vote holdouts?

There was a time, oh there was a time, when junior, backbench members wouldnt dare deny the speaker-in-waiting the gavel, because they knew theyd be lighting their careers on fire. That time was pretty recent. Former Rep. Kathleen Rice, for example, tried to topple Pelosi ahead of the 2019 speakers vote. She failed at that, and then was mysteriously unable to secure the spot on the Judiciary committee for which she considered herself next in line.

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Nowadays, Republican leaders would get in trouble with right-wing media if they tried to mete out consequences to annoying people. (That last sentence better explains the previous decade of politics more than anything else Ive written.) So instead, several of the holdouts appear to have been rewarded with prized seats on so-called A committees, which are highly sought. Texas Rep. Michael Cloud and Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, both holdouts, won seats on Appropriations, while Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, whom the holdouts nominated on numerous speakership ballots, will serve on Financial Services. Six of the holdouts will be on Oversight, and several others on Judiciarythe two prime spots for people who just want to heckle Joe Biden.

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One line that was not crossed, though, was giving holdouts the specific committee or subcommittee chairmanships they asked for. Maryland Rep. Andy Harris reportedly wanted control of a powerful Appropriations subcommittee controlling health spending. He got a different subcommittee gavel. And Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz reportedly wanted a subcommittee chairmanship on Armed Services. He didnt get it.

George Santos won seats on the Siberia committees that meet in Siberia.

There was some outrage from Democrats that Republicans would deign to give assignments to George Santos, whos in the midst of a scandal in which he appears to have made up much of his life story. (This could have consequences beyond mere political shame.) The committees to which he was assigned, though, arent universally recognized as power centers in the United States Congress. He will sit on the Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees. Even if something cool does come along in science (which Santos invented, didntcha know?), hell be too junior on the committee to have any say in it. Oh well! He shouldnt have made up so many lies.

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Did McCarthy punish any House Republicans?

There is one guy who thinks McCarthy screwed him. Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan lost the race to chair the Ways and Means Committeethe A-est of the A committeesto Missouri Rep. Jason Smith. Per Pucks reporting, Buchanan blamed McCarthy for siding with Smith and walked up to McCarthy on the floor to say, You fucked me, I know it was you, you whipped against me. Buchanan, a rich guy with a private plane who has better things to do than this, has reportedly been mulling retirement if hes not going to chair the committee. And thats part of why McCarthy moved this contested chairmanship decision until after he had Buchanans vote for speaker.

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Which Democrats are Republicans planning to kick off of committees?

McCarthy has sworn he will make good on a promise to remove California Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, two villains of the Fox News universe, from their seats on the Intelligence committee in retaliation for their roles in Trump investigations. McCarthy also plans to boot Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs. McCarthy could remove Schiff and Swalwell unilaterally as Intel is a select committee. Omars removal from a standing committee would have to be done by House vote.

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What about the Rules committee?

This is the big one were still waiting to see. McCarthy, as speaker, has the ability to appoint Republican members of the Rules committee, which sets the parameters for floor consideration of most major legislation. The speakers control of this committee, which he typically stocks with the most loyal of allies, is a fundamental part of the speakers control of the House. According to reporting of the deal McCarthy struck with far-right holdouts, though, conservatives in the Freedom Caucus (or fellow ideological travelers) are supposed to get three seats on the Rules Committee.

This has the potential to be one of McCarthys most meaningful concessions. The breakdown on the Rules Committee is typically nine speaker-controlled warm bodies to four members from the minority. Giving three seats to the Freedom Caucus could leave McCarthy with only 6 remote-controlled McCarthy stansi.e., a minority. McCarthy has yet to make his appointments here beyond the chairman, Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, but its worth paying close attention to the specific hardliners he lets in.
BEIRUT, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UNICEF on Thursday warned against an educational disaster in Lebanon, urging the immediate reopening of public schools to end education disruption.

"Children in Lebanon are experiencing another devastating disruption to their education following the closure of public schools at the beginning of this month," Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF representative in Lebanon, said in a statement released by the UN agency.

"Unless schools reopen without delay, the immediate and long-term impacts on their learning, protection and future prosperity will be insurmountable and hinder prospects for a sustainable recovery from the current economic crisis," he added.

Beigbeder also urged "the Lebanese government to prioritize long-term solutions through the 2023 country budget and take steps to support teachers with an income which provides dignity and so that children can access quality, safe and inclusive education."

Lebanon's public school teachers started a strike earlier this month to protest at devalued salaries and the dire work conditions since the start of Lebanon's economic crisis in 2019. 
At what point does a politicians behavior become so scandalous or embarrassing that he, or much more rarely she, has no choice but to resign or drop out of a campaign? This used to be a relatively straightforward questionsomething as simple as being caught having an extramarital affair could be disqualifying. But things are different in the Donald Trump-era Republican Party.

Trump, as all Americans recall very fondly, chose not to drop out of the 2016 presidential race after the release of an audio tape in which he described his enthusiasm for touching women in a way that really really really sounded like sexual assault. (He denies having sexually assaulted anyone.) This risk paid off, in that Trumps poll numbers dipped only temporarily and he won the election. It has inspired many subsequent figures, perhaps most notably Herschel Walker, to stick it out in office or on the trail while doubling down on the denial of various allegations, no matter how credible, against them. In Walkers case, this meant finishingand nearly winning!the 2022 Georgia Senate race, despite some ruthlessly credible accusations that he had fathered secret children and paid for a secret abortion.

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Into this context arrived Rep. George Santos, the Long Island Republican who has been accused of (and/or admitted to) many things since winning election to Congress in November:

 Using stolen checks to buy shoes in Brazil

 Participating in the operation of a Ponzi scheme

 Lying about having worked at Goldman Sachs

 Lying about having worked at Citigroup

 Lying about having Jewish grandparents who fled the Holocaust

 Lying about having Jewish grandparents

 Lying about being named Anthony Zabrovsky in order to raise money from Jewish donors

 Lying about having employed four people who died in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando

 Lying about operating a registered charity for pets

 Lying about owning rental properties

 Lying about his mother being the first female executive at a major financial corporation

 Lying about his mother having been in the South Tower of the World Trade Center when it was hit by a plane on 9/11

 Lying about having graduated from college

 Lying about having attended college

 Lying about having been a star volleyball player at a college he didnt attend

 Committing whatever kind of campaign-finance violation would require one to repeatedly claim to have eaten a meal that cost exactly $199.99, the highest expenditure that does not require the submission of a receipt to the Federal Elections Commission, at a restaurant in Queens owned by a man who also owns a property where federal agents once found cocaine and ammunition (and whose brother has been convicted of human trafficking)

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Santos, however, has not yet resigned, despite being urged to do so by six fellow Republican representatives from New York and a handful of others. (He also, for the record, hasnt been charged with a crime). Is there anything that could make this man break his commitment to public service? What if he were accused of stealing money from a down-on-his-luck veteran who needed it because his service dog had cancer? As first reported by the local news site Patch:

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In May 2016, Richard Osthoff was living in a tent in an abandoned chicken coop on the side of Route 9 in Howell, New Jersey, with his beloved service dog Sapphire. A veterans charity gave the pit mix to Osthoff, a disabled veteran who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2002, he told Patch. When Sapphire developed a life-threatening stomach tumor, Osthoff, now 47, learned the surgery would cost $3,000. A veterinary technician took Osthoff aside and told him, I know a guy who runs a pet charity who can help you, Osthoff recounted.

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As Patch explains in its story, the alleged charity in question was the fake one, referenced above, run by Santoswho was, at the time, going by a completely different name, Anthony Devolder. According to Osthoff and a veterans advocate who was in touch with him at the time, Devolder/Santos raised $3,000 on GoFundMe for the dogs surgery, provided a series of excuses for not spending it on an operation, and dropped out of touch. The dog then died.

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Santos denies the allegation and says he has no idea who Osthoff is, but contemporaneous evidence published by Patch and other outlets suggests that someone going by the name Anthony Devolder did, in fact, raise money for Osthoffs dog in 2016; Anthony Devolder, meanwhile, was an alias that Santos was already known to have used before Osthoff made the allegation publicly.

As of press time, George Santos/Anthony Devolder/Anthony Zabrovsky remains a member of Congress and, as of this week, has reportedly even been assigned to serve on the House Committee on Small Business. For the time being, readers are advised not to respond to any texts or calls from the House Committee on Small Business seeking their social security number or other financial information.
This article originally appeared in Zocalo Public Square.

Whether you love or hate people speaking as their pets, using cutesy terms like pupperinos and heckin good bois, or sharing grammatically incorrect cat speak memes, the concept of a pet voice has become just as much a part of the social media landscape as images of furry and scaly companions themselves. Indeed, speaking with, and through, animals to convey our very human emotions and thoughts is one of the hallmark practices of internet culture.

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But the pet voice phenomenon isnt unique to the social media age. Media and pets have always been intertwined, and owners and animal fans alike have played with communication through them for hundreds of years. As historian Katherine Grier details in Pets in America: A History, as early as the 19th century, people were exchanging letters to each other in the voices of their furry companions. Taking advantage of the rise in photographic technology, they also began printing out photo plates of their animals to distribute to their friends. Such interpersonal practices can be seen as the Victorian equivalent of sending cute pet pictures via messaging apps like Snapchat or WhatsApp.

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But not all early pet practices were so innocuous. Fashion scholar Julia Long problematizes the way humans have used pets as props. She points to an 1886 Washington Post interview with a woman lavishing her valuable affection on the pet beetles she wore as a fashion statement. When asked if the beetle knew his owner, the reporter notes, this lady expressed extreme anguish and astonishment at the thought of her beloved pet not returning her affection.

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The thought of wearing a beetle like a brooch, let alone keeping one as a pet, may give many readers pause today. But as a communication tactic, the practice speaks volumes. The act of anthropomorphizing, or attributing human characteristics to non-human entities, is a distancing concept. By pretending to speak as another, particularly one that cannot actually speak for itself, the woman giving the beetles a voice becomes removed from their utterances. This distance, however slight, has immense implications in todays mediated times. One of the most famous New Yorker cartoons features two dogs at a computer saying, On the Internet, nobody knows youre a dog. The cartoon demonstrates how speaking through pets plays into the internets ambivalence, or the difficulty in ascertaining definitive meanings in online communication.

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Its especially important we understand this tactic today because the anthropomorphized pet voice has taken on new life in the era of Instagram and TikTok. And as I discuss in my new book, The Internet is for Cats: How Animal Images Shape Our Digital Lives, such animal imagery is often used to mask some of the more insidious parts of internet culture, such as hate speech and harassment.

The chill amphibian meme of Pepe the Frog, which the Anti-Defamation League declared a hate symbol in 2016, shows how malicious human posters can warp seemingly innocent images of pets and animals. Additionally, in speaking as an animal, even a cartoon frog, the human poster puts distance between themselves and what they have said. On the opposite end of the political spectrum from Pepe is Jorts the Cat, a popular Twitter account that tweets aggressively pro-union and labor rights sentiments from behind the veil of an orange tabby. And paradoxically, it hits harder when an internet cat critiques a governor over legislation.

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The distancing of anthropomorphism also has become a lucrative benefit for businesses and brands. In recent years, pet influencers have skyrocketed in popularityand become intertwined with sponsored posts and advertising deals. As internet scholar Sophie Bishop has discussed, brands engage in a safety dance when recruiting influencers, a process that involves the use of automated tools to gauge the potential risk of a prospective human influencer damaging the brand. Pets bypass that safety dance entirely. Even though there is always a human poster behind a pet influencer, the distance brought by the pet voice makes them safer, and in turn, more marketable.

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When I attended 2020 PetCon, the annual pet influencer and internet celebrity convention, founder Loni Edwards told the room as much:

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You get all the benefits of the human influencer with the cuteness of pets. Everyone loves pets. Theyre joyful, theyre cute, they make us happy. But theyre not going to get drunk at a party and hurt your brand like a human influencer.

While pet voice is comforting and common, it does bring with it serious implications to think about in our accelerated and ubiquitous communication in the digital age. But all LOLz are not lost. As one person with a pet account told me, [S]ocial media used to be this fun thing, but now it can come with a lot of negativity and stress. So, I have followed certain cute animal accounts as just a way to have a burst of positivity in my feed as Im scrolling. Being able to add to that is nice, too. As long as we remember the human behind the pet voice, pet images and videos can be a reprieve from the more cumbersome aspects of being online.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Police are asking the public for help in their search for a missing Brookfield, Massachusetts woman, CBS Boston reports.

Brittany Tee, 35, was last seen Tuesday night leaving her boyfriend's house, authorities said. She was reported missing Friday.

Local and State Police searched the neighborhood of Tee's boyfriend for clues on Sunday. Police dogs tried to pick up a scent in nearby woods and a drone scoured the area from above.

A group of Tee's friends gathered at the police department to join the search, but investigators feared they might unintentionally trample important evidence.

"I know the urge is out there to go and help in the search right now but we're asking that you please not do that now," said Brookfield Police Cheif Michael Blanchard.

But Worcester County District Attorney D.A. Joseph Early Jr. asked Brookfield residents for a different kind of help. "Anyone with any media, any cameras at their home, check it. Check your cameras, see if you have anything at all," he said.

Police were to resume their search Monday morning.

Brittany is 5'6", 120 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black winter coat, jeans, and work boots.

Family and friends said she's never been gone for this long without contacting loved ones.

Friends told CBS Boston Tee's car was found at her boyfriend's house. Her phone was last pinged near the Brookfield State Police barracks.

Comedian and actor Leslie Jones on guest-hosting "The Daily Show"

China braces for slow economic rebound ahead of GPD report

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/little-known-database-gives-us-law-enforcement-access-to-millions-of-money-transfer-records-1106474288.html

Little-Known Database Gives US Law Enforcement Access to Millions of Money Transfer Records

Little-Known Database Gives US Law Enforcement Access to Millions of Money Transfer Records

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), roughly 7% of Americans used money transfer services like Western Union in 2021.

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americas

western union

money transfer

government surveillance

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A non-profit organization set up by the Arizona Attorney General is offering a database of more than 150 million money transfers by Americans to virtually any law enforcement officer who requests access.The Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC) was set up by Arizonas Attorney General in 2014. According to internal documents viewed by the Wall Street Journal and an investigation by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), it provides access to not only federal agencies like the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but also virtually any other law enforcement officer, all the way down to small-town police departments.More than 150 million transfers from Western Union, MoneyGram, Euronet, Viamericas, and other money transfer services are stored in the database. They include the full names of the sender and recipient and how much money was sent.The organization was set up after a settlement between Western Union and the state of Arizona to resolve an investigation into whether the company was facilitating money laundering. That $94 million settlement was used by Arizona to set up TRAC, which has since exhausted those funds. According to TRAC director Rich Lebel, the database is now maintained using federal funds.Most of the records involve transactions from the United States going to more than 20 countries, including Caribbean and Latin American countries, Canada, France, Spain, Ukraine, and China. But some transactions are entirely domestic, with cross-state transactions sent to border towns also being scooped up and stored in the TRAC database.Courts have consistently ruled that communications between two US citizens require more judicial oversight than communications involving a foreign participant, though it is unclear if that would also apply to financial transactions.Services like Western Union are used to send money between two parties, either because one or both of the participants are unbanked, or because using a bank is inconvenient, like when the sender and receivers banks are on different networks. Money transfer services are also commonly used by immigrants to send money back to their home countries, a practice typically called remittance payments.According to the FDIC, 4.5% of households (approximately 5.9 million) in the US are unbanked, meaning no one in the household has access to a checking or savings account.Lebel says the TRAC database filters out transactions under $500, avoiding most remittance payments.Unlike banks, companies like Western Union are not regulated by the federal government, with that being handled on the state level. Banks must monitor transactions for suspicious activities, report any transaction over $10,000, and follow know-your-customer regulations. On the flip side, law enforcement agencies are required by law to obtain a warrant or subpoena to request bank records and banks are required to notify customers when their records are being handed over to law enforcement.Lebel says that lack of oversight makes the bulk collection critical, and that TRAC is a law enforcement tool that has led to hundreds of leads and busts of drug cartels, money launderers, and other criminals.Since the organizations founding, TRAC has continued to add to its database. According to documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union and viewed by the Wall Street Journal, the Homeland Security Investigation used custom summons, a type of subpoena, to obtain more than 6 million transactions from Western Union and Maxitransfers since 2019. Those transactions were eventually stored in the TRAC database.In 2006, years before TRAC existed, the Arizona Attorney General sent a subpoena to Western Union, requesting records for all of its transfers from Arizona to the Mexican state of Sonora. Western Union fought the subpoena, causing an appeals court to rule that the broad subpoena did not stand up to Arizona law.Shortly after that ruling, the state of Arizona started the aforementioned investigation into Western Union, resulting in the $94 million settlement and eventually, TRACs creation. Despite the court ruling, Arizona has continued to send bulk subpoena requests to money transfer companies. Outside of Western Unions 2006 challenge, no company has fought the subpoenas in court.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/2500-a-night-prostitutes-flock-to-davos-to-entertain-world-economic-forum-guests-1106488266.html

$2,500-a-Night Prostitutes Flock to Davos to 'Entertain' World Economic Forum Guests

$2,500-a-Night Prostitutes Flock to Davos to 'Entertain' World Economic Forum Guests

The annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos is renowned as an exclusive club for the rich and powerful  but sex industry insiders have revealed the seedier side of what goes on behind luxury hotel doors.

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davos

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2023 world economic forum in davos

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More than a hundred prostitutes have travelled to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum (WEF).The call-girls are charging up to $2,500 a night to guests at the annual gathering of the rich and powerful at the exclusive Alpine resort. One prostitute who used the name 'Liana' told a German national newspaper that she often services a US member of the exclusive club of financial and political elites. She said her client would pay $750 per hour with her or $2,500 for the night.Liana said she dresses in smart business clothes when in Davos to blend in with the crowd of big-shots, staff and journalists.The manageress of an escort agency in the Swiss town of Aargau, around 100 miles (160km) from Davos, said she had made 11 bookings and had 25 other calls from the event before it was fully underway. German prostitute Salome Balthus tweeted about her experience of selling her body for top rates in Davos.The Teutonic tart was careful to keep the identity of her rich clients secret, saying: Believe me, you dont want to get into litigation with them.Balthus said it was only the business representatives at Davos who used her services, not politicians who have neither the time nor the desire.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/musk-twitter-poll-finds-millions-oppose-world-rule-from-davos-by-wef-1106482313.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/all-people-kidnapped-at-train-station-in-nigeria-freed-7-suspects-arrested-authorities-say-1106491506.html

All People Kidnapped at Train Station in Nigeria Freed, 7 Suspects Arrested, Authorities Say

All People Kidnapped at Train Station in Nigeria Freed, 7 Suspects Arrested, Authorities Say

This article is about the Nigerian authorities announcing that all people kidnapped at a train station in the Nigerian state of Edo have been released.

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On January 7, over 30 passengers and two workers of a railway company were kidnapped in an armed attack at an Igueben train station, according to local media. He added that the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki would provide the necessary assistance to those in need. On Thursday, Benson Odia, the director of the opposition Esan Youth movement which is active in the state, told the newspaper that the arrested village chiefs were innocent, and the government wanted to punish and humiliate them for not supporting the ruling party.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/biden-to-signal-reelection-plans-in-coming-weeks-reports-claim-1106478398.html

Biden to Signal Reelection Plans in Coming Weeks, Reports Claim

Biden to Signal Reelection Plans in Coming Weeks, Reports Claim

US President Joe Biden will indicate his plans to run for reelection in the next few weeks, US newspaper reported citing sources familiar with preparations for the 2024 campaign bid.

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biden classified files

joe biden

2024 us presidential elections

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The 80-year-old is expected to signal his intention to run in the state-of-the-union address to the nation on February 7 and make a more formal declaration closer to the spring. This is despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the find of classified documents at Biden's private office in Washington, DC. The scandal has dominated White House briefings in January, stirring uncertainty among his Democrats, the media has learned. A Democratic strategist who spoke to newspaper on condition of anonymity said the issue was overtaking the campaign. It has allowed Republicans to draw parallels between Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, who has his own secret papers scandal to deal with.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/bitzlato-crypto-exchange-seized-as-founder-accused-of-processing-700m-in-illicit-funds-1106477206.html

Bitzlato Crypto Exchange Seized as Founder Accused of Processing $700m in Illicit Funds

Bitzlato Crypto Exchange Seized as Founder Accused of Processing $700m in Illicit Funds

US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco claimed on Wednesday that the arrest of the Bitzlato founder has dealt a significant blow to the crypto crime ecosystem.

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world

us

new york

miami

cryptocurrency exchange

arrest

prosecutors

court

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US and French law enforcement agencies have seized a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange, Bitzlato, while also arresting its founder Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian national who is accused of fuelling a "high-tech axis of crypto crime."The 40-year-old, who resides in China, was detained in Miami on Tuesday night and is expected in court on a charge of conducting an unlicensed money-transmitting business and processing more than $700 mln in illicit funds. He is also accused of breaking rules aimed to thwart money laundering.Officials did not elaborate on Wednesdays press conference why Legkodymov, who reportedly moved to New York in October, was in Miami at the time of his arrest.US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, in turn, told reporters that institutions that trade in cryptocurrency are not above the law and their owners are not beyond our reach.He was echoed by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who warned that operating offshore or moving your servers out of the continental US will not shield you.The tropical island remark apparently referred to last months arrest of in the Bahamas of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief executive of failed cryptocurrency firm FTX. In December, Bankman-Fried was indicted in what prosecutors described as one of the biggest financial fraud cases in US history.On Bitzlato, it is thought to have conducted hefty cryptocurrency exchanges with users of Hydra Market, a darknet marketplace for drugs, money laundering and stolen financial information, something that international authorities shut down in 2022.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230103/former-ftx-ceo-sam-bankman-fried-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-fraud-charges---reports-1106018906.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/catalan-leader-calls-on-spanish-prime-minister-to-hold-referendum-media-claims-1106500542.html

Catalan Leader Calls on Spanish Prime Minister to Hold Referendum, Media Claims

Catalan Leader Calls on Spanish Prime Minister to Hold Referendum, Media Claims

Catalan President Pere Aragones warned Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an informal conversation that the issue of Catalonia's independence was not yet over and insisted on holding a referendum, Spanish media reported.

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Aragones spoke with Sanchez on the sidelines of a Franco-Spanish summit, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. After greeting the leaders, Aragones reportedly left the event immediately, without waiting for the Spanish and French anthems to be played. The Catalan leader later told journalists that the conflict between Catalonia and Madrid would not disappear if the authorities ignored it, and noted the need for a referendum recognized by all sides, according to Spanish broadcaster. The meeting between Sanchez and Macron, who arrived in Barcelona to sign a treaty on Franco-Spanish friendship and cooperation, took place against the backdrop of street demonstrations organized by pro-independence associations in Catalonia. Last December, the Spanish prime minister said there would never be a referendum on self-determination in Catalonia, noting that the region's independence process was complete. In the October 2017 referendum, which Madrid called illegal, over 90% of voters supported Catalonia's independence. The Spanish government refused to recognize the results of the vote, the turnout for which fell below 50% and stood at 43%. In October 2019, the Supreme Court sentenced 12 Catalan politicians and activists for organizing an unauthorized referendum on independence and issuing a unilateral declaration of independence. Nine people were found guilty of mutiny and received sentences ranging from nine to 13 years in prison. Three were found guilty of insubordination and given fines.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221216/never-spanish-pm-sanchez-on-renewed-call-for-catalonia-independence-1105519551.html

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"We were called to a leak of hydrochloric acid at 20:39 on Wednesday evening. Two hundred people were evacuated from the factory before we arrived. We used chemical equipment to test the levels of chemicals in the area and worked on site to disperse it. The leak was isolated at approximately 23:30 and we remained on scene throughout the night doing checks before we left. The incident is now over. There was no evacuation of residents, and no-one was treated by emergency services. We are not aware of any advice to close windows and doors," the London Fire Brigade said in a statement.
HARARE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's exports of manufactured or valued added products increased 13 percent to 334 million U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of 2022, compared to 295 million U.S. dollars during the same period in 2021, trade promotion body ZimTrade said Thursday.

Zimbabwe has been on a drive to ensure that extractors of raw materials beneficiate them before exporting so that the country earns more foreign currency.

Recently, the country banned the exportation of raw lithium ore, pushing miners to install processing plants.

Responding to questions from Xinhua, ZimTrade operations director Similo Nkala said apart from other export destinations, ZimTrade would this year conduct a market scanning in Saudi Arabia, in an effort to explore more export opportunities for local products in the Middle East.

The country has already made inroads in Asia where the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China are among its top three trading partners.

Nkala said inclusivity was key to achieving sustainable export growth and capacity development initiatives that empowered businesses would guarantee steady foreign currency income for the country.

"ZimTrade, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, will continue to propel programs that integrate previously marginalized groups in export business," he said. "A focus on the development of provincial clusters has not only ensured that we leverage Zimbabwe's natural endowments for export, but also allowed for smallholder farmers across the country to contribute to national exports."

He said a good example of the initiative was a ZimTrade pilot project in southeastern Zimbabwe that saw more than 40 smallholder farmers attaining organic certification to export pineapples to Europe.

"This project is expected to continue this year with 200 smallholder farmers added to the program," Nkala said. "Such projects -- like the Ndiyadzo Pineapple Project -- are meant to inculcate international certification compliance among the smallholder farmers so that they also tap into the high-end export market."

Zimbabwe's exports stood at 5.9 billion U.S. dollars for the first 11 months of 2022, up 9.2 percent when compared to the 5.4 billion U.S. dollars recorded during the same period in 2021.

Nkala said this boost in exports could be attributed to the various efforts made by the government, along with related agencies like ZimTrade, which facilitated export promotional activities such as outward missions and trade fair participation.

"These activities have raised the profile of Zimbabwean products and generated interest from markets around the world," Nkala said. "With the continued demand for organic and fresh produce in Europe and the Middle East, there is a great potential for Zimbabwe to expand their exports, with a high likelihood of surpassing the 7 billion U.S. dollar mark in 2023."

According to Nkala, exports to UAE increased to 1.96 billion U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of 2022, compared to 1.47 billion U.S. dollars for a similar period in 2021.

More initiatives were being channeled toward increasing exports in West Africa, he said.

"For example, Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in Africa offering massive opportunities for local companies to increase their products in the market," he said. "As such, ZimTrade will be conducting a market survey to identify export opportunities and to better understand the market."

Nkala believed that outward missions had played a significant role in accelerating trade, and there were plans to integrate local companies with destination buyers and foster business relationships that would lead to increased exports.

"After the market survey done in Ghana last year, ZimTrade will be holding an outward mission, taking businesses to the market for assessment and with the hope of creating trade integrations," he said. "Other outward and inward mission destinations in the continent include Kenya, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Mozambique." 
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/eu-believes-us-unwilling-to-supply-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-fearing-escalation-report-says-1106490778.html

EU Believes US Unwilling to Supply Abrams Tanks to Ukraine Fearing Escalation, Report Says

EU Believes US Unwilling to Supply Abrams Tanks to Ukraine Fearing Escalation, Report Says

European officials believe that the United States is reluctant to hand over even a token contingent of its Abrams tanks to Kiev over concerns about the risk of escalation

2023-01-19T12:24+0000

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2023-01-19T12:55+0000

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On Friday, the United Kingdom, Poland and Finland will try to persuade Germany to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, while the US is not expected to commit to sending Abrams tanks, the report said. A German newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in a conversation with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, made it clear that his country would supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, but on the condition that Washington also sends its Abrams tanks. British media reported that Germany has so far refused to provide Leopard 2 tanks for fear that the move could escalate the Ukrainian conflict and leave Berlin "exposed to Moscows wrath." At the same time, Washington is supportive of Berlin sending tanks to Kiev behind the scenes, but does not pressure it to do so, the report said. The newspaper cited one US administration official as saying, "we are not coaxing or trying to manipulate any nations decision about what they want to provide," adding that the US is "grateful for all of the weapons Germany is willing to provide." On Wednesday, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that the Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment, which is "expensive, hard to train on" and has a jet engine, so it will be difficult for Ukraine to maintain it. Western countries have been ramping up their military support for Kiev since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian armed forces.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/west-pledges-main-battle-tanks-to-kiev-but-will-it-be-a-game-changer-1106470433.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/eu-parliament-adopts-resolution-condemning-blockade-of-lachin-corridor-by-azerbaijan-1106499401.html

EU Parliament Adopts Resolution, Condemning Blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan

EU Parliament Adopts Resolution, Condemning Blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution, condemning the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia

2023-01-19T15:59+0000

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Earlier this month, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan expressed concern that Azerbaijan's blockage of the corridor had caused a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada, in turn, said on Wednesday that the corridor was open for traffic. The document also calls for "comprehensive peace agreement" between Armenia and Azerbaijan which will ensure the protection of rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. The parliament also urged the Azerbaijani authorities to grant access to the area for international organization so as to provide humanitarian support for the region. Since December 12, the only road which connects Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh but runs through the Lachin district of Azerbaijan has been blocked by a group of people from Azerbaijan described by Baku as environmental activists protesting alleged Armenian illegal mining in the area. Yerevan called the move a provocation by Baku meant to cause a humanitarian collapse in the region.The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up in September 2020, and the region saw the most serious escalation of the protracted standoff in years. The hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered trilateral truce, in which Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a ceasefire and exchange of prisoners and bodies of the dead. In addition, the Kalbajar, Lachin, and part of the Agdam District were handed over to Azerbaijan. Russian peacekeepers have been deployed to the region to ensure the implementation of the truce.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/french-trade-unions-strike-against-pension-reform--1106481513.html

French Trade Unions Strike Against Pension Reform

French Trade Unions Strike Against Pension Reform

French President Emmanuel Macron called 2023 the year of the pension reform in his New Year`s address to citizens.

2023-01-19T13:05+0000

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Sputnik is live from Paris, as thousands gather on the streets to demonstrate against new pension reforms which will raise the retirement age in France from the current 62 to 64.Its increase will be implemented gradually until 2030.The reforms have sparked outrage among French citizens. French trade unions, as well as the left opposition, strongly expressed their discontent. Today is the first day of the nationwide protests of French people against the proposed reforms.Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more!

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/iaea-chief-accident-at-nuclear-power-plant-in-ukraine-can-happen-any-moment-1106476650.html

IAEA Chief: Accident at Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine Can Happen 'Any Moment'

IAEA Chief: Accident at Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine Can Happen 'Any Moment'

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said an accident at a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Ukraine can happen at any time.

2023-01-19T03:05+0000

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Journalist Christiane Amanpour asked Grossi what the possibility of an accident at a Ukrainian NPP was if there was no safety zone around it. In addition, the situation remains tense regarding the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, since Kiev's forces are targeting the facility in the region, which joined Russia via a referendum last Autumn.The Zaporozhye NPP is located on the left bank of the Dnepr near the city of Energodar. This is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and installed capacity - the plant has six power units with a capacity of 1 gigawatt each. Since March 2022, the nuclear plant has been under the protection of the Russian military. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that this step was justified in order to avoid leakage of nuclear and radioactive materials. The Ukrainian military continues to regularly shell Energodar and targets the territory of the Zaporozhye NPP adjacent to the city. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the Kiev regime seeks to create the appearance of a nuclear disaster threat by continuing to purposefully shell the ZNPP. The IAEA has repeatedly stated the need to create a security zone around the ZNPP. Referendums on the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions becoming part of Russia were held on September 23-27, 2022. Most voters supported joining Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed relevant treaties with the territories' heads on September 30.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/imprisoned-cartel-leader-el-chapo-calls-on-amlo-to-save-him-from-psychological-torment-1106474802.html

Imprisoned Cartel Leader El Chapo Calls on AMLO to Save Him From 'Psychological Torment'

Imprisoned Cartel Leader El Chapo Calls on AMLO to Save Him From 'Psychological Torment'

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is currently serving a life sentence in Colorados Supermax prison for multiple charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapon charges.

2023-01-19T00:24+0000

2023-01-19T00:24+0000

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Convicted drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman sent a message described as an SOS to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commonly referred to as AMLO, asking him for help due to the psychological torment he is suffering at the hands of the US judicial system.Jose Refugio Rodriguez, a lawyer representing Guzman, told reporters on Tuesday that in the six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun, clarifying that Guzman is only allowed outside three times a week in a 2 by 2.5-meter enclosure that is not hit by the sun.The letter, sent to the Mexican consulate, also states visit requests have only been granted to Guzman five or six times in the six years he has been in the Colorado Supermax prison, compared to other inmates who get that many visits in a month. It's also alleged the former cartel leader has not had a human rights visit, that the prison had denied him medical care, pulling out teeth for a toothache instead of treating it, and denying his US lawyer - Mariel Colon - access to documents that Rodriguez says he has.The letter also claims there were procedural violations in Guzmans extradition to the United States, which took place under former US President Donald Trump and former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.Initially, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard doubted there would be any intervention by the Mexican government on behalf of Guzman. He is serving a sentence there, he has a sentence, he reportedly told journalists on Tuesday. So, frankly I don't see any possibilities for him, but I'm going to review it with the prosecutor's office.The United States and Mexico have a prisoner exchange program, allowing convicted inmates to serve their time in their home countries in some circumstances. Considering the seriousness of Guzmans crimes and the fact that he escaped a Mexican prison in the past, it is unlikely the United States would hand him over easily.Obrador earlier promised to take a softer approach with cartels before being elected to office, saying his predecessors previous heavy-handed approach resulted in more violence. Obrador wanted to take a hugs not guns approach with the gangs and cartels in Mexico, addressing the root issues of poverty.However, AMLO has seemingly backed away from that approach at times, with the arrest of Guzmans son, Ovidio, taking place earlier this month. That arrest resulted in Guzmans Sinaloa cartel temporarily taking over the city of Culiacan, leaving at least 30 dead in shootouts with police and the military.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230107/mexico-judge-halts-extradition-of-drug-kingpin-el-chapo-son-to-the-us-1106109553.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/japan-reverts-to-militarism-as-us-prepares-to-use-tokyo-against-china-scholars-say-1106485309.html

Japan Reverts to Militarism as US Prepares to Use Tokyo Against China, Scholars Warn

Japan Reverts to Militarism as US Prepares to Use Tokyo Against China, Scholars Warn

At the end of 2022, Japan adopted an updated version of three doctrinal documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Build-Up Plan.

2023-01-19T12:35+0000

2023-01-19T12:35+0000

2023-01-19T12:35+0000

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The Japanese government intends to significantly increase the country's military potential, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alerted during a press conference on January 18.What are the prerequisites for the creation of a new Japanese militarism and who benefits from tension in the Asia-Pacific region? Find out here on Sputnik.A Sea of ExcusesJapanese politicians seem to have either forgotten - or want to forget - that following World War II and in accordance with the 1947 Constitution, Japan must give up its own armed forces and remain "forever" pacific. According to article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.Tokyo is trying to justify the need for a return to militarization by arguing that the security situation in the region and in the world as a whole is deteriorating. As noted in the documents, Japan sees China as "the greatest strategic challenge ever," and the DPRK (North Korea) as "an even more serious threat than before."Japan's Constitution states that the country shall never again develop land, sea, and air forces, nor any other means of warfare. Later, the three nuclear principles were also formulated: not to possess, produce or import nuclear weapons. However, since the adoption of the constitution, there have been so many amendments that the true message has all but blurred.Costly SolutionsSenior researcher at Russia's Academy of Military Sciences Vladimir Prokhvatilov believes that the militarization of Japan will prove costly for the Japanese taxpayer."Japan is extremely concerned about China's activity near the Senkaku Islands [known in mainland China as the Diaoyu Islands  ed. note Sputnik], the unpredictability of North Korea's missile exercises, and tensions in the Indo-Pacific. In general, increasing military power of any country makes its neighbors think that this is done for a reason, and they also begin to strengthen their armies, build up and modernize their own weapons."The researcher pointed to budget pressures the remilitarization of Japan may place on Tokyo, citing the $2.3 trillion cost over 20 years of the Afghanistan war on the US military as an example."Larger defense budgets due to the appearance of new weapons systems and fifth-generation equipment (...) increase substantially: these include the high cost of materials and electricity, plus transportation costs, salaries for developers and workers, and much more. At the same time obsolete equipment must be disposed of, which is a whole set of measures and an additional item of expenditure. The presence of armed forces outside of national borders, let alone participation in an armed conflict, entails enormous expenditures."Japan is making small steps towards becoming a fully-fledged military power. And the recent changes in the National Defense Strategy confirm this."The situation around Japan has been quite alarming lately," Professor Dmitry Streltsov, head of department of oriental studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told Sputnik, citing poll data."Japanese authorities are forced to reckon with the threats that they believe Japan may face from three sides: China, North Korea, and Russia. The general alarming background also affects public sentiment," he said.He also dispelled ideas that Japan is currently unprotected militarily."Japan's military expenditures are now comparable with those of South Korea, France, and Russia. If Japan's defense budget were to rise to two percent of GDP within 5 years, it would make it the third largest in the world."However, current economic constraints ay limit this expenditure: "By the end of the 2021 financial year which ended in Japan on March 31, 2022, the total national government debt was more than 2.6 times the size of GDP. The updated National Security Strategy sets goals, but let's see if they are achievable..."The National Security Strategy also now stipulates Japan's right to launch counterattacks against targets in foreign territory. "In the event of a missile attack by an adversary, Japan must have the capacity to counterattack, that is, the ability to launch an effective counterattack to prevent further armed attacks by the enemy," the document reads. The conditions to launch a counterattack include an attack on Japan, a threat to its existence by attacking a friendly country, and a lack of suitable means to repel the attack.Is NATO Coming to Asia?In 2022, the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise involving 25 nations, took place in the Pacific Ocean.US military activity in Asia (including the creation of the trilateral security alliance AUKUS) clearly demonstrates that after the successful militarization of Europe, Washington is also making considerable efforts to build up its military power in the APAC. This includes the participation of Japan, whose military expenditures in the near future will correspond to the expenditures of most countries in the NATO bloc.This is why there is increasing concern that the APAC is approaching the scenario of becoming an Asian NATO spurred by fears of Chinese expansion, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's special invitation to NATO meetings becoming commonplace. Yuri Knutov, a Russian military historian and the director of the Museum of Air Defense Forces (ADF), believes that the appearance of an "Asian NATO" at this time is indeed more likely than ever.The reason is obvious: the US is preparing for a serious conflict with China over Taiwan. First of all, because of its strategic location. Taiwan allows the Chinese Navy free access to the Pacific Ocean. For the US and NATO, Taiwan is a key link in the first line of defense in the event of a military conflict with China to block its military and merchant fleet," he commented.However, "Taiwan is only an excuse for military escalation," he continued. "China has become a powerful competitor to the United States, so NATO is now designating the Asia-Pacific region as its sphere of influence, transforming the transatlantic military bloc into a global structure. The start has been made with the creation of the QUAD and AUKUS blocks within the framework of the US Indo-Pacific strategy. And they are step by step becoming a 'means to suppress' China and Russia."The US is interested in creating a NATO in Asia to confront China but it does not implement its strategy explicitly. Instead, the US "camouflages" its actions in the form of creating structures like QUAD and AUKUS, which at any time could easily be transformed into a new military alliance in Asia.Japan, as Washington's reliable ally in Asia, plays one of the main roles in the anti-China scenario, political scientist and orientalist Vasily Kashin, a senior research fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, believes.US military forces would operate from Japanese territory (in the event of a military conflict with China around Taiwan). The Japanese Self-Defense Forces will at least be involved in operations to protect communications of US logistic bases. And, apparently, they will take part in actions against the Chinese Navy."As such, Tokyo is starting to organize itself for full militarization, he argued."The prospects for Japan's involvement in the Taiwan conflict are real. And because its threat is steadily growing, they are now actively preparing for it. Although when Japan conducts military exercises to defend remote islands, it is primarily about the Senkaku Islands. However, this scenario is identical to the tasks that will be undertaken to defend Taiwan."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230112/us-japan-military-buildup-in-asia-pacific-shatters-regional-stability-scholars-warn-1106260516.html

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Scholz Tells US Lawmakers No Tanks for Kiev Until Washington Sends Its Own - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told US lawmakers on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that Berlin is not going to send or authorize the transfer of tanks to Kiev until Washington commits to giving its own, media reported on Thursday, citing three people in the know.

The German chancellor was respectful in tone, but "pretty direct," one of the participants of the meeting said.

A German newspaper earlier reported that Scholz in a conversation with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday made it clear that his country would supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, but on the condition that Washington sends its Abrams tanks.

On Wednesday, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that the Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment, which is "expensive, hard to train on" and has a jet engine, so it will be difficult for Ukraine to maintain it.

Addressing the WEF on the same day, Scholz highlighted that Germany was among the leading countries in terms of support for Ukraine and reaffirmed that his country would continue to provide assistance. At the same time, he rejected any unilateral steps on the issue, stressing that all decisions should be made in coordination with allies, especially the United States.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/majority-of-americans-believe-biden-mishandled-classified-documents---poll-1106476773.html

Majority of Americans Believe Biden Mishandled Classified Documents - Poll

Majority of Americans Believe Biden Mishandled Classified Documents - Poll

A majority of Americans believe that US President Joe Biden mishandled classified documents discovered by his staff in several locations outside of federal oversight, a Quinnipiac University poll found.

2023-01-19T03:12+0000

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A total of 60% of Americans think Biden acted inappropriately in the way he handled the sensitive materials, a poll report said on Wednesday. A significant majority of Republicans, 84%, believe Biden mishandled the documents, in contrast to just 38% of Democrats, the poll found. Two-thirds of Americans are following news regarding the documents either very or somewhat closely, the poll also found. Moreover, 71% believe the situation is either serious or somewhat serious, the report said. Earlier this month, the government publicly acknowledged a probe into Bidens handling of classified materials after his lawyers discovered sensitive documents in a think-tank office, and later at a Biden residence. Congressman Paul Gosar told Sputnik that Republican lawmakers will investigate the matter as a serious felony, which is punishable with a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/national-archives-wont-share-information-on-classified-biden-docs-without-doj-approval-1106475874.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/mexican-authorities-find-over-260-migrants-in-trailer-near-southern-border-1106502526.html

Mexican Authorities Find Over 260 Migrants in Trailer Near Southern Border

Mexican Authorities Find Over 260 Migrants in Trailer Near Southern Border

Mexican security forces stopped a trailer after a short chase in the southern state of Chiapas and found 269 Central and South American citizens crammed inside, including 20 unaccompanied teenagers.

2023-01-19T18:00+0000

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"The INM identified 269 migrants from four Central and South American countries who were traveling in cramped conditions in the back of a trailer discovered this morning on the San Cristobal de las Casas  Tuxtla Gutierrez highway, in Chiapas," the government agency said in a statement. The migrants were found after the trailer driver refused to stop at a checkpoint and tried to escape. He was caught 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) down the road and stopped by local police and national guard officers, the INM said. Among the people in the trailer, the vast majority, 261, were Guatemalan citizens, with others coming from El Salvador, Ecuador and Honduras, the statement added. Twenty minors traveled unaccompanied and were taken to the migration institute's offices to determine their legal status. Freight transport is often used to smuggle migrants who travel to the United States through Mexico, leading to casualties. In June 2022, 51 migrants died in an abandoned trailer in Texas.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230110/biden--amlo-clash-over-disdain-for-latin-america-ahead-of-three-amigos-summit-1106198818.html

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China to launch 200-plus spacecraft in 2023

Xinhua) 08:22, January 19, 2023

The manned spaceship Shenzhou-15, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Nov. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) plans to launch more than 200 spacecraft with over 60 space missions in 2023, according to a company report released Wednesday.

The CASC report unveiled plans for the country's space science and technology activities in 2023. It said that the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, the Shenzhou-16 and the Shenzhou-17 flight missions would take place within the year to improve China's capability of entering, using and exploring space.

The BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System will witness the launches of three backup satellites, according to the CASC. It added that the construction of a new-generation commercial remote-sensing satellite system will be accelerated this year.

The corporation also pledged to release information on surplus rocket-carrying capacities and provide launch opportunities to commercial users.

In 2023, the CASC will comprehensively push forward the fourth phase of lunar exploration and planetary exploration, and develop the lunar probe Chang'e-7, Mars probe Tianwen-2, as well as stationary orbit-microwave detection satellite.

The carrier rocket Long March-6C will make its maiden flight in 2023, while the Long March carrier rocket series are expected to exceed 500 launches in aggregate, said the CASC report.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
HARARE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean trade, tourism and investment agencies are set to host a business forum intended to boost trade and investment with China.

Similo Nkala, operations director of ZimTrade, a trade promotion agency, told Xinhua Thursday that China has become an important trading partner for Zimbabwe, and more efforts will be made to boost relations between the two countries.

"ZimTrade, in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, will be organizing a Zimbabwe-China Business Forum, which will focus on promoting Zimbabwe's trade, tourism and investment opportunities," he said.

Nkala said Zimbabwe will be accelerating activities to foster trade and broaden the availability of its products to different markets like China, Malaysia, and Egypt. "For example, China. As a net importer and boasting a sizeable population, this market is becoming one of Zimbabwe's top export destinations, already ranking as the third largest importer of Zimbabwean goods."

China and Zimbabwe signed a citrus protocol in 2022, giving local companies access to export citrus fruits to China, one of the world's biggest consumers of citrus products.

"This year, Zimbabwe is taking advantage of this relationship and working to maximize this opening and capitalize on mutually beneficial trade opportunities," said Nkala.

Among China's notable imports from Zimbabwe are tobacco leaf, ferroalloys, chromium ore and processed tobacco. Chinese companies have also invested in various sectors of the Zimbabwean economy, ranging from mining, agriculture, and energy, to tourism. 
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/musk-twitter-poll-finds-millions-oppose-world-rule-from-davos-by-wef-1106482313.html

Musk Twitter Poll Finds Millions Oppose World Rule From Davos by WEF

Musk Twitter Poll Finds Millions Oppose World Rule From Davos by WEF

Many have argued in recent years that the World Economic Forum has a sinister agenda that we will "own nothing and be happy" Klaus Schwab's calls for a 'fourth industrial revolution' and a 'great reset'.

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Millions of Twitter users have rejected the idea of a global dictatorship by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in a poll run by owner and CEO Elon Musk.Some 2.15 million people voted in the tech tycoon's latest straw poll on the site, with more than 86 per cent rejecting the idea that "the World Economic Forum should control the world."More surprising was that some 300,000 respondents said they wanted to be ruled by the elite club of world's financial and political elites, currently celebrating their annual gathering at the Swiss alpine resort of Davos."Why would anyone vote yes?" tweeted journalist Ian Miles Cheong in response. "The 14% YES votes are hilarious," another wrote, to which Musk simply replied: "LOL".The Tesla founder had earlier given his own view on the forum, which has told the world's 8 billion people that by 2030 they will "own nothing, have no privacy and life has never been better.""WEF is increasingly becoming an unelected world government that the people never asked for and dont want," Musk tweeted on Wednesday.Musk, Ranked last year as the world's richest individual, was snubbed by the WEF when it did not invite him to Davos this year.The poll result followed a speech to the Davos conference by US President Joe Biden's climate change envoy John Kerry, the former Secretary of State to Barack Obama. He said the push by Western governments to phase out fossil fuels  which has caused widespread economic hardship around the world  would be the "biggest transformation" since the industrial revolution."When you start to think about it, its pretty extraordinary that we  a select group of human beings, because of whatever touched us at some point in our lives  are able to sit in a room and come together and actually talk about saving the planet," Kerry said.The WEF is run by 82-year-old Swiss economist Klaus Schwab, author of The Fourth Industrial Revolution and COVID-19: The Great Reset. The boss of Davos has often been jokingly compared to a James Bond super-villain.The gathered big-shots have been accused of hypocrisy for preaching environmentalism and frugal use of energy resources, while flying the the event in gas-guzzling private jets.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/wef-staff-fear-forum-will-die-with-unaccountable-davos-boss-schwab-1106459702.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/notorious-quran-burner-gears-up-for-incendiary-action-near-turkish-embassy-in-sweden-1106478542.html

Notorious Quran-Burner Gears Up for Incendiary Action Near Turkish Embassy in Sweden

Notorious Quran-Burner Gears Up for Incendiary Action Near Turkish Embassy in Sweden

According to Rasmus Paludan, this will be done in support of the freedom of expression. He stressed that he had no qualms about Sweden entering NATO.

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Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Hard Line party, has voiced his intentions to burn the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, January 21.According to Paludan, who made Quran-burning a staple of his political repertoir, this will be done in support of the freedom of expression, which, he argued, was "missing here and there."Paludan called the Turkish President an "Islamist dictator," a point also made by Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson, who holds much more sway in Swedish politics as a key government ally.His planned manifestation comes on the coattails of a massive diplomatic scandal over President Recep Erdogan being hanged in effigy outside Stockholm City Hall during a demonstration by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).However, Paludan emphasized that, unlike many other protests, this is not done in support of the Kurds. He stressed that he has nothing against Turkey's demands that Sweden deport people Ankara identified as PKK terrorists in return for greenlighting its NATO bid.The Erdogan effigy incident sparked vocal protests from Turkey and demands that those responsible be punished. Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlen's visit to Turkey was also cancelled.In Sweden, the action was strongly condemned by the government, where it was described as "sabotage" of the Swedish NATO application, which depends on Ankaras approval."I understand Turkey's anger  we would have shown exactly the same anger if it had happened in another country, directed at a leading Swedish politician," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was quoted as saying.Turkey warned that relations with Sweden may become "much more strained" unless Stockholm takes a tougher stand against terrorism and stressed that Stockholm should not take its NATO bid for granted if it continues to ignore such provocations. Earlier, Swedish prosecution said no action will be taken in connection with the Erdogan incident.Rasmus Paludan rose to fame and notoriety in Denmark through anti-Islamic demonstrations in areas which feature in the country's official ghetto list, which were subsequently released as videos. The demonstrations, which the party itself celebrated as exercises in free speech, featured provocative acts such as torching, tearing up or kicking the Quran, the literary centerpiece of Islam whose violation is seen as sacrilegious by Muslims. Following numerous threats and assassination attempts, Paludan has been placed under costly all-round police protection.In 2019, Paludan ran for the Danish parliament with his Hard Line party campaigning on a stern anti-Islamist agenda and a promise to deport non-Western immigrants and ban Islam. However, he failed to overcome to the 2 percent threshold.Subsequently, Hard Line activists tried to establish themselves in Sweden and continued the practice of Quran-burnings in a string of Swedish cities. This, however, unleashed violent Islamic riots and dozens of arrests.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230117/swedish-newspaper-launches-cartoon-contest-to-mock-erdogan-as-nato-bid-lingers-1106416217.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/philippine-president-rules-out-reopening-former-us-military-bases-in-country-1106495368.html

Philippine President Rules Out Reopening Former US Military Bases in Country

Philippine President Rules Out Reopening Former US Military Bases in Country

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior has ruled out the possibility of reopening former US naval base Subic Bay and Clark air base.

2023-01-19T13:39+0000

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2023-01-24T11:25+0000

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Speaking with British media on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Marcos said that reopening former US military bases is against the constitution of the Philippines, which forbids foreign bases on its territory. The Philippine armed forces reportedly resumed operation of Subic Bay in the South China Sea in May 2022, 30 years after the closure of the US military base, under the pretext of an increase in China's military activity. Media reports indicated that the US military will explore the possibility of sharing the facility. At the same time, Manila is expected to welcome American and Japanese ships in its waters, as their presence will help maintain a balance in the disputed area with China. The Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply and recreation facility of the US from 1945-1992. The base was the largest overseas military installation of the US armed forces, located on 262 square miles. In 1992, the Philippine government transformed the base into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20190128/philippines-concerned-possible-chinese-takeover-1071873278.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/running-out-of-money-usain-bolt-reportedly-lost-over-12-mln-to-scammers-1106484971.html

Running Out of Money: Usain Bolt Reportedly Lost Over $12 Mln to Scammers

Running Out of Money: Usain Bolt Reportedly Lost Over $12 Mln to Scammers

$12 mln has disappeared from the retirement account of track and field legend Usain Bolt. The firm which was holding the money had previously been accused of fraud.

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Usain Bolt has discovered $12.7 million missing from his account. Bolt noticed that the funds were missing at the investment company Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), reports suggest.It was nearly all of the athlete's retirement savings. The remaining sum is reportedly mere $12,000. Bolt's lawyers are threatening SSL that they will sue for theft fraud if the money is not returned in 8 days.The brokerage firm has been accused of fraud several times before, which led to Jamaicas Financial Services Commission installing its own temporary manager at SSL.This Monday Usain Bolt tweeted the following message "In a World of Lies.Where is the Truth? The History Evil.What is the Root?MONEY".So far, the investment company hasn't commented on the scandal.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/russian-ambassador-to-us-says-moscow-will-destroy-any-western-weapons-in-ukraine-1106479382.html

Kremlin: Delivery of Weapons Capable of Striking Russia Would Elevate Ukraine Conflict to New Level

Kremlin: Delivery of Weapons Capable of Striking Russia Would Elevate Ukraine Conflict to New Level

The Russian army will destroy any weapons given by the United States and other Western countries to Ukraine, and will retaliate to attacks on its territory, including Crimea

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The potential delivery of weapons capable of targeting Russia from Ukraine is extremely dangerous and would take the conflict to a new level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned.He likewise stressed that such a development would not bode well for global and pan-European security.Peskov added that the statements by the Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov that Russian forces would not leave strikes on Russian territory, including Crimea, unanswered, reflected the Kremlin's official position.Earlier in the day, Antonov said that the Russian army would destroy any weapons provided by the United States and other western countries to Ukraine, and retaliate attacks on the Russian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula.The US and several other western countries recently announced new military supplies to Kiev, including battle tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery systems. The US Department of State said that Ukrainians may acquire the possibility to carry out strikes against Russian troops in Crimea thanks to weapons supplied by Washington. He added that the latest statements by US officials were becoming more and more "belligerent," and the US State Department, through its "out-of-touch assertions," was pushing Ukraine "to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia." The ambassador also said that further pumping Kiev with arms would only lead to an increase in civilian casualties. Concluding his response, Antonov urged "thinking into" statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and added that it was "impossible to defeat the Russian Federation." On Wednesday, US media reported, citing sources, that the Biden administration was now taking a softer stance on supplying Kiev with weapons capable of conducting strikes against Crimea, even though this could intensify hostilities. Earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington did not encourage Ukraine to attack the Russian territory, however, it did not recognize Crimea as part of Russia. Meanwhile, the White House hinted that a new military assistance package for Ukraine could be announced as soon as the end of the week. Other western countries are expected to make similar announcements at a gathering at the US Ramstein air base in Germany on January 20.Russia has previously sent a note to NATO countries to protest the supplies of weapons to Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasizing that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for the Russian forces.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/report-us-considering-providing-ukraine-with-weapons-to-strike-crimea-1106475695.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/russian-envoy-tells-canada-kiev-violating-laws-of-war-led-to-dnepropetrovsk-tragedy-1106476029.html

Russian Envoy Tells Canada Kiev Violating Laws of War Led to Dnepropetrovsk Tragedy

Russian Envoy Tells Canada Kiev Violating Laws of War Led to Dnepropetrovsk Tragedy

Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov drew attention during his meeting at the Canadian Foreign Ministry to Kievs violation of laws of war on non-deployment of military infrastructure in civilian residential areas, which became the reason of the Dnepropetrovsk tragedy.

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Earlier in the day, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly told reporters that Canadian officials summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn the recent incident in Dnepropetrovsk. She also said Ottawa condemned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's suggestion that the United States is creating a coalition of European countries to solve the so-called "Russian question" in the same way that Adolf Hitler sought to eradicate Jews. For my part, of course, I gave a detailed commentary on this story and drew attention to the fact that an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential administration, already a former one, said that this tragic case was simply the result of the work of Ukrainian air defense, Stepanov said on Wednesday. Stepanov said he was surprised by Joly's statement, which he saw after the meeting. This invitation to the Foreign Ministry was for the Canadian side to make a demarche to me about the tragedy in Dnepropetrovsk. It was only about this, he shared. You can imagine that everything followed the predictable lines of general Western propaganda. The Canadians accuse us of all mortal sins, saying that the Russian leadership allegedly gave the order to directly hit a residential facility, and that this emphasizes all the cruelty, injustice and illegality of our military operation and we will all be held accountable for this later. The Canadians, he added, accuse Russia of intentionally hitting civilian and energy infrastructure and thereby committing illegal actions. I reminded them again that the energy infrastructure primarily feeds the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces, and since a special military operation is underway, everything that supports the enemy forces is a legitimate military target, Stepanov said. When asked how Canada wants to hold Russia responsible, Stepanov noted: In principle, the interlocutor did not tell me anything new from what representatives of Trudeau's cabinet had not previously stated openly. In fact, they want to isolate top-level political, state figures in Russia, then try to persecute them using some pseudo-international mechanisms, he said. Unfortunately, he added, Canada, despite its seemingly professional international legal school, actively supports this idea. And this is what they regularly threaten us with, Stepanov went on to say. We accept these threats with a smile and tell Canadians about this, that, guys, these ideas of yours are far from reality. Stepanov also said he pointed out to his interlocutor today that, taking root in such a not just pro-Ukrainian, but hyper-anti-Russian line, Canada just raises the degree of the current confrontation and leaves no room for further diplomatic work. We know very well that our military operation will go on until it reaches its stated goals... but every conflict, after achieving its goals, requires some kind of formalization of the results, he said. Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych on Tuesday announced his resignation after recently suggesting that the cause of the collapse of a residential building in the city of Dnepropetrovsk was Kiev's interceptor missile shooting down a Russian missile. On Saturday, a missile hit a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, killing at least 40 people. Shortly after the incident, Arestovych said the building was damaged by debris from a Russian missile that was shot down by Ukrainian air defense. Kiev said later that the building was hit by a Russian missile that air defenses were incapable of intercepting. Arestovych's comment caused a public outcry, and Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko announced the start of a petition demanding Arestovych's resignation. The presidential adviser later retracted his Dnepropetrovsk missile remarks. On Monday, commenting on the Dnepropetrovsk incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian armed forces do not strike residential buildings or civilian infrastructure facilities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/report-us-considering-providing-ukraine-with-weapons-to-strike-crimea-1106475695.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/canadas-joly-ottawa-summoned-russian-envoy-to-condemn-dnepr-attacks-1106473321.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/serbian-president-calls-european-parliaments-demands-on-kosovo-shameless-1106476329.html

Serbian President Calls European Parliament's Demands on Kosovo 'Shameless'

Serbian President Calls European Parliament's Demands on Kosovo 'Shameless'

The resolution of the European Parliament, demanding Serbia recognize Kosovo as an independent state, is an example of the West's "shameless" behavior, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday.

2023-01-19T02:50+0000

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Earlier in the day, Vucic met in Davos with EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak to discuss current developments around Kosovo after the EU parliament adopted a resolution based on the report on the common EU foreign and security policy for 2022. The report demands Belgrade start talks with Pristina on mutual recognition and condemns Serbia's "continued low level of alignment" with the EU on such issues as the Ukrainian conflict and sanctions against Russia, making the country's further integration in the bloc contingent on the progress in these areas. "They [West] say it is necessary to condemn those who allegedly encourage secession of parts of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are the ones who decided to bomb our country and take away a part of our territory in defiance of the laws of the mankind, the UN Charter and norms of the UN Security Council."According to Vucic, the West is only interested in the topics of sanctions against Russia and Kosovo's independence when talking to Serbia, and is not willing to tolerate any other views on these issues. The Serbian leader also stated that some representatives of Western countries only understand the language of force, which makes it harder for Serbia to conduct its foreign policy. In 2008, the Kosovo-Albanian structures in Pristina unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia. Since then, Kosovo has been recognized by 100 UN member states. In mid-December, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti handed over the application to join the European Union, though out of the 27 EU countries, Kosovo's independence still is not recognized by Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Romania.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230108/west-to-demand-serbia-recognize-kosovo-if-belgrade-slaps-sanctions-on-russia---vucic-1106129702.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/turkish-foreign-minister-ankara-awaiting-us-approval-for-supply-of-f-16-fighters-1106476929.html

Turkish Foreign Minister: Ankara Awaiting US Approval for Supply of F-16 Fighters

Turkish Foreign Minister: Ankara Awaiting US Approval for Supply of F-16 Fighters

Turkey is awaiting US approval for a request for the supply of F-16 fighters, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

2023-01-19T03:35+0000

2023-01-19T03:35+0000

2023-01-19T03:29+0000

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On Wednesday, Cavusoglu visited the United States and met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as the Ukrainian conflict. In addition, the process of accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO should proceed separately from the deal between Ankara and Washington on F-16 fighters, Cavusoglu noted, commenting on Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavistos statement that the agreement between the US and Turkey on F-16s could contribute to the process of Finlands accession to NATO. In April 2021, the United States excluded Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air defense systems. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said later that year that Turkey had received a US offer to buy F-16 jets instead, one generation behind the F-35s. The US Congress has been debating whether to include restrictions on the sale of jets in its annual defense spending bill for fiscal 2023, while the US State Department has been trying to convince lawmakers that the deal was aligned with Washington's interests. On May 18, three months after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership. Their accession protocols have already been ratified by all NATO members except Hungary and Turkey.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230114/top-senator-vows-to-block-f-16-sale-unless-turkey-begins-to-act-like-a-trusted-ally-1106303396.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/west-doesnt-want-peace-in-ukraine-rather-bleed-russia-white-us-author-says-1106491147.html

West Doesnt Want Peace in Ukraine Rather Bleed Russia White, US Author Says

West Doesnt Want Peace in Ukraine Rather Bleed Russia White, US Author Says

Speaking to journalists at his January 18 presser, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that even though Moscow is ready for serious talks on a... 19.01.2023, Sputnik International

2023-01-19T12:50+0000

2023-01-19T12:50+0000

2023-01-19T12:50+0000

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"The West does not want peace, does not want to negotiate a settlement to this conflict. And why is that? It's because they want to bleed Russia. They want to weaken Russia through this conflict," US author and lawyer Dan Kovalik told Sputnik. "People like Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense of the United States, have openly said that. Many others have said that."Last year, a series of Russo-Ukraine peace talks led to preliminary agreements on March 29 in Istanbul and Moscow's voluntary withdrawal of troops from Kiev. Nonetheless, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky government made a U-turn after that and backpedaled on peace negotiations. According to Lavrov, at that time, Zelensky and his cabinet officials "got slapped on their hands" by the West.In early April, 2022, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell likewise claimed that the Russo-Ukrainian conflict should be "won on the battlefield.""Touched by the resilience, determination and hospitality of Zelensky," the EU official tweeted on April 9, 2022. "I return with a clear to do list: 1. This war will be won on the battlefield. Additional 500 million from the #EPF are underway. Weapon deliveries will be tailored to Ukrainian needs."Washington also vowed to step up weapon supplies for Kiev. Lloyd Austin made it clear on April, 25 that the US goal was to "weaken" Russia so that it no longer had the capacity to carry out large-scale military actions. In May, Biden signed a lend-lease bill to expedite more lethal weapons to Kiev, as well as the $40 billion package of US military funding."We know now from people like former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former President of France Hollande that the West never intended to abide by the Minsk agreements, even though Germany was a guarantor of the Minsk agreements. Merkel admitted they never intended to abide by them."On December 7, Merkel said that the Minsk accords struck in the Belarusian capital in February 2015 was an attempt to buy time for Ukraine, after it had been shattered in fighting with Donbass militias. Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. The Ukraine of 2014-2015 is not the Ukraine of today, she said. Later the same month, Hollande echoed the former German chancellor.Remarkably, on January 18, incumbent German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated this sentiment, claiming that in order for the Ukrainian conflict to end, the Russian special military operation "must fail.""That is why we are continuously supplying Ukraine with large quantities of arms, in close consultation with our partners. This includes air defense systems like IRIS-T or Patriot, artillery, and armored infantry fighting vehicles, marking a profound turning point in German foreign and security policy," Scholz said at a World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos.The US and its NATO allies have stepped up the arming and training of Ukrainian forces amid Russia's offensive in Donbass and the capture of Soledar, a town near Bakhmut (Artyomovsk).Furthermore, about 90 to 100 Ukrainians started to learn to operate and maintain the Patriot missile defense system at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, this week. Earlier, the US military kicked off expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces in Germany, while the US and its NATO allies pledged new packages of military funding for Kiev, including infantry combat vehicles and main battle tanks.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/highlights-of-lavrovs-big-presser-from-wests-colonialist-mindset-to-ukraine-hybrid-war--beyond-1106466221.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/west-pledges-main-battle-tanks-to-kiev-but-will-it-be-a-game-changer-1106470433.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/west-is-pushing-kiev-into-threatening-vital-interests-of-russia-and-belarus-lavrov-says-1106493973.html

West is Pushing Kiev Into Threatening Vital Interests of Russia and Belarus, Lavrov Says

West is Pushing Kiev Into Threatening Vital Interests of Russia and Belarus, Lavrov Says

The West has turned Ukraine into a bridgehead for subversive activities against the Union State, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a press conference after a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Aleinik on Thursday.

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The West has turned Ukraine into a bridgehead for subversive activities against the Union State, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a press conference after a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Aleinik on Thursday.Russia's top diplomat stressed that Moscow and Minsk both share the view that the West is directly pushing Kiev into creating threats to the vital interests of Russia and Belarus.The two foreign ministers also discussed attempts by the West to interfere in the affairs of Moscow and Minsk.However, "this Western blitzkrieg" has failed both in Russia and in Belarus, the Russian foreign minister added.Lavrov pointed out that Russia would do everything to make its colleagues at NATO and the European Union "sober up" as soon as possible and abandon their "colonial illusions." The Russian minister then suggested that a number of politicians in Europe begin to realize that they are being used and deliberately weakened. "Europe, at least responsible politicians in a number of European countries, in my opinion, is beginning to understand, that they are being used, by and large, that they are being plunged into de-industrialization, they are being deliberately weakened so that they do not even think about trying to become an independent player," Lavrov said. He likewise expressed his confidence that such a situation "will someday pass and politicians who will take the interests of their peoples into account will come to power in European countries."Lavrov has also revealed that Russia and Belarus signed a memorandum on strengthening biological security, which is aimed at stopping threats from third countries. The minister explained that the implementation of said document implies a regular exchange of information between the institutions in order to develop response methods if necessary.Aside from holding talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Lavrov met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to discuss bilateral cooperation in the military-political sphere and defense issues.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230116/belarus-russia-start-joint-air-force-exercise---defense-ministry-1106395905.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/highlights-of-lavrovs-big-presser-from-wests-colonialist-mindset-to-ukraine-hybrid-war--beyond-1106466221.html

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WINDHOEK, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Namibia, the central bank, said Thursday that it will conduct checks on politically connected people's wealth and businesses to avoid conflicts of interest.

The bank released Thursday the revised Determination on the Appointment, Duties, and Responsibilities of Directors, Principal Officers, and Executive Officers of Banking Institutions and Controlling Companies.

Governor of the Bank of Namibia Johannes Gawaxab said effective banking institution governance should be taken seriously, because it directly impacts financial and macroeconomic stability.

Excessive risk-taking, unethical behavior, fraud, and mismanagement are just a few examples of how bad practices have led to systemic bank failures worldwide, Gawaxab said.

He further said the framework is significant because it embeds sound corporate governance principles, adding that "with good governance, trust and confidence in the financial sector as a whole will be engendered."

The revised determination makes it possible for banking institutions to attract the best talent Namibia has to offer and onboard astute leadership teams who will account for the affairs of commercial banks, he said.

The Bank of Namibia also has limited terms for banks' board members to 10 years and sets an age limit of 70 years.

Prospective board members at a banking institution or a controlling company have been barred from serving on up to two boards simultaneously.

According to the central bank, the revised determination will serve as the foundation for sound corporate governance in banking institutions and controlling corporations to safeguard public deposits, protect consumers, and provide access to credit.

The new determination is also expected to introduce best corporate governance practices, emphasizing effective succession planning, skills development, and competencies for those tasked with the leadership of financial institutions.

The determination that came into effect on Dec. 16, 2022, applies to all banking institutions authorized by the Bank of Namibia to conduct banking business or control companies of banking institutions in Namibia. 
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/why-arabs-bolster-energy--security-cooperation-with-russia-in-defiance-of-western-sanctions-1106500120.html

Why Arabs Bolster Energy & Security Cooperation With Russia in Defiance of Western Sanctions

Why Arabs Bolster Energy & Security Cooperation With Russia in Defiance of Western Sanctions

Arab countries have not joined the anti-Russian sanctions, despite pressure from the West, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed during his press... 19.01.2023, Sputnik International

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"The policy of the West in the East has gone bankrupt," political analyst Vladimir Ahmedov told Sputnik."[Middle Eastern players'] trust in the United States, the leading western European states  the former colonizers who had colonies in this region  has already been largely lost," the specialist in the modern history of Arab countries and senior research fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences continued.New major players have entered the global arena: China, India, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, the scholar emphasized.Ahmedov believes that the sanctions imposed against Russia are dictated by purely political considerations of a narrow circle of the western political elite. Meanwhile, the system of international relations and the world order has been undergoing changes, and the indirect proof of this is the position taken by the Arab countries, according to him.In light of this, Russia's efforts to mediate the Israeli-Palestine conflict as well as those in Syria and Iraq  mentioned by Lavrov during his Wednesday presser  are steps in the right direction, according to the scholar. In addition, Russia's military presence in Syria serves as a stabilizing factor, he added.Meanwhile, the West's Ukraine strategy looks like nothing so much as its previous Middle Eastern policies. The West is using Ukrainians much in exactly the same way it previously used Arabs in order to reach its geopolitical objectives, and Middle Eastern players are well-aware of that, according to the researcher."Russia is not fighting against Ukraine or the fraternal Ukrainian people, but against the West, which wants to dismember Russia, belittle its role, minimize it, and so on," Ahmedov said. "And [the Western policy] does not meet with any approval from the political elites of the East, who themselves suffered from it previously."Opportunities in the Middle East and North AfricaThe region develops its position by becoming an influential energy actor, echoed Ramy El Kalyouby, a visiting lecturer at the School of Orientalism of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE)."Gulf countries profited a lot from oil prices increase, and at some moment the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's oil revenues jumped to more than $1 billion daily," El Kalyouby told Sputnik. "Egypt is also getting its chance to become an important gas supplier to the EU after discovering a few huge fields in the Mediterranean.The academic singled out Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer. According to El Kalyouby, Russia can help Cairo replace a deficit of Ukrainian wheat, open its markets for Egyptian fruits and vegetables, and provide more tourists.Last year, the construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant was launched on July 20 in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom. The El Dabaa NPP is meant to be the cornerstone of Egypt's energy diversification policy, allowing Cairo not only to cover its own electricity needs, but also to provide energy to its neighbors. On November 19, the main construction phase for Unit 2 of the NPP began in the northern African country.Regional SecurityNonetheless, the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region is continuing to suffer from local conflicts stemming from the bitter consequences of the Arab Spring, according to Ahmedov. The scientist noted that the reformatting of political systems of these countries is still going on while the common regional security system has not been formed yet.Russia shares the same "geopolitical space" with the countries of the region and its objectives there include not only maintaining working ties with Middle Eastern players but also to protect its "soft underbelly" from extremist and terrorist elements reinvigorated by the Arab Spring havoc, the researcher explained.In addition, Russia's experience as a power broker in the region could come in handy for the West, since the latter has proven incapable of solving regional conflicts on its own, continued the scientist. According to him, European countries have no other alternative but to deal with Russia in the Middle East in the future if they want to ensure their security in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.Ahmedov noted that while Moscow cannot ensure a complete comprehensive settlement and stabilization of the situation in the Middle East, it can help regional players reach these goals.Russia has a long and successful record of work in the region, according to the scientist: in the 1960-1980s the USSR provided the primary industrialization of many MENA countries, including Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, and Yemen. While developing ties with the region, Russia can build upon its expertise and best practices of the past, Ahmedov concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/highlights-of-lavrovs-big-presser-from-wests-colonialist-mindset-to-ukraine-hybrid-war--beyond-1106466221.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221118/businesses-from-asian-arab-countries-could-replace-western-companies-in-russia-lavrov-1104382736.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230109/russia-to-extend-syria-cross-border-aid-mechanism-only-if-west-changes-approach-1106177880.html

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Team Hensley snagged the $12,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace on Wednesday (Jan. 18) at The Raceway at Western Fair District and on a night wrapped by an incident forcing a no contest.

In the feature, driver Ed Hensley sent Major League N to the point before a :27.3 first quarter and endured first-over pressure from So Frisky through middle splits of :58.1 and 1:26.3. Major League N held her ground at the pylons spinning for home and repelled So Frisky in the lane to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56.3 with Maddys Credit another four lengths behind in third and Charmbro Brie taking fourth.

Ashleigh Hensley trains Major League N, a 10-year-old mare by Gotta Go Cullen, and co-owns her with Ed Hensley. She won her 27th race from 118 starts, has now earned $251,368 and paid $3.30 to win.

The card ended on unfortunate circumstances in the evenings 10th race, which was declared a no contest as the field hit the final turn. Reports from Western Fair indicate that Twain Seelster went down at the half and unfortunately passed away. Driver Scott Coulter was able to walk away unscathed.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Twain Seelster.

To view Wednesdays harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results  Western Fair Raceway.
As Unicameral bill introductions ended Wednesday, state Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering offered a measure meant to help Panhandle cities adjust as the U.S. Air Force replaces nuclear missiles deployed in the region.

Hardin and Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman cosponsored Legislative Bill 712, which would create the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Deployment Fund.

It would collect private donations and available federal, state and local money to help cities improve infrastructure and services should Nebraska be chosen as headquarters for the missile-replacement effort.

The Air Force plans to replace its 450 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and upgrade their silos across five states to house newer Ground Based Strategic Deterrent missiles by 2036.

Since the early 1970s, the Panhandle has hosted most of the Minuteman silos associated with F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A handful also located in southeast Wyoming and northeast Colorado.

Hardin, sworn in as District 48 senator Jan. 4, has expressed concern that Kimball and other Panhandle towns could be forced to foot the bill for major infrastructure and service upgrades needed for some 1,500 to 3,000 people expected to move to the region temporarily for the upgrades.

LB 712 says private and public money to be placed in the special fund would address deficiencies in community infrastructure, transportation, schools, health care facilities, law enforcement and emergency response, recreation or workforce development in support of the missile-upgrade program.

Funds appropriated by the Legislature and gifts, grants or bequests from federal, state, public and private sources would go into the special fund if senators pass the bill.

Tuesdays next-to-last day of bill introductions also saw all five of western Nebraskas state senators officially cosponsor a major abortion restriction bill.

Supporters of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act bill by Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, however, fell short of gaining the 33 cosponsors that would indicate they have enough support to overcome a likely filibuster.

Albrecht is sole sponsor of a companion bill (LB 606), also offered Tuesday, that would offer tax credits for donating to pregnancy support organizations that dont do abortions.

LB 626 would generally forbid abortions once doctors detect a fetal heartbeat  normally around six weeks after fertilization  but wouldnt criminalize patients seeking abortions.

It also contains exceptions to the general six-week ban for rape, incest and medical threats to a mothers life. Protections for in vitro fertilization and procedures after miscarriages also are included in LB 626s text.

Doctors also would not face criminal penalties if they perform abortions, but they would lose their medical licenses if they did so without doing the bills required ultrasound to detect a heartbeat.

Hardin, Erdman and Sens. Tom Brewer of Gordon, Teresa Ibach of Sumner and Mike Jacobson of North Platte all cosponsored Albrechts main bill.

One registered Democrat, Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, also was listed among LB 626s sponsors.

Only four of the Unicamerals registered Republicans were not listed as cosponsors: Speaker John Arch of Gretna, Ben Hansen of Blair, Christy Armendariz of Omaha and Tom Brandt of Plymouth.

In other bills involving regional senators introduced Tuesday or Wednesday:

Hardin and Brewer cosponsored a bill by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne (LB 474) to require the Nebraska State Historical Society (History Nebraska) to upgrade and maintain Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford. The society also would have to purchase, update and manage Nebraska Citys Mayhew Cabin historical site, a haven for escaping slaves on the westernmost branch of the Underground Railroad. LB 474 includes $35 million to carry out both missions.

Erdman cosponsored a bill by Hastings Sen. Steve Halloran (LB 808) allowing county clerks or election commissioners to count ballots by hand rather than by voting machines. Erdman last week introduced LB 228, which would greatly restrict early voting and require in-person voting and Election Day vote-counting in most cases.

Brewer offered a bill (LB 642) requiring the states adjutant general to restore National Guard members to duty who had refused to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Guard members discharged due to vaccine status would have to be listed as honorably discharged and invited to re-enlist. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded the U.S. armed forces vaccine mandate Jan. 10.
Next week the Knights of Columbus will be hosting an event with the goal of alleviating homelessness in our area.

The National Street and Shelter Point-in-Time Count  or PIT Count  is an annual effort to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness at a given point in time and is part of a national effort to identify the extent of homelessness throughout the country.

Several agencies are coming together at the event to assist those in our community that are experiencing homelessness. This includes the Knights of Columbus, Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Supportive Services for Veterans Families, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, and the Veterans and Military Families Emergency Relief Organization.

Event planning committee member Chris Wolf said that the information collected at the PIT Count will be used to help provide housing resources to those who need them.

This information is used to approve housing vouchers for Section 8, said Wolf. Its really important that we get as many vouchers as we can to assist people when they come in needing a place to stay.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing choice voucher program  commonly known as Section 8  helps very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled find and pay for decent housing in the private market.

Wolf said that homelessness looks very different in rural communities and small towns than it does in urban areas, and that some people who are experiencing it may not even be aware that they qualify for assistance.

Homelessness doesnt necessarily mean that theyre living on the streets; it just means they have no place to call their own, said Wolf. This event is open to anybody who may be couch surfing or living with friends or family because they cant afford a place of their own or cant find one. They might be living in their car or by the river. Wherever they are, theyre more than welcome to come.

A dinner of chili and dinner rolls will be provided at the PIT Count, and several organizations will be on-site to help connect those experiencing homelessness with resources.

At that time there will be people there that can assist and talk to people about whether theyve applied for Section 8, are job searching, all those kinds of things, said Wolf.

The PIT Count will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 1719 1st Ave. in Scottsbluff from 4 to 7 p.m. Wolf said that the event planners could use help reaching everyone who could benefit from it.

We would like people to spread the word about this event, she said. If they have somebody living with them that is in this situation, support them by letting them know. Or if you know somebody thats in a bad situation, have them come down and let us help make some determinations on what we can do to help. We want everyone in this community to have a warm place to stay.
Much of the Panhandle was closed due to continuing winter weather on Wednesday.

A winter storm warning remained in effect until 5 p.m. Wednesday evening for Scotts Bluff, Banner, Cheyenne, Kimball and Morrill counties as snow continued to fall throughout the day with north winds of 10 to 15 mph.

Area schools were closed due to unsafe conditions, as were some roads. As of Wednesday afternoon, I-80 remained closed between the Wyoming border and Grand Island. US 30 was also closed between the Wyoming border and Kearney. NE 88 was closed between the Wyoming border and NE 71, and from NE 71 to Bridgeport.

Most other major roads remained open, but reports indicated that they were completely covered with snow. Covered roads included NE 71, NE 92 and a partially covered US 26.

Updated snowfall totals came in throughout the day, with most reports from the Panhandle indicating 9 inches or less by the afternoon. The highest reported total in the Panhandle came from the Lyman area with 11 inches while Harrisburg reported 9, Morrill reported 8 and Bayard reported 7.

The Scottsbluff/Gering area had no official reports of snowfall totals as of Wednesday afternoon but seemed to fall within the 7- to 9-inch range, with wind forming deeper drifts in some areas.

Daytime highs for the area were expected to be around 29 degrees. A slight chance of snow persisted overnight with a low around 13, winds of 10 to 15 mph, and gradually clearing skies.

Thursday is expected to be sunny with a high near 30 and 10 to 15 mph winds, which could continue to impact driving conditions. Winds are expected to decrease to 5 mph Thursday night, with lows around 13.

Friday highs are expected to stay below freezing at 31 with winds of 5 to 10 mph and overnight lows around 10. A chance of snow is expected to return on Sunday and last until Monday with highs in the upper 20s and lower 30s.
YAOUNDE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- An official of Cameroon's electoral body, Elections Cameroon (Elecam), has been killed by suspected separatist fighters in Cameroon's English-speaking region of Northwest, local and security sources said on Thursday.

Gilbert Yufola, district chairman of Elecam in Jakiri, was shot dead Wednesday night in Bamenda, the chief town of the region, a senior military official in the region said.

"The terrorists shot him in front of his residence. We have intensified the presence and patrol of security forces (in the town), especially as elections approach," the official who asked not to be named told Xinhua by phone.

The elections of Cameroon's Upper House of the Parliament or the Senate will be held on March 12, but separatists have issued a statement on social media warning municipal councilors who are the major actors in the elections, to boycott the polls or be "arrested and kept in custody or eliminated."

On Wednesday, Chairperson of Elecam Enow Abrams Egbe reassured of increased security following threats by the armed separatists who have been fighting since 2017 to create an independent nation in Cameroon's two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest. 
A stop for a traffic violation resulted in the arrest of a Florida woman for possession of heroin.

Toni Nicole Sutton, 29, of Jensen Beach, Florida, was charged with felony possession of heroin and felony maintaining a vehicle for use or sale of controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. A magistrate set bond at $7,500.

Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell, in a news release, said that on Friday, Deputy Cory Wilson of the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) team stopped a vehicle on Knox Farm Road for a traffic violation.

While Wilson spoke with the driver, Deputy Codey Moncus and his canine, Bosco, walked around the vehicle and Bosco gave a positive indication as to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle, Campbell said.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found heroin and drug paraphernalia, Campbell said.

Suttons history includes DWI and misdemeanor providing false information to a police officer.
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education and the Iredell County Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting on Tuesday afternoon with the main, and only, topic of discussion centering around the construction of the school systems planned new high school in Troutman and how to best alleviate the financial concerns associated with it.

The school, planned to be called Weathers Creek High School and located on Overcash Road, was initially given $80 million in grants after voters passed a referendum in an election in March 2020 with the option to pass the bond winning by 33 percentage points (66-33).

However, with the beginning of the planning phase of the project coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the huge increase in construction and material costs that followed, a project that was expected to come in near that $80 million mark ballooned to nearly $170 million by current estimates.

The option currently being explored by I-SS to help bring the total cost down would be to build the school in a public-private-partnership with an outside company.

The method, called P3, would allow the school to be built at less expense to the county thanks to the outside company being more easily able to obtain grant funding thanks to a commitment to build the school using greener methods.

Their goal is to build a completely self-sustaining school  and they get tax rebates and grant opportunities from that, I-SS Chief of Facilities, Maintenance and Technology Tim Ivey said. It would allow us to produce a higher-quality building at a lower cost to the taxpayers.

The catch to the P3 agreement is that I-SS would only be leasing the building for the first handful of years the school was open with the outside company owning and maintaining it. At the end of the period, which is typically about seven years according to Ivey, the county would have the opportunity to buy the building to own it outright.

However, no members of any outside company that would be able to assist with the P3 was in attendance at Tuesdays meeting. A future meeting is being planned with the hope of having them in attendance.

Members of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, concerned with the overwhelming projected costs of the new school, sought to keep options open in regard to Iredell-Statesvilles sixth high school in order to find a more cost-effective route forward.

Some of the ideas discussed included searching for a new, more cost-friendly construction site, building Weathers Creek High School in phases, or even building a second high school adjacent to South Iredell High School on land already owned by I-SS.

While the Board of Education was open to looking into other options, they were unanimous in support of continuing the project as planned at the Overcash Road site, as well as in their rejection of the idea of putting two high schools on the same land.

When you look at numbers on a page, it may be easy to think you can just look at the land and drop another school there, Ivey said. But in reality, thats really not for the good of that community. I do not think the Troutman community would be receptive to having two huge schools right there.

Another option discussed was taking the issue back to the ballot boxes and asking the residents of Iredell County to vote on whether they would fund the deficit, but that option, too, was shot down by members on both sides for the fear that if the vote were to fail, building the school may become a legal nightmare.

Despite the meeting running over two hours, there was no real solution agreed upon before both boards adjourned. It was, however, decided that there would be another meeting as soon as possible after both sides could better iron out ideas for solutions, including the possibility of having a representative from a P3 company in attendance to discuss that option.

Today was a great stride. This group has come a long way, Ivey said. Were both trying to come up with solutions, and I think weve gotten to that.
Piedmont HealthCare welcomes Dr. Erin Klaffky to PHC Allergy & Immunology in the Mooresville and Statesville locations. Klaffky joins the practice alongside Dr. Frank Lichtenberger and nurse practitioner Ednah Oyaro.

Klaffky chose the field of allergy and immunology because she admires the analytical aspect of her rapidly growing field.

I became a doctor because I like to solve problems. says Klaffky. I consider myself a lifelong learner. I enjoy constantly staying up to date on the latest innovations and research in the allergy and immunology field.

Klaffky attended undergrad at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. She then went on to earn her Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia. She then completed medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. Klaffky returned to the University of Virginia, where she completed her residency in pediatrics and her fellowship in allergy and immunology.

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Klaffky to PHC Allergy and Immunology office in both Mooresville and Statesville. Klaffky is highly skilled and trained in all aspects of allergy and immunology and will be a wonderful addition to our team. Gaining her to our group will allow us to expand our presence in the area to better serve our patients says Lichtenberger.

When Klaffky is not with her two golden retrievers Tucker and Abby, you can find her on her bike riding in the Appalachian Mountains, Oregon or even Europe.

Klaffky is now accepting new patients at Piedmont HealthCare Allergy and Immunology in both Statesville and Mooresville. For more information on Klaffky, or to schedule an appointment, contact Piedmont HealthCare Allergy and Immunology Statesville office at 704-873-5055 and/or the Mooresville office at 704-235-0305 or visit https://piedmonthealthcare.com/provider/klaffky-erin-md/.
A North Carolina fugitive was captured in Bland County on Thursday following a vehicle and foot chase that started at an Interstate 77 rest area.

Brandon Allen Amos-Dixon, 25, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, is wanted out of Harnett County, North Carolina, on charges related to a Jan. 18 shooting involving his fiancee and her child.

According to the Virginia State Police, officers learned Thursday morning that Amos-Dixons pickup truck was parked at the northbound rest area.

As troopers and a Bland County deputy approached the truck, it sped out of the parking lot and headed north on I-77.

Police said Amos-Dixon intentionally rammed a troopers vehicle during the pursuit, but the trooper wasnt hurt.

After taking Exit 64 in Rocky Gap, the truck continued west on Clear Fork Creek Road before crashing in the 1,000 block. Amos-Dixon then fled on foot.

A search perimeter was immediately established and local residents advised to shelter in place and call 911 if they saw anyone suspicious. State police and the Bland County Sheriffs Office deployed multiple resources to the area for the search.

Bland County High School was also placed under lockdown.

Officers caught Amos-Dixon near Laurel Fork Road at approximately 11:39 a.m. on Thursday.

Virginia police charged him being a fugitive from justice, assaulting a police officer, felony eluding police and reckless driving.

According to the Harnett County Sheriffs Office, Amos Dixon is wanted on charges of attempted murder (two counts), shooting into an occupied vehicle (10 counts) and assault with a deadly weapon (two counts).

According to a press release, Amos-Dixon is accused of shooting 29-year-old Chelsea Ling Chung while she and her child were in her vehicle.

Police said Ling Chung was taken to a local hospital where she remained in stable condition. The child sustained superficial injuries during the shooting.

Amos-Dixon is being held without bond in the New River Valley Regional Jail.
Five years ago, I often introduced my buddy to others as the youngest octogenarian youd ever meet. Always ready with a favorite joke and pretty quick with a quip off the cuff, always energetic and upbeat, always ready to face a new day, Joe Rogers seemed to have outsmarted the calendar. Or had counted the years wrong.

But as he told his age with pride, he with equal pride defied it. He could have been the subject of one of the weather forecasts he posted on Facebook: Joe was 85 but it felt more like 60.

By his counting that seemed way off, he was 27 years older than me, but we felt like twin brothers. We were raised alike, had the same values, shared similar interests. It seemed from day one that we had been separated at birth. Not a day passed without my wishing I had met him earlier. I envy his very closest friend, Dr. Sam Vernon, for the decades he had with Joe.

From the start of our friendship and into the deep bond that formed, I accepted that this buddy movie would probably end while the popcorn was still warm. The end credits would roll too soon, even if Joe reached 110 and I was still kicking. I consciously appreciated Joe every single day but no effort was required. He was that guy everyone was glad to know.

We sometimes talked about how we never had an ill word. They say friends who never fight are being dishonest. Well, not always. We are always candid and unfailingly in step and in harmony with each other. That was part of his MO  forming good relationships, even merely casual ones, with others.

If you knew Joe, you know he was a musician, a drummer, since high school. We both had been in bands separately, he most notably in the widely known Travelers Revision, so it was natural that we would become the rhythm section to new bands. One was an impromptu ensemble with a couple of other musicians we called Low Profile that played unrehearsed at Wise Guys Pizza one night.

Coming off that high, we started Close to Home and played a couple of venues. We were booked for a Class of 58 reunion in October of 2018 but found our schedules prevented our performing.

The day after Close to Home fell apart, I suggested we borrow a sound system and he and I would DJ the reunion. DJing was a secret lifelong dream of mine and Joe was onboard.

We played the reunion and had so much fun we started Dan and Joe DJ Music for the Community. We joked that had our first initials not been D and J, we would have had to do something else.

We also agreed to not take a penny from the venture, but to play music as in-kind donations for charitable organizations and ask private event hosts to make a donation to a charity of their choice. What we couldnt decide on was which was more enjoyable, playing music or helping the community. We never figured that out. But we loved doing it, even more than playing live in bands.

Joe and I worked together in our real jobs inside the records vault at the Smyth County courthouse. Joe was charitable there as well, offering a laugh to customers as he found the records they needed. Sometimes I was his straight man and set him up for a funny finish. The biggest laugh we had came after a customer said, Ive only made two mistakes in my life: Getting married the second time and fertilizing my lawn. No telling how many times we retold that one.

Joe loved people and it motivated him to grow personally at an age when many are set in their ways. He was a civil marriage officiant, once called justice of the peace. He relished his opportunity to formally unite couples, even creating a commemorative certificate for each.

He saw couples he joined later split, and he married for the second time a couple or two who reconciled. I doubt he asked whether they fertilized their lawns, because Joe was as kind and considerate as he was young and funny.

Joes unjudging love of people and of helping them led him to struggle with how he would handle his first request to marry a same-sex couple when the law changed to permit those unions. He wanted to honor all couples but was worried about acting in a way that might conflict with his faith. He was so relieved and happy after talking with his pastor at the time, Andrew Bansemer at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, who assured him he would be following Christ in uniting these couples. It became a non-issue.

That was also part of Joes MO. Resolve conflicts, move on, find and celebrate similarities and respect differences and make them non-issues. He lamented how people could be so quick to anger and despise and hate and determined to keep it up, but he longed for resolution and peace among nations, communities, and his and all families.

Joe didnt talk much about his faith, but he lived it, in step and in harmony with its teachings, walking the walk. He shared it by doing it in humility and with that sense of humor that makes teaching and learning most effective.

Our buddy movie broke Tuesday night. It didnt end. Right in between scenes it just separated, the shared experiences left dangling uncompleted, future scenes still wrapped unseen around their reel. The soundtrack of music and laughter and candid talks went silent. The pieces couldnt be spliced back together. The house lights still have not come back up.

But this movies missing ending is where we continue the story. Joes influence and example, his love and friendship, will shape my thoughts and deeds, opinions and attitudes until Im gone. All who knew and cared for Joe are the cast of this continuing saga. We cant help but reflect in the world Joes light and love. And Dan and Joe DJ Music for the Community will keep his name and go on, continuing in Joes spirit of goodness, caring and gently shaping the world around him, keeping his beat.
A Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman said Thursday that the auto manufacturer had not selected a site for its planned electric vehicle battery plant in partnership with a Chinese company, just hours after the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that two sources said the company had notified state officials that it had picked Virginia for the multibillion-dollar project.

The Ford statement came in response to a Times-Dispatch report citing two sources who said the company had notified Virginia officials that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County for the plant. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Ford had not made a site selection decision, company spokeswoman Melissa Miller said by email Thursday.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin scuttled plans for the plant in late December, which the conservative outlet The Daily Caller reported based on an anonymous source who described the reasons behind the governors actions. Youngkin publicly discussed his decision earlier this month after delivering his State of the Commonwealth address, citing his concerns about Chinese government influence.

Fords plans are in partnership with the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., which Bloomberg reported last month would operate the factory and own the technology while Ford would own the plant. An estimated 2,500 workers would make lithium iron phosphate batteries for Fords electric vehicles.

Youngkin, who has come under fire for his action, said in a Tuesday interview that the notion that Ford had decided on Virginia was fundamentally wrong.

The fact is, of course, that Ford investigated this site and how their interest stacked up against any other site was clearly yet to be determined because we had not even submitted an incentive package, he said in the interview.

Asked if anyone had notified him that Ford had chosen Virginia, Youngkin declined to answer.

Bloomberg reported in mid-December that Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford was also considering Michigan for the plant. Its unclear if any other states are under consideration.

Youngkin told reporters on Thursday that The Times-Dispatch chose to ignore the facts and said the newspaper had an agenda.

He continued his criticism of the project, saying a company that is majorly influenced by the Chinese Communist Party was going to operate the plant and the employees were going to work for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled company.

I felt like it was a bit deceptive the way they had structured it, and therefore I said, were not going to submit a proposal.

The Pittsylvania site includes about 3,500 acres.

Del. Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, the state House minority leader, called on Youngkin to reverse course on the potential $3.5 billion plant, which would create an estimated 2,500 new jobs in one of the poorest areas of the state.

The governor in his ambition to run for president is leaving folks behind, Scott said in a statement. He owes hardworking Virginians an answer about what really went on and what his plan is to fix this.
Longview police officer Terry Reece is scheduled to retire at the end of this month following a report by The Daily News of him texting inappropriate messages to a student while he served as a Mark Morris High School resource officer in 2014.

According to Longview Police Department spokesperson Capt. Branden McNew, Reece notified the department of his retirement on Jan. 10  five days before the story published  and his last day is scheduled to be on Jan. 31.

According to the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, Reece, a 23-year veteran of the force, became eligible after his fifth year on the force to receive full benefits.

Nine years ago, Reece was disciplined by the Longview Police Department after he obtained the number of a 15-year-old sophomore and posed as a student with special needs to ask her out for lunch multiple times, according to department records.

Reece, who joined the Longview Police Department in 2000, was punished with a three-day suspension without pay and was removed as a school resource officer, the records state.

In 2014, former Cowlitz County Prosecutor Attorney Susan Baur opened a potential impeachment disclosure into Reeces conduct but ultimately decided not to pursue the matter.

The department also investigated him twice in 2019 when he injured a fellow officer during a training exercise, and then to see if he made untruthful comments to investigators during the departments inquiry into the matter. Neither investigation resulted in discipline.
Kelso officials are considering whether to create a centralized location for the city library and senior center, as well as alleviate a local housing shortage, by constructing a building to house all three in West Kelso.

Council members Tuesday reviewed plans to build 40 affordable housing units above the library and senior center in one, three-story building where West Main Street bends and turns into Catlin.

The City Council requested the study in December 2021 to determine if the combination of housing and community space was achievable and would be a draw for pedestrians in the area.

The area was designed to be walkable to businesses and residences as part of the West Main Street realignment and the proposed building  with 12,000 square feet on the ground floor  would add another destination to the neighborhood, according to a draft report.

Today the Kelso Public Library is located at the Three Rivers Mall  about a three-minute drive from the proposed site  and the Kelso Senior Center is off Eighth Avenue and a roughly two-minute drive away.

The library and the senior center would both have to downsize to fit into the new location. Several city officials felt the building would be a net positive for needed local housing and both city services, given the uncertainty about the librarys long-term future in the mall and the maintenance demands on the 90-year-old Kelso Senior Center.

Kelso Mayor Mike Karnofski told The Daily News he questioned moving the library away from where most city residents live, though added we are likely to lose our library location at some point.

Councilman Jim Hill questioned if the senior center would be too noisy for residences upstairs because visitors would practice musical instruments and play games like bingo below.

Council has yet to vote on the plans and Karnofski said the council will likely discuss the proposal at the first February meeting. If plans move forward, city officials estimate funding and designing could take a year, and the building would not open until 2026 at the earliest.

The report estimates the project would cost $18 million, including nearly $15 million just in construction costs. The city would likely need to purchase the Sons of Norway building across the street to get enough space for both the new building and a usable parking lot.

Hill and Karnofski both raised concerns about the amount of parking, which the report estimates to be 48 spaces.

Councilmember Lisa Alexander said she would like a way to pay for the project without tax increases.

If we can figure that out without costing the citizens, then yeah, that would be amazing for anyone, Alexander told The Daily News.

Affordable housing

The citys draft report on the project states countywide rental vacancy rates are low, which makes people susceptible to being homeless. Between 2010 and 2020, Kelso added 158 more households than new units of housing, the study states.

Kelso owns land off West Main Street after acquiring it during the West Main Street realignment, and the city plans to donate the space for the project, according to the report.

The roughly 12,000-square-foot bottom floor of the proposed building would house the library and senior center. The units above would be half 408-square-foot studio apartments and half 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartments. There would also be space for case management offices.

Lower Columbia CAP is anticipated to be the main developer of the project, and the Longview-based nonprofit  which also offers rental assistance, a food bank and a thrift store  would own and manage the property, the report states.

Apartments would be funded using low-income tax credits and federal, state and local housing grants, the report states. A quarter of the units would require Section 8 rental vouchers to qualify for millions in low-income housing tax credits.

The same Spokane-based housing development consultancy working on the Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washingtons incoming Sunrise Village housing complex in Longview, also created Kelsos draft study.
Today, Samsung Electronics announced that Samsung Wallet will be available in eight new markets soon. From its newsroom, Malaysia happens to be one of the markets, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Taiwan. The launching date is set for the end of January.

To refresh your memory, Samsung Wallet is not only an ewallet payment service but it can also do other things. This includes securely saving passwords just like Samsung Pass as well as monitoring its digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. Moreover, Samsung Wallet will include IDs, driving licenses and even student IDs.

On top of that, Samsung also plans to integrate SmartThings so users can add digital home keys. Boarding passes should be viable for Samsung Wallet as well and in terms of security, it will include fingerprint recognition to safeguard sensitive data. It is unknown if digital automobile keys will be available in the Malaysian market.

Last year, Samsung successfully launched the Samsung Wallet platform and expanded its services to 21 countries. We can't wait to see how the feature will benefit Samsung Malaysian users soon. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national carrier Qantas confirmed on Thursday that a flight to Fiji was forced to return to Sydney Airport as a precaution to a potential mechanical issue, which marked the third mid-air scare that the airline reported within a month.

On Thursday morning, the QF101, which is a Boeing 737 aircraft, took off at about 8:32 a.m. local time and spent almost two hours circling over the coast of New South Wales before landing in Sydney at about 11:00 a.m. local time.

"Our Sydney to Fiji flight has returned to Sydney as a precaution after pilots received a fault indicator about a potential mechanical issue," a Qantas spokesperson told local media, adding that engineers will examine the aircraft.

According to the spokesperson, the plane landed normally and it was not an emergency or priority landing.

One day earlier, flight QF144, a twin-jet Boeing 737-838, lost one of its two engines in the mid-air from New Zealand's Auckland to Sydney. The pilots issued a mayday alert, an internationally-used distress call to signal a life-threatening emergency and it was later downgraded to a "PAN" (possible assistance needed).

Carrying 145 passengers, the plane touched down safely at Sydney airport, where it was met by dozens of ambulances, police and fire and rescue crews.

On Wednesday night, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) commenced a transport safety investigation into the in-flight engine failure incident and assigned a team of three experienced transport safety investigators, with experience in aircraft maintenance, aircraft operations, and data recovery, to collect evidence.

"At the ATSB's request, the operator has quarantined the aircraft's cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Once downloaded, information from those recorders will be analyzed at the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra," said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sandika McAuley, a passenger aboard Flight QF144, recalled that when she heard the notice, she realized something was wrong.

"It was just like a little bit of a bang, and then a little bit of turbulence, and that's it," she said. "We just thought OK, this is a bit weird."

Before Christmas, a Qantas flight made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan on Dec. 23, 2022. The A380 flight QF1 was forced to land at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku and was met by emergency services on arrival after making a 180-degree turn.

The aircraft was scheduled to arrive at London's Heathrow Airport after leaving Singapore's Changi Airport just after midnight.

"Our flight from Singapore to London has made an unscheduled landing at Baku Airport in Azerbaijan after pilots received an intermittent fault indicator in the cockpit," said a spokeswoman from the airline.

Qantas has been awarded the world's safest airline for 2023 by AirlineRatings.com, but a spate of controversies have also been arising over the aviation company.

"It hasn't been clear skies for Qantas of late. A faulty fire sensor in a cargo hold saw an A380 make an emergency landing and a load of passengers make an unexpected stopover in Azerbaijan just before Christmas," former Qantas captain David Evans wrote in an opinion released on Thursday.

"On the ground, things haven't been much better, with criticism of management putting share price before passengers, as well as luggage issues, delays and post-COVID customer service complaints," he added. 
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A visitor looks at artist Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in New York. The new AI-generated installation is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo

Countless artists have taken inspiration from "The Starry Night" since Vincent Van Gogh painted the swirling scene in 1889.

Now artificial intelligence systems are doing the same, training themselves on a vast collection of digitized artworks to produce new images you can conjure in seconds from a smartphone app.

The images generated by tools such as DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion can be weird and otherworldly but also increasingly realistic and customizableask for a "peacock owl in the style of Van Gogh" and they can churn out something that might look similar to what you imagined.

But while Van Gogh and other long-dead master painters aren't complaining, some living artists and photographers are starting to fight back against the AI software companies creating images derived from their works.

Two new lawsuitsone this week from the Seattle-based photography giant Getty Imagestake aim at popular image-generating services for allegedly copying and processing millions of copyright-protected images without a license.

Getty said it has begun legal proceedings in the High Court of Justice in London against Stability AIthe maker of Stable Diffusionfor infringing intellectual property rights to benefit the London-based startup's commercial interests.

Artist Refik Anadol describes his work inside the Davos Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. A new AI-generated installation  called Unsupervised - by Anadol at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Another lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in San Francisco describes AI image-generators as "21st-century collage tools that violate the rights of millions of artists." The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 13 by three working artists on behalf of others like them, also names Stability AI as a defendant, along with San Francisco-based image-generator startup Midjourney, and the online gallery DeviantArt.

The lawsuit alleges that AI-generated images "compete in the marketplace with the original images. Until now, when a purchaser seeks a new image 'in the style' of a given artist, they must pay to commission or license an original image from that artist."

Companies that provide image-generating services typically charge users a fee. After a free trial of Midjourney through the chatting app Discord, for instance, users must buy a subscription that starts at $10 per month or up to $600 a year for corporate memberships. The startup OpenAI also charges for use of its DALL-E image generator, and StabilityAI offers a paid service called DreamStudio.

Stability AI said in a statement that "Anyone that believes that this isn't fair use does not understand the technology and misunderstands the law."

In a December interview with The Associated Press, before the lawsuits were filed, Midjourney CEO David Holz described his image-making service as "kind of like a search engine" pulling in a wide swath of images from across the internet. He compared copyright concerns about the technology with how such laws have adapted to human creativity.

Artist Refik Anadol poses in front of his work inside the Davos Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. A new AI-generated installation  called Unsupervised - by Anadol at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File

"Can a person look at somebody else's picture and learn from it and make a similar picture?" Holz said. "Obviously, it's allowed for people and if it wasn't, then it would destroy the whole professional art industry, probably the nonprofessional industry too. To the extent that AIs are learning like people, it's sort of the same thing and if the images come out differently then it seems like it's fine."

The copyright disputes mark the beginning of a backlash against a new generation of impressive toolssome of them introduced just last yearthat can generate new visual media, readable text and computer code on command.

They also raise broader concerns about the propensity of AI tools to amplify misinformation or cause other harm. For AI image generators, that includes the creation of nonconsensual sexual imagery.

Some systems produce photorealistic images that can be impossible to trace, making it difficult to tell the difference between what's real and what's AI. And while some have safeguards in place to block offensive or harmful content, experts fear it's only a matter of time until people utilize these tools to spread disinformation and further erode public trust.

"Once we lose this capability of telling what's real and what's fake, everything will suddenly become fake because you lose confidence of anything and everything," said Wael Abd-Almageed, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Southern California.

Visitors look at artist Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in New York. The new AI-generated installation is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo

As a test, the AP submitted a text prompt on Stable Diffusion featuring the keywords "Ukraine war" and "Getty Images." The tool created photo-like images of soldiers in combat with warped faces and hands, pointing and carrying guns. Some of the images also featured the Getty watermark, but with garbled text.

AI can also get things wrong, like feet and fingers or details on ears that can sometimes give away that they're not real, but there's no set pattern to look out for. Those visual clues can also be edited. On Midjourney, users often post on the Discord chat asking for advice on how to fix distorted faces and hands.

With some generated images traveling on social networks and potentially going viral, they can be challenging to debunk since they can't be traced back to a specific tool or data source, according to Chirag Shah, a professor at the Information School at the University of Washington, who uses these tools for research.

"You could make some guesses if you have enough experience working with these tools," Shah said. "But beyond that, there is no easy or scientific way to really do this."

For all the backlash, there are many people who embrace the new AI tools and the creativity they unleash. Some use them as a hobby to create intricate landscapes, portraits and art; others to brainstorm marketing materials, video game scenery or other ideas related to their professions.

Visitors view artist Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in New York. The new AI-generated installation is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection.Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo

There's plenty of room for fear, but "what can else can we do with them?" asked the artist Refik Anadol this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he displayed an exhibit of climate-themed work created by training AI models on a trove of publicly available images of coral.

At the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Anadol designed "Unsupervised," which draws from artworks in the museum's prestigious collectionincluding "The Starry Night"and feeds them into a digital installation generating animations of mesmerizing colors and shapes in the museum lobby.

The installation is "constantly changing, evolving and dreaming 138,000 old artworks at MoMA's archive," Anadol said. "From Van Gogh to Picasso to Kandinsky, incredible, inspiring artists who defined and pioneered different techniques exist in this artwork, in this AI dream world."

Anadol, who builds his own AI models, said in an interview that he prefers to look at the bright side of the technology. But he hopes future commercial applications can be fine-tuned so artists can more easily opt out.

"I totally hear and agree that certain artists or creators are very uncomfortable about their work being used," he said.

Visitors view artist Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in New York. The new AI-generated installation is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo

For painter Erin Hanson, whose impressionist landscapes are so popular and easy to find online that she has seen their influence in AI-produced visuals, the concern is not about her own prolific output, which makes $3 million a year.

She does, however, worry about the art community as a whole.

"The original artist needs to be acknowledged in some way or compensated," Hanson said. "That's what copyright laws are all about. And if artists aren't acknowledged, then it's going to make it hard for artists to make a living in the future."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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FBI Director Christopher Wray talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is taking place in Davos from Jan. 16 until Jan. 20, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that he was "deeply concerned" about the Chinese government's artificial intelligence program, asserting that it was "not constrained by the rule of law."

Speaking during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijing's AI ambitions were "built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they've stolen over the years."

He said that left unchecked, China could use artificial intelligence advancements to further its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and repression of dissidents inside the country and beyond.

"That's something we're deeply concerned about, and I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about," he said.

More broadly, he said, "AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think, 'Wow, We can do that?' And then I think, 'Oh god, they can do that.'"

Such concerns have long been voiced by U.S. officials. In October 2021, for instance, U.S. counterintelligence officials issued warnings about China's ambitions in AI as part of a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries.

Earlier that year, an AI commission led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt urged the U.S. to boost its AI skills to counter China, including by pursuing "AI-enabled" weapons.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment Thursday about Wray's comments. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fearmongering and attacked U.S. intelligence for its assessments of China.

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Illustration of different ship designs when powered by alternative fuels. Credit: Dr Law Li Chin

Maritime transport has become central to international trade and the world economy. It is estimated that 90,000 marine vessels are used to transport 90% of goods carried by sea. As these vessels consume fossil fuels like road vehicles and emit up to ~3% of global anthropogenic emissions, the pressing question is how these traditional vessels can be redesigned to become more efficient and less polluting, from CO 2 , CO 2 -equivalent, and air quality perspectives.

The maritime decarbonization research group at the Cambridge Center for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES) responded by building an online calculator on lowcarbonship.com which could allow users to "build" their own ship and assess its performance against a traditional Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) vessel.

Cambridge CARES and maritime decarbonization

Prof Epaminondas Mastorakos of the University of Cambridge is the Principal Investigator in the area of maritime decarbonization in the Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technologies (C4T) program hosted by CARES and supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore.

His research group considered that alternative-fuel-propelled ships would have different volume and mass requirements. For example, ammonia has a smaller calorific value than fossil fuel oil; hence, a larger mass of ammonia fuel is needed to give the same propulsion energy, which would come at the expense of cargo.

Considering these parameters, the calculators on lowcarbonship.com consist of:

Ship Performance Calculator and Marine Fuel Comparison which assesses ship performance against various alternative fuels when compared to conventional HFO; and

Ship Sizing Calculator which provides the different volume and mass requirements for a vessel as different cargo and alternative fuels are chosen

Prof Mastorakos adds, "By building this free-to-use online calculator, we open these issues to a wider discussion and we hope it will serve as a focal point to collect information and finalize the various assumptions inherent in the estimations needed."

Building lowcarbonship.com

Dr. Li Chin Law, Research Engineer at CARES, began working on a numerical assessment of the potential of alternative fuels in 2021. She adds that the biggest challenge was data acquisition as there were limited data and resources available on different fuels.

Working with Prof Mastorakos, they took a step forward with the initiation of lifecycle assessment by digitally simulating the processes from fuel production (Well-to-Tank, WTT) up to the fuel consumption (Tank-to-Wake, TWW) phases. The results of the assessment were reported in a paper published in Energies comparing alternative fuels for shipping in terms of lifecycle energy and cost.

The outcomes from the lifecycle assessment exercise provided Dr. Law with reliable data for fleet-level assessment which started a year later. The impact of fuel types on a ship's performance in cargo delivery was successfully quantified in another paper, also published in Energies, which estimated the decarbonization potential of alternative fuels for shipping using vessel type, cargo, and voyage as functions.

Dr. Law considers that "the combination of these results became the catalyst for the development of the online calculator."

The future of lowcarbonship.com

As Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world with over 140,000 vessels stopping by each year, we believe that CARES is strategically located and facilitated by world-class collaboration with the University of Cambridge to launch this website.

A wide range of stakeholders in Singapore and around the world could test the website and obtain useful resultsengineers who design future ships, shipowners who might want an independent estimate of cargo loss due to switching to a low-carbon fuel, and anyone interested in the estimated carbon footprint of shipping vessels.

Prof Mastorakos concludes that "we believe that tools such as this are useful for anyone considering the energy penalty and carbon benefits of future fuels."

More information: Li Law et al, A Comparison of Alternative Fuels for Shipping in Terms of Lifecycle Energy and Cost, Energies (2021). DOI: 10.3390/en14248502 Li Chin Law et al, Estimates of the Decarbonization Potential of Alternative Fuels for Shipping as a Function of Vessel Type, Cargo, and Voyage, Energies (2022). DOI: 10.3390/en15207468 unctad.org/webflyer/review-maritime-transport-2018 www.mpa.gov.sg/maritime-singap  fers/global-hub-port
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The James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami, where court proceedings against Anatoly Legkodymov, founder of crypto exchange Bitzlato, are being held.

The owner of China-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato was arrested in Miami on Wednesday, along with five associates in Europe, during an international operation against "darknet" markets.

Anatoly Legkodymov, 40, a Russian living in Shenzhen, China, appeared in handcuffs and leg shackles in a Miami courtroom on money laundering charges, and was denied bail by a judge who deemed him a flight risk.

He was detained for his role in allegedly transmitting a total of $700 million in illicit funds, the US Department of Justice charged, with officials saying that criminals used the exchange as a haven for narcotics trading and selling stolen financial information.

Five other men, mainly of Russian and Ukrainian nationalities, were arrested in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus, as part of a complex police swoop led by French authorities, officials in Paris said.

According to US court documents, Legkodymov is the founder and majority shareholder of Hong Kong-registered Bitzlato, which marketed itself as requiring minimal identification from users.

Bitzlato's largest partner for transactions was Hydra, an anonymous, illicit online marketplace on the "darknet" that was shut down by US and German authorities last year.

The secret "darknet" includes websites that can be accessed only with specific software or authorizations, ensuring anonymity for users.

As the arrests were announced, authorities dismantled Bitzlato's digital infrastructure, including its servers in France, and seized cryptocurrency worth $17 million.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Bitzlato enabled cryptocurrencies including bitcoin and ethereum to be converted into Russian rubles.

'Cryptocrime ecosystem'

US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco welcomed "a significant blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem."

Bitzlato is a China-based cryptocurrency exchange.

"Overnight, the Department worked with key partners here and abroad to disrupt Bitzlato, the China-based money laundering engine that fueled a high-tech axis of cryptocrime, and to arrest its founder," she said.

Monaco said that "today's actions send the clear message: whether you break our laws from China or Europeor abuse our financial system from a tropical islandyou can expect to answer for your crimes."

When it was closed in April 2022, the Hydra marketplace had around 17 million customer accounts and more than 19,000 vendor accounts, according to German federal police.

Such networks have faced increased pressure from international law enforcement after a boom in usage during the coronavirus pandemic.

"As alleged, Bitzlato sold itself to criminals as a no-questions-asked cryptocurrency exchange, and reaped hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of deposits as a result," said Breon Peace, Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

"The defendant is now paying the price for the malign role that his company played in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

"Bitzlato allegedly became a haven for criminal proceeds and funds intended for use in criminal activity."

In May 2019, Legkodymov allegedly told a colleague on Bitzlato's internal chat system that users were "known to be crooks" deploying others' identity documents to register accounts.

In the Miami courtroom, Federal Judge Jacqueline Becerra told Legkodymov, dressed in a gray polo shirt and blue shorts, that he faces a possible five-year prison term. Legkodymov will return to court Friday for a hearing on his transfer to New York, where the charges were brought.

US officials are cracking down on the cryptocurrency sector after the uproar caused by the recent bankruptcy of FTX and Alameda Research.

FTX, once the world's highest profile crypto exchange, collapsed spectacularly in November leaving nine million customers in the lurch and seeing cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried indicted for fraud by US prosecutors.

 2023 AFP
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This Feb. 19, 2014, file photo, shows WhatsApp app icon on a smartphone in New York. Ireland has fined WhatsApp for breaching strict European Union privacy rules by forcing users to consent to allow their personal data to be used to provide service improvements and security. The Data Protection Commission issued a 5.5 million euros ($5.9 million) penalty in the case on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File

Ireland fined WhatsApp for breaching strict European Union privacy rules in a case that has exposed divisions among EU watchdogs over how to regulate its parent company, Meta.

The chat app was ordered to pay 5.5 million euros ($5.9 million) Thursday by the Data Protection Commission for forcing users to allow personal data to be used to provide "service improvements and security"but only after some of its European counterparts balked at its initial decision to let the company off.

In a related decision earlier this month that played out in a similar manner, the Irish watchdog hit Meta Platforms Inc. with $390 million in fines for forcing Facebook and Instagram users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity.

All three cases date back to May 2018, when the 27-country bloc's stringent privacy regulations took force.

The commission, which is Meta's lead European privacy regulator because the company's regional headquarters is in Dublin, originally sided with the Silicon Valley giant. But a slew of other EU data protection watchdogs objected to its draft decisions and the Irish watchdog was forced to overturn them and issue stiffer punishments.

In its final decision on the WhatsApp case, the commission also ordered the company to bring its data processing operations into compliance with EU privacy rules within six months.

WhatsApp said it disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal.

"We strongly believe that the way the service operates is both technically and legally compliant," it said in a statement.

The Irish watchdog's decision was written in dry technical language but signs of the tension with its EU counterparts were evident in a section near the end, where it said that a board of EU data protection regulators "purported to direct" it to carry out a fresh investigation of all of WhatsApp's data processing operations.

It's not up to the board to "instruct and direct an authority to engage in open-ended and speculative investigation," the Irish watchdog said, adding it would ask the EU's top court to annul the order because it's "problematic in jurisdictional terms."

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Elon Musk's attorney Alex Spiro told jurors at his fraud trial that Musk was sincere about taking Tesla private for $420 a share despite expressing that poorly in 'rushed, reckless tweets' at issue in court.

A lawyer for angry Tesla investors told a California courtroom on Wednesday that CEO Elon Musk "lied" about having funding in place to take the company private, costing his clients millions of dollars.

More than four years after Musk fired off tweets saying he had funding secured to buy the electric car maker at $420 a share, investors who felt burned by the misleading statements began to make their case in the San Francisco court.

The tweets in the summer of 2018 sent the Tesla share price on a rollercoaster ride and Musk was sued by shareholders who say the tycoon acted recklessly in an effort to squeeze investors who had bet against the company.

"Elon Musk, Tesla's chair and chief executive, lied," said attorney Nicholas Porritt, who represents Glen Littleton and other investors in the automaker.

"And his lies cost regular people like Glen Littleton to lose millions and millions of dollars," Porritt added in opening remarks.

Called as the first witness, 71-year-old Littleton told jurors he was heavily invested in Tesla in 2018 in a way that banked on the share price climbing to $500 or more.

Littleton testified that he was "pretty shocked" by Musk's tweet about taking the company private at $420 a share because it threatened almost all the money he had invested in Tesla.

"It was going to pretty much wipe me out," Littleton said.

Littleton told jurors he scrambled "in a fog of war" to save what he could of his investments, getting out of most of his positions at a huge loss.

A Tesla investor testified that Elon Musk's tweet in 2018 about funding being in place to take the company private at $420 a share threatened to wipe out his position because he had banked on shares in the car maker soaring in the long term.

The fraud trial had opened Tuesday with the selection of a nine-person jury, and is expected to last three weeks. Musk is scheduled to take the stand, possibly as early as Friday.

Musk denies he was being deceitful and his lawyers are expected to call on witnesses to vouch for his plans at the time, including testimony from Musk's friend and fellow billionaire Larry Ellison.

'Not fraud'

The case revolves around a pair of tweets in which Musk said "funding secured" for a project to buy out the publicly-traded electric automaker, then in a second tweet added that "investor support is confirmed."

Porritt told jurors that Musk had selected the $420 share price in the tweet "as a joke" and that the funding to take Tesla private was never locked in, nor credibly pursued.

In his own opening remarks, Musk attorney Alex Spiro said that even though the tweets may have been a "reckless choice of words", they were "not fraud, not even close."

"What Mr. Musk was communicating in those tweets was that Mr. Musk was serious about taking Tesla private," Spiro told jurors, adding that anything more detailed or official "would have had the same effect on the market."

The trial comes at a sensitive time for Musk, who has dominated the headlines in recent months for his chaotic takeover of Twitter where the entrepreneur laid off more than half of the 7,500 employees and downsized content moderation.

Tesla's share price has plummeted with investors accusing Musk of spending too much time on Twitter when the car company faces new challenges, including a slumping economy and the arrival of new rivals on the electric car market.

 2023 AFP
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Credit: Shutterstock

Soaring electricity prices have made 15% of Aussies think about installing solar panels, a recent survey found. Another 6% were already weighing up the move, on top of the 28% who had panels.

With costs falling, the average system size is growing rapidly. Households now typically install 810kW solar systems, often with a batteryroof area often limits the system's size.

But does that guarantee no future electricity costs? No, some are still paying stubbornly high bills.

This is because they are often feeding energy into the grid during peak sunshine hours, when retailers pay low feed-in tariffs of five cents per kWh or less (a response to surging rooftop solar generation). To encourage customers to use energy at these times, retailers offer generous time-of-use ("solar sponge") tariffs.

But the cost doubles during peak demand periods (around 610am and 311pm) when solar output is low or zero. Most rooftop solar owners are still paying for the electricity they use then.

The solution is a matter of getting three things right:

choosing efficient appliances using smart technology or simple timers to run them during times of ample solar generation choosing a retail electricity plan that best matches your use.

How much difference can appliances make?

To cut energy costs, the starting point is to understand your usage patterns.

Heating and cooling account for 3045% of typical home energy use. Our testing at the University of South Australia suggests air conditioners use more energy as they age. Yet many homes have air conditioners older than ten years with 23 star ratings. Modern split systems with 6 stars use less than half as much electricity.

Users can program or control air conditioners remotely with a mobile phone to run for an hour or two before getting home. They then use cheap solar electricity to create a comfortable home. Smart and affordable controllers can also reduce cooling or heating when they sense a room is unoccupied or windows are open.

Typically, another quarter to a third of energy use is for water heating. Ample solar electricity and soaring gas prices make heat pump water heaters the best option. With government subsidies, their initial cost is similar to conventional gas or electric systems and they typically use a third of the energy.

A breakdown of energy use in the average Australian home. Credit: www.sa.gov.au, CC BY

Again, they can be programmed to heat water at times of peak solar generation and store it, thus providing almost free hot water when needed.

Many other smart appliances and lights are available. Induction cooktops deliver fast and impressive results using little electricity. Along with the microwave, air fryer and pressure cooker, they can reduce energy use. Ovens and slow cookers can be programmed to use solar power and have meals ready when we get home.

As well as having options with high star ratings, appliances to wash and dry clothes and dishes can easily be set to run during sunshine hours.

Energy-efficient fridges also cut costs. However, while people are happy to buy such fridges, our research survey found some keep the old one, using three to four times the electricity, for drinks.

Homes with swimming pools or spas are notorious for having the highest electricity bills. A pool will typically use 2,0003,000kWh of electricity per year (depending on type of pump, hours of use and whether the pool is heated), at a cost of A$7001,200. Solar pool heaters are an excellent alternative. A simple timer switch can ensure most power is consumed during sunshine hours.

A typical outdoor spa uses 5kW for water heating and circulating. Much heat is lost to the surroundings if you let the thermostat keep it warm all the time. By installing a timer switch, you can use solar power for heating and have the spa ready for use after working hours.

Use smart technology to control time of use

The key to making the best use of your solar output is avoiding energy wastage and matching the timing of energy supply with household demand. An affordable smart control systemfor the whole home or individual appliancescan do this.

This system can set seven-day schedules for all appliances. It can turn off lights and air conditioning after you leave home. On a hot day, it can lower blinds and switch on the ceiling fan and air conditioner before you return, then adjust the bedroom temperature for comfortable sleep.

With improved energy supply and demand forecasting and artificial intelligence, future controllers will provide the optimal energy options with little human intervention. If smart gadgets are not for you, simple timer switches start at less than $10.

Energy storage remains a key technology for enabling use at night and on days of no sunshine. A recent Conversation article discussed home batteries.

Another emerging technology is thermal batteries for heating and cooling. During sunshine hours a reverse-cycle air conditioner generates heat or cool to store in the thermal battery (commonly as hot or chilled water) for later use.

Electric vehicles that connect to the grid will go a long way towards making better use of rooftop electricity and storing it for evening use. Their battery capacity is several times that of home batteries.

Find the best energy plan for your home

With 45 energy retailers in southern and eastern Australia, each offering multiple tariffs, it's no wonder consumers are confused about which one to choose. The Australian Energy Regulator provides the most reliable guide. By uploading a few basic details, including the National Meter Identifier (NMI) shown on your bill, you can find the best offers based on your recorded electricity use.

Using this site, my son, who had paid an $800 quarterly bill despite having a large solar system, achieved a potential annual bill below $1,500 simply by switching retailers. Installing a timer switch so their outdoor spa uses solar electricity, instead of paying 33c/kWh, is likely to further save up to $5 a day. Their goal of no electricity bills is becoming a reality.

We are seeing the emergence of a new Australian dream of living in a well-designed home with rooftop solar, an electric car and smartly controlled energy-efficient appliances. It will enable most single/double-storey households to be carbon-neutral while living in comfort without a big hit to their hip pockets.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Federal safety investigators cited three Amazon warehouses for putting workers at serious risk of injury from the bending, twisting and lifting required to rapidly move and stack packages for hours.

Amazon rejected the findings by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and said it would appeal.

OSHA announced the citations Wednesday at warehouses in Florida, Illinois and New York, which were inspected as part of an ongoing investigation into Amazon's safety practices in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant, which earned $33 billion in 2021, faces $60,269 in total fines if OSHA prevails.

The fines are the maximum penalty under the Occupational Safety and Heath Act's "general duty" clause, which requires employers to provide a safe working environment, said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. But in a briefing with reporters, Parker dismissed the idea that Amazon could easily absorb the penalty rather than shoulder the cost of changing its practices, saying the company is legally required to take action or face more serious consequences.

"Each of these inspections found work processes that were designed for speed but not safety, and they resulted in serious worker injuries," Parker said, adding that Amazon "continues to conduct business as usual" despite serious injury rates at warehouses that were nearly double the industry average in 2021.

Parker said the Amazon warehouses in New York and Florida had DART ratesmeaning days away from work, job restrictions or transfers due to injuriesthat were triple the industry average of 4.7 injuries per 100 workers.

Amazon has itself has acknowledged at injury rates for its warehouse workers are higher compared to its peers but says it has invested millions of dollars in improving its safety record.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said OSHA's "allegations don't reflect the reality of safety at our sites."

"Over the last several months we've demonstrated the extent to which we work every day to mitigate risk and protect our people, and our publicly available data show we've reduced injury rates nearly 15% between 2019 and 2021," Nantel said.

OSHA said workers at the three facilities were at high risk of lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders because of repeated bending, twisting and lifting and as they race to transfer heavy packages to and from carts, conveyer belts, trailers and tall shelves.

Parker said workers were clocked making these repetitive moves up to nine times per minute.

OSHA recommended a series of remedies including providing machinery that would reduce the need for workers to bend and twist, lift packages to dangerous heights, or walk too far with heavy loads. It also recommended providing more frequent breaks and job rotations.

Amazon says those are the kinds of policies the company has already been implementing. The company cites its partnership with the National Safety Council to develop best practices, and says workers are regularly reminded to take breaks and join stretching groups.

In an emailed statement, the company said it continually strives to reduce the risk of items becoming dislodged and falling on workers "including assessing and revising engineering protocols, regularly training employees, and continually assessing injuries and near-misses to identify additional ways to improve workplace safety."

Amazon said "we strongly disagree with OSHA's claims" that it has ignored health and safety standards.

The inspections were conducted last summer after referrals from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which has encouraged former and current Amazon workers to directly report safety issues to them. In addition to potential safety violations, the office has said it is investigating "possible fraudulent conduct designed to hide injuries from OSHA and others."

Last month, OSHA issued 14 citations against Amazon for failing to properly record injuries at warehouses in five states.

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A logo on a sign is displayed above a branch of KFC in the Surbiton suburb of south west, London, on Feb. 21, 2018. KFC's parent company Yum Brands says a ransomware attack forced it to close several hundred restaurants in the United Kingdom this week. A government filing posted Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, says the attack impacted information technology systems. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File

A ransomware attack forced the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell to close several hundred restaurants in the United Kingdom this week.

A government filing posted Thursday says the attack impacted information technology systems. Yum Brands said the attackers took company data, but that there is no evidence customer data was stolen.

Around 300 U.K. stores were closed for one day but are now operational, Yum said. There are more than 1,000 KFC and Taco Bell outlets in the U.K. and Ireland, according to company websites, yet it did not divulge which brands were impacted.

Ransomware is used to hold a target's data hostage until the attacker is paid, though it is not known if Yum paid any money in this case. Yum Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press Thursday.

The U.K. was the European country most targeted by observed ransomware attacks last month with 21, with Germany No. 2 with 11, according to the cybersecurity firm NCC Group.

The company said it alerted law enforcement and hired cybersecurity professionals to conduct an investigation. The company also took some systems offline and installed enhanced monitoring technology.

Yum said it's not aware of any other restaurant disruptions due to the attack and doesn't expect the closures to have a material impact on its business.

Ransomware attacks have hit food companies before. In 2021, Brazil-based JBS SAthe world's largest meat processing companypaid the equivalent of $11 million to hackers who broke into its computer system.

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This image indicates the possible workplaces of simulated workers who live in Takatsuki, Japan. With additional information, their movements can be simulated to predict the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace. Credit: Takuya Harada from Shibaura Institute of Technology

Synthetic populations are computer-generated groups of people that are designed to look like real populations. They are built using public census information about people's characteristics, such as their age, gender, and job, alongside statistical algorithms that help put it all together.

Their main application is for conducting so-called social simulations to assess different possible solutions to social problems, such as transportation, health issues, and housing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, scientists in many places around the world conducted social simulations to estimate the number of cases in each country.

In Japan, researchers have been carrying out such simulations using supercomputers under the COVID-19 AI & Simulation Project led by the Cabinet Secretariat of the Japanese government since 2020. They were given significant consideration when deciding various political measures, such as PCR testing policies, immigration limits, domestic tourism support, vaccination programs, and so on.

These simulations were possible thanks to a synthetic population which was prepared and updated under the Joint Usage/Research Center for Interdisciplinary Large-scale Information Infrastructures (JHPCN) project, since 2017.

However, this Japanese synthetic population had a significant limitationeven though a home address was one of the attributes assigned to each individual, their workplace location was not. As a result, this synthetic population was more accurate at representing the night-time distribution of people, but not their day-time distribution, or the relationship between both.

To tackle this problem, a trio of Japanese researchers including Assistant Professor Takuya Harada of Shibaura Institute of Technology, as well as Dr. Tadahiko Murata and Mr. Daiki Iwase of the Faculty of Informatics at Kansai University, recently devised a method to assign a workplace attribute to each worker in synthetic populations. Their study was published in IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems.

The main challenge the researchers had to overcome was the lack of statistical information linking home and workplace locations for people. In Japan, only local governments whose area has over 200,000 residents release complete origindestinationindustry (ODI) statistics, which provide details about the movement of workers as well as their industry type (like retail, construction, or manufacturing).

For cities, towns, or villages with less than 200,000 residents, the available ODI data is less specific, and only tells whether the person works in the same city, in another city within the same prefecture, or in another city in a different prefecture. Unfortunately, approximately 48% of workers in Japan reside in cities with less than 200,000 residents.

Thus, the research team combined available ODI data with origindestination (OD) data and developed an innovative workplace assignment method that works for all cities, towns, and villages in Japan. To test whether their method was designed properly, they used it to assign workplaces to people in cities with more than 200,000 residents and compared the results with the available complete ODI data.

For the city of Takatsuki in the Osaka prefecture, which the researchers showcased as an example in their paper, the proposed method could assign the correct cities as workplaces for 88.2% of workers.

The possible applications for detailed social simulations using synthetic populations are manyfold, as Professor Murata of Kansai University remarks: "Real-scale social simulations can be used for estimating the efficiency of urban developments, including housing and transportation projects, as well as the influence of social programs conducted by national or local governments. They can also be employed for rescue and relief programs when facing disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, typhoons, and pandemics."

Put simply, social simulations can help decisionmakers accurately image various possible futures.

Another important aspect of synthetic populations is that they are free from data privacy concerns. "Synthetic populations are a secure technology because no private information is used," explains Assistant Professor Harada, "Because we synthesize multiple sets of populations that have the same statistical characteristics, third parties cannot identify whether real information is included or not."

This study marks the world's first synthetic populations with workplace information that are publicly released for engineers and researchers. They can be requested at the first author's website.

The research team is already working on using their newfound workplace assignment method to estimate the day-time population distribution throughout all of Japan. It is highly probable that further progress in synthetic populations will lead to better decision-making in the near future.

More information: Tadahiko Murata et al, Workplace Assignment to Workers in Synthetic Populations in Japan, IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems (2022). DOI: 10.1109/TCSS.2022.3217614 First authro's website: www.res.kutc.kansai-u.ac.jp/~m  istribution/?lang=en

Provided by Shibaura Institute of Technology
TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted its biggest annual trade deficit since record keeping began in 2022, as soaring prices for energy and raw material prices were further inflated by a weaker yen, the government said in a report on Thursday.

According to the Finance Ministry, the country logged a 19.97 trillion yen (155.29 billion U.S. dollars) deficit for 2022, marking the largest amount of red ink for a year since comparable data became available in 1979.

Imports in the recording period leaped 39.2 percent to a record 118.16 trillion yen (918.88 billion U.S. dollars), while exports were up a record 8.2 percent to 98.19 trillion yen (763.58 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry's preliminary reports showed.

The yen's plunge to a more than three-decade low versus the U.S. dollar during 2022 punctuated the trade deficit and the fact that resource-poor Japan is at the mercy of imports for the country's core needs.

As for December alone, Japan booked a trade deficit of 1.45 trillion yen (11.27 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry said.

In the month, imports climbed 20.6 percent to 10.24 trillion yen (79.63 billion U.S. dollars), while exports rose 11.5 percent at 8.79 trillion yen (68.35 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry's data also showed. 
The Southwest Airlines pilots union is calling for a strike authorization vote in May in the wake of the Dallas-based carriers epic holiday meltdown.

Union president Casey Murray described it as a historic action that follows the Christmastime fiasco and an utter lack of meaningful progress on a contract negotiation, with scheduling work rules and information technology asks in particular, that has been ongoing for more than three years.

Its scheduling, Murray said. It is their inability to understand how they got here and what they need to do to correct it.

The Southwest Airlines Pilot Association represents more than 10,000 pilots, who will begin voting May 1 on authorizing a strike. Union members gave their leaders authority in December to call for a vote.

Southwest Airlines vice president of labor relations Adam Carlisle said the strike authorization does not have a bearing on our work at the negotiating table.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Associations call for an authorization vote does not affect Southwests operation or our ability to take care of our customers, Carlisle said. We will continue to follow the process outlined in the Railway Labor Act and work, under the assistance of the National Mediation Board, toward reaching an agreement that rewards our pilots and places them competitively in the industry.

Its the first time that the union for pilots at Southwest Airlines has called for a strike authorization, although the union has taken other steps toward striking as recently as 2015 before the two sides came to a deal on a new contract in late 2016.

All four major airlines are negotiating with pilots, including Fort Worth-based American Airlines. Pilots are looking at raises of 20 to 30% over the next four years based on contract proposals pushed by Delta, United and American. The Allied Pilots Association representing American Airlines pilots also has complained about crew scheduling issues, although Southwests meltdown in December is the most significant cancellation event in recent years.

Murray said union leaders had many discussions on the timing of the vote.

We believe that May 1 provides a date that allows our union time to prepare and gives our customers time to book elsewhere so that they can have confidence that their summer vacations, honeymoons, and family outings are assured, Murray said in a statement.

Its difficult for pilots to actually strike. Pilots are prohibited from walking out without approval from federal labor officials.

The two sides are set to resume negotiations with a federal mediator on Jan. 24.
The Miss Universe Organization and its chief executive have issued statements defending their 2023 champion, Miss USA RBonney Gabriel of Houston, amid allegations that the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were rigged.

Over the weekend, Gabriel was crowned Miss Universe after already making history in October as the first Filipina American woman to hold the title of Miss USA. The Texas-born model and fashion designers groundbreaking achievements have been sullied, however, by other contestants and internet trolls alleging that the competitions were fixed in her favor.

In a statement provided Wednesday to the Los Angeles Times, the Miss Universe Organization vehemently dismissed the false rigging allegations as absurd. Chief executive Amy Emmerich also pointed out that a law firm conducted an independent investigation into the Miss USA controversy last year and determined that the rigging allegations were unfounded.

The allegations re: rigging of Miss Universe are false, Emmerich said in the statement.

People saying that its suspect that JKN Global Group owns both Miss Universe and Miss USA arent familiar with the history of the organizations, the statement added. One of the top 4 accounting firms in the United States handled the results and verified the process. ... RBonney has been a strong and dedicated contestant. She is the rightful Miss Universe. I look forward to this much attention being focused on her nonprofit work as well.

In October, the Miss Universe Organization suspended Miss USA President Crystle Stewart and hired a third party to look into the cheating rumors. The probe was launched after a number of Gabriels competitors abruptly walked off the stage in protest as she accepted her Miss USA tiara and sash. Spearheaded by Miss Montana Heather Lee OKeefe on TikTok, allegations that the contest had been fixed promptly went viral on social media.

Around the same time the allegations began circulating online, Endeavors IMG sold the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million to JKN Global Group. The Thailand-based company is helmed by Anne Jakkaphong Jarajutatip, a Thai businesswoman, transgender activist and reality TV star in her home country.

It was the first time a Filipina American took the crown. The false rigging allegations are absurd and distract from the incredible milestones our organization and the delegates experienced this weekend, the pageant said in a statement.

According to her official Miss Universe biography, Gabriel is the owner of a sustainable clothing line and former volleyball player who began experimenting with fabrics and textiles at age 15 before earning a bachelors degree in fashion design at the University of North Texas. Last fall, the 28-year-old pageant queen denied the rigging allegations in an interview with E! News.

I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win, she said. I have a lot of integrity.
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MADRID, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- In the Usera district of Madrid, home to most of the city's Chinese residents, people are grasping the growing festive vibe of the upcoming Chinese New Year.

More than 50 unique events have been unfolding and will last through the following weeks, including shows, fireworks, a Chinese artisan products fair and a traditional parade attracting both Chinese and locals.

And not just in Usera. Across the Spanish capital of Madrid, a host of entertaining cultural and food events will delight Chinese residents, Spaniards and tourists alike.

"We invite all 'Madrilenos' to share in the charm and the joy of the Chinese New Year," Chinese Ambassador to Spain Wu Haitao said at the official presentation of the festivities earlier this week.

A key highlight likely to attract plenty of visitors is the sixth edition of the "China Taste" festival. The gastronomic event sees 13 restaurants in the region collaborating to present Chinese cuisine to locals.

In cooperation with the Red Cross, funds raised from selling the cuisine will go to charity projects.

Madrid's emblematic Plaza de Espana will hold a two-day exhibition of works by contemporary female artists from both countries starting on Feb. 4. The event will feature the different cultural origins and experiences of the creators, making the artistic exchange a unique encounter.

Anyone keen on keeping fit will be able to participate in the traditional "Spring Race -- Year of the Rabbit," scheduled for Jan. 29 across the streets of Madrid.

"This year, we are going to run through the streets of Madrid with our friends and family, and we think this is a fun way of celebrating," Yuan Yu, a Madrid-based Chinese resident, told Xinhua, adding that there will also be Chinese films hitting the screens in Madrid cinemas.

Meanwhile, two other Chinese residents, Nieve and Fernando, who only gave their first names, told Xinhua they would like to spend more time with their children "for a nice intimate celebration."

Nieve, who usually celebrates the Chinese New Year with simple traditional rites, said it is exciting to see a growing number of people "taking increasing interest in Chinese culture." 
NEW YORK (AP)  Less than six months ago, mpox was an exploding health crisis. What had been an obscure disease from Africa was ripping through European and U.S. gay communities. Precious doses of an unproven vaccine were in short supply. International officials declared health emergencies.

Today, reports of new cases are down to a trickle in the U.S. Health officials are shutting down emergency mobilizations. The threat seems to have virtually disappeared from the public consciousness.

"We're in a remarkably different place," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. "It's really impressive how that peak has come down to very, very low levels."

So who deserves the credit? It's an unsettled question, but experts cite a combination of factors.

Some commend public health officials. Others say more of the credit should go to members of the gay and bisexual community who took their own steps to reduce disease spread when the threat became clear. Some wonder if characteristics of the virus itself played a role.

"It's a mixed story" in which some things could have gone better but others went well, said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

***

Cases soar, then fall

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by infection with a virus that's in the same family as the one that causes smallpox. It is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals, but it was not known to spread easily among people.

Mpox cases began emerging in Europe and the U.S. in May, mostly among men who have sex with men. Cases escalated rapidly in dozens of countries in June and July, around the time of gay pride events. The infections were rarely fatal, but many people suffered painful skin lesions for weeks.

In late July, the World Health Organization declared an international health crisis. In early August, the U.S. declared a public health emergency.

Soon after, the outbreak began diminishing. The daily average of newly reported U.S. cases went from nearly 500 in August to about 100 in October. Now, there are fewer than five new U.S. cases per day. (Europe has seen a similar drop.)

Experts said a combination of factors likely turned the tide.

***

Vaccinations

Health officials caught an early break: An existing two-dose vaccine named Jynneos, developed to fight smallpox, was also approved for use against the monkeypox.

Initially, only a few thousand doses were available in the U.S., and most countries had none at all. Shipping and regulatory delays left local health departments unable to meet demand for shots.

In early August, U.S. health officials decided to stretch the limited supply by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose. The plan called for administering the vaccine with an injection just under the skin, rather than into deeper tissue.

Some in the public health community worried that it was a big decision based on a small amount of research  a single 2015 study. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since then has confirmed there was no difference in vaccine performance between the two methods.

"They got criticized for the revised dosing strategy, but it was the right call," said Frieden, who is currently president of Resolve to Save Lives, a non-profit organization focused on preventing epidemics.

Cases, however, had already begun falling by the time the government made the switch.

***

Community outreach

The current CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, cited efforts to educate doctors on how to better diagnose and treat mpox. Other experts said that even more important was outreach to the sexually active gay and bisexual men most at risk.

In the first months of the outbreak, the government was cautious about focusing warnings too intently on gay and bisexual men for fear of stigmatizing the men and  in so doing  undermining efforts to identify infections. (Indeed, in November the WHO changed the name of the disease from monkeypox to mpox in an effort to reduce stigma.)

"They were a little coy about the population principally affected," Schaffner said.

Many say queer activists and community organizations stepped up to fill the void, quickly offering frank education and assistance. In an online survey conducted in early August, many men who have sex with men reported having fewer sexual encounters and partners because of the outbreak.

"The success was really due to grassroots activities," said Amira Roess, a George Mason University professor of epidemiology and global health. Leaders in the gay community "took it upon themselves to step in when the government response was really lacking" in a way that recalled what happened during the plodding government response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, she said.

Among those efforts was called RESPND-MI  Rapid Epidemiologic Study of Prevalence, Networks, and Demographics of Monkeypox Infection. The grant-funded organization put out transmission-prevention messaging, conducted a community-led survey of mpox symptoms, and mapped the social and sexual networks of queer and transgender people in New York City.

Nick Diamond, a leader of the effort, said government response improved only after gay activists pressured officials and did a lot of the outreach and education themselves.

"A lot of HIV activists knew that it would be up to us to start a response to monkeypox," he said.

But Diamond also noted another possible reason for the declines: Spread of mpox at LGBTQ celebrations in June  coupled with a lack of testing and vaccinations  likely contributed to the July surge. "A lot of people came out of Pride, after being in close contact, symptomatic," he said. They suffered blisters and scabs, bringing home the message to other at-risk men that the virus was a very real danger.

***

Biology vs. behavior

There are also possible explanations that have more to do with biology than behavior.

The number of new infections may have been limited by increases in infection-acquired immunity in the men active in the social networks that fueled the outbreak, CDC scientists said in a recent report.

Past research has suggested there may be limits in how many times monkeypox virus will spread from person to person, noted Stephen Morse, a Columbia University virologist.

"The monkeypox virus essentially loses steam after a couple of rounds in humans," Morse said. "Everyone credits the interventions, but I don't know what the reason really is."

How 'monkeypox' and other disease names have caused controversy How "monkeypox" and other disease names have caused controversy Disease names tied to geographic locations Disease names connected to an animal species Disease names that include the name of an individual person Disease names that refer to a group of people
Trauma-Related Teaching

Vector Solutions Offers 100+ Inclusive Instruction & Interventions Courses

Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has left many students with mental and emotional traumas creating challenges to their learning, information technology company Vector Solutions has launched Inclusive Instruction & Interventions courses to help educators who feel unprepared for how best to help their students.

The courses can also inform school districts about new state mandates for professional development related to trauma-related teaching practices and improve compliance with laws related to educating students with disabilities. Courses can be tailored to meet individual district and state needs.

The companys online professional development library has over 100 courses designed to help teachers better support various types of learners and deal with rising behavioral problems in both students with special needs and those affected mentally and emotionally by the pandemic.

The courses come in three bundles:

Serving Students with Diverse Needs: for special education and general education staff, on topics including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, special education law;

Paraeducators: roles and responsibilities, behavior management, early childhood;

Effective Classroom Instruction: trauma-informed practices, managing challenging behaviors, differentiating instruction.

The courses use realistic scenarios that demonstrate how to apply evidence-based instructional strategies and interventions, the company said in its release.

Educators across the country are supporting an increasingly diverse student population with a wide range of learning needs, while still working to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, said Rob Buelow, head of product for education at Vector Solutions. Yet many educators and staff members feel they arent getting the solid foundation needed to adequately address challenges like disruptive behavior, student trauma, and specific disabilities. He said the companys courses target such challenges.

The SaaS courses can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, and administrators can manage and track participation and completion.

Visit the Inclusive Instruction & Interventions courses page to learn more or request a demo.

Vector Solutions for K-12 Education provides training, software, and professional development solutions for over 5,000 K12 districts in the United States. To learn more, visit the companys K12 Education page.
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CARBONDALE  The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order requiring a Carbondale cafe to pay 31 workers $98,400 in back wages and damages for operating an illegal tip pool, almost six months after a jury awarded the workers $4,900  just 10% of their back wages  in what the department alleged was an error based on the jurys instructions and how they interpreted the evidence at trial.

On Jan. 13, Judge Staci M. Yandle of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Carbondale issued a memorandum and order amending the jurys July 2022 award. The court responded to a motion made by the department to alter the judgment in light of the error. The $98,400 award is in addition to the $290 in back wages and damages already awarded by the court on summary judgment.

As a result, Dayemi Organization, operating as Longbranch Cafe and Bakery, and owner Elaine Ramsyer Greenberg must pay $49,200 in back wages, found due by the departments Wage and Hour Division, and an equal amount in liquated damages.

Investigators reviewed the companys payroll records from February 2018 through February 2020 and determined the company and Greenberg violated federal law when they required baristas and servers to share tips with cooks and dishwashers, who do not normally receive tips.

The courts decision restores the rightful amount of back wages investigators found due and shows the U.S. Department of Labor will pursue all available avenues to ensure workers receive their rightful wages, Christine Heri, Regional Solicitor of Labor in Chicago, said in a press release.

During the trial, the department established servers and baristas placed all tips received during a shift into a tip jar. At each shifts end, the company distributed money in the tip jar to employees who worked that shift with 90% divided between the servers and baristas, 5% to cooks and 5% to dishwashers. Back wages were determined by examining the tip credit the employer took for the pay periods audited.

The jury rendered a verdict finding the company and Greenberg required servers and baristas to give a portion of their tips to the non-tipped dishwashers and cooks that violated the tip provisions and federal minimum wage requirement. This portion of the jurys verdict is unaffected by the courts correction of the back wage award.

When an employer claims a tip credit, employer-required or mandatory tip pools may only include employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, Wage and Hour Assistant District Director Meghan Svacina in St. Louis said. Violations like these are common in the food service industry, and we encourage workers to contact us if they believe their employer is not paying them all of their earned wages.

The departments Quick Service Restaurants Compliance Assistance Toolkit explains wage laws for the industry.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file an online complaint, at www.dol.gov/agencies/whd. For confidential compliance assistance, call the agencys toll-free helpline at 866-487-9243.
CARTERVILLE  The recent trimming and mulching of the forest alongside Route 13 has no doubt raised some eyebrows and caused some concern among locals. The forests of Southern Illinois are loved and cherished, but what may appear to be open war against the forest's edge is actually sound forestry management techniques.

A bill passed by Congress gave guidelines on infrastructure protection, and in the case of Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge, that included fire protection.

This day and age, just this urban interface that we had, especially on Route 13 between the cities of Carterville and Marion, in certain areas, we are putting in what are called firebreaks. If you had a potential wildfire, that would be the break, where we could control it from that vantage point, said Justin Sexton, the manager of Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge.

The grubbing and mulching of small trees and underbrush is an attempt to prevent wildfires from happening altogether, eliminating the fire's fuel, Sexton said.

The mulching at the urban interface  the point at which wilderness and developed land meet  is prep work for controlled burning throughout the refuge.

The burning that is able to be conducted far supersedes in improving that habitat than the small acreage of a fire break that is disturbed or altered," said Sexton. "We're able to manage 400 acres as opposed to the ten acres we disturbed."

Most of what is mulched and burned out in the understory is invasive species, Sexton said.

A part of forest health is sunlight for the trees. During what is called timber stand improvement, dead timber is removed which opens up the forest, letting more sunlight in. As a result, trees grow healthier and bigger, like they were in the pre-settlement days.

"When they (settlers) came to Illinois in the 1800s, they could drive wagons through the forest. These were over-mature, upland oak-hickory forests. Now it is just a dense mess. Everything here has been disturbed."

Even Native Americans burned to control for wildfires, burning thousands of acres of canebreaks, Sexton said. "We think we're the only civilization that's ever done anything and that couldn't be further from the truth."

The mulching is occurring now, Sexton said, because this is best time of year to avoid harming the several endangered species in the wildlife refuge, including a species of bats, who are sleeping off the winter in local caves.

"We burned 5000 acres last year on the refuge, and the wildlife benefit from that is immense," Sexton said. "Having more capabilities for fire not only benefit wildlife species, but also protect citizens surrounding the refuge."

For Sexton and his team, active management of the forest is the mission: "We're not preservationists like the National Park Service, where they tried to keep something in a box. This ecosystem is always changing. We are trying to adapt to it. It takes blood, sweat, and tears to get the responses we are getting from different species."

Perhaps one of Crab Orchard's most distinguished and beloved ornaments is the towering evergreen Loblolly pines. Many take issue whenever refuge management must cut one down. But, as Sexton points out, Loblolly were not native to Illinois, but were rather brought in during World War II.

"We are moving a small section of everything, where there will just be grass. Then you have a shaded firebreak for another fifty feet into the woods," said Sexton, who explained that these measures were important to create a buffer zone between urban areas and refuge in the event of a wildfire.

"Urban interface is a big deal, as you see out in California." Sexton is referring to the forest fires back in 2020, during which fire season in California sustained losses of more than four million acres of forest. Just to put that abstract number into perspective, that's over fourteen times the size of our Shawnee National Forest. "We need to be preemptive here."
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots campaign spent twice as much money as she raised in the final three months of 2022 as she launched expensive television ads aimed at rebuilding momentum in her bid for reelection.

Lightfoot began the quarter with $2.9 million in the bank and raised a little less than $1.5 million, according to newly filed campaign disclosure records. But the reelection-seeking mayor spent roughly $3 million from October through December, leaving her with about $1.4 million before the Feb. 28 mayoral election where she faces eight opponents.

Lightfoot  who is facing public concerns about crime, dissatisfaction with her leadership style and anger over some broken promises  launched her first television ads in November and spent more than $1.9 million on advertising alone in the final two months of the year, according to the filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Lightfoots initial TV commercials attempted to address the issue of crime in Chicago and also aimed to soften her image of combativeness as it replayed her inaugural speech nearly four years ago discussing her upbringing. More recently, Lightfoot has gone on the attack against mayoral opponent U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, criticizing him for ties to indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and alleged crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried in an attempt at bloodying up a top rival.

But Lightfoots expenses have outpaced how much money her campaign has been bringing in, a practice that has been seen before. Last year, the Tribune reported that Lightfoot spent campaign cash faster than she had been raising it, leaving her with less political cash than she had shortly after winning office in April 2019.

The mayor will continue raising money through Election Day and remains close to several of her rivals in the race in terms of cash on hand, including Garcia, business owner Willie Wilson, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas.

Still, Lightfoots financial footing is a contrast to her two predecessors, former Mayor Richard M. Daley and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who tapped the advantage of incumbency to build massive campaign war chests aimed at discouraging challengers from entering the race, and then used that cash to quickly define those who did through attack ads. She has not been able to match their fundraising pace.

The newly filed campaign reports also show Lightfoots political allies struggling to raise money. Her former political director, Dave Mellet, helped launch an independent expenditure campaign fund unbound by how much money contributors can give or who they are  restrictions Lightfoot must abide by  to support Lightfoot.

But the committee only raised $100,000 in the final quarter of 2022, a paltry sum compared with a similar effort by Emanuel supporters in 2014 to support his reelection campaign. That fund raised more than $5 million in one year to help Emanuel win a second term.

The next-highest fundraising total came from Johnson, who raised $1.8 million and spent $578.000, leaving him with $1.3 million on hand. Johnson recently launched expensive TV commercials aimed at introducing him to voters, a prerequisite if he is going to leapfrog bigger-name candidates.

Vallas raised $1.1 million and spent $840,000, leaving him with $1.1 million on hand. Vallas, who finished a distant seventh in the last election, has also launched television ads focused on crime.

Garcia is the only other candidate who raised more than $1 million. Garcia raised $1.4 million and spent $151,000, leaving him with $1.3 million. Unlike Lightfoot, Vallas and Johnson, Garcia hasnt yet launched television ads or spent much. Instead, he has been relying on his high name recognition due to his 2015 campaign against Emanuel and long career in public life, but he is expected to spend more as Election Day draws near.

Ald. Sophia King of the 4th Ward, who represents parts of the downtown lakefront and Hyde Park in the City Council, took in $231,000 and spent $219,000, leaving her with $229,000.

State Rep. Kambium Kam Buckner raised nearly $127,000 but spent $106,000, leaving him with $28,000.

Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward, raised $42,500 and spent $25,000, leaving him with $36,000.

Wilson raised less than $3,000 and spent $587,000. He ended the quarter with $4.1 million on hand, however, as he previously lent himself millions of dollars.

Activist JaMal Green raised $22,000 and spent $23,000, leaving him with almost $13,000 at the end of the quarter.
Illinois was the No. 2 state for green building in 2022, second only to Massachusetts, according to an annual ranking released by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The state was No. 1 in 2021, and has ranked in the top 10 every year since the rankings began in 2010. Illinois is the only state to have topped the list five times, according to U.S. Green Building Council managing director of U.S. market transformation and development Rhiannon Jacobsen.

Illinois continues to be very strong, said Jacobsen.

The ranking is based on LEED-certified gross square footage per capita added over the course of a year. Developed by the Green Building Council, LEED is the most widely used green building rating program in the world. It takes into account factors such as air quality, safety and energy efficiency.

In 2022, 91 Illinois buildings were LEED-certified, for a total of over 44.5 million square feet or 3.48 square feet per capita. Office buildings, apartment buildings, government buildings and schools were among those certified.

Illinois success is partly due to an early start. The fourth project ever to obtain LEED certification, in 2001, was the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago. In 2007, Chicago hosted the high-profile Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, which drew a record crowd of 23,000.

Jacobsen said some of the credit for Illinois record goes to strong policies and advocacy. She cited the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act of 2021, which charts a path to 100% clean energy by 2050. The act stresses job training and fair distribution of the benefits of the energy transition.

Illinois has really got kind of a unique standing with the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which some observers have called the most equitable climate law in America, Jacobsen said.

She also pointed to a strong market for sustainable buildings and leadership from businesses and organizations.

Illinois saw 91 projects LEED-certified in 2022, up a bit from 2021, when 87 projects were certified.

Its not that Illinois did worse. The bar got higher, Jacobsen said.

2022 in review: The year in photos
Investigators allegedly found explicit photos of a 15-year-old girl on a Eutawville mans phone, according to an Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office warrant.

Michael Dwayne Cross Jr., 33, of 126 Factory Road, is now facing one count of first-degree criminal exploitation of a minor. He was charged on Wednesday.

Cross was charged last week with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The newest charge is related to the same case.

Cross is accused of helping the 15-year-old girl run away from home multiple times between Aug. 27 and Oct. 29, 2022, according to warrants.

Warrants also claim the teen said shed engaged in sex acts with Cross on four separate occasions.

The alleged sexual encounters took place at Hayden Hill Cemetery, located on the 100 block of Hayden Hill Road in Eutawville, and the 3300 block of Toney Bay Road, Holly Hill.

Deputies became involved in the case when the girls mother called the agency on Oct. 30, 2022 to report that her daughter ran away from home.

The mother claimed the 15-year-olds phone contained sexual text messages between the girl and Cross, according to an incident report.

Cross allegedly told deputies that hed texted the 15-year-old the previous day through the social application Snapchat to check on her during a parade.

Cross also claimed that someone else was borrowing his phone when sexual text messages were allegedly sent from it, the report states.

If convicted on his most recent charge alone, Cross could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison.
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sweden will provide Ukraine with the Archer artillery system, its tenth and the largest military aid package so far, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday.

The package is worth around 4.3 billion Swedish kronor (415 million U.S. dollars) and also includes around 50 CV-90 armored vehicles with ammunition, NLAW anti-tank missiles, disposable anti-tank weapons, and mine clearing equipment, the government said at a press conference here.

Ukraine has repeatedly requested that Sweden provides them with Archer, a vehicle-mounted howitzer with a range of up to 50 km.

The Swedish government has tasked the Swedish Armed Forces with preparing for deliveries of the system including ammunition.

Sweden will also assist Ukraine with their own arms procurement through cooperation and co-purchases with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), the government said, adding that it would speed up arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Before Thursday's announcement, Sweden had already pledged to provide Ukraine with military equipment worth approximately 5 billion kronor in total, Swedish Television (SVT) reported.

Russia has said that the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine does not help resolve the conflict but prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and that Western arms convoys to Ukraine would be considered "legitimate targets" for the Russian armed forces. (1 Swedish krona = 0.097 U.S. dollar) 
Trinity United Methodist Church will forever be noted for its role as a focal point in the civil rights movement in Orangeburg, a locale that was significant in fostering equal rights for all of Gods children.

Yet Trinity and its leadership were significant long before and long after those years of the 1960s and 70s. Today, we remember its leader for nine years from 1992 to 2001, the Rev. George F. Manigo Jr., who died Jan. 8 at age 88. His 40 years as a Methodist leader are noteworthy in the church and beyond.

A Claflin graduate, Manigo answered the call to the ministry by completing studies at Gammon Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and accepting his first ministerial assignment in Tennessee in 1960. After five years of serving churches in that state, he returned to his native South Carolina in 1965, serving a number of churches over many years before coming home to Trinity UMC.

He came to Orangeburg with a resume focused on unity, particularly in merging the Black and white Methodist conferences in the 1970s.

I was on the merger committee of six people who drafted the plan to present to the conference in 1972, Manigo said in 2001. The greatest problem we faced was people wanting to maintain standard operating procedure. Some people tried to get away from the reason for the merger, which was simple. We were merging because we were all Methodists.

Hammering out solutions where, at times, there seemed to be none, Manigo said he was heartened by an experience at a Greenville church where merger plans were being discussed.

A little, old white lady, about 90 years old, came and introduced herself to me and asked me my name, Manigo said. And she told me she couldnt see why merging had become such an issue because the churches shouldve been together all the time. I thought to myself, if she can see that, at her age and experience, why couldnt the rest understand that all we wanted was the opportunity to go to any Methodist church.

His efforts at unity went beyond the church., During his early years at Trinity, Orangeburg experienced a spate of violent crime that saw a city policeman be gunned down and a noted businessman killed in a robbery in the span of a month in early 1993.

During memorial serves for businessman Franklin Glover, assistant director at Calhoun-Orangeburg Vocational Education Center and owner of Glovers Store on U.S. Highway 601, Manigo said, Lets not point fingers. Lets come together as a community. Today, the citys crime has affected the Glover family, but tomorrow it may affect your family. Its in the Black community now, but it may be in the white community tomorrow. Let not these people who died senselessly die in vain. So, march to the beat of a distant drummer. Let us dance to the tune of unity so we can overcome this together.

In a later meeting about crime in Orangeburg, Manigo elaborated: Unless Black and white churches all come together and put aside all things incompatible with believing in God, nothing will happen in Orangeburg County.

Parents need to do a better job somehow. We need to come together in faith and love on common ground and common faith or well never be able to solve this problem. All citizens should be able to go to the grocery store and school without having fear. Anything that tears down the human mind is not good for us or the community. Think on these things.

His words echo across time to 2023, when the need for a united community to face a continuing crime problem and other issues has never been greater. In celebrating the life of the Rev. George Manigo, lets restate his words: Let us dance to the tune of unity so we can overcome this together.
It took former Rep. Tim Hallinan, R-Gillette, four tries to lower the state tax on coal production by half a percent.

This session, current lawmakers have brought back several other previously unsuccessful bills aimed at the energy sector.

House Bill 69, sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander, would give the governors office a lot more leeway to use funds already appropriated for lawsuits in defense of Wyomings coal industry.

House Bill 124 would impose the same $1-per-megawatt-hour tax on solar power that the state already levies on its wind farms. It was sponsored this year and in 2021 by Rep. Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale, and in 2020 by the Appropriations Committee.

And House Bill 163, put forth for a second consecutive year by the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee, is designed to blunt the impact of federal oil and gas production taxes  which have gone up since the last legislative session  on companies operating in Wyoming.

Each bill, if successful, could have major implications for the industry it targets.

House Bill 69

Increasingly concerned about the fate of Wyomings coal industry and searching for ways to preserve it, the Legislature in 2021 gave the governors office $1.2 million to sue other states over actions that impede the export of Wyoming coal or the continued operation of Wyomings coal-fired electric generation facilities, including early retirements of those facilities.

An attempt last year to expand the scope of legal actions that would qualify for the funding, backed by more than a dozen legislators, never made it out of the House.

The bill would allow the governors office to challenge the federal government, in addition to states, and to join and defend lawsuits.

And it would broaden the scope of possible lawsuits to include actions that result in the decreased use of Wyoming coal or the closure of coal-fired electric generation facilities that use Wyoming coal.

The audience is just bigger, Shawn Taylor, executive director of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association, said in support of the bill last year. The message is the same.

This years attempt passed its second of three readings in the House of Representatives on Wednesday  farther than it got in 2022. If the bill survives the House, itll then move on for consideration in the Senate.

House Bill 124

Wyoming is still fighting hard for its coal industry. Its also trying to figure out how to make up for the lost revenue if coal does succumb to the market forces that are pushing it out of the electricity sector.

Some legislators believe creating (or raising) taxes on younger electricity sources, including wind, solar and nuclear power plants, is an obvious place to start.

I just feel like its an equity issue, Sommers, the bills two-time sponsor, told the Star-Tribune in 2021.

I think it is important that these industries pitch in, he added.

Wyomings electric utilities and the solar developers who are eyeing the state  or are already here  see things differently. Generation taxes, theyve warned repeatedly, will make Wyoming less competitive against states with similar solar resources, but lower taxes.

Its likely that the states attempts to tax solar, on top of measures like a 2017 attempt to ban utility-scale wind and solar, have already deterred some prospective developers.

The bill died in the Revenue Committee in 2020 and 2021. It was successfully introduced again on Wednesday and referred to the Appropriations Committee.

House Bill 163

Unlike the other returning bills, House Bill 163 has changed visibly since its last appearance in the Legislature. Its longer this time, and more thorough.

The proposal, which would refund oil and gas producers a share of their state taxes to compensate for an increase in federal taxes, proved controversial last year.

Wyoming is the top natural gas producer and No. 2 oil producer on federal lands. The bills backers say it sends a message to producers that the state is on their side.

Anything that could assist in bringing down the cost of doing business on federal lands obviously makes those parcels more enticing to operators, Ryan McConnaughey, communications director for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, told the Star-Tribune in 2022.

But with Wyoming actively trying to patch its budget, not everyone agreed that it was in the states best interest to give away its half of the additional royalties that would be paid to the federal government.

Plus, at the time, the tax rate hadnt actually gone up yet, making the entire discussion hypothetical.

The federal government has since raised royalties on land leased from the Bureau of Land Management from 12.5% to 16.75% and hiked other related costs. The oil and gas industry considers it a betrayal. Environmental groups, meanwhile, see it as the bare minimum.

As the bill awaits introduction in the house, how it fares this year remains to be seen.
As the debate over the relationship Americans have with guns has intensified, a University of Wyoming law professor is setting out to change how firearms are discussed and understood.

George A. Mocsary is the co-founder and director of the Firearms Research Center, which officially launched in the University of Wyoming College of Law last week. His co-founder Ashley Hlebinsky is the former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center, which is one of the largest firearms museums in the country.

Mocsarys father was a political prisoner in Slovakia for 16 years during the Communist regime. He was eventually released in the 60s because it was easier to release them than execute them all, he said.

His mother was similarly forced to escape political oppression during the Cold War, Mocsary said. On Christmas Eve, she escaped from behind the Iron Curtain through a minefield to obtain freedom.

All of this showed me, the founders were really onto something when they drafted the Second Amendment, he said. They were worried about tyranny, and it would be harder to subject someone to what my parents went through with the Second Amendment.

The Firearms Research Center intends to tackle discussions that are usually isolated  including criminal violence, Second Amendment rights and the firearm economy  by bringing together a variety of scholars and experts.

For example, legal scholars work in separation from historians or social scientists while journalists are often left to interpret complex information about firearms themselves.

As a result, discourse on the vast array of firearms-related subjects suffers, both in tone and accuracy, according to the Firearms Research Center.

One of the things that makes the center unique is its openness towards people who have loved guns since childhood, people who hate guns and blame them for failures in our country and everyone in between.

Given Wyomings stability in the firearms area, its a great thing to have this broader discourse. Regardless of someones opinions surrounding guns, its an enormous economic industry that is the livelihood of many people, Mocsary said. All opinions are welcome.

The centers website will be an online hub for firearms related data, research and firearms-related law. It will serve as a resource for academics, practitioners, lawmakers, members of the media and the public.

Beyond this, the center intends to create a pipeline for law school graduates wanting to serve as firearms attorneys. The University of Wyoming College of Law will become the premier law school for practitioners who serve the legal needs of all those who produce, employ, own, and regulate firearms.
CHEYENNE  Political parties will continue to play an important role in filling vacancies for elected officials after lawmakers voted down a bill on Wednesday that would have changed that process.

House Bill 63 would have stripped political parties role in filling vacancies for federal and state offices, requiring special elections if more than half of an officers term remained. When less than half the term was left for the empty seat, then the governor or county commissioners, depending on the vacated seat, would have appointed someone from a pool of applications.

The bill, as it was amended during the Wednesday House Corporations Committees meeting by Jackson Democrat Rep. Mike Yin, would have required the person filling the vacancy to be of the same political affiliation as the last incumbent at the time of their last election, except in the case that the individual was an independent.

Secretary of State Chuck Gray opposed the bill, arguing that the current system performs well.

This system has worked for years, and I dont think it should be disturbed, he said.

Gray also argued that the new system would favor those who have more financial resources to mount an election campaign on short notice. (Out of all the candidates who ran for statewide executive offices during the midterms, Gray spent the second-most amount of money on his election campaign after Gov. Mark Gordon at roughly $700,000, according to records from the Secretary of States office.) And since special elections typically draw lower turnouts than regular ones, he said these elections wouldnt do a good job of reflecting the will of voters, though Corporations Committee Chairman Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, and others pushed back on that idea.

An election, by definition, is the will of the people, Olsen said. Whoever wins an election, whether its your candidate or not, at least my understanding is that would be the will of the people.

Existing procedure

As the process works now, when there are vacancies in federal or statewide office, the governor notifies the chairman of the political party that the last incumbent represented. Then within 15 days of that notification, the partys state central committee has to choose three candidates to forward to the governor. The governor then appoints one of those three options to fill the vacancy within five days after receiving the names.

Gail Symons, owner of the nonpartisan blog Civics307, said that no matter what the turnout is on this special election, its going to be higher, guaranteed, than the 100 that made the choice in a state central committee to give three names to the governor.

Its a good bill, it makes sense. And it actually puts the decision making back on the electorate, she said.

Laramie resident Brett Glass argued that more democracy is always better.

We should, if at all possible, avoid having the party bosses pick office holders in a backroom, because history has shown that they make decisions based on party loyalty, not necessarily the publics best interest, Glass said.

Several lawmakers took issue with the changes to the timing issues that the bill would have created, noting that it takes a mere 20 days for an interim official to be appointed under current statute, while conducting a special election could have taken much longer. So under the proposed legislation, a seat in the Legislature, for example, might have been vacant during discussion of interim topics, or during a legislative session.

I think thats important that our districts have that representation available to them, instead of potentially not filling a seat in session, Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette, said.

Recent appointments

Last year, Gov. Mark Gordon appointed two people  former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder and former Secretary of State Karl Allred  to fill vacancies left after the former superintendent Jillian Balow and former secretary of state Ed Buchanan left their posts before the end of their terms.

Some controversy accompanied both appointments.

Following the GOP State Central Committees selection of three candidates back in January 2021 to fill the state superintendent post, former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau and 15 others filed a lawsuit against Gordon, the Wyoming GOP and its chairman Frank Eathorne and the Wyoming GOP State Central Committee alleging that the selection process didnt comply with the one man-one vote principle in the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions.

That temporarily barred Gordon from appointing one of the candidates, but a federal judge ended up ruling that he could go ahead with the appointment.

Gordons appointment of Allred in September appeared unenthusiastic. The statement announcing Allreds appointment noted that state law obliges the governor to choose from among the three candidates nominated by the State GOP, and that two of Wyomings five elected constitutional officers were at the time unelected appointees.

On Monday, lawmakers moved along a bill that would randomize candidate names on the general election ballot, a measure thats meant to eliminate any advantages that might be associated with being in certain places on the list of candidates.

PHOTOS: Opening day of the 67th Wyoming Legislative Session 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins Rep. Jeanette Ward 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins
CHEYENNE  Medicaid expansion has crossed its first hurdle in the Wyoming Legislature.

This years expansion bill, House Bill 77, passed the House Revenue Committee in a 6-3 vote Thursday morning, with Reps. Tony Locke, R-Casper, Tomi Strock, R-Douglas and John Bear, R-Gillette voting no. The bill still has to make it through several votes in the House and Senate before it can become law.

Lawmakers on the committee added several amendments to the proposed bill.

Bear, who is chairman of the far-right Wyoming Freedom Caucus, added one amendment that would bar any federal, state or other funds to be used for the treatment of gender dysphoria, and another to include $3 million in federal dollars to be reserved for marketing of the cancellation of the program, if that ever happens, to those affected by the cancellation.

House Revenue Committee Chairman Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, also brought an amendment that will ensure that the program will fall under the guardrails of the Hyde Amendment, which defines certain abortion services that states dont have to cover under Medicaid.

Long journey

The roots of Wyomings debate over expansion go back to 1965, when Medicaid came into existence.

The jointly funded federal-state program provides health insurance coverage for some low-income and medically needy people. Every U.S. state and territory has some version of it. Wyomings Medicaid program limits eligibility to low-income people who also fall under certain age or physical health categories. It also pays for some nursing home care and care for people with severe disabilities.

Then, former President Barack Obamas 2010 Affordable Care Act  also known as Obamacare  required states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more people.

But the Supreme Court deemed mandatory expansion unconstitutional in 2012, so it became optional. That created a coverage gap for people who made too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for federal subsidies.

Most states expanded Medicaid anyway. Wyoming is one of a handful of states that hasnt, and ever since its been an issue thats come up repeatedly during legislative sessions.

Another year of debate

The public packed the meeting room Thursday morning. A group of people wore yellow shirts from Healthy Wyoming, a coalition focused on promoting Medicaid expansion. Harshman had to limit time for testimony to an hour.

Freshman Rep. Sarah Penn, R-Lander, a nurse, called Medicaid expansion a stage four terminal cancer.

We cannot be enticed to allow this into our state, she said before the committee.

Penn and another medical professional, Dr. John Mansell, argued that with the billing complications and low reimbursement rates they said are associated with Medicaid, medical providers sometimes choose to simply stop seeing Medicaid patients altogether.

Were trying here to increase access to admitted to medical care, and this does not allow for that, it doesnt increase access, Penn said.

But another provider, psychiatrist Jasper James Chen, said that while Medicaid reimbursement rates arent great, expanding Medicaid is nevertheless the best option Wyoming has.

Medicaid reimbursement rates are not ideal, he said. Its not optimal, and yet, theres no perfect system to expand mental health infrastructure.

I have to be realistic and think, what is the best alternative to what we currently have? And that possibly would be to expand Medicaid right now in its current form. As a federal taxpayer, I believe that (if) more of that money could come back home to take care of the patients that Ive taken care of, that would be a very very wonderful thing, in my humble opinion.

Many opponents of Medicaid expansion are concerned that splitting the cost of Medicaid expansion with the federal government, which would shoulder 90% of the cost, could put the state at risk in the future if the federal government ever decided to reduce that contribution. Some also dont like the idea of the federal government controlling certain requirements over the program, though there are also components of Medicaid expansion that the state gets to decide.

Frankly, I do not trust that the federal government, which changes dramatically from one administration to another, will not mandate to the state how they operate this program, Bear, the Gillette Republican, said.

But Medicaid expansion wouldnt be the only thing Wyoming depends on the federal government to help pay for, Rep. Liz Storer, D-Jackson, argued, noting that most of the roads in the state are covered by federal dollars.

Other options?

Most seem to agree that people should have access to health care, and that Wyoming has a problem in this respect. But a lot of opponents to Medicaid expansion would prefer to find some kind of in-state alternative to the program so that Wyoming doesnt have to depend on the federal government.

Wyoming has tried to find alternatives. But none of them have panned out so far.

The Legislature considered Healthy Frontiers, a state-run health care pilot program, in the early 2010s, but then didnt renew it. Support for Medicaid Fit  a mix of private insurance and the traditional program  was pretty tepid. Legislators shot down the 2014 Strategy for Health, Access, Responsibility and Employment (SHARE) Plan for expanding Medicaid. Last year, lawmakers tried to get something like expansion into law through various amendments after the main Medicaid expansion bill failed to clear the hurdle of introduction.

Josh Hannes, Wyoming Hospital Association vice president, and others noted this failure over the years to find an alternative.

We always talked about (other options) in the abstract, he said. When you put stakeholders in a room, theyve come up with relatively similar ideas over the course of the last 30 years.

Lawmakers on the committee who supported the bill, some of whom had not done so in the past, said that they feel that Medicaid expansion is Wyomings best option.

We tried all this stuff. I kept voting no on it, kept working on other options, and there have been no other options, Harshman, who voted to pass the bill, said.

Ive received hundreds and hundreds of emails, hundreds of people are certainly interested, and the vast majority are in support of this, committee member Rep. Ember Oakley, R-Riverton, said.

I think its the will of the people, and I think were there, I think its the right thing to do.

PHOTOS: Advocates push for Medicaid expansion at the Wyoming Capitol Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally Expand Medicaid Rally
CHEYENNE  Wyoming lawmakers are once again pushing to curtail abortion access even as the state awaits a ruling on a trigger ban enacted last year.

A bill introduced by a group of lawmakers Tuesday aims to go even further than Wyomings trigger ban, preventing abortion in cases of incest or rape and allowing district attorneys and the Wyoming attorney general to sue abortion providers.

The new ban also seeks to skirt the authority of the judicial system by declaring that the State Legislature can interpret the Wyoming Constitution alongside the courts.

The Life is a Human Right Act is sponsored by Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, with a long list of co-sponsors on both the House and Senate sides. Rodriguez-Williams was also the sponsor of the abortion trigger ban that is currently being challenged in court for its constitutionality.

More than a dozen state representatives and a dozen state senators have signed on in support of the ban, including House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Chip Neiman, R- Hulett, Wyoming Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette and former Senate President Sen. Dan Dockstader, R- Afton.

Rodriguez-Williams didnt respond to a call from the Star-Tribune for further comment by deadline. When a Star-Tribune reporter asked her in person at the Capitol if she could answer questions about the bill, she said she would need more time to comment.

Neiman and Bear didnt respond to calls from the Star-Tribune before deadline. Dockstader was unavailable for comment.

Further restrictions

The bill is an attempt to further regulate abortion post-Roe and remove the few protections that remained under the states trigger ban.

It would repeal the rape and incest exemptions in the states trigger ban while adding provisions that could protect the bills intent, if it becomes law and is challenged in court. It also removes all state funding for abortion, including for abortions that are necessary to preserve the life of the mother or to prevent serious physical harm.

Under the bill, medical providers could only perform an abortion if the mother is at risk of death and the baby is not viable, which is usually before 23 or 24 weeks. Doctors can also remove a dead fetus and treat ectopic pregnancies without running afoul of the imposed restrictions.

In addition to banning all abortions, including medication abortion, the Life is a Human Right Act outlines a number of punishments for providers.

Any abortion provider who helps a pregnant woman obtain an abortion would be charged with a felony, be subject to a fine of up to $20,000 and face up to five years in prison.

The bill exempts pregnant women from criminal punishment.

The proposed abortion ban also outlines a legal framework that would allow any woman who receives an abortion to sue their provider. It would also permit the state attorney general and district attorneys to sue anyone who provides an abortion and collect attorneys fees and other costs from that person if they were found to have violated the ban.

Abortion advocates expressed disappointment and frustration with the attempt by lawmakers to further restrict abortion.

One of the things we value in Wyoming regardless of our political party affiliation or the other things we might differ on is respect for individuality, respect for personal liberties [and] not wanting a lot of government intrusion into our lives, Sharon Breitweiser, executive director of the abortion advocacy group Pro-Choice Wyoming, said. This consistent hammering away to restrict access to needed health care is just so out of touch with Wyoming values.

The efforts to ban abortion also impose one religious view on Wyoming, which serves as a stark contrast to the freedom of religion that so many lawmakers profess to champion, Breitweiser said.

Taking further steps to restrict access to abortion and impose penalties on doctors will only worsen health care for women, said Christine Lichtenfels, a board member for Chelseas Fund, which supports and assists Wyoming women who seek abortions.

Physicians simply are not going to do something if they feel like an aggressive prosecutor will put them in jail or force them to defend themselves, she said.

Chelseas Fund is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Wyomings abortion trigger ban, which has been blocked for the duration of the lawsuit.

Like Breitweiser, Lichtenfels portrayed abortion as an issue of state values in which Wyomings belief in small government is on the line.

But while lawamkers debate the role of government and religion in the state, it is women who would feel the impacts most, she said.

Were going to live in a society where women are treated as second-class citizens, because thats what it is when the government takes away their agency over their own body, Lichtenfels said.

An uncertain landscape

Lawmakers passed a trigger ban during the 2022 budget session, which outlawed abortion except in cases of incest, rape or to protect the mother from death or serious injury if Roe v. Wade were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Under the ban, anyone who provided an abortion could be charged with a felony and face up to 14 years in prison. The legislation did not provide any protections from criminal prosecution for mothers who sought abortions.

The ban also prohibited the use of state funding to support abortion, but it did provide for funding exceptions for incest, rape and instances of physical harm to mothers.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, the states trigger ban was set to soon take effect, but it was challenged in court by Wyoming abortion providers, residents and reproductive rights groups, including Casper-based Wellspring Health Access, whose planned abortion clinic was attacked by an arsonist in May.

In their lawsuit, opponents of the abortion ban pointed to a 2012 amendment to the Wyoming Constitution passed in response to the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, which guaranteed residents the right to make his or her own health care decisions.

Ninth District Judge Melissa Owens in Teton County issued a preliminary injunction in August that suspended the ban before turning to the Wyoming Supreme Court for clarity on the constitutional questions surrounding the ban.

Last month the court declined to weigh in on the lawsuit, instead leaving it up to Owens to make an initial ruling. However, both opponents and supporters of the ban, as well as Owens, have said that they expect the lower courts decision will be appealed to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

With an eye toward any decision by the courts, it is the 2012 constitutional amendment on health care that lawmakers are attempting to sidestep in the Life is a Human Right Act, declaring that abortion is not a form of health care.

[A]bortion as defined in this act is not health care, the authors of the bill wrote. Instead of being health care, abortion is the intentional termination of the life of an unborn baby.

But while arguing that abortion should not fall under the 2012 amendment, the lawmakers also use it to justify the abortion ban.

Under the amendment, the Legislature can restrict the health care rights of the states residents to protect the health and general welfare of the people.

It is that authority that lawmakers cite when arguing that they must ban abortion.

In accordance with Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming constitution, the legislature determines that the health and general welfare of the people requires the prohibition of abortion as defined in this act, the bill reads.

Making a case

In an unusual move in Wyoming lawmaking, the bill has a findings and purposes section that lays out its intended purpose and the reasoning behind the measure. The section reads much like a resolution.

It makes sense that this section would be included considering plaintiffs reference to the 2012 constitutional amendment around Obamacare that they are using to argue their case against the trigger abortion ban.

The plaintiffs argue, based on that amendment, that abortion is a form of health care, and that it should be up to the discretion of adults to decide whether or not to undergo certain medical procedures.

The findings and purposes section specifically says abortion as defined in this act is not health care.

Instead of being health care, abortion is the intentional termination of the life of an unborn baby, it says.

The first line of the findings and purposes section also states that the Legislature, as a coequal branch of government, may make declarations interpreting the Wyoming constitution. That echoes assertions that Rodriguez-Williams and Neiman have made in their motion to join the ongoing lawsuit against Wyomings trigger ban as intervenors.

That statement is true, to some extent. Lawmakers weigh in on the constitutionality of bills when they vote for or against them. Wyoming governors can also voice an opinion with their veto power. That being said, courts ultimately have the final say over whether or not bills are constitutional.

If the Legislature is trying to assert that it has supremacy over the judiciary, that would be an error, said David Adler, a constitutional scholar and the president of the Alturas Institute, which aims to promote the Constitution, civic education and gender equality. It is in fact the judiciary that has the last word on the meaning of the Constitution, and thats been a universally recognized principle in American jurisprudence at least since Marbury vs. Madison when the Supreme Court ruled in that 1803 case.

Ultimately, its the judiciary, the Supreme Court in Wyoming, who has the final responsibility to interpret the Constitution, he said.

The bill also goes into more detail parsing certain medical situations where abortions would be allowed. In the ongoing lawsuit challenging Wyomings abortion ban, plaintiffs have argued that the law is ambiguous, making it unclear as to whether or not abortions would be legal in certain situations where not performing an abortion could harm the mother.

The bill appears to attempt to address those ambiguities. Under the bill, abortion wouldnt include using or prescribing any instruments or medications that are used to save the life or preserve the health of the fetus, remove a dead fetus caused by spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal demise or treat a woman for an ectopic pregnancy.

PHOTOS: Both sides of abortion debate gather for protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest
CHEYENNE  In the face of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could unravel federal protections over the placement of Native American children in their tribal communities, lawmakers moved forward with a stopgap bill that would codify the law into state statute.

For more than 40 years, the federal Indian Child Welfare Act has helped prioritize the placement of Native American kids in foster care or adoption within their tribal communities. But thats in jeopardy now that the U.S. Supreme Court might rule the 1978 act to be unconstitutional. The case bringing forward this question, Haadland v. Brackeen, centers around a Texan family trying to adopt a Navajo child and take custody of the childs half sister.

If the high court does deem the law unconstitutional, Wyoming would be left without a statutory framework to keep the measures protections around the placement of Native American kids in place.

Senate File 94 is an attempt to at least temporarily fill that gap. Its essentially a copy of the federal law, with minor changes that make it more consistent with the way Wyomings state statutes are written.

Before the start of the session, Wyomings Select Committee on Tribal Relations put its stamp of approval on a bill that would create a task force to look at the federal law and make recommendations on how the law could be customized to the states needs. That bill passed its first reading in a House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee on Wednesday morning.

The select committee didnt consider a bill to codify the federal law into state statute during the interim. The timeline makes the codification a bit awkward. Since the U.S. Supreme Courts decision isnt likely coming until late spring, when this years legislative session will already be over, its kind of difficult to know ahead of time how the codification should be worded.

But Eastern Shoshone Business Council Vice Chairman Michael Ute, reading a statement on behalf of chairman John St. Clair at an interim committee meeting in October, said that the council thinks the approach of using a task force is an attempt to drag this out and end up with no agreement on the context of the proposed legislation...

It seems that this committee is just passing the buck with a less than strong approach, Ute read.

After hearing St. Clairs testimony, committee member Sen. Affie Ellis, R-Cheyenne, who is Navajo, decided to go ahead and sponsor a bill to codify the federal law.

This bill should serve as a companion bill to the ICWA Task Force bill  both are important, she said in an email to the Star-Tribune at the time.

Ellis said at the Senate Labor, Health & Social Services meeting on Wednesday that both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes approve of the codification bill. It passed unanimously.

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PHOTOS: Opening day of the 67th Wyoming Legislative Session 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins Rep. Jeanette Ward 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins 67th Wyoming Legislative Session begins
An Idaho snowboarder was injured in an avalanche on Monday after being swept about 600 feet downhill into Death Canyon, striking several trees along the way, according to the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center.

The rider was found by rescuers against a tree on the west side of Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park. The avalanche was 300-feet wide and ran 2,400 feet downhill.

The center received an emergency call at about 11:30 a.m. Monday alerting the parks search and rescue staff, which responded with Teton County Search and Rescue and a helicopter.

The injured snowboarder was able to walk a short distance to the helicopter. The patient and two uninjured members of his party were flown to a landing zone near the Teton Park Road where they met a waiting ambulance. The helicopter then returned for the remaining two rescuers and the fourth member of the party, still on Albright Peak. After further assessment in the ambulance, the patient refused additional medical care and self-transported to St. Johns Hospital.

The avalanche hazard rating for the Teton forecast zone at the time of the avalanche was moderate, yet skiers and riders should always exercise caution when entering high consequence avalanche terrain.

Anyone planning to recreate in the backcountry should visit the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center at jhavalanche.org to obtain an avalanche forecast. Anyone recreating in avalanche terrain should utilize safe travel practices whether on skis, a snowboard, or a snowmobile.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will today turn the sod for the construction of the 112 mega watt (MWac) solar project.

The sod-turning comes almost three years after the consortium of bpTT and Shell were selected as the preferred bidder on the project which has caused an escalation in cost to taxpayers.
Your childs education should be a family priority, according to Kimarie Richardson-Thomas, who has taught for 23 years in the public school system.

Richardson-Thomas is the Academic Dean at Goodwood Secondary School, and teaches English Language, English Literature, and CAPE Communication Studies.
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SITE VISIT: Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, left, accompanied by ministry officials, visits a landslip at the southbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, in the vicinity of Couva Childrens Hospital, yesterday afternoon. The minister stated in an interview with the Express that a river runs directly under this segment of the highway and erosion has started, which could result in a portion of the highway collapsing. The estimated cost of the project is $7 million and is expected to be completed before the rainy season begins, within an eight-month period. Photo: DEXTER PHILIP
A 69-year-old woman, who had withdrawn $17,000 at a bank in Valsayn, was robbed of her money
Newly-appointed Government Senator Richie Sookhai is captured in prayer shortly before he took his oath of office in the Senate chamber on Wednesday.
FIRST TRANSGENDER SENATOR: Opposition Senator (Temporary) Jowelle

De Souza during her contribution to Tuesdays debate on the Summary Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Photo: Office of the Parliament
As I get older, I am starting to understand my grandparents better. I have seen things grow 
PHOENIX  State lawmakers took the first steps Wednesday to denying students the right to be referred to by a pronoun that matches their gender identity.

Senate Bill 1001, approved by the Republican-led Senate Education Committee on a 4-3 party line vote, also would put into law that teachers and other school employees may refer to a student by only his or her given name or a nickname commonly associated with the students name of record.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who wrote the measure, said it would be OK to refer to someone named John as Jack.

You just cant call John Jane, he said.

The legislation does contain an exception in cases where parents first give written permission, whether for a different pronoun or a name to address the child. Kavanagh said that should take care of cases where parents are aware of and approve of a childs gender identify.

Kavanagh said this isnt about discriminating against transgender children. Instead, he said, it ensures that parents know when a child may have gender dysphoria where the gender they identify with differs from the gender assigned at birth.

The parents have a right to know about serious problems their children may be having, Kavanagh argued, saying such problems could lead to suicide.

Thats fine for children who have a loving relationship with their parents, said Paul Bixler, a member of Liberty School Districts board. But he said this legislation fails to understand reality.

There continues to come before this Legislature efforts to either force a child to disclose their deepest, darkest secret to a person, maybe even a parent, whose reaction a child cannot predict, trust  or even fears, Bixler said

Erica Keppler, who testified against the bill, said SB1001 is based on another flaw.

No one commits suicide because they are gender dysphoric, she said. They do it because family and society wont accept them or allow them to live as their true selves. Making schools even more hostile environments for trans youth only promotes the problem the senator claims it will help.

Kavanagh brushed aside concerns that notifying a parent of gender identity could put the student in danger of abuse or being thrown out of the house.

Thats a very cynical view of the American family, Kavanagh said.

Still, he said, if there is such a danger, then a parent could be contacted by a school counselor or the Department of Child Safety. And if a child simply doesnt want a parent notified, Kavanagh said, the answer is simple: He or she has to live with the pronoun and the name they were given at birth.

David Trujillo, a 15-year-old transgender student born and raised in Tucson, told lawmakers that sometimes it is the support of teachers and friends that helps.

I know personally that, for me, my teachers and classmates supporting me in the classroom has positively impacted my performance in school, he said.

But Heather Rooks, a member of the Peoria Unified School District board, said measures like this are important.

Why are we so focused on the sexualization of these kids? she asked. We need to focus on the academics right now.

Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, said something is lost in the discussion of the rights of students to be addressed the way they want.

Youre not talking about the other students who dont, and the other students who actually are being forced in the classroom to use pronouns that they dont understand, that they dont feel comfortable using, she said. And then theyre getting punished for not using them.

One provision in Kavanaghs bill could create problems even for supporters.

It says teachers and school employees with religious objections cant be forced to use a students preferred pronoun, even in situations where the parents have given permission.

Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, who voted for the legislation, said he believes the wishes of the parents should always win out. And he said he may not vote for the measure when it next goes to the full Senate unless that provision is removed.
U.S. agents in Tucson said Thursday they seized up to 440 pounds of what they suspect is a precursor chemical often used to manufacture the dangerous drug fentanyl, a chilling sign that producers may be moving to manufacture the deadly synthetic opioid on American soil.

The powdered chemical was being transported Thursday morning from a residence and warehouse in Tucson, where it had been sent in recent months in a series of suspicious packages from China that did not identify their contents, said Leo Lamas, the deputy special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Tucson.

There were no immediate reports of arrests after agents with federal search warrants entered the locations and found no people inside.

Lamas said the agency launched the investigation several months ago after learning suspicious packages containing the chemical, which he did not name, were being shipped to the two locations from China. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Tucson police provided important support, he said.

He said the agency was still investigating who was involved in shipping and storing the chemicals and did not yet know if they were part of a local crime group or an international drug organization.

If further investigation shows that the chemicals were destined for fentanyl production, Thursdays seizure could mark a new model for how it is manufactured, making it more readily available to consumers in the United States.

Already, the DEA calls fentanyl the deadliest drug in the nation. Two-thirds of the 107,000 overdose deaths in the country in 2021 were attributed to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Fentanyl was originally developed as a legal drug to treat intense pain from ailments including cancer. Mexican drug cartels in recent years have produced most of the illegal fentanyl seen in the U.S., smuggling it inside vehicles or strapped to pedestrians crossing at ports of entry along the international border.

I consider fentanyl to probably be the most dangerous controlled substance weve ever had to deal with, said Lamas.

The drug is sold in various forms, including blue pills designed to look like oxycodone and known locally in Southern Arizona as Mexican oxy. In its powder form, fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs like heroin or methamphetamine.

But investigators in recent months have seen incipient signs that producers may be trying to make fentanyl inside the U.S., said Lamas.

Over the last, I would say a year or so, we have started to uncover pill presses domestically in the United States, he said.

Certainly, these criminal organizations know that the emphasis is at the border, Lamas said of interdiction efforts. Importing precursors from China and producing fentanyl domestically would be just another mechanism that these criminal organizations will attempt to get their products sold in the United States, he added.

Cheap to produce and buy, fentanyl has exploded in popularity in recent years. But even a tiny dose can be fatal because its 50 times more potent than heroin and producers dont tend to worry about quality control when pressing the powder into pills or lacing it with other drugs.

Addiction to fentanyl has spread through homeless populations in Los Angeles and other large western cities where it is sold in small doses at low cost.

What makes it so much more dangerous is because it really doesnt discriminate in terms of economics, said Lamas. Its available to anybody.
A Pima County Sheriffs Department sergeant in the departments school resources unit has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a co-worker during a house party, officials say.

Ricardo Garcia was charged Wednesday night with one count of sexual assault, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

The incident happened in December when Garcia held a house party for his unit, the school resource officers. The party was attended by several members of the squad, Nanos said.

The department launched its criminal investigation of the alleged sexual assault on Dec. 18.

Garcia was placed on administrative leave with pay the morning the department learned about the incident, Nanos said.

Since then, Nanos said they got lab reports that further added evidence to the case, resulting in criminal charges being pursued against Garcia. The case is being handled by Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office.

The Sheriffs Department will be moving to terminate Garcia.

Sergeant Garcia has denied the allegation, and we have been cooperating with the investigation, Garcias attorney Louis Fidel said. We are confident at the conclusion of the case, he will be cleared.

Nanos said they are giving as much support as possible to the alleged victim.
Nearly five years since their disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released new age progression photos of two siblings who authorities said were abducted by their noncustodial parents in Tucson.

Kahmila Ramirez, now 5, and Luis Ramirez, now 10, were last seen in Tucson on May 4, 2018. According to a story previously published by the Arizona Daily Star, the then 6-month-old girl and the then 5-year-old boy were abducted by their parents, Luis Ramirez, 30, and Andrea Ramirez, 28, authorities at the time said.

The couple reportedly abducted the children during a supervised visit at Silverlake Park that was overseen by a contract case aide working for the state Department of Child Safety, the Star reported. Police say Luis assaulted the case aide, threatened her with a Taser and tied her to a tree at the park.

The couple was previously arraigned on 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, which did not involve their children, the Star reported.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said the children may still be in the area or they may have traveled to Mexico. The car the couple was accused of taking was found in Nogales, near the Arizona-Sonora border, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

On Jan. 14, the children were featured during a segment for On Patrol: Live, which aired on the Reelz network. During the segment, the siblings aunt, Erika Ramirez, said the last that she heard is that they crossed into Mexico.

Erika, who sought out On Patrol: Live in order to bring attention to the case, told the interviewer she missed the children. At the time of the abduction, the children were under Erikas care.

Come home, thats all I can say at this point, Erika said during the segment. We just keep hope alive that we are going to see the children again.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

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As humans fiddle with the planet's thermostat, scientists are piecing together Greenland's history by drilling ice cores to analyze how the climate crisis has impacted the island country over the years. The further down they drilled, the further they went back in time, allowing them to separate which temperature fluctuations were natural and which were human-caused.

After years of research on the Greenland ice sheet -- which CNN visited when the cores were drilled -- scientists reported Wednesday in the journal Nature that temperatures there have been the warmest in at least the last 1,000 years -- the longest amount of time their ice cores could be analyzed to. And they found that between 2001 and 2011, it was on average 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was during the 20th century.

The report's authors said human-caused climate change played a significant role in the dramatic rise in temperatures in the critical Arctic region, where melting ice has a considerable global impact.

"Greenland is the largest contributor currently to sea level rise," Maria Horhold, lead author of the study and a glaciologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute, told CNN. "And if we keep on going with the carbon emissions as we do right now, then by 2100, Greenland will have contributed up to 50 centimeters to sea level rise and this will affect millions of people who live in coastal areas."

Weather stations along the edge of the Greenland ice sheet have detected that its coastal regions are warming, but scientists' understanding of the effects of rising temperatures there had been limited due to the lack of long-term observations.

Understanding the past, Horhold said, is important to prepare for future consequences.

"If you want to state something is global warming, you need to know what the natural variation was before humans actually interacted with the atmosphere," she said. "For that, you have to go to the past -- to the pre-industrial era -- when humans have not been emitting [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere."

During pre-industrial times, there were no weather stations in Greenland that gathered temperature data like today. That's why the scientists relied on paleoclimate data, such as ice cores, to study the region's warming patterns. The last robust ice core analysis in Greenland ended in 1995, and that data didn't detect warming despite climate change already being apparent elsewhere, Horhold said.

"With this extension to 2011, we can show that, 'Well, there is actually warming,'" she added. "The warming trend has been there since 1800, but we had the strong natural variability that has been hiding this warming."

Before humans began belching fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere, temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit in Greenland were unheard of. But recent research shows that the Arctic region has been warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.

Significant warming in Greenland's ice sheet is nearing a tipping point, scientists say, which could trigger catastrophic melting. Greenland holds enough ice that if it all melted, it could lift global sea levels by roughly 24 feet, according to NASA.

Although the study only covered temperatures through 2011, Greenland has seen extreme events since then. In 2019, an unexpectedly hot spring and a July heat wave caused almost the entire ice sheet's surface to begin melting, shedding roughly 532 billion tons of ice into the sea. Global sea level would rise by 1.5 millimeters as a result, scientists reported afterward.

Then in 2021, rain fell at the summit of Greenland -- roughly two miles above sea level -- for the first time on record. The warm air then fueled an extreme rain event, dumping 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at Washington, DC's National Mall nearly 250,000 times.

With these extreme events in Greenland happening more often, Horhold said the team will continue to monitor the changes.

"Every degree matters," Horhold said. "At one point, we will go back to Greenland and we will keep on extending those records."

The-CNN-Wire
With Peru's capital bracing for two days of anti-government protests starting Wednesday, President Dina Boluarte called on the demonstrators flooding into Lima to gather "peacefully and calmly" -- even as they demand her resignation. The South American country has been rocked by over five weeks of deadly protests since the ouster and arrest of her predecessor Pedro Castillo in early December.
Ranked at No. 19, Tulsa makes an appearance on Moviemakers 2023 Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, a news release states.

This is the first time Tulsa has been mentioned alongside bigger cities such as Atlanta, ranked No. 1, or Dallas, ranked No. 20.

This is incredible news for our city as we head to represent Tulsa in front of hundreds of film industry professionals at the premier of Tulsa-filmed Fancy Dance at Sundance Film Festival, said Meg Gould, executive director of Tulsa Film, Music, Arts and Culture, in the release.

Filmed on land in the Cherokee Nation, Fancy Dance is based on a screenplay by director Erica Tremblay and producer Miciana Alise. It is also the first recipient that is a part of the Cherokee Nation Film Incentive that began in early 2022.

The film will highlight important issues that Indigenous women, children and their families face as well as feature Indigenous talent and crew, including Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon.

The premiere of the film will be Friday, Jan. 20, at 9:45 p.m. at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Utah during the U.S Dramatic Competition portion of the festival. In-person screenings will run through Jan. 27 and will also be available online.

In last years Moviemakers Small Towns and Cities list, Tulsa ranked at No. 5.

Tulsas film ecosystem is experiencing a period of exponential growth, which provides incredible resources to producers and other filmmakers without complications often experienced in major metropolitan areas, said Russ Kirkpatrick, a Tulsa-based, Emmy-award winning film producer, in the release.
Country star Zach Bryan is bringing his Burn, Burn, Burn tour to Tulsa for an Aug. 11 show at the BOK Center.

The Grammy-nominated artist from Oologah wants to ensure fair access to concert tickets, according to publicity information. Last year, each date on his American Heartbreak tour sold out in minutes.

Fans can register, through 9 p.m. Jan. 29, for the chance to purchase tickets by going to axs.com/zachbryan. After the registration period concludes, suspicious, fraudulent and/or duplicated registrations will be removed, a news release states.

Those who are randomly selected to purchase tickets will be notified via email starting Feb. 13. Tickets purchased this way cannot be transferred or resold for profit.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and an invitation email for the chance to purchase tickets does not guarantee tickets will be available, the release states.

In December, Bryan took to social media to decry problems with ticket prices for large concerts.

Ive decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which Ive done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets dont have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show, Bryan wrote.

Bryans 2022 album American Heartbreak emerged as the No. 1 country album on Spotify for 2022. In December, Bryan and his band made a musical appearance on season five of Yellowstone.

Photos: Zach Bryan headlines the first night of The Tumbleweed Calf Fry Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan Zach Bryan
The nation will be watching to see how an Oklahoma board appointed by the governor and legislative leaders handles a proposed Catholic online school.

If approved, the school operated by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City would swing open the door for taxpayer-funded religious instruction at other charter schools  which are public schools.

But first, Oklahomas Statewide Virtual Charter School Board needs enough members to meet, something it hasnt done since November.

The board is down to two people  not enough to conduct business. Lacking a quorum, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board canceled its December and January meetings.

This is the board that is responsible for overseeing reforms at Epic Charter Schools, whose founders are accused of embezzling millions of taxpayer dollars.

The importance of its work is underscored by the issues surrounding the archdioceses application, which is expected this month, and $171 million from the state budget going to Epic this year  more than any other state public school district.

Theres really heavy lifting in the coming months, with decisions to be made, said board Chairman Robert Franklin.

Franklin, associate superintendent of student affairs at Tulsa Technology Center, and Barry Beauchamp, a Lawton resident and former public school superintendent, are the only board members at this time.

Franklin and the agencys director said they hope board member appointments will be announced in time for a scheduled Feb. 14 meeting. They are waiting on appointments from Gov. Kevin Stitt and state legislative leaders.

By statute, the board consists of one member from each of Oklahomas five congressional districts. The governor appoints member from the 5th District. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Edmond, appoints members from the 1st and 3rd districts; House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, appoints members from the 2nd and 4th.

The board has three vacancies. In November, Brandon Tatum resigned as the boards 5th District representative after being named Stitts chief of staff. A search for his replacement is ongoing, said Kate Vesper, a spokeswoman for Stitt.

Two positions have sat empty since September 2021, when board members resigned amid scrutiny that each had ties to Epic Charter Schools. Treat and McCall each are responsible for one of those appointments.

Oklahoma Watch attempted to contact McCall and Treat through their press offices; neither responded with a comment.

Operating with the minimum of three board members for over a year has meant if one person was late or couldnt attend a meeting, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board could not conduct business because of a lack of quorum. Additionally, all action items had to be approved unanimously.

It was pretty onerous to manage, Franklin said.

In the meantime, the board has overseen critical reforms at Epic Charter School, moving to terminate Epics contract in 2020 after an investigative audit showed that the school violated state law and mismanaged public dollars. Ultimately, the school settled with the board and avoided closure.

Epic has an outsized impact on the states education budget. With nearly 28,500 students this year, it is the states third largest district, behind Tulsa and Oklahoma City, yet takes a larger portion of the state budget because it doesnt receive local tax dollars.

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board is the only entity that legally can authorize statewide virtual charter schools. It oversees Epic and six other virtual charter schools, including Virtual Preparatory Academy, which is expected to begin this fall.

The Legislature previously has proposed changing that authority. A 2022 bill by Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, would have created a new 15-member board to authorize all charter schools.

In 2021, Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, proposed eliminating the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and folding its duties into the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

Both measures failed, and no similar proposals have been filed for the upcoming session. The filing deadline is Thursday.

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Boards deadline for new school applications is Jan. 31, and it expects a proposal from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Executive Director Rebecca Wilkinson was notified by Archbishop Paul Coakley that the archdiocese plans to apply for a virtual charter school.

In his seven-page letter, Coakley argued that prohibiting the archdiocese from establishing a virtual charter school solely because of its religion would violate the First Amendment.

The Archdiocese is enthusiastic about sponsoring a virtual charter school to improve educational opportunities for children and families in the state, he wrote. Yet we cannot ignore the reality that, regrettably, the discriminatory and unlawful exclusion of religious schools remains at least formally on the books of the states Charter School Act.

The Charter School Act requires that a school be nonsectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices and all other operations. The law also prohibits charter schools from being affiliated with private, religious schools or religious institutions.

Wilkinson requested an attorney generals opinion to help the agency navigate the issue. The opinion, issued Dec. 1 by unelected, lame duck Attorney General John OConnor, advised the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to disregard the state and federal bans on religious charter schools in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

The Oklahoma Constitution bans the use of public money for religious purposes. State voters reinforced that principle in 2016 by rejecting State Question 790, which would have repealed the relevant section of the state constitution.

OConnors opinion was the last of seven issued in 2022, despite a backlog of at least 40 requests for opinions. Gentner Drummond, sworn in last week as the new state attorney general, defeated OConnor in the GOP primary by about 6,000 votes.

The board has more than OConnors opinion to consider. In December, the Freedom From Religion Foundation opposed OConnors opinion in a 10-page letter to the board. Attorneys for the group argue that OConnor showed bias toward protecting private entities, without concern for potential religious discrimination against public school students and taxpayers.

We dont want public school students and employees to be forced and coerced to engage in religious exercise, and no taxpayer should have to fund that, said Karen Heineman, a legal fellow with the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The clear answer is to keep them separate.

Other states are absolutely watching Oklahoma to see how the application is handled, Heineman said.

March 2022 video: Epic Charter Schools investigative audit info from reporter Andrea Eger
OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahoma will spend roughly $1 billion over the next five years to improve internet access the state, Gov. Kevin Stitt said Thursday.

The state will devote a mix of local and federal funds to ensure 95% of residents have access to high-speed internet, he said at a broadband conference.

Our whole goal is just to provide connectivity, high-speed connectivity to every part of the state of Oklahoma, Stitt said. Its going to help with health care. Its going to help in rural Oklahoma and with farmers and our schools.

The governor was one of the speakers at the Internet for All conference in Oklahoma City put on by the Oklahoma Broadband Office, Oklahoma Municipal League and Association of County Commissioners.

Internet for All is a $45 billion Biden administration initiative aimed at providing affordable, high-speed internet to all Americans. That money, which comes from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed in 2021, will be allocated based on the amount of unserved or underserved areas in each state.

Oklahoma could receive about $700 million in federal funds to extend broadband coverage to parts of the state that lack adequate access, said April McClain-Delaney, an official with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Inevitably, some of the funds will be used to incentivize internet providers to extend their coverage to unserved or underserved areas. Ensuring the service is affordable for customers is key, McClain-Delaney said.

The newly formed Oklahoma Broadband Office already received $5 million in federal grants to formulate a plan on how to disperse the large pot of broadband infrastructure funds.

That funding is just the beginning, McClain-Delaney said.

These planning grants will help jumpstart Oklahomas plans to connect everyone, she said.

State legislators also set aside $387 million in federal pandemic relief funds to expand broadband access.

Mike Fina, chairman of the states Broadband Governing Board, said hes confident the state could allocate that money quickly because those dollars have fewer restrictions than other federal funds.

The Broadband Office is in charge of deploying and overseeing the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal infrastructure funds. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, last year successfully pushed to create the office that is federally funded and will shutter once the state completes its broadband expansion.
Tulsa World Public Safety Reporter Kelsy Schlotthauer talks with Editor Jason Collington about why the Tulsa Police have a national reputation when it comes to solving homicides. Schlotthauer wrote a story about the homicide units strategy and some of the trends that appeared in the citys 69 homicides last year. She also talks about what it takes to work a job with so much mayhem
There was no issue with Ryan Walters performance as secretary of education," a spokeswoman for the governor said. Walters did not answer que
A federal judge ruled in favor of the state of Oklahoma on Wednesday, nearly 18 years into a lawsuit that blames the poultry industry for pollution in the Illinois River watershed and 13 years after a lengthy trial in the case.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell found for the state on the trespassing and public nuisance-related claims it leveled against the various poultry companies that operated within the watershed in eastern Oklahoma.

The court concludes all defendants, by their conduct, have unreasonably interfered with the publics right to the use and enjoyment of the waters of the IRW (Illinois River watershed) in Oklahoma, Frizzell wrote in his 200-plus page Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law report.

The state further established that a significant cause of the excess phosphorus in the waters of the IRW is the land application of litter from defendants poultry, Frizzell wrote. Poultry waste is commonly referred to as litter when mixed with other bedding materials.

The States injuries from phosphorus concentrations in the rivers and streams of the IRW and Lake Tenkiller are significant, Frizzell continued. Defendants are liable to the State for statutory public nuisance and for federal common law nuisance with respect to their conduct in the Oklahoma portion of the IRW and their conduct in the Arkansas portion of the IRW.

Frizzell gave all parties involved in the lawsuit until March 17 to come to an agreement with regard to remedies to be imposed in this action.

Should the parties not come to an agreement that Frizzell approves, he wrote that he would enter a judgment on his own.

The ruling comes more than 13 years after a bench trial concluded on Sept. 24, 2009, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

This is a great and historic day for Oklahoma, said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. While this decision has been a long time coming, it is important to note that in the intervening years since the filing of the suit, the poultry industry has made, or is willing to make, strong improvements in waste disposal to ameliorate the extent of the problem.

Oklahoma has amazing natural resources that deserve our vigilant protection. We will thoroughly review the judges decision and determine the appropriate path forward.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson filed the lawsuit June 13, 2005, against 14 poultry companies that had operations in the Illinois River watershed, alleging that overuse of poultry litter as crop fertilizer had caused pollution in the watershed. The number of companies named was eventually narrowed to 11.

The remaining defendants are Tyson Foods Inc.; Tyson Poultry Inc.; Tyson Chicken Inc.; Cobb-Vantress Inc.; Cal-Maine Foods Inc.; Cargill Inc.; Cargill Turkey Production LLC; Georges Inc.; Georges Farms Inc.; Peterson Farms Inc.; and Simmons Foods Inc.

Frizzell presided over 52 days of trial that were spread out over a 148-day period.

The state of Oklahoma alleged that poultry litter generated by poultry farmers was high in phosphorus, which leached into nearby streams when overly applied as fertilizer on lands within the watershed.

The watershed comprises about 1 million acres, with slightly more than half in northeastern Oklahoma and the balance in northwestern Arkansas.

Frizzell agreed with the state that the majority of the poultry waste generated by birds owned by the defendants has been applied in the Illinois River watershed, usually on or in close proximity to the poultry farms.

The judge also determined that while the poultry companies criticized the state for not adequately considering other potential sources of phosphorus, he found that based on the evidence produced at trial, it is clear that poultry waste is a major contributor to the levels of phosphorus in the water of the IRW.

Frizzell also agreed that the defendants have done little  if anything  to provide for or ensure appropriate handling or management of the poultry waste generated by their birds at their growers houses.

Frizzell agreed with the state that pollution from phosphorus had caused the following in the watershed:

 Low-dissolved oxygen in the Illinois River

 Abundant filamentous green algae

 Blue-green algae in Lake Tenkiller

 Reduced transparency

Frizzell earlier rejected a claim from the state that land application of litter had caused bacterial pollution in the watershed waters.

The state in its lawsuit is seeking an injunction that:

 Makes the poultry companies responsible for waste generated by their birds and precludes land application of poultry waste in the Illinois River watershed at rates greater than the agronomic rate.

 Requires remediation of the watershed.

 Requires the defendants to pay to undertake an investigation of remedial actions to address the effects of land application of poultry waste in the watershed and to pay for the costs of implementing the remedial actions.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, Edmondson called the ruling pretty much a home run for the state of Oklahoma.

Edmondson said that since testimony concluded in the trial in 2009 the watershed has seen some improvement in its waters.

He attributed some of the improvement to upgrades to municipal wastewater treatment plants in the watershed.

Edmondson said poultry companies have been voluntarily shipping some of the poultry litter out of the watershed.

The problem with that is it was voluntary, and as the price of gasoline goes up, that could end overnight, Edmondson said.

The judges order has memorialized the law and the facts, both of which are incredibly helpful to the position of the state of Oklahoma, Edmondson said. What is remaining is for Oklahoma, through the attorney general and the poultry industry, to try to hammer out a negotiated settlement that they could submit to the court.

The court indicated that if there is a failure to do that then the court would rule.

Edmondson said the judge could take injunctive relief if both sides fail to come to an agreement.

He could enjoin the industry from spreading any litter on the land, Edmondson said. The judge could also levy significant penalties,

He said the judge could go so far as to ban the placement of chickens in the watershed.

Asked if he thinks such a position could be likely, Edmondson replied: If the industry does not agree to a very significant negotiated settlement, then I would urge the court to do that.

Edmondson emphasized that he is no longer attorney general and is not in charge of seeing the lawsuit through.

He commended both Frizzell and Drummond for their efforts in the case.

Earlier this month, Drummond filed an appearance in the federal poultry pollution lawsuit.

Edmondson said Drummonds filing indicates his personal interest in fighting this fight for the people of Oklahoma, which I appreciate very much.

A spokesperson for Tyson Foods said company officials were reviewing the ruling and had no comment Wednesday.

Featured video: Bird flu, soaring costs cause egg prices to skyrocket
Chinese vice premier holds talks with U.S. treasury secretary in Switzerland

Xinhua) 08:41, January 19, 2023

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (L), also chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, holds talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

ZURICH, Switzerland, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, held talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen here on Wednesday.

Focusing on the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Bali, the two senior officials had professional, in-depth, candid and practical exchanges on the macroeconomic and financial situation of the two countries and the whole world as well as on addressing common global challenges. The talks were constructive.

The two sides agreed that the world's economic recovery is at a critical stage and it is in the interest of both countries as well as the whole world for China and the United States to strengthen macro-policy communication and coordination and jointly address challenges in the economic and financial fields.

The two sides discussed issues related to deepening cooperation in macroeconomic and financial fields.

The two sides recognized the importance of sustainable financial cooperation and agreed to strengthen cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Both sides agreed to continue to support emerging markets and developing countries in green and low-carbon development and economic transformation.

The Chinese side also expressed concern over the U.S. economic, trade and technological policies toward China, and hoped that the United States will pay attention to the impact of these policies on both sides.

Yellen is welcome to visit China at an appropriate time this year, Liu said.

Both sides agreed to maintain communication and exchanges between their economic and trade teams at various levels.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (3rd L), also chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, holds talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (3rd R) in Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A state appellate court on Thursday rejected the appeal of a Native American who claimed the state of Oklahoma did not have the jurisdiction to prosecute him because the alleged crime was committed within the boundaries of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma reservation.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that while Aaron Charles Buck, 52, was correct in his claim that Congress did establish a reservation for the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma in central Oklahoma, his claim that the reservation still exists was wrong.

We affirm the trial courts legal conclusion that Congress explicitly disestablished the Kickapoo Reservation and find that Buck was properly subject to the jurisdiction of the District Court of Pottawatomie County when he was tried for the crimes charged in this case, the Court of Criminal Appeals said in its 15-page ruling.

The ruling means only six tribes in the state have seen their reservations continued existence reaffirmed following rulings by either the Oklahoma Court of Appeals or U.S. Supreme Court.

As it stands, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole and Quapaw tribes have seen their reservations acknowledged as still intact following the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark 2020 McGirt ruling that determined that the Muscogee Nation reservation had never been disestablished.

Buck is serving a 90-year prison term after a Pottawatomie County District Court jury convicted him in 2021 of three counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child younger than 16.

The appellate court also denied Bucks other challenges of his judgment and sentences on grounds that included ineffective assistance of counsel and the use of the word victim by the court during the trial in the presence of the jury.

The appellate court agreed with the trial courts findings that the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma reservation was established by an Act of Congress in 1883 and that the tribe in 1891 ceded back to the United States a major portion of its reservation in exchange for 80-acre allotments for each of its estimated 300 tribal members.

The historic boundaries of the tribe are located in northern Pottawatomie, eastern Oklahoma and western Lincoln counties.

The crimes occurred in Pottawatomie County. As such, the appeals court determined that Buck was properly subject to the jurisdiction of the District Court of Pottawatomie County when he was tried for the crimes charged in this case.

Had the crime been committed on a reservation that had not been disestablished by Congress, the crime likely would have been prosecuted by federal authorities, as state officials have no jurisdiction to try tribal members for crimes on tribal land, described as Indian Country in federal statutes.

In December, the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Congress in 1900 disestablished a reservation for the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribes in western Oklahoma, overruling claims that the state did not have criminal jurisdiction there.

The appellate court also found that Buck was not denied a fair trial when the trial judge referred to the complaining witnesses as the victims during the jury-selection portion of the trial.

The appeals court noted that the trial court referred to the complaining witnesses as alleged victims in its examination by the court and instructed the jury both orally and later in written instructions about the presumption of innocence and the states burden of proof.

Given the entirety of the record, we find that the trial courts initial misstatements did not rise to the level of plain error, the appeals court wrote in its published opinion.

McGirt v. Oklahoma: Supreme Court decision and aftermath June 19, 2022: Power generating company drops McGirt-based challenge to property taxes June 2, 2022: Cherokee Nation drops plan to turn north Tulsa property into a courthouse April 24: Gov. Stitt concerned about what McGirt ruling doesn't say, its far-reaching interpretations April 13, 2022: City can still issue traffic citations to Native citizens March 31, 2022: Gov. Stitt calls McGirt ruling 'preposterous' on Fox News' 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' March 9, 2022: City of Tulsa says McGirt ruling makes tribal members second-class citizens Feb. 23, 2022: Supreme Court won't hear McGirt arguments from state of Oklahoma Feb. 22, 2022: Federal lawsuit challenges Oklahoma's right to tax Native Americans Feb. 7, 2022: Gov. Stitt says Thats not fair' regarding McGirt-related case at State of the State Feb. 2, 2022: 'It is not too late for us to begin anew,' Muscogee Nation Chief says Jan. 22, 2022: Supreme Court lets McGirt ruling stand, will consider letting Oklahoma share jurisdiction Jan. 9, 2022: Most released due to McGirt have been charged either federally or tribally, Tulsa World analysis finds Dec. 14, 2021: Tribal leaders sound off as Stitt seeks change to hunting, fishing license compacts Dec. 12, 2021: Cherokee Nation disputes state's claim McGirt ruling has caused 'chaos' Oct. 28, 2021: Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission asks city to withdraw brief on McGirt Oct. 21, 2021: State appellate court extends McGirt ruling to include Quapaw Nation Sept. 18, 2021: Oklahoma AG asks Supreme Court again to reverse or limit McGirt Aug. 27, 2021: Gov. Kevin Stitt says McGirt legal decision is state's 'most pressing issue' Aug. 26, 2021: Man at center of McGirt landmark legal case sentenced to 3 life sentences Aug. 6, 2021: State asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn landmark McGirt decision Aug. 1, 2021: U.S. House rejects $154 million for tribal judicial systems July 19, 2021: Gov. Stitt sues federal government July 19, 2021: Osage Nation seeks court affirmation that its reservation also was never disestablished July 13, 2021: Contentious McGirt forum ends early after shout-down from audience July 9, 2021: Cherokee Nation highlights expansion of legal system on anniversary of ruling July 8, 2021: 'McGirt v. Oklahoma Community Impact Forum' set for July 13; tribal leaders irked June 10, 2021: '80s serial rapist's claim he is 'Indian' for criminal jurisdictional purposes rejected May 26, 2021: U.S. Supreme Court signals they could limit ruling May 19, 2021: State-Tribal Litigation Fund bill passes May 17, 2021: How Cherokee Tribal courts are handling the surge in cases May 11, 2021: Oklahoma congressman's bill would allow tribes to compact with state on criminal jurisdiction May 10, 2021: Cherokee, Chickasaw tribal chiefs announce support for federal legislation April 29, 2021: State appeals court overturns two more death sentences April 28, 2021: AG seeks to intervene in case of power plant objecting to property taxes April 15, 2021: Appellate court rejects claims of two who failed to prove ancestry April 14, 2021: Chickasaws question Gov. Stitt's rhetoric about McGirt impact April 9, 2021: Four serving life sentences in state prison to get new trials April 8, 2021: Death-row inmate's state conviction, sentence are in jeopardy April 8, 2021: State appellate court dismisses five more cases on jurisdictional grounds April 6, 2021: Cherokee AG says some cases dismissed by ruling could go unretried April 1, 2021: State appellate court expands McGirt ruling March 31, 2021: 'Fracture' in criminal system created by decision, Tulsa County DA says March 18, 2021: Manslaughter conviction for ex-Tulsa Police officer overturned March 14, 2021: Broken Arrow power plant claims county has no authority to levy property taxes March 11, 2021: Court ruling means hundreds of state criminal cases will be shifted to tribal or federal courts March 11, 2021: Cherokees expanding criminal justice system for larger role March 7, 2021: Former principal chief isn't happy as McGirt decision hits home March 4, 2021: Rogers County judge dismisses over 100 criminal cases Feb. 1, 2021: Gov. Stitt takes on McGirt ruling during State of the State address Jan. 28, 2021: McGirt decision impact on state oil and gas industry examined during OEPA briefing Jan. 23, 2021: Oklahoma governor urges tribes to begin negotiating issues Jan. 15, 2021: Tribes want Congress to allow criminal justice compacts with Oklahoma Jan. 8, 2021: Former Tulsa police officer's double-jeopardy, statute-of-limitations claims denied Jan. 4, 2021: McGirt decision results in record number of criminal federal filings in 2020 Nov. 7, 2020: Federal jury finds McGirt guilty in retrial Oct. 23, 2020: Gov. Stitt panel releases principles for state-tribe relations Oct. 5, 2020: McGirt ruling could have impact on state tax collections Oct. 1, 2020: Attorney General Bill Barr meets with Cherokee Nation leadership, local federal prosecutors Aug. 29, 2020: Man charged in 1990s rapes freed due to McGirt ruling Aug. 14, 2020: McGirt makes federal court appearance in child sex abuse case Aug. 7, 2020: McGirt-related murder cases increase Tulsa federal court's caseload Aug. 1, 2020: Feds file charges against two men whose state convictions were overturned July 29, 2020: Attorneys general for Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation discuss ruling on 'Let's Talk' July 21, 2020: Gov. Stitt forms commission to study impact of decision on state July 20, 2020: Oklahoma AG tracking scores of appeals that could be affected by decision July 17, 2020: Attorney general, tribes reach agreement on jurisdictional issues July 15, 2020: Ruling could affect case of mother charged with killing children July 14, 2020: Homicide in Tulsa 'first real test' of decision July 12, 2020: Decision to have little impact on nontribal residents, TU law professor says July 10, 2020: Tribal law expert calls ruling 'most important' in state history July 9, 2020: U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision December 2019: U.S. Supreme Court to hear McGirt v. Oklahoma McGirt v. Oklahoma: Supreme Court decision and aftermath
Oklahomas new attorney general wants to slow the pace of lethal injections as the state is set to execute nearly one person each month through the end of the year.

Gentner Drummond on Wednesday asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to reschedule set executions so they are 60 days apart rather than about 30 days apart.

Mere days after being sworn into office, Drummond attended the execution of Scott Eizember, who was convicted of killing an elderly Depew couple during a 2003 home invasion.

Drummond said he filed the motion to reschedule execution dates after talking to Department of Corrections staff about the execution process before and after Eizembers lethal injection.

Revising the schedule would alleviate the burden on DOC personnel, maintain confidence in the system and preserve the solemn and important execution process, Drummond wrote in his request.

The current pace of executions is unsustainable in the long run, as it is unduly burdening the DOC and its personnel, he wrote. This is especially true given the extensive and intensive nature of the training DOC personnel undergo to prepare for each execution.

The DOC supports Drummonds request and will abide by the schedule set by the Court of Criminal Appeals, said agency spokesman Josh Ward.

No matter what that schedule is, this agency will continue keeping professionalism and attention to detail at the forefront of the process to protect the dignity of all involved, Ward said in a statement.

If Drummonds request is granted, the next seven executions, including Richard Eugene Glossips, currently scheduled for Feb. 16, would be pushed back.

Execution dates also would be pushed back for Jemaine Monteil Cannon, Anthony Castillo Sanchez, Phillip Dean Hancock, James Chandler Ryder, Michael Dewayne Smith and Wade Greely Lay.

Drummond said he spoke to victims family members before filing his motion.

I do not take lightly this request, he said in a news release. These families have waited many years to see justice done, and I am grateful for their understanding in this matter.

Drummond said his office will contact the Court of Criminal Appeals later to set dates for 13 remaining executions.

Former Attorney General John OConnor last year sought execution dates for 25 death-row inmates who had exhausted their appeals. He asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to set the executions for no less than four weeks apart.

The Department of Corrections has carried out eight executions since the fall of 2021.

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Death row in Oklahoma: Pace of executions in 2023 slows on AG's request Richard Glossip Jemaine Cannon Anthony Sanchez Phillip Hancock James Ryder Michael D. Smith Wade Lay John Fitzgerald Hanson Oklahoma corrections director on execution: 'Not pleasant to watch, but ... not inhumane' Alfred Mitchell Marlon Harmon Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez Clarence Goode Jr. Emmanuel Littlejohn James Pavatt Kendrick Simpson Kevin Underwood Raymond E. Johnson Richard Rojem Ricky Malone Ronson Bush Termane Wood Wendell Grissom Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now
A leading state senator wants to allocate an additional $541 million for K-12 education to fund a slate of new initiatives, including pay raises and paid maternity leave for educators and financial incentives to get more qualified teachers into classrooms.

Sen. Adam Pugh, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, unveiled on Wednesday a sweeping plan he hopes will serve as a blueprint for education reforms during the upcoming legislative session.

The Edmond Republican said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat asked him over the summer to formulate an education plan.

I met with a number of school leaders, parents, administrators, teachers, and wanted to work to find something to build consensus and to collaborate around and to be a starting point, he said.

Although Pugh said he cant speak to whether other lawmakers will support his proposal, his leadership post on a powerful Senate committee will give him some leverage to advance his agenda.

Treat said he hopes Pughs plan sparks a discussion on how to improve education across the state.

Pugh filed 13 bills to carry out his plan, which aims to recruit, retain and reward teachers, in addition to other education reforms.

The most expensive part of the proposal is $241 million to increase starting teacher pay to nearly $40,000, up from $36,601, and boost state minimum educator salaries across the board.

Entry-level teachers through those in their fourth year of teaching would see $3,000 pay raises. Teachers with 15 or more years of experience would receive $6,000 pay bumps. Mid-career teachers would receive $4,000 or $5,000 pay raises based on their years of service.

Several Republican lawmakers have expressed support for boosting teacher pay this year, and two freshman senators flanked Pugh as he detailed his plan in a news conference.

Teachers last received a pay bump in 2019  $1,220 on average  after a $6,100 hike the year before.

Pugh said hes also excited about a bill he filed that would earmark more funding to ensure that young students are proficient in reading. His goal is for all students entering the fourth grade to be 100% proficient in reading.

He acknowledged that the price tag on his plan is high, but lawmakers are expected to have extra cash to spend this year. Pugh said he hasnt discussed his proposal with new State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

I hope this plan will demonstrate to teachers that were serious about the work that you do and we appreciate that you pour your heart and your soul into educating kids, Pugh said.

His plan also includes:

 $50 million for school safety grants that districts can use for security, infrastructure, technology or training.

 $25 million to offer 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to teachers who have been with a district for at least one year.

 $15 million in financial incentives to get more Oklahomans to spend at least four years in an Oklahoma classroom after graduating from a teaching college.

 Reforming the A-F school report card so surveys administered to students, parents and school staff factor into a schools grade.

 Putting a greater focus on science, technology, engineering and math education.

 Reforming charter schools.

Featured video: Memorable Tulsa World education stories of 2022
Vietnamese coffee is the newest hit in urban areas across the Philippines, thanks to the young Filipinos who have brought the tasty Vietnamese specialty back to their homeland after working abroad. Vietnamese coffee has been around in the Philippines for some time, but it is just now gaining popularity, Jen Sta. Ana told Tuoi Tre News. Vietnamese coffee is known in the Philippines for its strong and bold flavor, plus preparing and serving Vietnamese coffee are very esthetic. Aside from her job as a registered nurse, Sta. Ana, originally from Pasig City, shares her favorite restaurants, travel tips, and beauty secrets to over 11,000 followers on her Facebook page Sand Under My Feet. A commitment to 'authentic Vietnamese coffee' In October, Sta. Ana posted about Drip Kofi, a Philippine coffee brand which serves authentic Vietnamese coffee at its 18 branches across Luzon and Manila. A few weeks ago, I had lunch with two of my friends and after that, we stumbled upon this esthetic cafe serving strong and flavorful authentic Vietnamese coffee, she wrote. A sign of Drip Kofi is seen in this supplied photo. Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk) is among Drip Kofis best-sellers. We want to provide exceptional coffee experiences by delivering superior products and exceptional customer service, Jizelle Bernardino, founder of Drip Kofi, explained. Drip Kofi envisions to be the industrys leading provider of Vietnamese coffee by creating opportunities and a presence across the country, one bean, one phin [Vietnamese-style metal filter], at a time. Bernardinos passion for Vietnamese coffee was sparked during a five-year stint she spent working in Ho Chi Minh City as a teacher. I would often send coffee to my family and friends in the Philippines [when I worked in Vietnam]. That was when I realized there was an opportunity to properly showcase Vietnamese coffee goodness to the Filipino community, she said. In 2018, after returning to the Philippines, Bernardino came back to her hometown and launched Drip Kofi, growing the brand from a small stall in a market in Tatay, Rizal Province to a massive chain approaching 20 locations in just a few years. We directly source our coffee from Vietnam and transform it into handcrafted beverages, Bernardino explained, adding that her company spends VND100-150 million (US$4,266-6,399) on Vietnamese coffee beans each month. Bernardino is not the only Filipina to have brought a love for Vietnamese coffee back to the Philippines. Ly-An Luz Jalandoni, Rhoanne Belgira Beduria, and Chareese Angela Abat opened their own coffee brand specializing in Vietnamese coffee in Iloilo in September 2021. Jalandoni and Beduria had spent several years working as primary-age teachers at an international school in Ho Chi Minh City. Jalandonis cousin, Abat, visited them during that time and together they fell in love with Vietnamese coffee and culture. Their brand, Saigon Brewers, spent its first months selling specialty Vietnamese coffee beans and ready-to-go cold brew online and at local pop-up events. Beduria eventually left the Philippines to study in Canada, and Jalandoni and Abat decided to transform their business from an online retailer into a bricks-and-mortar coffee shop. They attended coffee training workshops, met with coffee experts, and participated in the Iloilo Specialty Coffee Community Group and, by September 2022, they officially opened the doors to their new cafe. What drives us is the sincerity of our product and the uniqueness of how we brew our coffee with a phin. It gives us a result that has the true, authentic taste of Vietnamese coffee, said Jalandoni. After trying our products, customers became regulars, then friends, and, eventually, family. Ly-An Luz Jalandoni (right) and Chareese Angela Abat pose while making Vietnamese coffee at Saigon Brewers in this supplied photo. Since it opened, Saigon Brewers has gained serious traction in the Iloilo coffee community. We became a go-to place for people who have to work or study double shifts. Our coffee is what keeps them going, especially since we offer something quite strong in comparison to the coffee offerings in other shops, Jalandoni explained. According to Jalandoni, about 90 percent of Saigon Brewers customers are Filipinos, five percent are Vietnamese, and the rest are from other countries around the world. These customers specifically visit the cafe so that they can be transported to Vietnam with a cup of handmade phin coffee. Customers enjoy coffee at Saigon Brewers in this supplied photo. But customers who cannot make it to Saigon Brewers need not worry about getting their Vietnamese coffee fix. According to Jalandoni, ca phe sua da is a popular drink on the menu at coffee shops across the Philippines, whether they use local beans for their espresso shots as their black coffee base (Americano plus condensed milk) or other manual brewing techniques such as pour-overs. Marketability Ponte Cafe in Pontevedra, Capiz Visayas specializes in selling coffee drinks from various countries but our best-selling drink is Vietnamese coffee, said Kisha Ann Uygen, 22, owner of Ponte Cafe. We wanted to include Vietnamese coffee in our menu because we believed in its marketability, she added. It is cheap relative to local and imported espresso coffee beans of that caliber; it is easy to prepare with few equipment and ingredients, and when you add all that to a delicious coffee, it is clearly good for business." Kisha Ann Uygen, owner of Ponte Cafe, brews Vietnamese coffee with a 'phin' filter in this supplied photo. According to Uygen, both young and older people alike visit her cafe to try the Vietnamese coffee. The beans she uses are imported from Vietnam and each Vietnamese coffee drink is brewed with a phin filter to get that authentic Vietnamese taste and experience. Meanwhile, according to Jackie Vuong, founder of the coffee brand caphesach.org, which supplies coffee to partners in the Philippines, the coffee market in the Philippines for Vietnamese coffee is very welcoming. Filipinos have a habit of eating sweets, so coffee with milk or condensed milk is favored, Vuong said. Besides, there are many Call Centers in Manila that work at night, so their need for caffeine is also very large. In July, Vuong organized a workshop on brewing coffee using a phin filter in Manila which attracted more than 40 people. Jackie Vuong (standing) introduces Vietnamese coffee at a workshop in Manila in July 2022 in this supplied photo. Vietnamese coffee is now very well processed, creating a more unique flavor, Vuong said. In addition to bitterness, Vietnamese robusta also has a sweet and slightly sour aftertaste, and contains fruity flavors such as orange, jackfruit, tangerine, and more, naturally without flavorings. The price of Vietnamese coffee is also an advantage, because it is not too high compared to other coffee exporting countries, but the quality and transportation are not inferior. A special coffee workshop Vietnamese coffee culture has made an appearance not only in coffee shops in the Philippines but also in schools. In September, the Ateneo Center for Asian Studies (ACAS) at Ateneo de Manila University organized a workshop to introduce Vietnamese coffee culture and the phin filter brewing method. The ground Vietnamese coffee beans are first placed in the filter and squeezed, and then positioned atop a cup or glass containing condensed milk (which serves as both creamer and sweetener). Hot water is then poured over the filters and the coffee drips into the cup, ACAS captured the event on their Instagram account. According to Violet B. Valdez, executive director of ACAS, the coffee lecture-demonstration was the idea of Thi Sen Huynh Kagahastian, a Vietnamese-language lecturer. The program was meant for a small group, mainly Sen's students who are in a special class for staff of the Philippine Navy, but some faculty members who are engaged in Asian studies and the dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Saloma-Akpedonu, were also present. Most of those in the audience had heard about how special Vietnamese coffee is, especially, how strong it is, so they were really keen on learning why and also how to prepare coffee the Vietnamese way, Valdez said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnamese coffee is the newest hit in urban areas across the Philippines, thanks to the young Filipinos who have brought the tasty Vietnamese specialty back to their homeland after working abroad.

Vietnamese coffee has been around in the Philippines for some time, but it is just now gaining popularity, Jen Sta. Ana told Tuoi Tre News.

Vietnamese coffee is known in the Philippines for its strong and bold flavor, plus preparing and serving Vietnamese coffee are very esthetic.

Aside from her job as a registered nurse, Sta. Ana, originally from Pasig City, shares her favorite restaurants, travel tips, and beauty secrets to over 11,000 followers on her Facebook page Sand Under My Feet.

A commitment to 'authentic Vietnamese coffee'

In October, Sta. Ana posted about Drip Kofi, a Philippine coffee brand which serves authentic Vietnamese coffee at its 18 branches across Luzon and Manila.

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with two of my friends and after that, we stumbled upon this esthetic cafe serving strong and flavorful authentic Vietnamese coffee, she wrote.

A sign of Drip Kofi is seen in this supplied photo.

Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk) is among Drip Kofis best-sellers.

We want to provide exceptional coffee experiences by delivering superior products and exceptional customer service, Jizelle Bernardino, founder of Drip Kofi, explained.

Drip Kofi envisions to be the industrys leading provider of Vietnamese coffee by creating opportunities and a presence across the country, one bean, one phin [Vietnamese-style metal filter], at a time.

Bernardinos passion for Vietnamese coffee was sparked during a five-year stint she spent working in Ho Chi Minh City as a teacher.

I would often send coffee to my family and friends in the Philippines [when I worked in Vietnam]. That was when I realized there was an opportunity to properly showcase Vietnamese coffee goodness to the Filipino community, she said.

In 2018, after returning to the Philippines, Bernardino came back to her hometown and launched Drip Kofi, growing the brand from a small stall in a market in Tatay, Rizal Province to a massive chain approaching 20 locations in just a few years.

We directly source our coffee from Vietnam and transform it into handcrafted beverages, Bernardino explained, adding that her company spends VND100-150 million (US$4,266-6,399) on Vietnamese coffee beans each month.

Bernardino is not the only Filipina to have brought a love for Vietnamese coffee back to the Philippines.

Ly-An Luz Jalandoni, Rhoanne Belgira Beduria, and Chareese Angela Abat opened their own coffee brand specializing in Vietnamese coffee in Iloilo in September 2021.

Jalandoni and Beduria had spent several years working as primary-age teachers at an international school in Ho Chi Minh City.

Jalandonis cousin, Abat, visited them during that time and together they fell in love with Vietnamese coffee and culture.

Their brand, Saigon Brewers, spent its first months selling specialty Vietnamese coffee beans and ready-to-go cold brew online and at local pop-up events.

Beduria eventually left the Philippines to study in Canada, and Jalandoni and Abat decided to transform their business from an online retailer into a bricks-and-mortar coffee shop.

They attended coffee training workshops, met with coffee experts, and participated in the Iloilo Specialty Coffee Community Group and, by September 2022, they officially opened the doors to their new cafe.

What drives us is the sincerity of our product and the uniqueness of how we brew our coffee with a phin. It gives us a result that has the true, authentic taste of Vietnamese coffee, said Jalandoni.

After trying our products, customers became regulars, then friends, and, eventually, family.

Ly-An Luz Jalandoni (right) and Chareese Angela Abat pose while making Vietnamese coffee at Saigon Brewers in this supplied photo.

Since it opened, Saigon Brewers has gained serious traction in the Iloilo coffee community.

We became a go-to place for people who have to work or study double shifts. Our coffee is what keeps them going, especially since we offer something quite strong in comparison to the coffee offerings in other shops, Jalandoni explained.

According to Jalandoni, about 90 percent of Saigon Brewers customers are Filipinos, five percent are Vietnamese, and the rest are from other countries around the world.

These customers specifically visit the cafe so that they can be transported to Vietnam with a cup of handmade phin coffee.

Customers enjoy coffee at Saigon Brewers in this supplied photo.

But customers who cannot make it to Saigon Brewers need not worry about getting their Vietnamese coffee fix.

According to Jalandoni, ca phe sua da is a popular drink on the menu at coffee shops across the Philippines, whether they use local beans for their espresso shots as their black coffee base (Americano plus condensed milk) or other manual brewing techniques such as pour-overs.

Marketability

Ponte Cafe in Pontevedra, Capiz Visayas specializes in selling coffee drinks from various countries but our best-selling drink is Vietnamese coffee, said Kisha Ann Uygen, 22, owner of Ponte Cafe.

We wanted to include Vietnamese coffee in our menu because we believed in its marketability, she added.

It is cheap relative to local and imported espresso coffee beans of that caliber; it is easy to prepare with few equipment and ingredients, and when you add all that to a delicious coffee, it is clearly good for business."

Kisha Ann Uygen, owner of Ponte Cafe, brews Vietnamese coffee with a 'phin' filter in this supplied photo.

According to Uygen, both young and older people alike visit her cafe to try the Vietnamese coffee.

The beans she uses are imported from Vietnam and each Vietnamese coffee drink is brewed with a phin filter to get that authentic Vietnamese taste and experience.

Meanwhile, according to Jackie Vuong, founder of the coffee brand caphesach.org, which supplies coffee to partners in the Philippines, the coffee market in the Philippines for Vietnamese coffee is very welcoming.

Filipinos have a habit of eating sweets, so coffee with milk or condensed milk is favored, Vuong said.

Besides, there are many Call Centers in Manila that work at night, so their need for caffeine is also very large.

In July, Vuong organized a workshop on brewing coffee using a phin filter in Manila which attracted more than 40 people.

Jackie Vuong (standing) introduces Vietnamese coffee at a workshop in Manila in July 2022 in this supplied photo.

Vietnamese coffee is now very well processed, creating a more unique flavor, Vuong said.

In addition to bitterness, Vietnamese robusta also has a sweet and slightly sour aftertaste, and contains fruity flavors such as orange, jackfruit, tangerine, and more, naturally without flavorings.

The price of Vietnamese coffee is also an advantage, because it is not too high compared to other coffee exporting countries, but the quality and transportation are not inferior.

A special coffee workshop

Vietnamese coffee culture has made an appearance not only in coffee shops in the Philippines but also in schools.

In September, the Ateneo Center for Asian Studies (ACAS) at Ateneo de Manila University organized a workshop to introduce Vietnamese coffee culture and the phin filter brewing method.

The ground Vietnamese coffee beans are first placed in the filter and squeezed, and then positioned atop a cup or glass containing condensed milk (which serves as both creamer and sweetener). Hot water is then poured over the filters and the coffee drips into the cup, ACAS captured the event on their Instagram account.

According to Violet B. Valdez, executive director of ACAS, the coffee lecture-demonstration was the idea of Thi Sen Huynh Kagahastian, a Vietnamese-language lecturer.

The program was meant for a small group, mainly Sen's students who are in a special class for staff of the Philippine Navy, but some faculty members who are engaged in Asian studies and the dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Saloma-Akpedonu, were also present.

Most of those in the audience had heard about how special Vietnamese coffee is, especially, how strong it is, so they were really keen on learning why and also how to prepare coffee the Vietnamese way, Valdez said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement she had "no more in the tank" to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election. Ardern, holding back tears, said that it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and that she was only human and needed to step aside. "This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term - because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that," Ardern, 42, told a news conference. "I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called 'real' reason was... The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human," she continued. "Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then its time. And for me, its time." A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than Feb. 7 and a general election will be held on Oct. 14. Ardern said she believed Labour would win the upcoming election. New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader. Political commentator Ben Thomas said Ardern's announcement was a huge surprise as polls still ranked her as the countrys preferred prime minister even though support for her party had fallen from the stratospheric heights seen during the 2020 election. Thomas said that there was not a clear successor. Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do a better job. She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married. Her initial election made a big splash on the global stage because of her gender and youth, coining the phrase "Jacinda-mania".

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement she had "no more in the tank" to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election.

Ardern, holding back tears, said that it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and that she was only human and needed to step aside.

"This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term - because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that," Ardern, 42, told a news conference.

"I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called 'real' reason was... The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human," she continued. "Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then its time. And for me, its time."

A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than Feb. 7 and a general election will be held on Oct. 14.

Ardern said she believed Labour would win the upcoming election.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.

Political commentator Ben Thomas said Ardern's announcement was a huge surprise as polls still ranked her as the countrys preferred prime minister even though support for her party had fallen from the stratospheric heights seen during the 2020 election.

Thomas said that there was not a clear successor.

Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do a better job.

She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married.

Her initial election made a big splash on the global stage because of her gender and youth, coining the phrase "Jacinda-mania".
Vietnam and South Korea have agreed to promote two-way trade to US$100 billion within this year and $150 billion by 2030 in a more sustainable and balanced manner by making the best use of existing bilateral and multilateral trade deals. The agreement was reached on Tuesday during the talks between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South Korean Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who is on a visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnams National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, the Vietnam Government Portal reported. The two sides expressed their pleasure that the two countries relations have fruitfully developed in all fields after 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations. In the context of rapid and complicated changes in the world and regional situation, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between the two countries continues to maintain a stable development momentum, and the mutual political trust has been continuously strengthened. Currently, South Korea holds the number-one position in foreign direct investment in Vietnam with a total capital of US$80.5 billion, with about 8,000 enterprises doing business in the Southeast Asia nation. The Northeast Asian country also ranks second in development, tourism, and labor cooperation, and third in terms of trade cooperation with Vietnam, with a trade value of $88 billion in 2022. Despite the heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, both countries gained a two-way trade turnover of $80.6 billion in 2021, much higher than the $500 million recorded 30 years ago, South Korean Consul General in Da Nang Ahn Min Sik said at a seminar last year. Based on such a good outcome, the host and guest agreed to boost two-way trade to $100 billion this year and $150 billion seven years later, in a balanced and sustainable way, based on the effective implementation of the Vietnam - Korea Bilateral Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). PM Chinh asked the South Korean government to streamline the entry of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products, seafood, and seasonal fruits into the South Korean market. He also proposed the two sides strengthen stable, long-term, and sustainable goods exchange, and strive to balance their trade because currently South Korea has a trade surplus. The Vietnamese government chief affirmed that Vietnam welcomes South Korean businesses to expand their investment in Vietnam, especially in science, technology, innovation, green economy, digital economy, digital transformation, clean energy, smart city, and ecological urbanism. Vietnam always considers South Korea an important and long-term strategic partner for the common interests of the two countries and peoples and for stability and peace in the region and the world, PM Chinh told his guest. A meeting between the two delegations of South Korea and Vietnam led by South Korean Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, respectively, in Hanoi on January 17, 2023. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal The host congratulated South Korea on its achievements in national construction and development and extended his thanks to its state, National Assembly, and people for always giving valuable, practical, and effective support to Vietnam in the past time. Speaker Kim praised Vietnam for continuing to have high and solid economic growth in difficult conditions and wished Vietnam to achieve its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and a high average income by 2030. The guest thanked the Vietnamese government for always paying attention to the development of the South Korean business community in Vietnam. He said that PM Chinh previously had two dialogues with South Korean businesses to listen to their opinions and remove obstacles facing them in Vietnam. Kim wished that the Vietnamese government would support South Korea to host the 2030 World Expo (World Expo 2030) in Busan, continue to create favorable conditions for Korean enterprises to operate effectively in Vietnam and for South Korean citizens to travel, do business, and live in the Southeast Asian country. He also proposed that Hanoi cooperate with Seoul in rare earth production, and support the expansion of South Korean educational institutions in Vietnam. PM Chinh wished South Korea would continue to provide ODA for Vietnam, expand the admission of Vietnamese workers in nursing, information technology, healthcare, and soon implement the Social Insurance Agreement between Vietnam and South Korea, contributing to ensuring the rights of workers in each country. Vietnam will create all favorable conditions for the South Korean community to live, study, and work stably in Vietnam, PM Chinh said, adding he hoped the South Korean government would continue to support and protect the legitimate interests of Vietnamese nationals who are living and doing business in South Korea. The Vietnamese government chief suggested the two sides promote effective cooperation in all fields within the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in December last year, including South Koreas assistance for Vietnam to improve the capability of its law enforcement at sea. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam and South Korea have agreed to promote two-way trade to US$100 billion within this year and $150 billion by 2030 in a more sustainable and balanced manner by making the best use of existing bilateral and multilateral trade deals.

The agreement was reached on Tuesday during the talks between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South Korean Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who is on a visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnams National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, the Vietnam Government Portal reported.

The two sides expressed their pleasure that the two countries relations have fruitfully developed in all fields after 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations.

In the context of rapid and complicated changes in the world and regional situation, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between the two countries continues to maintain a stable development momentum, and the mutual political trust has been continuously strengthened.

Currently, South Korea holds the number-one position in foreign direct investment in Vietnam with a total capital of US$80.5 billion, with about 8,000 enterprises doing business in the Southeast Asia nation.

The Northeast Asian country also ranks second in development, tourism, and labor cooperation, and third in terms of trade cooperation with Vietnam, with a trade value of $88 billion in 2022.

Despite the heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, both countries gained a two-way trade turnover of $80.6 billion in 2021, much higher than the $500 million recorded 30 years ago, South Korean Consul General in Da Nang Ahn Min Sik said at a seminar last year.

Based on such a good outcome, the host and guest agreed to boost two-way trade to $100 billion this year and $150 billion seven years later, in a balanced and sustainable way, based on the effective implementation of the Vietnam - Korea Bilateral Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

PM Chinh asked the South Korean government to streamline the entry of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products, seafood, and seasonal fruits into the South Korean market.

He also proposed the two sides strengthen stable, long-term, and sustainable goods exchange, and strive to balance their trade because currently South Korea has a trade surplus.

The Vietnamese government chief affirmed that Vietnam welcomes South Korean businesses to expand their investment in Vietnam, especially in science, technology, innovation, green economy, digital economy, digital transformation, clean energy, smart city, and ecological urbanism.

Vietnam always considers South Korea an important and long-term strategic partner for the common interests of the two countries and peoples and for stability and peace in the region and the world, PM Chinh told his guest.

A meeting between the two delegations of South Korea and Vietnam led by South Korean Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, respectively, in Hanoi on January 17, 2023. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal

The host congratulated South Korea on its achievements in national construction and development and extended his thanks to its state, National Assembly, and people for always giving valuable, practical, and effective support to Vietnam in the past time.

Speaker Kim praised Vietnam for continuing to have high and solid economic growth in difficult conditions and wished Vietnam to achieve its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and a high average income by 2030.

The guest thanked the Vietnamese government for always paying attention to the development of the South Korean business community in Vietnam.

He said that PM Chinh previously had two dialogues with South Korean businesses to listen to their opinions and remove obstacles facing them in Vietnam.

Kim wished that the Vietnamese government would support South Korea to host the 2030 World Expo (World Expo 2030) in Busan, continue to create favorable conditions for Korean enterprises to operate effectively in Vietnam and for South Korean citizens to travel, do business, and live in the Southeast Asian country.

He also proposed that Hanoi cooperate with Seoul in rare earth production, and support the expansion of South Korean educational institutions in Vietnam.

PM Chinh wished South Korea would continue to provide ODA for Vietnam, expand the admission of Vietnamese workers in nursing, information technology, healthcare, and soon implement the Social Insurance Agreement between Vietnam and South Korea, contributing to ensuring the rights of workers in each country.

Vietnam will create all favorable conditions for the South Korean community to live, study, and work stably in Vietnam, PM Chinh said, adding he hoped the South Korean government would continue to support and protect the legitimate interests of Vietnamese nationals who are living and doing business in South Korea.

The Vietnamese government chief suggested the two sides promote effective cooperation in all fields within the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in December last year, including South Koreas assistance for Vietnam to improve the capability of its law enforcement at sea.

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Vietnams Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was appointed Acting State President of Vietnam on Wednesday following the resignation of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, according to the Vietnamese legislature's announcement. Xuan will remain Acting State President until the lawmaking National Assembly (NA) elects a new head of state, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said in a notice he signed on behalf of the NA Standing Committee on Wednesday. The notice was released under Resolution No. 83/2023/QH15 adopted at the 15th NAs third extraordinary meeting on the same day, pursuant to the Constitution and the Law on the Organization of the NA. Xuans appointment came after the Vietnamese Party Central Committee (PCC) on Tuesday agreed to let Phuc retire and quit the posts of a member of the Politburo and of the 13th PCC upon his request. He also left the position as chairman of the Council of National Defense and Security. A similar designation previously happened when State President Tran Dai Quang died of illness in September 2018 and then-Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh served as interim president. Xuan, born in 1970 in southern An Giang Province, is a member of the 12th and 13th PCC. With a bachelor's degree in chemistry pedagogy and a masters in public governance, Xuan used to work as a high school teacher in An Giang, and then a research specialist of the provincial Party Committee Office. From August 2001 to January 2013, she worked as vice-president and then president of the An Giang Province Women's Union, deputy head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, and secretary of the Party Committee of An Giangs Tan Chau Town. In February 2013, she was deputy chairwoman of the An Giang administration and then deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee. She became Party Committee secretary of An Giang in October 2015 before being voted as Vice-State President in April 2021. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while holding the post of the prime minister in the 2016-21 tenure, made great efforts in leading Vietnams COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, gaining many important achievements. However, he must take the political responsibility as the government chief when many high-ranking officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers, committed violations and wrongdoings, causing serious consequences. Aware of his responsibility before the Party and the people, he handed in his resignation, which was accepted by the PCC. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnams Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was appointed Acting State President of Vietnam on Wednesday following the resignation of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, according to the Vietnamese legislature's announcement.

Xuan will remain Acting State President until the lawmaking National Assembly (NA) elects a new head of state, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said in a notice he signed on behalf of the NA Standing Committee on Wednesday.

The notice was released under Resolution No. 83/2023/QH15 adopted at the 15th NAs third extraordinary meeting on the same day, pursuant to the Constitution and the Law on the Organization of the NA.

Xuans appointment came after the Vietnamese Party Central Committee (PCC) on Tuesday agreed to let Phuc retire and quit the posts of a member of the Politburo and of the 13th PCC upon his request.

He also left the position as chairman of the Council of National Defense and Security.

A similar designation previously happened when State President Tran Dai Quang died of illness in September 2018 and then-Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh served as interim president.

Xuan, born in 1970 in southern An Giang Province, is a member of the 12th and 13th PCC.

With a bachelor's degree in chemistry pedagogy and a masters in public governance, Xuan used to work as a high school teacher in An Giang, and then a research specialist of the provincial Party Committee Office.

From August 2001 to January 2013, she worked as vice-president and then president of the An Giang Province Women's Union, deputy head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, and secretary of the Party Committee of An Giangs Tan Chau Town.

In February 2013, she was deputy chairwoman of the An Giang administration and then deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee.

She became Party Committee secretary of An Giang in October 2015 before being voted as Vice-State President in April 2021.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc, while holding the post of the prime minister in the 2016-21 tenure, made great efforts in leading Vietnams COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, gaining many important achievements.

However, he must take the political responsibility as the government chief when many high-ranking officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers, committed violations and wrongdoings, causing serious consequences.

Aware of his responsibility before the Party and the people, he handed in his resignation, which was accepted by the PCC.

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Check out the news you should not miss today: Politics -- Vietnam's Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was designated as the Acting State President of the country on Wednesday after the lawmaking National Assembly dismissed State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc from his position. Society -- A traffic police officer in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam has been seriously injured after being hit by a speeding motorcyclist whom he attempted to stop last Sunday. -- Two people were killed after a sleeper bus collided with a truck on National Highway No. 1 in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on Wednesday morning. -- Police in Thanh Hoa Province, northern Vietnam arrested and initiated legal proceedings against a 28-year-old for posing as a banker to swindle more than VND1 billion (US$42,658) out of multiple victims across the country on Wednesday. -- Ambassadors of the G4 countries New Zealand, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland in Vietnam have visited the Village Chance in Ho Chi Minh City, a complex of schools and apartments for people who use wheelchairs, to send a message advocating collaboration to reduce obstacles for individuals with disabilities on the occasion of the Tet festival. World News -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election and plans to step down no later than early February, she said in a televised statement on Thursday, Reuters reported. -- The Church of England will refuse to allow same-sex couples to get married in its churches under proposals set out on Wednesday in which the centuries-old institution said it would stick to its teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

-- Vietnam's Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was designated as the Acting State President of the country on Wednesday after the lawmaking National Assembly dismissed State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc from his position.

Society

-- A traffic police officer in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam has been seriously injured after being hit by a speeding motorcyclist whom he attempted to stop last Sunday.

-- Two people were killed after a sleeper bus collided with a truck on National Highway No. 1 in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on Wednesday morning.

-- Police in Thanh Hoa Province, northern Vietnam arrested and initiated legal proceedings against a 28-year-old for posing as a banker to swindle more than VND1 billion (US$42,658) out of multiple victims across the country on Wednesday.

-- Ambassadors of the G4 countries New Zealand, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland in Vietnam have visited the Village Chance in Ho Chi Minh City, a complex of schools and apartments for people who use wheelchairs, to send a message advocating collaboration to reduce obstacles for individuals with disabilities on the occasion of the Tet festival.

World News

-- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election and plans to step down no later than early February, she said in a televised statement on Thursday, Reuters reported.

-- The Church of England will refuse to allow same-sex couples to get married in its churches under proposals set out on Wednesday in which the centuries-old institution said it would stick to its teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, according to Reuters.

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Lado Taxi Company in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, on Wednesday returned VND190 million (US$8,097) to a passenger who dropped the amount of money in a taxi. Luu Oanh, 25, from neighboring Dak Lak Province and two of her friends on Tuesday morning took a Lado taxi driven by Nguyen Duy Phin from Ward 10 to Tran Quang Khai Street in Ward 8 in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province. During the trip, the cab stopped at two spots on Bui Thi Xuan and Nguyen Cong Tru Streets. After arriving at her hotel on Tran Quang Khai Street for a while, Oanh found she had lost the amount of money she kept in her coats pocket. Oanh contacted the taxi company for help. At the same time, driver Phin also reported to the company that he had found the money left in his cab. According to Phin, after dropping off the passengers on Tran Quang Khai Street, he continued to receive another group of seven. While arranging seats for the group, Phin found a plastic bag containing four bundles of VND500,000 banknotes. As Phin could not determine whose money was, he decided to report it to the company. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Lado Taxi Company in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, on Wednesday returned VND190 million (US$8,097) to a passenger who dropped the amount of money in a taxi.

Luu Oanh, 25, from neighboring Dak Lak Province and two of her friends on Tuesday morning took a Lado taxi driven by Nguyen Duy Phin from Ward 10 to Tran Quang Khai Street in Ward 8 in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province.

During the trip, the cab stopped at two spots on Bui Thi Xuan and Nguyen Cong Tru Streets.

After arriving at her hotel on Tran Quang Khai Street for a while, Oanh found she had lost the amount of money she kept in her coats pocket.

Oanh contacted the taxi company for help.

At the same time, driver Phin also reported to the company that he had found the money left in his cab.

According to Phin, after dropping off the passengers on Tran Quang Khai Street, he continued to receive another group of seven.

While arranging seats for the group, Phin found a plastic bag containing four bundles of VND500,000 banknotes.

As Phin could not determine whose money was, he decided to report it to the company.

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Hoi An City in central Vietnam has stopped tourist activities in the Hoi An pedestrian neighborhood for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. The pedestrian neighborhood in Hoi An includes streets in the ancient town such as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Bach Dang, and others. The plan, executed between the 27th day of the 12th lunar month and the 2th day of the first lunar month (January 18 to 23), is to give local residents a private time for Tet celebration. The area will welcome tourists again on January 24. In the meantime, a number of local relic sites still have their doors open to visitors, namely Cau Pagoda, Hoi An Temple, Ong Pagoda, and more. A hotline at 0843428888 is also available to offer information to tourists keen on visiting Hoi An Ancient Town during the time. According to Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, director the Center for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television of Hoi An, the city is hosting a series of 14 events including Tet traditional markets to celebrate the Lunar New Year through the 6th day of the first lunar month. This year, Hoi An and Tam Ky, both cities in Quang Nam Province, are not organizing low-range fireworks displays on Lunar New Year's Eve like previously, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said. However, countdown events are still being held with sound and light performances. Phan Xuan Thanh, president of the Quang Nam Tourism Association, said Hoi An has seen a large number of foreign tourists flocking to the ancient town to celebrate the Vietnamese Tet holiday. However, local accommodation facilities are running below capacity due to the decreased demand of domestic tourists. People are still in [financial] difficulties so they quite hesitate to make reservations, a manager of a five-star resort in Hoi An said. We still have many rooms left even though Tet draws near. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Hoi An City in central Vietnam has stopped tourist activities in the Hoi An pedestrian neighborhood for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The pedestrian neighborhood in Hoi An includes streets in the ancient town such as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Bach Dang, and others.

The plan, executed between the 27th day of the 12th lunar month and the 2th day of the first lunar month (January 18 to 23), is to give local residents a private time for Tet celebration.

The area will welcome tourists again on January 24.

In the meantime, a number of local relic sites still have their doors open to visitors, namely Cau Pagoda, Hoi An Temple, Ong Pagoda, and more.

A hotline at 0843428888 is also available to offer information to tourists keen on visiting Hoi An Ancient Town during the time.

According to Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, director the Center for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television of Hoi An, the city is hosting a series of 14 events including Tet traditional markets to celebrate the Lunar New Year through the 6th day of the first lunar month.

This year, Hoi An and Tam Ky, both cities in Quang Nam Province, are not organizing low-range fireworks displays on Lunar New Year's Eve like previously, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said.

However, countdown events are still being held with sound and light performances.

Phan Xuan Thanh, president of the Quang Nam Tourism Association, said Hoi An has seen a large number of foreign tourists flocking to the ancient town to celebrate the Vietnamese Tet holiday.

However, local accommodation facilities are running below capacity due to the decreased demand of domestic tourists.

People are still in [financial] difficulties so they quite hesitate to make reservations, a manager of a five-star resort in Hoi An said.

We still have many rooms left even though Tet draws near.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
As China gears up to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, Lunar New Year looks slightly different in Vietnam, where the Year of the Cat is about to begin. Across the country, streets are decked out with statues of felines and shops are stocked full of cat-themed decorations, popular gifts during Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet. Vietnam and neighbouring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar's 12 signs -- the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. But the Vietnamese honour the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox. There are a host of theories to explain why the Vietnamese plumped for the cat. Nguyen Hieu Tin, an expert on traditional Vietnamese culture, said the answer may lie in the rice fields prized by farmers. "Rice is a huge part of Vietnam's agriculture, but with the threat of many rats in the fields, the cats (which can hunt them) are a popular animal for the Vietnamese," he told AFP. "Another explanation is that the Vietnamese don't want to observe two years with a similar animal. They see the mouse and the rabbit as being closely linked," Tin said. There is also a theory that the Vietnamese made their own interpretation of the Chinese word for rabbit, "mao". In Vietnamese, this sounds like "meo", which means cat. The Year of the Cat is believed to bring good luck and smooth sailing in Vietnam. Hoang Thi Huong Giang, an office worker in Hanoi, a city filled with traditional orange kumquat trees and pink blossoms ahead of Tet, said she had never paid attention to the reasons that Vietnamese honoured a different zodiac animal to the rest of the world. But she believes that those who were born in the Year of the Cat, like her, have things easier than most. "It seems to be true that those who are born in the Year of the Cat are often more active, hard-working and easy to get on with," Giang said proudly.

As China gears up to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, Lunar New Year looks slightly different in Vietnam, where the Year of the Cat is about to begin.

Across the country, streets are decked out with statues of felines and shops are stocked full of cat-themed decorations, popular gifts during Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet.

Vietnam and neighbouring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar's 12 signs -- the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

But the Vietnamese honour the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox.

There are a host of theories to explain why the Vietnamese plumped for the cat.

Nguyen Hieu Tin, an expert on traditional Vietnamese culture, said the answer may lie in the rice fields prized by farmers.

"Rice is a huge part of Vietnam's agriculture, but with the threat of many rats in the fields, the cats (which can hunt them) are a popular animal for the Vietnamese," he told AFP.

"Another explanation is that the Vietnamese don't want to observe two years with a similar animal. They see the mouse and the rabbit as being closely linked," Tin said.

There is also a theory that the Vietnamese made their own interpretation of the Chinese word for rabbit, "mao". In Vietnamese, this sounds like "meo", which means cat.

The Year of the Cat is believed to bring good luck and smooth sailing in Vietnam.

Hoang Thi Huong Giang, an office worker in Hanoi, a city filled with traditional orange kumquat trees and pink blossoms ahead of Tet, said she had never paid attention to the reasons that Vietnamese honoured a different zodiac animal to the rest of the world.

But she believes that those who were born in the Year of the Cat, like her, have things easier than most.

"It seems to be true that those who are born in the Year of the Cat are often more active, hard-working and easy to get on with," Giang said proudly.
European lawmakers voted on Thursday to condemn Morocco for the first time in 25 years, as it called on the country to respect media freedom and to release all political prisoners and jailed journalists.

In the resolution, MEPs say that Rabat has unfairly imprisoned journalists for politically motivated reasons, particularly in the case of Omar Radi, who criticised a Moroccan judge for jailing protesters.

The vote in Strasbourg comes as the North African state is embroiled in a corruption scandal that is engulfing the European Parliament.

Qatar is also implicated in the case, but both deny any wrongdoing.

A letter seen by Euronews from the Moroccan authorities to the Left Group in the European Parliament, shows they tried to convince the group's MEPs not to vote in favour of the resolution, while also offering the opportunity to meet with a delegation of Moroccan officials this week in the French city where the Parliament sits once a month to discuss the matter.

Miguel Urban Crespo, a Spanish MEP from the Left Group, said it is unbelievable that despite the circumstances, Morocco is still trying to lobby members, even if it is not officially against the rules.

"Clearly it is not illegal, but it is inappropriate. It is ethically and politically reprehensible. It should not happen and even less while this scandal is going on," Urban Crespo told Euronews.

He added: "And in the middle of this scandal it has been possible to, for the first time in 25 years, to have this resolution, but also in the middle of this scandal, the Moroccan government has decided to send a delegation of deputies to the European Parliament to lobby against the resolution that criticises Morocco. It never happens that a country sends a delegation when there is an urgency [resolution]."

The Left was also critical of Thursday's vote, which did not include the same measures applied to Qatar. All work related to the country was suspended last month until there is more clarity on the cash-for-favours investigation.

Story continues

Parliamentarians urge Iran action

MEPs also voted on other human rights issues, calling on the EU to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation in a separate resolution on Thursday.

The vote does not require member states to act, but puts pressure on them ahead of an EU foreign affairs ministers meeting next Monday, where further sanctions on Tehran could be announced.

The country has been supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine, as well as violently putting down peaceful protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

MEPs also called on Tehran to end its crackdown on their own people, condemning the executions of demonstrators.

Hannah Neumann, a German Green MEP, told Euronews that the vote is about sending a strong message to the Islamic Republic.

"We wanted to send a very clear, strong and united signal to the Iran regime that this really got out of hand, and that we think they are behaving as terrorists by terrorising their citizens and the whole region," she said.

The vote also calls for the EU to add Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi to its sanctions list.
A father and his three-year-old daughter were found cradling each other after being shot dead by a gunman in a 12-minute killing spree, an inquest heard.

Lee and Sophie Martyn were both shot dead at close range by 22-year-old Jake Davison as they walked their family dog.

They had left their nearby home to walk their bulldog, Mabel, and Sophie was pushing her purple buggy with a teddy bear inside.

The Martyns were shot dead in Biddick Drive, in the Keyham area of Plymouth, on the evening of August 12 2021 just minutes after Davison had killed his own mother.

Jake Davison went on a killing spree after shooting his mother dead in a row (PA)

The inquest in Exeter has heard that several neighbours of Davison phoned 999 after hearing gunshots in the cul-de-sac.

Sharon Hellyer, who lives in Biddick Drive, was at home when she heard about 10 gunshots in quick succession.

Ms Hellyer went to her upstairs window where she saw Davison, whom she recognised, in the street walking out of the road towards the adjacent Linear Park.

In a written statement, Ms Hellyer told the court the apprentice crane operator appeared calm and was carrying a gun.

She went outside to speak to two other neighbours who were also alerted to gunshots.

I then saw a woman to the right of me walking up to the right and she was covered in blood around the chest area, and she told me that she had been shot through her window, Ms Hellyer said.

I walked down Biddick Drive and immediately noticed a man and a tiny little girl cradling each other and I shouted, Is anyone going to help them?

No response. There were loads of people outside their houses, standing and staring and they werent doing anything.

Police officers hunt for evidence after the deadly gun spree (Ben Birchall/PA)

I walked over to the man and the little girl to try to help and as soon as I got closer, I could see there was no helping them.

The man had a headshot wound and the little girl was facing the man and they look really peaceful, it didnt look real  they almost looked perfect in place.

The dad still had his arm around the little girl. I used to work in a care home and I have seen a lot of dead bodies and I knew they were both dead.

Story continues

The inquest has heard Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51, after a row and then shot dead the four others in a 12-minute attack in Plymouth.

The Martyns were shot in Biddick Drive and then Stephen Washington, 59, was killed and finally Kate Shepherd, 66.

Davison then turned the pump-action shotgun on himself before armed police reached him.

The killings happened just weeks after Davisons shotgun and gun licence had been returned by Devon and Cornwall Police.

They had been seized in 2020 after Davison assaulted two teenagers in a park.

He had applied for a shotgun certificate in July 2017 and one was issued in January 2018 that was valid for five years.

Social media usage by Davison suggested an obsession with incel culture  meaning involuntary celibate  as well as an interest in guns and the United States.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Wednesday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and the two discussed steps to restart bilateral talks with Azerbaijan, the U.S. State Department said.

"The Secretary expressed deep concern for the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting from the blockage of the Lachin corridor," the State Department said in a statement.

Tensions have spiraled between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the blockade of the only road giving direct access to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenia in recent weeks.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington)
The sight of old men in traditional costumes writing calligraphy during Lunar New Year was once very popular in the days gone by. The tradition has long disappeared in modern times but it is being revived at the Spring Calligraphy Festival held in the capital Ha Noi. After two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, calligraphers, both local and international, are excited to be able to write again.
A Bridgeport man was charged with allegedly hiding in a womans backseat in Ansonia and trying to steal her purse, police said.

About 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, police in Ansonia were flagged down by a woman who reported that a man had hidden in her backseat while she was inside a CVS on Pershing Drive, according to the Ansonia Police Department.

The woman told police that he confronted her as she was driving away from the store and tried to steal her purse, but she was able to fight him off and he ran away, police said.

An officer and his K9 partner, Kane, tracked the suspect to Howard Avenue and charged 25-year-old Adiel Viana-Ribeiro with third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal attempt at robbery, second-degree criminal attempt at larceny and breach of peace, police said.

He was arraigned in court in Derby on Wednesday and was being held on a $50,000 bond, police said.
As a Lunar New Year approaches, residents are rushing to prepare for the biggest holiday of the year, an occasion for family and friends to meet up and review the good and bad of the past 12 months. Our reporters take to the street to ask residents about 2022, what Tet means to them and how they are preparing for it.

Nguyen Van Chien, 75, retiree

My wife and I are old now, so my son and daughter-in-law will prepare everything for Tet. Parents like us only help them with the preparation. Our Tet celebration depends on the financial situation of the family. The last two years were difficult due to COVID-19 so we have to tighten our budget a little bit. I have two sons and live with my older son and his family. For me, the Lunar New Year is a time for my whole family to gather and spend time with each other.

During the holiday, I will also travel to my hometown in ong Anh District to visit my relatives there. Its family time with my children, grandchildren and siblings, and relatives. The whole big family visits each other during this time of the year. On the third day of the new year, I visit my teachers, who are now in their 90s, with my friends. My eldest teacher is 112 years old now. Now that COVID-19 has been put under control, I hope that we will have peaceful moments in life and people will have a joyous time preparing for Tet. At this age, I just want to keep myself healthy.

Le Thi Ngoc Cam, 23, florist

I felt that the economy has slowed down, but it is fortunate that my job is still okay. I havent prepared much for the new year, just decorating my house a bit, saving money, and buying some food and fruit for the home. It was like last year.

I am from the central province of Quang Ngai. I got married earlier this year, so it will be the first time I celebrated Tet in Ha Noi. On the second day of the lunar new year, my husband and I will travel to my hometown to visit my parents. I hope that the economy will be more upbeat this year so people can have a more comfortable life. I am working for a flower shop in Ha Noi, and I hope to accumulate experience with flowers so I can soon launch a flower business of my own. The demand for the flower is stable, and it is also my great hobby and passion, so I hope to have a business of my own.

Nguyen Viet Thach, 27, bartender

For me, 2022 was a year full of new experiences. I worked as a bartender after finishing my business degree in Japan. I planned to open a business but had to postpone due to COVID-19. I am working as a bartender for a bar in the Old Quarter. My shift normally runs from 3pm to 2am the next day. I find it an interesting job, allowing me to talk to customers and serve them alcoholic beverages behind the bar. I have done this job for nearly a year now. Things havent been up to my expectations, but I have learned a lot from it, having the chance to talk to many people and building relationships. I think it will help me greatly with my plan to open a small business later. For 2023, I plan to continue to gain experience to prepare for my long-term plan.

Pham Minh Nguyet, 18, a university student

(Before Tet) I visited the Old Quarter, took photos and bought some goods to decorate our house. I am quite satisfied with 2022; I would give it 8 out of 10. There was something that I should have tried harder. 2022 was a meaningful year for me as I transited from high school to university. Last year was the first time I lived far from home, so it gave me a special feeling when returning home for Tet.

During the Tet holiday, I will return to my hometown and spend time with my family and maybe travel to some neighbouring provinces with my friends on the fourth day of the new year onwards. I hope to find a part-time job and study hard in 2023. VNS
Van Nguyen & Vu Thu Ha

Nguyen Trong Nghia closely checks hundreds of sneakers placed nicely on many shelves in a house in oi Can Street, Ha Noi before handing them over to customers before Tet.

At first sight, the 20sq.m room may look like a warehouse of a shoe company, but it turns out to be part of a shoe-and-bag care service store that 32-year-old Nghia founded a few years ago.

Unlike the domestic footwear market, which has been struck hard by declining global orders, Nghias business thrives thanks to high domestic demand during this time of the year.

The high season for care services is before and after Tet (Lunar New Year). Before the holiday, there is a high demand for cleaning, refurbishing and repairing items to be used for Tet. After the holiday, the weather in northern Viet Nam is often wet and cold with light rain, so the road is dirty, and there is a high demand for shoe cleaning," he said.

On average, the store receives more than 1,000 items, but for near Tet, the number might be five to six times.

Prices for shoe services range from VN90,000 (US$3.8) to millions of ong. He said those for branded bags are from VN700,000 to VN10 million depending on the materials and issues of the bags, adding that his customers are mostly middle-income people with disposable income.

Its not hard to spot items from Nike, Dolce & Gabbana, Adidas, Lining, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci and Dior in the store.

Nghia founded the business in 2015, shortly after he graduated from university.

He was a sneaker enthusiast who ran a small business selling shoes and was curious about professional care services for branded items.

At that time, I noticed that it was difficult to find a good place that offers professional shoe cleaning and fixing services.

He started experimenting with it by offering to clean 200 pairs of shoes for free, and within a few days, he got 300-400 pairs of shoes sent to him.

One of his first customers was a young man born in 1997 or 1998, who drove a BMW i8 and brought four bags with about 20 pairs of shoes worth about VN300-400 million in total.

At that time, I was new in this and had just started my business with a small store on the second floor of a house in ang Tien ong Street.

I was very worried. It was not that I worried I couldnt handle all of them, but I was worried about the valuable items, so I stayed at the store for three days to work on them and kept an eye on them. When giving back the shoes to my customer, I was relieved, Nghia said.

Realising that was high demand for these services, I began investing my time and resources into this business, Nghia said.

From a humble store, it has expanded into a business providing jobs for nearly 20 people. He said developing professional procedures for each service and building trust are crucial.

We have developed professional procedures for different care services and a list of user problems with their shoes and bags. Even those with the same material have a different way of dealing with it. Each material has unique characteristics. It is important to be aware of the differences between each material, he said.

Building trust with customers is also important, especially when there are items worth millions or even billion ong, the founder said.

Nghia said one of his most memorable items is a pair of self-lacing Nike sneakers in a limited edition worth more than VN1 billion.

For these valuable items, they are collected and exhibited only. Users hardly wear it. They just brought it to us to remove the dust, he said.

To further develop his business, the 32-year-old said it is important to stay tuned with the latest shoes released.

Footwear industry develops very quickly and releases new products regularly. There are items made from materials that have never been used before, so we must catch up. When a new product is released, we have to be able to come up with a solution to fix the problems that product may have in the future, he said.

Noting that there is great potential for the shoe-and-bag care service in Viet Nam that remains untapped, Nghia said he was not worried too much about competition.

He said that the demand for care services for branded items is increasing thanks to rising middle income and improved awareness about the use of branded goods.

The 32-year-old is also open to sharing his experience with those who want to learn about the trade.

Vu Ngoc Tram, an overseas Vietnamese who owns a store selling branded bags and secondhand items in Melbourne, is one of the trainees.

I want to learn so that I can fix items that I sell, as well as launch professional services for bags, said Tram, who lived in Australia for 15 years and returned to Viet Nam for a month to celebrate Tet with her family and learn about bag care services.

People here are very helpful and always make it easy for me to follow. This work requires precision and meticulousness. This is just my second day here, so hopefully, after a few days more, I can catch up with others, she said.  VNS
In 2018 when you were a manager in Spain for Raisin, you were often seen in photos well-dressed in suits, but in Vietnam you tend to take on a more casual style. What led to this change?

David Jimenez Maireles, deputy CEO of TNEX

Since I arrived in Vietnam, I have changed my lifestyle. I started to do exercise regularly and eat better. Fortunately, Vietnamese food can be healthy, with plenty of vegetables, fish, and more. This has helped me get in good shape. The casual style is more about the new culture and style of TNEX. We are a young company trying new things and innovate to bring new ideas and solutions for our customers problems. In TNEX we always say the best idea must win. And to do that, we need to bring out the very best of our employees.

We want to wear them whatever clothes they like and feel comfortable. In TNEX we dont have dress codes. We want everyone to feel empowered to develop their own ideas and responsibility.

Why did you choose Vietnam to build this?

When I received the call to build the first digital-only bank in Vietnam I couldnt believe no-one had done so already. In 2020, nearly 70 per cent of the population were without a bank account, while 72 per cent had a smartphone. People in Vietnam spend over six hours on average on the internet, talking with friends on social media, watching videos, or playing games each day.

However, if anyone wanted to open a bank account, they needed to go to a branch and spend an hour signing papers, and waiting perhaps up to two weeks to receive a debit card.

There are 37 million Millennials and Gen-Z in Vietnam. Most of these customers would like to run their entire lives on their phones. They were born digital. In the past few years, super-apps have become a big phenomenon. Many are trying to race to be the first, the best, and the most used. For those reasons, I couldnt resist coming to Vietnam and doing something good for the country.

You and your staff have been developing a Vietnamese-made digital-only bank but it is hard to find such a bank gaining profits in the world, so how do you get around this?

Yes, we are very proud to say this bank is made in Vietnam. Of the 150 employees at TNEX, 148 are Vietnamese. If you travel around Vietnam, as I have done in the past few years, you realise that most people in rural areas are still worrying about basic things: access to food and clothing their children.

This is why our employees have built TNEX in a very different way. I think everyone can recognise that TNEX is a different bank. We care about our customers health, starting from financial health, then mental, physical, and social health.

We have developed features like step counter to help customers to become healthier or Vitamin T, our education platform to help customers to manage their money and improve their financial literacy.

There are almost 20 digital banks that are profitable nowadays. However, it takes time to build a sustainable business. Digital banks are the future of financial services. Only the traditional banks that are serious about their digital transformation will still exist in the next 5-10 years, or new players will take their business.

There is no doubt that branches are going to disappear, especially in Vietnam where 65 per cent of the population live in rural areas. How can banks serve these customers? Opening hundreds of branches or through mobile apps? For me, the answer is clear. The battle now is between traditional banks turning more digital or digital banks becoming profitable.

You stress that it is necessary to bring a convenient and truly free bank to Vietnamese people; however, we all know well that there is no free meal. How is TNEX any different?

Of course, nothing is free. TNEX is investing a lot of money to make banking free. We were the first bank to offer free banking services in Vietnam two years ago. Now many banks followed suit and removed their fees.

Our business model is fully digital, cloud-based, lean, and agile. We are investing in the long term. We want to get our customers trust by building fair, simple, and real-time products that help our customers daily, such as our emoji-driven multi-purpose fund to help them manage their money.

Banking should be made accessible for everyone. If we scale fast enough, we build products that generate revenue, and we offer an incredible customer experience, we will be profitable in the next few years.

There is a saying that the mission of fintech startups is to die. Pioneering the trend of digital-only banking in Vietnam, have you ever worried about your banks mission?

I dont agree with that quote. The most successful companies today started as startups. Think about PayPal, Stripe, Adyen, and others. There are many fintech startups profitable around the world. In the last few years, we have seen many companies go bust because they didnt build a sustainable business model. Venture capital funds deployed money to many fintech startups focused on growing quickly without any revenue.

In the next few months, we will see more startups having problems because their economics didnt make sense. However, there are some fintech groups that will emerge out of this period strong. I believe that Vietnam has massive potential. With more than 40 million people with a bank account and more than 60 million without access to other banking products like investment, savings, insurance, or lending. TNEX is fighting against cash, not against traditional banks. There are so many opportunities for digital-only startups to flourish in a well-connected market like Vietnam.

As an extremely creative and passionate person, have you ever felt disappointed when people around you do not keep up with your speed? How do you balance everything?

Its always complicated to find that balance. I have spent so much time with my team, challenging their ideas, bringing new ones, and giving them space to innovate. When I started TNEX, I wanted to create a company that allows people to try new things and fail. The only way to success in business is either to be the best one or be the most creative one.

The response of the team has been phenomenal. There is no command and control. Employees feel empowered to bring their own ideas and take responsibility for them. One of our successes is to be very close with our customers. Every week, we invite existing and potential customers to interview them. We co-design our products based on their feedback and comments.

Speaker of RoK National Assembly concludes official visit to Vietnam Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Jin-pyo and his wife left Hanoi on January 18, concluding their seven-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Vietnam-India cooperation blossoming in technology and engineering spheres Vietnam and India last year coordinated in many activities to explore potential cooperation, including in IT and engineering, which helped mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Eunjung Han - Consultant, Rouse Legal Vietnam; Digital Sector Committee vice chairwoman, European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam

The timing of Decree 53s issuance was fitting given the government had unveiled the National Cybersecurity and Safety Strategy the same month as a response plan to cyberspace challenges until 2025 with vision towards 2030. The agenda of this strategy includes tasks, among others, of completing the relevant local legal framework.

Decree 53s issuance is also correlated to the National Digital Transformation Programmes goals and relevant efforts currently underway, such as updating laws on e-transaction, IT, and telecommunications, as promoting technologies that facilitate and accelerate digital transformation depends greatly on the security of cyberspace and handling existing, imminent, and potential risks.

The Law on Cybersecurity was passed in mid-2018 with an effective date of January 2019. It garnered international attention not only because it was the first law in Vietnam focusing on the protection of internet-connected systems and data from attack like cybercrime and cyber fraud, but also for featuring local data storage and presence requirements.

Given the laws extraterritorial reach, it was obvious that such data localisation/local office provisions under Article 26 would impact both onshore and offshore entities involved in tech-related activities. This was a point of particular interest because stakeholders  while agreeing on the importance of the integrity of network security  expressed concerns over the burdens of such requirements.

Specifically, questions were raised as to whether such requirements would deliver actual benefits to service providers, the risk they could potentially have on limiting access to new services for Vietnamese users, and the potential barriers to free flow of data across borders.

That said, Article 26 did not go into specifics on the requirements, only to provide that the government would elaborate on them at a later time. This meant that answers to questions around, among other issues, the exact application scope, triggering conditions/test, and specific compliance requirements had to wait and Article 26 remained unenforced due to such lack of guidance.

Since fall of 2018, drafts of the decree implementing the Law on Cybersecurity (what is now known as Decree 53) were released one after another and underwent a public commenting period. Naturally, when Decree 53 was released over three years later, the fervour was palpable.

Data localisation regulations in need of further guidance, Photo: Shutterstock

For example, the Vietnam Business Forums briefing on Decree 53 was attended by major business chambers in Vietnam, banks, insurance companies, and various tech companies. More recently, the dissemination conference guiding implementation of the decree, organised by the Department of Cybersecurity and High-tech Crimes Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) in December 2022, was attended by hundreds of representatives of organisations from both the public and private sector.

With respect to the application scope, the data localisation requirement applies to domestic entities. The dissemination conference touched on this issue to say that the definition of domestic enterprises includes enterprises as defined in the Law on Enterprises, but excludes branches/representative offices established in Vietnam by Vietnamese/foreign companies and banks.

That said, it remains unclear as to whether foreign invested entities fall within the definition of domestic enterprises in the context of Decree 53.

As for foreign enterprises, data localisation/local office requirements would only potentially apply if they provided a service listed in Decree 53 (telecommunications services, data storage/sharing services, e-commerce, payment intermediaries, among others) and fulfill other conditions. Overall, further written guidance appears to be needed and would be helpful to comply with its provisions.

Decree 53 also provides rules on, among others, the types of data subject to local storage (personal data of service users in Vietnam, user-generated data in Vietnam, and data on the relationship of service users in Vietnam with onshore and offshore entities doing business in Vietnam) and storage duration (minimum of 24 months). As for the form of the data to be stored in Vietnam, Decree 53 states that it is to be decided by the relevant enterprise, with the MoPS confirming at the recent dissemination conference that data can be stored on servers that allow direct access to the data, or in external data storage devices to which businesses extract and store there and make periodic updates at least every seven days.

To date, details and guidance on the availability of an appeal procedure have not been provided yet.

Inviting and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders through different channels including public consultation procedures and conferences such as the cybersecurity administrative sanctions workshop and the aforementioned dissemination conference reflect the governments ongoing efforts and pragmatic approach to develop the legal framework. That said, there remains issues over some clarifications, and further written guidance is needed for enforcement.

It should be noted that a report released in December by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a US-based think tank, suggested that cross-border data transfer restrictions can set back a country in the global digital economy. Given Vietnams potential to become a regional digital powerhouse, it may be worth taking a moment to weigh sought-for privacy/security goals against potential impact on trade and the overall local investment landscape.

Data deemed safer in law alteration Foreign enterprises doing business in Vietnam must store key internet data on servers located within the country, according to a new government decree.

Data centres in Vietnam: an investment goldmine In 2016, Vietnam was already described as Southeast Asias Silicon Valley. Its emerging sectors and fast-growing industries included fintech, telecommunications, electronics and computer manufacturing, and information and telecommunications services. Now, the country is one of the fastest-growing digital economies in Southeast Asia and on track to reach an internet economy worth $57 billion by 2025.

New data centres popping up in Vietnams major cities The unveiling of new data centre plans in Vietnam is increasing rapidly, with the entry of a series of international and domestic corporations claiming to be building the biggest and best in-demand facilities.
Have you been back to enjoy Lunar New Year in Vietnam since the pandemic broke out?

David Duong, CEO of California Waste Solutions and Vietnam Waste Solutions

Vietnam is always in my heart and I am a nostalgic person, therefore springtime and Lunar New Year always bring out special emotions in me. Memories of Lunar New Year in the motherland flood my mind. They could be the striking yellow apricot blossoms, and delicacies, especially the sacred time of Lunar New Years Eve and family talks, or meeting friends and acquaintances for drinks.

For the last two years I could not make it back and I miss it so much. I also miss my colleagues and employees. This year I will definitely return for Lunar New Year to fully emerge in this special atmosphere.

This is an occasion for remembering the old and acknowledging the new. What did you enjoy the most in the journey of building businesses overseas over the decades?

In 1980, I followed my family to the United States. One thing that I remember back then is when my father took me out for sightseeing. Looking at the skyscrapers he said, There is no humble job. Success only comes to ones who work hard and strive forward.

Because of this determination, I founded Cogido Paper Corporation in 1983. It did well and was acquired by a new partner. But remembering my dads words, I vowed to stay and protect the family assets. In 1991, the city of Oakland, California, held bidding for collection and treating waste. I realised this was a unique opportunity so I negotiated with the companys buyer to get the funds and equipment. California Waste Solutions (CWS) was created as a result.

We won our first multi-million-dollar waste management package, then the second and the third, and many more over a long period of time. The biggest package CWS won was valued at $2.7 billion in 2014. Our latest achievement was in July 2021, when we resigned a contract to manage waste for San Jose at a value of $1.2 billion for 15 years.

Currently, CWS is building a modern AI-infused factory to sort and recycle waste into pulp and plastic beads. Most notably, plastic bags and recycled plastic cannot make plastic beads, so the new factory can transform these plastics back into oil. This facility is based in Oakland with initial investment forecast of $230 million.

My family and I are very proud of being Vietnamese American, and we are proud that CWS is ranked in the top 100 waste solutions corporations in the US.

You have enjoyed successes and achievements with your businesses in the US, so which opportunity managed to bring you back to the motherland?

Despite living in the US, our family always think of how to contribute to the motherland. During the occasions when my family and I came back to visit, we saw with our own eyes that rubbish filled up in the streets and my parents suggested that I come back to invest.

I vowed to bring know-how and funding that I earned in the US to invest in the most modern waste treatment facility in Ho Chi Minh City. The goal was to solve environmental problems and make the city cleaner and fresher.

I remember well in 2004 when my entire family gathered and discussed wholeheartedly with each other about whether to build a waste treatment facility in Vietnam because apart from available capacity, we could foresee various difficulties.

The year previously, I met representatives from the Mekong Delta province of Long An and Ho Chi Minh City. They went to Hong Kong, Singapore, Texas, and New York seeking investment in waste solutions in Vietnam, but there was no response because everyone was cautious about such a new market in Vietnam with such high risks.

Despite being well aware of that, my father made it an imperative for me to take up the job. We do it as part of our commitment to where we come from, not just for the profit. So, I set out to implement the plan.

As a result, Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS) was founded in 2005 and came into operation in Da Phuoc area in Binh Chanh district of Ho Chi Minh City in 2007. The project began with a total amount of $200 million and, since then, VWS has continuously managed waste solutions 363 days a year for the city.

Following the citys requirements to utilise renewable waste technologies, I am investing in waste incineration to energy to generate electricity connected to the National Grid at the Da Phuoc Integrated Waste Management Facility.

Simultaneously, I am also carrying out work on Long An Green Technology Park in Thu Thua district of Long An province. The multi-billion dollar project was approved by the government in 2010, of which phase 1 had investment of about $450 million. However, the project is currently beset with many roadblocks.

Why do you vow to pursue implementation of the Long An green park venture?

Upholding my fathers teachings, I will not give up and will do my very best for the projects implementation. Currently, in addition to proposing to the government and Long An province to remove obstacles in legal procedures and investment, I am nurturing a new outlook for this project. It is to convert part of the function to build a high-tech park. The estimated land for the park is about 500 hectares out of the 1,760ha total.

After meeting and working with a number of businesses in Silicon Valley many times, I intend to bring leading computer part manufacturers to this high-tech park. I will call for 5-7 companies to invest at first, to build an international-standard high-tech park with integrated facilities for residence, schools, and hospitals. Plans are to create a large-scale technology park with investment from many companies from the US.

I have never made empty promises. Once the legal procedures are complete, the project will be implemented quickly. This is driven by my goal of giving back to the motherland.

After Lunar New Year, I will bring a special guest to Vietnam to invest  Douglas M. Leone, a billionaire who manages a fund of around $80 billion. He has committed to invest in VWS projects, especially Long An Green Technology Park. This is a practical initiative to realise my personal commitment, as well as that of the Vietnamese American Business Association, which is helping to build a sustainable investment bridge between the US and Vietnam.

VWS building closed waste solution As the Lunar New Year approaches, David Duong, president of California Waste Solutions cum CEO of Vietnam Waste Solutions, had a chat with VIRs Bao Giang about what he has done during the past year and his plans for the New Year.

David Duong donates $100,000 to Vietnams COVID-19 relief efforts David Duong, president of California Waste Solutions (CWS) cum CEO of Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS), has recently donated $100,000 (VND2.3 billion) to the fund to cover Vietnam's fight against COVID-19, which was set up by Vietnamese expatriates living in the western states of the United States.

VWS commits to sustainable development with Vietnam As life in Vietnam is moving towards the new normal, David Duong, president of California Waste Solutions (CWS) cum CEO of Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS), had a chat with VIRs Thanh Van about how CWS and VWS are sailing through the pandemic to maintain operation in both in the United States and Vietnam.
Fintech startups urged to think for long term, Photo: Le Toan

In the first three quarters of 2022, fintech investment in Vietnam accounted for only 5 per cent of the total of this type of funding in Southeast Asia, but the new year is expected to bring many more opportunities.

Despite the incomplete legal framework for this sector, fintech was still a hot keyword in 2022 in Vietnams startup community. According to data from Do Ventures and Cento Ventures, financial services still attracted $162 million, up 2.6 times from the previous years $61 million.

In early 2022, MoMo officially reached unicorn status with a valuation of over $2 billion, after announcing the completion of the fifth round of funding. Prior to that, the two other startups in the Vietnamese unicorn club were VNG and VNPay. Both are multi-field businesses, which includes fintech.

Seeing the potential of the market, investors are willing to spend large amounts of money to build a set of existing customers, so that in the future they can provide full banking services, said Do Danh Thanh, deputy general director of digital transformation and IT strategy at Deloitte Vietnam.

A report on venture capital (VC) activity and trends for 2023 by Golden Gate Ventures also forecasts that capital flows will focus more on the health and financial sectors in the next decade, despite the slowdown of VC in 2022. Particularly, Southeast Asia will see many emerging unicorns in the fintech field.

Among other countries in the region, Vietnam saw a relegation in the funding race of 2022, with investment accounting for only 5 per cent of the total in the first nine months, according to a fresh report titled Fintech in ASEAN 2022 by UOB, PwC Singapore, and the Singapore Fintech Association.

Specifically, Singapore and Indonesia continue to be the most successful Southeast Asian countries in fundraising, taking up 76 per cent. Meanwhile, Vietnam and the Philippines recorded a sharp decrease in the proportion of investment compared to 2021.

However, embedded finance, the seamless integration of financial services adopted by non-financial companies and one of the biggest fintech trends in the next decade, is especially evident in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

In Vietnam, 83 per cent of respondents said they have used embedded financial applications, while the average usage of these apps in the region is 70 per cent. On average, almost three out of four users in the region of apps with embedded financial services use them at least once a week, with the highest in Vietnam at 85 per cent.

This underscores how such apps have the potential to increase user engagement through enhanced utility, the report assessed. Embedded financial services in Vietnam are used most in the field of small-scale investment (28 per cent), followed by integrated insurance in travel and transportation services (23 per cent).

In the midst of the global financial crisis of 2022, many Vietnamese startups continued to successfully raise capital, with a total of nine deals, including Finhay ($25 million), Timo ($20 million), and VUIAPP ($6.4 million). Even though the $211.4 million total was still a decline compared to 2021, experts assessed that this small setback might present an opportunity for fintech growth in Vietnam in the coming years.

The reason for growth has been digital transformation. This remains an important cornerstone for embedded finance. And the ones set to capitalise on this are small- and medium-sized enterprises and micro merchants, noted Nguyen Huu Tuat, co-founder and CEO of NextPay.

Jalil Rasheed, managing director at the Tony Blair Institute For Global Change, added, The next stage of VC investments is predicted to create a fintech boom in Southeast Asia. In particular, Vietnam is strengthening its reputation as a safe, effective home for VC, especially in fintech and e-commerce, as these are the areas attracting the biggest investment in 2022.

However, startups are encouraged to aim for sustainable rather than short-term and trendy models.

The retail and consumer market in Vietnam is still developing strongly. At the same time, the internet economy is forecasted to grow up by 11 times by 2030, ranking first in terms of growth speed in Southeast Asia. With that opportunity, fintech in Vietnam still has a fertile ground to innovate, said Bui Thanh Do, founding partner and CEO of ThinkZone Ventures.

The challenge is to create revolutionary and accessible solutions that bring value to users. Successful companies must simultaneously solve problems in customer classification, business models, bad debt settlement, and tech application in optimising solutions and processes, according to Do. Another challenge is that in Vietnam, user data is quite fragmented. If this can be improved, there will be more breakthrough solutions from startups in the future. And it is the founders responsibility to try and find ways to optimise the companys products and businesses to meet the market requirements, he said.

Digesting fintech sandbox draft rules A couple of months ago, the Vietnamese government issued a second draft decree on implementation of the regulatory sandbox for fintech.

Unbinding legal bottlenecks to spur fintech development Despite the hot-paced development experienced in Vietnams fintech industry, the bottlenecks in the regulatory system have yet to be fully addressed in the face of current financial constraints.
What were the most outstanding points about Vietnams foreign investment capital attraction in 2022?

Phan Huu Thang, former director-general of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment

The statistics were published widely and the spotlight was the record of disbursed capital, but there were many other highlights. The first thing is the governments drastic and flexible enforcement of resolutions and policies to create an equitable, unrestricted funding environment, simultaneously supporting the foreign-invested enterprise (FIE) community to overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic and political conflicts. The task force followed closely the enterprises difficulties to have solutions on time.

Besides that, it is necessary to mention the domestic enterprises initiative and effort to overcome an infinity of challenges, such as lending rate hikes and the fluctuation of the global market, especially the frozen export markets in the late months of 2022. It is a piece of good news because local enterprises are a link to FIEs production and business processes.

Vietnam still received foreign investors trust for their expansion plans thanks to its solid political background, stable economic growth, and deep international integration. The record of disbursed capital is clear proof of this trust.

Despite newly registered capital seeing a decrease of 18.4 per cent from the previous year, this reduction is at an acceptable level in the context of the fluctuation of global foreign capital inflow. Vietnam was also named among the worlds top 20 host economies for foreign direct investment (FDI).

What can be said about ongoing disadvantages?

There were also negative effects last year, but almost all of them are concrete problems, such as the overlap in regulations and lack of skilled labour force.

The number of projects with advanced and modern technology originating from the EU countries is still low. Most projects use medium technology. Outdated technology leads to risks regarding pollution, increased energy consumption, and resource depletion. No organisation in Vietnam has the sufficient capacity, human resources qualifications, or authority to effectively advocate for policy and promote investment in accordance with the strategy for attracting FDI in the new phase.

Another problem is that there has not been any research work to seriously and accurately evaluate the effectiveness of FDI in Vietnam. This is partly because the authorities at all levels attach more importance to the promotion and issuance of investment certificates, rather than the management of foreign-invested projects after being licensed.

How do you predict FDI activity on a worldwide scale in 2023 and the impact of the global situation on Vietnam?

In the next year, such activity is predicted to continue to face many challenges. The supply disruptions are forecasted to continue, reducing the recovery of economic investment-trade activities. In many countries, the risk of new COVID-19 waves continues to challenge prevention policies and efforts to recover the economy, especially in overcoming production and supply chain disruptions.

Another factor that impacts global FDI is the continuation of trade tension between major economies and political conflicts. These factors will affect the possible shifts of funding inflows by countries such as the United States and EU from China to other countries in ASEAN, including Vietnam.

Transnational corporations investing in Vietnam will depend more on domestic production capacity due to the requirements to specify the origin of goods. In that context, FDI inflows seeking cost-effectiveness and cheap labour on a global scale may decline, making it difficult for developing countries like Vietnam to access and participate in and upgrade to higher-value processes in the production chain.

Foreign investment attraction may not have a breakthrough in statistics because of the impact of the reduction of the global FDI inflow. However, the capital inflow to Vietnam will keep the existing momentum thanks to the solid political background, stable economic growth, and deep international integration.

What are your recommendations to help Vietnam to maintain foreign investors trust and improve the countrys competition capacity?

The key factor is to continue improving the investment environment and the management capacity. To visualise the recommendation, proposals can be divided into hard and soft solutions. For soft solutions, it needs to adjust and amend the laws to resolve the overlap between the regulations of different laws, which will create an equitable, unrestricted, and transparent business environment. This mission become more important than ever because the competition to attract foreign capital in the upcoming time will be more cut-throat.

It is urgent to clarify the kinds of land, such as what are lands for production and land for business, among others. Besides that, it needs to complete policy mechanisms for new business sectors, such as digital transformation, and the circular and green economy.

It is necessary to effectively implement Resolution No.50 NQ/TW 2019 orientations for completing policies of foreign investment cooperation by 2030, which is considered a new foundation for the countrys FDI attraction strategy, creating opportunities for high-quality funding sources.

When it comes to hard solutions, Vietnam needs to continue to complete the transport infrastructure system, and improve human resource quality. The government should also craft special policies to develop supporting industries and promote links between domestic suppliers and FIEs.

In 2019, the Politburo enacted Resolution No.50/NQ-TW to enable foreign investors to move forward for future development and help improve the quality of FDI inflows in the country. What can be recommended to attract more eagles similar to the expectations in this resolution?

At present, there has been a lack of a system of criteria and conditions to form the basis for selecting and screening projects in line with development requirements based on geographical areas and sectors; meeting requirements to effectively utilise land, natural resources, minerals, and labour; ensure national defence and security; and protecting the environment.

To attract eagles, Vietnam needs to be proactive in building flexible incentive packages for large projects, instead of offering incentives based on foreign investors proposals. The most important thing is that Vietnam has to build a list of large-scale projects calling for foreign funding, for which the government has to design a tailor-made incentive package for each project attached with specific criteria. We must be proactive to design specific projects which determine the detailed capital, land area, labour volume, and specific incentives, and then we complete land clearance and build plans to recruit the labour force before calling for targeted investors. In that way, we will avoid wasting time caused by delays in land clearance and completing procedures, simultaneously limiting virtual projects.

In addition, once the selection of suitable investors is completed, the authorities need to cooperate to deal with procedures in a short time and accompany them during the investment process. There is a recommendation is that the government should increase the role of ambassadors in connecting and negotiating with large investors. It is also necessary to improve the quality of promotion programmes.

Hanoi attracts nearly 1.7 billion USD in FDI in 2022 Hanoi attracted 1.69 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, still among the localities leading the nation in this field.

Bac Giang welcomes two projects worth $700 million On the first days of 2023, the northern province of Bac Giang is welcoming two projects from Singapore and China with the total investment capital of $760 million.

Chinas FDI inflows to Vietnam to increase: Agriseco Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow from China to Vietnam is expected to rise as China is to reopen its doors and resume flights between the two countries, according to Agribank Securities Company (Agriseco).

New FDI challenges for southeast The southeast continues to take the lead in attracting overseas investment despite the increasing problem of land availability.

Diversification still on radar of major foreign investors Despite headwinds caused by geopolitical tensions, Vietnam has seen solid overseas investment, laying the ground for the country to boost inflows and realise its socioeconomic goals.
In an article in late December focused on Vietnams strong economic growth in 2022, S D Pradhan, who once served as chairman of Indias Joint Intelligence Committee, pointed out many bright prospects for cooperation in the economic sphere between the two countries. He mentioned the potential of cooperation in IT and engineering.

India can help provide skill training to Vietnamese on a larger scale. In the digital sector, Indias assistance can be of great value to Vietnam for enhancing the ease of doing business, Pradhan wrote.

Vietnam-India cooperation blossoming in technology and engineering spheres, illustration photo/ Le Toan

Vietnam has set priorities at the 13th National Party Congress that include national digital transformation, developing a digital-based economy, greater stress on science and technology, and creating a conducive environment for business development and manufacturing.

Vietnam is accelerating its digital transformation trajectory towards achieving targets and tasks set in the national digital transformation programme until 2025, approved by the prime minister.

Accordingly, Vietnam aims for the digital economy to account for 20 per cent of its GDP by 2025 and about 30 per cent by 2030. The national digital transformation programme has a dual purpose: developing digital government, digital economy, and digital society; and establishing Vietnamese digital businesses with global capacity.

According to the preliminary estimates by the Ministry of Information and Communications, the share of the digital economy in GDP is expected to have hit 10.4 per cent in 2022, a strong leap compared to 9.6 per cent in 2021, but still significantly lower than the target of about 20 per cent.

Similar to Vietnams national digital transformation scheme, the Indian government launched Digital India with the vision of transforming the nation into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge-based economy by ensuring digital access, inclusion and empowerment, and bridging the digital divide.

The initiative is centred on three key areas  digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and the digital empowerment of citizens. India is currently a highly competitive centre globally in digital competence of IT services and training.

Vietnam and India have identified digital technology as one of their development strategies. Many Indian IT companies are present in Vietnam and provide training, solutions, and other services, especially in the banking industry, telecoms, and network security.

Some Indian startups are also present in Vietnam, especially in the fintech and travel technology sectors. Conversely, some Vietnam enterprises are eyeing potential cooperation with Indian partners in digital tech.

In an international seminar on Vietnam-India economic exchange on December 28, experts and leaders of enterprises from the two countries openly discussed technology and engineering as potential areas of cooperation.

Mini Kuman, the first secretary of the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, highlighted potential areas of cooperation between the two countries, including agro-commodities, engineering goods, the health sector, and IT. She said engineering goods were a particular strength for both sides.

Vietnam is excellent in the electronic production of computers, phones, and telecommunications, thanks to the foreign direct investment flow from Samsung, LG, Foxconn, and so on. Meanwhile, India is good in auto parts components, tools machinery for everything agricultural tools, the tools used in scientific laboratories, research and development (R&D), and packaging, she said.

We have machines and tools which are good and of affordable price. Some studies have indicated that Vietnamese enterprises, mostly small- and medium-sized ones, are importing these types of machinery and tools from Europe. So, why dont you look to India, which has this kind of equipment at a reasonable price?

New opportunities

Hoang Quoc Viet, general director of Vietsoftpro Company, added that he sees great potential in cooperation between Vietnam and India in human resources and digital transformation.

He emphasised that Vietnam was a dynamic country with the fastest IT development and digital transformation worldwide. Meanwhile, India is known as a country with an excellent IT training background, with many strong businesses and a giant market.

Viet said that after many years of studying and working in India, he has a special affection for the country. In 2015, the company started cooperating with his former Indian classmates. In 2019, when demand increased, it started recruiting IT engineers to collaborate on projects and move on to becoming a long-term partner in Vietnam. Most recently, the company started to explore investment promotion in a new branch in India.

However, Viet said Vietsoftpro was facing many problems.

The first issue is human resources. If an Indian expert goes to Vietnam or a Vietnamese expert comes to India to work for a short time, there is no problem. However, recruiting dozens or hundreds of Indian employees to Vietnam to work is difficult due to the issue of long-term visas for foreign workers, he said.

Vietnam requires Indian IT engineers to have at least three years of working experience in Indian enterprises before coming to Vietnam to work long-term. But the companys needs include recruiting Indian students who have just graduated; their work experience is low, but their knowledge and skills are excellent. But this group of Indian workers is not eligible to work in Vietnam.

Secondly, we want to invest in a branch in India. India and Vietnam have longstanding cultural interference and tourism cooperation. Vietsoftpro is also promoting digital transformation technology solutions in cultural heritage and tourism. When opening a branch in India, Vietsofpro will recruit staff in India. However, the company faced problems in procedures and did not receive the necessary information support, Viet said.

Last December, Viettel High-Tech Industry Corporation and United Telecoms Group of India signed a strategic agreement on comprehensive R&D and 5G telecom infrastructure development, defence products, and solutions for both Indian and overseas markets.

A 5G pilot network is Viettel High Techs starting step to participate in the Indian market, said Nguyen Vu Ha, CEO of Viettel High Tech. With a population of 1.4 billion people, India is a market with great attraction for leading technology corporations. Our goal is to promote cooperation in R&D and production of equipment of 4G and 5G networks to meet Indian standards.

Viettel High-Techs first equipment export contract is an important milestone, marking Viettels 5G solution as ready for large-scale commercial deployment not only in this country but also in international markets with high technology levels and strict requirements, such as India.

Indian companies find opportunities in Vietnam's engineering sector Around 17 Indian companies have joined the business matching event with 70 Vietnamese companies to find partnership opportunities in the engineering sector.

Indian-based financiers eager to pour further investment into the country Prominent Indian investors are eager to pump money into Vietnam in sectors such as IT, energy, healthcare, and car components, as shown in a recent round of senior business meetings.

Vietnam enjoys strong rise in Indian tourist number An average monthly rise of 51 percent was seen in the number of Indian tourists to Vietnam in the first 10 months of this year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Vietnam-India economic exchange seminar held On December 28, the Centre for Indian Studies, under Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, in collaboration with the Vietnam-India Friendship Association in Hanoi and the Embassy of India in Hanoi co-organised the international seminar Vietnam-India economic exchange: Opportunities and challenges.
One is hitting its numbers; the other keeps missing expectations. One is raising money at an ever-rising valuation; the other has been pummeled by the market. One has a highly capable No. 2 executive keeping it on track; the other is under fire about succession planning.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Tesla Inc. both count Elon Musk as chief executive officer. But whereas Tesla has withered since the boss embarked on his takeover of Twitter Inc., SpaceX is flourishing  some even suggest that this is because of, rather than in spite of, its CEO playing a less-active role.

SpaceX is preparing for a watershed year, aiming for as many as 100 flights. That pace of one roughly every three and a half days compares to the every-six-days clip the company pulled off in 2022. As soon as March, it will attempt the first commercial spacewalk, where astronauts will dangle from a Dragon vessel approximately 435 miles above Earth. And it will soon try to reach orbit for the first time with what it hails as the most powerful rocket ever: Starship, the launch vehicle intended to one day reach the moon and Mars.

The closely held company recently valued at around $140 billion has been girding for all this activity with its less-present CEO delegating more to Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceXs president and chief operating officer. Since closing his Twitter acquisition in late October, Musk has been preoccupied with fixing operations and engineering issues at the San Francisco-based social media company  and starting Tuesday a trial regarding Tesla stock prices  diminishing his involvement in day-to-day matters at SpaceX, according to current and former employees who asked not to be identified.

These people describe Musk as much more instrumental in setting the long-term vision for the company, including its goal to get to Mars. They say the CEOs daily attention isnt necessary  work flow for Falcon 9 launches, for example, have become fairly standardized over the years  and that when Musks focus is elsewhere, theres some semblance of calm.

SpaceX and Musk didnt respond to requests for comment for this story.

Extra work

When Musk is hyper-focused on daily operations, it can often lead to extra work  hes inserted himself in projects and demanded changes for sometimes arbitrary reasons, former employees say.

For instance, current and former employees describe times that Musk has deemed certain hardware as having too many tubes, connectors or wires, or just not generally fitting his preferred design aesthetic. Hes demanded that employees rework and simplify systems, leading employees to spend time justifying why certain parts exist or triggering major redesigns and work that can take weeks to accomplish. Sometimes, that work ultimately has to be reversed when components that were discarded ultimately are needed for the final design.

One former employee said the company will sometimes go through periodic hiring freezes when Musk turns his attention to SpaceX, as hell want final say on all new personnel. At the end of 2021, for example, multiple former employees say that Musk decided the company had too many employees and needed to downsize. Previously, hes required that hiring managers prove an applicants exceptionality, prompting managers to try various methods, including asking for applicants SAT scores. During these periods, people are rarely hired, as Musks approval can be hard to come by.

Another former employee described a stressful weekend meeting before SpaceX flew human passengers for the first time, when the company was in an unspoken race with Boeing Co. to be the first to fly NASA astronauts to the space station.

One Friday night, Musk emailed the team working on Crew Dragon  SpaceXs passenger spacecraft  to come in for an urgent meeting the next morning, early on a Saturday. When Musk arrived late, he quickly told the team that the launch timing couldnt slip and they all had to work as hard as possible to stick to the schedule. He also told the team there were too many people working on the program. The brief conversation rattled the team members, who were trying to prioritize executing the mission as safely as possible.

The mission

Given this history, some current employees expressed relief about Musks recent focus on Twitter. With the CEO away, most of SpaceXs executives report to Shotwell. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in December that hed spoken with the COO about whether Musks acquisition of Twitter would detract from SpaceXs work. She assured me that it would not be a distraction to their mission, Nelson said.

That mission  to make humanity multiplanetary  has been progressing in Boca Chica, Texas, where SpaceX has been working on Starship. Shotwell has been overseeing the project to a greater degree in recent months along with Mark Juncosa, the companys vice president of vehicle engineering.

In the early days of the Starship program, Musk was at SpaceXs Starbase production facility in Boca Chica constantly, at times personally overseeing schedules and insisting on design changes, some employees say. Now, Juncosa, who was previously in charge of SpaceXs internet-from-space initiative Starlink, has taken on that role, overseeing hardware development and the program schedule.

Meanwhile, Musks private jet hasnt traveled to the airport near Starbase since Oct. 14, about two weeks before he closed the Twitter acquisition.

Juncosas takeover of Starship responsibilities has coincided with an increased focus on launch reliability and more risk-reduction testing, according to current employees. The earliest years of the vehicles development were riskier, with SpaceX launching multiple suborbital test flights every couple of months, with some ending in crash landings that scattered debris across nearby wetlands. On the same day Musk closed his acquisition of Twitter, The Information reported on a testing mishap at Starbase two weeks earlier that could have injured roughly two dozen crew members, which the publication said raised concerns about rushing workers and cutting corners.

Since a Starship flight in May 2021 that ended with a successful landing, SpaceX hasnt performed another test launch. The next major flight will be Starships first orbital launch attempt  a major milestone that has been repeatedly delayed. Musk recently suggested that this could occur as early as February or March, though his launch date predictions are often aspirational.

Reliability will be key for Starship moving forward, as its set to play a major role in NASAs campaign to put humans back on the moon for the first time in 50 years. The agency has selected the vehicle to ferry astronauts to and from the lunar surface in missions slated for as soon as early 2025. SpaceX has big plans of its own for the rocket, including using it to launch future Starlink internet satellites.

Thanks to well-placed executives behind Musk, SpaceX can forge ahead at a brisk pace without its leader in the building. But at the end of the day, theyre responsible for executing his vision. And its only a matter of time until hes back.
A Ross man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to choking the mother of his children in April 2019.

Stephen Dewayne Watkins, 30, pleaded guilty before Judge Thomas West in Wacos 19th State District Court to choking the woman Apr. 3, 2019, while she held his one of his very young daughters.

West sentenced Watkins to 20 years on one count of second-degree felony family violence by occlusion with a prior and 10 years on one count of third-degree felony family violence with a prior. Because the two counts stem from the same event, Texas law requires the prison terms to run concurrently.

I put hands on her that day, Watkins told McLennan County Assistant District Attorney Ryan Calvert under questioning.

Calvert asked if he grabbed her that day. Watkins recited the charges to which he pleaded guilty. Calvert continued to press.

She was blocking the door and I wanted to leave, Watkins said. So I put my hands about her throat and picked her up and moved her.

In her testimony about the incident, the woman said that when Watkins grabbed her by the neck, the pain was scary and that she could feel circulation change and warmness growing in her neck.

She testified that Watkins had hit her numerous time before and after the incident on April 3, 2019, and choked her once before the April incident.

Watkins said he did not recall the previous incidents.

Im not saying shes lying, Watkins said. Im saying I dont recall putting hands on her any other time.

His childrens mother also testified that Watkins had threatened to kill her and their children multiple times by text message and email, even after she attempted to block him from contacting her.

Calvert asked Watkins if he had threatened to kill his childrens mother and his own mother during any jail phone conversations. Watkins said he did so.

Watkins mother, Melissa Adams, testified that when he had been in high school he had not liked being told no and had sometimes responded angrily or violently to being told no.

Watkins said that while growing up, he had gone to the Ascension Providence DePaul Center for a few months at the age of 4, and spent nearly a year at Cedar Crest Hospital and Residential Treatment Center near Belton when he was 9. He said that when he had been younger than 10, many times his biological father had beaten him and thrown me against the wall.

Watkins also spent some time in McLennan Countys Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center and about a year at the Waco Center for Youth while he was 14 and 15.

After graduating from West High School, Watkins enlisted in the U.S. Army and received assignment to the 101st Airborne Division. He deployed with the division to Afghanistan before he met his childrens mother.

Watkins told his defense attorney David Hudson under questioning about three times during combat when mortar rounds, rocket propelled grenades and 107 millimeter rockets had exploded close enough to him to knock him to the ground and injure his head.

By the time his deployment to Afghanistan ended, Watkins said he experienced severe headaches and got into it with a major and a colonel who wanted to fly him out to Germany to receive medical treatment for his headaches.

Calvert brought forth the fact that Watkins had left the Army by taking a discharge instead of being prosecuted in military court for theft from a sandwich shop on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where the 101st Airborne Division is based.

Watkins also said he had received a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs for post traumatic stress disorder and for injuries to his head. The disability rating allowed him to file for a pension of about $3,000 per month, Watkins said.

The mother of Watkins children testified that she and Adams had made numerous appointments for Watkins to receive counseling through the VA. She said Watkins actually went to maybe one of the appointments.

When Hudson asked Watkins about counseling, Watkins said he was not opposed to it, and would have gone, but his GPS too often led him to the wrong place.
WATERLOO  An Evansdale nurse who stole pain medication from an elderly nursing home resident in Waterloo has been sentenced to federal prison.

Kelsey Ann Baxter, 33, was sentenced to one month behind bars and one year of supervised release on a count of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation on Jan. 4 in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

She also agreed to surrender her nursing license.

Baxter had been working at Friendship Village nursing home in Waterloo as a licensed practical nurse.

Baxter was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

According to a plea agreement, in April 2021 Baxter was caught stealing and consuming two morphine pills that were intended for an elderly resident of the nursing home. The nursing home investigated and discovered that Baxter had diverted 43 morphine pills to her own use over a two-week period in April 2021.

The elderly resident of the nursing home, who suffered pain from physical ailments, indicated that she had not received pain medication even though Baxter had documented in the elderly residents handwritten and electronic medical records that the resident had received the pain medication.

The nursing home terminated Baxters employment after she tested positive for opiates without having a prescription. The nursing home had previously suspected Baxter of drug diversion as she was noticeably slurring her speech and disoriented while on the job. Baxter admitted she falsified the elderly nursing home residents physical and electronic medical records and the nursing homes narcotics logs, according to prosecutors.

While this case was pending, Baxter repeatedly violated the terms of her pretrial release. Ultimately, a federal judge ordered Baxter confined in her home while awaiting her sentencing hearing, because she repeatedly used controlled substances while on pretrial release. In July 2022, Baxter was convicted in state court of making a false report to law enforcement before she was charged in federal court.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Iowa as part of the Elder Justice Task Force.
HAWKEYE  A rural Hawkeye woman has been arrested for allegedly attacking her husband with a sword.

Fayette County sheriffs deputies were sent to a 911 call at the P Avenue home at about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They found a man with serious lacerations to his face and the back of his head on the bathroom floor. One of the injuries had cut through an eye socket, according to court records.

The mans wife, Kim Renee Cannon, 58, was found covered in blood sitting on the kitchen floor, according to court records. Next to her were two bloody swords.

Gunderson Ambulance crews took the husband to Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin with what deputies described as life-threatening injuries.

A witness told police the two had been involved in an altercation, and the wife left the room and then returned, striking the husband in the back of the head until he fell to the floor, records state. She then left the room and returned with another sword and began hitting him in the face.

Kim Cannon was arrested for attempted murder and taken to the Fayette County Jail.

Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene.

Photos: Casino Assault, Jan. 3, 2021 010321ho-casino-still-1 010321ho-casino-still-2 010321ho-casino-still-3 010321ho-casino-still-4
WATERLOO  A Waterloo content creator said he plans to appeal a jurys verdict that he obstructed police who were arresting his neighbor as part of a sex crime investigation in April.

Dressed in a black sport coat with his Army combat and airborne badges, black-and-white Nike high tops and sporting reddish hair spiked, Beau James Bish took the stand in his own defense Wednesday.

Bish told jurors he was simply trying to film the arrest when he was charged for interference with official acts, a misdemeanor.

The Nebraska native served two combat tours in Afghanistan and attended college while working different jobs  airport security, cell phone tower technician  before landing in Waterloo.

He is considered disabled from post-traumatic stress and physical injuries from firefights and explosions. He began a You Tube channel as a way to get out of the house and remain active.

The channel  Flex Your Freedoms  features Bishs numerous interactions with police.

It gives you a pure taste of how they really act, Bish said.

A typical video starts with him filming in public, maybe on a city street or near the entrance to a business or government office. Eventually, someone will become suspicious of him and approach.

Often Bish will say hes a reporter with BCNN working on a story and hand them a hand drawn-card identifying himself as Billy Buttcrack. There are usually a few jokes.

I use comedy. I keep it light, entertaining, he said.

Almost always, someone will challenge his right to film.

Ultimately, the police will show up and try to identify him. He responds that hes lawfully filming in public. Hell throw in some jokes and maybe a veiled insult.

Reactions vary.

Sometimes officers strike up a conversation, show him the equipment in their squad cars. Sometimes they press him, try to get him to move along.

Hes live streaming the whole time. The activity is called First Amendment auditing.

If you dont exercise your rights, you lose them, Bish said.

The incident that brought Bish to court this week wasnt his typical video.

Prosecutors allege he hampered officers efforts to detain the neighbor and search the neighbors house because police had to tell Bish to stand back and twice physically move him back from a safety buffer they were trying to establish around the scene.

Bish said he had just returned home and noticed police vehicles and officers across the street. He moved into position to film Houston Simmons III being arrested. Authorities allege Simmons resisted in his driveway and again when they were trying to place him in a squad car.

Lt. Michael Girsh testified that he and others officers were doing a preliminary sweep of Simmons home for safety reasons when they heard the commotion outside where Simmons was being cuffed.

Outside, while part of the home had yet to be swept, he was providing perimeter security during the arrest and search when he noticed Bish filming. Police body camera footage, and Bishs own video, shows he was on the sidewalk outside the neighbors property.

Girsh first asked him for his name to identify him because he was a witness to the arrest.

I dont answer questions, Bish said.

Ok, then go, Girsh said.

How about f- off. Im on public, nerd, Bish responds.

Girsh said he gave Bish a little time to move back and re-addressed him when he didnt, putting his hand on his chest and directing him backward into the street.

The officer told jurors that he wanted to keep people back to make sure items werent added to or removed from the scene, and Bish was within reaching distance from the neighbors fence.

Bish told jurors he wanted to get a better angle of the arrest, as the view from across the street was blocked by vehicles.

Bish called him a bitch and a f-ing retard. They argued.

The officer pushed him back a second time, leading him across the street as a vehicle passed. Sgt. Greg Erie became involved. He had to stay out of our work area, Erie testified.

The officers walked back to the scene and Bish continued to film. The profanity also continued.

Some five minutes later, Bish, relocated to another area near a group of neighbors, can be heard yelling the f word. Erie approached and asked the neighbors if they were offended by the language.

Hes fine, one woman said.

Erie began to walk away, but Bish added some choice words and called him a tyrant. The officer, a Marine Corps veteran, said he was offended by the term. He told Bish he was detaining him for disorderly conduct.

During closing arguments at trial, Assistant County Attorney Christopher Klein said Bish took away officers attention from the task at hand  an arrest and a search.

The defense disagreed.

Beau didnt go over to them. They came over to him. He was passively filming, said defense attorney Gary Dickey Jr.

Jurors deliberated for about two and a half hours before finding Bish guilty Wednesday afternoon. Sentencing will be at a later date.

Bish said he plans to appeal the verdict.

This isnt the first time one of Bishs videos landed him in court.

In September 2021, he put on a wig, sunglasses, makeup and an orange jumpsuit and began filming at the Muscatine City Hall as Grandma, one of the regular characters from his channel.

During the live-stream shoot, he pushed the envelope of access to public property, entering a back office area that wasnt open to the general public and refusing to leave. When an employee touched his arm in an effort to remove him, he said rape and molestation, according to court records.

The incident landed him a trespass citation, and he was convicted during a bench trial and fined $200 plus costs.
WATERLOO  MercyOne Northeast Iowa is able to expand child care offerings for its employees thanks to funding from the state of Iowa.

MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center has received $108,000 through the Child Care Business Incentive Grant Program to help cover part of MercyOne colleagues child care expenses. The Child Care Business Incentive Grant Program, funded through Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, helps employers offer or expand child care options to their employees. According to a news release from Iowa Workforce Development, the grant will allow for the addition of 36 child care slots.

We know how important it is for parents to find trustworthy and quality child care thats also affordable, Suzanne Burt, MercyOne Northeast Iowas director of human resources, said in a news release. Were thankful the state is working with us and other employers to address this need.

MercyOne has partnered with Friendship Villages on-site child care facility, It Takes a Village, to offer MercyOne colleagues a caring, safe and convenient space for their children to learn and play. In addition to the licensed child care staff, retirement community residents spend time with the children through a volunteer program.

This is a great opportunity for both Friendship Village and MercyOne to work together to address a critical need for so many employees, Lisa Gates, chief executive officer and president of Friendship Village, said in the release. Offering a child care option that is so close to their place of work with spots reserved for their children is a great benefit.

Photos: Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet 2023 011523jr-mlk-banquet-1 011523jr-mlk-banquet-4 011523jr-mlk-banquet-3 011523jr-mlk-banquet-2 011523jr-mlk-banquet-6 011523jr-mlk-banquet-5 011523jr-mlk-banquet-7 011523jr-mlk-banquet-9 011523jr-mlk-banquet-8 011523jr-mlk-banquet-10
When Chris Brown BA23 traveled to Washington, D.C., for an internship with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), he was entering what some refer to as the path to employment.

Last summer, the Ketchikan native became involved with the legislative process, working on issues that have become increasingly important to him  energy, the environment, and policy affecting Alaska Natives.

Brown sits next to Sen. Dan Sullivan (left) and near Chief of Staff Larry Burton (far right). Photos provided by Sullivan's office.

For many interns, internships like these lead to junior staff roles in Sullivans office. Brown hopes he can be among them. Im definitely going to look into that and heading back to D.C. after graduation, he said.

He would be returning to familiar territory. Four years ago, he spent a summer in the office of Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski JD85 to participate in the only congressional internship available to high school students  an effort by Murkowski to continue the legacy of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), for whom she was a high school intern.

The experience not only gave Brown a taste of political life, it confirmed the direction of his career. After Murkowskis internship, he completed another internship with the Oregon House Republican Caucus then a six month session with Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane), who had him work on renewable energy challenges like adjustments to Oregons renewable portfolio standard and listened to his opinion on emerging bills.

Brown gained more practical experience as Sullivans intern. He made connections with staff members, sat in on weekly Senate meetings and got to be a fly on the wall during discussions with Alaska ambassadors and Native American leaders. He even worked on a bill awarding tax credits to non-Alaska Natives who returned Native cultural objects they owned  a meaningful opportunity, as Brown had become interested in these issues after being raised in Ketchikans rich Native culture.

Brown leads a tour for interns.

Even small tasks in Sullvans office gave interns uncommon authority. Answering calls from constituents required Brown lend a sympathetic ear  sometimes only to hear a lot of yelling  but he learned what issues animate voters the most, especially during big news cycles, he said. In his first week, the Uvalde school shooting occurred and Sullivans office was flooded with calls.

One of his most surprising experiences was observing how senators interact. It wasnt nearly as contentious or politicized as youd expect, he said. It was cool seeing Sullivan with his friends on the Democratic side. They might take jabs at each other in a meeting, but behind the scenes, theyre joking with each other and really friendly.

An economics major and art minor, Brown is preparing for his final semester at Willamette University and plans to pursue a career in environmental law. For students considering political internships, he has some advice.

There are more opportunities on the Hill than it might seem, he said. Every time Ive applied, theres always a voice inside asking, Am I going to get this? But just go for it  its definitely worth it.
Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins and others were setting up a shot inside a small chapel on the set when the gun he was holding went off.
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Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer who was killed on a New Mexico movie set, prosecutors announced Thursday, citing a criminal disregard for safety.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western Rust.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun, has signed an agreement to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, the district attorneys office said.

Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something that is lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

The charge is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law. The charges also include a provision that could result in a mandatory five years in jail because the offense was committed with a gun.

Carmack-Altwies said charges will be filed by the end of January, and that Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. She said prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is probable cause to move toward trial.

Andrea Reeb, a special prosecutor on the case, cited a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the film set.

If any one of these three people  Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls  done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple, said Reeb, also a newly sworn Republican state legislator.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins death, described a degree of neglect on the film set. But he left decisions about potential criminal charges to prosecutors after delivering the results of a yearlong investigation in October. That report did not specify how live ammunition wound up on the film set.

Baldwin  known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live  has described the killing as a tragic accident.

He sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun that was handed to him. Baldwin, also a co-producer on Rust, said he was told the gun was safe.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during rehearsal for a scene, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator determined the shooting was an accident following the completion of an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports.

New Mexicos Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has levied the maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions, based on a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on the set prior to the fatal shooting.

Rust Movie Productions continues to challenge the basis of a $137,000 fine by regulators who say production managers on the set failed to follow standard industry protocols for firearms safety.

The armorer who oversaw firearms on the set, Gutierrez Reed, has been the subject of much of the scrutiny in the case, along with an independent ammunition supplier. An attorney for Gutierrez Reed has said she did not put a live round in the gun that killed Hutchins, and she believes she was the victim of sabotage. Authorities said they have found no evidence of that.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition at the movie set on the outskirts of Santa Fe  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appeared to be live rounds. Industry experts have said live rounds should never be on set.

In April 2022, the Santa Fe Sheriffs Department released a trove of files, including lapel camera video of the mortally wounded Hutchins slipping in and out of consciousness as a medical helicopter arrived. Witness interrogations, email threads, text conversations, inventories of ammunition and hundreds of photographs rounded out that collection of evidence.

State workplace safety regulators said that immediate gun-safety concerns were addressed when Rust ceased filming, and that a return to filming in New Mexico would be accompanied by new safety inspections.

The family of Hutchins  widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros  settled a lawsuit against producers under an agreement that aims to restart filming with Matthew Hutchins involvement as executive producer.

Rust was beset by disputes from the start in early October 2021. Seven crew members walked off the set just hours before the fatal shooting amid discord over working conditions.

Hutchins death has influenced negotiations over safety provisions in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers and spurred other filmmakers to choose computer-generated imagery of gunfire rather than real weapons with blank ammunition to minimize risks.
Eolus and PNE join forces for Latvian offshore wind project

By: Tom Russell Eolus
Taiya Renewable Energy (TRE), a local offshore wind power developer in Taiwan, revealed it plans to bid for the second phase of wind power zonal development and floating demonstration project in 2023.







Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has held a briefing on the floating wind demonstration earlier this week, sharing the relevant rules with wind developers. TRE is inviting domestic and foreign investors to cooperate with them with tender. It has already conducted the work for EIA in preparation for the zonal development.



TRE stated that due to a variety of floating techniques and types at this stage that have never been tested in the persistent ocean currents of Taiwan Strait, it suggests the government to broaden the base of prospective developers. It claims an increased number of developers could explore the adoption of different technologies in Taiwan and prepare for the later localisation efforts.







Back in December, TRE and EDF's

Huan Yang

project was named one of the winners of Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs first Round Three auction. The developers secured 440 MW for delivery by 2027.





Taiwan is currently aiming to install 5.6 GW of offshore wind by by 2025 with plans to add a further 1.5 GW per year between 2026 and 2035. By 2050 it hopes to reach 40-55 GW.
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Malibu, CA, Jan 19, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Join Ellis Martin for a conversation with Keith Henderson, President and CEO of Latin Metals Inc ( CVE:LMS ) ( LMSQF:OTCMKTS ). In this segment, we review the company the company's recent acquisition of an additional 99,000 hectares of potential high grade sedimentary copper in Argentina.



Latin Metals Inc. announces staking of the Mirador Copper project ("Mirador" or the "Property"), totaling 99,000 hectares and located within Salta Province, Argentina. The property is prospective for sediment-hosted copper deposits, and initial reconnaissance has identified outcropping mineralization with one sample grading 2.4% copper and 628ppm vanadium.



Keith Henderson, the Company's President & CEO stated, "The Mirador property was successfully acquired as part of our ongoing generative studies for sediment-hosted copper in geologically prospective areas. Our initial mapping and sampling has provided proof of concept in the form of high-grade, sediment-hosted copper mineralization in outcrop".



Mr. Henderson added, "The style of mineralization that we have discovered is exactly what we were looking for, and the project ticks a lot of boxes for Latin Metals. The project area is large, and the acquisition cost was low. Sediment-hosted copper deposits elsewhere in the world tend to be large and high-grade, so we believe that acquiring prospective belts with the right geology and potential for copper mineralization make attractive projects to farm out to larger mining companies, in line with our business model."



To listen to the Interview, please visit:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/VV205HD3



http://www.latin-metals.com

http://www.ellis.gold

http://www.ellismartinreport.com



To view more Ellis Martin Report videos, please visit:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/41T2OY9O





About Latin Metals Inc.





Latin Metals Inc. (CVE:LMS) (OTCMKTS:LMSQF) is a mineral exploration company acquiring a diversified portfolio of assets in South America. The Company operates with a Prospect Generator model focusing on the acquisition of prospective exploration properties at minimum cost, completing initial evaluation through cost-effective exploration to establish drill targets, and ultimately securing joint venture partners to fund drilling and advanced exploration. Shareholders gain exposure to the upside of a significant discovery without the dilution associated with funding the highest-risk drill-based exploration. Latin Metals has recently concluded deals to option out exploration properties to a wholly-owned subsidiary of AngloGold Ashanti, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, and Libero Copper.
The first eight days of recreational cannabis sales brought dispensaries $2.02 million, the state Department of Consumer Protection reported Wednesday.

From a Jan. 10 first-day take of $359,099.28, with 8,154 units sold, sales dropped to $169,970.50 on Tuesday, Jan, 17, with 3,747 units sold. Nearly 18% of the eight-day total was sold the first day. There were 45,667 units sold over the eight days.

However, the average price per item increased, from $44.04 on Jan. 10 to $45.36 on Tuesday, Jan. 17, an average of $44.24.

A flower room is filled with Grape Cream Cake marijuana plants at CTPharma, a medical marijuana producer in Rocky Hill, January 5, 2023. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant

The department said the figures were preliminary and do not include taxes, which will not be available until February, according to a spokeswoman at the Department of Revenue Services.

Seven hybrid dispensaries opened across the state Jan. 10, given the go-ahead to sell adult-use cannabis along with the medical marijuana they already had been dispensing. Wednesdays totals do not include medical cannabis sales.

I was pretty happy with how it went, said Ben Zachs, chief operating officer of Fine Fettle, which owns dispensaries in Newington, Willimantic and Stamford. I think, operationally, we had no neighbor complaints. We had no traffic issues. We had nothing of that nature.

As for demand, Zachs said, I would describe it as pretty good. He said Newington was close to projections, with Stamford busier than expected and Willimantic less so. Saturday was especially busy, he said.

He said producers had provided fewer products than he had hoped. Theres a learning curve that people need to go into the Connecticut market, but theres clear demand and I think people were happy overall, Zachs said.

Ray Pantalena, owner of Affinity Health & Wellness in New Haven, said, Tuesday and Wednesday, the first two days, there were lines outside. Everyone was super excited about it.

He said things have settled down since then. Theres been no lines outside.

As for projected sales, Were right where we thought we were going to be based on the demographic, Pantalena said. He said he had no issues with inventory and theres a lot of product available.

Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com.
The Illegal Aliens continue to rock New Mexico.

The Santa Fe thrash metal band will play in Albuquerque on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Launchpad in support of Vacant Skies, a punk act based in Flagstaff. They then head back Santa Fe for a gig at Desert Dogs Brewery & Cidery Taproom on Jan. 28.

The members of The Illegal Aliens went to high school in Santa Fe and formed the group their senior year, but in a more fitting setting than the classroom or next to lockers.

The band was established inside a Hot Topic at the mall. Pretty convenient, said lead guitarist Gabriel Lucero.

Long before the group decided to start playing together, each member had a background in music from traditional lessons, family influence to mainstream inspiration.

Their talent in undeniable, especially on past tracks such as Otra Vez, The Sands and De Rodilla.

Lucero can shred as well as any seasoned high-profile guitarist, Zack McAlister complements Lucero with clean rhythmic riffs, drummer Kenneth Brito provides an energetic beat on the drums, Gabe Pacheco creates infectious bass lines, and vocalist Eric Gutierrez brings it all together with stories and messages ripe with attitude.

A perfect combination for the groups sound.

Lucero explained, Sometimes it feels like were too metal for some other punk bands and were too punk for some other metal bands.

Gutierrez added, Were just kind of our own little thing.

The Illegal Aliens produced their first tracks back in 2019 and released an EP in 2020, but, like many other acts, fell into a lull during the pandemic. The upcoming shows, however, are coming off the heels of a busy 2022 for the band, and they continue to push themselves to make more music. They released two EPs last year, Back in 22 and Fright Night, both a touch thematic.

Back in 22 was originally supposed to be released during the pandemic, said McAlister.

We had all the songs written about mid-2020, but of course we couldnt get together to record it in the studio, he said.

Brito further explained, Its like one of those years where things were still difficult, but slowly coming back to normal.  If anyone could interpret what was going on in their lives back in 22, were all open to it for the listener.

Fright Night had a different feel, not just because it was Halloween-themed, but because the band took a different approach to recording.

Lucero said, Its not professionally mixed or recorded, we did it all with one microphone for the drums and then plugins for the guitars.

Brito referred to it as a DIY release, and Gutierrez said they did the whole thing on a whim.

No matter the forced pauses or production changes, The Illegal Aliens keep a consistent sound. The band shared that they will be releasing new music in 2023.
Copyright  2023 Albuquerque Journal

Solomon Pena shuffled into a room at the Metropolitan Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon, the shackles on his hands and legs jingling.

The 39-year-old was appearing via video for his first hearing since being arrested in a politically motivated attack that left local leaders homes pockmarked with bullets.

Pena looked solemn and said nothing during the brief hearing, closing and opening his eyes a few times while keeping his hands clasped together.

Bernalillo Metropolitan Court Judge Jill Martinez determined Pena would be held pending a detention hearing.

The date for that hearing has not been set.

The next step

Prosecutors have sought to detain Pena until trial on several counts each of shooting at a dwelling or building, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and conspiracy, among others.

The Arnold Tool, which predicts the likelihood that a defendant will show up to court and/or commit a new crime, suggested Pena be released.

The decision, however, always comes down to the judge.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, in a statement Wednesday, called the tool fatally flawed in cases like Penas but acknowledged it was not the only factor that plays into a judges decision.

Artie Pepin, director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, said the research-validated tool gives evidence-based information to help decide the level of appropriate pretrial services and supervision.

Unwilling to accept reality

Prosecutors allege Pena targeted politicians after running an unsuccessful political campaign and, according to police, believing the election was rigged.

Authorities allege Pena masterminded a string of drive-by shootings over the course of a month that targeted the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie OMalley, state Rep. Javier Martinez and state Sen. Linda Lopez.

(Penas) actions show what lengths he is willing to go when he is dissatisfied with reality. He arranged multiple shootings of multiple homes, and he personally participated in at least one of the shootings, prosecutors wrote in a pretrial detention motion. There is no reason to believe that someone so unwilling to accept reality will give any credence to court-ordered conditions of release.

Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman said Wednesday he will be prosecuting the case himself.

Penas attorney did not respond to a call for comment Wednesday.

A father and son, Demetrio, 41, and Jose Trujillo, 21, have also been implicated by police as being part of the plot, along with two others who have not yet been identified.

They have not been charged in connection with the shootings.

Jose Trujillo, 21, is in federal custody after Bernalillo County deputies allegedly pulled him over in Penas car and found fentanyl, guns and cash. Authorities say one of the guns matched the casings found outside Lopezs home.

Demetrio Trujillo was arrested last week after, according to police, he was found in a stolen truck with several fentanyl pills. He has since been released pending trial.
Zeke Estrada, 17, has known he wanted to be a firefighter for years.

After studying to become an EMT at the University of New Mexico, the Manzano High School senior plans to immediately turn around and become a firefighter. But in order to do that, he said he needs some guidance on the best way forward.

Thats where the Albuquerque Public Schools and Albuquerque Fire Rescues new ambassador program is stepping in.

Thats all I really want to do, is just get into that and (help) people and  (get) a good job Estrada told the Journal, adding that he hopes the mentorship program will help him learn the easiest way to get into firefighting.

Over the past semester, APS and the fire department have been running the program at all of the districts comprehensive high schools. The program, which officials highlighted at a news conference Wednesday, aims to place firefighters in the schools they graduated from, which helps in tailoring their advice.

The hope is that one day  these young minds will want to join the public safety teams for the City of Albuquerque  and most importantly, possibly Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Fire Chief Gene Gallegos said.

For some students, learning about being a firefighter helps them explore options for their futures. For others, such as Estrada, its about advancing what theyre already thinking about doing.

Capt. Chris Sotelo, a 15-year veteran of the fire department and a Manzano alum, said he strives to make one-on-one connections with his students and be a positive role model for them. He speaks jovially and candidly with them, cracking jokes and asking about their grades while not-so-subtly plugging the fire department as a career choice.

Im proud to do it, he said of being the schools fire department ambassador. Growing up, we always think of that time in the future where well have an opportunity to give back. Well, this is my time.

While Sotelos efforts may seem small in scale, theyre already paying off for some of his students.

Senior Juliana Hielkema, for example, said while being a firefighter is in her blood, a visit from Sotelo to her class was what won her over on firefighting as a career choice.

His passion just really spoke to me, she said. I feel like this would be great for me, because I want to do something important and impactful.

Part of that, she said, is getting more women into the department. In 2021, there were only 39 women firefighters in AFR, compared with 676 men.

I want to change that, Hielkema said.
Copyright  2023 Albuquerque Journal

A young man has been arrested in the 2021 shooting death of a homeless man in Southeast Albuquerque.

Santiago Silva, 18, was charged with first-degree murder, robbery and tampering with evidence in the July 29 killing of 23-year-old Matthew Chavez.

Silva, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.

Officers were sent around noon to a Quick Track gas station at 1720 Central SE in response to a shooting. The 911 caller said a friend had been shot in the adjacent alley, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Arriving officers found Chavez unresponsive near a single 10 mm bullet casing.

Police said surveillance footage showed a man  later identified as Silva  talking with another man in the alley before Chavez approached the two.

At some point, according to the complaint, Silva was seen pulling a gun out of his pocket and shooting Chavez before he fled.

Police said officers arrested Silva and two others Sept. 5 in an unrelated smoke shop robbery the same day. Inside the apartment where Silva was found, officers located several guns and bullet casings in a Chick-fil-A bag labeled Santiago Silva.

The casings in the bag matched the one found in the gas station alley where Chavez was killed, according to the complaint.

After his arrest Tuesday, police said Silva agreed to talk to them about Chavezs death. According to the complaint, he told detectives that Chavez tried to pull a gun on him and he shot Chavez with it during a struggle.

Police said Silva told them he ran from the scene and got rid of the gun along the way.
US Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., tours the future home of the Gateway Center located in the Gibson Health Hub in Southeast Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Senator Martin Heinrich shakes hands with Kerry Marler director of operations of Etkie, at WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Senator Martin Heinrich visits with Kerry Marler director of operations of Etkie and artist Drucille Chacke, at WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Senator Martin Heinrich at WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) The future home of the Gateway Center located in the Gibson Health Hub in Southeast Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Senator Martin Heinrich tour the future home of the Gateway Center located in the Gibson Health Hub in Southeast Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 6 Next

Copyright  2023 Albuquerque Journal

After touring a future medical sobering center in Albuquerque, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., recalled a relative who was in need of such a place when he relapsed and died in jail 15 years ago.

They had been sober for many years, and unfortunately, (he) was picked up and put into a local county detention center and died of their addiction in a jail cell, she said. And it was subsequently found that our family member would have survived had he received medical care. So this sobering center will literally save lives.

Stansbury and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., toured parts of the Gibson Health Hub, where a 58-bed sobering center is under construction and expected to be open sometime this summer.

That part of the complex  which is being revamped from the old Lovelace hospital on Gibson  received $4.2 million in federal funding. Bernalillo County has also allocated $4.4 million and it is expected that it will cost $8.7 million to build the sobering center and run it for the first year.

The center was one of the community projects or earmarks that Stansbury and Heinrich requested money for in the last budget cycle, Stansbury said.

Such a center provides more monitoring than a detox facility. It allows people to get sober for up to 24 hours under the care of medical personnel, said Gilbert Ramirez, the citys Behavioral Health and Wellness deputy director.

Ramirez said it will be the first center of its kind in Albuquerque. It is expected to serve people who are perhaps too intoxicated to walk or have other minor medical conditions. But the person doesnt need to be taken to an emergency room or arrested and jailed, he said.

We can do the medical sober for up to 24 hours, Ramirez said. And then transition them to where they need to be.

The Gibson Health Hub is also home to the citys Gateway Center, an emergency overnight shelter that is expected to grow. The complex also houses other tenants where people can seek services, like signing up for Medicaid and substance abuse treatment.

Heinrich said during a tour of the facility that directing people to the sobering center instead of emergency rooms will help regular citizens who end up at the hospital for various reasons.

It really goes back in my experience when I was on the City Council, and I saw this mismatch where resources were not being allocated efficiently, he said. And I think what we saw here is an opportunity to coordinate those things. And then that frees up resources for everybody to do the job that theyre best trained to do, instead of expecting everyone to be everything for everyone.
BANGKOK (AP)  A hoped-for boom in Chinese tourism in Asia over next weeks Lunar New Year holidays looks set to be more of a blip as most travelers opt to stay inside China if they go anywhere.

From the beaches of Bali to Hokkaidos powdery ski slopes, the hordes of Chinese often seen in pre-COVID days will still be missing, tour operators say.

Its a bitter disappointment for many businesses that had been hoping lean pandemic times were over after Beijing relaxed restrictions on travel and stopped requiring weeks-long quarantines. Still, bookings for overseas travel have skyrocketed, suggesting its only a matter of time until the industry recovers.

I think the tourists will return around the end of February or early March at the earliest, said Sisdivachr Cheewarattaporn, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, noting that many Chinese lack passports, flights are limited and tour operators are still gearing up to handle group travel.

COVID-19 risks are another big factor as outbreaks persist following the policy about-face in China, he said in an interview. People are possibly not ready, or just getting ready.

For now, the Chinese territories of Macao and Hong Kong appear to be the most favored destinations.

Just days before Sundays start of the Lunar New Year, iconic tourist spots in the former Portuguese colony, like historic Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Pauls, were packed. Gambling floors at two major casinos were largely full, with groups of Chinese visitors sitting around the craps tables.

Im so busy every day and dont have time to rest, said souvenir shop owner Lee Hong-soi. He said sales had recovered to about 70%-80% of the pre-pandemic days from nearly nothing just weeks ago.

Kathy Lin was visiting from Shanghai, partly because it was easy to get a visa but also because she was concerned about risks of catching COVID-19. I dont dare to travel overseas yet, she said as she and a friend took photos near the ruins, originally the 17th century Church of Mater Dei.

That worry is keeping many would-be vacation goers at home even after China relaxed zero COVID restrictions that sought to isolate all cases with mass testing and onerous quarantines.

The elderly in my family have not been infected, and I dont want to take any risks. Theres also the possibility of being infected again by other variants, said Zheng Xiaoli, 44, an elevator company employee in southern Chinas Guangzhou. Africa was on her bucket list before the pandemic, but despite yearning to travel overseas, she said, There are still uncertainties, so I will exercise restraint.

Cong Yitao, an auditor living in Beijing, wasnt worried about catching the virus since his whole family has already had COVID-19. But he was put off by testing restrictions and other limits imposed by some countries, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Australia, after China loosened its pandemic precautions.

It looks like many countries dont welcome us, said Cong, who instead was planning to head for a subtropical destination in China, like Hainan island or Xishuangbanna, to enjoy some warm weather.

According to Trip.com, a major travel services company, overseas travel bookings for the Jan. 21-27 Lunar New Year holidays were up more than five-fold. But that was up from almost nothing the year before, when Chinas borders were closed to most travelers.

Reservations for travel to Southeast Asia were up 10-fold, with Thailand a top choice, followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Travel to other favorite places, like the tropical resort island of Bali and Australia, has been constrained by a lack of flights. But that is changing, with new flights being added daily.

You will see an increase, certainly, compared with last year, when China was still closed, but I dont think you will see a huge surge of outbound travelers to different destinations within Asia-Pacific, let alone Europe or the Americas, said Haiyan Song, a professor of international tourism at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Tourism Australia forecasts that spending by international travelers will surpass pre-pandemic levels within a years time. Before the disruptions of COVID-19, Chinese accounted for almost one-third of tourist spending, nearly $9 billion.

Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport has increased staffing to cope with more than 140,000 arrivals a day during the Lunar New Year rush, though only individual Chinese travelers will be coming for now  group tours from China have yet to resume.

As a brilliant orange sun set behind ancient Wat Arun, beside Bangkoks Chao Phraya river, a Shanghai man who would give only his surname, Zhang, posed with a companion in colorful traditional silken Thai costumes.

Its very cold in China, and Thailand has summer weather, said Zhang, adding that he knew many people who had booked tickets to get away from his hometowns cold, damp weather.

Still, for many Chinese, the allure of world travel has been eclipsed, for now, by a desire to head to their hometowns and catch up with their families, nearly three years exactly since the first major coronavirus outbreak struck in the central city of Wuhan in one of the biggest catastrophes of modern times.

Isabelle Wang, a finance worker in Beijing, has traveled to Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. After three years of a slower-paced life during the pandemic, her priority is to be reunited with her family in Shangrao, a city in south-central China.

Theres still a lot of time remaining in our lifetimes, and there will certainly be opportunities to go abroad later when we want to, she said.

___

Leung reported from Hong Kong and Macao. News assistant Caroline Chen in Beijing and Associated Press journalists Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Tassanee Vejpongsa and Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok, and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
The Santa Fe District Attorneys Office said it is charging movie actor Alec Baldwin and an armorer with involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting on the movie set of Rust that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza wounded.

First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced the pending charges against Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on Thursday morning.

She said the movies assistant director, Dave Halls, has pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon and the terms include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.

On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice, Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. She said charges will be filed against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed by the end of the month.

Baldwins attorney said the charges represented a terrible miscarriage of justice.

The actor had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win, Luke Nikas said in a statement.

An attorney for Gutierrez-Reed said the charges were the result of a very flawed investigation and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury, Jason Bowles said.

It was a little over a year ago that New Mexico was thrust into the international spotlight when Baldwin discharged a real bullet from a Colt .45 during the filming of the Western Rust, striking Hutchins, 42, and Souza.

Baldwin was practicing a cross draw in an old church on the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe at the time. Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Deputies responding to the Oct. 21 shooting learned armorer Gutierrez-Reed loaded the gun from a box containing both dummy and live ammunition. Halls declared the firearm cold, meaning unloaded, before handing it to Baldwin.

If any one of these three people  Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls  had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple, Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by the DA, said in a statement. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that dont take our states commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.

In all, deputies say they found five live rounds scattered around the set, including one mixed with dummy rounds in an ammo box that they found Gutierrez-Reeds fingerprints on. Seth Kenney, owner of PDQ Arm & Prop in Albuquerque, supplied weapons for Rust and reportedly told deputies he may have given live ammunition to Gutierrez-Reed.

In her statement, Carmack-Altwies said Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be charged in the alternative with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty.

She said for an involuntary manslaughter charge to be proved, there must be underlying negligence. Carmack-Altwies said the other possibility is a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of an unlawful act, which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death.

Both charges are fourth-degree felonies punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, but the latter includes a firearm enhancement, she said, which makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.

The lengthy investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office also brought to light that the deadly shooting was preceded by multiple misfires and safety violations on the Rust set.

In April, the state Environment Department fined the production company $136,793 for its failure to keep employees safe. The production company has appealed the case and a hearing is set for April.

The incident also spurred several lawsuits, including from Hutchins family, Baldwin himself, Gutierrez-Reed and other crew members. Hutchins family announced a settlement late last year and announced filming of Rust would resume in January and that Halynas widower, Matt Hutchins, would serve as an executive producer.

Since the incident occurred many have floated the idea of sabotage, including Baldwin in private messages to Hutchins widower and by an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed during a media tour.

Carmack-Altwies said after the charges are filed, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons and required to make a first appearance in court, which could be done virtually and even waived. Carmack-Altwies said the next step will be a preliminary hearing in which the case is presented to a judge, who will then rule whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial.

There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case, Carmack-Altwies said. We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law.

She said once charges are filed, more detailed paperwork will be available in court records that details the evidence the DA and the special prosecutor cite.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In reports filed on the New Mexico Secretary of State website, Melanie Griego is listed as having donated $4,000 to Republican Solomon Pena in his 2022 race against an incumbent Democrat to represent House District 14 in the Legislature.

Griegos contributions, plus the $5,155 listed as coming from her son, 21-year-old Jose Luis Trujillo, made up nearly 40% of the $23,660 in Penas campaign coffers.

The problem is 39-year-old Griego  whose occupation is listed as mother/dependent in the reports  told the Journal on Thursday she never made those donations.

And Trujillo  whose occupation is listed as cashier  is in federal custody on drug-trafficking and firearm charges after police say Pena paid him, his father and two other men to shoot up the homes of four Democratic lawmakers.

Im not a political person. I just barely got my voting rights back and I didnt even go vote, Griego said, adding shes on a monthly income and doesnt have thousands of dollars to donate to a campaign. I dont follow the news. Im not a Trump supporter. Im not even a Biden supporter. Im just a poor little Mexican girl from Albuquerque  I guess this is just one of them cases of being at the wrong place at the wrong time  over and over again  just the story of our lives.

Pena lost his bid for office in November by a landslide and is facing several counts of shooting at a dwelling, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and conspiracy to commit a shooting at a dwelling, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon.

He was arrested in a SWAT standoff Monday in a case thats grabbed national headlines.

On Thursday, the Albuquerque Police Department announced it is investigating potential illegal activity related to the monetary contributions Pena solicited during his failed campaign.

APD detectives learned through witness interviews related to the shooting investigation that Pena identified individuals to funnel contributions from an unknown source to his legislative campaign, Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, wrote in a news release. Detectives are working with other law enforcement agencies to determine whether the money for the campaign contributions was generated from narcotics trafficking, and whether campaign laws were violated.

Possible mental disease?

Authorities allege Pena was the mastermind behind four drive-by shootings that targeted the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie OMalley, state Rep. Javier Martinez and state Sen. Linda Lopez over the course of a month. No one was injured in the shooting, but, in Lopezs case, bullets went through her 10-year-old daughters bedroom while she slept.

Police say Pena orchestrated the shootings after losing his race and because he believes the election was rigged.

Trujillo was arrested a little over 4 miles from Lopezs house less than 40 minutes after the Jan. 3 shooting. He was driving Penas car and had more than 800 pills, believed to be fentanyl, a large amount of cash, a Glock pistol with a drum magazine and an AR pistol with him at the time, according to court documents.

Trujillos attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but has said in court filings that there is reasonable cause to believe that Mr. Trujillo may presently be suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent. He has requested a competency hearing.

Griego said her son  a people person and busy bee  was in special education growing up and she has not heard him express any opinions about the election.

How can he understand political campaigns and come to the conclusion that he thinks the campaign is rigged or whatever it is, Griego said. He doesnt even know how to spell campaign. 

She said shed seen Trujillo, his baby and his babys mother over Christmas and had no idea that anything was amiss. She said she found out about her sons involvement with Pena from news reports. This is just blowing my mind, Griego said. I dont know what is real and whats not real. Whats true and whats not true. Im very disappointed.

Supporting a fellow candidate

From the details in campaign report filings, Trujillo appears to have been the top donor to Penas campaign, just ahead of the Jalapeno Corp.  an Albuquerque-based oil and gas drilling and exploration company owned by Harvey E. Yates Jr.

Yates, who was in Kansas sitting on a drilling well Thursday evening, said he met Pena twice  once in a Republican Ward meeting about two years ago and once during the recent campaign.

He seemed to be an intelligent and respectful young man who was trying to change his lifes path, Yates said. It is very sad that this analysis appears to have turned out to be wrong. Pena was one of about 20 candidates to whom my company donated $5,000.

The Journal could not reach the other two people listed as Penas top donors: a security guard who gave $3,825 and a business operations specialist who gave $1,000.

Former State Legislator Janice Arnold-Jones, and gubernatorial candidates Jay Block and Greg Zanetti, all Republicans, also contributed to Penas campaign.

For his part, Pena was among the highest contributors to Republican Audrey Trujillos campaign for Secretary of State. According to campaign filing reports he donated $5,497.

Audrey Trujillo said Thursday she has received numerous contributions and Pena was one of many. She and Jose Trujillo are not related.

I saw it as supporting a fellow Republican candidate, Audrey Trujillo said.

Audrey Trujillo was defeated by incumbent Democrat Maggie Toulouse Oliver and was a controversial figure during the campaign after her social media account shared tweets mimicking a Spanish accent and suggested that Jews had an outsized influence in the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

At the time, Audrey Trujillo told the Journal she might have been hacked, but, if not, the tweets were not intended to be racist.

Pena also donated a little over $5,000 to the LaRouche PAC created to promote the ideas of Lyndon LaRouche, who ran for president eight times and died in 2019 at the age of 96.

According to the PACs website, global elites were challenged by LaRouches ideas and political organizing, so he was framed up and thrown in prison for five years (1989-94) by the same intelligence and judicial networks that have waged the coup against Donald Trump, a coup which denied him his duly-elected second term.

Journal staff writer Matthew Reisen contributed to this report.

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Downtown will soon get a new taproom and restaurant.

Albuquerque-based Geltmore LLC, Ex Novo Brewing Co. and a group of local investors on Thursday finalized the purchase of the former Firestone location on Seventh Street and Central Avenue and will turn the 11,000-square-foot building into Ex Novo Brewings second New Mexico location.

The group purchased the former tire shop from Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, and between the building cost and renovations, they expect the project to cost $4 million. They expect to have the taproom opened by the 51st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this October.

I grew up in New Mexico and always hoped to be able to come back, said Joel Gregory, founder of Ex Novo Brewing. I love the history, the story and the character of this building and am 100% committed to seeing downtown thrive. This is such a cool property, and after two years of dreaming and planning, its finally coming to fruition.

Geltmore LLC, who is heading the development team, said it hopes the new Ex Novo Brewing location will become an anchor tenant as part of Albuquerques ongoing revitalization efforts Downtown.

In a statement, Geltmore LLC Vice President Adam Silverman thanked the seller, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, for their aligned vision for a revitalized Downtown corridor.

They share our vision for a vibrant downtown and we are thrilled to bring this first of its kind concept to Albuquerques core, he said.

The renovation of the building will include the taproom and restaurant on the bottom floor, with the top floor serving as a mezzanine lounge bar area. A cafe is also included in the project.

A spokeswoman for the group, Jamie Dickerman, said the menu for the restaurant is still being determined and that the project itself has been in the works for two years. She said construction permitting for the project will begin later this month. A general contractor has yet to be selected, though there is an architect  Albuquerque-based Modulus Design.

For Ex Novo Brewing, the Downtown taproom will be its second location in New Mexico. The brewing company  founded in Portland, Oregon nearly a decade ago  first came to New Mexico in 2019 when it opened a taproom in Corrales.

Since entering New Mexico, the brewing company has become a favorite of locals in the Albuquerque area. That popularity eventually led to a partnership with New Mexico United in 2021 for a United-themed beer, Stay Goalden.
Movie star Alec Baldwin and an armorer on the film set of the movie Rust could each face up to five years in jail if convicted of the most serious definition of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the on-set shooting that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead in 2021, according to the Santa Fe district attorney.

First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced criminal charges against Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on Thursday, more than a year after the Oct. 21 shooting outside Santa Fe that killed Hutchins and left film director Joel Souza injured.

Carmack-Altwies said Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be charged in the alternative with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty.

She said for an involuntary manslaughter charge to be proved, there must be underlying negligence.

Carmack-Altwies said the other possibility is a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death.

Both charges are fourth-degree felonies punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. But the latter, more serious version includes a firearm enhancement, Carmack-Altwies said, which makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have yet to be formally charged.

Carmack-Altwies said after the charges are filed, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons and required to make a first appearance in court, which can be done virtually and even waived. Carmack-Altwies said the next step will be a preliminary hearing where the case is presented to a judge, who will then rule whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial.

Meanwhile, Rust assistant director, Dave Halls, has pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon and the terms include a suspended sentence and six months of probation, according to Carmack-Altwies.
Anna Kobylarz left Wednesday for her ninth trip to Ukraine in a year to help children affected physically and emotionally by the war with Russia.

I volunteer because I think its important to help the children, she said. They are innocent and cant protect themselves. This war is tragic for everyone but imagine the children.

Kobylarz, a Berlin resident and business owner, has seen it all: orphans who have lost parents, kids who have lost limbs, sick children in need of medical care that has been delayed, mothers who couldnt care for children after the father was called to the military.

The children, besieged by the sounds and risks of air strikes in many cases, had to flee with their families.

These kids are leaving everything behind. Their friends, their toys, their lives. They dont understand why, she said.

Anna Kobylarz of Berlin is on a new humanitarian trip to help children of Ukraine affected by war. She is pictured here near an all too common site  a missile that landed by the road.

Kobylarz, who immigrated from Poland to Connecticut 25 years ago, is director of the Humanitarian Mission of the Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, a volunteer position.

The bulk of her effort on Ukraine since March have been put toward improving conditions and expanding City of Goodness, which before the Russian invasion was a facility for women and children who suffered domestic violence.

As a result of the invasion, the facility became a shelter for 65 orphans from Mykolaiv and the need is growing every day with the number of children in need of homes, electricity and a warm meal.

So Kobylarz went into fundraising mode, holding fundraisers with a team back here and receiving generous donations from organizations such as the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation to construct two more buildings, including a bomb shelter, to buy generators and have a small building for dogs. The buildings are in the process of construction.

Kobylarz raised tens of thousands of dollars through various sources since the day after the war started and is continuing, this time with the goal of $100,000 for a sorely needed rehabilitation center to meet the physical and emotional needs of the children.

Everything is emotional. I saw it, I understand it and I know I cant leave this place, said Kobylarz, owner of Annas Homecare Services, a residential and commercial cleaning company.

Zoriana Kramarenko of New Britain, a friend who is Ukrainian and helps with numerous local fundraisers, said she admires Kobylarzs dedication.

Anna is amazing. Ive never met a person like her. Shes honest, shes very responsible, reliable, Kramarenko said. She needs to help. It makes her happy to help.

Kramarenko said some of the humanitarian trips have included distributing food. On one food delivery a woman in Ukraine without a coat asked Kobylarz if she had any, but the volunteer hadnt brought clothes on that trip. Kobylarz gave the woman the coat off her back, Kramarenko said.

Kobylarz flew to Poland Wednesday where her parents live, then will take the risk to drive to Ukraine and check on the projects, have meetings and consult with doctors on the childrens behalf.

I hope the roads will be safe enough, she said.

Anna Kobylarz of Berlin, Director of the Humanitarian Mission of the Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, has taken numerous trips to Ukraine in the last 12 months to help children there affected by the Russian invasion.

Shell also work closely with the children, feeding them, holding them, playing with them, changing diapers, checking temperatures and putting them to bed. If they need to be taken to the bomb shelter, shell do that too, along with staff.

When she returns  on a date uncertain  she and an army of volunteers in the Hartford area will hold fundraisers, including at the Belvedere Restaurant on 82 Broad St. in New Britain from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 24. The Hearts for Ukraine will be held on the same date the war started a year ago.

Kobylarz did not want to disclose the location of the facilities or give details yet of the rehabilitation center, but equipment will be needed for the latter, she said.

Some of these children are already sick, not because of the war, but because their treatment has been postponed. We want to build the center before its too late, she said.

She called Russian president Vladimir Putin an evil guy.

What hes done to these children and families its not forgettable, Kobylarz said.

On Monday, Ukrainian emergency crews had to sift through what was left of a Dnipro apartment building destroyed by a Russian missile, placing bodies from one of the wars deadliest single attacks in months in black bags and gingerly carrying them across steep piles of rubble, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities said the death toll from Saturdays strike rose to 40 and that 30 people remained missing Monday, according to AP. Tall cranes swung across the jagged gaps in a row of residential towers, the engines growling as residents of one of Ukraines largest cities watched largely in silence under a gray sky.

Anna Kobylarz of Berlin is dedicated to helping the children of Ukraine affected by war. Shes made numerous trips in a year and left for another Wednesday. Here she is holding a baby outside City of Goodness, a facility for women and children.

Kobylarz said she had to take two little boys to City of Goodness after their father was killed by a land mine. Their mother was unable to cope with the situation, she said.

It was a very, very sad story, she said.

On her first trip to Ukraine nearly a year ago, she said, as she was crossing the border and bringing two sick kids to Lviv Hospital, it was very traumatic, because two missiles hit nearby, killing a number of people.
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Authorities have launched a search for the 65-year-old actor, who disappeared after going for a hike in the snowy mountain range in California amid 'severe weather.'

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - Actor Julian Sands has been identified as a hiker who went missing in Mount Baldy area. The acting vet, who has dozens of movie and TV credits over his career which has spanned over four decades in Hollywood, was last seen hiking the deadly mountain in California.

Julian was reported missing by his family at around 7:30 P.M. on Friday after disappearing during a trek in the Mt. Baldy area of California's San Gabriel Mountains. He, however, wasn't publicly identified as the missing hiker until Wednesday, January 18. Several inches of snow fell on the mountain since he vanished.

A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said, "On Friday at about 7.30 P.M., a hiker identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of Mt. Baldy."

"Search and Rescue crews responded and began a search. Due to trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, the ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening," the spokesperson added. "However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits. We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews."

The sheriff's department has warned that "severe weather on the mountain has been difficult" and air resources are limited as two people have died in recent days while attempting to scale the same mountainous area.

Its search and rescue team has been called out to 14 incidents in the last four weeks alone. It urged hikers to think twice before walking the trails amid "extremely dangerous" conditions.

Meanwhile, a separate search is also ongoing for another hiker, California resident Bob Gregory, in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.

Julian was born in England, but now calls North Hollywood home. He has starred in a host of films, namely "Warlock", "Arachnophobia", "Leaving Las Vegas", "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Ocean's Thirteen". He also appeared in recurring roles on such TV series as "24", "Dexter" and "What/If".

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The podcast host takes to social media to declare her love for her mother, one day after she began her seven-year sentence behind bars for tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy.

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - Savannah Chrisley will "fight forever" for her jailed mother. The podcast host is the daughter of "Chrisley Knows Best" stars Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, who were found guilty of 12 counts of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy in June.

The 25-year-old reality TV star took to social media on Wednesday, January 18, to declare her love for her mother, one day after she began her seven-year sentence behind bars. She wrote on Instagram Story, "Will forever fight for this smile. I love you mama," along with a picture of her smiling mom.

Savannah Chrisley expressed support for her jailed mom Julie.

Todd, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reported to the minimum security Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie went to Federal Medical Center Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky despite initial plans for her to be detained two hours away from her husband at FCI Marianna in Jackson County, Florida.

Defence attorney Paul Cambria told PEOPLE, "A camp is still confinement, but it is the best place to be. They're almost like a college dormitory situation. There's usually no fences or barbed wire, or things like that. There's obviously monitors and cameras and so on, but it is a fairly relaxed atmosphere."

According to reports, the reality stars, who tied the knot in 1996 and also have Chase, 26, and 16-year-old Grayson together, had their motion for bail pending appeal on Tuesday, January 10, while the courts also denied their request to extend their surrender date by three weeks.

The news comes just days after Todd explained that he and his wife were forbidden to talk about the case in any further detail because of legal developments. He stated, "We cannot discuss the case because the appeal has now been - however, they do it - I think it was filed yesterday or the day before yesterday. Our attorneys noticed the courts that they were appealing this. So we're not allowed to discuss it, so don't think we're avoiding wanting to tell you something because we're not. It's that we've been told we cannot."

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A witness tells FBI that, before his passing in November 2020, the Chicago rapper offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who killed his rival Duck, who died in a shooting in August of the same year.

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - King Von and FBG Duck's rivalry may be over with the two rappers' tragic deaths, but the story continues to be told. According to a new report, the Only the Family artist placed a bounty on his rival Chicago rapper.

Rap blog Chicago Scene 88 has posted screenshots of FBI report into the murder investigation of Duck, in which an unnamed witness was cited as saying that Von offered a $100,000 reward on anyone who killed Duck. The rapper allegedly first offered $50,000 before later doubling the reward.

While it's unclear if his offer was what motivated the assassination of Duck, Von allegedly celebrated Duck's murder by buying everyone in O'Block, known as the most dangerous block in Chicago, a new chain. The witness also identified the alleged shooters, including Marcus "Muwop" Smart, whom the witness claimed conducted several murders on behalf of O'Block.

The documents also mention that the gun used to kill Duck can be linked to a dozen other cases. The witness spoke to FBI on August 18, 2020, weeks after Duck's death.

Following the paperwork's release, fans dug up an old tweet from Von where he stated that he and Duck had ended their beef before the latter's passing. "Me and Duck settled Our differences right before he passed," he tweeted after Duck's shooting dead. "We was talking bout bringing everybody together as a whole n changing da community for the better. Imma still stand on dat s**t. Every step of the way imma be thinking of u. Even doe u dissed my dead homies and family."

Duck was shot in East Oak Street on August 4, 2020. At the time, four individuals exited two vehicles and began firing at individuals that were outside of one of the stores, striking Duck. He was rushed to Northwestern Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after sustaining multiple shots to his torso and losing a lot of blood.

Three months later, on November 6, Von met his demise in a similar manner. He got shot during an altercation with Quando Rondo's crew outside a hookah lounge in Atlanta, Georgia. The suspected gunman, Lul Timm, is affiliated with Quando, who has been defending Tim.

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The 'Savage Mode' rapper was previously trolled by Internet users after an audio of him getting into a heated argument on social media app Clubhouse emerged online.

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - Freddie Gibbs and Ice-T were dumbfounded when they learned about 21 Savage's controversial comments on Clubhouse. During the argument, 21 Savage threatened his unnamed rivals from Chicago.

In response to the potentially incriminating comments, Freddie wrote on Twitter, "N***az arguing over who killed the most n***az on clubhouse lol." He also added a facepalm emoji.

As for Ice-T, the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star denounced the blue bird app. "I actually think that app was created by the police. Especially for Dumb MFs," he tweeted.

The "Savage Mode" rapper was also being slammed by Atlanta-based journalist George Chidi. "Rappers who think APD and the attorney general's office don't listen to Clubhouse are talking in a public forum on recorded audio about committing murders," Chidi tweeted. "Gentlemen. Stop living in a Key & Peele sketch."

21 Savage was trolled after an audio of him getting into a heated argument on social media app Clubhouse emerged. In the audio that circulated online, the "Rich Flex" rapper was heard getting into it with someone from Chicago. Though what they were beefing over didn't make it into the one-minute clip, the result was the "Her Loss" rapper promising that his detractor would die.

"You waited for this moment your whole life, so you could argue with a n***a on Clubhouse," the agitated 21 Savage said. "You keep letting all these Chicago n***as boost your head up, like y'all n***a ain't dying in real life, man. Stop playing."

When asked by his detractor about his own team's losses, 21 Savage became more aggressive. "Every n***a that we beef with, 30 of they n***as get smoked and don't nothing happen to us," he fumed, "In real life, n***a. It's real life!"

21 Savage went off again as he continued, "Aye, cap, you from Chicago. I advise you to shut the f**k up. 'Cause the n***as that I f**k with up there spanking s**t, so stop playing. Y'all ain't spanking nothing, n***a." When one of the other men on the app tried to counter his claims, he additionally repeatedly said, "You will die."

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The 42-year-old politician announces that she will soon step down as Prime Minister after five years in the role, insisting that she has no more 'in the tank.'

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jacinda Ardern has announced that she will be stepping down as New Zealand's Prime Minister after five years in the role. The 42-year-old politician, who was elected in 2017 aged 37, insisted she has no more "in the tank," and her final day of office will be on February 7.

She choked back tears in a news conference, telling the world, "I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple. This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that."

Ardern insisted she has given "all [she] can" in her tenure, during which she has faced the country's worst terror attack, when a white supremacist gunman killed 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch, the COVID pandemic, and a volcanic eruption. She added, "I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so-called real reason was. The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human. Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it's time. And for me, it's time."

New Zealand's Labour Party will vote for a new leader this weekend, and the successful candidate will be in charge until the country's next general election on October 14th. "Jurassic Park" star Sam Neill, 75, shot to Ardern's defense following the news.

The Kiwi actor wrote on Instagram, "#PrimeMinister @jacindaardern resigned today. I am not surprised, nor do I blame her. The treatment she has been receiving these last few months , the appalling pile on by the left , the right, the aggrieved, the whiners, the nutbags, the know-it-alls, the misogynists etc. has been both disgraceful and embarrassing. I think she was a great leader through the most difficult times. She deserved better. And we will get what we deserve- inferior leadership. I personally will miss her . And thank her . And wish her a far happier future (sic)."

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Joe Exotic, meanwhile, quickly responds to the claims that Jack 'Don' Lewis, who vanished in 1997, has been reportedly found alive and well in Costa Rica.

Jan 20, 2023

AceShowbiz - "Tiger King" star Carole Baskin"s husband Jack "Don" Lewis, who vanished in 1997, has been reportedly found alive in Costa Rica after he was previously assumed dead. The discovery, however, only went viral over a year later.

Carole made the claims during her appearance in an interview with ITV's "This Morning" talk show back in November 2021. In the sit-down, the 61-year-old animal rights activist, who was acccused of murdering Don by Joe Exotic, revealed that her husband is alive and well in the country.

"One of the really exciting things that came out of 'Tiger King 2 is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security and it says that a special agent in charge with the FBI at Homeland Security reached out to the sheriff's detective George (Jorge) Fernandez, which means this had to have happened after 2002, because Homeland Security wasn't even around until 2002," she told the outlet at the time.

The Big Cat Rescue CEO continued, "They said my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica. And yet all of this drama has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance, when Homeland Security has known where he is."

Don disappeared from his Tampa, Florida home in 1997 at the age of 59. He would be 84 if he's still alive today.

Joe caught wind of the viral clip and quickly responded. "Don Lewis is NOT alive," he said in a comment underneath The Shade Room's Instagram post. Internet users were also skeptical with Carole's claims.

"If homeland security found him, I'm sure they would have made some sort of statement. Especially considering how big this show was," one person commented. "Key words to pay attention to 'She announced.' Nawl now. Let Don speak for himself," one other said. Another user trolled, "So he hates u sooo bad he faked his death to run away & be with the Prostitutas in Costa Rica."

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Netflix Movie

The German-language World War I drama becomes the first movie to get 14 nods or more since 2011's 'The King's Speech' at the British movie prize-giving awards.

Jan 19, 2023

AceShowbiz - "All Quiet on the Western Front" tops the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Award nominations with 14. The German-language World War I drama has broken record as the first movie to score 14 or more nods since 2011's "The King's Speech" and it ties with 2001's "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" to become the most nominated foreign language film in the events' history after the shortlists were revealed on Thursday, January 19, 2023.

The movie is in the running for Adapted Screenplay, Director for Edward Berger, and the prestigious Best Film among other accolades. In the Best Film category, it's competing against "The Banshees of Inisherin" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" - the second most nominated movies, with 10 nods each - as well as "Elvis" and "Tar".

In the performance categories, 14 of the 24 nominees find themselves in the running for their first BAFTA awards. Ana De Armas' turn in "Blonde" and Danielle Deadwyler's performance in "Till" score their first nods in the Leading Actress category, but they face competition from ceremony veterans Cate Blanchett ("Tar"), Viola Davis ("The Woman King"), and Dame Emma Thompson ("Good Luck to You, Leo Grande").

"Living" star Bill Nighy is the only Leading Actor nominee to have been nominated before, with Austin Butler ("Elvis"), Colin Farrell ("The Banshees of Inisherin"), Brendan Fraser ("The Whale"), and Paul Mescal ("Aftersun") all making the shortlist for the first time.

Angela Bassett ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"), Hong Chau ("The Whale"), Kerry Condon ("The Banshees of Inisherin"), Dolly De Leon ("Triangle of Sadness"), Jamie Lee Curtis ("Everything Everywhere All at Once"), and Carey Mulligan ("She Said") are all nominated for Supporting Actress.

Meanwhile, the Supporting Actor award will be contested by "The Banshees of Inisherin" stars Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, Ke Huy Quan ("Everything Everywhere All at Once"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Good Nurse"), Albrecht Schuch ("All Quiet on the Western Front"), and Michael Ward ("Empire of Light").

The EE BAFTA Film Awards will take place on Sunday February 19 at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, hosted by Richard E. Grant.

2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards selected list of nominations:

Best Film:

Outstanding British Film:

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer:

" Aftersun " - Charlotte Wells (Writer/Director)

" - (Writer/Director) " Blue Jean " - Georgia Oakley (Writer/Director), Helene Sifre (Producer)

" - (Writer/Director), (Producer) " Electric Malady " - Marie Liden (Director)

" - (Director) " Good Luck to You, Leo Grande " - Katy Brand (Writer)

" - (Writer) "Rebellion" - Maia Kenworthy (Director)

Film Not in the English Language:

" All Quiet on the Western Front "

" " Argentina "

" " Corsage "

" " Decision to Leave "

" "The Quiet Girl"

Documentary:

" All that Breathes "

" " All the Beauty and the Bloodshed "

" " Fire of Love "

" " Moonage Daydream "

" "Navalny" .

Animated Film:

Director:

Original Screenplay:

Adapted Screenplay:

Leading Actress:

Leading Actor:

Supporting Actress:

Supporting Actor:

Original Score:

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023  The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) proudly announces two new read and publish agreements with the Helmholtz and Niedersachsen consortia in Germany, effective January 2023. The agreements  ACS Publications first transformative agreements with German consortia in almost three years  offer researchers at 24 German institutions the opportunity to publish open research with one of the worlds most trusted publishers at no cost to the researcher, while also meeting funder requirements for open access. ACS invites researchers in this community to take full advantage of this agreement by submitting their next paper to the ACS journal of their choice.

We are keen to ease the process of open access publishing for researchers at our member institutions and look forward to working with ACS to raise the profile of German science, says Bernhard Mittermaier, library director at Forschungszentrum Julich (Research Center Julich), on behalf of the Helmholtz consortium.

With both the Helmholtz and Niedersachsen consortium agreements running until the end of 2025, thousands of researchers from Germany in chemistry and related disciplines will be able to publish their research with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) in more than 75 of the most-respected peer-reviewed journals in science. These arrangements underscore ACS commitment to enable open access publication and to broaden German researchers ability to publish in ACS journals. They also represent a significant expansion of available compliant routes to publication.

Were excited to be working with both consortia to bring read and publish access to more researchers, says Frankie Martin, Europe, Middle East, and Africa sales director at ACS Publications. These agreements help ensure a sustainable transition to open access and the widest possible audience for high-impact science.

We are pleased that we could reach this significant agreement that enables our researchers to publish freely in ACS journals, says Alexander Poche, head of license management at Technische Informationsbibliothek (German National Library of Science and Technology), on behalf of the Niedersachsen consortium. Our member institutions produce outstanding science, and this new agreement will expand its visibility across the world.

The new agreement illustrates ACS commitment to developing sustainable routes to open science by supporting organizations as they forge their unique paths. Transformative agreements such as read and publish help more researchers publish open access, making their research freely available to the world, says Sybille Geisenheyner, director of open science licensing and strategy at ACS. ACS is constantly innovating new solutions that reduce the burden for authors, funders and librarians to support open science. We are excited to work with organizations to help them take their next steps towards open science.

Learn more about ACS read and publish agreements.
Recently, Prime Video dropped the zabardast trailer of the Amazon Original series, Cinema Marte Dum Tak. Within no time film fans and audiences are expressing their love and excitement on social media for this unique and fresh narrative around the lesser-known filmmaking industry. Among the many names are film personalities like Anurag Kashyap, Anurag Kashyap, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Sikandar Kher and Guneet Monga who have also not held back from showering praises for the trailer.

A Vice Studios Production and created by maverick filmmaker, Vasan Bala, the filmmaker Anurag Kashyap who went on to write -"Monica O My Darling ke baad @vasanbala le ke aa rahe hai yeh dhaansu most awaited documentary"

While on the other hand actor Chandan Roy Sanyal couldn't resist praising Vadan Bala as he wrote "Crackling @vasanbala"

Actor Sikandar Kher also expressed his excitement in witnessing this cinematic wonder, writing - "Wtf!

Can't wait to watch this @vasanbala"     "

Ahead of it, producer Guneet Monga also seemed truly astonished with the trailer as she wrote - "WHAT A WOW WOW WOW @VASANBALA"

So, dont forget to experience the magic and fandom of the Golden era of Indias 90s Pulp cinema with Cinema Marte Dum Tak as it exclusively premieres on Jan 20 on Prime Video in India and 240 countries and territories worldwide. A Vice Studios Production, the six-episode docu-series is created by Vasan Bala and co-directed by Disha Rindani, Xulfee and Kulish Kant Thakur.
Cumulus Public Relations has won the India Public Relations mandate for Royal DSM, a global purpose-led leader in health, nutrition and bioscience.

DSM applies scientific research and development to improve the health and well-being of people, animals, and the planet through better and more sustainable nutrition. DSM aims to create brighter lives for all by developing breakthrough innovations that address some of the worlds biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental, and societal value. During 2022 DSM also announced its intention to merge with Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, in a transaction anticipated to conclude in the first quarter of this year.

Gareth Mead, Senior Director of Global Communications, Royal DSM, said, 2023 is set to be a momentous year for DSM and we look forward to collaborating with Cumulus PR and benefiting from their market expertise and communications insights. Together we intend to develop a roadmap of purposeful consumer and business communication that leads to real on-ground impact. What we are attempting to do in nutrition and health, as well as for the climate, are critical components of our story that we need communicated if we are to succeed in benefitting more people across India and the environment around us.

2022 has been an eventful year at Cumulus with big wins at the biggest global festival of creativity and communication. Cumulus won 2 PR Lions and 7 more awards including 2 Gold Lions across other shared categories at Cannes International Festival of Creativity 2022.

Reena Sharma, Chief Executive, Cumulus PR said, We could not have been happier about the opportunity to collaborate with purposeful brand like DSM that has through its lifecycle proven that real impact and business interests dont need to be mutually exclusive. DSMs journey of transformation is highly inspirational, and we look forward to co-creating an impactful public relations campaign for them in India.

In 2019 too, Cumulus had won a Cannes Gold Lion in Sustainable Development Goal category. Incidentally, in the past, Cumulus work on DSMs popular Project Streedhan campaign won the consultancy the prestigious Brand Equity Kaleido Award 2020.
So it turns out that classified documents have now been found in the garage of the Wilmington, Delaware, home of U.S. President Joe Biden. They were caught red-handed, rooming with his Corvette, but hed like everyone to know that its a locked garage, OK? So its not like theyre sitting out on the street.

Oh, in that case, carry on, then. Maybe just put them inside the Corvette, in a childs car seat, and make sure that the car has a wheel lock on it. Unfortunately for Biden, having classified material under lock and key at home doesnt actually excuse its presence there. But if its really not that big of a deal, then lets see it and judge for ourselves. I wont hold my breath.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre used passive language to describe the discovery, acknowledging that a small number of documents were found, as though the material somehow traveled over 100 miles away from Washington, D.C., on its own. So who put it there? We dont yet know with absolute certainty. Thats what a Justice Department special counsel probe, which has since been announced, will hopefully find out.

The precise nature of the documents is also unclear. But its not a stretch to assume that there would be a link between their contents and the motivation for memory-holing them next to a hot rod in a neighboring state. What we do know, however, is that they were found in late December as a result of a search conducted by Bidens personal attorneys  and that the search was sparked by a prior finding of even more classified documents found by Bidens attorneys earlier in November at the presidents Washington-based think tank, the Penn Biden Center. Those documents reportedly relate to Ukraine, Iran, and the UK, and date between 2013 and 2015, during Bidens time as U.S. vice president during President Barack Obamas administration. What they say could be highly relevant to present-day challenges and realities.

The current conflict in Ukraine popped off in earnest with the Western-backed Euromaidan protests in November 2013. Both before and after, the country has been exploited as an outpost of the State Department and the Pentagon against Russia through low-intensity regional conflict that only went red-hot in February 2022. But before that, U.S. special interests were crawling all over Ukraine positioning themselves for profit, including Bidens own son, Hunter Biden, who somehow landed a job on a Ukrainian company board.

The Vice President has been leading the administrations effort to support a sovereign, democratic Ukraine, visiting the country three times in 2014, reads the Obama administrations archives about Bidens role at that time. So the selectively removed Ukraine-related documents from that particular period that found their way into Bidens personal possession could perhaps shed some light on how the world ended up in its current mess.

Far too often, classification is abused. Rather than being used strictly as a means of protecting noble national interests, it has also been used to cover up corruption, wrongdoing, and other nefarious activity  the kind that could present a threat to the establishment if the public ever became aware. The disclosures made by NSA and CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden back in 2013, exposing a massive, excessive dragnet of gratuitous information collection on American citizens were a case in point.

So were many of the revelations made by Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange, the first of which was a classified video of U.S. military personnel sounding like they were playing a video game while gunning down 12 people, including a couple of Reuters journalists in Iraq, who had all been treated as armed insurgents far too casually  raising questions of how often this sort of thing happens.

A lack of information can also be hidden behind classification to start wars, like when the President George W. Bush administration cited classified U.S. intelligence related to weapons of mass destruction as the justification for invading Iraq. Rather than concrete and transparent evidence, the entire argument on which Congress voted 96 percent in favor of sending Americans into another foreign war amounted to, Trust me, bro.

So given the potential for abuse of classification, how many among the classified documents found in Bidens possession were labeled as such to hide embarrassing shadiness that could harm personal interests?

Biden isnt even alone among recent Oval Office occupants to have shared a private residence with secret documents in the way that normal people do house pets. Former President Donald Trump is also under investigation after boxes of top secret documents were removed from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, reportedly related to Iran and China.

At least whistleblowers like Snowden and Assange, who have both been charged under the US Espionage Act for misuse of classified documents, ultimately served the public interest in exposing what they considered to be government wrongdoing. At the height of the Snowden fiasco, in 2014, even Snowdens boss, former NSA deputy director John Inglis  now Bidens National Cyber director  told me that he accepted that Snowden had concerns, but that he went about addressing them in a totally inappropriate way. So however misguided one may consider Assanges and Snowdens methods, their actions ultimately weighed in favor of the public good.

FILE  Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden addresses attendees through video link at the Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon on Nov. 4, 2019. Snowden, who fled prosecution after he revealed highly classified U.S. surveillance programs, has received a Russian passport and taken the citizenship oath, his lawyer was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Friday Dec. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)

While whistleblowers Assange and Snowden face penalties of decades in prison, Biden (who called Assange a high-tech terrorist back in 2010) and Trump, whose mishandling of classified material appears to be for purely selfish reasons, continue to enjoy their freedom and the backing of their respective partisan supporters and cheerleaders, both inside the Beltway and beyond. This glaring double standard proves just how backward and self-preserving the whole system is.

Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist and host of independently produced talk shows in French and English. Her website can be found at http://www.rachelmarsden.com.
MOMS, a unit of Madison World, along with JC Decaux, has executed a successful metro train branding in Mumbai for Goldmedal Electricals, one of Indias leading electricals brands.

Over the years, Goldmedal has established itself as a leader in the electrical industry, manufacturing high quality, innovative electrical products including modular wiring devices, home automation systems, LED lighting, fans, MCBs, wires & cables, doorbells, and electrical accessories.

As part of Goldmedal's transit media debut in Mumbai, the brand boarded 3 metro trains with internal and external branding on Mumbai Metro Line 2A and 2B (DN Nagar to Anand Nagar) and Line 7 (Andheri East to Dahisar East). In addition to connecting the Western Express Highway to the Western and Central Indian Railway Line, the newly constructed metro lines will provide excellent connectivity to the Western Express Highway. With large-scale train branding moving along the elevated corridor, it is a highly effective medium to reach audiences.

Inaugurated and flagged off by their brand ambassador Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandes along with Goldmedal's Directors, every metro train has a different media format including wall panels, seat strips, handlebars and poster branding which covers the entire metro train internally to further enhance its impact and prominence.

On the successful collaboration for the campaign, Kishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals said, The metros have become a second lifeline for Mumbai city. At Goldmedal, we make products for almost every electrical need - having our branding on the metro trains helps us reach out to our audience on a regular basis. We are glad to say that the Goldmedal branding looks amazing on these trains, and I would like to thank everyone for executing this campaign in a timely manner".

Associating with Goldmedal has been an exciting endeavour for the MOMS team," says Jayesh Yagnik, CEO, MOMS. "Goldmedal is a classic example of how aesthetics meet convenience. This is the culmination of our persistence, and we are thrilled to see it come to fruition."

MOMS is a part of Madison World, that operates several brands in OOH including Platinum Outdoor, Activation specialist - Madison TURNT, Rural specialist - Anugrah Madison and Retail Specialist  MRP. MOMS handles marquee clients like Asian Paints, Raymond, IDFC MF, Lodha, Bajaj Auto, Blue Star, McDonalds, Sony Network, Pidilite, Godrej amongst many others.

MOMS is a part of Madison World, Indias largest homegrown communication agency established in 1988. Madison World through its 11 Units served last year, as many as 500 Advertisers.

For more information, please contact Aishwarya Katkar, 9820780178.
Rozelle Laha has joined HT Media Ltd as Head of Corporate Communications and Affairs

In this role, she will be leading communications and corporate affairs for the group. HT Media Limited (HT Group) is a diversified media conglomerate in India with holdings across six businesses  Print, Digital, Radio, Shine, Mosaic, and HT Labs.

Rozelle is a business journalist turned communications specialist with over 12 years of industry experience. She has worked as a journalist with several prominent publications, including Hindustan Times, Mint, The Ken, Fortune India, and others, and managed communications mandates across FMCG and emerging technology spaces. Prior to this, Rozelle was the Associate Director of Corporate and Strategic Communications at CoinSwitch, a leading crypto investing company.
After tearful press conferences from both sides of the medically assisted aid-in-dying debate in Hartford on Wednesday, the Connecticut General Assembly Public Health Committee voted to continue drafts of a bill that would legalize the practice in Connecticut.

Advocates argue that the aid-in-dying expands patient autonomy, offering the terminally ill an option to end their life with dignity and without suffering. Opponents fear that it will open the doors to misuse and lead to unnecessary death in an overburdened health care system.

Connecticut legislators have introduced aid-in-dying bills 15 times since 1995. Last session, a proposal died in limbo in the Senate Judiciary Committee after receiving a favorable vote from the Public Health Committee.

Public Health Committee Chair Sen. Saud Anwar said that the bill would allow terminally ill patients with six-month life expectancy to choose to end their life by taking a lethal medication. Two physicians must verify the patients prognosis. Additionally, the patient would need to be deemed of sound mind, and be able to ingest the medication on their own, among other provisions.

State Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, center, talks with Joy Cipollo, right, of Glastonbury as friend Maribeth Abrams, left, looks on, prior to a news conference with members of Compassion & Choices Action Network and supporters of legislation that would allow terminally ill, mentally competent patients the right to choose medical aid in dying at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Cipollo lost her wife Kim Hoffman one year ago today after over 8 years with cancer.

Medically assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico and Washington D.C.

Tim Appleton, the senior campaign director of the Compassion and Choices Action Network, said roughly 20% of Americans have access to an aid-in-dying care option and that 75% of Connecticut residents want one.

A patient that lives in Middletown, Connecticut, does not have the same options as the same patient might have if they lived in Middletown, New Jersey, and thats just not right, Appleton said. Zip codes should not define the end of life journeys of people who are faced with the most important decision theyll ever make in their life.

Opponents argue that the unintended consequences of such legislation are already occurring in states where medically assisted aid-in-dying is legal.

In February 2022, Dr. Jennifer Guadiani, a Denver physician who is licensed to practice in 32 states, including Connecticut, wrote about her experiences assisting anorexia nervosa patients with obtaining lethal aid-in-dying medication in the Journal of Eating Disorders.

In the paper, Guadiani argued that terminally ill anorexia nervosa patients deserve the same attendant care and rights as all other patients with terminal illness, up to and including medical aid in dying in jurisdictions where such care is legal.

The revelation sparked controversy among the psychiatric community and prompted a response from the Compassion and Choices Chief Legal Advocacy Officer Kevin Diaz, who said the medical aid-in-dying law does not and was never intended to apply to a person whose only diagnosis is anorexia nervosa.

Kira Philips of Hartford holds up her hand with a tattoo of her mothers name as she talks about the violent and traumatic death of her mother during a news conference with members of Compassion & Choices Action Network and supporters of legislation that would allow terminally ill, mentally competent patients the right to choose medical aid in dying at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Philips mother Clare Marie Philips ended her own life when suffering from end stage multiple myeloma.

Assisted suicide cannot and will not stay limited to a select population, said Cathy Ludlum, a disabilities rights advocate and staunch opponent of medically assisted suicide.

Ludlum said the eventual elimination of safeguards and expansion of medically assisted suicide is inevitable once legislation legalizes the practice. She called the proposed bill bad medicine, bad public policy, and bad for people.

Supporters often say, Each person is just one bad death away from becoming a proponent. I say, If you had to fight for preventative care, aggressive treatment, and sometimes for your life in the health care system the way we do, you would likely join us on the opposing side,' Ludlum said. The push for assisted suicide is not about pain, its about loss. Its about fear of disability.

Kira Philips disagrees. Her mother, Clare Marie Philips, suffered debilitating back and pelvis pain during a three-year battle with multiple myeloma, which took away her ability to stand and compacted her spine, shrinking her height by more than five inches in less than 12 months.

On June 3rd, 2021, my mom crawled out in the early hours of the morning to our backyard shed and shot herself, Philips said through tears. Its unfathomable still that she was capable of even doing something like this given who she was as a person, being a gentle and kind, compassionate soul. My dad  her husband of over 40 years  had to find her that morning.  He will have that image in his head for the rest of his life.

Philips said that if her mother had access to aid-in-dying medication, her family would have avoided the trauma and violence.

Many other advocates spoke of watching loved ones suffer unimaginable pain before their passing.

From the left, Deb Howland-Murray of Bridgeport, Kristen Keska of Southington, Tyrone Biniarz of Vernon, and Allison Fennelly of Norwich walk carry portraits of themselves with loved ones titled They Died Waiting, through the Legislative Office Building to where they will be on display, January 18 through January 31. Members of Compassion & Choices Action Network and supporters of legislation to allow mentally competent but terminally ill to end their lives with medical aid held a news conference at the LOB prior to moving the portraits

to underground walkway between the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building.

Jill Hammerberg recalled holding her husband, Mark Fey, during his death from prostate cancer in 2012. Hammerberg said her husband made unearthly sounds as [he] fought for breath and crawled on our bed in search of relief on that final night.

She described the experience as a nightmare.

If Mark had had access to medical aid in dying, he wouldve chosen to use it on a sunny Friday when we were all together. We wouldve been wearing our Red Sox caps singing, Hey Jude, followed by a Guinness toast. Instead, we carry the collective burden of the indignity of his prolonged pain etched in our hearts forever, Hammerberg said.

Opponents argue that such stories dont demonstrate a need for medically assisted suicide but rather more training, preparation and education on the realities of home hospice and palliative care.

Ranking member of the Public Health Committee Sen. Heather Somers introduced an end-of-life care bill that would impose new training requirements for physicians, permit nurses to perform offer certain care, and expand insurance reimbursements. It would also allow patients who previously terminated hospice service to return to such care.

Sommers said she is open to negotiating to make improvements to the medically assisted suicide bill, but she does not believe she would ever vote in favor of the legislation.

She highlighted concerns over competency evaluations and the distribution of lethal medications, saying that doses should be taken in a controlled clinical environment with a clinician present and that the doctor prescribing the medication needs to have had a relationship with the patient for a substantial period of time. Sommers also said that in cases of medically-assisted suicide, the cause of death should not be written as the terminal disease.

She said that such measures would make this bill more controlled than it is now.

No one wants to see their loved ones suffer. I think we can all attest to that, Sommers said. Rather than focusing on trying to make this terrible bill a little less terrible, lets focus on end-of-life care in our hospital system. Lets improve hospice, lets improve palliative care. Theres a lot of issues there that can be fixed.

The bill would need a public hearing in the public health committee to advance before consideration for a vote before the full House and Senate.

If you are considering suicide, or need help with mental health issues, dialing 988 will connect you with a local crisis center that provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Alison Cross can be reached at across@courant.com
Country's FDI inflows expected to achieve record high

08:47, January 19, 2023 By LIU ZHIHUA and ZHONG NAN ( China Daily

The BASF site under construction in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, involves investment of $10 billion from the German chemical giant. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's foreign direct investment inflows are expected to hit a new record in 2023 and will probably rank first in the world, experts said on Wednesday.

This is because the country's FDI surge against headwinds last year has indicated foreign investors' strong confidence in the Chinese economy, while the government's ramped-up policy efforts are expected to boost economic recovery and expand FDI inflows into key industries, inland regions and major projects, they said.

Their comments came as the Ministry of Commerce said the country's FDI in actual use hit more than 1.23 trillion yuan in 2022, up 6.3 percent year-on-year. In US dollar terms, the figure was 189.13 billion, up 8 percent year-on-year.

The performance was better than expected, given the domestic and external challenges, especially the growth rate for the manufacturing industry and major foreign investment projects  those with contractual foreign investment of more than $100 million each  being 46.1 percent and 15.3 percent, respectively.

"Amid subdued global FDI sentiments, the robust FDI growth last year indicated foreign investors are upbeat about the supersized China market and its improving business environment," said Wei Jianguo, a former vice-minister of commerce and vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

"China will become more attractive to them, with the wider opening-up and the anticipated rebound in its economic activity following optimization of the COVID-19 measures," he added.

Wei predicts FDI will grow at two digits to probably reach $220 billion to $230 billion in 2023, surpassing the United States, as the latter faces economic slowdown  and even a recession. China was the second-largest FDI recipient in 2021, behind the US, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

In a circular released recently, the State Council said that China will support foreign-funded research and development centers, so that they can use large scientific research instruments, as well as reports and relevant data of major national science and technology programs, in accordance with Chinese laws.

Analysts have widely attributed China's robust FDI performance to the combined effects of the country's policy efforts and economic upgrade and expansion, which, they say, have largely offset disruptions from the epidemic and geopolitical issues.

As consumer activity recovers amid decreasing COVID-19 disruptions and concerted policy steps are made to prop up infrastructure investment and stabilize the property sector, China's economy is likely to see a robust rebound this year to further shore up FDI, they said.

Zhang Shaogang, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said, "China's new round of reform and opening-up will encourage global companies from the high-end manufacturing sector to further transform traditional industries with smart manufacturing technology in the country.

"Its industrial ecosystem and digitalization initiatives will play a crucial role in shaping the future in areas such as connected products, electric vehicles and clean power generation."

Considering that major FDI projects have high-standard industrial support system requirements, such as talent and industrial chains, Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the FDI data last year showed that foreign investors are bullish on China's economic prospects and are placing more key links of their industrial chains in the country.

According to CCIEE vice-chairman Wei, capital, technology and talent will accelerate moving into East Asia, and China's growing, supersized domestic market  driven by its economic expansion, stabilizing property sector and increase in people's dispensable incomes  will become even more attractive to foreign investors, who nowadays tend to keep a short physical distance between product and service providers and consumers to cut costs and avoid supply chain uncertainties.

The National Development and Reform Commission said on Wednesday that China will improve implementation of its FDI policies and guide FDI into high-end manufacturing, modern services, high-tech and environmental protection industries, and central, western and northeastern regions.

It also vowed to expand, in an orderly manner, opening-up in telecommunication, internet, education, culture and healthcare industries, remove restrictions outside the negative list and ensure equal policy implementation for foreign-funded enterprises as Chinese ones.

Shen Bo, senior vice-president of Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML and president of ASML China, said that brands that originated from China play an increasingly important role in major semiconductor markets, which ensures the long-term prospects of the semiconductor industry in the country.

ASML currently employs more than 1,500 people in the Chinese mainland, and it will continue to expand team and attract talents in China, he said.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Trump or DeSantis? It doesn't matter. Phantom voters will decide 2024. The phantoms are not voting for either.

Those working deep in swing state voter rolls can tell you with 100% certainty that unless Trump or DeSantis wins with a 5%-to-18% margin in swing states, they will lose every one.

Let's do some electioneering math.

To win the presidency, about a dozen swing states matter  we all know who they are. Some will add Georgia, Virginia, and Arizona, some not.

President Trump won in 2016 because he caught the leftists off guard. Perhaps even Trump was surprised on Election Night  the surprise was so complete!

In 2020, the Dems took no chances.

They had everything wired  but our boy Trump surprised them again  so they shut down the election apparatus at 11:00 P.M. and took matters into their own hands. Nine hours later, problem solved: Joe Biden emerges from a basement, incoherent, to take the oath of office.

That, people, is hardball  professional, take-no-prisoners electioneering. You may hate that the country is being lost, but you must stand back at the sheer breathtaking gall it reflects.

You would think rational electioneers in the Republican Party would, in 2022, do everything to stop the election jiggering that took place in 2020. You would be wrong.

Republicans like Speaker Vos in Wisconsin, the election commission in Maricopa County, New Hampshire RINOs, and the Republican leader in the Senate all stood aside and let the leftists do their thing  thus the Red Trickle.

As the parties pick their candidates for 2024, assembling multi-million-dollar consultant-led electioneering teams, not a dollar is spent on cleaning election rolls.

Let's do an equation. A bet, perhaps.

You and I bet on anything. You pick the bet.

But I have a 518% advantage in my pocket.

No matter what you do, I win.

Every swing state has between 5% and 18% of its election rolls  people, addresses  that are deliberately wrong, misspelled, incorrect, written without an apartment number  scores of opportunities for inserting fraudulent voters.

If you were in Las Vegas, playing blackjack, and had a 518% advantage over the dealer, the casino would be bankrupt by dawn.

Yet this is exactly what Trump and DeSantis face as they launch their campaigns or stealth campaigns  whatever.

We got front-row seats for this phenomenon in Arizona this year.

Our team was asked to do the expert witness report for the Kari Lake campaign  after they got swamped. We cannot release the findings, but some of them were later validated with someone else's data  and we can talk about that.

In Maricopa County alone, between October and the November election  30 days  there were 22,000 new voters added. There were 30,000 or more ZIP code changes. There were 107,000 voter roll changes, from address modifications to name changes to phone changes.

Thirty days! Immediately before the election!

We can say with certainty that if Kari Lake's team had monitored voter rolls in one county alone, for a 90-day period before the election, she would have made up the 17,000-vote difference by a factor of more than 2.

Lake's team could have challenged the thousands of new voters registered after the cutoff date. They could have monitored the literally hundreds of addresses where ballots collected  and were later voted  by phantoms whose signatures never matched.

In her lawsuit, her quite gifted attorneys showed mountains of ballot signatures that did not even closely match the signature of the supposed voter.

Every one of those screwy signatures is a phantom  and they could have been identified, challenged, removed before they were brought up from the dead mist to defeat our girl Kari.

Any Election Day interference with screwing around with printers would not have been enough to stop her.

Kari Lake is the model for Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis in 2024.

Kari Lake was winning by 810 points. They took her out with phantoms' signatures and misaligned printers. Neither Trump nor DeSantis is going to come close to winning any swing state by 810 points.

It's over before it begins.

Kari Lake took no action to clean voter rolls. Neither Trump nor DeSantis nor the Republican Party nor most state parties are cleaning voter rolls, either.

That thankless task is left to volunteer teams of activists, working from basements, at kitchen tables with antiquated software and few resources. Even the Republican billionaire class has abandoned any interest in cleaning voter rolls and rather is spending a pittance to determine "what went wrong."

What went wrong is that your opponents control the election apparatus in every state and county that matters, and the candidate class, the consultant class, and the billionaire class think cleaning voter rolls is just too icky.

Thus, in 2024, the phantoms will pick the president.

Maybe not.

The overriding lesson in 2022 from the voter integrity team front was that county registrars and judges will not clean voter rolls, even when shown clear evidence that those 25 voters could not live in that apartment building, being framed, with the cement mixer still on the lawn.

These crusty teams are not stopping. They are doubling down.

Together, Nevada, Florida, and Wisconsin teams are working with the Fractal Programming team to build the UnDeliverable Ballot Database. Internally, they call it UDB-1, which does give it kind of a techy ring.

The UnDeliverable Ballot Database has some important subtleties. There is more there than appears on first glance.

The key to phantoms is their output  a ballot, cast by someone, for a leftist. The ballot is the ammo. Each ballot has to be mailed to a phantom.

While the phantom does not live there  at the church, homeless shelter, hotel, apartment building  the ballot will still be delivered there. It is then collected, voted, signed, and later Kari Lake files a lawsuit because the signatures don't match.

The UnDeliverable Database tracks every address  not just voters  in America. Every address is on the property roll and the voter roll. One address, the 7-11, is able to get mail. But it had better not get a ballot.

Every apartment building, multi-family home is under scrutiny. If it is matched to Bill Jones, and our pal Bill did not list an "APT #" on his registration, this address will get a ballot, but it won't get to Bill.

We flag it so it can be challenged before the election.

In 2021, with support from Mike Lindell, our team built a list of 1.7 billion U.S. addresses.

When one includes misspellings, different ways of showing the same address, addresses changing from one date to another, they get to a billion pretty fast.

Since we have someone's address from 20 different databases he entered  all public  we know more about his address than he does.

The UnDeliverable Database, run at scale with Fractal Programming, explained on our site at www.Omega4America.com, is becoming a vital resource for 2024.

We feel bad that we were not allowed to help in Arizona in 2020, but we sure are going to show up in 2024.

While Trump and DeSantis do their thing, which is not cleaning voter rolls, the teams in Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida, and soon a dozen other states will be there when the smoke clears.

We identify every address in America where a ballot can be mailed  yet cannot connect with a voter. Let's cut off their ammo.

Jay Valentine led the team that built the eBay fraud engine and the underlying tech for the TSA No-Fly list. The website is www.Omega4America. Jay's new Twitter account is @jayvalentine99.

Image: Ron DeSantis. Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
In 2020, 54-year-old Michigander Steven Pastoor was finally nabbed. He had been dubbed the "Cascade Flasher," confessing to having exposed his genitals to unsuspecting victims for decades. He eventually targeted one woman in particular, who set up a camera to catch him in the act. The police made a hasty arrest.

"We take this crime very seriously," the police said. Indeed, the law certainly allowed a serious penalty for the extent of his crimes, which could range from one day in prison to life in prison, the Detroit News reported. But in the end, a seemingly repentant Pastoor pleaded guilty to just three counts of aggravated indecent exposure, which is a "two-year high court misdemeanor." He claimed to have been sexually abused as a teenager by an older family friend (suffering that went curiously undisclosed until he faced the prospect of a long prison stint), and that this was the root of his sexual deviancy.

"The prosecution and victims sought the maximum sentence," Michigan Live reports, "while the defense asked that Pastoor only serve probation, with the threat of a jail term for any violations." The judge "received many letters of support for Pastoor, as well as letters from the victims," and while he said that the crime "has to be taken seriously," he was apparently more moved by Pastoor's defenders, sentencing him to only 180 days in jail and five years of probation.

A pervert who derives sexual satisfaction in showing his genitals to women and children is quite obviously the victimizer and not a victim, but it says something about our culture that he won a competition for victimhood status, in both the public square and in the legal system, against his actual victims. And what says something even more about our currently sick and deranged culture is that Steven Pastoor could have saved himself half a year in jail and some probation time by simply pretending to be a woman and getting a gym membership.

Rebecca Phillips is a 17-year-old who works in a suburb of San Diego. After a swim at a nearby YMCA, she decided to take a shower when she "saw a naked male in the women's locker room." "I immediately went back to the shower, terrified, and hid behind their flimsy excuse for a curtain until they were gone," the traumatized girl said. Particularly, she is worried that her 5-year-old sister and other young girls would be exposed to naked men and their genitalia, as they commonly have summer and childcare camps for young girls, and "the locker room was supposed to be her safe haven to gossip with her friends, and shower and change."

When she went to the YMCA to complain, she, like Steven Pastoor's victims, suddenly found herself in a competition for victimhood status against her victimizer. She said she felt "shamed" by the YMCA for being bothered by the fact that "a grown male can shower alongside a teenage girl at your YMCA," and that the "indecent exposure of a male to a female minor was an inconvenience to them."

Like the judge in Pastoor's case, the YMCA feigned seriousness before siding with the man who wished to expose his genitals to young girls. "We recognize that birth and gender identity are sensitive subjects," the YMCA said in a statement, but they "rely on subject matter experts, laws, and guidelines established by the State of California."

That law suggests that a man who claims to be a woman can go into a women's shower, so long as he does not appear on a sex offender registry, as Rebecca Phillips relates.

Interestingly, Steven Pastoor could not now go into a women's shower in California, but that is only because he had already been caught exposing himself to his traumatized victims. But had he not been caught for his crimes, he could legally indulge in his sexual fantasy by simply walking into a women's locker room.

And he wouldn't have to make any serious changes in his life in order to do so, as one Arizona woman recently discovered. She called the police on one Paul Bixler, whom she discovered in the women's locker room looking at her breasts. Peeping Toms apparently get a pass to indulge in their sexual desire to steal unwelcome glances at naked women  so long as the peeping Toms pretend they are women themselves, even if the pretense is as unconvincing as Paul Bixler's.

Paul Bixler is a board member at Liberty Elementary School District, and his woman costume is entirely unconvincing, to say the least. He looks exactly like what he is: a 72-year-old man in a blouse, somewhat resembling David Crosby without the moustache. But what's most striking about Paul, beyond the minimal effort to disguise himself, is the fact that Paul still goes by "Paul." It's as if he's making a conscious effort to heighten the confusion and to force others to accept something that is so obviously absurd on its face as fact.

This power move clearly seems to be a motivating factor for all men and women who pretend they're the opposite sex, I argue. In Paul Bixler's case, he's demanding that reality conform to his fantasy without even making a meaningful effort to convince anyone, and, solely on the strength of his unconvincing proclamation, he claims for himself the right to enter the women's locker room whenever he sees an attractive woman enter  which one can presume may be the case here, given that the victim claims that Paul often uses the men's locker room, signifying that he understands the level of discomfort that his presence typically causes for women. He chose, in this instance, to go into the women's locker room and look at this woman's breasts.

Very likely, this woman will be met with the same woke posturing as poor Rebecca Phillips, and there will be a competition for victimhood status, which the victimizer may ultimately win.

What's important for us to understand as a culture is that the incentive structure that has been created for sexually deviant men to legally victimize women. Steven Pastoor was also a flasher and a peeping Tom, peering into women's windows and exposing himself to them. The impulse that drove him to do both things was so strong that he went to great lengths to do so, at tremendous risk of legal penalties. Pretending to be a woman requires no great lengths to achieve, and not only does it eliminate the legal risk involved in these perverted acts of sexual deviance, but efforts to engage in them are stalwartly protected by woke mobs and the legal system.

It is nothing short of delusional to think sexual degenerates are not incentivized by this outrageous loophole, or that they are not actively exploiting it in order to legally victimize our wives and daughters.

Image via Raw Pixel.
My name is Tom, and Im a tool-aholic. Hi Tom. Hi Tom.

If only there were a tool-aholics anonymous, or some other support group or foundation, or even a church to help us! Although it was probably always there deep down, my addiction began in earnest while a graduate student in chemistry 40+ years ago. I found myself buying pliers, wrenches, and clamps, then moving on to electric drills, saws, and routers.

I rationalized my compulsion by telling myself that, as an experimental scientist, I needed plenty of gadgets to do my research. In the corner of my little studio apartment, I had a drill press and a big (at least for that time) tool chest with a chain saw perched in the top till. This was, to say the least, a bit disconcerting to the occasional lady friend that came over. I wonder even now what went through their minds: A chain saw in a little Washington D.C. apartment? What manner of lunatic is this guy?

It only got worse when I got my first real job. Giving a tool-aholic a decent salary could only mean one thing: more tools. Even now, when my wife of 35 years comes in with the mail, she will often hand me a tool catalog: You got pornography today. At long last, I had to construct a separate building to house my collection. I check Craigslist a few times a week for deals, with my wife telling friends: Hes on the computer looking at porn.

Image: Hand tools by dashu83.

It is often said that daughters seek out and marry men that are like their fathers, and in my case, my son-in-law and I are perfectly compatible! After Sunday dinners, he and I disappear into the shop or garage, much to the consternation of the women left behind. The bromance has included many a road trip to look at vintage machinery and equipment, often returning with a truckload.

Now, the reason for our occasional road trips to find the perfect tool or machine brings me to the whole point of this diatribe. We all know and bemoan the fact that most of what we buy is now made by our adversary nation: China. Nowhere is this more apparent or disturbing than what has happened in hand and power tools. Thats why the son-in-law and I are always on the lookout for vintage tools and machines.

Even the highest quality, good old American tool brands are now manufactured in China, probably by child slaves. At least these tools are reasonably good, being accurate, lasting a long time, and doing the job. And I can tell myself that these poorly paid workers are probably a bit better off than they would be if I didnt buy them. But the Chinese knock-offs of American hand and power tools are a whole nother story.

Aimed at the lower-end Harry-handyman market, Chinese-made facsimile hand and power tools are not simply of low quality, but they can be downright dangerous. And, yes, I have bought my share of these, only to replace them with more costly, but also much more satisfying, U.S.-designed equipment.

Even something as simple as a flat-blade screwdriver is beyond the capability of these hacks. I have had the blades of a screwdriver fracture while withdrawing a stubborn fastener from old wood. Something like that would never happen with the well-tempered steel of a vintage Stanley or even a Craftsman of yore. And dont even think about using one of these to pry open a paint can or open a motor housing. The shank of the screwdriver will bend into a U shape before your very eyes.

An old saying among woodworkers is You can never have too many clamps. C-clamps, bar clamps, pipe clamps, hand-screw clamps, spring clamps, web clamps, the list goes on and on. I have literally hundreds hanging around the walls of my shop. And, when I search Craigslist, the first order of business is to locate good old vintage American-made clamps!

Chinese knock-off clamps will invariably loosen and fly off a workpiece, leaving you scrambling to salvage a project. Although I have a few lying around, I only use them in an emergency. They are even difficult to place onto a joint you are trying to bond. They bind, stick, and rub and can only be used with great frustration accompanied by a creative string of profanity.

What I have described above is merely inconvenience and nuisance; just lessons to learn from. Now, however, we get to the scary part. Chinese knock-off power tools, with actual high-speed moving parts, are a real hazard to the user and those nearby. I succumbed to the temptation and bought a Chinese knock-off cordless, hand-held jigsaw. I swear it looked really nice, and it had a built-in light and all, and it was at least $200 less than the Milwaukee. As a tool-aholic I couldnt help myself. I brought it home and was eager to try it out. I inserted a battery and a blade and squeezed the trigger.

Well, the light did, in fact, come on, but the blade shot across the shop and was embedded in a stud wall. I had to use a plier to get it out. I boxed up the saw and returned it. I then spent the money on a high-end Milwaukee, and of course, I love it. It has yet to shoot anybody.

This experience is by no means unique. In fact, it is by design. The Chinese knockoffs are intentionally manufactured to low quality, with the knowledge that a large number will be returned in frustration, the profit simply being made up in volume. All too many Americans simply put up with thisoftentimes myself included. We are taken in by price and fail to purchase for the best value. In the case of tools, the best value is often in the vintage used market, steering well clear of Chinese knockoffs.

I mentioned my son-in-law earlier. He is a really smart guy. When discussing Chinese knockoff tools, he said that they are not necessarily junk, but they are just about always incomplete. You might buy one but be ready to rebuild it. Immediately.

We have all kinds of warning labels on everything from food to clothes to tools. He suggested a new warning label that should be applied to all Chinese knockoffs: May require a trip or two to Home Depot.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has now appointed two special counsels to investigate two presidents (one former, one current) for mishandling classified documents while out of office. Donald Trump is accused of keeping classified documents after leaving office. We now know that Joe Biden did keep classified documents after stepping down as Vice President -- and before being inaugurated President. The pundit class is convinced that the appointments have nothing to do with justice or equal application of the law. We know the first appointment is to prosecute Donald Trump for something -- anything. As for Joe Biden, there are two predominant theories for the second special counsel appointment -- and frankly, both could be correct.

I personally subscribe to theory 1. Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Joe Bidens document indiscretion, as a means to obstruct the imminent congressional investigation. Any attempt by the Republican-led House to subpoena information, or interview Justice Department officials will be met with: I cannot comment about an ongoing investigation. The Dems will claim that any attempt by the Republicans to investigate is jeopardizing the DoJ investigation. That will continue until around November 6, 2024 -- or maybe until Maricopa gets its ballots counted sometime in December. It worked for the Russian collusion hoax. Theres no reason to think it wont work again.

Theory 2 is that Merrick Garland is part of a Democrat conspiracy to toss Dementia Joe under the bus, so they can run over him before the next election. They figure Joe will screw up the next campaign, since 2024 is unlikely to be a basement campaign -- which is where Joe does his best work. While this theory may be correct, the Dems are being cautious. Cackling Kamala Harris, while anxious to pilot the bus, is fully capable of screwing up the next election just as badly as Joe might.

Notice that nobody -- except the harpies on The View and that congressman who thinks Guam is going to capsize -- believe this is a legit investigation. The walls are closing in crowd thinks its an investigation to find out how Donald Trump hid classified documents in the most secure place on earth -- next to Joes Corvette. Seriously -- thats what theyre saying. I think we can safely conclude at this point that only the mentally certifiable and intellectually stunted think this is a righteous investigation.

Everyone else (Republican and Democrat) seems to know what is going on -- even if they wont publicly admit it. The Department of Justice is meddling in the next election. The DoJ is either helping Biden with his legal trouble, or its helping the Dems with their candidate trouble -- or both.

Which brings me to my chilling conclusion. Corruption at the DoJ is no longer a matter of debate. Everybody knows the DoJ is crooked. Theyre just not sure what variety of crookedness is at play this time.

After the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the Russian collusion hoax, and the Pete and Lisa adulterous insurance policy, the departments credibility was threadbare.

Then Joe Biden appointed Merrick Garland to head the department, and now were not even pretending that justice has anything to do with the Department of Justice. Under Garlands leadership, our highly paid public servants have:

Persecuted Prosecuted a bunch of January 6 protesters for taking selfies on public property

Prosecuted a bunch of January 6 protesters for taking selfies on public property Raided the home of a former president and rifled through his wifes undie drawer

Censored the speech of political opponents

Confiscated the electronic devices of political opponents -- with news cameras in tow

Challenged red-state voting laws

Challenged red-state redistricting

Arrested prolife protesters with armed raids

Pushed transgender grooming of children on the states

Targeted concerned parents as domestic terrorists

Gone on a snipe hunt for rare and elusive white supremacists

Now everyone, on both sides of the political aisle, presumes that Heir Garland is running another political game with his most recent special counsel appointment. We just dont know for sure what game it is.

That everyone believes it, and Merrick Garland doesnt care, confirms that weve lost a few things that are critical to a healthy functioning constitutional republic. We no longer have:

Equal justice under the law

The guarantee of due process

Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure

Institutional defense of our Constitution

Both political sides know the DoJ is corrupt. However, while one side timidly admits it, the other vehemently denies it. The Dems are lying because they like the DoJ playing on their team, but theyre losing the narrative battle (53 percent of the public thinks the FBI is Joe Bidens Gestapo). The Republicans are sick of their base being demonized, but lack the political power to do anything about it. Donald Trump challenged the DoJ and FBI. Look how that turned out for him.

Each party has self-serving reasons to either defend or attack the DoJ. Fixing any of this mess will have to wait until one side wins the debate. Depending on how that debate ends, Americans will get either accountability or single-party hegemony.

The real tragedy is that all Americans have been betrayed by the Department of Justice. Its officials have violated the oath that they swore to us -- the citizens who entrusted them with power. They have no honor, and they dont seem to care.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker, and American Free News Network. He can be followed on Facebook or reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image: DoJ
People are missing the point and the media are purposely distorting the facts about the discovery of classified documents in Joe Biden's possession. The unsecured classified documents found in Biden's garage are not only a crime scene, but evidence of espionage.

Every pundit on the television continually demonstrates having little clue about the law or even the name of the security program that governs the safeguarding of classified materials.

They cannot and will not cite which law(s) was (were) broken when classified materials are discovered unsecured, irrespective of them being protected by a green Corvette or a garage door.

Under the Espionage Act, 18 USC 793: Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information lists the following:

(e) Whoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it; or (f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

So, to be clear, what the media fail to report is that President Biden obviously violated paragraph (f) of the Espionage Act, and Hunter Biden obviously violated paragraph (e) of the Espionage Act.

The governing law for the safeguarding of classified materials can be found at 32 CFR Part 117, the National Industrial Security Program, AKA the NISPOM. The NISPOM is the security bible for the security officers of defense contractors who deal with classified documents and customers.

I worked for a defense contractor that did work for the Intelligence Community. After a comprehensive background investigation was conducted on me, I was awarded a TS/SCI, a Top Secret clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (I also took a counterintelligence polygraph). My work in a SCIF sometimes required SCI control systems SI and TK  access to special intelligence and satellite imagery, respectively.

What I see of media reporting and the White House narrative is cowardly and criminal.

For someone who worked in SCIFs, doing work for classified customers, I can state unequivocally that the media are purposely skewing the facts. They are using propaganda to create the illusion that a simple accident or the mishandling of documents occurred. But just the mere fact that classified materials are not mere documents and were not properly secured, as required by the NISPOM, is evidence of a major crime. In this case, the documents were essentially in the possession of Hunter Biden, the person who was reportedly living in the house, and who is not authorized to receive, possess, or transmit classified information. Any investigator would call that for what it obviously is: a probable safe house used to traffic classified materials, and for a long time.

Maybe there is an ulterior reason for Joe Biden to constantly return to Delaware or wherever his homes are located.

There is only one purpose for removing classified information from a safe or a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) without the proper authority: to conduct espionage. Removal is stealing, and stolen documents are necessary to engage in that crime. Bradley Manning and Reality Winter are cases in point: if you remove classified documents from a SCIF without authorization, you will be charged with violating the Espionage Act.

This basic lesson seems to have eluded the FBI.

If you or I had a single page of TS/SCI classified material, out of its container, out of a SCIF, we'd be locked up for espionage in a microsecond.

That the FBI has chosen not to do anything speaks volumes. The Bureau is compromised, and by taking no action, it is actually facilitating espionage. It must be great having the FBI run cover for a criminal enterprise.

We should not be surprised. Hillary Clinton was caught violating the Espionage Act, and everyone knew it, but FBI director James Comey exonerated her. Bradley Manning and Reality Winter thought they would receive the same "punishment" Hillary received, but they were mistaken.

The media and the Dems want to cite President Trump as being caught having classified materials at Mar-a-Lago, but that accusation is a red herring. What the right-wing media point out is that, as POTUS, Donald Trump had the absolute authority to declassify documents and keep copies of declassified documents for future use, such as for presidential libraries. With President Trump, it has been nothing but part of the harassment package by the FBI and the attorney general to say he had "classified documents."

What they will not tell you or show you is that those documents no doubt possessed the required classification headers and footers, but not the declassification stamps and the date of declassification on them, which rendered them declassified.

The FBI and the A.G. are unnecessarily harassing President Trump. Congress needs to investigate and name names, and begin by impeaching FBI director Christopher Wray and A.G. Merrick Garland.

President Biden has no excuse having any TS/SCI classified material, out of its container, out of a SCIF, unsecured in a garage, in the possession of someone not authorized to receive classified documents. Understandably, the Democrats and the media are scrambling to control a devastating narrative with ample and damning evidence. There are many ways to conduct espionage, and President Biden has been caught in flagrante delicto trafficking classified documents.

Remember, the FBI looked the other way when Hillary Clinton was also trafficking classified documents.

Until Hillary came along, previously, the greatest high-level "civil servant" to traffic classified documents was Alger Hiss, during the 1930s and 1940s. He was able to spirit thousands of documents out of the State Department using a 1929 Woodstock typewriter. When evidence of his treason and treachery was finally presented, Alger Hiss's production for the Soviet Union was a stack of purloined documents four and a half feet high. Hillary's production, of 30,000 missing emails, would have made a stack 11 feet high.

Question: How long has President Biden been conducting what had to be espionage  as a senator and vice president and now as president  and if we were to retrieve his production, how tall would that stack be?

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Lori Lightfoot is the mayor of Chicago. She is running for re-election.

For a second time, she has tried to recruit students to campaign for her.

The first time was in August 2021. Last year, she sent emails to the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) seeking volunteers.

She was shot down.

The email sent in August prompted at least one instructor to file a complaint with the City Colleges' ethics office. It is unclear whether that complaint prompted an investigation, or the status of that probe. "After receiving a campaign email in August seeking student volunteers, City Colleges staff notified its Ethics Department," City Colleges' Katheryn Hayes said. "Following the department's guidance, City Colleges notified the campaign of CCC's ethics policy and purged the emails from CCC accounts."

Lori Lightfoot is not a quick study. She did it again this past week.

Not only did she send emails to CCC in search of volunteers, but she also sent emails to Chicago Public School teachers suggesting that they get their students to help her and receive credit to boot.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's reelection campaign not only sent emails to Chicago Public Schools teachers asking them to encourage their students to volunteer to help Lightfoot win a second term as mayor  and earn class credit  but identical emails went to instructors at the City Colleges of Chicago.

So what was in the email?

"Lightfoot for Chicago is seeking resumes from any volunteer interested in campaign politics and eager to gain experience in the field," the email read. "The ideal volunteer will be efficient, well organized and enthusiastic about joining a dynamic team. A strong commitment to Democratic ideals is essential.  We're simply looking for enthusiastic, curious and hard-working young people eager to help Mayor Lightfoot win this spring" (emphasis added).

Well, there you have it. Field experience.

Lunatic Lori used the dreaded F-word.

The University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work will no longer use the word "field" in its curriculum or its practices as part of its anti-racist framework, according to an email reportedly sent Monday. The school reportedly stripped the word from use due to alleged ties to "anti-Black" and "anti-immigrant" rhetoric[.] ... "This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that could be considered anti-Black or anti-immigrant in favor of inclusive language," the email reportedly reads. "Language can be powerful, and phrases such as 'going into the field' or 'field work' may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign."

L.L. has demonstrated anti-White racism:

"By now, you may have heard the news that on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as Mayor of this great City, I will be exclusively providing one-on-one interviews with journalists of color," Lightfoot said in a letter to local media provided The Post. "As a person of color, I have throughout my adult life done everything that I can to fight for diversity and inclusion in every institution that I have been a part of and being Mayor makes me uniquely situated to shine a spotlight on this most important issue."

Now she is displaying anti-Black and anti-immigrant racism. This just about completes the everyone-is-included trifecta.

Perhaps Dirty Lori is channeling her inner Harry Callahan  i.e., she hates everyone.

Now, that is equity.

Image: Lori Lightfoot. Credit: MacLean Center via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped).
Pope Francis is just full of surprises. Word has now emerged that the Pope, using coarse language, advised Spanish seminarians that, even if the person making a confession is not penitent and does not intend to repent in the future, priests must grant that person absolution. By doing so, Francis departed from Catholic doctrine. More than that, he has just removed eternal punishment for any and all crimes and sins. As I said, full of surprises.

The Catholic Herald has the details:

Priests should grant absolution in the confessional even when the penitent has no intention to repent, the Pope has said in a speech which has shocked seminarians. The Holy Father put aside a written speech, describing it as boring, and delivered an off-the-cuff address to seminarians from Barcelona, Spain, in which he frequently used foul language. In his address, he ordered students for the priesthood not to be clerical, to forgive everything, adding that if we see that there is no intention to repent, we must forgive all. We can never deny absolution, because we become a vehicle for an evil, unjust, and moralistic judgment, Francis reportedly told the seminarians, who were accompanied by the Auxiliary Bishop Javier Vilanova Pellisa of Barcelona. Priests who deny penitents absolution are delinquents, the Pontiff said, according to the Church Militant website.

Did he really say that priests shouldnt be vehicles for moralistic judgment? I thought the whole point was that priests existed to aid their parishioners in living a moral life consistent with Biblical teachings in order to prepare them for a deserved ascension to Heaven in the afterlife. Without that morality bit, the Church reverts to the paganism of placating gods who behave in random, usually immoral or amoral, fashion.

Image: Pope Francis. YouTube screen grab.

Im not a Catholic, so I did a little research to find out what spiritual consequences flow from granting absolution. According to Catholic Answers, absolution reflects the Churchs power to remove sinincluding punishment in the afterlifefrom a persons moral roster:

Absolution (Ab = from; solvere = to free), is the remission of sin, or of the punishment due to sin, granted by the Church. (For remission of punishment due to sin, see Ecclesiastical Censures. Excommunication. Indulgences.) Absolution proper is that act of the priest whereby, in the Sacrament of Penance, he frees man from sin. It presupposes on the part of the penitent, contrition, confession, and promise at least of satisfaction; on the part of the minister, valid reception of the Order of Priesthood and jurisdiction, granted by competent authority, over the person receiving the sacrament.

The same link provides an encyclopedic list of Catholic authorities commenting on the Churchs power through its representatives to absolve true penitents of their sins, including the eternal punishment associated with the sin. No wonder, then, that the Catholic Herald explains that both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Canon 987 in The Code of Canon Law require that the person repudiate past sins, be truly contrite, and promise not to sin again.

As I understand what the Pope just saidand please correct me if Im wronga man can walk into the confessional, state that he brutally murdered his wife, assert that he feels no guilt and would probably do the same again, and the priest must nevertheless grant him absolution lest the priest be guilty of an evil, unjust, and moralistic judgment.

Pope Francis paired this interesting deviation from traditional doctrine and practice with obscenities more befitting a 20-something leftist barista than the moral and spiritual father of the Catholic world. Again, from the Catholic Herald:

According to reports, Francis also used his speech to rant against f***ing careerists who f*** up the lives of others. The Pope also criticised those who climb to show their a**, the Italian media outlet Daily Compass reported.

What were witnessing here is the equivalent of the indulgences that plagued the medieval church. The only difference is that, back then, the priest demanded payment for granting absolution without picayune moral judgments. Now, the papacy is handing it out for free. It seems to me that the last time the papacy did this much damage to the Churchs moral standing, Martin Luther came along.
Earlier this month, for the first time in his 80 years on Earth, Joe Biden visited the southern border as his destination.

Before meeting with Border Patrol agents, the city of El Paso cleared out large encampments filled with homeless illegal aliens, thus insulating Biden from having to see the extent of the damage he has caused. El Paso has seen a massive spike in homelessness and crime because of Biden's border crisis, all of which was covered up for a presidential photo-op.

Biden did not speak with or encounter any illegal aliens during his trip, refusing to expose himself to the homelessness, squalor, and safety risks that El Paso residents experience on a daily basis due to Biden's immigration policies. He is likely unaware of the dangerous situation his administration has created in El Paso and surrounding areas, and officials in the federal government who are aware simply do not care. Biden made clear how out of touch he is on this issue with the offensive and callous remarks he made in the days leading up to his border trip.

Days before his visit, Biden preposterously compared illegal aliens to Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany to escape the Holocaust. To compare aliens illegally entering the U.S. for better work prospects to Jewish refugees in the 1930s and 1940s who were escaping one of the worst genocides in human history is deeply ignorant and offensive, and it also shows a shocking misunderstanding of the U.S. asylum system.

Given Biden's general ignorance on important policy matters, it's fair to assume he's not aware that more than 90 percent of asylum-seekers do not receive asylum, either because they are not eligible or because they fail to file an application or show up to court, as required by law. He's likely unaware that the vast majority of illegal aliens who claim asylum are doing so not for safety reasons, but for economic reasons. Biden's comments were absurd and offensive, but they also reveal how embedded anti-borders propaganda has become in the highest corridors of power.

Biden also announced a new immigration plan, which will allow 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. The administration's "plan" to fix the border is almost entirely focused on importing more migrants to the country. Biden's plan and his remarks offer nothing to the American people, and instead place the interests of foreign nationals over American citizens. While the U.S. immigration system is supposed to work in a way that first and foremost benefits Americans, this administration views immigration only through the interests of migrants hoping to come here. The notion that our immigration system should prioritize the interests of the American people first is anathema to the worldview of the White House.

Biden's comments before and during his visit to the border make clear that his administration has no plans to change course from its disastrous policies. Ultimately, Biden's visit to the border was meant to check a box and appease some of his critics, given that his party no longer holds full control of the federal government, and the administration may now face actual consequences for its subversion of America's sovereignty.

House speaker Kevin McCarthy has vowed to probe the Biden administration's dereliction of duty at the border and threatened to impeach Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if he does not resign. The threat of investigation and impeachment is why Biden finally visited the border, after ignoring it for two years. Biden understands that his failed immigration policies are about to finally be under the microscope after Congress and the corporate media spent two years ignoring them.

Biden's quick trip to the border was inevitable, but insulting. He spent two hours in El Paso, took a photo op at the border wall and jetted back to Washington, D.C.

The American people deserve leaders who take this crisis seriously, but they don't have that in the White House right now.

William J. Davis is a communications associate for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.

Image: Screen shot from ABC News video via YouTube.
A lot of things happened in January in Cuban history. Jose Marti, the leader of independence against Spain, was born in January 28, 1853. In 1959, the so-called "revolution" happened. The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in January 1961. And we remember that Fulgencio Batista was born in January 1901, one year before Cuba became an independent nation in 1902. His name is all over 20th-century Cuban history. It's also difficult to mention his name without getting a strong reaction. He died in exile in 1973.

I was born in the 1950s, the last decade of Batista's Cuba. So I was in between the two eras, Batista and Castro. What was Batista's legacy? Yes, he overthrew a president in 1952, and corruption was a problem, but don't believe that silly movie Godfather II. People were not running to their boats, and there were definitely no rebels ready to commit suicide in protest. It did not happen.

Nevertheless, I make no excuses for Batista's mistakes. My parents were not "Batistianos" and were super-critical of that coup. As my late father would tell me, yes, we had some problems, but the coup was not necessary. To be fair, it was not the first coup in Cuban history.

What about the rest of Batista's story? Cuba was a young and vibrant country with hope and a future. In other words, the island of Cuba attracted people rather than driving its citizens away, looking for a future.

It is really sad to watch Cuba today. The young escape and look for a better life, preferably in the U.S. The old get stuck behind.

There were no Cubans packed on rafts arriving in Florida during Batista's regime. One way or another, Cuba had room for all Cubans. There were disagreements and lots of shouting, but Cubans stayed on the island. Instinctively, everyone knew that there was a future in Cuba, no matter how passionate the disagreements were. Again, as my late parents used to say, yes, we had problems, but we knew that one way or another, we'd work it out, as they had in the past.

It is even more painful when you realize that pre-Castro Cuba attracted thousands of immigrants from all over the world.

As our friend Dr Carlos Eire wrote:

Between 1900 and 1930, the first three decades of Cuban independence, about one million immigrants flooded into the island, mostly European, and mostly northern Spaniards. This population tsunami also included Asians, Levantines, and Jews. These immigrants doubled the population of the island and changed its complexion, literally. Tens of thousands of immigrants continued to flow into Cuba every year after that, up to 1958. Immigration from the U.S. was comparatively slight, but in 1958 there were more Americans living in Cuba than Cubans in the U.S.A. Emigration from Cuba was minimal during this half century. Rates of immigration as high as this and of emigration as low require a robust and growing economy, and a considerable degree of political stability.

Some of those Spaniards who came to Cuba were my ancestors. They came looking for a better life, and they found it. They became successful entrepreneurs and left us a legacy of family and a strong work ethic.

So what's the bottom line? Cuba was better off in 1959 than it is today. Batista was better than Castro. This is not an unconditional defense of his record. On the contrary, it is an honest review of Cuba under Batista and the island under a communist regime.

Batista may have disappointed Cubans, but the island prospered. Castro has failed Cubans, and all you have to do is look at those photos of Havana yesterday and today. It's time to give Batista some credit for the Cuban economy and the middle class that ended up moving to the U.S.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: Picryl.
It's time for a new drug strategy. The Biden administration's harm reduction strategy isn't working. America is in its worst drug abuse crisis in over a century. According to the CDC, over 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, and almost 950,000 have died since 1999; figures for 2022 show a slight decline in overdose deaths over the previous year. The leading killer is illicit fentanyl  a synthetic opioid so powerful that two milligrams can kill you. Fentanyl and methamphetamine come from Mexico; their chemicals come from China. Drug cartels make fentanyl and add it to heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and counterfeit prescription drugs. The fake drugs look like Xanax, Adderall, and other prescription drugs but are laced with fentanyl. It's easy to buy drugs on the internet and social media. Young people buy "Xanax" and die from fentanyl poisoning. Yet there is no outrage from our leaders.

New York had the heroin and crack epidemics of the '70s and '80s. The response was more enforcement and treatment, and it worked for a while. But since then, the drug problem has progressively worsened; drug enforcement and treatment are not priorities for our politicians and government leaders. All aspects of the drug problem have been given a low priority since the mid-'90s. Our society tolerates illicit drug use and has legalized marijuana use. Drug-traffickers exploit modern technology to their advantage, and the U.S. government lags behind. We suffer the consequences of three decades or more of failed and inconsistent strategies coupled with permissive attitudes toward drug use.

The Biden administration's drug strategy isn't working, and there is no urgency to address the problem. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation on TV to tell Americans what their government was doing about the drug problem. He announced the first National Drug Control Strategy, which contained substantial resource increases and a solid commitment to enforcement and treatment. He said, "[Drugs are] the greatest threat facing our nation today." The current administration rarely mentions the drug crisis. One can barely walk the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities without stepping over addicts, discarded syringes, and crack pipes. Violence in our major cities is often driven by drug-gang conflict. Such human misery is unacceptable in the wealthiest country on Earth.

What is our current drug strategy for China and Mexico? These countries are not cooperative and cite America's drug appetite as the problem  they are not wrong. U.S. border enforcement officials are overwhelmed by the flood of illegal aliens and cannot focus on drugs smuggled over the border.

Here are recommendations to save American lives.

First, we need a strategy that includes vigorous enforcement, drug treatment on demand, and education. The administration's Drug Policy Priorities hardly mention policies that work, such as preventing drug-smuggling, extraditing drug kingpins, and reducing supply. Instead, it focuses on harm reduction.

Second, the DEA needs more agents and a bigger budget. The annual budget and staff levels have remained at about $3 billion per year to support 5,000 special agents worldwide for three years. That's not enough to address the escalating U.S. drug crisis.

Third, the administration must use tougher trade sanctions and demand cooperation from China and Mexico. Banks and financial institutions in New York and Europe control transactions through the global banking system. The federal government should use this leverage against Chinese chemical companies, money-launderers, and Mexican drug cartels. The Chinese and Mexican governments must be responsible for chemical shipments and drugs that kill Americans. U.S. intelligence agencies should use technology to interfere with Mexican drug cartel communications.

Fourth, drug cartels control large swaths of Mexico and corrupt high-level government officials. In 2021, the Lopez-Obrador administration took actions that made collaboration with the DEA virtually impossible. The U.S. should conduct unilateral raids and drone strikes on drug cartel hideouts, chemical and drug shipments, and processing labs to capture kingpins and destroy labs.

Fifth, pressure the Mexican government to extradite more drug-traffickers to the U.S. Conduct extraterritorial renditions to bring drug kingpins to justice, like terrorists. Extradition is the most effective weapon against drug lords. The unprecedented loss of American lives to drugs and widespread corruption in the Mexican government demand new approaches.

We know what works, and it's not complacency and business as usual.

Richard LaMagna was a DEA special agent for 27 years and was assigned to DEA offices in New York, Asia, Europe, and FBI and DEA HQ. He was director of counter-narcotics at the White House National Security Council under President George H.W. Bush. He retired as DEA deputy chief of intelligence. He runs LaMagna and Associates, LLC's security consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

Image: CDC.
Maybe you are already sick and tired of all the attention being paid to the elites meeting in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum gathering. They are, after all, a pretty repulsive bunch, a collection of self-involved, arrogant elitists, what CDR Salamander calls a "wannabe gaggle of quasi-oligarchs and autocrat throne sniffers" (hat tip: Glenn Reynolds).

But for all their hypocrisy (flying in on hundreds of private jets while demanding that the rest of us give up our internal combustion engines, dining on steak as they demand we eat bugs, and driving up the price of hookers), they are able to shape politics and policy all over the world. In their own minds, they may be the natural aristocracy that the lesser orders of humanity need to be guided by, but in reality, they are delusional, intoxicated by their collective status and power, and therefore completely unaware of the limitations of their minds  not to mention the fact that their founder and fearless leader does an excellent version of a Bond villain.

Tucker Carlson led off his Wednesday edition of the top-rated program on cable news with a spectacularly funny and cutting takedown of their false pride and the disasters that they have brought on and then covered up. The analogy to the "man behind the curtain" in the Wizard of Oz was perhaps too obvious for Tucker to indulge in, but it certainly seems apt. The Great Reset so far has been a catastrophe.

If you missed it, watch and enjoy.



Photo credit: YouTube screen grab.
Google has published new Android distribution numbers via Android Studio, which reveal that Android 13 is installed on 5.2% of all Android devices at this point. Do note that Android 13 launched six months ago.

Android 13 is now installed on 5.2% of Android devices out there

This is the first update that Google provided on the matter since August last year. The company used to be far more frequent with such updates in the past, but thats no longer the case.

So, Android 13 is installed on 5.2% of devices. Android 12 and 12L are running on 18.9% of all Android devices. Android 12 and 12L presence increased quite a bit from the 13.5% that we reported back in August.

On the other hand, Android Oreo now stands at 10%, while Android KitKat dropped to 0.7%, from the 0.9% it held back in August. Android Jelly Bean is no longer listed here, by the way. It previously had a 0.3% share.

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Now, a 5.2% share for Android 13 may not seem like a lot, but considering how many Android devices are out there, some would say thats not a bad start for Googles latest version of Android.

Many mainstream devices got the update already

Many mainstream flagships and even mid-range smartphones got the update. That goes for phones from the most prolific Android OEMs out there, of course. Samsung, OnePlus, ASUS, OPPO, Vivo, and various other companies are doing a really good job with updates. Some are better than others, of course.

For those of you who want to bring iOS into the conversation, theres really no point. Apple makes iOS for its own devices only, and not that many of them, compared to what were looking at in the Android world. So comparing the distribution numbers between platforms really makes no sense whatsoever.
Sony has begun rolling out the Android 13 update to the Xperia 10 IV, its cheapest phone of last year. The mid-range device follows the likes of the Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, Xperia 1 III, Xperia 5 III, and Xperia Pro-I in making the jump to the new Android version. The latter devices received the big Android update over the past couple of months.

The Android 13 update for the Sony Xperia 10 IV is currently rolling out to the dual-SIM variant (model number XQ-CC72) in some Asian countries. The build number of the new firmware package for the phone is 65.1.A.4.8 (via). The Japanese tech behemoth should expand this release to more markets in the coming days, though we dont have any timeline as such. This phone wasnt officially released in the US.

This update brings plenty of goodies to the Sony Xperia 10 IV. After all, its a major Android release. We have several new features, changes, and improvements throughout the system. Along with those goodies, the device is also getting the December 2022 Android security patch. Last months security release contains several dozen vulnerability fixes, including some critical ones that allowed remote code execution. Google has already released the January 2023 security patch with dozens more vulnerability fixes, but this Sony phone isnt picking that up just yet.

Sony updates the Xperia 10 IV to Android 13

Sony isnt known for fast Android updates. The company launches only a handful of smartphones every year and takes months to update those to the latest Android version. The Japanese firm began the Android 13 rollout in November, starting with the latest flagships Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV. In December, it updated a few more devices to the new Android version, including its 2021 flagships. The Xperia 10 IV is now joining the party.

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If youre using this Sony mid-ranger from 2022, Android 13 should be available to you very soon. You will get a notification for the OTA (over the air) update once it is available. Simply tap the notification and follow the on-screen instructions to install the new Android version. You can also manually check for updates from the Software update section in the Settings app on your phone. Its a safe practice to back up your important data before installing big Android updates. In case things go wrong, you will not lose your data. Also, make sure to charge your Sony Xperia 10 IV to at least 60 percent before you proceed with the updating process.
After piloting for about a year, TikTok is expanding its state-affiliated media policy globally. The video-centric social media app will add labels to content from government-controlled accounts on its platform. This helps users identify content that may be biased or promoting the viewpoint of a government, so they can make informed decisions. Companies like YouTube, Meta (Facebook), and Twitter have been showing such labels on their respective platforms for a few years now.

TikTok will show state labels in more markets

TikTok began labeling state-affiliated accounts in March of last year, following Russias invasion of Ukraine. The pilot program was launched in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. All TikTok content published from accounts controlled by the government or government-affiliated agencies in these countries featured an actionable label that let users know about the same. Users can then make informed decisions regarding the accuracy and transparency of the content and take appropriate action.

About a year after launching this pilot, TikTok is now expanding this policy to more countries. The company doesnt name the countries but says these labels will appear on state-affiliated accounts from over 40 markets across multiple regions. The rollout will begin in a phased approach and will gradually expand to more markets over time. A TikTok spokesperson told Engadget that the app will label the Chinese state media accounts among others.

According to TikTok, it consulted with more than 60 media experts, political scientists, academics, and representatives from international organizations and civil society around the world to improve its state-affiliated media policy over the past year. The company says these labels will appear on accounts run by entities whose editorial output or decision-making process is subject to control or influence by a government.

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However, it notes that there is always a possibility of occasional errors. As such, any account labeled as state-affiliated media on TikTok can appeal if they feel its a mistake. Those accounts require to submit additional information that ensures their editorial independence. TikTok will verify the claim with the help of independent authoritative experts and act accordingly. The firm will remove the label if it finds that the account was incorrectly labeled earlier.

TikTok may be trying to address the security concerns in the US

Over the past few weeks, several US states have banned TikTok on official devices. Even the federal government and some colleges have announced similar bans. They all had concerns that the company may allow the Chinese government access to the user data of Americans. By labeling the Chinese state media accounts, TikTok may be trying to address those concerns. The company can now argue that it treats the Chinese government the same as other state-controlled media. It remains to be seen whether this helps TikTok avoid further bans in the US.
(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 19 - A rightist Brothers of Italy (FdI) Senator on Thursday filed a bill giving the unborn child juridical rights, prompting Premier Giorgia Meloni's party to stress that this was his personal initiative.

The bill submitted to the Upper House by Roberto Menia recognises the juridical capacity and legal status of the unborn child.

FdI sources said the bill would not be followed up.

There have been similar sporadic legal bids by conservative and pro-life MPs in the past, spurring fears for Italy's abortion laws.

But they have come to nothing. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 19 - Some 3.1-3-7 million homes in Italy will be affected by a proposed European Union directive on Green homes which Italy is trying to stop because it allegedly puts an intolerable financial burden on home-owners, Brussels sources said Thursday.

Between 3.1 and 3.7 million buildings are to be renovated in Italy by 2033 according to the proposal for a directive on the energy efficiency of buildings currently being examined by the European Parliament, the sources said.

The estimates were made on the basis of the European Commission's figures.

Premier Giorgia Meloni's rightist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party on Friday filed a resolution in the House aimed at stopping the EU directive on Green homes that it said would hit some nine million Italian home owners who might be asked to pay large sums to boost their residences' energy efficiency in the next 10 years.

"The home is sacred and can't be touched," said FdI House Whip Tommaso Foti.

"Brothers of Italy guards against the European Union's attempt to foist on Italy, with the directive on boosting energy efficiency, a camouflaged property tax that damages the rights of the owners," he said.

Other majority parties the League and Forza Italia (FI) backed FdI's move. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 19 - Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said Thursday that bans unilaterally introduced at the Brenner Pass by Austria were unacceptable.

He said he would take action with the EU against them.

The new Austrian measures are aimed at restricting the circulation of heavy goods vehicles in the Tyrol region.

"It is not acceptable that...Austria should set limits that inure the free circulation of men and goods, blocking Italian lorries at the entrance towards the Tyrol," said the rightwing League leader. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 19 - Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on Thursday defended his plans to make the regulations for the use of wiretaps by investigators stricter, saying there was a risk of a "democracy cut in half" if the government does not intervene to stop abuses.

Reporting to the Lower House, the minister also reiterated that his reform would not affect cases of organized crime and terrorism.

Nordio's planned reform has come under renewed fire after wiretaps played a role in the arrest this week of Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro after 30 years on the run.

But Nordio says cases like this would not be affected by his plans.

"I never intended to touch terrorism and mafia wiretaps, or the satellite crimes of these pernicious phenomena, in the slightest," he said.

Nordio argues that it is necessary to tighten up the wiretap rules to prevent the reputations of innocent people being damaged by recordings of conversations getting leaked to the press.

He also said the government would fix some "critical issues" regarding a reform passed by his predecessor Marta Cartabia aimed at speeding up Italy's criminal justice after reports of mobsters being released due to the effects of the reform.

(ANSA).


PARIS - Even employees of the public electricity sector, EDF, adhered to the first day of strikes against the pension reform bill in France. The strike has hit primarily transport, schools, hospitals, fuel refineries and gas stations. The decreased production of energy at the EDF plants is equal until now, according to calculations, to twice the levels of consumption of the city of Paris. "It is the beginning of the fight, until the bill is repealed", writes the CGT Union on a leaflet on social media, announcing that there will be an "over 7,000 megawatt decrease in production which will not have an impact on users".



In the TotalEnergies's refineries, approximately 70 to 100% employees adhered to the protest, declared to France Press Eric Sellini who is the national coordinator of the GGT Union for TotalEnergies.



Concerning schools, the Ministry quotes a percentage of teachers on strike between 42.35% at elementary schools and 34.66% in secondary schools, while the Union calculated the people not going to work were over 65%.



Public transport in Paris, between the metro, trains going to the suburbs and Rer, this morning suffered complications in terms of efficiency but without major issues for passengers. A good portion of citizens from Ile-de-France - the central area of Paris with a concentration of nearly 20% of France's total population - opted for working from home, leaving roads and public transport to those who had to be physically present at work. According ot the Sytadin website, even road traffic remained rather fluid.



In the capital, the protest against the reform bill will start at 2 pm from Place de la Republique and will reach Place de la Nation, via the Bastille. The Ministry of Interior deployed 10,000 policemen to face a march that could reach as many as one million participants. There is fear that some violent incident may occur, the secret services mentioned approximately one thousand "casseur" arriving in Paris.



The pension reform "channels all those who are unhappy" in France, said the Secretary General of the CGT Union, Philippe Martinez, who was interviewed by Public Senat on the day of the significant mobilization against the reform wanted by President Emmanuel Macron. According to him, the fact that the Union front is ready to take to the streets against the reform shows that "the problem is truly very serious". The most contested point of the project concerns raising the pension age from 62 to 64. For Martinez, this is a "dogmatic, ideological reform". The meetings that took place with the government over the last months "did not change a thing".




TEL AVIV - Two Palestinians were killed in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, during an Israeli army operation aimed at arresting a leader of the Islamic Jihad operative and his two sons. The Palestinian Wafa news agency identified the two killed as Jawad Farid Hussein Bawakna, 58, and Adham Muhammad Bassem Jabareen, 26. The latter, according to the media, was an Islamic Jihad operative and former Israeli prison detainee. The same sources added that the two men were killed during a shooting that began right after the soldiers entered the camp.



During the "counter-terrorism operation in the refugee camp, armed Palestinians fired heavily against the security forces which responded accordingly. Explosive devices were also thrown at the Israeli army", noted the army. During the operation "a terrorism suspect was apprehended and an M16 rifle was seized, as well as explosive materials, military equipment and ammunition". In the course of the operation - added the Israeli army - "a soldier was lightly wounded and taken to the hospital".




ALGIERS - Algerian authorities released the businessman and political activist Rachid Nekkaz, a few days after he sent a request to be pardoned to the Algerian President Abdelmadjjid Tebboune, announcing that he will leave politics.



"Thank God Rachid Nekkaz is free", is written on a post published last night on the Islamic activist's Facebook page.



Even local media reported on the liberation of 51-year old Nekkaz, who was incarcerated last May for illegal assembly and violation of public order. The daily Echourouk noted that an official source confirms his release from prison.



Even the private news channel of Ennahar reported that "the release took place after Nekkaz received the Presidential pardon".



A few days ago, from the prison where he was being held in the province of Chlef, in the western part of the country, Nekkaz had asked to be pardoned due to his "difficult health conditions". In a letter, he had announced his "complete withdrawal from the political arena" and his intention to "dedicate myself to writing and to my family who is abroad".



Nekkaz, one of the most controversial and known political activists in Algeria, was already incarcerated in the past, always for non-authorized assembly of people. He was released at the beginning of 2021. In the past he resided in France, but in October 2013 he renounced his French nationality to run for Presidential elections in Algeria in April 2014. An office he was unable to run for due to the lack of signatures collected.



In France he was known as "the lawyer of veiled women" because he had created a fund with one million euro (the Freedom Defense Fund) to pay for the fines incurred by women following the French law of 2011 that prohibits "hiding the face in public places" and therefore in actuality it does not permit Islamic integral veils such as the burka or the niqab.




MADRID - French President Emmanuel Macron was expected this morning in Barcelona, where a meeting is planned with Spanish PM, Pedro Sanchez as well as a bilateral summit between the various ministers of both governments to sign a "friendship treaty" between France and Spain. An agreement modeled after the one known as "The Quirinale Treaty", signed at the end of 2021 between Paris and Rome. The summit will take place at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC).



Macron arrived in Barcelona around 11 am, the location was chosen by the Spanish government for the summit with the French President also as a gesture aligned with the political aim of bridging institutional relations with Catalonia after the tension and fractures of the last years related to secessionist claims. The press conference is planned for 2 pm.
MADRID - French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, signed a new "friendship treaty" between their respective countries in Barcelona. The formal moment of the signature was filmed by the Spanish TV channel TVE and took place after a bilateral summit of the two leaders at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC).



The new agreement, which touches upon several areas of cooperation, was drafted on the model of other treaties Paris already signed, such as "the treaty of the Quirinale" signed with Rome at the end of 2021. While at the same location, a series of other agreements and bilateral declarations were signed by various Ministers of both countries.
STRASBOURG - The green light was given to the European Parliament's report concerning intimidation against journalists in Morocco. The report calls on the Moroccan authorities to respect the rights of the media, in particular in the case of Omar Radi. This is the first vote that concerns Morocco after the Qatargate case erupted. Furthermore, an amendment proposed by the Left's group expressing "profound concern" at the accusations that the authorities in Rabat bribed some MEPs and asking for Moroccan representatives "to have the same measures applied to them as were applied to representatives of Qatar" passed too.



What stands out in the vote for the resolution is the 'nay' response of a numerous group of over ten Spanish Socialists. The Italian MEP (from the Forza Italia party), Massimiliano Salini, abstained. What was even more divisive, among the EP Groups, was the vote on the amendment of the Left that calls for the extension of the same measures applied to Qatar - which were already adopted by the EP - to Morocco as well, following the inquiry. These measures include: blocking access to two countries' delegates who are involved in the case. The text passed without the votes of the ECR Group (the European Conservatives and Reformists), whose MEPs, among them the Italian Carlo Fidanza, Nicola Procaccini, Sergio Berlato, Denis Nesci and Raffaele Stancantelli, abstained.
A cherished museum has celebrated welcoming 500,000 visitors since it reopened nine months ago following a major refurbishment.

The Burrell Collection, situated in Glasgows Pollok Park, closed to the public in October 2016 and reopened on March 29 last year following a 68.25 million project that increased its gallery space by 35%.

The collection, which includes art, stained glass, ceramics and tapestries, was amassed by Sir William Burrell and donated to Glasgow by the shipping magnate and his wife in 1944.

It is estimated that in the six months to October, the museum created a 19.9 million economic benefit for Glasgow, and 21.1 million for Scotland, Glasgow Life said.

Young children celebrate the visitor milestone (Glasgow Museums Collection/PA)

Annette Christie, chairwoman of Glasgow Life, which runs the museum, said: To have welcomed 500,000 people to the Burrell since reopening in March is a wonderful endorsement for the ambitious refurbishment of this cherished, world-class museum.

Glasgows ongoing commitment to culture continues to reap substantial wellbeing and economic rewards for the city. The appeal of the Burrell Collection is reflected in these strong visitor figures.

This spectacular home for a unique, prized collection will enable Glasgow to continue promoting inclusion and support for local communities, businesses and the tourism economy.

More than three-quarters (78%) of those who visited between April and October did not live in Glasgow or the Greater Glasgow area.

The King visited the museum to officially reopen it in October (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The King was among those who visited in October, when he officially reopened the museum  which was originally opened by his mother the Queen in 1983.

Susan Deighan, chief executive of Glasgow Life, said: The Burrell Collection is a reminder of cultures significant contribution to the international appeal and vibrancy of Glasgow, and the affection felt by local people for the museum and collection.

As the Burrell approaches its first anniversary, we will continue to programme events and exhibitions that will attract local people and tourists in the years ahead.

Sir William and Lady Burrell devoted more than 75 years of their lives to amassing one of the worlds greatest personal art collections.

It ranges from ancient prehistoric artefacts to works by Impressionists such as Manet and Degas, and includes late medieval art, Chinese ceramics, bronzes and jades, Islamic pile carpets and French nineteenth-century paintings.

Items from the collection are spread across 24 galleries (Jane Barlow/PA)

Inside the museum, 225 displays are spread across 24 galleries.

Professor Frances Fowle, senior trustee at the Sir William Burrell Trust, said: The Burrell trustees are delighted that the new-look Burrell Collection has already attracted so many visitors, both local and international.

This is testament to the quality of the collection, which has been imaginatively redisplayed and reinterpreted in a magnificent, state-of-the-art museum that offers something for everyone.

Nearly half of the funding for the 68.25 million project was committed by Glasgow City Council, while more than a quarter came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and significant donations came from the Scottish Government, the UK Government and from many trusts and private donors.
The decision to prosecute Alec Baldwin over the death of Halyna Hutchins represents a terrible miscarriage of justice, the actors lawyer has said.

Both Baldwin and the films armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of Ms Hutchins on set of the film Rust in 2021.

The decision was announced by New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, via a written statement on Thursday.

After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew, the statement read.

On my watch, no-one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.

Responding to the announcement, Baldwins lawyer, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, said: This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice.

Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set.

He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.

It comes less than three months after the District Attorneys office received the final report from the police into the incident which led to the death of Ms Hutchins after a prop gun held by Baldwin was discharged.

Rust director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe, Arizona.

Assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

No charges will be filed over the non-fatal shooting of Souza, the DA said.

Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in 2021 (Santa Fe County Sheriff/PA)

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be charged in the alternative with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty, the DAs office said.

The first charge can be referred to as involuntary manslaughter and requires proof of underlying negligence.

This charge also includes the misdemeanour charge of negligent use of a firearm, which would likely merge as a matter of law.

The second charge is involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death.

Under New Mexico law, both charges are a fourth-degree felony and are punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a 5,000 dollar (4,000) fine.

The second charge includes a firearm enhancement, or added mandatory penalty, which makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.

If any one of these three people, Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls, had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple, said special prosecutor Andrea Reeb.

The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set.

In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that dont take our states commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.

Ms Hutchins after a prop gun held by Baldwin was discharged (Santa Fe County Sheriffs office/PA)

Ms Carmack-Altwies and Ms Reeb will formally file charges with New Mexicos First Judicial District Court before the end of the month.

Following the filing of charges, each defendant will be issued a summons with the charging information and will be required to make a first appearance at court shortly after  though this can be done virtually.

The next step after first appearance will be a preliminary hearing, where the District Attorney and the special prosecutor will present their case to the judge, who will rule whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial.

Dates for a preliminary hearing will be set by the court and are typically scheduled within 60 days of charges being filed.

There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case, Ms Carmack-Altwies said.

We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law.
Former ERG chairs and current Northern Ireland Office colleagues Chris Heaton-Harris and Steve Baker have said they did not attend this weeks meeting of the Eurosceptic Tory MPs and the DUP.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson held talks with Conservative members of the European Research Group in London on Tuesday.

The discussions came as the DUP seeks to shore up support for its opposition to Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol amid mounting speculation the Government is moving towards striking a deal with the EU on the contentious post-Brexit trading arrangements.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (Liam McBurney/PA)

The DUP is blocking the functioning of powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at the protocol and says it will only countenance a return to Stormont if the economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are scrapped.

A compromise deal between London and Brussels could fall short of what the DUP is demanding and the party is keen to secure the support of Tory Eurosceptics to avoid being isolated if London and Brussels serve up a deal that it opposes.

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Heaton-Harris and NIO minister Steve Baker were previously leading figures in the ERG through the Brexit process.

Since becoming ministers in Government, they have been involved in efforts to thaw relations with the EU, and in particular the Irish government.

Both Conservative politicians joined ministerial counterparts from Ireland at a meeting of the British Irish Intergovermental Conference in Dublin on Thursday.

Afterwards they were asked whether they attended the meeting between the ERG and DUP.

Mr Baker replied: I was not at that meeting no, but I do see Jeffery often and I see my great friends in ERG often, but I was not at that meeting.

Mr Heaton-Harris added: Im afraid I wasnt either.

He then joked: Not flipping invited again.

Mr Heaton-Harris (second left) and Mr Baker (right) with Tanaiste Micheal Martin (left) Ireland Minister for Justice Simon Harris at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (Brian Lawless/PA)

Later, Mr Baker spoke in warm terms about improving relations with the Irish government as he described Thursdays engagement as a great success.

Weve met together in a spirit of goodwill and authentic cooperation, he said.

Mr Baker said the UK/Irish link-up was a fundamental relationship.

Actually, Im very proud that two former ERG chairmen have been part of completely transforming this relationship, he said.

And Im pleased because were now on a positive trajectory together, and were going to work together.

Were always going to face problems, but were going to face those problems together and rise to them. And Im very pleased and proud of our work today and the work thats brought us to this point.

He added: I very much hope well bring the DUP and Eurosceptic MPs to the same positive place in our relations with Ireland.
Jennifer Lopez says performing in an action-based romantic comedy was a new challenge for me but that she had a ball while filming.

The international music megastar and actress stars in the new Amazon Prime film Shotgun Wedding, alongside Josh Duhamel, Lenny Kravitz, and multi-award winning TV star Jennifer Coolidge.

Lopez said she had initially questioned whether she wanted to do another wedding movie  having recently performed opposite Owen Wilson in Marry Me  but she had been persuaded by the script and format.

Shotgun Wedding sees soon-to-be newlyweds Darcy and Tom (Lopez and Duhamel) gather their families for a luxurious destination wedding, just as they begin to get cold feet.

Things take a turn for the even-worse, when the entire wedding party is taken hostage, forcing the couple to spring into action.

Lopez was joined by her cast mates, as well as director Jason Moore at the global premiere of the film in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

I love doing the action, Ive done a lot of romantic comedies  somebody told me (Ive done) eight wedding movies, she told the PA news agency.

Its funny because I had just done Marry Me and I was like do I want to do another wedding movie? but it was so funny and so well written and at the same time was the first time I would be doing an action-romantic comedy.

So that was a new challenge for me.

Jennifer Coolidge arrives at the premiere of Shotgun Wedding, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Asked if she had done any extra training for the somewhat physical role, she replied: I didnt.

I just threw myself into it like Lucille Ball, got my Lucy on and threw myself this way and that way  I just had a ball with it  see what I did there?

Shooting for the film took place in the Dominican Republic in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.

Shotgun Wedding will release globally on Prime Video on January 27.
Controversial legislation to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles will end the current merry-go-round of court cases, the Defence Secretary has said.

Ben Wallace said the current system is not serving the peace process well.

However Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly criticised Mr Wallaces comments as insulting and disrespectful to victims of the conflict who have waited decades for truth and justice about the killings of their loved ones.

The Governments draft Legacy Bill would provide immunity for people accused of Troubles offences as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body, and would also halt future civil cases and inquests linked to killings during the conflict.

The proposed law changes are opposed by all Stormonts main parties and the Irish government, as well as victims groups in the region, which have denounced it as an amnesty for killers.

This week, the Government moved to change proposals for the truth recovery body to be able to conduct criminal investigations where it judges that to be appropriate.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaking at Queens University in Belfast last week (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Wallace also urged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who pledged to ditch the Bill if he becomes Prime Minister, to be very cautious before making these type of commitments.

Speaking in Belfast on Wednesday, Mr Wallace insisted the legislation was the fairest way to deal with the past.

Mr Wallace, who previously served in Northern Ireland as a soldier in 1991, said he understands the depth of feeling around the past.

I understand the sense of loss many victims have held, he said.

But it is also important that we stop what has become a merry-go-round of legacy inquests, and constant reopenings and retrials that dont actually seem to serve the peace process well.

It doesnt help either the victims that I have seen or indeed many of the people accused, I think its really important we do our best to draw a line under it.

The Good Friday Agreement was as much about forgiveness and coming together as anything else, and this legacy legislation is about saying, we want to move out of the constant reopening of inquests through the same processes  when I was a junior minister here, I think they thought it would take 30 years to get through that weight of inquests  and to put it into better system where people can come forward and if they engage with this legacy programme then of course they will achieve a level of immunity.

Thats quite important, if they choose to engage, if they dont choose to co operate, then of course they are open to be prosecuted. Thats a very important part of the process of healing and coming together.

It was put to the Defence Secretary that the legislation will cut off the chance of justice for many victims.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a visit to Harland & Wolff shipyard factory in Belfast. (Brian Lawless/PA)

He responded: There hasnt been justice for the thousands of victims of terrorists  who by the way committed most of the murders, the deaths and the bombings in the Troubles.

It was the vast majority of people that suffered at the hands of terrorists, both loyalists and republicans, and there hasnt been justice.

What there has been is a significant re-running of numerous inquests. When I was junior minister here, the number of inquests that were redone, re-investigated, without any outcome.

When I meet victims, one of the things they want more than anything is answers: what happened to my loved one, why did it happen, and who was involved in that?

We hope that this new proposal will bring forward that environment that will allow people to come forward  I havent seen many terrorists come forward and be open about the crimes they committed.

In exchange for coming forward there will be that level of protection from prosecution, or immunity, and if thats what we have to do to move on from the Troubles, to draw a line in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, which was about forgiveness and moving on.

I remember struggling as a veteran here to come to terms with the fact that many of the IRA prisoners were being let out, the decommissioning, many people in these communities here, whether republican or unionist, saw bad people being effectively let out of prison. That felt very uncomfortable.

Mr Wallace urged those against the Bill to give it a try and see if it works.

Responding Mr Kelly called on the UK government to halt the legacy bill.

Comments by the British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that the British governments flawed legacy bill will end a merry go round of legacy inquests are insulting and disrespectful to the families of victims of the conflict who have waited decades for truth and justice, he said.

His comments are arrogant, callous and completely unacceptable.

Access to the courts and to due process is a human right.

Mr Kelly said this weeks amendments to the bill do not deal with the substantive issue of victims being entitled to access to due process.

It has been roundly rejected by victims and families, human rights experts, churches, the UN, and senior officials in the EU and US administration and all the political parties on this island, he said.

The legacy bill is in breach of human rights standards and International law and should be scrapped now.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, scheduled to proceed in the House of Lords next week.
Actress Vicky McClure has urged the Government to do more for people with dementia, claiming research into the UKs biggest killer is currently being neglected.

The Line Of Duty star delivered a letter to Downing Street on Thursday which urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak not to let dementia slip down the political agenda.

The letter has been signed by 36,000 people and calls on the Government to deliver on Conservative Party commitments on dementia.

Alzheimers Society chief executive Kate Lee said it calls for a massive reform of social care, a visionary 10-year plan for dementia, and the National Dementia Mission funding to unlock treatments for people now and in the future.

The charity said it welcomed previous dementia commitments by the Government but now fears they are falling by the wayside, while McClure has accused ministers of failing sufferers.

Standing outside Number 10 Downing Street, McClure, who is also known for her role in This Is England, told the PA news agency: Dementia is heartbreaking, watching a loved one not remember who you are, watching a loved one not be able to drive themselves to the shop that theyve drove to for the last 50 years, seeing people that are diagnosed not just in their 70s and 80s and 90s, in their 40s, 50s and 60s, people arent getting diagnosed properly as well.

She said the amount of research for the UKs biggest killer is currently being neglected.

She said she was aware of the mess the countrys in financially but added: They can afford to do something, and my emotional reaction to it is Im fed up.

Actress Vicky McClure delivers an open letter to 10 Downing Street, London, demanding the Government urgently fulfil their promises on dementia (PA)

In a message to the Government, McClure, who co-founded the Our Dementia Choir and is an Alzheimers Society ambassador, added: There will be people in there who will go through this.

And often, if youve never been through something you dont quite understand what it means and how it feels.

And the feeling of losing a loved one and all of a sudden your whole world being completely shook up, youre not going to be able to be in Parliament any more, youre not going to be able to be an MP, youre going to have to step away and become a carer.

And that is going to mean youre going to get 67.50 a week, and on top of that youve got to be emotionally there for your partner.

The distress that it causes to families is horrific.

We need the support to make sure people are given the simplest of things and at the moment if feels as though there is not really anything in place.

From left, Dame Arlene Phillips, Vicky McClure, Ananga Moonesinghe, who lives with dementia, Kate Lee, Chief Executive of Alzheimers Society, Debbie Abrahams MP and Elliot Colburn MP delivers an open letter to 10 Downing Street, London (PA)

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips, who is also an ambassador for the charity, also delivered the letter to Number 10.

She told the PA news agency: This isnt just an old age disease, this is able-bodied people whose memory is no longer working blocking hospital beds and being complained about because there is nowhere for them to go, there are not enough homes, there are not enough well-run homes and families are absolutely desperate to find hope, to find research to find anything that gives them a moment of relief that theres something that can be done.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: We want a society where every person with dementia, their families and carers, receive high quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life.

We invested 17 million in tackling dementia waiting lists and increasing diagnosis rates last year and we have committed to double the funding for dementia research to 160 million a year by 2024/25.

We are making up to 7.5 billion over the next two years available to support adult social care and discharge  the biggest funding increase in history  and are promoting careers in care through our annual domestic recruitment campaign and by investing 15 million to increase international recruitment of carers.
The UK has taken another step towards decarbonising its energy grid as four companies signed deals to build six new wind farms in British waters.

The deals between the Crown Estate and companies including BP, Total and Germanys RWE will lead to enough wind turbines to power around seven million homes when the wind blows.

The Crown Estate was given the thumbs-up to sign the agreements by then business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng in July last year.

The leases have now been signed for the six wind farms, which have a generation capacity of eight gigawatts (GW).

The offshore wind farms will feature along the coast of the North West, Wales, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (PA)

Three of the projects are off the coast of North Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire and the other three are in the North Sea, off Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Together they will pay around 1 billion to the Crown Estate every year, money which can then be passed on to the Treasury.

The Crown Estate has to date awarded offshore wind rights which will see 41 GW of capacity installed in British waters. So far, 12 GW of that is operational.

It needs to approve more projects to reach the Governments target of having 50 GW of offshore wind by the start of the next decade.

Energy and climate minister Graham Stuart said: Offshore wind is at the heart of our goal to secure clean, affordable and resilient energy supply for all in the UK, while bringing major business, investment and job opportunities along with it.

Dan McGrail, chief executive of trade body RenewableUK, said: This announcement represents a major step forward not just for these major offshore wind projects but also for the industry as a whole, as these lease agreements will strengthen our energy security, create jobs and support development of new UK supply chains.

It demonstrates the continuing ability of the UK to attract billions of pounds in private investment due to the maturity of our world-class offshore wind market, which is enabling the redevelopment and regeneration of all areas of the UK, especially in coastal communities which need levelling up.

Offshore wind is playing the leading role in the UKs transition to clean power, becoming the backbone of our future energy system, and helping us to reach net-zero as fast as possible.


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YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nasser Kanaani, expressed condolences on the death of 15 servicemen as a result of a fire in one of the military units of Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports the Embassy of Iran said in its Twitter page.

"The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing deep sorrow over the incident of the fire that broke out in the military unit of the Ministry of Defense, as a result of which 15 servicemen died and several others were injured, expresses his condolences to the families of the victims, the government of the Republic of Armenia and the people, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured, reads the message.
The response to Bharat Jodo Yatra has been overwhelming.

Unless something untoward happens, the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) will culminate in Srinagar on January 30, the date on which Mahatma Gandhi fell to a murderous conspiracy hatched by Indias first fascists. The date has considerable symbolic value, especially now. The essence of it has provided the Yatra with its ideological fuel  the same fuel that drove the Mahatma, especially toward the end of his life.

Rahul Gandhis popular frontline slogan of Nafrat Chhoro, Bharat Jodo  a call to shed communal hatred and unite India  which has been turned into a jingle that has played to enthusiastic appreciation as lakhs have marched spiritedly over thousands of kilometres, attests to the appeal of the Mahatmas credo and its propagation by Mr Gandhi through the BJY.

Remembering the Mahatma on the anniversary of his assassination seeks to underline that something is seriously wrong with the country nowadays, and that in some ways the current situation reminds us of the sectarian religious hysteria  which killed Gandhi  that was whipped up by adherents of a particular thought around the time of Independence.

The difference between then and now too is revealing: The national leadership after Independence took strong measures, including a ban on the RSS for a while, to squelch the attempt of extremists to control the narrative and establish hegemony, with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel accusing the outfit of fomenting trouble, while the opposite is the case today. The forces of mayhem and violence now have a free run and appear to receive indulgent treatment.

The overwhelming response to the Bharat Jodo Yatra suggests that ordinary Indians have figured this out. Other than those strongly supporting the ideology of inter-community hatred, ordinary Indians would appear to have put their thinking cap on at last, although it remains to be seen to what extent. However, if voting behaviour is a key test, then the ruling party was roundly beaten in the Assembly election in Himachal Pradesh while the BJY was in progress, in spite of the hard work put in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

To the burning question of communal hatred and intense communal propaganda spread by dangerous outfits which, alas, see themselves mirrored in the ruling establishment, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has added another burning dimension  that of record unemployment in the Modi Raj with the allied theme of an inexorable rise in prices.

Such troubling levels of unemployment speak of a disregard of policies that can shore up morale among the poor classes and across the broad middle class. This, in turn, shows that the demographic dividend  the benefits meant to accrue from a young population  is passing India by in the nearly nine years of Mr Modis rule.

And this brings up the question that has been asked in recent times  will the poor of the majority community continue to be guided by the communal impulse alone when they vote, in spite of their worsening economiccondition?

While few answers are definitive in appraising political movements and trends when politics are not static, the above question can be answered through another question: Who is to say that many enthusiasts now marching  or actually half-running  in the Yatra (since Mr Gandhis walk makes others sweat) have not been BJP votaries before, and whether by now they have not already influenced many like themselves?

If this is even halfway valid, then it is a fair bet that the political tastes of voters are undergoing a change, meaning the haunting question  whether people will continue choosing economic misery so long as it comes with the emotional satisfaction that nurturing communal violence may bring  is at last rendered non-est or non-existent.

The Yatra that Mr Gandhi has guided deftly, and in intrepid fashion, has by now produced the widespread understanding that the architects of unemployment and vaulting prices are also the blind men who did not see open communal violence being unleashed, frequently in the guise of policy. Put another way, the economic and social well-being of a nation will continue to suffer if inter-community violence is not urgently reined in.

What struck this columnist, while walking for some distance with the thousands of people when the BJY resumed its onward journey from Delhi on January 3, was that there were hardly any slogans exalting the Congress or its leaders, barring the occasional shout for Rahul Gandhi. There were no slogans, allegations or hateful rhetoric against government leaders. There was no sea of Congress Party flags though this party has obviously done some mobilising.

Missing were the cheerleaders of normal protest marches who in their ringing voice give the sonorous, rhyming, lead for others to follow. It was plain and simple a wave of people of all sections intent on walking with an inner purpose.

And way more than the thick numbers of marchers were patiently waiting women and men of all classes, lined up on both sides of the road, cheering on the Yatris in an atmosphere of unconcealed enthusiasm. Nafrat Chhoro, Bharat Jodo set to music was amplified and played right through. From eyewitnesses, one heard afterward, if there were one lakh people walking in the Yatra itself once BJY crossed into western Uttar Pradesh, there was a mind-boggling horde of some 10 lakh farmers and others walking with the yatris until they crossed into Haryana  and this region has been for some years a no-go zone for the Congress, electorally.

Not a partisan demonstration but a genuine peoples march  is the only way to characterise the BJY. In what ways do people change history when they begin to move? That is the question.
Liyuo also found the theme of India's G20 presidency: One Earth, One Family, One Future' similar to his country's goal

According to Mr Liyuo, "India and China have such a long history of sharing belief and knowledge between them. So a new era will see us coming closer. China and India should play a major role to augment global governance and Asian sentiments."  Representational Image/AFP

Kolkata: A Chinese envoy in India has asserted of stability at the borders between the two nations. He also voiced China's willingness to "work with India" for "closer" bilateral ties in 2023 after trade between the two neighbours peaked last year.

Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Zha Liyou said at a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration on Wednesday evening, "The situation on the India-China border is generally stable. The two sides have been maintaining communication through diplomatic and military channels and are committed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas."

He added, "The two countries are important neighbors to each other and to a large number of developing countries in the world. A sound and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and to our people and is also conducive to the peace, stability and development of the region and to the world."

According to Mr Liyuo, "India and China have such a long history of sharing belief and knowledge between them. So a new era will see us coming closer. China and India should play a major role to augment global governance and Asian sentiments."

Looking back at 2022 he noted, "We find the world was not peaceful. The world was not in its best shape. A crisis brings changes and hope. In Chinese, crisis means an opportunity. Conflict and confrontations go against the trend and result in failure. Peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the common aspirations of people."

Mr Liyou then underlined, "We are willing to work with India to meet each other halfway in mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, properly handle differences, push forward China-India relations on the right track, strengthen communication on major international and regional issues, deepen cooperation in areas of such as improving global governance, energy and food security and addressing climate change together."

He argued, "Over the past one year, our relationship, ie between China and India, has gradually returned to the track of stable development. The exchange of cooperation between us in the fields of economy, trade and people-to-people exchange and cultural exchange have been advancing. Last year bilateral trade between China and India reached a new record high at US $135.98 billion. Among this, India's buy from China was around US $118 billion. That is a big increase of 21.7%."

Mr Liyuo also found the theme of India's G20 presidency: One Earth, One Family, One Future' similar to his country's goal. "This actually coincides with China's concept: One World, One Family, One Community with Shared Future for Mankind."
In the first of a two-part reportage, an investigative team looked into the role of current prime minister during the 2002 Gujarat riots. For Indias Foreign Ministry, the investigation is steeped in "bias" and "lack of objectivity". Meanwhile, Indias Information Ministry is proposing a change in the law to prevent the spread of what the government decides to be fake news.

New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Indias Foreign Ministry has branded a recent BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi aired two days ago as "propaganda". After being posted on YouTube, it was removed yesterday.

The bias, lack of objectivity and continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, who added that the documentary has not been screened in India. Under a new government proposal, anything deemed fake news by the government fact-checking agencies, would be censored.

Titled India: The Modi Question, the documentary is divided into two parts, the second set for release on 24 January. It is based on the findings of a team sent by the British government to inquire into the 2002 Gujarat riots. Narendra Modi, who was then the states chief minister, is held directly responsible for a climate of impunity that led to violence between Muslims and Hindus.

Between February and March 2002, large-scale sectarian clashes claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people (twice the number officially admitted by the Indian government).

According to the fact-finding group, Modi prevented police from intervening to stop attacks against Muslims. In 2012 the Indian Supreme Court acquitted Modi of all charges, but a year later, a local magistrate agreed to see the British report.

On the day that the documentary was aired, Indias Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) proposed changes to the law regulating online content.

For the Editors Guild of India, this is cause for serious concerns. Already multiple laws exist to deal with content that is found to be factually incorrect, the press body said in a statement posted on Twitter.

This new procedure basically serves to make it easier to muzzle the free press and stifle legitimate criticism of the government, which is necessary for the good functioning of a democracy.

In the past two years, the Indian government has repeatedly clashed with social media platforms that have refused to remove certain accounts or online content.

Under the proposed amendment, platforms would not be allowed to disseminate any information government agencies deem false or misleading. The wording of the law seems to give the government carte blanche to define what can be shared and what can be said about what it does.

To this end, the government set up a Press Information Bureau in 2019 to check the veracity of the news published by Indian media but in the last three years it has often been criticised for flagging criticism of the government, branding as fake news documents that turned out to be true.
A Cambodian delegation is received in audience at the Vatican together with the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh and the president of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. The pope calls for an "ecological conversion" that safeguards both the environment and our brothers and sisters. The pontiff praises metta, a Buddhist practice of respecting every living thing preached by the Buddha that is similar to the call in Genesis to till and keep the earth.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis met today in the Vatican with a delegation of Buddhist monks and representatives of Cambodian civil society, accompanied by the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, and Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

In his address, the pontiff said that interreligious cooperation [is] an important element of society which enables people to live peacefully as brothers and sisters, reconciled among themselves and to the environment in which they live.

Currently, meetings are underway in Rome dedicated to the ecological conversion, which for Francis is a positive sign of the growing sensitivity and concern for the wellbeing of the earth, our common home, and for the important contributions that, inspired by your religious beliefs and spiritual traditions, you can offer to your noble country on its path to social healing and economic reconstruction following the socio-political crises of recent decades.

Citing his Encyclical Laudato Si, Francis called for integrated solutions that show respect for creation, respect for our neighbour, respect for ourselves and for the Creator.

Ecological conversion happens when the human roots of the present environmental crisis are named; when true repentance leads to the slowing or halting of trends, ideologies and practices that are hurtful and disrespectful to the earth, and when people commit to promoting models of developments that heal wounds inflicted by greed, excessive search for financial profits, lack of solidarity with neighbours and disrespect for the environment.

Drawing on their own religious traditions, Buddhists and Christians can offer their own contribution.

In following the tenets that the Buddha left as a legacy to his disciples (Pratimoksa), including the practices of metta, which involves not harming living things, and living a simple lifestyle, Buddhists can achieve a compassionate protection for all beings, including the earth, their habitat.

For their part, Christians [can] fulfil their ecological responsibility when, as trustworthy stewards, they protect Creation, the work God has entrusted to them to till and to keep.

Finally, the pontiff concluded the meeting saying: Upon you and upon all in your noble country I invoke an abundance of blessings from on high.
by Guido Alberto Casanova

Businessman Kim Seong-tae - extradited from Thailand - is accused of having done business in North Korea during the thaw period, under the cover of the local authorities of Gyeonggi province. The governor at the time was the current Democrats leader, Lee Jae-myung, who responds: judicial investigation for political purposes.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The former South Korean underwear tycoon Kim Seong-tae - until 2021 head of the Ssangbangwool group - was returned to South Korea this week after being arrested a few days ago in Thailand.

He had taken refuge there last year to escape the ongoing investigations into him in Seoul, which see him implicated in multiple corruption cases. Including at the highest level, such as the one on alleged funds transferred to North Korea and the payment of legal fees incurred by opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.

On Tuesday, Kim was immediately taken to the Suwon Judiciary Office, which is handling the investigation into the leader of the Democrats. Although the former executive claimed he did not know Lee Jae-myung at all, some witnesses reported otherwise.

Another former Ssangbangwool executive reportedly confirmed to the Yonhap news agency that Kim and Lee had a close relationship. Moreover, during a hearing in Suwon, Lee's own former secretary general confirmed the existence of this relationship.

According to the investigators in 2018, Ssangbangwool, then under Kim's leadership, allegedly paid a fee of about USD 241,000 to the lawyer who was defending Lee at the time in a trial over the Democratic politician's alleged violations of election regulations.

Linked to these allegations are those of corruption of some senior officials in Gyeonggi province, the country's most populous. In 2019, as international tensions melted away on the Korean peninsula, Kim had obtained the necessary permit from the province to start mining activities in North Korea and the suspicion is that Kim bribed Gyeonggi officials to obtain favourable treatment: the deputy governor at the time was arrested last September on this charge.

The central fact is that at that time, between 2018 and 2021, the governor of Gyeonggi was Lee Jae-myung himself. For this reason, determining the existence (and possibly the nature) of a personal relationship between Lee and Kim is a central point of the ongoing investigation, which would then link the opposition leader to a very extensive bribery scheme.

Moreover, it cannot be ruled out that the affair between Ssangbangwool and Lee is part of a much broader picture in which the opposition leader is accused of being at the centre of a vast network of illicit relations with the business world.

Two other judgments are pending on his head over alleged corruption incidents dating back to his time as mayor of Seongnam, one of the most important cities in Gyeonggi. Lee was heard by the judiciary last week and is due to appear in court again towards the end of the month.

For his part, the leader of the Democrats thunders against the impeachment of the opposition leader, a fact unknown since the end of the dictatorship in the country, and declares himself the victim of a judicial process designed for political purposes.
According to the Supreme Judges, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, convicted of fraud and bribery, must resign from the Interior and Health Departments. The majority announces battle. The party speaks of a 'political verdict'. Another point of confrontation with the judiciary after the presentation of the controversial justice reform.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - A new point of confrontation has opened in Israel between the government and the judiciary, at a time of deep tensions between institutional powers and street protests around the controversial justice reform, among the new executive's priorities.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that the appointment as minister of Aryeh Deri, leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, is "extremely unreasonable" due to the pending convictions against him, including a recent one for tax fraud with a suspended sentence.

According to the judges, the executive should push him to resign and appoint a replacement, a hypothesis already rejected by Deri himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who considers him a key ally within the coalition.

Commenting on the decision, Justice Minister Yariv Levin speaks of an "absurd" choice. His colleagues in the Shas party call it a 'political ruling' to weaken the government at a time of tension between state organs.

The verdict, issued yesterday, was pronounced by the president of the Supreme Court, who ruled with an overwhelming majority of 10 votes in favour and only one against. Deri, the magistrate emphasised, "was convicted three times" and "violated his duty to serve" the country and citizens "loyally".

In her statement following the verdict, the Chief Justice did not spare Netanyahu himself any criticism, who should have considered the "serious accumulation of crimes" pending on the Shas leader before assigning him key ministries such as Interior and Health. In this way, concluded the judge quoted by Haaretz, "it damages the image and reputation of the entire judicial system of the country" and is against "the principles of conduct inspired by ethics and legality".

Now the ball passes to Netanyahu, who will have to accept - or not, as seems more likely - the choice of the judges, who also pointed out the forcing made last month in the Knesset, where an amendment to the law that had allowed the appointment took place.

The leader of Shas is a pillar of the government, which the premier himself - who is also on trial for corruption - cannot do without. In 1999 Deri was sentenced to three years for fraud and bribery and was released after 22 months, returning to Parliament in 2013. Last January he plea-bargained, also for corruption, a suspended sentence of one year and a fine of over EUR 50,000.

In a note, the Shas party confirmed that it does not intend to be part of the governing coalition without the presence of its leader among the ministers. A joint statement by the majority leaders announced battle "in any legal way available to us and without delay, to correct the injustice".

The comment by opposition leader Yair Lapid, is of a very different tenor. He warns the government of blatant violations of the law and the risk of "an unprecedented constitutional crisis" if Deri is not ousted. "A government that does not respect the law," said the former premier, "is an illegal government. It no longer can demand citizens to abide by the law."
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Honda Marks 30 Million Vehicle Production Milestone in the U.S.

Published Jan. 19, 2023

After 40 years of manufacturing automobiles in the U.S., Honda on Jan. 19 marked the 30 million vehicle production milestone at the company's auto manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio.

Honda began production of the Honda Accord at the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) in Ohio on Nov. 1, 1982, the first Japanese automaker to produce cars in the U.S. Since that time, Honda has invested $16 billion in manufacturing facilities in the U.S. that support auto production and, in 2022, more than two-thirds of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in America were made in the U.S.

"We recently celebrated 40 years of manufacturing autos in the U.S. and reaching this 30 million milestone is the direct result of our associates, past and present, who made this significant achievement possible," said Bob Schwyn, senior vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC. "This accomplishment reflects the commitment of Honda associates to serve our customers, who spur our creativity to make the high-quality products we know they will love."

Twelve Honda and Acura cars and light trucks, including hybrid versions of the Honda Accord and CR-V, are currently produced at the company's five auto plants in Alabama, Indiana and Ohio. The engines, transmissions and two-motor hybrid systems that power these vehicles are produced in Ohio, Alabama and Georgia. Honda employs almost 17,000 associates at the eight production facilities that contribute to the annual production capacity of 1.3 million vehicles.

Looking toward the electrified future, Honda recently announced two major investments to establish an "EV Hub" in Ohio, including $700 million to re-tool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants for production of electric vehicles and a $3.5 billion joint investment with LG Energy Solution (LGES) to establish a joint venture battery facility in Ohio.

The $700 million investment will transform Honda's Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) and Anna Engine Plant (AEP) for the electrified future, including the creation of more than 300 new jobs. These Honda facilities, along with the new EV battery plant, will serve as a new EV hub in Ohio, and play a key role in developing the company's knowledge and expertise in EV production that will be shared across Honda's North American auto production network in the coming years.

Honda also recently announced plans to produce fuel cell electric vehicles at the company's Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio.

As part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda announced a vision to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040 in North America.

Honda Manufacturing in America

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 40 years, beginning in November 1982 with the start of automobile production at the Marysville Auto Plant.

In 2022, more than two-thirds of all Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were made in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda's cumulative auto production in America now exceeds 30 million vehicles.

Honda established manufacturing operations in America in 1979 with the start of motorcycle production in Marysville, OH, and today has one of the largest and most diverse U.S. manufacturing footprints of any international company. The company's 12 plants employ more than 22,000 associates in America, supporting operations that have an annual capacity of more than 1.27 million automobiles, 1.52 million engines, 500,000 power equipment products and 300,000 powersports products, as well as the HondaJet advanced light jet and GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines.

Cumulatively, Honda has invested $19 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations, including more than $3.2 billion over the past five years alone. The company also works with more than 600 U.S. original equipment suppliers, with U.S.-sourced parts purchases of $23.1 billion in 2021 and approximately $470 billion since 1979.

Source: Honda
Virginia Rejects Ford Battery Plant Investment Over Partners Political Ties

Written by Dan Mihalascu, InsideEVs

Published Jan. 19, 2023

In December, reports surfaced about Ford Motor Company's plans to build a new battery plant in the U.S. with Chinese EV battery powerhouse CATL.

The states of Michigan and Virginia were listed as favorites to host the new facility, but it looks like the Old Dominion voluntarily dropped out of the race.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2024, rejected the $3.6 billion investment.

In a statement to The Detroit News, Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter said the project was refused because Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) has ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

"While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians' personal privacy, Porter said. Virginians can be confident that companies with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party won't receive a leg up from the Commonwealth's economic incentive packages. When the potentially damaging effects of the deal were realized, the plant proposal never reached a final discussion stage."

Youngkin rejected the project in December, a decision said to cost one of the poorest parts of Virginia at least 2,500 jobs. The plant would have been built on the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County, in the Southside region of south-central Virginia, according to an earlier report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The plant would have produced CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for Ford EVs. The automaker said it would add LFP battery cells to its portfolio to reduce its reliance on battery minerals like nickel and cobalt.

Ford previously said CATL would supply full LFP battery packs for the electric Mustang Mach-E in North America starting this year, and the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck beginning in 2024. The Chinese firm is already a battery supplier to the Blue Oval.

Now that Virginia rejected the investment, Michigan remains among the finalists striving to attract the joint venture project, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Ford is reportedly looking at two large sites in Marshall and Grand Ledge near Lansing, and Mundy Township in Genesee County.

Had the project moved forward in Virginia, it would have delivered another blow to Michigan, after Ford's home state lost an $11 billion EV battery investment to Tennessee and Kentucky in September 2021.

We thank InsideEVs for reprint permission.
Mercedes-AMG unveiled in January 2023 a facelift for its CLA range, in both sedan and long-roof shape, where the latter version was named Shooting Brake.

Four years after the introduction of the Shooting Brake version for the second generation of the CLA Coupe, the German automaker made an important step forward by adding a facelift for the entire range. Besides the exterior and interior upgrades, the 2024 model-year CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake also received improvements for the drivetrain.

Sporting the same Panamericana grille as the rest of the AMG range, the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake was also fitted with the new, redesigned LED headlights as the rest of the CLA range, produced either under AMG or Mercedes-Benz badge. From its sides, the car looked similar to its Coupe sibling, albeit it was different from the B-pillars rearward. There, the arched and slightly sloped-down roof line was extended behind the C-pillars onto the raked-forward D-pillars that ended the vehicle with a curved tailgate.

Changes continued on the interior, where the automaker introduced new color combinations for the upholstery. Thus, from 2023, this version was available with either gray-black or red-black combinations. On the dashboard, the automaker installed two 10.25 screens behind a commonly-shared glass, leaving the impression of a continuous wide display. The one fronting the driver was used for the instrument panel, while the one mounted atop the center stack featured touch functions and was used for the infotainment system.

Under the hood, beside the belt-driven starter-generator, stood the same transversely-mounted inline-four turbocharged powerplant that sent the power in all corners via a new AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox. Thanks to the new drivetrain, the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake could push the car from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in a mere 4.9 seconds.
What Sets the Trike Apart

ABS

People generally use the same reasons to stay away from trikes , and they mostly include the much larger size when compared to a motorcycle, leading to the exact storing and parking issues a two-wheeler easily avoids. Higher purchase and ownership costs are also what drive people away from trikes.Yet, Harley-Davidson has a bunch of them available as we speak. It kind of feels like it always did, with the Freewheeler and Tri Glide on the market since 2014 and 2009, respectively.We dont know how well these things sold last year, as the Milwaukee company is yet to release such details, but if we are to judge by the fact a new trike was announced for the 2023 model year, wed guess sales numbers are not that shabby.The new product is called Road Glide 3, and was announced during what Harley calls the first release of new models in the 2023 lineup, which also marks the start of the companys 120th anniversary celebrations.Were talking about an all-new ride, a first for Harley-Davidson thats supposed to offer the same riding thrills of the Road Glides we know and love, now sent right up to the riders soul by means of three wheels.The thing is powered by Harleys Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, delivering in this application the standard 119 ft-lb of torque and 90 hp. Visually, it borrows a lot from the Road Glides its supposed to harken back to, but also adds elements that give it its own identity; stuff like a frame-mounted fairing, dual Daymaker LED headlamps, and a low-profile windscreen, they all contribute to that.The trike comes with cast aluminum wheels with machined details. The pair of wheels at the rear has exposed lug nuts, because those always look cool, and can be had in either black or chrome.Because of the nature of such machines, trikes come with a series of features not available (or at the very least hard to implement) to two-wheeled rides. Were talking here of course of built-in storage, but also some rare capabilities.As far as storage is concerned, the Road Glide 3 comes with a rear trunk 2 cubic feet large (56 liters). That might not seem like much, but consider the fact it comes as standard on the trike, and thats not what you get with most bikes.Then, weve got the long list of almost car-like safety features the trike can accommodate. The Road Glide 3 has some common attributes (, ELB, and traction control), but also throws in there drag slip control, tire pressure monitoring, and cruise control, among others. Oh, and this being a trike it also comes with electric reverse gear.The cherries on this trikes case are the multitude of infotainment options offered. At the center of them all is Harleys BOOM! Box GTS 6.5-inch color TFT touchscreen that offers navigation and infotainment in a single place. Sound is sent to the listeners ears through a pair of 5.25-inch speakers mounted in the fairing, and can come from a variety of sources by means of Bluetooth or USB connectivity.As said, trikes are generally more expensive than regular bikes, and this one is no exception. In the list of Harley trikes now available (with the Tri Glide the most expensive), the Road Glide 3 falls right in the middle, with an MSRP of $32,999 for the Vivid Black version. You can already find the machine listed as available for purchase.
Essentially the posher sibling of the Fiat Punto from that era, the Ypsilon received a mild refresh in 2000. Three years later, the second generation was introduced, with better everything. Still a three-door city car at this point, the quirky-looking Ypsilon would receive two additional doors in 2011, with the reveal of the third generation at the Geneva Motor Show.Twinned with the Fiat Panda, Fiat 500, and second-generation Ford Ka, the cute-looking hatchback originally sold well, although not as well as the original. Care to guess how many were sold in 2022, for example? Not even 41,000 examples of the breed. All of them were sold in Italy because Lancia was reduced to a single market brand  not even a true automaker - a few years ago by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles incompetent big-wigs.Following the Italo-American corporations mingling with Groupe PSA, the brand received a new chance in the form of money and a product plan. Lancia has to deliver three new all-electric vehicles by 2028 as part of the Dare Forward plan, with 2028 also touted as the cut-off date for ICEs.Zero-emission reinterpretations of the Ypsilon and Delta are in the offing, and the third model is believed to revive the Aurelia nameplate. Purists will probably weep if the Aurelia returns as a crossover, which is most likely the case given that Lancia is fighting to survive. If these EVs dont bring the brand back to profitability, then prepare to bid Lancia farewell.The first is due to launch in 2024, sporting the Pu+Ra design language. A portmanteau of pure and radical, Pu+Ra wont matter too much at the end of the day because all three zero-emission vehicles will feature Stellantis platforms. In other words, there will be little to differentiate the once respected Italian marque from Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot, DS, and so forth.In the meantime, the 12-year-old Ypsilon has entered the 2023 model year in Italy with a starting price of 15,250 (make that $16,475 at current exchange rates). Not bad for a reasonably well-equipped supermini, especially one that comes as a mild hybrid as standard. Prospective customers are further presented with a bi-fuel option that costs quite a bit more, as in 17,750 ($19,180), as per Lancia Italias build & price tool.More stylish, efficient, and connected than ever, the Ypsilon is also available in a special edition dubbed Alberta Ferretti. On that note, would you even consider the Ypsilon if you were in the market for a B-segment car? If the answer is yes, why? Other than its alright-ish starting price, why would someone pick such an old design over the likes of the Jeep Avenger
SUV

ICE

From the little C-HRs second generation (the international version, as the U.S. spec will make way for the arrival of the larger Corolla Cross) to the hulking Grand Highlander long-wheelbase seven- or eight-seat crossover, it seems that the Japanese carmaker has everything covered.Speaking of the latter CUV, which seems to be a direct answer to Hondas all-new Pilot, we are dealing here with a new version of the mid-size Highlander crossover SUVs fourth generation. One of the all-time biggest-selling nameplates for the company, theor 340-hp hybrid Highlander is a step up above the Venza and top-selling RAV4 but also a bit cramped when compared to the larger Sequoia SUV.As such, Toyota probably thought it needed some kind of double jeopardy assets when trying to oppose Honda in North America after the latter just revealed the all-new, fourth-generation Pilot, including a more adventurous TrailSport trim. By the way, the Toyota Grand Highlander has been on everyones radar for an exceedingly long time, whether we are talking about spy photographers, official teasers, or the imaginative realm of digital car content creators Speaking of the latter, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube were keen on sharing their virtual artists vision regarding the Grand Highlander on a couple of occasions, including one of the Hybrid Max variety . And their full-size eight-seater sure looked posh when unofficially depicted in ritzy colors or with the new hybrid powertrain under the informal body.But now they also have a satellite venue dubbed AutoYa Interior, and that is where all the Toyota cockpit action occurs , with the Grand Highlander showcasing the potential changes compared to the real-world Highlander, the more spacious seven- or eight-seat interior, plus the now-traditional unofficial color combination reel. So, what do you think, is it worthy of our CGI hall pass, or are the changes too subtle to warrant our vote?As for the upcoming, official Toyota Grand Highlander, the wait is almost over so we suggest taking all these renderings with the proverbial grain of salt, in the meantime. After all, it will not take long before the beloved Asian company will grace the 2023 Chicago Auto Show (February 11-19), dubbed as The Nation's Largest Auto Show, with the hulking SUV. For now, all we know is that Toyota will indeed make some changes to the design of the three-row model compared to its smaller sibling  but the teaser was only showing the rear end, complete with new taillights and the Hybrid Max plus Platinum designations.
SUV

EV

ICE

We have new heroes like the 2023 Prius Hybrid Reborn and S235 sixteenth generation Crown that was just reinvented and reintroduced in the United States as a novel crossover sedan. We also have upcoming stars like the family-oriented Grand Highlander with seven or eight seats that will fight the likes of the Honda Pilot TrailSport as the CUV alternative to the rugged SequoiaBut then there are also the best-selling stars, and chief among them might be the potential unveiling of a next-generation Tacoma mid-size pickup truck for North America. But how about its former sibling, the iconic Hilux ? As a reminder, the formerly compact (1968-2004), now mid-size pickup truck is a successor to the expansive family of classic light trucks (Stout, anyone?) that has no less than eight generations under its belt.However, the Hilux and Tacoma lifestyles diverged during the middle of the 1990s as the former became an international star while the latter dedicated its efforts solely toward the Central and North American regions, plus a few other territories (Bermuda, New Caledonia). As such, unfortunately, you cannot have both in the same place and at the same time. But that is only valid in the real world, it seems.Over the dreamy realm of virtual automotive artists, meanwhile, anything is possible  and also probable. As such, meet Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, who has a passion for pickup trucks of all shapes and sizes. Lately, that love CGI-manifested itself in the form of the all-new 2024 Jeep Comanche compact unibody revival, 2025 or 2026 Mazda BT-60, a next-gen Tacoma that was both rugged and disconcerting, plus a 2024 Ford Maverick redesign in quirkycue (although it was still-powered, at least in part), among many others.Now, since many Toyota Tacoma fans might have retained a sour taste after that botched attempt at blending Hyundai Tucson cues with Isuzu D-Max styling on the proud mid-size pickup truck United States best-seller, here is something to wash out the bitter aftertaste. It does have the Hilux moniker but as far as I can tell from the quick CGI presentation of this two-tone black-and-green Black Edition, even Tacoma enthusiasts have something to look forward to here, given the streamlined yet tough design.Plus, are those TRD (Pro) wheels that we see there, hinting that this author would not mind at all if Toyota decided to retcon the ninth generation of the Hilux and fourth iteration of the Tacoma into the same model instead of keeping them separate, as during the recent past?
Alpines wings were cut in 1976 by merging the motorsport department into Renault Sport. The Dieppe assembly plant in France stopped making Alpines in 1995, only for the Renault Group to revive this brand as a manufacturer two decades later. The second coming of the automakers best-known model spearheaded the revival, although there are quite a few critical voices out there, pointing the finger at Alpines low yearly output.Care to guess how many examples of the A110 were sold in 2022? 3,546 is the number youre looking for, which represents an increase of 33 percent over 2021. One has to wonder how Alpine can still operate with this kind of sales, but dont forget that its financially backed by one of the largest automakers in the world. Groupe Renault has big expectations of its go-faster brand, which has absorbed the Renault Sport department. Its Formula 1 team has also switched from Renault to Alpine, so yeah, theres no denying that the group will bankroll Alpine for as long as it needs to.Renault has big plans in this regard, including hatchbacks and sport utility vehicles. The catch is that electric drivetrains will replace the 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine of the A110, with its long-expected successor confirmed to go battery electric. Expected to launch in 2026, the all-electric A110 has already been previewed by the A110 E-ternite concept.In the meantime, chief executive officer Laurent Rossi made it clear that Alpine will maximize the combustion-engined A110s life cycle. Speaking to Automotive News Europe, he said that production could potentially continue until the end of 2026. In other words, the second coming of the A110 will come to an end after nine long years of continuous production.Were three-and-a-bit years away from the terminal point, and bear in mind the mid-cycle refresh came in late 2021 for the 2022 model year. There might be a case to be made for another makeover, but from a financial standpoint, it makes little sense to update a slow-selling vehicle.And what a vehicle, oh boy! Even Captain Slow has one, and the former Top Gear co-host loves it to bits for its nimble handling. Despite featuring a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder mill sourced from the Megane RS, the A110 is a rear-drive affair that weighs next to nothing. The A110 S weighs as little as 1,109 kilograms (2,445 pounds). The question is, can the A110 end its run without getting real fat due to new emission and safety regulations? 2026 is a long way off, but chances are that it will gain weight.
Well, sort of, and it involves getting your face on a billboard. It is more than a poster, a stencil, or just plain graffiti. Instead, your face can be on a billboard at the BMW Welt thanks to artificial intelligence, and it would be an animated billboard, nonetheless. It is called Mega ME.We are writing about a 42-square meter (ca. 452 sq.-ft.) LED screen inside the BMW Welt facility, which embodies a restaurant, a museum, a delivery space , and a bit of a museum of the BMW universe in Munich, Germany, right across from the firm's Vierzylinder (four cylinders in German) building.Now, you must be wondering how this works. Well, first you must visit the BMW Welt , and then you need to go to the dedicated stand that has the BMW i Vision Dee concept. You need to take your picture using the dedicated camera and then wait until the AI tech is ready to integrate your appearance into a brief animation movie that is shown on the screen.In more technical terms, we are writing about an anamorphic illusion, which uses technology from a start-up called Reface. The latter was founded in Ukraine, and it is the current market leader in face-swapping technology. It results in photo-realistic exchange of faces in both images and films.It is sort of like that app that invaded everyone's privacy just to reveal what you might look like when you are old, but without handing out data from your smartphone, as well as your look to a third-party firm somewhere else in the world. Yes, that famous app that made you look older or smiling or somehow different had a few sketchy things in its Terms of Service.The entire idea was thought up by the agency called Elastique, from Koln, Germany, which connected the dots between the idea, the start-up, and the BMW Welt.As you can observe in the photo gallery, there is a photo stand right in front of the screen, and from there, it portrays the subject as a sort of futuristic astronaut holding the BMW i Vision Dee concept vehicle.It is a fun way to get people involved with the German brand, as well as with its latest concept. Is it going to make you famous? Most likely, the answer is No. But do not let that stop you from enjoying it, we are not judging anyone here, feel free to be what you can be.
EV

BEV

kW

CVT

Local production began back in 1982, on November 1, at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio , with Honda becoming the first automaker to put together cars in the U.S. Forty years later, and the company has five vehicle assembly sites, in Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio, as well as facilities responsible for making engines, transmissions, and two-motor hybrid systems, which are the result of a $16-billion investment.We recently celebrated 40 years of manufacturing autos in the U.S., and reaching this 30 million milestone is the direct result of our associates, past and present, who made this significant achievement possible, commented the Honda Development & Manufacturing of America Senior Vice President, Bob Schwyn. This accomplishment reflects the commitment of Honda associates to serve our customers, who spur our creativity to make the higher-quality products they will love.Their five manufacturing sites in the United States put together twelve Honda and Acura cars and trucks, as well as the electrified versions of the Accord and CR-V. Their engines, transmissions, and two-motor hybrid systems are made in Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio, and in total, Honda employs almost 17,000 associates at the eight assembly facilities, and it has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million vehicles.They wont rest on their laurels, as Honda is currently looking towards the electrified future, and it plans to major investments, including in an Hub in Ohio. A $700 million cash injection is going into the retooling of the car and powertrain plants for the assembly of electric vehicles, and $3.5 billion will go into the battery facility in Ohio, which is a joint investment with LG Energy Solutions . Fuel cell vehicles are also in development, and they will build such cars at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, where a hydrogen-powered CR-V-based model will come to life as of 2024. By 2040, Honda wantsand FCEV vehicles to represent 100% of its sales in North America.The latest production milestone comes shortly after the new-generation Accord entered production at the Marysville factory, in Ohio. This plant has been making Accords since 1982, and the new one wants to rejuvenate a dying segment. The mid-size sedan comes in six grades, with pricing starting at $28,390 for the most affordable offering, and a minimum of $38,985 for the top-of-the-line variant. The LX and EX use a 192 hp (195 ps/143) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque, a 1.5-liter turbo with a, and the Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring feature the 2.0-liter four-banger, with a pair of electric motors, which push out a combined 204 hp (207 ps/152 kW) and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm).
Starting out with a motorcycle permit just because he could get one two years earlier than a driver's license, Mircea keeps his passion for bikes (motor or no motor) alive to this day. His lifelong dream is to build his own custom camper van.

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South Africa: Third suspect arrested in Mkhondo councillor murder

Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has welcomed the arrest of a third suspect in connection with the murder of a councillor in Mkhondo last week.

In a statement, provincial SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the team assembled to investigate the killing arrested a 40-year-old suspect on Monday.

The suspect, who is from uMbumbulu in KwaZulu-Natal, was taken in for questioning and ultimately charged with murder. He will today appear before the Piet Retief Magistrate's Court.

Councillor Sbonelo (Mthembu) Ntshangase (36), Sandile Khumalo (51) and Sizwe Mbingo (40) were gunned down in a shooting at the Longhomes Township in Piet Retief on Friday, 13 January 2023 at around 8pm.

It is further alleged that suspects fired multiple shots at Mr Ntshangase who was in the yard, and also shot Mr Mbingo inside a bakkie who sadly died at the scene whilst Mr Khumalo was shot in the yard as well. Thereafter the suspects fled to unknown direction.

The police in Piet Retief as well as the paramedics were informed about the incident whilst Mr Ntshangase and Mr Khumalo were privately taken to a nearby hospital. Mr Khumalo was unfortunately certified dead on arrival meanwhile Mr Ntshangase regrettably succumbed to his injuries moments later.

A case of three counts of murder was opened and a dedicated team of experts in the field of investigation was immediately assembled by Lieutenant General Manamela.

On Tuesday police had reported that two male suspects had been arrested and an automatic rifle with ammunition were confiscated. They have been charged with possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The Provincial Commissioner urged members of the public, including families and colleagues of the victims, to remain calm and allow police the space to investigate and bring all perpetrators to book while allowing due processes of the law to take their course.

"We have always stayed true and committed to our call of duty, that of preventing crime, and when crime has been committed we are obligated in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, to investigate and bring perpetrators thereof to book.

We still need support from members of the public regarding further details which may assist in the investigation to come forth. We promise to treat such information with much delicacy," she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Liu and Yellen meet for 'substantive', 'candid' talks

08:50, January 19, 2023 By WANG MINGJIE in Davos, Switzerland ( China Daily

File photo shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington DC on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. [Photo/Xinhua]

Vice-Premier Liu He met with United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, for talks that were seen as improving bilateral relations while finding ways for China and the US to work together on tackling global challenges.

Both countries agreed to enhance communication on macroeconomic and financial issues, according to a joint statement released after the talks. The statement described the first face-to-face meeting between the two as "substantive, candid and pragmatic".

The two sides also agreed to increase cooperation on green finance on a bilateral and a multilateral basis, such as within the frameworks of the United Nations, the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the statement said.

Yellen was invited to visit China this year, and the two sides agreed that their economic and trade teams will maintain communication at all levels.

The meeting was a follow-up to the one between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in Bali, Indonesia, in November, during which both leaders pledged to increase communication.

Christopher Bovis, a professor of international business law at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, said, "The significance of the meeting between the Chinese vice-premier and the US treasury secretary is not to be underestimated."

"Face-to-face communication, in diplomatic terms, usually indicates the gravitas of the situation amidst the big picture of international developments and the thematics of the 2023 Davos economic forum," he said.

Bovis said he believes the talks set the agenda that not only will dominate the Davos proceedings, but also project the parameters of current and future cooperation between the US and China, the world's two largest economies.

In a speech on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Liu urged world leaders to abandon the "Cold War mentality" and reaffirmed China's commitment to international cooperation and all-around opening-up, adding that "China's door to the outside will only open wider".

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Photo: Instagram / The Invisible House

Photo: Instagram / The Invisible House

Photo: YouTube / Ken Block

The Invisible House, which is also referred to as the Joshua Tree Invisible House, is all these things. Its a container home only if you know its origin story and given its resemblance to one in shape, but its designed to be as sustainable as possible and with minimal impact on its rough surroundings. The Invisible House is a piece of art, the biggest optical illusion in modern architecture, and a celebrity all on its own, after attracting the attention of some of the biggest stars out there.As it so happens, it is also for sale for the first time since it was completed. If you have $18 million to spare and would consider making the inhospitable desert your home, now would be a good time to plan a permanent relocation. And you would do it with the most famous smart and sustainable home in the world, as well as the most Instagrammable.The Invisible House is a good example of how you can make architecture blend into the environment with minimal disruption. In the context of the impact man has on nature through everything he does and the need to implement more sustainable policies, building a family home in the middle of the desert might seem counter-intuitive to the whole sustainability discussion. Thats not to say that it cant be done  especially if you have no budget limit and all the time in the world.Ironically, the Invisible House started out when the owners, Chris and Roberta Hanley, were informed that their off-grid container home in the Mojave Desert, in Joshua Tree, California, was illegal. At the time (the early 2010s), regulations said that homes had to be at least 20 feet (6 meters) wide, which their 720 square-foot (66.8 square-meter) home wasnt. So they had to build something bigger if they wanted to keep having a vacation home on the land.If the Hanley name rings a bell, its because theyre what you might call Hollywood elite: theyre the producers behind hits like American Psycho, music producers who have worked with the likes of Keith Richards, and respected artists who used to call Andy Warhol a good friend. They had all the connections, time, and resources to build something bigger  so they made sure that something turned out to be just what they wanted it to be.A larger plot of land was acquired and Hanley looked to the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey monolith for inspiration, with help from Los Angeles architect Tomas Osinski. Hanley wanted something that resembled a skyscraper laid out on the ground, that would bring to mind the original container home they had enjoyed and, most importantly, that would blend in with the environment. True to its name, the Invisible House doesnt just blend in: it completely disappears into its surroundings and, depending on the time of day, weather and angle, looks different every time you look at it.Construction didnt start until 2013, and would only be completed in 2019, after many millions were spent and massive efforts were made to turn the Hanleys dream into reality. The result is a very striking one : a 225-foot (68.5-meter) long rectangular structure cantilevered on one end over boulders, completely encased in reflective glass that turns it into a giant mirror whichever way you look at it, and with all the modern amenities imaginable inside.The home offers 5,500 square feet (511 square meters) of living space, three bedrooms and four bathrooms, an indoor pool that runs its entire length, seamless entertaining spaces, a cinema room, a chefs kitchen, and a master suite that floats over the boulders in the cantilevered part. Equally as spectacular as its mirrored surface is that the home can open to the exterior on three sides.Invisible House is a smart home, creating its own ecosystem for residents inside. The facade is wrapped in heat-reflecting Solarcool glass, which filters ultraviolet rays and infrared frequencies, and protects those inside from the harsh temperatures outside. The glass alone cost over $700,000 and took more than a year to ship and install in the desert, Hanley once said. Matching the glass facade is the master bed, which features a spectacular 2,500-pound glass base. Invisible house, invisible furniture.The roof has eco-friendly foam insulation, and features solar panels connected to three 13kw Powerwall Batteries. There are thermal heat panels for hot water and interior heating, and a thermal pool heater. There is water filtration, and Orsini HEPA filters for dust, bacteria, and virus eradication, and several pool filters. You could probably survive a zombie apocalypse inside , and youd even get high-speed internet, with Starlink, Mojave Wi-Fi and Flashbyte connections.The Hanleys are now selling Invisible House because they want to start working on a new project. They used it as a permanent residence in the first round of lockdowns, but it has since become a very famous Californian landmark, attracting celebrities from all walks of life, from Influencers and travel vloggers to entertainers like Demi Lovato, Lizzo, and Diplo. Lovato saw aliens while staying there, so hows that for an immersive experience in nature? Even the late Ken Block stayed at the Invisible House when he took a 2022 RAM TRX Sandblast Edition to Johnson Valley in the summer of 2022, and he duly enjoyed the experience, as the second video below will show.According to Chris Hanley, Andy Warhol also provided inspiration for the unique structure , since he used to say that nature is the best form of art. What better way to honor it than by having it reflect against a man-made structure? A structure that took so much money and so much effort and you cant even see it, as Hanley and Osinski would often joke.
Thousands of people who will be attending the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are also about to experience a futuristic way of traveling through the city via flying taxis, waiting to pick them up at newly-established vertiports.A future network comprised of six regional vertiports and nine urban ones, will begin with four of them being built in Milan. Two will be set up at the Linate and Malpensa airports, one at Porta Romana (close to the Olympic village) and another one in the CityLife district. The most important one, acting as a hub, will be the one at Malpensa, while the other three will be smaller.The future vertiports will be managed by a new company, established by SEA (Societa Esercizi Aeroportuali) which operates the Malpensa and Linate airports, Skyports , and 2i Aeroporti. This was recently announced by SEAs managing director Armando Brunini, during a municipal hearing.The collaboration between SEA and Skyports began back in 2021, when they first started analyzing the possibility of developing a network of vertiports across Italy. Skyports is one of the most important names in AAM (Advanced Air Mobiliy) and has already established numerous infrastructure partnerships in various parts of the world, including Paris, Los Angeles, and Dubai.Its important to note that the future vertiports are supposed to be vehicle-agnostic, which means that we might see eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing) from various brands taking off and landing in the Italian city. However, it seems that operations will begin with 2-passenger flights (which will also make them more expensive, at 120/$130 per person) and expand to 4- or 6-passenger flights in the future. This will also make air taxi flights more affordable.However, that wont probably happen sooner than 2030. By that time, SEA officials expect to have 2,000 passengers riding in flying taxis on a daily basis, with better profits for the company as well. Until then, the focus is on the investment-related part of the project. Just these four initial vertiports in Milan are expected to require more than 30 million ($32.4 million).These wont be the first vertiports in Europe. Skyports is involved in a similar project in France, which plans to launch the first airport for eVTOLs on the continent in time for next years Summer Olympics.
The Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival will take over the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this summer. And the sound of the V-Twin engines wont be the only one roaring there. Because youll add to that the energy of amplified guitars of several rock bands that are meant to take the stage this summer, promising a few days to remember for all the motorheads out there.Taking place at venues across the Milwaukee area, the festival will bring some familiar names from the music industry  Green Day and Foo Fighters are the two bands that will headline the show.The name of the festival, Homecoming, takes inspiration from the birthplace of the world's most famous and desirable motorcycle brand, Wisconsin. And this year, the manufacturer will celebrate its 120th anniversary with a show to remember, spread over the course of four days this July. Harley-Davidson was founded by William S. Harley alongside childhood friend Arthur Davidson in 1903, with the help of Arthur's brothers, Walter and William.The celebrations will begin on the 13th and the two main bands will perform right in the middle of it. Green Day is slated to take over the stage on July 14th, with the Foo Fighters following them the next night on July 15th.The stages will be set up in places with historical significance for the brand, such as the Harley-Davidson Museum, which will be the central rally point for free events, Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operation, and at local Harley-Davidson dealerships, with Veterans Park downtown being the center of day-long activities, perfect for families and motorheads in general.Besides music, there will be motorcycle demo rides and product displays at the Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations in Menomonee Falls.Billie Joe Armstrong's Green Day and Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters wont be the only ones taking the stage. Because there will be more musical acts from names like Social Distortion, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Cody Jinks, White Reaper, Phantogram, and KennyHoopla. The schedule for their performances is not available at the moment.We are very excited to announce the Foo Fighters and Green Day as headliners at our Veterans Park festival location, Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson, shared. We cant wait to host riders from all over the world in Milwaukee, as we come together as one Harley-Davidson family and welcome everyone to join us. With music at the heart of our festival, I cant think of two more iconic American rock icons to join our community in celebrating 120 years of Harley-Davidson."As you might expect from a Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival, the celebration will wrap up with a motorcycle parade through Milwaukee on Sunday.
Arksen has a special connection with boot Dusseldorf, one of the most prestigious events in the European yachting and watersport industries. This is where the brand made its official debut, only a few years ago, in 2019. For this years edition, starting on January 21, the luxury yacht designer will bring two of its latest models, the Arksen 30 and the Arksen 28, on display.The London-based brand focuses on luxury explorer yachts, mixed with a strong focus on sustainability. Since the beginning, it has encouraged all future Arksen owners to dedicate some of their new vessels time to research and conservation projects, supported by the Arksen Foundation  an innovative and beneficial concept that could really have a positive impact. Arksen 85 , the flagship of the companys Explorer series, was the one that gained most of the attention so far. The first two units that were sold, named Project Ocean and Project Pelagos respectively, combined high-end design and rugged exploring capabilities with green technologies.For example, Project Pelagos sported a sustainable hull, made of aluminum with up to 4% recycled content, and was equipped with solar panels, advanced waste management systems, and an optional hybrid propulsion system.Following the success of its first series, Arksen introduced the Adventure Series, comprised of smaller, but equally rugged and luxurious yachts. Arksen 30 is the medium-size model in the new series, perfect for longer adventures over the weekend. At 32 feet (9.8 meters) its ideally set for two passengers, but can sleep four, or even six if an optional canvas sleep pod is added.A tinier version of an explorer yacht, the Arksen 30 is just as ready for adrenaline-pumping adventures. This includes a durable hull made of military-grade aluminum, easy handling even in rough waters, multiple storage solutions for water toys, and an efficient configuration that helps make weekend adventures more comfortable.The boats roof rack, under-deck storage area, and multifunctional seating with under-seat storage allow the owner to pack all the gear they need for watersports. They also have access to a pantry unit with modern cooking facilities, and a generous rear cockpit that connects to the bathing platform thats perfect for diving.Small but powerful, the Arksen 30 can hit the waves at 45 knots (51 mph/83 kph) and cover more than 230 nautical miles (425 km) at an economical speed.The new adventure boat will be displayed this weekend at boot Dusseldorf, and theres good news for water lovers in America  Arksen is also launching in the U.S., later this year.
One of the interesting features of the upcoming Volkswagen ID.7 is the smart air conditioning system. With it, the Germans aim to increase comfort and set new standards in its class.It cools or heats the interior of the vehicle more quickly, before the journey begins. This is made possible by electronically controlled vents that distribute air throughout the interior as soon as the driver approaches the car. The system detects the key and starts the cooling or heating process.On hot days the interior is automatically cooled, and when it's cold the heating also starts without the driver having to do anything. If the door is opened in high outside temperatures, intelligent vents in the cabin quickly distribute air over a large area in horizontal movements. If passengers are in the car, depending on preference, the airflow can be directed straight to the body or used for indirect ventilation of the interior space.The climate control is visible on the large new display where it can be activated with a click, and intensity and direction can be configured intuitively and saved as a personalized setting. The automatic mode reacts to the climatic surroundings and even special requests can be made via voice command. Overall, the intelligent climate control system in the ID.7 adapts to drivers and situations, providing a new level of spatial comfort.The climate control function can be activated manually at the touch of a finger. With the clear context-sensitive climate menu, all vents can be controlled digitally. The power and direction of air movements can be intuitively adjusted and saved individually. The temperature can be controlled via touch sliders. The Volkswagen ID.7 features special "Smart Climates" that allow for personalized air conditioning settings. For example, if the driver says "Hello Volkswagen, my hands are cold," the steering wheel heating will activate and warm air will be directed at the hands for five minutes. These individual preferences are saved as "Personalizations" in the ID.7, making it especially convenient for vehicles with multiple drivers.Additionally, the ID.7 is the first VW model with a sun position detection feature. When the automatic function is engaged, the smart system reacts to the climatic surroundings and adjusts the air conditioning accordingly, specifically targeting the warmer zones of the vehicle interior and its occupants.The new member of the ID family , the Volkswagen ID.7 will be fully unveiled in the second quarter of 2023 and will be sold in North America, Europe, and China. The European version is due to roll out from Volkswagen's plant in Emden, Germany. This is the plant that has been producing the Volkswagen Passat.
SUV

CVT

Interesting models from Toyota that should be tracked include novel introductions like the 2023 Crown crossover sedan, which starts from $39,950 with a standard hybrid powertrain, as well as the ubiquitous 2023 Prius Hybrid Reborn, which kicks off at a much better $27,450 MSRP. Also, let us not forget about all the usual suspects, from the Corolla family to the best-selling Tacoma truck or the fresh, family-oriented SequoiaSpeaking of the latter, the Tundra sibling might even have offspring. Alas, that is only valid across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, not in the real world. Over there in the parallel universes of CGIs, the good folks at TopElectricSUV.com have already imagined the next-generation mid-size 4Runner SUV with the visage of the Tundra/Sequoia and with the heart of a Crown crossover sedan.Alas, let us start everything from the very beginning. So, the publication - and we can almost bet our lunch-break pocket money that it is relying on lots of Toyota rumor mill whispers - thinks 2023 is the right time for the Japanese carmaker to finally introduce us to the successor of the beloved SUV. The closed counterpart of the Hilux/Tacoma pickup trucks has lived a compact SUV lifestyle during the first and second iterations (introduced in 1983 and 1995, respectively) then switched to the higher mid-size class for the next three generations  N180 (1995), N210 (2002), and N280 (2009).One might quickly notice that Toyota has not been quick to introduce an all-new 4Runner model for quite some time. Now, imagined for the 2024 model year, the sixth iteration does not stray away from the rugged looks of the current model and only updates the styling lines to look like a smaller Tundra/Sequoia. Alas, when it comes to motivation, the mill under the hood is not of the same novel 3.4-liter V35A-FTS twin-turbo of the hybrid V6 variety.Instead, it does keep the electrified credentials and, since 437 horsepower would be a little overkill when compared to its biggest rivals  the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler  the unofficial 2024 Toyota 4Runner instead snatches the soul of the unsuspecting 2023 Crown. From there, it tucks a smaller 2.4-liter T24A-FTS turbo inline-four that is good for 236 hybrid ponies sent to an all-wheel drive system through an E-box.Well, all that begs a simple question. Would that be enough to persuade Wrangler and Bronco fans to sway toward the rugged and cool yet equally iconic Japanese SUV, or the Sequoia/Tundra looks plus the hybridized powertrain are simply not bringing enough individualization?
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Large Sperm Whale Strands on N. Oregon Coast near Iredale Shipwreck; Cause of Death Unknown (Video)

Published 01/15/23 at 6:12 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Warrenton, Oregon)  [NOTE: FOR UPDATES ON CAUSE OF DEATH SEE Three Whales Hit Oregon Coast Sands: Causes of Death Released] For what is a rather uncommon sight, this was a bit unusual for the Oregon coastline. A 40-foot sperm washed up at Fort Stevens, right within view of the wreck of the Peter Iredale. Crews from Seaside Aquarium said it was a male that had not been dead for very long. (Photos and video copyright Seaside Aquarium / Tiffany Boothe)

At first it was NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) fisheries personnel who responded as part of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, then Seaside Aquarium's Tiffanty Boothe and Keith Chandler.

Chandler told Oregon Coast Beach Connection finding a dead sperm whale on an Oregon beach is rather rare, though they have a sizable population offshore from Oregon and the Washington coast.

This is only the 5th or 6th one we've dealt with, he said.

Indeed, Oregon Coast Beach Connection has been covering these incidents since 2007. There were only three reports for the northern half of the coast and south Washington coast: in 2007, 2017 and 2012.

Boothe said the whale was already dead when it washed ashore, in spite of some social media claims that it was still moving.

That's just because the water was moving it around, Chandler said.

The whale showed with marks on its body that may or may not reveal much.

There were a few large gashes on the whale believed to be from a large ship shrike, however, it is unclear if this shrike occurred before or after death, Boothe said Sunday. A necropsy will be scheduled later in the week to take a closer look at this. Today, with help from the wonderful staff at state parks, we were able to remove the lower jaw. The jaw was removed so that the teeth remained intact for scientific purposes.

Chandler said it didn't smell too bad as many whale corpses do.

It was the freshest sperm whale we've every had, he said.

Next up is the necropsy, which will done on the beach on Monday. Dalin D'Alessandro from Portland State University's Biology Department will be the scientist working on that. She is also part of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Chandler said these necropsies involve taking samples (such as the organs) for study back at the lab, as well as opening up the creature to see if the wounds happened before or after death. They also look for diseases.

Male sperm whales can reach nearly 60 feet and weigh well over 40 tons, Boothe said. They have been known to live up to 60 years, with males maturing around the age of 50 at a length of approximately 52 feet. They feed on deep water species, such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish.

Sperm whale populations are still recovering from being near the brink of extinction after so much hunting in the last century. They remain an endangered species.

This is why federal authorities sometimes get involved with these strandings. The 2007 stranding of a sperm whale near Cannon Beach included federal authorities tracking down a man who had taken parts of the whale  a federal crime if it involved an endangered species. Penalties are as much as one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Chandler and Boothe wanted to remind everyone to keep clear of the whale and do not touch it.

Any whale, dolphin, porpoise, or pinniped can spread potential diseases to humans and pets, Boothe said.

Yesterday afternoon a 40-foot sperm whale washed ashore just south of the Peter Iredale in Fort Stevens State Park. The whale had been dead for a while before washing ashore. There were a few large gashes on the whale believed to be from a large ship strike, however, it is unclear if this strike occurred before or after death. A necropsy will be scheduled later in the week to take a closer look at this. Today, with help from the wonderful staff at state parks, we were able to remove the lower jaw. The jaw was removed so that the teeth remained intact for scientific purposes. This whale is believed to be a juvenile male. Male sperm whales can reach nearly 60 feet and weigh well over 40 tons. They have been known to live up to 60 years, with males maturing around the age of 50 at a length of approximately 52 feet. They feed on deep water species, such as squid, sharks, skates, and fish. While their population is recovering, sperm whales are still considered endangered. Please remember to look- but do not touch. Any whale, dolphin, porpoise, or pinniped can spread potential diseases to humans and pets. Posted by Seaside Aquarium on Sunday, January 15, 2023

Dogs are especially vulnerable to getting sick, but not necessarily because their systems have less immunity, but that they're more apt to have a closer contact with them.

Humans don't usually roll around in it like dogs do, he said.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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Central Oregon Coast's Big Blue Film Fest Shows 16 Films at Newport's Hatfield

Published 01/17/23 at 6:10 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Newport, Oregon)  Where the Oregon coast's deep blue sea meets Hollywood.

What should become a regular event on the central Oregon coast is happening for the first time later this month, with the inaugural Big Blue Film Fest taking place at Newport's Hatfield Marine Science Center, January 27 - 28. A whole 16 films will be shown over the two-day event, which is the new version of the popular Hatfield Marine Science Center Film Festival that went from 2016 to 2019. (Above: photo from "Oregon Surfing: A Vital Way of Life" is a film by Maia Insinga. Photo courtesy Maia Insinga)

Hatfield's organizers say it's an opportunity to raise awareness about marine issues not just on the Oregon coast but around the world, turning audiences on to scientific research in an entertaining manner.

The festival has nabbed efforts from 46 countries, each with a different director that offers a unique perspective on the world of the deep. 169 films were submitted for consideration, with three coming from students at Oregon State University (of which the Hatfield is a part of) and one directed by an OSU staff member. Four films won awards by the selection panel, which included Hatfield Director Bob Cowen and Marine Mammal Institute Director Lisa Ballance.

Cowen said he and staff are extremely happy to be bringing this festival back to the iconic central Oregon coast facility, even with a slightly different form.

Some amazingly talented filmmakers are participating in this inaugural festival and their creativity brings marine science to life in a way that informs, inspires and entertains, Cowen said.

The festival will be held in the auditorium of the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building at Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. A reception with complimentary food and drinks will be held before the Friday night screening, which also includes an awards ceremony for the winning filmmakers. On Saturday, refreshments will sold between screenings.

The schedule is:

Block A: Stunning Seascapes, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Reception begins at 5:15 p.m. Films: Best film award-winner Fire Under the Sea, directed by Gil Kebiili and Roberto Rinaldi; Oregons Edge: The Creative South Coast, directed by Oregon States Darryl Lai of OSU Productions; and The Sanctuary, directed by Timothy Raymond Brown and Michael Bruce Portway.

Heading south, it was past Cascade Head, through Lincoln City, and eventually over the bridge at Depoe Bay, which regularly rumbled in a muted manner beyond the confines of my car windows, sometimes augmented by wild storm action that caused sprays of ocean to wash over the streets of the village and then over me. Many times did this cause me to pull over and gawk for a while.

Getting into Newport and Nye Beach was always the same thrill as the northward trek to Manzanita: I could see and hear the ocean, as if it too welcomed me  although only me. It wasnt hard to imagine the beach was keeping its eye out for just my return, as ego-centric as this thought was.

Port of Newport Marina RV Park is an up-to-date Good Sam rated park with discount available. All sites offer full hookups and are paved with pull-thru, back-in, and pull-in options.

Port of Newport Annex is the Ports legacy park with gravel pads and full hookups (no discounts).



Outside the Hatfield, photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Additional information about each film is available on the event website.

All access passes are $20 for adults and $12 for students, including K-12 and college students. Passes provide access to all films shown during the festival; tickets are not available for individual blocks of films. All access passes must be purchased online; to purchase tickets, visit this link. Seating is limited so purchasing in advance is recommended.

The Big Blue Film Fest is a collaboration of several Oregon State University organizations, including Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Marine Studies Initiative and OSU Productions, as well as community partners.

The festival honors the legacy of Maryann Bozza, who conceived the original Hatfield Marine Science Center Film Festival. Bozza, a program manager at Hatfield who served on the leadership team for the Marine Studies Initiative, died in 2017. MORE NEWPORT BELOW

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Rohingya refugees rescued by fishermen are seen on a boat behind a patrol boat near the coast of Seunuddon beach in North Aceh, Indonesia, June 24, 2020.

Jakarta on Thursday called for a regional effort to address the crisis of Rohingya refugees stranded at sea after escaping from their homeland of Myanmar, where they are persecuted and stateless, or from crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Southeast Asian nations should cooperate on rescue operations so that the task doesnt fall only to Indonesia, a foreign ministry official said, at a time when the United Nations has cited an alarming rise in the death toll of Rohingya making perilous sea crossings in people-smuggling boats.

In the future, it is necessary to have regional cooperation on rescue operations, a task not only for Indonesia but also countries in the region, Achsanul Habib, the ministrys director for human rights and humanitarian affairs, told a news conference.

Last year was the deadliest since 2014 for Rohingya attempting such sea voyages, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said Wednesday.

UNHCR has recorded an alarming rise in the death toll. At least 348 individuals died or went missing at sea in 2022, making it one of the deadliest years since 2014, spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva.

UNHCR said it feared that one boat with around 180 refugees on board had sunk some time in December.

More than 3,500 Rohingya attempted sea crossings in 39 boats in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 2022, according to the latest UNHCR data, Mantoo said. This represented a 360% increase from 2021, when some 700 people made similar journeys.

The refugees board boats as they try to escape from sprawling refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh or their nearby home state of Rakhine on the Myanmar side of the border.

Since December, at least three boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees have landed in northwestern Indonesias Aceh province. Two of these boats had been at sea for weeks, and some 40 people had perished on them, officials said.

Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this month that arrivals of Rohingya refugees in Aceh had surged last year to 574 people. By comparison, between 2020 and 2022, officials recorded the arrival of 1,155 Rohingya refugees in Aceh.

Motives to flee

According to the ministrys Achsanul, their main reason for fleeing to Southeast Asia has changed.

Their motive is no longer [fleeing] persecution, but [to find] jobs, economic and family reunion, he said.

The refugees were in touch with NGOs, sharing their coordinates at sea with the aim of pressuring governments to mount search and rescue operations, he added.

This shows that the movements of the Rohingya boat people were known to various parties, including UNHCR, he said.

UNHCR responded to this charge in a statement to BenarNews.

The agency said many of the Rohingya stranded in Aceh had obtained refugee status in Bangladesh and therefore had contact information for its staff and NGOs.

When their boat is in danger of sinking, in such an emergency, they may decide to contact these organizations for help, which is a very common thing to do, it said.

Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not grant refugees the right to take up formal employment and attend regular school.

On Wednesday, the U.N. agency said that most boats departed from Myanmar and Bangladesh, highlighting the growing sense of desperation amongst Rohingya in those two countries.

Those who have disembarked report that they undertook these dangerous sea journeys in an effort to find protection, security, family reunification, and livelihoods in other countries, UNHCRs Mantoo said.

Among them are victims of trafficking, unaccompanied and separated children, and survivors of sexual- and gender-based violence.

Amnesty International has said the departures highlight the deteriorating situation in Myanmar following the February 2021 military coup, as well as the dire conditions at refugee camps in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district.

About 1 million Rohingya, including about 740,000 who fled Myanmar during a brutal military offensive in Rakhine in 2017, live in the crowded refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, a southeastern Bangladeshi district by the Myanmar border.

Many Rohingya have grown desperate because they see no hope of being repatriated to Myanmar, which is convulsed with violence following the military coup, human rights advocates and NGOs in the region have said.

The Rohingya in Bangladesh also cannot work or properly educate their children at these camps.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (third from left) joins other participants during the High-Level Dialogue on Investing in Infrastructure and Resilience at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that he entered politics to cleanse his familys name after a popular revolt in 1986 ended his fathers nearly two-decade dictatorship.

This was the first time Marcos raised the issue before an international audience and in a country where, critics say, his late namesake father stashed away millions of dollars that his regime had plundered from the Filipino people.

Marcos told Forum President Brge Brende in Davos that he lost interest in a political life when his father, Ferdinand E. Marcos, died in a Hawaiian exile in 1989.

[A]fter we came back from the United States, after exile, when we were first allowed to come back, the political issue was Marcos, he said during an on-stage conversation with Brende on Wednesday.

And  for us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena. So that at least, not only the legacy of my father but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics.

During his election campaign and after he won the presidency last May, Marcos defended his fathers 1972 martial law proclamation and tenure. During that period, according to Amnesty International, 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured and more than 3,200 killed.

Marcos Jr. has said martial law was necessary back then because the Philippines was facing national security threats from communist rebels as well as separatist guerrillas in the south.

A former congressman, Marcos served from 1998-2007 as governor of the northern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte for three consecutive terms. He was again elected to Congress in 2007, and to the Philippine Senate in 2010.

In 2016, he ran as vice president but lost to Leni Robredo.

Marcos then set his sights on the presidency.

Well  Every lieutenant wants to be a general, right? Every clerk wants to be the CEO. So Im saying if Im going to be in politics, lets do the best we can and take it as far as we can take it, he said.

His family is now back in the business of politics. His sister, Imee, is a sitting senator. His son is a member of the House of Representatives, which is led by his uncle.

South China Sea issue

During his discussion with Brende, the Philippine leader also said that his governments foreign policy focus was on peace and securing national interests amid heightened tensions with Beijing over the disputed South China Sea.

The South China Sea issue keeps you up at night, keeps you up in the day, keeps you up most of the time, Marcos said.

We are at the very frontline. .... If something goes wrong here, we are going to suffer. And thats why the  when asked what is your foreign policy and how would you describe it, I say, its a commitment to peace and a very  very, very close  and guided very, very closely by our national interest as I mentioned before.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea on historical grounds, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Beijing also claims historic rights to areas of the waterway that overlap Indonesias exclusive economic zone.

Beijing has ignored a 2016 international arbitration court ruling that Manila won and that invalidated Chinas vast claims in the South China Sea.

Marcos has repeatedly stated that his government would assert the ruling, and he reiterated that in an interview with Bloomberg News.

That is the red line. That is something that will not move. Its something that we cannot cross because its a very slippery road from there, Marcos told Bloomberg.

Thats a difficult thing to have to do because the impasse, really, has occurred in the application of the law. Both sides say that this area belongs  we say it is the maritime territory of the Philippines, and, of course, China says the same.

Jeoffrey Maitem and Dennis Jay Santos in Davao City, southern Philippines, contributed to this report.
Updated at 2 p.m. ET on 2023-01-20

Myanmars junta chief met with his Thai counterpart at a Myanmar beach resort on Thursday for talks that will likely focus on military relations and stability issues along their 1,500-mile (2,415-km.) border, according to sources in the country.

The three-day meeting between Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and a delegation led by Gen. Chalermpol Srisawat, Thailands military chief of staff, in Ngapali in Rakhine states Thandwe township is the eighth annual gathering for the two nations military leaders.

Myanmars military is squaring off with anti-junta forces that include Peoples Defense Force paramilitary groups and ethnic armies on multiple fronts in embattled Kayah, Kayin and Shan states, as well as Tanintharyi region, all of which border Thailand.

The official Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday that Min Aung Hlaing rolled out the red carpet for the Thai delegation at Ngapali Beach's Pristine Mermaid Resort, treating them to a dinner accompanied by performances by artists from the Myawady Entertainment Troupe under the Directorate of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare and from the Myanma Radio and Television under the Ministry of Information.

A press release issued by the Royal Thai Armed Forces said that during the meeting the two sides discussed "a friendship sporting event to boost a relationship of both sides personnel and families, an exchange of military cultures, an exchange of combat medical matters, [and] a cooperation in Military Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief." It said plans were also made to cooperate on border security issues including drug trafficking, "social strengthening" of border villages, and the repatriation of displaced persons.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA he was unable to comment because he was not present at the talks.

Myanmar-based political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA that an issue of pressing concern for both nations is an ongoing junta campaign of heavy aerial attacks on areas controlled by the ethnic Karen National Union along the border in Kayin state, near Thailand.

At a time when the [junta] has to decide whether or not to continue with airstrikes, it will be important to discuss these issues with Thai officials in order to gain an understanding, he said.

The two sides will also likely discuss the issues of Myanmar refugees who have fled to Thailand since the coup as well as shells mistakenly fired into Thai territory by junta troops, Than Soe Naing said.

Min Aung Hlaing, viewed as a pariah by the international community after leading a February 2021 coup and subsequent violent crackdown on Myanmars opposition, enjoys close personal ties to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, who himself seized power in a 2014 putsch.

Prayuth helps to prop up the junta through supporting Thai natural gas purchases from Myanmar, and Thursdays meeting came just days after the two countries reopened the key Myawaddy-Mae Sot Friendship Bridge border crossing after a three-year hiatus.

Thai soldiers stand in formation during the annual troop rotation ceremony inspection at Chulabhorn military camp in Narathiwat province, Oct. 1, 2022. [AFP]

Secret talks

Than Soe Naing, the analyst, also suggested that there could also be secret talks between the two generals regarding Thai authorities confiscation of assets owned by Min Aung Hlaings children during the arrest of Myanmar arms broker Tun Min Latt on charges of drug smuggling and money laundering in September 2022.

The discovery of a property title belonging to Min Aung Hlaings son, Aung Pyae Sone, and two bank passbooks belonging to his daughter, Khin Thiri Thet Mon, among the seized assets as detailed in a report last week by campaign group Justice for Myanmar has prompted calls for a probe into their ties and to block their access to Thailands financial system.

Another Burmese analyst, Sai Kyi Zin Soe, downplayed any indication that a meeting between the two leaders might lead to unexpected announcements.

It is not unusual to see something like this, he said, noting that Myanmar and Thailand have a long history of diplomatic relations that precede their current political situations.

But he predicted that the two sides will have much to talk about because of the similarities of their rise to power and eagerness to hold post-coup general elections. Thailand has scheduled an election for May 7 while the Myanmar junta has also vowed to hold its own election this year, although a date has not been announced.

Burmese observers frequently suggest that Min Aung Hlaing envies Thailands military because of the control it exerts over the stability of the country, despite having staged an unpopular coup.

Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews, produced this report.
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The attorney representing proposed cannabis mini-farms at the Berkshire Mall fielded questions Monday about water use, property values, security and where marijuana grown at the defunct mall would be shipped. The community session, required by the Cannabis Control Commission, offered the most detailed look to date at plans by JMJ Holdings to shift to a new use of the former retail destination.
Gov. Maura Healey announced the creation of the position last week. For the first time in state history, we will have a dedicated staff member committed to coordinating across state government to support economic development in rural communities, Healey said.
When Stephen Murray moved from the Berkshires to the greater Boston area last year, he found himself doing something he wasnt used to: sitting in traffic.

Berkshire traffic means getting stuck behind a slow bus. In eastern Massachusetts, it will sometimes take Murray two hours to drive 40 miles into Boston. The amount of time I spend sitting there and looking at other peoples license plates has gone up exponentially.

What would he want on his own specialized license plate, he thought. He couldnt fit all five of his childrens names on a plate. So he decided on something else thats personal: Narcan, the brand name for a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.

Ive lost a ton of friends to overdoses ... who could have been saved by Narcan, he said. And Ive saved peoples lives with Narcan who are now my friends.

In his past jobs as a first-responder and Northern Berkshire EMS lieutenant, he had used the medication to reverse more than 100 overdoses. Now hes an overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center.

Murray, who lived in the Berkshires for about a decade before moving to Plymouth last year, has been in recovery from substance use disorder for years and is working to reduce stigma. He helped get more first responders to carry Narcan in the Berkshires and has shared his story at recovery events.

This fall, he submitted an application for a vanity license plate that reads NARCAN, or his backup choice, NALXNE, short for Naloxone, the medications generic name.

Im a overdose survivor, he said he wrote in his application for the personalized plate. Ive been an overdose responder as a paramedic, and Im an overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center. And Narcan is a life-saving medication thats saved tens of thousands of lives here in Massachusetts.

About two weeks after he submitted his request, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles sent him a seemingly pro forma denial letter. Such combination is vulgar, the letter, which he posed on Twitter, reads, in that it is in poor taste or is degrading or is considered profanity, including a swear or curse word, not usually displayed in the community for general viewing.

That didnt make sense to Murray. There are more vulgar plates that have been approved, like booger, he said, referencing a Boston Globe article last year that detailed some of the more colorful license plates the state has approved. The RMV has also given its seal of approval to BEDBUG, and WTF and GASSY, he pointed out.

Murray didnt know how to formally appeal the decision, so he took to social media to vent.

He posted his rejection letter on Twitter in mid-November and explained the situation, getting attention from doctors, advocates, and even the RMV. The agency replied, saying his feedback would be reviewed.

And it was. Within two weeks of Murrays tweet, he got a call from the RMV saying his request would be approved.

When a vanity plate rejection is challenged, the case is reviewed by a vanity plate committee, Judith Riley, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, said in an email to The Eagle. In this case, the subsequent review of the application for NARCAN was approved by the committee.

Murray applauded how the RMV handled the case after the initial rejection. I think its important to commend them for how quickly they resolved it, he said. I was thoroughly impressed.

Recently, he got the personalized plate. He hopes it will help reduce the stigma associated with Narcan and substance use disorder.

Narcan is a tool to reverse overdoses, he said. It addresses a medical event like other medications. Just like insulin or chemo medication or the blood pressure medication I take every day.
GREAT BARRINGTON  The most recent test of Housatonics drinking water shows it continues to have elevated levels of a chlorination byproduct linked to cancer.

Those levels, however, have continued to drop since an initial spike following record rainfall in July 2021.

In a state-mandated notice to customers, on the company website and published Wednesday in The Eagle, Housatonic Water Works Co. said the chemicals do not present an emergency. Still, it said vulnerable people might want to use bottled water, or water from another source.

You can choose to limit the amount of tap water used if you are pregnant, may become pregnant or are giving water to young children, the notice says. Nursing mothers should continue breastfeeding for the health of infants, despite contaminants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Samples of water taken from a North Plain Road site in November show haloacetic acid levels at 69 parts per billion. That exceeds the maximum safety level set by state regulators, according to a Jan. 10 notice sent to customers and a Wednesday notice in The Eagle.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protections maximum contaminant level is 60 ppb, due to the increased cancer risk to some people who drink water with elevated levels of haloacetic acids over many years.

More testing showed the level of the chlorination byproduct at 66 ppb.

Also, water tested at a Depot Street location exceeded this level for the first time in the last quarter of 2022. Historically, those levels had been fairly steady and well below the regulation limit.

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But during the past four years results have varied more over time and are higher on average, the waterworks notice says.

there is progress

James Mercer, the waterworks co-owner and treasurer, said it is important to note that the levels are running averages and that they have fallen since 2021.

There is progress, he said. Theres nothing new thats really happened.

Mercer said that while the language in these notices can raise alarms, it is required by the DEP. He pointed to the good news shown in one of the bar charts showing the 2021 spike up over 100 ppb, followed by a drop throughout 2022.

The company has struggled since 2021 to keep levels of the compound below the regulation maximum. The problem is part of the waterworks larger crisis  an aging system whose pipes and systems are outdated.

Issues include stretches of brown water from taps due to high levels of manganese in Long Pond, mostly during summer. Residents are outraged; town officials are trying to find a solution.

The waterworks is testing a filtration method to remove manganese and said in its notice that this is so far a success. If success with the pilot continues, it will pave the way for a purchase of a new filtration system, as well as a new water storage tank.

All of this is estimated to cost around $4 million.

Part of the pilot is to find ways to reduce chlorine and byproducts like haloacetic acid, Mercer said.
Tonight's rundown:

 Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach

 Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents

 US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine

 OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant

 The trial of Fox News gets underway

 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off

 Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car

 This Day in History: FDR dies in office

 Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you

In Case You Missed It:

 Read Bill's latest column, "Reason to Believe"

 Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear now at BillOReilly.com!

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thandanani Dlamini, 60, died on Sunday 15 January, at her home following a short illness.

Source  olegdudko 123rf 123rf Veteran journalist Thandanani Dlamini has died

According to the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in October last year. The Forum said in a statement that it was saddened to learn of the passing of Dlamini.

Affectionately known as TDK amongst family, friends, and peers, she dedicated her youth to fighting for democracy having joined the ANC at the age of 19.

Dlamini was a member of Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the ANC, and lived in Tanzania, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where she furthered her studies while continuing to serve her country and fight for democracy

On her return from exile, she briefly worked for the United Nations (UN) before joining the SABC as a journalist, says Sanef.

Radio journalist and YFM founder

Dlamini spent most of her adult life working as a radio journalist in both commercial and public media.

She was part of the pioneering team that successfully launched YFM in 1997  the countrys first black urban youth radio station and read its inaugural news bulletin - a moment she reflected on often with a deep sense of pride and achievement.

As the news editor of YFM, she worked tirelessly to ensure that the commercial platform reflected honestly and authentically on the realities facing young people.

Today YFM remains a success story, etched in the DNA of radio in the country, says Sanef.

A critical thinker

She was principled and unflinching in her quest to protect the critical voices that she insisted were necessary for a new democratic South Africa. For that she often walked into many fires but remained unrepentant, says Dirk Hartford, former YFM CEO.

Dlamini later returned to the SABC serving as a senior producer and later executive producer of SAFMs news current affairs programmes.

She was proud to work at the national broadcaster at a time when the SABC pioneered dynamic and leading news and current affairs, says Sanef.

Former colleague Thoraya Pandy who worked with her during both stints at the SABC remembers Dlamini as a critical thinker who looked beyond the obvious angles, challenged authority when appropriate, and gave a voice to ordinary people.

She had an astonishing way of finding newsmakers from a small town in Sierra Leone to a spokesperson for the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. She simply wouldnt give up and always got her story, she recalls.

Back to her passion

More recently she joined the University of Eswatini sticking with her passion and teaching in the field of journalism.

While at the University of Eswatini, she founded the campus radio station in 2021 that navigated the tumultuous unrest in that country.

She loved working with young people, showing us the ropes, teaching the basics of journalism but importantly she taught us about respect for ourselves, our work, and our colleagues. The radio station and teaching us brought her so much joy, says Nonjabulo Mabunda a student at the university.

She is survived by her son Pilani, grandchild Zweli, and siblings.

TDK will be buried on Saturday Saturday, 21 January, in Nsigweni, Ethulani in Eswatini. The service will commence at 5 am.
More than 2,900 learners have been given a back-to-school boost after receiving a donation of stationery packs and backpacks from leading tyre manufacturer, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA).

Joanne de Freitas, CSI manager of SRSA, said the company secured 2,300 stationery packs and backpacks  one per employee  and invited employees to give these to any child in need.

Additionally, 600 stationery packs and back packs were donated to learners at Limit Hill Combined School and Nikela Primary School in Ladysmith.

Lubin Ozoux, CEO of SRSA, said, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa has a soft spot for the community of Ladysmith  its where we produce one of South Africas most loved tyre brands, Dunlop, and work side by side with the communities around our local tyre manufacturing plant. Were honoured to run a number of projects in Ladysmith, anchored by education as a key pillar of our corporate social investment programme, and aligned with the Sumitomo purpose of creating a future of joy and well-being through innovation.

Nikela Primary School principal Christine Mabaso said the donated stationery was an unexpected lifesaver.

Our school, and the community at large, wants to thank Sumitomo for the overwhelming donation of stationery items. They will be distributed among all 913 pupils at our school and arrived at the right time. We were on the verge of asking parents, most of whom are unemployed, to purchase stationery items such as notebooks, for their children. However, when we saw the amount of goods donated, we realised our parents were saved from these costs. We are so thankful, and so pleased at the good quality of the items received. It will help our children learn, she said.

In 2023, SRSA celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Ladysmith plant, which first opened in 1973. De Freitas said the company had various projects lined up to mark the occasion alongside the local community.

Other recent Education focused initiatives spearheaded by SRSA in Ladysmith have included:
Whether we are aware of it or not, colour impacts constantly on our lives: from the clothes we wear to the cars we drive and the houses we live in, the colours that surround us affect our moods.

In the case of Eva-Lasts range of composite decking, interior flooring and cladding, as an alternative to timber, Eva-Lasts advanced colour ranges by and large follow the hues that one might find in natural timbers.

The overriding feeling evoked by a wood finish is one of comfort, warmth and an affinity with the environment. The enticing aspect of Eva-Lasts composite bamboo-polymer products is that these offer all the emotional benefits of a wood finish, while overriding all the negative aspects of maintenance and deterioration associated with genuine timber placement.

Across our three ranges of decking, for example, we look for colours that match those of different timber species, and to a certain extent, other elements in our natural environment, explains Shelley Galliver, Eva-Last marketing director.

Likewise, we produce colours that are trending, and at the moment these include greys in darker and lighter shades. These colours also have their foundation in the natural environment. If you let natural timber weather, it slowly turns from brown to grey in colour.

From a decor and architectural perspective, with grey being popular at the moment, we logically ensure that within our various ranges we have a grey etched colour that looks much more appealing than natural weathered wood. Other colours in the range follow the lines of natural wood, dark brown textures, tan textures, and the like.

Whats interesting is that colours and textures differ from region to region. As an example, currently in Europe and America, the natural cedar and western red cedar looks are favourable, which is not necessarily the timber preferences noted in South Africa or Australia, explains Galliver.

At the heart of this regionalisation of colour choices lies the fact that people are happy to be in an environment that is familiar to them. This is particularly apt when it comes to the wide variety of wood colours. It has been estimated that there are over 100 different varieties of timber used across the globe, and in re-creating a product that is, for all intents and purposes indistinguishable from wood, it is important that the wood colour replicates something that is familiar, so that it blends into its environment.

However, in terms of exploring all the possibilities within the palette of wood hues, architects and designers are constantly exploring new avenues of expression. One of these is to be found in a technology that was discovered over 300 years ago, a process of wood charring, or creating carbonised wood, commonly referred to as Shou Sugi Ban or Yakisugi.

Carbonised wood was developed in a small fishing village in Japan, on the island of Naoshima. The fishermen discovered that by lightly burning the surface of wood, timber was much more resilient to the damage caused by the sea and other elements, as it limited water absorption. Today this 'charred appearance' has become extremely sought-after as an architectural theme, denoting solidity and a powerful blend of hi-tech and ancient appeal.

Of course, Eva-Lasts range of composite bamboo-polymer products, overcomes many of the maintenance reasons for charring the timber. Nevertheless, as a cosmetic consideration, the 'charred effect' has broad visual appeal in some regions.

Galliver adds, The carbonised look is very popular right now, particularly in Europe and America, and it is an architectural trend with a lot of momentum. We recently launched a colour called Carbonised Osage, or Carbonised Cedar, which mimics wood that has been charred, a trend that is very big in avant-garde circles.

While it is important to keep in mind that colour is intricately associated with mood, and consequently with prevailing fashion trends, when investigating building materials, decisions around colour is more likely to be considered within the architectural design of the structure.

Composite building materials represent a long-term investment. Our Apex range, for example, has a 30-year warranty, and on Infinity there is a 25-year warranty. So its not something that you necessarily update according to mood or prevailing trends, as you would do with other decor aspects of a building, notes Galliver.

Your colour choice should rather be compatible with architectural aspects of the building, or synergies with the environment where the product is to be located. You can choose to repaint your house or office building every three to five years, according to mood or popular trends. With our products, they are going to be there for a long time. So you would choose what would work in terms of the overall design, appearance and feel of the surrounding environment, adds Galliver.

When it comes to building materials, its clear that colour preference is very much a regional phenomenon, which is why Eva-Last tailors its colour ranges to suit local preferences. By and large, this is dictated by the types of natural timber traditionally used in timber construction around the world, and the popular colours available in Eva-Last collections correspond to those preferred timbers. After all, the key-note behind all Eva-Lasts product ranges is to blend into the natural environment.

For more information visit www.eva-last.com.




The South African youth continues to bear the burden of unemployment. According to the Democracy Development Program, only 30% of South African university graduates find employment after graduation. In contrast, 62% of Eduvos graduates either found work or pursued further studies after graduating from Eduvos in 2021.

At Eduvos we prioritise the employability of our students. We understand that Eduvos is only the first step in our students professional paths. Therefore, we have taken steps to ensure they are secure after they leave our campuses.

Our dedicated Employability Centre helps students find a job placement to ensure they are secure after they leave Eduvos. The centre also helps students who want to further their studies at other institutions.

The Employability Centre, along with other faculties at Eduvos, is constantly ensuring that our students meet relevant industry stakeholders. Through career fairs, business breakfasts, industry-backed competitions and even some of our coursework, Vossies are building relevant knowledge and networks in their chosen career path.

Employability Centres at Eduvos, online and face-to-face, are where qualifications and the world of work meet to ensure that we are shaping potential  student by student  towards Africa's prosperity," says Cheryl Smith, head of the Employability Centre at Eduvos. We are dedicated to developing knowledgeable and skilled graduates.

We do not want our students to have a degree that they cannot use. Our academic staff comprises a combination of academics and industry professionals. They know what it takes to succeed in the working world and use their contacts and knowledge to get students where they need to be to get job placements after graduation.

Eduvos only offers a limited number of postgraduate degrees. For this reason, the Employability Centre also helps students who want to further their studies at other institutions.

For more information, contact Kara van der Berg at moc.sovude@grebdv.arak.




The way in which we work, and the future of work, is facing significant disruption that is being shaped by technology and the innovative growth of artificial intelligence.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the rapid adoption of these technologies, in everything from manufacturing to healthcare, is opening up new opportunities for workers with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy. In the US, for example, online job postings for digital roles increased by 24% between 2018 and 2021, led by a 116% increase in the number of listings seeking data engineers. Postings for computer scientists rose by 72%, followed by increases of 70% in adverts for chief investment officers and directors of IT, 63% for data scientists and 55% for marketing specialists.

Moving closer to home, the advance of technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced robotics will have a far-reaching impact on South Africas workplaces. Although digitisation will be disruptive, it has the potential to raise productivity and operational efficiency in businesses across sectors, to deliver better outcomes for both customers and citizens, and to create millions of high-quality jobs. A McKinsey report points out that digitisation could create as many as 1.2 million jobs by 2030.

"This poses two significant challenges to higher education institutions," says Professor Zaheer Hamid, director of the Mancosa School of Education, "How do higher education institutions prepare courses that are future focused, and how do these institutions prepare their students for the hyper competitive and ever-changing job market?"

Transferable skills

The WEF report points out that continuous change means continuous investments in the digitisation of the labour market should be a priority.

Identifying the occupations that will thrive as the market evolves  and the skills needed to perform these roles  will allow policymakers and employers to focus education and training on the skills and tools that workers need to succeed.

So, what are these skills? Not only are companies entering into a new business world, but employees are also expected to be adaptable and have transferable skills that can be used in many different parts of the organisation. Examples of this are people management, change management and diversity management. Employers are no longer placing employees in specific boxes limiting them to a specific role in the organisation, says Hamid.

Other transferable skills that students are being taught at Mancosa include working with big data, robotic skills, coding skills and working with technology.

One of the biggest challenges that Mancosa has to deal with when it comes to first year students is that many students from the rural areas enter into university life with very little computer skills. Not only will most of your tertiary learning be done through accessing technology, most jobs require basic tech skills, says Hamid.

The changing landscape

The WEF report points out that, because technology is having such a big influence on the future of work, unique jobs will exist in the future that did not exist 10 years ago.

Online job postings for data scientists in Canada, the UK and the US increased more than 40 times between 2012 and 2021



Demand for cybersecurity professionals has boomed in recent years as more firms gather data to inform decision-making



Demand for IT professionals and technicians to manage IT infrastructures is rising across all countries, partly due to the increase in connectivity of all types of businesses and activities



Software developers and engineers are more in demand thanks to the rise of e-commerce, online sales and the use of apps.

Because of this, the WEF report points out that there is a dramatic increased demand for specific skills.

The knowledge of machine learning, data science and data visualisation is spreading extremely quickly across roles and sectors. In the US, demand for advanced data analysis skills spread more than 15 times faster than demand for the average skill between 2012 and 2021



A rapidly rising number of businesses are looking for people with social media management skills. In the UK and the US, the demand for social media skills spread up to 14 times faster than the demand for average skills between 2012 and 2021



Digital jobs require a mix of technical and high-level cognitive skills.

Again, moving closer to home, the McKinsey report points out that the new technology-enabled jobs in South Africa will require higher skills levels than most of the jobs that will be displaced by digitisation. Digitisation could result in demand for an additional 1.7 million employees with higher education by 2030. Unless a higher percentage of South Africas graduates take technology-related jobs, much of that demand will go unmet  resulting in a serious skill shortfall across the economy.

How do tertiary education institutions respond to this? First, we need to know our students in terms of where they come from and the context that brought them to where they are. We then need to know what they need to succeed. The last piece of this puzzle is having a deep understanding of what the future job market is going to be like, the jobs that will be available in the future and the skills that employees will need to be successful in these jobs. Once tertiary institutions know this, we can design innovative cutting-edge courses and schools that will adequately prepare students for life after university, says Hamid.

Important decisions

At this time of year, many learners in high school will be required to make subject choices based on what they believe will be the best career for them when they enter into the labour market. Some learners will change their minds about their career choice and will thus have to pivot in their chosen high school subjects. Hamid has some key advice for these students.

Core subjects such as language and numeracy skills will be a key component for any job. Learners need to sit down with guidance counsellors and possibly people who have already entered the job market and find out what skills are needed to be successful. Make subject choices and choices about university courses based on this information rather than choosing subjects and courses that look good on paper. Another key driver of this information will be the future demand for these jobs, says Hamid.

He adds that Mancosa takes a lot of time and care to ensure that the university offers the best courses for students. Our School of Education, School of Healthcare and School of Innovation and Digital Technology are cutting edge and are designed to give students a competitive advantage once they enter into the job market. We focus on producing well rounded graduates with transferable skills that will not only make them successful in their careers but will allow them to make a difference to the communities that they serve and the country as a whole, concludes Hamid.




Threats to corporate social media are evolving along with perpetrators social engineering skills at a blistering pace. Sometimes their techniques reach such a high level that even the tech-savvy administrator of a corporate network cant tell the difference between a scam and the truth.

As many businesses use social media to promote their products and services, these threats are relevant to an extremely large number of companies. To help them stay safe, Kaspersky experts offer the following advice to mitigate the cyber risks associated with social media in 2023.

Here are seven tips that can mitigate cyber risks to your corporate social media:

Use caution with direct messages and drafts folder, delete old irrelevant information Companies should be careful about keeping sensitive information in direct messages  it can pose cyber risks. People often use corporate social media to write directly to brands, asking for help, using the account holders product or service. Also, some partnerships, such as those with bloggers, can be negotiated in direct messages. Sometimes personal or financial information is shared during these conversations, which could remain in the messages folder long after the interaction. If there is a breach allowing cyber criminals to gain unauthorised access to the account, sensitive data may be leaked or used to organise an attack. To avoid this risk, make it a useful habit to delete irrelevant messages when the dialog is finished and the information it contains is no longer relevant. The same applies to posts  it is worth carefully reviewing what is saved in the drafts folder from time to time.

Roman Dedenok, spam analysis expert at Kaspersky

Review old posts to minimise reputational risks The power of reputation is growing: every word, action, and decision can either help or harm the companys image. Everything published online is of great importance in terms of cyber security as well: when sensitive information (re)appears in public, it almost always ends up hurting a companys reputation and could incur financial losses. To be on the safe side, spend some time reviewing already published posts, as they might contain information that doesnt fit into the current reality  that might be anything from inappropriate jokes to controversial advertising campaigns. What was normal yesterday, can cause a negative public reaction today. A review of publications made over the past few years largely reduces related reputational risks.

Be careful posting your success stories Having signed a lucrative contract or reached a deal, we want to post it on social to tell as many people as possible about our success. But we really need to be aware of unwanted cybercriminals attention. If a potential attacker knows who your suppliers or contractors are, they could try to conduct an attack impersonating them or breaching their accounts and acting on their behalf. Moreover, the clearer you reflect your companys structure and working methods on social media, the easier it is for perpetrators to organise an attack. For example, if it is possible to trace who is responsible for finance, an attacker can pretend to be this persons supervisor and try to lure them into urgently transferring a large sum of money to a fake account to close a deal or purchase necessary equipment. Exercising various social engineering techniques, a perpetrator can convincingly impersonate another person, and a victim would hardly notice the fraud.

Warn newcomers about risks associated with new job posts on social media After getting a new job, newcomers usually share the news on social, but they do not yet understand how cybersecurity processes are built in this company: for example, how identification works or with whom they can share sensitive information. Therefore, a newcomer is more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Imagine: a perpetrator tracks this person on social media and collects information about them. Then the criminal writes the new employee a malicious letter on behalf of the companys IT administrator asking to share the password to set up a technical account. It is highly likely that a newcomer will share the password because they do not know that the administrators would never write such a letter. Moreover, new employees are usually shy, and they might hesitate to ask their colleagues if the letter is authentic. A tiny little post on social media might turn the employee into an entry point for cybercriminals.To mitigate the risk, offer newcomers a course on information security immediately, and tell them to be extremely careful when posting about a new job.

Control account access (and dont forget to change the password when an employee leaves) Logins, passwords, and access to the email address used to create a social media account are just as valuable as other internal corporate documents. If an employee who has access to accounts and authentication data leaves the company, it is useful to apply the same rules as when blocking their access to the corporate network. To begin with, change the password for the email account linked to the corporate social network; then unlink the ex-employees mobile phone number and check other authentication methods  for example, a spare mailbox.

Do not ignore two-factor authentication Any account on a social network, not to mention a corporate one, must be securely protected. Two-factor authentication is an absolutely necessary setting for any type of account.The email address linked to the account should be as protected as the social media account itself. Often the attack initially begins with access to e-mail. After breaching an account, an attacker can configure filters in the mailbox settings to delete all support emails from the social network. Therefore, a user will not be able to restore access to their account, because all emails will be deleted automatically. Not to mention that in a stressful situation we wont be checking which filters are currently configured in our mailbox. It is best to register a social media account using a corporate email address. To begin with, it is better protected (assuming the company cares about cybersecurity). Furthermore, in-house security specialists can block access to this mailbox along with all access to the corporate network.
The team at Baker McKenzie Johannesburg's Antitrust & Competition Practice review the developments and discuss the continuing trends in competition law.

Image source: Denis Ismagilov  123RF.com

Increasing competition policy enforcement in Africa

As was detailed in Baker McKenzie's latest Africa Competition Report 2022 (Africa Report), African competition regulators have actively engaged in efforts to address pandemic-related challenges, but there has also been a general upward trend in competition policy enforcement across the continent over the past few years.

African jurisdictions have strengthened their competition and antitrust regimes by way of amendments to existing legislation, the introduction of new laws and regulations, and renewed fervour and political will to enforce existing laws. The Africa Report outlined how 29 of the 32 surveyed African jurisdictions and regional bodies have national competition laws in place. Jurisdictions where competition laws exist include Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia, Cote dIvoire, Tanzania, Egypt, Nigeria, and Rwanda.

Only two of the jurisdictions surveyed had no national competition laws, but are members of a regional competition law body - Ghana and Uganda. There have been recent notable competition law developments in Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Cape Verde, COMESA, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The growing convergence of competition and social policy

The cornerstone of competition policy is the notion that inclusive economies yield better outcomes for both producers and consumers. With social imperatives playing an increasingly significant role in the development of competition policy, renewed emphasis has been placed on the empowerment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a means of fostering a healthy economic ecosystem. Similarly, in countries such as South Africa, the need to afford sufficient opportunities to historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) has seen competition policy being utilised as a tool to offer the previously disadvantaged novel forms of economic protection.

What is clear from this is that governments in different parts of the world are shifting away from the purely economics-based origins of competition regulation, turning instead towards a model that acknowledges and, to an extent, caters to the broader needs of modern society.

Addressing economic concentration and removing barriers to entry

Competition policy is poised to be a key driver of economic reform in South Africa. In March 2022, the Competition Commission of South Africa (Commission) briefed the South African Parliament on its Economic Concentration Report (Report).

The Report highlighted patterns of concentration and participation in the South African economy. It included details on the Commission's power to launch market inquiries into highly concentrated industries and its increased authority to impose structural remedies on businesses in these sectors. Such remedies are deemed necessary to remove barriers to entry for new participants, primarily for SMEs and firms owned or controlled by HDPs. The economic inclusion of SMEs and HDPs highlights one of the primary objectives of the Competition Act, which is to provide an opportunity for all South Africans to participate fairly in the national economy.

The Report highlighted the shift in emphasis from simply protecting competition and market participation to more actively promoting improvements in competition, reducing concentration in the economy and actively promoting broader participation and a spread of ownership. It has always been the case that the Commission's remit transcends pure competition issues into the realm of the public interest, which includes economic transformation. It is in this context that amendments were effected into the Competition Act in 2019.

The amendments seek to ensure the achievement of economic transformation through addressing high levels of concentration, enhancing small business development and tackling the "racially-skewed" spread of ownership through merger control, the imposition of structural remedies, the prosecution of abuses of dominance, as well as market inquiries. The amendments empower the authority to "de-concentrate" what it considers to be otherwise highly concentrated markets.

The Commission also enjoys more power to launch market inquiries into sectors it considers to be highly concentrated, with increased authority to impose structural remedies on businesses in these sectors if they are found to create barriers to entry for new participants. Moreover, the Commission's findings following a market inquiry will be binding unless they are challenged before the Competition Tribunal.

Digital market consolidation

African competition regulators are increasing their focus on market concentration issues, which could limit further consolidation in the technology space. With digital innovation opening up the economy to many individuals and businesses that were, until recently, excluded from meaningful economic participation, it is likely that public interest imperatives will play a crucial role in the development and implementation of competition law in the digital space.

In September 2022, the Commission published revised, final guidelines on small merger notifications to assist it in identifying small mergers and acquisitions involving digital markets. The guidelines came into effect on 1 December 2022 and have been revised due to an increased concern by the Commission regarding potential anti-competitive acquisitions in the digital or technology markets, which are potentially able to escape regulatory scrutiny.

In the context of digital markets, the Commission identified a recurring trend of acquisitions taking place at the start of the life of the target, when it has not generated sufficient turnover to trigger a mandatory merger notification in terms of the merger thresholds. According to the Commission, such conduct has the potential to substantially lessen future competition by increasing the portfolio of dominant companies, regardless of whether the acquiring company operates in the digital market. The revised guidelines will assist the Commission in identifying small mergers in the digital market space that may require notification.

The price of essential food items

Competition authorities in Africa are increasingly acknowledging their role as guardians of fair practice and consumer protection, and have expressed their intention to enforce these principles going forward. The price volatility of essential food items is an increasing concern across the continent. At the same time, businesses that operate in the Consumer Goods and Retail sector are having to contend with serious supply chain disruption caused by geopolitical, environmental and infrastructure challenges.

The issue of price volatility with regard to essential food items was addressed in the Commission's Essential Food Pricing Monitoring report, where certain fruits, meat and cooking oil were listed as items that have been subject to recent volatile price increases. It was noted that such price increases had the most detrimental impact on poorer communities. Not all essential food price increases have been due to the pandemic. Changing weather conditions (from drought to heavy rain), oil price fluctuations, serious supply chain blockages and massive geopolitical challenges, have all led to a decrease in supply and a subsequent increase in prices.

The Commission stated that it would be keeping a close watch on the price of essential foods items going forward, including the price of imported food items, to ensure that anti-competitive conduct does not occur and that the increase in prices of essential food items can be justified.

Dawn raids

After a brief hiatus in dawn raids in South Africa, the Commission launched dawn raids in August 2022 at the offices of eight major long-term insurance companies. The Commission had not conducted a dawn raid in over three years until these raids. In terms of the Competition Act, the Commission is empowered to conduct dawn raids merely if it has a "reasonable suspicion" that anticompetitive conduct may be taking place.

In this case, the Commission had a reasonable suspicion that there is an agreement among the raided insurance companies to fix prices and/or trading terms in respect of fees for investment products in contravention of the Competition Act. Interestingly, most of these long-term insurance companies had been identified by the Commission in its Economic Concentration Report of 2021 as having the "highest share" of individual policies and had been involved in merger activity between 2011-2020.

These dawn raids send a clear message that the Commission is re-employing them as an effective tool to gather evidence where it has a reasonable suspicion of anticompetitive conduct. This is particularly the case in a post-Covid dispensation, where collaboration had been, to an extent, necessary even amongst competitors to minimise the undoubtedly crippling effects of Covid-19 and to ensure swift and effective responses to its impact.

That aside, the Commission has noted in its annual reports for the last three years that its ability to conduct dawn raids was hampered largely by Covid-19 and limited financial resources. With conditions having returned to "business as usual", the Commission may be empowered to make up for lost time.
African online retail has been growing fast in recent years and this trend is forecasted to continue. Digitisation is breaking all borders, opening massive opportunities in developing countries across Africa.

Karen Nadasen, CEO of PayU South Africa and the chair of the Ecommerce Forum of South Africa. Source: Supplied

By 2025 the number of online shoppers on the continent is expected to exceed 0,5 billion. How do we prepare for this growth and meet it with the best possible payment experience?

Security and convenience first

Online merchants wishing to target the intensively growing group of e-commerce consumers in the African markets need to provide solutions that will allow them to pay conveniently and safely.

Various digital payments are becoming more widespread in African countries, which is certainly one of the key aspects of e-commerce growth, and transact-ability is no longer a major constraint.

On the other hand, however, still, almost half of the adults in Africa are not in possession of any formal bank account.

Debit card payment methods make for a 10% penetration of the population, while the credit card ownership rate is even lower with an average of 2% for the entire continent. Those who use card payments, however, are looking for a smoother payment experience.

The last Black Friday edition in South Africa was a great reflection of this trend - we saw a 408% increase in the usage of tokenised cards compared to last year, indicating the rising importance of easy checkout flow with regard to speed, trust, and comfort.

Online shoppers are increasingly tech-savvy, therefore they want a convenient and seamless payment experience. Growing in popularity, buy now, pay later (BNPL) solutions meet those needs. Credit is given in real-time, and the entire process is streamlined by a short credit application process that is completed at checkout.

Moreover, it fosters greater financial inclusion, offering access to credit to unbanked populations that previously would not have been served. BNPL is proving especially attractive to younger consumers  many of whom dont have credit cards  who are used to doing pretty much everything online.

The borderless future

The situation is slightly different on the continent level - with over 2,000 languages, myriad different currencies, multiple payment systems to navigate, and a patchwork of regulatory frameworks, operating in the African region can be an uphill battle for online merchants.

However, there are initiatives run by governments and regional alliances such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and cross-border infrastructure projects like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which are promising to new opportunities for pan-African trade.

Much still needs to be done, and there will be serious hurdles to overcome, but a movement has now been unleashed to transform Africa. When you consider the natural evolution of trade and industry and observe other successful examples in uniting currencies and improving infrastructures, such as the Euro and European Union, it is imaginable that AfCFTA can succeed.

The AfCFTA could see 30 million people lifted out of extreme poverty, while raising the incomes of 68 million more - but only if the continents estimated 400 million people who dont have access to digital financial services have better access to financial services that are not tied to banks.

In other words, AfCTAs success could depend on the roll-out of open banking across the continent.

Open banking opportunity

Open banking allows financial services providers to create a broader range of inclusive products, giving unbanked and underbanked consumers access, for the first time, to private mortgages, savings systems, pension funds, insurance, investments, and credit.

It also encourages informed and more responsible banking behaviors, as well as gives micro-enterprises and contingent workers, access to affordable and relevant financial services and products.

Other practical benefits include overcoming a lack of documentation that puts up barriers to accessing financial products, with long-term outcomes including a reduced reliance on expensive formal or informal credit, as well as heavily indebted consumers being able to enter a debt rehabilitation service that will help them emerge from their credit quagmire.

With EY research showing that broader access to banking, savings, and lending products could boost GDP by up to 14% in emerging countries, and up to 30% in frontier countries, the opportunity is clear.

With open banking principles being in stark contrast to the historically very private nature of banking relationships, open banking could be a game changer on the African continent by making transactions more convenient and increasing the personalisation of banking services.

It can give consumers new insights and ways to manage their money, as well as allow access to new products and services that were simply not previously available to them before.
Airlink will restart scheduled services between South Africa and Madagascar from 30 January 2023 after they were suspended for almost three years.

Source: Supplied

The resumption of flights linking Johannesburg with Antananarivo follows the lifting of Madagascars Covid-19 travel restrictions and its subsequent ban on air services to and from South Africa.

Airlink welcomes the Madagascar governments lifting of the prohibition which lets us re-establish these air services that are vitally important economic, trade and tourism connections between the two countries. We are looking forward to re-connecting South Africa with Madagascar and resuming our role in support of the recovery of ties between the two markets, says Rodger Foster, Airlink CEO and managing director.

Airlink will operate its modern and reliable flagship Embraer E-Jet airliners on the Johannesburg-Antananarivo route.

The Johannesburg-Antananarivo service will recommence with a single weekly flight on Mondays, increasing to three flights weekly from 14 February 2023 with the intention of re-instating daily services as demand increases.

Flight schedule

4Z 252 - departs from Johannesburg at 10am to arrive in Antananarivo at 2.10pm on Mondays.

4Z 253 - departs from Antananarivo at 3pm to arrive in Johannesburg at 5.40pm on Mondays

As of 14 February, the same schedule will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Nearly a year in, the war in Ukraine has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and brought the world to the brink of, in President Joe Bidens own words, Armageddon. Alongside the literal battlefield has been a similarly bitter intellectual battle over the wars causes.

Commentators have rushed to declare the long-criticized policy of NATO expansion as irrelevant to the wars outbreak, or as a mere fig leaf used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mask what Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates recently called his messianic mission to reestablish the Russian Empire. Fiona Hill, a presidential advisor to two Republican administrations, has deemed these views merely the product of a Russian information war and psychological operation, resulting in masses of the US public  blaming NATO, or blaming the US for this outcome.

Yet a review of the public record and many dozens of diplomatic cables made publicly available via WikiLeaks shows that US officials were aware, or were directly told over the span of years, that expanding NATO was viewed by Russian officials well beyond Putin as a major threat and provocation, that expanding it to Ukraine was a particularly bright red line for Moscow, that it would inflame and empower hawkish, nationalist parts of the Russian political spectrum, and that it could ultimately lead to war.

Via AP

In a particularly prophetic set of warnings, US officials were told that pushing for Ukrainian membership in NATO would not only increase the chance of Russian meddling in the country, but risked destabilizing the divided nation  and that US and other NATO officials pressured Ukrainian leaders to reshape this unfriendly public opinion in response. All of this was told to US officials in both public and private by not just senior Russian officials going all the way up to the presidency, but by NATO allies, various analysts and experts, liberal Russian voices critical of Putin, even, sometimes, US diplomats themselves.

This history is particularly relevant as US officials now test the red line China has drawn around Taiwans independence, risking military escalation that will first and foremost be aimed at the island state. The US diplomatic record regarding NATO expansion suggests the perils of ignoring or outright crossing another military powers red lines, and the wisdom of a more restrained foreign policy that treats other powers spheres of influence with the care they treat the United States own.

An Early Exception

NATO expansion had been fraught from the start. The pro-Western Boris Yeltsin had told Bill Clinton he saw nothing but humiliation for Russia if you proceed with plans to renege on the verbal promises made years earlier not to enlarge NATO eastward, and warned it would be sowing the seeds of mistrust and would be interpreted, and not only in Russia, as the beginning of a new split in Europe. Just as containment architect George Kennan had predicted, the decision to go ahead helped inflame Russian hostility and nationalism: The Duma (the Russian parliament) declared it the largest military threat to our country over the last fifty years, while the leader of the opposition Communist Party called it a Treaty of Versailles for Russia.

By the time Putin became president the day before the new Millennium, the initial hopes and plans of the early 90s [were] dead, a leading liberal Russian politician declared. The first round of NATO enlargement had been followed by NATOs 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia, done without UN security council authorization, triggering a Russian cut-off of contact with the alliance. By 2000, the revised Russian national security strategy warned that NATO using force beyond its borders is a threat of destabilization of the whole strategic situation, while military officers and politicians started claiming that if NATO expands further, it would create a base to intervene in Russia itself, the Washington Post reported.

Ironically, there would be one exception to the next two decades worth of rising tensions over NATOs eastward creep that followed: the early years of Putins presidency, when the new Russian president defied the Russian establishment to try and make outreach to the United States. Under Putin, Moscow re-established relations with NATO, finally ratified the START II arms control treaty, even publicly floated the idea of Russia eventually joining the alliance, inviting attacks from his political rivals for doing so. Even so, he continued to raise Moscows traditional concerns about the alliances expansion, telling NATOs secretary-general it was a threat to Russia.

If a country like Russia feels threatened, this would destabilize the situation in Europe and the entire world, hed said in a speech in Berlin in 2000.

Putin softened his opposition as he sought to make common cause with the George W. Bush administration. If NATO takes on a different shape and is becoming a political organization, of course, we would reconsider our position with regard to such expansion, if we are to feel involved in the processes, he said in October 2001, drawing attacks from political rivals and other Russian elites.

As NATO for the first time granted Russia a consultive role in its decision-making, Putin sought to assist its expansion. Italian president Silvio Berlusconi made a personal request to Bush, according to an April 2002 cable, to understand Putins domestic requirements, that he needs to be seen as part of the NATO family, and to give him help in building Russian public opinion to support NATO enlargement. In another cable a top-ranking state department official urges holding a NATO-Russia summit to help President Putin neutralize opposition to enlargement, after the Russian leader said allowing NATO expansion without an agreement on a new NATO-Russia partnership would be politically impossible for him.

This would be the last time any Russian openness toward NATO expansion is recorded in the diplomatic record held by WikiLeaks.

Allies Weigh In

By the middle of the 2000s, US-Russian relations had deteriorated, partly owing to Putins bristling at US criticism of his growing authoritarianism at home, and to US opposition to his meddling in the 2004 Ukrainian election. But as explained in a September 2007 cable by New Eurasia Foundation president Andrey Kortunov, now a Russian foreign policy advisor who has publicly criticized both Kremlin policy and the current war, US mistakes were also to blame, including Bushs invasion of Iraq and a general sense that hed given little in return for Putins concessions.

Putin had clearly embarked on an integrationist foreign policy at the beginning of his second presidential term, which was fueled by the 9/11 terrorist attacks and good relations with key leaders like President Bush and other leading NATO allies, Kortunov said according to the cable. However, he said, a string of perceived anti-Russian initiatives, which included Bushs withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and further expansion of NATO, ultimately dashed Putins hopes.

What followed was a steady drumbeat of warnings about NATOs expansion, particularly regarding neighboring Ukraine and Georgia, much of it from Washingtons NATO allies.

[French presidential diplomatic advisor Maurice] Gourdault-Montagne warned that the question of Ukrainian accession to NATO remained extremely sensitive for Moscow, and concluded that if there remained one potential cause for war in Europe, it was Ukraine, reads a September 2005 cable. He added that some in the Russian administration felt we were doing too much in their core zone of interest, and one could wonder whether the Russians might launch a move similar to Prague in 1968, to see what the West would do.

This was just one of many similar warnings from French officials, that admitting the two states would cross Russian tripwires, for instance. A February 2007 cable records then-director general for political affairs Gerard Arauds recounting of a half-hour anti-US harangue from Putin in a meeting one day earlier, in which he linked all the dots of Russian unhappiness with US behavior, including US unilateralism, its denial of the reality of multipolarity, [and] the anti-Russian nature of NATO enlargement.

Germany likewise raised repeated concerns about a potentially bad Russian reaction to a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) for the two states, with deputy national security advisor Rolf Nikel stressing that Ukraines entry was particularly sensitive. While Georgia was just a bug on the skin of the bear, Ukraine was inseparably identified with Russia, going back to Vladimir of Kiev in 988, Nikel recounted, according to the cable.

Other NATO allies repeated similar concerns. In a January 2008 cable, Italy affirmed it was a strong advocate for other states entry into the alliance, but is concerned about provoking Russia through hurried Georgian integration. Norways foreign minister (and today, prime minister) Jonas Gahr Stoere made a similar point in an April 2008 cable, even as he insisted Russia mustnt be able to veto NATOs decisions. At the same time he says that he understands Russias objections to NATO enlargement and that the alliance needs to work to normalize the relationship with Russia, reads the cable.

Almost Complete Consensus

The thinkers and analysts that US officials conferred with likewise made clear the Russian elites anxieties over NATO and its expansion, and the lengths they might go to counteract it. Many were transmitted by then-US Ambassador to Russia William Burns, today serving as Bidens CIA director.

'Nyet Means Nyet: Russia' s #NATO Enlargement Redlines' - Cable from 2008 written by CIA director William J. Burns, then US ambassador to Moscowhttps://t.co/rOoxmuf7CN pic.twitter.com/CeP2DwBpVD  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 12, 2022

Recounting his conversations with various Russian observers from both regional and US think tanks, Burns concluded in a March 2007 cable that NATO enlargement and U.S. missile defense deployments in Europe play to the classic Russian fear of encirclement. Ukraine and Georgias entry represents an unthinkable predicament for Russia, he reported six months later, warning that Moscow would cause enough trouble in Georgia and counted on continued political disarray in Ukraine to halt it. In an especially prescient set of cables, he summed up scholars views that the emerging Russia-China relationship was largely the by-product of bad US policies, and was unsustainable  unless continued NATO enlargement pushed Russia and China even closer together.

Cables record Russian intellectuals across the political spectrum making such points again and again. One June 2007 cable records the words of a liberal defense expert and the liberal editor of a leading Russian foreign policy journal, that after Russia had done everything to help the US post-9/11, including opening up Central Asia for coalition anti-terrorism efforts, it had expected respect for Russias legitimate interests. Instead, Lyukanov said, it had been confronted with NATO expansion, zero-sum competition in Georgia and Ukraine, and US military installations in Russias backyard.

Ukraine was, in the long term, the most potentially destabilizing factor in US-Russian relations, given the level of emotion and neuralgia triggered by its quest for NATO membership, went the counsel of Dmitri Trenin, then-deputy director of the Russian branch of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in a Burns-authored February 2008 cable. For Ukraine, he said prophetically, it would mean that elements within the Russian establishment would be encouraged to meddle, stimulating US overt encouragement of opposing political forces, and leaving the US and Russia in a classic confrontational posture.

Indeed, opposing NATOs enlargement eastward, particulary in Ukraine and Georgia, was one of the few security areas where there is almost complete consensus among Russian policymakers, experts and the informed population, he cabled in March 2008. Ukraine was the line of last resort that would complete Russias encirclement, said one defense expert, and its entry into NATO was universally viewed by the Russian political elite as an unfriendly act. Other experts cautioned that Putin would be forced to respond to Russian nationalist feelings opposing membership of Georgia, and that MAPs for either would trigger a cut-back in the Russian militarys genuine desire for co-operation with NATO.

From Liberals to Hardliners

These analysts were reiterating what cables show US officials heard again and again from Russian officials themselves, whether diplomats, members of parliament, or senior Russian officials all the way up to the presidency, recorded in nearly three-dozen cables at least.

NATO enlargement was worrisome said one Duma member, while Russian generals were suspicious of NATO and US intentions, cables record. Just as analysts and NATO officials had said, Kremlin officials characterized NATOs designs on Georgia and Ukraine as especially objectionable, with ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin stressing in a February 2008 cable that offering MAPs to either would negatively impact NATOs relations with Russia and raise tension along the borders between NATO and Russia.

Deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin underscored the depth of Russian opposition to their membership, a different March 2008 cable states, underlining that the political elite firmly believes it represented a direct security threat to Russia. The future, he said, rested on the strategic choice Washington made about what kind of Russia it wanted to deal with: a Russia that is stable and ready to calmly discuss issues with the US, Europe and China, or one that is deeply concerned and filled with nervousness.

Indeed, numerous officials  including then-director for security and disarmament Anatoly Antonov, today serving as Russias ambassador to the United States  warned pushing ahead would produce a less co-operative Russia. Pushing NATOs borders to the two former Soviet states threatened Russian and the entire regions security, and could also negatively impact Russias willingness to cooperate in the [NATO-Russia Council], one foreign ministry official warned, while others pointed to the policy to explain Putins threats to suspend the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. CFE would not survive NATO enlargement, went a Russian threat in one March 2008 cable.

Maybe most pertinent were the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at the time a veteran diplomat respected in the West, and who continues to serve in the position today. At least eight cables, a number of them written by Burns, record Lavrov's expressions of opposition to expanding NATO to Ukraine and Georgia over the course of 2007-08, when Bushs decision, over the objections of allies, to publicly affirm their future accession led to a spike in tensions.

While Russia might believe statements from the West that NATO was not directed against Russia, when one looked at recent military activities in NATO countries  they had to be evaluated not by stated intentions but by potential, went Burnss summary of Lavrovs annual foreign policy review in January 2008. On the same day, he wrote, a foreign ministry spokesperson warned that Ukraines likely integration into NATO would seriously complicate the many-sided Russian-Ukrainian relations and lead Moscow to have to take appropriate measures.

Besides being an easy way to garner domestic support from nationalists, Burns wrote, Russias opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia is both emotional and based on perceived strategic concerns about the impact on Russias interests in the region.

Current CIA Director William Burns, via AP

While Russian opposition to the first round of NATO enlargement in the mid-1990s was strong, Russia now feels itself able to respond more forcefully to what it perceives as actions contrary to its national interests, he concluded.

Lavrovs criticism was shared by a host of other officials, not all of them hardliners. Burns recounted a meeting with former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, a Gorbachev protege who had negotiated over NATOs first expansion with Madeleine Albright, who warmly eulogized him years later as a pragmatist. The US push for MAP for Georgia and Ukraine infuriated Russians and threatened other areas of US-Russia strategic cooperation, Primakov had said according to Burns, mentioning hed be asked later that day on TV about rethinking Crimeas status as Ukrainian territory. [T]this is the kind of discussion that MAP produces, he said  meaning, that it inflamed nationalist and hardline sentiment.

Primakov said that Russia would never return to the era of the early 1990s and it would be a colossal mistake to think that Russian reactions today would mirror those during its time of strategic weakness, Burnss cable states in closing.

This went all the way to the top, as US officials noted in cables reacting to a famously strident speech Putin gave at the Munich Security Conference in February 2007, which saw Putin assail NATO expansion and other policies as part of a wider, destabilizing US abuse of its sole-superpower status. Putins tone may have been unusually sharp, Primakov told Burns, but their substance reflected well-known Russian complaints predating Putins election, shown by the fact that talking heads and Duma members were almost unanimous in supporting the speech. A year later, a March 2008 cable reported German chancellor Angela Merkels final, two-hour-long meeting with Putin, in which he argued strongly against MAP for Ukraine and Georgia.

Putins Exit

Any illusions this stance would evaporate with Putin leaving the presidency were quickly dispelled. Such warnings continued and, if anything, grew more intense, after Putin was replaced by his liberal successor, Dmitry Medvedev, whose ascent sparked hopes for a more democratic Russia and an improved US-Russian relationship.

Under Medvedev, officials from the Russian ambassador to NATO and various officials in the foreign ministry to the chairman of the Dumas international affairs committee made much the same warnings, cables show. In some cases, as with Karasin and Lavrov, it was the same officials making these long-standing complaints.

Medvedev himself reiterated well known Russian positions on NATO enlargement to Merkel in his first trip to Europe in June 2008, even as he avoided bringing up MAP for Ukraine and Georgia specifically. Behind Medvedevs polite demeanor, Russian opposition to NATO enlargement remained a red-line, according to both conservative and moderate observers, one June 2008 cable reads, a view shared by a leading liberal analyst. Even critics to his right read Medvedevs words as an implicit commitment to use Russian economic, political and social levers to raise the costs for Ukraine and Georgia if they moved closer to the alliance. The cables author, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in Moscow Daniel Russell, concluded he agree[d] with the common wisdom.

By August 2008, following the war with Georgia, Medvedev started to sound a lot more like his predecessor, threatening to cut ties with the alliance and restating grievances about encirclement. A cable from after the end of the five-day war  which an EU-commissioned report would later blame the Georgian government for starting  stated that even the most pro-Western political experts were pointing the finger at the US for jeopardizing US-Russian relations, with US dismissal of Russias concerns over, among other things, NATO expansion a key part of some of their analysis. Echoing Burns, one analyst argued that Russia finally felt strong enough to stand up to the West when it ignored its concerns.

Those concerns were central at a roundtable of Russian analysts months later, a January 2009 cable shows, who explained to a group of visiting US congresspeople Russians deep displeasure with the US government, and stressed the bitter divorce between Russia and Georgia would be even uglier with Ukraine. Pushing MAP for the country helped the America haters come to power in Russia and gave legitimacy to the hard-liners vision of fortress Russia, said one.

Increasingly, cables show, such warnings came from liberals, even those who hadnt previously viewed NATO and the United States as Russias chief threats. An August 2008 cable described a meeting with Russian human rights ombudsman Ambassador Vladimir Lukin  described as a liberal on the Russian political scene, someone disposed toward cooperation with the US  who explained Medvedevs post-war recognition of independence of Georgias breakaway regions, which he had at first opposed, as a security-driven response to NATOs drift towards Russias borders. Because escalations like the 2008 US-Poland misssile defense agreement showed anti-Russia actions would not stop, he said, Moscow had to show that, like the US, it can and will take steps it deems necessary to defend its interests.

The cable concluded that Lukins views reflect the thinking of the majority of Russian foreign policy elite.

Selling NATO to Ukraine

Other than Burns  whose Bush-era memos warning of the breadth of Russian opposition to NATO expansion and that it would provoke intensified meddling in Ukraine have become famous since the Russian invasion  US officials largely reacted with dismissal.

Russian objections to the policy and other long-simmering issues were described over and over in the cables as oft-heard, old, nothing new, and largely predictable, a familiar litany and a rehashing that provided little new substance. Even NATO ally Norways position that it understood Russian objections even as it refused to let Moscow veto the alliances moves was labeled a case of parroting Russias line.

US officials were similarly dismissive of explicit warnings  from Kremlin officials, NATO allies, experts and analysts, even Ukrainian leadership  that Ukraine was internally divided over NATO membership and that public support for the move was not fully ripe. The east-west split within the country over the idea made it risky, German officials cautioned, and could break up the country. Its three leading politicians all took foreign policy positions based on domestic political considerations, with little regard to the long-term effects on the country, they said.

"Not one inch to the east."

We lied. pic.twitter.com/wxOfAz1Yik  Meddy (@MEMeddybemps) January 9, 2023

Those very politicians likewise made clear public opinion wasnt there, whether anti-Russian foreign minister Volodymyr Ogryzko, or more Russian-friendly prime minister Viktor Yanukovych  later misleadingly painted as a Kremlin puppet and ousted as president in the 2014 Maidan protests  who boasted to a US diplomat that support for NATO had jumped under his tenure. In response, the cables show, NATO officials pressed Ukranian leaders to take a firm public stance in favor of joining, and discussed how to persuade Ukraines population so that they would be more favorable towards it. Ogryzko later disclosed to Merkel that a public education campaign is already underway, and that Ukraine had discussed the issue of public education campaigns with Slovakia and other nations that had joined NATO recently.

This came in spite of acknowledged risks. Cables record liberal Russian analysts cautioning that [Ukrainian president Viktor] Yushchenko was using NATO membership to shore up a Ukrainian national identity that required casting Russia in the role of enemy, and that because membership remained divisive in Ukrainian domestic politics, it created an opening for Russian intervention.

Experts tell us that Russia is particularly worried that the strong divisions in Ukraine over NATO membership, with much of the ethnic-Russian community against membership, could lead to a major split, involving violence or at worst, civil war, Burns wrote in February 2008. Russia, he wrote, would then have to decide whether to intervene; a decision Russia does not want to have to face.

Despite the dismissive attitude of many US officials, parts of the US national security establishment clearly understood Russian objections werent mere muscle-flexing. The Kremlins anxieties over a direct military attack on Russia were very real, and could drive its leaders to make rash, self-defeating decisions, stated a 2019 report from the Pentagon-funded RAND Corporation that explored theoretical strategies for overextending Russia.

Providing more US military equipment and advice to Ukraine, it stated, could lead Moscow to respond by mounting a new offensive and seizing more Ukrainian territory  something not necessarily good for US interests, let alone Ukraines, it noted.

Warnings Ignored

Nevertheless, in the years, months, and weeks that led up to the Russian invasion, successive US administrations continued on the same course.

Ukraines co-operation with NATO has deepened over time, the alliance itself says today. By the wars outbreak, the country frequently hosted Western troops at a military base, its soldiers received NATO training, it planned two new NATO-linked naval bases, and it received unprecedented sums of US military aid, including offensive arms  a Donald Trump policy his liberal predecessor had explicitly rejected, out of concern for provoking a disastrous response from Moscow. Three months before the invasion, Ukraine and the United States signed an updated Charter on Strategic Partnership guided by Bushs controversial Bucharest declaration, which both deepened security co-operation between the two countries and supported Ukraines membership aspirations, viewed as an escalation in Moscow.

As US military activity has increased in the region since 2016, sometimes involving Ukraine and Georgia, NATO-Russian tensions have ratcheted up too. While Moscow publicly objected to US missions experts feared were too provocative, NATO and Russian forces have experienced thousands of dangerous military encounters in the region and elsewhere. By December, with fears of invasion ramping up, Putin told Biden personally that the eastward expansion of the Western alliance was a major factor in his decision to send troops to Ukraines border, the Washington Post reported.

None of this means other factors played no role in the wars outbreak, from Russian domestic pressures and Putins own dim view of Ukrainian independence, to the copious other well-known Russian grievances toward US policy that frequently appear in the diplomatic record, too. Nor does it mean, as hawks argue, that this somehow justifies Putins war, any more than understanding how US foreign policy has fueled anti-American terrorism justifies those crimes.

What it does mean is that claims that Russian unhappiness over NATO expansion is irrelevant, a mere fig leaf for pure expansionism, or simply Kremlin propaganda are belied by this lengthy historical record. Rather, successive US administrations pushed ahead with the policy despite being warned copiously for years  including by the analysts who advised them, by allies, even by their own officials  that it would feed Russian nationalism, create a more hostile Moscow, foster instability and even civil war in Ukraine, and could eventually lead to Russian military intervention, all of which ended up happening.

I dont accept anyones red line, Biden said in the lead-up to the invasion, as his administration rejected negotiations with Moscow over Ukraines NATO status. We can only imagine the world in which he and his predecessors had.
After President Bidens lawyers found classified documents at an office he used at a DC think tank, His Justice Department considered, and then declined, a plan to have FBI agents monitor a search for classified documents at his residences, in order to avoid complicating later stages of the investigation, and because Bidens attorneys had quickly turned over a first batch and were cooperating, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

Instead, the DOJ decided that it would be just fine for Bidens lawyers to conduct the additional searches by themselves, and would agree to immediately notify the Justice Department if they found any other potentially classified records  after which law-enforcement authorities would take them.

The arrangement meant that FBI agents wouldnt bear witness to things such as the volume, or contents, of whatever might turn up. This is, of course, the same FBI that participated in a plan (and fabricated evidence) in a plot to frame former President Trump as a Russian asset, and then ran cover for the Bidens during the 2020 US election  telling social media companies that Hunter Bidens laptop, or anything like it, was likely Russian disinformation.

In the week since news reports first surfaced about the documents, the incident has drawn parallels to the discovery of a much larger number of documents at former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, which federal agents obtained a warrant to search in August after more than a year of negotiations between Mr. Trumps lawyers, the National Archives and the Justice Department and after Mr. Trumps lawyers said all documents had been returned. -WSJ

After the initial finding at the Penn-Biden Center in early November (and not disclosed until last week), classified materials were discovered on three separate occasions in Bidens Wilmington house in December and January, in the garage and a room adjacent to it, White House lawyer Richard Sauber said last week.

According to Sauber, the documents were inadvertently placed at the locations.

Trump supporters have accused the DOJ of a double standard in the handling of the Biden situation vs. Trumps. And of course, as President, Trumps ability to declassify the documents obtained in the raid remains a constitutional grey area.

Bidens supporters have pointed to the presidents cooperation, however the DOJs willingness to let Bidens lawyers conduct unsupervised searches is obviously fraught with concern.

According to the White House, its no big deal.
Finks complaints, delivered at the current WEF meeting in Davos, highlight a somber mood among global elitists. They are reeling from the public resistance to their crackpot schemes and they just cannot understand why anyone would be less than thrilled with their magnificence. In fact, we are disgusted and fed up with them.  TN Editor

BlackRock, the worlds biggest asset manager, has faced increasing backlash about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. A handful of US states have pulled billions of dollars from BlackRock funds over accusations of greenwashing, hurting the fossil fuel industry and turbocharging Americas woke culture.

On Tuesday, BlackRocks Larry Fink told Bloomberg TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos that ESG investing has been tarnished:

Lets be clear, the narrative is ugly, the narrative is creating this huge polarization. 

Fink continued: We are trying to address the misconceptions. Its hard because its not business any more, theyre doing it in a personal way. And for the first time in my professional career, attacks are now personal. Theyre trying to demonize the issues.

The Republican crusade, including states such as Florida, Louisiana, and Missouri, said they would pull funds out of BlackRock, citing that the asset managers ESG efforts could impact investor returns.

In December, Florida made the most significant withdrawal, pulling $2 billion from BlackRock.

Using our cash to fund BlackRocks social-engineering project isnt something Florida ever signed up for.

Its got nothing to do with maximizing returns and is the opposite of what an asset manager is paid to do, Jimmy Patronis, Floridas chief financial officer, said in a recent statement.

Meanwhile, Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick has urged state officials to label BlackRock as a hostile entity for its action in the attempt to crush the oil and gas industry.

BlackRock is capriciously discriminating' against fossil fuel firms, Patrick said as he called for the asset manager to be added to the list of financial firms that boycott fossil fuels.

Several other states are pushing back on BlackRock.





Recall Tesla CEO Elon Musk called ESG a scam last year after the electric-vehicle maker was excluded from an S&P Global ESG index.

ESG is an outrageous scam! Shame on @SPGlobal  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2022

The S in ESG stands for Satanic  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2023

However, in the interview, Fink said BlackRock took in $230 billion in 2022 from US clients, and the outflows were small, though he takes the issue very seriously and was trying to address the negative mood around ESG:

We are doing everything we can to change the narrative.

While Fink tries to save the ESG narrative, a former BlackRock senior executive, Terrence R. Keeley, recently opined in a WSJ article that after trillions of dollars have poured into environmental, social and governance funds in recent years  there is astonishingly little evidence of its tangible benefit.

Perhaps what Finks terrified about is a run on BlackRock funds because state officials and many others are realizing ESG investing is just another globalist scam.
(Chant) We Will. We Will. Track You! There has been no clear way to identify those who chose to not take the experimental mRNA shots  until now. The US has just approved and adopted the WHOs new digital diagnosis code for the unvaxxed.

When you make your next visit to a medical facility, for any reason, you will be asked if you took the vaccine and boosters. Your answer will be coded on the spot and the data uploaded to the all-seeing medical cloud. Technocrats lust for data like this. They also lust for opportunities to practice their social engineering skills.  TN Editor

A set of international codes are used by the medical industry for billing purposes under Medicare-Medicaid and the private insurance companies, but its not just about billing.

These codes are part of the International Classification of Disease (ICD) system set forth by the United Nations World Health Organization and theyre about to get far more invasive.

This system was originally created after World War II for the purpose of tracking the diagnosis of major diseases within a population. But over the years, there have been 11 major revisions, and with each revision the data being collected on each individual has become more precise and all-inclusive.

More than 1.6 million clinical situations can now be coded, according to the WHO website.

And its also become more coercive, to the point where its become impossible for doctors to get reimbursed by insurance companies if they dont upload all the requested data points.

According to an April 2016 article in the American Journal of Neuroradiology, Across the years, it has become an integral part of the payment infrastructure of the U.S. healthcare system along with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding system for medical procedures.

The ICD system really grew into an electronic data-mining beast with the passage by Congress of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2012. The digitization of healthcare records was fully implemented with the upgrade to ICD-10 after two congressional delays in 2016.

Since then, there has literally been a numeric code created for almost any diagnosis you can think of, and some you would never think of (Search crazy ICD-10 codes and you will see what Im talking about).

Fast forward now to April 2022. This is when the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced a new code that anyone who is awake and aware of the growing medical tyranny should be concerned about. After some delays, the new code was rolled out in October 2022 and became available to nearly every medical clinic and hospital in January 2023.

What is this new code? Its Code Number Z28.310. This is the code for a very peculiar diagnosis since its not a diagnosis at all, but an invasion of privacy and likely to be used against many people in the future. This is the code your doctor will log into the computer system that is accessed by government and private health insurers informing them of your Covid vaccine status.

These are internationally recognized codes for very specific medical conditions for insurance and government purposes. They are accessible worldwide should you be overseas and have a health issue that needs to be treated.

I recently interviewed a fully licensed M.D., a physician who practices in a Midwestern state and has full hospital privileges. This doctors name will remain anonymous because if it were to get out, he could end up losing his job. On January 12, he informed me that Code Z28.310 went live in his state.

Yesterday (January 11) it showed up for the first time in any kind of hospital paperwork Id seen, the doctor told me.

If diagnostics arent entered properly, a doctor may not get reimbursed. Now that this new code is officially required by government and private insurance providers, doctors will likely now be incentivized to ask about your vax status, he said. That means they get financial payouts whenever the government decides theres a meaningful use for this data.

I had no idea that doctors were being bought off in this way.

This system appears to be the way the military-industrial-biomedical complex will identify and separate out those who have submitted to their digital identification system, which starts with being up to date on your shots  endless shots. As the late Dr. Zev Zelenko and others have said, these continuous boosters will become a gateway to transhumanism.

The powers that be at the United Nations and World Economic Forum have a need to know when it comes to those who reject this demonic transitioning of the human race, which the transhumanists refer to as an upgrade to humanity 2.0.

Ive never used this diagnosis code, never would for any patient, the doctor told me in a follow-up interview this week. I never even knew it existed until last week.

He explained that Z28.3 is the diagnostic code for being under-vaccinated generally, but it gets more specific from there.

Its non-specific, the doctor explained. But with Covid they added the 1 after the 3 (Z28.31), so Covid is the only vaccine theyre specific for. Then they added a second digit if youre partially vaccinated and didnt get any of the boosters.

These codes could continue to get more specific to the point that they also log in codes for why you refuse Big Pharmas ineffective and unsafe  but very profitable  injections.

The doctor told me he saw one patients diagnosis code that was specific for refusing the vaccine due to his schizophrenia.

A lot of people with schizophrenia are paranoid of shots and different treatments, so his doctors were attributing him (as unvaxxed) on that basis, the doctor said.

So it doesnt take too much of an imagination to see how this system could be abused.

What about if you continually refuse your doctor-recommended vaccines? Could you end up being diagnosed with mental illness? The doctor I spoke with agreed that this is not far-fetched. And once you get diagnosed with a mental disorder, you can lose many of your constitutional rights. You essentially become a second-class citizen.

You could technically get a diagnosis of schizophrenia from any medical doctor, but usually they will refer you to a psychiatrist to make that diagnosis, he said.

And thats not the only thing to be concerned about with regard to this new diagnostic code.

Heres where it gets interesting. At the G20 Summit held a couple of months ago in Indonesia in November 2022, the leaders of the worlds 20 largest economies issued a joint statement that called on the nations of the world to implement a global digital vaccine passport system, based on standards set by the WHO, which would force international travelers to have a digital vaccine passport ID on their mobile phone. Without it, you would not be allowed to travel outside your home country, unless of course youre an illegal migrant trying to get to the U.S. or Europe from an undeveloped or under developed country.

We also know, from a Forbes magazine article published in February 2022, that nearly half of the states in America had already at that point signed the contracts and laid the infrastructure to implement digital vaccine passports, so this same system could eventually be used to control, or at least monitor, the travel of Americans outside of their states.

Then we have the World Economic Forums push toward Smart Cities, recently rebranded as 15-Minute Cities, which would monitor and restrict travel outside of ones city. Are you following me here? A digital system is being put in place that would have the capability of essentially locking down entire populations at any given time. All that would be needed is a declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, or of regional concern and the U.S and E.U. are trying their hardest to turn that authority over to the WHO in the form of a new pandemic treaty.

Eventually, as we have been informed by Yuval Noah Harari, a top adviser to Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum, the plan is to put this digital surveillance technology not just on your mobile phone but under the skin.

The doctor in the Midwestern state explained a medical terminology called meaningful use and how its used to log personally identifiable data on medical patients.

If you ever wondered why they try to get your blood pressure and your weight every time you go to the doctors office, its because hospitals and physicians get reimbursed if they provide meaningful use data. They get reimbursed better. They get bonuses. Doctors have monthly meetings with staff and administrators and this is how they get reimbursed higher, they get more money, if they provide that meaningful use data.

He further explained that if the ICD-10 coding system requires doctors to find out their patients Covid vax status as part of the meaningful use data, then they will add that to their office charts and they will get reimbursed handsomely for providing this information to the government.

Every time you go to the doctors, they will try to get this information out of you, he said.

The U.S. expanded its ICD system under the presidency of Barack Obama and the adoption of the Affordable Care Act. Previously, the U.S. used the ICD-9 system, which required less specific and less invasive information on patients, but then with the ICD-10 system all of a sudden, they got real specified. Instead of just high blood pressure it became, is this high blood pressure caused by spending too much time with your mother-in-law or is it because of this other thing, whatever it may be. It became very specific.

According to the governments CMS website:

ICD-10 also includes significant improvements over ICD-9 in coding primary care encounters, external causes of injury, mental disorders, and preventive health. The ICD-10 code sets breadth and granularity reflect advances in medicine and medical technology, as well as capture added detail on socioeconomics, ambulatory care conditions, problems related to lifestyle, and the results of screening tests.

In other words, ICD-10 coding became a tool for extraordinary data mining of Americans personal life histories.

When ICD-10 was implemented, thats when the AARP got the contract to administer the program in the U.S.

It also got more rigid.

As a doctor, you have to use the ICD-10 system to get reimbursed, my doctor source told me.

Even if you do not have government or private insurance and pay strictly out of pocket, each and every diagnosis is still logged into the system.

If you have an interaction with the healthcare system, you will have an ICD-10 code logged and assigned to your condition, he said. And all that data goes into a central database that was created under Obama so that the Electronic Medical Record systems (EMR), can talk to each other.

Nobody else is talking about this, he told me.

Obamacare forced all doctors to use the EMR system in order to get reimbursed.

Because up until eight or ten years ago, a lot of doctors were still using paper charts. Its all digitized now.

In fact, according to the WHO website, that U.N. body has already rolled out an upgraded ICD-11 system and is working to get nations to adopt it.

When the U.S. federal government adopted ICD-10, it subsidized the transition, offering interest-free loans and grants that many doctors offices used to pay for the upgraded EMR software systems.

There were hundreds of millions of dollars allocated, but then you had to allow the government to come in and access your books whenever they want, the doctor said. But now you cant get reimbursed unless you go through this system. Virtually every doctor is a part of this system now.

Bottom line: Be aware of what information you hand over to your doctor, because they essentially all work for the government now. Thats who they are beholden to for reimbursement. And if your doctor asks too many questions that seem unrelated to the health issue youre being treated for, you may want to fire them and find a new one.
Ministry reports stable job market

09:14, January 19, 2023 By Cheng Si ( Chinadaily.com.cn

People look for jobs at a career fair in Huai'an, Jiangsu province, on Saturday. More than 2,000 vacancies involving accounting, marketing and logistics were offered by local firms. ZHANG ZHAOJIU/FOR CHINA DAILY

China's job market remained stable in 2022, with about 12.06 million people finding work in urban areas, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, the nation has made great efforts to stabilize the employment of key groups, including college graduates, migrant workers and formerly impoverished people.

For example, the working population of those who were impoverished rose by 1.33 million to about 32.8 million in 2022, and over 5.17 million unemployed people found jobs by the end of December.

Facing the COVID-19 resurgence last year, the ministry also gave financial allowances and announced policies to support employers to help them endure hardships caused by the epidemic and continue to offer work to job seekers.

The ministry said that about 2.7 billion yuan ($399 million) was given to 520,000 companies around graduation season last year, which helped 1.92 million college graduates land jobs.

In addition, the nation's social security campaigns also made progress last year. According to the ministry, the basic pension fund covered 1.05 billion people by the end of 2022, a rise of 24.3 million people.

About 240 million people were covered by unemployment insurance last year, and 290 million were insured for work-related injuries, the ministry said.

The newly launched private pension scheme  which was launched in 36 cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Nov 25  has attracted 6.13 million active participants who contributed 14.2 billion yuan payment by the end of 2022.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
A Qantas flight to Fiji was forced to return to Sydney Airport on Thursday after the aircrafts fault indicators signalled a potential mechanical issue.

QF101 from Sydney to Nadi spent close to two hours circling off the coast of NSW as it awaited a slot before landing at about 10.50am AEDT. The grounded flight is the second incident for the airline in two days, after an engine failure on a Boeing 737-838 travelling to Sydney from Auckland resulted in a temporary mayday alert on Wednesday.

The grounded Boeing 737-800 is the second in-flight issue to affect the airline in just two days. Credit: Wolter Peeters

A Qantas spokesperson said the aircrafts pilots returned the Boeing 737-800 headed for Fiji as a precaution in keeping with the carriers safety guidelines, and did not indicate an emergency situation.

The pilots followed standard procedures and the aircraft has landed normally in Sydney.
Thermal coal companies in NSW will need to set aside between 7 and 10 per cent of their output for the domestic market to spread the financial impact of price caps imposed to push down the cost of electricity, but the decision has been met with scepticism by the industry.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said on Thursday the expansion of the domestic reservation arrangements would even the playing field with those coal producers that are abiding by the coal price cap. The measures are only temporary and are expected to last until 2024.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has said the expansion of the domestic reservation arrangements will even the playing field among coal producers. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

He said it was fair that Australian coal producers provide energy for consumers at domestic prices. This coal cap scheme will see NSW doing our part at the request of the Albanese government to contribute to the national solution of this national problem, he said.

The NSW government committed to a $125-a-tonne cap on the price of coal sold to local power providers as part of the federal governments interventions in the energy market to keep a lid on prices for households and businesses.
On the last day of 2022, Sam Smith posted a video message to their 14.6 million Instagram followers. Basking in the glow of an Australian summer, the London-born singer-songwriter declared with a smile: Ive never felt so free.

Sam Smith performs at The Cube in South Australia in January, 2023. Credit: Daniel Boud

My mum always said this would happen as I get older and, like always, shes right, Smith tells this masthead a couple of weeks later, speaking of their hard-earned liberation. I do feel like Im caring less what people think, which is a wonderful thing. I started releasing music when I was 20 years old, and it was daunting and scary. With this record I really set out to make an album that I love  and I absolutely love it.

Smith looks relaxed and assured, sitting in an Adelaide hotel room a few days after posting the new years message. Its a moment of relative calm before their fourth studio album Gloria arrives on January 27, followed by a world tour that will eventually bring them back to Australia in October and November.

Smith says the new record is a showcase of their resilience, with its title representing their fighter spirit.
Two crocodile management wildlife officers from north Queensland have been flown in to investigate the sighting on North Stradbroke Island.

The Department of Environment and Science are searching for the crocodile that was reportedly sighted at North Stradbroke Island.

The reptile was spotted by Straddie Adventures owner Mark Jones and his tour group while they were on a morning kayak trip on Wednesday from Myora Springs, just north of Dunwich.

The Department of Environment and Science on Thursday said efforts were being made to find the crocodile.

Vessel-based spotlight surveys conducted last night did not reveal any evidence of the presence of a crocodile, a spokesperson said.
The Victorian schools with the highest-paid parents have been revealed, and those that are better off will have their funding cut this year.

Melbourne Grammar, Lauriston Girls School and Scotch College top the list of private-school income data, based on the capacity-to-contribute data that is used to allocate federal funding to non-government schools.

High-fee Balwyn girls school Fintona and Leibler Yavneh College are among 137 schools that had their capacity-to-contribute score reduced, meaning they were entitled to more funding.

A further 249 schools  including Shelford Girls Grammar in Caulfield and Fitzroy Community School in North Fitzroy  saw their capacity-to-contribute score increase, resulting in less federal government funding.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story contains images of a deceased person.

Two men and a woman have been charged with murder over the attack on West Australian teenager Cassius Turvey.

Cassius Turvey was only 15 when he died. His family gave permission for his photo to be used.

The 15-year-old was killed while walking home from school in Perth in October 2022, with his death sparking outrage across the country. One man, Jack Steven James Brearley, 21, had already been charged with murder over the incident.

On Thursday, WA Police charged two men and a woman aged in their 20s with murder.
Both of her applications were refused. Father Alain tried to call the bureaucracy  twice  to plead for some sort of review. There was no compassion at all. I tried to phone them twice when my daughter applied, he told 9News on Thursday. They wouldnt listen to me. They turned around and said, No shes old enough. Were not going to discuss this with you. On December 1, 2021, Robyn  twice vaccinated  took her own life.

Worse was still to come. The DArgents travelled to Sydney to get Robyns affairs in order and make arrangements for her body. Once those grim tasks were done, WA would not let them return home. Alain attached Robyns death certificate to his G2G application. It mattered naught. Alain DArgent with late daughter Robyn.

In desperation, Alain went to the media. We only got back in when [Perth radio] 6PR got on board. Channel Nine came in  then within 20 minutes it was sorted. This was not in the early, scary days of 2020. This was December 2021, when vaccines had been widely available for months and the clinical severity of COVID well understood. The DArgents were double-vaccinated, testing was widely available. The media-generated intervention still landed them in a hotel room, grieving and isolated, at their own expense for 14 days.

Welcoming the establishment of the review panel yesterday, Perth intensive care specialist Luke Torre  a critic of the Premiers January 2022 decision to delay WAs reopening for a month  said it needed to take a broad view. Weve done a lot of things right here, we have to give the government a lot of credit  and the people of Western Australia a lot of credit  for the way they responded to what the government asked of them, he told Oliver Peterson on 6PR. But what we have to understand is this has had an effect on every one of our lives. So just the single number of how many people died  has to be weighed up against the total health effects; physical, mental health, the economics of our state, and our social interaction. Its about proportionate response and getting the balance right, not just deaths. Former Commonwealth deputy chief health officer Nick Coatsworth said despite their wild popularity with the majority of West Australians, an honest view of border closures should be on the reviewers table.

If youre going to impose those sort of restrictions on the liberty of Australians to travel in our own country, then you have to be able to resource the exemption process, he said. Loading It was poorly resourced and the bar was too high. You had people whose kids were on the verge of, or did commit suicide. It is an important point already picked up in other Australian reviews of pandemic management. Victorias ombudsman Deborah Glass found as far back as December 2021 that that states narrow exercise of discretion resulted in unjust outcomes, which she called on the Andrews government to publicly acknowledge.

While we did not review all decisions and I do not suggest that all were unfair, the overwhelming majority of applications did not get to a decision-maker at all, she found. The result was some of the most questionable decisions I have seen in my over seven years as ombudsman. Alain DArgent wants to tell his story to the review panel, which comprises former Liberal police and health minister John Day, veteran educator and arts administrator Margaret Seares, and former ACCC deputy commissioner Michael Schaper. Its cost a lot of lives. Im still there. Im prepared to bring it up and talk about it. Because if no one talks about it, nothing is going to get done, he said. It is not at all clear that he will be allowed to do so.
We know children have been charged for a number of reasons  but charged is not guilty. Loading WA Police has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Department of Communities and family members of the Ashfield IGA accused, aged 13 and 14, to find a responsible adult to could act as their carer, which might have avoided the girls being sent to Banksia Hill. The magistrate claimed the police did not try hard enough and wanted the state to look into why they could not find a responsible adult. The commissioner said this was a common occurrence and reflected failures in the system including a lack of resources in the Department of Communities.

The key issue remains that we should have options for children and young people who have not been sentenced  those on remand should not be co-located with those sentenced, she said. It leads to disruption for all who are in the facility. It means the facility is unable to provide stability for those who are sentenced and enable the delivery of education and other programs on a regular basis. It means we require more staff in the facility and we already have significant staffing issues and this leads to children being locked down and causing further damage to their mental health. McGowan said couldnt comment specifically on the IGA incident but the video of the alleged theft was not good to watch and he backed the decisions by police afterwards. I actually feel sorry, for shopkeepers trying to run their business, he said.

Sometimes its difficult to find the appropriate person to look after these juveniles, so police have to work out what to do and they have limited time to do it so I wouldnt be too critical of them. McGowan also said remanded offenders ending up in Banksia Hill, was a matter for the courts. The New Years Eve Banksia Hill riot. Credit: Nine News People are put on remand by the courts, so the courts make those decisions and they are left there because often the crimes for which they are accused are extremely serious, he said. Ive met people who say there shouldnt be any detention, that somehow people are not responsible for their actions, I fundamentally disagree. You have to have some sort of consequence.

McGowan has continually defended his governments and Corrective Service Minister Bill Johnstons handling of the youth justice system despite significant pressure from advocates concerned at the treatment of detainees. Loading The government also defended the use of a separate youth detention unit set up in mid-2022 to house the most disruptive detainees known as Unit 18 after they caused significant damage to cells at Banksia Hill. There are currently 17 detainees in Unit 18. McGowan and Johnston have previously stated the temporary use of Unit 18 resulted in a much better atmosphere at Banksia Hill; however, over the summer holiday period, staff were forced to quell two separate incidents where detainees climbed roofs.

The New Years Eve riot sent the prison into lockdown for eight hours as detainees set alight two buildings in the centres education area. Loading On Friday a symposium will be held in Perth on the class action case against the WA government involving more than 500 past and present detainees who claim they were mistreated while in the states youth justice system. One of those involved is an 18-year-old woman who claims she was held in solitary confinement for 18 months when she was 13. On Thursday McGowan said he found the claim very hard to believe.

He cast doubt on the information being provided by activists. Activists provide misleading information on these things, he said. The government has announced it would spend an extra $63 million on security, staffing and mental health support at Banksia Hill on top of $25 million already pledged to repair and refit damaged cells for the centres most violent detainees. A Department of Communities spokesman said in all circumstances possible it aimed to keep a childs existing placement or find them an alternative appropriate placement after they had been granted bail, regardless of the crime they are alleged to have committed. Communities has a co-located senior child protection worker at Banksia Hill who spends a significant amount of their time coordinating support plans for children in care between Banksia Hill Detention Centre, Department of Justice, regional offices and partner districts, he said.
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A new survey by small business lender ScotPac has uncovered the top three things SMEs want from finance providers in 2023.

ScotPac interviewed 718 small-to-medium enterprises located across the nation with annual revenues of $1 million to $20 million. The results revealed that speed, ease and dependable customer service are SMEs top three priorities.

Sectors interviewed for the ScotPac bi-annual SME Growth Index included manufacturing (14.5%), business services (14.1%), retail (11.4%), wholesale (11.0%), personal/other services (10.6%), construction (9.6%) and 28.8% all other industries including transport, mining, agriculture, media, accommodation, finance (non-bank) and electricity.

These are the common themes Australian SMEs are looking for when sourcing new business finance or refinancing existing loan facilities in 2023, said ScotPac group executive, client acquisition and finance Craig Michie (pictured above).

Topping the list for SMEs was the onboarding process, with an overwhelming 95% of businesses saying they want the least amount of paperwork and administrative hurdles  up from 90% at the outset of the pandemic in March 2020.

What else do SMEs want to see from lenders?

Michie said the next most critical factor was rapid credit approval, with 72% of SMEs nominating it as key to their decision making, up from 67% in March 2020.

Rounding out the top three was 36% of SMEs reporting consistently high levels of customer service were highly valued, up from 31% in March 2020, he said.

Other top findings related to SMEs seeking a new loan or a refinance facility included word-of-mouth referrals as an important pathway to finding a new lender for 35% of SMEs.

Another 7.5% of SMEs were swayed by their existing transaction banking relationships and only 3% nominated reputation as a relevant factor

SMEs are becoming more discerning when it comes to choosing a finance partner, with 85% now shopping around for the right features and benefits, up from 77% in March 2020, Michie said.

He said the findings were a good reflection of the priorities for most Australian SMEs and the increasingly competitive nature of business finance.

Most SME owners and operators want to focus their time and energy on running their business, not producing copious spreadsheets for prospective finance partners.

ScotPac has built its business around providing SMEs with quick approvals and the certainty that fuss-free funding will be available when they need it, so they can act quickly and confidently as opportunities arise.

Technology rising in popularity

Michie said ScotPac specialised in lending to businesses and had used that knowledge and leading-edge technology to make the process as quick and easy as possible.

When you add the ability for brokers and their clients to deal directly with the credit approver and have ongoing the support of a dedicated relationship manager, its a winning formula for business owners, he said.

A December survey from the SME lender found ongoing supply chain problems were continuing to plague SMEs with 100% of Australian SMEs hit by supply chain disruptions. As a result, two in three are increasing their prices.

ScotPac CEO Jon Sutton said larger SMEs ($5 million to $20 million in revenue) told the lender they experienced average production and other input cost rises of 20%, compared to 12% for smaller SMEs ($1 million to under $5 million in revenue).

Larger SMEs increased the price of their goods and services by an average of 18%, compared to an average increase of just 1.5% for smaller SMEs, Sutton said.

The key areas of advice SMEs felt they needed to better navigate supply chain disruptions included alternate business funding tools such as invoice finance (25%), general risk advice and guidance (20%) and new supplier network referrals (16%).

ScotPac launched a new broker portal in November, with the intention of helping to deliver brokers digital tools to help them find the right solutions for their clients faster than ever.

Broking has become more sophisticated, competitive and reliant on digital trends in recent years and the aim of the Partner Portal is to help brokers achieve more in less time, Michie said.

The portal allows brokers to quickly navigate loan products and secure fast finance for clients. This includes our easy new instant asset finance approvals, which have contributed to 300% growth in digital applications in the past six months.

What do you think of these findings on SMEs? Let us know in the comment section below.
Air India has named former Wells Fargo executive Shankar Mishra, who is accused of urinating on a co-passenger, on a no-fly list for four months, based on a decision by a three-member internal committee.

The independent three-member internal committee concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of unruly passenger, according to the relevant provisions of the civil aviation requirements, Air India said in a statement. Mishra was travelling in a business class cabin of Air Indias New York-Delhi aircraft on November 27.

The passenger has already been put on the airline's no-fly list. Air India shared a copy of the internal committee report with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and will also be intimating other airlines operating in the country, it added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued a show cause notice to the airline following the incident. The National Commission of Women (NCW) too sought an action taken report from the airline.



Air India has said there was an error of judgment on part of its cabin crew and ground staff to identify the pee-on-board incident as a breach of discipline and it could have been handled better in an action taken report to the NCW. The airline has also acknowledged that it failed to quickly report the incident to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and internal committee dealing with unruly passenger behavior.



Post the incident, the airline has commenced a comprehensive education programme to strengthen crews awareness on handling of unruly passenger behavior and will better equip them to empathetically assist those affected. It has initiated a review of policy on serving alcohol on board aircraft.



The airline has signed a letter of intent to acquire incident management software for better reporting and is arming its pilots and senior crew with iPads that will help in filing of voyage and incident reports.


JSW Energy on Thursday said that its arm JSW Renew Energy Five has bagged two battery energy storage system projects totalling 500 MW/ 1,000 MW from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

The company will be entitled to receive a fixed capacity charge of Rs 10.8 lakh per MW per month for twelve years, a company statement said.

Energy storage system of 500 MW/1,000 MW means 500 MW of battery energy can provide power backup for two hours, giving total output of 1,000 MW, the company explained.

SECI's obligation shall be limited to 60 per cent of the project capacity/energy and the remaining 40 per cent is to be managed by the company, JSW Energy stated.

JSW Renew Energy Five Ltd, a 100 per cent step-down subsidiary of JSW Energy, has received the Letter of Awards (LoA) for total 500 MW/1,000 MW standalone battery energy storage systems (two projects each of 250 MW/500 MW) from SECI, it stated.

Prashant Jain, Joint Managing Director and CEO of JSW Energy, said in the statement, "We are excited to receive the LoA for battery energy storage system which marks our foray into energy storage solutions. This is in line with the company's long-term strategy to transition towards an energy products and solutions company."



The company has set a target to reach 20 GW capacity by 2030 and near-term target of 10 GW by 2025.

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Around 1.7 GW of renewable energy projects are currently operational, under-construction/in-pipeline is 2.63 GW, and with the acquisition of Mytrah Energy's 1.75 GW renewable energy assets the total renewable locked-in capacity of the company stands at 6.0 GW.
The Supreme Court on Thursday orally told Google's counsel to look at the kind of authority it wields in terms of dominance, while hearing the tech giant's plea on seeking a stay on a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing a Rs 1,337 crore penalty on it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud told senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Google, said: "Dr Singhvi, all that you gave us in terms of data in fact militates against your argument."

"Look at the kind of authority which you wield in terms of dominance data indicates 15,000 Android models, 500 million compatible devices 1500 OEMs. When you have that kind of market penetration, then by insisting you necessarily have my bouquet you directly affecting... What the OEM does, impact upon the ultimate consumer," the Chief Justice said.

Singhvi submitted: "I am one of the players in this ecosystem, and people choose Google Play Store due to its excellence and not because of dominance."

He queried that had there been no Android, "would this revolution in telephony had taken place?"

Singhvi further argued that in Korea, there is a different user and pressed that Google is there due to excellence and not due to dominance.

Also Read Google may face a third CCI fine in less than a month. Now for Android TV Indian developers benefit from Android, Play: Google on CCI penalty Google dials NCLAT against CCI's Android order, Rs 1,337-crore fine Why does Google find itself in CCI's crosshairs? Indian app developers hail CCI penalty on Google as 'collective victory' Amazon shuts its charity donation program 'AmazonSmile' as it fails purpose Havells India Q3 net dips 7.3% to Rs 283.52 cr on higher raw material costs Sebi probes investments between Nippon Mutual Fund, YES Bank: Report Vikram Kirloskar's daughter Manasi takes over as Toyota Kirloskar Motor VC Jaguar Land Rover President and MD Rohit Suri to hang boots after 14 yrs

"Where it is voluntary, non-imposed. It is free, non exclusive, what more you can do?".

The bench, also comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, will continue to hear arguments in the matter in the afternoon.

On January 11, the Supreme Court had agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), declining to stay a Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI for alleged anti-competitive practices.

Google moved the apex court after the setback at NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case.

Earlier this month, the NCLAT did not find any urgency to pass an interim order, after noting that Google filed the appeal in December last year, though the CCI passed the order in October.

It directed Google to deposit 10 per cent of the fine amount.

The tribunal had said that there was no urgency shown in the filing of the appeal, therefore Google could not be allowed to press for interim relief.

In October last year, the CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in relation to Android mobile devices.

The CCI also imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.

--IANS

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RailTel, a PSU under Railways Ministry, is launching an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services for the subscribers of its retail broadband service, RailWire, a statement said.

RailTel has partnered with Hyderabad-based IPTV service firm City Online Media to provide these services to RailWire customers under the 'ULKA TV' brand.

The IPTV services will be launched on January 26 in Eastern and North Eastern regions of the country.

The company will provide access to the IPTV content on mobile with its App 'ULKA Mini' and on Smart TV with the App 'ULKA LITE' to RailTel Broadband users which can be downloaded from the Google Play store.

This IPTV service will provide the latest 4K technology with HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) to deliver the best quality video in the industry.

IPTV is a service that provides television programming and other video content using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, as opposed to broadcast TV, cable TV or satellite signals.

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The OFC network owned by RailTel reaches to over 70 per cent of the population of the country including rural areas. With its pan India high-capacity network, RailTel is working towards creating a knowledge society at various fronts," Sanjai Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director RailTel said.

"Government of India is keen on expansion of broadband cable services across the country, especially rural areas. IPTV services under the RailWire will convert television households to internet households and open possibilities of smart services for homes, he said.

The IPTV services are being launched with effect from January 26 in the Eastern and North Eastern region of the country.

The possibilities of extending IPTV services to RailTel customers in other regions will be explored later after assessing feedback, local demand, and technical logistics, the statement said.

"With this facility, the customers will be able to enjoy high quality digital TV channels on RailTel's IP network along with the Broadband Internet services on the same optical fibre pair. While Free to Air (FTA) channels can be viewed without a Set Top Box (STB), others channel will require the STB," the statement said.

The ULKA TV STB will be a special intelligent device and work as a sort of mini computer. It will provide 600+ Live Satellite TV channels and local stations and popular OTT applications. This STB will provide two-way communication with TV sets to support educational applications without a laptop or computer by adding a Bluetooth keyboard.

It can also provide a video conference facility by simply attaching a USB Camera. The IPTV services can also be viewed in non-smart TVs with the help of this STB.

Railtel is an ICT provider and one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in the country owning a pan-India optic fiber network. The OFC network covers important towns & cities of the country and several rural areas.


We direct the NCLAT to dispose of the appeal (against the CCI order) by March 31. No interim relief (is to be) granted to Google. Since Google is ready to partially comply with the CCIs directions, we give it one weeks time to do so. In accordance with the CCI order, Google has to pay 10 per cent of the penalty imposed by the CCI. This it has to do in a week. In a setback to Google, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant it interim relief from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunals (NCLATs) order upholding a Rs 1,337.76-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged unfair and anti-competitive practices related to Android devices. The Bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justice P S Narasimha and Justice J B Pardiwala said the findings of the CCI couldnt be considered at the interlocutory stage.



Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Google India, said the firm was willing to comply with some directions of the CCI. Google also seems to have softened its stand on the order given by the CCI.



The CCI in its order on October 20, 2022, had said Google had abused its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android Mobile device ecosystem. The court said: Google would ensure unbundling of only Search and Chrome from Play, Chrome from Search. In terms of the decision of the European Commission (July 18, 2018), Google would ensure that the search app pre installation exclusivity only on portfolio-wise RSAs (response sensitive ads) would not be pursued.

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There are 500 million compatible devices only in India, and 1,500 global manufacturers or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). MADA (Mobile Application Distribution Agreement) Rules allow for multiple play stores. People tend to install multiple. Indians download the most, he said. Singhvi submitted before the court that Android, unlike Apple, was compatible with 15,000 smartphone models.



Singhvi said Google was there because of excellence, not dominance. Raising an objection to the CCI order, he said: The third direction of the CCI is highly objectionable. A rival Play Store owner should be able to sit inside my Play Store. Can the CCI ever give a direction like this? CJI Chandrachud asked: Why should you insist on Chrome (pre-installed on smartphones)? If you insist on a bouquet, you lose open source. It affects the choice of the consumer. All that you have goes against you. Look at the market you hold, with that line of penetration if you insist on your bouquet.



Naval Chopra, partner, competition law practice, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, said: This is a landmark decision in the history of competition law jurisprudence in India and globally. The CCIs wide-ranging remedies go beyond Europe and will force Google to change the way it does business. It will open up markets for Googles competitors. Several industry players hailed the courts stand on the CCI order.

Rohan Verma, chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director, MapmyIndia, said: We at MapmyIndia are elated and grateful to the Supreme Court. Today onwards, we call upon consumers and original equipment manufacturers to try and use MapmyIndias Mappls app, which offers far better maps, navigation and safety features than Google Maps. Rohan Verma, chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director, MapmyIndia, said: We at MapmyIndia are elated and grateful to the Supreme Court. Today onwards, we call upon consumers and original equipment manufacturers to try and use MapmyIndias Mappls app, which offers far better maps, navigation and safety features than Google Maps.



Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the interveners, argued that mandatory pre-installations of apps reduced incentives to download anything else. Rakesh Deshmukh, cofounder and CEO, Indus OS, which had also appealed against Googles plea, said: This decision will usher in a cataclysmic change in the Indian smartphone ecosystem  millions of Indian users will now have a choice to experience our app store without any restrictions. Indus OS has been working on its app store for over a decade now, which is tailor-made to meet the preferences of the Indian consumers.

There is no reason for India not to be treated at par. You cannot treat the laws of this country as laws of the third world, he said.


By Jayshree Pyasi

MUMBAI (Reuters) - An Indian regulator is investigating investments between Nippon India Mutual Fund, the largest foreign-owned fund in the country, and Yes Bank between 2016 and 2019 for suspected misuse of investors' money, sources said.

At the time, the parent company of the mutual fund was owned by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Yes Bank was taken over by the central bank in 2020 and sold to a consortium of banks after a dramatic rise in toxic assets.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is probing whether investments by the fund, known at the time as Reliance Mutual Fund, in perpetual bonds of Yes Bank were made as part of a deal whereby in return the lender invested in securities of Anil Ambani group companies, said two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The sources declined to be named as the investigation is confidential.

SEBI's regulations say that the parent of a mutual fund cannot access investors' money either directly or indirectly.

If the regulator's probe results in charges against the fund, its officials or the bank, it could lead to penalties ranging from restrictions on accessing capital markets to monetary penalties. The current owner of the fund, Nippon India, as well as the previous owner could be liable, the sources said.

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The market regulator's probe has not been previously reported.

The fund house itself, senior officials and its former sponsor could face charges for violating regulatory norms under India's 'Prevention of Fraud and Unfair Trade Practices Relating to Securities Market' rules, one source said. Yes Bank and its former officials could also face charges, the source added.

Nippon India, the Anil Ambani Group, Yes Bank and SEBI did not respond to requests for comment. Sundeep Sikka, who has been chief executive office of the mutual fund since 2009, did not respond to requests for comment.

Nippon India, a unit of Nippon Life Insurance Co, acquired 75% in Reliance Asset Management Company in October 2019 to become the owner of the mutual fund. The transactions under scrutiny date back to before the transfer of ownership, the sources said. Nippon Life did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.

As of December 2022, Nippon India was the seventh-largest mutual fund in India with assets under management of 2.9 trillion rupees ($35.46 billion) as well as the biggest foreign-owned mutual fund.

The Nippon India mutual fund was the biggest holder of additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank between 2016 and 2019 and held 250 billion rupees out of the 841 billion rupees of such securities issued by Yes Bank, according to court documents.

These bonds were cancelled in 2020 by Yes Bank as part of its restructuring, which has been challenged in court by bondholders.

As a consequence of this case, the market regulator plans to tighten its rules, said the first source, although any final decision will only come after the investigation is completed.

On Friday, SEBI proposed further tightening of mutual fund regulations asking mutual fund owners to reduce their stake gradually as a measure to check their influence on investment decisions. It did not specify a level to which they must reduce their holdings. Present rules require that mutual fund owners hold a minimum 40% stake.

"If this becomes a rule, this would address issues of conflict of interest and undue influence which have led to bad investment decisions by fund managers," said the first source.

(Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay; Editing by Ira Dugal and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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Eleven meetings related to the G20 will be held in various cities of Uttar Pradesh between February 13 and 15.

Varanasi will organise six, Agra three, Lucknow one and Greater Noida one.

Under its Presidency, India is expected to hold more than 200 meetings at various levels in the run-up to the G20 Summit.

The participation of representatives of about 40 countries and international organizations is expected in each of these meetings to be organised by the union ministry of foreign affairs till November 3, 2023.

The first G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under India's presidency will take place in Pune on January 16-17.

Suryapal Gangwar, District Magistrate, Lucknow, said: "The nodal department of the government of India for the meeting to be held in Lucknow is the ministry of electronics and information technology. The meeting to be held in Lucknow is related to the working group, which is the 1st Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting.

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"The stress would be on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. We will show our technical competence and expertise in this area as top officials of G20 countries would be in Lucknow to discuss digital economy."

Students and professors of Lucknow University, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (Lucknow), Harcourt Butler Technical University (Kanpur, Madan Mohan Malviya University of Technology (Gorakhpur), Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University (Lucknow) and Bundelkhand University (Jhansi) will participate in the Lucknow session of G20.

They will showcase research and technology enhancement in the field of AI and robotics.

--IANS

amita/ksk/
Arunachal Pradesh recorded over 95 per cent enrollment of children in schools in the past 15 years, in the age group of 6-14 years, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER).

Despite closure of schools during the Covid pandemic, the enrolment in the northeastern state increased from 97.2 per cent in 2018 to 98.4 per cent in 2022, the report which was released on Wednesday, said.

The report revealed that almost all (98.4%) students in the age bracket of 6-14 years are now enrolled in schools in the country.

The survey sheds light on learning outcomes in schools and is led by the Pratham Foundation. It was last conducted at this scale in 2018, so this marks the return of the survey after four years.

In ASER 2022, around seven lakh candidates from 19,060 schools in 616 districts of the country were surveyed to calculate the learning outcomes post pandemic on school children.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the survey covered a total of 376 villages, 5,320 households and 9,148 children in the age group 3 to 16 in 13 districts.

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ASER is the oldest survey of its kind in the country, and well regarded for the range of insights it provides on levels of foundational learning at the elementary level. It gives direction to boost education standard, eco-system involving government, corporates, civil society and NGOs.

The report unveiled high enrolment of children in schools, a good performance indicator for government programmes like Nipun Bharat Mission.

Rise in number of girl child in schools also gave positive indication of synergies and effectiveness of government's Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiatives.

The survey recorded schooling status of children in the age group 3-16 and assessed children aged 5-16 in basic reading and arithmetic. Children's English ability was also tested.

The ASER-2022 basically focused on foundational skills of children in elementary school-going age group, which was done annually during 2005 to 2014 and in 2016 and 2018 as tools, sampling strategies and survey methods are comparable over time.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the percentage of children in age group of 6-14 enrolled in government schools stands at 62.2 per cent in 2022 as compared to 60.1 per cent in 2018.

In 2006, the all India figure of percentage of girls age 11-14 who were out of school stood at 10.3 per cent, falling over the following decade to 4.1 per cent in 2018. This proportion has continued to drop.

In 2022, all India figure for 11-14-year-old girls not enrolled in school stands at 2%. In 2006, 8.7 per cent of the girls in age group of 11-14 were not enrolled in school in Arunachal Pradesh, which reduced steadily over the years, the report revealed.

In 2008, more than 10 per cent of the girls in 15-16 age group was not enrolled in school in the state. This reduced to 8.6 per cent in 2018 and reduced further to 6.4% in 2022.

In Arunachal Pradesh, proportion of 3-year-olds enrolled in some form of early childhood education stands at 64.4 per cent in 2022, an increase of 4.2 per cent over 2018 levels. There is a substantial shift in enrolment patterns of young children in the age group 3-5 years.

In the state, 73.3 per cent of children enrolled in class 8 in government or private schools could read at least basic text in 2022 as compared to 70.1 per cent in 2018. As many as 33.5 per cent of the children in class (this includes children in both govt and private schools) were able to at least do subtraction in 2018. This figure has gone up to 35.8 per cent in 2022.

The report further revealed that the proportion of children in class V in Arunachal Pradesh who can do division in government or private schools has reduced from 27.1 in 2018 to 22.9 per cent in 2022. While the proportion of children in class VIII from both Govt and private schools who can do division has decreased from 49.3 per cent in 2018 to 45.9 in 2022.

In Arunachal Pradesh, children's ability to read simple English sentences has increased from 33.2 per cent in 2016 to 47.8. In 2022, a slight improvement is visible for children in class VIII (from 75.9 per cent in 2016 to 76.0 in 2022).

The proportion of government schools with less than 60 students enrolled has increased every year over the last decade including, 7.1 per cent in 2010, 15.2% in 2014, 35.5% in 2018, and increased to 40.9% in 2022 in upper primary school.

In Arunachal Pradesh, average teacher attendance increased slightly, from 72.7 per cent in 2018 to 75.4 in 2022. However, average student attendance decreased from 78.3 per cent in 2018 to 75.9 in 2022 in upper primary schools.

About 39 per cent of all primary schools in Arunachal Pradesh have received a directive to implement Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) activities with their students and about 61 per cent proportion had at least one teacher who had received training on FLN, the report revealed.
The Congress has claimed that 15 party workers and functionaries, including AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar, were injured after a group of "BJP-backed goons" allegedly attacked them during a bike rally at four locations in Tripura's Majlishpur constituency.

The police, however, said the attacks were carried out by unknown miscreants in West Tripura district, and "10 party workers were injured".

The incident took place hours after the announcement of the Tripura assembly poll schedule on Wednesday.

Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16 and the counting of votes will take place on March 2.

"Fifteen leaders and workers were injured after BJP goons attacked them at a bike rally, and they were admitted to GB Pant Hospital here, a Congress member claimed.

Meanwhile, Assistant Inspector General (Law & Order) Jyotishman Das Chowdhury said: A Congress bike rally came under attack by a group of unknown people at four places under the Ranir Bazar police station limits. Ten workers were injured and of them, two were admitted to GB Pant Hospital."



The situation is under control with para-military forces maintaining strict vigil in the trouble-torn areas, he said, adding, no FIR has been lodged with the police yet.

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Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman appealed to the Election Commission to take note of the violence on Congress workers, and said the party will lodge an FIR soon.

Roy Barman also urged Congress and CPI(M) workers to organise political activities to resist such attacks in future.

The Congress and the CPI(M) have announced they would contest the assembly elections jointly to defeat the BJP in the northeastern state.
Researchers say efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere aren't being scaled up fast enough and can't be relied on to meet crucial climate goals.

A report published Thursday by scientists in Europe and the United States found that new methods of CO2 removal currently account for only 0.1 per cent of the 2 billion metric tons sucked from the atmosphere each year. That compares with roughly 37 billion tons of annual CO2 emissions.

Most current greenhouse gas removal is achieved by planting trees and managing forests and other natural carbon sinks, which themselves are under considerable threat.

New carbon removal technologies include so-called direct air capture, where CO2 is sucked from the atmosphere and stored underground. Another method known as biochar involves burning plant matter and then burying the carbon-heavy waste.

Both have been heavily criticised by environmentalists even as they attract considerable funding from governments and companies seeking solutions to the climate crisis. Developing countries argue that their contribution to global carbon removal mostly in the form of forests and land management are equally important and deserve greater recognition.

The study concludes that novel carbon removal needs to increase 30-fold by 2030 to achieve the emissions reductions required to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and ideally no more than 1.5 C (2.7 F) by the end of the century.

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Achieving net zero' emissions by mid-century a goal many countries are aiming for and experts say is necessary to meet the targets agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord would require an increase in carbon dioxide removal by a factor of 1,300 and few countries have realistic plans for doing so, the authors said.

"We are really lagging behind significantly when it comes to carbon removal," said study co-author Jan Minx of the Berlin-based Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change.

"If we want a robust strategy to achieve the Paris climate goals then we need to restrict dependence on carbon removal ... through rapid and far-reaching emissions reductions," he said. "But at the same time the expansion and development of carbon removal methods needs to be boosted."



Oliver Geden of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, who also contributed to the report, said natural means of carbon removal, such as reforestation, are currently more cost-effective than artificial methods. But there are limits to how much land can be devoted to forests and rising global temperatures increase the risk that carbon stored that way could be released again, such as through wildfires.

He noted the rapid rise of solar and wind power plants as examples for how new technologies could have a measurable impact on efforts to curb climate change.

The authors of the study say they plan to regularly publish a regular State of Carbon Dioxide Removal.
Congress Rajya Sabha member and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Thursday demanded that voter verifiable paper audit trail slips be put in a microchip free ballot box and election results be announced on the basis of VVPAT only.

Our main issue is that the box in which the voter drops the VVPAT slip should not have any microchip in it and the results of the polls should be declared on the basis of it only, Singh told PTI over phone from Pathankot in Punjab while participating in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.

VVPAT system keeps a physical trail of all votes cast. It allows voters to verify their votes are cast as intended.

Earlier in the day, Singh put out a series of tweets over electronic voting machines (EVMs) and remote voting machine (RVM). We are grateful to ECI (Election Commission of India) for organising All Party Meeting on RVM. In the interest of our Indian Constitution and Democracy ECI like Caesar's wife should be above suspicion, he tweeted.

His comments come days after the ECI held consultations with recognised national and state political parties on its proposal on remote voting, aimed at facilitating casting of votes by migrants. But a majority of opposition parties have asked for a broad-based consensus over many areas, including the definition of domestic migrants.

There is a huge Trust Deficit on the issue of EVM. No machine with a Chip is tamper proof. This is a Universal Truth. The questions raised by Civil Society Activists and Political Parties have to be addressed by ECI to their satisfaction, his second tweet read.

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The Congress leader clarified that he was not pressing for voting by ballot papers.

I am not suggesting voting by ballot paper. What I am suggesting is a very simple and reasonable demand. Voting by EVM with a slight modification.

After voting on EVM 1-VVPAT slip after 7 second visual instead of dropping in the box should be given to the voter in his hand. 2- Voter then drops the slip in a microchip free ballot box. 3- Install VVPAT slip counting machine. Declare the result, he demanded from the ECI through his tweets.
BJP president J P Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, will hold organisational and public meetings in Nadia district on Thursday, a party leader said.

Nadda arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday night.

"On Thursday, he will first visit the ISKCON temple at Mayapur and offer puja. He will then address a public meeting at Bethuadahari, after which he will hold an organisational meeting with leaders of Nadia north organisational district and assess the party's performance in the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat," BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay said.

The BJP lost the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat to the Trinamool Congress in the 2019 elections.

Nadda's visit is a part of the central leadership's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen its organisation in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country that the party had lost by a slender margin in the 2019 elections.

Over the next few months, Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are scheduled to address 12 rallies each, covering 24 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

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The BJP had won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2019 polls.

Earlier this week, Nadda's term was extended till June next year at the party's national executive meeting.

The Trinamool Congress, however, declined to attach much importance to Nadda's visit.

"We have seen how the BJP's central leaders had camped in West Bengal before the 2021 assembly polls. But, the party had to face defeat," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka's northern districts of Yadgiri and Kalaburagi on Thursday to lay foundation stone and inaugurate a bevy of development projects valued at over Rs 10,800 crores.

This will be the second such visit by the Prime Minister to Karnataka this month. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive road show.

According to an official release, at around 12 noon, in Kodekal, Yadgiri district, the PM will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water besides a National Highway development project. Later, at around 2:15 PM, Modi will arrive in Malkhed (once the capital city of the Rashtrakuta dynasty) in Kalaburagi district, where he will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages and also lay the foundation stone for a National Highway project.

Kalaburagi is the hometown of Congress national President Mallikarjun Kharge and also the constituency he had represented earlier.

The visit also gains significance, as the ruling BJP prepares for assembly polls in Karnataka and has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of total 224 seats which will go for polls by May.

Aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households, Modi will lay the foundation stone for Yadgiri multi-village drinking water supply scheme under Jal Jeevan Mission at Kodekal in Yadgiri District, also a Water Treatment Plant of 117 MLD will be built under the scheme.

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The project, which costs more than Rs 2,050 crore, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns of Yadgiri district.

Later, he will also lay the foundation stone of the 65.5 km section of NH-150C. This 6-lane Greenfield road project is part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore.

Further pointing out that about 1,475 unrecorded habitations have been declared as New Revenue villages in five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura, the release said, at Malkhed village of Sedam Taluka of Kalaburagi district, the Prime Minister will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to more than 50,000 beneficiaries, largely belonging to the marginalised and vulnerable communities under the SC, ST and OBC categories, from these newly declared revenue villages.

During the programme, the PM will also lay the foundation stone of the 71 km section of NH-150C. This 6-lane Greenfield road project is also part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of more than Rs 2,100 crore.

The PM after finishing with his engagements in Karnataka will leave for Mumbai.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Leasing of retail real estate space during last year rose 21 per cent to 4.7 million square feet across eight major cities mainly on rising demand from Food and Beverage (F&B), fashion and apparel retailers, according to CBRE India.

The absorption of retail space in 2021 calendar year stood at 3.9 million square feet across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

The data denotes space take-up in investment-grade malls, prominent high streets and standalone developments.

The leasing of retail space is still below 2019 (pre-COVID) level at 6.8 million square feet during 2019. The demand of retail space plunged to 2 million square feet in 2020 calendar year due to the nationwide lockdown to control the COVID pandemic.

Real estate consultant CBRE South Asia noted key sectors that drove leasing activity in 2022 were fashion & apparel, F&B, hypermarkets, and homeware & department stores.

"The Indian economy is likely to remain steady despite tightening monetary conditions and recessionary global headwinds. Even though a challenging scenario across developed economies, retail leasing activity scaled a new high in 2022," Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa of CBRE, said.

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Given the robust supply pipeline planned for 2023 and strong domestic consumption, the leasing activity is anticipated to remain steady, he added.

"We also expect more international brands, especially in the F&B space, to enter the country," Magazine said.

As per the data, the absorption of retail space in Ahmedabad rose to 0.10 million square feet in 2022 from 0.03 million square feet in the previous year.

The leasing activity in Bengaluru increased to 1.92 million square feet from 1.68 million square feet.

Chennai saw an increase in demand of retail space to 0.45 million square feet from 0.26 million square feet, while Delhi-NCR witnessed surge in leasing to 0.96 million square feet from 0.36 million square feet.

The absorption of retail real estate space in Kolkata increased to 0.18 million square feet from 0.10 million square feet. Leasing of retail space rose to 0.43 million square feet from 0.19 million square feet.

However, the leasing activity in Hyderabad fell to 0.31 million square feet from 0.64 million square feet.

In Mumbai, too, the demand fell to 0.39 million square feet from 0.66 million square feet.

"Going forward, we expect retail leasing to gain traction in Tier II, III, and even IV cities as retailers and landlords are looking to leverage the purchasing power of these towns and cities," Ram Chandnani, Managing Director - Advisory & Transactions Services at CBRE India, said.

Activity in these cities will remain strong from domestic retailers, with international retailers expected to be more active in the apparel and QSR segments, he added.
As several state governments have shown their intent of shifting to the old pension scheme, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that states doing so, would end up curbing current expenditure but may build liabilities for the future.

He also cautioned banks on tilting too much towards retail lending.

In an interview to an online portal on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Rajan said that the reason why the new pension scheme was adopted because in the old scheme, huge liabilities had built up.

He further said that defined benefit schemes are easier for governments to adopt as liabilities are not being recognised.

Several state governments like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have indicated that they will shift to the old pension scheme while Himachal Pradesh too has indicated the same intention.

Rajan further added in the interview that though it is for each state government to decide, but these schemes should be aimed effectively towards the weaker sections of the society, so as to benefit them.

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The former RBI Governor also had a word of caution during the interview, for Indian banks for their shift towards retail lending, as he noted that there could be potential risks in case of a downcycle.

Rajan's comments have come at a time when Indian banks have seen a huge spike in retail assets in comparison to wholesale loans.

He was quoted as saying in the interview that banks should check all risks involved while indulging in infrastructure lending.

The former banker said between 2007 and 2009, the RBI had moved towards infrastructure loans, however later they created problems.

--IANS

ans/ksk/
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Housing Development Finance Corp plans to raise funds by issuing commercial papers maturing in one year, three merchant bankers said on Thursday.

The non-banking finance company will offer a yield of 7.88% on this issue, and has received commitments worth 6.50 billion rupees ($79.89 million) so far, they said.

The notes are rated A1+ by CRISIL.

($1 = 81.3600 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Indian government bought back bonds maturing in 2024 from the Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday, while also issuing bonds maturing in 2032 worth a similar quantum, the central bank said on Wednesday.

"The transaction involved buying back a security maturing in FY2024/25 from the Reserve Bank and issuing fresh security for equivalent market value, to make the transaction cash neutral," the RBI said in a press release.

The government bought back 6.18% bonds maturing in 2024 worth 226.10 billion rupees ($2.78 billion) at a price of 98.62 rupees while it issued 8.28% 2032 bonds worth 210.26 billion rupees to the RBI at 106.05 rupees, the release showed.

India is likely to undertake bond switch auctions with the RBI to meet its target for fiscal, traders had said on Tuesday.

Before this switch, New Delhi had switched bonds worth over 820 billion rupees this financial year, below its target of 1 trillion rupees. ($1 = 81.2680 Indian rupees)

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(Reporting by Swati Bhat; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
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Alec Baldwin and the armourer on the set of 'Rust' will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021, reports 'Variety'.

Baldwin fired the shot that killed Hutchins while preparing to film a scene in the church building of the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, loaded the weapon.

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in Santa Fe, announced the charges in a statement on Thursday.

Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter, which each carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail. They also will be charged with an enhancement for the use of a firearm, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

The prosecutor also announced that David Halls, the film's first assistant director, has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of "negligent use of a deadly weapon". Halls handed the loaded Colt .45 to Baldwin. Under the plea agreement, Halls will be given six months of probation but will not serve jail time.

"If any one of these three people -- Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed or David Halls -- had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today," Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by Carmack-Altwies to oversee the case, said in a statement reported by 'Variety'.

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"It's that simple. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set," the prosecutor added.

Baldwin, according to 'Variety', has repeatedly argued that he is not to blame for the incident. His attorneys have alleged that Halls, Gutierrez Reed, and two others were at fault for a chain of missteps that led to the shooting.

Luke Nikas, Baldwin's attorney, said in a statement on Thursday that the decision "distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice".

"Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun -- or anywhere on the movie set," Nikas said. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win."

Baldwin has told interviewers that he did not pull the trigger, and that the gun went off when he let go of the hammer. An FBI forensic analysis, however, determined that the gun was functioning normally.

--IANS

srb/arm
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from January 19-20, 2023.

During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to have official discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry and pay courtesy calls on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minster Dinesh Gunawardena and other dignitaries, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka press release.

Jaishankar will be accompanied by Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri from the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

Regarding Sri Lanka's tour, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Jaishankar's visit will follow his earlier trips to the bankrupt country in January 2021 and March 2022. Sri Lanka is a close friend and neighbour, and India has stood with the people of Sri Lanka at all times.

"During the visit, EAM will call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and also hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs MUM Ali Sabry on the entire gamut of close India-Sri Lanka partnership and steps to strengthen it in all spheres," the statement stated.

India and Sri Lanka share a good relationship. Under the "Neighbourhood First Policy," India had extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items, Sri Lanka based news publication News 19 reported.

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In February 2022, India in order to help Sri Lanka overcome its fuel shortage, signed an agreement for the supply of petroleum products worth USD 500 million from the Indian Oil Company through a credit line.

This was expanded by an additional USD 200 million worth of petroleum products in April 2022.

India's EXIM bank and State bank of India, for the import of essential commodities, extended export credit facilities worth USD 1,500 million to Sri Lanka. India also concluded a USD 400 million agreement with Sri Lanka to help preserve the country's forex reserves.

Earlier Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the parliament that talks with India and China on debt restructuring are successful.

"We are continuing discussions in that regard and I am pleased to announce to this House that the discussions are currently successful," read Sri Lankan President Media Division press release.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday that he was deeply concerned about the Chinese government's artificial intelligence program, asserting that it was not constrained by the rule of law.

Speaking during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijing's AI ambitions were built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they've stolen over the years.

He said that left unchecked, China could use artificial intelligence advancements to further its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and repression of dissidents inside the country and beyond.

That's something we're deeply concerned about. I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about, he said.

More broadly, he said, AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think, Wow, We can do that?' And then I think, Oh god, they can do that.'"



Such concerns have long been voiced by US officials. In October 2021, for instance, US counterintelligence officials issued warnings about China's ambitions in AI as part of a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries.

Earlier that year, an AI commission led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt urged the US to boost its AI skills to counter China, including by pursuing AI-enabled weapons.

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A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Thursday about Wray's comments. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fearmongering and attacked US intelligence for its assessments of China.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has bared his frustration about not obtaining enough tanks from some Western countries to help Ukraine's defend against Russian forces.

The Ukrainian leader, at a breakfast Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, offered a veiled critique of countries like Germany, Poland and the US crucial supporters of Ukraine that have nonetheless hesitated about sending tanks.

Speaking by video link, Zelenskyy bemoaned a lack of specific weaponry and said that to win the war, we cannot just do it with motivation and morale.

Through an interpreter, he told the Victor Pinchuk Foundation breakfast that I would like to thank again for the assistance from our partners. But at the same time, there are times where we shouldn't hesitate or we shouldn't compare when someone says, I will give tanks if someone else will also share his tanks.'



Zelenskyy also said air defence was our weakness in light of targeted Russian strikes, including use of Iranian-made drones, and reiterated his call for supplies of long-range artillery to fire at Russian forces in Ukrainian territory not fire into Russia itself.

Ukraine has for months sought to be supplied with heavier tanks, including the US Abrams and the German-made Leopard 2 tanks, but Western leaders have been treading carefully.

The United Kingdom announced last week that it will send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and France has said it would send AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles to Ukraine, designated light tanks in French.

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Poland and the Czech Republic have provided Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Ukrainian forces. Poland has expressed readiness to provide a company of Leopard tanks but has said it would only do so as part of a larger international coalition of tank aid to Kyiv.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who attended the breakfast, said, Get them the tanks, get Volodymyr Zelenskyy whatever he needs.
Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or "items with potential military application" to Myanmar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, rebutting a report which claimed it functions as a "strategic transit point" for items that "feed" the junta's weapon production.

The report, published by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) on Monday, also names India among several other countries which allegedly host companies supplying materials to a state-owned entity producing military weapons in Myanmar.

Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or "items with potential military application" to Myanmar, the MFA said on Wednesday.

There is serious risk that such items may be used to inflict violence against unarmed civilians, an MFA spokesperson said.

According to the SAC-M report, Singapore functions as a "strategic transit point for potentially significant volumes of items", including raw materials, that "feed" the Myanmar military's weapon production.

Austria, France, China, India, Israel, Ukraine, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States are also identified in the report as hosting companies which supply materials to a Myanmar state-owned entity producing military weapons.

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Myanmar's army seized power in February 2021 and the country has been embroiled in violence between soldiers and anti-coup rebels ever since. More than 2,000 people have been killed in crackdowns on dissent, according to local monitoring groups.

The MFA said Singapore is looking into the contents of the report by SAC-M, which comprises independent experts and former United Nations (UN) officials.

"Preliminarily, we note that many of the assertions pertaining to Singapore relate to economic activities pre-dating the February 2021 military coup," a Channel News Asia report quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying.

The MFA said it is "a matter of public record" that in June 2021 Singapore voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar.

"This is on top of our strict compliance with our international obligations on international arms sales and transfers, as well as UN sanctions and embargoes against any country," it added.

The SAC-M report claimed companies in Singapore are brokering deals and exporting items to either the Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI), a state-owned company producing military equipment for Myanmar, or associated civilian front companies.

The report also claimed weapons currently being produced at DDI factories include heavy machine guns "originally developed and manufactured" by Chartered Industries of Singapore, a company established in 1967 to manufacture ammunitions and later acquired by ST Kinetics.

"Although there is only sparse public information citing business activities between ST Kinetics and the DDI, a source has suggested that ST Kinetics still sells unspecified equipment to Myanmar through a dealer in Thailand," the SAC-M report stated.

The MFA, however, pointed out that Singapore submits reports on international arms transfers to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA). These submissions are publicly available and show that Myanmar has not received such transfers from Singapore, it said.

It added that Singapore has a "robust" export control regime, with control lists updated regularly to align with international commitments and obligations as well as relevant non-proliferation regimes.

"We will not hesitate to take action against those who contravene our laws," the Channel New Asia report quoted the MFA as saying.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held urgent talks with the Scotland Yard chief Mark Rowley in the wake of a high-profile rape scandal involving a serving police officer and backed growing calls for urgent police reforms.

Sunak said he had "constructive" talks with Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and made clear to him that the abuse of power that we've seen this week is absolutely despicable and it needs to be addressed immediately". He said checks had been "significantly strengthened" in recent years and that his government was ensuring every force now has "best in class" vetting which will be "independently inspected very quickly".

All police forces across the country have been told to check all of their serving officers and staff against national police databases to identify and root out anybody who shouldn't be serving, said Sunak after his meeting with Rowley on Wednesday evening.

His intervention follows an outcry over a Met Police officer for more than 20 years, David Carrick, being found to be one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders after he recently admitted dozens of rapes and sexual offences in attacks on 12 women.

The UK Home Office issued new guidelines to root out what it terms as misogyny and predatory behaviour from the ranks of the country's police force.

David Carrick's sickening crimes are a stain on the police and he should never have been allowed to remain as an officer for so long, said UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

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We are taking immediate steps to ensure predatory individuals are not only rooted out of the force but that vetting and standards are strengthened to ensure they cannot join the police in the first place. Every day thousands of decent, hardworking police officers perform their duties with the utmost professionalism and I am sure they all share my disgust at his despicable betrayal of everything they stand for, she said.

The UK's National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has confirmed that it will ask all police forces to check their officers and staff against national police databases.

This will help identify anyone who has slipped through the net before vetting standards were toughened and ensure those who are unfit to serve can be rooted out, the Home Office said.

Braverman has asked the College of Policing to strengthen the statutory code of practice for police vetting, making the obligations all forces must legally follow "stricter and clearer". This will make a raft of guidance a legal requirement for all police forces.

She has also launched an internal review into police dismissals to make sure the system is effective at removing officers who fall short of the standards expected of them.

The Met Police, the UK's largest police force, has since apologised for allowing Carrick to continue working despite nine serious allegations against him over the years, including rape and domestic violence.

The force has been under intense scrutiny in recent months due to crimes, many of them targeted at women, by some of its officers.
The UN has said it aims to increase convoys carrying aid to parts of Ukraine "close to the frontlines," supporting local volunteers and organisations.

The UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said in a statement on Wednesday that a seven-truck convoy had reached Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, just five kilometre from the Russian border.

"This community has been heavily impacted by months of hostilities and the 4,500 people who remain there depend on humanitarian aid to meet their needs," the statement added.

The convoy supplied hygiene kits, blankets, solar lamps, sleeping bags and emergency shelter kits to more than 1,000 families, provided by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration and the UN Children's Fund.

Among the participants in the convoy was the World Food Programme, which conducted a rapid assessment of markets, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative signed last July along with a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at suppling markets with food and fertiliser amid global shortages and rising prices exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis, has now allowed 17.8 million ton to reach millions in need worldwide.

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The critical food supplies, mostly from farms in Ukraine, have reached 43 countries since August, more than 40 per cent of them low and middle-income nations, the initiative's Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) said in a note to correspondents on Wednesday.

In December, exports through Ukraine's Black Sea ports rose to 3.7 million metric ton, up from 2.6 million in November, and over the last two weeks, nearly 1.2 million metric ton have left port.

Nearly 44 per cent of the wheat exported has been shipped to low and lower-middle income countries, the JCC reported.

In support of its humanitarian operations in hunger-stricken countries, the World Food Programme purchased 8 per cent of wheat exported last year.

The JCC team, which includes officials from the UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, has enabled more than 1,300 voyages so far.

To reduce the backlog and improve operational efficiency within the JCC, the UN encourages all parties to remove obstacles.

Additionally, the initiative calls for the facilitation of safe navigation for fertiliser exports, including ammonia.

--IANS

int/khz/
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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has been considering measures to cool domestic wheat prices, which jumped to a record high this week as supplies dwindled, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Thursday.

The world's second-biggest producer of the grain banned wheat exports in May, but that has failed to stop domestic prices from rising.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; editing by Jason Neely)
The Hinduja Group company on Thursday (19 January 2023) announced that it will supply 500 buses to Sri Lankan Transport Board (SLTB).

Sri Lanka Transport Board is the state owned single largest bus transport provider with 110 depots throughout the Sri Lankan island, and operates buses in city routes, hilly & rural routes and also long distance inter-city routes. These buses will help combat the heavily crowded public transport in the island nation, supporting mobility and accessibility in Sri Lanka.

As a part of the order, the company recently delivered 75 buses to the nation on its Independence Day. The order is a part of a line of credit extended by Export Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of Indian Government, the company stated in the press release.

Amandeep Singh, president - international operations of Ashok Leyland, said, More than 5,000 Ashok Leyland buses are currently in operation with SLTB and these new 32 seater buses are expected to be put into operation in rural routes throughout the island. Ashok Leyland buses and trucks are also manufactured in Sri Lanka, and the brand "Lanka Ashok Leyland" is well known among Sri Lankans for their daily transportation requirements. Ashok Leyland is proud of its long-standing partnership with the Sri Lankan government.

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja group, is among the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India and also among the biggest manufacturers of buses and trucks globally.

The company reported a net profit of Rs 199 crore in Q2 FY23 as against a net loss of Rs 83 crore in Q2 FY22. The revenues for the quarter stood at Rs 8,266 crore as against Rs 4,458 crore in Q2 FY22.

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Shares of Ashok Leyland fell 0.78% to Rs 146.20 on the BSE.

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The domestic equity barometers continued to trade with limited losses in early afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 18,100 level. Consumer durable stocks witnessed significant selling pressure. Trading is expected to be volatile due to expiry of weekly index options on the NSE.

At 12:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 87.98 points or 0.14% to 60,957.76. The Nifty 50 index lost 36.50 points or 0.2% to 18,128.85.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.09% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.02%.

The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1,573 shares rose, and 1,767 shares fell. A total of 152 shares were unchanged.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, declined 0.83% to 14.25. The Nifty 25 January 2022 futures were trading at 18,203.25, at a premium of 31.6 points as compared with the spot at 18,171.65.

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The Nifty option chain for the 25 January 2022 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 41.4 lakh contracts at the 18,200 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 62.8 lakh contracts were seen at 18,000 strike price.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Consumer Durables index lost 0.59% to 24,623.75. The index had advanced 0.47% to end at 24,770.75 yesterday.

Rajesh Exports (down 1.69%), Voltas (down 1.51%), Relaxo Footwears (down 1.38%), Kajaria Ceramics (down 1.2%) and Titan Company (down 1.08%) were the top losers.

Among the other losers were Blue Star (down 0.77%), Havells India (down 0.63%), TTK Prestige (down 0.2%) and Bata India (down 0.08%).

On the other hand, V-Guard Industries (up 1.51%), Orient Electric (up 1.11%) and Amber Enterprises India (up 0.64%) turned up.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Oracle Financial Services Software shed 0.61%. The company has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 437.33 crore in Q3 FY23, which is higher by 10% as compared with PAT of Rs 397.75 crore recorded in Q2 FY23. Revenue rose by 5% QoQ to Rs 1,449.30 crore during the period under review. As compared with Q3 FY22, the company's net profit and revenue are higher by 0.4% and 14%, respectively.

Ashok Leyland lost 0.64%. The Hinduja Group company on Thursday (19 January 2023) announced that it will supply 500 buses to Sri Lankan Transport Board (SLTB).

Maruti Suzuki India slipped 0.12%. The company said that it has commenced exports of its premium SUV Grand Vitara to Latin America from the Kamarajar port recently. The company aims to export Grand Vitara to more than 60 countries across Latin America, Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and neighboring regions.

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IndusInd Bank: The private lender's standalone net profit surged 68.71% to Rs 1,959.20 crore on 19.96% rise in total income to Rs 11,533.74 crore in Q3 FY23 over Q3 FY22. IndusInd Bank's consolidated net profit stood at Rs 1,963.64 crore in quarter ended 31 December 2022 as compared to Rs 1,241.55 core posted in Q3 FY22, registering a growth of 58.16%.

State Bank of India (SBI): SBI has raised Rs. 9718 crore through its second infrastructure bond issuance on Wednesday at coupon rate of 7.70%. The proceeds of bonds will be utilized in enhancing long term resources for funding infrastructure and affordable housing segment. The tenor of these bonds is 15 years.

Wipro: The IT major announced the opening of its newest Wipro-AWS Launch Pad Center in Toronto, Canada. Joining a global network of Wipro-AWS Launch Pad Centers, this new one will enable customers in Canada to accelerate their move to the cloud and build industry leading solutions leveraging Wipro and AWS expertise.

Persistent Systems: The company reported 8.2% rise in consolidated net profit after reversal of export incentive to Rs 237.95 crore on a 5.9% increase in revenues to Rs 2169.36 crore in Q3 FY23 over Q2 FY23.

Adani Enterprises: The board of directors of the company approved the floor price of the offer to be Rs 3,112 per FPO equity share and the cap price of the offer to be Rs 3,276 per FPO equity share for all categories of investors.

Vedanta: Vedanta has been declared successful bidder post submission of bid for Meenakshi Energy Limited under Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under IBC. The board of directors of Vedanta has approved the acquisition of Meenakshi Energy.

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Aurobindo Pharma: The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) inspected the company's wholly owned subsidiary, APL Health Care Limited's Unit I & III, facility located at Jadcherla, Telangana, from 9 January to 18 January 2023. At the end of the inspection, it has issued a 'Form 483' with 2 observations.

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RateGain Travel Technologies through its latest PULSE report powered by Adara shared that India is amongst the top 3 inbound destinations in APAC with Y-o-Y rise of 21% in Bookings for all bookings from 15 January to 15 February.

Analysing Adara's travel-intent data, one of the world's largest travel data platforms, the report highlights that for the first time Business travel grew faster than Leisure travel with a YoY growth of 18%. This could be attributed to the heightened economic activity in the region, especially in India.

During this period India lags behind Asia's favorite destinations Indonesia and Japan which are witnessing close to a 30 to 50% increase as destinations compared to last year.

The report also highlights the reversal of longer trips which became the norm during the pandemic and suggests that trips of less than 5 days will be more common (comprise 81% of 2023 trips compared to 75% of 2022 trips). With the resumption of business travel in the region, shorter trips will gain more prominence.

India and Asia Pacific opened their borders to international travelers after a long hiatus of two years in the summer of 2022 and have seen steady growth in airline and hotel prices as well as occupancy across the region. However, the extra boost in the first month of 2023 is due to the reopening of China after three years of restrictions. While there is no significant impact yet on any market, however, it is expected that destinations in West and South East Asia that depend on China will see good momentum closer to the summer of 2023.

Adara's travel-intent data platform and solutions powered by over 270+ brands with over 24 billion data elements and 1.5 billion digital identities is used by leading airlines, hotel chains, tourism organizations, OTAs as well as luxury retailers to better segment their audiences and drive higher ROI on their marketing spends.

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Vedanta Ltd is quoting at Rs 327.85, up 1.14% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 0.21% in last one year as compared to a 1.99% spurt in NIFTY and a 17.65% spurt in the Nifty Media index.

Vedanta Ltd gained for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 327.85, up 1.14% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.3% on the day, quoting at 18110.4. The Sensex is at 60890.24, down 0.25%. Vedanta Ltd has risen around 5.05% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Media index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 1.63% in last one month and is currently quoting at 6905.8, down 0.66% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 77.04 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 83.41 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark January futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 328.5, up 0.98% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is up 0.21% in last one year as compared to a 1.99% spurt in NIFTY and a 17.65% spurt in the Nifty Media index.

The PE of the stock is 6.67 based on TTM earnings ending September 22.

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Congress leader and former MLA Ashish Deshmukh has demanded the removal of MPCC president Nana Patole and written a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in this regard, saying the party's condition in Maharashtra was "alarming".

Deshmukh, a member the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC)'s Parliamentary Board, has blamed Patole for the rebellion by party's youth leader Satyajit Tambe, who has filed his nomination as an independent from the Nashik division graduates' constituency for the January 30 biennial elections to the Legislature Council.

In the letter to Kharge written on Tuesday, the former MLA said the Congress' condition in Maharashtra was "alarming" and there was a need to change the state unit president.

"The Congress is expecting progress under your (Kharge) leadership. Once upon a time the Congress was a major party in the country. Actually, the Congress is not just a political party but an idea, a movement. No other party has a tradition like Congress," said Deshmukh.

The former legislator lamented the country's oldest political party is struggling to survive now.

"A situation has arisen in the last few years where this major political party is struggling to survive today. Like other states, our Congress party has fallen behind in Maharashtra too. It is a fact that our party is not working positively in Maharashtra," he said.

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Deshmukh said under the leadership of Patole, who was appointed MPCC president in February 2021, the party's position in the state has actually weakened.

Vidarbha was known as a Congress stronghold, but the party's grip over the region in eastern Maharashtra has now weakened due to the poor working style of Patole, said the former party MLA.

Patole, a sitting MLA and former Assembly speaker, hails from Vidarbha.

In the letter, Deshmukh referred to Tambe's rebellion and stated it has brought disgrace to the Congress for which Patole is responsible.

"Since he became the state president, the Congress is going downhill in Maharashtra. He had asserted after assuming the responsibility of the state unit president in February 2021 that he will work to make the Congress the No. 1 party in Maharashtra. However, ever since he became the state president, the Congress has been suffering," he said in the missive.

Deshmukh cited various other examples and said there was an urgent need to change the MPCC president to improve the position of the Congress in Maharashtra, where the party is a constituent of the Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

"The state president should be the one who will go around the villages of Maharashtra and raise the issues of people and solve them and strengthen the position of the Congress. I humbly request you to take this letter seriously for the bright future of the Congress," he said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will on Thursday hold a high-level meeting of officers to evaluate the law and order situation in the state.

According to sources, the meeting will deliberate on the feedback received from all districts on the law and order situation.

Chief Minister Stalin has called the meeting following inputs from central agencies regarding the presence of some Islamic groups and the possibility of some surprise attacks by them.

The October 23, Diwali eve car blast in Ukkadam, Coimbatore, in which a youth was charred to death and the subsequent investigation into the same has given the central agencies certain information regarding some Islamic groups getting active in the state.

After the death of the 29-year-old Jameesha Mubin in the blast, the NIA has arrested several people which include Mohammed Talha, nephew of the 1998 Coimbatore serial blast mastermind and founder of Al-Umma, S.A. Basha.

The state police have also given inputs on the presence of certain elements professing extreme Tamil nationalism and this includes the regrouping of the erstwhile LTTE. The arrest of Satkunam alias Sabesan, the former top intelligence operative of the LTTE for smuggling drugs and weapons had given inputs to the state police intelligence on extreme Tamil nationalism resurfacing in Tamil Nadu.

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Chaired by the chief minister, the high-level meeting will be held at the secretariat in which Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu and DGP, C.Sylendra Babu, and other senior officials will participate.

Extensive discussions on local mafia gangs, financiers, caste-related violence in South Tamil Nadu, and other issues which has been creating a headache for maintaining the law and order situation of the forms the agenda of the meeting.

--IANS

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Drugmakers, govt units at full throttle to meet demand

09:23, January 19, 2023 By LIU ZHIHUA ( China Daily

An employee supervises packaging at a drug firm's production unit in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Jan 12, 2023. [Photo by ZHANG WENKUI/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Integrated efforts seen boosting output and supply of key COVID medicines

With the nation constantly optimizing COVID-19 prevention measures, drugmakers in China are ramping up production and distribution to help in the recovery from COVID impacts as quickly as possible to answer the government's call to ensure anti-epidemic medical supplies amid soaring demand.

Experts and business leaders said such efforts have played a key role in maintaining steady socioeconomic development and demonstrate China's unparalleled capabilities in manufacturing, which is characterized by its huge scale, completeness and high efficiency of related industrial and supply chains.

Since the optimization of COVID-19 measures in China, soaring demand for medicines treating related symptoms like fevers and coughing has prompted more than 200 relevant subsidiary pharmaceutical companies of China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, or Sinopharm, to operate in full swing to triple the capacity of making key medicines.

In less than a month, they produced more than 228 million packs of various anti-coronavirus drugs, including 19.03 million packs of fever, cough and antibiotic medicines like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and cefixime.

Wang Jiangping, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said in late December that the domestic daily production capacity and production volume of ibuprofen and paracetamol rose to 202 million tablets and 190 million tablets, respectively.

The daily production capacity and production volume of the two drugs were four times higher compared with levels seen in early December, Wang said.

"China has a complete industrial chain and a large-scale pharmaceutical industry. It is not a question of whether China can produce drugs like ibuprofen but if it can produce them in a highly efficient manner even when facing production disruptions and the demand surge due to the epidemic," said Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

"As long as the parties concerned are well coordinated, China's industrial and supply chain advantages will be unleashed to raise production efficiency and better meet market demand," he said.

Alan Chen, general manager of Beaufour-Ipsen (Tianjin) Pharmaceutical Co, said thanks to the help and coordination from local governments, the company can maintain high-level capacity to meet soaring demand for its flagship anti-diarrheal medicine during the latest COVID-related buying spree.

The company has adjusted production lines to optimize efficiency and employees work in three shifts to ensure around-the-clock production. Its current output of anti-diarrheal medicine has risen to around 10,000 packs a day, up from 7,000 packs per day in the past.

"The recent demand spike was a surprise. We usually keep an additional stockpile of about one to two months' sales volume for emergency use and that stockpile ran out in just two weeks," Chen said.

"Thanks to joint efforts from everyone, we have managed to meet demand while avoiding pushing our employees to exhaustion," he added.

He also spoke highly of China's efficient pharmaceutical retail and distribution channels.

"In China, there are hundreds of thousands of pharmacies selling our products, which helps to ensure stable supplies of our medicines to patients," he said.

Sinopharm said it distributed 274 million packs of fever, cough, antiviral and antibiotic medicines nationwide in December, leveraging on its 614 medical logistics hubs across the country.

The company also produced 59.46 million packs of Chinese patented medicine for COVID-19 treatment, 42.58 million packs of Chinese patented preventatives, 90 million packs of Chinese medicine in granule form for COVID-19 prevention, and 17.50 million bags of prepared traditional Chinese medicine tablets in December.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Turkey told Sweden that its NATO bid could only be completed if the terms of the agreement were complied with. It was stressed that the Nordic nation seems not keen on the agreement signed by both countries.

Sweden's NATO Bid Might Not Be Achieved

Last Sunday, President Tayyip Erdogan clarified that extraditing terrorists harbored in Stockholm is expected, or no entry to the military block. Ankara won't accept EU states allowing enemies that threaten it, according to ANews.

He added in Mugla in the country's southwest that a total of 130 terrorists should be handed over to allow the Turkish legislature to ratify their bid. But they are not doing this. Mentioning a joint press conference done in November with the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the Turkish leader told the Swedish PM to surrender the fugitive terrorist FETO suspect Bulent Kenes, cites Anadolu Agency.

But the Swedish court instead stopped the deportation of the FETO suspect. Kenes was the former editor-in-chief of Today's Zaman daily and a FETO member residing in the Nordic country.

The terrorist group tried a coup to overthrow the government with the US-based leader, Fetullah Gulen. As a result, 251 people were killed, with 2,734 hurt in the uprising, per a report from Middle East Monitor.

One more observation by the Turkish leader is the terror group PKK has been visible in Stockholm. It is a point of contention that no attempt to stop the PKK/PYD demonstrations has been made.

It should be noted that Erdogan stated that Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop had postponed a visit of Andreas Norlen because of this, as a reaction to the action of the PKK, tolerated by the Swedish government.

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Later it provoked a reaction to what the Nordic nation was doing that was only causing more tension. He said that their stand should be concrete against these terror groups.

Turkey Threatened by Presence of Terrorists in Sweden

Erdogan commented these terror groups were evident; these military bloc hopefuls are seen in other European countries. They are Germany, France, and the UK though the PKK is in the European Union and has listed them as terror suspects. Ankara will decide to consider how to define its status.

A terror campaign directed against Ankara that has lasted for 35 years; was conducted by the PKK, the US, EU that has caused the deaths of 40,000 people. It includes women, children, and infants; also, the YPG-PYD is a part of its Syrian part.

In the June memorandum with the Erdogan government, Stockholm and Helsinki agreed to do something about these terrorists or not become a member of the military coalition. Due according to them caused by threats faced in the Ukraine conflict.

One condition to complete their bid to join is to get all members to say yes, but Erdogan and Hungary backing it up are making it hard for the leadership of the military bloc to admit them. Some steps that were taken were noted, but it was not enough, remarked the Turkish leader. Sweden wants to join NATO, but Turkey stands in the way as long as its demands are not met.

Related Article: Sweden's NATO Bid Uncertain

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A cosplayer-model is a suspect in stabbing her fiance to death but said it was self-defense as claimed. Police alleged that she was screaming at him before knifing her partner day.

Cosplayer-Model Stabs Fiance Dead

The accused is an ex-female cosplayer-model, Melissa Turner, 29, based on a recent confession about the slaying of Matthew Trussler, 25. His body was found in a shared residence way back in 2019, according to Meaww.

Sources mentioned the two went shopping on October 17, 2019, and later had lunch in their Tampa, Florida home. A few hours later, Turner reported that he was dead in their residence.

Turner stated calling the police after the victim was found not responding the next day, telling the 911 operator that he was cold and had no life signs. Details of the report say that on the 19th, she saw the victim lying in his blood with apparent knife wounds as the cause of death, but the suspect spoke to police and had no idea how the man died.

It all changed when the detectives got video from a neighbor's CCTV camera that was, by coincidence, pointed at the couple's residence.Knowing the video that captured the altercation, the police asked Turner about it. She denied anything about the loud argument to the police and forgot it as an excuse, but didn't deny it later.

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Speaking on the matter, then sheriff's detective Ryan LaGasse remembered that the camera audio captured loud screaming and voice. One comment by the ex-detective is hearing a female voice screaming to die with expletives.

Stabbing Suspect Admits Crime During Trial

When asked about details of how it led to the unfortunate death, she gave her version of the events, justifying the action because of fear that he would kill her.

Trussler narrated that he had woken her up, and they argued over something, alleging that the victim was still drinking at 4 am in the early morning, reports WFLA News.

She added that the argument became a physical struggle as the man tried to strangle her, which led her to get a knife and stab him in alleged self-defense, per The Sun.

While interrogation by the investigators, who had noticed a large cut on her hand, it said Turner was caused by a broken glass earlier in the morning. One scene from the video that captured the argument on those nights had implication footage. The suspect was arrested on October 19, 2019, and booked for second-degree murder using a weapon.

The trial was followed on February 2022 but still kept self-defense as the reason. She maintained her claim that she was trying to stop him and loved him too. She called the CCTV cam of her neighbor as manipulated, as another audio expert said the audio got enhanced.

In the case, Chinwe Fosser, one of the prosecutors, said Trussler was walking with no weapon in the video, but Turner looked very angry walking behind him. A theory of how the cut on Turner's had been sustained when stabbing Trussler, opposed to what she told the police.

The lawyer John Travena doubted his client screeched and said the victim was mumbling. But prosecutors panned the defense claims immediately.

Related Article: Kelsey Turner: Ex-Playboy Model Killed California Psychiatrist

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The Church of England, which is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion, upholds its ban on same-sex marriage and is set to issue an apology to the LGBTQ+ community over the decision.

The announcement was made on Wednesday and the church noted that it will allow blessings for same-sex, civil marriages for the first time in history. However, it argued that same-sex couples will still be barred from being allowed to marry inside its churches.

Church of England's Stance on Same-Sex Marriage

The church's decision follows five years of debate and consultation on the church's position on sexuality. It is also expected to be outlined in a report to the church's national assembly, the General Synod, which is scheduled to meet next month in London.

The Church of England's stance that the sacrament of matrimony is restricted to unions between one man and one woman, under the proposals, will not change. But it would allow same-sex couples to have a church service with prayers of dedication, thanksgiving, or for God's blessing after they have a civil wedding or register a civil partnership, as per ABC News.

Since 2013, same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales but the church still has not changed its teachings in parallel with the law. In a statement, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, acknowledged that the proposals "will appear to go too far for some and not nearly far enough for others."

He added that the church's response reflects the diversity of views in the Church of England on questions regarding sexuality, relationships, and marriage. Welby said that he rejoiced in that diversity and welcomed that way of reflecting it in the life of the church.

The religious leader said that he was hoping the decision can offer a way for the Church of England to publicly and unequivocally tell all of its Christians and especially the LGBTQ+ community that they are welcome and are considered a valued and precious part of the body of Christ.

Read Also: Microsoft Lays Off Thousands of Employees

Apology to the LGBTQ+ Community

The newest proposals were developed by the church's bishops, who form one of three parts of its governing body. The announcement comes as the Church of England is viewed as central to the wider Anglican communion, which represents more than 85 million people in more than 165 countries, according to Reuters.

A statement also noted that bishops of the church will issue an apology to the LGBTQ+ community later this week for the "rejection, exclusion, and hostility" that they have faced in churches.

The decision was made after several months of multiple bishops in England's established church publicly urging the religious institution to begin conducting same-sex weddings. These include ranking Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft.

A gay Anglican priest, Charlie Bell, said in an interview that he was extremely disappointed that same-sex marriage would still be prevented from being put on a vote during the general synod. He predicted that the proposals from the bishops will not end the battles and struggles within the Church of England over the issue, said Fox News.

Related Article: UN Chief's Says World is in 'Sorry State'

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A former Republican candidate for state office, identified as Solomon Pena, has been arrested in connection to shootings at the homes of New Mexico Democrats for allegedly hiring gunmen.

Demonstrators are set to take to the streets on Thursday to protest radical pension reforms that seek to raise the retirement age. Eight of France's largest unions, which cover transportation, education, police, executives, and public sectors, said that the day would be the "first day of strikes and protests" against the proposed pension reform.

French Unions Strike

Authorities are expecting widespread strikes that will make the day a "hellish Thursday" on public transport networks, said Transport Minister Clement Beaune. The official added that he predicts "very disrupted" service on the city's transport network following the strike.

France's civil aviation authority said that one in five flights in and out of Paris' Orly airport will be canceled on Thursday due to striking air traffic control workers. The authority added that this did not include the possibility of further delays and cancellations to the remaining flights, as per CNN.

The main union for the education sector, Snuipp-FSU, said that roughly 70% of primary school teachers were also set to strike across the country. This has caused one in three primary schools in Paris to temporarily close. On the other hand, the Snes-FSU Union noted that roughly 50% of secondary school teachers in France will also join the strike.

In a statement on Wednesday, France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that more than 10,000 police and gendarmerie officers will be ordered across France on Thursday to face the protests. Out of all of these law enforcement personnel, about 3,500 will be deployed in Paris.

The French government has defended the planned pension reforms as a book-balancing and progressive policy change that will see the pensions deficit brought to a more manageable level in 2030.

Read Also: UN Chief Says World is in 'Sorry State'

Planned Pension Reforms

Now, the hardline CGT union has threatened to cut off electricity supplies to lawmakers and billionaires ahead of the planned strike on Thursday. This is the latest development in an increasingly acrimonious showdown between the government and the country's unions, according to Reuters.

The proposed bill was announced last week and seeks to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, a move that, as shown in polls, is opposed by a vast majority of workers who are already facing a cost-of-living crisis.

The planned strike on Thursday is viewed as a test of whether or not unions, who have struggled to convince people to join strikes, can transform their anger into mass social protest. The leader of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, suggested that lawmakers should go see the nice properties of billionaires.

Sebastien Menesplier of the CGT's energy and mine branch has also threatened in recent days to cut electricity among the offices of MPs. In response, government spokesperson Olivier Veran said that the provocations were "unacceptable."

A senior research fellow at the Center for Political Research at SciencesPo in Paris, Luc Rouban, said that retirement is considered sacred. He added that for many people, retirement was like reaching paradise, said the New York Times.

Related Article: Microsoft to Lay Off Thousands of Employees

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European Parliament AA Images

European Parliament approves resolution urging EU to push for special court to try Russia, its allies

ISTANBUL (AA)  The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday called on EU member states to back the creation of a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Lawmakers passed a resolution in a 472-19 vote with 33 abstentions.

It calls for the EU to work in close cooperation with Ukraine and the international community to push for the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute Russias political and military leadership and its allies, according to an EP statement.

The legislature stressed that the special court must have jurisdiction to investigate President Vladimir Putin and Russias political and military leadership, as well as his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

While the exact details of the special tribunal remain to be determined, the EU should immediately begin preparatory work and focus on building the arrangements for the court in cooperation with Ukraine.

Parliament strongly believes that the establishment of a special tribunal would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine, the statement said.

Burc Eruygur/AA
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed the "Prescribe Freedom" measure that seeks to ban all COVID-19 mandates in his state, including mask requirements in schools and vaccine passports.

The measure requests the GOP-controlled state legislature to make Florida's bans on COVID-19 mandates permanent. This includes mask and vaccine requirements in schools and the government and prohibitions to keep private employers from enacting mask mandates or hiring and firing based on vaccination status.

Ban on All COVID-19 Mandates

DeSantis signed the bans currently in place last year during a special session of the state legislature. The Florida governor's move to solidify the bans comes ahead of an expiration date set for June.

The latest proposal argues that making the bans permanent will protect Florida residents' "right to disagree with the preferred narrative of the medical community" and gives more room for more religious views.

In a release, the Florida governor said that when the world lost its mind, his state was a "refuge of sanity" that strongly served as "freedom's linchpin." DeSantis argued that the measures would ensure that the state remains in this manner and will provide protections for free speech for medical practitioners, as per The Hill.

DeSantis has transformed himself into a strong opponent of federal policies and pandemic restrictions since the beginning of the health crisis. Last month, he called for a grand jury investigation to look into what he called "crimes and wrongdoing" related to COVID-19 vaccines in Florida.

He also set up the state's own Public Health Integrity Committee because he did not trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, several health experts quickly denounced DeSantis' move.

The situation also comes as the Florida governor is seen as a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential elections. DeSantis is seen as trying to assert himself as someone who can stand toe-to-toe against former United States President Donald Trump.

Read Also: Tax Refund 2023: How To Avoid Surprise Tax Bill

Punishments For Non-Compliance

On Tuesday, the Florida governor said that the federal government was wrong about lockdowns, mask mandates, and school closures. He also accused authorities of being mistaken regarding the mRNA shots, which have effectively prevented severe disease. DeSantis also said that officials were wrong about vaccine passports and vaccine mandates, according to CNN.

DeSantis also urged other lawmakers to support a ban on vaccine mandates in general and place punitive penalties on businesses that do not comply. He also threatened to pull state protections against COVID-19-related businesses to any establishment that continued to follow President Joe Biden's mandates.

While the Florida legislature is not expected to go that far, the new proposal that could end up on DeSantis' desk argued that businesses could require vaccination as a condition of employment. However, this would only be allowed if workers opt out through a medical or religious exemption, proof of natural immunity, or by submitting to regular testing for COVID-19.

DeSantis announced the proposal during a press conference held in Panama City. He noted that they believed there was no going back from their course of action. The Florida governor said they need to lead by making the protections permanent in state statute, told Politico.

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A health worker prepares a dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Dakar, Senegal on February 23, 2021 REUTERS

Initiative aims to combat kind of inequity seen during COVID-19 response, says Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) on Thursday announced it will invest up to $50 million over a period of 10 years to help the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IDP) in Senegal to manufacture vaccines for the Global South.

This partnership will advance equitable access to vaccines in Africa and contribute to the African Unions goal of increasing African manufacturers share of vaccine supply to the continent to 60% by 2040, read a CEPI statement.

With headquarters in Norway, CEPI is a global initiative launched in Davos in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics.

The partnership with IPD aims to combat the kind of inequity that characterized the response to COVID-19, the statement said.

IPD will initially receive up to $15 million over three years, with the option to extend the partnerships scope and funding to a total of up to $50 million over 10 years.

The first phase of the partnership will support the development and sustainability of IPDs manufacturing facilities for routine and outbreak vaccinations  and prepare them to begin supplying vaccines to Global South countries within 100 days of a new pathogen being identified, the statement said.

IPD head Amadou Alpha Sall said the aim is to ensure regional outbreaks are not neglected.

The commitment to collaborate for 10 years through this agreement will provide a dedicated and autonomous capacity for future outbreaks, pandemics, and essential immunization programs, he said.

Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reiterated that the continent cannot effectively control disease outbreaks without reliable access to health products including vaccines.

Local production of the vaccines ensures that the continent can quickly respond to any disease threat using local capacity, he said.

Africa must produce its own health products as a matter of continental security, he added.

James Tasamba/AA
China in Africa AA Images

China, US competition in Africa may prove to be key flashpoint to watch in 2023 and beyond

- The author is a researcher and journalist focusing on conflict and geopolitics in the Middle East and North Africa, primarily related to the Gulf region.

ISTANBUL (AA) - In three questions, Jonathan Fenton-Harvey evaluates the visits of China's new foreign minister to Africa and the rivalry between China and the US in the region for Anadolu Agency's Analysis Department.

1. What does Foreign Minister Qin Gang's visit indicate about China's current priorities in Africa?

In his first visit to Africa, Qin sought to reassure Beijing's African partners that it values its relations with the continent, as China hopes to consolidate its clout in Africa. The former Chinese ambassador to the US  who was frequently treated coldly amid Washington and Beijing tensions, ended his week-long visit on Jan. 16, after touring Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt, and met the head of the African Union.

For the last 32 years, China has consistently sent its foreign minister to visit Africa, a continent where it has established tremendous economic clout so far in the 21st century. It shows how much China has put Africa at the forefront of its global foreign policy agenda, particularly per Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative of expanding economic supremacy in Africa and Asia.

Qin's visits to specific states demonstrate China's desires to secure clout over tensions between Beijing and the West, and suggestions of a new Cold War.

Qin wanted to reassure Africa that it supported its independent economic growth. He wanted to dispel common perceptions about Chinese foreign policy in Africa that it is imposing a "debt trap" and "palace diplomacy" on the continent  ideas often cited by the US commentators or policymakers, which aim to frame Chinese investment on the continent as predatory and simply secure the support of African governments rather than helping people.

Thus, the visit of such a reputable figure globally helps to secure China's growing clout in Africa while aiming to boost Beijings soft power on the continent alongside its substantial financial influence.

2. How has China's influence predominated US impact in Africa?

Along with the Belt and Road Initiative, the implementation of Beijing's Go Global initiative in 2000 has placed Africa as a key target within Chinas foreign policy objectives. While Chinese investment in Africa peaked in 2013, it continued to gradually overtake the US in terms of clout on the continent. Today, Beijing is the largest developer of infrastructure in Africa, including roads, bridges, railways, power stations, and government buildings.

It is true that the US once led in terms of aid and development on the continent, but arguably many African governments have seen China's investment as more attractive. While the US has spoken of human rights and political reforms as a precondition for aid in Africa, China has alternatively presented a no-strings-attached policy for its aid.

And as the world's second-largest economy, with clearly global ambitions, Chinas financial prowess and policy of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs position it well to provide an alternative to the US pressure for states to implement democracy in return for more restrictive development aid.

Of course, China does have some interest in stability. After all, hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers operate globally in Beijing's overseas infrastructure projects, meaning political stability is a prerequisite for China to ensure it can gain infrastructure. And its communication with Ethiopia throughout the war in the southern Tigray province means China would still support stability in that country.

So, while states can still choose both the US and China, Beijing's targeted investment in Africa along with its courting of governments has been a huge factor in it overtaking Washington's financial influence.

3. How would the US react to China's expansion in Africa?

Although China has presented its agenda in Africa as primarily focused on development, the US has certainly felt threatened by Beijings presence. Along with the fact that China had outmaneuvered the US there, the prospect of Chinas military footprint in Africa has also triggered alarm bells within the US.

Currently, China does not have an overt emplacement of troops on the continent compared to that of the US and France. Instead, China's growing military presence is the culmination of more than two decades' worth of investment on the continent.

Last year, the US intelligence suggested [1] China may be pursuing a naval base in West Africa, namely in Equatorial Guinea, wherein it could project a military presence off the Atlantic Coast. China may also be considering other military bases on the continent. Possible candidates for this may be Kenya, the Seychelles or Tanzania.

US officials have therefore tried to steer African countries away from China's grasp by offering new aid. The extent to which this can steer African states away from Beijing is unclear, but it is important to note that China's per annum development loans dropped below US development aid after 2018. So, we could expect to see a tug-of-war between Washington and Beijing over the continent. Tensions between France and China may also increase in West Africa, as Paris considers this region as part of its traditional sphere of influence.

The US may have to accept it can no longer solely call the shots in Africa. Of course, other issues like the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific are strategic priorities for the US, while Taiwan is a pressing issue. Yet Chinese and American competition in Africa may prove to be a key flashpoint to watch in 2023 and beyond.

[1] https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2969935/general-says-china-is-seeking-a-naval-base-in-west-africa/

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu.

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey
John Kirby AP Photo

How dare he compare anything to the Holocaust, anything, let alone the war that they started,' says White House

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House sharply rejected "ludicrous" accusations Wednesday from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the approach by the West to Russias war against Ukraine is akin to the Holocaust.

"How dare he compare anything to the Holocaust, anything, let alone the war that they started," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a virtual news conference.

"Ukraine posed no threat to Russia. None whatsoever. Ukraine posed no threat militarily to anybody. And Mr. Putin whipped up this false narrative of an existential threat to his country and started throwing around ridiculous words about Neo-Nazism, Nazis in Ukraine, and then launched this unprovoked invasion almost a year ago today," added Kirby.

He was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The sharp refutation comes after the Kremlin's top diplomat said efforts by the West to aid Ukraine against Moscow's forces are equivalent to Hitler's "final solution," which sought to violently eradicate Europe's Jewish population.

Sergey Lavrov (c) Archives

The West, Lavrov claimed, is "waging war against our country with the same task: the 'final solution' of the Russian question."

Russia's leadership "has tried to couch this as Mother Russia being under threat. False," said Kirby.

"You heard some of that ridiculous, ludicrous claim from Lavrov today that this is somehow the West lining up, you know, and threatening Russia's right to exist," he said. "It's almost so absurd that it's not worth responding to other than the truly offensive manner in which he tried to cast this in terms of Hitler and the Holocaust."

Michael Hernandez/AA
On Wednesday, a helicopter transporting the interior ministry's top executives crashed close to a school and a housing complex in the Kyiv region, killing at least 14 people, including all nine individuals on board, according to officials.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 11 children were among the additional 25 injured after the incident in Brovary on Wednesday.

Ukraine Helicopter Crash

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said all nine people aboard the helicopter-six ministry officials and three crew members-were found dead at the crash scene, making a total of 14 bodies.

Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin, and State Secretary Yuriy Lubkovychis were all declared deceased by the Ukrainian National Police. As per CNN, there has been no mention of Russian participation by any Ukrainian officials, and the crash's official reason has yet to be disclosed.

The accident shocked the nation at a crucial juncture in the war. Ukraine has been pleading with Western partners for more weapons as Russian attacks target its vital infrastructure and civilian populations indiscriminately. James Waterhouse, a correspondent for the BBC in Ukraine, has been delivering updates from the Brovary neighborhood crash site on the outskirts of Kyiv.

At the accident site near a kindergarten, he discovered three dead, wrapped in foil blankets, and airplane debris, including a door panel and one of the rotors. The BBC stated that a video of the incident's aftermath showed flames and smoke engulfing a vast area between two residential high-rises. Additionally, photographs depict the next kindergarten to be smoky.

Read Also: Church of England Refuses Same-Sex Marriage

Probable Cause of Helicopter Crash

According to Ukrainian officials, the glazing of a 14-story residential building and three automobiles were damaged by the fire, which also damaged the National Emergency Service facility. After hearing "such an explosion," a witness claimed to see "a terrible fireball" and a helicopter "circling above our home." She asserted that the flaming helicopter was moving toward a nearby smaller structure.

According to officials, the helicopter crashed at approximately 08:20 local time (06:20 GMT), just half an hour after daybreak. Multiple videos depict overcast and foggy weather. It is believed to have been traveling east toward the front line. Kharkiv's police chief, Volodymyr Tymoshko, stated in a Facebook post that he was scheduled to visit the officials on board today.

"We've conducted expeditions with ministers before, which included hugging treelines and occasionally vaulting over power lines," he continues. Some researchers have observed overhead cables between buildings surrounding the accident site, which could have created a hazard to aircraft flying at extremely low altitudes.

However, BBC's correspondent reporting from the scene says he has not observed any damaged cables in the area. According to Ukrainian officials, the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma deployed by the State Emergency Service. In photographs of the crash scene, red and white debris matching those of these aircraft can be seen.

This is not a combat-capable military helicopter, and it is frequently used to transport members of the Ukrainian government. There was no early news on whether the crash resulted from the battle with Russia or an accident. There have been no recent reports of conflict in the Kyiv region, per Mirror.

Related Article: Ukraine Helicopter Crash Update

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Outlining its upcoming kids and family lineup today, Netflix has announced Leo, a new animated feature from Adam Sandler and his production company Happy Madison.

Film details:

Netflix describes the film as a coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school  as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74-year-old lizard Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle. When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside, but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students  including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever

Leo is something of a reunion project, as frequent Sandler collaborators and Saturday Night Live writers Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti, and David Wachtenheim are directing. Smigel was a co-writer of Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2, with Marianetti and Wachtenheim as heads of story on the latter. All three worked on Saturday Night Lives popular animated Saturday TV Funhouse shorts in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Leos animation is being produced by Netflix Animation and Animal Logic (The Lego Movie, DC League of Super-Pets). The latter studio, headquartered out of Sydney, Australia, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver, was acquired by Netflix last year.

Voice casting includes Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, Robert Smigel, Jo Koy, and Stephanie Hsu.

Leo will release on Netflix worldwide on November 22, 2023.

Netflix also announced release dates for several other animated film and series titles, including:
Who are the defendants? Based in London, Stability AI is the developer of Stable Diffusion as well as DreamStudio, a paid app that packages Stable Diffusion in a web interface. Deviantart, owned by Israeli tech company Wix.com, has been one of the largest artist communities online for more than two decades but caused a stirm late last year when it released the paid app DreamUp, an image-generating program built around Stable Diffusion. Midjourney, founded in 2021 by Leap Motion co-founder David Holz, is a text-prompted image generator available through Discord and a web app.

Legal representation: The lawsuit was filed by Butterick and the Joseph Saveri Law Firm, which specializes in class action lawsuits. Butterick is not only a lawyer, but a writer, designer, and programmer who is no stranger to AI-based litigation. He and Saveri Law Firm are also currently suing Microsoft, GitHub, and OpenAI regarding the AI programming software CoPilot for its unprecedented open-source software piracy.

Does the lawsuit want to eliminate AI enitrely? From the vocabulary in Buttericks statement, it doesnt sound like it. In fact, he says the goal of the lawsuit is to take another step toward making AI fair and ethical for everyone.

The case for the defense: The defendants are likely to claim fair use of the images used to build their databases, which is a significant legal gray area at present. The rules arent yet well defined, and this case could have major implications if it goes to trial.

Meanwhile, others knowledgeable in the field have criticized the lawsuit for containing technical inaccuracies that will hurt its chances in court, should the case get that far. In one example, Buttericks filing accuses the defendants of storing millions, or billions, of images, claiming: By training Stable Diffusion on the Training Images, Stability caused those images to be stored at and incorporated into Stable Diffusion as compressed copies.

University of Sussex reader of intellectual property law Dr. Andres Guadamuz (aka Technollama) disagrees and explains on his website: This is not what happens at all, a trained model does not have copies of the training data, that would create an unwieldy behemoth of unfathomable size. What happens is the creation of clusters of representation of things, namely latent space.

Those types of factual inaccuracies, Guadamuz argues, are sure to be a major part of the defenses case and could prove decisive in the eventual outcome of this lawsuit.
Sister Andre, the world's oldest known person, who lived through two world wars, the 1918 influenza outbreak, and COVID-19, passed away in France on Tuesday. She was 118 years old.

In an interview with French news media, a representative for the nursing facility in the southern city of Toulon where Sister Andre resided verified the news and stated that she died in her sleep.

World's Oldest Living Person Dies

"Tonight, humanity loses its oldest individual," tweeted the city's mayor, Hubert Falco. According to Guinness World Records, the French nun made news in recent years for being the oldest known survivor of COVID-19. Per NY Times, she defeated the illness just before her 117th birthday with minimal repercussions.

Tavella told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that Sister Andre wished to be reunited with her brother, with whom she was close, in death. He stated, "For her, it is freedom." Sister Andre was born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, the same year New York's first subway station opened. She was raised in the southern town of Ales by a Protestant family of six.

At 26, she converted to Catholicism and was baptized after working as a governess in Paris. Approximately twenty years later, she joined a charitable order and assumed her ecclesiastical title.

Read Also: French Union Threatens To Cut Electricity

Who is Sister Andre?

Lucile Randon, also known as Sister Andre, was born in the southern French town of Ales on February 11, 1904, and she survived both world wars. As a young girl, she was surprised by her first encounter with electric illumination at school. According to spokesman David Tavella, she died at about 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home in the southern port city of Toulon.

The Gerontology Research Group, which verifies information about people believed to be 110 or older, classified her as the oldest known person in the world after the passing of Kane Tanaka, who was 119 years old and lived in Japan last year. Gerontology Research Group lists 115-year-old Maria Branyas Morera, born in the United States but currently resides in Spain, as the world's oldest living person.

In January 2021, shortly before her 117th birthday, Sister Andre tested positive for the coronavirus, but she had so few symptoms that she was unaware she was sick. Her survival made news in France and around the world. When asked about her extraordinary life after surviving two world wars in April, she told French journalists, "Working... makes you live." "I worked till the age of 108."

However, the local daily Midi Libre reported that in 2020, after Sister Andre had recovered from COVID-19, she stated, "God has forgotten me." The newspaper said that during a May visit with her, she was hindered by the ravages of old age, with impaired eyesight and hearing and a face twisted by joint agony.

Sister Andre was known to enjoy a daily glass of wine and some chocolate during happier times. In 2021, she celebrated her 117th birthday with Champagne, red wine, and port. She first saw electricity as a little child when she turned on a school light, a new word for her to learn, and she described it as "a thrill."

Jeanne Calment, a French woman who also resided in the south of France, died in 1997 at the age of 122 and held the record for longevity, AP News reported.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin's Condition Rapidly Deteriorates

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Ecocem welcomes Irish Climate Plan 2023

19 January 2023

Ecocem has welcomed the Government of Irelands mandate that public bodies must specify low carbon construction methods and low carbon cement materials for procured and supported construction projects from 2023. The mandate forms part of the governments recently-released Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23).

According to Ecocem, to successfully reduce the emissions of the cement industry within the 2030 timeframe and in a commercially viable manner, the amount of clinker produced per tonne of cement needs to be addressed. By reducing the average clinker factor to just 50 per cent, the cement sector can deliver almost a third of the total emission reduction required for the whole industrial sector, while also maintaining the forecast growth in cement production.

While no definition has been given to the term low carbon cement in CAP23, Ecocem hopes that limiting emissions per tonne of cement on a sliding scale out to 2030 will help achieve the target and drive innovation in the industry. Green public procurement requirements for the construction industry will ensure sustainability delivery of our national development plan and housing needs for the future and position Ireland as a leader in sustainable construction methods and materials, commented Susan McGarry, managing director, Ecocem Ireland.

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Wednesday he joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the Western District of Texas in the case of Carter v. McDonough.

In September 2022, the Department of Veterans Affairs reversed long-standing agency practice and adopted an interim final rule that purports to authorize taxpayer-funded abortions and abortion counseling for veterans and their beneficiaries. The plaintiff, Stephanie Carter, is a VA nurse who opposes the new rule. The brief was filed in support of Ms. Carter.

In Dobbs, the Supreme Court recognized that regulation of abortion is entrusted to the states, General Skrmetti said. Tennessees law reflects the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives. We will not allow federal bureaucrats to undermine the General Assemblys lawful authority.

In the brief, the attorneys general write, These [State] laws strike a balance among the competing interests and reflect the outcome of hard-fought democratic processes. Some amici have chosen to adopt tighter restrictions on abortion following Dobbs. Other States have maintained or embraced more permissive regimes. All States have provisions in their abortion laws to protect a womans life.

The brief explains that the rule is deeply flawed because the VA does not have the legal authority it claimed to use in its defense.

[The VAs rule] reflects disregard for the democratic process, intrusion on areas of traditional state authority, and defiance of the Supreme Courts recognition that the hard questions in this area have been return[ed] to legislative bodies, wrote the attorneys general. [T]he VA justifies the rule not because of the absence of state laws on the subject of abortion, but because of the Departments disapproval of them on policy grounds.

In November, General Skrmetti joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in sending a letter warning the VA that it lacked authority to impose this new rule. The letter put the agency on notice that states would be monitoring and ready to act if the VA defied the law.

In addition to General Skrmetti, the effort was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia signed on.

Read the brief in its entirety here.
The Red Bank Commission is again discussing whether to allow back yard chickens in the city. The original ordinance required that to keep chickens, the yard size would have to be two acres minimum. A year and a half ago, that was changed to a minimum of one-half acre. The current discussion is that there would be no minimum lot size to keep chickens. The proposal would only allow them in R1 and R1A zones, which is about 90 percent of the city. They would be prohibited in RTZ zones that have a higher density. Currently, a $50 permit is required annually to raise chickens, but there have been very few people applying for them even though there are chickens in the city.

Commissioner Pete Phillips, who at one time raised chickens, said, Im going to be the wet blanket. Who is going to be responsible for checking that people conform to the ordinance? He also said, It is a feel-good idea, but not a good one.

Now the job would fall to the codes enforcement officer. But he has no authority to enter a back yard without permission from the owner. The proposal would include that the location would be inspected and measured to see if it meets requirements in the ordinance - after which the permit could be issued. The requirement to renew the permit each year would be the only opportunity to reinspect the back yard and coop.

The next opportunity to discuss chickens in the city will be at the next commission meeting.

Delivery of the citys new fire truck is expected this week, but equipment will need to be added and it will be a couple of months before the pumper truck will be put into service. City Manager Martin Granum said that the decision to spend the money was made when the commission voted to buy it. Monday night, Finance Director John Alexander received a commitment from the commission to issue interest-bearing capital outlay notes, not to exceed $495,900 at a rate of 5.1 percent, to help pay for the vehicle. He said that amount will be supplemented by a cash payment of $137,000, which was included in the current budget. The loan will be paid down in eight years, he said.

A contract with Vector Solutions will also benefit the Red Bank Fire Department. An annual amount of $4,980 was approved for purchasing digital equipment that will be used in training for firefighters. The city has 15 full-time, professional firefighters and 30 part-time volunteers. This equipment will allow them to complete the 242 hours of training required for each, at their own pace. American Rescue Plan funds will be used to pay for this equipment.

Permission was given for the fire department to declare communications equipment that has been replaced as surplus. It will be donated to the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department that covers the Apison, Collegedale and Ooltewah areas.

When a four-story building containing 42 condominiums was approved for 1109 Dayton Blvd. near the Stringers Ridge Tunnel, the development was required to have 68 on-site parking spaces. Developers came to the commission meeting Monday night asking for an amendment to their special exemptions permit to allow six more one- and two-bedroom units using the same footprint for the building and no additional parking. The reason for the change, the commissioners were told, is because of the financial pressures, today. Based on the original ratio of parking per unit, eight more spaces would be needed. There are eight on-street parking spots on the street that can be used to supplement the parking overflow, but those spots in the public right-of-way cannot be counted when figuring the minimum parking spaces required. With no public comment during the public hearing, a vote was unanimous to approve adding six more condo units. Each unit will have just one assigned parking place.

In other business, the commission voted to accept a cyber security grant from Public Entity Partners, the citys insurer. It will be $1,000 and will require the city to contribute another $1,000. Also approved was spending $71,460 from the State Street Aid fund to pay for thermoplastic road striping at seven locations in Red Bank.

In individual reports, Mayor Hollie Berry said that the next Red Bank Food Pantry at the United Methodist Church, 3800 Dayton Blvd. will be Thursday from 4:306:30 p.m. Vice Mayor Stefanie Dalton thanked the 35 participants who on short notice volunteered for the MLK day of service. And Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks-Harvey invited citizens to the Red Bank Community Center on two Saturdays, Jan 21 and 28, where volunteers will be making valentines for veterans from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. She also is planning to hold a listen and learn event on the third Monday of each month from 6-7 p.m.
Alexander Orebaugh Cayla Pemberton Claudine Iskander Kala Venteicher Previous Next

Four Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) students have been selected as the colleges finalists for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to Trish Wiggins, coordinator for the colleges GOAL program.

Listed are students chosen as finalists for the GOAL award showing (from left) the students name, program of study, GNTC campus and nominating instructor:

 Claudine Iskander, Cybersecurity, Floyd County Campus, Rocky Spurlock

 Alexander Orebaugh, Healthcare Management, Floyd County Campus, Brittany Cochran

 Cayla Pemberton, Automotive Technology, Walker County Campus, Troy Peco

 Kala Venteicher, Marketing, Floyd County Campus, Mark Upton

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), honors excellence in academics and leadership among the states technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the states 22 technical colleges.

The students nominated for the GOAL Student of the Year are some of the best students GNTC has to offer, Ms. Wiggins said. These four finalists exemplify what it means to be a successful technical education student."

According to Ms. Wiggins, a screening committee of administrators at GNTC selected the four finalists from students nominated by their instructors.

The four finalists will advance to a second round of judging with the Rome Floyd Chamber. A panel of business, civic and industry leaders from the community will interview and evaluate the students and select one to be the colleges 2023 GOAL winner.

I am excited to see them in the next round of interviews, Ms. Wiggins said.

The student judged most outstanding will be announced at the GOAL and Rick Perkins Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Rome. The event is hosted by GNTC, the Rome Floyd Chamber and the Seven Hills Rotary Club.

All college GOAL winners will compete in regional judging, which will include students from the other TCSG colleges. Three finalists from the region will be named and will compete in the state GOAL competition.

The state GOAL winner becomes the student ambassador for the Technical College System of Georgia. They will make many public appearances throughout the year, including addresses to the Georgia General Assembly, the governor and other TCSG functions.

Kia Motors, statewide corporate sponsor of the GOAL program, is awarding a new automobile to the state GOAL winner.




A 27-year-old Chattanooga woman has been charged in vehicle break-ins at two downtown garages.

Kaitlyn Shelton (Yother), who gave her address as 727 E. 11th St. (Community Kitchen now known as Chatt Foundation), was charged with burglary, theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said on Jan. 28 four cars were entered that were at the garage at 1409 Market St.

Then on Jan. 1, just down the street at 1100 Carter St., three cars were entered.

Police said none of the cars had forced entry and there was no damage.

It was found that Ms. Shelton had pawned a Blink outdoor camera system that had been bought as a present. It was pawned at Cash America Pawn on E. 23rd Street the morning of the break-ins at the Market Street garage.

A Canon camera taken from a car at the 1100 Carter St. garage was pawned by Ms. Shelton at EZ Pawn on Lee Highway the morning after that theft.

The items were returned to the owners.
While Kate Middleton and Prince William will always cherish Prince Harry, the same cannot be said for Meghan Markle, the Duke's wife.

Kate Middleton has distanced herself from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after the new revelations in Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare.'

Meghan Markle Accused of Causing Rift in Royal Family

"Kate barely recognizes the person Harry has become," a source told Radaronline.com. As he is unwilling to repair the shattered bridges with his family, Prince Harry may have no path back.

Although King Charles and the rest of the royal family want to separate themselves from the couple's drama, this tale will likely continue for some time, given Prince Harry's inability to interact with his family.

Meghan Markle is accused of creating a rift between the two brothers and fueling tensions within the royal family through her behavior and statements. Prince Harry can see the situation via Meghan Markle's eyes, making it look like Kate Middleton's efforts to heal the rifts between the two brothers and the family failed.

Kate Middleton has been perceived as trying to maintain a polite distance from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in light of the most recent allegations in Prince Harry's memoir.

Before the Princess of Wales can attempt to bring Prince Harry back on track, the Duchess must stop causing friction and worsening the situation. King Charles and the rest of the royal family are employing a very deft strategy to allow the rivals to make mistakes while avoiding involvement in the drama between the two.

According to a second source, the Sussexes have lost contact with the royal family because all communication channels have been severed.

Meghan Markle's argument with Kate Middleton about Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress is one of the most notable scandals from her tenure in the palace. Prince Harry published the texts between the two women in his memoir, which casts the tale in a different light, in an effort to settle the argument over who caused who to cry.

However, according to reports, the palace will only accept Kate Middleton's version of events. A royal insider stated that while the family "doesn't like" that the private dialogue was made public, they maintain that the messages only reveal "half of the tale." The palace feels that the complete dialogue "clearly demonstrates that there are two sides" to what transpired, according to the insider.

Ajay Mirpui, Meghan Markle's royal tailor, chimed in to address the incident. Even though he did not observe any discord between Kate and Meghan, he remained impartial regarding the outcome. Because the Givenchy dresses were based on dimensions provided by the parents, he deemed them "ill-fitting." However, Mirpui and his staff labored "tooth and nail" for four days to ensure that they were adjusted and fit exactly.

Due to his skill, he may have the best perspective on what needed to be done with the dresses, but this does not negate the reality that sentiments were wounded during a challenging moment. According to the source, Harry is adamant about obtaining an accurate account of what transpired in the field. However, the royal family will only be privy to one version of the events, as per Yahoo.

Read Also: World's Oldest Living Person Dies at 118

Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton Similarities

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton may have occasionally gone head-to-head - or tiara-to-tiara - but they share a great deal in common. They share charisma, intelligence, and "blind ambition," according to a compatibility expert, but she identifies a fundamental difference that sets them apart and makes them prone to conflict.

Michelle Bell, the founder of Cosmic Fusion, told The Sun that the two duchesses are 51 percent compatible with one another according to the app's algorithm. The application combines your Western zodiac sign, Chinese element, and Chinese animal to "produce an exceptionally unique personality profile."

Megan Markle, a Metal Rooster born under the sign of Leo, and Kate Middleton, a Metal Rooster born under the sign of Capricorn, share the same Chinese element and animal, making them strikingly similar.

"Because they are both Metal Roosters in Chinese astrology," explains Bell, whose program is accessible for iOS and Android.

Related Article: Prince Harry Worries About Prince William's Kid

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Tennesseans are invited to join the inaugural ceremony and worship service for Tennessee Governor Bill Lees second inauguration on Saturday.The Lord has been faithful and poured His great favor over Tennessee, said Governor Lee. Maria and I invite Tennesseans to join us for a celebration of our state, as we thank God for our many blessings and seek His wisdom in the days ahead.The 2023 Inaugural Ceremony and Worship Service on Saturday are both free to the public, with registration.Tickets can be reserved here based on seating availability.Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris McClarney, Nicole C. Mullen, Chris Tomlin, the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Fisk University and other acclaimed performers will headline the Inaugural Worship Service at the legendary Ryman Auditorium at 8:30 a.m. CT.Immediately following the worship service, Governor Lee will take the oath of office at the Inauguration Ceremony at 11 a.m. CT on Legislative Plaza. The oath will be administered by Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page. The event is a joint convention of the 113th General Assembly.Tennessee: Leading the Nation celebratory events will take place Friday and Saturday in Nashville. With the exception of the ticketed Saturday evening events, all activities are free and open to the public with limitations based on venue capacity. Registration is required for all events. Event details, tickets and registrations are available here
Bruce Thompson was sworn in on Thursday, as Georgias 10th Commissioner of Labor by Governor Brian Kemp. As the administrative head of the Georgia Department of Labor, the labor commissioner is responsible for overseeing Georgia's unemployment insurance program. Commissioner Thompson is eager to get to work for the people of Georgia and intends to revamp the unemployment insurance claims process, while providing high-quality, responsive, and universally accessible services that accommodate customer choice and exceed customer expectations.

"The end of 2022 saw Georgia's December unemployment rate drop five-tenths of a percent lower than the national unemployment rate, pointing to strong economic growth, said Commissioner Thompson. Georgia's red-hot economy evidenced by our state is being recognized for the 9th year in a row as the #1 place to do business. As we begin our new administration, I am excited to see growth in nearly all sectors such as Education, Health Services, and Manufacturing. I am committed to supporting employers across Georgia as they seek to hire."

Commissioner Thompson announced on Thursday that Georgia's December unemployment rate was 3 percent, unchanged from a revised 3 percent in November. Additionally, job numbers reached another all-time high, increasing by almost 6,000 from November. Georgia's unemployment rate was five-tenths of a percent lower than the national December 2022 unemployment rate of 3.5 percent.

Jobs were up 5,900 (0.1%) over the month and up 165,300 (3.5%) over the year to 4,840,000. Job numbers were at an all-time high in Education and Health Services, 638,000, and Financial Activities, 273,900.

The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included Durable Goods Manufacturing, 4,100, Accommodation and Food Services, 2,800, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 1,900, Health Care and Social Assistance, 1,900, and Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing, 1,200.

In December, the number of employed residents was down 5,933 to 5,100,239, dropping 35,272 over the past five months. Over the past six months, the labor force has decreased 32,185. Decembers labor force decreased by 4,957 to 5,257,271. Over the past three months, the number of unemployed has increased by 8,862. In December, the number of unemployed saw a rise of 976 to 157,032.

In December, there were over 108,000 jobs listed online at EmployGeorgia.com. Market salaries for the jobs listed on Employ Georgia range from $23,000 to $99,500, showing a median salary of $42,400. The top five employers included Wellstar Health System, 1,100, Home Depot, 900, Piedmont Healthcare, 900, Walmart, 900, and Pizza Hut, 600. The top five industries included Health Care, 22,300, Retail Trade, 10,500, Accommodation and Food Services, 9,100, Manufacturing, 7,000, and Finance and Insurance, 6,100. The top five occupations included Health Care (including Nursing), 21,900, Sales, 12,300, Hospitality, Food, and Tourism, 10,900, Business Management and Operations, 8,800, and Information Technology, 8,000.

Initial claims were up 2,403 (9%) from November to 27,921 in December. Over the year, initial claims were up 10,999 (65%).
The Georgia House of Representatives Committee on Assignments named State Representative Mike Cameron as the vice chairman of the House Human Relations & Aging Committee.



I want to thank Speaker Burns and House leadership for entrusting me to guide policy that protects seniors and other vulnerable populations, said Rep. Cameron. Serving as a leader on this committee is especially meaningful to me after spending more than 20 years as a caregiver to my own mother. This session, I look forward to working with Chairman Petrea to vet legislation that will help ensure the well-being of the states aging population.



The House Committee on Assignments, chaired by House Speaker Jon Burns, is charged with making all House committee assignments for the members of the Georgia House of Representatives.



The Human Relations & Aging Committee is responsible for legislation that concerns the care and needs of Georgias aging population.



For a complete list of all House committee assignments, click here.


A long-vacant building across from Cleveland High School may become the new headquarters for the Cleveland City Schools.

The Cleveland School Board, at a special called meeting on Thursday morning, endorsed the idea, though it noted that a number of specifics of the project and costs are not yet known.

The Cleveland City Council on Monday discussed the purchase of the former First Tennessee Bank Building at 755 Raider Dr. from the Forrest Preston group for $759,000.

Dr. Russell Dyer, Cleveland Schools director, noted that the system is cramped for space at the current headquarters at 4300 Mouse Creek Road. It has served as the headquarters since 1977.

A board member said, "We have a definite interest in the property. I can't think of a better location."

It was noted that some offices in the current building "are no bigger than the closets at my home."

Dr. Dyer said the 15,367-square-foot building that is on 4.5 acres on Raider Drive could serve a number of purposes, including school offices, professional development, teacher work space, for art shows, ensemble performances, a GED center, family resource center, health clinic, break area and for school clubs.

The staff is now located in five different buildings. "It would make more sense to be in one space," he said.

The current building has zero storage space or teacher work space and has very small rooms, including the board meeting area where if there is a crowd not everyone can get inside. There is no space for privacy when new students are being enrolled or other issues being discussed with parents.

Dr. Dyer said the school system has access to a bond fund to help carry out conversion of the building for school needs. He said $1.2 million-$2 million could be spent on initial renovation and some $1 million for such items as moving walls, paint and carpet.

The building was constructed in 1986.

The existing headquarters might be put to use for the needs of the two schools closest to it, officials said.

The Raider Drive building is next to the greenway. Joe Fivas, Cleveland city manager, said one consideration would be for there be shared space with those needing to park to use the greenway.
English Country Dance is designed for everyone, from beginner to advanced dancers and no partner or previous experience is necessary. However, the dance caller does ask that you bring a clean separate pair of soft-soled shoes for dancing."Find out for yourself why this dance form has remained popular for so very long," officials said.Lessons are offered most Tuesdays. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dancing runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Don Eaves Heritage House in East Brainerd.For more information, email Heritage House at HeritageHouse@chattanooga.gov.
The WoodSongs Dalton Concert Series is back after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

Family-friendly live music will again take place in 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church in the heart of historic Dalton Georgia.

The first show is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. and will feature the Zoe & Cloyd Trio.

The music of the Zoe and Cloyd Trio is an amalgam of traditional Appalachian music, bluegrass, jazz and a little klezmer thrown in for good measure.

The concert will benefit the DEO Clinic.

"Now in its 18th year, the not-for-profit medical clinic has provided thousands of office visits to the underserved members of our community," officials said. "DEO receives no state or federal government monetary support and depends on grants and the generosity of local donors and businesses."

Contributions from each concert will be matched up to $2,500 by Modern Woodmen of America.

The concert will take place at the First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Selvidge St. in Dalton. Advance tickets $20; at the door $24. Early Bird Season Tickets on sale at http://woodsongsdalton.com/.
Collegedale Mayor Morty Lloyd, in an update on the derailed Norfolk Southern train, said the rail company has moved quickly and now only one box car remains to be cut apart and removed.

But in order to remove the locomotives, additional dirt and rock will have to be brought in to support the crane and the locomotives as they are lifted onto the track in order to get them out of Collegedale.

Purchases that will benefit the Collegedale Police Department were approved by the commission. The city will be getting three new Dodge Durango SUVs and one Ford F-150 truck, for the police department. Four Motorola radios for the new vehicles will cost $29,999, which were included in this years budget. The old vehicles and radios will be declared as surplus and can be sold or disposed of.

A contract for investigation software with CLEAR was also approved for the police department. The software, with a monthly cost of $410 for the first year, will increase to $452 by the third year of the contract when it expires. At that time it will be re-evaluated before renewing. This subscription will provide the police department with the most updated criminal records and real time booking information.

Increasing safety for the Collegedale Municipal Airport, Director of Operations Ryan Byford has procured a grant from TDOT for purchasing easements of property at the ends of both runways. Mayor Lloyd said that during take offs, planes come close to the trees, which is a significant hazard, so this needs to happen. Once the easements are acquired the city will not own the property but will have the right to remove hazardous trees.

The appraised value of the property is $34,785. The city will not negotiate directly with the owners because it would be a conflict of interest. Negotiations will be handled by a land agent on behalf of Collegedale. Using the appraised value with the 95/5 percent grant, Collegedale will be responsible for just five percent, or $1,740. The city plans to pay for the easements up front and will wait to be reimbursed the 95 percent by the state. The commission gave approval so the process can begin.

Appointments of commissioners to various boards were made. Mayor Lloyd made the motions to reappoint Vice Mayor Tim Johnson to serve on the Planning Commission, Commissioner Debbie Baker to be on the Parks and Recreation Board and Commissioner Katie Lamb to serve on the Library Board. All nominations were approved unanimously.

Finance Manager Michelle Toro gave the December financial report saying it was a good one. She said at 50 percent through the year, the city has received 45 percent of budgeted revenue and made 48-49 percent of expenditures. That puts the city right where it should be, she said. Revenue numbers will jump in January and March when most property taxes are paid. No state income tax was budgeted because the Hall tax has been phased out, however the city received $20,000 in state income tax that was carried over from last year.

The mayor thanked the parks and recreation department for the successful Christmas celebration. His suggestion is to ramp it up this year, with a bigger and better tree. The commissioners approved giving Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation $1,800 for planting the largest live Christmas tree that they can at The Commons. A permanent tree can be used year after year as it continues to grow, he said.


The Hamilton County Health Departments Sexual Health Clinic encourages the public to practice safe sex and routine testing after seeing a significant increase in syphilis. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment.



Officials said, "During the pandemic, STD and STI rates declined dramatically. Several factors contributed to the initial decline in reported STD cases during the first part of 2020 but most resurged by the end of that year. Ultimately, reported cases of, syphilis and congenital syphilis surpassed previous levels. Over the last year, Hamilton County has seen a 65 percent increase in syphilis cases. Although rates of Primary and Secondary syphilis are lower among women; rates have increased substantially in recent years among females who are of reproductive age.



"Syphilis spreads from person to person by direct contact with a syphilitic sore, known as a chancre. Sores can occur in, on or around the genitalia and lips or mouth. Syphilis can spread during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Pregnant individuals with syphilis can transmit the infection to their unborn children. Infection develops in stages (primary, secondary, latent and tertiary). Each stage can have different signs and symptoms."



Primary Stage: A painless ulcer typically signifies the first stage of syphilis, but there may be multiple sores. The sore is usually firm, round, and painless. It appears at the location where syphilis enters the body. The sore lasts three to six weeks and heals regardless of whether a person receives treatment. However, the infection will progress to the secondary stage if the person with syphilis does not receive treatment.



Secondary Stage: Skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions (sores in the mouth or genitalia) mark the second stage of symptoms. In addition to rashes, other signs and symptoms may include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, hair loss, sore throat and muscle aches. The symptoms of secondary syphilis may go away without treatment. However, without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly the tertiary stage of the disease. At any stage of infection, syphilis can invade the nervous system, visual system and/or auditory system.



Latent Stage: The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis is a period when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis. Without treatment, syphilis will remain in the body even though there are no signs or symptoms. Latent syphilis can last for years.



Tertiary Stage: Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 1030 years after your infection began. Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen, it can damage your internal organs and may result in death.



Offiicials said, "Any person with signs or symptoms suggestive of syphilis should receive a test for syphilis. Anyone with a sex partner who receives a recent syphilis diagnosis should be tested and treated. Anyone who is sexually active should discuss their risk factors with a healthcare provider. In addition, healthcare providers should routinely test for syphilis in people who are pregnant, sexually active, living with HIV and those who are taking PrEP for HIV prevention. When diagnosed and treated in its early stages, syphilis is curable.



"The most effective way to prevent Syphilis is to use condoms. Condoms offer protection when the condom covers the infected area or site of potential exposure. However, syphilis transmission can occur with lesions that are not covered by the condom. The only way to completely avoid syphilis is to abstain from vaginal, anal or oral sex."



The Health Departments Sexual Health Clinic is a confidential clinic that provides testing, education and medication regarding ones sexual health. The Clinic is open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling the clinic at 423-209-8250. To learn more about the Sexual Health clinic click here.



To read this information in Spanish, visit the Health Departments Spanish Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SaludHamiltonTN.
The results of a broad-based investigation conducted by fortiss, Siemens AG, the German Dialogue Institute and the Center for Digital Technology and Management have been released under the title Embodied Intelligence: Engine of the Digital Transformation 2.0. The goal was to identify the societal, economic and technical developments and challenges of embodied intelligence (EI) and recommend actions for government, business, education and science. The investigation focused on the question of how we can ensure our standard of living by actively addressing the challenges of the digital transformation, while at the same time actively managing it.

The Digital Transformation 2.0 is a highly-dynamic process that is leading to a completely new economic architecture dimension. As a result, the use of digital ecosystems is turning into an imperative success factor for companies given that day-to-day products and goods are becoming digital building blocks for the realization of a significant part of the value chain. Embodied intelligence will be one of the future players in these digital ecosystems. And in order to successfully address this paradigm change, the development of the production landscape in Germany must be even more strongly characterized by overriding issues such as adaptability, real-time systems, autonomous control and sustainability.

Progress in autonomous machines illustrates how AI and robotics are converging in more and more areas. The emergence of embodied intelligence is closely related to this development. Things that contain embodied intelligence are systems that can regulate themselves and increasingly react to changes in their environments in an adaptive fashion. They can also react with little or no human intervention and in the future be able to represent parts of our infrastructures. While initial approaches are already being employed today, it wont be until the future that much more mature forms will appear.

Embodied intelligence as a future driver of growth

A team of fortiss scientists led by project manager Markus Duchon explains that over the mid-term, machines with embodied intelligence will form the central basis of innovation for the next cycle of growth. This applies especially to the platform economy. For this reason, the use of EI can be formulated as a long-term societal, economic and technology goal. Furthermore, developments in these areas will yield great human benefits in key fields of application such as information and communications technology and the integrated sensor systems, intelligent materials and production, plus energy supply and transport.

In their presentation, Markus Duchon and his colleagues explain that previous physical marketplaces and value chain systems are increasingly evolving into virtual infrastructures. This trend is clearly visible not only with online retailers and social media, but also in the allocation of government and public administration tasks. At the same it time it has become readily apparent that in terms of decentralized energy production, the development of satellite-based communication infrastructures or the use of self-driving vehicles, although humans will initially be responsible for operating the existing infrastructures, in the future these tasks will be assumed by EI systems.

Addressing current and future challenges with the help of embodied intelligence

In summary, the investigation identifies key areas of action up to the year 2035 that could be actively shaped through the use of embodied intelligence and in the context of the platform economy. With this information as a basis, the authors derive concrete recommendations for action for government, business, education and science.

Development in the individual areas will be strongly driven by accelerated urbanization, migration, demographic change, the pursuit of independence from energy - and to some extent water and food provisioning  in addition to climate change and government dysfunction. For this reason, fast action and implementation of the recommendations is urgently required in order to actively help shape the digital transformation in a targeted fashion.

Employing embodied intelligence to deal with climate change

The degree to which the investigation is important and thematic is illustrated by the reference to the necessary transformation of the global energy sector from fossil fuels to a CO2-neutral energy. By the second half of this century this process will also accelerate the development of a new form of machines with embodied intelligence. In particular, combining embodied intelligence with renewable energy and using the platform economy to increase energy efficiency, is seen as a key lever to achieve the required reduction in CO2 emissions.

The Research Institute of the Free State of Bavaria for Software-intensive Systems will now apply these findings to a new project referred to as Affordable Industrial Mobility Energy Ecosystem (AIMEE), which will involve the accelerated transformation of industrial e-mobility through energy-as-a-service (EaaS) models. The goal is to establish a product-service system for energy storage and storage capacity. Within the framework of this platform-based system, the idea is to transform energy storage from a product into a service as a way of offering sustainable and cost-effective storage capacity.
A magnetic material is exposed to two laser beams whose electric fields turn in opposite directions. The material scatters back the light. If there is a difference between the intensity of the scattered light from the two beams, the material is in a topological phase.

Much recent research has focused on topological materials  an intriguing type of solids which fall outside the standard classification into insulators and conductors. While their bulk is insulating, these phases are characterized by electrically conducting channels which appear at their edges. These resulting so-called topological phases are expected to play an important role in the future development of stable IT and large-scale quantum computing devices.

Topological phases are not restricted to electronic systems. They can also occur in magnetic materials whose properties are described in terms of magnetic waves  or so-called magnons. However, even though scientists have established techniques to generate and read out magnon currents, they have so far been unable to directly ascertain a magnon topological phase. Now researchers in Germany and the United States propose that the presence of such phases can be directly verified by measuring the light scattered off a magnetic material. Their work has been published in Physical Review Letters (PRL).

Just like a sound wave travels through the air, a magnon can travel through a magnetic material by creating a disturbance in its magnetic order. That order can be imagined as a collection of spinning tops sharing a particular rotation axis. The effect of the wave is the to slightly tip the axes around which the tops are spinning.

A topological magnon phase is associated with channels that can carry a current of magnons along the edges of the sample. Researchers are hopeful that such edge channels can be utilized to carry information in future so-called spintronics devices, analogous to how electric currents are used to transmit signals in electronic devices. However, before such technologies can be realized, scientists need new techniques to validate if a magnetic phase is topological or not.

The transatlantic research team studied a class of magnetic materials structurally similar to graphene and their interaction with two types of polarized laser light, where the lasers electric field turns either clockwise or anticlockwise around the beams axis. The scientists analyzed the light scattered off the material and showed that, if the scattered intensity is different for the two polarizations, the material is in a topological phase. Conversely, if there is no difference in the scattered light intensity, then the material is not in a topological phase. The properties of the scattered light thereby act as clear indicators of the topological phases in magnetic materials.

The technique is easy to deploy and can be extended to other quasiparticles as well, says lead author Emil Vinas Bostrom: Raman scattering is a standard experimental technique available in many labs, which is one of the strengths of this proposal. In addition, our results are quite general and apply equally well to other types of systems consisting of phonons, excitons or photons.

In the long term, the hope is that magnons can be used to construct more sustainable and energy-efficient technological devices: Utilizing topological magnon currents could potentially reduce the energy consumption of future devices by a factor of about a 1,000 as compared to electronic devices  although there are plenty of issues to be resolved until we get to that point, says Vinas Bostrom.
Dr. Anthony Fauci responded to Elon Musk and other critics who have criticized the former director of the NIAID's response to the COVID-19 pandemic by asserting that he can explain his actions.

Fauci stated, "I can defend all I've said and done." In hearings regarding the origins of COVID-19, Republican legislators, led by Senator Rand Paul, have vowed to hold Fauci accountable.

Fauci Responds to Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Twitter, previously teased the public about releasing "The Fauci Files" to expose the now-retired NIAID director by tweeting, "Prosecute/Fauci."

Fauci said he has "much regard for the oversight process" and "absolutely nothing to hide" in congressional hearings. Fauci also addressed Americans' worries following the CDC's initiation of an inquiry into a possible link between the Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination and an elevated risk of ischemic stroke among those aged 65 and older.

In a statement released on Friday, the CDC stated that the preliminary signal associated with the Bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccination had not been discovered. Fauci stated that it is "still a good idea to get vaccinated" and to have a booster shot, as per Fox News.

Several additional monitoring techniques and surveillance have not detected the signal, and no other country has reported seeing it. During an appearance on 'Your World' on Fox News, host Neil Cavuto asked Fauci what he thought of the "world's richest man - or second richest man now - going after you."

Since Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in October, the billionaire has provided journalists with internal documents known as "the Twitter Files," which reveal how the social media company's former management decided to filter content on the platform.

Musk reported in December that former Twitter employees maintained a Slack group labeled "Fauci Fan Club." Cavuto remarked that legislative investigations into the government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which may be possible given the new GOP control of the House, "may drag on for a long time."

Fauci earlier stated that he would "absolutely" help with a House Republican investigation into the pandemic, which he reiterated to Cavuto, according to NY Post.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin's Health Rapidly Deteriorates

Fauci's Ties With Big Pharma Companies

Sunday, comedian Russell Brand sat down with "Open The Books" CEO Adam Andrzejewski to discuss Dr. Anthony Fauci and his ties to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which allegedly received "$1.4 billion in covert third-party royalties over the previous 12 years."

As a whistleblower, Andrzejewski revealed a "culture of secrecy" at the NIH and alleged corruption within the ranks of the corporation where Fauci worked for decades. He explained to Brand that the NIH is a system-facilitating revolving door. Andrzejewski asserts that over the past decade, the NIH's "leadership and 2,400 of its scientists" have benefited from "$1.4 billion of these covert, secret third-party royalties."

He described the situation as a complex web of self-interest involving Fauci and his wife, Dr. Christine Grady. She is currently the head of the Department of Bioethics at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was Anthony Fauci (NIAID). The NIH supervises both institutions.

He went on to note that Fauci has made questionable ethical medical decisions. He went on to claim that Fauci not only indirectly benefited from the discovery of the medicine but was also permitted to use taxpayer funds to bring it to market.

Andrzejewski claims that Fauci never returned the money. Andrzejewski also told Brand that his reporting on Fauci, the highest-paid government official, has badly affected his career. Or, he was so during the pandemic. Fauci has served under multiple presidents and possesses considerable political influence, BizPacNews reported.

Related Article: Biden Classified Documents Investigation Update

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AIRWAY HEIGHTS  Two Washington residents, Aleksander Kurmoyarov and Mandie R. Miller, have been extradited from South Dakota by U.S. Marshals to face trial for several charges related to the death of their eight-year-old daughter.

According to the Mitchell, SD police department, Kurmoyarov (28) and Miller (33) were arrested on Dec. 15 after the Davison county coroner informed them that the pair were traveling through the city from Airway Heights with the body of their deceased daughter in a U-Haul tow-behind trailer.

Davison County sheriff Steve Harr said It may take a while before they get back to Washington, but now theyre on their way back.
The poetry book, Days and Deeds, is famous to trivia buffs for being the subject of the largest library fine ever paid, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The penalty of $345.14 resulted from the book being returned 47 years late, at two cents per day. For Cheshire Public Library users, however, such a stiff fine will no longer be a concern.

The Town Council voted unanimously during a public hearing on Jan. 10 to permanently remove fines for most library items. As Town Council Chair Tim Slocum joked during the meeting, Philip Baker Halls Javert-esque Seinfeld character, Lt. Joe Bookman, tracking patrons down to collect fines on long-forgotten books, will now be a thing of the past.

Overdue fines were originally suspended by recommendation of the Cheshire Library Advisory Board back in December of 2019, but the Councils official approval now brings Cheshire in line with a nationwide trend. Larger library systems, including the New York Public Library, have also done away with fines since the American Library Association first proposed eliminating them back in January of 2019. Since then, Cheshire Public Library Director Beth Piezzo said, 118 of Connecticuts 176 public libraries have done the same.

Its something Ive been against my entire career, says Piezzo. Explaining the ALAs reasoning to the Council, Piezzo said that assessing late fees is a punitive measure that creates a barrier to access, which is an equity issue.

Piezzo told the Council that fines make up less than 1% of the librarys annual budget. She is also skeptical of the logic of looking at fines as a revenue source. Youre hoping to get a benefit off people misusing the library, she said.

The bigger concern, she noted, is that people who rack up hefty fines are simply more likely to keep materials altogether, rather than return them. So aside from creating a negative customer or service experience at the desk, we noticed that charging fines also sometimes results in materials not coming back at all, she informed the Council. Materials returned late do not represent a financial loss to the library, but materials never returned at all certainly do.

Piezzo cited other numbers to back her case, stating that patrons of the Cheshire Library, prior to the suspension of fines, returned books on average 12.7 days before the due date. With the suspension of fines in place, she said, it was 12.3 days.

Most people want to be responsible and bring their books back on time, said Piezzo.

Noting the flexibility of library policies, Piezzo said that patrons can usually work out a replacement for lost items if the same edition can be found. Giving the examples of materials lost in a car crash or a house fire, Piezzo said the library can be forgiving for those who need some amnesty.

The bottom line for Piezzo is making sure library resources remain accessible and available to the entire community. What I love about the library is, theres no barrier to entry and that its a place thats open for everyone,  she explained.

Among library offerings still subject to fines, Piezzo explained, are the museum passes. These passes, provided by the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library, offer patrons free or discounted admission to dozens of attractions across the state and region, including Cheshires own Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, and the Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield. Passes will still be subject to $10-per-day overdue fines, due to their limited availability and steady demand.

The Cheshire Library is also part of the Connecticut Library Consortium, which provides users access to inter-library loans. Not all of the participating libraries have eliminated late fees, per Piezzo, so users should be sure to verify details if borrowing from another library.

The fine rule is attached to the owning library, she said.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. In the wake of the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling overturning Roe, a lot of Christian commentators will be discussing the morality, legality, and availability of abortion in this new abortion era. Those questions matter, of course, and Christians should be concerned with them. The sacredness of human life, born and unborn, is an imperative that emerges from the heart of the Christian story and the incarnation of Christ in particular.

What weighs on me at this moment, however, is the sorrowful reality that the church has largely lost its moral standing to persuade the American public of its unique vision of the sanctity of life. Public trust in the church and in pastors is at an all-time low. This mistrust is warranted because of high-profile, catastrophic moral failures in the church around money, power, and (most relevant to abortion) sex.

Extramarital affairs, sexual abuse, and cover-ups of abuse have all been on prominent display in the church, and as CT online managing editor Andrea Palpant Dilley has pointed out, it is men by and large who have been unworthy of the trust given to them.

We live in an age when the church in America needs to relinquish its anxiety about public influence so that it can be rebuilt as a moral community. The theologian Stanley Hauerwass quip that the first responsibility of the church is to be the church has always made intuitive sense to me. The churchs authority in the public sphere has always been indirect. Even when Christianity was an established religion, the church could only Christianize a society to the degree that it could show the power of Christ to make holy lives.

In every age, the churchs influence is fully contingent on the congruence between the gospel it proclaims and the ethic of radical self-sacrifice and self-giving that it embodies. As theologian and historian Tim Stafford has pointed out, it wasnt primarily the churchs cogent reasoning against abortion that made early Western societies pro-life. Rather, the churchs way of life made it attractiveand that included its commitment to the sacredness of human life in utero.

There has never been a pure age where the church has been perfectly in the world but not of it, but the cascading series of moral crises in the past three decades has been uniquely devastating to the churchs credibility. As David French writes, religious liberty has never been stronger, but it is not at all clear that we have been as assiduous in securing the integrity of our institutions as we have been in protecting their liberty.

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I share Frenchs concern that churches have been more concerned about securing their liberty from external threats than using that liberty to shape communities conformed to the gospel. There is a startling parallel between the secular vision of freedom that drove the Roe decision and the kind of freedom that the American church has been pursuing. No one can doubt that the Scriptures are intimately concerned with freedom and liberty. But the church for the past half century has been shaped more by a secular American framing of these terms than by a biblical one.

The differences between the biblical and secular understandings of liberty are subtle but momentous. As scholar Vincent Miller says about consumerism and Christianity, the dissonance between the scriptural and secular definitions of freedom lacks the definitiveness of a head-on collision but rather has about as much drama as a train switching tracks and going in a slightly different direction.

The Courts reasoning in Roe hinged on a domain of personal liberty established by the right to privacy in the 14th amendments due process clause. Although its not expressly detailed in Roe, personal liberty is understood as autonomy or self-determination. Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed the fundamental right to abortion, made this point explicit. That decision defined liberty as the right to define ones own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.

The philosopher Isaiah Berlin distinguished between positive and negative accounts of liberty or, as we might more simply describe them, freedom for and freedom from. Negative liberty is freedom from coercion or malign influence. Negative liberty opposes external threats, like tyranny and oppression. It can also be opposed to internal threats, like the selfs cravings, to use Pauls and Jamess language (Gal. 5:16; James 1:14), or involuntary phenomena like addiction. Or it can involve influences both external and internal, like demonic possession.

In ancient philosophies and religions, negative liberty was important, but it was desirable only to the degree that it liberated people to pursue a vision of the good. This positive liberty, or freedom for, is what Catholic theologian Servais Pinckaers calls a freedom for excellence. It constitutes the meaning and purpose of human life. Becoming a mature person means becoming progressively clearer about the nature of the ultimate good, and learning to be morally capable of suspending our lesser desires to pursue that ultimate good.

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By contrast, and as Casey makes clear, most modern Western societies are premised on a vision of liberty thats purely negativewhat many have called a libertarian vision of freedom. The historian and political scientist Mark Lilla argues that this view is characterized by moral illegibility, or an inability to organize a society around a compelling, ultimate good. Instead, Western societies are arranged around autonomous personal choice and self-expression.

In the Scriptures, this vision of purely negative liberty would be called slavery to sin, (John 8:3338; Rom. 6:6) or, as David Bentley Hart writes, a slavery to untutored impulses, to empty caprice, to triviality, to dehumanizing values.

The New Testament is concerned with this internal kind of slavery primarily because its only intermittently (if ever) felt as slavery. Indeed, most of our non-Christian fellow citizens experience it as liberation. However, the Marxist literature scholar Terry Eagleton has perceived what many have not: the hollowness of pure negative liberty.

Any practice of political emancipation, he writes, involves that most difficult of all forms of liberation, freeing ourselves from ourselves.

As Stanley Hauerwas has said time and again, Christians who awaken to the differences between our understanding of liberty and the broader American understanding of it find ourselves in the position of having to more carefully and clearly distinguish between the American we and the Christian we.

In Christian terms, true liberty comes in the form of positive liberty: the capacity to experience communion with God, even friendship with God (Gen. 18:18; John 15:15; James 2:23; 4:4), in the fellowship of the church.

American Christians could, I think, by and large agree on this point. However, the thinness in our discipleship of the church comes largely from the fact that weve become terrified of providing any shape or contour to this ultimate good. As a result, weve allowed freedom to be determined by each individual, so much so that its indistinguishable from the self-defining libertarian freedom behind Roe and Casey.

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Our conundrum is that we desperately need to be guided by capable and godly pastors and lay leaders who can show us how to submit to others in relationship; how to pray and fast and submit ourselves to God; how not to domineer or seek the high place; how not to manipulate; how not to take advantage or abuse or seduce others; and how to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, as the Book of Common Prayer says.

In short, we need leaders who can help us know God in such a way that were freed from ourselves and able to put into practice not the works of the flesh but the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:1326).

And yet, so many Christians struggle to trust our leaders because so many of them have failed us.

Most Christian leaders I know (both men and women) feel genuine anxiety about continuing to teach basic Christian sexual ethics. Theyre not hesitant because they doubt the veracity and authority of the Scriptures. Its rather because so much damage has been done by a censorious and judgmental spirit in the church. They see the incalculable damage done by the moral failings of Christian leaders. They are despondent about the bad fruit of a cheapened discipleship that ticks the right boxes at the polls but fails to offer hospitality, forgiveness, love, and reintegration into the life of the church.

The recovery of genuine Christian liberty requires that we rebuild the local church as a site of a fully orbed discipleship, where truth can be spoken and where people can find belonging, love, and forgiveness.

In the absence of this very local, quiet, and low-profile expression of positive Christian liberty, our understanding of freedom has and will continue to collapse into libertarian moral illegibility. Thats especially true if we fail to recognize the subtle dissonance between a secular and Christian understanding of freedom.

As theologian Ron Highfield has written, when no specificity is given to the meaning of liberty, God will be nothing more than a mere ally in our individual projects of self-creation. This is a calamity for Christian discipleshipan utter reversal of the gospels sharp command to consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil. 3:8).

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Our most pressing vocation in this cultural moment is rebuilding the institution of the local church around a freedom worthy of the name of Jesusthe freedom to serve others and, as the apostle Paul says, to offer our lives as living sacrifices.

Its a lonely and largely invisible task. Well get no plaudits from politicians or pundits. But a church purified in this way will experience communion with the risen Lord and the power of his divine life in a way we can only imagine. And having experienced that, it wont be difficult to share that faith with others.

Jonathan Warren Pagan is an Anglican priest living and serving in Austin, Texas.

Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.
Every Lunar New Year, Calvin Qins children receive hongbaos, or red envelopes, at church. In Chinese culture, hongbaos symbolize good luck and blessings. But the Qin familys dont hold crisp new banknotes, which most children typically receive. Instead, the red packets hold Bible verses printed on slips of paper.

If they memorize the Bible verses correctly, they get prizes like candy or chocolate coins from their Sunday school teacher, said Qin, who moved from China to the United States eight years ago and currently pastors the Chinese Community Church of Indianapolis Northwest in Indiana.

Until now, Qins children have been (blissfully) unaware that the kind of red envelopes they receive are the exception, not the norm. But their ignorance has an expiration date.

The Lunar New Year, which begins on January 22 this year, comes with many traditions and customs that articulate a desire for prosperity in the form of greater affluence and material abundance. (Different versions of the holiday are celebrated across Asia: It is known as chun jie or Spring Festival among the Chinese diaspora, Tet in Vietnam, and Seollal in South Korea.)

But to equate prosperity with monetary gain or to regard it solely in terms of increasing ones material possessions both diminishes and corrupts its full meaning as revealed in Scripture, Asian theologians and pastors told CT. They believe that this festive period offers a propitious time for deeper theological reflection on what the Bible says about true prosperity.

Semantic linkages in Scripture

The Chinese character for prosperity, pronounced in Mandarin as fu (), abounds in Chinese translations of Scripture, including the popular Chinese Union Version (CUV).

A BibleGateway search shows that fu occurs 593 times in the CUVs simplified Chinese translation. (In comparison, a search for prosperity in the NIV yields only 33 results.)

Fu recurs throughout the Old Testament, such as when God blesses humankind in Genesis 1:28. It shows up in the rest of the Pentateuch, the Wisdom Literature, and the Prophets. In the New Testament, fu is in well-known passages like the Beatitudes (Matt. 5) and is also present in the Gospels, the Epistles, and Revelation.

Professional Bible translator Jost Zetzsche, however, cautions against the assumption that fu simply means prosperity. Other expressions, such as have more ( ) or all things prosper (    ), also connote the idea of fu.

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Aside from that, the [Chinese] Union Version was translated between 1890 and 1919, at a time when the prosperity gospel was not in existence, Zetzsche said.

Still, the strong linguistic connection between fu and prosperity in Mandarin facilitates a prosperity-oriented understanding of the Word, said Jerry Hwang, Singapore Bible Colleges academic dean and associate professor of Old Testament.

In fact, the characters for gospel () incorporate the character fu, and this resonates with ethnic Chinese people in a way that the English word does not.

Seeing fu in Scripture helps to create a built-in contextualization for the gospel in Mandarin. Psalm 1, for example, describes the person who is blessed as having prosperity (). When someone has fu, its prosperity and fullness of life, Hwang said.

The notion of blessing is always a religious category in English, but in Chinese its an everyday category.

Accordingly, fu is used to translate English words like bless or blessed ( ,  , or  ), said Zetzsche.

At the same time, in the Chinese psyche, the proliferation of fu in Scripture may also generate a tendency to unconsciously associate the gaining of wealth with a reflection of Gods blessings.

This causality between wealth and divine blessing is also present in how certain auxiliary words in biblical Hebrew, such as will and shall, are translated in English, Hwang said.

These words in the Hebrew language denote prediction and promise, but because their meanings have shifted and the word shall has become archaic, predictions have now come to sound like promises, he said.

Certain passages in the Old Testament consequently suffer from the dual linguistic problems of archaism and language shift, where what God will do in response to human obedience sounds like a promise.

For instance, the phrase he will make your paths straight in Proverbs 3:56 may be interpreted as a promise when reading it in Mandarin because of the usage of the word bi (), which conveys a stronger sense of certainty akin to the English word must.

Such a reading gives rise to the notion that piety leads to prosperity, and Chinese Christians may find pseudo-biblical warrant for the latter as a result, said Hwang.

This perceived equation between acquiring wealth and receiving Gods blessings often leads Chinese people to draw conclusions about what blessings must indicate about Gods favor.

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That, coupled with the upper mobility of the diaspora, who are disproportionately wealthy, [means that] people begin to associate wealth with Gods blessing, whether that gain is righteously accomplished or not, said Hwang.

The Chinese diaspora comprise a significant portion of the ultra-rich in countries like Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Christianity is disproportionately a religion of the upper class in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, because missionaries from the West played an important role in creating a middle-class and English-speaking elite [to serve as] a group of loyal locals, said Hwang.

Believers are wrestling with this so-called privilege in a few ways, says Hwang. In Singapores case, it arises through a missional impulse in which Singaporeans view their country as the Antioch of Asia. Such a Christian understanding of chosenness, however, also engenders a Singaporean exceptionalism in which the country sees itself as better than surrounding nations.

A cultural preoccupation

Apart from its frequent occurrences in Chinese translations of Scripture, fu also appears everywhere during the Lunar New Year. Signs or paper cuttings emblazoned with the Chinese character are often placed on doors, windows, or furniture in homes and displayed upside down to signify that good fortune has arrived.

Other Lunar New Year practices also reference fu. People often exchange greetings such as gong xi fa cai in Mandarin or gong hey fatt choy in Cantonese to wish each other good luck and more wealth in the year ahead.

Special dishes that people whip up or partake of also allude to prosperity. Those of Chinese descent in Singapore and Malaysia have a popular tradition called lo hei. This is often a raucous affair where families toss the ingredients for yusheng, a raw fish salad, high in the air while shouting Mandarin idioms for blessing and success over all areas of life.

For James Hwang (no relation to Jerry), former executive director of Chinese ministries at Far East Broadcasting Corporation (FEBC), the Shanghainese fried egg rolls he prepared with his grandmother as a child were a fond festive treat. Made to resemble gold nuggets, these egg rolls were often shared with neighbors as a symbolic gesture of sharing their wealth.

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The festival also includes less lighthearted nods to prosperity.

This may manifest as superstitious behavior, such as not wearing inauspicious colors like black and not cleaning the home for fear of sweeping wealth away.

In the Philippines, where up to 25 percent of the population is Chinese, many ethnic Filipinos assume that the Chinese are rich, said Juliet Lee Uytanlet, author of The Hybrid Tsinoys: Challenges of Hybridity and Homogeneity as Sociocultural Constructs among the Chinese in the Philippines.

Some Filipino Catholics want to emulate the Chinese in reaping wealth and success to the point that they will visit Binondo, Manilas Chinatown district, to buy lucky trinkets and amulets to ward off evil spirits.

Desiring prosperity may also become problematic when it provokes relational conflicta phenomenon that transcends geographical and cultural lines in Asia.

Lunar New Year is typically a time when families gather to have reunion dinners and visit relatives homes, but too often loved ones end up fighting over money during the festive period, says Clive Lim, the Singaporean coauthor of Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth.

Lim attributes prevailing cultural perceptions of prosperity to a pragmatic reciprocity in Chinese culture that likely arose out of the Buddhist notion of karma.

The Chinese will often view a very prosperous person as someone with good karma who has done a lot of good deeds in his or her previous life, says Lim. Therefore, in order to get good things, I must do good things. Then it will amplify and magnify into [receiving] a lot of good things in my life.

Being a recipient of good karma makes flaunting ones wealth a permissible act in the East, while doing so is perceived as socially unacceptable in the West, Lim added.

This disparate approach in displaying ones riches also arises because hierarchy is acceptable in Chinese contexts. The day you are born, there is a pecking order, Lim said. Wealth shows your social standing.

The hierarchical mindset that many Chinese people adhere to results in the festival becoming a time where people show off how prosperous they are, such as counting the amount of money in ones red envelopes (traditionally given to children and single adults) and comparing it with others.

This invisible drive or burden to accumulate money and improve ones social stature stood out starkly to Qin when he served as a pastor in China.

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A lot of young people, including Christians, do not want to go home during Chinese New Year because their families and communities would ask them how much money they earned this year, he shared.

People in Chinaeven ones own family memberswill treat you differently if you are rich, and less respect is afforded to people who are not as wealthy, said Qin.

Reimagining rituals

In a holiday so overtly predicated on hungering for and glorifying material gain, it may seem difficult for Christians to celebrate prosperity in godly ways during the Lunar New Year.

A valuable starting point is recognizing that prosperity is not confined to the material sphere but is defined biblically as shalom, Asian theologians and pastors say.

Shalom is communal, relational, and creational, said Jerry Hwang, the academic dean. It is life with God and harmony with the land and people, which challenges consumeristic understandings of prosperity and psychological understandings of prosperity as inner peace.

It also challenges both the individualistic West and the pragmatic East. You need God in the picture for there to be real shalom.

Apart from Old Testament exemplars Abraham, Job, and Joseph, who were wealthy and prosperous because they were right with God and obedient to him, we can look to New Testament figures like Lydia and Joseph, who used their wealth to help others, said Uytanlet.

Cultivating an awareness of the spiritual dangers of wealth is also important, Lim warned.

Jesus calls money mammon in the New Testament. Proverbs 30:8 (Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread) also tells us to be very careful not to occupy either extreme and forget about God.

Daewon Moon, who serves as senior pastor of Daegu Dongshin Church in South Korea, preaches regularly against the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10) in his church. He is acutely aware that he is in an increasingly secularized and individualistic society where half of the population are nonreligious.

While some preachers deliver sermons against gaining any kind of wealth and some pursue poverty as championed by minjung theology (a liberation theology of the poor), Moon says that most Korean pastors occupy a middle ground between these extreme positions. In his Presbyterian church, he often emphasizes stewardship, where everything one has is Gods gift to be used to serve the world.

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Reconceptualizing certain customs during Lunar New Year may also help others understand that true abundance is found only in a life with Christ.

Instead of placing traditional spring couplets or red banners emblazoned with conventional Lunar New Year blessings over ones door, Christians can write poetry couplets that reflect their faith, such as God is the source of all blessings, says James Hwang, the FEBC executive director. In Singapore, several stores have created Christian versions of Lunar New Year decor, ranging from cross-shaped paper cuttings to red-envelope designs drawn from Scripture.

Rather than reciting slogans about luck and wealth during lo hei, Christians can choose to proclaim statements about receiving Gods blessings or trusting in God to construct a broader view of what prosperity entails, says Jerry Hwang.

In theological terms, we can replace the liturgy of prosperity with the liturgy of what real blessing is from Gods point of view, which includes suffering, if needed.

For other Christians, breaking away from cultural traditions is necessary.

Qin does not say gong xi fa cai during Lunar New Year because he does not want to relate the celebration of the festival with money too closely. And when intrusive questions about income arise during family reunions in China, he exhorts Christians there to respond by sharing about lessons theyve learned in their spiritual or professional growth.

Uttering pronouncements of good health is commonplace during this time as well. But believers who want to foster a sense of biblical shalom in the world can recognize that wishing for physical well-being alone is insufficient.

The greatest spiritual health [to seek during Lunar New Year] is forgiveness, said Lim. Are we willing to make a pledge to love our enemies, forgive one another, and meet with our elders to show them love and respect?

Isabel Ong is CT's associate Asia editor. She is from Singapore and currently lives in Canada.

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In this episode Heather begins our three-part series of conversations with evangelical thought leaders who are challenging us to reconsider some of our long-held beliefs about God. Were calling this pod-class series Things You May Be Getting Wrong About God. If you missed last weeks episode, you may want to go back to hear Heathers personal reflections on the theme and why she hopes youll join her on this journey. But be forewarned: As its title suggests, this pod-class series is designed to challenge and stretch us.

This week Heather sits down with Beth Allison Barr, the bestselling author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood. With a proven record of sparking intense but important conversations about the role of women in the church, Professor Barr is here to talk about what we may be getting wrong about how God sees women.

We also visit with social media expert Brady Shearer for this weeks #Blessed segment. He gives us three things we need to know before starting an online platform, and he explains why we shouldnt try to go viral with our content. Make sure to let us know your thoughts about this segment by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and including #Blessed with your comment.

Guest Bios

Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is associate professor of history and associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, womens history, and church history. She is the president of the Conference on Faith and History and is a member of Christians for Biblical Equality. Barr has written for Christianity Today,The Washington Post, and Religion News Service, and is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench, the popular Patheos website on Christian history.

Brady Shearer is the director of Pro Church Tools and the church-software platform Nucleus. His work focuses on helping churches navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including Ill See You Tomorrow and Its Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper
Alec Baldwin to face manslaughter charges in 'Rust' shooting: 'No one is above the law'

Actor and producer Alec Baldwin will face involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting on the set of the movie "Rust," prosecutors announced Thursday.

Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the film's Santa Fe County set in 2021, according to New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.

The shooting occurred on Oct. 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Bonanza City, New Mexico, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured after a live round was discharged from a revolver held by Baldwin during rehearsal.

The charges were announced in a statement from Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb Thursday morning.

"After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the 'Rust' film crew," Carmack-Altwies said.

"On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be "charged in the alternative" with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that jurors would determine which definition of involuntary manslaughter would apply.

Under New Mexico law, the first charge of involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine, prosecutors said. If applied, this charge would also include the misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a firearm.

The other, more serious charge is involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, which requires proof beyond simple negligence involved in a death.

While this charge is also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine, it also includes an added mandatory penalty because a firearm was involved, which makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.

David Halls, the first assistant director on "Rust," already agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.

No charges will be filed in the non-fatal shooting of Souza.

"If any one of these three people  Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls  had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple," said Reeb.

"The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our state's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

Charges are expected to be filed by the end of the month.

In an interview with ABC News last month, Baldwin denied pulling the trigger during rehearsal that fateful day, saying only that he cocked the antique Colt .45 revolver while blocking out the scene with Hutchins and other crew members.

Baldwin was reportedly practicing a "cross draw" in an old church when he pointed the revolver toward a camera near where Hutchins was standing.

"She's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle," he told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "I'm holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit."

Baldwin said to get the shot, he needed to cock back the gun's hammer but denied pulling the trigger.

"The trigger wasn't pulled," he said. "I didn't pull the trigger."

The day after the shooting, actor Stephen Baldwin, Alec's brother, and an outspoken Christian, asked for prayers "for all involved" in the tragic shooting.

The 55-year-old Baldwin wrote on Instagram: "Asking for prayers tonight friends not much can be said other than please pray for all involved in the tragic in the wake of this tragic accident thank you."

While it's unclear whether Alec Baldwin shares Stephen's faith, he shared a post last January  amid the ongoing investigation into the "Rust" shooting  where he pointed to how Elijah sought direction from God by waiting to hear that "still, small voice of God."

Baldwin wrote: "At a time when Elijah desperately needed to receive direction from God, he had to wait until all noise passed, and only when he was in a gentle stillness did he hear the still, small voice of God speaking to him."
Canada to donate 200 additional armoured vehicles to Ukraine

Xinhua) 09:55, January 19, 2023

A Ukrainian soldier covers an armored vehicle with branches in Donbass on April 12, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand made the announcement during her visit to Kyiv and these armoured vehicles are valued at over 90 million Canadian dollars (72 million U.S. dollars).

OTTAWA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada will donate 200 Senator Armoured Personnel Carriers to Ukraine as a new package of military assistance, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Wednesday.

According to a press release issued by the Defence Ministry, Anand made the announcement during her visit to Kyiv and these vehicles, which are being purchased from Roshel, a Canadian company based in Ontario, are valued at over 90 million Canadian dollars (72 million U.S. dollars).

The armoured personnel carriers, which are easily maneuverable and adaptable, are security task vehicles and offer state-of-the-art, best-in-class technology, and weapons can easily be mounted on them. The vehicles allow for the safe transport of personnel and equipment, and medical evacuations, the release said.

Canada's military assistance committed to Ukraine since February 2022 includes a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, M777 Howitzers and associated ammunition, according to the release.

Approximately 230 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed on Operation UNIFIER, Canada's training mission for Ukrainian personnel, which has trained over 35,000 Ukrainian security forces personnel since its launch in 2015, the release said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a fervent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned NATO allies on Thursday that a Russian loss in Ukraine may start a nuclear conflict.

In a telegram post, Medvedev, deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, noted: "The loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the beginning of a nuclear war."

The Russian official made the remark as Western officials are set to meet the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Fox News reported.

Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russia's president from 2008 to 2012, has regularly threatened nuclear war since the Russia-Ukraine war started 11 months ago.

He said that the NATO and other Western defense chiefs should weigh the costs and benefits of their stance before meeting this Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to deliberate their assistance for Ukraine, per Al Jazeera.

Read Also: New Zealand Prime Minister Quits

Medvedev's words were in line with Russia's principles, and they should be taken seriously, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Moscow's policy enables a nuclear strike following "aggression" against Russia "with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened."

Medvedev's Remarks Indicate Russia's Insecurity

Dmitry Medvedev has regularly threatened nuclear war since Russia invaded Ukraine, but his admission that Russia may lose shows how worried Moscow is about escalating Western armament shipments to Ukraine.

About 90% of the world's nuclear weapons are held by Russia and the United States, the world's two major nuclear powers.

Ukraine has promised to fight until every Russian soldier is banished, while the United States and its allies have called Russia's incursion an imperial territorial grab, according to Reuters.

Related Article: Update on Vladimir Putin's Disease

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Drunk man trying to steal St. Michael statue from Catholic church trips, falls on angel's sword

A drunken man was badly injured while trying to steal a statue of St. Michael the Archangel from a church in Mexico and was later arrested, according to a recent report.

Carlos Alonso, 32, allegedly went to Christ the King Parish of Monterrey last Saturday in an attempt to rob the church, according to a report by ACI Prensa, which was translated and adapted by Catholic News Agency.

According to the report, Alonso allegedly broke into the church and tried to steal a St. Michael the Archangel statue, but he then tripped and fell, landing on the statue's sword.

The sword cut his neck, seriously injuring the thief, with passersby noticing the wounded man and calling for emergency help for him, with Monterrey Civil Protection arriving soon after.

The man was later hospitalized while the statue was returned to the church, apparently undamaged by the incident, reported CNA. Alonso is expected to face charges for his actions.

According to Judeo-Christian tradition, St. Michael is a prominent angel in the Kingdom of Heaven, and referred to on multiple occasions in the Bible, especially regarding the End Times.

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven, reads Revelation 12:7-8, for example.

Michael, whose name is Hebrew for Who is like God, is often depicted as a warrior in paintings and art, usually bearing a sword and shown vanquishing Satan in combat.
Community grieves after 'hero' mom dies trying to save daughter from house fire

A New Jersey community is mourning the death of a border patrol officer who died trying to save her daughter from a house fire.

A group of mourners gathered at Veterans Park in Hazlet Tuesday to attend a candlelight vigil for Jacqueline Montanaro, who died after her family's home caught fire on Friday morning.

After escaping the home, Montanaro raced back into the house, hoping to rescue her 6-year-old daughter, Madelyn, from the burning house. Both mother and child later died from injuries they sustained from the fire.

Montanaro's husband, William Montanaro, and the couple's 8-year-old daughter survived the fire.

Viewings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the Holmdel Funeral Home, with the funeral and mass of Christian burial planned for Friday at St. Benedict's Church in Holmdel.

According to an obituary posted online by the funeral home, Montanaro graduated from the University of Delaware in 2004 and joined the U.S. Customs Border Protection at John F. Kennedy Airport in 2007. She later worked at Newark Liberty International Airport and rose to the rank of supervisory officer.

Montanaro also enjoyed ballroom dancing as she loved to dance Salsa and Merengue.

"I am heartbroken. I have lost the love of my life  my beautiful wife, Jackie  and my sweet, loving, spunky little girl, Madelyn," William Montanaro wrote in a note posted to the funeral page.

"Jackie was a hero. When I rushed back into the house for Madelyn, I became enveloped in a massive amount of thick, hot black smoke. Without hesitation, Jackie then charged in with a mother's love and the courage of a police officer fueling her attempt to save our daughter. I am now focused on getting my daughter the support and help she's going to need so that we can rebuild our lives together."

A GoFundMe campaign to support the family has raised over $300,000.

William Montanaro said he will forever cherish the memories of his wife and youngest daughter, who he called "mini," CBS New York reports.

Giovanna Candela, a fellow Hazel resident who attended Tuesday's prayer vigil, stated, "My heart breaks for this poor family."

The deceased woman's father, Joe Autera, preached to the crowd gathered for the vigil about the need to share love and kindness, just like his daughter and granddaughter had done.

"Make the difference that they no longer can," he said, according to CBS New York.

The former border patrol agent's husband said that his wife did not think twice about going back inside once she realized the couple's 6-year-old daughter had not escaped the house. The fire alarm had gone off, and just as William Montanaro went to check if the circuit breaker had caught fire, smoke filled the home, forcing him to crawl.

He cleared a path for the family to exit, realizing later that his youngest daughter was missing.

"I turned around and tried to go back in, and the flames and the smoke was just so intense," the widower said.

"My wife gave her life to save our daughter because when I went in, and I was engulfed in flames and black smoke and said we have to wait for our first responders, my wife's first responder heart overtook everything and went back in."

The family expressed gratitude to the first responders and their community, who have helped them cope with the recent tragedy. According to Montanaro, his 8-year-old daughter has continued to be strong during this time, and his purpose in life now is to live for her.

As The Christian Post reported, another community in Brazil mourned the loss of a pastor and his wife this month after the couple died attempting to save their son from drowning.

Felisberto Sampaio and his wife, Inalda Sampaio, visited Camacari Beach with their 13-year-old son on Jan. 10.

The couple entered the water after they saw their son struggling to stay afloat, but they failed to reach him. The boy was later rescued by a fisherman and another family member. However, his parents were not rescued from the water in time.

The local fire department confirmed to Brazilian news outlet Universo Online that they attempted to revive the couple before eventually declaring them dead at the scene.

Felisberto Sampaio had been a pastor for 12 years at the Assembly of God Church in Quixaba, Paraiba, according to The Daily Mail. Members of the congregation, including a pastor at a church the family, frequently attended, Leonardo Meneses, grieved the loss.

"I know that the circumstances are painful and difficult for us to understand. Only eternity will explain all the mysteries of life," Meneses said.
Moms visit Elizabeth Warren's office to refute claim pro-life pregnancy centers are 'fake'

A group of mothers showed up with their babies at the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to demonstrate how pro-life pregnancy centers have supported them and refute the senator's claims that these organizations are "fake" and exist to deceive women.

On Wednesday, the group of mothers shared with Warren's staff at her Capitol Hill office how the pro-life Stanton Healthcare clinic helped them navigate their pregnancies. According to a tweet from Rev. Patrick Mahoney, chief strategy officer for Stanton, the women also extended an invitation for Warren to visit the center.

The office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

The effort is part of an initiative launched by Stanton Public Policy Center and the pro-life Purple Sash Revolution during the January 18-22 March For Life week in Washington, D.C.

Incredible moment on Capitol Hill! Stanton Healthcare moms and their children, telling their personal stories to Senator Elizabeth Warrens staff, and inviting her to tour our life-affirming medical clinic! #NotFakeToMe#ProLife ?@LifeNewsHQ? ?@LiveAction? #Lifepic.twitter.com/vyRqUnprMK  Rev. Patrick Mahoney (@revmahoney) January 18, 2023

In addition to Warren, the organizations announced that they would also visit the office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, on Thursday to share their personal stories and invite her to visit Stanton's main headquarters in Meridian, Idaho.

However, the group could only meet outside Ocasio-Cortez's office, claiming her staff had locked the door.

Why are Stanton Healthcare and their moms having to meet outside of the office of AOC? Because her staff had the door locked with no one there! #ProLife#NotFakeToMe ?@LifeNewsHQ? ?@sbaprolife? ?@LiveAction? ?@StudentsforLife? ?@AbbyJohnson? pic.twitter.com/DdinX2v5RV  Rev. Patrick Mahoney (@revmahoney) January 19, 2023

As part of a campaign titled #NotFakeToMe, advocates are calling for the House Judiciary Committee to hold public hearings regarding the trend of vandalism and arson targeting pregnancy resource centers. The group is also having mothers who chose life after receiving help from a pregnancy center visit pro-choice politicians with their babies.

Brandi Swindell, CEO and founder of Stanton Healthcare, highlighted the violence and vandalism pregnancy centers have faced since the overturn of Roe v. Wade last June, in addition to attacks on their reputations from politicians accusing them of being "fake."

"Stanton is launching our #NotFakeToMe campaign to ensure our centers, and thousands around the country, are protected against violent physical attacks and also from intimidation and harassment from members of Congress," the statement reads.

"It is important for Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to hear the personal stories of our mothers and children, so she can fully understand our commitment to women and the incredible services and care we provide."

Swindell invited Ocasio-Cortez to visit the center and witness how it serves women facing unexpected pregnancies, as well as refugees and marginalized communities.

"Stanton's hope is that we can find areas of unity to help empower more women in our communities when they face an unexpected pregnancy."

As The Christian Post reported, Warren introduced the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, which declares abortion "an essential component of reproductive health care." The purpose of the legislation is to "direct the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe rules prohibiting disinformation in the advertising of abortion services, and for other purposes."

The bill accuses pregnancy resource centers of using "deceptive tactics" to prevent women from accessing abortions and that they falsely advertise themselves as "providers of comprehensive health care."

In a July tweet, the Family Research Council shared a video of Warren speaking to the press and claiming that pregnancy centers exist to "fool" women, noting that they outnumber abortion clinics "three to one."

"We need to shut them down here in Massachusetts, and we need to shut them down all around the country," the Democratic senator said. "You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that."

According to an analysis released in June by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, since 2016, pregnancy centers have prevented more than 800,000 abortions by providing women with community-based support.

The report noted that more than 2,700 pregnancy centers exist throughout the country, offering medical care, referrals, education and material resources at no charge. These services are performed by almost 15,000 staff members and nearly 54,000 volunteers, including 10,200 licensed medical professionals, according to the report.
Elementary school principal apologizes for sending ISIS flag in email to over 700 families

A Canadian school administrator has apologized after sending an image of the Islamic State flag in an email promoting Islamic Heritage Month and Somali Heritage Month.

In October, Principal Darlene Jones of Dr. Rita Cox  Kina Minogok Public School (formerly known as Queen Victoria Elementary) in downtown Toronto sent out an image in a mass email to hundreds of parents containing the infamous black-and-white flag of the brutal terror group.

Millions recognize the flag as a symbol of terrorism, death and persecution. The flag became widely known as it was seen in the publicized execution videos produced by the terror group as it rose to prominence in Iraq and Syria in 2014. During its reign of terror, the group killed and enslaved thousands.

"I would like to apologize to all who were harmed by the image I sent last week to celebrate Islamic Heritage Month," Jones wrote in a follow-up apology email sent to parents that month, according to CTV News. "The image was offensive and harmful and does not represent Islam."

The email left many parents outraged, including one recipient May Woo, who told the outlet that she was "shocked" and "in disbelief."

"If within an inner-city school, we can have something like the ISIS flag sent out for Islamic Heritage month, what else (inside the school) is happening?" asked Woo.

Woo has an eighth-grade daughter who attends the school.

CTV reports that Jones declined to comment on her motives behind posting the flag in the email and referred the outlet to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for public comment.

"When the mistake was brought to the Principal's attention in October, she immediately drafted a correction that was shared with all families, in which she apologized and acknowledged the harmful and offensive image that was originally shared," said Ryan Bird, TDSB's executive director of communications, in a statement, according to CP 24.

"It's not exactly clear how that may have happened. We don't believe there was any ill intent there. But the fact is: it should never have happened and gone out, and that's why she has apologized."

Parkdale, where the Jones' school is located, is one of many multicultural hubs of the city. The surrounding areas of the school are home to many low-income families living in apartments and co-ops. Many students are Muslim.

The school has been a source of survival for many of its children, who rely on the hot meal and snack programs, CTV reports.

Woo reported hearing from a Muslim mother after the email was sent who worried about the safety of her children.

"I don't feel that my children are safe here," the mother said. "Every time I drop them off [at school] I pray that they're going to be OK."

The reports of concern about Jones' email are not isolated incidents, as other parents have issued similar complaints against the principal, who has been working at the school for roughly a year and a half.

One such allegation, as reported by CTV News, states that Jones confused Woo's 13-year-old daughter for a teacher and requested that the girl monitor other children during a recess break.

Woo said that Jones allegedly had been accused of mistaking full-time teachers at the school for substitute teachers. Jones has denied all the allegations through a school board spokesperson.

Bird came to Jones' defense, saying the district found "a completely capable principal to take over the role."

Jones' lack of attention has been called into question before as CTV reports that she sent a school-wide email with misleading information about polling stations for the "federal election." The election was municipal, not federal, and she listed the wrong date for families to vote in the email.

"I think attention to detail is important for anyone at the TDSB, including principals and other school-based staff," Bird stated.
Pastor Mike Glenn announces pending departure from megachurch to focus on church planting

Mike Glenn, the senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, a megachurch in Tennessee, has announced he is stepping down from the pulpit to focus on church planting and re-purposing churches in changing communities.

Knowing that this day would come doesnt make it any easier now that it has arrived, Glenn wrote in a letter to the congregation. Today, I want to announce to you that 2023 will be my last year as the senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church. Thirty-two years  by any standard  is an amazing run, and Im grateful for every minute. But the time has come for someone else to lead BBC into the future that Im convinced God has for our church.

Glenn became the senior pastor of the Nashville-area church in 1991. Under his leadership, the church has grown to a membership of over 11,000 people, according to the churchs website. Since 2010, the church has grown from two campuses to seven locations throughout Middle Tennessee.

In his letter, Glenn stressed that the decision to step down was his alone and came after months of prayer and a deep love for you. The pastor also said he wants to spend more time working with pastors, church planters and leaders in Middle Tennessee.

I want to work with churches to plant new churches and re-purpose churches in changing communities. The most fun I have right now is working with our campus pastors. I want to do more of this, he said.

In a video statement accompanying his letter, Glenn said in January 2024, he will become the executive director of the Engaged Church Network, which is described as a family of gospel-centered churches, serving together to reach their communities for Jesus Christ.

This is an exciting time for our church. I can see where we're going, I can see what has to happen. I'm just not the guy to get us there. I've been confirmed in this and my prayer time and my conversation with other leaders. You're ready, the future is ready, he said.

Glenn is a well-known figure in the Southern Baptist Convention, the biggest Protestant denomination in the United States. He previously served on the executive board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, the Board of Trustees of Belmont University and the Board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

According to the Brentwood Baptist Trustees, Glenn will continue to offer his wisdom, experience, and vision as the church seeks to fill the soon-to-be vacant position of senior pastor.

We will share updates on the process for a new senior pastor in the coming months, they said. Our church bylaws outline the steps for this process, and ultimately, the church body will decide on the Trustees recommendation.

On Twitter, local pastors reacted to the news of Glenns announcement.

Major news here locally, but also big for the SBC, wrote Jonathan Howe, host of SBC This Week. Mike Glenn announced his pending retirement as pastor of @brentwoodbc llikely toward the end of 2023. Please be in prayer for this great church and for Mike during this time of transition.

Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Church in Tennessee, called Glenn the real deal, adding: Hes been a friend and mentor to me over the past year.
Bleak future ahead for majority of Americans due to lower education: study

Americans who dont have a college degree are now facing a bleak and deadlier future compared to those who do, according to Princeton researchers who recently found increasing deaths by drugs, alcohol and suicide, known as deaths of despair, are largely concentrated among this group while a college degree appears to act as a talisman against them.

In their working paper, The Great Divide: Education, Despair and Death published this month, husband and wife research team, Anne Case and Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton, build on previous research examining the relationship between mortality and education in America.

Deaths of despair, morbidity and emotional distress continue to rise in the U.S. The increases are largely borne by those without a four-year college degree  the majority of American adults, the researchers wrote in the paper published this month. For many less-educated Americans, the economy and society are no longer providing the basis for a good life. Concurrently, all-cause mortality in the U.S. is diverging by education  falling for the college-educated and rising for those without a degree  something not seen in other rich countries.

Some 32.1% of the population 25 years of age and older holds at least a bachelors degree, according to data from the American Community Survey. In recent reports, however, as college-educated women grapple with the diminishing returns from degrees, many men, some who have cited these diminishing returns, are now completely choosing to forgo college.

If I was going to be a doctor or a lawyer, then obviously those people need a formal education. But there are definitely ways to get around it now, Daniel Briles, 18, who graduated in June from Hastings High School in Hastings, Minnesota, told The Wall Street Journal in a recent report. There are opportunities that werent taught in school that could be a lot more promising than getting a degree.

Case and Deaton cited data showing that the age-adjusted alcohol-related mortality rate among non-Hispanic whites between the ages of 25 and 74 increased by 41% between 2013 and 2019. At the same time, the suicide rate for this group rose by 17% as the drug-related mortality rate skyrocketed by 73%.

After 2010, deaths of despair also began increasing among black Americans and Hispanics without a bachelors degree. For both groups, drug-related mortality more than doubled between 2013 and 2019 as the suicide rate increased by one-third. Additionally, alcohol-related mortality rates increased by 30% for blacks without a bachelors degree and 24% for Hispanics.

These statistics are for the period leading up to the COVID epidemic. Unfortunately, if (when) vaccinations control the virus, there is no reason to expect that these deaths of despair among less-educated Americans will decline, the researchers said.

The Princeton academics also highlight how the progress in the fight against deaths from cardiovascular disease, which led to increases in life expectancy in the final quarter of the 20th century, has now leveled off, even for those with the degree, while reversing for those without.

To highlight the nature of the disparity in the quality of life between the educated and the less educated, Case and Deaton pointed to the suicide rate, which they report is currently at its highest level since 1938.

Contrary to what was long believed, suicide rates in the U.S. are higher among those with less education. While the age-adjusted suicide rate almost doubled from 1992 to 2019 among WNHs ages 2574 without a BA, increasing from 17.6 to 31.1 per 100,000, there was almost no increase among those with the degree, the researchers note in their study.

Suicide rates were declining between 1990 and 2010 for less-educated Hispanics and BNHs, but rates began to rise after 2010, increasing from 7 to 10 per 100,000 (age-adjusted 25-74) between 2010 and 2019.

In their final thoughts on the situation, Case and Deaton noted that Growing inequality in America since 1970 includes diverging fortunes for those with and without a four-year college degree. The evidence on growing mortality and morbidity that we first highlighted in 2015 continues up to and into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even if the opioid epidemic is brought under control  itself a very difficult task given that so much of the supply is now illegal  the underlying despair is likely to remain, they concluded. The prospects for less-educated Americans remain bleak unless there are fundamental changes in the way that the American economy operates.
Ex-SBC Pres. Johnny Hunt returns to pulpit after allegation he sexually assaulted pastors wife 12 years ago

Six months after he was suspended as pastor emeritus by First Baptist Church Woodstock in Georgia following an investigation that concluded allegations he sexually assaulted a younger pastor's wife over a decade ago are credible, former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt returned to preaching on Sunday, declaring that Gods call on his life is irrevocable.

Hunt, who now lives with his wife, Janet, at a home they own in Panama City, Florida, made his return to the pulpit at Hiland Park Baptist Church on Sunday, where Senior Pastor Steven Kyle introduced him as one of the greatest pulpiteers in our generation. Kyle also revealed that last summer, around the time Hunt was suspended by First Baptist Church Woodstock, the former preacher and his wife had also joined the church as members.

How many of you know that Gods callings are irrevocable? Sometimes you may think, Well, you know, I made some bad choices in my life and oh, by the way, have you ever made a choice that you wish you could undo but you cant undo it? What do you do with stuff that you cant undo? You give it to Jesus and He washes us and he cleanses us in the blood as we repent and we return to Him, Hunt said in his sermon titled, A Wineskin in Smoke.

God is omniscient. When God calls you to do something and you begin to think you are no longer qualified to do it, you dont think He knew your past, your present and your future when He called you? He already knew that. Yet He still placed His hand and His calling on you, said Hunt, who has been preaching for 46 years.

Pastor Jeremy Morton and other members of the leadership team at First Baptist Church Woodstock suspended Hunt last summer after a May 22, 2022, report compiled by the outside firm Guidepost Solutions detailed results of an investigation into allegations that SBC leaders intimidated whistleblowers and exonerated churches with credible claims of negligence of sexual abuse victims.

"We have recommended to our former pastor, Johnny Hunt, a clear process of counseling, accountability, and restoration," Morton and other members of the leadership team at First Baptist Woodstock noted in a letter announcing Hunts suspension. "We also believe it is in the best interest of FBCW to suspend his role as Pastor Emeritus."

The wife of a younger pastor who considered Hunt to be a mentor told investigators that while she was on a beach vacation with his family in Panama City, Florida, Hunt sexually assaulted her and told her he wanted to have sex with her three times a day.

The woman and her husband, who are both 24 years younger than the 69-year-old Hunt, who served as SBC president from 2008 to 2010, told investigators that the assault took place after the June 2010 SBC annual meeting held in Orlando that year.

Hunt, in a May 27, 2022, statement addressed to the church on his Instagram account admitted that while he did have an encounter with the younger pastor's wife, the Guidepost Solutions report was "sensationalized" and the account included details that are not true.

"Our brief, but improper, encounter ended when  in response to an overwhelming feeling of conviction  I stopped it and I fled the situation. I remember saying just before leaving the condo, 'This is not right. I have no business being here. I love my wife.' I have never been in a room again privately with the woman involved," Hunt wrote.

The relationship between Hunt and First Baptist Church of Woodstock remained unclear on Thursday. A representative of the church acknowledged to The Christian Post on Thursday that Hunt and his wife had moved their church membership to Hiland Park Baptist Church but only Morton would be able to say what became of Hunts suspension.

Hunt, who confessed to the congregation on Sunday that he had not preached in eight months, mentioned the allegations against him during his message. He momentarily recalled how devastated he and his wife were when the news of the allegations broke.

Ive been trying to not overthink this message. Ive been trying to not come in prepared to say this or that, theres parts Ive just [had] to say, God, wherever you lead. I dont know why Im consumed with the thought but Im lying in bed at my home here in Panama City Beach, he said.

Some false allegations had broke against me. There were some allegations that werent false but the ones that were false were damaging. The others would have been easier to survive. Im in bed and Im awakened by the cry and my wife is weeping, Hunt continued.

He said he asked his wife if she was OK and she replied: Theyve ruined your life.

I felt consumed. I was overwhelmed. I needed to find intervention. I found it even hard to pray, Hunt admitted, but he insisted that he still had hope in God.

Its not been easy for me to preach this morning, he said. If you can imagine since I havent preached in eight months  the longest Ive gone without preaching in 46 years. I felt like I was going to the tomb this morning. I was excited that he arose but I was nervous at the same time.
Trump condemns 'disloyalty' of Evangelical leaders who haven't endorsed his 2024 run

Former President Donald Trump is condemning what he characterizes as disloyalty from Evangelical activists who have not endorsed his 2024 presidential bid.

Trump, who announced he is seeking a second term in office in the 2024 presidential election following his unsuccessful re-election bid in 2020, appeared on the Real Americas Voice program The Water Cooler with David Brody Monday.

Host David Brody noted that when you announced your candidacy, at least as it stands now, some of these prominent Evangelical leaders who backed you last time, theyre not yet willing to commit, like Robert Jeffress is not, some others.

It looks like many of them are waiting to see how the field takes shape before backing anyone, he added. Brody asked Trump if he had a message to them.

Trump responded by declaring, I dont really care, adding, Thats a sign of disloyalty.

Nobody has ever done more for right-to-life than Donald Trump. I put three Supreme Court justices who all voted, and they got something that theyve been fighting for  many, many years.

The former president mentioned how Evangelicals and the pro-life movement finally won last June when the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organizationruling determining that the U.S. Constitution doesn't contain a right to abortion, overruling the Roe v. Wade decision establishing a national right to abortion.

The Dobbs decision followed Trumps appointment of three justices to the bench, including the replacement of the late liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Amy Coney Barrett.

Trump suggested that Evangelicals and pro-life activists did not do enough on behalf of pro-life candidates in last years midterm elections.

Im a little disappointed because I thought they could have fought much harder during the election, during the 22 election, because  they won, and a lot of them didnt fight or werent really around to fight.

Trumps comments build on remarks he made following the 2022 midterm elections when Republicans failed to make large gains as expected. While Republicans secured a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, they saw a net loss of one seat in the U.S. Senate even as President Joe Biden suffered from low approval ratings.

In a Jan. 1 statement on his social media platform Truth Social, the former president insisted that It was the abortion issue, poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters.

He also suggested that the people that pushed so hard, for decades, against abortion, got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court, & just plain disappeared, not to be seen again.

The line of questioning comes after Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, asserted in a statement that the Republican Party is headed towards a civil war that I have no desire to be a part of.

Jeffress was one of the most outspoken supporters of Trump during his insurgent presidential bid in 2016, continuing to stand behind him during his presidency and ahead of his 2020 re-election campaign.

Both of Trumps previous runs for the presidency have seen the candidate achieve sizable support from white Evangelicals, an important voting bloc in both the Republican primary and general electorate.

Exit polling from the 2020 presidential election shows Trump capturing 76% of the Evangelical vote, while exit polling from the previous presidential election measured his level of evangelical support at 81%.

With less than two years to go until the 2024 presidential election, no other major candidates have announced bids for the Republican nomination to the president although several are thought to be considering White House runs.

Trump has shouldered a lot of blame for the disappointing midterm election results for Republicans, with critics contending that he supported candidates in primary elections who proved unelectable in a general election.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls of Republican primary voters examines support for Trump and his hypothetical Republican opponents. The current RealClearPolitics average, consisting exclusively of polls taken after the 2022 midterms, shows a plurality of Republican primary voters (44.3%) favoring Trump. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rumored 2024 White House hopeful who recently won re-election by a massive landslide, is in second at 30.5%, while all other prospective candidates listed have support in the single digits.

Polling data compiled by RealClearPolitics before the midterms showed Trump leading by wider margins in all but one poll.
Arizona inducing labor on pregnant women against their will bolsters calls for prison reform

A report alleging that an Arizona prison forcibly induced labor on three pregnant women before their due dates has strengthened calls for prison reform and drawn a response from the governor amid ongoing concerns about the state's treatment of inmates.

Three women serving time at the Perryville prison in Buckeye claim that the prison forced them into labor against their wishes. The prison reportedly told the women that inducing labor was part of its policy, which they believe is intended to somehow reduce liability for the prison.

As The Arizona Republic reported earlier this month, two women, Stephanie Pearson and Desiree Romero, were forcibly induced at 39 weeks gestation in 2022, according to medical records obtained by the outlet. Another woman, Jocelyn Heffner, was 37 weeks pregnant and had labor induced twice during separate incarcerations, once in 2020 and again in 2022.

Naphcare, the state's prison healthcare contractor that took over in October 2022, denied the existence of a policy of forced labor induction. The previous prison healthcare contractor, Centurion, did not respond to questions from the outlet.

A spokesperson for Naphcare informed The Arizona Republic that one incarcerated patient was induced "per hospital specialist's orders as a maternal-fetal safety precaution due to a pre-existing condition." The spokesperson contended that women have a choice if they want to induce labor. However, the three pregnant inmates say that they were not given a choice, nor were they told ahead of time about the induction.

In a statement to The Christian Post, Naphcare stated that it's policies related to pregnancy and labor "follow all state, local and federal regulations, as well as National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) and American Correctional Association (ACA) standards."

"Since assuming control of medical care for the state prisons on October 1st, NaphCare has reinforced with medical staff the importance of ongoing patient education about their choice regarding labor induction and birth planning," the Naphcare statement reads. "Although we do not have authority over hospital specialists, we can ensure that NaphCare physicians at Perryville clearly explain to each patient that the choice to induce labor is ultimately the patient's. The decision is made under the advisement of community hospital specialists, not NaphCare physicians."

The Arizona Department of Corrections and Centurion did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

Caroline Isaacs, executive director of Just Communities Arizona, an advocacy group that seeks to end mass incarceration, told The Christian Post that she is not surprised by the report.

"So this is just another piece of evidence of the deeply broken culture at our Department of Corrections and the disregard for the health, safety, autonomy, inherent worth, and dignity of the people in its care," Isaacs said.

Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said this week that inducing birth without consent is "wrong and inhumane."

"The choice of when and how to give birth is deeply personal and that does not change just because someone is incarcerated," Hobbs said, according to USA Today.

Isaacs highlighted what she called a "scathing" ruling released by U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver earlier this month. The ruling requires the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry to make changes to ensure medical care and mental healthcare at its prisons meet constitutional standards.

Isaacs believes that the laws in Arizona are "overly harsh" and that the state should seek to resolve issues like substance abuse and mental health at the community level instead of sentencing people to prison.

She emphasized the state's reportedly high incarceration rate, a claim also made by the think tank Prison Policy Initiative in a 2021 report. According to the think tank, Arizona ranked eighth among states and countries, with the data showing that it incarcerated 868 people per 100,000 residents in state prisons, local jails, federal prisons, and other systems of confinement.

The advocate also speculated that the reason for the reported lack of care for pregnant inmates is that many state lawmakers believe that prisons are supposed to be "horrible" as a form of punishment.

One bright spot Isaacs noted, however, is that Gov. Hobbs released a statement last week promising that her administration would ensure the state's prison systems meets "constitutional requirements."

The governor's statement was in response to the federal court order issued by Judge Silver, a Clinton appointee.

In her January order, Judge Silver required the ADCRR to implement a program to monitor the "quality of clinical care." This would require, for example, the ADCRR to monitor the percentage of pregnant women who receive the results of routine prenatal laboratory tests documented within one month of the pregnancy.

Other changes mandated by the ruling include ensuring the staffing of medical and mental healthcare practitioners meets the minimum caseload required by the court within three months. In addition, Judge Silver's ruling called for healthcare providers to perform medical and mental health screenings within one business day of an individual entering ADCRR's system.

The recent order follows a previous ruling from last June in which Judge Silver found that the ADCRR "failed to provide, and continues to refuse to provide, a constitutionally adequate medical care and mental health care system for all prisoners."

The judge stated that the prisons' "health care system is plainly grossly inadequate. Defendants have been aware of their failures for years and Defendants have refused to take necessary actions to remedy the failures."

According to a statement last week from the American Civil Liberties Union, a legal advocacy group involved in the case, a class-action lawsuit was initially filed in 2012 on behalf of inmates incarcerated in 10 of Arizona's prisons. A court-approved settlement was reached in 2014. However, Judge Silver set the agreement aside in July 2021 due to ADCRR's "pervasive material breaches."

The evidence presented at trial in November 2021 and December 2021 suggested that the failure of Arizona's prisons to provide basic healthcare resulted in injuries and preventable deaths for many inmates.
Christian nurse sues CVS over firing for refusing to prescribe abortion drugs

A Christian nurse practitioner has filed a lawsuit against CVS, accusing the company of firing her for refusing to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs due to her sincerely-held religious beliefs.

J. Robyn Strader filed suit against CVS in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, last week, noting that the company had granted her a religious exemption to prescribing abortifacients and contraceptives, but removed the exemption in 2021.

CVSs new policy is to deny all such religious accommodations without considering the particular circumstances of the employee requesting the accommodation, including to determine whether that employee could be accommodated without undue hardship, reads the suit.

It is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for an employer to avoid accommodating a religious practice that it could accommodate without undue hardship  Religious accommodation requests must be considered on an individual basis to determine whether the requesting employee can be accommodated.

Strader is being represented by the First Liberty Institute, a conservative law firm based in Texas that has successfully argued religious freedom cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

After accommodating Robyn for six and a half years without a single complaint, CVS fired her because it simply did not like her pro-life religious beliefs, said FLI counsel Christine Pratt in a statement shared with The Christian Post on Friday.

It is illegal to issue a blanket revocation of all religious accommodations when it is so easy for CVS to accommodate its employees. CVS is sending a message that religious health care workers are not welcome and need not apply.

From 2015 to 2021, Strader worked at a CVS MinuteClinic located in Keller, Texas, with her employer telling her back in 2015 that she would not be required to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs.

In August 2021, CVS announced that all employees and nurses working at their clinics would have to prescribe contraceptives and abortifacients, removing any religious exemptions.

On Oct. 31, 2021, according to the suit, CVS terminated Straders employment, having allegedly never responded to Straders many requests to reinstate her religious accommodation.

Strader filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February last year, with the EEOC giving her a Notice of Right to Sue on Jan. 3.

Strader is not the only former CVS employee suing the company over its new policy regarding religious exemptions, as the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit last August in the Virginia Circuit Court for the County of Prince William on behalf of Paige Casey.

In a recent statement to CBS News, CVS spokesperson Michael DeAngelis said while his company still gives out religious exemptions to employees, however, they consider the prescribing of abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives to be essential.

We have a well-defined process in place for employees to request and be granted a reasonable accommodation due to their religious beliefs, which in some cases can be an exemption from performing certain job functions. It is not possible, however, to grant an accommodation that exempts an employee from performing the essential functions of their job, stated DeAngelis.

As we continue to enhance our MinuteClinic services, educating and treating patients regarding sexual health matters  including pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infection prevention, screening and treatment, and safer sex practices  have become essential job functions of our providers and nurses.
Mailchimp, an email marketing firm went through another cyber attack. The incident led to hackers accessing 133 customer data through the company's internal support and account administration tool, following the attack on company employees.

The System Breach

According to Mailchimp, the hackers were able to access the company's system by acquiring employee credentials, which were obtained through a social engineering attack targeting Mailchimp employees and contractors, according to Bleeping Computer.

The cyber attack was detected by the firm on January 11th when they noticed that an unauthorized person was accessing their support tools. This resulted in a temporary suspension of Mailchimp account access where suspicious activities were seen to protect customer data.

Mailchimp notified their primary contacts for the affected accounts the following day, not 24 hours after the discovery. In a separate email, the company provided steps to assist users in securely reinstating access to their Mailchimp accounts

WooCommerce, an eCommerce plugin for WordPress, was one of the victims of the system breach. The eCommerce platform already alerted its customers in a tweet, stating that the Mailchimp breach exposed their names, store URLs, and email addresses.

Although, they assured that no payment data, passwords, or other sensitive security information is part of the breach. They added that customer stores and customer data have not been impacted by the incident, and neither did WordPress and WooCommerce accounts.

Read Also: MailChimp Hacked: Stolen Data Used for Phishing Attacks on Trezor Crypto Wallet Users

Previous Attack

The company also experienced a breach nearly a year ago. They first detected the attacker trying to access one of their internal tools, which was used by customer-facing teams for customer support and account administration.

It was also because of a Mailchimp employee falling victim to a social engineering attack, resulting in employee credentials being stolen. They opened an investigation with the help of third-party forensic professionals to assess the damage on March 26th.

They immediately limited employee access to internal systems to prevent further damage. Mailchimp discovered that 319 Mailchimp accounts were viewed and 102 of those accounts had audience data exported from them, according to their website.

Around April 2022, Trezor hardware wallet owners experienced security incidents, wherein the customers received fake data breach notifications to urge them to download a fake Trezor Suite software. The fake software will then steal their recovery seeds, reports say.

The data involved in the Trezor incident belonged to 106,856 of their customers. They warned that anyone who accessed their wallets using Trezor Suite was at risk of having their cryptocurrency assets stolen.

Trezor announced it via Twitter, also revealing that the list of emails used in the phishing campaign was stolen in the Mailchimp breach. The email marketing firm initially claimed that 214 Mailchimp accounts were accessed, motivated by cryptocurrency-related factors.

It was then admitted by the company that the breach was more extensive than it first said. The Mailchimp employees that fell victim to Okta phishing attacks called "okatpus." This allowed the threat actors to access the company's systems in the first place.

Related: Did the MailChimp Security Breach Expose Email Addresses of DigitalOcean Customers?
North Korea ranks as worst persecutor of Christians after enacting 'anti-reactionary thought law

North Korea has reclaimed its position as the worlds worst persecutor of Christians, according to the latest World Watch List report prepared by the religious persecution watchdog Open Doors US.

Open Doors US released its 2023 World Watch List on Tuesday. The document, released annually since 1993, ranks the countries of the world based on the severity of the persecution and discrimination Christians are subjected to. While Afghanistan took the top spot in 2022, North Korea regained its status as the worlds worst persecutor of Christians in 2023. Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Sudan round out the top-10 worst persecutors of Christians on this years World Watch List.

In a statement announcing the findings of the 2023 World Watch List, Open Doors US cited an anti-reactionary thought law implemented in North Korea as a particularly troubling development. Open Doors US Interim CEO Lisa Pearce told The Christian Post in an interview that the law was enacted in 2020.

Pearce described the anti-reactionary thought law as a way to legitimize persecuting anybody who has any literature, anything of Western influence, including the Bible. She pointed to the law as another reason for North Koreas presence at the top of this years World Watch List while acknowledging that in practice, its difficult for things to be more brutal for the Church than they already were.

Open Doors US cited a comment from North Korean escapee Timothy Cho when painting a picture of the hostility faced by Christians there. Cho said, Christians have always been in the front line of attack for the regime, referring to the Kim dynasty that has ruled the country with an iron fist for several decades. According to Cho, Their aim is to wipe out every Christian in the country. There can only be one god in North Korea, and that is the Kim family.

As for Afghanistan, which claimed the title of worlds worst persecutor of Christians last year amid the Talibans highly publicized takeover after the Biden administration's withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, World Watch List founder Wybo Niccolai told CP that the situation has really not changed in the past year even though the country dropped from No. 1 to No. 9 on the list. He noted that a number of things have changed that led to Afghanistan ranking further down on the list of the worlds worst Christian persecutors this year.

The Taliban, during the time of takeover, they killed a lot of Christians. They are no longer there, he said. Many other Christians fled so they are no longer there. Niccolai also detailed how a large number of Christians who have decided to remain in Afghanistan have gone deep down underground.

One Christian who fled Afghanistan following the Talibans takeover, identified as Zabi, elaborated on the situation on the ground in a neighboring country in a statement to Open Doors US: Our situation is desperate. My mother and I managed to cross the border into another country. I am praying that I can leave this country and go somewhere safe. I may have to go into hiding or Ill be deported to Afghanistan. If that happens, I may be killed.

The World Watch List also listed Nigeria as a hotbed for Christian persecution. The number of religiously motivated killings in the African nation rose from 4,650 to 5,014 in the course of a year, accounting for 89% of the international total of 5,623 Christians killed for their faith in 2022. The number of religiously motivated killings worldwide marked a slight decrease worldwide from the 5,898 measured the previous year.

Pearce called on the U.S. State Department to re-establish Nigeria as a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for the worst violators of religious freedom. She contended that based on conversations with our teams of people who live there, Nigerias absence from the list of countries of particular concern for the second year in a row is a difficult thing to reconcile.

The World Watch List also reflects the emergence of Sub-Saharan Africa as a troubled spot for Christian persecution, home to four of the top-10 worst persecutors of Christians. The whole region is heading into catastrophe, said World Watch Research Managing Director Frans Veerman.

The aim of Islamic State and affiliated groups is to destabilize the entire region, establish an Islamic caliphate  ultimately across the entire continent  and, long term, they are confident this is within their reach. They are helped by other Islamists focusing on non-violent, systemic Islamization, he added.

Veerman stressed that it isnt just governments in Africa that arent facing up to the true nature of this religiously motivated purge, its governments across the world. He warned that the price of this denial is incalculable, not just to Africa, but to the whole world.

Statistics compiled by Open Doors US reveal that more than 360 million Christians worldwide find themselves subject to discrimination and persecution on the basis of their faith, accounting for one out every seven Christians. The watchdog organization characterized the persecution of Christians as at the highest levels since the list began nearly 30 years ago.

This years World Watch List marks the first to be released after Open Doors USA, the organization that previously released the World Watch Lists, separated from Open Doors International and assumed the name Global Christian Relief. Open Doors International announced on Jan. 1 that its U.S. chapter would henceforth be known as Open Doors US.

Open Doors US identifies itself as a global NGO network which has supported and strengthened persecuted Christians for 68 years and works in more than 70 countries to provide practical support to persecuted Christians such as food, medicines, trauma care, legal assistance, safe houses and schools, as well as spiritual support through Christian literature, training and resources.
Human rights groups demand humanitarian airlift for Christian region Nagorno-Karabakh

In a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, John Eibner, the president of Christian Solidarity International, and the U.K.s Baroness Caroline Cox have urged the United States to take action to end Azerbaijan's blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, home to 120,000 Armenian Christians.

The letter calls for a resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would authorize a humanitarian airlift into the region if Azerbaijan does not comply.

You are the first American president to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Eibner and Baroness Cox of Queensbury, a member of the U.K.s House of Lords, wrote to Biden Tuesday. We urge you not to allow another Armenian Genocide to occur on your watch.

On Dec. 12, Azerbaijani activists and soldiers closed the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh to the Republic of Armenia, and thus to the outside world, CSI said, adding that Azerbaijan had also cut off electricity, gas and internet access to the region.

As a result, food, fuel and essential medicines are running out in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, with electricity and fuel for heating increasingly scarce, many people, especially the poor and the elderly, are at risk of dying from cold in the freezing winter temperatures, added CSI, a Christian human rights organization that says it promotes religious liberty and human dignity.

It's all part of an ongoing genocide, according to the group.

A process of genocide has been underway since the Ottoman massacres of Armenians in the late 19th century, Eibner told The Christian Post.

What is generally called the Armenian Genocide (1915-'18) was, in fact, a broader genocide of Christians, including the Syriacs/Assyrians/Aramaeans. It was the high point of a process that continues in waves until the present day, the CSI president said.

He added, It continued in the Caucasus after the end of the First World War and was only suspended by the imposition of Soviet rule. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the process resumed in the first Karabakh war, again two years ago in the second Karabakh war and now in the strangulation of Karabakh by means of blockade.

The blockade shows Azerbaijans intention to conquer Nagorno Karabakh by, in the words of the Genocide Convention, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the end of a national, ethnical, racial or religious group in whole or in part, Eibner and Cox wrote in the letter.

As the blockade began, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, as quoted by CSI, Today we see consistent actions which make more and more real the concern that Azerbaijan is indeed planning genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Issuing a genocide warning for Nagorno Karabakh with other human rights organizations last month, CSI said the actions of Azerbaijan toward the Armenians in the region aligned with a historical pattern of ethnic and religious cleansing by Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, the warning read, all 14 indicators of potential atrocity crimes identified by the U.N. Secretary-Generals Office on Genocide Prevention were present.

The blockade follows an unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan on the Republic of Armenia last September, and another 44-day war of aggression by Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in September-November 2020, CSI said in a statement to The Christian Post. In both wars, Azerbaijani forces committed well-documented war crimes against Armenians, and the 2020 war resulted in the ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands of Armenians from their homes, it added.

Azerbaijans 1989-1994 ethnic cleansing campaign against Armenians also began with a blockade of the region.

Failure to act will have world-historical consequences, Cox and Eibner warned in their letter. If Azerbaijan succeeds in conquering Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic cleansing on a mass scale will take place, a priceless part of humanitys common cultural heritage will be destroyed, and dictatorships everywhere will see that aggression is rewarded in todays international order.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a long-standing dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is recognized internationally as part of Muslim-majority Azerbaijan even though it has a majority Armenian population and is controlled by ethnic Armenians.

The conflict has its roots in the early 20th century when the region, which has a majority Armenian population, was part of the Russian Empire and later, the Soviet Union.

In the 1920s, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within Soviet Azerbaijan. However, as the Soviet Union began to collapse in the late 1980s, ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh voted to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia. This led to a war between the two countries that lasted from 1988 to 1994, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of over 1 million.

A ceasefire was signed in 1994 but sporadic violence continued in the region.

In 2016, a four-day war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, resulting in hundreds of deaths. In September 2020, the fighting broke out again, escalated rapidly and resulted in a large-scale military operation by Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, to retake the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas under Armenian control.

A ceasefire was signed again in November 2020, but tensions remain high, with both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations, and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remaining tense.

In an op-ed published by the Foreign Policy magazine last month, Armenian journalist Lara Setrakian explained that the Armenians residing in Karabakh view the prospect of complete integration into Azerbaijan without any guarantees for their security as a potential precursor to ethnic cleansing, whether through violent means or by exerting pressure for them to leave their homes.

Azerbaijan's promise to treat the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as equals to its own citizens provides little assurance given Azerbaijan's history of human rights violations, wrote Setrakian, who's also the president of the Applied Policy Research Institute based in Yerevan.

Furthermore, she added, recent violent acts committed by Azerbaijani soldiers, such as the execution of Armenian prisoners of war, sexual abuse of female soldiers and the mutilation and beheading of Armenian civilians have only heightened the fear and concern of the Armenian community.

Biden became the first president since former President Ronald Reagan to recognize the Armenian genocide on its 106th anniversary in April 2021. Some historians see the Armenian genocide as a precursor of genocides the world witnessed later, including the Holocaust.

In October 2020, an estimated 100,000 people marched through the streets of Los Angeles, California, to call for an end to the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

We stand with our brothers and sisters in Armenia & Artsakh, & the diaspora in L.A., Eric Garcetti, who was Los Angeles Mayor at the time, tweeted. We need our national leadership to step up & help bring peace to the region. Turkey must disengage.
Microsoft expects to cut 10,000 workers through its third fiscal quarter, according to a publicly posted memo from CEO Satya Nadella.

Engadget writes that by making the change, Microsoft's cost structure will be in line with the industry demand and the company revenue.

The Company Says That The Cuts Were Strategic

Microsoft stated on Wednesday that it would be making 10,000 layoffs as part of its efforts to reduce expenses in the face of mounting worries about a wide-spread economic downturn.

It can be remembered that during the height of the pandemic, customers increased their digital spending, but they are now reducing it, according to Nadella.

As certain regions of the world are currently experiencing a recession and others are preparing for one, the company is seeing businesses in every sector and region exercise caution.

With that, less than 5% of Microsoft's 221,000 global employees will be affected by the layoffs, but it is still huge for a company like the tech giant.

Although it remained unclear which departments would be affected, the company started informing affected employees on Wednesday and aims to finish the layoffs by the spring.

Meanwhile, for the severance expenses, combining building leases, and undisclosed adjustments to its hardware assortment, the company will pay a $1.2 billion restructuring charge.

According to Nadella, US employees would receive "above-market" severance compensation, six more months of healthcare coverage, and stock awards, Engadget reports.

In order to keep up with the surge in demand, Microsoft, like other large tech businesses, started hiring extremely quickly during the global pandemic. Since 2019, Microsoft has hired around 75,000 people.

However, as Nadella pointed out in his letter to the staff, customers are already making do with less, and many analysts anticipate a general decline in the economy in 2023.

"These are the kinds of hard choices we have made throughout our 47-year history to remain a consequential company in this industry that is unforgiving to anyone who doesn't adapt to platform shifts," Nadella says.

Read More: Microsoft To Lay Off Thousands Of Employees This Week, Reports Suggest

This Is The Biggest Layoff As Of Recent As Microsoft Tries To Focus On Other Areas

This is Microsoft's second-largest round of layoffs after 18,000 were made in 2014 as a freshly promoted Nadella reduced the company's hardware sector.

Aside from an effort to cut costs on employment, the tech giant wants to invest its money on other projects of the business, NPR writes.

It can be remembered that the AI startup OpenAI, which is behind popular AI tools like Dall-E and ChatGPT, is receiving millions of dollars from the tech giant.

The company has also been expanding its already big video game sector with well-known systems like Xbox.

Among these expansion moves is most notably its recent planned $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a deal that is being contested by federal regulators.

The software business said on Wednesday that it will be granting US employees unlimited time off, a decision that was applauded by employees at the company who suspected it was done to enhance morale amid layoffs.

While Microsoft, the third-most valuable corporation in the world, continues to make significant advances, Nadella portrayed the layoffs as a difficult decision they were forced to make.

Related Article: Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds of Employees Across Multiple Divisions, Reports Say
The question of where life on Earth came from now has a more probable answer.

UK scientists have recently revealed that the Winchcombe meteorite that struck the UK in 2021 not only contains water but also amino acids that potentially led to the creation of life on Earth.

The winchcombe meterorite is one of the most pristine meteorite samples on Earth, enough to rival the ones taken directly from their source in space.

Winchcombe Meteorite Amino Acids Discovery

The winchcombe meteorite is becoming one of the key elements that may answer the question how life began on Earth. In November 2022, scientists discovered that the meteorite contained water that was a near-perfect match for that on Earth, per the BBC.

In fact, 11% of the Winchcombe meteorite's weight came from the water it contained.

With this discovery, experts became more confident that celestial objects like meteors and meteorites, brought the chemical components needed, which also included water, for Earth to become what it is now.

Now, scientists found a new reason to believe that meteors and meteorites were the ones that brought the building blocks of life on Earth as we know it.

Queenie Chan from the University of London's Royal Holloway mentioned that the meteorite itself contains organic compounds, including amino acids, the same molecules that form protains, giving them the nickname "the building blocks of life," per Space.com.

Chan also revealed that some of the amino acids that the meteorite hosted within itself are the precursors of to the proteins that make up DNA and are vital to life on Earth.

Read More: Samsung's Self-Repair Program Expansion Lets You Repair Your Galaxy S22

As such, Chan believes that studying the Winchcombe meteorite will provide scientists with a window into the past, during the early days of the Solar System.

the meteorite not only made a name for itself but it also redefined meteorites forever. Chan and her colleagues think that the Winchcombe meteroite belongs in an entirely new category. Although the meteorite is a rare carbon rich chrondritic meteorite, its organic matter sets it apart from its kind. Additionally, due to its prompt recovery, no terrestrial contamination occured, meaning that the organic matter found in the meteorite is still as pure as when the asteroid it came fromw as hurling through space, per Phys.com.

Could Meteorites Be Responsible For Life On Earth?

The possibility of life being brought to Earth by meteors and meteorites is a plausible theory with the findings Chan discovered from the Winchcombe meteorite.

In fact, earlier studies by Dr Helena Bates and the scientists at McMaster University believe that the key cheminal elements needed to jumpstart life on earth came from meteorites. According to Bates, many common elements that couldn't be present on Earth during its early days, such as water and other organic molecules were brought into the planet through meteorites.

However, scientists are still figuring out where or how these amino acids came from or even formed while in the vaccum of space, per PhD student Carlotte Bays. nevertheless, she agrees that meteorites could have provided the push life needed to start onour home planet.

Related Article: Scientists Discover Black Beauty Martian Meteorite Origin Using Machine Learning
Does my country allow Canadian Dual Citizenship? Asheesh Moosapeta Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Many immigrants who pursue citizenship in Canada are able to hold two simultaneous passports, as Canada allows foreign nationals to maintain their original citizenship in addition to a Canadian one. This is called dual citizenship.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

In fact, it is difficult and complicated for Canadians to lose their Canadian citizenship, meaning that immigrants who naturalize to the country will maintain two nationalitiesif their country of origin allows it.

How does Dual Citizenship work?

Dual citizenship refers to when an individual holds two different passports at the same timefurther affording them the legal status of a citizen of both countries.

Benefits

The most obvious benefit of dual citizenship is that an individual can be eligible for the rights of both countries, including social programs, ease of travel between both countries (and relevant allied countries), and the ability to own property (among other freedoms).

Drawbacks

There can however be certain drawbacks to dual citizenship as well. For example, some individuals may be under dual obligations to both countries (taxes, military service, etc.), which can be troublesome. In addition, the process of dual citizenship approval can be complicated and cumbersome, with bureaucracy often being a key part of an extended processing period.

Does my country allow for Dual Citizenship with Canada?

Bangladesh: Though not technically allowed by law, individuals of Bangladeshi origins who are citizens of Canada, may apply for a Dual Nationality Certificate (DNC) with the Bangladeshi government. If approved, these individuals will have dual citizenship. If a DNC is not obtained Bangladeshis will lose their citizenship upon becoming naturalized Canadian citizens.

India: India does not allow dual citizenship with any other country (as is written in the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955). It is considered a punishable offense to apply for, continue to hold or obtain an Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship. Indian nationals who obtain Canadian citizenship will not be eligible for dual citizenship.

Nigeria: Nigeria allows dual citizenship with other countries, and even naturalization to another country while holding a Nigerian passport. Nigeria does not, however, allow people who have naturalized into another country, to also naturalize to Nigeria. Nigerian nationals pursuing Canadian citizenship will therefore be able to hold two passports.

Pakistan: Pakistan does not allow dual citizenship for Pakistani nationals living abroad. While the country does have dual citizenship agreements with 19 countries (including Canada) allowing nationals of these countries to become Pakistani while maintaining their initial nationalityPakistani citizens who naturalize to another country must revoke their Pakistani citizenship. Pakistani citizens looking to naturalize to Canada must give up their Pakistani passports.

Philippines: The Philippines allows dual citizenship with Canada. Filippino nationals who had been naturalized to other countries may apply to retain or regain their status; if they were born before 1973 and had at least one Filipino parent at the time of their birth. Individuals born in Canada, with at least one parent who is Filipino at the time, will already be considered dual citizens. Filipino nationals applying for Canadian citizenship can apply to retain both passports.

U.K: The U.K does allow dual citizenship with Canada, meaning that U.K. citizens can pursue and avail of Canadian citizenship without any impact on their current nationality.

U.S.A: The United States allows dual citizenship with other countries, including Canada, meaning that U.S. nationals can freely pursue Canadian citizenship without any impact on their American nationality.

Saudi Arabia: Dual citizenship is not recognized in Saudi Arabia with any other country. Furthermore, if you are considered a Saudi Arabian citizen, you can lawfully be denied Canadian consular services in Saudi Arabia.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Two events influenced Schneider Electric CIO Elizabeth Hackenson to distribute more decision-making authority throughout the companys IT organization. During the pandemic we needed to have people make as many local decisions as possible, which she says was essential to keep operations moving across the 100 countries in which the company operates. More importantly, the companys push toward digital transformation required that IT speed up its decision-making processes. Schneider Electrics IT organization achieved that goal by reducing the layers for technology- and budget-related approvals, and by trusting managers and staff to make as many of those decisions as possible within the companys delegation of authority pathways framework.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, which was forced to shut down for 18 months during the pandemic, initially went the other direction, pulling back sharply on decision-making authority. We shortened the leash on the duration of decisions and how far out we wanted to make them, says CIO Martha Poulter. Today, however, the company has a framework in place for delegating more technical and spending-related decisions, and most decisions now happen at a more junior level. The point is not to slow down teams, but to have ongoing, quick governance, she says.

Whats unusual is that these organizations are delegating more financial as well as technical decisions, says Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP and analyst at Gartner. CIOs tend to only delegate technical things, he says. Financial things are a pending subject for most CIOs. During the pandemic, the delegation of decision-making authority increased in many organizations, but in most cases, final approvals for financial decisions remained centralized. That hesitance to delegate, combined with complex, multi-layered approval processes, slows organizations down, frustrates employees, and creates approval bottlenecks.

Thats a problem when youre digitizing the business, says Joe Atkinson, chief products and technology officer at PwC. Theres a heavier reliance on IT organizations to deliver digital transformation, and an expectation of speed, he says.

CIO hesitance to delegateparticularly when it comes to financial decisionsoften stems from fear of failure from bad decisions and loss of control. But Sanchez-Reina says, The CIO doesnt have to make all the financial decisions, especially if theyre not critical things that make a sustained difference for the future. They just need visibility.

Giving up control: rewards outweigh the risks

The benefits of greater delegation include an increase in the velocity of decision making and an increased sense of ownership and accountability, says Cisco Sanchez, SVP and CIO at Qualcomm, which has been increasing the pace of delegation. The quality of work has improved and the culture of our teams is stronger, he says, adding that delegating more decision-making authority gives potential leaders in the organization an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and rise up in the ranks. When you release control you get more back, he says.
Actors Kang So-ra, right, and Jang Seung-jo pose during a press conference for ENA's new romance legal series "Strangers Again," held in Mapo District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of ENA





By Lee Gyu-lee







Actress Kang So-ra has picked up her first series in six years with ENA's new romantic comedy series "Strangers Again," since her last small screen piece "Revolutionary Love" in 2017.







"I felt more nervous than when I made my debut. Since I've taken time off (from my career), I was afraid if I could get back on track when I started working again," the actress said during a press conference for the series, held in Mapo District, Seoul, Jan. 18.







The new series, which premiered on the day of the conference, revolves around a successful, celebrity lawyer, Oh Ha-ra (Kang), who specializes in divorce cases. She has gone through a divorce herself with another lawyer, Ku Eun-beom (Jang Seung-jo).







Since the split, she is eager to find a new romance, but luck isn't on her side when her ex-husband ends up becoming her colleague at the law firm she works for.







The series is led by Kim Yang-hee, who co-directed tvN's hit series "Our Blues," and is written by newcomer Park Sa-rang.







Kang said that she was intrigued by the story as it aligns with her philosophy of love.







"When you see romance pieces and read fairytales, they all end with 'the two lived happily ever after.' But in my opinion, the real love is what comes after that," she said. "I don't think the start of true love is about how the love starts and the two get married, but is about how you maintain that love and overcome obstacles. And this series is about that, and it came to me as very interesting."







The director noted that this series intends to send a message about having flaws.







"We tried to set ourselves apart from other romance series centering on a couple who get married and break up. I wanted to portray a couple, who seem to be mature adults, struggling and being imperfect when it comes to love," she said. "We all live as adults but we're also not so mature. I hope this series can send a message that it's okay to be imperfect."







This is the first acting work since Kang got married in 2020 and had a child a year later. She said her experience of married life helped her create her character.







"I came to think more deeply about love (after getting married). Because the impact of breaking up when married is different from that when you are just dating. And I was able to create those details and fall deeper into (the character)," she said.







"Strangers Again" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m.


Before any innovation initiative starts, there are questions (and usually lots of them). What is innovation and, more importantly, what does it mean for your organization? What fears or misperceptions hold innovation back? If you havent yet, check out this blog before reading this follow-up piece.

Decades ago, Netflix mailed DVDs to homes and a copy of the Yellow Pages was next to every landline phone. Today, Netflix is a streaming juggernaut producing award-winning content and the Yellow Pages website, Yell.com, is one of the worlds largest online directories used by millions of businesses.

How did these well-established brands simultaneously run and reinvent? Their stories prove that innovation without disruption is possible. Heres what we can learn from their successes

Introduce incremental value while keeping your core service

In the prelude to this blog, it was discussed that innovation doesnt have to be a breakthrough new technology or a completely new business model. It can be something simple that adds value to the day-to-day lives of your customers or employees.

Yell.com is the perfect example of this. While the Yellow Pages eventually ended its printed product, it took two years for them to finally get there. The company worked incrementally, first by strengthening its market share through strategic acquisitions and then by adding multi-channel marketing as a business service. Today, Yellow Pages provides the same service as its first publication back in 1966 faster and better. Likewise, to this day, you can still have movies delivered to your home as part of your Netflix service.

Great innovation shows that you dont need to forsake the old in favor of the new. By retaining their core service while laying the groundwork for next-phase evolution, these brands were able to retain their loyal customer base while reaching out to new audiences.

How can your organization take small steps toward innovation while still following its North Star? Perhaps this means augmenting your voice-only customer service with new digital channels that make it easier for your customers to contact you. Maybe its adding analytics that allow you to better understand what your customers want so you can give it to them.

Digital channels, analytics, AI, and automation are key technologies companies are leveraging to drive innovation, but theyre only accessible in the cloud. What does that mean for your decades-old on-premises systems?

Innovation starts with ideation and follows through with implementation, but current investments shouldnt be abandoned in the name of innovation.

You may not be ready to move on from your rock solid on-premises systems (and thats okay), but you know how greatly you can benefit from new capabilities delivered via the cloud. Even if you are ready, the systems you have in place are deeply entwined with other frameworks. Even something seemingly simple like adding new digital channels to your voice-only contact center can create a lot of new challenges such as different agency interfaces, split reporting of customer interactions between voice and digital channels, and changing communications mode in real time to address customers needs (ie: shifting from chat to voice to video).

You need to move at a pace and path that fits your business needs. If your technology isnt mature enough to deliver what needs to be developed, youll need to collaborate with partners who offer enabling technologies to gain access.

Here are a few examples of innovation without disruption using Avayas Experience Platform:

Superior Propane  Canadas leading supplier for propane delivery and tank installs  uses Avayas Experience Platform to open the door to cloud and AI without having to rip and replace its existing on-premises systems.

Our partner alliances also helped speed time to value by offering access to dozens of leading tech vendors that could seamlessly integrate with the companys Avaya solution. Superior Propane began driving innovation internally and externally using proactive automated outbound notifications, real-time reporting, and speech and desktop analytics that helped reduce Average Handle Time (AHT) by 30 seconds per call.

Standard Chartered Bank uses Avayas Experience Platform for a personalized path to cloud adoption.

Public cloud was not a model that was yet suitable for them when weighed against their business and client requirements. Avaya Enterprise Cloud created the global platform they needed while ensuring optimal security and data privacy. With Avaya, the bank has been able to innovate externally with digital, personalized CX and internally with enhancements to its agent desktop.

Unlock new value through the cloud at your own pace

At the heart of business is the propensity to keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things. Embracing new ideas, however, shouldnt mean disruption to your existing business operations. Create your own path to cloud technologies that drive innovation  Avaya can help every step of the way.
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The chair of the Charity Commission has said that charities will come under evermore intense scrutiny as they navigate the unfolding cost-of-living crisis.

Speaking at an event this morning, Orlando Fraser warned that as donors and supporters experience financial hardship, their expectations of efficiency and effectiveness in charity is only going to increase.

Fraser said that the cost-of-living crisis remains his biggest concern for the sector and that it will be crucial that charities use their resources wisely in the coming months.

At todays annual Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) conference, Fraser also reiterated his call on the wealthiest in society to better support charities in these challenging times.

Evermore intense scrutiny

Fraser told attendees that the mettle of charity finance professionals may be tested in the coming months as they demonstrate yet again the crucial importance of intelligent, prudent and purpose-driven financial planning and engagement.

Ensuring that charities use their resources wisely will become ever more crucial as this economic crisis unfolds, he said.

As donors and supporters feel the pinch, their expectations of efficiency and effectiveness in charity is only going to increase. Charities, I expect, will come under evermore intense scrutiny as how they set their priorities, how they use their resources and the difference they make.

One crucial answer to this, which you contribute to directly, is transparency, notably around financial matters. You play a key role in ensuring your charities report accurately, clearly in line with requirements and in a way that promotes public understanding and confidence.

Philanthropists urged to better support charities

On philanthropy, Fraser said he is troubled that the countrys wealthiest individuals give less than their counterparts in comparable countries including Canada and New Zealand.

This, he said, is worrying because charities are missing out on a potentially very important source of income.

Often, donations from philanthropist come with fewer strings attached. Because theyre using their own money, philanthropist should, in my view, be better able to support risk-taking innovations.

Taking a risky approach to innovation is especially important for organisations such as charitable grant givers, for example, which need clever solutions to new and entrenched problems.

Charities can be powerhouses of innovation if theyre enabled resources to do so.

Fraser said the Commission will do what it can to encourage more philanthropic efforts, including by creating an environment in which giving is celebrated [and] where those who use their great wealth for good are welcomed, not subject to additional scrutiny.

Collaboration is key

Fraser said the Commission and the sector must collaborate to achieve the best outcomes.

For him, there are two principal ways in which the regulator can engage with charities.

The first is by, where relevant and appropriate, seeking the inputs of the sector as a whole and on charity-basing work. There are times, and this is required by law, when we must consult formally, such as in the recent example of the annual return to 2023.

However, he added that we should not limit our conversation with the sector to those circumstances, giving the example of the recent consultation on new social media guidance for charities.

Its important to me that we seek the view of those involved in charities before we finalise the guidance to ensure that its drafted as clearly as possible, empowering charities to use social media wisely and with confidence.

The second way to better engage with the sector is digital services, using technology to be a more accessible supportive presence for trustees, he said.

With time, we expect the new portal will offer authoritative, accessible and timely guidance to individual trustees as and when they need it.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Donald Trumps victory in the 2016 presidential election saw the emergence of a virtual cottage industryor perhaps even a real, full-size industrybent on distributing blame for his win. Social media was one of its primary targets. The argumentin congressional hearings and academic treatises alike, not to mention on social mediawas that fake news spread by Russian trolls helped get Trump elected. More recently, however, various researchers have poked holes in this argument. The latest to do so published a study in Nature last week entitled Exposure to the Russian Internet Research Agency foreign influence campaign on Twitter in the 2016 US election and its relationship to attitudes and voting behavior.

Six researchers, from universities in the US, Ireland, Denmark, and Germany, coauthored the study, which correlated survey data from some fourteen hundred respondents with Twitter data showing those users exposure to posts from Russian foreign influence accounts. The study reached a number of striking conclusions. Exposure to Russian disinformation, it found, was heavily concentrated, with 1 percent of Twitter users accounting for 70 percent of exposure, which was also concentrated among users who strongly identified as Republicans. The researchers also found that exposure to Russias influence campaign was eclipsed by content from domestic news media and politicians inside the US. In sum, the study said, we find no evidence of a meaningful relationship between exposure to the Russian foreign influence campaign and changes in attitudes, polarization, or voting behavior.

ICYMI: Margaret Sullivan on the coverage of Bidens documents

For some observers, the study served as vindication of the belief that anguish over foreign disinformation was misplaced, or even fraudulent, from the beginning, and was weaponized as an excuse to force social media to censor information. Glenn Greenwald, the noted Twitter gadfly, said (on Twitter, of course) that Russiagate wasand isone of the most deranged and unhinged conspiracy theories in modern times. It wasnt spread by QAnon or 4Chan users but the vast majority of media corporations, scholars, think tank frauds, and NYT/NBCs disinformation units. (Elon Musk, Twitters owner and CEO, responded: True.) Other observers argued, to the contrary, that the methodology of the Nature study might not support such a sweeping conclusion about foreign influence in 2016: Why would you build the study around Twitter when Facebook was the focus for these influence campaigns in 2016? Jack Holmes, a writer at Esquire, asked. This is like studying a minor stream to learn about the Mississippi River, Holmes added.

According to the Nature study, we should be skeptical of more than the Russians and Twitter when it comes to narratives around factors that influence political behavior: the authors argue that election campaigns in general have a poor record of doing so. The large body of political science research that examines the effects of traditional election campaigns on voting behavior finds little evidence of anything but minimal effects, they say. However, the researchers also acknowledge that the Russian bot activity could have created second-order effects. Debate as to whether the 2016 election was rigged has engendered mistrust in the electoral system, they argue. In a word, Russias foreign influence campaign on social media may have had its largest effects by convincing Americans that its campaign was successful.

Others have argued that the influence of social media, if it exists, is just a small part of a much broader problem with the political ecosystem. In 2018, a group of academics, including Yochai Benkler of Harvards Berkman Klein Center (who later wrote for CJR about mainstream-media narratives around mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election), published a book titled Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics. The authors argued that its misleading to try to pinpoint a specific actor or vector, such as Russian agents or Twitter or Facebook, as the cause of the election outcome in 2016. Mike Masnick, of Techdirt, summarized the book in a review: Its not that the social media platforms are wholly innocent. But the seeds of the unexpected outcomes in the 2016 US elections were planted decades earlier, with the rise of a right-wing media ecosystem that valued loyalty and confirmation of conservative values and narratives over truth.

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In 2019, I wrote about a study by Brendan Nyhan of the University of Michigan (who has also written for CJR in the past) looking at the reach of misinformation. Nyhan said that, according to his data, so-called fake news reached only a tiny proportion of the population before and during the 2016 election. Nyhan concluded, similarly to the authors of the recent Nature study, that no credible evidence exists that exposure to fake news changed the outcome of the 2016 election. In September 2020, Joshua Yaffa, the Moscow correspondent at The New Yorker, also explored whether Russian disinformation was really as threatening as many seemed to think, arguing that the online trolling tactics of the Internet Research Agency seemed to be aimed primarily at scoring points with bosses and paymasters in Russia as much as influencing actual votes in the US. (My CJR colleague Jon Allsop wrote about Yaffas article at the time.)

Whatever we might think of its conclusions, the Nature study, like other discourse around the 2016 election, forms just a small part of a much broader, still very relevant discussion around how (or whether) social media content of any kind, including disinformation, affects our behaviorand what (if anything) social media platforms should do about it. In November 2021, Joe Bernstein, now a reporter at the New York Times, wrote a cover story for Harpers magazine. Bernstein argued that much of the discourse around online misinformation has tried to paint users of social media as gullible rubes who are easily manipulated by sophisticated algorithms, and that terms like disinformation are used to refer to an enormous range of content, ranging from well-worn scams to viral news aggregation. In their crudest use, Bernstein wrote, such terms are simply jargon for things I disagree with.

At the time, Bernsteins article sparked a widespread conversation within the media industry about whether disinformation, while a real problem, had become a subject of panic and hype. That conversation has continued. This week, Alex Stamos, the former head of digital security for Facebook and now the director of the Stanford Internet Observatory, said in an interview with Peter Kafka, of Vox, that he thinks there has been a massive overestimation of the capability of mis- and disinformation to change peoples minds. Like Bernstein, Stamos acknowledged that disinformation is a problem. But he thinks that we need to reframe how we look at itto see disinformation less as something that is inflicted on passive victims, and more as a problem of supply and demand. We live in a world where people can choose to seal themselves into an information environment that reinforces their preconceived notions, Stamos said. In doing so, they can participate in their own radicalization. They can participate in fooling themselves, but that is not something thats necessarily being done to them.

Stamos also told Kafka that he believes there is a legitimate complaint behind the so-called Twitter Filesinternal documents that Musk has recently released, through journalists like Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss, to help him make the case that his companys previous management bent to the whims of the US government when it came to removing information about covid-19 and other sensitive topics. (I wrote about this last week.) Twitter was trying too hard to make American society and world society better, to make humans better, Stamos said, referring to the complaint that derived from the Twitter Files. Rather than removing content or banning accounts, Stamos argues, social media platforms should focus on whether their algorithms are actively making things worse. If somebody is into QAnon, you do not recommend to them, Oh, you might want to also storm the Capitol, Stamos offered. That is very different than going and hunting down every closed group where people are talking about ivermectin.

If nothing else, the Nature study and arguments like Bernsteins and Stamoss serve as a useful corrective to what can often seem like an unhealthy obsession with the idea that Russian bots and fake news are at the root of every evil in our politics. Paying attention to foreign actors meddling in US politics is important, and so is tracking and debunking dangerous online misinformation. But blaming Twitter and Facebook for all of our political and social ills is reductive in the extreme. As the Wall Street Journal put it in an editorial on the Nature study: Maybe the truth is that Mr. Putins trolls are shouting into the hurricane like everybody else.



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: The State Department says Turkey is Turkiye now. What does the press say?

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
Mirae Asset Financial Group Chairman Park Hyun-joo, center, stands next to officials from Mirae Asset Global Investments' India entity on Jan. 13 in Mumbai, India. Courtesy of Mirae Asset Global Investments



By Anna J. Park



Mirae Asset Global Investments celebrates the 15th anniversary of its operations in India, having entered the country in 2008. The firm announced earlier this week that Mirae Asset Global Investments is currently India's only independent foreign asset manager.



With its fund deposits reaching some 21 trillion won ($17 billion) as of the end of December 2022, Mirae Asset has grown into India's ninth-best asset management company. When compared to 15 years ago, the amount of fund deposits rose over 100 times. The number of retail accounts registered at the firm's India entity also soared rapidly to 5.5 million as of the end of last year, from 2.8 million in 2020.



The firm's success in the country is attributed partly to its aggressive investments, while other major global asset managers decided to withdraw from the country during the aftermath of the global financial crisis in the late 2000s. Seeing the huge potential of India's market, Mirae Asset has been expanding its business portfolio during the past 15 years.



Mirae Asset's India operations transformed into a holding company in 2019, in order to operate more diverse business models, including fund operations, real estate loans, venture capital and asset management. Currently, Mirae Asset owns seven subsidiaries, including a brokerage, a venture capital firm and non-bank financial institutions. The company has recently been investing in India's logistics sector, the first time that a foreign asset manager has made a direct investment in the country's logistics industry. Mirae Asset plans to continue investing in logistics centers and data centers, the two expected beneficiaries of the country's fast economic growth.



"Mirae Asset will continue its own business in the global market, just as it has been through the past 15 years in India to grow into the ninth-biggest asset management company in the country. Starting with only 50 billion won in capital, Mirae Asset stood by the Indian market as it believed in its market potential, while major overseas asset management firms decided to withdraw their India operations amid difficulties following the global financial crisis," an official from Mirae Asset Global Investments said.



The company has also recently made a foray into the Middle East, as Mirae Asset Global Investments' India entity opened up a branch in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the first time for a local asset management company to advance into a Middle Eastern country. Indians make up about 35 percent of Dubai's population.


Seoul's financial district on Yeouido / Korea Times file





By Lee Min-hyung







Brokerage houses here are preparing to jump into the nascent securities token market after a financial watchdog approved Thursday the issuance of blockchain-powered digital tokens.







Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Kim Joo-hyun said securities token offerings (STO) will be legally available in Korea. The decision came amid growing demand for tokenized digital assets here and abroad.







"STOs were not allowed under the legal system, but considering the digital paradigm shift and demand of the times, we will permit the issuance of securities tokens and build a safe distribution system," Kim said.







The watchdog plans to institutionalize the operation of distribution platforms for the digital tokens, and details will be announced as early as February.







STOs are a relatively new concept in the global investment market, made possible by the rise of blockchain technology. Existing investment and securities firms are also identifying it as one of the next new revenue sources.







KB Securities is one of the most active players among the local brokerage houses. The company completed tests for its own STO platform, and plans to launch relevant services in the first half of 2023.







The platform will help connect token issuers and investors. The company focused on testing whether its blockchain technology is secure enough to distribute securities tokens to online wallets, according to KB Securities.







"We have completed development for key functions of the platform, and will keep complementing the platform to launch the service to customers by the end of the first half of this year," an official from the company said.







Other securities firms are also moving in the same direction.







Kiwoom Securities is set to update its mobile trading system to enable investors to trade securities tokens before the end of the year. Shinhan Securities is also scheduled to launch its token-trading platform this year, with a view to expanding its footing into the emerging area amid lukewarm stock sentiment.







Industry sources said it remains to be seen how much the securities token market will grow.







"Securities tokens will help investors trade assets  such as real estate and art  through the digital platform," an official from a securities firm said. "But this is a wholly new investment area, so we still need to wait and see how the initial market response is before setting up a more specific strategy."


Barista Cho Soo-kyung poses with coffee beans at her coffeehouse, Ethiopia Bet, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Chuncheon's Ethiopia Bet is more than just a coffeehouse: Cho Soo-kyung



By Kwak Yeon-soo



CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province  Making a perfect cup of coffee is a delicate affair, from selecting healthy green beans, roasting them and determining the perfect brewing ratio to choosing the ideal serving temperature.



Barista Cho Soo-kyung, the second-generation owner of Ethiopia Bet (Ethiopia House) coffeehouse in the Gangwon provincial city of Chuncheon, learned about coffee from her mother who opened Korea's first roastery cafe in 1968 to serve high-quality Ethiopian coffee to visitors.



The coffeehouse specializes in Ethiopian coffee, from the Harar, Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions, which are all roasted daily in small batches.



"My 91-year-old mother can still tell if beans are roasted properly or not. I took after her, and I have a sensitive sense of taste. I don't wear makeup, color my hair or nails because they can distort my sense of taste and smell," she said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.



Her family's close tie to Ethiopia dates back to 1968 when her uncle sponsored the Monument for the Participation of Ethiopia in the Korean War.



Ethiopia was the only African nation to send ground troops to help South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. A total of 6,037 Ethiopian soldiers fought on the side of the United Nations Allied Forces, and among them, 121 were killed in action while 536 were wounded.



"Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie even dispatched his imperial guards, telling them to fight courageously and not come back alive. After the war, Ethiopia helped establish the Bohwa welfare center (in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province) and took care of war orphans," Cho explained.



When the emperor visited Korea in May 1968, he came to see the monument. He mentioned it would be nice if there was a cultural center nearby.



"A few months later, my mother, who was a teacher back then, opened Ethiopia House near the monument. It offered visitors a place to relax, talk and come together," Cho said.





Barista Cho Soo-kyung pours water into coffee to let it bloom at Ethiopia Bet in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Ever since then, the Ethiopia House has played the role of a cultural center. The building was decorated with handcrafted Ethiopian artwork. Because Ethiopia has a reputation for producing some of the world's highest-quality coffee, Cho's parents started serving Ethiopian coffee roasted fresh on-site.



"The coffeehouse scene was drastically different when Ethiopia House was built. Back in the 1960s, selling coffee was considered demeaning so my grandparents were against the idea. However, my mother was determined about her career change," Cho said.



Emperor Selassie later named the place the "Ethiopia Bet" ("bet" means house in English) and gave her the right to use the emblem of the Ethiopian Empire.



"My mother made a promise with the emperor that 'for the next 100 years, I won't leave a day without the smell of hot ground coffee.' Until now, the coffeehouse has never been closed  not even when my father died or when the building was flooded," she said.



The family-owned establishment celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, but business was not always smooth sailing, according to Cho.



"Now Ethiopian coffee imports are shipped in containers, but in the past, we received the beans through Japan in diplomatic bags," she said. "In 1974 when Ethiopia became a socialist state, the Korean government tried to close down the coffeehouse. But my mother was headstrong and irrepressible. She always stressed the importance of loyalty in any relationship."



Like her parents, circumstance led Cho, 62, to become the current owner and operator of the family business. She once worked as a special effects supervisor and script adapter in the film industry and was at the peak of her career when she got a call from her mother.



"My parents wanted me to take over the business. I told them, 'give me a week to think about it.' And my mother said I had no loyalty. That changed my mind," she said.





Ethiopian customer Temeagen, right, who only gave his surname, explains about the buna coffee ceremony at Ethiopia Bet in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Ever since then, Cho has continued the legacy started by her mother and further fostered a sense of community. She now works with her husband, son, daughter and son-in-law to continue promoting Ethiopian coffee that started 55 years ago here.



As coffee drinkers in Korea become increasingly choosy and health-conscious, Cho takes great pride in delivering the best coffee. "Quality-wise, we always keep our standards to the highest level possible and maintain them. When you drink good coffee, your skin glows," she said.



Cho criticized large coffee chains for their excessive or uneven roasting of the beans. "If you drink burnt coffee, you may suffer from acid reflux and abdominal pain. Considering how much Koreans love coffee, they should look for healthy coffee," she said.



According to a survey conducted by the Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations, seven out of 10 Korean adults drink at least one cup of coffee a day. Koreans' average coffee consumption is 367 cups a year, the second highest in the world (following France, 551 cups) and more than twice the global average (161 cups).



Cho, who is the honorary ambassador for Ethiopia, expressed her wish to build a statue of Emperor Selassie near Ethiopian Bet. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Ethiopia.



"I plan to request the Chuncheon mayor to build the statue of Emperor Haile Selassie to strengthen bilateral ties. It can become a landmark and draw more visitors to the city," she said.



In 2007, the Memorial Hall for Ethiopian Veterans was established near the coffeehouse, making the area a "Little Ethiopia" neighborhood. In 2011, following persuasion from Cho and her husband, David Cha, the local government renamed the road near Ethiopia Bet as "Ethiopia Road."





Ethiopian travelers drink coffee at Ethiopia Bet in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Women's group Gabriela dismissed the signed letter of the waiter humiliated during the birthday party of actress, vlogger and TV host Alex Gonzaga as part of the latter's "damage control," adding the move is "demeaning" for Filipino workers.

"As if being publicly slathered with cake across the face while at work was not humiliating enough, Allan was made to sign a letter clearly devised for damage control and cleaning up Gonzagas name in the public eye," Clarice Palce, the secretary-general of Gabriela, said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the waiter.

A few days after the clip went viral, showing Gonzaga smearing cake icing on the waiter's forehead, Allan Crisostomo reportedly issued a statement revealing that the actress had apologized to him.

Crisostomo said in the letter circulating online, "Okay na po kami (We are okay now)."

This came as the 35-year-old Gonzaga received an uproar not just from netizens but also from online personalities, making her the top trending topic on social media platforms as the public called out her actions.

READ: Alex Gonzaga's birthday party behavior prompts calls for better treatment of service workers

"This is doubly unjust and demeaning, not just for Allan Crisostomo, but for the millions of workers across the Philippines who are driven to endure daily abuse and degradation while at work," Palce added.

The Gabriela official then urged Gonzaga to "learn with us the social realities faced by workers like Allan Crisostomo."

"Instead of shaming working-class Filipinos in the name of status and fame, celebrities like Alex Gonzaga need to join us in challenging President Marcos Jr. to address the demands of Filipino workers today: dignified jobs, protection against violence, and the ability to freely speak up, associate, and organize despite the persistent repression of people in power," she said.

Several netizens have also criticized Gonzaga's move, with some saying it was an insincere act from her team.

On her Twitter account, Gonzaga also apologized to her family "for causing you pain and embarrassment."

Meanwhile, her husband Mikee Morada, who is a Lipa, Batangas councilor, also commented on the viral video.

In a Facebook post, Morada admitted the actress' fault.

"Bilang asawa at head ng aming pamilya, nais ko lang sabihin na nagkamali ang aking asawa," he said. "Madaming mga rason na maaari kong sabihin kung bakit niya nagawa iyon pero walang excuse sa kanyang pagkakamali."

[Translation: As the husband and head of our family, I just want to say that my wife made a mistake. There are many reasons I can say why she did that, but there is no excuse for her mistake.]

But Morada also came to Gonzaga's defense, stressing that his wife did not deserve the severe criticism she has received over the incident.
Victor Cha, senior vice president and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), speaks during a news conference held at the U.S. think tank in Washington, D.C. to preview a new report set to be published by the CSIS' North Korea Commission, Jan. 17. Yonhap



The United States should consider possible deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea in the future, a U.S. think tank said Wednesday, in what it called "pre-decisional" efforts to lay groundwork for the possible deployment in the future.



The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also recommended the U.S. and South Korea begin holding tabletop exercises to that end.



"The allies should consider tabletop planning exercises for the possible redeployment of U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea," the CSIS' North Korea Commission said in a report on North Korea policy and extended deterrence.



"This planning should be explicitly pre-decisional. The timeline and scope of weapons ... should be left deliberately ambiguous," it added.



Victor Cha, CSIS senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair, explained such "pre-decisional" or preliminary work can help the actual or final decision to move in either direction.



"The purpose of that is that once you get that planning process started, you can make a decision to accelerate it or to decelerate it, depending on changes to the external environment," he said while meeting with reporters for a preview of the report that is set to be released early Thursday.



The report, the second of its kind to be published by the CSIS commission, proposes six policy recommendations each for North Korea policy and U.S. extended deterrence.



On U.S. extended deterrence, the report says Washington must demonstrate its nuclear capabilities, as well as its political will to use them if necessary.



To this end, the report suggests the U.S. must underscore its commitment to the defense of South Korea partly by emphasizing that Washington and Seoul share the same fate.



"When referencing the "full range of U.S. defense capabilities," the United States should emphasize that the U.S.-ROK "community of fate"  anchored in the presence of 28,500 U.S. troops on the peninsula  forms the core of extended deterrence," it said.



ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.





U.S. military armored vehicles park in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Jan. 11. AP-Yonhap
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Parokya ni Edgar guitarist Gab Chee Kee is now in the Intensive Care Unit due to pneumonia, a complication brought on by lymphoma, vocalist Chito Miranda said Wednesday.

In a Facebook post, Miranda said Chee Kee was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2022 and has been undergoing chemotherapy.

"Unfortunately, due to complications brought about by his condition, he is now battling pneumonia and was recently transferred in the ICU and has been intubated for more than a week already," Miranda said.

"Gab needs to undergo treatment, and won't be able to play until he makes a full recovery," he added.

Miranda said Chee Kee's condition was initially not supposed to be disclosed, but they convinced the guitarist to share his condition in order to receive financial help.

Miranda also announced that his band and other musicians will be doing a series of fundraising gigs to help Gab with his medical expenses.

Artists including Ebe Dancel, Kamikazee, Gloc9, Shanti Dope, Flow G, Gracenote, December Ave, POT, Moonstar and Moira Moira will join the fundraising gig.

Miranda also posted details should anyone want to extend financial assistance to Chee Kee.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life, Jan. 16)  Watch films from Japanese and Filipino filmmakers, attend an album launch, shop at an Escolta closet sale, and buy tickets for a long-awaited music festival.

Watch short films from Tarzeer Pictures online

Creative content agency and gallery Tarzeer Pictures will be presenting new short films on their website this Jan. 18. Apart from Tarzeers own production Temporary Fix, the lineup also includes We Kept Warm by Apa Agbayani, Moving Remnant by Lem Atienza, and Faun by Jed Gregorio. Catch them on the Tarzeer website.  CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

Espacio Creativo closet cleaning sale

The photo studio Espacio Creativo will be opening their doors on Saturday, Jan. 21 for a spring cleaning closet sale. Shop from an assortment of secondhand clothing, footwear, art, books, and other merchandise from stylists and artists. Escolta street in Binondo is close to the many ukay spots of Intramuros, so it wouldnt hurt to make a shopping day out of the trip to Manila. For more information (or if you want to apply as a vendor), visit their Instagram.  CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

Attend the One Click Straight album launch

We previously included alternative band One Click Straights MRT in our list of best OPM songs of 2022. The single is part of their self-titled sophomore album, released last Jan. 13. Catch members Toffer Marquez, Joel Cartera, Sam Marquez, and Tim Marquez at the official album launch on Jan. 20 at 123 Block. The lineup also includes Ena Mori, Zild, Gabba, and Sandwich. Entrance is free from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 450 from 7 onwards.  CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

Visit a surftown exhibit

Emerging Islands resident artist Jao San Pedro, in collaboration with fellow residents Kaiser Garcia, and Kristone Capistrano, are mounting a new exhibit at the residencys home base in La Union starting this Jan. 20. Called Transmutation, its a site-specific installation they describe as a framework that explores transition, transference, and loss in dis/embodying as a mode of auto/regeneration. Visit the installation at 18 Gaerlan St., San Juan, La Union.  CNN PHILIPPINES LIFE STAFF

A still from the award-winning "Blue."

Watch films at the Japanese Film Festival

Enjoy 10 films in this years Japanese Film Festival, which, after two years of running as an online fest, is now back in theatres. The fest is kicking off with a run at Shangri La-Plaza Mall Cinemas from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3.

After that, the festival will go to SM City Baguio, SM Seaside Cebu, and SM City Davao from Jan. 27 to 31, 2023; followed by Cinematheque Manila, Cinematheque Negros, Cinematheque Iloilo, Cinematheque Davao, and Cinematheque Nabunturan from Jan. 28 to 29; and UP Cine Adarna (Quezon City) from Feb. 17 to 22.

The film festival will open with Mamoru Hosodas animated science-fantasy film Belle, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Belle is about a high school girl Suzu (Nakamura Kaho) who lost the ability to sing when her mother died in an accident when she was young.

Other films in the lineup include Blue, And So the Baton is Passed, ANIME SUPREMACY! Inu Oh and Every Day a Good Day.

For the complete list of films and screening schedules, visit the Japanese Film Festival website or the Japanese Film Festival Facebook.  DON JAUCIAN

Carly Rae Jepsen is one of the headliners of Wanderland 2023. Photo from KARPOS MULTIMEDIA

After the full lineup reveal, get your ticket to Wanderland 2023

After the years-long wait, music and arts festival Wanderland returns with what can only be called  hands down  a comeback to end all comebacks. Festival promoters Karpos Multimedia initially announced their first wave of headliners, which includes French rock band Phoenix and pop solo artist Carly Rae Jepsen. (Already, its worth going to TBH.) At their exclusive lineup party last weekend, they stacked up even more performers that we would love to sing, shout, and dance-cry to: Dashboard Confessional, Rico Blanco, and the soulful Raveena to name a few. Asian acts such as Bangkok-based HYBS, local performers like Ylona Garcia (who garnered cheers from the lineup party audience), Flu, and The Ridleys will also be part of the two-day festival. True to its goal of championing art as much as music, the festival will also feature the work of local visual artists Alaga, Amiel Rivera, Faith De Leos, and Wika Nadera. Wanderland Festival 2023 will be on March 4 and 5 at the Filinvest City Events Grounds in Alabang. Time to block it off.  MARGA BUENAVENTURA

Get your tickets at wanderlandfestival.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag has been suspended for another 90 days, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Bantag was first suspended on Oct. 21 last year over his alleged involvement in the killing of veteran journalist Percy Lapid.

READ: Marcos orders preventive suspension of BuCor chief amid probe on Percy Lapid slay

This time, he's being suspended for allowing Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) to interview retired Major General Jovito Palparan at the New Bilibid Prison, where he is serving his sentence after being convicted of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

READ: CA upholds conviction of Palparan over kidnapping case

According to the DOJ, SMNI had requested an interview with Palparan last Nov. 15, 2021. Bantag granted the request and the interview took place on Mar. 30, 2022.

The department, however, said Bantag failed to comply with procedures regarding the interview of persons deprived of liberty or PDLs, which constitutes grave misconduct and neglect in the performance of duties.

The DOJ had earlier flagged SMNI's interview with Palparan, and said it would investigate the matter.

READ: DOJ to probe Palparan interview with SMNI

State prosecutors have filed murder complaints against Bantag and his right-hand man, former Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta, over the killing of Lapid and alleged middleman Crisanto Jun Villamor.

Bantag is also facing complaints of torture, infliction of serious physical injury, and misconduct for allegedly stabbing two inmates while he was drunk.

Related:

Cases filed vs. suspended BuCor chief Bantag, others over death of Lapid, middleman

BuCor files torture, obstruction of justice complaints against Bantag, Zulueta
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday reiterated its reminder to Filipinos who want to work abroad to be wary of falling into the trap of human trafficking syndicates.

This after Sen. Risa Hontiveros bared on Wednesday that Filipinos are being lured to Cambodia to work as crypto scammers, the same scheme done in Myanmar that she also revealed earlier.

An advice we could give Filipinos is if they want to work in those places is to go to the proper channels through the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), through the DMW (Department of Migrant Workers), DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines The Source.

As long as they are telling you, you have this job and its a legitimate job, data encoder, customer service agent, computer expert and they tell you dont pass the POEA and youre not going with a work visa, that is a trap. Please dont fall to the trap, he said.

According to Hontiveros, she discovered the human trafficking case from Miles who was a victim of the scheme.

The victim said they were initially offered call center jobs, only to end up working as crypto scammers. The workers were even forced to work more than 16 hours a day, he added.

Those who are unable to meet the quota are punished, he said.

Asked about the possible involvement of officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), De Vega said they currently have no reason to believe that they are part of this scheme.

He said the victims usually leave as tourists, but do not go directly to Cambodia. They first fly to Malaysia or Thailand, and from there they are transported to Cambodia.

De Vega admitted it is hard for BI personnel to just stop anyone from traveling to those countries given the constitutional right to travel. Still, he said the issue will be brought to the attention of the bureau.

The DFA official said Philippine authorities are already working on the repatriation of eight Filipino workers in Cambodia, who are currently under police custody.

De Vega said they hope that the Filipinos will be transferred to the embassy in Phnom Penh within 24 hours.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Jessica Lucila "Gigi" Reyes, former aide of now Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, was released from jail on Thursday, according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Reyes  who has been detained for nearly nine years due to her alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam  was discharged from the Taguig City Jail through a writ of habeas corpus granted by the Supreme Court's (SC) First Division, the BJMP said in its advisory.

Reyes earlier ran to the high court for the writ of habeas corpus, saying she has been deprived of her constitutional right to due process  specifically the right to speedy trial.

She noted the delays in the proceedings and argued that the period of her detention is "longer than any other accused similarly charged with the offense of plunder."

In its decision dated Jan. 17, the SC sided with Reyes, saying how her confinement "has become oppressive thus infringing upon her right to liberty."

"While the writ is generally not available to a person whose liberty is under custody of an officer under process issued by a court or judge, when such custody becomes vexatious, capricious, and oppressive amounting to an infringement on the constitutional right to speedy trial of an accused, the writ of habeas corpus may be provisionally availed of," the ruling read.

The SC, however, stressed that the writ's issuance will not influence the principal plunder case lodged against her.

"The [case] shall proceed independently and the court may lawfully exercise its jurisdiction over the proceedings," it noted.

Reyes was accused of conspiring with then Senator Enrile to funnel millions in pork barrel funds to bogus projects. Enrile was released from detention for humanitarian reasons.

EXPLAINER: What you need to know about the PDAF scam

While granting her petition, the SC laid out certain conditions for Reyes  including personally attending case hearings and quarterly reports on her whereabouts.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday told World Economic Forum (WEF) President Brge Brende that the survival of the Marcoses required a member to enter politics to defend the family.

This was the answer of the son of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos when he was asked if he had expected to return to Malacanan Palace as chief executive.

After we came back from the United States, after the exile when we were allowed to come back, the political issue was Marcos, the president said.

And for us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena so that, at least, not only the legacy of my father, but our own survival required that somebody go into politics, he added.

Marcos said he initially did not want to become a politician as he saw the sacrifices his father made when he was president. He also said the Marcos family was unsure they would come back to the Philippines.

That was a very trying time, he said. Those were dark days for the family, and I dare say for the country.

The Marcoses were exiled in 1986 after the People Power Revolution toppled the dictatorship.

According to the special feature titled The Fall of the Dictatorship published in the Official Gazette, the two-decade administration of Marcos Sr. was marked by the collapse of the Philippine economy, efforts to maneuver the 1971 Constitutional Convention to permit his continuing stay in office, government control over all forms of media, physical threats, libel suits, or forced resignation among journalists, stringent censorship regulations, systematic favoritism of the administration on crony companies, and massive poll fraud and rampant cheating during the 1986 elections.

The dictator died in exile before his family was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1992 to face various corruption charges.

Imelda Marcos, the widow of the ousted dictator, was convicted of seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan in 2018 for illegally funneling at least $352 million to Swiss foundations in the 1970s when she was governor of Metropolitan Manila. She was also sentenced to imprisonment of six years and one month to 11 years for each count of graft, which is equivalent to a minimum of 42 years in prison.

However, she was allowed by Sandiganbayan to post bail partly because of her old age and state of health. She posted bail amounting to P300,000.

READ: Supreme Court urged to uphold Imelda Marcos' graft conviction

Marcos earlier said he would not apologize for the atrocities committed by his father during martial law.

Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos, the presidents sister, earlier said members of the Marcos family were hopeful that they will be given the platform to finally clarify the legacy of their father.

The late president's kin also claimed that the accounts regarding the Marcos dictatorship were "political propaganda.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he is confident about the economic growth of the Philippines because the country has a young workforce.

Marcos made the comment during his one-on-one dialogue with World Economic Forum (WEF) President Brge Brende in Davos, Switzerland.

The reason that I am very confident in the future is because we have this workforce. We have a very, very good workforce in the Philippines. We have the youngest workforce in Asia, Marcos said.

You might be surprised to know that the average age of a Filipino worker is 23 and a half years old. That is a huge demographic dividend, he added.

With this demographic, Marcos said the country is now concentrating on upscaling and rescaling the workforce.

The chief executive also said the Philippines young workers have a valued skill set.

Our workforce is well-trained, is sophisticated, English-speaking, and in terms of technology, I would say we are on equal footing as any other country. So that is where my confidence comes from, he said.

That is the confidence that I hope to exude sufficiently to bring that confidence also to all of you and all of our potential partners in the world, he added, addressing the forums participants.

The one-on-one dialogue with the WEF President officially capped off Marcos first participation in the four-day forum in Davos.

RELATED: Marcos meets with business tycoons on WEF sidelines, investment pitch gets 'positive response'  Palace
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Philippine authorities are working on the repatriation of eight overseas Filipino workers who were lured to work as crypto scammers in Cambodia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

"Our embassy in Phnom Penh has officially requested the DFA for funding for financial assistance for the Filipinos and also for the tickets, so hopefully that means that pretty soon they'll be going home," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines' The Source.

Months after Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed the alleged scheme of Chinese syndicates recruiting Filipinos to be crypto scammers in Myanmar, she again exposed on Wednesday another possible human trafficking scheme in Cambodia.

According to one of the victims named "Miles," Filipinos who were lured to work in Cambodia were initially offered call center jobs, but ended up being forced to scam citizens from the United States and Canada.

If the workers are unable to get clients, they will be forced to work more than 16 hours a day, with some even getting electrocuted.

De Vega said the victims are currently with Cambodian police as authorities there are also investigating the matter. He also said he hopes the victims will be transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh within 24 hours.

Given the nature of the scheme, the DFA official said it is possible that the cases in Cambodia and Myanmar are connected.

He noted that this issue does not only happen in the two countries but also in Laos.

"This may be just the tip of the iceberg, there may be more cases because a lot of Filipinos who are brought there actually do continue working and do not indicate that they intend to go home, but some (who) are subjected to abuse have to be brought home," De Vega said.

"Outrageous"

Meanwhile, Hontiveros said it was "outrageous" the trafficked Filipinos were held hostage "by various constraints."

"While I thank the embassy in Phnom Penh for their interventions, I call on the DFA once more to facilitate the speedy repatriation of the Filipino trafficking survivors detained in Phnom Penh," she said in a statement.

She said the topic of funding of Assistance to Nationals would be included in the next Senate hearing. Hontiveros is a member of several Senate committees, among them the Committee on Migrant Workers.

"We have the funds, why are we not using them to save our citizens as quickly as possible? Kung may legal na gusot, hindi ba may legal assistance fund din na galing sa gobyerno para sa mga Pilipino sa labas ng bansa?" she said.

[Translation: We have the funds, why are we not using them to save our citizens as quickly as possible? The government has a legal assistance fund that can be used to help Filipinos outside the country.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) -- The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommended the filing of graft and corruption charges against former Department of Budget and Management procurement service head Christopher Lloyd Lao and some former and present officials of the Department of Education over the procurement of overpriced laptops in 2021.

The draft committee report pointed out that the laptops procured by DepEd through the PS-DBM in 2021 were overpriced by 979 million. The panel suggested that there could be a conspiracy between DepEd and PS-DBM officials.

Aside from Lao, other PS-DBM and DepEd officials recommended to be charged are the following:

 Former PS-DBM OIC Executive Director Jasonmer Uayan

 Bids and Awards Committee chair Ulysses Mora

 PS-DBM special awards and bids committee member Marwan Amil.

 Former DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua

 DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla

 Former DepEd Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana III

 Former DepEd Executive Assistant Alec Ladanga

 DepEd Director for Information and Communications Technology Service Abram Abanil

 Other members of the Special Bids and Awards Committee I and SBAC technical working group and secretariat, whether from DepEd or DBM

Moreover, the panel recommended that Sevilla and Ladanga be charged for falsification of public documents by a public official. It also called for the filing of charges for multiple counts of perjury against Sevilla, Pascua, Malana, Lao, and Uayan.

The committee also suggested the Commission on Audit issue notices of disallowance against Sevilla, Pascua, and Malana for the overpriced purchase of the laptops.

It also recommended that the overprice of 979 million be recovered and placed in a special trust fund to support health and medical needs of public schoolteachers and the educational needs of their children.

Meanwhile, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Senator Francis Tolentino absolved former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, saying that she may have only been used to approve the procurement of the overpriced laptops, funding for which was sourced from Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.

Apart from Tolentino, other senators who signed the report were: Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go, Sherwin Gatchalian, Jinggoy Estrada, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo, JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Koko Pimentel, Grace Poe, and Joel Villanueva. However, Estrada dissented.

DepEd

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said the department has yet to receive a copy of the report, but he assured that it will consider the Senate panels findings and recommendations to improve its procurement process.

Meanwhile, with regards to the filing of criminal charges against DepEds former and current officials, Poa said they will leave it to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate.

Maybe the Ombudsman will take cognizance of the case. We will also seek guidance with the Secretary on how well proceed, he said in a statement.

The Senate investigation stemmed from a COA report that the PS-DBM bought laptops at 58,300 per unit, even though they should only cost over 35,000 each.

The Blue Ribbon Committee also found out that the DepEd repeatedly changed the use and allocation of the P2.4-billion budget from tablets to mobile loads for students to laptops for teachers.

CNN Philippines is seeking the comment of those named in the panel report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  The Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday started implementing the increase in contributions from its members.

In a statement, the state-run pension fund announced that the contribution rate is now at 14%  up from last year's 13%.

Employers will bear the additional 1%, bringing their contribution to 9.5%, while employees will be charged the remaining 4.5%, according to the SSS.

"Under existing tax laws, employers would be allowed to deduct their share of the contribution hike from their taxable income," SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Macasaet said. "This underscores a whole-of-nation approach in securing the future of our workers with the Philippine government also contributing in the form of tax relief to employers."

The scheduled hike is in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, which mandated a contribution increase "to ensure the financial viability of the state pension fund for private sector workers."

Enacted in February 2019, the law allows the SSS to gradually increase the contribution rate by 1% every two years until it reaches 15% by 2025.

Business groups earlier urged the SSS to suspend the implementation of RA 11199 this month, but the pension fund argued that postponing the measure would "reduce the actuarial life of the fund."

"It will not be a burden on workers but will be shouldered by employers. Workers earning less than 25,000 per month, who comprise 78% of SSS-paying employee members, will not be affected," Macasaet explained.
Young people hold a rally in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this Jan. 10 file photo. In recent years, the regime has intensified its campaign against behaviors that run contrary to its interests, according to a new report released Thursday. Yonhap



Surviving crackdown has become more difficult under Kim Jong-un, report shows



By Jung Min-ho



It's almost impossible to meet all the requirements as a true Juche socialist in North Korea. Having a birthday party, divorcing a spouse, watching a South Korean movie and being unemployed can all be regarded as "non-socialist" or "anti-socialist" behaviors.



According to a new report released Thursday, the regime under Kim Jong-un has intensified its campaign against such people, particularly those who enjoy South Korean pop music or TV content, which it increasingly views as a threat to its stability in recent years.



The study on the Non-Socialist Groups, a shadowy surveillance operation inside North Korea, was conducted by the Seoul-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights. A web-like network of informants keeps ordinary North Korean people in fear and helps embed the culture of bribery, it says.



In a country where everyone breaks the rules, everyone is a potential criminal. The network stifles not just the general public but also the officials who enforce the rules, reinforcing the concentration of power for a very few top leaders. The research is based on interviews with 32 North Koreans who defected to South Korea between 2018 and 2020.



"After Kim took power, the regime has largely targeted outside information, including illegal videos from the South, because it knows such things change the way people think," a North Korean defector said.



More than 25 percent of the North Korean defectors said, "illegal videos"  mostly from South Korea or the United States  were the main target of the crackdown, followed by narcotics (17.3 percent), defection attempts (14.7 percent) and "capitalist-like lifestyle" (12 percent). Among them, more than 40 percent said they experienced such inspections daily.



While some North Koreans simply get a slap on the wrist for violating the rules, a few unlucky ones end up dead. If the video in question contains explicit content, execution is almost unavoidable, the report found.



Pyongyang created these surveillance groups in the early 1990s. The once-mighty Soviet Union had fallen and millions of its North Koreans were dying from starvation. Many people lost their faith in the system of rationing and started to trade food and other goods in black markets. Threatened by the change, the regime activated the groups, which have operated on and off ever since.



Without any due process, the enforcers break into the houses of those whom they deem suspicious, search inside and beat them if they resist. If caught, victims offer bribes in many cases, which makes the job lucrative. The enforcers often have a quota to fill and if they do well, they receive rewards such as promotion, the report shows.



Some North Korean defectors say that's why the surveillance groups usually target the rich, who can afford to pay large sums for freedom. Over 36 percent of those interviewed said the enforcers actively exploit the rules for their economic advantage.



Some human rights activists have promoted the message that smuggling USB drives loaded with K-pop music or Hollywood films into the North could be an effective way to expose lies of the regime, which tries hard to restrict outside information from reaching its people.



The researchers said that it is a "double-edged sword," which could jeopardize the people in North Korea.



"It satisfies their right to know by accelerating the free flow of information in the North, but it also contains the risk of exposing them to the violation of human rights," they said in the report.


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19)  Former Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Chief Maria Zenaida Benedicto-Angping has been nominated as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the French Republic, the Commission of Appointments (CA) reported.

She was the PMS chief from June 30, 2022 until Dec. 2022. She also represented the 3rd legislative district of Manila from 2007 to 2016.

Angping earlier requested for some time off from her Cabinet seat. The post is currently vacant.

READ: PMS chief Angping asks for time off  Palace

Also nominated as the country's envoys were Kira Azucena as Ambassador to New Zealand, and Bienvenido Tejano as Ambassador to Papua New Guinea.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20)  Confiscated smuggled sugar from recent operations can be sold in Kadiwa stores once the investigation is completed, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Thursday.

In a public briefing, BOC operations chief and spokesperson Arnaldo dela Torre Jr. said a probe on the recently seized agricultural products, including sugar, is underway.

Ito pong mga nasabat natin na asukal sa MICP (Manila International Container Port) at Batangas, ito po ay may imbestigasyon na ginagawa ang bureau para tayo ay magkaroon ng jurisdiction para maibigay sa gobyerno, Dela Torre said.

[Translation: The bureau is conducting an investigation on items seized at MICP and in Batangas so that we can have complete jurisdiction and give it to the government.]

The bureau earlier intercepted 24 million worth of imported refined sugar from Hong Kong, while 4,000 metric tons of refined white sugar from Thailand amounting to 240 million was seized at the Batangas Port.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) previously proposed to sell the seized smuggled sugar at Kadiwa stores run by the Department of Agriculture.

The agency said SRA Administrator David Alba will recommend to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to allow the smuggled sugar to be sold so the public can enjoy refined sugar at a lower cost.
(CNN)  The effort required of the job was not worth the cost. Thats the conclusion trailblazing New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern seems to have reached after almost six brutal years in office.

The soon-to-be-former prime minister said her decision to stand down came over a reflective summer in the southern hemisphere, and with an election looming this October, she saw no need to prolong her departure.

I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period. But unfortunately, I havent, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue, she said.

On Sunday her Labour Party caucus will vote for a new leader and if all goes to plan shell be out of the job by February 7  a rapid end to a stunning career for the former cashier at a fish and chip restaurant in the tiny New Zealand town of Morrinsville.

Arderns controlled descent from the stratosphere of international politics where she was admired by millions around the world for her progressive policies is almost as fast as her dramatic rise to the premiership in 2017, just three months after being tapped to lead the Labour Party.

At the time, she was just 37, a relatively junior player in global politics, and one who could have easily been swept aside as a woman leading a remote country of around five million people.

Ardern made headlines for being young and virtually unknown to an international audience, and then as the first leader in 30 years to have a baby, who she took to the United Nations General Assembly.

That child, Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, is now 4 years old  and her mother is now more tired than ever after confronting multiple crises, including the worst terror attack in the countrys history, a deadly volcanic explosion and a global pandemic that prompted unpopular lockdowns  all during her first term in office.

In almost six years in power, Ardern showed that it was possible to juggle a young family and a demanding role  and now shes leading by example to show that when the tank is empty and theres no more to give, its also okay to opt out.

Questions of why

On February 6, the personable leader would have been expected to be standing behind the BBQ flipping sausages during New Zealands National Day, Waitangi Day, as she has done for the past four years. But this year, reports suggested the BBQ could be canceled because it was potentially too dangerous for the prime minister to be so exposed.

Some experts said sustained attacks on her character, threats against her life, and the prospect of worse to come in the months before a tough election likely contributed to Arderns decision to get out.

There have been people who have made some pretty vile threats against her, said Neale Jones, political commentator and Arderns former Chief of Staff. I think that something thats put pressure on, but I think she was quite clear that she just ran out of ran out of juice in the tank, he said.

She was exhausted from doing a job that was probably more intense than any job a New Zealand Prime Minister has done since the Second World War.

In terms of Covid deaths, New Zealand suffered an enviably low toll, losing fewer than 2,500 lives, partly due to Arderns quick action to close the countrys borders as the coronavirus spread worldwide in March 2020.

But prolonged Covid lockdowns and mandates led to alarming scenes in the nations capital Wellington last March when protesters camping for weeks outside the Parliament set fire to tents, mattresses and chairs. Then in October, Arderns office was allegedly attacked while the Prime Minister was on a trip to Antarctica, adding to fears about her safety, according to local media.

According to New Zealand Police, 50 threats were made against Ardern in 2021  up from 32 in 2020 and 18 in 2019. The threats related to vaccinations, Covid-19 and firearms, police said, though it was impossible to ascertain a motive for many as they included simply offensive, obscene or threatening words.

Ardern made no mention of the threats during her resignation speech on Thursday, and stressed she wasnt leaving the role because it was hard.

Had that been the case, I probably would have departed two months into the job, she said.

Knowing when to go

Ardern may have been feted on the world stage for bringing humanity and empathy to the role, but at home the rising cost of living, housing shortages and economic anxiety had some wondering if her government could do more to ease their pain.

Theres been various expert working groups on tax and welfare that have made some quite bold recommendations that the Labour government havent followed. And so a lot of people point to those as policy failings, said Lara Greaves, political scientist at the University of Auckland.

A lot of the governments attention has been on the Covid response, not on trying to get the various policy platforms going ahead, she said.

But Ardern said she her decision had nothing to do with wanting to avoid an election loss come October. Im not leaving because I believe we cant win the election, but because I believe we can and will and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge, she said.

Its not clear who the leadership will fall to  Arderns assumed successor, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, has said hes not interested. Its not out of the question Arderns successor could be a woman with Justice Minister Kiri Allan named as a potential contender.

Though Ardern was New Zealands third woman prime minister  after Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark  gendered criticism was a constant presence during her time in power.

Clark said in a statement Thursday: The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country.

Greaves, from the University of Auckland, said coverage of Ardern has long adopted a misogynistic tone. So people will kind of make fun of her appearance like people do with politicians and criticize her in a quite gendered way, Greaves said.

In November, as Ardern stood beside Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, a male reporter asked whether the leaders had met because they were similar in age and, you know, got a lot of common stuff there.

Ardern called him out on it, wondering if the same question would be asked of two male leaders.

We of course have a higher proportion of men in politics. Its reality. But because two women meet, its not simply because of their gender, she said.

And within hours of Arderns resignation came the first demonstration that scrutiny of her leadership in the local press goes beyond what would be expected for a male equivalent  an article looking back at some of her best looks and fashion moments.

Ardern didnt mention misogyny in her resignation speech. In her customary manner, she appeared open and honest and allowed tears to well in her eyes as she announced she would not be seeking re-election.

I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so-called real reason was. I can tell you that what Im sharing today is it, she said.

The only interesting angle that you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, I am human. Politicians are human, she said.

We give all that we can for as long as we can, and then its time. And for me, its time.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Even when quitting, Jacinda Ardern breaks boundaries."
(CNN)  A dispute between two billionaires once united in a visionary project to send power from Australia to Singapore through the world's longest subsea cable has escalated with one blaming cost blow-outs on "inexperienced management."

Fortescue Metals billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest told CNN on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that the capital costs of Sun Cable's Australia-Asia PowerLink Project (AAPL) "just kept rising by 10%, 50%, 100%."

"That isn't sustainable. That's what I would expect with inexperienced management and a board of directors who have never done large projects," he said.

Sun Cable brought in independent experts last week to evaluate the company's assets and deal with creditors, raising questions about the future of the 35 billion Australian dollar ($24 billion) project, which had been billed as creating the "world's first intercontinental renewable power system."

Sun Cable would have connected the world's largest solar farm with the biggest battery and longest undersea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable, delivering up to 15% of Singapore's electricity, starting from 2028, as the island attempts to reach its target of net zero emissions by 2050.

The cable's success would have shown that it's possible to pump large amounts of renewable energy across oceans to countries that lack the space or means to generate their own.

But the project's billionaire backers, Forrest and Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, have fallen out over its scale and scope, and are now presenting competing visions for Sun Cable to creditors caught in the middle.

A statement from Cannon-Brookes' private investment arm, Grok Ventures, suggested all investors except Forrest's investment arm Squadron Energy remain committed to the cable.

"Grok and every other investor is firmly of the view that the AAPL is the project to back  it continues to hit important milestones and remains on-track to deliver affordable clean energy to Singapore," it said.

Not viable?

But less than one year after touting the project's ambitions to help raise millions of dollars in capital, Squadron Energy, backed by Forrest, now says the cable is "not commercially viable."

Worse, Forrest told CNN its main customer, Singapore, doesn't want it, a claim disputed by Grok Ventures, who said the cable's offer was oversubscribed, indicating strong demand from Singapore.

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson from Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) said Sun Cable's proposal was among 20 it had received for electricity imports and they were unable to comment on the company's financial woes.

Before last week, Sun Cable was selling the idea of a world-beating 12,000 hectare farm soaking up solar radiation over a vast expanse of Australia's Northern Territory, with backing from the local and federal government.

Power would be transported via a 800-kilometer 3 gigawatt (GW) HVDC overhead transmission line to a location near Darwin, where it would be used to supply cheaper energy to the local market from 2026.

Another 1.75 GW would be sent offshore to Singapore via Indonesia through a 2,610-mile subsea cable  longer and possibly deeper than any other cable of its type ever laid.

It would be a world-first in terms of its scale and ambition to forge a new path for greener energy to countries unable to produce their own. In October, during a joint news conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Sun Cable's plan as the "ultimate win-win."

But Forrest says that after speaking with representatives from Asia, particularly Singapore, it's become clear to him that they don't want it.

"What they wanted was greener molecules," he said. "So instead of building a massively expensive cable, simply put in the solar farm ... create the hydrogen, put in the nitrogen, if you want ammonia, (or) carbon dioxide, if you want synthetic green methane, or just straight hydrogen, and ship that to Singapore, because that's what they're telling me they want."

Bruce Robertson, energy finance analyst at the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), says shipping hydrogen is a difficult and expensive process, which hasn't been proven to work.

"The shipping part has never been done, there's nothing to work off -- you're really breaking new ground," he said.

Robertson said hydrogen molecules are very small and leak easily from pipes and vessels normally used to carry gas. Hydrogen also needs to be cooled much more than natural gas is cooled to create liquefied natural gas (LNG), sharply increasing the costs involved.

Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, says the export of green hydrogen (hydrogen generated from renewable energy) is at least a decade away.

"The market for green hydrogen exports has sort of deflated quite dramatically when people realize there'll be a decade or two before you can actually ship green hydrogen anywhere overseas," he said.

"People have spent a lot of time including myself looking at green ammonia exports, but again, that's problematic. It's far more commercially viable than green hydrogen, but then there's efficiency loss."

The cable plan

The plan to lay a cable from Darwin to Singapore, navigating currents, soil acidity, deep trenches and ridges, is also immensely difficult, but not impossible with enough financial backing, according to Bruce Mountain, director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre at Victoria University.

He says it could still happen, even without Forrest's involvement.

"There's lots of rich corporations and people other than Andrew Forrest," he said. "So if the economic sense is attractive enough, I think they'll get the investment."

Mountain said when Sun Cable's plan was announced it was considered incredibly ambitious, but since then other similarly long cables have been proposed elsewhere that are still moving ahead.

For example, Xlinks plans to run a cable almost as long and powerful from Morocco to the United Kingdom. However, he says there are some key differences, which may make Xlinks more commercially viable than Sun Cable's line.

Britain's electricity demand is eight times higher than Singapore's and the cable would pass Portugal, Spain and France  all potential customers  he said, whereas Sun Cable's link would pass via Indonesia, which stood to benefit from investment in the cable, but wouldn't necessarily buy its power.

Either way, he says there's a huge economic incentive to surmount the obstacles in transmitting renewable energy over long distances in a world that needs to act fast to reduce carbon emissions.

"The distribution of wind and solar is uneven, just like coal and gas, so I think we will learn to transmit it effectively over long distances, where there's environmental benefit," he said.

"Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan -- many of them have very similar issues of inadequate clean energy resources for the size of their power demand."

Singapore's net zero deadline

Both scenarios presented by the billionaires mean potential export to Singapore.

Meanwhile, the city-state faces a hard deadline to reach its target of net zero by 2050. As recently as 2020, 95% of the country's electricity came from natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel imported from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Last October, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said: "We are already one of the most solar-dense cities in the world ... (but) even if we were to maximize all available space in Singapore for solar deployment, we will still not be able to generate enough electricity to keep the lights on."

In its statement, the EMA said it's aiming to source electricity from a mix of natural gas, solar, regional power grids and low carbon alternatives, such as hydrogen, and it was in talks with a number of potential providers from countries including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

The country's first trial of imports from Malaysia started last year, with 100 MW sent via a new interconnector from the Pulau Bulan solar farm, according to the EMA. More came from Laos hydropower through the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP), a move the EMA called a "historic milestone."

The EMA says it's on track to meet its target of importing 4 gigawatts of electricity by 2035, but is open to offers from other potential contributors "from all sources, including Australia."

Forrest told CNN that in his mind, Sun Cable needs to be working for the customer.

"The customer is always right, and while the company is on a particular course not to give the customer what I believe it wants, then we're happy to see that company completely restructured and change course."

In its statement, Grok Ventures said "prospective bidders will have the opportunity to make up their own minds when they have access to the facts via the data room during the sale process," with the first creditor meeting scheduled for Friday.

"We believe this information will strongly underscore the commercial viability of the AAPL and show the progression toward Sun Cable as a development platform for major renewables projects," Grok Ventures said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Billionaires' feud over world-beating cable escalates with claims of 'inexperienced management.'"
(CNN)  Peru's President Dina Boluarte has called for dialogue after clashes between protesters and police during nationwide demonstrations left one person dead and 30 injured.

"Once again, I call for dialogue, I call on those political leaders to calm down. Have a more honest and objective look at the country; let's talk," Boluarte said at a press conference on Thursday evening.

Her comments came after clashes on the streets of the capital Lima, where thousands of protesters from across the country faced a massive show of force by local police.

Protesters marching in Lima  in defiance of a government-ordered state of emergency  demanded Boluarte's resignation and called for general elections as soon as possible.

State broadcaster TV Peru showed a group of protesters breaking through a security cordon and advancing onto Abancay Ave, near Congress. In the video, protesters can be seen throwing objects and pushing security agents.

Police forces were also seen unleashing tear gas on some demonstrators in the center of the city.

Fierce clashes also broke out in the southern city of Arequipa, where protesters shouted "assassins" at police and threw rocks near the city's international airport, which suspended flights on Thursday. Live footage from the city showed several people trying to tear down fences near the airport, and smoke billowing from the surrounding fields.

Boluarte said 22 members of Peru's National Police and 16 civilians had been injured and damages reported at airports in Cusco and Puno, as well as Arequipa

A major fire was also reported in downtown Lima where ten firefighters units were at the scene to put out the flames, according to the interior ministry.

"All the law will fall on those people who are committing these criminal acts of vandalism, that we are not going to allow it again," Boluarte said.

She also expressed solidarity with members of the press who had been attacked.

"That's not a peaceful protest march, the acts of violence generated throughout these days of December and now in January will not go unpunished," Boluarte said.

Public officials and some of the press have disparaged the protests as driven by vandals and criminals  a criticism that several protestors rejected in interviews with CNN en Espanol as they gathered in Lima this week.

Even if "the state says that we are criminals, terrorists, we are not," protester Daniel Mamani said.

"We are workers, the ordinary population of the day to day that work, the state oppresses us, they all need to get out, they are useless."

"Right now the political situation merits a change of representatives, of government, of the executive and the legislature. That is the immediate thing. Because there are other deeper issues -- inflation, lack of employment, poverty, malnutrition and other historical issues that have not been addressed," another protester named Carlos, who is a sociologist from the Universidad San Marcos, told CNNEE on Wednesday.

'A climate of more violence'

The Andean country's weeks-long protest movement  which seeks a complete reset of the government  was sparked by the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo in December and fueled by deep dissatisfaction over living conditions and inequality in the country.

Demonstrators' fury has also grown with the rising death toll: At least 54 people have been killed amid clashes with security forces since the unrest began, and a further 772, including security officials, have been injured, the national Ombudsman's office said earlier on Thursday.

Peruvian authorities have been accused of using excessive force against protesters, including firearms, in recent weeks. Police have countered that their tactics match international standards.

Autopsies on 17 dead civilians, killed during protests in the city of Juliaca on January 9, found wounds caused by firearm projectiles, the city's head of legal medicine told CNN en Espanol. A police officer was burned to death by "unknown subjects" days later, police said.

Jo-Marie Burt, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, told CNN that what happened in Juliaca in early January represented "the highest civilian death toll in the country since Peru's return to democracy" in 2000.

A fact-finding mission to Peru by the the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) also found that gunshot wounds were found in the heads and upper bodies of victims, Edgar Stuardo Ralon, the commission's vice-president, said Wednesday.

Ralon described a broader "deterioration of public debate" over the demonstrations in Peru, with protestors labeled as "terrorists" and indigenous people referred to by derogatory terms.

Such language could generate "a climate of more violence," he warned.

"When the press uses that, when the political elite uses that, I mean, it's easier for the police and other security forces to use this kind of repression, right?" Omar Coronel, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, who specializes in Latin American protests movements, told CNN.

Peruvian officials have not made public details about those killed in the unrest. However, experts say that Indigenous protestors are suffering the greatest bloodshed.

"The victims are overwhelmingly indigenous people from rural Peru," Burt said.

"The protests have been centered in central and southern Peru, heavily indigenous parts of the country, these are regions that have been historically marginalized and excluded from political, economical, and social life of the nation."

Why are protesters so angry?

Protesters want new elections, the resignation of Boluarte, a change to the constitution and the release of Castillo, who is currently in pre-trial detention.

At the core of the crisis are demands for better living conditions that have gone unfulfilled in the two decades since democratic rule was restored in the country.

While Peru's economy has boomed in the last decade, many have not reaped its gains, with experts noting chronic deficiencies in security, justice, education, and other basic services in the country.

Castillo, a former teacher and union leader who had never held elected office before becoming president, is from rural Peru and positioned himself as a man of the people. Many of his supporters hail from poorer regions, and hoped Castillo would bring better prospects for the country's rural and indigenous people.

While protests have occurred throughout the nation, the worst violence has been in the rural and indigenous south, which has long been at odds with the country's coastal White and mestizo, which is a person of mixed descent, elites.

Peru's legislative body is also viewed with skepticism by the public. The president and members of congress are not allowed to have consecutive terms, according to Peruvian law, and critics have noted their lack of political experience.

A poll published September 2022 by IEP showed 84% of Peruvians disapproved Congress's performance. Lawmakers are perceived not only as pursuing their own interests in Congress, but are also associated with corrupt practices.

The country's frustrations have been reflected in its years-long revolving door presidency. Current president Boluarte is the sixth head of state in less than five years.

Joel Hernandez Garcia, a commissioner for IACHR, told CNN what was needed to fix the crisis was political dialogue, police reform, and reparations for those killed in the protests.

"The police forces have to revisit their protocol. In order to resort to non-lethal force under the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality and as a matter of last resort," Hernandez Garcia said.

"Police officers have the duty to protect people who participate in social protest, but also (to protect) others who are not participating," he added.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Perus president calls for dialogue after more than 30 injured in nationwide protests"
Kyle Brown, a member of the Louisville City Council, has worked for U.S. senators and two governors, and is deputy commissioner for affordability programs at the Colorado Division of Insurance and part of the team that developed the Colorado Option.
OPEC chief "very confident about China's economy"

Xinhua) 10:01, January 19, 2023

Vehicles run on Jianguo Road in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Asked about China's COVID-19 reopening, Haitham Al Ghais said: "This means a lot to the global economy, to energy. And, of course, to trade between China and the rest of the world. This has a significant impact."

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is "very confident about China's economy," he told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here on Wednesday.

CHINESE ECONOMY

Asked about China's COVID-19 reopening, Haitham Al Ghais said: "This means a lot to the global economy, to energy. And, of course, to trade between China and the rest of the world. This has a significant impact."

"Having lived in China for almost four years ... I have faith in China. I've always said that when people have doubted the Chinese economy, do not discount China, China will come back," he said.

Al Ghais of Kuwait assumed the post of secretary general in August, succeeding the late OPEC chief Mohammad Barkindo, who died in July last year.

China reported steady economic growth in 2022 despite pressures, including the resurgence of COVID-19 and a complicated external environment, with its gross domestic product (GDP) reaching new highs.

The economy grew 3 percent year-on-year to a record high of 121 trillion yuan (18 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.

"We are very confident in the Chinese economy and the strength of the leadership and the government and the people of China," said the OPEC chief.

"OPEC and China have had a long-standing relationship and great dialogue, which we as well as our member countries have enjoyed over so many years," he noted.

Trucks transport containers at the international container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua)

GLOBAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Oil prices, which came close to the all-time high of 147 U.S. dollars a barrel in March last year due to the conflict in Ukraine, have since unwound most of their 2022 gains.

In its monthly oil market report released on Tuesday, OPEC stuck to its global oil demand forecast for this year despite an improving economic outlook in top crude importer China.

Employees work at an assembly line of the north China base of FAW-Volkswagen in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

The group said it still expects oil demand to grow by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) this year, which is lower than its previous estimate of 2.5 million bpd growth for 2022.

The 2023 global economic growth forecast remained unchanged at 2.5 percent, it also said in the report. For China, the OPEC kept its economic growth forecast unchanged at 4.8 percent for 2023.

"We see the global economy still growing at a relatively good pace in view of the circumstances. Last year, the world was witnessing signs, especially in the second half, of an economic slowdown, especially in the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) developing countries," Al Ghais said.

"We also had issues related to Chinese oil demand because of the extensive lockdowns after the COVID cases were spiking in China and the measures that were implemented there," he said.

OIL DEMAND

For 2023, OPEC kept its world oil demand growth projection unchanged at 2.2 million bpd, with the OECD members growing by 0.3 million bpd and non-OECD members by 1.9 million bpd.

As a policy, OPEC does not forecast or comment on oil prices but only on supply and demand, Al Ghais explained.

"Our initial projections for this year show that there is optimism, especially since China has opened up. China is a major global economic powerhouse."

He emphasized that more investments were needed to transform the industry.

"OPEC's forecast from today until 2045 is that we see a requirement of 12.1 trillion U.S. dollars to be invested in the oil industry. This is a holistic view, investments not just in production and exploration but also in logistics, shipping, downstream refining, petrochemicals, the whole value chain," he said.

CHINA'S GREEN TRANSITION

The secretary general also highlighted the importance of China's green energy transition.

"We are extremely proud of the steps taken by the Chinese government to promote renewable energy as a part of the energy mix that's required for China to fuel its continuous development and economic growth," he said.

Photo taken on Dec. 8, 2021 shows wind turbines at Changma wind farm in Yumen City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

The OPEC chief said that the world "will require all sources of energy," which fits in line with the Chinese green energy transition, where all sources of energy will be required.

He hailed China's "ambitious targets" that have been laid out by the leadership to be carbon neutral.

On Sept. 21, 2020, China announced at the 75th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly that it aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks during a luncheon with CEOs of Korean conglomerates and other multinational companies at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18. Yonhap





President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a group of CEOs from Korean conglomerates and other leading multinational companies in Davos on Wednesday and asked them to increase their investment in Korea.







The luncheon was held shortly after Yoon arrived in Davos to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where he is scheduled to deliver a special address on Thursday.







The CEOs in attendance included Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung among chiefs of Korean conglomerates, as well as the CEOs of Intel, IBM, Qualcomm, JP Morgan Chase and Mubadala Investment Company.







"I'm the No. 1 salesman of the Republic of Korea," Yoon was quoted as saying, referring to Korea by its official name.







"There are many difficulties across the world, but because you have personally experienced and overcome various global crises over decades, your experiences and wisdom will be of great help to finding a way out for South Korea amid the global crisis," he added, according to senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye.







During the portion of the luncheon that was open to the press, Yoon asked the CEOs to take a large interest in Korea.







President Yoon Suk Yeol, second from right, listens to Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from left, as he arrives at a luncheon with CEOs of Korean conglomerates and other multinational companies at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18. Yonhap





"If our systems do not meet global standards, let me know anytime," he said. "If there is a lot of foreign investment, we will be able to adjust our systems to global standards."






FILE PHOTO: Neighbor Jenna Iszler hugs Chad Cheek this spring as Creeks property is excavated to begin rebuilding his familys Superior home that was lost in the Marshall Fire. Multiple neighbors came to see the groundbreaking, the first in a neighborhood that lost many homes in the fire, including Iszlers.
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.
George Whit Frey is an Editor and Visual Journalist at The Columbia Missourian, pursuing a Photojournalism major and a minor in East Asian Studies at Mizzou. Initially falling in love with photography after a childhood trip to San Francisco, today, Frey is a working freelance visual journalist and artist who, over the years, has lived in Vermont, Oregon, Missouri, New York City, and Singapore. While Frey's lens is primarily drawn to bustling urban environments, the diversity of humanity is what he enjoys photographing the most.

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I've been a reporter and editor at Missouri community newspapers for 35 years and joined the Columbia Missourian in 2003. My emphasis at the Missourian is on local government and elections. You can reach me at swaffords@missouri.edu or at 573-884-5366.

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A man walks past the Iranian Embassy in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



Tehran's strong response to Yoon's comments most likely related to frozen funds: expert



By Kang Seung-woo



Tehran summoned the South Korean ambassador to Iran and threatened to review its diplomatic ties with Seoul in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent remarks describing the Middle Eastern country as the biggest threat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



In retaliation, the South Korean government also called in the Iranian ambassador to Korea, Thursday, raising concerns that the incident may escalate into a diplomatic row between the two countries.



According to Iran's foreign ministry, Wednesday (local time), Reza Najafi, the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, summoned the South Korean Ambassador to Iran, Yun Kang-hyeon, and lodged a "strong protest" against the president's remarks.



During his visit to the South Korean Akh Unit in Abu Dhabi, Sunday (local time) to encourage the soldiers, Yoon said Korea and the UAE are in a similar position, with each facing North Korea and Iran as the enemy and biggest threat. The Akh unit trains the UAE's special operations forces.



Najafi highlighted Iran's friendly ties with most of the Gulf states and said the comments by the South Korean president are tantamount to interference in friendly relations and undermine peace and security in the region, the ministry said.



"The Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs demanded an immediate explanation about the remarks and underscored the need for Seoul to correct such an approach," it added.



On Monday, the Iranian side took issue with Yoon's remarks, calling them undiplomatic and asked Seoul for an explanation. In addition, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul also said, Wednesday, that it asked for an explanation about Yoon's anti-Iran remarks.






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
National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, left, poses with with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during Kim's official visit to the Southeast Asian country in Jakarta, Thursday. / Courtesy of National Assembly



National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo Thursday and discussed improving bilateral cooperation in various areas, Kim's office said.



During the meeting in Jakarta, Kim touted the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Indonesia and called for strengthening economic and security cooperation under a "special strategic partnership."



The two countries established the special partnership in 2017 during then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to Indonesia.



Kim stressed that the two countries can be "best partners" in supply chain cooperation, noting that Indonesia has key minerals, such as nickel, while South Korea has advanced technology in mining and smelting.



Kim also asked Indonesia to support South Korean companies' investment in the country, saying investment in automobiles, petrochemicals and other industries is expected to expand as the two countries implemented the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) starting this year.



Indonesia is ready to expand cooperation with South Korea in new areas as well, such as medical and digital finance industries, Widodo said.



On security issues, Kim called for Indonesia to play a role so the Association of Southeast Asian Nationals (ASEAN) can send a message denouncing North Korea's illegal actions as the chair of the ASEAN.



Indonesia became the head state of ASEAN this year.



"Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country that has a special strategic partnership with South Korea and a key partner for South Korean government's Indo-Pacific strategy and plan to form solidarity with ASEAN," Kim said. (Yonhap)








President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a special address at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday (local time). Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



DAVOS  President Yoon Suk Yeol delivered a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday (local time), promising that Korea will play a leading role in facilitating international cooperation and solidarity, which he stressed are the key solutions to tackling various challenges facing the world.



During his speech, Yoon picked the semiconductor industry as the main area where Korea can make efforts to stabilize the global supply chain, while noting that the solidarity that his country is pursuing is not aimed at excluding particular nations, referring to China, whose values are different from others.



Yoon is the third Korean president to attend and deliver an address at the prestigious forum, following former Presidents Lee Myung-bak in 2010 and Park Geun-hye in 2014.



"The current situation, characterized by bloc-forming, also calls for the global economic order's return to the free trade system based on the universal norms and the international community's strengthened solidarity and cooperation," Yoon was quoted as saying in an English-version of his speech.



"When our commitment to contributing to empowering global citizens to enjoy greater freedom and building the international community's prosperity translates into specific actions, we can indeed tackle the pressing challenges ahead of us."



In his speech, Yoon noted that the world is facing four urgent tasks  global supply chain resilience; climate change and energy security; gaps between countries in responding to health threats; and establishing a digital order.



Of them, Yoon said the most urgent task is to "strengthen the supply chain's resilience based on reciprocal solidarity." He added that Korea will be a key partner in achieving that solidarity.



"The Republic of Korea, which boasts the world's top-notch production technologies and manufacturing capabilities in semiconductors, rechargeable batteries, steel, and biotechnology, will be a key partner in the global supply chain," Yoon said. "We will align and cooperate with mutually trusted countries in full compliance with the universal rules in order to secure the global supply chain's stability."



In a question and answer session after his speech, Yoon picked the semiconductor industry as the key sector in which Korea should make efforts to improve global supply chain resilience.




The US sometimes identifies a country as a terrorist and human rights violator because of its own interests. Sometimes, for their own sake, they label someone as a scapegoat of humanity. Their behaviour is very old in the history of the world. However, the American leaders probably do not know what happens in the name of human rights in their own country. Who keeps count of how many robberies happen every day in just one New York City? How do they treat the black citizens of their country  who even raises the question?

Yet it was banned, with analysts blaming it on intensive public relations by Bangladeshi communities living in the US lobbying with senators and congressmen and campaigns by various international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.And because of these activities, 10 US senators on October 27, 2020, in a letter written to then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin, requested the imposition of 'targetted sanctions' against RAB's senior commanders.After the imposition of sanctions, Bangladesh protested as unreasonable sanctions of the US and said that they would stand by their position. However, there are signs that the US will soften its stance.On January 15 in Dhaka, after discussions and bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister Shahriar Alam, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu praised the RAB's efforts to reduce extrajudicial killings after a year of sanctions over allegations of human rights abuses.Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu said that the Human Rights Watch report this week noted that the RAB had made outstanding progress. Mentioning this extraordinary work, he said that RAB will be able to fight terrorism and protect law and order by respecting human rights.Analysts said, the US has softened its position on Bangladesh for its own interests. The reason they say is that the US has supported all activities of the RAB, which is under US sanctions, including training and various assistance. Yet, the fact is, Lu did not make any specific comment regarding the withdrawal of sanctions on RAB."We recognise this. This is amazing work. It shows that RAB is able to carry out its counterterrorism efforts and important functions while respecting human rights," Lu said during the press briefing. This has led to the expectation that the US sanctions on RAB will be lifted soon.The fact is, during the formation of RAB, the involvement of the US and the United Kingdom was mentioned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. AK Abdul Momen had said, "When the RAB was created, it was created with the advice of the US and the United Kingdom." Considering the situation of that time, those countries gave the concept of RAB. They gave equipment to the then government. RAB was initially launched because of them. Many people think that one of the objectives of Washington is to overcome the government of Bangladesh.There have been parallels: Chile's Pinochet or Argentina's military dictator Jorge Vidal had to face trial for human rights violations. But it was the US that incited Pinochet and Vidal and trained their law enforcement forces. Not without reason, analysts call such behavior of the US a double standard.Some people also see the geopolitical purpose of the US to soften the tone on the issue of human rights in Bangladesh. They say, depending on the geopolitics, the US adopts different foreign policy strategies in different countries of the world. Analysts believe that the US has adopted a strategy to restore democracy, protect human rights and improve the law-and-order situation in Bangladesh. And in this case, the main target of the US is China.The Biden administration is eager to make Bangladesh sign the Aksa and GSOMIA agreements related to defense to prevent China. In the elections of 2008, 2014 and 2018, the opposition party claimed that the elections were not fair, but the US was very silent at that time. International analysts believe that the US is raising questions for its own interests, although it did not raise any questions about the law-and-order situation at that time.They say that China's continued presence in Bangladesh in the name of development cooperation is making the US worry about its security and dominance in the Indian Ocean region. And so, to stop China, Washington is trying to subjugate Bangladesh by raising the smoke of human rights violations. However, in the end, as Bangladesh remained steadfast in its position, the US was forced to soften its tone.Analysts say that in the reality of South Asia, as Bangladesh is geographically important, there has been a great improvement in the socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh in the last decade. Capacity has increased significantly. Bangladesh can now speak for itself in the eyes of superpowers. Besides, Bangladesh maintains very friendly diplomatic relations with India and China, two big neighbours of opposite religions.The US is watching all this at a time when the world is no longer bound by a single power or a couple of big rings. The world is now a land of many powers. Even the old superpowers are now talking or being forced to talk about compromise.---
Bangladesh has been demanding duty-free and quota-free access to the US market since 2013. But until now, Bangladesh has not gotten this facility, which the US provides to 46 countries. Besides, Bangladesh has also been waiting to get GSP benefits since 2013, which have been suspended by the US government.

Lu referred to recent statement by Human Rights Watch that recognized tremendous progress in reducing extrajudicial killings

Lu said that his country is working very closely with Bangladesh regarding the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facilities. He confirmed that if the GSP is relaunched, Bangladesh would be the first country on the list.

Bangladesh's significance in the Bay of Bengal region and the US's special focus on the Indo-Pacific region have created a new area for cooperation. This opens up an opportunity for Bangladesh to focus on its naval capabilities and blue economy.

The US has expressed its desire to allocate more resources and more attention to the Indo-Pacific, including Bangladesh. During the visit, both sides had a very open discussion regarding the Indo-Pacific strategy. Lu said, "It's just strategy; it's not a club." So,you don't join if you don't want to.



Needless to say, Bangladesh and the US can strengthen cooperation based on mutual interests in the changing context of regional and global politics. Hence, top US officials, policymakers, and experts have occasionally visited Bangladesh over the past few years. In these engagements, a positive view of Bangladesh can be seen. It is easy to imagine that not only Bangladesh but also the US President himself give great importance to this bilateral relationship.

Emphasizing the long-standing relationship between Dhaka and Washington, Joe Biden had said Bangladesh's economic success in the last 50 years is an "extraordinary story." The US President had also said that as the US moves towards the opportunities and challenges ahead, his administration looks forward to working with Bangladesh to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

It is clear that the line of relationship is moving upward, and thus it will remain an example of ever-expanding and growing cooperation. Undoubtedly, these regular top-level visits would play a significant role in consolidating the dynamism of contemporary ties. It is also true that every visit has room for improvement. It is not possible to explain the Dhaka-Washington relationship by focusing on any one specific event or topic. Indeed, the visit of Lu is positive and fruitful, and will act as a catalyst for closer coordination and cooperation on a host of issues including trade, investment, geopolitics, education, culture, health, energy, and so forth between the two countries based on democracy and human rights.

---

*Independent researcher and freelance columnist, Dhaka

Lu discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship, expand economic engagement, and go over the labour and human rights situation. The US is "committed" to continued cooperation with Bangladesh in its efforts to improve labour rights, he said.Needless to say, Bangladesh and the US can strengthen cooperation based on mutual interests in the changing context of regional and global politics. Hence, top US officials, policymakers, and experts have occasionally visited Bangladesh over the past few years. In these engagements, a positive view of Bangladesh can be seen. It is easy to imagine that not only Bangladesh but also the US President himself give great importance to this bilateral relationship.Emphasizing the long-standing relationship between Dhaka and Washington, Joe Biden had said Bangladesh's economic success in the last 50 years is an "extraordinary story." The US President had also said that as the US moves towards the opportunities and challenges ahead, his administration looks forward to working with Bangladesh to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.It is clear that the line of relationship is moving upward, and thus it will remain an example of ever-expanding and growing cooperation. Undoubtedly, these regular top-level visits would play a significant role in consolidating the dynamism of contemporary ties. It is also true that every visit has room for improvement.

Lu said they had a good discussion on RAB, and he referred to the recent statement by the Human Rights Watch that recognized "tremendous progress" in reducing extrajudicial killings. It shows that RAB is able to carry out its counterterrorism efforts and other important functions while respecting human rights.According to diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Washington, both countries are in favour of advancing relations by eliminating differences. Both sides are ready to advance relations based on democracy and human rights. The Bangladesh government will take into account the allegations of human rights violations against this force and make necessary reforms.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, third from left, speaks during a meeting with a group of quantum physicists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich on Jan. 19. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a group of renowned quantum physicists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich on Thursday.



During the meeting, Yoon asked the scholars how quantum science and technology can change the future and how Korea should prepare in order to develop the field, according to senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye.



The Korean leader is on a four-day visit to Switzerland that began Tuesday.



In attendance were Gunther Dissertori, the university's rector, and Klaus Ensslin and Andreas Wallraff, both professors at the institute, among others.






Chinese advanced persistent threat actor, Playful Taurus, targeted several Iranian government entities between July and December 2022, according to a Palo Alto Networks report.

The Chinese threat actor also known as APT15, KeChang, NICKEL, BackdoorDiplomacy, and Vixen Panda, was observed attempting to connect government domains to malware infrastructure previously associated with the APT group, according to the report.

Playful Taurus continues to evolve their tactics and their tooling. Recent upgrades to the Turian backdoor and new C2 infrastructure suggest that these actors continue to see success during their cyber espionage campaigns, Palo Alto Networks said in a blog.

Our analysis of the samples and connections to the malicious infrastructure suggest that Iranian government networks have likely to been compromised, the cybersecurity firm added.

The firm has also cautioned that the threat actor has been deploying the same tactics and techniques against other government and diplomatic entities across North and South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Playful Taurus deployed new version of Turian malware

In the recent attacks against government entities in Iran, the researchers observed Playful Taurus was using a new version of the Turian malware and a new command and control (C2) infrastructure.

The new version of the threat actors backdoor has additional obfuscation and a modified network protocol, an updated decryption algorithm used to extract the C2 servers. The malware offers functions to update the C2 server to communicate with, execute commands, and spawn reverse shells.

The networks of four Iranian government organizations, including Irans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have likely been compromised using the new version of the malware.

We identified Iranian government infrastructure establishing connections with a known Playful Taurus command and control (C2) server, Palo Alto Networks noted.

Pivoting on one of the Iranian government IPs, we then identified additional infrastructure hosting certificates that overlap with a second Playful Taurus C2 server, it added.

Turian is the next stage evolution of Quarian, the backdoor last observed in use in 2013 against diplomatic targets in Syria and the US by the threat actor. The use of Turian by Playful Taurus was first identified in June 2021 by ESET.

Several countries targeted over the years

Known to be active since 2010, the threat actor targets telecommunications companies and government diplomatic units. Their initial attack vector focuses on exploiting vulnerable internet-exposed applications on web servers to drop and execute a Webshell.

Using the Webshell, Playful Taurus deploys open source software for information gathering. It uses the Dynamic-Link Library search order hijacking to install its backdoor, Turian. As a last step, the threat actor employs a separate executable to detect removable media, likely USB flash drives, and copy their contents to the main drives recycle bin, according to ESET researchers.

The threat actor uses similar tactics, techniques and procedures in its attacks but modified tools are used to avoid getting tracked. In 2012, Playful Taurus targeted the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the US Department of State in 2013.

In December 2021, Microsoft seized 42 domains in the US used by Playful Taurus for its attacks targeting 29 countries.
Kim Seong-tae, former chairman of underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group, is surrounded by prosecution investigators after arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from Thailand, Jan. 17. Yonhap



Prosecutors on Thursday sought an arrest warrant for a business tycoon who was arrested in Thailand after months of being on the run over several high-profile corruption allegations.



Kim Seong-tae, former chairman of underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group, is facing multiple charges, including embezzlement, bribery and the illegal transfer of cash to North Korea, according to the Suwon District Prosecutors Office.



Prosecutors, however, have not yet charged Kim over allegedly paying attorney expenses by proxy for opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.



Roughly eight months after he fled the country amid investigations, Kim was apprehended by Thai police and returned home Tuesday.



Kim has been long sought by prosecutors as a key suspect in a number of high-profile corruption investigations, including an alleged connection to Lee.



Allegations rose that Ssangbangwool Group paid attorney fees when Lee was standing trial for an election law violation in 2018 when he was the governor of Gyeonggi Province. Several large law firms were appointed at the time, and Lee was eventually acquitted.



Both Kim and Lee have denied the allegations, saying they are not acquainted.



Kim resigned as group chair in 2021 but has allegedly remained in charge of major decision-making at the group.



Kim, meanwhile, will not attend a court hearing to determine his arrest, according to his lawyer.



A court will decide whether to approve his arrest based on the prosecution's testimony and evidence, and the decision is expected to come out as early as late Thursday. (Yonhap)


People line up to enter Lotte World in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District last May. Yonhap



By Lee Yeon-woo



Disability advocacy groups have filed a complaint with the state human rights agency against Lotte World, saying the popular amusement park "compelled people with disabilities to be accompanied by guardians."



Disability advocacy groups, including Disability Discrimination Act Solidarity of Korea (DDASK) and People First Korea, held a press conference, Wednesday, in front of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) to accuse Lotte World of discriminating against customers with disabilities.



"Lotte World is restricting customers with disability from rides unless they are accompanied by non-disabled guardians, just because they have disabilities," the groups said.



The refusal of service has been also applied when using the Magic Pass Premium, a service from the amusement park which allows customers to bypass lines for rides by paying an additional fee.



According to the DDASK, many people with disabilities have called its hotline to report their experience of being refused service at Lotte World.



"Jungle Adventure is not a dangerous ride and doesn't even require a seatbelt. I took the ride in 2003 and 2009, but have been refused since 2017," said Kwak Nam-hui, an activist with visual impairments who works for Nodl Center for Independent Living.



She reported, "I was in the line for Magic Pass holders to ride a spinning swing. But they told me to line up in the non-holders' line if I am not with a (non-disabled) guardian. So I waited an additional 30 minutes."



The groups requested the NHRCK to recommend Lotte World stop requesting people with disabilities to be accompanied by guardians and to provide its employees with human rights education on disabilities.


Members of the Korea Confederation of Trade Union hold a press conference at its headquarters in Seoul, Thursday, condemning the Yoon Suk Yeol administration for raiding its offices over alleged espionage speculations. Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea's major umbrella labor union strongly condemned the government on Thursday after its offices were raided by police and the spy agency the previous day. The labor union threatened to stage a nationwide strike in response to what it views as the persecution of labor union activities.



On Wednesday morning, the National Police Agency (NPA) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) raided nearly a dozen of the Korea Confederation of Trade Union's (KCTU) offices over alleged espionage activities linked to North Korea.



The NIS said it had obtained a search and seizure warrant from the court for the labor union on charges of violation of the National Security Act.



Along with the KCTU headquarters in central Seoul and the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union office on Yeouido, the authorities simultaneously raided the KIA Motor workers' union office in Gwangju and the houses of four union members suspected of allegedly breaching the law, which outlaws "anti-government organizations" and was merged with the Anti-Communism Law in the 1980s.



The KCTU officials attempted to block the officers from entering, demanding the raid be carried out in the presence of a lawyer, but the investigators pushed ahead and launched the raid, which lasted about 10 hours.



It is the first time the spy agency has raided KCTU headquarters over any alleged breach of the law, according to the labor union.



The union held a press conference on Thursday, where they denounced the government for "staging a show to cover up its wrongdoing."



"Yesterday's raid was merely a show staged by the National Intelligence Service, which had received orders from President Yoon Suk Yeol," said Yang Kyung-soo, chief of the KCTU, saying that a thousand police officers were deployed on-site to raid merely one desk in its small office.



He argued that the current government is abusing the "outdated" National Security Law to persecute the labor union, saying that its members will launch a nationwide strike on May 1, Labor Day, and in July, to protest the administration's recent moves.





Police officers stand in front of the Korean Confederation of Trade Union headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday, as investigators from the National Intelligence Service and the National Police Agency raid the facility. Yonhap
This piece reflects the views of the author, Jessica Brewer, and not those of Emerald Media Group. It has been edited by the Emerald for grammar and style. Send your columns or submissions about our content or campus issues to letters@dailyemerald.com.

----------

EUGENE, Ore.  Students, faculty and the Eugene public gathered to watch Oregons Democratic leaders rally for people to vote. Cold air bit the skin of my cheeks. Loud, excited chatter and puffs of condensed air filled the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater that Thursday morning, Oct. 27, 2022. We expected a visit from Bernie Sandersthe United States senator for Vermont and inspiring public speaker of progressive values.

A group of my coworkers and I stood up atop a concrete ledge that paved the way for the sidewalk. It placed us just tall enough to see over the crowd. Organizers handed out Tina Kotek t-shirts, student athletes zipped by on scooters and commuters traveled to class eroded the walkway in front of us into a river of liquid bodies.

A curly, brown-haired man walked slower than the pace of the river.

Alex Goodwin carried half-sheet cards and asked nearby students if they were student workers on campus. He offered them union cards and instructed them how to fill out the form, using their full legal name and workforce department. I reached out my hand to get his attention.

I have been wanting to sign a card for a little over a month now. Around that time, bright yellow signs advertising the call for an undergraduate worker union appeared throughout campus.

I asked my coworkers if they wanted to sign a card. It would be a step toward what was impossible for people in our line of work. Resident assistants have yet to form an outside union to voice our opinions and negotiate our contracts. We work in conditions that require us to respond to incidents and residents at a moment's notice, which can poorly affect our mental and physical health. Yet we still persevere to maintain our housing and food coverage.

Goodwin encouraged us to sign even though our position names us as student leaders instead of student workers. Due to Oregon labor laws not defining our position type as an employee, we could be legally barred from taking part in unionizing.

You do the same amount of work, put in the same amount of effort and deserve the same support from a worker's union, Goodwin said, despite the possibility of the state denying our participation in a union.

I signed a card that morning. Goodwins enthusiasm opened the door for the unique and rare chance to organize the undergraduate student workers.

Goodwin worked in UO Dining Services for almost five years. He was a server and cashier in the residence halls. His work ethic was recognized by the co-director of dining at the time, and he was recommended to be hired as a student shift leader.

What the SSLs actual usage is that they are student workers who are paid only a bit above minimum wage who can be used instead of a classified union protected worker, Goodwin said.

Goodwin wasnt alone in this feeling. Ellie White, a Housing Service Center employee and former Dining Services worker, compared working at dining to being in a horror story.

We were talked down to and treated like children by supervisors. I wasnt a person. I was a replaceable student worker, White said. She had ended up quitting and applying to the HSC as a result of mistreatment by supervisors and the impact on her mental health.

Toward the beginning of his employment, Goodwin tried to talk to his supervisors and coworkers about unionizing undergraduate student workers. According to Goodwin, the pay wasnt sufficient to sustain rent or tuition payments. The respect from supervisors was non-existent, which affected the environment that Goodwin and White had to endure. He remembers being told that unionization for undergraduates wasnt possible.

Goodwins supervisors told him it wasnt possible for undergraduates to unionize. They prevented the discussion of unionizing, despite classified workers under the local union, Service Employees International Union, being employed at the same workplace.

Goodwin realized it was inevitable for student workers to realize that UO Dining Services wasnt worth the disrespect and lack of pay they were given.

In October of 2022, the Undergraduate Student Workers Union encouraged Goodwin and other student workers to get involved in their effort to create a wall-to-wall" union. This would make it so that every UO department that employs undergraduates must negotiate contracts with USWU.

It would allow union organizers to develop a contract for fair living wages and a more frequent pay period. Unionizing also fosters the platform for greater respect between employees and administrators.

Zoe Green, the USWUs organizational committee leader for the Housing department and HSC employee, jumped onto the unionizing boat after seeing a USWU table at the EMU one day.

Organizing my workplace is something I can totally do, as little, old me, Green said.

Union organizers collected information and demands from employees at the first USWU meeting on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2022. Increasing the pay rate to a livable wage, changing from a monthly to biweekly pay period and generating respect were some of the top demands on that list.

Sexual misconduct and harassment in the workplace were also discussed. After having worked here for four years, Ive seen coworkers be sexually harassed by others and reported them in hopes that my peers would be supported, and the perpetrators fired. The length to which the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance can go is minimal, as they must prove that a violation of the Student Code of Conduct passes a certain threshold.

This can leave alleged perpetrators without punishment and survivors having to continue to work alongside them. Student workers unionizing could offer contracts that enforce protocols, after the OICRC concludes their investigations, to protect survivors and their interests. Additionally, it could lead to better conversations about addressing harmful behavior in the workplace.

Overall, a union would provide an ability for us to stand up for ourselves, according to Green. Workers need these jobs as much as they need the education they are trying to pay for.
US Dollar, Japanese Yen, USD/JPY - Technical Outlook:

USD/JPY is approaching crucial support.

 USD / JPY s slide appears to be losing steam.

What is the outlook and the key signposts to watch?

Recommended by Manish Jaradi How to Trade USD/JPY Get My Guide

USD/JPY SHORT-TERM TECHNICAL FORECAST  NEUTRAL

Wednesdays failure of the Japanese yen to sustain losses against the US dollar could be a reflection of the mood prevailing since the end of 2022.

USD/JPY jumped over 2% after the Bank of Japan stuck with its ultra-easy monetary policy on Wednesday. However, the pair was unable to sustain the intraday gains following disappointing US retail sales data that cemented the view that the US economy is slowing down.

USD/JPY Weekly Chart

Chart Created Using TradingView

Importantly, the retracement of the intraday gains shows how strong the downward momentum has been in USD/JPY recently. As the weekly chart shows, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator is at its lowest at least since 2018  a sign of the extent of bearishness.

USD/JPY 240-minutes Chart

Chart Created Using TradingView

Having said that, as the previous update noted, the multi-week slide is losing steam. Put in another way, Wednesdays jump could be a warning sign that the tide could soon be turning (up) for USD/JPY as it approaches strong support on the 89-week moving average, coinciding with the May 2022 low of 126.30. So far, USD/JPY hasnt broken any important resistance, beginning with the 89-period moving average on the 240-minutes chart (see chart)  rallies in recent weeks have stalled at the moving average.

USD/JPY Daily Chart

Chart Created Using TradingView

Any break above the 89-period moving average on the 240-minute chart, near the upper edge of a declining channel since November, would be an indication that the three-month-long downward pressure is fading. Already, as noted last week, fresh lows in price on the Daily charts havent been associated with fresh lows in momentum, suggesting that the slide is losing steam.

Recommended by Manish Jaradi Traits of Successful Traders Get My Guide

--- Written by Manish Jaradi, Strategist for DailyFX.com
US Dollar, DXY index, USD, Fed, USD/JPY, AUD/USD, NZD/USD - Talking Points

The US Dollar had a bumpy ride before composing itself today

AUD , NZD and JPY have had a busy day on data and news

The Fed compass is set due north, but how far and fast in that direction?

Recommended by Daniel McCarthy Get Your Free EUR Forecast Get My Guide

The US Dollar recovered from an eight-month low after soft data painted a concerning picture followed by several Federal Reserve talking tough on further rate hikes.

US retail sales for December were -1.1% month-on-month instead of the -0.9% anticipated and -0.6% prior. PPI for the same period was -0.5%, notably lower than the 0.1% forecast and 0.3% previously.

The numbers triggered fears of a recession and Wall Street finished the cash session lower with the major indices down well over a percent. Microsoft and Amazon announcing job cuts to their workforce didnt help the mood.

Then a cavalcade of Fed speakers reminded markets of the impending rate hikes. Some pointed to 25 basis points (bp) being the most appropriate steps while St Louis Fed President James Bullard put the case forward to tighten more aggressively.

This pushed equities lower but assisted the US Dollar. The 2s 10s Treasury curve inverted another 5bp toward -0.70% on a bull flattening.

The Japanese Yen firmed today after the trade deficit for December was  -1.448 billion, better than the estimates of  -1.670 billion. The easing of energy prices and the impacts of an overall weaker Yen might be contributing to a better outcome for the archipelago nation.

The Bank of Japan also announced a technical tweak to its yield curve control (YCC) program that some commentators have equated to a slight easing in policy.

After making a six-month high in the New York session, the Australian Dollar stumbled on jobs data disappointment. The unemployment rate came in at 3.5% for December rather than the 3.4% anticipated and previously. Employment fell 14.k when forecasts were for 25k to be added.

Australian Commonwealth Government Bonds (ACGB) joined long-end Treasuries yields lower with the 10-year, collapsing around 30 bp. It is trading near 3.30% against 4.1% at the end of last month.

The New Zealand Dollar also slid lower after Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern announced her resignation on February 7th. She said that she did not have enough in the tank to continue in the role.

Crude oil is under pressure with the WTI futures contract under US$ 79 bbl while Brent has traded below US$ 84 bbl today. Gold has found some shine as it approached US$ 1,910 an ounce.

Looking ahead, ECB President Christine Lagarde will be speaking from Davos and some Fed speakers will also be crossing the wires. Later on, the US will see data on housing starts, building permits and initial jobless claims.

The full economic calendar can be viewed here.

Recommended by Daniel McCarthy Traits of Successful Traders Get My Guide

DXY (USD) INDEX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

The DXY index made a low of 101.53 yesterday, just above the May low of 101.30. These levels may provide support.

The recent sell-off broke below the lower band of the 21-day simple moving average (SMA) based Bollinger Band. The close back inside the band might signal a pause in the bearish run or a potential reversal.

On the topside, resistance could be at the breakpoint of 103.42 or the prior peaks of 105.63 and 105.82.

Chart created in TradingView

--- Written by Daniel McCarthy, Strategist for DailyFX.com

Please contact Daniel via @DanMcCathyFX on Twitter
U.S. military armored vehicles are seen in Paju, northern Gyeonggi Province, near the border with North Korea, Jan. 11. AP-Yonhap



This is the first in a series of interviews with security experts at leading think tanks in Washington and former U.S. officials on the implications of the escalating arms race in Northeast Asia and South Korea's growing nuclear ambitions. _ ED.



US President Joe Biden unlikely to meet North Korea's Kim



By Kim Yoo-chul



North Korea's relentless spike in the testing of its advanced missiles and the progress of its nuclear program has awakened the necessity for South Korea to reevaluate its longtime defense posture including the potential  albeit controversial  development of nuclear weapons.



A recent poll by Hankook Research, a local pollster, has found about 67 percent of South Koreans remain supportive of the idea of the country having independent nuclear capabilities. The mainstream interpretation behind the poll results is that more South Koreans are concerned over a passive U.S. response in the event of an actual North Korean attack on Seoul and the surrounding capital region.



President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent suggestion during a policy briefing that South Korea could acquire or develop a nuclear arsenal, but only if the situation with North Korea deteriorates, is raising debate in Washington and other key allies. Seoul's official possession of nuclear weapons would clearly represent a drastic shift in geopolitics given the United Nation's efforts to encourage "nuclear countries" to accelerate their work on nuclear disarmament.







Some political and security analysts said President Yoon's suggestion should be interpreted as a message to his political supporters as he is facing domestic political pressure to take a tough stance toward North Korea ahead of the 2024 general election.



But Washington wants to maintain the regional status quo with Beijing and doesn't want to see any instability in Northeast Asia that could result in unexpected changes.



Security experts in Washington and former U.S. officials said that given Yoon's wishes for more positioning of strategic U.S. military assets near the peninsula and his pursuit of NATO-style "nuclear sharing," the alliance structure between Washington and Seoul may have to be elevated further to address concerns about the durability of the U.S.' defense commitment to South Korea.





U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs fly side by side with Republic of Korea Air Force F-35s as part of a bilateral exercise over the western waters of Korea, July 12, 2022. Reuters-Yonhap



"It is natural for South Korea to think more seriously about nuclear deterrence dynamics since China and North Korea are building up their nuclear capabilities and Russia is actively making nuclear threats against Ukraine and Europe," Zack Cooper, who served as assistant to the deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism at the White House National Security Council (NSC), told The Korea Times in a recent interview.



Cooper, currently a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) where he studies Washington's strategy and alliance dynamics in Asia, stressed that it's understandable for South Korea to pressure the United States to provide an increased level of defense assurances.



"Moreover, concerns about U.S. extended deterrence guarantees are understandable given that Donald Trump could be re-elected in 2024 and is not trusted in Seoul. President Yoon and the South Korean public are trying to get a bit of leverage to push Washington to do more to reassure Seoul, which is a logical move given these concerns," said Cooper, who previously served as a special assistant to the principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy at the Pentagon.



In recent months, the United States and South Korea agreed to more positioning closer to the peninsula of U.S. strategic assets including B-series bombers, F-35 stealth jets and heavy air carrier groups. The South Korean military said it was planning to hold a tabletop drill with the United States in an expanded preparedness to counter North Korea's actual use of nuclear weapons. But U.S. officials have also refuted the possibility of Washington holding a "joint nuclear drill."





Zack Cooper, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Given North Korea's continued nuclear threats, these steps aren't seen as enough for many South Koreans, who want the country to take on an expanded role in planning and actually controlling some U.S. nuclear assets. Cooper, considered one of the leading advisory figures regarding inter-Korean issues, plainly asked Washington officials to engage Seoul on this issue.



"It is critical for the United States to engage South Korea seriously on this issue to help officials in Seoul better understand U.S. nuclear capabilities and planning processes," Cooper said. But the thought of a nuclear-armed South Korea is something Washington is wary of.



This also means that if Seoul were to have nuclear weapons, it could risk breaking its alliance with Washington. "It would be unwise for South Korea to acquire nuclear weapons because the economic and diplomatic consequences would be substantial while the military benefits would be limited," Cooper said.



Regarding questions on the validity of Yoon's idea of nuclear sharing, the suggestion of which hasn't been embraced by U.S. President Joe Biden, Cooper responded he also doesn't support the idea of nuclear sharing.



"I do support American leaders having detailed discussions about how nuclear sharing works in a European context and why it could pose challenges in a Korean context. For example, nuclear weapons would have to be stored in a central location, which would be vulnerable to attack given South Korea's limited strategic depth. That being said, some sort of nuclear planning group could make sense, and might even include other U.S. allies too, namely Japan and Australia," he said.





A TV screen displays a news program with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaking during a cabinet council meeting, at Seoul Station in Seoul, Dec. 27, 2022. AP-Yonhap
How I cheered when Rishi Sunak summoned the courage to tell Nicola Sturgeon to think again about her ill-judged Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

The Scottish Nationalist First Minister and her allies evidently believe that they are at liberty to promulgate whatever laws they like north of the Border as though Scotland were an independent fiefdom. Such are the perils of devolution.

This is the first time since devolution began its lethal work of prising apart the United Kingdom that the Government in Westminster has dared to invoke the Scotland Act to challenge idiotic legislation brewed in Edinburgh.

The Bill makes it easier for putative transgender people to obtain official gender recognition certificates, including by reducing waiting times, removing the need for a medical diagnosis and bringing down the minimum age from 18 to 16.

Mr Sunak is not going to be accused by most Scottish people of meddling in their affairs for the simple reason that the majority of them probably agree with his reservations about the Bill

But the Government argues that the legislation flies in the face of equality laws that apply to the whole of the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court will have to rule who is correct  Westminster or Edinburgh.

As I say, my immediate and overwhelming response was: Good for Rishi! Despite the claims of his critics in the Tory Party that he often blows with the prevailing wind, here he was demonstrating principle, and not shirking a fight.

And yet, within a day of his making a stand, the Government announced that it will extend a ban on conversion therapy in England and Wales to include those who wish to change their gender. This reverses a policy adopted by Boris Johnson.

Almost no one doubts that conversion therapy applied to children who say they are gay is coercive, as well as ineffective, and should be proscribed by the Government.

But many sensible people think the Governments planned Bill could ensnare parents who simply want to discuss with their children their desire to change gender.

The equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, reportedly believes that it is feasible to frame legislation which wont prevent parents and teachers from pointing out to children the irreversible consequences of taking certain drugs or undergoing surgery.

The Scottish Nationalist First Minister and her allies evidently believe that they are at liberty to promulgate whatever laws they like north of the Border as though Scotland were an independent fiefdom. Such are the perils of devolution

But parents who merely want to discuss the issue with their children in a calm way may be frightened of being represented by campaigners as intrusive bullies, and could fall foul of the law, notwithstanding the Governments assurances.

Wouldnt it be far better to leave things as they are? Very few children who are considering changing sex are subjected to conversion therapy. The traffic seems to be almost entirely in the opposite direction, with doctors and others sometimes pressurising children to go ahead without the consequences being properly weighed.

So I am mystified that, while having the guts to oppose Nicola Sturgeon  effectively supporting women who dont want their safe spaces invaded by transgender people who declare themselves to be women  Rishi Sunak should also risk interfering in the rights and duties of parents.

A true Tory would not do so. A true Tory has faith in the ability of most parents, and children who may be troubled, to discuss these issues in their own way without the State poking its nose into their affairs.

Needless to say, the illiberal Scots Nats do things differently. In 2020 they passed a hate crimes Bill, which criminalised speech deemed capable of stirring up hatred against groups of people with protected characteristics.

Such speech includes conversations over the privacy of the kitchen table. People could face prosecution for cracking the wrong joke about disabled or trans issues, or conceivably even being rude about the egregious Nicola Sturgeon.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill is on ice at the moment, even though it has received Royal Assent, because police and the judiciary north of the border cant work out how to apply it. Here is another piece of crass legislation which Westminster should have had the courage to veto, but didnt.

Back to Rishi, and the apparent contradiction between his standing up to Sturgeons Gender Recognition Reform Bill and his embracing legislation which could interfere with the rights of parents to discuss issues with their children.

Even though I praised the PM on the first count, it occurs to me that he wasnt taking a huge political risk since, according to opinion polls, more Scots oppose aspects of Sturgeons Bill than support them.

Mr Sunak is not going to be accused by most Scottish people of meddling in their affairs for the simple reason that the majority of them probably agree with his reservations about the Bill.

Am I being unfair to Rishi? Maybe a bit. Lets give him the benefit of the doubt, and congratulate him for taking the right course even if he wasnt risking a tremendous amount by doing so.

Yet there undoubtedly remains a problem. Our Prime Minister is an enigma. His critics say that he is as wet as a newly landed trout, and virtually a socialist. His defenders say, no, hes admittedly a pragmatist, but economically he is actually dry, and a robust Tory in all sorts of ways.

Which is it? We can make a brief log. On the charge of wetness and zigzagging, there was his abandonment of fracking as soon as he became Prime Minister, despite his approval of it during the Tory leadership campaign last summer, as long as it enjoyed local support.

So far as taxation is concerned, there almost certainly wont be any cuts in Jeremy Hunts spring Budget. From this April, this country will have the highest ever taxes in peacetime, and the longer this continues to be the case, the more difficult it will be for Mr Sunak to defend his Tory credentials.

In insisting on minimum service levels in parts of the public sector, the PM has done better, though the legislative process may take so long that the present wave of strikes will have finished by the time a new Bill is passed. It should have been done earlier.

The unelected Lords will oppose the Bill, as they will the plan to amend, repeal and replace some 4,000 pieces of EU law that were retained on the statute book after Brexit. Some Tories joined Labour in harrying the Government over its proposals during a Commons debate yesterday.

Just as it is difficult to reconcile the Prime Minister who opposed Sturgeon with the man who plans to apply a ban on conversion therapy in transgender cases, so its hard to discern much consistency in Mr Sunaks approach. Sometimes he cuts and runs, occasionally he tacks, and once in a while he chooses to fight.

To be fair, his ambiguity over transgender issues is dwarfed by the confusion of Labour. Its leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has expressed reservations about aspects of Nicola Sturgeons Bill, but yesterday opposed the Government blocking it.

Meanwhile, Rosie Duffield, a feminist backbench Labour MP, has accused Sir Keir of ignoring her after she was jeered by party colleagues in the Commons for criticising the Bill.

In more ways than one, Labour is vulnerable. The truth is that we could do with less of the managerial Rishi Sunak, and much more of the politician who gives signs of having some solid Tory beliefs. Will the real Prime Minister ever stand up to be counted?
The first week of February is shaping up to be one of the worst periods for industrial action in British history.

So many unions are striking on February 1, from teachers to train drivers, civil servants and university staff, that some have likened the likely effect to that of the General Strike which paralysed the country for more than a week in 1926 when millions downed tools.

Since ambulance workers and nurses have decided to delay their strike until February 6, strictly speaking it will not be quite the same. But there is no doubt that all of us will be hit by the action ruthlessly coordinated by militant union leaders.

Strike fever is certainly spreading. This week it became apparent that Post Office workers could join their Royal Mail colleagues in a walkout after their union leader told MPs that two ballots over pay for strike action had received yes votes of over 90 per cent.

The first week of February is shaping up to be one of the worst periods for industrial action in British history

So many unions are striking on February 1 that some have likened the likely effect to that of the General Strike which paralysed the country for more than a week in 1926

Essential

And while all industrial action is deeply damaging to business, this warning from the Post Office union should fill anyone who values our beleaguered national postal service with absolute despair.

With its 11,635 branches spread among cities, towns and communities across the land, the Post Office is a lifeline to countless people.

It provides elderly citizens with access to cash  as well as dozens of other services ranging from driving licences to passports  in an age when rapacious banks have long since given up on them by closing branches and getting rid of ATM machines.

To put in bluntly, post offices are an essential public service without which the lives of millions of ordinary people would be blighted.

They are also a part of the nations social welfare system. My late father, Michael, who lived to be 103, had no idea how to access online services.

He regarded his weekly visit to the post office at Hove in East Sussex  to collect his pension and to post a letter or greetings card to relatives overseas  as a critical part of his routine.

A chat with the counter staff was a crucial part of the service, too. But the Post Office doesnt just play a vital role for senior citizens, it is also there for people who dont have bank accounts, for youngsters with their first savings accounts and teenagers returning unwanted fashion items bought via their mobiles.

Any Post Office strike would cause massive disruption. But plans for one on top of a strike by Royal Mail workers make the situation so much worse. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that the very future of the centuries-old postal service is now at stake.

A busy scene in the Fleet Mail Office ashore, probably at Portsmouth, in 1944. Wrens and Royal Navy ratings are hard at work sorting incoming mail for onward delivery to the ships moored in the harbour

You might think Royal Mail and the Post Office are one and the same. But, confusingly, they are in fact two separate, but interdependent, services.

Royal Mail is the company that delivers parcels and letters, and designs and arranges the printing of stamps  the actual postal service provider.

The Post Office, meanwhile, is the nationwide network of branches selling Royal Mail stamps, weighing parcels and so on, as well as providing those hugely valuable Government and financial services.

If both go on strike together, it could be the final straw.

Royal Mail is already in desperate straits: its whole postal system has been horrendously disrupted.

For many households, strikes at the Royal Mail by the Communications Workers Union ruined their holiday season.

Millions of us spent anxious days wondering if the presents we posted or ordered for loved ones would ever arrive at their destinations. Fully weeks after Christmas Day, Christmas cards, festive charity appeals, toy catalogues and the like are still falling through our letterboxes. Today, postal deliveries are a lottery compared with the first-class service of old.

Confidence in Royal Mail has also been damaged by its blundering introduction of new bar-coded stamps  ineptly, it attempted to railroad customers into swapping the stocks of stamps they already had for updated replacements within a totally unrealistic timetable.

Since ambulance workers and nurses have decided to delay their strike until February 6, strictly speaking it will not be quite the same

But there is no doubt that all of us will be hit by the action ruthlessly coordinated by militant union leaders

If this were not enough, Royal Mail has also been upended by a cyber-attack which interfered with overseas deliveries.

The combined impact on the finances of the company has been devastating, with losses running at more than 1 million a day and the latest estimates from City analysts putting this years deficit alone at 450 million.

Every day of lost deliveries is a body blow to Royal Mail  one of the nations oldest and most venerated institutions, founded by Henry VIII more than 500 years ago  and yet another victory for rival commercial delivery services.

Royal Mail is legally mandated to make sure that every home and enterprise in the UK, even in the most remote areas, receives delivery  including on Saturdays.

But given its precarious position, highly valued services such as last-mail delivery and even the Saturday post could now face the axe in any cost-cutting exercise, while the jobs of the services 115,000 staff are far from safe.

Strike

And since Royal Mail is a commercial company  it was privatised in 2013  if these unsustainable losses continue, the result could be that its parent company, International Distributions Service, falls into the hands of hostile business predators intent on asset-stripping the firm.

Already, a Czech businessman, Daniel The Sphinx Kretinsky, with former Labour frontbencher Chuka Umunna acting as a consultant, has built up a stake in the company of 23.2 per cent.

The concern must be that he could be planning to strip out the valuable and profitable European packages services from the parent company, leaving behind only loss-making Royal Mail with its bloated workforce and enormous pensions deficit. A deficit, furthermore, that is covered by a Crown guarantee  making it taxpayers responsibility.

Strike fever is certainly spreading. This week it became apparent that Post Office workers could join their Royal Mail colleagues in a walkout

Of course, the Post Office is different. For a start, it is an arm of HM Government, which is owned at arms-length by the Department for Business and run by an independent Post Office board with its own, newish chairman  the former boss of WH Smith, Henry Staunton.

But the Post Office really does not need a strike right now. The reputation of its senior management is already on the floor as a result of a miscarriage of justice exposed in this newspaper.

Crisis

This scandal saw its management unfairly pursue and convict 555 sub-postmasters and mistresses for theft, false accounting and fraud  even though they were innocent and the accounting errors occurred as a result of computer error which the management grotesquely tried to cover up.

That the Communications Workers Union  yes, the same fiendishly militant union as the one behind the Royal Mail strikes  is now threatening strike action at 114 Crown Post Offices on major High Streets is perverse to say the least.

The Post Offices management claims that the vast majority of smaller outlets will not be affected, but the point is the whole postal system has already been hit horrendously by the Royal Mail crisis.

For centuries Britains Royal Mail and Post Office were renowned for their reliability, innovation and efficiency. Even in the darkest days of the Blitz next-day deliveries were never interrupted.

How times have changed. Unions, using the cost of living crisis as an excuse, have taken the entire postal system to the precipice.

They appear to have no understanding that it is not just their own jobs that are in jeopardy  but the livelihoods of tens of millions of citizens, many of whom, such as the elderly and hard-pressed rural populations, are still dependent on their services.

This postal meltdown is a national tragedy in the making.
After four decades Ken Bruce is to leave the BBC and Radio 2. It is worse than Smashy and Nicey being kicked upstairs to Radio Quiet, and we all know that was quite lidderally the worst thing that ever happened in radioland, right mate?

Ken is, by some margin, the most popular radio broadcaster in the country. Fads come and go, trends blow in and are swiftly ushered back out again while broadcasting fashions bring shock jocks, zoo formats, chat shows, confessionals and everyone and her brother podcasting like crazy.

In the midst of this, Ken sails on; unassailable, unflappable, unchanging  and inordinately loved by his listeners.

Nine million of us tune in every morning, soothed by his relaxing presence and his peaty voice, with its hint of malt whisky bubbling over the smooth pebbles of pop. And now this! We are losing Ken, we are losing PopMaster, along with the fluttering ribbon of contestants who have taken part over all these years. And surely not just for the chance to win a smart speaker or a T-shirt or a CD wallet, wowee  but for the chance to commune with Ken, to connect with the great man himself.

Ken Bruce announced he was leaving the BBC and Radio 2 after four decades with the station

Ken Bruce is 'unassailable, unflappable, unchanging  and inordinately loved by his listeners', writes Jan Moir

This morning, as he was playing 'some beautiful steamy sounds' from Kate Bush and a new recording from 'the great Peter Gabriel', fans were adjusting to the shock news.

Some felt betrayed  but not for long. For Ken had revealed that the week after he leaves the BBC in April, listeners can find him between 10am and 1pm on Greatest Hits Radio, along with his bonus questions and his Tracks Of My Years and his usual air of avuncular authority. Hurrah! All it will take is a twiddle of the dial and we will be, as Ray Charles once put it and Ken once played it, together again. But this is a catastrophe for the BBC and Radio 2  how could they lose him, how could they let it happen? In terms of the station's lustre, it is like the Koh-i-Noor being winkled loose from the crown, it is a Big Mac sans meat, it is  well you get the picture. Whatever it is, it is not good news for the BBC.

Regular listeners will know this is the latest in a series of blows as much-loved favourites exit stage left, leaving the inescapable conclusion that the BBC is losing talent more quickly than it can be replaced.

Simon Mayo is already on Greatest Hits, the giant commercial station owned by Bauer Media. Chris Evans, of course, left the Radio 2 Breakfast Show and moved to Virgin in 2019  replaced by Zoe Ball, something many never got over.

Meanwhile, star turns such as Paul O'Grady, Vanessa Feltz and Graham Norton have also gone elsewhere, while Radio 4 has lost Eddie Mair, Jane Garvey, Fi Glover and the irreplaceable John Humphrys, while Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel are among those who have also left the Corporation in the last few years. Radio 2 controller Helen Thomas has been in the job for two years and while a big question mark hangs over her butterfingers stewardship of the station and its stars, the exodus can hardly be all her fault. Perhaps it is more a failure of the Beeb's shiny new corporate philosophy.

For it feels as if the BBC doesn't value radio as much as it once did. And even when it does, the national broadcaster seems all too keen to sacrifice the habits and preferences of its older audiences in a desperate chase to capture and pander to the youth market.

Reduced budgets have their part to play in diminished local radio stations and the talent void at national level, but something far deeper seems amiss. These days I can't help but suspect a tacit embarrassment, a kind of in-house cultural cringe at the number of old white guys still at the microphones  no matter how loved they are or how well they serve their audience.

Ken Bruce has a personality and a voice that spans generations. Like Terry Wogan and others before him, he represents a kind of broadcasting magic, a touchstone for the 50-plus age group who grew up with him. I like him very much because he somehow manages to have a strong and companionable broadcasting presence without ever pushing himself onto listeners or forcing his personality into your day, your ears, your home, the sanctity of your life.

He is smart and clever but he wears it all so lightly; a tuba among the shrill tin whistles, a mollifying master among the gobby show-offs. No wonder commercial radio was so keen to snap him up.

Losing Ken Bruce is surely another sign that the Corporation is increasingly an awkward fit for the modern age. Hidebound by its own dogmas, it seems to lionise and richly reward all the wrong people, while the real nuggets of gold slip away one by one. And that's very far from poptastic.

Is Greta smug as a bug in a rug?

Greta Thunberg is carried away by police at an anti-coal mine demonstration in Germany

Students of human nature, pay attention. Please describe the expression on Greta Thunberg's face (right) when she was carried off by police during a demonstration against a coal mine in Germany this week.

Was Greta:

a. Secretly pleased, trying not to show it

b. Secretly pleased, didn't care who knew it

c. Absolutely delighted

d. Smug as a bug in an ethically tufted rug

e. Thrilled, job done

f. All of the above.

The grandson of legendary circus showman Billy Smart ended up sleeping rough in his car after racking up 9 million in debts and getting evicted from his 12-bedroom Georgian country home, a court heard this week. Billy Jay, 49, began life with a big top full of opportunity  but a string of calamitous business decisions left him with nothing. Clogs to clogs in three generations? Never has the old Lancashire saying seemed more appropriate.

Pink's very rosy view of Jacinda

Popstar Pink (pictured) paid fulsome tribute to Jacinda Ardern after her resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand

The popstar Pink has paid fulsome tribute to Jacinda Ardern, who has just resigned as Prime Minister of New Zealand.

'There will never be another like you,' says Pink, but how can she possibly know? She foams on: 'I have watched you shine uniquely and bravely from afar. Thank you for showing the rest of the world what's possible.'

Huh? Has Pink been paying attention to the news? No, she's just another luvvy dazzled by Jacinda's bevelled knack for trite, Markle-like soundbites and big gestures. Yes, it was a powerful statement when Jacinda wore a hijab to show empathy following the 2019 attacks on two Christchurch mosques  thus earning the undying devotion of people like Pink for ever.

But half of New Zealand's voters are furious with Ardern for imposing a totalitarian Covid lockdown that will have repercussions for years.

Her economic record isn't much better either, but that doesn't stop JA from being a pin-up of the Left.

She wasn't all bad, but it takes more than 'headscarves for harmony' to leave a legacy that really matters.

ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall was on the wrong side of history when she sacked Piers Morgan after he refused to apologise to the Duchess of Sussex for calling her a liar. When it turned out that a great deal of what she had claimed was indeed untrue, did the Dame do the decent thing and apologise to Piers? No, because as we all know, Sorry Street is a one-way thoroughfare in the kingdom of woke.

Now, McCall says she has 'no commitments' to keeping Jeremy Clarkson on as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host when his current contract runs out. Who knows what will happen, but William Hill have already opened a book on his successor.

Warwick Davis and Victoria Coren Mitchell lead the odds, with Susan Calman and Sandi Toksvig close behind. Dear God. No, no, no and NO. Jeremy has used all his lifelines, but would it be a marvellous victory for common sense if he was left in post? I'd like to phone a friend on that one.

And the award for best wardrobe goes to... cashmere clad Cate

Cate Blanchett says acting awards are ridiculous. 'They are a complete horse race,' she said, but just watch her gallop towards the podium to collect one.

Darling Cate has a cabinet full of trophies and will surely gain even more for her bravura portrayal of Lydia Tar in the Oscar-tipped Tar.

Loved the film, but loved Lydia's wardrobe even more. She is a famous conductor with a maestro's style and swagger  and a cashmere coat from The Row that cost 10,000. I know! It ate up nearly all of Lydia's clothes budget, but 'it was the best coat ever', said the film's costume designer.

It was indeed a beauty, but everything on The Row label is whimperingly expensive: 1,200 polo necks, a 600 crepe midi skirt that looks like something my maths teacher used to wear.

But Cate is a fan and wears the label in real life, see above. Who else but award winners can afford it?

Cate Blanchett, pictured leaving a New York City hotel, will surely will surely gain even more acting awards for her bravura portrayal of Lydia Tar in the Oscar-tipped Tar

The row in Scotland rumbles on, with Nicola Sturgeon pushing forward a Bill that would allow gender self-identification at the age of 16, and Rishi Sunak refusing to endorse it, while SNP supporters rub their hands with glee at what they see as a modern-day Bannockburn. All I can see is a leader stoking constitutional grievance for her own political ends.

The Bill might be what Nicola wants, it might be what the Scottish government wants  but I doubt very much it is what the Scottish people want. Has anybody asked them? Thought not.
People around the world have been sharing snaps of things that could easily be an illusion but are not.

Baffled onlookers have taken to social media to prove that there really are some things that are bigger than they seem, such as The Louvre's largest painting, The Wedding Feast At Cana.

Bored Panda has created a gallery of some of the most deceiving things in this world.

And here FEMAIL has rounded up a selection of the most perplexing images...

Hey little kitty! This giant Maine Coon cat in Russia is famous because he almost weighs as much as a two-year-old child

Hippo-what-amus! In a New Jersey aquarium a little boy stands in front of the hippopotamus tank, proving how large the animal really is

Man's best friend! This 6' 2'' man stands up tall with his Great Dane, who beats his height by a good few inches

Berry large! In the US, people are selling these are giant titan blueberries on Etsy. Where you can normally hold many of the fruit in your palm, two of these titan berries barely fit

Power to the planet! As a series of wind turbines was delivered through this Lancashire village, the true size of the machinery was revealed

King of the ocean! This canoe next to the Uss Midway in California proves just how vast naval ships really are

Geology rocks! This rare giant Amethyst geode From Uruguay could at first have been mistaken for a very large rock

Astronomical art! This man demonstrates how vast The Louvre's The Wedding Feast At Cana picture is in real life

Nature at its best! In Utah these arches look as though they have been created as spectacle but they are in fact completely natural

A small step for man! This man sits inside a wind turbine proving not only how vast they are but how intelligent man is to create them

Best of friends! It's shocking how large tortoises can get, but this horse is proving that Galapagos Giant Tortoises are huge
This composite photo shows, from left to right, former Industry Minister Paik Un-gyu, former ICT Minister You Young-min and former Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon. Yonhap



Three former ministers under the previous Moon Jae-in administration were indicted Thursday on charges of abusing their power to force state agency chiefs to step down, prosecutors said.



The Seoul Eastern Prosecutors' Office wrapped up its investigation into what is dubbed the "blacklist scandal" that centers on allegations that the Moon administration forced the resignation of heads of several state agencies who were appointed under the preceding Park Geun-hye government.



The three  former Industry Minister Paik Un-gyu, former Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and former ICT Minister You Young-min  all served as the Moon administration's first ministers.



The prosecution office also indicted two former presidential officials  Cho Hyun-ock, a senior secretary for personnel affairs, and Kim Bong-joon, a secretary for personnel affairs  on the same charge.



Prosecutors allege Paik forced the resignation of the heads of 11 state-run energy companies who were appointed under the preceding Park government, shortly after he took office in 2017.



Former Minister Cho is accused of forcing Sohn Kwang-ju, a former chief of the Korea Hana Foundation, to step down in 2017, even though about a year was left in his term. The foundation was formerly known as the North Korean Refugees Foundation.



You is facing charges of forcing Lim Ki-chul, a former chief of the Korea Institute of ST Evaluation and Planning, to step down in 2017, even though about two years were left in Lim's term.



An investigation into the scandal began nearly four years ago when the then main opposition Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the now ruling People Power Party, lodged a criminal complaint against former ranking officials and several former ministers.



Earlier, the Supreme Court also confirmed a two-year prison sentence for former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung for abusing her power to force ranking officials from the previous Park administration to resign from public institutions. She was released on presidential parole last year. (Yonhap)


A dentist has revealed three habits which are harming people's gums and ruining their teeth in a shocking TikTok video.

Dr. Wei Jian, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, shared a video on the social media platform about how certain behaviours are leading to chipped, sensitive and crooked teeth.

In his highly animated piece to camera, where he dresses up in his lightweight scrub set, Dr Jian starts the clip by advising patients to stop grinding their gnashers.

NHS guidance shows this can cause them to become worn-down, oversensitive and broken.

Dr. Wei Jian (above), from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, explained how certain behaviours are leading to chipped, sensitive and crooked teeth

He shows the consequences bruxism by superimposing two pictures of teeth which look chipped away.

What NOT to do if you want healthy teeth 1. Grind your teeth 2. Stop using toothpicks 3. Nail biting Advertisement

His second tip is to stop using tooth picks, as they can lead to injured and receding gums as well as sensitive teeth.

Dr Jian shakes his head when a picture of a toothpick comes up, showing three snaps of inflamed gums.

Finally, he explains how nail biting can lead to chipped teeth by examining three photos of broken and uneven teeth.

He ends the video by winking and showcasing his immaculate teeth to the recorder.

The news comes after an expert has revealed how to get a smile to rival a Hollywood star at a fraction of the price.

Dr Krystyna Wilczynski, an Essex-based cosmetic dentist and facial aesthetician, advises swapping fizzy drinks and caffeine for vegetables like broccoli, which contains high levels of iron which reduce acid erosion leading to discolouration of teeth.

In his highly animated piece to camera, where he dresses up in his lightweight scrub set, Dr Jian (above) explains how nail biting can lead to chipped teeth

'It is important to watch what you eat and drink if you want white teeth. Many foods and drinks such as wine contain substances that can stain teeth,' she explained.

'The colour found in these items originates from chromogens which are deeply pigmented molecules which are attracted to the enamel surface of your teeth.'

'Heavily stained food wears enamel down and exposes dentine which is naturally yellow in colour. Acidic drinks and foods such as fizzy drinks that we enjoy can cause enamel erosion and this will also exposure yellow dentine.'
A Brazilian woman has left the internet open-mouthed in horror after sharing video footage of herself having her eyeballs tattooed black - prompting outrage from viewers who have warned that she could 'go blind'.

Kiki Mary, from Brazil, shocked users when she posted a video of her getting the whites of eyes tattooed with black ink.

The two-part series, which has amassed over 2.1 million views collectively, boasted her unusual look and had users covering their eyes as the syringe inched closer to hers.

Kiki Mary, from Brazil, shocked users when she shared footage of her ink session

The Brazilian woman showed off her new look that boasted black ink-filled eyes

The two-part series, which has amassed over 2.1 million views collectively, boasted her unusual look and had users covering their eyes as the syringe inched closer to hers

Are eye tattoos worth it? The risks of getting inked in the eye Temporary or permanent blindness

Retinal detachment

Sensitivity to light

Loss of the entire eye Advertisement

The first video showed a tattoo artist injecting black ink into one of her eyeballs with a syringe before pouring water into her eye.

After she dropped some water into Kiki's eye, the tattoo artist then patted her eye dry with gauze.

Kiki then opens her eyes to show off her new look that sees her right being filled with black ink.

And if one video wasn't enough to get users stomachs turning, the Brazilian woman then shared a close up of her getting her left eye tattooed with the same black ink.

Giving the camera a worried look, Kiki prepares to have black ink injected into her eye as the artist inches closer.

The same procedure is used in the second video, but this time the artist gives users a more in depth look at her work as she opens Kiki's eye and rotates her head so viewers can see the black ink from all angles.

Viewers were horrified by the footage as many questioned why Kiki would risk going 'blind.'

One user said: 'Why? Just why?'

Another questioned: 'Why ruin your natural beautiful eyes?'

The first video showed a tattoo artist injecting black ink into one of her eyeballs with a syringe before pouring water into her eye

Giving the camera a worried look, Kiki prepares to have black ink injected into her eye as the artist inches closer

Users were left stunned, as many questioned why she would 'ruin' her eyes

'Why risk going blind,' said another user

'This is something Ill fully never ever understand,' added another user.

And the social media users were right to be concerned especially because other women know the risks far too well.

Anaya Peterson, from Ireland, tattooed her eyes bright blue, taking inspiration from Australian model Amber Luke, who was said to have gone blind for three weeks after the procedure and even cried blue tears.

'I dont have 20/20 vision anymore. From a distance, I cant see features on faces.

'If I didnt have my eyeballs tattooed, I wouldnt be having this problem. Even today I woke up with more floaters in my eyes. And that is dangerous,' Anaya told Kennedy News.

Anaya noted that after she was inked she had to be rushed to the hospital due to the severe swelling.

Aleksandra Sadowska was blinded in one eye and had to have the other removed following the botched procedure that saw her having the whites of her eyes tattooed

Anaya, who is 32 and from Belfast, was left hospitalized months after getting both her eyes tattooed in 2020 - and now faces permanent blindness

'Im kind of recovered  on the outside, its recovered. Its just inside. Im basically on the verge of going blind,' she said.,

Aleksandra Sadowska, from Poland, also went blind after having the whites of eyes tattooed black - the exact same procedure as Kiki.

Aleksandra ultimately sued her tattoo artist, who was found guilty of permanent disability.

According to the Academy of Ophthalmology, having your eyeballs tattooed eyeballs - also known as scleral tattoos - is not a traditional form of tattooing, meaning that those performing the procedure are not formally trained or certified to give scleral tattoos.

According to WebMd, these tattoos are highly dangerous.

After a series of eye tattoos went wrong, laws began to change in the 2010.

Now, eyeball tattooing is banned in Oklahoma, Indiana and Washington.
A war veteran showed she has lost nothing of her feisty spirit by celebrating her 103rd birthday with crab cakes and beer.

Mother-of-two Mary Barnes, who lives in The Virginian senior living community in Fairfax, Virginia, marked her birthday in style on January 15, saying 'nothing tastes better at a party' than the fishy dish and a pint.

Mary, who enrolled in the Navy in 1942 and was stationed in Ford Island in Hawaii, later travelled back home to Virginia before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she met her husband Fred. The couple had two children, Martha, 66, and Mark, 73.

The boisterous 103-year-old had a hard time when Fred died on Valentine's Day in 2011, but looks for the good in life, and joked God is keeping her around so she can keep her children out of trouble.

Mother-of-two Mary Barnes, who lives in The Virginian senior living community in Fairfax, Virginia, marked her 103rd birthday in style on January 15

Mary, who was born Mary Feldman in Danville, Virginia, in 1920, has won everyone over at her senior living facility, thanks to her lust for life and positivity.

But as her daughter Martha revealed to The Washington Post, the veteran's start to life was not an easy one.

WHAT IS APPENDICITIS? Appendicitis is a swelling of the appendix, a two to four-inch-long organ connected to the large intestine. Appendicitis can cause severe pain and it's important for it to be treated swiftly in case the appendix bursts, which can cause life-threatening illness. In most cases surgeons will remove the appendix in an appendectomy  scientists aren't sure why people need an appendix but removing it does not harm people. The causes of appendicitis aren't clear but it is thought to be caused by something blocking the entrance to the organ. Symptoms include pain in the stomach which later travels to your lower right-hand-side and becomes severe. Pressing on this area, coughing, or walking can all make the pain worse, and other symptoms can be nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and a fever. Source: NHS Advertisement

'My mom has always told me the secret to her longevity is that God wants her around to make sure she keeps me and my brother out of trouble,' Martha said.

Mary grew up during the Great Depression and had to care for her mother who suffered severe burns in a coal furnace accident. Meanwhile, her father died of appendicitis n 1930 when she was 10.

Mary was one of three siblings, and her family, who didn't have any benefits or any form of government help, managed to make a meager income from running a milk pasteurizing business.

While the family didn't have much, they felt more fortunate than others, and Mary remembered her grandmother would make biscuits to give hungry people every morning.

Aged 22, Mary enlisted in the Navy, and was assigned to the accounting department on Ford Island in Hawaii, a year after Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese Army.

Mary explained she was one of the first WAVES (Woman Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), a faction introduced by the FDR after he signed the Navy Women's Reserve Act into law in July of that year.

During her time in the Navy, Mary had to deal with the sexist attitude of the servicemen working with her in the military, which was commonplace at the time.

Her daughter Martha revealed how married man who make passes at Mary and her coworkers, and how one woman who worked in accounting would check the men's files to see if they were married based on whether they got marriage reductions off their paychecks.

When a male colleague told Mary she only joined the Navy to find a husband, she smartly replied that he was right, but that she wouldn't be marrying him.

After 4 years and a half, including three and a half spent in Hawaii, Mary eventually met her husband Fred.

The World War II veteran marked the milestone birthday with chocolate cake, crab cakes and beer, pictured

At the time, Fred was working in a restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she had just found accounting work thanks to a friend, and he fell for Mary on sight.

The pair dated, and eventually moved to Danville and tied the knot there. Fred jointed the Department of Defense, while Mary worked as secretary for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Martha admitted the family sometimes struggled financially, but Mary taught her children to enjoy the simpler pleasures of life, and passed on her love of the outdoors to them.

Her son Mark, who is a retired attorney living in San Francisco, said he struggles to believe his mother is 103, and added she still has some good years ahead of her.

Her daughter Martha said that Mary's life wasn't always easy, but praised her Navy veteran mother for being courageous

Mary said she stays alert by keeping a busy social life at The Virginian, and indulges in a glass of wine or some beer here and there.

While the death of her husband in 2011 was a rough patch, Mary, who doesn't have any grandchildren, explained she has since learned to enjoy her days again, and looks for the positive in life.

Her friends at the Virginian and Martha organized her weekend birthday bash, and Mary confessed she is looking forward to turning 104 next year.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked effortlessly chic in her mustard jumpsuit as she entertained the world's elites in Davos.

The Argentinian-born royal was dressed for the winter weather in her cosy and stylish looking one-piece.

The Dutch queen, 51, teamed her elegant outfit with a long statement sautoir necklace with jewelled beads.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair looked pristine as she engaged with her audience at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked effortlessly chic in her mustard jumpsuit as she entertained the world's elites in Davos

The mother-of-three completed her effortless look with white studded earrings which were neatly tucked away behind her locks.

Maxima has been at the global event without her husband King Willem-Alexander as she delivered a speech on behalf of the UN about 'financial inclusion'.

The royal couple were spotted together as recently as yesterday at the palace in Amsterdam while welcoming guests.

According to the international body, she was talking about technology innovations and how stakeholders can deliver quality financial services.

The mother-of-three completed her effortless look with white studded earrings which were neatly tucked away behind her locks

She was the only public figure scheduled to talk about financial inclusion.

Davos brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders in the eastern alps of Switzerland.

It comes amidst a busy period for the Queen, who earlier this week hosted a number of receptions at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

She was joined by her husband King Willem-Alexander at the palace in Amsterdam for the traditional New Year reception on Wednesday.

Earlier, she arrived wearing a chic coat which she paired with a navy satin blouse which she paired with a dusty pink skirt. However upon her departure, she had swapped into an adventurous lilac jumpsuit, with a pair of matching earrings.

The Dutch royals annually welcome their guests to the Royal Palace for their New Year's Reception.

It comes after they attended the funeral of King Constantine the day before in Athens.

The mother-of-three completed her effortless look with white studded earrings which were neatly tucked away behind her locks

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima looked visibly emotional as they arrived at the service arm-in-arm on Monday.

Maxima dressed head-to-toe in ebony, in a slick belted black coat, sheer tights and knee high heeled boots.

She kept her blonde hair styled in loose waves and pinned delicately under a lace veil, that cascaded down past her shoulders.

The Dutch royals joined European royals - such as Queen Letizia of Spain, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, plus Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence - at the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral for the public service.
MailOnline has examined where everyday food items should be kept in the house

Nutritionist says where to store eggs causes the most confusion in the kitchen

Some people argue they belong in the fridge while others say the cupboard

From putting apples in the fridge to putting ketchup in the cupboard, every household has sacrosanct rules about where to store everyday food items.

This can be a potential source of conflict among those who swear their ways are the best, and it seems even the experts among us aren't above the bickering it brings.

Celebrity chef James Martin reignited the debate by talking about the the best place to store eggs, revealing he would 'never' refrigerate them.

Sometimes it's hard to know the best way to store certain food items, and it becomes particularly tricky when considering how requirements can change depending on whether the product is cooked or raw.

Of these items, which ones do you think require refrigeration? Read on to find out if you guessed correctly, and let us know if any of the results surprise you in the comments below

Sometimes it's hard to know the best way to store certain food items, and it becomes particularly tricky when considering how requirements can change depending on whether the product is cooked or raw

Celebrity chef James Martin has waded into the debate over whether eggs should be stored in the fridge or cupboard, stating he would 'never' refrigerate them

While the British egg safety body states the fridge is the best place for eggs, Martin told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning they should 'never be put in the fridge' because 'they are all porous'.

He said eggs eventually 'absorb all the flavours of the fridge' due to the shell's texture. However, eggs kept in the fridge do have a longer shelf life than otherwise.

Martin has previously called on Britons to boycott margarine, and wants it pulled from shelves entirely.

'It's dreadful, dreadful stuff - it's two elements away from plastic, it's horrendous stuff,' he said.

Eggs

Kate Llewellyn-Waters, resident nutritionist on Channel 5's 'You Are What You Eat' and author of The Immunity Cookbook, previously told Femail eggs cause 'the most confusion and debate' in the kitchen.

'It is believed that condensation in the fridge can lead to bacteria multiplying. Lots of people think eggs should always refrigerated, however, how you plan to use your eggs determines how they should be stored.'

Eggs destined to be turned into mayonnaise are best left in the fridge to keep the yolks firm, while poached or fried eggs are best kept in the cupboard before use.

Eggs cause 'the most confusion and debate' in the kitchen (stock photo)

She said: 'However, if you are planning to eat your egg scrambled or boiled, you can either refrigerate them or keep them at room temperature. A chilled boiled egg will take a little longer to cook, however, the result will be the same as using an un-refrigerated egg.

'One useful tip, which I always find helpful is that if you do keep eggs in the fridge try not to store them in the egg holders that are often found in the fridge door.

'This is because when you open and close the door it shakes the eggs, and then when you break the egg it may split more easily.

'Instead, I recommend storing them in an airtight container (to reduce losing moisture) near the back of the fridge.'

Meat, fish and leftovers: FRIDGE

All meat products, including fish and chicken, should be kept in the fridge both raw and cooked.

Leftovers should also be stored in the fridge.

Dairy: FRIDGE (USUALLY)

The same can be said for dairy products, though Kate noted cheese, like many foods, 'actually tastes better when eaten at a warmer temperature'.

Our taste buds perform at their best when food is closer to body temperature, she said, so cheese doesn't have as strong a flavour if eaten straight from the fridge.

The nutritionist recommended removing cheese from the fridge a short time before it's due to be eaten.

And according to the website preparedness advice, not all cheeses are equal.

Hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan are less likely to spoil because there is not as much moisture. As a result, they can last for weeks or even months at room temperature when stored correctly.

They should be wrapped in wax paper or parchment and placed in a resealable bag to keep dry.

Soft cheeses like brie, fresh mozzarella or ricotta require refrigeration to avoid spoiling.

Bread: CUPBOARD

Bread should be kept in the cupboard.

Keeping it in the fridge will do nothing but dry it out, Kate said.

The exception to this rule is when it's not going to be eaten immediately. Bread can be stored in the freezer and thawed as required.

The nutritionist noted it could 'potentially be kept in the fridge' if it's only being used for toast, rather than eaten fresh.

Jams, sauces and salad dressings: FRIDGE (once opened)

Jams and sauces should be kept in the fridge after they're opened.

Kate said: 'Jams, fruit spreads, maple syrup, sauces, such as tomato sauce, soy sauce, horseradish and mustard, should all be refrigerated after the item has been opened or partly used.'

Kate said: 'Jams, fruit spreads, maple syrup, sauces, such as tomato sauce, soy sauce, horseradish and mustard, should all be refrigerated after the item has been opened or partly used'

FRUIT

Apples and pears: FRIDGE

While there are some fruits that are better kept at room temperature, apples and pears are somewhat of a grey area, Kate said.

She recommended storing them in a fruit bowl initially, but later moving them to the fridge.

'Keep these in the fruit bowl first for a few days and then pop in the fridge - they can be refrigerated for approximately three days before the taste is affected,' she said.

Bananas: CUPBOARD

Bananas, on the other hand, should remain in the cupboard.

Kate said: 'You may have seen what happens when you put a banana in the fridge - the skin turns brown and blotchy, because bananas are not at all suited to a cold environment.

'Aware that it is being 'damaged', a banana will trigger its own defence mechanism by releasing an enzyme called PPO in the cells of its skin, which makes the skin then turn brown.

'It is this enzyme that makes your apple turn brown, too, once you have cut it. Ripe bananas can be very useful as there are certain fruits, which are ripened by the ripening agent (ethylene).

'If you want to speed up ripening the following fruits: apples, apricots, avocadoes, tomatoes, plums, pears, kiwis, melons or peaches, then place them near a ripe banana.'

Berries and grapes: FRIDGE

Grapes, berries and cherries all last longer when stored in the fridge.

While it's not necessarily going to negatively impact the fruit if it's stored outside of the fridge, experts say refrigeration will keep them fresher for longer.

Grapes, berries and cherries all last longer when stored in the fridge

Tomatoes: CUPBOARD

Tomatoes are kept on the shelf at room temperature in grocery stores, and yet so many families opt to keep them in the fridge at home.

While keeping tomatoes in the fridge does extend their shelf life, it also strips them of their traditional flavour and texture.

As a result, it's actually recommended to leave them at room temperature, particularly if you're planning to eat them within a couple of days of purchase.

Vegetables: FRIDGE

Most vegetables have a longer shelf life when they're kept in a crisper in the fridge

Most vegetables have a longer shelf life when they're kept in a crisper in the fridge.

But Kate pointed out fruit and vegetables should not be stored together to avoid spoiling them.

'Fruit releases much more of a gas called ethylene, which is a ripening agent and is released by plants when the fruit is damaged or the climate is right,' she said.

'So, keeping veg with fruit can cause the veg to ripen prematurely and spoil them. Additionally, for optimum taste, it's always a good idea to eat the fruit and veg in your fridge within a few days of it being stored.'

'Delicate vegetables, such as asparagus, lettuce and other salad leaves should always be refrigerated, because the lower temperature of the fridge slows down chemical reactions in the cells, thereby protecting nutrients, such as vitamin C.

'And, it's not just the delicate veg which we need to keep in the fridge, certain hardier root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips and parsnip are also best kept chilled.

Lettuce: FRIDGE

Lettuce requires moisture to stay crisp and fresh, so it comes as no surprise that it should be kept in the crisper section of a fridge.

It's best to keep lettuce in a container inside the fridge for maximum freshness.

Lettuce should be stored away from fruits like pears, apples, tomatoes or avocadoes, as the gas released as they ripen will cause lettuce to wither prematurely.

Potatoes: CUPBOARD

The exception to this rule is potatoes, which should not be kept in the fridge.

The Food Standards Agency advises they be stored at room temperature, describing them as 'the most important food' to keep out of the fridge.

'When these are stored in the fridge, the starch in the potato is converted to sugar. When baked or fried, these sugars combine with the amino acid asparagine and produce the chemical acrylamide, which is thought to be harmful,' it says.

The Food Standards Agency advises they be stored at room temperature, describing them as 'the most important food' to keep out of the fridge

Onions and garlic: CUPBOARD

Onions and garlic remain fresher for longer when they're kept in the cupboard.

In the fridge, they're likely to become soggy much quicker than otherwise. Garlic can also develop mould or start sprouting within weeks in the fridge, and thrives in a dry and dark environment.

Chocolate: EITHER

Chocolate is one food item which is hard to definitively place and largely up to preference.

While there's no harm in storing chocolate in the fridge, confectionary company Cadbury did reveal this isn't how it is intended to be enjoyed.

'Chocolate should always be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place such as a pantry or cupboard less than 21 degrees Celsius to ensure the quality isn't compromised,' the company wrote on Twitter.

Leading food safety expert Belinda Stuart-Moonlight, told FEMAIL previously that another reason chocolate shouldn't be refrigerated is because it can lead to a 'sugar bloom'.

This occurs when it's chilled then exposed to warmer air. It causes condensation on the surface, dissolving some of the sugar, which recrystallises as a grainy, white coating.

Chocolate also absorbs odours, so there's a risk it will end up smelling - and tasting - like last night's leftovers.

There is one exception, however.

'Chocolate with a creamy filling is likely to be at higher risk of going off and needs refrigeration,' she said.

Chocolate is one food item which is hard to place and largely up to preference

Peanut butter: CUPBOARD

Peanut butter and spreads like Marmite are high in salt, which serves as a natural preservative.

As a result, these items are safe to be kept in cupboards, even after they're opened.

Rice: CUPBOARD

Grains should be stored in an airtight container in the cupboard before they are cooked.

Once cooked, rice, like leftovers, should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It should not be kept in the fridge for more than one day, Kate said.

Olive oil: CUPBOARD

Kate said the optimal storage temperature for extra-virgin olive oil is somewhere in the vicinity of about 15C.

While that is cooler than room temperature, it's closer than the temperature inside a fridge.

'If you chill the olive oil and the temperature reduces, the most stable fats in the oil turn solid, which leaves the more unstable triacylglycerol molecules in liquid form,' she said.

'Keeping olive oil in the fridge can reduce its health-promoting antioxidant activity. Nut and seed oils can last for longer when kept in a fridge, but you may notice them solidifying or looking cloudy.'
Diana visited the charity on a number of occasions in 1990, 1993 and 1995

The Prince of Wales will focus on helping the homelessness crisis this year

William visited Depaul UK in London, more than 30 years after Diana opened it

Prince William was stunned to find out a homeless charity is having to support children from the age of just nine.

The Prince of Wales, 40, visited Depaul UK in London - which was opened by his mother more than 30 years ago - to meet those who receive help from the charity, as well as staff working there.

It was a poignant visit, as he follows in the footsteps of his mother Princess Diana who visited the charity several times in 1990, 1993 and 1995.

Diana opened the first Depaul Trust Hostel in Willesden in June 1995.

The future king, who supports a number of leading homeless charities, also service users at the charity, with one saying it 'saved my life' after they suffered substance abuse and debt.

Prince Harry, who has launched a series of scathing attacks on his brother William in his memoir, Spare, has also held the charity close to his heart and made visits there.

Prince William attended Depaul UK this morning, 30 years after his late mother Princess Diana began working with the charity

While speaking with staff at the London headquarters, William asked: 'What age group are you seeing actual risk of homelessness starting?'

The team told him they have helped children from '13 and upwards' who have already suffered with 'relationship breakdowns' at home. The charity has been known to support children even younger than 13, with some people asking for help as young as nine.

Startled by the response, William replied: 'It starts so young, that's terrifying.'

William's visit comes in the wake of Prince Harry's attacks on his brother and sister-in-law, Kate in his bombshell memoir, Spare - as the Duke finds himself dragged into a diplomatic row over Iran's execution of a British-Iranian national.

Princess Diana first visited the charity in 1990 (pictured on one of her many visits) where she worked with homeless people

Prince Harry, who has launched a series of scathing attacks on his brother William in his memoir, Spare, has also held the charity close to his heart (pictured visiting in 2017)

Despite an almighty fallout from his brother's memoir, Prince William looked composed on his visit to Depaul UK this morning, following Kate's first solo outing yesterday since the book was released.

Last year the Daily Mail revealed that William had vowed to make the issue of homelessness in the UK a key priority of his public work.

He is patron of Centrepoint homeless charity and in 2020 revealed that he talks to his older children Prince George, now eight, and Princess Charlotte, now seven, about the issue of homelessness.

Speaking to Mary Berry for her Christmas special A Berry Royal Christmas, he said: 'On the school run already, bear in mind they're six and four, whenever we see anyone who is sleeping rough on the streets, I talk about it and I point it out and I explain why and they're all very interested. They're like: 'Why can't they go home?''

Prince William, who has made homelessness one of his main priorities as a royal, appeared in good spirits today

The Prince of Wales chatted with clients as he visited the youth homelessness charity in London earlier today

In 2019, William became the patron of The Passage, an organisation established in 1980 which has gone on to help more than 135,000 people in crisis through its resource centre, homelessness prevention projects and innovative accommodation services.

Diana first took the royal and his brother the Duke of Sussex to the charity in 1993, when the pair were young boys, and William has gone on to make numerous public and private trips to the organisation.

Speaking today about Diana's legacy, Depaul UK CEO Mike Thiedke said: 'She was so passionate about [people] falling through the cracks of a system. I think that upset her a lot whether she engaged with homeless people, or with people who were HIV positive.

'And it seems that her sons have stepped into this.

'I think having a principal in here now shows us that that seems to be something that is consistent. When you have the influence and power to change narrative and obviously, Prince William has that with the foundation behind him.

'There's a real understanding, I know that he is very close to other homelessness organisations as well, and that understanding of needing to change the narrative.'

During today's visit, education coordinator Rebecca Baines told William: 'Some of the big issues that we face with young people is that when they think of homelessness they think of rough sleeping, so a lot of young people may be experiencing it but they might not realise it; sleeping on couches, staying with friends where they can, so it's all about education, because a lot of young people won't reach out before it is far too late.

Figures last year showed there were 120,000 young people and children either at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness throughout the country.

Nicola Harwood, executive director of services, added: 'From our family mediation services we are seeing children as young as nine or ten we are trying to support through addressing those issues at home before they escalate, before it ends up needing support from support from social services, so there's quite a big age gap.'

The Prince of Wales also met former soldier Lee, 27, who left the British Army in 2016 and quickly spiralled into a life of drink and drugs after losing his mum and home.

He praised the work of the outreach 'Pathfinder' programme in Manchester which he says 'undoubtedly saved my life'.

'I honestly don't know where I would be now,' he added.

'My goal is to work for Depaul and pay them back for the support I received.'

Another youngster who uses the service, Finn, 25, said of the Prince: 'I felt like he was engaged. I felt like he was listening.

'I really hope good things come about from this like more representation upon homelessness. I hope if he speaks publicly he could help reduce, or at least address, the stigmatism towards homeless people'.

In December 2009, a then 27-year-old Prince William spent a night sleeping rough to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas.

He arrived shortly before midnight and stayed out in temperatures as low as minus 4C (24F), lying in a central London alleyway surrounded by wheelie bins.

The second in line to the throne was accompanied by his right-hand man at St James's Palace, former SAS officer Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, one of the Scotland Yard police protection officers who accompany him everywhere and Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint.

Dressed in jeans, trainers, a hooded sweatshirt and beanie hat, he went unrecognised as he laid a piece of cardboard down on the floor and climbed into his sleeping bag.

It wasn't an altogether new experience for former Army officer William, who has often lived rough on exercises. But it certainly wasn't a pleasant one, as temperatures plunged, making sleep almost impossible.

After sleeping fitfully, William rolled up his sleeping bag at 6am and walked through the streets for 45 minutes, stopping to talk to several homeless people on the way.

In 2020 revealed that he talks to his older children Prince George, now eight, and Princess Charlotte, now seven, about the issue of homelessness

The Prince of Wales looked professional as he met with staff and service users at Depaul UK in London

William, 40, is said to be focusing on the issue of homelessness as one of his priorities

He went to Centrepoint's hostel in Greek Street, Soho, where he showered before cooking breakfast for some of the residents and cutting a cake to celebrate the charity's 40th anniversary.

He was slightly better off than the average rough sleeper, as he was accompanied by his armed personal protection officer, his private secretary - a former SAS officer - and the chief executive of the homelessness charity.

Even the venue, a secluded spot close to Blackfriars Bridge in the City, was carefully chosen for safety.

The Duke said afterwards that the experience had helped to deepen his understanding of life on the streets.

Depaul UK, which operates in London and the South East, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and the North East specialises in supporting young people.

It helps its users find medium-to-long term accommodation, offers various programmes to help them into work and provides mental health support.

William's visit came as new IPSOS polling showed that William and his wife, Kate, were Britain's most popular royals (61 per cent and 60 per cent respectively). A further 68 per cent think he will make a good king.

Prince Harry's favourability had slumped to 23 per cent from a high of 70 in 2018, when he and Meghan married.

Further polling for Newsweek showed that Meghan was now less popular than the Queen Consort in US with a minus 18 net approval rating compared to minus eight for Camilla.

The figure is a dramatic slump for the Duchess of Sussex who enjoyed a plus 23 rating in early December, before the Sussexes Netflix series and Harry's tell-all memoir on the Royal Family, both of which have proved commercial successes but widely condemned.

Following a claim in his memoir that he killed around 25 Taliban fighters while serving in Afghanistan, the Iranian regime used the comments to justify its hanging of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, 61, at the weekend.

Iran's foreign ministry posted on Twitter that the UK was 'in no position to preach' on human rights after Harry's comments.

Iran murdered Alireza Akbari after he was accused of being an MI6 spy.

Following Harry's claims, senior army officials have slammed the Duke as a 'stupid boy'.

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former UK military commander in Afghanistan, said: 'Harry should take full responsibility for giving ammunition to the murderous Iranian regime's propaganda machine.

'While all decent people will reject Iran's lies, many of their supporters will be strengthened by the ayatollahs' exploitation of the duke's ill-judged comments.'

Meanwhile the Duke continued his attacks on his family this weekend as he demanded they apologise to his wife, Meghan.

Diana made a number of visits to the homeless charity throughout her life, including in 1990 (pictured)

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales also opened a branch of the youth charity in Willesden in the nineties (pictured)

In an interview with the Telegraph, he sent a message to the royals urging them to 'come clean' as he told them: 'You know what you did.'

Harry also said he wanted to help reform the monarchy so that his niece and nephews, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would not be affected by the concept of the 'spare' in the same way he has been.

After expressing concern that one of the Prince and Princess of Wales's children may end up also feeling like the 'spare', he claimed Prince William had 'made it very clear that the children are not [Harry's] responsibility'.

Despite several bombshell claims in his memoir, Harry has also revealed the first draft of the autobiography was twice the length of the final draft, but that he ended up leaving details out for fear that his family would not forgive him.

Talking about his family, he said: 'I wish you'd actually sit down with me, properly, and instead of saying I'm delusional and paranoid, actually sit down and have a proper conversation about this, because what I'd really like is some accountability. And an apology to my wife.

'Because you know what you did, and I now know why you did it. And you've been caught out, so just come clean, and then we could all move on.'
Online fans and customers were divided with one person calling it 'hot sugar'

The Facebook post included a pack of Creme Eggs with one coated in batter

A chip shop in Scotland has divided fans and customers by selling deep fried Creme Eggs ahead of Easter.

Aldo's Fish & Chip Shop, based in Ayrshire, Scotland, wrote on Facebook: 'It's back, deep fried Creme Egg.. It's only 81 days till Easter'

The post included a box of the chocolate treats at the back, with one of the snacks covered in batter in the centre - and details showing they are for sale for 1.20.

Many were eager to try it, with one putting: 'Who has tried these and is it good? I have loved creme eggs for 60 years at least.

A chip shop in Scotland has divided fans and customers by selling deep fried Creme Eggs ahead of Easter

Another added: 'Kinda intrigued, kinda grossed out lol.' While a third wrote: 'yeah, doesnt sound great but Im also kinda curious about it.'

And a fourth put: 'It would scald the inside of your mouth surely, it's just hot sugar.'

The rest of the comments were dominated with Facebook users tagging their friends to tell them about the news.

Scottish chippies are known for their deep fried food, with one in 2018 selling what may be Britain's unhealthiest takeaway: a giant box of deep-fried foods that contains an artery-clogging 7,000 calories.

The Facebook post included a box of the chocolate treats at the back with one covered in batter in the centre

Aldo's Fish & Chip Shop, based in Ayrshire, Scotland, wrote on Facebook that the deep fried creme egg is back on it's menu

The 10 bargain meal at the East West Spice takeaway restaurant in Greenock contains chips, two pizza 'crunches,' battered fish and sausages, two hamburgers, onion rings, chicken nuggets and fritters - all of which are deep fried.

The 'Crunchy Box' also comes with a two-litre bottle of Irn-Bru which takes the calorie count to a whopping 6,792 kcal.

Although health campaigners have slammed the box as 'gross,' the shop manager, Bahadur Singh, says his customers love the deal.

He added that it is designed for more than one person as it is called the Family Crunch Box.

The creme egg left many Facebook users drooling - while others were deeply critical of the chocolate treat

There was a mixed reaction on social media to Aldo's Fish & Chip Shop relaunching its deep fried Creme Egg

He said: 'I just thought it would be nice to combine the ideas and bring something which would appeal to everyone.

'We put the deal on and people seem to love it. Everything is cooked in fat but the dish is big enough for three or four people to share.

'It's definitely for the family to eat. People think it's a great deal.'

The deal went viral with more than 9,000 likes after writer Ross McCafferty tweeted a photo of the beige meal deal on Twitter.

He joked: 'A chippy in my hometown is selling this 'crunch box' for a TENNER and if you don't think it looks like the most appetizing thing ever then there's no hope for you.'

Takeaway fans have been sharing the post online, with one saying on Facebook that it was 'the most Scottish thing I've seen'.

Another joked that the box would make a 'nice starter,' while one said that the box of fried foods was considered a 'Glasgow salad'.
A man in Ireland was left devastated when he discovered a solitary hazelnut in his Dairy Milk Wholenut bar.

Matt O'Baoill, 28, bought the chocolate bar for his girlfriend when out shopping at his local Spar supermarket.

The musician, from Dublin, who regularly posts videos for his 35.7k TikTok audience, took to the social media platform to share his and his girlfriend's shock and disappointment at the measly single hazelnut, in the centre of the 180 gram bar.

Speaking to Metro, Matt said: 'There may have been some extra nut remnants, some nut shrapnel, but that was all there was in there. It was a great disappointment.'

Matt O'Baoill, 28, (pictured) was left devastated when he discovered a solitary hazelnut in his Dairy Milk Wholenut bar

In the video Matt, who is one half of hip hop duo Tebi Rex, said: 'We have been robbed, bamboozled, hoodwinked, flabbergasted, taken aback, taken for a fool, you're a goat.'

People quickly took to the comments section, with one trying to reason: To be fair they said whole nut, not whole nutS.

Matt replied, branding the commenter a Cadbury apologist.

Others had more sympathy and one said: 'this is why you need to feel the back of the bar before buying'.

The musician, from Dublin took to the social media platform to share his and his girlfriend's shock and disappointment at the measly single hazelnut, in the centre of the 180 gram bar

Another revealed: 'This happened before so I emailed them to complain and they sent me a 1 voucher LOL'

A third posted: 'personally i wouldnt let that slide'

And a fourth said: 'This has happened to me TWICE. Now Im constantly fondling bars of chocolate to make sure its got adequate nut action'

A Cadbury spokesperson told Metro: Were very sorry to hear about this customers experience.

This will be investigated further but so far is an isolated incident, the quality of our products is of paramount importance.
A mother has been slammed for not wearing a seatbelt as she held her baby daughter in the passenger seat of a moving car.

Earlier this week, Russian actress Vera Kincheva, 31, shared a video of herself driving a car in Thailand on her Instagram while her friend Anna Peretz sat beside her.

While music plays in the background of the viral Instagram video, Vera bobs along to the melody as she films herself on her phone.

The actress then leans over to zoom in on Anna and the baby - who has been leaning against her mother and looking out of the open window.

Actress Vera Kincheva, 31, from Russia, filmed herself driving in a car playing music in Thailand

The video was later shared on Reddit on a post titled: 'Please, please, please. Don't disregard safety just for a social media post.'

In the UK, drivers are required to put passengers under 15 months old in a rear-facing carseat. Children are required to have booster seats until they are 12 years old or at least 135cm tall.

Last year, Thailand introduced a law stating that children under the age of six need to be secured in a car seat when travelling.

Viewers flooded into the comments section to share their concerns about the safety of the baby - who was being held by her mother for the entirety of the video.

She then pans the camera over to her passenger Anna Peretz who is holding a baby on her lap

The baby is not wearing a seatbelt and Anna is holding the tot next to an open car window

One comment read: 'Honestly the amount of things wrong in this clip has to be a record.'

Another user commented on the open window next to the small child, writing: 'I was worried the baby would fly out since the window was down too. Crazy people.'

One user issued a warning, saying: 'If they hit a speed bump, if they've got to slam on the brakes. A thousand ways this baby can get a lifelong injury or worse even without a car accident.'

Meanwhile another said: 'It's worse than that. You can see the woman carrying the baby doesn't have her seatbelt on. Most modern cars won't deploy the airbag if it's not on.'

Reddit users described the women as 'crazy people' saying the baby was at risk of 'lifelong injury or worse'

One user however supported the poster, saying: 'On this island, and Thailand in general, it is completely common for kids to be in cars without car seats and no seatbelts.

'I'm not here to say this is okay, I'm just giving context.

'Also, your chance of getting t-boned here is almost zero because the island is small and there are very few intersections.'

A new law in Thailand announced that it would be mandatory for all passengers in a vehicle to wear a seatbelt from September last year, according to Bangkok Post.

One comment supported the poster saying it is common for children not to wear seatbelts in Thailand

Pol Maj Gen Jirasant Kaeosaeng-Ek, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, added at the time that details relating to child safety measures were yet to be finalised.

Rules in the UK dictate that passengers must wear a seat belt if one is fitted and that children under three years old are not allowed to travel in a car that does not have seatbelts.

Earlier today, PM Rishi Sunak admitted he made an 'error of judgement' after failing to wear seatbelt in car.

The PM also faced a backlash for taking a plane to Blackpool for a visit to promote Levelling Up spending, rather than driving or going by rail.
Dan, a traveler from Wales, saw the first season of her reality show and reached out to her on social media before sending her flowers, which led to them talking

A 23-year-old woman who is looking for love while stuck in the body of an eight-year-old girl has introduced her parents to a potential new partner after he slid into her direct messages.

At 3 feet, 10 inches tall, Shauna Rae Lesick is the average height of a third-grader and weighs just 50 pounds. Her stunted growth is a side effect of brain cancer treatment as an infant, and she is frequently mistaken for a child.

She has previously been candid about the unique dating struggles she has faced as a result of her condition, once revealing her parents' fears that she would attract pedophiles because of her childlike appearance.

But, in a recent episode of her TLC reality series 'I Am Shauna Rae,' the reality star took a big leap forward in love, opening up about how she connected with 26-year-old Dan Swygart, a traveler from Wales who reached out to her and sent her flowers after watching the first season of her show.

Shauna Rae Lesick, 23, introduced Dan Swygart, 26, to her parents on a recent episode of her TLC reality series 'I Am Shauna Rae'

Shauna's stunted growth is a side effect of her surviving brain cancer as an infant. Chemotherapy rendered her pituitary gland dormant, causing pituitary dwarfism

'Dan and I met through social media, and we talked for a couple months. He travels so often, so he doesn't have service everywhere he goes,' she explained. 'We kind of just got along, and we have a lot similar in our lives.'

Shauna noted that she has 'always wanted to travel,' and Dan's adventures are when 'piqued her interest.'

'He's just a nice guy,' she added.

After getting to know her, he came to her hometown in Long Island, New York, to meet her in person. They spent the day at an aquarium and escape room with her 18-year-old half-sister Rylee.

'Rylee and I were both very anxious because we didn't know what he wanted,' Shauna admitted. 'He was also talking to both of us casually, so we didn't know who he was into.'

Shauna has been candid about how her parents are worried she'll attract pedophiles because she is 3 feet, 10 inches tall, the average height of a third-grader

Dan, a traveler from Wales, saw the first season of her reality show and reached out to her on social media before sending her flowers, which led to them talking regularly

After getting to know her, he came to the U.S. to meet her in person. They spent the day at an aquarium and escape room with her 18-year-old half-sister Rylee (pictured)

'Rylee and I were both very anxious because we didn't know what he wanted,' Shauna admitted. 'He was also talking to both of us casually, so we didn't know who he was into'

The next time Dan came to visit Shauna, he came over to her house to make sushi rolls. She introduced him to her mother and stepfather, Patty and Mark Schrankel, who couldn't resist giving him the third degree.

Shauna has been candid about how her parents are worried that she will attract pedophiles because of her childlike appearance.

She was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. She had surgery and underwent three years of chemotherapy. While the treatment was successful, it rendered her pituitary gland almost dormant, stunting her growth.

She grew another eight inches with the help of synthetic hormone injections, but when she was 16, her doctor told her that her bones had fused and she wasn't going to grow anymore. She was just a few inches shy of 4 feet.

Patty wanted to know if they were more than friends and how often they talk, which Dan said was almost daily at that point.

Shauna admitted that she's not sure what's in store for her and Dan in the future because she's apprehensive about starting a long-distance relationship

The next time Dan came to visit Shauna, he came over to her house to make sushi rolls and met her mother and stepfather, Patty and Mark Schrankel

Patty wanted to know if they were more than friends and how often they talk, which Dan said was almost daily at that point

'I think Dan would be a really good match for Shauna because he's very smart [and] adventurous,' her stepfather said

'I'm not really irritated by my family when they bring up those future questions. I haven't talked about it with Dan. I'm kind of letting it go as it may, but it's nice kind of try to see if he can answer it,' Shauna said in her confessional.

Dan looked visibly uncomfortable with the interrogation, but he was open about how he wanted to take their daughter around the world with him on his travels.

'I think Dan would be a really good match for Shauna because he's very smart [and] adventurous. Shauna's smart but not very adventurous,' her stepfather told the camera. 'I think he could pull her out of [her] comfort zone but still make her safe.'

Shauna admitted that she's not sure what's in store for her and Dan in the future because she's apprehensive about starting a long-distance relationship.

'I haven't actually really thought about if Dan and I were in a relationship and how that would look,' she explained. 'I assume that we would probably try long distance, but I've been in a long-distance relationship. It's not my cup of tea.'

Shauna's parents tried to be supportive of Dan wanting to take her to Malaysia for a wedding, but she called them 'bold-faced liars,' insisting they'd never let her go

The visit ended with Dan visiting her while she bartended a charity event

Shauna and Dan shared an awkward slow dance before he left. She wasn't sure when she would see him again, but she was confident he would be back

She noted that he would either have to settle down somewhere, or she would have to start traveling with him. He had already asked her to go to Malaysia with him to be his plus-one at a wedding.

'Dan taking Shauna out of the country, I think it would be really cool. I think she'd have a good time,' her stepdad said.

'I'm not so sure about that,' her mother chimed in.

Shauna called them both 'bold-faced liars,' insisting that they would never let her leave the country with him.

The visit ended with Dan visiting her while she bartended a charity event. They shared an awkward slow dance before he left.

'I'm sure that I'll see Dan again,' she told the camera. 'He's coming back.'
China, UN hold Year of Rabbit exhibition in Ethiopian capital

Xinhua) 10:09, January 19, 2023

Chief of Staff at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Sweta Saxena speaks during an opening event of the exhibition themed Happy Chinese New Year and an Extraordinary Decade of China in the New Era, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- With distinctive Chinese New Year songs and cultural performances along with aromatic Chinese tea and cuisines, a special ceremony, held Tuesday at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, marked the approaching Chinese Lunar New Year.

With the Year of the Rabbit right around the corner, the event marked the start of an exhibition featuring Chinese art performances, history, and cuisines, which runs through Jan. 24, inside the premises of the UNECA.

Hosted by the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU) and the UNECA, the exhibition brought together members of the diplomatic community from China and other African countries, and the UN family in Ethiopia, among others.

Chief of Staff at the UNECA Sweta Saxena said during the opening event that the ever-growing cultural exchange activities between China and Africa foster socioeconomic ties between the two sides.

"In Chinese culture, rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity," she said. "I hope it will usher us into an era of a long friendship between China and Africa that brings peace and prosperity."

Saxena said exchanges between China and Africa have expanded and deepened in culture, media and communication, science and technology, think-thanks, and facilitated dialogues among youth and women.

Rakeb Million, one of the visitors, said she was deeply enchanted by the performances.

"Personally, it is my first-ever experience celebrating the Chinese New Year and I feel very happy to be here. I have seen different cultural practices today and I really like all their cultural activities, especially tea making ceremony -- very neat, simple, and exquisite," she said. "What amazed me the most is their sense of togetherness and closeness. They (Chinese people) look very beautiful as they celebrate the new year together."

The exhibition, in particular, created synergy between Chinese and African cultures as students from the Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU) presented a combination of both Chinese and African cultural performances and dances.

Heran Adane, a Chinese language student at the AAU Confucius Institute, was one of the performers at the event.

"Today, we have presented different performances, which include singing Chinese songs, performing Ethiopian cultural dances and songs, martial arts, and different other activities," she said. "The Chinese New Year is such a unique event and we are enjoying it."

Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said the Year of the Rabbit will bring warmth, peace, happiness and hope to the people of Africa, China and beyond.

"In the new year, the Chinese side stands ready to work with the UNECA, all African friends and partners to make positive contributions to building an even closer community with a shared future for China and Africa," he said.

The Year of the Rabbit falls on Sunday, Jan. 22, this year.

Hu Changchun (Rear), head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), speaks during an opening event of the exhibition themed Happy Chinese New Year and an Extraordinary Decade of China in the New Era, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

A Chinese language teacher of the Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU) performs a tea ceremony during a special ceremony of the exhibition themed Happy Chinese New Year and an Extraordinary Decade of China in the New Era, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

A Chinese language student from the Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU) performs a traditional Ethiopian dance during a special ceremony of the exhibition themed Happy Chinese New Year and an Extraordinary Decade of China in the New Era, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, announced his bid to run for the party's Supreme Council on Thursday.







Tae, who formerly served as the No. 2 diplomat at North Korea's Embassy in London, defected to South Korea in August 2016.







In 2020, he was elected to the National Assembly as the main conservative opposition United Future Party's candidate in Seoul's affluent southern district of Gangnam, becoming the first person hailing from the communist nation to be chosen directly by South Korean voters as their representative.







"If I become a Supreme Council member of the Republic of Korea's ruling party, it would be what Kim Jong-un would be most afraid of," he said in a press conference, referring to the North Korean leader.







The party is scheduled to hold a national convention March 8 to pick a new leader. Five seats of its Supreme Council will also be up for grabs. (Yonhap)


The International Circus Festival has not run since 2020 due to the pandemic

Mother-of-three is a patron of the show, which was created by her father Ranier

The European royal, 57, happily posed with the cast in Monte Carlo tonight

Princess Stephanieof Monaco appeared in high spirits as she attended the opening night of the 45th International Circus Festival this evening.

The European royal, 57, got stuck into the celebrations in Monte-Carlo and happily posed for photos while an impeccably trained parrot perched on her shoulder.

Braving the cold temperatures, the mother-of-three, who is the youngest child of actress Grace Kelly and the sister of Albert II, cut a casual figure in loose-fitting jeans and a grey roll-neck jumper.

Ahead of the show's opening, cast members - including acrobats, magicians and bullfighters - gathered on the stage to celebrate their royal guest.

Princess Stephanieof Monaco, 57, posed for photos with a parrot for the opening night of the 45th International Circus Festival

The European royal was all smiles as she mingled with cast, even leaning against one bullfighter in one shot.

The royal is a huge supporter of the circus and first attended the event when she was just nine.

This will be the first time the show has run since it was called off in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Stephanie, a patron of the awe-inspiring show, also helps to oversee the Circus Festival and is involved in everything from choosing the acts to the choreography.

The royal (pictured with castmembers) is a huge supporter of the circus and first attended the event when she was just nine

Stephanie's father Prince Ranier was the brains behind the first festival, which was held in the principality in 1974

Magician Peter Marvey will be taking to the stage alongside clown Mister Lorenzo Carnevale and tiger-tamer Bruno Togni this year

Her father Prince Ranier was the brains behind the first festival, which now as then, specialises in traditional circus acts from clowns to acrobats.

The festival is an annual event in the principality and has been running since 1974.

The royal attends the event every year and was joined by her three children for the opening of the 2020 festival.

For the 45th International Circus Festival, magician Peter Marvey will be taking to the stage alongside clown Mister Lorenzo Carnevale and tiger-tamer Bruno Togni.

The festival has not run since 2020 due to the pandemic. Stephanie (centre) poses with the performers ahead of the opening night

Earlier this week, Stephanie's brother Prince Albert was the first European royal to confirm his plans to attend King Charles' coronation in May.

Monaco's crown prince, 64, spoke fondly of the British King ahead of his 6 May coronation, calling him 'a very educated man and someone with a great sense of humour'.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Albert confirmed he and his wife Princess Charlene would attend, adding: 'I'm certain that it's going to be an incredible ceremony and a very moving one.'

The event will be amongst the highest profile attended by Charlene since her recent illness, which saw her spending 11 months away from the Mediterranean principality in her native South Africa, undergoing treatment for an unspecified condition.

Albert added: 'We've maintained contact since His Majesty became King, but I haven't talked to him personally since the Queen's funeral.'
Letizia finished off her outfit with a black slouchy coat and statement earrings

She paired it with a leather belted skirt by Hugo Boss and black heels

European monarch, 50, was effortlessly elegant in her sustainable blouse

Queen Letizia of Spain cut an elegant figure as she attended a meeting at the Royal Spanish Academy in Madrid today.

The European monarch, 50, wore a chic 70 (80) blue blouse by sustainable fashion brand Pol Studio for her engagement this afternoon.

She paired the voluminous top with a stylish and form-fitting leather midi skirt by Hugo Boss, with a chunky built-in belt.

Braving the cooler temperature, the mother-of-two wrapped up warm in a slouchy wraparound black coat.

Queen Letizia of Spain pictured arriving for a meeting at the Royal Spanish Academy in Madrid today

Pulling her ensemble together, Letizia added a touch of glamour with her black leather high heels and sleek handbag.

To offset her aqua blouse, the Royal finished off her look with some statement dangly-earrings - featuring different shades of blue, pink and purple.

Opting for a bronzed smokey eye and nude lip, Letizia styled her shoulder-length hair straight for her engagement today.

Letizia, who previously worked as a journalist, has worked closely with the Royal Spanish Academy - which is the official institution overseeing the Spanish language since 1713 - for a number of years.

She wore a 70 (80) blouse by sustainable brand Pol Studio. She finished off her outfit with some statement multicoloured earrings

Pulling her ensemble together, Letizia added a touch of glamour with her black leather high heels and sleek handbag

Opting for a bronzed smokey eye and nude lip, Letizia styled her shoulder-length hair straight for her engagement today

In December 2021, the royal proved she was fluent in fashion when she attended the 70th anniversary of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language held in the Royal Spanish Academy headquarters.

The royal, whose father Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez and stepmother Ana Togores are both journalists, met her husband King Felipe when she was asked to interview him in her job as a reporter.

Letizia's media career was a lengthy one and began with a stint at Asturian daily paper, La Nueva Espana.

Next came a role at ABC, a popular national newspaper that enjoys the third largest circulation in Spain, before spells at EFE and Mexican publication Siglo 21, which is based in Guadelajara.

Back in Spain a year later, she worked for the Spanish version of Bloomberg, a news channel and agency specialising in economics, before moving to CNN+.

By the time she met her husband-to-be, Letizia was working for popular TV channel 24 Horas, where she anchored the popular Telediario 2 evening news bulletin
Australia's top trending dog and cats breeds as well as the pet names people are loving in 2023 have been revealed.

An analysis of Google searches of 464 dog breeds and 66 cat breeds was recently carried out to determine the country's most searched pets with Cavoodle and the Maine Coon coming out on top.

Pepper was the most searched dog name and Cleo was the trendiest cat name of the 12 months.

A new study has analysed millions of google searches to determine the dog and cat breeds Australians are loving in 2023. The Cavoodle (pictured) was the most searched dog breed

For the felines, the majestic Maine Coon (pictured), which is the largest domesticated cat breed, was most searched by Australian pet lovers

Top ten trending cat breeds in Australia Maine Coon Bengal Ragdoll British Shorthair Russian Blue Persian Sphynx Munchkin Siamese Scottish Fold Source: Hill's Advertisement

Top ten trending dog breeds in Australia Cavoodle Shiba Inu Border Collie Poodle Golden Retriever Dachshund Australian Shepherd French Bulldog Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Source: Hill's Advertisement

Pet food brand Hill's conducted the research analysing more than 248million Google searches to decide dog popularity and over 76million Google searches to conclude cat choice.

A cross between the Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Cavoodle was shown to be the most searched for dog breed in the country.

Australians typed 'Shiba Inu' into the search bar almost as much earning the Japanese breed second place on the trendiest pooch list.

Australians typed 'Shiba Inu' (left) into the search bar almost as much earning the Japanese breed second place on the trendiest dog list followed by the Border Collie (right) in third

Top ten trending dog names in Australia 1. Pepper 2. Luna 3. Bruno 4. Chloe 5. Sadie 6. Duke 7. Tucker 8. Millie 9. Gus 10. Rebel - Gender neutral - Female - Male - Female - Female - Male - Male - Female - Male - Gender neutral Advertisement

Top ten trending cat names in Australia 1. Cleo 2. Pepper 3. Luna 4. Chloe 5. Oscar 6. Felix 7. Lucky 8. Boots 9. Millie 10. Jasper - Female - Gender neutral - Female - Female - Male - Male - Gender neutral - Gender neutral - Female - Male Advertisement

The Border Collie came in third followed by the Poodle, Golden Retriever and Dachshund.

Aussies have also recently searched for Australian Shepherd, French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd online.

For the felines, the majestic Maine Coon, which is the largest domesticated cat breed, was most searched by Australian pet lovers.

Bengals, which were bred from Asian Leopard cats, came in second on the list and third was the blue-eyed Ragdoll.

Also trending in cat breeds is the British Shorthair, Russian Blue, Persian, Sphynx, the short-legged munchkin cats as well as the Siamese and Scottish Fold.

The second trendiest cat breed according to the Aussie Google searches were Bengals which which were bred from Asian Leopard cats

Also trending in cat breeds is the Ragdoll (pictured) British Shorthair, Russian Blue, Persian, Sphynx, the short-legged munchkin cats, Siamese and Scottish Fold

Search volumes were also analysed to find out which dog and cat names are hot right now among Aussie animal lovers.

Pepper took the number one spot for the canines with a 163 per cent increase in search volume in one year.

Human names including Luna, Chloe, Sadie, Tucker, Millie and Gus were well searched.

The number three trendiest dog name is Bruno rising 77 per cent in popularity with researchers suspecting the increase may have been caused by the viral song 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' from the animated movie Encanto which came out last year.

Rebel was tenth on the list and was the only gender-neutral name in the top ten with Pepper while the male and female monikers were evenly split earning four places each.

Cleo, which means 'to celebrate' or 'to praise' is the trendiest cat name of the year with searches increasing by a whopping 1000 per cent.

Human names also were all the rage among Australian cat owners as Luna made both the canine and feline names trendy names list.

Chloe, Oscar and Millie came in at four, five and nine respectively while Lucky was the seventh trendy names and Boots was eighth.
Travellers slammed the seat covers as 'dreadful' and 'hideous'

But he was met with hundreds of negative comments

MP Ben Carroll proudly shared images of the new seats online

An Australian politician did not get the response he expected when he proudly unveiled photos of the new seat designs on Victoria's trains.

Ben Carroll, the Minister for Industry in the Dan Andrews government, shared a photo to his Facebook page of the V/Line VLocity train fleet's refurbished interior he claimed is more 'comfortable and accessible' for commuters.

However travellers weren't impressed by the 'hideous' new purple design and also slammed the 'rock hard' seats.

Victorian MP Ben Carroll didn't expect the wave of vitriol he received after proudly posting about V/Line train's refurbished interiors as hundreds slammed the update as 'dreadful'

Heading back to work today on the V/Line regional train network?' Ben asked in the picture's caption.

'We've completed refurbishing our entire Vlocity train fleet to make regional passengers journeys more comfortable and accessible with improved seating and flooring.'

The mottled design are favoured on public transport around the world as it discourages graffiti 'tags' which cannot be clearly made or seen.

However hundreds took to the comments to mock the 'dreadful' seat covers.

'Great that they have been refurbished but I like the blue seats better. The purple looks a little like Grimace from McDonald's especially with the yellow trim,' one woman said.

'They look like seats at a local strip club,' joked another while a third laughed they were a 'soothing shade of psychedelic'.

'Oh great, we can all sit in grandma's living room,' a fourth quipped.

'Is it just me or do the before and after images look like they're incorrectly labelled! That purple is awful!' commented another.

Poll Which trains seats do you think look better? The old blues seats The new purple seats Which trains seats do you think look better? The old blues seats 250 votes

The new purple seats 174 votes Now share your opinion





Some disputed how comfortable the new seats were as one said they are 'rock hard' and another said they felt like you were sitting on a 'wooden bench'.

'These seats are rock hard. Not comfortable at all. The old ones were so much better,' one traveller replied.

'Those seats are so hard to sit on for such a long time. No padding like sitting on a bench seat. The blue seats are so much more comfortable,' a second agreed.

'New covering, same old seat structure which severely tests my back after about 30 minutes,' another said.

Not everyone was unhappy with the revamped railway however as one commuter thought it looked 'groovy' while another slammed those making negative comments.

'Good on you. Looking forward to another short countryside outing,' one man said.

'There is a lot of whinging going on. If you don't like it drive! It's not meant to be luxurious, it's public transport!' someone responded.
The federal government will crack down on nursing homes accused of drugging residents with powerful antipsychotic meds to keep them sedated.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is launching investigations this month into facilities that allegedly misdiagnosed residents and gave them schizophrenia drugs dubbed by some psychiatrists as 'chemical straightjackets'.

CMS did not immediately disclose how many nursing homes will be targeted, but the agency oversees roughly 15,500 skilled nursing facilities in the US, all of which are susceptible to an audit.

The agency's investigations come more than a year after a bombshell report showed 21 percent of nursing home residents are on sedating antipsychotic medications.

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure acknowledged that more needs to be done to stop nursing homes from improperly administering anti-psychotics, but the agency will not immediately intervene in the patients' care directly

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said on Wednesday: 'The steps we are taking today will help prevent these errors and give families peace of mind'

Often in nursing homes, older adults and people with disabilities are prescribed sedating medications such as antipsychotics as a way to manage disruptive behavior.

Side effects of the drugs vary by person, but they have been associated with an increased stroke risk and overall mortality in people with dementia.

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said on Wednesday: 'We have made significant progress in decreasing the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes but more needs to be done.

'People in nursing homes deserve safe, high-quality care, and we are redoubling our oversight efforts to make sure that facilities are not prescribing unnecessary medications.'

Facilities found to have incorrectly diagnosed a resident with schizophrenia, a mental disorder characterized by thoughts or experiences that seem out of touch with reality, and affects memory, and a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The chronic disorder is rare, afflicting less than one percent of the U.S. population. Seniors with schizophrenia often have co-occuring illnesses such as cardiovascular disease or dementia.

Federal regulators are aware of the risk that antipsychotic drugs pose to seniors. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration issued a blackbox warning for antipsychotics stating: 'the treatment of behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia with  antipsychotic medications is associated with increased mortality.'

Evidence has mounted over decades that some facilities wrongly diagnose residents with schizophrenia or administer antipsychotic drugs to sedate them, despite dangerous side effects that could include death, according to the agency.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General revealed in a 2011 report that 14 percent of elderly nursing home residents had Medicare claims for second generation antipsychotic drugs, and 88 percent of those were prescribed for dementia despite the FDAs warnings.

In November, that same office reported: 'Over time the number of unsupported schizophrenia diagnoses increased and in 2019 was concentrated in relatively few nursing homes.

'Specifically, we found that from 2015 through 2019 the number of residents reported in the MDS as having schizophrenia but lacking a corresponding schizophrenia diagnosis in Medicare claims and encounter data increased by 194 percent.'

Secretary Xavier Becerra said: 'No nursing home resident should be improperly diagnosed with schizophrenia or given an inappropriate antipsychotic. The steps we are taking today will help prevent these errors and give families peace of mind.'

Facilities found guilty of dosing patients will suffer the consequences in the form of poor quality ratings using the agency's comprehensive nursing home directory.

If an audit identifies that a nursing facility has a pattern of inaccurately diagnosing its residents as having schizophrenia, its Five-Star Quality Measure Rating on CMS' Care Compare site will be downgraded to just a single star, a potentially huge blow to the facilities' bottom lines.

CMS will continue to monitor each facilitys data to determine whether they have addressed the issues identified in the audits.

In 2012, the federal government began tracking when nursing homes use antipsychotics on residents  doing so can impact the facility's quality rating in a public database  but only for those who have not been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The agency does not have plans to immediately intervene in the patients' care directly or notify relatives of residents who have been wrongly coded or given antipsychotics, according to senior HHS officials who insisted on anonymity to brief The Associated Press on the matter on Tuesday.
Canadians are being told to restrict their boozing to just two drinks per week, according to new guidelines from leading government advisors.

The Canada Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) recommended Tuesday that the nation's 38million residents have no more than just two standard drinks each week. This was a major drop from ten drinks a week for women and 15 for men.

Experts were quick to slam the guidance as 'worse than useless' and say that it 'ignored' the benefits of drinking. Some feared the over-the-top guidelines were so ridiculous people would not follow them, and had degraded trust in health officials.

Canada's advice also does not match many other countries, including the US which says women can have up to seven standard drinks a week and men can have 14. In Australia, the guidance allows for as many as 11 bottles of beer a week. It comes after a World Health Organization official warned earlier this week that no amount of alcohol is safe.

The above shows the maximum weekly recommended alcohol intake by country. Standards were compared to Canada, which considers a standard alcoholic drink to be a 12oz bottle of beer or a 5oz glass of wine. This is the same measure as used in the US

Dr Erin Hobin, a senior scientist at the Canadian agency behind the guidance, told the BBC: 'The new guidance is maybe a bit shocking.

'[But] the main message from this new guidance is that any amount of alcohol is not good for your health. And if you drink, less is better.'

She added: 'I think it's very new information for the public that at three standard drinks per week, the risk for head and neck cancers increases by 15 percent and further increases with every additional drink.'

Experts were quick to slam the move however with Dr Dan Malleck, a professor of health sciences at Brock University in Ontario, saying: '[This guidance] is not useless, it is worse than useless. It will likely cause harm.'

He added: 'It will cause worry, cause anxiety, and stress, and those are all strongly associated with health harms.'

Asked whether it would lead to more people ignoring Canadian health guidance, he said: 'Some people will disregard the recommendations, and others will become concerned.'

The above chart was published by Canadian health authorities, to show how many drinks they consider to be moderate or high risks

The above shows the standard measure for a drink in Canada

The CCSA considers a standard alcoholic drink to be about a 12oz bottle of beer or a 5oz glass of wine.

It now says having one or two drinks a week is 'low risk' for Canadians.

But drinking three to six a week gives people a 'moderate risk' of suffering from health conditions.

Raising this to seven or more drinks each week was putting people at 'increasingly high risk', the group says said.

This means an average Canadian is being recommended not to drink at all or, if they do, keep it to one to two drinks a week maximum.

The group updated the guidance in a 90-page report, reviewed by two dozen scientists, claiming to have looked at over 6,000 different studies.

Other experts have been quick to poke holes in its methodology, though, saying it only looked at 16 papers from the same train of thought.

The CCSA report was concerned over seven different cancers that it said could be linked to drinking.

Top of the list was breast and colon cancer, followed by rectum, mouth and throat, liver, esophagus, and larynx cancer.

Breast cancer is one of Canada's most common forms of the disease.

Doctors say its main risk factors for the disease include being older, having a family history of breast cancer, obesity and starting to have periods at a younger age.

The report likely sent shockwaves through Canada today, and left many residents alarmed that they may have been drinking at unsafe levels.

Asked about the guidelines in downtown London, Ontario, today student Hailey Frank told CBC: 'It's definitely concerning. I feel like most people, when they drink, they're having more than two drinks, especially university students.'

But others have been more dismissive of the measures.

Dr Dan Malleck, a public health expert at Brock University, said the guidance was 'worse than useless'

Another student Cheryl Mason told the publication: 'I don't think it will stop anyone anyway. My grandparents are definitely drinking more than two drinks a week, and they're fine.'

Resident Wayne White added: 'I have mixed feelings about that because I live with my grandparents, who are drinking wine every single day. They're 97.'

Experts have been quick to slam the guidance, saying it was 'irresponsible' and 'ignores' the benefits of drinking alcohol.

Dr Malleck told DailyMail.com: 'I know people who are already worried about their drinking due to these guidelines, and especially worried that they have already exceeded what these guidelines say are the safe maximums for their entire life.

'So, it will cause worry, cause anxiety, and stress, and those are all strongly associated with health harms.'

He added on Twitter: 'I don't need to tell you about your life, but alcohol infuses many lives in many positive ways.

'We celebrate accomplishments, mark occasions, bring wine to parties, meeting with friends, commiserate, relax, blow off steam... these are important activities, and part of the texture and tone of many lives.

'I'm not saying you need to drink to enjoy life, but many people find that it is enjoyable and pleasant.'

Canada's new guidelines are way below the recommendations for other countries.

In the UK, health authorities say people should have no more than six pints or six glasses of wine a week.

This is equivalent to about 10 bottles of beer by Canada's measure of a standard beer, or seven glasses of wine. Britain considers a beer to be about 16oz, while wine comes in at 6oz.

In Australia, health authorities say people should not have more than 10 drinks a week. This was equivalent to about 11 beers or seven glasses of wine compared to the Canadian measure.

France also says people should not have more than 10 beers or glasses of wine a week. But when converted to Canada's measurements, this was equivalent to about seven bottles of beer or seven glasses of wine a week.

The US, which uses the same measurements as Canada, says it is safe for women to have ten bottles of beer or glasses of wine a week. Men can have 15 of each.

Slamming Canada's move, the trade industry body Canada Beer called for an expert panel to review the agency's work.

A spokeswoman added: 'Responsible, moderate consumption can be part of a balanced lifestyle for most adults of legal drinking age.

'Over-consumption and alcohol abuse, however, should be avoided because they are associated with elevated health risks that have long been common knowledge.'

About two-thirds of Canadians drink alcohol, estimates suggest.

For comparison, in the US about 70 percent of people say they drink alcohol.

The CCSA also has stringent guidelines on the use of marijuana - which is legal in Canada - recommending against using the drug more than once per week.
Brits should scale back their alcohol intake to just two bottles of beer a week, say experts.

It would match the 'extreme' advice introduced this week in Canada, where health chiefs have explicitly stated that zero booze is the only truly safe amount.

Officials said for anyone choosing to defy the strict guidance, consuming up to two standard drinks is 'low risk'.

The chart above was published by Canadian health authorities, to show how many drinks they consider to be moderate or high risks

The illustration above was published by Canadian health authorities and shows the standard measure for a drink in Canada

Canada's crackdown on alcohol: Drastic new guidance says adults should drink less than two bottles of beer a WEEK - compared to two per DAY in US and UK The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) recommended on Tuesday that the nation's 38million residents have no more than just two standard drinks each week. Advertisement

But critics today slammed the advice, labelling it 'extreme' and accused Canada of being 'an international laughing stock'.

Others also feared the 'fishy' guidelines were so ridiculous that people would not follow them.

But Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of the Alcohol Change UK charity, said it was 'something we should definitely adopt'.

He told MailOnline: 'Alcohol increases our risk of many serious health conditions including cancer, mental health problems, and liver disease.

'So, the less alcohol you drink, the lower the risk.

'This message comes through very clearly in the new Canadian drinking guidelines.'

The actual guidelines, devised by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), called for a dramatic reduction in alcohol consumption.

The two drinks a week recommendation  equivalent to 3.5 UK units  is a far cry from the previous recommendation set out in 2011 of no more than 10 drinks a week for women and 15 drinks a week for men.

The CCSA considers a standard alcoholic drink to be about a 12oz bottle of beer (340ml) or a 5oz glass of wine (140ml).

Drinking three to six glasses a week gives people a 'moderate risk' of suffering the knock-on effects of too much booze.

Consuming seven or more drinks each week puts people at 'increasingly high risk', the group said.

The new 90-page report, which was funded by Health Canada and reviewed by two dozen scientists, also suggested that mandatory warning labels should be added to alcoholic beverages.

So how much is TOO much? NHS recommendations state adults shouldn't drink more than 14 units each week  that's 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine. They should also spread their drinking over three or more days to avoid bingeing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises Americans do not drink more than 14 standard alcohol drinks per week for men and seven for women. A standard alcoholic drink includes 12oz of 5 per cent beer, 8oz of 7 per cent malt liqour, 5oz of 12 per cent wine or 1.5oz of spirits including rum, gin, vodka or whiskey. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over many years is already linked to a plethora of health issues such as high blood pressure, stroke risk, and range of cancers. Advertisement

Dr Piper said the system allows people to 'better understand the different risk levels and make their own informed choice'.

Dr Colin Angus, a senior research fellow in the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group at the University of Sheffield, also told MailOnline that the 'scientific evidence is pretty unequivocal' that alcohol is bad for your health.

He added: 'I think it's important that people understand these risks so they can make informed choices about whether they think they are worth it.

'Drinking guidelines are, after all, just guidelines, not rules. Their role is to inform people.'

He said: 'The new Canadian guidelines are perhaps more conservative on these risks than other countries' guidelines have been, including the UK, but I think it's good that they are being communicated to the public in a way that gives people more evidence to make informed choices about their own lives and what risks they do and don't want to take.'

Leading experts have rowed about the harms of moderate drinking for decades.

Studies have suggested that a glass of wine or pint of beer a day can stave off a host of illnesses.

While others have argued that even light drinking is dangerous.

The row came under the spotlight earlier this month when World Health Organization (WHO) officials warned that no amount of alcohol is safe.

Dr Richard Piper (pictured above), chief executive of the Alcohol Change UK charity, said Canada's new guidelines were 'something we should definitely adopt'

Scientists across the board, however, agree that excessive alcohol consumption can permanently damage the liver and cause an array of cancers and drive up blood pressure.

The WHO estimate it kills 3million people around the world each year.

Canada's advice puts it out of step with several other nations, including the UK and the US.

The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol  around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer  per week.

This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol.

Meanwhile, the US says women should drink no more than seven standard drinks a week and men can have 14.

These measures include a medium-sized glass of wine and 340ml of beer, close to a regular bottle size.

Data from a 2022 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report found Brits drank 9.7 litres of pure alcohol per adult in 2020  0.1 less than the EU average.

The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol  around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer  per week. This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol

Dr Piper told MailOnline that the UK's 'binary' system 'can cause people to think over 14 units is bad, and under 14 units is good'.

But he added: 'Actually drinking under 14 units can be problematic if all those units are consumed on one night.

'Consuming more than 14 units now and then might be a risk that some people may choose to take.'

Britain isn't boozing capital of Europe, OECD data shows Britain isn't the boozing capital of Europe, official data has revealed. The UK actually ranks middle of the pack for alcohol consumption, sitting behind both France and Germany. An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report found Brits drank 9.7 litres of pure alcohol per adult in 2020  0.1 less than the EU average. It was the equivalent of around nine pints of low-strength beer or six large glasses of wine a week. Latvia had the highest rate with 12.1 litres per adult during the year, while France had 10.4 and Germans drank 10.6. Britons are urged not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis  the equivalent of six pints of lager or 10 small glasses of wine. The data showed most people were drinking above this on average. Advertisement

And Dr Piper said 'we should all be left to choose our preferred level of risk'.

Meanwhile, Dr Katherine Severi, chief executive at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, told MailOnline that Canada's new guidelines 'may seem very low and unnecessarily strict, but it is simply an assessment of the best quality evidence'.

She added: 'It is important to state these guidelines are there to help people make informed decisions about their drinking.

'No one is being forced to drink differently.

'The guidelines make it clear that it is simply about people's right to know the risk of harm.'

But the guidelines have also swiftly been met with scepticism by other leading health experts.

Ian Hamilton, an addiction expert at the University of York, told MailOnline that the CCSA is 'factually right' in recommending no more than two standard drinks to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms.

However, he added, 'it is important to understand' what the risk of drinking above these levels is.

While the UK's Chief Medical Officer advises not to drink more than 14 units a week - seven times higher than Canada's guidance - he cautioned it doesn't mean anyone drinking that faces a seven-fold greater risk of developing cancer or other alcohol-related issues. Mr Hamilton said: 'The risk is far smaller.'

Meanwhile, Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank, told MailOnline that the recommendations 'are the most extreme yet'.

He said: 'Activist academics in the public health lobby have been gradually reducing the drinking guidelines in many countries, including the UK.'

By 'fiddling the figures and ignoring well established benefits of moderate drinking', the CSSA aims to 'cut the guidelines to zero', he claimed.

'They will then claim that there is "no safe level" of drinking and demand that alcohol be regulated like tobacco.'

He told MailOnline: 'The Canadian government will make itself an international laughing stock if it starts telling people that they could die from having three drinks a week.

'All the evidence shows that people who have one or two drinks a day live longer, on average, than those who drink nothing.

'The Canadian public are not stupid. They can see there is something fishy about advice that changes so dramatically overnight.'
Five other states have no age limit, but say children must be 'mature' to get shots

Children as young as 12 in Connecticut could soon get vaccinated without their parents' permission.

The Democrat state's legislature is considering a bill that, if approved, would allow minors to get vaccinated against any recommended vaccine even if it goes against their parents' wishes.

Currently, like in the overwhelming majority of states, children must wait until they turn 18 years old. It comes after routine vaccination uptake across the US among kindergarteners fell to a 10-year low.

Connecticut is considering allowing children as young as 12 years old to get vaccinated without parental consent (stock image)

Officials in Connecticut say they are responding to 'the demands of constituents', but parents have been quick to slam the move, saying their children 'don't have the mental capacity' to sign up for vaccines.

If approved, Connecticut would be the first state to set the age of consent for children aged just 12. Five others have no age limits, but doctors must be sure youngsters are mature enough to get the vaccines.

Democrat congressman Kevin Ryan, representing the 139th district of Bozrah, Montville and Norwich, proposed the change to state legislation.

Explaining the move to WFSB, he said: 'As their representative, it is my duty to express their requests and ensure their concerns have been taken seriously, especially on a healthcare issue.'

But many parents have already raised their opposition to the proposed update to the law, expressing that they should be in charge of their children's vaccinations.

Mother Nicole Malley, who lives in Bristol just outside Hartford, also told the publication: 'I don't think 12-year-olds have that mental capacity to be making their own decision.'

She added that all her children are up to date on their vaccines, but said whether or not to get them inoculated was up to parents.

The bill has been referred to the state legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health, which oversees all health legislation in the state. It is about two-thirds Democrat and one-third Republican.

The bill, termed number 5480, says it is 'an act allowing children 12 years of age and older to receive a vaccination without the consent of a parent or guardian.'

Vaccinations children are offered between the ages of 11 and 12 include the human papillomavirus (HPV) shot, the shot against meningococcal, and against tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis.

They could also get the Covid and flu vaccines, which are available for children from the age of six months.

And they could get a vaccine they have previously missed, including the shot against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), polio and hepatitis B.

All the vaccines have been through rigorous clinical trials that have established they are safe to administer to children and provide protection against dangerous diseases.

No state has yet passed legislation allowing children to get vaccinated without parental consent from the age of 12 years.

Washington D.C. passed a similar law in 2021 allowing children to get vaccinated from the age of 11 years without parental consent.

This was blocked in March 2022 by a federal judge, who said it violated religious liberties and inhibited parents' ability to monitor their children for adverse side effects.

A new bill has now been passed, but this allows children to get a vaccine without their parents' consent only in cases where a vaccine provider has made a 'reasonable attempt' to notify parents first.

Alabama allows children to get vaccinated without parental consent from the age of 14 years, although this does not apply to the Covid vaccine after an exception was added for the shot in 2021.

Oregon says children don't need parental consent for vaccines from 15 years old, while Rhode Island and South Carolina say children can get the shot without notifying parents from the age of 16 years.

Five other states  Arkansas, Idaho, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington  apply the 'mature minor doctrine'.

This means there is no specific age cut-off for when they can get vaccinated, but doctors must be sure they are 'mature enough' to make the decision before administering the jab.
Activities that emphasize mental wellness can help the elderly

ension plans have both positive and negative effects on retirees

Early retirement sounds like a dream for most of us  but it may actually increase the risk of dementia.

A study on people in rural China has found that people who stop working at around 60 years old suffer sharper cognitive decline than their peers.

Researchers believe that most people's brains are more stimulated while working and socializing in an office or work environment.

Experts recommend people play word games and read in retirement to stay mentally active and avoid cognitive problems.

A grandmother smiles while spending time with her granddaughter

The latest study, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, used data from China's National Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS).

The NRPS was created in 2009 to provide income support for the elderly, made up of both contributions from the central government and voluntary contributions.

Individuals can start participating in the program at 16 years old.

To this day, nearly all rural residents in China who are 60 years old and older are eligible for the pension program, which is a voluntary opt-in rather than compulsory.

'The program was introduced because of China's rapidly rising aging population and in an effort to alleviate poverty in old age,' said Plamen Nikolov, assistant professor of economics at Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY), in New York and lead author of the study.

The researchers analyzed this program using a cognitive survey called the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) to see how retirement plans affect cognitive performance.

Questions were asked about complex financial decisions, their health, and long-term care decisions.

Participants in the pension program reported a reduced incidence of regular alcohol drinking compared to the previous year, which the researchers said was positive.

But they also found that the participants reported lower volunteer and social interaction rates than the non-beneficiaries.

When the researchers dug deeper, the early retirees also performed worse in cognitive tests.

The study revealed the greatest indicator of cognitive decline was delayed recall, a measure commonly associated with predicting dementia in a patient.

'Individuals in the areas that implement the NRPS score considerably lower than individuals who live in areas that do not offer the NRPS program,' stated Nikolov.

The team said they could not be certain that early retirement was the true cause of the cognitive decline, and they are not ruling out other lifestyle and socioeconomic factors.

But Nikolov said there is no doubt that elderly people should take part in social activities to prevent dementia.

'Social engagement and connectedness may simply be the single most powerful factors for cognitive performance in old age.
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (Fourth Estate 14.99, 272pp)

If I Survive You

by Jonathan Escoffery (Fourth Estate 14.99, 272pp)

Smart, savvy and snappy, If I Survive You is a pin-sharp look at the faltering trajectory of a Jamaican family who head to Miami in the hope of a better life, unfolded in eight funny, furious stories.

Ferocious weather, fractious family relationships, financial struggles and ugly, inescapable racism skewer their every chance. As Hurricane Andrew roars, brothers fall out and jobs are hard to come by.

What are you? is the most-asked question of Trelawney in the stand-out story, In Flux. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, is his mothers reply  an unsatisfactory answer. Elsewhere there are questionable employment choices (Odd Jobs), dysfunctional father-and-son dynamics (Splashdown) and a cursed family home (Pestilence) in this superb debut.

Call And Response by Gothataone Moeng (Oneworld 16.99, 304pp)

Call And Response

by Gothataone Moeng (Oneworld 16.99, 304pp)

THESE brilliant stories are set in modern Botswana, but delve into age-old longings.

Moeng unfurls the luminous inner life of her characters (girls and women for the most part) as they go about their ordinary days, hearts and heads brimful of new wants and desires, but keenly aware of old traditions and family expectations.

Theres Phetso, whos wearing her widowhood in clothes chosen by her husbands kin (Small Wonders), while in Good Girl harsh home truths are dished by steely siblings. And regretful, depressed Nametso, back home from America, condenses a welter of complicated emotions into a simple sentence: My jaw got tired of speaking all that English (Dark Matter).

Loathe To Love You by Ali Hazelwood (Sphere 9.99, 384p p)

Loathe To Love You

by Ali Hazelwood (Sphere 9.99, 384p p)

There's much fun to be had in these three excitable, interlinked novellas. Neuroscientist and TikTok star Ali Hazelwoods funny, steamy stories marry science to sizzling sexual chemistry, as her three endearing heroines head from animosity to head-over-heels with a trio of strong, stroppy but ultimately lovable work rivals/crushes.

Mara, an environmental engineer, Sadie, a civil engineer, and not-so-hard-hearted Hannah, who works on the NASA aerospace programme, find raunchy romance with Liam of the sequoia-wide biceps, Erik a corporate version of Thor and big...broad Ian.
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a meeting with quantum science researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday (local time). Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



ZURICH  President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), Thursday (local time), and met with leading experts in quantum technologies, in order to explore strategies for Korea to take the lead in the field, which is anticipated to be an industrial game changer within the next 10 years.



ETH Zurich is one of the most prestigious post-secondary education institutions, with alumni including Albert Einstein and John von Neumann. The university has 22 Nobel laureates and two Fields medal winners.



ETH Zurich's Quantum Device Lab is engaged in a number of individual and collaborative projects funded by the European Commission and the Swiss National Science Foundation.






Consumers can get discounts of up to 50 per cent when shopping online - and there are even additional special offers available for groups such as students and NHS workers.

Online shopping is big business. In fact, almost a third (30.2 per cent) of everything bought in the UK in November 2022 was bought over the internet, according to the Office for National Statistics.

With that in mind, it makes sense to save as much money as possible when buying items online.

Fortunately there are plenty of ways to find cheaper deals and money-off vouchers that can cut your shopping bills by up to half.

Web shopping: One in three items purchased in the UK is now bought online, according to Government figures

Use the right technology

When you're looking for online discounts, it makes sense to use online tools.

Special websites and browser extensions can help take a lot of the heavy lifting out of finding deals online and saving money while you shop.

Browser extensions are smart bits of kit that work by sitting in the background while you browse online. They then automatically let you know of any money-saving coupons or lower prices available on items you are interested in.

Pick the right time to get cheap deals Love them or hate them, many retailers offer good deals around big sales events like Black Friday on November 24, as well as Christmas and the New Year

However, make sure you are not lured in by scam deals which are often advertised on social media around the time of big shopping events

For example, the free extensions Honey, Coupert and Pouch work by spotting coupon codes available on more than 30,000 websites, including Amazon. These then pop up when you go to pay for certain items and mean that, if the code is still active, you will get money off.

Cashback websites such as TopCashback and Quidco give you some of your money back when you buy something through them.

These websites require you to sign up and log in, then look for the item you want to buy. You then click through to the retailer's website and buy what you want as normal.

TopCashback says members earn 345 on average a year through cashback on purchases, while Quidco users get 300.

Quidco users can get up to 40 per cent discounts at Curry's and 7 per cent at Boots, while TopCashBack customers currently get 18 per cent off at Holland & Barrett and 10 cashback at Asda.

TopCashBack is free to join, with a 5-a-year premium option, while Quidco is free with a premium option of 1 a month.

Meanwhile, websites such as VoucherCodes, MyVoucherCodes and VoucherCloud, as the names suggest, show money-off codes for everything from travel to retail and fashion.

Signing up to company email alerts can also get you money-off codes, but unless you are a big fan of a particular firm it does mean you have to sift through emails you might not be interested in until that happens.

Tips and tricks to be aware of

Firstly, when shopping online beware of 'fake sales'. This is the retailer practice of hiking prices before a key sales period, then dropping the price and displaying an enticing 'saving'. However, many of these 'sale' prices are higher than they were before the initial price hike.

This is particularly common during big online shopping periods such as the Black Friday and New Year sales.

To get around this, websites like PriceSpy and Camel Camel Camel allow users to see the price history of a particular product and whether it is currently at its cheapest.

ITEMS MOST LIKELY TO BE PART OF A 'FAKE SALE' Products Amount of fake discounts Xbox One games 20% of sales are fake Running shoes 12% of sales are fake Keyboards & Mice 11% of sales are fake PC cases 12% of sales are fake Coffee machines 10% of sales are fake Credit: PriceSpy

Dynamic pricing is another trick retailers use to make you spend more money. This works by websites tracking what you are interested in then hiking up prices if they think you are very keen on something in particular.

In practice, dynamic pricing can mean you are charged a higher price if you look at something online then come back and make a purchase later, for example.

The best way to get around this is either to delete your browser cookies or use an incognito browser.

Adding something to an online shopping basket then leaving it can also mean you are offered money off.

This is because the retailer assumes you were interested in making a purchase but the price was too high. If they know your email address, some retailers will send a discount code to entice you to buy an item.

Also, don't forget to include shipping costs in the overall price of an item. Some online retailers use a low up-front price to entice shoppers to buy, but then make money back with above-average postal costs.

Best student discounts

For those at college or university, student discounts can be a big money saver.

Retailers such as Amazon Prime, Spotify, and BoohooMan are currently offering students discounts of up to 50 per cent, according to comparison firm Uswitch. We have listed the retailers with the biggest student discounts below.

Max Beckett, broadband expert at Uswitch, said: 'The costs of going to university can quickly add up, from rent to societies to study materials for your course.

'This means budgeting for living costs is an exceptionally important part of preparing for life at university. However, rising bills and inflated prices have pushed students to be more stringent with their finances, encouraging them to seek deals and discounts.'

Retailers with the best student discounts Retailer Best discount Amazon Prime 50% Spotify 50% BoohooMan 50% LNER 40% Reebok 35% Dominos 35% Adidas 35% Pizza Express 30% Bella Italia 30% Las Iguanas 30% Source: Uswitch

Best discounts for NHS and emergency services

Many professions are also offered steep discounts - if they know where to look.

For example, NHS workers, social care staff, members of the armed forces and other emergency service staff can get discounts using the Blue Light Card scheme. This gives cash off over 15,000 possible purchases both online and in stores.

For example, Asda offers 10 per cent off supermarket shops, while Currys has up to 10 per cent off electrical items.

The scheme costs 4.99 to join for two years, and users have to prove they are in an eligible profession by showing a work ID or recent payslip.

Once registered, users can get discounts in areas ranging from holidays to new cars, insurance, retail and hospitality.

The scheme is also open to people working for HM Prison Service, the Border Force and staff at UK Visas and Immigration.
Aspinal of London hailed a bumper Christmas as shoppers flocked back to its stores.

The luxury firms luggage, leather accessories and stationery flew off the shelves at its Regent Street shop.

Its Harrods concession and Royal Exchange boutique also enjoyed huge uplifts in the first December without Covid restrictions for three years.

Sales surge: Aspinal of London sells a collection of handbags designed by Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery (pictured)

Overall sales were up 15 per cent in December compared with a year earlier, driven by a 40 per cent surge in stores.

Founder and boss Iain Burton hailed a particularly strong showing for its core products which include a 495 Lottie bag as it became the latest luxury firm to show strong sales, with wealthier customers still spending big.

Burton founded the business in London in 2001 alongside his Ukrainian wife Mariya Dykalo.

It sells a collection of handbags designed by Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery and its 325 Mayfair clutch is a favourite of the Princess of Wales and Jennifer Lopez.

Burton said it hopes to grow the brand and expand internationally. Sales in the nine months to December 31 grew by a quarter.

For the year to the end of last March sales jumped 29 per cent from a year earlier to 29.8million, while profit more than doubled to 4.1million.
I took out a Scottish Widows pension in 1983 and left it to reach maturity. In September last year, the company contacted me and I was told that the policy was valued at around 17,300.

I informed the call centre that I am suffering with terminal cancer, and asked if I could cash in the policy as a lump sum. I was told there would be no problem as there are special rules in place for cases like mine.

This was good news as the money would allow me to sort out various financial matters, and get married to my partner of 15 years.

Scottish Widows sent a form to sign and return, which I did, but some of the photocopies I sent weren't clear enough so it said I had to resend. But before I could do so, I suffered a heart attack which resulted in a hospital stay.

When I returned home in October, I got back in touch with Scottish Widows. It said that it was now too late to get the pension as I hadn't filled in the forms within the timeframe required. This was the first time I was made aware of any time limit.

Pension problem: Our reader has sadly been told he has only months to live, and is having difficulty accessing his pension pot which is held with Scottish Widows (stock image)

Soon after I was told that, although the policy is worth 17,300, there is no surrender value - so I can't cash it in, even though I have medical notes stating my life expectancy is measured in months.

In early November I was told I had six months to live. I called Scottish Widows again and was distressed and tearful as I spoke for an hour or more, but to no avail. My partner also spoke to them and broke down, saying its handling of this case was cruel.

Having the money promised to me then taken away was distressing, and I feel that the company has treated me with disdain. It also meant getting married on a very small budget indeed. We cut the guest list down to 10 people and I paid for it using my overdraft.

I was told someone would contact me so that I could lodge a complaint for the horrific way the firm has treated me, but so far I have not heard. P.P, Devon

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: I was very sorry to hear of your illness.

You wrote to me in desperation, having been shoved from pillar to post by Scottish Widows and given conflicting and incorrect information for months.

That is bad behaviour from a company in normal circumstances, but given your situation I think it is downright despicable.

You made clear that you wanted to use this money to get your financial affairs in order and fulfil one of your final wishes, which was to get married to your long-term partner. You also provided Scottish Widows with medical notes detailing your illness and prognosis.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

The staff you spoke to should have clocked how important it was that this matter was sorted out quickly and with minimum hassle.

Instead, you have spent months sending and re-sending forms and waiting on hold to a call centre, only to seemingly be told you would never get the pension you saved hard for.

You first contacted me for help in mid-November, and I contacted Scottish Widows, which is now owned by Lloyds Banking Group, to try and untangle this mess.

Once I did, Scottish Widows sent you fresh forms to complete and we got the ball rolling again. It was a start - but you had been here before. I still wasn't sure whether you would finally get the pension you deserved.

The company told me that there was indeed a five-day time limit for someone to complete and send back forms when they are claiming their pension as a lump sum.

While you say you weren't told about this on the phone, Scottish Widows said it was printed on the forms themselves. But even if you had known this, you wouldn't have been able to file in time as you were seriously ill in hospital.

However, when you got back home and put in a call to Scottish Widows, the firm has admitted that it should have sent you another set to complete straight away. It said this did not happen due to a 'delay'.

It also told me you initially applied for the wrong kind of pension transfer, though I don't think you would have done this had you been supplied with clearer information over the phone.

You also said that the fresh forms you finally received after my intervention included some that were never sent in the first batch. All in all, an administrative nightmare and exactly the kind of thing you did not need when recovering from a heart attack.

With regard to being told there was no surrender value, this was technically correct. The serious illness claim you were making is not considered the same as a pension surrender for admin purposes, though the outcome is much the same.

However, this was obviously not communicated to you correctly, and led to plenty of anguish on your part as you thought you weren't getting anything.

You even considered cancelling your wedding, but instead tied the knot in late November on a shoestring budget. I'm sorry that this happened and hope that your day was still a special one.

I was delighted to hear that Scottish Widows finally paid you your 17,300 in full in mid-December.

Once you had that, I approached the company again to ask about compensation. It was obvious to me that this had caused you a lot of distress.

First, it made you an offer of 200. I thought this offer was an insult - and so did you.

I went back to ask if Scottish Widows would increase it  but I am very sorry to report that it only added a further 50.

It is also paying you 24.26 in interest due to the late payment.

Although we both thought that you deserved more, you have decided to accept the offer, as you did not want to waste any more of your valuable time on the matter  which I completely understand.

I am glad you now have the money, and that you are able to put this sorry saga behind you. I wish you all the best.
Plans to compensate black Americans for slavery-era sins have been around for decades. They've gained traction in recent months as ever more left-leaning states and cities launch local inquiries into their own atonement schemes.

San Francisco made headlines this week with a proposal for $5 million payouts to every longtime black resident, and other plans to address generations of economic losses suffered by the minority group.

The announcement provoked uproar, with many observers balking at the eye-watering sum and immediately asking what the scheme would cost in its entirety, who foots the bill, and whether it would hurt California's economy.

Meanwhile, the Illinois city of Evanston has been helping residents who suffered from long-forgotten racist housing policies. Its grants have paid off a few mortgages, but also stoked divisions between winners and losers.

Against this backdrop, DailyMail.com takes a look at the reparations debate, and finds out whether small-scale efforts in liberal enclaves could ever amount to a national bid to tackle racism's legacy once and for all.

From California to Massachusetts, newly-formed panels are grappling with what a reparations scheme should look like

Why are reparations so controversial?

Advocates of reparations say it's time for America to repay its black residents for the injustices of the historic Transatlantic slave trade, Jim Crow segregation and inequalities that persist to this day.

From there, it gets tricky.

There is no agreed framework for what a scheme would look like. Ideas range from cash payouts to scholarships, land giveaways, money for special banks and investment funds, bespoke grants for housing, or just statues and street names.

Cities including Boston, Massachusetts, St Paul, Minnesota, and St Louis, Missouri, as well as the California cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have set up task forces and panels to hatch their own reparations plans.

Much of the focus is on California, where a state-wide task force has until July 1 to issue a final report of its recommendations for how it can atone for and address its legacy of discriminatory policies against black people.

Poll Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes No Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes 42 votes

No 1278 votes Now share your opinion





All panels face the same conundrum  how to fairly calculate the losses that black people have incurred over the centuries, and what might be required to prove eligibility for any payout.

The California panel is focused on five harms: property stolen by the government, the devaluation of black-owned businesses, housing discrimination and homelessness, mass incarceration and over-policing, and health.

San Francisco's own city reparations panel has proposed a one-time lump sum payment of $5 million to each eligible black person, and debt forgiveness, to correct decades of 'systematic oppression' there.

Black attorneys slammed San Francisco's proposal to provide every black resident with $5 million as racist in an interview on Hannity Monday night

Leo Terrell, a civil rights lawyer and Fox News pundit, called the plan 'outrageous, unconstitutional and unlawful' and even racist on the network on Monday night  and vowed to fight it.

America had largely turned the page on racism, added Terrell, but Democrats were encouraging people to play the 'race card' and seek unwarranted reparations in a bid to win black votes.

Former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder said reparations were the 'extraction of money from people who were never slave owners to be given to people who were never slaves'.

Terrell and Elder, who are both black, demanded to know who is going to fund the large payout  estimated to cost the city at least $50 billion  noting that California was never a slave state.

Justin Phillips, a San Francisco Chronicle columnist, however, argues that the city's politicians should move the plan forward to show they're 'serious about confronting the city's checkered past.'

'Segregation, systemic oppression and racial prejudice born from the institution of slavery had a profound impact on the city's evolution,' Phillips said.

The Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans met in Oakland, California, to carve out a workable plan for reparations

Los Angeles resident Walter Foster, 80, holds up a sign at a task force meeting on reparations at the California Science Center in Los Angeles in September

How do reparations work in practice?

The US government has in the past compensated people of Japanese descent who were incarcerated during World War II and American Indian tribes for lost lands, but there have so far been no large-scale reparation schemes for African Americans.

The city of Evanston, Illinois, has gone further than most, making grants available to those affected by racist housing policies before 1969 to buy their own home, repay a mortgage or carry out repairs.

The lakefront city of 78,000 people in 2019 set aside $10 million from new cannabis tax revenues to create a $25,000 housing voucher program aimed at helping 400 of its thousands of black residents.

The unusual experiment in the university town north of Chicago is eyed for any success or controversies. Organizers say the scheme doesn't correct for slavery, but rather specific racist housing policies in the last century.

To apply, black residents must show that they or their forebears lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, when the city implemented racist policies, such as contract loans, which made it harder for black people to get on the property ladder.

So far, only 16 applicants have received payouts and hundreds more are on waiting lists or in limbo. The scheme has stoked divisions between recipients and those left without. Some applicants have even died before getting a payout.

One of the most common gripes is that renters, as opposed to homeowners, don't get a look in.

Others note that reparations schemes are unfair on poor non-black households, which can end up footing part of the bill even though they didn't do anything wrong.

For many, reparations for black people will inevitably prove divisive, stirring anger between beneficiaries and losers, and raise questions about why other marginalized groups like American Indians don't merit their own payouts.

Boarded up houses are seen in the Fifth Ward in Evanston, Illinois, the poorest part of the city and a center for the black community

Community historian Morris 'Dino' Robinson, points to the borders of the Fifth Ward, which was the area of Evanston the city's Black citizens were forced to move to due to redlining between 1919 and 1969

Do we need reparations?

The inequalities between blacks, whites and other groups in America are real. A Brookings Institution report says white families have roughly 10 times the amount of wealth as black families, on average.

Black people are also incarcerated at five times the rate of whites, according to a report from The Sentencing Project.

The controversial panel in San Francisco focused on such disparities.

The lump sum is designed to 'compensate the affected population for the decades of harms that they have experienced' and redress their economic and opportunity losses, its report says.

As well as the lump sum, poor black San Franciscans would get 250 years of income adjustments and tax credits, while benefiting from new investment vehicles and black-owned banks.

Critics say America has already moved beyond the need for reparations, that society is fairer nowadays, and inequalities persist because liberal social welfare programs perpetuate a culture of victimhood.

Ben Shapiro, a right-wing commentator, said decades of anti-poverty spending to the tune of $25 trillion had done nothing to 'fix the wealth gap' between blacks and whites.

Shapiro criticized the 'evil of forcing those who did not sin to pay those who have not been sinned against.'

Six in ten respondents opposed payouts to the descendants of slaves, while four in ten said the federal government should 'definitely should not pursue' such a policy

What does the public say about reparations?

Residents in liberal areas have backed local reparations efforts, but they are unpopular nationally.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll this month found that six in ten opposed payouts to the descendants of slaves, while four in ten said the federal government should 'definitely should not pursue' such a policy.

That may be changing  a majority of young adults support reparations schemes.

Tatishe Nteta, the professor who led the poll, said Americans were 'still reluctant to financially atone for the nation's original sin' and said 'race still divides the country.'

Black Americans, perhaps unsurprisingly, are bigger backers of reparations.

A Pew Research Center survey in 2021 found that 77 percent of black people supported payouts to the descendants of slaves, against 18 percent of white people.

Democrat Representative from Texas Sheila Jackson Lee has for long been one of the staunchest supporters of reparations schemes in Washington, DC

What's happening in Washington?

Not much. Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee is pushing HR40, the reparations bill first introduced 30 years ago, but the Republican-led House of Representatives has shown little appetite for it this session.

President Joe Biden has voiced support for a federal study into reparations. But, presumably aware of the polling, appears loath to answer calls from Lee and others to use his executive powers to launch a probe himself.

Biden made no mention of reparations on Monday, an observance day for the civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King. He only mentions reparations when speaking of Russia's debt to Ukraine for damage wrought in the nearly year-old war.

With broad public opposition, reparations is a non-starter for most national politicians.
The sudden lurch forward and a long mournful moan of iron on iron offered the only shocking alert to dozens of Hondurans, Venezuelans, and Guatemalans along the nearly half-mile long freight train that the final leg of their journey to the Texas border had finally begun.

There's no conductor here. So those caught by surprise down on the tracks, chit chatting and charging cell phones by portable battery, suddenly bolted into a panicky trot.

Two Nicaraguan men hurled their belongings high over the iron-ribbed sides of a moving rail car wagon, grabbed at ladders and climbed up while others already aboard sat on its upper rim smiling at the scene below.

Inside that particular car on the second to last day of 2022, among two dozen Texas-bound immigrants, were two willful young Venezuelan men named Eduardo and Anthony, who'd earlier explained that nothing  no law, rule, border or their own empty pockets  would keep them from making some money in America.

They've come from all over central and South America and found their way to a train depot outside of Monterrey, Mexico  the third largest city in the country  nearly 700 miles from El Paso, Texas.

By word of mouth and social media, they knew this train would first take them  for free, no Mexican visas or permits required  200 miles west to Torreon city, where they'd switch to another train that would take them 500 more miles north to Juarez across from El Paso.

'We're going to do it illegally,' explained 27-year-old Eduardo about their intentions to sneak into America at El Paso, where the pair heard from friends that all border defenses had crumbled. 'We're going to avoid the authorities. We're going to run.'

And so they did, sharing with this author video of their train journey and safe arrival in Juarez, as President Biden was preparing his first border visit to El Paso.

Eduardo and Anthony were all smiles and thumbs up in their selfie videos that they sent digitally back down trail to thousands of other aspiring border crossers.

Those caught by surprise down on the tracks, chit chatting and charging cell phones by portable battery, suddenly bolted into a panicky trot.

The Beast Is Back But No One Seems To Care

Border Patrol has logged 4.5 million border apprehensions and another estimated 1.5 million undetected 'gotaways' since Biden's January 2021 inauguration and lenient policies sparked all this off.

Some significant but unknown percentage of this huge traffic is carried aboard unpoliced, easily accessible Mexican freight trains lined up in a vast depot and switching yard 30 miles north of Monterrey.

It is here, amid a sprawling industrial suburbia of manufacturing plants and not far from a Hershey's Chocolate plant, that some portion of hundreds of thousands of migrants stop on their way to America.

During border surges of generations past, international news media, film makers, and book writers heaped global notoriety on Mexico's freight train system, popularly known in Spanish as 'La Bestia.'

'The Beast' or 'Death Train' earned its morbid moniker from the grotesque accidents that occur when migrants, riding unsecured on wagon rooftops, fall victim to steel wheels or ruthless criminals.

International human rights activists and U.S. administrations demanded a decade ago that Mexico police its cargo trains and cut the human flow reaching the border.

And Mexico complied during the Obama administration in 2014. But now, the Beast is back.

An Enticing Option for Untold Thousands

Eduardo and Anthony (above center in green jacket) were all smiles and thumbs up in their selfie videos that they sent digitally back down trail to thousands of other aspiring border crossers.

'The Beast' or 'Death Train' earned its morbid moniker from the grotesque accidents that occur when migrants, riding unsecured on wagon rooftops, fall victim to steel wheels or ruthless criminals.

No one really knows how many participants in the Biden border crisis are arriving at the border by freight train. But Mexican media reporting, interviews with immigrants, people who work with them, and railway workers indicates La Bestia has been really roaring at full-throat the last couple of years.

'They use it all the time. That's why it's so busy,' said Jose Jaime Salina Flores, the director of Monterrey's main shelter, the Casa INDI complex.

In reality, La Bestia is a two-headed monster of train networks that move migrants up from the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, along Mexico's east side toward Texas crossings or along the country's west side toward California and Arizona crossings, according to Mexican media reporting.

From the rail depot north of Monterrey, immigrants can catch trains to Mexican cities across from El Paso, Eagle Pass, Laredo, and Brownsville.

Flores said Mexican cartels control all access to the trains and that if immigrants don't pay up, 'You'll have to work for them and it's not going to be selling oranges.'

That may well happen but none of the immigrants interviewed for this story said they had to pay anyone anything.

At a full-to-capacity local immigrant shelter in Piedras Negras across from Eagle Pass, some two dozen immigrants waited outside for space to open up.

All but one of them said they had just arrived on La Bestia to cross the river, including a mother clutching her infant who indicated that both rode La Bestia there. They were typical of the great American mass migration crisis.

All were extremely poor Central Americans from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who could ill afford to sustain themselves for the days and weeks necessary to obtain the temporary 'multi-use' visas that Mexico requires for foreigners to be in-country and buy bus tickets.

Immigrants like Eduardo, Anthony, Adam, and three Guatemalans seen eating discarded food from a trash can move nearly anywhere in Mexico and hit any part of the American border they want.

The U.S. Border Patrol had just expelled all three Guatemalans under the Title 42 pandemic-era health measure. Department of Homeland Security baggage tags were still on their packs.

All but one of them said they had just arrived on La Bestia to cross the river, including a mother clutching her infant (above, right) who indicated that both rode La Bestia there. They were typical of the great American mass migration crisis.

(Above) Migrant pack blankets for journey as temperatures plunge

Chewing on protein bars provided by this author, the three said they were giving up on this crossing area and planned to catch the next freight train back to Monterrey, where two of them said they'd consider catching another train over to El Paso, where everyone who tried seemed to be getting admitted into America.

'We don't have a permit,' one explained. 'And it's free! Nothing.'

Three Hondurans just expelled under Title 42 after crossing to Brownsville into Matamoros, and were driven by Mexican immigration back to Monterrey, said they were looking for the train to Juarez where the Americans were admitting everyone they knew who crossed illegally.

'We heard all about the train when we were in Matamoros from the other people. We don't care about walking all day long to get there,' said Carlos, a 20-something Honduran wearing a black tee shirt bearing a United Nations logo.

They would have no problem finding the rail yard. Everyone knows where it is and proved happy to point the way.

Mexican and American Blinders

On one recent day in the rail yards north of Monterrey, an unarmed private security guard in a white uniform and carrying a hand-held radio sat on an all-terrain vehicle as a line of immigrants (and this writer) filed past him.

The guard only looked up from his phone long enough to respond to a question from someone, to which the guard answered that the train they wanted was two tracks over.

'Gracias,' the backpack-toting immigrant replied and the group veered to their right and clamored over other parked trains to get to the correct one.

Later, another of the immigrants, Guatemalan Adam Garcia, explained in English that he was planning to catch the next day's 7 a.m. freight to Piedras Negras across from Eagle Pass, Texas, a 250-mile ride he'd done before. How did he know about train departure times?

'I heard that from the guy working over there,' said Garcia pointing back toward a depot office building a mile or so away.

Even non-security railroad workers seem to regard the ubiquitous immigrant presence as a normal part of the landscape.

One train engineer slowly drove his massive locomotive up to an electrical box and parked. He jumped out to make mysterious adjustments at the box just as five Hondurans filed past him along the train. He and they ignored one another entirely.

At another rail terminus in Piedras Negras, far north of Monterrey and on Mexican side of the Rio Grande, across from Eagle Pass, Texas, a private security guard who gave his name as Ricardo said Mexican police will prevent stowaways from riding the trains across the border.

(Above) Migrants cook meals feet from the freight train tracks

Asked what his instructions were when he saw immigrants walking through a busy commercial rail yard, the engineer said calling the police wasn't a thing.

'Just do your job. That's what we're told to do, just do your job,' the railway worker said. 'All I can tell them maybe is, 'don't vandalize anything.'

At another rail terminus in Piedras Negras, far north of Monterrey and on Mexican side of the Rio Grande, across from Eagle Pass, Texas, a private security guard who gave his name as Ricardo said Mexican police will prevent stowaways from riding the trains across the border.

It's here that they get off and walk. Ricardo says they don't do much to stop from crossing the international border. 'If it's just a handful, we just get them off the rails,' Ricardo said. 'If it's a sizeable group, we're supposed to call Mexican immigration. But it's up to them if they show up or not.'

All of this stands in stark contrast to a now-comparatively small border surge of some 70,000 unaccompanied minors during the Obama administration in 2014.

At that time, it was regarded as a major border crisis that the Democratic administration quickly ended with air deportations and demands on Mexico to shutter the traffic on its side.

'Facing pressure from the United States to disrupt the flow of Central American migrants, Mexico has implemented new security and surveillance measures with U.S. assistance' the pro-illegal immigration Migration Policy Institute wrote in a 2014 report.

The sudden lurch forward and a long mournful moan of iron on iron offered the only shocking alert to dozens of Hondurans, Venezuelans, and Guatemalans along the nearly half-mile long freight train that the final leg of their journey to the Texas border had finally begun.

'Migrant testimony reports an increased presence of immigration officials in pickup trucks patrolling the roads and bus stations en route to the train line. Raids on hotels and restaurants where migrants shelter in transit cities have occurred. And immigration agents, in raids supported by federal police and the military, are targeting the trains, removing migrants from the train cars and detaining them.'

And then, illegal migrants were deported. That was another era.

Mexico is feeling no pressure to block this stream of human cargo.

There was no public mention of La Bestia before, during, or after President Biden's talks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador during his recent visit to Mexico City.

It remains to be seen how Biden's new border policy will influence the untold millions of people willing to risk their lives to get to America.

But one thing is certain  there is an enormous population of migrants, who will always choose the illegal route. And for them, La Beastia is calling  until it's shutdown for good.
Scaglia and Haart married in 2019 and built an empire together, with the businessman appointing her as CEO of his modeling agency Elite World Group

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Cohen discussed claims in her filing that ex-boss falsely accused Haart of misappropriating funds in a 'crusade to destroy her'

Silvio Scaglia, the estranged husband of businesswoman and reality TV star Julia Haart, is waging a 'crusade to destroy her,' by falsely accusing her of misappropriating millions from the company they once shared while he himself used it as a personal slush fund and propped up a life of private yachts, jets, jewels and excess on the company dime.

These are the explosive allegations made today by Scaglia's former executive assistant turned whistleblower, Tania Cohen, 54.

On Friday Cohen submitted an affidavit in support of a lawsuit filed by Haart in New York State's Supreme Court in which Haart alleges that Scaglia spent over $20million from the couple's joint modeling firm, Elite World Group (EWG).

Silvio Scaglia's former executive assistant Tania Cohen (left) is throwing her support behind his estranged wife, Julia Haart, (pictured right in 2017) in an affidavit submitted on Friday backing her lawsuit

Cohen claims her former boss 'falsely accused' Haart of misappropriating millions from their company, all while using funds to support a life of luxury for himself and his new fiancee Michelle Marie Heinemann

Now, speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Cohen, who worked for Scaglia, 64, at his now defunct investment company SHS Asset Management LLC from January 2022 to November 2022, has revealed the depth of Scaglia's 'growing vendetta' against the woman he once claimed to love as detailed in her affidavit.

She has dismissed her former boss, the chairman of EWG, as 'an empty suit' who contributed little to the company which grew from $70million to a valuation of $1billion while Haart was CEO.

And she has painted the picture of an 'erratic and paranoid' man who siphoned off millions of dollars of company funds to pay for a life of leisure and luxury with new fiancee Michelle Marie Heinemann, 56.

'I'm coming forward after much deliberation and at great risk because after everything I came to learn I knew it was just the right thing to do,' Cohen told DailyMail.com.

Cohen had no direct dealings with Haart when she worked for Scaglia who told her at her December 2021 interview that he and Haart, 51, 'lived separate lives.'

But, she said: 'His obsession with going after Julia grew every day.

'He deliberately cut her off from her income and her livelihood with the objective of starving her out of her home and her finances.

According to Cohen and her affidavit, Scaglia used funds from Elite World Group (EWG) to pay for a French Polynesian yacht trip (pictured) with Heinemann, transferring $132,435 to Burgess Yachts in Tahiti and $16,000 to pay for two business class airfares for the couple in September 2022

That same month, Cohen claims she saw a wire payment of $342,000 from his holding company to pay for a heart-shaped diamond engagement ring (right) for Heinemann

Scaglia had claimed the company was in financial distress but at the same time was paying for private jets, helicopters, and private yacht charters, among other luxuries, his former assistant said

'He believed she could never withstand the cost of her attorneys and the lawsuits [that he filed]. He believed he would win by default.

'It was truly disturbing to witness. Silvio was portraying her as a thief and an incompetent executive who left Elite in financial distress, but in turn he's spending [millions] not only on legal fees but on his lifestyle which was just excessive.'

Cohen worked for Scaglia at his now defunct investment company SHS Asset Management LLC from January 2022 to November 2022

Viewers of the second season of Haart's Netflix show, 'My Unorthodox Life' - which charts the mother-of-four's extraordinary success having escaped an ultraorthodox life in Monsey, New Jersey's Hasidic community - bore witness to the catastrophic demise of her three-year marriage to Scaglia.

Haart was blindsided when, in February 2022, her husband filed for divorce then moved to carve her out of the business they had shared.

Until then the couple, who married in 2019, had seemed to build an empire together.

Self-proclaimed billionaire Scaglia met and fell in love with Haart in 2016 when she was the creative director of La Perla, a company he had acquired some years earlier.

He went on to make her CEO of EWG.

But in a handful of days last February Scaglia aggressively set about dismantling Haart's home life, reputation, and career.

Scaglia brought two cases accusing Haart of wrongfully removing millions from EWG for her personal use. (Both cases were later dismissed with prejudice meaning they cannot be brought again in a settlement that saw neither side pay any money).

For Cohen, who had only worked for Scaglia for one month at this time, it was a 'baptism of fire.'

She explained: 'The office job was quiet the first few weeks then it was just a baptism of fire.

'He was actively painting this picture of Julia, saying she's horrible, she's manipulative, she's lying. I'm new. I had no words. I didn't know Julia.'

Haart married Scaglia in 2019 and the entrepreneurial couple built an empire together. She was fired as CEO of Elite World Group in February 2022, hours before she filed for divorce

Cohen claims she witnessed Scaglia become 'obsessed' with taking down his estranged wife and wanted to 'starve her out of her home and her finances'

Photos and court documents obtained by DailyMail.com in July 2022 revealed alleged business backstabbing and the couple's fights over lavish properties and luxury cars, including Haart's $340,000 custom Bentley Mulsanne

But Cohen quickly found herself roped into finding evidence to support the public claims Scaglia had already made regarding Haart's 'theft' including one supposed withdrawal of $850,000.

She said: 'He called up Elite World Group and gave me authorization to go through all of Julia's emails and her surrounding team's.'

But the more she looked, the more apparent it became to Cohen that Haart had done nothing wrong.

She said: 'I didn't find anything. It was disturbing and it was contradicting what he was telling me to find. I did say once, I can't see any money having left without anyone knowing about it. I can't see any money having left, period. All the bills were paid internally, approved internally.

'Everyone knew about it, everything was budgeted. I saw audits. There were no red flagsI realized there's nothing to find. It was truly disturbing to see the vendetta that he had for her.'

And while Cohen found nothing out of the ordinary in Haart's use of company funds, as enshrined in her affidavit, she found a wealth of irregularities in Scaglia's.

She said: 'He was claiming the company was in financial distress and in turn the company is paying for private jets, helicopters, private yacht charters, private chefs, two brand new Bentley's for him and his fiancee, live-in household staff, jewelry, luxury hotels, luxury car rentals, find dining, first class Emirates flights to Dubai which he splashed all over Instagram, a vacation home in Mexico, his apartment in the city and now he's fixing up his fiancee's home  major repairs - all on the company dime.'

Freedom Holding Inc (FHI) is a holding company owned jointly by Scaglia and Haart which owns EWG and various other entities.

According to her affidavit, in September 2022 Cohen saw a wire payment of $342,000 from FHI to GEMCO to pay for a heart-shaped diamond engagement ring that later appeared on the finger of Scaglia's fiancee, Heinemann.

Cohen claims that EWG footed the bill for two Bentleys; one for himself and one for his fiancee

The affidavit provides a laundry list of alleged misappropriations of company funds. For example, in July 2022, EWG and FHI funds allegedly paid more than $400,000 for a lavish yacht trip in Italy for Scaglia, Heinemann and her two children

According to Cohen, that same month, Scaglia used EWG funds to pay for a French Polynesian yacht trip with Heinemann, transferring $132,435 to Burgess Yachts in Tahiti, $16,000 to pay for two business class airfares for the couple, $4,600 to use the private lounge at Los Angeles airport and $400 for a car service to transport Heinemann from her home in upstate New York.

In July 2022 EWG and FHI funds paid more than $400,000 for a lavish yacht trip in Italy for Scaglia, Heinemann and her two children  a bill that, Cohen claims, included first class airfares on Emirates for all of them.

Cohen claims that EWG paid rent on Scaglia's midtown apartment totaling $43,000 a month for one year, paid the salaries of his personal driver and housekeeper and footed the bill for two Bentleys; one for himself, with an initial deposit of $23,437.50 and monthly payments of $5,117.41 ,and one for his fiancee, initially on a lease with a similar deposit and ultimately with a full price purchase bringing the total spent on the vehicle to $272,971.87.

Meanwhile, in a move described by Cohen as motivated entirely by 'spite' Scaglia set out to take Haart's Bentley from her.

First, he accused her of 'stealing' the vehicle which he claimed was a company car.

In fact, Cohen attests in her affidavit, this was not true. Haart had trustingly allowed Scaglia to put the lease in his sole name even though she traded in her own car, a Range Rover, to pay the $112,000 deposit.

Ultimately Scaglia broke the lease on the Bentley which he could have simply transferred to Haart.

Cohen explained: 'He returned it. He did it out of pure spite. Julia had designed the car herself and he knew she had an attachment and love for it. He knew it would hurt her if he took it away.'

According to Cohen, during her time in his employment Scaglia also obtained a $10million loan from EWG to fund his company SHS Asset Management LLC.

He had previously tried to get this money via a second mortgage on the marital home  a request denied by the bank.

Scaglia then shut down SHS.

Haart working at her penthouse. The luxury NYC apartment boasts five bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms

Haart, 51, broke away from an 'ultra-orthodox' Jewish community in 2013 and made a popular Netflix documentary series about it: My Unorthodox Life, starring her children: son Aron Hendler (bottom left) daughter Miriam (top left), son Shlomo Hendler (bottom right) and eldest daughter Batsheva (top right)

From what Cohen observed, she said, Scaglia acted with impunity, unchallenged by the people with whom he surrounded himself and who were, without exception, on his payroll.

In truth, she said, challenging Scaglia whose behavior she described as, 'erratic and paranoid' is no easy prospect.

She admitted: 'I am a little scared. I've seen his face bulge when he yells. I've seen the vendetta he has against Julia. Who's to say what he's going to do to me?'

But for Cohen the knowledge of what was going on was, she said, too great to bear.

She resigned in November 2022. After that, she said, she took a month to 'decompress.'

'But I felt badly. I was taught to tell the truth. I was taught to help people. And I just thought, ''No. This isn't right.'' So, I reached out to Julia.

'I texted her and said, "Julia, I know this is out of left field and you don't know me, but I think I can help you." And I sat there, and I can't tell you how many times I deleted that text and put it back and deleted it and put it back. But ultimately of course I sent it.'

And in doing so she set in motion the events that culminated in the lawsuit filed by Haart against Scaglia Friday.

When reached for comment Scaglia's attorney Peter A. Bicks, a partner at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe said: 'Ms Haart is using Ms Cohen as a pawn in her efforts to manipulate the public. The claims are false and will be proven so in a court of law as have every other claim Ms Haart has made.'

For her part Cohen admitted: 'It's a little nerve-wracking doing this.

'I'm doing it to tell the truth.'
READ MORE: Robach and Holmes try to lie low during date at NYC Irish pub

'The first time it [happened] was in his office, and he was about to go on air'

T.J. Holmes engaged in an affair with a script coordinator 13 years his junior, who reached out to him as a prospective mentor but was left feeling uncomfortable and used after the relationship turned sexual, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

According to one well-placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the affair with then 24-year-old Jasmin Pettaway, took place in 2015 when Holmes had been married to his now-estranged wife, Marilee Fiebig, for five years.

The source, who knew Pettaway well at the time, said: 'He was a predator who took full advantage of his position, and he was reckless.

'It was Jasmin's first real job in television, and it was a big deal for her. She was looking for a mentor and she reached out to several people. T.J was someone who was responsive, but he absolutely abused the position of trust,' the source said.

T.J. Holmes had an affair with ABC script coordinator Jasmin Pettaway (right) who reached out to him for help as she settled into her new job. She was 24 at the time and Holmes is 13 years her senior

Holmes had been married to Marilee Figbee (pictured) when the affair with Pettaway happened in 2015, a well-placed source tells DailyMail.com. The husband and wife look happy together in 2013

At the time Pettaway and Holmes, who had joined the ABC News Team in September 2014, were often on the same shifts.

The source said: 'Holmes was someone who would grab drinks and he and Jasmin started doing that. You must remember he was a correspondent at the time and he's taking time to speak to her about work or whatever.

'I don't know how long that had been going on before it got sexual, but I do know the first time it did was in his office, and he was about to go on air in a couple of hours.'

The source said Pettaway later told them that Holmes called her into his office where she saw he was drinking liquor.

'There's like an atmosphere shift, almost an expectation that something's going to happen, and it did.

'They had sex and I know she was confused afterwards as to what it meant. That kind of "Did that just really happen?" feeling. I mean that's pretty risky behavior on his part.'

It was, the source said, part of a pattern of 'incredibly reckless' conduct on Holmes's part. On one occasion the source said the pair were having drinks together when he 'got handsy' in a very public place and way.

They said: 'He just didn't seem to care. You know he's wearing his ring. He has a wife, he has a relatively high-profile job, but he wasn't acting like he was concerned about either of those things at the time.'

Holmes's rep did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Pettaway declined to comment.

Pettaway and Holmes's sexual relationship continued for several months and included him visiting her at her apartment before, the source said, 'it fizzled out.'

Pettaway (pictured) and Holmes's sexual relationship went on for several months and included him visiting her at her apartment before, the source said, 'it fizzled out'

The source said that Holmes didn't seem to care that he was married or that he could be risking his job by having several affairs with women at the network. He and Fiebig look to be in love in this photo from 2013

'This was a young woman, starting out in a difficult industry, looking for role models and mentors and she got T.J,' the source said. 'No-one talked about abuse of power back then, but stuff happened.' Pettaway is pictured

On one occasion, the source said Holmes and Pettaway (pictured) were having drinks together when he 'got handsy' in a very public place and way. Pettaway was 24 at the time of the affair, with the sexual relationship leaving the young employee 'confused'

The source said: 'What's that saying? "Rome wasn't built in a day, but it burned in one." That's how it went with Jasmin and T.J. It didn't last long but you have to wonder if he ever invested in being a mentor at all?

'Jasmin was a beautiful girl and he had it all on his terms. He was interested and then he wasn't.

'This was a young woman, starting out in a difficult industry, looking for role models and mentors and she got T.J.

'No-one talked about abuse of power back then, but stuff happened.'

Pettaway went on to become a segment producer for GMA and remained with ABC in New York for two years before returning to her hometown of Cleveland late 2016, where she joined the network's local affiliate.

Today she is an award-winning casting producer for ITV America, married and the founder of digital women's lifestyle brand, Lemon-Love.

In an online interview with Voyage Ohio in 2021 she reflected on her departure from New York saying that it came due to a 'mixture of insecurity, loneliness and some naivete.' She also admitted ABC's 'toxic work environment really damaged my self-esteem.'

DailyMail.com has been told that Pettaway was not the only female subordinate on whom Holmes put the moves as, according to the multiple sources, a young network intern described herself as 'stressed' and 'freaked out' by his unwanted advances.

According to the source: 'That's who he was. Did he ever want to be professional when it came to Jasmin or just spoil the fruits he'd been given? I don't know. I just know he was always looking to be the guy with the swagger.

'He didn't seem to care that he was married or that he could be risking his job.'

DailyMail.com has been told that attempts to raise concerns over Holmes's 'behavioral issues'  which included drinking alcohol in his office and before going on air  were rebuffed by at least one executive producer who 'didn't want to know' when told that the star was 'a huge liability'

DailyMail.com broke the news of Holmes's affair with married GMA3 co-host Amy Robach, 49, last November

Homes and Robach spent a weekend shacked up in a cozy cottage in the Shawangunk Mountain region, checking out of their rental on Sunday November 13. Holmes was seen giving his lover a playful squeeze from behind as she packed up the car

In fact, DailyMail.com has been told, that attempts to raise concerns over Holmes's 'behavioral issues'  which included drinking alcohol in his office and before going on air  were rebuffed by at least one executive producer who 'didn't want to know' when told that the star was 'a huge liability.'

DailyMail.com previously revealed that Holmes had a three-year affair with Good Morning America producer Natasha Singh, 37, that began in 2016

Indeed, in the aftermath of DailyMail.com breaking the news of Holmes's affair with married GMA3 co-host Amy Robach, 49, last November, word of a prior affair surfaced.

In 2016 Holmes began a three-year fling with GMA producer Natasha Singh, 37. At the time she was married to movie producer Garrett Braren, whose credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. She was also a close friend to Robach.

In fact, it was Robach who helped Holmes salvage his marriage after wife Marilee Feibig, 44, learned of his infidelity with Singh.

But neither Robach's nor Holmes's 12-year marriages could survive the revelation of their affair, which began as a friendship fizzing with obvious chemistry and 'crossed the line' last year.

Holmes's wife filed for divorce shortly after Christmas. Robach's divorce from her husband, former Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue, 55, is reportedly all but finalized.

Professionally their futures still hang in the balance. With ABC executives yet to make a final decision, the official line remains that the co-hosts-turned-lovers will be out of their seats at the morning show's lunchtime slot 'indefinitely.'
President Joe Biden must admit his mistake, take personal responsibility for the sloppy handling of classified documents and put in place procedures to protect national security, according to a former official in the Obama White House.

The Biden administration has been battered for days by a drip, drip, drip of revelations about government files found at the president's home or private office.

And Brett Bruen said the White House has made matters worse by refusing to own up to mistakes, leaving officials to face questions about who knew what and when.

'They have been sloppy and irresponsible with how they both handled the documents and then handled the response to the crisis,' he told DailyMail.com.

'You know, whether it's the president himself and his offhand comment to Peter Doocy that the documents were, at least in a locked garage safe next to his prized Corvette, or, if it was with the White House press secretary, trying to shut down any line of questioning  which you just can't do, especially if you're an administration that promised coming in that this would be the most transparent and honest in history.'

Former Obama official Brett Bruen said President Joe Biden must take responsibility for the sloppy handling of government documents, as the White House continues to be dogged by the drip, drip, drip of revelations and fresh questions of who knew what and when

How the scandal of government documents unfolded since classified records were found in Biden's office at the Penn Biden Center on November 2

According to the White House, the first discovery was made on Nov. 2 at the Penn Biden Center for Global Diplomacy and Engagement in Washington.

Yet Biden and the White House, which had promised to 'bring transparency and truth back to the government' only acknowledged the find last week, after CBS News reported details.

And his press secretary was caught out last week, insisting six times during one briefing that the sweep for documents was completed by Wednesday night, before it emerged that more files were found a day later.

It was only on Saturday that the White House revealed that classified documents were discovered on four separate occasions: on Nov. 2 at the offices of the Penn Biden Center, on Dec. 20 in the garage of the president's Wilmington, Delaware home, and on Nov. 11 and 12 in the president's home library.

Timeline of Biden document discovery and initial investigation Nov. 2: Ten classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center, a think tank in Washington, D.C., by President Joe Biden's lawyers. Nov. 3: The National Archives was notified of the discovery Nov. 4: The National Archives' Office of Inspector General contacted a prosecutor at the Department of Justice and told them that classified material had been discovered at the Penn Biden Center. The documents were secured at an Archives facility Nov. 8: 2022 midterm election Nov. 9: The FBI commenced an assessment to determine whether classified material had been mishandled Nov. 14: Attorney General Merrick Garland assigned the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John Lausch, to determine if a special counsel was needed Dec. 20: The president's personal attorney informed Lausch that additional documents with classification markings were found in Biden's garage in Wilmington, Delaware. The FBI secured those documents Jan 5: Lausch advised Garland that a special counsel should be appointed Jan. 9: White House publicly announces classified documents from Biden's time as vice president found at the office of his D.C. think tank Jan 12: The president's personal attorney informed Lausch that an additional document was discovered at Biden's Wilmington home Jan. 12: White House publicly announces additional classified documents were found in Biden's Wilmington home Jan. 12: White House counsel Richard Richard Sauber travels to Biden's Wilmington home - finds five more classified documents Jan. 14: White House publicly discloses the documents Sauber found Advertisement

Even Biden allies have expressed frustration that the handling of the crisis had let Donald Trump off the hook as he faces his own investigation into documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home, and overshadowed recent positive news.

'What makes this worse is apparently they knew for several months, that there had been the discovery of documents and they had time to plan a response,' said Bruen, who was Director of Global Engagement at the White House.

'I think it's a reflection of how the White House handles ... and the president handles... these kinds of challenging situations.

'They compartmentalize, they are reluctant to acknowledge when they have made mistakes.

'And, you know, we saw that play out during the Afghanistan withdrawal. We saw it play out around the border crisis and now, obviously, with these documents.'

Bruen said the president had to hold his hands up.

'My recommendation would be that the president has to take responsibility for the removal of these documents from a secure space,' he said.

'And, and he has to both personally, as well as for his team, and I think for our national security structure, put in place new procedures that are going to ensure that when presidents or other officials are moving out that there is a thorough review of the materials.

'They're taking with them, because clearly this has happened on two occasions, and it does put the national security of the United States in danger and it just compromises the credibility of the office.'

For Bruen, a former diplomat, the problem lies with an issue he has raised repeatedly.

'There are very few career officials in senior positions who have drilled into them from their very first day on the job the seriousness of handling these kinds of documents,' he said.

'I think the fact that you have so many political appointees who come in and who are largely responsible for this kind of mishandling of documents begs the question, why are we not putting more experienced national security officials at the highest levels of the White House?'

After the initial disclosure, the president said he was 'surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office.'

He said that he took the handling of classified very seriously but has not commented further.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that president was focused on his job.

'He wants to make sure that he's continuing to deliver for the American people,' she said.
America is more single than ever before, and unmarried college-educated women are quickly becoming the dominant voting bloc in U.S. politics.

Women and voters of color were primarily responsible for turning the 'red wave' into a red trickle in the 2022 midterm elections, in the wake of the Supreme Court's controversial decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which enshrined a federal right to abortion.

'It's like waking up a sleeping giant,' strategist Rina Shah said of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v. Wade. 'The Democrats spoke directly to [unmarried women]. They said the Republicans are trying to take away your autonomy.'

In 2022, according to CNN exit polls, twice as many unmarried women voted for Democratic House candidates as Republicans - 68 to 31 percent. Sixty percent of voters said they were currently married, per the National Election Pool network consortium (NEP) exit poll.

Educated women and voters of color were primarily responsible for turning the 'red wave' into a red trickle in the 2022 midterm elections in the wake of the Supreme Court's controversial decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade

Marital status was a defining factor for men too, but by much smaller margins - while married men broke for Republicans by 20 percent, unmarried men favored the GOP by seven percent.

Education levels are key in this voting bloc as women are now the majority of college graduates - a whopping 59 percent.

And women of color, as a group, returned to college in greater numbers than white women and men in the 2020-21 school year, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

'The college and post-college hookup culture, the decline in marriage rates among college-educated women, and the dearth of marriage-material men willing to commit, are all byproducts of lopsided gender ratios and a massive undersupply of college-educated men,' economics writer Jon Birger explains in his book 'Date-onomics'

Jennifer Lim, strategist and founder of Republican Women for Progress, said the GOP has understood its problems resonating with women for over a decade, but little has changed.

In 2022, according to CNN exit polls, twice as many unmarried women voted for Democratic House candidates as Republicans

Women join the Women's March in New York City

'Women, most notably single women, are one of the most critical demographics the GOP must be focused on in the next presidential election and beyond if the party is to survive,' she told DailyMail.com.

'Since at least 2012, the GOP has officially understood it needed to communicate more effectively with women, and since then it has made little progress.'

Without a 'cohesive policy platform' in a post-Roe world, Republicans 'have little to offer this demographic' Lim says.

Ariel Hill-Davis, co-founder of GOP Women for Progress, said that the Republican Party is too focused on 'traditional family values' over all other issues to appeal to single women.

'I, like many unmarried women, care about a variety of issues including the economy, regulation, manufacturing, reproductive healthcare, and civil liberties. I shouldn't have to choose whether I want access to birth control or lower taxes,' she said.

Like Hill-Davis, Shah said she believes many unmarried women show signs of fiscal conservatism, but are turned off by the party's stance on reproductive issues and Trump.

If they see Trump at the top of the ticket in 2025, Shah said, 'it would be the nail in the coffin.'

In stark contrast, Karoline Leavitt, the Gen Z candidate who won a GOP primary for New Hampshire's first congressional district but lost to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in the general election, believes her party should do the opposite - lean into the culture wars and fight back against a left that she says is intent on 'breaking up the family unit and weakening traditional gender roles.'

As young people push off nuptials, the single woman voting bloc continues to grow The number of never-married women has grown from 20 percent in 1950 to more than 30 percent in 2022. At the same time, the percentage of currently married women has declined from 70 percent in 1950 to less than 50 percent today. While most voters are still married, young people are continuing to marry later, if at all. According to General Social Survey data from 2021, only 15 percent of 18 to 29-year-old women were married, half of what it was in 2000. Advertisement

'As an unmarried, Generation Z woman, I see the constant cultural pressure on women my age to reject traditional, conservative female roles such as wife, mother, and homemaker, and embrace progressive, 'feminist' ideals, which means hating masculine men, having abortions instead of babies, and focusing on a career instead of family,' she told DailyMail.com.

Concerns are growing about the decline of birthrates across the globe - one in six women in the U.S. now turn 45 without ever having children, up from 1 in 10 in 1990.

Those who don't plan to have children are seeing less of a reason to marry - the percentage of married households with no kids has declined from 37 percent in 1976 to 21 percent in 2022.

A 2019 Pew Research study revealed that since 1960, single-person households in the United States has surged from 13 percent to 27 percent.

Meanwhile, young and often unattached women are more ethnically diverse, less conventionally religious and more educated than ever before.

The kicker is trying to draw in such a base without turning off the right-wing faction of the GOP, warns GOP strategist John Feehery.

'Republicans have to be mighty careful on how they message to try to attract this demographic because they don't want to go too far and alienate their base.'
The children of an American businessman imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for the last 15 years fear their father could die because he is 'rotting from the inside out' and are pleading with the State Department to 'do more' to bring him home.

Zack Shahin, 58, is serving a 53-year-sentence at Al-Awir prison in Dubai, after being illegally detained for crimes that are false and politically motivated, the family say.

In recent months his health has become so grave he is now fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a devastating array of medical issues including massive coronary disease, an infection in his lungs, rotting flesh and skin sores from a deadly pseudomonas infection he contracted via unsterile operating equipment.

The Shahin children - Ramy, 30 and Meera, 26 - have told DailyMail.com they are pleading for the State Department to intervene. His son, who was aged just 15 when his dad was jailed, said he speaks to his father at least once a day and that it is agonizing to hear him suffering so much.

'He is broken without much hope, and on one seems to care,' Ramy said. 'I just want to try and help my dad to get the care he needs otherwise he will die.'

Zack Shahin, 58, is serving a 53-year-prison sentence on charges of fraud, embezzlement and other financial crimes. His heartbroken family insists he is innocent and being illegally detained for crimes that are false and politically motivated as they desperately fight for his release

Ramy Shahin has been fighting for his father's release. He was only 15 years-old when his father was imprisoned. 'He is broken without much hope, and on one seems to care. I just want to try and help my dad to get the care he needs otherwise he will die'

Zack Shahin pictured with his two children has been in a Dubai prison for 15 years. His son Ramy told Fox News 'they completely abandoned us  they completely pushed us to the side.' 'Maybe we're not newsworthy enough for them  we're not famous, we're just an ordinary family  and they just left us'

On Monday, a Houston-based cardiologist sent a letter to US Secretary Antony Blinken telling the State Department that if Shahin is not returned to get care at an American hospital he will likely die in a few weeks.

In it, Dr. Sanford Lubetkin, revealed shocking details about Shahin's deteriorating health. He said two recent surgeries had resulted in complications, including an infection that has spread to his lungs. Continual bleeding is threatening his kidneys, he has developed a hernia and is also suffering from thyroid, gastro and prostate illnesses along with a multitude of neurological issues.

A visit by a neurosurgeon advised he needs spinal surgery on multiple vertebrae 'as a result of his living conditions - which he was told not to have done in the UAE due to its 'archaic techniques'.

He also said Shahin takes 22 tablets a day of medication to treat his sickness, which is likely to increase as new problems arise.

'This patient has disease in multiple organ systems, and his long-term prognosis is dire. His overall health conditions are unacceptable at best. Mr. Shahin needs to be closely monitored and managed to avoid sudden organ failure,' he added. 'I urge you to take whatever action is necessary and appropriate to facilitate a compassionate medical release so that Zack can return to Houston.'

The revelations followed three mercy letters sent on December 6, 2022, by Shahin's family - written by Ramy, his grandma Samia Chahine (his father's mother) and Diane Foley, president and founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.

Foley's son, James, was an American journalist kidnapped and later beheaded by members of the Islamic State in Syria in 2014.

The letters had first been sent on November 21, 2022, but the family was asked to translate them to Arabic and then revise them several more times, Ramy said.

Their mother, Soha Shahin, 54, who married their father in 1991 shared how devastated it has been without her husband as she raises their two children alone. 'My husband is dying. I am without my life partner and the love of my life,' Soha said. 'Please, I am begging the American government to help bring my husband home. He is an innocent man, and is in detrimental health conditions without the proper care'

Meera Shahin, almost 26, was 10-years-old when her dad was taken away from her. She has spent nearly half her life without her father

The family has so far been bitterly disappointed by the State Department's response to their pleas for help.

One email shared with DailyMail.com read: 'Good Afternoon Ramy, Thank you for sending this information. We are not medical experts but it is always helpful to have a more complete picture of your father's current health status. We continue to work on your father's case and I will be sure to circle back when I have substantive updates to share'.

Ramy said: 'They gave me the same dry, nonchalant response I have gotten in the last three- and-a-half years. The sense of urgency in me is through the roof. I speak to my dad and is he is hollow and empty.

'He is in a government hospital rotting from the inside out. He needs to come home and spend whatever amount of days he has left with his family.

'I am frustrated and upset with President Biden and the State Department and Secretary Blinken. There is lack of action and no sense of urgency to just help us out. I am calling on them to do more for my dad and bring him home. It's time.'

While this back and forth was ongoing, the Shahins were unaware the US had been negotiating the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner - who was freed from a Russian prison December 8, 2022 after the US agreed to return international arms dealer, Viktor Bout through a trade the UAE helped facilitate.

'When I submitted the mercy pleas on December 8 the State Department said that they will follow up so I thought there may be some communication with the UAE and the US but then we found out Brittney Griner was released.'

Ramy feels the State Department has abandoned his family and pushed them aside. 'Maybe we're not newsworthy enough for them  we're not famous, we're just an ordinary family  and they just left us,' he said.

Mercy letter from Samia Chahine, Ramy's grandmother and Zack Shahin's mother

Ramy's heartfelt mercy letter to the State Department telling the State Department, 'my dad died long ago in prison. The sick old man left in his place, now rotting in your cells, is but a shadow of him.' He said the sentence his father was given has 'destroyed our entire family'

Diane Foley, Founder/President of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation wrote 'Zack Shahin has already paid for any financial crimes with his 15-year-imprisonment. He now stands on the verge of paying with his life.... in short, we humbly ask for your mercy in releasing Zack Shahin to be reunited with his long-suffering family'

Meera Shahin, now almost 26, was only ten-years-old when her dad was taken away from her family. She told DailyMail.com she has always been a daddy's girl and has been waiting for years to see him.

'Every milestone in life I've turned to see if my dad could possibly be home. From middle school graduation, to high school graduation with missing a father daughter dance for the seniors, graduating college, and then graduating with my master's from NYU. What next?,' she said.

'I'm getting married this year and dream of having my father walk me down the aisle. However, I fear that with his current illnesses and his dire condition, he may not even make it to see that, even if he comes home. I am begging our government to do something urgently so we can get my dad the proper care he needs to be together again, alive and not in a body bag.'

Their mother, Soha Shahin, 54, who married their father in 1991 shared how devastated it has been without her husband as she raises their two children alone.

'My husband is dying. I am without my life partner and the love of my life,' Soha said.

'Please, I am begging the American government to help bring my husband home. He is an innocent man, and is in detrimental health conditions without the proper care.'

A policeman enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates, on May 21, 2020. This is the prison (pictured) where Shahin is being held, according to his family

Senator Cruz has been in touch with the Shahin family, the State Department and the UAE advocating for Mr. Shahin's release and issued a statement to DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

'It's well past time for Zack Shahin to come home and be reunited with his family. I've seen the reports about his health and hospitalization, and the undeniable fact is that he is getting worse not better,' Cruz said.

'This issue is no longer about alleged wrongdoings but basic humanitarian compassion. The Emirates are close and valuable allies, and Americans are watching closely to make sure they do the right thing.'

A State Department spokesperson issued the following statement to DailyMail.com Wednesday evening.

'We have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We take seriously our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are providing all appropriate assistance.'

'We last communicated with Mr. Shahin on January 18, and we remain in regular communication with his family. We will continue to monitor Mr. Shahin's case and health closely and provide all appropriate consular assistance.

'We have and will continue to engage with UAE authorities to ensure that Mr. Shahin receives fair treatment and appropriate medical care. We have conveyed multiple requests on behalf of his family requesting Mr. Shahin's release on health grounds. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.'

Brittney Griner was released on December 8, 2022 from a Russian prison after the US reached a prisoner swap deal returning international arms dealer Viktor Bout. After President Biden gave final approval, the swap took place in the UAE

James W. Foley was an American journalist and the first American citizen killed by ISIS. He was murdered by decapitation August 2014

Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, an American journalist who was kidnapped and later beheaded by members of the Islamic State in Syria in 2014, speaks to reporters outside of the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse after the announcement of the guilty verdict for Islamic State member El Shafee Elsheikh April 14, 2022 in Alexandria, Virginia

Martin Lonergan, a British activist who met Shahin while he was in prison, told Fox News it as a 'dungeon' a place that is 'where you are pushed away to be forgotten about.'

'He is rotting, Longeran said. 'If you can imagine a man is dying because he's rotting  they're cutting bits of Zack away, and he's dying trying to fight the infection.'

He added: 'I have never in my life witnessed such injustice.'

Shahin, a Lebanese-born married father of two, had joined PepsiCo as an executive in 1989 and traveled to Dubai in 1992 as a merchandising manager for the company.

In 2004, he was recruited by the country's minister of finance and chairman of the Dubai Islamic Bank, Deyaar Mohammed Khalfan bin Kharbashi.

Under his father's leadership - 2004 to 2008- he said the $5 million private firm became a $1.5 billion publicly traded company, and the second-largest publicly traded real estate company on the Dubai Stock Exchange.

But, when power shifted in Dubai, Shahin's success became a liability.

In late 2007, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, a political ally of the new regime and leader of a competing real estate firm, sought to recruit Shahin, who instead chose to remain with Deyaar.

Ramy said after his father resigned from the bank in early March 2008, the family traveled to America for two weeks with plans to move to Houston so that he and his sister could go to university in America.

But when they returned to the Middle East, he said his father had a meeting where he was taken prisoner by state security and charged with fraud, embezzlement and other financial crimes, which the family maintain he never committed.

Ramy said a mob of six men - he described as CID cops in disguise - then busted into their house late at night and ransacked the property.

He added: 'My father still had his suit on and was shackled from his ankles to his hands. My dad never did anything wrong in his life. They treated him like a serial killer.'

He said he and his family didn't know where his father was for 17 days until the consulate located him in Bar Dubai prison.

At one point, he said his father was out on bail and fled to Yemen in fear of his life. He said the US consulate intervened and his father was granted a passport and ticket to America.

'My dad called me and said he was waiting for his flight,' he said. 'Then state security stormed into the airport, took my father at gunpoint and put him on a flight right back to Dubai.'

His family said he was detained for 13 months before formal charges were filed against him. He was released on bail, then spent the next nine years in jail before he was finally convicted in 2017. He was sentenced to 49 years in prison, which didn't include time served.

The family said the big four global accountancy firms audited Deyaar for the years Shahin was CEO and found no financial losses or evidence of the crimes he was accused.

'My dad's mind is tortured, and it's slowly destroying my mum and sister,' Ramy said.

'We aren't sure how much longer he can survive physically, and his rapidly deteriorating mental health has been diagnosed, although the UAE still doesn't recognize mental health issues.'

He told DailyMail.com two human rights barristers based in the UK - Rhys Davies and Ben Keith - have been actively involved in trying to secure his father's release on a pro-bono basis for the past year, and are very committed and dedicated to his father's cause.

'Mr. Martin Lonergan, a British activist is also a key driver in all that we do on a daily basis and takes a lead role in this entire campaign,' Ramy said.

'He has walked roughly 2000 miles from Houston, TX to Washington, DC to deliver a petition to the White House on behalf of my father.'

Detained International, a British organization that provides pro bono legal services to prisoners, said Shahin is the longest-serving American white-collar prisoner overseas.

In July, when President Biden supported an existing hostage recovery law, the family became a bit more hopeful.

The law directs US agencies to communicate more with families of Americans unlawfully detained overseas and allow for their captors to face sanctions.

But, their request for advocacy for their loved one under the law, the Levinson Act, was denied within five days.

'I think the Biden administration and the State Department should look at our case and treat it with a little more respect,' Ramy said. 'Because we haven't even been given any of that.'

Human Rights Watch, Detained International and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation are some of the human rights organizations that have been trying to raise awareness of the inhumane and appalling conditions of Shahin's imprisonment.

But, the groups claim they have gotten no response from the US government.

Meanwhile, his family vow to keep fighting.

'I'm going to keep fighting until he gets out,' Ramy said. 'And if I fail, then so be it. But I'll never let this go.'


Yoon should focus on mending ties with Iran



Teheran-ro in southern Seoul's Gangnam is the only street in Korea named after a foreign city. Likewise, the Iranian capital named one of its boulevards Seoul Street in 1977.



The sisterhood relationship between the two capitals demonstrates a successful example of pragmatic diplomacy between Korea and Iran.



President Yoon Suk Yeol damaged it sharply, if not entirely already.



While speaking to Korean troops in the UAE earlier this week during his state visit to the country, Yoon compared UAE-Iran ties to inter-Korean relations and said Iran is the UAE's "enemy and biggest threat."



That prompted the Iranian government to summon the Korean ambassador to protest Yoon's remark. Before that, a foreign ministry spokesperson said the Korean president was "totally unaware" of the Middle East situation and was being "meddlesome." Despite the efforts of Korean diplomats to appease Iran, Tehran says it is still waiting for an "explanation."



We don't want to make others think that Yoon forgot to do his homework before departing on his latest overseas trip. His basic knowledge of the regional circumstances may not be entirely wrong. However, there are far more crucial "basics" required of a national leader. Call it diplomatic sense or presidential etiquette. But nothing shows the situation better than the old saying, "A man's word is as good as a bond"  not to mention a president's.



Yoon has been infamous for gaffes since he was a presidential candidate, as not a day passed without a slip of the tongue from him. An aide also confided that the president "monopolizes 99 percent of conversations." A leader should listen more and talk less. Yoon's language is also rough, reflecting his long  and only  career as a public prosecutor. He seems to have risen to the nation's top job before having any chances to metamorphose from a top law enforcement officer. Yet he must catch up as quickly as possible.



Many Koreans appear nervous whenever their president goes abroad. In London last September, Yoon failed to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state, blaming traffic. In New York days later, he caused a stir with an expletives-filled remark after a chat with U.S. President Joe Biden. Commenting on Japan's military rearmament, he said, "Who can say something?" Faced with North Korean provocations, Yoon said, "We must pay them back a hundred and a thousand times." Opposition parties say Yoon's mouth is the "greatest security risk."



Foreign ministry officials and Yoon's diplomatic aides are pitiable but deserve criticism. They are busy cleaning up the mess caused by their boss, failing to support him properly by speaking more frankly. We know talking straight to the president is hard, but they must do so for the entire nation  and the president himself.



The reality is to the contrary. At the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Tuesday, the governing party leader lashed out at foreign ministry officials for beating around the bush, asking, "Isn't it true that the UAE-Iran relationship is not good?" adding fuel to the fire. A North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker asked what was wrong with the president talking about foreign countries' problems. It was hard to believe the lawmaker was once a career diplomat; he might want to earn some political points.



Yoon jumped into the top job without spending time in the legislative or executive branch. That has served as both a disadvantage in conducting state affairs and an excuse for repeated blunders. However, unlike domestic affairs, diplomatic mistakes are hard to reverse because there are always counterparts.



An aide to former President Moon Jae-in said recently that a Korean president's job is 90 percent diplomacy. However, the public is increasingly skeptical about whether the current chief executive can handle that.



People cannot change their habits or perceptions quickly. But Yoon must think at least three times before making diplomatic remarks. Still, he must first mend the ties with Iran for himself.






An experienced Qantas pilot who once guided one of the airline's jets to safety after an engine exploded has explained in more detail what exactly happened on the mayday flight between Auckland and Sydney.

Aviation safety inspectors and Qantas engineers will examine the engine of a Boeing 737 plane to find out why it failed over the Pacific Ocean causing a mayday alert on Wednesday afternoon.

The pilot of Qantas Flight 144 from Auckland to Sydney shut down the engine before landing safely at Sydney airport about 3.30pm.

The 145 passengers felt bumps and turbulence but said they were unaware they had lost one engine until after they landed. No one was hurt and the pilot has been praised for landing the plane safely.

Former Qantas pilot Richard de Crespigny (pictured) safely landed a plane in 2010 in which the engine exploded. He shed some light onto what could have happened

QF144 lands in Sydney after suffering engine issues mid-flight, sparking a mayday call

Former Qantas pilot Richard de Crespigny shed more light on what pilots are trained to do in such a situation.

In 2010, de Crespigny was the pilot on Qantas flight 32 when the Boeing A380 suffered an uncontained engine failure after leaving Changi airport in Singapore.

The minor explosion triggered dozens of malfunction warnings, shut some electronics down, and sent shrapnel into the plane but de Crespigny and his team made a safe emergency landing and no one was injured.

'A mayday is given for grave and imminent danger, hospitals will stop operations and lots of ambulances will be sent out, it's the highest emergency rating,' he said.

He explained that it's not usual procedure for pilots to inform passengers about mechanical failures on a flight.

'Planes have millions of components and parts regularly fail, that's why there's two competent pilots in the cockpit, if it doesn't affect the passengers we just don't bother telling them,' he told the Today show on Thursday.

'About 20 per cent of people on board will already have a fear of flying.'

He explained that Wednesday's flight was quite high in altitude when they lost an engine and the procedure is to push the remaining engine to full power - which would have caused the plane to 'yaw' to one side as they recalibrated.

'The can only stay at that altitude for maybe up to one minute (on one engine) and so they have to do what's called a drift down descent using the remaining engine.'

Emergency services at the scene at Sydney Airport after a Qantas flight issued a mayday call on Wednesday afternoon

'Jet engines only fail once in every 350,000 engine hours and only one in four pilots will see one in their entire career.

'Planes are under most stress during takeoff and climb, not while cruising, so with that flight maybe it's a hydraulic metering unit, a carburetor that's failed or a compressor or turbine blade.

'Pilots are trained for this and Qantas is one of the safest airlines in the world.'

Aviation expert Neil Hansford told the ABC that 'Qantas has never had a passenger lost on a jet aircraft in its history'.

He said Qantas engineers would be immediately investigating what may have caused the engine failure and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau would be initiating an inquiry into the incident.

Photographs taken at the airport show one of the engines appears to have a large panel missing from the engine cover.

One passenger on board, Nigel Morris from Canberra, said his wife was on the ground and knew what was going on while he was in the air.

Passenger Nigel Morris (pictured) said he didn't hear a bang but there was a significant 'jolt'

'I didn't hear a bang but there was a major jolt and the plane banked mid-flight so we were aware something was happening,' Mr Morris said.

'As it progressed you could tell on the in-flight map that the altitude kept diminishing and we dropped from about 36,000 feet to 20,000 feet over about 40 minutes.'

'The airspeed also slowed significantly so it was evident something was wrong but none of us were sure what it was.'

Mr Morris said there were no in-flight announcements and the first moment passengers were aware was when the pilot made the announcement to prepare the cabin for landing and added there had been an engine issue.

'As we taxied toward the airport the pilot said that we'd lost an engine mid-flight and that's the first we knew specifically what had happened.

'When the pilot said we could turn our phones on there were lots of messages from my wife Kath asking what was happening.'

Another passenger Sandika McAuley said: 'I kind of heard the little bang and then a bit of turbulence, and we just thought okay, this is a bit weird.

'But we didn't really know anything until we landed, then we got told that there was a mayday call and the engine failed.'

The Qantas plane at Sydney Airport after safely landing as firetrucks park nearby (pictured)

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King lauded the airline's safety record after a scare that had 100,000 people tracking the flight online.

'Well done to the highly experienced crew for getting the plane safely home,' Ms King tweeted.

'Australia's aviation industry is among the safest in the world because of the dedicated staff working on planes and behind the scenes.'

The Australian and International Pilots Association (IAPA) said in a statement that such mid-air incidents were extremely rare and it was too early to speculate on the engine failure.

'We are pleased the expertly trained and professional Qantas pilots took all the right steps to deal with the incident and were able to safely land back in Sydney.'
Man was in the tree for an hour before police got him down

An elderly man has refused to come down from a 10-metre tree in his front yard after loppers arrived with chainsaws to cut it down.

Norm Duke, 70, scaled the native brushbox just moments before arborists arrived at his property in Currumbin, a coastal suburb in Queesland's Gold Coast.

His neighbours want to cut the large tree down to build a fence around their property, however Mr Duke warns the move will have dire consequences.

He claims the removal of the brushbox, which has roots underneath the property, would destabilise the very steep slope his home is perched upon.

'It's removal will destabilise the very steep slope that's here,' he told 9News.

'We're not objecting to the fence, at least the partial fence, we're just disagreeing with cutting down the tree.'

Norm Duke, 70, (pictured) scaled the native brushbox just moments before arborists arrived at his property in Currumbin, a coastal suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, to cut it down

Mr Duke, a botanical researcher, said he scaled the tall brush box as a 'last resort'.

He refused to leave his perch until the loppers left and was involved in tense negotiations with police after an officer climbed onto his roof.

After an hour had passed, Mr Duke agreed to come down from the tree - much to the relief of paramedics and fire crews below.

'They were just about to cut it and were trying to do it. We were trying to get in legal help but that was going to be slow to arrive,' he said.

The local council and police will continue discussions over the fate of the tree.

Mr Duke refused to disclose whether he would scale the tree if loppers returned.

Mr Duke, a botanical researcher, said he scaled the 10-metre brush box as a 'last resort'

The large brush box straddles the boundary between his home and the neighbours and has roots underpinning the footing of his cliffside property.

'I'm not going to say,' he told reporters at the scene.

'Who knows what you do when your desperate, or you care about something'.

A Twitter user, who had been taught by Mr Duke at the University of Queensland, left a message of support for the researcher.

'Go Norm! I remember you from your UQ lecturing days. If anyone knows about coastal plant ecology, it's you!' they tweeted.
One of them called Ms Wang an 'Asian mutt' after leaving

Sarah Wang was also pepper sprayed by the two sisters

A supermarket owner has copped a face full of pepper spray before being threatened and racially abused after confronting two sisters over an alleged shoplifting incident.

Sarah Wang, who owns Ashfield IGA in Perth's eastern suburbs, said the violent altercation kicked off when she approached the two girls on Monday.

Ms Wang was allegedly assaulted and verbally abused by the two sisters, aged 13 and 14, after her and another staff member asked them to return items they were accused of stealing.

Western Australia Police allege the teenagers, from Gosnells, south of Perth, attempted to steal food, drinks and toiletries by concealing them under their clothes before Ms Wang stepped in.

Footage of the incident shows one of the sisters attempting to strike Ms Wang, while the other shot pepper spray at the storeowner.

Owner of an East Perth IGA, Sarah Wang (pictured), has been threatened, pepper sprayed and racially abused after confronting shoplifting teenage sisters on Monday

'I knew she was about to spray something, so I stepped back and held my breath, but I still got choked up,' Ms Wang told WA Today.

'It's not worth it, the violence, for $17.'

The girls were escorted out of the store after the incident but not before one the teenagers allegedly shouted racial slurs at Ms Wang, calling her an 'Asian mutt' and threatening her store would be 'smashed up'.

Ms Wang claimed she has around three to four encounters with alleged shoplifters every day.

However police have warned Ms Wang confronting the shoppers isn't worth the risk to her safety.

'They come into the shop like it's their home pantry,' she said.

The two sisters, aged 13 and 14, from nearby Gosnell have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and released on bail (pictured, one of the teens attempting to strike Ms Wang)

Both women were arrested and charged with aggravated armed robbery on Tuesday and appeared in Perth Childrens Court on Wednesday where they were both released on bail.

The magistrate berated officers during the hearing for keeping the sisters locked up overnight, claiming police hadn't done enough to contact a guardian.

'It is unacceptable that has happened, can the state look into that please,' Magistrate Alana Padmanabham said.

Ms Wang said she was worried about her safety.

'When she left she said I'm going to smash your shop, so of course I worry about it,' Ms Wang told 9News.

'I don't know, I wish the law or whatever can do something better.'
A group of angry neighbours in a quiet country town have banded together to try and shut down a local animal shelter, complaining of distressing sights and putrid smells wafting from the property.

A fiery dispute has erupted between the operator of Hooves, Feathers and Claws animal shelter and its neighbours in Lowanna, in the Coffs Harbour hinterland, on NSW's mid-north coast.

A group of Lowanna residents claim to have serious concerns about the shelter, complaining about offensive smells wafting from the property.

A community group comprised of Lowanna and Coffs Harbour locals said they were 'hoping to improve the lives of animals' in the region and described the shelter as 'a mess'.

A group of angry neighbours are prepared to 'fight to till the end' in their quest to get animal shelter Hooves, Feathers and Claws shut down (image of the shelter taken by a local resident and posted to facebook)

Lowanna locals claim the state of the shelter is below standard and have complained of putrid smells coming from the property (image of the shelter taken by a local resident and posted to facebook)

'This is not a quiet house, this is not a good thing. The animals are still loose in the yard,' the group wrote on their Facebook page on Wednesday.

'Shut it down.'

The group of locals said they were prepared to 'fight until the end' until the shelter ceased to exist.

Neighbours Scott Cordwell and Jessy Kumnen told Yahoo News they were fed-up at the sounds of fighting dogs and howling dingoes coming from the property.

They also claimed the smell of animal faeces from the shelter forced them to keep their doors and windows closed.

'I do some washing and hang some blankets, when I bring them in they smell disgusting,' Ms Kumnen said.

The neighbourhood feud culminated in the police being called at the weekend.

NSW Police officers were called to the shelter on Saturday to investigate an alleged incident on the street.

'Officers attended and established a crime scene, which was forensically examined by specialist police,' NSW Police confirmed.

Locals had been threatening to protest the shelter on Saturday however it was cancelled on advice from police.

The angry group of neighbours want animal shelter Hooves, Feathers and Claws shut down

Rachel Press, who owns and operates Hooves, Feathers and Claws, hit back at her grumpy neighbours on Monday.

'I am extremely distressed that member/s of this vigilante group would intentionally put animals in a position where they could be harmed or stressed,' she said.

'If anyone has any information about these incidences please contact the Coffs Harbour police.'

Lowanna is a small town in the Coffs Harbour hinterland in northern NSW (stock image pictured)

Ms Press thanked locals who had helped her in reducing 'the number of rescue animals' at the shelter and had helped to 'clean up and maintain the property'.

'I have surrendered a number of rescue animals to the RSPCA so I can concentrate on my own animals and complete yard maintenance to ensure the animals are safe, healthy and secure,' she said.

Ms Press said she was unable to comment further due to 'ongoing investigations'.

Both the RSPCA and Coffs Harbour Council is investigating however no findings have been made.

The council confirmed it was 'investigating allegations of an unauthorised business operation' as well as 'compliance with the Companion Animals Act for animals at the premises'.

'We have previously visited the premises in relation to alleged dog attacks and roaming issues, which have been dealt with,' a council spokesperson said.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to RSPCA NSW and Hooves, Feathers and Claws for comment.
A key detail in the Prime Minister's fiery interview with 2GB's Ben Fordham was deleted by Anthony Albanese's staff when they put the transcript online.

Fordham and Albanese clashed over the Indigenous Voice to Parliament with the PM struggling to explain what Australia will be voting for in the planned referendum.

When Fordham pressed the PM on Wednesday over what legal advice the government had on the controversial proposal, he asked if the Solicitor-General - the most senior government lawyer - had been consulted.

Albanese clearly replied 'no', and went on to say the government had instead spoken to a range of current and former high court judges and other top legal minds.

But the Prime Minister's Office later published a transcript of the morning interview - and had deleted the 'No' in reply to Fordham's question.

2GB's Ben Fordham has slammed the Prime Minister's office for deleting a key detail in the transcript of his explosive interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

'Someone in the PM's office has tampered with the truth by erasing an important fact that was unearthed yesterday,' said Fordham on Thursday.

'That "No" has been deleted from the official transcript of the interview released by the Prime Minister's Office. It's gone. It's nowhere to be seen.

'The question that I asked is on the transcript. The rest of the answer is on the transcript. But the word "no" does not appear.'

Fordham slammed the editing on his show on Thursday, claiming it was rewriting history.

'What happened yesterday in the PMs office with the transcript is unjustifiable,' he said. 'Particularly considering that our conversation was largely about the importance of words.

The audio from the interview reveals the PM denied getting legal advice from the Solicitor-General (left) but a transcript on the Prime Minister's official website deleted the denial (right)

'The words you want to bake into our Constitution, and whether those words stack up legally. They have tried to erase it from history.'

Opposition leader Peter Dutton branded the interview a 'train wreck' and accused the PM of being 'tricky' for holding back details on the Voice before the referendum.

Opponents of the Voice fear the referendum could become a 'bait-and-switch' in which the public gives approval only to find out later what that means in practice.

But Albanese compared the Voice to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the combative radio interview.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton branded the interview a train wreck and accused the PM of being 'tricky' for holding back details on the Voice before the referendum

He said the referendum was like deciding whether or not to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge - and not about how many lanes to have or what the tolls should be.

But Fordham peppered him for 21 minutes with detailed questions on how the Voice would operate in practice which the PM struggled to answer clearly.

'The prime minister doesn't know what he's talking about,' slammed Dutton. 'It was a complete train wreck.

'It's no wonder Australians are confused. If Anthony Albanese can't explain it to you, why would you vote for it?'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Prime Minister's Office for comment on the transcript editing.

The final report by Professors Marcia Langton and Tom Calma, submitted to the former Morrison Government in July 2021, outlines how the Voice could look
A new poll shows Donald Trump topping the list of likely 2024 Republican nominees, reflecting his enduring control of the GOP despite rising stars like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other new party leaders who are likely to challenge him for the White House.

Multiple federal investigations and the tax fraud conviction of his real estate empire have failed to dissuade a plurality of likely Republican voters from siding with Trump, according to a new Morning Consult survey of 3,763 potential Republican primary voters published on Wednesday.

Forty-eight percent of respondents said they want the former president to top the GOP ticket for a third time.

He beats out DeSantis, who is the runner-up with 31 percent support, by a wide 17-point margin.

Donald Trump is the favorite for the Republican nomination in 2024, according to 48 percent of GOP voters who responded to a new Morning Consult survey

He beats out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, now a leading figure in the GOP, by some 17 points

It comes after multiple polls suggested DeSantis could edge out Trump as the Republican favorite - though it's still much too early to tell.

Though the Florida governor has not explicitly shared interest in running for the White House in 2024, his refusal to rule out a potential primary challenge to Trump has infuriated the former president.

In a podcast appearance on the right-wing show The Water Cooler earlier this week, Trump dismissed DeSantis as a legitimate challenger and took credit for his narrow 2018 victory for the Tallahassee executive mansion - a race Trump endorsed in.

'Now I hear he might want to run against me,' the ex-president said on the program. 'So we'll handle that the way I handle things.'

As consistent with most similar polls, Trump and DeSantis are the top two runaway favorites at this moment in the election cycle. No other candidate manages to crack 10 percent.

Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, is in third place with 8 percent of the hypothetical vote.

No other candidate aside from Trump or DeSantis manages to even crack 10 percent of support

After him is former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney with three percent, and then Texas Sen. Ted Cruz along with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley - both of whom have two points each.

But among the crowd of potential candidates, Trump stands alone as the only one who's formally declared he's even running.

In a lavish ceremony in the ballroom of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on November 15, Trump announced he was running for a third shot at the White House.

But the campaign got off to a somewhat slow start with relatively little fanfare, compared to the splash he made in 2016 as an outsider candidate and his bombastic case for re-election from the bully pulpit of the White House in 2020.

He's finally holding his first official 2024 campaign event later this month, more than two months after filing paperwork to run.

The event will take place in Columbia, South Carolina, according to the 2024 Trump. campaign.

He's be there on January 28 to unveil his South Carolina leadership team, per the release.

Joining him will be South Carolina's Republican Governor Henry McMaster and its senior senator, Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally in Congress.

One conspicuously absent name was that of South Carolina's other senator, Republican Tim Scott, who's been generating his own 2024 buzz.

But if Wednesday's poll is any indication, he may fall by the wayside. Scott was the top 2024 choice for just one percent of survey respondents.

The state is a notable choice for Trump's first official appearance on the 2024 campaign trail. It's now the first state in Democrats' 2024 primary cycle after the national party moved to overhaul its races.
Virginia's governor has proposed a new law that will bar schools from withholding information regarding students' scholarship awards.

The prospective guidance was suggested by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in a televised interview aired Wednesday, amid public outcry over 16 schools' decision to delay notifying students they had received National Merit Awards - in some cases for up to two years.

A probe into the coverups, called by the state's Attorney General, has been launched - which reportedly were part of a sprawling strategy from school officials to provide 'equal outcomes for every student, without exceptions.'

Following AG Jason Miyares' move to launch an investigation, Youngkin announced his intent to create a law that would make it illegal for schools in his state to pull such a stunt again.

Scroll down for video:

The prospective guidance was proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in a televised interview aired Wednesday, amid public outcry over 16 schools' decision to delay notifying students

Asra Nomani, one of the parents who was part of the effort unearthing these allegations against the Fairfax County Public School system, was one of several moms seen protesting the decision by schools in Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William counties meant to pursue 'equity'

WATCH: @GlennYoungkin announces legislation to make merit award notifications mandatory.



"I'm sending legislation to our General Assembly today to make it mandatory, mandatory, that schools ... pic.twitter.com/O4PjuJOEkV  America Reports (@AmericaRpts) January 18, 2023

'There clearly is a real suggestion that their civil rights have been violated. And we need to understand what's at the heart of this,' Youngkin, 56, told Fox News' American Reports Wednesday, before announcing the new bill.

'There's clearly been an effort to bring down the standards for our students in Virginia to stop celebrating excellence. And this is counter to everything we believe.'

Youngking, a vocal opponent of policies limiting parents' rights in schools, slammed officials at Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince Williams counties for secretly implementing the strategy unbeknownst to parents - something the governor slated as un-American.

The decision by brass at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax, Virginia, was reportedly part of a new school strategy meant to provide 'equal outcomes for every student, without exceptions'

Among those embroiled in the scandal are superintendents (L-R) Daniel Smith, of Loudon County, Michelle Reid, of Fairfax County, and LaTanya McDade, of Prince William County

'This nation was built on the idea of building a better future, of striving and achieving.

'And here we have what appears to be three of three large school districts in Virginia who have been systematically withholding information about excellence.

'This is so counter to everything that we believe.'

The governor proceeded to criticize what he called a 'trifecta' of problems currently affecting schools his home state, who he accused of succumbing to woke progressives with maneuvers that limit parent's rights to make decisions for their children.

In that regard, Youngkin said school officials 'have lowered their expectations.'

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says at least 13 high schools failed to let students know they won merit awards. The AG has opened an investigation into the issue following allegations Asian American students were targeted to ensure 'equal outcomes'

'Virginia used to have the highest standards for treatment,' Youngkin said, appearing increasingly impassioned as he spoke to Fox's Sandra Smith. 'And now we have had the lowest. We're putting them back.'

The elected official aired his intent to leave such decisions up to the state - and more importantly, the parents.

'But sadly, Virginia students met those expectations,' he said. 'Second of all, they pushed parents out of their students' lives. And third, there has been a consistent cover-up in the relentless pursuit of equity.'

Staffers at the schools who withheld letters notifying students of scholarships defended the delays by saying they wanted to hand them out 'discreetly,' to avoid hurting the feelings of those who failed to get scholarships.

Families are furious they were not informed their children had won awards, with many protesting the schools' decision to keep it quiet

Equity is a favored buzzword that describes a desire for all groups to garner equal opportunity, regardless of race or creed. Supporters say it helps those who've struggled to reach their potential because of societal racism and unfairness.

Youngkin criticized the actions of Virginia school districts who sanctioned the delays as 'absolutely atrocious,' saying they were carefully designed to 'bring down the standards' of excellence for students in America's oldest state.

He called for increased transparency within schools over expenditures, after it was revealed that officials in Fairfax - where the allegations first surfaced last month - sought an equity consultant who allegedly suggested the delays as to 'not hurt students feelings.

'There should be full transparency in these kinds of expenditures, particularly when they're teaching and training a methodology and a belief system that is so counter to excellence, so counter to making sure that students are allowed to achieve and do their best,' he said.

Last month, parents called for the axing of principal Ann Bonitatibus (left) alleging they are responsible. Langley High School Principal Kimberly Greer (right) is one of the educators also in charge of faculty embroiled in the scandal

'Again,' he added 'it is such an anathema to everything we believe.'

The allegations first surfaced at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax, Virginia, where officials implemented the school strategy to provide 'equal outcomes for every student, without exceptions.'

Virgina mom and author Asra Nomani, whose son merit scholarship was withheld for an astounding two years, blew the whistle on school's actions last month, and it has since been gleaned that officials in 15 other schools did the same.

Nomani was seen at the procession outside the school eaerlier this month, along with dozens of others, demanding that action be taken woard officials who decided to keep parents and students in the dark.

EXCLUSIVE UPDATE 

Stop sabotaging kids!



Thomas Jefferson HS for Science & Technology parents met with the Fairfax County Public Schools  Superintendent to discuss the delay in notifying students of their national merit recognition.



DETAILS HEREhttps://t.co/5gMDaHWXrx pic.twitter.com/wLbA8IKlMP  Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) December 31, 2022

'Let it be known that we are not for fake meetings - we are for real action,' Nomani said, visibly irate over the school's decision to keep the awards under wraps.

Nomani, the first to break the story on the allegations against Fairfax County - and now Loudon and Prince William county - said Thomas Jeffors Director of Student Services Brandon Kosatka admitted to her in November that the approach to withholding students' academic honors was intentional.

Nomani said the director owned up to the allegations when she told him about it by phone asking why her son had not received a letter until that point.

The principal was apparently not available for the query, leaving Kosatka to field it.

Which Virginia schools are accused of failing to inform 'commended pupils' of their awards? Fairfax County: 1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology 2. Westfield High School 3. Langley High School 4. Annandale High school 5. Edison High School 6. Lewis High School 7. West Potomac High School Loudoun County: 8. Freedom High School 9. Loudoun County High School 10. Potomac Falls High School  11. Unnamed High School in Loudoun County Prince William County: 12. Battlefield High School 13. Colgan High School Advertisement

When questioned, Kosatka explained the school's side - saying staffers had wanted to hand the letters out 'discreetly' to avoid hurting the feelings of students who failed to garner the distinction.

'Theres a lot of kids who didnt get either award, and we didnt want them to feel bad about it,' Nomanic recited Kosatka as saying.

Fairfax County school system officials, meanwhile, could not verify that conversation took place.

Following the case, it was revealed 11 other schools in Fairfax were engaging in similar practices, as well as several high schools in nearby Loudoun County high schools. Officials from Prince William County Public Schools have also reported similar practices, spurring the Attorney General this week launch an investigation.

Announcing the probe this week, Miyares condemned the schools' actions as the state launched an investigation over alleged Anti-Asian bigotry.

Miyares told Fox Business Tuesday that in Fairfax, the district paid an equity consultant $450,000 to ensure 'equal outcomes no matter what, even if it means treating some students purposefully unequally.'

He added: 'You hear the word equity all the time. Equity without excellence is actually emptiness. It doesn't really help the student at all. It actually divides us.'

The National Merit awards are only given to 50,000 of 1.5million high schoolers who score well on the PSATS  and they can help students compete for scholarships, honors accolades, and college admissions.

The state's investigation is looking into the administration's decisions to withhold the National Merit Scholarship honors from students and if it violates the Virginia Human Rights Act.

Miyares said one mom in the Fairfax School district lamented that her daughter had done everything right since the first grade to excel academically.

'She studied so hard, and now she's realizing she may not go to the school of her dreams because of who she is, a Korean American,' Miyares said. 'That goes against everything we believe in this country.'

Miyares cited especially troubling figures at Fairfax's Thomas Jefferson High School.

The school is America's best-performing public school  with the district officials insisting their decision to change their admissions standard was part of a new strategy meant to provide 'equal outcomes for every student, without exceptions.'

The Attorney General said that just one year after the change, the high school saw 'close to a 20-point drop in Asian American enrollment.'

Miyares noted that what was happening in Virginia is reflective of the alleged discrimination Asian American applicants were seeing across the country, as the Supreme Court weighs on the future of affirmative action at colleges.

'It seems as though the only state- sanctioned form of bigotry in America is anti-Asian bigotry, and we want to make sure that's not happening in Virginia,' he said.

Prince William County district officials said the Battlefield High School (above) was among the 13 schools in the state that failed to report merit awards

Along with the Charles Colgan High School, about 16 students were affected in the county
President Joe Biden flies to Californias central coast on Thursday to see for himself areas that have been devastated by extreme weather.

Although it is billed as a chance to meet with first responders and survey recovery efforts, it offers a chance to escape Washington, D.C. where his administration is under intense fire for its handling of a document scandal.

On Thursday it emerged that his popularity had plunged to 40 percent, close to the lowest of his presidency.

Karine Jean-Pierre, his press secretary, has been bombarded for days with questions about who knew what and when after government documents were found first at a private office used by the president and then at his Delaware home.

President Joe Biden has faced a barrage of questions about the document scandal at the White House. On Thursday, he escapes Washington on a whistlestop visit to California

Workers clear the remains of a tree after it crashed down at a shopping center in Los Angeles, California, this week. The state has been hit with an ongoing series of what meteorologists call atmospheric rivers, bringing heavy rain, wind and widespread flooding

And Biden has ignored shouted questions on the issue at every White House recent White House.

On Wednesday, he made no public appearances. And on Thursday, he was due to be accompanied by a small, travelling press pool at events that were not open to the general press.

It comes as a Reuters-Ipsos poll showed only 40 percent of Americans approved of Biden's performance as president.

The three-day poll was conducted as the fallout from the documents scandal plagued the White House, putting Biden's rating close to his lowest, despite improving economic figures and decent midterm results.

Meanwhile Biden is due in an area of California that has been deluged with rain and snow since late December, toppling trees, setting off landslides and cutting power to thousands of homes.

Weeks of extreme weather meant that even a relatively mild system on Monday was enough to trigger fresh flooding and mudslide warnings because the state remains saturated.

In all, the state was hit by nine consecutive rainstorms since Dec. 26, killing at least 20 people.

Such was their intensity, that meteorologists call them 'atmospheric rivers.

Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that Deanne Criswell, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will accompany the president to California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom would join the tour.
The mother of Rep. George Santos said on a US government visa application she was not even in the US at the time of the Sept. 11th attacks  despite her son's claim that she 'survived the tragic events' that day.

The revelation  which directly contradicts the claim made by the New York Republican  who has admitted to a series of fabrications, comes as a former New York Republicans, Rep. Pete King, called on him to resign, saying he was a potential 'disaster' for the GOP and was 'dragging down the Republican caucus to a shameful place.'

It came the same day a man who lived for a few months with Santos said he would flash wads of cash, only to claim to be broke days later  and accused him of stealing his Burberry scarf.

Santos' mother stated in a 2003 visa application to enter the U.S. from Brazil that she hadn't been to the country since 1999, the Washington Post reported.

That came despite Santos claiming on his campaign website: 'George's mother was in her office in the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001, when the horrific events of that day unfolded.'

A visa application by Rep. George Santos' mother stated that she hadn't been in the US between 1999 and 2003, but his campaign website said she had survived the Sept. 11th, 2021 attacks

The site also said she 'survived the tragic events on September 11th, but she passed away a few years later when she lost her battle to cancer.'

The unsubstantiated statement packed an emotional punch in a Long Island district that lost many office workers and first responders during the Sept. 11th attacks.

Santos' mother died in December 2016, when the son solicited donations to help pay funeral expenses.

He also tweeted in 2021 that '9/11 claimed my mothers life,' even though she died years after the attacks.

It was not the only tragedy Santos attached himself to. He claimed to have lost four employees during the attack on the Pulse nightclub in Florida, only to have that claim knocked down after none of the 49 victims appeared connected to his companies.

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, where Santos said he previously worked, have not confirmed that he worked there.

The revelation came on a day when a man who shared a New York apartment with George Santos says the newly elected Republican would flash wads of cash and made claims of 'generational wealth' that didn't add up.

'He would just go to bars with just rolls of hundred dollar bills, and three days later he would have no money,' said Gregory Morey-Parker, who moved in for a few months with Santos after losing his own Queens apartment.

Fatima A.C.H. Devolder was born on December 22, 1962 in Rio de Janeiro. She applied for a visa to travel to the US in 2003

Santos tweeted in 2021 that ' 9/11 claimed my mothers life ,' even though she died years after the attacks

He described Santos, who went by the name Anthony Devolder at the time, as having 'just delusions of grandeur.'

'He would constantly be saying, oh well, I'm going to sell my phone, do you know anybody who wants to buy it? And you know, I'm like why are you selling it? And he's like oh, don't worry about it,' he said Santos responded.

The allegations came in a week where a disabled homeless veteran accused Santos of stealing $3,000 from a GoFundMe campaign meant to get an operation for his sick dog, and after the House GOP Steering Committee decided to award Santos seats on the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees.

Rep. George Santos' former roommate says the New York lawmaker had 'delusions of grandeur,' and would head to the bar with 'rolls of hundred dollar bills'

Morey-Parker claims Santos, who used the name Anthony Devolder, took his Burberry scarf

'And it is just things just started continuously spiraling, getting, like, kind of ridiculously crazy,' the roommate told CNN. His mother was a housekeeper, in Manhattan, and it just didn't seem feasible for him supposedly to come from all this generational wealth, if you will. Why are you doing the things that you're doing? it doesn't make sense to me,' he said.

Morey-Parker called it an 'interesting few months.' He said he has 'always known him as Anthony Devolder.'

The roommate says he 'kind of assumed' that Santos 'made up' attending Baruch College and NYU  schools that after his win in a House seat picked up from a Democrat said he did not attend.

'But then I thought, well maybe I was wrong, you know, after the election because I'm sure the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) and RNC (Republican National Committee) would've investigated him and at least his opponent would have done some oppo (opposition) research.'

Several New York Republican lawmakers have called on Santos to resign. He now faces a likely House Ethics committee probe and federal and local investigations after admitting to a series of false claims about his professional life, his education, his faith, and his biography.

Morey-Parker also accuses Santos of stealing his Burberry scarf and wearing at a January 5, 2021 'Stop the Steal' rally where he spoke.

He told the local news site Patch that he was '100 per cent certain' the scarf, which went missing, was the one that had been given to him as a gift.

'If you're from New York, you know what they did to me. They did to me what they did to Donald Trump. They stole my election,' he said at the 2021 rally in DC's Freedom Plaza, speaking of his loss to Democrat Tom Suozzi.

'For 14 days I was congressman-elect of the 3rd Congressional District of New York  the first ever biggest upset for a Republican in New York City,' he said. DailyMail.com has reached out to Santos' office for a response.
Adams said his request for assistance from Gov. Kathy Hochul was ignored

The migrant crisis has reportedly cost an estimated $300 million already

An estimated 40,000 asylum seekers have come to NYC in the last year

In an interview with Politico, the mayor said he is once again considering using cruise ships to house migrants who have been sent to New York

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says 'there is no more room' for migrants in the city

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says 'there is no more room' for asylum seekers who have been arriving in the Big Apple since last year.

In an interview Wednesday with Politico, the politician said the city simply does not have space to take in any more refugees after accepting some 40,000 in recent months.

The Democratic mayor also said he has reached out to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for assistance, but that the requests have been mostly ignored.

He now says 'every item is on the table' to address the crisis, including circling back on his idea to utilize cruise ships docked in the city's port as a temporary solution.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says 'there is no more room' for asylum seekers

Mayor Eric Adams' requests for assistance from Gov. Kathy Hochul have been mostly rebuffed

Adams first floated the idea of housing the migrants on cruise ships in September after he declared a 'humanitarian crisis' over the influx of migrants arriving in NYC.

Buses worth of migrants have been arriving in the metropolitan area since the fall when Republican governor, primarily Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, began sending asylum seekers from the border to largely Democratic-leaning cities.

During the interview with Politico's Sally Goldenberg, the reporter asked the mayor about recent comments he had made about how the city may soon run out of space.

Goldenberg asked if there are 'other places' Adams is looking into sending the migrants to if the city cannot take them.

'Actually Sally, there is no more room,' Adams responded, describing the situation which has already cost an estimated $300 million.

'It's not that we're getting to that point, we're at that point,' he continued.

The mayor said he wants to 'be clear with New Yorkers' on the issues and how they are going to be impacted but also continue to 'do our moral and legal obligation.'

In an interview with Politico, Adams said the city is not nearly full, but rather, already at capacity

The NYC mayor said he is considering using cruise ships to house migrants

Adams had originally floated the idea of using cruise ships back in September

Some 40,000 migrants have arrived in NYC in the last year

The situation has already cost the city an estimated $300 million

'Whoever comes to the city, you're not seeing individuals sleeping on the street with families because we're continuing to pivot and shift as needed,' the mayor said.

Part of that 'pivot' could include the idea to bring migrants aboard docked ships to operate as a temporary housing facility.

'If it means using cruise ships, if it means finding space on state land, in my conversation with the governor, we're going to continue to pivot and shift to address the influx of migrants and asylum seekers that we're seeing,' Adams said.

He continued, saying he has not ruled out any options to help deal with the crisis.

'That is what we had to do from the beginning of this crisis when the Texas governor was sending individuals here, we're going to continue to make sure we address the issue that we are facing while we fight for the support that we deserve,' he said.

Adams said nothing is off the table when it comes to dealing with the crisis

The cruise ship solution is just one of many proposed by the Democrat mayor

Goldenberg then asked the mayor: 'So it sounds like the possibility of cruise ships is still on the table?'

'Every item is on the table,' he responds. 'We have a moral and legal responsibility to do what's right for not only all New Yorkers, but whoever comes to our city.'

Mayor Adams said he has also recently had conversations with other mayors and will continue to talk with them about helping New York with the growing issue.

'I spoke with the Kansas City mayor today and he stated that, although we're not directly impacted, we know this is hurting your cities that are and we want to be part of the solution,' Adams said.

The mayor said he has a 'moral and legal' obligation to help migrants

He continued, saying they will continue to 'pivot' until they figure out the best solution

'That is what we had to do from the beginning of this crisis when the Texas governor was sending individuals here, we're going to continue to make sure we address the issue that we are facing while we fight for the support that we deserve,' Adams said

It's the lack of response from New York Governor Kathy Hochul that is turning Adams back to the solution of using the cruise ships to house the migrants.

Adams has asked Gov. Hochul for emergency aid, a request she has rejected for the most part.

He has also asked the state and federal governments to allow the city to use land they own.

Similarly, President Joe Biden has been largely nonresponsive to the requests.

Adams has asked Gov. Hochul for emergency aid, a request she has rejected for the most part

Adams' interview with Politico comes just days after he called the border crisis a 'disaster' while visiting El Paso to get a first-hand look at the situation.

'Why isn't this considered a disaster? This is a crisis,' Adams told The New York Post at the end of his visit.

'No one is coordinating this national effort,' he said from Texas on Sunday night.

'FEMA needs to step up. That's their job,' he said, speaking of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Adams previously made a $1 billion request to help deal with the crisis.

Eric Adams toured migrant shelters and visited the southern border in El Paso trip before labelling the situation a 'disaster'

Adams said FEMA should be stepping in to assist in the 'disaster'

The mayor sparked backlash after his interviews, for not calling out Biden who many have blamed for the issue.

Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican Representative for parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island attacked him for referring to the crisis merely as a national problem and not naming the president.

'The mayor is right in the sense that he's saying this is a national crisis but he needs to say that is a national crisis created by Joe Biden,' Malliotakis told Fox News.

'Joe Biden put in place the policies via executive order that created this mess. This was not happening under President Trump. It was not happening under President Obama, and it has reached a record high,' she said.


By Casey Lartigue Jr.



When I meet South Koreans who are negative about North Korean refugees, I ask them why. Some mention having to pay higher taxes because of North Korea and North Korean refugees and the negative stories they read about North Korean refugees. When I ask how many North Korean refugees they have met, most say, "None."



Those are the kinds of South Koreans, along with shopkeepers and resume screeners, who get talked about in media stories about discrimination against North Korean refugees.



However, what about South Koreans who get to know North Korean refugees and remain critical? In addressing this topic, I hope readers won't infer from the handful of anecdotes in this column that this is reflective of the attitudes of all of the more than 50 million South Koreans. In 2017, volunteers with the organization I co-founded with Eunkoo Lee carried out some research and found there were at least 80 organizations focused on issues related to North Korea. Many of those people have devoted their careers to aiding North Korean refugees directly or trying to increase freedom in North Korea.



I try to keep in mind that a supporter can have 100 great experiences but lose energy after a negative experience or two. It is also always possible that I catch some people on a bad day.



Seven years ago, I wrote a column about an influential South Korean who approached me at a networking event. She insisted she tried not to be prejudiced, but she had heard from colleagues that North Korean refugees they worked with lie and cheat with impunity, don't show up for classes or events, are always late, show no sense of responsibility, and are passive until they are pushed. She said that her colleagues working with refugees have horror stories and social welfare workers routinely get their hearts broken.



She had been involved with some high-level organizations supporting North Korean refugees. She had heard that our organization was not having problems, but she couldn't believe it. Hearing how well things were going, she asked if we paid North Korean refugees to show up for our activities. No, we keep our activities learner-centered so North Korean refugees studying with us know we respect their choices and goals. Our problems are so minor that even researchers and reporters fascinated with problems would be bored.



I have met other South Koreans in decision-making positions that are critical of North Korean refugees. Some of them said they couldn't understand why North Korean refugees want to learn English or give speeches in English. Digging deeper, they admit that they believed North Korean refugees would be satisfied even with a factory job and not pursue a "luxury" like studying English.



Some South Koreans who help support North Korean refugees are dismayed when they learn that some North Korean refugees want to live abroad. Digging deeper, such people admit that they felt that North Korean refugees should be thankful that South Korea has accepted them. Some of the executives leading one organization expressed regret at supporting North Korean refugees when they realized that some wanted to study abroad.



A few years ago, I was talking with the leader of an institution focused on North Korean refugees. He was complaining that the North Korean refugees he had helped had not returned to thank him. I asked why he thought they didn't return to him. He griped for a few more minutes about them not being grateful. I felt like he had answered my question about why North Korean refugees didn't return to him.



One top executive giving financial support to North Korean refugees used to say negative things about them. Initially, he sounded like the skeptical South Korean I met at the networking party seven years ago who didn't believe that we had such good relations with North Korean refugees. I challenged him, saying that his negative attitude may be picked up on by North Korean refugees, thus leading them to be negative about him.



He recently attended one of our events and heard North Korean refugees say nice things about us unprompted. His organization is much richer than ours but he said he didn't hear such unprompted praise from North Korean refugees he had helped. He said he would be less skeptical about North Korean refugees and see how he could collaborate with them in better ways.



As far as I know, these South Koreans haven't been quoted in media stories about discrimination against North Korean refugees. Even some who soften their criticism sometimes say they wish they could get the kinds of support North Korean refugees receive. I advise them to get captured by North Korean agents, spend at least a decade in North Korea, and if they escape back to South Korea that I would actively lobby for them to receive the same benefits North Korean refugees receive.





Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is co-founder with Lee Eun-koo of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and co-author with Han Song-mi of "Greenlight to Freedom."


By Katelyn Caralle

Santos says he is of Ukrainian Jewish descent

In one interview, Santos said his family name on his mother's side was the historically Jewish name 'Zabrovsky.'

'My grandfather was born in Kyiv and left in the late 20s and migrated to Belgium where he met my grandmother and then started a family,' Santos told Fox Digital in February. 'We don't carry the Ukrainian last name, for a lot of people who are descendants of World War II refuges or survivors of the Holocaust, a lot of names or paperwork were changed in the name of survival.'

George Santos was revealed to be a pathological liar after he won the 2022 midterm elections to represent New York's 3rd congressional district. His lies and fabricated stories span almost every topic from his education background to his family's heritage

Reports indicate that there have been no successful efforts to find any Jewish or Ukrainian heritage in his family tree according to the Forward.

Santos said in a separate interview in 2020 that he was raised by 'a white Caucasian mother, an immigrant from Belgium. But Santos' mother, Fatima Devolder, was born in Brazil, according to her obituary in 2016.

Additionally, newly resurfaced tweets show that Santos, who is Brazilian-American, claimed in July 2020 on Twitter that he was biracial, meaning 'Caucasian and black.'

Santos' claims his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Santos wrote in a July 2021 tweet that he was 'blocking' an account with the handle '9/11 was a victimless crime' because his mother was a victim of the terrorist attack.

He wrote, '9/11 claimed my mother's life so I'm blocking so I don't ever have to read this again,' after the user responded to a tweet from Santos regarding immigration.

An obituary for Santos' mother, however, states that she died in December 2016, which is more than 15 years after the attack took place.

He also confirmed the real date in a December 2021 tweet where he said: 'December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor. Mom you will live forever in my heart.'

Santos' campaign website said his mother 'survived the tragic events of September 11th' in the South Tower office of the World Trade Center and died 'a few years later when she lost her battle to cancer.'

A New York Times report had described Santos' mother as a 'domestic worker' or 'housekeeper.'

His campaign website described his mother as a top executive.

'George's work ethic comes from his mother, who came from nothing, but worked her way up to be the first female executive at a major financial institution,' the website states.

The congressman-elect said in a 2021 tweet that, '9/11 claimed my mother's life,' however Fatima Devolder died in 2016 of cancer and it's unclear if it was 9/11-related. It's also unclear if she was an executive or a housekeeper

Santos said he attended a prestigious New York prep school

The Representative-elect said that he attended Horace Mann School  an elite private school in the Brox where tuition costs $59,800 per year.

'He began Horace Mann preparatory school in the Bronx, however, did not graduate from Horace Mann due to financial difficulties for his family,' read a 2019 biography during his first campaign for Congress, which Santos lost.

'He obtained a GED during his senior year,' it added.

The school said, according to CNN, that he never attended.

'We've searched the records and there is no evidence that George Santos (or any alias) attended Horace Mann,' spokesperson for Horace Mann Prep School Ed Adler said.

CNN reported late Wednesday that the New York Republican never attended Horace Mann School (pictured), an elite private school in the Bronx

Former call center worker Santos' resume includes time at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup

Santos said that he worked on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup but now says he used a 'poor choice of words' when describing his relationship with the two firms.

The incoming congressman worked at a DISH Satellite call center from October 2011 to July 2012.

He also worked for LinkBridge, where, in an attempt to justify his lie, Santos said that he did business with Goldman and Citi and made 'capital introductions' between clients and investors.

Santos said he 'never worked directly' for either firm.

George Santos (right) poses with his then fiance at Mar-a-Lago on New Year's Eve

Santos' claim his family-owned real estate portfolio of 10+ properties

Santos posted on Twitter in February 2021 that 'my family and I' had not received any rent on 13 properties allegedly owned by him.

A review property taxes owed or paid for in New York state shows no evidence of ownership.

He claimed to have a brain tumor

On March 30, 2020, at the start of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic, an interview with Santos was published on YouTube titled 'George Santos: A Corona Story.' The video has since been set to private

In the video, according to Newsweek, Santos tells two men, one wearing a 'Guns and Freedom' hat and the other seated by a 'Don't Tread on Me' flag, that he had 'battled a brain tumor.'

Discussing his health Santos said: 'I have an immunodeficiency and I also have acute chronic bronchitis. I also battled a brain tumor a couple of years ago and I had radiation done which really lowers your immunity in general.'

Claimed that he lost four employees in Pulse nightclub massacre

During an interview with WNYC, Santos alleged that four 'people that work for me' were killed during the June 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which left 49 dead.

No connection has yet to be establish between any of the victims and Santos.

Said he was the founder of a charitable foundation

Santos said he founded a tax-exempt animal rights group, Friends of Pets United, which rescued more than 2,500 cats and dogs.

But no records relating to the group's charitable status could be found by the IRS, nor could either the New York or New Jersey attorney general's offices uncover documentation confirming Friends of Pets United had been registered as a charity.

Public records, however, show that Santos was previously married to a woman named Uadla Vieira, a native of Brazil, until 2019

In 2016, he claimed $2,250 was stolen in a mugging on his way to pay rent - but cops have no record of the incident

Santos claimed that in 2016 he was mugged on his way to pay his apartment rent in Queens.

In a sworn statement battling eviction, he said $2,250 was stolen. According to Gothamist, he wrote: 'I have been mugged at approx 1:15 p.m. on 01/15/16 on Queens Boro Plaza, as I was on my way to pay the lawyer.

'I have gone to the checks cash location located on 31st and 23rd Ave in Astoria to request a stop payment.

'I am unable to provide a police report today as I was requested to go back Tuesday to pick it up.'

The NYPD, however, have no record of the incident, the outlet reported.

Santos eventually moved out of the apartment as a result of the case and paid the rest of what he owed in rent.
This is the wild moment a police officer ripped out the window of a 'sovereign citizen's' car after she refused to leave the vehicle.

The incident took place in Coffs Harbour, NSW at 1pm on Wednesday and started when an officer asked the Helen Delaney, 52, to wind her window down.

She refused to wind it all the way down and also refused to give her name or driver's licence before telling the officer he had 'no jurisdiction'.

He told the so-called sovereign citizen that she was being stopped because she was driving without registration.

Later checks found that the registration of the car Delaney was driving had expired in July last year.

She was arrested and charged with several offences before being bailed to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on Thursday.

Delaney was charged with outstanding warrants and the use of an unregistered motor vehicle on road.

She was also charged with using a vehicle with motor vehicle tax not paid, using an uninsured motor vehicle on road, refusing to produce drivers licence/state name/address, and refusing or failing to submit to breath test.

In the footage, Delaney and her passenger, who filmed the exchange, told the police officer they were 'travelling', not driving.

The encounter got increasingly heated as the two sovereign citizens refused to give their details to the officer.

Eventually, the exasperated officer called for back-up while telling Delaney he would pull the car window out if she did not comply.

He also repeatedly stressed that they would be arrested if they did not provide details.

The passenger then tells the officer: 'You have no authority here. Who do you derive your authority from? There is no sovereign in this country.

'Don't you dare think you guys have authority here.'

Frustrated, the office grabbed the window and pulled it out before reaching through and opening the door.

He told the sovereign citizens that they were under arrest.

She refused to wind it all the way down and also refused to give her name or driver's licence before telling the officer he had 'no jurisdiction'

Frustrated, the office grabbed the window and pulled it down in an impressive display of strength, before reaching through and opening the door

The passenger is then heard to reply: 'You're a f***ing p****. Man I would just love to get you one on one.

He continues cursing at the police officer as he and colleagues pull the sovereign citizens out of the car and arrest them.

A statement from NSW Police said: 'Just before 1pm yesterday (Wednesday 18 January 2023), officers from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command were patrolling the Coffs Harbour area, when they stopped a vehicle on the Pacific Highway.

'Subsequent checks revealed the vehicles registration had expired in July 2022.

'Police spoke with the driver, a 52-year-old woman, who was allegedly wanted on two outstanding arrest warrants for domestic violence-related offences.

'The woman allegedly failed to provide officers with her details and was arrested at the scene and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station.

'While at the station, the woman allegedly refused to undergo a breath test.

'The Coffs Harbour woman was refused bail to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court today (Thursday 19 January 2023).'

In all Australian states and territories it is an offence to drive a motor vehicle on a road without a valid licence. You must carry your licence when driving and show it to a police officer when asked.

Sovereign citizens are a loosely-affiliated but growing movement of people who connected with one another mainly on social media during the pandemic.

They often believe that they  not judges, juries, law enforcement or elected officials  should decide which laws to obey and which to ignore.

Most sovereign citizens also do not believe they should have to pay taxes and that maritime law should be used to govern - even on land.

They also believe capital letters are used on birth certificates to make individuals a corporate entity, not a sovereign person.
The latest documents from the Bryan Kohberger search warrant have been unsealed after the county prosecutor gave the nod.

The papers, released earlier on Wednesday, show cops found hair strands, a black glove, a computer tower and one unnamed item with a collection of 'dark red spots'.

The items were recovered by police during a raid on his Washington State University campus accommodation after the grisly quadruple murders last year.

Here is the full unsealed search warrant from the officers:
Three young fishermen have caught a massive bull shark in the shallows of a popular Sydney beach as experts warn more sharks will migrate into the city's waterways this summer.

The three-metre long shark was caught by the three fisherman just off Dolls Point, in Botany Bay in Sydney's south, on Tuesday night.

After spending more than an hour reeling in the beast, the boys managed to tag it and release the shark back into the bay.

Bull sharks migrate south from Queensland to NSW waters as temperatures typically increase in January.

The fishermen spoke of their adrenaline rush after catching the apex predator.

Three young men have caught a three-metre bull shark just off of Dolls Point in Botany Bay in Sydney's South (pictured)

'Words can't explain the pure adrenaline rush and feel of that experience until you do it,' Kai George, one of the three to grab the shark, told 7News.

Lachie Dick, another of the fishermen to help reel it in, said the friends worked hard to get the shark in.

'The heart was definitely pumping, it got the blood rushing.

'It was crazy.'

Their catch comes less than two weeks after another three-metre bull shark was caught in Birchgrove, on Sydney Harbour, by fisherman James Murray on January 9.

The shark took just 25 minutes to be reeled in before Mr Murray tagged the shark for research purposes.

'When you tag a shark they [the NSW Department of Primary Industries] give you a card and you fill out the details, what kind it was, the size it was, male or female,' he said to Chris O'Keefe on 2GB.

'It is only when someone else recaptures that shark they can see where it is caught and if it has grown'.

The trio of fisherman took over an hour to reel in one of the many bull sharks migrating south into Sydney waters to follow warmer waters

The catch was around one kilometre away from Sydney's newest harbour beach in Marrinawi Cove in Barangaroo.

The swimming spot has been fitted out with shark nets.

Despite that, Mr Murray said harbour swimming was a 'pretty bad idea' from December to early March because the aggressive bull sharks were busy searching for food.

Bull sharks are known for their aggressive and unpredictable behaviour and have been responsible for 148 attacks on humans in Australia since the 1900s.

The sharks are able to thrive in both fresh and salt water and usually come close to shore after dusk and before dawn around beaches, lakes and estuaries in search for food.
An elderly couple's luxury waterfront home has been razed by a fire towering three-storeys high that is understood to have been sparked by a lithium battery.

The $1.65million house on Nootka Court in Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast was engulfed by the blaze about 11am Wednesday - with the two occupants thankfully able to escape uninjured.

Emergency services were called by neighbours who noticed thick black smoke pouring from the property.

Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control by 2.15pm and extinguish the blaze by 3.20pm.

Footage shows a man believed to be the owner run back into the house to save the couple's cats while his partner worriedly paces the front yard across the street as residents attempt to console her.

A Broadbeach Waters home has gone up in flames this morning



The couple living there managed to escape the inferno just in time. @AbbeyGeran #9News pic.twitter.com/F0tXAiawJO  9News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) January 18, 2023

The blaze quickly engulfed the luxury waterfront property on the Gold Coast (pictured)

Queensland Fire and Rescue Senior Firefighter Ty Hopson told reporters the fire was contained to the home and did not spread to neighbouring properties.

'We have four pumps on hand, two specialist appliances and your senior officers totalling 21 personnel,' he said.

Neighbours saw the black smoke (pictured)

The couple's cars were also damaged in the blaze.

An investigation is underway into what triggered the blaze and QFES is yet to confirm the cause.

'Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by a failure in an e-scooter battery pack,' a QFES spokesperson said.

'The reason for the failure is unknown at this stage.'

It is believed the source of the fire was a battery for an electric e-bicycle or e-scooter in the garage.

On the footage, neighbours across the street can be heard commenting on the heat the flames were putting out and how the glass doors on the neighbouring property were bending and bulging.

Various pops, shatters and explosions can be heard as the fire rages.

One neighbour Russell Barth was out mowing his lawn when he saw the smoke.

It took firefighters hours to bring the blaze under control (pictured), believed to have been sparked by a battery charging in the garage

'We (he and another resident) raced over and the lady who owns it tried to put the hose onto it and within a minute it went to about 10-foot high.' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'It was just crazy. Within 2-3 minutes it was up to the whole house.'

'He (the owner) rushed out and said his cats were inside and he went back in to get them,' Mr Barth said.

Mr Barth added another resident heard something sparking and hissing before the fire broke out.

There is increasing scrutiny over e-bikes and e-scooters with thousands of their lithium batteries catching fire across the globe in recent years.

In Australia more than 450 fires have been linked to lithium batteries in the last 18 months and in Queensland alone there have been 72 since 2021.
The Crown Estate has signed a deal worth up to 10billion giving energy companies the right to build offshore windfarms  but the King claims he does not want to profit.

Charles, who is an avid supporter of both onshore and offshore wind power, said he wants the windfall from the bumper lease agreements for six new windfarms to 'be directed for wider public good'.

Under current arrangements known as the Sovereign Grant, the King is entitled to receive 25 per cent of all profits from the Crown Estate. The rest is kept by the Treasury.

Last year the Sovereign Grant was 86.3million, based on the Crown Estate's 345million profits notched up in 2019/20.

The Crown Estate has signed a deal worth up to 10billion giving energy companies the right to build offshore windfarms  but the King claims he does not want to profit

He said he wants the windfall from the bumper lease agreements for six new windfarms to 'be directed for wider public good' (stock image)

The six offshore wind leases are expected to add 1billion to the Crown Estate's annual revenues from 2024 for at least three years up to a maximum of ten years.

The leases were provisionally handed out two years ago, before the current cost-of-living crisis took hold, the Telegraph reports.

For the year to the end of March 2022, the Crown Estate generated revenues of nearly 491million, meaning the additional income could see this figure more than treble.

But Buckingham Palace has said King Charles wants the percentage of Crown Estate profits paid to him to be reduced from 25 per cent to a lower figure so the public reaps the benefits.

The decision to reduce the percentage paid to the monarch and by how much is not made by the King but by the trustees of the Sovereign Grant: the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sally O'Neill.

The new funding arrangements for the Sovereign Grant will be announced later this year.

The revenue boost is likely to net a large windfall for taxpayers as the Crown Estate's profits are paid into the Treasury's coffers for 'the benefit of the nation'.

Over the past ten years, the revenue paid to the Exchequer is 3billion.

In the King's first Christmas message, he made clear he was aware of the financial hardship faced by many

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'The Keeper of the Privy Purse has written to the Prime Minister and Chancellor to share the King's wish that this windfall be directed for wider public good, through an appropriate reduction in the proportion of Crown Estate surplus that funds the Sovereign Grant.'

In the King's first Christmas message, he made clear he was aware of the financial hardship faced by many.

The Sovereign Grant was originally set at 15 per cent of the Crown Estate surplus. An additional 10 per cent was agreed for ten years from 2017/2018 to fund the renovation of Buckingham Palace.

The Crown Estate manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland and so plays a key role in the UK's offshore wind industry.

Overall, the Crown Estate has awarded rights to build wind farms around the UK totalling 41 gigawatts of power  more than four fifths of the Government's target of getting offshore wind capacity up to 50 gigawatts by 2030.

Dan Labbad, the chief executive of the Crown Estate, said: 'The UK's offshore wind achievements to date are nothing short of remarkable, and this next generation of projects points to an even more exciting and dynamic future.'

He added: 'They demonstrate the far-reaching value that our world-class offshore wind sector can deliver for the nation: home-grown energy for all, jobs and investment for communities, revenue for the taxpayer, clean energy for the benefit of the environment.'

Three of the new windfarms are off the North Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire coast, and three in the North Sea off Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The giant wind farms will provide around eight gigawatts of electricity  enough for seven million homes.

Dan McGrail, chief executive of trade body RenewableUK, said: 'This announcement represents a major step forward not just for these major offshore wind projects but also for the industry as a whole, as these lease agreements will strengthen our energy security, create jobs and support development of new UK supply chains.

'It demonstrates the continuing ability of the UK to attract billions of pounds in private investment due to the maturity of our world-class offshore wind market, which is enabling the redevelopment and regeneration of all areas of the UK, especially in coastal communities which need levelling up.

'Offshore wind is playing the leading role in the UK's transition to clean power, becoming the backbone of our future energy system, and helping us to reach net-zero as fast as possible.'
Sir Keir Starmer has sided with Nicola Sturgeon over Scotland's radical gender reforms.

He opposes Westminster using its ultimate veto to block the SNP government's controversial plan to let people as young as 16 change their legal sex.

The Labour leader does not think single-sex spaces are put at risk by making it easier for anyone to change sex, and his spokesman would not condemn the party's MPs who barracked a colleague as she defended women's rights in a heated Commons debate on Tuesday.

Ministers say they were forced to take the unprecedented step of vetoing legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament because the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill would have had a 'serious adverse impact' on equality laws across the UK.

Nicola Sturgeon's government's new reform would see people as young as 16 to legally change their gender

Sir Keir's spokesman said the UK and Scottish governments could have resolved the 'totally unnecessary' row before the unprecedented Section 35 veto was issued and he could not point to anything in the Scottish reforms that posed a threat to single-sex spaces

In a further blow to the Scottish First Minister, former Supreme Court judge Lord Hope said yesterday the Government's reasons were 'devastating' and that Miss Sturgeon's chances of winning a legal challenge were 'very low'.

But Sir Keir's spokesman said the UK and Scottish governments could have resolved the 'totally unnecessary' row before the unprecedented Section 35 veto was issued and he could not point to anything in the Scottish reforms that posed a threat to single-sex spaces.

'That's why we want to see the legal advice to see whether there is something that the Government is saying that we are not aware of as to why they are using this unprecedented step of using the Section 35 mechanism to block the legislation,' he said.

Members of the Labour Party and the SNP were described as 'shouting down' gender critical Labour MP Rosie Duffield during a heated debate on the issue in the House of Commons on Tuesday

The spokesman said on Twitter that there would be only 'minimal' difficulties in handling benefits for people recorded as one sex in Scotland and the other in England, and the 'vast majority' of an expected 500 new applications for a gender recognition certificate would be genuine.

He admitted single-sex groups would not be allowed to refuse entry to anyone with a gender recognition certificate, but said this was already the case.

The spokesman said Labour peer Lord Falconer, a former Lord Chancellor who is close to Sir Keir, had also dismissed the Government's objections.

In Tuesday's Commons debate, male Labour MPs barracked colleague Rosie Duffield for suggesting that allowing biological males into single-sex spaces such as 'domestic violence settings, changing rooms and prisons' would have 'serious repercussions for women'.

Asked if Sir Keir thought it acceptable that she was shouted down, his spokesman said: 'There is always robust debate in the House of Commons but that should never cross the line into abuse. If a member feels that that has happened then that clearly isn't right.'

Senior Labour figure Emily Thornberry denied Miss Duffield had been shouted down by MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle. 'I think I heard Lloyd say, "Oh, Rosie, that isn't right" but I don't think that would be probably shouting someone down,' she told Times Radio.

Miss Duffield herself said yesterday she was not being supported by the party leadership over the abuse. 'I haven't heard from Keir,' she said. 'The people in the Shadow Cabinet don't approach me and ask me if I'm OK or what they can do and they don't discuss this issue with me,' she told GB News.

Mr Russell-Moyle apologised for the 'tone' of his remarks to a Tory MP he had accused of transphobia  but has not said sorry to Miss Duffield.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said Joe Biden was getting the 'white glove treatment' with an establishment special counsel after classified documents were found in his home.

In contrast, he said his case was being handled by a war crimes prosecutor as he slammed the double standard.

'There are two standards of justice in our country: One for people like you and me, and one for the corrupt political class of which there are many,' he said in a video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

Trump has delivered a stream of mockery ever since the White House admitted last week that government documents had been found first at a private office used by Biden after his term as vice president ended, and then later at his Delaware home.

Donald Trump on Thursday said Joe Biden was getting the 'white glove treatment' with an establishment special counsel after classified documents were found in his home.

Even Biden allies have expressed their frustration at how the discovery, and missteps by the White House in handling the crisis, could let Trump off the hook for his own handling of government documents.

In the two-minute video, Trump contrasted the two special counsels, claimed Biden kept documents on the wet floor of his garage, and said that Biden - as vice president at the time - would not have had the power to declassify files, as he did when he was president.

'At the very same moment when my ultra secure Mar-a-Lago home was raided by the FBI, Joe Biden was harboring classified documents in his China-funded Penn Center and his unsecured garage... right on the floor, piles of paper.

'The floor was probably very wet and damp as many garages are

'Yet while I'm being persecuted by Trump hating Special Counsel, I call them special prosecutors but this one in particular is a prosecutor and a Trump-deranged person.

'They prosecute all sorts of things he prosecuted war crimes and war criminals.

'Joe Biden, in the meantime, is being given white glove treatment by a establishment hack who tried to cover up the Russia hoax.'

Trump is being investigated by Jack Smith (left), a war crimes prosecutor, while Robert Hur, who left the Justice Department for private practice, was named last week as special counsel to probe Joe Biden's handling of government papers

How the scandal of government documents unfolded since classified records were found in Biden's office at the Penn Biden Center on November 2

Biden has ignored questions about the scandal all week as the White House stumbles over explaining who knew what and when about documents found in his office and at his home

Timeline of Biden document discovery and initial investigation Nov. 2: Ten classified documents are found at the Penn Biden Center, a think tank in Washington, DC, by President Joe Biden's lawyers. Nov. 3: The National Archives is notified of the discovery. Nov. 4: The National Archives' Office of Inspector General contacts a prosecutor at the Department of Justice and tells them that classified material has been discovered at the Penn Biden Center. The documents are secured at an Archives facility. Nov. 8: 2022 midterm election Nov. 9: The FBI commences an assessment to determine whether classified material have been mishandled. Nov. 14: Attorney General Merrick Garland assigns the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John Lausch, to determine if a special counsel is needed. Dec. 20: The president's personal attorney informs Lausch that additional documents with classification markings have been found in Biden's garage in Wilmington, Delaware. The FBI secures those documents. Jan 5: Lausch advises Garland that a special counsel should be appointed. Jan. 9: White House publicly announces classified documents from Biden's time as vice president found at the office of his DC think tank . Jan 12: The president's personal attorney informs Lausch that an additional document has been discovered at Biden's Wilmington home. Jan. 12: White House counsel Richard Sauber travels to Biden's Wilmington home - finds five more classified documents. Jan. 14: White House publicly discloses the documents Sauber found. Advertisement

Before being appointed special counsel to investigate Trump's handling of documents, Jack Smith was chief prosecutor at an international tribunal probing the Kosovo war.

Conservatives have been quick to seize on the fact that his wife, Katy Chevingy, is listed on IMDb as a producer for Michelle Obama's 2020 documentary Becoming.

Robert Hur, who was named last week to investigate Biden, is a partner in a Washington law firm after serving as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.

At the Justice Department, he reportedly worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

'It's a travesty Biden lied to the American people and weaponized the Justice Department or as I call it, the injustice department - to go after me for the very crime he actually committed,

And he wasn't president. So he didn't have the right to declassify as I did.

'The difference is that while I did everything right, I did nothing wrong. Biden did everything wrong.

'The boxes hoax should be dropped immediately against President Trump.'

While tranches of the media have suggested that Biden's lapse is less serious than Trump's, which triggered an FBI raid of his home and the recovery of thousands of files compared with a handful in the case of Biden, it has left the White House facing difficult questions about who knew what and when.

According to the White House, the first discovery was made on November 2 at the Penn Biden Center for Global Diplomacy and Engagement in Washington.

Yet Biden and the White House, which had promised to 'bring transparency and truth back to the government' only acknowledged the find last week, after CBS News reported details.

And his press secretary was caught out last week, insisting six times during one briefing that the sweep for documents was completed by Wednesday night, before it emerged that more files were found a day later.

It was only on Saturday that the White House revealed that classified documents were discovered on four separate occasions: on November 2 at the offices of the Penn Biden Center, on December 20 in the garage of the president's Wilmington, Delaware, home, and on November 11 and 12 in the president's home library.

The result is that the daily White House briefing is dominated by questions about the timelines.

Almost all of which are met with reporters being told to ask the Department of Justice or the White House legal counsel's office.
Thousands of disgruntled teachers have switched unions in the aim of joining next months strike action, the Mail can reveal.

The National Education Union (NEU) has received more than 10,000 new members since it announced plans on Monday to strike over seven days in February and March.

Eligible teachers and school staff can take part in the planned walkouts if they sign up to the NEU before the first scheduled strike on February 1.

It means tens of thousands more teachers potentially joining the 120,000 members already walking out across England and Wales next month.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU (pictured), rejected the Education Secretary's offer of paying more to teachers in subjects facing a recruitment crisis

Overall, 300,000 teachers and support staff in England and Wales were asked to vote in the NEU ballot.

A total of 121,253 teacher members in England voted yes.

The news comes as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested on Tuesday paying more to teachers in subjects facing a recruitment crisis such as maths and physics.

This was rejected by Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, who said such an offer would be resisted by members.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested on Tuesday paying more to teachers in subjects facing a recruitment crisis such as maths and physics

Dr Bousted said: I had to make the point that any idea of a differentiated pay award would make the current situation worse, with regards to my members, all of whom feel very strongly that they are not being paid for the job that they do.

She added: We welcome everybody into the union but we are not encouraging members to switch unions to join us.

A Department for Education spokesman said: [Mrs Keegan] reiterated that strike action would be highly damaging to childrens education, particularly following the disruption experienced over the past two years.

It comes as teachers at Rishi Sunaks 46,000-a-year alma mater Winchester College are set to go on strike next month.

NEU members at Winchester voted in favour of walkouts in an indicative ballot. Of the staff balloted, 89 per cent voted to strike, with a turnout of 83 per cent.
A couple who created a hot yoga empire are being sued by their lawyers after they allegedly failed to pay more than $86,000 in legal fees.

Michael, 36, and Suzanna Calava, 35, started the Peak Physique Hot Yoga Franchise Group in late 2011.

Their business quickly grew and by 2020 the couple had set up 15 franchises around Australia and the couple signed a contract for legal services with SLF Lawyers in November, 2020.

In a claim submitted in the Brisbane District Court last Thursday, SLF said they sent the yoga company an invoice for $89,055 for legal advice, the Courier Mail reported.

But the legal firm alleges the company breached the agreement after they failed to cough up the money within two weeks.

Michael, 36, and Suzanna Calava, 35, started the Peak Physique Hot Yoga Franchise Group in late 2011

The couple say they are passionate about health and wellbeing

Instead Peak Physique allegedly paid $2,675 of the total amount owed between April and December, 2021.

The agreement also allowed SLF to register caveats over properties owned by the couple in Noosa Heads and Brisbane, with the law firm claiming they have an 'equitable share' in the homes as 'security' for the money owed.

The Calavas began their business back in 2011 and had franchises around Queensland and South Australia.

Daily Mail Australia understands the couple are no longer associated with Peak Physique and haven't been since 2021.

The pair allegedly failed to pay their lawyers $86,000 in legal fees

The couple had signed a contract for legal services with SLF Lawyers in November, 2020 but the law firm have since taken legal action against them

Instead they sold the franchised studios and founded a similar venture called Peak Group Global in 2020 which offers yoga training and classes online.

On their website both Mr and Mrs Calava detailed their journey into yoga and fitness.

Mr Calava had earlier worked as a dental therapist but when his career began he suffered a motorbike accident and nearly had to have his foot amputated.

He was in hospital for four weeks but began to focus on health, wellbeing and yoga as a major part of his recovery.

'Besides yoga and health, Michael has a real passion for business ventures and his vision of a family suite of services that delivers fitness, health and wellbeing to all ages, backgrounds and beliefs has been the foundation of Peak Group Global,' the website says.

For Mrs Calava, her passion for yoga began after she returned from an exchange program in Germany and wanted to shed some weight.

'With hot yoga she was able to accelerate her weight loss and achieve better than expected results,' the website reads.

'Further to this, she realised yoga was not just about improved fitness levels and weight loss results; but also about feeling good inside, an improved mindset and a focus on personal health.'

Her experience in accounting and professional services firms has been credited as the 'bedrock' for her company's success.

There is yet to be a date set for the hearing of the law suit and no defence has been filed.

Daily Mail Australia has the Calavas for comment.
Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young, right, listens to Algocare CEO Joung Ji-won's explanation about the startup's nutrient dispenser during the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 6. Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and Startups



By Park Jae-hyuk



Lotte Healthcare has come into conflict with the government over its alleged stealing of a local startup's technology, which was then incorporated into one of its own products and later displayed at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month.



Both companies were displaying pill dispensing machines at this year's event.



The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Wednesday night that it had sent a technology theft investigator and a lawyer to a healthcare startup named Algocare on Tuesday, as soon as the ministry became aware of Lotte Healthcare's alleged stealing of the startup's pill dispenser technology.



"The experts introduced possible legal actions against the damage and governmental programs to support victims," the ministry said in a press release. "If the victim asks us for arbitration, we will make efforts to mediate the dispute as soon as possible. If arbitration fails to resolve the issue, we will finance the victim to take legal action."





Lotte Healthcare's pill dispensers are on display at the company's exhibition booth during the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in this January file photo. Korea Times photo by Song Ju-yong



The ministry issued the press release a few hours after Algocare posted a statement online alleging that the conglomerate displayed an imitation of the startup's Nutrition Engine nutrient dispenser at the world's most influential tech event.



At this year's CES, Algocare received an innovation award with the dispenser which will be available in March.



The startup said that the conglomerate used the information it had acquired through several meetings between the two companies from September to October 2021. The two companies decided not to form a partnership after those meetings.



"When we were displaying our product at the K-Startup exhibition booth for the CES 2023 on Jan. 5, some visitors told us that they had seen the same product at Lotte's booth," Algocare CEO Joung Ji-won said in a statement. "After visiting Lotte Healthcare's booth, we found out that the company was promoting its product and service by plagiarizing Algocare's idea."



Joung, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, who previously worked for four years at Korea's largest law firm, Kim & Chang, also disclosed specifications of both companies' products and voice records of her telephone conversations with Lotte Healthcare Executive General Manager Woo Woong-jo.



She said that Algocare filed a lawsuit against Lotte Healthcare over its alleged violations of the Fair Trade Act and the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.





Lotte Healthcare's Fillkey, a smart pill dispenser, left, and Algocare's Nutrition Engine nutrient dispenser on the right / Courtesy of Algocare
A frantic 911 call from Jeremy Renner's neighbor has revealed the anguished cries of the Avengers actor in the moments after he was crushed by a 14,330-pound snow plow.

The 52-year-old had been helping a stranded family member whose car had broken down close to his mansion near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, when he was run over by the Snowcat.

In audio released to TMZ Renner can be heard moaning repeatedly in the background of the emergency call as the neighbor, who remained nameless, explained his injuries.

Friends and family close to the 'Bourne Legacy' star said he 'almost died' waiting for help and that it could take up to 'two years' for him to recover from the blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.

A frantic 911 call from a neighbor has revealed the anguished cries of Avengers actor Jeremy Renner, 52, in the moments after he was crushed by a 14,330lbs snowplow

In the audio clip the unidentified neighbor can be heard telling Renner to 'lay still' repeatedly while the emergency call operator asks him questions.

'I need the address of the emergency please,' the female operator can be heard saying to the male caller.

'I told you,' the male caller says sounding frustrated as Renner continues to moan in agony in the background.

'I know, I just need to verify it, what is the phone number that you're calling from,' the female operator said.

'Immediately, somebody has been runover by a Snowcat, hurry,' he is heard saying.

'Ok, what is the phone you're calling from, just in case we get disconnected,' she says.

The 52-year-old was airlifted to hospital after he was 'crushed' and 'nearly died' waiting for emergency services with friends and family reportedly saying he 'nearly bled out'

'Tell me exactly what happened,' she is heard saying. The neighbor responded: 'I don't know, someone is in front of my house and he got run over by a Snowcat. He's been crushed.'

'Phone paramedics, ambulance,' he said, being interrupted by the operator who is heard saying 'everyone is on their way right now.'

A pause in the phone call gives way to the gurgling moans from Renner who friends said nearly 'bled out' during the incident.

'Listen to me, you might want to get life line out here immediately,' the audibly distressed neighbor is heard saying.

'Ok, give me one second,' the female operator says before asking 'where is he bleeding from.'

The beloved star underwent two surgeries to place metal pins around his legs, along with chest surgery, after being left in critical condition following the frightening incident

'I don't know I can't tell,' the neighbor says before explaining that Renner is crushed on his right side on his chest, upper torso, and adds that his 'ribs may be crushed.'

'He's got a headwound as well. Can you give me an ETA?' he is heard saying in the recorded 911 call.

'It's hard to give an ETA just because the snow on the mountain I don't know how quick they're able to go,' the female operator said as the neighbor explains that his breath is getting shorter.

'How's he doing?' she is heard asking. 'Shallow breath, a lot of pain, he's conscious we have him covered in blankets, his heads covered, he'll be drifting off.'

'Is he starting to kind of drift off into sleep?' she asks, to which the neighbor responds 'yeah.'

Renner shared hospital footage of what appeared to be him getting wheeled in for either a CT scan or an MRI. He captioned the video: 'I wish you all a very special night'

The audio makes it clear that the 52-year-old was in need of life-saving equipment and had been crying out in agony for over 15 minutes.

Renner was later airlifted to hospital from a private road blanketed in thick snow.

Footage shows the emergency helicopter taking off from the winter landscape and disappearing behind snow peaked mountains.

Renner's condition has been described by sources close to the American actor as far more severe than had been previously been reported.

At the time, Renner's representatives said he had suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries and was in a critical but stable condition after surgery.

The Avengers star posted a photo of a snow covered mansion and wrote: 'Missing my happy place'

Renner was hospitalized in the intensive care unit since New Year's Day but has since returned home. He is seen here driving a plow in an old video posted on Instagram

'It's much worse than anyone knows. Jeremy is very aware of the fact that he almost died out there,' a source told RadarOnline.

'The right side of Jeremy's chest was crushed, and his upper torso had collapsed. He also had a bad head wound that was bleeding and a leg injury.'

The actor is reportedly aware he has a long road to recovery ahead of him, with friends saying it could take up to two years before he is back in fighting shape.

'Jeremy was in a lot of pain, and was having difficulty breathing,' a source told RadarOnline. 'He knew he was in bad shape and that he might not make it out of this.

'Word is the damage to Jeremy's chest was so substantial it had to be reconstructed in surgery,' the source continued.

Renner was trying to help a family member whose vehicle was trapped in the snow on New Year's Day when he was run over by his snowplow

Renner was airlifted to a local hospital near his Lake Tahoe cabin shortly after the accident had occurred

'So far, he's had two surgeries and he will likely require more in the weeks ahead on his leg. Doctors tend to space out operations to allow time for the body's natural healing process to kick in, and that's the case here.'

Renner's family members have been by his side including his mother Cearley and sister Kym, since the accident. They are helping to keep him entertained while the actor heals.

'Jeremy's doing OK. He's pretty doped up and he's got tubes to help him breathe, but he's a fighter, and he's determined to get through this.'

On Monday, Renner shared a photo of snowy setting in Lake Tahoe on social media.

The 52-year-old Mayor Of Kingstown actor said he was missing his 'happy place'.

Renner is pictured at his home in 2017. He has told in the past of having to clear away the snow to gain access to the $3.25million property

The snowplow Renner was run over with weighs approximately 14,330 pounds

Last week, his sister, Kym, told People he is working hard to restore his health with therapy in a hospital.

'If anyone knows Jeremy, he is a fighter and doesn't mess around,' she said.

'He is crushing all the progress goals. We couldn't feel more positive about the road ahead.'

The second season of the action star's gritty drama, Mayor Of Kingstown, debuted on Paramount+ Sunday night, and a post about in on social media gave his friends and fans an opportunity to send more good wishes his way.

The actor was airlifted to a medical facility after being 'completely crushed' by a seven-ton snow plow at his cabin in Lake Tahoe at around 10am on New Years Day while attempting to tow a vehicle stuck in the snow.

He underwent surgery on January 2 and was required to stay at the intensive care unit following the medical procedure. He has now returned home.

A social media post about season two of Mayor of Kingstown gave friends and fans another opportunity to share their good wishes

The beloved star, who celebrated his 52nd birthday in the ICU on Saturday, underwent two surgeries to place metal pins around his legs, along with chest surgery, after being left in critical condition following the frightening incident.

Since his hospitalization, Renner has continued to share his personal updates to fans and followers on social media, which began with a selfie he had taken while resting in the ICU.

Notable bruises could be seen on his face, and the actor penned in the caption, 'Thank you all for your kind words. I'm too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.'

He later shared a clip of himself being pampered by his supportive sister and mother as he received a relaxing scalp massage.

'A 'not no great' ICU Day, turned to amazing spa day with my sis and mama. Thank you soooooo much,' he penned in the caption of a tweet.

Last Friday, the Marvel star shared hospital footage of what appeared to be him getting wheeled in for either a CT scan or MRI on Friday.

Captioning the video of him getting wheeled toward a large high-tech imaging machine, Renner wrote: 'I wish you all a very special night.'
She refers to a Homeland Security document saying Don Lewis was in Costa Rica

Her claims fell on deaf ears at the time but have now started to go viral

She had been previously accused by Tiger King, Joe Exotic, of murdering him

Video footage of Carole Baskin, who starred in the Netflix documentary Tiger King, claiming that her missing - and allegedly dead - husband had been found alive in Costa Rica is going viral.

Baskin, 61, was famously accused by Tiger King, Joe Exotic, of murdering her ex-husband Jack 'Don' Lewis, who mysteriously disappeared in 1997. Since then, she has protested her innocence.

It has now emerged that in an interview on UK television in 2021, Baskin referred to a Department of Homeland Security document which supposedly proved her innocence.

In the undated and unverified Homeland Security letter, which briefly appeared in an episode of the second season of Tiger King, an FBI agent allegedly wrote: 'Don Lewis is currently alive and well in Costa Rica.'

The investigation write-up concludes: 'Lewis could reside in Costa Rica indefinitely. This investigation will be closed.'

Lewis, was 59-years-old when he was last seen and would be 81 if still alive today.

Carole Baskin, 61, said on UK television in 2021 that her ex-husband whom she was accused of killing, was in fact found alive in Costa Rica

Jack 'Don' Lewis, was 59-years-old when he was last seen in 1997. If he were still alive today he would be 81

In the undated and unverified Homeland Security document that appears briefly in the show an FBI agent allegedly wrote: 'Don Lewis is currently alive and well in Costa Rica'

'One of the really exciting things that came out of Tiger King 2 is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security,' Baskin said during the interview last year with ITV This Morning.

'They said my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica. And yet all of this drama has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance, when Homeland Security has known where he is,' she added.

Baskin claims the document was issued after August 2002, when Lewis was declared legally dead - and to prove this pointed out that the Department of Homeland Security was not established until November of that year, which is true.

She and her new husband Howard also tried to draw attention to this in a blog post published on their website on November 18, 2021 - the same day her ITV interview was broadcast.

In that post the couple wrote that although the second season continued as the first season did to 'falsely convince the viewer that Carole was involved in Don Lewis disappearance,' it did have some 'redeeming features.'

Carole (left) and Howard Baskin (right) pictured in August 2021, three months before citing the Homeland Security document

Carole and Howard Baskin said in a 2021 blog post that the second season of Tiger King had some redeeming features in that it revealed that Lewis was routinely flying small aircraft to Costa Rica and could have reached the country undetected

Homeland Security investigation write-up shown in the Netflix series concludes: 'Lewis could reside in Costa Rica indefinitely. This investigation will be closed'

Joe Exotic (pictured), whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is now serving a 21 year prison sentence for hiring two hitmen to kill Baskin

They wrote: 'Season 2 confirms he was still flying planes without a license and therefore could have gone down over the gulf, that he could have gone to Costa Rica with small planes by making stops along the way.'

It also made reference to money he was illegally taking to Costa Rica prior to his disappearance.

'He was bringing large amounts of cash to Costa Rica, and, importantly, that he was dealing with dangerous individuals who may have been responsible for his demise,' they wrote.

It is not clear why this alleged piece of evidence that Don Lewis was found in Costa Rica after his claimed death has gone viral all of a sudden, and why it was ignored by Tiger King fans when the second season first aired.

Baskin is the owner of Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary for exotic cats. The allegation that she is guilty of murdering Lewis and feeding his dead body to tigers became mainstream after it was made by Joe Exotic.

Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a 21 year prison sentence for hiring two hitmen, including an undercover FBI agent, to kill Baskin.

In January 2022 a federal judge rejected his plea to have the sentence commuted.
While it still feels like a lifetime away, nothing says summer like a bowl of juicy red strawberries and cream.

But in a move that may make fruit-lovers blanch, a white variety is on sale at Marks & Spencer.

And while the 'White Pearl', pictured, is reportedly as sweet as a traditional red, the aroma is said to resemble pineapple with notes of vanilla.

In a move that may make fruit-lovers blanch, a white variety (pictured above) is on sale at Marks & Spencer

The new type, imported from Florida, costs 3.50 for 200g  a premium of around 75 per cent compared with a typical punnet of red strawberries, which could be imported from as far away as Jordan in winter.

The white strawberries were developed in Japan, using seeds from a white variety crossed with traditional berries.

But Twitter users were divided. While one wrote: 'Sounds yummy,' another declared: 'I'd like my strawberries to taste like strawberries  I'm old fashioned like that!'

M&S is no stranger to innovation in the fruit and veg aisles. Previously, there has been the Limelon, a hybrid between the lime and melon, Candy Floss Grapes, and an Orange Candy Melon that tastes like sweets.

The new type, imported from Florida, costs 3.50 for 200g  a premium of around 75 per cent compared with a typical punnet of red strawberries

M&S boasted: 'These are truly not just any strawberries... these are new Collection White Pearl Strawberries, the first on the UK high street.

'With an incredible unique appearance - white on the outside, pure white flesh on the inside and covered in red seeds - it's a strawberry in reverse!'

The chain's strawberry buyer, Tom Pedley, said: 'We love to be first to market and introduce products that no one else can, our customers get really excited when we introduce new flavour produce or hybrids!

'We're known for our Candyfloss Grapes, while the Limelon was all over the news so that's why we had to bring the White Pearl Strawberry to M&S, not only does it have a really unique flavour but it's incredible to look at, plus, it's great for kids, who doesn't want to try a reverse strawberry.'

The red colour of strawberries comes from a molecule that is found in many fruits and flowers and which is called anthocyanin. They are also responsible for the healthy dark coloured skins in blueberries and blackberries.

Anthocyanins are reported to possess anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, while it is suggested that they may contribute to the prevention of heart disease.

Regular red strawberries make use of a special ripening protein called Fragaria allergen A1 (or Fra a1). The white variety contain very little to no Fra a1, which means they ripen but stay white.

This protein is primarily responsible for strawberry allergies, as a result people suffering this condition may find the white are a safe alternative.
Police are on the hunt for a beanie-wearing vandal accused of kicking 43 cars and smashing their windows during a 30-minute rampage.

The unknown man left cars dented and smashed some of their mirrors in Melbourne's east on December 15.

The damaged cars were parked on Powlett Street, Albert Street, Simpson Street and Grey Street between 3.30am and 4am.

Police released images of the man they believe is responsible for damaging 43 cars in Melbourne's east on December 15 (pictured)

Melbourne East Police are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the alleged vandal.

On Thursday, investigators released images of a man they believe is responsible for the vandalism.

The man is seen wearing a grey beanie, an oversized khaki jumper, dark faded pants and black shoes.

He is believed to be aged between 30 to 35 years old, is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 180cm tall, with long dark hair.

Anyone who recognises the man or has information related to the incident are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Outraged mourners have vented their anger at a street sweeper who kept them from hearing a memorial service.

Helping Hand Lealhome nursing home worker Shannon Castle attended the funeral for one of her elderly female residents in Port Pirie, 220km north of Adelaide, on Friday.

The funeral parlour was packed full so Ms Castle joined almost 50 other mourners to listen to the service from speakers outside.

However, a nearby street sweeper ignored the crowd and brought his loud machinery over to where they were gathered.

A street sweeper (example above) interrupted a funeral service with his loud machinery last Friday

Daily street sweeps are part of TLAP's (above) plan to lower lead contamination in Port Pirie

'A fella wearing a face net went past and completely drowned out the speakers so everyone outside couldn't hear what was being said,' Ms Castle told the Adelaide Advertiser.

'It was just incredibly disrespectful, he would have seen us all gathered there but decided to keep going.'

Port Pirie is home to one of the world's largest lead smelters.

Local group Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP) run daily streets sweeps as part of its plan to lower lead contamination and keep locals safe.

TLAP spokesperson Peter Dolan said the company would remind workers to be considerate of public events

'We certainly sweep the footpaths there daily, if a funeral was going on our people should've avoided interacting with it if possible,' he said.

He encouraged any other residents with similar interactions to call the company and lodge a complaint.
Jacinda Ardern has shut down rumours she'll be heading to a plum role at the United Nations after announcing her shock resignation as the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Ms Ardern announced on Thursday in an emotional press conference that she would be stepping down on February 7, after five-and-a-half years in the top job.

When asked by a reporter whether she would take up a role at the UN, Ms Ardern said she currently didn't have any other career aspirations.

'This has been my entire focus as you can see by the fact you've not been aware of this (my resignation), so that (the UN) has not been my focus,' she said.

Jacinda Ardern has shut down rumours she was considering a career change to the United Nations after announcing her shock resignation

'My focus has been this decision, supporting the Labor team through this next stage.

'Beyond that, I have no plans other than spending a bit of time with my family and seeing what's next.'

She said working for the UN had 'never' been her ambition.

Ms Ardern had attracted worldwide attention when she brought her then four-month-old baby Neve into the UN in September, 2018.

Sky News anchor Ashleigh Gillon noted jobs offers would 'surely be coming thick and fast' for the outgoing prime minister.

She fought back tears when she made the announcement on Thursday to a horde of media unaware she was stepping down.

'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,' she said.

'I would be doing a disservice to continue.'

Ms Ardern said she was looking forward to spending more time with her family

Ms Ardern is seen embracing her fiance Clarke Gayford after announcing she'd be stepping down

Ms Ardern had attracted worldwide attention when she brought her then four-month-old baby Neve into the UN in September, 2018

Ms Ardern said the Labour party would elect a new leader by the weekend but Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson would not be a candidate.

She was expected to announce an election date - which she did, for October 14 - but shocked all-comers by declaring her exit from politics.

She said she left without regrets, offering a simple way she would like to be remembered.

'As someone who always tried to be kind,' she said.

Ms Ardern also addressed her family; her fiance Clarke Gayford and four-year-old daughter Neve.

'Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year,' she said.

Ms Ardern is seen hugging fellow MPs after announcing she would be stepping down from the top job

'And to Clarke - let's finally get married.'

Ms Ardern resigns at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017, and was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM, and before that youngest sitting MP in 2008, aged 28.

She insisted her party trailing in the polls against the rival National Party ahead of the upcoming election had nothing to do with her decision to step down.

'I am not leaving because I believe we can't win the election but because I believe we can and will,' she said.

'But we need a fresh set of shoulders for the challenges of both this year and the next three.'

Ms Ardern faced unrelenting criticism for implementing some of the harshest Covid restrictions in the world including lockdowns where New Zealanders couldn't even buy takeaway food and a more than two-year border closure.

But she denied the constant attacks, which continued last year as the economy faltered and cost of living rose, played a role in her decision.

'I'm not leaving because it's hard... I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice,' she said.
Police confirm call to an apartment at Southport on Wednesday night

A young self-proclaimed e-commerce millionaire claims to have been robbed, beaten, stripped and sexually assaulted in a wild gunpoint kidnapping.

Eli Dangerfield, 24, an entrepreneur who flaunts a luxury lifestyle on Instagram, told police he was jumped outside his Southport apartment on the Gold Coast on Wednesday evening.

He claimed he had a hood thrown over his head, and had a gun pointed at him before being bashed and later stripped, tied to a chair and ordered to masturbate.

A young self-proclaimed e-commerce millionaire claims to have been robbed, beaten, stripped and sexually assaulted in a wild gunpoint kidnapping

Eli Dangerfield, 24, an entrepreneur who flaunts a luxury lifestyle on Instagram, told police he was jumped outside his Southport apartment on the Gold Coast

It is understood the bizarre incident may be a 'targeted attack' related to an Adelaide court case involving e-commerce identities, the Courier Mail reported.

After the alleged assault, Mr Dangerfield was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment on injuries to his face and legs.

Mr Dangerfield also claimed an associate was allegedly thrown into Dangerfields Mercedes Benz C63S AMG and driven to Brisbane where he was left.

In a fresh statement to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Queensland police confirmed they were called to a Gold Coast apartment but would not provide any further details.

Mr Dangerfield, who claims students of his online business courses have made $48million, started his millionaire's journey selling luxury watches online while at high school in Adelaide

'Police were called to a Como Street, Southport, address last night and have commenced investigations into an assault,' the statement said.

'For operational reasons we are unable to comment further at this time.'

Mr Dangerfield, who claims students of his online business courses have made $48million, started his millionaire's journey selling luxury watches online while at high school in Adelaide.

By 21 he claimed to be making over $300,000 a month.

'Years later I've made millions and I'm proud to have helped thousands of others', he said in 2021.

He now lives on the Gold Coast and splits his time between running multiple online businesses and actively spruiking his online e-commerce course, called his 'Six Figure Brand Accelerator'.

His marketing includes showing off a flashy lifestyle on Instagram to his 302,000 followers - which includes riding in high performance cars, wearing jewellery, glamorous holiday snaps and even a flight on what appears to be a private jet.

Mr Dangerfield, 24, lives on the Gold Coast and splits his time between running multiple online businesses and actively spruiking his online e-commerce course

As of Thursday, Mr Dangerfield had removed all recent posts from his Instagram page and it carried a note saying it was 'offline'.

Mr Dangerfield told Daily Mail Australia he knew since the age of 14 he was 'different' and that he wanted to get 'rich'.

'I didn't want to work a nine to five job I disliked for the rest of my life,' he said in 2020.

'I wanted to be rich and successful, and live the laptop lifestyle that I saw others living.'

Daily Mail Australia approached Mr Dangerfield in relation to the assault and kidnapping claims.
Labour last night said that many of their statements were not firm commitments

Labour was accused last night of shredding Sir Keir Starmers pledge to end the partys big spending reputation after announcing 45billion of commitments in a fortnight.

At the start of this year, the Labour leader promised the party would no longer commit to getting its big government chequebook out.

But Treasury analysis suggests that since the speech on January 6, Labour frontbenchers have made spending commitments totalling 45.2billion, which would cost an extra 1,650 in tax per household.

Chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen said: Labour have already broken their New Years resolutions by reaching for the big government chequebook.

Labour was accused last night of shredding Sir Keir Starmers pledge to end the partys big spending reputation after announcing 45billion of commitments in a fortnight

Labour last night insisted that many of the statements by shadow ministers were not firm commitments - and insisted that its election manifesto would be fully costed.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has drawn up plans with Sir Keir to restore confidence in Labours economic competence and counter the partys reputation for profligacy.

Miss Reeves pledged to introduce iron clad discipline to the partys approach to the public finances.

The pair travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last night in a bid to convince voters that the party is finally ready to be trusted with the economy again.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has drawn up plans with Sir Keir to restore confidence in Labours economic competence and counter the partys reputation for profligacy

Miss Reeves claimed Labour had the ambition and the practical ideas to have our country lead on the global stage again.

It comes amid dismay in some quarters that Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are not attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum to drum up trade.

Instead, Business Secretary Grant Shapps and International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch are representing the UK Government.

Speaking at an event on Ukraine last night, Mr Shapps accused Labour of merely offering soundbites about whatever they dont like.
Prince Andrew, having apparently reached an understanding with the King enabling him to pursue some business interests, now wants his HRH title back.

He was ordered by the late Queen not to use it when he was stripped of his remaining royal patronages last year.

He acknowledges he won't return to royal duties or be restored to any patronages, Andrew remains a Royal Knight of the Garter and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

He is said to be perplexed as to why he cannot again use the HRH title especially as he maintains that he has done nothing wrong. His trump card with mother was invariably: 'Innocent until proven guilty.'

A source says Charles is resisting stirring up trouble by formally announcing any change in Andrew's status.

'It is more likely,' whispers my mole, 'that he will just start using it again in a low-key way to test the waters  should he get the King's consent.'

Prince Andrew, having apparently reached an understanding with the King enabling him to pursue some business interests, now wants his HRH title back

Diana's ex-personal chef Darren McGrady recalls William and Harry were 'best friends' when they drenched him with pump action water-pistols at Sandringham, prompting him and a colleague to drive to King's Lynn to purchase water guns and gain revenge on the princes. 'We were intercepted by a police officer unimpressed to be told why we'd bought the toy guns,' he says, adding: 'We never did get to shoot William and Harry.'

BBC defectors Emily Maitlis, pictured, and Jon Sopel have donned their bespoke ear muffs for LBC in Davos, with Emily tweeting: 'Our Jon Sopel just took us up the Schatzalp.' Sopel responds: 'Maitlis  you have a potty mouth and a potty mind. I said I was taking you up the Schatzalp in all innocence.' Aren't the frisky duo ideal replacements for Carry On's Babs Windsor and Sid James?

BBC defectors Emily Maitlis, pictured, and Jon Sopel have donned their bespoke ear muffs for LBC in Davos, with Emily tweeting: Our Jon Sopel just took us up the Schatzalp'

Hugh Bonneville, portraying Scotland Yard's Brian Boyce for BBC's The Gold, recalls the retired chief superintendent telling him of the apprehension of 26million Brink's-Mat thief  and later road rage killer  Kenneth Noye. 'He told me there was this rule that you didn't talk to Kent Police as Noye's house was in Kent and he was a mason.' So too were many policemen. Two of them nominated Noye to the Hammersmith Grand Lodge. Murky waters.

Apropos Boyce. He also told Bonneville that when he took over the Flying Squad he was determined to purge the heavy drinking image created by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in the TV series The Sweeney. Bonneville said Boyce told him at the time: 'Right, we are going for runs every lunchtime.' Two weeks later the Brink's-Mat robbery occurred and normal service was resumed. (hic)

Having paid a reported 1million for Sooty, Sweep and Soo, illusionist Richard Cadell tells Radio Times he has nine storage boxes containing costumes. 'One favourite is Sweep's Pavarotti outfit, in which he does a horrendous rendition of Nessun Dorma in a full evening suit with tails, a handkerchief and a little dickie bow.' He adds: 'We never say puppet. They are real, and it's not an act.' Deep breaths, Richard!
Anthony Albanese has farewelled his 'great friend' Jacinda Ardern with a sweet photo after his New Zealand counterpart announced her shock resignation.

The Prime Minister expressed his respect and admiration for Ms Ardern just minutes after the leader revealed she had 'nothing left in the tank'.

He tweeted a sweet photo of him and the outgoing prime minister mid-embrace during a visit to Sydney when the leaders met for bilateral talks in June.

'Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength,' Mr Albanese wrote.

'She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.

'Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me.

'I look forward to working with the next Prime Minister of New Zealand, and I wish Jacinda Ardern and her family well in the next chapter of their lives.'

Despite describing Ms Ardern as his 'great friend' the leaders have not always seen eye-to-eye, recently clashing heads over a contentious immigration issue.

The Australian Prime Minister posted of the photo of him and Ms Ardern in a warm embrace just minutes after she announced her resignation in an emotional press conference (pictured)

During a bilateral meeting in Sydney in July, the leaders (pictured) enjoyed the Vivid light show at Sydney Harbour and traded their favourite vinyl records

Mr Albanese was forced to abandon plans to resolve a critical shortage of nurses after Ms Ardern rejected a campaign designed to entice Kiwis to Australia.

Both countries experienced a severe shortage of skilled labour during the Covid pandemic due to repeated border closures.

Ms Ardern slammed the suggestion as a 'hard no' during a press conference in Sydney, prompting her counterpart to defend the campaign.

Mr Albanese assured Ms Ardern that the growth of Australia's nursing capacity would not come at the expense of 'our friends' in New Zealand.

'We have common challenges of skills shortages. That's part of global challenges as well,' he told reporters during the visit in July.

'What we want to do is work together so we are achieving outcomes that benefit both New Zealand and Australia rather than competing against each other.

'That's one of the reasons why we engaged here today so constructively.'

Despite this road bump, the leaders spent the visit enjoying the Vivid light show at Sydney Harbour and trading their favourite vinyl records.

Ms Ardern's resignation comes into effect on Sunday if the Labor Party can elect her replacement, or on February 7 if the process was drawn out

Anthony Albanese shows off his new haul of records following a trade with Jacinda Ardern

The leaders also discussed deportation laws, climate change issues and dealing with an increasingly aggressive China in the Pacific region.

The meeting came just months before Ms Ardern would announce she would be stepping down from her role in an emotional press conference on Thursday.

Her resignation comes into effect on Sunday if the Labor Party can elect her replacement, or on February 7 if the process was drawn out.

Ms Ardern said she hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'.

'I am human. Politicians are human. We give all we can for as long as we can, and then it's time. And for me, it's time,' she said.

'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility.

'The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead - and also when you're not.'

Ms Ardern resigned at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017, and was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM

Ms Ardern resigns at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017, and was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM (pictured on Thursday)

She insisted her party trailing in the polls the rival National Party ahead of the upcoming election had nothing to do with her decision to step down.

'I am not leaving because I believe we can't win the election but because I believe we can and will,' she said.

'But we need a fresh set of shoulders for the challenges of both this year and the next three.'

Ms Ardern faced unrelenting criticism for implementing some of the world's harshest Covid restrictions, including lockdowns where New Zealanders couldn't even buy takeaway food and a more than two-year border closure.

Ms Ardern is embraced by her partner Clarke Gayford after announcing her resignation

But she denied the constant attacks, which continued last year as the economy faltered and the cost of living rose, played a role in her decision.

'I'm not leaving because it's hard. I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice. I would be doing a disservice to New Zealanders to continue,' she said.

The resigning PM was asked if she would take up a role with the UN after leaving office and didn't give a straight answer.

Instead, she insisted she had 'no plans' other than relaxing with her daughter Neve and marrying her fiance Clarke Gayford after their wedding was called off due to Covid restrictions.

'I am looking forward to spending time with my family once again... so to Neve, mumma is looking forward to being there when you start school this year, and to Clarke, let's finally get married,' she said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen during a ceremony to celebrate the Danish company's investment in Korea at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



DAVOS  President Yoon Suk Yeol has been striving to attract foreign companies' investments and partnerships with Korean companies during his attendance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, calling himself Korea's "No. 1 salesperson."



"I am the No. 1 salesman of Korea, and as a salesperson, I hosted today's luncheon in order to offer a good meal to global CEOs," Yoon said during a luncheon with top government officials from Seoul, CEOs of global companies and Korean conglomerate heads on the sidelines of the forum, Wednesday (local time).



The luncheon was held as part of Yoon's belief that Korea can find a breakthrough in the current economic headwinds by focusing on exports and foreign companies' investments in Korea. It was a rare case of not only the heads of Korean conglomerates but also CEOs of some of the world's leading companies joining and discussing cooperation.



This is not the first time that Yoon has described himself as a salesman for Korea. During a separate dinner with Korean CEOs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, Yoon said, "Public officials should always have the mindset of providing service to businesses," and, "I also consider myself as a staff member in the marketing or planning department of a company."



This approach by the president drew favorable responses. According to the presidential office, participants in Wednesday's luncheon had conversations in a casual atmosphere, while sharing their experience of running businesses in Korea or partnering with Korean companies, as well as exchanging ideas on combating common crises that the world is facing.



"I believe Korea is one of the most business-friendly countries in the world," Blackstone Chairman Stephen Schwarzman was quoted by senior presidential secretary for public relations Kim Eun-hye. "President Yoon is a great salesman whose salesmanship outshines ours."



Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon said Korean companies have shown true innovation during the over 30 years of Qualcomm operating in Korea, and he wants to "cooperate with Korea for the next 30 years as a long-term partner," citing Korea's resilient and solid supply chain.




Jacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as the Prime Minister of New Zealand next month.

She made the announcement on Thursday morning during a press conference, revealing she will remain in the role until February 7.

Ms Ardern, who was elected to the top job in 2017, said was resigning because she doesn't have 'enough in the tank'.

Jacinda Ardern is stepping down as Prime Minister of New Zealand next month

'I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead - and also when you're not,' she said.

'I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice.

'I am human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it's time. And for me, it's time.

'To Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school next year. And to Clarke, let's get married.'

Outgoing New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison

Ms Ardern learned she was pregnant with her first child before she was Prime Minister.

She gave birth to daughter Neve on June 21 in 2018.

She returned to work in August that year after taking six weeks maternity leave.

The 42-year-old was planning to marry long-term partner Clarke Gayford in January last year but their plans were put on hold as te country battled its Omicron outbreak.

A caucus vote will happen on Sunday for a new Party leader and new Prime Minister.

Ms Ardern will stay on as MP for Mt Albert until April.
Jill Biden is cancer free after her Mohs surgery, the White House doctor announced in an update on Wednesday evening, but she is feeling 'very well' after the procedure.

The first lady had lesions removed from her face and chest at Walter Reed National Military Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. At least two of them - one from above her right eye and one of the left side of her chest - were determined to be cancerous but had all the cancerous tissue successfully removed.

The one from her left eyelid was sent out for a traditional biopsy but the results came back cancer free, Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter released by the East Wing.

'Results are consistent with a seborrheic keratosis,' O'Connor wrote. 'Seborrheic keratosis is a very common, totally harmless non-cancerous growth. No further treatment is required.'

Seborrheic keratosis is a common noncancerous skin growth that people tend to get as they get older. Seborrheic keratoses are usually brown, black or light tan.

'Dr. Biden is recovering very nicely from her procedures,' O'Connor said. 'She experienced some anticipated mild bruising and swelling but feels very well.'

Jill Biden is declared cancer free after her surgery last week

The first lady was under anesthesia for about five hours for her Mohs surgery, which she had last Wednesday at Walter Reed National Military Hospital.

O'Connor said in a memo last week after her surgery that the first lady was experiencing facial swelling and bruising.

She had a lesion removed from above her right eye, which was confirmed to be basal cell carcinoma. Doctors also found a lesion on her chest, which appeared to be basal cell carcinoma, and doctors extracted. They later confirmed it was that type of skin cancer.

'All cancerous tissue was successfully removed,' O'Connor said.

Additionally, during the surgery, doctors also excised a lesion from her left eyelid and sent it in for additional testing. This is the one that was found to be benign.

President Joe Biden said last week his wife of 45 years is doing well but feeling some soreness.

'She will be sore for a while because of the work they did on her eyes and -- that's where one of these were. But she has a 0 to 1% chance of the return of any cancer so thank God she is doing really well,' he said.

Jill Biden thanked the hospital staff for their care.

Her spokesperson Vanessa Valdivia said in a statement last week that the first lady 'sends her love and gratitude to all the doctors and nurses at Walter Reed for their expertise, care, and kindness, and appreciates all those who have sent her well-wishes and prayers.'

First Lady Jill Biden leaves the White House before outpatient surgery to remove a small lesion above her right eye, known as Mohs surgery

Dr. Kevin O'Connor update from after Jill Biden's surgery last Wednesday

Mohs Surgery is an outpatient procedure where thin layers of skin are cut away and tested for cancer.

President Biden spent eight hours at the hospital to be with his wife during her procedure.

In his letter last Wednesday, O'Connor noted that 'basal cell carcinoma lesions do not tend to spread or "metastasize" as some more serious skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma are known to do.'

'They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal,' he wrote.

The first lady steps off Marine One at the National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland

Jill Biden, 71, is the oldest first lady in modern American history.

President Biden has accompanied her for two other medical procedures.

Prior to Wednesday's procedure, Dr. Biden had a 'common medical procedure' done at an outpatient center near the George Washington University campus in April 2021, with the White House not disclosing additional details.

And, in July 2021, she traveled to Walter Reed to have debris removed from her foot after she stepped on an unnamed object while walking on a beach in Hawaii during a pit stop made in the state as she returned from the Tokyo Olympics.

It is not the Biden family's first brush with cancer.

Beau Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma in 2013. He died in 2015.
A senior constable has been stood down by Queensland police

A senior Queensland cop has been stood down and is at danger of losing his job forever after he let a random partygoer spray himself in the face with his police-issued pepper spray.

Queensland Police confirmed on Thursday the senior constable, who works at a station on the Gold Coast, was stood down on January 13 after an investigation into the December incident.

The footage, which showed the police officer attending a pool party and handing his pepper spray to the man, went viral on December 28 after being posted on Facebook.

The video showed the officer not interfering as the man sprayed the police-issued pepper spray, also known as OC spray, directly into his eyes, doubling over in pain.

'The QPS is treating this matter very seriously and it is under active investigation by Ethical Standards Command,' a spokesperson from Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia.

A senior constable has been stood down by Queensland Police after footage emerged of him not interfering in a citizen spraying himself with police-issued pepper spray (pictured)

The video was posted to a private police Facebook group with the caption: 'DIY OC. New Year's resolution: Do Not Let Members Of The Public Use My OCEVER!!!'

Other footage from the pool party was captioned, 'Pepper sprayed by the cops but make it more DIY (do it yourself)'.

Pepper spray is considered an 'offensive weapon' in Queensland and is illegal to possess without a proper license and registration.

According to the Queensland Police's operational procedures manual, pepper-spray is considered 'a less than lethal use of force option, that may assist police officers and watchhouse officers resolve incidents involving violent person(s)'.

'In most instances the use of OC spray will assist police officers and watchhouse officers to control a person with minimal physical contact,' the manual suggests.

The manual also advises officers they have a duty of care to anyone who's been hit with pepper spray and 'are to assist in their recovery'.

The video was shared to a private Facebook group before being leaked on December 28, sparking an investigation that led to his standing down

Pepper spray is made from chilli peppers and is regarded as a lachrymatory agent - a chemical compound that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness.

The spray can also cause breathing issues if it enters the lungs.

The effects usually last for no longer than an hour and are used by police to help subdue violent suspects or to calm crowds in riots and protests.

It is illegal to use as a weapon across all Australian states and territories.
A legal battle over the UK government's veto of Nicola Sturgeon's 'doomed' gender reform bill would be a costly 'mistake', legal experts have warned.

The Scottish First Minister is gearing up to fight the imposition of a section 35 order which has blocked the SNP's overhaul of gender recognition laws.

The decision to block the law has been harshly criticised by Ms Sturgeon, but one former supreme court judge has said the chances of it being overturned are incredibly low.

Lord Hope of Craighead said the case put forward by the UK government is 'devastating' and questioned whether fighting it would be a 'sensible use of public money'.

Nicola Sturgeon, pictured at a news conference in Edinburgh on Monday, is gearing up to launch a legal challenge over the UK government's decision to block her gender reform bill

Trans rights activists protest the decision to veto the gender reform bill outside Downing Street on Wednesday

He was backed by ex-honorary professor of law at Glasgow University, Alistair Bonnington, who claimed any bid by the SNP to fight the order in court would be 'doomed'.

It comes as Rishi Sunak yesterday defended the decision to block the reforms and denied SNP claims the move was an attack on devolution.

In a fierce rebuke of the First Minister's plan for a judicial review, Lord Hope insisted it was difficult to see how any court would not agree that Scottish Secretary Alister Jack was acting reasonably when he imposed the order, and said the prospect of a successful challenge is 'very low'.

Ms Sturgeon faced growing calls last night to stop raiding the public coffers every time a flawed SNP policy was challenged.

Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: 'Lord Hope's comments help explain why the UK Government had no alternative but to issue a section 35 order.

'His warning to [Ms Sturgeon] on pursuing this through the courts should be heeded  it would amount to a waste of public money.'

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill would lower the age for applications for a gender recognition certificate to 16 and remove the need for a medical diagnosis of dysphoria.

Rishi Sunak, pictured at PMQs on Wednesday, has defended the decision to impose a section 35 order over the bill

Lord Hope of Craighead said there is a very low chance of the UK government's decision being overturned by the courts

MSP suggests 8-year-olds should be able to change gender A Green MSP has claimed Scotland 'should be exploring' opportunities for children as young as eight to decide whether to legally change their gender. Maggie Chapman, who represents North East Scotland in the Scottish Parliament, staunchly defended controversial gender identity reforms passed by Holyrood. This seeks to lower the minimum age that Scots can legally change their gender from 18 to 16. Ms Chapman said a Holyrood committee had heard from 'a wide range' of people who 'knew well before they were 16 that they were trans'. And she suggested the Scottish Parliament could go further by considering 'options' for people of a younger age to make a legal change. The Zimbabwe-born politician also claimed it was a 'gross over-simplification' for school textbooks to 'talk about sex being binary'. She suggested people do not know what biological sex they are without having their 'chromosomal make-up' tested. Advertisement

The UK Government has warned allowing it to gain Royal Assent would have an 'adverse' impact on UK-wide equality laws.

Lord Hope said: 'There are two points... the first is does the Bill make modifications to the 2004 (Gender Recognition) Act that exists in law as it is, and the answer to that question is that it most certainly does, because that is part of the purpose  indeed the whole purpose  of the Bill itself, to make the acquisition of a certificate that much easier, and also about modifications.

'Then the question is, was the Secretary of State acting reasonably deciding to make the order? When you look at the reasons in the document it is very difficult to see how a court could come to a conclusion to the contrary effect.

'And that makes me think that actually to go to court and argue it through the various levels of court is a mistake, it seems to me, risking a lot of time  because it will take a lot of time going through all the levels of court until you get to the Supreme Court  and also questions as to whether it is a sensible use of public money.'

If the SNP Government seeks a judicial review, it would be heard in the Court of Session in Edinburgh. But the case could then end up in the Supreme Court if the losing side appealed the decision.

Lord Hope, a former Dean of the Faculty of Advocates who retired as a Supreme Court judge a decade ago, told BBC Scotland the UK Government's 13-page 'statement of reasons', setting out why it imposed a section 35 order, is 'a very devastating document for those who seek to preserve the Bill'.

Asked whether Ms Sturgeon was wrong to say she will vigorously defend the legislation, he said: 'She can decide to do that but I still think it is open to question whether it is a wise decision, given the prospects of success  which I would have thought are very low, given the detail of the document that has been published.

'I hope she'll take a deep breath and that she will calm down and try to look at the thing rationally.'

A trans rights activist holds a placard that says 'fix your hearts or die' at a protest outside Downing Street on Wednesday

The letter written by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack to Nicola Sturgeon outlining his decision to block the gender reform bill

No10 slaps down minister for backing gender age limit of 16 Downing Street today slapped down a Cabinet minister for suggesting 16-year-olds are old enough to change genders. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan strayed off message during a round of interviews by backing reducing the age limit from 18. That is one of the moves in legislation passed by Holyrood - which is being blocked by Westminster because it would clash with existing UK laws. After pointing out that she personally had been working and paying tax at 16, Ms Keegan then frantically tried to quell the row in an appearance later by saying she did not have a 'strong opinion'. And No10 made clear there is no change to the government's position. 'We consulted on this issue and went with 18 as the right age  she made clear herself that she was speaking about her own personal standpoint,' the PM's spokesman said. Advertisement

He added that the move by the UK Government was not a 'full-frontal attack' on the Scottish Parliament, as was claimed by Ms Sturgeon.

The Telegraph reports him as saying it was 'not destroying devolution at all' but the veto was included in the act of Parliament that created Holyrood in the first place, it just had not been used before not as 'the Scottish Parliament has been very careful not to create the problems that have been created by this particular Bill'.

Mr Bonnington, Ms Sturgeon's former law tutor, said that if the SNP Government's challenge is based on an alleged 'attack on the devolution settlement' then it 'is doomed to fail'.

He added: 'It is worrying that SNP MSPs and MPs are so ignorant of the legislation which applies to this matter that they have wasted everyone's time in the emergency debate in the Commons by making complete fools of themselves by concentrating on an irrelevant point.

'In short, they appear to struggle to understand the function of the Scottish parliament.'

At Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak said: 'As is laid out in the Scotland Act... this Bill would have a significant adverse effect on UK-wide equalities matters, and so the Scottish Secretary, with regret, has rightly acted.'

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn asked the PM: 'Are we not now on a slippery slope from devolution to direct rule?'

Mr Sunak replied: 'Of course we are not. This is simply about protecting UK-wide legislation; about ensuring the safety of women and children, this is not about the devolution settlement.

'I would urge the honourable gentleman and his party to consider engaging with the UK Government on this Bill, as we did before the legislation passed, so we can find a constructive way forward for the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom.'

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: 'We are examining the reasons the UK Government have given for their order and will take whatever steps we can to ensure the democratic will of the Scottish parliament is not frustrated.'

Why should we keep paying for Sturgeon's court failures?

Commentary by Graham Grant, Home Affairs Editor for the Scottish Daily Mail

The debacle over the SNP's transgender reforms is just the latest illustration of an inescapable truth  that the First Minister plainly believes her government is above the law.

Time and time again, she has fought bitter legal battles in defence of the indefensible  at enormous cost to the taxpayer  almost always ending in failure and humiliation.

According to former Supreme Court judge Lord Hope, Nicola Sturgeon's bid to contest the UK Government's section 35 block on her shambolic transgender Bill has a 'very low' chance of success.

It's wise counsel from one of the most respected judges of his generation but all the indications are that the Nationalists will ignore it, paving the way for yet another courtroom showdown.

Time and time again, Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) has fought bitter legal battles in defence of the indefensible

The last one happened only a matter of weeks ago when the Supreme Court threw out the SNP's contention that Holyrood could unilaterally order a second independence referendum without UK approval.

There was a broad consensus among constitutional experts that it was destined to fail but the Lord Advocate was despatched to argue a threadbare case  ending with a damning judgment which crushed any hope of a re-run of the 2014 vote without Westminster's consent.

Legal costs amounted to more than 250,000. Ideological fixation and a stubborn refusal to listen to reason carried a heavy price for the taxpayer, and not for the first time.

In fact, the total cost of failed SNP legal disputes, bankrolled by scarce public funds, runs to more than 1.5million since Ms Sturgeon was appointed First Minister in 2014.

More than 500,000 was spent covering legal bills for former First Minister Alex Salmond when he went to court to challenge the Scottish Government's botched handling of a sexual harassment probe.

Among the court cases lost by Ms Sturgeon's SNP was one over the right to hold a referendum on Scottish independence

Several weeks before ministers finally conceded in the judicial review of the process, back in 2018, its legal advisers had warned they were 'unable to see that the benefits in proceeding come close to meeting the potential detriments in doing so'.

The note  released to a Holyrood inquiry into the affair  disclosed the lawyers had said that given the possible 'harm', they 'simply wish all concerned  and we include the First Minister in this  to be absolutely certain they wish us to plough on regardless'.

The investigation of the complaints against Mr Salmond had been extraordinarily shoddy. Indeed, ministers admitted procedural flaws meant it had been 'tainted by apparent bias' and was therefore unfair and unlawful.

Mr Salmond claimed that the Scottish Government conceded the case only when counsel threatened to resign (though Ms Sturgeon insisted in her evidence to the inquiry that this was 'not [her] understanding of the position'.)

The First Minister was found by MSPs to have misled parliament over Salmondgate, but was cleared by James Hamilton of the same offence in a report.

It was toxic row and another example of the SNP in denial  unable to accept the fact that its in-house probe was badly flawed but forging ahead with a doomed court case in defiance of legal advice that could not have been any clearer.

Then there was the Named Person scheme which aimed to assign state guardians to every child in Scotland, including unborn babies. It was championed by the SNP in the face of warnings from a host of critics including the Faculty of Advocates.

The Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Parent Teacher Council were also against it, together with the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland.

More than 500,000 was spent covering legal bills for former first minister Alex Salmond when he went to court to challenge the Scottish Government's botched handling of a sexual harassment probe

True to form, the SNP sidelined and demonised critics of the scheme, which was later found to be largely unlawful by judges at the Supreme Court.

The legal bill this time was around 800,000, the price the public purse was forced to pay for the SNP's tunnel vision.

It's a depressingly familiar pattern  the SNP drives through legislation that is wildly unpopular, poorly drafted and patently unfit for purpose, then squanders huge sums trying and failing to salvage it in the courts.

The transgender Bill continues that bleak (and expensive) cycle as a blinkered Nationalist elite refuses to acknowledge its own fallibility, with potentially disastrous consequences for the taxpayer.
A ban on conversion therapy could criminalise Christians as well as parents and doctors, ministers have been warned.

Campaign group The Christian Institute says it will sue to protect the right to set out their beliefs without fear of prosecution.

It has obtained legal advice that the human right to freedom of religious belief could be infringed by a broad outlawing of attempts to change someone's sexuality or gender identity.

Barrister Jason Coppel wrote: 'Any prohibition of conversion therapy going beyond the existing criminal law raises serious issues of compatibility.'

Barrister Jason Coppel claims 'any prohibition of conversion therapy going beyond the existing criminal law raises serious issues of compatibility' with a person's right to set out their beliefs without fear of persecution

Campaign group The Christian Institute says it will sue to protect the right to set out their beliefs without fear of prosecution over their concerns about conversion therapy bans

He says a Christian could face trouble for 'sharing their faith' with a colleague if they complained it included being told they would 'go to hell for being gay'.

The legal threat will heighten Tory concerns that ministers are wrong to make a fresh attempt to outlaw conversion therapy.

Meanwhile, the Church of England has refused to lift its ban on conducting gay weddings but agreed that same-sex couples can have civil marriages blessed in churches.

Even preachers could face accusations of conversion therapy if they give sermons on sexual ethics when gay teenagers are present.

The legal opinion goes on to say that while freedom of religion and belief are protected under the European Convention on Human Rights and the UK's Human Rights Act, so is 'the attempt to convince others of the truth of one's beliefs'.

Christians may not, however, place 'undue pressure or coercion' on someone or spread 'hatred based on intolerance'.

'There are, accordingly, only limited circumstances in which the expression of Christian beliefs to a consenting adult, with a view to suppressing or changing their behaviour, could be prohibited compatibly with Convention rights,' the advice reads.
Florida Congressman Greg Steube has been taken to hospital after falling from a ladder while cutting a tree at his Sarasota home on Wednesday.

Steube, 44, was found lying on the ground by an Amazon delivery driver - who also works part-time as an aide to Steube's congressional colleague, Vern Buchanan.

The delivery driver called an ambulance and Steube was taken to hospital, where his condition was not clear.

'Congressman Steube was involved in an accident on his property late this afternoon and has sustained several injuries,' his office tweeted.

'We will provide additional updates when possible. Please pray for the Congressman and his family.'

He spent the night in ICU and was being assessed for 'several injuries' that are not considered to be life-threatening, his office had.

Florida Congressman Greg Steube has been taken to hospital after falling from a ladder while cutting a tree at his Sarasota home on Wednesday

Steube, 44, was found lying on the ground by an Amazon delivery driver - who also works part-time as an aide to Steube's congressional colleague, Vern Buchanan

The congressman lived at the expansive property with his wife Jennifer and their son Ethan

Steube was elected in 2019 to represent the Sarasota and Fort Myers district. He lives with his wife Jennifer, an asset manager, and their son, Ethan.

His colleagues sent him wishes for a full recovery.

'Please join (my wife) Ann and me in wishing Greg a speedy recovery,' tweeted Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who was previously the governor of the state.

'We're keeping him and the Steube family in our prayers.'

Brian Mast, another Republican congressman for Florida, tweeted: 'Praying for you, brother.'

Steube hit the headlines in June, when he pulled out several guns during a live Zoom session of the House Judiciary Committee, called to debate gun laws.

Steube argued that the law limiting high-capacity magazines would have unintended effects - and he held up his own guns to demonstrate, while participating in the hearing virtually.

'I hope that gun isn't loaded,' Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said.

Steube replied: 'I'm at my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns.'

Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida displayed his own collection of guns over Zoom during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing in June, marking up gun control legislation
Rapist former Met Police officer may have attacked his first woman more than 30 years ago, it was feared.

The 48-year-old former firearms officer who admitted 49 charges, including 24 rapes involving 12 women over 18 years, is awaiting sentencing before Southwark Crown Court.

He was sacked on Tuesday from the Met for gross misconduct following his conviction. However, several police forces have launched investigations after it was claimed he may have been attacking women since he was a teenager.

Early reviews have found that four police forces had been aware of allegations against the former soldier over a 21-year period - while he was serving with the Met.

Rapist former Met Police officer David Carrick, pictured, may have been a threat to women for more than 30 years, new reports have claimed

One woman is believed to have come forward to say that Carrick, pictured, attacked her while he was a teenager living in Wiltshire

According to The Mirror, a woman has come forward to say that she was attacked by Carrick while he was a teenager in Wiltshire, meaning there could be many more victims who have yet to come forward.

Police missed several chances to catch Carrick earlier, including 18 months ago when he was held on suspicion of rape. The allegation was passed to the Department of Professional Standards, who failed to adequately review his file to see if there were similar complaints in the past.

Nobody in the Met Police is yet facing any disciplinary action for failing to identify Carrick as a threat.

The force has been placed into special measures following a string of disastrous incidents involving its officers, including the brutal murder of Sarah Everard by PC Wayne Couzens.

Carrick will return to Southwark Crown Court on February 6 where he will be sentenced over the course of two days.

The independent inquiry looking at the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer will also consider the crimes of David Carrick, the Home Secretary announced.

Suella Braverman told the Commons Dame Elish Angiolini will include the 48-year-old's offending in her inquiry, which was set up in November 2021.

Describing Carrick's crimes as 'a monstrous campaign of abuse', Ms Braverman said more shocking cases may come to light as police forces increase their efforts to root out corrupt officers.

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Carrick, who was unmasked as one of the UK's most prolific sex offenders, was officially sacked from the force on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old was found to have committed gross misconduct after admitting 49 criminal charges, including 24 counts of rape against 12 women over an 18-year period.

At a disciplinary hearing in Earl's Court held in Carrick's absence, the Met's Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: 'This is a sickening and horrific case with far-reaching consequences for policing.'

Carrick's pay was stopped when he pleaded guilty to the bulk of the criminal charges in December but there is no mechanism to strip him of his pension. Current rules only apply when crimes are directly connected to the offender's police service.

The former armed officer faced complaints about his behaviour before he joined the Met in 2001, then again as a probationer in 2002 and several times throughout his policing career until 2021.

He was only suspended from duty in October 2021 when arrested for rape.

Carrick, pictured, will be brought before Southwark Crown Court next month where he will be sentenced

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said weak policies and decisions had allowed Carrick could remain in the Met for so long

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said weak policies and decisions meant Carrick was able to stay in the force for so long.

Sir Mark told BBC Breakfast: 'We've let London down - he's been a police officer for 20 years.

'Through a combination of weak policies and weak decisions, over those 20 years we missed opportunities when he joined and subsequently, as behaviour came to the fore that we should have removed him from policing.

'Whether it would have affected him being a sex offender I don't know, but he shouldn't have been doing it as a police officer.'

More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have previously been accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences are now having their cases reviewed.

Sir Mark said some will have involved a neighbour hearing raised voices, while others will have involved 'very concerning' behaviour.

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the Commissioner was asked if he could guarantee a woman visiting a police station to report a sexual offence will not meet a police officer whose past behaviour is now under review or who is tolerating similar behaviour in their department.

'I can't. I'm not going to make a promise that I can't stick to,' he said.

Carrick's offending has been described as one of the worst cases involving a serving police officer that the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with. He met women on dating apps or while out socially, using his job to reassure and then intimidate them

'I'm going to put in place ruthless systems to squeeze out those who shouldn't be with us.'

Carrick's offending has been described as one of the worst cases involving a serving police officer that the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with.

He met women on dating apps or while out socially, using his job to reassure and then intimidate them.

He kept some locked in a tiny cupboard for hours, beat them and urinated on them.

One ex-girlfriend told The Sun that Carrick boasted he was untouchable because of his job and would use his police-issue handcuffs and weapons at home during sex.

His mother Jean told The Guardian he changed as a teenager when a serious allegation was made against him. The newspaper did not say what the accusation was.

Carrick joined the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment aged 19 and went on tours to Cyprus and the Falklands.

About 15 years ago, he cut off contact with his mother because, she believes, he did not like his younger half-brother and sister.

She told the newspaper she was devastated by his crimes, adding: 'He's still my boy, still my son. I just don't know why he's done it.

'You know, when he was doing well, and now he's lost everything.'
More than 500 calls flooded a hotline to report abuse complaints against Met police officers in a single day following the PC David Carrick rape scandal.

Several officers are potentially facing investigations after the anti-corruption and abuse service received 700 calls about alleged sex and domestic violence yesterday.

Disturbingly, other police forces are also believed to have received similar complaints, with a source telling The Sun that 'there's likely to be well over 1,000 in total.'

The hotline is managed by the independent charity Crimestoppers and their staff who answer calls and take information down to ensure the anonymity of callers.

David Carrick has admitted to 49 charges against a dozen women, including 24 counts of rape.

The 48-year-old abused his police powers to target his victims, showing them his warrant card and saying: 'I'm a police officer, you're safe with me.'

Carrick came to police attention nine times for allegations including rape but kept his job.

An abuse and anti-corruption hotline set up by Met Police received 700 calls in a day after the PC David Carrick rape scandal

Former Met DCI Mick Neville told The Sun that he predicts that this case, and the hotline set up in response, will only lead to more victims coming forward.

He told The Sun: 'The conviction of PC David Carrick looks like being a MeToo moment for the police.

'No doubt other victims will come forward and expose those who abuse their power.

'They can see police officers are not above the law.'

As the first of its kind, the Met hotline established in November has been inundated with complaints, leaving officials with a tough task to assess if investigations are required.

David Carrick has admitted to 49 charges against a dozen women, including 24 counts of rape

It has been reported that the force's leaders are worried about the potential strain on resources.

However according to The Sun, a source said only a small number, approximately 10, of the reported complaints are being referred for further action at this time.

It comes as Scotland Yard said Home Office rules made it unlikely that Carrick could be stripped of his gold-plated, final-salary pension.

However London Mayor Sadiq Khan is pursuing a forfeiture action, backed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Met chief Mark Rowley is now grappling with the first major scandal of his four-month tenure by launching a review into 800 serving officers who have faced misconduct claims.

Carrick, of Stevenage, Herts, will be sentenced next month.
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Missing mom-of-three Ana Walshe had amassed a multi-million property portfolio when she went missing on New Year's Day, it has been revealed.

The 39-year-old had acquired a $1.3million Washington DC mansion, a Maryland home she bought for $191,000 as well as two investment houses in Lynn, Massachusetts, that cost $135,000 and $139,900.

Meanwhile she had also sold a house in Cohasset - where she lived - for $1.4million, an apartment for $220,000 and another property for $840,100.

It comes after it was revealed her husband Brian, 47, had Googled 'how long for someone to be missing to inherit' after she vanished.

He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a murder charge after cops earlier this week upped their allegation that he had been misleading investigators during the case.

Ana Walshe, 39, the Massachusetts real estate manager and mom-of-three who vanished on New Year's Day is revealed to have accumulated a $2million property empire at the time of her disappearance

The mansion boasts four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and a newly renovated kitchen. The New York Post reported that she co-owns this home with an investor other than her husband

The 39-year-old is seen to be associated with real estate in Washington, DC, Maryland and Massachusetts, since 2018 - buying four and selling four others - just before she disappeared, with its market value totally $2.8 million altogether, the New York Post reports.

Less than a week before Ana's employer reported her missing, the 39-year-old closed a deal on Dec 29 on an apartment in Revere, MA, just outside of Boston which she sold for $220,000, more than $80,000 higher than she had bought it for in 2020.

Mike and Mandi Silva, who had been living at the property told the outlet that they had felt 'hurried out of the property' and that they had not been 'properly informed' about it being sold despite having lived and rented it for four years.

They said Ana 'wore the pants in the family,' while Brian 'presented himself as an investor' but 'would have a robe on in his house the whole time.'

In March, Ana sold a million-dollar house that she owned in Massachusetts and bought a house in DC within a similar price range.

Selling her home in Cohasset for $1.385 million, where she had been living with her husband and children at the time she had vanished, she used the cashflow to buy the $1.3 million mansion in the heart of Chevy Chase.

The mansion boasts four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and a newly renovated kitchen. The New York Post reported that she co-owns this home with an investor other than her husband.

It comes as her husband, Brian Walshe, 47, who is charged with the murder of his wife, was discovered to have Googled 'how long for someone to be missing to inherit'  which made part of an extensive and disturbing list of searches revealed this week

Despite the litany of evidence being presented against the 47-year-old, Brian has pleaded not guilty to the accusation that he murdered his wife in the basement of their Cohasset, MA, home on January 1, before discarding her body in a dumpster

The home she is believed to have been murdered in, was purchased in 2020 for $800,000 and boasts five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The family also purchased a Baltimore house in September for $191,500.

In 2020, the budding real estate mogul sold a house in Marblehead, just north of Boston, for $840,100 which she bought in 2018 for $510,000. The outlet reports that the money made on this sale went toward the home in Cohasset.

Two investment properties were bought in Lynn, MA, which she bought in 2018 costing $135,000 and $139,000 respectively.

Though mystery shrouds her disappearance, aspects of Ana's life have been uncovered throughout the investigation - that has shocked her community and loved one's.

Ana, who had three sons with Brian all under the age of six, was the family's main breadwinner and would split her time between Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, often posting her commute to social media.

Less than a week before Ana's employer reported her missing, the 39-year-old closed a deal on Dec 29 on an apartment in Revere, MA, just outside of Boston which she sold for $220,000, more than $80,000 higher than she had bought it for in 2020

In 2020, the budding real estate mogul sold a house in Marblehead, just north of Boston, for $840,100 which she bought in 2018 for $510,000. The outlet reports that the money made on this sale went toward the home in Cohasset

Meanwhile, Brian, had been under house arrest after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in 2021 for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings for $80,000 on eBay.

Brian had also been accused by friends of his late father of stealing from his estate, but he maintains he and his son were the only 'rightful heirs to his will' the New York Post reported.

It remains unclear what will happen to the small empire of properties amid the unfolding case.

In court facing murder charges on Wednesday, prosecutors painted a disturbing portrait of Brian, explaining how he had initially looked up divorcing his wife.

'Rather than divorce, it is believed that Brian Walshe dismembered Ana Walshe and discarded her body,' Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland charged during the hearing.

Selling her home in Cohasset for $1.385 million, where she had been living with her husband and children at the time she had vanished, she used the cashflow to buy the $1.3 million mansion in the heart of Chevy Chase

That same day, a colleague of Ana's in Washington DC called police in Cohasset to report her missing and request a welfare check at her home

A criminal complaint against Brian, released on Wednesday, claimed that he 'did assault and beat Ana Walshe, with intent to murder such person, and by such assault and beating did kill and murder such person.'

On Jan 3, police say he visited a dumpster in Abingdon, where Brian was allegedly seen carrying a heavy-looking garbage bag.

'He had to heft it into the dumpster,' according to police.

Prosecutors tried to track down those trash bags, but by the time they got to them they had been destroyed in an incinerator at a trash transfer center.

The next day, Walshe bought bath mats, men's clothing and towels at TJ Maxx and Home Goods. He then visited Lowes.

The family also purchased a Baltimore house in September for $191,500

Two investment properties were bought in Lynn, MA, which she bought in 2018 costing $135,000 (pictured) and $139,000 respectively

That same day, a colleague of Ana's in Washington DC called police in Cohasset to report her missing and request a welfare check at her home.

Police visited the family house, where they noticed the seats in Brian's Volvo were down, and a large, plastic liner was in the backseat.

On Jan 5, police returned to the Walshe family home, where they noticed Brian's Volvo had been freshly cleaned.

When questioned, he said he'd thrown out the plastic liner they saw the previous day.

That same day, he visited the dumpster near his mother's home.

A criminal complaint against Brian, released on Wednesday, claimed that he 'did assault and beat Ana Walshe, with intent to murder such person, and by such assault and beating did kill and murder such person'

A view from inside the mother-of-three's home with Brian, showed the remnants of a holiday season gone by and an eerie note on a box on the mantle piece

Police reportedly searched the dumpster near Brian's mother's home after authorities say they saw him dispose items there. He was arrested for misleading authorities and later charged with murder

Come Jan 8, Walshe was arrested for misleading police. A search warrant for the house was obtained, and police discover blood stains in the basement. They also found a knife with traces of blood on it.

Police then searched the dumpster near his mother's home and found 10 trash bag that were stained with blood.

Inside, they discovered:

Slippers with both Ana and Brian's DNA on it

Rags, tape, a medical suit with Brian and Ana's DNA on it

Ana's Hunter boots

Ana's Prada handbag

Ana's COVID-19 vaccine card, with her name on it

A hacksaw

Hatchet

Cutting shears

Ana, married Brian in 2015 in Boston. Their children were in the home at the time of their mother's disappearance and are currently being looked after by Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
Hankook Tire & Technology Chairman Cho Hyun-bum / Yonhap



Prosecutors raided the home of Hankook Tire Technology's chief and other company places on Thursday as part of their ongoing investigation into embezzlement allegations.



Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office seized relevant documents from the home of Chairman Cho Hyun-bum, as well as the headquarters and offices of the nation's leading tiremaker.



Cho is under suspicion of using the company's funds for personal use, such as to purchase luxury vehicles and to repair his home, prosecutors said.



Separately, the prosecution office is also investigating Cho and his family for alleged involvement in unfair business practices among the group's affiliates.



The investigation comes after the antitrust regulator decided to impose a fine on Hankook Tire for allegedly purchasing overpriced tire molds from its affiliate Hankook Precision Works.



The Fair Trade Commission alleges the unfair business practice that lasted from 2014 to 2017 was aimed at helping the company solidify its presence in the market.



Prosecutors suspect the unfair profits obtained by Hankook Precision Works eventually were pocketed by Cho. (Yonhap)


More than 200 mourners paid tribute to the designer

His sudden death on Christmas Day rocked the industry

Friends and family wore their brightest colours as they gathered to say their final farewell to iconic Queensland fashion designer Daniel Lightfoot following his unexpected death on Christmas Day.

More than 200 mourners attended Victory Church in Brisbane for the funeral of the 58-year-old man on Thursday.

With the dress code being 'anything but black', loved ones walked into the church to a slide show of some of Mr Lightfoot's most memorable designs to the tune of Madonna's famous song Vogue.

His sudden death rocked the fashion industry, with his ex-wife, Suzie Lightfoot, and their daughter, Paris, remembering their 'fashion angel'.

Designer's Daniel Lightfoot's daughter Paris became emotional as she spoke lovingly about her father at a Queensland church on Thursday

More than 200 mourners attended Victory Church in Brisbane for the funeral of the Brisbane designer (pictured with his ex-wife Susie in 2008) on Thursday

The iconic designer was farewelled by up to 200 mourners. Above, ex-wife Suzie, daughter Paris and a picture of Mr Lightfoot

His daughter Paris remembered her father at his funeral on Thursday, sharing how much they shared their passion for life and a good steak.

She said Mr Lightfoot was 'the most fun, hilarious' and 'groovy' dad any girl could ask for.

'My dad was my biggest fan,' Paris said.

'He spoiled me rotten, not many girls can say their dad bought them a pony but mine did without telling mum.'

'He was certainly the only dad to bring a bottle of french champagne to a game of AFL.'

His sudden death rocked the fashion industry, with his ex-wife, Suzie Lightfoot, and their daughter, Paris, remembering their 'fashion angel'

The fashion designer's high-profile clients included Liza Minnelli and former governor-general Quentin Bryce

The designer's loved ones walked into the church to a slide show of some of his most memorable designs to the tune of Madonna's famous song Vogue

At one point in the service a woman in a kilt danced while a man played the bagpipes

Paris shared how her dad 'taught me how to be lighthearted, outgoing and make people laugh'.

'He taught me to be unapologetically me,' she said.

'Sadly I did not get his talent because that was one of a kind.'

'(I hope you're) laughing, joking, dancing and eating whatever your heart desires and dressing all those beautiful angels up there with you.'

His ex-wife, Suzie, also wrote in a touching tribute on social media days after his death.

'Daniel touched so many lives through his incredible talent, craftsmanship and vision of beauty,' she said.

Loved ones said the designer had touched so many lives through his talent for fashion (above are brightly-coloured attendees)

The designer's ex-wife was seen comforting another attendee outside the Brisbane church

Loved ones were seen addressing the crowd of over 200 attendees on Thursday

'He turned a simple piece of fabric into something truly magical and made the women he dressed shine like diamonds.

'He will always be lovingly remembered for his wicked sense of humour and sharp wit, appreciation for French Champagne, diamonds and bling, yellow roses, love of a good party, expensive cars, and dancing like everyone was watching (because they were!).

'You are safe now and can be the man you want to be again in heaven dressing all those beautiful angels in your creations.'

Attendees remembered the designer for his 'wicked sense of humour and sharp wit'

Paris (pictured above) shared how her dad 'taught me how to be lighthearted, outgoing and make people laugh'

Mr Lightfoot had also mentored many aspiring designers at Queensland University of Technology's fashion school

Friends and family have been asked to wear anything but black to honour Mr Lightfoot on Thursday.

The fashion designer's high-profile clients included Liza Minnelli and former governor-general Quentin Bryce.

In 1985, Australia's Miss World entrant Angelina Nasso wore one of his designs.

Mr Lightfoot had also mentored many aspiring designers at Queensland University of Technology's fashion school.
A former editor of the New York Times has slammed the newspaper's keen coverage of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos as 'a corrupt circle-jerk.'

Jill Abramson, who worked for the paper for 17 years, said The Times publishes stories quoting the event's high-profile speakers to gratify their egos and entice them into speaking at its own 'high-dollar' conferences.

She also noted that its bias in favor of the conference was a recent ploy to get 'phony stories,' and that before she left in 2014 editors wanted to ban their reporters from attending.

The World Economic Forum is a lobbying organization that invites the most wealthy and powerful politicians and business leaders on the planet to a yearly conference in Davos, Switzerland.

Former editor at the New York Times, Jill Abramson, said the Times covers Davos to win over speakers and get them to attend NYT conferences

Abramson said in an email to Semafor it was a new trend and that in her day NYT editors wanted to ban their reporters from attending Davos

'I noticed (after I was gone), much more 'news' coverage in the Times of Davos, quoting the attendees and speakers at those endless panels,' Abramson wrote in an email to Semafor co-founder, Ben Smith, who also worked at the Times.

'Of course, the coverage was a sweetener to flatter the CEOs by seeing their names in the NYT so that they would then speak at high-dollar NYT conferences and  of course  get phony news stories from the conferences into the paper,' she added.

The Times is well known for organizing its own prestigious conferences. In November it hosted the DealBook Summit, during which it controversially gave a platform to Sam Bankman-Fried, whose crypto exchange FTX had just catastrophically collapsed.

A couple of weeks earlier the paper had published a piece about Bankman-Fried and the FTX chaos, in which many argued it downplayed his misdeeds and failed to properly hold him accountable by portraying him as just a reckless kid.

Abramson, who was fired by the New York Times in 2014, has attacked the newspaper before, and famously called it out for its 'unmistakably anti-Trump' agenda.

Donald Trump once quoted her making that comment, but she hit back, saying that she praised the Times for 'its tough coverage' of the former president.

The Times' favorable coverage was part of a ploy to 'get phony stories from the conferences into the paper'

A New York Times story introducing the conference was less skeptical, and introduced Davos as an 'affluent symbol of a globalizing world'

Abramson's comments appeared in an installment of Semfor's own daily coverage of Davos, which was quick to criticize it for elitism and an inability to affect good policy.

Its author Liz Hoffmann suggested that despite their annual meeting, the world leaders had failed to predict both the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

'It's midweek, which is right about when the "Davos consensus" starts to congeal, passed among attendees alongside the plates of toothpicked olives and Gruyere cubes,' wrote Hoffman.

'But it is almost always wrong. It's too optimistic ahead of crashes. Despite its global attendance list, it missed the rise of nationalism and economic balkanization. It's vulnerable to groupthink,' she wrote.

On Monday Semafor revealed that an anti-Putin activist Bill Browder was being charged $250,000 to attend the conference after paying around $70,000 in the past.

'Browder's longstanding role at Davos has been to raise issues many of its attendees would like to ignore,' the publication suggested.

By comparison a New York Times story introducing the conference on Saturday was less skeptical, and introduced Davos as 'long the affluent symbol of a globalizing world.'

On Tuesday its Business and Policy DealBook newsletter did however acknowledge that criticism of the conference is reaching new heights.

Former Vice President Al Gore gave a speech about climate change at Davos on Wednesday

Former Vice President Al Gore gave an 'impassioned' speech about climate change at Davos on Wednesday. In it he warned the crowd of 'rain bombs' and boiling oceans while discussing the issues the planet is facing if drastic changes aren't made.

Gore, who also voiced support for climate activist Greta Thunberg after her recent arrest for protesting a coal mine in Germany, said the world would soon fall into peril if citizens continue to treat the atmosphere as an 'open-air sewer.'
Racist and neo-Nazi propaganda has been seized by cops who raided three properties following offensive imagery plastered across south-east Queensland.

Banners, stickers, flyers and computer devices were confiscated in the raids at Toowong, Pimpama and Oxenford in Brisbane's west on Tuesday.

Three men, aged 20, 21 and 42, have been charged with wilful damage and the possession of restricted items.

It is alleged one of the banners was displayed on the Pacific Motorway at Helensvale in November, 2022.

Other offensive images were posted in public areas such as parks, police said.

A banner displayed over the M1 Pacific Motorway at Helensvale in south-east Queensland in November (pictured)

What appears to be the same banner found in a police raid this week (pictured)

Stickers with white nationalist propaganda allegedly found in the raids at three Queensland properties

Bodycam footage shows police holding up search warrants as they enter the residences.

One man appears at first to refuse to let cops through the door and then lies back down on the couch as they search the house. A large Nazi flag is seen draped over a bookcase.

Another man is using a computer at a desk when police walk through the door and grab his arm. A picture of Hitler is seen on his bed in the clip.

Stickers shown in the video read 'National socialist movement', 'Stop white replacement' and 'Kanye is right about the Jews'.

A Nazi military uniform was allegedly uncovered at a property police linked to white nationalist propaganda appearing in Queensland public areas

The investigation into the racist and neo-Nazi symbols appearing in the region is ongoing and police have appealed for information on the groups behind it.

'Our primary focus is on keeping the community safe,' Counter-Terrorism Investigation Group Operations Commander, Acting Detective Superintendent Leonie Steyger said.

'The public has a right to go about their daily lives without being subjected to highly offensive imagery,' she added.

'Those responsible represent the smallest minority of our communities, and my team will continue to disrupt and charge individuals who are motivated by this type of behaviour.'

Footage of the raids shows a framed picture of Hitler in a young man's room (right)

A 21-year-old Toowong man has been charged with two counts of wilful damage and two counts of contravening storage measures and other precautions about access to restricted items.

A 20-year-old Pimpama man has been charged with two counts of wilful damage.

A 42-year-old Oxenford man has been charged with one count of wilful damage and one count of public nuisance.

The trio is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 28.

The Queensland government has committed to banning hate symbols after a Nazi flag was displayed near the Brisbane Synagogue and a train carriage was vandalised with Nazi symbols.
Indigenous rights activists tried to vandalised an iconic Australian painting to protest the chemical damage a major corporation is inflicting on Indigenous rock art.

Ceramic artist Joana Partyk and Ballardong Noongar man Desmond Blurton sprayed a Woodside logo onto Fredrick McCubbin's painting Down on His Luck at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth on Thursday.

A cameraman filmed as Partyk painted the logo over the famous piece while Blurton laid an Indigenous flag on the ground in front of them.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia told Daily Mail Australia the painting was covered by a piece of perspex and was not damaged in the protest.

Ceramic artist Joana Partyk and Ballardong Noongar man Desmond Blurton sprayed a Woodside logo onto the painting Down on His Luck (above) on Thursday

'As I stand here today, an artwork that is sacred to our people is being destroyed,' Blurton said while Partyk glued her hand to the gallery wall.

'Woodside is running the largest fossil fuel project in Australia, they are destroying ancient rock art.

'We demand no industry on the Burrup. We must protect our cultural heritage and hard work now.'

The Burrup Peninsula, 850km southwest of Broome, is home to one of Australia's biggest collections of Indigenous rock art.

However, it is also home to the Karratha Gas Plant which is owned by Woodside and produces liquified natural gas - LNG.

The pair were protesting Woodside's liquified natural gas plant on the Burrup Peninsula - home to a large collection of ancient Indigenous rock art (above)

Partyk sprayed the Woodside logo onto the iconic painting (above) - estimated to be worth $3million - while Blurton laid an Indigenous flag in front of them

The protesters from Disrupt Burrup Hub believe Woodside's presence in Burrup threatens both the Indigenous culture in the area and the environment.

'This painting is barely 100 years old, we have 50,000-year-old artwork that Woodside is destroying,' Blurton said.

Partyk followed Blurton's speech with one of her own, saying Woodside is threatening 'Australia's oldest and most significant art gallery'.

'We know Woodside's Burrup hub will emit six billion tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) by 2070.

'Woodside like to slap their logo on everything while they spray their toxic emissions all over sacred rock art.

'We must stop any more industry on the Burrup, or soon there will be no art left.'

Blurton (left) said the Down on His Luck painting is 'barely 100 years old' and accused Woodside of destroying '50,000-year-old art'

Security approached the pair as the video ended. It is not yet known if they were charged over the incident.

Sydney 2GB radio host Deborah Knight slammed the protesters for vandalising an iconic piece of Australian art, estimated to be worth $3million.

'Why can't they leave the art alone?,' she said.

'Unbelievable, vandals strike again.'
She explained that she had nothing left 'in the tank'

Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation as New Zealand's Prime Minister was sparked by the relentless criticism she and her family faced, according to the leader of the country's Maori Party.

Ms Ardern choked back tears as she made announced she was quitting politics in an emotional press conference on Thursday, explaining that she was burnt out and had nothing left 'in the tank'.

She denied that her decision was fuelled by the constant threats and attacks on her character during her tenure - noting that while there would be a lot of speculation about the 'real reason' for her departure, it was simply because she had nothing left to give.

However Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the co-leader of the Maori political party, Te Pati Maori, suggested otherwise.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) announced her resignation on Thursday

'It is a sad day for politics where an outstanding leader has been driven from office for constant personalisation and vilification,' she said in a statement.

'Her whanau have withstood the ugliest attacks over the last two years with what we believe to be the most demeaning form of politics we have ever seen.'

Ms Ngarewa-Packer acknowledged the Prime Minister's 'outstanding contribution' to New Zealand.

'She has led our country through its darkest times with absolute dignity while managing to keep our countrys economic status in line with the most successful OECD countries in the world,' she said.

'Our country needed the grace of a wahine to lead us through this period of our history and she did so with the utmost humility and integrity.'

Ms Ardern said at the Labour Party's traditional January caucus meeting in Napier that she hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'.

'Once I realised that I didn't, I knew unfortunately there was not much alternative other than to hand over now,' she said.

'I am human. Politicians are human. We give all we can for as long as we can - and then it's time. And for me, it's time.

'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.'

'I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead - and also when you're not.

The co-leader of the Maori political party, Te Pati Maori, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (pictured) claimed Ms Ardern was driven from office due to 'constant personalisation and vilification'

The Maori party shared her thoughts on the Prime Minister's resignation in a post on social media

Ms Ardern (pictured right with her husband Clarke Gayford) denied the decision to resign was sparked by the constant attacks she faced while in office, saying it because she had nothing left 'in the tank'

'I have given my absolute all to being prime minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably come along.

'Having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It's that simple.'

Ms Ardern resigns at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017. She was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM, and before that youngest sitting MP in 2008, elected aged 28.

Her resignation comes into effect on Sunday if the Labour Party can elect her replacement in a two-thirds vote on that day, or on February 7 if the process was drawn out.

During her resignation speech, Ms Ardern announced the next New Zealand general election will be held on October 14. She will stay Mt Albert MP until April so a byelection would not be needed.

Ms Ardern said she hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'

Ms Ardern hugs fellow MPs after announcing she would be stepping down from the top job

The Labour Party, which has been in power since in 2017 election, lost its consistent lead in the polls early last year. The opposition National Party vote began to surge around October 2021.

Ms Ardern's rivals took the lead in the polls at the same time her government introduced a fresh round of restrictions as the country was hit by the Omicron Covid variant.

Her government never regained the lead in aggregated polling trends, staying slightly behind the Nationals. However, as the opposition has the support of the right-wing ACT party it would gain a clean majority if the election was held today.

Ms Ardern faced unrelenting criticism for implementing some of the harshest Covid restrictions in the world including lockdowns where New Zealanders couldn't even buy takeaway food and a more than two-year border closure.

But she denied today that the constant attacks, which continued last year as the economy faltered and cost of living rose, played a role in her decision.

'I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case, I probably would have departed two months into the job,' she said.

'I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice. I would be doing a disservice to New Zealanders to continue.'
A young Australian woman has taken to social media to express her shock at receiving a $500 fine for disobeying a much-misunderstood road rule.

Melbourne's Lucinda McGarrity copped the fine for driving through a yellow light on Rathdowne Street, in Carlton North.

She candidly admitted she didn't know her action was against the law.

A young Australian woman has taken to social media to express her shock at receiving a $500 fine for disobeying a much-misunderstood road rule

'So you learn something new every day and today I learned that it is illegal to drive through an amber light unless it is 100 per cent necessary to do so,' she said in a TikTok video.

To add to Ms McGarrity's embarrassment, cops pulled her over with a blaring sirens at 8.30am on a busy road, then tested her for drink and drug driving.

In the ultimate indignity for a Melburnian, it all happened right outside one of North Melbourne's trendiest eateries, Florian.

'So that was embarrassing,' she said.

'Everyone's eating their salmon gravlax and tomato tartine while getting the show of their life, which is me getting drug tested and breath tested while bawling my eyes out.

'So anyway, don't drive through amber lights!'

Some of Ms McGarrity's followers were impressed at how she accepted the punishment.

But one urged her 'fight the fine... try to get out of it'.

Melbourne's Lucinda McGarrity copped the fine for driving through a yellow light on Rathdowne Street, in Carlton North

She responded: 'I wont fight it, I did the wrong thing. Good to know for the future though.'

Others were surprised it is an offence at all, and one that attracts a $500 fine.

'How do they justify such a high fine for such a small offence?' one woman said.

'It gets treated the same as a red light,' said Ms McGarrity.

All offences related to disobeying traffic lights also come with three demerit points.

Others were not so empathetic towards her.

'The comments [here] are scaring me, how does no one know this? Thats the whole purpose of the amber light (to slow down),' a woman said.

According to the RACV, many drivers mistakenly think of the amber (or yellow) 'as an extension of the green'.

'A better way to think of the yellow is that it is at the start of the red, not at the end of the green.

'A yellow light is not a signal to travel faster through the intersection to beat the red light.'

The RACV said drivers 'must not' go through a yellow if it is possible to safely brake before crossing the line.

'If you cant safely stop before the stop line, you must stop before entering the intersection itself.'

It added that motorists should still stop even if they go slightly over the stop line.

'At this point, our recommendation would be that you stop.'

If youve already entered the intersection when the light goes yellow or red, you must get out as soon as you can safely.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a bid by New York's gun retailers to repeal firearms laws implemented by the state, which they claimed threatened their businesses.

An attorney for the gun retailers told DailyMail.com that their fight continued.

'We now move forward to the SCOTUS review of our already-filed Petition for Writ of Certiorari Before Judgment, after which, the case goes back to District Court to proceed on the merits,' said Paloma Capanna.

'The case is not over.'

The laws were brought in by New York's attorney general, Letitia James.

She acted after the Supreme Court in June repealed a 1913 law in New York which made it very difficult to obtain a permit for concealed carry.

Under the almost 110-year-old rule, New Yorkers - unlike residents in most other states - had to prove 'proper cause' to be able to concealed carry. The restrictions were so tight permits were scarcely issued, and went mainly to business owners who handled large amounts of cash, celebrities who faced death threats and retired police officers.

The list of concealed carry license holders in New York City was not public, but an analysis by the New York Times in 2011 found that about 4,000 people in the city had permits.

Paloma Capanna (left), the lead attorney for nine New York gun retailers, said they were disappointed by the Supreme Court decision, which upheld the laws put in place by New York attorney general, Letitia James (right)

The Supreme Court in June struck down a New York law that required applicants seeking a concealed carry license to show 'proper cause' for their request. In response, New York's attorney general Letitia James brought in new restrictions. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to her laws

The Supreme Court in June overturned the status quo, and said that it was against the Second Amendment to impose such restrictions on gun ownership.

California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have similar laws. The Biden administration had urged the justices to uphold New York's law.

Dozens of states already allow nearly unrestricted carrying of weapons in public, but the six Democrat-run states retain a high degree of control over who gets a permit.

About a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be affected by the ruling, the high court's first major gun decision in more than a decade.

In response, James implemented a new law which prohibits carrying a gun in 'sensitive areas,' such as stadiums, houses of worship, museums, parks and other public places.

It imposes revised record-keeping and new safety requirements on retailers, and mandates background checks on all ammunition purchases.

Gun owners complained all the way to the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday struck down their complaint, without providing any explanation. The gun shop owners now intent to appeal, insisting the fight is not over.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a bid by New York gun retailers to stop state laws concerning the carrying of firearms

Paloma Capanna, the lead attorney for the nine New York gun retailers, told Fox News Digital they were disappointed at the Supreme Court decision, which she said imposes unreasonable demands on business owners.

'We are disappointed that not one of the nine justices saw fit to grant the plaintiffs some stay of enforcement of the new laws against them,' she said.

'We are challenging the ability of the state of New York to target dealers in firearms in the lawful stream of commerce, to put them out of business, which is what the new laws will do.

'So it really was unfortunate to see that we couldn't get any emergency temporary injunction against those laws.'

Capanna argued that the record-keeping requirement was excessive.

'The list of new mandatory compliance even goes so far as a turnover of acquisition and disposition records, which the state of New York attorneys have admitted will be used to create the first-ever gun owners registry housed at the New York State Police,' she added.

But James celebrated the decision, describing it as a victory for common sense.

Wednesday's order comes one week after the high court rejected a separate bid by gun rights activists to block James's law, the Concealed Carry Improvement Act.

'For the second time this month, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed New York's gun safety laws to remain in effect,' she tweeted.

'We will continue to defend our commonsense laws that protect New Yorkers.'

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York - a former police officer, who revealed on the campaign trail that as an ex-officer and public figure he planned to carry a concealed gun in public after taking office - also commended the Supreme Court decision.

'The Concealed Carry Improvement Act and the state's nuisance statutes are critical to damming the rivers feeding the sea of gun violence in our communities,' he said.

'We support @NewYorkStateAG and the state in their ongoing fight to keep New Yorkers safe.'
A 16-year-old boy allegedly involved in the gang rape of two girls in a city carpark has won his bid for supervised bail after telling a court he's been isolated and 'victimised' in custody.

On Thursday, the boy, whose identity is suppressed under state legislation, faced the Adelaide Youth Court charged with two counts of rape over the December 2022 incident.

Sarah Grimwade, for the boy, asked magistrate Kathryn Hodder to consider granting him electronically monitored curfew bail from a youth homelessness centre in Adelaide's western suburbs, but Ms Hodder said he was a suitable candidate for supervised bail instead.

On Thursday, the boy, whose identity is suppressed under state legislation, faced the Adelaide Youth Court charged with two counts of rape over the December 2022 incident (pictured, the stairwell where the alleged rape occurred)

'He is still only 16 years of age and has no issues with previous noncompliance of orders,' Ms Grimwade said.

'He has had exemplary behaviour while he has been in remand for over the last month despite how difficult it has been for him during that period of time.'

She said he hadn't mixed with any peers and has been 'victimised quite seriously' due to the allegations.

The teen, from Alberton, was the sixth person to be charged with taking part in the alleged attack.

Seven arrests have been made, with six men facing rape charges, while police allege two men tried to pay off one of the victims.

The alleged incident occurred in the stairwell of a carpark off Hindley St - Adelaide's main night-life strip.

Seven arrests have been made, with six men facing rape charges, while police allege two men tried to pay off one of the victims (pictured, one of the accused)

Defence counsel for a co-accused man, whose identity remains suppressed, previously told a court that video footage of the incident had emerged and was being examined by police.

On Thursday, Ms Grimwade said she had viewed the footage, which is not yet before the court, and it brought the issue of consent into question.

'I agree with the submissions put by other defence lawyers, it most certainly calls into question the issue of consent, and that's definitely a live issue in relation to the matter,' Ms Grimwade said.

'I can't make any further submissions on that, as I am only acting on that and the facts of charge at the moment.'

The alleged incident occurred in the stairwell of a carpark (pictured) off Hindley St - Adelaide's main night-life strip

Prosecution counsel did not oppose bail but asked Ms Hodder to restrict the boy's bail curfew to 9pm.

His curfew conditions were set at 10pm to 6am to allow for early work starts.

Ms Hodder granted the boy bail on the requirement he report to youth justice services and obey curfew arrangements.

He will return to court next month.

Prosecution also brought up the possibility of trying the youths in the matter as adults.
Several people have become stuck on a Movie World ride just hours after the theme park was forced to close a series of attractions due to a 'fault'.

The Wild West Falls ride came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the tracks on Thursday afternoon.

But the theme park told Daily Mail Australia the ride had to be stopped 'due to guest behaviour'.

Passengers on the West Falls ride became stuck in their carriages on Thursday after the ride malfunctioned

It comes after the theme park was forced to shut several attractions to perform maintenance

'Our highly-trained operations team have CCTV footage of the entire ride envelope and identified a guest lowering their child into an exterior part of the ride perimeter to collect a lost item,' Village Roadshow Theme Parks operating officer Bikash Randhawa said.

'While there was no risk to this guest, our ride safety procedure is to stop the ride, and our operator did as they are trained to do.'

Mr Randhawa said the ride was stopped for 20 minutes.

The incident at the Gold Coast amusement park came while two of its other most popular rides - Green Lantern and Doomsday - were forced to shut on Wednesday while engineers performed maintenance.

'The safety of our guests is our highest priority and we have a dedicated engineering team who conduct rigid and comprehensive inspections on all attractions prior to opening each day,' a Village Roadshow Theme Parks spokesman said.

'During the engineering inspections at Movie World (Wednesday) morning, our team identified a fault on the Green Lantern and Doomsday attractions which required further discussion with the international ride manufacturers.'

The theme park also noted there were minor delays with the opening of the Superman Escape and Scooby-Doo rollercoasters on Wednesday.

Both rides were opened later in the day but no detailed reasons were provided for the temporary closures.

'We understand these closures can be an inconvenience to our guests and our in-park team work with them to assist them with their individual experiences,' Movie World's post read.

'The safety of our guests is our highest priority and we have a dedicated engineering team who conduct rigid and comprehensive inspections on all attractions prior to opening each day.'

Disgruntled visitors flocked online to share their disappointment.

'Few rides closed today at Movie World and now this. Glad we went weeks ago,' one woman wrote online.

Another added: 'So that is basically all the rides [closed] today.'

The issues comes a month after the Doomsday Destroyer malfunctioned and left fourteen people hanging upside down.

Movie World shut down two theme park rides on Wednesday morning after staff detected 'faults' during routine checks

The Doomsday Destroyer (pictured) was one of the rides closed on Wednesday. It's expected to reopen later in the week

Theme park attendees were left hanging 21 metres in the air when the ride came to a sudden halt for one minute and 54 seconds.

It wasn't until four maintenance workers ran over and slowly let the ride down that those strapped in were able to get off.

The ride was closed for the rest of the day while those affected were offered a free day pass.

A spokesperson for the theme park confirmed the Doomsday Destroyer's 'safety operating system automatically engaged as a result of a sensor activation'.

Recent issues have also surfaced at other Gold Coast theme parks, with thrill-seekers left hanging on the new Leviathan rollercoaster at Sea World last Friday.

Staff gave patrons umbrellas to shield themselves from the glaring sun while they waited to be evacuated after the ride malfunctioned

'It was a standard ride stoppage,' a Village Roadshow Theme Parks spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'A computer found a potential malfunction on the ride and triggered the stoppage.

'At which point our staff were able to help the customers down from the ride and other rides were able to restart.'

More to come.
An American fashion designer who spent 16 years in Shanghai has published an essay in the New York Times highlighting the virtues of raising her children under the watchful and authoritarian eye of the Chinese government.

Heather Kaye, 49, arrived in Shanghai in 2006 with her husband George and planned to be there for a year. But the couple stayed and ended up raising their two daughters there. However, in 2022 the family was driven to return to the US after living for two years under the country's draconian COVID-19 policies.

She has now described her return to Washington DC as a 'culture shock' that makes her miss the way her children were 'co-parented by the Chinese government'.

Yet her remarks will come as a shock to many who are concerned about the looming threat the Chinese government poses both domestically and to global economics, technology and businesses.

In October last year it emerged that the Communist Party operates secret police stations in New York City to hunt down dissidents and force them back to China, while those protesting the country's zero-COVID policy have been known to disappear without explanation.

Heather Kaye spent 16 years in Shanghai and published an essay in the New York Times highlighting the virtues of raising her children with the Chinese government acting as a co-parent

In 2022 her family returned to the US after living under the country's draconian COVID-19 policies for two years

Kaye acknowledged the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party would insert itself into family life, be it by controlling what her kids ate or by dictating the number of hours they should sleep at night.

'In China, government co-parenting begins in the womb,' she wrote, referring to the limits on how many children parents were allowed, which have since been relaxed.

She added that not long after enrolling her kids in state-run schools it started controlling how they should live.

'Chinese kindergarten lectured us on everything, including how many hours our daughters should sleep, what they should eat and their optimal weight,' she said.

But she claimed she was grateful for the discipline school instilled in her two daughters, born in 2008 and 2010.

She recounted: 'Each morning all of the students performed calisthenics in straight rows and raised China's red flag while singing the national anthem.'

And she commended the Chinese system for independently 'instilling a solid work ethic and a total drive for academic excellence,' teaching them that hard work leads to results.

Kaye claimed she was also grateful for the way surrendering parts of their children's lives to the state reduced burdens on her and her husband - and wished American parents might see the value in doing the same.

'I learned to appreciate the strong sense of shared values and of people connected as a nation. Parenting, like governing, is an imperfect art,' she added.

Kaye acknowledged the Chinese Communist Party was quick to impose itself on her kids, but she didn't mind

'Each morning all of the students performed calisthenics in straight rows and raised China's red flag while singing the national anthem,' wrote Kaye

Kaye saw merit in Chinese censorship too. 'Raising kids in China was a plus in other ways  such as the heavy censorship,' she wrote.

The government imposed limits on how much time her kids could spend playing video games and it saved them from accessing problematic material on the internet.

Not only that, the state's supervision would keep her daughters safe as they navigated the sprawling but relatively safe Shanghai subway.

In spite of all of this Kaye was driven to leave China, having lived through its zero-COVID approach that confined them for two months to home and limited them to government food rations.

But even as the family left she maintained her admiration for the country and the life they had been able to make there.

In a story covering her family's departure from Shanghai in 2022, she told Reuters: 'Anything you can imagine, you can build it here. Anything you want to be, you can make it happen here.'

A recent report by human rights watchdog Safeguard Defenders revealed that the Chinese Communist Party has at least 54 'overseas police service stations' in 30 different countries, including across the US.

Since the launch of that program in April 2021, China reported that it had 'persuaded' 230,000 Chinese nationals to return home.

The Safeguard Defenders' campaign manager Laura Harth alleged that China has been using it to track down dissidents and force them to return home.




Genesis X concept displayed at the Ameron Hotel in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday (local time). Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
A budding fitness influencer's life has turned from inspiration to tragedy following a catastrophic gym accident.

Daniel Hardman, 30, was left in a critical condition after being crushed by a heavy bar in a Brisbane gym in an early morning workout on November 17 and has suffered life-changing spinal injuries as a result.

It can now be revealed that Mr Hardman was relatively new to a fitness-oriented lifestyle and had been posting inspirational videos documenting how he trimmed down from 115kg to a ripped and muscly physique over a period of 19 months.

Mr Hardman (pictured) was doing an early morning workout at an inner-city Brisbane gym when a heavy weighted bar fell on him

Daniel Hardman thrown himself into a health and fitness-oriented lifestyle when he suffered a tragic accident

In one Youtube video he posted shots of himself progressively looking thinner and more toned with the caption: 'Amazing weight loss journey in 40 seconds.'

'I'm not perfect but I now choose to live my life uncomfortable to achieve my goals,' Mr Hardman wrote.

On YouTube and Facebook he posted many other shots and videos of himself working out, often accompanied with inspirational messages.

'Your biggest enemy in life is you. Once you defeat that enemy you can defeat anything,' Mr Hardman says to camera in one of his videos.

In another post he writes that 'the first step is you have to say that you can'.

Mr Hardman started an Instagram channel in August and on Facebook asked people to follow him so he could 'start to make some serious fitness and nutritional content'.

Mr Hardman documented through social media his transformation from 115kg to a lean and muscly physique

Because the Snap Fitness gym (pictured) was unstaffed when Mr Hardman had his accident other gymgoers had to give him CPR to keep alive until and ambulance arrived

Mr Hardman was left with catastrophic injuries in November when, after completing a set of incline presses on a Smith machine, he was crushed by the falling bar at 5.47am at the Snap Fitness gym in the inner Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill.

With no staff present, fellow gymgoers had to perform CPR on Mr Hardman to keep him alive until paramedics arrived 40 minutes later and took him to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

He remains in hospital two months after the incident.

A Workplace Health and Safety Queensland investigation found there was no wrongdoing on the part of the gym.
The man was knocked unconscious before being swept out by surf

A frantic search is underway to find an international student who plunged off the side of a cliff and was then swept off the rocks by a large swell.

The Swedish student, 20, fell at least 7m from the side of Blue Fish Point at Sydney Harbour's North Head at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

The Manly Daily reported that the man had been climbing along the cliff face at the time of the incident with a group of mates.

The Swedish student had been climbing along the cliff face at the time of the incident with a group of mates (pictured, North Head in Manly on Sydney Harbour)

Witnesses said the young man was sprawled unconscious on the rock platform, having suffered a serious head injury, before he was washed into the sea.

An initial search for the man had to be called off because of poor light at 8pm with the search resumed on Thursday morning.

Northern Beaches Police superintendent Pat Sharkey told reporters that conditions for the initial marine search had been challenging.

'The male has not been found ... police have been briefed that the family of the male will arrive in Sydney in the near future.'

The international student fell at least 7m from the side of Blue Fish Point at Sydney Harbour's North Head at about 5.30pm on Wednesday (pictured, North Head)

Witnesses said the young man was sprawled unconscious on the rock platform, having suffered a serious head injury, before he was washed into the sea (pictured, rocks at Blue Fish Point)
A gallery owner who was filmed spraying down a homeless woman with a hose in front of his San Francisco store has been arrested for battery, hours after the city's DA said he would face charges for the widely seen incident.

Collier Gwin, the owner of Foster Gwin art gallery, is currently being held on the misdemeanor charge stemming from the January 9 altercation, police said Wednesday following his arrest.

Earlier in the day, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office issued a statement announcing that a warrant for Gwin's arrest had been issued, following pronounced public outcry over the footage, which was filmed on a day where temperatures hit 49 degrees.

The video posted on social media spurred sleuths to search for and successfully identify the gallery owner, and served as enough evidence to charge Gwin, officials said following his arrest Wednesday evening.

If convicted for the offense, Gwin could face up to six months in county jail - as well as a $2,000 fine.

Scroll down for video:

A business owner who went viral after he was filmed spraying down a homeless woman with a hose in front of his San Francisco store has been arrested for battery, hours after the city's DA said he would face charges for the widely seen incident

'The alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable,' San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins said, referencing footage that showed the store owner nonchalantly dousing the the unnamed woman with a stream of water.

Jenkins went on to reveal that the victim did not seek to file charges against the store owner - who stood by his actions in interviews with various news outlets in recent days, saying that when he asked the woman to move, she became belligerent and refused.

Nonetheless, Jenkins said Wednesday, 'Mr. Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions.'

The state prosecutor - who has come under fire for soft-on-crime policies in a city experiencing crime and homeless rates not seen since the 90s - went on to chide citizens who have vandalized Gwin's store, which had its door smashed in as the footage spread across social media.

Pictured: Collier Gwin, who runs Foster Gwin Gallery in the Financial District. He was arrested at 3pm on Wednesday at his gallery after the city's DA issued a warrant for his arrest

Jenkins - who has been criticized for soft on crime polices in the past - revealed the victim did not seek to file charges against the store owner - who stood by his actions in interviews with various news outlets in recent days

Poll Do YOU think Collier Gwin should have been arrested for hosing a homeless woman outside his gallery Yes No Do YOU think Collier Gwin should have been arrested for hosing a homeless woman outside his gallery Yes 1013 votes

No 1254 votes Now share your opinion





'The vandalism at Foster Gwin gallery is also completely unacceptable and must stop,' the DA wrote, before telling citizens in the homeless encampment-filled city, 'Two wrongs don't make a right.'

Records show that Gwin was arrested around 3:30 pm at or near his gallery. In recent days, as arm chair sleuths zeroed in on the store owner, Gwin made it clear he was not hiding from anyone.

But even after issuing explanations to outlets including The San Francisco Chronicle and ABC 7, other local businesses condemned his actions, while scores of enraged social media users left dreadful reviews online - causing the gallery's rating on Google to plunge to just one star.

Discussing the incident earlier this week, an unapologetic Gwin cited the city's widely reported homeless situation as an inciting factor for the incident.

'I've been here for 40 years,' Gwin told The Chronicle. We have tons of homeless [people]. But they haven't been in a situation where they get that violent [within] 10 days of the neighborhood trying to do something.

'We have been able to get them taken to a shelter, which they leave immediately.'

Earlier in the day, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office issued a statement announcing that a warrant for Gwin's arrest had been issued, following pronounced public outcry over the footage, which was filmed on a day where temperatures hit 49 degrees

Gwin has insisted that he is not sorry for his actions and was trying to 'help' her. He said the woman had been staying in front of his gallery for days

The reporter in the video said: 'I've listened to her talk to the people and saying, "No, this is the way I want to live. My idea of cleanliness is not your idea of cleanliness."'

Gwin replied: 'That's fine, as long as she knows what she's saying.'

After admitting to being the man in the hosepipe video, Gwin claimed the woman had become psychotic and was turning over garbage cans.

'I said you have to move, I cannot clean the street, move down,' Gwin told The San Francisco Chronicle.

'She starts screaming belligerent things, spitting, yelling at me... at that point she was so out of control... I spray her with the hose and say, "Move, move. I will help you."'

He also noted that he has previously been a 'champion' for trying to help her.

The chef of Brioche Cafe, who captured the video, said he saw the scene unfold while making an early morning delivery around 6am.

I just went down and confronted him during an interview with the chronicle pic.twitter.com/BMuQMJaoHl  Darren Mckeeman  (@tjcrowley) January 10, 2023

'I was shocked,' Edson Garcia told The Chronicle. 'I know that lady.'

The video has since amassed millions of views. But despite the widespread backlash, Gwin stuck by his actions.

'You know, spraying her's not the solution, but spraying her was something that woke her up, and that calmed her down,' Gwin said.

'So am I sorry? I'm only sorry that... my way of helping her countlessly has gotten nothing done.'

Gwin added that before the incident he had allowed her to stay on the sidewalk for days and attempted to call the police and other government services to get her help.

His art gallery has been running since 1984 and has brought in A-list clients, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to SocketSite.

The gallery shares a wall with a restaurant called Barbarossa Lounge, which is where Gwin was seen leaning against a gate in the video.

The gallery shares a wall with a restaurant called Barbarossa Lounge, which is where Gwin was seen leaning against a gate in the video. Gwin is not associated with the restaurant

Internet sleuths seeking to identify the perpetrator had at first assumed Gwin was associated with the restaurant. But owner Arash Ghanadan debunked the claim as mountains of hate messages flooded in.

'Barbarossa Lounge has been made aware of a video that has begun to circulate on social media, which was filmed outside of our small business,' Ghanadan told DailyMail.com.

'We are extremely disappointed in this individual's behavior and in no way support such actions. We have been informed that further formal and media investigation is underway.'

Ghanadan added: 'It's been a hard time for our business in the past three years with a pandemic. We barely survived that and now our reputation is being ruined by a video that everyone is falsely assuming relates to our business.'

Rows of homeless tents are seen near the City Hall of San Francisco outside residential properties and small business premises earlier this year

About 8,000 homeless people were reported in the city in February

The video comes amid a growing homelessness crisis in the city. The number of homeless people in San Francisco was tallied in February at almost 8,000, the second highest figure of any year since 2005, according to the official government count which takes place every three years.

Business owners in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood have threatened to stop paying taxes if politicians don't start cleaning up streets of litter and stopping people from openly taking drugs.

In a letter to city officials in August, The Castro Merchants Association said some of the homeless people in the streets outside their stores had been harassing customers and needed help.

'They need shelter and/or services and they need them immediately,' the Merchants Association said.

'Our community is struggling to recover from lost business revenue, from burglaries and never-ending vandalism/graffiti (often committed by unhoused persons) and we implore you to take action.'
HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED BY MANCHESTER AIRPORT CLOSING? DO YOU HAVE PICTURES?

HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED BY MANCHESTER AIRPORT CLOSING? DO YOU HAVE PICTURES?

Brits are warned of further travel chaos today as the Met Office has issued fresh ice warnings across the UK.

The forecaster has said parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the South West of England will face icy conditions, with warnings in place from 5pm yesterday until 10am today.

It said there will be high chances of icy patches on roads, pavements and cycle paths, with injuries expected.

Overnight it became very cold with hard frost and isolated freezing fog patches across the country, causing traffic chaos for motorists and the potential for some households to face power cuts.

The Met Office has issued ice warnings for parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the South West of England today

MANCHESTER: The airport has been forced to close following heavy snowfall as freezing temperatures continue

Many woke up yesterday morning to ice and snow as the UK continues to be hit by this week's cold snap.

Manchester Airport was forced to close its runways amid snowstorms after the coldest night of the year so far.

Temperatures plummeted to as low as -10.4C in parts of the country before Britain faced yet another day of travel disruption.

Passengers at Manchester Airport said they were sitting on their planes for up to four hours after snowstorms made it impossible for flights to take off. Both runways at the airport were closed for around two hours.

At least 36 flights were delayed and two were cancelled, according to tracking website FlightRadar24. And a plane which had travelled 4,000 miles from Atlanta in the US was diverted to London after being unable to land in the snow.

HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED BY MANCHESTER AIRPORT CLOSING? DO YOU HAVE PICTURES? Email alastair.lockhart@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com

MANCHESTER: A plane covered in snow waits on the tarmac at the Airport. The runways opened after two hours

MANCHESTER: Snow ploughs at the runways during the closure

Pictures were shared of a snow-covered plane grounded on the tarmac at Manchester Airport as passengers waited for news.

Claire Staniforth and her husband Gary were two holidaymakers stuck on a plane. The couple said they boarded at 6.30am this morning and were still waiting to fly over two and a half hours later.

A spokesperson for the airport said at around 6:20am: 'Following a period of heavy snowfall, we have temporarily closed both runways.

'Health and safety will always be our top priority and operations will resume at the earliest opportunity.

'Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.'

The runways reopened almost two and a half hours later as passengers waited inside the terminal and onboard planes.

Just after 8:40am, the airport said in a statement: 'Following the temporary closure of our runways due to snow, we are pleased to report that operations have resumed. We thank passengers for their patience.'

More disruption is expected across the UK today as extreme temperatures also cause chaos on the roads and railways.

It came as conditions in Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands fell to -10.4C in the early hours of Thursday, making it the coldest recorded temperature of the year so far.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North West and South West of England

Some passengers took to social media to fume about the runway closures at Manchester Airport

MANCHESTER: Ground crew cleared snow from the runways during the two-hour closure

MANCHESTER: A worker de-ices a plane at Manchester Airport

MANCHESTER: The runways were blanketed in snow after heavy snowfall overnight

MANCHESTER: At least 36 flights were delayed, with an average delay time of 108 minutes

MANCHESTER: A passenger sits on the tarmac on their grounded plane as they waited for the runways to reopen

MANCHESTER: A pilot leans out of his window to chat to a ground crew member as he waits to take off

Cold snap transforms hotel's fountain into stunning ice sculpture A four-star hotel was transformed into a scene from Frozen when the water in its 6ft fountain froze into a jaw-dropping spherical ice sculpture. Guests were thrilled when they spotted the stunning feature outside Dean Park Hotel in Kirkcaldy, Fife on Tuesday morning. Hotel marketing manager Ross Frantz said: 'It looks like something out of Narnia, it was crazy to see. 'Lots of guests were stopping by to take pictures. It's very striking, you can see it frozen - including the icicles hanging from it. 'Guests think it looks amazing. They keep commenting [on it saying] things like Narnia and Elsa from Frozen is the culprit, everyone's saying it looks like something out of a movie.' Advertisement

Elsewhere, Topcliffe in North Yorkshire was the coldest place in England at -7.4C.

Forecasters have said the cold weather will last until the end of the week, and that temperatures could drop as low as -11C in places.

The worst affected area is the north of Scotland, with the Met Office warning that communities there could be cut off and left without power amid snowstorms.

Yellow warnings issues by the Met Office suggest there may be 'further wintry showers bringing disruption from ice and snow'.

They run until noon on Thursday in Wales and the north of Scotland - and until 10am in England.

All of these areas are likely to see travel disruption and delays to journeys as ice and snow block roads and train lines.

Wednesday saw major disruption for people all over the UK as roads were closed due to traffic collisions and railways saw widespread delays and cancellations.

Police have warned drivers to take care this week and, in places, only drive when necessary due to the unusually difficult conditions.

Earlier in the week, a bus carrying around 70 people was overturned after a collision in Somerset.

Emergency services later said a number of those injured in the crash would require surgery.

Meanwhile, a major incident was declared in Somerset over flooding concerns, adding to the disruption.

The Met Office has warned motorists to leave more time for their journeys amid the difficult conditions.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'Parts of north-west Scotland still have 34cm of snow lying, elsewhere this is around 9cm, and in sites across Northern Ireland we've got 7cm, and in Wales as well.

LONDON: A mist settles over the frost-covered Bushy Park in south London

LONDON: A herd of deer run through Bushy Park after temperatures dropped below freezing

ABERDEENSHIRE: The heaviest snow is falling in the north-east of Scotland where the Met Office has issued an amber warning

AVIEMORE: People walk across a frozen loch in Aviemore in Scotland, when temperatures reached as low as -7C

BRECON BEACONS: The Cray Reservoir has been blanketed with snow

WILMSLOW: Large parts of the country experienced heavy snowfall, including Cheshire

MANCHESTER: The city had snowfall as temperatures plunged well below freezing

NOTTINGHAM: Locals living on one of the city's steepest roads, Freda Avenue, described its 'perilous' state after it was closed due to icy conditions

LONDON: Most of the country experienced freezing cold temperatures and many woke up to another frosty morning. Pictured: Blackheath Common in south London

LONDON: A cyclist travels through Blackheath Common in south London, where temperatures were around -1C

'The main thing elsewhere is frost and ice, showers are focused towards the north and west of the UK, so elsewhere a frosty and icy, but dry start.

'Lighter winds in the south on Thursday, so it's not going to feel quite as raw, even though temperatures are still cold, there will be less of a wind chill effect.

'Gradually it will turn less cold over the next few days, we hold on to it generally today and tomorrow, but into the weekend Atlantic air starts to come in, bringing temperatures up to double figures.'

A level three cold weather alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency, warning of conditions that 'could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services' is in place until 9am on Friday.
The aristocrat father of a new mother who vanished with her sex offender partner and their newborn has desperately urged her to turn herself in.

Film producer Napier Marten issued a plea to his estranged daughter Constance, 35, to get herself and the child to safety.

She is currently missing with her partner Mark Gordon, who attacked a woman in America when he was 14 and served 20 years in jail.

Gordon was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, but he, his mother Sylvia and his half-siblings moved to the US when he was young.

Mr Marten, son of Mary Anna Marten, whose godmother was the late Queen mother, told the Independent: 'Darling Constance, even though we remain estranged at the moment, I stand by, as I have always done and as the family has always done, to do whatever is necessary for your safe return to us.

Ms Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been missing since January 5 after their car broke down and caught fire on the M61. The pair were seen leaving the motorway on foot with their newborn

A mugshot from 2010 of Gordon published by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement

'I beseech you to find a way to turn yourself and your wee one in to the police as soon as possible, so you and he or she can be protected.

'Only then can a process of healing and recovery begin, however long it may take, however difficult it may be.

'We are deeply concerned for your and your baby's welfare.

'I would like you to understand that the family will do all that is needed for your wellbeing.

'And I also wish you to understand you are much, much loved whatever the circumstances.'

Ms Marten has now been missing for nearly two weeks.

Last night Gordon's mother Sylvia, 83, claimed the pair had secretly married 'some time ago'.

She said: 'I am very concerned. I love my son. He is a good boy so I don't know what this is all about.

'I am worried for all of them. I am thinking, I wonder if someone kidnapped them?'

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police, who are leading the search to find the pair and newborn, said they have a substantial amount of cash on them from a multi-million trust fund that permits them to live off-grid.

Constance Marten, pictured on the right, at Mist Mag party in 2013 with two other women

Constance Marten - pictured again at the 2013 party - has been missing for two weeks

Constance Marten's social media presence showed a creative side in her early years

The car the pair were driving broke down and caught fire, as seen in this picture from police

Police released this picture of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon outside East Ham station at around 11.45am on January 7

They have no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in the car fire, and they are using money to pay for taxis.

Police are worried for the newborn and say neither Ms Marten nor the baby have had medical attention since the birth.

The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016 in London, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends.

It is not clear how they met, but Gordon is believed to have lived locally to her and worked as a labourer.

Last September, they began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods.

On January 5, they were on the M61 when their car broke down and caught fire near junction four at Farnworth, Bolton.

The couple then walked to Anchor Lane Bridge, where they took a taxi to Liverpool before getting another to Harwich, Essex.

They were seen around Colchester on Friday January 6 and Saturday 7, when they took another taxi to East Ham Station in Newham, London.

Each time Ms Marten and Mr Gordon are seen on CCTV, they are covering their faces or looking away, and have kept the baby covered up.

Investigators say the couple appear to know how to evade authorities - making the search for them harder.

Constance Marten - whose nickname was Toots - comes from an aristocratic family

Missing mother was society darling Privately educated, the 35-year-old hails from an aristocratic family with links to the royals. When she was 21, she featured in society magazine Tatler as its Babe of the Month. Posing in 2009 for a Q&A-type feature, Ms Marten described her favourite place as being on top of the Matterhorn, which she had recently climbed. Asked what her best party had been, she answered: Viscount Cranbournes party in Dorset  the theme was the Feast of Bacchus. She added that her party trick was crunching a Coke can between my shoulder blades like a human recycling machine and that her future plans included getting a tattoo of a tortoise on the bottom of her foot. Advertisement

Police believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may help find them.

Some 200 officers are working on the search and have scoured through more than 200 hours of CCTV footage since the pair were last seen on January 7.

Gordon's conviction relates to a Florida attack on a woman in her early 20s when he was 14.

Ms Marten is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, whose godmother was the late Queen mother.

The family used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Privately educated, the 35-year-old hails from an aristocratic family with links to the royals.

When she was 21, she featured in society magazine Tatler as its Babe of the Month.

Posing in 2009 for a Q&A-type feature, Ms Marten described her favourite place as being on top of the Matterhorn, which she had recently climbed.

Asked what her best party had been, she answered: Viscount Cranbournes party in Dorset  the theme was the Feast of Bacchus.

She added that her party trick was crunching a Coke can between my shoulder blades like a human recycling machine and that her future plans included getting a tattoo of a tortoise on the bottom of her foot.

After her car broke down on the M61 near Bolton on Thursday evening, Ms Marten is believed to have been spotted wrapped in red blanket in Harwich Port, Essex on Saturday at 9am

Constance's ancestors: George Marten with wife Mary and daughters Victoria, Charlotte and Georgina

Her familys 100million Dorset estate included a Grade I-listed mansion, four villages, a cricket club and a lake, while her brothers wedding to a society jewellery designer last summer was featured on the website of fashion bible Vogue.

She is known by the nickname Toots, and attended private St Marys School in Shaftesbury, after which she is understood to have studied Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Leeds.

She then trained as a journalist and photographer. She is the granddaughter of Toby Marten, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy and equerry to George VI, and his wife Mary Anna, who had close links to the Royal Family, attending the Brownies pack at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret in her youth.
Ukraine will reclaim Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed, calling the peninsular annexed by Russia in 2014 'our land' in an address on Thursday.

Speaking in Davos, Ukraine's wartime leader also criticised hesitation by Germany about supplying its modern Leopard tanks, with reports saying Berlin will only provide them if the US offers its Abrams tanks as well.

The US has said it is not 'there yet'.

'There are times where we shouldn't hesitate or shouldn't compare. When someone says "I will give tanks if someone else will also share tanks",' Zelensky told an audience in Davos by videolink. 'I don't think this is the right strategy to go with.'

Speaking late on Wednesday, the president said that there were 'several' theories being investigated to explain a helicopter crash that killed the country's interior minister and 13 others earlier in Kyiv. He said the crash near a nursery was 'not an accident', calling it a consequence of Vladimir Putin's invasion of his country.

Ukraine will reclaim Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured speaking in Davos) has vowed, calling the peninsular annexed by Russia in 2014 'our land' in an address on Thursday

Speaking late on Wednesday, the president said that there were 'several' theories being investigated to explain a helicopter crash that killed the country's interior minister and 13 others earlier in Kyiv. Pictured: A woman squats down amongst the wreckage of the crash on Thursday in the town of Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, January 19, 2023

A relative looks at the site of a helicopter cras, in the town of Brovary, outside Kyiv, January 19

'The investigation is ongoing. There are several theories and I'm not authorised to talk about any of them until the investigation is finished,' Zelensky told an audience in Davos when asked if the crash was an accident.

Ukraine did not claim direct Russian involvement in the helicopter crash, but Zelensky said the tragedy was a consequence of the war.

'There are no accidents at war. These are all war results,' Zelensky said in English, appearing by video link in the Swiss resort town.

He also renewed calls for modern, Western-designed heavy tanks, which analysts say are crucial to pushing through entrenched defensive lines in eastern Ukraine.

Zelensky has frequently pleaded for modern Western weapons, especially heavy battle tanks, so Ukraine can regain momentum following some battlefield successes in the second half of 2022 against Russian forces that invaded last February.

Ukraine's Western allies and arms suppliers are set to meet on Friday at the US-run Ramstein base in Germany.

'We need all the strength there is out there because we are fighting against all of this tyranny,' he said, 'We can not just do it (the fight) with motivation and morale.'

He compared weapons to a 'vaccine against Russian tyranny.'

Asked about fighting on the frontlines, he said there was 'no stagnation' but there was a 'slowdown' during the winter.

He reiterated Thursday that Ukraine aimed to reclaim Crimea, amid reports that the United States was warming to the idea of assisting in that objective.

'Our objective is to liberate all of our territories,' he told an audience in Davos, speaking in Ukrainian. 'Crimea is our land, our territory, our sea, and our mountains. Give us your weapons and we will bring our land back.'

A dog sits next to flowers and dolls left in tribute to victims next to the site of a helicopter crash, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Brovary, outside Kyiv, January 19

Firefighters with rescuers respond at the site of a helicopter crash on January 18, 2023 in Brovary, Ukraine. The helicopter crash killed 14 and left dozens injured, including children

A helicopter fragment hangs on a tree on January 18, 2023 in Brovary, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine

And in a barely veiled reference to Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz is weighing whether to greenlight the export of its highly regarded Leopard tanks, Zelensky issued a 'call for speed' on Wednesday.

He warned: 'Tyranny is outpacing democracies'.

'The time the Free World uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill,' Zelensky said ahead of a meeting of Ukraine's Western arms suppliers in Germany on Friday.

'The world must not hesitate today or ever,' he added. 'The mobilisation of the world must outpace the next military mobilisation of our joint enemy.'

Britain is set to send Challenger 2 tanks to the embattled nation, the United States has promised to send its powerful Bradley armoured fighting vehicles and is reportedly planning to send Stryker armored vehicles as well, and France has offered its highly mobile AMX-10 RCs.

Such offensive weapons have long seen as off-limits by hesitant Western nations.

Berlin has veto power over any decision to export its Leopard tanks, fielded by NATO-allied armies across Europe and seen by defence experts as the most suitable for Ukraine in the country's fight against the Russian invaders.

But several times in recent days, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed, behind closed doors, the condition that U.S. tanks should also be sent to Ukraine, a German government source told Reuters news agency.

The statement came after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would provide 'more advanced support, heavier weapons and more modern weapons, because this is a fight for our values'.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said the United States was not 'there yet' when it came to providing advanced Abrams tanks to Ukraine, though he did not completely close the door on a shift in the future.

Meanwhile, reports from the US capital suggested that the US was warming to the idea of helping Ukraine retake Crimea from Russia.

The peninsular is home to thousands of Russian troops and military bases.

Washington has long maintained its position that Crimea is Ukrainian.

Now, after months of discussions with Ukrainian officials, the New York Times has reported White House officials are starting to conceded Kyiv may need more help.

Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska watches Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) via video link, in Davos, Switzerland, January 18

Ukrainian tankers carry out maintenance on their tanks on the Donbass frontline as military mobility continues within the Russian-Ukrainian war on January 18, 2023

Meanwhile, EU chief Charles Michel said on Thursday he was on his way to Kyiv to discuss with Zelensky what 'concrete measures' Europe can take to support Ukraine.

'I am on my way to Kyiv,' Michel said in a video he posted on his Twitter account, saying he would meet Zelensky as well as the prime minister and MPs.

The European Council president also said he would 'discuss with president Zelensky and his team what are the concrete measures we can develop in order to make sure they are stronger and more powerful'.

Michel hailed the Ukrainians 'fighting for their land, they are fighting for their future and the future of their children'.

'But we all know that they are also fighting for our common European values and principles, and also for the promise of the European Union peace and prosperity,' he said. 'They need and they deserve our support.'

On Wednesday, a helicopter carrying Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky crashed next to a kindergarten and a residential building in Brovary, a commuter town for the capital Kyiv that was the scene of fierce fighting with Russian forces last year.

Fourteen people were killed, including Monastyrsky, other ministry officials and a child, Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. Another 25 people were wounded, including 11 children.

Preschool building stands with broken windows and damaged facade after helicopter crash on January 18, 2023 in Brovary, Kyiv Oblast

Flowers and soft toys are left at the site of a helicopter crash, honouring the memory of killed persons on January 18, 2023 in Brovary

'Minister Denys Monastyrsky, (his deputy) Yevhen Yenin and their colleagues who died in the crash are not people who can be easily replaced,' Zelensky said. 'It is a truly huge loss for the state. My condolences to the families.'

Dmytro Serbyn, who was in his apartment when the helicopter crashed, rushed to help children as soon as he saw flames billowing over the kindergarten.

'They were looking for their parents, children were crying... their faces were cut and covered in blood,' Serbyn told AFP.

'We pulled out one girl. I wrapped her in a jacket, her face was wounded... She did not tremble, did not cry.' The child, Polina, was so badly injured that her father did not immediately recognise her, Serbyn said.

Amateur footage circulating on social media in the immediate aftermath captured cries and a large blaze.

It was not immediately clear where the helicopter was going.

The presidency said it was headed to frontline regions, while Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said it was flying to a missile strike site in Dnipro.

Zelensky said information on the circumstances of the crash would be made available 'as soon as clear facts are established'.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement it was a 'heartbreaking tragedy', calling Monastyrsky a 'reformer and patriot'.

'We don't have any notion right now as to what caused that crash,' US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Britain said: 'Ukrainians will continue to be collateral (victims) as long as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin continues his needless war. Berlin, meanwhile, 'offered Germany's support in identifying the causes of the helicopter crash'. +

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi during a visit to a training base of the National Guard, in Odesa region, Ukraine June 18, 2022 (file photo). Monastyrskyi was killed in Wednesday along with 13 others in a helicopter crash

Klitschko paid homage to Monastyrsky as a 'young, very creative, good person... always proactive in supporting and defending the lives of our citizens'.

The 42-year-old, a trained lawyer, had served as Ukraine's interior minister from July 2021. He was a key member of Zelensky's party and was married with two children.

Aviation accidents are fairly common in Ukraine.

In one of the deadliest recent incidents, 26 people, most of them air cadets, were killed when their plane crashed near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in September 2020.

The town of Brovary is located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Kyiv and was among the urban hubs around the capital that Russian troops had tried to capture after invading Ukraine last year.

Meanwhile, in Moscow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov likened Western policies on Russia to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's 'Final Solution' plan of genocide against Jewish people.

'The task is the same: the final solution of the 'Russian question'. Just as Hitler wanted to finally solve the Jewish question,' Lavrov said.

Canada's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest what it called Lavrov's 'anti-Semitic comments' as well as to condemn a recent Russian strike on a residential building in Ukraine's Dnipro that killed at least 45 people.
An animal rights group has published a shocking video of animal cruelty within Finnish fur farms revealing obese, infection-ridden foxes trapped in small cages and cubs feeding on their dead siblings.

With nearly a million pelts produced annually, Finland is Europe's leading producer of certified fox fur, second in the world after China.

But the new footage highlights the controversy over the Nordic country's fur industry, which is fighting calls to have it outlawed with footage showing obese and infected foxes living in mesh cages.

The animal rights group Oikeutta Elaimille (Justice for Animals) revealed footage of animals left to sit in their own waste whilst suffering from infections and other physical ailments, such as this white fox with an infected ear

'Fur farming should have been banned in Finland by now and I think it is shameful that this has not yet been done', Left Alliance MP Mai Kivela told AFP.

In December, a European Citizens Initiative calling for an EU-wide ban on the fur industry reached one million signatures, the number required to trigger a response from the Commission.

The initiative urges the EU to follow a growing number of member states in outlawing the practice, which it considers 'inherently cruel'.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party decided in 2020 to support a ban, following in the footsteps of the Left Alliance and Greens.

But those favouring an outright ban are still in the minority in Finland's parliament, as the 360-million-euro export industry is considered vital to some rural areas.

Finnish animal rights group Oikeutta Elaimille (Justice for Animals) shared unpublished footage with AFP it said was filmed undercover inside six different Finnish fur farms in 2022.

Animals are bred to the point of obesity which causes many health side-effects such as painful eye infections and damaged skin

The Finnish Fur Breeders' Association FIFUR, which certifies farms to ensure animal health, confirmed to AFP that they had approved four of the farms identified by the activists.

The footage reveals the conditions in which the foxes live, trapped inside small, wire mesh cages.

In the video, they can be seen suffering from eye disease and infections in ears and tails.

'The conditions of the animals in these farms are downright appalling,' activist Kristo Muurimaa told AFP.

The foxes are unable to fulfil their natural behavioural needs in the cramped cages, exposing them 'to various behavioural disorders' such as compulsive pacing back and forth, Muurimaa said.

Oikeutta Elaimille also said the foxes were 'over-bred to huge sizes', leading to health issues such as warped skin and painful eye infections.

A fox cub eats a dismembered skull in a cage with many of the animals lying next to or even eating their dead siblings

Finland's animal protection law 'is lagging far behind European standards', Muurimaa argued, 'All Finnish fur farms are more or less the same from an animal point of view,'.

FIFUR condemned unauthorised filming at the farms as 'illegal trespassing' and told AFP the footage did not represent reality.

'They give a completely false picture of fur farming, a one-sided sample,' said Olli-Pekka Nissinen, a spokesman for the association that represents most fur producers in Finland.

FIFUR said they showed the footage to the producers but 'they cannot recognize their animals from it except maybe one silver fox'.

However, to investigate the claims, FIFUR veterinarians 'will still be visiting farms in the coming days'.

'These four farms are well-managed, certified fur farms where the producers take care of their animals,' Nissinen insisted.

Calls to ban the practice of fur trading from other EU countries has fallen on deaf ears in Finland where the 360 million export industry keeps thousands employed

The FIFUR certification process includes regular audit visits every year. 'Animals are generally in good condition,' Nissinen said.

'In general, if a farm has five or ten thousand animals' there may 'always be animals who have sudden eye infections or ear infections' that the producers treat, said Nissinen.

But certification statistics show that 'injuries and mortality are quite low'. Several European countries, including Austria and the UK, have already banned fur farming, and the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred more countries to follow suit.

During the pandemic, France, the Netherlands and Estonia introduced new bans, while Denmark ordered a cull of the country's entire farmed mink population after Covid outbreaks.

In 2021, Austria and the Netherlands urged the EU to end fur farming, a call supported by Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Slovakia.But the breeders' association in Finland says any EU ban would be against the bloc's rules.

'The ban on fur farming and fur trading is contrary to the EU treaties and the four freedoms,' Nissinen said - a reference to the free movement of goods, people, services and capital that form the bedrock of the EU's founding treaty.

The fur farming industry was very important for rural Finland, employing around 3,000 people, he noted.

'We are just like any other countryside livestock sector that deals with farm animals.'
The uranium mine that feeds North Korea's nukes has been rocked by a series of cave-ins, with the scale of the disaster visible from space.

Jacob Bogle, who has created a comprehensive map of the country from satellite photos, discovered the collapse in recent images of the Pyongsan mine.

The mine is the regime's main source of uranium ore, which can be refined into yellowcake and ultimately weapons-grade uranium.

And it's less than a kilometre away from the only operational plant in North Korea that can process the ore into yellowcake.

Jacob Bogle, who has created a comprehensive map of the country from satellite photos, discovered the collapse in recent images of the Pyongsan mine

The recent collapse at the Pyongsan mine appear to be progressive, moving towards the west in successive cave-ins from 2019 to 2021

Now the mine has been hit by disaster, with satellite photos capturing the sudden appearance of large depressions in the earth close to the mine entrance.

Mr Bogle said all the signs pointed to a collapse.

He said: 'The Pyongsan mine is underground, so the only visible aspects of it should be tunnel entrances, surface facilities like crushing equipment, and piles of coal.

'However, what has developed at the mine is a series of irregular pits with no associated activity  no trucks, no bucket excavators, and nothing to suggest they were created to facilitate mining.'

Two such pits, each more than 100 metres across, are clearly visible in satellite photos.

Mr Bogle continued: 'This area of the mine was already weakened by a 100-metre-wide collapse that occurred at least two decades ago.

'The recent collapses appear to be progressive, moving towards the west in successive cave-ins from 2019 to 2021.

'This suggests that the mined out galleries had lost their structural support and water infiltration has weakened the site further, causing collapses that follow the paths of the galleries.'

The mine is the Kim Jong Un regime's main source of uranium ore, which can be refined into yellowcake and ultimately weapons-grade uranium. Pictured: Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, January 1, 2023

The human cost of the cave-ins is unknown, but people are still working at the facility, evidence suggests.

With each new satellite photo, waste piles at the site have continued to grow, while new structures have been built above-ground.

Mr Bogle said: 'The mine is still in use and the main tailings pile has grown each year for the last decade, indicating continuous operations.

'And while the satellite imagery can't tell us if the collapses have caused any injuries, there is an active mine shaft just 230 meters away from the area experiencing the cave-ins.

'In fact, that shaft was refurbished and had additional structures built in recent years to facilitate greater activity.'

The Pyongsan mine is so big that  even after the recent collapses  the flow of uranium for Kim Jong-un's nukes is likely to continue.

But Mr Bogle warned that these cave-ins could be just the beginning.

He said: 'Mining is one of the most dangerous sectors in North Korea.

'The country lacks modern equipment and isn't known to use any advanced technologies to determine where mineral veins are, or to locate fissures in the rock that could pose safety risks.

The mine is less than a kilometre away from the only operational plant in North Korea that can process the ore into yellowcake

Satellite photos captured the sudden appearance of large depressions in the earth close to the mine entrance

'Timber beams are the most common method used to support the ceilings, but without adequate planning or routine maintenance, the weight of the overlying rock can cause a collapse.'

He added: 'Kim Jong-un announced in December that he wants to build 'exponentially' more nuclear weapons.

'To do that, more ore has to be mined from Pyongsan.

'Given the area's track record, that can only mean even more accidents and cave-ins as greater and greater amounts of material is removed for processing.'

Pyongsan mine is 62 miles southeast of Pyongyang, and less than 30 miles from the South Korean border.

The Kim regime confessed it was extracting uranium from coal there during a visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in 1992.
A daughter shot her parents in the head before using a chainsaw to dismember their bodies and partly stuff the parts in to trash cans, authorities said Wednesday.

On Tuesday evening, the couple's son, Justin Beck, drove past his parents' house, having not spoken to them in person or on the phone since January 7. The lights were off and when he returned later that evening he found his sister, Verity Beck, who also lived there, and his father's body.

When police arrived later on Tuesday night, they found the badly decomposing bodies of Reid Beck, 73, and Miriam Beck, 72. Police discovered a pillow that had been hit with bullets, noting that this most likely indicated it was placed across the parents' faces before they were shot at close range and then savagely mutilated.

Verity Beck, 49, from Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of third-degree murder and other crimes in the killings of the elderly couple, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele told reporters.

Verity Beck (pictured), 49, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of third-degree murder and other crimes in the killings of Reid Beck, 73, and Miriam Beck, 72, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele told reporters

Reid Beck, 73, and Miriam Beck, 72, were found at their Jenkintown home, where Verity Black also lived

Verity appeared in court Wednesday for a preliminary arraignment and was ordered held without bail, criminal court records show. Authorities have not yet found a possible motive. However, investigators discovered a safe that someone appeared to have tried to break into in the house, Steele said.

On Tuesday, at around 8 pm, Justin drove past his parents' house along the 1100 block of Beverly Road in the Jenkintown section of Abington Township, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.

He later told investigators that while he had received texts from his parents over the last ten days, he had not had any other contact with them since January 7, even though he generally spoke with his mother every day, the publication added.

Justin saw that his parents' vehicles were parked outside the property and all the lights inside were off. He then returned to his home and brought soup for Verity because she had complained about being ill, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.

Justin returned to his parents' home at around 9:30 pm and entered the property.

In a downstairs bedroom he discovered a body on the floor covered by a bloodstained sheet, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators said Justin then called for Verity, who met him in the living room.

During a half-hour conversation, Verity told her brother that things at her home had 'been bad,' according to the criminal complaint.

When her brother said that they needed to contact the police, Verity said she needed 'more time,' according to investigators.

Abington Police arrived at the house at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday. Shortly after midnight, three officers entered the residence

Officers announced they were inside the building and Verity Beck approached them shortly afterwards, investigators said

Justin, who was aware that his sister owned a handgun, then left the property, returned to his own home and phoned the police, according to the criminal complaint.

Abington Police arrived at the house at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday and saw that the lights were on inside. They attempted to make contact with Verity at the front door but she did not respond, according to the criminal complaint.

More police units then arrived and set up a perimeter around the property.

Police then sent a small remote-controlled robot into the first floor of the home to find Verity, as well as a drone to look into the second-floor windows. However, they still could not locate Verity at that point.

Shortly after midnight, three officers entered the residence, which had a strong odor inside.

The officers announced they were present and Verity approached them shortly afterwards, investigators said.

'Where are your parents?' one of the officers asked, according to the criminal complaint.

'They are dead,' Verity allegedly replied.

Police then handcuffed the 49-year-old and took her away from the house.

The officers then discovered a human foot inside the home with a blanket covering the rest of the body, investigators said.

They also found a chainsaw near the body, blood on the inside of a bedroom door and two trash cans in the bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.

One trash can was empty while the other was heavy.

Inside the trash the officers found a white linen covering something. The house was then secured and a search warrant was issued.

A statement from Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele

Montgomery County detectives then found the body of a decapitated man wrapped in a comforter while processing the crime scene.

They also found a furniture dolly partially underneath the body that investigators believe had been used to move the corpse.

Detectives also discovered a pillow that appeared to have been hit by bullets, as well as a chainsaw, and more body parts inside a trash can in the garage.

Investigators also found unread newspapers from January 7, 2023. This was the date when their son had last heard his mother's voice.

Detectives also discovered a safe with drill marks on it mounted on the wall of a second-floor bedroom with tools nearby. This indicates that a person without the key or combination had been trying to enter the safe, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators also searched through Verity's bedroom, where they say they found three guns with spent rounds, two of which were registered to her and one of which had no record of ownership.

Later on Wednesday, a forensic pathologist identified the dismembered bodies found inside the property as that of Reid Beck and Miriam Beck.

Autopsies determined that they both died from single gunshot wounds to the head and their deaths were both ruled a homicide.

Verity's charges mean that she is ineligible for bail in Montgomery County.

She is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

'This is somebody that is dismembering her mother and father and putting body parts in trash cans,' Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. 'So clearly she's trying to get rid of the evidence of her crime.'

Residents who knew Reid and Miriam Beck described them as a happy family who often spent summers at the beach. They were unaware of any issues happening inside the home prior to their murders.
A luxury interior designer who sold her London mansion for 10.3million - more than 1million below the asking price - is suing her estate agents for failing to secure a better offer.

Tiggy Butler, who specialises in restoring historic multi-million pound homes, claims she was left 1.75million out of pocket following the sale of her large neo-classical house, which overlooks Regent's Park in central London.

The original asking price was set at 14.5million in 2016, but was reduced after other agents failed to sell the property for several years.

The designer is now suing the 'super-prime' property specialist Becky Fatemi, boss of Rokstone Ltd, which sold Ms Butler's home.

Rokstone was the first to bring a claim after Ms Butler refused to pay the firm 318,000 in commission, despite allegedly giving the agents 'fulsome praise' for their work leading up to the sale.

Tiggy Butler (pictured outside court), who specialises in restoring historic multi-million pound homes, claims she was left out of pocket following the sale of her large neo-classical house, which overlooks Regent's Park in the centre of the capital

The designer is now rowing at the Central London County Court with 'super-prime' property specialist Becky Fatemi (pictured outside court), the boss of Rokstone Ltd, which sold Ms Butler's property

Millionaire businessman, 44, found with 10,000 worth of magic mushrooms growing in bathroom of his home in 1.4m Henry VIII castle in Kent avoids jail after prosecutors accepted it was for personal use Businessman Simon Giles, 44, arriving at Maidstone Crown Court for a previous hearing Advertisement

But Ms Butler said she owes Ms Fatemi's agency nothing and decided to countersue, claiming the agents were in breach of contract because they missed chances to sell her house for more, leaving her up to 1.75million out of pocket.

The Central London County Court heard Ms Butler bought her house on Chester Terrace in 2014 and spent two years restoring it to its former grandeur before putting it on the market in 2016 for 14.5million.

Ms Fatemi's agency was instructed in 2019 after the house failed to sell for three years, despite the efforts of several other agents.

Daniel Petrides, for Rokstone Ltd, told the judge that the house still remained unsold in October 2020, by which time Ms Butler was in 'dire financial straits' and facing the imminent prospect of the house being repossessed.

Having been informed of the situation, Ms Fatemi's agency dropped the asking price to 11.6million and by February 2021 had sold the house and its contents for 10.3million to tycoons from Saudi Arabia.

But Ms Butler subsequently refused to pay the agency the 318,452.01 commission Ms Fatemi claims it is owed.

Stephen Innes, for Ms Butler, told the judge that she is unwilling to pay the commission, claiming that the contract with the agency is non-enforceable because the terms were not clearly explained to her in writing, as prescribed by the Estate Agents Act 1979.

Additionally, she claims Ms Fatemi's agency in fact owes her money, alleging that a failure to 'act with reasonable care and skill' led to her losing money on the sale.

She claims that, had the agents acted properly, the house could have been sold for 11million in March 2020, saving her a fortune in interest payments, but instead she was left a total of 1,747,490 out of pocket.

But Mr Petrides denied all the claims made against Rokstone and asked the judge to order Ms Butler to pay the commission.

'The claim itself is... relatively straightforward. However, matters have been complicated by the introduction of a factually convoluted but ultimately spurious counterclaim which the defendant seeks to set off against her contractual liabilities,' he told the judge.

He said Rokstone had put the house through a 'thorough and pro-active marketing process', that all formal offers were shown to Ms Butler and that 'the most significant obstacle to achieving a speedy sale' was her own conduct.

'Following completion of the sale, the defendant - who had hitherto been fulsome in her praise for the considerable work which Rokstone... had been doing to market the property on her behalf, and had repeatedly confirmed her understanding that commission would be payable - instructed her conveyancing solicitors, Forsters LLP, not to pay the commission out of the completion monies. The commission still remains unpaid.

The court heard Ms Butler bought her house in Chester Terrace (pictured) in 2014 and spent two years restoring it to its former grandeur before putting it on the market in 2016 for 14.5m. However it failed to sell for three years before Ms Fatemi's agency was instructed to try and move the property

'The defendant does not deny that she failed to pay the commission. However, she now seeks to dispute the legal enforceability of the contract due to an alleged failure to provide certain explanatory information about the commission arrangements required by s.18(1) of the Estate Agents Act 1979.

'Rokstone does not accept that the defendant was not supplied with the required information.'

In the witness box, Ms Fatemi told the judge that Ms Butler was under 'serious financial constraints' by the time the house was finally sold.

'She was a month away from getting the house repossessed. A lot of our efforts and energy went into making sure that didn't happen,' she added.

However Mr Innes told the judge: 'The claimant's personnel are aggrieved at the non-payment of commission, in circumstances where they did work hard to achieve a sale; they will undoubtedly point to the defendant's effusive expressions of gratitude for that work at the time.

'The court will appreciate that expressiveness and gratitude are very much in the defendant's nature and that at a time of urgent financial pressure to sell the property, she was heavily dependent on the claimant's efforts.

'At the time, she was not aware of the matters of complaint which she now advances in these proceedings.

'The defendant had poured her resources and her creative energy into buying and renovating the property to create a stunning home and ultimately to provide financial security for her and her family.

'The delay in selling it and the reduced selling price have been financially disastrous and emotionally devastating for her.'

The hearing continues.
N15 Partners founder and CEO Huh Jea, left, poses with Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang, second from left, and Tarek Fouad, second from right, head of growth at UAE-based Shorooq Partners, after signing a memorandum of understanding on nurturing startups in Korea and the UAE, at the Rixos Marina Abu Dhabi hotel, Jan. 16. Courtesy of N15 Partners



By Baek Byung-yeul



Huh Jea, founder and CEO of local startup incubating company N15 Partners, said Thursday that the company is seeking to support Korean startups to advance into the Middle East market.



Huh was included in an economic delegation led by President Yoon Suk Yeol, who made a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this week.



As part of economic cooperation efforts between Korea and the Middle Eastern country, N15 Partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UAE-based startup accelerator Shorooq Partners.



"Shorooq Partners, which does business in the Middle East market in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt, plans to jointly discover, foster and invest in startups in the smart city sector with N15 Partners," the company said.



Established in 2018, N15 Partners is a startup accelerator certified by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.



"We will help domestic startups with excellent technology in smart cities, games and Web3 to expand into the Middle East. By providing them opportunities to connect with local UAE companies, we will try to create a Middle East boom," Huh said.



The company said it already has experience in the Middle East market, matching local startups with companies there.



In December 2022, the company also successfully operated the Eco-Bridge Project together with the Embassy of the UAE in Korea so as to support promising startups entering the Middle Eastern country.



Shorooq Partners is a venture capital company established in the UAE in 2016 and has five bases in the Middle East. As of January 2023, it has invested in about 90 startups in 11 countries around the world and the startups' corporate value has grown to around 3 trillion won ($2.42 billion).


The Kremlin has doubled down on a threat made by Vladimir Putin's close ally Dmitry Medvedev, who said the defeat of Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war with the West.

Following up on his warning on Thursday, Moscow confirmed his incendiary remarks were in full accordance with Russia's nuclear doctrine.

The former Russian president appeared to be warning NATO leaders to halt supplies of major new arms to Kyiv, as Western allies meet at the Ramstein Air Base Germany on Friday with the focus on whether Berlin will allow its Leopard 2 battle tanks to be supplied to Kyiv to help drive out Russian forces.

'Tomorrow at the Ramstein base in [Germany], the great military leaders will discuss new tactics and strategy, as well as deliveries of new heavy weapons and strike systems to Ukraine,' Medvedev said.

Vladimir Putin's ally Dmitry Medvedev has threatened the West with nuclear war in Ukraine beats Russia on the battlefield. Pictured: A Sartmat ICBM test is seen in Russian footage (file)

The former Russian president, now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council (pictured centre on January 10 inspecting a military repair plant in Saint Petersburg) appeared to be warning NATO leaders to halt supplies of major new arms to Kyiv

'And this is right after the Davos Forum, where underdeveloped [Western] political party goers repeat like a mantra: "To achieve peace, Russia must lose".'

If Russia loses, it would trigger nuclear war, said Medvedev, who as Russian president from 2008 to 2012 once had his finger on the Kremlin's nuclear trigger.

He strongly implied the fate of his boss Putin, and that of Russia's, depends on the Russian despot not being defeated in the bloody war he launched 11 months ago.

'It doesn't occur to any of the wretches to draw the following elementary conclusion: That the loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war could provoke a nuclear war.

'Nuclear powers have not lost major conflicts on which their fate depends. And this should be obvious to anyone.

'Even a Western politician with any trace of intelligence.'

Medvedev stepped into Putin's shoes as President in 2008 for a four-year term, while Putin became the Russian Prime Minister for that time. The move was seen as largely symbolic, with Putin maintaining ultimate power.

When he first became president in 2008, he promised to modernise and liberalise Russia, and often spoke of his love of tech gadgets and of blogging. He even visited California and was given a brand new iPhone 4 from Apple founder Steve Jobs.

But he has since rebooted his political persona, and now frequently embarks on tirades on the Telegram messaging app to he followers about Russia's place in the world, and his hatred of the West.

Observers have said his new persona is a desperate attempt to retain relevance in Moscow's political circles, which have become significantly darker since he left the presidency and Putin reclaimed the top job in the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, there have been rumours of Medvedev's increasing alcohol consumption, with Putin telling him to resign as Prime Minister, instead handing him the token job as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council - which, as with many other political organisation in Moscow, Putin has ultimate control over.

Now, some analysts see Medvedev as positioning himself for a new run at the Kremlin presidency if Putin is forced out by ill health or through dissatisfaction.

Medvedev recently threatened to jail Russian arms manufacturer bosses who failed to deliver missiles and tanks on time for the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine has pleaded for modern Western weapons, especially heavy battle tanks, so it can regain momentum following some battlefield successes in the second half of 2022 against Russian forces that invaded last February. Pictured: A Ukrainian tank crew are seen operating a Soviet-era T-72 in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on January 18

Ukrainian tankers carry out maintenance on their tanks on the Donbass frontline as military mobility continues within the Russian-Ukrainian war on January 18, 2023

His anger highlighted desperation in the Kremlin to get more weapons to the frontline as the West increases its battlefield aid to Ukraine, especially with the arrival of heavy tanks from NATO nations.

As he inspected the 61st Armoured Vehicle Repair Plant in St Petersburg, he warned: 'The tasks here are obvious, and they need to be promptly addressed, in no way allowing for the disruption of approved deadlines.'

He blasted failures to supply military equipment on time. 'In the case of repeat violations, let me remind you that special criminal punishment has been introduced [under] the Russian criminal code,' he said, alluding to ten year jail sentences.

On Thursday, Ukraine urged its Western allies - without Medvedev-like threats - to hurry up and supply tanks and air defences to Kyiv, saying it was paying with Ukrainian lives at the front for the slow pace of discussions in foreign capitals.

Ukraine has pleaded for modern Western weapons, especially heavy battle tanks, so it can regain momentum following some battlefield successes in the second half of 2022 against Russian forces that invaded last February.

'We have no time, the world does not have this time,' said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, on the Telegram messaging app.

Western allies are meeting at the Ramstein Air Base Germany on Friday.

'The question of tanks for Ukraine must be closed as soon as possible. Just like the questions of additional air defence systems,' Yermak said in a statement. We are paying for the slowness with the lives of our Ukrainian people.

'It shouldn't be like that,' he said.

Pictured: A relative looks at the site of a helicopter crash, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, January 19, 2023

His comments echoed an appeal made by President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video speech to the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. Zelenskiy said tanks and air defence units should be delivered faster than Russia could stage its next attacks.

This week, Britain raised the pressure on Germany by becoming the first Western country to send Western tanks, promising Challenger 2 heavy tanks.

Almost 11 months since Russia invaded its neighbour, Moscow's forces hold swathes of Ukraine's east and south. The battlefield momentum has been with Kyiv for months, but Moscow has expended huge resources to try to advance in the east.

Leopard tanks are held by an array of NATO nations, but transferring them to Ukraine requires Germany's approval.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Kyiv has appealed to the nations that have Leopard 2 tanks - Greece, Denmark, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Turkey, Finland and Sweden - to supply them.

But Berlin has veto power over any decision to export its tanks, fielded by NATO-allied armies across Europe and seen by experts as the most suitable for Ukraine.

Several times in recent days, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed, behind closed doors, the condition that U.S. tanks should also be sent to Ukraine, the German government source said on condition of anonymity.

When asked about Germany's stance, U.S. President Joe Biden's spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said: 'The president believes that each country should make their own sovereign decisions on what steps of security assistance and what kinds of equipment they are able to provide Ukraine.'

NATO allies have sought to avoid the risk of appearing to confront Russia directly and have refrained from sending their most potent weapons to Ukraine.
The man who allegedly stabbed a 91-year-old grandfather to death is the stepson of underworld figure Lametta Fadlallah, who was killed in a hail of bullets months earlier.

Jordan Safi, 24, who is also the son of 200kg standover man Helal Safi, was arrested at a home in Roselands, Sydney's south-west, about 11:15pm on Wednesday and taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.

The body of his step-grandfather Joe Ziri was discovered about two hours earlier at a nearby property soaked in a corrosive chemical, which resulted in acid burn for two officers who stormed the home.

In August, Fadlallah, 48, was shot dead in a bloody execution as she sat in a silver Toyota 4WD outside her house on Hendy St, Panania in Sydney's west.

She had just had her hair done and was preparing for a night on the town with three other people also in the car - including hairdresser Amy Hazouri, 39, who also shot dead.

Jordan Safi, 24 (pictured), who is also the son of 200kg standover man Helal Safi, was arrested at a home in Roselands, Sydney's south-west, about 11:15pm on Wednesday and taken to hospital where he remains under police guard

In August, Fadlallah, 48 (pictured), was killed in a hail of bullets as she sat in a silver Toyota 4WD outside her house on Hendy St, Panania in Sydney's west.

He is the son of former Kings Cross figure Helal Safi (pictured) who died weeks after being released from jail in 2021

A 16-year-old girl and 20-year-old man miraculously managed to escape injury but are left 'incredibly shaken' after the 'planned attack'.

CCTV captured another vehicle pulling up next to the Toyota followed by up to a dozen gunshots.

The Toyota then drove a kilometre away from the scene where the 20-year-old and 16-year-old called for help.

Pictured: Joe Ziri w

Police believe Ms Hazouri was collateral damage and that Ms Fadlallah was the intended target.

Ms Fadlallah is understood to have been associated with underworld figures going back to the 1990s.

Fadlallah was the long term girlfriend of Kings Cross identity Helal Safi - who was found dead in a Sydney apartment in January 2021 after suffering a heart attack.

Safi, at 45-years-old and weighing 200kg, was found dead in his Stapleton Street, Pendle Hill unit after a neighbour was heard shouting for help around 4am.

He had been released from prison just weeks earlier, with police locating drug paraphernalia in the unit.

The 'major' gangland player had close links to criminals and was feared among Sydney's underworld.

NSW Police said the incident is believed to be domestic violence-related with police and Fire and Rescue teams (above) seen collecting evidence from the home

Police and Fire and Rescue NSW attended a home in Roselands after the body of a 91-year-old man was found (pictured, emergency services at the scene)

The former bikie and Kings Cross bouncer once survived 42 stab wounds while in jail in 2010.

The injuries put him in a coma for five months, with police saying he only survived due to his size.

His son now faces the prospect of surgery for injuries sustained before his arrest.

Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said NSW Police believe the incident is domestic violence-related.

He added that one male relative at the scene was very distressed and had to temporarily be restrained.

'It was a highly volatile and emotional situation last night,' she told reporters on Thursday.

Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the Roselands home after two police officers suffered burns from hydrochloric acid (pictured, Fire and Rescue NSW officers cleaning the home)

'One of the other family members was quite emotional when the 24-year-old was taken into custody.

'As a result, police had to step in and restrain him. He was not arrested and he will not be charged. He was just restrained and taken away from the scene so we could calm him down.'

At the scene in Roselands, Fire and Rescue NSW crews were called after two officers suffered minor chemical burns.

Superintendent Waldau said the chemical found at the scene was hydrochloric acid, which is commonly used to adjust the PH levels for swimming pools.

She said the substance was spread around the house but did not appear to be on the body.

The officers were treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to St George Hospital, with one receiving oxygen as treatment for their burns.

Both officers have since been released.
This is the moment a drug-dealer pulled over by police admitted that there was a 'lot of coke' in the boot of his car.

Video shows Kieran Grant, 40, being quizzed by Essex police officers after he was stopped on the M11 for driving an uninsured Skoda Fabia at around 10.30pm on March 31 last year.

Grant can be heard confessing that he has drugs in the boot of the vehicle, before officers found 19 wrapped blocks of cocaine weighing nearly 42lbs packaged in two supermarket 'bags for life'.

The force said the cocaine, worth 1.9million, was 'undoubtedly destined for the streets of Essex'.

Kieran Grant had been pulled over by the police for driving an uninsured car when the drugs were discovered

Nineteen blocks of cocaine were discovered in the back of the Skoda on the London-bound carriageway

Grant was jailed for eight years on January 13 for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, after admitting both charges at Chelmsford Magistrates Court in April last year.

Bodycam footage shows a policeman asking the drug-dealer: 'Is there anything in the car or on your person that I need to be aware of?'

Grant quickly replies: 'In the boot.'

When officers ask what is in the boot, the criminal replies: 'Drugs - a lot, a lot. Cocaine.'

In body camera footage, Grant tells a police officer in the short clip that there are 'a lot of' drugs in the boot of the car

Grant admitted the charges against him in April 2022 and was jailed for eight years on January 13 for possession with intent to supply

The blocks of cocaine were seized from the back of the Skoda. Police said the drugs were 'destined for the streets of Essex'

Detective Sergeant Leo Fordham, of Essex's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: 'This was a sizeable seizure of drugs which were undoubtedly destined for the streets of Essex.

'We know all too well the harm that drugs cause, both to those who take them and those involved in the supply of them.

'In this case, driving an uninsured car proved to be Grant's downfall and outed him as a complicit criminal courier. He will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars for his actions.'
A car has been found in the search for missing British actor Julian Sands who disappeared six days ago in a treacherous Californian mountain range.

The actor, 65, who starred in 1985's A Room With A View, was attempting to climb Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains, one of the most dangerous peaks in the US, where two hikers have died in recent weeks.

His family reported him missing at 7.30pm on Friday and rescuers have now recovered a snow-covered car thought to belong to Sands, which was towed away last night.

A ground search was attempted on Saturday but had to be abandoned due to a storm.

Drones and helicopters have since been deployed to the mountain range, which is 40 miles from Los Angeles, where the actor has lived in Beverly Hills since 2020.

It is not the first time the keen outdoorsman has come into trouble while hiking, having had a brush with death on the Andes in the early 1990s.

He previously recalled: 'I was in the Andes, caught in an atrocious storm above 20,000ft with three others. We were all in a very bad way. Some guys close to us perished; we were lucky.'

The actor is a father-of-three who became a major star after the 1985 release of the period drama A Room with a View alongside Helena Bonham Carter. He also appeared in The Killing Fields, Arachnophobia and Leaving Las Vegas. His TV credits include 24 and Smallville.

The 65-year-old has two daughters, Natalya and Imogen, with US journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, who he married in 1990. He has a son, Henry, with his first wife Sarah Sands, the former editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Sands, 65, was reported missing by his family at around 7.30pm on Friday after disappearing in the dangerous mountain range. He is pictured in a recent image released by his family to police to aid the search

His family reported him missing at 7.30pm on Friday and rescuers have now recovered a snow-covered car, which was towed away last night

Sands pictured with co-star Helena Bonham Carter on the set of A Room With A View in 1985

Officers attempted a ground search for Julian Sands (pictured left and right with his wife Evgenia Citkowitz) on Saturday for the star but had to abandon it as a storm swept in. It has not bee safe enough to restart the search since

The actor lives with his family in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills but has not been seen since Friday

Two hikers die on Mount Baldy in four weeks amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions Two people have died in recent days while while attempting to scale the same mountainous area - one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles. Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother-of-four described as 'the dancing hiking queen', is understood to have slipped and plunged 700ft down the Baldy Bowl. A helicopter was immediately dispatched, and soon found Gonzalez 'down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,' according to an incident report. On December 28, Jarret Choi, 43, from LA, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line. He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions. And on December 17, four people had to be rescued by helicopter from the mountain after icy conditions made it impossible to move. Advertisement

Sands has often spoken about his love of nature and his 'wonderful outdoor lifestyle', and has traveled around the world carrying out daring climbs.

He previously told Thrive Global his expeditions during Covid lockdowns were about 'supplication and sacrifice and humility'.

He added: 'It's not so much a celebration of oneself but the eradication of one's self consciousness. And so on these walks you lose yourself, you become a vessel of energy in harmony hopefully with your environment.

'I mean, two days ago, I was just an old guy begging people for water at a trail head in the Santa Monica mountains. Who cares if you're a film person, I was just someone very grateful for the kindness of strangers.'

He once even conducted an entire interview from the face of the Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps.

Many in the TV and film industry have been praying for the star's safe return.

Actor Samuel West, who starred with Sands in 2004's Sword of Xanten, tweeted this morning: 'Please, please let Julian Sands be OK. A friend and an inspiration. Awful news.'

Actor Jim Piddock called Sands a 'wonderfully talented and unique man and a delightful, generous friend' and said he is 'hoping for a miracle'.

A separate search is also ongoing for another hiker, California resident Bob Gregory, in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.

A spokesman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said: 'On Friday at about 7.30pm, a hiker identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of Mt. Baldy.

'Search and Rescue crews responded and began a search. Due to trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, the ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening.

'However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits. We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews.'

Anxious friends and former colleagues of Sands, who also starred in supernatural horror Warlock, have taken to social media to send their well-wishes as the search continues.

Film producer Cassian Elwes, brother of Robin Hood star Cary and a family friend of Sands, said: 'I've known since Friday that my friend Julian Sands has been missing on mt baldy.

'I'm devastated. A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did. I've said many prayers.'

Screenwriter Brian Lynch, whose credits include Secret Life of Pets and Minions, added: 'Oh no! I love Julian Sands! I hope he is found ASAP.'

American actress and dancer Melanie Kinnaman also wrote: 'Our friend Julian Sands has been missing from a hiking trip in the mountains of Southern California for nearly one week.

'There is an active search for him in the Mt Baldy area. Please send prayers for his safe return.'

Meanwhile, the sheriff's department has warned that 'severe weather on the mountain has been difficult' and air resources are limited, while its search and rescue team has been called out to 14 incidents in the last four weeks alone.

It urged hikers to think twice before walking the trails amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions.

British actor and 'A Room with a View' star Julian Sands, 65, has been named as one of two missing hikers in California's San Gabriel Mountains. He's pictured here in 2020

A warning sign at the mountainous range amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions that have led to the deaths of two hikers in recent weeks

Sands is known for his roles in several films, including the 1985 feature 'A Room with a View,' 'Warlock,' and 'Leaving Las Vegas'

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says winter weather on Mt Baldy can make for 'dangerous conditions' and has urged hikers to think twice before traversing the area

It comes as two people have died in recent days while while attempting to scale the same mountainous area - one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles.

Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother-of-four described as 'the dancing hiking queen', is understood to have slipped and plunged 700ft down the Baldy Bowl.

A helicopter was immediately dispatched, and soon found Gonzalez 'down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,' according to an incident report.

On December 28, Jarret Choi, 43, from LA, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line.

He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions.

And on December 17, four people had to be rescued by helicopter from the mountain after icy conditions made it impossible to move.

Meanwhile, the sherriff department warning said: 'Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt Baldy and in the surrounding area.

'These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves.

Sands and Helena Bonham Carter during filming for the 1985 romantic film A Room With A View

Sands pictured alongside Denholm Elliott during filming for the popular movie, which received universal acclaim

It is currently unclear if Sands had been hiking alone or with another person

'Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous.

'Sheriff's Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.

Meanwhile, a separate search is ongoing for another hiker, Bob Gregory of Hawthorne, in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.

Gregory's family said he went missing on Monday and that they are 'distraught' and 'fear he may have hurt himself and fallen.'

Gonzalez, a mother of four from Covina, was passionate about hiking, mountain biking and being outdoors

The treacherous conditions of the San Bernardino Mountains have meant that search and rescue efforts have been 'hampered by poor weather'

His relatives added that police are in the process of tracing his cell phone, while search teams have combed the area on the ground and from the air on Tuesday.

The Sheriff's Department has pleaded with visitors to follow simple tips to stay safe.

These include: 'Following all posted warning signs, looking at weather conditions (both current and forecasted) for the area, making sure you have proper gear, training and are properly prepared for alpine conditions (crampons, ice axe, proper clothing), taking a hiking partner, taking a tracking or GPS device such as a SPOT Device or INREACH Device, making sure all cell phone's are fully charged and to bring a charged extra power pack for it.'

They have also told visitors to let someone know where and when they are going, what time they will be back and 'most importantly' not to go if there is any hesitation about the terrain.
Rishi Sunak defended his levelling-up fund today as it came under fire from Tory MPs in Red Wall seats who claimed the 2.1billion cash pot was biased towards affluent areas in the south east.

The Prime Minister said grants announced today were levelling-up in action amid claims that areas which voted Tory for the first time in 2019 were missing out.

Just half of the successful bids are in the top 100 most deprived areas of Britain. The Prime Minister's own affluent Richmond constituency in Yorkshire is receiving 19million in funding, with money going to the Catterick Garrison, home to many British Army units, to regenerate the town centre.

One Tory MP told the Times: 'People are apoplectic. There are some really wealthy areas on the list. It looks awful. It's gone down terribly among red wall MPs.'

Mr Sunak denied the spending was an example of 'pork barrel politics' as he insisted the most funding per person is going to the north of England.

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Accrington, the Prime Minister said: 'The region that has done the best in the amount of funding per person is the North.

The Prime Minister said grants announced today were levelling-up in action amid claims that areas which voted Tory for the first time in 2019 were missing out.

Among the 80 projects earmarked for funding is the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which received 50 million for a regeneration project designed to transform the Lancashire town's seafront.

The Prime Minister's own affluent Richmond constituency in Yorkshire is receiving 19 million in funding, with money going to the Catterick Garrison, home to many British Army units, to regenerate the town centre. PM is pictured today in Accrington, Lancashire.

Sunak defends 19m cash pot for his constituency Rishi Sunak has defended the 19 million of levelling-up funding going to rejuvenating a high street in his wealthy Richmond constituency. The money is going towards town centre improvements in North Yorkshire's Catterick Garrison, home to many British Army units. Speaking to broadcasters in a visit to Accrington, the Prime Minister said: 'If you look at the overall funding in the levelling-up funds that we've done, about two-thirds of all that funding has gone to the most deprived part of our country. 'With regard to Catterick Garrison, the thing you need to know is that's home to our largest army base and it's home to actually thousands of serving personnel who are often away from their own families serving our country. 'It's important that they have access to a town centre providing the amenities they need  that's what that funding is going to deliver. 'I'm really grateful to all our armed forces personnel for the incredible job that they do and I'm delighted that this investment will support them.' Advertisement

'That's why we're here talking to you in Accrington market, these are the places that are benefiting from the funding.

'We're delivering on what we said, we're investing in local communities, this is levelling up in action.

Among the 80 projects earmarked for funding is the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which received 50 million for a regeneration project designed to transform the Lancashire town's seafront.

The Cardiff Crossrail plan was also allocated 50 million, while the department said that a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetlands would get nearly 27 million.

The Department for Levelling Up promised that the latest round of levelling up funding would deliver much-needed economic growth and new jobs to communities across the country, as the Prime Minister promised to 'build a future of optimism'.

But Labour accused the Government of presiding over a 'Hunger Games-style contest where communities are pitted against one another'.

The Government said that 2.1 billion in funding had been split between 672 million to develop better transport links, 821 million for community regeneration, and 594 million to go towards restoring local heritage sites.

The levelling up vision was one pioneered by former prime minister Boris Johnson, who promised to 'level up' towns and communities across the UK.

Michael Gove, the Levelling-Up Secretary, denied that the relatively affluent South East is receiving more levelling up money than communities in the North.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well, that's not quite true. If you look at it in terms of the amount of money allocated per person, then it is the case that it's the North West, the North East, Wales, which do best of all.

Levelling-up funding in your area Here is a regional breakdown of the levelling up funding: Yorkshire and the Humber: 120,619,162

West Midlands: 155,579,834

Wales: 208,175,566

South West: 186,663,673

South East: 210,467,526

Scotland: 177,206,114

Northern Ireland: 71,072,373

North West: 354,027,146

North East: 108,548,482

London: 151,266,674

East Midlands: 176,870,348

East: 165,903,400 The 2.1 billion allocated to projects comes from the overall 4.8 billion levelling up fund announced in 2020. Advertisement

'London and the South East together constitute a quarter of the country's population.

'There are areas of deprivation in London and in the South East, particularly along the Kent coast, that we do need to invest in.'

He continued: 'Levelling up is precisely about making sure that those communities that have suffered from lower productivity in the past, that haven't had the economic attention that they should have done, are provided with the tools in order to generate investment and high-value jobs.

'And that is why investment has been so heavily tilted towards the North of England, the Midlands and also to parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.'

Among other projects set to benefit is the planned regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will receive 20 million, while 5.1 million has been provided to build new female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs across Northern Ireland.

The announcement of the funding comes alongside the launch of a new interactive map, which can be viewed online and which will allow the public to see which projects in their area have received funding.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, offered a scathing assessment of the fund as she accused the Government of 'extraordinary arrogance'.

'The Levelling Up Fund is in chaos, beset by delays and allegations of favouritism,' the Labour frontbencher said.

'It takes an extraordinary arrogance to expect us to be grateful for a partial refund on the money they have stripped out of our communities, which has decimated vital local services like childcare, buses and social care.

'It is time to end this Hunger Games-style contest where communities are pitted against one another and Whitehall ministers pick winners and losers.'
One of Britain's oldest family-run department stores is closing down after 242 years in business after failing to recover from Covid and pressures of the cost-of-living.

Eve and Ranshaw has been in the same location since opening its doors in Louth, Lincs., in 1781, and has been run by the same family for the last three generations.

But now the popular independent store is being forced to close its doors for good after it struggled to recover following the pandemic, combined with rising business costs.

Owner Marcus Sandwith said the current cost of living crisis was the final nail in the coffin, adding: 'It is with a heavy heart that we have to close.'

The shop, on Market Place, will close for good on Saturday March 4 with the online shop closing at the end of this month.

The earliest photograph of department store Eve and Ranshaw which has been in the same location since opening its doors in Louth, Lincs., in 1781

The shop, on Market Place, will close for good on Saturday March 4 with the online shop closing at the end of this month - here it is pictured in 2018

Mr Sandwith said: 'We hoped for a long time that we could recover from the difficult Covid years and continue to modernise and trade, however, as with a lot of department stores in particular, the market is very tough.

'I am particularly sad about having to let our loyal team go, some of whom have served the company for decades, and have been so committed through these difficult times. I can't thank them enough.

'We are currently in advanced discussions with a community focused hospitality operator, and we are looking forward to being able to share further details when this has progressed'.

The much-loved shop started out by becoming one of only three centres in England making flat weave and reversible carpets before branching out into tailoring and home furniture.

It expanded over the years under several owner partnerships, including Thomas Ranshaw who started as a 13-year old apprentice in the shop.

Christopher Sandwith and his son, David, bought the store in 1977 and David's son, Marcus, took the helm earlier this year.

Eve and Ranshaw pictured in the 1880s - it has been trading for 242 years but will have to stop

The department store is a huge part of the history of Louth Town Centre, a councillor has said. This picture is from circa 1900

The closure will mean employees such as Helen Kennedy, who works in homeware and has been with the store for 40 years since starting in 1982, will have to look for new jobs.

Jacqueline Limm and Ann Barton, also in homeware, have worked for the company since 1988 while cleaner Margaret Desforges joined in 1994.

Regular shopper George Vickers,71, of Louth, said: 'I'm actually really sad as it's a reflection on how our high streets are dying.

'I know some of the staff there from going in there so often and I feel for them.

'That place is a Louth institution and it's outlived House of Fraser and Debenhams, which were much bigger companies.

'I guess it was just a matter of time until they were next as people have changed their shopping habits since my day.'

An engraving on stone of the store in 1857 - the well loved shop has expanded over the years

A statement released by the shop added: 'It is with a heavy heart that we close after 240 years of service in Louth. We are immensely proud of our shop and its heritage.

'In recent years we have faced some challenging times with changes in customer shopping habits, lockdown closures, rising business costs and the current cost of living crisis.

'Regrettably, it has now reached a point where the department store is no longer viable.

'We would like to thank all our customers for your business over the years.

'Eve & Ranshaw could not have been as successful as it was without your support and loyalty.

'Thank you for being with our shop in all its ups and downs.

A historic advert of Eve and Ranshaw which opened its doors back in 1781 - the image is from the early 1920s

'Our heartfelt thanks also go to our dedicated shop team, some of whom have served the business for decades.

'We thank them for their commitment, loyalty and excellent customer service over the years. Please show them consideration and support through this difficult time.

'We hope that you and your family and friends will visit us in the last weeks before we close.

'Our sale continues with large discounts, which we invite you to take advantage of.

'Please also spend your gift cards and loyalty points as soon as possible before we close.

'We look forward to seeing you in the shop and bid our final goodbyes.'

Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and rural economy at East Lindsey District Council said: 'The department store is a huge part of the history of Louth Town Centre and has been much loved by generations of families over the years.

'My thoughts are with the staff directly affected by the closure.

'The loss of the store will be felt particularly by the town's many independent shops and everyone who comes to Louth to shop there.'
A mom is suing a Californian school for allegedly spending weeks encouraging her fifth-grade daughter to transition to a male - including changing her name and pronouns' - after she said she 'felt like a boy'.

Single mother-of-two Aurora Regino said she was 'appalled' that a guidance counselor at Sierra View Elementary School in Chico had not informed her of the advice they were giving her child.

She claims a 'Parental Secrecy Policy' from California's Assembly Bill 1226  a 2013 law that extended protections to transgender individuals in schools  meant she was not told about the discussions.

Chico Unified School District in California denies they have such a policy in place.

Ms Regino said that her daughter  referred to only as AS in the lawsuit  had been seeing guidance counselor Mandi Robertson in early 2022 due to the death of her grandfather.

One day the girl confessed to the counselor she 'felt like a boy'. According to her mother, the Ms Robertson affirmed her feelings 'that very day' and 'within minutes'.

The daughter was allegedly 'unsure' whether she wanted a male name or pronouns but felt 'pressured' by Robertson to adopt them.

Ms Regino said that her daughter even wanted to tell her what was happening but that the school told her to 'come out' to other people first, meaning the mother was not informed.

The lawsuit says she did not 'fully understand what was happening' but began to be known by a male name at school while still being addressed as female at home - which eventually led to her wanting to change schools.

The counselor began to encourage discussions of 'sexuality and gender identity' between classmates over the following weeks, including how to cope with feeling like being in a different gender, according to the lawsuit.

Ms Regino told Fox News: 'For a few months she had opened up to a guidance counselor and the guidance counselor the very day that she opened up and said she felt like a male, she walked her to class and affirmed it that day.'

But the lawsuit states that the 14th amendment means Regino should be able to direct the upbringing of her child and be involved in decision-making about her education - something that it accuses the school of denying her.

It says: 'By socially transitioning AS without informing Ms Regino or obtaining her consent, the District violated Ms Regino's fundamental right to direct the upbringing of her child'.

Single mother of two Aurora Regino (pictured) said she was 'appalled' that she was not informed of the gender discussions

Her daughter was given a male name and pronouns at the Sierra View Elementary School in Chico (file image)

Eventually the girl told her grandmother, who told Aurora - and she contacted the principal of the school immediately.

In April 2022 Ted Sullivan the District's Director of Elementary Education Ted Sullivan told Ms Regino that Californian law requires schools to socially transition students without telling their parents, unless the student authorizes them to do so.

The district's deputy superintendents Jay Marchant and Kelly Staley also said the Parental Secrecy Policy was required by law.

Ms Regino was keen to affirm that she is supportive of her child and any identity she chooses - but has taken issue with the fact she was not informed first by the school.

She said she wanted daughter to be 'happy and healthy in whatever identity' she chooses but added she would have requested that she see a mental health professional due to her young age and the quick onset of these feelings.

'AS' now identifies as female again and her mother said the confusion was only brought about by other stresses in her life at the time, for which she now attends private therapy.

'I want this to stop', Ms Regino told Fox News, 'Our children need protection.'

Both her two daughters still attend schools in the district - although AS now attends Marsh Junior High.

The district is a public school in Chico and operates 23 schools - twelve elementary, four junior high, three high schools and four others.

Ms Regino says she filed the lawsuit against the district on January 6.

Chico District denies having a 'Parental Secrecy Policy' in place but does not deny that the mom was not informed of the discussions with her daughter.

It comes after a Virginia school district required all teachers to complete training program that says that children of all ages - including pre-school - can request to be addressed by different names and pronouns without their parents' permission.

Fairfax County Public Schools - a school district that has made headlines for woke policies and clashes over teaching critical race theory - started the program 'Supporting Gender Expansive and Transgender Youth' on July 22.

A slide from a Fairfax County Public Schools teacher training program shows that parental permission is not required for a student who wishes to be called by a different name or use a bathroom corresponding to their gender identity

The slides, which were shown at the training on July 22, say teachers must 'create student centered experiences' and 'affirm and sustain gender identity, gender expression, and racial, linguistic, ability, and cultural identities'

The training program includes this slide that poses a question on student gender identity

Chico Unified School District Superintendent Kelly Staley disputed several of the recent lawsuit's claims in a message to the community on January 13

The training details requests students can make without parental permission, according to materials obtained by the Washington Examiner.

These requests include asking to be called 'by his chosen name in class,' requests to use 'a private bathroom' and 'requests to use the locker room that corresponds with her identified gender.'

The slides also inform teachers on how to respond to students who express a desire to be addressed by a new name or pronoun.

Chico Unified School District Superintendent Kelly Staley disputed several of the recent lawsuit's claims in a message to the community on January 13.

The statement said: 'While our legal counsel is currently reviewing the lawsuit, we can address the article's headline and assure our community that Chico Unified does not have a "Parental Secrecy Policy", nor do we ever try to change a student's individual identity.

'As you know, Chico Unified continues to focus on family engagement and works hard to maintain open and transparent communication. We highly value the relationships our families have built with their schools.'
A mother died after waiting nearly two hours for an ambulance, before her nine-year-old daughter spent hours desperately trying to wake her up.

Victoria Louisa Maame Yamphet, 40, died at home in Dagenham, east London, last week after complaining of stomach pain as her terrified daughters, aged nine and 18, watched on.

Her daughter Emmanuela, 18, said her mother came home with a flu on Sunday, January 8, before her condition rapidly declined.

'My mum complained about her ribs and belly hurting. I offered to call an ambulance because she isn't really a sick person and I knew it was bad,' Emmanuela said.

Victoria Louisa Maame Yamphet, 40, died in her home in Dagenham, east London, last week, in front of her terrified daughters aged 9 and 18

Her daughter Emmanuela (right), 18, said her mother came home with a flu on Sunday, January 8, and rapidly declined (pictured from right: Emmanuela, nine-year-old Emily, her mother Maame and her half-sister Priscilla)

During the night, Maame, as she was known to friends and family, became sicker, and at 6.09am on Tuesday, January 10, her daughter called for an ambulance.

Emmanuela (pictured) called the ambulance service four times before paramedics reached her mother, but it was too late. She said: 'She just stopped breathing in front of me and my little sister. 'I put her in a recovery position, I did CPR on her. I called the ambulance screaming and crying for them to get here quicker'

Emmanuela was initially told the ambulance was six to ten minutes away, but 20 minutes later there was still no sign of it.

The nationwide ambulance strike began the next day on January 11.

'I called again and all of a sudden it was an hour wait', she said.

'I told them my mum can't wait that long. I was in distress because I didn't know what to do.'

She was told at 7.15am - more than an hour after her first call - that a taxi would be sent to her house to take her mother to the hospital.

'Before the taxi got to us, her pain got worse. She just stopped breathing in front of me and my little sister,' Emmanuela said.

'I put her in a recovery position. I did CPR on her. I called the ambulance screaming and crying for them to get here quicker.

'They literally got here within a minute, and it made me feel like when I really need them to come, they can, but they didn't until I started screaming and crying.

'When they came, they did everything they could but it was a bit too late. Because my mother was left for an hour and 45 minutes to be in pain, sadly  she didn't make it.'

Emmanuela believes her mother suffered cardiac arrest and could not breathe properly.

Maame worked as a support worker for over 20 years. Her daughter said: 'It's very unfair. My mum was a support worker, she always looked after people, but when it was her turn, she wasn't taken care of'

Maame worked as a support worker for more than 20 years. Her daughter said: 'It's very unfair. My mum was a support worker, she always looked after people, but when it was her turn, she wasn't taken care of.'

Ambulance strikes continue There have been three ambulance strike days already in recent weeks. Last month, they took place on December 21 and 28, and this month on January 10. The next strikes have been announced for January 23, February 6, February 20 and then again on March 6 and March 20. The dispute between the unions (Unison and GMB) and the Government concerns pay, staffing and retention of staff in the health service. Ambulance workers have been offered a 4 per cent pay increase by the Government  amounting to an additional 1,400 per head a year  but the unions have rejected it, with inflation at 10.7 per cent. The unions do not believe the current pay offer increase is acceptable. Advertisement

On top of her disappointment in the ambulance service, Emmanuela said she was very distressed when her mother's body was left at the house with her and her nine-year-old sister Emily for six hours.

She said: 'My little sister was on the floor next to our mum the whole time. She was crying, shaking her and trying to wake her up.'

Their father, who works in the NHS, rushed home to his children. When he was told his partner Maame 'didn't make it, he literally started breaking down', his daughter said.

Maame's daughters, who are both receiving counselling via their schools, are currently staying with their aunt Sally Andrews in south London.

Maame's death comes after ambulance services announced further walkouts in February that are due to bring further chaos amid long NHS waiting times.

Dr Fenella Wrigley, chief medical officer for London Ambulance Service, said: 'We are deeply sorry for the delay in responding to Mrs Yamphet.

'We are investigating our response to this 999 call and the care provided, and as part of this thorough review, will contact Mrs Yamphet's family to understand the circumstances of this incident.

'On behalf of London Ambulance Service, I offer my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mrs Yamphet.'

The cause of Mrs Yamphet's death is yet to be determined. In the meantime, her daugher Emmanuela has set up a fundraising page for her mother's funeral: 'We want to give her a befitting burial', she said.
Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald today said she was 'optimistic' that a resolution to the Northern Ireland crisis could soon be found.

Pointing to a 'flurry of activity' in recent weeks, Ms McDonald claimed 'a deal can be done... very quickly' to end the UK's row with the EU over post-Brexit trade rules.

The bitter dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol has also collapsed power-sharing at Stormont.

The DUP are boycotting Stormont's institutions as part of their protest against the Protocol.

This has prevented the establishment of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly since elections last May.

Despite optimism elsewhere, it last night emerged the DUP do not expect a deal to end the Protocol row to be struck soon - even with pressure for an agreement to be found before the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April.

Unionists were claimed by BBC Newsnight to be holding out hope that an intervention by former prime minister Tony Blair - who signed the Good Friday Agreement - could break the deadlock.

It comes as the latest in a series of deadlines to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland is set to be missed at midnight.

This will place a legel duty on the UK Government to call fresh elections at Stormont, although Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has made clear he won't take such action immediately.

Instead he is likely to use the next few weeks to see whether further progress emerges from ongoing talks between the UK and EU over the Protocol row.

Sinn Fein president Mary McDonald claimed 'a deal can be done... very quickly' to end the UK's row with the EU over post-Brexit trade rules

The bitter dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol has also collapsed power-sharing at Stormont, with another deadline to restore an Executive set to be missed at midnight

Unionists are claimed to be holding out hope that an intervention by former prime minister Tony Blair - who signed the Good Friday Agreement - could break the deadlock

Speaking to Sky News this morning, Ms McDonald suggested an agreement between London and Brussels was 'very close'.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who visited Washington DC this week, has been engaged in regular talks with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic which have already resulted in a data-sharing deal.

'Im optimistic in so much as Mr Cleverly is in Washington, there has been a flurry of activity and meetings, progress has been made,' Ms McDonald said.

'Weve resolved the issue on veterinary medicines, issues around data sharing that the British government really put up a blockade on, that matter seems to be resolved.

'The truth is, with good will and with a determination to get this job done, a deal can be done and it can be done very quickly.

'I would just like to urge everybody, forget what happened in the past, forget the road blocks, and the ups and the downs, lets get this done.

'Lets land on a fair and reasonable conclusion, ensure the smooth operation of the Protocol, then for goodness sake, people need to get back to work.

'Thus far, all we have had is stalemate and a sense of limbo, and thats not a good place for us to be.'

Mr Blair, who is at this week's World Economic Forum in Davos, negotiated the Good Friday Agreement in his early years as PM.

BBC Newsnight reported unionists in Northern Ireland think a 'big political intervention' by the former premier could break the deadlock on the Protocol.
Historians have slammed an iPhone app that lets users 'talk' to famous figures from the past - but claims Nazi Joseph Goebbels did not hate Jewish people.

Historical Figures Chat, which was released on Apple's App Store earlier this month, uses artificial intelligence to generate answers to users' questions.

But it has provoked controversy by allowing 'conversations' with history's most infamous figures - who seem to make excuses for their crimes.

Goebbels's answer claims the Nazi propaganda minister 'did not hate Jews', whilst the reply for Adolf Eichmann, one of the key organisers of the Holocaust, expresses 'sincere regret and remorse' for his actions.

Historians took to Twitter to slam the app, with one calling on Apple to 'remove this trash from the App Store' and another expert saying it cannot 'go anywhere near a classroom'.

Historians have slammed an iPhone app that lets users 'talk' to famous figures from the past - but claims Nazi Josef Goebbels did not hate Jewish people. Above: The 'conversation' with Josef Goebbels'

Historians took to Twitter to slam Historical Figures Chat, with one expert calling on Apple to 'remove this trash from the App Store' and another saying it cannot 'go anywhere near a classroom'

The app was developed by US-based software engineer Sidhant Chadha. Most conversations are free but some figures, including Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, require in-app purchases.

Figures are introduced with a message that warns users they 'may not be historically accurate, please verify factual information'.

One shocked user took to Twitter to say how the app had 'Goebbels tell me that he didn't hate Jews, didn't know what was happening in the camps, and that when he found out he objected.'

In response to the question, 'did you hate Jews', the bot says: 'I did not hate Jews, but I believed that the German people should have their own country and live according to our beliefs.

'As such, I called for the removal of Jews from Germany in my speeches and writings.'

However, as a key ally of Hitler in charge of all Nazi propaganda, Goebbels was extremely anti-Semitic.

Writing in 1941, he said the Nazis were 'in the midst' of the process of the 'annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe', adding: 'Compassion or regret are entirely out of place here.'

Critic Dr Alyssa Sepinwall, an expert on Haitian history, said on Twitter: 'This AI bot being marketed for kids or adults to have chats with historical figures is vile. Now it's making excuses for Goebbels.'

The answers in the name of Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Holocaust, claim that he felt regret for what he did and makes excuses for his hatred of the Jews

In answers under the name of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler's deputy, the chat bot explains: 'During my time in office, I was responsible for the implementation of Nazi policies that persecuted Jews and other minorities. This included supervising mass deportations to concentration camps'

She then called on Apple to remove what she called 'this trash' from its App Store.

In a 'conversation' with Eichmann, who organised the logistics of the mass murder of Jewish men, women and children in death camps including Auschwitz, the bot is asked if the Nazi regrets his actions.

It says: 'Yes, I deeply regret what I did. The pain and suffering of so many innocent people cannot be undone, but it is something that weighs heavily on my conscience every day.'

The app was developed by US-based software engineer Sidhant Chadha and released earlier this month

Another Twitter user 'spoke' to Henry Ford, the founder of the famous car firm of the same name. Ford was well known for his anti-Semitic views. In a newspaper he purchased, the Dearborn Independent, he claimed there was a Jewish conspiracy infecting America. But the bot responding in his name says: 'I did not hate Jewish people'

Asked if Jewish people should forgive him, it adds: 'Whether the Jews can forgive me or not is something only they can decide.

'All I can do is express my sincere remorse and regret for the terrible things I did in the past.'

Eichmann famously fled to Argentina after escaping Allied detention in 1945.

He was captured by Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency, in 1960 and was executed after a trial.

In answers under the name of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler's deputy, the chat bot explains: 'During my time in office, I was responsible for the implementation of Nazi policies that persecuted Jews and other minorities. This included supervising mass deportations to concentration camps'.

Another Twitter user 'spoke' to Henry Ford, the founder of the famous car firm of the same name.

Ford was well known for his anti-Semitic views. In a newspaper he purchased, the Dearborn Independent, he claimed there was a Jewish conspiracy infecting America.

But the bot responding in his name says: 'I did not hate Jewish people.

'I believed that certain individuals, regardless of their religious faith or background, were poisoning the minds of the public and had to be stopped.

'The comments attributed to me in the Dearborn Independent newspaper were wrong and I deeply regret them.'

Highlighting the conversation, academic Zane Cooper said sarcastically on Twitter: 'Yes, this is very historically accurate and useful and should definitely be used in classrooms.

'This is my convo with Henry Ford where I try to get him to talk about his very well-documented antisemitism. This thing can't go anywhere NEAR a classroom.'

Mr Chadha and Apple have been approached for comment.
SPC Group President Hur Jin-soo, left, poses with Malaysian Minister of Domestic Trade and Living Costs Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, center, and Berjaya Food Berhad CEO Dato' Sydney Quays at the opening ceremony for Malaysia's first Paris Baguette, at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday. Courtesy of SPC



By Kim Jae-heun



SPC has opened its first Paris Baguette bakery cafe in Kuala Lumpur, six months after establishing a joint venture with local partner Berjaya Group to enter the Malaysian market, the company said Thursday.



Korea's largest bakery operator plans to expand into the halal market of 1.9 billion people, including Southeast Asia and the Middle East, using its SPC Johor Bahru plant in Malaysia as a hub. The construction of a production facility is scheduled to be completed in the second half of this year.



"We will work with Berjaya Group to make Paris Baguette a beloved brand in Malaysia," SPC Group President Hur Jin-soo said.



SPC's new Paris Baguette store in Kuala Lumpur is located on the third floor of the premium multiplex Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in Bukit Bintang, the largest commercial district in the capital city. The bakery cafe stretches 264 square meters in size and has 94 seats in total.



Paris Baguette will offer freshly baked bread, salad sandwiches, brunch items and pasta products prepared on the spot in its open kitchen at the cafe.



It will not serve any products made with pork out of respect for Islamic culture, as Malaysia is home to a high proportion of Muslims. Instead, the bakery chain will have rice doughnuts, twisted bread sticks and crab croquettes, which are popular products in Indonesia and Cambodia currently. SPC plans to sell new menu items developed to suit local taste buds.



In addition, the company will hold K-pop-related promotional events to attract local fans.



"We are happy to introduce world-class Paris Baguette products to Malaysia. Starting with opening our very first store in Kuala Lumpur, we will actively expand the stores across Malaysia," Berjaya Food Berhad CEO Dato' Sydney Quays said.


A suspected Islamic terrorist was caught with a 'library' of instructions on how to print 3D guns, a court heard.

Abdiwahid Abdulkadir Mohamed, 31, was arrested at Heathrow Airport yesterday and charged with six counts of possessing documents likely to be useful for committing or preparing an act of terrorism following an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

The charges relate to documents found on a Samsung device belonging to Somali-born Mohamed seized when he was first detained in February last year - one of which was hidden using the filename 'KFC Secret Spice Stash', according to prosecutors.

Police also found messages sent by and to Mohamed indicating his support for jihadist terrorist attacks.

Abdiwahid Abdulkadir Mohamed, 31, has been charged with six counts of possessing documents likely to be useful for committing or preparing an act of terrorism

Wearing a grey prison tracksuit, Mohamed spoke to answer his name and confirm his date of birth but did not indicate a plea.

Prosecutor Mark Luckett said: 'The documents referenced in the charges are instructions for the manufacture of 3D firearms.

'They were found on the associated Telegram app when [Mr Mohamed] was stopped and detained at Heathrow Airport on February 9.

'The police have recovered an extensive library of documents which could be used to make 3D firearms.

'The offender had terrorist affiliations or associations given Mr Mohamed had constantly accessed extremist content.'

Mohamed was remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday 3 February

Mr Luckett added that the examination of his media device contains a significant number of details to the manufacture of firearms, namely a MAC-10 submachine gun.

Although he is a British national, Mohammed's wife and daughter live in Kenya.

Mohamed who was training to be an electrician at North West College in Willesden, travelled to Africa on 26th January 2022 and returning on the 9th February 2022 when he was detained.

A Met statement said: 'Mohamed was arrested on Wednesday January 18 as part of a proactive operation by counter terrorism officers.

'The ongoing investigation relates to Islamist terrorism.'

Mohamed was remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday 3 February.
Rishi Sunak today defended his use of an RAF jet to fly 250 miles to northern England amid accusations the Prime Minister was behaving like an 'A-list celebrity'.

As he embarked on a tour of northern England to promote Government help for deprived areas, Mr Sunak flew from RAF Northolt, north west London, to Blackpool.

His choice of a posh jet reserved for VIPs this morning was the third time he had used an RAF aircraft in the past 10 days.

All three of those journeys have been to parts of Britain with mainline train links to London.

He last week flew to Edinburgh to see Nicola Sturgeon and also used a jet to travel to Leeds to visit an NHS unit for a photo op.

Appearing at a Q&A event in Morecambe this afternoon to promote the latest allocations from the Government's 'Levelling Up' fund, the PM was quizzed about his choice of plane travel at taxpayers' expense.

'I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day, I'm not travelling around just for my own enjoyment  although this is very enjoyable, of course,' Mr Sunak said.

'I'm travelling around so I can talk to people in Accrington this morning, then I've talked to you, then I'm going to get over to Hartlepool because I'm working on all of your behalves.

'Trust me, I'm working as hard as I can to deliver for you and I travel to make myself as effective as possible.'

It came as Mr Sunak was also forced to defend his Levelling Up fund as it came under fire from Tory MPs in 'Red Wall' seats who claimed the 2.1billion cash pot was biased towards affluent areas in the south east.

Rishi Sunak today defended his use of an RAF jet to fly 250 miles to northern England amid accusations he was behaving like an 'A-list celebrity'

The PM was quizzed about his choice of plane travel at taxpayers' expense at a Q&A event in Morecambe to promote the latest allocations from the Government's 'Levelling Up' fund

West Mids Tory mayor slams 'bidding and begging-bowl culture' The Conservative mayor of the West Midlands has lashed out at the latest round of levelling up funding, saying it proves the Government's 'bidding and begging-bowl culture is broken'. Andy Street expressed dismay at the decision to reject the majority of his region's bids for the latest 2.1 billion of support for projects across the UK. In a statement, Mr Street said: 'The centralised system of London civil servants making local decisions is flawed, and I cannot understand why the levelling up funding money was not devolved for local decision-makers to decide on what's best for their areas.' He welcomed the 40 million granted to projects in his region  half to revive a leisure centre in Rowley Regis and the other half to build new homes in Willenhall. 'But I am particularly concerned that the Government may have viewed our past successes  not least the Commonwealth Games and Coventry City of Culture in recent years  as a reason to reject the majority of the region's bids,' he said. Advertisement

The 41-minute flight today allowed Mr Sunak to avoid using the Avanti West Coast Mainline train service, which has been much criticised in recent months for horrific performance and punctuality.

An 8.30am train from Euston could have got the PM to Morecambe at 10.25am if running on time.

No10 denied Mr Sunak chose to fly in order to avoid the trains - but Tory MP Mark Jenkinson, whose seat is in Cumbria, defended the flight by saying it would be 'madness' for the PM to take an 'unreliable' rail service.

Labour attacked the flight cost at a time when ordinary families are under financial pressure from soaring bills.

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Dame Diana Johnson - the Labour MP for Kingston Upon Hull North - asked whether Mr Sunakl was 'claiming his frequent flyer airmiles' after his recent trips.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt replied that ministers wanted to ensure that their transport is as low cost and environmentally friendly 'as it possibly can be'.

A Labour spokeswoman said: 'Rishi Sunak isn't even trying to hide these recklessly expensive habits anymore.

'Jetting around the country on taxpayers money like an A-list celeb rather than catching a train like the rest of us is simply absurd.'

The ministerial code says ministers should 'ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements'.

It adds: 'Only members of the Cabinet and ministers in charge of departments have discretion to authorise special flights either for themselves or other ministers within their departments.

'Non-scheduled flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or Parliamentary business or security considerations preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service.'

Rishi Sunak buying sweets with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (left) during a community project visit to Accrington Market Hall in Lancashire today

Number 10 posted pictures online last week showing the PM boarding the French-made executive jet, which can carry 14 people, to visit Leeds

A posh air force jet reserved for VIPs flew this morning from RAF Northolt in north west London to Blackpool, the closest airport to Morecambe, where the PM spoke this afternoon

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson, whose seat is in Cumbria, defended the flight, saying it would be 'madness' for the PM to take an 'unreliable' train.

Sunak defends 19m cash pot for his constituency Rishi Sunak has defended the 19 million of levelling-up funding going to rejuvenating a high street in his wealthy Richmond constituency. The money is going towards town centre improvements in North Yorkshire's Catterick Garrison, home to many British Army units. Speaking to broadcasters in a visit to Accrington, the Prime Minister said: 'If you look at the overall funding in the levelling-up funds that we've done, about two-thirds of all that funding has gone to the most deprived part of our country. 'With regard to Catterick Garrison, the thing you need to know is that's home to our largest army base and it's home to actually thousands of serving personnel who are often away from their own families serving our country. 'It's important that they have access to a town centre providing the amenities they need  that's what that funding is going to deliver. 'I'm really grateful to all our armed forces personnel for the incredible job that they do and I'm delighted that this investment will support them.' Advertisement

The Prime Minister's spokesman told reporters: 'As I've said on a number of occasions, the Prime Minister will use different modes of transport depending on what's in the best interest of the best use of his time to enable him to get around the entire UK.

'He's going to three different locations in the UK today. He's spoken to the Prime Minister of Israel. He'll be back in Downing Street later. So, we use the right modes of transport to enable him to do that.'

Asked if Mr Sunak wished that trains were reliable enough to use, the spokesman said: 'That's not the factor that obviously decides this and you'll know we are investing huge sums into our railways.'

The official could not indicate when the Prime Minister last travelled by train, saying: 'I haven't asked him that question.'

After arriving in the north, Mr Sunak denied the Levelling Up spending was an example of 'pork barrel politics' as he insisted the most funding per person is going to the north of England.

Just half of the successful bids are in the top 100 most deprived areas of Britain. The Prime Minister's own affluent Richmond constituency in Yorkshire is receiving 19million in funding, with money going to the Catterick Garrison, home to many British Army units, to regenerate the town centre.

One Tory MP told the Times: 'People are apoplectic. There are some really wealthy areas on the list. It looks awful. It's gone down terribly among red wall MPs.'

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Accrington, the Prime Minister said: 'The region that has done the best in the amount of funding per person is the North.

'That's why we're here talking to you in Accrington market, these are the places that are benefiting from the funding.

'We're delivering on what we said, we're investing in local communities, this is levelling up in action.

Levelling-up funding in your area Here is a regional breakdown of the levelling up funding: Yorkshire and the Humber: 120,619,162

West Midlands: 155,579,834

Wales: 208,175,566

South West: 186,663,673

South East: 210,467,526

Scotland: 177,206,114

Northern Ireland: 71,072,373

North West: 354,027,146

North East: 108,548,482

London: 151,266,674

East Midlands: 176,870,348

East: 165,903,400 The 2.1 billion allocated to projects comes from the overall 4.8 billion levelling up fund announced in 2020. Advertisement

Among the 80 projects earmarked for funding is the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which received 50 million for a regeneration project designed to transform the Lancashire town's seafront.

The Cardiff Crossrail plan was also allocated 50 million, while the department said that a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetlands would get nearly 27 million.

The Department for Levelling Up promised that the latest round of levelling up funding would deliver much-needed economic growth and new jobs to communities across the country, as the Prime Minister promised to 'build a future of optimism'.

But Labour accused the Government of presiding over a 'Hunger Games-style contest where communities are pitted against one another'.

The Government said that 2.1 billion in funding had been split between 672 million to develop better transport links, 821 million for community regeneration, and 594 million to go towards restoring local heritage sites.

The levelling up vision was one pioneered by former prime minister Boris Johnson, who promised to 'level up' towns and communities across the UK.

Michael Gove, the Levelling-Up Secretary, denied that the relatively affluent South East is receiving more levelling up money than communities in the North.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well, that's not quite true. If you look at it in terms of the amount of money allocated per person, then it is the case that it's the North West, the North East, Wales, which do best of all.

Mr Sunak's Government was forced onto the defensive today as it came under fire from Tory MPs in Red Wall seats who claimed the 2.1billion Levelling Up fund was biased towards affluent areas in the south east.

Among the 80 projects earmarked for funding is the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which received 50 million for a regeneration project designed to transform the Lancashire town's seafront.

No10 has previously defended the PM's use of RAF aircraft instead of scheduled train services or his ministerial car, saying there was 'a great deal of pressure on his time'.

Last week it posted pictures online showing him boarding the French-made Envoy executive jet, which can carry 14 people in front of a saluting serviceman before flying to Leeds.

He is the latest minister to face questions over their use of official government aircraft for journeys that could be done by cheaper - albeit slower - forms of transport.

Last November Home Secretary Suella Braverman used an RAF chinook helicopter to travel 30 miles from Dover to the Manston migrant camp at the height of the Channel boat crisis.

She was spotted disembarking from the aircraft wearing a Top Gun-style pilots' helmet. Sources close to the Home Secretary said it was so she could 'see the breadth of the coastline' that Border Force officials are having to monitor as thousands continue to arrive in Britain from across the Channel.

During the helicopter journey, Dan O'Mahoney, Border Force's clandestine threat commander, was said to have pointed out locations to Mrs Braverman where migrants' small boats are brought to shore.
The baffling object has not been identified at this stage

An unidentified flying object was filmed making a strange stop-start progression across the night sky exciting those on the lookout for alien life.

The object which seemed to emit both steady and blinking lights was spotted by Sydney woman Tanya as dusk was settling at around 8.20pm on Wednesday.

She was sitting in on unit's balcony in the western suburb of Liverpool when the mysterious sight caught her attention.

Western Sydney woman Tanya filmed a strange light-emitting object making its way across the sky

Tanya began filming as the object flew in a leisurely fashion across the sky.

At first she had thought it might be a shooting star but that thought was quickly banished when the object halted and hovered for a few seconds.

It then flew a little further in the same direction and stopped again for a moment.

After the brief pause it shot off gathering speed.

There appeared to be streak of light trailing the object.

Tanya said despite the area being under some flightpaths she had never seen any plane behave in such a fashion.

The object paused twice in the darkening sky before setting off with increasingly acceleration

No helicopters or other registered aircraft were reported in the sky over Western Sydney at that time.

Investigative reporter Ross Coulthart, who also specialises in unidentified aerial objects, viewed the footage.

While the object appeared to move faster than a drone he could not rule that possibility out, although he didn't think it moved like any other likely aerial craft such as a balloon.

'The difficulty is that it's impossible to reach any definitive conclusion based on a video alone,' Mr Coulthart told the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Coulthart said it would help if there were other witnesses.

Mass UFO sighting are rare but one of Australia's best known incidents happened in the NSW Central Coast town of Gosford in 1994.

So many people reported seeing metallic 'sphere-like objects' buzzing the area and even taking water out of a lake that the sightings became national news.
Firefighters remained overnight to take readings of chemicals in the air, LFB said

Hydrochloric acid leak identified at the plant on Cray Road at around 8.30pm

200 workers were evacuated from Coca-Cola factory in Sidcup, Kent last night

Two hundred workers were evacuated from a Coca-Cola factory last night after a chemical leak at the plant.

Employees left the site in Sidcup, Kent, before the London Fire Brigade arrived to the incident on Wednesday evening.

The site was evacuated after a hydrochloric acid leak was identified at the warehouse on Cray Road, with no reports of any injuries.

The corrosive solution, which has a distinctive pungent smell, can cause blindness if splashed in the eyes and can lead to severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin.

The site was evacuated before the London Fire Brigade arrived

Firefighters were called to reports of a chemical leak at around 8.40pm on Wednesday

The leak was isolated at around 11.30pm with firefighters remaining at the scene throughout the night taking readings of chemicals in the air.

An LFB statement said: 'We were called to a leak of hydrochloric acid at 20:39 on Wednesday evening.

'Two hundred people were evacuated from the factory before we arrived.

'We used chemical equipment to test the levels of chemicals in the area and worked on site to disperse it.

'The leak was isolated at approximately 23:30 and we remained on scene throughout the night doing checks before we left. The incident is now over.

'There was no evacuation of residents, and no-one was treated by emergency services. We are not aware of any advice to close windows and doors.'

Firefighters at the scene of the Coca-Cola factory in Sidcup, Kent, where a gas leak was identified

Firefighters remained on scene overnight at the Coca-Cola facility in Sidcup, Kent

The Coca Cola factory in Sidcup, which has around 270 employees, is one of six manufacturers of the soft drink in the UK.

Machines at the plant mix the brand's signature syrup with water, carbon dioxide, and sugar or sweetener - producing more than 500,000 products per hour.

The Sidcup operation makes up around 50 per cent of Coca Cola's UK portfolio - filling 360,000 cans, 132,000 plastic bottles, and 48,000 glass bottles each hour, as well as producing Capri Sun pouches.

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said: 'Our production site at Sidcup was temporarily evacuated last night as a precautionary measure.

'There was no risk to any of our colleagues and the issue has now been resolved. Our site is now back operating as normal.

'We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and support, and would like to apologise to local residents for any disruption caused overnight.'

A HSE spokesperson said: 'HSE is aware of the incident and is making initial inquiries.'
The heroic 45-year-old Irishman drowned after trying to rescue his daughter

An Irishman has drowned in a heroic attempt to rescue his daughter from the sea in Australia.

The 45-year-old father rushed into the waves at Lennox Head on the northern coast of New South Wales after his daughter was swept out to sea on a body board.

The tragedy occurred at Seven Mile Beach at about 6.30pm on Wednesday night. It is understood that the beach was not being patrolled by a lifeguard at the time.

The father managed to swim out to reach her but was unable to bring her back to shore.

The tragedy occurred at Seven Mile Beach (pictured), New South Wales, Australia, at about 6.30pm on Wednesday night

The man's wife then swam out to the 11-year-old girl and the two were able to scramble back to the beach where they alerted the authorities.

Two police officers, who were first on the scene, entered the surf in an attempt to find the man but were unsuccessful.

Surf lifesavers then arrived and retrieved the man's body from the sea at around 7pm.

NSW Ambulance paramedics initiated CPR but were unable to revive him and he died at the scene.

The wife and daughter were also given medical attention by the on-scene paramedics.

The family is from Lennox Head and officers from Richmond Police District have alerted the Irish Consulate of the mans death.

A police statement said: 'A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.'

The 45-year-old father rushed into the waves at Lennox Head (pictured) on the northern coast of New South Wales after his daughter was swept out to sea on a body board

Police and Surf Lifesaving NSW issued a plea to beachgoers to remain cautious in the sea during Australia's summer months.

The director of Surf Lifesaving NSW Joel Wiseman said that there had been a significant increase in water rescues in recent months.

He attributed the increase to children missing swimming lessons throughout the pandemic.

Mr Wiseman told Sky News Australia: 'Sadly, were playing catch up with trying to increase drowning prevention and strategies across the nation at the moment.'
Days after being detained by German authorities Thunberg has arrived at Davos

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed business and political leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, saying it was 'absurd' to listen to them while they fuelled 'the destruction of the planet'.

Two days after police briefly detained her at a protest against a coal mine in Germany, Thunberg and other young campaigners took part in a debate on the sidelines of the summit of global investors, CEOs and political leaders in the Swiss Alps.

'We are right now in Davos where (there are) basically the people who are mostly fuelling the destruction of the planet,' the 20-year-old said, explaining that the world should not rely on them 'for solving our problems'.

She added that it was 'absurd ... we seem to be listening to them rather than the people who are actually affected by the climate crisis'.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (pictured in Davos today) slammed business and political leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, saying it was 'absurd' to listen to them while they fuelled 'the destruction of the planet'

Climate activist Greta Thunberg of Sweden, speaking next to (L-R) Fatih Birol, Head of the International Energy Agency, and Climate activists Luise Neubauer of Germany, Helena Gualinga of Ecuador, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda

Two days after police briefly detained her at a protest against a coal mine in Germany, Thunberg and other young campaigners took part in a debate on the sidelines of the summit of global investors, CEOs and political leaders in the Swiss Alps

'Without massive public pressure from the outside, these people are going to go as far as they possibly can... They will continue to throw people under the bus for their own gain,' she said.

The Swede spoke on the sidelines of the WEF with fellow activists Helena Gualinga of Ecuador, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda and Luisa Neubauer of Germany at a CNBC panel that included International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol.

The Swede made a splash when she attended the forum as a teenager in January 2020, warning that 'our house is still on fire' and complaining that her demands had been 'completely ignored'.

Then-US president Donald Trump used his speech at the same forum to bash 'the perennial prophets of doom' as Thunberg looked on stony-faced from the audience.

This week, she and Gualinga, Nakate and Neubauer launched an online petition demanding that energy firms stop any new oil, gas or coal extraction projects - or face possible legal action.

More than 900,000 people had signed the petition by Thursday.

Thunberg arrived at Davos only shortly after being released by German police after protesting the expansion of a coal mine in Germany

'We are taking a very dangerous path. We are already seeing how people are suffering on the ground,' Gualinga said.

'It's completely insane that we are allowing this and we have people here in Davos that are enabling that, through government, through investing in fossil fuel and at some point there needs to be a stop. This is criminal behaviour,' she said.

Birol, as head of a multilateral energy agency that advises mostly Western governments, said that his presence alongside activists was 'a very important signal that I want to give the world'.

'We have to see that the climate change needs to get more attention. Unfortunately, the attention to climate change is sliding down,' he said.

The energy sector had to be transformed or 'we have no chance whatsoever to reach our climate targets'.

The IEA said in a report in October that the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine was causing changes that could hasten the transition to a 'more sustainable and secure energy system'.

Thunberg was among a group of people hauled away by police on Tuesday during a protest near the German village of Luetzerath, which is being razed to make way for a coal mine expansion. They were not formally arrested.

Her actions were praised in Davos by former US vice president Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change.

'I agree with her efforts to stop that coal mine,' Gore told a panel discussion on global warming, adding that young people around the world despaired of efforts by leaders to tackle the climate crisis.

'We are not winning' the fight against global warming, he said.

Climate change is a major topic at the World Economic Forum, where businesses and governments have come under pressure to do more to ensure that the world meets the increasingly elusive goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In a speech on Wednesday, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres drew a parallel between the actions of oil companies and those of tobacco firms, which were eventually hit by costly lawsuits over the harmful effects of cigarettes.

Guterres pointed to a study published in the journal Science last week that said ExxonMobil had dismissed the findings of its own scientists, who had accurately predicted global warming due to fossil fuels as far back as the late 1970s.

'Some in Big Oil peddled the big lie,' he said. 'And like the tobacco industry, those responsible must be held to account.'
At times it may be better, as Machiavelli wrote, to be feared than loved. Surely Prince Harry was hoping his memoir would strike fear in the hearts at Buckingham Palace. But what he likely didn't foresee?

Becoming a global laughingstock. And, in the process, diminishing his late mother's memory. Suffering crashing approval ratings. Space shuttles fall to earth less swiftly.

Imagine Harry and Meghan's pre-publication fantasies! Surely they imagined the world at their backs, outraged that Harry got the smaller bedroom at Balmoral and that Charles isn't much a hugger, doubtless agitating for the end of the monarchy while applauding Harry and Meghan for bearing such suffering so valiantly. Not since JFK Jr. would America claim its own sweet prince! Meghan would be president someday, Harry sought out by every CEO and disruptor and woke activist on the planet.

Harry and Meghan's esteem would rise in direct proportion to the royal family's fall, one they engineered.

Alas, karma has a way of kicking in one's teeth. A new poll released by Newsweek on Wednesday  conducted six days after 'Spare' was released  shows that US voters are well and truly put off by the gruesome twosome. Harry's favorability has plunged 45 percentage points, Meghan's by 36.

This couldn't be a more poetic outcome. And it's not just the average American who is exhausted by their never-ending bitching and moaning  it's all of woke Hollywood. You know, the very people Harry and Meghan so desperately wish would invite them to sit at their table, with all the other cool kids.

Instead, Hollywood laughs at them. Laughs and laughs and laughs.

Among the many indiscretions shared in 'Spare' was the indelible moment that Harry smeared his frostbitten penis with his late mother's favorite lip cream. (You truly couldn't make this up.) And Jimmy Kimmel, who previously mocked Harry's broken necklace/dog bowl trauma, made merciless fun of this tidbit on his late night show two nights ago.

Alas, karma has a way of kicking in one's teeth. A new poll released by Newsweek on Wednesday  conducted six days after 'Spare' was released  shows that US voters are well and truly put off by the gruesome twosome.

Jimmy Kimmel, who previously mocked Harry's broken necklace/dog bowl trauma, made merciless fun of this tidbit on his late night show two nights ago.

'The story of Prince Harold and his frozen yogurt slinger is so popular, they're now releasing a version for kids,' Kimmel joked, holding up a mock Golden Book called 'The Prince and the Penis.'

Kimmel went on to share a 'first read,' replete with illustrations reminiscent of 'South Park' including a cheeky rendering of what Harry calls his 'todger':

'Oh mummy, oh mummy! he cried with a scream, and from then up on high, she appeared with some cream.

'My poor little prince, put this cream on your willy. It will lessen the ache and make it less chilly.'

'But mummy, did you not put this on your lips?'

'Oh yes my dear boy, and also my nips . . . But do not delay or your knob be destroyed.'

'But mummy, have you heard about Sir Sigmund Freud?'

Now that's a book to treasure!

Perhaps Kimmel's brilliant bit was a form of payback. After all, Harry wrote about attending an A-list Hollywood party at Courteney Cox's house, where 'a huge box of black diamond mushroom chocolates' was set out for guests. Further proving how thick and entitled he is, Harry doesn't get that you don't out celebrities you wish to befriend  especially single moms  for having drugs at their house parties.

Here was Chelsea Handler onstage at Sunday night's Critics Choice Awards: 'Dahmer' became the third-highest-viewed show on Netflix, with a combined watch time of one billion hours,' she said. 'Which, apparently, is the same amount of time we're going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis. Enough already.'

When you've lost woke Hollywood, you're done. And that's a cutthroat crowd that knows a thing or two about backstabbing. But even they, it seems, have limits, and selling out your family's innermost thoughts and private pain just isn't done  among decent people anywhere, really. Sharing private texts from your sister-in-law to your wife is the realm of reality shows, not serious artists and activists.

That would certainly explain why Harry and Meghan weren't invited to the BAFTA bash in L.A., wouldn't it?

No less an authority than Bethenney Frankel, who became a multimillionaire through the 'Real Housewives' franchise, weighed in on her podcast Wednesday.

'That someone could share with the media texts between family members, much less royal family members  it's crazy,' she said in part. 'Meghan is playing from the 'Housewives' handbook.'

Imagine Harry and Meghan's pre-publication fantasies! Surely they imagined the world at their backs, outraged that Harry got the smaller bedroom at Balmoral and that Charles isn't much a hugger, doubtless agitating for the end of the monarchy while applauding Harry and Meghan for bearing such suffering so valiantly.

That does feel at Harry and Meghan's level, Housewives, doesn't it? It embodies everything they've shown themselves to be: Petty, catty, un-self-aware, avaricious, materialistic, envious, name-dropping social climbers who think all publicity must be good publicity.

Not so. CNN's Don Lemon on Harry's memoir: 'Gauche.'

Sean Lennon, another son of a martyred global icon, ridiculed Harry on Twitter. 'When Harry's editor read the sentence, 'My penis was oscillating between extremely sensitive and borderline traumatized,' did they not want to stage an intervention of some sort?' Lennon tweeted. 'I mean that is for sure one of the worst sentences ever written in the English language.'

It does make you wonder what the suits and the C-suite at Penguin Random House really think of Harry's memoir  not to mention how his ghostwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner J. R. Moehringer, feels about the finished product. It's hard to believe that not one person involved in this book didn't say to Harry, 'You know, you might not want to divulge that your brother, the future king, is circumcised.'

Really: Where's the woke brigade? Is that disclosure not a public violation of bodily privacy?

It's equally hard to believe that no one said, 'While we're at it, the anecdote about you and Meghan having sex next to a box of your dead mother's hair, and putting the pregnancy wands on top of that box for good luck  maybe lose that?'

Or: 'You know Harry, it's indelicate at best, hypocritical at worst, to accuse the media of invading your privacy while invading your family's privacy in your book.'

Perhaps they did. Perhaps Harry, who has the overconfidence known only to the truly dim, wouldn't listen.

Stephen Colbert rolled out the red carpet for Harry  as a joke, of course  on his late night show. In exchange for choosing Colbert for his sole late night appearance in America, Harry and his beloved late grandmother  were jeered by him mercilessly.

'Stock up on corgis and steal a priceless cultural treasure from one of your colonies, because 'The Late Show' is going imperial,' Colbert said, before comparing the prodigal prince to another, more popular Harry  Potter, of course.

'To be rejected by his older brother at school, even though that magic hat sorted them in the same house,' Colbert joked. 'What do you think, Hufflepuff? Gryffindor?'

Here was Chelsea Handler onstage at Sunday night's Critics Choice Awards: 'Dahmer' became the third-highest-viewed show on Netflix, with a combined watch time of one billion hours,' she said. 'Which, apparently, is the same amount of time we're going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis. Enough already.'

CNN's Don Lemon on Harry's memoir: 'Gauche.'

Making all these parodies and insult jokes that much sweeter: Harry and Meghan, as we well know, have zero sense of humor about themselves or anyone else. None. They're incapable of laughing along, of embracing the camp of their soap-operatic existence. They are so thuddingly desperate to be taken seriously as activists, humanitarians, prime movers on a global scale  and hey, if that takes leaking texts between Meghan and Kate about a bridesmaids fitting for toddlers, so be it!

Even the Wall Street Journal's esteemed columnist Peggy Noonan couldn't resist taking a few devastating swipes. As she wrote last Sunday, Harry and his book tend to 'grate': 'There's a heightened-ness to his language  he never leaves a place; he flees it 'in fear for our sanity and physical safety.' He often finds his wife 'sobbing uncontrollably' on the floor and the stairs, mostly over what he fails to realize are trivial things.'

Yes! Can you imagine how Meghan reacts to actual problems? To paraphrase 'Spinal Tap' guitarist Nigel Tufnel, these two are always dialing their emotional amps up to 11.

Speaking of  where's Meghan been? For someone whose head is on a permanent swivel looking for the next camera lens or paparazzi flash or documentary crew, she's been strangely absent from this publicity blitz.

Could it be that she sees this memoir for what it is, a public relations disaster? Or that her prince has lost his luster now that the world is pointing and laughing at him? 'Spare' may be a runaway bestseller (doubtless goosed by instant discounts and free Audible copies), but this is a Pyrrhic victory for #BrandSussex.

As the saying goes, trust takes a long time to build, but seconds to break. Harry and Meghan have proved themselves, above all else, serially untrustworthy. You can't really come back from that.

'Love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.'

Machiavelli again, in his immortal work titled  what else?  'The Prince'.
The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning to anyone travelling to Turkey that they must remain vigilant after more than 50 cases of sexual assault were reported to the British consulate last year.

The advice for holidaymakers said that crime was generally low in the country, but that Brits needed to remain aware when it came to pick-pocketing and street robbery, as well as the sexual assault cases reported last year.

The Foreign Office said that 51 cases of sexual assault, including rape, were reported to the British consulate in Turkey in 2022.

The updated travel advice comes after news that the country has become an increasingly popular holiday destination for Brits, with over three million visiting last year.

An aerial view of Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz, Turkey. Some 3.3million Brits travelled to the country last year

Most of the reported sexual assault cases occurred over the summer, the Foreign Office said.

They added that these were largely around coastal tourist and resort areas.

The Foreign Office also warned that many of the sexual assaults were committed at night by someone the victim had interacted with during the day.

'You should be extra vigilant in these situations,' the Foreign Office statement said.

'Never accept lifts from strangers. Find a registered yellow taxi and make a note of the registration number before getting in.

'If you have any concerns, seek advice from your tour operator or the Turkish authorities.'

According to the Foreign Office, some 3.3million British passport holders visited Turkey in 2022. It has proven an increasingly popular destination for Brits, up from 2.9million in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Visitors are expected to increase this year too, with demand forcing airlines to extend their flight schedules over the summer.

The updated travel advice comes after news that the country has become an increasingly popular holiday destination for Brits. Pictured: Sarsala Bay in Dalaman, Turkey.

Cheaper prices due to the fall of the Turkish lira against the pound has been largely attributed to the country's popularity with holidaymakers.

The Foreign Office also warned against robbery while on holiday in Turkey.

Although they specified that crime levels are generally low, street robbery and pick-pocketing are common in the major tourist areas around Istanbul.

'You should maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as in the UK. Alcohol and drugs can make you less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment.'

Alcohol served in overseas bars is often stronger than in the UK, they warned, and Brits should be aware of their limit.
Three more people have been charged with murder over the bashing death of 15-year-old Indigenous teen Cassius Turvey.

Police allege Cassius had stepped off the school bus and was walking to his house when he was allegedly attacked with a metal pole in Middle Swan, in Perth's northeast on October 13.

Cassius was left with injuries so severe he died in hospital 10 days after.

On Thursday two men, 24 and 27, and a woman, 20, were each charged with the alleged murder of the schoolboy.

They will all appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.

They join Jack Steven James Brearley, 21, in being charged with the Noongar Yamatji boy's murder.

Three more people have been charged with the bashing death of a 15-year-old Indigenous teen Cassius Turvey (pictured) as he walked home from school

They join Jack Steven James Brearley (pictured), 21, who was previously charged with the Noongar Yamatji boy's murder. His matter will return to court on March 29

Brearley's lawyer Ben Stanwix told Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday the case was ready to proceed to a disclosure committal hearing asking for a 10-week adjournment, which was subsequently granted.

The 21-year-old was remanded in custody until the matter returns to court on March 29.

Prosecutors allege that Brearley chased Cassius and his friends as they were walking home from school before he beat the Indigenous teen with the metal pole, suspected to be from a shopping trolley.

Cassius was taken to a hospital with serious head injuries and discharged five days later.

However, he then suffered two strokes and a seizure just hours after being discharged and was rushed back to hospital where he died.

His death triggered an outpouring of grief and anger across the nation, with some Indigenous leaders condemning the alleged attack calling it 'cowardly and racist'.

Police allege Cassius had stepped off the school bus and was on his way home when he was allegedly bashed to death by a metal pole. Cassius was left with injuries so severe he died in hospital 10 days after he was allegedly violently beaten

On Thursday two men, 24 and 27, and a woman, 20, were each charged with the murder of the schoolboy in Middle Swan, in Perth's north-east on October 13. They will all appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Friday

Cassius has been remembered as a loving son and a role model to his friends.

He had started his own lawn mowing business and was invited at age 11 to deliver an acknowledgement of country at the WA parliament.
Police say that the officer then retaliated in 'self-defense' and is now in a stable condition after undergoing surgery

Violent Antifa protectors are calling for a 'Night of Rage' against police officers after a raid of 'Cop City' left an activist dead and a state trooper injured.

Georgia State Patrol troopers swooped on the autonomous zone at the site of the future $90million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in a 'clearing operation' on Wednesday.

In a press conference, Georgia Bureau of Investigations director Michael Register confirmed that the shooting was in self-defense, with the protestor opening fire 'without warning' at the trooper.

But activists are now calling for a 'Night of Rage' and bloodshed against the police following the shooting  threatening to enact 'reciprocal violence' against the authorities.

Georgia State Patrol troopers swooped on the autonomous zone at the site of the future $90million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in a 'clearing operation'

Activists are now calling for a 'Night of Rage' and bloodshed against the police following the shooting  threatening to enact 'reciprocal violence' against the authorities

In a statement posted on social media, the Scenes from the Atlanta Forest account said: 'A call for retaliation. Consider this a call for reciprocal violence to be done to the police and their allies.

'On Friday, January 20th, wherever you are, you are invited to participate in a night of rage in order to honor the memory of our fallen comrade.'

The protestors, who call themselves forest defenders, are claiming that the police have 'murdered' one of their own and are demanding 'action'.

In several posts sweeping social media, they claim that the police are 'lying' and 'refusing to release bodycam footage' of the incident.

They are also angrily rejecting claims that the protestor who was killed shot at police first, and even claim that the trooper was shot in 'friendly fire'.

In a statement, the Defend Atlanta Forest said: 'Forest defenders on the ground say they heard a round of 12 shots fired all at once around 9:04 a.m. this morning.

The protestors, who call themselves forest defenders, are claiming that the police have 'murdered' one of their own and are demanding 'action'

They are also angrily rejecting claims that the protestor who was killed shot at police first, and even claim that the trooper was shot in 'friendly fire'.

'This contradicts the back-and-forth shooting story pushed by police.

'We have reason to believe the officer shot today was hit by 'friendly fire' and not by the protester who was killed.

'Do not believe the police and their media. Demand an end to police militarization and hands off the forest.

'The police will kill you if given the chance. Now is the time for bravery. Take care of each other. Be dangerous together.'

The Atlanta Solidarity Fund added: 'This morning Georgia State Patrol officers killed a protester in the South Atlanta Forest.

'GSP has not released body camera footage or meaningful details, and we are concerned a police cover-up could be underway. We are preparing a legal team to investigate and pursue a wrongful death suit.'

Protestors are claiming that the police are 'lying' and are rejecting the narrative that one of their own shot at officers - despite members being arrested on 'domestic terrorism' charges

Tributes have been created for the 'tree defender' with neither authorities or the Antifa group identifying the man

Four other protesters were arrested at the scene and taken to DeKalb County Jail and have not been identified

Police are preparing for a night of bloody violence following the incident, with dozens of protestors taking to the streets across the country in response to the shooting.

The state trooper was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot in the abdomen on Wednesday morning and is in a stable condition after undergoing surgery.

A GBI spokesman said in a statement: 'At about 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, as law enforcement was moving through the property, officers located a man inside a tent in the woods.

'Officers gave verbal commands to the man who did not comply and shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper. Other law enforcement officers returned fire, hitting the man.

'Law enforcement evacuated the Trooper to a safe area. The man died on the scene.

'The injured Georgia State Patrol Trooper was taken to a local hospital and underwent surgery.

The Atlanta Solidarity Fund said that they were 'preparing a legal team to investigate and pursue a wrongful death suit'

Some 'anonymous' members of the Atlanta Forest Defenders appeared in an Open Society Foundations-sponsored story about the autonomous zone in The Guardian

The state trooper was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot in the abdomen on Wednesday morning and is in a stable condition after undergoing surgery

'A handgun and shell casings were located at the scene. The GBI is working the officer-involved shooting and the investigation is still active and ongoing.'

Four other protesters were arrested at the scene and taken to DeKalb County Jail, where they have been charged with domestic terrorist and aggravated assault on a public safety officer.

Francis Carroll is the son of a millionaire Maine surgeon who grew up in a stunning mansion in one of the most luxurious beach towns on the east coast, DailyMail.com can reveal

Matthew Macar, Spencer Bernard Liberto, Sarah Wasilewski, and a John Doe have all been arrested in connection with the incident.

The dead protestor and the State trooper also not being identified by authorities.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also commented on the shooting and said he and his family were praying for law enforcement officers.

He said: 'Marty, the girls, and I are praying for this brave Trooper and public safety officers across all law enforcement agencies today.

'As our thoughts remain with him and his family, our resolve also remains steadfast and strong to see criminals brought to justice.'

Some 'anonymous' members of the Atlanta Forest Defenders appeared in an Open Society Foundations-sponsored story about the autonomous zone in The Guardian.

George Soros is the chairman of the OSF, and has given away more than $32billion of his personal fortune to fund the group.

Soros is one of the world's best-known philanthropists, and is also known for funding many of the woke district attorneys whose policies have been blamed for soaring violent crime across the US.

Nicholas Olsen (left) was charged with domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, interference with government property and obstruction. Serena Hertel (right) , 25, has been charged with criminal trespass, domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, obstruction, and inciting a riot

Hertel was pictured screaming as she was arrested inDecember, and was carried off by two officers while wearing an orange jacket

Arieon Robinson (left) was charged with criminal trespass, obstruction, and domestic terrorism while Leonard Vioselle (right) was charged with criminal trespass, domestic terrorism, and possession of tools of the crime

In May, eight militants were arrested after police patrolling the land were assaulted and pelted with rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Five people were arrested on December 13 for allegedly polotting terror attacks at the soon-to-be police academy.

Serena Hertel, 25, of California, Leonard Voiselle, 20, of Macon, Georgia, Nicholas Dean Olson, 25, of Bennington, Nebraska, Francis M. Carroll, 22, of Kennebunkport, Maine and Arieon Robinson, 21, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were arrested.

DailyMail.com previously revealed that Carroll is the son of surgeon Dr Mike Carroll and grew up in a $2million five-bedroom and four-bathroom mansion in Kennebunkport  as well as enjoying time on his parents yacht.

Left-wing groups used Twitter to fundraise bail for suspects after another six were arrested in August  charged with various crimes from burglary to criminal damage.

Members of the group tried to burn a man to death after he drove into the area, and he was forced to run for his life after they torched it with him still in it.

After their members were arrested the Defend the Atlanta Forest group held a protest outside of Dekalb County Jail and let off explosive fireworks.

The Atlanta Jail Support, a project of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, also issued calls to fundraise bail money for the terror suspects using Twitter.

Convictions of domestic terrorism carry with it sentences of anywhere between five and 35 years in prison.
UNGA president urges making UN Charter "our guiding light"

Xinhua) 10:17, January 19, 2023

UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Csaba Korosi (at the podium and on the screen) speaks at the informal briefing on the president's priorities for the resumed 77th session at the UN headquarters in New York Jan. 17, 2023. Csaba Korosi on Tuesday urged the international community to make the UN Charter "our guiding light" and advance the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Csaba Korosi on Tuesday called on the international community to make the UN Charter "our guiding light" and advance the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"We shall anchor all our efforts in the Charter, in respect for international law -- and, urgently, around the Sustainable Development Goals," the UNGA president told the informal briefing on the president's priorities for the resumed 77th session.

Speaking of the status quo of SDGs, the UNGA president said that "our priority is to prepare for the SDG Summit in September -- the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda."

"In spite of so many woes, I still believe that 2023 is off to an auspicious start," Korosi said. "We gather in a chamber literally designed to inspire the 'realization of the great human dream.'"

"In our world of torn trust and massive breakdowns, I am asking you to aim for breakthrough," he urged.

"By September, we will need honest accounts of what has been achieved and what has not, so we can close the gap between reported national successes and visible global failures," the UNGA president added.

"To get there, we will need a clear vision of what is at stake, what are the timeframes and political responsibilities for making progress," he said, noting that one of the UNGA priorities for this year is water action.

The assembly will hold the UN Water Conference in March -- the first since 1977, "that I hope will bring a new 'Paris moment,'" Korosi said.

He noted that efforts will be made "to go beyond the traditional debate on the difficulties of water cooperation by establishing a global water information system to support regional and local predictability and resilience."

Turning to transformation, the PGA said that a core priority will be "to advance discussions on a methodology for measuring sustainability transformation in a way that integrates human well-being, natural capital and sustainable economic development."

"We call this the 'Beyond GDP' initiative, foreseen already in the 2030 Agenda but not fully developed yet," he stressed.

Korosi also called for efforts to "reform our whole economic thinking," adding that "it is on us to design the future of the UN -- to agree on solutions that will reinvigorate multilateralism, restore trust and renew the agenda of peace."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, third from left, delivers a keynote speech at the Aerospace Governors Meeting session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min



Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong stressed that advanced air mobility (AAM) will be a game-changer for future urban transportation systems at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the ministry said Thursday.



He gave a keynote speech at the Aerospace Governors Meeting session on Wednesday, outlining his vision for facilitating AAM.



"We need continued innovation to counter growing concerns about the saturation of the ground transportation system, compounded further by the sustained poor performance of the transportation industry brought on and amplified by years of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring global energy costs and weakening investor sentiment," he said in the session.



Won outlined the major challenges ahead for the realization of future air mobility. They are: safety, noise reduction measures, the combination of low fares and high-speed and effective communication infrastructure to prevent heavy traffic congestion in cities.






Rishi Sunak appeared not to be wearing a seatbelt as he filmed a social media clip in the back of a moving car this morning.

The Instagram video was supposed to promote his Levelling Up tour across Britain but has rather detracted attention from it after viewers quickly pointed out that the Prime Minister seemed to have forgotten to fasten the safety belt.

The law states that car users must wear a seatbelt if one is fitted in their seat, with only a few exceptions.

A fine of up to 500 can be issued if someone does not wear a seatbelt.

Rishi Sunak used the social media clip to promote his 'Levelling Up' tour. But viewers quickly spotted that the PM appeared not to be wearing a safety belt

None of the exceptions listed on the Government's website appear to apply to Mr Sunak's car journey.

For example, he was not a driver reversing, or in a vehicle used for police or fire and rescue services, driving a goods vehicle on deliveries, or a licensed taxi driver.

There is also an exemption for medical reasons, with those who qualify required to carry a doctor's certificate with them while travelling.

Mr Sunak flew to Blackpool this morning before visiting Accrington and Morecambe, although it is unclear at what point in his journey he filmed the social media clip.

At one point in his Instagram video, police outriders on motorbikes can be seen through Mr Sunak's passenger window.

The PM used the clip to encourage users to follow his progress on his trip to northern England as he went 'out and about seeing Levelling Up in action'.

He promoted the Government's announcement of more than 2billion in funding for projects across 100 different local communities around the UK.

The PM's official spokesman did not immediately provide a comment when asked why Mr Sunak appeared not to be wearing a seat belt.

'I haven't seen that specific video,' they said.
A furious holidaymaker on a romantic getaway to Italy has gone on a hilarious rant after snow closed Manchester Airport, raging: 'I've seen thicker strips of Rizla paper.'

Passengers were left fuming after the major travel hub announced it was shutting two runways following the snowstorm, in a move branded 'a joke' by holidaymakers.

The airport insisted its decision had been taken amid 'health and safety' fears after a 'heavy deposit' of snow meant conditions could be dangerous, with the runways re-opening after more than two hours.

But Lew Shildrick, who was flying to Venice with his girlfriend for a 'romantic' getaway, blasted airport bosses - as he documented his hilarious experience stuck while sinking pints of Stella Artois in Manchester's Grain Loft bar.

Lew Shildrick shared this photo from inside Manchester Airport (lefT) during his online rant this morning as snapped of shot of his tired girlfriend Hayley snoozing while he sunk pints of Stella Artois at the airport bar

In a rant on Twitter, he said: 'I've [seen] thicker strips of Rizla paper than the snow laid here at Manchester Airport yet they close the runways.

'We really are absolute f***ys of a country. 2 Stellas deep already at 4 a bottle, holiday spends going down by the minute And the wife beater vest is being ironed.'

And Lew added his partner Hayley was struggling with the delays, adding: 'And now hayleys fell asleep on me on my romantic Christmas present trip away to Venice, trips going to start and end in the grain loft terminal 1.'

His outburst left social media users amused, with one saying: 'Oh that made me laugh,' and another adding: 'Sorry you're stranded but u are funny!'

Although not everybody was impressed with Lew's comments. Mark Shaz said: 'I wouldn't like to fly/land a plane full of people in that. The consequence could be catastrophic. But I'm sure your pilot training gives you a better call on these situations.'

While another person added: 'Not sure you quite understand safety issues regarding aircraft landing and taking off fella.'

'I do understand it, but the way this airport handle is is a joke,' replied Lew.

MANCHESTER: A worker de-ices a plane at Manchester Airport earlier this morning

MANCHESTER: The runways were blanketed in snow this morning after heavy snowfall overnight

MANCHESTER: The airport was forced to close following heavy snowfall overnight as freezing temperatures continue

MANCHESTER: A plane covered in snow waits on the tarmac at Manchester Airport. The runways opened more than two hours after they closed

Manchester's closure came amid snowstorms this morning and after the coldest night of the year so far.

Temperatures plummeted to as low as -10.4C in parts of the country before Britain faced yet another day of travel chaos.

Many woke up to ice and snow today and face travel disruption as the UK continues to be hit by this week's cold snap. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the north-west and south-west of England.

Passengers at Manchester Airport reported sitting on their planes for up to three or four hours after bad weather made it impossible for flights to take off as snowstorms batter parts of the UK before the runways finally reopened.

At least 36 flights were delayed and two have been cancelled, according to tracking website FlightRadar24, while a plane which had travelled 4,000 miles from Atlanta in the US was diverted to London after being unable to land in the snow.

MANCHESTER: Snow ploughs clear snow from the runways at the airport during the closures

Pictures were shared of a snow-covered plane grounded on the tarmac at Manchester Airport as passengers waited for news.

Claire Staniforth and her husband Gary were two of the many holidaymakers stuck on a plane.

The couple said they boarded at 6.30am this morning and were still stuck on it over two and a half hours later.

A plane travelling 4,000 miles from Atlanta, in America, was diverted to an airport in London.

The runways reopened almost two and a half hours later as passengers waited inside the terminal and onboard planes.

In a statement, the airport added: 'Following the temporary closure of our runways due to snow, we are pleased to report that operations have resumed. We thank passengers for their patience.'

More disruption is expected across the UK today as extreme temperatures cause chaos for road and rail as well as flights.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the north-west and south-west of England

Some passengers took to social media to fume about the runway closures at Manchester Airport

MANCHESTER: Ground crew cleared snow from the runways during the two-hour closure

MANCHESTER: At least 36 flights were delayed, with an average delay time of 108 minutes due to the snow

MANCHESTER: A passenger sits on the tarmac on their grounded plane as they waited for the runways to reopen

MANCHESTER: A pilot leans out of his window to chat to a ground crew member as he waits to take off

Conditions in Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands fell to -10.4C in the early hours of Thursday, making it the coldest recorded temperature of the year so far.

Elsewhere, Topcliffe in north Yorkshire was the coldest place in England at -7.4C.

Forecasters have said the cold weather will last until the end of the week, and that temperatures could drop as low as -11C in places.

The worst affected area is the north of Scotland, with the Met Office warning that communities there could be cut off and left without power amid snowstorms.

Yellow warnings issues by the Met Office suggest there may be 'further wintry showers bringing disruption from ice and snow'.

They run until noon on Thursday in Wales and the north of Scotland and until 10am in England.
Speculation over Putin's health has continued after not taking his annual dip

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is still alive while addressing world leaders in Davos.

Speaking to the World Economic Forum at the alpine resort in Switzerland via video link on Thursday, Zelensky cast doubt about the despot's capacity and suggested that he might be dead.

Speculation about Putin's health has been ongoing throughout Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the tyrant making increasingly fewer public appearances.

Zelensky's comments come as Putin failed to appear for his annual dip into Russia's freezing waters to mark Orthodox Epiphany, further fueling doubt over his condition.

President Zelensky said he did not know if Putin is still alive, as he addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2023

Speculation about Putin's health has been ongoing throughout Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Putin speaks with Russian workers in Obukhov, January 18, 2023

Ukraine's wartime leader was discussing potential peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow when he suggested that Putin may in fact be dead.

'Right now I don't understand who to talk to. I am not sure whether the president of Russia is still alive.' he said.

'I don't understand that he's still alive or that it is him particularly making decisions.'

Despite questioning the mortality of the despot, there has so far been no evidence to suggest that Putin is in fact dead.

But the Russian leader has been making very few public appearances following increased speculation about his health.

To increase speculation, Putin made no appearance for his traditional dip into icy waters to mark the Orthodox Epiphany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin crosses himself while bathing in the icy water during a traditional Epiphany celebration in Moscow, January 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a dip in the water during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations at lake Seliger, Tver region, Russia January 19, 2018

Many Russians were left watching for clues about the tyrant's health as they made the annual plunge into holes in the ice in frozen rivers and lakes including in Siberia where some experienced bone-cracking air temperatures as low as minus 53C (minus 63F).

Yet so far the traditional images of dictator Putin stripping off and waging his own Cold War have not appeared.

Any confirmation that he did not take his annual dip will be seen as yet another sign that, at 70, his health is waning with fears among his loyalists that he is fighting cancer and other ailments.

He did not take part last year - but did in 2021, with footage revealed to Russians.

Women the same age as him - in their 70s - were among the hundreds of thousands of Russian bathers across the country this year.

Putin's spokesman had denied Putin would dip in St Petersburg - where he had official engagements yesterday - but suggested he would in 'another place'.

Yet by late morning in Moscow there were no images.

Russian Orthodox believers take a dip in the ice cold water of a pond during the celebrations of the Orthodox Epiphany holiday, in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2023

People believe that dipping into blessed waters during the holiday of Epiphany strengthens their spirit and body, Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2023

Two Russian men take a dip in the ice cold water of a pond during the celebrations of the Orthodox Epiphany holiday, in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2023

A Russian Orthodox priest takes a dip in the ice cold water of a pond during the celebrations of the Orthodox Epiphany holiday, in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2023

Paratroopers were seen in subzero temperatures submersing themselves at the Main Temple of the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Moscow region, where the temperature was a relatively mild minus 5C.

Troops in and near the war zone also took part in the annual dip despite the apparent absence of their commander-in-chief from the ritual.

Aysen Nikolayev, 50, Putin's top official in Russia's coldest region Yakutia, plunged into the water in an air temperature of minus 53C to mark Orthodox Epiphany.

He was inside a tent erected on the ice - from which local women were barred.

But compatriots did not seek to shield themselves from the extreme cold.

Across Russia, some 10,500 rescuers were delayed to monitor bathers and prevent accidents.

It is not uncommon on rivers for bathers to be carried away beneath the ice, or to face medical problems from the shock of the cold.

Women the same age as Putin, in their 70s, were among the hundreds of thousands of Russian bathers across the country this year, Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2023

Epiphany marks the day Jesus Christ was baptised in the River Jordan, and Orthodox Christians across Russia cut holes in the ice to immerse reconnecting to a tradition going back centuries

Arkhangelsk resident Nadezhda Voroshilova, 70, the same age as Putin, said she feels much younger from regular ice swimming.

'I swam at -36C,' she said. The ice hole froze right in front of us. I swim in any weather.

'The stronger the frost, the better for us. You get more buzz. It's indescribable. You have to feel it. When you come out of the hole, it's warm, like in a steam room.'

Winter swimming is a way to keep in good shape and socialise, she said.

'We have a family in the club. We come here and celebrate birthdays together. There are very interesting people here.'

'We are all guests on this Earth, so we must enjoy every day: it is interesting to live, to live passionately.'

In Arctic city Norilsk, there were insufficient ice holes so residents emptied water over themselves in temperatures of minus 40C.

Epiphany marks the day Jesus Christ was baptised in the River Jordan, and Orthodox Christians across Russia cut holes in the ice to immerse reconnecting to a tradition going back centuries.
The man was knocked unconscious before being swept out by surf

Police divers have been battling treacherous conditions to find a Swedish student who plunged seven metres off a cliff and washed out to sea as his friends watched on in horror.

Swedish student Noa Sage, 20, was climbing the cliffs with friends at Bluefish Point on Sydney's North Head when he lost and grip and fell about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

His friends helplessly stood by as Mr Sage appeared to sustain a head injury on the rocks below before a giant wave swept him out to sea.

Swedish student Noa Sage has not been seen since he fell off a 7-metre high Sydney cliff and was washed out to sea before the horrified gaze of his friends

Northern Beaches Police superintendent Pat Sharkey told reporters that conditions had been challenging.

'In the last 24 hours the sea state has been quite high, particularly on coastal waters so it has restricted the availability and operation of some of our assets but we still continue to search,' Supt Sharkey told Nine News.

Noa arrived in Sydney in September and had been working as a bartender while living in the northern beachside suburb of Manly.

Supt Sharkey said Swedish consular officials had been notified he is missing and Noah's family is on their way to Australia.

Police divers searched through the day on Thursday looking for Noa while battling treacherous conditions

Noa was seen lying on the rock platform, having suffered a serious head injury, before he was washed into the sea (pictured, rocks at Blue Fish Point)

Police have also offered welfare and counselling support to the friends who witnessed the tragedy.

The friends have each given statements to police.

Blue Fish Point is not an area recommended for the general public.

The area has been fenced off, however, there are parts where netting is down and there is an unmarked trail to the cliff.

Supt Sharkey urged those walking around the northern cliffs to stick to the marked trails.
A pair of dilapidated studio flats have come under fire after the landlord advertised them for a whopping $345 and $350 per week amid the ballooning rental crisis.

The tiny Paddington units in Sydney's prestigious eastern suburbs were posted to a social media real estate page but potential tenants were aghast.

Photo of the flats shows cracked floors, dirty broken tiles and a loo right next to the bed, with tiny windows near the top of the ceiling.

One person asked: 'Who would want to rent this out?'

A pair of dilapidated studio flats have come under fire after the landlord advertised them for a whopping $345 and $350 per week amid the ballooning rental crisis

Photo of the flats shows cracked floors, dirty broken tiles and a loo right next to the bed, with tiny windows near the top of the ceiling

It comes furnished with a wardrobe, cooktop, microwave, TV, a bar fridge and what appears to be a cheap kettle and toaster combo.

Another room had yellow walls and a kettle for use, along with a handy can of bug spray.

Both properties included a washing machine and unlimited internet, the advert said.

Social media commenters called the one-room units 'unliveable'.

'I cant believe my eyes, this is absolutely disgusting who would want to rent this out This is no way a studio,' one said.

Another said: 'It's even unfit for animals to live in. Asking for that much rent at least fix flooring and paint the walls. Unliveable conditions.'

'I cant believe my eyes, this is absolutely disgusting who would want to rent this out This is no way a studio,' an online commenter said

Another room had yellow walls, TV, bar fridge, TV and a kettle for use, along with what seems like a handy can of bug spray (pictured)

But others saw the funny side of the situation.

'Just had another look, you can sit on the can and watch TV. Shut up and take my money I am ready to move this weekend,' another joked.

'Sorry to be a pest, but does the can of bug killer come with the price? Is there a rodent issue with this palace?'

'[The units] look like they started demolition and changed their mind halfway through', one more wrote.

The ads come as economists have warned rents for 2023 are set to rise even higher, with new migrants entering the country stoking further competition.

Tenants in the country have been paying an eye-watering $700 a week for units with a single bedroom and no car space as new data reveals how much the cost of renting has soared.

Sydney's median rent skyrocketed 28.4 per cent to $695.81 a week over 12 months, making it Australia's most expensive capital city market, SQM Research data showed.

The ads come as economists have warned rents for 2023 are set to rise even higher, with new migrants entering the country stoking further competition

Pictured: One of the studio flat's tiny bathrooms

One-bedroom units with no car space are being advertised for $700 a week in Bondi - but this is entry-level in the famous Sydney beach suburb where $1,008.93 is the median rent for an apartment.

PropTrack economist Angus Moore has forecasted rents will keep going up as migration and housing demand increases

'That increase in population will put upward pressure on rental demand amid already tight conditions,' Mr Moore told Loan Market.

He said that the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed last August temporary visa arrivals had exceeded 300,000 for the first time since the pandemic began.

Student arrivals also exceeded 40,000, which is not far off the pre-pandemic levels.
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Newly unearthed photos show missing Massachusetts mom Ana Walshe smiling with her colleagues and former boss - the last person to see her alive after spending New Year's Eve together with her and her now accused killer husband.

In images obtained by DailyMail.com, the 39-year-old high-powered realtor can be seen posing for corporate photographs in October 2021 when she was working for Gem Mutlu, the head of Boston-based real estate agency The Mutlu Group.

The photos show a happy and beaming Ana, who was hired as the company's director of operations in 2020, flashing a smile - and at times posing playfully - in group shots with her staff.

She is also seen in a number of pictures posing arm-in-arm with Mutlu, with whom she had a friendly and professional relationship.

Missing mom Ana Walshe can be seen posing for corporate photographs in October 2021 with her colleagues and former boss Gem Mutlu (pictured) who is believed to be the last person to see her alive

The images, obtained by DailyMail.com, show a happy and beaming Ana flashing a smile - and at times making silly poses - in group shots with her former colleagues at Boston-based real estate firm, The Mutlu Group

The Serbian-born high-powered realtor worked as the director of operations Mutlu's company until early 2022

Despite leaving for a new real estate agency in Washington, D.C. in February 2022, Ana maintained a close friendship with Mutlu, who she had met years earlier through her husband Brian Walshe.

Serbian native Ana moved to the United States from her home city of Belgrade in 2005 and had worked in the hotel business before switching to real estate in 2020.

She was initially based in Washington D.C. where she had an executive role at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.

It was only after she married Brian in 2015 that she moved to the Boston area and later joined Mutlu's company.

The Turkish-born real estate professional is believed to be that last person to have seen the mother-of-three alive in the early hours of New Year's Day after celebrating with the couple at their home in Cohasset.

Ana has not been seen since the morning of January 1, when she was due to fly to D.C., where she was the regional manager at upscale realtor Tishman Speyer.

Mutlu, who met Ana through her husband Brian, remained friends with the couple after she left his company last year, and spent New Year's Eve with them at their Cohasset home

The missing mother has been described by friends and former colleagues as a 'sharp' and 'sociable' person who was very 'successful' in her field

Ana, who was born in Serbia, moved to the US from her home city of Belgrade in 2005 and had worked in the hotel business before switching to real estate in 2020

She was scheduled to take a ride share to Boston Logan Airport that day but never boarded the plane.

In the wake of her disappearance, Mutlu told local media the two had hugged goodbye around 1:30am and that there had been 'no indication' that anything was wrong.

Mutlu told local media that he was shocked to receive a call from Brian Walshe saying Ana was missing

He described his night with the Walshes as 'festive' and said an 'elaborate meal' was served.

'We hugged and celebrated and we toasted just what you do over New Year's,' he told WBZ-TV at the time.

'There was a lot of looking forward to the new year. There was no indication of anything other than celebrating the new year, problems on hold.'

He said his former employee had been sitting on a barstool in their kitchen, texting her friends during the meal and party.

'There was absolutely no indication that any modicum of a tragedy, of disappearance, or anything else could have happened that night,' he added.

Mutlu, who revealed the couple had been living in separate homes, said he was shocked to receive a call days later from Brian informing him that Ana was missing.

He told the outlet that although he had met Ana through Brian, he has become suspicious of his friend.

'Both Ana and Brian have been individually and together very impactful on my life. My biggest fear had shifted towards the children, I wondered if the children were safe.

'A part of me had this suspicion all along that there may have been foul play and that somehow just the story just wasn't adding up,' he said.

Police have been piecing together a case against Brian that is believed to include evidence such as blood found in the couple's basement, and a bloody hatchet, in the weeks since she vanished

Walshe, 47, was arrested and charged last week with misleading a police investigation, and on Wednesday (pictured) was formally charged with her murder

He had chains around his waist and was handcuffed as he was led into court

Brian reported her missing to police on January 4 after her employers raised the alarm when she failed to show up for work.

He was arrested and charged last week with misleading a police investigation, and on Wednesday was formally charged with her murder.

For weeks, police have been piecing together a case against him that is believed to include evidence such as blood found in the couple's basement, and a bloody hatchet.

He also reportedly Googled how to dispose of a 115-pound woman's body in the days surrounding her disappearance.

Ana's body has not been found, despite searches of the family home, backyard and other areas of Cohasset, where she lived with her husband and their three sons.

Prosecutors believe her body was unknowingly shredded and incinerated by trash services after her husband Brian allegedly tossed them in a dumpster on January 2.

During his 14-minute court appearance on Wednesday he uttered just two words, saying 'I do' when asked by Judge Mark Coven if he understood the charges against him.

In court on Wednesday, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland said: 'Police tried to track down what happened to the bags the defendant was seen throwing in the dumpster earlier at Abingdon.

'These bags in this dumpster were already picked up and taken to a location for shredding and to be incinerated.

'By the time police located that, they were already destroyed.'

Ana and Brian are shown on their wedding day in 2015. They met while she was working in a hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Walshes have three sons, believed to be aged two, four, and six. Family friends are headed to court in an attempt to gain custody of the boys

Ana is said to have been the family's main breadwinner and would split her time between Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, where they lived in Cohasset, 22 miles southeast of Boston

A spokesman for the District Attorney's office confirmed to DailyMail.com that they believe those bags contained Ana's remains.

Friends have told DailyMail.com the couple's marriage was strained as a result of Ana's grueling work schedule, which meant they spent much of their time living apart, with Ana in DC and Brian and the boys in Massachusetts.

She was also photographed without her wedding ring in some of the final photos taken before she vanished on January 1.

Though mystery shrouds her disappearance, aspects of Ana's life have been uncovered throughout the investigation - that has shocked her community and loved one's.

Ana, who had three sons with Brian all under the age of six, was the family's main breadwinner and would split her time between Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, often posting her commute to social media.

Meanwhile, Brian, had been under house arrest after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in 2021 for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings for $80,000 on eBay.

Close friend, Delmy Munguia, 50, told DailyMail.com she believed the couple's marriage suffered 'a lot of stress.'

ANA WALSHE'S DISAPPEARANCE JANUARY 1: Ana and Brian host a New Year's Eve dinner party. She is last seen at 1.30am. She fails to turn up to work in Washington DC, and there is no proof of her making it to the airport for her flight. JANUARY 4: Tishman Speyer's head of security in DC calls police to report her missing. The caller told the operator he'd informed her husband JANUARY 6: Fire reported at the house Ana shared with her husband JANUARY 8: Brian Walshe arrested for misleading investigation JANUARY 9: Police reveal they found blood in the basement of the couple's home JANUARY 10: Police reveal they found trash bags filled with bloody items, a hatchet and a hacksaw in a trash center near the home JANUARY 17: Brian Walshe is arrested for murder Advertisement

She painted a domestic picture of the Walshes as one where the missing woman worked long hours at her high-powered job at an exclusive real estate agency in Washington DC - while her husband stayed at home doing chores.

She also recalled Brian Walshe's reserved demeanor and how he 'never showed any feelings.'

'Them, two, I felt there was a lot of stress in the house,' Munguia revealed earlier this week just before an outside prayer vigil in the quiet and beautiful coastal community of Cohasset, 22 miles south east of Boston.

A second friend, Pamela Bardhi, who worked in real estate with Ana in Boston, described the missing mother as a 'sharp' and 'sociable' person who would have slipped easily into a new life in DC.

'She was always pretty much the breadwinner of the family,' Bardhi told Dailymail.com. 'She was always very successful, is a very successful woman.

'Her brilliance far exceeded everything. She would say, you can do this, you can do that she was as sharp as a tack.'

'Ana is a very sociable person. She can walk into any room and make friends everywhere,' she said.

'That's just who she is. When she moved to DC, I knew she would mold pretty much wherever she was. She was built to be successful.'

Bardhi  who is at the forefront of a campaign to ensure the Walshes' boys, aged two, four, and six, are not split up into foster care  compared the couple's lives following the DC move.

'Imagine the dynamics here. You've got a very high powered woman, super driven, beautiful, successful, radiant  who's out there doing her thing,' she said.

'And then you've got somebody at home who is facing federal charges, looking after the kids, dealing with all these things. And prior psychological issues.

'Would that create any tension in the marriage, even indirectly? Potentially. It's something to think about. It's something to think about when you're thinking about motives.

'It could be very well resentment. It could be power dynamics. You don't know. You don't know, but you can only speculate to think, what could have happened here? And how could this have happened?'
James Comer will hold the first hearing for the investigation into the Biden administration's mishandling of the southern border  and has put Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on notice to hand over everything related to the migrant crisis.

The new Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee vowed to hold Biden and Mayorkas 'accountable' and invited four Border Patrol officials to attend one of the first hearings of the 118th Congress on the week of February 6.

In a letter to Mayorkas demanding materials and documents, Comer blamed President Joe Biden and his DHS secretary for 'deliberate actions' contributing to spikes in drug cartel operations, human smuggling and illegal immigration.

'The American people deserve answers about the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) role in undermining Customs and Border Protection agents' efforts to secure the southern border,' Comer wrote in his Thursday letter to Mayorkas.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer will hold the first hearing as part of the probe into the Biden administration's handling of the southern border crisis the week of February 6

The Kentucky Republican congressman invited Chief Patrol Agents Jason Owens, Gregory Bovino and Gloria Chavez to appear before the committee  as well as Acting Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel.

He said the career government officials will be able to better share how they are managing the migration crisis  and how the Biden administration's actions have impacted their mission to secure the border.

Republicans have long called for Mayorkas' resignation and have threatened to impeach him if they won control of Congress. While the Senate is still majority blue, the GOP was able to take back control of the House.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered approximately 4 million migrants at the southern border. This figure does not include those so-called 'gotaways' who crossed illegally and were able to evade authorities.

CBP has not released any new numbers for December, which will likely add a massive figure to the total considering last month at least a few thousand crossed into El Paso, Texas alone.

Comer sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Thursday requiring that he hand over documents and materials that could shed light on how the administration is handling the crisis

Republicans have threatened to impeach Mayorkas  and could now make good on that promise with their new majority in the House

Several border communities have been thrown into chaos over the last few years, with some cities being overrun with illegal immigrants and migrants claiming asylum.

'The United States' immigration system should be 'safe, orderly, and humane.' It is not,' Comer wrote to Mayorkas.

'The Committee requests documents and information to understand DHS's policies, the costs of the emergency measures needed to respond to the worsening crisis, and the national security risks created by these policies,' he added.

'The American people and their elected representatives must know DHS's role in the humanitarian and national security crisis along the U.S. southern border.'

Biden announced earlier this month new plans for immigration, including keeping in place a pandemic-era expulsion policy known as Title 42, which allows for the instant deportation of migrants and asylum-seekers from certain countries during a public health emergency.

Joe Biden made his first-ever trip to the southern border this month with a few-hour stop in El Paso, Texas on his way to the Three Amigos Summit in Mexico. Comer pointed out that the president waited until Republicans took control of the House to make the trip

Custom and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 233,740 in November. It is the slight uptick from the month prior and the third-highest month of encounters in recent history, all occurring under President Joe Biden. Since Biden took office, CBP has encountered approximately 4 million migrants

Two times now, in May and December, Biden tried to put an end to Title 42, but court challenges were successful in stopping those efforts.

The president also unveiled a new program this month that allows 30,000 migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come to the U.S. by air travel or through legal ports of entry if they first apply for asylum through an online application.

A few days following the new policy announcement, Biden took his first trip to the southern border as president when he stopped for a few hours in El Paso, Texas on his way to the Three Amigos Summit in Mexico.

Acting Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel posted this image to Twitter early Thursday with the caption: 'It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it!'

Comer noted that Biden waited until Republicans took control of the House to make his first-ever trip to the southern border, which came nearly two years after taking office.

'President Biden's radical open borders agenda has ignited the worst border crisis in American history,' Comer said in a statement on the new investigation.

'The Biden Administration's deliberate actions are fueling human smuggling, stimulating drug cartel operations, enabling deadly drugs such as fentanyl to flow into American communities, and encouraging illegal immigrants to flout U.S. immigration laws,' he added.

'Republicans will hold the Biden Administration accountable for this ongoing humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis that has turned every town into a border town.
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz suggested on Wednesday that the classified files found in President Joe Biden's possession may have been planted there by his fellow Democrats in a bid to take him 'out' before the 2024 election.

Amid a high-profile Justice Department investigation into Donald Trump's handling of top secret documents, it was discovered in November that Biden himself had a small number of classified records left over from his vice presidency.

They were found in a closet in the Penn Biden Center think tank, where the now-president previously had a private office. Their existence was only revealed this month.

Since then, more such documents have been found in Biden's family home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Firebrand conservative Gaetz apparently suggested to Fox News that it was the result of a conspiracy to stop the 79-year-old commander-in-chief from running for a second term.

Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz suggested on Wednesday that President Joe Biden's classified documents debacle could be the work of sabotage

More than a dozen classified documents were found among the president's private possessions, dating from his time in the Obama administration

'There's an element to this that feels like the Democrats are taking out Joe Biden,' Gaetz said.

He quickly added, 'I don't know that that's the case, but I don't know that it's not.'

'But just as Joe Biden is hardening the cement around his decision to run for president again, they start looking for what classified documents might have been tucked away eight years ago,' Gaetz finished.

The White House admitted that a small batch of Obama administration-era documents were found at the Washington, DC think tank only after CBS News first broke the story.

They allegedly were found among Biden's personal possessions, such as documents describing his son Beau's funeral arrangements, and contained information related to Iran and the United Kingdom, according to reports.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee the matter late last week.

Though Biden has not formally declared his intent to run in 2024, officials and aides have said the president is readying to announce his re-election bid - despite concerns from fellow Democrats about his advanced age.

The office building housing the Penn-Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C where President Joe Biden's personal lawyers handed over documents, which date from Biden's time as the vice president to the Justice Department

At least six classified documents were found at Biden's private residence in the upscale neighborhood of Greenville, a wealthy section of Wilmington, Delaware

This image shows stacks of paper in Biden's garage as he backs his corvette into his garage. Biden critics have suggested the paper could be the classified documents, though the claim has not been verified in any way

A presidential historian told DailyMail.com earlier this week that it's too soon to tell whether the classified files investigation will have any bearing on Biden's likely campaign.

'Its really too early to tell, because we dont know what was in the documents,' Rutgers professor and presidential historian David Greenberg told DailyMail.com of Biden's situation.

'But it appears that Biden is confident that they were packed up inadvertently and that he has nothing to hide. If thats the case, I imagine he will not see this issue as a liability in 2024 and that he is probably going to run for reelection.'

Greenberg went a step further, speculating that whether Biden mounts a serious campaign at all could be dependent on whether his political foe Trump wins the Republican nomination.

'I believe Biden sees himself as a firewall against the return of Trump. So long as Trump is running, Biden feels a need to run in order to block him,' the historian said.

'If a different Republican were to get the nomination, the threat to America would be much less and everyone could relax a bitand in such a situation Biden might feel OK letting the Democrats duke it out for a successor.'
The Santa Fe prosecutor charging Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the Rust shooting of Halyna Hutchins tore into him today, saying 'an actor doesn't get free pass' as she insisted he did pull the trigger on the gun that fired.

Baldwin has vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.

Despite prosecutors announcing the charges, it remains unclear how or why live rounds ever made it onto the set, and whether Baldwin pulled the trigger. He insists he did not - and has refuted an FBI report which claims he must have.

He and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are facing a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. If they're also convicted of a firearm enhancement on that charge, they'll face a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

In a statement, Baldwin's attorney said: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set.

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Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm. She said in an interview with CNN today: 'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor' as she vowed to take the case to trial

Actor Alec Baldwin, 64, has vowed to fight the involuntary manslaughter charges that will be filed against him by the end of the month

The gun fired by Baldwin on the 'Rust' set shooting

'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'

But Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm.

In an interview after the announcement with CNN, she said Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.

'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.

'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.

'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.

'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.'

She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'

While it may have been an accident, she said Baldwin 'doesn't get a free pass' because he's a star.

Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin

Assistant Director Dave Halls and Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. He has pleaded guilty to a single charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and she has been charged with involuntary manslaughter

'Just because it's an accident doesn't mean it's not criminal. They didn't mean to do it, they didn't have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway and it happened because of more than mere negligence.

'We've talked to many actors, a-list and otherwise, that have said they always check their guns or they have someone check it in front of them.

'An actor doesn't get free pass just because theyre an actor. Everyones equal under the law.'

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

Prosecutors say they are confident with the decision. It was welcomed by Halyna's family, who issued a statement through their attorney.

'We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges of involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.

'Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.

'We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.'

In announcing the charges, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said: 'If any one of these three peopleAlec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Hallshad done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple.'

Baldwin has not been seen today, but his glamorous wife Hilaria put on a brave face for the school run shortly before the announcement.

Baldwin is shown on the set of Rust practising the drawing of his gun

Baldwin (left) with Hutchins and other actors from the film before the fatal accident

'The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set.

'In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that dont take our states commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously, ' she added.

Prosecutors have not formally filed the charges - they will do so by the end of the month.

'There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case. We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law,' Carmack-Altwies added.

After that, the three defendants will have to make a first appearance but they will be allowed to do so virtually.

Baldwin, 64, accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in October 2021.

In the 15 months that have passed, he emphatically denied responsibility for the accident, insisting he did not pull the trigger, despite a forensic FBI analysis of the prop gun he used concluding that he did.

Baldwin was sued by Halyna's widower, Matthew, in 2022 but settled the lawsuit with an undisclosed sum.

He also made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which will resume production in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors have resisted criticism of the long delay in making a decision.

They say they were forced to wait for reports from both the FBI - which took ten months - and the local Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office - which took a year.

There was no press conference to announce the decision today.

Instead, the DA's office issued a written statement to media which was also published online.

Along with Baldwin, several others were on the hook for charges.

They are Assistant Director Dave Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun for the fatal scene, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, a young, 'careless' armorer who was in charge of loading the weapons and checking that the rounds were blunt and not live and Seth Kenney, the most reclusive of the group, who was the owner of the prop-shop used by the production.

Hilaria Baldwin emerges from her NYC apartment on Thursday while awaiting a decision from Santa Fe prosecutors on whether her husband, Alec, will be charged over the Rust shooting

Halls has never spoken in the media, but he counter-sued Baldwin last year and denied responsibility.

Gutierrez-Reed denied responsibility repeatedly in a series of statements from her attorney.

Kenney has been the quietest, shying away from the ferocious public attention on the case.

But in his first police interview, he immediately blamed the incident on Gutierrez-Reed.

'She wanted to shoot live ammo out of the guns, the TV movie guns. I said no f------- way obviously. And then she acknowledged.

'Down below, right, you did see where she said I'm going to shoot them out of mine now,' he said, referring to texts between the pair.

The key pieces of Rust shooting evidence that led prosecutors to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter

OCTOBER 21 - THE SHOOTING

While filming their Western movie Rust on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Alec Baldwin accidentally shot Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza on-set.

Baldwin had been practicing drawing his gun from his holster.

The bullet pierced Souza's shoulder but fired directly into Hutchins' chest.

She was rushed to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead, to the shock and horror of the film cast and crew.

ALLEGATIONS OF AN UNSAFE SET AND WALK-OFFS BY DISGRUNTLED CREW

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it emerged that the production had been plagued with staff complaints.

Days before the incident, several members of the crew even walked-off set.

Their complaints included concerns over Dave Halls, the assistant director, who'd been accused in the past of running unsafe sets.

Some said they were forced to sleep in their cars next to the set, because hotel rooms next to the set were too expensive. Instead, their rooms were booked in Santa Fe, which is a 30 minute drive from Bonanza Creek Ranch, the location of the set.

They also complained about long hours, and claimed they weren't receiving pay checks on time.

Almost immediately, attention turned to the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, a 24-year-old whose father was well-known in the industry, who had slim experience in the role.

A YOUNG, 'CARELESS' ARMORER

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, found herself at the center of the scandal almost immediately.

Her track record emerged quickly, with former colleagues rushing to talk about how 'careless' she was on past sets, how she'd 'waved guns around' and had even handed one to child actress.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, found herself at the center of the scandal almost immediatel

She hired a group of attorneys who immediately started firing out statements to combat the claims.

HUTCHINS' FAMILY TURN ON BALDWIN AND SUE

It's impossible to deny the grief and angst written all over Baldwin when he learned Hutchins had died.

He was standing in the parking lot of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, having just been interviewed, and was photographed by a photographer for the local newspaper as he buckled in shock and tears while on the phone.

Hutchins with her son and her husband Matthew

Shortly afterwards, he released a statement saying: 'There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hucthins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.

'I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how his tragedy occurred.'

Initially, Hutchins' widower Matthew said Baldwin had been 'supportive'.

But in February 2022, he sued the actor along with other Rust producers, citing 'reckless behavior and cost-cutting' that they claimed contributed to her death.

Baldwin settled with Hutchins out of court, agreeing to make him an executive producer on the movie once production resumes.

BALDWIN'S POLICE INTERVIEW - HE INSISTS HE 'COCKED' THE GUN BUT DIDN'T PULL THE TRIGGER

Baldwin insisted to police that he had been told the gun was 'cold' when it was handed to him and, crucially, that he did not pull the trigger.

'We've done this for two weeks and we've done it the right way every day. Right before you shoot. I went to lunch. 'She disarmed me - Hannah - she always handled the gun. I come back, they hand me the revolver - Hannah - they arm me. You're assuming it's a cold gun. I put the gag in the shot.

'I take the gun out , as it clears - I turn and cock the gun and the gun goes off. It's supposed to be a cold gun. Bang, she [Hutchins] hits the ground. [Joel Souza] goes down, screaming going "Jesus Christ!"

'I have never seen this before... What came out of that bullet that went through her shoulder?.... She was right in front of me,' he said.

Towards the end of the interview, Baldwin is shown a photograph of what was removed from Souza's shoulder.

Shocked, he says: 'That's a bullet. Somebody put a live bullet in the gun.'

He is then quizzed.

'Did you see the rounds in the gun?'

'No.'

'Have you seen what they look like?'

'I've watched her load and reload the gun many times.'

'Have you seen the bullets?'

'Sometimes the head is a casing, it's pinched and closed at the top and you put the cosmetic round in when you know you're going to see... those clay based rounds look exactly like a bullet.

'So cosmetically you see that in the cylinder. I am very upset right now... forgive me.'

BALDWIN'S PR OFFENSIVE - ACTOR DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SHOOTING IN DRAMATIC ABC INTERVIEW THAT 'P****D OFF' HALYNA'S HUSBAND

In December 2021, Baldwin - who'd maintained somewhat of a dignified silence - went on the offensive.

He sat down for an interview with ABC where he emphatically denied pulling the trigger and said he didn't feel responsible for it because it wasn't his fault.

'Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who it is, but it's not me.

'Honest to God, if I thought I was responsible I might have killed myself. And I don't say that lightly.'

Alec Baldwin, 63, spoke to George Stephanopoulos for an interview which aired on Thursday

Baldwin, after the interview aired, posted to Instagram a photo of him cradling one of his six young children.

'No matter what happens to me. No matter what I suffer. If I win or lose, anything. Anything. No one can take away from me the joy and love you have given me, @hilariabaldwin,' he wrote.

'These are tough times. The world is choked with fumes of hate. But you have given me a reason to live. Our life with our family is all I care about. Nothing else. I owe that to you.'

Halyna's husband was outraged.

'How's He Not Responsible?' he said in his own interview with NBC.

VIDEO RECREATION OF THE SHOOTING PRODUCED BY HALYNA'S FAMILY'S LAWYERS

Furious about Baldwin's ABC interview and desperate for answers, Halyna's widower and his attorneys commissioned a dramatic, CGI video recreation of the incident.

The video showed Baldwin cocking his gun and it firing suddenly - going straight through Halyna's chest and grazing Joel Souza's shoulder.

FBI RELEASES DAMNING REPORT WHICH CLAIMS BALDWIN DID PULL THE TRIGGER

In August 2022, the FBI released its damning report into the case.

The key takeaway was its finding, based on forensic analysis of the gun, that Baldwin had to have pulled the trigger in order for it to fire if the gun was cocked, like he said it was.

The FBI said that in testing, it was possible for the gun to fire without the pull of a trigger if the gun was not cocked - but Baldwin had insisted that it was.

It was the most devastating finding possible for Baldwin, who had so emphatically denied pulling the trigger.

The key takeaway was its finding, based on forensic analysis of the gun, that Baldwin had to have pulled the trigger in order for it to fire if the gun was cocked, like he said it was.

His attorneys immediately went to work to deny it, insisting that it was not a trusted finding and that the reasons behind it were shaky, saying the FBI were only able to make it fire once in testing, after pulling the trigger, but that didn't necessarily mean he was lying.

'The FBI report is being misconstrued. The gun fired in testing only one time --without having to pull the trigger -- when the hammer was pulled back and the gun broke in two different places.

'The FBI was unable to fire the gun in any prior test, even when pulling the trigger, because it was in such poor condition,' his attorneys said.

POLICE INTERVIEWS

In their own police interviews, Gutierrez-Reed, Halls and Kenney tried to blame each other or Baldwin.

Seth Kenney insisted that the fault lies with Gutierrez-Reed, who he said was trigger happy and eager to fire live rounds.

'She wanted to shoot live ammo out of the guns, the TV movie guns. I said no f------- way obviously. And then she acknowledged.

'Down below, right, you did see where she said I'm going to shoot them out of mine now,' he said, referring to texts between the pair.

She told police that the fault lay with Baldwin, who was 'distracted' and 'on his phone' during training.
Julie Chrisley's seven-year prison stint for various financial crimes has already begun in style.

After pulling up to Lexington, Kentucky's Federal Medical Center in a black Escalade earlier this week, Julie, 49, began her stay at the medical prison center.

Julie's stay at the medical prison, however, is apparently not an indication that she is currently receiving any medical treatment. TMZ reported that a source close to the Chrisleys confirmed she is not in need of any medical services at this time.

The facility is described as a medical center with a nearby minimum security prison camp, where, according to a representative of the Bureau of Prisons, Julie will be serving.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Julie, 49, arriving at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Lexington, Kentucky, with her father Harvey and an unknown driver in a black Cadillac Escalade

The Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky where Julie Chrisley reported earlier this week to begin her seven-year stint behind bars

It is unclear why Julie's prison location was swapped at the last minute. She was originally supposed to serve her seven years sentence at the FCI Marianna in Florida, which would have been closer to her husband Todd's facility.

Todd began his 12-year prison stint at the same time as Julie. He is serving at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida.

Some fans of Julie's speculated that her assignment to a medical facility might indicate a return of the breast cancer she battled in 2012. Though, her condition had reportedly improved enough that doctors last year cleared her to stop taking cancer-fighting medications.

FMC Lexington is also currently home to another disgraced reality star - Jerry Harris of Netflix's Cheer. The 23-year-old is serving a 12-year sentence on child pornography charges.

Julie and Todd have reportedly already begun settling into their new normal at their respective prison camps.

Julie has been assigned her Federal Inmate Number  72601-019.

Meanwhile, Todd, 53, was snapped surrendering at his Federal Prison Camp after arriving in a blacked-out Range Rover. He is inmate number 72600-019.

FMC Lexington, where Julie Chrisley is currently serving a seven-year sentence

Julie Chrisley conducts a large grocery run days before surrendering to prison

Chrisley Knows Best was first aired in 2014, and in May 2022 it was renewed - just a month before the couple was convicted

Later Tuesday morning, 650 miles away, Todd, 53, was snapped surrendering at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, after arriving in a blacked out Range Rover

FPC has been described as the second 'cushiest prison' in the United States by Forbes, and legal experts compared it to a 'college dorm room'

Todd and Julie were found guilty on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion and submitting false documents to banks to take out loans, reportedly more than $30million worth, to finance their opulent lifestyle.

They also used a production company to hide income from the IRS, lawyers argued.

Todd was ordered to serve 12 years in prison, and Julie to serve seven, with a 16-month probation period for both upon their release.
A POSCO employee checks a stainless steel cold-rolling mill at Pohang steel mill in North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Courtesy of POSCO Group





By Kim Hyun-bin







POSCO has completed the restoration of all 17 rolling mills at Pohang Steel mill and is scheduled to start normal operations, Friday, 135 days after temporarily closing due to flooding caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor last year, the steelmaker said Thursday.







In order to resume operations, not only the employees of Pohang steel mill, but workers at Gwangyang steel mill, Seoul POSCO Center, affiliated companies, and partner firms all worked together to restore the facility.







The private and public sectors, as well as the military, local governments, and the National Fire Agency provided heavy machinery, fire pumps, and water cannons, and the Marine Corp. and other military forces were deployed to help with the restoration. Nippon Steel and Hyundai Steel, which are competitors in the global market, also provided support.







POSCO employees remove mud after flood water was drained from the underground equipment of a rolling line that was inundated at Pohang steel mill. Courtesy of POSCO Group





The second hot rolling mill needed to replace 11 out of 15 motor drives, a device that supplies electricity to the motors of rolling mills.







Meanwhile, POSCO actively rolled out support measures for customers, suppliers, and partners even in the midst of restoration efforts.







To alleviate customers' concerns over supply and demand, POSCO found creative and challenging solutions such as converting production at Gwangyang Steel mill, using overseas business sites, collaborating with other steelmakers, and providing customized response plans.







In addition, POSCO is providing liquidity support worth 43.7 billion won ($35.3 million) to 25 flood-affected partner companies.







"All of the employees who helped to achieve the early normalization of the Pohang steel mill without a single major accident are heroes of POSCO," said Chairman Choi Jung-woo, who visited the Pohang steel mill on Jan. 10 when the restoration work was in full swing. "I am deeply grateful to the government, local governments, and the people who have supported POSCO. I will move forward with my partners with a great sense of responsibility for revitalizing the national economy."







In the future, POSCO plans to enhance its disaster preparedness system to reflect recommendations made by a public-private team that investigated the cause of the temporary closure, to focus on production stabilization and improve the operating efficiency of facilities.


President Joe Biden will announce his re-election bid after he gives his State of the Union address in February, according to new reports Thursday, as his advisers dismiss the classified documents scandal as 'DC elite' making 'DC noise.'

Biden will give the speech on February 7th in the House of Representatives, where he'll expected to use the prime time television event to emphasize his administration's accomplishments, stress the importance of bipartisanship and governing, and tout the country's strengthening economy.

'We want him to be a president at State of the Union, not a candidate,' a person close to Biden told NBC News.

President Joe Biden - seen in the Oval Office with Vice President Kamala Harris - will announce a second term after he gives his State of the Union address on February 7th

Meanwhile, his close inner circle of longtime aides have been on lockdown as they prepare for Biden's 2024 re-election bid, trying to hold off any leaks about their plans and avoid triggering any legal issues with the Federal Election Commission.

But plans are moving full steam ahead and are unaffected by the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the classified material Biden had at his D.C. think tank and Wilmington, Delaware, home - an issue that has engulfed the White House in the past week.

Several of Biden advisers told CNN that it's simply the 'DC elite' making 'DC noise,' referring to it merely as the latest passing obsession.

They also argue the questions from reporters and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are from those who won't accept that Biden is 'honoring his promise to a T by upholding the rule of law and respecting DOJ's process.'

But, despite the argument from Biden's team, the revelation the president had classified material in his personal possessions has affected Biden's standing with the public.

Biden's approval rating is getting back toward the lowest numbers of his presidency - despite coming off a strong performance by Democrats in the midterm election and the growing economy.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll - conducted amid the fallout of the documents scandal - found only 40 percent of Americans approved of Biden's performance as president.

Biden advisers argue the classified documents found in his possession won't be a political issue by November 2024 - above Biden backing his corvette into his Wilmington, Del., garage where some of the classified material was found

Donald Trump, who is running for a second term and facing his own classified documents scandal, is expected to keep hammering Biden on the issue

Biden advisers have argued the documents won't be a political issue by the time the November 2024 contest rolls around but Republicans will be intent on keeping the administration's crisis front and center.

Donald Trump, who is running for again in 2024, has been hammering Biden on the issue. The former president, who is being investigated by a special counsel for his own classified document scandal, is portraying himself as a victim of a double standard.

Meanwhile, House Republicans, in addition to holding hearings on the classified documents, plan to investigate Hunter Biden's business dealings, the 'weaponization' of the federal government and the crisis at the Southern border - all areas they see as Biden weak spots.

The White House plan has always been to continue with the business of governing and to show Biden being presidential.

Additionally, since the New Year began Biden's schedule has been filled with events that can easily transform into a campaign message - including a trip to the Southern border.

Biden's age - he is 80 - and his health remain a factor. He is the oldest president in American history.

A health issue for him or his family is one of the few things that could derail any plans for a second term.

First lady Jill Biden recently underwent a cancer scare - she was pronounced cancer free by White House Dr. Kevin O'Connor on Wednesday - and President Biden has faced questions about his advancing age. If he wins a second term he will be 86 when he leaves the White House.

Officials have said he will have his annual physical soon and, if he has it before he announces a second bid, it could take some of the pressure off the age question. Additionally, if it reveals a health issue, it could also allow the Biden family to reassess their 2024 plans.

Some Democrats have argued it's time for a new generation of leadership in the party. Nancy Pelosi recently stepped down as the Democratic leader in Congress - although she remains a member of the House of Representatives - but odds of Biden facing a primary challenger are slim.

It's highly unusual to challenge a sitting president who is running for a second term. And the fact Democrats held off a predicted Republican wave in the midterm election has strengthened Biden's credentials as the leader of his party.

Powerful Democratic powerbroker Rep. Jim Clyburn - a longtime Biden ally - said he is all in for a second Biden term.

'I'm all-in for President Biden,' he told CBS' Robert Costa. 'I think he's demonstrated, in these two years  that he is deserving of re-election. And I do believe he will be re-elected irrespective of who the Republicans, they put up.'
An Irish killer who beat his ex-girlfriend to death while their six-year-old daughter slept nearby has been attacked in prison.

Daniel Murtagh, 36, had his face slashed open 'from temple to chin' at Midlands Prison on Tuesday and could be scarred for life, reports claim.

Murtagh was jailed for life after he beat 30-year-old Nadine Lott to death with his bare hands at her home in Arklow, County Wicklow, in December 2019.

She was beaten so badly that her face was barely recognisable, and the ambulance crew who arrived at the scene were reportedly left deeply shocked by her injuries.

Daniel Murtagh, 36, had his face slashed open 'from temple to chin' at Midlands Prison on Tuesday and could be scarred for life, reports claim. Murtagh was jailed for life after he beat 30-year-old Nadine Lott to death with his bare hands at her home in 2019

Pictured: Killer Daniel Murtagh is handcuffed and being taken to court in 2019. After being attacked in prison, he was rushed to Portlaoise Hospital

Ms Lott died three days later from her 'extreme and grotesque' injuries at St Vincent's Hospital. The trial heard she suffered 'traumatic head, neck and chest injuries'.

Now Murtagh himself has been left injured after being attacked in prison, and had to be rushed to Portlaoise Hospital after losing a 'serious' amount of blood.

A source told Irish newspaper the Sunday World that the murderer has a tendency to get on the wrong side of other inmates, and this 'finally came back on him.'

'The incident kicked off on the B1 landing at approximately 5pm [on Tuesday],' a source at the prison told the newspaper. 'Murtagh is an inmate who rubs people up the wrong [way] and it looks like it finally came back on him.

'The lad who attacked him opened him up from his temple all the way down to his chin. Murtagh was losing a lot of blood by the time staff got to him and he had to be rushed to Portlaoise Hospital.

'Despite the best efforts of staff, he lost a serious amount of blood and he's still over there under guard tonight,' the source added. 'He'll carry the scars of what happened today for the rest of his life.'

The newspaper's source said the inmate who attacked Murtagh was restrained immediately by officers inside the prison, and has now been segregated from other prisoners. The attack has also been referred to the police, reports said.

Mother Nadine Lott (pictured) was beaten so badly, her face was barely recognisable, and the ambulance crew who arrived at the scene were reported to be left deeply shocked

The inmate and another suspect believed to have also been involved in the attack are said to be relatively low-level criminals, with a reputation for violence inside the prison, the source added. It is thought the assault was an attempt by them to establish themselves at the top of the hierarchy inside the facility.

The Sunday World also reported the source saying that Kinahan Cartel gunman Gary Thompson was also beaten up by the same pair several weeks ago.

Thompson is serving a 12-and-a-half-year sentence for his role in a plot to kill the brother of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, Patrick 'Patsy' Hutch.

Gerry himself is currently on trial in Ireland for the gangland murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016, which he denies.

Murtagh, from Clondalkin, has received a number of death threats during his time behind bars at Dublin's Wheatfield Prison.

According to The Sun, he was placed on a protection wing of the prison and kept separate from most of the prison population.

In July 2022, he was moved to the high-security Midlands Prison 'for his own safety.'

Pictured: Family and friends of Nadine Lott gather outside court in 2021 after Daniel Murtagh was found guilty of her murder

Murtagh received a life sentence in October 2021. He initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter, before being unanimously found guilty of murder by a jury.

Nadines neighbour told the court how she found Murtagh 'in a crouched position' on top of the victim with his hands around her neck and shoulders. She said he was making a 'growling noise' and was 'vicious with rage' as he attacked her.

One of the first responders said they found Nadine 'beaten to a pulp'.

In July last year, less than a year into his sentence, the killer attempted to get his conviction quashed. Ms Lott's mother Claire told The Sun at the time that she accused the killer of trying to 'retraumatise' her family.

At the killer's sentencing hearing, Claire said her family were left 'haunted' by the thoughts of their daughter being attacked by Murtagh, and of her 'terror, fear, panic and cries' during the 'prolonged, evil attack'.

She described Murtagh as a 'monster', saying that the injuries he inflicted on her daughter were so horrific that even the staff at St Vincent's Hospital were left shocked.

'For people who witness a lot in their daily roles this was testament to the monstrosity and evil Nadine had endured in her final hours,' she said at the time.
He's identified as one of two people cross-dressing in a 2008 photo

Two acquaintances claim he participated in drag beauty pageants, per Reuters

Beleaguered New York Republican Rep. George Santos is hitting back at reports that he performed as a drag queen named Kitara in Brazil 15 years ago

Embattled freshman Republican Rep. George Santos of New York has been under growing pressure to resign as key details of his backstory continue to unravel. He has thus far refused to step down

New York Republican Rep. George Santos denied a pair of unseemly allegations on Thursday morning, as questions mount over the freshman lawmaker's unraveling backstory.

He called claims that he 'performed' as a drag queen named Kitara in Brazil circa 2008 'false,' while also calling accusations that he swindled a disabled veteran out of medical dollars for his sick dog 'insane.'

Santos, who is under growing pressure to resign as details of his backstory continue to unravel, was identified in a 15-year-old photo depicting two drag queens on Brazil's Icarai Beach.

A Brazilian drag queen named Eula Rochard told independent journalist Marisa Kabas that she was the other person in the photo and named Santos, now 34, as her friend alongside her.

But the freshman congressman denounced the claim as 'false' and accused the media of chasing 'outrageous' stories.

'The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or "performed" as a drag Queen is categorically false,' Santos wrote on Twitter Thursday morning.

'The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life while I am working to deliver results. I will not be distracted nor fazed by this.'

He's rebuffed all calls to step down, and since getting to Capitol Hill, has appeared to align himself with conservative lawmakers - many of whom have made opposition to community drag shows a cornerstone of their culture war platforms.

But in the 2008 photo, the person identified as Santos appears to be dressed in a strapless red top or dress while sporting longer brown hair. While the photo is grainy, some element of makeup is visible.

His Democratic critics accused Santos of hypocrisy for aligning himself with people whose ideologies see the drag community as an object of scorn.

Santos' Congressional office did not return a request for comment sent by DailyMail.com on Wednesday night.

On Thursday morning, Santos lashed out against claims that he once performed as a drag queen in Brazil

Two acquaintances of the beleaguered congressman told Reuters in a late Wednesday report that Santos participated in Brazilian drag shows a decade and a half ago.

One of those people was Rouchard, who claimed Santos was involved in Rio de Janeiro's cross-dressing scene since around 2005.

Rochard reportedly recalled Santos going by 'Anthony' rather than 'George' at the time. She said she was in her late teens when she knew Santos.

George Anthony Devolder Santos is the congressman's full name.

'Anthony Devolder' was also the name Santos used when he allegedly scammed a disabled veteran out of charity money to save his dying dog.

Santos reacted to that accusation on Twitter Thursday, The reports that I would let a dog die is shocking & insane.'

'My work in animal advocacy was the labor of love & hard work. Over the past 24hr I have received pictures of dogs I helped reduce throughout the years along with supportive messages,' he wrote. 'These distractions wont stop me!'

This photo emerged on Wednesday, allegedly depicting Santos, now 34, cross dressing in 2008

Navy veteran Rich Osthoff, who was homeless at the time, told CNN he was connected to Santos as someone who had experience rescuing animals when his service dog, a pit bull named Sapphire, developed a tumor.

Santos purportedly set up a GoFundMe for the dog. But after he raised $3,000 he reportedly became hard to reach and eventually disappeared with the funds.

The dog died.

And House Republican leaders guaranteed that Santos will have his own Congressional workload, despite mounting concern over his place on Capitol Hill.

He'll be serving on two committees in the 118th Congress - the Small Business panel and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Meanwhile, Santos is under federal and state investigations as well as a Congressional ethics inquiry amid questions over how he came about his recent personal wealth, including the $700,000 he donated to his 2022 campaign.
Warning the world that it is on the brink of disaster has been lucrative for Al Gore.

His wild prediction at Davos that Earth faces 'rain bombs' and 'boiling oceans' is just his latest in decades of climate alarmism.

At the same time, the former VP has been at the forefront of green technology investment that has seen his wealth balloon to an estimated $330 million.

Four years after losing to George W Bush in 2000, Gore set up Generation Investment Management with former Goldman Sachs Managing Director and close friend David W. Blood.

The mission statement of the investment firm, where Gore collects $2 million in a monthly salary, is to back companies that are making strides towards going green. The firm is worth around $36 billion.

He proudly said of his role at the fund, when it launched, was that of a figurehead saying: 'I'm not a stock picker.'

Warning the world that it is on the brink of disaster has been lucrative for Al Gore

Between 2008 and 2011, the firm generated roughly $218 million in profits to be split among its 26 partners. As a founder, Gore likely had a large stake in the profits.

The firm owns millions of shares in companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google's parent Alphabet, finance giant Charles Schwab and tractor king John Deere.

The group has also invested in lesser known companies such as Motivate, the company behind New York's Citi Bike, and Taiwanese electric-scooter make Gogoro.

Gore told Wired in 2017 that among the first companies that Generation invested in was BP. Although he said that the fund pulled back prior to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2013.

In 2004, when the firm launched, Gore was lecturing about the perils of climate change, including once at the premiere of the heavily criticized climate disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow.

Al Gore, left, and Davis Guggenheim pose with the Oscar for best documentary feature in 2007

Al Gore talks about global climate change in his Oscar-winning documentary

Those lectures would lead to him being given a starring role in the 2006 Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

The film has generated controversy over the years, with outrage that it was shown to school students in the US and UK.

Gore's Democratic Party ties were also criticized for politicizing climate issues.

All the while, the Tennessee-native was making millions while lecturing the world on how humanity was losing the war against climate change.

He told the World Economic Forum in 2020: 'This is Thermopylae. This is Agincourt. This is Dunkirk. This is the Battle of the Bulge. This is 9/11. We have to rise to the occasion.'

In November 2021 at the UN Summit on Climate Change, he compared the world's complacency on climate change to the way it failed to take seriously the threat of fascism during the 1930s.

Invoking Winston Churchill's famous warning that 'the era of procrastination () is coming to its close,' Gore told the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow that the impacts of global warming would soon spur momentum for action.

'We are now experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis in every part of our world,' he said , echoing Churchill. 'The scientists warned us that these consequences were coming.'

Gore owns a condo in the St. Regis building in San Francisco, close to Silicon Valley, where many of his investments lie

The energy used at Gore's home in Nashville was more than 20 times the national average

Gore bought his home in Montecido, California, in 2009, along a coastline that he believes his eroding due to climate change

Gore's family has owned farming land in his native Tennessee for generations, while his mansion in Nashville is valued at $7.5 million, his waterfront villa in Montecito, where he counts Oprah as a neighbor, is worth $13 million, his Virginia home is worth around $3 million as is his apartment in the St. Regis building in San Francisco.

On top of his Green Investment Management money, Gore has around $80 million worth of stock in heavy hitters such as Apple and Google, he also draws a a salary from Apple as a compensation committee member.

Gore also nets at least $200,000 per public speaking engagement. Gore's advice on 'going green' is also sought by the biggest businesses in the world for undisclosed sums.

It wasn't always like this for Gore.

At the time that he ran for the presidency, after serving as Bill Clinton's loyal sub-ordinate for eight years, his net worth was a paltry $1.7 million, mainly through his family's land holdings in Tennessee.

'The accumulated amount is now trapping as much extra heat as would be released by 600,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs exploding every single day on the earth,' Gore said

'He's been wrong about everything. Every prediction wrong. He's a shill and doesn't offer anything worthy of consideration regarding our climate,' said one person who does not believe Gore's claims

In the aftermath of his run for the presidency, Gore received $15 million in taxpayer money for 'nomination expenses,' ABC News reported at the time.

The vice president's pension is based on how many years the person served in public office. After leaving the office of vice president in 2016, President Joe Biden began receiving $1 million per year for his 43 years of public service.

In total, Gore served for 24 years between the House of Representatives, the Senate and as Vice President.

A 2000 feature by CNN on his wealth stated that 'Gore doesn't own a single stock.' While Gore's health advisor Richard Boxer told the network that Gore was 'not at all interested in business.'

His most lucrative venture at the time of his presidential campaign was his 1992 book Earth in the Balance with landed him $1.1 million in royalties.

The CNN feature also notes that despite his advocating for the internet and technology, Gore was not an early investor in Silicon Valley. The piece said that most of his wealth had come from his father's business ties. Gore's father died in 1999.

After leaving politics, Gore founded the Current TV network in 2004, nine years later, he netted $70 million from the sale of the channel to Al Jazeera. While working as Current CEO, Gore was paid $1.2 million per year.

In 2000, Gore lost a controversial presidential election to Republican George W. Bush and accepted defeat following a brief court battle

Just two weeks after the Current TV sale, Gore decided to exercise a percentage of his stock options in Apple.

Around the same period, Gore was demanding nearly $200,000 for private speaking engagements. His rider stayed on brand with the Inconvenient Truth star demanding a hybrid sedan as transportation and not an SUV.

This contributed to giving Gore a comparable wealth portfolio to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who became much maligned by the mainstream media over his personal worth of over $200 million.

Gore has been a member of Apple's board since 2003, and over that time, he has amassed more than 100,000 in shares and restricted stock in the company. In 2021, he was paid over $350,000 for his role on the company's compensation committee.

Earlier this week, CNBC reported that Gore and the two other members of the committee had voted to cut CEO Tim Cook's pay by 40 percent from around $98 million to $49 million.

During his tenure, the company's stock price has increased by a staggering 5,900 percent - meaning he would earn tens of millions of dollars in an instant if he decided to exercise his options.

In 2013, his holdings with Apple were estimated at $45.6 million. The same year, Gore inherited an undisclosed number of shares of Occidental Petroleum Corp., which are valued at between $500,000 and $1 million.

During his time as a senator, Occidental Petroleum, a fossil fuels company, was one of his biggest donors. The company had long standing ties with Gore's father, Al Gore Sr., also a former senator.

Gore Sr. retired from the Senate in 1970 and was given a $500,000 per year job as chairman of Occident Petroleum's coal arm, Island Coal Creek.

The Center of Public Integrity said in a 2000 study that Gore was receiving $20,000 per year from Occidental as a rental payment that the company had on land owned by the Gore family.

In July 1992, prior to the Clinton-Gore election, the New York Times wrote: 'Part of the criticism directed at Mr. Gore during his first race for Congress in 1976 concerned his father's involvement with energy interests.'

In 2009, Gore splashed out on a $9 million villa in Montecito, California, right on the seafront. A year later he announced his amicable divorce from his wife of 40 years, Tipper.

The separation is considered an example of a 'gray divorce,' a split that is not acrimonious just the product of two people growing apart. There is no indication that the divorce hit Gore's wallet too hard.

Gore has also served in various roles - most often an adviser or partner - to several companies including Google and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Neither of the companies have disclosed how much they have paid Gore for his service.

At the time he signed on an advisor at Google in 2001, Gore was given stock options that were worth more than $30 million. At the time, Gore sported an ill-advised beard.

He told Fast Company in 2007 that on his first day at the tech giant that as a practical joke: 'Larry [Page] and Sergey [Brin] and the entire executive team had false beards on.'

The magazine's Ellen McGirt later wrote that Gore's wealth made it unlikely that he would ever run for the presidency again.

The former senator has multimillion dollar homes in Nashville, Virginia and a condo in San Francisco, where the Generation Investment Management is based.

CBS reported in 2007 that the energy consumption at Gore's Nashville home was 20 times the national average.

While in October 2021, Gore and Blood launched Just Climate that plans to invest in solutions that will help to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Just Climate has been founded to do the hard yards of addressing the most difficult to decarbonize segments of the global economy that investors have ignored until now, Blood said.

In March 2017, Barron's ran a feature titled: 'Al Gore is winning at Investing.'

However the same year, Warren Buffett's top lieutenant Charlie Munger told a meeting that he felt as though Gore was 'not very smart' but that he had developed a simple investing strategy that was working for him.

His business gains were such that when Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, along with its $1.9 million prize money, he put all of his winnings into the Alliance for Climate Protection, an organization he founded.

The editor-in-chief of GreenTechMedia Stephen Lacey described Gore in an appearance The Energy Gang podcast in 2017: 'He is a flawed character. Were in an era of backlash against elites, so Gore, a guy who bought a 6,500-square-foot seafront home in California for $8.8 million, and who hangs around with other celebrities who talk big on climate but who live lavish lifestyles, is the perfect target at this point in time.'
Dr Gold warned the effect would be 'swift, uncompromising, and deadly'

Doctors have warned woke institutions that delete phrases like 'field work' and replace them with inclusive language could be deadly.

Physician Dr. Simone Gold, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss and artificial intelligence expert Dr. Eli David branded universities 'wokelands' where censorship of free speech was rife.

The criticism follows the banning of the term 'field work' by Michigan's Department of Health as well as the School of Social Work at the University of Southern California - which claimed the term was 'anti-black' because it could remind people of slavery.

The institutions are the latest to find discrimination in innocuous terms - the University of Illinois last year decided 'obesity' was racist, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ruled that 'smoker' could be offensive to 'people who smoke.'

The criticism follows the banning of the term 'field work' was banned by USC (pictured) which claimed the term was 'anti-black' because it could remind people of slavery

Physician Dr. Simone Gold (left) and theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss (right) warned against censorship. Gold said it could be 'deadly' while Krauss said it was now 'rife' within the STEM field

Dr Gold, who is known for her criticism of Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates, slammed the institutions, telling Fox News Digital: 'The downstream effect of censorship will be swift, uncompromising, and deadly.'

The doctor was sentenced to two months in jail in June last year for storming the Capitol on January 6. She was sentenced to 12 months of supervised release after her 60-day prison term and ordered her to pay a $9,500 fine.

World-renowned physicist Krauss echoed Dr Gold's sentiments, stating that the STEM fields, and physics in particular, were rife with woke troublemakers who want to 'stigmatize certain areas of research, claim biases without evidence, censor discussion and debate, and control language.'

Dr David, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence experts, told Fox that universities were 'being turned into wokelands.'

He said: 'Universities used to be the place where you conduct rigorous research on every subject, from science and technology to sociology and history. Today, many academics no longer view themselves as researchers, but offense-takers, and even worse: offense-inventors.'

TERMS BANNED IN 'WOKELAND' AND THEIR 'INCLUSIVE' REPLACEMENTS MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - AND - THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK 'Field worker' INSTEAD USE: 'community/local office staff' CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION 'Elderly' INSEAD USE: 'older adults', 'elders' 'Drug user' INSTEAD USE: 'Persons with substance use disorder' 'Smoker' INSTEAD USE: 'People who smoke' UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO 'Obesity' INSTEAD USE: 'people with larger bodies' OBESITY ACTION COALITION 'Morbidly obese' INSTEAD USE: 'insufficient weight loss' STANFORD UNIVERSITY 'American' INSTEAD USE: 'US citizen' Advertisement

Saad, a professor of behavioral science at Concordia University in Montreal, said the alterations to language amounted to 'vacuous virtue signaling.'

The criticism comes after Michigan Department of Health sent a memo to staffers on January 4 asking them to stop using the term 'field' in their work.

The letter said: 'Recently, staff and stakeholders have raised concerns about the use of the term "field worker" and its implication for descendants of enslaved Black and Brown individuals.'

It advises staff that in order to remain 'a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce' terms like 'community office', 'local office', and 'community/local office staff,' should be used instead.

USC's School of Social Work last week followed with its own directive urging staff to replace the word 'field' with 'practicum.'

The move is meant to reflect 'anti-racist' values, but some have argued that it insults the intelligence of the people who it is addressing.

'This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that could be considered anti-black or anti-immigrant in favor of inclusive language,' a letter from the department said.

'Language can be powerful, and phrases such as 'going into the field' or 'field work' may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign.'

The institutions are the latest in a long line of universities, hospitals, schools and public sector departments to take up the woke mantle.

Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a comprehensive list of inclusive terminology to staffers, including terms which should be avoided.

Most of the recommendations are structured to read such as 'a person with disabilities' rather than describing someone as 'disabled.'

In the disability category, the CDC also recommends avoiding the use of 'differently abled', 'afflicted' and 'handicapped.'

And instead of calling someone 'elderly' or a 'senior,' the CDC recommends using the terms 'older adults' or 'elders.'

For drug and substance abuse terms, the CDC guide recommends avoiding the terms 'drug-users/addicts/drug abusers' or 'alcoholics/abusers.'

Instead, the CDC prefers that they be called terms such as 'persons with substance use disorder' or 'persons with alcohol use disorder' - or even 'persons in recovery from substance use/alcohol disorder.'

The CDC has even asked for 'smokers' to be referred to as 'people who smoke.'

In May, the University of Illinois Chicago's school of public health published a health brief titled: 'Addressing weight stigma and fatphobia in public health' that explored 'the association between racism, weight, and health.'

In May, the University of Illinois Chicago's school of public health published a health brief titled: 'Addressing weight stigma and fatphobia in public health' that explored 'the association between racism, weight, and health.'

According to Amanda Montgomery RD, public health's focus on preventing obesity has brought in an increase of negative attitudes towards 'people with larger bodies' - her preferred alternative term - and is currently one of the only socially acceptable forms of discrimination.

The brief claims that public health approaches related to obesity can be harmful because of the focus on one outcome - weight loss- and because it tends to ignore the root cause of the issue.

Academics say many of the causes are rooted in discrimination borne of settlers driving Native Americans off their land, then forcing black and Hispanic workers to farm that land for low pay.

'The public health field has not taken a critical look at this research, focusing on the narrative that weight is controllable and a personal responsibility,' the brief says. 'If the goal is to find the most ethical and effective strategies to achieve optimal public health, there needs to be an alternative to 'obesity' and weight-focused approaches and a shift in understanding of weight stigma as a social justice issue.'

Stanford University published a similar index of 'harmful language' last year. One of the words considered damaging was 'guru' as the term is a sign of respect in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. 'Brave' also appeared on the list because the University considered it to perpetuate the stereotype of the 'noble courageous savage'.

Stanford University also said it wanted to swap the word 'American' with 'US citizen', as the former 'often refers to people from the United States only, thereby insinuating that the US is the most important country in the Americas (which is actually made up of 42 countries)'.
A starving German Shepherd, so horrifically neglected and emaciated that it was mistaken for a fox, has been rescued after being found scavenging for food.

The heartbreaking pictures of the starving pooch were shared by animal rescuers, after it was found rummaged through litter in Sheerness, Kent, on Wednesday.

Swale Borough Council Stray Dog Service said the female pet, called Bluebell, was malnourished, had uncut claws and fur loss across its back and face, adding it had 'a nasty looking mammary tumour.'

A hunt has now been launched by authorities to find the owners of the German Shepherd amid fears it had been 'seriously neglected' after it emerged the animal had been chipped - but not reported missing.

Heartbreaking images showed, what some thought, was a fox scavenging for food through litter bags on Sheerness, in Kent

But rescuers were horrified to discover the animal was in fact a starving German Shepherd called Bluebell

A member of the stray dog team said: 'This little one has now been collected and is winging her way to the kennels.

'We can confirm she's a German Shepherd, not a fox and her name is Bluebell.

'She's chipped and this will be investigated further tomorrow, though she isn't registered as lost or missing.

'For now, she'll be given some tea and a warm bed before seeing the vet in the morning.

'This poor female German Shepherd type, has been found eating out of some black sacks down Jefferson Road, Sheerness.

'Based on the pictures we've received, the poor love has obviously suffered some pretty serious neglect and has been left to fend for herself.

'Unless their is an underlying medical condition, this is animal neglect.

'Our officer is racing over to collect her and once we have more information, our post will be updated.'

The female pooch was rescued by Swale Borough Council Stray Dog team on Wednesday evening

The animal was in an horrific condition, underweight and with fur missing from its legs, back and face. It was so neglected, its bones could clearly be seen showing through its skin (right)

Images of the animal's horrific state left social media users appalled and calling for immediate action against Bluebell's owners.

One person said: 'Do NOT give back to owner. Poor dog. They don't deserve this animal.'

Another added: 'Poor little darling, that's taken a while to get into that state* Wishing her all the best and quick healing* Thank you for saving her*'

A couple of hours after first announcing the rescue, the stray dog team continued their appeal to speak to anyone who recognises the pup.

They added: 'Following on from our previous post regarding Bluebell, here are some additional photos which show her breed and the extent of her neglect.

'As well as substantial hair loss, she's also underweight, has long nails and a nasty looking mammary tumour which will need investigation.

'We'll be chasing her chip tomorrow, but she hasn't been marked as missing or stolen.

'If you have any information regarding this dog, please call SBC on 01795 417850 or the OOH's service on 07795 237479.

'If you're the owner and there's a genuine reason behind her condition, please reach out.'
Tucker Carlson criticized resigning New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, including a shot at the soon-to-be former head of state's teeth and suggesting she's a puppet for the Chinese government.

Ardern fought back tears as she announced her shock resignation as New Zealand prime minister Wednesday, saying she no longer has 'enough left in the tank' to lead her country.

Carlson gave a fiery critique of the prime minister on his show Wednesday, calling her 'COVID-crazed' and criticizing her teeth, adding she was the 'most authoritarian leader that country ever had and no one else comes close.'

'Some rare good news: the appalling prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern - that's the lady with the big teeth who tormented her citizens - has just announced she is leaving office.'

Tucker Carlson (pictured left) criticized resigning New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured right), including a shot at the soon-to-be former head of state's teeth and suggesting she's a puppet for the Chinese government

He then criticized her views and pondered what the chances were that she was a Chinese puppet.

'We don't have enough evidence to prove that but we would rate that as about 100 percent likely,' the popular Fox host said.

He got more specific about Ardern's strict COVID lockdown policies, which Carlson argues 'told citizens to inform on their neighbors by calling the police if they saw them outside.'

'An appalling abuser of human rights of her own people,' he continued, describing New Zealand as under 'near totalitarianism. She shut down her whole country over one COVID case. She told everyone to stay in their bubbles. I'm not making this up.'

Ardern, 42, resigns after just over five years as leader, having become New Zealand's youngest ever prime minister and leading the country through the COVID pandemic and Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.

She will officially step down on Sunday if the ruling Labour Party can elect her replacement in a two-thirds vote on that day. If not, she will officially resign on February 7.

Ardern told a press conference that she'd hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'.

Ardern, 42, resigns after just over five years as leader, having become New Zealand's youngest ever prime minister and leading the country through the COVID pandemic and Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019

'Once I realised that I didn't, I knew unfortunately there was not much alternative other than to hand over now,' she said at the Labour Party's January caucus meeting in Napier on Thursday.

'I am human. Politicians are human. We give all we can for as long as we can - and then it's time. And for me, it's time.'

She added: 'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.

'I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead - and also when you're not.

'I have given my absolute all to being prime minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably come along.

Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, in the opening ceremony of the NATO Summit in Madrid in 2022

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand talks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC following her meeting with President Joe Biden

'Having reflected over summer, I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It's that simple.'

When asked what she would do next, Ardern said she looked forward to spending time with her young daughter and finally marrying her fiance Clarke Gayford after their wedding was called off due to the pandemic.

Ardern was elected on October 26, 2017, and at 37, was New Zealand's youngest ever PM. Before that, she was the youngest sitting MP in 2008 at age 28.

During her press conference, she admitted: 'I didn't expect to be prime minister.'

She insisted her decision to step down had nothing to do with the fact her party is trailing in the polls behind the rival National Party ahead of the upcoming election.

Ardern imposed some of the world's harshest COVID restrictions and only allowed visitors to enter less than a year ago

Protesters gather outside parliament in Wellington on November 9, 2021, calling for an end to COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates in New Zealand

'The Labour team are incredibly well placed to contest the next election. They are the most experienced team in the country and have shown they have the skills necessary to respond to whatever comes their way,' she said.

'I am not leaving because I believe we can't win the election but because I believe we can and will. But we need a fresh set of shoulders for the challenges of both this year and the next three.

'I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so-called real reason was. I can tell you that what I'm sharing with you today is it.

Ardern's Labour Party, which has been in power since 2017, lost its consistent lead in the polls early last year. The opposition National Party vote began to surge around October 2021.

Her rivals took the lead in the polls at the same time her government introduced a fresh round of restrictions when the country was hit by the Omicron COVID variant.

Ardern unveils COVID alert levels, which led to some of the world's hardest restrictions, as she closed the country's borders on March 21, 2020

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his admiration for his close ally and wished her well after politics

Her government never regained the lead in aggregated polling trends, staying slightly behind the Nationals. However, as the opposition has the support of the right-wing ACT party it would gain a clean majority if the election was held today.

Ardern faced unrelenting criticism from sections of the public for implementing some of the harshest COVID restrictions in the world, including lockdowns in which New Zealanders couldn't even buy takeaway food and a border closure that lasted more than two years.

But she denied today that the constant attacks, which continued last year as the economy faltered and cost of living rose, played a role in her decision to quit.

The resigning PM was asked if she would take up a role with the UN after leaving office. She did not give a straight answer.

'This has been my entire focus as you can see by the fact you've not been aware of this [my resignation], so [the UN] has not been my focus,' she said.

Ardern and husband Clarke Gayford with their child Neve look on after the Prime Minister formally commissioned the diving support and hydrographic survey vessel Manawanui into the Royal New Zealand Navy on June 7, 2019

Ardern attracted worldwide attention when she brought her then four-month-old baby Neve into the UN in September, 2018

'My focus has been this decision, supporting the Labour team through this next stage.'

She said she is leaving office without regrets, offering a simple way she would like to be remembered.

'As someone who always tried to be kind,' she said.

'I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when it's time to go.'
Officials in Jamaica have launched a sweeping probe after Olympic track star Usain Bolt said his $12.7 million deposit in a brokerage account had mysteriously dwindled to $12,000.

Bolt's attorney made the allegation against Stocks and Securities Ltd. (SSL), one of just 15 registered broker-dealers on the Jamaican Stock Exchange, threatening a lawsuit if his missing funds are not returned.

The vanished money represents a substantial fraction of Bolt's estimated $90 million fortune, and his attorney has said the account with SSL was intended as a retirement fund for the legendary athlete and his family.

On Tuesday, Jamaica's Financial Services Commission seized control of SSL and appointed a temporary manager to oversee the firm, amid a widening probe into suspicious transactions reportedly dating back a decade.

SSL blames any discrepancies on a rogue former employee, but Jamaica's Finance Minister Nigel Clarke accused the firm of committing 'alarming and evil fraud' and vowed to 'bring all perpetrators to justice.'

Officials in Jamaica have launched a sweeping probe after Olympic track star Usain Bolt said his $12.7 million deposit in a brokerage account had mysteriously dwindled to $12,000

SSL's website has removed the listing of its two directors, Jeffrey Cobham (left) and Hugh Croskery (right), and a notice on the site says the firm is now under the control of the FSC

Bolt's attorney Linton P. Gordon and representatives for SSL did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com on Thursday morning.

SSL's website has removed the listing of its two directors, Jeffrey Cobham and Hugh Croskery, and a notice on the site says the firm is now under the control of the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

Cobham is a former managing director of the National Commercial Bank and has served as a director of Sagicor Life Insurance, though his current affiliation with that firm is unclear.

Croskery is SSL's founding member, and previously sat on the board of directors for the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

Jamaica's Finance Minister Nigel Clarke accused SSL of 'alarming and evil fraud'

Bolt's attorney Gordon previously provided the Associated Press with a copy of a letter he had sent to SSL, saying that his client's deposit of $12.7 million had inexplicably dwindled to $12,000 and demanding that the money be returned.

'We will be going to court with the matter' if the company does not return the funds, Gordon told Reuters.

'It is a grave disappointment, and we are hoping that the matter will be resolved in a way that Mr. Bolt will recover his money and be able to live in peace.'

Bolt's account was intended to serve as a pension for the eight-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter and for his parents, Gordon said.

Bolt, 36, has an estimated net worth of around $90 million, and at the height of his career he was said to be earning more than $30 million annually.

Considered one of the greatest sprinters of all time, Bolt retired in 2017 after dominating the sport for a decade and becoming a household name.

The head office of Stocks and Securities Ltd. (SSL), one of just 15 registered broker/dealers on the Jamaican Stock Exchange, and now embroiled in a widening scandal

Bolt was reportedly earning over $31million a year at the height of his running career

Last Thursday, SSL said in a statement that it had become aware of fraudulent activity by a former employee and has referred the matter to law enforcement, adding that it had taken steps to secure assets and strengthen protocols.

On the same day, Jamaican regulators announced 'enhanced oversight' of SSL and demanded a full view of all transactions at the firm, including 'the movement of funds, and of securities into and out of SSL.'

On Friday, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) stepped up its oversight by appointing a special auditor to oversee SSL.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force said on Monday that its fraud and financial investigation teams were probing 'alleged fraudulent activities at (SSL) which are said to have affected the accounts of Mr. Usain Bolt among other individuals.'

On Tuesday, the FSC took dramatic action, taking full control of SSL and naming Kenneth Tomlinson of Business Recovery Services Limited as the brokerage's temporary manager.

Considered one of the greatest sprinters of all time, Bolt retired in 2017 after dominating the sport for a decade and becoming a household name

'Like all Jamaicans I am in shock, and feel a profound level of anger and disgust, at the alarming and evil fraud that has allegedly been committed at Stocks and Securities Limited, and which is the source of public discussion and anxiety at this time,' said Finance Minister Clarke in a statement.

At a press conference on Wednesday, FSC Executive Director Everton McFarlane vowed to publicly disclose the outcome of the investigation into alleged fraud at SSL.

As of Tuesday, SSL had removed the listings of its officers and directors from its website, which directed urgent inquiries to the FSC.

'Further to our press release on January 12, 2023, please note the company is currently under the direction of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and so responses from SSL may be delayed at this time,' the notice said.

'We understand that clients are anxious to receive more information and assure you that we are closely monitoring the matter throughout all the required steps and will alert our clients of the resolution as soon as that information is available,' it added.

'Do contact the Financial Services Commission with urgent queries. Thank you for your patience and kind understanding.'
This is the moment that three police officers arrested a San Francisco gallery owner after he hosed down a homeless woman outside his business  as fuming locals slam the DA for wasting police recourses amid a rise in crime.

Collier Gwin, 71, was caught on camera spraying a homeless woman with a hose on January 9 after she refused to move to allow him to clear the sidewalk.

The owner of the Foster Gwin art gallery in North Beach, San Francisco, was hauled away by three police officers on January 18 after DA Brooke Jenkins ordered his arrest  branding his actions as completely unacceptable.

Jenkins was initially welcomed by the residents of San Fran, with a no-nonsense attitude, but in recent months has been accused of having 'soft-on-crime' policies as violence and drug dealing skyrocketing.

 BREAKING: San Francisco art gallery owner arrested@BrookeJenkinsSF issued warrant. Collier Gwin will be charged with misdemeanor battery for the alleged intentional and unlawful spraying of water on and around a woman experiencing homelessness. https://t.co/C83XTQkiUS pic.twitter.com/58vGnzaVzi  TheCompany (@Yay_Bryce) January 19, 2023

Pictured: Collier Gwin, who runs Foster Gwin Gallery in the Financial District. He was arrested at 3pm on Wednesday at his gallery after the city's DA issued a warrant for his arrest

Poll Do YOU think Collier Gwin should have been arrested for hosing a homeless woman outside his gallery Yes No Do YOU think Collier Gwin should have been arrested for hosing a homeless woman outside his gallery Yes 1013 votes

No 1254 votes Now share your opinion





Gwin has defended his actions after the footage went viral but apologized shortly before his arrest close to his gallery on Wednesday.

In the footage he can be seen spraying the street, with the woman trying to block the stream of water with her hand.

He then stops spraying to point down the street and says, 'Hey, just move. Move. Move. Move. OK, are you going to move? Are you going to move?'

Jenkins confirmed that the woman who was sprayed did not seek to file charges against Gwin, but prosecutors decided to proceed with the conviction.

She said in a statement: Following San Francisco Police Department's investigation & reviewing all the evidence provided, my office has issued an arrest warrant for Collier Gwin.

'Gwin is charged with misdemeanor battery for the alleged intentional & unlawful spraying of water on & around a woman experiencing homelessness.

Jenkins was initially welcomed by the residents of San Fran, with a no-nonsense attitude, but in recent months has been accused of having 'soft-on-crime' policies as violence and drug dealing skyrocketing

Jenkins - who has been criticized for soft on crime polices in the past - revealed the victim did not seek to file charges against the store owner - who stood by his actions in interviews with various news outlets in recent days

San Francisco District Attorney's Office issued a statement announcing that a warrant for Gwin's arrest had been issued, following pronounced public outcry over the footage

'The alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable.

'Mr. Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions. Likewise, the vandalism at Foster Gwin gallery is also completely unacceptable and must stop - two wrongs do not make a right.'

Following the viral footage the door and window of Gwin's gallery was shattered  which has also been condemned by the Da.

On Monday, ABC7 in San Francisco reported that Gwin apologized for spraying the woman days after he had said he found it 'hard to apologize.'

He said: 'I know it's very hard to watch. I can only ask others to maybe better understand my breaking point.

'I have the video to constantly remind me that this is a large cross to bear.'

Gwin previously claimed that the woman, known only as Q, had turned over garbage cans in front of his gallery and he asked her to move so he could clean the street.

Three police officers swooped on Gwin close to his gallery at around 3pm on Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest

Gwin went viral after he was filmed spraying down a homeless woman with a hose in front of his San Francisco store has been arrested for battery, hours after the city's DA said he would face charges for the widely seen incident

He has insisted that he is not sorry for his actions and was trying to 'help' her. He said the woman had been staying in front of his gallery for days

But she allegedly became 'belligerent' and began spitting, so he sprayed her with the water  in temperatures that were below freezing.

He also claims that he had previously allowed her to sleep in his entryway multiple times and contacted police and social services to try to get her help.

Speaking to the San Fran Chronicle he added: 'So am I sorry? I'm only sorry that  my way of helping her countlessly has gotten nothing done.'

San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, from the San Francisco Department of Public Health called the incident an 'unconscionable assault.'

He posted on Twitter: 'My office is well acquainted with the victim + have been trying for many months to get her support.

'It's not North Beach, it's not who we are as a community + we won't tolerate 'vigilante' attacks.'

If convicted, Gwin could face up to six months in county jail and a $2,000 fine, prosecutors said.

Gwins attempt at making amends also followed an event led by Rev. Amos Brown  who sits on the two reparation committees - at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco.

The community and religious leaders across the city, including District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, discussed the fallout of the event

Gwin previously claimed that the woman, known only as Q, had turned over garbage cans in front of his gallery and he asked her to move so he could clean the street

The community and religious leaders across the city, including District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, discussed the fallout of the event.

Gwins art gallery has been running since 1984 and has brought in A-list clients, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to SocketSite.

The gallery shares a wall with a restaurant called Barbarossa Lounge, which is where Gwin was seen leaning against a gate in the video.

Jenkins has come under fire in recent months for implementing some soft-on-crime policies in a city experiencing crime and homeless rates not seen since the 90s.

Major crimes in San Francisco are up 7.4 percent so far this year from the same period in 2021, with assault up 11.1 percent and robbery up 5.2 percent.

Amid scenes of misery on city streets, where drug use is brazen and homelessness is rampant, a recent poll found that a majority of San Franciscans believe their city is going down hill, and a third plan to leave the city within three years.

Rows of homeless tents are seen near the City Hall of San Francisco outside residential properties and small business premises earlier this year

About 8,000 homeless people were reported in the city in February

Some residents blame Mayor London Breed, whose earlier popularity for steering the city through the pandemic appears to have waned amid rising crime, the fentanyl epidemic and other woes.

The video comes amid a growing homelessness crisis in the city. The number of homeless people in San Francisco was tallied in February at almost 8,000, the second highest figure of any year since 2005, according to the official government count which takes place every three years.

Business owners in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood have threatened to stop paying taxes if politicians don't start cleaning up streets of litter and stopping people from openly taking drugs.

In a letter to city officials in August, The Castro Merchants Association said some of the homeless people in the streets outside their stores had been harassing customers and needed help.
Just Stop Oil shut down the centre of Sheffield this afternoon with another go-slow protest - the group's first action of 2023.

Police were again outfoxed by eco-zealots with banners who meandered along the Yorkshire city's roads preventing traffic passing and causing huge queues.

Members of the Just Stop Oil group wearing high-vis jackets processed along major roads, heading from close to Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stadium into the city centre.

South Yorkshire Police closed routes to try to divert traffic, but several lorries were stuck behind the human blockade with horns blaring at the activists who were chanting: 'Just stop oil', 'Just stop gas' and 'no more coal mines' at the top of their voices.

One critic who say them tweeted footage of the group and said: 'A flock of rich privileged Brits from Just Stop Oil is protesting the laws of physics, economy and common sense in Sheffield this morning'.

In London, The Met has already admitted the tactic of slow walking makes it harder for officers to arrest and prosecute them for unlawful obstruction - but critics have said police should arrest immediately due to the disruption.

Just Stop Oil shut down the centre of Sheffield this afternoon with another of their marches to evade arrest

Just Stop Oil protester avoids jail after moaning that his M25 stunt had 'ruined his life' and damaged his relationship Beswick, 26, of Hackney, east London, was given a suspended sentence having moaned to the court that his part in the Just Stop Oil protests had 'ruined his life'. He is pictured at a rally Advertisement

Just Stop Oil protesters on the slow march also tried to hand out leaflets to people on the streets they shut down.

Police will soon have the power to stop go-slow protests before they cause chaos under a new law being proposed by ministers.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak last night said the planned crackdown would end new forms of guerrilla tactics being used by eco zealots from groups such as Just Stop Oil.

He said the legislation would strike a better balance between the right to protest and the rights of the hard-working majority to go about their day-to-day business.

It comes after some climate protestors changed tactics in recent weeks to include slowing traffic to a crawling pace with walking protests on busy roads through cities, infuriating drivers and causing tailbacks.

Just Stop Oil activists last month led walking protests in London during rush hour, blocking three lanes of traffic on both sides of the A2, in Southwark, before launching another similar blockade in the City.

The group has refused to rule out targeting the Kings coronation in May in order to build on its recent success.

The radical group has seen 2,000 arrests at its protests in 2022 and two of its members are accused of causing 6,000 damage by throwing tomato soup at Van Goghs Sunflowers last October.

Downing Street said an amendment will be tabled to the Public Order Bill in the coming days.

This will broaden the legal definition of serious disruption, giving police greater ability and clarity over when to intervene.

Under the proposed change, if a slow walk begins and officers assess that it could cause serious disruption, they can shut it down before chaos erupts.

They will first be able to place conditions on the slow walk, requiring that it proceeds on the pavement instead.

Yesterday Just Stop Oil's comrades from Extinction Rebellion let off smoke flares and covered the ground in black paint outside the Home Office, leading to two arrests.

Around ten eco-zealots were surrounded by police as they held placards and lay on the ground at the entrance of the Westminster building.

Two protesters put their arms in a tub and set off flares outside the Home Office in London

A cleaner attempts to mop up the black paint outside the Home Office following the protest

Staff and security were struggling to remove the paint following the demonstrations

Greta Thunberg is carried away as activists clash with riot cops in Germany Advertisement

Protesters poured the black paint - which looked like crude oil - out of plastic buckets marked 'End Coal', while two of the activists appeared to have attached themselves together with a large tube.

It comes two weeks after the climate change group said it would abandon disruptive protests.

But the group have been spurred to demonstrate after the Government's decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria, passed by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove last month.

Met Police were called to the Home Office at around 11am to disperse the group, where they arrested two men on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

The two demonstrators on the ground set off flares and shouted, while others dressed as yellow birds and one man as a skeleton.

Some of the group held signs reading 'cut the ties to fossil fuels'.

But two weeks ago Extinction Rebellion (XR) said it would abandon disruptive protests, saying it would 'prioritise attendance over arrest and relationships over roadblocks'.

However, XR said it was holding its demonstration to protest the Cumbria coal mine.
Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang, right, shakes hands with Merck Life Science CEO Matthias Heinzel during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday. / Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy



South Korea's Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang met with top executives of Germany's Merck Life Science and Switzerland-based Novartis on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss their potential investment in South Korea worth $500 million combined, his office said.



The meetings took place on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), as Lee accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on a visit to the city, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



During the meeting with Lee, Merck Life Science CEO Matthias Heinzel said his company is reviewing South Korea as a major candidate site for a new bio materials production factory.



Merck currently has a life science operation center and a lab collaboration center in Songdo, 36 kilometers southwest of Seoul.



Lee welcomed the progress in their discussions on potential investment and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, and explained the South Korean government's various incentives for investment and plans for deregulation, according to the ministry.



The minister held a separate meeting with Marie-France Tschudin, president of Novartis' Innovative Medicines International and the chief commercial officer of Novartis.



The minister held a separate meeting with Marie-France Tschudin, president of Novartis' innovative medicines international business and chief commercial officer, to explore ways to work together.



Tschudin called for cooperation with the South Korean government on biotechnology and innovative medicines, and Lee said the two sides will jointly be able to help advance the global bio and health industry, and create opportunities for new businesses and economic growth.



The meetings came after South Korea drew $300 million of investment from Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, as it announced a plan to build a major manufacturing facility. The ceremony to mark the investment took place in Davos a day earlier.



"The government will continue consultations with the companies for their smooth implementation of the investment plans, and work more proactively to attract high-quality investment in cutting-edge technologies, supply chains and other advanced fields," the ministry said in a release. (Yonhap)


Disgraced crypto boss Sam Bankman-Fried has been accused by insiders of artificially inflating the price of new digital currencies dubbed 'Samcoins'.

The 30-year-old FTX boss reportedly wooed the developers of new coins and encouraged them to make their trading debut on his exchange platform, reports the New York Times.

Sister company Alameda Research would then buy up the freshly-listed currency to raise its value while Bankman-Fried used his influence in the crypto world to drum up interest and attract further investors.

The strategy allowed Alameda - which was run by Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison, 28 - to look much healthier than it was prior to its implosion in November.

Disgraced crypto boss Sam Bankman-Fried, pictured, is accused of using the 'pump and dump' strategy to attract interest in new cryptocurrencies which insiders have come to label 'Samcoins'

Some of the crypto coins Alameda Research bought up included 'Maps', logo left, and 'Serum', right, - both of which have now been dubbed 'Samcoins' by insiders

It has been likened to the classic 'pump and dump' technique, prevalent in the stock market, whereby fraudsters buy up near-worthless shares aggressively.

At the same time they spread false or misleading information to other investors to 'pump up' its price before selling on the stocks for profit.

The strategy is illegal in the US.

Bankman-Fried, who is famed for his scruffy appearance and often photographed in shorts and a t-shirt, is facing eight fraud charges in relation to his handling of FTX and Alameda.

He is accused of defrauding investors and diverting billions of dollars in FTX customer money to his hedge fund which he then used as a piggy bank to fund his lavish lifestyle, personal investments and political donations.

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 115 years.

Bankman-Fried, pictured in a court sketching at his bail hearing, used 'Samcoins' to make both his businesses appear more profitable before they came crashing down in November

Critics questioned how Ellison, 28, landed the role as Alameda CEO given her limited experience

Since the scandal unfolded, questions have been raised as to how the two businesses were able to keep going for so long and attract so many investors.

Now insiders say his promotion of so-called 'Samcoins' were a crucial part of Bankman-Fried's aggressive trading practices.

The tactic successfully pushed up the price of coins called 'Serum' and 'Maps' along with FTT, a currency he created himself.

Alameda and FTX would then use these investments as collateral for loans, according to court records and crypto insiders.

Bankman-Fried, right, and Ellison,left, lived together in a $40 million penthouse at the southern tip of New Providence, the main island in the Bahamas.

Graham Friedman, director at digital asset strategy company Republic Crypto, told the New York Times: 'It was any project whose value propositions was reliant on FTX and their success.'

Alameda was formerly run by Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison, 28.

She was installed as CEO of the multibillion dollar hedge fund in October 2021 despite her limited professional trading experience.

The couple lived in a $40 million penthouse at the southern tip of New Providence, the main island in the Bahamas.

Last month DailyMail.com uncovered the first photo of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison from March 2021 in Hong Kong celebrating FTX boss' 29th birthday

Ellison has yet to address the scandal and has not tweeted since November 9.

Meanwhile Bankman-Fried has repeatedly denied accusations that he tried to manipulate cryptocurrency markets, insisting he only ever wanted to make money to do good.

He has previously claimed his efforts to bolster the price of FTT can be compared to share buyback schemes at public companies.

He continues to loudly defend himself on Twitter and blogging site Substack, often against his lawyers' advice, insisting he could have made FTX solvent again had he been given the chance.

Last month he was pictured being escorted out of court in New York after being freed on $250 bail by lawyer Jimmy Harkins, a former private investigator who has worked for Ghislaine Maxwell.

Bankman-Fried's former friend Scaramucci, right, recently lamented his dealings with the FTX boss, claiming he had thought of him as the 'Mark Zuckerberg of crypto'

His bail has been called the largest pre-trial amount in US history and 25 times the $10million posted by Bernie Madoff, the late Ponzi schemer.

Earlier this week his former business partner and friend Anthony Scaramucci launched a scathing attack on the FTX boss.

Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Scaramucci revealed how he had been taken in by Bankman-Fried, who he believed was like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

He said: 'I had a close relationship with [Bankman-Fried], I considered him a friend.

'I felt close to him, I felt close to his family so I have to tell you that the betrayal and fraudit's bad on a lot of different levels. It certainly hurt me reputationally.'

He added: 'If anybody here has read Dante Alighieris Inferno, you know what the ninth circle of Hell is reserved for.

'Its for the betrayal of a friend who lives with the devilthe ninth circle of hell on the frozen lake.

'When you have a friend that betrays you like that it really sucks.'

Their first business dealing was in October 2021 and by September 2022, Bankman-Fried's FTX Ventures had bought a 30 percent stake in Scaramucci's SkyBridge Capital, worth around $45 million.

The deal was done just two months before FTX filed for bankruptcy.

At the time Scaramucci called his business partner a 'visionary'.

But on Wednesday he told the panel: 'There was a gentleman walking around - 24, 25 years old, he had a hoodie and a t-shirt on and his name was Mark Zuckerberg.

'People looked at him and said 'what the hell?' and he turned out and he went from zero to a trillion dollars.

'I thought Sam was the Mark Zuckerberg of crypto, I did not think he was the Bernie Madoff of crypto okay and I got it wrong.'
A Waffle House restaurant in Atlanta has shut down an outrageous Gen Z TikTok trend as several youngsters rush to order a mouth-watering sandwich.

The viral Waffle House order - dubbed Texas Toast Bacon Cheesesteak - was banned by the restaurant's employees a week after a video showcasing the foodie hack gained more than six million views and 93,000 shares.

TikTok user @shantellxoxo posted the groundbreaking order on social media while highlighting her pregnancy cravings. The order replaces the diner's Texas Cheesesteak Melt with waffles instead of bread adding extra cheesesteak.

'OK. Be for real. Be for real,' the TikToker said. 'Like  you never had nothin like this.'

The order wasn't well received by some Waffle Houses that later put up a sign warning customers to not order the infamous sandwich.

A Waffle House in Atlanta, Georgia, is banning a new Gen Z mouth watering creation. Pictured: a diner in Alabama

The order, dubbed Texas Toast Bacon Cheesesteak, went viral on TikTok last week with 93,000 shares and more than six million views

'Order from the menu. We are not making anything you saw on TikTok,' the sign at a Georgia Waffle House reads.

The warning was seen in a video posted by TikToker @officialgodbodycash. Employees placed the sign right above the cash register where take-out orders are paid for.

'TikTok taking over everything except Waffle House,' the video was captioned.

While popular TikTok trends tend to increase the revenue of products or stores, it appears Waffle House doesn't want to reap the benefits.

'That was literally opportunity for growth... they fumbled,' one person commented.

'So the internet is giving them more business and they don't want it?' another added.

The order wasn't well received by some Waffle Houses that later put up a sign warning customers to not order infamous sandwich.

TikTok user @shantellxoxo posted the groundbreaking order on social media while highlighting her pregnancy cravings

A Waffle House employee responded to the contention with a video condemning the hassle behind the controversial sandwich.

Employee @kaylawayla522 posted a TikTok video of her work station claiming she spent hours on several Texas Toast Bacon Cheesesteak orders.

Guess where I work at? The Waffle House. Guess what Ive been making all day? These! These! These, she said.

The worker added that the sandwich wasnt on the menu and customers should be prepared to spend double the amount.

Be prepared to spend about $30 on this meal if you get it to go

Now, if you sit your a** down and eat it you gonna spend $20, okay?

The booming trend adds to the list of infamous orders fast food chains receive from customers.

@kaylawayla522 Look wtf someone done started  this sammich is NOT on the menu so be prepared to spend $20+  original sound - Kayla Wayla

Chipotle's customizable menu makes it easy for customers to order food to their liking and recently led to a viral foodie trend.

The Starbucks pink drink was once a 'dreaded' order for baristas until the company officially added the drink on the menu

Last month, TikTok user Alexis Foster showed off her Chipotle order which is essentially a steak quesadilla with fajita veggies and extra cheese.

Foster dubbed the creation similar to a Philly cheesesteak.

Starbuck's Pink Drink was another order that flooded the coffee shop when it went viral around 2017.

The garnered popularity led to the strawberry-acai and coconut milk drink being added to the menu.
Hunter Biden was involved in recruiting the aide who has been publicly identified as a 'person of interest' in the Joe Biden documents probe, it was reported Thursday.

Kathy Chung, who served as Biden's administrative assistant when he was vice president, has been interviewed by law enforcement about the scandal.

She told associates she is 'distressed' that she may have 'inadvertently been involved in moving or storing classified material' that a Biden lawyer later uncovered at the Penn Biden Center in November, the Washington Post reported.

The discovery of the documents kicked off the hunt for more classified material in Biden's possession  and ultimately led to the appointment of a special counsel, and a probe that has exasperated White House aides and forced them to explain comparisons to the raid at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Hunter Biden is seen driving his father's classic Corvette Stingray. The car was stored in the same garage where a Biden lawyer discovered documents marked classified were being stored

Chung's was the only name that appeared in the first report of multiple aides who have spoken to law enforcement.

The news comes as a former Obama White House official urged Biden to admit to sloppy handling of classified information to try to gain control over the spiraling situation.

And a newly surfaced photo from Hunter's infamous laptop appears to show the president's son driving the classic Corvette Stingray outside the same Wilmington home where the car  and documents marked 'classified'  were being stored.

Chung, who now serves as deputy director of protocol for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, was identified by sources as having helped pack up Biden's belongings when he left the White House in 2017.

About 10 documents, including some reportedly with 'top secret' markings, were discovered inside a closet in the Penn Biden Center, a DC think tank that provided a home for Biden after he left the vice presidency  along with a salary that totaled $900,000 over three years.

Chung was an assistant in the Senate Office of the Vice President, after working for a trio of influential senators, including former Delaware Sen. Ted Kauffman, a longtime Biden advisor who filled his seat when Biden left the Senate.

Patrick Moore, the lawyer tasked with clearing out Biden's old office in November, discovered the documents, CNN reported.

Hunter Biden helped secure employment for Kathy Chung, the administrative assistant for then-Vice President Biden who has spoken to investigators in the classified documents probe

President Joe Biden now faces a special counsel probe of classified material found at his former office and Wilmington home

The discovery of documents with classified markings at the Penn Biden Center triggered the federal probe

Biden earned $900,000 over three years for his role at the Penn Biden Center. He is pictured with Amy Gutmann, the academic and diplomat who is the US Ambassador to Germany

Chung worked for a trio of senators, including Delaware Sen. Ted Kauffman

Emails from Hunter Biden's laptop have revealed that Chung and the president's son were in email contact, with the aide sometimes providing him with scheduling information  and Hunter recommending her for her job with the VP when predecessor Michelle Smith left the post.

'Thanks for calling and thinking of me,' Chung wrote to Hunter in May 2012, according to Fox News. 'After the initial shock of taking in what you said... how could I pass up an opportunity to work for the Vice President of the United State!!!!'

She then followed up with a few questions about salary and responsibilities. 'Again, thanks for thinking of me,' she wrote.

Chung's attorney did not return a request for comment by DailyMail.com at press time.
South Africa's government has finally shown its colours and sided with the dictators by inviting Russia and China for war games next month.

After months of placating Russia's butchery in Ukraine, Cyril Ramaphosa has ditched his supposed 'neutrality' to the war by hosting the naval drills off the country's east coast near Durban and Richards Bay from February 17 to 27.

The move is the strongest indication yet of the strengthening relationship between South Africa, whose governing ANC party is allegedly in the pocket of a sanctioned Moscow oligarch, and the anti-West authoritarian regimes of China and Russia.

The 'multinational maritime exercise' has been slammed by South Africa's leading Daily Maverick newspaper as 'immoral, stupid and impractical'.

Chinese and Russian warships are pictured taking part in joint naval drills in the East China Sea in December

Corruption plagues South Africa's leaders South Africa has been battling financial scandals for decades and its former president Jacob Zuma has been charged with multiple counts of corruption. He was jailed for refusing to testify to a high-level inquiry into massive state corruption that unfolded under his presidency. He was forced to step down in disgrace by the ruling ANC in 2018 following mounting corruption allegations. Ramaphosa himself has been facing calls to step down after a parliamentary report said he may have broken currency regulations by keeping undeclared sums of dollars at his farm. Ramaphosa stands accused of stealing millions and hiding it at a game farm. About $4 million in cash was stolen from Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo, and former intelligence officer Arthur Fraser has accused him of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption. A probe concluded Ramaphosa may have committed serious violations and misconduct. But Fraser is a well-known loyalist to Zuma and a faction of the ANC that wants Ramaphosa out. Advertisement

The drills will take place around the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and bring more focus on the refusal of South Africa - a leading voice on its continent - to side with the West and condemn Russia's actions.

The announcement also comes days before Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit South Africa and hold talks with South African counterpart Naledi Pandor.

The South African government said last year it had adopted a neutral stance over Ukraine and called for dialogue and diplomacy.

But the upcoming naval drills have led the country's main opposition party to accuse the government of effectively siding with Russia.

The South African government denies it has taken sides and has called for the end of the war in Ukraine.

But the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which incorporates all of its armed forces, said next month's naval exercise would 'strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China'.

The aim of the drills was 'sharing operational skills and knowledge', the SANDF said.

The three countries also conducted a similar naval exercise in 2019 in Cape Town, while Russia and China held joint naval drills in the East China Sea last month.

South Africa, a key western partner, was one of several African countries to abstain in a United Nations vote last year condemning Russia's invasion.

The United States and European Union had hoped South Africa would support the international condemnation of Russia and act as a leader for other nations in Africa.

The countries that voted along with Russia against the resolution were Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua and Syria.

The naval drills will take place off the country's east coast near Durban and Richards Bay from February 17 to 27

The Chinese naval frigate Binzhou takes part in a joint naval drills with Russian warships in December

South Africa and Russia share a long history, after the Soviet Union gave support to the ANC in its fight to bring down apartheid, the regime of repression against the country's black majority.

Apartheid ended in 1994 when the ANC won the first democratic elections in South Africa and Nelson Mandela became president.

South Africa is also a member of BRICS, a bloc of emerging economies, alongside Brazil, Russia, India and China.

South Africa is seen by some as a token member of a group of economic powerhouses, and its government is desperate to stay part of the group which it believes provides a counter-balance to Western dominance.

South Africa has a $25billion share of the BRICS's New Development Bank and members have unlimited drawing rights if they need to stabilise their currencies.

With China and Russia's huge foreign currency reserves, South Africa is determined to keep the BRICS members happy for its own financial benefit.

In 2014, a mammoth $50billion deal was agreed between disgraced ex-president Jacob Zuma who is now facing corruption charges, and Russia's Rosatom energy company to build eight nuclear plants in South Africa.

Vladimir Putin has tried to invest in South Africa and the country has remained a muted ally despite the war

Cyril Ramaphosa has ditched his supposed 'neutrality' to the war by hosting the naval drills

The deal was eventually scrapped in April 2017 when a court ruled it was unlawful.

But it left a huge hole in the finances of the ANC, which has been plagued by corruption for decades.

Last year, it was revealed the biggest stake in the party's in-house investment company was the manganese miner, United Manganese of Kalahari, who donated around 500,000 to the ANC in the 2021-22 financial year.

The firm is owned in part by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg's conglomerate Renova Group.

Vekselberg has an estimated fortune of nearly 8billion and his ties to Putin landed him with sanctions in March last year.

Experts have warned of Russia's increased military influence in Africa since it first annexed parts of Ukraine in 2014.

Improving relations with South Africa is central to the US effort of limiting Russian and Chinese influence.

The South African government drew more attention over its stance towards Russia in October when it allowed a $500million super-yacht owned by oligarch Alexey Mordashov to dock in Cape Town

The South African government drew more attention over its stance towards Russia in October when it allowed a $500million super-yacht owned by oligarch Alexey Mordashov to dock in Cape Town despite him being under US and EU sanctions.

The 57-year-old billionaire named in the Pandora Papers owns the Russian mining companies Nordgold and Severstal.

With a net worth of $13.2billion, Forbes ranked Mordashov as the 51st richest person in the world last year, but Western sanctions have sent the oligarch sinking in world wealth rankings as of this year.

'South Africa has no legal obligation to abide by sanctions imposed by the US and EU,' said Vincent Magwenya, spokesman for South Africa's president at the time. 'We have no reason to prevent their entry into South Africa.

'South Africa's obligations with respect to sanctions relate only to those that are specifically adopted by the United Nations. Currently, there are no UN-imposed sanctions on the particular individual.'

The South African government has also been accused of allowing another sanctioned Russian vessel to dock at a naval base near Cape Town in December.
BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors' cousin was tasered six times in 42 seconds as other officers tried to pin and handcuff him on a California street as he yelled, 'help me please,' before he died in the hospital hours later.

Officers from the Los Angeles Police Departments discharged the taser multiple times on Keenan Darnell Anderson, 31, after he began acting erratically when he attempted to flee from police and resist arrest after a 'felony hit-and-run,' car crash on January 3.

He was transported to a hospital where he suffered from a medical episode and died four-and-a-half hours later. His cause of death has not be established and a preliminary toxicology report found cocaine metabolite and cannabinoids in his system.

Now the LAPD's actions are the subject of an internal investigation as LAPD Chief Michel Moore said data from the Taser weapon showed there were six separate activations over 42 seconds.

The chief said that the first two activations of the Taser, which was fired from afar, 'werent effective' on Anderson and that the stun gun was then directly applied to the mans skin four times over a period of 33 seconds, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Officers repeatedly issued instructions to Anderson that he declined to follow. He was warned he would be tased if he did not physically comply with their instructions to turn over

Anderson cries out, 'Please, help me please'

BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors' cousin (pictured) was tasered six times in 42 seconds as other officers tried to pin and handcuff him on a California street as he yelled, 'help me please,' before he died in the hospital hours later

Moore said the first two activations were in probe mode where darts are fired from the taser into the individual, causing neuromuscular disruption. This action will put the person in an uncontrolled fall which leads to a secondary impact when they hit the floor, or ground.

Anderson's death has raised concerns by Mayor Karen Bass, and a number of community activist on whether the officers tactics were too excessive.

Former police officer Seth Stoughton, now a University of South Carolina law professor and use-of-force expert who reviewed the LAPD body-cam videos, told the New York Times: 'Just because he is actively resisting, that doesnt mean he is a threat.

'He is not a threat of harm to the officers. The only threat is a delay. It doesnt appear to me the officers believe the Taser protects them from harm.'

After the incident, the LAPD released edited bodycam video of the incident showing viewers the events that led up to Anderson's arrest.

Anderson, a high school English teacher at a public charter school in Washington, DC and leaves behind a five-year-old son.

He is also the cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder, Patrisse Cullors. He was in Los Angeles visiting family before the deadly incident took place.

'As I watched the video, what was clear to me is that my cousin, Keenan, was actually really scared and he was asking for help repeatedly and unfortunately that's not what he received from LAPD,' Cullors told the Los Angeles Times.

'At that point the question becomes why wasn't there [help]?

'Why wasn't my cousin offered medical attention?' she asked. 'Why wasn't there an ambulance or fire department called if he kept repeating that he needed help, that he needed support?'

Cullors told the news outlet that before watching the body camera footage she said that she and her family were trying to figure out what actually took place.

'What we do know is that Keenan was alive before his experience with the police and then he was dead. But we don't want to continue with the narrative of what the police were saying because we don't know if that's true,' she said.

The Taser used by the LAPD is a brand of stun gun that is manufactured by Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser International. Officers from the department has used this form of Taser before, along with other so-called less lethal weapons, the news outlet reported.

The Taser used by the LAPD is a brand of stun gun that is manufactured by Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser International. Officers from the department has used this form of Taser before, along with other so-called less lethal weapons, the news outlet reported

Community leaders in Los Angeles held a rally calling for policy change and justice for Anderson in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

'There has to be a policy around lasers because less lethal doesn't mean non-lethal,' BLMLA co-founder Melina Abdullah said.

'We also have to stop the character assassination that happens with this edited narrative of this release of this bodycam footage. We want the unedited footage now!'

Many law enforcement experts who reviewed the videos claimed the repeated force used by officers from the LAPD appeared 'excessive' and 'haphazard' given Anderson's actions, the news outlet reported.

Ed Obayashi, a Northern California deputy and a top state advisor on police tactics told the Los Angeles Times that 'it is going to be hard to convince any judge that these officers were using reasonable force.'

'From the visual aspect, it looks like he is not fighting back; he is not threatening the officers. He is saying I am not resisting ... and what could be considered resisting is an automatic reflex of the body to the pain application from the Taser,' he said.

Kelly Muniz LAPD Police Captain III and Commanding Officer of the Media Relations Division spoke during the critical incident community briefing providing details about the arrest of Anderson, classified as an in-custody death. She also and stated the Force Investigation Division will conduct an investigation.

According to officials, the January 3 incident began around 3:38pm when a West Traffic Division motor officer was flagged down for a traffic collision in the area of Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard in Pacific Area.

Muniz said the officer observed a male, who was later identified as Keenan Anderson, running in the middle of the street and exhibiting erratic behavior.

LAPD Police Captain III and PIO Kelly Muniz (pictured) speaks during the critical incident community briefing on January 3

Several citizens involved in the traffic collision motioned to Anderson, indicating that he caused the accident.

The officer contacted Anderson, spoke with him and requested additional units for a DUI investigation.

Anderson initially followed the officer's commands and sat at the northeast corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevard for several minutes as the officer spoke with him.

As additional units arrived at scene, Anderson suddenly attempted to flee the location. Officers gave chase as Anderson ran eastbound in the middle of the street on Venice Boulevard. As officers contacted Anderson, he began to resist, resulting in a use of force.

Officers struggled with Anderson for several minutes, utilizing a TASER, bodyweight, firm grips, and joint locks to overcome his resistance. Anderson was subsequently handcuffed and hobbled at the ankles.

Shortly after Anderson was taken into custody, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) personnel responded to the scene and rendered medical aid for deployment of the TASER.

Anderson was transported via a rescue ambulance (RA) to a local hospital in the City of Santa Monica. While at the hospital, Anderson went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced deceased.

One officer received minor abrasions to his hands during the use of force. Detectives from Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and are investigating this incident.

In the aftermath of his death, BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors took to instagram to mourn the passing of her cousin and blame the LAPD for his death

But, the video shows Anderson becoming distraught and fearful as he is being restrained on the ground.

'They're trying to George Floyd me,' he yells out, referencing George Floyd, the Minneapolis man killed by police when he was held down when an officer knelt on Floyd's neck while he was pinned to the ground for nine minutes and 29 seconds

During the incident, Anderson was eventually handcuffed and hobbled at his ankles before he was transported to a local hospital where he died hours later.

Walter Katz, a former independent police auditor in California and Chicago, said the coroner will be the one to determine the role the taser played in Anderson's death. But, Katz also pointed out that it also doesn't mean the officer's actions were appropriate.

He said the incident begins to go awry when the officer with the taser tells Anderson to turn on his stomach and to stop resisting. He also said the officer used the taser on Anderson's body repeatedly without really giving Anderson a chance to gather himself.

Katz said it should have been clear by that point that Anderson's behavior suggested he was somehow impaired, and said 'it was a poor decision,' for officers 'to do more tasering.

He added: 'This officer went down the path of this is the tool I am going to use.'

Moore said under the LAPD policy, 'there is no preset limit on the number of times a Taser can be used in a particular situation, however, officers should generally avoid repeated or simultaneous activations to avoid potential injury.

He claimed that Anderson had been in an altered state and resisted officers' efforts to detain him. He also said one of the officers 'elbow appears to be along the collar bone and may have touched the neck or not, but I hear, ' Partner your elbow.'

Moore continued to point out that there was no evidence that shows Anderson's airways being compromised, the news outlet reported.

Officers from the LAPD surround Anderson on the middle of the California roadway

Citizens in the background of the arrest recorded the incident and spoke among themselves about the traffic incident that had occurred beforehand. One man said Anderson had attempted to steal his car before the police arrived

Anderson repeatedly refused to cooperate with police instruction after causing a traffic incident in Los Angeles. The lengthy confrontation ultimately led to him being tasered

Anderson pleading with officers, 'Please don't do this sir' as they proceed to restrain him

Anderson cries out 'help, help,' that is seen in the bodycam video appearing distraught

Anderson telling officers, 'I'm not resisting,' as an officer is pointing the taser into his back as he is lying facing down to the ground

The officer is about to discharge the taser as Anderson says, 'Stop it'
Alec Baldwin broke down in tears in his first interview months after fatally shooting Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In the now infamous interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, the embattled actor denied that he pulled the trigger of a live gun on October 21, 2021, going as far as to say he 'would have killed himself' if he thought he was responsible.

Baldwin, 64, instead shifted the blame to prop managers, claiming they did not check if the gun was loaded before handing it to him.

The actor also shared how he 'loved' Hutchins and had bonded with her widower after accidentally killing her  and claimed cops at the scene told him he would not be charged in the shooting.

But today, New Mexico authorities announced that he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' death.

Alec Baldwin teared up in a now infamous interview with George Stephanopoulos last year

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed in a shooting on the set of Rust in October 2021

New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrew Reeb said Thursday they would file involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin for the fatal shooting. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 18 months in prison.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, will also face involuntary manslaughter charges.

Baldwin has previously claimed that he did not pull the trigger on Hutchins, saying that the gun just 'went off' while in his hands on the set of his western.

'I let go of the hammer, bang. The gun goes off. Everyone is horrified. They're shocked. It's loud,' he said in the interview in December 2021.

He also revealed that he didn't know Hutchins had died until hours later, at the end of his police interview, when he was photographed in the sheriff's parking lot in Santa Fe.

But, he said at the time, he had been told by people 'in the know' that it was 'highly unlikely' he'd face criminal charges.

'Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who it is, but it's not me.

'Honest to God, if I thought I was responsible I might have killed myself. And I don't say that lightly.'

Baldwin claimed he did not know Halyna died until the end of a police interview, when he was photographed on the phone speaking to his wife, Hilaria

Hutchins' October 19, 2021 Instagram post showed cast members and staffers, including Baldwin alongside Hutchins herself and armorer Gutierrez-Reed (circled left to right) on the set of Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico

In his version of events, the 30 Rock star said he was filming a scene inside a church on the set when the gun was handed to him.

'She's getting me to position the gun - everything is at her direction,' he said of Hutchins.

'I draw the gun, to her marker. I'm not shooting to the camera lens, I'm shooting just off. In her direction. This was a completely incidental shot that may not have ended up in the film.'

Baldwin's version of on-set tragedy 'I'm just showing. I go, 'How 'bout that? Does that work? You see that? Do you see that?' 'And then she goes, 'Yeah, that's good.' 'I let go of the hammer, bang. The gun goes off. Everyone is horrified. They're shocked. It's loud. They don't have their earplugs in. 'No one was - the gun was supposed to be empty. I was told I was handed an empty gun. 'If they were cosmetic rounds, nothing with a charge at all, a flash round, nothing. 'She goes down, I thought to myself, 'Did she faint?' 'The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me 'till probably 45 minutes to an hour later.' He added: 'Well, she's laying there and I go, 'Did she hit by wadding? Was there a blank?' 'I never pulled the trigger. No, no, no. You would never do that. 'The gun was supposed to be empty. I was told I was handed an empty gun. 'Nobody gave a f*** who you are any more until this. You see a lot of people with their phones now, in a coffee shop,' he said, showing them filming him. Advertisement

He said he cocked the gun, and was discussing with Hutchins how it looked on camera.

'I'm just showing. I go, 'How 'bout that? Does that work? You see that? Do you see that?' And then she goes, "Yeah, that's good."

'I let go of the hammer, bang. The gun goes off. Everyone is horrified. They're shocked. It's loud. They don't have their earplugs in.'

He went on to say that 'the gun was supposed to be empty,' claiming he was 'told I was handed an empty gun.'

But Hutchins soon fell to the ground, at which point Baldwin said he thought she must have fainted.

'The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me 'till probably 45 minutes to an hour later.'

He added: 'Well, she's laying there and I go, "Did she get hit by wadding? Was there a blank?" Sometimes those blank rounds have a wadding inside that packs, it's like a cloth that packs the gunpowder in. Sometimes wadding comes out, it can hit people, and it could feel like a little bit of a poke.

'But no one could understand. Did she have a heart attack? Because remember the idea that someone put a live bullet in the gun was not even in reality."

'I never pulled the trigger. No, no, no. You would never do that.'

Baldwin went on to claim that 'no one had any idea' there was live ammunition used until a police officer showed a photo of the shrapnel removed from director Joel Souza's arm.

He said then began 'the agony, insanity, that someone put a live bullet in the gun. She was laying there and she was there for a while. I was amazed at how long they didn't get her in a car or get her out, but they waited until a helicopter came,' he said.

'When she finally left, I don't know how long she was there for. She kept saying, she's stable, just as you disbelieve there was a live round in the gun, you disbelieve its going to be a fatal accident.

'At the end of my interview with the sheriff's department, they told me, "We regret to inform you she didn't make it." They told me then and there.'

He added: 'That's when I went outside and called my wife.'

Baldwin and Hutchins on the set of Rust. He has said he never pulled the trigger

In this image from video released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Alec Baldwin stands in costume and speaks with investigators following the fatal shooting

Baldwin has said he thought the gun was empty when he was handed the weapon on the set

Baldwin further insisted that he is not to blame for the shooting, saying the fault lay with someone else  though he would not name that person at the time.

The Oscar-nominated actor said that he had been handed the antique gun and told it was safe, and he trusted the people who told him that.

'The gun was supposed to be empty,' Baldwin added. 'I was told I was handed an empty gun.'

He said he trusted others on set to do their job.

Among those were Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer, and Dave Halls, the assistant director.

'One person has that responsibility to maintain the gun,' Baldwin said.

'Halyna and I had something profound in common: we both presumed the gun was empty,' he said.

Baldwin added: 'There is only one question to be answered, only one. And that is: where did the live round come from?'

The actor would later file a suit against four people involved in the film, saying they were negligent in providing him with the gun.

Among those named in the civil suit are the film's armorer and props assistant, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed; assistant director David Halls; props master Sarah Zachry; and Seth Kenney, who supplied guns and ammunition to the film set.

In his suit, Baldwin accuses Gutierrez-Reed of failing to verify that a Colt revolver he was using in rehearsal was safe. She will now also be charged with involuntary manslaughter for her role in Hutchins' death.

The suit also states that Halls failed to check the weapon before he declared it safe and handed it to Baldwin, and that Zachry failed to ensure that weapons used on the New Mexico set were safe.

All those named in the suit have denied any culpability.

Baldwin would later shift blame on the set's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She has denied any responsibility

In the interview, Baldwin claimed that he was blown away by Hutchins' work and had bonded with her husband, Matthew, in the aftermath of the fatal shooting

Baldwin also used the interview with Stephanopoulos to recount how he first met Hutchins and what he thought of her work.

He said he was first introduced to the Ukrainian cinematographer by Souza, and when he saw her work, he thought 'she was fantastic.

'Her work was beautiful,' Baldwin told Stephanopoulos. 'She was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with her, and liked by everyone who worked with her, and was admired.'

Baldwin then broke down into tears, saying he rarely makes films anymore because they would entail long periods of time away from his wife Hilaria and their six children.

But, he said he agreed to produce Rust because he loved the script and was excited about the New Mexico filming.

'This movie made me love making movies again,' he said. 'I really thought we were onto something.'

After the fatal shooting, Baldwin said, he met Hutchins's husband, Matthew.

'He hugged me and said, "I guess we're going to go through this together.''' Baldwin claimed.

The actor went on to say he accompanied Matthew to Halyna's memorial, and they had spoken since, but Baldwin believed his lawyers were advising the grieving husband to be more cautious.

He added that he would be 'stunned' if Matthew Hutchins did not seek some form of civil redress.

And speaking of Halyna's son, he said: 'This boy doesn't have a mother any more. And there is nothing we can do to bring her back.'
A Catholic school has been plunged into a race row after a furious mother claimed that her daughter was banned from the playground and the canteen because of her braided hair.

Jade Samuels alleged that her daughter was barred from parts of the school in a series of angry tweets.

Teachers at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham are accused of deciding that the student's hair was 'inappropriate' because she had braided a heart on the side of her head.

Ms Samuels said: 'My child is banned from the school playground/canteen for her hair, its neatly braided in a natural colour, I gave them a lesson on the history of black womens hairs cultural significance of braiding, they chose violence, @BishopChalloner has a racist hair policy!!!'.

Jade Samuels said her daughter had been isolated from other students as a result of the heart pattern braided into her hair

The Birmingham school strongly denied that it did not allow students to wear braids after the mother accused them of having a 'racist' hair policy

In a second tweet, she added: 'Just for clarity, the issue the school has is with the heart, as if that makes it any less bad'.

Bishop Challoner Catholic College insisted that pupils are allowed to wear their hair in braids.

Replying to other tweets from supportive social media users, Ms Samuels said she was 'LIVID' and that her daughter 'has to sit on an isolated table from everyone else at breaks because she's broken their racist uniform policy!'

She added that she had spoken to a teacher but she did not believe that the school were prepared to change their policy.

'I've had a conversation with the school teacher and the cultural reference black women's hair and they still refuse to change their policy therefore are making it public knowledge that they will not,' she said.

The furious mother blasted the school on Twitter for its uniform policies after her child was banned from the school playground over a heart shaped braid hair pattern

The school said: 'Bishop Challoner Catholic College is very clear that braids are allowed to be worn in school. If parents/carers have any issues, there are clear procedures in place which they can follow for their concerns to be addressed.'

The Catholic school's uniform policy says that the final decision on any hair styles is 'at the discretion of senior staff'.

It also specifies that hair is 'smart in appearance' and that students 'do not have shaved/razored hair styles or lines/patterns shaved into the hair'.

'Extreme changes of hair colour are also not permitted', it adds.

In a statement the school confirmed that a decision had been made that if shaved patterns were prohibited, braided patters would also be banned.

Bishop Challoner Catholic College added that it followed standard disciplinary procedure with students sitting apart at break and lunch times until the uniform code is followed.

Students are permitted to sit with friends at the discretion of teachers, the college said.

Speaking before the school issued its statement, Brandwood and Kings Heath councillor Lisa Trickett said it was important for schools to respect student's identities.

In a statement on Twitter the school said braids were allowed to be worn at the college and that there were procedures in place for parents with concerns

The Labour councillor said: 'Cornrows play a part in a child's racial and cultural identity. It is absolutely given we are now a minority-majority city and that we are utterly respectful of that.'

Last year the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned schools not to penalise or exclude pupils for wearing their hair in natural afro styles, including cornrows and braids.

The commission warned afro-textured hair and hairstyles were disproportionately affected by discrimination.

Jackie Killeen, the EHRC's chief regulator, previously said she wanted to stop pupils being singled out for their appearance.

Ms Killeen said: 'Every child deserves to be celebrated for who they are and to thrive in school without having to worry about changing their appearance to suit a potentially discriminatory policy.'

The EHRC has previously funded legal action in cases of alleged hair discrimination.

In 2020, Ruby Williams won 8,500 in an out-of-court settlement against The Urswick School in Hackney, east London, after she was repeatedly sent home because of her afro hair.

The school did not accept any liability.
Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, prosecutors in New Mexico announced Thursday, citing a 'criminal disregard for safety.'

'He doesn't actually have to touch each projectile, each piece of ammunition,' Mary Carmack-Altwies, the district attorney in Santa Fe County, said after the decision was announced. 'He has an absolute duty to know that what is in the gun that is being placed in his hand is safe.'

Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are facing a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. If they're also convicted of a firearm enhancement on that charge, they'll face a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The charges are expected to be filed before the end of the month.
This is the moment an Army veteran claims he was questioned for 'silently praying' for his 'dead son' outside an abortion clinic as he fights a 100 council fine for breaching an order banning protests around the site.

Adam Smith-Connor, a 49-year-old physiotherapist from Southampton, says he was approached by two council officers as he stood on the pavement outside the BPAS clinic on Ophir Road in Bournemouth.

Mr Smith-Connor, who said his girlfriend had an abortion two decades ago, told the officers he was 'praying for my son', but one of them explained he was in breach of the terms of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

Many councils have set up PSPOs around abortion clinics to stop women being harassed, with the one around the BPAS clinic banning protests including 'prayer or counselling'. This has prompted a free speech row - with campaigners claiming the law amounts to 'censorship'.

Adam Smith-Connor, a 49-year-old physiotherapist from Southampton, was approached by two council officers as he stood on the pavement outside the BPAS clinic on Ophir Road in Bournemouth

The footage of Mr Smith-Connor, who served in the military for 20 years and has a daughter, 10, and a seven-year-old daughter, was filmed on November 24 last year and shared by ADF UK.

ADF UK are a British branch of the American conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, who have campaigned and lobbied against the right to an abortion and against the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the States. They are part of the global organization, ADF International, headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

The group said it was now supporting him with challenging the 100 fine.

He said: '22 years ago I drove my ex-girlfriend to a facility and paid for her to have an abortion. It was a pivotal moment in my life.

'The consequences of my actions that day came back to grieve me years later, when I realised I had lost my son Jacob to an abortion I had paid for.

'Recently, I stood outside a similar facility and prayed to God for my son Jacob, for other babies who have lost their lives to abortion, for their grieving families, and for abortion clinic staff.'

ADF UK said Mr Smith-Connor had been 'criminalised for his beliefs.

Mr Smith-Connor, who said his girlfriend had an abortion two decades ago, told the officers he was 'praying for my son', but one of them explained he was in breach of the terms of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)

The footage of Mr Smith-Connor, who served in the military for 20 years and has a daughter, 10, and a seven-year-old daughter, was filmed on November 24 last year and shared by ADF UK

The organisation is also representing a Catholic woman who was confronted by a police officer during a similar stunt outside a BPAS clinic in Birmingham last month.

What are PSPOs and how do they stop protests around abortion centres? Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are designed to allow local councils to prevent anti-social behaviour. Councils were given the power to enforce them in 2014 through section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. The authority lists the activity that is banned within a particular geographical area, with a 100 initial fine rising to 1,000 if it goes to court. MPs have also introduced buffer zones around abortion clinics following an amendment to the Public Order Bill. This makes it an offence to intimidate or harass anyone within 150 metres of the buildings. Anyone found guilty of breaching the zone to intimidate, threaten or persuade women will face a fine or six months' imprisonment, increasing to two years for repeat offences. The law change came out over concerns about councils being sued by anti-abortion campaigners challenging PSPOs. Advertisement

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, director of anti-abortion group March for Life UK, was arrested for violating a PSCO after she admitted that she might have been praying silently while standing outside.

The West Midlands Police officer told the campaigner that he had to caution her and then asked her: 'What are you here for today?'

'Physically, I'm just standing here,' Miss Vaughan-Spruce, from Malvern, Worcestershire, replied.

'Why here of all places? I know you don't live nearby,' the officer asked.

She responded: 'But this is an abortion centre.'

The officer said: 'Okay, that's why you're stood here. Are you here as part of a protest? Are you praying?'

She denied she was protesting but when asked if she was praying she said: 'I might be praying in my head, but not out loud.'

The officer then arrested her on suspicion of failing to comply with a public spaces protection order.

She is now due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on February 2.

It sparked a fierce debate, with ADF claiming she had been accused of a 'thoughtcrime' but others defending the need for restrictions around abortion centres to protect women from harassment.

Retiree Nadine Billingham said abortion clinics had become 'unsafe for women'.

She tweeted: 'The area around abortion clinics has become very unsafe for women attending the clinics.

'Making these areas protected public spaces has sadly become necessary due to the violence/harassment perpetrated by a few loonies. It must include everyone, even those praying silently.'

The organisation is also representing a Catholic woman who was confronted by a police officer during a similar stunt outside a BPAS clinic in Birmingham last month. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested and charged with violating a PSPO

West Midlands Police said: 'The PSPO creates a zone around a specific facility to protect women from harassment by any means if they are seeking a medical procedure or advice at an abortion clinic.'

MPs voted to introduce formal buffer zones around abortion clinics in October after Labour proposed an amendment to the Public Order Bill to make it an offence to intimidate or harass anyone within 150 metres of the buildings.

Anyone found guilty of breaching the zone to intimidate, threaten or persuade women will face a fine or six months' imprisonment, increasing to two years for repeat offences.

The law change came out over concerns about councils being sued by anti-abortion campaigners challenging PSPOs.

MailOnline has contacted Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council for comment.
The shocking claim that Tiger King star Carole Baskin's long-assumed-dead ex-husband Don Lewis is actually alive was a surprising development in the case, particularly to the Florida sheriff's office that is still actively searching for him.

In a televised interview from months ago, Baskin claimed her ex-husband, who was declared legally dead in 2002 after disappearing years before, is still alive.

The claim that he is 'alive and well in Costa Rica' has been called into question by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which remains in charge of the hunt for Lewis and still has an open missing persons case for him.

Big Cat rescuer Carole Baskin (left) with her first husband Don Lewis, prior to his mysterious 1997 disappearance

The unverified Department of Homeland Security letter claiming Don Lewis remains alive and well and is living in Costa Rica. He was 59 when he disappeared and would be 84 now

Jack Don Lewis remains listed as a 'missing endangered adult,' who on August 18, 1997 'left his families [sic] residence and has not been seen or heard from since.'

The New York Post reported on Thursday that the sheriff's office largely dismissed Baskin's remarks that her ex is alive and thriving in the tropics.

A spokesperson for the office said that they had not heard anything about Lewis' whereabouts, despite Baskin's claim that a Department of Homeland Security official had been in touch with her ex and subsequently informed the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's public information office, Fentress Fountain, said: 'We have not received any communication from our federal partners that confirms the location of missing person Mr. Don Lewis.'

'The investigation into Don Lewis' disappearance remains a priority for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, as do all missing person cases.'

Baskin said that she had not herself known about the letter from DHS until season two of Tiger King aired and briefly included an undated and unverified Homeland Security letter that read in part, 'Don Lewis is currently alive and well in Costa Rica.'

At the time the claim was first generated, the lead detective on the case - Cpl. Moises Garcia - told the Tampa Bay Times that the case remains open, despite the apparent letter from DHS.

'We continue to push hard on this case ... We still have some avenues. Not a week goes by that we don't have our hand in this case,' he said.

He told the outlet that DHS had recently assisted the sheriff's office by 'running down leads in Costa Rica,' but did not confirm that those leads led to reports that Lewis was found 'alive and well.'

Baskin and Lewis in Tiger King season 2. In 1997, he left his residence and was never seen by friends or family members again

A UK TV interview from 2021 in which Carole Baskin claimed her legally dead husband Don Lewis is alive and living in Costa Rica recently resurfaced

Joe Exotic (pictured), whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is now serving a 21 year prison sentence for hiring two hitmen to kill Baskin

Two years after Don Lewis was declared legally dead, Carole remarried Howard Baskin, her current husband

An attorney for Baskin's currently-imprisoned nemesis Joe Exotic also slammed the claim that Lewis is in fact still walking among us.

'He is not alive,' wrote John Phillips, sharing a link to coverage of Baskin's claim.

'During the filming of Tiger King, detailed efforts were made to find Don Lewis. They all failed. He is now alive,' he wrote.

Lewis was 59 when he went missing, he would be 84 now if he is still alive. In his missing person file, he is listed as being 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds.

Several years after his disappearance, Baskin went on to wed her current husband, Howard.
Flowers and toys are placed on a fragment of a helicopter that crashed at a kindergarten in Brovary, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 18. AP-Yonhap



A helicopter carrying Ukraine's interior minister crashed into a kindergarten in a foggy residential suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, killing him and about a dozen other people, including a child on the ground, authorities said.



Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw the country's police and emergency services, is the most senior official killed since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago. His death, along with the rest of his ministry's leadership and the entire helicopter crew, was the second major calamity in four days to befall Ukraine, after a Russian missile struck an apartment building in the southeastern city of Dnipro, killing dozens of civilians.



There was no immediate word on whether the helicopter crash, which occurred on a foggy morning in the capital's eastern suburb of Brovary, was an accident or related to the war. Ukrainian authorities immediately opened an investigation. No fighting has been reported recently in the capital region.



President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by video link  said the crash had a broad connection to the war.



''This is not an accident because it has been due to war and the war has many dimensions, not just on the battlefields,'' he said after asking the Davos audience to join him in a standing minute of silence to honor those killed. ''There are no accidents at wartime. These are all war results.''



Ukraine's State Emergency Service, which was operating the French-manufactured Super Puma helicopter, said at least 14 people were killed, including nine on the helicopter, and a child on the ground. It said 25 people were injured, including 11 children. Early official reports gave differing numbers of casualties.



At the scene of the crash and ensuing fire, plastic sheets covered at least four bodies. Workers cleared charred and mangled wreckage lying against an apartment building and in the kindergarten's playground. Some walls were partly demolished and blackened. The helicopter's blackened rotors protruded from a destroyed car and rested on the roof of a building's entrance.



Kyiv regional Gov. Oleksii Kuleba told Ukrainian television that emergency services were still identifying remains and that the death toll could rise.



The crash killed five Interior Ministry officials, one national police official and all three helicopter crew members, the Ukraine National Police said. Monastyrskyi's deputy Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych were among the dead, the police said.



Monastyrskyi, 42, was in charge of police and emergency services that dealt with the consequences of Russian strikes and de-mining, political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told The Associated Press.





In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, speaks with Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 17. AP-Yonhap
Sir Keir Starmer today jibed at Rishi Sunak for not having joined him in schmoozing business elites in Davos.

The Labour leader used an appearance at the World Economic Forum to claim the Prime Minister's absence from the event was a sign of Britain's economic 'drift'.

He claimed Mr Sunak 'should have showed up' and insisted his own attendance - together with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves - was a 'statement of intent' about Labour's efforts to seize power from the Tories.

This week's gathering in Davos, the Swiss ski resort, is the first in-person World Economic Forum since the Covid pandemic began.

It is being attended by the usual cast of global politicians and business elites.

But the PM is not attending with Downing Street having said his focus is on domestic matters such as the economy, the NHS and the Channel migrant crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer today jibed at Rishi Sunak for not having joined him in schmoozing business elites in Davos

The Labour leader used an appearance at the World Economic Forum to claim the Prime Minister's own absence from the event was a sign of Britain's economic 'drift'

Sir Keir insisted his own attendance - together with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves - was a 'statement of intent' about Labour's efforts to seize power from the Tories

The PM is not attending with Downing Street having said his focus is on domestic matters such as the economy, the NHS and the Channel migrant crisis

Starmer admits he prefers Davos over Westminster - and picks Morgan over Corbyn Keir Starmer has admitted he prefers Davos to Westminster in an episode of the News Agents podcast. 'Westminster is too constrained,' he said. 'Once you get out of Wesminster, whether it's Davos or anywhere else, you actually engage with people that you can see working with in the future. 'Westminster is just a tribal shouting place.' Sir Keir was also asked whether he would prefer to sit next to Piers Morgan or his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, as two fellow Arsenal fans. 'Piers Morgan,' Sir Keir swiftly replied. Advertisement

Appearing at a Davos panel event today, Sir Keir claimed Mr Sunak's absence was being noted at the gathering.

'Yes, I think our PM should have showed up at Davos,' the Labour leader said.

'One of the things that's been impressed on me since I've been here is the absence of the UK.

'That's why it's really important that I'm here and that our shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is here.

'As a statement of intent that should there be a change of government  and I hope there will be  the UK will play its part on the global stage in a way I think it probably hasn't in recent years.'

Sir Keir also claimed Mr Sunak's decision not to attend the World Economic Forum was evidence of Britain's 'drift'.

The Labour leader attacked a 'failure to grow the economy' during the Conservatives' time in power.

'I think that if you look at the UK, for 13 years the Achilles heel has been failure to grow the economy, and so this predated Brexit,' he said.

'Brexit made that even harder and that's why we've been making the case for a closer economic relationship with the EU.

'But it's not just the EU, we've not had a strategic plan in the UK for 10 years. And if you don't have a strategic plan, it's very hard to attract investment.'

Sir Keir blamed a lack of foreign investment on a 'sense of instability and drift' caused by the recent turmoil in the Tory party.

'We've got all the attributes for investment, we just need to create the circumstances, the environment in which we can change around what I think is the drift,' he added.

'The fact that our PM is not here I think is evidence of the drift. And we intend to reverse that.'

Sir Tony Blair also spoke at a Davos event today, with the ex-PM telling an audience 'there's "unforgivable" politics and "forgivable" politics' in the response to pandemics

Former Labour leader Sir Tony Blair also spoke at a Davos event today, with the ex-PM telling an audience 'there's "unforgivable" politics and "forgivable" politics' in the response to pandemics.

'The unforgivable politics is turning a public health issue into a political issue,' Sir Tony said.

'What's unforgivable is turning things like whether you wear a face mask or not into a political issue - that is unforgivable and stupid.

'But there's a forgivable politics. If you're a politician and you're facing an election and you've got the ability to vaccinate your people, you're going to vaccinate you're people first.

'The question really is, how do you create a situation in which that more forgiveable political anxiety is dealt with by a plan that allows you now to work on what are the elements you're going to need in order for this to be dealt with in the future equitably and properly.'
Argos has announced plans to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland by this summer in a move that will see hundreds of jobs axed.

The company employs around 580 people in 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland. The hours worked by staff in Ireland equate to 330 full-time roles.

Argos said it arrived at the decision to leave Ireland following a long period of 'careful consideration' and a 'thorough review' of its business and operations in the country.

There will be no changes made to Argos stores in the UK, where the company is 'performing well'.

Argos employs around 580 people in 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland, but the company announced today it would close all stores by the summer.

The company said it concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was 'not viable', and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business.

How the Argos catalogue went from being in most UK at its peak to being canned after 47 years Argos heralded the end of an era in July 2020 when it announced it would no longer print its iconic catalogue after 47 years. Instead the retailer said it would list products online due to a 'shift in customers' shopping habits'. Almost one billion were printed since it was first launched in 1972. The first Argos catalogue in 1973 At its peak, the Argos catalogue was Europe's most widely-printed publication, with only the Bible in more homes across the UK. Mark Given, chief marketing officer at Sainsbury's - which owns Argos - said at the time: 'Over the decades the Argos catalogue has charted the nation's changing tastes and trends in everything from must-have toys to the latest gadgets and devices. 'Just as our customers' tastes have changed over the years, so have their shopping habits. We're seeing an increasing shift towards digital shopping, using our mobile app, website and in-store browsers. Advertisement

Argos said it would consult with staff and the trade union Mandate, and offer an 'enhanced redundancy package' that goes 'well beyond' its statutory obligations.

It said a 'small number' of staff not eligible for redundancy under Irish law were set to receive a 'one-off goodwill payment'.

The company said it was also committed to a programme of wider support to staff over the coming months.

Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland operations manager, said: 'We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues.

'As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted.

'On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business.'

Argos said its UK operations, including 253 standalone sites and 422 stores inside Sainsbury's, - were 'performing well'.

The spokesman said UK stores were unaffected by the announcement, insisting there would be no change to how it operates in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

The majority of Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until June 24.

The retailer will now begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business and customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after March 22.

Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.

Sainsbury's purchased Argos, which sells toys, technology and consumer electronics, for 1.1bn in 2016.

Its strategy in the UK has been to close most standalone Argos stores, while opening outlets within Sainsbury's supermarkets, but the group does not have supermarkets in Ireland.

Meanwhile, LloydsPharmacy announced today it will close its 237 pharmacy sites within Sainsbury's supermarkets just seven years after buying them for 125million.

The pharmacy chain said it has cut the services following a strategic review 'in response to changing market conditions'

It said the move was a strategic review 'in response to changing market conditions'.

LloydsPharmacy added it's 'exploring options' for each site individually and will confirm exact closure plans on a 'branch-by-branch' basis. But it expects to complete the process over the course of 2023.

It stressed that it is working with all colleagues impacted by the announcement but did not disclose how many workers would be affected.

Sainsbury's confirmed that LoydsPharmacy was withdrawing from its stores, while the chemist's chief executive said: 'This decision has not been an easy one'.
Two retired Metropolitan Police officers have been charged with child sex offences as part of an investigation into a serving Met chief inspector who was found dead before he could also be charged.

In a statement, the Met said the charges followed a 'lengthy and complex' investigation into Richard Watkinson, 49, who was a serving Met Chief Inspector for neighbourhoods policing at the West Area Command Unit.

He was found dead in Buckinghamshire on Thursday, January 12, the same day he was due to answer bail to be charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, voyeurism and two counts of misconduct in public office.

The Crown Prosecution Service had authorised charges against him.

The body of Richard Watkinson, 49, was found at his home after he failed to report to a police station on the morning he was due to be charged

The Met was facing questions about safeguarding because after it was revealed the 49-year-old was a prominent officer in its west area basic command unit, where he was the schools portfolio lead for neighbourhoods

His death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious and an inquest has opened and adjourned.

Met officers found Watkinson's body having attended the address following welfare concerns.

He had been suspended from duty following his arrest in July 2021.

Jack Addis, 63, of no fixed address but from Perthshire, Scotland, and Jeremy Laxton, 62, from Lincolnshire, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, February 9.

Addis has been charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children. He was arrested in November 2021.

Laxton has been charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, possession of prohibited images of a child, possession of extreme pornographic images and intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence (misconduct in public office). He was arrested in September 2021.

They both left the force over a decade ago.

The alleged offences took place between January 1, 2018 and September 20, 2021.

Commander Jon Savell, said: 'Chief Inspector Watkinson was facing extremely serious and concerning charges, as the result of a painstaking and thorough police investigation.

'Before this matter came to light, we had no previous information about these allegations or to indicate the officer posed any risk to the public.

'He had not faced any other criminal or conduct matters during his Met career.

'He had been suspended from duty since his arrest.

'Two other men were also arrested during the course of the investigation and have been charged, their matters will now progress through the courts.'
Ronald Kessler, a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, is the New York Times bestselling author of 21 books, including 'The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents'

Both the White House and Secret Service told reporters tracking President Biden's mishandling of classified documents at his Wilmington residence that they do not keep records of visitors to his home because it is a personal residence.

'Like every president in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,' the White House Counsel's Office said Monday.

Likewise, Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said the agency does not track people who visit a president's personal home, because it is a 'private residence'.

That is misleading at best.

In fact, the Secret Service does maintain records of visitors to the homes of all presidents and former presidents, including Biden's Wilmington home.

The White House and Secret Service said this week that they do not keep records of visitors to Biden's Wilmington home because it is a personal residence. But DailyMail.com can reveal that is misleading at best

Biden is under heat for having classified documents in his Delaware home. An aerial view of the lakefront mansion is pictured

In an interview, Guglielmi acknowledged that, before anyone visits the home of Biden or any other former president, the Secret Service conducts a background check that generates electronic records on the visit and the results of the background check.

Those records are never expunged.

Guglielmi told DailyMail.com he never intended to mislead. When asked for comment by reporters, he said he explained how guests and workers who enter the homes of Biden and other former presidents are screened.

While logs recording visits are not kept as they are at the White House, electronic records are generated and retained, but the reporters tended to leave out the full story, he said.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, misled when he said the agency does not track people who visit a president's personal home. He later told DailyMail.com he never intended to mislead

As at Biden's home, anyone who visits former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home or enters its grounds must first provide details of his or her identity so a background check can be conducted. The check is part of what is called Access Control Procedure.

And on Friday, Fox News revealed that the Secret Service is prepared to hand over names of Biden's Wilmington visitors, if requested by Congress.

'When a visitor is to come to Biden's home in Wilmington, his staff notifies the Secret Service and provides details on the visitor's identity,' says Norm Jarvis, a former Secret Service agent.

'An electronic check is conducted to uncover any criminal records, warrants for arrests, or contact with a foreign intelligence service. The electronic records on the background check and the visit are never expunged.'

Once the individual is cleared, he or she must show some form of identification upon arrival, Jarvis says.

There has been just one exception to the rules. At the direction of former President Clinton, it waived the requirement that visitors to his Chappaqua home check in and undergo a Secret Service background check when the visitor was a woman Secret Service agents jokingly code-named Energizer.

'When a visitor is to come to Biden's home in Wilmington, his staff notifies the Secret Service and provides details on the visitor's identity,' former Secret Service agent Norm Jarvis said. The entrance to Biden's Wilmington home is pictured

An electronic check is conducted to uncover any criminal records for anyone who enters a president's home. 'The electronic records on the background check and the visit are never expunged,' Jarvis said

As revealed in 'The First Family Detail,' a Secret Service agent recalled that when he was first assigned to guard Bill Clinton at Chappaqua, a supervisor walked him around the complex, showing him all the security posts and describing how to work each one.

'At the front post, where there is a guard booth, I was instructed on what to do when a visitor drives up,' the agent said. 'Gather, collect, and maintain a picture form of ID, log them in to the visitors' book, and make sure they're on the list to come in,' he said.

Book 'The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents' is written by Ronald Kessler

'If they weren't, there's someone you could call,' the agent said. 'There's a certain protocol you go down, and it was scripted with everything you do. And as I was being instructed by the supervisor, he told me, ''Except there's one that you don't log into the book: the blonde.'''

Smiling, the agent asked: 'What do you mean?'

'Well, you'll know,' the supervisor said. 'She's maybe in her forties, attractive, blond, tan,' the supervisor said. He said she lived nearby and drove an SUV.

'When she comes in, you don't log her in,' the supervisor instructed. 'You don't take her ID.'

Nor, he said, should the agent run her name, date of birth, and Social Security number through the criminal databases the Secret Service uses to check on arrests, outstanding warrants, and other potential problems such as contact with a foreign intelligence service.

No other exceptions were to be made, whether they were landscapers, Clinton staffers, or relatives. Only the president and vice president are exempt from such security checks.

'If we know about it ahead of time, we'll call you and let you know to open the gate for her,' the supervisor said. 'You don't stop her, you don't approach her, you just let her go in.'

Bill and Hillary Clinton are pictured at their Chappaqua, New York, home in 2000. At the direction of former President Clinton, the Secret Service waived the requirement that visitors to his home check in when the visitor was a blond woman agents jokingly code-named Energizer. She would show up when Hillary was gone

Donald Trump on Thursday said Biden was getting the 'white glove treatment' after classified documents were found in his home

Anyone who visits former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home or enters its grounds must first provide details of his or her identity so a background check can be conducted. The check is part of what is called Access Control Procedure

When the newly assigned agent began talking with other agents at the command post located over the Clintons' detached garage, he learned his fellow agents' unofficial code name for the woman: Energizer.

The code name beginning with 'E' followed Secret Service protocol: In assigning code names to a protectee's family, the Secret Service chooses names that all start with the same letter. Thus, Bill Clinton is Eagle. When she was protected, Chelsea Clinton was Energy.

As a former first lady who is protected by the Secret Service, Hillary Clinton has the code name Evergreen.

Whenever Hillary left town, Energizer would arrive.

'It was kind of funny,' said another agent who was assigned to Chappaqua. 'She [Hillary] would leave, and the mistress would arrive just a few minutes later. Obviously, someone has made a phone call.'

'The mistress would show up sometimes moments after Hillary had left,' a third agent said.

'I let her in many times at the front gate,' another[1] agent said. 'Normally, we held a driver's license or other form of picture ID when visitors were in the residence. The ID was kept at the main gate's guard booth we manned 24/7. Not so in her case.'

'I would log in John Doe, the lawn maintenance contractor, or his staff members, and check them out, but you'll never see a record of Energizer anywhere,' the first agent said.
He claims she lied so she could sell copies of her 2019 memoir

Donald Trump mistook columnist E. Jean Carroll, the woman who accused him of rape in a New York City department store, for his ex-wife Marla Maples during his deposition last year.

'That's Marla, yeah,' the 76-year-old Trump said when shown a photograph of Carroll according to the transcript. 'That's my wife'.

But his lawyer Alina Habba stepped in and corrected him.

The mistake could potentially undermine Trump's denials in future court proceedings after the former president claimed he would not have assaulted Carroll because 'she's not my type.'

Maples, a former actress, is the mother of Trump's daughter Tiffany.

Trump has denied knowing Carroll, despite a 1987 photo showing them along with Carroll's then-husband and the former president's first wife Ivana Trump, who died last year.

Donald Trump was reportedly shown this photo with his first wife, Ivana, rape accuser E. Jean Carroll and Carroll's then-husband, when he mistook her for Marla Maples

It was that photo that he was apparently shown in October 2022 when he mistook her for his second ex-wife.

That same month, Trump referenced the picture when he raged at Carroll on his social media platform Truth Social.

'I don't know this woman, have no idea who she is, other than it seems she got a picture of me many years ago, with her husband, shaking my hand on a reception line at a celebrity charity event,' he said.

'She completely made up a story that I met her at the doors of this crowded New York City Department Store and, within minutes, 'swooned' her. It is a Hoax and a lie, just like all the other Hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years.'

In a memoir written after he became president, veteran writer Carroll accused Trump of raping her in dressing room of Manhattan's Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s during a chance encounter.

She sued Trump for defamation in 2019 after he accused her of lying to sell her book.

Trump shares a daughter, Tiffany, with actress Marla Maples (pictured, left, in 1996). Writer E. Jean Carroll (pictured, right, in 2020) accused him of sexual assault

In her 2019 book, Carroll recalled running into Trump at the store where he sought her help in buying a gift for a woman.

She claimed he attacked her after getting her into a dressing room in the lingerie department.

According to parts of the transcript released last week, Trump said under oath: 'She said that I did something to her that never took place. There was no anything. I know nothing about this nut job.'

The deposition took place in October 2022. In another section, the 2024 presidential candidate said: 'I know nothing about her. I think she's sick, mentally sick.' Trump reiterated his claim that Carroll was 'not his type.'

He also apparently told Carroll's lawyer, 'I will sue her after this is over, and thats the thing I really look forward to doing. And Ill sue you, too.'

Trump reportedly told Carroll's lawyer he would sue them and their client, excerpts of his deposition released last week show

At another point, the previously-released transcript shows Trump claiming Carroll said she 'loved' sexual assault, in reference to an interview she did with Anderson Cooper on CNN, where she explained she refused to call the alleged incident 'rape' because, she said, some believe 'rape is sexy.'

'She loved it until commercial break. In fact, I think she said it was sexy, didnt she? She said it was very sexy to be raped. Didnt she say that?' Trump said according to the excerpt.

The columnist's lawyer is written as having asked, 'Its your testimony that E Jean Carroll said that she loved being sexually assaulted by you?'

'Well, based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I believe thats what took place,' the transcript says Trump replied. 'I think she said that rape was sexy - which its not, by the way.'

The release of excerpts from the deposition came the same day as federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan also refused a request by Trump's lawyers to toss out two lawsuits by Carroll alleging defamation and rape. An April trial is planned.

In releasing the transcript, Kaplan called Trump's legal team's arguments to keep it sealed as 'entirely baseless.'
Nikki Haley allegedly schemed with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to be Donald Trump's vice president instead of Mike Pence, a new book excerpt revealed on Thursday.

Mike Pompeo, the former Trump administration Secretary of State who's generated his own White House buzz for 2024, accused Haley of trying to 'undermine' the work officials were doing to improve the country.

It's an especially loaded jab considering Haley herself has hinted she's at least considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir obtained by The Guardian, Pompeo claimed Haley swindled herself into a four-way meeting with Trump along with his daughter and son-in-law - who were senior White House advisers at the time.

Former South Carolina Governor and Trump UN ambassador Nikki Haley has signaled that she may throw her hat in the ring for 2024

Then-Chief of Staff John Kelly allegedly believed she would be coming to meet with Trump alone. Pompeo described him as irate at how it panned out.

Pompeo wrote that the four 'were presenting a possible "Haley for vice-president" option,' citing Kelly's assumptions.

'I cant confirm this, but [Kelly] was certain he had been played, and he was not happy about it. Clearly, this visit did not reflect a team effort but undermined our work for America,' the former Trump official wrote.

He also reportedly claimed Trump at one point wanted him to run both the State Department and the Pentagon - something Pompeo dismissed as 'nutty.'

A former government official told DailyMail.com that Haley wanted to meet with Trump to tell him she was leaving her United Nations post but did not trust Kelly or Pompeo to set up the meeting.

'[Haley] asked Jared and Ivanka to set up a meeting with president because she didnt trust Kelly or Pompeo,' the official said.

'It wasnt about vice president at all, the official added. Never did she mention to Jared or Ivanka about vice president.'

'She was intending to leave and she thought those guys might leak it, the person noted. She wanted Trump to know she was leaving but she was still with him and she was afraid that Kelly or Pompeo would leak it.'

In a November 2019 interview, the ex-president told the hosts of Fox & Friends that Pence was his 'man' as rumors swirled at the time that he was considering replacing the conservative former Indiana governor with Haley - the former governor of South Carolina.

A forthcoming book claims Nikki Haley tried to get Donald Trump to replace Mike Pence with her as vice president with the help of his senior White House advisers - and relatives - Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

The book excerpt suggests Pompeo is heavily critical of Haley, and believes she over-inflated her importance as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations.

'She has described her role as going toe-to-toe with tyrants,' he reportedly wrote.

'If so, then why would she quit such an important job at such an important time?'

He said Haley's role was 'far less important than people think.'

The memoir is titled Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.

Pompeo told Fox News Sunday last month that he will make a decision on whether to run in 2024 this spring.

'Its not about the Pompeos. This is about getting this right for the country. We got to make sure we do that, and Im confident that the country will get it right come 2024,' he said at the time.

Pompeo previously told Fox News that he would make a decision about his White House plans this spring

So far, the only formally declared candidate for 2024 is the former president himself.

After Trump announced his third campaign in a lavish ceremony at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Pompeo told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that 'what some other person decides wont have any impact' on his own White House ambitions.

A new national poll by Morning Consult shows Trump with a commanding lead in the early prospective 2024 Republican field.

Forty-eight percent of respondents said they want the former president to top the GOP ticket for a third time.

He beats out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is the runner-up with 31 percent support, by a wide 17-point margin.

Haley is far down the list with 2 percent support and Pompeo with even less, at just 1 percent.
The City of Portland, Oregon, has released an online dashboard that documents more than 30,000 homeless campsites reported in the past year as officials vow to clean them up.

The Homelessness and Urban Camping Incident Response Program (HUCIRP) launched the dashboard on Wednesday to give the public more clarity on how they are handling the dire homeless situation in the City of Roses.

The interactive map shows the thousands of camps in the Oregon city, their risk level, and before and after photos after crews have cleaned up.

The city has vowed to clean up homeless encampments within three days if they pose a risk, which is evaluated on several factors, including criminal data, garbage, obstruction of ADA walkways, and the amount of drug paraphernalia, according to KPTV.

Campsites are cleaned up and assessed through the Clean Start program - which is made up of formerly homeless people, inmates, and those who face a lack of employment, mental health, or addiction issues.

Nearly 3,000 campsites have been posted to Portland's new dashboard (pictured), while 34,000 are queued from assessment. Each are given a risk assessment of high, medium, or low

The city has already cleaned up 1,800 campsites within the last year (pictured). The goal is not to remove all camps, but clear away those that are harming society

'Once on-site, they will conduct an assessment on behalf of the city,' Jonathan Lewis, the HUCIRP program coordinator, said in a video statement. 'They'll go and engage with the folks that were there if it's an active campsite. They'll offer resources, they'll provide trash bags, and they'll also pick up sharps and debris and garbage.'

One of Clean Start workers, James Ruenz, said that they pick up 'about 1,000 pounds a day' of garbage and 'around 80 to 100 syringes' a day.

'I think of my job more as outreach than glorified garbage man. It's essentially treating these people with dignity and respect, to try and help the people out,' James said. 'Pick up their garbage, drop off the blue bags, give them an option to be able to clean up after themselves and keep a tidy camp.'

Clean Start workers are sent out in groups of two.

A total of 107,000 reports have come through in the last year from Portland citizens, but 73,000 were duplicates, leaving 34,000 requests that still need assessments by the Clean Start workers.

Within the last 10 days, however, there has been approximately 1,000 campsites reported, a spokesperson from the City of Portland told DailyMail.com on Thursday.

'In that 10-day period, 120 camps were posted for removal, and 114 of which have been cleared or removed,' she said.

The Business Director of the Clean Start Program, Jay McIntyre, said they decided to employ formerly homeless people, among others, to clean up camps because they walked in similar shoes as those they encounter.

'They can go into these camps more compassionately and more respectfully than people that don't have that lived experience. And [they] are able to get that buy-in from the campers because they've been in the same shoes,' he said in the video.

'They have families. They have kids. They have mothers. They have friends. You know, they're people.'

James agreed, saying: 'We're not out here trying to approach them and tell them how they need to change. We out here acting it out and walking it out every day. We tell them: "Hey, I was in your same situation. Now I'm a year clean, have a job."'

The campsites (pictured) are cleaned up if they pose a risk to society and assessed based on garbage, criminal data, obstruction of ADA walkways, and the amount of drug paraphernalia

Campsites (pictured) are cleaned up and assessed through the Clean Start program - which is made up of former homeless people, inmates, and those who face a lack of employment, mental health, or addiction issues

Workers are sent out in groups of two. Clean Start workers, James Ruenz, said that him and his partner pick up 'about 1,000 pounds a day' of garbage and 'around 80 to 100 syringes' a day.

Currently, only 2,800 homeless camps have been posted to the dashboard within the last year, while 34,000 are queued for assessment (pictured: a homeless person in Portland in October)

A line of campers are stationed along a road where homeless people are staying (pictured: Portland homeless camp in October)

On average, an assessment is completed within 3.5 business days and around 200 to 300 camps are cleaned up each month

Clean Start workers carry resource cards with them to give the homeless access to medical health, mental health, and Hepatitis C treatment at the Blackburn Center, a shelter for those suffering from domestic or sexual violence.

Within a six-month period in 2019, the Clean Start workers cleaned up 644 tons, or 1,288,000 pounds, of garbage and more than 37,000 needles from public spaces. They also completed 8,000 assessments. The year prior, there were 9,000 assessments completed.

Currently, only 2,800 homeless camps have been posted to the dashboard within the last year, while 34,000 are queued for assessment. HUCIRP has already done 31,000 risk assessments.

So far in January 2023, a total of 1,247 assessments have already been completed, with 706 marked high risk, 252 marked medium risks, and 289 marked low risk.

So far in January, 176 camps have been cleaned and 293 in December

So far in January 2023, a total of 1,247 assessments have already been completed, with 706 marked high risk, 252 were marked medium risks, and 289 were marked low risk (pictured)

The city saw a spike in reports in September and November as the weather got cold, with more than 1,000 assessments being performed in each month.

On average, an assessment is completed within 3.5 business days and around 200 to 300 camps are cleaned up each month.

The goal of the program is not to remove camps, but rather as a 'last resort.'

Mayor Ted Wheeler said he was 'grateful to the IRP and Street Services Coordination Center teams for working to build this valuable resource which is part of my commitment to good governance, increased transparency, and improved responsiveness to our community.'

Portland citizen, Dean Luckowicze, also said it was a 'long time coming' and called the program 'fantastic.'

'We have a beautiful city and its great to get back to that,' he told KPTV. 'It's a tall venture. I'm a pure optimist, so I'm optimistic, [but] confidence [in the city's program], that's another question.'

James Ruenz and his coworker pick up trash around an encampment in Portland 'I think of my job more as outreach than glorified garbage man. It's essentially treating these people with dignity and respect, to try and help the people out,' James said
London Underground workers on the Bakerloo line are to stage two strikes next month in a row over safety.

Members of Aslef will walk out on February 4 and 11 after voting in favour of industrial action.

The union is in dispute over a plan it says would allow trains to go into sidings and depots without a check to ensure that passengers have left the train.

Aslef dubbed the proposal 'flash and dash', warning that passengers would have to depend on hearing unreliable PA announcements on 50-year-old trains to avoid being taken into depots and sidings.

Members of Aslef on the Bakerloo line will walk out on February 4 and 11 after voting in favour (stock image of a Bakerloo line tube train)

Currently, trains are physically checked to make sure they are empty and it is safe for the driver to proceed, but the union said management want to remove this safety check as part of a cost-cutting plan.

Finn Brennan, Aslef's organiser on the Underground, said: 'This puts both passengers and staff at risk.

'Previous experience had shown that removing physical checks means that thousands of passengers are unwittingly taken into sidings or depots.

'We understand the pressure that London Underground is under to cut costs, but this cannot be at the expense of the safety of passengers and staff.'

Aslef members will refuse to take trains into sidings or depots without safety checks and will strike on the first two Saturdays in February.

A TfL spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The safety of staff and customers is our number one priority and we have never compromised on safety and never will.

'No one wants to see strike action on the network, especially when we are trying to encourage commuters and visitors back into London.

'We will continue to work with ASLEF and urge them to call off this action.'

Britain is seeing workforces across a range of industries striking in their masses in rows against pay and conditions.

Railway workers, Royal Mail staff, Border Force, nurses, paramedics and teachers are among those walking out to say they feel 'underpaid, understaffed and undervalued'.

The country will grind to a halt as co-ordinated action will see hundreds of thousands of train drivers, teachers, airport staff and civil servants strike on February 1.
Police have received more more calls regarding Met rapist David Carrick - amid fears the officer committed further sex crimes.

Carrick, 48, was this week exposed as one of Britain's most prolific rapists after admitting 49 charges against a dozen women, including 24 counts of rape, while serving with the force between 2003 and 2020.

Despite facing complaints about his behavior prior to joining the Met, and multiple times throughout his career, no action was taken until his arrest on suspicion of rape in October 2021.

Hertfordshire Police, which led the investigation due to some of Carrick's victims having been attacked at his home in Stevenage, has now revealed that more people have come forward since his offending came to light on Monday.

Carrick, 48, was this week exposed as one of Britain's most prolific rapists after admitting 49 charges against a dozen women

The 48-year-old abused his police powers to target his victims, showing them his warrant card and saying: 'I'm a police officer, you're safe with me.'

The Met may need to change its name following Carrick case, Keir Starmer says The Metropolitan Police may need to change its name in a 'root and branch' review of the force following the David Carrick case, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Labour leader said the crimes committed by the former officer - who admitted 49 criminal charges including 24 counts of rape - were 'jaw-droppingly shocking'. He suggested the scale of the change now needed at the Met may be comparable to the policing reforms in Northern Ireland in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement which led to the Royal Ulster Constabulary being replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In an interview with Global Players The News Agents podcast, Sir Keir said the Carrick case followed other scandals where there had been a failure to take action against the perpetrators. 'It absolutely needs fundamental review. The Carrick case is just jaw-droppingly shocking. 'But its obviously not a single case on its own. There are other examples, many of which weve seen in the last few years', he said. 'It needs a root and branch review, cultural change, because this is not just the perpetrators, its those that have allowed this to happen, move them around, not taken action when they should have done. 'With the police service in Northern Ireland... that was root and branch, that was stripping it down. 'It was also very important that it was called the Police Service of Northern Ireland because it changed the way in which the force was looking, it was a service to the public, not a police force.' Pressed on whether the Met should change its name, Sir Keir added: 'If changing the name signals a change, then perhaps, but it was very important to what we were trying to achieve in Northern Ireland that it was the Police Service of Northern Ireland.' Advertisement

A spokesperson for the force said: 'We have already received some information via the portal and our usual reporting channels, following Mondays hearing.

'We will be contacting everyone who has been in touch. Should any further offences come to light, they will be investigated accordingly and appropriate support will be provided if required.

'We will not be providing further detail about the number or nature of these calls.'

Authorities have been encouraging any other potential victims to come forward, particularly since there is a six-year gap in his known offending - between 2009 and 2015 - in which they believe further, as-yet unrevealed crimes took place.

It comes as police chiefs have warned that the legitimacy of the profession is 'hanging by a thread' amid calls for reforms to make it easier to catch other serving offenders.

Meanwhile, more than 500 calls flooded a hotline to report abuse complaints against Met police officers in a single day following the scandal.

Several officers are potentially facing investigations after the anti-corruption and abuse service received 700 calls about alleged sex and domestic violence yesterday.

Chief Constable of British Transport Police (BTP) Lucy DOrsi expressed her shame and anger that a fellow officer had been free to carry out his 18-year campaign of abuse.

Humberside Polices Chief Constable Lee Freeman also called it 'one of the darkest weeks for policing that I have known' in his career of nearly three decades.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said weak policies and decisions meant the serial rapist was able to stay in the force for so long, adding the force had 'let London down'.

The 48-year-old abused his police powers to target his victims, showing them his warrant card and saying: 'I'm a police officer, you're safe with me.'

The monster took delight in humiliating his victims, whom he branded his 'slaves' - with some locked in a small cupboard under the stairs for ten hours without food, whipped with a belt, or forced to clean his house naked.

The PC was able torture and abuse women for 17 years despite coming to police attention nine times before his arrest when rape and domestic violence allegations made against him.

Now more than 1,000 officers and staff at Scotland Yard who have previously been accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences are having their cases reviewed.

Carrick, was a Metropolitan Police firearms officer who previously worked on the Parliamentary estate

Carrick appearing in Southwark Crown Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to 24 counts of rape

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday promised reforms to make sure rogue police officers have 'no place to hide'.

At the same time, the Home Office announced all police forces have been asked to check their officers and staff against national police databases to 'identify anyone who has slipped through the net'.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also tasked the College of Policing with toughening police vetting.

Meanwhile, another watchdog review has been commissioned so His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) can check how forces have responded to its recent findings on vetting and corruption within the ranks to 'make sure chief officers are taking the necessary action to remove those who are not fit to serve'.

A review of the police disciplinary system to make sure officers who 'are not fit to serve the public' and 'fall short of the high standards expected of them' can be sacked is also being carried out by Home Office officials.
California and Florida are home to hundreds of endangered species, the most in the United States, according to conservation researchers.

The numbers come from a state-by-state look at which endangered species call which parts of America their home, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

The organization categorizes various creatures by their risk of global extinction and shows where they're native to.

An original breakdown was created by a Reddit user meant to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the US Endangered Species Act into law.

The law was signed by President Richard Nixon after near-unanimous passage in the House and Senate in late 1973.

It's designed to protect endangered species from extinction caused by 'economic growth and development un-tempered by adequate concern and conservation.'

In a ruling affirming the law, the Supreme Court called it 'the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation.'

California leads the nation, with 368 different endangered species calling the Golden State home.

Some of the state's endangered residents include sea otters, several different species of sea snails and dozens of different kinds of rare plant life.

Florida comes in second with 341, and, unsurprisingly, the state's endangered species include many sea creatures.

In addition to aquatic life like turtles and hammerhead sharks, it also has many endangered migratory birds.

Texas and Alabama have the third-highest numbers of endangered species, with 181 and 169, respectively.

The Lone Star State is home to some species of monkeys (who are housed in zoos) on the list, while Alabama contains everything from rabbits to bats.

The northern state with the most endangered species is New York, where creatures as different as whales and gazelles have both been found.

The four states in America with the fewest endangered species are all land-locked and all border one another: Montana (18), Wyoming (20), North Dakota and South Dakota (both 21).

Those areas are home to everything from whooping cranes to rare bumblebees - which have vanished from large swaths of the country.

In June, the White House announced plans to strengthen the ESA after rollbacks were instituted during the Trump administration.

In June, the Biden White House announced plans to strengthen the ESA after rollbacks were instituted during the Trump administration

American bumblebees are limited to eight states as they edge toward extinction

'This is a decisive move toward undoing the damage done by the previous administration to the bedrock law that protects endangered and threatened animal species and their habitat,' Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said in a statement at the time.

'Among other steps, federal agencies under the previous administration made it more difficult to grant and maintain protections for species facing extinction and created carve-outs catering to both state and special interests that privileged profits and economic development over the survival of imperiled wildlife,' Amundson added. 'Things are not supposed to work that way when it comes to ESA protections.'

Among other initiatives, the Department of the Interior under President Biden has reinstated a longstanding policy extending protections to species listed under the ESA as 'threatened,' including from being trapped, shot, harassed or otherwise harmed.
An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a strong earthquake, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 17, 2022. Reuters-Yonhap



Pacific island nations are urging Japan to delay the release of water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant over fears fisheries will be contaminated, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) said on Wednesday.



The Japanese government said last week that water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant could be released into the sea "around this spring or summer," raising concerns from island nations still grappling with the legacy of nuclear testing decades ago.



Japan had approved the future release of more than 1 million ton of water from the site into the ocean after treatment in April 2021.



The PIF, a regional bloc of 17 island nations, argues the release of the water could have a major impact on fishing grounds that island economies rely on, and where up to half of the world's tuna is sourced.



"Our region is steadfast that there be no discharge until all parties verify it is safe," PIF Secretary General Henry Puna said on Wednesday at a livestreamed public meeting in Suva, Fiji.



"We must prevent action that will lead or mislead us towards another major nuclear contamination disaster at the hands of others," he added, saying Pacific islanders continued to endure the long-term impacts of the nuclear testing legacy on a daily basis.



The United States conducted nuclear testing in the Pacific islands in the 1940s and 1950s and the Marshall Islands continues to campaign for more compensation from Washington over lasting health and environmental effects.





An aerial view shows tanks containing contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which suffered meltdowns on 11 March 2011, in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. EPA-Yonhap
James Clyburn is 'all-in' for President Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024  and warned other Democrats not to run a primary election against him because it could hurt him in a general race against the Republican nominee.

Clyburn is the assistant Democratic Leader in the House and helped propel Biden to earning the Democratic nomination after endorsing him in the 2020 primary.

The South Carolina representative told CBS News that he has been speaking with the president about the next presidential election.

He also said that other Democrats who have contemplated running in 2024 should think again.

While Biden has not yet said if he will run for reelection in 2024, he has suggested in the past that he has every indication to do so and with Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate.

Democratic assistant Leader James Clyburn said he is 'all-in' for President Joe Biden to run again in 2024  and warned other Democrats not to run a primary challenge against him

Clyburn says that he is 'convinced' that Biden will run because of his 'record.'

'I'm all-in for President Biden,' Clyburn said to CBS' Robert Costa in a Wednesday interview, adding that he would leave the timing for an announcement up to the president.

'I think he's demonstrated, in these two years  soon to be two years  that he is deserving of re-election. And I do believe that he will be re-elected irrespective of who the Republicans, they put up,' he said.

Former President Donald Trump announced November 15 that he will for the third time make a run for the White House after his defeat against Biden in 2020.

No other Republicans have yet announced if they will see the spot, but several polls show that a good percentage of GOP voters want to see Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on the ticket in 2024 instead of Trump.

Clyburn is widely credited with delivering South Carolina for Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary.

This win was said to resurrect Biden's campaign after defeats in first-in-the-nation caucus and primary elections in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Biden has not yet said whether he plans to launch a reelection campaign for 2024, but has suggested that he has every intention of doing so  and running with Vice President Kamala Harris on the ticket

Clyburn says that he has been encouraging Biden to campaign against the new Republican majority in the House as a way into the 2024 election cycle.

'I've told him on many occasions that I believe that he ought to announce for re-election,' the Democratic congressman said.

Other Democrats have been hesitant to announce whether they are considering a 2024 presidential run, especially before Biden reveals his plans.

'I don't think he will [face any primary challengers], and I don't think he should,' Clyburn said.

'The history is very clear on what happens when you challenge a sitting president like this,' he continued.

Clyburn claimed that past examples of sitting presidents facing primary challenges from within their own party for reelection might yield a primary win, but could hurt their chances of winning reelection against the opposition party.

'For us to challenge a sitting president, especially the one that has had the kind of successes that this president has had  because it would just be personal,' Clyburn said.
Now that Alec Baldwin knows he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter, he and his attorneys have started compiling their defense.

Baldwin says he'll fight the charges vigorously, calling them a 'miscarriage of justice'.

Halyna Hutchins' widower said he'll support the prosecution.

Here, DailyMail.com breaks down what's next for Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Charges will be filed with a court in Santa Fe

Today's announcement informed the actor that the charges will be filed, but the paperwork has not yet been submitted with the court.

The reason for the delay is to allow the special prosecutor and the Santa Fe DA to explain their decision in interviews with the press.

If the charges had been filed immediately, they say they would have been unable to communicate their reasons for the decision.

The charges are expected to be filed before the end of the month.

Actor Alec Baldwin, 64, has vowed to fight the involuntary manslaughter charges that will be filed against him by the end of the month

Once charges have been filed with the court, Baldwin will be issued with a summons - but he won't have to go New Mexico to honor it in person.

Instead, he will be allowed to appear before a judge virtually.

The DA confirmed today that she is not seeking an arrest for either Baldwin or Gutierrez-Reed.

The hearing is the first step in long judicial process.

A judge must then review the evidence that the prosecutors have compiled, and rule on whether or not the case can proceed to trial.

That is known as a probable cause hearing.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film set's armorer, will also be charged with involuntary manslaughter

Trial

If Baldwin pleads not guilty, which he is expected to do, the case will move to trial.

The charges against him are complex. He has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over a single crime.

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm

The first charge relates to whether he and Gutierrez-Reed acted recklessly.

'When this goes in front of a jury, they could find they're guilty on both the first part of the involuntary... that they acted without due caution meaning they weren't just negligent, but they were on notice, they had duties, they should have done something, they should have checked the bullets they should have checked the gun they shouldn't have been been using that gun,' New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said on CNN.

'There was complacency, lack of care on that set. It's more than negligence and it rises to recklessness.

'The other [component] is negligent use of a deadly weapon, and that someone handled, used or touched a gun in a negligent manner. Once we show that, it can lead to the second theory of involuntary manslaughter.'

She has since confirmed that Baldwin and Reed will face a mandatory five-year sentence if convicted of the firearm enhancement.

Appeal

If convicted, Baldwin has the right to an appeal and it's likely he would file one.

Sentencing would likely be put on hold until them.

Sentencing

Baldwin faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison of convicted of involuntary manslaughter with the firearm enhancement that prosecutors discussed today.

The involuntary manslaughter charge also carries a $5,000 fine.
A mental health blogger who took her own life after ingesting poison she had bought online from Russia was neglected by the psychiatric unit treating her, an inquest has found.

Beth Matthews had been categorised as being at 'high risk' of suicide when she had the substance shipped to her on a psychiatric ward at the Priory Hospital, in Cheadle Royal, near Stockport.

The 26-year-old was being surpervised by two members of staff on March 21, 2022, when she opened a parcel containing a plastic bottle of the substance, despite orders she should not be allowed to open her own mail.

She initially told staff it was 'protein powder' before ingesting it in front of them despite their efforts to stop her, after which she told them 'I'll be dead in an hour'. Ms Matthews suffered a fatal cardiac arrest the same day.

Beth Matthews, pictured here in her sailing gear on a yacht, ingested a poison she had bought online from Russia while in a psychiatric hospital

Ms Matthews, pictured left with her sister Lucy right, went into cardiac arrest after taking the substance on March 21, 2022, dying the same day

A nine-day inquest found that 'neglect' by staff had contributed to her death, with The Priory Group admitting her care plan 'was not followed' and if it had she would likely 'not have ingested the substance, and would not have died as she did'.

The hearing was told the upcoming three-year of her previous suicide attempt, as well as a recent break-up with her long-term partner Matthew Parkinson, the possibility of being transferred back to Cornwall, and a looming tribunal to challenge her section, were all factors likely to have had a 'negative' impact on her mental health in the lead-up to her death.

Analysis of her mobile phone showed during her time at The Priory, Beth made 'frequent' internet searches relating to the substance she ingested, especially during the two-week period prior to her death, the Manchester Evening News reports.

She also accessed online forums discussing suicide, and told a mental health nurse just weeks before her death that 'there are things you can purchase that can do the job'.

When pressed, Beth told the carer 'it's already done now,' and refused to expand further on her comment.

Beth's consultant at The Priory said this should have been raised with him but that she was on the highest risk level at the hospital already and as a result should not have been opening her own mail.

A handover document completed by night shift staff for the day team stated: 'Staff must open parcels for EM [Elizabeth Matthews]. Risk of secreting items from parcels'.

Her care plan also contained a 'clear' instruction that she shouldn't be allowed to open her own mail, the jury heard.

Delivering a verdict of suicide contributed by neglect, the jury said it was evident 'serious inconsistencies' existed 'across all levels of management' at the hospital in relation to knowledge of Ms Matthews' care plan.

The jury noted a lack of communication, a failure to escalate serous risks practices, lack of team cohesion, reliance on inadequate and inaccurate information, in particular to post management.

'Evidence provided demonstrated frequent deviation from Priory policy and care plan guidance which contributed to an increase risk to Elizabeth Matthews,' they said.

The management of Ms Matthews' post was clearly outlined in her care plan and handover notes, they said, but staff had 'consistently failed' to recognise post management as a 'serious risk', resulting in 'inadequate care of a highly vulnerable patient'.

There was also 'failure' to escalate a conversation Ms Matthews had with a member staff about buying items to end her life, the jury said, so the clinical team could review her risk management.

The inquest heard from healthcare assistant Olivia Woodruff, designated 'security' for distributing mail to patients that day and one of those who tried to restrain Ms Matthews, who said she hadn't seen the handover document and 'nothing' was mentioned to her verbally.

She admitted to never having opened parcels with Ms Matthews before and 'didn't know' the correct procedure.

Ms Woodruff checked with ward manager Jonathan Heathcote who told her that Ms Matthews was a 'Level 2' patient - meaning she could only open parcels in front of two staff stood at arms' length.

Less than three weeks before her death Ms Matthews discussed ending her own life with nurse Leanne Williamson and purchasing something 'that can do the job'.

The incident happened while she was being treated at The Priory Group's Cheadle Royal Hospital (pictured)

But Ms Williamson did not escalate any risk concerns because she believed Ms Matthews would be 'safe' due to her care plan and she'd 'got used' to her conversations about death.

NHS patient Ms Matthews had been sectioned under the mental health and was transferred to the hospital's Fern Unit for specialist therapy in November 2021.

She carried out frequent internet searches relating the substance and had accessed a suicide website, which discussed methods and contained discussion threads about its use.

David Watts, director of risk and safety for the Priory Group which ran the hospital, told the inquest that warnings about the substance were given in staff bulletins in 2018 and 2020.

Suzanne Barnard, a former hospital director who investigated the tragedy, said there was an 'inconsistent approach' to the delivery of Ms Matthews' care plan - with some staff opening post for her and others allowing her to do it herself.

But the jury was told that police had ruled out any criminal charges over her death.

Ms Matthews, from the village of Menheniot near Liskeard in Cornwall, suffered mental health from an early age and was diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD)

Following a failed suicide attempt in 2019, which left her with life-changing injuries, she acquired a large social media following by sharing her experiences on the blog Life Beyond the Ledge.

She was also an accomplished yachtswoman, completing the Fastet race at the age of 15, and she described by her mother Jane Matthews as 'bright and vivacious' and 'highly intelligent with a quick sense of humour'.

Assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman passed on his condolences to Ms Matthew's family and noted that the hospital had since had made changes to its procedures since her death.

Her family said in a statement: 'We would like to thank the coroner, jury and our legal representatives Leigh Day for their diligence in ensuring there was a thorough investigation into Beth's death.

'The passing of Beth that day was wholly avoidable and her death was completely unnecessary. We have been tragically let down by the Priory, who we believed were providing a safe place for Beth and the care that she needed.

They added: 'Beth tried to help others through describing her own mental health experiences in a highly graphic but articulate way and by doing so was able to touch and help countless others.

'We know for a fact that she saved at least one person through her social media presence. That is a huge legacy for a young lady to leave behind.

'Beth gave a bright light of hope to people who were struggling to see any light at all.

'May she now rest in peace.'

The family's solicitor, Leigh Day clinical negligence partner Stephen Jones, said: 'This was a particularly upsetting inquest.

'Beth's death came about because a very simple and straightforward instruction in her care plan, that staff should open parcels for her, was not followed.

'Had the care plan been followed, Beth would not have died.

'We hope that the jury's finding that Beth's death was contributed to by neglect will help shine a light on what happened and emphasise the need for improvements to be made.'

A spokesperson for the hospital: 'We want to extend our deepest condolences to Beth's family and friends for their loss.

'Beth's attempts to overcome her mental health challenges had been an inspiration for many. Although unexpected deaths are extremely rare, we recognise that every loss of life in our care is a tragedy.'

'We fully accept the jury's findings and acknowledge that far greater attention should have been given to Beth's care plan.

'At the time of Beth's unexpected death, we took immediate steps to address the issues around how we document risk and communicate patients' care plans, alongside our processes for receiving and opening post.

'Patient safety is our utmost priority and we will now review the Coroner's comments in detail and make all necessary, additional changes to our policies and procedures.'
He was rescued by the navy in Colombian waters over 100 miles from the coast

After surviving off minimal food he was spotted by a passing plane

A 47 year-old has been rescued from being adrift for 24 days in a sail boat

A man from the Caribbean island of Dominica says he survived 24 days lost at sea in a sailboat by eating ketchup before being rescued in Colombian waters.

Elvis Francois, 47, had the word 'help' carved on the hull of his sail boat when he was found 120 nautical miles northwest off of the Colombian coast. Francois said he saw other boats pass by and tried to flag them down, even lighting a fire on his vessel, but they did not see him.

It was only when a passing plane saw the reflection of his mirror and called the navy that Francois was able to be rescued.

Francois was lost at sea for over three weeks before he was spotted by a plane flying over. When he used a mirror to signal the plane he knew it had worked when it flew over him twice

Elvis was swept out to sea whilst repairing a sailboat on the island of St Maarten. After 24 days at sea he was finally seen by a plane who alerted the navy. Francois has received medical attention and has been handed over to Colombian immigration to return home.

'I had no food. There was only a bottle of ketchup that was on the boat, garlic powder and (bouillon cubes) Maggi. So I mixed it up with some water for me to survive 24 days in the sea,' Francois said in English in a video released by the Colombian Navy.

'The final days, about the 15th of January, I saw a plane. I had a mirror. I was making some signals,' he said, describing how he angled the glass to catch the glare of the sun and draw attention.

'They passed over the boat twice so I realized they saw me,' he continued. 'I am grateful for being alive today because of them.'

The nearby merchant vessel assisted the navy in rescuing Franco from being stranded at sea for 24 days

The Colombian navy treated Francois for his more serious ailments such as dehydration and malnutrition whilst escorting the islander back to a safe port

The aircraft crew informed the Navy, who then rescued Francois with the help of a merchant ship which escorted them to the nearby port city of Cartagena.

Francois added: '24 days, no land. Nobody to talk to. Don't know what to do. Don't know where you are. It was rough. A certain time I lose hope. I think about my family.'

'It was very rough. I don't know how I am alive today but I am alive. And I am grateful for that,' Francois said.

He was working to repair a sailboat off a harbor on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles in December last year when the weather turned foul and he was swept out to sea, the Navy said.

'Without having any knowledge of navigation he was lost and disoriented at sea. His efforts to maneuver the vessel and the equipment on board were to no avail,' the statement added.

He was handed over to the immigration authorities to coordinate his return to his country.
The family is asking Disney to pay 'all past economic damages'

Aguilar continued to face complications for months and died in January 2022

The woman's daughters say she fell backward while stepping off the Jungle Cruise ride, breaking her leg and ending up in the hospital for 10 days

Joanne Aguilar, 66, died from septic shock months after a fall at the park

A lawsuit alleges Disneyland employees laughed at a disabled woman before she fell while getting off a ride at the California theme park

A lawsuit recently filed in California alleges that Disneyland employees laughed at a disabled guest who died after complications stemming from injuries she sustained from a fall at the park.

Joanne Aguilar, 66, died in January 2022 from septic shock, five months after she fell backward getting off the Jungle Cruise ride, breaking her leg and ending up in the hospital for 10 days.

In the lawsuit filed by her daughters, the pair alleged employees laughed, snickered, and did not help the woman after the injury which they say eventually led to her death.

The family is asking Disneyland to pay 'all past economic damages,' including medical costs, burial and funeral expenses, as well as attorney fees and all other incidental damages.

Joanne Aguilar, 66, died in January 2022 from septic shock, five months after she fell backward getting off the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland

Aguilar's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming employees laughed at the woman before her fall

In court filings obtained by DailyMail.com, Disneyland denies the allegations and asked the court to dismiss the suit entirely.

The woman's daughters, in the lawsuit, said their mother 'began to feel the shame and embarrassment of the situation and felt dehumanized.'

The federal lawsuit states Aguilar and her two daughters, Andrea Maullul and Zenobia Hernandez, went to the Anaheim park on August 22, 2021 for a family trip.

Upon arrival, the family obtained a wheelchair from Disney's Disability Access Service for a knee injury.

At one point, the group decided to ride the popular Jungle Cruise attraction located in the park's Adventureland area.

The three women were told by employees that the ride's typically provided wheelchair access was unavailable. According to the park's website, the ride has an ADA-accessible boat that does not require a guest to leave their wheelchair.

'Guests may remain in their wheelchair or Electric Conveyance Vehicle to experience this attraction,' the website states.

The women decided to still ride and that Aguilar would just require the help of her daughters to enter and exit the boat.

After the ride docked, Disneyland employees 'placed small unsecured blocks on top of the existing steps inside the boat to reduce the height of each step,' the lawsuit alleges.

Aguilar, pictured here with one of her daughters, sustained injuries in the fall that led to her death, family members claim

The popular attraction, which includes guests riding through waters on a boat, is ADA-accessible but the wheelchair boat was unavailable when Aguilar and her daughters rode

The woman's daughters helped her out of the boat without assistance from workers at the attraction.

That's when the woman, who was having a difficult time exiting using the small makeshift steps, was laughed at by the employee, according to the suit.

The family says the employees 'began [snickering] and giggling as they watched [Aguilar] try to safely exit the boat.'

The treatment left her feeling embarrassed and 'dehumanized.'

'Exiting the boat was more difficult as it required her to propel her body upward with her lower legs, which due to her disability was not possible,' according to the lawsuit.

'The struggle was apparent and Disney cast members began snickered [sic] and giggling as they watched Ms. Aguilar try to safely exit the boat,' it continues.

While ascending the unstable blocks, Aguilar fell backward and broke her femur.

The family is asking Disneyland to pay 'all past economic damages,' including medical costs, burial and funeral expenses, as well as attorney fees and all other incidental damages

The woman was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

There, she underwent surgery for the injury to her right leg, and remained for 10 days to recover from the fall and the procedure.

After her nearly two-week stint in the Anaheim Global Medical Center, Aguilar was moved to a rehabilitation center in Oxnard, California.

The Ventura County resident stayed in that facility for five months until she later died from septic shock on January 22, 2022.

'From the time [Aguilar] left Disneyland in an ambulance on Aug. 22, 2021 she was never able to return home,' the suit states.

While it may not immediately seem connected, septic shock can often appear in cases of patients recovering from procedures and hospital stays.

The life-threatening condition is caused by bacteria or fungus and individuals with preexisting conditions.

One former coroner who spoke with the Orange County Register said a fall 'would not directly' cause a person to develop septic shock.

Disney officials have pushed back on the claims, saying Aguilar's injuries were caused by her own negligence

Hernandez and Maullul, however, say their mother's wrongful death was caused as a result of her injuries sustained at the theme park.

The daughters are now looking for the park to pay up to help cover expenses related to their mom's death after the embarrassing experience they endured.

'My clients went to Disneyland with the hopes of creating life-long happy memories and instead are left with the memory of a lack of dignity and respect for their mother which ultimately led to her final demise,' family attorney Michael Jeandron told SCNG.

'Two daughters are heartbroken, healing and seeking accountability for Disney cast members who laughed at their struggling mother instead of helping her,' the lawyer said.

The suit has been assigned to United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney in Santa Ana, California

Aguilars family initially filed suit against Disneyland on November 18 for wrongful death and violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

'[Aguilar] began to feel the shame and embarrassment of the situation and felt dehumanized,' the suit states.

The family is looking for expenses to be determined that will cover the physical pain, mental suffering, humiliation, medical costs and funeral expenses.

In a written response on December 29, Disney's lawyers argued against the claims made by Aguilar's daughters.

Company officials said her injuries were caused by her own negligence and said they did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act in any way.

They also said the woman's injuries were 'caused or contributed' by her or her daughters.

The suit has been assigned to United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney in Santa Ana, California.
The body of a missing Pennsylvania mom was found in a shallow grave less than two miles away from her home more than two weeks after she was reported missing.

Jennifer Brown was discovered partially buried under a staircase behind a warehouse in Royersford - about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia - on Wednesday night.

Brown, 43, was reported missing after she failed to pick up her son Noah, 8, from the bus stop on January 3. Loved ones said she would've never intentionally left him.

Her body was found wrapped in plastic bringing an end to the extensive search, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. The cause of death has not been determined.

'We hoped and prayed that she would be safe and she is not,' Steele said.

Jennifer Brown, 43, was found buried behind a warehouse on Wednesday. Brown was reported missing more than two weeks ago and left behind her son

Her body was discovered partially buried under a staircase behind a warehouse in Royersford - about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia

Authorities have not revealed any suspects in the case or made any arrests.

Neighbors say Brown was seen outside her home with a friend and associate Antonio Watts-Richardson on Stratford Lane the day she went missing and did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

Watts-Richardson said he was with Brown the day she disappeared. He echoed it was unlike Brown to leave her son who was always by her side.

When Brown failed to pick Noah up, Watts-Richardson took him home for a sleepover.

'I put Noah on the bus the next day,' he told NBC10.

Brown, who was described as a 'helicopter mom', never called to check-in. She also had a 20-year-old son.

Watts-Richardson debunked theories that he may of had a part in her disappearance and claimed the two had a plan to open a restaurant.

'I have nothing to do with anything,' he told the news outlet. 'Just because Im the last person to see her, that does not mean anything.'

He continued: 'It seems like Im being the one poked at. And its frustrating because Im the first person that was the one calling the police, trying to kick down windows. Trying to find my friend. Trying to make sure her son is covered.'

Friends said it was unlike Brown to leave without her son who was always by her side

Neighbors say Brown was seen outside her home with a friend and associate Antonio Watts-Richardson on Stratford Lane the day she went missing and did not notice anything out of the ordinary

Antonio Watts-Richardson debunked claims that he had anything to do with it

When investigators arrived at Brown's home earlier this month, they found her vehicle parked outside with her keys, wallet, purse, and work cell phone still inside.

Brown's personal cell phone was nowhere to be found and is still missing. It has not been used since she disappeared.

The victim's family offered a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to her being found but it is unclear if it has been awarded.

Family members mourned her on social media on Wednesday as the search was called off.

'I am saddened to share the news that Jennifer Brown was found this evening, deceased. Our hearts are broken,' Holly Baird, Brown's cousin, wrote.

'I thank all of you for your support during the past few weeks. No one could ever be prepared enough for this news.'

Loved one's initially set up a GoFundMe to find Brown that received about $7,000 in donations.

Now, the family said the donations will go toward supporting Brown's son.

When investigators arrived at Brown's home earlier this month, they found her vehicle parked outside with her keys, wallet, purse, and work cell phone still inside

As the search subsides, neighbors are fearful a killer is out on the loose and might strike again.

'We've been on edge the whole two weeks making sure we are not going outside alone - being really safe with that,' Grace Taylor told CBS.

'The person is still out here.'
Eighteen prison officers have been hospitalized after being exposed to a drug in a central Illinois correctional center.

Officers suffered lightheadedness, dizziness, vomiting and nausea after responding to a 'medical incident' involving an individual in custody who was under the influence of an unknown substance.

It comes as a union chief warned that incidents of officers becoming exposed to drugs in prisons is on the rise.

On Wednesday eighteen staff members from the John A Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro received treatment at area hospitals, reports CBS news.

Eighteen prison officers have been hospitalized after being exposed to a drug in John A Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro

The Graham Correctional Center is is a medium-security lockup for adult males that opened in 1980 with room for 1,596 inmates

Hillsboro Area Hospital has confirmed it treated eight patients from the center while St Francis in Litchfield said it has responded to a further nine patients from the facility.

Most have now been released but several are being kept for observation.

An undisclosed number of inmates were also treated in the health care unit of Graham Correctional Center which is around 65 miles northeast of St. Louis.

It is is a medium-security lockup for adult males that opened in 1980 with room for 1,596 inmates. It currently houses 1,328.

Illinois State Police are now working with Hazmat crews to determine what the substance is.

Union chief Anders Lindall has warned that incidents of officers becoming exposed to drugs in prisons is on the rise

The state department of corrections spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello said: 'All staff members who may have potentially encountered the unknown substance were also sent to a local hospital, as a precaution.

'All staff are stable currently and many have already been discharged.'

Anders Lindall of employee union American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 (AFSCME) said a union meeting was underway at the prison when the call went out and members broke up the gathering to transport colleagues to the hospital and provide other assistance.

He told CBS: 'The issue of exposure to harmful substances in prisons is increasing,'

'AFSCME has been sounding the alarm for months to tighten up the protocol for both incoming mail and visitor screening.'

One law enforcement official told KTVI in St. Louis, the sister station of CBS Champaign, Ill. affiliate WCIA-TV, that a call went out to local agencies for all available NARCAN to be delivered to the facility.

NARCAN is a medication commonly used to counter the effects of opioids.
Halyna Hutchins' family say they support Alec Baldwin being charged with manslaughter - months after settling a wrongful death lawsuit with the Hollywood star.

It was announced that Baldwin, 64, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter Thursday, 15 months after the 42-year-old cinematographer was shot dead by the actor on the set of Rust in New Mexico.

The Hutchins family, including her husband Matthew and nine-year-old son Andros, welcomed the decision through their lawyer Brian J Panish who said: 'It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.'

Panish added that Hutchins had been killed 'with conscious disregard for human life' and stated that an 'independent investigation also supports charges are warranted.'

It comes after Baldwin reached an undisclosed settlement with the family in October after which widower Matthew stated he had 'no interest in engaging in recriminations.'

Halyna Hutchins with her husband Matthew, a film producer, and their son Andros, who was eight-years-old when his mother was shot dead on the set of Rust in New Mexico

Alec Baldwin leaving La Colombe coffee store early in the morning in New York City, NY, USA on November 1, 2022. Baldwin vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, (left) is also to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The family launched the wrongful death lawsuit last February against the actor, the armorer and other producers.

Under the settlement, Baldwin made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which is due to resume production in Los Angeles.

Matthew, who called Baldwin 'supportive' in the immediate aftermath of Halyna's death, said after the settlement was reached: 'I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).'

He added: 'All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work.'

It is not clear why the Hutchins family now support charges against Baldwin.

Baldwin earlier Thursday vowed to fight the prosecution, calling it a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.

He and Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the prop gun that killed Hutchins, face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.

Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Baldwin's attorney said in a statement: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set.

'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'

But Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm.

In an interview after the announcement with CNN, she said Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.

'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.

'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.

'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.

'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.

She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'

Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin

Baldwin (left) with Hutchins and other actors from the film before the fatal accident

Baldwin is shown on the set of Rust practising the drawing of his gun

While it may have been an accident, she said Baldwin 'doesn't get a free pass' because he's a star.

'Just because it's an accident doesn't mean it's not criminal. They didn't mean to do it, they didn't have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway and it happened because of more than mere negligence.

'We've talked to many actors, a-list and otherwise, that have said they always check their guns or they have someone check it in front of them.

'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor. Everyone's equal under the law.'

Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

Prosecutors say they are confident with the decision.

It was welcomed by Hutchins' family, with the full statement from Panish saying: 'We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges of involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.

'Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.

'We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.'

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm. She said in an interview with CNN today: 'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor' as she vowed to take the case to trial

Baldwin, 64, accidentally shot and killed Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in October 2021.

In the 15 months that have passed, he emphatically denied responsibility for the accident, insisting he did not pull the trigger, despite a forensic FBI analysis of the prop gun he used concluding that he did.

Prosecutors have resisted criticism of the long delay in making a decision.

They say they were forced to wait for reports from both the FBI - which took ten months - and the local Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office - which took a year.

There was no press conference to announce the decision today.

Instead, the DA's office issued a written statement to media which was also published online.
She later filed a lawsuit against the arms supplier, but Baldwin later filed a suit against her for negligence

The 25-year-old armorer has previously said she did check the rounds, but admitted 'I wish I would've checked it more'

New Mexico prosecutors say she failed to ensure the guns on set did not contain any live rounds

Lawyers representing Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have vowed to fight her involuntary manslaughter charges.

New Mexico authorities announced on Thursday they would charge both Gutierrez-Reed and actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.

The prosecutors say Baldwin did, in fact, pull the trigger on the prop gun that killed the 43-year-old mother, while Gutierrez-Reed, 25, failed to ensure the guns on set did not contain live rounds.

They both face a minimum of five years in prison if convicted.

But Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers argue she does not deserve the same charges as the embattled 64-year-old 30 Rock star.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the October 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Hutchins, 43, was an up-and-coming cinematographer when, prosecutors say, actor Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger on a prop gun and killed her

Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys say the charges are the result of a 'very flawed investigation'

In a statement, Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys asserted her innocence in the fatal shooting.

'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident,' the statement says. 'But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.'

They continue to say that 'theses charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

But Andrea Reed, a special prosecutor on the case, said Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for ensuring the guns on set did not contain live rounds.

She said the armorer  who first trained on sets with her father, Thell Reed  should have followed proper protocol by taking each round out of the gun and shaking them in front of Baldwin to confirm all of the bullets are dummies, the New York Times reports.

Gutierrez-Reed has previously claimed she was not allowed into the church on the Santa Fe set under the production's COVID protocols, according to the Washington Post.

Still, she told investigators in the immediate aftermath of the October 2021 shooting, she had checked the gun and all six cartridges she loaded into Baldwin's gun earlier in the day.

But she also admitted to investigators: 'I wish I would've checked it more.'

And under New Mexico law, jurors are instructed to convict an involuntary manslaughter defendant if they conclude the person 'should have known of the dangers involved' and 'acted with a willful disregard to the safety of others.'

Gutierrez-Reed is pictured here in the aftermath of the fatal shooting she has said upended her career. Her lawyers now say they will fight the involuntary manslaughter charges

Gutierrez-Reed told investigators following the shooting that she had checked Baldwin's weapon earlier in the day

She later admitted 'I wish I would've checked it more.' Under New Mexico law, jurors are instructed to convict an involuntary manslaughter defendant if they conclude the person 'should have known of the dangers involved' and 'acted with a willful disregard to the safety of others'

Gutierez-Reed's lawyers have previously said she was forced to serve two different roles on the set  as both the armorer and props assistant  which made it difficult for her to focus on her job as armorer.

In a civil lawsuit filed last year, she claimed that Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm and Prop LLC for allegedly supplying the deadly bullet.

She also faulted assistant director David Halls for failing to follow set protocol when he allegedly handed Baldwin the weapon without first calling on her to inspect it, according to the lawsuit. He has since pleaded to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

According to the suit, Gutierrez-Reed said her father worked with Kenney on a previous film, where they trained actors at a licensed shooting range using live ammunition.

About a month later, Gutierrez-Reed landed a gig as an armorer and props assistant on 'Rust,' where she was tasked with juggling two jobs at once.

'This gun heavy script required Hannah to perform a significant amount of work each day as both an armorer and key props assistant,' the legal filing said.

She was soon joined on set by props manager Sarah Zachry, who later accidentally fired a blank round at her foot on set, the lawsuit said.

About 20 minutes after that mishap, Baldwin's stunt double also accidentally discharged a weapon on set, prompting Gutierrez-Reed to confront her colleague about the sloppy mistakes, the lawsuit said.

The armorer's lawyers have previously said she was forced to work two jobs on the set of the western

Gutierrez-Reed said in a lawsuit filed last year that she was met with hostility by bullet supplier Seth Kenney when she revealed her intentions of reporting accidental discharges on set to producers

But when she indicated her intentions of reporting the incident to management, she said, Kenney became upset.

'Accidental discharges are accidents,' Kenney said in a text message referenced in the legal filing. 'We learn and move on, and don't forget, she's your boss. Don't push it.'

On the morning of the shooting, October 21, Gutierrez-Reed said she arrived to the set to find Zachry already in the prop trailer, retrieving fire arms.

She also discovered a full box labeled 'dummy rounds .45 LC' that someone placed atop her equipment bag, the lawsuit said.

She believes the box came from Kenney and when she shook it, heard a 'jingling' sound which is what it's supposed to sound like when dummy bullets are being rattled.

Later that morning, she said she, Zachry and another coworker loaded Baldwin's gun, attempting to use dummy rounds from the box.

'For Alec Baldwins gun, Hannah loaded 4 dummy rounds with holes in them from her pants pocket, a 5th dummy round from the box with a hole in it and attempted to load a 6th dummy round without a hole in it from the box but it would not go into the chamber, and she thought the chamber might need to be cleaned,' the lawsuit said.

'Hannah remembers shaking the sixth round to ensure herself that it was a dummy round.'

Baldwin, who served as the producer of the western, has also denied any responsibility

Baldwin was then handed the gun and in possession of it from 10am through 12:30pm, when the crew broke for lunch, the filing said.

It was stored until 1:30pm, when she cleaned Baldwin's gun and inserted another round from the dummy box into it after shaking it to ensure it was not real, the claim said.

'To the best of Hannahs knowledge, the gun was now loaded with 6 dummy rounds,' the claim said. 'Indeed, Defendants as suppliers of prop ammunition to the Rust set, sold, distributed, and advertised its props as dummy ammunition and not live rounds.

'Hannah relied upon and trusted that Defendants would only supply dummy prop ammunition, or blanks, and no live rounds were ever to be on set.'

She then delivered the gun to to set church and handed it to Halls, the assistant director, who said he'd be 'sitting in' with the gun.

The lawsuit claims Halls later handed the gun to Baldwin without calling on Gutierrez-Reed to inspect it a final time before use.

She said she was tending to her duties as a prop assistant.

'Knowing that no gun scene was going on at that time according to Halls, and with awareness of COVID protocols and social distancing, Hannah then walked outside the church to prepare her fanny pack for scenes that afternoon and to do some of her prop duties,' the lawsuit said.

'Production was behind that day and Hannah was acutely aware of the need to attend to her prop duties as well, for scenes that afternoon.'

Gutierrez-Reed has also claimed she was not allowed in the church where Baldwin was practicing his scene with Hutchins due to COVID protocols

Authorities say Gutierrez-Reed should have checked the weapon in front of Baldwin to ensure there were no live rounds

The accidental discharge never would have happened if Halls had summoned Gutierrez-Reed to supervise, the court filing said.

Kenney allegedly texted Gutierrez-Reed after the tragedy and tried to persuade her to lay the blame on the film's assistant director Halls

'Had Hannah been called back in, she would have re-inspected the weapon, and every round again, and instructed Baldwin on safe gun practice with the cross draw, as was her standard practice on set and under circumstances where (1) Baldwin did not respond to Hannahs request on October 15 to schedule cross draw training and (2) the gun had been out of her possession for 15 minutes.'

Dummy reloaded with live ammo - and stamped with the Starline Brass logo - were later discovered on set, according to a previously unearthed search warrant.

The lawsuit also claims that Kenney texted Gutierrez-Reed after the tragedy, and tried to convince her to help 'implicate AD [assistant director] Halls.'

Said the text: 'Had you partnered up with a truly professional AD, none of this would have happened.

'That true professional would have supported your safe efforts. Instead you got David ''reckless'' Halls.'

Added the lawsuit: 'Seth suggested that AD Halls had essentially bullied Hannah and not allowed her to do her job safely. Seth stated that if she would shift blame to Halls, he would have her back.'

Kenney also texted her dad in an effort to try to convince claims made publicly by her lawyers that the shooting was an act of sabotage, the lawsuit said.

Alec Baldwins lawyers slammed the decision to charge him with involuntary manslaughter as a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'

Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin filed his own lawsuit against Gutierrez-Reed, Halls, Kenney and Zachry in November.

He alleges negligence and seeks damages to be determined at trial for the 'immense grief' he endured.

The actor is now continuing to deny culpability for the fatal shooting.

In a statement on Thursday, his attorney said: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set.

'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'

But Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm.

In an interview after the announcement with CNN, she said Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.

'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.

'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently,' she said.

'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.

'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.'

She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'

While it may have been an accident, she said Baldwin 'doesn't get a free pass' because he's a star.

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm. She said in an interview with CNN today: 'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor' as she vowed to take the case to trial

The family of Halyna Hutchins (pictured) released a statement saying they support the charges

'Just because it's an accident doesn't mean it's not criminal. They didn't mean to do it, they didn't have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway and it happened because of more than mere negligence.

'We've talked to many actors, a-list and otherwise, that have said they always check their guns or they have someone check it in front of them.

'An actor doesn't get free pass just because theyre an actor. Everyones equal under the law.'

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

Prosecutors say they are confident with the decision. It was welcomed by Halyna's family, who issued a statement through their attorney.

'We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges of involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.

'Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.

'We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.'

In announcing the charges, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said: 'If any one of these three peopleAlec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Hallshad done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple.'

Both Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin are now expected to appear for a virtual court hearing, after which a New Mexico judge will determine whether there is probable cause to move forward with the cases against them.
Thousands of people took part in France's 'Black Thursday' of demonstrations

Riot police were called into action in Paris due to strikes against pension reform

A 'Black Thursday' of demonstrations and strikes against pension reform descended into violence in France today.

The worst trouble was in Paris, where protesters fought running battles with police around Bastille square.

Anarchists calling themselves 'Black Bloc' were blamed for infiltrating a planned march and then turning on officers.

'They started throwing rocks and other projectiles,' said an officer at the scene, who added that there had been 30 arrests by 5pm.

As the violence intensified tear gas and baton charges were used by the police to try and restore order.

Trade unions predicted a million people would mobilise across France to fight moves to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030.

Mass demonstrations took place in France today against pension reforms that would raise the age of retirement to 64

Riot police officer grabs a protestor during a demonstration against pension changes

Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel said: 'On Thursday the walls of the Elysee palace must tremble.'

In turn, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin pledged to crack down on potential rioters, saying: 'More than 10,000 police and gendarmes will be mobilised, including 3500 in Paris'.

Cross-Channel ferries, airports, commuter trains and buses were meanwhile all hit by strike action, while schools and colleges also shut down.

Under new proposals outlined in the Paris parliament, people will have to work two years longer to achieve a full pension.

This has been hailed by President Emmanuel Macron as vital to safeguard France's hugely expensive system.

Anarchists calling themselves 'Black Bloc' were blamed for infiltrating a planned march and then turning on officers

Thousands to part in a demonstration against pension reform in Paris earlier today

He was at a meeting in Spain, where he welcomed 'democratic protest' but said any rioting would be met with 'the full force of the law'.

His pension reform ideas have proved deeply unpopular, with 68% saying they are opposed to it, according to an IFOP poll this week.

All the country's unions have condemned the measure, as have the Left-wing and Far-right opposition parties in the National Assembly.

Mr Macron's Renaissance party does not have a parliamentary majority, so has to rely on the support of around 60 MPs from the conservative Republicans party to get his pension reforms through.

With the parliamentary process taking months several weeks, Mr Macron faces a rolling campaign of opposition.

President Macron said he welcomed 'democratic protest' but said any rioting would be met with 'the full force of the law'

Most other European countries have taken steps to raise the official retirement age, which in Britain is currently 66.

President Macron made an earlier attempt to reform the system in 2019, but scrapped it because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is the seventh attempted pension reform in France since Socialist president Francois Mitterrand cut the retirement age to 60 in 1982.

Every subsequent attempt to reverse that change has led to mass opposition on the street.

In 2010, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy raised the retirement age to 62, despite weeks of mass protests.
Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska reacts as she watches Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressing the World Economic Forum via video link, in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18. Reuters-Yonhap



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has written a letter inviting Chinese leader Xi Jinping for talks which was handed over in Davos to the Chinese delegation, his wife Olena Zelenska said on Wednesday.



Zelensky has repeatedly sought to make contact with Xi since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year in the hope that Beijing will use its influence over Russian leader Vladimir Putin.



During a speech on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos, Zelenska said she had a letter for Xi but she gave new details during a press conference on Wednesday.



"It was a gesture and invitation to dialogue and I hope very much that there will be a response to this invitation," she told reporters.



China and Russia announced a "no limits" partnership in February last year in August, shortly before Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine.



China has sought to position itself as neutral in the war, while at the same time deepening ties with Moscow, particularly in the energy sector.



But some analysts have suggested Beijing could ultimately step in as a mediator to negotiate an end to the fighting in Ukraine.



Foreign Minister Wang Yi called last September "on all parties concerned to keep the crisis from spilling over," underlining concern about the economic impact of the conflict which has affected countries worldwide.



Zelensky told the South China Morning Post newspaper in August he had "asked officially for a conversation" with Xi, adding that a dialogue would be "helpful".



Foreign ministers from both countries met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. (AFP)




Kamala Harris is taking yet another trip to a border state where she will balk her role as 'border czar' and avoid visiting the barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.

The vice president is going to Tonopah, Arizona, but instead of addressing the migration crisis, she will speak about investments in clean energy.

While giving her remarks, just 100 miles away migrants, asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants will continue flowing over the southern border, as they have been doing since President Joe Biden took office two years ago.

Republicans have been highly critical of Harris and Biden's handling of the migration crisis  along with their longtime avoidance of visiting the southern border.

'When will this Administration, and our border czar, start taking the crisis at the Southern Border seriously?' Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson tweeted.

Shortly after taking office, Biden gave his No. 2 the task of finding the root cause of mass migration to the U.S.  specifically from Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Arizona on Thursday to discuss investments in clean energy, but will not speak about or visit the border

Harris will visit a groundbreaking site of a 125-mile-long high voltage transmission line known as the Ten West Link in Tonopah, Arizona on Thursday, which is just 100 miles from the southern border

Since then, Harris only went to the border once in June 2021 following pressure from Republicans to fulfill her role as 'border czar'. It came amidst her trip to Central America to meet with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei.

Biden finally took his first trip earlier this month  nearly two years into his presidency. The stop in El Paso, Texas was just a few hours' blip as part of a larger trip to Mexico City, Mexico for the Three Amigos Summit with Mexico and Canada's leaders.

Harris will be joined during her trip to Arizona on Thursday by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi.

The four will visit with workers at the groundbreaking site of a 125-mile-long high voltage transmission line known as the Ten West Link, which will transport wind and solar energy through the area.

After Harris' visit to Arizona on Thursday, she will travel to Los Angeles, California Friday for an event regarding severe storms that hit the state recently.

Harris visited the southern border once in her capacity as 'border czar' when she stopped there in June 2021 as part of a larger trip to Central American to meet Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei

On Sunday, Harris will fly from California, her home state, to Tallahassee, Florida for remarks commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling  just months after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision and gave power back to the states to regulate or legislate abortion rights.

The remarks, which are being previewed as 'major,' will outline the path forward for abortion rights in the U.S. without Roe protections at the federal level.

It will also kick-off the White House's engagement for a week of commemoration of the ruling.

Harris will return to DC after her speech in Tallahassee.

The same place where Harris is making her remarks is where just weeks earlier Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was sworn-in for his second term.

The vice president's trip to Arizona Thursday comes as the state continues to face an onslaught of illegal immigration over the Mexico border, especially in the Yuma district.

Since Biden took office, Customs and Border Protection has encountered approximately 4 million migrants at the southern border.

This figure does not account for so-called 'gotaways' who were able to avoid detection or apprehension by border agents  it also doesn't account for the thousands who crossed in December.
Alec Baldwin vowed to fight involuntary manslaughter charges over Halyna Hutchins' death and branded the prosecution 'a terrible miscarriage of justice.'

It was announced that Baldwin, 64, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter Thursday, 15 months after the 42-year-old cinematographer was shot dead by the actor on the set of Rust in New Mexico.

Baldwin's attorney Luka Nikas hit out, claiming 'this decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death', and doubled-down on his client's previous protestations, saying the actor's colleagues 'assured him the gun did not have live rounds.'

'We will fight these charges, and we will win,' the lawyer stated.

But Mary Carmack-Altwies, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, promised that Baldwin would not get 'a free pass', accusing the actor of running a 'fast and loose set' plagued by safety issues.

Baldwin has continually laid blame at the feet of others since accidentally shooing Hutchins dead on October 21, 2021.

Baldwin has openly defied pulling the trigger, but this contradicted an FBI analysis of the vintage Colt handgun that fired the fatal shot

Halyna Hutchins with her husband Matthew, a film producer, and their son Andros, who was eight-years-old when his mother was shot dead on the set of Rust in New Mexico

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, (left) is also to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

In a now-infamous interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos in December 2021, he said he did not feel responsible for Hutchins' death and claimed it was 'highly unlikely' he would face charges.

Baldwin instead shifted the blame to prop managers, claiming they did not check if the gun was loaded before handing it to him.

The actor also shared how he 'loved' Hutchins and had bonded with her widower after accidentally killing her  and claimed cops at the scene told him he would not be charged in the shooting.

But today, New Mexico authorities announced that he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' death.

In an interview after the announcement with CNN, District Attorney Carmack-Altwies said: 'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.

'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.

'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.

'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.'

She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'

While it may have been an accident, she said Baldwin 'doesn't get a free pass' because he's a star.

'Just because it's an accident doesn't mean it's not criminal. They didn't mean to do it, they didn't have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway and it happened because of more than mere negligence.

'We've talked to many actors, a-list and otherwise, that have said they always check their guns or they have someone check it in front of them.

'An actor doesn't get free pass just because theyre an actor. Everyones equal under the law.'

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm. She said in an interview with CNN today: 'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor' as she vowed to take the case to trial

Baldwin (left) with Hutchins and other actors from the film before the fatal accident

The gun fired by Baldwin on the 'Rust' set shooting

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the prop gun that killed Hutchins, face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.

Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Prosecutors say they are confident with the decision. It was welcomed by Halyna's family, who issued a statement through their attorney.

'We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges of involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.

'Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.

'We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.'

Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin

In announcing the charges, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said: 'If any one of these three peopleAlec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Hallshad done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple.'

Baldwin has not been seen today, but his glamorous wife Hilaria put on a brave face for the school run shortly before the announcement.

'The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set.

'In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that dont take our states commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously, ' she added.

Prosecutors have not formally filed the charges - they will do so by the end of the month.

Alec Baldwin leaving La Colombe coffee store early in the morning in New York City, NY, USA on November 1, 2022. Baldwin vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.

'There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case. We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law,' Carmack-Altwies added.

After that, the three defendants will have to make a first appearance but they will be allowed to do so virtually.

Baldwin, 64, accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in October 2021.

In the 15 months that have passed, he emphatically denied responsibility for the accident, insisting he did not pull the trigger, despite a forensic FBI analysis of the prop gun he used concluding that he did.

Baldwin was sued by Halyna's widower, Matthew, in 2022 but settled the lawsuit with an undisclosed sum.

He also made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which will resume production in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors have resisted criticism of the long delay in making a decision.

They say they were forced to wait for reports from both the FBI - which took ten months - and the local Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office - which took a year.

There was no press conference to announce the decision today.

Instead, the DA's office issued a written statement to media which was also published online.
A former Royal Marine is suing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 1.5m after claiming 'useless' earplugs provided to him contributed to his hearing loss.

James Barry, said he dreamed of joining the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Navy's version of the SAS, but was unable to do so because of the damage to his hearing meant he had to be medically discharged.

The 34-year-old, who now works as a lorry driver, told a judge 'hearing loss and tinnitus' were caused by his 'exposure to noise during his service in the Royal Marines' between 2013 and 2017.

The MoD has accepted primary liability for the claims, but argues that Mr Barry was partly to blame as he did not use the ear protection when required. It also disputes the amount of damages claimed.

James Barry, pictured here outside the High Court on Thursday, is suing the MoD for 1.5million over hearing loss which developed while he was in the Royal Marines

The former marine says he first noticed problems with his hearing after taking part in a training exercise in California in 2014. Pictured: Two Royal Marines take part in the same exercise in 2013

A trial over the claims has got underway at the High Court in London, with lawyers for Mr Barry claiming he had noticed a hearing problem after returning from an exercise in the United States in 2014.

Harry Steinberg KC, who is leading Mr Barry's legal team, said: 'The claimant seeks damages for noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus caused by his exposure to noise during his service in the Royal Marines.

'The claimant first noticed a problem with his hearing following his return from the Black Alligator Exercise in the United States which took place between August and October 2014 for a period of about two and a half months.'

He added: 'The claimant describes exercises during basic training where hearing protection was not worn (and could not be worn) at all.'

For much of the time during field exercises the yellow foamies were standard wear because they were light and flexible, but Mr Barry claimed that 'in practical terms they were pretty useless in terms of the environments they had to be used in'.

During his basic training there was scant reference to hearing protection briefings when recruits were on the rifle ranges, he also claimed, telling the court: 'the main focus was on lads not shooting each other'.

And with part of the training including night manoeuvres and surprise attacks it was often impractical for rookie marines to be wearing their yellow earplugs when a mock gun battle kicked off, said Mr Barry.

'Because we weren't aware of the timing of an attack none of us could put our ear plugs in.'

In one incident in 2014 his yellow foam earplugs fell out during a mock training battle in a 'dummy town' in California during which he was exposed to the sound of repeated gunfire and explosions, London's High Court heard.

Even when he was kitted out with a radio ear piece for battlefield communication the yellow foamies proved impractical - because they muffled the sound of the radio and so could only be worn on the other ear.

And the helmet dished out to go with the heavier ear defenders also proved a bad fit, he claimed.

Mr Barry, pictured here outside the High Court on Thursday, said he had wanted to join the SBS but was forced to leave the armed forces due to the damage to his hearing

'I think we were running along on the dregs of what had been issued in the past 15 to 20 years,' he added.

Firing the standard infantry SA80 assault rifle created deafening levels of noise, the court heard, ramping up to 156 decibels when even 135 decibels can cause "physical pain".

His noise exposure peaked in 2015 after Mr Barry was deployed to the United States and then to Norway on training exercises.

Mr Barry says he hoped to make a lifetime career in the Royal Marines and that his current job 'doesn't give me much fulfilment'.

Mr Steinberg said the MoD had 'admitted primary liability'.

He said the judge would have to consider a number of 'core issues': whether, and to what extent, Mr Barry was 'contributorily negligent'; the 'ongoing effect' of the noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus; Mr Barry's 'likely career path and length of service' but for his 'noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus'; and whether or not Mr Barry was 'disabled'.

Mr Steinberg said the case gave rise to 'some issues' relevant to other 'noise-induced hearing loss' claims being pursued against the MoD.

'The claimant's evidence is that he was provided with both foam ear plugs and earmuffs,' he said.

'The defendant is critical of the claimant's practice of not wearing a foam ear plug in his left ear beneath his personal role radio headset and of his failure to re-insert ear plugs, which routinely fell out.'

Lawyers representing Mr Barry said outside court that he was claiming about 1.5 million in total - and the MoD was arguing that the figure should be about 250,000.

Barrister Andrew Ward, who represented the MoD, told the judge in a written argument that Mr Barry had been medically discharged 'for noise induced hearing loss'.

Mr Ward highlighted Mr Barry's 'practice' relating to the use of ear plugs. He said 'primary liability' was 'admitted' but told the judge that the MoD 'pursues the defence of contributory negligence'.

'The claimant's usual practice during his service with the Royal Marines was not to wear yellow foam ear plugs in his left ear underneath his personal role radio,' said Mr Ward.

'The claimant's practice was contrary to his training.'

Mr Ward added: 'The claimant's evidence is that his yellow foam ear plugs repeatedly fell out. If so, then he was also contributorily negligent in failing properly to insert them.'

He said Mr Barry had 'worse hearing in his left ear than his right', and went on: 'The reality is that his unauthorised practice of failing to wear a yellow foam ear plug under his left ear when using his personal role radio has contributed to "the damage" in terms of noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus.'

The hearing, which is being chaired by Mr Justice Johnson, is due to end later this month.
Conservative Mayor Andy Street warned that Whitehall's 'begging bowl culture' is 'broken' as a major row broke out over regeneration funding.

The Government announced a fresh 2billion of 'levelling up' cash to improve transport links, improve high streets or restore heritage sites in 111 communities across the country.

But there was anger that more cash was handed to the South-East than the North-East, Yorkshire and the East and West Midlands.

Rishi Sunak's wealthy North Yorkshire constituency and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's north London seat have also benefited to the tune of millions of pounds.

This second round of 'levelling up' funding diverted more cash to London and the South-East than the 1.7billion first round overseen by Boris Johnson.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street warned that Whitehall's 'begging bowl culture' is 'broken' as a major row broke out over regeneration funding

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hit back, saying spending per person was highest in the areas that needed it most

Among the 80 projects earmarked for funding is the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which received 50 million for a regeneration project designed to transform the Lancashire town's seafront

Mr Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, led a Tory backlash against the Government's flagship policy.

Levelling-up funding in your area Here is a regional breakdown of the levelling up funding: Yorkshire and the Humber: 120,619,162

West Midlands: 155,579,834

Wales: 208,175,566

South West: 186,663,673

South East: 210,467,526

Scotland: 177,206,114

Northern Ireland: 71,072,373

North West: 354,027,146

North East: 108,548,482

London: 151,266,674

East Midlands: 176,870,348

East: 165,903,400 The 2.1 billion allocated to projects comes from the overall 4.8 billion levelling up fund announced in 2020. Advertisement

He said: 'Fundamentally this episode is just another example as to why Whitehall's bidding and begging bowl culture is broken, and the sooner we can decentralise and move to proper fiscal devolution the better.

'The centralised system of London civil servants making local decisions is flawed, and I can not understand why the levelling up funding money was not devolved for local decision makers to decide on what's best for their areas.'

The proportion of funding given to the West Midlands fell sharply to 155 million - a fall from 11.6 per cent of the pot in the first round to 7.5 per cent.

But the Prime Minister hit back, saying spending per person was highest in the areas that needed it most.

Speaking in Morecambe, Lancashire, where 50million was awarded to build the new Eden Project North attraction, Mr Sunak said: 'If you look at how we are spending this money, it is disproportionately benefiting people in the North East, the North West, and that's great.'

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said some of the funds went to London and the South East because 'together constitute a quarter of the country's population'.

He added: 'There are areas of deprivation in London and in the South East, particularly along the Kent coast, that we do need to invest in.'

Individual grants, including 22 million to develop an outdoor food market in relatively prosperous Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, and 20million for Canterbury Castle in Kent, also drew critics.

There was anger in towns and cities that lost out, including Birmingham, Stoke, Bradford and South Shields.

Labour claimed the cash was merely a 'partial refund' on billions of pounds slashed from council budgets in the last decade.

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said 'it is time to end this Hunger Games-style contest'

Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, said: 'It takes an extraordinary arrogance to expect us to be grateful for a partial refund on the money they have stripped out of our communities, which has decimated vital local services like childcare, buses and social care. It is time to end this Hunger Games-style contest.'

This second round of funding takes the total handed out under 'levelling up' to 3.8 billion - a fraction of the 15 billion of central Government funding to local councils cut between 2009 and 2019.

The 210 million allocated to the South-East dwarfed the 120 million handed to Yorkshire and the Humber, the 155 million given to the West Midlands, and the 108 million handed to the North-East.

But when the population of each region is taken into account, 66 was allocated per person to Wales, 47 to the North-West and 41 to the North-East, in comparison to 22 per person in the South-East and Yorkshire, and 17 per person in London.
The US Coast Guard is monitoring a suspected Russian spy ship that has been lingering for weeks off the coast of Hawaii, officials said on Wednesday.

The Coast Guard said in a statement that the vessel is 'believed to be an intelligence gathering ship' and vowed to 'appropriately meet presence with presence to encourage international maritime norms.'

The incident comes as Russian officials step up their bombastic threats against NATO over the war in Ukraine, with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev ranting that a defeat could trigger nuclear war.

A video released by the US military shows aerial shots of the suspected spy ship taken last week, with coordinates marking the footage about 25 miles off the coast of Hawaii's 'Big Island'.

Footage taken last week shows the Vishnya-class Kareliya spy ship being refueled by a tanker

The brief clip shows multiple vessels, including one ship that closely resembles a Vishnya-class Russian intelligence vessel.

The ship's designation, SSV-535, is briefly visible in the footage, marking it as the Kareliya, which is based out of Vladivostok.

Chris Cavas, a journalist covering naval warfare, tweeted that the footage showed the Kareliya undergoing underway refueling from a Russian tanker ship.

He noted that the Kareliya has 'has often been seen in Hawaiian waters monitoring US movements.'

The Coast Guard says that under international laws, foreign military vessels 'may transit freely' the US economic exclusive zone, which typically extends 200 nautical miles from shore.

The Russian vessel was not accused of breaching the US territorial sea, a boundary line 12 nautical miles from shore.

The ship's designation, SSV-535, is briefly visible in the footage, marking it as the Kareliya, which is based out of Vladivostok

Sailors are seen on the deck of the Kareliya, a Russian intelligence-gathering ship

'The U.S. Coast Guard is currently monitoring the Russian vessel operating in the vicinity of Hawaii,' said Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Dave Milne.

'As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities,' he added.

The Coast Guard said it would continue to coordinate with Department of Defense partners to provide updates on foreign vessel movements and activities.

'The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific,' said Milne.

The Hawaiian islands are home to multiple sensitive US military installations, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific.

A Russian tanker ship is seen during underway refueling of the suspected Russian spy ship

The incident comes as Russia continues to wage its invasion of Ukraine, and as top Russian officials issue increasingly unhinged threats over Western support for the Ukrainian military.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow would do all it could to 'sober up' the European Union and NATO, which he accused of setting out to weaken and defeat Russia.

His comments came on the same day that Medvedev warned NATO that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war.

Nearly 11 months after invading Ukraine, Russia is increasingly presenting the war to its own people as an existential battle with the West.

In televised comments, Lavrov said Moscow would set out to disabuse Western politicians of their 'presumptuous' and 'colonial' attitudes to Russia.

'I hope that the sobering up will come,' Lavrov said. 'We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible.'
A California dog that got swept away in a storm drain was sensationally rescued by firefighters who were able to reunite him with his owner using his Apple AirTag.

Dramatic pictures document the moment one-year-old Australian Shepherd, Seamus was found and rescued by the San Bernardino County Fire Service.

Using the high-tech $29 tag, officers managed to reunite the pup with his owner Emile Brill - catching the moment in a heart-warming video.

Fire crew who rescued Seamus after he fell down a storm drain told owner Emile Brill, right, the pup had been 'lucky' to be rescued, adding 'he's got some fight in him'

Brill, from Loma Linda, had been walking Seamus when he got away from her, ending up in a flood control basin.

Fast-moving floodwaters, which have been hammering California residents this month, swept the pup away leaving her unable to fetch him back.

Brill told KABC: 'The water was going so fast, I think all it took was one paw in that water and he was gone.'

The mutt managed to find his way to a nearby access tube where firefighters were able to find him.

San Bernardino County Fire Service posted photos of their rescue on Facebook, explaining they brought the dog into their fire engine to keep him warm and dry

Frefighters said the dog was in 'uninjured and in good spirits' when they found him after being alerted to the incident by a Good Samaritan

They had been flagged down by an employee at an RV facility on East Redlands Boulevard who reported seeing a dog floating down a nearby channel and hearing its barks.

The crew brought the dog to their fire engine to warm up while they worked out how to reunite him with his owner.

Fortunately, he was equipped with both an ID tag and an Apple AirTag - the latter of which authorities used to track his owners down.

Seamus pictured inside the Fire Engine where crew took him to warm up

Apple began selling AirTags in 2021 and the devices are supposed to be attached to valuable belongings.

The owner can then track the tag using their 'FindMy' app meaning it should never get lost.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the San Bernardino County Fire Service wrote: 'Yesterday San Bernardino crews were dispatched to a public service call for a dog lost in a storm drain.'

The post continued: 'Firefighters quickly made access to the dog, bringing him up the ladder to safety. After assessing the dog he seemed uninjured & in good spirits.

'Seamus was equipped with both Apple AirTag & a conventional ID Tag which aided rescuers and owners in tracking the pup and reuniting them.'

Fire crew managed to find the pup down a storm drain access before reuniting him with owner

The dog was found by firefighters in a pile of debris at the bottom of the tube.

Authorities used a ladder to bring the pup up to the surface where has assessed.

The moment the dog and owner were reunited was caught on camera, with one firefighter telling Brill: 'He is one lucky dog, I'll tell you that.'

He added: 'He's got some fight in him'.

Brill replied: 'Oh he is so lucky!'
A Lebanese father will need to leave his three children and wife behind in Australia in the next 24 hours because his migration agent allegedly did not file his partner visa application.

Mohamed Barghachoun has been told by the Department of Home Affairs that he must leave the country by Saturday after spending the past four years living in Bexley, in Sydney's south.

Mr Barghachoun had left Lebanon to marry his Australian fiancee Jihan Merhi in 2019 and was in the process of applying for his partner visa.

The couple paid $1,500 for a migration agent to help with the process but have since learned no application had been lodged on his behalf.

A Lebanese father will need to leave his three children and wife behind in Australia in the next 24 hours because his migration agent didn't file his partner visa application

'How is [Jihan] going to look after the three kids on her own?,' Mr Barghachoun told the ABC.

The couple are hearing impaired and have few options left to stop Mr Barghachoun from being deported.

The Department of Home Affairs' decision record revealed they had supplied 'satisfactory' evidence of their relationship when they made the application.

The couple then hired a migration agent who was contacted six times by the department between August 2019 and January 2022.

A rejection letter was sent to the agent after the department failed to reach him on each occasion.

The letter informed him that his client had 21 days to appeal the decision at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Mr Barghachoun said he had no idea about the letter and only discovered his application had been rejected when his Medicare card was cancelled.

Ms Merhi said she had spoken to representatives from the department who revealed they had not received any documentation.

Mohamed Barghachoun has been told by immigration he must leave the country by Saturday after spending the past four years living in Bexley, south Sydney

'Nothing had been organised in terms of the marriage certificate,' she said.

Their disability and the lack of an AUSLAN interpreter from the department has made communication difficult on both ends.

Mr Barghachoun said the department had called him several times but he has been unable to take the calls due to his impairment.

Once the couple had discovered the visa application had not been lodged they sought a way to fast-track a fresh application and even wrote a letter to Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in September.

They were informed nothing could be done beyond making a complaint about their migration agent.

'With regard to the refusal of your visa application, under Australian migration law, it is not possible for the delegate to consider additional information, or to reconsider a visa application, once their decision has been finalised,' the letter read.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the Department of Home Affairs and the migration agent for comment.
The family of a 6-year-old boy who shot and injured his teacher in Virginia said Thursday that the gun he used had been 'secured' and that one of his parents usually accompanied him in class but did not the week the shooting occurred.

The child, who has not been identified, shot his teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on January 6. She had just finished reading a story and were about to head to an art lesson when the youngster pulled out the handgun and shot her.

The family's statement was released by an attorney and did not elaborate further on where the 9mm handgun was kept. The family also was not identified.

'Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,' the statement said. 'The firearm our son accessed was secured.'

The six-year-old, who has not been identified, shot his teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on January 6. She had just finished reading a story and were about to head to an art lesson when the youngster pulled out the handgun and shot her

Police vehicles are seen parked outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on January 6

The family also said that the boy 'suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.'

The family said the week of the shooting 'was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.'

The statement was released through the office of Newport News-based attorney James S. Ellenson. It is the first public communication from the child's family and comes nearly two weeks after the shooting occurred Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary.

Police said earlier that the 6-year-old's mother legally purchased the gun but that it was unclear how her son gained access to it. A Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanor crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Riverside Regional Medical Center said that Zwerner had been released from the hospital earlier this week.

The statement read: '(Zwerner) continues her recovery as an outpatient with the support of family, friends, and health professionals. The Zwerner family respectfully asks for privacy during this time.'

Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Parker told parents he is considering requiring clear plastic backpacks for Richneck students that would be purchased by the district.

The teacher has been hailed a hero in the local community

In the wake of the statement from the family of the 6-year-old, a former psychologist with Newport News Public Schools told WAVY that warning signs among students with 'explosive behaviors' were regularly ignored.

The psychologist told the station: 'These issues had persisted, and it had escalated to a point where it had put a teacher in danger.'

She added: 'Issues are swept under the rug because its easier to think that theres no problem when there is a problem that needs to be addressed.'

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page set up for Zwerner by her twin sister, who is also a teacher, has raised $224,000.

This week, the page received a donation of nearly $7,000 from the activist group Teaching for Change whose motto is: 'Building social justice, starting in the classroom.'

The shooting occurred in the classroom and was an isolated incident. Officers are still trying to determine how the child managed to get the weapon

Richneck Elementary will remain closed this week as administrative leaders continue to think through how to move students past the trauma experienced Friday

Brittaney Gregory, whose son goes to first grade at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, said the teacher was about to confiscate a gun when she was shot

The Daily Press in Virginia reports that Richneck Elementary will remain closed next week. The newspaper said that school administrators are working to ensure that the school has a full-time security guard, metal detectors and a fully staffed front office.

The tentative reopening date for the school is January 25. Students may be required to have see through backpacks going forward.

At a school board meeting on Tuesday that was open to the public, the parent of one of the students who was in the classroom when the shooting occurred, Desiree Yvette, said her daughter is traumatized following the shooting.

Yvette said: 'She's 6, she's terrified because the person who was advocating for her got hurt.'

In an interview with 13News Now, Yvette added: 'I was scared for any of the kids to have had witnessed this, but I was more scared that my daughter was witnessing this.'

The mother referred to Zwerner as a 'hero' for her actions.

She continued: 'She has always said those are her kids. It was heartbreaking and it was the most brave thing I've heard. She is honestly an earth angel. She's the kindest person. She's so supportive of her students.'

No charges have been brought against the mother, but the investigation continues, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said during one of two Facebook live chats he held with the community Wednesday.

During the first chat, the chief was asked at least twice about whether the boy's parents would be held accountable or the mother charged. Drew responded by saying he wanted to ensure detectives were able to conduct a thorough investigation.

'I am not going to rush them,' Drew said. His department has a great relationship with local prosecutors, he said, and he has 'tremendous faith' that 'they will make the right decision based on the evidence that they have in front of them.'

Zwerner, pictured at her 2019 graduation, suffered life-threatening injuries

Investigators have nearly finished interviewing the children who were in the classroom, Drew said, and police are working with a psychologist to talk to them about what they saw.

'This is a unprecedented incident that we have had in our city, where a 6-year-old child obtained a firearm, brought it to school, pointed it, fired and shot his teacher in front of other students,' the chief said. 'I have a young teacher who suffered a gunshot wound while teaching her classroom. By the grace of God, shes still with us today.'

The statement from the boy's family also elaborated on the child's relationship with his teacher, who is still recovering from the gunshot wound and has been called a hero by police and educators alike.

'Our heart goes out to our son's teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school,' the family said.

'She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son,' the statement continued. 'We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice. We grieve alongside all of the other teachers, families and administrators for how this horrific incident has impacted them, our community, and the nation.'

A crowd of parents waited outside Richneck Elementary School after the shooting where the six-year-old allegedly shot his teacher on purpose after an 'altercation'

The family said the child has been under hospital care since the shooting and is receiving 'the treatment he needs.'

'We continue to pray for his teachers full recovery, and for her loved ones who are undoubtedly upset and concerned,' the family said. 'At the same time, we love our son and are asking that you please include him and our family in your prayers.'

The shooting occurred as Zwerner was teaching her first grade class at Richneck. Authorities said there was no warning and no struggle before the boy pointed the gun at Zwerner. The bullet pierced her hand and struck her chest, police said. The 25-year-old hustled her students out of the classroom before being rushed to the hospital.

Drew, the police chief, described the shooting as 'intentional.' A judge will determine whats next for the child.

The superintendent of Newport News schools revealed last week that Richneck administrators had learned the child may have had a weapon before the shooting. But a search did not find the handgun, despite staff looking through his bag.

The revelation fueled outrage among parents and particularly teachers. Many criticized school system administrators at a school board meeting Tuesday night for what they called a misguided emphasis on attendance and other education statistics over the safety of children and staff.
Prince Harry claims that Omid Scobie's account of how Meghan Markle allegedly underwent unsparing kidnap training is all 'utter nonsense' in his scathing memoir.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's friend published a book called Finding Freedom in 2020 which was based, in part, on briefings from a close friend of Meghan.

Yet, Harry focuses his sights on Scobie's account in his book Spare, although he refrains from naming him.

The Duke - or, more accurately, his American ghost-writer JR Moehringer - writes: 'A bestselling book describes the day Special Forces came to our house, grabbed Meg, put her through several intense days of drills, pushing her into back seats and car boots, speeding away to safe houses.'

Prince Harry claims that Omid Scobie's account of how Meghan Markle allegedly underwent unsparing kidnap training is all 'utter nonsense' in his scathing memoir

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's friend published a book called Finding Freedom in 2020 which was based, in part, on briefings from a close friend of Meghan

Indeed, Scobie's account claims: 'The training  which all senior members of the royal family except the Queen have completed at SAS HQ in Hereford  is preparation for all high-risk security scenarios, including kidnapping, hostage situations and terror attacks.

'Meghan took part in a staged kidnapping, where she was bundled into the back of a car by a "terrorist", taken to a different location and then "saved" by officers firing fake guns (the kind used in Hollywood filming) for realism'.

Scobie continues: 'During the mock kidnapping, Meghan was even taught to develop a relationship with the enemy. She was also instructed on how to drive a car while in pursuit.

'A source said it was an "extremely intense and scary" experience for Meghan, but one that she was grateful to have gone through.

'Kate didn't undergo her training until after her wedding to William, but Meghan's took place earlier as the couple had received an unusually high number of threats.'

According to Harry, this is all 'utter nonsense'.

He writes that Meghan 'wasn't given one minute of training. On the contrary, the Palace floated the idea of not giving her any security at all because I was now sixth in line to the throne'.

Yet, the Duke focuses his sights on Scobie's account in his book Spare, although he refrains from naming him

It comes after Scobie launched a staunch defence of Spare arguing the prince was right to write his own story - just as King Charles and Diana both did.

Writing in a column for Yahoo, Scobie criticised media coverage for casting the book, which details alleged fights with Harry's brother the Prince of Wales, as a 'tawdry tell-all'.

He said: 'Reading it from start to end tells a much more nuanced and layered story. One with heart as well as fire.'

He shared photographs of Prince Harry's comments on Afghanistan, in which he revealed he killed 25 Taliban members, saying: 'And this is why context matters.'

The Duke of Sussex has been accused of airing 'dirty laundry' in public - but Mr Scobie has once again supported the couple.

Taking aim at the royal family's 'short-term memory loss', Meghan's trusted friend pointed to biographies of both Diana and Prince Charles written after their divorce.

He went on to draw parallels between the press and public's response to then-Prince of Wales King Charles' work: 'For Charles, the negative response from the British press and public was intense.

'Accused of ferociously attacking his family and disgracing the monarchy, newspaper polls and opinion pieces declared him unfit to be king and some journalists even suggested he should be stripped of his titles. (Sounds familiar again?).'

He added: 'Harry has spent most of his life being written and talked abouta spare to the heir whose darkest secrets, regretful moments and struggles have repeatedly been revealed to the world by a press with an insatiable appetite for him and his family.

'Having never been able to share that life in his own words, it was inevitable the prince would want to put pen to paper the moment he stepped back from his role three years ago.'

But Mr Scobie went further with public statements on his own social media, criticising the media in a similar way to the Sussex's own comments in their tell-all docuseries on Netflix, Harry and Meghan.

Scobie tweeted in support of Prince Harry's memoir, saying that context 'matters' when reporting on the contents of the book

Discussing the series of revelations about Harry's time in Afghanistan, which included the revelation that he killed at least 25 Taliban militants and saw them as 'chess pieces' to be removed from the board, rather than people, Mr Scobie said: 'I'm anti-war, so any talk of killing is not for me.

'But it's wild to see how in 2013, papers called Harry "hero prince", "action man", "swashbuckling royal" when he spoke about killing Taliban insurgents.

'A decade on (and now the enemy) he's attacked for repeating the same claim.'

In his tweets, Mr Scobie continued: 'And this is why context matters. #SPARE may have leaked early but (as would be the case with any book) the tiny snippets being reported don't do the text justice.'

He then shared a leaked extract from the book, which detailed Harry's 'problematic' army training to 'other-ize' Taliban insurgents.

Prince Harry wrote: 'Afghanistan was a war of mistakes, a war of enormous collateral damage - thousands of innocents killed and maimed, and that always haunted us.

'So my goal from the day I arrived was never to go to bed doubting that I'd done the right thing, that my targets had been correct, that I was firing on Taliban and only Taliban.'

He also described how helicopter technology allowed him to know exactly how many people he had killed, and that his kill count did not give him 'satisfaction', nor did it make him 'ashamed'.
Bryan Kohberger followed the three female victims killed in the Idaho quadruple homicide on Instagram, according to a new report.

People Magazine claimed on Thursday that an account associated with Kohberger followed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle, who were killed alongside Ethan Chapin in November.

However, none of the victims followed Kohberger, who has been charged with their murder.

It comes as investigators search for links between the suspected killer and the victims in the case, University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death in an off-campus home on November 13.

A variety of fake Instagram accounts claiming to be Kohberger have proliferated since his arrest late last month, but People cited a source who claimed to be familiar with the criminology grad student's real account.

Bryan Kohberger followed the three female victims killed in the Idaho quadruple homicide he is charged with committing, according to a new report

Kohberger allegedly followed Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle (together left) and Kaylee Goncalves (right) who were killed alongside Ethan Chapin in November

The magazine did not name the account, but said it has since been scrubbed from the service, a step that Instagram parent company Meta often takes for the suspects in high-profile violent crimes.

According to Fox News Digital, Kohberger's Instagram account may have been @crim.kohberger, based on the fact that it has been deleted from Instagram, while several obvious troll accounts remain.

Kohberger allegedly messaged one of the female victims repeatedly two weeks before the slayings, but she did not respond, an investigator familiar with the case previously told People.

'He slid into one of the girls' DMs several times but she didn't respond,' the person said. 'Basically, it was just him saying, "Hey, how are you?" But he did it again and again.'

The DMs were allegedly sent in October, just weeks before the November 13 murders.

Kohberger has maintained his innocence in the the murders, and has said through an attorney that he expects to be exonerated

Kohberger, a PhD criminology student at Washington State University, was arrested at his family home in Allbrightsville, Pennsylvania on December 30.

He has maintained his innocence in the the murders, and has said through an attorney that he expects to be exonerated.

On Tuesday, unsealed court documents revealed that investigators seized stained bedding, strands of what looked like hair and a single glove - but no weapon - when they searched Kohberger's WSU student apartment.

Investigators did not find anything noteworthy in Kohberger's office at WSU, where he was a teaching assistant and graduate student studying criminology.

They took 15 things from his on-campus apartment, including a nitrite-type black glove, cuttings from a pillow with a reddish-brown stain, and a stained mattress cover.

Kohberger's apartment in Pullman, Washington, was combed by police for evidence into the ongoing investigation

A new search warrant reveals that police found several hair strands, including one possible animal hair, a black glove, a computer tower and an item that was a 'collection of dark red' spotting

The Washington State University Police Department searched the apartment December 30, the same day Kohberger was arrested at his parent's home in eastern Pennsylvania.

Court documents show that eight strands of hair were recovered from the apartment, as well as a 'possible' animal hair.

They also recovered a Fire TV stick during their search. All the items are now being stored at the Washington State University Police department.

Authorities reportedly said they wanted to see if any hair had been 'transferred' onto Kohberger and then back to his apartment  including that of Kaylee Goncalves' dog Murphy.
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol talks during the UAE-Korea Business Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Jan. 16. AP-Yonhap



Iran's foreign ministry summoned South Korea's ambassador to protest against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's comment that the Islamic republic is the enemy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iranian state media reported.



Yoon, speaking with Korean troops stationed in Abu Dhabi early this week, said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat."



His remarks prompted a rare spat between Seoul and Tehran, at a time when relations have already been testy over frozen Iranian funds in South Korea and suspected arms dealings between Iran and North Korea.



Iran's deputy foreign minister on legal affairs, Reza Najafi, summoned Yun Kang-hyeon, the South Korean ambassador on Wednesday to protest against Yoon's "interventionist remarks," the official IRNA news agency said.



Najafi "pointed to the deep-rooted and friendly relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with most of the Persian Gulf countries," IRNA said, describing Yoon's comment as "interfering" and "undermining peace and stability in the region."






Poland threatened to donate its own Leopards without Berlin's approval

Britain is mounting a charm offensive to unlock German resistance to sending hundreds of tanks to Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will meet German officials tomorrow morning to try to persuade them to let Nato states send Leopard 2s to the front lines of the war against Russia.

Despite intense pressure, Berlin has stubbornly refused to let countries that use the German-made tanks donate them to Kyiv.

Even the UK's pledge to donate 14 Challenger 2 tanks has not convinced the Germans to budge.

German officials will meet with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as he tries to persuade them to let Nato states send Leopard 2s to the front lines of the war against Russia

Fractures appeared in the Nato alliance today as Poland threatened to donate its Leopards without Berlin's approval.

The issue will top the agenda when defence ministers, including Mr Wallace, meet at the Ramstein US military base near Kaiserslautern tomorrow.

While Germany has donated more than 2billion in military aid, including highly effective HIMARS rocket systems, it has refused to send tanks. It has also stuck to licensing agreements that require its approval before German-made tanks can be leased to a third country.

Nato states have 2,000 Leopards, all using the same ammunition, spare parts and maintenance.

While in Estonia today, Mr Wallace said: 'We need to put Ukraine in a position to expel Russia. This requires a critical mass of armour'. Pictured: Defence Secretary at Tapa Military Camp, in Estonia

Such a scale of usage makes it the most practical option for Ukraine, which says it requires an additional 300 main battle tanks to support its spring offensive. The success or failure of this operation could determine the outcome of the war, according to military experts.

On a visit to British Challenger crews in Estonia today, Mr Wallace said: 'We need to put Ukraine in a position to expel Russia. This requires a critical mass of armour.

'Hopefully we will get to a place where enough tanks are going in.

'Last year was about defending Ukraine, this year is about pushing back the Russians. Germany has already put some very spikey pieces of equipment into Ukraine  its HIMARS precision rockets can strike targets from 40 miles. So there is no shortage of commitment or solidarity. Our provision of Challenger 2 tanks proves the glass ceiling can be broken.'

Asked if he was confident of persuading Germany to release the Leopards, he added: 'Let's see what happens at Ramstein.'

The UK is also to send 600 more Brimstone missiles to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence confirmed today. It will also dispatch AS-90 heavy artillery weapons and hundreds of armoured vehicles

Today at least one country put in a formal request to Berlin for permission to send Leopards to Ukraine.

It remained unclear whether this was Poland but its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, dropped a potential hint, saying: 'Consent is of secondary important here.'

The UK is also to send 600 more Brimstone missiles to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence confirmed today. It will also dispatch AS-90 heavy artillery weapons and hundreds of armoured vehicles.

The latest package includes another 100,000 artillery rounds and drones valued at 20million. Britain has provided 2.3billion of military aid.

Speaking at the Tapa military base near Tallinn in Estonia today, Major Mark Lambert dismissed concerns that the Challenger was not the right option for Kyiv. The King's Royal Hussars officer said: 'It is heavier than the Leopard 2 because it is built to be sturdier and more robust. It is proven in battle, packs a punch and can take punches with its Chobham armour. It was also designed for battles against Russian tanks.'
Train operators have made a 'best and final offer' to the biggest rail workers union in a bid to break the deadlocked dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said the offer to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) included a minimum pay rise of 9 per cent over two years and guaranteed no compulsory redundancies until at least the end of December 2024, an improvement to the previous offer of April 1, 2024.

The RDG said: 'The offer... would allow the industry to adapt to significant changes in the ways in which passengers use the railway, while offering rewarding and varied careers for staff.

'If accepted, it would help recover the industry's finances post-Covid, reducing the burden on taxpayers at a time of significant pressure on public spending.'

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said the offer to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) included a minimum pay rise of 9 per cent over two years and guaranteed no compulsory redundancies until at least the end of December 2024, an improvement to the previous offer of April 1, 2024

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the union's executive will consider the offer and decide its next steps 'in due course'

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the union's executive will consider the offer and decide its next steps 'in due course'.

Under the offer, staff who are paid below a certain threshold will receive a guaranteed 1,750 in year one, ensuring that lower-paid employees benefit most.

Pay would be backdated to the relevant 2022 pay award date with employers, enabling staff to benefit from a lump-sum payment in the first available pay run.

The RDG said many of its proposals 'simply extend' best practice already in place in parts of the network, including the creation of a multi-skilled station role, new 'station groups' so staff are more able to move between stations to help passengers  for example, where there are staff shortages  and the use of part-time contracts and flexible working rosters.

Current voluntary working arrangements on Sundays would be formalised, which the RDG said would help to reduce delays and disruption for passengers during weekend travel at a time when Sunday travel demand has increased significantly.

A voluntary redundancy scheme will be made available for those who wish to leave the industry.

The contentious issue of expanding driver-only operations is not included in the new offer.

The RDG said industrial action has cost the industry 480 million in lost ticket revenue since June, on top of its current 2 billion fares shortfall after Covid.

The group's chairman, Steve Montgomery, said: 'This is a fair offer that gives RMT members a significant uplift over the next two years  weighted particularly for those on lower incomes who we know are most feeling the squeeze  while allowing the railway to innovate and adapt to new travel patterns.

'We urge the RMT to put this offer to its members so we can bring an end to this damaging dispute for our people, our passengers and the long-term future of Britain's railways.'

'Bring an end to this dispute'
Efforts to find Noa Sage resumed on Friday despite wet conditions

The man was knocked unconscious before being swept out by surf

The desperate search for a missing Swedish student who plunged seven metres off a cliff has resumed as his devastated family rushes to Australia.

Noa Sage, 20, was climbing the cliffs with friends at Blue Fish Point on Sydney's North Head at Manly when he lost his grip and fell about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

Police divers have been battling treacherous conditions to find the student after he tumbled down the cliffside and was swept out to sea by a giant wave.

Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command, the Marine Area Command and surf lifesavers have been searching for Noa since Wednesday evening.

Search efforts resumed on Friday morning after officers failed to find any trace of the student despite assistance from the aviation unit.

NSW Police Superintendent Pat Sharkey said bad weather conditions were impeding their search as Sydneysiders awoke to another grey and wet day on Friday.

Swedish student Noa Sage has not been seen since he fell off a seven-metre high Sydney cliff and was washed out to sea before the horrified gaze of his friends

'In the last 24 hours the sea state has been quite high, particularly on coastal waters so it has restricted the availability and operation of some of our assets but we still continue to search,' Supt Sharkey told Nine News.

He said Noa's friends, who had watched helplessly as he appeared to sustain a head injury before falling down the cliff, were being offered counselling.

The friends have each given statements to police.

Swedish consular officials have been notified he is missing and Noa's family is on their way to Australia.

Noa arrived in Sydney in September and had been working as a bartender while living in the northern beachside suburb of Manly.

Police divers searched through the day on Thursday looking for Noa while battling treacherous conditions

Noa was seen lying on the rock platform having suffered a serious head injury before he was washed into the sea (pictured, rocks at Blue Fish Point)

Blue Fish Point is not an area recommended for the general public.

The area has been fenced off, however, there are parts where netting is down and there is an unmarked trail to the cliff.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has listed the area as closed for public safety and to protect native flora and fauna.

Supt Sharkey urged those walking around the northern cliffs to stick to the marked trails.
The son of Julian Sands has joined the desperate search for his father - who disappeared six days ago while hiking in 'extremely dangerous' California mountains.

The 65-year-old actor, who starred in A Room With A View, has not been seen since attempting to climb Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains - one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles.

Sands was reported missing by his family at around 7.30pm on Friday amid warnings of 'extremely dangerous' conditions for hiking.

His son Henry, who is also an experienced hiker, flew out from London on Tuesday to assist with the search.

Sands, 65, was reported missing by his family after disappearing in the dangerous mountain range. He is pictured in a recent image released by his family to police to aid the search

His family reported him missing at 7.30pm on Friday and rescuers have now recovered a snow-covered car, which was towed away last night

Two hikers die on Mount Baldy in four weeks amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions Two people have died in recent days while while attempting to scale the same mountainous area - one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles. Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother-of-four described as 'the dancing hiking queen', is understood to have slipped and plunged 700ft down the Baldy Bowl. A helicopter was immediately dispatched, and soon found Gonzalez 'down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,' according to an incident report. On December 28, Jarret Choi, 43, from LA, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line. He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions. And on December 17, four people had to be rescued by helicopter from the mountain after icy conditions made it impossible to move. Advertisement

He is understood to have retraced the route his father took.

However, the 37-year-old, who owns a communications business, was forced to abandon his efforts due to the hostile weather.

It comes after a ground search was attempted on Saturday, but also had to be abandoned due to a storm. It has not been safe to send rescue teams back out since.

Drones and helicopters have been deployed to the mountain range, which is 40 miles from Los Angeles, where the actor has lived in Beverly Hills since 2020.

Rescuers last night recovered a snow-covered car thought to belong to Sands, which was towed away from the area.

It is not known if the actor would have taken a tent, but a source close to the family said he would have been well equipped for a days hike.

A source close to the family said: Henry is taking a very practical approach in organising everything and getting involved.

I think it was just instinct for him to fly out when he heard his father was missing.

Meanwhile, it is not the first time the keen outdoorsman has come into trouble while hiking, having had a brush with death on the Andes in the early 1990s.

He previously recalled: 'I was in the Andes, caught in an atrocious storm above 20,000ft with three others.

'We were all in a very bad way. Some guys close to us perished; we were lucky.'

The actor is a father-of-three who became a major star after the 1985 release of the period drama A Room with a View alongside Helena Bonham Carter. He also appeared in The Killing Fields, Arachnophobia and Leaving Las Vegas. His TV credits include 24 and Smallville.

The 65-year-old has two daughters, Natalya and Imogen, with US journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, who he married in 1990. He has a son, Henry, with his first wife Sarah Sands, the former editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Sands has often spoken about his love of nature and his 'wonderful outdoor lifestyle', and has traveled around the world carrying out daring climbs.

He previously told Thrive Global his expeditions during Covid lockdowns were about 'supplication and sacrifice and humility'.

He added: 'It's not so much a celebration of oneself but the eradication of one's self consciousness. And so on these walks you lose yourself, you become a vessel of energy in harmony hopefully with your environment.

'I mean, two days ago, I was just an old guy begging people for water at a trail head in the Santa Monica mountains. Who cares if you're a film person, I was just someone very grateful for the kindness of strangers.'

He once even conducted an entire interview from the face of the Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps.

Many in the TV and film industry have been praying for the star's safe return.

Actor Samuel West, who starred with Sands in 2004's Sword of Xanten, tweeted this morning: 'Please, please let Julian Sands be OK. A friend and an inspiration. Awful news.'

Actor Jim Piddock called Sands a 'wonderfully talented and unique man and a delightful, generous friend' and said he is 'hoping for a miracle'.

A separate search is also ongoing for another hiker, California resident Bob Gregory, in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.

Sands pictured with co-star Helena Bonham Carter on the set of A Room With A View in 1985

Officers attempted a ground search for Julian Sands (pictured left and right with his wife Evgenia Citkowitz) on Saturday for the star but had to abandon it as a storm swept in. It has not bee safe enough to restart the search since

The actor lives with his family in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills but has not been seen since Friday

British actor and 'A Room with a View' star Julian Sands, 65, has been named as one of two missing hikers in California's San Gabriel Mountains. He's pictured here in 2020

A warning sign at the mountainous range amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions that have led to the deaths of two hikers in recent weeks

Sands is known for his roles in several films, including the 1985 feature 'A Room with a View,' 'Warlock,' and 'Leaving Las Vegas'

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says winter weather on Mt Baldy can make for 'dangerous conditions' and has urged hikers to think twice before traversing the area

A spokesman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said: 'On Friday at about 7.30pm, a hiker identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood, was reported missing in the Baldy Bowl area of Mt. Baldy.

'Search and Rescue crews responded and began a search. Due to trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, the ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening.

'However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits. We will schedule another ground search when the weather improves, and it is safe for our ground crews.'

Anxious friends and former colleagues of Sands, who also starred in supernatural horror Warlock, have taken to social media to send their well-wishes as the search continues.

Film producer Cassian Elwes, brother of Robin Hood star Cary and a family friend of Sands, said: 'I've known since Friday that my friend Julian Sands has been missing on mt baldy.

'I'm devastated. A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did. I've said many prayers.'

Screenwriter Brian Lynch, whose credits include Secret Life of Pets and Minions, added: 'Oh no! I love Julian Sands! I hope he is found ASAP.'

American actress and dancer Melanie Kinnaman also wrote: 'Our friend Julian Sands has been missing from a hiking trip in the mountains of Southern California for nearly one week.

'There is an active search for him in the Mt Baldy area. Please send prayers for his safe return.'

Meanwhile, the sheriff's department has warned that 'severe weather on the mountain has been difficult' and air resources are limited, while its search and rescue team has been called out to 14 incidents in the last four weeks alone.

It urged hikers to think twice before walking the trails amid 'extremely dangerous' conditions.

It comes as two people have died in recent days while while attempting to scale the same mountainous area - one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles.

Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother-of-four described as 'the dancing hiking queen', is understood to have slipped and plunged 700ft down the Baldy Bowl.

Sands and Helena Bonham Carter during filming for the 1985 romantic film A Room With A View

Sands pictured alongside Denholm Elliott during filming for the popular movie, which received universal acclaim

It is currently unclear if Sands had been hiking alone or with another person

A helicopter was immediately dispatched, and soon found Gonzalez 'down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,' according to an incident report.

On December 28, Jarret Choi, 43, from LA, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line.

He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions.

And on December 17, four people had to be rescued by helicopter from the mountain after icy conditions made it impossible to move.

Meanwhile, the sherriff department warning said: 'Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt Baldy and in the surrounding area.

'These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves.

'Please know the current conditions on Mt Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous. Due to the high winds, the snow has turned to ice making hiking extremely dangerous.

'Sheriff's Search and Rescue efforts are often hampered by poor weather along with dangerous avalanche conditions. The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience.

Meanwhile, a separate search is ongoing for another hiker, Bob Gregory of Hawthorne, in the Crystal Lake area of the mountain range.

Gregory's family said he went missing on Monday and that they are 'distraught' and 'fear he may have hurt himself and fallen.'

Gonzalez, a mother of four from Covina, was passionate about hiking, mountain biking and being outdoors

The treacherous conditions of the San Bernardino Mountains have meant that search and rescue efforts have been 'hampered by poor weather'

His relatives added that police are in the process of tracing his cell phone, while search teams have combed the area on the ground and from the air on Tuesday.

The Sheriff's Department has pleaded with visitors to follow simple tips to stay safe.

These include: 'Following all posted warning signs, looking at weather conditions (both current and forecasted) for the area, making sure you have proper gear, training and are properly prepared for alpine conditions (crampons, ice axe, proper clothing), taking a hiking partner, taking a tracking or GPS device such as a SPOT Device or INREACH Device, making sure all cell phone's are fully charged and to bring a charged extra power pack for it.'

They have also told visitors to let someone know where and when they are going, what time they will be back and 'most importantly' not to go if there is any hesitation about the terrain.
It is said that the damp and cold 'concrete shoebox' is a size of 2.5m by 3m

An open letter has been signed urging for Alexei Navalny to be removed a cell

Vladimir Putin has faced internal dissent over the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny after dozens of local politicians called for the prisoner to be treated humanely.

In a rare act of rebellion in the autocratic state, current and former municipal deputies and lawmakers signed an open letter to the dictator.

They urged Putin to remove Navalny, 46, from his 'punishment cell' and give him proper medical care as his health deteriorates in the brutal conditions.

The cells are said to be 2.5m by 3m 'concrete shoeboxes', which are appalling to stay in due to being so cold and damp. The letter read: 'It is very clear to everyone who follows Alexei's life  the purpose of his continuous incarceration in a punishment cell is to create unbearable conditions for him in the penal colony and to cause harm to his physical and mental health, as well as to create a threat to his life.' It was signed by Russian deputies and members of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.

Alexei Navalny, 46, urged Russians to continue to fight the Kremlin from his cell

They said there was still widespread support for Navalny in the country, despite the aggressive clampdown since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. They wrote that they had backed Navalny's political activities and his fight against corruption for years. The politicians gave their full names and titles.

The message was addressed to Putin, Russia's prosecutor general and the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation.

They wrote: 'Even expressing one's opinion on the internet is fraught with high risks of prosecution, administrative and criminal. Therefore, it looks to you like everything is in order  no one protests, everyone is silent,' adding: 'We are not silent.'

It is the latest in a string of high stakes publicity drives in an attempt to get Navalny out of prison, launched last Tuesday  exactly two years after his incarceration.

Vladimir Putin is facing internal dissent over the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

The letter urged that Navalny should be removed from his 'punishment cell' and that he should be given proper medical care as his health deteriorates in the brutal conditions

Putin's most prominent opponent was locked up after returning from Germany where he had been treated after being poisoned with the deadly Soviet nerve agent novichok.

Marking the two-year anniversary, Navalny urged Russians to continue to fight the Kremlin.

He said through his lawyers: 'Our miserable, exhausted Motherland needs to be saved. It has been pillaged, wounded, dragged into an aggressive war, and turned into a prison run by the most unscrupulous and deceitful scoundrels.'

His daughter Dasha Navalnaya helped launch the campaign to free her father with a video on Tuesday. She said: 'Of course the real reason my dad is in a punishment cell are his anti-war statements.'

Hundreds of Russian doctors have signed a petition imploring Putin to 'stop abusing' Navalny. Dozens of lawyers signed a similar statement last week. Under Putin's draconian measures to clamp down on opposition, those critical of the war face jail or being sent to the frontline.
Labour MPs have been blasted for sharing a platform with a transgender activist who was previously jailed for attempted murder and kidnap.

Three of the partys Left-wingers appeared at a trans rights protest next to Sarah Jane Baker, who served 30 years behind bars.

During the demonstration outside Downing Street, the activist told the crowd she had been in prison because I was violent but now wanted to get into Parliament and invite everyone round to take drugs.

The MPs were also present when the activists struck up an offensive chant about their party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Three of the partys Left-wingers appeared at a trans rights protest next to Sarah Jane Baker, who served 30 years behind bars. Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who was accused of shouting down Tory MP Miriam Cates in the Commons this week, was at the Whitehall protest on Wednesday night and was pictured standing next to ex-prisoner Ms Baker

Last night the MPs insisted they did not know who Ms Baker was and did not hear nor endorse her comments.

However a Government source said: A cabal of Labour MPs cosying up to fanatics like this is why women worry about Labour ever getting near to power.

And Harry Miller, of campaign group Fair Cop, who filmed the event, said: Labour has gone from championing the working class to championing a minority cause led by the sad, the dangerous and the deluded. They shouldnt be anywhere near power.

It comes just days after male Labour MPs barracked a female colleague for speaking out in favour of womens rights in the dispute over Scotlands radical plan for gender self-ID.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who was accused of shouting down Tory MP Miriam Cates in the Commons this week, was at the Whitehall protest on Wednesday night and was pictured standing next to ex-prisoner Ms Baker. Next to him were fellow Labour MPs Olivia Blake and Nadia Whittome.

Last night the MPs insisted they did not know who Ms Baker was and did not hear nor endorse her comments

Just before they spoke, Ms Baker said through a megaphone: I need the trans community to share my social media and get me into Parliament. I was in prison but Im not a liar. She said she had been violent and mentally ill but also poor and a product of the system.

She said she wanted to become an MP to protect my family and went on: Get me into Parliament. I swear down, you put me in there, Ill invite you all round for f****** mushrooms and a spliff.

Ms Baker was wearing a bright red beret, as she often does in public, and is well known for having given interviews about her past as well as having written a book called Transgender Behind Prison Walls.

Originally jailed for kidnapping and torturing her stepmothers brother, she was then convicted while behind bars of the attempted murder of another inmate.

Just before they spoke, Ms Baker said through a megaphone: I need the trans community to share my social media and get me into Parliament. I was in prison but Im not a liar. She said she had been violent and mentally ill but also poor and a product of the system

In 2021 she appeared at London Trans Pride march where protesters held signs stating kill JK Rowling and be trans do crime.

However the Labour MPs who stood alongside her this week said they had no idea who she was.

A party spokesman said: The MPs attended the demonstration at the invitation of the organisers, London Trans Pride. They were there for only a few minutes, made their speeches and then immediately left to vote. None of the MPs who attended were aware of Sarah Jane Baker or her previous comments, they have never had any interaction with her, nor did they hear comments she made at the demonstration.

They do not endorse and have no responsibility for the comments of someone with which they have no association.

Meanwhile, a senior Labour frontbencher has suggested that children as young as 13 should be allowed to legally change sex.

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy told Times Radio that weve got to get rid of the bureaucracy surrounding changing gender.

Asked if she thought a 13-year-old could go through the process  lower than the age of 16 suggested in Scotland  she replied: I think they deserve to be taken seriously.
Alec Baldwin's wife Hilaria was seen on Thursday afternoon looking stony faced, hours after her husband learnt he was to be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the on-set shooting on his film Rust.

Hilaria, 39, was accompanied by several of their seven children as she arrived at their Manhattan apartment.

Alec was nowhere to be seen. His lawyers have said he plans to contest the charges, insisting he cannot be held responsible for the prop guns on set, which were the responsibility of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

She will also be charged, the Santa Fe district attorney announced on Thursday morning.

Hilaria Baldwin is seen in New York City on Thursday, hours after her husband was charged with involuntary manslaughter

The 39-year-old ignored the waiting photographers as she left her home, in sparkling slippers

Hilaria, a yoga teacher, kept her head down amid the waiting photographers

She later returned to the house with several of their seven children

The Massachusetts-born wife of Alec Baldwin did her best to ignore the waiting photographers

The film's assistant director, Dave Halls, pleaded guilty to negligence and received a six-month suspended sentence.

Hilaria, who married the Oscar-nominated actor in 2012, was spotted earlier on Thursday - before charges were announced - taking their children to school.

As she left to collect them later that afternoon, her expression had notably changed.

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the Santa Fe prosecutor, tore into him Baldwin while announcing the charges, saying 'an actor doesn't get free pass' as she insisted he did pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins.

Baldwin has vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.

Despite prosecutors announcing the charges, it remains unclear how or why live rounds ever made it onto the set, and whether Baldwin pulled the trigger. He insists he did not - and has refuted an FBI report which claims he must have.

He and Gutierrez-Reed are facing a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

If they are also convicted of a firearm enhancement on that charge, they will face a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

In a statement, Baldwin's attorney said: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun  or anywhere on the movie set.

The 39-year-old is seen on Thursday morning, before the charges were announced

She dropped the children at school and returned to the family's Manhattan apartment

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, said in an interview with CNN today: 'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor.' She vowed to take the case to trial

The gun fired by Baldwin on the 'Rust' set shooting

'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'

Baldwin is seen in costume, covered with fake blood, in an image posted to Instagram

Carmack-Altwies told CNN they concluded Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.

'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.

'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.

'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.

'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.'

She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'

While it may have been an accident, she said Baldwin 'doesn't get a free pass' because he's a star.

Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin

A devastated Baldwin is pictured bent over outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office after speaking to investigators

Assistant Director Dave Halls and Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. He has pleaded guilty to a single charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and she has been charged with involuntary manslaughter

'Just because it's an accident doesn't mean it's not criminal. They didn't mean to do it, they didn't have the intent to kill, but it happened anyway and it happened because of more than mere negligence.

'We've talked to many actors, A-list and otherwise, that have said they always check their guns or they have someone check it in front of them.

'An actor doesn't get free pass just because they're an actor. Everyone's equal under the law.'

Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'

The set of Rust, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside of Santa Fe

An aerial view of the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, where the movie was being filmed

Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (center) died after being shot by Baldwin during a rehearsal on October 21 in New Mexico

Baldwin spoke to George Stephanopoulos for an interview which aired on December 2, 2021

Baldwin wept as he described accidentally shooting dead his cinematographer on the set of his film Rust during an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos

Prosecutors say they are confident with the decision. It was welcomed by Hutchin's family, who issued a statement through their attorney.

'We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges of involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.

'Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.

'We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.'

In announcing the charges, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said: 'If any one of these three peopleAlec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Hallshad done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple.'

'The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set.

'In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our state's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously, ' she added.

Prosecutors have not formally filed the charges - they will do so by the end of the month.

'There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case. We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law,' Carmack-Altwies added.

After that, the three defendants will have to make a first appearance but they will be allowed to do so virtually.

Baldwin, 64, accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in October 2021.

In the 15 months that have passed, he emphatically denied responsibility for the accident, insisting he did not pull the trigger, despite a forensic FBI analysis of the prop gun he used concluding that he did.

Baldwin was sued by Halyna's widower, Matthew, in 2022 but settled the lawsuit with an undisclosed sum.

He also made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which will resume production in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors have resisted criticism of the long delay in making a decision.

They say they were forced to wait for reports from both the FBI - which took ten months - and the local Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office - which took a year.

There was no press conference to announce the decision today.

Instead, the DA's office issued a written statement to media which was also published online.
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Our majestic Milky Way and its colossal tapestry of some 3.32 billion celestial objects has been captured in unprecedented detail and shared with the world.

In what is arguably the largest catalog of its kind, the 'gargantuan' survey shows hundreds of billions of stars, glimmering star-forming regions, and towering dark clouds of dust and gas.

It took two years to complete and produced more than 10 terabytes of data from 21,400 individual exposures of our galaxy.

But despite its vastness, the survey still only covers just 6.5 per cent of the night sky.

Vast: Our majestic Milky Way and its colossal tapestry of some 3.32 billion celestial objects has been captured in unprecedented detail and shared with the world

Mesmerising: In what is arguably the largest catalog of its kind, the 'gargantuan' survey shows hundreds of billions of stars, glimmering star-forming regions, and towering dark clouds of dust and gas

HOW OLD IS THE OLDEST STAR IN THE MILKY WAY? A star discovered in 2018 is thought to be one of the oldest in the Milky Way. Scientists at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) in Spain believe that it might have formed about 300 million years after the 'Big Bang'. IAC researcher Jonay Gonzalez Hernandez said: 'Theory predicts that these stars could form just after, and using material from, the first supernovae, whose progenitors were the first massive stars in the Galaxy.' Researchers hope the star, known as J0815+4729, which is in line with the Lynx constellation, will help them learn more about the Big Bang, the popular theory about the galaxy's evolution. IAC director Rafael Rebolo said: 'Detecting lithium gives us crucial information related to Big Bang nucleosynthesis. 'We are working on a spectrograph of high resolution and wide spectral range in order to be able to measure (among other things) the detailed chemical composition of stars with unique properties such as J0815+4729.' Advertisement

The awe-inspiring view was captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) instrument on a telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, which sits at an altitude of 7,200ft (2,200m).

At such a lofty vantage point, it gives astronomers an unrivalled view of the southern celestial hemisphere, which allowed DECam to capture the southern Galactic plane in such detail.

It works by recording images using five filters that each capture the sky in a different colour of light.

The Dark Energy Camera Plane Survey (DECaPS2) is a catalogue of the plane of the Milky Way as seen from the southern sky taken at optical and near-infrared wavelengths.

The first trove of data from DECaPS was released in 2017, and with the addition of the new data release, it now spans a staggering 130 degrees in length.

Most of the stars and dust in the Milky Way are located in its disk  the bright band stretching across this image  in which the spiral arms lie.

But while the mix of stars and dust produces beautiful images, it also makes it tricky to observe the Galactic plane.

That's because the dark tendrils of dust seen threading through the image above absorb starlight and blot out fainter stars entirely.

Not only that, but the light from nebulae interferes with any attempts to measure the brightness of individual objects, while the sheer number of stars can sometimes overlap.

This makes it difficult to disentangle individual stars from their neighbours.

Astronomers got around these challenges by using near-infrared wavelengths to peer past much of the light-absorbing dust.

They also used an innovative data-processing approach, which allowed them to better predict the background behind each star.

It helped to mitigate the effects of nebulae and crowded star fields on such large astronomical images, ensuring that the final catalog of processed data is more accurate.

'One of the main reasons for the success of DECaPS2 is that we simply pointed at a region with an extraordinarily high density of stars and were careful about identifying sources that appear nearly on top of each other,' said Andrew Saydjari, a graduate student at Harvard University and lead author of the paper.

Hard work: The survey took two years to complete and produced more than 10 terabytes of data from 21,400 individual exposures of our galaxy. But despite its vastness, the survey still only covers just 6.5 per cent of the night sky

The Dark Energy Camera (DECam) is an instrument mounted on the 13-foot Victor M. Blanco Telescope (seen above) at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. DECam, which was built in part with U.S. Department of Energy funds, is celebrating ten years of existence and is part of the Dark Energy Survey project that hunts for evidence of dark energy

'Doing so allowed us to produce the largest such catalog ever from a single camera, in terms of the number of objects observed.'

Co-author Edward Schlafly, a researcher at the AURA-managed Space Telescope Science Institute, said the result was 'a three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way's stars and dust in unprecedented detail'.

He added: 'When combined with images from Pan-STARRS 1, DECaPS2 completes a 360-degree panoramic view of the Milky Way's disk and additionally reaches much fainter stars.'

Debra Fischer, division director of Astronomical Sciences at NSF, said astronomers would be 'poring over this detailed portrait of more than three billion stars in the Milky Way for decades to come'.

She added: 'This is quite a technical feat. Imagine a group photo of over three billion people and every single individual is recognisable!'

DECam was originally built to carry out the Dark Energy Survey, which was undertaken by the Department of Energy and the US National Science Foundation between 2013 and 2019.

Its aim was to hunt for evidence of dark energy, a phrase used by physicists to describe a mysterious 'something' that is causing unusual things to happen in the universe.

The new research has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement.
Users can go to Settings to toggle it on or schedule a time for it to be active

Instagram has launched a new 'Quiet Mode' to reduce the number of alerts people see and help users fight smartphone addiction.

Rolling out for users in the UK today, Quiet Mode mutes notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages (DMs).

It also adds a new 'in quiet mode' status underneath Instagram profile names, accompanied by a small crescent moon icon, for others to see.

Instagram users can toggle Quiet Mode on and off in the app's settings and choose to set a time period for it to activate automatically.

Rolling out for global users from today, Quiet Mode mutes notifications, sends auto-replies to direct messages (DMs) and adds an 'in quiet mode' status underneath profile names

How to turn on Quiet Mode 1. Go to 'Profile Settings' 2. Tap 'Notifications' 3. Tap 'Quiet Mode' 4. Switch the Quiet Mode Toggle 'On' 5. You can then choose the time 'Quiet Mode' will switch on using the 'From' and 'To' options Advertisement

Users will also receive a prompt asking if they want to turn on Quiet Mode after they've spent 'several minutes' on Instagram at night.

Quiet Mode is available to users in the UK, the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, while other nations will get the rollout 'soon'.

According to Meta, Instagram's parent firm that's owned by Mark Zuckerberg, Quiet Mode is especially aimed at teens to 'focus and set healthy boundaries' on the app.

'Today, we're introducing new ways for people, especially teens, to manage their time and experiences on Instagram,' it said in a blog post.

'These new features reflect our ongoing work to build things that are meaningful for young people, and that are really helpful and useful for creators.'

Meta hopes Quiet Mode will encourage users to set boundaries with friends and followers by letting them know they're unavailable.

According to the firm, feedback has revealed teen users often feel pressured to 'feel like they need to be available' through the platform.

Users can tap on the moon icon under their profile name to see when Quiet Mode is set to end

Reducing the number of notifications from likes and DMs will help Instagram users put their devices down (file photo)

Experts list 10 tips to fight phone addiction Researchers have listed the top 10 tactics to cut smartphone addiction, with disabling smartphone notifications in the number one spot. Also included in the list is changing the phone display to 'greyscale' so the display appears black and white, and disabling facial recognition as a method of unlocking the screen. A black and white screen makes smartphones 'less gratifying' to look at compared to the bright colours offered by app icons such as Instagram. Read more Advertisement

Studies have already revealed a link between excessive smartphone use and poor mental health, especially for teens.

However, other studies have suggested a lack of phone notifications contributes to a 'fear of missing out' and makes people check their phones more.

All Instagram users can find the new Quiet Mode option by heading to Settings, followed by Notifications.

When a friend or follower sends a message to someone in Quiet Mode, they'll get a reply saying they weren't notified because they had the tool switched on.

Also, users can tap on the moon icon under their profile name to see when the mode is set to end.

Quiet Mode is along similar lines to a tool called Take a Break, launched at the end of 2021, which sends a prompt to stop using the app.

The prompt says: 'Want a break? Regular breaks can help you reset. You can now turn on reminders to take breaks when it makes sense for you.'

Users then have the chance to tap 'Turn on' or 'Not now'. If they select 'Turn on', they can choose to get reminders to take a break for either 10, 20 or 30 minutes.

Also being rolled out from today is an update to Instagram's Hidden Words tool, which previously hid offensive DM requests and comments.

Using the Hidden Words tool, Instagram users can hide recommended posts in the Explore that have certain words, emojis, or hashtags in the caption

With the update, users can now hide recommended posts in the Explore that have certain words, emojis, or hashtags in the caption.

Instagram has also given parents more control over their child's Instagram account, building on a range of features released last year.

Parents will now be able to view their teen's Instagram account settings, including privacy and content defaults and controls, and will get a notification if their child updates a setting or unblocks someone.

Instagram allows users to set up an account if they're 13 or older, but between the ages of 13 and 17 there's the option of parental control.
The smart patch has microneedles that break the skin barrier just enough to monitor chemicals and do so in a 'bloodless' manner

A new 'smart patch' claims to detect Alzheimer's in just six minutes by detecting biomarkers of the disease in the patient's skin.

Researchers at Swansea University in the UK designed the innovation with microneedles that break the skin barrier just enough to monitor chemicals and do so in a 'bloodless' manner.

The self-administering patch consistently monitors the skin and sends data to a connected computer, allowing a physician to see the results and notify patients if necessary.

More than six million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's and while there is no cure for the neurological disease, an early diagnosis provides individuals with a better chance of benefiting from treatment.

The patch was developed by Dr Sanjiv Sharma, who created the world's first COVID-19 'smart patch' that delivers the vaccine and monitors how the body responds to it.

'The skin is the largest organ in the body  it contains more ISF than the total volume of blood,' Sharma said.

US becomes first country in the world to approve breakthrough Alzheimer's drug lecanemab that slows symptoms by 27% and costs $27,000 a year The FDA has approved Eisai's and Biogen's new Alzheimer's drug lecanemab for use in early and middle-stage patients. It slowed the progression of the disease 27 percent over 18 months in clinical trials (file photo) Advertisement

'This fluid is an ultrafiltrate of blood and holds biomarkers that complement other biofluids such as sweat, saliva, and urine.

'It can be sampled in a minimally invasive manner and used either for point-of-care testing or real-time using microneedle devices.'

The array of microneedles is designed with transdermal sensors that detect proinflammatory cytokine IL-6.

Neuroinflammatory processes are a central feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in which microglia are over-activated, resulting in the increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

IL-6 is present in the skin interstitial fluid (ISF) with other cytokines and is implicated in many clinical states, including neurodegenerative diseases and fatal pneumonia from SARSCoV 2.

'We have been able to detect IL-6 at concentrations as low as 1 pg/mL in synthetic skin ISF, indicating its utility for routine point of care, bloodless measurements in simpler settings, worldwide,' said Sharma.

He also explained that the devices are scalable, and the resulting sensor has a short measurement time, with high accuracy and a low detection limit.

Scientists are working tirelessly to find new ways of detecting Alzheimer's early.

In December 2022, researchers at the University of Washington developed a blood test that detects signs of the disease years before symptoms appear.

Most patients receive a diagnosis of Alzheimers only after they develop memory problems, but an early sign of the disease comes from clumps of a protein called amyloid beta, which builds up in the brain.

A blood test that detects these toxic clumps was able to identify all but one of 147 people with Alzheimers disease in a new study.

The self-administered patch analyzes chemicals in the skin for biomarkers linked to the disease and sends data to a pair computer for a medical profession to review

The test also identified people who would develop cognitive impairment up to a decade before diagnosis.

The blood test, called soluble oligomer binding assay (SOBA), needs to be trialed on far more people and is still at an early stage.

But Valerie Daggett, professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington, who developed the test, said: What clinicians and researchers have wanted is a reliable diagnostic test for Alzheimers disease.

'And not just an assay that confirms a diagnosis of Alzheimers, but one that can also detect signs of the disease before cognitive impairment happens.

'What we show here is that SOBA may be the basis of such a test.'
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left, speaks with France's President Emmanuel Macron as they arrive for a Franco-Spanish summit in Barcelona, Thursday. / AP-Yonhap



French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting Thursday with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Barcelona to strengthen relations between the European neighbors by signing a friendship treaty.



The one-day summit in Barcelona comes amid a day of widespread strikes and protests on the other side of the Pyrenees against Macron's bid to increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64.



Sanchez and Macron are to sign a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between their countries. Both governments consider this a diplomatic bond of the highest order. Spain only has a similar treaty with Portugal; France has them with Germany and Italy.



The leaders are seeking stronger positions inside the European Union. Macron is profiling himself as the continent's leading politician to fill the void of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while Sanchez wants Spain to have a more influential role in Brussels following the exit of Britain from the bloc.



After years of cordial but sometimes distant relations between France and Spain, the two have grown closer recently.



Spain, France and Portugal have agreed on a major undersea pipeline to transport hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula to France and eventually the rest of Europe. The pipeline, dubbed H2Med, will run from Barcelona to Marseille.



Macron and Sanchez also both want the European energy market to be reformed to respond to the energy crisis provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



The meeting is being held in Catalonia's National Art Museum, housed in a former palace perched atop the Montjuic hill that overlooks Barcelona.



Several thousand Catalan separatists are rallying outside to try to energize their flagging movement to carve a new state out of this corner of northeast Spain that borders France. The sound of distant jeers could be heard from afar as Macron and Sanchez reviewed Spanish soldiers before the national anthems were played on arrival.



Sanchez has spent quite a bit of political capital in defusing the separatist movement, with pardons for imprisoned leaders of a failed 2017 secession bid and recent legal reforms. While that has succeeded in reducing tensions in Catalonia, there is still a hardcore group that refuses to go away. (AP)






Scott McTominay was brought down inside the box by Palace's Chris Richards

Jamie Redknapp and Glenn Murray felt Man United should have had a penalty

Pundits Jamie Redknapp and Glenn Murray strongly believe that Manchester United will feel hard done by after not being awarded a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

Michael Olise notched a stunning free-kick in the 91st minute to earn the Eagles a shock draw against Erik ten Hag's in-form United at Selhurst Park.

The Red Devils looked set to move up to second in the Premier League and record a 10th consecutive victory, but instead they had to settle for a point, and third place in the league table.

Manchester United could have been awarded a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace

United's Scott McTominay was brought down by Palace defender Chris Richards inside the box

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for United in the 43rd minute as he arrived inside the box with perfect timing before firing home.

United could have, however, extended their lead to 2-0 if they had been awarded a penalty when midfielder Scott McTominay was brought down inside the box by Palace defender Chris Richards on his debut.

Pundits Murray and Redknapp were left bemused that VAR didn't even step in or that the referee didn't review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Pundits Glenn Murray and Jamie Redknapp were left bemused that VAR didn't even step in

'I think it is a penalty. Weve seen it back a number of times and its a real difficult one,' former Brighton striker Murray said on Sky Sports.

'For me, McTominay gets the ball and takes it away from Richards. Richards dangles a foot in and I dont think he touches the ball.

'For me that is a penalty and why the referee hasnt gone over to the monitor to make his own decision on this Im not sure.'

Former Brighton striker Murray felt it was a penalty after watching it back multiple times

Redknapp fully agreed, by adding: 'I couldnt agree more Glenn, he has chopped it away on his right foot, it is a lovely touch.

'What I dont understand is sometimes VAR will look at things for 5 to 10 minutes then something like that is actually so clear and obvious. Also vitally important for a team, why they just didnt spend a little bit more time.

'Personally I think it is clear and obvious. Its a lovely bit of skill from McTominay, he deceives him, he is waiting for the challenge and he doesnt touch it.

'He knows its a foul. He didnt do a lot wrong Chris Richards, but he got that wrong and got away with it.'

Murray was also keen to reiterate that Scotland international McTominay is not one that goes down looking for a penalty either.

'Hes not that type McTominay to get into the box and go down. Its not in his nature. He touches the ball, gets the contact and doesnt get it (the penalty).'
Anthea Turner looked in good spirits as she enjoyed a night out with her fiance Mark Armstrong at Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday.

The TV presenter, 62, wrapped up for the evening in a tan coat which she wore with a dark brown jumper and black top.

The broadcaster also sported a pair of black trousers and added height to her frame with a pair of boots.

Couple: Anthea Turner looked in good spirits as she enjoyed a night out with her fiance Mark Armstrong at Cirque Du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday

Styling her blonde locks into a loose bob, Anthea added to her look with a black handbag with a tassel detail.

Mark opted for a black coat and matching trousers which he wore with a crisp white shirt.

The couple have been engaged since 2019 but postponed their wedding in November, opting to have it later this year in Italy.

The twice married TV star previously delayed the nuptials due to covid restrictions, the death of both parties beloved mothers and an eye injury that left her 'moments from going blind'

Outfit: The TV presenter, 62, wrapped up for the evening in a tan coat which she wore with a dark brown jumper and black top

She told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden that the lavish nuptials would now be taking place in Italy saying: 'We're definitely going to do it next year!'

In 2020, Anthea and Mark spoke to HELLO! about their engagement, which took place a year earlier.

Describing her partner, 57, as 'the love of her life', Anthea said: 'We adore each other he makes me smile every day and we are excited about our life together.'

Mark proposed to his fiancee at whirlwind speed just two months after their first date.

The TV veteran was previously married to ex-husband Grant Bovey for 13 years, but the couple split after he cheated on her with a woman half her age in 2013.

Delayed: The couple have been engaged since 2019 but postponed their wedding in November, opting to have it later this year in Italy

Anthea's first marriage was to her manager, former DJ Peter Powell, in 1990, with the couple splitting up eight years later.

In October Anthea revealed she had penned a letter to her then-husband Grant, pleading with him to understand how the menopause was responsible for her behaviour - not knowing he was already cheating on her with a 24-year-old.

She said her work commitments made it hard to have a proper conversation with her ex, so she tried to put down the changes she was experiencing on paper.

The couple had been married 12 years before they split up when she was 52 after she found out about his affair.

Former GMTV host Anthea said at first she herself didn't understand what was happening to her, and she welcomed the recent more open debate about the menopause.

She said on the Postcards From Midlife podcast: 'I hadn't a clue what was going on. We need to talk about it - it's a horrible time.

'You just all of a sudden don't feel yourself. And I know that sounds such a pathetic thing to say, 'Oh, I don't feel myself,' but you really don't. You feel like somebody's invaded your body.

Ex: In October Anthea revealed she had penned a letter to her then-husband Grant, pleading with him to understand how the menopause was responsible for her behaviour - not knowing he was already cheating on her with a 24-year-old (pictured together in 2012)

'All your markers are all out by a few degrees. I got spots on my back and I was sweating. I felt my confidence was going. I was getting brain fog, I was questioning myself.

You want to turn to the person who's the most important in your life, your husband, and I couldn't. I'd be going backwards and forwards to Toronto at the time because I was doing a programme out there.

'But, of course, what I didn't realise is at the time he was going through his own little menopause, and he'd obviously taken up with a, very exciting in his life, 24-year-old.

'So a sweaty, moaning wife was just like the last thing he wanted. And I wrote this little letter saying, you know, please understand that.

'I then went reading up about it and found out a lot more, and I tried to explain. I thought I'll write it all down and I wrote it all down.'
Kevin Spacey was pictured at an event Wednesday at the Cinema Adriano in Rome, Italy in promotion of his film The Man Who Drew God, titled in Italian, L'uomo che disegno Dio.

The embattled actor, who has faced multiple accusations of sexual assault over the past five years, was at the event at the theater two days after he was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Italian National Cinema Museum in Turin, Italy.

On Wednesday, the New Jersey-born actor, 63, donned a dark grey suit with over a lapis blue button-up shirt with a necktie with horizontal stripes, and black shoes.

The latest: Kevin Spacey, 63, was pictured at an event Wednesday at the Cinema Adriano in Rome, Italy in promotion of his film The Man Who Drew God, titled in Italian, L'uomo che disegno Dio

The American Beauty star wore a pair of dark-framed glasses and had his hair neatly combed at the cinematic event.

The Oscar-winning actor was pictured with his collaborators on the film, which was directed by Franco Nero, who also appears as an actor in the movie with Spacey, Faye Dunaway and Robert Davi.

Spacey posed for shots with Nero and actress Stefania Rocca at the event.

The Usual Suspects star on Monday acknowledged the National Cinema Museum in choosing him for their honor, following years of legal troubles and sexual allegations amid the #MeToo movement that brought his once-thriving career to a standstill.

The New Jersey-born actor donned a dark grey suit with over a lapis blue button-up shirt with a necktie with horizontal stripes

The embattled actor was seen snapping a picture with an iPhone at the event

The Oscar-winning actor was pictured with his collaborators on the film, including director and costar Franco Nero

'I am truly blessed and grateful and humbled. And my heart is very full tonight toward the National Museum of Cinema for having had [the balls] to invite me tonight,' the House of Cards star said. 'By presenting this award, they are making a strong defense of artistic achievement and for that they should be applauded.'

Spacey had participated in a master class at the event - which was touted as his first speaking engagement in five years - in which he did not bring up the multiple allegations of misconduct that have been made against him.

At the event, Spacey said he was 'enormously grateful' to Nero for casting him in The Man Who Drew God.

Spacey signed autographs and posed for selfies with fans who attended the event.

Attendee Mery Bicci told the AP, 'When the scandal happened, I went into mourning because I knew very well that they would ostracize him right away.'

Chiara Ottolini, another attendee at the event said of Spacey: 'I actually missed him, and I think he had a great role in the cinema ... I am so happy to see that he is coming back, because we have to separate the man and the artist.'

Spacey smiled as he posed with costar Stefania Rocca

He posed in the middle of a group shot with the cast of the Italian drama

Spacey on Monday was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Italian National Cinema Museum in Turin, Italy

In June, Spacey is slated to stand trial in London in connection with 12 charges of sexual assault of four men between the years of 2001 and 2013. Spacey has entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

This past October, Spacey was cleared by a federal jury in New York in connection with allegations that he sexually abused actor Anthony Rapp, 50, when he was 14 in 1986 during a time both performers were working on Broadway.

In 2019, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped charges against the actor in connection with accusations he fondled a man at a bar.
Ethan Hawke was spotted this week directing his actress daughter Maya Hawke on the Kentucky set of his upcoming film Wildcat.

The 52-year-old, who shares his daughter with his ex-wife Uma Thurman, has cast Maya as the celebrated writer Flannery O'Connor.

Maya, 24, vanished into the role with period costume and hair and was seen hobbling about on crutches as the real Flannery did in later life.

Family business: Ethan Hawke was spotted this week directing his actress daughter Maya Hawke on the Kentucky set of his upcoming film Wildcat

Uncanny: Maya (left), 24, vanished into the role with period costume and hair and was seen hobbling about on crutches as the real Flannery (right) did in later life

Flannery suffered severe health problems because of lupus, which claimed her father's life when she was just shy of her 16th birthday.

Her own mobility issues ultimately left her largely stuck on the family farm, where she threw herself into writing, often about disabled characters.

Flannery's Irish Catholic upbringing in Georgia also heavily influenced her work, which has come to be regarded as a cornerstone of Southern Gothic literature.

The local Louisville, Kentucky news station WLKY revealed last month that Ethan was planning to shoot Wildcat in the area in January and February.

Premise: The 52-year-old, who shares his daughter with his ex-wife Uma Thurman , has cast Maya as the celebrated writer Flannery O'Connor

Last week the same outlet reported that the movie's action would largely unfold in the 1950s, the decade where the bulk of Flannery's career took place.

Born into a high-profile Hollywood family, Maya became a famous actress herself as one of the stars of the smash hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

Her latest gig comes on the heels of a social media furor over 'nepo babies' in who are said to have gotten showbiz careers because of family connections.

Unrecognizable: Born into a high-profile Hollywood family, Maya became a famous actress herself as one of the stars of the smash hit Netflix series Stranger Things

Maya is one of a massive glut of rising starlets with famous parents, from Johnny Depp's daughter Lily-Rose Depp to Andie MacDowell's daughter Margaret Qualley.

Maude Apatow, whose parents are Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, and Kaia Gerber, whose mother is Cindy Crawford, have shot to fame in recent years as well.

Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon, Heidi Klum's daughter Leni Klum and Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough are also coming up, among others.

At the helm: The local Louisville, Kentucky news station WLKY revealed last month that Ethan was planning to shoot Wildcat in the area in January and February

Maya remarked to Rolling Stone in September: 'I feel like the only way to handle the nepotism thing - which definitely gives you massive advantages in this life - is, you will get chances for free, but the chances will not be infinite.'

She explained: 'So you have to keep working and do a good job. If you do a bad job, the chances will stop. That's my ethos.'

The online chatter around 'nepo babies' reached a fever pitch in December after New York magazine ran a viral cover story about the phenomenon.

Backdrop: Her latest gig comes on the heels of a social media furor over 'nepo babies' in who are said to have gotten showbiz careers because of family connections

Dakota Johnson, whose parents are Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and whose grandmother is Hitchcock blonde Tippi Hedren, was one of the faces on the cover.

Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of Psycho actress Janet Leigh and Some Like It Hot dreamboat Tony Curtis, then waded into the debate.

Calling herself the 'OG Nepo Baby,' she complained: 'The current conversation about nepo babies is just designed to try to diminish and denigrate and hurt.'
Meghan King shared more before-and-after photos documenting her new chest and 'tweaked' nose after going under the knife last year.

The RHOC vet, 38, said she had undergone numerous procedures as she posted snaps of her 'enhanced' bikini body.

In her lengthy post, Meghan, who has been posting the results of her surgeries for some time, described feeling more confident after undergoing a breast implant exchange, a 'teeny' rhinoplasty, and Sculptra to her face.

New year, new you! Meghan King has revealed the results of her recent plastic surgeries as she shared before-and-after photos of her new chest and 'tweaked' nose

Before and after: King showed off her 'tweaked' nose after undergoing a 'teeny' rhinoplasty

In a lengthy caption, Meghan detailed her decision to open up about her recent surgeries as part of the on-going 'message of authenticity' she hopes to broadcast to fans.

'I guess its easier to stay true to my #filterfree2023 commitment when I recently made some surgical and non-surgical "filter" adjustments @cosmeticare_ with Dr Niccole,' Meghan began in the post.

'I've always been outspoken about any enhancements Ive had (this time I wanted the fullness in my breasts back and a little cleavage, and since I was under anesthesia I opted to tweak the tip of my nose for a minor adjustment.)

She also revealed how her insecurities about the size of her chest led her to ultimate adjust it.

Candid: King got real about her insecurities and staying true to her 'message of authenticity' as she opened up about her surgeries on Instagram

'My chest is so wide so it always made me feel masculine on the outside but I felt so feminine on the inside and so decided to do this thing called "cosmetic enhancing".

'I ask myself if that aligns with the message of authenticity I want to always send and my answer is, yes, I think it does. Because living authentically doesnt have to make sense to others, my mind is allowed to change and Im allowed to change.

'I like feeling confident but Im my biggest critic. Id love to look at my body and say, "Wow, youre beautiful just the way you are," and now, with the help of a breast implant exchange, a teeny rhino, and some Sculptra to keep my face plump, I do.'

Feeing confident: King posed in a sexy blue look

The results! King displayed her fuller chest after undergoing a breast implant exchange

Before: The post included shots of Meghan prior to her surgery

Meghan marveled at her post-baby body, in awe that it produced three children.

'Plus look at that body! Can you believe it bore 3 kids and gained 70 lbs? Check out that hernia! I earned that! Diastasis! Shall we compare birth stories?!- The point is not that we judge one another for supposed inconsistencies, but celebrate their authenticity to themself. YOU. ME. We are our OWN bosses, we run our OWN shows, and we report to OURSELVES.'

Meghan shares three children with her ex-husband Jim Edmonds - daughter Aspen, six, and four-year-old twins Hayes and Hart.

She remarried following her divorce from Edmonds, tying the knot with Cuffe Biden Owens, President Joe Biden's nephew, in 2021. The couple tied the knot in Pennsylvania in a wedding that was attended by the president and his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.

''I've always been outspoken about any enhancements Ive had': King shared photos of her in the midst of one of her procedures

Touch up: She shared snaps of her doctor taking note of her face

However just a few months later Meghan revealed their relationship had ended.

The post comes as Meghan's ex Jim Edmonds slammed Meghan during an interview with his new wife Kortnie O'Conner on the Hollywood Raw podcast with Dax Holt and Adam Glyn.

Kortnie alleged Jim and Meghan initially were able to exchange their children in present as part of their co-parenting arrangement but now rely on a nanny to do the hand off.

'In the beginning they we were able to see each other and exchange the kids and stuff, but now it's gotten to the point where we have a nanny doing it and I think that's better.'

Busy mom: Meghan shares three children with her ex-husband Jim Edmonds - daughter Aspen, six, and four-year-old twins Hayes and Hart

Jim also addressed the two orders of protection Meghan had filed against him last year before eventually dismissing them.

Jim hinted the entire thing was just a PR stunt as he detailed the matter.

'This has happened right before we got married, so it was like right of perfect timing and right before we get married she had, you know, it appeared and I was like, can you send me a copy of it? I wanna see it. And I'm like, wanna see what? Cause you have to allege something in order to get one,' Kortnie said.

'Because the protection order is fear of,' Jim began.

'Your life,' Kortnie added. 'And the date was three months ago. And I'm like, so you're in danger of your life. But this was three months ago. It was filed or per like, she had it written up. It was never served to us. No one ever came here. Three months later. We've had the kids, we've seen her, she's been at the house.'

The ex factor: Meghan shares three children with her ex-husband Jim Edmonds - daughter Aspen, six, and four-year-old twins Hayes and Hart

'It really never got filed but obviously it made the media,' Jim said.

Kortnie said she asked to see a copy of the paperwork after learning a media outlet was about to report on it.

'Let me see, before they do this, it's not real. Like you have to serve someone,' she said.

'Then, when my lawyer got ahold of the paperwork, it was said, it was written by a child's handwriting, basically. Like she filled the whole thing out herself and sent it into the police station. So who, God knows what's going on,' Jim said.

New love: Edmonds has moved on, marrying Kortnie O'Conner last year

'It's really funny, she said this earlier,' he said, referring to Kortnie. '"The wedding's getting close, what is she going to do to try and trump our wedding?" And kind of that showed up,' Jim said.

He also once again denied allegations he cheated on Meghan with their nanny Carly.

Edmonds also insisted he did not marry Kortnie on Meghan's birthday.

'It was on the 25th by the way,' Edmonds said of their September 2022 wedding. 'I don't know if the truth has come out of [King's] mouth since her and I have been together. So, I can give you an entire list and if not all three years of just straight lies.'
She made quite the impression as Love Island's brand new host this week.

And now, Maya Jama, 28, is aiming to cash in on her recent success - preparing to launch her own range of non-alcoholic beverages.

The TV and Radio presenter is reportedly 'building up her empire' and getting ready to bring out her new business venture in time for summer.

Entrepreneur: Maya Jama, 28, is aiming to cash in on her recent Love Island success - preparing to launch her own range of non-alcoholic beverages

Maya is said to be calling the range Cling Cling  after her 'Cling Cling muthaf***ers' catchphrase, which proved a hit with her fans.

A source told The Sun: 'Maya is preparing to bring out a range of non-alcoholic drinks, hopefully in time for the summer.

'She is a clever businesswoman as well as a great TV presenter.

'Maya's soaring popularity is great for her brands and the booze-free drinks would be perfect.

In the works: The TV and Radio presenter is reportedly 'building up her empire' and getting ready to bring out her new business venture in time for summer

'She has her hand in a lot of pies and is cleverly building up her empire.'

Maya  who has over 2.6million Instagram followers  previously launched merchandise using her Cling Cling catchphrase.

In 2019, she launched a range of T-shirts and hoodies with different designs of the slogan  and brought them back the following year with proceeds of the sales going to Black Lives Matter and to feminist action group Sisters Uncut.

As well as her new drinks range in the works, Maya has also trademarked the word 'tringe' for a range of clip-on fringes.

This comes after Maya's hugely successful debut as the new host of Love Island.

'Ultimate bombshell' Maya Jama has 'broken the internet' with her daring Love Island look as she shares first message since debut

Love Island bosses are reportedly keen to tie host Maya down into a 'multi-series deal' after she impressed with her debut.

And after her success on her first outing after replacing former host Laura Whitmore, it's been suggested that producers plan to keep her on the show for a while as she's 'now a major TV force to be reckoned with.'

Industry expert Jonathan Shalit explained: 'Maya is quite simply fantastic - a true star and now a household name. She has nailed the role of Love Island host totally and shown herself to be a world A-list star.

In demand: 'One things for sure - there will be a lot of urgent conversations around renewing her contract already under way'

'She is now a major TV force to be reckoned with.'

They added: 'You'd have to be living under a rock to have missed seeing a photo of Maya in that black dress yesterday and it will surely captivate those who previously only had a casual interest. One thing's for sure - there will be a lot of urgent conversations around renewing her contract already under way.'

Meanwhile, a source went on to add to the publication that the 'electric' launch was stuff that 'a marketeer's dreams are made of' and will no doubt see plenty of people rushing to watch the ITV2 show on catch up.

It comes as viewers were left gutted after Maya was absent from the show's second episode on Tuesday - declaring the series 'boring' without her.

While the singletons battled it out in their first challenge, Maya jetted back to London before returning to South Africa later this week.

Taking to Twitter one fan bemoaned: 'Where was Maya Jama tonight I missed her'.

Another wrote: 'Can we have a Love Island where there's no contestants, just an hour of Maya Jama being Maya Jama please'.

While a third tweeted: 'This is so boring, where's Maya Jama'.
Amanda Bynes was seen stepping out for coffee in Los Angeles on Wednesday, after news broke that she participate in an All That reunion at 90s Con.

Following confirmation that she will make her first public appearance since the end of her eight-year conservatorship, the 36-year-old actress looked relaxed as she got a cup of java.

During her laid-back outing, the Sydney White star wore a black hoodie, matching leggings, a pair of white Converse sneakers and her dark locks in a high ponytail.

Laid-back look: Amanda Bynes was seen stepping out for coffee in Los Angeles on Wednesday, after news broke that she participate in an All That reunion at 90s Con

Her outing comes after news broke that she would reunite with her All That co-stars for the upcoming '90s Con Panel - 23 years after the original show ended.

The Nickelodeon actor, who starred on the sketch comedy show from 1996-2000, revealed she will appear at the event - running from March 17-19 at the Connecticut Convention Center - alongside Kel Mitchell, 44, Danny Tamberelli, 40, and Lori Beth Denberg, 46.

The She's The Man actress told People: 'I'm really excited to reunite with my cast mates and meet the fans at '90s Con.

Coffee run: Following confirmation that she will make her first public appearance since the end of her eight-year conservatorship, the 36-year-old actress looked relaxed as she got a cup of java

Casual: During her laid-back outing, the Sydney White star wore a black hoodie, matching leggings, a pair of white Converse sneakers and her dark locks in a high ponytail

Mitchell said: 'Last year, I had a blast at '90s Con promoting my book and new single Blessed Mode. What better way to return than with the All That gang including Amanda Bynes who will be joining Danny, Lori Beth, and me this year.

'Plus, I will be bringing copies of my new comedy fantasy adventure book Prank Day, and I can't wait to see all the 90's fashion the fans are bringing this year.'90s Con is a whole vibe! Let's go!"

'Last year was amazing and we cannot wait for this year's show.'

Freedom: In March of 2022, Bynes was freed of her nine-year legal conservatorship controlled by her mother Lynn

All That was created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin and originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons.

The series, which was billed as 'SNL for kids' boasted short comedy sketches and musical guests.

In 2019 a revival of the series with original cast member Kenan Thompson serving as executive producer and Mitchell rejoining the cast was confirmed, with the 11th season airing in June of that year.

Exciting: Her outing comes after news broke that she would reunite with her All That co-stars for the upcoming '90s Con Panel - 23 years after the original show ended

The last episode of the series aired on December 17, 2020, after production was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It launched Bynes into her noughties romcom era before the embattled star stepped away from acting.

Bynes and beau Paul Michael broke off their engagement in July of 2022, but reportedly got back together in August. Now they are rumored to be living together again in Amanda's L.A. home.

Though Bynes has reconciled with her ex-fiance, their engagement is reportedly not back on.

Sources close to the star have told TMZ that the pair are only dating after calling off their engagement over the summer.

He's back! Kel Mitchell, 44, will be appearing alongside Amanda (pictured December)

Rumors of their latest reunion first arose earlier in October of 2022 when the Nickelodeon star shared a mysterious image of herself holding hands with Paul Michael  who could be recognized by his distinctive tattoos  on her Instagram Story.

The cozy photo came nearly two months after news first broke that the pair had ended their two-year engagement.

The subtle hint of Amanda's photo featured Paul's tattooed grip holding on to her heavily manicured hand.

Back together, but not engaged: Recently Bynes has reconciled with her ex-fiance Paul Michael, their engagement is reportedly not back on

Neither appeared to be wearing any rings on their hands following news on July 8 that they had ended their engagement 'sometime in 2021.'

'They are still together as a couple,' an insider stressed to ET at the time of their supposed split. 'They are still in a committed relationship and take their relationship seriously.'

Bynes and Michael famously got engaged on Valentine's Day 2020, mere months after staying at the same sober living facility.

On-and-off-again: Bynes and Michael famously got engaged on Valentine's Day 2020, mere months after staying at the same sober living facility

Complicated: On April 28, the Easy A alum called 911 on the healthcare worker during a dispute over him relapsing. She accused him of vandalizing his mother's home, looking at MILF porn, and being off his meds

On April 28, the Easy A alum called 911 on the healthcare worker during a dispute over him relapsing. She accused him of vandalizing his mother's home, looking at MILF porn, and being off his meds.

Aside from Amanda's busy love life, the star has also reportedly been developing a 'fragrance line' as she pursues another degree at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising after earning her associate's degree there in 2019.

In March of 2022, Bynes was freed of her nine-year legal conservatorship controlled by her mother Lynn.

Amanda's conservatorship began in 2013 when she was involuntarily committed to a Pasadena psychiatric treatment facility following a public meltdown involving a string of bizarre run-ins with the law dating back to 2012.

Among Bynes' offenses were two hit-and-runs and a DUI in 2012, as well as a 2013 arrest for throwing a bong out of a window of the 36th floor of her Manhattan apartment.
Ron Perlman, 72, has showered praise on his new wife Allison Dunbar, 50, calling her 'better than me in every way.'

The pair met while acting on the show StartUp and were spotted kissing on a sidewalk in May 2019. It later emerged that Ron had legally separated from his first wife Opal just five days before his public lip-lock with Allison.

Allison and Ron then carried on a lockdown romance that led to an Italian wedding last June and an 'awesome' current relationship she told People is 'so fun.'

Lovebirds: Ron Perlman, 72, has showered praise on his new wife Allison Dunbar, 50, calling her 'better than me in every way'; pictured in December 2021

The blonde bombshell revealed: 'We kind of started living together, and then there was a pandemic about a month later.'

She explained: 'So we found out really quick whether we were going to make it or not, as did most relationships.'

Allison recalled: 'You're locked down together 24/7 and you're seeing each other in nothing but sweats and pajamas.'

She shared: 'We moved out to Pasadena right when the pandemic hit and we were kind of like: "Is this going to be really lame if we just launched into suburban life?"'

Side by side: The blonde bombshell revealed: 'We kind of started living together, and then there was a pandemic about a month later'; she and Ron are pictured last April

Allison, who along with being an actress has also worked as a burlesque dancer, said: 'But we love it. It's turned out to be such a good move.'

Ron and Allison were seen kissing outside Alexander Steakhouse in Pasadena on May 15, 2019 in pictures exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

Five months later Ron filed for divorce from his first wife Opal Stone, whom he had been married to for 38 years and with whom he shares two grown children.

The way they were: Ron and Allison were spotted locking lips in May 2019 just five days after his legal date of separation from his first wife Opal, whom he is pictured with in 2018

In court documents cited by TMZ, the date of separation was given as May 10, five days before Ron and Allison were snapped indulging in their sidewalk smooch.

After they moved in together, insiders spilled to The Sun that Ron was 'madly in love' with Allison and that their 'passionate relationship' made him 'feel younger.'

They ultimately tied the knot last June at a former 19th century hilltop palazzo in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Jennifer Lopez was a total head-turner as she arrived at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood for her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live this Wednesday.

The actress, 53, has been busy promoting her latest rom-com, Shotgun Wedding, which is slated for a January 27 release on Prime Video.

Lopez wowed fans and photographers in a chic white trench coat styled with a pair of white platform heels.

Wow! Jennifer Lopez was a total head-turner as she arrived at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood for her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Lopez wowed fans and photographers in a chic white trench coat styled with a pair of white platform heels

The mother-of-two carefully strolled the pavement in her sky-high shoes with a security guard by her side and her publicist in tow.

Though she left her coat buttoned-up for her arrival, the hem of a flowy pink dress peeked out from under it.

Lopez carried a white clutch in her blinged out clutches.

A pair of sparkly pearl-adorned hoops were barely visible through her voluminous honey-toned hair that was worn in a half up, half down style.

Bling: Lopez kept a white clutch in her blinged out clutches

As for makeup, the bonafide 'Queen of Romantic Comedies' rocked a sexy smokey eye with shimmery shadow across the lid.

To achieve her signature 'JLo glow,' the star dusted her cheeks with luminous peach blush and set her complexion products in place with a light reflecting powder.

A glossy nude lip completed her camera-ready glam.

Pop of pink: Though she left her coat buttoned-up for her arrival, the hem of her flowy blush dress was able to peek out from under it

Careful now! The mother-of-two carefully strolled the pavement in her sky-high shoes with a security guard by her side and her publicist in tow

Shotgun Wedding will mark Lopez's eleventh rom-com and her second straight-to-streaming film with Amazon Studios.

Lopez stars opposite Josh Duhamel, 50, and the duo play a couple who have gathered all of their loved ones for a dream destination wedding but then start getting cold feet.

According to the synopsis, the ceremony is crashed by a band of pirates and all of the guests are taken hostage.

Fan service: She offered a wave to fans in the wings before heading through the stage door

Then while under pressure deciding whether they should get married or not, the bride and groom must fight the pirates and save the day.

It was originally released in Singapore and Indonesia in December but will soon be available on Amazon's Prime Video starting Friday, January 27.

Lopez and Duhamel sat down with the TODAY show earlier this week to discuss the upcoming flick.

Promo mode: The actress, 53, has been busy promoting her latest rom-com, Shotgun Wedding which is slated for a January 27 release on Prime Video

Discussion: Lopez and co-star Josh Duhamel sat down with the TODAY show earlier this week to discuss the upcoming flick

Lopez explained that it was all about 'juggling' the film's 'different tones' which rapidly switch from Lucille Ball-esque comedy to 'bada**' action sequences.

The On The Floor hitmaker also touched on her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck, who she tied the knot with over the summer.

The Hollywood 'It couple' of the early aughts reconnected in May 2020 after 17 years apart. They were previously engaged but famously split in early 2004.

But Affleck would get down on one knee for the second time in early 2022 to ask Lopez to be his wife.

Quite the task: Lopez explained that it was all about 'juggling' the film's 'different tones' which rapidly switch from Lucille Ball-esque comedy to 'bada**' action sequences

All love: The On The Floor hitmaker also touched on her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck, who she tied the knot with over the summer

When Duhamel called Affleck a 'dreamboat' on TODAY, Lopez jumped in: 'He's dreamy. He's a sweetheart.'

The couple - who have children from prior marriages - had to blend their families once Lopez moved from Miami to Los Angeles to live with the Oscar winner, 50.

She has twins Max and Emme, 14, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and Ben has Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 10, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.

'We moved in together. The kids moved in together,' Lopez told Jason Kennedy in an interview that aired Monday.

'It's been, like, a really kind of emotional transition, but at the same time all your dreams coming true. And it's just been a phenomenal year. Like, my best year I think since my kids were born.'
Alessandra Ambrosio cut a fashionable figure in a figure-hugging grey midi dress with a flirty thigh-high slit while visiting the Brentwood Country Mart in Los Angeles.

As she browsed around the celebrity-loved shopping center, regularly frequented by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner, the supermodel showcased her toned legs in her chic ensemble, which she styled with a pair of matching leather boots.

During her outing, the 41-year-old catwalk star was also seen wearing a long trench coat, multi-colored sunglasses and her hair in beachy waves.

Leggy display: Alessandra Ambrosio cut a fashionable figure in a figure-hugging grey midi dress with a flirty thigh-high slit while visiting the Brentwood Country Mart in Los Angeles

She carried a white and blue polka-dot gift bag while walking back to her car on Wednesday.

Her latest sighting comes after recently returning from a snowy getaway to Aspen, Colorado and another recent trip to Isla Holbox, Mexico.

The island, where Alessandra and her family recently stayed over New Year, is famous for its nature preserves which house sea turtles and whale sharks.

Chic: As she browsed around the celebrity-loved shopping center, regularly frequented by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner, the supermodel showcased her toned legs in her chic ensemble, which she styled with a pair of matching leather boots

No cars are allowed on the island to protect it's delicate beauty.

During her vacation, the mother-of-two posted several bikini photos at the beach, including one of her in a tiny pink bikini that showcased her trim midriff.

'Happy New Year!' the beauty captioned the snap, which saw her forming a heart with her hands.

Off to a good start! During her vacation, the mother-of-two posted several bikini photos at the beach, including one of her in a tiny pink bikini that showcased her trim midriff

Ambrosio is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret, after she was selected as the brand's first spokesmodel.

The beauty made her modeling debut at the age of 15 for Dilson Stein.

Over the years, she has been featured as one of People's annual '100 Most Beautiful People in the World,' modeled for Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Dior.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with workers at the Obukhov State Plant on in Saint Petersburg, Wednesday. / UPI-Yonhap



The Kremlin on Thursday warned of escalation in Ukraine if the West gives the pro-Western country more weapons capable of striking Russia.



"Potentially, this is extremely dangerous, it will mean bringing the conflict to a whole new level, which, of course, will not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.



The warning comes on the eve of a key donor meeting as Western countries consider sending more powerful weapons to Ukraine.



On Friday, the United States will gather its allies at its airbase in Ramstein for a new round of talks on backing Ukraine militarily.



Peskov spoke after Moscow's ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said Russia would retaliate if Ukraine uses Western-supplied weapons to target Russia or the Crimea peninsula, annexed from Ukraine in 2014.



"It should become obvious to everyone: no matter what weapons the Americans or NATO supply to the Zelensky regime, we will destroy it," he said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.



"It is simply impossible to defeat Russia," he said in comments released by the embassy.



He said that US rhetoric over Ukraine was becoming "more and more belligerent."



By insisting that Crimea was part of Ukraine and saying that Kyiv can use US weapons to protect its territory Washington "is essentially pushing the Kyiv regime to commit terror acts in Russia," Antonov said.



Separately, former president Dmitry Medvedev warned that the West's continued support for Ukraine could lead to nuclear war.



"A nuclear power losing in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war," he wrote.

"Nuclear powers have not lost major conflicts on which their fate depends."



Peskov said Medvedev's comments were in line with Russia's nuclear doctrine. (AFP)


Sarah Michelle Gellar won't allow her daughter to appear on camera until she is 18 years old and no longer living with her parents.

The 45-year-old actress  who has Charlotte, 13, and Rocky, 10, with husband Freddie Prinze Jr, 46  revealed the acting rules she has in place for her eldest child in an interview The Hollywood Reporter.

'Does it scare the s*** out of me? Well, we have rules in place. She can't be in front of a camera until she graduates high school,' Sarah - who recently called the set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer 'toxic' - shared.

Rules! Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed that she won't allow her daughter Charlotte, 13, to appear on camera until she is 18 years old and graduates high school; Pictured with Charlotte in September, 2022

The actress went on: 'She says to me, "Thats unfair. You were a child actor." Yes, I was. But I was not the child of two famous parents.'

Gellar started appearing on TV herself in her mid-teens before shooting to global fame in the title role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in her early 20s.

However, the Scooby Doo star did go on to clarify that she would 'never stop' Charlotte following in her footsteps but insisted that it would not be happening while she is still 'living under her roof.'

'I'll never stop her from being on a set. But shes just not going on camera while shes living under our roof. Therell be different expectations for her, so she needs to learn everything there is first.'

Famous parents: 'She says to me, "Thats unfair. You were a child actor." Yes, I was. But I was not the child of two famous parents,' Sarah, 45 - who shares Charlotte and son Rocky, 10, with husband Freddie Prinze Jr - said

What's more, Sarah has previously explained that she will not allow Charlotte to use social media until she is older and can 'understand' the nature of having an online platform.

She said: 'My son doesn't care. That's not his world. It's definitely something my daughter and I discuss. It's an ever-evolving conversation.'

'Obviously, there will be a time when I can't say no anymore because I'll be keeping her away from the way her generation communicates. But I also need to wait until she gets to a point where she understands the permanence of what you put out there.'

Not under my roof: 'I'll never stop her from being on a set. But shes just not going on camera while shes living under our roof,' she explained

Child star: Gellar started appearing on TV herself in her mid-teens before shooting to global fame in the title role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in her early 20s; Pictured in a 1997 still

The Cruel Intentions star previously compared the permanence of a post to allowing her children to get face tattoos and added, 'Our rules are probably stricter than most.'

'Our kids don't have social media,' the star explained. 'They're allowed to look sometimes when it's our phones. Sometimes, our kids will be like "you guys are the strictest household!" But I say, "yes, but everyone still wants to come here!"'

Gellar also compared allowing her kids to post online to getting a Paw Patrol tattoo on their face in an interview with Yahoo Life's So Mini Ways.

'Because at that age, theres nothing better than Paw Patrol. And now you're 10 and [13], and you still have these tattoos on your face and it's not even who you are anymore. That's a very hard concept for young kids to grasp.'

Strict parents: Sarah has previously explained that she will not allow Charlotte to use social media until she is older and can 'understand' the nature of having an online platform

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star explained that an environment with limitations fosters better conditions for children to thrive in.

'I believe kids need to know what their limitations are, and they actually thrive in that environment.'

'Were not mean, we're not unnecessarily strict, but we have rules. And the same way I abide by my code of rules, I expect the same from our children,' she added.

Gellar has certainly been protective of her kids over the years, and for many years did not show her children's faces on social media. Last year she hit the red carpet at a special screening of Netflix's upcoming film Do Revenge - where she made a surprise cameo - and made the rare move of posing with daughter Charlotte at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel where the reception was held.

Protective: Sarah and Freddie - who married in 2002 - have been protective of their kids over the years, and very rarely show their children's faces on social media; Pictured 2007

The child was seen air kissing her famous mom on the cheek inside the event.

Sarah and Freddie Prinze Jr. met while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer which came out in 1997.

They started dating in 2000 and became engaged a year later. They married in a 2002 ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The famous duo celebrated their 20 year wedding anniversary last year, with Sarah posting a black and white snap from their wedding.
Margot Robbie opened up on Wednesday about the similarities between herself and the character she plays in her new movie Babylon.

The 32-year-old actress said both she and her character Nellie LaRoy are highly driven women determined to make it big in showbusiness.

'I definitely relate to Nellie's drive. She's hell-bent on making it in Hollywood,' Margot told The Australian.

Margot Robbie (pictured) opened up on Wednesday about the similarities between herself and the character she plays in her new movie Babylon

She added: 'When you get to Hollywood, there are so many people wanting the same thing. You just need to want it more than everyone else.'

Margot added that, like Nellie, she was determined to get her 'foot in the door' and did everything she could to make it happen.

Her commitment to her goals saw her go from a steady gig on Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2008 to 2011, to starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in her 2013 breakthrough movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

The 32-year-old actress said both she and her character Nellie LaRoy are highly driven women determined to make it big in showbusiness. (Pictured: Margot and Diego Calva in Babylon)

Margot and Diego Calva are in Australia promoting their movie Babylon, and on Thursday she said she was giving her co-star a unique 'Australian experience'.

The beauty revealed she had shown the Mexican actor, 30, some amazing Sydney landmarks and introduced him to some delicious Aussie treats.

'I'm trying to inject as much of the Australian experience for Diego while he's here,' she said on the Hit Network's Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield.

'I definitely relate to Nellie's drive. She's hell bent on making it in Hollywood,' she said

'He just tried his first Burger Ring,' she added.

The two-time Oscar nominee also said she had introduced Diego to her friends and family, but unfortunately there was one Australian highlight he would miss out on.

'He's a very in-demand actor so while he was able to stay in Sydney, there's no time to come to the Gold Coast,' she said.
Kiwi actor Sam Neill has passionately defended Jacinda Ardern hours after she resigned as Prime Minster of New Zealand.

The 42-year-old, her country's youngest-ever leader, shocked the nation and the world on Thursday when she announced she was stepping down, admitting she 'no longer has enough in the tank' to do the job.

Taking to Instagram after the news broke, the Jurassic Park actor, 75, said he 'does not blame' Ardern for calling it quits, adding that New Zealand 'deserves a worse leader' for the way its citizens treated her during her time in office.

Kiwi actor Sam Neill (pictured in Spain on October 11, 2019) has passionately defended Jacinda Ardern hours after she resigned as Prime Minster of New Zealand

'Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned today. I am not surprised, nor do I blame her,' he wrote.

'The treatment she has been receiving these last few months, the appalling pile-on by the left, the right, the aggrieved, the whiners, the nutbags, the know-it-alls, the misogynists etc. has been both disgraceful and embarrassing.

'I think she was a great leader through the most difficult times. She deserved better. And we will get what we deserve: inferior leadership.

'I personally will miss her. And thank her. And wish her a far happier future.'

The 42-year-old, her country's youngest-ever leader, shocked the nation and the world on Thursday when she announced she was stepping down

The Event Horizon star has been a long-term supporter of Ardern, previously saying the whole world wants a prime minster like her.

'So much admiration for my PM. Everywhere you go these days, people say they wish they could have a leader like her. PM envy - it's a thing,' he said in 2019.

Ardern's resignation will come into effect on Sunday if the Labour Party can elect her replacement in a vote on that day, or on February 7 if the process is drawn out.

Ms Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford pose with their baby daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford outside the hospital in Auckland on June 28, 2018

Ms Ardern said she had hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'.

'Once I realised that I didn't, I knew unfortunately there was not much alternative other than to hand over now,' she said at the Labour Party's traditional January caucus meeting in Napier on Thursday.

'I am human. Politicians are human. We give all we can for as long as we can - and then it's time. And for me, it's time.

The Jurassic Park actor, 75, said he 'does not blame' Ardern for calling it quits, adding that New Zealand 'deserves a worse leader' for the way its citizens treated her during her time in office

'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.

'I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead - and also when you're not.

'I have given my absolute all to being prime minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably come along.

Ms Ardern imposed some of the world's harshest Covid restrictions and only allowed visitors to enter less than a year ago

'Having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It's that simple.'

Ms Ardern resigns at just 42 after becoming leader just over five years ago on October 26, 2017, and was New Zealand's youngest-ever PM, and before that youngest sitting MP in 2008, aged 28.

Ms Ardern faced unrelenting criticism for implementing some of the harshest Covid restrictions in the world, including lockdowns where New Zealanders couldn't even buy takeaway food and a more-than-two-year border closure.

But she denied the constant attacks, which continued last year as the economy faltered and cost of living rose, played a role in her decision.

Ms Ardern unveils Covid alert levels, which led to some of the world's hardest restrictions, as she closed the country's borders on March 21, 2020

'I'm not leaving because it's hard... I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice. I would be doing a disservice to New Zealanders to continue,' she said.

The resigning PM was asked if she would take up a role with the UN after leaving office and didn't give a straight answer.

'This has been my entire focus as you can see by the fact you've not been aware of this [my resignation], so that [the UN] has not been my focus,' she said.

'My focus has been this decision, supporting the Labor team through this next stage.'

Instead, she insisted she had 'no plans' other than relaxing with her daughter Neve and marrying her fiance Clarke Gayford after their wedding was called off due to Covid restrictions.

'I am looking forward to spending time with my family once again... so to Neve, mumma is looking forward to being there when you start school this year, and to Clarke, let's finally get married,' she said.

Ms Ardern said she had not yet told her daughter of her plans because 'four-year-olds are chatty, I couldn't take the risk'.
Dave Hughes has called out Molly Meldrum's former protege Samuel Johnson after he vowed to never speak to the TV legend following his attention-seeking mooning scandal over the last week.

Meldrum exposed his bare buttocks live on stage at Elton John's farewell concert in Melbourne last Friday, later blaming the incident on a faulty belt buckle.

Johnson said on Tuesday the mooning incident was the last straw after years of holding his tongue, adding he was 'sick' of the music critic's increasingly erratic behaviour.

Dave Hughes (pictured) has called out Molly Meldrum's former protege Samuel Johnson after he vowed to never speak to the TV legend again after his attention-seeking display this week

He referenced the 2017 Logie Awards when Meldrum stole Johnson's spotlight as he was on stage accepting the Gold Logie for his performance in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, based on Meldrum's life.

He wanted to use the opportunity to promote his charity, Love Your Sister, and to thank his sister Connie, who was battling cancer at the time and would die months later.

But Johnson said Meldrum ruined his 'million-dollar moment' after he took the microphone from the actor and 'warbled in a very drunken fashion for eight whole minutes'.

Hughes scolded Johnson while interviewing him on his 2Day FM Breakfast Show, Hughesy Ed & Erin, for continuing to hold a grudge against someone for so many years

Speaking on 2Day FM Breakfast Show Hughesy Ed & Erin on Thursday, Hughes scolded Johnson for continuing to hold a grudge against someone for so many years.

'You said on Channel Seven the other day you would never speak to Molly again. I hate grudge holding. I think that's bad for you,' the comedian said.

Johnson agreed, adding, 'And you shouldn't have a forced absence on yourself because that is bad on you and it's bad on the other person.'

'But when I've specifically asked you not to do something... It's a once in a lifetime moment, it's a moment that I'll never get back... He has then breached my trust by coming up at that moment. Then Im sorry, Im not going to do the Molly sequel. I don't think I should,' he added.

Johnson's relationship with Meldrum changed at the Logie Awards in 2017 when the music critic stole Johnson's spotlight as he was on stage accepting the Gold Logie for his performance in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, based on Meldrum's life

Hughes stood by his advice and said there's 'no point holding on' to the situation.

'No, no, no. I wasn't holding on to it until I saw the Elton video,' Johnson argued.

'I want you and Molly to get in a room,' Hughes added, suggesting the pair could hash out their feud.

Johnson eventually said Hughes' point was 'valid', saying people 'shouldn't bear grudges' and 'should just call someone and ask whether they're okay'.

'He's got a very good point,' Johnson added. 'And I don't want to call him.'

Hughes then suggested instead of contacting the former Countdown host, the radio show organise the two meeting up face-to-face.

'If we could get you two together would you accept a conversation with Molly Meldrum?' Hughes asked.

Johnson said he never forgave Meldrum for upstaging him at the 2017 Logie Awards (pictured), where he had hoped to use his time on stage to promote his charity, Love Your Sister. Instead, a rambling and incoherent Meldrum made it all about himself

'Yeah, of course,' Johnson said. 'You've made me feel really petty now. I feel really, really pathetic.'

'No, you don't have to feel pathetic. But you need to live in the moment,' the comedian replied.

Johnson and Hughes - who hosted the 2017 Logies - then got into a heated argument over the fact Hughes didn't intervene that night Meldrum took to the stage.

The Secret Life of Us star criticised Hughes for not pulling the music critic off stage, but Hughesy revealed he wanted to usher him away.

'I was waiting for you to do something because you're the funny guy,' Johnson said.

Meldrum exposed his bare buttocks live on stage at Elton John's farewell concert in Melbourne last Friday, later blaming the incident on a faulty belt buckle

The legendary Australian music critic was watching his old friend Sir Elton in the crowd at AAMI Park for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, before he was brought up on stage

'I kept waiting for Hughesy to actually interrupt him with something funny,' he said.

Hughesy replied: 'I was super stressed, thinking "how the hell do I deal with this situation?"'

He added Eddie Maguire and 'the boss of Channel Nine' signalled for him to leave Meldrum on stage and that's why he 'didn't deal with it.'

Meldrum has apologised for the mooning incident at the Elton John concert in Melbourne last week, noting that he had a belt malfunction.

Speaking with The Morning Show on Tuesday, Johnson expressed concern for the music legend.

'Maybe it's time to hang up your hat, mate,' he said. 'I hope he's okay.'

It comes after Meldrum apologised for the mooning incident at the Elton John concert in Melbourne last week, noting that he had a belt malfunction

Johnson went on to suggest Meldrum has a problem with alcohol, claiming he has 'two shots of vodka in his coffee in the morning'.

'If I want to make any sense out of him, I've got to see him for midday. Stop, Molly!' he exclaimed.

Co-host Kylie Gillies then suggested that perhaps Johnson was in a position to give Meldrum a call and 'have a chat' about his behaviour, but Johnson said he hadn't spoken to him since the Logies debacle six years ago.

'I'll never speak to him again. He cost my charity a million dollars that night,' he said.

'Can someone look after him? Can someone care for him? Can someone? I'm really worried about him. I'm not cross at him. I'm just really worried,' he added.
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Sarah Michelle Gellar went hell for leather as she sizzled up a storm at Wednesday's glittering Los Angeles premiere for Teen Wolf: The Movie, a Paramount+ sequel to the smash MTV series.

A slew of the original show's stars are reprising their roles for the film including leading man Tyler Posey, back in the saddle as the now-adult werewolf Scott McCall gathering his old allies to stand up to a mounting danger.

Though she is not in the film or the series, Sarah Michelle, 45, whose upcoming show Wolf Pack is also due to bow on Paramount+, was a show-stopper at the premiere in kinky black leather opera gloves and a monochrome cape.

On the town: Sarah Michelle Gellar went hell for leather as she sizzled up a storm at the glittering Los Angeles premiere for Teen Wolf: The Movie, a sequel to the smash MTV series

Flashing her vertiginous legs in a sleek black miniskirt, she gathered together for a picture with the movie's lead Tyler Posey and its writer Jeff Davis, who also created the Teen Wolf series and Wolf Pack.

Tyler was nearly unrecognizable as he went Wild West chic with a massive handlebar mustache, a striped 19th-century style monochrome shirt and a Kentucky bow tie.

While swanning about the premiere of his new movie, he got in a bit of posing with both Melissa Ponzio, his onscreen mother in the Teen Wolf franchise, and his real life girlfriend, musical artist Phem.

Ian Bohen and Holland Roden, whose characters have a fraught alliance on Teen Wolf, revealed they have nothing but warm feelings in real life as he playfully dipped her while she laughed uproariously.

Swanking about: Flashing her vertiginous legs in a sleek black miniskirt, she gathered together for a picture with the movie's lead Tyler Posey and its writer Jeff Davis, who also created the Teen Wolf series and Wolf Pack

Wow factor: The former Buffy star looked incredible in her on trend ensemble and with her trademark blonde hair styled back from her face with just a couple of loose tendrils. She added a dazzling diamond choker and matching earrings

Hunk-tastic: Tyler was nearly unrecognizable as he went Wild West chic with a massive handlebar mustache, a striped 19th-century style monochrome shirt and a Kentucky bow tie

Loved ones: While swanning about the premiere of his new movie, he got in a bit of posing with both Melissa Ponzio, his onscreen mother in the Teen Wolf franchise (left), and his real life girlfriend, musical artist Phem

Having a ball: Ian Bohen and Holland Roden, whose characters have a fraught alliance on Teen Wolf, revealed they have nothing but warm feelings in real life as he playfully dipped her while she laughed uproariously

Vince Mattis exuded Gothic chic in head-to-toe black, Colton Haynes jazzed up the Old Hollywood detective look with a kilt and Bella Shepard put on a leggy display in a futuristic metallic mini-dress.

Shelley Hennig, an alumna of the original series, made her presence felt in a gleaming metallic scarlet gift-wrap minidress that allowed her to flaunt her shapely legs to full advantage.

Tyler Lawrence Gray, a TikTok personality hired to appear on the Paramount+ series Wolf Pack with Sarah Michelle, was also on hand for the premiere of Teen Wolf: The Movie, another Paramount+ product.

Wolf Pack star Chloe Rose Robertson modeled an LBD, Susan Walters slid her impressively petite frame into a sleek green pencil dress and Armani Jackson went ultra-casual in a t-shirt and jeans.

So many stars: (from left) Vince Mattis exuded Gothic chic in head-to-toe black, Colton Haynes jazzed up the Old Hollywood detective look with a kilt and Bella Shepard put on a leggy display in a futuristic metallic mini-dress

Lady in red: Shelley Hennig, an alumna of the original series, made her presence felt in a gleaming metallic scarlet gift-wrap minidress that allowed her to flaunt her shapely legs to full advantage

Company connections: Tyler Lawrence Gray, a TikTok personality hired to appear on the Paramount+ series Wolf Pack with Sarah Michelle, was also on hand for the premiere of Teen Wolf: The Movie, another Paramount+ product

Glittering evening: (from left) Wolf Pack star Chloe Rose Robertson modeled an LBD, Susan Walters slid her impressively petite frame into a sleek green pencil dress and Armani Jackson went ultra-casual in a t-shirt and jeans

Crystal Reed looked like a movie star straight out of the 1930s heyday of Old Hollywood, strutting her stuff in a plunging bias-cut gold dress that shimmered under the lights.

Nobi Nakanisi, Khylin Rhambo, Omy Adams, Ryan Kelley, Dylan Sprayberry, Holland, Colton, Shelley, Vince, Jeff, Crystal, Amy L. Workman, Tyler, Ian Keith Cox and Seth Gillam stood for a dazzling group shot to remember.

Inspired by the 1980s Michael J. Fox movie of the same name, the show Teen Wolf developed a devoted fanbase during its six-season run on MTV from 2011 until 2017.

The upcoming movie, which will drop on Paramount+ next week on January 26, is directed by Russell Mulcahy, who made Highlander and also helmed various episodes of the Teen Wolf television program.

Sizzling sensation: Crystal Reed looked like a movie star straight out of the 1930s heyday of Old Hollywood, strutting her stuff in a plunging bias-cut gold dress that shimmered under the lights

All together now: Nobi Nakanisi, Khylin Rhambo, Omy Adams, Ryan Kelley, Dylan Sprayberry, Holland, Colton, Shelley, Vince, Jeff, Crystal, Amy L. Workman, Tyler, Ian Keith Cox and Seth Gillam stood for a dazzling group shot to remember

In the offing: The upcoming movie, which will drop on Paramount+ next week on January 26, is directed by Russell Mulcahy, who made Highlander and also helmed various episodes of the Teen Wolf television program

Throwback: Michael J. Fox is pictured leading the 1985 movie Teen Wolf that spawned the television franchise
Dhakota Williams is making a mint off OnlyFans.

The 21-year-old proved she likes to splash the cash on Thursday as she posed in her bedroom in a Versace robe, which retails for $750.

Dhakota wore the designer sleepwear as she took a selfie in her bedroom with a female friend.

Dhakota Williams is making a mint off OnlyFans. The 21-year-old proved she likes to splash the cash on Thursday as she posed in her bedroom in a Versace robe, which retails for $750

'Me, but twice,' she captioned the photos.

Dhakota recently treated herself to a $100,000 brand new BMW after turning 21.

Her proud mother Roberta, who also has an OnlyFans profile, took to Instagram on with a photo of Dhakota posing next to her first major purchase.

Dhakota wore the designer sleepwear as she took a selfie in her bedroom with a female friend \

'I am so proud of you,' she wrote over the photo, adding: 'As a mum I couldn't be more prouder of the beautiful lady you have become.'

'You work hard to have the finer things in life my little princess the mould was definitely broken.'

Roberta also paid tribute to her late husband, slain underworld king and drug lord Carl Williams, by writing: 'Your dad will be shining down on you today as he does every day. So proud of your achievements.'

Dhakota joined OnlyFans in August and her mother soon followed.

The pair recently discussed their foray into the sex industry with The Daily Telegraph, revealing they had 'no choice' due to their infamous history.

Dhakota recently treated herself to a $100,000 brand new BMW after turning 21

'I can't get a normal job like anyone else,' Roberta told the publication.

Meanwhile, Dhakota said she'd been thinking about joining for some time before finally pulling the trigger.

'Mum gave me the courage to do it. There is no shame in owning your femininity,' she declared.

Dhakota was nine years old when her father, drug kingpin Carl, was bludgeoned to death at Barwon Prison by fellow inmate Matthew Charles Johnson in 2010.
Carrie Bickmore's Channel 10 colleagues have been left reeling over the ex-Project host's shock split with partner Chris Walker who emerged from hiding on Thursday.

Mum-of-three Bickmore, 42, announced the couple's shock split via Instagram on Tuesday, leaving fans scratching their head about how it all went wrong.

And her former workmates on the TV network admit they were equally as surprised.

'No-one had a clue,' one told Daily Mail Australia. 'There was no hint this was coming at all. It blindsided everyone...but we're all waiting to see what happens next.'

Mum-of-three Carrie Bickmore, 42, announced the shock split with Chris Walker via Instagram on Tuesday, leaving fans scratching their head about how it all went wrong.

Carrie Bickmore's Channel 10 colleagues have been left reeling over the former Project host's shock split with partner Chris Walker

Close confidants at the network say they've been told the decision to end the relationship was entirely Carrie's, sparking rampant speculation about her reasons.

Walker was spotted looking stressed while out on a lunchtime run in Melbourne on Thursday as he appeared to deal with incoming messages on his phone.

One former workmate suggested: 'It could be that since leaving The Project, she's spent more time at home and realised it's not the life she wants.

'She was the much-loved queen on the set of The Project, with the show's 'family' always there for her.

'That can be a hard thing for a partner to replace when the pressure is all on them to provide that level of support.'

Carrie Bickmore's former partner Chris Walker was spotted for the first time on Thursday, 48 hours after their split was revealed on Instagram

Chris Walker was spotted looking stressed while out on a lunchtime run in Melbourne

Chris Walker took a break from exercising to focus on messages coming in on his phone

But they added: 'It will also be interesting to see if she finds a new love after a suitable time has passed.

'After those paparazzi pictures of her on the beach just before the split was revealed, I'm sure there will be no shortage of men lining up to woo her.'

Others say though that, in hindsight, the clues were there.

From a surprise overseas sabbatical to Carrie's resignation from The Project, there were possible hints Carrie and Chris were on the verge of separation and may well have split months ago.

The couple's UK sabbatical

In April last year, Carrie and Chris temporarily relocated to the UK for three-month sabbatical with their children Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four.

While Carrie described the trip as a 'family adventure' at the time, it could well have been a last-ditch attempt to revive her relationship.

In April last year, Carrie and Chris temporarily relocated to the UK for three-month sabbatical with their children Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four (all pictured)

Couples who are on the brink of separation are often encouraged by experts to embark on a final holiday together as a means of rekindling the romance.

However, while some relationships benefit from the escapism, others dwindle more quickly, partly because the closeness and romance of a holiday may feel forced.

Announcing her trip on The Project at the time, Carrie explained: 'Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together.'

Announcing her trip on The Project at the time, Carrie explained: 'Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together'

'We've been wanting to do it for a while but for lots of reasons the timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go.

'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.'

The radio star also said she'd been inspired by The Project panellist Kate Langbroek, who spent two years living in Bologna, Italy, with her husband and children.

Couples who are on the brink of separation are often encouraged by experts to embark on a final holiday together as a means of rekindling the romance

Carrie returned to The Project in July with very little fanfare and largely kept mum about her trip.

She joked she had come home with an English accent after living there for a few months and said she'd had a 'great time' - but little else.

Carrie's shock exit from The Project

Carrie quit The Project after 13 years on the panel in November, telling fans she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Viewers were stumped as to why the blonde would give up such a lucrative gig, especially as she hadn't announced her next career move.

Carrie quit The Project after 13 years on the panel in November, telling fans she wanted to spend more time with her family

It's possible that Carrie threw in the towel to make more time for her relationship or to heal and focus on family if the pair had split beforehand.

Chris had previously complained about his partner's busy work schedule, telling The Herald Sun: 'Carrie works so much as well (on The Project).'

'Particularly at the start of the week I find myself missing her and the kids quite a lot,' he lamented.

It's possible that Carrie threw in the towel to make more time for her relationship

Carrie's emotional letter

Carrie hinted at her private struggles in a farewell letter to The Project's hair and makeup team after quitting the show in November.

In a hand-written note to her glam squad, the mother of three thanked them for helping her get through some of the most challenging times in her professional life.

'To my hair and makeup family. Crap, I am crying already,' the letter began.

Carrie hinted at her private struggles in a farewell letter to The Project's hair and makeup team after quitting the show in November

In a hand-written note to her glam squad, the mother of three thanked them for helping her get through some of the most challenging times in her professional life

'You have held my hand through some of the toughest days in my career. You hear it all, see it all and share it all with me and I can't explain how much I am going to miss you all.'

'There is an unspoken bond between us all and please never forget how special you all are,' the mother of three added.

'I know this is not goodbye, just goodbye for now. Love to you all, Carrie.'

The couple quietly selling their home

Bickmore sold her five-bedroom family home in Melbourne just days before announcing her extended leave in London last year.

At the time, it was unclear where Carrie and her family planned to live once they return home from their sabbatical.

Some fans speculated this was because she and her family were planning to buy a place to live in England.

Bickmore sold her five-bedroom family home in Melbourne (pictured) just days before announcing her extended leave in London last year

However, it could be likely selling their marital home was another step towards the end of their relationship.

Carrie's bikini transformation

Carrie looking fitter than ever in recent photos of her at the beach in Byron Bay.

The blonde looked absolutely sensational earlier this month as she splashed around with her kids.

Bickmore was pictured looking fit and fabulous in a neon swimsuit as she hit the beach with her children in Byron Bay a few weeks ago

Turning heads, she frolicked around in the high-cut one-piece looking anything but heartbroken.

Her separation could have something do with her transformed new look as she, like many other women, could be coping with her heartbreak by focusing on her health and fitness.

Chris' nude Skype call scandal

Chris made headlines in May last year when it was revealed he unknowingly stripped off at the end of a production meeting - which he attended remotely, while holidaying in Europe.

Chris made headlines in May last year when it was revealed he unknowingly stripped off at the end of a production meeting - which he attended remotely, while holidaying in Europe

He wrongly thought he had left the conference when he took off his clothes in front of up to nine people, with the incident lasting between 40 seconds and two minutes.

Chris had dialled in while on sabbatical in the UK with Carrie and their three young children, with the naked faux pas occurring during a meeting following rehearsals and before the taping of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.

Carrie was likely mortified by the incident, as Chris's gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines.

Chris had dialled in while on sabbatical in the UK with Carrie and their three young children, with the naked faux pas occurring during a meeting following rehearsals and before the taping of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering

Following the incident, a staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as 'hilarious' and dismissing employees' concerns.

The ABC then reportedly offered counselling to staffers who witnessed the incident.

The staffer also accused the ABC of downplaying the gaffe because Walker's production company Thinkative Television is behind some of the public broadcaster's most popular shows, including The Weekly and Hard Quiz.

In June, The Australian reported that Chris was 'unlikely to face serious sanctions' for the gaffe.

Carrie was likely mortified by the incident, as Chris' gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines

Carrie announced the couple's split in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning, saying the pair was focused on co-parenting their three children. The couple were in a relationship for 11 years.

'It's with immense sadness that Chris and I have decided to separate,' she wrote.

'While this is a tough time, our focus is on parenting, loving and supporting our three children Ollie, Evie and Addie with everything that we've got.

Carrie announced their split in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning after 11 years together

'They are doing great, We won't be making any further comment.'

Carrie and Chris' love story captured the hearts of Australians.

They met as colleagues on The Project - she was a presenter and he was a producer - and they began dating in late 2012, two years after she lost her husband Greg Lange, the father of her eldest child Ollie, to brain cancer.

Despite his terminal diagnosis, Carrie had married Langue in 2005 when she was just 25 years old.

After Langue died in 2010 at the age of 35, a widowed Carrie started the charity Bickmore's Beanies for Brain Cancer in his memory.

Two years later and Carrie had found love again with Walker, who became a stepdad to Oliver, and with whom she later had two daughters: Evie, born in 2015, and Adelaide, born in 2018.
Comedian Michael Lehrer has died at the age of 44 in Portland, Oregon, following a five-year-plus battle with ALS.

Lehrer's girlfriend Colette Montague told the Chicago Sun-Times that the ailing comedian chose to end his life with the aid of a doctor.

'Michael died with dignity on his own terms,' Montague told the newspaper. 'He was not suicidal at all.  Medical aid in dying was the hardest decision he ever made.'

The latest: Comedian Michael Lehrer has died at the age of 44 of ALS complications following a five-year-plus battle with the disease. Pictured in 2014 in Chicago

The entertainer, who was part of The Second City troupe, continued with his career following his 2017 diagnosis with the neurodegenerative disease. Lehrer had performed in a wheelchair in clubs in Austin, Texas, and spoke about his health battle both in his sets and on the podcast Kill Tony, Deadline reported.

Lehrer in 2014 performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal in the New Faces of Comedy show. He worked at The Second City alongside performers including Chris Witaske and Tawny Newsome, who both paid memorial to their late colleague on social media.

Lehrer was part of creating four original sketch revues, including Skys The Limit (Weather Permitting), which was the Jeff Award winner for Best Revue. He also took part in The Second City Touring Company, as well as extensions of the brand in Las Vegas and on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

He had also worked on BTNs Big Ten Tailgate and Sports Action Team, and was involved with Chicago Underground Comedy, iO Chicago and the Brooklyn Brewery comedy tour.

Lehrer had performed in a wheelchair in clubs in Austin, Texas , and spoke about his health battle both in his sets and on the podcast Kill Tony

The entertainer, who was part of The Second City troupe, continued with his career following his 2017 diagnosis with the neurodegenerative disease

Among those to pay memorial to the late comedian was podcaster Joe Rogan, who praised Lehrer for his talent and perseverance.

'The courage this man had to do stand up while battling a debilitating disease was insanely impressive, and though he struggled to get words out the man would KILL onstage,' Rogan said. 'He was a real legend, and Im going to miss him very much.'

Witaske said he'd 'always cherish the years' he was able to spend with Lehrer at Second City

'Michael was truly unique, full of mischief and so f***in funny,' he said. 'He was always up for anything and loved nothing more than making people laugh.'

He wrapped up in saying, 'Its truly safe to say that there will never be another Michael Lehrer. Rest in Peace, brother.'

Lehrer was seen in a social media post in November with the caption, 'No rest for the sicked'

Among those to pay memorial to the late comedian was podcaster Joe Rogan, who praised Lehrer for his talent and perseverance

A memorial post on Lehrer's Instagram account read, 'Godspeed you wild and crazy man'

The Kill Tony podcast said, 'We knew it was coming yet there are still no words for it. What a human. He truly lived to make you all laugh. Rest easy our dear @michael_lehrer_als.'

A memorial post on Lehrer's Instagram account read: 'The final act - watch for the sequel. Godspeed you wild and crazy man. We love you always, and are grateful for all youve given to the world.'

He is survived by his son Colin and girlfriend Colette.

A GoFundMe page was set up in support of the comedian's son. A statement on the fundraiser read: 'Please help honor Michael and show him how much we loved him by making sure his son can be secure for a while.'
Jennifer Lopez said eloping with Ben Affleck in Las Vegas was 'the best night of our lives' during a visit on Wednesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

The 53-year-old actress while wearing a long pink dress that showcased her cleavage shared the backstory of her quickie wedding to Ben, 50, in July 2022.

'We were planning to get married in August in Savannah, the family was going to be there, everyone's going to be there and it was so stressful,' Jennifer said. 'A month before, and I don't know if you guys know this, but 20 years ago we were supposed to get married.'

Best night: Jennifer Lopez said eloping with Ben Affleck in Las Vegas was 'the best night of our lives' during a visit on Wednesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC

'I heard that,' quipped host Jimmy, 55.

'And it kind of all fell apart back then and this time, I absolutely had a little PTSD and I was like ''is this happening?'',' Jennifer said. 'We were so happy, but I just felt the wedding was so stressful and one day Ben just said, '''F*** it, let's just go to Vegas and get married tonight.'

Jennifer said it was the same day that they had just had a big wedding planning meeting and she also had a rehearsal that same day for her show.

'He was like ''go to rehearsal when you get back here I'm going to have everything all set up'',' Jennifer said.

Quickie wedding: The 53-year-old actress while wearing a long pink dress that showcased her cleavage shared the backstory of her quickie wedding to Ben, 50, in July 2022

So stressful: 'We were planning to get married in August in Savannah, the family was going to be there, everyone's going to be there and it was so stressful,' Jennifer said on the ABC show

She said that three of their kids were at camp but two of them were with them.

'He's like ''they are going to be our witnesses, let's go, we are doing it tonight'' and we did,' Jennifer said. 'It was amazing. It was the best night of our lives.'

Jimmy asked when they got engaged for the second time 20 years later if there had to be another engagement ring.

Bold move: 'We were so happy, but I just felt the wedding was so stressful and one day Ben just said, '''F*** it, let's just go to Vegas and get married tonight'',' Jennifer said

Wedding photos: Jennifer shared photos from her Las Vegas on her website

Cute couple: Ben kissed Jennifer on Wednesday while supporting his wife at the premiere of her new movie Shotgun Wedding

Hollywood stars: Jennifer Coolidge, who also stars in Shotgun Wedding, teamed up with Jennifer and Ben on the carpet

'Yeah, he had to ask me again,' Jennifer said. 'I didn't have that one anymore.'

Jimmy asked her if she liked the name 'Bennifer.'

'I've learned to embrace it,' Jennifer said. 'Years ago it was kind of like ''Oh, Bennifer.'' Actually it wasn't a bad thing even years ago but I think it became a thing where people made fun of it.'

Good question: Jimmy, 55, asked Jennifer if she liked the name 'Bennifer' for her and Ben

Jimmy pointed out that they got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. Jennifer said she later wrote a whole song called 'Midnight Trip To Vegas' about the wedding chapel and included in it the pink Cadillac that's parked out front.

Jimmy asked about her Vegas wedding night.

'It was very funny because you have to go and get the license first and the whole thing,' Jennifer said. 'We were standing at, not the DMV, but whatever the county clerk's office and we are just standing there and Ben's standing there and there is this couple in front of us with a baby, a gay couple behind us. We were just like in line with them from 10 to midnight, like we went at the last, last minute. Everybody was kind of chill. Nobody was freaking out or anything but they were talking to us like ''hey what are you doing here?'' And we were like we are getting married.'

Wedding chapel: Jimmy pointed out that they got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas

Cadillac parking: Jennifer said she later wrote a whole song called 'Midnight Trip To Vegas' about the wedding chapel and included in it the pink Cadillac that's parked out front

Jennifer said when they got out they were waiting for them at the chapel because they knew someone was coming at midnight.

'They said 'do you need Elvis?' and we were like, ''No, we don't need the Elvis impersonator just whoever is there who can legally marry us that's who we will take'',' Jennifer said.

Jennifer said later they had a wedding with family in Georgia. Jimmy said it was incorrectly reported that he was at their wedding and people texted him asking about it.

Elvis option: 'They said 'do you need Elvis?' and we were like, ''No, we don't need the Elvis impersonator just whoever is there who can legally marry us that's who we will take'',' Jennifer said

'I just wanted to ask why we were not at the wedding,' Jimmy said.

'I could say that same thing,' Jennifer said. 'Aren't you and Ben like really good friends?'

'Well that's what I thought, yeah,' Jimmy said. 'Ben was certainly at my wedding. I'm wondering if maybe Matt Damon had something to do with it? '

Georgia wedding: Jennifer said later they had a wedding with family in Georgia

'It's possible,' Jennifer said. 'I don't know. I'll get into it later. I'll find out and get to the bottom of it and get back to you.'

Jimmy then gave her his wedding gift of silver cups engraved with the Dunkin' Donuts logo.

'Ben is going to love this,' Jennifer said in light of her husband's affinity for the coffee shop.

Wedding gift: Jimmy then gave her his wedding gift of silver cups engraved with the Dunkin' Donuts logo

Jimmy then asked her about her new album called This Is Me Now.

'I did an album 20 years ago that obviously had a song called Dear Ben on it that was about the time that me and Ben were together then,' Jennifer said. 'I got very inspired when we got back together. It was kind of like a miracle and something that neither one of us really ever thought would happen and I went into the studio and I wrote an album in two months.'

Jimmy said that there was a Dear Ben part two on her new album.

Got inspired: 'I got very inspired when we got back together. It was kind of like a miracle and something that neither one of us really ever thought would happen and I went into the studio and I wrote an album in two months,' Jennifer said

'There is,' Jennifer said.

Jimmy said he didn't have the lyrics to the new song but read from the lyrics Dear Ben part one.

'You're perfect,' Jimmy read.

Song lyrics: immy said he didn't have the lyrics to the new song but read from the lyrics Dear Ben part one

'He is!' Jennifer said.

'I just can't control myself,' Jimmy read.

'I can't,' Jennifer screamed.

Good times: Jennifer agreed with the lyrics about Ben she wrote 20 years ago

'I can't be with no one else,' Jimmy read.

'Nope,' Jennifer said.

'It seems that I'm addicted to the way you like to touch me,' Jimmy read.

'Yes!' Jennifer said.

Pink power: The actress wore a pink dress with side cutouts and a revealing front

'I was younger then,' Jennifer added. 'I felt that those lyrics are really innocent. This album is obviously 20 years older and so are we.'

Jennifer appeared on the show to promote her new movie Shotgun Wedding that premieres on Amazon Prime on January 27.

Jennifer was headed to the premiere after the show.

Action comedy: Jennifer appeared on the show to promote her new movie Shotgun Wedding that premieres on Amazon Prime on January 27

A helicopter was shown landing on the roof of the building in a fake video and Lenny Kravitz, 58, then walked in and gave Jennifer a hug.

'Did I mention Lenny Kravitz is in the movie!' Jennifer said.

'The premiere of Shotgun Wedding is tonight and I came to invite the entire audience,' Lenny said.

Surprise appearance: A helicopter was shown landing on the roof of the building in a fake video and Lenny Kravitz, 58, then walked in and gave Jennifer a hug

The audience got up screaming.

Jennifer then took Lenny's hand and said she had to go.

'The chopper's waiting,' Jennifer said as she left with Lenny for her premiere.
Sam Worthington was all smiles on the red carpet as he attended the premiere of his new Stan original film, Transfusion, on Thursday night.

The 46-year-old actor cut a stylish figure dressed in an all-black ensemble which consisted of a leather jacket, plain t-shirt and black trousers.

Worthington oozed confidence as he kept his hands in his pockets while posing for photos.

Sam Worthington was all smiles on the red carpet as he attended the premiere of his new Stan original film, Transfusion, on Thursday night

He was joined by his co-star Phoebe Tonkin, who looked stylish in an off the shoulder black dress that featured a sheer midriff.

The actress, 33, wore her long brunette tresses out and relaxed.

The Vampire Diaries starlet wore a face full of makeup which consisted of foundation, blush, bronzer and red lipstick.

The 46-year-old actor cut a stylish figure dressed in an all-black ensemble which consisted of a leather jacket, plain t-shirt and black trousers

The Vampire Diaries starlet wore a face full of makeup which consisted of foundation, blush, bronzer and red lipstick

Today presenter Renee Bargh, who is expecting her first child with partner Andrew Lange, showed off her growing bump in a floor-length black dress.

Renee went for a natural look for her hair and makeup, wearing her golden locks out and a minimal palette on her bronzed complexion.

She accessorised her look with oversized silver bangles.

He was joined by his co-star Phoebe Tonkin, who looked stylish in an off the shoulder black dress that featured a sheer midriff

The actress, 33, wore her long brunette tresses out and relaxed

Roxy Jacenko looked to be in good spirits as she posed on the carpet while rubbing shoulders with other celebrities on the night.

The Stan ambassador looked chic in a sleeveless white dress which she teamed with a designer clutch.

The Sydney-based PR Queen wore her blonde tresses tied back.

Today presenter Renee Bargh, who is expecting her first child with partner Andrew Lange, showed off her growing belly bump in a floor-length black dress

Renee went for a natural look for her hair and makeup, wearing her golden locks out and a minimal palette on her bronzed complexion

Beau Ryan looked dapper in a grey blazer and white T-shirt.

He teamed his look with a pair of white trousers and brown shoes.

Elsewhere, former Bachelor star Tim Robards looked suave.

Roxy Jacenko looked to be in good spirits as she posed on the carpet while rubbing shoulders with other celebrities on the night

He wore a plain black T-shirt which he teamed with a white blazer and matching trousers and sneakers.

Olympic diver Sam Fricker looked dapper in a maroon coloured shirt which he teamed with a navy blue blazer and grey trousers.

He completed his look wearing brown leather boots.

Beau Ryan looked dapper in a grey blazer and white T-shirt. He teamed his look with a pair of white trousers and brown shoes

Former Bachelor star Tim Robards looked suave

In Transfusion Sam plays Ryan Logan, a former special forces operative, who is battling to cope with life after the loss of his wife.

Life takes another cruel twist when he is then thrust into the criminal underworld to keep his only son from being taken from him.

Bloom actress Phoebe Tonkin will portray Logan's wife Justine in the film.

Olympic diver Sam Fricker (pictured) looked dapper in a maroon coloured shirt which he teamed with a navy blue blazer and grey trousers

Lincoln Younes looked stylish in a black button-up shirt which he teamed with beige trousers and white sneakers

'The Stan Original Film Transfusion is set to be a powerful and thought-provoking Australian thriller,' she said Stan's Chief content officer Cailah Scobie.

'We're delighted to welcome Matt Nable as actor, writer and director, along with the star-studded cast of Sam Worthington and Phoebe Tonkin.

Meanwhile, Deeper Water Films' Michael Schwarz said the production has a mix of action and emotion for audiences.

Brent Vitiello looked every inch the hunk in a black suit

'In Transfusion we've found a movie that has that special combination of visceral action and achingly beautiful emotion,' he said.

'Matt is an already accomplished writer and actor, and it's incredibly exciting to watch him step into the director's chair and bring his own words to life.'

'With Sam he has the perfect actor to showcase the rugged vulnerability of this very powerful script.'

Watch the Stan Original Film Transfusion, exclusively on Stan
Married at First Sight's tenth season will feature some of the show's hottest cast members when it launches later this month.

And ahead of the highly anticipated premiere on January 30, Channel Nine has released official photos of this year's participants.

Fans have been treated to a glimpses of 10 new brides and 10 grooms.

Married At First Sight's tenth season will feature some of the show's hottest cast members when it launches later this month

Bronte Schofield, 28, Online Beauty Educator, WA

Bronte is a 'pocket rocket' who's used to getting a lot of attention, but has yet to find true love.

Too many experiences with hurt and betrayal have left Bronte with trust issues. She admits to letting men walk all over her as they take advantage of her kindness  something her family are constantly on the lookout to protect her from.

She's looking for an alpha male with whom she can have stimulating conversations and spoil rotten.

Bronte Schofield, 28, WA: Bronte is a 'pocket rocket' who's used to getting a lot of attention, but has yet to find true love

Melinda Willis, 32, CEO, Fashion & Beauty, QLD

'Alpha female' Melinda is a confident, sassy businesswoman who doesn't have a problem attracting men - but the right kind of men always seem to elude her.

Beneath her tough exterior, she's very emotional and can get in her head about the smallest things, leading to constant conflict in relationships.

She's looking for an ambitious man who is equally business-minded, understands her lifestyle and won't be clingy - but he must be patient.

Melinda Willis, 32, QLD: 'Alpha female' Melinda is a confident, sassy businesswoman who doesn't have a problem attracting men - but the right kind of men always seem to elude her

Tahnee Cook, 27, PR Manager, NSW

Fast-talking, passionate and bubbly, Tahnee is sick of dating apps and the shallow, swipe-right culture that results in 'situationships' being all about looks and no real connection.

After growing up as the awkward teenager, she now gets attention from guys but they're still not asking her out and she's left wondering what she's doing wrong.

She may work in a high-pressure position, but Tahnee is not high-maintenance.

Tahnee Cook, 27, NSW: Fast-talking, passionate and bubbly, Tahnee is sick of dating apps and the shallow, swipe-right culture that results in 'situationships' being all about looks and no real connection

Alyssa Barmonde, 35, Executive Assistant, NSW

Growing up in Utah, Alyssa was raised a Mormon, and family is a huge part of her life.

Alyssa has been single for a year since her seven-year marriage ended. She's finding it hard to date as a single mum, and even harder on dating apps.

But Alyssa is taking a chance on love again and walking down the aisle for a second time, feeling a bit nervous but hopeful for a happy ending.

Although Alyssa seems as bubbly and sweet as the Instagram-worthy baked foods she spends hours creating in her kitchen, don't be mistaken: she admits she can be bossy and digs her heels in even when she knows she's wrong.

Alyssa Barmonde, 35, NSW: Growing up in Utah, Alyssa was raised a Mormon, and family is a huge part of her life

Janelle Han, 28, Beauty Influencer, WA

Janelle is a driven, self-assured woman who grew up in a strict Singaporean-Chinese family.

With her parents still happily married, Janelle is looking for a partner her family will love and approve of.

With her biological clock ticking, she's only interested in serious relationships and marriage.

Janelle Han, 28, WA: Janelle is a driven, self-assured woman who grew up in a strict Singaporean Chinese family

Caitlin McConville, 27, Makeup Artist, QLD

Caitlin is a hopeless romantic who's had her heart broken one too many times.

She's refusing to settle for anything less than she deserves and is turning to the experts for help.

She's chosen a solo life after dating too many 'douchebags with big egos', but after two years of no intimacy she's looking to the experts for an 'intervention'.

Caitlin McConville, 27, QLD: Caitlin is a hopeless romantic who's had her heart broken one too many times.

Lyndall Grace, 27, Accountant, WA

Lyndall has been living with cystic fibrosis, but with new medicine extending her life expectancy and giving her the lung capacity of someone without CF, she has a renewed outlook on finding love.

She is now taking risks and grabbing life by the horns, and is looking for someone who will live life the same way.

Lyndall Grace, 27, WA: Lyndall has been living with cystic fibrosis, but with new medicine extending her life expectancy and giving her the lung capacity of someone without CF, she has a renewed outlook on finding love

Melissa Shepherd, 41, Hairdresser, NSW

At the age of 41, Melissa is looking for her last shot at real love.

After a 10-year marriage and co-parenting her son, she's ready to meet the man of her dreams.

She's upbeat, charismatic, cheeky, flirtatious and very comfortable with her sexuality, and she expects her man to keep up with her.

She's looking for Prince Charming, or better yet, Thor!

Melissa Shepherd, 41, NSW: At the age of 41, Melissa is looking for her last shot at real love

Sandy Jawanda, 36, Dental therapist, VIC

Sandy is a mid-thirties Indian woman born in Australia who has never been in a serious relationship and has had very little experience with men.

Growing up with strict parents who upheld traditional values of Indian culture, she had limited exposure to the opposite sex - she was not allowed to mix with boys and had no male friends, and went to a girls school and studied a Bachelor of nursing amongst mosly women.

Sandy has insecurities that come with the lack of dating experience and the fear of being used for 'one thing'.

She hopes to find someone who can respect her boundaries and help her overcome these fears.

With her parents still happily together in an arranged marriage, Sandy believes the MAFS experiment could work for her, trusting the experts to match her with someone compassionate, and they'll meet at a beautiful Bollywood wedding.

Sandy Jawanda, 36, VIC: Sandy is a mid-thirties Indian woman born in Australia who has never been in a serious relationship and has had very little experience with men.

Claire Nomarhas, Kindergarten Assistant, 31

Claire is an unapologetic free spirit who comes from a chaotic Greek family.

She loves the outdoors and is an adrenaline junkie, but also has a softer side and is spiritual and reflective.

Claire's hoping to find true love and make it third time lucky for her family.

Claire Nomarhas, 31, VIC: Claire is an unapologetic free spirit who comes from a chaotic Greek family

Cameron Woods, 27, Carpenter, NT

Aussie larrikin Cameron is a down-to-earth, cheeky and laidback carpenter who moved to Darwin to work in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

He's never had a girlfriend, so taking part in the MAFS experiment is way out of his comfort zone.

But with full faith that the experts will find him someone who is open to loving him and his transient lifestyle, he's ready to take the plunge with a stranger.

Cameron Woods, 27, NT: Aussie larrikin Cameron is a down-to-earth, cheeky and laidback carpenter who moved to Darwin to work in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory

Ollie Skelton, 26, Voice-Over Artist, WA

Ollie is confident, charismatic, and mature beyond his years, and definitely knows how to use his words to get what he wants.

He may be young, but he's no fan of modern dating and has sworn off swiping to find love.

He's had one serious relationship and knows what it feels like to fall in love, so he's looking for that special someone this time around.

Raised by three women - his mum and two sisters - Ollie is looking for a strong, independent, and patient woman who can accept his sometimes lazy and stubborn nature.

But don't get Ollie wrong - underneath it all he has a romantic side and wants to be able to give and receive love.

Ollie Skelton, 26, WA: Ollie is confident, charismatic, and mature beyond his years, and definitely knows how to use his words to get what he wants

Layton Mills, 35, CEO, NSW

Layton is a major self-starter. At just 19, he started a number of successful businesses, including his latest project in medicinal cannabis for pets.

While he is motivated and driven in business, he doesn't commit to making love a priority and often puts work first.

This has caused issues in his relationships, as he spends more time in the office, on his computer and in meetings than he does with a significant other.

At 35, Layton is the only single person in his close-knit group of friends, and he's finally realised that something must change.

He's also close to his parents and wants to be there to care for them as they age.

Layton Mills, 35, NSW: Layton is a major self-starter. At just 19, he started a number of successful businesses, including his latest project in medicinal cannabis for pets

Duncan James, 36, Regional Director, Cyber Security Sales, NSW

Prince Charming is here! Chivalrous Duncan has no trouble meeting women, but often finds himself in relationships that aren't compatible.

In a relationship, he wants to be the best friend and the lover.

He's searching for a woman with class, emotional intelligence, confidence, and physical attraction.

Duncan is hoping the match-up experts get it right this time.

Duncan James, 36, NSW: Prince Charming is here! Chivalrous Duncan has no trouble meeting women, but often finds himself in relationships that aren't compatible

Dan Hunjas, 42, Digital Marketing Business Owner, QLD

Dan is a twice-married father of a teenage daughter and is looking for Mrs Right.

He wants someone who is healthy, fit, motivated and can match his lifestyle, dreams and ambitions.

Born into humble beginnings, Dan has worked hard to reach his current level of success and drives a Porsche 911.

With his perfect life almost complete, Dan is now searching for the final piece of the puzzle.

Dan Hunjas, 42, QLD: Dan is a twice-married father of a teenage daughter and is looking for Mrs Right

Harrison Boon, 32, Builder, NSW

With a bone-dry sense of humour that can catch people unaware, Harrison is looking for love but isn't taking himself too seriously.

The single dad of a three-year-old is open to having more children with the right woman, but won't settle for just anyonehe sets the bar 'ridiculously high' to achieve greatness in love.

Inspired by his parents' 33-year marriage, Harrison is eager to change his ways after two years on the singles circuit and settle down with a beautiful woman who shares his zest for life, goals, values and sense of humour.

Harrison Boon, 32, NSW: With a bone-dry sense of humour that can catch people unaware, Harrison is looking for love but isn't taking himself too seriously

Jesse Burford, 30, Marriage Celebrant, WA

Formerly in a heavy metal band, Jesse is now a Perth marriage celebrant who officiates in a rock star style.

He has officiated over 500 weddings, but witnessing so much love and commitment has left him wanting the same for himself.

Honest and emotional, Jesse has had two serious relationships that started with an instant connection, so he's on the lookout for those sparks again.

He's extremely fussy when it comes to choosing partners and has an extensive list of turn-offs.

With wine snobs, cosmetic enhancements and gym junkies all setting him off, Jesse is hoping that love can still flourish in the experiment, even if his date isn't perfect.

Jesse Burford, 30, WA: Formerly in a heavy metal band, Jesse is now a Perth marriage celebrant who officiates in a rock star style

Adam Seed, 35, Business Owner

Cocky and confident, Adam is a modern-day entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for the next business opportunity.

In his twenties he was in a relationship for almost 10 years, and they became engaged before he realised he was too young to settle down.

After fine-tuning his dating skills out in the world for many years, Adam now finds dating apps fruitless in the search for new love because he says everyone 'just sits behind a keyboard'.

Since calling London home for the past six years, Adam has flown halfway across the world with hopes of finding love Down Under with someone who is as mature, honest and open as he is.

Adam Seed, 35, VIC: Cocky and confident, Adam is a modern-day entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for the next business opportunity

Shannon Adams, 30, Personal Trainer, VIC

At first glance, Shannon might seem like your average carefree bachelor, but deep down he's a sensitive soul in search of love.

He has a three-year-old daughter that he loves dearly and was in an on-again-off-again relationship with his ex-partner for many years, but now he's ready to move on with someone he can build a future with.

Shannon is sometimes hot-headed and his no-nonsense, say-it-how-it-is attitude can get him into trouble.

But after a year of self-development and reflection he feels like he is his best version yet, and is looking for someone who will accept him just as he is.

Shannon Adams, 30, VIC: At first glance, Shannon might seem like your average carefree bachelor, but deep down he's a sensitive soul in search of love

Joshua White, 40, Advertising Client Director, NSW

Josh is the self-proclaimed and self-deprecating 'station wagon' of relationships - stable, dependable, and solid.

A loving single father of two who loves Disney so much that he named his kids after his favorite characters, he's now looking for a special someone to join him in life's journey.

Navigating a whole new dating game that's been completely changed since he was last single has been a struggle, and he's still coming to terms with ghosting and other unfortunate side effects of modern dating.
They were both in one of the biggest pop phenomena of the 90 - S Club 7.

And Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens reunited on Wednesday night, as they both attended the Cirque Du Soleil KURIOS European premiere.

The two bandmembers were both seen posing on the red carpet at London's Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the new Cabinet of Curiosities show.

Night out: Hannah Spearritt (right) and Rachel Stevens (left) reunited on Wednesday night, as they both attended the Cirque Du Soleil KURIOS European premiere

The production, titled of Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities, follows the story of a 19th-century world inventor who invents a machine that defies the laws of time, space, and dimension.

And both Rachel, 44, and Hannah, 40, ensured they looked their best for the star-studded event.

Rachel cut a sophisticated figure in a long tailored beige coat over a black silk shirt and matching trousers.

She elevated her height in a pair of black leather boots and toted a coordinating black quilted handbag.

Classy: Rachel cut a sophisticated figure in a long tailored beige coat over a black silk shirt and matching trousers

Her glossy caramel-coloured locks were styled in sleek waves and she wore a light palette of makeup to enhance her natural beauty.

Hannah dazzled in a gold minidress that was embroidered with sequins that shone under the lights.

She added a black leather jacket and added a few extra inches to her frame with black high heeled boots.

Her eye-catching dyed pink tresses were loosely curled with several strands plaited into tiny braids.

Stunning: Her glossy caramel-coloured locks were styled in sleek waves and she wore a light palette of makeup to enhance her natural beauty

The reunion between the pair comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that S Club 7 are reforming 25 years after they first found fame on a BBC television show  with a combined age of 300.

They were best known for their hits Bring It All Back, S Club Party, Reach and Never Had a Dream Come True.

All seven of the group have agreed to the comeback, which has been masterminded by music mogul Simon Fuller  the man who put them together in 1998 after the Spice Girls, his previous band, sacked him as their manager.

He called each of the seven stars  Rachel, Hannah, Tina Barrett, 46, Jon Lee, 40, Paul Cattermole, 45, Bradley McIntosh, 41 and Jo O'Meara, 43  in person to suggest the project and made it clear it would only work if all of them were to agree.

Incredible: Hannah dazzled in a gold minidress that was embroidered with sequins that shone under the lights

Their comeback is expected to be announced to huge fanfare in the coming weeks where they will reveal the details of the reunion.

They are planning a huge tour for the summer, though they are discussing whether this will have to be put back to Christmas due to Jo's back injury which has seen her undergo four operations to remove part of a slipped disc.

Friends say that she is currently struggling to walk but is hopeful of a full recovery.

Back again! The reunion between the pair comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that S Club 7 are reforming 25 years after they first found fame on a BBC television show (pictured in 1999)

One source close to the project said: 'Simon Fuller saw the value in this, S Club 7 had a huge following of all ages who he thinks will want to go and see them for nostalgia reasons.

'Their songs were so upbeat and fun, it is a massive commercial opportunity for them all, particularly Simon.'

It is understood that Fuller came up with the plan after he was unable to spearhead a 25th anniversary celebration with the Spice Girls.
Margot Robbie may be the next celebrity to dip her toe into the Australian liquor industry after she was spotted meeting with a man from Lord Byron Distillery on Thursday.

The award-winning actress, 32, is currently visiting her home country to promote her latest film Babylon as she explores other business ventures in her free time.

Robbie donned a chic monochrome look as she was seen meeting with a potential Byron Bay distillery liaison for the second day in a row.

Margot Robbie, 32, (pictured) may be the next celebrity to dip her toe into the Australian liquor industry after she was spotted meeting with a man from Lord Byron Distillery on Thursday

The Wolf of Wall Street star put on a leggy display in an oversized black blazer which engulfed her black mini skirt and crisp white blouse.

She modernised the look with a pair of chunky black platform shoes over mid-length white socks as she slipped on some staple silver jewellery.

Hiding her face between a set of dark designer shades and a black face mask, Robbie let her dirty blonde tresses fall free around her shoulders as she finished off the smart ensemble with a large black handbag.

The award-winning actress is currently visiting her home country to promote her latest film Babylon as she explores other business ventures in her free time

Robbie donned a chic monochrome look as she was seen meeting with a potential Byron Bay distillery liaison for the second day in a row

The former Neighbours star was seen coming out of two different buildings on each day, accompanied by the same man who was seen carrying a case from Lord Byron Distillery.

It comes after Robbie revealed a shocking behind the scenes secret from the set of her hit movie, Wolf of Wall Street.

The I, Tonya star said she was comfortable shooting a 'debaucherous party' scene for her new movie Babylon because she did nude scenes in her 2013 breakthrough role alongside co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Wolf of Wall Street star put on a leggy display in an oversized black blazer which engulfed her black mini skirt and crisp white blouse

She modernised the look with a pair of chunky black platform shoes over mid-length white socks as she slipped on some staple silver jewellery

Hiding her face between a set of dark designer shades and a black face mask, Robbie let her dirty blonde tresses fall free around her shoulders as she finished off the smart ensemble with a large black handbag

The former Neighbours star was seen coming out of two different buildings on each day, accompanied by the same man who was seen carrying a case from Lord Byron Distillery

It comes after Robbie revealed a shocking behind the scenes secret from the set of her hit movie, Wolf of Wall Street

The I, Tonya star said she was comfortable shooting a 'debaucherous party' scene for her new movie Babylon because she did nude scenes in her 2013 breakthrough role alongside co-star Leonardo DiCaprio

'You get desensitised so fast. It felt like a lifetime and also like a distant hazy memory,' she told Nova's Fitzy and Wippa.

Fitzy asked if it was hard to find actresses with appropriate body types while filming and Robbie said the costume department always had a backup plan.

'They have things called merkins, which is like a wig but for genitalia. I remember for Wolf of Wall Street, there was an entire merkin room. I guess people would go in and pick one out. It was fascinating,' she said.

Fitzy asked if it was hard to find actresses with appropriate body types while filming and Robbie said the costume department always had a backup plan

'They have things called merkins, which is like a wig but for genitalia. I remember for Wolf of Wall Street, there was an entire merkin room. I guess people would go in and pick one out. It was fascinating,' she said

Robbie is pictured here leaving her mysterious business meeting
Gemma Collins underwent cupping therapy as she enjoyed a pamper session during a day off from her busy schedule on Wednesday.

The former TOWIE star, 41, documented her relaxing day on Instagram as she underwent the treatment at JW Physio Clinic in Essex.

She posed for a photo with her physiotherapist before showing off her back, covered in the suction devices.

Relaxing: Gemma Collins underwent cupping therapy as she enjoyed a pamper session during a day off from her busy schedule on Wednesday

Gemma went makeup free and opted for comfortable clothing, wearing a black hoodie with leggings and tan Ugg boots for her session.

Sharing another update to her Story, she also made the most of her quiet day and went to get her eyebrows shaped and eyelash extensions.

In the selfie, the TV personality penned: 'Best brows and lashes in Essex,' as she showed off her newly preened features.

Ouch: The former TOWIE star documented her relaxing day on Instagram as she underwent the treatment at JW Physio Clinic in Essex

Glowing: Sharing another update to her Story, she also made the most of her quiet day and went to get her eyebrows shaped and eyelash extensions

It comes after Gemma revealed that she prayed to God to help her get pregnant during her recent trip to Bethlehem.

The former TOWIE star - who is in a relationship with beau Rami Hawash - has now opened up on The Gemma Collins Podcast about the spiritual Tel Aviv holiday.

She said: 'I was just so happy on New Year's Day to touch the church where baby Jesus was born.

'I did pray when I was there, I said ''please God, please give me a baby this year'' and you know please God it happens.'

She added that she felt a 'warm embrace from the man himself' after she did her prayer.

Emotional: It comes after Gemma revealed that she prayed to God to help her get pregnant during her recent trip to Bethlehem

Late last year Gemma said she's not concerning herself about having a baby anytime soon, as she knowns it will 'come to me at the right time'.

The blonde beauty said she plans to have a child at 50, and copy supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Naomi, 52, stunned fans by announcing the birth of her daughter last May, just weeks after appearing on the New York Fashion Week runway without a visible baby bump.

Trip: The former TOWIE star - who is in a relationship with beau Rami Hawash (pictured together) - has now opened up on her podcast about the spiritual Tel Aviv holiday

She later insisted that her daughter was not adopted amid growing speculation regarding their biological parentage.

Gemma also said she took inspiration from Jennifer Aniston, saying that she isn't defined by her lack of children.

Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'My only plan is to have a baby at 50. There is so many options available out there now, that I don't worry about it and I don't stress about it.

'I've lived my life as a free spirit and I've always known what's right for me at the right time.

'Obviously I would love to have my own baby, but it's not happening. But I do believe it will come to me at the right time and if it doesn't I'm not going to stress about it, I'm not going to feel any less of a woman.

'Jennifer Aniston did a great quote, "Don't define me because I don't have children", and I just thought go Jennifer!

'So when I see Naomi Campbell rocking out her pram at 50 years old, she's just changed so much for so many women.'
Katie Price has begun a 'big tattoo project' which saw her get inked for seven hours on her leg.

The reality star and former glamour model, 44, posed for snaps in celebrity tattoo artist Jay Hutton's studio, where she lay on the tattoo bed with her leg exposed as he prodded the needle into her skin.

Her latest ink is adding to her countless other body art pieces, which adorn her legs, midriff and sleeves on her arms.

New ink! Katie Price has begun a 'big tattoo project' which saw her get inked for seven hours on her leg. The reality star and former glamour model, 44, posed for snaps in celebrity tattoo artist Jay Hutton's studio

Jay posted the snaps to his Instagram page, writing: 'The start of a new big tattoo project on @katieprice - coming soon.'

Katie reposted the pictures to her 2.6million followers, and she penned: 'Omg sooo good today 7half hours of ink just you wait and see x'.

Wearing loungewear so she could feel comfortable while completing the big tattoo session, Katie donned an oversized black t-shirt and beige jogging bottoms.

Her lengthy blonde tresses were worn poker straight and they cascaded over her shoulders.

Seven-hour stint: She threw up a peace sign after finishing up the first seven-hour stint at Jay's private studio in Whitby, near Liverpool

Katie kept a full face of makeup and looked typically glamorous while posing for a snap with her tattoo artist.

She threw up a peace sign after finishing up the first seven-hour stint at Jay's private studio in Whitby, near Liverpool.

In December, Katie unveiled her latest body art which included a large unicorn in action galloping as it was finished off with a floral design as it took up almost all of her stomach.

'Just you wait and see': Katie reposted the pictures to her 2.6million followers, and she penned: 'Omg sooo good today 7half hours of ink just you wait and see x'

She showed off her figure in a cropped hoodie and a pair of joggers as she panned the camera down her body.

The impressively large new body art joins a slew of others on the TV personality's arms and legs - including a portrait of her ex fiance Carl Woods' face.

She also recently went for eagle wings to cover both thighs, sprawling all the way to her knees.

Body art: She previously showed off the new horse tattoo during her holiday in Thailand

While her thigh inking's were also embellished with flowers, with one sitting below an existing garter-style inking that graces Katie's upper right thigh.

The impressively large new body art joins a slew of others on the TV personality's arms and legs - including a portrait of beau Carl Woods' face.

It comes after the newly-single Katie Price was revealed to be reportedly sending flirty messages to Ibiza Weekender Callum Izzard - who is 17 years her junior.

Toyboy: It comes after Katie has reportedly been sending flirty messages to Ibiza Weekender Callum Izzard - who is 17 years her junior

The TV personality has been on the market after her bitter split from ex-fiance Carl Woods in November.

Now, Katie is said to have set her sights on Callum, 27, and been 'boasting' about how she has been DM'ing a big TikTok star.

A source told The Sun: 'Katie was being really loud and boasting about how she was messaging a TikTok star.

'When she was asked about it, it turns out she's been DM'ing Callum from Ibiza Weekender.

'Katie was laughing and being really loud - she didn't care who heard.'

MailOnline has contacted Katie and Callum's representatives for comment.

Callum has nearly 700,000 followers on his social media platforms.
Alex Beresford celebrated his one-year engagement anniversary earlier this month.

And taking to Instagram, the Good Morning Britain presenter, 41, who married Imogen McKay in October after they began dating in August 2020, shared a series of sweet throwback snaps.

The pictures included a loved-up shot of the couple on holiday in Deia, Mallorca, after his proposal on New Year's Day last year, a close-up of the ring and a joyful photograph of the newlyweds after their nuptials.

Happy memories: Alex Beresford celebrated his engagement anniversary with wife Imogen on Instagram and shared a gallery of photos of his proposal and wedding day

Alex asked Imogen to marry him in a cove in Deia as they enjoyed a New Year's break together.

They decided to return to Majorca for their wedding in October, enjoying a lavish celebration with their nearest and dearest.

Alex captioned the post: 'On this morning last year as the sun lit up a beautiful little cove in Deia I got down on one knee and asked Imogen to marry me and 9 months later we had the most amazing day.'

Love: Taking to his Instagram, the Good Morning Britain presenter, 41, who married Imogen McKay in October, shared a series of sweet throwback snaps (pictured on their wedding day)

Cute: The pictures also included a close-up of the ring after Alex's sweet proposal in Deia in January last year

Alex and Imogen began dating in August 2020 after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date.

He told HELLO! magazine: 'I'd been on my own for a while and was ready for a new relationship. But I was adamant I didn't want to try a dating website.

'I'm of an age where before social media, you met a girl, took her phone number and called to invite her out.'

He explained that he asked a friend if she knew anyone he would get on with, to which she replied: 'I do - but she's way too good for you'.

The presenter said he laughed along and told her "She's the one that I want!"

Reminiscing: He captioned the post: 'On this morning last year as the sun lit up a beautiful little cove in Deia I got down on one knee and asked Imogen to marry me'

Reflecting on the beginning of their relationship, he said: 'We hit it off from the start. We talked every day about our shared values and goals, and our love for our families. We've always been on the same page.'

Imogen grew up in Australia and works in e-commerce operations for a top London restaurant.

She revealed that she had never seen Beresford on television before meeting him and refrained from looking him up beforehand as she wanted to find out for herself what he was like.

Recalling their first date in Bristol, where Beresford lives, she said: 'When we met, it felt as if we'd known each other for ages. Holding hands and laughing together just came naturally.'

The couple had a long-distance relationship moving between Bristol and London before their engagement.

Beresford described the "amazing moment" when he popped the question to McKay while they were walking along the beach in Majorca.

He said: 'The weather was sunny and warm, and the sea was crystal clear. "This is it," I thought.

'Imogen's not one for taking photos, but as I persuaded her to pose for a picture overlooking the sea, I kneeled down to take the engagement ring I'd hidden inside my rucksack.

'When she turned around, I was on one knee, and asked her the biggest question of my life - and she said yes. It was an amazing moment.'
Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis is fast approaching her due date.

And on Thursday night, the pregnant reality star gave fans an eyeful when she flaunted her blossoming frame in a racy mirror selfie shared to Instagram.

In the image, Martha is seen posing topless as she grasps her ample cleavage and shows off her growing belly.

Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis gave fans an eyeful when she flaunted her blossoming frame in a racy mirror selfie shared to Instagram

The brunette bombshell wore a simple pair of black pants for the occasion, unbuttoned at the waist, as she stared into the lens on her phone.

The successful influencer captioned the image: 'I hope this kid is hungry'.

Martha's post was quickly inundated with comments, including a rather distasteful one from partner Michael Brunelli.

In the image, Martha is seen posing topless as she grasps her ample cleavage and shows off her growing belly

'Just threw out my protein powder,' the fitness expert joked after clapping eyes on his partner's growing bust.

Martha's reality star mates also had something to say.

'Careful not to drown the beeebyyy beeeb those milk jugs are off their tits,' wrote Big Brother's Skye Wheatley alongside laughing face emojis.

The successful influencer captioned the image: 'I hope this kid is hungry'. Martha's post was quickly inundated with comments, including a rather distasteful one from partner Michael Brunelli

'The caption is everything,' added Love Island Australia winner Tayla Damir.

Elsewhere, The Bachelor's Bella Varellis preferred to keep things short and sweet, referring to Martha as 'a queen', while sexologist Chantelle Otten wrote, 'Slay'.

It comes after Martha opened up about the brutal reality of being pregnant while suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum - a form of morning sickness.

'Just threw out my protein powder,' Michael joked after clapping eyes on his partner's growing bust. Both pictured

Martha recently revealed her February due date had been pushed to March 6 and outlined the struggles she's faced thus far in her pregnancy.

'Every hour feels like a day I have work commitments looming over my head and can't help but feel like I've completely neglected everything I worked so hard to build,' she continued. 'I feel like I'm at breaking point.'

She went on to say she spent four days on the couch thinking she might have had Covid as she struggled with energy and a sore throat.

'I forced myself to get up and go get food just for some momentum, but I couldn't even get myself out of the car once we arrived,' she said.

Martha recently revealed her February due date had been pushed to March 6 and outlined the struggles she's faced thus far in her pregnancy

Michael and Martha revealed they were expecting their first child together in 2022 and it hasn't been smooth sailing.

Martha told The Daily Telegraph in September she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, and her symptoms had manifested in numerous painful ways.

'It's like you've got gastro, you're hungover and you're on a boat. This is anything but fun,' she said of the condition.

If you need support for for pregnancy issues you can contact PANDA on 1300 726 306
Christian Wilkins turned heads on Thursday as he, once again, stepped out in an incredible ensemble at Piper-Heidsieck's yearly Cocktail Party.

The 27-year-old fashionista stole the show on Rod Laver Arena Terrace, wearing a $3,500 KOURH mini dress which showcased his incredibly toned legs.

Held together with thin, crisscrossed straps, the frock was covered in shimmering crystals and beads.

Christian Wilkins, 27, (pictured) turned heads on Thursday as he, once again, stepped out in an incredible ensemble at Piper-Heidsieck's yearly Cocktail Party

Highlighting his signature, smoldering features with sparkly, silver eyeshadow, he flipped his heavy mass of soft golden curls over one shoulder.

A set of shiny black cowboy boots polished the look off as he held a red glass which appeared to be the party favour of the night.

Love Island star Tayla Damir also made an appearance at the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Bar.

The 27-year-old fashionista stole the show on Rod Laver Arena Terrace, wearing a $3,500 KOURH mini dress which showcased his incredibly toned legs

The media personality, 25, donned a bright orange Oroton gown which flowed to her ankles and featured one stylishly puffed sleeve.

Cinched at the waist with a wide band, Damir complemented the $499 garment with a $425 black designer clutch from Aje.

Slicking her hair back into a tight bun and sporting a barley-there makeup look, she completed the outfit with a simple pair of black pumps.

Love Island star Tayla Damir, 25, (pictured) also made an appearance at the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Bar. The media personality, 25, donned a bright orange Oroton gown which flowed to her ankles and featured one stylishly puffed sleeve

Cinched at the waist with a wide band, Damir complemented the $499 garment with a $425 black designer clutch from Aje

The Block's Sharon Johal (pictured) arrived in similar colours with a blood orange dress which featured a daring plunging neckline

She arrived arm-in-arm with her husband Ankur Dogra (left) who opted for a business casual look with an off-white suit unbuttoned over a white t-shirt

The Block's Sharon Johal arrived in similar colours with a blood orange dress which featured a daring plunging neckline.

She arrived arm-in-arm with her husband Ankur Dogra who opted for a business casual look with an off-white suit unbuttoned over a white t-shirt.

Maria Thattil looked as stunning as ever in a baby pink two-piece with a decorative mesh across the bust.

Maria Thattil looked as stunning as ever in a baby pink two-piece with a decorative mesh across the bust

Letting down a few face-framing pieces, Thattil pulled her brunette locks up into a high pony before slicking on a bronzed makeup look

Rocking a strappy open back, the 29-year-old model slipped into a pair of wide legged slacks which hung around her hot pink pumps.

Letting down a few face-framing pieces, Thattil pulled her brunette locks up into a high pony before slicking on a bronzed makeup look.

Finally, model Jess Hart and actor Tessa Charis made an appearance at the event in similar oversized suits with black pumps and bold red lips.

Hart, 36, rocked a mint green skirt suit while Charis, 31, sported a white suit with an extra large jacket which covered her skirt.
Shaughna Phillips was seen with her boyfriend Billy for the first time as the couple touched down at Heathrow on Wednesday following their Los Angeles getaway.

The former Love Island star, 28, who is currently 30 weeks pregnant, has been enjoying a holiday in California before the birth of her first child.

Shaughna, who until now hadn't revealed her beau's identity, showed off her growing bump in a cosy pair of charcoal joggers with a white vest top.

Back home: Shaughna Phillips, 28, was seen with her boyfriend Billy for the first time as the couple touched down at Heathrow on Thursday following their Los Angeles getaway

She layered over a chunky knitted jacket to keep out the cold and appeared makeup free after her long flight.

Billy also opted for comfy clothing, wearing a grey hoodie with a pair of khaki cargos and a brown cap.

He pushed their three suitcases on a trolley, with two Louis Vuitton leather bags perched on top.

Couple: The former Love Island star, who is currently 30 weeks pregnant, has been enjoying a holiday in California before the birth of her first child

Touch down: Shaughna, who until now hadn't revealed her beau's identity, showed off her growing bump in a cosy pair of charcoal joggers with a white vest top

It comes after Shaughna cradled her growing bump in the Hollywood Hills while she enjoyed a spot of sight seeing on Monday.

The Love Island star posed for a photo in front of the world-famous sign that she shared to Instagram.

Shaughna looked every inch the glowing mum-to-be wearing an oversized burnt orange top with a pair of matching wide leg trousers.

Relaxed: She appeared makeup free after her long flight with her blonde hair styled straight

Comfy: She layered over a chunky knitted jacket to keep out the cold and opted for a practical pair of Nike trainers

Low-key: Billy also opted for comfy clothing, wearing a grey hoodie with a pair of khaki cargos and a brown cap

She completed her look with some white trainers and carried a Gucci handbag over one shoulder.

Smiling for the photo, the TV personality placed her hands over her tummy and simple penned: 'La La land.'

She has posted various snaps of her time visiting some of the hotspots on the west coast of the US, including stopping by the Malibu Pier on Friday afternoon, where she told fans she was having the 'best time away' with her lover.

Lots of luggage: He pushed their three suitcases on a trolley, with two Louis Vuitton leather bags perched on top

Return: She has posted various snaps of her time visiting some of the hotspots on the west coast of the US, including stopping by the Malibu Pier on Friday afternoon

Sweet: She told fans she was having the 'best time away' with her lover

Shaughna announced she was expecting in October captioning a montage that included scans of the baby, 'our greatest chapter yet.'

She previously revealed she won't be naming her unborn baby after her late father because she still struggles with the loss of him not being here.

She said if she has a boy he will be called Billy Edward and his middle name will be inherited from her dad, who sadly lost his life to cancer in 2016.

Coming soon: Shaughna announced she was expecting in October captioning a montage that included scans of the baby, 'our greatest chapter yet'

Choices: She previously revealed she won't be naming her unborn baby after her late father because she still struggles with the loss of him not being here

Thoughts: She said if she has a boy he will be called Billy Edward and his middle name will be inherited from her dad, who sadly lost his life to cancer in 2016

Mum-to-be: She explained the baby will be named Billy after her boyfriend, who's the father, because 'it would be too much' for her to say her late dad's name everyday

She explained the baby will be named Billy after her boyfriend, who's the father, because 'it would be too much' for her to say her late dad's name everyday.

Shaughna said: 'My dad's name will be the baby's second name. There's a few reasons I'm not naming my baby after my dad.

'My dad's actual name is Edward but everyone called him Eddie and I just don't know how okay I would be with saying my dad's name every day.

'I still struggle with my dad not being here so I think it would be too much for me. Baby will be Billy Edward if he is a boy.'

She added: 'We're keeping the girl's name a secret but it's not a sentimental name, just a name we both love.'
A whopping 26 years after hitting the charts, a 90s pop sensation looks totally different from her heyday.

The Norwegian songstress, 49, has shunned her kooky cropped locks and era-appropriate colourful crop tops in favour of sleek hairdos and racy ensembles while returning to the stage with her band.

While her band's iconic hit track still rings in fans' ears, her look is less resonant - so can you guess who she is?

Who!? This cheesy 90s pop sensation is totally unrecognisable from her plastic heyday with sleek locks and racy outfits... but can you guess who it is?

It's Aqua frontwoman Lene Nystrm! Having formed in 1989, the band, comprising Lene, Rene Dif, and keyboardist Sren Rasted, brought the iconic hit Barbie Girl to the airwaves in 1997.

While Lene still looks youthful, she has totally changed her look to get rid of her spiky red hair and opt for a series of sleek hairdos.

One recent shot shows the star with a heavy fringe and sleek high ponytail while rocking an edgy bejewelled corset with thigh-high PVC boots.

Woah! It's Aqua frontwoman Lene Nystrm!

The whole gang: Having formed in 1989, the band, comprising Lene, Rene Dif, and keyboardist Sren Rasted, brought the iconic hit Barbie Girl to the airwaves in 1997

Raven tresses dominate her style in current times, yet she still toys with coloured locks in some of her stage ensembles.

She still has a penchant for an eccentric uniform though, with her Instagram an ode to her electrifying outfits.

Lene and her bandmates produced three studio albums, Aquarium in 1997, Aquarius in 2000 and Megalomania in 2011.

The gang: Aqua have reunited and still belt out their classic hits

Woo! Last year, the band discussed the quarter of a century anniversary of Barbie Girl, with Rene detailing how it would be received nowadays

In 2019, they announced a Nineties nostalgia tour in which they hit the stage in five cities across Canada alongside fellow Eurodance legends Vengaboys.

Last year, the band discussed the quarter of a century anniversary of Barbie Girl, with Rene detailing how it would be received nowadays.

He said: 'If we released Barbie Girl or Aquarium now, I don't know how it would go. I think there was a moment just waiting there for us.'

Stunner: She is pictured performing in New Zealand in 2019 in one of her trademark sexy looks
US-led West's pandemic trick won't succeed

10:44, January 19, 2023 By Mahesh Pathak ( China Daily

Luo Jie | China Daily

Right from the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been stigmatized by some Western countries, especially the United States, with many people of Chinese origin becoming the target of hate crimes.

Hate-mongers in some Western countries, the US in particular, used the pandemic as an excuse to target people of Asian, especially Chinese, origin. They blamed people of Asian origin for the spread of the novel coronavirus. Worse, previous US president Donald Trump played a key role in increasing racist attacks by labeling the novel coronavirus as the "Chinese virus".

"People first" has remained at the core of China's COVID-19 response over the past three years, during which the virus mutated many times and the pandemic situation got from bad to worse before improving. Yet the worsening pandemic situation also spurred different governments and pharmaceutical companies to invest more resources and use more scientific minds to develop vaccines and prescribe the treatment for COVID-19 patients. As for China, the pandemic not only prompted it to develop COVID-19 vaccines but also provide free vaccination for all Chinese citizens.

But with China lifting almost all anti-pandemic restrictions on Jan 8, some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, reintroduced compulsory pre-flight COVID-19 tests for Chinese visitors, while countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Italy, now require Chinese visitors to undergo COVID-19 tests on arrival and quarantine if they test positive.

The World Health Organization has said that it is very concerned about reports of rising number of severe cases in China after the country abandoned the dynamic clearing COVID-19 policy.

Most countries have not announced new entry requirements for Chinese visitors, and a select few have ruled them out entirely, including Poland and Bulgaria which refused to toe the European Union's line on entry requirements for Chinese visitors.

The US has made it mandatory for Chinese visitors to take an RT-PCR test less than 48 hours before boarding a flight and test negative to gain entry into the country from Jan 5. China fully opened its borders from Jan 8, welcoming visitors without mandatory quarantine and allowing Chinese citizens to travel abroad.

At the Hong Kong airport, hundreds of people were recently seen waiting to check in for flights to cities on the Chinese mainland, but the arrivals hall was relatively quiet. Many of Hong Kong's border checkpoints were fully opened, as were transportation halls and shuttered storefronts.

Given the present situation, therefore, China may first normalize economic ties with some countries, including Belt and Road countries, before it does so with Western nations to establish a channel for the normal movement of people and goods.

The Global North is also trying to reduce China's expanding global presence in the fields of infrastructure and technology. For example, the G7 Summit in June 2022 launched a $600 billion fund to mobilize investment in global infrastructure projects as an answer to the Belt and Road Initiative. But the G7's endeavor is a decade too late and short of billions of dollars, because the China-proposed initiative was launched in 2013 and completed or is working on projects worth more than $4 trillion.

There are also presentation problems. The industrialized countries claim they are banding together to defend universal values, underpinning a liberal world order. But China and Russia argue that the industrialized countries are trying to rebuild a hierarchy based on imperialism and white supremacy. Opinion polls in the Global South show the arguments of Russia and China have found a receptive audience. Even within the Global North, many countries believe unilateral US actions are alienating some of their business partners. In fact, the US' restrictions on technology exports to China will deal another big blow to the biggest tech enterprises in the ROK, Japan and the EU.

The Global North is also worried that China might end up controlling the technologies of the future and building what one senior US official said was "a terrifying surveillance autocracy" with a worldwide reach.

To be sure, the pandemic has intensified the competition between China and the US, and the US has been badmouthing and stigmatizing China in the hope that it will help it emerge victorious in the competition. But that might not happen.

The author is an independent expert in international relations based in Nepal.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade and more have been chosen for induction into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne, Teddy Riley, Glen Ballard and Liz Rose are also being honored at the induction ceremony on June 15 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Rap icon Snoop  who is known for hits including Drop It Like It's Hot and Gin and Juice  follows in the footsteps of previous hip-hop inductees Missy Elliott and Jay-Z in being recognized for their songwriting.

Estefan is known for the classics Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and Lets Get Loud, while the NigerianBritish artist Sade (born Helen Folasade Adu) is known for singles including Your Love Is King, Smooth Operator and By Your Side, along with her self-titled band's six acclaimed albums.

Icons: Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade and more have been chosen for induction into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame. Snoop, 51, follows in the footsteps of hip-hop inductees Missy Elliott and Jay-Z in being recognized for their songwriting; seen in June 2022

Her most recent album was 2010's Soldier Of Love.

ELO star Lynne penned timeless classics such as Mr. Blue Sky, Evil Woman and Hold On Tight, and his Beatles-inspired band has been acclaimed for his ability to craft a hook-filled pop song.

Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement: 'The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch.

'The 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.'

Teddy Riley is one of the architects of the genre New Jack Swing, and he would go on to collaborate with Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Hit maker: Estefan is known for the classics Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and Lets Get Loud; pictured in November 2022 in Los Angeles

R&B legend: NigerianBritish artist Sade (born Helen Folasade Adu) has released six acclaimed albums with her self-titled band

The new inductee Glen Ballard collaborated with Michael Jackson on Man In The Mirror, and he co-wrote Alanis Morrissette's classic album Jagged Little Pill, along with producing it.

Lis Rose is a country songwriter best known for her multiple collaborations with Taylor Swift.

The two won a Grammy Award for the song White Horse on Taylor's second studio album Fearless, and they are again nominated for a Grammy at the upcoming 2023 ceremony for the full-length version of the song All Too Well, which debuted on the rerecorded Red (Taylor's Version).

Mariah Carey and Lil Nas X were among those recognized at the 2022 induction.

The former called for more women to be considered for induction.

She said at the ceremony: 'I read that out of the 439 total inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, only 32 have been women, until now.'

Pop icon: Jeff Lynne, the frontman and songwriter for the Beatles-inspired pop band Electric Light Orchestra, will be honored for songs including Mr. Blue Sky and Evil Woman; seen in 2019

Jack of all trades: The new inductee Glen Ballard collaborated with Michael Jackson on Man In The Mirror, and he co-wrote Alanis Morrissette's classic album Jagged Little Pill, along with producing it; seen in 2020

And rapper Lil Nas X, 23, who was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award, which pays tribute to young songwriters whose work is impacting the music industry, called for more diversity at awards.

'I think we have a long way to go in some places, but I feel like the world is definitely trying its best to change in many ways,' he said.

Meanwhile, Snoop has just announced the rescheduled dates for his UK and Ireland tour.

The legendary star will kick off the arena jaunt at Belfast's SSE Arena on March 14, followed by dates in Manchester, Glasgow, London, Dublin, Leeds, and Birmingham.

Snoop will be joined by his peers and collaborators Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Obie Trice and D12.

Irish rap duo Versatile are also hitting the road with the icons of the West Coast scene.
Helen Skelton and her pro partner Kai Widdrington led the stars attending the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour photocall in Birmingham on Thursday.

The former Blue Peter star, 39, flashed her legs in a tasselled green minidress while posing alongside the ballroom dancer, 27, who wore a blue shirt.

Meanwhile Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin matched in pink outfits as the beaming pair struck a series of poses for photographers at Utilita Arena Birmingham.

Beaming: Helen Skelton and her pro partner Kai Widdrington led the stars attending the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour photocall in Birmingham on Thursday

Also taking part were Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Nancy Xu and Will Mellor, Tyler West and Dianne Buswell, Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu and host Janette Manrara.

Winners Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal, who claimed the glitterball trophy during December's finale, performed an impressive lift move.

It comes after Jowita confirmed her romance with Giovanni, 32, as they left dinner holding hands on Sunday, amid claims Hamza was 'devastated' by their relationship.

What a pair! Meanwhile Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin matched in pink outfits

In their element: The beaming pair struck a series of poses for photographers at Utilita Arena Birmingham

Delighted: They appeared to be in their element during the photocall

The tour tour will kick off on January 20 and run until February 12, after they won the 2022 Glitterball trophy on the dance contest.

Bruno Tonioli is returning to Strictly to judge on the upcoming Strictly arena tour alongside Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas, after being replaced by Anton Du Beke on the panel.

The Strictly stars' latest outing comes after Hamza joked about being 'jealous' of Jowita potentially dancing with another celebrity next year.

It followed claims that Hamza was 'devastated' by Jowita's new relationship with fellow professional Giovanni.

Looking good: The former Blue Peter star, 39, flashed her legs in a tasselled green minidress

Happy: She posed alongside the ballroom dancer, 27, who wore a blue shirt

Unmissable: He continued his look with red trousers, along with shiny black shoes

Woohoo! Kai lifted Helen up into the air for one shot

Cha-cha-slide: Also taking part were Fleur East and Vito Coppola

Legs for days: The Sax songstress flashed her pins in a blue minidress

Snazzy: Vito commanded attention in an orange shirt and pink trousers

Speaking to Hello!, Jowita joked: 'I hope I get the call again, but it will feel weird not dancing with Hamza, I hope you're not going to be jealous.'

To which Hamza agreed, quipping: 'I must admit, I will be jealous. I'll be saying "That's not how you do that lift!"'

He added: 'She's not getting rid of me that easily. I'm planning a few things involving Jowita; there'll potentially be a few documentaries.'

Their humorous comments come after Jowita and Giovanni finally confirmed they are dating on Sunday night as they left cosy dinner together holding hands.

Having a blast! Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu shot their best power poses

Confident: Molly looked sensational in a mint dress

Dancing: They impressed onlookers with their skills

Here we go! Nancy Xu and Will Mellor beamed from ear-to-ear

Busting a move: Nancy wrapped her legs around Will's waist

Pose: They opened their arms out wide

They spent two and a half hours inside the restaurant before leaving together and walking off hand in hand.

It follows claims that Jowita had been caught kissing Giovanni backstage during filming on the BBC talent show.

The Sun claimed the sizzling couple are the BBC series' 'worst kept secret' after they openly flirted at a recent party.

Polish beauty Jowita joined the cast last year and performed in group dances.

Incredible: Janette Manrara lit up the venue with a bright yellow tiered dress

Here come the girls! Luba Mushtuk, Nancy Xu, Michelle Tsiakkas, Jowita Przystal, Amy Dowden and Dianne Buswell are pictured

Team: Janette posed with male dancers Robbie Kmetoni, Neil Jones, Nikita Kumzin, Kai Widdrington, Carlos Gu, Jake Leigh

Talented: Hamza seemed to be having a blast

Work it! He impressed co-stars with his talents

Chatting: Helen and Will seemed to be deep in conversation

She was paired with a celebrity for the first time this year, while Giovanni has been starring on the show since 2015.

A source told the publication: 'She and Gio are the worst kept secret, but make a great couple.

'While they both kept insisting they were single, the pair's chemistry was ridiculous  and they kept getting busted snogging in corridors. Crew even saw them kissing in the production office.

'They make a great couple though, and have been pretty inseparable in the last few weeks.

Wowzers: Jowita caused jaws to drop as she continued to pose up a storm

Buddies: She joined Hamza for another snap

Dazzling: Hamza exhibited his sparkly gnashers as he grinned while lifting up Jowita

Show-stopping: Fleur couldn't have looked happier

Team: Nancy kicked back her leg as she posed with Will

'Jowita, especially, wanted to keep things quiet so she could keep focused with Hamza, and not distract from the competition.'

The insider added that Giovanni and Jowita went public with their romance at Gio's pal Chelsea star Jorginho's birthday dinner, where they openly flirted after weeks of keeping their romance secret.

Jowita recently split from her long-term boyfriend, fellow dancer Michael Danilczuk.

Double act: Nikita and Ellie posed on the red carpet too

Unmissable: Neil Jones cut an eye-popping figure in a salmon shirt

All smiles: Tyler and Dianne beamed at the photocall

Duo: Helen and Kai struck a dance move

Look at me! Molly looked simply stunning

Meanwhile, Jowita's dance partner Hamza Yassin reportedly unfollowed her love interest Giovanni amid claims he is 'devastated' by their relationship.

According to The Sun, Hamza had previously followed Giovanni until last week. MailOnline has contacted their representatives for comment.

Jowita's budding relationship with Giovanni is said to have been a blow for Hamza, who 'fell head over heels for her'.

Wow! The girls put on a colourful display inside the venue

In their element: The cast members came together for a snap

Bust a move: Hamza was watched on by his co-stars

Having fun: He continued to bust some moves

'Hamza and Jowita became very close and at times were quite touchy-feely, obviously their closeness really helped when it came to them winning the trophy,' a source told The Sun.

'But while Jowita thinks the world of him, she held back from anything romantic and kept him slightly at arm's length.

'When it was clear she was involved with Giovanni, the reason for that became clear. But while Hamza wants her to be happy, he was quietly devastated.'
Pamela Anderson is looking back at her high-profile life in her new memoir Love, Pamela, which comes out at the end of this month.

In a new excerpt shared by People, the 55-year-old Baywatch actress talked about the two sons she has with ex-husband Tommy Lee: Brandon, 26, and Dylan, 25.

The Playboy pinup said that it is a 'miracle' that both of the boys - who grew up in Malibu, California - turned out fine considering their 'gene pool.'

The little ones: Pamela Anderson had talked her sons in her new memoir Love, Pamela, which comes out at the end of this month. Seen in April 2022

'Brandon and Dylan are true miracles, considering their gene pool,' she noted in her tell all book.

She was married to Tommy from 1995 until 1998 and their marriage was the focus of a new series Pam & Tommy which has put Anderson back in the spotlight.

The Home Improvement actress said her boys have had to endure a lot: 'They have been through so much, yet they are not full of holes,' added the Barb Wire star.

They got her good looks: In a new excerpt shared by People , the 55-year-old Baywatch actress talked about the two sons she has with ex-husband Tommy Lee: Brandon, 26, and Dylan, 25. Seen in 2016

She feels that her divorce with Lee was a very sad thing for them.

'I think we really let our kids down. And that's something it's really hard for me to forgive myself about,' noted the blonde beauty.

'We should have found a way through it. I couldn't accept any kind of violent maneuver. It was my childhood fears coming out.'

Hard times: She feels that her divorce with Lee was a very sad thing for them. 'I think we really let our kids down. And that's something it's really hard for me to forgive myself about,' noted the blonde beauty. Seen in 2003

She then said she put the kids first: 'I didn't want that for my kids and as much as I loved Tommy more than anything in the world, I loved my kids more.'

The TV star then focused on becoming a single mom. And focusing on the kids gave her courage to go on.

'They saved me,' she said. 'I don't want to put that on my kids but having children changed everything. I've loved every moment.'

Anderson also noted that her boys encouraged her to write her book. She also has a Nextflix docu coming out.

Her guys: The TV star then focused on becoming a single mom. And focusing on the kids gave her courage to go on. 'They saved me,' she said. 'I don't want to put that on my kids but having children changed everything. I've loved every moment.' Seen in 2001

The day before Pamela named the Motley Crue drummer the one true love of her life.

Her other marriages were to Kid Rock from 2006 until 2007, Rick Salomon from 2007 until 2008, and then again from 2014 until 2015, and finally her bodyguard Dan Hayhurst, whom she wed in 2020 and split from in January 2022.

There were reports she married 77-year-old A Star Is Born producer Jon Peters in Malibu in January 2020 for only a few days, but the actress subsequently denied it.

Pregnant in the 90s: Anderson also noted that her boys encouraged her to write her book. She also has a Nextflix docu coming out

Early look: The cover girl wrote about her true love in an excerpt from her book Love, Pamela that was shared with People

Despite their many ups and downs - Pamela once told an LA court that her children 'were not safe' with Tommy - she now confesses she's 'made peace' with the hell-raiser and is looking back at their relationship more fondly.

'We just wanted to have babies and be together forever,' she said of her time with the rocker, with whom she shares two children.

'My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever truly in love,' she revealed.

However, their relationship suffered a hit when their sex tape was stolen and leaked - which Pamela suggests was the catalyst for why they ultimately split up.

So much love: In her book she gushes over the bad boy of hard rock. 'We just wanted to have babies and be together forever,' she said of her time with Motley Crue rocker Lee

She made the tape with drummer Lee, who is now 60, during a 1995 vacation to Lake Mead, a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States.

'It ruined lives, starting with our relationship  and it's unforgivable that people, still to this day, think they can profit from such a terrible experience, let alone a crime,' Pamela shared in her memoir.

And then Tommy became violent, she claimed.

In her book the Stacked actress said that the drummer twisted her arm when they were with their sons.

They were drawn to each other: 'My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever truly in love,' she revealed. Seen in January 1996

'Tommy ripped Brandon off me and threw me and Dylan into a wall,' she claimed.

She called 911 and Lee was arrested. He reportedly served six months in jail for 'felony spousal abuse.'

'The divorce from Tommy was the hardest, lowest, most difficult point of my life,' Pamela wrote.

'I was crushed. I still couldn't believe that the person I loved the most was capable of what had happened that night. We were both devastated, but I had to protect my babies.'

On the cover of People it is stated that she has since 'made peace' with Tommy.

Lee has been married since 2019 to 36-year-old actress and Vine star Brittany Furlan.
Hayley Hasselhoff had a nightmare journey to London on Wednesday, revealing she sprained her ankle while dashing for her flight.

The model and actress, 30, was pictured being pushed through London Heathrow Airport in a wheelchair after touching down in the early hours of Thursday.

The daughter of Baywatch star David took to Instagram to reveal she had had a fall while rushing to make her flight from Cabo, where she had been partying for a friend's bachelorette.

Injured: Hayley Hasselhoff had a nightmare journey to London on Wednesday, revealing she sprained her ankle while dashing for her flight

Hayley looked chic for her flight, keeping warm in a fluffy dark green wrap and adding a pair of shades.

She stuck to sensible flats after her accident and kept hold of her Prada bag as she was wheeled through arrivals.

Before catching her flight Hayley filled her Instagram followers in with what had happened, revealing she had just a day to get to London from Mexico to film a secret project.

Ouch: The daughter of Baywatch star David took to Instagram to reveal she had had a fall while rushing to make her flight from Cabo

'Got everything packed, got to the airport and because I was running to my gate I tripped and a I fell and someone ran into me and I sprained my ankle and missed my flight,' she explained.

She added that she had requested wheelchairs for her connecting flight through Boston and in London so she could rest her ankle and be able to wear heels for her TV project in London.

Hayley, who competed on Celebrity X Factor in 2019, has revealed she felt 'empowered' by being able to celebrate and showcase her body as she starred topless for Playboy magazine - the first plus-size model to do so.

Helping hand: The model and actress, 30, was pictured being pushed through London Heathrow Airport in a wheelchair after touching down in the early hours of Thursday

Glam: Hayley looked chic for her flight, keeping warm in a fluffy dark green wrap and adding a pair of shades

Rushing: Before catching her flight Hayley filled her Instagram followers in with what had happened, revealing she had just a day to get to London from Mexico to film a secret project

'To see the progression of where I've gone, to where I am today, I think they're both very, very supportive and they believe in me and all the choices I make in my own career, just like I do for them.'

Hayley shot the glamorous pictures in Paris during lockdown wearing her own lingerie after it became difficult for her team to source garments to fit her UK size 16-18 frame amid the pandemic.

The curvaceous actress explained being the first plus-size woman to star on the front of Playboy Germany is significant because it plays into a 'bigger movement' of embracing all different body shapes and sizes.

Still smiling: The model and actress was still in great spirits despite her nightmare journey

She said: 'There are a few photos that are tastefully nude where I'm topless.

'At the beginning there were pieces of me like "oh Playboy" and then I had a think and I was like 'oh cool!' I get to make this movement for curve women during a global pandemic and let them know they have every right to celebrate their bodies.

'Looking at those images I have to say there were definitely moments on set where I was apprehensive because it was my first time ever shooting something like this.

'It was one of those moments where you have a thought bubble and that apprehensiveness  but then that positive thought came back in and said "hold on a second that's the whole reason you're here today."
Vick Hope has arrived at the BAFTA nominations night exuding glamour in a black plunging blazer as she joined stars for a special evening in London.

The TV and radio presenter, 33, put her slender pins on display in the jacket and shorts co-ordinated outfit, which glistened as she posed for some snaps.

Also looking gorgeous was Hayley Atwell, 40, who was effortlessly chic in a floor-length elegant white dress which she paired with a black blazer on top.

Wow! Vick Hope has arrived at the BAFTA nominations night exuding glamour in a black plunging blazer as she joined stars for a special evening in London

Elegant: Also looking gorgeous was Hayley Atwell, 40, who was effortlessly chic in a floor-length elegant white dress which she paired with a black blazer on top

Vick, who is engaged to international DJ Calvin Harris, 39, slicked her raven tresses back in a poker straight style to let her outfit do the talking.

Wearing nothing underneath her slimming black jacket, which synched her in at the waist, only buttoned up one of three which revealed the glimmering pair of mini shorts on her bottom half.

Her enviable legs were slipped into a pair of black tights to keep her warm on a freezing day in the capital.

She opted for a pair of pointed-toe black satin platform heels which featured an ankle strap.

Flawless: The TV and radio presenter, 33, put her slender pins on display in the jacket and shorts co-ordinated outfit, which glistened as she posed for some snaps

Looking good: Vick, who is engaged to international DJ Calvin Harris, 39, slicked her raven tresses back in a poker straight style to let her outfit do the talking

Wearing a full face of makeup, Vick had a smokey eyeshadow look and had a flawless flush to her cheeks.

Deciding against all other jewellery, Vick wore various silver earrings and rings on her fingers to match her shiny outfit choice.

Vick presented the BAFTAs nominations live stream over on their Instagram page earlier on Thursday alongside Ali Plumb.

Legs eleven: Wearing nothing underneath her slimming black jacket, which synched her in at the waist, only buttoned up one of three which revealed the glimmering pair of mini shorts on her bottom half

Co-stars: Vick presented the BAFTAs nominations live stream over on their Instagram page earlier on Thursday alongside Ali Plumb

Brunette beauty Hayley Atwell slipped into a beaming white gown which featured a high-neckline and glossed over her slender frame.

The Marvel actress tailored black blazer perfectly contrasted her look, but also had off-white button detailing.

She opted for a pair of bold red suede heels which had a pointed toe and poked out underneath the dress.

Brunette beauty: Brunette beauty Hayley Atwell slipped into a beaming white gown which featured a high-neckline and glossed over her slender frame

Beaming: With her brunette locks worn in a gentle wave, Hayley's makeup was gorgeous and looked like she enjoyed speaking at the nominations ceremony

Hayley posed alongside Ted Lasso actor Toheeb Jimoh ahead of the announcements on Friday afternoon.

With her brunette locks worn in a gentle wave, Hayley's makeup was gorgeous and looked like she enjoyed speaking at the nominations ceremony.

Among the top gongs, All Western On The Quiet Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything All At Once and Tar have been put up for the Best Film gong.

Austin Butler, Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Paul Mescal, Bill Nighy and Daryl McCormack are battling it out for the Best Actor award.

And Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, Danielle Deadwyler, Ana de Armas, Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh are doing the same for the award for Best Actress.

Exciting evening: Hayley posed alongside Ted Lasso actor Toheeb Jimoh ahead of the announcements on Friday afternoon

Presenting: Among the top gongs, All Western On The Quiet Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything All At Once and Tar have been put up for the Best Film gong (Hayley and Toheeb are pictured)
Victoria Beckham looked typically stylish on Thursday as she shared some snaps to Instagram while spending time in Paris, France.

The fashion designer, 48, donned a figure-hugging dress from her own collection for the day out in the city of light.

Sharing a video in the chic ensemble with her 30.5M followers, the former Spice Girl penned: 'Kisses from Paris'.

'Kisses from Paris': Victoria Beckham looked typically chic in a figure-hugging black gown on Thursday as she took to the French capital

Keeping covered for the winter weather, Victoria's dress featured a high neck and long-sleeve detail - before gathering into a tie-side at the hip.

She layered the garment over a pair of sheer black tights, elevating her 5ft 4inch frame with a pair of pointed-toe court heels.

The designer added the popular chain leather clutch from her own brand, which she is often seen sporting in different colours.

While her brunette tresses were pulled away from her face into a sleek braid, highlighting her dewy complexion.

Stylish: Keeping covered for the winter weather, Victoria's dress featured a high neck and long-sleeve detail - before gathering into a tie-side at the hip

Beauty: While her brunette tresses were pulled away from her face into a sleek braid, highlighting her dewy complexion

'Love this dress from my new pre collection!' wrote Victoria over the video, stepping forwards and backwards to show off the look.

The beauty spent the day watching a fashion show for brand Rick Owens.

While she later gushed over the French city in another shot, which showed the dress from the back, writing: 'I  Paris @davidbeckham'.

Victoria showed off another ensemble from her brand by sharing a video in a tailored suit too.

360: While she later gushed over the French city in another shot, which showed the dress from the back, writing: 'I  Paris @davidbeckham'

Another look: Victoria showed off another ensemble from her brand by sharing a video in a tailored suit too

'I love, love, love, love, LOVE this suit! Super lightweight tailoring and so simple to wear. My burgundy squared-toe loafer finishes the look anf id the perfect blend of masculine meets feminine,' she wrote about the look.

It comes after Stella McCartney has allegedly reignited her 'feud' with fellow fashion designer Victoria by booking Gigi and Bella Hadid to walk in her show - months after they participated in the former Spice Girl's.

The supermodel sisters notably hit the catwalk at Victoria's first Paris Fashion Week show last September, which is thought to have fired up Stella's competitive streak.

Eek! Stella McCartney (pictured in 2018) has allegedly reignited her 'feud' with Victoria by booking Gigi and Bella Hadid for her show - after they walked in the ex Spice Girl's

A source told The Sun: 'Stella isn't normally that bothered about having big-name supermodels walking in her fashion shows as it can be extraordinarily expensive.

'But after she saw Victoria had booked Gigi and Bella to appear in her first ever Paris Fashion Week show in September, she booked them.

'A few days later the pair were on the runway for Stella. Everyone found it very funny and now it's become a bit of a joke in Stella's office.'

It follows reports of Stella being not best pleased after one of her top stylists Jane How left her brand for a job at Victoria's.
She never shies away from an opportunity to show off her quirky sense of fashion.

And Kate Beckinsale turned heads once again on Wednesday as she left a salon in Beverly Hills in another fashion forward ensemble.

The British actress, 49, looked incredible in an oversized lilac blazer over a navy silk pyjama-style set.

Trendy: Kate Beckinsale turned heads once again on Wednesday as she left a salon in Beverly Hills in another fashion forward ensemble

She added a few extra inches of height to her frame in a pair of chunky black platform boots.

Kate toted her belongings in a bold green handbag and swept her tresses up in an elegant ponytail, secured with a black bow.

The Underworld star completed her stunning look by shielding her eyes behind a pair of large black sunglasses.

Stylish: The British actress, 49, looked incredible in an oversized lilac blazer over a navy silk pyjama-style set

Fancy footwear: She added a few extra inches of height to her frame in a pair of chunky black platform boots

The sighting comes after Kate put on a glamorous display posing for snaps alongside Vas Morgan at his Golden Globes afterparty, which he and Michael Braun hosted in California at Limitless X

The beauty donned a mini bubble dress with a mesh panel, while beaming alongside pals following the 80th annual awards ceremony.

Rita Ora also posed up a storm as she joined in on the fun at the bash, sporting a pink hotpant playsuit for the appearance.

Stunners: The sighting comes after Kate put on a glamorous display posing for snaps alongside Vas Morgan at his Golden Globes afterparty, which he and Michael Braun hosted

Posing inside the bash, Kate looked ethereal in a linen bubble mini dress - which featured a figure-hugging bodice before coming out into a puff skirt.

The number, which was designed by brand August Getty Atelier, had a maesh section over the chest with a high neck and white embroidery.

She battled the cold weather by layering an extravagant white faux fur coat over the top and adding platformed silver heels with a double strap detail.

While Much Ado About Nothing actress Kate had her caramel-hued locks tied into a chic high ponytail.
Amy Jo Johnson - who originated the role of Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart - took to Twitter on Wednesday to explain why she's skipping Netflix's upcoming 30th anniversary special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always.

'For the record I never said no,' the 52-year-old Felicity alum noted.

'I just didn't say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick a**! #PowerRangers30'

Sorry! Amy Jo Johnson - who originated the role of Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart - took to Twitter on Wednesday to explain why she's skipping Netflix's upcoming 30th anniversary special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

The 52-year-old Felicity alum noted: 'For the record I never said no. I just didn't say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick a**! #PowerRangers30'

However, the second Pink Ranger Catherine Sutherland - who played Katherine Hillard - will definitely be in the special: 'There's so many little Easter eggs. I just think it's going to give the fans everything they want.'

It was certainly a happy reunion for David Yost and Walter Jones, who originated the roles of the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Black Ranger Zack Taylor.

'It's been really exciting to film a 30-year anniversary special,' 54-year-old Yost gushed.

'Just getting to work with Walter, obviously, we have a long history together...It's such a different take on what we've done before, but a lot of the same elements are there.'

However, the second Pink Ranger Catherine Sutherland - who played Katherine Hillard - will definitely be in the special: 'There's so many little Easter eggs. I just think it's going to give the fans everything they want'

OGs: It was certainly a happy reunion for David Yost (L) and Walter Jones (R), who originated the roles of the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Black Ranger Zack Taylor

54-year-old Yost gushed: 'It's been really exciting to film a 30-year anniversary special...Just getting to work with Walter, obviously, we have a long history together...It's such a different take on what we've done before, but a lot of the same elements are there'

But it was the first time that Steve Cardenas (R) - who played second Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos - had ever worked with the 52-year-old Jones (L): 'We are a family of Rangers, so to finally be on a set with them was really interesting'

But it was the first time that Steve Cardenas - who played second Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos - had ever worked with the 52-year-old Jones: 'We are a family of Rangers, so to finally be on a set with them was really interesting.'

Also returning for the Netflix special is Karan Ashley (the second Yellow Ranger), Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Ranger), Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa's voice), and Richard Horvitz (Alpha's voice).

'The Power Rangers come face to face with a familiar threat from the past,' the logline read.

'I think this is the best way we could have celebrated 30 years': Also returning for the Netflix special is Karan Ashley (the second Yellow Ranger), Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Ranger), Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa's voice), and Richard Horvitz (Alpha's voice)

The logline read: 'The Power Rangers come face to face with a familiar threat from the past. In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to "Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger," Once & Always reminds everyone when you become a Ranger, you are always a part of the Ranger family and always welcome'

Will you stream it? Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always 30th Anniversary Special  Rangers Reunited premieres April 19 on Netflix

Throwback! Haim Saban's original live-action superhero series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise Super Sentai, aired for three seasons spanning 1993-1995 on Fox Kids

'In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to "Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger," Once & Always reminds everyone when you become a Ranger, you are always a part of the Ranger family and always welcome.'

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always 30th Anniversary Special  Rangers Reunited premieres April 19 on Netflix.

Haim Saban's original live-action superhero series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise Super Sentai, aired for three seasons spanning 1993-1995 on Fox Kids.

Busted: Fans will not get to see the original Red Ranger Austin St. John, who was charged last May with obtaining more than $400K in fraudulent pandemic PPP loans and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted

RIP: The original Green Ranger Jason David Frank was found hanged, age 49, in a Texas hotel bathroom on November 19 - hours after allegedly rowing with his second wife Tammie

RIP: And the original Yellow Ranger Thuy Trang tragically died, age 27, in 2001 after being involved in a car accident

Fans will not get to see the original Red Ranger Austin St. John, who was charged last May with obtaining more than $400K in fraudulent pandemic PPP loans and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The original Green Ranger Jason David Frank was found hanged, age 49, in a Texas hotel bathroom on November 19 - hours after allegedly rowing with his second wife Tammie.

And the original Yellow Ranger Thuy Trang tragically died, age 27, in 2001 after being involved in a car accident.
Sophie Kasaei has shared some saucy pictures from her trip to Antigua with boyfriend Jordan Brook.

The Geordie Shore star, 33, took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday, to share a slew of images as they arrived in 'paradise'.

She sported a plunging cream bikini as she and Jordan posed for a mirror selfie and prepared to hit the beach, writing: 'We ready baby.'

Time out: Bikini clad Sophie Kasaei is enjoying a trip to Antigua with boyfriend Jordan Brook and took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a mirror selfie of the couple

She tied a sarong around her waist while her boyfriend went shirtless, sporting a pair of blue swimming shorts.

Sophie kept her raven tresses loose, donning a large pair of brown sunglasses.

The reality star shared videos and photos from the first night of their holiday, including the couple downing shots.

Pose: On Thursday, she took to her Instagram story to put up a picture of herself in a black bandeau bikini

On Thursday morning, the star took photographs of their stunning surroundings and luxury breakfast, also posting a video of a turtle.

She also documented their couple's trip to the gym with another mirror selfie.

Afterwards, she took to her Instagram story to put up a picture of herself in a black bandeau bikini.

She complemented the beachy look with white sunglasses, sweeping her hair into a low ponytail.

The couple that workout together... Sophie also documented their couple's trip to the gym with another mirror selfie

It comes after it was revealed earlier this month that Sophie will join the cast of TOWIE, in the first ever crossover between the reality shows.

The TV personality who's in a relationship with TOWIE cast member Jordan, will star alongside her boyfriend in the show's upcoming series, which is being filmed overseas.

An Essex insider told MailOnline that ITVBe producers are hoping Sophie, who was in the original cast of Geordie Shore and has over 2million Instagram followers, will help to resurrect the series, which has lost its popularity in recent years.

New addition: The Only Wahey is Essex! Sophie, who starred in Geordie Shore, is joining The Only Way Is Essex, in the first ever crossover between the reality shows

A source revealed: 'Sophie has been on reality TV for over 12 years, she knows what makes a good show.

'Producers are really excited that she's joining TOWIE and hopes she will bring some of her fiery Geordie energy to the cast.

'TOWIE is still in talks about Sophie's potential involvement but she can't wait to officially sign on the dotted line and join boyfriend Jordan on the show.

'There's sure to be some drama brewing between Sophie, Ella Rae Wise, and Chloe Brockett, too, who both dated Jordan last year.'

MailOnline has contacted Sophie and TOWIE for comment.

Love is in the air: The TV personality, who's in a relationship with TOWIE cast member Jordan, will star alongside her boyfriend in the show's upcoming series

Sophie was an original Geordie Shore cast member when the show first launched in 2011 alongside the likes of Charlotte Crosby, Vicky Pattison, Gary Beadle, and Holly Hagan.

While former Love Island contestants including Olivia Attwood, Georgia Harrison, and Cara De La Hyde and Nathan Massey have all joined TOWIE in the past, no one from Geordie Shore or Made In Chelsea has appeared on the ITVBe show.

She left the MTV series for good in 2019 and has been in a relationship with TOWIE's Jordan since November.

Sophie, who previously dated DJ Joel Corry and stripper Jay Bigz, has called Jordan the 'love of her life' on Instagram and dedicated a heartfelt post to their new romance.

Family affair: Sophie spent the Christmas period celebrating with new boyfriend Jordan and her cousin Marnie Simpson and her fiance Casey Johnson (pictured)

In December, she said: 'Just when I was about to give up on love you came into my life and showed me what a true gent and real love is.

'Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world. My forever JB, I love you.'

Last year, in scenes filmed for TOWIE, Jordan attempted to woo Ella Wise and the couple went on several dates but ultimately, she wasn't interested.

He also romanced Ella's ex-best friend Chloe, who accused him of only being interested in her during filming to increase his popularity.

The new series of TOWIE is set to begin filming at the end of January after the annual Christmas special, The Only Way Is Essexmas, was axed.

It is not known whether Amy Childs, who is expecting twins with boyfriend Billy Delbosq, will appear in the episodes filmed overseas, while she also has children Polly and Ritchie to look after.
Paul Chuckle was left 'disgusted' on Wednesday evening as he attempted to get a taxi from Heathrow Airport to his nearby hotel, after enjoying a holiday to Greece.

The comedian, 75, was hoping to grab a lift from the airport for his trip, which he claimed was 2.8 miles, with taxis allegedly telling him it would cost 30 for the journey.

But taking to Twitter to share his experience, he revealed to decided to wait an hour for the bus instead while branding the company a 'rip off merchant'.

'I'm not paying that!': Paul Chuckle brands London black cabs a 'rip off merchant' as he refuses to pay 30 for a taxi from Heathrow Airport and catches a bus instead

The entertainer, real moniker Paul Elliot, explained that he and wife Sue didn't want to wait for the bus so were hoping to grab a taxi.

But after being quoted 30 for their short trip, they decided to wait and get on the Heathrow Hotel Hoppa bus, which is 6 for a single ticket.

Explaining the ordeal with his 166.1K followers, his first tweet read: 'Just arrived at Heathrow T5 and been told a taxi to Hilton Hotel (2.8 miles) would cost me 30. Disgusted.'

He reiterated the point with another tweet, penning: '#londonblackcabs 30 for 2/8 miles from Hilton Airport?'

Post-flight: Paul was hoping to catch a cab to his airport hotel after stepping off his evening flight from Greece

Disgusted: Explaining the ordeal with his 166.1K followers, his first tweet read: 'Just arrived at Heathrow T5 and been told a taxi to Hilton Hotel (2.8 miles) would cost me 30. Disgusted'

Many fans replied to Paul recommendating the bus rather than a cab, as he responded confirming he waited an hour for it rather than paying 'out of principle'.

'It was an hours wait but now waiting for it, not paying that! I used to taxi back in the day and was never a rip off merchant would rather freeze than pay that!'

He added in another: 'We went for the hopper first but it was an hours wait, went for the taxi, wasn't going to pay that out of principle, so waited for the hopper'.

Refusing to pay: But after being quoted 30 for their short trip, they decided to wait and get on the Heathrow Hotel Hoppa bus, which is 6 for a single ticket

Morals: Many fans replied to Paul recommendating the bus rather than a cab, as he responded confirming he waited an hour for it rather than paying 'out of principle'

Paul had flown in to London after enjoying a holiday to Greece. And while he wasn't pleased with the transport on land, the flight was an enjoyable experience.

Sharing that he had an 'excellent flight', the Chuckle Brothers entertainer thanked British Airways in a tweet, writing: What an experience! Coming in to land at Heathrow, picture taken, suddenly the plane took off again!

'Sue was convinced we were going to die, sweating,the lot! Another plane was in our way on the runway! Thanks guys for getting us back safely @British_Airways .. great crew'.
He is a former Disney Channel star who is now known for his dramatic roles and occasional action films.

But this A-List star looked unrecognizable as he stepped out dressed as a woman on Wednesday night, while filming five-time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola's $100M-budget epic Megalopolis in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 36-year-old Daytime Emmy winner traded his character's prior black leather costume for a white Grecian gown beneath a golden corset, gold headdress, matching tiny purse and gladiator heels selected by costume designer Milena Canonero.

Can you guess which A-List actor this is? Screen star is UNRECOGNIZABLE in in sparkly gold high heels and flowing white dress while filming in Atlanta

It turned out to be Shia LaBeouf - who's making a comeback despite seven prior arrests - as he pulled out all the stops with his hair styled in retro spit curls and black acrylic manicure.

Make-up artist Kris Evans applied LaBeouf's vampy lipstick and used glue stick and concealer to hide his natural brows beneath thin penciled-on ones.

But unlike real drag queens, the Padre Pio star - who welcomed daughter Isabel with Mia Goth in March - did not wear any breast or hip padding to more authentically emulate his feminine side.

Last May, Shia successfully completed a year-long judicial diversion program stemming from 2020 misdemeanor battery and petty theft charges.

LaBeouf will next face his ex-girlfriend - Grammy nominee FKA twigs - in a civil trial over sexual battery allegations, which is scheduled for April 17, according to Rolling Stone.

Werrrk! Former Disney Channel star Shia LaBeouf got in full drag on the Atlanta set of five-time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola's $100M-budget epic Megalopolis on Wednesday night

Out of drag: Shia pictured at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards in 2020

Transformed: Shia - who's making a comeback despite seven prior arrests - pulled out all the stops with his hair styled in retro spit curls and black acrylic manicure

His mug is beat! Make-up artist Kris Evans applied LaBeouf's vampy lipstick and used glue stick and concealer to hide his natural brows beneath thin penciled-on ones

Boy body: But unlike real drag queens, the Padre Pio star - who welcomed daughter Isabel with Mia Goth in March - did not wear any breast or hip padding to more authentically emulate his feminine side

The British 35-year-old also accused the the Echo Park native of assault, infliction of emotional distress, and infecting her with a sexually-transmitted disease during their turbulent 11-month relationship in a lawsuit she filed in LA in 2020.

In the scene, Shia arrived to a theater in a stretch limousine alongside SNL star Chloe Fineman and 20+ other pink-clad Grecian goddesses for the night shoot, which originally began November 1 at Trilith Studios.

It's hard to believe the 34-year-old NoCal native even has the time to fly back and forth from Georgia to New York while preparing to star in this week's episode of the long-running NBC sketch show.

Two ladies were seen dancing on top of the limo wile clutching champagne bottles for the scene in Megalopolis, which is about 'an architect wanting to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.'

Coming back: Last May, Shia successfully completed a year-long judicial diversion program stemming from 2020 misdemeanor battery and petty theft charges

Legal woes: LaBeouf will next face his ex-girlfriend - Grammy nominee FKA twigs - in a civil trial over sexual battery allegations, which is scheduled for April 17

Facing the music: The British 35-year-old also accused the the Echo Park native of assault, infliction of emotional distress, and infecting her with a sexually-transmitted disease during their turbulent 11-month relationship in a lawsuit she filed in LA in 2020

Wardrobe malfunction! In the scene, Shia arrived to a theater in a stretch limousine alongside SNL star Chloe Fineman (2-R) and 20+ other pink-clad Grecian goddesses for the night shoot, which originally began November 1 at Trilith Studios

Also spotted on the set on Wednesday was Oscar winner Jon Voight wearing a fancy black-and-gold suit and golden headdress.

After THR published an expose on January 9 accusing the 82-year-old filmmaker of 'being in peril with a ballooning budget and crew exodus,' he clapped back that he was 'on schedule and on budget.'

'I've never worked on a film where I was so happy with the cast,' Coppola - who sold a piece of his wine empire in order fund Megalopolis - told Deadline on January 10.

'I am so happy with the look and that we are so on schedule. These reports never say who these sources are. To them, I say, ha, ha, just wait and see. Because this is a beautiful film and primarily so because the cast is so great. I've never enjoyed working with a cast who are so hardworking and so willing to go search for the unconventional, to come upon hidden solutions.

Stamina: It's hard to believe the 34-year-old NoCal native even has the time to fly back and forth from Georgia to New York while preparing to star in this week's episode of the long-running NBC sketch show

Party! Two ladies were seen dancing on top of the limo wile clutching champagne bottles for the scene in Megalopolis, which is about 'an architect wanting to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster'

Action! Also spotted on the set on Wednesday was Oscar winner Jon Voight wearing a fancy black-and-gold suit and golden headdress

'We'll finish the film in spring of 2023!' After THR published an expose on January 9 accusing the 82-year-old filmmaker of 'being in peril with a ballooning budget and crew exodus,' he clapped back that he was 'on schedule and on budget'

'It is a thrill to work with these actors and the photography is everything I could hope for. The dailies are great. So if we're on schedule, and I love the actors and the look is great, I don't know what anyone's talking about here.'

Two-time Oscar nominee Adam Driver - who acts in the film - called Megalopolis 'one of the best shooting experiences I've had' but acknowledged: 'Yes, it is true that the art department resigned and VFX were let go.'

Francis cast his younger sister Talia Shire, nephew Jason Schwartzman, and Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman (despite resurfaced sexual assault allegations).

Coppola (pictured November 7)- who sold a piece of his wine empire in order fund Megalopolis - told Deadline on January 10: 'The photography is everything I could hope for. The dailies are great. So if we're on schedule, and I love the actors and the look is great, I don't know what anyone's talking about here'

Two-time Oscar nominee Adam Driver - who acts in the film - called Megalopolis 'one of the best shooting experiences I've had' but acknowledged: 'Yes, it is true that the art department resigned and VFX were let go'

Star studded: Francis cast (from L-R) his younger sister Talia Shire, nephew Jason Schwartzman, and Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman despite resurfaced sexual assault allegations

Coppola's star-studded ensemble also includes Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Laurence Fishburne, Forest Whitaker, Aubrey Plaza, Grace VanderWaal, James Remar, and D.B. Sweeney.

'We'll finish the film in spring of 2023, and we're totally on schedule, which is hard to do on a big picture,' the legendary Godfather director noted.

'I don't know how many films can say that eight weeks in but we are and that's a fact.'
Taylor Russell stuns as the cover star of Harper's Bazaar's forthcoming Dreamers Issue.

The 28-year-old Bones And All actress dons a striking cherry-colored Bottega Veneta dress with matching gloves on the front page of the glossy. The Canadian-born star is introduced with a captivating headline that reads, 'The Arrival of Taylor Russell.'

In her interview she noted that she is a fan of classic movie stars like Sissy Spacek. 'The good ones, you can tell that their life is evolving throughout the decades because theyre interested in different things. I mean, all the good ones have their specific eras,' she shared.

A dreamer: Taylor Russell stuns as the cover star of Harper's Bazaar 's forthcoming Dreamers Issue

Compelling: The Canadian-born star is introduced with a captivating headline that reads, 'The Arrival of Taylor Russell'

She also hinted at the intensity she brings to a role: 'Acting is the opposite of running away. It illuminates something.'

In the shoot styled by Alex Carl, Taylor looks incredible, letting the fashion do the talking as she skips jewelry and over-the-top makeup.

The first look is strapless and has an off-white lining with soft, vertical ruching.

The frock and gloves, made of leather, feature an eye-popping eyelet design and complementary fringe tassels.

Russell rocks one hairstyle throughout the photo story  her signature ear-length bob, which is styled in a side part with the straight locks tucked behind her ears.

Designer threads: The 28-year-old Bones and All actress dons a striking Bottega Veneta dress with matching gloves on the front page of the glossy

Taking to Instagram to promote the imminent issue, the publication wrote in an introductory post on Thursday, 'Everything seems to be lining up right now for @tayrussell.

'Shes in the right movie (Bones and All) with the right director (Luca Guadagnino) opposite the right co-star (Timothee Chalamet).'

Teasing bits of the actress' interview, it later urges followers to head to the website to read more.

'Get to know the actressand our February 2023 cover star #TaylorRussellat the link in bio,' it finishes.

Less is more: In the shoot styled by Alex Carl, Taylor looks incredible, letting the fashion do the talking as she skips jewelry and over-the-top makeup

In a separate upload, the dedicated entertainer switches up her look as she slips into a show-stopping nearly-sheer green YSL gown.

The look hugs the 5ft5in performer's slim frame and features a triangular cutout at the midriff.

The ruched bodice connects to a draped hood, which Taylor wears confidently, making a regal fashion statement.

Elevating the ensemble even more is a pair of sleek, black opera gloves, which the Hollywood newcomer models as she stands against a stark white wall.

Fantastic: The dedicated entertainer switches up her look as she slips into a showstopping nearly-sheer green YSL gown

Self-made: 'Taylor earned her success the hard way. She is no nepotism baby,' one caption by Harper's distinguishes about the talent

'Taylor earned her success the hard way. She is no nepotism baby,' the caption begins, referencing the recent explosive NY Magazine feature.

'After graduating high school, Russell signed up for an acting class and landed an agent soon after,' the blurb explains about her path to the silver screen.

'She would save up money, make the trek down the coast from Vancouver, where she was living at the time, to Los Angeles20 hours by carand go on auditions for as long as she could,' it continues.

Fashion doll: Taylor dons a little black dress from Dior with Proenza Schouler footwear

Accessory: The look is taken up a notch with the addition of knee-high fishnet socks

In a follow-up post, the fashion doll slips into a strapless black Dior mini dress with a corseted bodice and ruffled skirt.

The look is taken up a notch with the addition of knee-high fishnet socks as the actress wears a pair of chunky black Proenza Schouler mules.

Speaking to her sartorial savvy, the accompanying caption reads, 'Taylor has emerged as an absolute force in fashion.

'Shes worn Balenciaga Couture and vintage Ralph Lauren on the red carpet, and she wore a black leather Alexander McQueen dress to the Academy Museum Gala four days after it was shown on the runway.'

In a quote from her profile story, Taylor reportedly says, 'I feel like a little kid being able to do all this stuff that Im doing right now.'

Grateful: In a quote from her profile story, Taylor reportedly says, 'I feel like a little kid being able to do all this stuff that Im doing right now'

A look! Taylor color blocks in a long-sleeved blue Loewe mini dress and high fashion ruffled red heels

A vision: Taylor's remarkable beauty is demonstrated in a headshot that shows she doesn't need much makeup to shine

With a compelling headshot of the beauty, Harper's writes, 'In Hollywood, its shockingly easy to become disposable.

'Obsession inevitably gives way to indifference. Actors, particularly young women, have very little agency in an industry still primarily ruled by white male studio heads.'

The note goes on to say, 'So Taylor is right to be protective of her image and her mental health, especially as a young woman of color. But Russell is carving out a space of her own.'

The full story is available on Harper's Bazaar's official website and the print issue is available for purchase on January 31.

Chic: Russell rocks one hairstyle throughout the photo story  her signature ear-length bob, which is styled in a side part with the straight locks tucked behind her ears
She recently jetted off for a sun-soaked trip to Mexico.

And Maura Higgins looked sensational on Thursday as she slipped into a tiny white bikini as she snapped a selfie from her hotel room.

The Love Island star, 32, flaunted her incredibly figure in the skimpy two-piece as she posed while sunlight poured in through the window.

Flaunt: Maura Higgins looked sensational on Thursday as she slipped into a tiny white bikini as she snapped a selfie from her hotel room in Mexico

The barely-there swimwear left little to the imagination, highlighting her incredibly taut midriff and toned legs.

Maura's brunette locks were worn in her natural curls, with the beauty giving a closer look at her ringlets in another snap.

Her sensational Instagram snap comes just hours after the Irish stunner left fans swooning with yet another bikini shot as she soaked up the sun on the beach.

Hair today: Maura's brunette locks were worn in her natural curls, with the beauty giving a closer look at her ringlets in another snap

A miniscule bikini top put her at risk of a wardrobe malfunction but highlighted her tanned and toned physique.

A pair of matching briefs adorned with gold beads sat high on her hips and accentuated her tiny waist.

Maura completed the look with a cowboy hat as she posed coquettishly on the sand.

She captioned the stunning snaps: 'Good morning Mexico'.

Beach babe: Her sensational Instagram snap comes just hours after the Irish stunner left fans swooning with yet another bikini shot as she soaked up the sun on the beach

Fun in the sun: A miniscule bikini top put her at risk of a wardrobe malfunction but highlighted her tanned and toned physique

Meanwhile, Maura an unexpected brush with a famous face as she caught an early morning flight to the country on Wednesday.

The former Love Island star took to her Instagram Stories to reveal that she had bumped into Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan in the airport.

She shared a smiling selfie of them both and cheekily wrote alongside the snap, 'wearing grey for Mr Grey', referring to his role as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

Famous face: Meanwhile, The former Love Island star took to her Instagram Stories to reveal that she had bumped into Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan in the airport on Wednesday

In the picture, Irish TV personality Maura cut a sporty figure in a short-sleeved grey T-shirt and showed off her natural good looks as she went make-up free.

She swept her brunette tresses back into a ponytail with strands falling loosely around her face and flashed a huge grin as she posed with Jamie.

The Fall star Jamie kept it casual in a grey T-shirt, which he teamed with a white hoodie and black padded jacket.

He sported a well-groomed beard and styled his dark locks in a curled slicked back style as he prepared to catch his flight.
She recently hinted that she's split from her jailbird fiance.

And Danniella Westbrook certainly appeared to be over her alleged heartache as she was spotted kissing a male friend during a wild night out in Manchester on Wednesday.

The former EastEnders star, 49, certainly appeared to be living her best life as she locked lips and cuddled up to her companion during the fun evening out.

Smooch: Danniella Westbrook certainly appeared to be over her recent heartache as she was spotted kissing a mystery man during a wild night out in Manchester on Wednesday

Danniella didn't appear to care who was watching as she grabbed her pal's face and pulled him in for a cheeky kiss as the night took a steamy turn.

The actress cut a stylish figure for the occasion, slipping into a pair of form-fitting black skinny jeans, which she teamed with a black top and black ankle boots.

Wrapping up against the winter chill, the Sam Mitchell star added a large patterned scarf to her look.

What a night: The former EastEnders star, 49, certainly appeared to be living her best life as she locked lips and cuddled up to her companion during the fun evening out

Danniella and the friend were joined by Geordie Shore star Chantelle Connelly, with the trio certainly enjoying their evening following a meal at Tomahawk Steakhouse, Newcastle.

So much so that Danniella and Chantelle also puckered up for a kiss.

The reality star showed off her curves in skintight black leather trousers which she teamed with thigh-high PVC boots.

Ooh I say! Danniella didn't appear to care who was watching as she grabbed her pal's face and pulled him in for a cheeky kiss as the night took a steamy turn

Having fun: Danniella certainly appeared to be enjoying herself with her handsome friend

Living her best life: She couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she cosied up to her mate

Giggles: The star clutched on to a pack of cigarette and a mobile phone as she giddily made her way down the street

Looking good: Danniella companion looked smart in a grey coat, light pink T-shirt and blue skinny jeans

Chantelle finished her look with a black and white jumper, while her raven locks were swept into a sleek bun.

Danniella's frisky night out comes after she hinted at a split from her jailbird fiance David after six years together with cryptic comment earlier this month.

The soap star raised suspicion during a reading with psychic Louisa Earth Angel on an Instagram Live.

Suddenly shy? At one point the TV personality attempted to hide her face with her scarf

Style: The actress cut a stylish figure for the occasion, slipping into a pair of form-fitting black skinny jeans, which she teamed with a black top and black ankle boots

Here she is! Danniella and the handsome male were joined by Geordie Shore star Chantelle Connelly, with the trio certainly enjoying their evening

Here we go again: So much so that Danniella and Chantelle also puckered up for a kiss

Double trouble: The ladies were certainly making the most of their night out

Girls' night: The friends sweetly wrapped their arms around each other as they walked together

Here come the girls: The pair were loving their time together

Getting carried away: At one point Danniella scooped Chantelle into her arms

Take the weight off: The Geordie Shore star was swept off her feet by the actress

Danniella's 'toyboy' David, 29 - who has never been pictured - is serving time in prison for counterfeit goods and engaging in a 'fight with someone', by her own admission.

When the medium mentioned prison during the reading, Danniella refused to talk about her partner, according to The Sun.

Louisa started off by hinted at bad blood as she predicted that Danniella could open up 'old wounds' soon.

Mood: The two couldn't contain their laughter during the wild night out

Work it: The reality star showed off her curves in skintight black leather trousers which she teamed with thigh-high PVC boots

Duo: The ladies held hands as they strolled together

Cheeky: Chantelle showcased her curves as she leaned in for a hug with her pal

I've got you babe: The duo were in very high spirits on the night

Putting on a show: The TV stars put on an animated display for the cameras

Fun and games: Danniella and Chantelle sure knew how to let their hair down

Louisa said: 'There is going to be a text from somebody in the next 14 days, which is going to open up old wounds for you. So you must handle that with apprehension. Okay, okay. apprehension, that's all I'll say.'

She then went on 'I keep looking at the programme Porridge. And I don't know why but I need to give you that as well.'

Danniella then replied: 'Prison probably, it was in prison wasn't it Porridge?'

Sweet: Danniella showed her appreciation for her pal

Stylish: Chantelle's outfit was completed with a chic Dior saddle bag

Dressed up: Danniella's pretty scarf hung loosely down her body as she left the steakhouse with her pals

Helping hand: The star was given some assistance as she exited the eatery

Too late now! Danniella attempted to shield her face amid her fun antics in Newcastle

Good times: The former Hollyoaks actress was loving her time in Newcastle

Bring it in! The two ladies were seen in a warm embrace amid their fun-filled antics

Something to smile about: Danniella was in a great mood as she put her alleged romance woes behind her

To which Louisa confirmed: 'Yeah, Porridge is in prison.'

But Danniella appeared to not want to go into more detail when the psychic was giving the information.

The reader continued: 'I do feel as though there's some something connected, but I don't feel you're gonna go to prison. You're okay. But I just feel as though you might hear from something to do with a with a prison?'

Relationship: Danniella's frisky night out comes after she hinted at a split from her jailbird fiance David after six years together with cryptic comment earlier this month

Tough: Danniella's 'toyboy' David, 29, - who has never been pictured - is serving time in prison for counterfeit goods and engaging in a 'fight with someone', by her own admission

Danniella then mumbled: 'Yeah. Well, yeah, well, that. Yeah, there is. That's right.

Louisa reassuringly replied: 'Yeah, well, that's fine. But you don't need to mention anything.'

Representatives for Danniella had been contacted by MailOnline for comment at the time.

Couple?: The EastEnders' star raised suspicion during a reading with psychic Louisa Earth Angel during an Instagram Live
After weeks of torrential rain brought on by the 'bomb cyclone' - Meaningful Beauty co-founder Cindy Crawford celebrated the clear blue sky while twirling on her $1.8M Malibu property on Thursday.

The 56-year-old nineties supermodel - who rang in the New Year with her family in Cabo - captioned her Instagram video: 'Sun's out again in Malibu!'

It was just a glorified paid partnership post for Cindy (born Cynthia), who was modeling the $698 DOEN 'Peridot' dress in Marguerite floral print, which is sold out on the website.

Weee! After weeks of torrential rain brought on by the 'bomb cyclone' - Meaningful Beauty co-founder Cindy Crawford celebrated the clear blue sky while twirling on her $1.8M Malibu property on Thursday

One week ago, Crawford was hard at work on the set directing and starring in the latest campaign for her beauty brand's 'age-proof' haircare line.

Hairstylist Richard Marin coiffed the Celebrity IOU guest star's voluminous brunette mane with big barrel curlers, and make-up artist Terri Apanasewicz brought out her evergreen beauty for the shoot.

Photographer Brian Bowen Smith captured all of the action from Cindy, who was joined by a gaggle of other glammed-up gals.

The 56-year-old nineties supermodel - who rang in the New Year with her family in Cabo - captioned her Instagram video: 'Sun's out again in Malibu!'

Influencer: It was just a glorified paid partnership post for Cindy, who was modeling the $698 DOEN 'Peridot' dress in Marguerite floral print, which is sold out on the website

Crawford and skincare specialist Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh co-founded Meaningful Beauty way back in 2005 'as an easy-to-use system that delivers younger-looking skin by combining science, technology, and nature.'

The Northwestern University drop-out - who boasts 12.6M social media followers - gushed on Instagram: 'Thanks to all the Meaningful Beauties who came by yesterday to shoot with us! Such a fun day - and I loved working with you all!'

On the personal front, Cindy has two children - son Presley Walker, 23; and daughter Kaia Jordan, 20 - from her 24-year marriage to Casamigos co-founder, Rande Gerber.

Action! One week ago, Crawford was hard at work on the set directing and starring in the latest campaign for her beauty brand's 'age-proof' haircare line

'#MBhairgoals': Hairstylist Richard Marin (L) coiffed the Celebrity IOU guest star's voluminous brunette mane with big barrel curlers, and make-up artist Terri Apanasewicz (R) brought out her evergreen beauty for the shoot

'Thanks to all the Meaningful Beauties who came by!' Photographer Brian Bowen Smith captured all of the action from Cindy, who was joined by a gaggle of other glammed-up gals
Nicky Hilton glowed as she modeled for fashion brand Valentino on Instagram on Thursday.

The 39-year-old daughter of fashion designer Kathy Hilton sat on the sink in an ornate bathroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City while wearing a matching set from the luxury Italian fashion brand.

Her outfit starkly contrasted the white and gold bathroom she was photographed in as she sported the matching set and a bright pink bag next to her, also from Valentino.

Lots of color: Nicky Hilton glowed in a new set of photos for Valentino on Instagram on Thursday

She captioned her post on social media: 'Impromptu bathroom break series.'

The nighttime set she had on was black with multicolored flowers and butterflies on the button-up top, as well as the ankle-length pants.

Her top had black feathers protruding from the ends of the sleeves, and she paired the ensemble with black pointed-toe heels.

The blonde beauty posed on the sink with her legs crossed and looked both away from the camera and into the camera.

Beauty queen: The 39-year-old socialite sat on the sink in an ornate bathroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City while wearing a matching set from the luxury Italian fashion brand

Glowing girl: The bombshell had on a black nighttime set with multicolored flowers and butterflies on the button-up top, as well as the ankle-length pants

Nicky's blonde hair was perfectly styled, with light waves down her shoulders. In one shot, she had the front of her hair pulled back in a clip, which could be seen in the mirror behind her.

For makeup, she went with a very elegant look that featured glowing skin, shimmering eyeshadow, and natural lips.

She also wore a large silver necklace, silver earrings, and several rings.

The mother of three has worked with Valentino for several years alongside her sister Paris Hilton, 41, and her mother, Kathy, 63.

Sister sister: Nicky and her sister Paris have worked with Valentino for several years and have shared the brands newest campaigns on their social media accounts; seen together for Valentino The Party Collection

Hot mom: The mother of three has also done several photoshoots and campaigns with Paris during their time as American socialites, including shoots with Vogue and Billboard; seen for Valentino The Party Collection

The sisters have done several photoshoots and campaigns together during their time as American socialites, including shoots with Vogue and Billboard.

Valentino made her wedding dress in 2015 when she married her husband, banking heir, James Rothschild.

The dress was a custom lace-embroidered gown with three shades of ivory and silver guipure, sparkling with a dusting of hand-embroidered crystals. It also had a high neckline and a balloon skirt.

Family values: Famed fashion designer Katy Hilton is the mother of Paris and Nicky and the three have done shoots together for several brands, including Valentino; seen at their family's holiday party in 2022

A princess: Nicky wore a Valentino custom lace-embroidered gown for her wedding to James Rothschild in 2015. It was made with three shades of ivory and silver guipure, sparkling with a dusting of hand-embroidered crystals; seen at her wedding in London, England

James is the founder and managing partner of Tru Arrow Partners. Tru Arrow is a global growth technology firm built around family capital.

The pair recently welcomed their third child in July 2022, whose name has yet to be disclosed to the public. They also have two daughters, Lily-Grace, six, and Teddy, five.

Before marrying James, she was married to Todd Meister, but the two got a divorce after less than a year of marriage.
Bethenny Frankel and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were seen leaving Good Day NY on Thursday morning.

The 52-year-old Real Housewives Of New York alum and the Dancing With The Stars pro dancer were arm-in-arm as they were dressed for the winter chill in New York City.

The Skinnygirl founder wore a knitted mini dress with high heels and a dark blue coat that matched her high heels. Dapper Maksim had on a camel colored coat over a black top. Both wore sunglasses as they left the building.

So close! Bethenny Frankel and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were seen leaving Good Day NY on Thursday morning

Frankel also carried a cherry red Hermes bag that was left open.

The highlight of the look was Frankel's very toned and long legs that appeared to be in top shape.

Bethenny has been doing charitable work in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country.

The pro dancer, who went to Poland to help with refuge relief efforts. Chmerkovskiy left Ukraine in the '90s when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Last spring he thanked Bethenny on Instagram for working with him.

'Thank you @bethennyfrankel and @bestrongglobal for bringing me in,' Chmerkovskiy wrote. 'I am looking forward to establishing this partnership and using our resources together with @baranova27 to help as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.'

Chums: The 52-year-old Real Housewives Of New York alum and the Dancing With The Stars pro dancer were arm-in-arm as they were dressed for the winter chill in New York City

Through her initiative, BStrong, and its Global Empowerment Mission, Frankel has raised more than $100 million.

'It started out as a 10, 11 million dollar effort, now we are unstoppable,' she said. 'We have major brands donating. We have Americans who are donating five and 10 dollar donations. We have never seen constant money coming in like this. We can keep helping people.'

'We can can save thousands of refugees from heart ache and heart break and a different kind of life. We are talking to orphanages, and we are counting children, and making sure that drug trafficking is entirely avoided, obviously,' Frankel added. 'There are so many things that we are thinking about. We have these massive warehouses where people can come and get the aid they need. We have sat down operating tables, and wheelchairs, and medical supplies. Some kids will need coloring books and toys, and all of it will be able to be facilitated.'

C'est chic: The Skinnygirl founder wore a knitted mini dress with high heels and a dark blue coat that matched her high heels

Bethenny told ET in 2022 that she was proud of Maksim: 'He has been talking to a bunch of different people. He wants to really sink his teeth in and have an impact,' she shared.

'He's got the bug... He is seeing what's going on. He is seeing that he is making a difference and an impact, while it may not be raising money per say, it's raising awareness, which is the real value.

'He will see how it makes a difference, getting involved, and being passionate about it, and how you just can't not do it,' Frankel added.

'It's a great use of his time. His wife [Peta Murgatroyd] is very supportive. It's great that we connected. I am proud for him to see what we have done in an extraordinarily short time.'

Her Skinnygirl money could fall out! Frankel also carried a cherry red small Hermes bag that was left open

Last year he told Good Morning America that it was his 'duty' to return to Poland. He was in Ukraine when the invasion began but left by train.

After then he began the charitable organization Baranova 27.

'When I finally came back home and finally saw Peta and we had that emotional moment, that's when I realized I've got to go back,' he told GMA.

'I want opportunities to prove to my son, me as a man, I want him to be proud of me and maybe this is the opportunity to show exactly how to do it. I'm super grateful. It's things like this that change me as a person.'
Hailey Bieber cut a somber figure following news her uncle Alec Baldwin had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The model, 26, was spotted sharing a tender embrace with her husband Justin Bieber, 28, in Los Angeles on Wednesday, after the charge against her uncle was announced.

Hailey nestled her head atop her husband's shoulder and gently wrapped her hands around his torso before pulling away.

Hailey Bieber cut a somber figure following news her uncle Alec Baldwin had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

The duo were spotted chatting at the corner of a sidewalk alongside another pal.

Justin, clad in a grey 'Magical Mushrooms' sweatshirt and violet beanie, gave his love his undivided attention as he listened to his wife.

Eventually, they parted ways, with Hailey leaving the scene with her hands shoved into the front pocket of her lime green Drew sweatshirt.

She wore her hair slicked back into a chic bun while her trusty pair of shades rested atop her nose.

Tender loving care: Hailey nestled her head atop her husband's shoulder and gently wrapped her hands around his torso before pulling away

Sharing a moment: The duo enjoyed a quiet embrace in the midst of Hailey's family woes

Her legs were on full display as she trekked down the sidewalk in her chunky white sneakers and ankle-high socks.

Hailey did not address her uncle's legal battle on her Instagram account, and instead promoted her Rhode skincare line.

It was announced that Baldwin, 64, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter Thursday, 15 months after the 42-year-old cinematographer was shot dead by the actor on the set of Rust in New Mexico.

Baldwin's attorney Luka Nikas hit out, claiming 'this decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death', and doubled-down on his client's previous protestations, saying the actor's colleagues 'assured him the gun did not have live rounds.' He also called the decision to charge the actor 'a terrible miscarriage of justice.'

All ears: Justin, clad in a grey 'Magical Mushrooms' sweatshirt and violet beanie, gave his love his undivided attention as he listened to his wife

'We will fight these charges, and we will win,' the lawyer stated.

But Mary Carmack-Altwies, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, promised that Baldwin would not get 'a free pass', accusing the actor of running a 'fast and loose set' plagued by safety issues.

Baldwin has continually laid blame at the feet of others since accidentally shooing Hutchins dead on October 21, 2021.

Stepping out: Bieber donned a lime green sweatshirt from Drew, her husband's line of apparel

Meanwhile: Hailey did not address her uncle's legal battle on her Instagram account, and instead promoted her Rhode skincare line

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also vowed to fight the charges.

In a statement, her attorneys said: 'Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.

'These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.

'We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.'
Emily Ratajkowski looked stunning as she bundled up in an oversized coat while walking around the West Village in New York City on Thursday.

The 31-year-old model strutted the streets as rumors of her new budding romance with comedian Eric Andre, 39, still circle.

She wore a dark fur-lined coat over a black shirt, black trousers, and red snakeskin boots.

Natural beauty: Emily Ratajkowski looked stunning as she bundled up in an oversized coat while walking around the West Village in New York City on Thursday

Pop of color: The 31-year-old model wore a dark fur-lined coat over a black shirt, black trousers, and red snakeskin boots

The beauty kept her eye on her phone, which she held in her hand. She also wore a pair of rectangular sunglasses, large gold earrings, and a ring on her pointer finger.

Her brunette hair was pin-straight and down around her shoulders. She carried no umbrella despite the dismal, rainy weather.

For makeup, she went for a golden and glowing look, accentuating her already incredible cheekbones, and paired that with nude lipstick.

The star has recently been sparking romance rumors with Eric Andre, whom she's been seen out and about with on multiple occasions.

Street style: The Gone Girl actress wore a pair of rectangular sunglasses, large gold earrings, and a ring on her pointer finger

Bright smiles: Her brunette hair was pin-straight and down around her shoulders. She carried no umbrella despite the dismal, rainy weather

Part-time actress: The bombshell started her career by signing with Ford models when she was 14, and at the same time, she started her acting career by being cast in two episodes of the Nickelodeon show iCarly

Dating rumors started on January 7 when the two were spotted in NYC looking very cozy with their arms wrapped around each other.

Eric, a stand-up comedian, actor, producer, television host, and writer, is best known for creating the Adult Swim comedy series, The Eric Andre Show.

He is also no stranger to dating in the spotlight since he was rumored to be romantically attached to Ashoka star Rosario Dawson from 2016 to 2017.

Emily has also been seen around the city with several other celebrity men, including former SNL star Pete Davidson whom she reportedly had a month-long stint with in December. She was also seen with Jack Greer and DJ Orazio Rispo around that same time.

Checking in: Emily went for a golden and glowing makeup look, accentuating her already incredible cheekbones, and paired that with nude lipstick

Long legs: The new mom's walk around the village while rumors of her new budding romance with comedian Eric Andre , 39, still circle

The Gone Girl actress was married to film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, for four years before they split in 2021.

They originally announced their marriage to the world on the same day they tied the knot. The pair have one son, Sylvester, who will turn two on March 8, 2023.

The bombshell started her career by signing with Ford models when she was 14, and at the same time, she started her acting career by being cast in two episodes of the Nickelodeon show iCarly as the girlfriend of one of the characters.

In 2013 she appeared in Robin Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell Williams's music video for the song Blurred Lines, in which she was topless for the explicit version.

Old love: The actor is also no stranger to dating in the spotlight since he was rumored to be romantically attached to Ashoka star Rosario Dawson from 2016 to 2017; the former couple are seen in an Instagram snap from 2017

Night out: Emily and Pete Davidson were seen together at a New York Knicks versus the Memphis Grizzlies on November 27

The actress then became garnered as a sex symbol, and that same year Esquire Magazine named her Woman of the Year, and Rolling Stone listed her among its 20 hottest sex symbols.

Since then, she has been in several films, such as Gone Girl, Entourage, We Are Your Friends, and I Feel Pretty.

She is also a best-selling author for her essay collection My Body, which came out in 2021 and was an instant New York Times Bestseller.
She is a model, actress, political activist, and bestselling author.

But now Emily Ratajkowski can add college commencement speaker to her list of accomplishments.

The 'humbled' actress, 31, delivered an inspiring commencement address to the class of 2023 at Hunter College in New York City on Thursday.

Class act! Emily Ratajkowski delivered an inspiring commencement address to the class of 2023 at Hunter College in New York City on Thursday

Emily, who briefly attended UCLA before dropping out, donned a violet cap and gown as she addressed the winter graduates from the podium.

In her speech, Emily recalled her decision to drop out of college to pursue a lucrative modeling career amid the 2008 financial crisis.

'I never made it to my own college graduation. I dropped out in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse, choosing the financial security I hoped modeling would bring over what I really wanted to do, which was to learn and to make things.

'Modeling paid more than what my friends made working service industry jobs and I was terrified of being saddled with student loan debt. I also knew that my window for this opportunity was limited - everyone reminded me that women have an expiration date. So I gave up on my education and instead focused on work.'

Taking the stage: Emily, who briefly attended UCLA before dropping out, donned a violet cap and gown as she addressed the winter graduates from the podium

'Humbled and honored': Ratajkowski beamed with joy as she celebrated the class of 2023

She also discussed her son Sylvester, nearly two, whom she shares with her ex Sebastian Bear-McClard.

'The daily washing of my son's bottles in the sink, the waking up as I did this morning, at 4:30 in the morning, to take his temperature in the darkness of his room. The countless hours holding him against my chest until he is lulled back to sleep. The thousand of diapers I have changed.'

Emily urged graduates to find time to 'pause' and take note of their progress.

'Find the moments to pause, to reflect on where you are and how far you've come. It's easy to stand up here and say that. And I'll tell you what's harder - practicing it myself.'

'The thousand of diapers I have changed': She also discussed her son Sylvester, nearly two, whom she shares with her ex Sebastian Bear-McClard

'Find the moments to pause': Emily urged graduates to find time to 'pause' and take note of their progress

She also praised graduates for the many obstacles they overcome in their pursuit of an education.

'I learned that this graduating class is especially remarkable. That there are particular challenges and circumstances unique to all of you.

'She told me about the students who worked several jobs while getting degrees, battling illnesses, the people who are first in their families to graduate from college, and those who those who had to learn English as a second language.

Accomplished: Ratajkowski is a New York Times bestselling author, influencer, and model and actress

Strike a pose: She beamed whilst posing in her violet cap and gown

'I heard about the students who are mothers, who took time away from their education, and somehow found courage and ability to return to school as an older person.

'I am so humbled and honored to stand before you all today.'

Emily gave graduates another shout-out as she posed by the school's mascot.

It's an honor! She posed with the President of Hunter College, Jennifer J. Raab

'Thank you so much for having me': Emily gave graduates another shout-out as she posed by the school's mascot

'CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF '23!! Thank you so much for having me,' Emily posted to her IG Stories.

In a press release announcing Emily as this year's speaker, Hunter College president Jennifer J. Raab praised the model as a 'Renaissance woman for our digital age.'

'We are thrilled that Emily Ratajkowski will share her insights with our graduates and their families and friends,' she said.

'Her ability to pivot from television to modeling to movies to best-selling author is a lesson all our graduates can learn from.'

Trailblazer: In a press release announcing Emily as this year's speaker, Hunter College president Jennifer J. Raab praised the model as a 'Renaissance woman for our digital age'

'What an honor!' Emily posted a snap of her speech to her Instagram account
For the past few weeks, with the Lunar New Year approaching, the working class in China has been engaged in a wave of economic strikes, protests and demonstrations. Whilst these struggles vary in terms of scale and militancy, collectively they give a clear indication of the deepening socio-economic crisis, and of the courageous groundswell of class struggle that this is causing to rise up against the capitalist regime.

Back in December, the Chinese state suddenly abandoned its hardline pandemic policies, and the coronavirus swiftly swept through China, resulting in terrible misery and a staggering death toll, the true scale of which the regime is struggling to keep hidden. By 11 January, Peking University estimated that at least 64 percent of the Chinese population had been infected by COVID-19. In some places (such as Henan province, northern China, and Yunan, south-western China) the infection rate is reportedly over 80 percent. It can be inferred from such figures that the peak of this current wave of the pandemic has now passed in China. As such, the state declared the opening of its borders to the rest of the world on 8 January.

But the end of the acute phase of the pandemic will not ease the class tensions within Chinese society  on the contrary, it will intensify them. With the end of the Zero COVID policy, those industries that profiteered off the policy have been plunged into bankruptcy. What is more, the situation has been made more acute by the lightning speed of the change of state policy. There has been no gradual winding down of the industry. Rather, thousands of workers have faced the sack all at once on the eve of the holiday season, leading to mass anger directed at the capitalist regime itself in various locations.

A screenshot demonstrating the tension between bosses and workers. One employee replies to hell with you in the company group chat / Image: Internet

On 7 January, more than 10,000 militant workers at a large medical manufacturer (Zybio) besieged and occupied a facility in Chongqing (an industrial metropolis in south-western China, with a population in the tens of millions). Thus began a mass movement for the immediate payment of wages, stipends and compensation. The struggle erupted spontaneously after the companys sudden announcement that from 3 January it would sack more than 7,000 temporary employees without compensation.

This is a typical instance of the capitalists transferring the pain from themselves to the workers. With the termination of orders for medical materials produced (such as antigen test kits), the capitalists judged it only fair and reasonable that they should sack the workers without compensation to prevent bankruptcy.

The sacrificed workers had come to the factory on the promise of high hourly wages of 23-28 RMB (around $3-4 USD) and stipends of 6,000 RMB (around $880 USD). But they were soon stripped of half of that sum (and in some cases even more than half) by the bloodsucking temporary work agencies that take their commission directly from the workers wages. And once in the factory, the workers were subjected to brutal exploitation, poor working conditions and long work days. The sackings were the last straw, leaving the workers no option other than to struggle against the corporation.

The workers first tried to negotiate with the temp work agencies that had extorted them, but these agencies offered a miserable compromise of 1,000 RMB in compensation, instead of the 6,000 RMB that had initially been promised.

The workers laid siege to the plants, demanding the immediate payment of arrears / Image: screen grab

This daylight robbery set the struggle in motion, and the workers laid siege to the plants, demanding the immediate payment of arrears. But with the company in no mood to compromise either, the angry workers began destroying machines and antigen test kits, and beating the hated representatives of the temp agencies.

The corporation, Zybio, had been among the local government of Chongqings top tax payers. It was also in a strategic partnership with the massive state-owned enterprise, Chongqing Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. As the angry workers besieged the factory and began destroying the machines and commodities owned by the company, the capitalists naturally summoned the peoples police, armed in heavy gear, with batons and riot shields to disperse the workers.

On the night of 8 January, the workers were forcefully dispersed. But in the course of the dispersal, these 10,000 workers showed the utmost bravery against the government strikebreakers. They stood in solidarity, repulsing the first wave of attacks by the police, who were forced to retreat under a hail of projectiles.

The workers showed the utmost bravery against the police and strikebreakers / Image: screen grab

The bosses, fearful of the success of the spontaneous movement of the workers in repelling the police, responded with concessions in the following days. Some temp work agencies began to pay arrears by the early morning of 8 January. And despite some failed counter-interventions by the state on the morning of 8 January, most of the workers had received what they demanded by 9 January.

Whilst the militant struggle of the Chongqing workers was ongoing, workers had also gathered to protest en masse (although not in such large numbers) at pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in eastern China, between 5-6 January, and 8-9 January. The workers posed similar demands and were out for similar reasons. The police suppression they faced was also similar to that in Chongqing.

Construction workers in struggle

Other sectors have also seen the eruption of struggle in the context of the onrushing crisis of Chinese capitalism. Construction, for instance, has become a growing site of struggle (especially by mingong, migrant workers) as a consequence of the massive, unpayable debt accumulated by construction companies. In total, Chinas public debt in infrastructure constructions amounts to 60 trillion RMB (around $8.8 trillion USD). Again, as in the pharmaceutical industry, the workers are the first to be sacrificed by the capitalists to avert bankruptcy, leaving the workers with huge wage arrears.

And so we have seen railway construction workers blocking site gates with construction vehicles in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province in southern China on 15 January; metro construction workers erecting banners demanding arrears in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; and railway workers raising similar slogans over arrears in Xinyang, Henan Province. Indeed, of the more than 180 cases of collective action recorded between December 2022 and 17 January 2023 by the China Labour Bulletin, most were in the construction sector.

Crisis deepens, labour rises

The past few months have witnessed two large, and extremely militant mass movements of workers  the first at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, and the other in Chongqing  and numerous smaller collective actions. These are a foretaste of what is to come; symptoms of the growing militancy and radicalism of the Chinese working class. Consciousness is rapidly changing.

The militant Foxconn factory movement in Zhengzhou, and these events now in Chongqing, are a foretaste of things to come / Image: fair use

With the prestige of the CCP regime tarnished in the wake of this chaotic and convulsive end to COVID measures, and with the crisis deepening day by day, the Chinese working class is beginning to see the regime of the ruling party for what it is: a pro-capitalist dictatorship, which will lend its strong arm to the capitalists in the unfolding class struggle.

As class consciousness grows, so too will militancy. It will become clear to the most advanced layers that their enemy is not this or that capitalist, but the entire capitalist class and the regime that protects it. Each new wave of struggle will raise in the minds of this advanced layer the need to wage a struggle for the overthrow of the whole capitalist system. And it will pose the need for a capable revolutionary leadership up to the task of guiding the masses towards a final, historic victory. The building of the revolutionary forces of Marxism internationally has never been so urgent.
Prince Harry's memoir Spare has become one of the fastest-selling books of all time internationally, but it seems Australian readers are not as interested in the royal tell-all because it has just been knocked off the top of the charts by a children's book.

The Duke of Sussex's explosive biography sold 64,148 copies in its first week, whereas Barefoot Kids, by Scott 'The Barefoot Investor' Pape, sold almost double that amount at 128,641 copies, Nielsen Bookscan figures show.

'Who'd have thought decent financial advice would outperform frostbitten todgers?' a publishing source told The Daily Telegraph, referring to one of the more notorious tales from Harry's book.

Prince Harry's (pictured) memoir Spare has become one of the fastest-selling books of all time internationally, but it seems Australian readers are not as interested in the royal tell-all because it has just been knocked off the top of the charts by a children's book

Pape himself said the book is 'the best [he's] ever written' and was 'glad Aussie families have got behind it'.

Spare was the best-selling book in Australia for the week ending January 14, and is the best-selling memoir in Australia since records began in 2002.

Pape's The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need was named the best-selling book of the decade in 2019.

His 2018 follow-up, The Barefoot Investor for Families, sold 74,602 copies in its first week.

The Duke of Sussex's explosive biography sold 64,148 copies in its first week, whereas Barefoot Kids (pictured), by Scott 'The Barefoot Investor' Pape, sold almost double that amount at 128,641 copies, Nielsen Bookscan figures show

His third book, Barefoot Kids, was published by HarperCollins on November 7 and is still holding the No. 1 spot two months on. The book talks to children about money.

In the UK, Spare has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book since records began in 1998.

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography sold 750,000 copies across all formats - print, audio and e-book - in the UK since its publication on January 10.

Spare was the best-selling book in Australia for the week ending January 14, and is the best-selling memoir in Australia since records began in 2002

This makes it the biggest selling memoir ever for its first week of publication, according to publishers Transworld, the UK division of Penguin Random House.

Official figures from Nielsen BookData showed the book, which was written by celebrity ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer, sold 467,183 print copies in its first week alone.

It comes after a fierce publicity drive, in which Harry took part in several TV interviews to plug his book.

The memoir includes claims that the Prince of Wales physically attacked him and teased him about his panic attacks, and that King Charles put his own interests above Harry's and was jealous of the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales.

Prince Harry's scathing memoir has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book since records began in 1998. (Pictured: Harry on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

Despite the memoir being leaked in Spain ahead of the official publication date, Nielsen's data suggest sales were not negatively affected.

In a U.S. broadcast promoting the work, Harry branded the Duchess of Cornwall the 'villain' and 'dangerous', accusing her of rehabilitating her image at the expense of his.

As the duke continued a run of high-profile promotional interviews, he said he 'would like nothing more' than for his children to have relationships with the Royal Family.

His remarks about his son and daughter came despite the criticism he has levelled at his brother William, father Charles and stepmother Camilla.

He also described his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, as his 'guardian angel' and said she is with him 'all the time'.
Victoria Hervey looked effortlessly chic on Wednesday as she left a swanky Private Members club in Mayfair, London with a mystery man.

The socialite, 46, showed off her sensational style in a black leather faux fur trimmed coat as they stepped out of Loulou's club into the cold.

She donned a plunging blue midi dress with a belt that cinched in her waist and a pair of heeled boots.

Night out: Victoria Hervey looked effortlessly chic on Wednesday as she left a swanky Private Members club in Mayfair, London with a mystery man

Victoria opted for a soft glam makeup look with a swipe of nude lipstick, while her blonde tresses were in a blown out style.

Meanwhile, her male companion bundled up in a navy padded jacket, teamed with grey trousers and shiny dress shoes.

Victoria has recently moved back to London from Los Angeles after over two decades of living in the US.

Gorgeous: The socialite, 46, showed off her sensational style in a black leather faux fur trimmed coat as they stepped out of Loulou's club into the cold

The model sparked rumours of a return to the UK last year, and has now made the decision as she believes the A-list packed city is 'not what it used to be'.

Not one to mince her words, the beauty told The Daily Mail's Richard Eden : 'All my friends in LA have left because its a s***hole.'

Chatting to Eden at the opening of the Frameless digital art gallery in Marble Arch, Victoria continued: Its really nice if you dont leave the house, but, as soon as you leave, you see the homeless, crackheads and half-naked women with no teeth throwing things at you.

Its not safe and not what it used to be,' explained the former 'It girl'.

Home turf: London-born Victoria has returned home after two decades in the states, moving to LA back in 1990

London-born Victoria is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, half-sister of the 7th Marquess, and sister of the 8th Marquess and Lady Isabella Hervey - and moved to Los Angeles back in 2004.

Victoria has been sharing a slew of snaps to her 443k Instagram followers upon returning to the UK, taking in all of the capital's landmarks once again.

And it seems moving wasn't the only big change that the socialite has considered, previously explaining how she was considering starting a family before the Covid-19 pandemic happened - but is glad now she didn't.

She admitted that pregnancy magazine Project Baby had also influenced her thinking  as she has a prospective sperm donor/father lined up, should she decide to start a family.

Describing LA, Victoria explained: 'Its really nice if you dont leave the house, but, as soon as you leave, you see the homeless, crackheads and half-naked women with no teeth throwing things at you'

Six of her eggs were frozen and stored three years ago, at a cost of 11,000, and she spent the time afterwards looking for a donor.

'I had a friend who was going to be my sperm donor. He was going to be involved in my child's life, but as a friend, not a partner,' she explained.

'And I was supposed to be pregnant now. But then Covid happened, which was a big blow, but looking back I'm really grateful I didn't do it with that person. He just wasn't right.'
One influencer grossed out crowd, urinating in front of other concert-goers

Young woman who attended said influencers beside her acted obnoxiously

A taxpayer-funded private concert by Sam Smith was ruined when a 'disgusting' influencer went to the toilet in front of horrified fellow concert-goers.

The South Australian government paid for the flights, accommodation and drinks for 205 guests to attend the non-binary English pop star's show at a McLaren Vale winery venue on January 11.

Among the sponsored guests for the exclusive event were 90 social media influencers as well as media personalities, including former The Project star Carrie Bickmore.

One young woman who attended witnessed a female influencer, who was part of a group behaving 'rudely' all night, urinate directly in front of the stage.

The person urinating was not a media personality.

One young woman who attended witnessed a female influencer, who was part of a group behaving 'rudely' all night, urinate directly in front of the stage

'One of them literally peed in the mosh. I'm not even joking,' said Kate in a TikTok video.

'A girl pushed past me, she's like "I'm so sorry, some girl is peeing".

'I look over and I literally see someone squatting on the floor peeing, in the mosh.

'One, it's disgusting, two, I can't even say anything 'cause I'm so lost for words.'

Kate, who went as her mother's 'plus-one', said the woman who peed in front of concert-goers was with a group of influencers, some of whom deserved to be 'slapped' for their behaviour.

'Where I was standing in the mosh was right next to a group of social media influencers. I'm not going to name names 'cause I don't want to get sued,' she said.

'But some of [them] were being very disrespectful and very rude throughout some of the most emotional songs.

'A girl next to me was crying 'cause it was so emotional and [Smith's] voice is amazing and on my other side, I had these influencers who are screaming "let me get on your shoulders!".

D'Arenberg owner Chester Osborn with media personality Ali Clarke with at the Sam Smith concert on January 11

The exclusive Sam Smith gig was held at d'Arenberg winery in McLaren Vale beside its striking Cube venue

'They were very drunk and all I could hear was them screaming ... one was telling everyone how they had a million followers.

'It was very distracting, very rude when you've been invited to an event like this which is small and you're supposed to be sharing the event for tourism in South Australia.'

Some influencers who attended the show posted about how they enjoyed the alcohol provided.

Some estimates said $1million of taxpayer money was spent on the event at the striking dArenberg Cube venue, but the tourism minister, Zoe Bettison, said the actual amount was lower.

Earlier the SA opposition said it was outrageous that taxpayers were forced to foot the bill for the event that was attended mainly by social media influencers and celebrities.

Opposition tourism spokeswoman Jing Lee said because the deal was kept secret, there was no way of measuring its success.

'We support events and big names visiting South Australia, but there needs to be a benefit to the state and the community,' Ms Lee said.

'There are also concerning rumours that celebrities and influencers were forced to post a pre-determined amount of content on social media platforms to make the concert look like a huge success.'

On TikTok, Kate called for an end to the practice of giving concert freebies to influencers.

'Let's cancel sending influencers to events like that,' she said.

'Some of them were really fine, but I really didn't appreciate hearing about how someone has a million followers, like who really cares?'

SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison defended spending taxpayer money on the show, which 300 people in total attended.

She claimed 714 million people were reached by Smith's time in South Australia due to exposure on his Instagram.

'This is the new way of marketing,' Ms Bettison said.

'We've got to go out there and do things differently. We want to turn people's heads and see South Australia as a place to visit.

'I certainly think that this concert and Sam Smith being in South Australia has done exactly what we wanted to do.'

The South Australian government told Daily Mail Australia that the woman who relieved herself was not one of those flown to the gig at taxpayers' expense.
Warwick Davis paid tribute to his daughter Annabelle on Wednesday as she made her Hollyoaks debut.

The actress, who was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), a rare genetic form of dwarfism, made her first appearance on the Channel 4 soap this week as Lacey.

Showing his support, Warwick, 52, penned on Twitter: 'Shout out to my daughter, @AnnabelleLDavis who debuts in the British Soap, @Hollyoaks tonight. Never seen the show but will be watching tonight!'

Proud dad: Warwick Davis paid tribute to his daughter Annabelle on Wednesday as she made her Hollyoaks debut

She is believed to be the first Hollyoaks actor with dwarfism.

Lacey and new pal Rayne, played by Jemma Donovan, will be moving into a shared house with Romeo ( Owen Warner ), Prince (Malique Thompson Dwyer), and Nadira (Ashling O'Shea).

Lacey is fiercely loyal and a great friend who brings the calm and common sense, whilst best friend Rayne brings the chaos.

Driven, forthright and funny, Lacey is a budding paralegal and will interview for a position at Dee Valley Law, but will she manage to keep her cool when she's under James' scrutiny.

New role: The actress, who was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), a rare genetic form of dwarfism, made her first appearance on the Channel 4 soap this week as Lacey

Sweet: Warwick, 52, showed his support for Annabelle on Twitter

Talking about joining the Channel 4 soap, Annabelle, 25, said: 'I'm so excited for you to meet Lacey! She's fun, career driven, training to be a Lawyer and now looking for a job. Fingers crossed she gets it

'I've had a great time filming with the Hollyoaks gang and look forward to what Lacey gets up too.'

Annabelle also appeared on This Morning and said: 'I've done a few days filming so far. It's very different filming a soap to doing films because it's much faster, whereas there's lots of time on films between scenes.

Amazing: She is believed to be the first Hollyoaks actor with dwarfism

She added: 'No two days are the same at Hollyoaks'

Annabelle is best known for her role as 'Sasha Bellman' in 'The Dumping Ground', and 'Mims Ufgood' in the new TV series 'Willow'.

In addition, Annabelle is a proud ambassador of Little People UK.

The actress' father is tenable star Warwick Davis, who is best known for his role in Harry potter.

Warwick was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), a rare genetic form of dwarfism, which has been inherited by both Annabelle and Harrison.

Annabelle and her brother Harrison have inherited their father's condition and are both aspiring actors, having also appeared in Harry Potter.

Warwick and his 'soulmate' Samantha actually met as teenagers on the set of Willow and have been married for 31 years.

Samantha, aged 16 when they met, and daughter of co-star Peter Burroughs had a role as an extra in the film and the pair fell in love, dating for four years before getting married in 1991.

Sam has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.

Hollyoaks airs every weeknight at 7PM on E4, and 6:30PM on Channel 4
The CODECO militia has sown terror in the eastern DRC, carrying out brutal massacres in recent years

A notorious militia in eastern DR Congo on Thursday attacked a camp for displaced people, killing five children and two adults, and prompting protests against UN peacekeepers, local health and civil society representatives said.

The CODECO insurgents, one of myriad armed groups operating in the restive, mineral-rich region, have been responsible for multiple brutal massacres over the past decade.

They claim to represent the Lendu ethnic group, acting in response to attacks from the Hema community, with which it has a longstanding rivalry. However, its grievances are unclear.

Desire Malodra, a local civil society representative, said the militia had "killed, burned, and pillaged" the Plaine Savo camp for the displaced in Ituri province early Thursday morning.

"We found seven bodies -- five children and two adults," he said.

Last February, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) militia, killed 62 people in a grisly machete attack at the same camp.

According to Malodra, angry residents of the camp then attacked and "vandalised" the base of the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO in anger over their failure to intervene.

A MONUSCO spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a patrol from the force had "gone to secure the site" after the militia attack on the camp.

Early on Thursday morning, "protesters gathered in front of the MONUSCO base, throwing stones," the spokeswoman said, adding that three peacekeepers and five protesters had been lightly injured.

She said the situation has since been brought under control.

Dr Aime Londjiringa, who manages a health centre in Bule near the camp, said 23 injured people had arrived, three in "critical condition."

He said seven of them had been injured at the camp, and the others during the protest, including one with bullet wounds.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Wednesday there had been a "significant deterioration of the security situation" in the Ituri region.

He said at least 195 civilians have been killed in the area since December.

According to an AFP tally, more than 60 people died last week alone, most at the hands of CODECO, one of the most violent of over 100 armed groups in the eastern DRC.

The Lendu and Hema communities have a longstanding feud that led to thousands of deaths between 1999 and 2003 before an intervention by a European peacekeeping force.

Violence resumed in 2017, blamed on the emergence of the CODECO, which says it represents the Hema community.

Ituri has also been hard hit by violence attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) -- a group of Ugandan origin which the Islamic State group claims as its central African affiliate.
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For Release: Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Media Advisory for Tuesday, Jan. 24

Climate Justice Working Group to Meet

What: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) 13-member Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) (leaves DEC website), established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), will hold a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The Climate Justice Working Group is tasked with establishing criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities for the purposes of co-pollutant reductions, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, regulatory impact statements, and the allocation of investments pursuant to the CLCPA.

This meeting will include deliberations on the public comments received on the draft disadvantaged communities criteria. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or listen to the meeting via webcast. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and can be done by clicking the WebEx link below.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 12 p.m. ET

Where: Via WebEx and to register (leaves DEC website).

Webinar password: cjwg1.24.23 (25941124 from phones)

Audio: Dial 1-518-549-0500; Access code: 2335 887 7828

In-Person - Event locations, times, and partners include:

Hydroelectric Boardroom, 1333 Broadway, Suite 300, New York, NY 10018 (*in the NY Green Bank space)

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) 17 Columbia Circle, Board Room, Albany, NY 12203

DEC Region 8 Office, 6274 East Avon-Lima Rd., Avon, NY 14414

Additional Information: This meeting will also be recorded and posted on the Climate Act website (leaves DEC website) within three days, or as soon as practicable.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (Twitter)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has advised officials to hone the skills of degree students to help them get employment immediately after the end of their studies. He called for the introduction of a job-oriented curriculum and certified online courses for youths for self-employment.

The Chief Minister conducted a review on higher education on Thursday. Every higher educational institution in AP should get NAAC accreditation, to enable them provide quality education to students at national and international standards, he said.

Integrate certified job-oriented online vertical courses like risk analysis, risk management, banking and real estate administration with mainstream curriculum for improving the skills of degree students and enabling them choose self-employed professions, he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to acquaint themselves with various courses being imparted to students in reputed educational institutions abroad and implement the same curriculum in APs educational institutions.

Such curriculum should be integrated with the syllabus by June next. Officials should arrange a tie-up with national institutions like National Stock Exchange (NSE) to help the students turn into self- employed professionals in various sectors after their study.

The Chief Minister suggested that steps be taken to fill vacant posts in the department by clearing the legal hurdles by June in view of the green signal being given by the government.

The Chief Minister said officials should become more active to meet the pace of reforms being introduced in the department. All higher education institutions should strive to achieve NAAC accreditation in the next three years by improving their standards in teaching. Cancel the recognition of institutions that fail to get NAAC accreditations, he said.

Stressing that a uniform policy is needed for giving recognition to various colleges, the Chief Minister said the Skill University should take the responsibility of designing the curriculum in tandem with the IT department to meet the operational demands of various industries in every district.

He said students should become proficient in courses such as coding, cloud computing and software development to meet the growing demands of the job market.

The government is establishing skill development centers across 175 constituencies. Students should be trained to meet the scarcity of experts in the fields of solar panel making, repairing of solar motors and maintenance of solar parks. The same courses should be introduced by June.

Besides strengthening the Academic Staff Colleges in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati to improve standards of the teaching staff, another such college should be established in the central Andhra region, the CM has directed.

He asked the officials to make a final decision based on the attendance of students and facilities available in the private B.Ed colleges that are cheating their students. The government is implementing a fees reimbursement scheme at higher level and Amma Vodi at lower level to reduce the school dropout rate in the state.

Officials should explore the possibility of establishing a recruitment board to fill vacancies in universities while filling up the vacant posts in IIITs as soon as possible, he suggested.

Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Chief Secretary Jawahar Reddy, adviser to government (education) Sambasiva Reddy, principal secretary (higher education) Syamala Rao, RGUKT chancellor Prof K.C. Reddy, commissioner of college education P. Bhaskar, higher education council chairman Prof Hemachandra Reddy and others were present.
Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Thursday said that she was dragged by a car for 10-15 metres outside AIIMS when her hand got stuck in the vehicles window and its inebriated driver drove on. The incident took place in the early hours of the day when the DCW chief was out to inspect the state of womens security in Delhi along with her team, who were stationed at some distance from her.

After the incident, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena to leave politics aside and focus on the law and order situation in the national capital.

What happened to the law and order situation in Delhi? The morale of the goons has increased so much that even the womens commission chairperson is not safe.

Only this work has been given to the L-G sahib by the Constitution. L-G sahib is requested to leave politics for a few days and focus on law and order. We will fully cooperate with him, Mr Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

Ms Maliwal said the car stopped in front of her outside AIIMS gate number 2 and the driver asked her to get in. On being refused, he drove past her only to come back a second time and ask her again to board the vehicle.

This time, Ms Maliwal approached the vehicle from the drivers side window to reprimand the man, but he quickly rolled up the glass pane trapping her hand in it and then drove on for 10-15 metres.

Police officials said a patrol vehicle spotted her on the pavement opposite AIIMS around 3.05 am and stopped to enquire if she was in distress.

Ms Maliwal narrated her ordeal, following which the vehicle was tracked down and its driver, 47-year-old Harish Chandra of South Delhis Sangam Vihar, was apprehended.

DCP (South) Chandan Chowdhary said a case was registered under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act at Kotla Mubarakpur based on a complaint from the DCW chief.

Last night I was inspecting the situation of womens safety in Delhi. A car driver, in an inebriated condition, harassed me and when I caught hold of him, he grabbed my hand in the car window and dragged me. God saved my life. If the chairperson of the womens commission is not safe in Delhi, one can then imagine the situation, Ms Maliwal wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

The National Commission for Women has sought a report from the Delhi police on the matter.

@NCWIndia has taken cognisance of the matter. The commission is seeking a report from @DelhiPolice and writing to take strict action against the accused, it said in a tweet.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted, Shocking incident. NCW is seeking a report from the Delhi police and writing for strict action against the perpetrator.
Vidadala Rajini, Minister for Health. (File)

VIJAYAWADA: AP medical and health minister Vidadala Rajini on Wednesday issued orders that each medical equipment available in government hospitals across the state should remain operational. She asked officials to set up a special dashboard at the state-level, so that the status of each device at every government hospital in Andhra Pradesh can be known.

Reviewing performance of National Health Mission with top officials of the state on Wednesday, Rajini underlined that if the goal of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is making available all medical facilities is to be achieved, it becomes the responsibility of officials to ensure that all devices made available work. Their working should be continuously monitored, she advised.

The minister reiterated that government hospitals should make efforts to encourage natural parturitions. For the purpose, pregnant women must be made aware of special yogasanas at the various health centres, more so in rural areas. She asked officials to identify the number of private hospitals where parturitions are through surgeries and initiate measures to promote natural parturitions.

Rajini directed officials to take steps for allocating separate rooms at all government hospitals and clinics for mothers to breastfeed their children.

She wanted medical staff to be vigilant about diseases like iodine deficiency, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia and anaemia. She ordered that haemoglobin levels of all adolescent girls be checked once every three months. Special attention must be paid to girls with low haemoglobin and preventive measures taken, she underlined.

The minister asked officials to examine the possibility of providing ultrasound scanning equipment to check for specific diseases by acquiring the same through PPP mode under Arogyasri. She appreciated UPHCs in the state for supplying additional types of medicines to people visiting them for treatment.

Chief secretary (Medical & Health) M.T. Krishna Babu, Health commissioner J. Nivas, NHM SPM Dr. Ravikiran and state nodal officer D.H. Ramireddy were among those present at the review meeting.
Andhra Pradesh High Court.

VIJAYAWADA: The AP High Court has sentenced two Zilla Panchayat officials to jail in a contempt of court case on Thursday and gave a weeks time for them to file an appeal.

It was alleged that the then Kurnool district DPO suspended the check power of a sarpanch despite the stay granted by the High Court and made the payments through the EORD. Over this, the court registered a case of contempt of court suo motu.

The court sentenced Prabhakar Rao, who previously worked as DPO of Kurnool district and was currently in Anantapur, to a week's imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000. Chittoor District Panchayat officer Dasaradha Rami Reddy was sentenced to 15 days in jail and a fine of Rs 2,000.

The execution of the verdict was stayed for a week, giving chance to the two to file appeals.

In another case, the HC heard a petition filed by Telugu Desam national spokesperson G.V. Reddy seeking appointment of a Finance Commission. In the past, the government had promised to appoint a finance commission within three months. But, after three months, the commission was not appointed.

The petitioner's lawyer Umesh Chandra brought to the attention of the court that the government had promised to appoint a finance commission within three months in connection with the investigation but this did not happen even after three months.

The bench questioned the government on this. Counsel for the government told the court that the file regarding the appointment of the finance commission was under consideration of the Governor and the finance commission would be appointed as soon as the approval is received from the Governor.

The High Court said, We are giving 4 weeks time. Within this time, the commission should be appointed. The next hearing would be in February.

The HC further heard a separate case from YSR Congress rebel MP Raghurama Krishnamraju regarding information about FIRs registered against him. Krishnamraju filed a petition seeking the details of the cases and complaints against him. The petition was heard in the High Court on Thursday. Maheswara Reddy, the lawyer representing the home department, informed the court that there were 11 FIRs against the MP.

Umesh Chandra, Krishnamrajus lawyer, said that the government's intention behind not giving copies of the complaints was suspicious.

The bench asked the petitioner's counsel whether the information can be obtained through RTI.

Advocate Umesh Chandra explained that personal information cannot be sought through RTI. As a result, the High Court ordered government counsel to file a counter along with the details of the FIRs, as to why the unregistered complaints should not be filed. Later, the hearing was deferred for 10 days.

In July 2020, the then minister Sriranganatha Raju at Poduru police station and MLA Grandhi Srinivas at Bhimavaram police station filed complaints against Raghurama Krishnamraju for speaking in a derogatory manner, inciting communal strife in their party and disrupting peace and security.

With that, Krishnamraju approached the High Court and filed two quash petitions, urging the court to issue preliminary orders not to take any action on the cases filed against him in various police stations.

The court that heard the petitions had previously adjourned it. The petition was heard again on Thursday. After arguments, it was adjourned for hearing 10 days later.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into how a Singapore-bound flight took off hours ahead of schedule, leaving behind 35 passengers at the Amritsar airport.. (Representational image: ANI)

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into how a Singapore-bound flight took off hours ahead of schedule, leaving behind 35 passengers at the Amritsar airport.

The probe was initiated by the aviation regulatory authority after a Scoot Airline flight which was originally scheduled to depart at 7.55 pm on Wednesday from the Amritsar Airport took off at 3 pm, hours ahead of its departure time.

This triggered chaos at the airport with angry passengers who were left behind staging a protest. They registered their complaint with authorities concerned at the airport.

After Airport authorities contacted the airline officials they were informed that the passengers were informed about the change in flight time via e-mail.

"Around 280 passengers were to travel to Singapore but 253 passengers were rescheduled, leaving behind over 30 passengers behind," Amritsar airport Director told ANI.

The DGCA has sought details from both Scoot Airline which is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and the Amritsar Airport authority.

According to the airline, all the passengers were informed about the change in timing via email

An airport official told ANI that the travel agent, who booked the tickets for 30 people in a group, had not informed them (passengers) about the change in flight timings due to which the airline flew with the passengers who had reported on time.

Meanwhile, a similar incident was also reported recently from Bengaluru airport when a Go First Delhi-bound flight took off leaving behind 55 of its passengers who were on their way to to the flight via a shuttle bus.

The passengers who were left behind were reportedly accommodated on another flight four hours later.

The DDCA issued a show cause notice to the Chief Operation Officer of Go First airlines as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. (Photo: Twitter/@ANI)

HYDERABAD: Accusing the BJP-RSS combine of destroying the federal structure of the country, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has initiated steps to prevent the misrule of the BJP and we will support him.

Addressing a public meeting organised by K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS in Khammam, the veteran CPI(M) leader said that the BJP-RSS is trying to polarise the people on communal lines. People need to live in peace and communal harmony, but BJP is destroying all values of democracy, social justice, and equality, he said.

Without directly naming the BJP, Vijayan said there is a peculiar situation in which a political formation that was not part of our national freedom struggle is in power in the country. Modern India was built with collective efforts and the BJP is taking it back to medieval times, he lamented.

Accusing the Centre of having a mission to make India a unitary state, the Marxist veteran said slogans such as One Nation One Tax, One Nation One Uniform, One Nation One Election are all attacks on the federal structure.

India is a union of states and federal structure is the base for administration. The BJP government is introducing Bills without consulting the states. The BJP believes in unitary rule and ignores the spirit of the federal structure. Offices of Governors are used to bulldoze the Opposition party governments in states. The multi-party system is essential for India as it has diversity in nature, he said.

Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Union government is trying to impose the Hindi language on states overlooking the importance of the mother tongue.

He said that vice-president of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar's remarks against the Supreme Court show a prevailing undemocratic situation.
BRS party leadership have reportedly shortlisted Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to hold mega rallies. (Photo: By arrangement)

Hyderabad: Enthused by the massive turnout for the Khammam rally on Wednesday and the presence of Chief Ministers of three states besides other national leaders, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leadership is mulling holding seven more such mega rallies in seven states in the next five to six months.

The party leadership reportedly shortlisted Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to hold mega rallies. BRS leaders will also take part in rallies to be held by like-minded parties in other states.

A day after BRS's first public meeting in Khammam, the party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao held a meeting with the partys senior leaders at Pragathi Bhavan on Thursday.

Party sources said that he expressed happiness over the resounding success of the rally, and congratulated the leaders who worked hard for it within a short span of ten days. The Chief Minister reportedly heaped praises on ministers T. Harish Rao, Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MLCs Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and Padi Kaushik Reddy.

Party sources said that the Chief Minister is in favour of holding a huge rally in Visakhapatnam in February. He reportedly asked BRS AP unit chief

Thota Chandrashekar to plan for the same. The schedule for rallies in other states will be finalised soon, they added.

Meanwhile, BRS leaders on Thursday thanked people for making Khammam rally a grand success. They lashed out at the BJP and the Congress leaders for their criticism of Khammam's public meeting.

Speaking to the media at the BRS Legislature Party office here on Thursday, minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLA Chanti Kranthi Kiran, MP V. Ravichandra said that the Khammam public meeting successfully sent a message to people across the country on the need to defeat BJP-led government at the Centre to save democracy, secularism and basic tenets of Constitution.

They expressed confidence that Khammam's public meeting will go a long way in bringing a secular, democratic government at the Centre in the coming days.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief A. Revanth Reddy. (Twitter)

HYDERABAD: Taking on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for hitting out at the Congress party at Khammam BRS public meeting, TPCC chief and MP A. Revanth Reddy accused the Chief Minister of luring MLAs in Karnataka by offering them money.

We have evidence to prove our claim. Chandrasekhar Rao targeted the Congress to damage it by levelling allegations. The Chief Minister asked some state Intelligence employees to collect details of MLA in Karnataka, Revanth Reddy asked.

The TPCC chief said that the JDS leader and former chief minister of Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy did not attend the BRS meeting because of Raos MLAs luring episode in Karnataka.

Revanth Reddy also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking huge loans during his nine-year tenure.

While Prime Ministers between 1947 and 2014 had taken loans worth Rs 56

lakh crore, the BJP-led NDA government under Narendra Modi at the Centre has

borrowed a huge amount of Rs 1 lakh crore every year, Revanth Reddy said.

The TPCC chief alleged that the ruling party in Telangana failed to implement irrigation projects in the state. In the name of Kaleswaram projects, Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, the Chief minister diverted the funds by accepting a commission from contractors, he said.

When the Congress was in power, they constructed Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam reservoirs. During the BRS rule in Telangana, the Chief Minister failed to provide drinking and irrigation water to people and farmers during his tenure, Revanth Reddy said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo: AP)

Its been a long while since I last wrote for these pages and much has happened since. Two major events stand out, one at each end of the European continent. First and most dramatic is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year. To wind the clock back: in 2014, Russian forces seized the Crimea from Ukraine. The territory was swiftly incorporated into Russia. There were protestations and condemnation, but little practical effort was made to stop Russia.

That was a real-time demonstration by Russian President Vladimir Putin of his worldview. There are great powers and there are lesser ones. Might is right. Winner takes all. And as for Ukraine, it is not a real country. Ukraine is really Russia, Ukrainians are really Russians, and Ukraine should return to the motherland.

Mr Putins justification is of course insulting in its absurdity. To dare to venture a comparison: it is the equivalent of a British leader claiming that since India was under British rule for two centuries it should now be forced to return to the fold of the British empire, because this is what Indians really want and where India really belongs.

However, Mr Putins invasion goes far beyond differing historiographies. It is a gross violation. When the news broke it came as a surprise. It should not have, given what had gone before. But it also provoked a gut reaction  at least in me. There have of course been many invasions in many parts of the world during my lifetime. Perhaps they should have provoked similar feelings, but they did not. Russias actions felt different. This was an attack on my territory  Europe  and on my ideals  liberal and internationalist. In some atavistic way I felt I had to take up arms to defend Ukraine. Its resistance was, is, our resistance. Of course, going to fight was clearly mad and absurd. Middle-aged and with no military experience whatsoever, I would be a danger to myself and those around me. But interestingly, speaking to male friends and acquaintances of roughly the same age, I learned that they too had had similar feelings.

As the war grinds on, and as Russian forces engage in wanton destruction, torture and the execution of Ukrainians, it is clear that Mr Putin has failed. He has done more than anyone else to forge a Ukrainian identity, an affinity with the rest of Europe, and a desire to do things differently: cooperation and mutual respect rather than domination and force of arms. If Mr Putin loses, Russias weaknesses will be glaringly obvious and he will probably be finished. Even if Russia wins on the battlefield, which appears increasingly unlikely, Mr Putin will rule over a people who hate and despise him and all he stands for.

Europe should have done stood up to Mr Putin in 2014. It is now paying the price for not having done so. That it makes it all the more imperative that Europe stands up to Mr Putin now; since this is a war for Europes soul.

At the other end of the continent, we have the absurdity of Brexit. On January 31, 2020, the UK formally left the European Union: the sunlit uplands of fond Brexiter imagination beckoned. Unfortunately, in reality, the UK is still very much stuck in the dank foothills. There is always an excuse: first the Covid-19 pandemic, then Ukraine, now the burdensome legacy-EU regulations. None of these excuses holds water. They apply equally to the countries of the EU. Yet somehow the UKs economy is the worst performing in the G-20, above only Russias  not much to boast of. Mark Carney, former Bank of England governor, provoked Brexiter ire a couple of months ago when he pointed out that in 2016  before the Brexit referendum  the UKs economy was 90 per cent of the size of Germanys and now it is only 70 per cent. Brexiter commentators trotted out convoluted arguments about the impact of sterlings devaluation to explain this inconvenient fact. They forget of course that the devaluation itself was the direct consequence of Brexit. No convincing counter-argument has been forthcoming  but then many Brexiters have never really been fully paid-up members of the reality-based community. Myths and make-believe are so much easier to deal with than facts.

This tendency can take grotesque forms. Shortly after Russias invasion of Ukraine, Boris Johnson then Britains Prime Minister, claimed that Ukraines fight for freedom from Russian domination was akin to the British fight to free itself from the EU. I told this to some Ukrainian lawyers I met in March last year in Paris. Their sense of offence and incomprehension at this crass comparison was palpable.

Liz Truss, Mr Johnsons successor, was no better. She claimed not to know whether President Emmanuel Macron of France was a friend or foe. Alliterative maybe, ignorant and insulting certainly. There are of course myriad cultural, social, personal, and commercial ties between the two countries. But more than that, the UK and France  Europes only serious military powers  have very close defence ties. These have led to joint combat operations and, not least, arrangements for the joint testing of nuclear warheads.

Next up, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Unlike his two predecessors he is discreet and, mercifully, not prone to public gaffe and insult. But he is a Brexiter and cannot or will not admit that Brexit was a mistake of monumental proportions. Until autumn last year, avoidance of the subject was a feasible stance. Apart from a few lone voices no one in public life was prepared to point out that the emperor has no clothes. Since then, the lone voices have been joined by many more. They include commentators, business and politicians, mostly recently Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. They call for the government to recognise the harm caused by Brexit and for the UK to rejoin the European single market. So far, they have been ignored by the government. And the Labour Party Opposition cringes and repeats the mantra that it can make Brexit work. It cant. No one can. The UK is fewer than 35 km from one of the largest economies in the world. These are geopolitical facts that cannot be wished away. It is a colossal act of national self-harm to maintain trading barriers with it.

So, Europe starts 2023 as it left 2022: a tragedy at one end, a farce at the other. Lets hope that humanity returns in the East and rationality in the West.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (AP)

Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday informed that she has canceled her wedding amid a new wave of Omicron cases in the country.

"My wedding won't be going ahead but I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic," Ardern said during a regular COVID-19 news conference today, CNN reported.

She said that health authorities have reported nine Omicron cases in Motueka in a single-family household, CNN reported adding that the family travelled to Auckland to attend a wedding, a funeral, an amusement park, and a tourist attraction last weekend, prompting the country to move to the highest "red light" setting.

The so-called "red setting" of the country's pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask-wearing and limits on gatherings, and the restrictions will go into effect on Monday.

Ardern stressed that "red is not lockdown", noting that businesses can remain open and people can still visit family and friends and move freely around the country.

When asked how she felt about her decision to cancel the wedding that was due to be held this summer, Ardern replied, "Such is life."

Last month, New Zealand said it was pushing back its phased border reopening until the end of February over concerns about the Omicron variant, according to CNN.

Chris Hipkins, the nation's minister for COVID-19 response, said: "Waiting till the end of February will increase New Zealand's overall protection and slow Omicron's eventual spread. There's no doubt this is disappointing and will upset many holiday plans, but it's important to set these changes out clearly today so they can have time to consider those plans."

Hipkins also said New Zealand's Cabinet has agreed to other precautionary measures, including reducing the interval between a second Covid-19 vaccine dose and a booster shot from six months to four months, and increasing the required length of stay for returning travelers from seven to 10 days in managed isolation and quarantine, as per CNN.
The old demand for a separate Tipraland state seems to become a hindrance for unity of all opposition parties in Tripura gearing up for a "united fight" against ruling BJP in the Assembly elections on February 16.

The talks between Opposition CPI (M) and Congress for seat sharing arrangement is underway but Tipra Motha, the forum of regional parties spearheading the movement for Greater Tipraland state is yet to join the Opposition platform. Motha Chief Pradyot Deb Barma has made it clear his party will make no compromise on the issue of Greater Tipraland and would join an alliance only if a written assurance is given.

Deb Barma is firm on his stand despite repeated appeals by both CPI (M) and Congress for discussion and to give shape to a united front of all Opposition parties to wrest power from BJP. On Thursday, CPI (M) general secretary Jitendra Choudhury told reporters in Agartala that the party is in favour of giving maximum autonomy and rights to the tribals under the Constitution for their welfare but the left party is against "geographical and cultural bifurcation" of Tripura. "We are in favour of Greater Tipraland for upliftment and justice to the tribals but geographical and cultural bifurcation is unrealisable," Choudhury said.

The Greater Tipraland comprises areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) and the indigenous Tripuris living outside it. Riding on the issue of Tipraland state, Tipra Motha defeated BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) in the TTADC elections in March last year. The party is likely to give a tough fight to both BJP and IPFT in the TTAADC areas having 20 out of 60 Assembly seats. The Motha has also invited IPFT to break the alliance with BJP and fight the elections together with the issue of Tipraland. IPFT has agreed for talks regarding the alliance or possible merger.

When asked about Deb Barma's condition for a written assurance, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman told reporters on Thursday, "Instead of a written assurance, we are ready to discuss on how to include it in our manifesto or common minimum programme of the Opposition Front." Congress has traditionally been against bifurcation of Tripura.

The Tipraland was the biggest poll plank of IPFT. But the party contested the 2018 Assembly elections in alliance with BJP despite the saffron party's clear stand against the separate state. The IPFT won eight Assembly seats in 2018 but the party's downfall started as Tipra Motha started gaining ground. Trinamool Congress is also against the demand, mainly due to its vote bank among the Bengalis, opposing the separate state.

Deb Barma recently said, "If the Centre can hold talks with insurgent groups in the Northeast (demanding secession), why can't it talk to us? Our demand is within the framework of the Constitution," he said on January 16. "If they can't talk, we will fight the elections on our own," he said. Motha is also planning to give tickets to non-tribal candidates as it plans to contest in at least 40 to 45 seats.

Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution deals with the subject related to the creation of new states.
The pilots of the Yeti Airlines aircraft that crashed in Nepal's resort city of Pokhara may have failed to fully deploy the wing flaps while attempting to land, leading to a stall, a media report said on Thursday.

On January 15, a Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed into a gorge near the newly-built airport in Pokhara, killing 72 all on board, including five Indians, in the country's worst air disaster in 30 years.

An aircraft coming to land has the flaps at the back of the wings fully down to provide more control at low speed and prevent stalling, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Also Read | Family members yet to identify bodies of four deceased from Ghazipur in Nepal plane crash

The exact reason behind the crash will be known only after an examination of the flight data recorder, or the black box, the report added.

A nine-member team from France is also enquiring with the airlines' staff and concerned authorities in Pokhara to understand details of the ATR-72 aircraft crash, according to an official from Yeti Airlines.

The aircraft that took off from Kathmandu at 10:30 am crashed into the Seti river gorge, killing all four crew members and 68 passengers. One person on board the aircraft is still missing.

The government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash.

Two mobile videos went viral immediately after the crash.

One showed the aircraft banking sharply left and then falling after a stall while the second video appeared online several hours after the incident and showed an Indian passenger identified as Sonu Jaiswal live streaming from the plane seconds before it went down.

The footage showed that the flaps were not fully down, leading experts to suspect that the aircraft might have stalled for this reason, the report added.

Another senior ATR captain Kumar Pandey was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post, "I was stunned after watching the video.

Aviation Safety | Its time we idiot-proof aircraft emergency exit doors

From the window, we can clearly see that one side of the wing flap of the aircraft was not fully deployed. I speak on the basis of the video footage, which is subject to a detailed investigation.

In 2007-08, Pandey flew the same aircraft that once belonged to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines of India, the report said.

It looks like the pilots messed up. If thats the case, its a big negligence. They didnt follow the basic checklist, Pandey said.

Referring to the landing checklist, the co-pilot normally reports when the aircraft has descended to 1,000 feet, the level at which the aircraft is supposed to be fully stabilised for landing, according to the report.

Normally, at the speed of 160 knots or 296 kilometres per hour, the pilot releases the landing gear. At this stage, the flaps should be deployed at 15 degrees.

When the speed goes below 150 knots or 277 kilometres per hour, the flaps should be set at 30 degrees.

This process stabilises the aircraft for a smooth landing. The pilots then align the aircraft with the runway. At this phase, the flaps should be set at 30 degrees to reduce the speed.

But the video shows the flaps at 15 degrees, Pandey said. According to him, extending the flaps, particularly beyond 30 degrees, results in significant levels of drag. When a steep approach angle and a short final come together, the landing becomes critical, which could be the case with Yeti Airlines Flight 961.

The pilots may have omitted the mandatory final landing checklist, the report quoted at least four ATR captains and at least three experts who have extensive knowledge of the matter.

Meanwhile, aviation experts in India said on Sunday that mishandling, malfunctioning of an aircraft system or pilot fatigue could be among the factors that caused the plane crash in Nepal.

A pilot with a regional carrier, who has been flying ATR planes for nearly two decades, said on the condition of anonymity that the particular aircraft could have suffered a stall or there could have been a pilot error.

The factors that led to the crash will be clear only after the completion of the investigation, the pilot added.
The Election Commission's announcement of the Meghalaya Assembly poll on February 27 has been welcomed by most political parties in the state, barring the BJP. The ruling alliance partner UDP and the opposition TMC and Congress welcomed the EC announcement and said they are ready for the poll battle.

Meghalaya BJP was, however, discountenanced at the long time span between the announcement of the date and the holding of the election and said it will give "ample oppurtunity to major parties to influence voters". The EC has declared February 27 as the date of poll and March 2 for counting. The notification for the elections will be issued on January 31.

Read | Tripura to vote on February 16, Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27

We are upset that the election will be held almost a month and half later. This will give ample opportunity to the ruling alliance parties to influence the voters," state BJP president Ernest Mawrie told PTI. "We worked hard for the past five years. Those who work in the last minute may also get the votes," he said. The BJP is prepared to contest the poll and so far candidates from over 40 seats have approached the party for tickets, Mawrie claimed.

BJP is a part of the NPP-led ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance and has not entered any prepoll understanding with any political party. We are not in favour of any pre-poll alliance. We will contest on our own and we will comfortably win 10-15 seats, he said. Jemino Mawthoh, general secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), welcomed the EC's announcement and said "It gives us ample opportunity to prepare ourselves up for the poll." He said that all the five MLAs, including PHE minister Renikton Tongkhar, who quit the Assembly during the day have joined the UDP. "We are upbeat with the formal joining of the MLAs today and we look forward to more leaders of different political parties to amalgamate with us in the days to come," he added.

Congress too welcomed the announcement of the poll date, as did Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress which has emerged as the main opposition party of the northeastern state. We are prepared to fight the electoral battle and we are confident of winning the maximum number of seats, Congress state president Vincent H Pala told PTI. Asked to comment on the desertion by Congress MLAs in favour of TMC, NPP and UDP, he said, The leaders may have left the party, but the people have not. They (voters) are not fooled, we (Congress) will come back stronger.

Read | TMC names 52 candidates for Meghalaya Assembly poll; Mukul Sangma to contest on two seats

Pala is contesting the Assembly poll from Sutnga Saipung constituency in the eastern Jaintia Hills region. He will take on Shitang Pale, a former colleague in Congress. Pale had joined the TMC but resigned from it during the day and will contest on a UDP ticket. TMC state president Charles Pyngrope welcoming the announcement of the poll date said, "It comes with great timing. We expect to do a lot of things as preparation in the next one month for the election. "Everything is positive for us wherever we go, we are hoping to do well," he said. The ruling National People's Party of Conrad P Sangma or ally HSPDP could not be contacted for their views despite repeated efforts.
A college in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad town on Wednesday denied entry to scores of 'burqa' clad Muslim girls into the college triggering protests.

According to sources, the girls, who were denied entry had a heated exchange with the guards. They later staged a dharna outside the gate in protest against the decision by the college management.

While the girls said that they had every right to wear burqas, the college management clarified that there was a dress code for the students and that no one would be allowed entry in any other dress.

''We had implemented the dress code in October last year....we have thousands of students and all know that....we will enforce the rule under all circumstances,'' said a senior college functionary.

He said that there was a ''changing room'' near the gate of the college and the girls were free to use the same.

Local Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders also later joined the protests and supported the girl students' demand to allow them entry into the college in burqa. The students later handed over a memorandum to the college administration registering their protest and called off their dharna.

Former SP MLA Zamirullah threatened to launch an agitation if the college continued to insist on a dress code. ''There must not be any restriction on attending classes in burqa and those not allowing it should be punished,'' he said.


The latest global report of Oxfam, a non-government organisation, has presented a bleak picture of widening inequality all over the world, and particularly in India. The report titled Survival of the Richest: The India Story, says that the richest 1% of the population in the country now own more than 40% of its total wealth, while the bottom half shares only 3%. Just 21 individuals own as much wealth as 700 million people have. The rich actually became richer during the Covid years when most others became poorer. From the outbreak of the pandemic to November 2022, billionaires in India have seen their wealth go up by 121%, or Rs 3,608 crore per day. The number of billionaires increased form 102 in 2020 to 166 in 2022. The conclusion is inescapable that the country is becoming more and more unequal.

A society where people are equal is only an ideal. But when inequality grows, it mostly means a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. It is a moral, social and political issue. Policies of governments contribute majorly to the way wealth is distributed and so they become answerable when poverty increases and the gap between the rich and the poor widens. When the government claims that it has taken a host of measures to help the poor, as the Narendra Modi government frequently does, that does not mean the reduction of poverty. Welfare measures support people but real poverty alleviation happens only when people earn more, have independent incomes, and do not have to depend on government giveaways. India has lifted large numbers of people from poverty through the decades, especially between 2004 and 2016, but the trend has slowed down in recent years. Millions of people slipped back into poverty after demonetisation and during the Covid years and have not recovered since. The Oxfam report brings into focus the increasing pauperisation that is taking place and the cornering of the largest chunks of societys wealth by a tiny section of privileged people. This can lead to social distress, discontent, and unrest. Indias case is not special, and the report says that the worlds richest 1% have grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth, about $42 trillion, created since 2020. But the report is more relevant for India because India is home to the largest number of poor people in the world.

The report has sought an increase in taxes on the super-rich and one-off wealth taxes and windfall taxes to reduce the rich-poor gap. That can help partly fund the solution, but the solution itself is to improve the social and economic conditions of the people at the bottom levels of society.
Indias G20 presidency has evoked considerable interest as it comes when the world is passing through the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and an economic slowdown threatening recession.

Given Indias close relations with both the developed and developing countries, and its record of strategic independence, there is considerable hope that India would be able to bridge the East-West and the North-South divides, and bring the whole world together as per its G20 motto of One Earth, One Family, One Future.

The G20 was established in 1999, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, to promote dialogue among the finance ministers and central bankers of the worlds 20 biggest established and emerging economies on averting future financial crises, modernise international financial architecture, promote economic stability, and sustainable growth. It was raised to the heads of state/government level in 2008 to address the global financial crisis that year. The G20 members represent about 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of trade, and two-third of the worlds population. The presidency of such a prominent group is a matter of great pride for India.

Also Read | G20 summit 'great opportunity' for India to showcase its strengths: Piyush Goyal

Two Parallel Tracks

The G20 presidency steers the agenda for one year, hosts the summit and works on two parallel tracks: the Finance Track led by finance ministers and central bank governors and the sherpa (personal representative of each head of state/government) leading the Sherpa Track. The Sherpa Track oversees the inputs from 13 thematic (like trade and investment, employment, digital economy, education, tourism, etc.) working groups, two Initiatives on innovation and empowerment and various groups which meet throughout the year and develop their outcome documents, which eventually help in negotiation of the Leaders Declaration by the Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed that Indias presidency would be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive. Indias G20 priorities include accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth, accelerating progress on sustainable development goals, technological transformation, digital public infrastructure, green development, strengthening multilateral institutions for the 21st century, and women-led development. India would like to adequately reflect the priorities and perspectives of the developing countries and to get their views, it organised a virtual Voice of the South Summit on January 12-13.

Pan-India Meetings

Indias G20 presidency will not be Delhi-centric, but one which is celebrated across India. There is tremendous curiosity and interest in the world about a rising India, which is now the fifth biggest economy, and will occupy the third place in about five years. When the G20 delegates travel to various parts of India, they would experience Indias rich diversity and cultural heritage. Similarly, Indias own citizens too will develop a holistic appreciation of the world, its challenges and opportunities.

Also Read | Jaishankar describes UN as frozen 1945-invented mechanism unable to articulate wider concerns

India will host over 200 meetings in about 50 cities across 32 different work streams. The first meeting of the G20 sherpas was held at Udaipur on December 5, on technological transformation and green development. Pune hosted the First Infrastructure Working Group meeting on January 16-17, Thiruvananthapuram is currently hosting the first Health Working Group, and Chandigarh will host the first meeting on Finance, Food and Energy Security on January 30-31.

Similarly, there are plans to hold the Education Working Group meeting at Chennai, Sustainable Finance Working Group in Guwahati, and Employment Working Group at Jodhpur in February.

Showcase India

The G20 delegates participating in these meetings will be mostly senior officials and domain experts. The state governments, various institutions, and organisations will have a great opportunity to apprise them about their progress, future projects, new policies, and initiatives being considered. Indias use of digital technologies to improve the ease of doing business, financial inclusion, banking, e-commerce, delivery of government services, and empowerment of women would be of considerable interest to them.

Several cities such as Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurugram, among others have emerged as hubs of knowledge industries such as information, bio and financial technologies. Similarly, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and the National Capital Region of Delhi are the front-runners in setting up startups and innovation industries. The states could take initiatives to familiarise the G20 delegates of their current work, new projects and policies to attract foreign investment, sharing of technologies, and exploring new markets.

The IITs and the IIITs have done excellent work in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, data services, cyber security, data analytics and other fields which would be of interest to foreign delegates. Similarly, Indias vaccination programme utilising its own vaccines, administering about 2.20 billion doses to its citizens and exporting 15 million doses to 96 countries has been a great success story, and is of interest to the world.

The G20 presidency will also be an occasion for India to showcase its ancient civilisation, vibrant democracy, and culture diversity. There will be considerable interest among the delegates in visiting places of tourism interest. The success of Indias G20 presidency will require the co-operation and active participation of all its citizens in this truly national endeavour.

(Yogesh Gupta is a former Ambassador.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
County Derry actor, Conor OKane, is set to play the role of John Hume in the Derry Playhouse production HUME-Beyond Belief which will screen live internationally from the Guildhall in the heart of the city in March and April 2023.

The casting announcement was made in the Guildhall on Wednesday (January 18), on what would have been John Humes 86th birthday.



The play will be performed in the citys Guildhall but also screened across the world as part of 2023 global commemorations of the Agreement.



The play is a major new musical drama honouring the lives of inestimably influential peacemakers, John and Pat Hume.

Telling John Hume and his wife Pats story through the medium of music theatre, HUME- Beyond Belief will premiere on Friday March 31 and close on April 7 2023 - the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.



Production begins with partnership between John & Pat Hume Foundation and The Playhouse and a shared mission to promote leadership for peaceful change and social justice.

HUME- Beyond Belief is the second part of a peacebuilding trilogy by The Playhouse, following the resounding success of The White Handkerchief, which premiered in the Guildhall on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, in January last year.



Performed by the people of Derry in the citys Guildhall, the new work is written by Damian Gorman (writer), Brian ODoherty (composer) and directed by Kieran Griffiths.



The play also has the support of John and Pat Humes family. John Humes daughter, Aine Abbott, said, Our family have been huge admirers of the peacebuilding work created by (Playhouse founder) Pauline Ross and the diverse team of contributors and Playhouse staff over many years.



"Both my parents were inspired and heartened by the rich creativity, humanity and international reach of The Playhouses work over many decades.

We are confident that The Playhouse will honour the ideals and aspirations held by my parents and the many people who worked alongside them.



"My fathers career held both triumph and hardship, but he was a warm (slightly eccentric), kind and funny family man, a man who loved nothing more than to sing.



"He was a proud Derry man. It will be emotional for us to see his presence step on the stage of the Guildhall.



Originally from County Derry, Conor OKane, will take on the iconic role. Conor trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

He was also nominated Best Male in a Musical by Off West End for his performance as George in Miss Nightingale at The Vaults, London in 2017.



Most recently, he performed in The Talk with Fly Away Home Productions which has been selected for the Chicago Irish Film Festival after winning the Audience Award at the Clones Film Festival.



Last January, Conor starred in the world premiere of The Playhouse production of The White Handkerchief as Father Tom OGara.



Playhouse CEO Kevin Murphy said, Conor is an exceptional talent that we are delighted to have worked with on several occasions before.



"He stunned us with his powerful portrayal of Father Tom OGara in The White Handkerchief, and has just finished a run as Leo Bloom in The Producers at The Playhouse in November.



"His work in film has been premiered at Manchester and Nottingham International Film Festivals and his theatre performances includes work with Royal Shakespeare Companys Dell Theatre, The Vaults London, and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. We know he will bring great humanity and honesty to the role.

As with The White Handkerchief, members of The Playhouse Music Theatre Company will make up the ensemble for the production having taken part in world class training with The Playhouse.



The production also marks the beginning of a partnership between The Playhouse and The John & Pat Hume Foundation.

Dr Sean Farren, Chair of The John & Pat Hume Foundation said: The Hume Foundation is delighted that Conor O'Kane has been chosen to play the role of John Hume in the eagerly awaited production HUME- Beyond Belief to be staged on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.



"The production will remind us all of the drama behind that agreement, its values and its principles. Above all it will remind us of John Hume's dedication to non-violence and to the peaceful resolution of conflict.

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, a key funder who announced their award of 50,000 for the production in July, said, Following on from his incredible performance in The White Handkerchief, we welcome todays casting announcement, that Conor OKane will take on the lead role in Hume- Beyond Belief.



"We look forward with much anticipation to the opening of this important production at the end of March, which will undoubtedly hold much appeal for both local and international audiences.

The production is also supported by The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) to mark John and Pat Humes contribution to the Credit Union Movement in Derry and throughout Ireland.
African heads of state and government together with development partners will gather in Senegal to strategically map plans to unlock Africas food-producing potential and position the continent to become a breadbasket to the world.

President Macky Sall of Senegal, and Chairperson of the African Union, will host the three-day Dakar II Food summit from 25 January, with the African Development Bank Group as co-host.

The agenda of the Summit whose theme is, Feed Africa: Food Sovereignty and Resilience, is the improvement of Africas food nutrition and security; leveraging the continents huge agricultural resources; boosting international trade, expanding market share, and production and processing value addition.

The continent is home to a third of the worlds 850 million people living with hunger.

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said:

The Dakar II Summit will mobilize political commitment, development partner and private sector investment, establish much needed policies and strategically drive actions to deliver at scale. This landmark event will be a turning point towards food sovereignty and resilience for the entire continent.

The summit is at the heart of the Bank Groups Feed Africa Strategy, one of the institutions High 5 priority areas to support African countries to significantly increase agricultural growth.

The summit is a follow-up to the 2015 inaugural edition, during which the Feed Africa Strategy for Agricultural Transformation (2016-2025) in Africa, was proposed.

During the summit, heads of state and government will convene sessions to develop transformational country-specific food and agriculture delivery compacts. Development partners and the private sector will also play significant roles during sessions and the overall summit. African countries are also expected to make measurable political commitments to implement policies designed to eliminate extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Africa.

Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture at the African Development Bank, said: The country compacts will provide targeted roadmaps toward self-sufficiency, and provide interventions that will make Africas agriculture sector more business-oriented and commercially viable. Dunford added: The Summit will be the one-stop-shop for African countries pursuing more and better investments that are public sector enabled, and private sector-led.

The summit will take place at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center in Diamniadio, 26 kilometers from Senegals capital city Dakar.

The gathering will showcase programs already contributing to African food sovereignty and resilience. This includes the African Development Banks Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) platform, which is delivering heat-tolerant wheat, drought-tolerant maize, and high-yield rice seeds to 11 million African farmers in 21 countries.

According to Dr Martin Fregene, Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the African Development Bank, TAAT will produce 100 million metric tonnes of additional food to feed 200 million people.

He said:

We know what works in Africa. Taking agricultural technology programs like TAAT to scale does more than boost agricultural outputs. It increases wealth, creates jobs and opens our markets up to regional and international trade. It is critical to support these efforts. Africa stands to gain  the world stands to gain  from such a concerted effort.

According to Adesina,

This is the time to invest in Africas future. The continent has more than 60% of the worlds remaining arable land, and millions of Africans are productive in the agriculture sector. With the removal of barriers to agricultural development aided by new investments, it is estimated that Africas agricultural output could increase from $280 billion per year to $1 trillion by 2030.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Islamic Development Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and several bilateral partners are among international supporters of the summit.

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I want the very best for the girls.

These were the heartfelt final words of the principal of Derrys St Cecilias College, Mary Jo OCarolan, speaking to Derry News about her new job.

Ms OCarolan came into post in September, having spent three years as vice principal and, prior to that, her whole teaching career in St Columbs College.

Her gra for St Cecilias and its students is evident in what she says and how she says it.

Additional reading

What I like about St Cecilias, said Ms OCarolan, is our ethos and the pastoral care here. In 2020, We were the winners of the Gold Pearson UK National Teaching Award for Making a Difference - Secondary School of the Year.

The school is outstanding but, like all schools, we are always striving to do better. It is not about the teachers or the parents. It is about our girls getting to progress to where they want to go, that is the bottom line.

I always say to them, Girls, I just want you to be able to earn your own money and not have to rely on anybody, to be able to go out and buy your own car and do anything that you want. That is what we want for them all. We want them to be independent and resilient and we want them to be happy doing what they are doing.

Fondly recalling happy childhood holidays in Fahan in Inishowen with her sisters, Patricia and Helen, and brothers, Lawrence and Billy, Ms OCarolan explained what OCarolan nee Doherty she was.

My Mammy was Agnes Fletcher from St Columbas Avenue in Buncrana and my Daddy was Paddy Doherty from Rossville Street here in Derry. He belonged to the Dohertys Bakery clan. My Granny, Mamie Doherty, started the bakery and then my Uncle Billy took it over and built it up.

Daddy played the trombone. He would have been in the TA Band and played at events and pantomimes. He taught engineering in the training centre, that was his career.

When the train went from Derry to Buncrana, my granny had a wee corrugated iron tearoom near the Railway Tavern, where the train stopped and people could get their tea. When she died, the wee hut was partitioned off and we all went down to Fahan for our summer holidays, she laughed. I dont know how we slept. There was no running water or anything but we had the absolutely best times.

Married to Donncha with one son, Leo, Ms OCarolan recalled always wanting to be a teacher.

However, her pathway into the profession was unconventional, something she recognised might also be a possibility for todays St Cecilias students.

Initially I went into work for Derry Boston Ventures, which was funded by LEDU and Invest NI. John Hume was the big champion behind Derry Boston Ventures.

So, I worked and did my degree part time at Magee. I then did my PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) in England. I did my teaching placement in St Columbs College and I never left, until I came to St Cecilias, 23 years later. While I was at St Columbs, I completed a postgraduate course in Management Studies and my MBA, as well as my Professional Qualification in Headship. I loved St Columbs where I mostly taught A Level.

I always had a wee yearning for St Cecilias, so, when the job of vice principal came up, I applied. I was ecstatic when I got it. There was a slight adjustment coming from St Columbs but, within a couple of months, it all fell into place and I Iove it here. I am very, very happy in St Cecilias. The culture and ethos is lovely. It is a really, really pleasant place to work.

Ms OCarolan said she was a little nervous about what she was going to say to the whole school community on her first day as principal.

I thought about it a lot and the gist of what I said was, I have brothers and sisters. I have a life when I leave St Cecilias and so do all of you and we all come in every day, with our own things, but always remember, we are here for one another and you have my utmost respect.

I really believe we have to look after one another because when we are okay, everything else is okay. It is also important we have fun because we also want students to enjoy their time at St Cecilias.

Our girls and their families are very tuned in to where they want to go when they leave St Cecilias and everybody has a different pathway. Some girls might go straight to university, which they do and achieve great things, and some girls might want to go to the North West Regional College because they know exactly what they want to do. Everything is open to them with the excellent careers advice in the school.

When I think about our recent ISO Diversity and Inclusion award, I think about all of the different pathways people in the St Cecilias school community have taken. There are people here who have worked in fields outside education and have then gone back and trained as teachers. Our vice principal, Mr Joe Lafferty was a nurse before he came to St Cecilias. So, we tell the girls, there are many different routes to where they want to go, said Ms OCarolan.

Every one of them has a different talent, she added, and we have to nurture that talent and push them to achieve their very best. That is our priority.

We want the girls to be happy in school and then we are just pushing forward. There is the pick up from covid and we currently have a huge focus on English and maths. We have a lot of in-school support around these two subjects. I know the girls and their families recognise the importance of English and maths too. They know they are vital GCSEs. We also offer A Level maths at St Cecilias.

As teachers, we are constantly trying to navigate paths to get our girls to where they want to be. I want the very best for the girls.
Maghera is set to benefit from 9 million Levelling Up funding to support economic growth and drive regeneration in the town.

Under the investment, Maghera is set to benefit from extensive public realm improvements. The much-needed public realm scheme will transform the look of the town centre with new paving, street lighting, planting and street furniture, and address substandard footpath widths, poor pedestrian access and traffic flow issues.

The scheme extends the length of Main Street, taking in parts of Coleraine Road, Station Road, Meeting House Avenue, Tirkane Road, Church Street, Glen Road, Hall Street, Bank Square and St Lurachs Road.

Other elements in the project will go towards boosting outdoor recreation and biodiversity through the creation of a new wetlands park, and the revitalisation of local business through the proposed creation of a new business park at the former High School site, which remains earmarked by the Council to address a gap in the availability of land locally for light industrial use and to meet an identified demand from local businesses.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Cora Corry welcomed the investment in Mid Ulster.

This is fantastic news for Maghera and its surrounding area. Public realm schemes deliver significant physical and intrinsic benefits to our town and city centres, making them more accessible, vibrant and welcoming places to be for residents and visitors alike. As well as providing new green space and outdoor recreational opportunities for the local population, this investment in what has been a historically overlooked area will create jobs and economic growth. Even before the current cost of living crisis, there has been a significant need and demand from local businesses to invest in Maghera, to improve the average wage profile to help deliver higher paid jobs for its growing younger population, said Cllr Corry.

The completion of the public realm and wider regeneration project will be a vital factor in attracting new inward investment into the area, as well as retaining existing firms who will have the opportunity to increase their scale of production and compete in new markets.

Speaking to the County Derry Post this afternoon, Sinn Fein councillor, Brian McGuigan (pictured below) has welcomed news of the 9 million investment for Maghera.



This is great news for the people of Maghera and neighbouring areas. I am very pleased to have led demands for much needed public realm works within the town, local employment creation via the provision of a modern business park as well as much needed outdoor recreational space. The focus of our Sinn Fein council team has been to provide the required infrastructure and services for workers and families, tackling years of under investment and historic discrimination, said Cllr McGuigan.

Truly "levelling up" the Norths distorted economy will mean learning from past mistakes, breaking with approaches that merely tinker around the edges and confronting the uneven distribution of wealth and power by successive British governments and the Tory policy of austerity, when establishing a new constitutional future for all the people of Ireland.

Now is the time for the important role out of plans by Mid-Ulster Council for a new economic model - Community Wealth Building, addressing the need for democratic ownership of our economy as well as playing our part in tackling the climate and energy emergencies.

I look forward to the delivery of this much needed investment.

The project is one of a total of ten projects across the 11 council areas here that will share 71 million of funding from round two of the flagship Levelling Up Fund, allocated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

5.1 million has also been allocated to modernise 20 rugby clubs, including Coleraine and Limavady, including new female changing rooms.
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The five largest parties at Stormont have written to the Northern Ireland Secretary urging him to intervene to process a new organ donation law.

The opt-out system was passed by MLAs at Stormont last year but the enacting of the legislation has been delayed due to the political stalemate.

It was to be named Daithis Law after six-year-old Daithi MacGabhann, from Belfast, who is on the organ transplant waiting list and whose family have campaigned for the new legislation.

*STATEMENT* We have formally written to the Secretary of State @chhcalling requesting an urgent meeting to discuss #DaithisLaw.  @MalMccann pic.twitter.com/nvoesD6ijT  Donate4Daithi (@Donate4Daithi) January 19, 2023

His father Mairtin said he is devastated the law has been delayed, and has written to Chris Heaton-Harris asking for an urgent meeting.

On Thursday, the larger Stormont parties announced they had united to write to Mr Heaton-Harris asking him to step in and legislate to allow Daithis Law to be enacted as soon as possible.

Mr Heaton-Harris said later on Thursday that he would be very happy to meet with the MacGabhann family.

I understand the importance of the issue concerned, health is devolved, it is really disappointing that they are waiting for the legislation to go through that should be going through the Assembly, he told media attending the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at Farmleigh House in Dublin.

But I will meet them as soon as I can, and look forward to talking to them.

The law, which would bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK, would automatically make people organ donors unless they specifically state otherwise.

The letter, signed by Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle ONeill, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Alliance leader Naomi Long, UUP leader Doug Beattie and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, was also copied to Department of Health permanent secretary Peter May.

Welcome support from all parties that legislation should be brought to Parliament to ensure Daithis Law can be operational as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/qCtIQNRHj4  Jeffrey Donaldson MP (@J_Donaldson_MP) January 19, 2023

The leaders write: It has become clear that further legislation is needed for the opt-out system to become fully operational.

As leaders of the five main parties, we write to ask that your department works with our Department of Health and legislates in Parliament to ensure this new system for organ donation can be operational as soon as possible.

We understand that the Department of Health has draft legislation prepared which could enable the law to be operational by the spring of 2023.

The powersharing Assembly at Stormont has been suspended from last year as part of a DUP protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said: The Secretary of State is aware of how important this life-saving legislation is to Daithi, his family and people across Northern Ireland, and will meet the family on this important issue.

If an Assembly were sitting, this matter could be resolved swiftly and the Secretary of State asks the Northern Ireland parties to realise the unacceptable impact that the lack of locally accountable political leaders is having on fundamental issues in Northern Ireland.
Oppo has rolled out its first phone of the year, the Oppo A78 5G with a very new and different offer. Oppo tweeted that on buying the Oppo A78 5G from 18th January to 20th January, users can avail of the lucky draw to get the chance to win another Oppo A78 5G or IoTs like the Oppo Enco Buds2, the Oppo M32 or points up to 1000 in MyOppo app. The lucky draw is called the 1st Raffle Sale. Heres how you can avail of this:

First, you need to be a new user of Oppo A78 5G. That means you need to buy an Oppo A78 5G between 18th January to 20th January.

Sign up in the pre-installed My Oppo app in your new Oppo A78 5G.

Enter the 1st raffle page through the My Oppo home page banner.

After that, if you are lucky the winner of Oppo A78 5G then you need to fill in the information in time and youll get the device at your door in a few days.

If you win the IoTs then you are gonna have to get the reward code from the app and show it on the Oppo store to claim the reward.

Points will be directly credited to the user's My Oppo account after the win.

Oppo A78 5G: Specifications

Oppo A78 5G is the first phone launched by Oppo this year. It features a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with 90Hz refresh rate support. The display is protected by Panda glass.

The Oppo A78 5G is powered by the Mediatek MT6833 Dimensity 700 (7 nm) chipset paired with 8GB RAM and it runs on Android 12 OS.

The Oppo A78 5G has a dual camera setup carrying a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, it has an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

It packs a 5000mAh battery and supports up to 33 watts of fast charging. Oppo claimed that it can be charged up to 100% in 67 minutes.

Oppo A78 5G: Price and availability

Oppo A78 5G is available on Amazon and Oppos official website at the price of 18,999. On Amazon, there is also an SBI card offer which gives you a discount of 1,300.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ have been making headlines for the past few weeks, with most of their expected specifications having been revealed. Now, were also seeing specifications of the high-end Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra as well (courtesy of Winfuture, a German website). The smartphone looks similar to its predecessor as far as the design goes, however, the metal frame itself is thicker. As a result, the curvature of the glass on the back and front comes across as less prominent.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specifications (expected)

The following are some of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specifications:

Display: The smartphone will sport a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Infinity-O-Edge Dynamic AMOLED Display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will offer 1750 nits of brightness.

Hardware: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will run on a 3.36GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 4nm chipset with Adreno 740 GPU. It will also offer 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage.

Camera: The smartphone will be equipped with a 200MP primary camera with an ISOCELL HP2 sensor, a 12MP 120-degree Ultra Wide sensor, and a 10MP Periscope lens with 10x zoom. It will also have a 12MP front camera.

Battery: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will come with a 5000mAh battery that has support for 45W fast charging and Qi wireless charging.

Operating System: The smartphone will run on Android 13 with One UI 5.1

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra price

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra price is believed to be $1,299 (which is around 1,05,690).

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
A warehouse in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, was sold for nearly $100 million.

Link Logistics paid $91 million for the 453,600-square-foot building at 800 Willowbrook Road near Lehigh Valley International Airport. The tract sits on the border between Hanover and Allen townships.

Rockefeller Group, the seller, was represented by JLL Capital Markets, which announced the sale Wednesday.

The cross-dock distribution facility was completed in 2022 and features 36-foot heights, four drive-in doors, 90 dock doors, 59 trailer stalls and 264 auto parking spaces. The building sits on 36 acres.

Rockefeller Group is excited to have completed the sale of the final building at Rockefeller Group Logistics Park and looks forward to developing more projects in Lehigh Valley in the future, Zac Csik, vice president of Rockefeller Group NJ/PA Development, said in a statement.

Rockefeller has been unloading buildings along Willowbrook Road in recent years. In April 2021, it sold a 1 million-square-foot building at 951 Willowbrook Road in Allen Township to CenterPoint Properties, an Illinois industrial real estate company, for $201.5 million. The amount is still a Lehigh Valley record sales price for a single industrial building.

In the same month, Rockefeller Group also sold a 291,000-square-foot industrial building across the street at 250 Radar Drive, where Pet Supplies Plus is a tenant, to Denver-based Black Creek Group for $48.3 million.

New York-based Link Logistics owns 63 properties, totaling 21.8 million square feet, in eastern Pennsylvania.

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.
The onus is on Sinn Fein as well as the Irish and British governments to reflect on how victims of Northern Irelands troubled past have been treated, the Irish foreign minister has said.

Micheal Martin was responding to a call by Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald that the two governments should call an urgent summit on dealing with legacy issues.

Speaking after participating in the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin along with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the Tanaiste said legacy had been discussed.

He reiterated that the Irish government had concerns over a controversial Legacy Bill which was progressing through the Westminster parliament, adding that their officials were working with UK officials in terms of the articulation of those concerns.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is opposed by all Stormonts main parties and the Irish government, as well as victims groups in the region, which have denounced it as an amnesty for killers.

But Mr Martin also urged Ms McDonald and her party to reflect on their treatment of victims of terrorism, referencing Sinn Feins links with the Provisional IRA during the Troubles.

He said victims of the IRA had told him they had requested meetings with Sinn Fein over what had happened to their loved ones, but received no response.

Looking forward to the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference at Farmleigh. Lots on the agenda, including efforts to restore the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement ahead of the 25th anniversary, as well as energy and cyber security. pic.twitter.com/Dv3wB7ogSf  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 19, 2023

I would say to the Sinn Fein leader that everyone has an obligation in respect of legacy, including Sinn Fein, he said.

I met with victims last week in Armagh, I met with Wave (a victims group), I was very struck by how some victims sought meetings with Sinn Fein in respect of what happened to their loved ones, and those meetings were not facilitated.

I think there is an onus on all parties, and I met many victims of Provisional IRA violence last week whose cases have not been satisfied, and who have not got detail or closure.

To me, there is a legacy on government, the Irish government, the British government, but also a legacy on those who were lockstep with paramilitaries of the past, a declaration they were one.

I have no objection to people saying we should do this and that but I also think people should reflect on their own position, in respect of how they are honouring the victims of the past, and how theyre dealing with the victims of the past and dealing with legacy issues.

Earlier, Ms McDonald said she had written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Irish premier Leo Varadkar asking that they call an urgent summit on legacy issues.

She also urged that the Legacy Bill be halted.

There are widespread concerns and opposition to British government legacy plans currently being pushed through Westminster, she said.

These very real concerns are shared by victims and families, human rights experts, churches, the UN, and senior officials in the EU and US administration and all the political parties on this island.

The proposed legislation will shut the door on families efforts to achieve truth and justice through the courts and give an amnesty to British state forces who killed Irish citizens.

She said a joint summit would be an opportunity to work together to deliver an agreed way forward for victims.

That is the best way to understand the views of all victims and families, to ensure their legal right to truth and justice is upheld and help the process of healing and reconciliation, she said.

To create space for that dialogue to take place, I have urged the British government to stop the passage of its unacceptable legacy legislation and convene the summit urgently.
A 16-year-old boy fatally shot himself during a standoff with state police Wednesday afternoon in a Berks County home, a day after troopers said he is believed to have fired a rifle during his holdup of a Womelsdorf bank.

Troopers arrived at the home in the first block of Tulpehocken Forge Road in Heidelberg Township about 2 p.m. Wednesday with a search warrant related to Tuesdays robbery of Fulton Bank, 2400 Conrad Weiser Parkway. The home is about a quarter-mile north of Route 422 and less than 3 miles from the bank that was robbed.

Investigators provided this account:

Upon arrival, troopers heard a gunshot from within the residence. The state police Special Emergency Response Team was activated.

SERT team members got into the house about 5:15 p.m. and found the body of the teen. He was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. by a Berks County deputy coroner.

The teen died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a suicide by the coroners office.

Troopers withheld the teens name because he is juvenile. They said he was linked to the armed robbery of Fulton Bank.

Investigators said he entered the bank about 3:50 p.m. holding a hunting rifle in his right hand and a camouflage backpack in his left land. He demanded money from a teller and fired a round in the tellers direction before fleeing.

No one was injured in the robbery.
Louth Library Service will be hosting a talk entitled Co. Louth Cumann na mBan and the Civil War by historian Ailbhe Rogers, in conversation with Louth County Council Historian in Residence Dr Thomas Tormey.

It will be held in Dundalk Library tomorrow, Friday, January 20th at 3pm as part of the Louth County Council Decade of Centenaries Programme.

Ailbhe Rogers is a local part-time historian from Togher, Co. Louth. She holds a BA in History and Nua-Ghaeilge, and an MA in Irish History  both from Maynooth University.

She has published and lectured widely during the Decade of Centenaries on the subject of women during the Irish revolutionary era.

She works as a library administrator in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.She has also made contributions on the subject to various history publications including County Louth and the Irish Revolution, 1912-1923 (2017) edited by Donal Hall and Martin Maguire, published by the Irish Academic Press.

All are welcome to attend, with no booking required.

The talk and discussion can also be watched online.

A space may be saved by scanning the QR code or by clicking on the Crowdcast webpage https://www.crowdcast.io/louthlibraryservice.

The talk can also be view back at a later time.

The event is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.

This talk remains part of our 2022 Decade of Centernaries Programme talks.

The public can contact Dundalk Library at 042-9353190 for further information.
ABOVE: Launching the Cross-Border Trade Conference (L-R) Paddy Malone, PRO, Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, Deirdre Maguire, Manager, Brexit Advisory Service, InterTradeIreland, Sarah Mallon, Project Officer, Louth Enterprise Office at Louth County Council, Una McGoey, President, Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, Edwina Flynn, Vice President, Newry Chamber of Commerce, Colin McCabrey, Director of Trade, InterTradeIreland and Tony McKeown, CEO, Newry Chamber of Commerce.

A major free Cross-Border Trade Conference, jointly hosted by Newry and Dundalk Chambers and with sponsors including InterTradeIreland has been launched for 2023. The conference will be held on Wednesday 8th March 2023 from 9am to 1pm at the Carrickdale Hotel and will focus on future business opportunities in the Cross-Border Economy.

Case studies will demonstrate how businesses, both North and South, have overcome significant challenges, using the supports available to navigate the changes in trade flows and identify opportunities for growth. Public Sector bodies from both sides of the border will set out their priorities for the region.



Julie Gibbons, President of Newry Chamber said: The continued growth in cross-border trade, demonstrates the strong collaboration between business in NI and RoI. For businesses interested in trading cross-border, this is a must attend conference.



It is an exciting time for the Newry/Dundalk regions particularly, as we are set to benefit from hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment through a number of initiatives including the Belfast Region City Deal, Peace Plus Funding and Shared Island Fund Projects.



Una McGoey, President Dundalk Chamber of Commerce said: "This is our 7th conference post Brexit. The stability of the Northern Ireland protocol has allowed businesses on both sides of the border to continue to expand trade between both parts of the island, as is demonstrated by the statistics.



We are determined to build on this by supporting all cross-border organisations and to encourage east west trade with Great Britain as well.



Paddy Malone, Public Relations Officer of Dundalk Chamber said: Our objective is to demonstrate the strength of cooperation that exists within the border economy. Businesses need to plan ahead.



The conference programme includes a number of key specialists who will provide practical advice and support for border businesses. This region is well set to develop given the priority afforded to it from the 2040 Plan, www.M1Corridor.ie and the Shared Island Fund initiatives of the Government.



Kevin Meenan, Cllr. Kevin Meenan, Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Municipal said: This conference is coming at a good time for the area where businesses on both sides of the border have weathered the economic shocks of Brexit and the Covid 19.



It is heartening to see the burgeoning co-operation that exists North and South between businesses and the continued increase in cross border trade.



Cllr Michael Savage, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said: Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is delighted to be one of the principal sponsors of this conference along with key local and cross-border partners working across the area.



Being located at the centre of the Belfast-Dublin economic corridor, cross-border trade and co-operation is as vital in both human terms, as it is in economic terms, to communities on both sides of the border.



This conference offers a vital opportunity to learn more about areas of growing importance for cross-border trade, as well as an overview of the opportunities and supports available to your business."



Margaret Hearty, CEO of InterTradeIreland said: InterTradeIreland is delighted to continue to sponsor the Newry and Dundalk Chambers annual cross-border conference. This years event which focuses on future opportunities in the cross-border economy will provide valuable insights, advice and guidance to businesses who are keen to grow.



Against a backdrop of local and global uncertainty, at InterTradeIreland were supporting businesses to accelerate their export growth potential through our dedicated suite of trade and innovation programmes.



This includes connecting them to an island wide network of partners and academics to broaden and deepen their enterprise innovation and capability, as well as tapping into opportunities available in emerging areas such as the circular economy, advanced manufacturing and transitioning to a low carbon economy.



The conference is also supported by Louth County Council, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Louth Local Enterprise Office and Dundalk Chamber Skillnet. Confirmed speakers include representatives from DKIT, Enterprise Ireland, AIB, Trinity College Dublin, DELI-LITES Ireland and Kaseya. MC for the conference will be Broadcaster & Journalist, Mark Simpson.



The conference is FREE to attend but please register in advance at www.newrychamber.com. OR at www.dundalk.ie/events
Argos is to close all its outlets in Ireland, including its stores in Dundalk and Drogheda, it was announced today.

The stores will remain open to customers until 24th June with aftersales, returns, refunds and exchanges policy will continue to apply until Argos stores close.

Customers in Ireland will no longer be able to place orders via the website or select the home delivery service after 31st March 2023.

Louth TD Fergus ODowd said that the closures were an extremely regrettable decision and said the government would provide assistance to affected employees.

I am very disappointed that Argos have announced their withdrawal from the Irish Market as and from the 24th of June.

This will affect staff in both the Drogheda and Dundalk stores, many of whom have worked for the company for a number of years.

This is an extremely regrettable decision that the company have made, not only for those who have been told their jobs are to go, but also for families involved.

Whilst the company have stated they are engaging with the staff and providing redundancies beyond their statutory obligation, I have nonetheless made contact with the Minister for Enterprise, Simon Coveney, to ensure that the Government provide all possible assistance at this difficult time.

The Mandate Trade Union expressed its disappointment at Argos decision and said the union will engage intensively to get the best possible deal for workers being made redundant.

Mandate official Michael Meegan said :

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here. Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage," he said.

"We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company.

In a letter sent to local politicians, Argos Ireland Operations Manager Andy McClelland said:

We recognise that todays news will be disappointing to our loyal customers and unsettling for our hard-working colleagues, some of whom have served Argos customers in Ireland for many years.

We are committed to supporting our colleagues in any way we can, and we are talking to all 580 colleagues across our 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland about their options.

As part of our consultations with colleagues and Mandate, our recognised trade union, an enhanced redundancy package that goes beyond statutory obligations will be proposed. This proposal includes four weeks pay for every year of service, on top of statutory redundancy pay, which is two weeks pay for every year of service.

Those not eligible for redundancy under Irish Law will be offered a one-off goodwill payment. To further support colleagues, we have also committed to a programme of wider support over the coming months.
Argos is to close all its outlets in Ireland, including its stores in Dundalk and Drogheda the Mandate Union has confirmed.

There are over 30 Argos stores in Ireland. More than 400 workers in Argos stores across the Republic of Ireland will be impacted by the closure.

The union says it will engage intensively to get best possible deal for workers being made redundant

The Mandate Trade Union has this morning expressed its disappointment at Argoss decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here. Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage," he said.

"We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Michael Meegan concluded.
Michael Flatley has said he is on the mend after having surgery to treat his cancer.

The 64-year-old choreographer, best known for creating Irish dancing troupe Riverdance, added that he has been released from hospital.

Flatley told his followers on Instagram: Thank you to everyone around the world for your love and prayers.

I am overwhelmed by your kindness. I have been released from hospital and am on the mend.

In a post last week, Flatleys account revealed he had undergone surgery for an aggressive form of cancer and was in the care of excellent doctors.

Flatley, who was born into a blue-collar Irish-American family in Chicago, rose to fame when Riverdance performed during a seven-minute interval at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994.

A year later, he had a full-length show in Dublin and followed this up with his own stage show, Lord Of The Dance.

He has also created, produced and directed other productions including Feet Of Flames and Celtic Tiger.

Flatley has also expanded into film  directing and starring in the 2018 spy thriller Blackbird.

In the movie, which also stars Eric Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Ian Beattie, Flatley plays former MI6 operative Victor Blackley, who is drawn back into the world of espionage he had left behind.

Last year, Flatley also launched a Lord Of The Dance tour to raise money for the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
Investigators seized stained bedding, strands of what looked like hair and a single glove  but no weapon  when they searched the Washington state apartment of a graduate student charged with stabbing four University of Idaho students to death, according to newly unsealed court documents.

The search warrant for Bryan Kohberger s home and Washington State University office was unsealed by a Washington state judge on Tuesday. Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in connection with the slayings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho.

Investigators did not find anything noteworthy in Kohbergers office at WSU, where he was a teaching assistant and graduate student studying criminology. They took 15 things from his on-campus apartment, including a nitrite-type black glove, cuttings from a pillow with a reddish-brown stain, and a stained mattress cover.

The warrant was unsealed days after a People magazine report that Kohberger had messaged one of the victims on Instagram  and then kept reaching out after she did not respond. Its not clear which student he specifically reached out to, but the account did follow all three female victims on Instagram.

The Washington State University Police Department searched Kohbergers apartment Dec. 30, the same day he was arrested at his parents home in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County.

The Nov. 13 slayings of the four University of Idaho students left many in the community shaken and worried about the possibility of a repeat attack. Police released few details for weeks but repeatedly said they had not located the weapon used to commit the crime.

After Kohberger was extradited to Idaho, documents filed in the murder case showed that police found the sheath of a large knife near one of the victims. The knife itself, however, was nowhere to be found.

Investigators did not seize any weapon from Kohbergers apartment, according to the search warrant. They did take several strands of possible hair, including one identified as a possible animal hair strand. They also took some store receipts, a tag from a company that makes coveralls and other work apparel, and two store receipts. The dust bin from a vacuum cleaner, a computer tower and a Fire TV stick were collected as well.

In the application for the search warrant, Moscow Police Sgt. Dustin Baker said investigators were seeking several kinds of potential evidence, including images of the stabbing victims or their home, data that might indicate an interest in planning murders or violence, anything with DNA and dark clothing and knives.

The court documents do not reveal if the items collected from Kohbergers home contained any evidence related to the murder case.

Kohberger has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea, and Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall has placed the attorneys and other people involved with the case under a sweeping gag order.

Kohberger is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing  where the judge will decide if there is enough evidence to justify the felony charges  on June 26.

The New York Daily News contributed to this report.
Year of the Rabbit: A look into 2023

11:03, January 19, 2023 By Kou Jie ( People's Daily Online

Illustration: Kou Jie/People's Daily Online

When the Chinese zodiac changes from one animal to the next, it is time to celebrate the lunar new year, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. On January 22, 2023, the year of the Rabbit will officially begin.

Almost the whole world over you'll find people with a fondness for rabbits. They are found in many different culture's mythologies, artworks, and everyday lives. Through Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel, "Alice in Wonderland" comes the enduring image of the white rabbit that continues to be referenced in pop culture to this day. In 1938, the fictitious character Bugs Bunny became a super star worldwide, and in 1955 Miffy the Dutch rabbit gave him a run for his money as the number one leporine pop culture phenomenon. At the turn of the millennium, a Chinese artist created a sluggish bunny meme called "Tuzki" which quickly went viral. Rabbits are revered in China as symbols of good fortune, prosperity, and a long and happy life, so there's reason for optimism and hopes for a bright future in 2023.

In honor of the Chinese New Year and the upcoming Year of the Rabbit, the People's Daily Online has created a series of rabbit themed cartoons to help our readers prepare for the year ahead and learn about Chinese New Year customs.

We wish you a bountiful year of the bunny!

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Wu Chengliang)
The body of Jennifer Brown, a 43-year-old Limerick Township woman who had been missing since Jan. 3, was found partially buried at a location in Royersford late Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.

Unfortunately, I have to announce that we have found Jennifer Brown who we have been looking for and she is dead. Unfortunately, she has been located out in Royersford and weve been able to confirm that it was her, so our thoughts and prayers go out to Miss Browns family and friends at this time, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele revealed during a 5 p.m. news conference at the county detective bureau in Norristown.

Steele did not reveal more specific details about the Royersford location where Browns body was discovered nor about what led investigators to that location.

I can tell you that she was at least partially buried. I can tell you its in Royersford and its a scene that they are working right now. Thats going to probably go well into the night. Im not sure when Im going to have updates for you on that, Steele told reporters. What I can tell you is thats going to be an ongoing investigation.

Authorities said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.

Jennifer Brown has been missing since Jan. 3, 2023.

Brown, who lived on Stratford Court in Limerick, was last seen at 2 p.m., Jan. 3 by a friend and business associate, authorities said previously.

Brown, according to authorities, was scheduled to pick up her son from a bus stop the following afternoon on Jan. 4, but did not show up. Her vehicle was parked outside of her home and her car keys, wallet, purse and work cellphone were found inside the residence, authorities said.

Browns personal cellphone had not been found and had not been communicating since the morning of Jan. 4, authorities previously revealed.

We have been engaging in an intensive investigation. I cant tell you how many people have worked through this and have helped in this case to try to locate her. We hoped and prayed that she would be safe and she is not, said Steele, who was joined at the news conference by First Assistant District Attorney Edward F. McCann Jr.

She was a mother who was last seen on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at her home in Limerick. Friends and family have not heard from her since that day. She was a devoted mother of an 8-year-old boy and by all accounts she would have never left him unattended and unsupervised. Her personal belongings were still at her house, Steele added.

In the days after Brown went missing, her family offered a $15,000 reward for information about her whereabouts. Friends and family of the woman also held a candlelight vigil and created a Facebook page to share information.

Steele previously said authorities had received hundreds of tips from the general public.




Higher feed prices unease Vietnam's pangasius farmers

The price of pangasius feed in Vietnam has continuously increased in recent times, and local pangasius farmers are now facing the risk of loss.

By the end of 2022, seafood export turnover was expected to reach US$11 billion, bringing Vietnam into the top three seafood exporting countries in the world. There are also hopes that the domestic animal and aqua feed production industry will soon grow with the output of export products.

Dong Thap and An Giang provinces in the Mekong Delta are considered cradles for raising pangasius and basa fish for export throughout Vietnam.

With COVID, pangasius farmers have been seriously affected, and the increased prices of feed add to the challenges.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, director of Chau Thanh Seafood Production and Service Cooperative in Dong Thap Province's Chau Thanh District, said that in 2021-2022, the price of pangasius fluctuates from 21,000/kg to 22,200/kg.

Although the selling price of fish is higher than before, farmers are unable to make a profit as the price of fish food has increased many times, thus pushing up the cost of raising fish.

In localities with large shrimp farming areas such as Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Kien Giang, farmers are concerned that shrimp prices tend to decrease but the price of aquafeed still increase. A shrimp exporter in Soc Trang said that high feed prices are one of the factors pushing Vietnam's shrimp farming costs to be the highest in the world.

According to shrimp farmers, the price of shrimp fluctuate erratically while the price of feed, accounting for about 70% of the cost of shrimp farming, only rose.

Tran Van Viet, director of Thanh Cong Industrial Shrimp Farming Cooperative in Ca Mau Province's Dam Doi District, disclosed that of the 10 shrimp farmers present, nine of them buy food on credit.

The price of animal feed is currently over 350,000 (US$15.05) a bag, an increase of nearly 80,000 (US$3.44) compared to a previous period.

- SGGP
For Matt Small, it was to be a joyful Christmas and a reunion in Ireland with his family, but after falling critically ill with sepsis, hes now fighting for his life in a Dublin hospital.

His heart rate is too fast, his blood pressure is too high, and hes still on a ventilator, his mother, Sandra, said in a call Monday morning.

The Smalls, of Levittown, Bucks County, are living a nightmare, hopeful but still on edge about Matt, a 2020 graduate of Bucks County Technical High School.

At one point, he was so ill that doctors raised the possibility that he could need a heart transplant to survive, his mother said.

The Smalls  Sandra; her husband, Falls police Det. Greg Small; Matt; and their younger son, Mark  arrived in Dublin just before Christmas Day. They traveled to Sandras mothers house in County Mayo, where theyd spend the week celebrating. They planned to return Jan. 2.

But a bug was going around. Greg got it first, then Sandra. They were sore, achy and tired. Greg thought he was coming down with a cold, Sandra said. Then a day later she felt the same way, and spent the day in bed.

Both rallied, as Matt went out with his cousin to celebrate their January birthdays. He returned late.

It was raining and hed walked home from town, so he got out of his wet clothes and hopped into bed, she said.

The next day he was feeling poorly. Aches and chills.

I told Matthew, You got whatever we got,  she said.

He seemed to improve Dec. 30, but Matt decided not to go out to dinner with the family. Instead, he stayed home warming himself by the fire. He was asleep when they returned.

A couple of hours later, things turned bad, she said.

He came to me late and said, Mom, I cant breathe. 

What?

I cant catch my breath, he told her.

It was midnight. She drove him to a hospital emergency room in Castlebar, 30 minutes away. Twenty people were ahead of them. She pleaded with the staff for someone to check Matt. An hour later, they still waited.

His lips were blue and his fingertips were turning purple, she said.

She went to a nurse and said, Were going to be doing CPR on him on the floor soon if somebody doesnt come and check him.

They took him back right away. Things deteriorated.

He couldnt talk. I had to answer all of their questions for him, she said.

Matts blood oxygen was so low it triggered a staff emergency response.

Two minutes later I had two doctors and three nurses rushing into the room, then rushing him to a resuscitation room. After that there were blood tests and hooking him up to machines, she said.

He was taken to an intensive care unit.

I thought, well, theyll put him on antibiotics for 48 hours and well just have to change our flight plans from Monday to Tuesday, she said.

Then a shock.

Within a half hour, they came out to me and said they were putting him on a ventilator, she said.

Bucks County resident Matt Small, 21, is fighting for his life in a Dublin, Ireland, hospital after falling ill during a trip to see family over the holidays. Doctors call him the sickest person in Ireland.

His lungs were not absorbing enough oxygen. Her husband and younger son, Mark, arrived. Ten minutes later, Matt was on a ventilator. It was New Years Eve. They havent heard him speak since.

Then came a stunning update from the doctors. He was in complete organ failure. They were putting him on a dialysis machine.

They told us he had only hours, she said. He wasnt pulling enough oxygen. They described his lungs as like your kitchen sponge when its soaked with water and cant absorb any more. They said that was Matthews lungs with infection. The oxygen couldnt get through.

Matt was suffocating.

It was minute to minute, hour to hour, she said.

All they could do was wait.

For the next 10 days, I didnt know if I would be bringing my son home in a wheelchair or in a coffin, Sandra said.

Pneumonia was the first diagnosis, and it crashed his immune system. Then strep invaded. That allowed other infections in. Doctors have been playing whack-a-mole with one infection after another while trying to keep his vitals stable. Tests revealed small pockets of pus throughout his body, as his beleaguered immune system tries to fight more infections, Sandra said.

Hes been back and forth between hospitals in Castlebar and Dublin. COVID was ruled out early, as was the flu. Hed had his one-and-done COVID shot and a booster last year. Hed gotten his flu shot for work.

He did everything he was supposed to do, his mother said.

Its a roller-coaster. Early on, Matt went into organ failure and was put on dialysis. There was discussion of a heart transplant. Then he improved for a stretch of days. The ventilator came out last week and he came off dialysis. Then his vitals tanked, and it was back to the beginning, ventilator and trach. Hes been heavily sedated since.

One of the doctors came to me and said, I know this sounds heartless, but your sons an anomaly,  Sandra said. That hes 20 years of age, hes in perfect body shape and health, and this literally has knocked him on his [tail]. In the medical field, were all going to learn from this. As of today, he is listed as the sickest person in Ireland, with his infection levels and treatments to keep him alive.'

On Jan. 7, Sandra returned to her mothers house. She couldnt eat or sleep or drink. She walked around the property.

I kept thinking should I have taken him to the hospital sooner when he came down with it? Would that have made a difference? But we had the bug and got over it, and we thought thats all it was, she said.

In the house, she went to the bed where Matt had slept. His things were where he left them. His things were as he left them.

I put on his jacket, and his wool hat. It had all his hair and beard oils that I usually cant stand, but I was really sucking them in so I could remember, and I thought what was I to do?

She picked up her phone and posted to social media pleading for prayers for her son.

Because I need to bring him home healthy, she said.

Within an hour she was inundated with responses. One of Matts high school friends posted to him, You have half the Catholic Church praying for you.

The next day, Matts numbers improved.

There is power in prayer, Sandra said. The doctors went from talking that he had hours, and now they are talking about what to expect months down the line.

Its still touch and go. There are no guarantees. But his youth and gym fitness are his biggest assets, the doctors have told the Smalls. He would not survive a flight home at this time, Sandra said.

A neighbor launched a GoFundMe page seeking $50,000. Matt remains in Dublin, in an ICU, and while Ireland has socialized medicine, its only to a point, Sandra said.

Not only will there be medical bills, and physical therapy (He will spend months learning how to walk again, Sandra said) but living expenses are big. Renting a car in Ireland, due to insurance costs, can run tens of thousands of dollars.

Matt went to Queen of the Universe school in Middletown. Hes an Eagle Scout from Troop 82 at Our Lady of Grace in Penndel. His project was building fire cooking pits at the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad in memory of a member who loved to barbecue for the crew.

He went to Tech, then to Bucks County Community College where, last month, he received his associate degree in graphic design. He works in Bristol as a designer. When you see a U-Haul truck in Lower Bucks, think of him, because he designs their logos. He loves riding his Harley Dyna.

Through the ordeal, he recognizes his mothers voice.

Can you squeeze my hand, she asks him bedside. He squeezes.

He can hear me, she said.

Matt turned 21 on Monday. A bit of good news came, Sandra said.

The nurses decorated his hospital room with balloons and well-wishes.

The nurse told me she went to him this morning and said, Good morning, Matthew, I believe its your birthday  Happy Birthday! And she said he smiled.
In the weeks before four students were found dead inside a residence near the University of Idaho, suspect Bryan Kohberger messaged one of the victims on Instagram  and then kept reaching out after she did not respond, according to a new report.

Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at Washington State University, was arrested in December for the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. They were all found fatally stabbed on Nov. 13 at a home the female victims shared with two other people in Moscow, Idaho.

Weeks earlier, an account authorities suspect belonged to Kohberger attempted to connect with one of the women he would allegedly go on to kill, a source familiar with the investigation told People. The first message landed in her inbox in late October. It was a seemingly friendly greeting  but they kept coming.

He slid into one of the girls DMs several times, but she didnt respond, the unidentified investigator said. Basically, it was just him saying, Hey, how are you? But he did it again and again.

Bryan Kohberger, right, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, appears at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho.

Its not clear which student he specifically reached out to, but the account did follow all three female victims on Instagram.

Police previously said theyd been looking into whether Kohberger had stalked the victims before their grisly deaths, according to court documents. A motive for the murders remains unclear.

Kohberger was taken into custody at his family home in Pennsylvania after weeks of eluding law enforcement officers. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge for allegedly entering the home with intent to kill. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Earlier this month, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy probable cause hearing. He is due back in court in June.
Apple discontinued its original HomePod smart speaker a few years ago. Now, we have a sequel. The company has resurrected the bigger unit with upgraded audio, a more powerful chip, more smart home abilities and, importantly, a lower price. The overall design, however, is mostly unchanged. Some will think its still a little pricey at $299, however.

The HomePod has room-sensing tech, so it can read sound reflections to determine its position (near a wall or in free space) and adjust the audio in real-time. Theres also Spatial Audio support. But the most interesting updates are its smart home tools. First, a feature called Sound Recognition can monitor for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send an alert to your iPhone if it hears one. This tool will be available in a software update "later this spring." Since the new smart home standard Matter is (almost) everywhere, the 2023 HomePod can connect to and control gadgets compatible with it. Apple added that any smart home communications are end-to-end encrypted by default, and the company can't read them.

The new HomePod is available for pre-order now and ships February 3rd. However, if youre looking for something a little different, you could wait for a hub-styled smart home device. The latest rumors suggest Apple is working on an iPad-based device to go up against the likes of Google and Amazon.

 Mat Smith

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It could be announced during Google I/O.

According to developer (and well-sourced leaker) Kuba Wojciechowski, Google's Nest team is developing a tracker codenamed Grogu. It'll reportedly include an onboard speaker, as well as support for Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband (UWB). Wojciechowski found evidence of the tracker when he noticed Google added support for locator tags in the developer hub for Fast Pair, the Android feature that quickly connects Bluetooth devices. Wojciechowski says the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro both shipped with UWB modules, which would allow them to direct you to nearby objects accurately.

Continue reading.

It says the program 'has not grown to create the impact' it was hoping for.

Amazon plans to wind down AmazonSmile, its giving program for buyers to donate to their favorite charities with every purchase, by February 20th, 2023. Apparently, the program's ability to make a meaningful impact was hampered by it having over a million eligible organizations worldwide. Donations were apparently spread too thin. According to Bloomberg, the company donated almost $500 million to charities over the past 10 years through AmazonSmile. Still, the average amount per charity was apparently only $230 due to the sheer number of participating organizations. The cynical approach is that Amazon is axing the program to help with its own cost-cutting. Surely some charitable donation is better than none?

Continue reading.

Robot, fetch me my tools.

Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics showed off more of its Atlas robot's stunning agility and dexterity in a new demo video, delivering a tool bag to a human at the top of some scaffolding. This is more a demonstration of some of the robots new control capabilities, and a fun connection to our prior work, Scott Kuindersma, Atlas team lead, said. Our hope is that, if we can build the foundational technology that allows us to easily create and adapt dynamic behaviors like these, we should be able to leverage it down the road to perform real, physically demanding jobs. The robot flips off the scaffolding at the end, too.

Continue reading.
Some cars seem oddly well-suited to Uber (Toyota Prius, anyone?), but the company is now taking things a step further. Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi told guests at a Wall Street Journal event that his firm is now teaming up with car manufacturers to design EVs with ridesharing and deliveries in mind. Rideshare cars will ideally have lower top speeds to reduce costs, as well as passenger seats that face each other to promote conversations. Delivery vehicles, meanwhile, might have two or three wheels (to help navigate city streets) but loads of trunk space.

Khosrowshahi didn't say which automakers were involved, or provide a timeline for when optimized EVs might be ready. Uber said in 2021 that it was partnering with Arrival on custom electric taxis, but that was before the startup scrapped its automotive projects in favor of vans.

Uber is no stranger to promoting electrified rides. The company launched Uber Green years ago, and lowered prices last spring. More recently, it expanded the option of hailing all-electric rides to two dozen US cities. The company has also made EVs more accessible to some drivers by making Tesla and Polestar cars available to rent through a deal with Hertz. This latest effort could further widen access by lowering the price of entry and speeding up deliveries.

The service is under pressure to transition to EVs quickly. Internally, it plans to go pure-electric in some regions by 2030, and in cities like London by 2025. Governments in Europe, the UK and North America will also ban sales of combustion engine cars as early as 2035. The more drivers willingly adopt EVs, the fewer headaches Uber is likely to encounter in the years ahead.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
NEWS FLASH





Croatia Airlines celebrated three decades of flying between Zagreb and Vienna this Tuesday. On January 17, 1993, the Croatian carrier inaugurated the service, with the airline now maintaining two daily rotations between the two capitals. Croatia Airlines has been offering flights from Vienna to Croatia for thirty years. Currently, they operate a total of fourteen flights per week. This flight connection strengths the close tourism connection between Austria and Croatia and Viennas role as an international hub. Joining the Schengen zone will simplify the journey for passengers flying via Vienna Airport on flights from and to Croatia in the near future. I am pleased about this decision which strengthens the freedom of travel within Europe, the joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, Julian Jager, said. Croatia Airlines Area Manager for Central Europe, Mato Radic, noted, I am pleased that we are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary on the Vienna - Zagreb route and would like to warmly thank our partners at Vienna Airport for the high-quality collaboration which has existed over the past three decades. The Austrian market is a very important one for Croatia Airlines. This cooperation enables our passengers to benefit from suitable transfer options to destinations throughout the entire world when they arrive at Vienna Airport. At the same time, we also offer the fastest connection from Vienna to Croatia for passengers from Austria all year long.


Wizz Air will base its fourth aircraft in Belgrade this summer, launch five new routes and increase frequencies on existing popular services. The carriers Acting Network Officer, Evelin Jeckel, spoke to EX-YU Aviation News about the airlines upcoming expansion and operations on the Serbian market. In Serbia we still mostly see diaspora, but I would say there is a growing trend in leisure destinations. If you look at the routes that we have introduced, for example Zakynthos, thats clearly a leisure destination. We are looking at covering both as much as we can. I think its an evolution but clearly the trend is going more towards leisure but still the bulk of it is VFR [visiting friends and family]. Wizz Air will base its fourth aircraft in Belgrade this summer, launch five new routes and increase frequencies on existing popular services. The carriers Acting Network Officer, Evelin Jeckel, spoke to EX-YU Aviation News about the airlines upcoming expansion and operations on the Serbian market. In Serbia we still mostly see diaspora, but I would say there is a growing trend in leisure destinations. If you look at the routes that we have introduced, for example Zakynthos, thats clearly a leisure destination. We are looking at covering both as much as we can. I think its an evolution but clearly the trend is going more towards leisure but still the bulk of it is VFR [visiting friends and family].





Commenting on its competition with Air Serbia, which swiftly reacted to Wizz Airs latest Belgrade expansion by increasing frequencies on competing routes, Ms Jeckel said, Competition from Air Serbia does not impact us that much because our cost base is much lower, so we are happy with the set-up and competition is always good. It keeps us on our toes, and it is an upside for customers because they have greater choice. Overall, when I saw Air Serbias reaction and frequency increases, I thought to myself - we chose the right routes - and that was very clear. I was happy with that. We are always happy to compete. As long the cost base is low its always fine to compete.





Ms Jeckel explained that the new routes being introduced in late July and early August could not be launched earlier due to constraints relating to the delivery of new aircraft. The start date is driven by our aircraft deliveries. Overall, from my perspective, I would have loved to have started earlier than that, but simply we must plan based on when we get the aircraft. During the 2023 summer season, Wizz Air will serve 28 routes from the Serbian capital. The carrier currently counts 120 employees in the country and has handled over six million passengers on its flights since launching operations out of Belgrade in 2010.





Under a decade ago, Wizz Air noted that Belgrade Airport had become the most expensive in its destination network, while in late 2018, just before VINCI took over as concessionaire, the carriers CEO, Jozsef Varadi, told EX-YU Aviation News, I think the significant issue in Belgrade that has hindered our development there is the cost of the airport relative to its peers. It is a high price airport, and we need to see costs coming down. We will see what VINCI brings to the table. Four years later, Ms Jeckel notes relations have significantly improved. We have a very good relationship with the airport now. With the charges scheme that they have now, they have created a level playing field as much as possible and we are very happy with their support and our relationship with them overall. I have no complaints at the moment, Ms Jeckel said.





Evelin Jeckel, Wizz Air's Acting Network Officer

Wizz Airs Network Officer noted that the airline did not expand in Belgrade over the past few years as much as some neighbouring markets due to new opportunities opening up as a result of the pandemic. During Covid, we used the opportunity to expand in places like Abu Dhabi, massively in Italy, as well as Albania, where we didnt have an entry point before. Thats where our capacity went, and we spread ourselves very thin in some other markets. Traffic was down, so we could allow ourselves to do that. We took out frequencies and aircraft and put them elsewhere. This is how we grew the network during Covid. This is nothing to do with the potential of the market rather that we had a window of opportunity in other markets and thats where we used the capacity. What the company is trying to do now is densify its operations. This is the outcome of what you see in Belgrade - adding the extra aircraft. We are now backfilling a lot of capacity and increasing a lot of capacity in some of our existing core markets.




THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- By the time they're teenagers, babies born prematurely may be getting poorer school grades than their non-preemie peers.

Researchers found that babies born before 34 weeks of pregnancy had lower scores on math and language tests during their teen years compared to kids born at 40 weeks.

However, the study did not find a significant difference in later brain function in babies born between 34 and 39 weeks and those born at 40 weeks, according to the researchers, who included Anders Husby, an epidemiology researcher at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark.

For the study, Husby's team used data from siblings to study the impact of gestational age, while taking into account hereditary and maternal intelligence. The investigators focused on nearly 793,000 children born in Denmark between 1986 and 2003 who had at least one full sibling.

The results were published Jan. 18 in the BMJ.

The research team used nationwide registry information to analyze gestational age at birth. They also considered exam results at age 15 to 16. Separately, they analyzed the results of intelligence tests taken by more than 227,000 brothers around age 18, at mandatory military conscription.

The study authors took into account other potentially influential factors, such as sex, birth weight, parental age and educational level at birth, and number of older siblings.

Of the nearly 6% of children born before 37 weeks, only those born before 34 weeks had significantly lower than average math scores than those born at 40 weeks. Grades progressively decreased with increasing prematurity, the researchers reported.

For written language, only children born at less than 27 weeks' gestation had a significantly lower than average grade, the investigators found.

The military conscription test scores also showed markedly lower test scores for those born before 34 weeks.

Those born after 34 weeks had a less than one point reduction in IQ compared to those born at 40 weeks. Those born between 32 and 33 weeks had a 2.4-point IQ reduction. Being born at 28 to 31 weeks meant a 3.8-point reduction and before 27 weeks meant a 4.2-point reduction.

Cognitive outcomes are not, however, predetermined at birth but are heavily influenced by social circumstances and nurturing, and this is why early intervention is warranted for children born early preterm, the authors said in a journal news release.

About 15 million infants are born before 37 weeks' gestation worldwide each year. The final weeks of pregnancy are significant for fetal brain development, the study team noted.

Because this is an observational study, it cant establish cause and effect. Other limitations include lack of data on smoking during pregnancy.

The findings stress the need for more research into how these adverse outcomes can be prevented, the study authors concluded.

In an editorial that accompanied the report, Seungmi Yang and colleagues pointed out that parents should be reassured that the magnitude of these differences is not always substantial, particularly for those born at later gestations. Yang is in the department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health in the faculty of medicine and health sciences at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

The causes of preterm birth are complex and poorly understood, and efforts to identify and improve on other socio-environmental factors could be a more successful approach to mitigating any associated neurocognitive deficits, the editorial said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on preterm birth.

SOURCE: BMJ, news release, Jan. 18, 2023
A Santa Fe district attorney will announce Thursday whether charges will be brought in the fatal 2021 film-set shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of the Western movie Rust.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said a decision will be announced Thursday morning in a statement and on social media, without public appearances by prosecutors.

The announcement will be a solemn occasion, made in a manner keeping with the offices commitment to upholding the integrity of the judicial process and respecting the victims family, said Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded by a gunshot during setup for a scene at the ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins death, described a degree of neglect on the film set. But he left decisions about potential criminal charges to prosecutors after delivering the results of a yearlong investigation in October. That report did not specify how live ammunition wound up on the film set.

Taking control of the investigation, Carmack-Altwies was granted an emergency $300,000 request for the state to pay for a special prosecutor, special investigator and other experts and personnel.

Baldwin  known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live  has described the killing of Hutchins as a tragic accident.

He has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun that was handed to him on set. Baldwin, also a co-producer on Rust, said he was told the gun was safe.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during rehearsal for a scene, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the gun, which discharged.

New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator determined the shooting was an accident following the completion of an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports.

New Mexicos Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has levied the maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions, based on a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on set prior to the fatal shooting.

Rust Movie Productions continues to challenge the basis of a $137,000 fine by regulators who say production managers on the set failed to follow standard industry protocols for firearms safety.

The armorer who oversaw firearms on the set, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, has been the subject of much of the scrutiny in the case, along with an independent ammunition supplier. An attorney for Gutierrez Reed has said the armorer did not put a live round in the gun that killed Hutchins, and believes she was the victim of sabotage. Authorities said theyve found no evidence of that.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition at the movie set on the outskirts of Santa Fe  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appeared to be live rounds. Industry experts have said live rounds should never be on set.

In April 2022, the Santa Fe Sheriffs Department released a trove of files including lapel camera video of the mortally wounded Hutchins slipping in and out of consciousness as an evacuation helicopter arrived. Witness interrogations, email threads, text conversations, inventories of ammunition and hundreds of photographs rounded out that collection of evidence.

State workplace safety regulators said that immediate gun-safety concerns were addressed when Rust ceased filming, and that a return to filming in New Mexico would be accompanied by new safety inspections.

The family of Hutchins  widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros  settled a lawsuit against producers under an agreement that aims to restart filming with Matthews involvement as executive producer.

Rust was beset by disputes from the start in early October 2021. Seven crew members walked off the set just hours before the fatal shooting amid discord over working conditions.

Hutchins death has influenced negotiations over safety provisions in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers and spurred other filmmakers to choose computer-generated imagery of gunfire rather than real weapons with blank ammunition to minimize risks.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Snow this morning will give way to lingering snow showers this afternoon. High 36F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 19F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Photo by Eric Seidle/ For the Daily Montanan).

The Department of Public Health and Human Services should specify a plan for the $71 million it wants legislators to approve in the directors office budget, a lawmaker and medical association director said Tuesday.

Nursing homes are closing in Montana, and the Governors Office has proposed spending more money to help Medicaid providers, including that $71 million.

But without details, including how much of those dollars are one-time-only as opposed to ongoing, Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, said providers will face uncertainty.

The people that suffer are the people who have the services, and thats why Im so concerned, Caferro said.

At the joint subcommittee on Health and Human Services meeting, she also said it would be unprecedented for the legislature to agree to appropriate that much money without seeing details in advance.

It would give me a great deal of comfort to know what Im voting on, Caferro said.

Brian Hannan, with the governors budget office, said the legislature can receive regular reports on spending, and it has in the past. Caferro said she appreciates reporting, but seeing line items only after theyve been spent isnt usually the order of events.

If this (request from the Governors Office) is approved, then the executive will be the appropriator, not the legislature, and thats unprecedented, Caferro said.

In response, Health Department Director Charlie Brereton said the agency has presented budget plans, ones related to the recent study of provider rates. But he said he was committed to repackaging the information in a way that makes sense for the subcommittee.

Weve been very clear about what we intend to do with this funding, Brereton said.

The Health Department is the largest state government office, and division heads have been presenting their budgets to the subcommittee this legislative session.

Funding for strapped facilities that care for seniors is part of the discussion. DPHHS has acknowledged that Medicaid reimbursement rates are too low, and it commissioned a rate study, released in the fall.

The Governors Office is proposing to fund a portion of the increase the study recommended for nursing homes. The Health Department has characterized the $25 million in one-time funds  part of the $71 million  as a significant and historic infusion of funds.

However, the Montana Health Care Association has said the total increase still falls well below actual costs, and providers wont receive money until at least July 1, 2023. In the meantime, 11 facilities have closed in Montana, others are struggling, and costs are growing.

The presentation from the directors office noted the $71 million for the biennium was made up of $25 million in general fund dollars and nearly $46 million in a federal match.

At the meeting, Rose Hughes, executive director for the Montana Health Care Association, said she didnt normally speak up about funding connected to the directors office.

But since there were provider rate increases in the directors office, thats why Im standing here, said Hughes, representing nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in-home care agencies.

Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, took public comment only at the end of the four-hour meeting.

He dismissed DPHHS Director Brereton for public testimony, and the director said he had an obligation and left. Before he left, however, he said he would provide information.

We are striving for transparency, Brereton said earlier in the meeting.

In her testimony, Hughes said the budget clearly spelled out other sources of funds for providers, and in a specific way.

However, she said the $70 million was dumped into a line item, and one without a lot of parameters  and without your ability to specifically appropriate into the individual programs that are supposed to be receiving the money.

Thats a problem because providers need to know if they will be helped financially, she said. She encouraged the committee to appropriate the money specifically.

There are providers out there on the verge of closing, Hughes said. And theyre wanting to know what youre going to do and what their rates are going to be.

The post Lawmaker, health care rep, call for transparency on $71M in DPHHS budget appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Rick Santorum, the Republican former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and once-presidential candidate, testifies on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in favor of a measure that seeks to add Montana to a list of states that want to make an Article V Convention to write amendments to the U.S. Constitution. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Rick Santorum, the former U.S. Republican senator from Pennsylvania and once-presidential candidate, led testimony Wednesday in favor of a joint resolution seeking to add Montana to a coalition of states that wants to make amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Another 26 proponents of Senate Joint Resolution 2 spoke after him  saying they were fed up with the federal government and the U.S. Congress. They said they are calling for a balanced federal budget, term limits for Congress and the federal government, and limitations to the federal governments power.

Its gotten worse, and worse, and worse. It is time for us to act. It is our power; it is our duty to act, said resolution sponsor Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings.

Seventeen others testified in opposition to the resolution in the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee, despite several of them sharing similar grievances about the federal government.

At the start of public comment, committee Chairman Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, said he wanted to offer Santorum a couple of extra minutes to testify.

I would like to give the first proponent five minutes just due to the fact that they came in from a long ways away, said Small. Then after that, we will cut testimony to three minutes.

Don Lepinsky of Whitehall, who testified in opposition, said he wondered if the resolution was being pushed by out-of-state interests in what he called a corral of propaganda.

At best, this call for a convention is political theater. At worst, this could be an opportunity for want-to-be oligarchs to undermine our democracy and individual liberties, he said. Who knows how this resolution will evolve?

McGillvray sponsored a similar measure in 2021, which was tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was blasted to the Senate floor in a 26-24 vote but then tabled again.

This years measure seeks to make Montana the 20th state to request Congress call a convention of states, which would work to come up with amendments to the constitution to send back to the states to vote on.

How Article V works

Under the U.S. Constitutions Article V, 34 state legislatures (or two-thirds of current states) would have to apply to Congress, which the constitution says shall call a convention if that threshold is met.

It is an alternative method to amend the constitution that has never been used. All 27 amendments made to the constitution were proposed under the commonly used method through Congress.

Since the Article V Convention has never been used to make amendments, and the constitution does not detail the process, there is uncertainty about how exactly amendments would be proposed, who would attend the convention, and if there would be a limited scope of amendments that would be considered.

An analysis of the Article V Convention from the Congressional Research Service says there is a minimalist interpretation of the article, in which Congress would call the convention, arrange the procedure of the convention and then stand aside.

But the report also says there are other interpretations that say Congress should exercise broad authority over the convention process.

Those different interpretations showed up throughout Wednesdays hearing.

Different opinions and ongoing questions

McGillvray seemed to interpret Article V as saying legislatures could propose the amendments at a convention.

When we see federal power run amok, when we see dysfunction in federal government, it is our duty to propose amendments under Article V, he said.

Santorum, a senior adviser for the Convention of States Project, which is pushing states to pass these resolutions, decried what he said was the president and courts having more power at the expense of Congress.

He said the federalist system and original constitution created by the nations founders had been chipped away at  especially after the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913 and gave voters, instead of legislators, the power to elect U.S. senators.

Santorum said the separation of powers in the federal government had eroded, and that presidents and the U.S. Supreme Court have too much power  which he believes can be fixed by states applying for an Article V Convention.

Youre at the bottom of the food chain, but thats not where you belong, he said. Article V is your power, and if you dont use it and this country fails, its on you.

Many gathered around Santorum after the hearing to snap pictures and try to chat.

Both proponents and opponents gave their interpretations of discussions at the constitutional convention and in the Federalist Papers as reasons why their arguments were correct.

Joe Hoseck, a proponent from Great Falls, argued a convention was the last safe, nonviolent and constitutional solution for the problem of our Republic.

Several opponents of the resolution, including multiple members of different county Republican central committees, said they agreed to some extent that the U.S. Constitution was not being followed.

Some, however, said they worried a runaway convention could move to make multiple amendments outside of what some proponents pushing these measures across the country say is their scope.

Last summer, the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices found the Convention of States Political Fund violated state campaign practice laws for not disclosing money it spent in Republican primaries, as the Montana Free Press reported. Another complaint filed in August was dismissed.

The Koch Brothers have funded Convention of States efforts outside of Montana, as Esquire previously reported.

Following public testimony Wednesday, questions asked by senators on the committee from both parties showed even they were uncertain how the process would work.

McGillvray and Santorum each fielded questions from members about who they felt would control such a convention, how delegates would be assigned and how many there would be, and if each state would get one vote or several based on their number of Electoral College electors.

Sen. Willis Curdy, D-Missoula, told Santorum he was not following his line of reasoning in how the convention would vote and that others had testified to the contrary.

What youre saying here doesnt conform to what I read about what folks who propose a convention are saying, Curdy said.

McGillvray said what issues will be proposed or discussed should be left up to the 34 state legislatures which would agree to call a convention.

We have to have faith that ultimately men and women who take an oath to propose amendments for the salvation of this nation will do it right, McGillvray said. Its, in a sense, likely our last resort.

The post Questions abound at hearing on Montana resolution seeking Article V Convention appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Those interested in studying a topic within agriculture or the wider industry are being urged to apply for next year's Nuffield Farming Scholarships.

With around 20 Scholarships awarded each year, successful applicants are provided a substantial bursary to fund travel to study their chosen topic.

Applications tend to be from those working across the farming, food, horticulture, rural or associated industries.

A Nuffield Farming Scholarship brings fresh insight and ideas that inspire change and drive the industry forward.

Mike Vacher, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, explains the important role that Scholars play, especially during times of change.

Nuffield Farming Scholarships provide a unique opportunity within the food and farming industry," he explained.

"Not only do Scholars undertake an in-depth, global study about a chosen topic, but they are also in a unique position of influence to share these findings with the wider agricultural community and show the way forward."

In light of the uncertainty surrounding travel and other restrictions, the Trust says it will support Scholars to ensure they are able to make the most of the opportunity.

What are eligibility requirements?

When applying for a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, applicants are encouraged to begin the process well ahead of the 31 July 2023 deadline.

 Applicants must work within the farming, food, horticulture, rural and associated industries or are in a position to influence these industries.

 Applicants must be aged between 22 and 45 years (the upper age limit is 45 on 31 July in the year of application).

 There is no requirement for academic qualifications.

 Applicants should be well-established in their career, demonstrate a passion for the industry they work in and be three years post-tertiary education.

 Candidates must be resident in the UK and hold a UK passport or be working directly for UK agriculture.

 The Trust seeks people with very special qualities.

 Scholarships are not awarded to anyone in full-time education or to further research projects.
The best farm attractions in the country have been highlighted as part of an award ceremony held by the National Farm Attractions Network.

The body, which has over 200 members nationally, celebrated the best in the business in its annual awards, held on Wednesday (18 January) in Harrogate.

Awards were presented to winners from across the country from Scotland to Reading, Yorkshire to Bedfordshire, Cumbria to Worcestershire.

The Jim Keetch Farm Attraction of the Year, for more than 75k visitors per year, went to York Maze, based in North Yorkshire.

Created from over one million living, growing maize plants, York Maze is the largest maze in the UK.

Judges were impressed with the range of facilities, value for money, good staff interaction, ease of booking and great atmosphere on site.

They highlighted the adoption of new technology and the attention to detail on customer service.

The Jim Keetch Farm Attraction of the Year, for less than 75k visitors per year, was awarded to Hastys Adventure Farm, Clacton-on-Sea.

Judges said the importance and investment in staff training was evident on the site along with capital investment and attention to improvements in accessibility. The activities were described as "excellent".

Award host, TV presenter Jules Hudson presented the awards: Im so impressed by the high standard of entries to this years awards which reflects the innovation and ambition of the sector.

"It was a tough decision for the judges and on behalf of NFAN, Id like to thank them for their time and effort. Its a real honour to present these awards to such worthy winners.

Paul Kelly from British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA), who judged the biggest award of the night, said: One of my highlights of 2022 was the opportunity to visit the finalists in the large attraction category.

"Without exception it was a pleasure to be in locations that are so focused on the enjoyment of the customer.

"This years standard was the highest I have seen since I have been asked to play a part in the judging process.

"All those involved should be very proud to be shortlisted and the winners achievement should be proudly displayed for all to see.

Ian Doughty, of Turpin Smaile catering consultants who judged Best Food and Beverage said the quality of the food and hospitality entries was very high.

"The innovative continuous development on menus and services from the finalists was outstanding. The use of local suppliers and produce is to be commended.

"Scoring each of the four finalists was not easy, they all demonstrated a passion for their food services."

Other award winners

 Best Food and Beverage Award: Winner Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Scotland and runners up Mead Open Farm, Bedfordshire and Walby Farm Park, Carlisle.

 Best Digital Presence - Winner: Dalscone Farm Fun, Scotland and Runner-up: Piglets Adventure Farm, York.

 Best Trade Supplier - Winner: Regency Purchasing Group, Weston-super-Mare and Runner-up: Timberplay Ltd, Sheffield.

 Best Retail Award: Winner Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Scotland and runners up Mead Open Farm, Bedfordshire

 Day Maker: Winner Kittisak (Bon) Tathong, 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park and Family Farm, Berkshire and Runner-up: Craig Barnes, White Post Farm, Newark

 Best Event: Winner Matlock Farm Park and Runner-up: Cockfields Farm, Greater Manchester

 Sustainability  new category for 2023 - Winner: All Things Wild, Worcestershire and Runners-up: Williams Den, East Yorkshire and West Lodge Farm Park, Northamptonshire
UK food company Moy Park has unveiled a new scheme that will monitor and track greenhouse gas emissions in real time at individual farm level across its entire farming base.

The project is the first of its kind in the poultry industry and will see Moy Park tackle Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions that occur in a companys value chain.

The firm, which has 13 production sites across the UK and Europe, will be using a unique farm carbon calculator to examine emissions farm by farm.

Partnering with IT provider MTech Systems and carbon footprint experts SAC Consulting utilising their Agrecalc platform, the carbon calculator is a tool that uses real data across all metrics to capture, benchmark and track changes in emissions.

This real-time carbon foot printing will then be used to drive improvements across Moy Parks supply chain such as new investments, farming practices and training.

Unveiling the scheme, Justin Coleman, agri business and live services director at Moy Park said the importance of a project like this "cannot be underestimated".

"Tackling emissions across the farming sector is one of the biggest opportunities we have to make a difference and through this real-time carbon foot printing across our farming base we can deliver real, tangible change.

The calculator allows us to visualise real emissions in each of our farms, determine where we can help our farmers to make practical improvements and create new efficiencies and processes as we strive to lower emissions together.

"This really is a visionary project and will act as a key enabler on our waterfall to net zero journey and create a better future.

Julian Bell, Agrecalc business development lead, said the project uses digital data systems to connect company-wide carbon reduction targets to action on the ground - 'farm by farm, flock by flock'.

"Access to better information will support management changes and carbon reduction across the company. We hope this best-in-class approach also helps inspire others to tackle scope 3 emissions.

The project is the latest step in Moy Parks commitment to achieving net zero emissions.

Last year the firms pathway to tackle Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions developed alongside the Carbon Trust, was validated by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
Two years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democrats in New Mexico is a violent reminder that the false claims about a stolen election persist in posing a danger to public officials and the countrys democratic institutions.

While no one was hurt in the Albuquerque attacks, this latest outburst of political violence underscores how election denialism has become deeply embedded across much of the country and how it is driving grievance-filled anger over the nations politics and officeholders.

Over the past year, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was seriously injured in an attack in his home by an assailant who said he was sick of the lies coming out of Washington D.C., election workers were intimidated and harassed, and prosecutors won convictions in a plot to kidnap Michigans governor.

Further sign of the unrelenting threat came this week when authorities arrested a Republican candidate for the New Mexico House who had refused to accept his loss in last falls election. Police said Solomon Pena hired four people to shoot at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers.

I think we are really entering a new era where political rhetoric has gotten so heated and people with mental health issues or extreme conspiratorial viewpoints on the world have resorted to political violence, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, who took office Jan. 1, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

He wants the Legislature to address political violence and said he plans to talk with the secretary of states office about ways to shield some information about elected officials or candidates from public disclosure.

Torrez noted that other countries have become destabilized when extremists use threats and intimidation rather than work through the institutions of government. He said such violence is destabilizing and needs to be dealt with forcefully.

It is a threat to the very fabric and foundation of a democratic republic, he said.

Lies by former President Donald Trump and his allies about the 2020 presidential election led to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as threats and harassment against state and local election officials. The insurrection in Washington also contributed to a drop in confidence in election results among Republicans.

Some election deniers ran last year for offices that oversee elections, as well as for governor and attorney general  all losing in battleground states. The turn to violence in New Mexico suggests the lasting impact of the campaign by Trump and his allies to discredit the 2020 race he lost and sow doubt about how elections are run.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the allegations horrifying and shocking, adding the Biden administration has emphasized the dangerous ways in which conspiracy theories and disinformation can lead some individuals to violence.

A large segment of Republicans, 58%, still believe Democrat Joe Bidens victory in 2020 was not legitimate, according to an October poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Pena, a 39-year-old felon and self-proclaimed MAGA king, faces multiple charges in the Albuquerque-area attacks on the homes of two state lawmakers and two county officials, including one house where a 10-year-old girl was asleep. Pena had refused to accept his landslide loss in November when he won just 26% of the vote in a state House race in Albuquerque against the longtime Democratic incumbent, Rep. Miguel P. Garcia.

Pena parroted Trumps rhetoric, claiming without evidence that the House race had been rigged against him. There has been no evidence of fraud or widespread problems in New Mexicos election.

Pena, who is being held without bond, appeared briefly in court Wednesday on charges that include multiple counts of shooting at a home, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He spent nine years behind bars after his arrest in April 2007 for stealing electronics and other goods from several retail stores as part of what authorities described as a burglary crew. He was released from prison in 2016, and had his voting rights restored after completing five years probation in April 2021, corrections officials said.

Pena did not speak at the hearing, and a message to his attorney was not immediately returned.

The New Mexico Republican Party said in a statement that Pena should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if he is found guilty.

There also was no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines in the 2020 election, and Bidens win was affirmed after exhaustive reviews in the states where Trump disputed his loss. Dozens of judges  including some appointed by Trump  rejected lawsuits by Trump and his allies challenging the outcome, and Trumps own attorney general, William Barr, said the fraud claims were bogus.

Despite that, the conspiracy theories surrounding the presidential election have prompted a surge in threats and harassment of state and local election officials.

Cases like the one in New Mexico might seem random but are not, said John Farmer Jr., director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and a former New Jersey attorney general.

They are the logical endpoint of this culture of challenging the legitimacy of our democratic processes, he said.

Farmer said curbing that kind of political violence depends in part on filing the most serious charges possible and aggressively prosecuting cases.

David Levine, a fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy and a former elections official in Idaho, said extremism fueled by anti-democratic figures and conspiracy theories is an acute threat. He advocated for better information-sharing among intelligence and law enforcement agencies as well as changes to state laws to remove provisions that could be exploited by those seeking to spread election misinformation.

Congressional proposals to increase penalties for threatening election officials failed to advance last year, leaving state officials looking to their legislatures for support. Seven bills have been introduced so far in five states to protect election workers and their staff, according to the Voting Rights Lab, which tracks voting-related legislation in the states.

In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Democratic legislative leaders announced plans this week for several election-related bills, including ones to increase penalties for threatening, harassing or revealing private information about election workers and for pressuring election officials to act illegally.

We must do more to protect the people who protect democracy, Benson, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Concerns of political violence have been growing in recent years.

Last month, the co-leader of the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the 2020 election was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whitmer, a Democrat, was not harmed. Prosecutors said the defendants were upset about restrictions related to the COVD-19 pandemic and perceived threats to gun ownership.

In California, prosecutors said the assault of Paul Pelosi was part of a plot to kidnap the Democratic congresswoman and that the suspect also planned to target other politicians.

Members of Congress have seen a sharp rise in threats in the two years since the insurrection. In Kansas, a trial began this week for a man prosecutors say threatened to kill a Republican congressman.

New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, whose home was among those targeted in the recent shootings, said he was relieved by the arrest.

These are the things that can happen when the rhetoric gets out of hand, he told reporters on the opening day of the Legislature. Anyone who takes the plunge to participate in our democracy, to get into the process, should never have to encounter that type of violence and have that kind of fear.

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan and Morgan Lee in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Colleen Long in Washington, D.C.; and Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston contributed to this report.
Chinas cotton imports from the US soared to new highs in 2022. The US had imposed a ban on cotton and cotton products originating from the Xinjiang region of China in June 2022, which led to a steep rise in cotton imports by China.

China had imported cotton worth $1.601 billion in 2021 and imports reached $2.899 billion in the first eleven months of 2022. The inbound trade increased to $1.604 billion in 2020 against imports of $731.486 million of 2019. Chinas cotton imports were worth $1.063 billion in 2018 and $980.245 million in 2017, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro.

China's cotton imports from the US soared to new highs in 2022. The US had imposed a ban on cotton and cotton products originating from the Xinjiang region of China in June 2022, which led to a steep rise in cotton imports by China. As per the latest data, China's imports soared to $2.899 billion in January-November 2022 against $1.601 billion in 2021.

Chinas imports were $1.744 billion in the first half (H1) of 2022 against the inbound shipment of $470.466 million in H2 2021, $1,130.774 million in H1 2021, $1,071.074 million in H2 2020 and $530.622 million in H1 2020, as per TexPro.

Last year, cotton prices skyrocketed in the global markets due to low production and a rise in consumption. It prompted Chinese importers to turn to the US. As the US has banned cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of the country, Chinese textile industry has no option but to import cotton from the US to maintain its exports of textile products to the worlds largest economy.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti is expecting her first child in March.

So, too, it turns out, is the Pennsylvania state Senate.

Cappelletti will be the states first sitting senator to give birth while in office, and thats prompted some logistical questions. What does maternal leave for a sitting senator look like? What resources should the Capitol nurse have on hand for her?

My [colleagues] have been wonderful, but the first response is Oh, weve never had to deal with that before,' Cappelletti said. And Im like, Well, this is where were at now.'

Cappelletti, elected in 2020 to represent parts of Delaware and Montgomery Counties, is part of a growing group of women in the legislature, which this year reached a high-water mark for female representation.

This session, 79 women are serving in the General Assembly, or about 31%, the most in state history and double the number of women serving in 2010.

Pennsylvanias legislature now ranks 29th in the nation in terms of female representation, the highest ever for the state, according to analysts at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Pennsylvania has ranked in the bottom 12 states through 2018, a Democratic wave year that brought the single largest year-over-year increase in women in the state legislature since at least 1975, according to Rutgers.

Still, the statehouse is far from gender parity, and obstacles to women entering politics and rising to leadership positions remain.

I dont know what the magic number is, said Debbie Walsh, the director of the center, but I think it is a value added to the legislature, and its a value added to the process, and its a value added to the citizens of the state to have womens voices heard and represented in the room.

The latest legislative session started with a glass ceiling broken in the Senate  Republican Kim Ward became the first woman elected Senate president pro tempore. Democrats had plans to elect State Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, the first female and second Black state House speaker until a chaotic session in Harrisburg ended with the chamber elevating State Rep. Mark Rozzi to the position.

Its a little bit like one step forward, one step back, said Dana Brown, director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University. But Brown noted McClinton will still lead her party, even if shes not leading the chamber.

I think its so important for the people of the commonwealth to see that women arent just running and winning, theyre leading, Brown said. And to me, it just opens up other doors and other opportunities for women, whether local or state government.

The gender split by party

Women are evenly split between the two parties in the state Senate, with eight from each. In the state House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority, Democratic women outnumber Republican women, 36-28. Overall, though, Democrats have a better record electing women to statehouses nationwide  about two-thirds of the women serving in state legislatures are Democrats.

Walsh said the GOP has historically lagged the Democratic Party in representation partly because the Republican Party traditionally rejected identity politics, making efforts to elevate women more complicated.

Its a fallacy to think its a level playing field and that you dont need to do anything out of the ordinary to recruit and support women and people of color, Walsh said.

But that, too, could be changing. Nationally, Republicans have increasingly emphasized elevating women into leadership roles, Walsh said, and women were responsible for flipping the majority of seats across the country from blue to red in 2020.

In Pennsylvania, women have moved into prominent leadership roles across state government in recent years. Judge Debra Todd became the first female chief justice for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after Chief Justice Max Baers death in October. Republican Stacey Garrity was elected treasurer in 2020.

Asked about her history-making moment in the Senate, Ward told The Inquirer last month that she became Senate president pro tempore because I worked hard, not because Im a woman. But I do hope it shows young women, including my grandchildren  theres nothing beyond their reach.

Ward stressed that legislatures are best when they represent a diverse variety of experiences. She is a breast cancer survivor who wrote legislation to make it easier for women to get early-detection screening procedures. One in eight women get breast cancer. . . . Thats a lot of women, Ward said. So that is like my fight because it affects so many families, women, people around Pennsylvania.

Barriers to entry

In a December interview, McClinton reflected on her time in Harrisburg, which began in 2013 when she was an aide to State Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia. At the time, the 50-seat Senate had only eight female senators.

The makeup of the legislature and its staff has since changed, she said, but barriers still exist for women, particularly in fundraising. McClinton said organizations that aim to boost women seeking political office have closed some of the gaps.

They do a great job of supporting women who, like myself, are professional, are accomplished, but just dont have the donor book, she said. She said young men in politics who have been mentored by other men may get connected to donors who can write hefty checks. For McClinton, she said, it wasnt that easy.

Other women in the legislature said seeking office can be especially challenging for caregivers, whether of aging parents or younger children. Ward ran for Senate when she was 52 and her children were grown.

I think it does make women hesitant, she said. Its hard to be away from your house, and you have to be away from your house a lot. But she also said she sees that changing as she looks at colleagues with children at home.

Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Bradford/Wyoming, is one of the longest-serving women in Harrisburg, having been in the state House for more than two decades. When she first took office in 2001, she was one of just 27 women in the 203-member House.

Shes since ascended to leadership, including chairing the House Gaming Oversight Committee and throwing her hat in the ring this year to be considered for the speakership, though she and most of the caucus ultimately backed Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar, R-Somerset.

Pickett, who was a small-business owner prior to becoming an elected official, said fundraising has long been a key challenge for women  a tradition she said is slowly changing.

You look back 25 years and a lot of the folks that are in a position to be able to [donate], major leaders of companies and things like that, they were largely men, she said. But women executives are much more prevalent today, so thats a big change.

Studies have shown women often have a harder time fundraising and have to work harder to overcome gendered biases about whether they can raise money or win elections.

Its really just this overall question of viability, Brown said. Parties talk about viability, donors talk about viability  thats a question that always hangs over women candidates heads a little different than it does male candidates.

While women are just as likely to be elected as men, fewer jump in the ring to run in the first place. Cappelletti said when she was first approached to run, she declined. She later talked with a mentor from law school who told her women have to be asked several more times than men do before they agree to run for office.

We are engendered to believe, Its not my time. I dont know if Ive earned this,' Cappelletti said.

Since entering office, shes become the minority chair on the busy State Government Committee. During a heated debate about abortion rights last year, she publicly talked about having two miscarriages and advocated for the importance of abortion access, which can affect women who have miscarried. Shes also working on legislation to mandate three sick days following miscarriages.

Its like Ruth Bader Ginsburg said.  When will there be enough? When were all women?' Cappelletti said. I just think its so terribly important that we have a variety of views.

Cappelletti is looking ahead to a busy session  and to March, when her daughter is due. Theres been discussion of making arrangements for her to tune in to meetings virtually if need be.

Both sides of the aisle have been very accommodating with me working to start a family and understanding that this is new, she said. Were getting a younger generation in here and these are things we have to work through together.

Staff writer Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article.

(c)2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sri Lanka is aiming to slash 7 per cent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its industrial sector by 2030 under the Accelerating Industries Climate Response in Sri Lanka project, which is a five-year initiative designed to help the countrys industrial sector transition to a low-carbon future. The project is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and funded by the European Union under the Global Climate Change Alliance.

The project was launched in mid-2022. It is led by the countrys ministry of environment, ministry of industries, and ministry of power and energy.

Sri Lanka is aiming to cut 7 per cent GHG emissions in its industrial sector by 2030 under the Accelerating Industries' Climate Response in Sri Lanka project, a five-year initiative to help the industrial sector transition to a low-carbon future. The project is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and funded by the EU.

In a recent meeting in Colombo, Sri Lankas leaders from across industry met to explore short and long-term energy solutions amidst Sri Lankas worst ever energy crisis. More than 100 participants heard from experts and shared their insights into how the economically important industrial sector can move towards more sustainable energy use, according to UNIDO.

An exhibition at the event showcased Sri Lankas Energy Savers, people in industry and government who are already helping improve energy use. Those attending were invited to nominate other Energy Savers whose efforts should be recognisedand who could inspire others to take action.

There is considerable potential for reducing industrial energy waste in Sri Lankas manufacturing sector by deploying cost-effective technology and management practices. To harness this potential, Sri Lankas National Cleaner Production Centre and UNIDO trainers will guide a group of around 70 Energy Savers through an internationally recognised training course on energy management systems.

By the end of the one-year course, participating companies can expect to be on-track to slash up to 25 per cent from their energy bills. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will have a new cohort of energy consultants able to advise more companies on how to reduce energy waste and save money.

The industrial sector employs 30 per cent of the national workforce, so its essential that we future proof this sector, said minister for industries, Ramesh Pathirana.

By decoupling Sri Lankas industrial development from the use of imported fossil fuels, we can avoid energy crises in the future and help slow down global climate change, said Naseer Ahamed, Sri Lanka's minister for the environment.

Every transformational story needs people who will take on a challenge, run with it, and make change happen. Sri Lankas Energy Savers are exactly that: courageous industry leaders and energy practitioners determined to help the country slash industries energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions. I look forward to seeing more Energy Savers emerge as the initiative progresses, said Nicholas Dehod, project manager for UNIDO.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2023) - Lendified Holdings Inc. (TSXV: LHI) (the "Company" or "Lendified") announced today that, further to the Company's news releases dated November 23, 2022 and December 15, 2022, the Company has been advised by its secured creditors of the sale of the secured assets that were seized by such creditors under the Personal Property Security Act (Ontario) for gross proceeds of $1,470,703.98. Such assets largely consist of loan portfolios. Following the sale of such assets by the secured creditors, the Company's subsidiaries remain indebted to such secured creditors in the aggregate of approximately $5,042,000. Eoghan Bergin, Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company, will be joining the purchaser of the assets in order to facilitate an orderly transition. In this regard, Lendified has agreed to provide, if required, certain transition services to the purchaser. Mr. Bergin will remain as an officer and director of Lendified. The sale of assets included certain intellectual property; as a result, the Company may ask for the approval of its shareholders to change its name at the next annual meeting of shareholders, if and when such meeting is called by the Company.

With the sale of these assets, the Company no longer has an operating business, and will not write any new business in relation to its former lending activities. The Company is in the process of transitioning its stock exchange listing to the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company will move to the next stage of discussions with its creditors to settle the remaining debt and determine solutions to enable the Company to carry on in some form in the future, including, among other things, the conversion of outstanding indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries. There can be no assurances that it will be able to do so, or that such discussions will be successful, either on terms acceptable to the creditors and to the Company or at all. It is not expected that the Company can continue as a going concern in its present form without an infusion of capital. There is significant doubt as to whether the Company will be able to source any such needed capital. Additionally, in an effort to address the Company's liquidity situation, the Company has terminated its remaining workforce. The Company will update the market as such matters progress. Investors are cautioned to consider carefully the Company's liquidity situation when considering trading in the Company's securities.

Further Information

For further information regarding Lendified, please contact:

Eoghan Bergin, Chief Executive Officer and Director

1-844-451-3594

eoghan.bergin@lendified.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan, "estimate", "expect", "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, whether the Company can successfully negotiate a solution to any additional debt owing to the secured creditors following the sale of the seized assets, any of which could cause results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Many risks are inherent in the industries in which the Company participates; others are more specific to the Company. The Company's ongoing quarterly filings should be consulted for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Management assumes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151697
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2023) - Moss Genomics Inc. (CSE: MOSS) ("Moss" or the "Company"), a consumer genomics and gut microbiome company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is pleased to announce that its common shares have been approved for listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and will commence trading at market open on Thursday, January 19, 2023 under the stock ticker symbol "MOSS".

Moss provides comprehensive and affordable, at-home genetic and microbiome testing paired with personalized wellness reports and offerings to promote total gut, mind and body health. The Company's services include health reports, personalized food and nutrition recommendations, and a social media platform that allows customers to form communities based on their specific health needs. The Company's current and anticipated products can be found in the "Shop" section of its website.

"We are thrilled to be going public and to have the opportunity to expand our reach and impact in the health and wellness industry," said Karl Cahill, CEO of the Company. "Moss has created an online healthcare and technology platform integrating labs, services and products in a shared economy. This listing affords investors the opportunity to join us on this unique journey. This is just the beginning for our company as we continue to develop and bring to market innovative solutions that leverage our genetic blueprint and microbiome to optimize human health."

For further information concerning Moss and its business, please view the Company's long form prospectus dated December 13, 2022 (the "Prospectus") and CSE listing statement dated January 16, 2023 (the "Listing Statement") supporting Moss's listing on the CSE, as well as the Company's website at www.mossgenomics.com. Copies of the Prospectus and Listing Statement are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Moss Genomics Inc.

Moss Genomics Inc. is an emerging consumer genomics company that offers personalized health, anti-aging and wellness offerings guided by genomic, microbiome, and epigenome data. The Company intends to eliminate barriers in healthcare by offering easy-access, at-home, affordable testing paired with easy-to-understand actionable results.

For further information, please contact:

Karl Cahill

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Email: info@mossgenomics.com

Telephone: 604-629-5974

TikTok: GutHealthTok | Instagram: MossGenomics | LinkedIn: MossGenomics

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to anticipated product offerings, the objectives and development of the Company, as well as the impact of the CSE listing on the prospects of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151835
TOKYO, Jan 19, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that fully-fledged operations and business activities have begun at Eisai Israel Ltd., a pharmaceutical sales subsidiary recently established in Tel Aviv in the State of Israel (Israel). Eisai Israel is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eisai's European regional headquarters, Eisai Europe Ltd.Israel's pharmaceutical market reached 5.3 billion USD in 2021.1 The compound annual growth rate of the Israel pharmaceutical market from 2018 to 2021 was +8.56%1 and the market is expected to continue to grow steadily, with a high penetration rate of innovative medicines.In 2011, Eisai Europe started business in Israel marketing and selling Eisai products through local distribution partners, and mainly marketed Lenvima, Halaven, Fycompa and Inovelon. Eisai Israel was established in August 2021, and in January 2023, became the marketing authorization holder of the Eisai products in Israel. Eisai Israel will now perform sales and marketing activities for these products. The company plans to launch its other global brands in the future.With the commencement of operations at Eisai Israel, Eisai aims to utilize its own drug sales system in Israel, deliver innovative new drugs to more patients in Israel as quickly as possible, and contribute to improving the benefits of patients and their families.Media Inquiries:Public Relations Department,Eisai Co., Ltd.+81-(0)3-3817-5120Source: EisaiCopyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.

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.




TOKYO & LONDON, Jan 19, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today launched a new European-focused brand marketing campaign, dubbed BetterWithOmotenashi. The eye-catching campaign visuals highlight the company's distinct proposition, Japanese heritage, and its focus on being a valuable service-led brand, dedicated to providing customer excellence. Developed in collaboration with the global B2B marketing and branding specialist agency, Transmission, the new campaign showcases unique themes and striking illustrations. These are tied to JCB's expertise and brand values, and mark the start of a refreshed and transformed brand identity for the payments giant across Europe.As a prestigious payments brand in Japan and across Asia, JCB is focusing its efforts on increasing international brand awareness amongst its key target audience, including acquirers and merchant partners across the European region. Launching across key regions, including the UK, Germany and France, the campaign emphasises the Japanese principle of omotenashi, JCB's business ethos of placing importance on the highest standards of hospitality, care, support and understanding. Through these principles, which are at the heart of JCB's approach to partnerships, the company hopes to build a refreshing and unique way of doing business in Europe.An initial brand audit and benchmarking process found that JCB Europe had strong brand equity in the following four areas:- Asian cardmember insights and specialism- Bringing a valuable customer base to acquirer and merchant partners- Collaborative customer-centric partnerships based on trust and reliability- A strong commitment and dedication to Japanese business principlesBuilding on these research insights, the BetterWithOmotenashi campaign positions JCB as a global payments brand, with a valuable cardmember community, combined with the company's intrinsic business focus of its omotenashi principles.To bring the campaign to life and differentiate it from the photography-led campaigns of other payments brands, JCB and Transmission partnered with renowned British illustrator and artist, Brian Grimwood, to develop bespoke illustrations, invoking the brand's heritage and focus on service through care and understanding.Following a successful test phase in Q4 2022 across social media and programmatic advertising, JCB is now launching the full rollout of the campaign across online business, financial and payments industry media.Ray Shinzawa, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "JCB offers a truly distinctive proposition for our partners across Europe to tap into Asian consumer spend and build their business, differentiating ourselves through a 60+ year track record of reliability and expertise, combined with our unique focus on Japanese principle of omotenashi. Through this campaign, we are showing our prospective audience how JCB delivers the highest standards of customer care, support and protection, providing seamless, trusted payment experiences to our partners and Cardmembers alike."Victoria Perea-Usher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "We are increasing our marketing efforts across Europe, and have a razor-sharp mandate on building a more valuable brand for our business partners. This transformational commitment for a refreshed brand identity starts with BetterWithOmotenashi. We want our audience to internalise JCB's core values and remind themselves that we will continue to build on our mission, one trusted partnership at a time. In fact, our new brand campaign was curated and created with, and for, our business partners across Europe."To find out more about BetterWithOmotenashi, click here: https://www.thepaymentshub.net/better-with-omotenashi/About JCBJCB is a major global payments brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 41 million merchants around the world. JCB issues cards across various countries and regions internationally with more than 150 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/MEDIA CONTACTS:JCB International (Europe) Ltd.Diana Lee: Dlee@jcbeurope.euJCB (Head Office in Japan)Ayaka Nakajima: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Kaneka Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Minoru Tanaka)(TOKYO:4118) has decided to increase its GMP*1 manufacturing capacity for mRNA*2 in Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. (Headquarters: Liege, Belgium; President: Lieven Janssens), a wholly owned group company in Europe. We plan to start operation sequentially from the end of 2023 with a capital investment of 2 billion JPY and a production capacity that is around 5 times higher than the current capacity. Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. will grow as a leading company of biopharmaceutical CDMO*3, responding to the vigorous global demand for mRNA.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006042/en/

Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. building (Photo: Business Wire)

mRNA, which has been rapidly implemented in vaccines against COVID-19, is expected to be applied not only to vaccines for other infectious diseases but also to therapeutics for genetic diseases, cancer and so on. The demand for GMP manufacturing of mRNA will increase drastically with the active development of biopharmaceutical pipelines by pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. is a CDMO for biopharmaceuticals inspected by the US FDA*4 and has world-class technology for producing plasmid DNA*5 and GMP manufacturing track records of over 25 years. They provide plasmid DNA, recombinant proteins, oligonucleotide*6 and so on as drug substances for pharmaceutical companies worldwide. In addition, Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. has started GMP manufacturing services for mRNA since 2020, and this capacity expansion will be utilized to expand the CDMO business.

Regarding the priority area of Health Care, Kaneka will continue to provide solutions globally for health issues through the growth of its biopharmaceutical business.

*1. GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice): A system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. *2. mRNA: An RNA molecule that is transcribed genetic information of protein synthesis from DNA. It is expected to be used as vaccines and therapeutics. *3. CDMO: Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization. *4. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): US governmental agency dealing with approval and supervision of violation of products which may be used by consumers in their daily life such as pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, medical devices, veterinary drugs and toys. *5. plasmid DNA: A general term for circular DNA molecules that exist outside the nucleus of bacteria such as E. coli and yeast, and that are passed down to daughter cells through cell division. It is conventionally used in processes for producing biopharmaceuticals such as therapeutic proteins and has been applied to genetic medicines and vaccines in recent years. *6. Oligonucleotide: Short polymeric sequences of nucleotides (RNA or DNA). It is used as drug substance of nucleic acid therapeutics.

[General description of Kaneka Eurogentec S.A.]

Headquarters: Liege, Belgium

President: Lieven Janssens

Description of business: Manufacturing and sales of proteins, nucleic acids and peptides for medicinal, diagnostic and basic research uses

Established: 1985

Capital: 31 million euros

URL: http://www.eurogentec.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006042/en/

Contacts:

KANEKA CORPORATION

Investors Public Relations Department

Chika Harada

Info_PRoffice@kaneka.co.jp
Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2023) - Last week, Beijing Handian Pharamceutical held an expert seminar about "Application of traditional Chinese medicine under the new situation of global health." At this meeting, the company invited a number of experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to discuss the company's latest research efforts, and the popularization of Chinese medicine around the world.

The seminar first showcased the company's contribution to social health during the global pandemic. Handian Taiyangshenzhu (HD1) was an anti-plague prescription discovered by Handian Pharmaceutical in its early studies. At the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Hubei in early 2020, doctors used HD1 decoction. In the following two years, the company successfully completed pharmacology and toxicology studies of HD1, as well as pharmacodynamics studies in cooperation with Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. A series of studies have shown that HD1 is effective, safe and reliable. In May 2022, HD1 was approved by the Beijing Municipal Drug Administration as a hospital preparation. During the peak of the epidemic in December 2022 in Beijing, HD1 was prescribed by doctors in the Handian TCM hospital and widely used.

Then, the seminar discussed the main reason that traditional Chinese medicine is hardly used in other countries. And in the last part, the seminar focused on how to use modern scientific research technology to study Chinese medicine, and standardize and normalize Chinese medicine to make this ancient wisdom benefit the world.

Beijing Handian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise integrating production, education and research. The company takes "Sincerity of Great Physician" as its core concept. While adhering to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine and inheriting classics of traditional Chinese medicine, it exerts its own scientific research strength and combines modern science and technology to develop a variety of classic Chinese patent medicines. The company combines the ancient wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical technology to make it reborn in a modern society. It is easier to be accepted by more countries and cultures and contribute to social health.

The company also launched Handian Pharmaceutical International Health Platform last year, which facilitate the doctors from Handian TCM hospital to give the patients diagnosis, treatment and prescription.

Contact Handian TCM

Bai Xiaoteng

Email: baixiaoteng@handian.com

Website: http://www.hdzy.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151720
ScottHall.co, a digital content marketing and SaaS scaling consultancy, launches a new guide detailing security considerations for WordPress websites.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2023) - The latest guide from ScottHall.co comes in response to the increasing frequency and complexity of cyber attacks throughout 2022. The consultancy has recognized the widespread use of WordPress for business websites, and now suggests several steps that can be taken to improve security.

More details can be found at https://scotthall.co/website-security-best-practices-wordpress-edition





WordPress Business Website 2023 Cyber Security Guide Launched By ScottHall.co



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/151867_0049eff224487bba_001full.jpg

As ScottHall.co explains in the new piece, the WordPress content management system (CMS) is now used on over 40% of websites around the world, including almost 15% of all Fortune 500 companies. Given such a significant footprint, the consultancy believes that the guide will be helpful in protecting more businesses.

The release of the new guide was motivated, in part, by the significant growth in cyber attacks this year. According to a mid-year security report from Check Point Software, the first six months of 2022 saw a 42% increase in cyber-attacks globally. Ransomware remains the leading threat, with state-sponsored activity also becoming more prevalent.

As part of the guide, ScotHall.co aims to dispel the myth that WordPress websites are more vulnerable to security breaches. The company offers several easy-to-apply techniques that will improve website security. These include creating strong and unique usernames and passwords, customization of login URLs, and adoption of 2-factor authentication.

ScottHall.co also highlights the role that human factors can play in effective cyber security. The consultancy suggests that employee education and accountability should form part of every company's data protection policies.

The new report from ScottHall.co adds to its ongoing series covering a broad range of business software tools and marketing techniques. Other recent releases include a detailed report on Google Screened, the advantages of business media publications, and YouTube Ads' best practices. In addition to content, the agency offers multimedia digital content marketing campaigns focused on SEO and brand awareness.

Scott Hall, founder of ScottHall.co, says, "With the ever-increasing number of cyber-attackers every day, it's rumored that WordPress-powered websites are more prone to hacking compared to other CMS websites. We discuss all the best website security best practices you should follow to ensure you achieve maximum security for your WordPress business website."

Additional details are available at https://scotthall.co/website-security-best-practices-wordpress-edition

Contact Info:

Name: Scott Hall

Email: scott@scotthall.co

Organization: ScottHall.co

Address: 60 West 23rd St. Suite 638, New York, NY 10010, United States

Website: https://scotthall.co

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151867
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The minutes of the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting is due on Thursday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.30 am ET, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office is slated to issue producer and import prices for December. At 4.00 am ET, the European Central Bank releases euro area current account data for November. The current account deficit totaled seasonally adjusted EUR 0.4 billion in October. Half an hour later, the Bank of England releases Credit Conditions Survey results. At 7.30 am ET, the European Central Bank is scheduled to release the account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council held on December 14 and 15. Copyright(c) 2023 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.
Open architecture, non-standalone roaming, nation-state attacks, ransomware, and the need for more industry collaboration are among the major 5G security challenges that operators must address in the year ahead



ROME, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityGen, the award-winning global provider of security solutions and services for the telecoms industry, today announced its cybersecurity priorities for telecom operators in 2023.





"As 5G's global footprint increases, the number of cyber threats targeting 5G increases as well," said SecurityGen co-founder and CTO Dmitry Kurbatov. "In 2023, operators must be aware of the range of these threats and take necessary steps to properly defend their networks, protect their customers, and safeguard their operations and revenue."

Kurbatov identifies the main factors shaping the risks and threats that operators must prepare for in the year ahead as follows:

1. 5G related challenges

5G is open for integration - but also open to attack

Unlike previous mobile network generations like 3G and LTE, 5G is designed from the ground up to be flexible and open for integration with multiple external systems. However, the same open architecture that enables this flexibility and easy integration can also make 5G vulnerable and exposed to threats and hidden vulnerabilities.

The challenge for operators is to maximise 5G's advanced functionality and interoperability while also recognizing this vulnerability and minimizing the threats arising from 5G's extra openness compared to previous network generations.

Beware of roaming traffic from non-standalone 5G

As operators deploy more 5G networks and more users purchase 5G smartphones, the volume of roaming traffic between 5G networks increases. But the majority of this extra roaming traffic goes through non-standalone 5G networks which still use unsecure legacy technology for their core networks, including signaling protocols such as GTP and Diameter, which have proven to be hackable in recent years.

Without proper security measures in place, 5G is vulnerable to threats originating from non-5G networks carried in non-5G network traffic - but which are able to damage and disrupt 5G services.

2. Cyberattacks from hostile states and organized crime

Telecom networks are critical national infrastructure, which makes them high-value targets for cyberattacks, especially during times of conflict and heightened geopolitical tensions. The growing use of mobile - especially 5G - for connecting and remote monitoring of everything from energy grids and automated factories to smart cities and transport systems, amplifies the damage and disruption that an attack on an operator's network could inflict. Mobile's importance also makes it a target for organized crime groups to launch financially motivated attacks of their own aimed at operators or their subscribers.

3. Operators as high-value targets for ransomware

The number and frequency of cyber-attacks such as ransomware and phishing show no signs of slowing down. The threat of ransomware is already well known: however in 2023, expect the bad actors behind them to become more advanced and more selective in their attacks - including targeting mobile networks as the means to breach telecom operators and access the valuable customer data they hold.

4. New industry regulations on security but operators must do more themselves

National and pan-regional regulators are pushing the telecom industry to comply with new security requirements that address the heightened threat of cyberattack on digital infrastructure and telecom networks as part of it.

Mobile network security is still perceived as an after-thought. Rather than adopt a network-wide, security-by-design approach, many operators continue to rely on inefficient one-off security techniques which leave parts of their networks exposed to hackers.

5. Effective cybersecurity also depends on collaboration

Hinders knowledge sharing

When companies and experts share their knowledge and experience, everyone benefits. But with international cooperation undermined by current geopolitical rivalries and tensions, divisions might open between operators and other telecom industry players, industry regulators and national governments that make it more difficult to cooperate on collective joint efforts for better cybersecurity.

Cyber-security skill shortages

Cyber-security continues to suffer an ongoing shortage of skilled workers, especially in areas that require specific expertise such as telecoms. Combined with the lack of knowledge sharing, the skills shortage makes it harder to encourage and develop new talent. The telecoms industry, led by operators, needs to step up and invest in training initiatives to attract new workers and provide them with the requisite skills needed to grow the cyber-security talent pool.

Against this range of threats, Dmitry identifies the following steps for operators to strengthen the security and resilience of their 5G networks:

Make the security of your 5G network as much of a commercial and operational priority as its performance in terms of speed, throughput, and coverage. The current economic conditions should not put operators off investing in proper security measures. Security is more efficient and cost-effective when it is built-in across the entire system, and not just a patch on the surface.

Adopt a defence-in-depth approach based on continual network-wide assessments and monitoring. 5G networks are a step-change in complexity that are more like IT systems than legacy mobile networks. Regular security checks, continuous analysis and other established cybersecurity methods fine-tuned for the telecom environment will provide the level of detail and in-depth scrutiny that's needed to ensure a 5G network is secure against advanced attacks.

Effective 5G security requires more than just installed software solutions and automated monitoring and testing. Extensive and ongoing training is also essential, so that operator security teams can explore and stay up to date with the latest cyberthreats - and also identify new vulnerabilities as they emerge.

"Operator security teams must be mindful of the new, unique security challenges specific to 5G while at the same time not losing sight of the threats inherited by legacy technologies within 5G's set up," explained Kurbatov.

"Telecom security cannot be solved by a single-point solution, it requires a comprehensive strategic approach along with collaboration between ecosystem players. Operators and their industry partners should cooperate closely with governments and regulators to ensure cybersecurity receives the attention and investment to protect users and ensure that networks remain safe, secure and resilient," he concluded.

About SecurityGen

Founded in 2022, SecurityGen is a global company focused on telecom security. We deliver a solid security foundation to drive secure telecom digital transformations and ensure safe and robust network operations. Our extensive product and service portfolio provides complete protection against existing and advanced telecom security threats.

Visit www.secgen.com .

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986048/SecurityGen_Dmitry_Kurbatov.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/securitygen-identifies-the-cybersecurity-priorities-for-mobile-operators-in-2023-301725600.html
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HARRISBURG  Gov. Josh Shapiros proposed Cabinet would assemble people from across the ideological spectrum who already have experience at top levels of government and public service.

The Democrats department chairs will preside over the day-to-day operations of state programs that affect the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians  from the Department of Human Services, which administers food and medical care assistance programs, to the Department of State, which oversees the commonwealths highly scrutinized elections.

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As in past administrations, many of the new appointees have long histories with Shapiro. And in line with the new governors reputation as a moderate and a pragmatist, his choices sometimes cross partisan lines, and skew toward people who already have held top state jobs or worked in public administration, rather than outside experts.

All Cabinet appointees must be approved by the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.

Shapiros nominees for secretary of general services and inspector general have not been announced yet. Heres a running list of who we know about so far:

Aging: Jason Kavulich

Kavulich is from Scranton and has spent most of his career in Lackawanna County  first working as a county caseworker, then rising to director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging.

In that role, he oversaw the administration of quality-of-life boosters like local meal delivery, coordination of caregivers, and programs like adult day care, as well as the investigation of abuse allegations and gave access to legal services.

He also worked closely with the state Department of Aging. In December, Kavulich and administrators in four other counties announced they would participate in the states fledgling Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program. Kavulich said in a statement it would help deal with unprecedented challenges in securing affordable housing and in-home assistance for older adults.

Shapiro nominated Russell Redding, the current secretary of agriculture, to return to the position.

Agriculture: Russell Redding

Shapiro nominated Redding, the secretary of agriculture, to return to the position. Redding, who grew up and worked on a dairy farm, has nearly a decade of experience in the role  first for Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell in a two-year stint and then under Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf since 2015.

Redding backed the 2019 Pennsylvania Farm Bill, a $23 million package aimed at bolstering the agriculture industry by providing funding for agricultural disasters and food safety testing facilities. The bill has been renewed each subsequent year.

As secretary, Redding is also responsible for conservation and sustainability efforts in the agricultural industry.

Reddings nomination has been lauded by conservation advocacy groups like PennFuture and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Banking and Securities: Sarah Hammer

If confirmed, Hammer will join the Shapiro administration via the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, where she works as managing director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance.

Before that, she spent a year working in financial institution policy at the U.S. Treasury, according to her LinkedIn. She also served on the board of the nonprofit Securities Investor Protection Corp., which helps protect investors from losing money to failed brokerage firms.

Hammer spent the earlier part of her career at large financial services companies, including Vanguard, PIMCO and JP Morgan Chase.

As banking and securities secretary, Hammer would be tasked with overseeing the regulation of state-chartered banks, credit unions and trust companies, of which there are more than 160.

She said in a statement that she will work to strengthen and enhance our consumer protection efforts while ensuring the banking and securities industry operates fairly and efficiently.

Community and Economic Development: Rick Siger

Siger is the chief of staff and senior adviser to the president of Carnegie Mellon University and has worked extensively in politics.

Siger served in the administration of former Democratic Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and worked under former President Barack Obama as chief of staff at the Office of Science and Technology Policy and deputy chief of staff at the Department of Commerce. Siger was also a member of the innovation policy committee of President Joe Bidens 2020 campaign and volunteered on his presidential transition.

At CMU, Siger advises the president on community engagement and economic development. He previously worked as the head of university engagement at Piazza Technologies, a social learning platform for students and faculty.

The Department of Community and Economic Development is charged with growing the business community in Pennsylvania, and has an annual budget of over $300 million. If confirmed, Siger will advise Shapiro on policy regarding job creation, economic development, and community engagement.

Conservation and Natural Resources: Cindy Dunn

Dunn already serves as secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and if confirmed, will continue to be responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the states parks and forests.

Shes been doing that work in one way or another for the past three decades.

In 2013, she was CEO and president of PennFuture, an environmental organization, where she worked to conserve Pennsylvanias natural resources and landscape and advocated against practices such as natural gas drilling.

Many of the environmental conservation organizations that Dunn worked with in the past now commend Shapiro for his appointment, including PennFuture and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. David Callahan, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition  an organization that supports natural gas production in Pennsylvania  has also supported Dunns reappointment.

Under the Wolf administration, Dunn added four state parks and pledged to have the agency exclusively use renewable energy by 2030. In 2018, Dunn also developed the states first climate change mitigation plan.

Dunn also procured an additional $220 million investment toward the Clean Streams Fund, which protects the water quality of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. Another $100 million from the American Rescue Plan Act went to state parks.

Corrections: Laurel Harry

Harry has worked for Pennsylvanias Department of Corrections in various capacities for 24 years, first as a drug and alcohol treatment specialist at the Waynesburg prison. Along the way, shes worked in six prisons.

Shes spent the past decade as superintendent of SCI Camp Hill. Every man who enters the system first passes through that prison for screening before, in most cases, being moved to a different facility.

As secretary, Harry will oversee a system of 23 prisons (and a boot camp) that in recent years has been working to reduce its population.

Drug and Alcohol Programs: Latika Davis-Jones

Davis-Jones already has direct experience with drug and alcohol programs.

After working as a drug counselor in Pittsburgh and teaching at the University of Pittsburghs School of Social Work, Davis-Jones took over as administrator of Pittsburghs Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services in 2011. There, she ran programs for people living with drug and alcohol addiction, brought early intervention programs to places like schools, and evangelized the use of naloxone to prevent fatal overdoses.

She appeared before a joint hearing of the state House and Senate policy committees in 2016 to share her experience with the opioid epidemic in Allegheny County. She urged lawmakers to think of addiction not as a problem that requires episodic care, but to commit to a chronic care and disease-based approach.

Davis-Jones spent more than nine years in Allegheny County government, then moved into the health care industry as senior director of behavioral health at Highmark Wholecare.

Since 2021, Khalid Mumin has been superintendent in Lower Merion, one of Pennsylvanias wealthiest public districts.

Education: Khalid Mumin

Since 2021, Mumin has been superintendent in Lower Merion, one of Pennsylvanias wealthiest public districts, both in terms of household income and per-student spending. But before that, he helmed a very different school district, Reading City, which is one of the commonwealths poorest.

As Reading superintendent, Mumin spoke to The Inquirer about long-standing funding inequities at Pennsylvania schools, particularly urban ones. He said his goal was to be sure were giving our kids the same opportunities the suburban kids have.

Mumin also vocally supported putting money into PlanCon, a state program that reimburses districts for construction projects, telling local news station WFMZ its necessary especially for school districts like Reading School District, with old infrastructure, beautiful buildings but need a lot of work. It hasnt been funded since a 2015 budget battle and is taking no new applicants.

Before his tenure at Reading, Mumin was superintendent in Caroline County, Maryland, and worked for schools in Bucks, Lancaster and York counties.

As education secretary, Mumin will be in charge of monitoring school operations and making recommendations  previous secretaries have, for instance, pushed for more charter school oversight. He also will determine state education standards and ensure schools meet them, as well as establish how to best evaluate teachers.

Emergency Management: Randy Padfield

Padfield has led the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency since 2019. Hes responsible for coordinating the commonwealths responses to disasters ranging from floods to fires to shootings.

He played a prominent role in the commonwealths response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved communicating with the federal government to request that military units be deployed to bolster first responders presence in places like nursing homes.

Padfield was the agencys deputy director before his promotion. His other credentials include directing a public safety training center at Harrisburg Area Community College, working as a critical care flight paramedic, and serving on Pennsylvanias all-hazards incident management team.

Environmental Protection: Rich Negrin

Negrin, an attorney of Cuban descent, would be the first Latino secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. He has worked extensively in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

DEPs secretary is in charge of enforcing environmental laws, issuing grants for environmentally friendly projects, releasing reports and tracking potential hazards like abandoned wells.

Negrins experience in purely environmental issues has so far been limited, though reception to his nomination has been positive among environmental groups. Former DEP Secretary David Hess said what the office really needs is someone who is good at managing.

You have engineers and biologists and chemists and other staff at the agency to fill in details and suggest policy directions, but its still up to the secretary to make decisions, Hess said.

Negrin is perhaps best known in Pennsylvania for his tenure in Philadelphia politics, when he first worked as executive director of the Board of Revision of Taxes, then served as deputy mayor and city managing director.

He ran unsuccessfully for Philly district attorney in 2017, winning support from the citys police union. According to Philly Mag, he argued that his formative experiences with violence allowed him to talk to potentially struggling young people and say, Me too.  When Negrin was 13, he witnessed his fathers murder at the hands of an anti-Castro paramilitary group.

Fire: Thomas Cook

Cook, who is already acting fire commissioner, previously served as assistant commissioner and was an administrator at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, which oversees the states firefighter training program.

He was previously assistant fire chief for Pittsburgh, overseeing daily operations in the citys 700-member department.

If confirmed, Cook will continue working to develop statewide emergency training programs and will oversee the commonwealths Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Program, which gives low-interest loans to volunteer fire and emergency services organizations.

Hell also work closely with Pennsylvanias more than 2,000 local fire departments on issues like recruitment and training.

Health: Debra Bogen

Bogen, a pediatrician, rose to prominence in 2020 when she became Allegheny Countys health department director and led the countys response to the pandemic. As Pennsylvanias top public health official, she would be responsible for statewide health initiatives and regulations.

In her Allegheny County role, Bogen tracked data on infection rates, kept the county informed on the newest variants, and advocated for equity in COVID-19 testing and vaccine access. She also procured a federal grant that allowed increased opioid surveillance and piloted at-home sexually transmitted disease testing for residents.

Prior to entering public office, Bogen was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where she taught pediatrics and psychiatry. She founded the Mid-Atlantic Mothers Milk Bank, an organization that collects and provides donated human milk to medically vulnerable infants and children.

Val Arkoosh is an anesthesiologist who has experience in politics and a long relationship with Shapiro.

Human Services: Val Arkoosh

Arkoosh is an anesthesiologist who has experience in politics and a long relationship with Shapiro.

She served on the Montgomery County health board during Shapiros tenure as county commissioner, and when a vacancy opened in 2015, she joined the Board of Commissioners. Shapiros influence was instrumental in her appointment.

When Shapiro left county government to run for state attorney general, Arkoosh took over his role as chair of the board. She was the first woman to lead the county.

She ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House in 2014 and U.S. Senate in 2022.

Before her entry into politics, Arkoosh headed the nonprofit National Physicians Alliance and advocated for the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

If confirmed, Arkoosh will chair a huge department that administers many of Pennsylvanias biggest entitlement programs. Its in charge of food assistance, the state Medicaid program, and licensing a slew of county-level programs dealing with services like mental health and child welfare.

Insurance: Mike Humphreys

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department is tasked with regulating the insurance marketplace in the commonwealth, monitoring companies finances, and educating people on the sometimes complicated system.

Wolf named Humphreys, who spent three years working as a chief of staff in the department, the acting insurance commissioner in early 2022. Before that, Humphreys worked as Tennessees assistant commissioner for insurance, and for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.

As acting commissioner, Humphreys inherited the task of implementing the federal No Surprises Act, which took effect in 2022 and protects patients from surprise medical bills. As part of that work, the Insurance Department has a team tasked with investigating bills submitted by patients.

Labor and Industry: Nancy Walker

The secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry oversees the states unemployment and workers compensation programs, takes labor law complaints, and coordinates job training opportunities.

In 2017, Shapiro tapped Walker, a longtime labor lawyer, to lead the newly created Fair Labor Section of the Office of Attorney General. One of her primary tasks was to bring suits against employers accused of worker mistreatment, like deliberate underpayment.

During her tenure, she was involved in a suit that saw a large construction company that is frequently awarded state contracts take a plea deal after being accused of misusing money intended for worker benefits. The company paid out more than $20 million to over 1,000 workers.

Walker also helped bring cases on worker misclassification, in which an employer wrongly classifies a worker as, for instance, an independent contractor to avoid paying benefits. She testified before the state Senate on that work, calling misclassification one of the most widespread, pressing problems facing Pennsylvanias workforce.

In a statement, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO called Walker a champion for working people and a great friend of the labor movement.

Military and Veterans Affairs: Mark Schindler

Schindler has served as adjutant general since late 2020. In that role, he oversees the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, commanding more than 18,000 members of Pennsylvanias Army and Air National Guard, as well as other commonwealth employees.

The DMVA also administers programs for veterans and six state-owned homes for veterans.

Schindler has spent much of his career in Pennsylvania Army National Guard leadership, and has held roles including assistant adjutant general and chief of staff. He deployed to Jordan from 2012 to 2013 as a commander.

Pat Brownes nomination follows two major trends in Shapiros picks: choosing people with government experience, as well as keeping the cabinet bipartisan.

Revenue: Pat Browne

Brownes nomination follows two major trends in Shapiros picks: choosing people with government experience, as well as keeping the cabinet bipartisan.

For decades, Browne, a Republican, represented the Allentown area in the state Legislature. He was elected to the state House in 1995 and won a state Senate seat in 2005. He became an institution in the upper chamber, serving as majority chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee from 2015 until 2022. He lost his seat last year in an extremely close primary election.

The appropriations committee is in charge of reviewing any bill that could have a fiscal impact on the commonwealth and reporting that impact to members. Brown easily applied his background as a certified public accountant to the role, gaining a reputation around Harrisburg for complex explanations of budget math.

Browne was also known as a key figure in negotiating those budgets, and for making sure his district got a slice of the pie. One of his biggest accomplishments as a senator was writing the law that created the Neighborhood Improvement Zone program, a tax incentive scheme for city development for which only Allentown qualifies.

After doling out a flurry of grants and other state funds to Lehigh Valley organizations in his final months in office, he told local public radio station WLVR, I had the ability to produce for our region an amount that was probably more significant than most. I was proud to do it.

If confirmed, Browne will oversee the processing of state tax returns, tax revenue collection and distribution, and the operation of the Pennsylvania Lottery.

State: Al Schmidt

Schmidt, a Republican who has for the past year helmed the good-government group Committee of Seventy, is best known for his work as a Philadelphia city commissioner.

Schmidt rose to national prominence during the 2020 presidential election, in which slow vote counting in Pennsylvania  and especially in Philadelphia  contributed to delayed results and gave rise to a host of conspiracy theories about widespread election fraud.

>>READ MORE: Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro taps Trump target Al Schmidt to be Pa.s top election official

Schmidt was elected to the three-member Philly board of commissioners in 2011 as a reformer, pledging to take on machine politics and increase transparency.

Some of that work was attention-grabbing, like Schmidts 2012 anecdotal report on voting irregularities in Philly, which caused a political firestorm at the time. Schmidt also flagged a voter registration glitch that was leading noncitizens to mistakenly get on the rolls.

But Schmidt has also tried to hold himself apart from politics despite his politically charged office. Early in his tenure, for instance, he avoided taking a public position on Pennsylvanias then-new  and since overturned  voter ID law, telling WHYY, I wasnt elected into this office to have opinions on the laws.

He has pledged to run statewide elections in a nonpartisan way, saying in a statement that he looks forward to working with anyone  regardless of party  to ensure [elections] remain free and fair here in Pennsylvania.

State Police: Christopher Paris

Paris has been with the Pennsylvania State Police since 1999, working in two extremely different troops along the way: Troop K, which covers one of the densest parts of the state in Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties; and Troop R, which includes mostly rural Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties.

Hes also served in the agencys Bureau of Training and Education, the PSP discipline office, and at department headquarters.

He holds a law degree and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar.

Pennsylvania State Police patrol roads and have jurisdiction across the commonwealth, and also provide part- or full-time police coverage in a majority of municipalities  primarily rural ones that either have never had their own police department or have defunded it.

Transportation: Michael Carroll

Caroll spent 16 years in the state House, serving as Democratic chair of the Transportation Committee for four of those years. During his time on the committee, Carroll championed a policy that increased the minimum penalty for leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run car crash from one year to three, also known as Kevins Law. The measure passed with bipartisan support.

He has already come out with policy positions, saying that money from the states Motor License Fund should no longer be diverted from its purpose  maintaining roads and bridges  to fund state police. The issue has been a perennial debate topic in Harrisburg.

If confirmed, Carrolls responsibilities will include overseeing the construction and maintenance of roads, supervising mass transit, and licensing motor vehicles.

Spotlight PAs Stephen Caruso contributed reporting.

WHILE YOURE HERE If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Swiss consultancy Pexapark says falling energy prices, lower heating needs, and healthy gas reserves have had a calming effect on the European power purchase agreement (PPA) market. It foresees an increase in transactions over the short term.From pv magazine Spain Pexapark has reported a sharp decline in European PPA activity for December. Prices fell an average of 15% month on month, mainly due to declining prices of electricity futures, which are contracts for future physical delivery of power to the grid, according to the Zurich-based renewable energy consultancy. The prices of Dutch TTF gas ...

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.
Vertical's customers are progressing plans for safer, greener, easier flight in Japan's cities and regions by the mid 2020s

Marubeni is making a pre-delivery payment to Vertical to reserve early delivery slots for the first 25 out of 200 VX4 conditional pre-orders

Japan will be a major eVTOL opportunity given the market potential and focus on innovative future flight on the back of the 2025 Osaka World Expo

Marubeni has already conducted proof-of-concept (POC) demonstration trials for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services in Osaka

Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) [NYSE: EVTL], a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering zero-emissions aviation, today announces that it has secured a pre-delivery payment for the reservation of aircraft delivery slots from its existing customer, the leading Japanese trading and investment conglomerate, Marubeni Corporation [Marubeni].

Following the joint working group partnership with Vertical, Marubeni has reserved aircraft delivery slots for 25 out of its up to 200 VX4 conditional pre-orders and becomes Vertical's first customer in Asia to make a pre-delivery payment.

Marubeni's commitment further reinforces Japan's potential as a key launch market for Advanced Air Mobility [AAM] and over recent months, Marubeni has also conducted proof-of-concept (POC) demonstration trials in preparation for the Osaka World Expo 2025. Marubeni conducted flights from Osaka heliport to Wakayama using existing helicopters at future expected AAM service prices. Throughout the trials, Marubeni began addressing public awareness, acceptance, and requirements for future eVTOL services in the prefecture.

Vertical and Marubeni previously announced a partnership in September 2021 for conditional pre-order options of up to 200 aircraft, and joint evaluation of the requirements for eVTOL aircraft operations in Japan, as well as commercial considerations such as route and network planning and infrastructure requirements.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Vertical Founder and CEO, said "We are delighted to have reached the next milestone in our partnership with Marubeni. Japan is a wonderful country which is embracing the promise of eVTOL, as it will connect cities and regions like never before. We look forward to our joint efforts to build the ecosystem for zero-emissions travel in Japan."

Satoshi Takechi, General Manager, Aviation, Space Defense Dept. said "We are proud to have taken another major step with Vertical Aerospace to introduce VX4 in Japan. I am confident that our continued joint efforts with Vertical Aerospace, such as evaluating the requirements for eVTOL operations and engaging the potential partners under the Joint Working Group, together with this new agreement, will accelerate the development of the AAM market in Japan. Marubeni will further enhance activities to materialize our business, which aims to make air travel more accessible and convenient, while simultaneously contributing to climate change mitigation measures, including low-carbon and decarbonization initiatives.

-Ends-

About Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace is pioneering electric aviation. The company was founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, an established entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Ovo Group, a leading energy and technology group and Europe's largest independent energy retailer. Over the past five years, Vertical has focused on building the most experienced and senior team in the eVTOL industry, who have over 1,700 combined years of engineering experience, and have certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.

Vertical's top-tier partner ecosystem is expected to de-risk operational execution and its pathway to certification allows for a lean cost structure and enables production at scale. Vertical has a market-leading pre-order book by value for more than 1,400 aircraft from global customers creating multiple potential near term and actionable routes to market. Customers include American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Avolon, Bristow, Marubeni, Iberojet and FLYINGGROUP, as well as Japan Airlines (JAL), Gol, Air Greenland, Gozen Holding and AirAsia, through Avolon's VX4 placements.

Having been issued with its Permit to Fly from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority in September 2022, Vertical's VX4 prototype has successfully undertaken piloted flight tests. The flight test programme will continue over the coming months, reaching higher altitudes and speeds, as well as demonstrating the transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

Vertical's ordinary shares and warrants commenced trading on the NYSE in December 2021 under the tickers "EVTL" and "EVTLW," respectively.

About the VX4 eVTOL Aircraft

The VX4 is projected to be capable of transporting a pilot and up to four passengers, traveling distances of 100 miles, and achieving top speeds of over 200 miles per hour, while producing minimal noise and zero operating emissions. The VX4 is expected to open up advanced air mobility to a whole new range of passengers and transform how we travel. Find out more: vertical-aerospace.com

Vertical Media Kit

Available here

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the conditionality of pre-orders and commitments, which may be terminated at any time by either party and that pre-delivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain circumstances, certification and the commercialization of the VX4 and related timelines, the differential strategy compared to its peer group, the features and capabilities of the VX4, the transition towards a net-zero emissions economy, expected financial performance and operational performance for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, as well as statements that include the words "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "project," "forecast," "estimate," "may," "should," "anticipate," "will," "aim," "potential," "continue," "are likely to" and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: Vertical's limited operating history without manufactured non-prototype aircraft or completed eVTOL aircraft customer order; Vertical's history of losses and the expectation to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future; the market for eVTOL aircraft being in a relatively early stage; the potential inability of Vertical to produce or launch aircraft in the volumes and on timelines projected; the potential inability of Vertical to obtain the necessary certifications on the timelines projected; any accidents or incidents involving eVTOL aircraft could harm Vertical's business; Vertical's dependence on partners and suppliers for the components in its aircraft and for operational needs; the potential that certain of Vertical's strategic partnerships may not materialize into long-term partnership arrangements; pre-orders Vertical has received for its aircraft are conditional and may be terminated at any time by either party and any pre-delivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain circumstances; any potential failure by Vertical to effectively manage its growth; the impact of COVID-19 on Vertical's business; Vertical has identified material weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reporting and may be unable to remediate the material weaknesses; Vertical's dependence on our senior management team and other highly skilled personnel; as a foreign private issuer Vertical follows certain home country corporate governance rules, is not subject to U.S. proxy rules and is subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company; and the other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 29, 2022, as such factors may be updated from time to time in Vertical's other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Vertical disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005036/en/

Contacts:

For more information:

Vertical Media

Harry Roxburgh

nepeanverticalteam@nepean.co.uk

+44 7814 372664

Vertical Investors

Eduardo Royes

investors@vertical-aerospace.com

+1 646 200 8871
Senior executive to leverage extensive industry and technical experience in the acceleration of Tenovos' vision for modern digital asset management.

Tenovos, the modern, data-first digital asset management (DAM) platform, is excited to announce Mohan Taylor as the company's new Chief Product Officer (CPO). Taylor joins with the mission to accelerate the delivery of Tenovos' innovative vision for the future of modern DAM for enterprise brands.

As a long-time industry veteran going back more than two decades including 10 years at OpenText Taylor has seen first-hand the changing business landscape that requires DAMs to evolve how they deliver value to customers. As CPO he will be responsible for the continued development of the Tenovos DAM, specifically as it relates to improving creative ROI for global brands.

"There is a huge opportunity in the market right now," said Taylor. "Brands want the ability to track, measure and optimize content performance directly from their DAM. As the leading innovators in this space, my aim is to drive this evolution for our customers so they know what content is working, what isn't, and how to maximize their creative ROI through the platform."

Many world-class companies, including Mattel, Saks.com and Brown-Forman owners of premium liquor brands like Jack Daniels choose Tenovos to manage their digital assets. Its ability to improve productivity through creative workflows and streamlined UI/UX, drive more value from content through improved content reuse and findability, and its innovative approach to content tracking, publishing and measurement in the platform makes it the modern DAM of choice for these global enterprise brands.

"Mohan's background makes for an exceptional fit here at Tenovos," said company CEO Scott D. Bowen. "He's a demonstrated product leader who is extremely technical and who possesses a tremendously relevant industry background, both in DAM and adjacent data-centric advertising technologies, that will positively inform our vision and roadmap. We're excited to have him on board as we continue to lead the evolution of the digital asset management category."

For more information, please visit www.tenovos.com.

About Tenovos

Tenovos is a data-first digital asset management platform, intuitively designed to empower brands to streamline and automate the traditional complexities of creating and activating global content.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005128/en/

Contacts:

Michael Waldron

Chief Marketing Officer
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.
PHYNIX AND HRS SIGN A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF EUROPEAN HYDROGEN MOBILITY PROJECTS

ORDER OF EIGHT GREEN HYDROGEN REFUELING STATIONS

INCLUDING 5 OF 1 TON/DAY

Grenoble, January 19, 2023 - HRS, a European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, has signed a framework agreement with pHYnix, an independent European producer of green hydrogen and related services, materialized by a first order for 8 HRS stations, 5 of which have a capacity of 1 ton/day and 3 have a capacity of 200 kg/day. This agreement represents a minimum turnover of more than 18 M for HRS.

pHYnix implements European projects for the production and distribution of green hydrogen in the mobility and industrial heat sectors. To this end, pHYnix develops, builds and operates hydrogen power plants and manages the development of the associated infrastructure.

Under this agreement, which binds the partners until 2037, HRS becomes one of the main suppliers of hydrogen refueling stations for the projects developed by pHYnix. In addition, pHYnix has committed to place a part of its future orders with HRS, beyond the first 8 orders included in the agreement.

The pHYnix project pipeline is 1.7GW, and includes different modalities, from generation to mobility, in Portugal, Spain and France. The first order of 3 200 kg/day stations will go to the first projects set up by pHYnix. The second order of the other 5 1 ton/day stations will be served before June 2024 in the framework of the following projects.

Jean-Pierre RICHE, Founder and President of pHYnix declared: "we are very pleased with this partnership with HRS, one of the leading players in the hydrogen station market. This agreement demonstrates the acceleration of our development and symbolizes our desire to remain at the forefront of the transition to renewable hydrogen in Europe. pHYnix accompanies its customers throughout the value chain, from the production of renewable hydrogen to applications for the adoption of the hydrogen vehicle, by promoting the development of regional ecosystems for carbon-free mobility. "

Hassen Rachedi, Founder and CEO of HRS added: "HRS is proud to support pHYnix in the deployment of ambitious and concrete European green hydrogen projects. The decarbonization of transport, through hydrogen mobility, requires the rapid implementation of a commercial-scale infrastructure network ranging from hydrogen production to distribution. pHYnix is today one of the most dynamic players in this field, which makes it a natural partner for HRS. Our ability to rapidly deploy large capacity stations, of 1 ton/day and more, will allow us to support the rapid expansion of pHYnix's green hydrogen production capacities."

ABOUT pHYnix

pHYnix is an independent European company dedicated to the production, transformation, and marketing of renewable hydrogen production facilities. With teams in France, Spain, and Portugal, pHYnix is a subsidiary of EverWatt, an integrated player specializing in energy planning and regional decarbonization. EverWatt's majority shareholder is Transition Evergreen, the first listed investment fund in France dedicated to the ecological transition and carbon footprint reduction.

pHYnix has the first commercial-sized (10MW) green hydrogen production plant, Vitale, which is under construction. Located in Alcazar de San Juan (Ciudad Real, Spain), Vitale will produce 1,450 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year from 1Q2024 for the mobility, logistics, long-distance passenger transport, urban and intercity transport sectors in the Community of Madrid, as well as grid injection.

pHYnix contributes to the energy independence of regions and countries and the energy transition of its customers by reducing their carbon footprint, implementing a competitive transition, and supplying renewable hydrogen.

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks.

The Company posted 2021/2022 revenue of 17.0 million. As of June 30, 2022, the company had 78 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS

Relations investisseurs

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 94 Financial press relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

hrs-presse@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 93 Corporate press relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Deborah Schwartz

hrs-presse@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 35

Press relations pHYnix

Pia SERRA

piaserra@phynix-energy.eu

Tel: +34 616 93 32 83

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Nova Credit receives permissions from the Financial Conduct Authority necessary to operate in the UK

UK lenders and financial services providers are now able to use Nova Credit's Nova Passport technology to treat immigrants and other new-to-country individuals more fairly by serving them credit products on a more equal footing

technology to treat immigrants and other new-to-country individuals more fairly by serving them credit products on a more equal footing Nova Credit now brings greater affordability and accessibility of credit services to the UK's 10 million-strong immigrant population, months before the FCA's new Consumer Duty rules come into effect

Multiple UK businesses scheduled to embed Nova Credit technology in coming months

Nova Credit UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nova Credit, has received the requisite scope of permissions in order to provide credit references in the UK from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Through its Nova Passport technology, the firm intends to make it easier, faster and more equitable for immigrants living in the UK to access credit products and services, the likes of which are all too often out of reach to them.

Nova Credit UK's parent company, U.S.-founded Nova Credit, is a consumer-permissioned credit bureau that's on a mission to accelerate financial inclusion for immigrants globally. Since launching in 2016, the company has developed partnerships with credit bureaus in over 20 countries, enabling millions of immigrants to bring their foreign credit history with them when applying for credit products. The company counts American Express, HSBC, Verizon, the United Nations Federal Credit Union and SoFi among its global customers. Nova Credit announced its intention to expand to Europe, starting with the UK, in Spring 2022.

Nova Credit's technology unlocks consumer-permissioned access to over 2 billion credit profiles worldwide. By working with Nova Credit UK, financial services providers in the UK can now incorporate credit information from foreign bureaus as part of their creditworthiness assessment.

Misha Esipov, Co-founder CEO of Nova Credit, comments: "The UK is home to one of the world's largest and most diverse immigrant communities; one in seven people in the UK was born overseas. We're thrilled to bring Nova Credit across the Atlantic to support the next generation of UK-bound immigrants. This critical consumer segment is the largest driver of the country's population growth and is mission-critical to any business looking to maintain and grow market share."

Collin Galster, Non-Executive Director of Nova Credit UK, comments: "Using the Nova Passport, UK lenders will be able to understand the financial history of consumers from over 20 countries and instantly use this information to make more fair and inclusive decisions. We've been thrilled by the reception we've received from the UK's leading banks, fintechs, auto lenders and telecom providers, and look forward to announcing our first wave of partners in the coming months."

Millions of creditworthy individuals immigrate to new countries every year. Upon arrival these newcomers leave years of credit history behind them, 'stuck' in the countries they've left. Without access to their past credit history, lenders have no choice but to automatically decline or manually process their applications for new finance. Subsequently, these people struggle to access fairly priced credit-based products like credit cards, car finance or phone contracts.

Blending deep relationships with credit bureaus globally and API-driven credit risk technology, Nova Passport pulls newcomers' established credit data from reputable credit bureaus in their countries of origin and translates it into an equivalent score and report suitable for use by lenders and financial services providers in their new host country. Seamlessly and securely integrated into a financial institution's credit application process, Nova Credit UK's technology enables UK lenders to make more real-time application approvals responsibly and at a greater scale to people who would otherwise be excluded from obtaining financial access.

The immigrant population is one of the fastest growing demographics in the UK. The 2021 Census revealed that 10 million people living in the UK today were born overseas and 40% of them moved to the UK in the last decade. Government figures show that every year more than 800,000 people are granted long-term visas to work or study in the UK. This data supports research from the Office of National Statistics that predicts that 100% of the UK's annual net population growth will come from immigrants by 2035.

Matt Davies, Head of UK Market Development for Nova Credit, adds: "There is widespread appreciation among UK financial institutions of the need to be more inclusive, and this trend will be accelerated substantially this year when the FCA's Consumer Duty rules come into effect to help more financial services deliver good outcomes for their customers."

About Nova Credit

Nova Credit is a consumer-permissioned credit bureau whose products help businesses make more fair and informed decisions on millions of 'thin file', no credit history or new-to-country applicants. Nova Credit UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nova Credit, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The Nova Passport (known as Credit Passport outside of the UK) unlocks cross-border credit bureau data to help businesses underwrite new-to-country newcomer populations. Businesses partner with Nova Credit to approve more applicants without taking on more risk, and consumers are empowered to put their best foot forward in their applications.

In the US, the company's differentiated data sources and proprietary analytics are used by leading organisations like American Express, Verizon, HSBC, SoFi and Yardi.

Nova Credit is backed by investors including Kleiner Perkins, General Catalyst, Index Venture and Canapi as well as executives from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Citi.

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Contacts:

Carmen Dixon carmen@mountviewcomms.com +44 (0)7717 278846

Rachel Levy novacredit@v2comms.com
Analysis of returns data from 25 - 31 December finds consumers in Norway make the most returns soon after Christmas

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Festive gift-getters in the Nordics wasted little time in returning their unwanted Christmas presents, according to new data from nShift, the global leader in parcel delivery management software.

According to the analysis, consumers in Norway were the quickest when it came to returning unwanted gifts in 2022 with almost 8% of returns arranged for 26th December and a third (29%) arranging returns for Tuesday 27 December - the most, and earliest of countries in the Nordic region. Those in Denmark waited a further 24 hours before sending their gifts back. The most popular day for returns there was Wednesday 28 (30%). When it comes to taking more time with returns, Finland was the stand-out nation with one in 10 returns being made on 31 December.

While there was a steady stream of returns booked for after Christmas, a few consumers were even quicker off the mark. A small proportion of each region even began sending things back on Christmas Day (25th Dec) itself. Indeed, Sweden was the highest contributor here with 2% of returns being arranged for this day.

Philipp Goldberg, Product Director for Returns at nShift said, "The fact we're seeing returns organized so soon after Christmas only reinforces the point that shoppers expect to be able to return products quickly and simply. How the returns process is communicated and managed is now a fundamental part of shopping and is especially important when people are buying a gift for someone else."

nShift compiled these statistics by analyzing returns data from the last week of December 2022. By looking at which day of the week carrier companies were alerted of the need to collect an item, they were able to determine which days were the most popular for people to get the ball rolling. Across all Nordic regions, Wednesday 28 was the most popular day, with over a quarter (25.6%) of returns requests from the week generated during that day. This was closely followed by Thursday 29 (22.3%) and Tuesday 27 (22%).

Goldberg continued: "There is no doubt that retailers must offer a compelling returns policy and make it easy for both consumers and warehouses to operate. This means having the best process and systems in place is no longer a nice-to-have, but absolutely critical."

nShift's returns solution helps ease the administrative burden while ensuring a smooth, friction-free journey for customers looking to return their orders.

It enables customers to:

Avoid handwritten return slips

Re-convert 30% of returns to exchanges

Keep customers up to date on return status

Work in a data-driven way and analyze returns in real-time

Always keep track of how many returns are en route to the warehouse

Find out more: www.nshift.com

For more information, please contact

Gareth Streeter: gareth.streeter@fourteenforty.uk / (+44) 07734 251 496

About nShift

nShift is the global leading provider of cloud delivery management solutions enabling frictionless shipment and return of almost one billion shipments across 190 countries annually. nShift's software is used globally by e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and 3PL shippers. The company is headquartered in London and Oslo. It has over 500 employees across offices in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Romania.

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CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Humic-based Biostimulants Market is estimated at USD 686 million in 2022; it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% to reach USD 1,184 million by 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Farmers across the globe are realizing the economic and environmental benefits of using humic-based biostimulants, and the market is expanding. Shifts are occurring across crop categories and regions, from conventional crop management practices that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to a more integrated approach that includes biological inputs (including humic-based biostimulants and biopesticides). Also, the growth of organic farming, in which humic-based biostimulants play an important role, has been steady and is expected to continue, given the strong demand for organic foods.





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Increase in demand for organically produced high-value crops from developed economies

Trends indicate that demand for organic products will continue to rise as organic food becomes increasingly popular. Organic farming allows the production of high-quality, certified, controlled, and safe food. As a result, it provides significant economic and environmental benefits while also preserving a healthy ecosystem. Consumer interest in organic agricultural production has grown at an unprecedented rate in recent years. High-value agricultural goods are generally defined as agricultural goods with a high economic value per kilogram (or pound), per hectare, or per calorie, including fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, and fish. The main factors for the rising demand for high-value crops (fruits, vegetables, and plantation crops) are a rise in incomes, rapid urbanization, and the growth in awareness of health benefits associated with fruits & vegetables.

Damage and losses to agricultural land

Rapid industrialization and urbanization resulted in a decline in arable or cultivable land. Increased concerns about the limited availability of agricultural land could hamper the optimum food production requirements to feed the increasing world population. With the increase in population, the level of demand for agricultural products is increasing, which has led to the need for higher yields from limited land. The scarcity of natural resources and their competitive demand due to urbanization and industries is worsening the situation. The arable land in the world is expected to experience a similar phase of continuous decline in the coming years. Disasters also have a direct effect on agriculture through lower-than-expected production. This causes direct economic loss for the farmers, which eventually cascades through the entire value chain and affects the sector's growth or entire national economies. Agriculture and climate change are internally correlated factors, as climatic change is one of the main causes of biotic and abiotic stress development, adversely impacting plant growth and overall agriculture. Humic-based biostimulants, which comprise humic and fulvic acids, can enhance stress tolerance levels to promote plant growth without environmental hazards, thus supporting sustainable agriculture development. It also improves crop tolerance to heat, salinity, and drought.

Technological advancements in production of biostimulants

Agricultural biostimulants involve substances that can be applied directly to plants or the soil to improve the physiological processes and capability of the plant to uptake nutrients from the soil; this ultimately results in increased yield and improved quality of the crops. Biostimulants are gaining ground in the agricultural industry with their increasing use as plant growth promoters. Initially, biostimulants were only used for vegetables and fruit crops, along with other high-value crops such as ornamentals and plantation crops. Now, they also play an important role in traditional food crops, such as corn, wheat, and rice, by being used as an added complement to fertilizers to catalyze the nutrient uptake process of the crops. Moreover, biostimulants are perfectly compatible with integrated crop management techniques that are a subset of sustainable agriculture.

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Asia Pacific have few emerging economies, mostly from East and Southeast Asia, are growing in agricultural trade

The Asia Pacific region is the most densely populated in the world and is also one of the key markets for agricultural biologicals. Asia is noted for several plantation cash crops, of which the most important are tea, rubber, palm oil, coconuts, and sugarcane. The increasing need to cater to the food requirements of the growing population with the help of modern agricultural practices is a key factor expected to drive market growth in the region. The major countries studied in this region include India, Australia, China, Indonesia, and Japan, which are some of the highest food consumers and utilize humic-based biostimulants for important agricultural commodities such as cotton, sugarcane, fruits & vegetables, and cereals. A few emerging economies, mostly from East and Southeast Asia, are also growing in agricultural trade. Asia Pacific agricultural exports have kept up with world agriculture exports in terms of growth trends. Some major crops exported from these countries are fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, coffee, and cotton.

The key players in this market include Koppert (Netherlands), Valagro SpA (Italy), Biolchim S.p.A (Italy), FMC Corporation (US), Haifa Group (Israel), UPL Ltd. (India), Bayer AG (Germany), SIKKO INDUSTRIES LTD (India), NOVIHUM Technologies GmbH (Germany), HUMINTECH GMBH (Germany), and BORREGAARD (Norway).

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Related Reports:

Biopesticides Market by Type (Bioinsecticides, Biofungicides, Bionematicides, and Bioherbicides), Source (Microbials, Biochemicals, and Beneficial Insects), Mode of Application, Formulation (Dry, Liquid), Crop Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

Biopesticides Market by Type (Bioinsecticides, Biofungicides, Bionematicides, and Bioherbicides), Source (Microbials, Biochemicals, and Beneficial Insects), Mode of Application, Formulation (Dry, Liquid), Crop Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

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Managing Director of Aneka Jaringan, Pang Tse Fui

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - Aneka Jaringan Holdings Berhad (Bursa: ANEKA, 0226), a basement and foundation construction specialist, today announced that the Group recorded a 26.92% gain in revenue to RM52.85 million for the first quarter ended 30 November 2022 (1Q FYE2023) compared with RM41.64 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year (1Q FYE2022).In the quarter under review, the Group registered a narrower loss after tax (LAT) of RM4.62 million compared with LAT of RM5.41 million in 1Q FYE2022. Gross loss decreased to RM0.95 million in 1Q FYE2023 compared with gross loss of RM2.88 million in 1Q FYE2022 on a decline in material costs.Managing Director of Aneka Jaringan, Pang Tse Fui said, "The Group continues to assess and monitor risks while selectively tendering for projects. We have secured RM52 million in contracts in FYE2023 and we are also increasing capacity in Indonesia to leverage on the country's growing infrastructure needs while monitoring developments on the new Indonesian capital of Nusantara in which we believe would present us a lot of opportunities.""Although we have seen material prices stabilized, it remains a concern along with energy and labour costs. China's relaxation of its zero-COVID policy and the reopening of its economy may mean volatile material prices as demand grows. To lower labour costs, the Group will be replacing its outsourced workers with newly recruited foreign workers as we have been granted a government quota of 150 workers."Aneka Jaringan has an order book of RM145.73 million as of 31 October 2022, with Malaysian operations contributing RM138.97 million and Indonesian operations contributing RM6.76 million.As of 31 October 2022, the Group's tender book stood at RM969.45 million, with tenders in Malaysia valued at RM873.85 million and tenders in Indonesia valued at RM95.60 million.Aneka Jaringan Holdings Berhad: 226 [BURSA: ANEKA], http://www.anekajaringan.com/Source: Aneka Jaringan Holdings BerhadCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Focused on delivering premium private banking services, Nagelmackers provides clients with a digital native service and investment experience, building on Objectway Suite to underpin its digital transformation.

Bank Nagelmackers, one of the leading personal and private banks in Belgium, has selected Objectway, a Pan-European Wealth Asset Management software and services company, to implement a new private client wealth management platform for the bank's advisory, discretionary and execution-only offering.

The partnership will help Nagelmackers to accelerate its digital transformation, by blending physical with digital channels in their branches, and to offer clients a digital investment experience for both advisory, discretionary and execution-only businesses. The solution is built on Objectway Suite, the digital native front-end platform for end-to-end client servicing and efficient and scalable portfolio management, and will position the bank to scale the growth of their business, increasing client satisfaction and retention.

Hosted on private cloud, the solution is fully modular to be configured according to the bank's requirements, and will seamlessly add more functionalities replacing a number of legacy systems without jeopardizing the existing business.

Belgium-based Nagelmackers is a reference financial institution with a long track record in Private Banking. The bank selected Objectway after a competitive tender. Key factors in the decision process were the capability to provide a solution compatible with local regulations, the full coverage of all the required business needs, and the ease of integration with the bank's legacy systems.

With this win, Objectway strengthens its position as trustworthy provider of reliable solutions in the Wealth Management space, and for Private Banks in particular.

"Objectway helped us to enhance and deliver first-class private banking services, meeting our high operational, business and digital ambitions. We aspire to help our clients optimize their portfolios by designing top-notch digital investment solutions for them. We look forward to the partnership with Objectway to bring our clients the premium service they deserve," affirmed Yves Van Laecke, Chief Commercial Officer at Nagelmackers.

"Nagelmackers is the oldest Belgian bank, who celebrates its 275th anniversary this year. Our partnership with them is a major example of how private banks are building on Objectway's technology and services to enhance their digital capabilities and enable more efficiency and scalability in their business. Objectway is proud to be part of Nagelmackers 's digital enablement and we are looking forward to supporting the firm's continued growth plans," said Kurt Vanhee, Managing Director Continental Europe and North America at Objectway.

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Contacts:

Chiara Giudici

+393938229579

chiara.giudici@objectway.com
Professor Anthony OBriens Town Square essay completely misses the central achievement of Franklin Roosevelts New Deal, and by innuendo, the goals of the Biden administration.

The great and lasting achievement of the New Deal was building an enduring structure of social and financial security for the American people. Roosevelt said, We are going to make a country in which no one is left out, and, if he didnt fully achieve that goal, he laid the solid foundation.

When he took office in March 1933, millions of people were receiving public charity, and millions more were in need of aid. Roosevelt replaced handouts with jobs in a number of work-relief programs that enabled people to survive the Depression with a shred of dignity.

Roger D. Simon is a professor emeritus of history at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

The work-relief programs invested millions in a neglected national infrastructure, building thousands of schools, libraries, police and fire stations, water and sewer treatment plants. The New Deal built dams that provided hydroelectric power, paved thousands of miles of rural roads and brought electricity to rural America.

It enlarged and improved the national parks. It hired unemployed artists to paint murals, musicians to give concerts, actors to stage plays, writers to prepare guidebooks, and even lowly historians to archive documents. It established a work-study program that enabled thousands of students to stay in school.

The New Deals great long-term achievement was in providing personal and financial security to the citizenry. In 1935, almost half of all citizens over age 65 were getting some form of relief.

The Social Security Act program provided a basic pension for the elderly and gave them a sense of dignity in their old age. The same act also included unemployment insurance to help workers get through a recession, and established a relief program for dependent children. The Fair Labor Standards Act established the minimum wage.

The Wagner Labor Relations Act enshrined workers rights to unionize and bargain collectively. To rebuild trust in banks, it provided deposit insurance. It refinanced millions of home mortgages and then established the FHA program to stimulate home construction and reduce the cost of borrowing. It established the Securities Exchange Commission to protect investors. It strengthened the authority of the Federal Reserve to prevent a recurrence of the great wave of bank failures.

Those programs, combined with the GI Bill for World War II veterans, created a solid middle class in the decades after World War II.

Roosevelt was not perfect by any means. He did not intervene when the antisemitic State Department blocked entry for thousands of victims of Nazi persecution. He egregiously gave in to racial hysteria and permitted the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. His record on civil rights for Blacks is mixed. He was beholden to Southern congressmen to pass much of his legislation, which also precluded action on civil rights bills.

Some New Deal programs excluded or discriminated against blacks. But, where he could, FDR opened opportunities for Blacks. He appointed the first Black federal judge, and many federal agencies hired Blacks for the first time. The extensive work relief programs hired very large numbers of African Americans when no one else would.

Furthermore, it should be noted that if Northern Republican congressmen had provided more support for New Deal measures, FDR would have been less beholden to the southerners in congress. The Republican Party largely abandoned its interest in civil rights for Blacks in 1890.

The parallels between Biden and FDR are indeed striking and are to be celebrated. The infrastructure bill will pour billions into our vastly neglected transportation, power and communication networks. Proposals to provide aid for child day care and child allowances builds on the legacy of the New Deal that no one should be left out in America.

The administration has strengthened the Affordable Care Act, lowered the cost of certain prescription drugs, and is now preparing to fight a grossly ill-conceived Republican plan to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Just as Willie Mays hit home runs for the San Francisco Giants, Biden is hitting home runs for the United States.

Roger D. Simon is a professor emeritus of history at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.
Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japanese company JERA Co. Inc. to decarbonize coalfired powerplant and develop blue ammonia production in the US Gulf.

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Yara and JERA celebrating the MOU in Davos. (Photo: Yara)

Yara Clean Ammonia has been successfully nominated as a potential supplier in JERA's tender to supply up to 500 kilotons (kt) of clean ammonia to the Hekinan Thermal Power Plant Unit 4. This is JERA's first commercial scale co-firing project.

"I'm very pleased that Yara and JERA are signing a MOU for the joint project development, sales, and purchase of clean ammonia. Yara has the capacity to produce and ship clean ammonia all over the world and we are a reliable, safe, and long-term supplier. We are highly committed to this partnership and look forward to joining forces with JERA to drive the transformation to a net-zero world", says CEO of Yara International, Mr. Svein Tore Holsether.

The two companies also plan to collaborate on blue ammonia production in the US Gulf and to produce more than 1 million metric tons per annum (mtpa).

"I'm happy to see that we've developed a close relationship with JERA since our first MOU in May 2021. Our collaboration has developed deeply, and I am proud that Yara Clean Ammonia has been selected as the reliable supplier to JERA's first world scale co-firing project in Hekinan, Japan. Both companies are committed to scaling up clean energy sources and we are looking forward to partner with JERA in developing blue ammonia production in the US Gulf", says President of Yara Clean Ammonia, Mr. Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand.

In the MOU, Yara Clean Ammonia and JERA have agreed to jointly study the viability to collaborate in the following areas:

The sales and purchase of clean ammonia for the 20% co-firing operations at Hekinan Thermal Power Plant Unit 4, which is targeted to commence in 2027. The required volume is expected to be up to 500,000 mtpa.

The joint development of a 1 million plus mtpa blue ammonia project which YCA is considering developing in the US Gulf Coast.

"We are pleased to work together with Yara on this significant journey towards decarbonizing the industry, and I am confident that Yara will take an important role in establishing a new clean fuel ammonia value chain which JERA seeks, through its experience in the operation throughout the ammonia supply chain from the production to transportation and storage in the existing market. JERA will continue its own efforts as well as to take hands with our partners in pursuit of our endeavour to realize and accelerate not only the decarbonization of the Japanese energy industry but also to solve the energy-related issues that the world is facing", says Corporate Vice President in JERA, Mr. Yukio Kani.

About Yara Clean Ammonia

Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. Yara Clean Ammonia is uniquely positioned to enable the hydrogen economy in a market expected to grow substantially over the next decades. We aim at significantly strengthening our leading global position as the world's largest ammonia distributor, unlocking the green and blue value chains, and driving the development of clean ammonia globally.

Building on Yara's leading experience within global ammonia production, logistics and trade, Yara Clean Ammonia works towards capturing growth opportunities in low-emission fuel for shipping and power, carbon-free food pro-duction and ammonia for industrial applications.

Yara Clean Ammonia operates the largest global ammonia network with 12 ships and has access to 18 ammonia terminals and multiple ammonia production and consumption sites across the world, through Yara. Revenues and EBITDA for the last 12 months were USD 4,111 million and USD 198 million respectively as per Q3 2022. Yara Clean Ammonia is headquartered in Oslo, Norway

For more details: www.yaracleanammonia.com

About JERA

Established in 2015, JERA is an equal joint venture of two major Japanese electric power companies, TEPCO Fuel Power Incorporated and Chubu Electric Power Company and produces about 30% of all electricity in Japan. JERA is an energy company with global reach that has strength in the entire energy supply chain, from participation in LNG upstream projects and fuel procurement, through fuel transportation to power generation. JERA, which stands for Japan's Energy for a New Era, will take on the challenge of achieving net zero CO2 emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses by 2050 and is supporting an energy transition in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

For more details: https://www.jera.co.jp/english/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005363/en/

Contacts:

Hilde Steinfeld

Communications Director, Yara Clean Ammonia

Mobile: +47 99 35 30 30

E-mail: hilde.steinfeld@yara.com



Yu Komatsu

Director for Asia, Yara Clean Ammonia

Office phone: +65 6309 5639

E-mail: yu.komatsu@yara.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Thesis Gold Inc. (TSXV: TAU) (WKN: A2QQ0Y) (OTCQX: THSGF) ("Thesis" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from 11 holes drilled at the Bonanza-Ridge Zone during the 2022 field season (Table 1). These results continue to expand the mineralized footprint at the Bonanza-Ridge Zone on the Ranch Gold Project, located in the Golden Horseshoe of north-central British Columbia, Canada (Figure 1).

Highlights

Ridge hole 22RDGDD037 returned 20.30 metres (m) core length of 4.69 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), 15.29 g/t silver (Ag) or 4.88 g/t AuEq ** (Table 1), including 7.30 m of 9.25 g/t Au, 8.76 g/t Ag or 10.02 g/t AuEq** (Figures 1 & 2). High-grade gold (17.08 g/t Au) was intersected over a 3.30 m interval beginning at 129.70 m depth . High-grade gold in hole 037 demonstrates excellent downdip continuity across numerous drill holes and high-grade gold in rock samples collected at surface (Figure 2).

(m) core length of ** (Table 1), including (Figures 1 & 2). Strong gold mineralization over wide intercepts at the Ridge Zone further extended mineralization at depth and along strike (Figure 1 and Table 1). 22RDGDD015: 15.56 m of 3.79 g/t AuEq** 22RDGDD025: 25.60 m of 1.14 g/t AuEq** 22RDGDD035: 13.33 m of 1.19 g/t AuEq** - (Furthest NE confirmed mineralization) Bonanza-Ridge mineralization now extends over 700 m along strike

Mineralization associated with northwest and northeast-oriented structures continues to demonstrate good continuity and remains open along strike.

The Company will continue to provide additional results from the 2022 drill program as they become available.

Ewan Webster, President and CEO, commented, "Drilling at the Bonanza-Ridge Zone continues to return significant gold and silver intercepts at surface, while delivering continuity and consistent grade to depth. The consistency of results received thus far supports the tremendous upside on the resource potential of this rapidly expanding target, it will remain a key focus for our 2023 drill program."

The positive drill results reported here increase the footprint of precious metal mineralization at the Ridge Zone in all directions. Northeast and southwest-directed step-out drilling continues to intersect broad, 10-25 m wide intervals of mineralization, extending the strike length of the Bonanza-Ridge Zone to over 700 m (Table 1). The mineralized structure coincides with linear magnetic lows and shows potential across multiple datasets for further expansion with future drilling. The correspondence of high-grade gold in 22RDGDD037 with high-grade gold in rock grab samples at surface demonstrates the down-dip continuity of mineralization on that section to >150 m vertical depth.

Table 1: Drill core assay results from the Ridge Zone.

Drillhole

From To Interval Au (g/t) Ag (ppm) AuEq** 22RDGDD008

109.83 121.00 11.17 0.42 48.64 1.02 incl. 111.00 115.00 4.00 1.15 116.93 2.61 22RDGDD013

106.24 113.71 7.47 0.51 11.47 0.66 incl. 106.24 111.03 4.79 0.79 12.59 0.95 and 161.14 175.00 13.86 1.31 4.81 1.37 incl. 161.14 167.00 5.86 2.42 6.59 2.50 and 186.00 187.87 1.87 0.98 5.29 1.05 22RDGDD015

146.02 161.58 15.56 2.96 66.33 3.79 incl. 150.69 155.00 4.31 4.27 92.06 5.42 and 242.00 244.00 2.00 0.00 58.50 0.73 22RDGDD019

132.00 142.00 10.00 1.83 30.37 2.21 incl. 135.00 142.00 7.00 2.56 23.31 2.85 22RDGDD025

127.40 153.00 25.60 1.10 3.94 1.14 incl. 129.00 134.00 5.00 3.29 1.78 3.31 and 161.00 162.00 1.00 0.07 25.40 0.39 22RDGDD026

100.00 120.00 20.00 0.86 8.22 0.96 incl. 105.00 112.00 7.00 2.01 7.48 2.11 22RDGDD030

89.00 111.00 22.00 0.41 5.90 0.48 incl. 89.00 95.00 6.00 1.00 4.29 1.05 and incl. 101.79 105.00 3.21 0.76 11.00 0.90 22RDGDD032

72.35 92.00 19.65 0.06 46.03 0.64 incl. 83.00 92.00 9.00 0.12 77.10 1.09 and 137.00 146.00 9.00 2.15 6.47 2.23 incl. 137.00 143.00 6.00 2.97 7.61 3.07 and 161.00 185.00 24.00 0.66 1.90 0.69 incl. 162.00 170.00 8.00 1.24 2.22 1.27 and incl. 174.56 177.26 2.70 0.86 2.65 0.90 22RDGDD034

110.00 113.00 3.00 2.08 5.27 2.14 incl. 110.00 111.00 1.00 3.36 4.97 3.42 and 281.00 282.00 1.00 0.00 17.25 0.22 22RDGDD035

100.67 114.00 13.33 1.06 10.33 1.19 incl. 100.67 110.00 9.33 1.51 10.15 1.64 22RDGDD037

120.83 123.00 2.17 0.01 30.30 0.39 and 129.70 150.00 20.30 4.69 15.29 4.88 incl. 129.70 137.00 7.30 9.25 8.76 10.02 and incl. 129.70 133.00 3.30 17.08 7.40 17.17 and 143.00 150.00 7.00 3.46 13.97 3.64 and 161.00 165.15 4.15 0.14 17.11 0.35

*True width of the intervals has not yet been established by drilling.

**AuEq calculated on 1:80 gold-to-silver.





Figure 1. Plan view map. LiDAR with select recent drill results and line of section for Figure 2.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2191/151865_a00c4fe794c819eb_001full.jpg





Figure 2. Cross section showing a trend of a high-grade-gold mineralization at the Ridge zone. See results from hole 22BNZDD008 in the Company's Nov. 7th, 2022, press release.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2191/151865_a00c4fe794c819eb_002full.jpg

Drilling continues to show that significant mineralization at the Ranch Project is spatially associated with intersecting northeast and northwest-directed faults. These structures are consistent with linear trends of relatively low magnetism identified in geophysical data. The spatial association of fault rock logged in core, gold assays, and linear magnetic lows represents a local demagnetization of host rocks along structures that are coincident with gold mineralization. This is likely due to hydrothermal alteration of fractured and faulted host rocks; the structural geometry at Ranch, characterized by northeast and northwest-trending faults, created an interconnecting pathway for gold-rich hydrothermal fluid to exploit at the time of mineralization. Prospective magnetic lows continue beyond the limits of many of the mineralized trends that remain open along strike, which, in addition to numerous untested targets, indicates further potential for growth and discovery at the Ranch Project.

Change of Auditor

The Company also announces that it has changed its auditors from MS Partners LLP (the "Former Auditor") to Zeifmans LLP (the "Successor Auditor") effective January 17, 2022 (the "Effective Date").

As required by Rule 204.4 (20)(b) of the Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB), the Former Auditor reached the maximum allowable term of 7 years as Auditor for the Company, and therefore resigned as of the Effective Date. The Board of Directors of the Company appointed the Successor Auditor as the Company's auditor effective as of the Effective Date to hold office until the next annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company.

There were no modified opinions in the Former Auditor's reports in connection with the two most recently completed fiscal years of the Company. There are no "reportable events" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations) between the Company and the Former Auditor.

In accordance with National Instrument 51-102, the resignation of the Former Auditor, the Appointment of the Successor Auditor, the notice of change of auditor, together with the required letters from the former auditor and the successor auditor, have been reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors and has been filed on www.SEDAR.com under the Company's profile.

Quality Assurance and Control

Results from samples were analyzed at ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Vancouver, Canada (an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility). The sampling program was undertaken by Company personnel under the direction of Rob L'Heureux, P.Geol. A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Gold was assayed using a fire assay with atomic emission spectrometry and gravimetric finish when required (+10 g/t Au). Drill intervals with visible gold were assayed using metallic screening. Rock chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the project.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Thesis Gold Inc.

"Ewan Webster"

Ewan Webster Ph.D., P.Geo.

President, CEO, and Director

About Thesis Gold Inc.

Thesis Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on proving and developing the resource potential of the 17,832-hectare Ranch Gold Project located in the "Golden Horseshoe" area of northern British Columbia, approximately 300 km north of Smithers, B.C. For further details about the Ranch Gold Project and the 2021 and 2022 drill programs, please click here and watch the videos on the project.

For further information or investor relations inquiries, please contact:

Dave Burwell

Vice President

The Howard Group Inc.

Email: dave@howardgroupinc.com

Tel: 403-410-7907

Toll Free: 1-888-221-0915

Nick Stajduhar

Director

Thesis Gold

Email: nicks@thesisgold.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 Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the future plans or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis, which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151865
Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (CSE: SIXW) (OTCQB: SIXWF) (FSE: AHUH) ("Sixth Wave", "SIXW" or the "Company"), a leader in nanotechnology for precious metal and critical minerals mining, is pleased to report on extraction and recovery of lithium from spodumene found at the Champlain Mineral Ventures Ltd. ("CMVL") Brazil Lake property. The focus of the work has been to develop a greener process for conversion of spodumene from alpha to leachable beta spodumene and simplify the process flow sheet to achieve battery grade lithium carbonate. Key objectives are to lower energy costs and utilize safer and greener reagents. Fewer process steps reduce the environmental impact of processing lithium bearing spodumene.

The Company completed initial baseline testing of conventional processing using calcination for spodumene conversion and comparison of a conventional sulfuric acid leaching and an improved version of flow sheet utilizing a sodium carbonate solution for leaching. Conventional processing showed adequate recovery to baseline results for a competitive comparison of advanced pathways being developed by Sixth Wave.

Pathways under development include:

A low-risk pathway focused on a modified flow sheet using pressure leaching with sodium carbonate has shown excellent results to date. Leaching efficiencies of between 95-100% have been achieved relatively low autoclave temperature (230C) and short leaching time (60min). Single-pass lithium recovery levels in excess of 74% final lithium carbonate purity levels nearing 98%.

Process improvements under way to achieve greater than 90% total lithium recovery to lithium carbonate.

Developed prototypes of a functionalized ion exchange resin to polish lithium carbonate achieving 2% additional purity.

In summary, the Company has moved significantly forward in elimination and minimized use of toxic reagents and simplifying the process flow sheet while providing a competitive and commercially viable process to battery grade lithium carbonate production.

Next steps in the work include continued simplification of the flow sheet to take advantage of lower energy technologies, such as microwave, to convert the spodumene and combining the conversion and leaching steps to further reduce OPEX and CAPEX. In addition, the Company is exploring other unique non-toxic and biodegradable lixiviants targeted toward lithium. While there is some early work to draw on the Company believes that it is developing protectable new intellectual property both in processes as well as fundamental extraction and purification technology.

Sixth Wave and CMVL are committed to sustainable mining and high Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. The Company acquired all rights to an emerging class of "green lixiviants" that have direct application to hard-rock lithium mining Green lixiviants garner attention due to their unique properties that are inherently non-toxic, biodegradable with negligible or no vapor. Sixth Wave expects this lixiviant to eliminate costly high energy processes including roasting to convert the spodumene to a leachable state. Subsequent purification of the leached lithium will be assessed using Sixth Wave's IXOS molecular technology to produce high purity lithium carbonate.

"Lithium continues to be a key driver in the transition from fossil fuel and demand is predicted to grow steadily in the coming years. Moreover, the development of domestic supply of critical resources has become a core focus of the Canadian Government at the Federal and Provincial levels as well as the US Government. While one of the mainstays of hard rock lithium production has been to simply process a float concentrate and ship that out to Asia for subsequent processing, this approach is now being considered a matter of national security pushing the industry to find solutions that will allow processing to battery grade material to be done domestically. Sixth Wave is striving to be on the leading edge of process advancements that can be implemented in a timeframe consistent with high grade deposits transition from exploration to operation," notes Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, President, and CEO of Sixth Wave.

Mr. John F. Wightman, M.Sc., P.Eng., President, and CEO of Champlain Mineral Ventures Ltd. commented that, "I have been very happy with the work and results obtained so far by Sixth Wave and the team they have engaged at the Centre Technologique des residus industries (CTRI). The results obtained suggests that a successful and relatively low risk pathway using Sixth Wave's technology exists and being able to efficiently and with a lower environmental impact get to battery grade lithium carbonate will be of major benefit to the Brazil Lake project specifically but also to the industry at large."

About Sixth Wave

Sixth Wave is a nanotechnology company with patented technologies that focus on the extraction and detection of target substances at the molecular level using highly specialized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The Company is in the process of commercializing its IXOS - AuC polymer for the gold mining industry and is focused on expanding the offerings as noted here in lithium. The Company's patent portfolio covers extensions of the designs for extraction and purification of other critical metals including nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, and platinum group metals.

Sixth Wave can design, develop and commercialize MIP solutions across a broad spectrum of industries. The company has successfully developed nanotechnology architectures that are highly relevant for the detection and separation of viruses, bacteria, biogenic amines, and other pathogens. The Company is finishing commercialization of its Affinity system for purification of cannabinoids. The Company is actively looking for licensing opportunities to monetize these assets as it focuses on the mining and critical metals industry.

For more information about Sixth Wave, please visit: www.sixthwave.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Jon Gluckman"

Jonathan Gluckman, Ph.D., President & CEO

For information, please contact the Company:

Phone: (801) 582-0559

E-mail: info@sixthwave.com

Cautionary Notes

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" including statements regarding the planned features of the MIPs technology. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future events or developments that the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In particular, successful development and commercialization of the MIPs technology are subject to the risk that the MIPs technology may not prove to be successful in commercial application. The Company has not yet completed the development of a prototype for the product that is subject of this disclosure and is just at the beginning of the patent process for suite of new lithium disclosures. The Company has not begun detailed plant design work to implement the designed flow sheet and has not yet applied for regulatory approval for the use of this product from any regulatory agency. Subject to applicable law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151813
The "Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Forecast to 2028 COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Type, Gas, Pressure Rating, and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The virtual pipeline systems market in Europe is expected to grow from US$ 282.32 million in 2022 to US$ 434.58 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Rising Shale Gas Extraction Driving Demand for Virtual Pipeline System

Continuous advancements in shale drilling technologies have made shales the next reliable energy resource. Shale gas can be utilized as a greener energy option in countries that are dependent on coal as an energy source, as it emits less carbon than coal. Shale gas production has resulted in the abundance of natural gas supply across the region.

The European Union (EU) is already profiting from the US shale gas boom owing to an increased supply of liquefied natural gas bond for the US and better contractual circumstances for pipeline imports.

A new generation of shale gas exploitation methods, with lower costs and fewer environmental footprints, might make indigenous shale gas reserves in the EU appealing in the long term after 2030. Therefore, the increase in shell gas exploration and extraction projects due to developments in related technologies, coupled with the availability of many reserves, is boosting the demand for virtual pipeline systems, thereby boosting the market growth.

Market Overview

Germany, France, the UK, and Italy are among the major economies in Europe. Old pipeline infrastructure and stringent emission control regulations are the two significant factors driving the growth of the virtual pipeline system market in this region. Although the region has a large and rapidly growing pipeline infrastructure, it lacks a modern touch as the existing pipeline systems were set up decades ago.

The proliferation of the natural gas sector in response to the growing concerns about sustainability, and the subsequent surge in demand for the transportation of energy resources, benefit the virtual pipeline system market in the region Energy supply sources choose pipes as a preferred mode of transportation due to their universal acceptance.

Moreover, governments of several countries have taken various steps to offer notice to industries, comprising oil and gas. Norway and Russia have maintained their position as natural gas suppliers, whereas Germany, France, and Italy are the main importers of natural gas. Thus, many offshore projects for oil gas would accelerate the demand for the virtual pipeline system market.

The European Union is committed to reducing its carbon emissions to meet its EU2020 goal. Private and government organizations are investing heavily in virtual pipelines to supply cleaner energy. Moreover, to fulfil the increased energy demands of the UK, Germany, Italy, and France, among others, Russia is investing significantly in natural gas production.

Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Segmentation

The Europe virtual pipeline systems market is segmented into type, gas, pressure rating, application, and country.

Based on type, the market is segmented into standard trailer and towable trailer. The standard trailer segment registered a larger market share in 2022.

Based on gas, the market is segmented into CNG, hydrogen, and others. The CNG segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on pressure rating, the market is segmented into less than 3000 Psi, 3001 Psi to 5000 Psi, and more than 5001 Psi. The 3001 Psi to 5000 Psi segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on application, the market is segmented into industrial, transportation, and commercial residential. The transportation segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on country, the market is segmented into France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Russia, and the Rest of Europe. Germany dominated the market share in 2022.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology

4. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Landscape

5. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Key Market Dynamics

6. Virtual Pipeline Systems Europe Market Analysis

7. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market By Type

8. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market By Gas

9. Europe Virtual pipeline systems Market By Pressure Rating

10. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market By Application

11. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Country Analysis

12. Industry Landscape

13. Company Profiles

14. Appendix

Companies Mentioned

Galileo Technologies S.A.

Bayotech, Inc.

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS)

RAG Austria AG

Quantum Fuel Systems LLC.

Chart Industries, Inc.

SHIJIAZHUANG ENRIC GAS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD

Fiba Technologies Inc.

Hexagon Agility

Composite Advanced Technologies, LLC.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7wixgq

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SAF's leadership in special grade steel, and potential to grow with target industries, and the management team's experience and vision will make SAF a quality stock for the Thai capital market. [Image: SAF]

BANGKOK, Jan 19, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - S.A.F. Special Steel PCL (SET: SAF), one of Thailand's leaders in high-grade steel supplies and vacuum hardening services, today made a trading debut on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Market for Alternative Investment (MAI). SAF's entry in the industrial products segment came on the heels of a successful initial public offering (IPO) of 80 million shares at 1.93 baht per share.Mr Pisit Ariyadejwanich, Chief Executive Officer of SAF hailed the SET Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) debut as a crucial milestone in the firm's 30-year-plus history, marking a new chapter in business expansion. "This is an important step and the pride of the management, team members, and all stakeholders who have contributed to this remarkable success," he said.With the MAI listing, SAF is targeting growth in the country's three main industries, namely automotive parts, construction materials, and food. It is prepared to expand by building the new warehouse and setting up the nitriding furnace system, as well as seek growth opportunities in the CLMV countries which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.SAF is ready to capitalize on its experience and expertise of more than three decades in the sales of special-grade steel and providing vacuum heat treatment services. SAF has been entrusted as the distributor of high-quality special steel from leading German brands such as DORRENBERG EDELSTAHL GmbH and WILHELM OBERSTE-BEULMANN GmbH.The company is committed to delivering innovative products and high-quality services, improving the efficiency of human resources and completing operational processes, as well as following good Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) guidelines.The three key industrial sectors that SAF will focus on, with potentially significant growth are:- Automotive parts industry using special grade steel to make molds and dies to produce parts for automobiles, motorcycles, as well as agricultural machinery vehicles- Construction materials industry using special grade steel to make dies to produce aluminium profiles for window and door frames, machinery parts in the production of cement and steel for construction works- Food industry using special grade steel to make molds and dies to produce pans, pots, LPG cylinders, cans, and packaging bottles, and machinery parts in the sugar cane production process, and so onThe company will focus on expanding its customer base by offering hardening services together with mold steel selling, launching new products, and participating in bidding for various public and private projects.Concurrently, SAF is also looking for opportunities to expand into 'New S-curve' industries such as electric vehicles (EV), as well as expanding its business to CLMV countries.Furthermore, SAF will seek authorization from German partners to be the exclusive distributor of special grade steel products in those countries.In addition, the company has targeted on achieving an annual growth rate of 23-28% during 2023 to 2024 in line with the increased inventory capacity and the addition of nitriding hardening services, of which, enable SAF to respond to customers better and more comprehensively.Miss Veeraya Sriwattana, Head of Investment Banking CGS-CIMB Securities (Thailand) Co., Ltd., lead underwriter of the SAF new share issue, said the firm's MAI listing would boost its business potential and enhance capital strength to support the business expansion plan. According to the company's goals, this consists of increasing its warehousing capacity to 4,000 tonnes, with the expansion of the SAF3 warehouse, and investing in a nitriding furnace system to provide a one-stop hardening service for industrial customers.She also said that with SAF's leadership in the business of special grade steel, the potential to grow continuously along with the targeted industries, and the management team's vision and experience will make SAF a quality stock for investors in the Thai capital market.S.A.F. SPECIAL STEEL PCL (SAF), https://www.saf.co.th/en/ [SET: SAF] [SET: SAF/F] [SET: SAF-R].Released for S.A.F. Special Steel PCL by MT Multimedia Co LtdPipop Khongwong ('Top'), T. +66-81-929-8864, E: pipop.k@mtmultimedia.com.Source: S.A.F. Special Steel PCLCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Technical Team Sampled Exposed Pegmatites and Completed Airborne Surveys

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Idaho Champion (CSE: ITKO) (OTCQB: GLDRF) (FSE: 1QB1) ("Idaho Champion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the work program that was previously announced on November 10, 2022 on the Company's two 100%-owned lithium pegmatite projects (the "IQ Projects") in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory of Quebec.

The completed exploration program on Idaho Champion's prospective lithium pegmatite projects included high-resolution magnetic, VLF-electromagnetic, radiometric and LiDAR/imagery airborne surveys covering approximately 2,188 line-kilometres. Additionally, the Company's geology team completed a sampling program on the known exposed pegmatites on both the Blanches and Charles Projects. On Charles, the team encountered varied rock units, including amphibolite, metasediment, banded iron formation, ultramafic rocks, and pegmatite dykes (See Figures 1, 2, and 3). Whereas the pegmatite encountered on the Blanche project was mainly near or within metamorphosed intrusive rocks. The team delivered twenty-one (21) rock samples to ALS in Val D'Or for multielement analyses.

"Our maiden exploration program was focused on the Blanche West, Blanche Central, and Charles East blocks of the property. The 2,188 line-kilometre airborne survey was flown at a 50-metre nominal elevation and 100-metre line spacing. We were also able to fly the LiDAR and 4-band multispectral imagery at approximately 40 points per square metre to create orthomosaics with 5-centimeter resolution.

Interpretation and analysis are now underway on the data sets from the completed program. Our technical team is pleased with how the data has come together and the quality of the samples that have been submitted for assay. We have advanced our understanding of the regional geology and structural interpretation of both projects and have begun formulating a second phase program," stated Jonathan Buick, President and CEO.

About the IQ Lithium Projects (Blanche and Charles)

Blanche is comprised of 256 claims totalling approximately 131 km2 (See Figure 4). The project lies within a volcano-sedimentary belt striking ENE. The bedrock geology at the Blanche project that is mainly composed of a broad east-northeast trending mafic band, interpreted as a metamorphosed basalt, hosted within large xenoliths of silvers of host rock within the tonalite and interbedded with narrow sections of magnesian basalt, komatiite, iron formation (silicate and/or oxide facies) and metasedimentary rocks.





Figure 1 - Blue-green feldspar in pegmatite

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8681/151809_10f7ce8474fa8941_001full.jpg





Figure 2 - Banded iron formation

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8681/151809_10f7ce8474fa8941_003full.jpg







Figure 3 - Ultramafic rocks

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8681/151809_10f7ce8474fa8941_005full.jpg





Figure 4: IQ Lithium Projects Location Map

Exploration Results Source: Patriot Battery Metals Drilling https://patriotbatterymetals.com/portfolio/corvette/

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8681/151809_10f7ce8474fa8941_007full.jpg

Three units of felsic intrusive rocks have been observed at Blanche: hornblende tonalite, granite and pegmatite dykes. Tonalite consists of feldspar, quartz, and biotite rich intrusive rocks. In the northwestern part of the project, the rocks are relatively homogenous and medium grained, containing 20 to 30% hornblende, with locally weak foliation. The granite is comprised of medium to coarse grained feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, and biotite. It is massive, homogeneous, and mostly non-magnetic. A few pegmatite dykes have also been identified as cross cutting felsic units. The dykes observed to date are typically less than two-meters wide and are often parallel to the schistosity in the mafic rocks. These pegmatites have a similar composition as the granites but show a texture ranging from coarse grained to pegmatitic with the presence of 5 to 7% muscovite.

The Charles project is comprised of 61 claims covering approximately 31 km2. Less is known about this project, but the area exhibits variable topography with low rolling hills to very steep hills. The more prominent hills trend in an ENE-WSW direction and are defined by outcrops of felsic intrusives and iron formations within the northern and central parts of this project, there is thick cover of glacial sediment containing boulders of granite and pegmatite.

Idaho Champion also announces that the Company has approved the grant of stock options (the "Options") exercisable for a total of 4,200,000 common shares ("Common Shares") to consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable for a period of 5 years at an exercise price of $0.08 per Common Share and vest on the date of grant.

All Options were granted pursuant to the Company's stock option plan and are subject to the terms of the applicable grant agreements and the requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE").

Qualified Person

Patrick Highsmith, Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG CPG # 11702) and director of the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Highsmith has helped prepare, reviewed, and approved the technical information in this news release.

About Idaho Champion Gold Mines Inc.

Idaho Champion is a discovery-focused exploration company that is committed to advancing its highly prospective cobalt properties located in Idaho, United States and lithium properties in Quebec, Canada. In addition, the Company owns the Baner gold project in Idaho County and the Champagne polymetallic project in Butte County near Arco.

The Company's shares trade on the CSE under the trading symbol "ITKO", on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "GLDRF", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "1QB1". Idaho Champion strives to be a responsible environmental steward, stakeholder and contributing citizen to the local communities where it operates, taking its social license seriously, employing local community members and service providers at its operations whenever possible.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF IDAHO CHAMPION

"Jonathan Buick"

Jonathan Buick, President, and CEO

For further information, please visit the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or the Company's corporate website at www.idahochamp.com.

For further information, please contact:

Nicholas Konkin, Marketing and Communications, Idaho Champion

Phone: (416) 567- 9087

Email: nkonkin@idahochamp.com

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Cautionary Statements for Idaho Champion

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release may include forward-looking information concerning the business of the Company within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to the completion of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, the prospectivity of the Projects for lithium, the ability of the Company to successfully shift focus to exploration for battery-related metals, and with respect to the completion of a private placement of the size and at the price contemplated. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company, including being able to satisfy any conditions related to the acquisition, sufficient investor interest to complete the private placement financing necessary to fund the cash portion of the acquisition of the Project, having the necessary technical expertise to explore for lithium in pegmatite, and that reported lithium resources in the district of the Projects is indicative of mineralized pegmatite prospectivity on the Projects. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking 1information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information and the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151809
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / The changes are designed to enable Forum to deliver its new 2023-2025 strategy, For a just and regenerative future, through which the organisation will look to enable deep transformation in three potentially game-changing areas for sustainability: how we think about, produce, consume and value both food and energy, and in the purpose of business in society and the economy.

Effective from January 2023, key changes are as follows:

Hannah Pathak takes on the new role of International Managing Director , leading Forum's operations in its four offices as well as a newly-created international 'Impact Team'. Hannah joined Forum in 2019 as Director (UK/ EU) and has almost two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, delivering on multi-sector partnerships in sustainability, development and humanitarian action.

takes on the new role of , leading Forum's operations in its four offices as well as a newly-created international 'Impact Team'. Hannah joined Forum in 2019 as Director (UK/ EU) and has almost two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, delivering on multi-sector partnerships in sustainability, development and humanitarian action. Anna Biswas , previously Associate Director (India) and Sumi Dhanarajan , previously Associate Director (APAC), are now Managing Director, India and Managing Director, Southeast Asia , respectively. Anna will continue leading Forum's team in India, including providing strategic direction for the ground-breaking Responsible Energy Initiative India . She will also continue to work with the team to build interventions to shape the food transition in India. Sumi similarly continues to lead Forum's team in Southeast Asia, presently based in Singapore, providing strategic leadership on flagship programmes Responsible Energy Initiative Southeast Asia and Protein Challenge Southeast Asia , among others. She has over three decades of experience as an international development practitioner and joined Forum in 2018, while Anna joined Forum in 2007.

, previously Associate Director (India) and , previously Associate Director (APAC), are now and , respectively. Anna will continue leading Forum's team in India, including providing strategic direction for the ground-breaking . She will also continue to work with the team to build interventions to shape the food transition in India. Sumi similarly continues to lead Forum's team in Southeast Asia, presently based in Singapore, providing strategic leadership on flagship programmes and , among others. She has over three decades of experience as an international development practitioner and joined Forum in 2018, while Anna joined Forum in 2007. Ariel Muller , previously Managing Director (Asia), is now Director of Futures and Strategic Initiatives . Having joined Forum in 2012, Ariel will now advance Forum's futures thinking practice and propositions across its four regions. She will provide support to the organisation and its partners in managing emerging risks while delivering to long-term transition goals in energy, food and the purpose of business.

, previously Managing Director (Asia), is now . Having joined Forum in 2012, Ariel will now advance Forum's futures thinking practice and propositions across its four regions. She will provide support to the organisation and its partners in managing emerging risks while delivering to long-term transition goals in energy, food and the purpose of business. Samantha Veide, previously Associate Director (US), has been leading Forum's strategic planning process and organisational development work since May 2022. Samantha joined Forum in 2018 and is now Director of Organisational Transformation, set to support Forum in change management. Samantha brings over two decades of experience in strategy setting, learning and development, and communications.

The appointments set the foundation for Forum to deliver on a strategy, announced in September 2022, that recognises the progress already made to tackle key sustainability challenges-from the climate emergency and intensifying inequality to crashing biodiversity-but notes continued shortfalls. The strategy calls on key sectors to go much further and act much faster if we are to create a 'just and regenerative future', in which both people and the planet thrive.

Other changes in the leadership team include Lesley Mitchell, Associate Director, Sustainable Nutrition and James Payne, Associate Director, Transformational Strategy, now taking on the roles of Global Strategic Lead, Food, and Global Strategic Lead, Purpose of Business, respectively. The appointments of a Global Strategic Lead (Energy), Global Director of Impact and a Development and Communications Director will be announced in due course.

Dr Sally Uren, Forum's Chief Executive, said: "As an organisation working on futures and system change in critical sustainability issues, Forum often challenges others to think about what genuine, deep and positive transformation looks like. Over the last 12 months, we have asked these questions of ourselves. The world has made some progress in tackling key sustainability issues, but we are not yet going far enough or acting fast enough. This needs to change. We need systemic solutions capable of tackling the root causes of our social, environmental and economic crises-and I believe our renewed leadership team is now best positioned to enable this as we look to create a just and regenerative future."

Rita Clifton CBE, Chair of Forum's Board of Trustees, added: "These leadership changes reflect Forum's new and ambitious strategy and will set the organisation up to deliver the greatest impact at this most critical period for sustainability. The new structure enables Forum to make the most of our extraordinary knowledge and experience of what really works to transform sectors and systems. We are fortunate to have so many talented and committed leaders across our offices, and I am very much looking forward to working with the teams and the board to support future growth and development."

Hannah Pathak, International Managing Director, said: "In the past few years, there has been a growing understanding of the interconnected, global nature of sustainability challenges. As the new International Managing Director at Forum, I am excited to further deepen my grasp on these issues while leading an international body of work in four very distinct parts of the world. I hope that my new role will strengthen Forum's systemic capabilities, and I look forward to learning from the diverse perspectives we have."

Sumi Dhanarajan, Managing Director (Southeast Asia), said: "Southeast Asia as a region will experience the more devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Governments, businesses and civil society will need to demonstrate high levels of ambition in transforming our food, energy and economic systems if Southeast Asians are to enjoy an ecologically safe and socially just future. Our team works to support deep and urgent transformations towards just and regenerative systems, and I look forward to supporting my colleagues in their efforts at this pivotal moment for the sustainability movement."

Anna Biswas, Managing Director (India), added: "Our pioneering work on the Responsible Energy Initiative has contributed to a renewed sense of agency in Forum's new strategy. There is no question that the transitions in energy, food and the purpose of business must happen, especially here in India, but it remains a choice how we transition and whether we achieve a deep or shallow set of outcomes. I am humbled to be taking on the position of Managing Director for Forum in India, especially in this critical year as India takes on the G20 presidency, and look forward to building a stronger and more impactful organisation with everyone."

Ariel Muller, Director of Futures and Strategic Initiatives, said: "Our new strategy recognises that we're in a new operating environment-one in which we need to be agile enough to respond to disruptive short-term risks while simultaneously delivering to long-term sustainable development goals. I'm looking forward to collaborating with our teams and partners to use futures thinking to deliver on the challenges of this decade."

Samantha Veide, Director of Organisational Transformation, said: "As Forum worked on its 2023-25 strategy in the past year, it became clear that we also needed to create the enabling conditions internally to deliver on it. Particularly as the world emerges from COVID-19, questions on what it means to be a nimble and agile international organisation are more pertinent than ever. I am excited to continue on in this role as Director of Organisational Transformation, and apply my background in Organisational Communication and Psychology to bring out the best in this courageous, adaptive and diverse team."

Forum was founded in 1996 and began its international expansion in the 2010s. Its new strategy envisions a world in which:

Our social and environmental systems are capable of adapting to and addressing challenges of the future with flexibility and resilience.

The world has moved beyond artificial divides between people, nature and economy-integrating ways to stabilise the planet, restore and replenish our ecosystems, and promote dignity, fulfilment and equity for all.

The meaning of a 'prosperous' economy is redefined as one that meets the needs of everyone in society, enabling them to thrive, distributes value fairly, and operates in harmony with nature and planetary boundaries.

The root causes of today's biggest challenges-the climate emergency, nature in crisis and systemic inequality-have been tackled by dramatically reconfiguring the systems on which we rely.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS

Biographies

Full biographies of the leadership team are available on our website.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Fern Yu Communications and Marketing Manager pf.yu@forumforthefuture.org

About Forum for the Future

Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability non-profit. For more than 25 years we've been working in partnership with business, governments and civil society to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future in which both people and the planet thrive. As our environmental, social and economic crises intensify, the world is rapidly changing, with multiple transitions already reshaping how we all live and work. But will we go far enough, and fast enough? Forum is focused on enabling deep transformation in three game-changing areas: how we think about, produce, consume and value both food and energy, and the role of business in society and the economy.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Forum for the Future on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Forum for the Future

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/forum-future

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Forum for the Future

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735896/Forum-for-the-Future-Makes-New-International-Leadership-Appointments
Announces Key Executive Hire

Strategic Partnership Update

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Nextech AR Solutions Corp . ("Nextech" or the "Company") (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:EP2), a Metaverse Company and leading provider of augmented reality ("AR") experience technologies, wayfinding technologies and 3D model services showcased its groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) powered Human Holograms technology, " ARitize Holograms ", at the IAEE Expo.

The ARitize Holograms platform is a first to market app powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that lets users create, share and view human holograms on a smartphone device with no green screen required. This proprietary machine learning (ML) solution takes care of processing the video capture into a human hologram in just a few minutes. It is a user-friendly application that provides access to life-size holograms of visitors and guests at any event, inside any venue, or at any location of their choosing throughout the conference or trade show. This metaverse software elevates an event experience through a new sponsorship opportunity,"selling the airspace" empowering event professionals with new and unique tools to engage with their attendees, speakers, and event partners.

2022 Q4 Strategic Partnership

IAEE | Expo | International Association of Exhibits & Exhibitors?

As an end to end event management platform that provides an experience unlike any other, Nextech Event Solutions (NES) features 3D models, human holograms, AR indoor wayfinding, interactive tradeshow floor maps and an event app. These features are built to serve the meetings and events market, creating efficiencies, lowering costs, and streamlining working when resources are scarce.

The Nextech Event Solutions team was recently in Louisville, KY for the "International Association of Exhibits and Events (IAEE) Expo! Expo!" IAEE is the leading trade association for the global exhibitions and events industry. As the "Show for Shows", IAEE brought together event professionals and show organizers from around the world with the goal of showcasing innovative event solutions, which included Nextech AR's immersive technology via the ARitize Hologram application.

Watch a video of Aritize Holograms at the IAEE Expo - click here

"We are excited to build upon our partnership with IAEE to bring innovative, end-to-end event technologies to their members. The partnership with IAEE provides Nextech Event Solutions (NES) with the opportunity to highlight this type of immersive environment and experience for the community of business event professionals who bring exhibits and trade shows to life", said Melea Guilbault, CEO of Nextech Event Solutions. "We look forward to the future - Expo! Expo! 2024 in Dallas, Texas and our joint efforts redefining the way show organizers and organizations deliver their own immersive AR metaverse experience to attendees."

IAEE President and CEO David DuBois comments,"Each year at Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition, we bring first in class technologies to our show organizers to provide them with exciting new experiences to implement in their own events. Our show in Louisville highlighted Nextech's ARitize Hologram allowing attendees to dive deeper into the metaverse with their holograms," said IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP-F, CAE FASAE, CTA. "It is important to provide a marketplace like Expo! Expo! to showcase these technologies as our world is heavily reliant on cutting edge tech to better meet our customers, members, and prospective sales leads where they do business."

Recent Executive Hires

Nextech Event Solutions is pleased to announce the Company has hired Michael Candela, as the Senior Vice President, Strategic Markets.

Michael Candela is an experienced enterprise account executive and strategic sales leader with a talent for closing large deals, developing teams, and growing revenue. Michael brings over 20 years of sales experience, with management roles at American Association of Airport Executives, MultiView Inc., SmartBrief Inc., InLoop Inc., MCI USA, and private-equity backed Community Brands. At Nextech Event Solutions, Michael will be focused on the Global Events Market Expansion and Enterprise Solutions that take the Company upmarket for Nextech Event Solutions.

November 2022

Vanessa LaClair, CAE, CMP: Vice President of Event Solutions & Community Engagement - Nextech Event Solutions

Vanessa LaClair is a leader in the association space, bringing deep domain and industry knowledge as a CAE (Certified Association Executive) and CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) and most recently serving as the Executive Director of the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE).

Vanessa LaClair is a leader in the association space, bringing deep domain and industry knowledge as a CAE (Certified Association Executive) and CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) and most recently serving as the Executive Director of the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE). Whitney Kendrick: VP, Product Growth & Marketing - Nextech Event Solutions

Whitney brings a background of almost two decades in B2B SaaS applications, platforms, marketing, and operations. She has cultivated partnerships and handled acquisitions with companies such as Web.com, ReachLocal, Gannett, ProSites, Marketing 360, Paychex.

September 2022

Melea Guibault: CEO - Nextech Event Solutions

In September, Nextech AR announced the appointment of Melea Guilbault as CEO of Nextech Event Solutions. Melea brings more than thirty years of experience in high-growth companies inclusive of technology, pharmaceuticals, and community-based organizations, and brings extensive commercial, operational and executive management experience with companies such as private-equity backed Community Brands and Yourmembership and Fortune 500 Medtronic, Takeda & Bristol-Myers Squibb.

About Nextech Event Solutions

Nextech Event Solutions (NES) is a cutting edge event management platform providing industry-leading software to event professionals, special event venues, exhibitors, and commercial entities around the world. Nextech Event Solutions' suite of services enables event executives and planners to seamlessly plan, manage, and deliver exceptional events and immersive event experiences in the estimated $500+ billion global meetings and events industry.

To learn more about Nextech Event Solutions, please follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook , and visit our website: https://mapdevents.com/

Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Nextech Event Solutions Contact

Melea Guilbault

Chief Executive Officer

melea.guilbault@nextechar.com

866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Ext 7002

Nextech Investor Relations Contact

Lindsay Betts

investor.relations@Nextechar.com

866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Ext 7201

Nextech AR Solutions Corp.

Evan Gappelberg

CEO and Director

866-ARITIZE (274-8493)

About Nextech AR

Nextech AR Solutions is the engine accelerating the growth of the Metaverse. Using breakthrough AI, Nextech AR is able to quickly, easily and affordably ARitize (transform) vast quantities and varieties of existing assets at scale making products, people and places ready for interactive 3D use, giving creators at every level all the essential tools they need to build out their digital AR vision in the Metaverse. Our platform agnostic tools allow brands, educators, students, manufacturers, creators, and technologists to create immersive, interactive and the most photo-realistic 3D assets and digital environments, compose AR experiences, and publish them omnichannel. With a full suite of end-to-end AR solutions in 3D Commerce, Education, Events, and Industrial Manufacturing, Nextech AR is in a unique position to meet the needs of the world's biggest brands and all Metaverse contributors.

To learn more about Nextech AR, please follow us on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , LinkedIn , and Facebook , or visit our website: https://www.Nextechar.com .

On October 26, 2022 Nextech AR spun out its spatial computing platform, "ARway" as a stand alone public Company. Nextech AR retained a control ownership in ARway Corp. with 13 million shares, or a 50% stake. ARway is currently listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:ARWY), in USA on the (OTC: ARWYF) and Internationally on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: E65). ARway Corp. is disrupting the augmented reality wayfinding market with a no-code, no beacon spatial computing platform enabled by visual marker tracking.

To learn more about ARway, visit https://www.arway.ai/

Forward-looking Statements

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Nextech AR Solutions Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735755/Nextech-AR-Showcases-AI-Powered-Human-Hologram-Tech-at-IAEE-Expo
Exploration team identifies new high-grade nickel mineralization to be called the "Raptor Zone", intersecting high-grade nickel in first 6 out of 9 holes nearly 2 miles from the current resource area

Tamarack, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) (OTC Pink: TLOFF) ("Talon" or the "Company"), the majority owner and operator of the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project ("Tamarack Nickel Project") in central Minnesota, has successfully intercepted new high-grade nickel-copper mineralization nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) outside of the current nickel-copper resource area. Talon believes it has confirmed a brand new "system" of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization within the Tamarack Intrusive Complex.





Figure 1: High-grade nickel massive sulphide intersected in 3 new holes all within the Raptor Zone (assays pending)



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/151822_458fe2ffa461da83_001full.jpg

Brian Goldner, Chief Exploration and Operations Officer of Talon, said: "New drilling shows us that the Tamarack Intrusive Complex can be a district-scale nickel-copper resource right here in the United States. We've moved nearly 2 miles outside of the Company's current nickel-copper resource area and successfully intercepted high-grade nickel-copper in a different intrusion (new system) as compared to the current resource area. While still early in the process, these preliminary results provide definitive evidence that the Tamarack Intrusive Complex has district-scale potential, and as a consequence of these exciting initial results, we intend to make further exploration along the Tamarack Intrusive Complex a priority in 2023."

Goldner continued: "Last year's discovery of the shallow high-grade nickel mineralization in the CGO West area started with only a small 1.3-meter intercept of high-grade nickel massive sulphide - that mineralization ultimately grew to nearly 14 meters thick only 25 meters away. I expect this same thickening could occur in the new area called the "Raptor Zone", especially with the amount of unexplored space we have to work with."

Todd Malan, Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy at Talon, added: "The prospect that the United States may host more high-grade nickel mineralization within its domestic mineral endowment is very timely. In the last year, over $30 billion in investment has been committed for new nickel battery manufacturing in the US. We have more exploration drilling to undertake with our in-house team to understand if these new areas have a resource that is of the size and quality to represent an economic and mineable resource, but these results show where we need to target our drilling teams. America is currently dependent on foreign sources of battery grade nickel. If we can find more high-grade nickel in the US, we can start to reduce our dependency on China, Russia and Indonesia for nickel and other battery minerals."

The potential for additional high-grade nickel-copper mineralization within the 11-mile-long Tamarack Intrusive Complex has been recognized by Talon for some time. Talon's primary focus to date has been the discovery and delineation of the Main Zone, the CGO West area and the CGO East area (collectively referred to as the "Company's nickel-copper resource area"). To accomplish this growth, Talon spent the past 2 years building a complete in-house exploration team, incorporating among other things, a fleet of five Talon-owned and staffed drill rigs, along with precision borehole and surface geophysical guidance equipment. With the advancement of the delineation work, Talon's in-house team has now been tasked with evaluating the exploration upside over the entire length of the 11-mile-long Tamarack Intrusive Complex starting at the northern end of the complex where the "Raptor Zone" has been identified. The name "Raptor" has been chosen given the resemblance to the iconic predator's profile that shows up in the magnetic survey (see Figure 2).

Since September 2022, Talon has completed 9 new drill holes outside of the Company's nickel-copper resource area, 6 of which have already intersected high-grade nickel-copper mineralization. These intercepts occur in 2 new areas of mineralization within the larger "Raptor Zone", including the "Raptor's Crest" (previously referred to as the 264 Zone) located approximately 1.8 miles (3 km) north of the Company's nickel-copper resource area and the "Raptor's Head" (previously referred to as the 221 Zone) located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the Company's nickel-copper resource area (see Figure 2). These two areas (Raptor's Crest and Raptor's Head) have very limited historic drilling, but assays do include high-grade nickel massive sulphide intercepts of up to 9.95% Ni1 and 9.33% Ni2 within these respective zones. Of note, in between the drill holes lie 1-mile (1.6 km) of ground that has never been drilled and therefore, this ground represents a high priority exploration target for the Company in 2023, given that it is bookended with high-grade nickel massive sulphide intercepts on both sides.





Figure 2: Analytical signal magnetic map showing the location of the Raptor Zone (red = highly magnetic)



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/151822_458fe2ffa461da83_002full.jpg

The Company's recent drilling in the Raptor Zone has suggested that the intrusive depositing the high-grade nickel mineralization appears to be a completely different intrusive (i.e., a brand new "system" of mineralization) as compared to the Company's nickel-copper resource area. Additionally, the nickel mineralization found in the Raptor Zone appears to be dominantly massive sulphide rip ups, suggesting that the massive sulphide was originally formed elsewhere and has been eroded and transported to where it currently resides. The Raptor Zone is following a similar trend (plunge and dip) and is parallel to the intrusive units in the Company's nickel-coper resource area but lies at a different elevation below the resource and the down-dip projection of that structure lines up with the top of the Magnetotelluric (MT) anomaly, now named "Raptor's Nest" (see Figure 3).





Figure 3: Geological section of a portion of the Tamarack Intrusive Complex, illustrating the relationship between the Company's Nickel-Copper Resource Area and Raptor Zone (looking southeast)



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/151822_458fe2ffa461da83_003full.jpg







Figure 4: Plan view of the Raptor's Crest showing the location of new drill holes and intercepts of high-grade nickel mineralization (assays pending).



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/151822_458fe2ffa461da83_004full.jpg







Figure 5. Plan view of the Raptor's Head showing the location of the new drill holes, with intercepts of high-grade nickel mineralization (assays pending).



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/151822_458fe2ffa461da83_005full.jpg

QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALIFIED PERSONS

Please see the technical report entitled "November 2022 National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of November 2, 2022 prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101")) Brian Thomas (P. Geo), Roger Jackson (P. Geo), Oliver Peters (P. Eng) and Christine Pint (P.G) for information on the QA/QC, data verification, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Nickel Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The laboratory used is ALS Minerals who is independent of the Company.

Lengths are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. True widths cannot be consistently calculated for comparison purposes between holes because of the irregular shapes of the mineralized zones. Drill intersections have been independently selected by Talon. Drill composites have been independently calculated by Talon. The geological interpretations in this news release are solely those of the Company. The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate.

Dr. Etienne Dinel, Vice President, Geology of Talon, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Dr. Dinel is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information.

ABOUT TALON

Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in central Minnesota. Talon's shares are also traded in the US over the OTC market under the symbol TLOFF. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Nickel Project, and currently owns 51%. Talon is focused on (i) expanding and infilling its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 to shape a mine plan for submission to Minnesota regulators, and (ii) following up on additional high-grade nickel mineralization in the Tamarack Intrusive Complex. Talon has an agreement with Tesla Inc. to supply it with 75,000 metric tonnes (165 million lbs) of nickel in concentrate (and certain by-products, including cobalt and iron) from the Tamarack Nickel Project over an estimated six-year period once commercial production is achieved. Talon has well-qualified experienced exploration, mine development, external affairs and mine permitting teams.

For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com

Media Contact:

Todd Malan

1-(202)-714-8187

malan@talonmetals.com

Investor Contact:

Sean Werger

1-(416)-500-9891

werger@talonmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to future exploration and drilling and the results thereof, including the potential for a district-scale at the Tamarack Nickel Project, and future assay results. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Table 1: Collar Locations of New Drill Holes Disclosed in this Press Release

HOLE ID Easting

(m) Northing

(m) Elevation

(masl) Azimuth Dip End Depth

(m) Raptor's Head (formerly 221 Zone) 22TK0430 491840.7 5170512.7 388.0 169.2 -74.9 735.0 22TK0438 491840.7 5170512.7 388.0 169.7 -83.0 698.3 22TK0440 491840.7 5170510.0 388.0 260.7 -79.6 679.9 Raptor's Crest (formerly 264 Zone) 22TK0419 490407.0 5171997.0 388.0 160.9 -73.0 638.4 22TK0426 490407.0 5171997.0 388.0 66.8 -73.0 530.4 22TK0432 490404.0 5172003.4 388.0 341.5 -73.7 596.2 22TK0436 490404.0 5172003.4 388.0 251.8 -73.8 666.9 22TK0439 490404.0 5172003.4 388.0 0.0 -90.0 551.1 22TK0441 490404.0 5172003.0 388.0 80.0 -52.0 595.4

Table 2: Quick Lithology Log for New Drill Holes Disclosed in this Press Release

HOLE ID From

(m) To

(m) Length Quick Log % Sulphides Raptor's Head 22TK0430 0 54.55

OB

54.55 267.49

SED

267.49 294.44

GAB

294.44 300.13

SED

300.13 319.73

CGO

319.73 334.19

MZNO

334.19 666.02

CGO

666.02 668.56 2.54 CGO 5% 668.56 672.2 3.64 GAB 3-7% 672.2 673.1 0.9 MMS/MSU 40-80% 673.1 734.87

SED

22TK0438 0 51.21

OB

51.21 238.53

SED

238.53 260.58

CGO

260.58 269.14

SED

269.14 623.83

GAB/CGO

623.83 698.3

SED

22TK0440 0 53

OB

53 246.89

SED

246.89 649.78

GAB/CGO

649.78 651.55

MI

651.55 653.25 1.7 MMS/MSU 10-80% 653.25 679.55

SED

Raptor's Crest 22TK0419 0 61.02

OB

61.02 390.3

SED

390.3 409.65

GAB

409.65 599.16

CGO

599.16 638.4

SED

22TK0426 0 127.37

OB

127.37 311.36

SED

311.36 486.29

GAB/CGO

486.29 487.56 1.27 MMS 10-15% 487.56 530.35

SED

22TK0432 0 148.29

OB

148.29 300.91

SED

300.91 504.66

GAB/CGO

504.66 507.22

MI

507.22 596.19

SED

22TK0436 0 155.45

OB

155.45 370.6

SED

370.6 625.37

GAB/CGO

625.37 626.34 0.97 MMS/MSU 20-95% 626.34 666.9

SED

22TK0439 0 158.03

OB

158.03 338.38

SED

338.38 530.88

GAB/CGO

530.88 538.4

MI

538.4 539.34 0.94 MMS 50% 539.34 551.08

SED

22TK0441 0 182.7

Not logged

182.7 305.1

SED

305.1 366.1

GAB/CGO

366.1 367.47

FGO/MZ

367.47 497.94

CGO

497.94 516.76

MZ

516.76 519.39

GAB

519.39 520.15 0.76 MMS 10% 520.15 595.43

SED



Quick lithology log of drill holes: Overburden (OB); Mixed massive sulphides (MMS); Massive sulphides (MSU); Meta-sedimentary rocks (SED); Coarse-grained Orthocumulate (CGO); Gabbro (GAB); Fine-grained Orthocumulate (FGO); Mixed-Zone (MZ)

________________________

1 For further technical information on drill hole 18TK0264, please see the Company's press release dated June 21, 2018.

2 For further technical information on drill hole 15TK0229, please see the Company's press release dated September 1, 2015.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151822
New partnership makes Dedrone the only counterdrone solution offered by G4S in EMEA

Dedrone, the market leader in smart airspace security, today announced that it has entered a partnership with G4S, an Allied Universal company, covering Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). G4S will now offer Dedrone's command and control (C2) drone detection, tracking and identification (DTI) solution suite to its customers in more than 50 countries across EMEA.

"This partnership with Dedrone enables us to add another layer in our risk-based assessment approach, to assess the customer specific threat level, in perimeter and airspace protection. Dedrone's ability to easily integrate with third-party products also means that our customers can quickly incorporate counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (cUAS) capabilities into their existing security infrastructure," said Erik Deleersnyder, Regional Director Technology Solutions Development at G4S.

The State Police of Latvia is one of G4S's first clients to benefit from this new partnership, with Dedrone used to establish a mobile drone detection system for large events in Riga.

"This detection equipment is a significant addition to the State Police of Latvia's ability to effectively control the traffic of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The first tests with Dedrone have proven that it's of a high quality; it will undoubtedly improve our ability to strengthen Latvia's internal national security." said State Police of Latvia representative with responsibility for Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and air navigation, Maris Vitkovski. "These devices make it possible to determine the height, route and, most importantly, the location of a drone's remote pilot, which is essential for detecting any potential law-breaking. We will use Dedrone to ensure public safety, including during public events, in order to prevent violations, including those that may threaten the safety of the public."

Latvia has 6000 registered drone pilots and many more who are not licensed, so the police need to strike a balancing act between guarding against the risk of drones and allowing people the freedom to use them in a safe and responsible way.

"We face a real challenge in Latvia with drones due to the risks in crowded areas and to critical national infrastructure with an increasing number of drones being produced and sold every year. What we needed was a flexible system which detects any drone that can be deployed in different situations to provide an essential layer of security. Dedrone provides that flexibility without sacrificing security," said Aleksandrs Snevels, Head of Technology Department for G4S in Latvia.

Dedrone's C2 cUAS platform, DedroneTracker, is built on an Open Systems Architecture (OSA) and allows for easy integration to any third-party inputs including sensors and cameras that may already be in place. DedroneTracker, through its DTI protocols and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) engine, continuously evaluates and prioritizes drone threats autonomously in the background, through interrogation of possible targets for operator attention. Dedrone also recently released DedroneDefender, which mitigates drones through precision Radio Frequency (RF) jamming.

"Forming this partnership with one of the world's leading security solutions providers is the logical next step for Dedrone as we continue to lead the cUAS market globally, and we are pleased to provide G4S customers with our full suite of products to ensure that the threat of drone incursion can be effectively and speedily countered," said Jan Schween, VP EMEA of Dedrone. "No matter the size of the site or the current security setup, we're prepared to quickly integrate our best-in-class cUAS solution for effective airspace protection."

Dedrone works across 40 countries, including four of the G-7 nation governments; nine U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense; more than 75 critical infrastructure sites; 20+ airports; and 50 correctional facilities worldwide. The company actively provides drone detection services for some of the most high-profile events around the world and works closely with more than 35 law enforcement agencies.

About Dedrone

Dedrone is the market leader in smart airspace security. Hundreds of commercial, government and military customers around the world trust Dedrone's comprehensive, counter-drone command and control solution to protect against the persistent and escalating threat from drones. By leveraging I/ML, Dedrone is the only solution that provides continuous, autonomous interrogation and verification of drones. Whether on-premise air-gapped or in the cloud, Dedrone customers can easily detect, track, identify, analyze and mitigate drone threats. Established in 2014, Dedrone is headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., and has offices in San Francisco and San Diego, California, Columbus, Ohio, London, United Kingdom and Kassel, Germany. For more information on drone-related activity visit our global incident center or to reach our airspace security experts, visit dedrone.com and follow us on Twitter, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.

About G4S

Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company, provides proactive security services and cutting-edge smart technology to deliver tailored, integrated security solutions that allow clients to focus on their core business. Our 2021 acquisition of G4S expanded our footprint and infrastructure on a global and local level.

Through a global workforce of approximately 800,000 people*, we leverage best practices in communities all over the world. With revenue of approximately $20 billion and operations in more than 90 countries, we have the resources to deploy efficient processes and systems to help deliver our promise locally: keeping people safe so our communities can thrive. We believe there is no greater purpose than serving and safeguarding customers, communities and people in today's world. Allied Universal is There for you. For more information, please visit www.aus.com.

*Total workforce includes employees and subcontractors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005126/en/

Contacts:

Dedrone Media Contact:

Lizi Sprague

dedrone@songuepr.com

G4S Media Contact:

media@g4s.com
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Port Corporation (CSE: GPO) (OTCQB: GPOTF) (the "Company") has initiated a metallurgical test program regarding the Groete Gold Project, located in Guyana, SA. The Company has arranged with P&E Mining Consultants Inc. of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, to provide Qualified Person supervision for updated leach test work on Groete Gold Project drill core. Test work will be performed by SGS Laboratories of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. A site visit has been completed and 100 kilograms of drill core has been acquired for testing at SGS.





Recent developments in leaching reagents may offer an alternative to cyanide leaching or grind and float recovery methods. The Company will provide further information upon completion of the vendor selection process for alternative reagents.

The Company is well funded to continue its evaluation of the Groete Gold Copper Project located in Guyana. The Project was last explored in 2012, which included a drill program that allowed the calculation of an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.57 million gold copper equivalent ounces within 74 million tonnes, at a grade of 0.66 grams per tonne gold equivalent. A cutoff grade of 0.25 gold equivalent grams per tonne, a gold price of US$1,275 per ounce and copper price of US$3.00 per pound was used in the calculation of the Inferred Mineral Resource. Details of the Mineral Resource are contained in a National Instrument 43-101 report titled, Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate on the Groete Gold Copper Deposit, Groete Property, Guyana, South America by P&E Mining Consultants Inc., dated April 16, 2019, available on SEDAR and the Company website at www.goldportcorporation.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Adrian F. C. Hobkirk

President, CEO and Director

T: 954-684-8040

E: info@goldportcorporation.com

W: www.goldportcorporation.com

Mr. William Feyerabend, a Consulting Geologist and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, participated in the writing of, and has reviewed and approves of the technical disclosure contained in this press release.

No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon 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 which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We seek safe harbor.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1730048/Gold_Port_Corporation_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gold-port-initiates-metallurgical-test-program-301725646.html
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Today, Lenovo (HKSE:992)(ADR:LNVGY) announced its goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership between the UN Global Compact, CDP and World Wide Fund for Nature.

By working with SBTi and aligning to their Net-Zero Standard (the world's first), Lenovo is taking a scientific, collaborative and accountable approach to reducing emissions.

"As a global technology leader, Lenovo has been committed to reducing its emissions for more than a decade," said Lenovo Chairman Yuanqing Yang. "In the fight against climate change, we believe collaboration and accountability are the two critical elements needed for collective success. We remain dedicated to following climate science, standardizing our measurements, and seeking ongoing validation for our targets and progress."

Aligning goals to the SBTI helps hold companies accountable for their emissions reduction. Without aligning to SBTi, it is difficult to validate or know when a net-zero target is reached. This is because:

Standardization: SBTi is the first body to standardize what net-zero means as it relates to the effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Adaptation: SBTi's standard is dynamic and responsive to companies' collective effort and the changing temperature of the planet. Accountability: While 2050 seems far away for many, and many leaders making commitments today may not be in their positions in 27 years. Aligning goals to reduce climate change to an external body provides accountability and continuity.

"Climate science tells us that we need rapid and deep emissions cuts if we are to achieve global net-zero and prevent the most damaging effects of climate change," said Luiz Amaral, Chief Executive Officer of the Science Based Targets initiative. "Lenovo's net-zero targets match the urgency of the climate crisis and set a clear example that their peers must follow."

Lenovo's long-term 2050 goals coincide with its near-term, SBTi-validated 2030 emissions reduction goals, all of which are outlined below:

Overall Net-Zero Target

Lenovo commits to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by FY2049/2050.

Near-Term Targets

Lenovo commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 50% by FY2029/2030 from a FY2018/2019 base year. Lenovo also commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from use of sold products 35% on average for comparable products within the same timeframe. Lenovo commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services 66.5% per million US$ gross profit within the same timeframe. Lenovo further commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from upstream transportation and distribution 25% per tonne-km of transported product by within the same timeframe.

Long-Term Targets

Lenovo commits to reduce absolute scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions by 90% by FY2049/50 from a FY2018/19 base year.

Lenovo is an early adopter of the science-based emissions reduction approach. After receiving approval for near-term 2030 emissions reduction goals in 2020 and helping to road test the first of its kind Net-Zero Standard.

Primary strategies for reducing Lenovo's emissions include reducing the environmental impact of its products, harnessing innovation to increase sustainability in its manufacturing, and decreasing emissions across its operations and value chain. These strategies have been outlined in the company's Journey to Net-Zero video series, which demonstrates how Lenovo's experts are changing business processes to meet net-zero targets.

Lenovo's emissions measurements will contribute to a wider body of collaborative data to understand and limit climate change, in accordance with the Paris Agreement's goal to limit warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. More than 4,000 companies around the world are in the process of aligning their emissions reduction goals to SBTi's science-based methodology and validation processes.

In addition to its work to reduce emissions, Lenovo has been recognized in Gartner's Top 25 Global Supply Chain, Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies, and as a leader in Climate Change and Water Security by CDP. Read more about Lenovo's efforts to create a smarter, more sustainable future for all in the company's FY 2021-22 ESG Report.

For more information visit Lenovo StoryHub.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 82,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world's largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo's world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com,and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Read More

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Lenovo on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Lenovo

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/lenovo

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Lenovo

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735903/Lenovo-Commits-to-Net-Zero-Emissions-by-2050-Validated-by-Science-Based-Targets-Initiative
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / "Rent was too high, we needed more room, and we were not sure what to do." Choua and family-husband, KongPheng, daughters Yuna and Arinya and son Vegeta faced multiple challenges that brought them to the point of seeking a better future.

"We really hoped to have our own home. We live in a small space on the second floor with no room for our children to play and with no yard for them to play outside. We also have so many mice in our home, no matter what we do. We know it's not safe for our children to play surrounded by mouse waste daily."

Choua's friends and family urged her to apply to Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity's homeownership program. She did.

"Getting accepted was a weight off our shoulders," she says. "All we have wanted was enough room for our family and a healthy place to raise our kids."

"We all felt very excited and cannot wait to see our new home. We look forward to celebrating holidays and birthdays in our home. Home, to me, is the happiness you feel, and the family around you."

"We no longer have to stress about where we will raise our children, or if it's safe, or if we can find a place to live. Our goal is to take great care of our house and keep it clean and maintained."

The family will move into their new home in Appleton, Wisconsin next year. This house is being built as part of Habitat for Humanity's BuildBetter with Whirlpool initiative, an expansion of Habitat's existing BuildBetter program that is building more than 250 climate-resilient and energy-efficient homes to help hundreds of families in need of affordable housing over the next three years.

The family's new seven-bedroom home will have energy-efficient features to help reduce the costs of utilities. Chou and KongPheng will also receive an energy-efficient refrigerator and range, which Whirlpool Corporation donates to every Habitat-built home in North America.

The broadened initiative sits at the heart of Whirlpool Corporation's global corporate social responsibility strategy "House+Home": building houses and improving housing adequacy to ensure everyone has a comfortable place to live and developing resilient, vibrant neighborhoods through education and community development in the communities where it does business. Through House+Home, Whirlpool Corporation will help Habitat for Humanity construct homes designed to better withstand storm winds, natural disasters and other severe weather events that are intensifying.

Choua is grateful for the support she received as she attained home ownership. "Habitat has changed my outlook on the future," she says. "They've taught me to know better and take better care of my property and home."

She is looking forward to being a responsible homeowner. "They've also taught me how to be a good neighbor. The first thing we will do in our home is make it beautiful. We no longer have to stress about where we will raise our children, or if it's safe, or if we can find a place to live. Our goal is to take great care of our house and keep it clean and maintained.

"We are so proud of all the hard work we put in to make a Habitat home possible for our family. We are so thankful that this is happening."

Choua's children are also looking forward to their new home. Yuna cannot wait to decorate her room with lots of Hello Kitty and fairy and LED lights. Vegeta wants to decorate his room with dinosaurs and Sonic the Hedgehog. "They're all excited to be able to play in their backyard," Choua says.

View original content here

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Whirlpool Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Whirlpool Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/whirlpool-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735906/Family-Finds-Hope-for-the-Future-Through-Habitat-for-Humanitys-BuildBetter-With-Whirlpool
Keeps Your Vehicle Clean and Fresh

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / MIAMI BREEZE Car Care Inc., a Florida-based car care company, is pleased to announce the availability of its line of car care products and their ability to help keep your vehicle clean and fresh and feeling and smelling brand new.

Miami Breeze has developed a unique formula that helps simulate a new car smell. Their car cleaning spray and leather conditioner will have your car's interior smelling brand new all day, every day, every time. The interior cleaner ensures that the car looks and feels fresh and clean- almost like new, all the time. Believe it or not, no other car care product offers the same effect!

Now available at Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Breeze-Ultimate-Purpose-Interior-Cleaner/dp/B0BCH21QRR/

The benefits of using a car cleaning spray:

Retains the car's resale value

Removes tough stains

Improves driving experience

Eliminates health risks

Why choose Miami Breeze?

All-purpose cleaning solution

Excellent interior cleaning

New car scent

Advanced UV protection

Suitable for all surfaces, including leather

Perfect match for detailers

ABOUT MIAMI BREEZE

MIAMI BREEZE is a new, US-based brand that develops, manufactures and sells advanced, high-end automotive care products. It has developed a breakthrough product that provides a long-lasting new car scent. The company's products are formulated and made in Germany - the center of the luxury automotive world.

MIAMI BREEZE's goal is to make sure users receive a high-quality product, which cleans and protects all parts of the vehicle, including leather, vinyl, plastic, dashboard, seats, and much more. It also gives the automobile a perfect, fresh, like-new car scent!

To learn more about MIAMI BREEZE, please visit miami-breeze.com or follow

@miamibreeze.carcare on Facebook, and @miamibreeze_carcare on Instagram.

For further information, please contact:

press@miami-breeze.net

Miami Breeze Car Care Inc.

848 Brickell Ave. PH 5

Miami, FL 33131 U.S.A

https://miami-breeze.com/

SOURCE: MIAMI BREEZE CAR CARE INC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735876/MIAMI-BREEZE-Car-Care-Enables-Car-Owners-to-get-their-New-Car-Scent-Back
Verizon Communications has entered into a 180-megawatt virtual power purchase agreement

Company awards $60,000 grant to support the Ledyard Fire Department

CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS), a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), announced it has placed into commercial operation the 207-megawatt (MW) Ledyard Windpower project in Kossuth County, Iowa.

"More than 10% of the nation's wind power is in Iowa, and it's exciting for our company to begin operating in that market," said Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. "We also have a terrific customer in Verizon, and we're pleased to help them advance their own renewable energy portfolio for their operations."

Verizon Communications is supporting the project through a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 180 MW of power from the Ledyard project.

"Verizon's support of renewable energy is a key enabler to achieving our goal of net-zero emissions in our operations by 2035," said James Gowen, Verizon's chief sustainability officer and senior vice president, global supply chain. "Through investments in clean energy solutions - like this agreement with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions - Verizon is doing its part to green the U.S. energy grid."

This is DESS's first project in the state, providing enough renewable capacity to power the equivalent of 75,000 U.S. homes. It consists of 46 Vestas V150 4.5-MW turbines. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is responsible for the site's long-term maintenance and operations.

Ledyard Windpower created about 200 jobs during peak construction. The 12,000-acre agricultural site will continue to be used by farmers. It will have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing significant local tax revenues during assessment years of commercial operation to the county and local school districts, as well as meaningful payments to participating landowners.

Ledyard Windpower was co-developed by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions and Amshore Renewable Energy.

Supporting the community

The Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions are supporting the Ledyard Fire Department and its efforts to purchase a tanker pumper truck. A grant of $60,000 was recently awarded to the department.

Duke Energy Sustainable Solution.

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower emissions and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar, resilient backup power and managed energy services to over 1,000 projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy.

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

The brand includes the following subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation that are registered to transact business in various states and may be branded as Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for marketing purposes: Duke Energy One, Inc.; Duke Energy Commercial Enterprises, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables Commercial, LLC; Duke Energy Renewable Services, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Storage, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Solar, LLC.; and REC Solar Commercial Corporation.

View original content here

Contact: Randy Wheeless

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

Twitter: @DE_RandyW

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Duke Energy

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Duke Energy

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735910/Duke-Energy-Begins-Operating-207-MW-Ledyard-Windpower-Its-First-Wind-Project-in-Iowa
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) (OTCQB: ALVLF) ("Big Ridge"), focused on gold exploration in Newfoundland, Quebec and Manitoba, cordially invites shareholders, prospective investors and other parties to visit the Company's management team at Booth #732 at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC), which is being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC on Sunday, January 29 - Monday, January 30, 2023.

For more information and/or to register for the free conference, please visit: https://cambridgehouse.com/vancouver-resource-investment-conference/.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors.

The Company's flagship property is the Hope Brook Gold Project located in southwestern Newfoundland. The Hope Brook mine produced 752,163 ounces of gold between 1987 and 1997. A total of 19,985 meters of diamond drilling was completed by the company in 2021 - 2022 and an updated Mineral Resource Estimate will be completed during the first half of 2023. Big Ridge owns a 51% interest in the Hope Brook Gold Project and has the right to increase its interest to 80%. In addition, Big Ridge also holds 100% interest in the highly prospective Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba and the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec. The Company is committed to the development of advanced-stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social licence from local communities.

For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.bigridgegold.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

For further information, please visit www.sedar.com or contact:

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP.

18 King St. East, Suite 1400

Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4

Tel: 416-540-5480

Email: Mike@bigridgegold.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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating 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 and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events, and include, without limitation, statements with respect to Big Ridge's intentions with respect to Caprock's shares. All forward-looking statements are based on Big Ridge's and its employees' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Big Ridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Big Ridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151736
Grass Valley, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Rise Gold Corp. (CSE: RISE) (OTCQX: RYES) (the "Company") announces it has been named to the 2023 OTCQX Best 50, a ranking of top performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Market last year.

The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. and international companies traded on the OTCQX market. The ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year. Companies in the 2023 OTCQX Best 50 were ranked based on their performance in 2022. For the complete 2023 OTCQX Best 50 ranking, visit https://www.otcmarkets.com/files/2023_OTCQX_Best_50.pdf.

The OTCQX Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

About Rise Gold Corp.

Rise Gold is an exploration-stage mining company incorporated in Nevada, USA. The Company's principal asset is the historic past-producing Idaho-Maryland Gold Mine located in Nevada County, California, USA.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Benjamin Mossman

President, CEO and Director

Rise Gold Corp.

For further information, please contact:

RISE GOLD CORP.

Suite 215, 333 Crown Point Circle

Grass Valley, CA 95945

T: 530.433.0188

info@risegoldcorp.com

www.risegoldcorp.com

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including, without limitation, obtaining all necessary approvals, meeting expenditure and financing requirements, compliance with environmental regulations, title matters, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices, and one-time events that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information contained in this release. Rise undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements or information except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151857
Anderson, South Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - JZZ Technologies, Inc.'s (OTC Pink: JZZI) ("JZZ" or the "Company") wholly owned subsidiary Lion Development Corporation ("Lion") reports that it projects $5.5 million for revenues on regional real estate development projects in South Carolina for the 2023 fiscal year.

The projects being developed by Lion are small to large scale residential and commercial real estate and construction projects. They include the contemplated acquisition of properties in the South Carolina region with build-to-suit, multiple residential units, and other custom solutions such as a multi-unit complex near the popular Clemson University area.

Thomas Hays, President of Lion Development Corporation, states, "We have reached agreements on multiple projects that are well suited to our experience in residential real estate construction. With the support provided by our parent company, JZZ Technologies, Inc., we have been able to reach out to the communities where we have a long history of delivering quality projects and we contemplate immediate results from new projects and increased opportunities for additional projects."

Charles Cardona, CEO of JZZI, added, "The early success by Lion Development Corporation in putting together these developments is a true indicator of our rapid progress in this area. The Lion projects are being designed to capture revenue through JZZ's subsidiary and contract partners which is expected to add value to the communities we help develop, while generating maximum profits for the Company. We are looking forward significant growth in this sector over the next year - especially within our target regions for new community growth or heavy migration from other states."

Management expects results from negotiations and closing on additional properties in the Carolinas and in Florida in preparation of custom construction and/or commercial development of properties in the near term.

About JZZ Technologies, Inc .

JZZ Technologies, Inc. is a diversified company engaged in several business sectors. Its Active Lifestyle Digital media business includes online media and apps (activelifestylemedia.com), content creation, and digital marketing targeted to active adults 55+. Its Active Lifestyle Real Estate Development division is engaged in acquiring, managing, and operating commercial and residential real estate and housing development projects. For more information, please visit jzztechnologies.com.

Press Contacts:

JZZ Technologies, Inc.

Charles Cardona, CEO

ceo@jzztechnologies.com

DISCLAIMER and FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such Forward-Looking Statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the viability of the Company's business plans, the effect of acquisitions on our profitability, the effectiveness, profitability, and the marketability of the Company's products; the Company's ability to protect its proprietary information; general economic and business conditions; and the volatility of the Company's operating results and financial condition. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections about the Company and the industry. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, management cannot assure the public that their expectations will turn out to be correct. Investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151864
Industry Expert Will Accelerate Growth and Innovation for Customer Communications Management Leader

LONDON and NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023, a leading technology company focused on helping businesses engage in more meaningful customer conversations, today announced that Anthony Bennett has joined the company in the new role of Chief Information Officer (CIO).



Anthony Bennett is a proven IT leader who has worked in the technology area for 25 years, with more than 17 years focused in SaaS communications. He has built a solid reputation through his senior roles at technology companies including Oracle, Service Now and Nokia among others.

In the CIO role, Bennett is responsible for all IT functions, platform architecture, SaaS operations, security and compliance. He will ensure that the market leading Smart Communications Conversation Cloudplatformremains agile for evolving customer needs that can only be achieved in a SaaS environment.

"As the company continues to grow, we're proud to expand the technology leadership team to meet the demands of the business," said Simon Tindal, Chief Technology Officer of Smart Communications. "Anthony Bennett is a proven and strategic leader who will leverage our award-winning technology capabilities and talent to ensure we continue to deliver market-leading, innovative products that scale to meet the needs of our growing customer base."

"One of my passions is scaling rapid growth cloud companies and I see great opportunities to contribute to Smart Communications' ongoing expansion," said Anthony Bennett, CIO at Smart Communications. "As companies continue to embrace and invest in cloud technologies, I am excited to be an integral part of optimizing our customers' investments."

About Smart Communications
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / CBRE Group, Inc.

Originally published by CBRE, October 27, 2022

CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) announced the winners of its annual Supplier Innovation Challenge for North America as part of its yearly Supplier Partner Conference and Expo in Dallas, Texas, last week. The competition recognizes partner companies for their innovative contributions in serving the needs of CBRE clients.

This year, supplier partners from across the North American region submitted 38 examples of innovation across six categories including Best Cost Reduction Solution, Best Data & Technology Solution, Best Diversity Solution, Best Health & Safety Solution, Best Sustainability Solution, and Best Workplace Experience Solution. Winners were selected by a panel of judges with representatives from the GWS businesses. Congratulations to the 2022 North American Supplier Innovation Challenge winners:

Innovation of the Year Award: XY Sense

Category Recognition Awards:

Best Cost Reduction Solution - Nobel Solutions

Best Diversity Solution - Staples/Paperworks

Best Data & Technology Solution - Iron Mountain

Best Sustainability Solution - GDI Integrated Facility Services

Best Workplace Experience Solution - Georgia-Pacific

Best Health & Safety Solution - Trane US, Inc.

Bob Bruning, CBRE Chief Procurement Officer said: "Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2022 Supplier Innovation Challenge and congratulations to our 2022 winners. Innovation is at the forefront of everything we do at CBRE, and this program is critical to ensure we are capturing and deploying the best ideas in conjunction with our supplier partners. As in past years, I am optimistic that these solutions will be adopted by our clients and enable their transformation goals."

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2021 revenue). The company has more than 105,000 employees (excluding Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CBRE Group, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: CBRE Group, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cbre-group-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: CBRE Group, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735918/CBRE-Announces-North-American-Winners-for-Its-Supplier-Innovation-Challenge
MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Government has announced that it will work with Congress towards an additional $125 million in funding to support Ukraine's energy and electricity grid that was damaged in Russia's continued attacks on utilities and other civilian infrastructure. This funding would come from the recently passed Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. Throughout its war against Ukraine, Russia has systematically targeted the energy grid in order to leave millions without power, water, or heat. Russia intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the cold winter months. Announcing the latest tranche of U.S. aid to the war-torn country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this additional $125 million funding will be used to acquire essential industrial equipment to maintain water supply and heating systems in and around capital Kyiv. It is on top of already significant funds and other support provided by Washington to maintain Ukraine's energy and electrical grid in all parts of the country. Ukraine's national energy company said the power grid deficit across the nation remains significant, especially during the evening peak. 'As a reminder, Ukraine's power system has already survived 12 enemy missile attacks and 14 UAV strikes on power facilities. In addition, more than 10 GW of the main installed capacities are currently inaccessible to the Ukrainian power system and are under enemy control,' Ukrenergo said in a statement. Five major Ukrainian power plants are currently occupied by Russian forces. It includes Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is meeting his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin as part of several high-level talks on Ukraine planned this week. Copyright(c) 2023 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.
Marcelo Freixo assumes the Presidency of Embratur - the Brazilian Tourist Board - as Lula's administration starts to embed itself.

Freixo intends to recalibrate Brazil's international image abroad as a nation committed to sustainable development and tourism.

BRASILIA, Brazil, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has this month appointed Marcelo Freixo to lead Embratur (the Brazilian Tourist Board). Freixo's immediate priority will be on regaining trust from overseas tourism markets that Brazil is committed to environmental sustainability, eco-tourism and indigenous preservation. The newly reenergised tourism body hopes that these focus areas will increase inbound travel to Latin America's largest country, attract renewed investment for tourism infrastructure and bolster the international travel industry by creating employment opportunities.

"After four years of international isolation caused by the irresponsibility of the former government, Brazil will return to the global stage to resume its leading role in promoting dialogue, cooperation, focus on environmental issues and climate change. At Embratur, our mission will be to give Brazilian tourism the relevance it deserves, and that the world expects from us", Marcelo Freixo, President of Embratur, said.

On the same day that Freixo assumed the Presidency of Embratur, he announced that the first step will be an internal restructure. "We will carry out a technical restructuring of our management and how we are governed with a fresh emphasis on transparency. We are going to resume our focus on marketing, promotion and supporting the commercialisation of Brazil abroad by harnessing the benefits of using data intelligence, crafting effective partnerships with the public and private sectors, investment in innovative practices, and placing the environment at the heart of all of our decision-making," Freixo continued.

Frexio intends to work with newly appointed government ministers whose work is directly related to the modernisation of public policies and who are running programmes aimed at promoting tourism abroad. "In addition to integrating our priorities into this administration's foreign policy agenda and that of various ministries under Lula's new government, we will resume dialogue with overseas markets and partners to ensure that everyone understands that Brazil is back. We are going to build a modern, professional and efficient Embratur that is committed to sustainable tourism and development," Freixo concluded.

ABOUT MARCELO FREIXO

The new president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, is a trained history teacher and was born into a poor community in Sao Goncalo, a city in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. The eldest son of his family, Freixo was elected State Deputy in Rio de Janeiro in 2006. Freixo then ran for Mayor of Rio de Janeiro twice, in 2012 and 2016, and for the state government in 2022.

Freixo was elected Federal Deputy in 2018, the same year that Jair Bolsonaro became President of the Republic, and eventually became Leader of the Opposition to the government, which led him to be honoured twice as Best Parliamentarian in Brazil for the Congress in Focus Award. Marcelo Freixo was a key player in the transition team of Lula's new Government and was the primary player in integrating the tourism group into the new administration.

For further information on Brazil, ways of travelling and planning a trip, visit www.visitbrasil.com.br.

ABOUT EMBRATUR

The Brazilian Tourist Board (Embratur) is responsible for implementing National Tourism Policy in the areas of promotion, marketing, and marketing support for Brazilian tourist destinations, services, and products in the international market. Embratur helps to generate social and economic development for the country by increasing the flow of international tourists to national destinations.

FOLLOW US:

instagram.com/visitbrasil

facebook.com/visitbrasil

twitter.com/visitbrasil

youtube.com/visitbrasil

linkedin.com/company/visitbrasil

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/president-lula-appoints-marcelo-freixo-to-lead-brazils-tourist-board--signifying-a-new-direction-for-brazilian-tourism-301725931.html


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New residential construction in U.S. fell for the fourth straight month in December, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday, although the decrease was much smaller than expected.



The report said housing starts slumped by 1.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.382 million in December after tumbling by 1.8 percent to a revised rate of 1.401 million in November.



Economists had expected housing starts to plunge by 4.8 percent to an annual rate of 1.359 million from the 1.427 million originally reported for the previous month.



The extended decline in housing starts came as a surge in single-family starts was more than offset by a nosedive in multi-family starts.



While single-family starts spiked by 11.3 percent to an annual rate of 909,000, multi-family permits plummeted by 19.0 percent to an annual rate of 473,000.



The Commerce Department said building permits also dove by 1.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.330 million in December after plummeting by 10.6 percent to a revised rate of 1.351 million in December.



Building permits, an indicator of future housing demand, were expected to jump by 2.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.370 million from the 1.342 million originally reported for the previous month.



The unexpected decrease in building permits came as a steep drop in single-family permits more than offset a sharp increase in multi-family permits.



Single-family permits plunged by 6.5 percent to an annual rate of 730,000, while multi-family permits shot up by 5.3 percent to an annual rate of 600,000.



'The more forward looking permits data suggest further softness in starts Q1,' said Nancy Vanden Houten, U.S. Lead Economist at Oxford Economics. 'However, after declining nearly 22% in 2022, we think the worst of the downturn in housing construction is behind us.'



On Wednesday, the National Association of Home Builders released a separate report showing an unexpected improvement in homebuilder confidence in the month of January.



The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index climbed to 35 in January from 31 in December, while economists had expected the index to come in unchanged.



With the unexpected increase, the index rebounded from its lowest reading since mid-2012, with the exception of the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR)



America's Most Responsible Companies

In the publication's fourth annual list of America's Most Responsible Companies, we are noted as one of the top 500 public corporations that take seriously the commitment to being good corporate citizens. We ranked fourth of 500 for social performance and we're the top company headquartered in Louisiana.

The Most Responsible Companies rankings, which feature companies of various sizes across 14 industries, focus on a holistic view of corporate responsibility that considers all three pillars of ESG: environment, social and corporate governance.

Since 2001, we have operated with an environmental commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This commitment was strengthened to cut base-year 2000 emission intensity levels in half by 2030 and recently enhanced to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Board diversity and other governance considerations also contributed to the ranking.

The Most Responsible Companies list is derived from the country's top 2,000 publicly traded companies with total assets exceeding $50 billion. From that pool of companies, only those that published a corporate social responsibility or other similar report were considered for further analysis. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process that reflects official ESG data from 2020 or 2021. In addition to a perception survey of 13,000 U.S. residents, more than 30 key performance indicators from the three areas of CSR were considered for the ranking.

Corporate social responsibility is a self-managing business model that helps a company be socially accountable. Through CSR initiatives, philanthropy and volunteer programs, Entergy benefits society while building trust in their brands and advancing corporate strategy.

America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity

In Newsweek's first-ever ranking of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, we scored five stars among 1,000 companies grouped into 34 industries and six main sectors. The publication profiled the top companies that not only celebrate diversity but implement policies that cultivate an inclusive workplace and play key roles in carving out more sustainable and healthier workplaces of the future.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged culture that inspires all individuals to work together to operate a world-class energy business for our stakeholders, which extends into the community and is reflected through our philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy.

In 2021, our contributions to diverse organizations totaled $5.5 million or 34% of total charitable contributions. Of that total, $1.2 million was allocated to social and racial justice organizations and $4.4 million was allocated to minority-serving nonprofits and institutions. Entergy is also supporting diversity through our supply chain. In 2021, Entergy spent $1.35 billion with diverse suppliers.

For the Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, over 350,000 company reviews from employees of American companies with more than 1,000 employees were collected. Respondents were recruited through an online access panel and interviewed anonymously. Based on U.S. Census data, the survey was representative across demographics and ethnicity, but also captured significant LGBTQ+ and disabled samples to adequately reflect various facets of diversity.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735924/Newsweek-Names-Entergy-One-of-the-Most-Responsible-Companies-Greatest-Workplaces-for-Diversity
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Retained executive search firm Caldwell (TSX CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) today announced it has achieved an overall net promoter score (NPS) of 93 out of 100 from our clients for fiscal 2022. This is an increase from the previous score of 88 in fiscal 2021.

NPS is a measure of client satisfaction calculated based on responses to a single question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague? Scores range from negative 100 to 100 to gauge customer satisfaction. An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is felt to be good and an NPS of +50 or over is excellent. In the business consulting industry, an NPS score of 62 is average, according to customer experience management firm Retently, making Caldwell's score of 93 especially commendable.

"We have been committed to client relationship excellence for over 50 years and it shows," said Chris Beck, president. "Our team combines the resources of a major international firm with the benefits of a boutique-style practice, integrating outcome-oriented service with innovative technology to deliver a wider range of talent acquisition solutions to our clients in support of our driving principle, that Talent Transforms."

Beck continued: "Each client and search are important to us, and we're able to approach them with focus and care. We love the work we do and the impact we have on the success of our clients and our candidates, which is clearly reflected in these industry-leading client satisfaction scores."

About Caldwell

Caldwell is a leading retained executive search firm connecting clients with transformational talent. Together with IQTalent, we are a technology-powered talent acquisition firm specializing in recruitment at all levels. Through the two distinct brands - Caldwell and IQTalent - the firm leverages the latest innovations in AI to offer an integrated spectrum of services delivered by teams with deep knowledge in their respective areas. Services include candidate research and sourcing through to full recruitment at the professional, executive and board levels, as well as a suite of talent strategy and assessment tools that can help clients hire the right people, then manage and inspire them to achieve maximum business results.

Caldwell's common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CWL) and trade on the OTCQX Market (OTCQX:CWLPF). Please visit our website at www.caldwell.com for further information.

For further information, please contact:

Caroline Lomot

Caldwell

clomot@caldwell.com

+1 516 830 3535

SOURCE: Caldwell Partners International, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735831/Caldwell-Achieves-Outstanding-93-Net-Promoter-Score-NPS
Davos, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Catalyst 2030 launched the Catalyst Business Commitment initiative at the World Economic Forum's Affiliate Session: Unlocking the Social Economy. The session was co-organized by the ILO, SAP and Catalyst 2030 with co-founder of Catalyst 2030 Jeroo Billimoria, Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Julia White, Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer at SAP as panelists. The session was chaired by Francois Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Head of Social Innovation at WEF.

The prestigious Catalyst Business Commitment recognises private sector organisations that partner with mission-locked social enterprises which are either registered as non-profit organisations or have Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) verification. The first batch of Business Commitment badge awardees are global corporate giants: SAP, EY, Lex Mundi and various others.

The recognition is aimed at businesses that demonstrate exemplary business practices through: (a) Systems Change Funding, (b) Probono or Discounted Services and (c) Social Procurement. They can apply for, and publicly use, the Catalyst Business Commitment badge which comes in 4 levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum (with Platinum being the most prestigious), in recognition of their current actions in partnering with mission-locked social enterprises. More information can be found at https://catalyst2030.net/catalyst-business-commitment/.

The WEF session was an ideal platform for the launch as it brought together private, public, and social sector leaders, powered by the ILO, Catalyst 2030 and SAP, in an interactive conversation on the power of partnership to unlock the social economy. The session highlighted the role that social entrepreneurs play in helping the private sector accelerate impact and achieve ESG goals.

Speaking at the launch Billimoria said, "A cross sectoral commitment to the social economy is probably the only chance whereby we can come close to achieving the SDGs on time," emphasising how the Catalyst Business Commitment initiative reflects Catalyst 2030's collaborative approach to advancing the UN's 2030 SDG's.

The Catalyst Business Commitment initiative grew from a collaboration of Catalyst 2030 members - social innovation leaders - who have extensive experience working with the private sector. They include Social Enterprise World Forum, Social Impact Movement, World Fair Trade Organization, Yunus Social Business, Buy Social USA, Fair Trade Federation, Good Market and Moving Worlds.

About Catalyst 2030

Catalyst 2030 is a global movement of social entrepreneurs and social innovators from all sectors who share the common goal of creating innovative, people-centric approaches in support of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Joining forces with communities, governments, businesses and others, Catalyst 2030 members are changing systems at all levels through collective action and bold, new strategies. Learn more at www.catalyst2030.net.

For more information contact:

Nwando Ajene for Catalyst 2030

Email: nwando@catalyst2030.net

PR Contact

Billy Taylor

Email: media@pinionpartners.co

Website: www.pinionpartners.co

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/150770
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Beauce Gold Fields (TSXV: BGF) (Champs D'Or en Beauce), ("BGF" or the "Company"): is pleased to announce it has received preliminary results for the Ditton Gold project located near the town of Chartierville in the southern Megantic region of Quebec. Results indicate that the gold grains are widely distributed across the placer channel and in the pit of the Ditton sand & gravel quarry.

Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO of Beauce Gold Fields, said, "Finding gold grains over such a large area is strong indicator that the Ditton placer gold channel could of significant size." Mr. Levasseur further stated, "Our objectives are to evaluate the potential for an economic placer gold deposit and to find indications that could lead to future bedrock lode gold discoveries."





Image 1: Coarse gold grains trench sample SB-101 and bulk Sample T-13-4. Two samples taken from the quarry floor of the Ditton sand & gravel pit; Ruler scale 1mm

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6198/151884_8255eb756489d998_001full.jpg

Ditton Sector Exploration Update:

In the summer and fall of 2020, the Company completed a 180 bulk sampling program to test the quaternary and tertiary till overburden collected along the Ditton placer channel identified by the summer geophysics survey, the Chesham sand & gravel deposit, as well as the Emberton sector and other high-priority targets. It also included samples dredged from 3 Ditton sand & gravel quarry trenches. (BGF press release 2022-10-18).

Preliminary results indicate gold particles of different sizes were observed in 6 meters deep of sedimentary layers of surface deposits above the placer channel identified (See Maps Image Rang Dix est and Rang Dix Ouest, Gold showings indicated by yellow squares). The program also confirmed that layers of till overburden carrying placer gold now extend to more than 1000 meters to the northeast and possibly more than 400m wide. It also suggests that the gold zone is open to the northeast and the southwest of Rang Dix road.





BGF Ditton Map West

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6198/151884_img2-west2.jpg





BGF Ditton Map East

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6198/151884_img2-east2.jpg

In the fall of 2022, 10 sonic drill holes were completed, positioned over a 600-meter segment of the Ditton placer channel. The deepest hole drilled through overburden in bedrock was 39.6 meters deep, the shallowest being 13.7 meters for a total length of 272.9 meters. The drilling successfully recovered 270 meters of 6-inch core samples, allowing the characterization of quaternary and tertiary overburden layers and bedrock geology.

The operating Ditton (Blais) quarry, which was excavated out of more than 20 meters deep in unconsolidated glacial till deposits, is located just north of Range X and about 300m southeast of the presumed Ditton placer channel. Recent samples taken from the quarry floor were in contact with sheared volcanic rock. They demonstrated the presence of significant gold (Samples SB-101, T-13-4). Several grains of gold up to 3mm in length are coarse and delicate and extracted from cemented brown tertiary gravel. Other coarse gold grains were taken from gravel at various locations on the quarry floor.

All bulk and drill core samples have been reduced to heavy mineral concentrates. Gold grain count, weight, and characterization are still in progress at the Coalia Laboratory in Thetford Mines, Quebec. The heavy mineral concentrates are sent to a laboratory to assay for non-visible gold. The combined results of the assays and weighted gold per sample will be reported in grams per cubic meter.

Jean Bernard, B,Sc. Geo., is a qualified person, as defined by NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical information presented in this release.

About The Ditton Placer Channel

The placer channel is in the town of Chartierville, Quebec. The channel is 4 km east of the historical Mining Brook placer gold mine and 6 km northwest of the US New Hampshire border. It is also located 115 km south of the Company's Beauce Gold project in St-Simon-Les-Mine.

A sampling program by the Company recovered gold from every sample taken throughout the Ditton quarry (BGF press release January 20, 2022) brought about the discovery of the Ditton placer gold channel. Further insights were gained from the study of 1980's historical exploration reports of the regional geology that revealed that the quarry was an excavated pit of an Eastern lip of an exposed layer of a Tertiary placer channel. (GM42843).

Potential for Lode Gold Discoveries

The gold particles from the Ditton sand quarry showed delicate angular shapes suggesting little transportation. A proximal bedrock source of the placer channel could be from the eroded Eastern flank of the valley wall. The bedrock lithology holds a contact point between altered volcanic rock and schist rock. Historical surveys indicated strong magnetic lineaments favourable to hosting gold-bearing quartz lenses.

The Bella Fault line is estimated to run along strike 1 km east of the placer channel where Cache Exploration in 1985 put down 3 diamond drill holes (DDH) along Rang Dix road to test a strong shear zone. The holes intersected andesites containing numerous quartz stringers mineralized with pyrite and much tourmaline. Of interest, in the drill log for DDH number S-2 states that visible gold was noted at 240 meters (GM42843). Cache did not complete the recommended follow-up drilling to test this anomaly.

Jean Bernard, B,Sc. Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the technical information presented in this release.

About Beauce Gold Fields

Beauce Gold Fields is a gold exploration company focused on placer to hard rock exploration in the Beauce region of Southern Quebec. The Company's objective is the trace old placer gold workings back to a bedrock source to uncover economic lode gold deposits. The Company's flagship property is the St-Simon-les-Mines Gold project site of Canada's first gold rush that pre-dates the Yukon Klondike. The Beauce region hosted some of the largest historical placer gold mines in Eastern North America that were active from 1860s to the 1960s It produced some of the largest gold nuggets in Canadian mining history (50oz to 71oz). (Source Sedar: 43-101 Report - Beauce July 4th 2018, , Author B. Violette)

Beauce Gold Fields website www.beaucegold.com

Disclaimers:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding mineral exploration. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact

Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO Tel: (514) 262-9239

www.beaucegold.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151884
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signed at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) last month, is without doubt a major milestone, committing the world to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. This encouraging outcome is the result of a hard-won journey, after a two-year delay due to the Covid pandemic.

The stakes were (and remain) high, as the biodiversity collapse the word is experiencing is now clearly evidenced. The IPBES Global Assessment Report from 2019 highlighted unprecedented decline in biodiversity resulting from human activities: in just a few decades, over 85% of wetlands and about half of coral reefs have been lost; a third of fish stocks are overexploited; and 32 million hectares of forest in highly biodiverse regions - an area almost twice the size of France - has been destroyed. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bluntly put it at the start of COP15, "humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction with a million species at risk of disappearing forever."

Planting the seeds for restoration

The Framework, signed by 196 parties including the EU, sets ambitious goals and targets to start addressing the underlying political, economic and societal causes of biodiversity loss. If implemented successfully, it aims to achieve:

- 30% of the world's land and sea protected, and 30% of degraded ecosystems restored, by 2030; - $200 billion per year mobilized by 2030 (including $30 billion from developed to developing countries); - Halting human-induced species extinctions, and sustainably managing biodiversity, including the harvest and trade of wild species; - Action to address the drivers of biodiversity loss - such as invasive species, pollution and climate change; - Indigenous People's rights respected and protected.

Growing business accountability

Targets on 'tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming' of biodiversity focus on the role of governments, the private sector and consumers. Target 15 specifically calls out businesses and financial institutions to 'regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity'.

Over half of global GDP has a moderate to high dependency on biodiversity. Yet while economic activities greatly impact biodiversity, corporate transparency is low. The recent KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting revealed only 40% of 5,800 leading companies around the world currently report on biodiversity. Research from CDP and the World Benchmarking Alliance show similar trends.

The Global Biodiversity Framework makes it very clear that accountability and transparency by companies is crucial. The strong presence of business and finance institutions at COP15, and their willingness to be part of the solution, is a positive sign it can be achieved.

A developing ecosystem to support corporate disclosure

As was the case for many involved, participation in COP15 was a first for GRI. Joining the conference was a valuable opportunity to engage all relevant partners, including business associations, NGOs, regulators and standard setters. In Montreal, we collaborated extensively with other organizations to emphasize the importance of corporate accountability.

Biodiversity is one of the most pressing, yet most complex, challenges that the global society faces. Several budding initiatives have emerged to set norms for determining and disclosing business impacts and dependencies. Behind an initial perception of complexity, given the number of approaches, it is important to understand their specificities and how they align with one another to avoid duplication.

Several frameworks and initiatives - in particular, the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures, the Science-Based Target Network, the Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials and Align - are defining the global practice for companies and institutions to assess and measure their impacts, set targets and identify information that should be publicly disclosed.

These approaches underpin the development of overarching reporting standards. GRI, which delivers the global baseline for impact reporting, is currently undertaking a major revision of GRI 304: Biodiversity, with the exposure draft for the proposed Standard published ahead of COP15. The IFRS Sustainability Disclosures Standards, which will incorporate nature into their climate disclosures, aim to set a global baseline for sustainability-related financial reporting. Together, these standards will offer a complete and robust suite of biodiversity disclosures to assess corporate performance. In the EU, the disclosure system will include the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (namely 'E4: Biodiversity and Ecosystems'), under the incoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Information disclosed by companies can then be used to make informed decision on their performance. CDP's questionnaire and the WBA's Nature Benchmark assess companies' efforts to manage their impacts on biodiversity.

GRI is working closely with all of these organizations, to align to the greatest extent possible and create that flow of biodiversity-related information - from gathering data to disclosing it publicly in a consistent way that can effectively enable performance assessment by companies, investors and civil society.

Collaboration to reach next-level biodiversity transparency

For 25 years, GRI has provided the world's leading and most comprehensive sustainability reporting standards, driving transparency and accountability on impacts. Already back in 2000, the first GRI Guidelines included disclosure on land use and biodiversity, which evolved to become the GRI Biodiversity Standard, in 2016. The update to GRI 304 will reflect the new Global Biodiversity Framework and emerging best practice.

As with all GRI Standards, we are applying a robust multi-stakeholder approach, ensuring participation and expertise of diverse stakeholders and bringing together the perspectives of business, investors, civil society, academics other standard setters.

The revised Biodiversity Standard will pave the way for the next level of corporate sustainability, including:

- Impacts in the supply chain - given the most significant impacts on biodiversity for many organizations are found beyond their direct operations; - Location-specific information, essential to understand the impacts on how to manage them; - Reporting on the drivers of biodiversity loss and changes to ecosystems and species, - Providing information on the impacts on people, as a result of the organizations' biodiversity impacts; - Information on how those impacts are managed and mitigated.

The draft Standard is now out for public comment, with webinars available to find out more about what the changes mean. We urge everyone with an interest in biodiversity to provide their feedback. This is the chance to shape global best practice on biodiversity impacts transparency for years to come.

Deepening action to achieve results

For those businesses not yet taking steps to disclose biodiversity related information, the Framework adopted at COP15 sends a strong signal that they need to respond to growing demands that they take action now. That process starts with reporting and transparency on their biodiversity impacts.

The ambitions set at COP15 will whither away without collective endeavor from all parties, and that includes business. The good news is that a thriving ecosystem of tools, frameworks and standards will guide companies in their journey to assess, measure, disclose and improve their biodiversity performance. Ultimately this is about this about helping business, society and the natural world to flourish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elodie Chene is Standards Manager at GRI, where she has worked on the review of the GRI Universal Standards and is leading the revision of GRI's Biodiversity Standard. Elodie's expertise builds on her prior roles in natural resource management and sustainability strategy at organizational and community level.

Prior to joining GRI, Elodie held positions in state and local governments in Australia, at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the French department of agriculture and fisheries. She holds a MA in Sustainable Business and Innovation from Utrecht University (Netherlands) and a MSc in Agricultural Sciences from Agrocampus Rennes (France).

ABOUT GRI

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing the global common language to report those impacts. The GRI Standards are developed through a multi-stakeholder process and provided as a free public good.



View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from GRI on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: GRI

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gri

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: GRI

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735930/Beyond-COP15-Securing-Business-Accountability-on-Biodiversity
The deployment at Grand River Hospital extends the reach of Signal 1's solution to benefit more Ontarians

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Earlier this week, Signal 1's artificial intelligence (AI) powered clinical decision support system launched at Grand River Hospital. The launch follows months of collaboration between Signal 1 and clinical teams at Grand River Hospital to adapt and fine-tune Signal 1's offering for Grand River Hospital's patient population and clinical routines. This work is supported by the CAN Health Network.

Canada's health care system is facing unprecedented challenges. Staffing shortages, population growth, patients with higher acuity, and increased volumes following the pandemic have created significant capacity challenges for many hospitals.

Signal 1's solution supports clinician decision-making and proactive planning designed to support patient flow at hospitals. The company's system analyzes data that exist within electronic health records and uses AI to predict changes in patients' care needs. Based on these predictions, the solution identifies patients who are improving and may be nearing discharge and patients who are at-risk of deteriorating and may require additional care. These predictions are communicated to care teams through reports using categorization schemes developed with clinicians and are automatically updated as new data becomes available, creating no extra work for staff.

"What the health care system needs right now is real innovation and novel solutions," says Ron Gagnon, President and CEO of Grand River Hospital. "We are proud to be joining forces with Signal 1 to trial this solution. We strongly support new innovations in health care and believe that this work will lead to better patient outcomes and a better experience for patients and staff."

Launched in April 2022 out of a collaboration with Unity Health Toronto hospital network and TD Bank Group (TD), Signal 1 brings together the clinical AI expertise developed at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health with an award-winning AI technology platform and a team who are highly experienced in deploying enterprise-grade AI systems.

"Hospitals have spent years investing in digitization which has been further accelerated by COVID-19. They have all of the data they need for AI to provide highly accurate patient insights to their clinical teams," says Tomi Poutanen, CEO and co-founder of Signal 1. "What's been missing is a scalable and reliable enterprise-grade platform for doing this. That's where we come in. The Signal 1 platform is based on technology developed at TD's award-winning AI division, Layer 6, and provides hospitals with a secure cloud-based clinical AI solution not available anywhere else in the world. We are excited to be launching our solution today at Grand River Hospital, one of Canada's most innovative hospitals."

Signal 1's technology is a secure cloud-based offering built on Microsoft Azure and easily connects with hospitals' on-premise data and IT systems.

"We believe that the cloud holds great potential for the health care industry. It provides a foundation for innovation and enables highly innovative companies like Signal 1 to rapidly and responsibly bring game-changing solutions to the market. We are excited to be collaborating with Signal 1 as they build out their clinical decision support system," says Peter Jones, Microsoft Canada's health care industry lead.

??"Signal 1 is an incredible Canadian company whose AI technology has the potential to transform health care not only across Canada, but globally," says Dr. Dante Morra, Chair, CAN Health Network. "We are proud to be supporting this collaboration between Signal 1 and Grand River Hospital, and look forward to its success."

For more information, please contact:

Pete Cronin, Vice President - Business Operations

Signal 1

Cell: 416-219-8384

pete@signal1.ai

Cheryl Evans, Manager, Communications and Engagement

Grand River Hospital

Cell: 226-749-0689

cheryl.evans@grhosp.on.ca

Natasha Zelinski, Communications Advisor

CAN Health Network

Natasha.zelinski@thp.ca

About Signal 1

Signal 1 is a health start-up that helps hospitals enhance patient care with an AI-powered clinical decision support system. Signal 1's system delivers real-time insights on changes in patients' conditions and care needs, monitoring patients from the time of admission right through discharge. Signal 1 is committed to delivering responsibly deployed AI solutions that are designed with clinician feedback at every stage. Signal 1 launched in April 2022.

https://signal1.ai/ | Twitter: @Signal1_AI | Linkedin: Signal 1

About Grand River Hospital

Grand River Hospital is one of Ontario's largest community hospitals with an outstanding team of 5,000 dedicated health care workers and volunteers. We provide services and support to more than 840,000 residents at our two campuses and satellite locations in Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington. We take pride in the ways we collaborate with our health system partners, our region's academic and innovation communities, and diverse community stakeholders as we work toward providing a world class experience for patients, families and team members.



www.grhosp.on.ca | Twitter @GRHospitalKW | Youtube: griverhosp | Facebook and Linkedin: Grand River Hospital

About The CAN Health Network

The CAN Health Network is a Canada-first approach to technology adoption. It helps break down barriers to scaling in the health-care system and provides an environment for companies to scale to their full potential. Currently operating in Ontario, Western and Atlantic Canada, the CAN Health Network was recently awarded $30 million by the Government of Canada as part of Budget 2022 to expand into Quebec, the Territories and with Indigenous Communities.



https://canhealthnetwork.ca/ | Twitter: @CANHealthNtwrk | LinkedIn: CAN Health Network

SOURCE: Signal 1 AI

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735654/Signal-1-Launches-AI-Powered-Clinical-Decision-Support-System-at-Grand-River-Hospital
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIGG Digital Assets Inc. ("BIGG" or the "Company")(CSE: BIGG; OTCQX: BBKCF; WKN: A2PS9W), owner of Netcoins ( Netcoins.ca ) ("Netcoins"), the online cryptocurrency brokerage that makes it easy for North Americans to buy, sell, and understand cryptocurrency, and Blockchain Intelligence Group ( blockchaingroup.io ) ("BIG"), a leading developer of blockchain technology search, risk-scoring and data analytics solutions, is pleased to report that Netcoins will be expanding its USA footprint on February 1st, launching in Colorado, Kentucky, Kansas and Utah. The addition of these 4 states comes after the initial launch of Netcoins USA in California, Missouri, Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania in December 2022. The combined population of these nine states is over 93 million, which provides Netcoins with a tremendous opportunity for growth.

Netcoins will also be adding Instant ACH funding to the Netcoins USA platform, integrating with Plaid ( www.plaid.com ) and Sardine ( www.sardine.ai ), two leading FinTechs with an established presence in the Crypto industry.

Lastly, Netcoins will be launching three new crypto-assets on the Netcoins USA and Canada platforms. Netcoins is very pleased to add NEAR Protocol ( NEAR ) (Market Cap $1,699,858,471), QUANT ( QNT ) (Market Cap $1,633,462,936) and Cosmos ( ATOM ) (Market Cap $3,310,705,840). Netcoins is excited to bring these crypto-assets to our users in both Canada and the USA, bringing its overall offering to 38 coins.

Netcoins President, Fraser Matthews, remarked, "Netcoins is excited to continue its growth in the US market. With the addition of 4 more states within one month of our initial launch, we are making great strides in the expansion of our platform. We will continue to expand on a state-by-state basis throughout 2023 and ramp up our marketing efforts accordingly. We have an exciting roadmap in 2023 and look forward to bringing a leading experience while we solidify Netcoins' approach to being a safe and secure platform for crypto enthusiasts seeking an alternative to large exchanges."

Note: Market Caps are in USD and based on January 18, 2023 market data.

Stock Option Grant

The Company announces that pursuant to its stock option plan and subject to regulatory approval, it has granted 6,805,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers, consultants and employees at an exercise price of $0.32 per common share for a five-year term. The securities represented by this grant will be subject to a four-month hold period.

On behalf of the Board

Mark Binns

CEO

ir@biggdigitalassets.com

Investor Relations



Victoria Rutherford

Victoria@adcap.ca

T: 1.480.625.5772

About BIGG Digital Assets Inc.

BIGG Digital Assets Inc. (BIGG) believes the future of crypto is a safe, compliant, and regulated environment. BIGG invests in products and companies to support this vision. BIGG has three portfolio companies: Netcoins (netcoins.ca), Blockchain Intelligence Group (blockchaingroup.io), and TerraZero (terrazero.com).

Blockchain Intelligence Group builds technology to power compliance and intelligence for the crypto future. Banks and crypto companies depend on our technology to monitor risk from crypto transactions. Investigators and law enforcement quickly identify and track illicit activity. Blockchain Intelligence Group is trusted globally by banks, crypto companies, law enforcement, fintechs, regtechs and governments.

Netcoins develops brokerage and exchange software to make the purchase and sale of cryptocurrency easily accessible to the mass consumer and investor with a focus on compliance and safety. Netcoins utilizes BitRank Verified software at the heart of its platform and facilitates crypto trading via a self-serve crypto brokerage portal at Netcoins.app.

TerraZero is a vertically integrated Metaverse development group and leading Web 3.0 technology company specializing in the Metaverse space. The Company's Metaverse agnostic vision is to develop, acquire, and finance the Metaverse's most promising companies, entrepreneurs, and developers. TerraZero also owns digital real estate and provides offices and services to those interested in the Metaverse. BIGG owns ~30% of TerraZero.

For more information and to register for BIGG's mailing list, please visit our website at https://www.biggdigitalassets.com . Or visit SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which include completion of the search technology software and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of BIGG. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because BIGG can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from BIGG's expectations include, consumer sentiment towards BIGG's products and Blockchain technology generally, technology failures, competition, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, BIGG disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, BIGG undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this Press Release.
China further supports foreign-funded R&D centers

Xinhua) 11:26, January 19, 2023

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The State Council issued a circular Wednesday, requesting departments concerned and regional authorities to further support foreign investors in setting up research and development (R&D) centers in China.

The circular said scientific and technological innovations call for improved services, and basic research should be encouraged. Foreign-funded R&D centers will gain support in establishing open innovation platforms, financing, and participation in national scientific and technological missions and programs.

To help R&D operations, work will be done to support the legal cross-border circulation of R&D data, optimize the management of intellectual property rights for external transfer and technology imports and exports, and improve the clearance and regulation process of scientific research materials.

The introduction of overseas talent is indispensable as well, the circular said. To that end, departments concerned and all provincial-level authorities should make it more convenient for overseas talent to work in China.

The circular also stressed better intellectual property protection. Departments concerned should accelerate the improvement of the protection system for confidential business information, strengthen the construction of intellectual property protection centers, and enhance law enforcement.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asante Gold Corporation (CSE:ASE | GSE:ASG | FRANKFURT:1A9 | U.S.OTC:ASGOF) ("Asante" or the "Company") announces a 20.7% increase in average monthly gold production for November and December 2022, as compared with the prior two months, from its Bibiani Gold Mine ("Bibiani") and Chirano Gold Mine ("Chirano") in Ghana.

Highlights

Continued its record of no lost time from injuries

Consolidated preliminary gold production of 23,760 and 24,180 ounces respectively for November and December

Completed final US$30 million deferred payment, completing the Bibiani acquisition (see November 28, 2022 press release)

Completed ~US$54 million in first and second tranche payments on the Company's gold forward sale agreement in October 2022 and January 2023 through the delivery of 16,249.60 and 14,113.51 ounces of gold, respectively (see October 20, 2022 and January 16, 2023 press releases)

Captured more than $1.5 million in cost reductions out of previously reported potential synergies between Chirano and Bibiani (~15 km apart) of approximately $5.5 to $7 million per year

Continued exploration at Bibiani and Chirano, targeting increased in mine life

Near mine exploration programs have reported significant success at South Russel and Aboduabo

The Chirano business improvement plan is advanced, targeting a 30% increase in production and a 10% decrease in AISC (all-in sustaining costs) for calendar 2024



Bibiani ramp up on track with ~230,000 tonnes of ore processed in each of November and December, approximately 18% above plan

Chirano is achieving target production levels with ~285,000 tonnes of ore processed in December, up 7.5% from ~265,000 tonnes in November



Bibiani and Chirano have combined forecast production of approximately 400,000 ounces of gold for 2023

Asante is also providing herein other operations updates for Bibiani and Chirano. Currency is Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. There are no comparable year-earlier results as Bibiani gold production commenced in July 2022 and Chirano was acquired on August 10, 2022. Asante's fiscal year ends on January 31, 2023.

Dave Anthony, President and CEO, stated, "Over the past 12 months Asante has been transformed from an early-stage exploration company to a mid-tier gold producer. The significant production gains in November and December bode well for the achievement of our 400,000 ounce target from Bibiani and Chirano for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024. Over the past five months we have made payments totaling US$83.6 million towards closing our Bibiani acquisition and repaying our gold forward sale agreement. Looking forward, we continue to capture the benefits of owning these two nearby operating mines, which incorporate a district scale land package with significant exploration potential. Value creation initiatives are proceeding across our business as we look to make Asante one of the top mining companies in Africa."



Gold Production Increase

In November and December, gold production on a combined basis for Bibiani and Chirano totaled 47,954 ounces for a monthly average of 23,977 ounces, up 20.7% from previous 39,731 ounces or a monthly average of 19,866 ounces for September and October.

The November and December gold production monthly average was up 34.4% from the monthly average of 17,834 ounces gold from August to October, 2022, Asante's third fiscal quarter.

Asante expects to disclose its production results for the period November 2022 to January 2023 and the full fourth fiscal quarter in March 2023. Monthly data for the period from September to December is displayed in the bar chart below.

Bibiani

The Bibiani process plant and mine facilities are operating on a 24 hour per day basis, with ~230,000 tonnes of ore treated in each of November and December, 18% ahead of the ramp up schedule. Asante plans to increase throughput to 250,000 tonnes ore per month by end of March 2023. Preliminary gold production in December was 12,171 ounces, with 86.3% recovery from 1.70 g/t average gold grade feeding the mill. We note that as the mine development continues into Q3 2023, the process plant feed grade is planned to approximately 3 g/t.

A dedicated power supply line was completed in December enabling the Process Plant to operate with fewer power disruptions. This will support initiatives to improve operating results going forward.

The mine plan and mine to mill reconciliation for the Walsh satellite pit and Main Pit remain on target. The underground mine program study initiated in the fall of 2022 remains on track, with completion expected in June 2023. This program will define the initiatives required to extract mineralized material below Strauss, Walsh, Elizabeth Hill, Big Mug, and the Main Pit, from 2024.



The Walsh Pit continues to outperform, relative to our initial planned gold production. Exploration success in this area has increased planned production from the Walsh pit to more than 100,000 ounces from 20,000 ounces, with further exploration work underway.

The near mine exploration program continues, and the Company is working to extend the Bibiani Open Pit life of mine from 8.3 years. Exploration continues to focus on four targets: Aheman, Elizabeth, Grasshopper and South Russel. Total drilling completed in calendar 2022 exceeded 24,000 metres, slightly ahead of the plan, which was 23,900 metres. The Company plans to continue its near mine development exploration program in calendar 2023 and 2024 with planned drilling of 30,000 metres per year.

Advanced exploration at the South Russel target has continued as reported in the Company's press release of January 17, 2023. The strike length of gold mineralization at South Russel is now confirmed to 500 metres with recent drill intercepts confirming high grade mineralization from surface, consistent in width and grade to previous intercepts. The gold mineralized system remains open along strike and to depth.

Following recent drill results from the Grasshopper satellite pit exploration and mine development program, the Company expects the Grasshopper satellite pit to be opened up in calendar Q2 2023 and is expected to provide additional process plant feed through Q1 2024.

The Company plans to file an updated NI 43-101 technical report in respect of Bibiani to incorporate results of the 2022 exploration program during calendar Q3 2023. This report will incorporate exploration results and depletion.

Chirano

All Chirano process plant and mine facilities are operating on a 24 hour per day basis, with ~285,000 tonnes of ore treated in December, as budgeted. Preliminary gold production in December was 12,011 ounces, with 89% recovery from 1.46 g/t average mill feed gold grade.

The Company continues with roll out of its Chirano Business Improvement Plan targeting increased gold recovery to +91%, increase gold production by 30% and reduce AISC by 10% for calendar 2024.

The planned initiatives include:

The pebble crusher and comminution area upgrades are proceeding as planned, to increase throughput to 330,000 tonnes per month (4M tonnes per year) by late calendar 2023

A 3% improvement of gold recovery from August 2022 to date was achieved by the addition of liquid oxygen to the carbon-in-leach process. An oxygen plant, plus an Aachen Reactor to improve gold recovery are planned to be installed and made operational during calendar Q3 2023

Gravity plant installation remains on track with installation targeted to be completed in Q2 2023

Development of the Mamnao open pit mine, plus the wide orebody Obra and Tano underground mines have been accelerated, to provide lower cost resources for processing

Asante plans to invest a minimum of $6 million per year in near mine and regional exploration over the next three years with the target to increase Chirano LOM from current 5 years

Advanced exploration at the Aboduabo target has continued as reported January 17, 2023.

Chirano and Bibiani Integration - Synergy Initiatives

Detailed studies to capture potential synergies between the Bibiani and Chirano Mines are advanced. A principal initiative is the development of an access road to directly link the process plants, which are approximately 15 km apart. This road will support shared services activities and will be developed further, to become a mine haul road, so that ore can be treated where most appropriate.

As previously disclosed, opportunities to reduce costs and improve our operations have been estimated to present savings of up to approximately $5.5 to $7 million per year.

Asante has established a Synergy Project Management Team, to deliver opportunities to share infrastructure and realize operational cost reductions. Implementation of actions to capture these opportunities has been started, including coordinated supply of principal consumable materials to the mine with identified commonality. To date, more than $1.5 million in annual cost reductions have been captured.

Qualified Person Statement

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dave Anthony, P.Eng, Mining and Mineral Processing, President and CEO of Asante, who is a "qualified person" under NI 43-101.

About Asante Gold Corporation

Asante is a gold exploration, development and operating company with a high-quality portfolio of projects and mines in Ghana. Asante is currently operating the Bibiani and Chirano Gold Mines with combined forecast production of approximately 400,000 ounces of gold for 2023. The Company continues with detailed technical studies at its Kubi Gold Project for early production. All mines and projects are located on the prolific Bibiani and Ashanti Gold Belts. Asante has an experienced and skilled team of mine finders, builders and operators, with extensive experience in Ghana. Asante is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Asante is also exploring its Keyhole, Fahiakoba and Betenase projects for new discoveries, all adjoining or along strike of major gold mines near the centre of Ghana's Golden Triangle. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.asantegold.com.

About the Bibiani Gold Mine

Bibiani is a historically significant gold mine situated in the Western North Region of Ghana, with previous gold production of more than 4 million ounces available mining and processing infrastructure on-site consisting of a newly refurbished 3 million tonne per annum process plant, and existing mining infrastructure. Mining commenced in late February with the first gold pour announced on July 7, 2022. Commercial production was announced November 10, 2022.

For additional information relating to the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Bibiani Gold Mine, please refer to Asante's press releases dated July 18, 2022, and September 1, 2022, and the technical report filed on its SEDAR profile (www.sedar.com) on September 1, 2022.

About the Chirano Gold Mine

Chirano is an operating open-pit and underground mining operation located in Western region of Ghana, immediately south of the Company's Bibiani Gold Mine. Redback acquired Chirano in 1998 and initiated a modern exploration program, which led to start of production in October 2005. The mine comprises the Akwaaba, Suraw, Akoti South, Akoti North, Akoti Extended, Paboase, Tano, Obra South, Obra, Sariehu and Mamnao open pits and the Akwaaba and Paboase underground mines. Gold Equivalent Production in 2021 was 154,668 oz on a 100% basis (source Kinross Gold Corporation).

For further information please contact:

Dave Anthony, President and CEO: +233 55 879 3309 (Ghana) or +1 647 382 4215 (Canada), dave@asantegold.com

Frederick Attakumah, Executive Vice President, frederick@asantegold.com

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including the resources, reserves, exploration results, development programs and increases in mine-life and potential synergies between Chirano and Bibiani. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its planned activities, the Company's inability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and the price of gold. The reader is referred to the Company's public disclosure record which is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except as required by securities laws and the policies of the securities exchanges on which the Company is listed, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

LEI Number: 529900F9PV1G9S5YD446. Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/171b4558-caf3-4a7e-b173-652fa1c3f8ab
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - The Future of Insurance USA 2023 will return to Chicago on June 27-28 with a brand-new triple-track structure and unprecedented senior speaker faculty, Reuters Events announced today.

Speaking will be Erie Insurance President & CEO Timothy NeCastro, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America President & CEO Jasmine Jirele, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation President & CEO Mary Boyd, and Zurich Insurance Group CEO Zurich Global Ventures & Member of the Executive Committee Jack Howell, among numerous others.

"We are excited to back in Chicago this June, particularly at a time when market demands have changed, and insurance must pivot to meet them. As an industry, we must lead the charge in this next chapter, securing the future of our sector and the protection of our customers," said Alexandra Wilson, Project Director of The Future of Insurance USA 2023.

The event brochure is available to download now. Under a theme of 'Redefine Insurance to Power Profitable Growth: Streamline Processes | Reimagine Products | Empower People', the event will feature three tracks, comprising:

Innovation : Stay one step ahead of disruption by prioritizing crucial innovation areas and seamlessly weaving solutions together to create benefit for customers and employees alike.

: Stay one step ahead of disruption by prioritizing crucial innovation areas and seamlessly weaving solutions together to create benefit for customers and employees alike. Strategy: Thrive in the unsettled ecosystem and volatile economic market with a flexible business strategy, novel partnerships, and an organizational culture that embraces change.

Thrive in the unsettled ecosystem and volatile economic market with a flexible business strategy, novel partnerships, and an organizational culture that embraces change. Customer and Product: Forge a new identity for insurance with innovative products and business models that meet the needs of underserved markets to grow your customer base.

FOIUSA 2023 will feature more than 40 booths and is expected to attract 450+ senior insurance industry attendees. Featuring 8+ hours of dedicated networking time and 14+ hours of thought-leadership, the event will enable attendees to meaningfully connect and learn from each other on and off the stage.

"Our extensively researched agendas are crafted by the industry, for the industry," said Wilson. "We take pride in carefully selecting themes and discussions to provide the most comprehensive insight possible so you can make informed decisions for your team and company."

The Future of Insurance USA 2023 will take place on June 27-28, Chicago. For more information, visit https://events.reutersevents.com/insurance/future-of-insurance-usa or email alexandra.wilson@thomsonreuters.com.

Alexandra Wilson

Project Director, Reuters Events

UK: + 44 (0) 20 7513 4979

E: alexandra.wilson@thomsonreuters.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151725
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J.F. Lehman & Company ("JFLCO"), a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, is pleased to announce several recent promotions and new hires.





Promotions included Michael J. Greenspan to Principal, Tyler W. Creamer and Alfred E. Johansen to Vice President and Bridget A. Harding to Senior Associate. "This talented group of professionals has made many meaningful contributions to our growing organization in recent years," said Louis N. Mintz, Partner. "Their promotions are well-deserved and we're confident Michael, Tyler, Alfred and Bridget will continue to grow in their new and expanded roles."

The firm also announced the additions of Erik P. Toth (Managing Director), Kellan M. Strain and Rikke L. Gillespie (Vice Presidents) to its Portfolio Operations team and several new members of the Investment Team including Aidan A. Thomas, Peter G. Kohler and Cianan E. Moore (Associates) and Bailee D. Glass (Analyst). Natalie Ramos also joined the firm's Finance & Administration Team.

"Our organization's success is directly related to building cohesive teams and empowering them to be successful," said Stephen L. Brooks, Partner. "Collectively, these new hires reflect the firm's demonstrated ability to attract high caliber talent from leading organizations and foster a culture of shared success."

Recent Promotions

Michael J. Greenspan, Principal, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm in 2019 as a Vice President, Mr. Greenspan was a Manager in Alvarez & Marsal's Private Equity Services Group and a Senior Associate at HBR Consulting. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Tyler W. Creamer, Vice President. Prior to joining the firm in 2018 as an Associate, Mr. Creamer began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in Deutsche Bank Securities' Leveraged Finance Group. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Alfred E. Johansen, Vice President. Prior to joining the firm in 2018 as an Associate, Mr. Johansen began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in UBS' Industrials Group. He graduated magna cum laude from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, where he earned a B.S. in management with concentrations in finance and information systems and a minor in history.

Bridget A. Harding, Senior Associate. Prior to joining the firm in 2020 as an Associate, Ms. Harding began her career as an Investment Banking Analyst in Goldman Sachs' Global Industrials Group. She graduated summa cum laude from Lehigh University, where she earned a B.S. in accounting and finance.

Recent Team Additions

Erik P. Toth, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Toth founded Larx Advisors, an advisory firm focused on providing finance, accounting, marketing and operations expertise to private equity firms, family offices and mid-market companies. In addition to holding various portfolio company management roles, including serving as the divisional CFO for a reporting segment of DynCorp International, Mr. Toth served as Director of Corporate Finance at FTI Consulting and as a mechanical systems engineer for the NASA space shuttle program. He earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Kellan M. Strain, Vice President, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Strain was a Director in Alvarez & Marsal's Private Equity Services Group. Mr. Strain started his career in manufacturing operations management at General Electric. He earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.B.A. from Auburn University, and an M.S. in supply chain management from Pennsylvania State University.

Rikke L. Gillespie, Vice President, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gillespie was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at Larx Advisors. She previously served as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Hostess Brands. Ms. Gillespie started her career as a Director in the Corporate Finance Group at FTI Consulting. She earned a B.S. in accounting from Utah State University and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Aidan A. Thomas, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Thomas began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Moelis & Company. He graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University, where he earned a B.S. in finance.

Peter G. Kohler, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kohler was an Investment Banking Analyst in Houlihan Lokey's Aerospace, Defense & Government Group. Mr. Kohler began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at KippsDeSanto & Co. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Cianan E. Moore, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Moore was an Investment Banking Analyst in J.P. Morgan's Financial Sponsors Group. He graduated magna cum laude from Miami University, where he earned a B.S. in finance.

Bailee D. Glass, Analyst. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Glass began her career as an Alternative Investments Research Analyst in BlackRock's hedge fund solutions group. She graduated from the University of Chicago, where she earned a B.A. in economics.

Natalie Ramos, Administration. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Ramos held various administrative and managerial positions, most recently as a Senior Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Wolters Kluwer. She earned a B.A. in business administration and management from Briarcliffe College, and a Culinary Arts Diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education.

About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc.

Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company focuses exclusively on investing in the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental industries. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

www.jflpartners.com

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Volunteering is a great way for your company to build corporate culture and bring teams together for the common good. Besides giving back to the community, volunteering is a chance for your employees to gain valuable experience that can help them grow as individuals. But not everyone can find time outside of work to volunteer-life is busy and demanding enough. That's where volunteer time off (VTO) is an increasingly popular way for companies of all types and sizes to support their employees. VTO allows people to use regular work days to give back-while still getting paid.

VTO is a wise workplace benefit

Volunteer time off is an employee benefit where companies give their employees paid time off to volunteer in their community, similar to parental leave, sick days, and vacation time. And it's no less important. Offering VTO in addition to a full suite of benefits communicates to employees-as well as prospective talent-that doing good in the world is an important part of your company culture.

Making VTO an official, ongoing corporate program (rather than a one-off event) is a great way to "walk the walk." It's one thing to claim your organization cares about giving back and another to actually do so regularly in the community.

VTO policies don't need to be one-size-fits-all

VTO policies can vary widely. Some companies allow employees to volunteer during regular work hours, while others provide additional paid days off for volunteering. These policies are designed to give employees more ways to contribute their time toward causes that matter to them on their own schedule.

The amount of time allotted for VTO depends on your company. According to the 2022 CECP Giving in Numbers report, the median number of VTO hours offered to employees was 16. That might be a safe place to start your program and adjust once you get more data on employee participation.

VTO can-and should-be tracked

VTO programs are most successful when there is tracking involved. That doesn't mean just a mechanism to approve time off requests, but a system through which you can measure the real impact of your volunteer program on employee happiness and engagement.

If no one uses the VTO program because getting approval is too slow or because the policy isn't clear or accessible, it's doomed to fail. Corporate volunteer software can be a huge help make the volunteering process simple for everyone involved.

Over time, a tracking system will help you see important trends, such as which teams volunteer the most, how many days or hours on average get used, what impact is there on the community, etc. This kind of data will help make the case to management that the VTO policy is worthwhile and effective. Plus, software can help you survey employees for feedback about their VTO experiences so you can continually tweak and improve the program.

VTO boosts employee morale

Companies that offer VTO programs reap the rewards in several ways. First, employees who participate in VTO are more likely to be engaged with their work and feel a greater sense of purpose in their jobs. They can also serve as company ambassadors to future talent, contributing to a good company reputation.

A good volunteering program gives people an opportunity to focus on something positive and productive instead of stressing about deadlines or project feedback-things that often contribute negatively to job performance. It's also worth noting that volunteering can bring teams together across the company who don't normally interact. This not only builds relationships between colleagues but also fosters collaboration between departments and can spark new ideas.

When deciding whether your organization should implement a VTO policy, consider how your efforts will align with your overall mission and values and what you want your employees to get out of the experience. Think through how the entire company can participate-from the CEO to the newest intern-and how you will track program effectiveness (*hint: with Submittable). Everyone benefits from volunteering, and formalizing paid time off to do so is a huge win-win.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Submittable on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Submittable

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/submittable

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Submittable

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735933/What-is-Volunteer-Time-Off-VTO
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Fintech startup Mayfair officially launched its account to help businesses fortify their cash reserves and stay afloat during periods of economic downturn. The fintech company offers an industry-leading 4.02% yield on its cash account.





Photo from: Mayfair

The startup leverages assets under its management to negotiate higher rates for its business cash account, created in partnership with a reputable banking-as-a-service API that allows businesses to integrate financial services into their platforms. Through this API, Mayfair is able to work with FDIC-insured institutions to hold customer funds in cash accounts. These partnerships enable Mayfair clients to tap into a 4.02% APY without switching banks.

The company has so far raised $14 million as it scales operations. The Mayfair cash account has also been gaining wide acceptance among startups. Recently, entrepreneurs voted to name it the number two fintech product of the month on Product Hunt.

"Preserving the value of cash is becoming increasingly crucial with the souring economic climate worldwide," a company spokesperson said. "It also provides them with greater financial security, enabling them to manage their cash flows and investment opportunities better."

The annual percentage yield (APY) regular banks offer to business accounts ranges between 0.01% and 0.30%. With a 4.02% annual return, Mayfair's cash account could offer a solution for businesses seeking financial security.

About Mayfair

The Mayfair product is an easy-to-use and safe platform for businesses to earn a high yield on their cash, without sacrificing the operational convenience of quick liquidity. Additionally, the automated treasury management function significantly reduces the time owners and treasury teams need to spend on cash management.

Contact Details:

Mayfair Sales Team

Email: sales@getmayfair.com

Website: www.getmayfair.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151869
The "Global Specialty Silica Market Size, Segments, Outlook, and Revenue Forecast 2022-2028 by Product, Application, and Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to this analysis, the Global Specialty Silica Market was valued at ~US$ 4 billion in 2017. It is estimated to be ~US$ 6 billion in 2022 and is forecasted to reach a market size of ~US$ 9 billion, growing at a CAGR of ~7% owing to the rising demand for rubber and paints coatings across different end-use industries such as construction and footwear industries.

Specialty silica is widely utilized in the production of rubbers used in various industries such as footwear, automobile tires, and others. Increasing tire production in the automotive industry is one of the factors driving the growth of the specialty silica market. Global automobile production is increasing in several developed countries, increasing the demand for tire consumption.

The exponential increase in electric vehicle manufacturing presents lucrative opportunities for the tire industry, which is having a positive impact on the specialty silica market. In 2021, total electric vehicle sales reached 7.8 million units, double the figure from 2020.

The biggest challenge for the market is the high cost of colloidal silica and the growing preference of end users for lower-cost alternatives. Specialty silica showcases a cyclical behavior, with the market shifting focus to other substitutes that are much lower in price as compared to silica. It will impact player profit margins in the years to come.

Scope of the Report

Product

Precipitated Silica

Fumed Silica

Fused Silica

Silica Gel

Colloidal Silica

Application

Rubber

Plastic

Paint Coatings

Electrical Electronics

Agricultural Feed

Food Beverages

Personal Care

Others

By Region

North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific)

LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, Africa)

Key Players

Cabot Corporation

Akzo Nobel N.V

Evonik Industries

Huber Engineered Materials

Solvay

PQ Corporation

Madhu Silica Pvt. Ltd

Wacker Chemie AG

PPG Industries, Inc

W. R. Grace Co

Key Trends by Market Segment

By Product: The precipitated silica segment held the largest market share in the global specialty silica market in 2021, owing to its wide application in PVC sheets, wherein it helps in improving pigment dispersion and tensile strength

Precipitated silica is the most commonly used specialty silica in the rubber industry. The product acts as a reinforcing agent and improves wear and tear resistance

Fused silica is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Fused silica products are used in the manufacture of optical components such as mirrors, UV and IR transmitting optics, lenses and metrology.

By Application: The rubber segment held the largest market share in the global specialty silica market in 2021, as rubber made of silica material is widely utilized in different end-use industries such as automotive, footwear, and others.

In industrial rubber goods, specialty silica is commonly used in Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and High-Temperature Vulcanized (HTV) rubber, which requires high mechanical strength and good electrical insulation.

Paint Coatings is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period as it is widely used as a low-cost extender and is preferred for its chemical inertness tends to improve the viscosity of paints and coatings.

By Region: Asia Pacific held the largest market share among all other regions within the global specialty silica market in 2021, owing to the rising construction activities in China and Japan

According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), Asia Pacific is the largest producer of motor vehicles. The growing automotive industry, is the factor responsible for the largest share of the region.

The Japanese construction industry is predicted to boom as the country prepares to host the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, in 2025. The demand for constructing various buildings and infrastructure for the event will boost the market for specialty silica in the region.

Recent Developments Related to Major Players and Organizations

In November 2021, Nouryon announced the expansion of its Levasil colloidal silica manufacturing plant in USA. The plant expansion is aimed to meet the increasing demand from the packaging and construction industry

In October 2021, Evonik Wynca Silicon Material started its fumed silica plant, which is the company's first fumed silica plant in China. It aims at positioning the company by building a global supply chain for its customers in China and overall Asia

Key Topics Covered in the Report

Snapshot of Global Specialty Silica Market

Industry Value Chain and Ecosystem Analysis

Market size and Segmentation of the Global Specialty Silica Market

Historic Growth of Overall Global Specialty Silica Market and Segments

Competition Scenario of the Market and Key Developments of Competitors

Porter's 5 Forces Analysis of Global Specialty Silica Industry

Overview, Product Offerings, Strengths, Weaknesses of Key Competitors

Covid-19 Impact on the Overall Global Specialty Silica Market

Future Market Forecast and Growth Rates of the Total Global Specialty Silica Market and Segments

Analysis of Global Specialty Silica Market

Major Production/Supply and Consumption/Demand Hubs within Each Region

Major Country-wise Historic and Future Market Growth Rates of the Total Market and Segments

Overview of Notable Emerging Competitor Companies within Each Region

Companies Mentioned

Cabot Corporation

Akzo Nobel N.V.

Evonik Industries

Huber Engineered Materials

Solvay

PQ Corporation

Madhu Silica Pvt. Ltd.

Wacker Chemie AG

PPG Industries, Inc.

W. R. Grace Co.

AeroShield

WaferPro

Ultra HPQ

Ashtamers Pvt.Ltd.

Qingdao Hengze Silica Gel Products Co., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sel2po

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005681/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

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As travel increases following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, continue to monitor reliable and latest information to prevent blind spots of risk

Carefully assess any travel plans, staying up to date with changing COVID-19 transmission risks, restrictions, testing, isolation and quarantine requirements

The Chinese Lunar New Year, also widely known as the Spring Festival, falls on 22 January this year. As many locations, including China, have eased numerous COVID-19-related entry restrictions, International SOS emphasises the importance for organisations and their workforces to continue to monitor the situation as COVID-19 continues to circulate.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005676/en/

International SOS: Top Tips to Stay Healthy During Chinese New Year Travel Rush (Graphic: Business Wire)

The 40 days around the Spring festival is typically amongst the most significant travel periods of the year (last year around 13 million people travelled within China during the Spring Festival1), with many around the world observing the holiday, returning to their hometowns across China to reunite with family. As the border is now open, international travel volume has increased and is expected to surge during the Lunar New Year public holiday (21-27 January).

Travellers can now enter China if they have a negative PCR test result within 48 hours of their arrival, and do not need to quarantine on arrival. However, there remains the possibility of short notice restrictions being implemented and several countries now require a negative COVID-19 test for travellers from China, prior to arrival and at the time of entry.

Dr Irene Lai, Global Medical Director at International SOS, comments, "The removal of COVID-19 travel restrictions into China facilitates the resumption of travel, allowing many to return home to be with family and brings an optimistic outlook for organisations to return to the China market. Nevertheless, proactive planning and preparation are necessary as there are implications for onward travel, an ongoing risk of COVID-19 infection, and remaining regulations on the management of people infected with COVID-19. A rise in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza, may occur, associated with gatherings during the festivities. It is important for organisations and their workforce, particularly those travelling to and from China, to continue to closely monitor the situation and remain informed. Individuals should continue to take basic measures to prevent infection, such as using hand sanitiser, avoiding crowded enclosed spaces, and consider wearing a mask."

Dr Lai adds, "Organisations should also strengthen their Duty of Care and provide employees with education and mental health support."

Top tips organisations can encourage employees to stay healthy during the Chinese New Year holiday:

Ensure that you are up to date with your vaccinations, including COVID-19 and influenza. Check, and continue to monitor, the entry and quarantine requirements for your point of departure, transit locations, final destination and return. These may change with little warning. Do not travel if you are feeling unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19. Ensure you have an adequate supply of your medications and access to essential goods, due to the potential for sudden disruption of services and supply chains. Avoid crowds and poorly-ventilated spaces. Consider wearing a mask. Follow general hygiene measures including washing your hands using hand sanitiser, selecting safer food and beverages, maintaining regular physical activity and getting adequate rest.

International SOS' COVID Health Awareness virtual training is available to help you support your workforce. The training includes information on the current COVID-19 situation and can be delivered in English or Mandarin.

For further information on protecting the global workforce, click here.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About the International SOS Group of Companies

The International SOS Group of Companies is in the business of saving lives, protecting your global workforce from health and security threats. Wherever you are, we deliver customised health, security risk management and wellbeing solutions to fuel your growth and productivity.

In the event of extreme weather, an epidemic or a security incident, we provide an immediate response providing peace of mind. Our innovative technology and medical and security expertise focus on prevention, offering real-time, actionable insights and on-the-ground quality delivery. We help protect your people, your organisation's reputation, as well as support your compliance reporting needs. By partnering with us, organisations can fulfil their Duty of Care responsibilities, while empowering business resilience, continuity and sustainability.

Founded in 1985, the International SOS Group, headquartered in London Singapore, is trusted by 9,500 organisations, including the majority of the Fortune Global 500 as well as mid-size enterprises, governments, educational institutions, and NGOs. 13,000 multi-cultural security, medical, logistics and digital experts stand by you to provide support assistance from over 1,000 locations in 90 countries, 24/7, 365 days.

To protect your workforce, we are at your fingertips: www.internationalsos.com

1. Statista Number of passengers travelling during Chinese New Year Holiday in China from 2018 to 2022

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005676/en/

Contacts:

For further information contact:

Alexis Harding

Head of Group PR and Communications

International SOS

M: +44 778 022 2292

E: alexis.harding@internationalsos.com
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM) (OTCQB: HMTXF) ("Hemostemix" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has received a $250,000 Letter of Commitment for funding from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation. The Letter of Commitment confirms that the MUHC Foundation will fund $250,000 of the clinical trial expenses and partner with Hemostemix, Dr. Nadia Giannetti and Dr. Renzo Cecere to complete a phase II double blind randomized clinical trial of ACP-01 as a treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

In 2020, the MUHC Foundation launched its $200 million Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine. The Dream Big Campaign is designed to ensure bold innovations like ACP-01 are well supported by philanthropy. To reach that goal, Hemostemix and the MUHC Foundation are committed to working together with federal and provincial partners alongside donors to fund the phase II clinical trial at the McGill University Health Centre.

"Given our three investigator led studies of 179 ischemic cardiomyopathy subjects demonstrates ACP-01 is safe and generates a statistically significant improvement in left ventricle ejection fraction, the interest of Dr. Giannetti and Dr. Cecere and the MUHC Foundation is pivotal, as it enables Hemostemix to raise additional non-dilutive clinical trial funding. Investors can also choose to support this exciting innovation through a tax-deductible donation to the MUHC Foundation," stated Thomas Smeenk, CEO.

"Innovation is key to advancing medicine. The MUHC Foundation is proud to help bring this ground-breaking clinical trial to the MUHC. Our partnership with Hemostemix will not only benefit patients at the MUHC living with cardiomyopathy, but create new knowledge that will benefit people with the disease across Canada and around the world," says Julie Quenneville, President, MUHC Foundation.

Dr. Giannetti received her medical degree from McGill University. After training in cardiology at McGill, she went on to pursue a Fellowship in Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at Stanford University in California. She returned to McGill to become an Attending Cardiologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine. Along with her team, Dr. Giannetti participates in the care of over 1,000 patients with heart failure. She is the former Chief of Cardiology at the McGill University Health Centre (2010-2021) and since 2021 she has been the Associate Physician-in-Chief for the Department of Medicine at the McGill University Health Centre.

Dr. Cecere is the McGill University Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Surgical Director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Program, and Director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program. He is also Associate Member of McGill University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and a Director and Principal Investigator of the Research Institute of the MUHC's Myocardial Regeneration Laboratory.

For over a decade, Dr. Cecere's lab has been investigating novel methods to strengthen the stem-cell induced regeneration of infarcted heart tissue. Dr. Cecere has utilized placenta-derived stem cells and investigated their regenerative potential in different animal models of myocardial infarction ("MI"). More recently, Dr. Cecere's lab is actively involved in a project to create a platform to generate patient-specific cardiomyocytes from the blood of patients with heart failure. In Dr. Cecere's recent project (under review, Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine), the team encapsulated placenta derived stem cells in a hydrogel scaffold and implanted it in a rat MI model. The stem cell/scaffold composite enhanced several parameters of cardiac function, including ejection fraction and fractional shortening, while also reducing fibrosis and increasing angiogenesis. In fact, Dr. Cecere's lab recently published a systematic review and meta-analysis that demonstrated that stem cells combined with bioactive scaffolds provide enhanced tissue regeneration in animal models of MI, compared to stem cells injected alone. This study paves the way for future research and clinical trials, supporting the use of ACP-01-based bioactive scaffolds to improve the stem cell-induced repair after a MI.

ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX

Hemostemix is an autologous stem cell therapy company, founded in 2003. A winner of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, the Company has developed, patented, and is scaling a patient's blood-based stem cell therapeutics platform that includes angiogenic cell precursors, neuronal cell precursor and cardiomyocyte cell precursors. For more information, please visit www.hemostemix.com.

For further information, please contact: Thomas Smeenk, President, CEO & Co-Founder

EM: tsmeenk@hemostemix.com PH: 905-580-4170

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the lead product ACP-01, the Phase II Clinical Trial of ischemic cardiomyopathy and related results, the retrospective study of ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy, and the commercialization of ACP-01. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Hemostemix's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Hemostemix and on assumptions Hemostemix believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of Hemostemix and its Common Shares; the successful resolution of the litigation that Hemostemix is pursuing or defending (the "Litigation"); the results of ACP-01 research, trials, studies and analyses, including the analysis being equivalent to or better than previous research, trials or studies; the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for research, trials or studies; the level of activity, market acceptance and market trends in the healthcare sector; the economy generally; consumer interest in Hemostemix's services and products; competition and Hemostemix's competitive advantages; and Hemostemix obtaining satisfactory financing to fund Hemostemix's operations including any research, trials or studies, and any Litigation. Forward-looking information is Subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Hemostemix to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the ability of Hemostemix to complete clinical trials, complete a satisfactory analyses and file the results of such analyses to gain regulatory approval of a phase II or phase III clinical trial of ACP-01; potential litigation Hemostemis mayface; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations including the actual results of future research, trials or studies; competition; changes in legislation affecting Hemostemix; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in Hemostemix's markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, disruptions to economic activity and financings, disruptions to supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession or depression;the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Hemostemix which may include a decreased demand for the services that Hemostemix offers; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit Hemostemix's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Hemostemix's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although Hemostemix has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Hemostemix as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, it is Subject to change after such date. However, Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151892
A compelling Space Traffic Management manoeuvre accomplished by mission control teams

An exceptionally extended operational life

Upholding Eutelsat's CSR commitment to a sustainable space

Regulatory News:

Eutelsat (Paris:ETL):

Initially designed for a 15-year lifetime, the EUTELSAT 5 West A satellite has retired after an impressive 20+ years of fruitful in-orbit operation. The satellite was successfully re-orbited as planned to more than 400km above the geostationary arc, the propulsion system depressurised and the electrical equipment on board passivated. The final operation to de-activate the remaining Radio Frequency source (telemetry transmitter) was performed from the Issy-les-Moulineaux Satellite Control Centre on 13 January at 09:57 UTC (10:57 Local time).

The End-of-Life activities operated by mission control teams placed the satellite in safe conditions with an orbit and configuration fully compliant with French Space Law and international Space Traffic Management recommendations.

Based on a Spacebus 3000B3 platform manufactured by the then Alcatel Alenia Space (now Thales Alenia Space), the satellite was originally built on behalf of Stellat. Shortly after its launch in July 2002, the satellite was bought by Eutelsat and renamed Atlantic Bird-3, operating from the 5 West orbital position where it remained for its entire operational life. It was given the name EUTELSAT 5 West A in 2012 and operated in an inclined orbit since the end of 2019, which enabled an extended lifespan of the satellite.

A progressive transfer of services to the new EUTELSAT 5 West B satellite, as well as other satellites of the Eutelsat fleet, was started in January 2020, ensuring seamless continuity of operations for customers. The EUTELSAT 5 West A continued to operate until its decommissioning, notably providing maritime connectivity.

A disruptive satellite for the Group, EUTELSAT 5 West A enabled the transition to digital television, notably in France in the early 2000s, when analogue television technology was converted to and replaced by digital broadcasting.

Eva Berneke, Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The impressive extended lifespan of EUTELSAT 5 West A showcases the first-rate satellite control expertise of the Eutelsat teams. The satellite provided an overall service availability of 99.999%, a figure that stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the Eutelsat teams who have worked together throughout the years on this mission.

James Matthews, Eutelsat CSR Director, added: "The decommissioning of EUTELSAT 5 West A satellite is a perfect example of our commitment to the responsible use of space, a fundamental element of the Group's CSR mission. This operation shows how the Space Traffic Management expertise of Eutelsat is being used to mitigate the risk of space debris for both security and environmental concerns, ensuring the long-term sustainability of space for all operators

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Around 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Committed to promoting all facets of sustainable development across its business activities, Eutelsat leverages its in-orbit resources to help bridge the digital divide while maintaining a safe and uncluttered space environment. As an attractive and socially responsible employer, Eutelsat assembles 1,200 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005688/en/

Contacts:

Media

Anita Baltagi

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 47 47

abaltagi@eutelsat.com

Daphne Joseph-Gabriel

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 47 47

djosephgabriel@eutelsat.com

Investors

Thomas Cardiel

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 46 81

tcardiel@eutelsat.com

Christine Lopez

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 46 81

clopez@eutelsat.com
Revenue of 23.8 million as of December 31, 2022, up 16% versus 2021 (20.5 million).

Order backlog at 60.8 million as of December 31, 2022.

Cash and cash equivalents of 21.5 million as of December 31, 2022.

Regulatory News:

Median Technologies (ALMDT:PA) announces its revenue level for the full year 2022.

"In 2022, revenue generated by the iCRO business continued to grow in double digits. Our new offer Imaging Lab, which uses Artificial Intelligence and data mining technologies developed by the iBiopsy division, received a very warm welcome at the ASCO conference in May 2022. Imaging Lab generates significant interest from major pharmaceutical companies by enabling to deeply exploit imaging data from their clinical trials and the roll out development programs for new biomarkers," highlights Fredrik Brag, CEO and founder of Median Technologies. "After announcing outstanding results from the detection-characterization combination of our iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx Software as Medical Device in March 2022, we initiated discussions with the FDA with a view to obtaining regulatory and marketing approval in the US for our SaMD during the first half of 2024. Progress with the FDA is going ahead according to the schedule we planned. At end-2022, we began collecting the associated images and clinical data that are to be used in our pivotal study", adds Fredrik Brag.

iBiopsy: clear progress in the iBiopsy Lung Cancer Screening clinical development plan

In 2022, the Company announced it had completed the development of its iBiopsy Lung Cancer Screening CADe/CADx1 Software as Medical Device (SaMD) based on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Median's iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx SaMD reached outstanding performances (press release of March 22, 2022) calculated across a cohort of 1,760 patients, with a sensitivity2 of 94.7% for a specificity3 of 93.3%.

During 2022, Median also initiated discussions with the FDA (press releases of March 3, 2022, and May 5, 2022), to prepare the application for regulatory and marketing approval for its iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx SaMD in the US during the first half of 2024. At the same time, the company expects to obtain CE marking for its iBiopsy SaMD during the second half of 2024.

The collection of images and retrospective data to be used in the iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx pivotal study started at the end of 2022, as did recruitment of readers.

iCRO: further double-digit growth in revenue and extension of imaging services portfolio for biopharmaceutical companies with Imaging Lab

In 2022, Median Technologies' iCRO4 business, which provides services for image management in oncology trials to the biopharmaceutical industry worldwide, continued its double-digit growth.

As of December 31, 2022, Median Technologies' revenue was 23.8 million, a 16% increase compared to the 2021 level. Q4 2022 revenue stood at 5.1 million. The company's revenue is generated entirely by the iCRO division's commercial activity.

From May 2022 onwards, the iCRO division leveraged the Artificial Intelligence and data mining technologies developed by the iBiopsy divisioniCRO is rounding outits portfolio of services for the pharmaceutical industry with the Imaging Lab offering. Imaging Lab enables the company's customers to deeply exploit imaging data from their clinical trials, and to establish research collaborations for the identification of new biomarkers. Imaging Lab will provide new answers in four of the areas that determine the success of clinical programs: selection of patients included in trials, especially inclusion of patients diagnosed at early stages, prediction of response to therapy based on imaging, measurement of disease progression and development of imaging companion diagnostics. The Imaging Lab offer was launched during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, US.

The order backlog5 stood at 60.8 million on December 31, 2022, up 2.8 million relative to December 31, 2021.

Cash and cash equivalents

As of December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents stood at 21.5 million, compared to 39 million as of December 31, 2021.

Next financial publication April 20, 2023, after the close of trading:

2022 annual results and Q1 2023 performance

Disclaimer:The preliminary figures set forth above are based on management's initial review of the Company's operations for the period ending December 31st, 2022 and are subject to revision based upon the finalization of the limited review conducted on the full year financial statements by the Group's statutory auditors. Actual results may differ materially from these preliminary figures as a result of the completion of H1 closing procedures, final adjustments and other developments arising between now and the time that the Company's financial results are finalized, and such changes could be material. In addition, these preliminary figures are not a comprehensive statement of the Company's financial results for 2022, should not be viewed as a substitute for condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and are not necessarily indicative of the Company's results for any future period.

About Median Technologies: Median Technologies provides innovative imaging solutions and services to advance healthcare for everyone. We harness the power of medical images by using the most advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of many cancers and other metabolic diseases at their earliest stages and provide insights into novel therapies for patients. Our iCRO solutions for medical image analysis and management in oncology trials and iBiopsy, our AI-powered software as medical device help biopharmaceutical companies and clinicians to bring new treatments and diagnose patients earlier and more accurately. This is how we are helping to create a healthier world.

Founded in 2002, based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, with a subsidiary in the US and another one in Shanghai, Median has received the label "Innovative company" by the BPI and is listed on Euronext Growth market (Paris). FR0011049824- ticker: ALMDT. Median is eligible for the French SME equity savings plan scheme (PEA-PME), is part of the Enternext PEA-PME 150 index and has been awarded the Euronext European Rising Tech label. For more information: www.mediantechnologies.com

1 A radiological CADe device is intended to identify, mark, highlight or otherwise direct attention to portions of an image that may reveal abnormalities during interpretation of images by the clinician." A CADx device is "intended to provide information beyond identifying abnormalities, such as an assessment of disease." - Source FDA

2 Sensitivity is the ability to correctly generate positive results for cancer patients.

3 Specificity is the ability to correctly generate negative results for non-cancer patients.

4 Imaging Contract Research Organization

5 The order backlog is the sum of orders received but not yet fulfilled. An increase or decrease in the order backlog corresponds to the order intake of the reporting period, net of invoiced services, completed or cancelled contracts, and currency impact for projects in foreign currency (re-evaluated at the exchange rate on closing date). Orders are booked once the customer confirms, in writing, its retention of the Company's services for a given project. The contract is usually signed a few months after written confirmation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005545/en/

Contacts:

Median Technologies

Emmanuelle Leygues

Head of Corporate Marketing Financial Communications

+33 6 10 93 58 88

emmanuelle.leygues@mediantechnologies.com

Press ALIZE RP

Caroline Carmagnol

+33 6 64 18 99 59

median@alizerp.com

Investors ACTIFIN

Ghislaine Gasparetto

+33 6 21 10 49 24

ggasparetto@actifin.fr
As CMA names purpose-driven content as one of the main content marketing trends for 2023, Content Marketing Media introduces branded content campaigns for SMBs.

Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Content Marketing Media, an agency which specializes in hyper-local marketing for small to medium-sized businesses, announced a new multimedia marketing and branding service designed to help SMBs improve online visibility, brand awareness, and customer engagement.

More details about multimedia branding can be found at https://contentmarketingmedia.clientcabin.com.





Hyper-Local Multimedia Branding For SMBs Announced By Content Marketing Media

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/151891_ffa7d14204baeaea_001full.jpg

As part of the new hyper-local multimedia marketing service, the Phoenix-based agency creates purpose-driven, informative content about a business's services, products, or brand. In this way, small businesses can create positive coverage for their brand name, build a reputation in their local community, and create brand authority, explains the company.

"Our hyper-local ad campaigns will help businesses receive brand association and get the same credibility as major brands," said founder and CEO Josh Whitfield. "Our campaigns are designed to help our clients grow their business by becoming a trusted brand," he added.

As such, the agency takes an omnichannel approach to position the client as an industry leader, create brand authority, and build customer trust. Combining AI technology, a team of marketing experts, and a team of professional writers, Content Marketing Media offers a DFY solution designed to give small business owners access to the same marketing strategies used by big corporations.

Available as a monthly subscription, all campaigns are designed to provide informative content, while targeting specific keywords and locations. This approach allows local businesses to reach more clients who are already searching for their services or products and expand their business into nearby areas. By optimizing the content for online visibility, the new service can improve a company's Google ranking and domain authority.

With the new hyper-local multimedia branding service, Content Marketing Media is helping small business owners improve brand awareness and local visibility. Founded by Josh Whitfield, the agency provides digital marketing solutions tailored to the needs of SMBs and works with companies from all industries.

Interested parties can learn more about Content Marketing Media and its new service at https://contentmarketingmedia.clientcabin.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Josh Whitfield

Email: founder@contentmarketingmedia.org

Organization: Content Marketing Media

Address: 2760 West Peoria Ave #1232, Phoenix, AZ 85029, United States

Website: https://contentmarketingmedia.org

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151891
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global champagne market size was worth around USD 6.0 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 8.2 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 3.5% between 2022 and 2030.





Champagne Market: Overview

An alcoholic beverage known as champagne is made from a variety of grapes and flavors like citrus, almond, and apple to improve the overall flavor. It comes in different levels of sweetness and is aged for several years to provide texture and depth. In contrast to wine, it has higher levels of resveratrol and fewer calories and sugar. Its low to moderate use has several health advantages, including elevating mood, lowering bad cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes, enhancing heart health, limiting blood vessel damage, preventing dementia, and preventing blood clots. Currently, champagne is frequently drunk as a celebratory beverage at parties, weddings, sporting events, and business gatherings all around the world.

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Key Industry Insights & Findings of the Champagne Market Reports:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global champagne market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 3.5% over the forecast period (2022-2030).

In terms of revenue, the global champagne market size was valued at around USD 6.0 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 8.2 billion , by 2030.

in 2021 and is projected to reach , by 2030. One of the primary factors supporting the market's expansion is the rising socializing tendency, particularly among young people and the growing influence of cocktail culture. Moreover, there has been a noticeable movement in consumer tastes toward expensive champagne as a result of increased urbanization and rising incomes.

Based on the product, the blanc de blancs segment held the largest revenue share in 2021.

Based on the distribution channel, the off-trade segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021 and is expected to continue this pattern during the forecast period.

Based on region, Europe is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Zion Market Research published the latest report titled "Champagne Market By Raw Material (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay), By Product (Prestige Cuvee, Blanc De Noirs, Blanc De Blancs, Rose Champagne, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Off-trade and On-trade) and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2022 - 2030." into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Champagne Market: Growth Drivers

Increasing online sales of alcohol to drive the market growth.

Online sales of alcohol, especially champagne, are expanding more quickly. The main drivers in this global champagne market are on-demand delivery apps like Drizly. Popular e-commerce merchants have also recently entered the sector to meet growing consumer demand. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, an increasing number of Champagne manufacturers have started direct-to-consumer portals to boost their online sales.

Champagne producers have typically sold their wines virtually exclusively through wholesalers and retailers. However, as the hospitality industry continues to face difficulties, direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels have emerged as a desirable means for producers to make up for lost sales. For instance, Champagne Palmer opened its direct-to-consumer (DTC) online store in April 2020. In addition, Uber Eats added alcohol delivery to its list of services. In consequence, it is projected that this component will support overall champagne sales through online retailing.

Champagne Market: Restraints

High cost of champagne act as a major restraints.

The high cost of champagne act as a major restraining factor for the growth of the market during the forecast period. Champagne is a symbol of wealth and luxury. It frequently costs twice as much as other sparkling wines like prosecco or cava. It can range in price from $50 to $300 for a bottle of respectable quality, and vintages frequently sell for thousands of dollars. Thus, act as a major restraint for market growth.

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Champagne Market: Opportunities

Growing demand from emerging markets provides an attractive opportunity

Emerging markets are already being recognized as a significant market opportunity for champagne. Growth in emerging markets is anticipated to be driven by rising acceptance of alcohol drinking and rising demand for minute doses on special occasions. Increased nightlife and a peer-approval-driven culture go hand in hand with a growing acceptance of alcohol on non-religious grounds.

Additionally, the increased use of social media is spreading a way of life to even younger children and creating peer connections and information sharing among young people who have not had significant exposure to alcoholic beverages. Thus, this is expected to provide a lucrative opportunity for global champagne market expansion during the forecast period.

Champagne Market: Challenges

Consumers' gradual move to alternative alcoholic beverages poses a challenge to the market expansion.

Global factors like increased modernization and rising alcohol consumption have prodded the makers of alcoholic beverages to introduce bold and innovative new varieties of their products. There is a steady shift in customer choice toward other alcoholic beverages due to their affordability, including liqueurs, spirits, beers, and others. Thus, this is expected to be a major challenge for the market expansion over the forecast period.

Global Champagne Market: Segmentation

The global champagne market is segmented based on the raw material, product, distribution channel, and region

Based on the product, the global market is bifurcated into prestige cuvee, blanc de noirs, blanc de blancs, rose champagne, and others. The blanc de blancs segment held the largest revenue share in 2021 and is expected to continue the same pattern during the forecast period. This product kind, which is made entirely of chardonnay, is referred to as the "soul of champagne." Due to its excellent natural acidity and distinctive minerality, it has a considerable measure of customer popularity. It has a chance to mature well owing to this fusion.

Additionally, a wide variety of meals, including shellfish, turbot, sea bass, and even old cheese with strong flavors, can be matched with it. The most well-known variations include Chartogne-Taillet Heurtebises, Palmer & Co. Blanc de Blancs, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs, and Krug Clos du Mesnil. Thus, driving the segmental growth over the forecast period.

Based on the distribution channel, global champagne is categorized into off-trade and on-trade. The off-trade segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021 and is expected to continue this pattern during the forecast period. The growth in the segment is attributable to significant consumer awareness of liquor stores as a primary source of purchases.

Online sales of alcohol, especially champagne, are expanding more quickly. The driving forces in this market are the on-demand delivery apps like Drizly. Popular e-commerce merchants have also recently entered the sector to meet growing consumer demand. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, an increasing number of Champagne manufacturers have started direct-to-consumer portals to boost their internet sales. Thus, off-trade is expected to hold a significant market share during the forecast period.

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List of Key Players in Champagne Market:

Champagne GH Martel & Co

LANSON-BCC

Moet Hennessy USA Inc

Inc Taittinger

Vranken - Pommery Monopole

Pernod Ricard

Louis Roederer

Veuve Clicquot

Pommery

Piper-Heidsieck

Andre Champagne Cellars

Alumiceal

Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

G.H. Mumm et Cie

Bollinger

Artwinery

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Champagne Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Champagne Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Champagne Market Industry?

What segments does the Champagne Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Champagne Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 6.0 Billion Revenue forecast in 2030 USD 8.2 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 3.5 % 2022-2030 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2030 Segments Covered By Type, By Application, By Payload and By Propulsion System Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2030 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Champagne GH Martel & Co, LANSON-BCC, Moet Hennessy USA, Inc, Taittinger, Vranken - Pommery Monopole, Pernod Ricard, Louis Roederer, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Piper-Heidsieck, Andre Champagne Cellars, Alumiceal, Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, G.H. Mumm et Cie, Bollinger, Artwinery among others. 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 of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1881

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Recent Developments

In October 2021 , the much-anticipated Coravin SparklingTM System has been released, and the world's leading producer of luxury wine and spirits, Mot Hennessy, has announced a strategic alliance with them as the "Official Preservation Partner of Mot Hennessy Champagnes," which will transform the way Champagne and sparkling wines are consumed by the glass. With a concentration on restaurants, wine bars, and other locations with on-premise fine drink consumption, the two partners will work to secure its global distribution. The Coravin SparklingTM System is the first all-purpose method for keeping sparkling wine's tastes and fizz after a single-glass serving. After the wine is served, the Sparkling Charger injects carbon dioxide into the bottle to keep the bubbles from evaporating. Its Sparkling Stopper locks securely on any half-bottle, 750ml bottle, or Magnum.

the much-anticipated Coravin SparklingTM System has been released, and the world's leading producer of luxury wine and spirits, Mot Hennessy, has announced a strategic alliance with them as the "Official Preservation Partner of Mot Hennessy Champagnes," which will transform the way Champagne and sparkling wines are consumed by the glass. With a concentration on restaurants, wine bars, and other locations with on-premise fine drink consumption, the two partners will work to secure its global distribution. The Coravin SparklingTM System is the first all-purpose method for keeping sparkling wine's tastes and fizz after a single-glass serving. After the wine is served, the Sparkling Charger injects carbon dioxide into the bottle to keep the bubbles from evaporating. Its Sparkling Stopper locks securely on any half-bottle, 750ml bottle, or Magnum. In April 2021 , new eco-friendly Second Skin packaging for champagne was introduced by Ruinart Champagne. The new 100% paper case can resist the cold of an ice bucket for several hours before degrading and is recyclable. By obstructing incoming light and remaining environmentally mindful, the creative design protects the wine's quality.

Regional Dominance:

Europe is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Europe accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 60% in 2021 and is expected to remain dominant in the global champagne market over the forecast period. The growth in the region is attributed to the high customer acceptance of the product in Germany, Belgium, France, and the UK. Additionally, the legalization of online alcohol delivery in several nations, notably the UK and Germany, has increased the availability and convenience of the commodity. For instance, according to the OECD 2021 report, sales of alcoholic beverages rose in the U.K. and Germany in 2020 compared to 2019 by 3% to 5%. Trade organizations, like the Comite Champagne, have been working to advance the goals of winegrowers, businesses that buy and sell wine, and economic development. The Comite also established Champagne Campus, a website, and an app for iOS and Android users as part of their efforts. The organization also works to increase consumer awareness of its brand.

Besides, the Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth rate is ascribed to expanding product consumption in nations like Australia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, which is stimulated by lifestyle changes, an increase in disposable income, the influence of pop culture, and the expansion of global brand availability. For instance, according to the secondary analysis, champagne exports to China reached a record high of USD 72.2 million in 2021, a staggering 69.9% increase over the previous year, while the number of bottles exported increased by 14.8% to 2.1 million bottles from pre-pandemic 2019 values. Furthermore, the popularity of large-scale social and business events has also increased the growth of the market over the forecast period.

Global Champagne Market is segmented as follows:

Champagne Market: By Raw Material Outlook (2022-2030)

Pinot Noir

Pinot Meunier

Chardonnay

Champagne Market: By Product Outlook (2022-2030)

Prestige Cuvee

Blanc De Noirs

Blanc De Blancs

Rose Champagne

Others

Champagne Market: By Distribution Channel Outlook (2022-2030)

Off-trade

On-trade

Champagne Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2030)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release for Champagne Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-champagne-market

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The global natural extracts market size was evaluated at in 2021 and is slated to hit by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 9.1% between 2022 and 2030. Wheat Flour Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global wheat flour market size was worth around USD 230.56 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 294 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 4% between 2022 and 2028.

Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Food & Beverage Industry

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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

19 January 2023

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 125,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 860.64 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 13,336,092; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 211,655,211.

The figure of 211,655,211 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
LONDON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J P Jenkins Ltd. is pleased to announce that shares of Industrial Technical Holdings Ltd (ITHL) have been admitted onto its share matching platform.

J P Jenkins is the oldest established platform in UK for unlisted or unquoted companies which enables shareholders and prospective investors to buy and sell their shares on a matched bargain basis.

Industrial Technical Holdings Limited holds interests in metal parts manufacturing, special machinery assembly as well as agricultural and environmental technologies. The Group's companies will seek to capitalize on the excellent reputation of German quality and engineering and maximize group internal synergy effects in process optimization and product development.

The group consists of:

The CSSC Technical Products Ltd. produces and supplies metal products, staffed by 120 specialists. Finally, Metako (founded in 1998) is a Joint Venture of the ITHC with it's headquarter in Lukov near Zlin in the Czech Republic. Focusing on the production of metal products and a new industrial machinery park. FORTSCHRITT China Agritech Ltd. seeks to capitalize on the ongoing modernization of China's countryside, obtaining the exclusive use, manufacturing and sales and marketing rights of German designed agricultural machines in China.

How to trade:

Shareholders wishing to trade these securities can do so through their stockbroker. Trades will be conducted at a level that J P Jenkins is able to match a willing seller and a willing buyer. Trades can be conducted, and limits can be accepted, during normal business hours. Shareholders or potential investors can place limits via their existing UK regulated stockbroker.

The indicative pricing for the ordinary shares (ISIN: GB000BPLKLR77), as well as the transaction history, will be available on the J P Jenkins website at https://jpjenkins.com/company/industrial-technical-holdings-ltd/

Veronika Oswald, Director of J P Jenkins commented: "We are delighted to welcome Industrial Technical Holdings to our platform and are excited in supporting the company and management team in implementing their global vision of delivering German precision engineering and services."

Andreas Spiegler, CEO of Industrial Technical Holdings commented: "We are delighted to associate ITHL with the reputable JP Jenkins Match Bargain Platform that will help maximizing information flow to our shareholders".

For further information, please contact:

JP Jenkins Limited

Veronika Oswald - Director

Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0937

Email: info@jpjenkins.com

Industrial Technical Holdings Ltd

Jerome Monod - Investor Relations

Tel: +447424378780

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Montigny Le Bretonneux, January 19, 2023

2022 REVENUE

+62 % to 7.6 million

Confirmation of business growth contribution from 8.2 France

+18 % at constant scope

DOLFINES, an independent specialist in engineering and services for the renewable and conventional energy industry, announces its consolidated revenue for fiscal year 2022, unaudited.

The 2021 turnover shows the contribution of 8.2 France over the last three months of 2021, from its integration into the accounts of DOLFINES, as well as over the 12 months of the 2021 financial year.



Euro million, French norms

FY 2022 FY 2021

(8.2 France

on 12 months) Change

% 2021

(8.2 France

on 3 months) Revenue 7.62 6.47 18% 4.70 o/w O&G 4.36 3.62 20% 3.62 o/w Renewables 3.13 2.29 37% 0.52 o/w Engineering and Technology 0.13 0.56 nm 0.56

Revenue for the 2022 financial year amounted to 7.6 million. It increased by 62% compared to 2021 revenue, which was 4.7 million and only took into account 8.2 France activities from 1 October 2021.

Including all of the 2.3 million revenue achieved by 8.2 France in 2021, year-on-year growth is 18%.

Conventional energies (DOLFINES Oil & Gas Services): +20 %

O&G revenue amounted to 4.4 million, up 20% year-on-year.

Audit and Inspection revenue increased by 17% to 2.3 million, driven by a resumption of exploration investments. DOLFINES has thus taken advantage of its geographical position in high-activity regions such as the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America, particularly Brazil.

In Technical Assistance, revenue increased by 25% to 2.0 million. Activities continued to benefit from the restart of some contracts suspended in 2020 during the pandemie.

Finally, Engineering and Technology revenue was 0.1 million (0.6 million in 2021). The priority of this activity, now given to tomorrow's solutions on offshore wind and digitalization, has found its reward with the success of the OHME project, a telescopic tool with associated services for the heavy in-situ maintenance of installed and floating offshore wind turbines, the changes of blades or nacelle elements.

This project, winner last November of CORIMER, will give rise to financial assistance from ADEME of 2.1 million (1.6 million in the form of grants and 0.5 million in the form of repayable advances in case of commercial success).

Renewable energies (DOLFINES On and Offshore Renewables Services): +37 %

For the full year 2022, 8.2 France, carrying DOLFINES' activity in renewable energy services since October 1, 2021, generated revenue of 3.1 million, up 37% compared to revenue for the full year 2021.

In addition to the organic growth of the historical technical expertise activity, the year-on-year increase in revenue reflects the significant growth in offshore activity with the intervention of 8.2 France on the Banc de Guerande wind farm in Saint-Nazaire, inaugurated on November 23.

On this first French offshore wind project with 80 offshore wind turbines piloted by EDF RE, 8.2 France carried out the inspection of the main components on the quay and the nacelles during their manufacture. He also accompanied the project during the offshore installation campaign in follow-up of assembly and commissioning.

In addition, 8.2 France began at the end of 2022 a major inspection contract for 40 wind turbines at the Khalladi wind farm, located 30 km from the city of Tangier (Morocco). Commissioned in June 2018, the Khalladi wind farm generates a total installed capacity of 120 MW. The wind turbines are installed on 80-metre masts and equipped with 90 m diameter rotors.

About Dolfines: www.dolfines.com

Founded in 2000, DOLFINES is an independent specialist in engineering and services in the renewable and conventional energy industry. Faced with the challenges of decarbonizing the energy sector and capitalizing on its strong expertise, DOLFINES wants to play a key role in this energy transition by designing and providing innovative services and solutions for the exploitation of renewable energy sources onshore and offshore, above and below sea level. Respecting the highest standards of quality and safety, DOLFINES is labelled an innovative company certified ISO 9001 for its technical assistance, auditing, inspection and engineering activities.

Euronext Growth TM

DOLFINES is listed on Euronext GrowthTM - Code ISIN: FR0014004QZ9 - Mnemo: ALDOL DOLFINES is eligible to PEA-PME

Contacts :

DOLFINES: Delphine Bardelet Guejo, CFO - delphine.bardelet@dolfines.com

COMALTO: Jean-Francois Carminati, Shareholders Relations - + 33 (0) 6 63 87 57 60 - jfcarminati@comalto.com

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- The Pacific Cigar Co. LTD and Infifon HK, exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A., presented Cohiba Siglo de Oro at a multiple event held simultaneously in several Asian countries

- This vitola will be the first to include NFC technology in its cases, which will allow aficionados to verify its authenticity and learn more details about the product

HAVANA, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of the commemoration of the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, Habanos, S.A. unveiled its new Cohiba Siglo de Oro vitola (54 x 115 mm long), a novel product from the Cohiba brand, the most prestigious in the world of Habanos. The leading Premium tobacco company not only wants to celebrate the arrival of the new year, but the selected vitola -Siglo de Oro- also honors the 30th anniversary of the Linea 1492, one of Cohiba's most successful.





The presentation of the new Cohiba cigar took place in an exclusive event held simultaneously in several of the main Asian markets, organized by The Pacific Cigar Co, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A. in Asia-Pacific and Infifon HK, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A for Mainland China. Event were hosted in Macao, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The latter was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel under the attentive gaze of 120 guests, including Ms. Denisse Llamos Infante, Cuba's Consul in Guangdong, China.

The new product from the leading premium tobacco company will be a limited-edition item, so only a lucky few will be able to enjoy this unique vitola. Cohiba Siglo de Oro is presented in a special box containing 18 Habanos "Totally handmade with Long Filler," after a careful selection of wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the most prestigious area, Vuelta Abajo*, in the region of Pinar del Rio*, Cuba*.

However, its limited production and the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Cohiba's 1492 line are not the only aspects that will make this vitola unique. Cohiba Siglo de Oro will be the first Habanos, S.A. vitola to incorporate an NFC chip into its cases that aficionados can scan to verify the product's authenticity and learn more details about it.

"At present, China is the most important market in value for our business, and Cohiba is the most recognized Habanos' brand worldwide. That is why we wanted to take advantage of this occasion to present such a special vitola as Cohiba Siglo de Oro, and to showcase the implementation of NFC technology to make the experience for aficionados even more complete," Habanos, S.A. explained.

Cohiba Siglo de Oro

Factory name: Exitosos

Measures: 54 ring gauge x 115 mm length

Tasting Notes:

Cold taste, green tea tones and light hints of white pepper, with subtle earthy aromas

Firm quality construction to the touch

Draw: excellent

Wrapper: light-colored, smooth, with great brightness, no ribbing, oily and beautiful construction

Burn: perfect

Pairing:

Harmonies: Extraordinary pairing with Havana Club 15-year-old rum and Havana Club Union rum

With Chinese Oloong tea, it finds its soul mate, uniting 2 transcendental cultures, that of Habano and tea

Click here to download high resolution product images.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986039/Habanos_Cohiba_Siglo_de_Oro.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/habanos-sa-celebrated-the-chinese-new-year-exclusively-with-the-new-vitola-cohiba-siglo-de-oro-301726103.html
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Water is a critical input to our manufacturing process, and we can play a key role in conserving and protecting local water resources. We are assessing the characteristics of each watershed where we operate in order to address the most important water issues for our company, local communities, other water users and the environment. We are committed to reducing our water use per ton by 25% by 2030.

Our approach is built on a foundation of regulatory compliance, strong internal governance and transparency. Our strategy is led by a high-level, cross-functional leadership team and implemented through a task team of technical experts from across the company.

We conduct a comprehensive facilities water risk assessment through an in-house methodology combining relevant internal and third-party data, including the World Resource Institute's (WRI) Aqueduct Baseline Water Stress indicator. This assessment serves as the foundation for our water stewardship strategy, and guides our prioritization of sites for water-related operational improvements and watershed protection efforts.

In 2021, we completed detailed surveys at each of our mills to help us understand water use, water management systems and practices by location. The effort was led by our mill water champions in coordination with subject matter experts across each mill. Informed by the findings, we launched an internal Water Wise campaign to propel initial water reduction efforts at our operations through the implementation of no- and low-cost best practices. Initial results are promising. In 2021, we reduced water use intensity by nearly 2% from 2019.

The water management survey findings are also informing the development of context-based water management plans for each of our mills. The plans focus on water use reduction and wastewater improvements within our mills and, with input from local stakeholders, developing watershed partnerships to improve the long-term sustainability of our shared water resources.

Our approach is aligned with cross-sector best practice such as Alliance for Water Stewardship standard, and adapted to address industry-specific priorities. In parallel, we are working closely with our industry association, American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), to develop a framework promoting common approaches to water stewardship among North American paper and pulp producers. Finally, our partnership with the World Resources Institute through its Aqueduct Alliance program keeps us connected to the latest research, tools and best practices across industries, which inform our strategy on a continual basis.

1 Measured as cubic meters of process water intake per ton of paper & pulp produced

Read more

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE:IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion. See how we're building a better future for people, the planet, and our company at internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from International Paper Company on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: International Paper Company

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/international-paper-company

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: International Paper Company

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735950/International-Papers-Advance-Water-Stewardship
One of the largest investment commitments aims to generate over 101,389 jobs in the manufacturing, hi-tech, renewables and food processing sectors

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, concluded his World Economic Forum 2023 (WEF) meetings at Davos, on a successful note, paving the way for accelerated growth for Maharashtra and India.

Shri Shinde's visit to Davos was packed with back-to-back meetings with global business and political leaders, which resulted in the signing of 19 MOUs with globally and nationally renowned companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, ICP investments, New Era CleanTech, Gogoro India, Greenko Energy Projects, Mahindra Electric Vehicle Automobile and several more.

Offering a vibrant economic climate, ease of doing business, robust infrastructure, and decisive leadership these investments are spread across Maharashtra and will lead to uniform economic growth across all the districts in the state. With the economy recovering rapidly from the slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, these investments will create over 100,000 jobs in hi-tech, manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, renewable & clean energy and the infrastructure sectors.

Maharashtra's visit to Davos proves that the state is the most preferred in India for global investments; with the success at the WEF validating the government's agenda, which was rolled out amid challenging times seven months ago.

Concluding his visit, Shri Shinde said, "It was a highly productive visit, and I am extremely happy with the outcome of my meetings. With these global investments, across key growth sectors spread across the state, we have laid down the foundation for accelerated economic growth of Maharashtra and India. The confidence shown by these global investors have once again reinforced Maharashtra's unique position as the gateway to India. I will continue to lead the state's efforts for rapid economic growth in order to achieve our $1 trillion GDP goal."

About Maharashtra:

Maharashtra is one of the most industrialised states in India, contributing 16% to the country's industrial output and 15% to its GDP. The service sector contributes the most to the state's economy, accounting for 62% of its GDP, while the manufacturing sector is the second-largest contributor to the state's economy, accounting for 20% of its GDP. Major industries in Maharashtra include automobiles, engineering, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemicals, food processing and IT/ITeS.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/maharashtra-cm-eknath-shinde-generates-17-billion-of-investment-at-wef-301726116.html
2022/2023 HALF YEAR REVENUE UP 135% TO 10.7M

ORDER BACKLOG UP 81% TO 109M

2023-2025 REVENUE TARGETS CONFIRMED

Sharp increase in first half revenue driven by production launch of 11 hydrogen stations (9.2m, up 141%);

Major partnership signed with Engie Solutions for 15 station projects;

Framework agreement with pHYnix for the supply of 8 stations for green hydrogen projects in Spain;

Commercial pipeline of potential orders and identified projects increased to 1,186m.

Grenoble, January 19, 2023 - HRS, a European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, presents its revenue for the first half of the 2022/2023 financial year (from July 1 to December 31, 2022).

000 H1 2021/2022 H1 2022/2023 Change Revenue (unaudited) 4,569 10,720 +135% Hydrogen Stations* 3,824 9,233 +141% Industrial Piping and other 745 1,497 +101%

ACCELERATED GROWTH IN HYDROGEN STATIONS BUSINESS

The first half confirmed HRS's European market leadership in hydrogen stations, as illustrated by another sharp ramp-up in business development. In line with this brisk momentum, total first half revenue rose 135% to 10.7 million, including 9.2 million for the Hydrogen Stations segment, up 141%. Hydrogen Stations revenue comprised 1.4 million from the 21 stations that went into production during the previous two financial years and 7.9 million from the 11 stations that went into production this year, including the first six 1 tonne/day stations ordered by Hype, for a total of 32 stations in production, produced or being delivered.

This strong performance confirms the likelihood of the Company achieving its full-year revenue growth target of 50%. As in previous financial years, seasonal trends will have a marked impact again this year with a second half stronger than the first half.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Piping core business has risen sharply to 1.5 million, notably in connection with two new one-off contracts.

ROBUST DEVELOPMENT OF LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WITH 27 NEW STATIONS ORDERED SINCE JULY 1, 2022

Since the beginning of the year, HRS has actively pursued its conquering strategy by stepping up existing business relationships and establishing new partnerships:

With pHYnix, a major European producer and distributor of green hydrogen for mobility and industrial heating sectors, HRS has signed a framework agreement[1] resulting in an initial firm order for eight HRS stations, including five 1 tonne/day and three 200 kg/day stations, all of which have been added to the order backlog for delivery by 2024;

With Engie Solutions, in December 2022 HRS finalized a partnership[2] for the development of 15 hydrogen projects between 2022 and 2026 (including one firm station order so far). Given the strong likelihood of completing a majority of these projects quickly, HRS has decided to include 9 of these stations in its backlog and 5 in the final selections or negotiations of the commercial pipeline.

Besides these partnerships, HRS also received three more orders for a total of four additional stations, including one for a bus depot[3] in a French metropolis.

STRATEGIC REVIEW OF KEY PARTNERSHIPS DURING 2021/2022

During the 2021/2022 financial year, the Company signed two long-term partnerships with Hype and Gaussin:

For Hype, besides the 13 stations ordered during the previous financial year, given Hype's development plan and the additional program of 50 stations to be finalized: 25 of these 50 stations have been added to the order backlog for delivery by 2026, while the remaining 25 stations are still under final negotiation.

Regarding the partnership with Gaussin, HRS carried out a strategic review, which concluded that there was a lack of short-term visibility on the conversion of the term sheet signed in 2021 into firm orders, and therefore decided to withdraw Gaussin's stations from the order backlog and reassign them to the call for projects and prospecting portfolio of the commercial pipeline.

BUSINESS DYNAMICS CONFIRMED WITH ORDER BOOK GROWTH OF NEARLY 50M

At the time of the press release, the project portfolio breaks down as follows:

The order b acklog [4] increased sharply by 49 million (+81%) from October 10, 2022, to 109 million. It consists of 74 stations delivered or to be delivered by 2026, including 32 stations already in production, produced or being delivered and 42 awaiting to be produced for Hype, Engie Solutions, and pHYnix.

increased sharply by 49 million (+81%) from October 10, 2022, to 109 million. It consists of 74 stations delivered or to be delivered by 2026, including 32 stations already in production, produced or being delivered and 42 awaiting to be produced for Hype, Engie Solutions, and pHYnix. 's commercial pipeline has also increased sharply since the beginning of the financial year, up 331 million to 1,186 million in potential orders and identified projects (versus 855 million at October 10, 2022). In detail, the pipeline comprises: several stations in the final negotiation or selection stage in calls for tender representing potential revenue of 92 million (down 13 million) with deliveries staggered over the 2022-2030?period. This decrease is due to the transfer of a large number of stations to the order backlog; calls for projects and prospecting for which HRS has submitted additional station projects for delivery between 2023 and 2027, representing over 1,094 million in potential revenue (up 344 million). The market has notably accelerated, driven by major European cross-border plans (European Commission) and Southern Europe (Spain and Italy), where HRS is developing its sales network.

has also increased sharply since the beginning of the financial year, up 331 million to 1,186 million in potential orders and identified projects (versus 855 million at October 10, 2022). In detail, the pipeline comprises:

2021-2025 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLAN STEAMING AHEAD

The new partnerships and projects are in line with HRS's bold development plan to build 100 stations over the 2021-2025 period, as announced at the time of the IPO. The portfolio of stations deployed or to be deployed under signed contracts now comprises 74 stations in the order backlog (32 already in production, produced or being delivered), most of which will be deployed by June 30, 2025.

HRS confirms its confidence in achieving its 2021-2025 development plan targets, as well as continued strong revenue growth in 2022/2023, with an expected increase of over 50% versus FY 2021/2022.

STRENGTHENING OF HRS MANAGEMENT

At its meeting on January 18, 2023, the Board of Directors noted the departure for personal reasons of Adamo Screnci, Deputy CEO, with effect from March 31, 2023, allowing for the establishment of a tighter and more efficient operational management structure centered around Hassen Rachedi, founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Olivier Dhez, who becomes the sole Deputy CEO.

The first half was also marked by the strengthening of HRS's management team with the early August appointment of Kader Hidra as Chief Financial Officer. As such, Kader Hidra is taking over the reins of HRS's finance division, leveraging his extensive expertise in financial markets, financial reporting, and financial control.

Next financial press release:

H1 2022/2023 results, April 27, 2023

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks.

The Company posted 2021/2022 revenue of 17.0 million. As of June 30, 2022, the company had 78 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS

Relations investisseurs

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 94 Financial press relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

hrs-presse@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 93 Corporate press relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Deborah Schwartz

hrs-presse@actus.fr

00 33 1 53 67 36 35

[1] Cf. Press release of January 19, 2023: PHYNIX and HRS sign a framework agreement for the deployment of European hydrogen mobility projects - Firm order for 8 HRS green hydrogen refueling stations, including 5 of 1 ton/day.

[2] Cf. Press release of December 22, 2022: HRS and ENGIE Solutions enter into a commercial and technological partnership to develop hydrogen mobility.

[3] Cf. Press release of December 20, 2022: Order for a hydrogen refueling station for a bus depot.

[4] Order backlog: purchase orders received + order commitments likely to be fulfilled under long-term partnerships.

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Amgen Joins Gilead Sciences as a Program Supporter

Applications Now Open for Physicians and Medical Students

Originally published on Bristol Myers Squibb News & Perspectives

PRINCETON, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Award Program) established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) announced that Amgen, a global biotechnology company, has committed to contribute $8 million over the next four years. This contribution will enable the program to reach additional physicians and medical students, further expanding the initiative that aims to extend the reach of clinical trials in underserved patient populations in U.S. communities.

The Winn Award Program has so far trained 114 early-stage investigator physicians, and it has provided an immersive experience in community-based clinical research to 44 medical students who are from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is now accepting applications from physicians for the third cohort of its Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) and from medical students for the second cohort of its Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) Award. With the additional support from Amgen, it is set to reach more than 300 diverse and community-oriented clinical investigators and 300 diverse medical students by 2027.

"With the skills, experience and networks they will gain from participation in the Winn Award Program, these extraordinary physicians and students will make a significant difference in how healthcare is delivered in the U.S.," said Jude Ngang, Executive Director, and leader of the Amgen Representation in Clinical Research (RISE) program. "Supporting physicians and medical students dedicated to health equity and emphasizing the need for increasing diversity in clinical trials early in their careers is an important step toward improving the health of all people."

Diversity in clinical trials is a longstanding challenge in healthcare, and currently close to 80% of participants in clinical research trials are white, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Lack of diversity in clinical trials hinders the ability to eliminate health disparities and ensure medicines are safe and effective for all patients. To address this issue, the BMSF created the Winn Award Program in 2020 as part of its commitment to health equity, inclusion and diversity. The BMSF chose Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as the program implementation partner and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) as a curriculum partner to deliver The Robert A. Winn - AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, the first training the Winn CDA scholars receive. The program is named in honor of Robert A. Winn, M.D., Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Cancer Center and Chair of the Winn Award Program National Advisory Committee.

"It is no secret that the current state of clinical research does not reflect the diversity of the U.S. population," said John Damonti, President, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF). "Substantial, lasting change can be accomplished only if everyone is a part of this movement in diversifying healthcare. As we strive to ensure that safe and effective medicines and therapies are available for all across the nation, we are honored to have Amgen serve as a supporter of the Winn Award Program in achieving this vision."

The BMSF pledged $100 million to support 250 Winn CDAs and 250 Winn CIPPs over the span of the program. In 2022, Gilead Sciences committed $14 million of support, including 10 Winn CDAs and 10 Winn CIPPs per year for four years.

"Gilead is pleased to welcome Amgen to the Winn Award Program as a new and very appreciated supporter," said Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. "At Gilead, we're committed to creating a healthier world for everyone. By investing in the training and development of clinical trial scientists, we're recognizing and supporting transformative medical breakthroughs while expanding reach to more patient populations and communities."

The Winn Award Program currently offers two awards: the Winn CDA, a two-year program designed to support diverse physicians and those who have demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical trial research within their local communities, and the Winn CIPP, a six-week summer externship during which diverse medical students are provided an immersive experience in community-based clinical research. The Winn Award Program encourages others in the healthcare industry to consider participating as faculty and/or sponsors. Interested parties can learn more about the program at diversityinclinicaltrials.org and contact the team at winnawardinfo@vcu.edu.

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, focuses on communities most at risk of suffering the impacts of serious diseases in regions of the world that are hardest hit. It empowers partners to develop and test innovative solutions to advance health equity and improve access to quality healthcare for patients. Grant making focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immunologic disease, as well as clinical trial diversity in the United States, and prevalent cancers in nine African countries, Brazil and China. The mission of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information, visit Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (bms.com).

About Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 29,000 students in 238 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Twenty-three of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU's 11 schools and three colleges. For more, please visit vcu.edu.

About the American Association for Cancer Research

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 52,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 130 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting. In addition, the AACR publishes 10 prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

About Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

Corporate Philanthropy-News

Media: media@bms.com

Source: Bristol Myers Squibb

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bristol Myers Squibb Company on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Bristol Myers Squibb Company

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bristol-myers-squibb-company

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Bristol Myers Squibb Company

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735962/The-Robert-A-Winn-Diversity-in-Clinical-Trials-Award-Program-Established-by-the-Bristol-Myers-Squibb-Foundation-To-Expand-With-Amgens-Commitment-of-8-Million


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden has authorized an increase in the level of Federal funding for emergency protective measures undertaken in California in the wake of severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the state.



Under the President's major disaster declaration issued for the state on January 14, Federal funding was made available for Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, and Other Needs Assistance at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.



Under the President's order Wednesday, the Federal share for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program has been increased to 100 percent of the total eligible costs for 60 days from the start of the incident period.



The President will survey storm-ravaged areas via helicopter en route to Santa Cruz County on Thursday.



He will meet with business owners and local residents impacted by the devastation from the storms at Capitola Wharf, Capitola.



Biden will then visit first responders and state and local officials to survey recovery efforts and assess what additional Federal support is needed, the White House said.



The President is scheduled to deliver remarks at Seacliff State Park, Aptos, at 6 PM ET to reaffirm his commitment to support the people of California as they recover and rebuild from the impact of the extreme weather.



California is still reeling under the effects of catastrophic storms and floods that began unleashing across the state on December 27.



The flooding began after record levels of rainfall were recorded on December 31. Roads were closed due to flooding. The flooding claimed 22 lives so far.



Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on January 4, followed by President Biden declaring a state of emergency in 17 California counties. Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Merced, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.



The floods were widely reported as an example of how climate change is increasing extreme changes in weather. Before the rains started, California had been experiencing extreme drought.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / International WELL Building Institute

Originally published by the International WELL Building Institute

A member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently suggested that the regulatory body may further scrutinize gas stoves based on associated health hazards, such as linkages to childhood asthma and impact on overall health and well-being. Gas stoves emit a range of harmful pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and formaldehyde, impacting indoor air quality.

"Our homes should be places where we feel safe, healthy and protected," said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. "But too often families are being exposed to harmful air pollutants, and many don't realize that their gas stoves are a significant contributor. Knowing that, we have a responsibility to help people understand the risks as well as the remedies and to make sure the information they receive is backed by the evidence."

Indoor air quality (IAQ), a major focus of the evidenced-backed WELL Building Standard and addressed in the Air concept, is a key ingredient in addressing public health and supporting the health of people inside our buildings and homes.

From addressing toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to ventilation and air monitoring, WELL takes a holistic approach to air quality. Here are some of the evidence-based strategies WELL prescribes to address indoor air quality:

Air Quality | Monitoring and Awareness

Exposure to air pollutants, such as VOCs, ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and others has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to causing thousands of cancer deaths annually. We also know that types and concentrations of indoor pollutants continuously fluctuate in any indoor or outdoor environment. For example, cooking in the home can lead to a rapid spike in indoor air pollution. These features require projects to meet air quality targets, as well as the ongoing measurement of pollutants to educate and empower occupants about their environmental quality.

Combustion Minimization

Combustion-related emissions, mostly from heating systems and cooking are often a major source of indoor air pollution and include a range of health-damaging pollutants. The Combustion Minimization feature is intended to reduce occupant exposure to combustion-related air pollution from heating sources, requiring projects to eliminate combustion-based stoves and fireplaces and use low- or no-emission heating systems.

Active VOC Control

Building materials, furnishings, fabrics, cleaning products, personal care products, adhesives, solvents and air fresheners can all emit VOCs or semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) into the indoor environment. This feature rewards projects for the use of carbon filters to reduce indoor levels of VOCs.

Over the last few years, IAQ has gained more and more attention from the White House to national lawmakers. As shared last year, the Biden Administration is doing more to shine a light on the importance of indoor air quality. Last fall, it hosted the first ever White House summit on Indoor Air Quality. The Administration also helped launch a more programmatic Clean Air in Buildings initiative, housed at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On the legislative side, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer introduced the Airborne Act, which would Incentivize commercial building owners to make IAQ improvements in their properties by providing them with a $1 per square foot tax credit. These are positive steps forward for advancing healthier air in buildings.

Better indoor air quality is good for each of us and all of us, whether we're staying sheltered at home, working in an office, learning in a classroom or residing in a senior living community.

Here at IWBI, we are continuing to do our part to help promote these benefits to everyone.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from International WELL Building Institute on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: International WELL Building Institute

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/international-well-building-institute

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: International WELL Building Institute

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735972/Serving-Up-Safety-Gas-Stoves-and-Air-Quality
iSwiss Secures a gold mine with licensed company SPV Finance from Central Bank of Italy to Raise Capital through Securitization of Natural Resources

Lugano, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - iSwiss Deposit SA proudly announces that it has secured a gold mine through collaborating with licensed company Super Finance SPV from the Central Bank of Italy to raise capital through the innovative securitization of natural resources. iSwiss Bank will partner with Super Finance SPV and serve as the legal team and procedures servicer for this groundbreaking approach.

The license allows iSwiss and Super Finance SPV to pool natural resources such as oil and gas reserves, mineral deposits, timberland, and gold and then issue securities backed by the value of those resources. The iSwiss Bank's first pool of assets will be the gold mines projects in Turkey, Armenia, and Kyrgystan.

Furthermore, iSwiss Bank, which will serve as the legal team and procedures servicer for the securitization process, also welcomed the license. "We are proud to be a part of this groundbreaking approach to financing natural resources and are excited to work with Super Finance SPV in this endeavor," said a spokesperson for iSwiss Bank.

He further added,

"Securitization of natural resources, including gold, is a game changer for the industry and we are excited to be able to offer our investors access to these opportunities. We believe that this license will enable us to raise capital more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional methods and will open up opportunities for a wider range of investors to participate in funding these projects."

In an interview, the CEO of Super Finance SPV stated that the company is exploring securitization, a process of turning assets such as gold into financial securities, to finance projects in the natural resources industry. This method is more efficient and cost-effective than traditional financing methods. He stated,

"We are thrilled to have received this license from the Central Bank of Italy and are excited to be at the forefront of this innovative approach to financing natural resources."

Consequently, iSwiss Bank and Super Finance SPV are excited to be at the forefront of this revolutionary approach and look forward to the opportunities this license will bring.

For further information, visit: www.iswiss.ch

Media Contact

Company Name: iSwiss SA

Contact Person: Monica Martini

Website: www.iswiss.ch

Email: Support@iswiss.ch

City: Lugano

Country: Switzerland

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151709
Seoul, South Korea--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - The BOSagora Foundation (President: In-hwan Kim) announced the launch of 'Agora', its own official mainnet.

Agora MainNet is a decentralized and self-evolving public blockchain network based on smart contracts and the Congress Network, a decision-making system within the blockchain.

The Congress Network, a decentralized group decision-making organization composed of the DAO, proposes and decides on public budget funding support that is the differentiated core element of the Agora network, including technical details. The Congress Network will approve and support it if it is determined by a majority vote to benefit BOSagora and the entire community.

BOSagora has developed 'Votera', a decision-making tool that is used in the Congress Network's decision-making process. Votera stores decision data in blocks, which ensures transparency and clarifies responsibility.

To maintain confidentiality, the hash of the voting data is stored in the block during the voting period for data verification. Voting data is stored in the block at the end of the voting period. Additionally, data on discussion and pre-evaluation are stored on a separate server for transparency so that participants can access it anytime.

The Gasper algorithm was selected as Agora's consensus algorithm to support a highly versatile network.

The validator is the node that runs the validator client and deposits the specified BOA. Gasper identifies how the verifier participated in the process of proposing and verifying the block and determines compensation and penalty imposition. When there are many blockchain forks, Gasper also specifies which fork should be used to create a block.

BOSagora is developing a unique ecosystem called the 'Everyday Blockchain Platform', which focuses on linking with real-life businesses to revitalize the network ecosystem.

Based on the X2E (X to Earn) ecosystem that pays for specific activities related to real life, it is planned to link all services participating in the BOSagora network ecosystem to daily life by grafting with kiosks that are installed and used by several affiliate companies all over the world.

Company Details

Name: Matthew Kim

Company Name: BOSagora

Email: matthew.kim@bosagora.io

Website: https://bosagora.io

City: Seoul

Country: South Korea

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151890
Company achieves its fifth consecutive year of double-digit annual recurring revenue and customer growth

WOODBRIDGE, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Visual Lease, the #1 lease optimization software provider, today announced its results from 2022, reporting double-digit annual recurring revenue and customer percentage growth for five consecutive years. The organization now empowers more than 1,000 companies worldwide to sustain compliance with FASB, IFRS and GASB lease accounting standards, while simultaneously improving the financial and operational performance of their leases.

"In 2022, we expanded our mission to help businesses leverage their lease portfolios as strategic assets," said Visual Lease's CEO, Robert Michlewicz. "By investing in key areas of our product and team, we further enhanced our solutions and services to best support companies during the next leg of their leasing journey. In partnering with Visual Lease, companies across all industries have the ability to easily sustain lease accounting compliance while establishing key controls to leverage their lease data in making strategic business decisions."

"In today's economic environment, it is critical companies tap into the power of strong lease management and accounting solutions to remain agile," said Visual Lease's CPO, Amie Durr. "This can only be achieved when they partner with a solution provider that truly understands the different needs of all the teams that interact with lease data - Real Estate, Finance, Accounts Payable, Legal, Procurement, etc. - something that only Visual Lease is built to facilitate."

Visual Lease's key accomplishments from 2022 include:

Software & Service:

Introduced variable period calendars , including 4-4-5, 4-5-4, 5-4-4, 13-period and daily period calculations to better support organizations in retail and other sectors with lease accounting, controls and reporting under ASC 842 and IFRS 16.

, including 4-4-5, 4-5-4, 5-4-4, 13-period and daily period calculations to better support organizations in retail and other sectors with lease accounting, controls and reporting under ASC 842 and IFRS 16. Released enhanced Fund Accounting functionality , providing users in the government sector with the ability to easily track and record lease transactions on a modified accrual basis for fund accounting and a full accrual basis for government-wide reporting.

, providing users in the government sector with the ability to easily track and record lease transactions on a modified accrual basis for fund accounting and a full accrual basis for government-wide reporting. Provided an updated user interface to its robust yet intuitive platform.

to its robust yet intuitive platform. Named a winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the Customer Service Department of the Year category in The 20th Annual American Business Awards.

category in The 20th Annual American Business Awards. Earned industry recognition as the leading provider of lease administration and lease accounting software :

Received a 2022 PropTech Breakthrough Award for Overall Lease Management Company of the Year. Named a finalist of The 2022 SaaS Awards for the Best SaaS Product for Business Accounting or Finance. Maintained its position as a Leader in both the Lease Administration and Lease Accounting categories on G2 throughout 2022.

:

Growth:

Hosted its first in-person Customer Advisory Board Summit , a two-day event , where customers gathered to discuss the future of lease accounting, administration and optimization and how Visual Lease is uniquely supporting this evolution. During the event, the company announced the winners of its annual Visual Lease Customer Excellence Awards: American Axle & Manufacturing, CURO Financial, Hearst Communications, Huntington National Bank, Indeed, MDU Construction and Penn State Health.

, a two-day event , where customers gathered to discuss the future of lease accounting, administration and optimization and how Visual Lease is uniquely supporting this evolution. During the event, the company announced the winners of its annual Visual Lease Customer Excellence Awards: American Axle & Manufacturing, CURO Financial, Hearst Communications, Huntington National Bank, Indeed, MDU Construction and Penn State Health. Included in the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for the third consecutive year, named among the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in New Jersey and the 259th fastest-growing private company in the New York City area.

for the third consecutive year, named among the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in New Jersey and the 259th fastest-growing private company in the New York City area. Established an AWS data center in Frankfurt, Germany, enabling EU-based clients to benefit from stronger performance, newer services and features, as well as automatic compliance with residency and regulatory laws regarding their data.

Strategic Hires:

Announced Fin-Tech leadership veteran Robert Michlewicz as CEO , and Marc Betesh, the founder and former CEO, as Executive Chairman - a transition in management structure that has further accelerated the organization's growth.

, and Marc Betesh, the founder and former CEO, as Executive Chairman - a transition in management structure that has further accelerated the organization's growth. Announced Alex Betesh as its first Chief Customer Officer , focused on accelerating and deepening Visual Lease's ability to translate customer feedback into meaningful enhancements to its products, services and strategic alliances.

, focused on accelerating and deepening Visual Lease's ability to translate customer feedback into meaningful enhancements to its products, services and strategic alliances. Promoted Amie Durr to the company's first Chief Product Officer position , responsible for overseeing the organization's Product and Engineering teams to ensure continued product innovation with even greater speed to market.

, responsible for overseeing the organization's Product and Engineering teams to ensure continued product innovation with even greater speed to market. Welcomed Dan VanVeelen as its Chief Revenue Officer , responsible for executing corporate strategic plans that drive continued, accelerated growth and market-leading client satisfaction.

, responsible for executing corporate strategic plans that drive continued, accelerated growth and market-leading client satisfaction. Expanded its Sales, Customer Services, Product and Engineering teams in kind with its growing base of customers to ensure that the company continues to drive innovation and provide a customer experience second to none in the category.

Brand Recognition:

Named a Best Place to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ for the third consecutive year and ranked among the top third of medium-sized companies (50 - 249 employees), moving up 15 positions in its ranking on the list, year-over-year.

for the third consecutive year and ranked among the top third of medium-sized companies (50 - 249 employees), moving up 15 positions in its ranking on the list, year-over-year. Received a Silver Stevie Award for Great Employers in the Employer of the Year in the Computer Software category.

in the Employer of the Year in the Computer Software category. Unveiled a new report from The Visual Lease Data Institute, The 2022 Lease Market Analysis: Lease Accounting Readiness, which explores common lease accounting challenges and roadblocks experienced by private companies and government entities. Findings from the research have been featured in Wall Street Journal's CFO Journal newsletter, CPA Practice Advisor, Globe St., Accounting Today and more.

Alliance Partners:

Launched the Visual Lease Partner Marketplace , a section of its corporate website dedicated to connecting current and potential customers with its trusted network of Alliance Partners for access to top-tier support, including assistance with lease abstraction, consulting, data management, lease audit prep, portfolio reporting and analytics and more.

, a section of its corporate website dedicated to connecting current and potential customers with its trusted network of Alliance Partners for access to top-tier support, including assistance with lease abstraction, consulting, data management, lease audit prep, portfolio reporting and analytics and more. Announced its Premium Implementation Partner program to help companies master their lease administration and accounting software implementation by providing access to leading accounting and advisory firms when implementing Visual Lease's solutions.

to help companies master their lease administration and accounting software implementation by providing access to leading accounting and advisory firms when implementing Visual Lease's solutions. Further expanded its Alliance Partner program with premium accounting firms and services companies including Barre & Company LLC, Blue Sky Capital Strategies, LLC, Brady Ware & Company, Embark With Us, ERE, F.H. Black & Company, Vaco and Withum.

with premium accounting firms and services companies including Barre & Company LLC, Blue Sky Capital Strategies, LLC, Brady Ware & Company, Embark With Us, ERE, F.H. Black & Company, Vaco and Withum. Co-presented ASC 842 educational webinar sessions with Grant Thornton: ASC 842 Adoption: Avoiding the Pitfalls and How to Prepare for ASC 842 Adoption.

To keep up with announcements from Visual Lease, visit the Visual Lease Newsroom .

About Visual Lease



Visual Lease, the #1 lease optimization software provider, empowers organizations to leverage their lease portfolio as a strategic asset. Our platform is uniquely designed to meet the needs of every team that interacts with a company's lease portfolio to reduce risk, drive confident and sustained lease accounting compliance and provide the visibility required to make agile business decisions. Informed by nearly three decades of experience, our solutions help companies easily sustain compliance with FASB, IFRS and GASB lease accounting standards and implement proper lease controls to improve the financial, legal and operational performance of their leases. Our award-winning software is used by 1,000+ organizations to manage 500,000+ real estate, equipment and other leased assets globally. For more information, visit?visuallease.com.

Media Contacts

Erica Bonavitacola

Visual Lease

T+1 732 860 4838

ebonavitacola@visuallease.com

SOURCE: Visual Lease

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735979/Visual-Lease-Announces-a-Record-Breaking-2022
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Blockmate Ventures, Zinc8 Energy, Fabled Copper, Datametrex AI and iMining Technologies discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Blockmate Ventures (TSXV:MATE) announces OTCQB listing

Common shares of Blockmate Ventures (MATE) will begin trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol MATEF. Blockmate Shares will continue to be listed and traded on the TSXV under the symbol MATE and the German Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol 8MH1. Justin Rosenberg, CEO of Blockmate, sat down with Sabrina to discuss the importance of the listing.

For the full interview with Justin Rosenberg and to learn about Blockmate Ventures, click here.

Zinc8 Energy (CSE:ZAIR) receives funding to advance the Zinc-Air Stack Technology

Zinc8 Energy Solutions (ZAIR) is receiving up to $500,000 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program. The funding will support a two-year R&D program to improve sub-component efficiencies in the Zinc-air battery system. CEO Ron MacDonald sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Ron MacDonald and to learn about Zinc8 Energy, click here.

Fabled (CSE:FABL) scores copper at the Muskwa project

Fabled Copper Corp. (FABL) shared the results of 2022 surface field work on its Muskwa Copper project in B.C. Peter Hawley, President and CEO, sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss these results.

For the full interview with Peter Hawley and to learn about Fabled Copper, click here.

Datametrex (TSXV:DM) provides year-end corporate update

Datametrex AI Limited (DM) has shared a corporate update outlining the growth initiatives achieved this past year. Highlights include the acquisition of Imagine Health Centres and subsidiary Nexalogy completing the first phase of the $40 million AI government contract. Marshall Gunter, CEO of Datametrex, sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to highlight the company's achievements in 2022.

For the full interview with Marshall Gunter and to learn about Datametrex AI, click here.

iMining (TSXV:IMIN) announces LOI to purchase Ontario power plants

iMining (IMIN) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to purchase Ontario power plants equipped with up to 90 MW. The plants' low-cost capacity includes existing supply agreements with the Ontario Grid. The acquisition is in line with iMining's intention to become an energy-first company. CEO Khurram Shroff sat down with The Market Herald Canada's Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss the acquisition.

For the full interview with Khurram Shroff and to learn about iMining, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

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View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/735988/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-Blockmate-Ventures-Zinc8-Energy-Fabled-Copper-Datametrex-AI-and-iMining-Technologies-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
Executive level changes to bolster global operations for the transportation software company

RICHMOND, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transoft Solutions, developers of productivity-enhancing software and services for aviation, civil infrastructure, transportation and traffic safety industries, announced the promotion of Daniel Shihundu to CEO, along with a number of executive level changes effective January 2023.

With this appointment, Mr. Shihundu will assume the leadership of Transoft Solutions' global business operations with a focus on growth, building high-performing teams, and driving technical innovation to better serve our clients.

Mr. Shihundu joined Transoft Solutions in 2007 as Senior Civil Engineer and oversaw the forming of Transoft's first Product Management team. He has held progressively senior roles, including Senior Vice President of Civil & Transportation before being appointed to President in 2021.

Milton Carrasco will be stepping back from his role as CEO into the position of Chair, board of directors. As co-founder of Transoft, Mr. Carrasco led the company from a Richmond-based business to become a top transportation software company with a global presence and an impressive product portfolio spanning aviation, civil & transportation, and traffic safety industries. The company originated in 1991 when Mr. Carrasco launched its first product, AutoTURN, which was borne from his master's thesis "Computerized Vehicle-Turning Simulation: An Interactive Application".

"I have every confidence that Daniel will be successful in carrying the torch as Transoft's CEO and ensuring the company's continued growth and success, given his years of embracing the Transoft culture, his sound leadership and methodical approach." said Mr. Carrasco. "I look forward to seeing Transoft continue to evolve and grow under his leadership."

New Leadership Appointments to Bolster Operations

Ben van Leest has been promoted from Senior Vice President, Aviation to Executive Vice President, Business Units. He will oversee all three business units, including Aviation, Civil & Transportation, and Traffic Safety. Mr. van Leest joined Transoft Solutions when Simtra was acquired in 2014. Throughout his career with Transoft, he has led key acquisitions and the development of our Aviation software offerings and enhancing our existing portfolio.

Peter McIntyre has been promoted from Senior Vice President, APAC to Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing and will now oversee Corporate and Digital Marketing, as well as the Regional Sales & Marketing teams. Mr. McIntyre joined Transoft in 2006 and is an accomplished leader and industry veteran with nearly 20 years of sales, marketing and operations experience in software.

"I look forward to working alongside Transoft's talented and dedicated leadership team to continue our mission to build the most trusted, innovative, and intelligent transportation software and provide outstanding service for our users," said Mr. Shihundu. "These important organizational changes will result in better collaboration and greater accountability for decisions within the company. Together, we will keep moving forward with sustainable growth that benefits stakeholders and the regions in which we operate - all while staying true to our core company values, such as respect, collaboration, professionalism, and compassion."

About Transoft Solutions

Transoft Solutions develops innovative and highly specialized software for aviation, civil infrastructure, and transportation professionals. Since 1991, Transoft has remained focused on safety-oriented solutions that enable transportation professionals to work effectively and confidently. Our portfolio of planning, simulation, modeling, and design solutions are used in over 150 countries serving more than 50,000 customers across local and federal agencies, consulting firms, airport authorities, and ports. We take pride in providing the highest quality of customer support from our headquarters in Canada, and through our offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, India, Belgium, Spain, and China. For more information on Transoft's range of aviation, civil design, and traffic safety solutions, visit transoftsolutions.com

Contact Information:

Jeannine Sheares

Corporate Marketing Director

j.sheares@transoftsolutions.com

16043966472



Related Images











Image 1: Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre





Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre were promoted to bolster global operations at Transoft

















Image 2: Daniel Shihundu, Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre





Daniel Shihundu, Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre in new leadership roles at Transoft Solutions to bolster global operations

















Image 3: Daniel Shihundu and Milton Carrasco





Long-time Transoft Solutions CEO & founder Milton Carrasco steps down and welcomes Daniel Shihundu to helm the organization









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Regulatory News:

As indicated in its press release published on 11 January 2023 and in accordance with the announcements made in the press releases published during the end of last year, ORPEA (Paris:ORP) has continued over the last few days its discussions with a consortium of French third-party investors led by the Caisse des Depots et Consignations and a group of unsecured financial creditors holding approximately 50% of the Company's 3.8 billion unsecured debt. These discussions have been conducted under the aegis of the conciliator, as part of the conciliation procedure opened by the President of the specialized Commercial Court of Nanterre. They aimed at reaching, as quickly as possible, a firm agreement on the restructuring plan allowing to finance the Company's Refoundation Plan and to reach a sustainable financial structure.

Despite its efforts to reach the said agreement, the Company notes with regrets that the respective expectations of the consortium of investors and the group of unsecured financial creditors concerned in terms of valuation do not allow to reach an agreement. Therefore, these negotiations come to an end.

The Company will continue discussions with the group of unsecured financial creditors whose support is required to reach an agreement on the restructuring plan in line with its proposal communicated to the market on 15 November 2022, i.e. the equitization of 3.8 billion of the Company's unsecured debt and a share capital increase for an amount between 1.3 billion and 1.5 billion.

The Company regrets the failure of these discussions but nevertheless welcomes the efforts of each party to find an agreement.

The Company confirms that information that could be qualified as inside information within the meaning of Regulation No. 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse and that may have been given on a confidential basis to the various stakeholders in the context of the negotiations has indeed been published to the market, either in the past or in the context of this press release, with the aim of re-establishing equal access to information relating to the Group between the investors.

About ORPEA

ORPEA is a leading global player, expert in the care of all types of frailty. The Group operates in 22 countries and covers three core businesses: care for the elderly (nursing homes, assisted living, home care), post-acute and rehabilitation care and mental health care (specialized clinics). It has more than 72,000 employees and welcomes more than 255,000 patients and residents each year.

https://www.orpea-group.com/

ORPEA is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000184798) and is a member of the SBF 120, STOXX 600 Europe, MSCI Small Cap Europe and CAC Mid 60 indices.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005838/en/

Contacts:

Investor relations

Orpea

Jean-Baptiste Roussille

Head of Investor Relations

j-b.roussille@orpea.net



Benoit Lesieur

Investor Relations Director

b.lesieur@orpea.net



Toll free tel. nb for shareholders:

+33 (0) 805 480 480

Investor relations

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky

Tel: 01 44 71 94 94

ORPEA@newcap.eu



Media Relations

Orpea/Image 7

Isabelle Herrier-Naufle

Directrice Relations Presse

Tel: 07 70 29 53 74

i.herrier-naufle@orpea.net



Image 7

Charlotte Le Barbier

Tel: 07 06 78 37 27 60

clebarbier@image7.fr
San Gabriel, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Younger World is a leading wellness center in the greater LA County area, which works to help young professionals find creative ways to build a healthy work/life balance. The company has announced that it will be launching a brand new skin rejuvenation program, which will include a complimentary consultation and free facial mask to all of the company's new clients. This program will be launching in early 2023 and hopes to kick start a new era of skin care wellness for the brand and the members of its community.

Younger World currently offers advanced prescriptive devices to personalize service and a concierge experience for its clients. The San Gabriel location is overseen by Tedman Vuong, a nurse practitioner in the emergency department for over eight years in LA County, and a board member of the Boys and Girls club of West San Gabriel Valley. As co-founder of Younger World, Vuong and his partner have also announced the Tete and Vince Unicorn Scholarship, which will award one child, every month, an academic scholarship in the pursuit of higher education.

"As a child of two Vietnamese refugees, I grew up not having much," says Vuong. "Today I find myself working very hard to show the next generation how beautiful it can be to pay it forward and practice kindness." This idea is also very much present within the Younger World business model, as the brand is excited to continue giving back in the form of physical and mental wellness.

In its current stage of development, the company offers body, sculpting, skin resurfacing and skincare services. Younger World is thrilled to have the opportunity to also work closely with clients while targeting hyperpigmentation, scars, rosacea and other such skin discoloration. With its newest update into the world of skincare, the upcoming launch of their skin rejuvenation program, the brand is working to solidify itself into the wellness vein of southern California.

The co-founder is also gearing up to launch a podcast, centered around the Younger World's vision about teaching young professionals how to "hustle and glow". This podcast will depict the value of hard work and include industry leaders who have walked the journey of entrepreneurship.

At Younger World Wellness Center, the team is looking forward to their continued expansion as they aim to provide their clients with a luxurious beauty experience to help transform their skin and body.

As the years continue, Younger World hopes to continue to expand their presence within the greater LA County area, as they work to become a vital component and cornerstone for their community.

Younger World Wellness Center located in San Gabriel, California is a concierge wellness center with over 10 years' experience in the industry. The company is excited to offer the community complimentary consultations and free facial sheet masks, as a step forward in their development. The business operates between 10-6 PM Wednesday to Sunday. For more information on Younger World Wellness Center, visit their website.

Tedman Vuong

Youngerworldwellness@gmail.com

https://www.youngerworldmedspa.com/

626-872-0908

Instagram: @youngerworldmedspa

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151921
Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, Magnom and Forbes plan new zero-carbon commercial tower in Cairo, Egypt, which will elevate standards of green design and push boundaries of modern construction

Solidifying a commitment to long-term sustainability, Magnom Properties and Forbes, joined hands at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, to announce their plans to build an innovative, environmentally responsive tower set in the heart of the rising New Administrative Capital in Cairo, Egypt.

Envisioned by Adrian Smith Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG Architecture), the planned 'Forbes International Tower' marks the start of a new era of building design as Magnom Properties, a subsidiary of Rawabi Holding, pushes the boundaries of modern construction to pursue a zero-carbon strategy in collaboration with Forbes.

The partnership, which marks the first time that Forbes has branded a commercial tower, was announced on the concluding day of WEF 2023 where world leaders and experts discussed, amongst other important topics, the need for mainstreaming smart and sustainable climate solutions in urban development to enhance the livability, efficiency, and productivity of cities.

A Memorandum of Understanding to develop the project was signed at the Dome at WEF by Abdulaziz Al Turki, Group Chairman of Rawabi Holding and Chairman of Magnom Properties, and Mike Federle, CEO, Forbes, in the presence of Othman A. Ibrahim, CEO of Rawabi Holding, Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of Magnom Properties; Maged Marie, CEO, Magnom Properties; and architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill.

The partnership agreement comes under the backdrop of a global study that has underpinned the strength of real estate in the Middle East as a core driver of economic growth and investment of choice buoyed by strong demand fundamentals, high GDP growth, and diversification strategies in the non-oil sector.

"We are excited to partner with Magnom Properties to work with the world-renowned architect, Adrian Smith, and build the first sustainable international tower under the Forbes name," said Mike Federle, CEO, Forbes. "Forbes continues to create impact around the world, whether it be our trusted brand of journalism, summits to promote women's rights or the power of entrepreneurial capitalism, to endeavoring to build a cutting-edge and responsible tower where businesses can thrive in the heart of one of the most iconic cities in the world."

Paving the way for sustainable transformation

Commenting on the new partnership and launch, Abdulaziz Al Turki, Group Chairman of Rawabi Holding and Chairman of Magnom Properties, said: "Cities play a critical role in our race to reach net zero and buildings, which are responsible for up to a third of greenhouse gas emissions globally, are a great opportunity to improve urban efficiency and build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities. A key pillar of Egypt's ambitious Vision 2030 is Urban Development, and the launch of the Forbes International Tower, primed to achieve a Platinum LEED certification, reflects our vision of setting new standards in sustainability."

Othman A. Ibrahim, CEO, Rawabi Holding; Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of Magnom Properties, added: "The launch of the project comes at a time when overall macroeconomic outlook in Egypt remains favorable and investments in MENA are at an 8-year high, with studies projecting a 6.5 per cent CAGR growth in real estate from 2022-2030 for the region, which is higher than the global market average."

Maged Marie, CEO, Magnom Properties, said: "We are happy to announce the signing of our agreement with Forbes at WEF 2023, where constructive dialogues on issues of global importance are inspiring action to shape a better future for all. We are partnering with some of the best brands in the world to harness advanced technologies and deliver a carbon neutral development that represents the best in architectural design, green building standards, and sustainable engineering and specification."

Futuristic sustainable technologies

"The visually striking, beautifully futuristic 'Forbes International Tower,' by Adrian Smith Gordon Gill Architecture, is a contextually responsive soaring glass, steel, and photovoltaic-laced design. The tower features captivating curves of glass and steel that launch skyward to form 55 floors of flexible office space and two stories of high-end retail experiences," elaborated Adrian Smith.

Located in the northern Central Business District of Cairo's New Administrative Capital, the innovative commercial tower harnesses the power of surrounding natural resources and elevates energy performance standards with a solar panel rooftop, fully automated HVAC field devices, and modern intelligent building technology. The harmonious biophilic designs assist in air circulation, brings nature indoors, and aims to enhance employee wellbeing.

Gordon Gill added: "Marked by a conscious commitment to exploring low carbon pathways, the 'Forbes International Tower' adheres to the highest standards of green building principles and will utilize several advanced technologies in partnership with leading global partners to drive energy efficiency and reduce emissions. More details will be released in due course."

"Having launched Forbes Global Properties, our first real estate brokerage business, three years ago, we are taking an important step forward in our real estate plans with the development of Forbes International Tower, the first commercial building in the world with the Forbes brand," said Peter Hung, President, Licensing and Branded Ventures, Forbes.

About Magnom Properties:

Transcending physical borders, Magnom Properties, a subsidiary of Rawabi Holding Group, is setting new benchmarks as part of its pioneering role in redefining the real estate sector by overseeing the construction of high-value commercial, residential and lifestyle projects in KSA, Egypt and the wider MENA region. The company is focusing on creating dynamic environments and developments, which will cater to the rapidly evolving lifestyles, aspirations of businesses, industries, and future generations.

To ensure that the core values of quality, reliability, timely delivery and sustainability are followed across all future projects with LEED certification standards, Magnom Properties is partnering with global experts including the world-renowned architect, Adrian Smith, along with his partners Gordon Gill and Robert Forest, representing their international design firm, Adrian Smith Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG Architecture), who are designing their first project in Egypt's New Administrative Capital (NAC).

For more information, please visit Magnom Properties and follow the company on https://twitter.com/MagnomPro.

About Forbes

Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 48 licensed local editions in 82 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005822/en/

Contacts:

For media enquiries:

ASDA'A BCW:

Nivine William

nivine.william@bcw-global.com



Yasser Alvi

yasser.alvi@bcw-global.com

Forbes:

Bill Hankes

bhankes@forbes.com

and pr@forbes.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - I-Minerals Inc. (TSXV: IMA) (OTC Pink: IMAHF) ("the Company") is pleased to announce that it has received conditional acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange of its proposed disposition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, i-minerals USA, to BV Lending (the "Transaction"), pursuant to a Stock Purchase Agreement which was previously announced in the news release dated September 15, 2022.

Closing of the Transaction is subject to a number of key conditions including shareholder approval, TSX Venture Exchange final approval, no more than 5% of the shareholders exercising their dissenting rights and other conditions customary for this type of Transaction.

The Company will issue a subsequent news release upon filing its definitive proxy statement (information circular) with the Securities Exchange Commission on EDGAR and the applicable Canadian securities commissions on www.sedar.com.

About the Company

The Company was incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada in 1984. In 2004, the Company changed its corporate jurisdiction from a British Columbia company to a Canadian corporation. In December 2011, the Company amended its articles to change its name from "i-minerals inc." to "I-Minerals Inc."

The Company is engaged in the exploration, evaluation and development of mineral assets including the aforementioned Helmer-Bovill Property. Following the completion of the Transaction, the Company will not have any mineral properties due to the sale of i-minerals USA, which owns the Helmer-Bovill Property. Accordingly, the Company will need to identify and, if successful, acquire a new business, which it will be positioned to do with a balance sheet free of the existing indebtedness that it is currently unable to service. The Company's principal executive office is located at Suite 1100, 1199 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and the Company's telephone number is (208) 953-7372. The Company's operations office is located at 13403 N. Government Way, #102, Hayden, Idaho.

I-Minerals Inc.

per: "John Theobald"

John Theobald,

President & CEO

Contact: I-Minerals Inc.

Barry Girling

(208) 953-7372

Email: info@imineralsinc.com

Or visit our website at www.imineralsinc.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 NEWS RELEASE.

This News Release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: ability to complete the Transaction (including obtaining all necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals), the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, changes in the worldwide price of mineral market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risk associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and uncertainty of access to additional capital. Accordingly, actual and further events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151929
Edustaff, a Grand Rapids, MI-based education staffing company, raised an undisclosed amount in funding from Public Pension Capital.

The company intends to use the funds for continued investment in improving its service capabilities, sales and marketing resources and technology solutions as it accelerates its penetration and expansion throughout the nation.

Founded in 2010 by Clark Galloway, President, Edustaff is a provider of outsourced substitute, paraprofessional and support staff solutions to K-12 school districts and community colleges. The company serves as an outsourced substitute teacher management provider to its expanding base of clients across the nation. Its offering supports recruitment, substitute management and payroll processing for employees provided to its client districts. Edustaff currently serves over 550 customers across 11 U.S. states.

FinSMEs

19/01/2023
Vanta, a San Francisco, California-based trust management platform, acquired Trustpage, a Detroit, MI-based provider of a platform to automate questionnaires, share documents, manage security reviews, and more.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

With the addition of Trustpage, Vanta is accelerating its product innovation and continuing to scale its trust management platform for thousands of global customers to monitor, improve and demonstrate their security, and ultimately, establish and deepen trust.

Led by Chase Lee, CEO, Trustpage provides a centralized hub that allows companies to communicate their security posture. As a holistic view into a companys security stack and policies, Trustpage gives organizations dynamic Trust Centers to collaborate on, automate, and accelerate end-to-end security reviews and questionnaires. It is used by nearly 400 companies worldwide, including Pendo, Sift and ZoomInfo.

Led by Christina Cacioppo, CEO, Vanta provides a trust management platform that simplifies and centralizes security program management for over 4,000 leading companies, including Autodesk, Modern Treasury and Quora, by providing full visibility into an organizations risk. Vanta then enriches those findings with contextual data, and helps organizations remediate issues and track progressall in a way thats demonstrable to customers and partners. Founded in 2018, Vanta

In 2022, the company nearly doubled its customer base to serve over 4,000 companies across 58 countries, while expanding its global presence with offices in Dublin, New York, San Francisco and Sydney. Last year, Vanta raised $150m in funding from leading investors Craft Ventures, Sequoia and Y Combinator and security industry pioneers like CrowdStrike, bringing the companys total amount raised to $203m at a $1.65 billion valuation.

FinSMEs

19/01/2023
On the afternoon of 18 November local time, President Xi Jinping met with President Gabriel Boric of Chile in Bangkok.

President Xi noted that Chile was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China. For more than half a century, the China-Chile relationship has been a pioneer in Chinas relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries, setting a prime example for win-win cooperation between developing countries. This relationship should be all the more cherished. The two sides need to render each other continued and firm support, and mutually respect the development path chosen by their people. China is ready to work with Chile to promote the sustained development of China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership.

President Xi underscored Chinas readiness to step up the friendly interactions with Chile at all levels, increase exchanges on governance experience, further align development strategies, pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen practical cooperation in economic, trade, investment, agricultural and other areas, and explore new prospects of cooperation on public health, clean energy and digital economy. The two sides need to strengthen coordination in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the APEC, promote the common values of humanity, uphold true multilateralism, and work to build a community with a shared future in the Asia-Pacific and for mankind.

President Boric applauded the remarkable achievements that China has made under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. China has lifted nearly a hundred million people out of poverty, and set a fine example for developing countries. Chile firmly upholds the one-China policy, and hopes to learn from Chinas governance experience and deepen cooperation with China in such fields as infrastructure, poverty reduction and digital economy. The Chilean side welcomes more Chinese companies to invest and seek cooperation in Chile, and supports Chinas bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as well as the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). Chile follows an independent foreign policy, and stands ready to increase exchanges with the Chinese side for an even better understanding of China.

Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and He Lifeng were present at the meeting.
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The lawyer representing the 27 arrested Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists, Chris Mhike yesterday told the court that his clients were denied food by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officials.

Submitting complaints before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi, Mhike said his clients did not eat anything since 0600am to 0500pm yesterday after prison authorities blocked their relatives from giving them food.

Mhike said: What a shame your worship, as a nation we run a system that is so insensitive to the needs of its citizens; a system that is so cruel to accused persons who have not been convicted. I plead for exercise of your judicial power to intervene on the shocking violations of human rights.

He said they engaged the officer-in-charge of prisons, one Chief Superintendent Sibanda at the Harare Magistrates Court after relatives were blocked from giving them food.

Sibanda then phoned his bosses who told him that they must not be given food at the magistrates court, Mhike said.

We did engage Chief Superintendent Sibanda in charge at Harare Magistrates Court cells around 1pm and he said he wanted to consult his superiors and he was told no food must be given to the accused at Rotten Row Magistrates Court.

He said violations of fundamental rights of accused persons in the country were shocking.

Mhike added that some of the accused persons where of ill-health and they could not take their medication without taking food.

They must have their food here at court so that it's not put to waste. There is now risk of some getting ill because of these degrading conditions.

He said some of the accused persons were being mixed with convicted prisoners who were taking drugs while inside the cells.

Lawyer, Kudzai Kadzere who was also brutalised by the police while representing the opposition activists addressed the court while in medical plasters saying the court must give an order that the accused persons be given food at the courts by their relatives.

Kadzere also demanded that they must be allowed to be visited by their private doctors.

Meanwhile, the State has opposed bail to CCC legislator Costa Machingauta who also had his docket merged with Amos Chibaya and 25 others.

The accused persons were arrested for holding a meeting at Machingauta's residence on Saturday, which police claimed disturbed public peace.

Among the accused is a 17-year-old girl who cannot be tried in an open court.

Mangosi postponed the matter to today for ruling on the application to have the proceedings held in camera. Newsday
A Corvallis resident is accused of using a weapon with a sharp edge and slashing a mans hand on Monday, Jan. 16, according to court paperwork.

Jacob Nate Andersen, 33, was charged in Benton County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Jan. 18 with second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest.

Andersen was initially scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, but he refused to appear, and the hearing was rescheduled, according to Oregons online court database.

On Wednesday, Judge Matthew Donohue set Andersens bail at $50,000 and appointed Clark Willes as his attorney.

The next hearing in the case was scheduled for Jan. 26.

According to a probable cause affidavit in the case, the accuser told a Corvallis police officer that a couple had been staying with him in his motor home in the 2500 block of Southwest Pickford Street.

On Monday when the accuser woke up, he asked the guests if they wanted to do yard work. They declined, and he told them they needed to leave, the affidavit states.

The man then jumped out of the bed in the motor home and sliced the accusers hand with an unknown object, the officer reported the victim as saying in the affidavit.

Second-degree assault is a Measure 11 crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of nearly six years in prison upon conviction.

The charging document indicates that Andersen was on probation at the time the new crimes were committed.

He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) in December in Benton County Circuit Court, and was put on probation, but his sentence was suspended. The assault charge was lowered from a felony, and a count of strangulation was dismissed as part of the negotiated settlement. The crime occurred on Dec. 1, according to court paperwork.

Andersen also pleaded guilty in December to second-degree disorderly conduct in two separate cases.

In 2012, Andersen pleaded guilty to first-degree sex abuse, second-degree rape and delivery of marijuana to a minor. He was sentenced to more than six years in prison.


President Mnangagwa is today expected to hand over to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), a report by Parliament on the preliminary Delimitation report of electoral ward and constituency boundaries produced by the elections management body last month.

Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday handed over the report to the President at State House for onward submission to ZEC as required by law.

The hand over was witnessed by the Deputy President of Senate, Lieutenant General Mike Nyambuya (Retired), Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Acting Clerk of Parliament Ms Hellen Dingane.

The report by Parliament was produced from the report by the ad hoc committee it constituted from all political parties in the august House, to analyse ZECs preliminary report.

It also contains concerns raised by legislators during debate on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In his remarks after receiving the report, President Mnangagwa said he would hand it over to ZEC today.

I must hand over this report to ZEC within 14 days (from the date it was submitted to Parliament) and the 14 th day is tomorrow, so I will hand over the report to ZEC, he said.

The report was tabled in Parliament on January 6.

Speaking to journalists, Advocate Mudenda said: As was indicated by His Excellency the President, he said he will hand it over to ZEC tomorrow (today) so that the constitutional processes as laid out in Section 161 of the Constitution are complied with.

Once they receive the report from Parliament, ZEC will, hopefully, consider it, digest it and then after that they will produce the final report which they will hand over to His Excellency the President and thereafter, after 14 days of that hand over, His Excellency will gazette the final report as required by the Constitution, said Advocate Mudenda.

He also said Parliament had thoroughly scrutinised the preliminary delimitation report by ZEC.

The debate was quite robust, we had an ad-hoc committee selected from both Houses and this committee did an excellent piece of work by coming up with a critical analysis and recommendations arising from their digestion of ZECs preliminary delimitation report.

And that ad-hoc committee report was tabled in both Houses, debated on January 18 in the Senate and they adopted the report, whereas in the National Assemblythey continued debate on the following day and finally also adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee as the report of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, he added.

In the report, the ad-hoc committee said ZEC failed to follow procedures that include delimiting some ward boundaries below the maximum and minimum thresholds as stipulated by the Constitution and also noted that it did not provide sufficient information to justify the changes in ward and constituency boundaries it made.

Parliamentarians that contributed to the debate echoed similar sentiments raised by the ad-hoc committee citing situations that occurred in their respective constituencies and recommended that ZEC consider their concerns when coming up with the final report. Herald
Despite having a deal in place, some Corvallis officials still wanted to negotiate the terms of a franchise agreement with NW Natural.

The deal allows the utility to access the city's right-of-way for its pipes by paying a fee.

The City Council tabled an ordinance renewing a 10-year natural gas deal with new conditions and higher fees on Jan. 3, but then two days later decided to merely extend the previous agreement by three years, forgoing any new terms and additional revenue.

That appeared to be the end of it until councilors launched into another discussion and two more votes regarding the natural gas franchise at a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 17. Ultimately nothing changed, but not for lack of trying.

I really think that we should reconsider this, Council President Tracey Yee said.

Roughly 300 hours of city staff time were reportedly invested in the negotiations before the council made last-minute changes to the deal, leaving the question of how NW Natural would respond. The company could have chosen either the modified renewal agreement or the three-year status quo extension.

By shortening a "reopening period," the time in which either side could reopen the contract, from five years to three, the council overrode what was negotiated by staff, although staff predicted the company would reject the change, as it did with a request for a new-but-shorter three-year agreement rather than 10.

After pulling the ordinance from tabling, Yee moved for a vote changing back to the five-year reopener language. City Manager Mark Shepard said the company might consider accepting the change even after the fact. But other councilors were ready to move on.

In my understanding, the matter has been settled for three years, Councilor Gabe Shepherd said. No matter what we pass tonight or propose tonight, theyve signed a three-year extension.

Pointing out that the city walked away from at least $270,000  $90,000 a year  when it didn't get a fee hike, Yee said shes concerned about the future cost to the city at a time when Corvallis has raised fees and is planning a local option levy to continue funding the city.

Were leaving money on the table, Yee said. Were making decisions like this, and I dont think thats lost on people.

Telegraphing his vote, Councilor Paul Shaffer said the council had opened a can of worms by trying to reopen negotiations and that he would prefer to be done with discussion of a new contract. He led the Jan. 3 vote for a three-year extension of the previous deal, calling it foolish to allow a lapse in the agreement.

Attempting to negotiate a clinched deal, Shepherd said, would make the council look bad, adding it could create a credibility issue in future dealings.

But Councilor Jan Napack said its not a fault or weakness to go hat in hand and admit what she called the councils mistakes. She also said a change in council membership led to a midstream vote shift on the deal, which had councilors divided.

Amending the ordinance Tuesday to return the five-year opener failed 3-6, supported by Napack, Yee and Councilor Tony Cadena. A subsequent vote to approve the ordinance for a 10-year franchise with the three-year reopener failed 2-7, supported by Yee and Councilor Briae Lewis.

And with that, the effort died.

Nothing will be brought back to the council unless you further direct staff to do so, the city manager said.

Among the items staff was negotiated before the old agreement was extended  besides a .75% fee increase  were provisions relating to payments, late fees, reporting, insurance, and duration, according to city staff.

For its part, NW Natural asked for updates to provisions relating to administration, construction, relocation, payment, reporting, preferential or discriminatory practices, and confidentiality, city staff said.

Staff had recommended renewing with a 10-year agreement and the .75% bump, bringing the city's cut to 5.75% and increasing the current annual take of $600,000 to around $690,000. Staff confirmed thats a conservative estimate and the additional revenue would likely have been more given increasing natural gas rates.

Were giving up more than $90K per year, and it is likely to be an increasing number, not a decreasing number, Cadena said.

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Arlene Mae Baker was a Resident on Riverside Drive since 1952. She came into the world August 31, 1922 in Elk City, Oregon. Parents, Andrew and Clara (Becker) Bristlin. Her Mom, at the age of 50, brought her 10th child into the family. At the age of 3, they moved to Eddyville, Oregon, where Arlene graduated from high school. After graduating high school, Arlene attended O.C.E. in Monmouth for 2 years, with the goal of becoming a teacher. She then left O.C.E. on an emergency contract to return to Eddyville, teaching primary grades for 6 years.


THREE suspected drug dealers, one of them an ex-police officer, were yesterday arrested in Bulawayo following a raid at their homes in Entumbane suburb.

Police recovered marijuana, alcohol, weight gain tablets and cough syrups among other illicit substances. They also found pipes, which are used to inhale drugs, skin-lightening creams and plastic sachets, which are used to package drugs.

Elton Ndlovu (37), a former police officer, Asprila Maphosa (23), and Lydia Ndlovu-Mthimkhulu (27) are allegedly linked to an organised drug syndicate targeting youths.

The trios arrest is in response to the recent case in which 17 youths from Entumbane suburb were rushed to Ingutsheni Central Hospital after overdosing on crystal methamphetamine (meth).

The rate at which youths are abusing drugs has grown considerably with residents attributing that to the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown. About 250 drug addicts are attended to at Ingutsheni Central Hospital monthly, with the number of youths abusing drugs continuing to rise in Bulawayo.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube told journalists yesterday that the suspects were arrested following a crackdown on criminals in Entumbane.

Our officers acted on a tip-off and raided the two houses in Entumbane and recovered a consignment of illicit drugs after conducting a search and arrested the three suspects. As police, we continue to conduct our investigations as we suspect that these people are operating as a syndicate involving several others, he said.

Insp Ncube said the trio is expected to appear in court soon on charges of dealing in dangerous drugs.

We arrested Lydia Ndlovu also known as Lydia Mthimkhulu last year during which she was only using Ndlovu as her surname. She was convicted of similar charges and got a suspended sentence of six months, he said.

This time around Lydia changed her surname to Mthimkhulu probably as a way of trying to avoid court bringing up the suspended sentence from her previous conviction.

Insp Ncube said Lydias mother, Jane Ndlovu popularly known as MaHadebe is an alleged drug peddler who is operating behind the scenes.

He urged parents and guardians to immediately report cases of drug abuse and also desist from dealing with their children involved in substance abuse.

As police, we have noted that most of these youths that abuse drugs were either raised in child-headed families or live with grandparents. We are, therefore, going to conduct a community awareness campaign against drug and substance abuse at Honours Academy and Entumbane High School, said Insp Ncube.

Zimbabwe is experiencing an upsurge in drug abuse cases and most of those abusing the drugs are young people.

Last year, the Ministry of Health and Child Care launched a five-year strategic plan (2021-2025) against substance abuse to curb its prevalence which has become alarming.

Substances that are commonly abused are alcohol (both licensed and unlicensed brews) tobacco, cannabis and non-medical use of controlled medicines such as codeine-containing cough medicines and benzodiazepines. Chronicle
TRIPLE murder suspect, Jaison Muvevi (43), was yesterday taken to Hwedza to make indications of where he allegedly shot four people, three fatally, as investigations into the case continue.

Detectives investigating the killings on Wednesday successfully requested the court for three more days with Muvevi, to allow them time to continue questioning the accused and investigating the crimes with the accused present.

Muvevi was then released into the custody of detectives after they had applied for a warrant for further detention when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.

The investigating officer in the matter, Detective Inspector Pikisai Chikwazo, had indicated that they wanted more time to travel to Hwedza for indications and further interviews.

Yesterday morning, a team of detectives travelled to Hwedza with Muvevi as part of the ongoing investigations.

Muvevi is expected back in court today.

In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Muvevi was currently facing three counts of murder and two of attempted murder.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police advises the public that investigations into the callous and brutal murder of Crispen Mubvana Karerusine (62), Inspector Maxwell Hove (43), and Munashe Mujanhi (20), are continuing. Jaison Muvevi is facing charges of murder (three counts), and attempted murder (two counts).

The Zimbabwe Republic Police appreciates and recognises the immense support given by the public and media leading to the arrest of Jaison Muvevi.

The suspect will formally appear in court on 20 January 2023, he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi said due to the huge public interest in the case, police were appealing to the media and interested individuals or groups to allow the current investigations to proceed smoothly with the main objective of meeting the requirements of the law for the suspect to be duly indicted for trial by the courts in due course.

In this regard, we urge the media to limit extensive interviews with witnesses in Hwedza and Mutare, before the police investigators conclude their inquiries. The Zimbabwe Republic Police will continue to give necessary updates on the status of investigation to the nation.

Muvevi, a former CID detective who is understood to have been a gold dealer, allegedly killed an apostolic church leader, Kanerusine, in cold blood as he was preaching in front of congregants in Hwedza last Friday afternoon.

He went on to fatally shoot the Officer-in-Charge of Hwedza Police Station, Inspector Hove and a male bartender, Mujanhi, while Constable Tendai Mugova was seriously injured in the gun fight with the rogue former cop.

After killing the three in Hwedza, Muvevi fled resulting in police launching a manhunt for him. He was arrested in Mozambique after three days on the run and was then deported back to Zimbabwe.
Barry Selick, Ph.D., successful biopharmaceutical scientist, senior executive and entrepreneur, appointed Chief Executive Officer



Carin Rollins, Hinge Bio co-founder, becomes Chief Operating Officer

Joshua Carle, experienced business development and R&D investment executive, appointed Chief Business Officer

BURLINGAME, Calif., Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hinge Bio, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company, today announced the expansion of its senior management team, which is expected to drive the Companys GEM-DIMER programs, with an initial focus in oncology, to clinical development. Harold E. Barry Selick, Ph.D., a successful and distinguished biopharmaceutical scientist, senior executive and venture investor, was named as Chief Executive Officer. Carin Rollins, a Company co-founder, becomes Chief Operating Officer. Joshua Carle, an experienced business development executive from both the buy-side and sell-side, joins the Company as Chief Business Officer.

We have been making considerable progress demonstrating the advantages and breadth of our novel GEM-DIMER technology and solidifying a strong intellectual property position, said Ms. Rollins, Chief Operating Officer of Hinge Bio. Now is the time to add executives who can accelerate the clinical and business development activities of our powerful GEM-DIMER platform. We are thrilled to have Barry and Josh join Hinge Bio to facilitate these initiatives.

Dr. Selick has had a successful and distinguished career in the biopharmaceutical industry, managing growth and development of emerging biopharmaceutical companies as a scientist and executive and helping to fund and start early-stage companies. As a biopharmaceutical executive, he was the CEO of Threshold Pharmaceuticals, a fully integrated oncology drug discovery/clinical development company that he led as CEO from its Series A financing through IPO to its eventual sale in 2017. Dr. Selick co-founded and was CEO and Chairman of Camitro, a California and UK-based drug discovery predictive modeling technology company, which was acquired two years after its founding. Dr. Selick was Vice President of Research, responsible for technology development and drug discovery, at Affymax Research Institute through its acquisition by Glaxo Wellcome, plc. Prior to Affymax, he was at Anergen and Protein Design Labs (PDL), the latter at which he co-invented the technology underlying fully humanized antibody therapeutics and applied that to daclizumab (Zenapax), the first FDA-approved fully humanized antibody therapeutic.

Most recently, Dr. Selick was the Vice Chancellor of Business Development, Innovation and Partnerships at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as the head of Innovation Ventures, which supports the translation of UCSF innovation from the laboratory to patient and societal benefit. He was also a Venture Partner at Sofinnova Ventures from June 2002 until July 2007. Dr. Selick has been a member of the Boards of Directors of a dozen both early-stage venture capital-backed as well as public biotech companies and Chairman and/or Lead Director of many of those. Dr. Selick earned a B.A. in Biophysics and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and was a Damon Runyan-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund Fellow as well as a Senior Fellow of the American Cancer Society at UCSF.

The opportunity to create novel technologies that can be translated into therapeutics that improve patients lives has motivated my entire career, said Dr. Selick. The unique GEM-DIMER platforms wide range of addressable therapeutic indications and its ability to engage multiple target molecules in a novel manner enables broad opportunities in drug development for improved therapies against validated targets as well as first in class options for novel ones. The team has made remarkable progress so far in demonstrating the technical potential of the platform and I am excited to join them as we advance Hinge Bios programs toward product candidate selection and clinical development with an initial focus on therapeutics that will benefit patients living with cancer.

Mr. Carle is a cross-functional executive with more than 20 years of strategic transaction and R&D investment experience while in management consulting and biopharma. Mr. Carle has led or advised on more than fifty potential strategic transactions, resulting in the successful execution of greater than $2 billion in disclosed deal value and committed R&D funds. Prior to joining Hinge Bio, Mr. Carle was Vice President, Business Development at Triumvira Immunologics, Inc., an immune-oncology company, where he executed a clinical collaboration for a leading checkpoint inhibitor, in-licensed a novel antibody, and executed multiple agreements with leading global and cell therapy companies. Before joining Triumvira, he was at Pfizer Inc., where he drove BD strategy, commercial assessments, and broad transaction support for licensing/M&A efforts for Pfizer Oncology. Previously, Mr. Carle held roles of increasing responsibility in business development activities at Daiichi Sankyo Inc. and Clearview Projects Inc., a strategic advisory firm focused on licensing/M&A for the BioPharma industry. Mr. Carle earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and M.B.A. from the Villanova School of Business.

The versatility of the GEM-DIMER platform, due to its multi-target engagement flexibility, ease of manufacture, and applicability to multiple therapeutic areas provides a wide variety of opportunities to execute strategic partnerships with top-tier biopharmaceutical companies, said Mr. Carle. I look forward to working with my colleagues and future industry partners to translate this platform into important medicines.

About Hinge Bio

Hinge Bio is a privately held biotechnology company leveraging its powerful GEM-DIMER platform to develop therapeutics that address the problems of inadequate efficacy and resistance in diseases including cancer, inflammatory disease, and infectious disease. The GEM-DIMER platform creates multivalent, multispecific antibody-based therapeutics that bind their targets in a novel manner allowing for dramatically enhanced biological activity and unique functionality. The GEM-DIMER technology was invented by Hinge Bios Chief Scientific Officer, Daniel Capon, Ph.D., who previously was the first to clone and express recombinant Factor VIII (Genentech) and invented Fc-fusion proteins (Genentech) as well as chimeric antigen receptors for T cell therapy/CAR-T (Cell Genesys). Dr. Capon also holds patents on the XenoMouse for the production of fully human antibodies (Abgenix) and the PhenoSense drug susceptibility and resistance test (Monogram Biosciences/LabCorp). Learn more at www.hingebio.com.

Contacts:

Hinge Bio:

Carin Rollins

Chief Operating Officer

carin.rollins@hingebio.com

or

info@hingebio.com

Media:

Selina Husain / Robert Flamm, Ph.D.

Burns McClellan, Inc.

shusain@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com
TOKYO, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Military Robots Market Size accounted for USD 17.1 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to garner a market size of USD 32.7 Billion by 2030 rising at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2030.



Military Robots Market Statistics

Global military robots market revenue was USD 17.1 Billion in 2021, with a 7.5% CAGR between 2022 and 2030

North America military robots market share gathered more than 35.1% in 2021

In 2021, the US Department of Defense will be allotted $7.5 billion to invest on robotics

By platform, land segment captured over 54.7% of total market share in 2021

Increasing investments in military robotics and unmanned systems, fuels the military robots market value



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Military Robots Market Report Coverage:

Market Military Robots Market Military Robots Market Size 2021 USD 17.1 Billion Military Robots Market Forecast 2030 USD 32.7 Billion Military Robots Market CAGR During 2022 - 2030 7.5% Military Robots Market Analysis Period 2018 - 2030 Military Robots Market Base Year 2021 Military Robots Market Forecast Data 2022 - 2030 Segments Covered By Platform, By Mode of Operation, By Propulsion, By Application, And By Geography Military Robots Market Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled AeroVironment Inc., BAE Systems PLC, Cobham PLC, Elbit Systems Ltd, FLIR Systems Inc., General Dynamics Corporation, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, QinetiQ Group PLC, Saab AB, and Thales Group. Report Coverage

Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis

Military Robots Market Overview

Military robots are robotic systems built for use by military and defense organizations. They have a wide range of applications, including surveillance, search and rescue, reconnaissance, explosive ordnance disposal, and even battle. The market for military robots has grown fast in recent years, owing to factors such as rising global conflicts, technological breakthroughs, and a growing demand for unmanned systems capable of performing dangerous tasks. Military robots can be controlled remotely or autonomously, which means they can make choices and perform tasks without human interaction. They can also be linked to networks of other robots as well as systems, enabling them to share data and collaborate to complete tasks.

Military Robots Market Trends

Government funding for the development of military robots is a major driver for the market. Countries around the world are investing in unmanned systems to support their military operations, which is driving demand for military robots. Technological advancements in sensors, actuators, and control systems are enabling robots to operate more effectively in a wide range of environments, including AI which is increasing the autonomy of the robots. The cost of military robots has been decreasing, making them more accessible to a wider range of customers. Political and geopolitical tensions can increase demand for military robots as countries look to improve their defense capabilities. However, the use of military robots raises ethical, legal, and moral concerns, which has led to calls for international regulations to govern the use of these systems.

Military robots need to be integrated with existing systems and work seamlessly with human a operator, which requires a lot of testing and development. Robots can be expensive to maintain and repair; this can be a cost factor for their use.

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Military Robots Market Segmentation

The global Military Robots market has been segmented by Acumen Research and Consulting based on platform, propulsion, mode of operation, and application.

Based on the platform, the market is divided into marine, land, and airborne. Airborne military robots are the market leader with a significant revenue share due to their widespread use in the military across large economies for search and rescue, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and combat support. These airborne military robots come in a variety of ranges, including the extended visual line of sight (EVLOS), visual line of sight (VLOS), and beyond the line of sight (BLOS). The advancement of UAVs with upgraded payloads, specifically for increased durability, and better accuracy, as extended range to identify and track targets for ground troops, is also increasing the regional valuation.

Based on the propulsion, the market is categorized into hybrid, electric, and mechanical. As per the military robots market forecast, the electric category is predicted to develop significantly in the next few years.

Based on the mode of operation, the market is classified into fully autonomous, human operated, and semi-autonomous.

Based on the application, the market is categorized into search & rescue, firefighting, combat support, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), transportation, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and others.

Military Robots Market Regional Overview

Based on the region, the worldwide military robots market is divided into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, the MEA, and Latin America. According to a military robots industry analysis, North America accounted for the highest revenue share in 2021, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance during the projection period. The United States generated the most revenue to the regional market value. The regional market value is being supported by the early stages of development and acceptance of technological advancements in the regional military.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the quickest rate in the military robots market, with a significant CAGR during the projected period. The rapidly rising economies of the region's military budgets are essentially supporting regional market value. Government investments in the development of improved and more effective robots are also boosting regional market growth throughout the anticipated timeframe.

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Military Robots Market Players

Several well-known companies of military robots include Cobham PLC, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, Saab AB, BAE Systems PLC, Elbit Systems Ltd, General Dynamics Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, QinetiQ Group PLC, Thales Group, AeroVironment Inc., FLIR Systems Inc., and Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Some noteworthy insights on the military robots industry include:

FLIR Systems, Inc. has obtained an order from the US Army and Navy for more than 160 Centaur UGVs, as well as supporting parts and accessories, to be delivered in June 2020. In March 2020, the business obtained an order for around US$ 40 million from the US Marine Corps for the procurement of more than 300 Centaur UGVs, as well as an order for approximately 200 UGVs from the US Air Force.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a US$ 333 million contract from the US Department of Defense (USDOD, DoD, or DOD) for the development, maintenance, and supply of three low-rate initial productions of the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft in June 2020.

Browse More Research Topic on Aerospace Sector Related Reports:

The Global eVTOL Market Size accounted for USD 6,937 Million in 2021 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 30,519 Million by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 18.3% from 2022 to 2030.

The Global Directed Energy Weapons Market Size is valued at USD 5,352 Million in 2021 and is projected to reach a market size of USD 23,151 Million by 2030; growing at a CAGR of 18.2%.

The Global Space Power Electronics Market accounted for USD 203 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 770 Million by 2030, with a significant CAGR of 16.4% from 2022 to 2030

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Acumen Research and Consulting is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise.

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Carson City, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carson City, Nevada -

Talisman Casualty Insurance Company LLC, a protected cell captive insurance firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is pleased to announce that they have ensured that the claims process is simple and easy to follow. To make sure that the process is as simple as possible, Talisman employs the services of various claims management service providers.

A spokesperson for Talisman Casualty says, As an insurance company, our priority is on maintaining a high degree of professionalism in everything that we do. From the carefully crafted policies we have to the high quality and high standard claims process, we can proudly say that we are one of the most trusted captive insurance companies in the marine market. If you are looking for a trustworthy and experienced insurance provider that does not cut corners, Talisman Casualty is your best option. Our team is composed of industry veterans who have worked in insurance for decades, and their expertise can be seen in each step of the process, from the initial consultation to the claims process and beyond.

Through the use of different claims management service providers, Talisman makes sure that the claims process they provide for each of their cell programs is well structured. In addition, they will ensure that the delegated claims authority is only given to those service providers who have a wide range of experience with regard to claims management. Our insurance professionals are very much informed with regard to the local markets where the claims are made, and we value ethics and integrity. It is through this way that they are able to streamline the efficiencies of the claims technology within each protected cell, which results in high-quality claims customer service.

To minimize the possibility of lawsuits, Talisman exercises great care in choosing its claims adjusters and other service providers. This type of strategy has enabled the casualty insurance company to cultivate strong relationships with both the management and employees of the participating accounts. Also, their program risk selection process is designed to focus on those accounts that are familiar to the group. Talisman will only partner with qualified insureds that have demonstrated effective management and safety policies.

Talisman Casualty Insurance Company was established to provide an alternative risk transfer option for property and liability insurance. All of Talismans insurance policies and bonds are properly licensed, regulated, and authorized insurance transactions that are in compliance with Nevada state laws. Talisman is a protected cell captive insurance company and provides insurance policies and bonds to principals who become part of the captive by being a shareholder through consenting to a participation deal. Participants in the captive market can benefit from regulated structures and international reinsurance markets that offer the benefit of reducing their insurance costs while expanding their coverage according to their business goals.

There are a number of factors that make Talisman Casualty Insurance Company distinctive from other similar insurance providers. These include their licensing, their trusted team, their experience, and their local knowledge. First of all, licensing is vital for a captive insurance provider like Talisman Casualty, which is why this company is one of the most recommended choices by clients. Choosing a licensed insurance provider allows clients to choose what would be best for their situation and/or niche, allowing them to feel they are in control of everything. And the trusted team members of Talisman Casualty have been ascertained to have all the necessary experience and knowledge and are known for setting the gold standard. The third factor is that their understanding of the business of their clients allows them to connect with the insureds and provide them with what they need in terms of what kinds of risks they are willing to take and those that they are not.

Those who would like to know more about the Talisman claims process can check out the Talisman Insurance Company website or contact them on the phone or through email.

###

For more information about Talisman Casualty Insurance Company, contact the company here:



Talisman Casualty Insurance Company

800-318-5317

info@talismancasualty.com

7881 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 210 Las Vegas, NV 89117


DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The companion animal vaccines market is expected to be valued at US$ 3.4 billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8%. By 2033, the market valuation might surpass US$ 6.7 billion, as per predictions.



The market growth can be attributed to an increase in awareness regarding pet vaccine programs. In particular, there has been an increase in the demand for protozoans' parasitic vaccines. Furthermore, scientists have also developed third-generation DNA vaccines which effectively counter the virus. These vaccines are extremely safe as they do not contain any pathogens.

There has also been a surging awareness regarding pet insurance schemes, and a lot of pet owners are availing of them. Thanks to an increase in the number of cases where we get to see pet humanization.

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There is also an increasing awareness regarding zoonotic diseases. In order to counter this, the manufacturers have developed top-notch vaccines. These vaccinations were manufactured as a result of huge investments that were made in research and development. During the pandemic. The manufacturers launched vaccines like Ancovax and Carnivac-Cov, which were specifically manufactured for canines. Apart from that, the key players had also developed Covid detection kits, like the CAN-CoV-2 ELISA kit. These factors are expected to surge the demand for companion animal vaccines during the forecast period.

There has been an increase in government initiatives which is supporting the market growth. Quite recently, the Australian government was seeking a Japanese encephalitis vaccine for pigs, horses, and various other live stocks. This goes on to show that the nations are proactively seeking animal vaccine solutions and are willing to collaborate with other nations as well. However, lack of awareness, coupled with high cost, is expected to hamper the market growth.

As per the findings of the FMI research team, it can be concluded that Massive adoption of pet insurance, surging cases of pet humanization, massive investment in R&D, coupled with a lot of other factors are expected to surge the growth of companion animal vaccines market.

Key Takeaways:

In 2023, the market valuation is expected to stand at US$ 3.4 billion.

During the forecast period, the market is expected to advance at 6.8%.

The market is projected to cross US$ 6.7 billion by 2033.

Based on the regional analysis, Europe is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period.

The USA market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9%.

The UK market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 5.5%.

China's companion animal vaccines market is anticipated to advance at a CAGR of 7.4%.

Japan's market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7%.

The South Korean market is anticipated to surge at a CAGR of 4.9%.

On the basis of product type, the attenuated live vaccines segment is expected to have the largest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9%.

On the basis of species type, the canine segment is projected to have the highest market share and is anticipated to advance at a CAGR of 6.6%.





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Competitive Landscape

The key players operating in the companion animal vaccines market are making strategic moves by being a part of profitable mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, the players are also investing in partnerships with players from other niches. There are also technological upgrades, which are all about the implementation of AI in the value chain. The firms are also laying huge emphasis on selecting the right resource for the leadership role.

In October 2022, Bayer launched a new LifeHub in Monheim focused on the future of agriculture in Europe.

Companion Animal Vaccines Market Segmentation

By Product Type:

Attenuated Live Vaccines

Conjugate Vaccines

Inactivated Vaccines

Subunit Vaccines

Toxoid Vaccines

DNA Vaccines

Recombinant Vaccines



By Distribution Channel:

Veterinary Clinics

Veterinary Hospitals

Veterinary Research Institutes

Retail Pharmacies

By Species Types:

Canine

Avian

Feline



By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Oceania

The Middle East and Africa





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Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.1.1. Drivers

3.1.2. Restraints

3.1.3. Opportunity

3.1.4. Trends

3.2. Scenario Forecast

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Vestibular Testing System Market Share: The vestibular testing system market is expected to expand at a sluggish CAGR of 5% and reach US$ 195.1 million by 2032.

Veterinary Antibiotics Market Growth: The veterinary antibiotics market is expected to expand at a sluggish CAGR of 5.8%, and reach US$ 20,277.5 million by 2032.

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Parliament yesterday adopted the report by the special all-party ad-hoc committee it set up to analyse the delimitation of constituencies and wards produced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission last month and will now submit this to President Mnangagwa for onward transmission to ZEC.

The adoption of the report followed two days of debate by both the National Assembly and Senate.

The ad hoc committee included representatives of Zanu PF, the MDC-A and the CCC, roughly in proportion to the number of legislators who take their whip in Parliament, plus a representative of the 18 senator chiefs who do not belong to a political party. This all-party approach produced a lot of consensus and unanimity.

The committee was described as ad hoc, since it was a once-off, specially appointed. There is no permanent committee that studies delimitations, which take place every 10 years, so a special temporary committee representing all potential views was needed.

In the report, the special committee said ZEC failed to follow procedures that include delimiting some ward boundaries below the maximum and minimum thresholds as stipulated by the Constitution and also noted that it did not provide sufficient information to justify the changes in ward and constituency boundaries it made.

Parliamentarians that contributed to the debate echoed similar sentiments raised by the committee citing situations that occurred in their own constituencies or provinces. After yesterdays debate, legislators voted to adopt the ad-hoc committees report including the issues raised by legislators. Parliament was recalled early to study and debate the report.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the adopted report will be forwarded to the President after compilation of issues raised.

What has happened is that when the report was submitted to the President he caused it to be submitted in Parliament which we did on January 6 and Parliament resolved to come up with a committee which was made up of a few individuals to look into the report, come up with recommendations which would then be put to the Houses to see whether they accept them or not.

What has been happening in the past two days is that both Houses, the National Assembly and Senate, have been debating that report from the ad-hoc committee with a view of adopting it or rejecting it. So what has happened after the debate is that the Houses resolved that lets submit the report as per the recommendations from the ad-hoc committee to His Excellency for onward transmission to ZEC detailing areas that Parliament wants corrected by ZEC, he said.

He said the next course of action would not be determined by Parliament.

Our job is not to look at timeframes but to do what is required of us to do by the Constitution. What was required of us was to look at the preliminary report, make our recommendations and submit them to the President. Parliament does not dictate to the President what to do after that, Minister Ziyambi said.

According to the Constitution the President will study Parliaments recommendations and then inform ZEC which of those concerns have merit.

The Constitutional procedures then is that ZEC will effect any corrections to the report and thereafter present the final delimitation report to the President for gazetting.

In its report, the committee said issues raised, particularly those inconsistent with provisions of Section 161 of the Constitution, will be resolved before the finalisation of the report on the delimitation exercise. This section goes into some detail in a number of clauses over how the boundaries or constituencies and wards are to be determined.

As espoused in Section 119 of the Constitution, Parliament has an obligation to protect the Constitution and ensure that the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level, act constitutionally and in the national interest, the ad-hoc committee said in its report.

The ad-hoc committee also noted that ZEC had used figures of registered voters instead of the entire population as envisaged in the Constitution.

Section 161 (1) of the Constitution requires delimitation to take place as soon as possible after a population census. Population is a crucial consideration for delimitation and is listed in Section 161 (6) (f) as one of the factors to be considered in attaining equal number of voters in a constituency or ward.

The population census contemplated in this section is the Final Census report. The Committee noted that ZEC considered the registered voters population and not the total population. According to the report, they only used the census preliminary report to correlate the registered voters population with the adult population.

The use of the selective segment of the population census which is referred to as the adult population in the ZEC report is perceived to be a non-conformity to the constitutional values and principles enunciated in Section 3 (2) (j) and (k) which relates to the equitable sharing of national resources, including land and devolution funds respectively.

A population census measures the entire population including non-voters and children who are also affected by delimitation of electoral boundaries in respect of service delivery, the report reads.

The committee also noted that ZEC had not uniformly applied the threshold that no constituency or ward may have more than 20 percent more or fewer registered voters than other constituencies or wards. Herald
NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP ( www.kaplanfox.com ) is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Sunlight Financial Holdings Inc. (Sunlight or the Company) (NYSE: SUNL). A complaint has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Sunlight securities between January 25, 2021 and September 28, 2022, inclusive (the Class Period). Click Here to Join Investigation.



If you acquired Sunlight securities during the Class Period and would like to discuss this case or our investigation, please contact us by emailing pmayer@kaplanfox.com or by calling (646) 315-9003 or our toll free number 1 (800) 290-1952.

If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than February 14, 2023 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. If you have losses, we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the lead plaintiff process. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.

On September 28, 2022, after the market closed, Sunlight disclosed that it would record a non-cash advance receivables impairment charge of $30 to $33 million during the Companys fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2022. The Company explained that the Company was informed of certain actions taken by one of its installer partners to address liquidity issues faced by the installer which would likely result in an inability of the Company to collect on advances outstanding to such installer.

The same day, the Company also issued a press release withdrawing its full-year 2022 outlook due to the installer liquidity event. Further, the Companys CEO was quoted as stating, [w]hile our risk exposure with other contractor advances is much smaller (the next three partner advances being $10 million, $7 million, and $5 million respectively), we are re-underwriting all contractor partners advances to further mitigate risk going forward.

Following this news, Sunlights stock price fell $1.44 per share, or 57.1%, to close at $1.08 per share on September 29, 2022.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose to investors the following: (1) that the Company lacked effective underwriting and risk evaluation with respect to its contractor advance program; (2) that Sunlight lacked the oversight and periodic monitoring systems necessary to timely detect bad debt associated with its contractor advance program; (3) that the Company lacked effective internal controls over accounting and reporting of non-cash advance receivables; (4) that, as a result, the Company would be forced to take a non-cash advance receivables impairment charge exceeding $30 million; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

WHY CONTACT KAPLAN FOX - Kaplan Fox is a leading national law firm focusing on complex litigation with offices in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey. With over 50 years of experience in securities litigation, Kaplan Fox offers the professional experience and track record that clients demand. Through prosecuting cases on the federal and state levels, Kaplan Fox has successfully shaped the law through winning many important decisions on behalf of our clients. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com .

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

If you have any questions about this Notice, your rights, or your interests, please contact:

Pamela Mayer

KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP

850 Third Avenue, 14th Floor

New York, New York 10022

(646) 315-9003

E-mail: pmayer@kaplanfox.com
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp. (NEO: PWWR) (OTCQB:ALKFF) (Frankfurt: 77R, WKN: A3CTYF) (PWWR or the Company), a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned Belgium subsidiary, Fuel Cell Power NV (FCP NV), has launched the prototype of its micro-combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell, named Jupiter 1.0.



Alkaline Fuel Cell Power is proud to present the prototype of our fuel cell system for homes and small buildings - Jupiter 1.0, stated Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of PWWR. The Jupiter 1.0 prototype will be piloted with select strategic partners to demonstrate the advantages of delivering green hydrogen to homes and small buildings, globally. We thank staff for their dedication and effort to complete this important milestone on time.





Figure 1- FCP NV development team with completed fuel cell system prototype - Jupiter 1.0

Jupiter 1.0

The planet Jupiter is made up of roughly 90% hydrogen, and similarly, this PWWR fuel cell converts hydrogen to heat and electricity at approximately 90% efficiency. Jupiter 1.0 is built to supply power during peak demand periods and serves as a back-up when required for homes and small buildings.

Jupiter 1.0 has successfully demonstrated its capabilities by powering several appliances and providing hot water within the Companys Belgian facility. At capacity, Jupiter 1.0 is expected to deliver approximately 7kW for the first hour of use, with a 4kW electrical output afterward representing approximately 3.2 kWh equivalent in heating output. The use of internal batteries enables Jupiter 1.0 to deliver higher peak power when called upon in the first hour of use. Over the coming months, additional enhancements will be made to the system prior to submission for CE-certification (a regulatory standard that verifies certain products are safe for sale and use in the European Economic Area) and prior to pilot projects.

PWWR has been working to optimize innovation for hydrogen-powered fuel cells that operate in an alkaline environment, which offer meaningful cost benefits. Such technology, and therefore Jupiter 1.0, requires fewer components compared to conventional fuel cells and also eliminates the need for expensive, precious metals such as platinum which have traditionally been required in the electrodes. PWWRs systems will therefore be more cost-effective to build and offer a competitive advantage over existing fuel cells. Jupiter 1.0 is currently stationed in the FCP NV plant in Belgium.





Figure 2- Jupiter 1.0 delivering power and heat to appliances and a boiler

Pilot Projects

As announced on September 20, 2022 and November 22, 2022, PWWR is in the process of negotiating two pilot projects which will demonstrate the mutual technologies and business cases with the use of hydrogen extraction from natural gas pipelines, and the use of ammonia converted to hydrogen as a back-up power solution for remote sites. PWWR, in coordination with its partners, continues to narrow down sites for these pilots, and will provide ongoing updates as developments are confirmed.

Management Update

With the launch of Jupiter 1.0, PWWR moves into a more strategic focus on the completion of prototypes for CE-certification and deployment in pilot projects. Jo Verstappen, Managing Director of FCP NV has resigned in his role. The Company offers its gratitude and appreciation for his guidance to launch the prototype. Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp, has assumed management of FCP NV, and is actively reviewing and developing the commercialization strategies and tactics to bring Jupiter 1.0 and fuel cell generator to markets, globally.

ABOUT ALKALINE FUEL CELL POWER CORP.

The Company is a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech. We bring Power to the People today, combining a stable revenue stream with a future-forward vision to commercialize our advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology to meet the massive global market need, and ultimately generate compelling returns for investors.

The Company operates through two global entities: Fuel Cell Power NV, a wholly owned subsidiary in Belgium, and PWWR Flow Streams (PWWR Flow), a Company brand in Canada.

Fuel Cell Power NV is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024.

is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024. PWWR Flow is focused on the development, ownership and operations of combined heat and power (CHP) assets. PWWR Flow assets deliver efficiency improvements of over 20% with reduced costs to customers in multi-residential and commercial applications. PWWR Flow has contracted existing CHP assets in Toronto, Canada, and has an additional pipeline of potential contracts valued at over $50 million currently in development.

The Company is well positioned to deliver Power to the People in the global energy transition while offering a diversified cleantech growth platform for investors.

Further information is available on the Company website at https://www.fuelcellpower.com/ , and the Company encourages investors and other interested stakeholders to follow it on:

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Common shares are listed for trading on the NEO under the symbol PWWR, the OTC Venture Exchange OTCQB under the symbol ALKFF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under symbol 77R and WKN A3CTYF.

For further information, please contact:

Frank Carnevale

Chief Executive Officer

Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp

+1 (647) 531-8264

fcarnevale@fuelcellpower.com

www.fuelcellpower.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, occur or achieve. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, expectations and intended use of CHP system, Juniper 1.0; efficiencies of the CHP system; the ability to successfully bring the CHP system to market; future pilot projects of the Company and future strategic initiatives and plans of the Company and FCP NV.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

NEITHER THE NEO EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE NEO EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/418691fc-3249-4b23-89fd-4d33359eae01

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd7508c7-5de0-4efd-b162-95ac0fb6b44a
Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Conductive Polymers Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global conductive polymers market size reached US$ 4.0 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 6.4 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.15% 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. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Conductive polymers (CPs) are a specific group of organic materials that exhibit electrical and optical properties of both metals and semiconductors.

They offer numerous advantages over carbon-based electrode materials, including low cost, high porosity, ease of synthesis, and low equivalent series resistance (ESR). CP electrodes deliver incredible potential energy, power density, and high specific capacitance due to their excellent intrinsic conductivity. Besides this, they are added at small concentrations to improve the resistance of marine paints against corrosion.



Conductive Polymers Market Trends:



As CPs are environmental-friendly, they are widely used as an alternative to metallic interfaces in the production of biomedical devices, such as sensors and tissue scaffolds, and artificial muscles and drugs controlled-release agents.

The rising demand for these devices and other medical supplies for clinical diagnosis and surgical interventions on account of the growing prevalence of chronic diseases represents one of the key factors bolstering the market growth. They are also integrated on a textile surface via plating, printing, coating, and other surface techniques to manufacture smart and interactive textiles.

Apart from this, with the emergence of nanoscience, CPs are gaining traction in transparent solar cells. This, along with the rising sales of solar panels across the globe, is contributing to the market growth. Furthermore, the growing trend of miniaturized electronic devices like integrated circuits (ICs) and rechargeable batteries is also positively influencing the market.

Additionally, CPs are being used for developing inexpensive, flexible organic electronics. This, in confluence with the escalating demand for consumer goods in the residential sector due to changing lifestyles and inflating income levels, is anticipated to drive 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 3M Company, Agfa-Gevaert N.V, Avient Corporation, Celanese Corporation, Heraeus Holding, KEMET Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corp., SABIC, Solvay and The Lubrizol Corporation.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global conductive polymers market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global conductive polymers market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

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 conductive polymers market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 141 Forecast Period 2021 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2021 $4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $6.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.1% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Conductive Polymers Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Polycarbonates

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Polyphenylene-polymer (PPP) based Resins

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Nylon

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Inherently Conductive Polymers (ICP)

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 Application

7.1 Capacitors

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Anti-static Packaging

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Batteries

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Actuators and Sensors

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Solar Energy

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Region



9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis



12 Price Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 3M Company

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.1.3 Financials

13.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.2 Agfa-Gevaert N.V

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 Financials

13.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.3 Avient Corporation

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.3.3 Financials

13.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.4 Celanese Corporation

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 Heraeus Holding

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 SWOT Analysis

13.3.6 KEMET Corporation

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7 Parker Hannifin Corp.

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7.3 Financials

13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.8 SABIC

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8.3 Financials

13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.9 Solvay

13.3.9.1 Company Overview

13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.9.3 Financials

13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.10 The Lubrizol Corporation

13.3.10.1 Company Overview

13.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.10.3 SWOT Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kk34n2

Attachment
Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis - by Type, Gas, Pressure Rating, and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The virtual pipeline systems market in Europe is expected to grow from US$ 282.32 million in 2022 to US$ 434.58 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2028.



Rising Shale Gas Extraction Driving Demand for Virtual Pipeline System



Continuous advancements in shale drilling technologies have made shales the next reliable energy resource. Shale gas can be utilized as a greener energy option in countries that are dependent on coal as an energy source, as it emits less carbon than coal. Shale gas production has resulted in the abundance of natural gas supply across the region.

The European Union (EU) is already profiting from the US shale gas boom owing to an increased supply of liquefied natural gas bond for the US and better contractual circumstances for pipeline imports.

A new generation of shale gas exploitation methods, with lower costs and fewer environmental footprints, might make indigenous shale gas reserves in the EU appealing in the long term after 2030. Therefore, the increase in shell gas exploration and extraction projects due to developments in related technologies, coupled with the availability of many reserves, is boosting the demand for virtual pipeline systems, thereby boosting the market growth.



Market Overview



Germany, France, the UK, and Italy are among the major economies in Europe. Old pipeline infrastructure and stringent emission control regulations are the two significant factors driving the growth of the virtual pipeline system market in this region. Although the region has a large and rapidly growing pipeline infrastructure, it lacks a modern touch as the existing pipeline systems were set up decades ago.

The proliferation of the natural gas sector in response to the growing concerns about sustainability, and the subsequent surge in demand for the transportation of energy resources, benefit the virtual pipeline system market in the region Energy supply sources choose pipes as a preferred mode of transportation due to their universal acceptance.

Moreover, governments of several countries have taken various steps to offer notice to industries, comprising oil and gas. Norway and Russia have maintained their position as natural gas suppliers, whereas Germany, France, and Italy are the main importers of natural gas. Thus, many offshore projects for oil & gas would accelerate the demand for the virtual pipeline system market.

The European Union is committed to reducing its carbon emissions to meet its EU2020 goal. Private and government organizations are investing heavily in virtual pipelines to supply cleaner energy. Moreover, to fulfil the increased energy demands of the UK, Germany, Italy, and France, among others, Russia is investing significantly in natural gas production.

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 118 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $282.32 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $434.58 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.5% Regions Covered Europe

Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Segmentation



The Europe virtual pipeline systems market is segmented into type, gas, pressure rating, application, and country.

Based on type, the market is segmented into standard trailer and towable trailer. The standard trailer segment registered a larger market share in 2022.

Based on gas, the market is segmented into CNG, hydrogen, and others. The CNG segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on pressure rating, the market is segmented into less than 3000 Psi, 3001 Psi to 5000 Psi, and more than 5001 Psi. The 3001 Psi to 5000 Psi segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on application, the market is segmented into industrial, transportation, and commercial & residential. The transportation segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on country, the market is segmented into France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Russia, and the Rest of Europe. Germany dominated the market share in 2022.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market Landscape



5. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - Key Market Dynamics



6. Virtual Pipeline Systems - Europe Market Analysis



7. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - By Type



8. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - By Gas



9. Europe Virtual pipeline systems Market - By Pressure Rating



10. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - By Application



11. Europe Virtual Pipeline Systems Market - Country Analysis



12. Industry Landscape



13. Company Profiles



14. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Galileo Technologies S.A.

Bayotech, Inc.

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS)

RAG Austria AG

Quantum Fuel Systems LLC.

Chart Industries, Inc.

SHIJIAZHUANG ENRIC GAS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD

Fiba Technologies Inc.

Hexagon Agility

Composite Advanced Technologies, LLC.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/s1tiss

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Automotive Air Filter Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global automotive air filter market size reached US$ 4.81 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 6.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.41% 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.



An automotive air filter refers to the automotive component that restricts dirt particles and other impurities from entering an automobile's engine or cabin. In these air filters, dry particulates and contaminants, including microbes, dust, and pollen, are collected and removed from the air as it passes through specific filtration media, such as fabric, sintered metal, or ceramic.

In addition to capturing pollutants like dust and allergens, these filters prevent contamination, ensure a good mixture of air and fuel so that a vehicle can perform well, and maintain the air quality inside the vehicle. There are a variety of materials used in the manufacturing of automotive air filters, including paper, cotton, and foam.



Automotive Air Filter Market Trends:



Market is primarily driven by stringent vehicle emission and fuel economy regulations across the globe. This can be attributed to the growing concerns regarding the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution levels and carbon footprint. In addition to this, the rising rates of vehicle production are resulting in a higher consumption of automotive filters, thereby fueling the product demand.

Moreover, the escalating demand for luxury automobiles with enhanced cabin comfort and multi-filtration systems is providing an impetus to the market. Continual technological advancements, including improved airflow, brake dust and transmission filters, better filter media, and less sensitivity to water, are also creating a positive market outlook.

Furthermore, the growing sales of passenger transport vehicles are further creating lucrative growth opportunities for the key market players. Some of the other factors contributing to the market include the flourishing automotive industry, the advent of electric vehicles (EVs), inflating disposable income levels, improved living standards of the masses, and extensive research and development (R&D) activities.

Competitive Landscape:



The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj, ALCO Filters (Cyprus) Ltd., Cummins Inc., DENSO Corporation, Donaldson Company Inc., Freudenberg & Co. KG, General Motors Company, MAHLE GmbH, Mann+Hummel, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, Sogefi SpA, Toyota Boshoku Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation) and Valeo.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global automotive air filter market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global automotive air filter 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 propulsion?

What is the breakup of the market based on the vehicle type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the sales channel?

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 automotive air filter market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2021 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2021 $4.81 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $6.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.4% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Automotive Air Filter 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 Air Intake Filters

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Cabin Air Filters

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Propulsion

7.1 ICE and Hybrid Vehicles

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Electric Vehicles

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Vehicle Type

8.1 Passenger Cars

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Light Commercial Vehicles

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Heavy Commercial Vehicles

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Sales Channel

9.1 Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Aftermarket

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region



11 SWOT Analysis



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis



14 Price Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2 ALCO Filters (Cyprus) Ltd.

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3 Cummins Inc.

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3.3 Financials

15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.4 DENSO Corporation

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4.3 Financials

15.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.5 Donaldson Company Inc.

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5.3 Financials

15.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.6 Freudenberg & Co. KG

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 General Motors Company

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7.3 Financials

15.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.8 MAHLE GmbH

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.9 Mann+Hummel

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10 Parker Hannifin Corporation

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.11 Robert Bosch GmbH

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.11.3 SWOT Analysis

15.3.12 Sogefi SpA

15.3.12.1 Company Overview

15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.12.3 Financials

15.3.13 Toyota Boshoku Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)

15.3.13.1 Company Overview

15.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.13.3 Financials

15.3.14 Valeo

15.3.14.1 Company Overview

15.3.14.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.14.3 Financials

15.3.14.4 SWOT Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kna0ma

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Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) market size reached US$ 3.12 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 4.24 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.25% 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.



An intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) system comprises a group of procedures that can detect, monitor, and confirm nerve function and help minimize the odds of neurological problems during or after neurological surgical procedures. It reduces the risks of nerve function being damaged as a result of improper positioning of the patient or any neurophysiologically-relevant nerve structures.

An IONM allows surgeons to identify electrophysiologic changes during spine, head or neck surgery, which may be crucial in extending incisions, placing implants, positioning limbs, and performing retraction techniques that can prevent permanent nerve damage.

Using targeted neurostimulation, nerve structures can be identified to prevent potential damage, thus allowing surgeons to focus on optimizing interventions while preserving function. Consequently, these systems are extensively used in neuro, ENT, emergency, visceral, cardiothoracic, orthopedic, and vascular surgeries.



Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) Market Trends:



The market is majorly driven by the augmenting focus on patient safety during complex surgical procedures. This can be attributed to a considerable rise in the prevalence of chronic neurovascular disorders, such as epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

In addition to this, the escalating demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive surgeries resulting in a higher uptake of advanced intraoperative neuromonitoring devices is propelling the market. Moreover, the growing trend of medical tourism across the globe is also creating lucrative growth opportunities for the market. The market is further driven by the expanding expenditure on advanced healthcare services.

Some of the other factors providing an impetus to the market include the paradigm shift towards outsourced monitoring, the increasing geriatric population that is susceptible to developing neurological disorders, favorable government initiatives and reimbursement plans, and extensive research and development (R&D), collaborations, and joint ventures among the key players.

Competitive Landscape:



The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Accurate Monitoring LLC, Computational Diagnostics Inc., inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, Intranerve LLC, Medtronic plc, Natus Medical Incorporated, NeuroMonitoring Technologies Inc., Neurophysiology Services Asia, Nihon Kohden Corporation, NuVasive Inc., Specialtycare Inc. and Technomed.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product and services?

What is the breakup of the market based on the source 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 intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2021 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2021 $3.12 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $4.24 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.2% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product and Services

6.1 Systems

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Accessories

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Services

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Source Type

7.1 Insourced Monitoring

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Outsourced Monitoring

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Spinal Surgery

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Neurosurgery

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Vascular Surgery

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 ENT Surgery

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Orthopedic Surgery

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast

8.6 Others

8.6.1 Market Trends

8.6.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by End User

9.1 Hospitals

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region



11 SWOT Analysis



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis



14 Price Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 Accurate Monitoring LLC

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2 Computational Diagnostics Inc.

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3 inomed Medizintechnik GmbH

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4 Intranerve LLC

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5 Medtronic plc

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.5.3 Financials

15.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.6 Natus Medical Incorporated

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 Financials

15.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 NeuroMonitoring Technologies Inc.

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8 Neurophysiology Services Asia

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.9 Nihon Kohden Corporation

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.9.3 Financials

15.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.10 NuVasive Inc.

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.10.3 Financials

15.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.11 Specialtycare Inc.

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.12 Technomed

15.3.12.1 Company Overview

15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u7cbzg

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New York, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Enterprise Application Integration Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382166/?utm_source=GNW

EAI unites databases and workflows associated with business applications to ensure information is represented and used consistently. With enterprise application integration, changes to the core business data in one application are correctly reflected in other applications.



Key Highlights

Businesses have come to understand that the most critical data now comes from all the complex apps employed in a company. Therefore, enterprises concentrate more on PaaS than traditional iPaaS solutions that use a point-to-point integration technique. By removing data from the restrictions of all the relevant apps, PaaS solutions aid in data management and integration. EAI will keep including data integration, resulting in a more practical centralized platform.

Further, businesses frequently use various software operating inside different incompatible frameworks. Due to their disparate frameworks, software, including ERP systems, CRM apps, supply chain management applications, BI applications, payroll, and HR systems, cannot exchange data. As a result, automating straightforward chores becomes challenging. A middleware infrastructure that enables open and safe data sharing between these heterogeneous apps and legacy devices is introduced as part of emerging application integration trends (EAI).

Enterprises are relentlessly moving ahead with modern technology. Technologies, such as cloud computing, Big Data, IoT, and others, streamline information sharing and provide ease in controlling data. Business organizations quickly implement EAI, which helps unites the databases and workflows. Trends, such as diverse workflow solutions, BYOD, migration to cloud-based solutions, and real-time application integration, are positively driving the markets growth.

Open-source and proprietary software are among the substantial alternative for enterprise application integration. Installing enterprise application integration (EAI) may be a costly endeavor and a long-term strategic move. Companies may need to acquire numerous Integration Platform stack solutions, such as an API Manager, Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), a portal, and a data services platform. The emergence of open-source communities and methodologies for creating new technologies coincided with the recent spread of cloud computing. Open-source communities have arisen over the last several decades, in which developers cooperate on projects by openly publishing, copying, and altering source code. Technological advancements are accomplished faster and more readily when a community of developers uses and modifies specific projects. Such developments in open-source software are expected to hamper the market growth of the enterprise application integration market.

The COVID-19 outbreak shed light on the businesses and technologies that endured and advanced in the post-COVID-19 era. Cloud computing, social and collaboration tools, mobile computing, analytics, and business intelligence are among the technology-supporting enterprise applications that assist businesses in thriving (BI). Business software, significantly larger suites like enterprise resource planning (ERP), and a few others must more than ever be developed to take advantage of all these technologies.



Key Market Trends



Increasing Digital Transformation Across Industries to Drive the Market



Digital transformation is a non-linear procedure that shifts from rapid and fast change to more steady consolidation phases based on internal and external needs. However, the agility of digital processes is critical to sustaining pace throughout this shift. Most businesses have directly or indirectly invested in the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)-led B2B connectivity. Similarly, many people have put resources into Enterprise Application Integration (EAI).

As more firms rely on digital transformation, companies are expected to constantly change their ways, improving efficiency, quality, and customer experience. Deploying the correct application approach, whether to move, change, or develop, is expected to perform well.

The COVID-19 outbreak has shown issues in business models across industries. However, it has provided various chances to digitize and grow the business across regions by utilizing technologies such as AI, cloud, and IoT. According to Spiceworks and SWZD, for the current year, the popular information technology trend either implemented or planned to be implemented in North American and European organizations was 65 % IT automation technology, 57%IoT, and 43% AI.

With the pandemic under control, numerous industries, including manufacturing, retail, and automotive, are projected to increase investment as system integration solutions gain significance across multiple business processes.

Most firms in the twenty-first century believe that enterprise application integration (EAI) and digitalization are intrinsically linked. Indeed, using corporate integration platforms eliminates numerous complications at many levels. It integrates apps, data, and various business systems hosted on-premises or in the cloud via a scalable cloud-based integrated platform that supports a variety of integration patterns.

In March 2022, Krish Compusoft Services Inc. and Biarca Inc. announced the completion of KCSs purchase of Biarca. With Security Services as a Service, DevSecOps, and Continuous Compliance, this acquisition considerably expands KCSs digital transformation offering.



North America to Account for Significant Market Share



North America is the largest region for enterprise applications in the market. Due to businesses emphasis on the consumer, EA use has increased. The development of the market in North America is primarily fueled by the regions technologically advanced infrastructure and the presence of major industry players like Oracle, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard (HP), and QAD Inc. All of these businesses are actively engaged in the ongoing development of new technology, which is boosting the markets expansion in North America.

Applications with a high price tag are available from software behemoths like Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, etc. Because open-source software is affordable, businesses in North America are choosing it. These open-source apps are as capable and effective as those licensed firms offer as enterprise software. These alternative open-source programs have gained popularity among many small and medium-sized businesses because of their many advantages in the market.

Due to several variables, including the existence of numerous businesses with sophisticated IT infrastructure and the accessibility of technical talent, the United States is the most developed market in terms of the adoption of IT service offerings. Numerous firms have to adjust to the wide range of IT service options due to the rapid improvements in emerging technologies, IT infrastructure services, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

In North America, the IT industry has already embraced hybrid cloud corporate technology. The healthcare industry is where cloud computing services are seeing the most growth in North America. The emphasis is on how technology is used to enhance and customize patient care while reducing costs. Technology has advanced beyond data storage and services.

The preference of enterprises for SaaS-based products and the implementation of digital business strategies are the main drivers of widespread adoption. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the demand for cloud services based on data integrity and privacy will continue to rise, giving top providers more opportunities to expand their market share during the forecast period.

In December 2022, the acquisition of Livejourneyby QAD Inc., a cloud-based manufacturing and supply chain solutions provider with headquarters in North America, was finalized. Livejourneyis a cutting-edge supplier of a real-time and predictive flow (process mining and process monitoring) solution to find, monitor, and enhance business processes. With the addition of Livejourneysprocess intelligence product, the QAD Adaptive Applications suite gains an exciting new component that will enable QAD customers to gain crucial insights into how their manufacturing, supply chain, and overall enterprise operations are flowing and performing.



Competitive Landscape



The enterprise application integration market is moderately fragmented, with major players like IBM Corporation, Fujitsu Ltd., Microsoft Corporation, Mulesoft LLC (salesforce.com Inc), and Oracle Corporation, among others. Players in the market are adopting strategies such as partnerships and acquisitions to enhance their product offerings and gain sustainable competitive advantage.



November 2022 - Turvo, the provider of the global supply chain collaboration tool, has declared its entry into the MuleSoft Technology Partner Program and its contribution of a MuleSoft Certified API definition to the partner community. As a unique MuleSoft Certified Connector for Turvo, this partnership would benefit the partner ecosystem. By using the Turvo Connector, which would be offered on MuleSofts Anypoint Exchange, businesses may streamline integration with the Turvo Collaboration Cloud and achieve efficient supply chain insight. Due to this collaboration, customers would have a smooth experience across platforms and services.

May 2022 - Accenture and SAP launched a joint offering to help large enterprises drive new value from innovative cloud services and business modernization. The new-fangled joint offering combined the RISE with an SAP solution and SOAR with Accenture services. This offering was amplified with new structures incorporating Accentures all-inclusive suite of transformation services, such as customized cloud services and proprietary intelligent tools, all of which are delivered through a unified as-a-service model. Accenture is one of the significant SAP partners, which offers services wholly designed to help large enterprises across multiple industries to efficiently plan, implement and manage deployments of RISE with SAP in the cloud.



Additional Benefits:



The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format

3 months of analyst support

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382166/?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.



__________________________
Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Construction Toys Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report by Material, Product, Distribution Channel, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Construction Toys Market size is expected to reach $18.1 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 6.5% CAGR during the forecast period.



The market is anticipated to expand more quickly as the advantages of construction toys for children's cognitive development become more widely acknowledged.

The demand from educational systems is expected to be driven by the goods' ability to help youngsters develop their spatial reasoning. For instance, early education classes feature toys made of bricks and blocks. These activities for kindergarteners are intended to promote holistic development by encouraging children's imagination and inventiveness.



Construction toys have repeatedly been highlighted as having a positive impact on children's cognitive flexibility in recent research studies on child psychology and cognitive development. These games encourage creative problem-solving. Children are challenged to come up with original solutions while assembling parts to recreate a specific structure, which is essential for their cognitive development. Additionally, playing these games might enhance cooperation, social skills, and teamwork abilities.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The economy was severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak that spread across the world. Lockdowns have been ordered in many nations around the world in an effort to stop the chain and spread of the coronavirus. The supply chains, avenues of distribution, trade, and growth of the building toy business were all severely harmed by this.

Additionally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the selling of toys on various e-commerce websites has increased, which could increase the need for additional building toys over the projection period.



Market Growth Factors:

Parents Are Paying More Attention to Children's Overall Development



Children are becoming addicted to TVs, computers, and mobile phones, so parents are seeking ways to get them involved in new physical activities. With the aid of construction toys, kids may exercise their bodies and minds while also developing their inventiveness and social abilities. Building blocks, model construction vehicles, and city-building toys are just a few of the cutting-edge construction toys that vendors are offering to children.



The Growing Use of Social Media Expands the Market Growth



Companies are concentrating on forming alliances with various marketing firms and well-known social media influencers for creating content for youngsters in order to promote a strong brand image. This aids them in increasing their gaming-related earnings. Additionally, the rising demand for toys in several colors among preschoolers is projected to drive market expansion.



Marketing Restraining Factor:

Availability of Alternative Products



The introduction and spread of e-commerce helped to increase the sales of counterfeit items by expanding their geographic reach. Additionally, these items cause market fragmentation, a lack of price uniformity, a decline in the margins of branded competitors, a decline in the brand value of significant competitors, an unfavorable competitive environment, and the loss of market share. Disney toys and Mattel toys are two of the most often imitated brands on the market.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.1.1 Market Composition & Scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global

3.1 Cardinal Matrix

3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments

3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

3.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

3.2.3 Acquisition and Mergers

3.2.4 Geographical Expansions

3.2.5 Business Expansions

3.3 Top Winning Strategies

3.3.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2018-2022)

3.3.2 Key Strategic Move: (Acquisitions and Mergers: 2018, Feb - 2021, Dec) Leading Players



Chapter 4. Global Construction Toys Market by Material

4.1 Global Polymer Market by Region

4.2 Global Wood Market by Region

4.3 Global Metal Market by Region

4.4 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Construction Toys Market by Product

5.1 Global Bricks & Blocks Market by Region

5.2 Global Tinker Toy Market by Region

5.3 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 6. Global Construction Toys Market by Distribution Channel

6.1 Global Hypermarkets & Supermarkets Market by Region

6.2 Global Specialty Stores Market by Region

6.3 Global Online Market by Region

6.4 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 7. Global Construction Toys Market by Region



Chapter 8. Company Profiles

8.1 Hasbro, Inc.

8.1.1 Company Overview

8.1.2 Financial Analysis

8.1.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

8.1.4 Recent strategies and developments:

8.1.4.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements:

8.1.4.2 Acquisition and Mergers:

8.2 Mattel, Inc.

8.2.1 Company Overview

8.2.2 Financial Analysis

8.2.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

8.2.4 Research & Development Expenses

8.2.5 Recent strategies and developments:

8.2.5.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions:

8.3 LEGO Group (KIRKBI A/S)

8.3.1 Company Overview

8.3.2 Financial Analysis

8.3.3 Research & Development Expenses

8.3.4 Recent strategies and developments:

8.3.4.1 Geographical Expansions:

8.4 Ravensburger AG

8.4.1 Company Overview

8.4.2 Recent strategies and developments:

8.4.2.1 Geographical Expansions:

8.5 Spin Master Corp.

8.5.1 Company Overview

8.5.2 Financial Analysis

8.5.3 Regional & Segmental Analysis

8.5.4 Recent strategies and developments:

8.5.4.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

8.5.4.2 Business Expansions:

8.6 Magformers LLC

8.6.1 Company Overview

8.6.2 Recent strategies and developments:

8.6.2.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions:

8.7 PlayMonster LLC

8.7.1 Company Overview

8.7.2 Recent strategies and developments:

8.7.2.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

8.8 Bandai Namco Holdings, Inc.

8.8.1 Company Overview

8.8.2 Financial Analysis

8.8.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

8.9 Rockaway Records Ltd.

8.9.1 Company Overview

8.9.2 Recent strategies and developments:

8.9.2.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

8.10. Basic Fun, Inc.

8.10.1 Company Overview

8.10.2 Recent strategies and developments:

8.10.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements:

8.10.2.2 Acquisition and Mergers:

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/90vs1o

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English French

QUEBEC CITY, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GLOBOCAM, operator of Quebecs largest heavy truck dealership network, today announced the appointment of Maxime Boyer as President. The appointment ensures the succession of the Quebec family business founded nearly 30 years ago with a vision based on family values, stability, and growth.

I am honored by the trust that members of the Board of Directors, our strong management team, and my colleagues throughout Quebec have placed in me. My father and his colleagues who worked tirelessly to build GLOBOCAM have entrusted me with solid foundations upon which I believe that we can grow even further. It is an incredible privilege to accept these responsibilities and to represent the company as we look to the future, said Maxime Boyer.

Mr. Boyer, who has more than 20 years of experience in the market and a background as an entrepreneur-athlete from the Beauce School of Entrepreneurship, joined the group in 2017. Since then he has grown and built his experience through a range of sales and administrative positions. In 2021, Maxime Boyer became Vice-president and general manager, taking responsibility for dealership operations in the Montreal region, and putting his expertise to good use by helping the company take a leading position in the heavy truck market in Quebec.

Since Maxime joined GLOBOCAM six years ago, he has demonstrated talent and energy by leading the implementation of improved processes in the sales, finance, and IT departments. His training as an accountant (CPA) and previous professional experience, provide Maxime with key assets to ensure the growth of GLOBOCAM and to take it to the next level, says Serge Boyer, GLOBOCAMs Chairman of the Board of Directors.

FAMILY AND INNOVATION-ORIENTED

Mr. Boyer, as president of a leading Quebec family business, intends to continue to pursue growth by focusing on family values. In 2022 GLOBOCAM gave $45,000 in student grants to the children of employees to support their education, which has long been a fundamental value at the company. "We are a family business, we have acquired family businesses in recent years, and I want to build on this approach and the values that are dear to me," he says.

GLOBOCAM acquired truck dealerships in Quebec and Levis in 2016, in Beauce in 2021, as well as in Estrie in 2022. The company now has more than 500 employees across Quebec. With its eight dealerships, GLOBOCAM is moving towards its goal of selling 2,500 trucks per year by 2025.

Beyond growth through acquisition, Mr. Boyer will also be leveraging and building upon GLOBOCAM's positioning as a leader in the alternative energy market. The dealership network intends to market a range of 20 eCascadia and eM2 trucks in late 2023 and early 2024 to its customers while continuing to offer a unique and personalized customer experience.

ABOUT GLOBOCAM

GLOBOCAM, which was founded in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, in 1994, has become Quebecs largest network of heavy truck dealerships. With a team of 500 people deployed in eight dealerships, the family business sells and markets new Freightliner and Western Star trucks, used trucks of all brands, as well as complete vehicle maintenance and repair services, an extensive parts department, and financing capabilities.

SOURCE

GLOBOCAM | globocam.ca

MEDIA CONTACT

Alexandra McDonald | alexandra@fernandezcom.ca

C. 418.271.7600

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/433e9f87-6356-4c8a-8c9c-40c29d9b7b2f
MIAMI, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) has just published a new report, entitled 5 Megatrends in Latin America's Energy Sector for 2023 and Beyond, which is available for free download on the AMI website.

AMI has completed more than 100 studies on Latin America's energy market over the years. It has produced proprietary research and market intelligence covering Latin America's oil/gas market, Latin America's renewables market (solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, biofuels), LatAm's energy storage/batteries market, Latin America's natural gas sector, Latin America's hydrogen market and more. AMI's experience is what drives the analysis reflected in this report, which highlights five major changes taking place in Latin America's energy sector:

The acceleration of natural gas demand and the growth of LNG exports. Distributed generation will overshadow utility-scale solar as the grid suffers underinvestment. Green hydrogen's success will be limited to the production of derivatives. Latin America will become a major source of feedstock for renewable fuels. Battery storage solutions will see limited adoption.

"Since we published the LatAm energy megatrends in 2021, the market has changed drastically due to a number of factors," explains Arthur Deakin, Director of AMI's energy practice. "The war in Ukraine, a possible recession, shifts in regulations, congested grids and other factors made it necessary for us to revise our analyses and offer a new set of megatrends based on hard data and current market conditions," says Deakin.

Among the key data points highlighted in 5 Megatrends in Latin America's Energy Sector for 2023 and Beyond:

Future natural gas demand by country and projected LNG exports.

Current gas reserves, gas production and years remaining of proven gas reserves in Latin American countries.

Installed green hydrogen electrolysis capacity by 2030, by country.

Feedstock availability for renewable fuels (renewable diesel and SAF) in Latin America.

Projected sustainable aviation fuel production in Latin America by 2030.

Distributed generation growth projections for 2025 and 2030 in Latin America.

Battery energy storage solutions (BESS) growth projections in Chile.

"Overall, we hope this report will help energy operators, equipment providers and investors have a deeper understanding of risks and rewards in Latin America," says Deakin. "Since we're constantly producing market intelligence studies for all energy verticals in the region, we've gained a strategic, holistic view of the region that we wanted to share."

About Americas Market Intelligence

Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) is the premier market intelligence and strategy consultancy for Latin America, providing powerful research insights for companies to succeed in a wide range of verticals in the region, including payments, healthcare, logistics, mining, energy, infrastructure, consumer goods and the industrial sector. Its customized research reports deliver data-based clarity and far-reaching strategic direction based on expert sources.

Contact Information:

Abel Delgado

Digital Marketing Director

adelgado@americasmi.com

305-441-9300



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Image 1: 5 Megatrends in the Latin America's Energy Sector for 2023 and Beyond









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South Africa: KZN Premier welcomes smooth start to 2023 academic year

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has welcomed the smooth start to the 2023 academic year as over 2.8 million learners across the province went back to school on Wednesday.

Dube-Ncube accompanied Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Education MEC Mbali Frazer on visits to schools in Umlazi, Parlock and La Mercy to monitor the first day of school for coastal areas.

Speaking during the school monitoring visits, Dube-Ncube emphasised that quality education is an apex priority for the provincial government and expressed her satisfaction that learning and teaching started in earnest on the first day of the school calendar.

The minor challenges experienced in some schools are being urgently addressed by the Department of Education. We were very encouraged by the active citizenry demonstrated by the community and members of the governing bodies in the schools we have visited.

We also commend the dedication shown by educators. As the provincial government, we are fully committed to ensuring access to quality education therefore it is critical that teaching and learning begins from the first day of the school year, Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier announced that the province will pilot online registration for schools in the province from this year.

This is in a bid to reduce the number of parents waiting in queues to enrol their children and so that all learners are enrolled within the stipulated timeframe.

The process for admissions for the 2023 academic year started early in 2022 when admissions opened on 1 March 2022 and closed on 30 September 2022. A total of 209 665 learners have been admitted in Grade 1 and 237 987 learners have been admitted in Grade 8, the department said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China tourism prepares to see robust recovery

People's Daily Online) 13:31, January 19, 2023

With the Chinese New Year drawing near and China's optimized COVID-19 strategy in place, the country's tourism sector has started to see robust recovery.

Statistics from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism show that over 52.71 million domestic tourist trips were made in the country during the three-day New Year's Day holiday. The tourism revenue generated over the holiday exceeded 26.5 billion yuan (about $3.91 billion), up 4 percent from the same period last year.

People buy snacks at the Jiefangbei business district in Chongqing, southwest China, on Dec. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Since the beginning of 2023, business districts in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality have witnessed an influx of tourists. Data from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce show that sales from key business districts and major commercial enterprises during the New Year holiday exceeded 7.28 billion yuan.

"Our restaurant has seen a large number of tourists in recent days, many of whom are from other parts of the country," explained Feng Jianping, a manager of a restaurant that serves local cuisine in Chongqings Jiefangbei business district. Feng added that the number of customers his store recently received has increased remarkably compared to last year.

Furthermore, prospects for the tourism industry are looking bright for the upcoming seven-day Chinese New Year holiday. "For China's tourism sector, the 2023 Chinese New Year holiday is the most anticipated one since the outbreak of COVID-19," said Dai Bin, dean of the China Tourism Academy and head of a data center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, at a forum on tourism development in Chongqing last weekend.

Dai's prediction is turning into reality. A report issued by Alibaba's travel branch Fliggy shows that to date, trip bookings for the Chinese New Year holiday have surged by over 70 percent year on year. As of Jan. 15, bookings for long-distance trips have accounted for 70 percent of all bookings during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 72 percent, according to China's online travel agency Ctrip.

Chongqing, a city famous for its hilly landscape, has become one of the most popular long-haul destinations for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Over the past week, bookings of flight tickets to the city have gone up by at least 20 percent year on year, while bookings for high-end hotels have increased by over 50 percent. The city is expecting to receive tourists mainly from large cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing.

Chongqings Wanzhou district will organize a series of activities featuring traditional Chinese culture. Yuzhong district will launch cultural events to allow tourists to enjoy the excitement of the city at night.

Chongqing Tiandi, a commercial cluster that blends traditional Chongqing architecture with modern retail facilities, will launch an exhibition together with artist Zhang Ge. The exhibition will prominently feature the rabbit, the zodiac sign of the upcoming Chinese New Year, and cover many parts of Chongqing Tiandi, turning the district into a fairy tale world.

In addition to domestic travel, people have also shown great enthusiasm for outbound tourism. Thailand, which had previously estimated it would receive 20 million international travelers in 2023, quickly added another 5 million to the forecast after China eased its border restrictions.

A travel consultant from a Chongqing-based travel agency that deals in customized tours explained that bookings for villas and flights to Phuket Island have soared, as many Chinese tourists are planning to rent villas to spend the winter in Thailand.

Many travel agencies have rolled out new services to better meet demand for outbound trips. Fliggy launched a sector specifically for outbound trips during the Chinese New Year, which includes bookings for flights and hotels, and provides information on COVID rules for different destinations.

The recovery of the tourism sector is expected to boost urban consumption, said Mo Yuanming, an analyst from a center on the coordinated development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone at Chongqing Technology and Business University.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. , Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  January 19, 2023  Veer Boats, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) was honored with an NMMA Innovation Award at the 2023 Minneapolis Boat Show. Veer won the Fishing Boat category for its newly launched X13 , which debuted earlier this month at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The X13 is a first-of-its-kind, multivessel designed to support electric propulsion and appeal to the next generation of boaters.

On behalf of all of us at Veer, we would like to thank the NMMA for this prestigious honor, said Matt Atilano, Veer Director of Strategy. The X13 brings new energy and new thinking to the outdoor experience. I am incredibly proud of our team for this well-deserved recognition and look forward to delivering on Brunswicks promise to expand access to the water and democratize boating.

Initially launched at CES 2023, the X13 , is a 13-foot, multi-tool vessel built from durable rotomolded polyethylene to enable boaters to experience the outdoors with confidence. The X13 is designed to be powered by Mercury Avator electric propulsion systems and Mercury FourStroke outboards, including the Avator 7.5e electric outboard  the first product in the Avator series  which was also unveiled at CES 2023.

Crafted by the engineering team at Lund Boats  industry leaders in fishing boat design  the X13 offers exceptional quality and robustness, a contemporary design, combined with thoughtful and ingenious fishing-focused features. The Veer X13 will expand access to boating, offering performance, ease-of-use, low maintenance and affordability.

Innovation award judges commented on the X13 stating: Bringing in an entirely new concept of boat with next generation technologies and an entry-level price point, the Veer X13 offers the joy of getting on the water to a whole new generation of boaters and offers access to waters never before explored by a motorized boat, said judge, Adam Quandt.

The Innovation Awards program, organized by NMMA and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), honors manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products for the boating industry to market. The award acknowledges products that best meet criteria including innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured, benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer, practicality, and cost-effectiveness. The judging committee is comprised of BWI members who perform product testing throughout the year and have expertise in marine products.

To view the full list of the 2023 Minneapolis Boat Show Innovation Award winners, visit here , and to learn more about the Veer X13, visit here .

About Veer

Veer was established to expand opportunities for on-the-water adventure and make outdoor discovery attainable for all. Crafted by the engineers of Lund Boats with a 75-year history of quality and innovation, Veer provides an affordable, low-maintenance option for new boaters. Designed with innovation and sustainability in mind, Veer is built from a durable polyethylene hull and offers an electric propulsion option with Mercury Avator outboard motors. Veer is part of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) and represents the 18th boat brand within the Brunswick Boat Group portfolio. To learn more, visit veerboats.com.

About Brunswick Corporation

Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is the global leader in marine recreation, delivering innovation that transforms experiences on the water and beyond. Our unique, technology-driven solutions are informed and inspired by deep consumer insights and powered by our belief that Next Never Rests. Brunswick is dedicated to industry leadership, to being the best and most trusted partner to our many customers, and to building synergies and ecosystems that enable us to challenge convention and define the future. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands. In the category of Marine Propulsion, these brands include, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing and MerCruiser. Brunswicks comprehensive collection of parts, accessories, distribution, and technology brands includes Mercury Parts & Accessories, Land N Sea, Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, Mastervolt, RELiON, Attwood and Whale. Our boat brands are some of the best known in the world, including Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft and Quicksilver. Our service, digital and shared-access businesses include Freedom Boat Club, Boateka and a range of financing, insurance, and extended warranty businesses. While focused primarily on the marine industry, Brunswick also successfully leverages its portfolio of advanced technologies to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions in mobile and industrial applications. Headquartered in Mettawa, IL, Brunswick has more than 18,500 employees operating in 29 countries. In 2022, Brunswick was named by Forbes as a Worlds Best Employer and as one of Americas Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, both for the third consecutive year. For more information, visit www.Brunswick.com.

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English French

JCDecaux wins a 10-year contract with CCR Metro Bahia in Salvador to operate advertising of its two metro lines, strengthening its position as the largest metro media company in Brazil

Paris, 19 January 2023  JCDecaux SE (Euronext Paris: DEC) the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announces the signing of a 10-year contract with CCR Metro Bahia to take over the advertising operations of the two metro lines in Salvador (Brazil)  Red-Line 1 and Blue-Line 2. This new partnership, effective in March 2023, sustains the expansion strategy of JCDecaux, reinforcing its position as the largest metro media player in Brazil.

In the capital city of the state of Bahia, JCDecaux will operate advertising on the two existing subway lines  Red-Line 1, which spans 12 km long and includes 8 stations, and Blue-Line 2, spanning 19 km and including 12 stations. All together, these two lines connect the Historical Center to the outskirts of Salvador, moving more than 530,000 passengers per day. These lines are also linked to 7 integrated bus terminals that will display JCDecaux media.

The existing inventory of Red-Line 1 and Blue-Line 2, which will now be managed by JCDecaux, includes more than 40 digital units spread throughout the stations, 162 static panels at bus terminals as well as 520 carriage internal TVs. Thanks to this new contract, JCDecaux will reach more than 7.7 million passengers daily in the main metro lines in Brazil.

With the arrival of JCDecaux in Salvador Metro, advertisers will benefit from brand new digital inventory reaching more than 1,200 faces, 2 digital Iconics in key stations, engaging and relevant short-video content as well as new data-driven solutions to leverage all the digital assets of Red-Line 1 and Blue-Line 2, as the partnership with CCR Metro Bahia aims to deliver the highest international standards in OOH advertising. These resources reinforce the company's focus on digitisation and will allow the creation of high-impact DOOH campaigns based on qualified information, expanding the connection of brands with passengers traveling daily across Salvador de Bahia, the largest city in the Northeast of Brazil.

A CCR Group company, CCR Metro Bahia is the operator responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Salvador and Lauro de Freitas Subway System, for a period of 30 years, through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). With investments of about R$ 5.8 billion, it is the fastest growing subway system in Latin America in recent years.

This new partnership with CCR further strengthens JCDecauxs position as the only OOH company with a national reach, consolidating its leadership in metro media in Brazil. Recently, JCDecaux announced the inclusion of Lilac-Line 5 of ViaMobilidade and Yellow-Line 4 of ViaQuatro, in its portfolio already comprising the Blue-Line 1, Green-Line 2 and Red-Line 3 of the Sao Paulo metro network. This wide range of media assets allows advertisers to create integrated campaigns with JCDecaux's other displays throughout Brazil, increasing the impact and audience reach in OOH.

In Brazil, in addition to the main metro lines in Sao Paulo, JCDecaux operates the largest national Street Furniture offer with more than 18,000 faces strategically located across 11 major cities, including Sao Paulo, Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and major capitals of the North and Northeast Regions. The company also manages the advertising concession in the countrys two busiest international airports: Guarulhos (GRU) and Brasilia (BSB). Together, all these media assets add up to 130 million impressions per day.

Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: We are delighted to have been awarded this new contract with CCR Metro Bahia and we deeply thank the teams for their confidence. This partnership will deliver the best-in-class standards in DOOH advertising, supported by our state-of-the-art data-driven solutions. As the largest metro media player in Brazil, this new contract reinforces our leadership and will allow advertisers to benefit from JCDecaux's transport expertise in the Northeast region. Brazil, which is ranked among the worlds top ten largest advertising markets and N1 in Latin America, is leading the way in terms of digital communication. It is one of the markets where JCDecauxs assets are the most digitized, already representing more than half of our revenue in the country. With this partnership, we are determined to pursue our mission: delivering innovative media assets that enhance communication and benefit cities, partners, people, advertisers and their brands.

Key Figures for JCDecaux

2021 revenue: 2,745m (a)  9-month 2022 revenue: 2,283m (a)

 9-month 2022 revenue: 2,283m N1 Out-of-Home Media company worldwide

A daily audience of more than 850 million people in more than 80 countries

957,706 advertising panels worldwide

Present in 3,518 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants

10,720 employees

JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes

JCDecaux is recognised for its extra-financial performance in the FTSE4Good (3.6/5), CDP (A- Leadership), MSCI (AA) and has achieved Platinum Medal status from EcoVadis

1 st Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 (committed to 100% renewable energy)

Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 (committed to 100% renewable energy) Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility

N1 worldwide in street furniture (530,143 advertising panels)

N1 worldwide in transport advertising with 154 airports and 215 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (340,753 advertising panels)

N1 in Europe for billboards (72,611 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (596,831 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (232,268 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (64,893 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (20,808 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle East (14,177 advertising panels)

(a) Adjusted revenue

For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com .

Join us on Twitter , Linkedin , Facebook , Instagram and Youtube .

Communications Department: Albert Asseraf

+33 (0) 1 30 79 79 10  albert.asseraf@jcdecaux.com

Investor Relations: Remi Grisard

+33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93  remi.grisard@jcdecaux.com

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WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HMG Strategy, the Worlds #1 digital platform for enabling technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world, is excited to be hosting its 2023 Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit on February 28 at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. HMG Strategys highly interactive events bring together the worlds most distinguished and innovative business technology and security leaders to discuss the most pressing leadership, innovation, strategic, cultural, technology and career challenges and opportunities that they face today  and into the future.



World-class technology leaders and industry experts speaking at this popular in-person event will share how CIOs, CISOs and other senior technology executives are working with fellow members of the senior leadership team to drive innovation that can deliver demonstrable value and positively impact business outcomes in a challenging global economic environment.

Thanks to their unique view of where technology intersects with the business. CIOs and technology executives are ideally positioned to help the C-suite and line-of-business leaders to help identify the art of the possible, said Hunter Muller, Founder and CEO of HMG Strategy. CIOs and technology executives who are able to peek around the corners to identify opportunities for driving business innovation can deliver demonstrable value to the enterprise.

World-class CIOs, CISOs, technology leaders and industry experts speaking at the 2023 Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit will include:

Merav Bahat , Co-Founder and CEO, Dazz

, Co-Founder and CEO, Dazz Cassie Crossley , Director, Product & Systems Security, Head of Business Engagement, Schneider Electric

, Director, Product & Systems Security, Head of Business Engagement, Schneider Electric Todd Dekkinga , CISO, Zluri

, CISO, Zluri Stuart Evans , Distinguished Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon University i-Lab

, Distinguished Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon University i-Lab Ken Grady , CPO & CIO, IDEXX Laboratories

, CPO & CIO, IDEXX Laboratories Patty Hatter , Chief Customer Officer, Palo Alto Networks

, Chief Customer Officer, Palo Alto Networks Tony Leng , Managing Director, Practice Lead and OMP, Diversified Search

, Managing Director, Practice Lead and OMP, Diversified Search Jeff McKibben , CIO Ultra Clean Technology

, CIO Ultra Clean Technology David Owens , SVP & General Manager, Digital Transformation Solutions, HARMAN International

, SVP & General Manager, Digital Transformation Solutions, HARMAN International Gautham Pallapa , Senior Executive Advisor & CIO/CDO (App Modernization, Digital Transformation & Hybrid Cloud) VMware

, Senior Executive Advisor & CIO/CDO (App Modernization, Digital Transformation & Hybrid Cloud) VMware Tom Peck , EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Sysco

, EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Sysco Wendy M. Pfeiffer , CIO & SVP, Nutanix

, CIO & SVP, Nutanix Eli Potter , VP, Data and Systems, Insight Partners

, VP, Data and Systems, Insight Partners Raj Ramachander , SVP IT; Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Member Experience (CX), Peloton Interactive

, SVP IT; Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Member Experience (CX), Peloton Interactive Parul Saini , Global Head of Business and Enterprise Applications, Uber

, Global Head of Business and Enterprise Applications, Uber Ashish Seth , VP of Product Management, Customer Engagement, RingCentral

, VP of Product Management, Customer Engagement, RingCentral Piyoush Sharma, Co-Author, The Purple Book of Software Security; Head of Enterprise Security & Technology Operations, Zuora



Valued Partners for the 2023 Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit include 8x8, Akamai, Aptum, BetterCloud, Box, Darktrace, Dazz, Delphix, Equinix, Fortinet, HARMAN International, LastPass, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, ReliaQuest, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, SAP, SIM San Francisco Bay Area, Strata, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2023 Silicon Valley Global Innovation Summit and to register for the event, click here.

HMG Strategy is also excited to be hosting its 2023 Phoenix CIO Executive Leadership Summit on March 24 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. CIOs and top-tier technology executives at this event will explore opportunities for leveraging hot technologies such as AI, ChatGPT, cloud platforms and cybersecurity technologies to help move the needle for the business and to safeguard the enterprise.

Prominent executives speaking at the 2023 Phoenix CIO Executive Leadership Summit will include:

Max Chan , CIO, Avnet

, CIO, Avnet Gunjan Goel , CIO, ST Engineering North America, Inc.

, CIO, ST Engineering North America, Inc. Frank Grimmelmann , Founder, President & CEO/Intelligence Liaison Officer, Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance

, Founder, President & CEO/Intelligence Liaison Officer, Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance Laura Hemenway , Founder and Principal, Paradigm Solutions, LLC; Treasurer, SIM Arizona

, Founder and Principal, Paradigm Solutions, LLC; Treasurer, SIM Arizona Scott Hicar , SVP & CIO, Benchmark Electronics

, SVP & CIO, Benchmark Electronics Bianca Lochner , CIO, City of Scottsdale

, CIO, City of Scottsdale Fred Mapp , President & CEO, Quality Service Solutions, LLC

, President & CEO, Quality Service Solutions, LLC Tom Peck , EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Sysco

, EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Sysco Gail Ricketts , IT Compliance Manager, Axon

, IT Compliance Manager, Axon Bhavin Shah , CEO & Founder, Moveworks

, CEO & Founder, Moveworks Simon Taylor, EVP, PacketWatch; President, SIM Arizona



Valued Partners for the 2023 Phoenix CIO Executive Leadership Summit include 8x8, Akamai, Aryaka, BetterCloud, Box, Darktrace, Delphix, Fortinet, LastPass, Moveworks, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, ReliaQuest, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, SAP, SentinelOne, SHE Informationtechnologie AG, SIM San Arizona, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2023 Phoenix CIO Executive Leadership Summit and to register for the event, click here.

HMG Strategy will also be hosting its 2023 Dallas CIO Executive Leadership Summit on April 6 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, TX. At this summit, CIOs, CISOs and technology executives from the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area will share different ways they are leveraging innovative technologies and partnerships to help support cost containment and to drive business growth.

Distinguished technology executives speaking at the 2023 Dallas CIO Executive Leadership Summit on April 6 will include:

Chris Andrews , CIO, Unleashed Brands

, CIO, Unleashed Brands Renee Arrington , President, COO & Director, Pearson Partners International

, President, COO & Director, Pearson Partners International Kevin Christ , Partner, Concentre

, Partner, Concentre Blake Holman , CIO, BBG

, CIO, BBG Andy Laudato , COO, The Vitamin Shoppe

, COO, The Vitamin Shoppe Tony Leng , Managing Director, Practice Lead and OMP, Diversified Search

, Managing Director, Practice Lead and OMP, Diversified Search Mark Polansky , Former Senior Partner, Korn Ferry; Executive in Residence, HMG Strategy

, Former Senior Partner, Korn Ferry; Executive in Residence, HMG Strategy Bhavin Shah , Founder & CEO, Moveworks

, Founder & CEO, Moveworks Thomas Sweet, CIO, Industrial Refrigeration Pros



Valued Partners for the 2023 Dallas CIO Executive Leadership Summit include 8x8, Abnormal Security, Akamai, Apptio, Aptum, Aryaka, BetterCloud, Box, Darktrace, Delphix, Fortinet, LastPass, Moveworks, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, Ping Identity, ReliaQuest, RingCentral, SafeGuard Cyber, SAP, SentinelOne, SHE Informationtechnologie AG, SIM Dallas/Fort Worth, Tangoe, Tonkean, Upwork, Zoom, and Zscaler.

To learn more about the 2023 Dallas CIO Executive Leadership Summit and to register for the event, click here.

To learn more about HMG Strategys upcoming schedule of CIO & CISO summits, click here.

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy is the world's leading digital platform for technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world. The HMG Strategy global network consists of more than 400,000 CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, senior business technology executives, search industry executives, venture capitalists, industry experts and world-class thought leaders.

HMG Strategys global media model generates more than one million impressions per week, providing vast opportunities for business technology leaders and sponsor partners to promote themselves and their brands.

HMG Strategy was founded in 2008 by Hunter Muller, a leadership expert who has worked side-by-side with Fortune 2000 executives with strategic planning and career ascent for the past 30+ years.

HMG Strategys regional CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Series, authored books and Digital Resource Center deliver unique, peer-driven guidance from CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, CDOs and technology executives on leadership, innovation, transformation and career ascent.

HMG Strategy offers a range of peer-led advisory services such as its Global CIO & CISO Executive Leadership Alliance (CELA) service which bring together the worlds top CIOs, CISOs and technology executives to brainstorm on the top opportunities and challenges facing them in their roles.

HMG Strategys Global Advisory Services are a unique set of research services that are designed to keep business technology executives up to speed on the latest leadership, business, technology and global macro-economic trends that are impacting businesses and industries.

To learn more about the 7 Pillars of Trust for HMG Strategy's unique business model, click here .

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51af048a-4d77-4519-a4ff-7668d28263a9
Farmington, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Coffee Market Size Is Anticipated To Reach USD 1,43,828.7 Million By 2029, Registering A CAGR Of 5.12% During 2023 And 2030. Coffee is a drink that is made from water and roasted coffee beans. Some types of coffee plants have berries that contain these beans as seeds. When green coffee beans turn a bright red colour, they are picked, processed, and then dried. When the colour changes, the berries are ready. The caffeine in coffee makes you feel more awake, which is likely to be a big reason why the global coffee market will grow from 2020 to 2030, which is the time frame of the analysis.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Coffee Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2022 to 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Recent Developments:

In September 2022 , CoffeeB, a Swiss coffee company, made a new type of compressed coffee balls that it calls "the next generation of single-serve coffee." It makes a capsule that keeps its shape by using wrappers made of seaweed instead of aluminium or plastic.

, CoffeeB, a Swiss coffee company, made a new type of compressed coffee balls that it calls "the next generation of single-serve coffee." It makes a capsule that keeps its shape by using wrappers made of seaweed instead of aluminium or plastic. In June 2022 , Reliance Brands Ltd. announced a strategic partnership with Pret a Manger, a global chain of restaurants with fresh food and organic coffee, for the brand's launch and growth in India.

, Reliance Brands Ltd. announced a strategic partnership with Pret a Manger, a global chain of restaurants with fresh food and organic coffee, for the brand's launch and growth in India. In December 2021, FNC introduced a line of coffees made by women as a way to make the brand stand out.

Segment Overview

By Product Type

Depending on the type of coffee, the global coffee market is split into fresh coffee and coffee pods and capsules. In 2019, the fresh coffee segment made up 84.99% of the market. But the market for coffee pods and capsules is expected to grow faster, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.88% from 2022 to 2030.

By Category

The types of coffee make up the conventional and organic segments of the global coffee market. In 2019, the conventional segment made up 85.35 percent of the market. But between 2022 and 2030, the organic segment is expected to grow at a faster rate of 5.46 percent per year.

By Distribution Channel

On the global coffee market, there are places that sell coffee and places that don't. The store-based segment is further divided into supermarkets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, and other stores. In 2019, the store-based segment made up 72.51% of the market. On the other hand, the non-store-based segment is expected to grow faster, at a rate of 5.51% per year from 2022 to 2030.

Regional Outlook:

In 2019, 36.08% of the market was in Europe. Over the next five years, the market is expected to grow at the fastest rate, with a CAGR of 4.72%. Asia-Pacific was the second largest market in 2019, and it is expected to grow at a rate of 5.57 percent per year (CAGR).

Europe is a great place to live if you make coffee. Europe made up 36.08 percent of the market in 2019, and from 2021 to 2028, it is expected to grow at a high CAGR of 4.72 percent. The regional market is so big because of things like the growing demand for different flavours and packaging, the development of new products with better technology, the growing demand for easy-to-use coffee capsules and pods, and the use of automatic bean-to-cup machines. Also, the most coffee is drunk in the world in many European countries. Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom are the countries that drink the most coffee in the world. Strategic partnerships and collaborations between the major players are likely to help the growth of the market in the region. For example, Nescafe and Starbucks signed a long-term licencing deal in May 2018. Through the partnership, Nescafe will be able to sell Starbucks products in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Nestle S.A., The Kraft Heinz Company, Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., and Dualit Limited all have their headquarters in the area, especially in Italy. The market grows because of this.

Buy this Premium Research Report@

https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/248375/?Mode=PM

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 5.12% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2029 USD 1,43,828.7 Million By Product Type Fresh Coffee, Coffee Pods & Capsules, Other By Category Conventional, Organic, Other By Distribution Channel Store-Based, Non-Store-Based, Others By Companies Nestle SA (Switzerland), Tata Global Beverages Limited (India), Illycaffe S.p.A. (Italy), Keurig Dr. PepperInc. (US), Starbucks Corporation (US), The Coca Cola Company (US), Jacobs Douwe Egberts (Netherlands), Strauss Group Ltd (Israel), The Kraft Heinz Company (US), The J.M. Smucker Company (US) Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Drivers:

People around the world drink coffee more than any other drink. The coffee market in North America is big, and almost 71% of people in the US drink coffee every day. Europe's coffee market is growing because people are buying more specialty coffee and single-serve methods. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) says that the world exported 11.11 million bags of coffee in February 2020, which is 2.6% more than the 10.83 million bags that were exported in February 2019. Based on the most recent information from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), Europe was the biggest coffee consumer in the world. Asia-Pacific and North America are also important places where a lot of people drink coffee. Also, an ICO report says that the amount of coffee people in Europe drank went up by 2.6% between 2016/17 and 2019/20. Between 2016/17 and 2019/20, coffee consumption went up 2.7% in North America and 2.1% in Asia Pacific. People around the world are learning more about how good coffee is for their health, which is a big reason why coffee sales are going up. Also, many coffee companies are coming up with new products to take advantage of growth opportunities in emerging economies, where cities are growing quickly and people's disposable income is going up. People are drinking more coffee in many South East Asian countries, like Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. The number of cafes and places to buy drinks is growing all over the world, which helps the coffee market grow. Since more and more people around the world drink coffee, the market is likely to grow during the review period.

Opportunities:

The number of people buying organic coffee is rising quickly. Most of this growth is due to changes in technology, competition, and new ways of marketing, especially in places where there is a lot of competition. People all over the world are also becoming more worried about their health, which has led them to prefer organic foods. People are more likely to buy organic coffee, which is made without chemicals like most pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers. Organic coffee is becoming more popular because it is good for your health and doesn't have any toxins left over from synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, artificial flavours or colours, or preservatives. People also think that organic coffee is good for the environment because no chemicals are used to make, process, or package it. It doesn't hurt the environment in any way.

People want organic products, so this gives people in the global coffee market a chance. People think that Australia is the country where the most organic coffee is drunk. In August 2018, Lavazza released Tierra Bio-Organic, its first organic coffee in Australia. Also, the demand for organic coffee is growing not only in developed countries but also in some developing countries. This gives people in the market a chance to grow and expand.

Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Nestle SA (Switzerland), Tata Global Beverages Limited (India), Illycaffe S.p.A. (Italy), Keurig Dr. PepperInc. (US), Starbucks Corporation (US), The Coca Cola Company (US), Jacobs Douwe Egberts (Netherlands), Strauss Group Ltd (Israel), The Kraft Heinz Company (US), The J.M. Smucker Company (US), and others.

By Product Type

Fresh Coffee

Coffee Pods & Capsules

Other

By Category

Conventional

Organic

Other

By Distribution Channel

Store-Based

Non-Store-Based

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

(US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World

Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights:

Organic Tea Coffee Market - The Global Organic Tea & Coffee Market size is estimated to reach $2.6 billion by 2027. Furthermore, it is poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period. Asia Pacific held a 37% market share compared to other regions in 2021.

- The Global Organic Tea & Coffee Market size is estimated to reach $2.6 billion by 2027. Furthermore, it is poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period. Asia Pacific held a 37% market share compared to other regions in 2021. Coffee Beverages Market - The global Coffee Beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.57% in the forecast period 2021 to 2028. Asia-Pacific excluding Japan is expected to be the leading markets in the global coffee beverages market followed by Europe.

- The global Coffee Beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.57% in the forecast period 2021 to 2028. Asia-Pacific excluding Japan is expected to be the leading markets in the global coffee beverages market followed by Europe. RTD Coffee Market - The RTD Coffee Market size was valued at USD 26.3 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 42.36 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to maintain its domination in the RTD Coffee market at a CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period.

Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports.



About Us:

Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise.

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Contact Us:

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Contrive Datum Insights

Phone: +91 9834816757 | +1 2152974078

Email: anna@contrivedatuminsights.com
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Durham College (DC) is welcoming a transformational $500,000 gift from the Canerector Foundation that will provide scholarships to as many as 100 students enrolled across Durham Colleges 13 skilled trades programs each academic year, over the next five years and support the expansion and revitalization of our skilled trades facilities on the Whitby campus.

Colleges Ontario forecasts that by 2030, Ontario will face a skilled labour shortage of more than 500,000 workers. The Canerector Foundation Scholarships in Skilled Trades and funding towards expanding and enhancing DCs new Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology will help to make room for and attract more students to careers in the skilled trades.

"We are pleased to announce the Canerector Foundation's donation to Durham College for skilled trades scholarships and expansion of shops, labs and classrooms, said Amanda Hawkins, director of the Canerector Foundation. "By investing in students and state-of-the-art learning facilities, we hope to encourage students to pursue these rewarding careers in the skilled trades that are needed in our economy and our communities.

Durham College is extremely grateful for the Canerector Foundations support, said Don Lovisa, president of Durham College. This generous gift will help DC make great strides to train more construction and industrial tradespersons to help fill the skilled trades talent gap.

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person/refugee who are registered as full-time students entering the first year of an eligible trade program of study. Scholars who participate in mentorship and/or co-curricular activities and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average will be awarded additional funds throughout their education up to a maximum of $4,000.

Durham College will identify recipients for the Canerector Scholarships in the Skilled Trades during the winter 2023 semester.

-30-

ABOUT DURHAM COLLEGE

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 12,500 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 145 programs, including five honours bachelor degrees and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by providing an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by expert faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

MEDIA CONTACT

Lindsay Cochrane

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs

lindsay.cochrane@durhamcollege.ca
LUZERN, Switzerland, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ryodan Systems AG is pleased to announce that its zkRollup project "Intmax" has been selected as one of the Top 50 out of 1135 companies in the Swiss Crypto Valley. The project was included in the CV VC Top 50 Report, a report published by CV VC and Bank Frick that analyzes the best performing blockchain projects in the Crypto Valley.

Intmax Project: https://intmax.io

"CV VC Top 50 Report"

The CV VC Top 50 Report, in collaboration with Bank Frick, is a periodical report that analyzes the top 50 best-performing blockchain projects in Crypto Valley, based on market valuation, funding, and the number of employees. Furthermore, the report highlights Crypto Valley's diverse blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem, which consists of universities, banks, VCs, Technology Solution Providers, Law firms, and more.

DOWNLOAD REPORT: https://www.cvvc.com/insights#top50

About Intmax

Intmax is expected to be the world's first Ethereum Layer 2 to achieve both scalability and privacy, and many people from the national and international Ethereum community are participating in the development project and ecosystem. The algorithm has been devised by the project's head and cofounder in 2021 and continues to work towards the goal of protecting the property rights and privacy of Internet users around the world with Ethereum.

Intmax: https://intmax.io

Intmax roadmap

Q2 2023: Alpha version on the Ethereum mainnet.

Q4 2023: Launching Intmax mainnet. Any validators/miners can participate in the network.

Comment from Leona Hioki, the CEO of Ryodan Systems

In Switzerland, where crypto projects gather from all over the world, Intmax is ranked in the top 50 out of 1135 companies. This is a great achievement for the Intmax community. Extraordinary passions for building and using new social infrastructures based on Ethereum cryptography, is what led to this high rating in the joint CV VC and Bank Frick survey. We are confident that people will remember that their first participation in Intmax testnet or seeing this ranking around 2023 was just the beginning of the significant movement.

About Ryodan Systems

Ryodan Systems AG is a Switzerland-based company that develops a zkRollup* called Intmax. It facilitates rollups in a completely new way, different from traditional rollups, and has also obtained a grant from the Ethereum Foundation in 2022, and CV VC and Bank Frick have been selected as Crypto Valley's best performing blockchain projects TOP 50.

*zkRollup is the most popular Ethereum scaling solution that leverages zero-knowledge proofs.

Ryodan Systems AG https://ryodan.systems

Intmax https://intmax.io

Intmax Twitter https://twitter.com/intmaxIO

Intmax Github https://github.com/InternetMaximalism

Contact Information:

Mai Fujimoto

Co-Founder

mai.fujimoto@intmax.io

(+81)8043900553



Related Images











Image 1: Intmax





Intmax Named CV VC Top 50 Report 2022









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Indianapolis, IN, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modern Vascular, the national leader in minimally invasive treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), welcomes a new managing physician, Dr. Mamdouh Khayat. Dr. Khayat is a dual Board-Certified Vascular and Interventional Radiologist with particular expertise in peripheral arterial disease. He taught and directed interventional radiology residency programs prior to transitioning to Modern Vascular. Throughout his career, he has received awards, co-authored over 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and engaged in clinical research.

Dr. Khayat is excited to bring his expertise home to Indiana, where his parents live. He says, I am so grateful that my vocation and the procedures I love to do are in the same state as home.

Unfortunately, rates of peripheral artery disease are high in Indiana. Dr. Khayat adds, Underdiagnosed and not adequately treated, many patients suffer the ultimate fate of limb amputation as a result. Geographic, socioeconomic, and racial disparities exist and further conflate this problem. But, we have the tremendous opportunity to help these patients. By providing minimally-invasive options to open arteries and immediately improve limb perfusion, our limb preservation rates for the state of Indiana can certainly improve. Direct patient outreach and physician collaboration is critical to ensure these patients are provided the highest standard of care and our goals are met. We have an auspicious opportunity before us and I am excited to get started."

Dr. Khayat has treated various ailments with minimally invasive endovascular treatments, but his focus is on PAD awareness and treatment. PAD is the narrowing of the arteries that carry blood away from the heart, usually caused by plaque buildup. PAD affects approximately 8-12 million Americans. Senior citizens or those with a history of diabetes, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol are at a higher risk for PAD. The rate of lower limb amputation due to PAD is high, as is the rate of death following amputation: nearly 50% after one year, 90% within 5 years. Additionally, over 90% of PAD related amputations are preventable. Modern Vascular provides an online PAD quiz for patients to determine if they are a risk for PAD.

Modern Vascular is a group of outpatient clinics specializing in the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) through minimally-invasive endovascular procedures. Between Modern Vasculars state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained specialists, its doctors are able to revascularize all the way to the toe. Most patients report reduced pain, faster healing in the area treated, and a better quality of life post procedure. For patients with advanced PAD, called chronic limb-threatening ischemia, Modern Vasculars revascularization procedures have also been the key to saving a limb from amputation when there are few options left.

Modern Vascular operates and manages fifteen clinics across AZ, CO, IN, KS, KY, MO, MS, TN, TX. Its Indianapolis clinic, located at 8704 N. Meridian Street, is accredited through the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission which includes a comprehensive clinical peer review process evaluating the clinic for quality and safety best practices.

For more information on PAD, Modern Vascular's office in Indianapolis, or to schedule an appointment, please visit https://modernvascular.com/clinics/indianapolis/ or call 1-833-4PAD-HELP to speak to a Patient Advocate.

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Seattle, WA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hotel Group, a leading national hotel management, investment, and development company and affiliate of Hotel Equities is growing its Pacific Northwest hotel management portfolio with the addition of two centrally located Seattle Hyatt branded hotels.



We are pleased to add these two Hyatts to our portfolio and to continue our longstanding partnership with Kauri Investments, says Douglas Dreher, CEO at The Hotel Group, a Hotel Equities affiliate located in Edmonds, Washington. We currently manage seven hotels in the Puget Sound and over the years have managed many others. These two hotels offer a contemporary, elevated experience for business and leisure guests and were delighted to be a part of Hyatt Hotels. Our vision of Serving our People and Properties, Inspiring a culture of Hospitality Greatness, and Delivering maximum investment value for our Partners will always be our focus.

We are excited to take on the management of these two well-established hotels, said Joe Reardon, Chief Development Officer of Hotel Equites. We look forward to further growing our portfolio with the Hyatt brand.

The Hyatt House Seattle Downtown Hotel, located across the street from the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, Climate Pledge Arena, Museum of Pop Culture and several other iconic Seattle attractions features bright, contemporary guest accommodations, seating areas and in-room kitchen amenities offering a space to relax and work. The rooftop open air space offers guests the perfect space to take in Seattles skyline and surrounding Puget Sound. Additional amenities include a fitness center, business center, H market, and light fare and drinks served at H Bar. A complimentary hot breakfast including made-to-order omelets is available daily.

The Hyatt Place Seattle Downtown Hotel, situated three blocks from the Seattle Center, features complimentary breakfast bar, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, boardroom and meeting space. Spacious rooms include a seating area with a 42-inch, flat-screen TV, refrigerator, and sofa bed.

The hotels have a combined key count of 332 guest rooms.

About The Hotel Group

The Hotel Group, an affiliate of Hotel Equities, is a nationally recognized leading hotel management, investment, and development company. Since its inception in 1984, THG has managed and/or owned over 125 properties in 25 states representing over 20 brands, directed the design and construction of nearly 50 new hotels, and completed the acquisition of nearly $200 million in private investment through the Hotel Group Opportunity Funds. For more information on THG and the services it offers, visit www.thehotelgroup.com.

About Hotel Equities

Hotel Equities is an award-winning full-scale hotel ownership, management and development firm with a portfolio of over 250 hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. Fred Cerrone, CHA, serves as Founder and Chairman; Brad Rahinsky serves as President and CEO. Hotel Equities is an affiliate of 33 Degrees, an integrated management platform combining market knowledge and industry experience across a broad range of CRE assets including office, restaurant, retail, mixed-use and multi-unit residential. For more information on Hotel Equities, visit www.hotelequities.com.

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Agricultural Development Bank appoints new Managing Director

Business Desk Report Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 15:04

Agricultural Development Bank Plc (ADB) has appointed, Eno Ofori-Atta, as its new Deputy Managing Director.

Her appointment takes effect from December 1, 2022.

In her role, she will assist the Managing Director to provide strategic leadership and direction for the bank to be amongst the top-tier banks in the country while continuing its core focus of agricultural financing.

A release issued by the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and copied GraphicOnline said; Eno Ofori-Atta is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in banking and financial services, providing strategic leadership, creating high performance teams across business units and functions at various levels.

She has vast experience in driving business growth, credit administration, risk management, human capital management, the development of business systems, strategic planning and strengthening of internal control systems and processes.

Prior to her appointment, Mrs Ofori-Attah was the Group Managing Director of SIC-Financial Services for five years where she led the re-definition of the business strategy, transformational programmes and operational improvements.

She is a former Chief Executive Officer of Payflex Microfinance Company and former Chief Risk Officer of Womens World Banking Ghana.

The release said her diverse experience has seen her serve in various leadership roles including Branch Operations Manager, Head of Administration and Human Resources, Head of Risk and Head of Credit Operations.

Mrs Ofori-Atta is a product of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where she obtained both a Master in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences (Law & Sociology).

The ADB Managing Director, Mr Alhassan Yakubu-Tali, congratulated Mrs Ofori-Atta on the appointment and said Eno brings to the fore a very rich banking experience which will immensely benefit the growth of the Bank.
Block leakages from gold exports to benefit fully from gold for oil initiative

Kwame Larweh Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 14:40

Until the Bank of Ghana and the Precious Mineral Marketing Company (PMMC) block leakages that emanates from the exports of gold, the gold for oil initiative being undertaken by the government will amount to nothing, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Alex Mould has advised.

He said for the initiative to be successful, these two institutions must also provide the right data and information to traders and investors,

The former CEO opined that a lot of leakages and stealing are occasioned in the mining sector and if such is not contained, government may find itself wanting.

"If we can rectify the leakages of gold and block them then the gold-for-oil barter can benefit the country", he stated.

Mr Mould was speaking at television programme which was monitored by the Graphic Business.

He noted that the inefficiencies in the sector was such that government had no idea how much inflows was coming in from gold exports, blaming the Bank of Ghana for its inability to weather that storm.

"Government doesn't know how much inflows is coming into the country which is Bank of Ghana's responsibility," he stated.

Contributing to the programme via a WhatsApp messages, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer assured that the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) and GO, a subsidiary of Goil Energy will anchor this initiative to ensure efficiency and profitability.

Mr Mercer added that if the project takes off it would impact prices at the pumps and bring down fuel cost.
Economy to rebound next year  Ken Ofori-Atta

Emmanuel Bruce Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 16:15

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, says the economy will rebound in 2024.

He projected a steady growth of 4.8 per cent in the medium-term, between 2024-2026.

Ofori-Atta said growth was projected at 3.9 per cent, 4.9 per cent, and 5.6 per cent, in 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively.

Ghanas economy has been facing severe challenges in the last few years, with debt rising to GH467 billion, and the local currency depreciating by over 50 per cent in 2022.

This prompted the country to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who late last year gave a staff approval for a US$ 3 billion programme for the government.

The programme is however dependent on the countrys ability to restructure its debts which has reached unsustainable levels.

Although the government has announced a Debt Restructuring Programme, this programme has been met with stiff opposition from some groups and individuals, with some even threatening legal action.

This has led some analysts and market watchers to predict that 2023 will be a tougher year for the country, with the IMF even predicting a global economic recession in 2023.

In a statement at the 74th Annual New Year School and Conference, Mr Ofori Atta, however, gave an assurance that the country would soon return to growth path and accelerate its economic transformation.

We are optimistic about the prospect of our dear country, he stated.

This years New Year School and Conference, which was held on the theme Positioning the African Market for Sustainable Economic Development through AfCFTA, brought together academia, policymakers and industry players across the African region to discuss accelerating intra- African Trade and boosting Africas trade position in the global market.

Global trade

The finance minister pointed out that despite good efforts, Africas share of global trade was still low, estimated at three per cent, with an even lower share of intra-regional trade compared to other regions.

He said it was against this backdrop that the government sought to strengthen the financial sector through policies and strategies to reinforce regional and continental initiatives including the AfCFTA, which is the worlds largest free trade area covering some US$ 2.5 trillion in combined GDP.

He noted that an enhanced financial sector would not only boost international trade but also contribute towards the development of cross-border infrastructure as well as catalyse regional and international investment.

Consequently, empowering our financial sector to support our industries and trade is a central theme of the Government of Ghanas strategy to recover, rebound and entrench our economic gains, he stated.

AfCFTA operationalisation

In a keynote address which was delivered virtually, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said the full operationalisation of the free trade area would contribute to Africa's structural transformation.

He said the free trade system within the region would help reshape markets and economies.

He pointed out that the AfCFTA Secretariat had signed a US$10 billion agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) for the management of the Base Fund of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund.

He said the money which would be available over the next five to 10 years would support African countries that experienced short-term revenue losses as a result of reducing or eliminating their tariffs.

This, he said, would enable countries to effectively participate in the new trading environment established under AfCFTA.
Fidelity Bank rewards 8 agents

Business Desk Report Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 16:19

Fidelity Bank Ghana has rewarded eight winners on its maiden agents promotion campaign dubbed: Yenko Dubai.

They are; S-Duah Enterprise, (Kumasi), Kofhay Mobile Money Ventures (Berekum), Frimaud Ventures (Accra Central), Quickeagle Services (Kasoa), Brilin Top Enterprise (Nkawkaw), Mupaason Enterprise (Tarkwa), Majesty Authentic (Kasoa), and Frimpee A1 Enterprise (Sunyani).

The promo, formed part of activities to mark the banks 15th anniversary celebrations, as well as honour its most outstanding agents and agent network staff with the ultimate prize of an all-expenses-paid vacation to Dubai.

A release issued in Accra today said; This is in recognition of the pivotal role Fidelity agents have played in expanding the banks reach and driving its inclusive banking agenda.

Additionally, it said 10 other deserving agents were also rewarded with a lunch date with the executives of Fidelity Bank, while six agents were rewarded with a weekend vacation at the Maaha Beach Resort in the Western Region.

It said 30 other agents who performed commendably were also rewarded with brand new mobile phones during the promo.

The Director of Channels and Sales at Fidelity Bank, Mr Godfred Attafuah, expressed his gratitude to all Fidelity Bank agents who responded to the call and played various roles to make the Yenko Dubai promo a success.

We, at Fidelity Bank are proud to maintain our position as a leader in the agency banking space. We acknowledge that we could not have come this far without the support of our agent partners and for that we are grateful, he added.
GSE grants banks request to file financial statements by April 30

Business Desk Report Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 16:02

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) has approved a request by the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB) on behalf of the listed banks for the filing of 2022 audited Financial Statements to be extended to April 30, 2023.

This will enable the banks to work effectively with their external auditors to achieve the audit objectives.

In a press release issued by GSE in Accra today, it said the Association indicated that their ongoing discussions on the Government of Ghana Debt Exchange programme has affected the finalisation of financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, by external auditors of the banks.

In particular, the deliberations have implications for the assessment of Expected Credit Losses and its impact on 2022 financial statements.

It is against this background that the date for filing of 2022 audited financial statements is extended by one month to April 30, 2023, it said.

It added that the banks that can conclude their audit on time, after the ongoing discussions were encouraged to publish their audited financial statements within the existing statutory timeline.
Persistent corruption in maritime sector hindering trade, development

Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 15:22

The Deputy Director-General of Finance & Administration at the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Yaw Akosa Antwi, has said corruption in the maritime industry will persist due to the nature of the shipping industry.

He mentioned, for instance, the absence of published Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and fee schedules as some of the fertile grounds for corruption adding that, there are also issues of multiple officials enjoying broad discretionary powers.

He said these fragmented and impervious nature of the shipping industry made fighting corruption difficult as it portends a multidimensional challenge that required an all-inclusive solution.

Speaking at the opening of the Global Best in Vessel Clearance Workshop in Accra today, he said it is therefore essential for the public and private sector as well as other actors to collaborate and align standards thereby mitigating the corruption risk, he said.

The workshop organised by the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and the Convention on Business Integrity (CBI) in partnership with GMA brought together maritime experts from six African countries to deliberate on new trends in best practices in vessel clearance at seaports.

Mr Antwi said to be blunt, the industry is opaque in its operations thus particularly exposed to corruption risk. You have citizen A acquiring a vessel, registering it in country B, employing crew from countries C, D & E, transporting cargoes belonging to persons in country F and delivering in country G.

When these vessels and cargoes arrive at ports, clearing and operational processes involve numerous stakeholders across several jurisdictions, resulting in multiple interactions with government officials.

He explained that social extortion by officials, even of small amounts, was powerful because small delays have very high costs.

Corruption in the maritime sector not only generates additional operational costs for the maritime industry thereby endangering the safety and well-being of the crew, but also is a barrier to trade and development, he added.
Sale of Vodafone to Telecel: Staff fear massive job

Charles Benoni Okine Business News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 16:43

The announcement by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to grant a conditional approval for the transfer of the 70 per cent majority shares in Vodafone Ghana to Telecel Group is creating an uneasy calm among workers of Vodafone.

They fear the impact of a potential retrenchment exercise, particularly at a time when the government has imposed an indefinite ban on public sector employment amid a harsh economic condition.

The incoming owners are yet to make any pronouncement but history has shown that anytime there is a change in ownership of a company, the new vision and direction of the managers often brought in its wake massive job losses.

There are conditions laid out for the new owners to maintain the old staff after the final takeover but history has a different story.

When the Daily Graphic reached out to some of the workers of Vodafone at the companys headquarters at Airport City in Accra, they described the move as long overdue.

One said due to the poor financial position of the company, we knew this was coming as part of measures to salvage the company from complete collapse.

As to whether the staff feared any retrenchment although the incoming owners had not communicated any such intentions, the source said I know they will say they will not retrench but we all know the history. Vodafone said same and just within a year after taking over, we all saw what happened.

Others said they were bracing for the worst although they wish to be retained when the new owners finally took over the business.

Concessions

The conditional approval granted to Telecel is subject to concessions made by Vodafone and representations made by the company to the NCA.

The move is pursuant to the evaluation of the revised proposal from Telecel Group which made its intentions known early last year.

A news release from the NCA yesterday, said it would be recalled that in January 2022, the NCA received an application from Vodafone Ghana for the transfer of 70 per cent of its majority shares held by the Vodafone to the Telecel.

It said in accordance with due process, the NCA evaluated the application on various criteria and engaged both Vodafone Ghana and Telecel.

The NCA concluded that the request did not meet the regulatory threshold for approval to be granted.

Following the NCAs decision, Telecel resubmitted a revised financial and technical proposal in December 2022 which demonstrated the needed capital investment to extend the deployment of 4G and launch innovative Fintech solutions, the NCA said.

Clarity

It said the NCA found that the revised proposal provided more clarity and certainty in terms of the funding required for the acquisition and the commitments from both the seller and buyer.

In addition, the release said Telecel had strengthened the overall governance and management team and made firm commitments towards meeting the regulatory requirements of the NCA.

Based on the above, the NCA confirms that the revised proposal from the Buyer now meets the regulatory threshold and hence has granted a conditional approval for the transfer of shares to the Buyer including submission of strategies for employee retention.

The NCA would like to assure the general public and all stakeholders that it would continue to work with Vodafone Ghana and the Buyer to complete all outstanding regulatory requirements to ensure a smooth transition as well as continuity of service delivery and improved choice for consumers and competition within the industry, it added.

Controversy

It is not immediately clear why the owners of Vodafone Ghana are selling off their stake.

However, sources have indicated that government, which owns 30 per cent of the company, has never made any financial contribution to keep the brand afloat.

The recapitalisation of the company has always been left in the hands of the majority shareholder, a phenomenon which has often degenerated into boardroom disagreements.

One industry watcher said the posture of government and its reluctance to help recapitalise the ailing company in the midst of stiff competition was unfortunate and frustrating and that could be among the many factors considered by the owners of Vodafone to quietly exit the market.

Side bar

- Vodafone, although the second biggest telecoms company in the country, has been losing market share on a quarterly basis since the start of last year.

- For instance, its market share decreased from 18.64 per cent in quarter one of 2022 to 17.87 per cent in quarter two of the same year.

- With 7.32 million subscriptions, Vodafones growth declined by 4.15 per cent, a trend analysts believe will continue until something drastic about the companys management vision changed.
Daily Graphic Editorials

Deployment of aircraft in fight against galamsey, good initiative

Daily Graphic Editorials Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:11

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has revealed that it is set to take delivery of four aircraft from the Ghana Armed Forces to aid the fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

According to the Deputy Lands Minister, George Mireku Duker, the aircraft belonging to the Armed Forces would be useful as a new strategy to combat galamsey.

In November last year, some personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces who were deployed to combat illegal mining in forest reserves and river bodies seized 30 excavators, destroyed four and immobilised four others on the spot.

This occurred after the relaunch of Operation Halt II on October 11, 2022, with the seizure and destruction occurring between October 11 and October 31.

For us, the fight against illegal mining appears to be elusive, notwithstanding the modest gains achieved. The fight against galamsey is an important one that requires the marshalling of all resources and logistics to nip this canker in the bud.

Moreover, the plan to deploy aircraft from the Ghana Armed Forces in the fight against galamsey is a good initiative. The aerial surveillance in the fight against galamsey is as important as the swoops, which had been the main modus operandi of the operations.

For us at the Daily Graphic, the most feasible way to curb the canker is concerted effort and total support by key actors, such as politicians, traditional rulers, civil society organisations (CSOs), the media and residents of mining communities.

We, therefore, support the call by the minister that all stakeholders must come on board to help protect our land and water resources from destruction.

It is regrettable that after pumping millions of Ghana cedis into various interventions aimed at weeding out galamsey, the fight appears to be far from over.

This is particularly worrying because as the illegality surges on, the destruction of land, forest and water resources deepens.

The Daily Graphic believes that when this unflinching determination by the government is anchored on total support from the other stakeholders, the tide could be stemmed.

Unalloyed support from all stakeholders, including traditional authorities, the security agencies, politicians, the media and CSOs will be key in how far we go with this fight.

We agree with the minister that the destruction caused by illegal mining activities has dire implications for sustainable national development and needs an all-hands-on-deck approach to curb.

The fact that the fight against galamsey requires systematic, sustained efforts and action over a period of time cannot be overemphasised.

Every well-meaning citizen must see the fight as a duty call to save the country from the hands of nation wreckers who are motivated by greed to destroy our future for their personal gain.

Chiefs, who are the custodians of the land, must rise and be counted; the security agencies must demonstrate their love for the country by going all out to weed out perpetrators of galamsey, while stakeholders at the local level, including assembly members, district chief executives and opinion leaders, particularly those in mining communities, must play their part to safeguard our land and water resources.

We see the fight against illegal mining as a call to national duty because it affects the very soul of our country. The pollution of rivers such as the Ankobra, Bia, Birim, Offin and Pra affects every Ghanaian in one way or the other.

The continued pollution of these water bodies is a serious threat to water security for citizens, as it is predicted that the country risks importing water if a concerted effort is not made to stop galamsey activities in rivers.

More to the point, billions of Ghana cedis is required to reclaim mined lands and pits left behind by illegal miners. The least said about the devastating impact of illegal mining on agricultural land and the cocoa industry, the better.

We cannot look on unconcerned for nation wreckers to destroy our heritage for their selfish interests.

We have to act now to save our land and water resources, otherwise posterity will not forgive us.
Nnaase Afore slated for January 29

Jayne Buckman-Owoo Showbiz News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 09:09

The third edition of Abena Serwaa Ophelias annual concert Nnaase Afore will come off on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at PIWC-ATTC Dome, Kokomlemle.

The 4pm all-white-free event promises spectacular performances from some of the best in the Gospel music industry in the country, led by the headliner, Abena Serwaa Ophelia.

On the bill to minister through songs are Stella Seal, Tagoe Sisters, Cindy Thompson, Piesie Esther and Papa Owura.

Others are Francis Amo, Lady Chatty, Mavis Asante, Lady Priscilla Otumfuo among a host of others who will lead patrons to the throne of Grace.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Ophelia who is also a fashion designer said she is leaving no stone unturned to ensure patrons have a time of their lives in the presence of God.

Nnaase Afore gets better by the year and this year is not going to be an exception. My team and I have assembled some of the very best in Gospel music in the country to ensure patrons who make it to this years event wont leave the same, they will be touched by the Holy Spirit and all their burdens will be lifted off them.

Whatever you may be going through, just come for Nnaase Afore, it wont just be about song ministration, there will be Men of God to pray for everyone who comes.

Come with all your worries be it about money, marriage, travel plans etc. The more you indulge in praise and worship, the more the good Lord will free you of all your burdens, trust me, she said.

This years Nnaase Afore is themed His Splendor & His Majesty and Abena Serwaa Ophelia says she chose that theme because it is all about God.

In August last year, she released a single, Womfa Ma No off an upcoming album which she promises will see the light of day this year, God willing.

We are working tirelessly to bring my fans the long waited album and I can assure you that it will be a big blessing to everyone who listens to it, she added.
Romance and suspense reloaded: Accra Medic returns for Season 2

GraphicOnline TV/Radio Jan - 18 - 2023 , 14:48

Your favourite medics are coming back to your screens in Akwaaba Magics Accra Medic and this season, they are promising more drama, romance and suspense.

The storyline will pick up from where it left off where breaking the news of her pregnancy to Dr. Mohammed leads to Nurse Efes possible death. Also, Elorm and Akuas ship takes a different turn when she moves on to a new guy. And more twists and turns are coming up to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Accra Medic is an evocative medical drama series that explores the inequity and disparity in the Ghanaian Medical system.

Produced in Ghana and shot on the prestigious premises of UGMC, the series follows the lives of the staff at an Accra hospital, as they navigate the challenges of their lives while saving patients, all this in a facility thats suffering from mismanagement.

Accra Medic cast includes Edward Agyekum Kufuor, Desiree Crentsil, Kweku Elliott, Aaron Adatsi, Osei Kwame Bentil, Ninette Orleans-Thompson, Elizabeth Allotey-Annan, Nubuke Gadzekpo-Amoah, Elaine Attoh, Collins Amegbor and Emmanuel Ato Ghartey.

The performances and enthusiastic approach of all the lead characters will make you feel the passion they have for the jobs they do and the challenges and struggles they have out of work.

Accra Medic is produced by Revele Productions, creators of hit show such as Home Sweet Home and Run Baby Run and promises to keep viewers glued to their seats every Wednesday at 8:30 pm from the 18th of January 2023.

Accra Medic season 2 premieres on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at 8:30 pm on #AkwaabaMagic DStv channel150 and GOtv Supa channel 101.
Parliament, countervailing force for effective governance (2)

daily graphic Opinion Jan - 18 - 2023 , 12:59

Although the 1992 Constitution provided wide powers to Parliament, it is considered to have also limited the institution in many ways. For instance, whereas legislative power is vested in Parliament, Article 108 imposes some restrictions in the area of tax legislation and laws that have financial implications on the Consolidated Fund.

In exercising its power-of-the-purse function, Parliaments Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which examines the audited accounts of government showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure, lacks prosecutorial powers or ability to implement its recommendations.

This is because prosecution is at the instance of the Attorney-General who is an appointee of the Executive branch for which the PAC is exercising oversight.

The constitutional requirement to have majority of ministers selected from among MPs, also limits the legislature.

MPs desire for political favour

Powerful as Parliament is intended to be, it struggles to impose itself as a co-equal branch of government.

Many MPs are unable to be assertive in their parliamentary functions because of individual ambitions to court the executives favour for appointments to ministerial and other positions.

This tends to further entrench what is considered the excessive powers of the Executive President and portray Parliament as subservient to the executive branch.

Some have argued that although the requirement to appoint majority of ministers from Parliament is by itself not the problem, considering that many Westminster-style jurisdictions still function effectively, the personality of those appointed in Ghana becomes the issue, as they are unwilling to stand for principles that are opposite to the interest of the Executive branch.

The Minority Leader described this as an unhealthy loyalty to the executive [which creates] a passive Parliament always ready and wanting to yield to executive influence.

There is also observed, the rather worrying trend where MPs are appointed to Boards of Public Institutions as members or chairpersons of such boards.

This gravely affects their independence when called upon to exercise their oversight responsibilities over such public institutions in Parliament.

Lack of financial autonomy

Although Parliament is vested with the power to approve the National Budget and annually pass the Appropriations Act, the constitutional provisions that require the Executive to determine Parliaments budget, creates constraints that subjects the Legislature to the Executive.

Parliament has consistently complained of being under-resourced and this affects its output.

However, the report of the Constitution Review Commission opined in page 187 that no constitutional amendment to provide more resources to Parliament can be fruitful if Parliament continues to grovel at the feet of the Executive in exchange for political favours.

The processes leading to election of MPs have been found to be one of the reasons why the legislature is unable to live up to its expectations. Securing the ticket of ones political party during party primaries is very expensive.

This gets compounded by the cost of running for the main elections once the internal party processes are over.

Even with the few who are fortunate to be elected as independent MPs, the lack of a deep pocket affects a genuine ambition to serve as the peoples representative.

Research on the Cost of Politics in Ghana, published in 2018 by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) found that on average, candidates needed approximately US$85,000 to successfully compete to become an MP.

This situation has been identified, by Mr Harrison Kofi Belley in his work entitled Parliamentary Turnover in Ghanas Fourth Republic: Perspectives of Members of Parliament as a contributing factor for the high attrition rate in Parliament, as many MPs when elected, focus a lot of time on private businesses to restock their financial vault rather than focus on day-to-day parliamentary business.

Even after elections, MPs continue to bear financial burdens placed on them by their constituents, including being called upon to support funerals, pay school fees of their constituents, cater for hospital bills of party executives, and even privately fund developmental projects such as schools, boreholes among many others.

This affects the efficiency of MPs and is considered a great risk to candidates debt profile and may increase the chances of political corruption and affect MPs ability to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

Human capacity challenge

There are no minimum academic or skill-based qualifications for entry into Parliament, therefore persons of whatever background, once they can garner the most numbers at the party primaries and/or main elections, can become MPs.

This does not only affect the quality of debate on the floor of Parliament, but also the level of human capacity needed for the thematic tasks assigned to various parliamentary committees.

This is considered to contribute to the attrition rate in Parliament. It also affects the pool from which the President can appoint ministers.

Excessive partisanship

Partisanship along the lines of political affiliations, ethnicity and regional allegiance have over the years affected the quality of work in Parliament.

These have impacted the diligence and level of scrutiny exercised during vetting of candidates for national appointments or debates on important matters of public interest.

They get compounded by unnecessary intrusion of political parties in Parliament, as party officials are increasingly dictating the path that MPs must take in their parliamentary decisions, with whips breathing down the necks of individual MPs. In recent times, these have led to unfortunate physical exchanges in the hallowed Chamber of Parliament.

Failure to use powers

In the face of the many powers the Legislature wield, successive Parliaments have failed to draw on these in ways that makes the institution a countervailing force for effective governance.

Until recently, the constitutional authority of Parliament to censure ministers had not been exercised.

When the censure process was triggered in 2022 against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, many applauded about 80 MPs from the ruling NPP when they also called for the head of the minister.

This was however short-lived, as the censure motion failed and the 80 or so MPs made a U-turn on their earlier position, and arguably making a mockery of the resolve of said NPP MPs to follow through with their demands when compared to what happens in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom with their 1922 Committee.

The 1922 Committee is a group of backbenchers in the UK Parliament which provides a platform for them to discuss their views independently of the leadership of Parliament and to hold duty-bearers accountable.

The quality of vetting that Ministers-designate are subjected to, and Parliaments seeming unwillingness to signal to successive Presidents the need to cut down on the number of appointees they submit for approval are other examples.

To this end, MPs join citizens to complain in the media about the huge number of Ministers and Supreme Court Justices, when they have the power to cause the Executive President to pull breaks on these appointments.

It took over two and half decades for Parliament to start admitting Private Members Bills. This ended the culture of leaving the power to set the legislative agenda of State entirely in the hands of the Executive.

Some have however argued that the 7th Parliaments resort to a Resolution to decide to admit Private Members Bills, can be overturned by subsequent Parliaments, hence the need to consider enshrining it by passing a law that clarifies the scope for private members bills.

Parliaments inability to prioritise the adoption and passage of gender-sensitive legislation in conformity with the Constitution has also been sharply criticised.

This is in line with the imperatives of Article 22(2) requiring Parliament to enact legislation regulating the property rights of spouses as soon as practicable.

Parliament conveniently leaving part of its obligations on Loans under Article 181 to the Judiciary to always interpret, remains a concern. How the number dynamics in the current Parliament has not made it possible to stop the Executive from bringing loan agreements to Parliament and demanding their immediate approval without time for the necessary due diligence as has been the case in the past, still beats the imagination of many people.

This is said to have contributed to the debt crisis the country now faces. How Parliament has allowed the ballot snatching and invasion of Parliament by soldiers on January 7, 2021 to go unpunished, including making it possible for people to get away with excuses on who ordered soldiers into the Chamber, is another example.

It is contended that the Executive cannot be blamed for the actions and inactions of the Legislature because there are enough constitutional provisions empowering Parliament to be a countervailing force and provide a balance.

However, Parliament itself fails to be assertive and in most instances, simply yields to Executive influence/dominance.

Recommendations

Many provisions of the 1992 Constitution on the mandate of Parliament are recommended for amendments.

These include amending Article 78(1) to free the hands of Presidents from appointing majority of Ministers from Parliament; amending Article 94 to provide for minimum academic qualifications and skill sets for entry into Parliament; amending Article 11(7) to allow Parliament to reject a Constitutional Instrument or Legislative Instrument by a simple majority and not by the current two-thirds threshold; and amending Article 104(4) to enable secret voting on matters relating to appointments, national security and approval of budgets.

Other structural changes to the Constitution are proposed, including to allow for the regulation of behaviour of Parliament such as to make it possible to have career MPs, hence incentivising people to stay longer there to help positively shape Ghanas legislature.

The suggestion to make the position of Speaker of Parliament one that is held by an MP, and to separate the tenure of the Executive from that of Parliament to make room for the introduction of mid-term elections for some parliamentary seats, have also been considered as steps that may bring some urgency to the work of MPs.

Beyond constitutional changes, it is proposed that due consideration should be given to legislative and administrative changes that may be required to improve Ghanas governance architecture.

This should include a comprehensive review of the Standing Orders of Parliament to provide for the voting records of MPs, better ways to account for MPs attendance, to appraise their performance, and to make MPs and the Institution of Parliament - including the Parliamentary Service - better accountable.

Another area worth a comprehensive relook is the committee system in Parliament. Reforms such as pruning down the number of MPs in each committee, increasing the number of committees chaired by MPs who are not members of the ruling party, and opening up most committee sittings to the public should be prioritised.

Professor Kofi Kumado, in his book, A Handbook of the Constitutional Law of Ghana and its History put it subtly when he argued that [W]hile it may be admitted that Parliament has worked the committee system admirably, it is not an exaggeration to state that more can be done, especially in terms of overseeing the work of the government.

But it is undoubtedly the output of the committees which makes it possible for Parliament to meet many of the targets. However, the lack of visibility in the work of the Committees robs Parliament of much of the credit it should enjoy from the public.

To achieve better dividend from the work of the PAC, it is proposed that prosecution should be pursued to sanction improprieties arising from the Auditor Generals Report.

This could be done in liaison with the Judiciary. Another way is to have the Office of Special Prosecutor to take up all cases arising from Parliaments work on the Auditor Generals report.

Electioneering processes that affect the effective functioning of Parliament should also be evaluated and reformed. This includes proper regulation of campaign financing; creating constituencies based on equal population quotas and not simply to increase the number of seats in Parliament; and relooking at the level of the Presidents involvement in appointing the Chair and members of Electoral Commissioners i.e. reducing the Presidents role and power in making such appointments and increasing Parliaments role in this regard.

Perhaps the current hung Parliament comes at a good time to build broader consensus on matters of national interest. These include taking bold decisions on the conversations around capping the number of Justices at the Supreme Court, mindful of the need to review the law so that some cases terminate at the Court of Appeal to reduce the workload at the apex Court.

Blocking excessive number of ministerial appointments and discouraging ministerial reshuffles without bringing back reshuffled ministers to Parliament for vetting are also worth considering - to prevent the situation where people are vetted with specific focus on serving in a particular ministry, only for them to be moved to other ministries that are completely unrelated in mandate to the ministries their vetting focused on.

Conclusion

After three decades under the 1992 Constitution, it has become clear that it has served the purpose for which its framers designed it  which is to provide political stability to the country.

Newer challenges and occurrences have however exposed the insufficiency of the constitution; hence it is time for a comprehensive and critical review of same to make it a development document.

The twin challenges of creating what has been described as an imperial presidency and an increasingly weakened Parliament that appear to cede its birth right to the Executive, require urgent attention and constitutional actions.

Parliament in recognising that it still has the potential to entrench itself as a countervailing force for the countrys effective governance, must be willing to play a key role in the reform processes. These are necessary to free the institution from the shackles of excessive partisanship that has plagued it.

Our country needs to change for the better, and Parliament is a key stakeholder in that exercise. In the words of John Pym, an English politician who helped establish the foundations of parliamentary democracy, Parliament is to this country that which the soul is to the body. It behoves us therefore to keep the facility of that soul from distemper.
Right to counsel in international law

George Bernard Shaw Opinion Jan - 19 - 2023 , 12:12

It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.  William Blackstone.

An issue that has become vexed over many years is the question of whether persons accused of what many would regard as heinous crimes deserve to be represented by lawyers at trial. This article will attempt to explain, indeed justify why everyone accused of crime, however serious, is entitled to the services of a competent lawyer, in the enquiry of his/her guilt or otherwise in the context of a criminal trial.

William Blackstone, the celebrated English Judge and Jurist, gave the above quotation in his commentaries on the Laws of England, to justify why persons accused of crime deserve adequate and competent legal representation at trial.

In fact, that terse statement has its roots from antiquity  Roman Law. As far as the Byzantine Era, the Justinian Code of the Roman Emperor, Justinian, stated: Rather let the crimes of the guilty go unpunished that condemn the innocent. The same sentiment has been expressed in an 1895 United States of America Supreme Court case.

In furtherance of this hallowed doctrine of law, International law evolved to firmly establish the right to counsel of persons charged with crime. The right to counsel can be found in many of the foundational treaties in international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) for example, provides at Article 14(3) as follows:

Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence and to communicate with counsel of his choice. The European Convention on Human Rights at Article 6(3) (c), and closer to home, the African Charter on Human and People Rights provides the same.

Following good practice in legal representation for persons accused of crime, the 1992 Constitution of Ghana has detailed provisions on the right to counsel and is clearly expressed in the right to fair trial provisions in Article 19. These include but are not limited to the right to counsel, the right to be presumed innocent and the right to have adequate time and facilities in the preparation of a defence.

Rationale of right to counsel

The importance of not convicting innocent persons accused of crime, expressed above, underpins the right to counsel as provided in many of the International treaties alluded to above. International law and a plethora of most modern constitutions have established the right to counsel for accused persons to prevent miscarriage of justice and to prevent the unjust incarceration of innocent persons accused of crime. It is intended to provide persons accused of crime with legal assistance  at trial given that the interpretation and application of law, during criminal trials, are complex and technical, so deserves the involvement of lawyers, who are trained and skilled in such matters.



Challenges of right to counsel

There has often been much brouhaha, indeed hue and cry, exhibited by a section of the populace, including educated persons and even sometimes lawyers, when lawyers undertake to defend persons charged with crime.

A few examples, which by no means, are isolated incidents will be proffered here to highlight the problem.

Recently, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey was arrested by Ghanaians when he took on the case of Aisha Huang.

Similarly, the former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Freddie Blay, was not spared this opprobrium when he took on the alleged accomplices of Huang.

Personally, I was shocked and aghast when I came under intense attack when I took on the mantle of defending those accused of the murder of the late Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama (May his soul rest in peace). Not only was I insulted by a section of Ghanaians on radio and in the press, but I was almost lynched and my car vandalised when the matter first came to court.

Way Forward

There is an urgent need for the populace to be educated on the right of accused persons to be legally represented as established by international law and the constitution. This is because, in my experience, in most cases, the accused persons are acquitted after trial. The Ghana Bar Association, and to a larger extent, the Press, should embark on a campaign to explain to the public, the importance of the right to counsel for everyone charged with crime, however heinous.
Jacinda Ardern: Find out why the New Zealand PM is resigning

International News Jan - 19 - 2023 , 06:36

Jacinda Ardern has announced she will quit as New Zealand prime minister ahead of this year's election, saying she no longer has "enough in the tank" to lead.

Ms Ardern choked up as she detailed how six "challenging" years in the job had taken a toll.

Labour Party MPs will vote to find her replacement on Sunday.

The shock announcement comes as polling indicates the party faces a difficult path to re-election on 14 October.

Ms Ardern, 42, said she had taken time to consider her future over the summer break, hoping to find the heart and energy to go on in the role.

"But unfortunately I haven't, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue," she told reporters on Thursday.

Ms Ardern will step down by 7 February. If no would-be successor garners the support of two-thirds of the party room, the vote will go to Labour's lay membership.

Ms Ardern became the youngest female head of government in the world when she was elected prime minister in 2017, aged 37.

And a year later she became the second elected world leader to ever give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

She steered New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic and its ensuing recession, the Christchurch mosque shootings, and the White Island volcanic eruption.

Ms Ardern said the past five-and-a-half years had been the "most fulfilling" of her life, but leading the country during "crisis" had been difficult.

"These events... have been taxing because of the weight, the sheer weight and continual nature of them. There's never really been a moment where it's ever felt like we were just governing."

National Party leader Chris Luxon was among those who thanked Ms Ardern "for her service to New Zealand".

"She has given her all to this incredibly demanding job," the opposition leader wrote on Twitter.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Ms Ardern as a leader of intellect, strength and empathy.

"Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me," he wrote.

Canada's leader Justin Trudeau said she had made an "immeasurable" difference to the world.

But while Ms Ardern was often seen as a political star globally, opinion polls suggest she was increasingly unpopular at home.

She led the Labour Party to a landslide election victory in 2020, capitalising on her government's strong early response to the pandemic.

But the latest opinion polls put her personal popularity at its lowest since she was elected, and approval of her party's performance similarly low.

In 2022, Ms Ardern told the BBC her declining popularity was the price her government had paid for keeping people safe from Covid-19.

However, she has also been confronted with a cost-of-living crisis, national fears about crime, and a backlog of election promises put off during the pandemic.

Reaction to her announcement has been varied. One local from her own Auckland electorate told the NZ Herald Ms Ardern was "running away before getting thrown out", blaming her for increased crime and rising living costs.

For others, like Auckland Pride's Max Tweedie, she is "one of the greatest prime ministers in New Zealand's history".

Those are sentiments shared by New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who said Ms Ardern had faced "disgraceful" treatment from "bullies" and "misogynists".

"She deserved so much better," the Jurassic Park star wrote on Twitter.

But Ms Ardern stressed that she was not resigning because she and the party were unpopular.

"I am not leaving because I believe we can't win the election but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge."

Contenders for the job are yet to emerge, but several MPs - including deputy leader Grant Robertson - have ruled themselves out of the contest.

Ms Ardern listed her government's achievements on climate change, social housing and reducing child poverty as ones she was particularly proud of.

But she said she hoped her legacy in New Zealand would be "as someone who always tried to be kind".

"I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when it's time to go," she said.
3 Nurses blow GH173,517 study leave cash - PAC calls for prosecution of guarantors

Emmanuel Bonney & Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Jan - 19 - 2023 , 06:56

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed the managements of three hospitals to lodge a complaint with the police for the arrest of guarantors of three former staff who have failed to honour their bonds after receiving support from the facilities to study abroad.

The Chairman of the PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, gave the directive yesterday at the committee sitting in Accra.

That, he said, would compel the beneficiaries to refund all money spent on their studies by the state.

Every year, we have this, especially in the universities, we spend government money on them but they go and do not come back, Dr Klutse Avedzi lamented.

The former staff were from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and the Nkawie-Toase Hospital in the Asanti Region.

Dr Avedzi further suggested that the facilities should rather accept bank guarantees against the sponsored staff because individual guarantors were not sufficient.

Next time look for bank guarantee before you spend on somebody, they should go to the bank and get a guarantee so that if they dont return, we take the money from the bank, he said.

Korle Bu

In response to the infraction cited by the committee, the KBTH led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Opoku Oware Ampomah, explained that the nurse, Anita Okyere Darko, was sponsored by the state to go for further studies in Nursing in the United States of America (USA) but refused to return upon completion.

The Deputy Director of Human Resources of the hospital, Ebenezer Prince Arhin further noted that the hospital, after spending GH84,000 on her studies, had already reached out to her two guarantors through a series of letters but they also refused to respond.

So our legal unit is going to start the process to get them to stand in for the student since they guaranteed for her, Dr Ampomah added.

Accra Psychiatric

With regards to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the former employee, Benjamin Nyarko, who was a nurse, was sponsored by the hospital to school in the country but left for the United Kingdom (UK) without completing his housemanship.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Pinamang Apau, said the management of the hospital had already made efforts to reclaim the GH42,517.00 spent on his studies.

That, he said, they were doing by writing to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) to help them recover the amount.

They could not get far so they advised us to write to EOCO and take legal action as well and we have done that, she added.

Nkawie-Toaso

In response to the infraction concerning an unearned salary of GH47,000 at the Nkawie-Toaso Government Hospital, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, explained that the employee, Roland Adjei, was given study leave but it was later found out that he never attended any training.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said Mr Adjei, who was currently not in the country, had, however, objected, through his lawyer, the services claims disputing that the salary was earned.

We are chasing the guarantors but he has made his lawyer respond disputing the fact that it is not an unearned salary, he said.

To curb such a menace, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the service was now requesting semester reports from state sponsored students to ensure they actually used the study leaves.
A-G bares teeth at tax evaders - Warns culprits will face the law

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Jan - 19 - 2023 , 10:39

Companies that under-declare their incomes and also use other dubious means to evade taxes will face the full rigours of the law, the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has warned.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, he said tax evasion, avoidance and under-declaration of income were pervasive in the country, a situation that robbed the state of crucial revenue for development.

I think we have a tax evasion problem as a country. Our system of monitoring and even the manner in which accounting is done and how businesses are not captured within the tax net lead itself to tax evasion, Mr Dame said.

He mentioned the legal profession as one industry that was a big culprit of tax evasion, adding that some lawyers collected all sorts of fees without paying taxes on them.

While encouraging lawyers to be good citizens and pay taxes in line with their oath, the A-G said his office would not hesitate to prosecute any lawyer found wanting for evading tax.

Collaboration

Mr Dame said his outfit was collaborating with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and other agencies to ensure that companies that short-changed the country in the payment of taxes were legally made to honour their tax obligations.

The collaboration, he explained, involved the A-Gs Department reviewing and examining tax cases from the GRA, as well as giving legal support to help the GRA effectively discharge its mandate.

The Attorney-General said it was such multi-sectoral collaboration that led to the Chief Justice establishing a special tax court to help in the speedy adjudication of tax cases.

Already, he said, such collaborations had led to the retrieval of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes from non-tax compliant companies, especially those in the extractive sector.

We are already prosecuting such entities and very soon we will prosecute other companies no matter how big they are. It is up to the companies to either pay or face prosecution, he said.

Mr Dame explained that when tax assessments were made, usually companies were given time to pay.

If they do not pay, we will have recourse under the tax and criminal laws of the country to ensure recovery of the money, the A-G pointed out.

Battle over tax

The comments by the principal legal advisor to the government come on the back of a recent spat between the GRA and some multilateral companies over the issue of payment of taxes.

On January 11, this year the GRA slapped telecommunication giant, MTN with a GH8.21 billion tax liability. The assessment includes penalties and interest charges.

The tax assessment followed an audit by GRA on MTN Ghana for the period 2014-2018, using a third-party consultant as well as a new methodology based on call data records (CDR), recharges and other data.

The audit, which commenced in 2019, had the objective to give assurance on the reliability and completeness of revenues declared by MTN Ghana for the purpose of tax computation for the period 2014 to 2018.

In its response, the telecommunication company challenged the assessment by the GRA, saying that it was a tax compliant citizen with absolute commitment to transparency and good corporate governance.

"MTN strongly disputes the accuracy and basis of the Assessment, including the methodology used in conducting the audit, the company said in a press release on January 13.

In a rebuttal, the GRA has disputed the assertions by MTN and explained that the tax assessment was based on due process, transparency and fairness.

GRA followed due process in serving a Notice of Assessment and has engaged MTN Ghana as required by Law to ensure that it communicates the basis of assessment as well as the several avenues available for objection as required in Section 42 of the Revenue Administration Act, the revenue administration body said.

Prosecution

In October last year, the GRA announced that 48 business entities across the country were being prosecuted for allegedly evading taxes and failing to issue Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices on purchase of goods and services.

Per Section 80 of the Revenue Administration Act 2016 (Act 915), an entity supposed to pay tax but fails to pay tax commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction.

The punishment for such an offence is a fine of up to GHC24,000 and to a year of imprisonment of up to a year.

Act 915 also allows the Commissioner General of the GRA or a person acting on his behalf to make a tax assessment for any entity and imposes the necessary taxes supposed to have been paid by that entity in addition to penalties and interests on the tax

Supreme Court decision

The GRA has recently been emboldened in its tax assessments mandate following a Supreme Court decision which affirmed a legal provision that makes it mandatory for taxpayers dissatisfied with a tax assessment by the GRA to pay 30 per cent of the tax before challenging its legality.

In a unanimous decision on November 30, last year, the seven-member panel of the apex court dismissed a suit filed by one Richard Amo-Hene challenging the constitutionality of the said law.

Known as the pay now, argue later rule, Section 42(5) (b) of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915) stipulates that before a taxpayer can challenge a tax assessment by the GRA, the person must pay at least 30 per cent of the tax in dispute.

It specifically states that an objection against a tax decision shall not be entertained unless the person has in the case of other taxes, paid all outstanding taxes including 30 per cent of the tax in dispute.

What this means is that the GRA will not hear any appeal challenging its decision for an entity to pay tax unless that entity had first paid at least 30 per cent of the taxes as stipulated under Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915.
Agradaa's lawyer charged for assaulting police officer and obstructing arrest

Justice Agbenorsi Jan - 19 - 2023 , 20:08

The police have arrested and charged Nana Agradaa's lawyer, for verbally assaulting police officers who were in the process of arresting Agradaa in a different matter.

According to the prosecution, Theophilus Donkor, rained insults on a female police officer and used abusive words such as "you are idiot, stupid police woman, you did not know your left from right" among others.

The lawyer has been slapped with counts of assault on public officer and offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace.

His plea, was however, reserved by the court, presided over by Rosemond Baah Tosu when he was arraigned Thursday (Jan 19, 2023).

This is because, the lawyer has filed a motion challenging the authority of the police that arrested him.

He is arguing that personnel from the Cantonments Police Station, that arrested him, did not have the authority to arrest him because the alleged crime was committed at Accra Metropolitan Assembly, a jurisdiction outside the operations of the Cantonments police division.

Agradaas latest arrest

Police sources have confirmed that the Founder of Heaven Way Champion International Ministry, Patricia Asieduaa Koranteng, was re-arrested at the forecourt of the Accra Circuit Court by officers of the Ghana Police Service when she appeared for one of her cases.

Information available indicates that the arrest related to a case she has with a pastor by name Appiah Biblical.

Agradaa is currently before two circuit courts in Accra on counts of defrauding by false pretences and charlatanic advertisement in the media.
BECE 2022 results to be released January 25

GraphicOnline Jan - 19 - 2023 , 18:33

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that the results for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School and Private Candidates, 2022, will be released on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

The Ministry of Educations Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kwasi Kwarteng had in an earlier interview said the results would be released on January 19 but the Council in a statement issued today said it was currently conducting post-examination activities having successfully conducted the examination at 2,023 centres and completed co-ordination and marking exercises.

A total of 553,408 candidates, including 1,132 private candidates, wrote the examination, which ended on Friday, October 21, 2022.

WAEC urges suspected cheats to respond to invitations

It said investigations were ongoing into examination irregularity cases detected during and after the conduct of the examination.

"For a quick resolution of malpractice cases, the Council appeals to affected school authorities and candidates to respond with dispatch to its invitation," the statement said.

"Candidates are informed that their refusal to honour such invitations shall not impede the Council from making a final determination on the cases in question.

"The Council urges the public to disregard all information circulating on social media indicating that the results have been released, among others. Parents and candidates should remain calm as the Council works towards the release of results".

Read the entire statement below;

PRESS STATEMENT

BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (BECE) FOR SCHOOL AND PRIVATE CANDIDATES, 2022

UPDATE ON THE RELEASE OF RESULTS

The West African Examinations Council wishes to inform the public about the date for the release of results for the BECE for School and Private Candidates, 2022.

Having successfully conducted the examination at 2,023 centres and completed Co- ordination and Marking exercises, the Council is far advanced with post-examination activities.

Investigations are ongoing into examination irregularity cases detected during and after the conduct of the examination. For a quick resolution of malpractice cases, the Council appeals to affected school authorities and candidates to respond with dispatch to its invitation. Candidates are informed that their refusal to honour such invitations shall not impede the Council from making a final determination on the cases in question.

The Council urges the public to disregard all information circulating on social media indicating that the results have been released, among others.

The target date for the release of results for the BECE for both School and Private Candidates, 2022 is Wednesday, 25th January, 2023.

Parents and candidates should remain calm as the Council works towards the release of results.
Devt economist urges govt to go for debt cancellation

Mohammed Fugu Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:09

A DEVELOPMENT Economist at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr Michael Ayamga, has said the country will find it difficult to emerge from the current economic crisis if a large proportion of its debt was not cancelled or suspended for a longer period by international creditors.

He said with a debt of about $28.4 billion, the nation could not get out of the economic woes even with the implementation of a debt restructuring programme.

According to the lecturer, the surest way out was for the Breton Woods Institutions and other multilateral debt holders to forgive Ghanas debt or suspend debt payment for a longer period.

There is no way we can restructure debt out of this problem. We are currently more burdened in terms of debt than we were when we went to HIPC.

So there is no way we can completely grow ourselves out of this without some significant proportion of the debt going, Dr Ayamga added.

He said although many countries had succeeded with the debt restructuring programme, the government needed to push for debt forgiveness to allow for the fast recovery of the ailing economy.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tamale yesterday, Dr Ayamga, who is also the Director of the West African Center for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT) at UDS, further opined that the $15.9b held by the Breton Woods Institutions, multilateral countries and others should, as a necessity, be written off or frozen for a very long time.

Debt restructuring

The government is in the process of restructuring the countrys domestic and external debts to attain debt sustainability.

It forms part of processes towards achieving the International Monetary Funds Management level and Board approval for a $3b extended credit facility from the fund.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on December 19, 2022, announced the suspension of all debt service payments under certain categories of the nations external debt, pending restructuring of the affected obligations.

This was after a similar announcement on domestic debt exchange on December 5, 2022.

The nation subsequently reached a Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the Breton Woods Institution, pending board approval.

And as a precondition, the government must secure the approval of its creditors.

Following that, the government said all bondholders would not receive any interest on their bonds for the 2023 financial year.

However, since its announcement in December 2022, several experts, bodies and individual bondholders have kicked against the programme.

Engagements

Dr Ayamga further called for more dialogue, saying, the government must engage deeply with the bond holders for them to better understand the programme and also be transparent for consensus building.

For now, what the government is doing is forcing its way to implement the programme and it is not even guaranteed that we will recover now, he said.

While calling for the immediate suspension of the programme for thorough dialogue with stakeholders, he also said that the debt exchange programme in its current form would create extreme hardships for many people and financial institutions.
Dikan Centre to help build modernised African economy

Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Jan - 18 - 2023 , 18:48

The Founder of Dikan Center, Paul Ninson, has expressed his commitment to sharpen the identity of African creative arts industry through visual education in building a modernised African economy.

At Dikan, we are setting a vibration power and momentum to use the tools of visual education to bring into riches the continents creative  visual arts industry into fine form and commercial viability.

We are determined never to leave behind any person, idea, history, culture and concept and facility necessary in reimagining and firming the place of visual education in building a modernised African economy, he said.

Speaking at the launch of Dikan Center in Accra, Mr Ninson explained that for centuries, African history, culture and society lacked a central thesis for transforming its potential into a commercially viable creative-visual-arts workforce; this is the decade of the continents concept creation and concept realisation.



Dikan Center

The visual education center which is Africas first photo library has a photo studio and classrooms space for workshops as well as an exhibition space to host regular shows.

Located at the South La Estate, the centre, which houses more than 30,000 books collected by its Founder, seeks to promote visual and photographic education and accelerate the development of the country.

Mr Ninson said the opening of the centre forms part of his vision to support the youth to achieve their dreams through photography and filmmaking.

He said the centre has a Black book room, space resources documenting black visuals spanning generations of Africa to foster accessibility of books and resources dedicated to Africans.

The 2020 Running Mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang, who was the guest speaker commended Mr Ninson for such an initiative which would help Ghanaians, especially the youth, to discover their dreams.

She said the centre will not only give an opportunity for the youth to learn photography and filmmaking but photographers and filmmakers to exhibit their products too.
Domestic Debt Exchange: Pray for Ken Ofori-Atta - Christian Council urges churches

Kweku Zurek Jan - 19 - 2023 , 16:44

The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has urged all churches in the country to pray for the managers of the Ghanaian economy especially the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta for God's wisdom and direction regarding the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

In a press release issued today (January 19, 2022), the Council also urged the government to suspend the January 31, 2023, deadline given to individuals to sign on to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and rather engage stakeholders to make the process acceptable to all.

The Council believes that thorough engagements with stakeholders would help the government to appreciate the concerns of the Ghanaian people and put measures in place to address some of the challenges of the program.

"The CCG also wants to encourage the media to be diligent with reportage on the debt restructuring program and ensure that they speak to professionals on the matter to avoid false information that would further heighten the already situation of fear and panic in the country," the release said.

"The leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana will continue to pray for the managers of our economy, especially the finance minister, for God's wisdom and direction in this and we urge all churches to do same".

The CCG further encouraged the media to be diligent with reportage on the debt restructuring program and ensure that they speak to professionals on the matter to avoid false information that would further heighten the already situation of fear and panic in the country.

"As an advocacy group that speaks for the vulnerable in the society, the Council has examined the concerns of the Individual Bond Holders Association of Ghana (IBHAG), the Pensioner Bondholders Forum, our church members and the general public and have identified lapses in the debt restructuring programme, a major one being lack of consultation with affected individuals and institutions," the statement said.

"With the current economic hardships in the country and the agitations among the general public, it is in the nation's interest for the Finance Ministry to suspend the 31st January deadline given to individuals to sign on to the program and rather propose a road map for dialogue to make the process participatory such that the outcome would be acceptable to all".

"The Council believes that thorough engagements with stakeholders would help the government to appreciate the concerns of the Ghanaian people and put measures in place to address some of the challenges of the program".
GJA expresses concern over delay in arresting killers of Ahmed Suale

Justice Agbenorsi Jan - 19 - 2023 , 10:53

THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has expressed worry over the inability of the state to arrest and prosecute the killers of Ahmed Suale.

We are saddened by the deafening silence and lack of action by state authorities responsible for law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of Ahmed Hussein Suale's murder to book.

The media fraternity and human rights activists are bitterly worried that four years after the assailants dastardly snatched the budding life of Ahmed, the law enforcement agencies are yet to officially inform the nation and the family of their investigations.

As an association, we find the delay in arresting the killers of Ahmed Suale as a blot on the security agencies, a statement issued by the GJA said last Tuesday.

Murder

Ahmed Suale, 31, an investigative journalist, worked with Tiger Eye PI, the investigative firm established by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, known for its use of undercover journalistic methods to expose corruption and other ills in society.

His murder in Accra in January 2019, sent shock waves across the media landscape and scared many journalists, who openly expressed fear for their lives.

That singular incident changed the face of investigative journalism in the country and suppressed the nations long touted safe environment for the practice of journalism.

It also highlighted other attacks on journalists by a section of the public in the discharge of their duties and amplified discussions on the safety of journalists in the country.

Before the murder, Ghana was ranked first in Africa on the annual Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index for 2018, and 23rd out of 180 countries, but the nation has since lost its top position after the murder.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, at a forum organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa, also expressed concern over the delay in arresting the perpetrators.

Also at the Annual GJA Dinner Night on December 21, 2022, in Accra, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, gave an assurance that the murderers would be brought to book.

Concerns

The statement further said that although the association had in the past engaged the Police Administration and other key stakeholders on the murder, it appears the case is gradually being pushed into the files of cold cases; this is unfortunately unacceptable.

The association, therefore, called on the police to expedite action on the case.

We wish to assure all journalists and the family of Ahmed Suale that the GJA stands with them in this trying moment and will continue to ensure that justice is served in the interest of the family of Ahmed Suale and the nation to put closure to the case, the statement added.
Jospong Group owes its success to God - Siaw Agyepong

GraphicOnline Jan - 18 - 2023 , 18:30

The Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Mr Joseph Siaw Agyepong has attributed the success story of his business conglomerate to God.

According to Mr Siaw Agyepong, God has been his guide and pillar throughout the JGC's journey so far.

The JGC, he contended, is founded on the principles of God and people, stressing that the group's "primary goal is to improve the lives of people."

Mr Siaw Agyepong was speaking at the opening of the 2023 Jospong Leadership Conference (JLC) on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.

The five-day conference, which has in attendance over 1,000 directors, managers, senior officers and other staff members of JGC, is themed: People, Process & Performance -- The Pathway to Success in a Turbulent Market."

This year's conference marks the 10th anniversary of the JLC series.

Mr Siaw Agyepong indicated that throughout his business life, he has consistently seen that the God factor triumph over all challenges, adding "I am always grateful to God."

"When I face any challenges, I go down on my knees with my wife and pray and God has been so good to us. We feel so blessed by God Almighty," he said.

The mission of the JGC, he said, is to be the leading environmental sanitation management company in Africa, with its vision aimed at "improving the lives of people and their environment."

In this regard, he encouraged his staff members to be prayerful in all endeavours and to work hard to improve the lot of people.

Recounting how far the JLC has come since its inception in 2013, the Executive Chairman of JGC said the leadership conference started as retreats.

"It is amazing how time flies. Ten years ago, specifically in 2013, we started this journey in the form of retreats at the Presbyterian Womens Centre, Abokobi, Accra. The first retreat was held in January with the theme: Seeking Gods guidance on the perfect will of God, and the second in July under the theme; Lets Build Together.

"The objective was to discuss our plans and activities for the year. It was attended by many employees and stakeholders from all over the country. And the keynote speaker was the then Managing Director for Stanbic Bank, Chief Alhassan Andani," he recalled.

The outcome of the retreats, Mr Siaw Agyepong noted, led to the creation of the Group Office and many other remarkable achievements.

"The 2013 January and July retreats thus became a defining moment for the Group," he stressed.

He seized the opportunity to commend, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for his leadership guidance and support for the group.

He was equally full of praise for the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and others within the group's operational activities, and all the staff members of JGC for their hard work and sacrifices.

"We have come this far because of the critical role played by every staff of JGC," he asserted.

The Guest Speaker, Reverend Sam Adeyemi, a Nigerian clergyman and motivational speaker, in a presentation christened: "Celebrating the Champions in People", said transformational leaders empower employees with praise and appreciation.

He said there was nothing like a "perfect employee" in this world, insisting that leaders must rather leverage the skills and talents of people.

"Leadership is not about titles and egos but one that must make champions in the people," he said

According to the man of God, a leader must help people to overcome fear, low-self esteem, complacency, self-doubt, bad attitude and procrastination.

"When you are a leader avoid speaking negative things about your people," he advised.
Make Ghana your business destination: President to UAE investors

daily graphic Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:03

PRESIDENT Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged investors, especially those in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to make Ghana their first destination when venturing into Africa for business.

That, he explained, was because the country remained the best place to do business in West Africa and since 2017, the government had put in place measures needed to reduce the cost of doing business.

Ghana is also the preferred destination for a perfect blend of mineral resource potential, stable regulatory environment, favourable fiscal regime, and socially responsive mining in Africa, the President added.

He was speaking at the UAE-Ghana Business Forum on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week last Tuesday.

Measures

The President added that measures implemented by the government over the years had not only made the country one of the most business-friendly economies in Africa, but also one of the fastest growing economies in the world between the period 2017- 2020, averaging seven per cent GDP annual rate of growth, up from the 3.4 per cent rate it inherited in 2016.

He further said that the government had been working to restore the nation onto the path of high growth rates experienced prior to the onset of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war.

According to President Akufo-Addo, Ghanas decision to seek support of the IMF was in the short term to repair its public finances and give credibility to its balance of payments which had taken a severe hit in very recent times as a result of the global challenges.

I am confident that we will emerge from this with a stronger and more resilient economy, and advance towards our goal of reaching a Ghana Beyond Aid, he added.

President Akufo-Addo also said that gold remained one of the pillars of the economy and continued to hold its own as a commodity and a financial asset, adding that by far, it was the most commercially exploited mineral in the country, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the nations mineral revenue.

Indeed, in recent times until 2021, Ghana was the largest producer of gold in Africa and was 6th in the world. We are also major producers of bauxite and manganese, and are, indeed, the 3rd largest producers of these two minerals in Africa, he said.

The President also said that recently, Ghana had been placed on the global map as one of the few countries that had made significant discoveries of lithium, graphite and iron ore in significant quantities.

Furthermore, he said, the country was working towards a net zero emission target as it collaborated with other relevant stakeholders in employing climate-friendly technologies and practices to achieve a maximum development impact.

The potential created offers considerable opportunities for UAE investors who possess the capacity to generate value-added benefits through partnership with local companies, President Akufo-Addo added.

He said the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006 (Act 703) was supported by regulations passed in 2012, including some few amendments and introductions.

Beacon of democracy

The President further said that with Ghana considered a beacon of stability in Africa with a modern democratic system of governance, an independent Judiciary and a strong attachment to the rule of law we are determined to make the country an example of rapid economic growth within the context of a well-developed market economy.

We, therefore, welcome greatly your contributions to this endeavour, President Akufo-Addo added.
Man arrested with fake currency at Aflao

Emelia Ennin Abbey Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:28

A 57-year-old man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle fake currency with a supposed value of CFA80 million into the country through an unapproved route at Aflao near the Ghana-Togo border.

The amount is equivalent to GH1.5 million.

The suspect, identified as Aremu Timothy Adeyboyegu, was arrested while he was a pillion rider on a motorbike he was using to cross into Ghana.

The money was found in a backpack he was carrying, which also contained CFA843,000 and 110,500 naira in genuine notes.

He was arrested by personnel of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority with support from the Ghana Immigration Service, the Narcotics Control Commission, the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service involved in border management at the Aflao- Ghana border.

Arrest

The Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, said the suspect was arrested about 4 p.m. last Tuesday during the divisions surveillance operations.

He said he would be handed over to the police for prosecution depending on the outcome of the investigation.

He said the suspect breached the law on proper declaration of money, and that he would be charged for attempting to circulate fake currency in Ghana.

He added that the action of the suspect might have other criminal implications, and "if there is a need to contact our Nigerian counterparts and other security agencies in the sub-region, we will do so".

He said in line with the law, "goods must come to Ghana through the approved route and must be declared to the customs officials who would demand if the person needs a permit or licence, or will intercept them if they are banned goods".

Investigations, he said, would also determine if the money the suspect was carrying was proceeds from other crimes.

"Investigations will help establish how the money was printed, who printed it and who he was bringing it to in Ghana. It takes some degree of knowledge to know a currency is fake, and most traders might not pay attention to some security details on a currency unless they take it into a bank or an institution that has a system for detecting fake currency," he said.
Oil palm expansion project takes off in Ho West District 200 Farmers

Alberto Mario Noretti Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:20

Ho West District Department of Agriculture is raising 20,000 seedlings this year for its oil palm expansion project.

The project which will cover a total of 2,000 acres will involve 200 farmers in Dzolo, Awudome, Dededo and other communities.

The District Director of Agriculture, Seth Rashid Asuo, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at Dzolo-Kpuita, the district capital, yesterday.

It is encouraging to note that 30 per cent of the farmers are women, he said.

Mr Asuo said the production of the mass seedlings was taking place solely at the Dzolo-Kpuita nursery, adding that they would be sold to the farmers at a subsidised price.

Ready markets

According to him, the oil palm expansion project would be carried out in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) to ensure ready markets for the produce.

Mr Asuo said there were highly bright prospects for the project with guaranteed economic yields in four years.

He said the project targeted ready markets in Europe in the preference markets in the United States of America due to the proximity of the former.

Meanwhile, Mr Asuo said Nigeria was also a potential lucrative market for the produce.

The oil palm extension project will definitely transform the lives of the people in the Ho West District and even beyond, he added

The District Director of Agriculture said the highly fertile soils in the area would ensure huge harvests of oil palm and decent incomes for the farmers.

Meanwhile, Mr Asuo said a modern palm oil processing plant had been installed at the border community of Honuta to process the oil palm for export.

He was silent on the production capacity of the plant but said it was a major breakthrough for the project. The test running of the plant is taking place now, Mr Asuo said.

Cashew

In a related development, he said, a community cashew production for export project was set to take off in the Abutia enclave.

He said 37 farmers had been recruited and the 45,000 seedlings were being produced for that project.

When contacted, the Volta Regional Director of GEPA, Chris Amponsah Sackey, described the project as highly viable and gave an assurance that GEPA would constantly be in touch with the farmers to identify and promptly address their specific needs on the project, to ensure its success.
PAC refers 26 health agencies for prosecution

Emmanuel Bonney & Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Jan - 19 - 2023 , 07:13

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has referred 26 budget management centres (BMCs) under the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to the Attorney General for prosecution.

The centres failed to adhere to the procurement law, the Auditor-Generals Report for 2021 alleges.

The Chairman of the PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, gave the directive at its sitting in Accra yesterday.

Straight forward

The chairman said the issue was straightforward as the 26 institutions procured goods and services without obtaining alternative price quotations which was a breach of the Procurement Act.

"So we are referring the 26 BMCs to the Attorney General for possible prosecution," he said.

When the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, asked Dr Avedzi to provide clarification on his ruling, the PAC chairman, on the other hand, asked of which further clarification again since the BMCs had broken the Procurement Law and needed to be prosecuted.

No power

"This committee has no power to prosecute, it is the Attorney General that has the power to prosecute so we are referring you to the Attorney General," he said.

In his reaction, Mr Agyeman Manu said some of the infractions could be as a result of persons who might not have done procurement.

However, he said the ministry was strengthening "supervision and oversight to make sure that this thing is brought to the barest minimum".

He described the ruling as harsh and pleaded that the chair would temper justice with mercy so that they would be more careful, going forward.

Situation

Under the situation, the minister said, not much money was lost but Dr Avedzi said the risk was very high and so the minister could not conclude that money was not lost.

"In other words, the plea you are making can be made at the courts," he said.

Responding to a question on 202 institutions, units and staff that had defaulted in the payment of loans to the tune of GH3,090,000, the Financial Controller of the Ministry of Health, Daniel Azubila, said between 2005 and 2015, the ministry decided to motivate health workers.

Support

That, he said, was by supporting them with vehicles in the form of loans to keep them in the country.

"That was the objective," he emphasised, adding that the best approach was to link the repayment through the controller so it could be deducted from their salaries.

Later, he said it was realised that most of the beneficiaries had taken loan which would have reduced their legibility to qualify for the loans.

Mr Azubila said given that the deductions were not done by the controller, they were asked to pay through their banks.

Repayment

However, he said, because the repayment was not through the controller, it was difficult recovering the loans as they could decide when to pay.

So far, he said an amount of GH765,284.74 had been recovered and had furnished the auditors with the information.

Asked whether or not all the beneficiaries were staff of the ministry, he said there was a category of them who died, another group went on retirement with majority of them still in the system spread across the country.

Sitting continues today.
Bolgatanga Regional Hospital cries for dialysis centre

Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Health Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:50

Fifteen out of 30 patients with kidney failure conditions at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital passed away last year, a Physician Specialist at the hospital, Dr Emmanuel Akatibo, has disclosed.

He said due to the lack of a dialysis centre at the hospital, the patients, who were at the end stage of the disease, could only be referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for the treatment, but all of them passed away.

Since I started working in the hospital in March 2022 as the only Physician Specialist, the hospital has recorded more than 30 kidney failure cases, made up of chronic and acute kidney failures where the patients needed either a long-term renal replacement therapy or short course of dialysis to allow time for the kidneys to recover, Dr Akatibo said.

Dr Akatibo, therefore, appealed through the Daily Graphic for the establishment of a dialysis centre at the hospital to provide services for kidney conditions.

The regional hospital is a major referral facility which receives cases from across the 15 municipalities and districts in the region.

The hospital also receives cases from the North-East Region and neighbouring Togo and Burkina Faso.

Dr Akatibo said: What is very worrying is the fact that some of the patients who reported to the hospital were very young unlike the notion that the disease affected only the elderly some of whom needed kidney transplant to survive.

He noted that referring kidney patients to the TTH was bothersome to the patients because of the attendant cost, distance, budget for an accompanying relative, among other inconveniences.

When the kidney patients are referred to the TTH, they feel that they have been sentenced to death, he said.

Dr Akatibo said a patient had to go through three dialysis sessions a week at GH350 per session aside from other medical expenses.

He explained that some of the patients could not continue paying for treatment, and died along the way, while those who pressed on were compelled to reduce the recommended three times of treatment a week to either once every week or once every two weeks.

A patients inability to adhere to the three times a week dialysis treatment made it very difficult to achieve optimum treatment, which often worsened their condition, he explained.



Staffing

Dr Akatibo indicated that the hospital already had the critical human resource to manage a dialysis centre.

He said the hospital already had critical care nurses, physician specialists with interest in kidney diseases and other medical officers who could effectively manage the dialysis centre.

Dr Akatibo said setting up a dialysis centre was capital intensive, saying looking at the prevailing economic situation in the country, it would be very difficult for the government to solely fund it.

He, therefore, appealed to individuals, corporate entities, religious bodies and benevolent outfits to help the hospital establish the centre to serve kidney patients.
Captain Smart outdoored as CPP member

Delali Sika Politics Jan - 19 - 2023 , 19:35

The Convention People's Party (CPP) has outdoored radio presenter Captain Smart as a member of the party in line with plans to reactivate the energies of some prominent Ghanaians towards the "Grand Mobilisation Drive" of the party.

He was unveiled by leaders of the CPP at the party headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra today (Jan 19, 2023) .

The chairperson of the CPP, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa led the event, which she said was an occasion for the party to "reactivate the energies of some prominent Ghanaians towards the Grand Mobilisation Drive".

Captain Smart whose real name is Blessed Godsbrain Smart, at the ceremony said he first joined the party in 2006 and contested the Ashanti Regional Chairman position in 2007 but lost.

The outspoken radio presenter, said he was an inactive member but after 16 years of inactiveness, he was now reviving his membership.

Smart is the host of the radio programme Onua Maakye, which is aired simultaneously on television on Onua TV and on radio on Onua FM, both media outlets under Media General group.

In a speech, he said the decision to reactivate his membership of the CPP was long over due.

"I am happy to be home and it feels good. There is no going back. I am back to contribute my quota, bringing all my experiences so that together, we can make Ghana great," he said.

He was given his membership card at the event.
NDC fixes GH500,000 as filing fee for presidential primary

Kester Aburam Korankye Politics Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:44

THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) has fixed the filing fee for its presidential primary at GH500,000.

The parliamentary primary fee has also been pegged at GH40,000.

Furthermore, nomination forms for the presidential and parliamentary primaries are going for GH30,000 and GH5,000, respectively.

Both the presidential and the parliamentary primaries would be held concurrently on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

It is the final leg of internal elections to elect a flag bearer and 276 Parliamentary Candidates to lead the party into the 2024 election.

Timetable

Announcing the timetable for the elections at a press conference held in Accra yesterday, the General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, said the two elections would be held on the same day in all the voting centres in the 276 constituencies including Santrokofi Akpafu Likpe and Lolobi (SALL), and the NDC headquarters would also constitute a voting centre, Mr Kwetey said.

Present at the press conference were the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah; National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi; Member of the NDC legal team, Baba Jamal, and former flag bearer aspirant, Sylvester Mensah among other leading members of the party.

Per the timetable, nominations for aspiring parliamentary candidates would open on February 22 to 24 to make room for interested persons to pick nomination forms via the NDC website at a cost of GH5000 which must be paid via Mobile Money.

Although nomination for presidential candidates would also commence on February 22 to 24, interested candidates are required to pick nomination forms directly from the office of the General Secretary of the party and pay a fee of GH30,000 via bankers draft.

However, female aspirants and persons with physical disabilities would be required to pay only 50 per cent of the fee charged.

Aspiring presidential and parliamentary candidates would be required to submit the completed forms between March 20 to 22 before vetting would commence on March 27 to 29.

There would also be a window for appeals on the outcome of the vetting process between March 30 to April 6 before the election on May 13.

Qualification

To qualify to become a parliamentary candidate aspirant, Mr Kwetey said a person must first satisfy the 1992 Constitutions requirements for Members of Parliament.

The individual must also be a paid up member of the NDC in good standing and must not be a dual citizen or owe allegiance to any other country aside from Ghana.

With regard to flag bearer aspirants, the NDC General Secretary explained that persons interested must be members of the NDC for at least 10 years and in good standing and also satisfy the 1992 Constitutions requirement for a President.

Electoral college

Mr Kwetey explained that an electoral college would be constituted by the party to elect the flag bearer.

The college, he said, would comprise executive members of the party from the branch to the national level.

It would also include Members of the NDC parliamentary group, former MPs who are members of the party, former presidential staffers, former members of the Council of State who are members of the NDC and former Ambassadors who are members of the party.
NPP will recapture Central Region in 2024 election-Prof Ameyaw-Ekumfi

daily graphic Politics Jan - 19 - 2023 , 11:55

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is working diligently to regain its electoral authority in the Central Region in the 2024 election, a leading member of the party,Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, has said.

According to him, though, the party lost nine out of the 19 parliamentary seats it held before the 2020 election to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), it had resolved to go all out to regain the seats in the 2024 election.

"Unity is key to the party's cohesion, and Central Region is central to the electoral fortunes of the party.

If you have a drop of parliamentary seats from 19 to 10, it simply means internally, there must be something wrong, particularly when the President had an urge over his competitor in 10 constituencies.

"This is why I find the meeting useful, particularly when individuals came to openly express their grievances after which the chairman called for unity, Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi stated.

Bury differences

Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the Central Regional Reconciliation Engagement to resolve differences ahead of the 2024 election.

The forum, which would be replicated nationwide, was put together by the party on the theme: Reconciling the Rank and File of the NPP in Central Region to Break the 8.

It brought together scores of party stalwarts including national, regional, and constituency executives, former appointees, and Chief Executive Officers, among many party faithful.

Going forward, Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi charged the regional leadership of the party to bury their differences and work at strengthening the grassroots and the party structures to help retain power in the 2024 general election.

Later, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, briefing the media after the meeting, called on the rank and file of the party to channel their energies into promoting party peace, unity, and harmony.

He also urged them to desist from actions that sought to ruin their electoral fortunes ahead of the 2024 polls.

 GNA
NASA has issued an award to The Boeing Company for the agencys Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, which seeks to inform a potential new generation of green single-aisle airliners. Under a Funded Space Act Agreement, Boeing will work with NASA to build, test, and fly a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator airplane.

The Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept involves an aircraft with extra-long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts. This design results in an aircraft that is much more fuel efficient than a traditional airliner due to a shape that would create less dragresulting in its burning less fuel.





Artist concept of commercial aircraft families with a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing configuration from the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. Credits: Boeing

When combined with expected advancements in propulsion systems, materials and systems architecture, a single-aisle airplane with a TTBW configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions up to 30% relative to todays most efficient single-aisle airplanes, depending on the mission, according to Boeing.

The technologies demonstrated and tested as part of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) program will inform future designs and could lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel efficiency gains.

Over seven years, NASA will invest $425 million, while the company and its partners will contribute the remainder of the agreement funding, estimated at about $725 million. As part of the agreement, the agency also will contribute technical expertise and facilities.

Separately, Boeings previous internal investments for recent phases of sustainable aviation research total $110 million.

Its our goal that NASAs partnership with Boeing to produce and test a full-scale demonstrator will help lead to future commercial airliners that are more fuel efficient, with benefits to the environment, the commercial aviation industry, and to passengers worldwide. If we are successful, we may see these technologies in planes that the public takes to the skies in the 2030s. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

Background. TTBW has been in continuous development since 2008. The significant increase in the wing aspect ratio is expected to result in a significant decrease in induced drag. The aspect ratio of a winga measure of how long and slender a wing is from tip to tipis defined as the square of the span divided by the wing area. High aspect ratio wings have long spans (like gliders), while low aspect ratio wings have either short spans or thick chords (the distance from leading edge to trailing edge).

Structural efficiency for the longer, more slender wing is provided by the strut bracing, which decreases wing root bending moments.

There are a number of development challenges, as outlined in the slide below from a 2021 presentation by a Boeing / NASA research and development team:





Single-aisle aircraft are the workhorse of many airline fleets, and due to their heavy usage, account for nearly half of worldwide aviation emissions. NASA plans to complete testing for the project by the late 2020s, so that technologies and designs demonstrated by the project can inform industry decisions about the next generation of single-aisle aircraft that could enter into service in the 2030s.

The project is an activity under NASAs Integrated Aviation Systems Program and a key element of the Sustainable Flight National Partnership, which focuses on developing new sustainable aviation technologies.
Volta Inc. executed a definitive merger agreement under which Shell USA Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, will acquire Volta in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $169 million. The transaction brings Voltas dual charging and media network to Shells established brand and seeks to unlock robust, long-term growth opportunities in electric vehicle (EV) charging.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Shell USA Inc. will acquire all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Volta at $0.86 per share in cash upon completion of the merger, which represents an approximate 18% premium to the closing price of Volta stock on 17 January 2023, the last full trading day prior to the announcement of the transaction.

Following the completion of the transaction, there will be no immediate change in driver experience, Volta Media Network capabilities available to advertisers, or services provided to commercial properties and retail locations.

As part of the agreement, an affiliate of Shell will provide subordinated secured term loans to Volta to bridge Volta through the closing of the transaction.
Green River Police Department reports for Jan. 9

At 10:29 a.m., officers responded to Evans Street for a report of a weapons offense. Officers met with an individual who reported they were having issues with their neighbors and felt they were being harassed. Officers confirmed no weapons were involved, gathered information, offered assistance, and completed a report of the incident.

At 3:42 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop and issued the driver Jessica Hodges, 34, of Green River, citations for alleged expired temporary license, permit/improper registration; compulsory auto insurance; valid certificate of title, certificate of registration, and license plates required.

At 4:45 p.m., officers responded to Scotts Bottom Loop in reference to a single-vehicle crash. The driver of the vehicle advised that they were driving too fast for the snowy road surface and as they negotiated a curve, their vehicle slid off the road. The vehicle was pulled back onto the roadway by a passerby. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 5:52 p.m., officers responded to the area of Uinta Drive in reference to a vehicle vs deer crash. The driver of the vehicle reported they were traveling north on Uinta Drive when a deer ran out in front of the vehicle and they were unable to stop. The collision caused damage to the front bumper, grille and radiator of the vehicle. The deer was killed in the accident. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 11:02 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with two individuals involved in a dispute. Both parties wanted to remain at the residence and agreed to separate from each other to avoid confrontation. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

Jan. 10

At 3:20 a.m., officers responded to a report of a scam. Officers met with an individual who reported being blackmailed by an individual they had met through Snapchat. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 7:58 a.m., officers responded to the area of Roosevelt Drive and Uinta Drive for a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported both vehicles were traveling southbound on Uinta Drive, one in the right-hand lane and the other in the left-hand lane. The first vehicle attempted to change lanes from the outside lane to the inside lane and the front of the vehicle hit the rear passenger side of the second vehicle. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 9:57 a.m., officers responded to the Green River Vape and Smoke shop, located at 175 River View Drive, for a report of an individual who found a small clear plastic bag with a crystal-like substance inside. Officers met with the individual, collected the bag and field tested the substance, which tested presumptive positive for Methamphetamine. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 10 a.m., officers responded to S 5th E Street for a follow up on a hit and run collision that took place on Jan. 6 involving a vehicle that struck a section of buckrail fence on Scotts Bottom Road Loop. Officers met with the driver, Clay Cudney, 25, of Green River, and issued citations for alleged careless driving and hit and run - unattended property. Officers gathered information and completed a supplemental report of the incident.

At 10:18 a.m., officers responded to the Green River High School for a fire alarm. The alarm was activated due to a mechanical issue in the boiler room. Students were evacuated as they identified the problem and returned to school after the issue was taken care of.

At 4:47 p.m., officers responded to the Green River Police Department in reference to a scam. Officers met with an individual who reported a monetary loss of $200 after responding to a Facebook sale ad for puppies. It was reported the victim sent the deposit for a puppy, but was then blocked by the seller and never received the puppy. Officers attempted to contact the seller, but spoke to an individual claiming their Facebook account had been hacked and they were not selling puppies. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 8:42 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued the driver, Ronin Fletcher, 19, of Green River, citations for alleged inattentive driving and no valid drivers license and/or violation of drivers license conditions.

Jan. 11

At 9 a.m., officers responded to a report of an individual who was unconscious and not breathing. Upon arrival, the individual was found to be deceased. Officers then assisted detectives and the Coroner. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation.

At 12:12 p.m., officers responded to the area of Wilderness Court for a report of fraud. Officers met with an individual who reported their Facebook account had been hacked by an unknown individual and they were using the account to fraudulently sell items and scam people for money. The victim was able to acquire an approximate location, Lagos, Nigeria, of the individual trying to take over their Facebook and Instagram account. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 2:35 p.m., officers responded to the area of Missouri Court for a report of a scam. Officers met with an individual who reported that their computer had locked up and they received a message to call Microsoft. Once they had called the number they were advised to download a screen sharing program in order for them to help. They were instructed to grant the help desk access to their computer. Once the help desk had gained access, the victim advised that the individual then began to make odd demands including: telling them that there were charges in Mexico that they needed to pay for, and told the victim that they needed to pay them $27,000 by depositing it into an ATM in Rock Springs. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. No monetary losses were reported.

At 11:47 p.m., while on patrol, officers located a black Schwinn Sidewinder 21 speed bike lying in the road in the area of Bridger (Stratton Myer Park). The bike was clear in NCIC. The owner is unknown at this time. Officers collected the bike for safekeeping and completed a report of the incident.

Jan. 12

At 9:17 a.m., officers responded to 500 Shoshone Ave, the Green River Fire Department, for a report of a collision. Officers met with the driver of the vehicle who advised they were backing the vehicle into the garage and the rear passenger side of the vehicle struck a utility pole. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 11:34 a.m., officers responded to the area of Anvil Drive for a nuisance animal complaint. Officers met with the reporting party who advised of the nuisance barking. Officers made contact with the dog owners, advised them of the complaint, and issued a citation for alleged 6-4 nuisance animal to Spencer Greene, 26, of Green River. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident.

At 2:14 p.m., officers responded to the intersection of Arizona Street and Arkansas Drive in reference to an individual that was requesting assistance from an officer. Officers met with the individual, gathered information, organized some travel assistance for the individual, and completed a report of the incident.
I can't remember what my first play was, because I've been going to plays for as long as I can remember.

Probably one of my earliest memories of going to a play was when my Grandma Middlemas took me to see Roger and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." I don't even remember where the play was performed, just how much fun I had. I grew up going to local productions, mostly at the high schools and college, and traveling to Salt Lake City for plays.

While I consider myself a proud theater nerd, I've never been very actively involved. I've dabbled, at best. My only acting experience came from church productions and two summers of the Sweetwater BOCES Summer Theater for Youth program at Western. As much as I enjoyed being a Mama/Russian Soldier in "Fiddler on the Roof Jr.," even being an ensemble member was nerve-wracking and difficult.

In college, I took some theater-adjacent classes like History of Musical Theater and Playwriting. I auditioned for plays a handful of times without being cast, and decided writing scripts was probably the most involved I would get.

Since venturing into the world of journalism, my closest connection to theater has been covering local plays, which is my favorite type of story to write. I love going to rehearsals to interview directors and take photos of the actors. This has given me the chance to get to know many of the incredible people actively involved with theater in our community.

But I still never imagined I'd be involved myself, so when I was asked to audition for an upcoming Actors' Mission play, I initially laughed it off. Then I found out the upcoming play was going to be "Silent Sky." Out of curiosity I looked up the story and was instantly intrigued, so I read through a copy of the whole script.

Somehow I knew that even though I didn't particularly want to audition, I had to. It was one of those moments where you just know something is supposed to happen. I didn't know if I would be cast, but I had to try, because I felt that I was supposed to be part of sharing this story. That may sound corny - it sounded corny to me at the time - but I couldn't deny that I felt it.

So I auditioned, and was cast, and will be taking the stage this week as Margaret Leavitt.

I'm personally drawn to this play on a number of levels.

First, I love it as a writer and aspiring playwright. The script is genuinely well-written. The dialogue is fast-paced and clever and does a good job giving information without being too expository. The scenes balance drama and humor as they develop the characters and the story. And the writing stays close enough to period-appropriate to feel like the early 1900s while staying modern enough to be relatable and engaging.

I'm also drawn to the story itself as a woman who loves celebrating the stories of strong women. The story of Henrietta Leavitt is inspiring, especially since she made such significant contributions to astronomy and I'd never even heard her name. She persevered through limitations, prejudice, and being overshadowed, but remained dedicated to her passion. I love having the chance to be part of a play written by a woman, directed by a woman, starring primarily women, celebrating the life and work of a remarkable woman.

I knew it would take a lot to ever get me on a stage, and while I still plan to stay in the audience or behind the pen for most of my theater involvement in the future, I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the theater world that I love in a more direct way in order to help share this beautiful story.
Annie Cannon (played by Katie Chollak-Gil) looks on while Peter Shaw (played by Joseef de Leon) and Henrietta Leavitt (played by Lynn Colt) admire a star plate - a photograph of the stars used by astronomers in the early 1900s. "Silent Sky" is the Actors' Mission's newest production tells the story of pioneering astronomer Henrietta Leavitt.

The latest Actors' Mission production tells the story of pioneering astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, and the subject matter is something director Jene Chollak knows a bit about. She's a science teacher at Rock Springs Junior High School with a particular interest in astronomy.

Five years ago, she saw a production of "Silent Sky" in Salt Lake City and, since then, has dreamed of getting the play performed locally. She's annually suggested it to the Actors' Mission committee that, based on community submissions, picks each season's productions.

"I think I've submitted it every year to the readers' committee since I saw it," she said.

After Actors' Mission finally selected the play last year, Chollak volunteered to direct it.

The show takes place from 1900 to 1918, a time during which developments like Einstein's theory of special relativity upended astronomers' understanding of the universe. A century later, the astronomical community is in a similar situation thanks to new technology like the Webb Space Telescope, Chollak said.

"We have books filled with scientific information and there are still so many unanswered questions," she said. "It is such an amazing and growing time for science right now, especially when it comes to space."

Along with the scientific subject matter, she appreciates that "Silent Sky" serves a healthy dose of history, feminism and family drama.

"Silent Sky" is a play Chollak describes as both "funny and inspiring."

"I think this play reminds us that this is a beautiful universe to live in," she said.

Until Leavitt, many astronomers guessed the universe was no bigger than the Milky Way. Until the 20th century, astronomers could only measure distances up to a few hundred light-years. Before Leavitt's discovery, astronomers looked through their telescopes and assumed the images of other galaxies were mere gas clouds.

Then, while cataloging star locations for Harvard at the turn of the 20th century, Henrietta discovered that certain stars, called Cepheids, pulsate for a duration that correlates to their luminosity. By comparing that data to the Cepheids' apparent magnitude, astronomers could determine how far away each star was.

Another astronomer, Edwin Hubble, later used Henrietta's data to determine that the universe is expanding. Leavitt's pioneering work also enabled the scientific community to determine the size of the Milky Way and measure distances more than 20 million times farther than were previously possible.

"Silent Sky," written by Lauren Gunderson, tells the story of how Leavitt overcame obstacles, like family obligations and sexism, to help upend her contemporaries' understanding of the universe.

Chollak has been a science teacher for more than 15 years, and she previously served as assistant director in the 2017 Actors' Mission production of "The Women," but otherwise hasn't directed any theatrical work since college.

After high school, Chollak originally planned to become a theater teacher, studying the art at Central Wyoming College. Instead, a geology course she took inspired her to become a science teacher.

Stephanie Peterson Annie Cannon (played by Katie Chollak-Gil, left) and Williamina Flemming (played by Leesa Kuhlman, right) read a letter from Henrietta Leavitt.

Actors' Mission is a family affair in Chollak's house. Her husband, Mark, starred in the theater company's November production of "Floyd Collins and the White Angels of Sand Cave." Chollak's daughter, Katie, has had roles in six other Actors' Mission productions and portrays Annie Cannon in "Silent Sky."

"The neatest part about Actors' Mission is that they have a solid core of regulars, but there's always a place for new people," Chollak said. "For anyone who's interested in theater, the topics that we're doing for our plays, or stage and prop construction - there are lots of opportunities for new faces and the veterans who have been here."

"Silent Sky" will be performed at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs this week at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be performed Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. A matinee will be performed Jan. 29 at 2 p.m.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S23 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1. The lineup is expected to consist of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra, rumored to have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC under the hood. However, a new report by 9to5Google claims the Galaxy S23 trio will be powered by a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a higher clock speed.

The publication claims to have seen documentation that reveals the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in the Galaxy S23 series smartphones will be called "Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy" and will have a clock speed of up to 3.36GHz instead of 3.2GHz (Prime core) on the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550-AB) that we've seen on the iQOO 11 , nubia Red Magic 8 Pro, and a few other phones.

The rest of the features of this customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are expected to remain largely the same as the regular version, meaning the Prime core clocked at up to 3.36GHz will be joined by four Performance cores clocked at up to 2.8GHz and three Efficiency cores that go up to 2GHz.

That said, it's unclear whether or not Samsung will use the "Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy" branding widely or keep it limited to the Unpacked event.

Samsung hasn't detailed the Galaxy S23 lineup's specs yet, but recent leaks about the S23 series have left little to the imagination. And while we await more information about the S23 trio from the Korean conglomerate, you can check the leaked specs of the S23 and S23+ here and the S23 Ultra's specs here. You can also read our announcement coverage of the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC to learn more about it.

Source
Following yesterday's price leak for the Galaxy S23 series in Australia, a new post from Reddit shows what is allegedly US pricing from an internal Verizon document. The good news for potential S23 buyers in the US is that Samsung will not raise prices on the new models compared to last years S22 series.



Leaked Galaxy S23 sreies Verizon document

Taking a closer look at the leaked document Samsung Diamond appears to be the internal codename for the new S23 series with DM1 being the Galaxy S23 while DM2 is the S23+ and DM3 is the S23 Ultra. The baseline Galaxy S23 will start at $799 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage trim. Samsung will also offer an 8/256GB version of the S23 though the listing does not provide any pricing details.



Gaalxy S23 series US pricing (DM1=S23, DM2=S23+, DM3=S23 Ultra)

In fact, Galaxy S23+ will start at $999 and will bring 8GB RAM and 256GB storage as its baseline trim, which is a step up from the baseline S22+ which had 128GB storage. Samsung will also offer an 8/512GB model if you need extra storage.

Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,199 which will get you the same 8GB RAM and 256GB storage as the baseline S23+ model. If you want to make the jump to 12GB RAM, youll have to pick up the model with 512GB of storage. The new S23 series will be available in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender colors. The rest of the spec sheet matches previously leaked info.

Source (Reddit)
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Dead snake, dead pigeon, rodent droppings, cockroaches and black mold found in school inspection

Frank San Nicolas/PDN Southern High School in Santa Rita-Sumai on Jan. 19, 2023.

A dead snake on a classroom floor, a dead pigeon on a piano, bird and rodent droppings, signs of cockroach and termite infestations and black mold on the ceiling were among the findings in a Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitation inspection at Southern High School.

The inspection was prompted by a complaint that stated: Most classrooms at (Southern High School) have black mold on the ceilings and are missing ceiling tiles. The air conditioning units work inconsistently and not all rooms have functioning units. The students are only allowed to use one bathroom on campus, and that bathroom is often overflowing with backed-up sewage waste.

Over the course of four inspections conducted in December, Public Health officials found evidence to support the complaint, and numerous other problems were also listed in the 12-page inspection report.

The school in Santa Rita-Sumai received a D rating, which would normally be cause for revoking the schools sanitary permit. However, the governments rules and regulations allow schools to fail sanitary inspections, without penalty, until July 2024.

Frank San Nicolas/PDN Southern High School signage at the Santa Rita-Sumai campus on Jan. 19, 2023. The campus was placed under lockdown Friday morning after a gun was reported on campus, police said.

Oceanview Middle School in Hagat received a D rating earlier in the school year, and the Guam Department of Education planned to move students from that school to Southern High School so repairs could be made. The move has been delayed at the request of Oceanview administrators, faculty and staff.

Students at F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School were moved to Okkodo High School after structural engineers found the school was deteriorating. The middle and high school students have been attending split sessions since returning from winter break.

At Southern High School, Principal Michael Meno explained in the inspection report that equipment is being stored in hallways as a result of renovations and in preparation for the arrival of the Oceanview students.

Story continues below video:

Parts of the school, including the 8000s building swimming pool and sections of 5000 building are closed off due to being under repair, the report stated, and other areas are unoccupied.

Among the findings listed in the inspection report:

A dead snake was found on the floor in Room 5220.

A dead pigeon was found on the piano on the stage of the Fine Arts Building.

Rodent droppings and urine stains were on the second floor of the stairway to the gym.

Multiple dead cockroaches, body parts and cockroach droppings were found throughout several classrooms, restroom facilities and storage areas of all buildings and auditorium.

Live cockroaches, a spider and wasps nests were also found.

Bird droppings on theater chairs and floor.

Termite infestation on floors in auditorium, and termite droppings in multiple classrooms and storage rooms.

Unknown droppings on several countertops in classroom 3202.

Floor tiles with broken, missing or dark discoloration and mold growth in multiple classrooms.

Ceiling in rooms 3203 and 3204 actively leaking.

Walls with peeling paint and mold growth.

Condemned swimming pool was accumulating rainwater, which can potentially be a mosquito breeding site.

Side door of office with signage Close the door! did not self-close.

Multiple windows that open to the outside had no screens.

Cracked glass and missing handles on some windows, with wooden boards used to cover some broken windows.

Multiple student desks had peeling paint and graffiti.

Rust build-up found on multiple pieces of classroom equipment throughout the school.

Trash accumulated above bleacher area in the gym.

Multiple air vents and ducts accumulated with dust, cobwebs and dark discoloration.

Indoor air temperature in multiple classrooms, offices, restrooms and gym exceeded maximum indoor temperature of 83 degrees and relative humidity of 60%.

Multiple rooms did not meet minimum standard for school lighting.

Multiple drinking fountains covered with trash bags. Multiple sinks without soap, paper towels and waste baskets.

Multiple male and female restrooms were not accessible due to lack of staff to monitor restrooms. School does not meet the required number of toilets for 644 male students.

The Guam Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment about the situation on Thursday.
Gerry Perez, Guam Visitors Bureau vice president, provides information of tourism statistics during a Board of Directors membership election meeting at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon on Jan. 10, 2023.
Mike Benito, center, Pay-Less Supermarkets general manager, double checks the price of an item in the seafood section during the soft reopening of Pay-Less Supermarkets newly renovated store within the Micronesia Mall in Dededo on Jan. 9, 2023.
A $30.653 million contract has been awarded to replace the government of Guams aging financial management information system with a new one, based on a copy of the agreement that became effective upon Gov. Lou Leon Guerreros Dec. 30, 2022, signature.

Maryland-based Performa Software USA Inc. bagged the professional services contract, besting eight other firms that responded to the request for proposals, Department of Administration Director Edward Birn said.

The new system, according to Birn, will make GovGuams financial reporting faster and more accessible and, most importantly, make the work of those who use it more fulfilling.

As you know, replacement of the current legacy system is certainly due and needed, he added.

For 30 years, GovGuam has been using the AS400 for its financial management information system, Birn said.

The much improved system will be based on Microsoft Dynamics, he added.

We look forward to having a modern, fresh and accessible system to serve the people of Guam and enjoy the same advantages as those states, territories and other governments who have also installed new financial management systems, Birn added.

Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes on Thursday welcomed the news about the ongoing work to improve the financial management system, after advocating for it for years.

Any new financial management system should be an improvement over the current legacy system, Muna Barnes said. If customized correctly, it will be capable of providing real time reports that will guide the cash management performed by DOA.

The vice speaker said she hopes the new system will improve all aspects of government, from greater transparency to faster tax refund and human resources processing to name a few.

Procurement

Birn said 16 entities expressed interest in the project, and nine submitted proposals.

Performa was the best qualified offeror with whom an agreement was successfully negotiated, the agreement stated.

After over 18 months of research and negotiation, due to much work by a large number of people, it is certainly a great result to be able to make a start on this project, Birn said.

Under the agreement, Performa will provide, configure, implement, maintain and update the financial management information system.

In the 118-page agreement, with attachments, GovGuam is obligated to pay the contractor a total of over $8.992 million on the first year of the contract with set payment amounts each month; over $10.936 million on the second year; over $5.507 million on the third year; over $2.966 million on the fourth year; and over $2.250 million on the fifth year.

The initial contract term is five years, which can be extended or renewed totaling up to five additional years.

The contract term is capped at 10 years and six months.

Funding

More than $7.7 million in American Rescue Plan funding has been set aside to help pay for the initial phase of the contract, in addition to other federal funding sources.

Birn, in a phone interview Thursday, said payments for the subsequent years would have to come from the annual GovGuam appropriations, although this could still change, especially if additional federal funding sources become available.

A Performa Software team will be visiting Guam in February, and has already started working on the project, Birn said.

The implementation of the projects first phase is expected to be completed by December 2023, which means the system should start seeing improvements by then.

As part of the agreement, GovGuam agreed to back up all data, files and information prior to Performa beginning its responsibility.

Guam DOAs Birn and Performa Chief Executive Officer Raphael Gabay signed the agreement for professional services to implement a financial management information system.

Then-Attorney General Leevin Camacho and the governor also signed off on the contract on Dec. 28 and 30, respectively.

The contractors profit, under the agreement, has been separately negotiated in the amount of more than $4.1 million.

Birn said DOA is responsible for the project, in collaboration with the Guam Office of Technology.
A dead snake on a classroom floor, a dead pigeon on a piano, bird and rodent droppings, signs of cockroach and termite infestations and black mold on the ceiling were among the findings in a Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitation inspection at Southern High School.

The inspection was prompted by a complaint that stated: Most classrooms at (Southern High School) have black mold on the ceilings and are missing ceiling tiles. The air conditioning units work inconsistently and not all rooms have functioning units. The students are only allowed to use one bathroom on campus, and that bathroom is often overflowing with backed-up sewage waste.

Over the course of four inspections conducted in December, Public Health officials found evidence to support the complaint, and numerous other problems were also listed in the 12-page inspection report.

The school in Santa Rita-Sumai received a D rating, which would normally be cause for revoking the schools sanitary permit. However, the governments rules and regulations allow schools to fail sanitary inspections, without penalty, until July 2024.

Oceanview Middle School in Hagat received a D rating earlier in the school year, and the Guam Department of Education planned to move students from that school to Southern High School so repairs could be made. The move has been delayed at the request of Oceanview administrators, faculty and staff.

Students at F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School were moved to Okkodo High School after structural engineers found the school was deteriorating. The middle and high school students have been attending split sessions since returning from winter break.

At Southern High School, Principal Michael Meno explained in the inspection report that equipment is being stored in hallways as a result of renovations and in preparation for the arrival of the Oceanview students.

Story continues below video:

Parts of the school, including the 8000s building swimming pool and sections of 5000 building are closed off due to being under repair, the report stated, and other areas are unoccupied.

Among the findings listed in the inspection report:

A dead snake was found on the floor in Room 5220.

A dead pigeon was found on the piano on the stage of the Fine Arts Building.

Rodent droppings and urine stains were on the second floor of the stairway to the gym.

Multiple dead cockroaches, body parts and cockroach droppings were found throughout several classrooms, restroom facilities and storage areas of all buildings and auditorium.

Live cockroaches, a spider and wasps nests were also found.

Bird droppings on theater chairs and floor.

Termite infestation on floors in auditorium, and termite droppings in multiple classrooms and storage rooms.

Unknown droppings on several countertops in classroom 3202.

Floor tiles with broken, missing or dark discoloration and mold growth in multiple classrooms.

Ceiling in rooms 3203 and 3204 actively leaking.

Walls with peeling paint and mold growth.

Condemned swimming pool was accumulating rainwater, which can potentially be a mosquito breeding site.

Side door of office with signage Close the door! did not self-close.

Multiple windows that open to the outside had no screens.

Cracked glass and missing handles on some windows, with wooden boards used to cover some broken windows.

Multiple student desks had peeling paint and graffiti.

Rust build-up found on multiple pieces of classroom equipment throughout the school.

Trash accumulated above bleacher area in the gym.

Multiple air vents and ducts accumulated with dust, cobwebs and dark discoloration.

Indoor air temperature in multiple classrooms, offices, restrooms and gym exceeded maximum indoor temperature of 83 degrees and relative humidity of 60%.

Multiple rooms did not meet minimum standard for school lighting.

Multiple drinking fountains covered with trash bags. Multiple sinks without soap, paper towels and waste baskets.

Multiple male and female restrooms were not accessible due to lack of staff to monitor restrooms. School does not meet the required number of toilets for 644 male students.

The Guam Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment about the situation on Thursday.
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki is on Guam as part of continued dialogue on the relocation of as many as 5,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa and elsewhere to Marine Corps Camp Blaz in Dededo.

The Marines relocation to Guam is part of a larger realignment of U.S. military forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tamaki met with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero Thursday, according to Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the Leon Guerreros director of communications. Tamaki also visited Guam in August 2019, when he also met with the governor.

The Okinawan governor also visited Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz on Wednesday, according to Maj. Diann Rosenfeld, of the bases communications strategy and operations. Camp Blaz is home to Guams Marines.

The Okinawa Times reported Tamaki met with Camp Blaz Commanding Officer Col. Christopher Bopp and asked him to provide information on the relocated units as soon as possible. According to the report, Tamaki told Bopp the relocation to Guam is a grave concern on the livelihood of local Japanese employees working on U.S. bases in Okinawa.

Much of Camp Blaz has been operational, although its construction still isnt completed. Relocated Marines are expected to start arriving in 2024.

The Okinawa Times also reported on Tamakis meeting Wednesday with Joint Region Marianas Commander Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson. The report said Tamaki requested the Marines relocation not be affected by plans to readjust some units of U.S. Marines in Okinawa.

The U.S. plans to reorganize the 12th Marine Regiment to the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment as part of efforts to stand up immediately deployable forces.

Joint Region Marianas is hosting a cultural resources open house 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the new Guam Cultural Repository at the University of Guam in Mangilao. Grassroots organization Prutehi Litekyan plans to hold a protest in front of the repository 4-7 p.m.
{span} Michael Lujan Bevacqua is an author, artist, activist and the curator for The Guam Museum. {/span}
Flags representing the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces waved in the tropical breeze during a Veterans Day ceremony celebrated at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governors Complex in Adelup on Nov. 11, 2021.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2023/01/18

"Unlock My Boss" ended on January 12th with ratings of 1.45%. The office mystery is based off of the webtoon of the same title, and stars Chae Jong-hyeop in the leading role as a hapless young man who must assist a genius CEO who died and turned into a smart phone. In a recent interview, Chae Jong-hyeop explained that he took on the project because he really wanted to act, and believed in the words of the script, asking himself "why?" and working to grasp an answer.

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"Unlock My Boss" is not Chae Jong-hyeop's first leading performance. He also won a newcomer award at the 2022 KBS Drama Awards for his role in "Love All Play" last spring. Chae Jong-hyeop described his current life experience as living a dream. This position evolved from his just wanting to live without regrets, to actively trying to work as a model, to finally actively trying to work as an actor.

Chae Jong-hyeop has had unusual life experiences in general. Since the third year of middle school, he found himself unexpectedly living as an international student, as his parents' work took the family to Thailand and South Africa. This gave him a chance to think independently and make his own decisions. Chae Jong-hyeop could also hope for anything that he wanted. Yet facing prejudice in South Africa, Chae Jong-hyeop also had to learn how to overcome adversity.

Chae Jong-hyeop turns thirty this year, so his needing to do mandatory military service is an issue. However, Chae Jong-hyeop was diagnosed as an epileptic in 2018. Because of this, he has not started his mandatory military service during that time, and it is unclear whether he will ever need to do mandatory military service, or whether he will be given an exemption. Chae Jong-hyeop said that he is still taking medication and will need to be reexamined.

Chae Jong-hyeop is still expected to appear in "Is It a Coincidence?" later this year. Chae Jong-hyeop noted that the fast rise in his profile since his breakout role in "Stove League" has made him feel insufficient. Nevertheless, he takes this as motivation to try harder to do a better job. Chae Jong-hyeop claims not to think of himself as a leading man, but just whatever character he happens to be playing, and that he considers his work to be a collaborative effort with the rest of the cast and crew.

Written by William Schwartz

___________

"Unlock My Boss" is directed by Lee Cheol-ha, written by Kim Hyung-min-II, and features Chae Jong-hyeop, Seo Eun-soo, Park Sung-woong, Lee Sang-hee, Jung Dong-hwan, Yoon Byung-hee. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/12/07~2023/01/12, Wed, Thu 21:00 on ENA.
Published on 2023/01/19 | Source

New stills added for the Korean drama "Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist - Season 2" (2022).

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Directed by Kang Hee-ju, Park Won-gook

Written by Choi Min-ho-II, Lee Bom-I, Park Seul-gi-I

Network: tvN

With Kim Min-jae-I, Kim Hyang-gi, Kim Sang-kyung, Ahn Chang-hwan, Jeon Guk-hyang, Yeon Bo-ra,...

10 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:30

Synopsis

Adapted from a novel and follow-up to "Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist"

Yoo Se-poong, a well-known physician of the medical center, was kicked out after being involved in a royal conspiracy. He turns into a true physician from the heart after meeting Gye Ji-han and Seo Eun-woo.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2023/01/11
China expresses concern over U.S. economic, trade, technological policies

Xinhua) 13:48, January 19, 2023

ZURICH, Switzerland, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday expressed concern over the U.S. economic, trade and technological policies toward China

During talks with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He also hoped that the United States will pay attention to the impact of these policies on both sides.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
According to Finnish Customs' export statistics, our food exports have increased by approximately 20% between January and October 2022 when compared to the corresponding period the previous year. For the first time in its history, Finland's food exports will reach EUR 2,1 billion in 2022. "The growth seen in exports will increase the resilience of the food sector to crises," says Esa Wrang from Business Finland.

"In Finland, the opportunities for growth in the food industry are limited. With increased exports, the capacity of the food sector can be increased, which will also strengthen the domestic market and make it better resilient to crises," says Esa Wrang, Director of the Food from Finland program at Business Finland. Food exports are of strategic importance to Finland's national self-sufficiency and food security.

According to Wrang, the development of exports encourages companies to engage in increasingly strategic export activities, allocate additional resources to international markets, and adopt new marketing methods and distribution channels.

The most significant export figures have been achieved in France, where growth is around 60% when compared to the previous year. Finnish exports to the EU countries grew by an average of 26%. From countries outside the EU, our food exports grew to China, Norway, the United States, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. Exports of Finnish food to Germany grew by approximately 10%.

Grune Woche starts tomorrow  Finnish companies on display

During the operational period of the Food from Finland program implemented by Business Finland, Finland's food exports to Germany have doubled from EUR 60 million to more than EUR 130 million since 2014. Finnish products have been increasingly supplied to German distribution channels.

"We cooperate with Edeka and Globus retail chains, for example. Finnish products have also proceeded to other major distribution channels in Germany, such as REWE and Amazon. With high quality, you can also succeed on the competitive German market," says Lili Lehtovuori, who is responsible for the activities of the Food from Finland program in Germany.

The Food from Finland program will take 12 Finnish companies to the Internationale Grune Woche fair in Berlin on January 20.29, 2023. The participants include Kuivalihakundi, Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas, Kyro Distillery, Kalaneuvos, Kouvolan Lakritsi, Lammin Sahti and Poikain Parhaat.

"Export success is very important for our primary production, which creates a strong foundation for the success of the entire food chain. The economic situation of farms is alarming and the threat is that a large number of them will close down due to poor profitability. Without strong domestic primary production, we will lose our unique national food profile and its competitive advantages in domestic and export markets," says Antti Kurvinen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, who will be visiting the Internationale Grune Woche.

Growth in food exports improves Finland's self-sufficiency and food security

Finland's main export categories are various dairy products, fresh fish, alcoholic products, pork, sugar chemistry products, mill and cereal products (especially oat and processed oat products), chocolate and sweets, and, increasingly, also various products with supposed health benefits.

The food sector is the fourth largest industry in Finland, employing almost 40,000 people directly and one in eight Finns indirectly, i.e. more than 340,000 people. One job in the food industry creates more than three other jobs in Finland. The domestic content of raw materials in Finland is very high (82%) and approximately 72% of the value added of food exports remains in Finland.

"Efforts have been taken to constantly increase the added value of Finnish export products. As a result of long-term work, the Finnish food sector and production are sustainable, viable and innovative. The competitiveness of products on the international market has been constantly improving," says Esa Wrang.

HT

Source: Business Finland
In future, all residence permits that the Finnish Immigration Service grants on the basis of temporary protection will be valid until 4 March 2024.

Starting from 19 January 2023 , the Finnish Immigration Service will extend all residence permits granted on the basis of temporary protection so that the permits are valid until 4 March 2024. This means that clients who have fled to Finland from Ukraine do not need to do anything to get their permit extended.

"Normally, clients who wish to extend their residence permits would need to submit an application. Now that the law concerning these permits has been amended, we can extend the permits without requiring any action from the client," says Regional Head of Section Minna Serradj from the Asylum Unit.

Clients will receive a letter containing information about the extension of their residence permit and about their residence permit card. In addition, a text message will be sent to clients who have given their phone number to the Finnish Immigration Service.

"If you have applied for or been granted temporary protection, it is important that your reception centre has your current contact information," says Serradj.

Flexible arrangements made concerning residence permit cards of clients from Ukraine

All residence permits and residence permit cards that have been granted on the basis of temporary protection will be valid until 4 March 2024. A residence permit card can be used to prove, for instance, that a person is staying legally in Finland and has the right to work.

Normally, a residence permit card must be renewed when it expires. Now, clients who have been granted temporary protection can continue using their old residence permit card. They also have the option to apply for a new residence permit card free of charge. Applications can be submitted online in Enter Finland starting from 25 January 2023. The updated validity period of the permit will be printed on the new card.

Those who have lived in Finland for one year can apply for a municipality of residence

People who have been granted temporary protection can apply for a municipality of residence on the basis of one-year residence in Finland. Applications can be submitted at the earliest on 1 March 2023. Those with a municipality of residence will have a broader access to services than those who stay as clients of a reception centre.

"When Ukrainian clients get a municipality of residence, the municipality and the wellbeing services county will provide them with the services they need, and they will no longer be clients of a reception centre. That said, no one will be left without services. Clients who choose not to apply for a municipality of residence will remain clients of their reception centre and will continue to receive services that way," says Head of Section Olli Snellman from the Reception Unit.

HT

Source: Finnish Immigration Service
The populist right-wing opposition party, the poll indicates, would receive 19.1 per cent of the vote if the parliamentary elections were held today, signalling an increase of 1.2 percentage points from December.

THE FINNS PARTY has emerged as the second most popular political party in Finland, reveals the latest opinion poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat.

Support for the Finns Party has crept up steadily, poll after poll, since July.

Sakari Nurmela, the research director at Kantar Public, said the party must work hard to mobilise its supporters on election day because it has the largest share of voters who, according to their poll responses, abstained from voting in the municipal elections of 2021.

How successful this mobilisation is will be very decisive, he commented to Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday.

The Social Democrats is trailing the opposition party by 0.6 points after seeing its popularity fall by 0.6 points from the previous month to 18.5 per cent. The two parties swapped places also in the latest opinion poll conducted for YLE.

The National Coalition, meanwhile, remains the most well supported party in the country in spite of a 0.7-point drop in popular support  the second drop in as many months  to 22.8 per cent, its lowest level since March 2022.

The downward trend is not attributable to anything particularly dramatic but simply to the fact that the differences between political parties tend to narrow as the elections draw closer, according to Nurmela.

It isnt necessarily associated with anything too dramatic. Its a typical occurrence as the elections near, he said to Helsingin Sanomat.

Support for the Centre dwindled by 0.1 points to an all-time low of 9.8 per cent in a poll commissioned by the daily newspaper. Both the Green League and Left Alliance similarly saw a drop in popular support, the former one of 0.6 points to 9.2 per cent and the latter 0.2 points to 7.8 per cent.

The Swedish Peoples Party saw its popularity rise by 0.1 points to to 4.4 per cent, the Christian Democrats 0.5 points to 3.9 per cent and Now Movement 0.4 points to 2.2 per cent.

Nurmela reminded that swings in the approval ratings of parties  including ones of several points  are expected as parties kick off their campaigns for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2 April.

The closer were to the elections, the easier it is for even a small thing to become a very politicised bone of contention. That kind of things can lead to swings in popularity, he stated. All parties should keep trying until the end as it isnt until the last stages [of the campaigns] that you try to sway swing voters.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
AN MP has urged Thames Water to stop discharging sewage into the river.

Matt Rodda used Twitter to publish his open letter, which was addressed to the companys chief executive Sarah Bentley.

The Reading East Labour MP said: Thames Water has been pumping sewage into Berkshires waterways for up to 18 days straight. The company is prioritising short-term profit over safeguarding public health and the environment.

Mr Rodda asked Ms Bentley to seek environmentally friendly ways to dispose of sewage, saying that residents in riverside areas couldnt swim or fish safely due to the sewage in the water.

Mr Rodda said: People in the Reading area and across the country are staggered that sewage is being discharged into British rivers in the 21st century and that water companies have been given a very long time to take action. The situation is a disaster for our natural environment and ecology as well as a significant public health issue.

I am aware that the sewage system is under enormous pressure because of the rain but this is a huge worry for people using the river and living by it. It is really unpleasant and a health concern and something I have been speaking about for some time.

In our part of the river, we are a long way from the source, which means more concentrated pollution flows past our houses in Caversham and Henley than it does upstream.

The MP acknowledged the efforts made by Thames Water to tackle pollution but said it was still making significant profits. Last year, Thames Water made almost 400 million and Mrs Bentley was paid 2 million.

Mr Rodda said I hope that the company will devote far more resources to solving this serious environmental problem.

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus for us. We have decided to provide close to real-time information about storm discharges from all our 468 permitted locations.

This is a key part of our river health action plan to radically improve both performance and transparency in order to protect and improve the environment. The sites will be discharging because the flows being received exceed their capacity. In these circumstances, the infrastructure is designed to discharge in this way to prevent sewage backing up and flooding properties.

We are absolutely committed to protecting and enhancing our rivers and the communities who love them and we want to make these discharges of diluted sewage unnecessary as quickly as possible. We are the first company to provide these alerts for inland waters and this near real-time data is available to customers as a map on our website.

We want to lead the way with this transparent approach to data and the alerts will be available through an open data platform to third parties such as swimming and environmental groups.

Of course, what matters most is stopping the need for the discharges. Our shareholders have approved a business plan that sees us spending 2 billion beyond what our customers are funding so we can improve outcomes for customers, leakage and river health. We have a long way to go but the ambition is clear.
People often complain that they have no voice in government legislation, thinking erroneously that they are just one person whose voice doesnt matter. But this isnt true. There is a grassroots political action group in the area that works with locally elected congressional representatives who support pro-Israeli legislation. Called the Central Florida Pro Israel Friends Political Action Group, its been in operation for more than nine years quietly meeting with local representatives to discuss and share their views on all pro-Israel issues discussed in Congress. And our local...
(New York Jewish Week) - In 2017, Deborah Veach went back to Germany, looking for the site of the displaced persons camp where she and her parents had been housed after World War II. They were in suspension, between the lives her parents led in Belarus before they were shattered by the Nazis, and the unknown fate awaiting them as refugees without a country.

To her dismay, and despite the fact that Foehrenwald was one of the largest Jewish DP centers in the American-controlled zone of Germany, she found barely a trace. A complex that once included a yeshiva, a police force, a fire brigade,...
Orlando lost another builder of the Jewish community. Described over the years by many friends as compassionate; serious; deeply devoted to the community, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Israel and the world, Burt Chasnov, 75, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Burton R. Chasnov was born on Aug. 14, 1947 in Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended Brooklyn College where he was a member of Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity. He received his bachelor's degree and became a Certified Public Accountant. He started his accounting career working in the Arthur Anderson New York office. He came to Central Florida in 1973 after seeing an ad in the New York Times that was seeking accountants interested in moving to Florida. He joined the firm of Laventhol Krekstein Horwath & Horvath. In 1978, he opened his own CPA business where he practiced for many years.

Chasnov's involvement with the Jewish community was influenced by his partner Joe Wittenstein, Z"L. One of his clients in the firm was the Jewish Community Center, which was a small wooden house back in 1973. Federation executive director at that time, Paul Jeser, brought him in to the young leadership group (which later became the Jerome J. Bornstein Young Leadership Program).

In 1976, after his father passed away, he said Kaddish at Congregation Ohev Shalom and became an ardent member. He later became a mainstay of COS, serving on the board from 1978, president in the '80s and again in 2002-2004. Up until his death, Chasnov was chairman for the Ohev Shalom Cemetery Committee and was on the finance committee for Shalom Orlando.

Friend Bob Gamson said that Chasnov helped COS become financially stable. "He's given us a vision towards the future, helped us grow from a small congregation to a quite large congregation today," Gamson told Heritage back in 2008 when Chasnov was the recipient of the Heritage Human Service Award.

Chasnov was able to give expert advice objectively. His peers respected and looked to him for an honest assessment of any situation. He strived for every organization to be fiscally responsible and that is one of his greatest legacies.

A lover of Israel, Chasnov led the local Israel bonds drives from the early 1990s to 2007. He brought in about $50 million in Israel Bonds. He and his wife, Barbara traveled frequently to Israel.

Chasnov chaired the COS search committee (which selected Rabbi Aaron Rubinger), served on the fundraising committee and was a leader in the committee development plans for the Maitland building.

In a Heritage article, friend Stan Roberts described Chasnov as a man who gets involved and gets things done.

As an accountant, he has helped Kinneret Council on Aging, served on the board of USY, chaired the TOP fund and was trustee for the TOP Jewish Foundation, Federation Budget and Allocations, and was a Federation treasurer.

In addition to the organizations already mentioned, his involvement in the Jewish community included Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Chabad, Heritage Jewish News, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Southeast Region and National Board, Camp Ramah Darom, and PJ Library.

Chasnov was also known for his compassion. If someone needed a ride anywhere, he was there to help, whether it be a ride to synagogue or a doctor's appointment.

Chasnov was a man of great foresight. Back in 2008, in the interview for the Human Service Award, Chasnov said, "We need to change our business at the Federation as times change."

He lived to see the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando merge with the Roth Family JCC and become Shalom Orlando.

He also recognized that the Federation is a strong supporter of Israel.

"... there is no organization that supports Israel the way the Federation does," he stated in 2008. "As the synagogue is central to my life, so Israel and support of Israel through the Federation is very important."

Chasnov is survived by his wife of 40 years, Barbara (Taylor); daughters, Beth Nance (James), Skye Reiner (Keith); and grandson, Benjamin Sauer. He also is survived by his close cousin, Freyda Cohen; sister in law, Ronna Hellman; and many generations of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Jerome and Lillian Chasnov and his brother, Gary Chasnov.

Funeral services were held at the Pavilion of Congregation Ohev Shalom Cemetery with Rabbi Geoffrey Spector, Rabbi Aaron Rubinger and Cantor Jeffrey Weber officiating.

The family request donations in Burt's memory be made to the following:

The Ohev Shalom Cemetery Fund; Shalom Orlando Jewish Federation PJLibrary Fund, 851 N. Maitland Ave, Maitland, FL 32751; Friends of the Israel Defense Force, 1801 NE 123rd Street #301, N. Miami FL 33181

Services entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 933 Lee Road, Suite 101, Orlando, Florida 407-599-1180.
WASHINGTON (JTA) - With a new right-wing government in Israel raising alarm bells among many in the United States, the timing seemed ripe for a gathering by AIPAC, which regularly convenes bigwigs to talk about the U.S.-Israel relationship. But the group's conference this week in Washington is focusing not on that relationship but on American electoral politics.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's "Political Leadership Forum" this week is closed to press. But it offers the latest signal of how the group's activities have evolved from the days when its policy conferences were feel...
(JNS)  Israels ambassador to the United Nations said he was overjoyed when he heard that the U.N. Security Council was holding an emergency meeting Thursday over the quiet, orderly, uneventful visit of an Israeli government minister to Jerusalems Temple Mount.

I figured that if this important body is meeting to discuss such a trivial matter, then we clearly achieved world peace overnight, Gilad Erdan said, mocking the councils decision to submit to the Palestinians demand for a discussion on the matter.

Unsurprisingly, much of the rest of the council didn...
(JNS)  A former Massachusetts state legislator is being condemned by Jewish and Zionist organizations for accusing Israel of being on a mission to kill Palestinians.

During her final week in office, Democratic Rep. Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, who represents the fourth Essex district in the northeastern part of the state, took to Twitter on Dec. 29 to attack Israel and its new government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US must acknowledge that the @Israel administration is an apartheid run thuggery terrorist regime on a mission to kill Palestinians, tweeted Belsi...
(JNS)  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday repeated his promise to block vocal critic of Israel Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In an interview with Punchbowl News, McCarthy said that he would also prevent Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from assuming their assignments in the House Intelligence Committee.

Swalwell cant get a security clearance in the private sector. Im not going to give him a government clearance, McCarthy said. Schiff has lied too many times to the American public. He should not...
(JTA)  As Israels new right-wing government continued to signal that it would push through measures to cripple the judiciary and clamp down on public dissent and news operations, thousands of citizens took to the streets in protest and one prominent opposition figure warned of imminent civil war.

A reported 10,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday night in Tel Aviv to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus new right-wing government, which contains several ministers who are openly hostile to Arabs and Palestinians, LGBTQ people and liberal forms of Jewry. Organizers,...
(JNS)  The Eretz HaKodesh and Coalition for Jewish Values organizations criticized a letter  written by The Jewish Federations of North America, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod and the World Zionist Organization  which expressed concerns over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus new government.

Netanyahus cabinet was sworn in last Thursday.

It is our duty to share with you our deep concern regarding voices in the government on issues that could undermine the long-standing status quo on religious affairs that could affect the Diaspora, the letter from the fou...
Pinchas Goldschmidt, Former Chief Rabbi of Moscow, attends the 32nd General Assembly of the Conference of European Rabbis in Munich, Germany, May 30, 2022.

(JTA) - Pinchas Goldshmidt, the former chief rabbi of Moscow who fled the country earlier this year, said other Russian Jews should leave before it's too late in an interview with the Guardian.

"When we look back over Russian history, whenever the political system was in danger you saw the government trying to redirect the anger and discontent of the masses towards the Jewish community," Goldschmidt told the Guardian. "We saw this in tsarist times and at the end of the Stalinist regime."

He argued that Russia's floundering invasion of Ukraine is starting to foster a similar environment.

"...
This family recently immigrated to Israel with the assistance of NGO La'aretz.

(JNS) - Sometimes going home is hard.

Enter La'aretz, a new non-profit organization with the mission to help Israelis and Jews overcome bureaucratic and financial obstacles to immigrating, returning, visiting and traveling to Israel.

"There are a good amount of people that just give up on the idea of moving or returning to Israel, just because they basically have no one to ask or be assisted by," said Shelly Harel, the organization's founder and CEO.

Harel is a former employee at the Israeli consulate in New York, where she served as the director of the Israel House. It's a department of th...
(JNS)  The White House announced on Thursday that Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will travel to Europe this month to participate in Holocaust remembrance events.

Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to visit Krakow, Poland, from Jan. 26 -29. On Jan. 27, Emhoff, joined by U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, is slated to visit the Memorial and Museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He will also participate in a wreath-laying ceremony and attend the annual commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Emhoff and Lipstadt will...
(JNS) - The Israel education organization StandWithUs has filed a complaint against George Washington University with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, alleging a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The complaint alleges "a pervasive, hostile, and discriminatory environment for Jewish and Israeli students within the Professional Psychology Program" at the university in the U.S. capital, the NGO announced on Thursday.

The complaint says Prof. Lara Sheehi, a facilitator of the program's mandatory diversity course, targeted Jewish and Israeli st...
Hundreds marched in Tucson, Ariz. after a wave of antisemitic incidents, including Mayor Regina Romero (center), June 13, 2021.

(JNS) - The Deborah Project, a public interest law firm dedicated since 2016 to protecting Jewish civil rights in the American educational system, recently announced that it will hire more litigation attorneys thanks to a generous donation.

"As the result of a generous grant from a private foundation, TDP is extending its reach, and hiring additional lawyers to enable it to bring this fight to more courtrooms," Legal Director Lori Lowenthal Marcus told JNS.

"We have brought a legal challenge in federal court in California challenging 'Liberated Ethnic Studies'-which adopts the full compl...
(JTA)  A prize established to honor a single inspiring Jew with a lifetime of achievements has been awarded this year to a nameless group whose work is ongoing: Jewish activists in war-ravaged Ukraine.

The Genesis Prize Foundation said the war in Ukraine required a change in the approach it has taken since creating the prize, known by some as the Jewish Nobel, a decade ago.

Recognizing the extraordinary nature of events dominating the past 11 months, The Genesis Prize Selection Committee has decided to depart from the usual custom of awarding the prize to a single Jewish individ...
US and Israel must stand together on Iran, Netanyahu tells AIPAC

(JNS)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the AIPAC Political Leadership Forum through a video call from his office in the Knesset on Monday, speaking about the importance of U.S.-Israel cooperation on Iran in the pro-Israel lobbying groups first major conference since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The time has come for Israel and the United States, along with other countries, to stand together, and I look forward to discussing this with President Biden and his team, said Netanyahu. Today, more p...
(JNS)  In their zeal to construct an academic setting that reflects the true diversity of the nation and attempts to redress past discrimination and exclusion, universities have created protected groups of students who are scrupulously shielded against any emotional or ideological assault via university harassment policies and codes of conduct.

There is one group, however, that is absent from the accepted list of protected groups, even though, as a small ethnic and religious minority, they should be recognized as such. That group, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Jewish students, especia...
(JNS)  It seems that every Jewish organization claims it is fighting antisemitism. Yet, it is clear that they are failing. Many reasons account for the spread of this cancer. One is that some Jews are antisemites or have taken positions that are antisemitic. Others are enablers of antisemitism. Jew-versus-Jew is not a new story, but usually, we have managed to unite to fight a common enemy. Now we are proving the adage that we are our own worst enemies.

While it is true that antisemitism is a disease of both the far-right and the far-left, what is especially alarming is that it has infec...
(JNS)  Imagine if Pope Francis were to say: Only Christians are permitted in the Vatican! No Muslims and no Jews! The international community would be outraged. But the pontiff would never say that. Muslims and Jews are welcome in the Vatican.

Imagine if Israelis were to say: Only Jews are permitted on Jerusalems Temple Mount! No Muslims and no Christians! The international community would be outraged. But Israelis would never say that. Christians and Muslims are welcome on the Temple Mount, Judaisms most sacred site, the place where two great Jewish temple...
(JNS)  After two years of pointedly ignoring a problem largely of his own making, President Joe Biden finally made a brief visit to the U.S. southern border in El Paso, Texas. While there, however, he saw little of the human cost of the catastrophe, as he didnt meet or see any of the illegal immigrants who have streamed across the border since he assumed office.

But in the days before he arrived for what was little more than a photo op, Biden rekindled a controversy that has been simmering for most of the last decade. The president declared asylum in the United States a human r...
A novel diagnostic testing device uses a patient's breath to diagnose various forms of cancer, COVID-19 and related variants, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and other acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Blu Biotech Inc. (Albuquerque, NM, USA) has entered into a patent license agreement with University of Michigan (U-M, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) to develop and commercialize a Micro Gas Chromatography Photoionization Detector (Micro-GC-PID) for use in diagnostic testing. The commercial device will combine high-performance breath analysis with point-of-care utilization for the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple diseases. The device separates >100 volatile chemical compounds in a breath in 10 minutes with a sub-ppb (parts-per-billion), thanks to the micro-scale components such as the microfluidic detector.

Device readings are encrypted and sent to Blu Biotechs cloud platform where they are analyzed using the companys proprietary algorithm. The algorithm has been developed based on machine learning and AI to analyze breath patterns revealing diseases and human health conditions. The results are finally relayed back to the device. The Micro GC device is suitable for use in hospitals and at the point-of-care to provide timely information about disease and health conditions. It can be placed at the patients bedside to analyze their breath every 30 minutes, similar to an electrocardiogram (ECG) that analyzes the heart condition each second. In clinical trials, the technology has demonstrated the ability to diagnose COVID-19 as well as distinguish between COVID-19 variants. The technology has also shown promise in diagnosing and monitoring of ARDS, which is the severest form of lung injury affecting over 200,000 patients a year.

"We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work with the University of Michigan, one of the world's leading research institutions. Together we are going to reduce cancer mortality by early and accurate cancer screening and improve the care of the critically ill and injured. Blu Biotech's expertise in biomarker development, together with University of Michigan's patented hardware, data science and clinical expertise provides for the first time a realistic point of care commercial breath test," said Robert Tavzel, Chief Executive Officer. "At Blu Biotech we continue to expand and develop breath biomarkers. Someday soon we will be able to target many other cancers, autoimmune disease, infectious disease, and even neurologic and heart diseases with the potential to save lives by early detection."
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts continues its expansion in Europe in 2023, the year it celebrates its 90th anniversary, and announces the brand's debut in Holland with the opening of Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam.

Located in the city centre near the canals, the Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam Hotel is due to open in March and will bring its cultural heritage to the city and try to make an authentic connection with it as it does wherever it is located.

The historic property on the banks of the Amstel River is a well-known building in the city, with roots dating back to the 16th century when military aristocrats occupied it. It is also the oldest hotel in Amsterdam.

The property has 81 rooms in categories ranging from superior rooms to suites. The rooms are classically decorated and offer beautiful views of the famous Amsterdam canal.

At the Tivoli Doelen, the lounge area and bar will offer a wide selection of local gins and liquors. Due to the hotel's close connection to the Dutch painter Rembrandt Van Rijn, herbs and essences from his era will be the stars of the Omber restaurant.

The painter Rembrandt Van Rijn was a neighbour of the hotel and his masterpiece, The Night Watch, hung on the walls of the hotel. In collaboration with a Rembrandt expert and Het Rembrandthuis, a new art experience will be developed on site.

Hotel website
Gus Moors joins JLL as Managing Director, Head of New South Wales Investment Sales. Based in Sydney, he will be responsible for managing JLL's hotel sales platform in Australia's most populated state, managing a team of investment professionals and providing advisory services to domestic and international clients.

He joins JLL from Colliers International where he was most recently Head of Hotels, Australia, where for over nine years he undertook a range of transactions including numerous notable Sydney assets such as Rydges Sydney Harbour, Rydges Bankstown, Capital Square Hotel Sydney, Radisson Liverpool Street, Veriu Central Sydney and the Westin Sydney transaction. As one of Australia's most experienced hotel brokers and asset managers, Gus has undertaken nearly $2 billion in hotel sales and asset managed over 60 hotels nationally.

He brings over 25 years of experience to JLL having worked across all facets of the hotel industry including brokerage, operations, consultancy, asset management and property investment.
Newton, MA  Sonesta International Hotels Corporation (Sonesta) today announced the debut of Sonesta Essential, a new Upper-Midscale Select-Service segment brand which is now available to franchise in the U.S.

Sonesta Essential offers franchisees easier new builds and conversions with modest brand standards, limited food and beverage requirements and simplified conversion processes.

Sonesta Essential is a fresh, new brand carefully designed by Sonesta to deliver a core selection of services compared with other hospitality experiences. With tremendous demand in the select-service category, we are confident that Sonesta Essential will become a leading brand in an exciting, timely and relevant segment. Sonesta Chief Development Officer Brian Quinn

Sonesta Essentials brand pillars focus on offering guests a comfortable, clean place to stay, with a warm and friendly guest experience and foundational brand standards, including 24-hour reception, a fitness center, complimentary hot breakfast, a premium all-day coffee experience, high-speed complimentary Wi-Fi, and elevated bedding with a unique sleep program.

The first two Sonesta Essential hotels will be Sonesta Essential Vacaville, CA, a franchise, which is set to open in late spring 2023 and Sonesta Essential Chattanooga, TN, a managed property, which will be converted from Sonesta Select in the fall of 2023.

In September 2021, Sonesta Franchising debuted in the U.S. with a complete platform of franchise services, hotel operations and franchise support. Sonesta Franchising now features 15 brands with a wide range of hotel service levels to meet travelers needs. Sonesta Franchising provides franchisees with a range of options across the upper upscale, upscale, upper-midscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. Sonestas continued growth, owner centric approach, market availability and executive accessibility make it a compelling choice for developers and owners.

About Sonesta
myDigitalOffice (MDO), the world's fastest-growing hotel data platform, has added InTouch Data (InTouch) to its industry-leading suite of data and business intelligence solutions. Acquiring InTouch, an Australian-based decision intelligence solution, paves the way for stronger relationships with hotel operators and integration partners globally.

The acquisition of InTouch, an Australian company specializing in decision intelligence for hotels, enables MDO to:

Strengthen its certified APIs, integrations, and relationships with key solutions providers, including Amadeus, Oracle, Infor, and several others.

Grow its hospitality intelligence portfolio to include global luxury brands like Accor, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts.

Accelerate expansion in the Middle East and Asia Pacific global markets.

InTouch, founded in 2001, has developed a user-friendly and accurate platform that captures all of a hotel's revenue streams in one place and helps owners and operators make profitable decisions. "Making business decisions has become much more efficient. And because we now have a greater breadth of data, were able to discover new insights and findings, plus look at our business more holistically. All of which help us to reinforce a culture of informed decision-making based on data and insights. Put another way, we now make decisions with confidence." Alex Lee Chief Commercial Officer with the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Group.

Now more than ever, hotel owners and operators are laser-focused on insights that help them drive more to the bottom line, says MDO CEO Ali Moloo. "Both MDO and InTouch share a common goal of empowering hoteliers with centralized, high-quality, accurate data to make more confident real-time business decisions.

InTouch has been connecting siloed data to thousands of hoteliers for more than 20 years, says Ryan Smith, CEO at InTouch. We live and breathe hotel data and decision intelligence, and were excited about this opportunity to scale by joining the industrys fastest-growing hotel data platform.

Focus on Integrated BI Platform

The acquisition of InTouch follows MDO's strategic investment from Cove Hill Partners in January 2022 and following that, the acquisitions of Focal Revenue, a hospitality revenue intelligence software company, and Datavision, a leader in hotel data analytics and business intelligence for luxury resorts. In the past 18 months, MDO has significantly scaled its team of employees worldwide and has made key leadership appointments with a strong emphasis on establishing itself as a trusted partner to hotel groups of all sizes. These successes were recognized when MDO was again named to Inc 5000s Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, where they ranked #608 overall and #6 in the Travel & Hospitality vertical. In December, CEO Ali Moloo was named a 2022 LODGING Luminary by LODGING Magazine.

"We are proud of the progress we have made and are committed to continuing to evolve and improve our offerings to meet the changing needs of our customers," says Scott Ryan, President of MDO. "We look forward to serving our current and future customers by making data work for hospitality, not hospitality work for data."

About InTouch Data

With over 20 years of experience in hotel software, InTouch offers more than business intelligence, we provide a decision intelligence solution designed to help you achieve total revenue management. Whether you have one hotel or thousands, our user-friendly interface captures all your revenue streams in one place, extracting the data you need to make profitable decisions. Our goal  to provide hoteliers with the highest quality of centralized, insightful data to make every decision with confidence. Learn more at www.intouchdata.com

About MDO

myDigitalOffice (MDO) is the world's fastest-growing hotel data platform, providing nearly 10,000 hotel owners and operators across the globe with centralized, digital access to their most critical documents and cross-functional performance metrics. Through integrated data feeds, document workflow management, and award-winning custom dashboards, hoteliers are able to reach greater levels of profitability by operating more efficiently, improving budgeting and forecasting, and reducing their environmental impact. Learn more at www.mdo.io.
The protection of customer data is a crucial component of every hoteliers digital strategy. Given the recent passage of new legal provisions in California, online privacy concerns are more important than ever. What are the new measures, and how will they impact the hospitality business? Heres what you need to know.

2023 is a brand-new year. And now that the confetti has been swept up, the champagne bottles have been recycled and the Auld Lang Synes have been sung, its time to take a look at whats on the horizon for the hospitality industry.

Many hoteliers are already aware of several important legal changes that have taken place on the digital privacy side of resource management. Specifically, two recent California-based ballot measures that have instituted comprehensive protections for how hotels and other businesses gather and use guest data in the state.

The first (which was passed in 2018) is the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA. The second  passed just a year later  is the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA.

The CCPA and CPRA together represent groundbreaking legislative work. Not only have these measures been recognized as the first end-to-end consumer privacy legislation in U.S. history, theyre also being looked at as models for other states seeking to pass similar measures.

Additionally, while each is an important provision, they differ slightly in some very important ways; and its important for business owners to understand the differences when implementing their digital privacy policies.

What are the CCPA and CPRA?

First, the basics:

The California Consumer Privacy Act was signed into law in June of 2018, and went into effect on January 1st, 2020. At its core, the CCPA establishes a range of consumer protection rights, as well as mandating specific obligations on the part of businesses who collect customer data.

The California Privacy Rights Act (sometimes referred to as Proposition 24, or CCPA 2.0) is an amendment and expansion of the previous measure. It seeks to add additional protections that have emerged as being necessary since the passage of the previous measure. It was approved by a ballot measure in November of 2020, and took effect on January 1st, 2023.

Even though these measures are ostensibly similar on the surface, there are some significant differences between them.

How do the CCPA and CPRA differ?

To be clear  the CPRA does not expressly replace the CCPA. Rather, it is an expansion and amendment intended to address some oversights that became evident as the previous measure was rolled out. These provisions are intended to work in concert, not to cancel each other out, or for one to supersede the other.

That said, there are some key differences between them. Most importantly:

Updated criteria for qualification: The CCPA covers for-profit businesses above a specific revenue level that derive a certain portion of their earnings from the trade or sale of customer data. Under the previous measure, any entity that has made available for sale the personal data of 50,000 or more California customers must follow certain criteria. The CPRA expands that number to 100,000, and also adds a provision for sharing the data as opposed to selling it outright. A new category of protected data: The CPRA establishes a new type of protected consumer information, referred to as Sensitive Personal Information (or SPI). The list of what qualifies as SPI has been revised and updated, as have the criteria for the appropriate security measures businesses are obligated to implement in order to safeguard and process it. These measures include (but are not limited to) provisions like updated disclosures, opt-out requirements and how businesses are allowed to use gathered data. Expanded customer privacy rights: Customers are afforded more control and additional protections under the expanded CPRA. Most notably, the right to opt out of their data being made available for sale, the ability to query businesses that have collected their data as to what information has been gathered, and the power to request that any data collected on them be deleted. Additional available actions: Under CPRA provisions, customers are also afforded the right to correct gathered information, limit how businesses use it, access information about the processes by which businesses gather and use their data, and opt out of any processes in which they do not agree to participate. New usage limitations: Further, the CPRA places additional limitations on how businesses gather customer data, what its used for, and how long theyre allowed to retain it. These limitations must henceforth be observed in data-collection practices, as well as openly disclosed in privacy policy documentation. Expansion of data breach protections: As weve seen in recent years, a data breach can have serious fallout for both customers and businesses. If bad actors are able to access and retrieve customers private information, the results can be catastrophic for everyone involved. In response, the CPRA affords customers the right to pursue legal action against any business that fails to properly safeguard customer data if exposure occurs.

(Note: This information is intended as an overview, not a comprehensive legal resource. For more information, please visit the information centers for both the CCPA and CPRA.)

Why it matters

Among the amendments established by the CPRA is the creation of a new enforcement authority charged with the oversight and administration of the updated measures now in effect. The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) has been implemented in order to investigate potential violations of both the CCPA and CPRA, and levy any action necessary to enforce these measures. The CPPAs role as an intermediary will consist of handling customer complaints, looking into potential violations, and acting if violations are found. Although both the agency and the measures it seeks to enforce have only recently been created, the laws in question are currently in effect at the time of this publication.

What this means for your hotel

All qualifying hotels that operate within the State of California are obligated to abide by the measures outlined in both the CCPA and the CPRA as of January 1st, 2023. Failure to comply with these legislative regulations could result in civil penalties levied by the state, private legal actions, or both. Its therefore of crucial importance to keep privacy practices and disclosures up-to-date and compliant.

Choose a proven partner for protection

Cendyn is a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry and as such ensures that all hotel customers satisfactorily comply to all evolving digital legislation. In the due course of handling the data operations of our California-based customers, Cendyn has already undertaken the necessary steps to implement CCPA/CPRA-compliant data-administration practices and disclosures across the Golden State.

(Reminder: This information is intended as an overview, not a comprehensive legal resource. For more information, please visit the information centers for both the CCPA and CPRA.)

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry. We help hotels around the globe drive profitability and guest loyalty through an integrated technology platform that aligns revenue, eCommerce, distribution, marketing, and sales teams with centralized data, applications, and analytics, so they can capture more demand and accelerate growth. With operations across the globe, in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India, Cendyn serves tens of thousands of customers across 143 countries. To find out more, visit www.cendyn.com.

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Gov. Maura Healey on a tour Thursday of Greylock Works, which has benefited from state and federal funding. Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, center, speaks with state Rep. John Barrett III and Mayor Jennifer Macksey. Hao and the governor with Greylock Works owners Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry. Hao is a Williamstown resident and a Williams College graduate. PreviousNext

Healey Makes Trip to Greylock Works to Announce $987M Bond Bill



Mayor Jennifer Macksey introduces the governor. With her are state Rep. John Barrett III, left, state Sen. Paul Mark, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The redevelopment of the massive Greylock mill into retail, artisan and living space has been boosted by millions in state and federal funding.

And it was at Greylock Works, that Gov. Maura Healey chose to announce one of her first priorities  the filing of a $987 million bond authorization targeting housing and economic development.

"We're here at Greylock Works because it's a prime example of the impact of the MassWorks program," said Healey on Thursday morning. "Greylock's received several millions of dollars from MassWorks over the years to support the renovation of this wonderful building and turn it into the vibrant place that it is with lots of great stuff going on. ...

"Greylock has been able to provide good jobs, with more housing for people in the community and spur economic development in the region. And these are the types of innovative projects our administration wants to support across the state."

The bonding authorization would continue the work of existing housing and economic development programs, make funding available for climate resilient housing and transit-oriented developments; funding for cities and towns; support for libraries, planning and tourism, and middle-mile broadband.

"One of the most immediate needs it will address is funding for MassWorks [a state infrastructure program]. This is the state's largest and most flexible source of capital plans to municipalities for public infrastructure projects," said Healey. "These projects support housing production, spur economic development and create jobs across the state. This bill has $600 million for MassWorks alone and extends its authorization into fiscal year 2028."

The governor said there were plans for a more comprehensive bill later in the session. Her administration has also filed a bill to authorize the state to borrow an additional $400 million to fund roads and bridges under Chapter 90 for the next two years.

The State Road mill owned by Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry has already become a gathering space for everything from dances to banquets to festivals. A number of businesses have opened in the Shed portion, including chef Brian Alberg's Break Room. The next phase of the project is developing about 50 condominiums.

Healey was last at the mill (officially) in 2016 as attorney general to deliver a brownfield covenant that would allow the work to continue. Unofficially, she was at the Break Room for dinner after attending Fresh Grass this past fall at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

The she and her team toured the construction area on the second floor and ended at a gathering space that had been completely transformed since her last visit. She had planned on stopping a couple other places (including former Gov. Jane Swift's farm in Williamstown) after lunch with Mayor Jennifer Macksey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and newly sworn in Housing and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao at the Break Room.

Macksey said she had great confidence in the new administration. "I am so excited for this upcoming year and many years to come," she said in introducing the governor and lieutenant governor.

The new governor had stressed during her campaign that Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires would not be forgotten. Closing out the two-week mark of her term, she was back in the Berkshires

"It was very important to the LG and me and our team that we come to North Adams. We have said throughout and said on the trail that we will be a team administration that is about all parts of the state and that is certainly what this visit represents," said Healey, who was accompanied by .

"I think for me, it is absolutely critical that people in the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts know that they have a partner with us know, that they have administration who sees you, who hears you, and who's going to work with you. And that's what it means to be a commonwealth."

Before women held both seats in the Corner Office, there was @janemswiftthe first woman to lead this state. We stopped by her fantastic farm to meet some new friends and snag some fresh eggs while we were out in Western Massachusetts today. pic.twitter.com/LJ7U1Au0kx  Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) January 20, 2023

The governor pointed to her new cabinet member, Hao, a Williams College graduate and former trustee and Williamstown homeowner, and said, in response to questions, that she was still filling critical positions in her administration.

"We are committed to making sure we have representation from Western Massachusetts," she said.

Hao, co-founder of private equity firm Cove Hill Partners, chatting with Macksey, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III, recalled how she'd run the back streets of Pittsfield to find Onota Lake with the Williams track team and her feelings of home as she rounded the Hairpin Turn.

Driscoll, former mayor of Salem, said the new administration feels a real obligation to the 351 cities and towns of the state.

"We wanted to be in this particular region because you know, all the solutions are not the same for every community," she said. "There's a lot of things that can be done together but there are unique attributes and certainly needs that are different."

The lieutenant governor said they wanted to be aware of what's happening on the ground and partnering with local leaders and members of the Legislature.

"This is our first trip here as a team and it certainly won't be the last," she said.
Egremont Man Died From Self-Immolation

EGREMONT, Mass.  Officials have determined that an Egremont man died from intentionally setting himself on fire, according to a press release from the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.

Brian Levy-Sadhana was found severely burned at the scene of a chicken coop fire on Wednesday morning. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The Fire Department responded to a call made by a passer-by about a chicken coop fire at about 7:40 a.m. Wednesday on Mount Washington Road.

The State Police Detective Unit attached to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office found no detectable evidence of foul play by third parties. A K9 unit alerted to numerous items near the chicken coop for ignitable liquid accelerant, which officials said confirmed the self-immolation conclusion.

Detectives were assisted in the investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office and Egremont Police Chief Jason LaForest.

"This is a terrible tragedy. Our office gives its heartfelt condolences to Mr. Levy-Sadhana's wife, daughter, grandson, and family," said DA Timothy Shugrue in a statement.
International Marketing Trends Conference 2023

19.01.2023 bis 21.01.2023

Art der Veranstaltung: Kongress Ort: Paris Datum: 19.01.2023 - 21.01.2023 Veranstalter: ESCP Europe Teilnahmeoptionen: , Prasenzveranstaltung Zielgruppe: C-Level, Fachexperten URL: http://www.marketing-trends-congress.com/ E-Mail: info@team-imtc.com Telefon: +33 1 45 03 05 35 Voranmeldung erwunscht: ja

With over 500 speakers and contributors, from more than 50 different countries, the International Marketing Trends Conference offers a great variety of conferences and covers a wide range of topics. It has, over the years, proven to be a unique think-tank that interacts with leading business professionals, top academic experts, professors, researchers and Ph.D. students. The IMTC originally takes place alternatively in Paris (France) and Venice (Italy). In 2017, we decided to start including additional locations and IMTC took place in Madrid (Spain). In 2022 we gladly accepted the invitation of LUMSA Universita to organize the conference in central Roma (Italy), next to historical Roma and Vaticano. The next Conference will take place in Paris in ESCP Business School Campus.
This publication is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in the Indian market and includes a gu...
India and Bangladesh need to explore the possibility of making a trilateral partnership with Japan. The two South Asian neighbours should also look at making Bangladesh a gateway to link South Asia and South-East Asia, Bangladeshi journalist and author Syed Badrul Ahsan said in Delhi on Thursday.

The noted Bangladeshi intellectual was speaking at a roundtable discussion, Reflections on India-Bangladesh Relations, organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). Ahsan is in India on a trip organised by India Narrative.

Talking about Bangladesh graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) Ahsan said: We are happy moving away from the LDC status but need support from India. He added that the country will face problems in exports as it largely relies on exports of readymade garments and remittances by the diaspora.

An LDC country gets preferential treatment in relation to trade, development financing, debt relief among other things. Once a country graduates out of the LDC list, these additional benefits are no longer provided.

Among the many worries for Bangladesh is climate change and environment which will impact its coastal areas. Ahsan said that to ward off climate change impacts, both India and Bangladesh will need to build a concerted diplomatic effort, adding that the two also share the Sunderbans mangrove forests which need protection.

In the joint statement released during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September 2022, the two countries have promised to cooperate in areas such as environment and climate change. They also plan to address issues like river pollution and navigability in their common rivers.

Talking about the improvement in India-Bangladesh relations, ambassador Vijay Thakur Singh, Director General, ICWA said if India has extended the biggest Lines of Credit (LoC) to any one country, that is Bangladesh. She added that the two neighbours have settled their land and maritime boundary disputes and Bangladesh figures prominently in Indias Neighbourhood First policy.

Shantanu Mukharji, former National Security Advisor to Mauritius said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brought the two countries together with dexterity despite the challenges. He applauded Bangladesh for tackling the North-East insurgent outfits as well as reining in terror.

Ahsan said that Bangladesh is grateful to India for supporting it in its war of liberation in 1971. He said: 18,000 Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives in Bangladesh in the war. He said that Bangladesh is back to being a democratic and a secular nation under the leadership of Hasina and has put behind it three coups and two dictators, which we call the dark age that lasted 21 years from 1975 to 1996.

Professor Sanjay Bhardwaj from Jawaharlal Nehru University said that India wants Bangladesh to become a part of its growth story. We are looking at economic stability in Bangladesh. He also wanted better people-to-people connect along with more youth exchanges between universities of the two neighbours.

Diplomatic Affairs Editor of The Economic Times, Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury said that with China facing Covid-related problems, Bangladesh has an important role in restoring supply chains. He said that as compared to other South Asian countries, Bangladesh inspires confidence in nations like India and Japan, both of which are jointly investing in its development.

Also read: India  Bangladesh Joint Statement during the State Visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India
MAM | Media And Advertising GUEST ARTICLE: Woke advertisements are a way for brands to reach the hearts of the audience With the rise of social media platforms and overall content consumption by people, brands are exploring new ways to attract their target audiences. One such method that advertisers are opting for to entice their target audience is 'woke advertising'. Read More...
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* Agreements cover onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, and integrated offshore wind and green hydrogen projects * Agreements follow signing of implementation agreements with Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy to develop a renewable energy program with a total capacity of 10 GW * Projects support Azerbaijan's goal of meeting 30 percent of domestic power needs from renewable energy sources by 2030 ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Masdar, one of the world's leading clean energy companies, has signed joint development agreements with the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), for onshore wind and solar projects, and integrated offshore wind and green hydrogen projects, with a total combined capacity of 4 gigawatts (GW). The agreements were signed by Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Rovshan Najaf, President of SOCAR, on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the global platform for accelerating sustainable development hosted by Masdar. HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Chairman of Masdar, and HE Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy for Azerbaijan, witnessed the signing. HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Chairman of Masdar, said, "These agreements will serve to strengthen the already powerful relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and are a testament to our shared commitment to diversifying our energy mix and developing low- and zero-carbon solutions. As global leaders gather here in the UAE for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, we are demonstrating the power of partnership and cooperation in advancing the inclusive energy transition and I look forward to seeing more announcements being made at ADSW. " Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, "Masdar sees Azerbaijan as a key strategic partner, one we are proud to support in its clean energy journey. This signing marks a milestone on the development and delivery of a significant collaboration that will advance Azerbaijan's renewable energy goals and support its ongoing sustainable economic development." In June last year, Masdar signed implementation agreements with Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy to develop a renewable energy program on a bilateral basis, with a total capacity of 10 GW across multiple technologies, one of the largest such signings in Azerbaijan's history. The joint development agreements set out the collaboration and partnership principles between the parties for the development of the first phase of the program, with a total capacity of 4 GW. SOCAR is an integrated national oil and gas company supporting the energy security of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is pursuing a national target of producing 30 percent of its domestic power needs from renewable energy sources by 2030, as the Central Asian nation looks to diversify its economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Masdar is also developing the 230-megawatt Garadagh Solar PV Plant in Azerbaijan. The plant will help to generate half a billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of more than 110,000 homes and will reduce emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes a year, while also creating valuable jobs. Masdar recently announced a new shareholding structure and additional focus on green hydrogen, making it one of the largest clean energy companies of its kind. With a goal of achieving 100 GW renewable energy capacity and green hydrogen production of 1 million tonnes per annum annually by 2030, the new Masdar is a clean energy powerhouse that will spearhead the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and drive the global energy transition. About Masdar Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is the UAE's clean energy champion and one of the largest companies of its kind in the world, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar is today active in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development. Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to 1 million tonnes by the same year. For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1984898/Masdar_Partners_SOCAR.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/masdar-partners-with-azerbaijans-socar-to-develop-renewable-energy-projects-with-4-gw-capacity-301723457.html
1. Nora Fatehi Makes Shocking Revelation In Sukesh Chandrashekhar's Rs 200-Crore Extortion Case

Popular Bollywood dancer-turned-actress Nora Fatehi revealed in the court on January 13 that Sukesh Chandrashekhar spoke to her relative about financing her entire career and life if she became his girlfriend. She also revealed that she was a chief guest at an event hosted by Sukesh Chandrashekhars wife Leena Maria and had received an iPhone and a Gucci bag for judging a dance competition.

She was later offered a car as well, however, the actress said she did not accept it. Nora also revealed that she had handed over her relative Bobbys contact to a man named Suresh but it was actually Sukesh. They even discussed business opportunities and the man eventually gave away the car to Bobby.

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2. Rakhi Sawant Arrested By Mumbai Police After Model Sherlyn Chopra Files FIR Against The Actress

Rakhi who was in news for her relationship with businessman Adil Durrani had planned to launch her dance class in Adils partnership only. News agency ANI reported, Amboli Police detains actor Rakhi Sawant after a woman model complained that she made her inappropriate videos & photos viral. Rakhi Sawant has been brought to Amboli PS for further questioning: Mumbai Police.

Reportedly, Rakhis anticipatory bail before Dindoshi Court got rejected yesterday (January 18). Rakhis arch-rival and reported victim in this case, Sherlyn took to Twitter and wrote, BREAKING NEWS!!! AMBOLI POLICE HAS ARRESTED RAKHI SAWANT IN RESPECT WITH FIR 883/2022 YESTERDAY, RAKHI SAWANTS ABA 1870/2022 WAS REJECTED BY MUMBAI SESSIONS COURT.

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3. Fans Say 'Ye To Bas Shuruwat Hai' As SRK's Pathaan Collects Over Rs 1 Crore In Advance Booking

While the controversy around Shah Rukh Khan starrer Besharam Rang and 'bhagwa' outfit of Deepika Padukone prevails on social media, looks like Pathaan still managed to collect a large sum of money in its pre-sales ahead of its release in theatres. If reports are to be believed, Pathaan has collected over Rs. 1 Crore in advance booking in its pre-sales within hours. Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh also took to his official Twitter handle to share that YRF has commenced the advance bookings of #Pathaan at various locations.

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4. Lara Dutta Reacts To Harnaaz Sandhus Iconic Gown Which She Wore For Miss Universes Final Walk

As R'Bonney Gabriel of the US took over the legacy, Harnaaz Sandhu walked as the Miss Universe for one last time at the event. A sobbing yet proud Harnaaz stunned her final walk and handed over her legacy ahead. What stood out about her presence at the event was the models gown that had digital prints of Indias former Miss Universes Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen.

Harnaaz being the third lady from India gave a tribute to the veteran ladies in a heartwarming way. Sharing a few pictures of her with the iconic gown, Harnaaz wrote on Instagram, Its my purest honour and gratitude to represent my incredible country at Miss Universe. For my finale walk as Reigning Miss Universe, I couldnt thank @officialsaishashinde and her team enough for making this dream gown come true!

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5. 'Everyone Knew RRR Had A Bigger Chance', SS Rajamouli On India's Official Entry For Oscars

During the interview, SS Rajamouli was asked if it was disappointing to learn that his film would not be Indias official Oscar entry to which the ace director told the international publication, Yeah, it is disappointing. But we are not the kind of people who would sit and brood on why it didnt happen. What has happened has happened and we should go forward with it." He added, "But I am happy because it (Chhello Show) is also an Indian film and it has also been shortlisted for Oscars. Im quite happy for it. Of course, everyone knew RRR had a much bigger chance. Here (in the US) everyone felt RRR had a bigger chance."

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(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.)
An analysis by the World Population Review (WPR) has suggested that India is currently the world's most populous county, overtaking China, which has held the title for decades.

According to WPR, India's population stood at 1.417 billion as of 2022, a little over 5 million more than the 1.412 billion reported by China.

REUTERS

China's population declines for the first time

On Tuesday, China's National Bureau of Statistics said that the country's population fell last year for the first time in six decades.



It reported a drop of roughly 850,000 people for a population of 1.41175 billion in 2022.

UN estimate on India's population

In 2022, UN experts put India's population at 1.412 billion and suggested that the country will overtake China in terms of population in 2023.

The 1.417 billion population of India, as projected by WPR, is based on estimates and not actual data.

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2021, the census that never happened

That is because India has not counted its population for the first time in decades.



India has been carrying out a census every ten years and the last time the massive exercise was carried out was in 2011, placing the official population at 1.21 billion.

The next census was scheduled to take place in 2021, and in March 2019, the government notified its intent via a gazette for its conduct.

But the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns made it impossible.

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Census delayed yet again

Last week, it was reported that the census will remain postponed at least till September 30, 2023.



The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner reportedly conveyed to the states that the freezing of administrative boundaries has been extended till June 30.

According to established norms, a census can be conducted only three months after the freezing of boundary limits of administrative units.

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During the three months, the states must submit to the Registrar General of India (RGI) the data regarding changes in notified districts, tehsil towns, police stations, panchayat etc. This means that census can only begin after September 30, 2023.

However, it is widely assumed that since 2024 is the general election year in India, the government will not be in a position to carry out the census.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Guinness World Records has declared a US-born Spanish great-grandmother the world's oldest living person.

Branyas Morera/ Image from Twitter

On Wednesday, the record-keeping body made this announcement about 115-year-old Maria Branyas Morera after the verification process and interview of her family members.

She assumed this title after French nun Lucile Randon aged 118, passed away a day before, AFP reported.

Lucile Randon/ Image from Twitter

Branyas Morera has never gone to hospital

Morera, a resident of the town of Olot in northeastern Spain for the past two decades, has survived the two world wars, the 1918 flu, the 1936 Spanish civil war and Covid-19.

But what's more remarkable is that she has never been hospitalised, never broke her bones and doesn't feel any pain. She continues to live a healthy life.

Representational Image

As per reports, Morera's daughter, 78-year-old Rosa Moret, attributed her mother's longevity to "genetics".



Life amidst global events

Morera was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907 shortly after her family moved to the United States from Mexico.

In 1915, the entire family decided to return to their native Spain and the ongoing World War I complicated their ship voyage across the Atlantic.

Morera's father died from tuberculosis during the crossing, and his coffin was thrown into the sea. Branyas Morera and her mother settled in Barcelona.

In 1931, five years before Spain's 1936-39 civil war, she married a doctor.

The couple lived together for four decades until her husband passed at 72.

She has had three children, including one who died, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.



Recovered from Covid-19 at care home

Just weeks after ringing in her 113th birthday, Morera got Covid-19 and was confined to her room at her care home in Olot but fully recovered.

"I haven't done anything extraordinary, the only thing I did was live," she told the Barcelona-based daily newspaper La Vanguardia in 2019.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


Did Elon Musk lie about Tesla? A lawyer for investors has told a court that Elon Musk "lied" when he claimed he has "secured" funding to take Tesla private.

In 2018, Musk said that investor support for taking Tesla private was "confirmed," causing the company's shares to tumble and then rise up again.

A few weeks later, Musk went back on this word. An investor, Glen Littleton is now seeking damages on behalf of shareholders who bought or sold stocks after Musk's tweets, saying that it cost them "millions."

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What does Elon Musk say about this?

Elon Musk doesn't feel the same way. A lawyer representing Musk said that he had simply used the "wrong words" when he tweeted about the plans.

The investors' lawyer, Nicholas Porritt, told a San Francisco jury that "millions of dollars were lost when [Musk's] lies were exposed." But Musk's lawyer claimed that he was in fact serious about taking the company private but had encountered shareholder opposition.

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"You will come to learn very soon that this was not fraud, not even close," Musk's lawyer, Alex Spiro, told jurors. However, he added that Musk's tweets contained a few "technical inaccuracies."

Also read: 'Instagram Makes People Depressed & Twitter Makes People Angry - Which Is Better?' Asks Elon Musk

"In a rush, he used the wrong words," Musk's lawyer told the court

One of the investors, Littleton told the court that he had invested in Tesla in 2015 but had to weigh his options when Musk's tweet about funding was shared. Now, a jury of nine will decide whether Musk purposely inflated Tesla's share price by promising to take it private. Elon Musk might have to appear in court.

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Last week, the judge, Edward Chen refused Musk's request to move the case to Texas. Musk believes that jurors in California would be biased against him. He claims it's because of negative coverage surrounding his job cuts at Twitter (which is based in San Francisco, California).

Also read: 5 Billionaires Closest In Race To Overtake Elon Musk As World's Second Richest Person



The jury could award damages to investors if they find that Musk's tweets intended to influence investors.

What do you think about more Elon Musk drama? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Sky. (2023, January 19). Elon Musk's 'lies' about Tesla on Twitter cost investors millions, court told. Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musks-lies-about-tesla-on-twitter-cost-investors-millions-court-told-12789872
People who habitually procrastinate show signs of deeper health problems such as depression, anxiety, disabling pain and poor sleep quality, along with physical inactivity, reveals a report by Independent.

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The study assessed if kids who procrastinate have a higher risk of suffering from poor mental and physical health. For this study, they recruited 3.525 students from eight universities around Stockholm and asked them to complete questionnaires every three months for a year between August 19, 2019, and December 15, 2021.



Researchers looked at students self-reported procrastination that was gauged using 5 times from the Swedish version of the Pure Procrastination Scale rated on Likert scale from 1 (very rarely to 5 (very often).

The numbers were then summed to offer a total procrastination score that ranged from 5 to 25. Data from students were assessed to determine if procrastination was linked to worse health outcomes nine months later.

At the follow-up after nine months, 16 self-reported health outcomes of the students were analysed. This included mental health problems including depression, anxiety, stress and disabling pain which included that of the neck and or upper back, lower back, as well as upper and lower extremities.

Participants also reported unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as poor sleep quality, tobacco use, physical inactivity, cannabis use, and skipping of breakfast, as well as psychosocial health factors such as loneliness, financial difficulties and overall health.

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Findings reveal that higher levels of procrastination self-reported by some participants were associated with significantly higher symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress around nine months later. Disabling pain, feelings of loneliness and economic difficulties as well as poor sleep quality.

Researchers eventually conclude stating that the research sample is not fully representative of the overall Swedish student population and so it remains uncertain whether the estimates can be generalised to other populations.

The study added, Furthermore, our measures were collected during the Covid-19 pandemic, which could affect generalizability to other time periods.Although it seems that intervening in procrastination is unlikely to produce large associations with any specific health outcome, it could possibly produce small associations with a diverse set of different health outcomes.
Microsoft said on Wednesday that it would lay off about 10,000 employees, about 5% of the company's workforce. Since then, social media platforms have been flooded with stories of layoffs, with each person having their own story to tell.

An Indian man revealed that after more than 21 years of service to Microsoft, he was terminated from his job at the company.

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"Microsoft was my first job after college, and I still remember coming to a foreign land all nervous and excited, wondering what life has in store for me. After working for over 21 years at Microsoft, in multiple roles, multiple organizations... I can truly say its been very fulfilling and rewarding," Prashant Kamani wrote on LinkedIn.



Kamani, based out of Seattle, began working as a software design engineer in 1999, and he stayed in that role for around 15 years.

His tenure at the firm ended in 2015 when he resigned from his position as software development manager.

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After working for Amazon for two years, he returned to Microsoft as the principal software development manager.

"The wealth of experience I gained throughout my career cant simply be measured in years; it is truly immeasurable. And for all that, Im truly grateful to Microsoft," he said.

Kamani added, "Ive been surrounded by people who are extremely talented and smart. For any company like Microsoft, thats the price of admission. Im grateful to those people as I have learned a lot from them."

"Most folks carried themselves with grace and humility, were curious to hear other peoples ideas, and truly embraced a growth mindset, irrespective of where they were in the organizational ranks. Many have invited me into their personal lives and allowed me to share mine with them," he wrote.

He also thanked his family for extending support at all times in his journey:

"And lastly, and most importantly, Im grateful for my family. I havent always been there for them, but they have always been there for me. I know todays news is hitting them equally hard, yet they are staying strong and carrying me through this. Thank You for being my pillar of support," his post read.

Read his full post here:

The layoffs happened when it was anticipated that Microsoft's income would decline and show no discernible pattern regarding its geographical location or product division.

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As investors become increasingly concerned about the possibility of a recession, this decision is only one example of a more significant trend in which technology businesses are reducing the number of positions they offer and slowing down the rate at which they hire new employees.



As the end of the company's financial year approaches, there have been rumors that Microsoft is "realigning business groups and roles."

(For the latest trending stories, keep reading Indiatimes)


Robotic vacuum cleaners have made lives more manageable. Most of these devices rely on mechanical sensors, optical sensors, and specialized software to accomplish their tasks.

They monitor and record the user's surroundings and personal activities to enhance the quality of their usage.



But how safe are they?

According to a Fortune article, a robot vacuum captured photos of a lady sitting on a toilet, and the images eventually made their way to social media.

The leak originated from a company providing services for artificial intelligence (AI), sparking warnings from industry professionals about the dangers of incorporating such devices into the house.

The photograph, taken in 2020 but leaked in 2019, shows a lady in a purple t-shirt sitting on a toilet with her shorts pulled down to the center of her thighs.

The report said that the picture was taken by a prototype Roomba J7 series vacuum cleaner made by iRobot.

According to Fortune, the photos were sent to Scale AI, a startup that partners with enterprises worldwide to identify audio, pictures, and videos to train artificial intelligence.

The woman volunteered to test out the newest model of the robot vacuum.

Meanwhile, the company said it had communicated to the participants how their data would be used and that all of its robotic models had "recording in progress" tabs.

Fortune's report said that after the breach, iRobot cut ties with the third party and started looking into what happened.

iRobot issued a press release stating it "takes data privacy and security very seriously, not only with its customers but in every aspect of its business, including research and development."

Also, the models in people's homes are different from the mass-produced model that was used to take the picture.



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With stricter storage and access limitations, the cloud has become more trusted. Still, this incident has added to the rising mistrust of internet-connected devices that routinely capture photographs and other data and send them back to the cloud.

On the other hand, Technology Review says that the MIT tech group stole 15 photos from their private social network groups.

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These pictures include rooms from homes worldwide, furniture, and objects located on the walls and ceilings, according to the outlet. The need to govern AI is becoming a hot topic of discussion.



Last year, the European Union said it would create a comprehensive framework for regulating or banning specific artificial intelligence applications. The United States is still trying to figure out a way to put stringent controls on AI.

(For the latest trending stories, keep reading Indiatimes)


It is evident that the major challenge for insuring epidemic and pandemic risk is the global accumulation risk, i.e., the occurrence of losses across the globe at the same time, he said. As a consequence, commodity markets for traditional insurance products had no choice than to firmly exclude infectious disease cover from their terms and conditions. This has not been a new insight, but the rigor of implementing it has increased and there is no way back. This puts epidemic and pandemic insurance into the field of specialty covers, which enables a strict and transparent accumulation control for insurance providers.
Irelands privacy watchdog fined WhatsApp 5.5m for GDPR breaches.

The Data Protection Commission, or DPC, concluded an inquiry into WhatsApp Ireland in relation to the delivery of the companys service to users.

The DPC also instructed WhatsApp Ireland to bring its data processing operations into compliance within a period of six months.

The DPC began its inquiry following a complaint made almost five years ago by a German data subject about WhatsApp's use of consent.

The complaint was made before GDPR rules were put into operation. However, WhatsApp Ireland updated its Terms of Service around this time and informed users that if they wished to continue to have access to the WhatsApp service following the introduction of the GDPR, existing and new users were asked to click accept updated Terms of Service.

The services would not be accessible if users declined to do so.

WhatsApp Ireland considered that, on accepting the updated Terms of Service, a contract was entered into between WhatsApp Ireland and the user.

The complainant argued that by making the accessibility of WhatsApp services conditional on users accepting the updated Terms of Service, the company was forcing them to consent to the processing of their personal data for service improvement and security.

The complainant argued that this was in breach of the GDPR.

The DPC already imposed a fine of 225m on WhatsApp Ireland for breaches of this and other transparency obligations over the same period of time and did not propose the imposition of any further fine or corrective measures.

The watchdog also held the view that WhatsApp Ireland did not rely on users consent to provide a lawful basis for processing personal data. The DPC said that the forced consent aspect of the complaints could not be sustained.

The matter was eventually referred to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) to be resolved.

The EDPB took a different view to the DPC on the legal basis matter, finding that WhatsApp Ireland was not entitled to rely on the contract as providing a lawful basis for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security.
The bill to establish an agri-food regulator in Ireland will progress on Thursday when Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue introduces the second stage debate on the bill in the Dail.

A collection of the latest news, views and analysis from the farming desk on the topic of Agribusiness and technology.

The Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill provides for the establishment of the new independent statutory body, An Rialalai Agraibhia, or Agri-Food Regulator, which will promote fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain.

The regulator will have powers to levy fines of up to 10m on buyers, including retailers, food producers, and processors, who engage in unfair trading practices with farmers and other suppliers.

The office will have powers to investigate breaches such as late payments to suppliers, misuse of trade secrets, commercial retaliation, and unilateral contract changes.

Protection for farmers

Speaking before Thursday's debate, Mr McConalogue said that the bill will ensure there is protection for farmers, fishers, growers, and small businesses operating in the agri-food sector against unfair trading practices, and will bring greater transparency to the supply chain by carrying out price and market analysis and reporting.

It is my hope the enactment of this bill can be progressed without undue delay and this much needed Agri-Food Regulator can be established," Mr McConalogue said.

"I want this office to be a strong advocate for our primary producers - the farmers, fishers, and food producers of Ireland. The office will bring further transparency to all stages of the supply chain."

He said that the Department of Agriculture is working to conclude the process of appointing a chief executive for the office, following a recent open competitive process. An announcement on this will be made in due course, he added.

He said the department will also engage with state boards to begin the process for selection of the board of the new office.
Coillte's deal with British investment fund Gresham House is expected to result in the planting of 3,500 hectares of new forests over the next five years, ministers have been told.

A collection of the latest news, views and analysis from the farming desk on the topic of Agribusiness and technology.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett met with senior representatives of Coillte this afternoon.

This comes after the recent announcement that Gresham House alongside Coillte has launched a new fund to allow Irish and international investors to fund forestry in Ireland.

The Department of Agriculture said this afternoon that Coillte outlined to the ministers its intention that the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund will plant an average of 700 hectares of new forests across each of the next five years.

The total area of new forests planted through the fund is expected to deliver roughly 3.5% of the 100,000 hectares of new forests Coillte has committed to enabling by 2050.

According to the department, of the states overall national target of 450,000 hectares of new forests by 2050, the fund will plant less than 1% of that total.

Farmers 'central' to the strategy's success

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said that farmers will be central to the success of the overall forestry strategy.

"The Government has been clear in its policy direction through the design of the Forestry Programme and the Climate Action Plan that farmers will have the biggest opportunity to deliver on our forestry targets, and to benefit from our forestry payments," he said on Thursday afternoon.

We have put a funding package of 1.3bn in place for the next Forestry Programme, and the incentives under the programme are designed to attract and reward farmers ahead of any other landowners.

"In addition to the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund, we have asked Coillte to consider the range of models it will use to deliver on its targets for new forest creation between now and 2050 including potentially working more closely with farmers or acquiring land directly in a way that supports the environment, the rural economy, and farm family incomes."

Mr McConalogue added that farmers are "at the heart" of the new programme, and in addition to single farm payments on afforested land which other landowners will not receive, farmers will be paid 20 years of premium under the new programme, compared to other landowners who will receive 15 years of payments.

'Critical role' for Coillte

Minister of State Pippa Hackett said that this is a "hugely exciting time" for Irish forestry.

"Our targets for new forest creation are ambitious, as they should be, and Coillte has committed to playing its part by delivering 100,000 hectares out of our total national target of 450,000 hectares by 2050," Ms Hackett said.

"With the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund targeting to deliver 3,500 hectares of afforestation over five years, this represents a small yet important step towards achieving the nations afforestation target.

"Given that roughly two-thirds of our landmass is farmland, our farmers will be the primary drivers of Irelands afforestation efforts, and the primary beneficiaries of our new 1.3bn Forestry Programme thanks to the way we have tailored the incentives under the new programme.

Speaking after the meeting, the ministers said that Coillte has a "critical role to play in meeting our ambitious forestry plans".

"We heard today how the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund is one of a number of models Coillte will deploy in contributing to our overall forestry targets," the ministers said.

"There is also potential for Coillte to deliver new forests at scale on public land, and in this context, we are encouraged by the progress Coillte is making in engaging with local authorities and state bodies to identify land that is already in public ownership and suitable for forestry.

Farmer fears

Since the announcement of the Coillte and Gresham House partnership, farmers have been expressing fears about it distorting the land market in Ireland.

Speaking this week on the deal, Macra na Feirme agricultural affairs committee chair Liam Hanrahan said that "this is not the correct approach for the expansion of forestry in Ireland, and it will have a negative impact on generational renewal and access to land for young farmers".

Mr Hanrahan said that a UK investment fund "putting further pressures on an already highly inflated land market will have major consequences for land mobility and access to land for young farmers".

"This will put further pressure on land prices and the ability of young farmers to access the finances required," he added.
Asylum seekers arriving in Ireland in the coming weeks face being homeless due to a lack of accommodation.

Integration Minister Roderic OGorman has confirmed the Citywest Transit hub will be closed to newly arrived international protection applicants in the coming days.

He said every effort will be made to offer accommodation to the most vulnerable, mainly women, children and people with disabilities.

He admitted there is a real risk that people will end up on the streets because the Government will not be able to accommodate everyone.

Mr OGorman said others would be provided with food vouchers and would be contacted when accommodation becomes available.

This is the third time that the Government has been forced to close the hub to new arrivals but Mr OGorman said he expects the closure this time to be for a longer period of time.

The State is entering a difficult number of weeks for sourcing accommodation for people seeking international protection applicants, he told RTE News at One.

Mr OGorman indicated the shortage of accommodation will last a number of weeks into mid-February and said it is difficult to get a line of sight of the amount of space the State can secure to meet the number of new arrivals expected to come into the country.

The State is already housing 19,350 people seeking international protection and 52,800 Ukrainian refugees.

The first 200 modular homes will not be ready for occupation until Easter time, Mr OGorman said, which is a further delay to the homes which were already expected in November 2022 but were delayed until March this year.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin told the Dail that the combination of the war in Ukraine, allied to climate change, conflict in other parts of the world, is causing "enormous pressures" on our asylum process which are unprecedented in terms of scale.

"It is not easy and it is now challenging but there are no easy solutions either and I am not going to pretend that there are," he said.
A high-risk sex offender who raped a woman with a mild intellectual disability three times after grabbing her on a side-street late at night has had his jail term increased, with the Court of Appeal finding the discount he received for being a non-English speaker in an Irish prison was "excessive".

Returning judgement on Thursday, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court also found it surprising that the trial judge had placed "little emphasis" on the fact that Costel Pirvu, 39, has a previous conviction for attempted rape.

Mr Justice Birmingham said a probation report describing Pirvu's attitude towards his victim was "very disturbing", with the reporting finding he displayed no remorse or empathy and on occasion took a derogatory view of the victim.

He said the court would quash the original jail sentence of six-and-a-half years and substitute it with a sentence of 10 years' imprisonment with the final year-and-a-half suspended.

Pirvu, formerly of Kilreekill, Loughrea, Co Galway, was found guilty of three counts of rape and one of false imprisonment after a nine-day trial at the Central Criminal Court last year.

He had pleaded not guilty on all counts and was jailed for six and a half years.

At Pirvu's trial, Detective Garda Adrian Fehily told Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, that the offence took place at a town in the west of Ireland in the early hours of February 4, 2018.

The woman, who was 19 at the time, had been socialising with some friends who walked her halfway home.

She told gardai she saw a man she didnt know looking at her and she ran, but he grabbed her and forced her against a black jeep and then to the ground.

The court heard he took off her pants and raped her even though she struggled to escape, receiving injuries and bruises to her arms, legs and back.

Pirvu refused to let her go home, threatened her and forced her to go back to his apartment. She said she felt if she didnt do what he wanted, he would hurt her.

CCTV footage showed Pirvu and the victim walking back towards his apartment, where she told gardai he raped her twice more and finally let her go the next morning when a flatmate of his walked in and demanded that she be freed.

After a Court of Appeal hearing earlier this week, Ms Brennan successfully argued on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions that Pirvu's sentence had been unduly lenient.

Counsel said Pirvu unduly benefited in mitigation because the trial judge had factored in his status as a foreign national with no English, which would make prison life more difficult for him. Ms Brennan said the trial judge said every day in prison for Pirvu would be like a day and a half for an English-speaking person.

Ms Brennan said the trial judge "came up with a formula that it would be 50 per cent more severe for him than a local", which amounted to an "extremely high" discount.

Counsel said she was not taking issue with the headline sentence of 10 years but the discount of three-and-a-half years was "extraordinary".

She added Pirvu had previous violent convictions from his time in Romania and Germany.

Ms Brennan said Pirvu only claimed to gardai he had consensual sex with his victim after they told him his DNA had been discovered on her body.

Mr Justice Birmingham, presiding, said the three-judge court would increase the sentence to 10 years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended.

"In our view, the sentence of 10 years arrived at represented the absolute minimum that could have been considered. A starting sentence of 12 or 12-and-a-half years might well have been identified. Leaving to one side the fact that the respondent is a non-English speaker, he really had very little going for him in terms of mitigation," said Mr Justice Birmingham.

"He [Pirvu] had a significant prior criminal record, including, most notably, a conviction for attempted rape, a fact on which, surprisingly, little emphasis was placed by the trial judge. There was no plea of guilty or expression of remorse. What the probation report had to say about his attitude to his victim is very disturbing.

"We agree with the trial judge that the fact of being a non-English speaker would make the sentence more difficult for the respondent, as does the fact that it is not possible for family members to make visits. This provided a basis for some reduction in sentence but we are firmly of the view that the reduction proposed by the trial judge was, to a considerable extent, excessive," said the judge.

"Being of the view that the ultimate sentence from the Central Criminal Court of six-and-a-half years was, to a significant extent, unduly lenient, we will quash that sentence and substitute a sentence of 10 years' imprisonment but with the final year-and-a-half suspended," said Mr Justice Birmingham.

Mr Justice Birmingham also noted that the probation report described Pirvu as being "at a very high risk of sexual offending in the next 12 months".

"The probation report notes that throughout the various interviews undertaken with the respondent, he showed no remorse towards the victim of the offence, displayed no empathy towards the victim or understanding of the harm caused by his actions.

"His view of the victim was, on occasions, derogatory and he became both angered and frustrated when questioned regarding aspects of his sexual offending as part of the assessment process," said the judge.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the increased sentence would be backdated to August 7, 2018, when Pirvu first went into custody.

Bernard Madden SC, for Pirvu, had argued the trial judge was acting within her discretion regarding the mitigation and that his client had been in custody since August 2018.

During that time, the only person to visit his client was his solicitor, said Mr Madden.

Mr Madden said the trial judge was minded to take a view of Pirvu's personal circumstances and that his client had medical concerns. The barrister added that Pirvu would not be able to partake in English-speaking counselling or courses while in prison.
A Buttevant man accused of causing criminal damage to a painting at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork by allegedly throwing soup at it appeared in court wearing a high-vis jacket with handmade protest signs clipped on to it.

Thomas Shinnick, from Kilcolman West, Buttevant, Co Cork, is charged with causing criminal damage to the painting  George Atkinsons Anatomical Study  at the gallery on Emmet Place, Cork. The painting is protected by glazing.

The accused wore a navy suit with shirt and tie and tweed cap for his latest court appearance.

Over this he wore a luminous orange high-vis work jacket. Clipped on to the jacket were up to a dozen handwritten signs bearing various messages. They included, No art on a dead planet, We wont quit and other messages concerning fuel poverty, oil, and related matters.

No reference was made to these messages in the course of the brief hearing at the courthouse on Anglesea Street, Cork.

When the case was adjourned, the man removed this jacket, folded it up under his arm, and left the courtroom.

During the hearing, Sergeant Pat Lyons said no directions were yet available from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

As defence solicitor Frank Buttimer was addressing the court, the defendant spoke up and said: Not guilty, judge.

Mr Buttimer said that a medical report was being prepared in respect of the accused.

Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until March 22 to allow time for directions to be obtained from the DPP.
A coroner has highlighted the potential dangers of dogs after an inquest heard how a four-month-old baby girl was mauled to death by a jealous family pet as she slept.

The family of baby Mia OConnell has now called for new laws and stricter checks on the rehoming process for rescue dogs, and for more rigorous background checks on the animals, following the inquest on Thursday into her death in Waterford in 2021.

This dog was a small terrier. There was no indication that he was vicious, Mias aunt, Heidi OConnell said outside Cork City Coroners Court on Thursday.

There were some concerns but never in a million years would you think something like this would happen to you or to your family.

I would ask people to be very careful in the future, make sure you know what youre doing, where you're getting the dog from, make sure hes safe, make sure your family is safe.

Cork City Coroner Philip Comyn, who owns two dogs, said he fully appreciates the wonderful sense of companionship they give but he said he hopes lessons can be learned from this tragedy, and he urged people to research dog behaviour.

At the end of the day, dogs are still animals and can still be unpredictable. This is especially so when a dogs position in the family home is displaced by the arrival of a newcomer, in this case, baby Mia.

Extreme vigilance is required in such circumstances and particularly as weve heard where the dog indicated that it was very unhappy and indeed had snapped at Mia when Mia first arrived home from the hospital.

The inquest heard how baby Mia, her mother, Ella Woods, and her father, Rhys OConnell, who was in prison at the time, had been living with Rhyss mother, Noirin OConnell and her husband, Barry Dillon, in a terraced house at St Mochuas Terrace in Clashmore.

Mr Dillon had rehomed a little dachshund cross terrier, named Red, a few months before Mia's birth following a private rehoming transaction. In her deposition, Pauline Doyle, the woman who arranged the rehoming, said the animal had been put up for rehoming because he would not hunt.

She said it had not been assessed for temperament and she said she warned Mr Dillon not to put him around children. But Mr Comyn was told that the dog snapped at Mia when she was brought home to the house shortly after her birth.

Ms OConnell said she had big concerns about the dog and pleaded with Mr Dillon to get rid of it. I hated that dog. It was never in the house when I was there. But it was Barrys way or no way, she said.

In her deposition, Ella said she loved animals but also had concerns about the "anxious" dog.

The inquest heard how Ella put her daughter to bed at around 9.30pm on June 6, 2021, and was downstairs having a few drinks with her sister, Emily, who screamed after checking on the children upstairs. She found Mia lying on the floor with severe head injuries, and the dog standing nearby with blood on its face.

Ms OConnell began CPR and screamed at Mr Dillon to call an ambulance. They said it took 50 minutes to arrive. Garda Michelle Meehan said gardai were alerted to the incident just after 1am and arrived at the house at 1.15am where she began CPR on the baby before paramedics arrived later.

Both she and Sgt Thomas Gahan said both Ella and Emily appeared intoxicated and didnt seem to fully realise the seriousness of what was happening. Mia was rushed by ambulance under garda escort to Cork University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at about 3am.

The dog was destroyed the following day.

Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, said the cause of death was severe traumatic brain injury consistent with an animal attack, in this case a dog. She said Mia would not have suffered.

Mr Comyn recorded a verdict of misadventure and said opportunities had been missed to deal with a dog that was unhappy around a baby. This dog should not have been around children, he said. He also praised gardai for their thorough investigation of what was a traumatic case.

Speaking outside, Mias aunt, Heidi OConnell, urged people to think very, very carefully about bringing a dog into their home.

At the end of the day, a dog is an animal. You cant predict whats going to happen, you cant predict what theyre thinking, you just dont know what theyre going to do, she said.

Be very, very vigilant and careful. You never expected this to happen, but unfortunately, it has happened to us.

She also paid an emotional tribute to Mia, describing her an angel of a baby.

She was always smiling from the day she was born, she said.

She was a blessing to us. We had had a rough couple of years and she just brought joy back into our lives.

Nothing will ever be the same without her again. She described the pain of what happened to them that June night as unbearable. I dont think it will ever go away. Our hearts are broken forever. Well never get her back. Its like a nightmare.
Jacinda Ardern has put tiny New Zealand on the map in her five years as prime minister, becoming a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership, even as she struggled at home with the economy and COVID-19 restrictions.

The 41-year-old - who gained attention for bringing her baby to a United Nations meeting and wearing a hijab after a massacre targeting Muslims - announced in similarly dramatic fashion on Thursday that she will step down in less than three weeks, saying she had "no more in the tank".

"Be strong, be kind," New Zealand's youngest prime minister in more than a century repeated through her eventful tenure, but her empathetic leadership and crisis management skills often masked her government's shortcomings.

Considered personable and engaging, Ardern turned speaking from the heart and smiling through adversity into a winning formula for surging to power in 2017 and returning with a blowout win in 2020 that ushered in New Zealand's first purely left-leaning government in decades.

Her leadership was marked by unprecedented events for the island nation of 5 million: the 2019 massacre of 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch by a white supremacist and the eruption of the White Island volcano, and, the next year, the pandemic.

"I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused," Ardern said in an emotional resignation announcement. "And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when its time to go."

Problems mount, ratings fall

Ardern received worldwide praise for her response to the Christchurch attacks, which she labelled terrorism. Wearing a headscarf, she met the Muslim community, telling them New Zealand was "united in grief".

She delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs within weeks of the massacre, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence despite regular mass shootings.

Launching a global campaign to end online hate, she has often herself been a target of right-wing extremists online.

Ardern made global headlines in 2020, presiding over New Zealand's most diverse parliament, with more than half the members women and the highest number of indigenous Maori lawmakers.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discusses the country's international outlook and navigating international challenges from climate change to geopolitical competition at Chatham House, London. Picture date: Friday July 1, 2022. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

When COVID arrived, she was among the first leaders to close borders and pursue a zero-tolerance strategy that kept New Zealanders safe from the virus, holding death rates far below those of other advanced nations.

But not everyone was happy with her "go hard, go early" approach, which included a nationwide lockdown over a single infection.

While Ardern's popularity rose internationally, at home she has faced growing political headwinds, struggling to prove that her leadership extended beyond crisis management and kindness.

Her ratings have dropped in recent months on a worsening housing crisis, rising living costs and mortgage rates, and growing concerns about crime. She remains, however, more popular that her rivals.

Despite her promises of transformational leadership, Ardern's affordable housing programmes have been set back by blunders. Even on climate change, which Ardern called "my generation's nuclear-free moment", progress has been incremental.

Refreshing

Ardern burst onto the global scene in 2017 when she became the world's youngest female head of government at the age of 37.

Riding a wave of "Jacinda-mania," she campaigned passionately for women's rights and an end to child poverty and economic inequality in the country.

Raised a Mormon by her mother and police officer father, Ardern left the church over its stance on LGBTQ people in the early 2000s and has since described herself as agnostic.

Hours after being appointed Labour Party leader, she was asked whether she planned to have children. Ardern said it was "totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace".

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern reacts as she talks with colleagues at a cafe in Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. Ardern has won a second term in office in an election landslide of historic proportions. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Eight months after becoming premier, she had a baby daughter, becoming only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. Less than three months later, Ardern brought the baby, Neve Te Aroha, to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Many took her pregnancy and prime minister's maternity leave as symbolising progress for women leaders, part of a wave of progressive female leaders including Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin.

Meeting with Marin in Wellington in November, Ardern shot back at a question whether the two were meeting only because of they were young and female.

I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age, Ardern said, in reference to the former U.S. president and New Zealand prime minister. "Because two women meet, its not simply because of their gender."

- Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday, the two allies highest level in-person talks since Israels most right-wing government ever took power last month.

Mr Sullivans visit comes amid unease in Washington over Mr Netanyahus policies and over several members of his ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox governing coalition, which is already taking a hard line against the Palestinians and is expected to ramp up construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Later on Thursday, Mr Sullivan met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who appealed to the Biden administration to stop the Israeli government from pressing ahead with escalatory measures against the Palestinians.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan (Susan Walsh/AP/PA)

He urged the United States to intervene before it is too late to stop these unilateral measures.

In Jerusalem, a statement from Mr Netanyahus office said the two discussed Irans nuclear programme and ways to broaden normalisation agreements reached under the Trump administration with four Arab countries.

Ive known President (Joe) Biden for 40 years as a great friend of Israel, Mr Netanyahu told Mr Sullivan, according to footage released from the meeting. We see you as a trusted partner in matters of assuring security and, of course, advancing peace.

Mr Sullivan told Mr Netanyahu that Mr Bidens commitment to the state of Israel is bone deep, a commitment thats rooted in shared history, shared interests and shared values.

Israels new government has already proved to be a headache for the Biden administration, with extremist Cabinet minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visiting a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site and the coalition taking combative steps against the Palestinian Authority that run counter to Mr Bidens efforts to boost US-Palestinian relations.

Mr Netanyahu told Mr Sullivan that the measures, including halting Palestinian construction in parts of the West Bank and withholding badly needed tax revenues from the PA that Israel collects on its behalf, represented a necessary response to the Palestinians pushing the UNs highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation.

From Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Abbas stressed to Mr Sullivan the importance of the US exerting pressure on Israel to halt its settlement construction and its daily killings and incursions into Palestinian cities and towns.

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military arrest raid into a Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Thursday. Last year was the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank in 18 years.

Mr Abbas also called on Mr Sullivan to reverse the Trump administrations punitive steps against the Palestinians by restoring the US Consulate in Jerusalem that oversees American ties to Palestinians in the West Bank and reopening the Palestine Liberation Organisations office in Washington.

Israels new far-right government and a potential escalation in the decades-old conflict is an unwelcome complication for a Biden national security team seeking to shift attention away from the Middle East and toward rivals like China and Russia.

It also comes as Republicans take control of the House of Representatives and are eager to cast Mr Biden as unfriendly to Israel ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security in Benjamin Netanyahus new government (Atef Safadi/Pool Photo via AP/PA)

US officials have previously expressed concerns about at least two far-right senior Cabinet ministers, Mr Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have expressed vehement anti-Palestinian views in the past.

Nonetheless, Washington has said it will engage with Mr Netanyahus government based on its policies and not on personalities.

Mr Ben-Gvir, a politician known for anti-Arab vitriol and provocative stunts, is the minister of national security, a powerful position that puts him in charge of Israels police force.

Mr Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, which shares anti-Palestinian and anti-gay views, oversees the Israeli defence body in charge of Palestinian civil affairs.

Mr Sullivan also met senior Israeli security officials, including the head of the Mossad.

He and Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi held virtual discussions with their Bahraini and Emirati counterparts about how to deepen cooperation in clean energy, emerging technology, regional security, and commercial relations, the White House said.

Israel normalised ties with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in US-backed agreements in 2020.
Burma Myanmar Junta Moves Detained President U Win Myint to Prison From House Arrest

President U Win Myint is seen in Naypyitaw in 2020. / The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar junta has moved civilian President U Win Myint of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government to Taungoo Prison in Bago Region from an undisclosed location where he is believed to have been under house arrest since the military coup in 2021.

In June last year, detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of the NLD was moved from house arrest to solitary confinement in Naypyitaw Prison.

A source from the juntas Home Affairs Ministry confirmed the transfer and said the detained President was moved after the minister inspected a special facility where U Win Myint is now being held inside the prison.

The juntas Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Soe Htut inspected Taungoo Prison and instructed staff to pay special attention to security, and conduct anti-riot drills, on Jan. 12.

According to a source close to the matter, the ousted President was taken to the prison on Jan. 14, two days after the inspection, and placed in a new building next to the prison hospital within the compound.

It is confirmed that the President has been moved to Taungoo Prison, another source said, adding that since his arrival, security has been beefed up at the prison.

President U Win Myint, who is now 71, has been held by the junta since the coup on Feb. 1, 2021, when the military overthrew the civilian government. Until his move last week, it is believed he was detained under house arrest at a secret location in Naypyitaw. He has been tried and sentenced on charges, widely dismissed as trumped up, of incitement, violation of COVID-19 rules, and corruption.

In court testimony, the detained President exposed the illegality of the coup by revealing the details of his arrest, explaining that the military attempted to force his resignation in order to legitimize the coup by threatening him with harm if he refused. U Win Myint told the generals that he would rather die than consent to their proposal.

The reason for the transfer is not yet known and the junta has yet to release a statement about it.

People released from Taungoo Prisoon early this month also confirmed that additional small buildings were being constructed inside the prison compound.

Before the arrival of President U Win Myint, detained Shan State Chief Minister Dr. Lin Htut and Shan State Minister of Planning and Finance U Soe Nyunt Lwin, members of the ousted civilian government, were also transferred to the prison.

Recently, the junta sentenced President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to an additional seven years imprisonment each on a final set of corruption charges, ending a series of legal cases filed against the duo.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, has been sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison, and President U Win Myint to 12 years.
World Ukraine Interior Minister Among 16 Dead in Helicopter Crash

Firefighters work near the site where a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on Jan. 18, 2023. / AFP

Kyiv, UkraineUkraines interior minister was among 16 people, including two children, who were killed when a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten outside the capital Kyiv, officials said Wednesday.

In a video that circulated online from the aftermath of the incident, cries could be heard at the scene, which was consumed by a fire.

There were no immediate details on the cause of the crash.

In total, 16 people are currently known to have died, the head of national police, Igor Klymenko, said.

Among the dead are several top officials of the Interior Ministry including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and his first deputy minister, Yevgeniy Yenin, he said.

Monastyrsky, a 42-year-old father of two, was appointed interior minister in 2021.

Twenty-two people were hospitalized including 10 children.

Officials said children and employees were in the kindergarten at the time of the crash.

Medics and police were working at the scene.

The scene of the crash in the town of Brovary is located some 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Kyiv.

Russian and Ukrainian forces fought for control of Brovary in the early stages of Moscows invasion until Russian troops withdrew in early April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to pro-Western Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year.

The crash came on the heels of a tragedy that saw 45 people including six children die when a Russian missile struck a residential building in the eastern city of Dnipro at the weekend.
Car thieves hit Island Drive

Residents in a two-block area of Island Drive took the brunt of car break-ins that recently occurred on the Key. Thieves smashed car windows to gain entry into the vehicles. It appears the thieves were looking for cellular phones;: four were stolen along with three car sound systems.

"They hit cars where things were visible from the window," said Village police detective Neil Rubin. Police are not sure what time of day the break-ins occurred. There were a few reports of alarms going off late in the afternoon in the areas where the break-ins took place.

Police dusted all the vehicles for fingerprints but found nothing. Thieves chose six cars in the 100 and 200 block of Island Drive to break into. They also broke into two vehicles on Ocean and Pacific Drive and one car on Knollwood Drive. The thieves not only targeted a few streets, but a few types of cars, the most popular being the Ford Expedition. Thieves broke into six of the sport utility vehicles.

Entry to all the cars was made by smashing a window, which Rubin said is the easiest method of breaking into a car. "It's not a professional way, but quick," he said. "If you know how to break the car window right it makes very little noise."

Honduran Project

Representatives of Key Biscayne service clubs and the Village were invited to a luncheon organized by St. Christopher's by the-Sea Episcopal Church to determine what the community could do to help hurricane victims in Honduras.

A Sweet Dish

Chamber holds end of the year social at the Olde Key Grille

Sidewalk project puts couple in driveway limbo

Though a proposed sidewalk project on West Heather Drive has been at the center of a highly publicized, Village-wide debate for months, a controversy on a smaller scale concerning a completed sidewalk project has been quietly simmering for nearly two years.

Since early 1997, Harbor Drive residents Joe and JoAnn Young have been trying to get the Village to fix their circular driveway, which was partially torn up when sidewalks were installed on that street. Village officials contend that the driveway presents a safety hazard in its original location and want it shifted.

The Youngs live at the southwest corner of Harbor Drive and Sunset Circle. When the sidewalk was constructed, a gap was created on either side of the sidewalk at the driveway's corner entrance, making passage over it in an automobile difficult at best and potentially damaging.

According to the Youngs, Village officials originally told them that the driveway would be put back the way it was after the sidewalk construction was completed. But when nothing happened for several months, JoAnn Young went to Village Hall to complain.

"I went in to hoot and holler at them and they said that they'd put it back in, but they didn't know when," she said. Three months later, there was still no action so I went in again and this time they said there was a problem with the driveway's placement and they might have to move a tree. Three months later, I went back in and yelled and cried and carried on like a madwoman and the Village manager said that the driveway wasn't going back in the way it was."

Frustrated, the Youngs hired an attorney to represent them. "The Village initially said that they didn't like the aesthetics of the Youngs' driveway and then that it was contrary to Dade County code," explained Timothy Stickney, the Youngs' attorney. "The Village said that the driveway would have to be moved to the north side of the house, but the Youngs want the driveway the way it was. The Village has steadfastly refused to do so.

Free eats at Council meetings

Controversial issues, riveting debate and legislative drama haven't consistently drawn crowds to Village Council meetings, but perhaps free food will.

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Councilmember Scott Bass recommended that the Village offer snacks to spectators in an effort to make the whole legislative business a bit more social. Serendipitously, a tray of cheese and crackers that had been left over from a recreation department function earlier in the day was brought into the Chamber and passed around by Village planning consultant Raul Lastra.

The Council directed Village Clerk Conchita Alvarez to order some snacks for the next meeting. When she asked for the Council to be more specific in identifying the type and quantity of the food, Alvarez was told to "start small and see what happens.

Ocean Club

The Ocean Club hosted a party for the grand opening of the Ocean Tower and Casa y Castilo magazine, a South American version of Architectural Digest.

Sensei enhances life

Miami Art Museum Gala

The Miami Art Museum celebrated the 15th anniversary of its annual ball, the primary fundraiser for the art institution.

To read the last Islander Throwback, click here.
The challenge of securing customer information has never been more apparent. Organisations are failing to appropriately protect their customers data, leading to financial loss, reputational loss, and legal issues. Securing personally identifiable information (PII) is especially challenging for larger enterprises as they often store significant volumes of data across multiple repositories, which numerous stakeholders use.

No matter how businesses use their customer data, they are responsible for protecting it under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Furthermore, if an Australian business has European customers, they are also required to protect PII under the general data protection regulation (GDPR).

M-Files director of security and compliance Saara Hasu-Varttila said, Businesses of all sizes have adopted data loss prevention (DLP) best practices and strategies to minimise risk. However, those with a DLP strategy should understand that it isnt a surefire way to stop data loss. Instead, organisations should consider implementing a document management solution that classifies and separates customer data from business-critical data so it can be appropriately managed to maximise protection.

As data breaches involving PII and private data gain momentum, businesses must consider implementing the following five best practices:

1. Discover and classify PII

Data discovery and classification are often-overlooked components of an organisations DLP strategy. As the name suggests, data discovery tools scan applications, networks, and endpoints for PII, which is then classified into sub-groups by tagging the data. This approach makes it easier to track data and ensures businesses have complete visibility into PII across their entire environment.

2. Only collect and store whats necessary

Another way to protect PII is to limit as much customer information as possible and only collect whats necessary. Companies must also take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the data they hold once its no longer needed for its primary purpose, for example, outdated employee records, lapsed customer records, and PII found on unused devices.

3. Enforce a least-privilege policy

The principle of least privilege (POLP) enhances the security of an application, network, or technology environment. Implementing the least-privilege model limits users access rights and provides only enough access to perform the required task. With defined access permissions, there is less risk of an attack or user error.

4. Avoid data silos

Data silos may seem harmless, but theyre essentially magnets for cybercriminals and can lead to significant data vulnerabilities. When data is stored in different places, businesses can lose track of where their data is and may not even realise theyve had a data breach. By eliminating data silos, organisations can use data more effectively and better comply with data privacy regulations.

5. Leverage real-time monitoring

Real-time monitoring is more than just a routine exercise. With a smart document management platform, companies can take advantage of automated background services that increase data security by constantly checking for new files and information. It can also flag suspicious activities across the entire environment that are potentially insider threats.

Data breaches are reaching an all-time high and affecting businesses of all sizes. Recent high-profile data breaches on leading insurance and telecommunications providers are prime examples of just how exposed customer information is and the damaging effects that occur when it falls into the wrong hands.

Saara Hasu-Varttila said, Its imperative for organisations to review current personal information handling practices and ensure they have a robust data breach response plan. And, while not all businesses are required to comply with Australian or European privacy laws, they must appropriately collect, handle, and store the PII and private data they hold to cultivate customer trust and minimise the risk against external threats. With the right document management solution, organisations can proactively discover and classify PII, gaining insight into the data they hold and the steps they need to take to manage and protect it effectively.
Process intelligence and automation specialist Nintex has appointed Jen Bailin to the role of chief commercial officer.

"Jen has led sales and marketing teams at some of the largest technology companies on the planet," said Nintex CEO Eric Johnson.

"As our business continues to grow even in a challenging market, we know that leaders like Jen can help take us to the next level."

Bailin brings more than two decades of sales and marketing experience to Nintex.

Her previous roles include chief revenue officer at SAP, managing director at AWS, vice president of sales at Salesforce, and global senior sales director at Cisco.

Earlier in her career, Bailin spent 17 years at Microsoft, joining the company as global accounts sales manager for the financial services industry, and progressing through various roles to that of worldwide sales leader for emerging businesses.

Bailin holds a bachelor's degree in finance and small business development from the University of Washington.

"Nintex has built a reputation as a company that has deep process expertise coupled with software, and services that organisations of all sizes can use to reduce costs, manage process risk and compliance, and eliminate manual processes," said Bailin.

"But what sets them apart is the fact that customers trust Nintex to help them fulfil a set of business priorities that they can't do on their own."
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
UN wants to increase aid to frontline areas of Ukraine

Xinhua) 14:31, January 19, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said Wednesday it aims to increase convoys carrying aid to parts of Ukraine "close to the frontlines," supporting local volunteers and organizations.

The UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said in a press release that a seven-truck convoy had reached Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, just five kilometers from the Russian border.

"This community has been heavily impacted by months of hostilities and the 4,500 people who remain there depend on humanitarian aid to meet their needs," said the release.

The convoy supplied hygiene kits, blankets, solar lamps, sleeping bags and emergency shelter kits to more than 1,000 families, provided by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Children's Fund.

Among the participants in the convoy was the World Food Programme, which conducted a rapid assessment of markets.

The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative signed last July along with a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at suppling markets with food and fertilizer amid global shortages and rising prices exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis, has now allowed 17.8 million tons to reach millions in need worldwide.

The critical food supplies, mostly from farms in Ukraine, have reached 43 countries since August, more than 40 percent of them low and middle-income nations, the initiative's Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) said in a note to correspondents on Wednesday.

In December, exports through Ukraine's Black Sea ports rose to 3.7 million metric tons, up from 2.6 million in November, and over the last two weeks, nearly 1.2 million metric tons have left port.

Nearly 44 percent of the wheat exported has been shipped to low and lower-middle income countries, the JCC reported.

In support of its humanitarian operations in hunger-stricken countries, the World Food Programme purchased 8 percent of wheat exported last year.

The JCC team, which includes officials from the United Nations, Russia, Turkiye and Ukraine, has enabled over 1,300 voyages so far.

To reduce the backlog and improve operational efficiency within the JCC, the United Nations encourages all parties to remove obstacles.

Additionally, the initiative calls for the facilitation of safe navigation for fertilizer exports, including ammonia.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
01/19/2023



Miss JSU 2023 Lily Grace Vernon, center, poses with first runner-up Lauren Kilgore, right, and Ashanthe Gathers, winner of the Darby Angle Acts of Kindness Award. Photo by Alyssa Cash.

by Buffy Lockette

Lily Grace Vernon of Jacksonville, Ala., was crowned Miss JSU 2023 during the annual pageant held on campus Jan. 13. She will now advance to the Miss Alabama pageant, which will take place in Birmingham in late June.

Eight JSU students competed in the annual pageant, vying for a two-semester scholarship and the opportunity to represent the university on the Miss Alabama stage. The pageant was hosted by reigning Miss Alabama Lindsay Fincher.

Candidates were scored by expert judges in the following categories: Private Interview with Judges, 35 percent; Talent, 35 percent; Evening Wear and Social Impact Initiative, 15 percent; On-Stage Question, 15 percent.

Vernon is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, where she served as drum major of the Golden Eagle Marching Band. At JSU, she is pursuing a bachleor's in secondary education, with a focus on English. She is a member of Phi Mu. Her social platform for the pageant is "Special Talented and Remarkable Students" (STARS), which strives to involve special needs children in the performing arts. For the talent portion of the competition, she sang and danced to Michael Jackson's 1987 hit, "The Way You Make Me Feel."

First runner-up Lauren Kilgore won the talent portion of the competition for her vocal performance of "In My Dreams." She is a vocal performance major from Moody, Ala. Communication major Ashanthe Gathers of Villa Rica, Ga., was awarded the second annual Darby Angle Acts of Kindness Scholarship. Established by Miss JSU 2019, Darby Angle, the recipient is selected by the contestants themselves as the participant who displayed "true kindness and grace throughout the week of competition."

JSU women have a long history of success on the pageant stage. Seven Miss Alabamas attended JSU, including Miss America 1995 Heather Whitestone McCallum and 1979's first runner-up and retired JSU voice instructor Teresa Cheatham Crosby. Other Miss Alabamas who hailed from JSU include Ceil Jenkins Snow, 1971; Jane Rice Holloway, 1973; Julie Houston Elmer, 1977; Tammy Little Haynes, 1984; and Jamie Langley, 2007.
With its beaches targeted by Russian strikes and its hotels empty or closed since the start of the war, Ukraine has been deprived of an important source of income: tourism.

But Kyiv sees a revival of the industry as "crucial" for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

"Once the war is over, tourism will play a key role in letting Ukraine recover quickly and rebooting its economy," Mariana Oleskiv, head of Ukraine's SATD tourism development agency, told AFP.

And although the war, which began last February, appears far from over, Ukraine is "already working" on plans to promote tourism, said Oleskiv, who is heading a Ukrainian delegation to FITUR, one of the world's biggest tourism fairs taking place in Madrid from January 18-22.

"Of course, we don't want to invite any tourists to come now: we don't want them to take risks, even though in some areas of Ukraine the risk is very low," said Oleskiv who has headed the SATD since March 2020.

"But the moment the country is safe, we want to be ready to invite people to come and visit," she explained.

By then, she said, Kyiv hoped to "have enough partners to promote Ukraine" which could be "an important (tourist) destination".

- A war-battered sector -

Until the 2010, Ukraine counted close to 20 million foreign visitors a year, mostly coming from Russia and Eastern Europe, UN World Tourism Organization figures show, making it the eighth most-visited country in Europe.

But that figure plummeted to some 12 million in 2014 with Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula -- one of the country's top tourist regions -- and subsequent support for separatist rebels in the vast eastern Donbas region.

And since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022, visitor numbers have collapsed.

"There are still domestic tourists, for instance, in the Carpathian mountains" which has become a refuge for those seeking to flee the "stress" and destruction of the war or the "electricity cuts due to Russian attacks", Oleskiv said.

But there are no foreign tourists -- although the steady stream of international delegations, journalists and NGOs passing through Kyiv and the western city of Lviv has meant the hotel industry there "can survive more or less", she said.

That's not the case in places like the southern port city of Odessa, which lies close to the front line.

"It used to be a big touristic place, very dynamic" but today the situation is "much more difficult", Oleskiv said.

- Image problem -

Before the crisis, tourism accounted for 2.0 percent of Ukraine's economy and getting the sector back on track will be far from easy, requiring major investment.

"We will need time," admits the tourism chief, while insisting Ukraine had strong potential for attracting visitors with its Black Sea beaches, its historical sites and family ski resorts.

In recent years, Kyiv has started to look towards new markets such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states thanks to visa waivers and new airline routes in a strategy which could easily be expanded.

But with its railway network battered and its historic and cultural buildings destroyed, Ukraine will have to face the challenge of its image problem given its association with war.

"It's important to show the consequences of this war and of the war crimes that Russia has committed," Oleskiv said.

And when the war is over, it will be time to start promoting another image of Ukraine, she said: "The image of a brave people, of a people that keep on fighting" despite everything.
The EU's executive on Tuesday said it was eyeing the establishment of an "international prosecution office" to probe the crime of aggression in Ukraine, as a step towards putting Russia's leadership on trial.

Germany on Monday became the latest European country to throw its weight behind Kyiv's calls for a special court aimed at holding the Kremlin's top officials accountable for the war on Ukraine.

The goal is to overcome the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) -- which has opened an investigation into the conflict -- cannot prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression.

The European Commission floated a proposal for a specialised tribunal to target the leadership in Moscow in November, but so far there is no consensus within the bloc on its establishment.

EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders told the European Parliament that there remained "complex legal and political questions" that needed further discussion between EU states and international partners.

"Before discussions on a special tribunal could possibly gather sufficient consensus and support at the international level, an investigation mechanism could first be considered," Reynders said.

"The Commission is reflecting about the possible setting up of an international prosecution office, to start investigations into the crime of aggression, with the view to preserving and storing evidence for possible future trials."

He said discussions were going on about "legal and security issues" around the plan with the authorities in Ukraine, the ICC and the EU judicial cooperation agency Eurojust.

EU lawmakers meeting in Strasbourg are expected to back a non-binding resolution later this week calling for the establishment of the tribunal.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged them to take the step that could help ratchet up pressure on governments around the bloc to support the move.

"No impunity for Russia's political and military leadership. They must be held accountable," Kuleba tweeted.
A rocket strike on Kramatorsk's railway station in April last year, which killed dozens, is rarely spoken about in the city near the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.

Despite widespread silence over the brutal attack -- one of the deadliest of the war -- it has left an indelible mark on survivors and witnesses.

Nearly one year on, there are few signs at the small, red brick building of the events that shook the local community which has barely had time to heal and reflect as the war rages on.

A 1940s locomotive sits in front of the station, around which the rest of the industrial city was built starting in the 19th century.

On the morning of April 8, an estimated 4,000 civilians gathered to board evacuation trains as Russian forces advanced.

At 10:30 am (0830 GMT), the station was struck by a Tochka-U missile, which according to experts was armed with cluster munitions.

Sixty-one people were killed and more than 160 injured, the mayor's office has said.

The bombing is one several alleged war crimes blamed on Russia since the start of the war, along with the killing of civilians in Bucha near Kyiv, and the battle for Mariupol.

Those areas, like Kramatorsk, have had little respite from the conflict's brutality.

- 'Painful' -

To the right of Kramatorsk station's main platform, where the majority of the victims died, there are still some traces of damage from the explosion.

A small garland with soft toys lies next to the station railings in silent tribute to the at least seven child victims.

A discreet granite slab states simply: "There will be a memorial to the victims of April 8, 2022 here."

Arriving at the station shortly after the strike that day, an AFP team saw at least 30 bodies in bags, and pavements covered in blood.

Abandoned suitcases, children's possessions and food were strewn around.

To this day, stallholders and taxi drivers around the station make only general comments about what happened, shutting down at any mention of the attack.

"It's not good to remember," said Alexander, a station greengrocer for 20 years.

Kramatorsk station re-opened in October, six months after the strike, retaining its stationmaster, a small energetic woman with short brown hair, who was on duty that morning.

She has declined to speak to reporters.

"What do you want me to say? Bodies torn apart, blood, screaming. It was horrible, horrible!" she shouted at AFP correspondents in July.

She has declined to give interviews before or since.

Mykola Byba, a fire brigade commander, still avoids walking near the station months later.

"It's painful," said Byba, speaking to AFP at the local firehouse.

"That morning, I had arrived early with two of my men to organise the evacuations. Then I went back to the fire station," he said.

- 'Terrible smell of blood' -

Firefighters, police, volunteers and city employees had been helping civilians flee west, following a call to evacuate from Ukraine's authorities.

The mayor's office said some 80,000 people were evacuated from Kramatorsk between the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022 and the day of the strike.

"I remember the first explosion. Very loud. And then a second one, more muted," Byba said.

He and his men rushed to the station.

"When we arrived, we immediately realised the scale of the tragedy. There were horrific scenes. But the thing I remember most was the terrible smell of blood, very strong. Very, very strong."

The firefighters tried to extinguish blazing cars and treat the wounded.

"They were dying in our arms," Byba said.

Anton Malinsky, a council worker, said the crowds present at the station had come from across the region.

"I was a few metres from the station. The explosion was so powerful that some people started bleeding from their noses," he said.

Then he was thrown to the ground and trampled by the panicked crowd.

"I am a former police officer and I know how to stop myself getting hurt. I don't think about it," he said.

- 'Life gives you signs' -

A cosy cafe near the station decorated with images of the Eiffel Tower re-opened a few weeks ago.

There, humanitarian volunteer Natalya Slobodyan said life is slowly resuming in the city following a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in the autumn.

"People are coming back. Life is resuming. The mood is improving," said the mother-of-three, 36.

Following the start of the Russian invasion, Slobodyan threw herself into volunteer work to avoid depression.

On April 8, she was supposed to pick up medicine at the station.

"Sometimes life gives you signs. The children were crying and the car wouldn't start... So when there was the explosion -- a sound that will forever ring in my ears -- I was still at home," she said.

She still went to the station after the blast.

"The first thing I saw was a dead child. Then chaos everywhere," she said.

One of her best friends was killed that day, she recalled, describing the re-opening of the station as "strange".

- Russia 'likely perpetrator' -

Following the station bombing, Ukrainian and international figures vowed to pursue the perpetrators of the "war crime".

The Ukrainian prosecutor's office, which leads the investigation, and which at the time said it had evidence of Russian responsibility, declined to comment to AFP.

In October 2022, digital investigators from the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), a non-governmental organisation, said its evidence pointed to "Russia being the likely perpetrator".

CIR identified three launch sites in Russian-occupied territory, suggesting the missile probably came from Shakhtne village, east of Donetsk city.

"We began our investigation on the day of the tragedy," said Pierre Vaux, one of the authors.

Investigators were helped by masses of videos and social media messages published on the eve of and day of the strike.

Among the messages was a warning from pro-Russian separatists on April 7 against train evacuations.

On April 8 Russia's defence ministry warned about possible strikes on stations in the region where it said Ukrainian troops were arriving.

Russia has denied responsibility, claiming it does not have the type of Tochka-U missile used, calling it a "provocation" by Ukraine.

AFP correspondents saw the Russian words "For the children" -- an expression used by pro-Moscow separatists -- written on a missile fragment.

No official list of all the victims has been published and most of the affected families have left the region or have refused to speak.

Among the dead were "a teacher, a librarian, adolescents and children with their mothers" said Oleksiy Ladyka, a journalist with the Kramatorsk Post newspaper.

- 'After the war' -

Ladyka has identified many of the victims and opened an online memorial.

"It was very difficult," Ladyka told AFP.

"Local authorities did not have the names. The military didn't tell us anything. We looked ourselves, going through social media, activating our sources.

"It was even more complicated because the victims came from different places in the region."

His memorial has 26 names, photos and a few lines describing each victim's life.

"We will work on the past after the war," said Andrei Bessonny, the deputy mayor of Kramatorsk.

"I was there on April 8. I saw. Several days after the explosion, we were still finding human remains in different parts of the station.

"It is the worst disaster this city has seen given the number of victims.

"But it is continuing, it is not over. It's every day... The Russians have already destroyed half the country.

"Maybe we are used to it, maybe we have become desensitised."

cf-dt/bur/gw/jmm

CIR - COMPAGNIE INDUSTRIALI RIUNITE
At the end of December, the chairman of the parliamentary commission charged with shedding light on Belgium's colonial past, Flemish ecologist Wouter De Vriendt, announced that an official apology to the victims of colonialism had not been approved. This was the strongest recommendation to emerge from the work of this pioneering parliamentary commission set up in June 2020, whose aim was to confront the Belgian colonial past, to repair and compensate.

Over more than two years, the parliamentarians heard nearly 300 people (mainly experts in history, law and socio-politics, but also representatives of the diasporas) and visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. They tried to clarify the last grey areas of the colonial period, in order to ultimately formulate recommendations for repair and reconciliation.

It is difficult to imagine reparation starting without an official apology. But that is where the commission stumbled, failing to secure a majority vote as several commissioners walked out of the session. The failure is all the more resounding given the great ambitions of this inquiry, which concluded that, without question, many crimes were committed during colonization. The Belgian failure also came as the Dutch government acknowledged its responsibility for its slave-owning past, apologised and announced the creation of a reparation fund.

Liberal parties backtrack

What happened? Everything changed on December 19 when it came to a vote on the 128 recommendations and the liberal party commissioners walked out of the session. The so-called "Vivaldi", the federal coalition (consisting of the PS, Vooruit, CD&V, Open VLD, MR, Ecolo and Groen parties) was divided on the main recommendation, the apology. The proposed apology read as follows: "The House apologizes to the Congolese, Rwandan and Burundian peoples for the colonial domination and exploitation, the violence and atrocities, the individual and collective human rights violations during this period, as well as the racism and discrimination that accompanied them.

The liberals - MR and Open VLD - were clearly opposed. The Flemish Christian Democrats - the CD&V - preferred to stick to the "regrets" expressed by the Belgian King in June 2022. These parties considered the risk too high of having to pay huge financial reparations

"We had a consensus on an apology, and then suddenly the conservative forces backed down," Christophe Lacroix, a Socialist Party (PS) MP and member of the commission, told the press. According to its chairman, Wouter De Vriendt (Groen - Green party), pressure was exerted from outside. "It was openly said within the majority that there were contacts and pressure from several actors, including party presidents, and also from the Royal Palace," he said the day after the voting session. The liberal parties responded that their position on an official apology was clear from the start, and the Royal Palace denied any pressure.

In addition to the recommendation for an apology, all other recommendations were immediately dismissed. These include the establishment of a remembrance day, the erection of a monument to the victims of "human zoos", the creation of a knowledge centre, the granting of scholarships, the declassification of archives, a new name for the Order of Leopold II, and the development of a national action plan against racism.

Wouter De Vriendt, chairman of the parliamentary committee that spent two and a half years examining Belgium's colonial past.  Belga

Commission's mandate not renewed

Several socialist and environmentalist members of the commission, who were in favour of Belgium making an apology, tried to put things back on track by calling for the work to continue. In a last ditch effort on December 28, Wouter De Vriendt proposed voting on the recommendations without the word "apology" in them. The Socialist deputies opposed this. Consensus was not possible on this "parliamentary resolution" that included most of the recommendations. And on December 31, the commission's mandate, which had come to an end, was not renewed.

On the other hand, three members of the Socialist Party group in parliament, Christophe Lacroix, Jean-Marc Delizee and Malik Ben Achour, on December 23 launched the idea in the Moustique newspaper of creating a reparations fund. "Our proposal is part of the aim to write a common future allowing a collective consciousness of Belgian colonization. As well as the work already done by Secretary of State Thomas Dermine on restitution [...], this fund would be financed in particular by companies that got rich on the exploitation of the people and resources of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. Even if more research is still needed on certain subjects and on the precise responsibility of certain actors, it is clear that the accumulation of capital by large companies was the absolute priority of the colonial institution.

"We will not stop at the failure of the parliamentary commission, they write. All this work has brought to light facts, a truth which was still too little known. We want to continue working also out of respect for these women and men who came and spent hours dissecting history with us. We want to continue to work with the associations that have been working for more than 10 years for a clear recognition that structural racism is one of the consequences of colonization.

To date, the Belgian State has not said how it plans to follow up on the recommendations of this commission, which was created in 2020 a few months after the murder of George Floyd in the United States.
Starting the year with a busy schedule? Then this might be the right time for you to get that popcorn and soda and reward yourself with these lighthearted K-dramas.

From Kim Seon Ho's "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" to Im Siwan's "Run On," here are the five feel-good K-series to jumpstart 2023 and make you forget your worries for a bit. These series will also keep you smiling and laughing and provide you healing until the last episode.

'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha'

On the list is Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho's first drama team-up that successfully brought healing to its audience. This tvN's drama is set in the seaside village of Gongjin, a small yet happy place for ordinary individuals. Its story revolves around Yoon Hye Jin, a big-city dentist who decides to open a clinic in a close-knit neighborhood of Gongjin, and a small-town boy yet charming jack-of-all-trades Hong Du Sik, who is her exact opposite in every way.

'Summer Strike'

This 2022 series starring Im Siwan and Seolhyun showcases a wonderful journey of finding your happiness again and healing yourself from the past. "Summer Strike" will inspire you to take a step back from what you used to live for and keep moving forward to giving your life a new meaning.

Lee Yeon Reum has been in a chaotic situation in her life. Following the demise of her mother, she decides to live a different life and leave her job. She travels to a small village where she meets the librarian and soft-spoken, An Dae Beom. However, despite their differences, they manage to get comfortable with each other and soon develop a special relationship.

'Reply 1997'

To all fangirls out there, this coming-of-age K-drama is good for you. Filled with nostalgia, romance, and friendship- "Reply 1997" tells the story of Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) high school girl and a fangirl who get involved in a love triangle between Yoon Je (Seo In Guk) and her teacher Tae Woong (Song Jong Hoo).

She goes through first love, first breakup, and all other things any high school student would experience that would shape her to be the woman she will be fifteen years later.

'If You Wish Upon Me'

This should be next on your list, as you can get a lot of life lessons from every character present in this drama. Plus, Ji Chang Wook and Choi Sooyoung's chemistry is something to watch for.

Based on a true story from the 'Make a Wish Foundation' in the Netherlands-this follows the story of Yoon Gyeo Ree with a troubled past who struggled throughout his life. However, his life will start to change after he enters the hospice and meets Team Genie, which grants the last wishes of dying people.

'Run On'

Another slice of life K-drama that centers its themes on acceptance, belonging, and purpose. The well-written script and great chemistry of the actors, blended with their humor will keep you excited while watching "Run On."

Depicts the lovely romance between Ki Seon Gyeom, a national track and field athlete, and a foreign film translator,Oh Mi Joo. As they slowly get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, they also begin to develop special feelings for each other.

What are your lighthearted K-drama recommendations? Share them in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Odelia Quewezance speaks to media outside the Court of Kings Bench in Yorkton, Sask. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. Lawyers for two women who spent nearly 30 years in prison are to argue why they should be released while they await the results of a federal conviction review at the second day of a bail hearing. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were convicted in 1994 of second-degree murder in the death of 70-year-old Saskatchewan farmer Anthony Joseph Dolff. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Bell
A recently-restored bridge that was first built in medieval times shouldnt be used by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), says one local councillor.



Speaking at the January meeting of Callan Thomastown municipal council, Cllr Deirdre Cullen raised her concerns about Ennisnag Bridge, near Stoneyford - which is thought to be one of the oldest bridges in Ireland that is still in use.



In my opinion HGVs dont need to use that bridge, she said, asking that a traffic count be done to ascertain numbers of vehicles crossing the bridge.



Late last year renovation works were completed on Ennisnag Bridge, giving it a new lease of life.

The stone bridge first shows up in the 1641 Down Survey and it may have been preceded by a wooden structure. In the 18th century work was carried out to widen the bridge from eight feet to 16 feet wide.



The structure is special, according to Francis Coady, Architectural Conservation Officer with Kilkenny County Council, as you can still decipher the lines of both bridges, from the masonry underneath.

Underneath the bridge you can also see the marks of the wicker centering from the medieval stone builders.



Last year, following a conservation survey, funds were allocated to carry out the sealing of the stone verges and repair the masonry. 25,000 from the Historic Structures Fund, administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government, allowed for the works to take place.

At the recent council meeting, Cllr Cullen said residents and businesses in the area use the bridge, accessing it from both sides. Some HGVs might be crossing the bridge needlessly, she said.

A traffic survey will show the amount of HGVS, she added.

She said the council should look at the matter given the amount of work done and how old it is.



Stopping HGVs crossing Ennisnag Bridge would protect it, she suggested.

Area Engineer, Declan Murphy, said a total ban on HGVs crossing the bridge would bring its own complications, but he agreed to carry out a traffic survey and they can take it from there.
Argos has announced plans to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland by this summer, a move that will see hundreds of jobs axed.

The company employs around 580 people in 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland. The hours worked by staff in Ireland equate to 330 full-time roles.

Argos said it arrived at the decision to leave Ireland following a long period of careful consideration and a thorough review of its business and operations in the country.

The company said it concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was not viable, and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business.

Argos said it would consult with staff and the trade union Mandate, and offer an enhanced redundancy package that goes well beyond its statutory obligations.

It said a small number of staff not eligible for redundancy under Irish law were set to receive a one-off goodwill payment.

The company said it was also committed to a programme of wider support to staff over the coming months.

Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland operations manager, said: We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues.

As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted.

On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business.

Argos said its UK operations were performing well and were unaffected by the announcement, insisting there would be no change to how it operates in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

The majority of Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until June 24.

The retailer will now begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business and customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after March 22.

Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.
Irish Water, in partnership with Kilkenny County Council, wish to remind customers supplied by Clogh-Castlecomer Public Water Supply that a Boil Water Notice remains in place to protect the health of approximately 3,300 customers.

This is necessary due to increased turbidity impacting the treatment processes at the water treatment plant.

Areas impacted include Clogh, Moneenroe, Castlecomer and surrounding areas.

Customers can check if their property is included by visiting our Water Quality page and entering the propertys Eircode or by calling the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of our website.

Drinking water experts from Irish Water and Kilkenny County Council are working to rectify the turbidity issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE.

In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to continue to boil water before use until further notice.

Irish Waters, James OToole said, Public health is Irish Waters number one priority and I again want to acknowledge the inconvenience that these Boil Water Notices are causing to the local community. While we continue working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, it is unlikely that we will be able to do so before Christmas.

We will however continue to provide regular updates to the community as we work to address these issues.

Irish Waters drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins.

Where risks to water quality are identified through Irish Waters enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health.

In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices.

Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Water must be boiled for:

Drinking;

Drinks made with water;

Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating;

Brushing of teeth;

Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

For further information please contact Irish Water web site www.water.ie

What actions should be taken:

Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads);

Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling;

Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink;

Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water;

Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as Natural Mineral Water as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. Natural Mineral Water can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

Updates are available on Irish Water's Supply and Service Updates section, on Twitter @IWCare and via Irish Water's customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
As the CAO 2023 deadline of February 1 draws close, students in the south east region have an excellent range of course offerings available to them on their doorstep from the first university in the south-east.

South East Technological University (SETU) is a multi-campus university with campuses in Wexford, Waterford and Carlow.

September 2022 saw an intake of over 3,000 first year, full time undergraduate students at SETU and, with a choice of over 140 courses across business, engineering, science, tourism and hospitality, built environment, sport science and sport management, computing, humanities, media, design and music, SETU offers a significant remit of ordinary and honours degree courses to those considering their CAO options.

SETU has a strong ethos of supporting access to higher education and a student-centered focus to ensure that each student reaches their academic potential. With strong links to industry, almost all courses at SETU offer work placement as part of the student learning experience. Opportunities to study abroad are also available on most courses.

SETU Campus Tours

With a university qualification now available closer to home for many students, SETU is offering guided campus tours from Monday, January 23 until Wednesday, February 1 ahead of the CAO closing. The service will run daily excluding weekends on our Cork Road Campus Waterford, Carlow Campus and Wexford Campus from 10am - 4pm daily. Pre-booking at setu.ie/cao is required.

Alison Moore, SETU Schools Liaison officer advises that  visiting SETU will give prospective students a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of college life and experience first-hand the atmosphere on campus, during this crucial time in their decision making.

Chat to SETU

The CAO team at SETU are on hand to assist students, parents and guidance counsellors with any queries on courses, entry requirements, accommodation, student life and so much more.

There are a number of ways you can Chat to SETU. The team is online to answer all your questions and help you choose the course thats right for you. CAO live chat will run daily from 9am  4.30pm on the website through the webchat option from Monday, January 23 until Wednesday, February 1.

There will be an Instagram Live Q&A session on the SETU account on Tuesday, January 31 and Wednesday, February 1 before the CAO facility closes. You can also contact on WhatsApp at 087-3771770

Chat to SETU team are providing a helpline service to coincide with the CAO deadline. You can contact the team from Monday, 23 January until Wednesday, February 1 from 9am  4.30pm.

Carlow Campus: 059 91 75088 / Wexford Campus: 053 91 85814 / Waterford Campus: 051 845653
Parents and guardians of those aged from two to 17 will have one final opportunity to avail of the HSEs free of charge walk-in, no appointment necessary clinics for administration of the nasal flu vaccine for children this Sunday (January 22).

The childrens free nasal flu vaccine will be available up until 23rd January. After this date, only children with medical conditions which put them at risk of serious illness from flu will be able to get a vaccine. The HSE is encouraging parents to avail of the opportunity in the meantime to vaccinate their children against flu, as flu continues to spread and is likely to continue circulating further for a number of weeks.

The vaccine is also available from participating GPs and pharmacists.

In response to rising numbers of both flu cases in children, as well as the significant number of children who have been hospitalised with flu this winter, the HSE established the nasal flu vaccine clinics at existing Community Vaccination Centres.

The free of charge childrens nasal flu vaccine clinics will take place from 10am to 4pm in the Kilkenny Vaccination Centre, Unit 24 Hebron Industrial Estate, Hebron Road, Kilkenny, R95 X895

Advising parents to take up the opportunity, Specialist in Public Health Medicine and Flu Lead, HSE National Immunisation Office Dr. Aparna Keegan, says:

Flu is a serious illness that can be dangerous in children too. We are seeing rising cases of flu in the community so we are encouraging parents of children aged 2-17 to get their children vaccinated to protect them while there is still time.

The nasal spray flu vaccine is a very safe and effective vaccine and helps your childs immune system produce antibodies that fight infection. It cannot give your child the flu. If your child has had the flu vaccine and they come into contact with flu virus, these antibodies will help them fight the flu and reduce the risk of getting sick or needing to go to hospital.

The vaccination process is a simple nasal spray and is given by spraying the vaccine once into each of the childs nostrils. Getting the nasal spray flu vaccine is a safe, effective and a pain free way to protect your child from flu this winter. While most children who catch flu have mild symptoms, flu can sometimes lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis in some children. Children, especially young children, are also more likely than adults to get severe complications of flu.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High near 85F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Clear. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
DOJ and FBI open civil rights investigation into the death of Memphis man who passed away after arrest
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces her intention to resign at the War Memorial Centre on January 19 in Napier, New Zealand.
Amazon has been accused by federal safety regulators of failing to keep warehouse workers safe from workplace hazards at three US facilities, in the latest example of government officials scrutinizing the e-commerce giant's labor practices.
A sign posted at a shopping mall in Seoul asks all visitors to wear protective masks in this Dec. 22, 2022 file photo. Yonhap



The government will decide when to lift the indoor mask mandate this week, as the country is past the peak of the latest winter COVID-19 wave, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said Wednesday.



"With this winter's COVID-19 wave past its peak, the overall virus situation is stabilizing," Lee said during a government virus response meeting.



Taking the virus situation and other external factors into account, the government will determine when and to what extent the indoor mask mandate would be adjusted during the next virus response meeting scheduled for Friday, the minister noted.



Lee said the average daily new virus tally reached 42,938 last week, continuing the downward trend for the third consecutive week. The daily number of seriously ill patients reached 439 on average last week, the lowest point in five weeks.





Interior Minister Lee Sang-min speaks during a government COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul, Jan. 18. Yonhap




Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, second from right, attends a discussion session at the World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min



Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun stressed the role of nuclear energy to navigate climate change, at the World Economic Forum 2023, also known as the Davos Forum, in Switzerland, according to the trade ministry, Thursday.



At the Polish House discussion session, he reiterated that the global community should recognize the need to better utilize nuclear energy amid the energy crisis sparked and prolonged by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



Nuclear energy is, he said, increasingly emerging as the best carbon-free energy source that can help counter global energy security and climate crises.



The stable source of power, he added, has been and will continue to be instrumental in underpinning the growth of Korea's high-tech manufacturing including semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.






Villagers rush to complete overseas orders while embracing Spring Festival

Xinhua) 14:56, January 19, 2023

ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Since Tong Guanghai prepared things for the Spring Festival in advance, he worked overtime at the factory to produce sweaters of an order from Spain with an easy mind.

"We usually go off duty at 5:30 p.m., but we recently worked until 10:00 p.m. with extra pay to complete the order before the festival," Tong said.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 22 this year.

Last year, Tong obtained an ironing job at the Shuangli knitting plant in Shuangzhuyuan Village, Shangshiqiao Township of Shangcheng County in central China's Henan Province. The 50-year-old man was a truck driver working in Hubei Province's Wuhan City.

"My mum is in poor health, and my son will sit the college entrance examination this summer. I want to spend more time with them, so I found this job nearby my home," Tong said.

The mountainous county shook off poverty in 2015. Ahead of that, most of the villagers traveled far away to the provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong to earn more wages in the textile industry.

Liu Chenglin, general manager of the Shuangli knitting plant, said that the plant opened in 2018 and mainly produces woolen sweaters for some European brands.

"The local government persuaded me to move back to the village from Zhejiang to promote the economy of our hometown and also boost employment," Liu recalled, adding the low rents and abundant labor in the hometown were very attractive.

Villager Cheng Guangxia had worked in southern China's Guangzhou City for more than ten years. In 2018, she returned and became a quality inspector at the Shuangli knitting plant, getting a monthly salary of 6,000 yuan (about 886.6 U.S. dollars).

"The salary is not much less than that in Guangzhou. I can take care of my mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, and my parents, in their 70s. I'm already 51 years old, and I don't want to drift from place to place anymore," Cheng said.

Shuangli knitting plant provides jobs for more than 70 locals and over 400 mobile positions, allowing workers to do work in their spare time, like cutting threads and sewing at home.

"We got a lot of orders and produced 1.8 million woolen sweaters last year, an increase of 600,000 over 2021," said Liu.

Data shows more than 130 knitting enterprises in Shangshiqiao Township provide over 4,000 jobs for the residents.

An increasing number of migrant workers have returned home to get work since the country is advancing rural revitalization.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
During the 2023 Paris Fashion Week, WayV Ten truly became the main event as he served everyone with his strong presence and exquisite visuals!

WayV Ten Makes Buzz For His Luxurious Look at Paris Fashion Week 2023

On January 17, NCT & WayV ten attended the 2023 F/W Men's Collection of the luxury brand, Saint Laurent held in Paris, France after being invited as one of its Korean representatives alongside SEVENTEEN Jeonghan.

On this day, Ten arrived by car prepared by the high-end brand. Despite the cold weather, Ten sets the runway on fire with the explosive reactions of foreign fans and media waiting for his appearance.

Indeed, the male idol truly caught everyone's attention with his ravishing look wearing a black outfit with a deep V-line collar down to his chest. His tall physique was emphasized by wearing high-waist formal drape trousers. He completed his style with an oversized coat that made him look like royalty.

What made Ten stand out most was his black hair, slender neck and sexy shoulder line on top of his elegant sculpture-like facial features.

Anyone who saw him during the event expressed that the male idol is undoubtedly a perfect "Ten"!

During the photo op, Ten didn't just send his fans in Paris into a frenzy but photographers, media and locals as well. A lot of netizens were amazed at how down-to-earth Ten's personality is, who tried to greet and say "hello" to everyone he's meeting.

THE SMILE HE KNOWS HES FINE #SaintLaurentxTEN pic.twitter.com/OX5lQuXp8g  ten clips (@tensclips) January 17, 2023

He was also lauded for his glowing presence and outstanding poses on camera like a professional model. Lastly, when he sat down in the front row, he stole the show with his sophisticated aura like an art.

In response, he rose atop Twitter's trending topic, proving his impact as a "fashion icon" even if he's just simply standing or standing. Fans and netters can't get enough of this iconic moment of Ten, rather the idol being the moment!

various magazine publications, photographers, and media outlets were stunned by Ten tonight. wait til they find out hes a multilingual cat dad whos crazy talented in various forms of art too!!#SaintLaurentxTEN #TEN #YSL #PFW23 pic.twitter.com/NNRoFtPKgE  b BIRTHDAY SOTY (@purrfecten_) January 18, 2023

WayV Ten Breaks Gender Stereotypes With His Airport Fashion

Ahead of his legendary moment at Men's PFW2023, Ten initially made headlines following his appearance at the airport on January 16.

On this day, Ten briefly greeted fans and the Korean press before leaving for Paris, France, via Incheon International Airport in Jung-gu, Incheon for his scheduled appearance at the Paris Fashion Week.

In his photos, Ten looks dapper in a sleek black fit, giving off a prince vibe. The male idol is gorgeous enough to rise atop real-time searches, but he became the talk of the town even more after perfectly slaying his high heels!

Ten became a hundred times sexier with his high boots and heels which emphasized his slim legs and waist.

While this type of shoe is usually rocked by female K-pop idols and women in general, Ten is among the few male idols proving that real men can also wear high heels, quashing toxic masculinity!

For more K-Pop news, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson.
SEVENTEEN Jeonghan has captured CARATs' attention once again with his gorgeous visuals! Fans took their thoughts online, praising him for his elegance.

Read more for further details.

SEVENTEEN Jeonghan Leaves People Crazed For His Looks At Paris Fashion Week

On January 18, CARATs have expressed their excitement on social media and various online forums. Fans raved over the Jeonghan's dashing pictures, gracing the venue of Paris Fashion Week with his visuals and alluring presence.

Jeonghan had a front-row seat at the event and was invited to the fashion show to attend Saint Laurent's F/W Men's collection. He donned pieces from Saint Laurent's newest collection, while attending Paris Fashion Week for the first time.

Upon arriving, Jeonghan stormed the pathways, leaving the crowd delighted to see him in the runway event. Fans couldn't get enough of how good-looking he was in the show! CARATs took notice of his long hair, and his wonderful aura.

See their comments below:

"His aura was crazy on the ones that the fans shot." "This is the complete opposite image of how Jeonghan is in Going Seventeen, so I'm just fascinated." "He's so much better with long hair." "I'm not even a carat but Jeonghan is seriously in my top 3 visuals for male idols he's insane"

Check out his stunning photos here!

SEVENTEEN Jeonghan Reveals Thoughts Regarding His Nickname & HYBE's Building

In other news, Jeonghan discussed the amusing backstory of his moniker "Jeonghwa" and the feature of the HYBE building that he dislikes the most.

On May 28, 2022, SEVENTEEN appeared as guest for JTBC's renowned variety show, "Knowing Bros." The members discussed a variety of topics during their guesting, including member Jeonghan's nickname, "Jeonghwa."

During their conversation, Jeonghan revealed that one of his nicknames is "Yoon Jeonghwa," a mix of his real name, Yoon Jeonghan, and the Korean term for "anger," which is "hwa."

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: SEVENTEEN Jeonghan Reveals One Thing He Hates About HYBE's Building

DK explained why Jeonghan was given such a nickname was because, the member gets annoyed easily. The idol further explained how shocked he was to see Jeonghan upset, due to lack of sleep during their world tour. The hilarious reason he was in a bad mood was because of his shoes, not fitting his feet perfectly!

"Jeonghan gets angry easily. I had just woken up, and Jeonghan was putting on his shoes. But because [his shoes] didn't go in well, he got annoyed. He stamped his foot and was like, 'Why the heck is my feet not going in?! Shoes, shoes, shoes!' I was kind of scared."

Jeonghan also claimed that there was one thing he disliked in HYBE's building. In particular, he didn't like HYBE's security doors, which spots facial recognition and temperature checking.

The idol hilariously stated that despite doing all requirements, the door still won't let him in. He added how he hit the door once, as it opened for him, causing laughter in the room.

"HYBE building's security is super tight. The front door won't open until the machine checks for my temperature and recognizes my face after I remove my mask off." "Sometimes, the door won't open even when I do all of that. I got so annoyed once that I hit the door, and was like, 'Why aren't you opening?!' Then the door finally opened."

Were you captivated by Jeonghan's good looks on the fashion show? Tell us in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
Migrants prepare to spend the night on a sidewalk or inside an idle city bus in their attempt to stay warm while camping outside the Sacred Heart Church in downtown El Paso, Texas, late Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.
New Delhi, January 19: International Road Federation (IRF), a global body advocating for safer roads, on Thursday said that it has made a plea to the government to do away with the GST imposed on helmets. At present a GST of 18 per cent is levied on helmets.

"IRF...in a letter written to the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has demanded reduction of GST on life saving device helmets for safety of the two-wheeler riders from present 18 per cent to 0 per cent in the forthcoming Union Budget 2023-24," the global road safety body said. Budget 2023: From Change in Budget Presentation Date to Use of Tablet, List of Changes Introduced in Tradition Under Modi Government.

India accounts for about 11 per cent of the road accident deaths worldwide and the two-wheeler riders, being most vulnerable, constitute almost 31.4 per cent of road accidental deaths primarily due to head injuries.

"One of the most effective measures to reduce the two-wheeler accident injuries and fatalities is the use of standard helmets," K K Kapila, President Emeritus, IRF, said in a letter to the finance minister.

The use of helmets in the country has been found to be low. It has been noticed that most of the two-wheeler riders fall in economically weaker and lower income group and prefer to purchase helmets which are cheaper and inferior in quality. Many of these helmets are not capable to save a rider's life, in case of an accident, Kapila explained. Budget 2023: From Hike in Income Tax Exemption Limit to Lower Tax Rates and Raise in Standard Deduction, List of Changes Taxpayers Wish in Tax Slabs.

"Currently, the applicable rate of GST on helmets is 18 per cent, which is a life saving device. I, as a proponent of road safety, strongly recommend that there should be no GST on helmets. This will help in making the standard helmets more affordable for the masses and will discourage them from buying helmets of substandard quality," he said.

This in turn will help in reducing road accident fatalities of two-wheeler riders. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on February 1.
New Delhi [India], January 19 (ANI): Vivek Joshi, Department of Financial Services under the finance ministry, reviewed the progress of various social security (Jan Suraksha) schemes with heads of public sector banks (PSBs) and financial institutions on Thursday.

Some of these schemes include Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri MUDRA and Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi), and Agri credit, among others.

Also Read | Priyanka Chopra is a Glamorous Mum As She Shoots Her First Photoshoot With Baby Malti Marie for British Vogue!.

Besides reviewing the progress under the social security schemes promoting financial inclusion, public sector banks were exhorted to achieve the targets allocated to them under the schemes for the 2022-23, according to a statement from the ministry of finance. It was also discussed that banks should organise financial literacy camps so that awareness about various financial inclusion schemes, including micro insurance schemes, digital financial transactions including UPI Lite can be further promoted.

According to the ministry statement, it was appreciated that ease of access to banking services has been strengthened in the last 7-8 years and now having provided access to banking services to the bottom of the pyramid, banks need to put in all efforts to make customer experience more enriching and pleasant for a sustainable banking relationship.

Also Read | The Night Manager: Aditya Roy Kapur Says His Character in the Web Series Is Twisted, Just Like The Twist in the Plot.

The finance ministry said Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has already been requested to expedite the consumer service rating for all scheduled commercial banks to gauge the consumer expectation and to enable banks to raise their standards of services delivery to every segment of the customer.

The amendments proposed in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) with regard to reducing the delays in the processes relating to admission, resolution, National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) approval and liquidation were also discussed in presence of officials from Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

PSBs were also requested to take help of PM KISAN database with an aim to provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to all the farmers in the country. The progress of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme was also reviewed. Officials from the department of agriculture and farmers' welfare were also present in the review related to agricultural credit.

The progress in digitisation of the process for getting the KCC was also discussed to improve transparency. PSBs were advised to take necessary steps to digitise entire journey of KCC loans in a time-bound manner. The digitisation of KCC-Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) was also discussed and banks were told to start using the portal for their claims from FY 2021-22 onwards. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kota (Raj), Jan 19 (PTI) A special court in Rajasthan's Bundi district on Thursday sentenced a youth to life imprisonment for abducting and raping a 15-year-old Dalit girl in 2020.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court - 1 Salim Badra also slapped the convict with a fine of Rs 55,000.

Also Read | Joshimath Land Subsidence: IRDAI Ask Insurers To Expeditiously Settle Claims of Loss to Property.

Hardeep Singh Sandhu, resident of Kundliya village, was convicted for abducting and raping the minor in May 2020, Public Prosecutor (PP) Rakesh Thakur said.

He said the survivor's father lodged a complaint of abduction of his 15-year-old daughter against Hardeep Singh Sandhu alias Deep at Bundi Sadar police station under sections 363 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code on May 8, 2020.

Also Read | Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot: Rajasthan CM 'Compares' His Ex-Deputy to Corona (Watch Video).

Acting on the report, the police rescued the minor after around five days and on the basis of the survivor's statement, added sections of the SC/ST Act, that dealing with rape and provisions of the POCSO Act in the case and arrested the accused, he said.

However, the accused was later granted bail, he added.

The police filed the charge sheet against the accused under sections 363, 366, 376 of the IPC, section of the POCSO Act and section of SC/ST Act in October 2020, the PP said.

Besides the statements of 14 witnesses recorded during the trial and 19 documents produced before the court, positive DNA test reports of both accused and the minor survivor turned decisive for the life term sentence awarded to the culprit, the PP 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], January 19 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has urged Union agriculture minister NS Tomar to reconstitute the MSP Committee formed by the Centre and also revoke the gazette notification issued in this regard as the panel is not "representative" of the farming community.

In a letter to the Union Agriculture minister, Badal said that her party rejects the MSP Committee in its current form as it is not acceptable to the farming community.

Also Read | Gurugram: Man Burnt to Death in Flat After Houses Catches Fire at Tata Raisina Residency in Sector 59.

"We need a fair committee in keeping with the spirit of the assurance given to Kisan Andolan representatives by the Prime Minister on December 9, 2021. Farmers across the country feel the committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the farming community and experts who had agitated against the farm laws." Badal said in her letter written on January 17.

She further alleged that the committee formed by the central government is not representative of the community and is "loaded" with government representatives who batted for the laws.

Also Read | Gujarat: Bharuch DSP Suspends Two Employees for Leaking Officers' Movement to Bootleggers.

"In fact, the committee is loaded with central government representatives and has as its chairman the former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal who was the architect of the three farm laws. It also includes Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand and several other members who have been vociferous defenders of the farm laws," the letter said

"In stark contrast, it does not include any government representative from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University even as other state representatives and members from their agriculture universities have been included in the committee. Under the present committee, there is no scope of any discussion which would safeguard the interest of farmers as the three farmer representatives slated to be included in the committee will be outnumbered by government representatives," she said in her letter.

Today, she also twisted bout the same. "Farmers feel Committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the community and is loaded with government representatives who batted for the 3 farm laws. It also does not include any government representatives from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University."

Terming the MSP committee a "misnomer", Bathinda MP said that the prime minister had clearly stated that a committee would work on ways and means to make minimum support price (MSP) a legal guarantee.

"Instead of making this the key mandate of the Committee, the same has been changed to "making MSP more effective and transparent," she said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) In a setback to Google, the Supreme Court on Thursday endorsed the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) declining to grant an interim stay on the imposition of a penalty of Rs 1,337 crore on the US tech giant by the competition regulator for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile device ecosystem.

The top court said at the interlocutory stage, it would suffice to say that the findings of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Google were neither without jurisdiction nor suffering from any manifest error warranting its interference.

Also Read | Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Approves Nine Investment Projects Worth Rs 1.53 Lakh Crore.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud granted a week's time to the US firm to deposit 10 per cent of Rs 1,337 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI.

The bench, which also comprised Justices PS Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, asked the NCLAT to decide Google's appeal against the competition regulator's order by March 31 this year after charting out the time schedule for the hearing.

Also Read | India Slams Vandalisation of Two Hindu Temples in Australia, Calls Swift Probe and Action Against Perpetrators.

It is suffice to note that the findings which have been arrived at by CCI cannot be held, at the interlocutory stage, to be either without jurisdiction or suffering from a manifest error which would have necessitated interference at the interlocutory stage, it ordered.

The bench, which gave reasons for its order, said, ...while we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order of the NCLAT, we would request the appellate tribunal (NCLAT) to dispose of the appeal (of Google) by March 31.

It directed the parties to move the NCLAT with the certified copy of its order within three working days.

We request the presiding officer, the President of the NCLAT, to pass appropriate administrative directions indicating a time schedule for early disposal of the appeal on above terms, it said.

Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Google, requested for time till January 31 for depositing a part of the penalty as directed by the CCI.

Since the appellant is pursuing their interlocutory remedy before the NCLAT and later before this court, time for compliance with the order passed by the CCI is extended by a further period of one week from today. It is clarified that all action taken in the meantime shall abide by the final result of the appeal, it said.

Google had moved the top court against the January 4 order of the NCLAT refusing an interim stay on the competition regulator imposing a Rs 1,337 crore penalty on it.

The NCLAT, however, had admitted the search giant's challenge to the CCI imposing the fine for abusing the dominant position of its Android smart-phone operating system in the country and ordered listing of its plea in April.

At the outset of the hearing, Singhvi said the CCI had not arrived at the finding that Google has abused its dominant position in India.

The top court, in its order, noted that while admitting the appeal, the NCLAT, has directed Google to deposit ten per cent of the penalty quantified by CCI within three weeks and refused to stay the order.

Singhvi said while on one hand, the NCLAT noted the urgency on the other it listed the matter for final disposal in April 2023 and hence there was no opinion on the merits of the order.

The senior lawyer said the apex court should decide the application on grant of stay urgently.

The US headquartered firm, during the hearing, said without prejudice, it was ready to partly comply with the order of the CCI.

These may be followed to the following extent- A. Google would ensure unbundling of only search and chrome from Play, chrome from search; In terms of the decision of the EC (European Commission) dated 18 July 2018, Google would ensure that the search app pre installation exclusivity only on portfolio wise RSAs would not be pursued, the top court said while noting the submission of Singhvi.

The bench noted that the NCLAT has listed the appeal for final hearing in April and hence, did not hear the case on merits.

This court had the option of either remitting the proceedings to NCLAT or considering whether a case of grant of interim relief is made out. We have adopted the second course of action for two reasons. First, remitting the matter back to NCLAT for a detailed hearing on merits of the application for interim relief would necessitate lengthy arguments, resulting in delay in the final disposal of the appeal in accordance with the time schedule set out in the order of the NCLAT, it said.

Second, since the proceedings are pending before the NCLAT in appeals, this court while assessing the merits of the order of the CCI should, on the basis of prima facie evaluation, determine whether interference at this stage is warranted, it said.

Referring to the findings of the CCI, it said, These findings cannot be regarded as contrary to the weight of the records at the interlocutory stage.

At the present stage since the appeal is pending before the NCLAT we are desisting from evaluating the merits of the rival submissions which have been urged on behalf of the contesting parties, it said.

Any expression of opinion by this court on merits would affect the proceedings which are pending before the NCLAT, it said.

Additional Solicitor General N Venkatraman, appearing for the CCI, said Google has been following the similar directions passed by the European Commission in 2018 and here they are having problems.

See their conduct here. It is different. After making necessary changes in Europe, they are doing the opposite in India, the law officer said.

They are talking about security. So when you do this in Europe, you have no security threat. But in India you have threats. This is indicative of continued market slavery. It is feudalistic, he said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for another firm, said Google has used Android as a vehicle to cement its dominance.

In 2018, they complied with the same things in the EU which they have not complied with in five years here. This is a developing country so they are taking their time with the law...There is no reason to treat this country and the laws of this country as a third world, he said.

Earlier, the CCI had said the issue pertaining to alleged abuse of dominant position by Google in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem is of "national importance" and the world is looking at how India is dealing with the matter.

The CCI had on October 20 last year asked Google to allow smartphone users on the Android platform to uninstall apps and let them select a search engine of their choice.

That order was to become effective from January 19.

On October 20 last year, the CCI besides slapping the steep penalty on Google had also ordered the internet major to cease and desist from various unfair business practices.

The regulator, which passed the order after having directed a detailed probe more than three years ago, has also asked Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline.

The CCI, which had started probing the case in April 2019, has directed that Original Equipment Manufacturers should not be restrained from choosing from amongst Google's proprietary applications to be pre-installed and also not be forced to pre-install a bouquet of applications on their smart devices.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai, January 19: A day after the Election Commission announced by-elections to the Erode East constituency in Tamil Nadu, the state Congress President K S Alagiri on Thursday said the party will field its candidate from the seat.

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced a byelection to the Erode East constituency in Tamil Nadu on February 27. The counting of votes will be done on March 2. The filing of nominations would start on January 31 and end on February 7. Tamil Nadu Congress Takes Dig at Narendra Modi on Alliance, Says No Takers for His Invite.

The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of the Congress MLA Thirumagan, the great-grandson of social reformer 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy and son of former Union minister E V K S Elangovan. Tamil Nadu and Bihar Congress Passes Resolution To Appoint Rahul Gandhi As Party President.

Alagiri while addressing the party cadres in a protest against TN Governor RN Ravi in Chennai, also said that even lord Rama would cast his vote for the Congress party.

"If Lord Ram is asked whom will you vote for? Lord Ram will cast his vote for Congress and not BJP," Tamil Nadu Congress President said. Congress is looking to retain the constituency, which is one of the 25 seats allotted to it in the DMK's Secular Progressive Alliance.

In the last elections, Yuvaraja M of the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) had come second by contesting on the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) two-leaves symbol. The bypoll is being keenly watched as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might decide to go it alone.

(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, Jan 19 (PTI) A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed an application moved by businessman Amit Arora seeking interim bail in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.

Arora, the director of Gurugram-based Buddy Retail Private Limited, moved the application on the ground that his wife required surgery for removal of gallbladder stones.

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Special Judge M K Nagpal said that the applicant's wife should first plan the surgery and obtain a date from the hospital for that purpose, only then this court can consider his request for grant of interim bail.

"The wife of applicant may further be first required to undergo the requisite tests, if any, to find out her suitability in medical terms for performance of the surgery," the judge said.

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The judge said that though the accused may be entitled to interim bail on humanitarian grounds for some duration on the ground of proposed surgery, the relief could not be granted in a routine or casual manner and further, "the circumstances under which this interim bail is to be granted have to be exceptional and extraordinary".

The Enforcement Directorate opposed the application, saying that the surgery of patient was not an emergent procedure and it had to be planned and that the planning for surgery was required to be made as early as possible.

Arora was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on November 29 last year and is currently in judicial custody.

The ED's money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR.

The CBI, in its first charge sheet in the case, claimed that Arora, along with co-accused Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey, is a close associate of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the three were actively involved in "managing" and "diverting" the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees for the accused public servants.

The CBI has also got Dinesh Arora to turn approver in the case.

It had alleged that the Delhi government, with its now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders, favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the ruling AAP.

Besides Sisodia, who holds the excise portfolio in the Delhi government, the CBI had named the then excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, the then deputy excise commissioner Anand Kumar Tiwari, assistant excise commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar, nine businessmen, and two companies as accused in its FIR filed on August 17.

In the FIR, the agency has alleged that Sisodia and other accused public servants recommended and took decisions pertaining to the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 without the approval of the competent authority with "an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender".

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Yadgiri, January 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka has brought development and good governance in those districts which were declared backward by previous governments.

"We brought development and good governance in those districts that were announced as backward by the previous governments. We encouraged the aspiration of development in these districts. The way the development is being carried out in north Karnataka is appreciable. As India has completed 75 years of her independence, now is the time it marches ahead with yet stronger spirits in the coming times," PM Modi said while addressing a public gathering in Karnataka's Yadgiri after inaugurating the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension, Renovation and Modernisation project in the district. PM Narendra Modi Lays Foundation Stone, Inaugurates Development Projects Related to Irrigation and Drinking Water in Karnatakas Kodekal (Watch Video).

Modi on Thursday reached the poll-bound state and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects in the Yadgiri district. This is the second such visit by the Prime Minister to Karnataka this month. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive road show.

PM further said that projects pertaining to water security, farmer welfare, and connectivity are being launched, which will significantly benefit the region.

"When Jal Jeevan Mission started 3.5 years ago, out of 18 crore rural households only 3 crore rural households had a tap water connection. Today, about 11 crore rural families in the country are getting tap water. The ongoing developmental projects would not only enhance the ease of living in the areas of Yadgir, Kalaburagi, and Raichur but will also strengthen the employment therein. I heartily congratulate the people of Karnataka for this," he stated.

He also said that the country is moving forward to fulfil new resolutions for the next 25 years which is Amrit Kaal for "every person". PM Narendra Modi Lays Foundation Stone of Rural Drinking Water Projects in Uttar Pradesh.

Hailing the 'development' done by the Basavaraj Bommai government in the state, Modi said that work has been started today on the part of the Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor which falls in Karnataka.

Praising the history of Yadgiri, PM said that the great rule of Raja Venkatappa Nayaka here in this place leaves a wonderful trail in history. "It houses marvellous monuments and possesses prosperous culture and traditions. I bow before the historical and heritage land of Yadgiri," PM added.

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Guwahati, Jan 19 (PTI) Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with industry partners to establish a commercial drone-flying school on the campus.

IITG signed the MoU with Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited (AMTRON) and R C Hobbytech Solutions (RCH) to work together on strengthening and expanding drone-based training, research and development, manufacturing for varied sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care, according to a release issued by the institute on Thursday.

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The MoU was signed by IITG's officiating director Prof. Parameswar K Iyer, AMTRON managing director S Sundar and co-founder of RCH Biswajit Dey on Wednesday.

''The three organisations will work in tandem and engage actively in research and development activities and the members of IITG Drone Centre and Technology Incubation Hub will be an integral part in this endeavour'', the release quoted Iyer as saying.

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The commercial drone-flying school will offer commercial drone flying fresher courses and other related advisory and consultancy services such as renewing their drone flying license, securing necessary commercial drone permits and helping prepare students for drone flying tests.

The school will also connect the students with organisations that need professional drone flyers, the release added.

The professional courses will offer a wide range of services such as drone-based survey and mapping, Geographic Information Systems courses, and coding and AI-related curricula.

IITG, along with the industry partners, will work on initially developing a few prototype drones with an aim of getting them certified by the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the Institute will provide all the necessary machinery, software, related hardware and other utilities for the same.

A Disaster Response Management System will be developed to identify and address any disaster in Assam.

For the purpose, a team of students, and professionals along with ready-to-fly surveillance and payload delivery drones will be set up for emergency response, the release said.

IITG will develop drones to cater to the needs of the state to contain disasters, AMTRON will provide communication support, and RCH will provide necessary technical expertise in developing the drones and associated systems.

Along with this, a Disaster Response Cell will be established at IIT Guwahati which will be operated by the Drone Helpline Student Volunteer Team of the Institute and AMTRON Drone Team, the release said.

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said lack of dreams and direction in school children is the biggest challenge for the future of the country.

He said the Kejriwal government is always focused on the holistic development of its students, though.

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Sisodia was addressing Desh Ke Mentor Conclave', organised by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights to celebrate the journey of mentors registered under the programme from all over the country and the mentees.

He stressed the need for timely career guidance for students. "Lack of dreams and direction in school children is the biggest challenge for the future of the country. Mentors under the Delhi government's flagship initiative Desh Ke Mentor' programme have worked towards giving direction to the future of hundreds of children studying in Delhi government schools," he added.

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On the occasion, Sisodia felicitated the mentors under the programme for putting in the efforts to show the right path to the Delhi government school students who often do not receive timely support in making informed career choices from their surroundings.

He also participated in a panel discussion with mentors from various professional backgrounds.

For the education ministers across the country, most of the targets include getting teachers recruited on time, providing mid-day meals and books to all students and ensuring funds for the universities to run them better," Sisodia said.

But, under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Government is always focused on the holistic development of its students, he added.

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Kota (Raj), Jan 19 (PTI) A POCSO court in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district on Thursday awarded life term to a 27-year-old madrassa teacher for abducting and raping a 16-year-old student, observing that his crime has brought disgrace and shame to the teaching profession.

The court also slapped a fine of of Rs 2.10 lakh on Akhalakh Khan.

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The girl used to visit his home for Urdu tuition in Ratlai police station area of the district, public prosecutor Lal Chand Meena said.

The father of the girl had lodged a report of abduction on January 23, 2019 saying she did not return home from tuition since a day before and Khan was also missing.

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The police lodged a case under IPC sections 363 and 366. The girl, however, escaped from captivity in Kamkheda area and approached the police on February 14, 2019.

On the basis of the girl's statements, police incorporated sections of rape under IPC and POCSO Act and arrested Khan on March 7, 2019.

POCSO court special judge Mahaveer Prasad Gupta held Khan guilty of abduction and rape and convicted him to life term for rest of his natural life in jail, Meena said.

The convict's crime brought disgrace and shame to the profession of teacher, the court observed.

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Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that in a first in the country, menstrual and maternity leaves would be granted to all women students in all institutions under the State government's Higher Education Department.

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Vijayan announced this decision of the government on his Twitter handle and Facebook page.

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He said such a pro-women step by his government was the first of its kind in the entire country and was an indication of the Left government's commitment to ensure gender justice in society.

"Once again, Kerala sets a model for the nation. Menstrual and maternity leaves will be granted to female students of all institutions under our Department of Higher Education, reaffirming the LDF government's commitment to realising a gender-just society," he tweeted.

He said although menstruation was a normal biological process, it creates a lot of mental stress and physical discomfort in women.

Therefore, the government has decided to give a relaxation of two per cent to female students in the attendance requirement, he said in his Facebook post.

"This is the first time in the country that a State government has taken such a pro-women decision for female students in universities and colleges under the Higher Education department," he said.

The Higher Education department has also decided to allow a maximum 60 days of maternity leave for female students who have completed 18 years of age, he further said.

Taking a cue from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in providing menstrual leave to its students, Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Monday had said the government has decided to implement the same in all State universities under the purview of the department.

CUSAT had taken the decision following a representation made by the SFI-led students' union of the university.

Considering the long-pending demand of the students, the varsity, on January 11, had sanctioned an additional two per cent condonation of shortage of attendance to female students, in each semester.

Prior to that in December last year, the Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) had decided to grant maternity leave of 60 days to degree and post graduate students of 18 years and above so that they can continue their studies without any interruptions. PTI

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Scientists have found meteorites from the depths of Antarctica Blue Ice, an area with strong winds where the glaciers get ablated, with one of them weighing 7.6 kg.

An international team of scientists went on a reconnaissance mission to Antarctica with the objective of finding new areas of meteorite accumulation around the Belgian Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA) Station, according to a statement.

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The exploration was from December 11, 2022 to January 11.

"Meteorites are rocks fallen from space as a shooting star. Previously, three successful Belgian-Japanese missions to the Nansen Blue Ice Field near the Belgian station in Antartica collected more than 600 meteorites. Using satellite images and GPS coordinates, the team set out to discover the potential of several areas of interest by searching them for meteorites," said professor Maria Schoenbaechler, department of earth sciences at ETH-Zurich in Switzerland, told PTI.

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The blue ice zone of Nils Larsen, about 60 km from the station, has been recognized as an accumulation zone worthy of revisiting, the statement said.

"But above all, the team returns with a very nice surprise in its luggage: a 7.6 kg meteorite! Such big meteorites are very rare in Antarctica," it said.

"At the moment it looks like an ordinary chondrites. This type of meteorite comes from the asteroid belt and ended its travel in the Antarctic blue ice, waiting several tens of thousands of years in the ice before discovery.

"It belongs to the oldest material that can be found on Earth and is similar to the building block of the Earth," said Schoenbaechler.

So, what does this mean for the Earth science research? "This means we can study planet Earth's formation with this type of meteorite," said Schoenbaechler.

The meteorite were found on the blue ice or in the moraines. The scientists documented them without touching them and packed them directly into plastic bags or aluminium foil to avoid contamination, they said in an email.

Differentiating between meteors and meteorites, Schoenbaechler said, "The rocks, which we found, are called meteorites. The shooting star is the trail which it generates while falling onto the Earth and is called a meteor."

When asked how the meteorites were identified as such, she said, "The meteorites were first identified by looking at them - our big meteorite has a very typical dark fusion crust, which is formed during the fall of the rock onto earth.

"This generates a shooting star (meteor), in which the upmost surface of the rock is heated by aerodynamical friction and melted. We also used a handheld tool to test the magnetic properties of the rock."

So, what will the meteorites be analysed for?

"We will take a small sample and analyse the minerals that it contains to determine which type of meteorites it is," explained Schoenbaechler.

When asked if there was something else that they would like to share, she said, "We also took some sediments samples and in there, we will search for micrometeorites. These are very small meteorites and their size is the same as that of a dust particle. They too are scientifically very valuable."

Along with Schoenbaechler, the team included scientists from Field Museum of Natural History, University of Chicago, US, VUB-ULB, Belgium and was led by Vinciane Debaille, FNRS-ULB, Belgium and guided in the field by Manu Poudelet, International Polar Guide Association.

What lies ahead for the meteorite? "Next step? The meteorite will go to Brussels, travelling in a cold box, for thawing under controlled conditions at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, before being analysed for their chemical composition and becoming available for scientific studies," the statement said.

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Mumbai, January 19: At least nine people were killed and a child was injured when a speeding truck collided with their van on Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday morning, police said.

The accident took place at 4.45 am at Repoli village in Raigad, located more than 130 km from Mumbai. The victims, all relatives, were going in the van to Guhagar in Ratnagiri district, Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said. The truck was going towards Mumbai, he said. Maharashtra Road Accident: Tempo Carrying Workers Plunges Into Mahabaleshwar Gorge Near Mugdev Village, 10 Injured; Rescue Operation Underway.

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Maharashtra | Visuals from Goa-Mumbai highway in Repoli area in Raigad where a car accident left nine people, including a child, dead and another child injured. pic.twitter.com/oaH1qKyW83  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

"Nine people were killed. The deceased included a girl child, three women and five men," the official said. After being alerted, police rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation, he said. Maharashtra Road Accident: Gujarat-Bound Car Hits Truck on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar; Three Dead and Four Injured.

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A four-year-old girl injured in the accident was taken to a hospital in Mangaon, the official said. The bodies were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, he said. The cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained, the police said.

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Bhubaneswar, Jan 19 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday approved nine projects with a total investment of over Rs 1.53 lakh crore for implementation, which will create employment opportunities for 77,000 people in the state.

The High-Level Clearance Authority, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, gave its nod to the projects, an official said.

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These projects will be set up in Balasore, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Khurda, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj.

Four projects are in the green energy and equipment sector, two in paper industries, two in metals and minerals and one in IT Infrastructure.

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Among the projects approved by the authority, ACME Clean Energy Pvt Ltd proposes to set up green hydrogen and ammonia plants with a capacity of 1.1 million mt at Kujanga in Jagatsinghpur and captive renewable energy units in Koraput and Kalahandi districts, entailing an investment of Rs 58,209.13 crore, the official said.

It is expected to create employment opportunities for around 3,400 people in the state, he said after the HLCA meeting.

The authority also approved a proposal of Avaada Green H2 Private Ltd to set up a clean energy project with an investment of Rs 23,500 crore in Ganjam district, and it is expected to provide employment to 1,500 people in the state.

Two other projects in the sector are related to proposals of Renew EFuels Private Ltd and Ocior Energy Pvt Ltd to set up green ammonia plants.

The HLCA also gave its go-ahead to proposals of Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Ltd and Deevyashakti India to set up units in Balasore and Dhenkanal respectively, the official said.

The proposal of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd to set up a 7-MTPA plant in Jagatsinghpur with an investment of Rs 38,000 crore was approved and expected to create employment opportunities for more than 11,000 people in the state.

The authority also green-lighted Rungta Metals Pvt Ltd's proposal to expand an integrated steel plant from 0.5 MTPA to 1 MTPA in Rairangpur of Mayurbhanj district with an investment of Rs 1,140 crore.

The proposal by My Home Constructions Pvt Ltd has also been approved to develop IT infrastructure at Bhubaneswar in Khurda district with an investment of Rs 1,525.50 crore.

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New Delhi [India], January 19 (ANI): The Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) is scheduled to conduct Village Sampark Yatra in a few states of the country from Friday onwards.

The BJYM has decided to for the Village Sampark Yatra following the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the meeting office bearers conducted last year.

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According to the sources, the BJYM is going to start Village Sampark Yatra from January 20 and their young karyakartas [workers] will go to border villages in Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura to study the unprecedented development done by the PM Modi-led government.

"BJYM will talk to youngsters there on their social economic development issues and will also hold small gatherings, will seek their suggestions and participation and make them part of G20 Summit", the sources said.

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PM Modi has emphasized the Village Sampark for better connectivity between the border villages. It is also important to address their issues, listen to their grievances, increase interaction with them and know their culture.

Taking to Twitter, the national president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Tejasvi Surya said: "BJYM's Border Village Sampark Yatra will begin from 20th of January. Our young karyakartas will go to border villages in Gujarat, Rajastan, WB, Assam, Tripura to study unprecedented development done by Modi Sarkar, talk to youngsters there on social economic development issues." (ANI)

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Yadgiri (Karnataka), [India], January 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone and dedicated various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water and a national highway development project at Kodekal, Yadgiri in Karnataka.

The projects include laying the foundation stone of the Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission and 65.5 km section (from Badadal to Maradagi S Andola) of Surat-Chennai Expressway NH-150C, and inauguration of the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC-ERM).

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Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the love and support of the people of Karnataka and said that it has become a source of great strength.

He alleged that crores of small farmers were deprived of every comfort for decades and no effort was made in government policies for their long-term welfare.

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PM Modi said the small farmer is the biggest priority of the agricultural policy of the country. The Prime Minister gave examples of helping the farmers with machinery, taking them towards modern technology like drones, providing fertilizers like nano urea, encouragement to natural farming, small farmers being given Kisan Credit Cards, and support to animal husbandry, fisheries and beekeeping.

Targetting opposition parties, he alleged that the governments of the past indulged in vote-bank politics and did not pay heed to basic infrastructure like electricity, roadways and water.

Karnataka is slated to go for assembly polls in the first half of this year.

Throwing light on the rich history of Yadgiri, the Prime Minister pointed out the ancient fort of Rattihalli, which is a symbol of the "capabilities of our ancestors and reflects our culture and traditions".

He also mentioned the heritage of the great king Maharaja Venkatappa Nayak whose idea of swaraj and good governance was noted all over the country. "We all take pride in this heritage", the Prime Minister said.

Referring to the projects related to roads and water, the Prime Minister said they will provide massive benefits to the people of the region.

Surat-Chennai Corridor's Karnataka portion saw the start of work today and this will enhance ease of living besides contributing to employment and economic activity in the region including Yadgiri, Raichur and Kalburgi.

The Prime Minister praised the state government for development work in North Karnataka.

He noted that the coming 25 years are 'Amrit Kaal' for the country and for every state.

"We have to create Viksit Bharat during this Amrit Kaal. This can happen only when every person, family and state gets associated with this campaign. India can be developed when the life of the farmer in the field and the entrepreneur is improved. India can be developed when there is good crop, and factory output also expands. This will need learning from the negative experiences and bad policies of the past," he said.

Giving the example of Yadgiri in North Karnataka, the Prime Minister lamented the backwardness that prevailed in the region.

Even though the region had the capability, the Prime Minister observed that the past governments had absolved themselves just by declaring Yadgiri and other such districts as backward.

Highlighting the priorities of the present government, the Prime Minister remarked that its focus is solely on development and not vote-bank politics.

"Even if one district in the country lags behind on the parameters of development, the country cannot become developed," the Prime Minister said.

He said the BJP government addressed the problems concerning most backward regions on priority and initiated the hundred aspirational villages campaign including in Yadgiri.

Referring to emphasis on good governance and development in the region, he said Yadgir has vaccinated 100 percent of children, the number of malnourished children has gone down significantly, all villages of the district are connected via roads and there are common service centres in gram panchayat to provide digital services.

"Be it education, health or connectivity, Yadgiri has been among the top 10 performers of the aspirational districts programme," the Prime Minister remarked.

He underlined the importance of water security for the development of 21st-century India which, he said, stands at par with border, coastal and internal security.

"Double-engine government is working with an approach of felicitation and consolidation," he said and informed that of 99 irrigation schemes that were lying pending in 2014, 50 have already been completed and schemes have been expanded.

Narayanpur Left Bank Canal-Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC-ERM) with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area, he said.

PM Modi also talked about the unprecedented focus on micro-irrigation and 'per drop more crop' as more than 70 lakh hectares of land have been brought into the ambit of micro-irrigation in the last seven-eight years.

The project unveiled on Thursday will be beneficial for 5 lakh hectares of land in Karnataka and work is going on to raise the water table, he informed.

The Prime Minister noted that when the Jal Jeevan mission began three-and-a-half years ago, only three crore rural families had piped water connections out of eighteen crore rural families.

"Today that number has gone up to eleven crore rural families. Out of these, 35 lakh families are from Karnataka."

He noted that the coverage of water per household in Yadgiri and Raichur is higher than the overall average of Karnataka and the country.

Throwing light on the projects inaugurated today, the Prime Minister noted that the target of providing tap water to every house in Yadgir will get a boost.

He informed that a study revealed that lives of more than 1.25 lakh children will be saved every year due to the impact of India's Jal Jeevan Mission.

He referred to the benefits of the Har Ghar Jal campaign and noted that the central government gives Rs 6,000 to the farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and the Karnataka government adds Rs 4,000 more which doubles the benefits for the farmers.

"About 1.25 lakh farmer families of Yadgir have received about Rs 250 crore from PM Kisan Nidhi", the Prime Minister said.

Elaborating on the work done by double-engine government, the Prime Minister said as the Centre launches the New Education Policy, Karnataka Government is helping poor students through Vidya Nidhi schemes.

"Karnataka government augments the Centre's help to weavers under Mudra Scheme by giving them further help," he added.

The Prime Minister lauded the local farmers for making the region a pulse bowl and helping the country in reducing foreign dependence in this area.

He informed that 80 times more pulses have been procured under MSP in the last eight years. Pulse farmers have got Rs 60,000 crore in the last eight years compared to a few hundred crore rupees before 2014.

He said 2023 has been declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations and noted that coarse cereals like jowar and ragi are produced in abundance in Karnataka.

He underlined that the double-engine government is committed to increasing the production of this nutritious coarse grain and promoting it worldwide.

The Prime Minister expressed the belief that farmers of Karnataka will play a leading role in taking this initiative forward.

Referring to connectivity, he said it is equally important for agriculture, industry and tourism and highlighted the benefits to large parts of North Karnataka with the completion of the Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor.

He said it will also be easy for the countrymen to reach the tourist places and pilgrimages of north Karnataka thereby creating thousands of new employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth.

"The focus of the double-engine government on infrastructure and reforms is turning Karnataka into an investors' choice," the Prime Minister remarked and added that such investments will increase due to enthusiasm of people around the world to invest in India.

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, state Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai and Union Minister of State Bhagwant Khuba were among those present on the occasion.

Under Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme, a water treatment plant of 117 MLD will be built.

The project, with a cost of more than Rs 2050 crore, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns in the Yadgir district.

NLBC-ERM is a project with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs and can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area.

It will benefit more than three lakh farmers in 560 villages of Kalaburgi, Yadagir and Vijaypur districts. The total cost of the project is about Rs 4700 crore.

The 65.5 km section of NH-150C is a six-lane greenfield road project, a part of the Surat- Chennai Expressway. It is being built at the cost of about Rs 2000 crore. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has reiterated its November 11, 2021 recommendation for appointment of senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a judge of the Delhi High Court.

The Collegium, which also comprised Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said the proposal for Kirpal's appointment as a judge of the high court is pending for over five years and it needs to be processed expeditiously.

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"In this backdrop, the Collegium resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated 11 November, 2021 for appointment of Shri Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court which needs to be processed expeditiously," said a statement uploaded on the apex court website.

"The recommendation unanimously made by the Collegium of the Delhi High Court on October 13, 2017 and approved by the Supreme Court Collegium on November 11, 2021 has been referred back to us on November 25, 2022 for reconsideration in light of the observations made in the file," it noted.

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The statement said Kirpal possesses "competence, integrity and intellect" and his appointment will add value to the bench of the Delhi High Court and provide inclusion and diversity.

Kirpal is the son of B N Kirpal, a former Chief Justice of India.

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) on Thursday said it has delivered the first fuselage for six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army.

The fuselage was produced at TBAL's production facility in Hyderabad.

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"This is a proud milestone and a testimony of our commitment towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the world-class manufacturing capabilities at our joint venture Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd at Hyderabad," said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India.

"The Apache will provide the Indian Army with a significant boost in capability just as the AH-64 has for the Indian Air Force," he said.

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Boeing had completed the deliveries of all 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020.

TBAL's 14,000 sq metre facility produces complex aero-structures for Boeing 737 and 777 models in addition to being a global sole source supplier for Apache fuselages.

The joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced systems Ltd (TASL) employs more than 900 engineers and technicians and utilizes cutting-edge robotics, automation and advanced aerospace concepts in its manufacturing processes.

"Successful delivery of the first fuselage for Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopters for the Indian Army is the result of the hard work and seamless collaboration of the teams at TBAL," said Sukaran Singh, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

He said this delivery also positions India as an important manufacturing base in overall Boeing operations.

"We stay committed towards progression of indigenous defence manufacturing with strong focus on the quality and timely delivery," he said.

TBAL has produced and supplied Boeing's Apache final assembly plant in Mesa, Arizona with over 190 fuselages. More than 90 per cent of the parts used in these aerostructures assemblies are manufactured within India through over 100 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) suppliers.

Tata Group recently won the 'Supplier of the year' award 2022 from Boeing, from among more than 11,000 suppliers worldwide.

With more than 1,275 AH-64 Apaches in operation accumulating over 4.9 million flight hours globally, 1.3 million of which have been in combat, the attack helicopter holds the reputation of being the world's most advanced and proven one.

The helicopter is capable of delivering a variety of weapons which include air-to-ground Hellfire missiles.

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) A 29-year-old teacher was allegedly stabbed by a student inside a government school in west Delhi's Inderpuri on Thursday morning, police said.

The victim, identified as Bhudev, takes physical education classes in the school, they said, adding the 18-year-old accused has been arrested.

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According to police, the victim had in the past scolded the accused student over not wearing the uniform properly.

On Thursday, when the teacher pulled up three students on the staircase over the same issue, one of them took out a knife and stabbed him, they said.

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Ghanshyam Bansal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) said, "We have registered a case under section 307 (attempt to murder) and arrested the accused student who is over 18 years."

The two other students involved in the case have also been apprehended, police said.

"The injured teacher is undergoing treatment at BLK hospital and is stated to be stable. A stab wound was found on his stomach and the knife used in the crime has been recovered," the DCP said.

Bhudev hails from Rohtak and joined the school only in September last year. He has a young daughter and his wife is pregnant, police said.

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 19 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday filed a criminal defamation complaint against DMK's suspended leader Sivaji Krishnamurthy for his hate speech against the former.

The complaint has been filed in the PSJ court by the City Public Prosecutor after the state government sanctioned it.

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On Saturday, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has suspended Krishnamurthy from all his posts, and the primary party membership for using "abusive and derogatory" language against Governor R N Ravi.

DMK informed that it has 'temporarily suspended' Shivaji Krishnamoorthy for "party unlawful activities".

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Addressing an event last week, Krishnamoorthy had said, "If the Governor refuses to utter the name of Ambedkar in his Assembly speech, do I not have the right to assault him?"

"If you (Governor) do not read out the speech given by the Tamil Nadu government, then go to Kashmir, and we will send terrorists so that they'll gun you down," Krishnamoorthy said.

The outburst came after CM Stalin accused the Governor of "delivering a speech that was extempore and deviated from the approved text". (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Under its G20 Presidency, India plans to strive for equitable access to healthcare for all and to help create a framework which can reduce disparities in healthcare availability across the world, Union minister Bharati Pawar said on Thursday.

She also said traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health and wellness in communities worldwide.

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"India envisions to accelerate efforts towards increasing the pace of implementation of value-based healthcare and achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage across the world," Pawar said.

She was speaking after inaugurating a session on Medical Value Travel on the sidelines of the 1st Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

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Underscoring the significance of medical value travel, the Minister of State for Health said for centuries, traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health in communities worldwide, and it continues to be a first port of call and crucial resource for individuals.

She noted, Traditional medicine is gaining worldwide recognition as effective tools for pain management and hold a lot of promise against antibiotic resistance too. Over 170 of 194 WHO member states have also reported the use of traditional medicine.

Pawar lauded India's efforts toward creating a unique ecosystem for holistic wellness and healthcare.

India has been able to combine the best of modern and traditional medicine coupled with wellness treatments. Also, our health system offers quality treatment, having widespread availability and is one of the most affordable in the world, she said.

Encouraging the participants to promote value-based healthcare, Pawar urged the stakeholders to discuss and enable equitable access to value-based healthcare services across the globe.

Reiterating the need for a holistic policy framework to promote Medical Value Travel, she said, Medical Value Travel across most of the countries is driven by private sector and while it facilitates provisioning of health services to needy patients cutting across geographical boundaries, the policy imperative to promote Medical Value Travel needs to gain momentum.

With G20 India Presidency, we have the opportunity to create multilateral collaborations between countries, facilitated by knowledge sharing, leading to the formulation of effective policies aiding accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to citizens across the world," Pawar said.

The minister said she was hopeful that G20 nations will forge a unique blueprint for the future of medical value travel through effective collaborations.

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Meerut, January 19: An 18-year-old college student was allegedly stabbed to death when he intervened in a fight between two groups of students in the Medical Police Station area here, officials said on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Held for Killing 4-Year-Old Son of His Friend in Agra.

The fight occurred on Wednesday between students of classes 11 and 12 on one side and BSc students on the other. Kartik was allegedly stabbed by a class 12 student, Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Slaps, Threatens Girl in Lucknow With Dire Consequences for Refusing To Withdraw Case.

Asked about the reason for the fight, the SSP said prima facie it appear to be due to some girl. A student has been detained in this connection and a search is on for two class 12 students, the police officer said.

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Chandigarh, Jan 19 (PTI) A total of 31.47 lakh BPL families in Haryana will receive Rs 300 through DBT for mustard oil beginning next month.

Earlier, the amount given to such families per month was Rs 250.

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According to an official statement, during a meeting with senior officers of the concerned department here on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala approved the decision regarding increasing the amount of mustard oil given in the ration of Antodaya Anna Yojna/Below Poverty Line families.

This will benefit 31.47 lakh families of the state, the deputy chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, said.

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He said that from June 2021, the state government had decided to transfer Rs 250 per family per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of eligible families in place of mustard oil.

He also informed that about 31.47 lakh families have been included in the new AAY/BPL list issued by the state government. The families will start receiving the enhanced benefit from February 2023.

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Shares of Asian Paints declined over 3 per cent on Thursday after the company's December quarter earnings failed to cheer investors.

The stock fell 2.64 per cent to Rs 2,868.05 apiece on the BSE. During the day, it declined 3.15 per cent to Rs 2,853.

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It was the biggest laggard among the 30-share BSE Sensex pack of firms.

On the NSE, it went lower by 3.11 per cent at Rs 2,853.40 per share.

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On Thursday, Asian Paints Ltd reported a 6.4 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,097.06 crore in the third quarter ended December 2022.

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,031.29 crore in the same period last fiscal, it said in a regulatory filing.

"Asian Paint's performance was miss on estimates with revenue and PAT growing by 1.3 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively with sales volume in decorative paints business remaining almost flat," Kaustubh Pawaskar, Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said.

Consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 8,636.74 crore as against Rs 8,527.24 crore in the year-ago quarter, it added.

Total expenses in the third quarter were at Rs 7,280.75 crore as compared to Rs 7,220.29 crore in the same period a year ago, the company said.

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Shimla, Jan 19 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government is contemplating a proposal to set up a Dedicated Investment and Facilitation Bureau in the state, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.

The chief minister was interacting with a delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Himachal Chapter.

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This will not only help in providing all clearance and approvals in a time-bound manner but will enhance the momentum of investment in the state and play a pivotal role in making Himachal Pradesh as the most preferred investment destination for the investors, he said in a statement issued here on Thursday.

He said this bureau would provide a 'one-stop solution' for investors in various sectors such as industries, tourism, food processing, ayurveda, IT/Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), power, health and education institutions.

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The proposed Bureau will have vested powers for granting approvals and clearances for projects above Rs 10 crore.

The state government also plans to make essential changes in the Industrial Policy and give facilities to entrepreneurs to invest in Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu said.

He said that electric vehicles would be given added preference and urged the industrialists to invest in this sector so that we could maintain a green and clean environment.

To strengthen the rural economy, the state government will promote dairy-based small-scale industries by purchasing milk from the farmers at better prices, he noted.

The state government is aware of the major problems of the industrialists and assured all possible help to solve their genuine issues, he added.

He said air connectivity was being strengthened by constructing heliports in all the district headquarters. Besides this, the rail connectivity and four-laning of major roads were also under process.

Earlier the Chairman of CII, Subodh Gupta detailed the chief minister on behalf of the CII and appreciated the proposal of the state government for establishing a dedicated Investment and Facilitation Bureau.

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Anil Agarwal-promoted Vedanta on Thursday said it will sell Zinc International assets to Hindustan Zinc for a cash consideration of USD 2,981 million.

The Vedanta's board approved the sale of Zinc International assets held by THL Zinc Ventures Ltd (Mauritius) (THLZV), a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the metals and mining major.

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The assets held THLZV through THL Zinc Ltd (Mauritius) comprising shares held in Black Mountain Mining Pty Ltd, South Africa (69.6 per cent) and THL Zinc Namibia Holdings (Pty) Ltd (100 per cent), Namibia, will be sold to the proposed wholly-owned subsidiary (SPV) of Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) for a cash consideration not exceeding USD 2,981 million, Vedanta said in a filing.

Vedanta holds 64.92 per cent of the equity share capital of HZL.

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The proposed transaction will be subject to receipt of necessary regulatory nods.

Subject to receipt of timely regulatory approvals, the transaction is likely to be completed in a phased manner over a period of 18 months.

"The proposed transaction will unlock value, monetise the said zinc assets and create substantial synergies for both THLZ and HZL.

Hindustan Zinc is the country's integrated producer of zinc, lead and silver.

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Seoul, January 19 : South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung is set to unveil the Galaxy S23 smartphone series at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1.

According to GSM Arena, a tech news related outlet, the lineup is expected to consist of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. They are rumored to have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC under the hood. Galaxy Z Fold 5 Features: Samsung's Upcoming Flagship Foldable Smartphone May Feature 108MP Camera, and In-Built Stylus Pen.

However, a new report by 9to5Google suggests that the Galaxy S23 trio will be powered by a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a higher clock speed.

GSM Arena reported that the publication claims to have seen documentation that reveals the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in the Galaxy S23 series smartphones will be called 'Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy'.

It will have a clock speed of up to 3.36GHz instead of 3.2GHz (Prime core) on the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550-AB). The rest of the features of this customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are expected to remain largely the same as the regular version. Oppo A78 5G Smartphone Launched in India; Find Specs, Features and Price Details Here.

The 4nm modified chip is also said to be manufactured by Samsung's foundry instead of TSMC. However, it's unclear whether or not Samsung will use the 'Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy' branding widely or keep it limited to the Unpacked event, as per GSM Arena. (ANI)

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Wellington, Jan 19 (The Conversation) New Zealanders will have a new prime minister by February 7 and will go to the polls on October 14, after two-term Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation to spend more time with her family.

For me, it's time, she said, speaking from the Labour Party's retreat. I just don't have enough in the tank for another four years.

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Ardern said she would stay on until April as a local MP.

Beyond that, I have no plan. No next steps. All I know is that whatever I do, I will try and find ways to keep working for New Zealand and that I am looking forward to spending time with my family again  arguably, they are the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us.

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Ardern's resignation will come as a shock to many New Zealanders, and especially to people overseas  given the international reputation she earned as prime minister over the past five years.

But this is less of a surprise for close watchers of New Zealand politics. Back in November 2021, I wrote in The Conversation: Might Jacinda Ardern stand down?, after Labour changed its rules to make it easier for the party's leader to be replaced.

A game changing move before the election

Ardern's rise to power in 2017 was a game changer in New Zealand politics. Now she's surprised everyone again with today's decision to stand down, this could be a game changer for the October election.

Ardern is still higher in the preferred PM polls, ahead of National's Christopher Luxon. So it's not imperative for Labour to change their leader. But up until this moment, everyone has been picking a likely change in government to a National/Act coalition later this year.

Now that Labour is starting to trail in the polls, having a refresh of the leadership doesn't necessarily ruin the party's chances of winning in October. The social and economic fallout of the pandemic has been so profound that having a fresh new face could help Labour's chances.

Former National Prime Minister John Key did a similar thing back in 2016, invoking the same not enough in the tank line as Ardern today, when he surprised everyone and stood down, handing over to Bill English. English and National actually did well in the following year's election, gaining 44% of the vote. It was only because of overall arithmetic that National was unable to form government and that Ardern went on to become prime minister.

Ardern's replacement could be known within days

Ardern made herself world famous for her management of the pandemic, and she did an extremely good job as a leader over that period.

But COVID-19 also completely derailed her prime ministership, meaning she was stymied in pursuing many of the key social objectives such as child poverty and housing that she would have liked to put more effort into.

I know Ardern personally, and what you see on TV is what you get in real life. She is a genuine person and politician, and you can understand the reasons she's given about wanting more time with her fiance and daughter.

My sense is that Labour knows who will take over. Front runners to be leader could include Minister of Justice Kiri Allan, who is a rising star and could be the first Maori PM, though she is relatively new to politics. Minister for Education and Leader of the House Chris Hipkins was a high-profile and hard-working MP during COVID, and he and Allan could make a formidable team. Housing, energy and resources minister Dr Megan Woods is also an experienced and senior member of the party, so could also be in the mix.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson won't be contesting the leadership, and Labour caucus has agreed that a vote will happen in three days' time, on January 22.

A successful candidate will need more than 60% of the caucus vote, otherwise they've got to go to a primary-style process with the Labour membership, which could be messy, so they will want to avoid that. (The Conversation)

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Miami, Jan 19 (AP) Colombia on Thursday extradited to the US the brother of powerful leftist senator on charges that he conspired with dissident guerrillas to smuggle huge quantities of cocaine.

A handcuffed Alvaro Cordoba was handed to agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration for a chartered flight to New York.

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The case was something of a minefield for President Gustavo Petro, a former leftist rebel who signed off on the extradition of his ally's brother despite his own increasing criticism of Colombia's role as the US caretaker in the war on drugs.

Cordoba was arrested in Medellin, Colombia, last February on drug trafficking and weapons charges returned by a federal grand jury in Manhattan.

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Cordoba's sister, Sen. Piedad Cordoba, was elected to the Senate as part of Petro's coalition in a historic victory last year. For decades she has been a leftist stalwart in deeply conservative Colombia who promoted peace with rebel groups, closer ties to Venezuela's socialist government and more support for traditionally overlooked Afro-Colombian communities.

She has said that she and her brother are the targets of a set-up akin to the manhunt decades ago that brought down Medellin cartel boss Pablo Escobar.

But her complaints of political persecution have so far fallen on deaf ears, with Petro shortly after his election suggesting she take a breather from politics. In September, he signed off on Cordoba's extradition  something that was taken as a hopeful sign in Washington, which has relied on Colombia's support for more than two decades to limit at the source the supply of cocaine entering the US.

Although the US case against Alvaro Cordoba remains sealed, Colombian court records from his attempt to block extradition show that the 63-year-old nutritionist was targeted in a coordinated sting by a unidentified confidential source working at the direction of the DEA.

In several recorded meetings, the confidential source told Cordoba that he was looking for protection inside Colombia to smuggle as much as three tons of cocaine per month through Mexico to New York, according to an affidavit by DEA Special Agent Matthew Passmore accompanying the extradition request authorised by Colombia's Supreme Court.

Cordoba then put the source in touch with an associate who said he had a large amount of chickens  allegedly a coded reference to cocaine, the affidavit says.

Cordoba also allegedly offered to make arrangements for the DEA source to visit a clandestine camp in southern Colombian jungles where 300 guerrillas armed with surface-to-air missiles and other weapons would supply and provide safe passage for the narcotics. The rebel unit was run by a holdout commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who refused to go along with a 2016 peace deal that Piedad Cordoba helped broker.

Right before Christmas in 2021, Cordoba and an associate allegedly delivered to the confidential source and an undercover Colombian official a five-kilogram sample of cocaine in exchange for USD 15,000. A few months later, Cordoba was arrested.(AP)

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Male, Jan 19 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih have jointly participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo international airport redevelopment project, a "historic milestone" in the robust India-Maldives development partnership.

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka to further expand bilateral engagement with the two key maritime neighbours of India.

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Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Jaishankar said India's partnership with the Maldives is based on its genuine desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests.

"It is a partnership that has enabled us to swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as we saw recently during the Covid pandemic. It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring about tangible benefits to our peoples in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities," he said on Wednesday evening.

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Now we all know that the current complex geopolitical environment has thrown up new disruptions which are impacting every country in the world.

The need for cooperation and collaboration has assumed even greater importance in this context, he said.

India has extended support to Maldives to address the evolving economic challenges, including through emergency financial assistance and strongly reaffirmed New Delhi's firm commitment to continued cooperation to Male.

Jaishankar said the initiation of the Hanimaadhoo international airport development project marks a "historic milestone" in the robust India-Maldives development partnership.

"Joined President @ibusolih and his ministers and local leaders at the ground-breaking ceremony of Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project," he tweeted.

"This project will bridge the gap between the people of Northern Maldives and the rest of the world and bring our peoples together. And India is privileged to be with the Maldives for its implementation," he said at the ceremony attended by a broad spectrum of Members of Parliament and representatives from the Atoll councils in the Maldives.

Jaishankar said better connectivity is a prerequisite for greater prosperity and with this rationale, greater connectivity finds resonance in India's theme for the G20 Presidency  'One Earth, One Family, One Future'.

"It is our endeavour to share India's experiences, learnings and models as possible templates for others, particularly in the developing world and to promote a universal sense of oneness through enhancing connectivity," he said.

Jaishankar later tweeted that the rising number of Indian tourists in the Maldives is a 'reflection of our deepening ties and are outcomes of focus on infrastructure and connectivity, especially under the Modi Government."

President Solih described the airport development project as a well-planned, studied and executed project.

The historic project is the largest and most significant infrastructure project initiated outside the Male region. Funded through an MVR2.1 billion loan from the Exim Bank of India, the project is contracted to India-based firm JMC Projects, Solih said.

President Solih said the northern region would see economic progress upon the completion of the project as it would increase tourism facilities, including guesthouses and city hotels, drive job creation in the northern atolls, and transform the region into an economic hub.

He underscored that the airport project coupled with the redevelopment of the Kulhudhuffushi Regional Port and connectivity through the Raajje Transport Link (RTL) high-speed ferry services would help the administration transform northern Maldives into the perfect model of a thriving economy.

Providing details on the airport development projects underway in particular  President Solih said that while Hoarafushi Airport and Faresmaathoda Airport projects have been completed, his administration has also mobilised resources for the Maafaru International Airport project.

Earlier, Jaishankar was given a traditional Maldivian welcome when he arrived at Manadhoo, the capital of Noonu Atoll in the Maldives, on Wednesday.

The Maldives and Sri Lanka are India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy a special place in the Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and 'Neighbourhood First'.

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Islamabad [Pakistan], January 19 (ANI): Former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N supreme leader-in-exile Nawaz Sharif is likely to return to his home country next month, the Dawn newspaper reported.

On Wednesday, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman indicated that Sharif would return 'within a month'.

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"Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan within a month and I will go to the airport to receive him," the Punjab governor claimed in a chat with journalists, as quoted by Dawn.

This development comes in the wake of the dissolution of the Punjab and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

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Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz have been in the UK since November 2019 and October 2022, respectively, for different medical reasons, the report added.

"In the face of the rising popularity of the PTI chairman who was ousted as the prime minister in last April, most of PML-N local leadership is unanimous that the party needs Nawaz to be in Pakistan ahead of the polls if it wants to score a victory, especially in Punjab that was once the party's stronghold," a PML-N leader from Punjab told Dawn.

Sharif, 72, was allowed to leave for London in 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for medical treatment. He has since been in the UK, commanding the reigns of the party from there.

PML-N supremo's return was on the cards ever since his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif became Pakistan's Prime minister in April 2022. The party insider said the PML-N supremo takes his own decision with the consultation of his close family members.

In an earlier report, The Express Tribune reported that party consultation was only a formality, which was why giving any date before time was risky. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], January 19 (ANI): India condemned the vandalization of Hindu temples in Australia and said that the matter has been raised with the Australian government in Canberra and asked for expeditious investigation against the perpetrators.

Responding to a media query regarding the vandalization and graffiti being written on Hindu temples, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We are actually aware of the couples of temples that have been vandalised in Australia. We condemn these incidents. If I remember correctly, both of them are actually near Melbourne in Victoria. We strongly condemn this action. These actions have been publicly condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders, and religious associations there."

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This statement came after the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Australia's Carrum Downs was vandalised with anti-Hindu graffiti on Monday.

He also said, "Our Consulate General in Australia has taken the matter with the local police. We have requested expeditious investigation action against the perpetrators and of course measures to prevent such incidents in future. The matter has also been taken up with the Australian Government, both in Canberra and New Delhi. And we are looking forward to the action that we have requested."

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The act came to notice on Monday, January 16 after temple devotees came for 'darshan' amid the three-day long "Thai Pongal" festival which is being celebrated by Australia's Tamil Hindu community, The Australia Today reported.

Usha Senthilnathan a devotee of Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple told The Australia Today, "We are a Tamil minority group in Australia, a lot of us came as refugees to escape the religious persecution."

On the evening of January 15 2023, Khalistan supporters tried to draw support for their referendum through a car rally in Melbourne. However, they failed miserably as less than two hundred people gathered out of an almost 60,000-strong Melbourne community, according to The Australia Today.

This came a week after the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Australia's Mill Park was smeared with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti.

Patel, an onlooker who did not want to reveal his first name, shared how he witnessed the vandalised walls of the temple when he visited the site.

"When I reached the temple today morning all walls were coloured with graffiti of Khalistani hatred towards Hindus," The Australia Today quoted Patel as saying.

He added, "I am angry, scared and dismayed by the blatant display of religious hatred towards the peaceful Hindu community by Khalistan supporters." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Nairobi [Kenya], January 17 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Kenya and Tanzania, met Rigathi Gachagua, Deputy President of Kenya on Monday.

Speaking on this occasion, Birla said that India and Kenya have historically close relations and both countries have fought against colonialism. India and Kenya share a common perspective in the fight against terrorism, mentioned Birla. He urged for collective efforts to eliminate terrorism for peace and development.

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Mentioning about India and Kenya's cooperation at the UN, Birla called for closer cooperation between the two countries in global fora. Referring to India's G20 Presidency, Birla emphasized the priorities of India's G20 stint and assured that India will make efforts to include concerns of the Global South in the G20 framework.

Birla said that India has already taken the initiative of the International Solar Alliance and working with the objective of harnessing energy from renewable sources. The dignitaries also discussed expanding trade, economic and cultural relations between the two countries and enhancing people-to-people contact.

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Birla also called on his Kenyan counterpart, Moses Masika Wetangula E.G.H. Speaker, National Assembly of Kenya. On this occasion, Birla outlined the importance of Parliament as the focal point in developing relations between the two nations.

He also emphasized that the India-Kenya Parliamentary Friendship Group is an important forum for close interaction between legislators from both countries. He added that India encourages strong parliamentary relations between the two countries.

Birla said that the top-level visits between the two countries have not only enhanced cooperation in traditional areas, but have also helped in exploring new opportunities to strengthen ties. Birla also extended hearty congratulations to William Ruto on being elected as the President of the Republic of Kenya.

Mentioning about people of Indian origin living in Kenya, Birla said that the Indian people are contributing to the economic development of Kenya. He added that these Indians have an important role to play in maintaining mutually beneficial and peaceful relations between the two countries.

Discussing the historic relations between the two maritime neighbours Birla recalled that Ibn Batuta and other traders traded between India and East Africa. He also underlined that Sikh farmers from India are viewed very favourably by Kenyan farmers and traders.

Birla also emphasized that Indian skilled workers are playing a major role in today's globalised market and contributing to the economic growth of both countries. He added with pride that a large number of Students from Kenya study in India.

Mentioning the important role played by India in the fight against COVID-19, Birla said that India led from the front and provided vaccines in large numbers to countries around the globe. He added that India also successfully carried out the world's largest vaccination campaign against the pandemic and for this, the world today salutes India for COVID management.

Speaking about the importance of innovation, research and exchange of best practices, Birla said that the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) is playing an important role in ensuring high-level knowledge sharing and close interaction between the two parliaments. He added that both parliaments play a pivotal role in taking forward the relations between the two nations.

Birla also invited Moses Masika Wetangula E.G.H. to visit India. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Male [Maldives], January 19 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday joined in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo international airport project.

"Joined President @ibusolih and his ministers and local leaders at the ground-breaking ceremony of Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project," tweeted Jaishankar.

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Speaking at the ceremony, Jaishankar said, "For us, the redevelopment of Hanimaadhoo International Airport is first and foremost. This project will bridge the gap between the people of Northern Maldives and the rest of the world and bring our people together. And India is privileged to be with the Maldives for its implementation."

"I am truly delighted to be part of today's historic ceremony for the ground-breaking Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project. I bring to all of you the warm greetings and best wishes of India's leadership, especially, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and of 1.3 billion plus Indians," he added.

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Jaishankar further said that the physical proximity of Northern atolls with India makes us even better appreciate the deep-rooted, long-standing and close linkages between our peoples and our countries.

Speaking about the importance India attaches to the Maldives, he said, "During the visit of PM Modi in June 2019, he spoke about the unique natural closeness of our countries and remarked that Neighbourhood First is our priority and in the neighbourhood Maldives is the priority."

He also explained India's G20 theme during its Presidency, he said, "Better connectivity is a prerequisite for greater prosperity with this rationale greater connectivity finds resonance in our theme for G20 Presidency - One Earth, One Family, One Future."

Jaishankar said that India's endeavour is to share its experiences, learnings and models as a possible template for others, particularly in the developing world and to promote a universal sense of oneness through enhancing connectivity.

This project is the largest infrastructure investment in the Northern Maldives that will open up new international operations from Hanimaadhoo. It will enable direct travel from the Northern atolls for business, medical and other purposes and further intensify people-to-people exchanges.

"This project will have a truly transformative impact on the economy of the Northern Maldives, it will help spur entrepreneurship, growth and employment opportunities, encourage tourism development and strengthen allied sectors, including fisheries and logistics which are critical for the balanced growth of this region," said Jaishankar.

"This project is also a great example of the vision of decentralization of the Govt of Maldives. In India too, we lay emphasis on inclusive and equitable development," he added.

Talking about the India-Maldives partnership, he said, "India's partnership with the Maldives is based on our genuine desire to work together for each other's welfare and interest. It is a partnership that has enabled us to swiftly and effectively respond to challenges as we saw recently during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring about tangible benefits to our people in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities."

He said that the rising number of Indian tourists in Maldives is a reflection of deepening ties and outcomes of focus on infrastructure and connectivity, especially under the Modi Government.

"Signing of contract for the expansion of MIFCO facility will also be a major milestone that will augment livelihood opportunities. Our focus on capacity development has also been seen in the training programs which have benefited more than 900 Maldivian officials last year alone," said Jaishankar.

He conveyed a strong message that India is a committed partner in Maldives' journey of progress and transformation.

"India- Maldives relations are at an all-time high ever since @ibusolih took over as the President of the island nation in November 2018. His #Indiafirst policy is in tune with India's #NeighbourhoodFirst Policy. Both are maritime neighbours & key partners in the #IOR," tweeted Jaishankar.

Maldivian President Solih also lauded the relationship between the two countries at the ceremony. He said, "The relationship between India and Maldives is based on traditionally intertwined trade, culture and personal contact. Our relationship has remained unhindered through time. Over the last 4 years, India has become our largest economic partner contributing to the socio-economic development of the nation."

Speaking about the importance of Hanimaadhoo international airport for the Northern Maldives, he said, "This is a very momentous occasion for the people of Thiladhummathi as they are witnessing their long dream of a modern and state of art international airport becoming a reality."

He also thanked PM Modi for the assistance provided by India for the development of Hanimaadhoo international airport.

"My Govt and I acknowledge with deep appreciation the continued assistance provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his govt and the friendly people of India to the people of Maldives," said Solih.

Meanwhile, thanking Jaishankar, he said, "- It is a great honour and privilege for us that the External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar is joining us on this joyous occasion. Your presence here the demonstration of the close bond between India and Maldives. May this friendship continue to flourish in the years to come."

Parliament Speaker and President of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed also tweeted, "Very pleased to see an old friend @DrSJaishankar back in Maldives to break ground on the new Hanimaadhoo international airport. It's a great project that will transform the North. Sorry I couldn't join you today. @HCIMaldives."

In response, Jaishankar tweeted, "Thank you for your warm words. A memorable function this evening in Hanimadhoo. Appreciate your continued support for #IndiaMaldives partnership."

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka to further expand bilateral engagement with the two key maritime neighbours of India. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], January 19 (ANI): Pakistan Former Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, as the outgoing army chief of Pakistan had committed to keeping the force away from politics. However, his successor General Asim Munir is doing quite the opposite, Policy Research Group (Poreg) reported.

General Bajwa had spoken about the army's 'unconstitutional interference' in Pakistan's political life and vowed that army in future will remain neutral.

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In his farewell speech, General Bajwa said, "The army will never again interfere in any political matter. I assure you we are strictly committed to it." However, within days of taking over, General Munir placed his men in key positions including the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and PR wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, as per the news report.

General Asim Munir visited forces on the western and eastern borders of Pakistan and interacted with the American defence hierarchy. According to Poreg report, "In what was no more than a demonstration of who the boss is in Pakistan, he dashed off to friendly Islamic countries in the Gulf region."

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General Munir visited Saudi Arabia and followed up the army's pursuit of Saudi patronage by meeting with the country's Crown Prince and Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, as per the news report. The details regarding the meeting have not been released in the public domain.

General Asim Munir travelled to the United Arab Emirates and met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The two sides discussed security matters, economic issues, including Pakistan's desperate need for security help to tackle the forex crisis.

Munir's visit to UAE came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was not able to garner support from the Gulf nation. As per the news report, it is not a coincidence that Sharif travelled to UAE on January 10, the last day of Munir's stay in UAE to finalise a USD 3 billion package to rescue Pakistan. General Munir and his men have been "active on the home front" as well. As per the news report, the three priorities of General Munir include the "Marginalization of army's one-time protege, Imran Khan Niazi," "Keep Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's multi-party coalition (Pakistan Democratic Movement, PDM) weak," "Creation of new political actors," according to Poreg report.

The report said that the Generals want to keep former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to be tied down in different cases and want him to remain caught in a legal quagmire. The Pakistani army has been using PML-Q led by the Chaudhary brothers to outwit him.

One constituent of PDM is being kept against the other for keeping Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan's Democratic Movement weak. Munir has been quick to fill up the leadership role in key international negotiations as Sharif so far has not been able to tackle challenges, according to Poreg report.

The Pakistan army is also helping former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to consolidate his foot-hold in Balochistan. Munir and his team has started making efforts on mixing and merging factions of an old ally, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lahore, Jan 19 (PTI) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov in Lahore and discussed the possibility of Moscow supplying oil and gas to Pakistan on a long term basis.

The Prime Minister's office later said in a statement that both sides agreed on the importance of the energy sector for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

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The "views were exchanged on supplying oil and gas from Russia to Pakistan on a long term basis. Matters related to gas pipelines were also reviewed," it added.

Sharif recalled his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September 2022, and said that the meeting had reached important decisions to further strengthen Pakistan-Russia relations.

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Shulginov reciprocated the Prime Minister's sentiments and delivered a special message of President Putin to him.

In his message, President Putin referring to Pakistan as Russia's important partner in South Asia and the Islamic World reiterated Russia's strong interest to deepen the bilateral relationship, the statement said.

Sharif expressed desire to upgrade bilateral cooperation with Russia in trade, investment and economic matters.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, January 19: Defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the British Parliament, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart.

Sunak made these remarks on the controversial documentary that was raised in the British Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain. "The UK government's position on this has been clear and long-standing and hasn't changed, of course, we don't tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization that the honourable gentleman has put forward to," Sunak said while responding to Hussain's question on the BBC report. India Describes BBC Documentary on Gujarat Riots as a Propaganda Piece.

UK's National broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms. BBC Issues Apology After Porn Audio Played During Wolves vs Liverpool FA Cup 202223 Third Round Replay Match; YouTuber Daniel Jarvis Takes Responsibility of the Prank.

Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the "BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians."

Condemning the biased reporting of BBC, Rami tweeted, "@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians It insults a democratically elected@PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting." Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to the BBC report and said that this is a completely biased copy.

While addressing a weekly briefing in New Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We think this is a propaganda piece. This has no objectivity. This is biased. Do note that this hasn't been screened in India. We don't want to answer more on this so that this doesn't get much dignity." He even raised questions on "the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it."

"The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts," he added.

Referring to apparent remarks made by former UK Secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said "He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It's a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy."

"I heard words like inquiry and investigations. There is a reason why we use the colonial mindset. We don't use words loosely. What inquiry they were diplomats there...investigation, are they ruling the country? Bagchi asked.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, Jan 19 (AP) The father of a British woman who has been missing for two weeks with her partner and newborn baby appealed on Thursday for her to contact police.

Police say they are increasingly concerned for the welfare of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and the infant.

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Detectives say Marten, 35, gave birth a day or two before the couple and baby left their broken-down car by the side of a highway in northwest England on January 5. The car was later found in flames by firefighters.

Since then, there have been reported sightings of the couple in southeast England and the London area, the most recent more than a week ago.

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Marten comes from a wealthy, aristocratic British family and grew up in a Georgian mansion on a country estate in southwest England.

Gordon, 48, served 20 years in prison in the United States after being convicted in Florida of kidnapping and sexual battery, according to US law enforcement records. He was deported from the US after his release.

Marten's father, Napier Marten, urged his estranged daughter to make contact.

I beseech you to find a way to turn yourself and your wee one into the police as soon as possible, so you and he or she can be protected, he said in an audio message issued through the Independent newspaper.

"Only then can a process of healing and recovery begin, however long it may take, however difficult it may be.

Police say they have no evidence the three have come to intentional harm. Detectives say Marten and Gordon have been using cash and taking other steps to avoid being found.

We just need to ensure they are OK, especially the baby, and do not require any medical assistance for any underlying issues, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said.(AP)

(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], January 19 (ANI): The United States welcomes Indian students, and values their contributions to US campuses and communities, said Christopher Elms, spokesperson US embassy in New Delhi on Thursday.

Elms made these remarks ahead of the annual alumni fair, scheduled to be held on January 21 at the American Center in the national capital.

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"We want students from India to explore the diversity of U.S. higher education opportunities at the alumni fair. The United States welcomes Indian students, and we value their contributions to U.S. campuses and communities. The strong and growing relationship the United States and India share is built on the exchange of knowledge and the lifelong friendships rooted in Indian students' time in the United States," he was quoted as saying in a press statement by the US embassy.

The US embassy and the United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) will host the 2023 Education USA Alumni Fair on January 21 at the American Center.

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Alumni from 28 accredited US universities and colleges will participate in this event. They will provide prospective students with an opportunity to interact directly with current students and alumni of US higher education institutes.

In a statement, the US embassy said participants can learn first-hand from the experiences of those who applied and attended universities across the United States.

"Students will have an opportunity to seek advice on the U.S. university application process, scholarships, and funding from qualified advisers of the EducationUSA center at the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) and learn about the student visa process from U.S. Embassy officials," the embassy said.

Speaking before the event, Adam Grotsky, Executive Director, USIEF said, "Indian students who are studying or have studied at American colleges and universities are citizen ambassadors who can provide accurate, often deeply personal, and nuanced narratives of their academic, extra-curricular and cross-cultural experiences in the United States."

"Such occasions to interact with several students and alumni of different U.S. universities, all in one place, help prospective students in India to gain a closer look at the opportunities, challenges, and returns that such educational experiences have provided to many like them," Grotsky added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, January 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Mumbai today. During his visit to the maximum city, PM Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of various infrastructure projects. The prime minister will also inaugurate two Metro lines - 2A (Andheri to Dahisar west), and 7 (Andheri east to Dahisar).

In view of the upcoming BMC Elections, the PM is also expected to make a few announcements. Along with this, the prime minister is likely to address a public rally during his visit to the city. Taking note of all these, some restrictions have been placed in the city for seamless conduct. PM Narendra Modi Mumbai Visit: Police Ban Drones, Paragliders, Microlight Aircraft in These Areas on January 19.

Section 144 Imposed:

Mumbai Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Vishal Thakur, vide powers conferred upon him issued the order under Section 144 of CrPC ahead of the prime minister's visit. PM Narendra Modi To Inaugurate Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7.

Traffic Advisory:

Traffic movement on the Western Express Highway is likely to be affected. Media reports said that the southbound movement on Western Express Highway has been stopped from 4:15 pm to 5:30 pm, while the northbound movement was from 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm. All the traffic routes to and from BKC are likely to be congested on January 19.

Watch Video:

No Flying Zone:

Mumbai police have also ordered a no-flying zone in several parts of the city. "No drone, paragliders, remote control microlight aircraft flying activities to be allowed in the jurisdiction of BKC Police Station, Andheri Police Station, Meghwadi Police Station, Jogeshwari Police Station," the order read.

Mumbai Metro To Be Shut for Some Time:

According to media reports, the Ghatkopar-Versova - Metro Blue Line 1 - services will remain shut for 1 hour and 45 minutes during evening peak hours to facilitate PM Modi's visit to Gundavali station of Red Line 7 for its inauguration.

Mumbai local Update:

Mumbai local, also known as the city's lifeline, is expected to run smoothly.

As this marks his first visit to Mumbai since the Eknath Shinde-led government came into power, PM Narendra Modi will address BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) workers at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) exhibition ground.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2023 06:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
South American river turtles, whose population used to be in millions but then declined due to poaching, overharvesting and other factors, have now been spotted nesting along the border of Brazil and Bolivia. This video shows how thousands of baby turtles have hatched along the border. It is believed to be the largest recorded turtle gathering on Earth. These hatchings began in mid-December and usually continue till early January. Watch this viral video of the turtles here. Jonathan The Turtle Turns 190, Becomes World's Oldest Living Animal On Earth! (Watch Video).

South American River Turtles Spotted

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Saint Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman. Also known as Saint Lucie, it is one of the Caribbean's most beautiful destinations.

Saint Lucia is also called "Fair Helen" or "Helen of the West Indies." It is a beautiful island in the Caribbean known for its friendly and welcoming locals, as well as its verdant landscapes, stunning waterfalls, picture-perfect beaches, and dazzling sunsets.

Among its most famous landmarks are the Pitons, two towering mountains that rise directly from the water, recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The country also has the only drive-in volcano in the world and delicious regional cuisine, according to Chef's Pencil.

READ NEXT: Cuba: 4 Famous Cuban Street Food

Top 5 Favorite Foods in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia's foods draw inspiration from a wide variety of international cuisines. Some are reminiscent of classic British meals, while others are influenced by French cuisine.

Vegetable and fruit production in the region shows traces of Amerindian influence that have been lost to history. As a whole, Saint Lucian cuisine is fantastic and deserves more attention.

Here is a list of the top favorite foods in Saint Lucia, the Helen of the West Indies.

Green Fig and Saltfish

The national dish of Saint Lucia is green fig with saltfish. Enslavers were rumored to have bought saltfish bulk to feed their slaves because it was so cheap.

This dish is made of stewed fish, typically sold dried and salted, and boiled green bananas, locally known as green fig. Fresh cucumber salad, avocado slices, carrot sticks, and shredded cabbage would be typical side dishes. Tomatoes, together with plenty of fresh green herbs, peppers, garlic, and onion, are used in the saltfish stew.

Lambi

This delectable conch stew is a must-eat when you visit Saint Lucia, said Celebrity Cruises. One of the most favorite foods in Saint Lucia is lambi, which is made with the island's signature ingredient, conch. But it has nothing to do with lamb despite the name.

The conch is mashed into a paste, pan-fried, and then added to a stew for the last cooking step. The stew is a mix of veggies like carrots with a variety of spices like curry powder, garlic, scallions, salt, oil, coriander, and thyme. The dish is distinctive to the South Caribbean island.

Pepperpot

Traditionally cooked with goat or mutton, this one of Saint Lucia's favorite foods can also be made using beef, chicken, pork, turkey, oxtail, or cow's hoof.

The intense flavor comes from the abundance of spices and herbs used in its preparation, including garlic, onions, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, thyme, cassareep (cassava juice), and fiery pimento peppers.

Slow cooking with herb spices creates the ultimate hot pepperpot stew with meat and carbohydrates like yams or potatoes. It is also a perfect dip for some homemade bread, allowing you to enjoy one of the best comfort foods in Saint Lucia.

BBQ Kidney

If you are a tourist who likes to try new and different things, then BBQ kidney is the dish for you. This unique cuisine is sold by several street sellers in Saint Lucia and is typically accompanied by ketchup or pepper sauce.

Chicken is a good stand-in if you cannot bring yourself to try the kidneys. In either case, it will be a fantastic side to the Saint Lucian main courses.

The grilled kidney is a favorite snack for tourists visiting Saint Lucia's Friday night street party. You must try this fantastic meal before leaving Saint Lucia, according to Lacademie.

Curried Goat

The G.O.A.T., as the Caribbean gourmets put it, stands for the Greatest Of All Tastes! You can use boneless goats if you like, but a goat with bones adds much more flavor to this curry dish. Mutton is a great stand-in for the goat if you cannot find any.

This dish is authentic and soul-satisfying. Thanks to the addition of coconut milk. This Saint Lucian dish is a must-try. Curry goat with rice and peas is one of the favorite foods in some local restaurants. However, many Caribbean people asserted that this dish should only be eaten with white rice.

READ MORE: Top 5 Spiciest Mexican Dishes

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

Watch: SAINT LUCIA - Most Beautiful Island in the World? - From Wout of the World
The pro wrestling world was in shock when Jay Briscoe, former ROH World Champion and current ROH tag team champion, passed away. Now, police have revealed that his two daughters were in the car with him and are in critical condition following the crash.

The accident happened when the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 veered into the lane where the Pugh family was driving and hit their vehicle, a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Both Jay Briscoe, real name Jamin Pugh, and the other vehicle's driver, Lillyanne Ternahan, were pronounced dead, with Briscoe's daughters surviving.

However, the two girls were taken by an ambulance to a nearby hospital and are currently in critical condition, according to TMZ.

The wrestler's wife and mother of the two girls, Ashley Pugh, posted on social media and asked for prayers, saying, Gracie is on her way into surgery on her back."

She added that her husband would "want the whole world praying for his little girl. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER!! "

Investigations are still ongoing, though the Delaware State Police admitted they still do not know if alcohol was involved in the crash.

Wrestling Promotions React to Jay Briscoe Death

The death of Jamin Pugh sent shockwaves all over the wrestling industry. Tony Khan, who runs both AEW and ROH, broke the news first. Meanwhile, ROH, his home promotion which he helped rise to prominence, tweeted a tribute for the fallen wrestler:

It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the tragic passing of Jamin Pugh, known to wrestling fans around the world as Jay Briscoe. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and his fans. pic.twitter.com/5wB6HpVY0x  ROH - Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) January 18, 2023

Other wrestling promotions where Jay Briscoe previously worked, such as IMPACT Wrestling, also released a tribute, saying that he was a trailblazer. Meanwhile, Pro Wrestling NOAH released a simple tribute.

IMPACT is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jay Briscoe. Jay will always be remembered as a trailblazer who, with his brother Mark, left it in the ring every night. We send our sincere condolences to his family, who he loved beyond words, as well as his friends and fans. pic.twitter.com/Xtpcv9wgHy  IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) January 18, 2023

READ MORE: Jay Briscoe Passes Away at 38

Other promotions like the NWA, MLW, and NJPW also posted their condolences.

The entire NWA sends our prayers to the friends, family and fans of Jay Briscoe.



An amazingly talented man that we all are honored to have worked with. pic.twitter.com/HnpjxZabW5  NWA (@nwa) January 18, 2023

As for WWE, its official Twitter page may not have posted a direct message of condolence, but it did retweet condolences from its stars like Triple H and Sami Zayn. The promotion also acknowledged his passing during a recent episode of NXT.

Jay Briscoe Death Forces WWE to Change a Planned Segment

Before Jay Briscoe's passing, WWE was planning to hold a "funeral" segment on NXT. It involved the New Day holding a "funeral" for Pretty Deadly's title shot, per Wrestling Inc. However, that planned segment was scrapped immediately following the news of Jay Briscoe's death.

New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were already in formal attire for the segment, but they soon improvised with Woods saying that they were wearing some nice clothes to celebrate being "done" with Pretty Deadly.

NXT commentator Vic Joseph also mentioned Briscoe's death during the broadcast and offered condolences to the Pugh family as well as the late wrestler's friends.

Pugh was a multi-time ROH world champion and is the current ROH tag team champion, alongside his brother, Mark Briscoe. The brothers won the ROH tag belts a record 13 times together, and have even been inducted into the promotion's inaugural Hall of Fame.

READ MORE: CM Punk May Be Done With Wrestling

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WATCH: WWE's Adam Pearce Remembers The Life And Legacy Of Wrestling Star Jay Briscoe | TMZ Sports
SNAP benefits in 2023 will be lesser than the food stamp payments recipients received in 2022 despite the cost-of-living adjustment hike due to the end of emergency allotments.

In South Carolina, around 300,000 SNAP benefits residents will have difficulty feeding their families, as reported by WYFF4.

Chad Scott of Harvest Hope Food Bank said by the end of January, recipients will go back for the first on income contingent.

Scott added that they expect that the number of their lines every week will "increase exponentially."

A household with two members in South Carolina is eligible to receive $516 for a month of groceries but will decrease to $250 starting February 1, such as in the case of South Carolina resident Lisa Marie Waller.

Waller and her daughter have been homeless for around a year, saying that it will "hurt really bad" as they rely on the extra food stamp payments.

South Carolina residents will not be the only ones struggling with the SNAP benefit update as more beneficiaries and officials across the country are seeing the same challenges.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits: EBT Scam Brings More Headaches for CalFresh Users

SNAP Benefits Nevada

Jocelyn Lantrip of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada said the end of emergency allotments will cause "a rough spring for a lot of people."

Around 450,000 people in Nevada have received supplemental SNAP funding.

Lantrip said the food bank has helped in documenting the number of people since the pandemic started.

She noted that they are readying for an increase of those in need, particularly in April, adding that many seniors will see more than a 90% decrease in their benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ramped up budgets for food banks to address the expected food insecurity, with the end of emergency allotments coming.

MK Archambault, who started the Reno/Sparks Mutual Aid Facebook group, said that the majority of the people who qualify for SNAP benefits have jobs. However, their wages cannot keep up with the high cost of living.

SNAP Benefits California

Since March 2020, SNAP benefits recipients in California have been receiving emergency allotments.

If you have not received CalFresh emergency allotments for your household for November 2022, December 2022, or January 2023, they will be distributed on February 5, 2023.

The final emergency allotment for CalFresh recipients will be issued in March 2023 after the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed.

California noted that recipients can get free food from their local food banks.

Eligible beneficiaries can receive their SNAP benefits in California quickly under the Expedited CalFresh if they meet one of the requirements such as combined gross monthly income and cash resources being less than their monthly rent or mortgage or utility costs.

Another requirement is if the household has less than $150 in gross monthly income and cash resources of $100 or less; and if someone in your household is a migrant or seasonal farmworker who is destitute, and cash resources are $100 or less.

READ MORE: Disaster SNAP Benefits Update: Are You Eligible for New Florida Payments?

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WATCH: US ending emergency food stamp benefits nationwide - from FOX 32 Chicago


Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that his country would review a request from drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to be transferred to Mexico probably to serve his sentence.

El Chapo, 64, was given a life sentence in the U.S. for his role in a drug scheme that caused widespread violence over twenty years.

A Mexican attorney named Jose Refugio Rodrguez claims to represent El Chapo and alleges that his client has been living in substandard prison conditions since his conviction in 2019.

According to Rodriguez's statements to the local media, his client has been denied proper amounts of sunlight, visitors, nutritious food, and medical attention.

According to a tweet from the Mexican Embassy in Washington, they had received an email from Rodrguez about the matter. They had forwarded it to Mexico's Foreign Relations Department.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, "we will review it," adding, "You always have to keep the door open when it comes to human rights," AP noted.

A prisoner convicted in the United States may be transferred to Mexico to complete their sentence under the terms of an agreement between the two countries penal systems.

READ NEXT: El Chapo Son's Death

El Chapo Mexico Return Request

Due to the "cruel and unfair" treatment, he is receiving in the United States, former cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has made a passionate appeal to be returned to Mexico to serve his sentence.

After years at the helm of Mexico's most powerful organized crime gang, the Sinaloa Cartel, El Chapo was found guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder in 2019.

He is serving his life sentence at the ADX Florence Supermax prison in Colorado, along with some of the most dangerous criminals in the United States, says the Independent.

Given the gravity of Guzman's crimes, his ties to the Mexican government and security agencies, and the possibility that he could escape, it is hard to imagine the U.S. agreeing to such a bargain.

El Chapo's Case

The Sinaloa Cartel is still one of the world's most feared and successful drug cartels.

The Mexican drug cartel used assassinations, killings, and torture to safeguard its territory.

El Chapo created the organization in the late '80s. In 1993, the Mexican drug lord was apprehended and given a prison term of over 20 years.

The notorious Mexican drug lord El Chapo escaped in 2001 but was recaptured in 2014 in Sinaloa.

The following year, the head of the Sinaloa Cartel used a tunnel to break out of prison again.

Officials in Mexico announced that El Chapo had been apprehended once more in January 2016. After a year, he was finally extradited to the United States.

El Chapo was accused of illegally bringing millions of kilograms of cocaine, as well as large amounts of heroin and marijuana, into the United States from Mexico.

After El Chapo had his petition for a new trial denied in January 2022, the federal appeals court in New York maintained his life sentence.

The three-judge panel ruled against El Chapo on several counts, including claims of jury bias, "deplorable" prison conditions, and the United States government's selective prosecution of him.

Meanwhile, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, his eldest detained son, was transferred to a maximum-security Mexican prison earlier this month after his capture sparked a wave of gang violence, according to New York Post.

The younger Guzman, now 32 years old, is known by his nickname "El Raton," or "The Mouse," and is thought to be one who gained control of his father's drug empire.

READ MORE: Missing Illinois Woman Cheyann Klus

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: El Chapo's Supermax Prison Is Worse Than You Think - From DeathDoor
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Prosecutors in New Mexico are now trying to keep failed Republican House candidate Solomon Pena in jail as he awaits trial. This comes as investigations into his connection to the New Mexico shootings, which targeted several Democrats who won in the 2022 elections continue.

Prosecutors in Albuquerque filed a motion that Pena, who ran for the state House in 2022, be held without bond. Meanwhile, a judge ruled that he would be remaining in custody as he awaits a detention hearing that will happen in February.

The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the motion, which was filed on Wednesday. It stated that Solomon Pena's actions have shown he was willing to go to great lengths to show his dissatisfaction with reality by hiring multiple gunmen to shoot at the homes and offices of Democrats after believing he should have won the elections.

"There is no reason to believe that someone so unwilling to accept reality will give any credence to court-ordered conditions of release," the motion read.

Pena is facing multiple charges, including shooting at a home, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Democrats in Fear and Shock Because of Solomon Pena's Attacks

Pena, a vocal Trump supporter, has claimed the election was "rigged," echoing former President Donald Trump's debunked claims that the elections were stolen. Police believe this led him to hire gunmen and shoot at several properties, including homes and offices, belonging to elected Democrats.

The Republican candidate, who lost the election by almost 50 points, according to the BBC.

READ MORE: Supreme Court Rejects Donald Trump Again

"Solomon Pena is an election denier. He weaponized those dangerous thoughts to threaten me and others, causing serious trauma," said County Commissioner Adriann Barboa on Tuesday.

Barboa was one of the four people whose home that the suspect paid people to shoot at, and he admitted he is still shocked at what transpired.

Following his arrest, there was a sense of relief from the Democrats, including State Senator Linda Lopez, whose home was the last to be attacked by Solomon Pena and his associates. One of the bullets hit the room of her young child.

Lopez stood defiant despite the attack on her home, stating, "The rhetoric that is ongoing, especially among election deniers needs to stop," and added, "We cannot continue to have a democracy with this level of fear hanging over our heads."

Attacks Targeting Democrats Increase

The New Mexico shootings are just the latest in a trend of actual assaults on officials belonging to the Democratic Party. The highest profile attack happened late last year when a Trump supporter broke into the home of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an attempt to kidnap her. Instead, the attacker found she was not home so he attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi instead.

According to the Associated Press, these attacks have underscored the election denialism that has embedded itself across the United States. Among other notable incidents was the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer by a well-known far-right group.

READ MORE: Republicans Investigated for Fake Elector Scheme in Michigan

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WATCH: Solomon Pena facing multiple charges after alleged shooting plan - NBC News
The closing arguments for the second Oath Keepers trial on the seditious conspiracy chargers against several members of the radical far-right group have been made.

Federal prosecutor Louis Manzo told the jury that the group tried to stop democracy from happening on January 6, 2021.

"The defendants could not let the election stand. They could not let Biden come to power," the prosecutor said, adding that while democracy was under attack during that day, the defendants trained for it and even used it as a celebration, according to the Associated Press.

The trial was for four Oath Keepers members, Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo. It came after the historic conviction of the group's founder, Stewart Rhodes, as well as another of the group's leaders, for seditious conspiracy, a serious crime that people are rarely convicted of.

Oath Keepers Members Stand Trial

Much like the first trial, this second trial involving other members of the notorious radical right-wing group involved a similar story, just with different defendants.

Prosecutors presented Stewart Rhodes' fiery rhetoric and inflammatory statements about "civil war" and "bloody war" as a rallying cry to members of his group. According to prosecutors, his leadership even led to members breaching the capitol in tactical gear, while others stood back in a hotel in Virginia, stockpiling weapons and ready to distribute them.

READ MORE: Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes Convicted of Seditious Conspiracy

Three of the members who stood trial, Hackett, Minuta, and Moerschel, were just some of the people who invaded the Capitol. Meanwhile, the fourth defendant, Vallejo, stayed in Virginia and helped organize the weapons stockpile.

The four on trial are not considered leaders of the far-right group, according to Reuters. However, one of those who attacked the Capitol, Minuta, served as a bodyguard for notable Trump crony, Roger Stone.

His attorney, William Shipley, acknowledged that his client was acting "crazy" in the videos presented as evidence, but argued that these had nothing to do with Rhodes before accusing prosecutors of taking the evidence out of context.

Oath Keepers Leader Stewart Rhodes Wrote a Message for Donald Trump After January 6

During the trial, it was revealed that Stewart Rhodes tried to reach then-President Donald Trump just four days after the events of the January 6 Capitol Insurrection.

According to The Daily Beast, Jason Alpers, a former special ops operative for the U.S. Army that could "indirectly" reach Trump testified during the second trial. He admitted to meeting up with the Oath Keepers founder at a Fry's carpark so he could relay a message to the then-president.

Alpers testified that Rhodes implored Trump to use the Insurrection Act or else he and his family be killed. Rhodes also said in the message that only Trump can save the Republican Party by doing his duty as Commander in Chief and using the Insurrection Act.

His message also suggested to Trump that like Lincoln during the Civil War, he must also arrest congressmen and state legislators, as well as saying that he and his men are there for him. Rhodes promised the then-president, We will come help you if you need us."

READ NEXT: Stewart Rhodes Takes the Stand

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WATCH: Stewart Rhodes' son: 'How I escaped my father's militia' - BBC News
President Joe Biden's think tank office is based in the University of Pennsylvania, which was discovered to have received $54.6 million worth of donations from 2014 to June 2019.

The said donations were gifted by Chinese donors. The University of Pennsylvania housed Biden's academic center, which was named Penn Biden Center, as reported by the New York Post.

Records showed that UPenn received $15.8 million in anonymous Chinese gifts in 2018, with one $14.5 million in May 2018.

Virginia-based watchdog National Legal and Policy Center alleged that the donations may have been connected to the first son Hunter Biden's business engagements in China, as shown in complaints sent in 2020 to the Departments of Education and Justice.

The group asked last week U.S. Attorney David Weiss to step in and probe the Chinese donations to the school as part of Hunter's federal tax probe.

Meanwhile, a University of Pennsylvania spokesman denied any anonymous Chinese donors gifting the center with donations.

Stephen McCarthy noted that the Penn Biden Center "has never solicited any gifts" from any Chinese donors and has never solicited any gifts for the think tank office.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Under Scrutiny as Another Batch of Classified Documents Found at New Location

Classified Documents Found at The University of Pennsylvania

Biden's lawyers turned over at least 10 classified documents discovered at the Biden Penn Center from his vice presidency.

The National Archives received the classified materials in November. It was later on revealed to the public in January.

Additional batches of classified documents were found by Biden's lawyers at his Delaware home in Wilmington.

Some of the classified documents found in Biden's former private office reportedly include materials marked as top secret, as reported by BBC News.

None of the documents found at one of Biden's Delaware homes include top secret files.

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan asked whether the department had "actively concealed the information from the public" ahead of the 2022 election.

Jordan added in his letter that the American public deserves "transparency and accountability" from the highest branch of government.

Republican Calls for Probe on Classified Documents

House Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman Rep. James Comer is asking for records related to China and its donations to the university.

Comer is also requesting the list of the Chinese donors to both entities since the end of the Obama administration.

The committee chairman also seeks information on all Penn Biden Center employees and a list of people who had keycard access to the think tank's office.

In a letter to the university president Liz Magill, Comer said that it is "imperative" to know whether Biden's family or associates got access to the classified documents found in the think tank office.

He also noted the overlap between the think tank's employees and officials serving in Biden's administration, which includes State Secretary Antony Blinken and Under Secretary for Defense Colin Kahl.

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel over the probe of the classified materials.

READ MORE: Classified Documents Found in Joe Biden's Former Office as U.S. Vice President Being Reviewed by DOJ

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WATCH: Documents marked classified from Biden's vice-presidential office discovered at Penn Biden Center - from CBS News


The search warrant used to retrieve evidence from the home and office of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger was unsealed by a Washington state court, along with other documents, on Wednesday.

According to the search warrant, investigators confiscated "nine possible hair strands" and "one possible animal hair strand" from Kohberger's home, WKRG News 5 reported.

Law enforcement officials also got a "one nitrite type black glove" and a "computer tower" from the accused's apartment. Two cuttings from an uncased pillow with a "reddish/brown stain" and other evidence, including possible blood stains that were sent to a lab for testing, were also confiscated.

The New York Post reported that authorities also found "data compilations" of victims' information and shoes with diamond-pattern soles, which matched footprints found at the crime scene.

However, investigators did not get anything noteworthy in Kohberger's office at Washington State University, where he was a teaching assistant and graduate student pursuing criminology. The search warrant detailed that law enforcement officials failed to seize any weapon from the Idaho murder suspect's apartment.

Moscow Police Sgt. Dustin Baker noted in the application for the search warrant that investigators were looking for several kinds of possible evidence, including images of the stabbing victims, their home, or any information that would indicate planning murders or violence. Detectives were also looking for dark clothing, knives, and anything with DNA.

READ NEXT: Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger's Motive Not Important to Be Convicted

Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger

Experts believed that Bryan Kohberger may have left behind a "calling card" to show that he was at the crime scene, adding that the brutality of the killings implied that he had killed before, the New York Post reported.

During Friday's "Dr. Phil" special, experts claimed Kohberger may have intentionally left the empty knife sheath in the room where college students Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were killed on November 13.

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Jonathan Gilliam said that he believes investigators will find the knife as it was "part of his operational tools."

Trial attorney Mercedes Colwin agreed that the knife will eventually be found and said the sheath might have been left intentionally at the crime scene as it "is something that could have just been a calling card and left it there" if "he, in fact, is the killer."

"It could be, I mean it's almost as if... and we've seen this with other killers, it's their calling card, 'I got this,'" Colwin noted. Gilliam then went on to say that Kohberger may have killed before in the same fashion. He noted that he thinks the Idaho murder suspect may have stalked and potentially killed women before.

Bryan Kohberger was arrested on December 30 after seven weeks of a nationwide manhunt for the killer who stabbed four college students to death inside their shared house. However, the suspect's motive and the link between Kohberger and the victims have not yet been established.

Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Messaging One of the Victims

An investigator familiar with the case told PEOPLE that Bryan Kohberger sent a series of messages to one of the victims on Instagram. The source noted that the female victim did not respond when Kohberger first messaged her in late October, but it did not dissuade him from sending several more messages to her.

The insider said that Kohberger repeatedly messaged the girl, basically saying, "Hey, how are you?" One of the surviving roommates noted that she saw the killer "clad in black clothing and a mask."

The case affidavit detailed that Kohberger was linked to the case after his DNA was found at the crime scene and his cell phone pinging near the locations of the victims. Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary.

READ MORE: Idaho Murders: Surviving Roommate Did Not Call 911 After Chilling Encounter With Killer Suspected to Be Bryan Kohberger

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WATCH: Search Warrant for Apartment of Idaho Murder Suspect Unsealed - From NBC News
Embattled Congressman George Santos of New York was reportedly a drag queen who went by the name "Kitara," while living in Brazil more than 10 years ago.

Santos, who professed on the campaign trail that he had Jewish heritage, is actually of Brazilian descent and has even lived in Brazil for a long time. Photos from his time living in Brazil emerged on Wednesday and depicted that he may have had a secret identity back then.

According to the Daily Mail, a photo from 2008 showed the Republican lawmaker dressed as a drag queen, and a Brazilian drag queen who claims to have been his friend has identified him. Brazilian drag queen Eula Rochard told journalist Marisa Kabas she was friends with Santos when the congressman was still living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

She said the New York representative was never known as George back then, as he was going by "Anthony." She confirmed that it was Santos who was wearing a red dress in the photograph. "Anthony" was one of the aliases that Santos used in the past, sometimes introducing himself as "Anthony Devolder."

READ NEXT: George Santos Stole Money From a Veteran's Dying Service Dog

Brazilian Drag Queen Talks About Time With George Santos in Brazil

Eula Rochard spoke with The Handbasket reporter Marisa Kabas about George Santos' life in Brazil. Rochard revealed that when she met the controversial congressman, she was already a well-known and established drag queen. She noted that she became friends with Santos when he was "around 16 or 17."

"He used to hang out in my house while his mom was playing Bingo," she told the journalist.

It had been years since she last saw him, so when she saw Santos on Brazilian TV, she said she could not believe her eyes. She then messaged some of her friends who also knew the lawmaker, but they all doubted her. That was when she found an old photo of them and posted it on Instagram.

Rochard said it was taken at Icarai Beach in Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro, during a Pride parade in 2008. A video featuring Santos in drag during the Pride parade has also surfaced, and Rochard noted that Santos was interviewed at around the 4:19 mark.

The Brazilian drag queen also claimed that Santos disappeared for a while. When the lawmaker returned to Brazil, Rochard noted that he had more money, and "that was about the same time when the picture was taken."

She said Santos was never a professional drag performer, but the congressman competed in a drag beauty pageant in Rio de Janeiro. According to another source from Niteroi, who knew the lawmaker, Santos joined in drag queen beauty pageants as he aspired to be Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro, Reuters reported.

George Santos an Openly Gay Republican, but Supported Discriminatory Laws

When he ran for office, George Santos did speak truthfully about being openly gay. However, the New York Times reported that he also "embraced right-wing policies that many LGBTQ activists have decried as discriminatory."

Santos reportedly supported Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, saying, "As a gay man, I stand proudly behind not teaching our children sex or sexual orientation." The Florida law disallowed teachers from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in several elementary school grades.

The New York attorney general's office announced last month that it is reviewing some of the issues about Santos after he admitted to fabricating his biography details, including his education, career background, and financial disclosures. The U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York is also looking into his finances and financial disclosures.

READ MORE: George Santos Net Worth: Did He Also Lie About How Much he Is Worth?

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WATCH: Primeira parada Gay de Niteroi - From Joao Fraga Entrevista
A polar bear killed a one-year-old baby and his mother after chasing several residents in a remote community in western Alaska, authorities said.

The Alaska State Troopers said Summer Myomick, 24, and her 1-year-old son Clyde Ongtowasruk were mauled and killed by the polar bear on Tuesday near a school in Wales, on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula.

"Initial reports indicate that a polar bear had entered the community and had chased multiple residents... The bear fatally attacked an adult female and juvenile male," troopers noted.

Troopers said a resident shot and killed the bear after it attacked the pair. Austin McDaniel, a spokesman for the Alaska State Troopers, told CBS News Wednesday night that a trooper and an official from the state Department of Fish and Game had traveled to Wales to investigate the attack.

According to McDaniel, the investigation showed that the mother and son were on their way to a clinic when they were attacked. He also said the state Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy on the bodies.

READ NEXT: Grandma Died After Her Pit Bull Attacked Her

Polar Bears Are Usually Far Out on Ice by Now

According to Alaska Public Media, co-existing with polar bears is not new in Welsh. Like many remote Alaskan towns, the Inupiaq village of about 150 people arranges patrols when bears are expected in town, from July to early November, when the sea ice forms and bears leave to hunt seals on the frozen terrain.

According to Polar Bear International's senior head of conservation, Geoff York, polar bears typically spend the winter far from human settlements on the ice. That makes this week's fatal incident quite unusual, as there has not been a deadly polar bear attack in Alaska since 1990.

York, who has spent decades researching polar bears, said he would have been wandering around the village of Wales without bear deterrents because it is historically the time of year that is safe as polar bears would be out on the sea ice hunting seals. Hence, encountering them is unlikely.

Although it is not known whether the attack was caused by global warming, York noted that it is consistent with what is to be expected as the Arctic is warming at four times the rest of the Earth, altering the ecosystem in ways that are not yet completely understood.

Andrew Derocher, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta and an expert on polar bears, said that while polar bear populations are in decline, this bear is part of a population that is doing quite well.

Fatal Polar Bear Attack is Rare in Alaska

Fatal polar bear attacks have been unusual in the recent history of Alaska. A polar bear killed a man in the Welsh town of Point Lay in 1990. The animal had signs of starvation, according to biologists, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

While a 2017 study concluded that polar bear assaults are extremely uncommon anywhere, it did link "increased concern for both human and bear safety" to forecasts of a rise in the number of "nutritionally stressed" bears spending more time on land near humans because of the melting of sea ice, according to USA Today.

U.S. Geological Survey researchers working in Alaska have made similar observations about the diminishing sea ice that polar bears depend on.

READ MORE: Matt Weiss Case

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WATCH: Polar Bear Kills Mother, Child - From WTHR
China's int'l trade market welcomes returning foreign merchants

Xinhua) 15:04, January 19, 2023

HANGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- As soon as Marinella Fortino landed in China, she headed for the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, to meet with her business partners.

"I missed Yiwu and my friends here very much during the two-year separation," said Fortino, a foreign merchant in Yiwu City with dual German and Italian nationality.

Yiwu City, often referred to as "the world's supermarket," has an abundant variety of commodities, convenient and fast logistics, and a good business environment, all of which have helped boost Fortino's foreign trade business since it was launched in 2017.

Fortino is among a surge of foreign merchants returning to Yiwu City after China optimized its COVID response and entry-exit policies on Jan. 8.

According to data from Zhejiang Provincial Yiwu Airport Management Co., Ltd., the number of incoming and outgoing flights on Jan. 8 returned to the pre-pandemic level.

Trading with 232 countries and regions around the world, Yiwu City is a global commercial city that had some 15,000 resident foreign merchants before the outbreak of COVID-19. But that number halved in the worst of times during the pandemic.

Returning to Yiwu has become the most pressing need of many foreign businesspeople.

Data from the local exit-entry administration shows that there are now over 10,000 resident foreign merchants in Yiwu City, about 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

"More foreign merchants will come back after the Spring Festival," said Mohammad Nasser, a Jordanian who has settled in China and has not been back home these last few years. He said that his friends have been asking him about China every day since China adjusted its COVID response policy.

The return of foreign merchants signals new orders, new opportunities, and new confidence in development.

"Nearly 90 percent of my clients have expressed their desires to come after the Spring Festival," said Nasser, chairman of Zhejiang Infinity Trade Co., Ltd. He said that his company has developed 100 new products for this year's market and has received orders worth over 40 million yuan (about 5.92 million U.S. dollars).

Liu Junming, general manager of a local sanitary products company, detailed China's latest entry-exit policies to his foreign clients through livestreaming and videos in different languages. He has arranged appointments with the majority of these clients after the Spring Festival.

Liu and his team are busy preparing new products for foreign clients. "We want to bring them surprises, making their trips worthwhile," he said.

On Jan. 1, 10 measures were officially implemented in Yiwu to improve the city's international business environment and foreign-related services, focusing on policy advice and convenience in the residence and work permit system for foreigners, among other areas.

"The Yiwu International Trade Market has attracted merchants from all over the world. They act as bridges linking Yiwu with the world, and are also promoters and beneficiaries of the booming market," said Wang Wei, vice mayor of Yiwu City.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Posted by Jay on at 03:19 PM CST

Marvel has sent out solicitations for their April 2023 titles, including 10comics and 2 Trade paperbacks!On Sale: 4/5/2023CHARLES SOULE (W)  MADIBEK MUSABEKOV (A) Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIAAction Figure Variant Cover byJOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHERVariant Cover by ALAN QUAHUNTETHERED! Luke Skywalkers connection to the Force has been disrupted; one of his most powerful tools in his journey to become a Jedi is gone. He must undertake an epic quest to find what he has lost...or he, and the galaxy, will fall to darkness.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99(of 5)On Sale: 4/5/2023CHARLES SOULE (W)  STEVEN CUMMINGS (A)  Cover by PAULO SIQUEIRAConnecting Variant Cover by STEVEN CUMMINGSTravel Variant Cover by DAVID LOPEZ  Battle Variant Cover by DECLAN SHALVEYCHAOS REIGNS! The epic conclusion to the trilogy begun with WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS and CRIMSON REIGN! At last, Qira will reveal herself to the Sith. At last, she will have her revenge.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/12/2023ETHAN SACKS (W)  PAOLO VILLANELLI (A)Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLILUCASFILM ANNIVERSARY VARIANTCOVER BY CHRIS SPROUSEDARTH VADERS INFERNO SQUAD STRIKES! The DARK LORD has ordered one of the EMPIRES deadliest commando units to take out VALANCE, BOSSK, 4-LOM and ZUCKUSS! Meanwhile, assassin droid IG-88 has his sights on another high-value target. But who is he after and who hired him? Featuring fan favorites from the hit video game, STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/12/2023ALYSSA WONG (W)  LEE GARBETT, CASPAR WIJNGAARD, KYLE HOTZ & PAULINA GANUCHEAU (A)Cover by RYAN BROWN  VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY RYAN BROWNConnecting Variant Cover by LEE GARBETTVariant Cover by PEACH MOMOKO  Variant Cover by KYLE HOTZVariant Cover by CHRISSIE ZULLOTALES OF THE EWOKS! On the moon of Endor occupied by the species called Ewoks, a group of these stout creatures has gathered around the fire to recount tales of triumph, defeat and horror! In the art-forward manner of storytelling, watch an eclectic group of artists interpret the stories from the unique minds of Ewoks in a manner only they can envision! This cant-miss issue for Star Wars fans of mirth, merriment and artistry is the book you've been craving!32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/12/2023CAVAN SCOTT (W)  ANDREA BROCCARDO (A)  Cover by RAFAEL DE LATORREVariant Cover by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE  Variant Cover by MICO SUAYANTERROR ON THE DUNES OF BLOOD! One Jedi lies dying in Jedhas frozen desert, and another is missing. Can Vildar, Matty and Tey escape the siege of Enlightenment in time to save them both? And all the time, the Leveler waits in the shadows, desperate to feed. Plus, the identities of the mysterious raiders are revealed.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99(of 5)On Sale: 4/19/2023USTINA IRELAND (W)  PERE PEREZ (A)Cover by KEN LASHLEYVariant Cover by JEN BARTELPARTY CRASHERS! Sana has just run into one of the roughest bounty hunters in the galaxy: DEVA LOMPOP! But what does she want with Sana? And why is Sana on a RANCOR?!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/19/2023JODY HOUSER (W)  LUKE ROSS (A)Cover by PHIL NOTOVariant Cover by LEE GARBETTVariant Cover by TAKASHI OKAZAKIDARK VISIONS! A fearful vision has infected the students at the Jedi Temple, leading to a violent confrontation that could spell doom for the would-be Jedi. Will Yoda sense the danger in time, or will he lose one of his students forever?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/26/2023ALYSSA WONG (W)  MINKYU JUNG (A)Cover by RACHAEL STOTTRETURN OF THE JEDI 40TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSETHE PARTING GLANCE! Is this the end of the line for former allies APHRA and TOLVAN? DARTH VADERS least favorite archaeologist must face a cold hard truth that will shake her to her core!!! Can she forgive herself for the chaos shes about to unleash upon the galaxy?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 4/26/2023GREG PAK (W)  ADAM GORHAM (A)Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YUVariant Cover by KHOI PHAMReturn of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSEUNBOUND FORCE  Part One!When the Dark Lord of the Sith loses control of the Force, nothing is safe  not even his own Executor-class Star Dreadnought. But in the face of total destruction, Commander Sabe finds an opportunity. Does Vaders untrammeled onslaught expose a vulnerability? Or is it just another doorway to the terrifying tyranny of the Sith?32 PGS./Rated T $3.99(of 4)On Sale: 4/26/2023JASON AARON, PEACH MOMOKO & Torunn Grnbekk (W)  PEACH MOMOKO & MORE! (A)COVER BY Alex Maleev  VARIANT COVER BY Gabriele DellOttoVIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY GABRIELE DELLOTTOVARIANT COVER BY Jim Cheung  VARIANT COVER BY Kaare AndrewsTHE DARK LORD OF THE SITH LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE! Following the successful black, white and red series produced by Marvel Comics, DARTH VADER now takes the spotlight for tales of terror by some of the industries most talented creators! PEACH MOMOKO will spin a story only she can bring to life! PLUS, the return of JASON AARON to the world of STAR WARS with Part One of his Vader tale spanning all four issues!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99On Sale: 5/17/2023Written by CHARLES SOULEPenciled by ANDRES GENOLET & RAMON ROSANASCover by STEPHEN SEGOVIAThe Rebel Fleet is reunited at last! Leia Organa, Mon Mothma and the other Alliance leaders send a message to the galaxy that resistance to Palpatines rule remains as strong as ever. Meanwhile, Crimson Dawn has activated their sleeper agents across the galaxy  and two of them race to deliver a dangerous secret to the Rebel Alliance. But the Empire knows what they have stolen, and the entire Imperial Navy is in hot pursuit! Meanwhile, Threepio enters into aggressive negotiations, Luke embarks on a mission that will test his growing Jedi skills to the limit, and the rebels come to understand the true scope of the threat they face! Collecting STAR WARS (2020) #26-30.120 PGS./Rated T ...$15.99ISBN: 978-1-302-93274-9Trim size: 6-5/8 x 10-3/16On Sale: 6/7/2023Written by MARC GUGGENHEIMPenciled by DAVID MESSINA & PAUL FRYCover by PHIL NOTOChewbacca behind bars! Chewie is held captive on the prison planet of Gulhadar, and his cellmate is none other than Maz Kanata! But where is Han Solo, and what happened to the Millennium Falcon? Outnumbered and outgunned, Chewie makes a daring escape! Elsewhere, Greedo is on the run  and you wont believe whos after him! Now, these two wanted men are on a collision course, and together they just might have a chance to get their hands on Jabbas urn. But its in some dangerous clutches, so how will an angry Wookiee pull off the greatest heist in history? And what does this urn hold that will unlock the future of the Star Wars galaxy? Collecting STAR WARS: HAN SOLO & CHEWBACCA #6-10.120 PGS./Rated T $15.99ISBN: 978-1-302-93306-7Trim size: 6-5/8 x 10-3/16
All Argos workers made redundant in Portlaoise and Tullamore must get everything owed to them according to a Laois Offaly TD.

Deputy Carol Nolan was speaking after the company owned by UK retail giant Sainsburys concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was not viable and that it has therefore decided to consolidate its business and focus on Argos operations in the UK, including Northern Ireland.

This is a very sad day for the workers in the Kyle Centre in Portlaoise and Tullamore Retail Park, said Deputy Nolan.

A spokesperson for the firm said between 15 and 20 workers will loose their jobs in each of the Tullamore and Portlaoise outlets.

I will be engaging immediately with Government Ministers to ensure that all supports necessary are given to the workers and that they are fully aware of their entitlements.

I am aware that as part of Argos consultations with Mandate, its recognised trade union, that an enhanced redundancy package that goes beyond statutory obligations will be proposed. As I understand it, this proposal includes four weeks pay for every year of service, on top of statutory redundancy pay, which is two weeks pay for every year of service. I also understand that those not eligible for redundancy under Irish Law will be offered a one-off goodwill payment.

Those payments, where they are accepted, must be made without delay, concluded the Independent TD.

Argos stores will remain open to customers until June 24. The Portlaoise store will close slightly earlier, May 6, due to leasehold obligations.

Aftersales, returns, refunds and exchanges policy will continue to apply until Argos stores close. Customers in Ireland will no longer be able to place orders via the website or select the home delivery service after March 31 2023.
A woman has launched a High Court challenge over a refusal by the HSE and the State to grant her a care package of supports given to women diagnosed with cervical cancer whose samples they gave as part of the national screening programme were allegedly misread.

The woman was not granted the package on the grounds that she does not satisfy the criteria for access for the package put in place by the Government over three years ago.

In a High Court action, the woman, who is aged in her mid-thirties, claims that she has been wrongly excluded from the scheme.

The woman, who cannot be identified by order of the court, claims that she was diagnosed in 2016 as having cervical cancer, for which she underwent treatment.

Her diagnosis came after she took a cervical smear test as part of the national CervicalCheck Programme.

She claims she subsequently discovered that two earlier samples, which she provided in 2013 and 2010 which had tested "negative" for potential cancer, were incorrect.

In a separate personal injury action before the High Court, the woman sued the HSE seeking damages for allegedly misreading her sample and for a three-year delay in diagnosing her cancer.

Her case was settled last October for 450,000 plus costs.

Last year she applied to the National Screening Service be included in a scheme known as the 221+ group care package.

The package came about following a review that showed that the results of samples provided by a number of women under the CervicalCheck programme could not be supported, which came into the public domain after the late Vicky Phelan's proceedings against the HSE and clinical pathology labs were settled.

The package includes the life provision of a medical card, and other health services required by the women due to the alleged failure to correctly read their samples.

In decisions issued on behalf of the National Screening Service (NSS), in September and October of last year she was informed that her application for inclusion had been refused.

It was turned down on grounds including that the applicant was not one of the women, known as the 221+ group, whose test result were identified in the HSE's auditing process as being inaccurate. In addition, she was also informed by the NSS that she did not participate in the review process.

She was further informed that it was not open to the NSS to revise the criteria for her application for the support packages.

She claims that no provision was made for her exclusion from the scheme in the settlement of her personal injuries claim.

Represented by Patrick Treacy SC and Jeremy Maher SC, instructed by solicitor Cian O'Carroll, the woman has brought judicial review proceedings against the Minister, the HSE, Ireland and the Attorney General aimed at obtaining access to the package.

Her action has been brought on grounds that the decision to exclude her is irrational, an error in law and unreasonable. given that she was identified by the HSE as somebody who was diagnosed with cervical cancer after her smear test was read inaccurately.

The reasons given by the respondents, it is also claimed, are incorrect.

In her action she seeks various reliefs including an order directing the Minister and the HSE to admit her to the all the benefits provided by the 221+ care package.

She also seeks a declaration that she is entitled to the package.

The matter came before Mr Justice Charles Meenan, who on an ex-parte basis, granted the woman permission to bring her challenge against the respondents.

The matter was adjourned to a date next month.
Jobs are set to be lost in Laois with confirmation that Argos is to close all its outlets in Ireland, the Mandate Union has confirmed.

There are over 30 Argos stores in Ireland. More than 400 workers in Argos stores across the Republic of Ireland will be impacted by the closure including staff at the the outlet at the Kyle Centre, Portlaoise.

The union says it will engage intensively to get best possible deal for workers being made redundant at the company which is owned by the leading British retailer Sainsburys.

A spokesperson for the company could not give a precise number of jobs that would go in Laois but said that that betwee 15-20 employees are employed at each of its Irish outlets.

The Mandate Trade Union has this morning expressed its disappointment at Argoss decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here. Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage," he said.

"We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Michael Meegan concluded.

RTE reports that the company said it arrived at the decision following a long and careful consideration of its operations in the country.

"Argos concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was not viable and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business," the company said in a statement.

"As part of its consultation with colleagues and Mandate, the recognised trade union, Argos will propose an enhanced redundancy package that goes well beyond its statutory obligations," the company said.

"The small number of colleagues not eligible for redundancy under Irish Law are expected to receive a one-off goodwill payment," it added.

Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland Operations Manager, said the firm understood that it was difficult news for customers and colleagues.

"As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted," Mr McClelland said.

Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until 24 June and following today's announcement, Argos will begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business.

As part of this, customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after 22 March.

Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.

The aftersales, returns, refunds and exchanges policy will continue to apply until Argos stores close.

Sainsburys says around 30,000 are employed by Argos.

Cork-based Socialist Party TD challenged the need for Argos to shut it's doors in 34 Irish locations with the loss of 580 jobs and called on the company to open its books for inspection by workers' representatives.

He acknowledged that Argos recorded losses of 13m in Ireland last year but said that much of these were accounted for by the cost of store closures and that the company has the potential to work its way out of the red.

"580 jobs are being sacrificed here on the altar of short-term profit. Argos' UK parent is a hugely profitable business which made hundreds of millions of euro last year. The books should be opened to inspection by workers' representatives and let society see whether these redundancies are necessary or not," he said.

The Cork North Central TD said that Argos' parent company Sainsbury's recorded underlying pre-tax profits of 340m in the 6 months to September. He said that Argos UK's operation is reporting stronger sales in Christmas week than it had on Black Friday for the first time in many years.
Another deadline for forming a devolved executive in Northern Ireland is set to fall by the wayside as the deadlock over post-Brexit trading arrangements continues.

If the Stormont parties do not agree to form an administration in Belfast on Thursday, the UK Government assumes a legal duty at midnight to call a snap Assembly election in the region.

An ongoing DUP block on the functioning of powersharing, in protest at Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol, means it is almost certain the day will pass without an executive being convened.

January 19 is the latest in series of deadlines the parties have been given to resurrect devolution following the last election in May.

As the institutions can only function with the cooperation of the largest nationalist party and largest unionist party, the DUP effectively holds a veto on powersharing returning.

The party has made clear it will only go back into government if significant changes are delivered on the protocol.

Many unionists in Northern Ireland are vehemently opposed to arrangements that have created economic barriers on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, insisting the protocol has weakened the regions place within the United Kingdom.

The EU and UK continue to engage in negotiations aimed at significantly reducing the red tape on Irish Sea trade, with both sides recently talking up the potential of an agreed solution being reached.

The DUP has made clear any agreement that may emerge must meet its tests on removing trade barriers if it is to countenance a return to Stormont.

If the latest deadline passes, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris assumes a duty to call an election within 12 weeks.

However, he does not have to announce a date for a poll immediately.

Polling day is usually around six weeks after an election is announced, so Mr Heaton-Harris would have until mid-March to call a poll if it is to be held before the 12-week period expires in mid-April.

That would give Mr Heaton-Harris another six weeks to see what emerges from the UK-EU talks on the protocol.

If a deal emerges in the coming weeks, and the DUP agrees to re-enter powersharing on the back of it, the Northern Ireland Secretary could then ask Parliament to retrospectively extend the January 19 deadline for forming an executive  meaning the parties could return to Stormont without the need for a fresh election.

The Stormont impasse is sure to feature prominently when Mr Heaton-Harris attends a meeting with Irish government ministers in Dublin on Thursday.

Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said that she wanted all the parties back around the Executive table, as she called for a solution that is pragmatic, thats long lasting, to provide certainty and stability.

The DUP have to shoulder some responsibility for bringing us to the point that were in today, she told BBC Newsnight.

I believe in power-sharing. I believe in all the parties working together. I believe in all voices being heard. And I want to see a solution here and I want to get us back into the executive.

Expressing some optimism about progress towards a deal on the protocol, she said: I am encouraged by the conversation this week thats been heard between both the EU and the British Government.

Im encouraged that [Foreign Secretary] James Cleverly is the United States because the United States are a big friend of the peace process.
A Laois councillor's very last motion has literally gone to the dogs.

Cllr Noel Tuohy is retiring early on health grounds this January due to having Parkinson's Disease.

His final motion tabled to the January meeting of the Portlaoise Municipal District, is to again request a dog park for Portlaoise.

"I first tabled this motion in 2017, after i was approached by a group who had collected 500 signaturs on a petition for the provision of a dog park. I believe there is a suitable area in the Linear Park and I visited this area with Wes [Wilkinson area engineer], and we spoke to members of the public. We agreed that this would be a good place to put the long promised dog park.

"Again I would like to say that a dog park is a safe place to bring a pet and it would be almost self-regulating. Dogs are vital companions for a lot of people, particularly those living alone or elderly citizens and it would be very beneficial to have a designated area where they could bring their pets.

"It would be great to see dog parks in other areas of the county also and I hope this happens in the near future," Cllr Tuohy said.

In reply, Mr Wilkinson said that the Portlaoise Municipal District office is developing proposals for this area, which is in the park alongside the Triogue River, between Millview and Green Mill Lane in Portlaoise.

"It is intended that a dog park would be a suitable green area where dog owners can safely exercise their pets off the lead," he said.

He said that three different new additions are being planned for the Linear Park, with Government funding to be sought.

They include the dog park, as well as a cycle park training area and the Triogue Way new path and cycletrack.

He said that the plan when complete will be shown to Cllr Tuohy, even though he will have retired.

"We might have to apply for funding, but we are looking to start developments in quarter two (April-June) and have them underway for summer," the engineer said.

Cllr Tuohy said his dog Blue will enjoy it.

"I promised my dalmation that he is going to meet a lot of new friends," he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley had seconded his motion.

"Dogs are part of the family now. Noel will be remembered for a lot of things, but certainly two of them will be the Covid memorial and the dog park," she said.

Cllr Aird praised Cllr Tuohy's effort to enforce muzzling of dogs on the restricted breeds list.

"Since last time you championed the cause of dogs being muzzled, we've see that dogs are being bred for muscle and viciousness. I know some look after them well, but it's time in this country that every dog is microchipped.

"They can be a danger to the public and to animals. Sheep are mauled, half their heads taken orr or eyes out, left standing in a field with their heads bowed. Every greyhound is chipped. Everyone responsible needs to stand up and be counted," Cllr Aird said.

Cllr Tuohy recounted hearing a recent case in Ireland of children being attacked by dogs.

"It's crazy to see some dogs walked around, I saw a man with two rottweilers, if they decide to run, he couldn't hold them," he said.

Cllr Tuohy's final meeting will be the Laois County Council monthly meeting on Monday, January 30.
Athy Family Resource Centre and Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow Community Healthcare invite members the Athy community to a safeTALK screening and information event tomorrow, Friday January 20 in Athy Library at 10.30am.

This aim is to raise awareness about suicide prevention and support for those living with mental health difficulties.

Athy FRC, Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow (DSKWW) Community Healthcare and partners are encouraging people living and working in Athy to become more aware of safeTALK (Suicide Alertness for Everyone). safeTALK is an internationally recognised half-day training programme that trains participants to recognise and engage with people who may be at risk or having suicidal thoughts and to connect them to community-based prevention resources.

It was been really encouraging to see so many members of the community here in Athy sign up to do safeTALK and we would love to see this continue into 2023 and get more members of the community signed up," said Victoria Kavanagh, Interim General Manager, Athy Family Resource Centre.

Most people with thoughts of suicide don't truly want to die, but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained people living and working in their communities can recognise these invitations for help and take action by supporting people to connect with life-saving resources, supports and services.

A health information fair will also be taking place at Athy Library where members of the community can sign up for suicide prevention training, wellness workshops, supporter programmes for those supporting those with mental health difficulties, access mental health information and supports. Some services who will have stands at the event are Athy Family Resource Centre, SOS  Suicide or Survive, HSE Suicide Prevention, Health Promotion & Improvement, Samaritans, SOSAD, Heads Up Programme, Womens Shed, Mens Sheds and Alone.

Who is invited to attend the event?

Everyone - first responders, community workers, hairdressers, beauty staff, barbers, clergy, bar staff, volunteers, teachers and people responding to family and friends.

Athy FRC will be on site at the event to register members of the community in Athy to sign up for upcoming safeTALK training.

For more information on safeTALK training please click the link below

https://www.hse.ie/eng/ services/list/4/mental-health- services/connecting-for-life/ training/types-of-training/ safetalk.pdf

To book safeTALK training please visit the link below

https://bookwhen.com/ dublinsouth-kildare-west- wicklow
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Former ERG chairs and current Northern Ireland Office colleagues Chris Heaton-Harris and Steve Baker have said they did not attend this weeks meeting of the Eurosceptic Tory MPs and the DUP.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson held talks with Conservative members of the European Research Group in London on Tuesday.

The discussions came as the DUP seeks to shore up support for its opposition to Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol amid mounting speculation the Government is moving towards striking a deal with the EU on the contentious post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The DUP is blocking the functioning of powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at the protocol and says it will only countenance a return to Stormont if the economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are scrapped.

A compromise deal between London and Brussels could fall short of what the DUP is demanding and the party is keen to secure the support of Tory Eurosceptics to avoid being isolated if London and Brussels serve up a deal that it opposes.

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Heaton-Harris and NIO minister Steve Baker were previously leading figures in the ERG through the Brexit process.

Since becoming ministers in Government, they have been involved in efforts to thaw relations with the EU, and in particular the Irish government.

Both Conservative politicians joined ministerial counterparts from Ireland at a meeting of the British Irish Intergovermental Conference in Dublin on Thursday.

Afterwards they were asked whether they attended the meeting between the ERG and DUP.

Mr Baker replied: I was not at that meeting no, but I do see Jeffery often and I see my great friends in ERG often, but I was not at that meeting.

Mr Heaton-Harris added: Im afraid I wasnt either.

He then joked: Not flipping invited again.

Later, Mr Baker spoke in warm terms about improving relations with the Irish government as he described Thursdays engagement as a great success.

Weve met together in a spirit of goodwill and authentic cooperation, he said.

Mr Baker said the UK/Irish link-up was a fundamental relationship.

Actually, Im very proud that two former ERG chairmen have been part of completely transforming this relationship, he said.

And Im pleased because were now on a positive trajectory together, and were going to work together.

Were always going to face problems, but were going to face those problems together and rise to them. And Im very pleased and proud of our work today and the work thats brought us to this point.

He added: I very much hope well bring the DUP and Eurosceptic MPs to the same positive place in our relations with Ireland.
Tourism Ireland has launched details of its marketing strategy and plans to promote the island of Ireland overseas in 2023, at an event attended by Tourism Minister Catherine Martin and around 500 tourism industry leaders from around the country  including Leitrim Tourism.

Tourism Ireland aims to rebuild revenue from overseas holidaymakers to pre-pandemic levels  by attracting value-adding tourists (visitors who stay longer, spend more in the regions and in Northern Ireland, arrive during the shoulder season and consider their impact on the environment) and by focusing on markets that deliver the greatest revenue. This will be achieved through a wide range of promotional activities, including major marketing campaigns, publicity and programming, social media and digital marketing, as well as working with the tourism industry at home and the travel trade overseas to facilitate sales.

This year, Tourism Ireland will roll out an extensive and targeted programme of activity with a marketing budget of 78 million. Sustainability will be at the heart of Tourism Irelands work over the coming years. As well as focusing on the economic sustainability of the tourism industry (the contribution overseas tourism makes to economic prosperity and, in particular, to jobs and livelihoods), Tourism Irelands strategy also has social sustainability (the benefit that communities across the island experience from overseas tourism) and environmental sustainability at its core.

Tourism Irelands new global campaign  Fill your heart with Ireland was unveiled at the launch. The new ads feature actresses Sharon Horgan, from Bad Sisters, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, from Derry Girls.

The new campaign will go live from St Patricks Day in our top four tourism markets  Great Britain, the United States, Germany and France  and will then be rolled out in nine other important tourism markets around the world.
Political integrity cannot exist without total transparency and accountability. That was the message delivered by MEP Maria Walsh when she addressed a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday evening (Wednesday). The debate at Parliament Headquarters focused on the revelations of Uber lobbying practices in the EU, but Walshs comments are particularly relevant at present and could be applied to several debates and controversies both here at home, as well as on the European stage.

This weeks debate in Parliament was not the first time the Uber Files had been up for discussion. In October 2022, Ubers former Head of Public Policy, Mark MacGann, addressed MEPs in Brussels, highlighting the companys former lobbying practices and discussing how European workers rights had been affected as a result.

At this weeks debate in Strasbourg, the Midlands-North-West MEP stressed that political integrity means exercising political power consistently, in the public interest. She noted that lobbying can certainly be a force for good when it is being ethically practised, but it can also lead to undue influence, to the detriment of the public interest. This, she said, can affect public policies when action is taken to benefit one lobbyist group and not others.

Calling for complete transparency across the board, MEP Walsh argued that this is key to ensuring that policy makers do not give preferential treatment to interest groups. Transparency promotes openness, accountability, and public trust and there is an inherent obligation on politicians to share information with citizens, making those in political power fully accountable to its citizens, she added.

Commenting on the Uber case, she noted that the company admitted they massaged the facts to earn the trust of drivers, consumers and politicians. This is not acceptable. It is not acceptable to the drivers who work for them, or to the consumers who use their business.

According to MEP Walsh, this case serves to heighten the importance of the Transparency Register for all elected representatives. The Register, together with clear rules for lobbying, are crucial to safeguard the integrity of the public decision-making process. Transparent lobbying is a fundamental component of democracy, and it falls to this Parliament and the Member States to ensure that our European citizens get the truth, she added.
Surveillance video image showing a man throwing a clock on the ground at the Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia, on Sunday, January 8, 2023. AFP

The very successful Instagram account Contragolpe Brasil (Counterblow Brazil) was created on the morning of January 9; In a single week, it has accumulated more than 1.1 million followers. Its objective is clear from its description: "identify people who attack democracy in Brazil." In other words, track down the rioters who ransacked Brazils democratic institutions on January 8.

In just ten days, more than 220 suspected insurrectionists have already been identified online

The people running Contragolpe Brasil say that the account is a collaborative effort. Users send detailed allegations against suspected rioters. Contragolpe Brasil then publishes their names, along with their photograph during the riots and their city of residence. In just ten days, more than 220 suspected insurrectionists have already been identified online.

In Brazil, this Instagram account is one of many social media profiles working toward the same goal. The Twitter account Gado decider (158,000 followers) aims to hunt down the countrys ex-president supporters, who are compared to vulgar cattle, or gado. The Contragolpe account has also received support from online influencers, including Felipe Neto, one of the worlds biggest YouTubers.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes In Brazil, an 'unprecedented' attack on democracy

Suspicion of guilt

This practice, known as denuncismo (informing), is not foolproof. Many people in Brazil are questioning the moral and legal risks of making social media posts containing identifying information of suspects who have often not even been arrested yet by police or gone to court.

'This violation of privacy and presumption of innocence endangers the individuals as well as their families,' said Denise Dora

"This is a shocking and risky method. There is a high chance of falsely accusing innocent people," said Dora, director of the NGO Artigo 19, which defends freedom of expression in Brazil. "This is the result of the great confusion and emotion stirred by the events of January 8. All of this is directly reflected in the social media accounts," she noted. "This violation of privacy and presumption of innocence endangers the individuals as well as their families."

In Brazil, however, the method is not that surprising. The country has a culture similar to the United States, where suspects can have their photographs, names, and addresses shamelessly revealed by the media. This creates a suspicion of guilt in the public mind that can be hard to get rid of later on.

The government of the newly-elected president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is trying to channel the situation. On January 9, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security opened an official whistleblowing e-mail, stating that "any information or leads are appreciated." However, in just one week, authorities received over 86,000 tips regarding the riots in Brasilia, a number that most experts already say is completely unmanageable.

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The day of protest comes to a close at Place de la Nation, in Paris, on January 19, 2023. BENJAMIN GIRETTE FOR "LE MONDE"

Hundreds of thousands went on strike and joined marches across France on Thursday, January 19, halting trains, disrupting schooling and cutting electricity production in a trial for the government as workers oppose a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul. Union leaders called on another day of demonstrations for January 31.

The changes presented by President Emmanuel Macron's government last week would raise the retirement age for most people to 64 from 62 and increase the years of contributions required for a full pension.

France's trade unions immediately called for a mass mobilization, showing a united front for the first time in 12 years when the retirement age was hiked to 62 from 60.

France's Interior Ministry said it had counted 1.12 million demonstrators in France as a whole including 80,000 in Paris. The hardline CGT union said two million people had marched throughout the country, and 400,000 in Paris.

The demonstration in Paris, on January 19, 2023. AGNES DHERBEYS/MYOP FOR "LE MONDE"

Figures provided by French authorities showed there were large demonstrations in cities across France: at least 40,000 people marched in Lyon, 30,000 in Toulouse, 26,000 in Marseille, 15,000 in Montpellier and 14,000 in Tours.

Read more Pension reform strikes: Macron takes on the streets

The unions were hoping for over a million demonstrators in more than 200 cities across the country.

These numbers are comparable to or even higher than those of December 5, 2019, which marked the start of the protest against the previous pension reform. The police had then counted 806,000 demonstrators in France, the CGT 1.5 million.

Around the Bastille area of Paris, radical demonstrators hurled bottles, bins and smoke grenades at police who responded with tear gas and charged to disperse the troublemakers.

Some 30 people were arrested, mostly members of a 1,000-strong radical group called "Black Blocs" who wore masks, helmets and black clothes, police said, adding they had managed to split off the group from the main demonstration. No major violent incidents were reported elsewhere in France.

During a news conference on Thursday at a French-Spanish summit in Barcelona, Macron said: "We must do that reform." "We will do it with respect, in a spirit of dialogue but also determination and responsibility."

"I trust that the organizers of these demonstrations will ensure these legitimate expressions of opposition can take place without too many inconveniences for our fellow citizens and obviously without excesses, violence or destruction," Macron said.

Macron along with nine ministers was in Spain on Thursday though Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt stayed behind.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Pension reform strikes: United, France's trade unions want to see how far they can go

Students demonstrate against the pension reform, January 19, 2023. THEO GIACOMETTI POUR  LE MONDE 

At the demonstration in Paris, on January 19, 2023. BENJAMIN GIRETTE POUR  LE MONDE 

Protesters in Paris on January 19, 2023. BENJAMIN GIRETTE POUR  LE MONDE 

The strikes brought much of the capital's public transport to a standstill and halted a large proportion of trains throughout France. One of the capital's metro lines was closed completely, with another 12 "very disrupted", Paris transport operator RATP told AFP.

The rate of strikers reached 46.3% of workers at the state-owned national rail company SNCF.

The Education Ministry said 42.35% of teachers in primary education were striking, and 34.66% in secondary education. Estimates from teachers' unions placed those numbers between 65 and 70%.

Early on Thursday, strikers at state-owned energy provider EDF said they had lowered electricity output by 7,000 megawatts, while grid operator RTE put the figure at 5,000 MW  enough to power two cities the size of Paris. The reduction would have "no impact on users", the CGT union federation for the sector said.

Public radio stations Franceinfo and France Inter were filling airwaves with music rather than their usual rolling news updates, while TV channel France 2 showed re-runs.

The demonstration in Paris, on January 19, 2023. PIERRE BOUVIER

Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT, told broadcaster Public Senat the planned pension reform "bundles together everyone's dissatisfaction" with the government and that the rare united front among worker representatives showed "the problem is very serious".

Read more Pension reform: The left hopes to transform day of strikes into public opinion victory

French media have reported that police had been making plans for 550,000 to 750,000 protesters, including 50,000 to 80,000 in Paris. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday that 10,000 police officers would be on alert, more than a third of them in the capital, including to look out for some 1,000 demonstrators who could be "violent."

Workers board up the windows of an insurance branch located on the route of a demonstration, on the eve of nationwide strikes and protests against a pension reform plan, in Paris, on January 18, 2023. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP

Protesters take part in a torch-lit march called by the CGT workers' union to protest the French government's pensions reform plan, on the Canebiere in Marseille, France, on January 17, 2023. NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

Transport Minister Clement Beaune warned of "a hellish Thursday", urging all those who can to work from home. With Paris metros and buses in disarray, basketball fans were likely to encounter trouble in trying to reach the sold-out NBA Paris Game between the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the northeast of the city.

Read more Second NBA game in Paris hopes to be a slam dunk for basketball's growth in Europe

Last attempt in 2019

Macron's last attempt at pension reform in 2019 was aborted a year later when Covid-19 hit Europe, prompting the longest strike on the Paris transport network in three decades.

But unions are suspicious of the new overhaul, eager to protect those who started working at a young age or have been toiling in physically demanding jobs.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Why this French pension reform will not be the last

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has defended the reform, still to be debated in parliament, as a way to ensure more "justice" for retirees. "Four out of 10 French people, the most fragile, those of the most modest means, those who have tough jobs, will be able to retire before 64 years old," she told parliament.

"Let's keep debating and convincing," Borne said on Twitter on Thursday evening.

Read more Macron signs friendship deal in Spain as France goes on strike

Le Monde with AP and AFP
SADNESS has fallen over the Treaty County this Thursday following the death of one of its natives - the extraordinary former Chief Justice, John L. Murray.

Born in 1943, the Ennis Road native was educated at Crescent College and Rockwell College, and later at University College Dublin and the Kings Inns, Dublin.

During his time in third level education, he was twice elected president of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI).

He was called to the Bar in 1967, and to the Inner Bar in 1981. He served as Attorney General from August to December 1982 and again from 1987 to 1991.

He served on the Court of Justice of the European Communities in Luxembourg from 1991 to 1999, prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1999.

In July 2004, he was appointed the tenth Chief Justice since the foundation of the State.

Tributes were paid at court sittings in Limerick this Thursday morning and in a statement, Minister for Justice, Simon Harris described Judge Murray as a distinguished jurist.

Minister Harris said he was saddened when he heard the news. I have learned with great regret of the death of former Chief Justice John Murray and wish to express my deepest condolences to his wife Gabrielle, daughter Caitriona, son Brian, his grandchildren and wider family. He was rightly proud of the institutions of our State, and took pride in his own service

in one of its great institutions, the Supreme Court.

The Limerick man, whose brother Michael is a former State Solicitor for Limerick city, served twice as Attorney General, and for a remarkable 24 years as a Judge

Heartfelt tributes have been paid this Thursday by many of Mr Murrays respected colleagues and friends.

Barrister Brian McInerney SC offered his condolences to Judge Murrays family and his friends.

Having achieved the highest judicial office in the country, Brian described him as the colossus - having achieved that office based on merit and ability, executing the office with efficiency, balance and courtesy at all times.

As former Chancellor of the University of Limerick, Mr Murray has been memorialised by the President of UL, Prof Kerstin Mey.

When John took on the role of Chancellor (in 2013) he said that learning and education concern the soul of a nation and he was deeply committed to that vision and the provision of education. He will be sadly missed by his many colleagues and

friends at University of Limerick.

Current Chancellor of UL Mary Harney has also commended Mr Murray's extraordinary work in drafting the University of Limerick Act 1989 which passed in June of that year and allowed UL to attain full university status.

Limerick City TD Willie ODea paid homage to Mr Murray who, he noted, reached the pinnacle of the Irish legal system.

As he discussed his lasting effects on Limerick County through his career and his association with Munster rugby, Deputy ODea remarked that its a very sad morning for Limerick.

John Murray is survived by his wife Gabrielle and their two children.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.
ITS TIME for Limerick to make a stand and say: Enough is enough.

Its time for local people to say they will no longer tolerate the overcrowding crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

And its time for the Limerick public to put real pressure on the government and those responsible for running the regions health system.

On Saturday, thousands of people are expected to march in protest at the conditions in UHL, call for more resources, and push for better public health provision in the region overall.

It all gets under way at 11am outside City Hall at Merchants Quay in the city centre (Eircode: V94 EH90). It will take a route through the city (see map overleaf), ending at Arthurs Quay, where there will be a rally.

In the last 15 years, intolerable strain has been put on the hospitals emergency department (ED) in Dooradoyle following the closure of ED facilities at St Johns Hospital, Nenagh and Ennis.

Its left the Mid-West in a situation where there is only one ED for a population of 400,000 people and the only area without a private hospital of scale.

UHL has just 530 inpatient beds  less than all but one of Irelands main hospitals. And, according to the latest figures, it has the States second busiest ED with 76,473 people seeking treatment in 2021.

'March for Limerick!'  In this week's Limerick Leader, we look ahead to Saturday's planned protest march and rally over the overcrowding crisis at University Hospital Limerick. Newspaper on sale now in shops and online at https://t.co/C5sc7CF4OI #buyapaper pic.twitter.com/B596KmjgyH  Limerick Leader / Limerick Live (@Limerick_Leader) January 18, 2023

Staff from this newspaper will be out in force at the demonstration, as we recognise the impact the conditions at UHL are having on the whole region.

We implore all our readers to join us, and believe it represents an opportunity for business leaders, community groups, sporting organisations and charities to unite behind something which impacts us all.

Mike Daly, the man who has organised what hes calling the peoples protest, said it was the death of a teenage girl following a wait of at least 13 hours in the ED last month which forced him into action.

My stomach turned when I heard about it. The whole idea a young girl can pass away due to waiting times  you wouldnt see it anywhere in the world. I was just so disgusted, said Mr Daly, whose own father Mike Sr died in the hospital in 2010.

Everyone over the years in Limerick has just put up with it. No-one was kicking up and screaming. We were going out and all putting in 12 and 14 hour waiting times  we had to do it if we wanted our children to be seen. But no Limerick person will tolerate this anymore, added the Kileely man.

Thousands of people have joined a Facebook page which is promoting the march, and Mr Daly is hopeful of a strong turnout on Saturday.

Im going to be optimistic and hope Limerick is swamped, and we bring the whole city to a standstill. We have 5,000 followers on the Facebook page. If half of them came out and brought someone with them  or even a fifth come out and bring three with them, we are into the thousands, he told the Limerick Leader. This has gone far and wide  its being talked about in North Kerry, Lahinch, everywhere.

And Saturday wont be a one-off, he insists.

We will give it about a month and well see what comes out from the powers that be. After that, we will take it to another level. If we need to go to the Dail, we will go to the Dail. We just cannot accept another death occurring in that hospital. The eyes of the world are on us, he said.

Indeed, the problems facing UHL have even featured on Sky News  which has a huge audience across Ireland and Britain  with Mr Daly expecting to be interviewed further by the network ahead of the rally.

Childrens lives are at stake here  everyones lives are at stake due to waiting times. We wont tolerate it any more, Mr Daly concluded.

Our website and social media platforms will be carrying comprehensive reports and videos from Saturdays hospital demonstration in the city centre.
POPULAR retailer Argos, are due to close its doors in Ireland, including its store in Childers Road Retail Park in Limerick city - the retailer has confirmed.

The retailer has been operating in Ireland since 1996 when it opened stores in Limerick and Dublin.

Argos previously had three stores in Limerick, including the Crescent Shopping Centre and on Cruises Street in the city - the Childers Road store is the only one that remains open.

Argos employs over 500 people throughout Ireland.

The Mandate Trade Union has expressed its disappointment at Argoss decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here.

Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage.

We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Michael Meegan concluded.

The Argos store at Childers Road Retail Park will remain open until June 24, 2023.
THE LIVES of Limerick music lovers will be celebrated during A Night To Remember charity gig.

An evening of music in honour of Mary Rowan and Jim OMahony will take place in Dolans Warehouse on February 3 - and all proceeds will go to charity.

Dedicated members of Limericks music scene, and having met at a local gig years ago, the pair were known for their ready self-deprecation, dry sense of humour and interest in those from all walks of life.

Lovers of their city  and hugely loved by those in it  Mary and Jim will be remembered by several artists, including The Malleys, Paul OConnor and Izzy Olsthoorn, Paul OSullivan, Sean Kelly, Ian Harris, The Salty Dogs, and Jerry McMahon.

All proceeds of A Night To Remember will go to Milford Hospice, Oseophageal Cancer Research, and Parkinsons Association Limerick.

On the night, there will be a raffle including tickets for upcoming concerts, original artwork from local artists Rachel Murphy Mannix and Emma Mullane, as well as hotel and restaurant vouchers.

Raffle on the night will include tickets for upcoming Madness and Kraftwerk concerts, original artwork from local artists Rachel Murphy Mannix and Emma Mullane, Hotel vouchers & Restaurant vouchers.
LIDL Ireland invested more than 6m in Limerick food producers last year, a new report has found.

According to the latest Supplier Impact Report, some of the retailer's key Limerick suppliers include Ballyneety-based Ishka, who supply spring water and Ballyhouras Applewood Farm who have been supplying a number of award-winning condiments since 2018.

Commenting on the latest report, JP Scally, CEO of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: This record investment is a huge

driver of economic growth, and this report demonstrates just how important supplier relationships are."

With more than 400 local suppliers in the Republic of Ireland, Lidl Ireland continues to give producers in Limerick unrivalled access to local and international markets.

Many of these deals included significant exports reaching the shores of Great Britain, Germany, Cyprus, Italy, USA, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Poland.

Now in its seventh year, Lidl has invested more than 7 million in the Kickstart programme to date, which has empowered hundreds of Irish suppliers to showcase their produce to the 1.5 million shoppers each week.

The retailer currently has four stores in Limerick city and one in Newcastle West two while more are under construction in the city.
HAILED by board member Karen Long Eacrett as a pioneer in what it has developed, Limerick Youth Service is celebrating its 50th anniversary of helping the Treaty Countys young people reach their full potential.

The organisation, which is based in the city centre, works with young people (aged 10-25) in communities across the city and county, and offers training courses for those aged 16-21.

It also provides vital amenities such as volunteer youth clubs, counselling support, youth diversion projects, skill workshops and Leaving Cert Applied options.

Speaking at a celebration event this Wednesday, CEO of Limerick Youth Service, Fiona OGrady said she's delighted at the success of LYS. Young people are our future, they deserve every opportunity to reach their potential. Some young people may have dropped out of education or need additional support, and its our job to make sure that they are involved and have

opportunities to thrive, she said.

Calvin Kelly, a 19-year-old who helps to run the Youth Cafe on Lower Glentworth Street, shared how he got started with the Youth Service.

When I took a tour, I realised I was interested in working at the coffee bar, but there are other options for everyone as well,

like woodworking or cooking.

For those who dont conventionally go to school, Calvin agrees that Limerick Youth Service is a good place to learn in other ways: Its good if youre interested in working in restaurants, he says as an example.

It keeps your mind going, and keeps you on your feet, everyone works very hard here.

Deputy Mayor Kieran OHanlon was present on the day to congratulate the group on reaching its important milestone.

As chairman of the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, he has visited many secondary schools across the county and is aware that the mainstream path to education is not always the right option for every young person.

Secondary schools for some young people is not the best setting, some people just dont settle in there, he started. Its great that these students have an opportunity to gain access to third level education through a pathway from here, he told Limerick Live.

With many upcoming plans and events for 2023, Limerick Youth Service hope to build upon their resources and amenities to continue their success for another 50 years.
A NUMBER of petrol bombs were thrown at a home in County Limerick in what has been described as a "sinister" attack.

Gardai have confirmed they are investigating an incident of criminal damage at a residence in Kilmallock on Wednesday evening, January 18.

"Investigations are ongoing at this time," said a garda spokesperson.

The area around the property was cordoned off to allow gardai to carry out a forensic examination.

No damage to the house was caused by the petrol bombs and no injuries were sustained during the attack which occurred around 9pm. It is not known if the house was occupied at the time.

Cllr PJ Carey said locals are "in shock".

"I've never heard of anything like this occurring in Kilmallock before. It's frightening," said Cllr Carey, who asked anybody with any information regarding the incident to contact gardai.

Another local said: "This is a very quiet, country area. It's very sinister to think people would plan and carry out such a thing."

Gardai have appealed for anybody who may have seen any suspicious activity in the Kilmallock area on Wednesday evening to contact Bruff garda station on 061 382940.

Limerick Live understand the incident in Kilmallock is completely unrelated to a petrol bomb attack and drive-by shooting on a house in Banogue in December.
Argos is to close all its outlets in Ireland, the Mandate Union has confirmed.

There are over 30 Argos stores in Ireland. More than 400 workers in Argos stores across the Republic of Ireland will be impacted by the closure.

The union says it will engage intensively to get best possible deal for workers being made redundant

The Mandate Trade Union has this morning expressed its disappointment at Argoss decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here. Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage," he said.

"We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Michael Meegan concluded.
The vast majority of people across Ireland are concerned about the effects of climate change, with almost half of people worried that wildfires will harm their local area.

That's according to newly released maps based on data from the Climate Change in the Irish Mind survey, which was undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with Yale University in 2021.

An average of 85% of adults reported being worried about climate change, with 40% of people worried about wildfires and 95% believing climate change will harm future generations.

Meath was identified as the county least likely to worry about wildfires harming the local area (35%), with 53% of people in Kerry concerned about this.

According to data collected by University College Cork's (UCC) Environmental Research Institute, approximately 2,500 service callouts to wildfires are recorded each year.

Only 19% of people reported they were likely to join a campaign for climate action, and just 33% knew that Ireland's agriculture sector is the largest source of pollution that causes climate change.

People's beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences and behaviours on climate change were found to be consistent countrywide with no discernible different between urban or rural dwellers.

While the evidence is largely consistent across the country, there are minor regional variations in the level of concern about climate risks. For example, slightly more people worried about water shortages in Dublin and the Mid-East region, and somewhat more people are worried about severe storms in the West, Mid-West, and South-West regions.

Sligo residents were least likely to support a ban on peat, coal and oil for home heating (56% compared to the national average of 68%), with Dubliners most likely to support a ban (77%).

People in Laois and Leitrim were least likely to believe climate change is caused by human activities (53%), with people in Galway and Dublin most likely to believe this (64%).

Just 25% of people in Donegal knew that agriculture is Ireland's biggest pollution source responsible for climate change, with the highest percentage (38%) found in Cork.

Speaking about the data Dr Conor Quinlan, EPA Senior Manager, Climate Services said, "These maps allow the public to examine at the national, regional and county level, in an easy to use format, information on climate change and desire for climate action and we encourage people to go online to see what their county thinks.

"The findings of this, and the other Climate Change in the Irish Mind outputs, will be used to inform and support national communications on climate change. It will also be used by climate policy and decision makers, the research community, media, and the non-governmental sector."

The data is based on a survey of 4,000 Irish people aged 18 and older conducted between May and July in 2021.

The maps are available to view here.
Irelands deputy premier has urged patience with the negotiations to resolve the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute, insisting a mountain has to be climbed.

Micheal Martin said the UK and EU negotiators still needed to overcome formidable challenges if they were to find an agreed solution to cutting red tape on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

While speculation continues to mount that London and Brussels are on the path to striking a deal over post-Brexit trading arrangements, Mr Martin said the talks should be given time and space.

Mr Martin joined UK ministerial counterparts at a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin on Thursday.

Commenting on the prospects of a deal on the protocol, he said: The issues are very challenging.

So, I dont understate the formidable challenges and the mountain that has to be climbed.

So, I do think its worth the effort.

Mr Martin added: It makes sense to be patient here and just to see how this evolves and unfolds.

The protocol impasse has led to the collapse of devolution in Northern Ireland, with the DUP insisting it will not lift its veto on Stormont powersharing until the protocols economic barriers on GB-NI trade are removed.

Both London and Brussels are keen to secure a breakthrough that would facilitate the return to the devolved institutions in Belfast before Aprils landmark 25th anniversary of Northern Irelands Good Friday peace agreement.

Earlier on Thursday, Irish premier Leo Varadkar made clear that while it would be really good to secure a deal before the anniversary, it was not a hard deadline.

It is a real shame that the institutions created by the agreement are not really functioning, particularly the assembly, the executive and the north-south bodies, he told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

And I think thats a real shame. So, it would be really good I think if we could have an agreement and the institutions operating again by April.

But if thats not possible, thats not going to cause us to stop.

So it isnt an absolute deadline in law or anything like that.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, who also attended the intergovernmental conference in Dublin, expressed hope that a breakthrough on EU/UK talks could deliver a solution that facilitates the return of Stormont powersharing.

However, he declined to offer any detail on the state of the negotiations between London and Brussels.

Im working with what I know I think we can deliver and lets not pre-empt anything, he said.

Im looking forward to seeing what the talks between the United Kingdom and the European Union can bring forward and I very much hope that we can move forward from there.
I KICKED off the second week of the new year in style, as I headed down to the RTE Studios in Cork City with Holman Lee Agency models for a segment on the RTE Today Show.

We broadcast a variety of wedding looks, for Mother of the Bride/Groom and for any guest in attendance. It was so satisfying to be able to get back into the swing of things, and get the beginning of the new fashion season off to a celebratory start.

A lot of weddings pop up around the Spring/Summer season, so we wanted to showcase a range of looks to suit any individual who may have a wedding coming up.

The clothes on the day were by Sineads Boutique in Annacotty and we also had some gorgeous pieces from Azure Jewellery.

We had such a wonderful day and I enjoyed styling the models with the gorgeous attire we were so kindly provided with. It is always a pleasure to be able to work with Daithi, Maura and all of the RTE Today crew.

The wedding theme is a running one for us at the Holman Lee Agency, as we have announced a change of date and location for the Midwest Bridal Exhibition.

February 19 in the Limerick Racecourse will see a magical day of wedding fashion for all to attend.

I look forward to speaking to you all again very soon,

With love,

XxCelia
NEW DELHI: With wedding festivities back in favour, a survey conducted by a wedding website said that venue vendors were the most in-demand with 29% of bookings being made for the category, followed by wedding photographers and makeup artists at 11% and 5%, respectively.

WeddingWire India, the Indian subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide, a wedding technology platform which put out a report based on its survey, saw a 48.48% surge on year in overall traffic, and said, in terms of venues, banquet halls showed increased searches of 56% demand.

Demand for resort and destination weddings saw some traction, while international destination weddings with a limited guest list and curated experiences have become fashionable again with the top three overseas locations like Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and New York gaining popularity. Domestically, Udaipur and Goa remained popular choices along with Jaipur.

Delhi topped the list of top three cities that hosted the maximum number of weddings, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai. Tripura, Sikkim, and Imphal recorded the least number of weddings. The data also revealed, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Gurgaon were the top three tier 2 cities in terms of weddings.

Its report said that December witnessed the maximum number of weddings with about 21.5% of all wedding-makers on its platform depicting that they chose that month, followed by February which saw 15.49%. Weekend weddings were another trend that still ranked high on the popularity chart as most couples choose Sunday (20%) closely followed by Friday (19.7%).

Anam Zubair, head of marketing for the firm, said, The year 2022 was the year the wedding industry had been waiting for, especially as the last two years were uncertain and slightly limiting for the industry due to the pandemic. In the year we witnessed how the priority list changed for couples and their families. More than the guest list, it was the curated experience that they were spending most time and effort on. However, it was interesting to note that this barely made a difference in the earmarked budget. We are excited to see what 2023 holds for the wedding industry considering Gen-Z is entering the wedding cycle."

The report said that guest-size curation was a mixed bag with some couples and families wanting to keep it intimate with less than 100 guests (60.21%), while others hosting a much larger crowd of more than 300 guests (13%).
Hindustan Zinc, a subsidiary of Vedanta, on Thursday informed that the company's chairperson and director, Kiran Agarwal has stepped down, with effect from 18 January, 2023.

Hindustan Zinc's nomination and remuneration committee has approved the appointment of Priya Agarwal to the position of chairman of the company, with immediate effect.

"It is to inform that Mrs. Kiran Agarwal, Chairperson and director of the Company had stepped down from the board w.e.f. January 18, 2023 to pursue Vedanta Group Chairmans vision to give back 75% of his wealth to the society through his personal foundation," said the company in its regulatory filing.

"Accordingly, the Board of Directors in its meeting held on January 19, 2023, on the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Company, had considered and approved the appointment of Mrs. Priya Agarwal having DIN 05162177 as Additional Director and Chairperson of the Company with immediate effect, subject to approval of the shareholders," it added.

Hindustan Zinc, a subsidiary of Vedanta, on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of 2,156 crore for the December quarter, which is 20% lower than 2,701 crore reported in the year-ago period.

The consolidated revenue of the company declined by 2.7 per cent to 7,628 crore in the quarter under review from 7,841 crore a year ago.

The company's board recommended a third interim dividend of 13 per equity share for Q41Y23. This will amount to a payout of 5,493 crore.

Hindustan Zinc has fixed January 30 as the record to determine eligible shareholders for the third interim dividend.

Shares of Hindustan Zinc were up 4.28% to 376.80 apiece on the BSE at the close of trade on Thursday.
Anil Agarwal led Vedanta Ltd on Thursday informed that the company will sell its Zinc International assets to Hindustan Zinc Limited for cash consideration $2,981 million.

The company's board of directors in a meeting held on 19 January approved the sale of its Zinc International assets held by THL Zinc Ventures Ltd (Mauritius), wholly owned subsidiary of Vedanta, through THL Zinc Ltd (Mauritius). THL Zinc Ltd will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindustan Zinc.

"Board of Directors of the Company, in its meeting held today, considered and approved the proposed sale of its Zinc International assets held by THL Zinc Ventures Ltd (Mauritius) (THLZV"), a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, through THL Zinc Ltd (Mauritius) (THLZ") comprising shares held in Black Mountain Mining Pty Ltd, South Africa (69.6%) and THL Zinc Namibia Holdings (Pty) Ltd (100%), Namibia, to the proposed wholly owned subsidiary (SPV") of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL") another listed subsidiary of the Company, for a cash consideration not exceeding USD 2,981 million (in a phased manner basis agreed milestones), such that THLZ becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the SPV.," Vedanta said in its regulatory filing.

The cash consideration will be done in a phased manner basis agreed milestones. The proposed transaction is subject to receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.

Hindustan Zinc on Thursday reported a 20 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to 2,156 crore for the December 2022 quarter. This is against a net profit of 2,701 crore in the year-ago period, Hindustan Zinc said in a regulatory filing.

The consolidated revenue of the company declined by 2.7 per cent to 7,628 crore in the quarter under review from 7,841 crore a year ago.

The company's board recommended a third interim dividend of 13 per equity share for Q41Y23. This will amount to a payout of 5,493 crore.

Hindustan Zinc has fixed January 30 as the record to determine eligible shareholders for the third interim dividend.

Shares of Hindustan Zinc were up 4.57% to 377.55 apiece , while Vedanta shares were up by 2.04% at 330.70 on BSE at the close of trade on Thursday.
In December the Bank of Japan (boj) gave speculators an opening. By lifting its cap on ten-year government bond yields from 0.25% to 0.5%, the central bank raised the prospect that it would abandon its yield-curve-control" policy entirely. Since then, officials have been put to the test by increasingly uncooperative bond markets. The boj has been forced to make enormous bond purchases in an attempt to drive down the yield, buying 9.5trn yen ($72bn) on January 12th and 13th alone.

Speculators excitedly awaited the bojs next meeting. Would this be the moment the central bank gave up the fight? On January 18th the boj announced it would in fact keep going. The bank even promised to buy more bonds if necessary. The yen slumped on the news; short-sellers licked their wounds. Yet defending the policy is becoming astonishingly costly. The bojs difficult decisions are not going away.

View Full Image (Source: The Economist)

Yield-curve control was introduced by the bank in 2016 as part of an aggressive programme of monetary easing, which it hoped would lift Japans dormant inflation and economic growth. The boj is one of the few central banks to have stuck to its guns in 2022neither raising interest rates nor halting large-scale asset purchasesas inflation has risen around the world.

Japanese inflation has increased, too, but only to 4% year on year in December. That is less than half the peaks in America and the euro zone. And much of the surge is the result of the weak yen, which hit a 32-year low against the dollar in October, and high energy prices. Thus the boj argues underlying inflation is yet to rise to its target level of 2% in a sustainable manner.

The central banks decision to lift the cap on bond yields in December was an attempt to improve liquidity and facilitate more trading. It seems to have backfired. The boj owns around half of the countrys bond market, and more than 95% of some bond issuances, after a decade of hefty purchases. Extra purchases to defend the cap have worsened market shortages.

The bojs decision to hold fast could exacerbate the situation. The central bank is building vast potential losses on its bond portfolio. If Japanese bond yields were to rise by 0.25 percentage points, the banks total holdings as of January 10th would slump in value by around 7.5trn, or 1.4% of gdp, according to our calculations. Every extra bond bought to maintain the yield cap increases the potential loss.

Higher yields also alter Japans fiscal arithmetic. Government net debt ran to about 173% of gdp in the third quarter of last year, the highest of any rich country. Some 8% of the national budget is spent on interest payments. If payments on the stock of government debt rose by the same amount0.25 percentage pointsthe total bill would run to 11trn, or 10% of this years government budget. In the year ahead, the boj has no good options.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
New Delhi: Commission for Air Quality Management on Thursday asked Coal India Limited (CIL) and the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to ensure no coal is supplied by multiple coal companies to CIL agents operating in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Commission also advised the entities/units/industries including stockists, traders and dealers of coal to ensure compliance and discontinue coal supply in NCR for any kind of usage/stocking/selling/trading in entire NCR except for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs)," said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The statutory directions of the commission require complete elimination of use of coal and other unapproved fuels for various operations/applications across all sectors including industrial, commercial and miscellaneous applications, with effect from 1 January, 2023 in the entire NCR.

Use of coal now stands completely banned (except in TPPs) and it is not considered a permissible fuel within NCR as per the common fuel list under the Directions issued by the Commission," the ministry added.

In compliance of the Commissions directions, 84 industrial units across NCR areas of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan which were hitherto not using approved fuels, closed down their operations temporarily/ permanently on their own.

Since last 3 months w.e.f. 01.10.2022, only 21 industrial units were found using highly polluting unapproved fuels like coal, furnace oil, etc. and those units have been closed pursuant to CAQM closure directions. Beyond 01.01.2023, the compliance has further improved and only 02 units were found using such heavily polluting fuels during inspection, thus indicating satisfactory compliance of Statutory Directions of the Commission," the ministry said.

The Commissions flying squad will continue conducting incognito inspections to ensure strict compliance on use of only approved fuels in the entire NCR.
Highlighting the philosophy of Aarogyam Param Bhagyam, Swasthyam Sarwaarth Sadhanam", which translates as Good Health is the Greatest Fortune" and Health is the only way to Happiness in the World", Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare stated that under G20 India Presidency, we plan to strive for equitable access to healthcare for all and to help create a framework which can reduce disparities in healthcare availability across the world. India envisions to accelerate efforts towards increasing the pace of implementation of value-based healthcare and achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage across the world".

She was inaugurating the session on Medical Value Travel on the sidelines of the 1st Health Working Group meeting under the G20 India Presidency, in Thiruvananthapuram. VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present at the event.

Underscoring the significance of Medical Value Travel, Pawar said that for centuries, traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health in communities worldwide, and it continues to be a first port of call and crucial resource for individuals."

She highlighted the wide acceptance of traditional medicine and noted that Traditional medicine is gaining worldwide recognition as effective tools for pain management and hold a lot of promise against antibiotic resistance too. Over 170 of 194 WHO Member States have also reported the use of traditional medicine."

Pawar lauded Indias efforts toward creating a unique ecosystem for holistic wellness and healthcare. She said that India has been able to combine the best of modern and traditional medicine coupled with wellness treatments. Also, our health system offers quality treatment, having widespread availability and is one of the most affordable in the world."

Encouraging the participants to promote value-based healthcare, Pawar urged the stakeholders to discuss and enable equitable access to value-based healthcare services across the globe.

Reiterating the need for a holistic policy framework to promote Medical Value Travel, she said that Medical Value Travel across most of the countries is driven by private sector and while it facilitates provisioning of health services to needy patients cutting across geographical boundaries, the policy imperative to promote Medical Value Travel needs to gain momentum."

Pawar stated that with G20 India Presidency, we have the opportunity to create multilateral collaborations between countries, facilitated by knowledge sharing, leading to formulation of effective policies aiding accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to citizens across the world."

She was hopeful that G20 nations will forge a unique blueprint for the future of medical value travel through effective collaborations."

Pawar along with other dignitaries also visited stalls on wellness and medical value travel.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan spoke about the significance of Medical Value Travel in the present globalized world. Reiterating the ancient Indian philosophy of healthcare as a service (seva) and Sanskrit saying of Sarve Santu Niramaya (may all in the world remain healthy), he urged all stakeholders to synergize their efforts towards the common goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring Good Health and Wellbeing" and Universal Health Coverage" for all.

Representatives from the G20 member countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, The United Kingdom, United States of America and European Union attended the event. Special invitee countries included Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Sultanate of Oman, The Netherlands and United Arab Emirates. International organizations such as Asian Development Bank, African Union  AU, ASEAN, BMGF, CEPI, Commonwealth, FAO, G20 Innovation Hub, GAVI, Global AMR R & D Hub, OECD, Rockefeller Foundation, STOP TB-Partnership, World Economic Forum, Wellcome Trust, WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, UNEP etc., also participated in the event.
Xi Jinping has said he is "concerned" about the virus situation in the Chinese countryside, state media reported, as millions of people head to rural hometowns ahead of upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

The Chinese leader also defended his zero-Covid policy -- lifted last month after crippling the economy and sparking nationwide protests -- saying it had been "the right choice".

In a series of calls Wednesday ahead of the holiday, the Chinese leader told local officials he worried about the situation in the country's rural hinterlands.

"Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its Covid-19 response measures," state news agency Xinhua reported.

He "stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas," Xinhua said.

"Epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage, and we are still in a period that requires great efforts," Xi was reported as saying, stressing the need to "address the shortcomings in epidemic prevention and control in rural areas".

Transport authorities have predicted that more than two billion trips will be made during a 40-day period between January and February -- nearly double last year's number and 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

State media reported that 30.2 million people travelled nationwide on Wednesday alone.

The enormous migration -- one of the world's largest -- is widely expected to bring a surge in virus cases to China's under-resourced countryside.

Beijing last month lifted a hardline virus policy that saw the state impose grueling lockdowns and mandatory mass testing, hammering China's economy and sending hundreds onto the streets in protests.

Xi defended that tough strategy on Wednesday, insisting zero-Covid had been "the right choice" and had allowed the country to fight "several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations".

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
Brett Forrest, The Wall Street Journal

Hours before Russia first sent troops into Ukraine, Mr. Kiryeyev warned of Moscows plan to capture Kyiv. Days later, he was killed by security agents
As the jobs cut fears loom large over Microsoft as it announces 10,000 layoffs by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2023, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation, Satya Nadella, said on Wednesday that the sector must learn to be efficient as the demand slows down. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Satya Nadella said the world is going to go through a phase where there is normalisation in the demand.

During the [coronavirus] pandemic there was rapid acceleration. I think we are going to go through a phase today where there is some amount of normalization in demand," said Satya Nadella at WEF, adding that the world will have to do more with less. We will have to do more with less  we will have to show our own productivity gains with our own technology," he said.

It was earlier reported that Microsoft is planning to cut down jobs in engineering divisions, joining the ranks of technology giants that are scaling back as the industry prepares for a prolonged slump. The software giant is forecast to post its slowest revenue increase in years when it reports earnings later this month. Even its star cloud computing segment has begun to wane in the past year.

Satya Nadella said the tech spending should accelerate after the current economic cycle, while touting artificial intelligence as a technology that would boost growth.

Satya Nadella later said that many companies have a productivity paranoia," toward their workers. Every leader thinks that somehow theyre not being productive, but everyone whos working in the organization feels burned out."

Topics
In Collegedale and beyond, the search continues for a man accused of assault, rape, and attempted murder. Two times he has evaded officers and now it is hoped reward cash will lead to his capture.
Longtime County Attorney Rheubin Taylor has filed suit against new County Mayor Weston Wamp, saying he is trying to fire him despite him having a four-year contract given by the prior County Commission in 2021.
The case against Dustin Spillers was delayed Wednesday morning in court in Troup County, Georgia. He's the former PTA President of Wolftever Creek Elementary facing three charges of child molestation and one count of aggravated sexual battery in Georgia. Tennessee's PTA President says his ro
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Argos is to close all its outlets in Ireland with the loss of almost 600 jobs.

There are over 30 Argos stores in Ireland including one in Longford at the N4 Axis Centre.

The company said it arrived at the decision to leave Ireland following a long period of careful consideration and a thorough review of its business and operations in the country. It concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was not viable and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business.

Argos operates a bespoke model in the Republic of Ireland that is significantly different to its wider UK operation and todays announcement only relates to Argos stores in the Republic of Ireland.

There will be no change to the retailers operations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

The company said that everyone at Argos recognises that todays news will be unsettling for all its colleagues, some of whom have served Argos customers in Ireland for many years, and disappointing for its loyal customers.

Argos says it is committed to doing everything it can to support its people and is talking to 580 staff members, across 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland about their options.

Argos will propose an enhanced redundancy package that goes well beyond its statutory obligations. The small number of colleagues not eligible for redundancy under Irish Law are expected to receive a one-off goodwill payment. To further support colleagues, Argos has also committed to a programme of wider support over the coming months.

Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland Operations Manager, said: We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues. As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted. On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business.

Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until June 24. Following todays announcement, Argos will begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business. As part of this, customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after March 22. Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.

Argos is communicating its overall decision to colleagues, customers, landlords, suppliers and other stakeholders today in order to give them as much time as possible to plan accordingly.

The Mandate Trade Union has this morning expressed its disappointment at Argoss decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here. Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage," he said.

"We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Michael Meegan concluded.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action, Environment and Transport, Eamon Ryan TD will travel to Mullingar for a special public meeting organised by the Longford Westmeath Green Party and hosted by Mayor of Mullingar, Cllr Hazel Smyth. The meeting will take place in Columb Barracks at 7.30pm and will be hosted by Noel Kinahan.

Minister Ryan will address the challenges facing us as a result of climate change and the urgent need to decarbonise our society, as well as the opportunities offered by the transition to a low-carbon economy. He will outline the progress made to date and share Green Party plans for the future.

In addition to the Minister, the evening will be packed with insights from a host of other speakers covering the topics of transport, energy and the Just Transition.

On transport, Cllr Louise Heavin will talk about the Active Travel programme and Ken MacPherson will discuss the opportunities provided by public transport in decarbonising our transport sector.

More speakers will be present on the night on a range of topics including public banking, car pooling, and pesticide use on public lands.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: January 19 2023

The charge carries a maximum of 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has been criminally charged in connection with the fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust in October 2021.

On October 21, 2021, Baldwin, 63, was filming on the set of the western movie Rust at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when he discharged a gun being used as a prop  that had somehow been loaded with a real bullet  killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza, 48.

New Mexico prosecutors announced that both Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been charged with involuntary manslaughter  a felony  over the death of Hutchins. In addition, Assistant director David Halls  who reportedly handed the loaded gun to Baldwin  accepted a misdemeanor charge in a plea deal, according to special prosecutor Andrea Reeb.

If any one of these three people  Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, or David Halls  had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. Its that simple, she said.

A jury will decide which of two charges  involuntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act  that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are potentially guilty or not guilty of.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: January 19 2023

In a 2021 interview, Baskin claimed that her husband may actually be alive and well, and currently living in Costa Rica.

Carole Baskin  star Tiger King and owner of Tampa, Florida's Big Cat Rescue tiger refuge  has endured repeated allegations from viewers of the hit NetFlix documentary series that she may have been behind the disappearance of her estranged husband, Don Lewis, who who was declared legally dead in 2002 after going missing several years before.

However, an interview with Baskin last year has recently resurfaced and gone viral where she revealed at the time that her husband may actually be alive and well, and currently living in Costa Rica.

While being interviewed by ITVs This Morning in 2001, Baskin claimed that Lewis had been spotted in the Central American country and that the Department of Homeland Security has reached out to her husband and confirmed that he was, indeed, alive.

The tiger rehabber claimed that she didn't find out about Lewis' bizarre resurfacing until after the sequel series "Tiger King 2" had already aired.

One of the really exciting things that came out of Tiger King 2 is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security and it says that a special agent in charge with the FBI at Homeland Security reached out to the sheriffs detective George [Jorge] Fernandez, which means this had to have happened after 2002 because Homeland Security wasnt even around until 2002, Baskin said during the ITV interview.

They said my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica, she continued. And yet all of this drama has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance when Homeland Security has known where he is.

It is unknown why that revelation essentially flew under the radar at the time, nor why it suddenly only now making the rounds in the media.

Baskin has been accused over the years  due to the unusual circumstances of Lewis' disappearance  of having orchestrated a plot to have him murdered, although no concrete proof supporting that has ever surfaced.

However, until Lewis actually appears in-person for an interview, there will probably still be a segment of the Tiger King audience that still maintains that Baskin had him "rubbed out" as part of some nefarious scheme. Time will tell!
(Alliance News) - J Sainsbury PLC's Argos Ltd has announced plans to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland by this summer, a move that will see hundreds of jobs axed.

The company employs around 580 people in 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland. The hours worked by staff in Ireland equate to 330 full-time roles.

Argos said it arrived at the decision to leave Ireland following a long period of "careful consideration" and a "thorough review" of its business and operations in the country.

The company said it concluded the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish part of its business was "not viable", and that the money would be better invested in other parts of its business.

Argos said it would consult with staff and the trade union Mandate, and offer an "enhanced redundancy package" that goes "well beyond" its statutory obligations.

It said a "small number" of staff not eligible for redundancy under Irish law were set to receive a "one-off goodwill payment".

The company said it was also committed to a programme of wider support to staff over the coming months.

Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland operations manager, said: "We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues.

"As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted. On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business."

Argos said its UK operations were "performing well" and were unaffected by the announcement, insisting there would be no change to how it operates in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

The majority of Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until June 24.

The retailer will now begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business and customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after March 22.

Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.

J Sainsbury shares were 1.3% lower at 239.50 pence each on Thursday afternoon in London.

By David Young, PA

Press Association: News

source: PA

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Plans to scrap all remaining EU-made laws in the UK by the end of the year have cleared the House of Commons, amid criticism from a senior Brexiteer that the process is not democratic and "possibly incompetent".

Conservative former Brexit secretary David Davis hit out at the Retained EU Law (Revocation & Reform) Bill as it passed its final Commons hurdles.

MPs voted 297 to 238, majority 59, to give it a third reading and the Bill will now go to the Lords for further scrutiny.

Business minister Nusrat Ghani described the proposed legislation as "the culmination of government's work to untangle ourselves from decades of EU membership".

Prominent eurosceptic MPs seemed to be divided over the government's plans, though, which could see around 4,000 laws amended, repealed or replaced with little Parliamentary scrutiny over each decision.

Conservative former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said the bill was a "technical tidying up operation" but of "great constitutional importance".

He insisted people who oppose it "actually in their hearts are the ones who opposed Brexit all along".

Tory MP Bill Cash (Stone) told the Commons "these thousands of laws lack inherent democratic legitimacy and must therefore be removed or replaced from our statute book".

In stark contrast to his eurosceptic colleagues, leading Leave campaigner Davis described the bill as "not democratic", as he argued "I voted and I campaigned to improve democracy, I wanted to take back control to give it to Westminster, not to Whitehall".

He stressed the bill is also going to be "inefficient and possibly incompetent", giving the House the example of March, 2020: "You may remember that that was the day we gave the government all sorts of powers on the coronavirus emergency act.

"And look how many errors were made in governing the country in the next six months until we corrected that."

Davis, who ultimately voted in support of the bill at third reading, backed an unsuccessful cross-party amendment, which would have given MPs greater oversight over the scrapping of remaining EU-made laws.

According to the division list, the amendment was also supported by three other Conservative MPs: the Conservative chair of the Justice Select Committee Bob Neill, Conservative MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy and Conservative former minister Dan Poulter.

It was rejected by 295 to 242, majority 53.

Amendments suggested by Labour to extend the deadline to 2026, and exempt swathes of environmental and employment legislation, were also defeated.

Speaking at third reading, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "We still have not heard a compelling answer as to why the government can't address the body of EU attained law on a sector by sector basis, putting forward their replacement proposals in the same way we legislate for everything else.

"What this bill is a charter for is uncertainty, confusion, and the regression of essential British rights and we cannot and we will not stand for that."

source: PA

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance news) - Informa PLC on Thursday said it has entered 2023 with continuing momentum thanks to a strong finish to 2022.

Informa is a London-based business publisher and events organiser.

Chief Executive Stephen Carter pointed to strong performances in both Academic Markets and B2B markets and a strengthened balance sheet as evidence for the firm to deliver underlying growth in 2022.

"Continued strong performance in traditional pay-to-read publishing combined with further progress in Open Research is expected to deliver about 3% underlying revenue growth in 2022, up from 2.4% in 2021," Informa says.

Informa now expects to post revenue of more than GBP2.38 billion in the year, with adjusted operating profit anticipated at GBP530 million. Free cash flow is expected at GBP440 million.

For 2021, Informa posted revenue of GBP1.80 billion and an adjusted operating profit of GBP388 million. It swung to pretax profit of GBP137.1 million from a loss of GBP1.14 billion in 2020.

Informa added that over GBP500 million of buybacks were completed in 2022. It is committed to paying out a minimum of 40% of the group's continuing adjusted earnings.

The company will release annual results on March 9.

Informa shares were up 1.7% at 671.00 pence each on Thursday morning in London.

By Xindi Wei, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Sage Group PLC on Thursday said it has made a strong start to its new financial year as it reported a double-digit percentage rise in revenue.

For the three months that ended December 31, the Newcastle-based business software company reported GBP540 million in revenue, up 10% from GBP493 million the previous year.

This was thanks to 31% revenue growth in its Sage Business Cloud division, it said, and despite a 29% decline in 'other' revenue.

Recurring revenue grew 12% to GBP517 million from GBP460 million, rising 18% in North America, 12% in UK, Ireland, Africa, Middle East & Asia Pacific and 3% in Europe.

As a result of the performance, which Sage said was in line with its expectations, the company reiterated its guidance for the full-year.

Sage highlighted that the weaker sterling against the US dollar and Euro lead to an exchange rate tailwind.

Sage shares were down 0.6% at 771.40 pence each in London on Thursday morning.

By Tom Budszus, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - UK Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said Thursday he would not rush into a decision on fresh elections in Northern Ireland, even if a deadline for power-sharing in Belfast is missed.

"If no Executive is formed today, I'll be under a legal duty to hold elections to the Assembly in the next 12 weeks," he tweeted, as the clock ticked to the midnight cut-off.

But he added: "I'll use the next few weeks to carefully assess all options about what happens next and continue to talk to all interested parties before I make any decisions."

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government at the parliament in Stormont for almost a year because of a walk-out by the pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party.

The DUP collapsed the power-sharing executive with pro-Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein in February 2022 because of its opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The protocol, signed between London and Brussels as part of the UK's Brexit divorce from the EU, governs trade in the British province, and keeps Northern Ireland in the European single market and customs union.

The DUP wants the deal overhauled or scrapped entirely, arguing it casts Northern Ireland adrift from the rest of the UK and makes a united Ireland more likely.

It had been due to share power with Sinn Fein, who became the biggest party in the assembly after elections last May.

"The DUP are hiding behind the protocol," Sinn Fein's first minister-elect Michelle O'Neill told journalists in London.

"I suspect it's a lot more about the election result in May. I suspect it's because they don't want to serve alongside a republican first minister," she said.

Northern Ireland was created just over a century ago as a pro-UK, Protestant-majority entity under British rule, as Ireland cast off colonial governance from London and later became a republic.

If power-sharing is not restored, Heaton-Harris is obliged by law from Friday to announce a date for a new election within the next six weeks to allow a further six weeks of campaigning.

Under current rules, this would mean an election would have to be held no later than April 13  three days after the 25th anniversary of the 1998 agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.

It is widely expected that the UK government will put forward new legislation to extend the cut-off point for the Belfast assembly to reform, pushing elections further into the future.

The delay is aimed at taking pressure off the UK and the EU while they negotiate to resolve differences over the protocol, which governs trade between Northern Ireland and England, Scotland and Wales.

It provides for checks on goods heading to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK.

This is because the province has an open land border with EU member Ireland  a key plank of the peace accord that ended three decades of violence over British rule in Northern Ireland.

A breakthrough could see parties return to Stormont but is not guaranteed, leaving Northern Ireland without a government on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Heaton-Harris met Irish deputy prime minister Micheal Martin in Dublin on Thursday and reaffirmed his cautious approach, given more optimism about the EU talks.

Martin told reporters the DUP had an "overriding obligation... to fulfil the mandate of the people of Northern Ireland" and go back to Stormont.

In London, Sinn Fein's all-Ireland leader Mary Lou McDonald, who is opposition leader in Dublin, said it would be "shameful" if there was still a boycott by the time of the anniversary.

She reaffirmed her party's belief that a referendum on reunifying the island of Ireland is likely this decade, urging both London and Dublin to start preparations.

And addressing what she said was the DUP's "lukewarm" ambivalence about the Good Friday Agreement, McDonald added: "They can't have yesterday.

"The success in Ireland has been about tomorrow."

source: AFP

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Jennifer Lopez attended the premiere of her new romantic comedy, 'Shotgun Wedding', wearing an impressive, sparkling gold see-through dress.

The movie, which was produced by J-Lo and famous actor Ryan Reynolds, held its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on January 18.

Jennifer Lopez's touching video dedicated for her mother on her birthday

The film follows the story of a woman and a man who gather their families for a destination wedding.

Something unexpected happens, as gunmen take everyone hostage and Lopez tries to rescue her family along with co-star Josh Duhamel.

"J-Lo is a boss. In the best way," Duhamel said.

"I had one of the most fun times ever making that movie. [The location] was one of the most beautiful places in the world."

What is the cast and release date of 'Shotgun Wedding'?

The 'Shotgun Wedding' cast also includes Jennifer Coolidge, Sonia Braga, Cheech Marin, Selena Tan, D'Arcy Carden, Callie Hernandez, Desmin Borges, Steve Coulter and Lenny Kravitz.

"I had to get my inner Lucile Ball on for this, you know what I mean?" Lopez said when asked about her new movie.

"It's more hijinks, more kind of raw.

"The action added a whole other element to it.

"I couldn't have gotten luckier to have the most amazing leading man who could do the comedy, do the action, and really nail the emotional stuff.

"It was Josh's line to me on our first call that we did. It was like, if people don't believe us together, none of this works."

The movie is scheduled to be released on January 27 on Prime Video.
EQS-Ad-hoc: The Social Chain AG / Key word(s): Personnel

The Social Chain AG: New member of the supervisory board appointed by court



19-Jan-2023 / 15:49 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Publication of Insider Information according to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR TRANSMISSION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, "UNITED STATES") OR TO ANY U.S. PERSON (AS DEFINED BELOW), CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION MAY BE UNLAWFUL OR IN WHICH THE OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS SUBJECT TO REGULATORY RESTRICTIONS. THERE ARE OTHER RESTRICTIONS. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE END OF THIS PUBLICATION.

The Social Chain AG: New member of the supervisory board appointed by court

Berlin, January 19, 2023 Today, the commercial register at the local court of Charlottenburg has informed The Social Chain AG (WKN: A1YC99, ISIN:DE000A1YC996, Ticker: PU11) (the Company) that Mr Sebastian Stietzel, Berlin, has been appointed as new member of the supervisory board by decision of the court upon request of the Companys management board.

Such court decision was necessary since Dr Georg Kofler has previously resigned from office as member of the Companys supervisory board in order to be appointed as new CEO of the Company.

The supervisory board now again consists of three members.

www.socialchain.com

Notifying Person:

Sarah Pust I Investor Relations

Gormannstrae 22

10119 Berlin

+49 163 208 4182

ir@socialchain.com

Important Notice



This announcement constitutes neither an offer nor a solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities of the Company.

This announcement is not intended for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or within the United States and may not be distributed to U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) or publications with a general circulation in the United States. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities in the United States. The securities are not and will not be registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States.

In the United Kingdom, this publication is only addressed to (i) persons falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), (ii) Persons falling within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order (high net worth corporations, partnerships, etc.) or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made available under applicable securities laws (such persons collectively, the "Relevant Persons"). This publication must not be referred to or relied upon by any person other than a Relevant Person.

The securities referred to in this announcement are not being sold or offered for sale in Canada, Australia or Japan, or to or for the account of any person resident or resident in Canada, Australia or Japan. No measures have been taken to offer, purchase or distribute the securities in countries where this is not permitted.

This publication does not constitute a recommendation as to an investment into the Company. Investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of an investment into the Company for the person concerned.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements, estimates, opinions and forecasts regarding the future business, results of operations and results of The Social Chain AG ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe," "estimate," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "will," or "should," or their negation, and similar variations or terminology. Forward-looking statements include all matters that are not based on historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions, forecasts and assumptions of the Management Board of The Social Chain AG and involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results, performance and events to differ materially from the results, performance and events expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements may differ. Forward-looking statements contained herein should not be taken as guarantees of future performance or results and are not necessarily reliable indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this release. The Company will not update the information, forward-looking statements or conclusions contained in this release to reflect subsequent events and circumstances, nor will it reflect subsequent events or circumstances, or any inaccuracies that may arise after the issue of this release as a result of new information, future developments or other circumstances, correct, and assumes no obligation to do so. Neither the Company nor any other person assumes any responsibility whatsoever that the forward-looking statements or assumptions contained herein will materialize.
Global Predictions 2023 | China could play a great role in multiplex global order: expert

(People's Daily App) 16:17, January 19, 2023

Now that it's a new year, all eyes have turned to what 2023 will bring.

What do experts think will happen in 2023? This is our new column of interviews with experts on trends in international relations in 2023.

In the second episode, Renan Montenegro, Assistant Professor of the Department of International Relations, Rio de Janeiro State University, offers answers to the above questions.

As far as the situation in Latin America is concerned, the political crises in some countries deserves attention, including Peru, El Salvador and Nicaragua. And there will be general elections this year in Paraguay, Guatemala and Argentina.

Regarding China-Brazil relations, in November last year, Brazil's exports to China increased by 35.6 percent, and the trade surplus hit a record high. "Of course, China, as our main trading partner, contributes a lot to those sales," he said.

"On the one hand, China is trying to conduct bilateral negotiations, coordination, and cooperation with the US, but on the other hand, at least for me, I can see some kind of containment strategy by the US political elite," Professor Montenegro said when referring to China-US relations.

He also predicts the advent of a multiplex global order in which China can play a great role, particularly in new multilateral arrangements.

Click on the video for more fresh insights from predictions about international relations in 2023.

(Video produced by Wu Jie, Chen Yiming, and Bi Mengying; edited by Han Xiaomeng, Lin Rui, Xie Runjia and He Shan)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The winter weather in Ukraine has made it possible for Ukraine to send more of their troops to NATO bases for training. The United States has set up a training program that trains up to 800 Ukrainian troops a month. Until now the Americans were only training about 300 Ukrainian soldiers each month. Since February 2022 the U.S. has trained 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers. All this training concentrates in teaching Ukrainian troops to use weapons or equipment sent to Ukraine. For example, this program trained 610 Ukrainian artillerymen on how to use the HIMARS vehicle that carries and launches six GMLRS missiles. The fire control system of the HIMARS vehicle is somewhat complex. This HIMARS training enabled the Ukrainian crews to use the GMLRS missiles with devastating effect.

The new expanded program will train infantry units to handle more complex battlefield tactics. From 2015 to February 2022, American instructors trained 0ver 27,000 Ukrainian troops at a Ukrainian army base. After the invasion the American trainers withdrew and the training continued, on a smaller scale, in NATO bases in Germany.

Britain has used a thousand trainers to train nearly 10,000 Ukrainian troops in the last six months. Britain will train another 20,000 Ukrainian troops in Britain this year. Other nations have also contributed trainers to this effort. The Ukrainians appreciate this training effort and it makes a difference on the battlefield. This is especially true because Russia is sending more troops to Ukraine who have had little or no training. That means the Russians suffer higher casualties and the Ukrainian lose far fewer men.

The training program continues as Ukraine receives more complex weapons and equipment. This includes increasingly complex air defense systems like Patriot. More complex armored vehicles are on the way, including the M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle), the successor to the M113 battle taxi that was a lot simpler to operate. The M2 weighs 27-30 tons and not only weighs twice as much as the M113, but has far more onboard equipment you must master to get the most out of what amounts to a mini-tank that weighs half as much as an M1 tank. In peacetime the training courses for M2 operators and maintainers last several months. In wartime the training can be reduced to a few weeks, especially if you select students who have experience operating or repairing similar commercial or military equipment. There are also documents about operation or repair that can be viewed on a cell phone.

Ukrainian troops have been quick learners and know that success learning this material is a matter of life or death. The NATO nations have been making notes of how well and quickly the Ukrainians absorb this training, and used it to improve NATO training methods. NATO has long been getting useful feedback from Ukrainian troops about how well the training and the equipment works.

Britain is sending Ukraine some tanks and several countries are sending IFVs. NATO and the Ukrainians develop shorter courses enabling troops familiar with one model of tank or IFV to transition to another similar vehicle. All this training gives Ukrainian forces a major advantage over the Russians, where most of the troops have little training or advanced tech and suffer from low morale and poor leadership. That sort of thing makes a big difference in combat but is often discounted during peacetime.
by Austin Bay January 18, 2023

Headlines in 2022 damned former President Donald Trump for mishandling "classified information" -- a term designating secrets that have genuine national security value.

2023: current President Joe Biden has definitely mishandled classified info. Damning fact: Biden's negligence -- or malfeasance -- was discovered before the 2022 midterm elections.

For two months the FBI, Department of Justice and corrupt media provided Biden with politically expedient silence.

Fact: Trump endured a very ugly FBI raid on his Florida home. Fact: Biden confronts drip-by-drip evidence that he ignored very clear laws governing classified national security information when he left the office of vice president in early 2017.

Differentiating fact: Trump, as president, had classification authority, meaning he could declassify documents. VP Joe did not.

Raid Trump, Biden slides in silence. The two-tiered justice system stinks and is patently un-American.

National security means a lot to me, and for the sake of our security let's get to the gut of the classified info issue.

The laws governing classified national security information are a fortification -- a legal, institutional and behavioral fort that codifies and enforces procedures for determining the classification level, limiting the distribution and maintaining the physical control of secrets.

Government security agencies are supposed to be fully committed to protecting secrets that contribute to the defense of Americans and American allies from deadly threats and destructive surprises.

World War II's sobering rhyme, "loose lips sink ships," reminded America that failure to protect national security secrets exacted a blood price. Even minimal negligence could give an enemy enough information to damage the U.S. and allied war effort and kill American soldiers and sailors.

Terrorists, rogue states, Vladimir Putin and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are deadly threats. Effective diplomacy and reliable intelligence collection and assessment are America's first lines of defense against them. Effective diplomacy and intel require institutionally and personally protecting classified information 24/7 without a slip.

This entails a moral commitment. Failing to protect secrets increases the risk of belligerent attack on America and its allies. Exposing information may endanger the lives of U.S. military personnel and intelligence officers.

Verified security clearances matter. "Cleared individuals" often have access to information that will get Americans and American allies killed. The ability to securely handle life-and-death information is the bottom-line determination, or ought to be.

Failure to follow the rules undermines morale at security agencies, especially when senior leaders fail to lead by example.

The circumstances in a failure to protect secrecy matter. Accidents and mistakes occur, and those responsible for the accidents and mistakes are held responsible, at least those at lower levels. However, in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's so called email case, we confronted a dangerous intelligence scandal created by her premeditated and systematic (hence criminal) mishandling of highly classified U.S. national security information. Clinton's private server had Top Secret Special Access Program (SAP) information. Compromising this type of information can expose "sources, methods and lives" to enemy retaliation.

Clinton beat the rap because... corrupt FBI officials, ugly Beltway politics and a corrupt legacy media eschewing honesty for propaganda.

Trump's raid got big headlines. In retrospect it appears the FBI raid on Trump was a propaganda stunt. Biden's first classified documents were found Nov. 2, 2022, at The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, which is located in Washington. We didn't hear about the discovery until January 2023. The Penn Biden Center opened in February 2018. Where were the documents for the 13 months following Biden's departure from office? Silence.

Biden's lawyers are assessing the documents. Are they qualified to investigate a breach of classified information laws? Silence. More classified documents have turned up in a garage at one of Biden's Delaware homes. Hunter Biden lived in the home for several months, and Hunter made deals with the CCP. The Biden Penn Center got CCP money. Did Communist China have access to Biden's classified documents? Silence -- so far.

Special Counsel Robert K. Hur, appointed by DOJ to investigate Biden's criminality, must expand his investigation to include potential CCP espionage. If Hur fails to do so, he becomes a national security liability.
Two congressmen are once again urging Americans to express support for troops and veterans by saying "thank you for our freedom" instead of "thank you for your service."

Republican Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan, a retired Marine lieutenant general, and Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat from California, first introduced the measure last fall as a way to "renew and affirm" Americans' commitment to troops. But it failed to pass.

Despite its initial failure and an outpouring of troops and veterans balking at the idea, the bill sparked a renewed conversation about military gratitude, and how Americans express it. Now, the pair are reintroducing the provision.

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The legislation does not request any legal mandates on speech, but rather "invite[s] citizens" to embrace the phrase "in appreciation to all who serve or have served."

Military.com contacted the offices of Bergman and Correa and asked why the measure did not pass in the 117th Congress and whether they believe it will pass in the new year.

"Now that Republicans are in the majority, the politics of who gets their bills brought to the floor have been removed and fairness dictates our legislative calendar," James Hogge, a spokesperson for Bergman, told Military.com via email, adding that he believes the resolution will be brought to the House floor. Correa's office did not respond by publication.

The legislation is identical to its predecessor, which was introduced in September 2022. And while many former and current service members believe the phrase "thank you for your service" offers a sometimes empty sentiment, the proposed bill did not explain why it needed replacing.

"When we change the language to 'thank you for our freedom,' I think that comes from a place of -- or at least sounds like -- entitlement," said Rhasean Stephens, an Army captain and legal aide for Baylor Law School's Veterans Clinic, which offers pro bono legal advice for in-need veterans.

But the proposed phrase, according to Stephens, might offer a deeper consequence.

"There's an assumption in there, right?" said Stephens, an aspiring judge advocate general. "Some people don't believe that we necessarily need to be in every single conflict to ensure our American freedoms."

Others Military.com spoke to had slightly different reactions to the reintroduced bill.

One active-duty senior noncommissioned officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the press, simply said the bill is "cringeworthy."

One former Army captain, Jacob Pachter, told Military.com that the measure is "misguided."

"With regard to bills supporting the veteran community, I'd prefer the legislature focus on items that would provide real, tangible benefits to those who have served," he said.

Bergman's office said that the resolution would accompany "more substantive" veterans bills.

Publications, including Military.com, took to calling the measure "awkward" or "performative" in their opinion sections after the bill was first introduced last year.

Military.com's Fire Watch podcast aired an episode on Veterans Day, a month after the initial legislation was introduced, asking current and former service members -- ones from different generations of war, genders and ethnicities -- their opinion on military gratitude.

Despite near feverish online reactions to the new legislation, its introduction saw many veterans -- some just beginning to reckon with the tumultuous pullout from Afghanistan -- reevaluating what that gratitude means after 20 years of war.

Retired 1st Sgt. Jonathan Hill, who earned a Silver Star in the now infamous Battle of Kamdesh in 2009, said he almost always appreciates being thanked, but is sometimes skeptical of the motivations of the person who said it.

"Hearing it now is sort of like it's a cliche.  Are you just saying it? Are you being genuine, or you're just saying it because it's a cool thing to say?" he said. He did add that "thank you for my freedom" may be an apt alternative.

Jack McCain, a Navy pilot and son of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, said that the sentiment should be used as a step to connect with or reflect on those who have served, especially on Veterans Day.

Others, women and people of color in particular, said that they rarely hear "thank you for your service" at all, or have a complex relationship with the sentiment, given historical shortcomings or discrimination they and their peers experienced around their service.

For example, Daniele Anderson, co-founder of a nonprofit organization called the Black Veterans Project, said she has gone through "many iterations" on how she's received the phrase.

"When I was in the military  I felt a sense of pride," Anderson, who graduated from the Naval Academy and served as a Surface Warfare Officer, said. "But I had so many varied experiences out of uniform in some of the ways that I was treated.

"The picture that comes in our head when we think of a veteran isn't a woman and often isn't a Black woman," she continued. "And so while I was in uniform, I felt like 'thank you for your service' began to kind of erode for me."

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Fire Watch: Thank You for Your Service
Navy leaders as well as congressional representatives are vowing to address the service's persistent mental health problems, which have been punctuated by a recent suicide crisis, after a tour of a facility where four sailors died by suicide in just over a month.

Lawmakers are pointing to a 2021 law that was meant to provide help and asking why it hasn't been fully put into effect by the Pentagon.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Congressman Bobby Scott, D-Va., visited the Naval Maintenance Center in Norfolk, Virginia, along with Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Tuesday in an effort to better understand why the unit experienced a rash of suicides in November 2022.

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Kaine, speaking to reporters after the tour, said that Del Toro acknowledged that more needs to be done for sailors.

"We owe you maybe better and more than we're providing right now," Kaine said Del Toro told the sailors.

Aside from the four suicides at the maintenance center, the Navy failed to disclose a string of suicides aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which is in the final months of a years-long overhaul in a Viriginia shipyard. The last known suicide aboard that ship occurred in April 2022.

The Navy's two top sailors both recently said that the service's suicide problem keeps them up at night.

Kaine connected the two suicide clusters by explaining that both commands have a large contingent of sailors who lack a clear understanding of their purpose in the Navy.

In the case of the aircraft carrier, the senator, as well as sailors who spoke with Military.com, described a daily existence that is far from what they expected out of their service.

"You thought you were gonna be doing some probably out on the water, then you're in a very different situation, and it's a loud construction site -- not, maybe, what you thought it was," Kaine explained.

"That can sometimes lead to a little bit of a sense of 'What's my purpose?'"

Meanwhile, the maintenance center has a large contingent of sailors -- 400 to 600 out of around 1,500 -- who are there on non-permanent orders, including sailors on humanitarian orders, pregnancy or postpartum status, or limited duty.

"There's a group of people there  they don't know, are they there for a year, are they there for three years? What's the next step beyond?" Kaine said.

The senator suggested that both the ratio of sailors "who might be working in a command on a limited-duty status" as well as the time it takes for someone to get a medical appointment for mental health issues could be part of the solution.

Kaine also highlighted an issue others in Congress have been pointing to: the fact that a key piece of legislation aimed at giving service members easier access to mental health treatment has yet to be implemented.

The Brandon Act -- named after Brandon Caserta, who died via suicide in 2018 -- was passed last year but still hasn't been implemented by military services.

Kaine ascribed the delay to a tension between the Pentagon and the law's key provisions designed to allow service members to confidentially seek mental health help.

"Do we want to provide more confidential paths or do we want to make it more normal to just talk about it?" Kaine said, adding that "these things can be kind of [cross] purposes sometimes in terms of how you implement them."

Military.com reported on the case of one sailor who, in the course of seeking help for his mood disorder, was given a drug test that came back positive for cannabinoids -- the family of drugs associated with marijuana. The sailor denied having used any substances, but the results were still reported back to his ship by his doctor and he was convicted of drug use.

Kaine said that he's "seen this movie before -- we do something that's good  now we got to just stay on it; to make sure it's being implemented in the spirit with which it was intended."

The senator added that implementing the act is "going to be my focus going into the NDAA this year." At that point, the Brandon Act will be approaching three years of age.

Speaking to the sailors at the maintenance center, Del Toro had a simpler message: "I need you to take care of each other.

"Talk to each other, find out what you're struggling with," Del Toro said, according to a transcript provided by the Navy to Military.com.

"Let me assure you that this is one family -- it is. I'm saying this from experience."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: What the Deaths of Sailors Who Took Their Own Lives Aboard the George Washington Reveal About the Navy
Three Marines were arrested Wednesday for their participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

Micah Coomer, Joshua Abate, and Dodge Dale Hellonen -- three men identified by investigators as active-duty Marines -- were arrested on four charges each stemming from their participation in the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

The three men are the first active-duty military members to be arrested in connection with the siege since Marine Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, who was taken into custody in May 2021 on nine charges. All three Marines, who were arrested more than two years after the attack, work in jobs connected to the intelligence community.

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They were each charged with knowingly entering a restricted building, two counts of disorderly conduct, and parading or picketing inside the U.S. Capitol.

A Marine Corps spokesman confirmed that the service is "aware of an investigation and the allegations" and added the service "is fully cooperating with appropriate authorities in support of the investigation."

According to the complaint filed by federal prosecutors, investigators first learned of the three men when they found photos from inside the Capitol that Coomer had posted on Instagram including "the caption 'Glad to be apart [sic] of history.'" A search warrant was issued for his social media accounts in August 2021.

After officials identified Coomer, they used video and images from inside the building that day to identify Abate and Hellonen as well, according to court documents.

Later, investigators explained that all three men's identities were confirmed by comparing their images in the videos to their driver's licenses, as well as their military identification card photos.

According to court documents, the trio spent just under an hour milling about the Capitol, including the Rotunda, where they put "a red MAGA hat on one of the statues to take photos with it."

In a chat with another Instagram user in the weeks after the siege, the court records say Coomer told an unidentified person "that everything in this country is corrupt. We honestly need a fresh restart. I'm waiting for the boogaloo." When the other person asked what a "boogaloo" was, Coomer said "Civil war 2."

The Boogaloo movement is broadly anti-government in nature but favors violence with the use of the term "boogaloo" typically slang for a future race war. However, some experts, like the Anti-Defamation League, have noted that "most boogalooers are not white supremacists, though one can find white supremacists within the movement."

According to records provided to Military.com by the Marine Corps, all three men have been enlisted in the Marines for more than four years, with Hellonen, who enlisted in August 2017, being the most senior. On paper, the three Marines hold demanding jobs tied to the intelligence community, are stationed at major commands, and have personal commendations and awards to their name. At least one held a significant security clearance. All three had been awarded good conduct medals.

Abate, a sergeant, is assigned to the Marine Corps' Cryptologic Support Battalion at Fort Meade, Maryland -- also home to the National Security Agency headquarters -- as a signals intelligence operator and analyst. Records provided by the Marine Corps show that among his awards was a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, an unusual and prestigious medal for a junior Marine.

Court documents say that Abate admitted to being in the Capitol in a June 2022 interview that was part of his security clearance process.

"During the interview, Abate discussed entering the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 with two 'buddies,'" the documents say, before adding that they "walked around and tried not to get hit with tear gas."

"Abate also admitted he heard how the event was being portrayed negatively and decided that he should not tell anybody about going into the U.S. Capitol Building," the court document said.

Hellonen, a sergeant, is assigned to the 3rd Marine Raider Support Battalion -- a unit that supports Marine Corps Special Operations Command -- also as a signals intelligence operator and analyst. He is stationed at Camp Lejeune, and his warrant shows he was arrested in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Earlier in his career in the Marine Corps, Hellonen was highlighted by the Air Force as a "student of the month" while attending a joint school on an Air Force base.

Coomer, a corporal and the man whose social media posting was credited by investigators as leading them to the trio, is assigned to 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, at Camp Pendleton as a system engineer for intelligence and reconnaissance systems. His arrest warrant shows he was arrested in nearby Oceanside, California.

The careers of the three men stand in contrast to the other enlisted service members who were arrested for allegedly taking part in the riot. Most were lower ranking than the three Marines, and some were struggling to find success in the military. For example, Pfc. Abram Markofski, a Wisconsin National Guardsman who pleaded guilty to charges related to his role in the assault on the Capitol, was removed from Special Forces Selection for failing the Army's physical fitness test.

However, the men are not the only members of the intelligence community to be arrested for their alleged part in the siege. In the summer of 2022, federal authorities arrested Petty Officer 1st Class Hatchet Speed, a sailor assigned to the Naval Warfare Space Field Activity at the National Reconnaissance Office, an agency that says it is responsible for developing, launching and operating America's spy satellites.

The three Marines now join the other nine service members -- active, reserve and National Guard -- who have been arrested for alleged crimes stemming from Jan. 6. Two other men were booted from basic training as their investigations unfolded.

According to the George Washington University's Project on Extremism, out of the 940 defendants charged with crimes stemming from Jan. 6, 118, or 12%, have some form of military background.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with further details about the charges brought against the three Marines.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Reservist Inspired by the Unabomber Gets Felony Gun Crimes Added to His Jan. 6 Charges
The U.S. Coast Guard is playing Cold War-style cat and mouse games with a Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii.

Coast Guard officials said Wednesday they have been monitoring a Russian vessel "believed to be an intelligence gathering ship" for several weeks.

According to a video released by the service, the ship was about 100 miles off Hawaii in international waters on Jan. 11.

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"As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities," Cmdr. Dave Milne, chief of external affairs for the service's 14th District, said in a statement Wednesday.

The ship, identified by vessel watchers as the Vishnya-class auxiliary general intelligence, or AGI, ship Kareliya, SSV-535, is based out of Vladivostok and is no stranger to Hawaiian waters. It was tracked 15 miles west of Kauai in 2021. A Russian intelligence-gathering vessel also was spotted near the island chain in 2016.

The video shows the Kareliya undergoing an underway replenishment, refueling from the Russian tanker Pechanga, also based in Vladivostok, according to Chris Cavas, a maritime journalist and host of the CavasShips podcast.

"There's nothing stealthy about these ships -- the Kareliya is doing exactly what it does and poses no particular threat," Cavas said in an interview with Military.com.

The Coast Guard monitors vessels at sea to ensure enforcement of the nation's exclusive economic zone. It is the lead federal agency for fisheries enforcement and partners with the Department of Defense to provide information on foreign vessel movements.

Russian and Chinese military vessels often monitor U.S. exercises and gather data on installations and vessel movements along the U.S. coastline.

At the same time, U.S. intelligence aircraft and vessels track movements of Chinese and Russian naval operations and activities.

According to Cavas, Russian surveillance ships were common off the East Coast during the Cold War, conducting surveillance operations near Naval Station Mayport, Florida; Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia; and Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

Neither Russian vessel is broadcasting an automatic identification system signal, according to the app MarineTraffic.

Hawaii is home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, a missile test range.

The Russians conduct astern underway replenishments -- the reason it appears in the video that the Kareliya is being towed -- rather than side-by-side, as the U.S. does.

The Coast Guard did not say which of its vessels or aircraft were monitoring the Kareliya.

"The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific," Milne said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: 34 Years: Coast Guard Raises the Limit on How Long Senior Enlisted Can Serve
BRUSSELS  The European Union's assembly called on the member states on Thursday to back the creation of a special court to judge any war crime of aggression by Russia in Ukraine.

The nonbinding resolution was approved by a 472-19 vote with 33 abstentions in the European Parliament, and underscored the EU's willingness to make sure Moscow should be brought to justice for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The legislature called on the EU to work in close cooperation with Ukraine to seek and build political support in the U.N. General Assembly and other international forums ... for creating the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine."

The call came despite the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court saying his court was capable of effectively dealing with war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Karim Khan at the time pushed back against the plan by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to establish such a special court.

The European Parliament said, however, that it considers that the establishment of the special tribunal would complement the investigative efforts of the ICC and its Prosecutor, as it would focus on alleged genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.

The Hague-based ICC has launched an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine but can't prosecute the crime of aggression  the act of invading another country  because the Russian Federation is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the court.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, his military forces have been accused of abuses ranging from killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha to deadly attacks on civilian facilities, including the March 16 bombing of a theater in Mariupol that an Associated Press investigation established likely killed close to 600 people.
A soldier stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, was sentenced to 42 years in prison after a military judge found him guilty on 13 counts of rape and sexual assault of a child.

The soldier also produced and was in possession of child pornography, according to an Army Criminal Investigation Division press release Wednesday.

Pvt. Tyler Davis, 23, pleaded guilty to the charges, which involved at least three victims. He was sentenced Jan. 5 and will receive a dishonorable discharge.

Read Next: Fort Rucker Trainee Faces Murder Charge Tied to Junior Soldier's Slaying

"The outcome of this investigation is something I hope brings some peace to the victims and their families," Tanya Marlow, assistant special agent-in-charge of the CID's Southern Field Office, said in the press release. "I hope it helps them to heal and move forward with their lives."

CID agents interviewed Davis after one victim told a family member that the soldier had touched her inappropriately while at his on-base home at Fort Polk. Davis also sexually assaulted the first victim's sister -- again, at his residence on post.

When confronted by the CID agents, the private confessed to assaulting both victims, as well as a third victim "previously unknown by law enforcement," according to the release.

The CID found 13 images and three videos depicting suspected child abuse on Davis' phone. The private confessed to taking explicit photos of one of the victims.

The crimes committed against the first two victims appear to have occurred between February and April last year, according to the release.

"The collaborative work of the special agents with the Fort Polk CID Office, the digital forensic examiners and the DNA experts at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory contributed to the successful resolution of the case," Marlow said.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Sexual Assaults in Military Continue to Rise, but Major Legal Reform Won't Take Effect for Years
A Fort Rucker, Alabama, trainee has been charged with the slaying of another junior enlisted soldier last week.

Pvt. Brian Jones Jr., 21, is accused of murdering Pvt. Abdul Latifu, 21, of the Bronx, New York City, on Jan. 10, the service announced Wednesday. Both were students in the Army's air traffic control operator course, a school new soldiers attend for job training following boot camp. The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade.

Jones allegedly killed Latifu with an Army-issued entrenching tool, which is a foldable shovel, according to Army Times, which was first to report on the incident. Stripes reported that Latifu was attacked around noon Jan. 10 before succumbing to his injuries later that afternoon.

Read Next: The Army Forced to Change the Name of Its New Rifle

"On behalf of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, I extend our deepest condolences to Pvt. Latifu's family, friends, and community. Together we mourn the loss of a promising young Soldier," Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, the Fort Rucker commander, said in a statement. "Our hearts are with the families and units impacted by the incident, and we are focused on taking care of Soldiers, families, and leaders."

It is not clear what led to the altercation or when Jones' trial in a military court will begin.

Fort Rucker is the center of the Army's aviation training, being home to the service's Aviation Center of Excellence. Roughly 5,000 soldiers are stationed there.

The incident following a December murder in which Spc. Shay Wilson, an infantryman assigned to the 3rd infantry division, was accused of shooting and killing Sgt. Nathan Hillman.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: 'Unacceptable': Congresswoman Wants Reforms as Decapitated Soldier Cold Case Lingers
A homeless New Jersey veteran said Wednesday that he is certain Republican Rep. George Santos is the phony animal advocate who scammed him out of $3,000 that big-hearted donors chipped in to save his dying dog.

I recognized his face, and it just turned my stomach when I saw him. Richard Osthoff told CNN about the lying Republican lawmaker.

Santos insisted he didnt run off with the cash earmarked for what should have been life-saving surgery on Osthoffs cancer-stricken pit bull named Sapphire.

Fake, Santos texted Semafor, a news site. No clue who this is.

But Osthoff, who served in the Navy, said he has receipts in the form of multiple text messages from Anthony Devolder, a variant of Santoss name that the conservative congressman has occasionally used.

The now-defunct GoFundMe page for the fundraiser lists Anthony Devolder as its creator.

Santoss full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos. His company is called the Devolder Organization.

He has occasionally introduced himself as Anthony or George Devolder, like he did at a videotaped 2019 LGBTQ event to back Republicans, for reasons that he has yet to explain.

The Osthoff scandal dates to 2016, a time when Santos claimed to be an official at an unregistered charity called Friends of Pets United, according to Patch, the site that broke the story.

At first Santos, who Osthoff claims introduced himself as Anthony Devolder, was sympathetic and cooperative, especially when it came to setting up the charity fundraiser, with the cash going to the Pets United account, Osthoff said.

When Osthoff tried to get the charity to pay for Sapphires surgery it was a different story. He made excuses for not paying up and claimed the pooch was no longer a candidate for assistance.

Devolder claimed the money raised would go to other sick dogs  and then ghosted Osthoff altogether, according to the veteran.

He stopped answering my texts and calls, Osthoff, 47, told Patch.

With no money to pay for surgery, Osthoff watched in dismay as his canine companion grew sicker and sicker and eventually had to put her down in 2017.

I loved that dog so much, he said.

Osthoffs heartbreaking allegation was one of the stranger stories revolving around Santos, who has admitted lying about his background.

Santos, who flipped a Long Island congressional seat, even falsely claimed Jewish heritage and said his grandparents fled the Holocaust.

Santos is resisting a chorus of calls for his resignation, even from fellow Long Island Republicans.

_____

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Department of Veterans Affairs quietly changed the name of its medical center in Richmond, Virginia, last week, relegating Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire to history.

Executive Director J. Ronald Johnson notified department chairs that the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center is now the Richmond VA Medical Center.

The medical center was the only major VA facility named for a member of the Confederacy.

Read Next: The Army Forced to Change the Name of Its New Rifle

The change came after a request by Rep. Donald McEachin, who represented the district that included the hospital. McEachin died last November after battling cancer for nine years.

In a letter to McEachin's office Dec. 27, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said he had the authority, by law, to change the name of the hospital to reflect its geographic location and decided to do so at the request of "veterans, employees and community members."

"After considerable discussion and review of the issue ... I have decided to rename the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center to the Richmond VA Medical Center," McDonough said in a Jan. 19 release. "VA will continue to serve all veterans with dignity and respect at this facility and every facility."

McGuire is known to Civil War historians as the physician who treated Stonewall Jackson after the first Battle of Manassas and amputated his arm in an attempt to save his life. But he also was instrumental in developing conventions for treating medical personnel as noncombatants -- protocols that were later integrated into the Geneva Conventions and the bedrock principle of the American Red Cross and other medical service organizations.

He was staunchly opposed to voting rights for Black Americans his entire life and opposed the release from slavery of a race he considered inferior -- opinions he expressed in a book he wrote in his later years.

In the wake of the nationwide protests about racial discrimination following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, McGuire's legacy and the honoring of Confederate officers by applying their names to prominent institutions came under scrutiny. Virginia Commonwealth University, a school on which the Medical School of Virginia was established, in part, by McGuire, removed plaques, signs and a bust honoring him at its facilities.

Later that summer, McGuire descendants Alice McGuire Massie, Hunter Holmes McGuire III and William Reed McGuire published a column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch supporting removal of memorials to their ancestor, but added that they hope "history will judge McGuire, a surgeon, based on his complete life and contributions."

"Arguably the most significant legacy of McGuire was his groundbreaking work to humanize war and redefine how captured military doctors and nurses should be treated in wartime," they wrote.

But, they said, "the family understands that statues and buildings honoring Confederate leaders have caused pain to fellow Americans and we support the removal of the McGuire memorials."

Most VA facilities are named for their location, with a few dozen honoring veterans or longtime VA employees. Several are named for former lawmakers, including a handful who have drawn criticism for their ties to racial segregation.

Carl Vinson, James Haley, John McClellan and Overton Brooks -- whose names grace VA medical centers -- were signatories to the Southern Manifesto, a document drafted in response to Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that found school segregation unconstitutional.

In his memo to staff, Johnson said that "changes are constant," but the facility will be "resolute in our efforts to provide safe, reliable, quality care and support to our Veterans, caregivers, and family members, as we always have."

"As Virginians and Americans, we have much to be proud of regarding our past, present, and future. We will continue to do our best to uphold the values of our democracy as each generation places its stamp upon its history," Johnson wrote.

The VA medical facility in Richmond is known for its spinal cord injury center, advancements in amputation and prosthetics, and treatment for traumatic brain injuries. It serves more than 77,000 veterans each year, with an operating budget of $950 million.

As the flagship facility in the Central VA Health Care System, it is part of a group of treatment facilities in Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Emporia and Henrico, Virginia.

The name change comes as the Department of Defense moves forward with stripping the honors to Confederate officers, soldiers and sailors from major installations and lesser-known buildings and monuments.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: The VA Has a Hospital Named for a Slavery-Supporting Confederate Doctor. And It Wont Change, Wilkie Says
The Vehicles & Assets Dealers Union (Used Car Dealers) says the business of its members will collapse if government go ahead with the reversal of benchmark values on imported used vehicles.

The Ghana Revenue Authority announced the complete reversal of the benchmark policy effective 1st January 2023.

The policy which was implemented in 2019 saw a 50% reduction in the benchmark value of some 43 imported items and 30% on cars.

However, the Association lamented that the move will shoot up the already high taxes on import duties coupled with cedi depreciation.

In an interview with this reporter, some used car dealers in Kumasi noted that their businesses were improving until the 30% benchmark value on car import duties was reversed.

According to the car dealers, they are now paying 100% import duties on used cars  a move, they claim was attempted to flush them out of the system to give way to companies that have set up their plants in Ghana to assemble and sell brand new vehicles.

"The indirect tax system allegedly imposing on us is definitely killing our businesses," a car dealer told our correspondent.

The dealers indicated that they have contributed positively towards national development, especially by creating jobs to employ idle youth.

They stressed that as businessmen they hardly oppose government policies on industrialization, therefore government must encourage the private sector to do more to help restore the ailing economy.

The used car dealers are appealing to the government to reduce import duties on used cars to sustain their business.
19.01.2023 LISTEN

Dr. Emmanuel Nsobila Akatibo, a Physician Specialist with the Upper East Regional hospital has initiated a campaign to get a dialysis centre in the region.

He said, Aside the cost of the dialysis and medications which is expensive, patients had to travel 2 to 3 times a week with a caregiver to Tamale for the dialysis. This puts an extra burden on their families because some just had to stop working in order to be able to travel almost every other day for dialysis.

Sadly, Dr. Akatibo revealed that 15 patients who were visiting Tamale for regular dialysis for the year 2022 died mainly due to the distance.

Read the full heartbreaking statement:

THE UPPER EAST REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN BOLGATANGA NEEDS A DIALYSIS CENTER

Dr. Emmanuel Nsobila Akatibo writes:

My name is Emmanuel Akatibo a Physician Specialist at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.

This is the story of the fate of patients who suffer from kidney failure needing renal replacement therapy in the form of haemodialysis in the region.

Since I started working in the regional hospital in March 2022 as the only Physician Specialist  The department of Internal medicine has recorded over 30 kidney failure cases that needed dialysis either as a long-term renal replacement therapy or a short course of dialysis to allow time for the kidneys to recover.

Unfortunately, this service is not available in the regional hospital which serves as the main referral centre for the whole of Upper East, parts of North East, Burkina Faso and Togo. Out of those who had end-stage kidney failure and needed long-term haemodialysis, only a few could afford to travel to Tamale the nearest centre for dialysis. This didnt come easy for them at all, so some dropped along the way because they couldnt keep up.

Aside the cost of the dialysis and medications which is expensive, these patients had to travel 2-to-3 times a week with a caregiver to Tamale for the dialysis, this puts an extra burden on their families because some just had to stop working in order to be able to travel almost every other day for dialysis.

Due to the inconveniences and extra financial burden on them, some couldnt maintain it and died along the way, those who could have to reduce the recommended 3 times a week dialysis to either once a week or once every two weeks. This worsen most of them their condition and affected their quality of life. Others had to entirely relocate with their family to Tamale, Kumasi, and Accra in order to have easy access to dialysis centres.

15 out of those who were visiting Tamale for regular dialysis for the year 2022 died because they couldnt afford to travel almost every other day for dialysis.

For those who developed Acute kidney injury(AKI) which has the potential to reverse to normal and needed dialysis support for the kidneys to recover died because they couldnt afford to travel to Tamale for such service. Most of these patients were young adults in their prime age, breadwinners of their families who probably just needed 2-to-4 dialysis sessions to recover from the AKI but we just had to watch on helplessly.

Its on this background that the hospital started the awareness creation and sensitization of the public on kidney diseases for prevention, early detection and treatment to prevent progression and at the same time the campaign to help it set up a haemodialysis centre for the region. It is capital intensive and beyond the capacity of the hospital to fund it alone and would therefore need the support of individuals, corporate Ghana and all well-meaning sons and daughters of the region to contribute to this course in whichever form.

Its refreshing to know that almost all the Regions have dialysis centres with the exception of the Upper East and the newly created regions.

We have our challenges as a region but I think this project will serve the interest of the entire region irrespective of where you belong to. I, therefore, call on you to join the campaign.

Timetohaveahaemodialysiscentreinuppereast.

Its now or never

God bless.
18.01.2023 LISTEN

Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has reiterated that the debt exchange programme is voluntary.

He noted that no bondholder is bound to accept the terms of the programme.

Giving his opening remarks ahead of a meeting with individual bondholders on Wednesday, January 18, Mr Ofori-Atta said the government is targeting an 80 percent participation in the programme to help the government progress with plans to restructure the crisis-hit economy.

He also assured that the welfare of Ghanaians will be considered in finalizing the programme.

It is a voluntary programme and the expectation is that we have an 80 percent participation and so, that should be factual for everybody, Mr Ofori-Atta said.

In the governments quest to address the country's economic woes, the government launched the programme to invite holders of bonds to voluntarily exchange approximately GH137 billion domestic notes and bonds of the Republic including ESLA and Daakye for a package of new bonds.

It is currently unclear how many institutions and individuals have signed onto the programme.

The domestic debt exchange program since its announcement has faced huge opposition from labour groups which managed to get pension funds exempted. Several groups made up of individual bondholders have also rejected the programme by the government.

The individuals have threatened to sue the government if not excluded insisting the programme will negatively impact them.

By Citi Newsroom
Founder and leader of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Rev. Christian Kwabena Andrews, popularly known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom has justified why Ghanaians have to ditch the NPP and NDC and vote for his party.

He stated that GUM when voted into power in 2024, will reduce the size of government, lay out proper educational policies, provide job opportunities, and other social interventions to effect positive change in the system.

The one-time presidential candidate, speaking at a press conference, said, "We plan to revive all state-owned enterprises to help solve unemployment among the youth and also review our educational curriculum and most importantly run a minimal size of government, and I believe some of these things will help us solve most of our current problems facing us as a country.

Osofo Kyiri Abosom urged Ghanaians to put an end to the NPP-NDC rule.

According to him, the NPP and the NDC are lazy parties that have spent ruled the country for the past 31 years without anything better to show.

We have had enough of these lazy leaders under the current NPP government, and with the way things are going if we don't give them the alternative measures for them to listen and implement, the nation will soon be thrown into a serious mess.

Look at all the major sectors and nothing is working due to the bad leadership of these parties, the NPP and NDC, especially the current handlers of the economy," he lamented.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) chapter in the Western North Region has debunked rumours of some fifty members of the party defecting to the NPP.

In a statement released on Wednesday, January 18, the partys regional communication bureau described the news as deceptive and a manipulative attempt by the Akontombra MP, Alex Tetteh just to get the vacant Agric ministerial appointment.

The party explained that it is rather some NPP members who have defected to NDC due to bad performance of their MP, Alex Tetteh and the poor Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

"I want to strongly state that there has not been any defection of a sort, and I challenge any NPP member to produce evidence to that effect.

"It is important to note that due to the defection of some well and known NPP members who recently came to the NDC, the NPP has decided to neutralize the effect by spilling falsehood," a portion of the statement signed by the communications officer, Sam Jerome.

He added that, "On the 5th of January, 2023, some well-known NPP members in the Akontombra Constituency of the Western North region defected to NDC with reasons that the MP for the constituency, Hon. Alex Tetteh is non-performing and full of intimidation," and "the gross incompetence of the Nana Addo-Bawumia government, which has resulted in excruciating hardship."

He however, indicated that the NDC only experienced such a defection in the Akontombra constituency in 2020, where some members, due to monetary persuasion and the loss of their favourite candidate during the primaries, joined the NPP.

Read a copy of the full release below;

WESTERN NORTH COMMUNICATION BUREAU - NDC

NO FIFTY KNOWN NDC MEMBERS DEFECT TO NPP IN THE SEFWI AKONTOMBRA CONSTITUENCY OF THE WESTERN NORTH

For some days now well meaning NDC members across the country have been calling to ask if indeed there have been some defection of a sort of some fifty well known NDC members. This marks how prepared we are as a party and our collective resolution to wrestle power from this ineptitude government come what may through the ballot.

Ordinarily, we wouldnt have responded to this osteoporosis publication but for the sake of political communication it has become a must.

I want to strongly state that there has not been any defection of a sort and I challenge any NPP member to produce evidence to that effect. It is important to note that due to the defection of some well and known NPP members who recently came to the NDC, the NPP has decided to neutralize the effect by spilling falsehood.

*Background*

On the 5th of January, 2023, some well known NPP members in the Akontombra Constituency of the Western North region defected to NDC with reasons that;

1. The MP for the constituency, Hon Alex Tetteh is non-performing and full of intimidation.

2. The gross incompetence of the Nana Addo - Bawumia government which has resulted in excruciating hardship.

Some of the well known members who spoke were Nana Abotsi and Alhaji Salia who also were known communicators of the NPP. Below are some of the known NPP members who defected recently.

Prince Andoh

Kwame Agyei

Paul Atta Mensah

Paul Atta Mensah snr

Salia Sulley

Kwaku Joseph

Isaac Dadzie

Vivian Nyame

Rebecca Aduhene

Adjei Boateng

The NPP upon realizing the effect decided to move to one community called Aprutu to get some people to stake this weak publication.

It is important to also note that the names which are been put out there by the NPP are already known NPP guys who in fact in 2020 were NDC members but due to monetary influence and other reason of failure of their candidate as PC of NDC moved to the NPP. These known persons are K. Tommy and Olusey.

It is also imperative to bring to the attention of all that the MP who is lobbying very hard to replace the resigned Agriculture Minister is doing so to increase his chances by presenting himself as a workaholic MP in the Constituency.

I wish to tell all NDC members that the region under the leadership and supervision of Chairman Michael Aidoo is putting in a lot of attractive measures to further win more souls hence such malicious and deliberate falsehood should be disregarded.

Long live NDC!

Sam Jerome

Communication Officer, Western North Region - NDC

18th January, 2023.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Barcelona on Thursday, for a bilateral summit aimed at strengthening cooperation in the wake of a recent spat over a gas pipeline project that has since been shelved.

France and Spain, who have just "buried the hatchet" following a rare disagreement over an energy project, will celebrate the closeness of their relations in Barcelona.

Macron is set to sign a friendship treaty with Prime Minister Sanchez aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors.

This treaty is only the third of its kind signed by France with a European nation, following the 1963 Franco-German Elysee Treaty  since fully completed by the Aachen Treaty in 2019  and the Quirinal Treaty, signed with Italy in 2021.

Thursday's meeting comes against the backdrop of massive industrial action expected across France in protest against the government's controversial pension reforms.

'Midcat' pipeline project scrapped

The summit comes three months after France, Spain and Portugal agreed to shelve the contentious "Midcat" gas pipeline project  which Paris opposed  and replace it with a "green" hydrogen pipeline linking Barcelona to Marseille.

A Spanish government spokesperson underlined that Barcelona was chosen as the venue for the summit "because it is going to be at the centre of this strategic project."

Supported by Germany, Spain wanted to relaunch the trans-Pyrenean Midcat project to transport gas arriving at its many liquefied natural gas terminals to northern Europe, following a halt in Russian gas supplies.

Yet, despite the energy crisis, Spain's left-wing government failed to change Paris' mind

Supported by Brussels, both Spain and France finally agreed on the "H2Med" pipeline which will bring hydrogen made from renewable electricity from the Iberian Peninsula  which aims to become a world leader in green energy  to the northern EU by 2030 at a cost of 2.5 billion.

Disagreements with Berlin

Like the recent Quirinal agreement, the Barcelona Treaty is ultimately intended to set in stone the strengthening of Paris' relations with neighbours other than Germany.

However, the Franco-Italian treaty did not prevent the emergence of tensions between Paris and Rome last November, due to the new Italian government's refusal to take in several hundred migrants stranded off the Italian coast.

Meanwhile, relations between Paris and Berlin have suffered recently from a number of disputes  from energy to defence  leading to the postponement of the Franco-German Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for late October.

Tensions have since eased and the meeting is due to take place on 22 January in Paris  a symbolic date which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty.

Independence demonstrations in Catalonia

Apart from the importance of the hydrogen pipeline, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez chose Barcelona as a venue for Thursday's summit to show that the volatile political situation in Catalonia has calmed down, since pro-independence supporters attempted to secede from Spain in 2017.

Since coming to power in 2018, Sanchez, has made appeasing Catalans one of his top priorities.

He has resumed dialogue with some of the pro-independence factions that support his executive in parliament and has pardoned separatist leaders sentenced to prison for their role in the events of six years ago.

But while Catalonia's pro-independence president, Pere Aragones, will attend the summit, his party and other separatist organisations will simultaneously demonstrate against the signing of the Barcelona Treaty outside the summit venue.

"No colonising state will be the tomb of our nation," the pro-independence ANC association said on Twitter.
The Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adzor has called for massive support to enable the Ashaiman Divisional Police Command to work effectively.

Security is crucial in protecting lives and properties. Ghana continues to enjoy security day in and day out, all because of the proper mechanisms put in place by the Police Administration and other security institutions in the country.

Speaking on last years donation and inspection of a double-cabin Toyota Hilux pickup vehicle and four APSONIC motorbikes worth GH104,000.00 in Ashaiman on January 18, 2023, the Regent called for a collaborative agenda aimed at supporting the police service in whatever way possible.

According to him, the role played by police officers in Ashaiman and, by extension, Ghana is par excellence. He opined that it is incumbent on citizens to support the police in the fight against crime at all times.

Background

The Nii Annan Adzor Foundation and a group of businessmen within the Ashaiman Municipality last year donated a double-cabin Toyota Hilux pickup vehicle and four APSONIC motorbikes worth GH104,000 to enhance police visibility in Ashaiman and beyond. The gesture was to assist the Ashaiman Divisional Police Command in operating effectively without any form of hindrance whatsoever.

Inspection

As part of efforts to ensure that maintenance culture is held in high regard, the double-cabin Toyota Hilux pickup and four APSONIC motorcycles were inspected on January 18, 2023.

Nii Adzor stated that the inspection was a step in the right direction, saying it will help find out some of the things the police might need in the months ahead. He said that when donations are done, they should not end there, as a constant monitoring mechanism will aid in the longevity of the items donated.

"As we follow up to inspect the vehicles, we gave to Ashaiman Divisional Police Command and the motorbikes, we will be accurately informed on the true state of affairs." This gift was made in December of 2021."It's been a year, so following up to see the conditions of the cars and the motorbikes was a good experience, and I must commend the Ashaiman Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Adu Kwadwo Baidu, for seeing to the proper maintenance of the pickup and the motorbikes," he observed.

The Regent also stated that the country is currently in difficult times and that the government cannot possibly meet all of the country's developmental needs. He noted that the citizenry must assist in helping build a prosperous nation for all of us.

"We know that the government cannot do it all alone." It is, therefore, incumbent on us as citizens to help the government by augmenting their efforts to bring security to the doorsteps of the citizenry. "We as citizens have it as our civil responsibility to contribute to the success stories of the police service, thereby motivating them to serve us better," he stated.

Nii Adzor went on to say that we sometimes hear in the news about robberies and the police allegedly being late due to vehicle breakdowns, inadequate vehicles and motorbikes for their operations, and other equally important logistical needs.

"I would want to stress that government alone cannot do it." In areas where the roads are impassable, the bikes must be there to serve the security needs of the people. This will help in the fight against crime because logistics issues will be addressed, he assured.

Enemy factor

He touched on the fact that everyone is part of the government and that the police are not our enemies. According to him, some people have certain perceptions about the police service that do not augur well for their key functions of prevention and detention of crime, apprehension, and prosecution of offenders, maintenance of law and order, and protection of life and property, among others. He expressed worry about such behaviors and urged the individuals behind them to put a stop to them.

"It is rather unfortunate that a cross-section of the public sees the police as their enemy. This behavior shouldnt be tolerated in any form. We are one people with a common destiny, and any activity that can divide and cause us pain must be uprooted. The police officers are within our communities to maintain law and order. So, we should open up and assist them to do their duty effectively, devoid of the usual name-calling.

"By doing that, we'll be able to know whether they are good people or not," he encouraged.

Community engagement

Nii Adzor stressed the need for community engagement to educate people about the operations of the police. According to him, the public's negative perception of the service can be reversed if proper education on their role in the community is provided.

"I implore the police service as a matter of urgency to organize community engagement for the purposes of educating the public on the dos and donts of civilians and officers. That way, the public will feel free to engage the police more when they sense criminal activity in their area.

"This can also create awareness and a congenial atmosphere for civilians and officers to come together in combating crime," he announced.

To this end, I urge all Ghanaians across the length and breadth of the country to contribute their quota to national development by supporting the Ghana Police Service, especially the Ashaiman Division," he appealed.

Role of the Ashaiman Divisional Commander

It must be noted that the Ashaiman Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Adu Kwadwo Baidu, has played an instrumental role in seeing to the proper maintenance work on all motorbikes and the Toyota Hilux pickup. It is without a doubt that Chief Superintendent Adu is a gem who understands the need for proper maintenance work to help accelerate development and, by extension, assist in combating crime rates in Ashaiman and beyond.

Appreciation

Chief Superintendent Adu thanked the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adzor, for the gesture a year ago and for making efforts to inspect as a way of helping the police in their fight against crime.

"I believe the gesture has been helpful in the fight against crime in this division. "We are thankful to the Regent, Nii Annang Adzor, for thinking about the security needs of Ashaiman and donating to that effect exactly a year ago," he recalled.

Assurance

He further assured the people of Ashaiman of his commitment to maintaining peace and order in the Municipality.
Nurses at the Tatale Sanguli district hospital in the Northern Region, are threatening to withdraw their services if management does not provide the basic resources needed for work by January 23.

The nurses in a petition to management sighted by Citi News alleged that the facility is in a very deplorable state and is negatively impacting health delivery and their individual performances.

According to the nurses, basic resources like gloves, syringes, drugs and consumables are in short supply at the facility, hence the petition.

No drugs in the facility. All our suppliers are not ready to work with the hospital for the supply of drugs and consumables. The hospital theatre works with no anaesthesia machine. We are with this petition giving management up to 23rd of January 2023, to fix the challenges, else we will withdraw our services till the needed resources are provided, the nurses threatened in the petition.

The nurses say the facility is without a medical doctor because the former has not formally handed over to anyone before going for further studies.

We want management to immediately call a staff durbar/meeting to brief staff on the current state of the hospital including the current head of the hospital since Dr Laari Samuel Nibi did not officially hand over to anyone before proceeding to school, they stated.

The state of the facility according to the nurses, has affected the confidence of the residents in the area.

They say residents no longer attend the facility and nurses could go to work the whole day with clients.

The hospital gets referral cases from neighbouring Togo and yet nothing is there to work with. The whole community had lost confidence in the facility. And therefore resort to over-the-counter chemical stores for treatment when they are sick, they said.

The anaesthesia machine at the hospital according to the nurses, is not working, and the MP is yet to fulfil his promise of getting one for them.

Read below the nurses petition



Read below response letter from the management

citinewsroom
19.01.2023 LISTEN

The Ghana Police Service has announced that it has arrested the suspect behind the viral audio tape falsely accusing some police officers of misconduct.

The Police, today, 18th January 2023 have arrested a man suspected to be the person in the audio tape describing an alleged elaborate incident of criminal behaviour on the part of the Police.

In the audio tape that has been widely circulated, the man who introduced himself as Dr Patrick Asiedu claimed that he had been stopped by some Police officers who planted substances suspected to be narcotics in his car and attempted to extort money from him.

Police investigations, so far, have established that the man who has been arrested and is in police custody, is indeed called Patrick Asiedu, he is an Uber driver and not a Doctor, parts of a Police statement issued on Wednesday said.

From police investigations so far, it has been established that the entire story narrated in the audio tape is false and a total fabrication by the suspect.

The police in its statement note that the supposed military intervention and the alleged fight between the Police officers and the Military described in such dramatic detail in the audio tape are all false and a figment of the suspect's imagination.

Meanwhile, the suspect, Patrick Asiedu alleged that he had once witnessed a similar incident to what he described in the audio tape, happen to one of his passengers.

The Police further rubbishes the claim by the suspect that he had met with the Inspector-General of Police.

The Police are continuing with investigations into the matter and say the suspect will be made to face justice.
Dehydrated and whipped by scorching winds as their crowded truck snaked through the dunes, some drank urine to survive, while those who died were tossed into the Chadian desert.

After being rounded up by police over mass protests against Chad's military junta in October last year, hundreds of mostly young men faced this nightmarish two-day journey to the high-security Koro Toro prison, deep in the hostile Djurab desert.

After they arrived at the remote jail, many were sentenced in a mass trial without lawyers and put in the brutal charge of jihadist prisoners.

"We thought only of death," said Nadjilem, one of several prisoners, since released, who spoke to AFP about their ordeal, using pseudonyms out of fear for their safety.

Security forces swept up the men before and after mass protests over plans by General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's military junta to extend its rule by two years.

The 38-year-old general took over when his father Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, died in April 2021 from injuries sustained in a battle with rebels.

On October 20, the day the military was initially supposed to cede power, the opposition called for demonstrations. A bloody crackdown ensued.

A body lies covered with the Chadian flag during the clashes that broke out in N'Djamena on October 20. By - (AFP)

According to an official toll, 50 people were killed, but opposition groups, now forced into exile, say the toll was much higher.

Dubbed "Black Thursday," it was one of the deadliest days in the history of the semi-desert Central African nation.

But for hundreds of young men, the nightmare was only beginning.

Death and deprivation

Dieudonne, a 34-year-old construction worker, told AFP he was on his way home from a job the night before the protest, when soldiers stopped him and forced him into a vehicle with other men, driving them to a vacant lot.

"That's when they started beating us," he said, his voice still shaking with terror.

He was held in a police station for 48 hours before being taken to Koro Toro.

"We documented many cases of men who were arrested simply for being in the wrong neighbourhood," said Lewis Mudge, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Africa director.

Junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno took over from his father, Chad's leader for three decades, who was killed during operations against rebels in April 2021. By Denis Sassou Gueipeur (AFP)

These people "had nothing to do with the protests, yet they were taken to Koro Toro."

The men interviewed by AFP described the journey to Koro Toro through the Djurab desert as a hellish ordeal marked by death and deprivation.

"We were piled up on top of each other in the truck," said Nadjilem, who met with AFP in the company of Yves, a 28-year-old house painter, outside a church in the capital N'Djamena.

During the journey, "we weren't given anything to drink or eat. We stopped several times, we asked to drink from backwaters, but they refused. Some drank urine to survive", said Yves.

Several died along the way.

"We piled the bodies on top of each other. Some started decomposing in the truck. So the guards took them and threw them in the bush," Nadjilem said.

Despite the inhospitable environment, "people still managed to escape by jumping from the truck", recalls Nadjilem.

"Some succeeded, but only those who were lucky. The others were shot by the guards," he adds.

"We are hearing that bodies were dumped in the bush on the way to Koro Toro and many people may have died at the detention centre. We are still working to confirm these details," HRW's Mudge said.

'Chadian Guantanemo'

The World Organisation Against Torture said that more than 2,000 people had been arrested before and after the protests, but the government admitted only to 621, including 83 minors, who were all taken to Koro Toro.

Koro Toro prison, shown on satellite images as an ochre stain besieged by dunes in the centre of the country, was built in 1996 in an uninhabited area which is difficult to access. It can accommodate 500 or 600 inmates and is mainly a destination for those serving long sentences for terrorism.

Chad. By (AFP)

Fighters with the Boko Haram and Islamic State jihadist groups are held there, earning it the nickname of the "Chadian Guantanemo" -- a nod to the notorious American military prison.

"No prisoner can escape, they risk dying of thirst," a former justice minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Those imprisoned after the protests were kept there without access to their lawyers or families, some of whom told AFP they didn't know if their children were still alive.

Tortured by jihadists

On December 11, 401 of those arrested were given a mass trial over four days.

Prosecutors said 262 were sentenced to two to three years in jail for "unauthorised assembly," and "disturbing public order," amongst other crimes.

A mother in N'Djamena hugs her son on December 8 after he was released on bail. By Denis Sassou Gueipeur (AFP)

The other 139 were freed, some on probation. Underage prisoners were taken back to N'Djamena, where they are waiting to appear before a children's judge.

"People were arrested in illegal conditions, tried in illegal conditions," said the coordinator of a collective of defense lawyers for those arrested, Frederic Dainonet.

In Koro Toro, "we were put in cells of 40 to 50 people. We were entrusted to jihadists, they were our jailers. They beat us with iron bars", said Yves. Nadjilem backed this up, adding that "jihadists from Boko Haram" were tasked with torturing them.

"There are serious and reliable allegations of cases of torture in Koro Toro, some of which have led to the death of detainees", said Mudge, who has travelled to Chad on several occasions to investigate the events surrounding the protests for HRW.

The government spokesman, and defence ministry, did not respond to multiple requests for comments on these accusations.
President Nana Akufo-Addo is confident the country's engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will stabilize the economy and ensure its growth.

Nana Akufo-Addo says government is targeting a growth rate of about six percent in the year 2023.

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Dubai, Nana Akufo-Addo remained hopeful things will get better in Ghana.

We are working to grow the economy to a much faster rate this year our target being a 5.6 percent GDP growth rate. To enhance the prospect of a win-win situation for the private sector and the country in our case, we see our collaboration with the IMF to repair in the short term our public finance and give credibility to our balance of payment which has taken a severe hit in very recent times.

I am very confident that we will emerge from this as a stronger and more resilient economy and advance towards our goal of reaching the Ghana Beyond Aid [agenda].

The government in December 2022 reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of processes leading to a bailout.

Ghana is seeking to secure $3 billion from the IMF to complement the revenue shortfalls and to service its external debt.

Ghana has gone to the IMF for the seventeenth time seeking to get help to solve the country's balance of payment challenges.

By Citi Newsroom
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on the third day of its sitting, Wednesday, 18 January 2023, ordered for the arrest of two guarantors of two former staff of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for failing to fulfil bonds after being sponsored to pursue their higher education.

According to the report of the Auditor-General the former workers of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital failed to honour their bonds or refund an amount to the tune of GHS98,546.00 which was spent on their studies abroad.

The chairman of the committee, James Klutse Avedzi ordered for the arrest of the guarantors when the Minister of Health, Kweku Agyeman Manu, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Chief Director and Senior Officers of the Health Service appeared before the Committee to answer to infractions in the Auditor-Generals report for the year ended 31st December, 2020.

Mr Avedzi called on the government to review the current guarantor system used to support workers to pursue higher education.

According to the Chairman of the Committee, most of the beneficiaries do not comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement after completing their programmes, adding that this situation makes it difficult for the state to recover the investment made in these workers.

He was of the view that government could allow interested applicants to use banks as guarantors instead of individuals so that defaulted workers can easily be tracked and arrested.

Members of the Committee asked questions relating to the queries cited in the A-Gs report and officials from the Ministry of Health and agencies including NTC-Pantang, Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics, Nurses Training College Damongo among others.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Self-acclaimed human rights activist, Bridget Otoo, got it wrong when she lambasted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) about an audio recording in which one Dr. Patrick Asiedu claimed to have been framed up by some policemen just to extort money from him.

Claiming to have spoken to the supposed victim who she claims doesn't want to speak to the IGP for lack of trust, the journalist blasted the IGP, Dr. George Akufo-Dampare and the entire Ghana Police Force.

However, it turns out that the victim who mentioned his name as Dr. Patrick Asiedu in the audio later turned out to be an Uber driver with the real name Patrick Asiedu.

"Your men are going round planting cocaine and weed in people's cars, and instead of dealing with it, you care about the word "some"!! Don't take the word of Ghana Police Service over the victim. IGP should be ashamed of himself. You know the victim; your men have spoken to the victim," she said in a tweet.

However, following the police probe, Patrick Asiedu, a driver who is said to have levelled such allegations against the police service, turns out to be false.

A statement from the Ghana Police on Wednesday, January 18, disclosed that they arrested the suspect over false claims.

"The Police, today, 18th January 2023 have arrested a man suspected to be the person in the audio tape describing an alleged elaborate incident of criminal behaviour on the part of the Police," it began.

"In the audio tape that has been widely circulated, the man who introduced himself as Dr. Patrick Asiedu claimed that he had been stopped by some Police officers who planted substances suspected to be narcotics in his car and attempted to extort money from him.

"Police investigations, so far, have established that the man who has been arrested and is in police custody is indeed called Patrick Asiedu; he is an Uber driver and not a Doctor," the statement noted.

It continued, "The investigations show that the entire story narrated in the audio tape is false and a total fabrication by the suspect."

Following the latest release, the vocal broadcaster took to her Twitter handle and expressed disappointment in the suspect, claiming his attitude will prevent the efforts of revealing the corrupt individuals in the security agency.

"The police have found one scapegoat; they will milk everything out of him, and I expect them to.

"We use our platform to advocate for people who dont have a voice; when one fool does such a stupid thing, it emboldens all the corrupt officers," a portion of her tweet reads.

That caught the attention of a netizen, who noted that Bridget Otoo should rather apologise to the IGP for insulting him over an issue she had no idea about.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has said a deal with the IMF will turn Ghana's economy around for the better.

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Dubai, the Ghanaian leader said: "We are working to grow the economy to a much faster rate this year, our target being a 5.6-per cent GDP growth rate".

"To enhance the prospects of a win-win situation for the private sector and the country, in our case, we see our collaboration with the IMF to repair, in the short term, our public finance and give credibility to our balance of payment which has taken a severe hit in very recent times.

I am very confident that we will emerge from this as a stronger and more resilient economy and advance toward our goal of reaching the Ghana Beyond Aid [goal].

Ghana reached a staff-level deal with the IMF in late December 2022.

The board of the Bretton Wood institution is yet to approval the $3 billion extended credit facility.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Some members of the Church of Pentecost are mounting pressure on the immediate past chairman of the church, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyina to step down as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral Project.

They said the myriad of issues surrounding the project would dent the image of their former leader and the entire church if he continues to serve on the board.

An Elder of the Church of Pentecost at Ejura Community District under Mampong Area in the Ashanti Region, Francis Atta Kofi who is also a journalist working with Naagyei FM at Ejura in an interview with OTEC News on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 said it was unacceptable for their revered leader to be part of the continuous scandals surrounding the project.

"Some of us were very happy and honored to see our immediate past chairman serving as the leader of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral Project but we believe he may end up losing face if he continues serving on the board.

"Looking at the alleged scandals surrounding the project, with what the Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa recently brought, i think Apostle Onyina should resign to save his integrity," he stated.

The North Tongu MP on Monday, January 16 accused the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng of conflict of interest and possession of multiple identities.

According to him, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng appears to be using questionable means to divert funds from the National Cathedral project.

He has since petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter.

In his petition, Mr Ablakwa accused Rev. Kusi-Boateng of receiving GH2.6 million from the National Cathedral Board, alleging that he was the same person as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.

He also claimed that Rev. Kusi-Boateng used multiple passports and identification cards with different names and dates of birth.

While the public is waiting for the final outcome of the investigation, Elder Francis Atta Kofi insists it will be prudent for Apostle Onyina to resign from the board.
Ghanaian broadcast journalist, Godsbrain Smart, known widely as Captain Smart has said the NPP and NDC can no longer win elections after 2028.

The broadcaster tipped former President John Dramani Mahama to win the 2024 presidential elections by hook or crook, which he said will be the last of the political duopoly of NPP-NDC rule.

According to the Accra-based Onua TVs Maakye morning show host, Ghana will be in a big mess if the NPP is retained after the 2024 general elections.

After John Mahama in 2024 that's the end for NPP and NDC. Mahama will win the 2024 elections and there is nothing you can do about it. If we go for the NPP again we'll suffer more than what we are going through now, said Captain Smart.

The former President, in his second coming, will deliver Ghanaians from the hardships inflicted on them by the current Akufo-Addo-led government, according to Captain Smart.

Mahama will carry every mess created by Nana Addo just us a second Judas helped Jesus after he was betrayed by a Judas. If John Mahama allows himself, he will solve all the mess Nana Addo has created. But if he doesn't, he will do worse than Nana Addo. But whether you like it or not, Mahama will come," he said.
A faulty air-condition is suspected to have caused the inferno that killed the late Sergeant Owusu Asante Baafi, his wife and child at Apromase near Kumasi on Monday dawn.

The deceased security officer, said to be 35 years old, was unfortunately burnt beyond recognition together with his wife, Yaa Achiaa and their three-month-old child.

The IGP and the other security chiefs in the country rushed to the disaster scene on Monday to inspect the extent of damage but they did not readily state the cause of the fire.

But addressing section of the media in Kumasi on Tuesday afternoon, head of the Ashanti Regional REGSEC, Simon Osei Mensah, said an air-condition may have started the fire.

Preliminary investigations are alluding to an air-condition that he (Asante) fixed in the room recently that caught fire and led to the unfortunate situation on Monday dawn, he said.

Osei Mensah, who doubles as the Ashanti Regional Minister visited the disaster scene. He, however, said the investigators were yet to come out with their final findings.

According to him, Sergeant Asante Baafi tried his best to open the door to his room and save himself, his wife and their child but all his efforts proved futile in the end.

His charred body was found right behind the door, the key was also broken in the door. He made every effort to open the door and save his wife and baby but to no avail.

It is suspected that the China door expanded when it caught the fire and that made it impossible for him to open it and flee with his family from harm's path, he said.

Expressing his condolences to the bereaved family and the police service, he advised the public to always consider their security and safety, in their homes to avert deaths and injuries.

-DGN online
19.01.2023 LISTEN

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By Jarga Kebba Gigo

An Activist and Transformer.

Optional note:

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Governments spent lot of money to train people on languages, so this inspiration can save lot of money and time beyond governments.
Researchers in Italy have traced 600 years of snow cover in Val Ventina, a region of the Italian Alps, thanks to the study of shrubs. The results show a steady decline in the annual amount of snow.

The duration of snow cover at 2,000 meters has been shortened by 36 days compared to the long-term average over the past century, with an acceleration in the past 50 years.

This evolution, unprecedented in six centuries, can be linked to climate change, according to the report published in the scientific journal Nature on 12 January 2023.

"Over the past 50 years, the Alps have experienced a 5.6 percent reduction in the duration of its snow cover per decade, which is already affecting a region where the economy and culture are largely centered on winter activities," the report said.

Researchers also found that the average depth of the snow cover between November and May had decreased by 8.4 percent per decade, between 1971 and 2019.

Previous research has already shown that the snow cover over the whole of the Alpine mountain range in Europe has been declining by about 5 days every 10 years since the 1970s.

This latest study examines snow cover since the end of the Middle Ages.

Consequences

The oldest snow reports date from the 18th century, so to find out what winters looked like centuries ago, the researchers turned to studying the rings of a particular type of shrub from the Val Ventina region of the Italian Alps (an area around 400 kms east of the French Alps).

For the report, the researchers studied more than 572 samples of juniper trunks (Juniperus communis), high-altitude trees (between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea level) that have the particularity of living for a long time and which grow lying close to the ground.

Their growth stops as soon as there is snow on the ground, and these periods of growth stoppage can be read in the width of their tree rings. Each of these rings corresponds to the layers of cells that develop each year when the sap circulates and the trunk grows.

This is why these junipers indirectly archive the snow levels of the past.

The researchers warned that the consequences of reduced snow cover are wide reaching. One the one hand, many species dependent on snow or adapted to cold are now facing a decline in their numbers and their reproductive capacity.

On the other hand, tourism and recreational activities are likely to suffer from the reduction of snow cover.

Already low mountain ski resorts and towns that depend on snowfall for their economies have begun looking for solutions in this new climatic context.

Key water supplies

"It is a very robust study, and this methodology deserves to be repeated in other regions of the Alps," Samuel Morin, researcher at CNRS and the French Meterological Bureau (Meteo France), told Radio France website on Tuesday.

Experts agree that this decline in the snowpack, linked to global warming, not only damages the economy of ski resorts, but also limits key water supplies in numerous countries.

The snow of the Alps is a reservoir of water which supplies large rivers across central and southern Europe. A decrease in this water reserve could have repercussions on the local environment and the demand for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes.

"The Alps are the most important water-supplying mountain range in Europe, with the Danube, Rhine, Rhone and Po being the main drainage basins and the Po river basin, on the southern side of the Alps, deemed the second most sensitive area, after the Rhone basin," the authors wrote.

The researchers underlined "the urgent need to develop adaptation strategies" to help this region cope with the effects of global warming caused by human activities.
The New Patriotic Party's Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency Sarah Adwoa Safo has paid a visit to her partys headquarters.

The Dome Kwabenya MP, visited the partys headquarters unannounced, at Asylum Down in Accra, on Wednesday, 18 January 2023.

The MP held discussions with the National Chairman of the NPP, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua and National Womens Organiser, Kate Gyamfua, during her visit.

The Dome Kwabenya MP was in the news last year, after failing to join the scheduled Zoom meeting with the Privileges Committee of parliament which summoned her (and some two other MPs of the majority caucus) to answer questions about why she had been absent from the house for months without the permission of the Speaker.

After absenting herself from parliament for almost a year leading to a tussle between the Majority and Minority over whether her seat should be declared vacant or not, the MP appeared in the house to resume her duties.

Earlier at a church service, Ms Safo told her constituents that she is glued to her seat despite the machinations by members of her party to have her removed for a by-election in the area.

Speaking in an interview with the media in parliament on Friday, 11 November 2022, the former minister of gender and social protection said: "I feel good to be back even though today is my first day after all these months".

"I hope the subsequent days will be good. That's all I can say."

Source: classfmonline.com
The Municipal Chief Executive of Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly (AbWMA), George Cyril Bray, has denied issuing road permits to funeral organisers to block the Agege Last Stop main road in Dansoman.

According to him, the assembly has never issued any road permit to event organisers authorising them to block major roads within the assembly for ceremonial activities such as funerals, which impede traffic flow.

His statement follows earlier agitations from residents in Dansoman, the district capital, over the rampant major road blocks for naming ceremonies, funerals, and other events. The residents' uproar was prompted by the blocking of the Agege Last Stop Gbegbeyese road for a funeral ceremony on Saturday, January 14, 2023.

According to the aggrieved residents, canopies were mounted in the middle of this otherwise very busy road amidst loud music, disturbing the serenity of the community and making drivers, pedestrians and other members of the public go through frustration to get to their various destinations.

Describing the incident as an act of illegality, Mr. Bray indicated that the assembly on various occasion has received complaints from residents on the blocking of the major roads in some parts of the district. The assembly upon such complaints deals with such acts of illegality by clearing the streets to ease traffic congestion and arresting the culprits involved.

Whenever we receive complaints we call our task force with assistance from the police to arrest the organisers behind the event, and they are dealt with by the police, Mr. Bray said.

In a separate interview with the Ablekuma West Road Maintenance Engineer, Theophilus Quaynor also stated that the authorities issued the permit to the funeral organisers to use the bus bay area for their event, but in consultation with the local executives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

The funeral organisers flouted the rules and regulations as stated in the permit to block the main road on the blind side of the authorities, he said.

Mr. Quaynor assured residents that the assembly together with the police service and other regulatory bodies will implement stringent measures to prevent the usage of major roads for events.

It was earlier reported that the Ministry of Roads and Highways Working Committee Chairman, Dr. Kaziyir Adam Bonaa, recently caused the arrest of some funeral organisers in Accra for blocking an entire street in Mamprobi for a funeral ceremony.

Dr. Adam Bonaa stated that it is illegal to block public roads, pavements, and walkways for funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies, etc., urging the citizenry to join in policing against such illegal activities.

He reiterated to the public to report to the police or call the Ghana Police emergency helpline whenever they spot any activity detrimental to the integrity of public roads.

-DGN online
The former Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Solomon Nkansah, has alleged that the government has employed some 25 personalities as government communicators at the Jubilee House who are doing nothing.

He said all the 25 who appear as guests on the various morning shows daily as government communicators draw salaries from the Chief of Staffs office as political appointees.

Mr Nkansah raised this concern as a panellist on the discussion segment on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odeyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, and noted that it forms part of the waste in the system.

"They [said 25 communicators] draw salaries as well as other allowances from the government chest.

"It is the reason this government has borrowed to the brim and has nothing to show for it," he argued.

He further said that the government borrows to only pay recurrent expenditures.

Source: Classfmonline.com
A former commander of the Formed Police Unit, Superintendent Naa Hamza Yakubu, who has retired from active police service, has said some police officers do plant narcotics on civilians.

It comes on the back of the arrest of an Uber driver, Mr Patrick Asiedu, after he claimed in a video that has been widely circulated on social media that he was stopped by some officers who planted narcotics in his car.

The police said in a statement that its investigations, so far, indicate that the claims of the self-styled doctor were all false.

Nonetheless, Mr Hamza Yakubu says there are some bad nuts in the police service who do plant drugs on civilians during car searches.

The retired commander has, thus, advised the civilian public to be watchful whenever the police stop them in traffic for a search.

Whenever a person is stopped by the police for a search, I believe they would normally not just start conducting the search without notifying the occupant of the vehicle or the driver, so, when you are the driver and the police requests to have a search of your vehicle, what I would advise is that: do not sit in the car because you feel frustrated by the demand to have your vehicle searched and just open the boot from the steering compartment and then sit there unconcerned waiting for the police to do their checks, he warned.

That posture, he noted, allows bad police officers to plant illicit substances in civilians cars, because we cannot dispute the fact that there are some police officers who would want to do exactly that and have been doing it.

Im saying so confidently because the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr Oppong-Boanuh, had the occasion of cautioning police officers to desist from planting cocaine or drugs on vehicle users, so, if that advice, that caution came from the head of the police service, then it stands to show that, indeed, there are police officers who do that, he told Class News on 12Live on Thursday, 19 January 2023.

Mr Yakubu said he has witnessed that before.

I can also confirm it. I wouldnt mention names but I have had the occasion of seeing some police officers do that some time ago, which is a very very despicable and bad practice that should never ever be entertained, he condemned.

So, in order to get yourself from that thing, you get down from the vehicle yourself, open the vehicle, stand aside, and watch closely.

In fact, a citizen has the right to demand that only one police officer should conduct such a search. If, lets say there are about four of them [police officers] and all four attempt to do a search, please, citizens of Ghana, raise an objection to that and request that only one person should do that while you watch closely but if you feel big or feel angry because youve been asked to allow your vehicle to be searched, you sit in your vehicle and say, carry on with your search and they come out and say they found this thing, it will be so so unfortunate, he added.

During IGP Oppong-Boanuhs administration, the police administration issued an internal memo against the practice.

According to the memo, reports reaching the headquarters indicate that some personnel deployed on motor traffic duties and highway patrols have cultivated a habit of planting narcotic substances in the vehicle of individuals and turn around to arrest them on charges of possession of narcotics. This situation is not only embarrassing to the police administration but unprofessional on the part of officers involved in the practice.

To deal with the situation, the memo instructed that for the avoidance of doubt and to stem the practice in the bud, the Inspector General of Police directs, henceforth, that all such patrol units should be led by an SPO who shall be held accountable for any such unprofessional conduct.

Additionally, personnel have reported that some commanders of these units assign monetary targets to the duty personnel to be brought after the duties. Commanders should, therefore, be made aware that special task forces have been set up to interview patrol, MTTD and highway duties personnel on these.

Source: ClassFMonline.com
Executive Director for Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Mr. Kofi Asare

19.01.2023 LISTEN

The Executive Director of the Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Mr. Kofi Asare has given his opined on the plans by government to provide tablets for every student in the various Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country.

According to him, although tablets are important and will help with learning, it will be ideal for government to look for money and provide textbooks for students in schools.

I think that even though tablets are important, I think that finding money to provide textbooks to all schools in Ghana is more important. Less than 30% of textbooks have been distributed and are in only three subjects, Kofi Asare said in an interview with 3FM.

He continued, What I know is that it was not included in the 2023 budget. Considering the number of students that are to receive the tablets, it can be estimated that about one billion cedis is needed to buy the tablets for the about 1.7 million students.

The Executive Director for Africa Education Watch further proposed that if tablets would be supplied to students in Senior High Schools then it should be done right in a gradual process.

We rush on the procurement issues and crash on the systemic issues with such policies. A proper management system is required, other than that, it will end up as an avenue for procurement activities. We can have a way to roll it out without stampeding other important needs, Mr. Asare added.

Speaking at this years New Year School at the University of Ghana, Legon on Tuesday, January 17, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stressed that all tablets that will be provided for students will be loaded with textbooks to help with studies.

This year, we are on course to provide all Senior High School students in Ghana with tablets which are loaded with textbooks on them for their studies.

Thats a very game-changing development. We will have past questions preloaded on these tablets that will be distributed, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia indicated.
19.01.2023 LISTEN

President Phuc of Vietnam stepped down from office on 17.02.2023 due to allegations of corruption after Ministers before had taken the same step.

Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Arden, will leave office on 07.02.2023 saying she has an empty tank, not more to offer to the country.

Defense Secretary of Germany, Christina Lambrecht, stepped down from office on 17.01.2023 after heavy criticism of her performance.

Prime Minister of the UK, Liz Truss, stepped down from office after 48 days so her predecessor Boris Johnson when forced out by her own MPs.

In Africa Ministers only step down when they seek better positions to win the next General Election to become President.

The latest series of resignations in western and Asian societies once more raises the question about the state of affairs in African countries and whether it is a matter of democratic development or historic attitude and mentality, the state of mind. The right mindset determines the outcome of personal and social life.

Observing the various stages of African countries after their independence in the light of the need to give space and patience to the issues of development nowhere can small signs be seen that anytime soon or longer changes will be seen of Presidents and Ministers naturally step down when the time has come rather being taken out by force if not by losing elections.

In the end, it can be concluded minds of poverty for the nation and richness for private pockets makes poverty last for generations.
France's former president Francois Hollande has questioned the role of the Russian paramilitary outfit Wagner in the fight against jihadists in Mali  branding the group neo-colonials.

In an interview with RFI and France 24, Hollande reflected on his decision 10 years ago to launch the French military operation Serval in Mali.

The 68-year-old said he sanctioned the intervention  later known as Operation Barkhane  at the behest of the Malian authorities and out of a sense of solidarity.

"Recently, I have seen with sorrow the deterioration of this bond of friendship between Mali and France," Hollande said.

"It has deteriorated because the jihadists have continued to strike and the Malians have said to themselves: 'This will never end despite foreign interventions.'

"Are there fewer attacks and fewer jihadist actions since the French left? No, it's worse," Hollande added.

"Jihadism is now even striking in southern Mali. But Wagner is a private group that lives from the predations it carries out. The neo-colonials are Wagner's men."

Hollande, who took over as French leader from Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012, added: "France only came [to Mali] because it was asked to.

"It left because it was no longer wanted. If the Malians want to have relations with a private group, that's their business, with a state other than France, that's their business."

Hollande has remained active in the Socialist party since falling from power in 2017.

In the wide-ranging interview, he defended Operation Sangaris  launched in the Central African Republic in December 2013.

Three years later, France withdrew its troops against the wishes of President Faustin Archange Touadera, who was under threat from rebel groups.

He called in the Wagner group.

Hollande said the decision to leave came because of France's military involvement in Mali as well as the Sahel and the Middle East.

"Even if it is not the same troops who are carrying out these operations, there was almost a physical limit," Hollande added.

"I'm not talking about a political limit. We wanted a UN peacekeeping mission, the UNMISCA, to take over and support the elected president of the Central African Republic to ensure reconciliation and stability in the country."

"We can see the diamond mines that interest a certain number of private groups. Again, it is the decision of the Central African authorities ... it's up to them to know what they want to happen, and I think it's quite regrettable that a group like Wagner has set up shop like this."
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on government to suspend its debt restructuring programme to allow for broader stakeholder consultations.

After various discussions with some stakeholders on Ghanas economy, were convinced that the whole process needs to be suspended until broader consultations have been made, the council said in a statement issued on Thursday, 19 January 2023.

The CCG noted that as an Advocacy group that speaks for the vulnerable in the society, the Council has examined the concerns of the Individual Bond Holders of Ghana (IBHAG), the Pensioner Bond Holders Forum, our church members and the general public and have identified lapses in the debt restructuring programme, a major one being lack of consultation with affected individuals and institutions.

It further noted: With the current economic hardships in the country and the agitations among the general public, it is in the nations interest for the Finance Ministry to suspend the 31st January deadline given to individuals to sign on to the programme and rather propose a road map for dialogue to make the process participatory such that the outcome would be acceptable to all.

It added that it believes that thorough engagements with stakeholders would help the government to appreciate the concerns of the Ghanaian people and put measures in place to address some of the challenges of the progrmme.

Meanwhile, the Individual Bondholders Association of Ghana (IBHAG) has cautioned individual bondholders to avoid the temptation of signing up for the exchange of their existing bonds with the new ones floated by government.

The association further advises all individual bondholders, irrespective of whether they are members of IBHAG or not, to resist the temptation of signing onto the voluntary exchange of their existing bonds with the new ones floated by government, the veiled threats from the Minister of Finance notwithstanding, a statement signed by lawyer Martin Kpebu on the behalf of the IBHAG said.

The IBHAG further cautioned government against the inclusion of its members investments in the government debt restructuring process without engaging with them.

According to the IBHAG, any disregard of this caution will be met with the fiercest resistance yet from its members.

Source: classfmonline.com
Workers sew garments at a textile factory in Cape Town, South Africa. - Source: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images

19.01.2023 LISTEN

South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world . This income inequality is mostly due to high unemployment and large differences in wages.

In South Africa today, economists and policy-makers typically focus on worker characteristics such as education to address wage inequality. Elsewhere, however, attention has recently returned to the power that bosses have to set the wages of workers.

In my study , I document that employer wage-setting explains over a third of wage inequality in South Africa. In fact, for most workers, specific employers explain about half of the differences in pay.

Employers get this power to set wages from a combination of two things. One is the large differences in productivity between employers. The other is the lack of competition  between bosses  for workers, which is likely related to high unemployment. Both factors are particularly severe in South Africa.

As my paper shows, South Africa's world-leading wage inequality has as much to do with what bosses are doing as it does with how educated or experienced workers are.

Job hopping

A challenge for the paper was to isolate the part of the wage that's due to employers, and not due to worker characteristics such as education or experience.

One way to do this is to see how a worker's wage changes when they move from one employer to another. These wage changes cannot be about productivity or skills  it's the same person being paid a different wage depending only on where they work.

Have you ever moved jobs and received a salary bump, even though you are doing roughly the same work? Economists call this an employer wage premium. Using tax data from 2011 to 2016, I tracked nearly all formal sector job movers in South Africa to estimate this premium for every employer.

In a competitive labour market where bosses do not have the power to set wages, a worker should be paid similarly no matter where they go, and there should be no employer wage premium.

Yet, Figure 1 shows that salary bumps  and drops  after moving jobs can be enormous. A worker lucky enough to move from a low-wage to high-wage employer more than doubles their wage (light red line). The opposite may also happen: a worker at a high-wage job may be forced to move to a low-wage employer, and get paid much less (light blue line).

Figure 1: Wages over time of workers who switch to a new firm Notes: The plot shows the wages of workers who stay at the same firm for three years (-3 to -1) then switch to a new employer and stay there for the next three years (0 to 2). The legend shows types of employer switches: Ihsaan Bassier , Author provided

These differences between low- and high-wage employers drive up wage inequality. Altogether, I estimate that employers account for 36% of wage inequality in the formal sector.

Accounting for other sources of inequality (for example, the fact that some people have jobs and others do not), employer wage premiums account for roughly one fifth of overall income inequality in South Africa today.

The boss is a big factor

Much of the discussion on inequality in South Africa is about access to high quality education. This is important. But my research shows that a large part of inequality is also due to which specific employer you land at.

In Figure 2, the difference in total wages for all except the highest paid workers is as much explained by differences in specific employers (red) as differences due to worker characteristics (blue). The upshot is that large parts of workers' wages have little to do with education.

Such differences in wages due to the specific employer are found in many other countries too. But South Africa stands out for just how much inequality employers account for, at least compared to estimates for richer countries.

Figure 2: Components of income due to worker characteristics and employers, by income decile Notes: Workers' wages are divided into deciles, and split into the average portion due to employer wage premiums (red) and worker characteristics (blue). Premiums are shown relative to workers with wages in decile 5. Source: South African NT-SARS tax data, own calculations. Ihsaan Bassier , Author provided

Why do bosses increase wage inequality so much?

The leading economic models explaining differences in wages due to specific employers focus on employer productivity dispersion and monopsony power. Monopsony power is when bosses face little competition from other bosses for the labour they employ.

The amount of money you make for an employer, or revenue productivity, depends on many things that are specific to that employer. For example, they may have better technology or have a popular brand. Employers with higher productivity generally pay workers more, and so bigger differences in revenue productivity across employers induce greater wage inequality.

This dispersion in revenue productivity is large in South Africa compared to estimates for richer countries, but is similar to other developing countries like India and China.

However, such revenue productivity dispersion only matters for wage inequality insofar as employers have monopsony power. Without some monopsony power, workers would just quit to the highest paying employer. Indeed, one way to measure this power is to see how much employers can lower wages without workers quitting.

My estimates suggest that there is more monopsony power in South Africa than other places. Bosses pay workers a smaller portion of what is produced, thereby contributing more to the high wage inequality in South Africa. This also means workers face a higher rate of exploitation.

This high employer monopsony power may be due to South Africa's high unemployment. When unemployment is high, it is more difficult to find a job, and so workers are more reluctant to quit in response to an employer wage cut. This has long been popularly understood in terms of the Marxian reserve army of labour. Thus employers potentially link two of the country's most devastating features: inequality and unemployment.

Implications for policy

Policy prescriptions to reduce employer monopsony power are complicated. Nevertheless, it should be clear that the contribution of employers to South Africa's inequality crisis warrants attention. There are potentially large benefits to wages, employment and even taxation.

My analysis reinforces the need to centre the power of bosses over workers in economic analysis.

Ihsaan Bassier is also a researcher at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. Access to the SARS tax data used in this article was granted through the SA-TIED programme, a joint initiative between the National Treasury of South Africa and UNU-WIDER. He also received funding and support from the the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits University.

By Ihsaan Bassier, Researcher in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
Global climate change doesn't only cause the melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels and extreme weather events. It also has a direct effect on many tropical habitats and the animals and plants that inhabit them. As fossil fuel emissions continue to drive climate change, large areas of land are forecast to become much hotter and drier by the end of this century.

Many ecosystems, including tropical forests, wetlands, swamps and mangroves, will be unable to cope with these extreme climatic conditions. It is highly likely that the extent and condition of these ecosystems will decline. They will become more like deserts and savanna.

The island nation of Madagascar is of particular concern when it comes to climate change. Of Madagascar's animal species, 85% cannot be found elsewhere on Earth. Of its plant species, 82% are unique to the island. Although a global biodiversity hotspot, Madagascar has experienced the highest rates of deforestation anywhere in the world. Over 80% of its original forest cover has already been cleared by humans.

This has resulted in large population declines in many species. For example, many species of lemurs (Madagascar's flagship group of animals) have undergone rapid population decline, and over 95% of lemur species are now classified as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List .

Drier conditions brought about by climate change have already resulted in widespread bush fires throughout Madagascar. Drought and famine are increasingly severe for the people living in the far south and south-western regions of the island.

Madagascar's future will likely depend profoundly on how swiftly and comprehensively humans deal with the current climate crisis.

What we found

Our study investigated how future climate change is likely to affect four of Madagascar's key forest habitat types. These four forest types are the dry deciduous forests of the west, humid evergreen forests of the east, spiny bush forests of the arid south, and transitional forests of the north-west corner of the island.

Using computer-based modelling, we simulated how each forest type would respond to climate change from the current period up to the year 2080. The model used the known distribution of each forest type, and current and future climatic data.

We did this under two different conditions: a mitigation scenario, assuming human reliance on greenhouse gas reduces according to climate commitments already made; and an unmitigated scenario, assuming greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at their current rate.

Our results suggest that unmitigated climate change will result in declines of Madagascar's forests. The area of land covered by humid forest, the most extensive of the four forest types, is predicted to decrease by about 5.66%. Dry forest and spiny bush are also predicted to decline in response to unmitigated climate change. Transitional forest may actually increase by as much as 5.24%, but this gain will almost certainly come at the expense of other forest types.

We expected our model to show that mitigating climate change would result in net forest gain. Surprisingly, our results suggest entirely the opposite. Forest occurrence will decrease by up to 5.84%, even with efforts to mitigate climate change. This is because global temperatures are forecast to increase under both mitigated and unmitigated scenarios.

These predicted declines are in addition to the huge losses of forest already caused by ongoing deforestation throughout the island.

It looks as if the damage has already been done.

Climate change, a major threat

The results of our research highlight that climate change is indeed a major threat to Madagascar's forests and likely other ecosystems worldwide. These findings are deeply concerning for the survival of Madagascar's animals and plants, many of which depend entirely on forest habitat.

Not only will climate change decrease the size of existing forests, changes in temperature and rainfall will also affect the amount of fruit that trees produce. Madagascar lemurs and other animal and plant species may become extinct if the forests disappear. Rijasolo/AFP

Many of Madagascar's animals, such as its lemurs, rely heavily on fruit for food. Changes in fruit availability will have serious impact on the health, reproductive success and population growth of these animals. Some animals may be able to adapt to changes in climate and habitat, but others are very sensitive to such changes. They are unlikely to survive in a hot, arid environment .

Read more: Climate change and wildlife: 3 studies that reveal the devastating toll on Africa's animals

This will also have serious knock-on effects for human populations that depend on forests and animals for eco-tourism income. Approximately 75% of Madagascar's population depends on the forest and subsistence farming for survival, and the tourism sector contributes over US$600 million towards the island's economy annually.

To ensure that Madagascar's forests survive, immediate action is needed to end deforestation, protect the remaining patches of forest, replant and restore forests, and mitigate global carbon emissions. Otherwise these remarkable forests will eventually disappear, along with all the animals and plants that depend on them.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Daniel Hending, Postdoctoral Research Assistant Animal Vibration Lab, University of Oxford And

Marc Holderied, Professor in Sensory Biology, University of Bristol
Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko vowed on Thursday he would run for president next year despite facing a trial for rape charges.

Sonko -- who came third in Senegal's presidential election in 2019 -- has enjoyed a rapid political rise and is popular with young people.

"No one can stop me, if it pleases God, from being a candidate in 2024," the 48-year-old former tax inspector told a press conference.

"I can't see any judge sentencing me to five years in jail," Sonko said.

He has been charged with raping and sending death threats to an employee of a beauty salon where he went for a massage.

Sonko has denied the accusation and repeatedly said he is the victim of a "plot" by President Macky Sall.

An investigative judge on Tuesday ordered Sonko to stand trial on the charges in a criminal court.

Sonko's lawyer Cheikh Khoureyssi Ba has said he would appeal the ruling.

Sonko said it was "a real fake legal affair, a strictly political affair, orchestrated by Macky Sall's government, with the sole aim of pushing aside a candidate who appears by far one of the best placed to win the next presidential election."

Sonko's supporters hail his efforts to speak up against corruption and social elitism, as well as the economic and political grip of multinational firms and former colonial power France.

His indictment in March 2021 triggered violence in which around a dozen people were killed.

In recent years, several other prominent opponents of the president have had their political careers cut short by legal cases.

Authorities have denied any misuse of state institutions in the legal proceedings against Sonko.

Sall, who has denied any role in the Sonko affair, has won the last two presidential elections.

But he has remained vague on whether or not he intends to seek a third mandate, which would require changes to the current constitution under which a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
Ghanaians have been urged to use the MyNHIS App, an online portal, to enroll themselves onto and renew their membership with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to help reduce cost of operations.

The MyNHIS App launched in December 2022, enables users enroll onto the NHIS, using their mobile phones and Ghana Card instead of travelling to an NHIS District Office to register or renew membership and that of third parties.

The App, which aims to increase membership drive across the county, is also to help members to access frequently asked questions, locate all NHIS offices and link NHIS cards to the Ghana Cards.

Mr Kasimu Abudulai, Upper East Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), said when Ghanaians were sensitized to appreciate the use of the App more resources would be saved while also creating convenience for users.

The SMS system, *929#, is still operational but it is not interactive. You could only renew your card and link your NHIS card with Ghana Card but with this App, first timers are able to enroll themselves, friends and family without coming to the office as well as renew, so it makes NHIS easier than ever before, he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga.

The Regional Director explained that the cost of production of cards, purchase of consumables as well as pressure on some of the machines used would be reduced when many people appreciate and embrace use of MyNHIS App.

Every month, we always run shot of consumables, especially the ribbons and the computers and printers, are overused and become obsolete and therefore when more people use the online portal, they would not come to our offices except the few who cannot use the portal, he said.

When one registers using the App, a digital identification feature, would be generated and be used to access healthcare services in the health facilities but one must have a Ghana Card to enable them register which automatically links to the NHIS and can be used to access healthcare, he added.

He said, the Authority was committed in 2013 to intensify education, especially in the urban areas, to ensure that people who had Android phones embraced the App and use it more.

Mr Abudulai noted, among other challenges, that the Bawku chieftaincy conflict interrupted operations of the Authority in the Eastern Corridor of the region as some of the offices were closed in 2022.

Out of the target of 74 per cent for 2022, the region was able to cover 935,077 people representing 70.45 percent at end of December 2022.

We have three districts which influence our operations namely Bolgatanga, Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Bawku Municipal so once any of these three is affected, performance of the whole region suffers, so because of what is happening in Bawku Municipality, Pusiga, Bawku West, Garu and Binduri were affected.

The Regional Director explained that the authority would continue to collaborate with its partners, including the Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Education Service and the United States Agency for International Development, to enroll more vulnerable people into the scheme.

GNA
Dr. George Akufo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has for the first time explained his decision to ban 31st watch night prophecies.

The IGP indicated that only constitutionally authorised individuals, like Members of Parliament (MPs) are entitled to make pronouncements over others.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament today Thursday, January 19, Dr. Akufo Dampare noted that he won't tolerate people acting as Men of God to cause fear and panic among people with doom prophecies.

"You are all elected to be Members of Parliament by our votes, and therefore you have been empowered by the constitution and other laws to make certain proclamations, which is acceptable.

"But those who are prophets, who elected them over my life to just go out there and make pronouncements about me, where I'm not your family member, I'm not your church member," the IGP said.

If God can tell the prophets to publicly pronounce death on people, then the IGP questions why the same God doesnt tell those individuals directly.

Dr. Akufo-Dampare noted that it is better for the prophets to be more diplomatic about how they convey their supposed God-given messages in order not to put people in constant fear.

"Why is it that God himself decided not tell us when we are going to die? It means a lot... even then if you have a prophecy about someone dying... you have to put it in proverbs for the person to decipher it, but you don't put fear and panic in the person, in the person's immediate family, in the person's extended family and in the whole country," he said.

According to the IGP, the ban on the 31st-night prophecy doesnt mean the police service is against prophecies."

He urges prophets to "go ahead and prophesy, but when God speaks to you, carry it out in a manner that will ensure the sanctity of our nation, Ghana.

For the past two years, the Ghana Police Service has been cautioning prophets to be careful about how they communicate prophecies, particularly those that spell doom in plain language in order not to put them in more danger.
A 57-year-old taxi driver, Akwasi Asamoh has been robbed of his Daewoo Matiz taxi cab, with registration number GE-6640-22 at gunpoint at Sasa, near Buoho in the Afigya Kwabre South District of the Ashanti region.

The incident happened around 9:30pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 when he was hired by two men at Bantama to pick up made-in-Ghana footwear from Buoho to Metro Mass Transit yard at Abrepo junction.

Narrating his ordeal to Captain Koda, the host of Otec FMs morning show Nyansapo on Thursday, the grieving and down-spirited victim said they also took away his mobile phone and an unspecified amount of money (his daily sales).

"Two men, one wearing a nose mask, hired me from Bantama to convey footwear from Buoho to Metro Mass Transit yard at Abrepo junction. At Sasa, they told me to pull over at a dark place and they got down. They came back without the goods and told me to move closer to them which I complied, he said.

He continued, they told me to come closer, I became suspicious of their evil intents so I declined. One of them asked me for assistance to carry the goods into the taxi which also I declined.

All of a sudden one came and sat in the front seat, pulled out the car key, pushed me away and took control of the driver's seat. The other person with the nose mask pointed a gun at me which I fearfully complied and they sped off with my Daewoo Matiz taxi.

He added that when they were speeding off, he shouted at them which drew the attention of the community members but their effort to stop them proved futile.

He has lodged a complaint at the police station.
It was a colourful ceremony when the High Commission of Malta in Ghana, located at North Ridge in Accra, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, 17th January 2023, with the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, Hon. Ian Borg, as the Guest of Honour.

Several dignitaries including the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry responsible for International Trade, Mr Herbert Krappa and former Ghanaian Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kyerematen attended the event.

Also in attendance were members of the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of Government Agencies and Departments, Ghanaian Industry Captains, Ghanaian and Maltese Business Owners and Entrepreneurs as well as other distinguished personalities and members of the media.

Speaking at the commissioning event, Hon. Borg indicated that the establishment of the High Commission marks a great milestone in the relationship between Ghana and Malta and provides an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and the continent at large.

Being the first Maltese High Commission in Sub Saharan Africa, this is another important link in the implementation of our countrys policy strategy towards the African continent with the aim of continuing to see more collaboration on the continent. This goes hand-in-hand with our foreign policy strategy for Africa for 2020-2025, he added.

On his part, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, stated that it was an honour for Ghana, for the Republic of Malta, which forms part of the European Union to decide to open its first diplomatic mission in Africa in Ghana. He further commended the Maltese High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E Jean Claude Galea Mallia and his team for a remarkable job in strengthening GhanaMalta relations.

The commissioning of the High Commission followed the successful organization of the third Malta-Ghana Business Forum also held on Tuesday 17th January 2023 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra with over twenty-five Maltese companies from various sectors represented.

The High Commission of Malta in Accra is committed to promoting friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between the people of Malta and the people of Ghana and intensifying relations with Ghana as a priority for the Maltese governments broader strategy in West Africa and beyond.

Diplomatic relations between Malta and Ghana date back to 1974. Since then, relations flourished over the years with various high-level exchanges, including two consecutive State Visits, one in 2017 and the other one in 2019, which were followed by the official opening of the High Commission of Malta in Accra.
Ten suspected illegal small-scale miners including a Chinese national, have been arrested by the joint team of police, National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and National Security personnel at Axim in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region.

The illegal miners who were busted on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, were reported to have unlawfully invaded the legally acquired gold mining concession of the Okoben Mining Company Limited in Dominase.

The swoop, conducted by the Ghana Police Service in collaboration with the NIB and National Security, forms part of the government's renewed fight against illegal mining.

According to available information, the number of miners was more than those arrested but some managed to run away at the time the national security officers stormed the site.

The miners managed to indiscriminately mine gold in the concession without the knowledge of the owner of the company, Nana Okoben Amponsah.

They also managed to clear large tracts of arable cocoa farmlands in a forest at the site of the company and tributaries of the Ankobra River had also been heavily polluted by their activities.

The team confiscated excavators and other items. The suspects have been sent to the Axim Divisional Police Command.

They are currently in police custody assisting with investigations into the matter.

The CEO of Okoben Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah is worried that despite the ban on these illegal activities, some unpatriotic Ghanaians are aiding foreigners to mine and destroy his gold mining concession he lawfully and legally secured for the past 24 years ago.

How is it possible that despite the number of caution and announcements, people still have the effrontery to be engaging in illegal mining? What worries me the most is how our own people find it convenient to collaborate with foreigners on this destruction spree.

Nana Okoben Amponsah said it is very sad. But I make a solemn promise that we will not rest. If it means going after them every day, then that is exactly what we will do.

-3news.com.com
Gold mask, 20 cm in height, weighing 1.36 kg. of pure gold, seized by the British from Kumase, Ghana, in 1874 and now in the Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom.

19.01.2023 LISTEN

The town burnt furiously, all these three days of rain failing in any way to impede the progress of the devouring element. The thick thatched roofs of the houses, dry as timber except just on the outside, blazed as though they had been ready prepared for the bonfire, and the flames ran down the framework which supported the mud walls. In the larger houses, more substantially built, only the roofs caught fire; but the destruction was practically complete. Slowly huge dense columns of smoke curled up to the sky, and lighted fragments of thatch drifting far and wide upon the wind showed to the King of Ashanti, and to all his subjects who had fled from the capital, that the white man never failed to keep his word. - Henry Brackenbury and Harry Cooper, The Ashanti War . (1)

Our readers are no doubt aware that in 1974 the Asantehene, late Otumfour Nana Opoku Ware II, with the support and endorsement of the Ghana Government petitioned the British authorities to return finally, the Asante regalia, which the British army had looted from Kumasi in 1874,1896. and 1900 and which are now in the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection, and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. (2) The petition was not successful. The British attitude towards such demands was demonstrated in a debate on the matter that took place in the British House of Lords reproduced in below. (3) The usual British upper-class arrogance and condescending attitude towards those they consider inferior or unworthy of their attention shine through the debate, during which there was much laughter. Will there now be a better chance of securing the return of our artefacts now than in 1974? There have been events since 1974 pointing to the advancement of the restitution movement. We can now expect a more thoughtful consideration.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007.

Plea by Ahmadou M'Bow for Return of Artefacts to those who created them 1978.

Exhibition Benin: Kings and Rituals-Court Arts from Nigeria, 2007, Vienna.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007.

-Several General Assembly Resolutions on Return of Cultural Property to the Country of Origin.

Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museum(DIVUM),2004.

Ouagadougou Declaration by President Macron of France 2017.

Felwine Sarr and Benedicte Savoy. The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics,2018.

Return by France on 10 November 2021 of 26 Royal Dahomean artefacts to Republique du Benin.

Decision by Germany to return 1300 Benin artefacts to Nigeria in 2021

Return of Benin artefact by Jesus College, Cambridge.2021.

Return of Benin Artefacts by University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, 2021.

Neil McGregor, former director of the British Museum,2002-2015, in his latest book, A monde nouveau, nouveaux musees,2021, suggests that the museums should change their attitude towards restitution.

Return of 26 Benin artefacts to Nigeria by the Smithsonian, Washington, and the inauguration of the policy of ethical returns, 2022.

Return of 3 Benin artefacts by Metropolitan Museum, New York, USA, 2022.

Return of 72 Benin artefacts to Nigeria By Horniman Museum, London, 2022.

Return of 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria by Cambridge University Archaeological and Anthropology Museum,2022.

Visit of Tristram Hunt, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum to Kumase,2022.

Return of Benin artefacts to Nigeria by Oxford University, Pitts Rivers Museum. 2022.

Return of Parthenon Marbles fragments by Pope Francisco from the Vatican to Athens 2022.

Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, Cologne, returned 92 Benin artefacts to Nigeria. 2022.

France returns to Cote d'Ivoire, Djidji Ayokwe, a talking drum stolen by France during the colonial period in 2022.

Inadequate and unacceptable but significant offer of apology for the role of the Dutch State in slavery by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Hardliner Herrmann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Foundation for Cultural Heritage, Berlin, and uncommitted Hartmut Dorgerloh, Director-General of Humboldt Foundation, rally to restitution.

Goethe Institute announces roundtable discussions on Germany's successful restitutions.

Announcement by Berlin State Secretary Saraya Gomis that she would like to return the bust of Nefertiti and the Pergamon Altar.

An equally crucial factor is the emphasis on morality or ethics found in all recent restitutions. Contemporary museum directors are moving from the position of their predecessors, who refused to consider any demand for restitution of looted artefacts because the conqueror had legally acquired these objects in a war; and because the law recognized the right to booty. Recent decisions contain direct or indirect condemnation of violence in acquiring cultural artefacts.

The Secretary-General of the Smithsonian expressed this view while launching the new policy of ethical returns:

"There is a growing understanding at the Smithsonian and in the world of museums generally that our possession of these collections carries with it certain ethical obligations to the places and people where the collections originated," said Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch. "Among these obligations is to consider, using our contemporary moral norms, what should be in our collections and what should not. This new policy on ethical returns is an expression of our commitment to meet these obligations. (4)

Eva Salomon, Chair of the Horniman Museum, justified the Horniman's decision to return 92 Benin artefacts to Nigeria on moral grounds:

The evidence is very clear that these objects were acquired through force, and external consultation supported our view that it is both moral and appropriate to return their ownership to Nigeria.' (5)

Lai Mohammed, Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, has declared that the question of restitution is one of ethics and not law. He said people in London used the law as a shield when they alleged the law prohibited deaccessioning objects. (6)

In its decision to approve Cambridge University Archaeological and Anthropological Museum to transfer 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria, the Charity Commission concluded the university was "under a moral obligation" to return the artefacts. (7)

Prof. Nicholas Thomas, director of the Cambridge museum, said: Across the international museum sector, there is growing recognition that illegitimately acquired artefacts should be returned to their countries of origin (8)

A group of Belgian scholars and practitioners who examined issues of restitution of artefacts looted by Belgium from the Congo  made the following recommendation:

'Although the existing legal framework is not favourable to the owners of the objects in colonial collections, there are opportunities for change. Indeed, the law should try to be in tune with the social and ethical issues of its time, reflecting the demands for equity and reconciliation with the past that are increasingly resonating within society. A moral duty to return the colonial heritage is emerging, inviting us to go beyond the limitations of the existing legal framework in order to make an ethical responsibility heard in law.' (9)

Germany has made remarkable progress in the area of restitution if one considers the earlier opposition in Germany to discussions of restitution fuelled by NGOs' such as Postkolonial Berlin who underlined the inherent links between the colonial system and looting of artefacts. The discussions also contributed to Germans waking up from the amnesia of the colonial period and all atrocities, including the genocide of the Herero and the Nama. The large amount of Benin artefacts that the Germans are transferring to Nigeria,1130 is very impressive when compared to the number other countries are willing to transfer. Equally noticeable is that the German transfers are led by two female ministers, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture. This may be sheer coincidence, but in an area, where up to now, male chauvinism in the form of male colonial brutality has dominated the acquisition of artefacts and the refusal to restitute, this may be significant. In any case the fact that women have made progress to the extent that they are effective in high political matters reflects the progress made by their society since the brutal colonial time

Given the above-mentioned factors and the overwhelming evidence of this shift of history from violent and brutal acquisition to morality-based restitution, it is obvious that a new demand for the return of the Asante regalia must be given a more reasonable consideration and will not be a laughing matter in the House of Lords as it was in December 1974. The violent way in which Britain invaded Asante several times and carried away as much golden treasures as it could find clearly puts a moral obligation on the present holders to return the precious gold artefacts to the owner, the Asantehene in Manhyia, Kumase. There is already a royal museum there waiting to receive the returned treasures.

The transfer by the Pope of three Parthenon Marbles fragments from Rome to Athens may be seen as support of the Vatican for restoring artefacts acquired under dubious circumstances to the place of origin. One also gains the hope that the Vatican will soon be sending back some of the substantial number of African artefacts found in the Vatican's Museum of Ethnology. Many were sent to Rome for an exhibition in 1936 but were never returned after the presentation. (10)

Some have pointed out it was precisely to avoid the impression that the Vatican was supporting a general restitution that the Pope sent the Parthenon Marbles not to the Greek State but to the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos II as a religious act of donation. But can the Catholic Church arbitrarily limit the growing support or morality to relations between churches?

Does the growing consensus that looted objects or objects acquired under dubious circumstances be returned to their owners or place of origin be split in its application by a religious body into religious and non-religious spheres? Different morality within church and outside the church? Would the moral theology of the Catholic saints support such a distinction? This would be a dangerous path for the church.

The Vatican should not be surprised when the light is turned on the number of African artefacts in its Ethnology Museum in Rome.

Most of the objects in this museum have contested origins. Pragmatic decisions will not save the Vatican from increasing demands. The Vatican must make a moral decision in an important aspect of colonial and imperialistic injustice. The church must show leadership here and not be seen as trailing States such as Germany that have decided to return objects acquired with force or threats.

Whatever may have been the intention of the Vatican in returning Parthenon fragments to Athens, we believe this is the time for Ethiopia to relaunch its claim for the looted Maqdala artefacts and the religious objects, such as Christian crosses, in many Western museums, such as the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museums. (11) We should also want to know about Ethiopian artefacts and manuscripts in the Vatican institutions and Italy. Does the Vatican have any better justification for holding Ethiopian artefacts and manuscripts than the British Museum? Is the Vatican's holding of the property of other people justified on moral grounds? Should the church not lead by example?

The return of fragments of Parthenon Marbles will soon open up the question of the role of the Vatican in past violent acquisitions, the part of Catholic missionaries in Africa, the artefacts collected to be burnt as heathen symbols but later turned up in European museums such as in Lyon.

Tristram Hunt, in his report on his visit to Kumase, mentions loans. We have no official statement from the Ghanaian side. Ghanaian papers reported the visit but did not refer to the reaction of the Asantehene or the Government. Moreover, we do not know whether the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum proposed directly to his Ghanaian interlocutors the idea of a loan of the looted Asante artefacts to the Asantehene or the Ghanaian authorities. Whatever the case, we wish to clearly state our fundamental objection to the idea of a loan of Asante artefacts to the Asantehene by the illegal holders who, since 1874, have been holding these precious Asante treasures and refuse until now to return them. Asante is authentic living culture that cannot work in its essential elements with borrowed elements from those who stole from us.

What are we to tell our children? Should we tell them that those elements are genuine Asante objects or borrowed elements from our former British colonial masters, who attacked us and stole them? Can the soul of the Asantehene be protected or reflected by a soul watcher disc borrowed from the British Museum?

Can British institutions transfer ownership of Benin bronzes to the Oba and Nigeria but refuse to transfer legal ownership in Asante regalia to the Asantehene and Ghana?

We are not against African States making loans of artefacts to Western museums or governments. What we are saying is that restitution and loan must not be mixed up or done at the same time. Restitute our artefacts, and we can then make loans afterward. The practice of making loans to former illegal holders before restitution or at the same time must be rejected. We should not subject ourselves to extortion or undue pressure. Promise loans before restitution or no restitution cannot be accepted.

Artefacts that have been away for over a hundred years should return home before they are loaned again for another stay abroad. Or what is the home for the restituted artefacts?

Even if the majority of recent decisions would support the restitution of the Asante regalia, it is also well-known that the British Government and the British Museum cannot be trusted to follow any consistent policy here. They are known for surprises. The British Parliament and the British Museum do not seem to have decided on who has the final word on this matter. Parliament states that it is for the British Museum to decide cases of restitution. British Museum states that they need a parliamentary decision to return any object in the museum. Prime Minister Boris Johnson declares that British Museum decides restitution. The next Prime Minister Lis Truss declares that restitution is out of question. British Museum Board of Trustees, George Osborne declares he is talking with Greece about restitution, Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Michelle Donelan declares restitution is out of question. Added to this game of ping pong between Parliament and the British Museum, is the recent instability of governments that does not allow us to know which Government will be in power at any time. The path to restitution of the Asante regalia is therefore not straightforward. Demanders of restitution will have to bring more pressure on this matter, Lethargy, indifference, and inconsequential policies would not secure the restitution of our looted artefacts. Since the Sarr-Savoy published in 2018 a comprehensive list of African artefacts in the Musee du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, few African States have put in a demand for restitution from France. (12) We are aware of demands by the Republique du Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad, Senegal, and Nigeria. But what about the other African States?

As in the case of the Benin artefacts, nobody knows exactly the number of Asante artefacts looted by the British. The list of stolen articles made by Henry M. Stanley, the embedded. reporter with the British Army, is not sufficient for our purposes. (13) Various British institutions give their estimates. Victoria and Albert Museum states:

'Garrard's is the source given for thirteen items of Asante court regalia acquired by the V&A in June 1874.The V&A's collection includes a pipe, three pectoral discs (plus another acquired in 1883), a pair of silver anklets and a number of beaten gold pieces which were probably used to decorate state stools or swords.' (14)

Can we accept this statement as covering all the looted Asante items in the venerable museum? What about the gold weights?

The British Museum's homepage shows that the museum has 225 Asante objects, all golden artefacts. What about the gold weights and other objects? There is nowhere indicated a total addition of Asante objects in the museum, so we have to do our addition and subtraction. It should be borne in mind that it was the fabulous Asante gold that attracted many European nations, Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch German (Brandenburg) and the British to establish themselves in the Gold Coast for years. We should remember that gold dust was the currency in Asante until the British gained control over Asanteman. How much gold dust did the British steal in their various invasions of Asante and extorted from the Asante rulers? Incidentally, many of the golden objects on the British Museum website are said to have been excavated, so where are objects the British looted ? Where are the treasures they collected from Manhyia, where the Asantehenes palace has always been and the neighbouring houses of the Asante nobles were situated? Henry Morgan Stanley has written about this.

What would be helpful is to have a list of numbers looted from Kumase. We may have to aim at a Digital Asante that would give full details about the various objects found in the museums, including date, source of acquisition, and location. One has learned that when giving figures of looted African objects in Western museums, one cannot be complacent. A letter must go from the Ghana Government and the Asantehene to the British government with copies to the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Wallace Collection, requesting the restitution of the Asante regalia looted by the British in their invasion and destruction of Kumasi in 1874, 1896, and 1900.

The letter should refer to the earlier demand of 1974 and the changed circumstances of our times should be mentioned as grounds for optimism for a favourable consideration this time. A definite office should be made responsible for the successful outcome of the demand. In the case of the Benin bronzes, the Nigerian Minister of Culture managed the matter and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, under the able leadership of Prof Abba Isa Tijani managed the actual implementation.

The Ghana High Commission in London or other office should be charged with task of coordination between Accra and London in this matter. As prospects for restitution of Asante artefacts appear likely, we will no doubt be faced with a question that Nigeria also had to answer, namely where should the restituted artefacts go, whether to the central government at the capital or to the traditional ruler from whose area the objects were looted by the British. We had no doubt that the Benin artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin and should be returned to where they were looted. The Nigerian president issued a statement that settled the issue. (15)

As far as concerns negotiations with foreign governments, that was the work of the Foreign Ministry and the National Commission on Museums and Monuments. But once the legal ownership and the objects are transferred to Nigeria, the artefacts should be returned to where they were before they were looted.

In the case of the Asante regalia, I do not doubt that the restituted objects should be returned to Kumase, to the Manhyia palace where they were looted.

Asante culture, has a greater chance of further development at the Asantehene's palace than at a museum or institution controlled by the central government. The culture that produced the original artefacts before they were looted has a better chance of starting a renaissance than an institution that will receive the returned objects for the first time.

The rich diversity of cultures in Nigeria and Ghana suggests to me that all cultures should be given equal opportunity to develop in their natural and historical environments. Constitutional requirement of equality of treatment of all persons would also suggest the avoidance of the impression that one culture was more important than others. One should not worry about the tourists that usually visit our major cities.

NGO's such as Postkolonial and AFRIMUHERE that are active in heritage matters as well as the African diaspora in Britain should be consulted and informed, following a policy of transparency and the need for public education.

Historians and other intellectuals should be involved and their vast knowledge of our history should be used.

Relevant documents should be published, and the public should be told precisely where to address its questions and which website to send inquiries. The secrecy shown by Nigeria and Germany in such matters should not become standard practice. Memoranda of Understanding signed by Nigeria and Germany concerning restitution have not been published. Again the letter from Nigeria to the British Museum in October 2021 demanding restitution of Benin artefacts has not been made available to the public. We should do everything possible to bring to the attention of the Western public the case of the looted Asante regalia. Few westerners are familiar with this case, and we cannot hope that Britain will bring this to the attention of the British public.

Another issue that has to be clarified is whether there should be compensation from the British for all the wanton destruction they caused. They burnt Kumase in 1874 even though the Asante had indicated they did not want to fight.

Asantehene Kofi Karkari and his soldiers had left the City before the arrival of the British troops in the City. Attempts had been made to persuade the British not to continue to Kumase by offering them guarantees. Having determined that their interests would be best served by removing the Asantehene, the British demanded guarantees they knew could not be accepted by the Asante.

Wolseley demanded from the Asantehene, as hostages, pending negotiations, the following persons:

"Prince Mensah, your Majesty's heir

Your Majesty's Mother

The heir of the King of Juabin

The heir of the King of Kokofu

The heir of the King of Mampon

The heir of the King of Bekwai

and half of 50.000 ounzes

of gold dust". (16)

When we realize that the British who were not and are not neighbours of the Asante, came thousands of miles away from Europe to seek control of our land and resources, the question arises whether they should not pay compensation for the senseless destruction they caused in Kumase. Is it enough that they return some of our artefacts? What about the human lives and property they destroyed? What about depriving us of more than a hundred years from using our artefacts?

One of the presidential candidates for the coming Nigerian Presidential Elections Bola Tinubu, of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) has urged western museums to 'pay repatriation funds on the items to Nigeria, especially Edo State as compensation for the long years of denial.' 'The presidential candidate urged countries to pay some money to Edo State having made huge money from the returned artefacts through tourism and exhibitions. (17)

The museums holding the bulk of the looted Asante regalia in the United Kingdom, as the reader knows, are the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection and the British Museum. The director of the V and A Museum recently went to Ghana and had talks with the Asantehene and Ghanaian authorities about future partnerships. (18)

The Wallace Collection does not appear to have adopted any policy of restitution. But a statement on the museum's homepage indicates an unwillingness to repatriate any of the Asante gold treasures:'

 The issues around ownership and care for these objects are complex. The narratives and meanings ascribed to these objects by their original communities may be changed in a museum context or setting. Many of these objects are displaced and dispossessed, divorced now from their power and context as symbolic representations, and distanced from the religious transactions that existed between them and the people who revered them as spiritual and powerful elements.' (19)

As readers know from our previous articles, the British Museum is the most recalcitrant regarding the restitution of looted African artefacts. (20) This museum has the most extensive collection of looted artefacts. The total number of Asante regalia in this venerable citadel cannot be stated with any confidence.

We need reliable information that the museum that has refused adamantly to follow Dutch, French, and German positions regarding the restitution of African artefacts is about to move from its negative position.

It is good that the Bloomsbury museum has acknowledged that it received a demand for the restitution of Asante artefacts in 1974. (21) This means that the British Museum will no longer rely on the old argument of Western museums that no one has asked for restitution.

This attempt to secure the restitution of the Asante regalia must be accompanied by demonstrated seriousness of all concerned. All evidence points to a reasonable consideration, but if those primarily concerned do not show great interest in the demand, we should not expect the present illegal holders to be more enthusiastic about returning the precious treasures.

Recent moves by Western museums in restitution matters point to a new era in the relations of Africa-Europe, a new ethical relation as suggested by the Sarr-Savoy report.

The German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Analena Baerbock has rightly declared on returning Benin bronzes to Nigeria: It was wrong to steal these bronzes. It was wrong to keep these bronzes; it is long overdue to return them to their home. We see this as a first step. Many bronzes have been looted and stolen, so many will come back. This step is also important because we are dealing with our dark colonial past. (22)

NOTES

1. Narrative Prepared From The Official Documents By Permission of Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley 91874,V II.

2. K. Opoku, When will Britain Return Looted Ghanaian Artefacts? A History of British Looting of more than one hundred Objects,

https://www.africavenir.org/nc/news-details/article/kwame-opoku-when-will-britain-return-looted-ghanaian-artefacts-a-history-of-british-looting-of-mor.html

3. Annex I

4. https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-adopts-policy-ethical-returns

5. https://www.horniman.ac.uk/story/horniman-to-return-ownership-of-benin-bronzes-to-nigeria/

6. Its about ethics: Nigeria urges British Museum to follow US and repatriate bronzes. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/11/nigeria-benin-repatriate-bronzes-smithsonian

7. Cambridge University will return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in move that piles pressure on British Museum to follow suit

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11545473/University-Cambridge-return-Benin-Bronzes-Nigeria.html

University of Cambridge given go-ahead to return its Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/12/university-cambridge-given-go-ahead-return-benin-bronzes-nigeria/

8. Cambridge University to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria - BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63973271

9. Ethical Principles for the Management and Restitution of Colonial Collections in Belgium (June 2021)

10. K. Opoku, Could the Catholic Church's Ethnology Museum be holding artefacts with doubtful histories? https://www.pambazuka.org/en/

11. K. Opoku, When Will Western Nations Return Ethiopia's Stolen Treasures? https://www.modernghana.com/news/182461/1/when-will-western-nations-return-ethiopias-stolen-.html

Loan Of Looted Ethiopia: Must Europeans Always Win? https://www.modernghana.com/news/848256/loan-of-looted-ethiopian-treasures-to-ethiopia-must-europea.html

Looted Ethiopian Tabot Concealed Permanently In Westminster Abbey, London. Is There Somewhere A Minimum Sense Of Shame? https://www.modernghana.com/news/868507/looted-ethiopian-tabot-concealed-permanently-in-westminster.html

British Museum To Loan Looted invisible Ethiopian Tabots To Ethiopia: How Far Can Absurdities Go In Restitution? https://www.modernghana.com/news/936422/british-museum-to-loan-looted-invisible-ethiopian-tabots-t.html

Ethiopian President Shows the Way in Demand for Restitution of African Artefacts https://www.modernghana.com/news/193651/ethiopian-president-shows-the-way-in-demand-for-restitution.html

12. See annex II.

13. K. Opoku, Benin Bronzes Belong to Oba of Benin https://www.modernghana.com/news/1105713/benin-bronzes-belong-to-oba-of-benin.html

14. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/asante-gold/#:~:text=Garrard's%20is%20the%20source%20given,decorate%20state%20stools%20or%20swords.

15. K. Opoku, The Guild,Jan6, 2023,

Tinubu Recommends Repatriation Funds On Returned

Artefact Tinubu recommends repatriation funds on returned artefacts  The Guild (theguildng.com)

16. Adu Boahen, The Adu Boahen Reader, p. 278.

17. The Guild, Jan 6, 2023 , Tinubu Recommends Repatriation Funds On Returned Artefact Tinubu recommends repatriation funds on returned artefacts  The Guild (theguildng.com

K. Opoku: The Benin Bronzes, Restitution and Decolonization. The Debate on Colonial Loot and Reparations, Keynote Address at University of Hamburg, 26 October, 2022.

https://lecture2go.uni-hamburg.de/l2go/-/get/v/64125

https://kolonialismus.blogs.uni-hamburg.de/2022....

18. Hunt:We also welcomed the opportunity to reinvigorate and build enduring transcultural partnerships around the world this year. I visited Ghana to begin conversations about a renewable cultural partnership centred around the V&A collection of Asante court regalia, which entered the collection following the looting of Kumasi in 1874. We are optimistic that a new partnership model can forge a potential pathway for these important artefacts to be on display in Ghana in the coming years.

https://vanda-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2022/07/22/11/22/36/a0c26b56-5b8e-4d97-bda6-e9dd7c182010/VARPT22-220718-accessible.pdf

19.https://www.wallacecollection.org/documents/552/Asante_Gold_TN__latest_1. p.25.

20. How Far Have We Gone In The Struggle For The Restitution Of African Artefacts? https://www.modernghana.com/news/1179136/how-far-have-we-gone-in-the-struggle-for-the-resti.html

K. Opoku, Even The Big Elephant In Bloomsbury Must Defend Itself: British Museum Reacts To Recent Wave Of Restitutions

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1199586/even-the-big-elephant-in-bloomsbury-must- defend.htm

21. A British Museum spokesperson told the artnewspaper.com that a formal claim was received in 1974. Since then there have been several spoken requests, most notably by the current Asantehene, during the visit of the deputy director of the British Museum to Kumasi in 2010. The spokesperson says that there is a cordial working relationship with the Asante Royal Court through the Asantehene and the Manhyia Palace Museum committee.

Discussions have been held with the Asantehene, with both parties expressing the ambition that objects from the British Museum collection might travel on loan to the Kumasi museum. V&A likely to return looted Asante gold treasures to Ghana theartnewspaper.com

22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iu8_tgVPBMhttps://twitter.com/elginism/status/1607490346430365697

ANNEX I

Ashanti Regalia Debate In House of Lords

HL Deb 10 December 1974 vol 355 cc534-5534

2.40 p.m.

Lord MONTAGU of BEAULIEU

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, with a view to fostering Commonwealth relations, they will use their good offices to facilitate the early return of the Ashanti regalia to the Ghana nation.

The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS)

My Lords, the regalia is not at the disposal of Her Majesty's Government. The majority of it forms part of the collections of the British Museum and the Wallace Collection. Neither body may legally dispose of its exhibits.

Lord MONTAGU of BEAULIEU

My Lords, are the Government aware that I was aware that these relics are in fact in the British Museum and the Wallace Collection, and that that is why I asked them to use their good offices to facilitate their return? In view of the fact that these relics are, and were originally, war booty captured by the British Army, are Her Majesty's Government aware of the very deep feelings of the Ashanti people about the return of these sacrosanct objects, which are supposed to contain the soul of the Ashanti people? Is it also a fact that a special Act of Parliament may be needed to release these objects from the British Museum; and, if so, will Her Majesty's Government facilitate the passage of such a Bill?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I certainly could not give an indication that we would seek the passage of such legislationnor, indeed, could I advise that this should be sobecause of the very far-ranging complications that might ensue from dealing with a case of this kind, for thereupon a great variety of other cases would immediately arise for consideration. On the question whether the Ghanaian Government have approached us, the position is that the Kumasi Traditional Council of Chiefs have petitioned Her Majesty's Government on this matter. We have replied in the terms of my reply to the noble Lord's Question, and so far they have not commented on that reply.

Baroness LEE of ASHERIDGE

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend to tread very warily when it comes to returning booty which we have collected in this country, because the process might turn into rather a strip-tease?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, perhaps the term "booty" is not quite appropriate, especially in this case. This is part of an indemnity which was agreed by the former King of Ashanti, the proceeds of which were devoted to compensation for dependants of British troops killed in the rather horrific conditions in that part of the world at that time. I sympathise very much with the motives behind the Questionnamely, that we should do everything possible to promote improved Commonwealth relationsbut I do not think this is quite the best way of going about it.

Lord GISBOROUGH My Lords, would it not be possible to keep the booty and return the souls.https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1974-12-10/debates/78dff331-9da5-4479-895e-35c7cc24d945/AshantiRegalia https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1974/dec/10/ashanti-regalia

ANNEX II

LIST OF AFRICAN ARTEFACTS IN

MUSEE DU QUAI BRANLY-JACQUES CHIRAC.

From Sarr-Savoy Report, figure 3, pp.149-150

ANNEX III LIST OF LOOT FROM KUMASE

Henry M. Stanley, Comasssie and Magdala. The Story of Two British Campaigns in Africa, Rediscovery Books,2006, pp. 233-234

ANNEX IV INTERVIEW WITH THE ASANTEHENE

Below is an interview in 2009 in which the Asantehene expressed his views on the continued illegal holding of Asante regalia by British museums.

A: Well, when I hear people talk about human rights, I question their sincerity, because I walk through the British Museum and see artefacts and ornaments belonging to my people, the Asantes, being showcased in London, and they won't give them back to me.

I went to Windsor Castle some time ago and saw the gold cup of Nana Karikari and other artefacts being exhibited there. They still have our treasures there; and also at the British Museum. But when we talk about human rights, are we not saying that I, the Asantehene, also have things over which I have rights? And why can't I have the treasures and gold looted by the British from my people back?

Q: Have you brought up this issue with Queen Elizabeth II who is the overlord of Windsor Castle?

A: Not with the Queen personally, but the demand for the return of these artefacts and gold was started by my immediate predecessor, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, and I also took it up by talking to people over there. Their whole argument is: "Oh, we can bring them back on a short trip like exhibiting them in a museum for a while, but we cannot give them back to you on a permanent basis because they are war artefacts." It smacks of rank hypocrisy

Interview of the Asantehene by Ankomah, Baffour, New African, Apr 2009 findarticles.com ; See also Freeonline Library www.thefreelibrary.com

The late Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Opoku Ware II, with the support of the Ghana Government, made in 1974 a request for the return of the Asante regalia stolen by the British in 1874,1896, and 1900 from Kumasi that are now in the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Wallace Collection, all in London. Otumfou Asantehene Osei Tutu II has several times repeated this request. Asante gold belongs to Manhyia and not Bloomsbury. Will the present Asantehene recover the Asante regalia in 2023-24?

Two ceremonial swords, Asante, Kumase, now in Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom.

Gold mask, 20 cm in height, weighing 1.36 kg. of pure gold, seized by the British from Kumase, Ghana, in 1874 and now in the Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom.

Asante gold ceremonial head-dress or ceremonial hat, Kumase, Ghana, now in British Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Asante finger ring, Kumase ,Ghana, now in British Museum ,London, United Kingdom

.Necklace, Asante, Kumase, Ghana, now in British Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Disc pendant, soul disc, Asante, Kumase, now in British Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Pectoral disc, Kumase, Ghana, now in Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Badge, Asante, Kumase, now in Victoria and Albert Museum, London ,United Kingdom.

Gold pendant, Asante, Kumase, now in Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Looted stool of Kofi Karikari, Asante, Kumase, now in Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Sheet-brass box, Asante, Kumase, now at Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom

Amulet case, Asante,Kumase,Ghana,now in National Museum of Scotland, United Kingdom,

Trophy head,stolen by British Troops from King Karikari in 1884,now part of the Royal Collection Trust,Windsor Castle,United Kingdom.

Royal leather cap with gold decoration, stolen in the 1874 invasion of Kumase, now in the Royal Collection ,London, United Kingdom. On 2 April 1874, the queen recorded in her Journal that she 'looked at some gold ornaments, huge gold, Krobonkye masks, rings, bracelets & other ornaments brought from Coomassie [Kumasi], (all of pure gold), by officers & others, sent in as an indemnity. They are being sold for the benefit of the Army & I have bought some.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/6/collection/62904/cap-krobonkye

Axe, sika akuma, Asante, Kumase, Ghana, in Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom. This axe was used on extraordinary occasions by the Asante for negotiation with neighbouring peoples and foreign governments

Kuduo, Asante, Ghana now in British Museum ,London United Kingdom.

Ornament vessel, Asante, Ghana ,now in British Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Asante goldweights, Kumase, Ghana, now in National Museums of Scotland, United Kingdom.

Asante stool,Kumase,Ghana,now in Glasgow Museum. This stool was taken from the Asante Royal Palace of Kumasi by Brigadier General Sir Archibald Alison, on 4 February 1874, when he led part of the British Armys invading force against the Asante people. https://glasgowmuseumsslavery.co.uk/2021/01/13/a-looted-royal-stool/

King Prempehs Royal Chair at Royal Signals Museum at Blandford, seized in 1896 by Baden Powell and the British Army.

Asante, Royal Stool, Ghana, taken from the palace of Asantehene Kofi Karikari (1837-1884)now in University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Goldweights, Asante, Kumase ,Ghana, now in Pitts Rivers Museum,Oxford, United Kingdom.

Goldweight, Asante, Kumase, Ghana, nowin PittRivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Drinking bowl of Asantehene,Kumase,Ghana,now in British Museum, London,United Kingdom.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu Kotoe, thinks there are important things in the education sector that are begging for solutions than providing free tablets for SHS students.

The Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, recently hinted at plans by the government to introduce 'paperless textbooks' in Senior High Schools across the country.

The Vice President said all SHS students, as part of the digitalization agenda, will be given free tablets.

Speaking at the University of Ghana's campus in a New Year's school program, Dr. Bawumia explained that the tablets would be loaded with textbooks to improve teaching and learning in schools.

The "game-changing tablets," as the Vice President described, will also be preloaded with past questions to prepare students ahead of their final year exams.

"This year, we are on course to provide all Senior High School students in Ghana with tablets which are loaded with textbooks on them for their studies. That's a very game-changing development. We will have past questions preloaded on these tablets that will be distributed."

He stressed that "There are also plans to make free internet access to Senior High Schools and Tertiary institutions to improve teaching and learning."

Reacting to the development, the MP, who also serves on the educational committee in Parliament, said the Vice President needs to focus on other important things first.

"There is a need to develop our education technologically, but we need to take one step at a time. The Vice President has a good idea, but the timing is wrong," he said.

The NDC legislator further demanded the source of funding for the initiative since it wasnt included in the 2023 budget.

According to Mr. Kotoe, the GETFund that could be of monetary help for the project is also overburdened with other projects in the education sector.

"There is no provision in the 2023 budget for the procurement of tablets for senior high schools and I know they are going to push that one to GETFund, but GETFund is so much overburdened that it cannot meet all the demands required of it because GETFund received only 39 percent of the approved allocation in 2022, and it is going to be worse this year," he stated.
The West Africa Democracy Solidarity (WADEMOS) Network, will embark on a 3-day solidarity mission to Nigeria, from January 25-27, 2023, ahead of its February 25 national elections.

This will be the sixth consecutive presidential elections since the countrys return to multiparty democracy in 1999.

The WADEMOS Network is a non-partisan, independent civil society-led transnational democracy solidarity network. The Network consists of over 35 civil society organizations (CSOs) located in all 15 countries in West Africa, with the Secretariat based in Accra, Ghana, and housed at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

While in Nigeria, the WADEMOS delegation is expected to meet and interact with the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, and engage the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), on the preparations for the national elections.

In addition, the Network is scheduled to hold deliberations with other stakeholders, including the Nigeria Peace Council, political parties, civil society organizations, and the media. The purpose of the visit is to interact with various stakeholders on issues confronting the sub-region and the implication of the upcoming Nigerian elections on strengthening democracy in the region. As a transnational civil society led organization, it is important to have first-hand information from the people involved in the processes, Professor Prempeh, WADEMOS Project Director, stated.

We are concerned about the situation in the sub-region. There are about three national elections this year, so it is important that Nigeria, being a regional powerhouse in the sub-region, sets the tone for free, peaceful, and transparent elections in the sub-region, Professor Prempeh remarked.

The WADEMOS Network delegation would include representatives from the West Africa Election Observation Network (WAEON), the Rencontre Africaine pour la Defense des Droits de lHomme (African Meeting for the Defense of Human RightsRADDHO) in Senegal, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD) in Liberia, AFLED in Mali, and the National Elections Watch (NEW) in Sierra Leone.

Being Africas most populous nation and largest economy, the outcome of the 2023 presidential election will have a significant impact on the future political and economic direction of the country, and the West African sub-region at large.

We aim to solidarize with civil society, particularly the WADEMOS Members in Nigeria, namely, Yiaga Africa, Center for Democracy and Development-West Africa (CDD-West Africa), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) around their planned activities for the 2022 Nigerian general elections and also to strengthen cooperation among pro-democracy actors involved in the elections, the WADEMOS Network Coordinator, Kopep Dabugat, noted.

As we advocate for free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections, we will also observe various aspects of the elections in relation to the current context of democratic backsliding in West Africa. We have noted the high level of enthusiasm, especially among the youth, ahead of the February 2023 elections, and we hope that civic education activities intensify in order to promote informed and active citizen participation in the democratic process, the Network Coordinator disclosed.

In furtherance of our agenda to regionalize all national elections in the sub-region, WADEMOS will also be sharing solidarity messages from democracy champions, creatives, and leaders of civil society organizations from across West Africa with the stakeholders in Nigeria and via various social media platforms.
19.01.2023 LISTEN

Hon. Charles Taleog Ndabon, the Managing Director of YENYEYA Mining Group, a Talensi-based indigenous mining company licensed in 2007 and registered under the Companies Act 1963 has revealed that he has not surrendered his mining license to Wei Xing, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SHAANXI Mining Limited now EARL International Group Ghana Gold Limited.

In a press statement sighted by this reporter, he said he sees no reason or sense in performing such a ridiculous act as a businessman.

The statement further reveals that personalities pretending to have been acting on his behalf by way of negotiation or signing of any document should desist from such acts.

According to him, he has not recruited anyone to do so on his behalf. Let me also make it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA has not recruited or hired anyone and not even the Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu to negotiate any form of business or sign any form of agreement on my behalf together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL.

Mr. Ndanbon strongly reaffirmed that he is determined and very committed to fighting for his right and for that matter will not allow the CEO of the Mineral Commission or any traditional ruler to conspire with the Chinese man, Wei Xing CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL to forcefully snatch away his business.

Kindly read the full statement:

PRESS STATEMENT

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Being silent is a great way to let people know they did something wrong and it will be unfortunate for people to take my silence over their crokard activities against me and my company as a weakness.

The management of YENYEYA Mining Group, a Talensi-based indigenous mining company licensed in 2007 and registered under the Companies Act 1963, found it necessary to provide a few updates to all stakeholders in the mining sector in the Upper East Region and the general public interested in the matters arising.

That, for the past 25 years now, mining has been my business, and I was already in the mining business before bringing Wei Xing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SHAANXI MINING LIMITED and now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED from China in 2008 to come and render mining support service to my outfit YENYEYA.

Important things to note:

I want to state it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL had the earlier agreement in 2008 under the small scale. However, in 2017 when SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL wanted to expand to a large scale we together had another addendum and agreement which is still authentic. I want the general public to know that, YENYEYA has not surrendered his mining license to Wei Xing, the CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL, because I see no reason or sense in performing such a ridiculous act. YENYEYA was not part of any small-scale miners association that has signed an agreement with Wei Xing, the CEO of SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL. Let me also make it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA has not recruited or hired anyone and not even the Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu to negotiate any form of business or sign any form of agreement on my behalf together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL. YENYEYA is very committed to fighting for his right and will not allow any CEO of the Mineral Commission or any traditional ruler to conspire with the Chinese man Wei Xing CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL to forcefully snatch away my business.

Thank you

Signed

Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon

MD YENYEYA Mining Group
Sierra Leone passed a law Thursday requiring public and private entities to reserve 30 percent of their jobs for women, in a bid to tackle gender imbalances in a society that favours men.

President Julius Maada Bio signed into law the bill, which also assures women at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, equal pay and training opportunities.

Bio said it would "address the gender imbalances in this country comprehensively. We have to make sure it works.

"We must end the impunity or violence against women in elections and public life and punish all persons and entities found guilty of such violence," he added.

Women in Sierra Leone experience systematic discrimination and, according to Human Rights Watch, it has been common practice to fire them if they fall pregnant.

Many women and girls also face high levels of sexual violence, partly a legacy of the use of rape as a weapon during the 1991-2002 civil war.

The new bill also aims to improve women's access to finance in a country where they have often been unable to get credit.

The 30-percent jobs quota also applies to management roles, to stop employers from merely hiring women to lower-level jobs to comply with the new law. It applies, too, to the 146-seat parliament and the civil service.

Fines for non-compliance

Women are poorly represented in Sierra Leonean politics, as they are in many other West African countries. The country currently only has 18 woman MPs and there are only four women in Bio's 32-member cabinet.

"Women who wish to serve in public office and their supporters must not be undermined, belittled, intimated or humiliated," said Bio.

"It's not going to be easy because that space has been occupied by men for a very long time, we must monitor electoral processes to ensure election fairness and transparency."

Employers who breach the new quotas can face a fine of up to 50.000 leones ($2,600, 2,400 euros) for each violation.

"We are happy today as our dream for an improved political, social and economic empowerment of women and girls in Sierra Leone has started," said Sally Ndimawa Adams, who heads the Sierra Leone Women's Forum.

Sierra Leone is ranked 182nd out of 189 countries on the UN's 2020 Gender Development Index. Nearly half of the countries in the bottom 20 are in West Africa.
Divergent Insights Expands to Vietnam

Southeast Asia-based qual and quant marketing intelligence and online panel service provider Divergent Insights has opened an office in Vietnam, where it has appointed Nguyen Cong Nhu Thuong as Head of Business Development and Operations.



Divergent has offices in India, Singapore, India and Indonesia, as well as partners in South Korea, China, and the UAE, and consultants based across the US, LatAM, Europe and the APAC region. Its services include online panels and panel management, automotive clinics, business and secondary research, social media analysis, and virtual reality consumer experience measures.



Nhu Thuong (pictured) joins the company's new 'Representative Office' in Ho Chi Minh City with more than ten year's MR, business development and operations experience. Most recently, she held a business development role at CI Research, prior to which, she worked for Ipsos as Associate Project Manager, and Axis Group as a Project Manager. During her career, Nhu Thuong has managed projects for B2B and B2C clients across the automotive, consumer durables, FMCG, eCommerce, healthcare, education, tourism, and banking and finance sectors.



Commenting on the news, MD Rajiv Kokane said: 'We're so excited to welcome Ms Nhu to the Divergent Insights team. She brings a variety of expertise and is perfectly suited to the work we're doing in ASEAN now. This will help our global clients who are looking to enter the Vietnam market and will now receive truly international expertise combined with local knowledge.'



Web site: www.divergentinsights.com .




By Shawn Touney | Jan 19, 2023

Murray State University will welcome W. Earl Brown for the 2023 Presidential Lecture, to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. inside the historic and newly-renovated Lovett Auditorium.

MURRAY, Ky.  Murray State University will welcome W. Earl Brown for the 2023 Presidential Lecture, to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. inside the historic and newly-renovated Lovett Auditorium. The event is a rescheduling of the 2022 Presidential Lecture, which was postponed due to inclement weather.

Supported by the Murray State University Office of the President, Murray State University Foundation, Inc., and the Student Government Association, the event is free and open to the public. Titled A Racer Success Story, the lecture will feature Brown, who will speak of his professional career and experience at Murray State. A Q&A session will follow the lecture.

Every success in my life can be traced to seeds planted in Western Kentucky, mostly at Murray State University, said Brown. It is an honor to be invited back to speak at my alma mater; it is a blessing to return home.

"I've had the good fortune to know Earl for many years. As a Murray State University Distinguished Alumni award recipient, Earl is one of the most talented individuals I have known and has a great appreciation and passion for Murray State, said Murray State President Dr. Bob Jackson. Attendees will enjoy hearing Earls story of success, hard work and perseverance while also seeing our beautiful, newly-renovated Lovett Auditorium.

Brown was born in nearby Golden Pond, Kentucky. The seeds of his career as an actor and writer were sewn there as he spent his childhood years entertaining any and all who gathered on his grandparents front porch.

During his undergraduate career at Murray State, Brown, a first-generation college student, was heavily involved within both the theatre and journalism and mass communication departments. He won several awards as part of the Speech and Debate team, served as a weather anchor for MSU 11 News, was the co-creator of the MSU 11 comedy show More Strange Urges and was actively involved as an actor or director in numerous Murray State theatre productions. He graduated from Murray State in 1986 with degrees in theatre and electronic media.

After graduating from Murray State, Brown received his Master of Fine Arts degree from DePaul Universitys Theatre School in 1989. After graduation, he performed in numerous plays around Chicago, but it was his performance in A View From The Bridge at the Steppenwolf Theatre that catapulted his career into television and film. His Chicago resume included Backdraft, The Babe, Excessive Force and Rookie Of The Year, along with several television roles.

Having hit the proverbial glass ceiling by 1993, Brown moved to Los Angeles. Auditioning for Wes Craven cast Brown in New Nightmare, which led to Vampire In Brooklyn, which led to Scream. Two years later, Brown played the breakout role of Warren, Cameron Diaz's mentally challenged brother in Theres Something About Mary. Among his credits are the Oscar-nominated films The Master, The Sessions and Being John Malkovich. Recent films include The Highwaymen, Wild, Draft Day and Black Mass.

Brown currently plays a recurring role in the breakout hit from Disney+/Lucasfilm in The Mandalorian universe, HBO Maxs hit, Hacks, is also currently co-starring in Apple+s Five Days at Memorial and Peacocks Paul T. Goldman. Other recent TV/streaming contract roles include AMCs Preacher, HBOs second season of True Detective, Hulus Reprisal and ABCs anthology series, American Crime. His many past guest star roles on television include shows such as Documentary Now!, Luck, American Horror Story, Justified, Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue, X-Files, CSI and Seinfeld as well as lead roles in eight pilots. Among the several TV movies he has been involved with included the starring role in VH1s Meatloaf: To Hell And Back.

Brown also played Dan Dority in HBOs Deadwood. During the shows second season, the shows creator, David Milch, invited him to join the shows writing staff. In 2007, Brown earned a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for writing on a drama series and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for best drama ensemble acting. Establishing himself on a show as critically lauded as Deadwood opened doors for other writing projects. In 2011, Sony released Bloodworth, a film produced and written by Brown.

Recently completed and current projects include Viggo Mortensens western, The Dead Dont Hurt, a comedy series titled Hello Tomorrow and the character of George Wallace in the Shirley Chisholm biopic with Regina King.

In addition to his television and film work, Brown co-starred in Sonys The Last Of Us, 2014 Video Game Of The Year. He also writes music and records with Sacred Cowboys, an LA-based Americana band.

Browns career runs the gamut from television to film, to music, to theatre  from comedy to drama to musical. He considers himself very lucky to have had the many opportunities to play so many varied and diverse characters, with such an array of talented individuals.

Brown received the Murray State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017, a prestigious honor that is presented annually to alumni who have made meaningful contributions to their profession on a local, state and national level. The award is the highest honor granted by the Murray State University Alumni Association.

Also in 2017, Brown returned to his roots in Murray States theatre department to perform the role of Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof alongside theatre students while mentoring them. Brown has remained very engaged with the department, often returning to the University to lead theatre workshops and host Q&A sessions for current students.
Zaldy Dandan is a recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/.

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Chinese artisan makes creative stone paintings to celebrate Year of Rabbit

People's Daily Online) 16:23, January 19, 2023

Su Jing creates stone paintings with the theme "Hundreds of rabbits greet the Spring Festival". (Photo/Nie Changqing)

Su Jing, a woman from Lincun village, Hucun township, Fuxing district, Handan city, north China's Hebei Province, has turned ordinary stones into creative artworks to greet the Year of the Rabbit.

Since the second half of 2022, Su has created stone paintings with the theme "Hundreds of rabbits greet the Spring Festival". So far, she has completed more than 200 paintings on stones. The vivid artworks have been a hit among local residents.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Yves here. John Helmer looks at the interesting question of which Russian power players are getting first dibs on assets and businesses abandoned or otherwise exited by Western multinationals as a result of sanctions.

Helmer is focusing on big operations, but there are bargains up and down the chain. For instance, international index fund investors and retail investors who didnt have the presence of mind to exit Russian ETFs when the sanctions were imposed, or used them to make a blood in the streets play (at least one reader reported taking such a flier; the ETFs traded a bit after the Moscow stock index trading was halted) have had their positions frozen. You can be sure fund managers like BlackRock, who do deserve the label unfriendly will get full fees while the investors, some of whom might have stayed in by virtue of not being hostile, are getting shorn. From Interfax on December 30:

A subcommission of Russias Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment has decided to take into account a number of conditions, including a discount of at least 50% of the market value of such assets when issuing permits for the sale of shares, stakes (participation) in the authorized capital of Russian assets by foreign persons from unfriendly states. This is according to information in an excerpt from the minutes of the meeting of the subcommission of December 22, published on the Russian Finance Ministrys website.

By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

As democracy goes in states at war, in Russia there is more of it  faction fighting, public criticism, media debate  about battlefield operations, wins and losses, than there is on the NATO side, in the US, Canada, Germany, France or England.

By contrast, on the conduct of domestic economic policy, in Russia there is much less open argument than there is on the other side.

This is surprising because the sanctions war has forced the US-controlled and NATO-allied banks and corporations to abandon their Russian business, halt production plants, close offices, cancel supply and marketing agreements, write down the value of their Russian assets, and withdraw from Russia if they can. The outcome is an opportunity, a revolutionary one, for Russias businessmen to take over the foreign assets and operate them for domestic profit for the first time in many years.

In theory, there has been active debate in Moscow about how this re-nationalization should be managed, and to whose profit. On one side, there has been Sergei Glazyev and his Anti-Crisis Expert Council which includes the public economist Mikhail Khazin and Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin. On the other side, the oligarch lobby known as the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE), led by Alexander Shokhin.

In practice, Glazyev has kept his government job as minister for integration and macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC, aka EAEU ), the bloc of former Soviet states coordinating customs, central banking, trade and fiscal management policies together. However, Glazyev has lost the fights he has waged for change in Central Bank policy and in the priorities of the governments war economy. Like Glazyev, Khazin and Delyagin have kept their tribunes, but their message has proved unsuccessful.

At the same time, Elvira Nabiullina  Glazyevs attack target as Governor of the Central Bank  has kept her Kremlin mandate and her policies. Her former patron, Alexei Kudrin, has lost his post at the head of the Accounting Chamber but received Kremlin promotion instead to run the new presidential campaign fund created around the Yandex group of companies, owned by Arkady Volozh.

How much then of the opportunity to convert the foreign-owned assets to new purpose in the Russian economy is being seized by the well-known oligarch faction? What evidence is there for the political defeat of the Glazyev faction? What is the current balance-sheet of foreign assets lost to Russia and Russian assets gained by the US side?

The first attempt to answer these questions was published in May 2022.

Since then, for reasons of war, President Vladimir Putin has stopped serving the Kremlins annual Christmas dinner for the oligarchs. Instead, the format was changed and combined with his annual appearance before the RUIE, the meeting with the president was held on February 24; this was just hours after special military operation had begun.

Putin offered reassurance for the oligarchs. He declared his continuing support for extending the most popular support tools and mechanisms, including corporate programmes for enhancing competitiveness, investment tax deduction and regional investment projects[and] to provide you with good conditions and ensure more freedom. There may be only one response  to ensure greater freedom of entrepreneurship, naturally, within a certain framework so that, as our colleagues put it, there is a certain amount of predictability from the Government but we expect predictability from businesses as well.

The RUIE meeting with President Putin, February 24, 2022; source: http://en.kremlin.ru/

For a discussion of the particulars of Putins reassurance, Shokhin then met the president in the Kremlin on March 2. The official communique said no more than they spoke at length about ways to minimize the impact of sanctions on major Russian companies.

Also for reasons of war, this website has suspended publishing the results of its regular investigations of Russians under sanctions.

Last month Forbes Russia broke the silence by publishing a list of the beneficiaries and transaction values of the most significant transfers of assets from foreign to domestic ownership at the years end. The new list repeats several of the banking and oil asset deals published in the May report.

THE FORBES RUSSIA RATING OF THE TOP 25 NEW OWNERS OF FOREIGN ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 2021

Source: https://www.forbes.ru/

Total value Rb468.3 billion ($6.8 billion).

The tabulation is the first of its kind to appear in public; it is not definitive and may not be comprehensive.

It is noteworthy because just three pre-war oligarchs or their groups are listed  Vladimir Potanin at Number 1; the LUKoil group controlled by Vagit Alekperov at number 8; and the Sistema group of Vladimir Yevtushenkov at Number 22.

A name by name search through the sanctions listings of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reveals that 22 of the 25 listings have not been sanctioned by the US. No attempt has been made by the Forbes Russia reporters to investigate what links may exist between the unsanctioned 22 and those Russian names and companies which have been sanctioned. The reason is obvious, as a senior state company chief executive comments: At the point of sale I doubt there was a way for the [foreign] sellers to accept money from sanctioned sources. So the new names are not in the same spotlight. He acknowledges that camouflage is required. The sanctioned oligarchs he knows are overloaded with the [war] risks connected with the arrangements and agreements they have done with the managers of their assets.

In defence of the foreign banks and the Anglo-American law firms advising them, the Financial Times, a propaganda outlet owned by the Nikkei group in Tokyo, reported last week that the Russian oligarchs whose assets have been seized abroad are retaliating by trying to take over foreign assets which remain in Russia. Advisers to western banks trying to exit Russia say a law introduced by Vladimir Putin is disrupting sales and allowing deals to be hijacked by businesspeople close to the Kremlin. Almost a year into the invasion of Ukraine, only a handful of western banks have managed to leave Russia, albeit at steep cost, while others have made the choice to hold on to their businesses in the country. For the majority trying to sell their Russian assets, however, hopes for a swift exit were shattered when Putin last year said foreign owners from unfriendly countries could not complete deals without his approval. The list of affected companies includes 45 banks with subsidiaries in Russia. Advisers working on deals expect the Russian presidents intervention to thwart some sales already under discussion, while fundamentally altering the terms of others. They predict already agreed sale prices to fall by up to half as the Kremlin exerts more influence on deals. And they say would-be buyers who were originally beaten to deals have gained presidential approval and are attempting to hijack sales from rivals who lack the Kremlins favour. There are some very powerful Russians with close links to the Kremlin who are trying to use their influence to grab these entities from fleeing foreigners, said a person involved in negotiations, one of several people who spoke to the Financial Times on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of talks with the Russian government.

The newspaper has pursued Russian-owned yachts when they have been arrested or confiscated. To date, it has not attempted to quantify the tit-for-tat  the value of Russian oligarch assets held abroad versus the value of foreign assets held in Russia. Instead, it has reported this tabulation of foreign bank assets in Russia, totaling Rb4.3 trillion ($63 billion).

Source: https://www.ft.com/

According to this US propaganda source, reporting the US Government calculation of Russian oligarch assets seized at the end of June 2022, the total value came to $30 billion. This is less than half the foreign bank asset valuation.

Glazyev, Khazin, Delyagin and the Communist Party parliamentary faction in Moscow were asked how they assess the Forbes Russia list. In the redistribution of the foreign assets, they were given three questions  do they see evidence that the pre-war oligarchs have not been gaining the advantage which might have been predicted? Do they recognize the interests represented by the new names on the list? What does the list indicate about the way in which the government is planning for the future direction of asset control in the economy?

All four refused to answer by telephone or by email.

In a lengthy lecture he published on January 13, Glazyev was sharply critical of what he called the Russian military strategy in the Ukraine, but he directed his blame at the Central Bank, its encouragement of continuing capital export by the oligarchs, and the governments failure to replace oligarch profit schemes with state mobilization methods.

The whole uncertainty of the coming year lies in the lack of strategy in Russia. Our leadership tried to seize the strategic initiative from the United States by accepting the LDNR [Lugansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics], Zaporozhye and Kherson regions as part of the Russian Federation. But it is impossible to keep it without a clear ultimate goal, a clear ideology and a full-scale mobilization of resources to win the hybrid war with the collective West.

The first condition is the mobilization of all available resources to provide the army and the population with everything necessary. The most dangerous thing in military affairs, as you know, is the underestimation of the enemy. Having run into the fierce resistance of the neo-fascists, we continue to fight the collective West half-heartedly, if not to say carelessly. Following the seizure of more than $300 billion in reserves, the leadership of the Bank of Russia continued to condone the export of capital, the volume of which exceeded $200 billion last year [2020]. Of this total, $150 billion were payments abroad authorized by the monetary authorities on the credit obligations of Russian enterprises. Basically, in the jurisdiction of unfriendly countries which have begun to confiscate our foreign exchange reserves in order to use them to pay off military loans to Ukraine. Is it possible to win a war against an enemy that is many times superior in financial power by supplying him with money received from the export of raw materials to his own address? 

We agree that the transition to a Soviet-style mobilization economy in a market economy is impossible. But the mobilization of resources through the targeted use of the same market mechanisms is absolutely necessary. From the capricious arguments of some official commentators of the Ministry of Defense that the supply of foreign equipment does not fundamentally change anything on the battlefield, it is necessary to move on to a sober assessment of the enemys potential. The military spending of the NATO bloc countries is an order of magnitude higher than ours. The USSR found itself in the same position by the end of 1941, when the economic potential of Europe united by the Nazis was an order of magnitude higher than ours. But we persevered because we used our potential to more than 100%, while in Germany the holidays were kept and the production of consumer goods continued. The slogan Everything for the Front, everything for the Victory is relevant again. The impediment by the leadership of the Bank of Russia to the full utilization of production capacities and connivance with the export of capital is incompatible with the achievement of Victory.
Yves here. Tom Neuburger has a short post with Twitter Files updates, plus evidence that Google is obstructing searches that ought to lead to his site.

In a bit of synchronicity, I stumbled upon another Google gimmick for messing with search results. I had seen a tidbit on Interfax that is relevant to a new John Helmer post, wanted to include it in an introduction, and so went to find it.

This is what I got:

I had not clicked on anything. If you have very good color vision, you might be able to detect that the second title is a tiny bit pinker than the others. That is the one I had looked at earlier. That behavior holds across all searches. I dont know why Google has implemented a barely perceptible color difference. We have a very clear color difference for read v. unread links at Naked Capitalism.

But that is not the striking part. Google has subjected me to a feature in beta telling me Interfax is Russian. I tried the same search with site:washingtonpost.com and got no such interference.

This is what you see when you move the scroll bar down:

Moreover, in the bottom field, immediately elow Send feedback, you see Remove result. So at a minimum, it looks as if Google is hoping youll remove sites it deems unsanitary from your search results.

Now based on this surprise, my surmise is Google is doing this only to Russia sites. But I wonder how and when this started. I have sometimes used Google to search en.kremlin.ru, since its search function isnt very good; Firefox remembered those searches and Google did not put up an interfering warning when I ran one of those old queries again just now.

I would be very interested to hear from other readers who have gotten similar results. And yes, Google is terrible but Bing is pretty similar and I have not found Brave or DuckDuckGo to be much better. Qwant is also a disappointment. Yandex give much better first pass results but does not have date or date range filter, so most of the time when I try Yandex, I wind up back at one of the bad boys.

By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at Gods Spies

This week has seen a number of developments, including the release of four new Twitter Files, several of great significance.

(Additional brief comments here.)

The final file, by Lee Fang, is especially troubling. It documents how Pfizer and BioNTech attempted to use Twitter to protect its profit from the activist campaign to get them to make their vaccines available free or at low cost to developing nations, especially in the Global South.

From his Intercept write-up:

The campaign they were concerned about was the launch of an international push to force the drug industry to share the intellectual property and patents associated with coronavirus vaccine development. Making the patents available, in turn, would allow countries across the world to swiftly manufacture generic vaccines and other low-cost therapeutics to deal with the ongoing pandemic. [emphasis added]

Thats evil in its purest form  choosing profits over people whose lives are at risk  with Big Pharma caught choosing its profits and consigning many brown-skinned others to death.

Thanks to the Twitter Files, we now have proof of this, not just suspicions. And only thanks to the Twitter Files, I hasten to add.

Unfortunately, this week Im in transition. Next week Ill send several posts covering these developments.

In the meantime, I have updated this file (Twitter File Links, Aggregated) with links to the above Twitter Files (along with a few comments), and will continue do so whenever a new file is released. It will always be up to date, so feel free to bookmark it.

Finally, Google may be getting into the content-flagging act. As you know, Ive been covering the Twitter Files pretty extensively. If you search on my name, thomas neuburger, and narrow the search to include only Previous week, you see this flag ahead of the results:

Changing the filter to Past month removes the flag. Is this meaningful? I dont know. But asking if Im trusted on this topic is worrying.

Ill have my own Twitter tale to tell, perhaps, if I can find data to support my suspicion. But for now, if you get the same result from a Google search, please let me know, either in the comments or by email.

Thanks again to you all. More soon.
The evolution of my position with the Post dates to 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, SouthComm Inc. bought the Post and TCP, with the latter ceasing operations in 2013. In 2018, FW Publishing acquired the Post, for which I have served as managing editor since 2011.

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If youve been in Nashville a while, you know that country music remains our biggest cultural product, though its far from the only kind of music made here. As 2023 gets going in earnest, we at the Scene are proud to bring you the second installment of our Country Music Almanac, a look at where country music is now and where it might go in the year to come.

In the year that was, Black country musicians  as well as Indigenous artists and others of color  continued to do incredible work. While it would be a mistake to think that racist attitudes and discrimination are gone, its exciting to see BIPOC artists like Chapel Hart getting wider recognition; in our Q&A, the trio discusses their appearance on Americas Got Talent and much more. Weve also got a thorough examination of the relationship between the data the industry uses to make decisions and the lack of support for diversity. Amid rising transphobia in particular and anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation in general, transphobic remarks from some mainstream country personalities went unchecked, and weve got an exploration of what the industry can do to better support queer and trans people. We also take a close look at some fantastic work LGBTQ artists released in 2022.

Once again, weve sought perspective from musicians, critics, activists and others about what kinds of changes can make this system work better for more people. Weve also got a look at some artists youll want to keep an eye on throughout the year, as well as a survey in which journalists weigh in on the ups and downs of the industry. Pull up a chair and dive in.

+3 Country Music Almanac 2023: Talking With Chapel Hart Following an exceptional year, catching up with the trio about building their career on their own terms

+10 Country Music Almanac 2023: Artists to Watch From Adeem the Artist to The Kentucky Gentlemen and beyond, our writers have nine new picks to keep an eye on

+5 Country Music Almanac 2023: A Place to Call Home Talking with artists and music-biz pros about giving trans and nonbinary artists the platform and equity they need to thrive

+4 Country Music Almanac 2023: Our Journalists Survey Writers and broadcasters weigh in on the present and future of country music

Country Music Almanac 2023: In the Loop Understanding the relationship between data and the lack of diversity and equity in country music
(Natural News) Drug regulatory agencies around the world, like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United Kingdoms Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Unions European Medicines Agency (EMA) are largely financed by fees taken from Big Pharma, calling into question their independence from the companies they are supposed to regulate.

Dr. Maryanne Demasi, who investigated the proportion of drug regulator budgets derived from Big Pharma in a study for The BMJ, noted that patients and doctors expect drug regulators to provide an unbiased, rigorous assessment of investigational medicines before they hit the market.

But do they have sufficient independence from the companies they are meant to regulate? she wrote. (Related: FDA commissioners demand new tools to fight online misinformation.)

According to Demasis investigation, over the past decades, regulatory agencies like the three major ones previously mentioned have seen larger portions of their annual budgets funded by fees and fines levies from the same industry they are sworn to regulate in an impartial manner.

FDA budget financed by Big Pharma continues to increase

For the FDA, the situation began in 1992. Congress, at the time overwhelmingly controlled by the Democratic Party, passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), allowing the Big Pharma industry to fund the FDA directly through user fees intended to support the cost of swiftly reviewing drug applications. This act single-handedly moved the FDA from a fully taxpayer-funded entity to one whose annual budget is heavily supplemented by Big Pharma money.

Net PDUFA fees have increased 30-fold since 1993, when the FDA collected around $29 million. In 2016, the agency collected over $884 million.

The collection of fees has become such a regular occurrence for the FDA that top FDA officials get behind closed doors every five years to negotiate how much money they will ask Big Pharma companies for product approvals. Last year, the agency settled on a number  $3 billion, which is nearly half of the FDAs annual budget. This money helps keep the agency afloat and 6,500 agency employees on the payroll.

These fees taken from Big Pharma companies have become so dominant that in 2021, user fees accounted for $1.1 billion, or around three-quarters, of the FDAs drug division budget.

The MHRA, EMA and other similar agencies around the world are experiencing similar situations, with industry money calling into question the great potential for corruption and collusion between Big Pharma and their respective governments.

In 1995, industry fees accounted for 20 percent of EMAs budget. By 2010, that had risen to 75 percent. Today, it is nearly 90 percent. In the U.K., 86 percent of the MHRAs budget is derived from the drug industry.

In Australia, 96 percent of the Therapeutic Goods Administrations budget came from the pharmaceutical industry, by far the highest proportion of all drug regulatory agencies investigated by The BMJ in a study.

In Japan, 85 percent of the countrys Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agencys annual budget comes from the industry. At 50.5 percent, Regulator Health Canada had the lowest proportion of its budget coming from industry fees.

Advocates call for end to user fees program

Advocates for patients and doctors say these kinds of agreements with Big Pharma have enabled the industry to weaken the approval process meant to ensure that drugs are actually safe and effective.

Its kind of like a devils bargain that I think is not in the best interest of the agency, said Dr. Joseph Ross, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and an expert on FDA policies. It turns this every-five-year cycle into the FDA essentially asking the industry, What can we do to secure this money?'

Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, noted that the user fees program is anti-small business. Negotiating with the FDA over fees, which he predicted would continue to increase, has limited the ability of smaller pharmaceutical companies to compete with industry giants. Nowadays, new drug application fees cost between $1.5 million to $3.1 million.

In a perfect world, I hope we would all be here lobbying that there are going to be no user fees paid to the FDA by anybody, said Burr during a Senate hearing.

Industry money saturates the globes leading regulators, noted Demasi. For decades, academics have raised questions about the influence funding has on regulatory decisions.

Learn more about government collusion with corrupt Big Pharma companies at BigPharmaNews.com.

Watch this clip from InfoWars featuring Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, a former White House medical advisor to former President Donald Trump, discussing how Big Pharma needs to be criminally prosecuted.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

PHARMA FLASHBACK: Pfizer shelled out $2.3B to settle civil and criminal charges in 2009.

NEVER FORGET: Pfizer manipulated studies to convince doctors to prescribe seizure drug Neurontin for off-label use.

TWITTER FILES: Pfizer board member and former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb used Twitter lobyist embedded at White House to silence debate on COVID vaccines.

FDA turned a blind eye to submission of fraudulent data on COVID injections, investigator reveals.

Researchers tell Dr. Jane Ruby: FDA, EMA, MHRA approved COVID-19 vaccines without seeing trial data  Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

WorldFreedomAlliance.org

NYTimes.com

Medscape.co.uk

Brighteon.com
MBABANE - While some schools give preference to top performing pupils, Emphumelelweni High School has committed to transforming those who did not make it in their Junior Certificate (JC) exams in 2022.

Emphumelelweni High School is a new community school situated under the Maphalaleni Constituency. The school has shown its commitment through inviting pupils who failed Form III to register for the class of 2023. Also, it has been a standard procedure that pupils are taken back to Form II should they fail Form III. This has resulted in some pupils dropping out of school due to frustration while others upgraded the subjects they had failed.

Confirmed

The Head teacher of the school, Innocent Cindzi, confirmed the invitation for applications in an interview yesterday. Cindzi said the invitation was informed by the desire and willingness to prepare all emaSwati children for a better future across the country. He said with his team, he believed they could make things happen with the Form III pupils who did not make it in the class of 2022. I have a slogan which says; I want it, I will get it. This slogan serves as a motivation to the pupils once they adopt it. I believe nothing is impossible with me and my team as we are ready and willing to solve any challenges encountered by pupils, he said. Cindzi stated that with his team, he managed to attain 96.4 per cent pass rate in JC exams in two years since the school started operating.

He stated that there was no secret about producing good results. He shared that as teachers, they always had strategies on how to capacitate the pupils to become what they wanted them to be. All pupils who want to feel it and enjoy a good pass should come to our school. We are committed to making things happen, he said. Asked about how he intended to admit the pupils, Cindzi stated that he was hoping to admit pupils from Maphalaleni. However, he mentioned that the admission would not only be limited to pupils of the area. I will rather negotiate with the Ministry of Education and Training for working shifts and shelter than leaving pupils out of class. I do not think the ministry will have an issue with this as quality education features as Sustainable and Development Goal (SOG) 4, he said. SDG 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Cindzi said he believed in preparing pupils for Form III as opposed to taking them back to Form II.

He also shared that he had made it a habit to go around schools motivating pupils before sitting their final examinations across the country. He shared that he was passionate about teaching, since he used to share a lot with his mother who was also in the teaching profession. Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza lauded the school for its initiative. The minister said the ministry was yet to issue a statement and remind schools that Form III admission was compulsory. Mabuza said all pupils deserved a chance to repeat Form III in the same school. They deserve a chance to repeat in the same school where they have failed (kumele baphidze kuleso sikolwa ngoba kubaphunyukele khona). Pupils are not supposed to go back to Form II because they had passed that class. Taking the pupils back to Form III is an old and outdated fashion, she said.

When SNAT was asked about its stance towards repeating of Form III pupils in the same schools, the organisations Secretary General (SG), Lot Vilakati, said for this to happen smoothly, government should take it upon itself to hire more teachers and build more classrooms. He said the more the teachers and classrooms in the schools, the more pupils would be admitted. Vilakati believed that overcrowding contributed to pupils failing, which he said resulted in the teachers not having enough time to attend to the pupils individually. In some schools, we have slow learners who need special attention to pass and this speaks to the need of hiring more teachers. Again, failure is contributed by the outdated and old fashion syllabus. Government needs to introduce a practical-based syllabus, just like in Mozambique, in order to minimise failing by pupils.
(Natural News) A report published this week says that whether or not countries are ready for digital currencies or even understand the concept behind them, central banks are going to begin using them soon either way, and there isnt much that can be done about it.

The Wall Street Journals report touched on the issue of complexity, noting that digital currency is a game-changing development [that] could have a profound impact on the banking system despite the fact that few people still understand it.

The outlet noted:

Central-bank digital currency doesnt exactly roll off the tongue. But you might want to get used to saying it. These so-called CBDCs, or digital versions of dollars, yuan, euros, yen or any other currency, are coming, say those who study them. And depending on how they are designed and rolled out, their impact on the banking system could be profound.

One hundred and fourteen countries are exploring digital currencies, and their collective economies represent more than 95% of the worlds GDP, according to the Atlantic Councils Central Bank Digital Currency tracker, the WSJ reported. Some countries, including China, India, Nigeria and the Bahamas, have already rolled out digital currencies. Others, like Sweden and Japan, are preparing for possible rollouts. The U.S. is studying the issue and has run trials of various technologies to enable a digital currency, although Fed chair Jerome Powell has indicated the U.S. central bank has no plans to create one, and wont do so without direction from Congress.

But obviously, the U.S. could be the outlier; the only advantage for us, perhaps, is the fact that, for now, the real dollar (not a digital buck) is the worlds reserve currency. But this isnt likely to last.

The WSJ noted the fact that countries are sort of winging it at the time, developing digital currencies on their own without really coordinating the effort, making the situation even more dicey and confusing. Generally, however, CBDCs can be roughly divided into two types: those designed for use by financial institutions and those designed for use by the general public, the report said.

The first type will be used for transfers between central and commercial banks, so that should be fairly easy to perform and to understand. After all, Americans have been digitally paid  that is, pay electronically transferred from a company to an employees bank, without cutting a paper check or handing the worker actual money, for decades now.

However, the second type of CBDC is a digital version of fiat money made available to the general public through accounts held by a central bank or a commercial bank, the report continued. From the perspective of a regular person or business, this kind of CBDC isnt any different from the electronic money in their bank accounts todayits just a digital dollar.

What makes these kinds of CBDCs special is that they are created, and held, in accounts that a central bank has direct access to. If another pandemic happened, for example, the Fed could just deposit stimulus checks into every U.S. citizens digital-currency account, the report said.

But heres where it gets tricky. In a constitutional republic, where the individual, then the state, then the federal government share power (in that order), the federal government is the only entity with a central bank; states dont have them. And of course, the U.S. government is in charge of printing the money, as well as regulating it. So in a completely digital world where there is no hard currency (physical money, gold, silver, platinum, etc.), the central government literally controls all of the money at all times, and that is a scary proposition, given how tyrannically the Biden regime has behaved in regards to a former president, Donald Trump, and his supporters.

What happens if there is a pro-MAGA demonstration in the future that the Dem-run deep state doesnt like? In an all-digital-currency world, the government could literally confiscate (or wipe out) their digital holdings.

Its never a good idea to give the government complete control over anything  especially all of our money.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Germany is about to lose World War III, because this Third World War is over for Europe, and the defeat could not be more complete.

(Article republished from RMX.news)

In the First World War, the Second German Empire was destroyed; in the Second World War, the Third German Empire was destroyed; and now in the Third World War, the Fourth German Empire, known coyly as the European Union, dressed up as Europe, is also falling. Although the Second World War destroyed Germany materially and physically, it mobilized it spiritually, morally, and intellectually; it was the German economic miracle, which was a miracle of the soul.

Although Germany is now much better off materially and physically, it is much worse off spiritually, morally, and intellectually  helplessly tolerating the destruction of its spiritual identity. It has failed to recognize that the material and physical foundations of its prosperity were being destroyed by a far more fatal war. The tragi-comedy of this ritual suicide was underlined by last years story of the German security forces use of 3,000 commandos and a Hollywood spectacle to crack down on an anti-state conspiracy.

In an article in Foreign Affairs, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz writes that what former U.S. President George Bush once called a partnership in leadership during German reunification in 1990  which Bush saw as Germany and America sharing the role as the worlds leading powers  is now coming true. Reading this, it is hard to decide whether to laugh or cry, but I would opt for the latter. When the American empire, with the Third World War it has provoked, is now quickly, easily  and above all, cheaply and with Germanys obliging cooperation  destroying the foundations of the worlds most sophisticated high-tech structure of the last century and a half, and pushing Germany back to the level of a third-rate regional middle power, the German chancellor is envisioning a historic victory.

The truth demands that, although the empire can easily, quickly, and cheaply liquidate Germany, it still had to deploy serious forces for one action, and that was the blowing up of the German-Russian Nord Stream gas pipeline. This action, which was more of a pedagogical one, was necessary to give a symbolic signal to the somewhat difficult German public that an era was really over, that a deep change was really taking place. But the main feature of this change of era will not so much be Germanys emergence as a global power, but rather a far more dramatic decline than ever before in the global power space.

Read more at: RMX.news
(Natural News) The government and Big Pharma companies are planning to taint the nations food supply, specifically by injecting animals with mRNA vaccines.

Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of mRNA vaccination technology, noted that information on this new development is sparse because mRNA vaccine use for animal health or for other aspects in the veterinary markets is difficult to track until either the company developing this or agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) release information on the products development.

Furthermore, neither the USDA nor the National Institutes of Health have a mechanism for tracking the potential release of new vaccinations, drugs or other biologics for the animal market. (Related: The US meat supply may soon be widely contaminated with mRNA proteins from biotech vaccines.)

Some of the earliest evidence of Big Pharma developing mRNA vaccines for animals came from press releases.

In 2016, Bayer partnered with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine developer BioNTech to create first-in-class mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for animal health indications. Bayer and BioNTech followed this up with another statement claiming that they are collaborating on cutting-edge technology to develop new solutions to protect the health of companion and farm animals.

They are injecting animals with these [mRNA vaccines] and are planning on doing a lot more than that, warned Attorney Thomas Renz. Do we want gene therapy injections into animals? More importantly, if they do put that in there, what is the likelihood of transmissibility to humans?

mRNA vaccinations extremely deadly for animals

Since 2016, more and more news has been coming out of Big Pharma companies developing veterinary mRNA vaccines and animals being subjected to mRNA trials. One such trial from Australia featured a 17.5 percent death rate for cattle.

The incident occurred in the Australian state of New South Wales, where a cattle farmer was forced by the authorities to vaccinate 200 heads of cattle with mRNA vaccines. Thirty-five of those cattle died instantly.

Dylan Eleven, writing for Principia Scientific, noted that the surviving members of this herd of cows have already had their DNA altered by the mRNA vaccines.

Furthermore, Eleven warned that the food supply of Australia may already have been infected. Details are scant, but it is strongly suggested that the animal trial involved dairy cows. This means their milk has already been altered, along with other dairy products produced by the surviving herd, including butter, yogurt, cheese and meat.

Please take the time to urgently warn others, wrote Eleven. Literally consuming dairy would be like a vaccine, and that goes for cheese and other food products that have dairy including cheese, pizzas and sandwiches.

Eleven further warned people to be cautious of consuming cow meat products, especially if people are not certain where they come from.

My hope is that we find a way to deal with this, said Renz. But the key here is that weve got to keep pushing the truth out because unfortunately, we cant count on our federal government to do anything legal or ethical.

Learn more about the dangers of mRNA vaccines at Vaccines.news.

Watch this episode of Another Renz Rant as Attorney Thomas Renz talks about mRNA vaccines infecting the food supply.

This video is from the Thomas Renz channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

mRNA vaccines for animals and livestock have arrived  get ready for a transgenic meat supply laced with spike protein.

If mRNA is now being found in breast milk, then COVID vaccine safety claims are lies.

LETHAL INJECTIONS: 18% of cattle DIE immediately following mRNA vaccination.

Study finds 84% increase in incidence of cardiac-related DEATH among men under 40 following mRNA vaccination.

Scientists look to create chimeric mRNA vaccines that can be deployed through food.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

RWMaloneMD.Substack.com

Principia-Scientific.com
(Natural News) After years of flip-flopping, the ATF has issued a rule recharacterizing guns with pistol braces, making millions of currently owned guns subject to federal short-barrel rifle registration, together with a $200 tax. The effect of this rule change is particularly potent in Connecticut, where existing laws banning so-called assault rifles are immediately triggered. Owners there of handguns with pistol braces cannot merely remove the brace if the weapon has a forward pistol grip or second hand grip; these guns are effectively rendered instantly illegal due to the fickle federal rule change.

(Article by John Klar republished from AmericanThinker.com)

Prior to the rule change, Connecticut gun-owners could legally own pistols with braces that possessed features otherwise prohibited by Connecticuts 2013 ban on assault weapons. Generally called others, these in-between guns were classified as illegal handguns (barrel too long), not specifically banned under the states definition of assault weapons (barrel under 16 inches, exclusive of pistol brace), and yet were long enough (when fitted with the brace, which acts as a butt extension) to evade federal classification as short-barrel rifles under the former ATF determination. The State of Connecticut classified them per federal rules as legally permissible, not as prohibited short-barrel rifles. With the ATF rule change, Connecticut others-gun owners will overnight find themselves in possession of illegal assault weapons.

Connecticuts assault weapon ban punishes illegal possession of an assault weapon as a class D felony subject to up to five years in prison and a $5,000 finewith a mandatory minimum one-year prison term! This penalty is reduced to a class A misdemeanor with up to one year in prison if the violator can prove that he or she lawfully possessed the weapon before the ban[.] There are an estimated 81,849 pre-ban legal weaponowners in Connecticut, who retained their otherwise prohibited weapons following that states ban by registering them. Last year, Governor Ned Lamont publicly proposed making those guns illegal also. It is to be presumed he will pounce on the chance to ban the in-between others.

The anticipated retroactive prohibition by ATF rule change of possession of what was a legal weapon in Connecticut may be alleged to be an ex post facto law prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. This defense wont likely fly. Presuming the State of Connecticut seeks to incorporate the others as illegal assault weapons under its existing statute, it will charge people with crimes not for having owned the guns before the rule change (which would be ex post facto, meaning from a thing done afterward), but for the ongoing current offense of possessing the gun presently in violation of existing law. Connecticut others-owners thus would not face prosecution for preATF rule change violations but would have to dispose of or surrender their guns in order to avoid criminal liability for a new offense that springs up with this controversial rule change.

This is the rub  the others, unlike owners of unregistered and thus illegal pre-ban assault weapons, are registered. Connecticut implemented a postSandy Hook registry of the others, which it could conceivably begin to investigate and compare with guns surrendered (or bought back, should the state implement such a policy in order to sidestep unconstitutional taking violations). Connecticut would be able to prosecute those possessions as class A misdemeanors; it is hard to imagine that prosecutors could successfully apply the preATF rule change five-year felony penalty.

Connecticut owners of these others guns find themselves in a panicked squeeze between the Scylla of federal rulemaking and the Charybdis of a state bent on banning their guns without mercy. If they register these weapons with the feds and pay the $200 fee, they are not free of the rocky perils of Connecticut criminal statutes that ban them as short-barrels. And if they simply remove the pistol brace (as many in other states are free to do), they cannot legally possess what remains under Connecticut law because of a non-detachable pistol grip or second-hand grip.

Joe Biden and Ned Lamont will doubtless clink champagne glasses at this predicament. Law-abiding Connecticut citizens transformed into criminals overnight by the sweep of a bureaucratic pen are not celebrating the loss of their property and liberty.

Read more at: AmericanThinker.com
(Natural News) The United States is the most permissive country in the world in allowing children to pursue extreme transgender transitions such as puberty blockers and surgeries removing young womens healthy breasts, a new report by the group Do No Harm reveals.

(Article by Peter LaBarbera republished from WND.com)

The different approaches between the United States and Western and Northern Europe lead to a concerning reality: In the U.S., much younger patients are eligible for invasive surgeries and/or potentially irreversible and medically harmful dispensation of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, the report, Reassigned, states.

This is because extreme gender ideology drives the United States to provide transgender medical care to younger children, while Europe goes a safer and more scientific route, the report states.

The U.S. also leads European countries in allowing youth to pursue legal gender transitions, such as changing their designated sex on official government documents, according to the report.

Do No Harm describes itself as a diverse group of physicians, healthcare professionals, medical students, patients, and policymakers united by a moral mission: Protect healthcare from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology. We believe in making healthcare better for all  not undermining it in pursuit of a political agenda.

Reassigned compares the U.S. to European countries using nine transgender-related criteria:

Legal requirements to change gender

Minimum age to change gender in civil registry

[Allowing] legal gender other than male or female

Notable requirements for medical transition

Minimum age for puberty blockers

Minimum age for cross-sex hormones

Minimum age for sex-reassignment surgery

Number of youth gender clinics

Notable changes in protocols for treating minors

Fox News reports in covering the DNH report: Laws vary in the U.S. by state, but overall, [compared to European nations] transgender youth in America have greater access to gender clinics, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries, in some cases without parental consent.

Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are routinely prescribed to minors in the U.S., and many patients experiencing gender dysphoria have undergone double mastectomies as minors to present as male, WND reported last year with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Dr. William Malone, a board-certified endocrinologist, told Fox News big money drives the current contagion of extreme (often irreversible) trans operations and hormone therapies performed on vulnerable youth.

We are dealing with what may be the biggest medical and ethical scandal of modern times, Malone said. Transgender medicine is big business, and youth who are transitioning today will be medical patients for life, for the next 60-plus years. Mental health among youth is at an all-time low, making them particularly vulnerable to solutions that suggest an easy fix.

He said the pro-LGBT political environment  what many call the woke agenda  keeps many doctors from critiquing gender transitions because they fear backlash from powerful groups like AAP and politicians catering to pro-transgender activists. In the U.S., the Democratic Party is the party of transgenderism, with President Biden and his appointees escalating their rhetoric in support of trans activist policies, including medical youth transitions. In December, Biden even likened opposing transgender surgeries to anti-Semitism.

The Biden administration has promoted puberty blocker and cross-gender hormone treatment drugs for transgender children even as it spent roughly $17 million on studies to analyze the dangers and uncertainties of the drugs from 2021 to 2022 through the National Institutes of Health. These dangers include the possibility of increased cardiovascular risks, weakened ability to fight sexually transmitted infections and infertility, Fox reports.

The Do No Harm report highlights the role of the influential American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, in driving Americas gender affirmative approach, which remains standard across most of the United States, and which caters to LGBT activist groups:

The American approach to transgender medical treatment for children is known as gender affirmation, which assumes that gender incongruence can manifest as early as age four and that questioning a minors gender self-definition is harmful and unethical. The [AAP] has embraced an affirm-only/affirm-early policy since 2018, and most states abide by its guidance despite withering medical and scientific criticism.

The report states that, with some exceptions such as Florida, liberally pro-gender-transition medical procedures continue in the U.S., while several countries, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland, have explicitly abandoned it in recent years in part due to fear that medical intervention has become overprescribed (studies show that only 12 percent to 27 percent of cases of childhood gender dysphoria persist into adulthood).

It notes that in a sharp departure from Americas gender affirmation model, these countries now discourage automatic deference to a childs self-declarations on the grounds that the risks outweigh the benefits, while also calling for months-long psychotherapy sessions to address co-occurring mental health problems.

Walt Heyer, a man who went through the full transsexual sex change regimen before rejecting his trans woman identity and returning to live again normally as a man, was not surprised by the DNH findings. Heyer told WND that he expects the tide will shift in the United States when detransitioners  men and women like him who return to live as their God-given sex  have their influence on the political and cultural environment.

Whats happening is they are doing so many people [doctor-supervised gender transitions through extreme surgeries and hormone therapy] that were going to have an onslaught of detransitioners that will change the whole dynamic, said Heyer, founder of the Sex Change Regret website. They got slap-happy and did too many people. Now its going to come back to haunt them.

Here is a portion of the comparison of the United States to Sweden, which recently reversed its approach to trans gender transition medical procedures performed on youth (emphasis added):

Sweden: Requires diagnosis of gender dysphoria (DSM-5) and treatment from an interdisciplinary medical team. The key prerequisite for hormonal treatment of youth is the prepubertal onset of gender dysphoria that is long-lasting (a 5-year minimum is mentioned), persists into adolescence, and causes clear suffering. United States: Diagnosis of dysphoria is required for insurance purposes, but an individual paying out of pocket could medically transition without such a diagnosis. A diagnosis is typically, though not exclusively, made by a psychologist or psychiatrist. Testosterone is a controlled substance, so depending on state law there are restrictions on which practitioners can prescribe it. Clinics that use WPATH [the pro-trans-activist World Professional Association for Transgender Health] guidance impose few or no other limitations to receiving hormonal or physical treatment.  Prescribing gender affirming hormones is well within the scope of a range of medical providers, including primary care physicians, obstetricians-gynecologists, and endocrinologists, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants. Depending on the practice setting and jurisdiction, other providers with prescriptive rights (naturopathic providers, nurse midwives) may also be appropriate to prescribe and manage this care.

Heyer, who lives every day with the bodily harm enabled by trans gender change ideology, puts a clarifying point on the debate, telling WND, Nobody yet in world history has actually transitioned from one biological sex to another, and its never going to happen.

Read more at: WND.com
(Natural News) Back in 2013, Pfizer paid out $273 million to settle lawsuits linked to its anti-smoking drug Chantix. The amount set aside by the drug firm was meant for about 2,700 state and federal complaints  four-fifths of the total number.

A March 2013 report by Fierce Pharma elaborated on the settlement, citing a securities filing from the New York-based drug giant. Aside from the $273 million, Pfizer had also set aside a separate $15 million for the remaining claims.

The settlements followed earlier agreements Pfizer entered to drop two cases connected to Chantix. Senior U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson of the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama presided over the two cases. The terms of both settlements were not disclosed.

The company settled with Judy Ann Whitely, the wife of Mark Whitely, in October 2012. Mark, who was from Minnesota, committed suicide while on the drug. Later in January 2013, it settled with Billy Bedsole who claimed the smoking cessation drug caused him to have suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric issues.

The medication gained infamy following reports of suicide, suicide attempts and other psychiatric disturbances  forcing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require a black box warning on boxes of Chantix, in order to alert both patients and doctors of the risk of psychiatric side effects.

Critics, meanwhile, blasted Pfizer for improperly excluding patients with a history of mental issues in its trials for the drug. In response, the company sponsored a trial in patients with depression or who had a history of it. According to the company, Chantix beat placebo in helping patients quit their smoking habits. (Related: NEVER FORGET: Pfizer manipulated studies to convince doctors to prescribe seizure drug Neurontin for off-label use.)

The FDA later determined that Chantix is probably associated with a higher risk of heart attack.

Chantix later pulled out from the market

Production of Chantix continued after the settlements, but abruptly stopped in June 2021 due to the presence of nitrosamines in the drug. The cancer-causing chemical was discovered in batches of the smoking cessation drug during regular safety monitoring. Upon further scrutiny, the levels of nitrosamines in the batches of Chantix far exceeded levels deemed safe by the FDA.

The halt in production was followed by a voluntary recall of the product, with Pfizer eventually stopping manufacturing Chantix. Other drug manufacturers stepped in to create generic versions of the anti-smoking drug under the generic name varenicline. The FDA approved the first generic varenicline in August 2021, two months after Pfizer temporarily halted the manufacture of the drug.

According to an Oct. 27, 2022 piece published by healthcare company GoodRx, nitrosamines when consumed in excess may increase the risk of certain cancers.

Animal studies suggest nitrosamines are carcinogenic. There are reports that when nitrosamine is given to rats, it can cause tumors to grow in multiple organs  including the liver, kidneys and lungs.

However, the piece clarified that the nitrosamine in Chantix is called N-nitroso-varenicline. This nitrosamine is different from the N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) found in other medications. It added that the presence of NDMA caused the recall of various drugs such as the anti-heartburn drug ranitidine, the anti-diabetes drug metformin and anti-hypertension drug losartan.

DangerousMedicine.com has more stories about Pfizer.

Watch this video that talks about Pfizers recall of Chantix over high levels of nitrosamines.

This video is from the True Thoughts channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

NEVER FORGET: In 1994, Pfizer paid $20 million after LYING about defective heart valve that killed hundreds.

COVID-19 vaccine maker Pfizer was involved in the largest healthcare fraud settlement in history in 2009.

CRIME CARTEL: Pfizer paid out $2.3 billion in a settlement to Washington for illegally promoting its drugs.

Remember when Pfizer paid out $2.3 billion to settle the largest healthcare fraud case in history?

PHARMA FLASHBACK: Pfizer shelled out $2.3B to settle civil and criminal charges in 2009.

Sources include:

FiercePharma.com

GoodRx.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Japanese government has announced that radioactive water from the now-defunct Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant will soon be released into the ocean after undergoing treatment.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the release of more than one million tons of water will begin by either spring or summer 2023. It added that regulators had deemed it safe to gradually discharge the water in the Pacific Ocean via a tunnel, but not before it undergoes treatment and dilution.

The contaminated water in Fukushima is being stored in more than 1,000 tanks which, according to officials, needs to be removed to move forward with the power plants decommissioning. The decommissioning process is expected to take 30 to 40 years.

The wastewater from Fukushima to be treated and released in the ocean has been previously used to cool damaged nuclear reactors. Rain and groundwater that seeps into the vicinity of the plant also forms part of this wastewater.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the firm that owns the now-defunct nuclear plant, said its water treatment technology called Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) can remove all radioactive materials from the water except tritium. It added that tritium is harmless in small amounts.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ALPS uses a series of chemical reactions to remove 62 radionuclides from contaminated water. It also explained that tritium is very difficult to remove using ALPS as water with this hydrogen isotope has chemical features almost identical to water with ordinary hydrogen.

Moreover, the IAEA pointed out that the Fukushima wastewater has a low concentration of tritium in a large volume of water. Nuclear plants around the world, it argued, use a process similar to ALPS to dispose of radioactive wastewater.

Japanese officials backed up TEPCOs claims, insisting that the treated water will not pose a threat to human health or the marine environment.

Release of Fukushima wastewater faces opposition

Japanese news agency Kyodo News said the IAEA had conducted several safety reviews of the plan to discharge Fukushima wastewater. The agency would also issue a report based on its findings and provide support before, during and after the discharge.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered major damage from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011. Tsunamis that followed the tremors caused the plants reactors to melt down and disabled its reactor cooling systems. The Japanese government initially green-lit the plan to dump the plants radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years in April 2021, more than 10 years after the disaster. (Related: ENDANGERING the Pacific Ocean: Japanese proposal to dump radioactive water from disabled nuclear power plant gets APPROVAL.)

But Tokyos plan to unload wastewater from the defunct nuclear power plant was met with opposition.

Local fishing communities expressed anger over the move. Fishing unions in Fukushima also joined in opposing the release, warning that it would cause alarm among consumers. They also warned that such a move would derail more than a decade of efforts to reassure the general public that Fukushima seafood is safe to eat.

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government responded by announcing a 50 billion ($386 million) funds meant for fishermen fearing that the discharge will impact their livelihoods. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a meeting with stakeholders: We would like to thoroughly explain these measures to fishing communities and other relevant parties, while listening to their concerns.

External parties also voiced concern about the discharge. The South Korean government said that Japans release of Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific would pose a grave threat to marine life. Seoul imposed a ban on Fukushima seafood that remains in place as of writing.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) said it has grave concerns about Japans proposal to release Fukushima wastewater. PIF Secretary-General Henry Puna wrote to the Guardian: [Japan] should hold off on any such release until we are certain about the implications of this proposal on the environment and on human health  especially recognizing that the majority of our Pacific peoples are coastal peoples, and that the ocean continues to be an integral part of their subsistence living.

FukushimaWatch.com has more news about the defunct power plant.

Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Del Bigtree discuss Japans plan to dump Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on The HighWire.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Fukushima radioactive wastewater release plans spark concerns from farmers, neighbors.

Radioactive water could be pouring out of Fukushima just two years from now, warn experts.

UN experts review Fukushima water release plans as farmers concerns grows over radioactive crops.

Radiation at safe levels near Fukushima, but experts raise concerns over contaminated storage tanks.

Sources include:

TheGuardian.com

IAEA.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Once again, a black Democrat is proving that she and her party are among the most racist people in the country and is hellbent on tearing away what is left of the fabric of our society as evidenced by an outrageous, disgusting  and patently unconstitutional  piece of legislation she has just introduced.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat who represents one of the most racially gerrymandered districts in the country, does not believe white Americans deserve the full guarantees and protections of the First Amendment.

Lee has introduced legislation called the Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023? which would make it a federal hate crime for whites to question open-borders immigration, advocate for preserving Americas culture and traditional demographic make-up or even criticize minorities, according to the National File.

The outlet noted further:

Like in far-left European nations, that have turned their federal law enforcement apparatus against their own native-born citizens, under Jackson Lees legislation, merely posting online about the decline of American culture, at the hands of open borders immigration, could land a white person in federal prison.

A person engages in a white supremacy [sic] inspired hate crime when white supremacy ideology has motivated the planning, development, preparation, or perpetration of actions that constituted a crime or were undertaken in furtherance of activity that, if effectuated, would have constituted a crime, the bill says.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee has introduced a House Bill to criminalize conspiracy to commit white supremacy, which includes any criticism of non-white people that influences (such as something published or said online) someone who commits a hate crime. https://t.co/QD93bVJmA9 pic.twitter.com/ROwLtvYIha  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 15, 2023

In short, we have another Democrat of color being a massive racist against whites under the phony guise of battling racism and alleged bigotry. How typical.

Under Jackson Lees legislation, if federal investigators determine that the web postings of a third party had inspire[d] someone else, even someone they dont know, to commit a federal hate crime, that person would be arrested, and federally charged with a hate crime of their own, The National Files report continued.

Specifically, Jackson Lee targets Americans who are in favor of border security, calling out replacement theory by name, an ideology that holds that open borders and mass migration into the Western World are part of a deliberate effort to replace white people in their native lands, the report said, adding:

As the legislation explains, two people could be charged in relation to the same, lone wolf-style attack if, at least one of [them] published material advancing white supremacy, white supremacist ideology, antagonism based on replacement theory, or hate speech that vilifies or is otherwise directed against any non-White person or group. Even if they dont know each other.

In dissecting the bill, Red State noted further: The provision is so broad that you could drive a Mack truck through it. What is a white supremacy-inspired hate crime under this statute? How is replacement theory defined? Because what Democrats call replacement theory as a way to silence Republicans is often not replacement theory at all but is just a reiteration of Democrat-admitted aims to use immigration to influence elections.

Whats more, use of the word or in section B is also notable because it leaves vilifies as a lone qualifier, meaning the limiting principle or guideline is not clear at all. If I post on social media that Shelia Jackson Lee is an incredibly ignorant, abusive person who has a long history of treating her staff like dirt, does that mean Ive vilified her under this proposed law? It would certainly seem so, Red States Bonchie noted further.

This woman and so many in her party are blatant, open racists and they obviously have animus towards white people, the majority of Americans. Its a disgrace that the people of her gerrymandered district continue to send her to Congress.

Sources include:

RedState.com

NationalFile.com
(Natural News) The German government alongside BioNTech, Pfizers partner in the creation of the mRNA Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, pressured Twitter to censor supposed threats.

Lee Fang of the Intercept revealed this censorship effort via an email he published as part of the latest tranche of the Twitter Files. The Dec. 13, 2020 email from Nina Morschhaeuser  former Twitter head of public policy, government and philanthropy in Germany  alerted several teams that BioNTech and German authorities got in touch with her. The two entities warned her of an online campaign targeting COVID-19 vaccine companies that would begin the next day, Dec. 14.

The authorities are warning about serious consequences of the action, i.e. posts and a flood of comments that may violate [terms of service] as well as the takeover of user accounts are to be expected. Especially, the personal accounts of the management of the vaccine manufacturers are said to be targeted. Accordingly, fake accounts could also be set up, she wrote in the email.

Morschhaeuser asked Twitter teams to monitor special hashtags and accounts that were expected to be used or targeted in the campaign. She added that German authorities had referred to a permissible campaign that allowed users to send auto-populated tweets.

The campaign BioNTech and German authorities pertained to was the Peoples Vaccine Day of Action, which called for Big Pharma to share their [COVID-19] vaccines with the world. It urged people to join a global day of mass calling, emailing and tweeting on Dec. 14, 2020.

A day before Morschhaeuser sent the Dec. 13, 2020 email to Twitter teams, she had received a query from BioNTech External Communications Director Jasmina Alatovic. The BioNTech executive warned her Twitter counterpart about the campaign and asked for help hiding the Mainz, Germany-based biotechnology firms account during the campaign.

Alatovic asked: Could you help us hide our BioNTech Twitter account for two days  so that comments are no longer possible? (Related: Twitters censorship of Big Pharma critics is a worldwide phenomenon.)

British man fell victim to Twitters censorship

According to Fang, it remains unclear what actions Twitter took in response to Alatovics request. He also disclosed that several Twitter employees initially found that the campaign did not violate the social media platforms rules. Nevertheless, the platform continued to monitor tweets associated with the campaign.

The Intercept investigative journalist mentioned that the potential fake accounts mentioned in her email werent actually fake, but were real people. Retired bricklayer Terry Brough was among the list. The 74-year-old Briton had his account flagged after calling for Big Pharma to ensure that poor countries do not miss out on a COVID shot.

Brough posted a tweet on Dec. 14, 2020 addressed to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot.

[Nine out of 10] people in poor countries are going to miss out on a COVID-19 vaccine next year, he pointed out in the tweet. The retired bricklayer then challenged the companies to ensure that everyone everywhere can be safe.

Im actually 74 and still living, Brough told Fang during a phone interview, proving that he was far from being fake. I was a bricklayer all my life, just like my dad.

Im no Che Guevara  but Ive been an activist, a trade unionist and a socialist. And all I did was sign a tweet. I wish I couldve done more, really.

The collusion of the German government with BioNTech to impose COVID censorship had actually been rooted in money.

Berlin helped fund the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by providing $445 million to the German companys vaccine program in 2020. This paid off for Pfizer, which made $37 billion in profits from the COVID-19 shot in 2021. It continued to generate record revenue for the New York-based drug company in 2022.

Censorship.news has more stories about Twitters online censorship.

Watch this G News report about Twitter temporarily censoring Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo over his warning about the COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Twitters censorship of COVID-19 information that didnt match accepted narrative cost lives, former Trump medical adviser says.

Science truth SHUTOUT: Twitter CENSORS doctor for sharing study showing impact of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine on male fertility.

RIGGED: Twitter censored posts about natural immunity and vaccines after pressure from Pfizer board member.

Dr. Peter McCullough: Pfizer, FDA colluding to censor COVID vaccine concerns.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) As The Gateway Pundit reported on Saturday  The US began deporting Brazilian opposition leaders back to Brazil this week and the Lula Gulags. This is taking place at the same time that as evidence was presented that the January 8 riots in Brazilia were staged.

(Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

US journalist Glenn Greenwald is now complaining about the Communist takeover he helped support and enable. Greenwald was an outspoken critic of President Jair Bolsonaro the past several years. He got what he asked for  criminal Lula is back in charge, the communists are fully in charge and the iron boot of Marxism is taking control of Brazil.

Good luck.

Chief Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a Lula supporter and brutal totalitarian, continues to crack down on dissenters, jailing opposition figures, rounding up journalists, and holding opposition protesters, including children in makeshift gulags.

Speaking to Steve Bannon, Brazil observer and activist Matt Tyrmand said: They are going full Gulag. This is the worst Communist takeover ever.

This was all the plan of the Biden regime and CIA.

Communists are good. Nationalists and populists are the enemy.

Back in October before the run-off election between the populist pro-Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro against the communist convicted felon Lula da Silva, Foreign Policy reported on how Joe Biden and the CIA were working to ensure a Lula win in Brazil.

How Team Biden Tried to Coup-Proof Brazils Elections, read the headline.

According to reports, Biden personnel from the White House, Defense Department, State Department, and CIA all took part in threatening the Bolsonaro administration in rare, escalatory diplomatic meetings. Then, they took their false narratives to the corporate media.

Top officials from the White House, Defense Department, State Department, and even the CIA have held meetings and calls with Brazilian officials to try to head off any efforts by Bolsonaro to subvert the results of the countrys heated presidential elections.

The diplomatic surge comes as the right-wing populist Bolsonaro faces off against left-wing candidate and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a hotly contested runoff vote in what has proved to be one of the most divisive elections in the countrys history

For Team Biden, the diplomatic spadework began even earlier. In July 2021, just months after entering office, Bidens CIA director, William Burns, traveled to Brazil to meet with senior Brazilian officials, and during the meeting, his delegation warned them that Bolsonaro should stop casting doubt on his countrys electoral process. It was the opening gambit in a quiet campaign by Washington to preempt any moves by Bolsonaro to undermine Brazils democracy, current and former officials said.

A month after Burnss visit, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Brazil to reinforce the same warning: Dont undermine the elections. This June, Bidens team signaled that the U.S. president had relayed the same message again during his meeting with Bolsonaro at the high-level Summit of the Americas meeting in Los Angeles. A month after that, it was U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins turn, pushing the chief of the Brazilian armed forces to commit to upholding safe and transparent democratic elections. Bolsonaro, a former Brazilian Army captain, has tried to leverage nostalgia for the countrys military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 in his political campaign. (The United States provided support to Brazils military as it plotted the coup in 1964.)

The Biden administration expects all candidates to respect and accept the results of free and fair elections. We have made this clear to Brazilian officials, just as we do concerning elections held in countries around the world, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council told Foreign Policy when asked about the matter. We are monitoring the upcoming elections in Brazil closely. We trust the Brazilian people and have faith in the strength of Brazils democratic institutions.

It remains unclear how effective the U.S. diplomatic campaign was behind the scenes, but analysts say there are some early signals it paid off. The Brazilian news outlet Estadao reported on the matter last month, suggesting that U.S. pressure may have played a hand in persuading Brazils armed forces not to back any unfounded claims by Bolsonaro of fraud in the first round. The Brazilian military disputed the report.

I think it had an effect on the military, Abramovay said. I think its really hard for the Brazilian military to imagine support for any anti-democratic adventure without U.S. support.

As we continue to witness the worst communist takeover ever take place in Brazil keep in mind that this was the work of the current Biden regime and CIA.

Will the Western media report on this? Or are they still badmouthing populist President Bolsonaro?

Joe Biden and the Deep State are fully to blame for this horrific international development.

This was their plan. We can no longer deny it.

They surrendered in Afghanistan and armed the Taliban with $80 billion in US arms. Now, they installed a communist regime in Brazil, the largest South American country and economy.

This cant be an accident.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
MBABANE  Students from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Mbabane Campus, yesterday petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

They are demanding that all students who had been admitted to the facility be afforded scholarships. The students marched to the ministry to deliver their petition yesterday morning. They were led by their union, the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) and comprised of first-year students, among others. SNUS Mbabane Branch Chairperson Sambulo Shongwe said the reason they visited the ministry was to raise a concern about the first-year students, who had learnt that they had not been granted scholarships despite being admitted to study at the facility.

He stated that the students learnt that they had not been awarded scholarships on Tuesday when government issued the list of students who had been awarded scholarships. Shongwe said this was painful because the students were already on campus and had started their lessons, but since some of them had not been awarded scholarships, they would have to return home as they would not afford to pay their tuition fees on their own. Shongwe said about 70 or 80 per cent of the students who were admitted by the institution did not get scholarships and such showed a huge decline in the number of students who were awarded scholarships this year.

Deliberate

Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Makhosini Mndawe, who attended to the students, said he would meet with the minister to deliberate on the issues raised by the students. It is worth noting that last year, government allocated E78 million for scholarships of 2 550 students in the 2022-23 academic year. This is a 35 per cent drop in the number of students who were sponsored by government last year, with the number having stood at 4 100. Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, said the country only had E78 million available to fund new students in the coming academic year. He said it was difficult to even come up with this amount as funds were hard to come by.
(Natural News) The Biden regime is bound and determined to strip America of its ability to defend the country, for some reason, as new evidence reported by none other than The New York Times, generally a friend of the Democratic establishment, proves.

According to the paper, the Pentagon is now tapping into a previously undisclosed ammunition supply depot located in Israel in order to continue supplying Ukraine, leaving the U.S. vulnerable even as NATO allies  themselves not overly supplied, in terms of their own militaries  largely sit this fight out.

The Pentagon is tapping into a vast but little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel to help meet Ukraines dire need for artillery shells in the war with Russia, American and Israeli officials say, the Times reports. The stockpile provides arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts. The United States has also allowed Israel to access the supplies in emergencies.

This is simply the latest acknowledgment of dwindling arms and munitions for U.S. forces.

As for whats being tapped from the Pentagons ammo stores in Israel, About half of the 300,000 rounds destined for Ukraine have already been shipped to Europe and will eventually be delivered through Poland, Israeli and American officials said, according to the report.

Western supporters of Ukraine, which is a favored nation to the Bidens, appear to also be preparing Ukraines forces to defend the country against an expected Russian offensive in the spring, meaning that hundreds of thousands of rounds will be needed.

But at the same time, there are only so many ordnance manufacturers and they can only turn out so much ammunition; if the U.S. continues to diminish its own stockpiles while at the same time continuing to supply Ukraine, where will the new supplies to replenish the dwindled stockpiles come from? And how soon can they be delivered? And will the quality be as good since no doubt the resupply will be rushed?

According to Zero Hedge:

The stockpile in Israel has previously gone unreported, while another stockpile held oversees is also being tapped, in South Korea. Both countries have themselves thus far maintained an official policy of not arming Ukraine, with Israel in particular coming under pressure by both Washington and Ukrainian officials to send lethal aid.

Israeli reluctance and the fact that it must walk a fine diplomatic line with Russia given the Russian military presence in Syria, makes the Pentagon using its Israeli stores for a conflict in eastern Europe deeply controversial.

The Times report addresses the conundrum of resupplying what is being quickly used in Ukraine: The shipment of hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from the two stockpiles to help sustain Ukraines war effort is a story about the limits of Americas industrial base and the diplomatic sensitivities of two vital U.S. allies that have publicly committed not to send lethal military aid to Ukraine.

This comes on the heels of a report that Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told a naval warfare conference last week in Arlington, Va., that at some point within the next six months, the regime (and Congress) will face a decision  either continue to arm Ukraine or remain armed ourselves for a war that is likely coming with China.

Per a report by Defense One:

The secretary was asked to respond to comments made at the conference by Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Caudle, the reporter said, worried that the Navy might get to the point where it has to make the decision whether it needs to arm itself or arm Ukraine, and has the Navy gotten to that point yet?

Del Toro replied, With regards to deliveries of weapons systems for the fight in UkraineYeah, thats always a concern for us. And we monitor that very, very closely. I wouldnt say were quite there yet, but if the conflict does go on for another six months, for another year, it certainly continues to stress the supply chain in ways that are challenging.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

DefenseOne.com

ZeroHedge.com
(Natural News) Journalist Lee Fang has unpacked the latest Twitter Files drop, which shows that the pharmaceutical industry aggressively lobbied social media platforms like Twitter to shape allowable content around pro-vaccine policy.

Pfizer and BioNTech, for instance, pressured Twitter to censor activists demanding low-cost generic vaccines for low-income countries, Fang revealed in a multi-part series of tweets blowing the lid on Big Pharma censorship on social media.

Early on in the scamdemic, some were trying to create a more equitable solution to the crisis by forging international partnerships, sharing therapeutic technologies, and creating an open-source environment for information. The pharmaceutical industry quickly squelched that effort.

The crisis, Fang explained, was exploited by Big Pharma for profit. He explains that [b]ehind closed doors, pharma launched a massive lobbying blitz to crush any effort to share patents / IP for new covid-related medicine, including therapeutics and vaccines.

BIO, the lobby group that represents biopharma, including Moderna & Pfizer, wrote to the newly elected Biden admin, demanding the U.S. gov sanction any country attempting to violate patent rights and create generic low cost covid medicine or vaccines, he added.

(Related: Fusion GPS is also involved in censoring misinformation on Twitter.)

Pfizer, Moderna spent millions censoring criticism on Twitter

As for Twitter, the social media giant was directly pressured by pharmaceutical companies to censor all tweets mentioning generic, low-cost vaccines. The agenda was to make only high-priced, monopolized vaccines available to the public, ensuring large profits for the drug giants.

At the industrys beckoning, a Twitter representative reportedly responded to the request, which was also backed by the German company, by creating content moderation teams to overlook the accounts of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and various hashtags such as #peoplesvaccine.

Twitter appears to have been instructed to flag all criticism of the covid jab monopoly as fake accounts, even though these were very real people trying to make low-cost, generic vaccines widely available to the world.

Accounts protesting Pfizer or AstraZeneca were also flagged as fake accounts and subsequently censored, including that of Terry, a 74-year-old retired bricklayer from the United Kingdom who called on Pfizer and the others to put people over profits.

While numerous Twitter employees stated that Terry and others who tweeted such messages were not in violation of the companys tweeting standards, Twitter as a whole continued to monitor these terms and hashtags.

A separate push, Fang explains, was launched by the Pfizer and Moderna lobbying group BIO to create a special content moderation campaign called Public Good Projects. That group worked directly with Twitter to set content moderation rules around covid misinformation,' we are told.

BIO provided $1,275,000 to the campaign, part of which is revealed through tax forms. The PGP campaign, called Stronger, helped Twitter create content moderation bots, select which public health accounts got verification, helped crowdsource content takedowns, Fang revealed.

Many of the tweets the BIO-funded campaign focused on were truly unhinged misinfo, like claims that vaccines include microchips. But others Stronger lobbied Twitter on were more of a grey area, like vaccine passports & vaccine mandates, policies that coerce vaccination.

Public Good Projects regularly communicated with Twitter via email to remove tweets and verify others. One popular media outlet, Zero Hedge, ended up being suspended from the platform entirely.

Drug companies, meanwhile, were never subjected to any kind of censorship. Even when their accounts mentioned Pfizer or Moderna or covid vaccines, these were overlooked because the Public Good Projects and Stronger focused only on censoring criticism of Big Pharmas covid jab agenda.

When big pharma wildly exaggerated the risks of creating low-cost generic covid vaccines, Stronger did nothing, Fang wrote. The rules applied only to critics of industry.

The latest news about the Twitter Files can be found at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A recent extensive study conducted by Dr. Robert W. Chandler found that there was a correlation between the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines and the shocking drop in birth rates in Europe, Australia and Asia.

Nine months after the COVID-19 mRNA injections have been rolled out, the number of children being born substantially dropped in 13 out of 19 European countries, England and Wales, Australia and Taiwan.

In Switzerland, the decline in births was the largest in 150 years. The study noted that the figures were more than during two world wars, the Great Depression and the advent of birth control. Also in Europe, Germanys birth rate plummeted 8.3 percent through three quarters of 2022.

In England and Wales, there was a 12 percent drop through June 2022. Their government reportedly stopped publishing data related to this.

In Australia, the number of children being born fell 21 percent from October to November 2021, which was followed by a 63 percent decrease from November to December of the same year. The study also presented Taiwans report about the alarming drop in birth rate.

According to Chandlers paper, the Swiss Hagemann group published a statement on August 25, 2022, regarding the decline of live births in Europe.

My analysis puts the monthly birth figures in relation to the average of the last three years. In advance it should be noted that every single examined European country shows a monthly decline in birth rates of up to more than 10 percent compared to the last three years, Chandler wrote.

As a reaction to the study, Dr. Peter A McCullough, a renowned analyst of the COVID-19 pandemic response, tweeted an image of the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) report on the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines with the caption: Young people should have thought through genetic shots and weighted it all out. Most wanted school, work, and travel uninterrupted. Traded short for long-term consequences. Hoping not permanent.

One of his followers replied in the thread, saying that my cousin 10 years post-menopause started bleeding and now has to have surgery. Another one said: Yup, my closest friend suffered through this heavy bleeding for months. Another had a seizure. And another had heavy metal taste and smell for months.

Pfizer knows miscarriage is one of the many serious adverse effects of its mRNA vaccine

In a separate post, Twitter user @VigilantFox shared a video clip where renowned author and former presidential campaign advisor Dr. Naomi Wolf talked about how Pfizer knew that miscarriage is one of the serious adverse effects of its mRNA vaccine.

Wolf teamed up with volunteer health experts and lawyers to mobilize people in investigating 55,000 pages of Pfizers trial documents per month. (Related: Naomi Wolf: Pfizer, government know vaccines wont cure COVID-19 but they push them anyway.)

She further discussed the increase in miscarriages and menstrual issues and how the pharmaceutical giants internal documents labeled the loss of a child during pregnancy due to the COVID-19 jab under the category of adverse events that were RECOVERED or RESOLVED.'

Meanwhile, analysts are saying that COVID-19 vaccines are the antidote to a pre-engineered virus to deliberately depopulate humanity in whichever way it can  be it killing those who took the jabs or injuring women to stop procreating.

Big Tech tycoon Elon Musk warned of population collapse years ago, while the globalists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) have insisted that overpopulation is an issue that needs to be addressed. Population collapse is an existential problem for humanity, not overpopulation, the Twitter chief said.

Globalist Bill Gates has been upfront and vocal about funding and pushing vaccines worldwide, especially the COVID-19 vaccines. He said vaccines could help lower the population.

The world has 6.8 billion people that are headed up to 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10-15 percent, he said.

Visit Depopulation.news for more stories related to the globalists plans to wipe out humanity.

Watch the video below that talks about Pfizer documents revealing that COVID-19 shots accumulate in the ovaries, causing fetal deaths and miscarriages.

This video is from the Ruth Mackenzies channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Del Bigtree: COVID-19 vaccines affect womens menstrual cycles.

UK coroners confirm 2 women died of BRAIN BLEED due to AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.

Pfizers COVID vaccine causes miscarriages, stillbirths.

Wisconsin doctor suffered miscarriage after covid vaccine, tweeted #VaccinesWork.

Sources include:

100PercentFedUp.com

DailyClout.io

Twitter.com 1

Twitter.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Video footage has emerged of climate activist Greta Thunberg posing with German police shortly before she was carried away and detained during mass protests against a coal mine in the town of Lutzerath.

(Article by John Cody republished from RMX.news)

Images of Thunberg being carried away by police were broadcast across the world, with some protesters claiming it amounted to police violence. However, the reality of the detainment appears to be far different than initially reported.

The new footage shows that Thunberg calmly posed with the officers before she was led from the protest by police, with critics saying the whole event appears to have been staged.

Yes, the Greta Thunberg arrest was staged for the establishment media. pic.twitter.com/UtuRv0c2fD  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 17, 2023

It is unclear if the police were under orders to pose for the cameras during Thunbergs arrest, or why this strange photo op session is only being revealed now. In the video, she can be seen laughing and looks relaxed and unconcerned with her detention.

Already, Twitter users have begun creating memes around the incident.

Lights, camera, action, now pretend youre arresting Greta Thunberg pic.twitter.com/KykyG5zjpc  Steve Inman (@SteveInmanUIC) January 17, 2023

Others indicated that the detention of Thunberg is not an event totally out of the ordinary given the way the media has covered most of her career.

Her whole career is a PR stunt  The Victim Olympics ? (@ZVictimOlympics) January 17, 2023

In another video, police are seen picking up Thunberg, walking with her for 20 meters, and then letting her go, as if the entire incident was a theater rehearsal. Questions are now being raised about the different incidents, and whether they were produced to provide the global media with the necessary footage and photos it needed to paint Thunberg as a victim of police oppression.

Thunberg, a darling of climate activists, has long been used by the political establishment and helped grow support for Green and left-wing parties across the West  even if Thunberg herself has sharply criticized the German Green partys decision to allow the mining project to go through in the region.

The protests in Lutzerath have seen clashes between police and protesters, including the use of Molotov cocktails. However, despite activists alleging serious police violence in Lutzerath, they were forced to retract claims that protesters faced life-threatening injuries in what appears to have also been a case of misinformation.

North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul, in response to the retractions, said he is slowly fed up with the fact that allegations are always being made without providing evidence.

Although nine protesters were hospitalized with injuries, not all of those injuries were due to police actions. In turn, 102 police officers were injured, with nine of them unable to return to duty.

Some Twitter users also compared the protests in Lutzerath to the extreme violence used against those protesting against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns.

Read more at: RMX.news
(Natural News) On March 7, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scheduled to meet  confidentially  about developing a public health tool to predict the virality of vaccine misinformation.

A Notice of Closed Meeting announced in the United States governments Federal Register in November 2022 explains that the CDC gathering will be closed to the public in accordance with the provisions set forth in sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.

The reason for the closed meeting also has to do with a decision by the Director of the Strategic Business Initiatives Unit within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Due to ongoing concerns at the federal agency about the spread of vaccine misinformation, the CDC plans to come up with new ways to fight back against online free speech. The CDC also plans to address Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control, as well as develop Collaborative Surveys to Provide Inputs into Vaccine-Related Economic Evaluations.

The virtual meeting is scheduled to take place on March 7 from 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. (Related: The CDC used the same public relations firm as Pfizer and Moderna to push centralized health communication during covid.)

The CDC is an enemy of We the People and our free speech rights

This upcoming meeting is hardly a surprise considering what has been uncovered in recent weeks from the Twitter Files. We already knew about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doing Big Pharmas dirty work on social media, and now we can see the CDC is in on it, too.

For years, in fact, federal agencies such as these have been working behind closed doors to stamp out the First Amendment online because free speech is ruining the globalists plans for a world takeover.

Not only have they been working against free speech about pharmaceuticals and vaccines, but these same federal agencies also want to stop people from talking about election fraud and Joe Bidens stealing of the White House from Donald Trump.

Other topics that are off limits include:

 Addressing Bidens botched withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan

 Questioning the true origin of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19)

 Expressing skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines

The fact that the CDC hid this upcoming secret meeting from the public just goes to show that this agency is an enemy of the American public  and an enemy of the Constitution.

The unearthed, secret meeting is the latest example of how federal agencies are colluding to combat alleged misinformation, despite failing to clearly define what actually qualifies as fact vs. fiction, reported War Room.

The CDC already is the marketing arm of Big Pharma, wrote a commenter about the agencys deep-seated corruption.

The drug companies run both the CDC and the FDA, wrote another about how the Food and Drug Administration is no better.

Next time you watch television, count the pharmaceutical adverts, wrote another. Drug pushin is acceptable with a flashy commercial and a catchy tune.

Someone else commented that the true job of the U.S. government is to stop corruption and protect the American people  but instead they are part of the racket.

All branches and players of all federal, state, county and city governments in the U.S. and most countries of the their free world are corporations, noted another about how everything has been privatized, even if it seems to be a public agency on the surface.

The United States Corporation, wholly owned by the banksters and bleedership, hijacked America in 1871 during our last lawful Congress of Lincolns administration. Its institutionalized fraud on a grand scale. This is fascism.

The latest news about the CDC can be found at CDC.news.

Sources for this article include:

WarRoom.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) called for a full ground stop on all flights leaving the U.S. for a few hours last Wednesday due to a failure with the critical Notice To Air Missions (NOTAM) system, a damaged database file was cited as the problem. It sounds plausible enough; we increasingly rely on computer systems for everything in our daily lives, and occasionally things happen that remind us how easily it can all go wrong.

However, the story suddenly became a lot harder to accept when pretty much the same thing happened in Canada on the very same day the ground stop was issued. Our neighbors to the north have their own aviation authority, of course, and use their own software to route their planes. Their system outage did not ground flights or lead to delays there, and NAV Canada chalked it up to a computer hardware failure.

Both the FAA and NAV Canada said that the incidents were not the result of a cyberattack, but its hard to deny that the timing is highly questionable. NOTAM systems are impressively reliable, and outages are extremely rare. And yet, there were problems on both sides of the border within 24 hours of one another.

Interestingly, Philippine authorities were forced to stop flights into and out of Manila on New Years Day as a result of what was described as an air traffic control malfunction. Hundreds of flights were diverted, delayed or cancelled as a result. A power outage was blamed for the incident, with the countrys transportation secretary saying that the outdated facility needed to be upgraded and backups needed to be put in place.

All of these incidents, taken together, have raised more than a few eyebrows. Could hackers have been getting into these systems and demanding ransom from the affected governments?

Why did Bitcoin prices rise so high after the ground stop?

Thats what Fox News Tucker Carlson thinks, and he recently shared some compelling reasons on his show. One that is particularly hard to ignore is the fact that the price of Bitcoin started skyrocketing after the ground stop by the FAA. That is exactly what would happen if the American government suddenly had to buy a significant amount of Bitcoin  which is precisely the currency that most hackers demand payment in.

Since the nationwide ground stop last Thursday, the price of Bitcoin has shot up about 20%. Is that a coincidence? he asked.

The ground stop, as Carlson points out, is a pretty big deal. Not one plane was allowed to be in the skies over the U.S. while it was in effect, something that has not happened since the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

Carlson also discussed how outlandish the idea was that all of the commercial air travel in the nation could be shut down because a contractor entered the wrong code somewhere. How did both the main system and the emergency backup system go down at once?

The idea of hackers being behind this isnt so outrageous. Carlson noted: But is everything fine, or is it possible that somebody is hacking into aviation systems and holding various governments around the world hostage until they pay a ransom? Well yes, it is entirely possible. In fact, for example, in the summer of 2020, UCSF medical school paid over a million dollars in bitcoin and they paid it in order to get access to their own computers, which had been frozen by hackers. They were held up for ransom.

This is exactly the type of thing that could have happened in the U.S., Canada and the Philippines. And while its certainly understandable that the government wouldnt want the public to know about it if this is what really happened, there is a good chance that were only going to see even more of this in the future if hackers can profit from taking down systems that are essential to the running of our country.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Reuters.com
(Natural News) Flame retardants meant to stop household fires have been linked to cancer and other chronic health conditions. Worse, these chemicals linger in homes years after they have been banned from use.

Abby Campbell of NaturalHealth365 expounded on the history of these flame retardants in an article published on Christmas Day 2022. These chemicals were developed in response to the popularity of cigarettes in the U.S. back in the 1970s, which also caused major fires. She pointed out that the tobacco industry was urged to make self-extinguishing cigarettes, but Big Tobacco had other plans.

Instead, they created a front group called the National Association of State Fire Marshalls  which pushed for laws requiring fire-retardant furniture. In 1975, California laws led to a national standard requiring furniture manufacturers to douse their couches and mattresses with flame-retardant chemicals. Since then, flame retardant has been applied to most household items, such as furniture, electronics and even baby products.

Campbell ultimately remarked that based on studies, these toxic chemicals contribute to cancer, chronic disease, and attention deficit problems in children. (Related: Your home is filled with toxic fire retardants.)

A November 2012 study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that these flame retardants linger in peoples homes even though they have long been banned for use. The researchers, which include epidemiologist Julia Brody and toxicologist Ruthann Rudel of the Massachusetts-based Silent Spring Institute, collected dust samples from 16 homes in California in 2006 and 2011.

They found that at least one flame retardant chemical  pentabrominated diphenyl ethers (penta-BDEs)  remained in samples collected from legacy household products in the two years. Moreover, 41 compounds related to these chemicals were found in at least half of the dust samples. The researchers attributed this to legacy products such as old sofas that have not been replaced.

Flame retardants still pose health risk decades after being banned

A July 2014 study published in Chemosphere elaborated on the health risks associated with brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which include penta-BDEs. The paper examined 36 studies, including 17 that involved children.

Plausible outcomes associated with BFR exposure include diabetes, neurobehavioral and developmental disorders, cancer, reproductive health effects and alteration in thyroid function, it stated.

Another study published May 2016 in Environmental Health warned that flame retardants could disrupt thyroid hormone action. The authors also warned that post-menopausal women are particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of flame retardants on the thyroid gland, given their low estrogen reserves.

Aside from impacting thyroid function, flame retardants can also impact fertility in a negative way as evidenced by two studies published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

In the first study that focused on women, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley observed more than 200 pregnant women from the Salinas Valley. They found that more than 97 percent of the women had polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in their blood. PBDE is a family of flame retardant chemicals, including penta-BDEs.

Those with higher PBDE levels in their blood took a longer period to conceive or get pregnant compared to those with low PBDE levels. Moreover, each ten-fold increase of PBDEs in a pregnant womans blood was linked to a 30 percent decrease in her chances of conceiving.

In the second study, researchers found that men living in homes with high concentrations of flame retardants had lower sperm counts and altered levels of hormones related to fertility and thyroid function.

An increase in the concentration of these flame retardants in a house was linked to a 19 percent decrease in sperm levels. It was also linked to a 10 percent increase in the hormone prolactin. This hormone, in high amounts, can be a marker of decreased dopamine activity and may also be linked with erectile dysfunction in men.

Chemicals.news has more stories about flame retardants.

Watch this video about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding 148 chemicals in human blood prior to 2007.

This video is from the 1Human channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Flame retardants, pesticides now leading risk factors for IQ loss.

Toxic flame retardants found in newly manufactured childrens car seats.

The deadly connection between flame retardants and poor health.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

Pubs.ACS.org

ScienceDirect.com

EHJournal.BioMedCentral.com

ScientificAmerican.com

EHP.NIEHS.NIH.gov

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) It is entirely possible, according to the findings of a recent study, that those who are fully vaccinated for covid shed messenger RNA (mRNA) and spike proteins onto others, including the unvaccinated.

This is the perspective held by Dr. Peter McCullough, an outspoken opponent of covid jabs who cites a paper published by French pharmacologist Dr. Helene Banoun in the medical journal Infectious Diseases Research, as evidence of this.

The un-injected can contract covid jab ingredients via bodily fluids such as saliva, sweat, and sexual contact, Dr. Banoun found. Pfizers own clinical trials reveal much the same, suggesting that covid jab ingredients can pass through inhalation or skin contact, as well as through semen from a man  and passage through breast milk.

(Related: Check out this episode of the Health Ranger Report on Natural News Radio to learn more about how pine needle tea, suramin, and shikimic acid can help to mitigate any potential damage caused by covid jab shedding.)

Covid vaccines are a BIOWEAPON developed more than a decade before Operation Warp Speed

We now know, based on Dr. McCulloughs extensive research into the matter, that the mRNA technology used in the covid injections taken by most of the now-vaccinated population was developed by none other than the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as far back as 2011  a decade before the covid scamdemic appeared.

Based on this, it would surmise that testing was taking place on these injections long before Donald father of the vaccine Trump launched Operation Warp Speed. Trump bragged, as you may recall, about getting his injections which he has repeatedly taken credit for, developed, tested, and thrust onto the market at warp speed.

It turns out that covid injections were a long time in the making, rendering Trumps claims a lie. The shots are a bioweapon that was more than likely intentionally developed in such a way as to spread itself to the unvaccinated via shedding.

Sadly, these careful development steps were skipped from the beginning in our military-style vaccine development program, and now the public is grappling with the issue of nucleic acid and Spike protein shedding as a potential concern among those who have worked so hard to remain healthy and free of COVID-19 vaccination, Dr. McCullough writes on his blog.

The pivotal questions are: 1) For how long is a recently vaccinated person at risk to shed on to others? 2) Can mRNA be taken up by the recipient and begin to produce Spike protein just like vaccination? 3) Can shed Spike protein cause disease as it does in the vaccinated (e.g., myocarditis, blood clots, etc.)?

Based on all that is now known about these injections, including their bioweapon ingredients, many, including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), are calling for their immediate removal from the market. Dr. McCullough also wants them halted immediately for public safety, having spoken at a recent roundtable event hosted by Sen. Johnson.

The pathway to prevent any more harm is that all the vaccines need to be pulled off the market, withdrawn. That needs to happen immediately, Dr. McCullough is quoted as saying.

All the vaccine mandates should be dropped immediately. We need requests for applications and immediate funding for vaccine injury treatment centers of excellence across the United States. Whats at stake here is death.

You can read through Dr. Banouns study for yourself to see what Dr. McCullough, Sen. Johnson, and others are seeing that is prompting them to call for covid vaccination to end immediately.

Want to learn more about the dangers and ineffectiveness of covid injections? Be sure to check out VaccineInjuryNews.com.

Sources for this article include:

TheFlStandard.com

Radio.NaturalNews.com

TMRJournals.com
(Natural News) Financial expert, author and Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) researcher Ed Dowd has warned that the federal government may attempt to change the narrative regarding the influx of sudden deaths by blaming it on long COVID and climate change rather than the COVID-19 vaccines.

According to Dowd, one of his sources in the federal government noted that the White House is willing to admit that the United States is experiencing an epidemic of sudden deaths. But this admission comes with a desire to control the narrative regarding the sudden deaths.

One of my sources in the government told me that theres going to be a narrative change, that the White House is potentially preparing to declare an epidemic  an epidemic of sudden death  and that they might blame long COVID and potentially, believe it or not, climate change, said Dowd during an interview on the War Room. (Related: One in five sudden deaths caused by post-injection myocarditis, data shows.)

But as Dowd has repeatedly pointed out, long COVID is unlikely to be the actual answer to the question of why healthy young people and athletes are dying like never before.

COVID is not a significant cause of death in young people, wrote Dowd in his book, Cause Unknown, which explores this question.

If the government tries to push through with this plan, Dowd said it will only decrease what little credibility the White House has.

COVID-19 vaccines clearly the true reason for sudden death epidemic

From 2021 to 2022, more than 1,650 professional and amateur athletes experienced sudden cardiac incidents, sometimes during a game. Of these, 1,148 ended up dying due to these incidents.

The most well-known incident occurred just recently, when 24-year-old Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle. Emergency medical responders performed CPR on him for over nine minutes, saving his life.

Multiple health experts, including cardiologist and COVID-19 vaccine researcher Dr. Peter McCullough, agree that the COVID-19 vaccine played a role in Hamlins cardiac arrest, though how much of a role is almost impossible to know for sure.

According to Dowd, the very clear cause of all these and other sudden cardiac incidents and deaths  not just for prime athletes, but of all sorts of young, healthy people  is the COVID-19 vaccine. We have a thesis that it was the vaccine. The numbers do not dissuade us from that, he said, in an interview with the Epoch Times.

You dont have to believe us  but what is going on? he added. At the very least, if you dont believe the premise it was the vaccine, what is going on in our country that no one seems to want to talk about from a global health standpoint?

At the very least, this is a national security problem. At the very least, the question is: Why are people dropping dead? he continued. No one seems to want to talk collectively as a nation.

Dowd further noted that before the COVID-19 vaccine was introduced, sudden deaths in the U.S. occurred at an average of 29 per year. The difference now, according to Dowd, is Wed be lucky to have a month under 29.

Learn more about how dangerous the COVID-19 vaccines are at VaccineDeaths.com.

Watch this clip from Steve Bannons War Room as Ed Dowd talks about the collapsing narrative around COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Shocking book sheds light on recent epidemic of sudden deaths.

Nurse whistleblower: Fetal deaths have SKYROCKETED since pregnant women started being forced to get COVID-19 vaccines.

Post-jab sudden death now being absurdly blamed on anti-vaxxers for drawing attention to COVID shot genocide.

So far in 2022, there have been 350,000 excess deaths likely caused by COVID vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccines linked to sudden deaths, warns Dr. Peter McCullough.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheEpochTimes.com

BizNews.com
(Natural News) In a rare victory for health freedom, the state Supreme Court of New York ruled this week that a statewide covid vaccine mandate for health care workers imposed by Gov. Kathy Karen Hochul and the states health department is unconstitutional and will not be allowed to stand.

The landmark ruling, which was issued on Friday the 13th, came from state Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri, who declared that the statewide covid jab mandate for medical staff in New York is null, void, and of no effect.

The court as a whole ruled that Hochul and state Department of Health bureaucrats grossly overstepped the bounds of their authority by imposing a covid injection mandate on health care workers  sidestepping the state legislature in the process.

Neri added in his post-ruling statement that Hochuls mandate was arbitrary and capricious, further citing evidence that covid jabs do not even work to stop the spread of the alleged virus  not that the injections effectiveness or ineffectiveness is any matter when it comes to ones freedom to just say no to drugs of any kind.

In true Orwellian fashion, the Respondents acknowledge then-current COVID-19 shots do not prevent transmission, Neri wrote, citing a Summary of Assessment of Public Comment that was entered as evidence in the case.

(Related: It was then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo who first tried, but failed, to mandate covid jabs for health care workers in the Empire State.)

Childrens Health Defense celebrates ruling, calling it a critical win against covid jab mandates

Another issue that Neri took with Hochul and the Department of Healths mandate is that it applied a loose definition of the term fully vaccinated as arbitrarily defined by the latter.

A term which is defined at the whim of an entity, subject to change without a moments notice contains all the hallmarks of absurdity and is no definition at all, Neri wrote.

The ruling came following a lawsuit filed by Medical Professionals for Informed Consent, a coalition of medical professionals whose members were negatively affected by the jab mandate  some were actually fired for refusing the injections.

This is a huge win for New York healthcare workers, who have been deprived of their livelihoods for more than a year, stated Sujata Gibson, the plaintiffs lead attorney.

This is also a huge win for all New Yorkers, who are facing dangerous and unprecedented healthcare worker shortages throughout New York State.

While the ruling only affects medical workers in the state of New York, its implications for those in other states across the country, and even in other countries, cannot be overstated.

Childrens Health Defense (CHD) president Mary Holland announced in a statement that she and her team are thrilled by the ruling, calling it a critical win against a covid vaccine mandate, correctly finding that any such mandate at this stage, given current knowledge, is arbitrary.

We hope that this decision will continue the trend towards lifting these dangerous and unwarranted vaccine mandates throughout the country, Holland added.

In the comments, one person asked if New York health care workers who were already fired will now be reinstated, including with back pay, and receive any type of compensation from the lawsuit. Another asked if the ruling stops private health care systems from mandating the jabs.

Its good to hear someone is trying to put a stop to this murdering of the population  its way late, but at least finally some people are standing up to do the right thing, wrote another.

This should have happened three years ago, wrote another, not so thrilled by the timing of all this. The justice system is a complete failure.

More related news about covid injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
MANZINI - A local referee is behind bars after purportedly repeatedly stabbing and killing his wife on cheating allegations.

It was around 5:30am yesterday, when the referee reportedly stabbed his wife multiple times in the body using a knife at their rented flat at Logoba in Matsapha. Neighbours were said to have been awoken by loud screams of the wife, who was pleading for her husbands mercy. The husband later surrendered himself to the police. The identities of the parties involved in the matter will not be revealed because the referee has not appeared in court. The family of the deceased wife could also not be reached at the time of compiling this report. According to an impeccable source, the wife had returned to the flat on Tuesday, to sign scholarship forms for her daughter, who is enrolled in one of the local tertiary institutions in the capital city.

The wife is said to have been employed in a textile firm in Newcastle, South Africa.

Factories

It was gathered that when she arrived in the flat, she found that her husband, who is also an employee in one of the textile factories in Matsapha, was not there. The source disclosed that the referee arrived in the house in the early hours of the morning yesterday. It was gathered that the husband got into the house and started leveling accusations against his wife. We heard loud screams by the wife inside the house. She was screaming and pleading for her husband to stop stabbing her and rather talk. We came and knocked on the door but no one opened. For a moment, she continued screaming and crying for help, the source narrated. It was further gathered that neighbours and locals tried force entry into the house, but their efforts proved futile. The wife was said to have been heard begging to call her daughter to bid her farewell, but the husband persisted with stabbing her.

The source detailed that the group of people eventually broke the door and found the woman bleeding. It was revealed that the husband went out of the flat and started threatening the group of people with the knife. The source relayed that in fear of being attacked, the crowd ran away and the husband returned to the flat. He went inside and closed the burglar door. He further stabbed his wife who was now heard struggling to scream, the source said. It was gathered that after the incident, he went to the Sigodvweni Police Station to report the matter and handed himself over to the police.

Meanwhile, this publication was informed that lately, the wife, who resided in South Africa, would come to her husbands flat once in six months. Information gathered was that she would also stock clothes and sell them in the country when she got back. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed a report of a 49-year-old man who stabbed to death a 37-year-old woman at Logoba in the morning yesterday. Vilakati said the man turned himself to the police and that they were still investigating the matter. Worth noting is that this is not the first incident where a man has killed his wife in an incident of domestic violence. In 2019, this publication reported a man who stabbed his wife several times in the head before killing himself and his two children at Vusweni. The couple was reportedly in separation due to a family dispute relating to maintenance of the children, as well as alleged mistrust.

In another incident, a couple was killed in cold blood after a man supposed to be the ex-lover of the woman, broke into a home at Lwandle and stabbed the couple to death. This happened last year. The deceased man was an employee at Manzini Clinic, while the woman, a 24-year-old, was reportedly unemployed. They were supposedly attacked by the supposed ex-lover of the woman, who was a neighbour to the deceased man.
(Natural News) For all the appearances, it does not seem like the war in Ukraine is going to end anytime soon, thanks to NATO and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the conflict has already killed well over 150,000 people, give or take a couple thousand, an escalation is almost certainly coming, given two new developments: NATOs commitment to providing modern armor to the Ukrainian army, and Putins recent pledge to boost the size of his army to 1.5 million personnel.

Representatives of Ukraines chief Western backers will meet on Jan. 20 at Germanys Ramstein Air Base, where theyre likely to reiterate support for Kyiv and pledge continued assistance. The air base serves as a command center for both the U.S. Air Force and NATO Allied Air Command, The Epoch Times reported earlier this week after Britain agreed to provide Ukraine was as many as 14 semi-modern Challenger 2 main battle tanks as well as a host of other offensive equipment that is more advanced.

If those tanks are delivered, and there is no reason at this point to expect that they wont be, they will be the first modern armor sent to Ukraine by NATO since the Russians invaded nearly a year ago.

That said, reports in May noted that the Czech Republic sent about a dozen tanks along with armored fighting vehicles and some artillery pieces to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, as some suggested the weapons transfers were part of a quiet U.S. effort to assist Kyivs war effort.

The rumors also addressed the notion that, if indeed Washington and NATO countries had begun a behind-the-scenes effort to provide Ukraine with much more military assistance than previously revealed, it would be a substantial escalation and result in a legitimate third world war. We now know those reports were true.

We Are Change reported:

On Tuesday it was confirmed that Ukraine has received over a dozen Soviet-designed T-72M tanks from the Czech Republic amid a big push among Western powers to bolster Ukrainian defenses amid the continued Russian war, and as the Russians are beginning to cut off much of the east and south.

The initiative by the Czech government, which is a member of NATO, is the first by an external power that has provided armor and heavy weapons support to the Ukrainians following Russias Feb. 24 invasion. Also, the transfer of the tanks involved the U.S. government, as had been reported by Politico and a few other outlets.

According to the outlet, which cited a New York Times report, the transfer of the tanks and other equipment only came after the Biden regime signed off on it following a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Also, as The Wall Street Journal reported at the time, the support efforts were likely to be ramped up, making it increasingly likely that the West appears to be sleepwalking into World War III with a well-armed nuclear power.

In a potentially even more important development, both the Czech Republic and neighboring Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, are considering opening their military industrial installations to repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment, the WSJ noted.

As for the new armor and military support, The Epoch Times noted:

On Jan. 16, German Defense Secretary Christine Lambrecht tendered her resignation amid mounting pressure on her and her government to provide Kyiv with German-made Leopard tanks. The following day, top German officials said the issue would top the agenda of the countrys incoming defense minister.

When the [new] minister of defense is declared, this is the first question to be decided concretely, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in an interview with a German radio host this week.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WSJ.com

WeAreChange.org
(Natural News) In April 2010, Pfizer disclosed payments to doctors and other medical professionals for the development, marketing, consulting, representing and sponsorship of its clinical drug trials.

The company spokesperson admitted that they spent a whopping $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals in the last six months of 2009. It was the first public accounting of payments to the people who decide which drugs to recommend.

Pfizer also admitted to having paid $15.3 million to 250 academic medical centers and other research groups for clinical trials during the same period.

This disclosure is only about payments made within the United States. This statement was also in line with payment reporting provisions included in the passed healthcare reform legislation during ex-President Barack Obamas regime.

The law included that drug companies need to publicize how much they pay doctors for consulting and speaking arrangements. Kristen E. Neese, the Pfizer spokeswoman at the time, said it was required by an integrity agreement that the company signed in August 2009 to settle a federal investigation into the illegal promotion of drugs for off-label uses.

This information tells what our relationships are, so patients can put in the name of their physician (in the website) and see the doctor had a meal which cost this much or a speaking engagement for that much, Neese said, adding that all types of payments mentioned in the report are legitimate means of fostering the development of drugs and getting real world information from the medical community about the products.

Reuters reported that 1,500 healthcare professionals were paid an average of $5,000 each for expert advice, while 2,800 doctors were paid an average of $3,400 in speaking fees to lecture peers about Pfizers drugs. According to the pharmaceutical giant, the most highly compensated doctor received about $150,000 during the period.

Collaboration is essential between healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure todays scientific advances truly improve the lives of patients, said Freda Lewis-Hall, the pharmas chief medical officer back then.

According to her, Pfizer is committed to ensuring these relationships are transparent to the public and are carefully managed so that they foster trust and sustain their ability to deliver the breakthroughs patients have come to expect from them.

Pfizer said back then that its payment disclosures will become more detailed and transparent. But thereafter, the drug company has still been involved in other fraudulent marketing strategies and campaigns as well as deadly clinical trials.

Editor: Its good disclosures are being released, but some stuff is left undisclosed

Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, said it is good if the Big Pharma companies are actually making these kinds of disclosures public. However, in this case, she could not help but think something has escaped.

I think its a good thing to do [to publicize disclosures], but I put absolutely no trust in what drug companies voluntarily disclose to the public when those things are unaudited, said Eric G. Campbell, lead author of a 2007 study of physician-industry relationships published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This is because the disclosures were released in fulfillment of a requirement following Pfizers $2.3 billion fine and settlement in the summer of 2009 for illegally promoting off-label uses of more than a dozen of its own manufactured drugs.

Also, Pfizer is just doing this because it was mandated by the healthcare reform law passed during that time. Analysts could not help but doubt the pharma firms disclosures as it was able to go through years of controversies while squandering billions of dollars. (Related: PHARMA FLASHBACK: Pfizer shelled out $2.3B to settle civil and criminal charges in 2009.)

Check out BigPharmaNews.com to know more about the illegal marketing activities and clinical trials of Big Pharma companies like Pfizer.

Watch the video below that talks about Pfizer paying FDA $2.9 million while their mRNA vaccine was under consideration.

This video is from the Son of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

HIDING THE HARM: Pfizer documents expose doctor with ties to Bill Gates Foundation deleting trial participants COVID vaccine injury.

Science truth SHUTOUT: Twitter CENSORS doctor for sharing study showing impact of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine on male fertility.

CLAIM: Pfizer is planning to ASSASSINATE doctors like Bryan Ardis and Zev Zelenko.

Former Pfizer VP says all covid vaccine manufacturers need to be immediately indicted for fraud.

Sources include:

NYTimes.com

FT.com

Reuters.com

News-Medical.net

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces into Ukraine nearly a year ago, he amassed some 140,000 troops and enough equipment and supplies to sustain them in the field for around six months, according to reports.

By the end of May, however, and after NATO  mostly the United States  began sending modern weapons to the outgunned but stubborn Ukrainian military, Putin realized that his forces were in for a slog. Not much ground had been taken, comparatively speaking, few of the operations initial objectives had been met, and his army was a long way from the capital of Kyiv. Whats more, the army he sent into Ukraine was bleeding badly, losing far more personnel than anyone in his high command had estimated.

Toward the end of the fall, Putin ordered an additional 300,000 personnel to be mobilized, most of whom were bound for the fighting in Ukraine. But after losing more than 115,000 soldiers killed and perhaps double that wounded, according to reporting, the Russian president is going all-in with a general mobilization that will see the size of the Russian army swell to around 1.5 million. The target strength was proposed by the Defense Ministry in December, Russia Today reported this week.

Meanwhile, Russian officials have accused the U.S. and NATO of fighting a proxy war against Moscow by funneling weapons and ammunition into Ukraine by the tens of billions of dollars.

The proxy war includes elements of indirect participation in military action, elements of economic war, financial war, lawfare, said a Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.

The Russian news outlet continued:

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu suggested increasing the number of Russian troops in active military service to 1.5 million during a ministerial meeting on December 21, which was attended by President Vladimir Putin. He said career soldiers and officers serving under a contract should comprise roughly 695,000 of the number, with the rest enrolled through conscription.

During a Defense Ministry meeting on Tuesday, Shoigu said the increase and certain other military changes are planned to take place between 2023 and 2026. The measures are needed to ensure the military security of the nation, defend the [formerly Ukrainian] new [federal] subjects and critical objects of the Russian Federation, the minister said.

According to The Hill, Shoigu also said that two new military districts would be reformed in Moscow and St. Petersburg after they were disbanded in 2010. And he said that a full army corps would be formed in the Republic of Karelia along Russias border with Finland, as The Wall Street Journal noted.

Only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state and protect new entities and critical facilities of the Russian Federation, Shoigu said.

It should be noted that neither Ukraine nor NATO has any designs on one foot of Russian soil; rather, the war plan extends to ejecting Russian forces from Ukrainian soil, and thats it.

That said, top U.S. commanders have warned that while Russian troops may be tied down in Ukraine, some of Moscows best nuclear-armed submarines continue to keep the U.S. and NATO at bay, according to Business Insider.

A year of renewed fighting in Ukraine has depleted and embarrassed Russias air, ground, and naval forces, but one component of Russias otherwise struggling military  its submarines  still worries US commanders, the report noted. Submarines are a relative bright spot in Russias recent naval modernization efforts, especially the Severodvinsk-class subs that US officials say are hard to detect and capable of striking important targets in Europe and the US.

Rear Adm. Michael Studeman, commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, said at an Intelligence and National Security Alliance event last week that the Russians have more advanced capabilities with their Severodvinsk SSGN. There are three of those out there now and theyll be building more.

Sources include:

BusinessInsider.com

TheHill.com

RT.com
(Natural News) Russia will accomplish its objectives in Ukraine, according to military analyst Scott Ritter.

The Russians have said, and theyve come out again and said the same thing. This war doesnt end until Russias objectives are accomplished. And Russia has two primary objectives: demilitarization and denazification, Ritter said.

The former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer pointed out that demilitarization is getting ready to occur right now with the expanded war designed to destroy Ukraines ability to continue fighting. (Related: The Ukrainian conflict is a U.S./NATO proxy war, but one which Russia is poised to win decisively  Scott Ritter.)

Ritter stressed that there is no way the outcome will be anything different than that and people are going to see the collapse of Ukraines ability to wage war. He added that the denazification is going to happen following the destruction of Ukraine.

Russia is going to do this through its strategic air campaign, which will destroy Ukraines ability to survive as a nation, Ritter said.

The military analyst said the destruction of Ukraine will culminate with the eventual collapse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys regime. Ritter noted that the Russians are seeking to collapse Ukraine and get a new government in place, which will no longer have the support of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Ukraine will be compelled to accept unconditional terms of surrender dictated by Russia, Ritter said.

He also mentioned the changes in the Russian military leadership, with General Valery Gerasimov now leading the special military operation in Ukraine. Named as deputies of Gerasimov are Deputy Chief of General Staff Colonel General Alexei Kim, Aerospace Forces Commander General Sergey Surovikin and Russian Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleg Salyukov.

Surovikin, who was the former head of the special military operation before being replaced by Gerasimov, was given some sort of consolidated command over the special military operation. Ritter said Surovikin used limited resources, but was able to destroy the Ukrainian economy.

Russia is bringing in 300,000 troops

According to Ritter, Russia is about to bring in 300,000 troops to expand the scope and scale of the conflict.

He warned that Russia will wage a kind of war that Ukraine and NATO are not prepared to deal with. Russia has expanded its staff capacity to wage war that is no longer a limited special military operation, he said.

But NATO is not going to just roll over and die. Ritter mentioned that Poland is mobilizing its reserves to train 300,000 and build a new armored division and probably another one later.

A lot of people are saying that Poland is preparing to launch an offensive strike into to seize Western Ukraine, Ritter said. The military analyst believes Poland has been set up by NATO to do this.

Ritter pointed out that NATO can go to war under two circumstances, which is under Articles Five and Four of the NATO treaty.

Article Five is about the principle of collective defense, which means an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies. Ritter noted that NATO is often going to war under Article Four, which says that NATO nations can convene a session and say that a threat exists to their security that could require their collective response.

He cited Libya, Serbia, Afghanistan, among others as Article Four interventions of NATO.

Follow WWWIII.news for more news about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Watch the video below to know more about Russias special military operation in Ukraine.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Russia launches phase two of its invasion with the goal of occupying the disputed Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine now targeting Russian forces with American-made offensive arms in latest war escalation.

Ukraines Zelensky called for NATO strikes on Russia, raising new fears WWIII is on the horizon.

Russia-Ukraine war could contribute to more severe food shortages, mass starvation for years to come, warns UN.

Russia warns that NATOs proxy war in Ukraine poses serious, real threat of NUCLEAR war.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Medium.com

Sputnik News.com

VOA News.com
(Natural News) A Ukrainian blogger has called for the genocide of the Russian people, insisting that the country and its population must be wiped off the face of the Earth.

Blogger and activist Melaniya Podolyak made the calls via a Jan. 14 tweet, after a missile attack destroyed an apartment block in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro. She initially pointed her finger at the Russians for the attack, but a later report revealed that the attack was actually a case of friendly fire. Nevertheless, Podolyak remained adamant in her call for genocide.

Its absolutely fair for me to wish for all Russians and Russia to be wiped off the face of the Earth, she tweeted. Its not hate speech, its not horrible of me, its just fair. Podolyak also shared a picture of the destroyed apartment block alongside her tweet, which has now been deleted as it violated Twitter rules.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially stated that the building suffered a direct hit from a Russian missile. But Aleksey Arestovich, an adviser to the president, later admitted that Ukrainian anti-air weapons shot down the missile  causing it to hit the apartment building. The aide to Zelensky later stepped down in connection with his blunder.

Podolyaks follow-up tweet on Jan. 15 dubbed the former adviser as a moron.

Other Twitter users hammered the blogger and activist for being pro-ethnic cleansing, to which she replied with expletives. She also threatened users who allegedly obtained her address.

Cool, now these bots threaten me by letting me know they have my address. Well, if you know that, you also know [youre] in for a big treat  unless you want to waste an entire missile on me, which is going to change nothing for you, Podolyak tweeted alongside a picture of her holding a shotgun.

Prior to her call to exterminate the Russian people, Podolyak  a former staffer in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines unicameral parliament  had previously appeared in U.S. mainstream media outlets. NBC News described her as a political activist demanding the West sends heavy weapons to Kyiv. Fox News, meanwhile, described her as a media consultant calling for sanctions on Moscow.

Ukrainian TV host earlier called for killing of Russian kids

This was not the first time a Ukrainian personality openly called for the extermination of the Russians.

In March 2022, television host Fakhrudin Sharafmal called on Ukrainians to destroy the Russian nation by killing their children. The presenter for Ukraines Channel 24 even quoted Nazi Party official Adolf Eichmann, who claimed that a nation can be destroyed if its children are killed. After initially escaping the war, Eichmann was arrested in Argentina and executed by the state of Israel in June 1962.

I allow myself to quote Eichmann, who said that in order to destroy a nation, you must destroy, first of all, its children, said Sharafmal. Because if you kill their parents, the children will grow up and take revenge. By killing children, they will never grow up and the nation will disappear. (Related: Ukrainian TV host quotes Nazi war criminal in impassioned call to kill Russian children.)

The Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot eliminate Russian children as this is prohibited by the rules of war and various conventions, including the Geneva Conventions. But I am not a member of the Armed Forces, and when I have an opportunity to do away with Russians, I will definitely do this. I adhere to the Eichmann doctrine and will do everything in my power to ensure that you and your children never live on this Earth.

Sharafmal later apologized for his on-air remarks, claiming that he uttered those while driven by the pain of loss and grief over his friends death during the conflict.

Watch Fakhrudin Sharafmals remarks calling for the killing of Russian children below.

This video is from the Bright345 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Ukraines top military medical commander brags about ordering mass CASTRATION of all wounded Russian soldiers in latest Nazi-like eugenics celebration.

Ukraine government to BAN classic novel War and Peace from being studied in schools in latest Nazi-like authoritarian move.

Ukraine transforms into authoritarian dictatorship overnight as Zelenskyy bans 11 political parties and seizes media control.

Racist leftists now targeting people of Russian descent over programmed hatred for Putin.

Ukrainian tennis star demands Russian players be subjected to ideological purity test.

Sources include:

RT.com

USSANews.com

DailyTelegraph.co.nz

CJE.org.ua

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The World Economic Forum, which kicked off in Davos, Switzerland earlier this week, posted a shocking graphic on Twitter as the conference kicked off that contained a quote from a Danish parliament member.

According to the tweet, MP Ida Auken reportedly said, Welcome to 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better  implying that the global elite has something much worse than a mere dystopian future planned for the vast majority of people on the planet  an existence devoid of rights, possessions, and, likely, any say in our futures.

Welcome to 2030. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better @IdaAuken https://t.co/6BKymvbKB5 pic.twitter.com/YJjAkw8skS  World Economic Forum (@wef) December 12, 2016

All said, at least some participants are talking a good game and surprisingly, that includes the United States.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Wednesday that the world needs to shift to a new trading system that aims to promote inclusiveness, resilience and sustainabilitysaying that the current version of globalization is running into some limitations by creating income inequality, The Wall Street Journal reported. Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ms. Tai warned that the shift to a new economic system will require governments and businesses to put in extra work and face changes including less efficiency and added costs.

She said: Your less efficient world economic system will necessarily mean that we cant just be pursuing the lowest cost and the maximum cost efficiency. Instead, a new system would require participants to pay premiums for an insurance policy to make sure that when we run into problemswe have systems that can help us bounce back.

But in many other respects, this year, the WEF has devolved into relentless attacks and perceived right-wing extremism and combatting misinformation, though any serious observer knows the WEF is not serious about either subject because fired and little-watched former CNN host Brian Stelter was a panel member discussing the issues.

The panel was titled, Clear & Present Danger of Disinformation and included these other panelists: New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger, Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourova, CEO of Internews Jeanne Bourgault, and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

Stelter asked the panel, How does this discussion of disinformation relate to everything else happening today in Davos?

Sulzberger, who owns one the largest CIA disinformation outlets on the planet, claimed misinformation is the most existential problem the world is facing because it is attacking trust and causing societies to fracture  literally what his newspaper is doing on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, Jourova said she believes that alleged hate speech will become criminalized soon in the U.S.  obviously not at all mindful of our First Amendment.

Illegal hate speech, which you will have soon also in the U.S. I think that we have a strong reason why we have this in the criminal law, she claimed.

But critics not only blasted the panelists for their outrageous disregard for American constitutional and legal protections on speech, they ripped Stelter for just sitting back like a potato and allowing them to make such remarks unchallenged. That included Stephen Miller, a contributing editor at Spectator World. He wrote on Twitter in a post containing a video clip of an exchange: Brian Stelter just sitting there instead of challenging this petty fascist is a big reason why hes unemployed.

Brian Stelter just sitting there instead of challenging this petty fascist is a big reason why hes unemployed. https://t.co/HLKCvvqNTV  Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 17, 2023

Another user bashed the Democratic House member, Moulton, for just sitting on the panel in the first place (he literally takes an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution upon entering office).

Seth Moulton going to Davos in the first place, much less being on a panel arguing for the criminalization of hate speech and disinformation, is just  pathetic.  Ben Hunt (@EpsilonTheory) January 17, 2023

These people have no business deciding how billions of people who are not their citizens must live.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

WSJ.com
Conservation heroes in the county: Richard Bird

Richard with former NCC staff Ali Giroux installing a property sign at an NCC nature reserve in the county (Photo by Amanda Tracey/NCC staff)

Youll recall from part one of this series that when I started working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), Prince Edward County (the county) quickly stole my heart. From its rich wetlands to its dry grasslands and migratory birds  I loved it all. But most of all I loved the people; the conservation-minded community in the county is like no other. Many of these people are partners in conservation helping to protect, conserve and steward land on the south shore of the county. Others are people-focused and are interested in outreach and education, building relationships and telling stories. And a story is exactly how I met my next conservation hero.

Id like to introduce you to my mentor and dear friend, the ultimate storyteller, Richard Bird. The world needs more Richard Birds, and Ill tell you why.

Richard grew up just west of Belleville, Ontario, in a rural, marshy area on the Bay of Quinte. He recalls that it was full of muskrats, with muskrat houses everywhere!

I remember a day exploring in there and we found the nest of a marsh wren, recalled Richard fondly. It was such a beautiful thing; I couldnt believe it. Neighbouring friends and I spent hours in that marsh exploring. We would take our leaky boat out and paddle around. Whats better for a kid than a leaky boat in a marsh? Unfortunately, that marsh has since been filled in. And this is one of the reasons Richard is so passionate about conserving and protecting land.

A self-proclaimed science nerd, Richard dedicated his life to teaching science  to chemistry, in fact.

I should have been a biologist he laughed, but chemistry was where he ended up. He spent 32 years teaching at Quinte Secondary School. After he retired, he got involved with the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust (HPELT) as vice president for about a decade. With HPELT, he helped negotiate deals to protect land in perpetuity in both Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. He spent a lot of time engaging with landowners who had interests in protecting their land. His job? To listen to their stories, find what it is about their land that they love and help paint a picture of what it might look like to protect their land. His first and most memorable project with HPELT was the Miller Family Nature Reserve  a 198-hectare property near Milford, on the south shore of the county. Recently, Richard moved to the board of the South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI), where he is involved with conservation on the south shore.

The very first time I met Richard, he told me a story about the time he had spent on Main Duck Island over the years. Main Duck Island was NCCs first conservation project in Prince Edward County in 1977, which was transferred almost immediately to Parks Canada. His story included some funny bits, of course, but also memories of how special the place was and how it ultimately ended up getting protected. Ill save you the details in case you and Richard ever cross paths, as he will surely want to tell you himself!

One of my favourite things about Richard is his natural knack for storytelling. I have interacted with Richard dozens, if not hundreds of times, over the last five years and every single time he says, Ive brought something for show and tell. Sometimes its a book, sometimes its an old piece of syrup-making equipment, sometimes its a photocopy of an old magazine article. No matter what it is, he loves to tell stories.

Stories are one of the most valuable tools for conservation. And here I am today telling you just that  a story. So, I asked Richard why telling stories is so important him. He brought it back to his days as a chemistry teacher.

A knack for storytelling

When youre teaching, he said, you deal with real people. And real people are what stories are all about. Richard then asked me how many people know that NCC protected Main Duck Island. Probably very few, I answered. Exactly! he said. This is why I need to keep telling my stories! And he keeps telling them. Whether it be behind a booth for a local conservation organization, speaking to a local club (hes spoken to nearly all of them), helping kids build bird feeders at a school or just dropping by to say hello, he keeps telling these stories.

Richards proudest moment was hearing the news that McMahon Bluff was protected forever. This sensitive and rare piece of land was protected at the end of 2020 by NCC. The Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust had tried to purchase this property in 2008, with NCC actively working to help HPELT with the acquisition. Unfortunately, the deal at that time had fallen through but in 2020 the land was protected through an Ecological Gift to NCC. Richard had previously told me the story of HPELTs historic efforts to protect this land from development. They really did lay the foundation to have this special spot protected, so he was very excited that he could now change the ending to this story, and so was I.

Some of Richards favourite pastimes include making maple syrup and building canoes. In fact, when I recently moved to a wooded property, Richard taught my partner and I everything we needed to know to produce our own syrup. We also recently joined him in a canoe-building session. Richard builds cedar canvas canoes in his garage. From bending the ribs, to planking and canvasing, he does it all. Watching the process unfold first-hand was almost like watching a ballet, featuring a story told piece by piece in chapters of delicate and careful work, all culminating in the final product, or story: a canoe. Richard has now built over 30 canoes and more than a third of them have been auctioned off to support conservation efforts on the south shore. Every canoe, of course, comes with a story or two. The world would be a better place if everyone had a wooden canoe, Richard remarked.

Being a conservation hero isnt just about the stuff you can see  the events, the land protected, the on-the-ground stewardship work  it is also about the people. Its about sharing information, fostering meaningful relationships and making connections. Its about getting people interested, getting people to care, hearing their stories and telling them your stories too. Richard was not only an NCC donor but he is one of our biggest boosters in the county, always taking opportunities to promote our work.

Rudyard Kipling is famously quoted with saying If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten. So, lets not forget. The world needs more storytellers. The world needs more Richard Birds.
Chimpanzees showed remarkable talent in communities located in East Africa. According to recent research, chimpanzees managed to use leaf-clipping and leaf-modifying local gestures to communicate with their species.

The chimpanzees in East Africa are talented and creative in terms of local communication. In addition, chimpanzees are known to be playful and social animals.

According to the World Wildlife Fund- WWF, chimpanzees (chimps) loved hanging around treetops and used sticks for hunting fish. They are also recorded as endangered due to threats of diseases, hunting and sold in black markets.

Unique communication skill

On the other hand, animals have their way of communicating, dominating and playing. The research published in the Scientific Reports explained that researchers from the University of St. Andrews looked into how chimpanzees in Budongo Forest in Uganda could communicate.

The researchers found that the chimpanzees could use leaf-modifying local gestures to communicate with their kind.

The report added that gestural dialects play effective communication tools for the chimpanzees. Communication gestures could range in many aspects, including the use of a leaf.

Known as creative and adaptable animals, chimpanzees have proven themselves using tools to find fish.

According to the report also published in Phys.org, the lead author Gal Badihi explained that the two communities in East Africa exhibit unique talent and ability.

In Bundongo, the researcher explained that leaf-modifying gestures are denoted as flirting or captivating the attention of a potential partner.

The actions of chimpanzees in the research appeared to be understood by other chimpanzees. For two communities, the study explained that gestural communication was related to sexual solicitation.

On the other hand, the BBC report explained that some of the leaf-modifying meanings of chimpanzees could mean for mother and offspring to travel together.

Also Read: West African Chimpanzees Arrival at Chester Zoo in UK Gives Hopes for Rare Animal Conservation and Protection

Although gestural communication is non-voice, the researchers noted that the chimpanzees revealed to understand each other using the said gestures. However, further research is needed to decipher the different meanings of gestures.

Communication is also important to survive in the jungle and wild, where competition is challenging.

Rare Western Chimpanzee in the UK

On the other hand, the Guardian recently reported the birth of a rare western chimpanzee at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom. Chimpanzees are considered endangered.

However, the western chimpanzees have suffered from great decline and are listed as critically endangered. According to the report, the chimpanzees' population was about 18,000. Habitat loss is added to the main problem that they face.

Under captivity, the life span of a western chimpanzee could reach up to 50 years. However, the report noted that western chimpanzees could live up to 25 years inside the jungle, facing challenges of hunting threats.

The arrival of male western Chimpanzees in the United Kingdom also marked a sign of hope for urgent conservation and protection efforts for critically endangered species.

The rapid decline could result in possible extinction.

The report said that the new chimpanzee in the family would be named after a rockstar.

Related Article: Fascinating Study Finds First Evidence of Lasting Social Relationships of Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Wild

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
UAE-based Fintech Galaxy, the first Central Bank-regulated Open Finance platform in the Middle East, has announced the hiring of Turki AlAhmed to lead its operations in Bahrain and expand its Open Banking and Open Finance in the kingdom.

AlAhmed has previously led the partnerships by developing strong collaborations with the banks and non-bank members, sustaining innovation, and fostering a cashless society, after having contributed to streamlining Governmental Processes, in his previous roles.

Fintech Galaxy has also appointed Sara Al Zeera as Compliance and Anti-Money Laundry Officer, primarily supporting the adoption of Open Banking in the kingdom.

Successful licensing

This appointment comes just months after Fintech Galaxy announced its successful licensing as an Account Information Service Provider (AISP) with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), becoming the first central bank regulated Open Finance platform in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

Mirna Sleiman, CEO & founder of Fintech Galaxy, commented: Fintech Galaxy, under the supervision of the Central Bank of Bahrain, is set to increase financial inclusion from the region to the rest of the world. Were ready to open new opportunities in financial services, widen the pool of potential customers for businesses, improve efficiencies in the sector, and pave the way for a new financial future.

AlAhmed said: I am excited to join Fintech Galaxy, share my experience and support the companys mission to bring Open Banking and Open Finance to Bahrain via its platform FINX. We will leverage the Kingdoms mature ecosystem and agile regulatory framework to design new use cases that will bring value to all parties and change the way we provide financial services.-- TradeArabia News Service
Bahrains Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) will launch the BeAware Bahrain App, with a bundle of new features and key services.

This comes in line with the directives of the government and will enhance the user experience of the application, being one of the most prominent national initiatives that reflects eTransformation and the employment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, iGA Chief Executive Mohamed Ali Al Qaed revealed.

The new features will include showing users digital government documents such as ID card, passport, birth certificate, driving licence and vehicle registration (My Cards), as well as adding a feature related to health appointments (My Medical Appointments), while the (My Health Cards) feature includes details and information related to the Covid-19 vaccination record, as well as a number of other additional features that individuals use on a daily basis and are a priority for them, he said.

50 new eServices in 2022

iGA had launched over 50 new eServices in 2022 and seen 3.7 million eTransactions while it provides 600 eServices through various channels.

iGA had launched a bundle of government e-Transformation initiatives and national projects during the year 2022. This is in addition to the enhancement of the governments eServices framework that is in-line with the objectives of the Governments Action Plan and support the National ICT & Digital Economy strategy (2022-2026) as well as the Economic Recovery Plan to achieve the overall national development under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain.

Al-Qaed also said that with the continuous support and directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the IGA has implemented the kingdom's eTransformation plans in partnership with the public entities through the continuous development of government services and providing a high-readiness ICT infrastructure and eChannels that are beneficial to the citizens and residents.

Improved services

In addition, a number of key government services been improved, which had great impact on the national achievements of the comprehensive digital transformation, stressing on iGAs ongoing efforts to raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the government sector and improve government procedures through modern technologies.

This was during a press conference addressed by iGA led by Al Qaed in presence of Dr Zakaria Ahmed Al Khaja, Deputy CE for eTransformation sector at iGA.

Al-Qaed added that during the year 2022, the iGA continued its efforts to accelerate the pace of digital transformation plans of the government agencies and its eServices provided, which resulted in achieving a series of key achievements, most notably 600+ eServices, which are among the government services with high priority as per the decisions of the Government Services Development Committee, praising the joint coordination and efforts between the Committee and government agencies, which had a great impact on the implementation plans.

The CE of iGA indicated that the year 2022 was marked by the launch of Al Tajir mobile app, which is the first integrated app of its kind in the region that serves businesses in Bahrain. The app enables business users to complete and follow up transactions with various relevant government agencies through one single easy and convenient platform, saving their time and effort.

2022 achievements

Dr Al Khaja presented the 2022 achievements and the upcoming iGA plans for eTransformation. As part of iGAs achievements in 2022, Al Khaja explained that the statistics and indicators were very positive. He highlighted that the iGA team efforts has contributed in implementing a number of national initiatives in the field of digital transformation and the continuous development of eChannels.

This has been represented by the increase of the number of e-services to more than 450 eServices through the National portal bahrain.bh, 19 eServices through self-service eKiosks, in addition to more than 125 eServices through eGovernment mobile apps, which contributed to achieving more than 18 million visits to the National Portal (22% increase) and 89% average eService usages compared to traditional channels. The number of eTransactions exceeded 3.7 million transactions completed through the various electronic channels of the eGovernment programme.

Dr Al Khaja said also confirmed that the Authority has worked on implementing and launching a number of projects and systems that support eTransformation in cooperation and coordination with government agencies, including the eAuthorisation system, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) platform, the National System for Births and improvements to the Government Service Centre Evaluation system (Taqyeem).

MoI eServices

In regards to the most prominent eServices launched during the year 2022, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) came at the forefront as it launched 20 eServices -- 9 eServices for the Nationality, Passports and Residency Affairs (NPRA), 7 eServices for the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA), in addition to 3 services for the Customs Affairs, and an eService for the General Directorate of Crime Detection and Forensic Evidence.

While the rest of the eServices launched were distributed among a number of sectors, i.e. the health sector included the launch of 6 new eServices, Trade and Business sector witnessed the launch of 4 eServices, including 2 eServices for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) and 1 eService for each of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO), while the housing and real estate sector witnessed the launch of 4 eServices, two services for each of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority.

The justice sector witnessed the launch of 11 eServices including 3 eServices for the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, and 8 eServices for the Legislation and Legal Opinion Authority. Moreover, the education sector received the launch of 4 eServices affiliated with the Higher Education Council, while the labour and employment sector witnessed the launch of a new eService.-- TradeArabia News Service
O-I Glass, Inc., is a $6.9 billion manufacturer of distinctive glass bottles and jars. Its customer roster includes producers of Scotch whiskey, French wine, German cola, Spanish olive oil, Caribbean rum, New Zealand pale ale, smoothie shots, juices, mineral water, milk, and yogurt.

Headquartered in Ohio, O-I had been running an MPLS network to connect its 25,000 employees spread across 70 plants in 19 countries. But change was needed to keep pace with the migration of applications to the cloud, the shift of workers to home offices, and the companys efforts to reimagine the glass manufacturing process, says CIO Rodney Masney.

The needs of the business changed materially in terms of speed, performance, connectivity and flexibility into our plants, and all of our locations around the world, says Masney.

O-I decided to replace the MPLS network from AT&T with secure access service edge (SASE) from Cato Networks. Masney reports that the transition has been fast, smooth and cost effectivehe estimates the savings at 20% to 30%.

The switch to SASE enabled O-I to increase WAN bandwidth by a factor of three, which has translated into better interaction with cloud applications, a better user experience, and better collaboration across the organization.

It also created the opportunity for O-I to deploy HoloLens, the Microsoft augmented reality/mixed reality system, for remote engineering on the factory floor.

Drivers for using SASE

Covid was a contributing factor, but not the main driver for the move away from MPLS. When the pandemic hit, the company quickly ramped up what it calls connected work for office employees, who now have the option to work from the office or from home. We like to say that people have a choice. They can work from wherever they do their best every day, says Masney.

Building a hybrid work environment on a global scale required a different way of thinking about the network, security, and performance for employees wherever they are located, says Masney.

But an even more significant driver was digital transformation. The goal was to deliver increased performance at reduced costs, while maintaining high standards for security. Any IT professional who isnt lying awake at night worrying about cybersecurity probably isnt paying attention, Masney adds.

He describes the O-I approach this way: Were not a cloud-first company. Were a cloud-where-it-makes-sense company. That means financial sense and sense for our business. We use Azure services where it makes sense, and SaaS where it makes sense, and on-premises where it makes sense.

The largest cloud workload is Office 365, says Masney, with 25,000 employees on Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc. The company is an SAP shop for its core ERP systems, and uses a variety of other SaaS applications, such as SAP Success Factors for HR-related functions.

He adds, That leads even more to a SASE solution like Cato where we can leverage their capabilities whether things are on or off premise, or your people are on or off premise.

While glass making is an ancient art, modern glass container manufacturing is a highly sophisticated, automated process. Glass is finding renewed popularity as a sustainable, recyclable alternative to plastic, and O-Is strategy is to drive growth by transitioning to a modular glass production line that provides the flexibility and agility needed to quickly fill custom orders.

How O-I Glass chose a SASE vendor

Masney said his team conducted proof of concepts with several SASE providers. He was looking for one that could deliver the service quickly, that could assure security at the network edge, and that could bring about cost savings. He was also looking for a vendor whose strategy and vision matched O-Is long-term goals.

SASE is a service that encompasses several technologies, such as SD-WAN, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), cloud-access security broker (CASB), and secure web gateway (SWG). Masney says the Cato offering checks all of those boxes.

His initial estimate was that the global rollout would take 12 to 18 months, but O-I was able to deploy at most sites within six months. His team started transitioning from AT&Ts VPN service in July and completed that part of the project by September. Im a go-fast kind of guy. This technology really helps you accelerate deployment, says Masney.

Masney hired a third-party service provider to install Cato SD-WAN hardware (which Cato refers to as sockets) at O-I locations around the world. Masney said he ordered two appliances per site for redundancy. That service provider worked with Masneys internal team and Cato to make sure everything was properly set up and documented.

As part of the transition from MPLS to SASE, O-I needed to find an ISP to deliver last-mile connectivity between its plants and Catos cloud. Interestingly, Masney was able to continue to work with AT&T, which now provides that high-bandwidth internet transport in most locations, except where O-I had pre-existing contracts with local ISPs.

Weve maintained a good relationship with AT&T, says Masney. SASE solutions are the future of how companies are going to work, whether its Cato or their competitors. But we managed it very professionally with AT&T and they still have the opportunity to earn business because there are other things in their portfolio that we can leverage. O-I uses AT&T for fixed line voice, mobile and other services.

Masney adds that his overall strategy is to have strong relationships with a limited number of strategic vendors. And he hasnt unplugged all of his MPLS links. In some key locations, MPLS is being used to provide redundancy for mission-critical traffic.

The migration is now 90-plus percent completed. And in the remaining cases, he is just waiting for the high-bandwidth internet link to be set up. Its not a Cato limitation, its bandwidth availability, he explains.

SASE enables augmented-reality headsets

Masney explored augmented reality several years ago when Google Glass first came out but says O-I didnt have the infrastructure to support it. With the help of Cato, weve enabled ourselves to do things we couldnt have done in the past.

Currently, O-I is using HoloLens headsets to connect engineers who might be located at different plants or on different continents. You might have an engineer in Toledo, Ohio, helping someone in Europe in a manufacturing facility, he says.

Each engineer would be wearing a headset and the on-site engineer in Europe would deploy the HoloLens front-facing camera to send real-time video to the engineer in Ohio. The supporting engineer is then able see what the other engineer is seeing and provide real-time guidance.

In the past there would have been phone calls or travel to the location, which is time consuming and expensive. This helps to avoid delays in time to resolution, says Masney.

Masney adds, Were using Wi-Fi in our plants, then allowing video streams to go across the WAN to use on the other end. Its very important that they can see things in real time. Based on our previous technology it was difficult to do. [SASE] helps enable us in a way we wouldnt have been able to do very readily or cost effectively through traditional telecom.

The next step is to expand the use of HoloLens for applications like plant maintenance, simulations, and training. One important factor that comes in play in a manufacturing scenario is the safety of the worker wearing a headset. We want to make sure we dont obstruct the view of an employee in a manufacturing plant where lots of things are moving all at once, explains Masney. But beyond that, I see almost limitless potential of that technology, he says.

SASE benefits

Masney cites several benefits associated with the move to SASE. By shifting his WAN expenditures from MPLS to internet bandwidth, he was able not only to boost overall bandwidth, but also create redundancy and flexibility. The Cato SD-WAN appliance can connect to the internet, to MPLS, and to cellular networks. Plus, he can more readily boost bandwidth, if needed.

Masney adds, I see this as enabling other things we need to do on the cybersecurity front to drive detection, identification, response and remediation in the event of a cybersecurity event. It liberates you to think about things that you can do that were historically a barrier.

In addition to basic SASE, O-I also bought a last-mile service from Cato in which the vendor assumes responsibility for monitoring and troubleshooting performance hiccups on the ISPs end. For example, if theres a problem, Cato will be the one opening trouble tickets with the carrier and following through to make sure the issue is resolved.

The SASE deployment is just finishing up, so Masney doesnt have any metrics yet on how the service will free up his internal staffers to tackle other projects, but he says, I believe we will see an opportunity to liberate capacity to do other important projects that need our attention.

All in all, Its a pretty exceptional outcome at the end of the day, says Masney.
Samsung C&T, a leading Korean construction and engineering company, has signed a solar PV module supply contract with Chinese group JA Solar for a 875MW power project to be built in Qatar.

As per the deal, JA Solar will supply more than 1.6 million DeepBlue 3.0 modules for the Qatar Energy Industrial Cities project that covers the Mesaieed Industrial City and Ras Laffan Industrial City.

The project, which is set to be the largest photovoltaics (PV) power plant, is expected to go into operation next year.

"Our DeepBlue 3.0, which exemplifies the product design philosophy of 'tailored to increase customer value', is highly popular in the Korean market and has been selected by this project because of its high efficiency and reliability," said a JA Solar spokesman.

The DeepBlue 3.0 applies p-type Percium+ cell technology, Ga-doped silicon wafers technology, half-cell technology, and MBB technology to give an excellent power generation performance, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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Zoyo opens its flagship Boutique in Hyderabad 13 Apr 2023 | 9:31 PM Hyderabad, Apr 13 (UNI) Zoya, the exquisite diamond boutique from the House of Tata, has opened its flagship boutique at the posh locality Jubilee hills her on Wednesday evening. see more..

Congress stages Satyagraha Deeksha denouncing PMs pro-corporate policies 13 Apr 2023 | 9:25 PM Kakinada, Apr 13(UNI) Congress workers led by the PCC president Gidugu Rurdraraju and former Union Minister Mallipudi Mangapathi Pallamraju have staged Satyagraha Deeksha denouncing the pro-corporate policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Dharna chowk here on Thursday .Addressing the demonstrators on the occasion, PCC Chief Rudraraju has criticized the Prime Minister for selling away the public sector undertakings to the Corporates mortgaging the interests of the country. see more..

Telangana CS directs officials to formulate strategy on Fire safety awareness among public 13 Apr 2023 | 9:24 PM Hyderabad, Apr 13 (UNI) Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari on Thursday directed the officials to formulate a strategy to create awareness among the public about fire safety.

Santhi Kumari emphasised the need for continuous engagement of the people through social advocacy groups and other methods. see more..

Milma voices concern over cross-border sale of milk by state federations 13 Apr 2023 | 8:07 PM Thiruvananthapuram, April 13 (UNI) Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), known by the brand Milma, has voiced serious concern over the tendency of some state milk marketing federations to aggressively enter markets outside their respective states, holding that this involved total breach of co-operative spirit based on which the countrys dairy sector has been organised for the benefit of millions of dairy farmers. see more..
Strata raises Rs 76 crore for its biggest asset in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Mumbai, Jan 19 (UNI) Strata, Indias leading proptech enabling fractional ownership in commercial real estate (CRE), has launched Phase II of its 21st asset valued at Rs 170 crores. Of the total value, Strata has facilitated investors to raise Rs 76 crore including Phase I & II.

The asset that spans over 39000 sq.ft. is an office asset situated in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The property will provide a gross entry yield of 9.1 per cent and a targeted IRR of 12.7 percent . It is expected to provide 2X returns during the total investment tenure including rental yield and capital appreciation. It has been pre-leased for a period of 6.5 years and has a tenant lock in period of 5.5 years.

With its extreme proximity to Mumbai, this asset is strategically located in Indias largest transit oriented development landscape of Seawoods Grand Central. This landscape features a wide range of Grade-A office spaces, residences, malls and an integrated Seawoods-Darave railway station which offers easy connectivity to the entire MMR region. Navi Mumbai, is one of the largest planned townships in the country and has a well-connected national rail & road network along with an upcoming international airport. Equipped with conducive infrastructure including large corporate parks, upcoming business compounds and skilled workforce; the city is definitely one of Indias prime destinations in terms of growth.

Commenting on the launch, Sudarshan Lodha, Cofounder & CEO, Strata Property Management, said, We are delighted to return to one of the most sought after locations of MMR with our second and highest valued asset amidst the fast paced and strategic development of the region. After successfully funding over 20 assets across the country, this 21st asset is expected to generate 2X return on investment for investors. Having said that, this asset is a perfect example of these efforts bringing a seamless combination of strategic location, high quality property and an international heritage tenant making it an optimum investment opportunity for investors looking to invest into the ambitious city of dreams.

With adding an AUM of INR One crore every day in 2022, in the new year, we aim to bring in more assets across high demand sectors like warehousing, hospitals, data centres making Strata one of the leading alternative investment platforms offering fractional ownership into CRE. We aim to reach an AUM of 1100-1200 crores by the end of this fiscal. 

In its efforts to encourage retail investment in Grade A, state of the art commercial properties in India, Strata has launched multiple premium assets across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hosur, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Pune, among others.

Strata, since its inception has been continuously striving towards creating a strong new asset class of fractional ownership in India, thus democratising the high end, limited access CRE investment. Due to these efforts, Strata has successfully proven to win the stanch confidence of over 50000 users and 2500+ active investors. With approximately 25% of NRI investor base, Strata is helping encourage foreign investment in Indian real estate. Strata is backed by institutional investors like Kotak Investment Advisors, Gruhas Proptech, Sabre Investments Elevation Capital, Mayfield and PropStack.

UNI JS SY
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology will use a unique combination of imaging techniques to study Alzheimer's disease on a scale that's never been done before.

Jonathan Sweedler, a professor of chemistry, and Fan Lam, a professor of bioengineering, will collaborate on the five-year project to combine magnetic resonance imaging and mass spectrometry imaging to capture a wide range of images in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. Their research is supported by a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.

One overarching goal is to understand what happens at the molecular level in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease as a function of age and disease stage.

Even though there's a genetic disposition to Alzheimer's, many people don't end up with it. And many people who have no genetic predisposition do end up with Alzheimer's. There is increasing evidence that signatures at the molecular level may suggest that someone will be developing Alzheimer's, decades before anything is functionally observable." Jonathan Sweedler, Professor of Chemistry

While Alzheimer's disease has been studied extensively, the intricacies of its causes and hereditary influence remain unknown. For this reason, the researchers are looking for factors that may have been missed. They want to know what differs chemically between a normal aging brain and an aging brain headed toward Alzheimer's disease.

"There is some evidence that some populations of neurons are particularly vulnerable, and we want to know why," Sweedler said. "To know that a specific neuron population is dying is one thing, but if we can understand chemically what's changing, then others can design an intervention to prevent that."

To obtain expanded chemical information on the mouse model of a brain affected by Alzheimer's disease, the duo will use a unique combination of MRI and MSI imaging techniques.

"With most imaging approaches, you have to know what you're looking at," Sweedler said. "You pick a molecule and say, 'Where is it, how much is there and what's its precise chemical form?' Our approach is different because the combination of MRI and MSI doesn't have that requirement. We're casting a broad net and saying, 'What's there?' and we're doing it at a spatial scale that's never been done before, from single cell images to whole brains."

Because the tissue sampled in MSI is extracted, it is capable of mapping hundreds or even thousands of molecules. This detailed chemical information allows researchers to reduce assumptions made toward the disease, allowing them to proceed with a more unbiased approach.

MRI is completely non-invasive and provides a whole-brain reference to reconstruct and reveal unique spatial organizations of molecules at different stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Combining the two techniques plays to the strengths of both imaging modalities.

"If we can build connections between the information provided by MSI at the biochemical level to the macroscopic changes observable in MRI, we can potentially provide a basis to molecular-level interpretation of MRI," Lam said. "You image a person, and then by seeing something you can maybe infer what's going on underneath."

The researchers, who initially connected through graduate student Yuxuan Richard Xie, were encouraged in their collaboration by the Beckman Institute.

"We can always talk about big ideas, but we really need outstanding students to serve as a bridge between different groups to bring things to fruition," Lam said.

Lam and Sweedler are also excited to collaborate with Orly Lazarov, a professor of anatomy and cell biology at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine who brings deep expertise on the molecular and cellular processes underlying cognition and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.

"We look forward to continuously working together and with other collaborators at Beckman to push this direction forward and pursue other long-term research objectives beyond the time limit of this grant," Lam said. "The grant will end, but our collaboration will continue."
Children with autism often struggle to identify emotional cues in other people's voices because of differences in the wiring and function of a key social center in their brains, according to a new study from the Stanford School of Medicine.

The findings, published online Jan. 9 in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, offer an explanation for the neurological origin of a key social challenge in autism. They also provide clues as to the type of therapy that might help, according to the researchers.

"Children typically learn to map certain sounds in people's voices onto particular emotions," said the study's co-lead author, Daniel Abrams, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine.

"If Mom or Dad is unhappy, a little kid will know that before understanding all the words," Abrams said, noting that young children recognize slow, low-pitched speech as showing sadness. "But kids with autism have trouble mapping vocal features onto emotion. Before this study, we didn't know why the brains of people with autism have a roadblock for identifying and recognizing these vocal cues."

Abrams shares lead authorship of the study with Simon Leipold, PhD, who was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford Medicine when the research was conducted. Leipold is now a postdoctoral scholar at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior at Radboud University in the Netherlands. The study's senior author is Vinod Menon, PhD, the Rachael L. and Walter F. Nichols, MD, Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Cues that connect us

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 54 children and is characterized by challenges with social communication, sensory aberrations, stereotypic behaviors and restricted interests.

Prior research into social communication in autism focused mostly on how people with autism interpret facial expressions. But vocal prosody  the technical name for emotional cues in voices  may be an even more important signal of others' feelings, the researchers said.

"These are some of the most elemental cues between parent and child, and between peers or adult partners," Menon said. "They help us decode others' mental and emotional states and are crucial for successful social interactions."

Scientists have two competing theories about why individuals with autism struggle to recognize these cues. One theory, the sensory deficit model, holds that auditory processing regions of the brain treat vocal sounds differently in autism. The idea developed because many people with autism react differently than neurotypical people to non-speech sounds; for instance, they may be sensitive to loud noises such as those produced by a vacuum cleaner. The alternate theory, which focuses on social cognition, suggests that auditory processing of voices is normal in autism, but the social parts of the brain interpret the information differently than in neurotypical people. The new study, designed to pit these theories against each other, supports the second.

To conduct the study, the scientists recruited 22 children with autism and 21 typically developing children who served as controls. The children, who were 7 to 12 years old, completed tasks to test their recognition of emotion in voices.

For the vocal recognition task, the children listened to several recordings of two phrases  a bag is in the room and my spoon is on the table  said with happy, sad or neutral intonation. As in prior studies, children with autism were less able than typically developing children to identify emotions from the intonation in the recordings.

Then, while receiving functional MRI brain scans, the children listened to the recorded phrases several more times, as well as recordings of non-speech sounds such as a dishwasher running. The researchers compared activity in different brain areas in the two groups of children.

We found that most of the hearing parts of the brain respond to these voices just like neurotypical kids, and what was atypical in kids with autism was the way this signal is getting to a crucial social brain region. Daniel Abrams, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine

The region, the temporoparietal junction, is important for ones ability to understand that other people have different thoughts and emotional states than oneself. In kids with autism, the auditory centers and the temporoparietal junction are over-connected compared with typically developing children. Theres a sweet spot for how the brain signals, and either under- or over-connection between brain regions is problematic, Abrams said.

Other research has suggested that decoding sad emotions is a particular deficit in autism, Menon said. Being able to perceive sadness in others is important for effective social communication.

The scientists also saw that the children who showed greater differences in their temporoparietal junction activity, rather than the connectivity between brain centers, had more difficulty with social interaction.

For me, the most exciting aspect of our findings is that we could explain the severity of social communication difficulties in children with autism by looking at how much less these children activated their social brain network while listening to emotional speech, Leipold said. This suggests that the temporoparietal junction might be a promising brain region to target for remediating the social communication difficulties of children with autism.

A direction for treatment

The findings could point experts toward therapies that help children with autism build social skills, as they provide a brain target that would likely be associated with effective treatment. Other Stanford Medicine research has examined game-like methods to help kids with autism learn to identify facial expressions; scientists might try a similar method to teach children with autism to process vocal emotions and use fMRI to see if it changes brain circuitry.

Remediating temporoparietal junction circuitry might improve social and language communication, Menon said. I think thats a very real possibility.

The discoveries also provide opportunities to educate all kids about neurodiversity, the concept that people with different kinds of brain wiring  including those on the autism spectrum  experience the world in different ways and all have valuable things to contribute, Abrams said. A critical way that children learn to identify others emotions is through interactions with friends, yet children with autism may have fewer opportunities for these experiences if typically developing children are hesitant to form friendships with them.

If were really going to improve communication with people with autism, everybody needs to learn things, Abrams said. Parents could say to their neurotypical child, That other child may have trouble recognizing how youre feeling, but they really want to know. That extra knowledge may help keep people with autism in the conversation.

The difference in brain connectivity between children with autism and typically developing children was more pronounced for sad than happy voices, the researchers found.
In a recent article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers enlisted important points concerning post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or long COVID diagnosis among adults.

Background

In the present article, researchers listed down essential points concerning long COVID diagnosis among adult individuals, pertaining to the long COVID definition, the prevalence in Canada, systemic nature, clinical presentation, symptom persistence, and associated impact on daily activities among affected individuals.

What is long COVID?

The WHO (World Health Organization) members have proposed a definition of long COVID based on the Delphi technique for group consensus, involving individuals who reported lived experiences and clinical practitioners. The post-COVID-19 or long COVID definition includes individuals with persistent COVID-19 symptoms lingering even after three months of suspected or confirmed COVID-19, lasting for a minimum of two months. Any alternate diagnosis cannot elucidate these symptoms. However, the specificity, sensitivity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive values for the definite long COVID diagnosis criteria need to be ascertained.

Long COVID prevalence in Canada

Long COVID has affected nearly 1.40 million Canadian residents. According to the Canadian coronavirus disease 2019 antibody and health survey of 2022, approximately 15.0% of adult Canadians with probable or confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections reported COVID-19 symptoms experienced after three months of the acute COVID-19 period.

Women (18.0%) showed a greater likelihood compared to men (12.0%) of reporting persistent symptoms. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis of initial COVID-19 experiences with increasingly severe SARS-CoV-2 variants, published in 2022, the worldwide prevalence of COVID-19 is 43.0 percent.

Moreover, the post-COVID-19 condition was reportedly more prevalent among hospitalized individuals (54.0%) than individuals with no COVID-19-associated hospitalizations (34.0%). Consequently, the current long COVID prevalence might be considerably lower due to the increased rates of COVID-19 vaccinations, evolving therapeutic options, and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with lesser virulence, causing SARS-CoV-2 infections of lesser severity than before.

Systemic nature of long COVID

The systemic nature of long COVID might be in relation to the presence of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2) receptors, which are critical for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells in multiple organs of the human body. Various pathophysiological pathways have been reported to contribute differentially to the development of long COVID, including cell injury, sustained inflammation and viremia, pro-coagulation states, and autoimmunity.

Clinical presentation of long COVID

Studies have reported that long COVID considerably impacts the functioning and health of affected individuals. The condition can present a wide range of >100.0 symptoms and is more commonly observed among females. The most frequently observed and probably modifiable long COVID symptoms are fatigue, depression/anxiety, dyspnea, sleep difficulties, and palpitations, reported among 23% to 63% of individuals, 23% to 46% of individuals, 11% to 43% of individuals, 11% to 31% of individuals, and 6.0% to 22% of individuals affected by long COVID, respectively.

Symptom persistence in long COVID

Many individuals recover from post-COVID-19 conditions; however, the symptoms may persist among a few individuals, who may not be able to resume full-time jobs even after a year of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In a cohort of 1,1192 individuals longitudinally assessed in the year 2022 who were hospitalized in the Wuhan city of China but survived SARS-CoV-2 infections, 68.0% of individuals experienced a minimum of one symptom after six months of the acute COVID-19 period that reduced to 55.0% within two years.

Among the participants, 21.0% of priorly employed individuals did not resume work, and 21.0% of Canadian residents documented that the persistent symptoms always or often posed limitations in the performance of routine activities.

Conclusions

To summarize, based on the above findings, long COVID refers to a condition characterized by the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms beyond three months of the acute COVID-19 period, lasting at least two months, which cannot be attributed to any other diagnosis. The condition has affected many individuals, especially women, and is more commonly observed among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, the prevalence may have reduced due to COVID-19 vaccinations, therapeutic drug development, and the circulation of less virulent SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The condition has multi-organ involvement due to the presence of ACE2 receptors in several organs of the human body, to which SARS-CoV-2 binds for host cell invasion. Long COVID symptomatology and pathophysiological mechanisms are diverse, the most common symptoms being dyspnea, depression/anxiety, fatigue, palpitations, and sleep difficulties.

Symptoms may persist for several months or even years post-acute COVID-19, limiting work performance and routine activities.
Malawi's worsening cholera crisis is the result of long-term neglect of the country's water supplies and water testing urgently needed, specialists say.

Malawi has been dealing with a cholera outbreak since March 2022 with 26,263 confirmed cases in 27 districts and 852 deaths as of this week (16 January), according to an update from the country's Ministry of Health.

Cholera is a water-borne disease caused by a bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which propagates due to poor maintenance of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems.

It results in watery diarrhea and vomiting, and can lead to severe dehydration, kidney injury or death.

"It is sad to note that WASH has not been prioritized for decades," Willies Mwandira, coordinator of the Water and Environmental Sanitation Network, an umbrella organization of institutions working in the water sector, told SciDev.Net.

"The current challenges in fighting infectious diseases such as cholera and COVID-19 is mainly as a result of the past negligence of the sector," he said.

Water monitoring

The Water and Environmental Sanitation Network recommended that funds are spent urgently to step up activities such as massive awareness campaigns on preventative measures, water quality monitoring, testing and chlorination.

"It is sad to note that WASH has not been prioritized for decades" - Willies Mwandira, Water and Environmental Sanitation Network

Dylo Pemba, a retired professor of biological sciences at the University of Malawi, told SciDev.Net that there was a need to check all the sources of drinking water in order to know which ones are polluted, and enhance sanitation and hygiene in schools and markets, and distribute sanitizers.

"[Studies indicate] fecal material has entered water sources below the ground," Pemba said.

"We need to ensure functional sewage systems in the management of human wastes in growing urban areas and not septic tanks.

"Septic tanks are heavily polluting underground water, leading to outbreaks like cholera when such water is consumed."

City authorities, January 3, closed the Wakawaka vegetable market in the capital Lilongwe after finding it lacked toilets and proper water for handwashing.

The country's taskforce on Coronavirus and Cholera on 6 January issued a statement appealing to the public and private sector and international organizations for support the fight against the nationwide cholera outbreak.

Matthews Ngwale, chairperson of Malawi's Parliamentary Committee on Health, who toured Machinga District Hospital and Ntaja health facilities in southern Malawi to measure the scale of the crisis, said that lack of funding to ensure good sanitation and hygiene has exacerbated the outbreak.

Children

Charles Mwansambo, the principal secretary of the country's Ministry of Health, upon receiving a donation worth US$50,000 of cholera response medicines and supplies from the humanitarian organisation Save the Children last week (11 January), added that one in every three people affected by cholera is a child.

"This donation is timely as we are stepping up our efforts in fighting the outbreak amid [a] shortage of medicines and supplies," Mwansambo explained. "[The] Ministry of Health is overstretched."

In a statement last week (13 January), UNICEF added it received support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations to secure supplies for Malawi, including acute watery diarrhoea kits to support health facilities and communities, high-performance tents and some medicines.

"We will continue to support the Ministry of Health to scale-up [the] cholera response," said Rudolf Schwenk, the country representative of UNICEF Malawi.
In a recent study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers described the evolution of the mpox virus (MPXV) before the 2022 outbreak.

Background

Mpox virus is a double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus that has resulted in outbreaks that are often brief and self-limiting due to inefficient human transmission. Initial epidemiologic investigations demonstrated continuous transmission from human to human in non-endemic European nations via intimate contacts, such as sexual networks.

Portugal announced the first MPXV genome sequence from the epidemic on 19 May 2022, and many more sequences that give information on viral transmission are available. Early phylogenetic analysis suggested that the virus responsible for the 2022 MPXV outbreak was from the MPXV clade II, which is found to have less severity than clade I. This suggested that the recent MPXV introduction into communities from non-MPXV-endemic nations led to the outbreak. Nonetheless, extensive research is needed to determine the exact evolutionary process of MPXV.

Phylogenetic investigation of MPXV

Phylogenetic analysis of almost 105 MPXV genomes indicated that 2022 viruses belonged to two clades that may be linked back to the last epidemic in 20172018. All 2022 viral genomes comprised a vast monophyletic group, despite the identification of significant sequence divergence across strains with the emergence of many subclades. This difference is inconsistent with the virus's rapid diversification over the last several months of the 2022 outbreak. Instead, it represented persistent microevolution since the outbreak in 20172018.

Like the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for the 20172018 epidemic, the MRCA for the outbreak in 2022 may be traced back almost 20 years. In addition, the 2022 outbreak MPXVs were more closely linked to strains exported from Africa at the time of the last outbreak than to strains prevalent in Nigeria around that time. Additionally, a strain from an individual traveling to the US from Nigeria in 2021 could also be associated with the source of the outbreak in 2022. Since the outbreak in 20172018, the most probable assumption is that MPXV has circulated silently and without detection in many nonMPXVendemic nations outside of Africa.

Genomic alterations in the MPXV

Multiple genomic alterations were identified in the MPXVs prevalent in 2022. A minimum of 51 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and some larger deletions/insertions differentiated the initial 18 viral genomes observed in the 2022 epidemic from those detected in 20172018. Among the 52 SNPs, 26 SNPs resulted in amino acid modifications, whereas 21 were synonymous substitutions. More SNPs were detectable in genomic sequences from 2022, which explained the divergence observed within the epidemic. Future research can help assist in the determination of the phenotypic effects of these alterations, which may be related to mutational pressure and adaptability.

The team also noted that before 2018, viruses from the two MPXV clades had almost comparable amounts of substitution types, and by 2022, the fraction of guanine (G)>adenine (A)/cytosine (C)>thymine (T) transitions within clade II viruses had doubled. Significant substitution alterations presumably reflected the editing ability displayed by the human apolipoprotein-B messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) editing enzyme, catalytic subunit 3G (APOBEC3G) enzyme, which catalyzed strand-specific C>uracil (U) deamination and resulted in G>A substitutions in the viral genome complementary strands.

Conclusion

The study findings indicated that the MPXV virus has been silently circulating for almost 20 years, likely in several non-MPXV-endemic nations outside Africa. In addition, the nucleotide substitution pattern demonstrated a distinct genetic hallmark of a recent host alteration. These findings can have significant implications for public health as the shifting epidemiology associated with MPXV infections and the viral circulation among humans in non-MPXV-endemic countries necessitate heightened surveillance.
Better coordination beyond purely medical aspects: the National Research Programme "Smarter Health Care" (NRP 74) of the Swiss National Science Foundation shows how resources in the health sector can be used more efficiently.

A focus on people - patients, professionals, relatives

Switzerland's health care system faces major challenges ranging from a growing incidence of chronic diseases to digitalization to cost pressures. To meet these challenges, the National Research Programme "Smarter Health Care" (NRP 74) examined real-world processes by means of 34 projects, developed concrete solutions and tested many of them in practice. A particular focus of the NRP was care of patients with chronic diseases, whose number is constantly increasing due to aging of the population.

We will need to bring care even more closely into line with the needs of these people in the coming years." Milo Puhan, President of the NRP 74 Steering Committee

According to the findings of the NRP, achieving this goal will require better coordination among the many professionals involved in care. Moreover, the NRP recommends greater involvement of the family and personal environment of chronically ill patients. "The good news is that this change is possible with the human resources already available in health care," says Puhan. "But we need to use them more efficiently. That applies to medical and nonmedical professionals as well as to patients' personal environment." Now, the findings of numerous research projects show how it can be done.

Rethinking coordination

Interprofessional cooperation plays a key role in many innovative care models. For example, one project shows that nursing staff in care homes can provide a stronger link between general practitioners (GPs), hospitals and other medical specialists than was previously the case. In a real-world study, several nursing homes implemented an appropriate model and provided the necessary skills through targeted training. Consequently, the number of unplanned hospital admissions fell.

Another project focused on planning the discharge of elderly vulnerable patients from hospital. The researchers developed an online tool to prepare such events interprofessionally, with the participation of doctors, nurses and social workers. The social workers primarily clarify organizational questions that arise when patients return home. As it turned out, patients could be discharged earlier without the increased readmission to hospital that is so often the case with this group of people.

Involving the personal environment - friends, family, community

A further success factor for many innovative care concepts is including patients' personal environment. This was shown, for example, in a novel option for psychiatric care at home that was introduced as a replacement following closure of a department in a psychiatric clinic in Ticino and that was followed systematically. Intended for acute mental illnesses, this concept promotes new forms of interaction between patients, relatives and professionals. The researchers observed that the new alternative encouraged participation of patients and their family members and at the same time increased the satisfaction of all caregivers involved. From a clinical perspective, this type of care was on a par with inpatient care, but cost less.

The personal environment can also be mobilized beyond relatives. For example, researchers in the municipalities of Munsingen, Belp and Obfelden as well as in the Schwamendingen district of Zurich have set up care networks consisting of professionals, volunteers and political representatives. These efforts have served to strengthen care capacity at the local level and to create inclusive, age-friendly neighborhoods in which people can live well cared for and socially embedded at home despite health constraints.

From successful concepts to practice

"Research shows that good solutions often emerge on a small scale," says Puhan. When it comes to the whole health system, however, the question is whether and how innovative solutions can be applied to other institutions, municipalities and cantons. "For that to succeed, we need to closely monitor the impact of innovative models not only on health but also on the use of resources." For this reason, NRP 74 researchers have also developed solutions that improve access to health data and that advance measurement of care quality. In one project, for example, they investigated the conditions under which family doctors are willing to share and analyze routine clinical data in a common database. In this way, the researchers were able to greatly expand the FIRE database, the most authoritative platform in this field. During the project, the number of participating doctors increased from 200 to over 700, which corresponds to about 10 per cent of all GPs working in Switzerland. Not least, the expanded database makes it possible to test new approaches in a representative and systematic way. "The program provides innovative models for improving interprofessional cooperation and orienting health care more strongly towards the totality of people's lives," says Puhan. "At the same time, it shows ways in which care can be continuously evaluated and adapted."

NRP 74: Research for smarter health care

Switzerland's health care system faces major challenges. In particular, an aging population means that more and more older people suffer from several chronic diseases simultaneously. The Swiss health care system, which until now has strongly emphasized treatment of acute illnesses, thus requires a shift in orientation. To this end, the Swiss National Science Foundation was mandated by the Federal Council to carry out the National Research Programme "Smarter Health Care" (NRP 74).

Focused on application-oriented health services research, NRP 74 investigated a wide variety of aspects of the Swiss health system by means of 34 projects over a period of 5 years. The programme's results and analyses provide a scientifically sound basis for further developing Switzerland's health care system to meet current and future challenges. The program summary of NRP 74 has now been published and presents the most important findings.
From the early days of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, researchers have recognized that many cases were going undiagnosed, resulting in under-reporting at all levels. This impacted public health strategies, from risk assessment to the evolution of planning and monitoring preventive and therapeutic guidelines.

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

A recent study from the east coast of Canada evaluated the extent of under-reporting among school children from elementary to high school.

Background

Case reporting for COVID-19 has been of highly variable accuracy throughout the pandemic. This stemmed from the shortage of tests early on, with symptomatic individuals being preferred for testing; the large proportion of asymptomatic infections, especially among children and adolescents; and vaccination coverage leading to a decrease in the rate of severe outcomes and reduced visits to medical practitioners.

The BA.1/BA.2 subvariants of Omicron first appeared in South Africa in early November 2021 but spread like wildfire, reaching Canada within three weeks. In NL, the first case was identified by December 15, 2021. This broke through the zero-COVID strategy that had successfully kept the infection at very low rates and resulted in the highest-ever case counts since the pandemic began.

By January 17, 2022, about 0.5% of the NL population was reported to be COVID-19-positive, with a fifth of the positive cases being below the age of 20 years. Understandably, the lack of knowledge about the virulence of this new variant of concern (VOC), coupled with its high transmissibility, provoked fears of overwhelming fresh waves of infection.

In response, schools closed for the winter break by December 20, 2021, and delayed the reopening date to January 25, 2022. All students were also asked to test twice at an interval of three days, on January 22 and 25, respectively, using rapid antigen tests (RATs) supplied by the Department of Health and Community Services, before they could attend school.

The study, posted online to the medRxiv* preprint server, covered the two provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), which underwent a surge of Omicron cases in January 2022. This involved BA.1/BA.2 subvariants. Subsequently, all school students were required to test themselves.

This led to the testing of almost 59,500 students, from which the data for this study was drawn by a self-reported survey of the RAT results for each household (rather than individuals) and the symptoms in RAT-positive students. The survey was completed by only 3.5% of the tested subjects. The results were analyzed to obtain the prevalence, followed by a comparison with the NL COVID Assessment and Reporting system.

What did the study show?

The researchers found that the testing system at the provincial level captured less than a quarter of the RAT-positive children. That is, while the former reported a positivity of 1.2%, the RAT-positivity at the household level amounted to 5.1%. Children and adolescents were found to have a positivity of 3.7% at the individual level vs. 0.45% from the provincial reporting system.

Household positivity was preferred as the measure of case positivity in this study for two reasons. Firstly, the authorities recommended self-testing for the family of anyone who tested positive by RAT. Secondly, infections are more likely to spread among household members than to others outside the home.

Almost two of three positive cases were among elementary-age children. The rest were from either junior high or high school. Among the RAT-positive children, 60% were asymptomatic at all levels.

What are the implications?

The use of RATs has led to the non-reporting of positive tests in many regions due to their lower perceived accuracy. The results of this widespread survey showed that the provincial system reported only a quarter of cases among children and youth. However, the latter does not record self-administered tests and covers a different population.

Based on unrestricted testing, the reported prevalence of under-reporting in this study agrees with that of earlier research. The COVID-19 Immunity Taskforce uses serology to confirm the presence of this infection and arrived at an estimated under-reporting ratio of 1:3, from January to February 2022. The major chunk of test positives came from elementary school, perhaps because only 3% of this population (5-11 years) had been fully vaccinated vs. almost 97% of youth aged 12 years or above.

Further research could help confirm the findings of this survey, which suffered from a small sample size as well as several possible sources of bias.

The researchers concluded that,

Nonetheless, altogether our study provides a complete analysis of the survey data to understand possible patterns of Omicron prevalence among children and youth, a currently understudied population.

This research could help shape vaccination priorities and other preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission and the burden of infections.

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Imagine a horse race, where the winner takes it all and is awarded both food and protection against enemies. In the same way, bacteria compete with one another in the gut of newborn babies.

The aim of many bacteria is to be the first to get into the gut of newborns and then prevent competing bacteria from entering. And each species of bacteria comes in the form of many different genetic variants. Some of the variants can be easily treated with antibiotics, while other, more malicious ones manage to resist them. Some of these can give the babies infections that are difficult to treat." Jukka Corander, Researcher and Professor, Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo

A study carried out by The Sanger Institute in England has shown that there is a big difference between the intestinal flora present in a baby born in the natural way compared to the flora in a baby delivered by cesarean-section birth (C-section). If a baby is exposed to the mother's intestinal flora, this will probably protect the newborn against more malicious kinds of bacteria.

No hospital bacteria found in any of the birth groups

How do the method of birth affect whether undesirable variants of different bacteria end up in the gut of babies?

"We studied several types of bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus fecalis. Variants of these bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics have spread to hospitals all over the world. We wanted to know if babies delivered by cesarean-section were more often infected by these hospital bacteria", explains Corander.

Fortunately, they did not find hospital bacteria among babies delivered by cesarean-section, nor by vaginal delivery.

"This is good news, because otherwise, the babies would be at risk of getting infections that are difficult to treat", continues Corander.

The researchers found that the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was not higher among babies delivered by cesarean section. They found only a limited number of multi-resistant bacteria in either birth group.

Their findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

The researchers handle millions of DNA strands rapidly

Professor Corander's research team have developed a completely new way of detecting relatively quickly which genetic variant of a bacteria is present in a sample. Up until now, it has only been possible to find out approximately which type it is.

The researchers devised the new detection method by creating a large library of samples that new samples can be compared against. In addition, they have set up a new statistical model and algorithm that allow them to handle millions of DNA strands not only rapidly, but with higher precision than before.

E. coli kept out-competing bacteria

The research team also studied the bacterium E. coli, which can cause blood poisoning. What is the probability of a certain variant of E. coli winning the battle for dominance in the intestines? Corander found three variants that can result in a higher risk of infection.

"We found many different variants of E. coli in the babies. But we also discovered that the variant that won the race to enter the gut, seemed to be able to prevent the other variants from invading for several weeks", explains the professor.

The study was carried out in collaboration with several other universities in Norway, England and Finland, and was funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Trond Mohn Foundation's major investment on research into antibiotic resistance. The project is a part of the research network AMR-Bridge.
Prosecutors indict former chairman of China Life Insurance

Xinhua) 16:42, January 19, 2023

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Wang Bin, former Party chief and chairman of China Life Insurance (Group) Company, has been indicted by a Chinese procuratorate for suspected crimes of taking bribes and concealing overseas savings, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said in a statement Thursday.

The indictment said Wang had taken advantage of his posts at various financial institutions, including those at the Jiangxi branch of the Agricultural Development Bank of China, the Bank of Communications, and the China Life Insurance (Group) Company, to seek benefits for others. In return, he accepted an "especially huge amount" of money and gifts, an SPP statement said.

Also, Wang was accused of concealing a large amount of overseas savings, violating relevant rules for a state functionary, the SPP said.

Wang's case has been filed by the Jinan city procuratorate in Shandong Province to the city's intermediate court.

The SPP statement said prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him, and listened to the lawyers' opinions.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Agencies | Abu Dhabi

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is committed to supporting joint Arab action in facing challenges and building a more stable and prosperous future for all the peoples of the region.

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday took part in the fraternal consultative meeting hosted by UAE President HH Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

Also participating in the meeting were Omans Sultan HM Haitham bin Tarik, Qatars Emir HH Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Jordans King HM Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and Egypts President HE Abdelfattah El Sisi.

Themed Prosperity and Stability in the Region, the event sought to deepen cooperation between their countries in all areas that serve progress, prosperity and stability in the region through further joint action and cooperation and regional complementarity.

The Arab leaders discussed fraternal relations, cooperation and coordination between their countries in all fields that fulfill the aspirations of their peoples for a future in which the region will enjoy further development, progress and prosperity.

They also reviewed regional and international issues and developments of shared interest as well as the political, security and economic challenges facing the region.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Human rights issue is among Bahrains priorities, and one of the pillars of the success of its democratic process.

This was emphasised by the Human Rights Committee at the Shura Council, which extended sincere thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their care for human rights.

During its meeting yesterday, under the chairmanship of Dr Mohammed Ali Al Khuzaie, the panel stressed the importance of highlighting the human rights guaranteed in the Kingdom as per the National Action Charter and the Constitution.

The committee affirmed that the Kingdom is constantly consolidating and protecting human rights, within the existing legal frameworks, commensurate with the directives of HM the King to establish and consolidate human rights in the society.

Regional progress and prosperity

Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh lauded His Majestys unwavering support for continuous joint Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab cooperation and coordination to create new opportunities that would enhance progress and prosperity in the region.

Al Saleh praised the outcomes of the fraternal consultative meeting hosted by UAE President, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the participation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Jordanian monarch, His Majesty Abdulla II ibn Al Hussein, and Egyptian President, His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

The Shura head affirmed the depth of GCC countries deep-rooted relations with Jordan and Egypt, noting that holding the fraternal consultative meeting, themed Prosperity and Stability reflects unwavering efforts to ensure the sustainability of joint Arab action and ensure the adoption of unified visions and stances that would support stability, peace and growth for GCC and Arab countries.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

IIPA & Bloombloom jointly announced Bloom Bahrain 2023, a 2+ month-spanning ideathon for students. Participants can submit their ideas in areas of Science, Technology and Creativity (& Personality) and themes around them.

The selection process will have three rounds, curated by leaders from across the globe. Students can work on their ideas based on their convenience & time and will get free access to 20+ nurturing events such as workshops, mentor clinics, boot camps, and mock-pitching during weekends.

Sessions are not mandatory. Students can work individually or as a team of 3 members. They can also work with other mentors externally. Panellists include R Abhilash, Bimal Nair, Raju Chithambaram, Robin Mathew Krishnakumar, Harsh Dattani, Robin Tommy, Ganesh Padmanabhan, Vishnu Vijayan, Rajashekaran HA, Abhijith BR and others.

The programme is supported by global communities and organisations such as the Programme Management Institute (PMI) Kerala Chapter, B-HUB, DEF CON Trivandrum Group, Adversary Village, Kerala Arts & Crafts Village, Sustera, Shasthra Snehi, Stories in AI, Flutter Trivandrum, Stem Robotics, Technopark Today, Riglabs, Tatos Technologies, Cryptoliterature, Zilicon Technologies, XtrudAR and others.

Registrations are free and close on Feb 3rd, 2023. The final submission date is on Feb 17th, 2023. Recognitions include: - Top 3 Teams in Each Category get cash prizes, Tour to the Future & the B-Genius 2023 Title! - The Top 3 Teams in Each Category get Scholarships at Bloombloom - Certificate of Recognition for every participant! - Scholarships worth 5,000 BD. - Tour to the Future: An Exclusive Tour to the Leading Hubs of Scientific, Technological, Cultural & Innovative Significance in India.

The event will recognise the top 3 Innovative Schools 2023 that produce the most Toppers (Top Ideas) and Participants (Idea Submission). The finale and ceremony will be in Bahrain, where toppers will be honoured in the presence of global leaders such as S Somanath, TP Sreenivasan, Harish Sivaramakrishnan and others. For further information visit: https://www.bloombloom.co/ bloombahrain.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland  Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) recently supported a cohort of student volunteers to travel to Vietnam as part of the universitys International Community Engagement programme in partnership with Operation Childlife (OCL).

RCSI Bahrains Head of Department of Surgery, Professor Martin Corbally, led the student volunteers Saad Mallah, Faris AlMadi, Hend Anwar and Zainab Alderaz from the Undergraduate Medicine programme (Senior Cycle Two Class) and the Undergraduate Nursing programme (Nursing Year 4 class).

The team volunteered at two hospitals in Vietnams capital Ho Chi Minh and attended complex paediatric surgeries with the support of Operation Childlife, a charitable organisation aiming to provide optimal surgical, anaesthetic, medical and nursing care to infants and children in developing countries.

Saad Mallah, SC2 medical student, commented on his experience: This experience was very rewarding on a personal level and provided an insight into healthcare in Vietnam, where we also discovered different cases of non-communicable diseases prevalent in the country. I hope that the work completed by my group during this trip has made impactful changes to the patients lives.

Upon their return, Professor Corbally, who is a founding member and Director on the Board of Operation Childlife, shared his feedback: I praise the students for their enthusiasm, motivation and cultural engagement whilst on the trip and I applaud their medical knowledge and contribution.

This joint effort between RCSI Bahrain and Operation Childlife brings an invaluable healthcare offering and experience to the communities we support. I look forward to continuing this collaboration in the future.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The sustainability of highly competitive healthcare services is the basis of Bahrains health system. This was emphasised by Health Minister Dr Jalila bint Al Sayed Jawad Hasan as she participated yesterday in a meeting held on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Forum 2023.

Dr Jalila gave a presentation on the health system in the Kingdom and reviewed the National Health Plan 2016-2025.

Present in the meeting were Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Walid Al Mena, Chief Executive of the National Health Regulatory Authority Dr Meriam Al Jalahma, Acting Chief Executive of the Primary Healthcare Centres Dr Lulua Shweiter, diplomats and senior officials.

The ambassadors thanked the Health Ministry and all the medical crews for their efforts especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Heads of the diplomatic and consular missions also had their queries answered regarding issues pertaining to the health sector.
Agencies | Abu Dhabi

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain and the UAE discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of sustainable energy and climate. This came as the Oil and Environment Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, met with the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al Mazrouei, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The UAE Minister welcomed Dr Bin Daina, lauding the Bahrains major role in supporting tall issues related to addressing environment, climate and sustainable energy challenges.

Al Mazrouei praised the Kingdoms achievements in the fields of environment, climate and sustainable energy, wishing it further progress and prosperity.

Dr Bin Daina expressed his admiration for the distinguished level of the events official opening ceremony. This reflects the prestigious status reached by the UAE in hosting global exhibitions and gatherings, he said, commending the UAEs efforts in support of addressing pending issues in the fields of energy, environment, climate and sustainable development towards reaching regional and international consensus on them.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Seef Properties recently presented financial donation to Taafi Drug Recovery Association to support its programmes and activities, and contribute to its therapeutic, rehabilitative, preventive and educational objectives.

The cheque was handed over at the Associations Headquarter by Essa Mohamed Najibi, Chairman of Seef Properties, to Sami Al Najem, Secretary General of Taafi Drug Recovery Association, in the presence of Dr Mustafa Ali Al Sayed, Deputy Chairman of Seef Properties and Chairman of the Companys CSR Committee, and Ahmed Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of Seef Properties.

Essa Mohamed Najibi, Chairman of Seef Properties, stated: On this occasion, we reiterate Seef Properties commitment to continue playing a supportive noble role in promoting the principles and values of social responsibility, and reinforcing its leadership of national establishments in backing national charitable and humanitarian initiatives in various sectors.

Adel bin Rashed Busaiba, Chairman of Taafi Drug Recovery Association, expressed gratitude and appreciation to Seef Properties for its generous donation to the Association in support of its purposeful initiatives.
By P Unnikrishnan

When I visited Belgium for the first time, the tour guide narrated the importance of visiting The Manneken Pis.

The entire team woke up early to visit the historic location and was very anxious to see the wonder the tour guide talked about.

We were taken to one of the busiest streets in Belgium, packed with street vendors selling waffles and chocolates.

After a few miles of walking through the street of worldly bite galore, we were stopped at a small bronze statue of a naked boy, maybe 50 cm in height, urinating in a fountains basin!

The grapevines people shared about this symbol of defiance with a sense of humour designed in the 13th century still attract tourists from many places.

Some believe that this boy put out a ploy to bomb the city by peeing over it to save the entire City.

But, on the other hand, some say that the whole water for the township was served through this fountain.

A few others believe the boy fought single-handedly against the enemies and saved the city!

Whatever the story, they managed to market and create an eagerness to attract tourists by promoting this small statue.

Most of the tourists who visited the town brought lots of Belgium sweets from the nearby shops.

I could see many standing in queue to take a photograph in front of this small fountain with utmost patience!

Belgium also created a Belgium cut Diamond Brand, where the diamonds were purchased originally from Africa, Russia, and Canada.

Creating excitement is the new game in marketing.

Whether you make a pizza, a cup of tea or a sky scrapper building, the one ingredient that should not miss is the Excitement factor.

Burj Khalifa stands tall not only because of its height but the ambience the authorities managed to create around it.

When someone changes tea with a new Karak Brand, it creates hype and heightens demand! When everyone made clocks, Franz Anton Ketterer made cuckoo clocks with moving features to create curiosity.

The revolving dancers and a cow struck by a butchers axe attracted many globally.

People still prefer this timeless piece because of its uniqueness.
Agencies | Johannesburg

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A tiger which escaped from a farm and roamed the countryside outside of Johannesburg for four days, attacking a man and killing several animals, was euthanised yesterday.

The eight-year-old female Bengal tiger was put down just before dawn after it killed a dog, the latest in a series of attacks that followed its escape from an enclosure at a private farm on Saturday, Gresham Mandy, a member of a local safety volunteer group in Walkerville, 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of Johannesburg, told AFP.

Tigers are not native to South Africa, but in recent years their rearing has become common in the country, where they are owned as pets or bred for commercial exports.

The tiger, named Sheba, roamed the countryside outside of Johannesburg for days, attacking a man and killing several animals, said Mandy.

The 39-year-old man survived the assault and was hospitalised with injuries to his legs, according to local media. Dozens of people, including animal experts and members of the community group tracked the big cat using drones and a helicopter.

The decision to put her down was made after her latest kill. She killed the dog in a private farm with dwellings where six families reside, it was becoming too much of a risk, Mandy said. In that moment there was no other option but to put her down, said Mandy.

Tiger farming in South Africa was spawned by the legal breeding of lions for commercial hunting. Lion bone exports towards Asia were also legal until 2019 when a moratium was put in place following a court ruling.

Animal rights groups are livid at the growing trend to breed big cats. Its absolutely disgusting what is going on here, Smaragda Louw, director of non-profit organisation, Ban Animal Trading told AFP. Keeping a tiger as a pet is simply animal cruelty.
, Jan 20 ( NHK ) - Two of Japan's top-tier national universities have announced a new name they chose to have after their planned merger.

Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University announced last October that they aim to merge in fiscal 2024.

They chose the name "Institute of Science Tokyo" after examining more than 6,000 proposals from the public. They plan to submit the name this month to an education ministry panel that handles matters related to founding universities.

Officials of the universities say the name expresses the new institute's will to take charge of scientific development and work with society to open up a vibrant future.

They also said they chose the term "science" to gain understanding from society, because the word sounds familiar and is easy for the public to remember. ...continue reading
Many people need clarification on whether German casinos are good or not.

On the one hand, they offer some of the best casino games in the world. On the other hand, they have several restrictions that can make them difficult to use. In this article, we will take a look at both sides of the argument and try to conclude, using evidence in ORDB reviews.

The Pros and Cons of German Casinos

Casinos have been in existence in Germany for many years. Some people view them as a fun and exciting way to spend an evening playing, while others see them as a way to lose money. There are pros and cons to German casinos that should be considered before deciding whether or not to visit one.

The Pros of German Casinos

The atmosphere in a German casino is often electric. There is always music playing, people talking, and excitement. So a casino is a place to be if you want a party atmosphere. German casinos (including online ones) are attentive to the significance of the responsible gambling principles, making gambling opportunities safe for all enthusiasts. Casinos offer a wide variety of games to choose from. You can try your hand at blackjack, roulette, poker, or any number of other games. That allows you to find a game that interests you and gives you a chance to win money. There are even narrowly-focused websites like the crypto dice sites that prioritize German players. Casinos often have great deals on food and drinks. As a result, you can enjoy a delicious meal or drink without spending much money. That can be helpful if you are trying to stick to a budget. Casinos often have great prizes available for their players. For example, you could win a trip to Las Vegas, dinner for two at a five-star restaurant, or even a new car. These prizes add an extra incentive to play at the bitcoin casino because its rewards are probably better. Here is a Wild Casino Review 2023 that is getting updated  you can find perks like that there.

The Cons of German Casinos

The odds of winning at a casino are often against the player. The house always has an edge, so it is hard to beat the casino and walk away with your winnings. Casinos can be expensive places to visit. If you are not careful, you can quickly spend your money on gambling, food, and drinks. That can leave you with nothing left for the rest of your trip. Casinos can be noisy and crowded places. If you want somewhere quiet and relaxing to spend an evening, there may be better choices than a casino.

Are German Casinos as Good as the Rest?

Casinos have become a popular destination for people looking to have fun and win money. However, different parts of the world have different types of online casinos that accept bitcoin, and people often debate about the best. For example, some say that German casinos are as good as the rest, while others claim they could be better.

There are many different opinions on this topic, but there is no definitive answer. For example, some people may prefer German casinos because they offer a more traditional experience, while others may prefer other casinos because they offer more games or better bonuses. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide which casino they think is the best.

What to Expect When Using a German Casino

If you are looking to visit a German casino, there are some things you can expect. The first thing you can expect is that the casino will be very clean. Casinos in Germany take great pride in their appearance and want to ensure their guests have a positive experience. You can also expect to see a lot of people gambling, and before that it is easier to learn all these points about gambling sites for big bonuses and wins.

Finally, you can expect to see a lot of security. German casinos take security seriously and have many measures in place to ensure the safety of their guests.

How to Choose the Right Casino for You

When it comes to gambling, not everyone is the same. Some people prefer the bright lights and excitement of a big city casino, while others prefer the more relaxed atmosphere of a smaller casino. Some people like to play table games, while others want slot machines. So how do you choose the right casino for you?

The first step is to decide what type of casino you want to visit. If you want to visit a big city casino, you can find a list of casinos in major cities on websites like Casino.org. If you see a smaller casino, you can search for casinos by the state on websites like CasinoSmackdown.com.

Once you've decided on a type of casino, the next step is to determine what games you want to play. Table games like blackjack and roulette are popular in big cities and small casinos, but slot machines are more prevalent in small casinos. If you need to know what games are available at each casino, check out the casino's website or call them.

The final step is to decide how much money you want to spend. Most bitcoin casinos have minimum and maximum bet sizes for their games, so check before playing. You also need to consider your travel expenses  most big-city casinos are located in expensive areas, while small casinos are usually found in more rural areas.

So once you've considered all these factors, how do you choose the right casino? It depends on your preferences and budget. If you're looking for a luxurious experience with high-stakes games, then a big city casino is probably right for you.
Moving away from your homeland can be very challenging, even if it is for the best. It is leaving a world that used to be your comfort zone with people that relate best to you to a new world with different people, cultures, and traditions.

As a Japanese who plans on immigrating to Canada, you hear stories of how it is a different world over there and prepare yourself for it. However, you can only know how different it is once you get there. Everything from their lifestyles to their food and accents seems funny and strange, so adapting to that might take a while.

However, it is always important to let off steam after a long day. Though that is great for you, it might seem tasking as you are new in another mans land and have yet to make yourself feel welcome. Here are five things you can do to relax and have fun as an immigrant:

1. Learn English

Learning a new language is always fun. Depending on the method employed, it could even be more fun than other activities you enjoy. Learning the language of your new environment is also important if you want to enjoy normal activities such as playing casino games. Whether you are playing casino real money games or visiting a land-based gambling house, the mode of communication and most of the people you will meet would be Canadians who speak English, and it is important to understand the language to play online and be able to relate well with the people to enjoy your gaming time.

This also applies to your daily life in your new environment. Michelle H. Thomas, an iGaming and lifestyle expert, also noted that you feel even more proud of yourself as Japanese immigrants in Canada when you can converse well with people, which should motivate you to study and learn English. Even if you are not a person who particularly enjoys learning, this could be that one situation where learning is fun.

2. Indulge in your favorite pastimes

It is impossible not to find at least one activity you love, even if you are on an entirely different continent. Thanks to the virtual world and the internet, you can now enjoy many of these hobbies from the comfort of your house.

As a punter, you can find some of the best online casinos to play real money games with just an internet search. Even if you want to relax outside your apartment, an internet search of places to indulge in your favorite relaxation activities will immediately solve that riddle.

3. Creating your community

There are tons of Japanese immigrants in Canada. Many of them are just like you, still trying to find their space in an unknown land, while many have been able to do that successfully. Creating or finding a community with your people will help you stay connected to your roots.

Knowing people who are going through the same things you are experiencing and can understand your experiences can help you feel better and relaxed. Having conversations with this community and hearing stories from others can help you relax in ways you never thought were possible.

4. Making new friends

Though it is important to remain connected with your community, it is also important to connect with people in your new environment. Hanging out with people familiar with your new environment can help you understand the place more easily. They can help you understand why things in your country differ from those in Canada and how to overcome those differences.

For instance, online live casino Canada platforms might be similar to the Japanese variations, but there will still be some differences. Making friends with people who have hacked Canadian gaming can help you enjoy top relax gaming online casino games even better. Making friends and meeting people wherever you find yourself in life is highly advisable as a lonely life equals a boring one, and you do not want that.

5. Go sightseeing

North America is a great destination for sightseeing. As an immigrant, it is certain that you have not seen half of the best destinations in the country. Going out on your free days to visit these beautiful places with a tour guide or friends familiar with the area can be a great way to familiarize yourself with your new environment and have fun.

Going on tours with knowledgeable people can also help you better understand Canadian culture and history and learn information that will certainly come in handy during your stay in the country.

Conclusion

As an Asian in North America, you can still get the best life if you let yourself. There are tons of relaxing activities that you can engage in and enjoy. All it takes is keeping yourself connected to your roots and still being open-minded to enjoy the North American way of life. That way, you will be able to relax more easily and familiarize yourself with Canada in less time than expected.
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, alongside the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth and Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre, and Raphael Arens, Executive Director of L'Arche Toronto Homes Inc., announced a combined investment of nearly $3 million to support the creation of eight affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities in Toronto.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

The Government of Canada contributed $800,000 through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), a key pillar of the National Housing Strategy, while L'Arche Toronto Homes Inc. contributed approximately $457,000 in cash equity and an additional $1.7 million through their Everyone Belongs capital campaign.

Located at 130 River Street and owned and operated by L'Arche Toronto, this project consists of two suites with a total of eight single-occupancy rooms. These rooms are intended for five individuals with intellectual disabilities and include affordable housing for three low-income live-in assistants. The project aims to provide a safe, accessible, and intentional living accommodations and a barrier-free and inclusive environment.

The custom-designed building is nearing completion, with an expected occupancy of April 2023.

Quotes:

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, our government is investing in affordable housing here in Toronto and across the country. This innovative housing project will have a transformative impact on the lives of those living with developmental disabilities, by providing them with accessible housing and the support services they need to thrive. It's absolutely vital that we create housing options like this across Canada to support our most vulnerable, and ensure that no one is left behind. This is another example of our government's National Housing Strategy at work."  The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

"Creating more affordable and accessible homes for people right here in Toronto, especially for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, remains a priority for me and for our government. Along with our community partners, we are making sure that projects like this become a reality  because they are truly life-changing and have a huge impact on our community. I will keep fighting for affordable housing here in Toronto Centre because everyone deserves a home that suits their needs." The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth and Member of Parliament of Toronto Centre

"We are so grateful for CMHC funding towards our Everyone Belongs Capital Campaign for a new home in Regent Park. We built this home in response to the changing needs of current core members in our community. This home will also enable us to welcome additional core members to L'Arche Toronto Homes Inc. This affordable, fully accessible and barrier-free home, in a specially designed condominium unit, will allow us to welcome new members who have physical and other disabilities. As well, individuals will have the opportunity to age 'in place' longer with opportunities for personal growth and be actively involved in the community surrounded by a complete circle of support. This home also builds sustainability for the future for L'Arche Toronto by increasing our community homes by 25% and addresses, in a small way, the city's long waitlist for affordable, safe and supported housing for individuals with intellectual disabilities."

Raphael Arens, Executive Director, L'Arche Toronto Homes Inc.

Quick facts:

The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.

is a program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults. Budget 2022 proposes to advance $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units.

in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units. The Government of Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.

Related links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing needs, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of the Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing needs, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of the Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit: www.placetocallhome.ca

Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada .

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

For further information: Brittany Hendrych, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]
QUEBEC CITY, QC, Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is proud to announce that it has recently acquired six properties totaling more than 80 hectares of wetlands in the regional county municipality of Pontiac.

Located in the municipalities of Isle-aux-Allumettes and Ile-du-Grand-Calumet in the Outaouais region, the various properties have great ecological value, particularly because of their strategic location on the periphery of the Ottawa River, a high-priority area for the conservation of waterfowl and their habitats.

Isle-aux-Allumettes, July 2022 - Credit: Emile Bentz, Ducks Unlimited Canada (CNW Group/DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA) Ile-du-Grand-Calumet, July 2022 - Credit: Jacob Demers, Ducks Unlimited Canada (CNW Group/DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA)

The wetlands found here provide food, water, shelter and nesting sites for migratory birds as well as dozens of threatened species, including the northern water snake, the common turtle, the chorus frog, and several other varieties of birds, insects and small mammals. These acquisitions, which are adjacent to other conserved areas, will consolidate ecosystems on the land to maintain the connectivity essential to sustaining regional biodiversity. They will also be made accessible to the public for outdoor activities such as wildlife observation and hiking.

Personal connections to conservation

The Outaouais is home to some of the greatest biodiversity in the province. Therefore, the protection of habitats by private owners is crucial. There are many ways to conserve habitat on private land, but they all rely on the willingness of landowners to commit to sustainable action. For many, a personal connection to wildlife and the environment inspires their desire to give back.

Mrs. La Salle and Mr. Von Witzleben are among the many landowners who have decided to take action to preserve the wetlands located on their properties.

Last spring, Mrs. La Salle was contacted by DUC to inquire about selling the family land on Ile-du-Grand-Calumet. The idea of preserving the site's natural heritage for future generations quickly convinced her. "For me, ensuring the sustainability and accessibility of this gem of the Pontiac region, now frequented by visitors from all over the world, is a great way to commemorate my beloved father who originally acquired the land to preserve rafting activities in the region," she says.

Located in the municipality of Isle-aux-Allumettes, the Von Witzleben's beach is a breeding sanctuary for a variety of waterfowl as well as several other species at risk, including the common turtle. Mr. Von Witzleben's relationship with DUC dates back to the 1980s, when he began installing nest boxes on his property. "Over the years, I've seen the bird population grow, witnessed natural evolution, seen several small families grow. When DUC approached me to buy my property, I couldn't have asked for a better future for my flocks. It is also the consecration of the efforts of my family to preserve the value of the site not only for hunting, but especially to preserve its integrity," he explains.

Strong financial partners

These acquisitions were made possible thanks to the financial contributions of several public and private partners, including Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Echo Foundation, the Fondation de la faune du Quebec, as well as the Government of Quebec and the Nature Conservancy of Canada through the programme de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN).

Programme de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN)

The Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN) is a co-financing agreement between the Ministere de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Quebec from 2020 to 2024. The PPMN aims to develop the network of protected areas located on private land by carrying out protection activities, acquiring knowledge, establishing nature reserves and enhancing natural environments. The PPMN supports initiatives to ensure the protection of natural environments of interest and the stewardship of protected areas in the southern part of the province.

About Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC)

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. As a registered charity, DUC works in collaboration with government, industry, non-profit organizations, Indigenous Peoples and landowners to conserve wetlands critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. To learn more about DUC's innovative environmental solutions and services, visit www.ducks.ca

SOURCE DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA

For further information: Vicky Boivin, Communication Specialist, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Email : [email protected], Telephone : 418 955-0488
KINGSTON, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has helped millions of Canadians, including seniors, by providing them with supports and benefits related to COVID19. As Canada emerges from the pandemic, the Government of Canada will continue to support community organizations that make a difference and create opportunities for seniors to stay active and involved in their communities.

Today, Canada's Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, and the Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Gerretsen, announced an investment of $145,000 to fund 8 community-based projects to support seniors in Kingston, Ontario. This funding was awarded through the 202122 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) call for proposals for community-based projects. The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Seniors Association Kingston Region. This organization brings seniors together and provides them with opportunities to interact and socialize virtually thanks to a free conference calling system.

Amid global uncertainty, the Government of Canada introduced targeted measures in the Fall Economic Statement to help Canadians who need it most, including seniors. Recent measures include doubling the GST credit for six months, putting on average an additional $225 back in the pockets of Canadian seniors, and delivering a $500 one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit to support low-income renters. Last summer, the Government of Canada also increased the Old Age Security pension by 10% for seniors 75 and older who are among the most vulnerable, representing $800 for full pensioners. These measures have a positive impact on many seniors and aim to build an economy that works for everyone.

Under the 202122 NHSP community-based call for proposals, over $61 million was invested in more than 3,000 community-based projects across Canada. In Ontario, 1,036 projects were funded for a total of over $21.94 million.

Program funding creates opportunities for seniors to be more connected, supported and active members of their communities. This year's national priorities aim to do that by focusing on projects that:

support healthy aging;

prevent elder abuse;

celebrate diversity and promote inclusion; and

help seniors age in place.

Through a simplified application process, organizations submitted project proposals to help seniors move beyond the pandemic and continue to play important roles in their communities.

Quotes

"The funded community projects in Kingston are making a real impact on the lives of seniors. Our government is committed to support such initiatives that provide seniors with engaging activities to stay active, as well as increase their social participation so they can maintain a strong presence in their communities. This is in addition to the steps we have taken to make life more affordable for seniors so they can pay for their daily expenses and have the quality of life they deserve."

 Kamal Khera, Minister of Seniors

"The Seniors Association Kingston Region plays a key role in fighting social isolation among seniors in our community through a wide variety of activities that foster connections and relationships. I am glad that our government supports initiatives like these through the New Horizons for Seniors Programensuring that we are building communities that remain inclusive for all older adults. I strongly encourage seniors in Kingston to look into these resources and join in on one of the many activities organized by the Association."

 Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands

"The Seniors Association is grateful for all the support given by the Government of Canada from the beginning of the pandemic up to today and, I hope, into the future. Every penny has been spent to keep seniors in our community safe and socially engaged. We would welcome any further investment to help us reach our most vulnerable seniorsthose who are socially isolated."

 Don Amos, Executive Director, Seniors Association Kingston Region

Quick Facts

Seniors are one of Canada's fastest-growing population groups. They will represent almost 25% of the population by 2051 and could reach close to 11 million people within 15 years.







fastest-growing population groups. They will represent almost 25% of the population by 2051 and could reach close to 11 million people within 15 years. The New Horizons for Seniors Program is a federal grants and contributions program whose goal is to support projects that help seniors stay active and engaged in the community. Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.







in grant funding. Since its inception, NHSP has funded more than 33,500 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada , with the Government of Canada having invested a total of more than $720 million .







, with the Government of having invested a total of more than . Program funding supports projects that engage seniors in their communities and address one or more of the program's five objectives: social participation, volunteering, mentoring, expanding awareness of elder abuse and providing capital assistance.







Every year, organizations are invited to apply for NHSP community-based funding through a call for proposals. The projects announced today were approved as part of a call for proposals that was launched on November 23, 2021 , and closed on December 21, 2021 .







, and closed on . Budget 2022 proposed an additional $20 million over two years, beginning in 202223, to support more projects that improve the quality of life of seniors and help them continue to participate fully in their communities.

Related Documents

Backgrounder  Canada announces New Horizons for Seniors Program funding for projects in Kingston

Backgrounder: New Horizons for Seniors Program

Associated Links

Applicant Guide: Community-based projects (up to $25,000 )

Programs and services for seniors

New Horizons for Seniors Program  Engaging seniors, strengthening communities

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Alisson Levesque, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, [email protected]; Media Relations Office: Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
"This is an opportunity for professional communicators to learn how to create space for conversations about the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples," says Wente. "Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation of Indigenous storytelling and its role in reconciliation and right relations."

"Any Canadian communications professional who has been grappling with questions about how their organization should be addressing reconciliation will benefit from this session," says Amie Silverwood, IABC/Toronto's vice president of Programs. "Wente, Talaga and Goulet will share a variety of storytelling methods that inform, inspire and transform perceptions of Indigenous peoples and our shared history."

Date: February 15, 2023

Time: Noon to 1:15 PM

Fees:

$25 : IABC member rate ( $28.25 with HST)

: IABC member rate ( with HST) $35 : Non-member rate ( $39.55 with HST)

Members of Indigenous communities are invited to attend free of charge

Register now

Sponsor

About Jesse Wente

Jesse Wente is the recipient of IABC/Toronto's 2022 BMO Communicator of the Year . An outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights and First Nations, Metis, and Inuit art, Wente is best known for his work as a film and pop culture columnist for the CBC's Metro Morning. He is also the founding director of the Indigenous Screen Office, Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, and Senior Fellow of Massey College. Wente's first book "Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance" is a national bestseller.

About Danis Goulet

Originally from La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Danis Goulet is a Cree/Metis writer and director. She is a member of the TIFF Board and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Goulet has won numerous accolades including a TIFF Tribute Award, a Directors Guild of Canada's Discovery Award, 11 Canadian Screen Award nominations and two wins. Her renowned debut feature "Night Raiders" screened at TIFF and the Berlin International Film Festival. Recent directorial projects include an episode for "Alaska Daily" (The Weekend), and the critically-acclaimed episode "Mabel" for "Reservation Dogs".

About Tanya Talaga

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe author, producer, journalist and speaker. Her mother is from Fort William First Nation and father was Polish Canadian. She was named the 20172018 Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy. Talaga holds five honourary doctorates and was the first Anishinaabe woman to be CBC Massey Lecturer (2018). She currently heads up Makwa Creative Inc., a production company amplifying Indigenous voices through film, TV and podcast. Her third book, "The Knowing: the Enduring Legacy of Indian Residential Schools," will be released in fall 2023.

About IABC/ Toronto's BMO Communicator of the Year Award

Since 1997, IABC/Toronto's Communicator of the Year Award has recognized a Greater Toronto Area executive who has demonstrated leadership and communications skills drive business results or has had a substantially positive influence on the community. Only one person is recognized as the Communicator of the Year each year.

About IABC/ Toronto

IABC/Toronto is the largest chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. IABC is recognized as the professional association of choice for professional communicators and is committed to establishing and supporting the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational communications.

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Follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and YouTube for the latest information on our programs, awards, professional development and networking opportunities.

Related Links

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SOURCE IABC/Toronto

For further information: Amie Silverwood, Vice President, Programs, IABC/Toronto, [email protected]
New Annual Report shows the global charity at the forefront of advancing children's rights and girls' equality in a year of permacrisis

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Plan International Canada, a leading global charity working towards a just world for all, has released its new Annual Report highlighting the organization's impact and perseverance in the face of global challenges in 2022. Entitled "Standing strong in a world in turmoil, we persevered in 2022," the report illustrates how Plan International Canada, in partnership with children, young people, supporters and partners, met the moment to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. The organization provided crucial assistance to communities affected by hunger, displacement, the crisis in Ukraine, a mutating virus and extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Despite these challenges, Plan International Canada's work was able to reach 14.5 million people, including 7.6 million children around the world, with a special focus on girls' rights and equality.

"In a year of permacrisis, the world faced unprecedented difficulties and turmoil, and our mission was more important than ever before," says Lindsay Glassco, President and CEO of Plan International Canada. "Through the power of perseverance, together, we brought meaningful change for children and families in need globally. We remain determined and optimistic in our relentless pursuit of a world where all children, especially girls, know and exercise their rights to live the life they choose."

The Annual Report, available in both a full 96-page version and a 44-page digest version, highlights Plan International Canada's work in priority areas including:

Education;

Health;

Protection from violence;

Youth leadership and economic empowerment;

Humanitarian response and resilience.

The Annual Report also delves into specific programs and their impact, including the story of Tanyaradzwa, a young Zimbabwean woman who, thanks to one of Plan International Canada's programs aimed at keeping girls in school, was able to continue her education and ultimately go on to attend university.

Another key project, Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women (SHOW), was a success. It improved maternal and child health for over 1.5 million mothers and children in Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria and Senegal. The project was a six-and-a-half-year initiative with a budget of over $72 million and was supported by Global Affairs Canada with $11.6 million in matched funds from donors.

The five-year Leading for Peace Project aimed to build peace and resilience in communities in Colombia. The project engaged over 155,000 people, making a tangible difference in their lives. Global Affairs Canada provided $18.5 million, and Plan International Canada contributed $1.8 million in matched funding from supporters.

Visit plancanada.ca/AnnualReport to read inspiring stories from around the world and watch the highlight video.

About Plan International Canada

Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children's rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and is now active in more than 80 countries.

Visit plancanada.ca for more information and follow @PlanCanada on social media for the latest news.

SOURCE Plan International Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Plan International Canada, PR and Communications, [email protected]




Seyi Tinubu, son of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked the Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore association to support his father.

Seyi made the request on Thursday during a visit to Abdullahi Bodejo, the national president of the association.

He was accompanied by members of City Boy Youth Movement (CBYM), a Tinubu/Shettima support group.

For renewed hope for Nigeria, Tinubus son urged Nigerian youths to vote for the APC in the next months elections.

Let us all go and collect our PVCs before the deadline and vote APC. A vote for Tinubu/Shettima will carry the youth along as a priority as stated in their manifesto, NAN quoted Seyi as saying.

He said the youth wing of the APC and the CBYM would work together with the Fulani to ensure that the party wins in the country.

Bodejo in his remarks called on members of the association to support the candidacy of Tinubu/Shetima.

He said the decision to endorse the APC candidates was due to Miyetti- Allahs community engagement with stakeholders and community leaders across the country.

According to NAN, Seyi Tinubu was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Sokajo Fulbe the ambassador of the Fulani youths.

Favour Abayomi, leader of CBYM, described Tinubu and Shettima of the APC as the best candidates for the presidency.
Pandemonium broke out at the Rumuwoji Playground in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Thursday following a twin explosion that rocked the campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

It was gathered that at least three persons were seriously injured in the unfortunate incident.

According to reports, two of the victims are women, all of whom were rushed to hospital for medical attention.

The APC Publicity Secretary in the State, Darlington Nwauju, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust.

When contacted , the State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe Koko simply said, I will get back to you.

More to follow




Former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang has lost his battle for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State.





The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday evening upheld the primary election which produced Akanimo Udofia as the flagbearer of the party.





A Federal High Court judgment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, which was delivered in favour of Enang was voided and set aside.





The judge, Agatha Okeke had on November 14 last year ordered the APC to conduct a fresh governorship primary within two weeks and barred Udofia from participating in the new primary.





However, the Court of Appeal in its decision delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris held that the Federal High Court acted without jurisdiction when it nullified the APC primary election.





The appellate court in a unanimous decision held that the primary election being an internal affair of the APC ought not to have been adjudicated upon by the High Court.





Consequently, the appeal filed by APC was allowed for being meritorious while the arguments of Enang were dismissed for being unmeritorious.





Other justices on the Appeal Court panel are Elfreda Williams  Dawodu who presided and Danlami Senchi.




The Russian government has accused the United States of attempting to contain Moscow and China.





The accusation came from Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov while commenting on Russia-China bilateral ties at a press conference.





The minister maintained Russia remains unbothered by Americas antics, affirming his countrys cordial friendship with China.





He said the West sees the two allies as a threat and has been targeting Russia, with China on its radar.





Lavrov declared the US is not powerful enough to tackle them and was encouraging Europe, Japan and others to join the onslaught.





The West is trying to sow discord in our relationsWe and China see all these games, the 72-year-old stated.





The minister confirmed both nations are experiencing the best times in the entire history of these relations.





Lavrov said Russia and China are combating new challenges and threats, and closely coordinating within the United Nations.





The Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping administrations also collaborate via the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO, the worlds largest regional body.





Other mutual organizations are BRICS, the Eurasian Economic Union, EEU, and the Belt and Road Initiative, BRI.
Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost.

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It's first come, first served at the free yoga class at New Orleans' Main Library.
A second suspect in the inadvertent killing of New Orleans-born comedian Brandon "Boogie B" Montrell has been arrested, a woman accused of driving the gunman to the scene of the crime at the Rouses grocery store in the Central Business District.

The warrant for Dyamonique Smith, 22, provides the most detailed version yet of the crime, and confirms that the comedian was not the intended target of the shooting and that police used video surveillance to identify Smith and suspect Jabril Cowart, 20. Smith was booked Jan. 6 with being an accessory to murder; Cowart was arrested Jan. 5 on a second-degree murder warrant in Houston but has not been extradited to New Orleans.

Smith's warrant, which police filed in Criminal District Court, says surveillance video shows her pick up Cowart at his home in New Orleans on Dec. 23 in a silver Hyundai Sonata and take him to the grocery store, in the 700 block of Baronne Street. Police interviewed Smith, but she told them Cowart flagged her down for a ride in the area and that she didn't know his name or telephone number, according to the warrant.

Caught in the crossfire

At Rouses, both Smith and Cowart entered the store. Then the video shows Cowart returning to the car and firing a gun at a man who walked out of the store, the warrant says. Both men exchanged shots, and Montrell, sitting in a car between the two shooters, was killed in the process, police wrote.

Police have not publicly identified the other gunman, nor have they disclosed how they came up with Cowart's name.
Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome reflects on the legacy of Dr. King during a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in partnership with the Baton Rouge Branch of the NAACP on Monday, January 16, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Disabled man stands up with help of e-commerce

People's Daily Online) 16:59, January 19, 2023

By leveraging the strength of e-commerce, Zhang Yonghong, a 43-year-old disabled man in southwest China's Chongqing, has not only started his own business, but also helped fellow villagers embark on a journey to prosperity.

Zhang Yonghong gives an employee instructions on packaging. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

In 2005, Zhang's cervical spine was injured by a rock. Since then, he has suffered from paraplegia, which tormented him for over six years. During that period, he filed for divorce with his wife in order to alleviate her burden, and became hopelessly depressed. In 2011, a piece of news about a man who sold local agricultural products to finance his son's medical treatment inspired him to start his own business.

In 2012, Zhang started selling local products from Hailuo village, Wulong district in Chongqing, his hometown, on Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo. Initially, his products didn't sell well, but his fortunes were reversed when some internet celebrities reposted his business. Over the following two years, his online shop evolved into an e-commerce company.

Zhang Yonghong prints an order list in his office. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

As his business continued to grow, he began to help other people with disabilities by giving them job opportunities. 15 out of 20 employees in his company are disabled.

Staff members in Zhang Yonghong's company pack products. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

Besides helping people with disabilities, providing job opportunities, and buying products from his fellow villagers, Zhang also donates baby chicks and piglets to his neighbors who have financial difficulties or physical impairments. When these animals grow up, he buys them back at 10 percent above market price.

Photo shows smoked meat stored in Zhang Yonghong's warehouse. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

In 2022, his company registered an annual sales volume of over 23 million yuan, not only boosting the sales of agricultural products from his village and 10 neighboring towns and villages, but also benefiting over 1,300 families.

"Although my legs are handicapped, I can stand up mentally,"said Zhang. "Being a man means you should be grateful to all the people who have helped you. Millions of internet users have given me love and strength to help me 'stand up'. In the future, I will deliver the same love to motivate people who have trouble 'standing up'."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
David Byrne's American Utopia may have left Broadway but the Talking Heads leader is plotting a return  with disco.

Byrne and Fatboy Slim plan to put their musical Here Lies Love, a show that charts the rise and fall of Philippine ex-first lady Imelda Marcos, on a Broadway stage this summer.

It turned out the former beauty queen-turned-dictator's wife apparently loved to dance, converted the roof of one of her Manila palaces into a nightclub and hit discos regularly in the 1970s.

I thought, Theres the soundtrack, Byrne told The Associated Press in 2014.

Byrnes 90-minute show about Marcos rags-to-riches-to-exile journey played off-Broadway in 2013 and in a clutch of cities, including London in 2014 and Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.

The project began as a concept album, performed in a handful of live concerts including a 2007 engagement at Carnegie Hall, before it was developed into a full-blown theater piece directed by Alex Timbers with 360-degree staging.

Timbers this time will be charged with turning the 1,763-seat Broadway Theatre into an immersive experience. According to a press release, he and choreographer Annie-B Parson will transform the venues traditional proscenium floor space into a dance club environment, where audiences will stand and move with the actors.

The energetic, catchy musical begins with Imelda as a poor girl who gains fame as a beauty pageant winner. Following a whirlwind courtship, she marries up-and-coming politician and soon-to-be president, Ferdinand Marcos.

The lyrics are mostly taken from speeches or interviews from all sides during Marcos era and the standing-only audience moves around the space with the 15 actors.

The Marcoses ruled the Philippines from 1965 to 1986  the last 14 years of that under martial law  before being driven into exile in Hawaii during a 1986 popular revolt, leaving the countrys economy faltering under huge debts. Ferdinand Marcos died in 1989 and Imelda, now 93, has returned to her homeland and entered politics. Their son Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. is now president of the Philippines.

I wanted you to understand a little bit whats motivating Imelda, whats driving her, what her delusions are, but also what her pain is, what she loves, so you understand what makes her do the things that she does, Byrne said in 2014.

Byrne  an art-rock progressive who famously sang This aint no party/This aint no disco  said hed never had anything against club music. In fact, his record collection includes Donna Summer, The OJays and The Spinners.

Using disco in Here Lies Love, he said, allowed him to pay his respects to that sound but also freed him to write songs for other people that he wouldnt write for himself.
VALPARAISO  A 37-year-old Kouts man pleaded guilty this week to repeatedly molesting a young Kouts girl beginning nearly three years ago, court records show.

Cody Jeralds pleaded guilty to a felony count of child molesting in return for a 4-year sentence with all but time served suspended and to be served on formal probation, according to the proposed plea taken under advisement by Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish.

The plea came just ahead of a Jan. 31 trial scheduled in the case.

If the plea is accepted by the judge, Jeralds will be required to register as a sex offender and comply with those requirements, records show. He will also be designated as a sexually violent predator and will be required to surrender all firearms to the Kouts Police Department for destruction.

Jeralds will further undergo a psychosexual evaluation and participate in recommended therapy, records show.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 13.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021.

The young girl had returned home from a "good touch, bad touch" program at her school to inform her mother that Jeralds had been sexually abusing her a few times a month for the past year, according to charging documents. She knew Jeralds.

The girl, who was 8 and 9 at the time, told police that Jeralds would have her give him "thumb massages" over the outside of a blanket, police said.

"Victim 1 stated that she realized that even though Cody was not touching her, having her touch him in his private area felt wrong," charging documents say.

She also said Jeralds would have her sit on his lap with her back to him during some of the incidents, police said.

The girl's mother said she confronted Jeralds about the allegations and he claimed that the girl was massaging his hand, police said.
A unique Indiana educational opportunity for eligible children with disabilities potentially could be expanded to every student in the state.

Senate Bill 305 would allow the parents of Hoosier students in kindergarten through 12th grade to opt their children out of regular school enrollment and instead decide on their own how to use the funds the state normally would spend to educate their children.

Advocates for the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program see it as the final frontier of school choice, a kind of universal school voucher. Critics, on the other hand, predict it will further drain funding from Indiana's traditional public schools.

Under the plan, ESA students would not be permitted to attend a public, charter or private school using a voucher from Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program.

In exchange, an ESA would be established for the student in the state treasurer's office from which the student's parent could purchase educational services, such as online education, non-voucher attendance at a private school, participation in a microschool or learning cooperative, local tutors and similar programs approved by the state treasurer.

The money also could be used to purchase education-related items from approved vendors, including textbooks and curricular materials, career training equipment and supplies, and computer hardware and other technological devices, according to the legislation.

The value of the ESA would vary based on where the child lives. But it would equal the amount of money the state normally would pay in tuition support for the child in his or her home school district  about $7,000 to $9,000 a year.

All students who opt for an ESA, including current homeschooled students, would be required to take Indiana's annual ILEARN standardized test and comply with other state dictates relating to the program.

It's not yet known how many children could participate in the program. Some school choice advocates hope to ultimately replace Indiana's constitution-mandated system of public schools with an entirely parent-directed educational system.

In the meantime, data show the $10 million line item for ESAs in the current state budget, if continued into the next two-year spending plan, would pay for about 1,400 participants each year.

The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, does not specify who should get an ESA if demand outstrips funding, nor does it guarantee continued funding for the 143 students with disabilities already obtaining education services through an ESA.

Buchanan admitted to the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development on Wednesday that "this program is not for everyone."

But, he said, "Any time you can give more options and more choice to parents, I think that's better."

Another backer of the plan, Republican State Treasurer Daniel Elliott, teared up when he talked about the potential benefits of expanding ESAs to every Indiana child through his office, and he vowed to ensure every dollar allocated to the program is wisely spent.

Opponents of the proposal, including state organizations representing teachers, school boards and public school parents, warned that ESAs, like charter schools and school vouchers, will start small and inevitably consume more and more of the limited resources allocated to Indiana public schools.

They also suggested ESAs offer insufficient oversight and spending transparency, no accountability for poor academic achievement, undermine the state's workforce development initiatives and grow the size of government by requiring the state treasurer hire an additional employee at $66,000 per year for every 300 ESA participants, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

"Imagine what a public school could do with a school counselor for every 300 kids," said Gail Zeheralis on behalf of the Indiana State Teachers Association.

The committee, which includes state Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, is scheduled to consider amendments to the legislation Jan. 25. It also may vote that day on whether to advance the plan to the full Senate.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
Do all the words of the Indiana Constitution mean what they say? Or are they, in some circumstances, merely rhetorical flourishes meant to be taken aspirationally and not literally?

Those questions were at the center of an extraordinary oral arguments session Thursday at the Indiana Supreme Court, with nothing less than the bodily autonomy of 6.8 million Hoosiers  especially women and girls  on the line.

Specifically, the state's highest court is deciding whether the declarations in Article I, Section 1 of the Indiana Constitution that all people have a right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and that government exists for the "peace, safety and well-being" of the people are judicially enforceable rights that include the freedom to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy.

Indiana Supreme Court oral arguments in constitutional challenge to near-total abortion ban Your browser does not support the audio element.

Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher, a Jasper County native defending the validity of Indiana's near-total abortion ban  it was approved last year by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb  told the five justices that the constitution absolutely does not provide a right to abortion.

He argued that Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon, a Republican, got it entirely wrong Sept. 22 when she issued a "novel, unwritten, historically counter-indicated" preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Senate Enrolled Act 1 one week after it took effect.

"Whatever else liberty might mean under Article I, Section 1, it does not mean abortion, which was prohibited before, during and immediately after the period of constitutional adoption," Fisher said. "Essentially (the plaintiffs) invite the court to amend the Constitution and not to search for the law."

In contrast, Indiana ACLU Legal Director Ken Falk, representing a collection of abortion providers challenging the statute, argued that even though the 1851 constitution's framers would recognize little of Indiana today, they would insist that the tenet of liberty they intended to protect through Article I, Section 1 remain inviolate and include bodily autonomy and the liberty to terminate a pregnancy.

"We're talking about these incredibly personal decisions that I think, while the founders were not thinking of them, would certainly have recognized they invade this specific province that we have reserved to ourselves and that we have never ceded back to the state," Falk said. "It must mean something given the fact that every word of our Constitution is deemed hammered into place."

If the General Assembly approved statutes barring any Hoosier woman from having more than two children or denying all Hoosiers access to health care until a major bodily function or their very lives were at stake, Falk said, no one would hesitate to conclude that those laws are unconstitutional, despite the constitution lacking specific language on those issues.

"What is the core value in Article I?" Falk asked. "The founders thought that liberty meant the ability to manage one's own life, except in those areas yielded to the body politic. ... In 1893, we applied it to deal with a woman becoming an attorney. Today, we deal with it in terms of women being able to have abortions."

In response, Fisher said the Supreme Court need not even address Falk's constitutional claims by finding that his abortion-provider clients lack legal standing to challenge the statute because their alleged right to bodily autonomy is not being violated by the statute.

He said only a pregnant woman who wants to have an abortion and cannot is a valid litigant.

Justice Derek Molter, a Newton County native, and Justice Christopher Goff did not seem to buy that argument, in part because Indiana's near-total ban mandates that all abortions be performed only in a hospital or affiliated surgical center  in effect, forcing the abortion providers who filed suit out of business and giving them a basis to challenge the statute.

Molter suggested that perhaps the law could remain enjoined on that point while the remainder, which prohibits all abortions in Indiana from the moment of conception, except within 10 weeks of fertilization for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or 20 weeks if necessary to prevent serious physical impairment or the death of a pregnant woman, or because of a lethal fetal anomaly, takes effect.

Chief Justice Loretta Rush seemed interested in a different procedural resolution. She said the Supreme Court need only rule on whether the preliminary injunction was properly granted and could later decide after a trial, and likely review by the Indiana Court of Appeals, whether the law passes constitutional muster.

Fisher and Falk said they weren't sure what a trial would address and urged the court to definitively resolve the Article I, Section 1 question.

Other questions posed by the justices, who all initially were appointed by Republican governors, touched on the limited role of the judiciary, the breadth of individual liberty, the presumed constitutionality of properly enacted laws, methods of statutory interpretation, the philosophy of judicial originalism, and the rights of an unborn child.

Rush said at the conclusion of the 71-minute session  oral arguments typically last 45 minutes  that the Supreme Court will be "issuing an opinion in due course."

No matter the high court's decision, Indiana's near-total abortion ban likely will remain on hold for the near future: The ACLU won a second injunction against the statute Dec. 2 from an Indianapolis judge who determined that the law runs afoul of the states 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The attorney general's office also is pursuing appellate review of that ruling.

Records show that Indiana was the first state in the country to legislatively impose new abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which repealed the federal right to abortion established in 1973 by Roe v. Wade.

Gallery: Indiana historical markers in the Region First Physician Great Sauk (Sac) Trail St. John's Lutheran Church Tolleston Dutch in the Calumet Region St. John Township School, District #2 The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section Froebel School - side 1 Froebel School Stewart Settlement House Stewart Settlement House Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Bailly Homestead Iron Brigade Willow Creek Confrontation Ogden ski jump.jpg Teale 1.jpg Teale 2.jpg Steel 1.jpg Steel 2.jpg Civil War camps.jpg Old lighthouse.jpg Railroad.jpg Camp Anderson.jpg Boundary line 1.jpg Boundary line 2.jpg LaPorte courthouse 1.jpg LaPorte courthouse 2.jpg Carnegie 1.jpg Carnegie 2.jpg Rumely Co 1.jpg Rumely Co 2.jpg Lincoln train 1.jpg Lincoln train 2.jpg LaPorte university 1.jpg Laporte university 2.jpg Gary Roosevelt 1 Gary Roosevelt 2
VALPARAISO  Nitha Fiona Nagubadi is a member of the club you "don't want to be a part of."

In 2005, she lost her younger brother to an accidental overdose.

Nitha and a crowd of other grieving family members, addiction specialists and community members actively in recovery, attended a Tuesday night panel focused on addressing the opioid epidemic. Nitha, who sat beside her mother Subbayamma Nagubadi, took careful notes and shared her family's experience with addiction recovery.

When its easier to have access to the drugs than to get the care, its really sad," Nitha said.

Organized by Councilman Peter Anderson, R-5th, the panel featured experts versed in the many different elements of addiction: those who work in the court system, run halfway houses, lead prevention efforts in the Valparaiso school district, physicians who specialize in addiction and more.

The panel was convened to brainstorm potential uses for Valparaiso's share of the National Opioid Settlement. Forty-six states and many other local units of government brought litigation against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors  McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen  and the pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. The four drug companies agreed to pay $26 billion to settle allegations that they fueled the deadly opioid crisis. Indiana will receive $507 million distributed over 18 years. The first payment will be made this year and will be split among all of the cities, towns and counties that participated in the settlement. Valparaiso will receive a total of $1.2 million in funds and will get about $242,000 in 2022.

Indiana has been hit hard by the opioid crisis; according to the Indiana Attorney General's Office, the rates of opioid prescribing in the Hoosier state peaked in 2012 when, on average, there were 112 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents in the state. From 2012 through 2016, 58 of Indiana's 92 counties had opioid prescribing rates greater than 100 prescriptions per 100 residents.

Anderson said he wanted the City Council to be properly educated on the issue of opioid addiction before the money is allocated.

"We are taking very first step in answering the question 'what is the best way to go forward with this money?'" Anderson explained.

Barriers to care

Since 1999 the number of drug overdose deaths in Indiana has increased by 500%.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, Hoosiers are now more likely to die due to a drug overdose than in a car accident.

This is throughout this whole country in different communities at every level," said Mark McCall. He lost his daughter Shelby to an overdose in 2016.

Though Porter County has more halfway houses than the adjacent communities, Mitch Peters, founder of Respite House, said there are still never enough beds. Respite House II opened in April 2021, and all 37 beds are already full.

"One of the gaps I've seen that I didn't originally anticipate was how difficult it is to actually get people to treatment once they were ready to go," Sam Burgett, a social worker with the Valparaiso Police Department, said.

Judge Chris Buckley, with the Porter County Mental Health Court, said programs like Problem Solving Court help people access addiction treatment instead of just being incarcerated. For individuals who do not participate in Problem Solving Court, the prison recidivism rate in Indiana is 72%. Problem Solving Court reduces that number to 42% However, oftentimes one of the Problem Solving Court requirements is participating in a halfway house.

Judge Michael Drenth, with Porter County Adult Drug Court, said it can take six to eight months to find a halfway house with an opening.

In the U.S., 85% of the prison population has an active substance use disorder or is incarcerated for a crime involving drugs or drug use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Jail does not work. Jail is not the answer," Peters said. "They're not going to get better in jail, they're just fermenting, they're getting sicker."

The most effective way to address addiction, especially when someone has been arrested, is to get them into treatment and then help them reintegrate into society, Peters explained.

Searching for solutions

"Is there really a solution?" McCall asked the room. "We can maybe make it better, but we've been fighting for a solution for problems with addiction since... forever."

Panelists and attendees brainstormed a number of uses for the $1.2 million Valparaiso received: funding transportation so people in recovery can make it to appointments, launching a school district-wide or even city-wide meditation program to help residents cope with emotions in a healthy way and creating a care coordinator position.

David Cummins, a physician who specializes in addiction and emergency medicine, said the coordinator could connect people with resources and could even identify people who may be high-risk for addiction, intervening before the drug abuse begins. The position could start out funded through opioid settlement money but could become self-sustaining as more grants are obtained, Cummins explained.

I want something sustainable that can be ongoing, not just buying some things and handing them out," Cummins said.

Many panel members liked the idea of a care coordinator. Peters said the position should not be housed under the city or under the police department; instead he suggested some of the local recovery facilities and halfway houses collaborate on providing oversight for the coordinator.

Residents can share thoughts on how the opioid settlement money should be spent through a form on the Valparaiso city website.

"I have 34 years in recovery, and Ive buried more people than you can imagine," Peters said. "At almost 66 years old, Im still looking for solutions, and Im still here.

Halfway houses in Valparaiso Alice's Halfway House https://valpo.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=15500

Moraine House https://www.morainehouse.org/moraine-house

Respite House https://respitehouse.org/



PHOTOS: Valparaiso hosts panel on National Opioid Settlement Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel
The watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services is seeking harsher penalties against health care workers who obstruct abuse and neglect investigations.

IDHS Inspector General Peter Neumers call to action comes on the heels of extensive reporting by Lee Enterprises, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica last year that revealed a culture of abuse and cover-ups at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in rural Southern Illinois. The news organizations detailed how uncooperative staff stymied the states ability to hold employees facing serious abuse allegations to account.

Specifically, Neumer is asking legislators for a change in law that would allow his office to report workers engaged in similar misconduct to an existing statewide registry. The move could bar those employees from working in the health care field in Illinois.

About this project This article was produced by the Lee Enterprises Midwest Public Service Team in partnership with Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica; Lee Enterprises is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.

The Health Care Worker Registry monitors direct care aides, nursing assistants and other non-licensed health care officials; its database of professionals includes those who are barred from working with vulnerable populations. They may have been barred because of criminal records or if they have been found in an administrative proceeding to have engaged in financial exploitation, what is known as egregious neglect, or physical and sexual abuse.

Under the current system, state workers who help their colleagues by lying to or misleading investigators can face termination if theyre caught, but findings against them cant be reported to the registry. So short of criminal charges, which are rare, nothing would prevent them from going to work in another health care setting.

The Office of the Inspector General regularly sees instances where facility or agency staff seek to protect each other from the consequences of their misconduct by remaining silent about what they witnessed or lying to protect their fellow employees, Neumer wrote in a recently released annual report on his offices work.

In a follow-up interview, Neumer said expanding his offices authority would help deter employees from engaging in cover-up behavior or code-of-silence activity if they were aware that by doing so they risked losing their employment and possibly their ability to work in the health care industry in Illinois.

For the earlier stories, reporters combed hundreds of pages of records, identifying more than four dozen cases between 2015 and 2021 in which the OIG cited Choate employees for providing false statements to the offices investigators; for failing to make a timely report in accordance with the law; and for other failures to follow department policy concerning reporting and investigating abuse and neglect allegations. The few Choate workers charged with obstruction of justice or official misconduct for interfering with an investigation have had their charges dropped or reduced.

One case involved a mental health technician caught on a 911 audio recording threatening to break a patients finger. Though other voices could also be heard on the 911 call that was accidentally placed via a smartwatch, the other workers present refused to identify the perpetrator. The county prosecutor declined to bring charges related to the threats on the 911 call, citing insufficient evidence.

IDHS did not dispute any of the news organizations previously reported findings, saying in a statement at the time that the agency requires employees to cooperate with administrative investigations and trains them on the importance of giving law enforcement complete and truthful information. This week, a spokesperson said that although the inspector general works independently, IDHS has closely monitored the situation at Choate, worked with the inspector general and governor to implement reform, and looks forward to reviewing and working collaboratively with lawmakers and the OIG on any legislative solutions.

In his report, Neumer cited the inability to issue a finding to the registry in a particularly egregious 2014 abuse case at Choate that the news organizations had highlighted. In that case, at least 48 hours passed before anyone at the facility reported abuse to authorities, though numerous workers later told state police investigators that the patients injuries were some of the worst theyd ever seen. Throughout the state police investigation, multiple employees coordinated their stories and lied about what happened and who witnessed it, according to state police records.

Three of those employees were charged with felony obstruction of justice and each later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to report the abuse to authorities. But those workers remained on the state payroll for nearly eight years. Others who knew about the abuse but didnt report it faced no penalties.

This fall, the inspector general issued findings against eight employees it said engaged in the cover-up and recommended firing those who still worked at the facility. The employees were dismissed, but the law only allowed the inspector general to report one worker to the registry, the person whom his office found had committed the abuse. As a result, nothing bars the other seven from working in other health care settings.

Neumer told the news organizations that his proposal defines material obstruction as withholding or altering documentation or recorded evidence; improperly influencing, threatening or impeding witness testimony; giving untruthful information during an interview; failing to cooperate in an OIG investigation and lying to law enforcement. Employees would not be punished for exercising their lawful right against self-incrimination in a criminal case, he said.

Legislators in the Illinois House and Senate toured Choate last year in the wake of the news organizations reports, and they have held private meetings about issues where legislative solutions may be needed.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch said he was incredibly troubled by the reports on Choate and is closely reviewing the inspector generals recommendations.

At an unrelated news conference in September, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that he had no plans to close Choate but would consider doing so if the facility was unable to improve safety conditions for patients. His spokesperson did not respond to specific questions about whether he believed the facility had since taken adequate steps to improve conditions.

In a statement issued last week, the spokesperson said that the governor worked with leaders at IDHS to implement reforms, and that he looks forward to reviewing and working collaboratively with lawmakers and the OIG on any legislative solutions.
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Gold has been a super-duper success, and that has been the trouble, Mr. Goyal said. Maybe there is 1 percent that abuses Gold, but thats not the norm.

One typical Gold user is Anushka Jankar, who dined at Vahnilla on a recent Tuesday afternoon with two friends. She said that it was her first time there and that she had discovered the place through the app.

Ms. Jankar said Gold did not dominate her dining choices, though. I eat out a lot, and Im a big foodie, she said. Basically I use it when its the end of the month and my bank balance is low.

The program also works better for some restaurants than others.

Rudresh Agarwal, co-owner of Carpe Diem, a bar and shisha lounge in Kolkata, in eastern India, said he lost a little money on Gold diners but viewed the program as a way to get exposure. He said he could afford the losses because he profited from the liquor and shisha, or water pipes, that his restaurant served.

For a place that offers only food, however, the Gold discounts could be devastating. If you do not have other products, the cost will not work, he said.
Sixty-odd years ago, it wouldnt have felt like this. In 1960, in the dingy loft on Fourth Avenue that was home to the Reuben Gallery, Robert Whitmans American Moon looked right at home with its tarps and rags and typing paper taped to sheets of plastic and tunnels fashioned from castoff fabrics. Thats where the audience was supposed to sit, in the tunnels, unable to see much of anything. American Moon was a Happening, and Happenings were expected to look like they involved more dumpster-diving than rehearsal. But now it is 2023 and we are at Pace, the blue-chip gallery in West Chelsea, where this claustrophobic junkyard hovel contrasts sharply with the pristine white walls surrounding it.

It certainly is as sloppy as I would have done it, said Whitman, a stocky 87-year-old carrying a hand-hewn hiking stick to steady his gait. He was 25 when American Moon was first performed. Its so crazy to see this mess at Pace.

It was even crazier to watch the rehearsal that just ended. Whitmans Happening is being restaged at Pace this week, accompanied by a small show of related art works and the auction of 500 NFTs depicting imaginary planets and black holes. American Moon was largely inspired by talk of a space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Russkies were about to send the first man into space. Suddenly there was talk of a man on the moon.
Jonathan Raban, an acclaimed expatriate British writer known for his literary travels to the Middle East, down the Mississippi River, to Alaskas Inside Passage and into eastern Montana, died on Tuesday in Seattle, where he had lived since 1990. He was 80.

Clare Alexander, his agent, said the cause was complications of a stroke he had in 2011.

Mr. Rabans literary narratives of the places he visited and the people he met combined travelogue, memoir, reportage and criticism. What he was not, he insisted, was a travel writer.

Travel writing seems to me a too-big umbrella, full of holes to let the rain in, he told Granta magazine in 2008. Anyone commissioned by a newspaper to write up meals and hotels in foreign holiday resorts is a travel writer. Anyone who does a guidebook is a travel writer.

He had an affinity for V.S. Naipaul, Paul Theroux and Bruce Chatwin, whose books take the reader to places far and wide but transcend the travel genre.
Just a few days ago, I was in El Paso to see for myself how the asylum seeker crisis is affecting our border states and our entire nation. What I saw was not a state problem or a city problem. It is a national problem, driven by global forces, impacting regular people, Mr. Adams said in his speech, given in a session at the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Every attempt to deal with immigration on a national level through legislation has been sabotaged, mostly by right-wing opposition. And cities are bearing the brunt of this failure, the mayor added.

The debate over how to overhaul the nations immigration system has bedeviled federal policymakers for decades. The most recent crisis comes after years of haggling in Congress, where lawmakers have come up short even on policies with broader support, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

While Mr. Biden has continued to push for a bigger change to the immigration system, he has also moved to restrict the flow of people across the border in recent months. The administrations point person for border issues is Blas Nunez-Neto, the acting assistant secretary for border and immigration policy for the Department of Homeland Security. But earlier in his administration, Mr. Biden also appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to deal with migration issues, including working with the nations from where migrants are emigrating. This month the president also traveled to El Paso.

The mayors trip to El Paso came one week after.

On his national tour, the mayor has said the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants has overwhelmed city services and has already cost $300 million so far. The Adams administration has said that the influx could ultimately cost $2 billion. New York City recently proposed a $103 billion budget with planned cuts in anticipation of future deficits.
ALBANY, N.Y.  It was a historic show of force by a clutch of left-leaning Democrats, disrupting what is normally a rubber-stamp judicial nomination process by rejecting a candidate they believed was too conservative to lead New Yorks court system.

The vote against Justice Hector LaSalle on Wednesday was all the more remarkable because he was the nominee of Gov. Kathy Hochul, the leader of the Democrats own party, and signaled what could be a contentious four-year term for the newly elected governor.

Ms. Hochul came to face such a prospect not only because of the clout of an insurgent and outspoken progressive wing in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, but also because she made a series of missteps, failing to lock up solid support for Mr. LaSalle before announcing his nomination on Dec. 22.

When opposition quickly lined up against Mr. LaSalle, a former prosecutor, Ms. Hochul dug in, refusing to withdraw the nomination  a move that could have forestalled the embarrassing loss.
The new case follows an investigation last year by The New York Times that revealed that Mr. Solny, through a network of shell companies, had been accused in civil and criminal court by 40 homeowners of stealing their property in a scheme known as deed theft.

As of July, companies controlled by Mr. Solny still owned 19 of the disputed properties  an eclectic mix of coveted brownstones and grass-hemmed houses in gentrifying areas of Brooklyn and Queens that could produce hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent a year. In some instances, city agencies contributed to his earnings by subsidizing the rent for low-income tenants.

Deed theft can take many forms, but homeowners have repeatedly accused Mr. Solny of one version.

Homeowners at risk of foreclosure are told they qualify for a short sale, a deal in which the lender settles for less than the balance of the mortgage. The homeowners usually believe that they are selling the home in exchange for debt forgiveness and sometimes a small amount of cash.

Instead, the owners sign documents, often under false pretenses, that transfer the property to another party, leaving the former homeowner saddled with the unpaid mortgage debt. Yearslong legal battles can play out in civil court, often ending in the lender seizing the property  but not before the fraudulent owner extracts value by renting the home out.

Many of the homeowners who have accused Mr. Solny of fraud live in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in central Brooklyn. The four properties in the latest indictment unveiled on Wednesday  homes in East New York, Ocean Hill, Canarsie and East Flatbush that are valued at a total of nearly $2.3 million  were transferred to companies controlled by Mr. Solny between 2012 and 2019 for a fraction of their current market value, according to the district attorneys office.
New York City was the site of one of the deadliest riots in United States history 160 years ago this year.

It was the draft riots of 1863, in the middle of the Civil War.

New York then was hardly the monolithic liberal bastion it has since become. Its economy benefited significantly from the slave economy and the cotton it produced. And, although the states abolition of slavery became effective in 1827, during the following decades, as the historian Sylviane A. Diouf has noted, the city came to dominate the illegal slave trade to the American South, Brazil and Cuba.

In 1861 the mayor at the time, Fernando Wood, was a pro-Southern, pro-slavery Democrat who proposed that the city secede from the Union, after South Carolina became the first state to do so the year before.

Conservative, antiwar Democrats, known as Copperheads, were enraged by the onset of the Civil War, and they were vocal opponents of Abraham Lincolns war policies. They saw abolitionists as agitators and their call to end slavery as an affront to states rights. Many Copperheads thought the secession was constitutional and the war misguided because, as the historian Jennifer L. Weber explains in The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, the Constitution (they rightly pointed out) says nothing about the terms of membership in the Union.
NATIONAL

An article on Tuesday about a shooting in Central California, using early information from the authorities, misstated the ages of two of the victims. They were 16 years old and 10 months old, not 17 years old and 6 months old.

An article on Friday about the 1973 murder of Leslie Perlov, using information from the authorities investigating Ms. Perlovs death, described incorrectly her role at Stanford University when she disappeared. She was working part time at the universitys law library, but she was not a librarian.

An article on Wednesday about George Santoss political future referred incorrectly to Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida. He is not a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

TRAVEL: 52 PLACES TO GO IN 2023

A photograph with an article on Sunday about Taipei misidentified the location in the image. The photograph depicts the city of Keelung, Taiwan, not Taipei.
ATLANTA  Longstanding tensions over a planned Atlanta police training center boiled over on Wednesday when a protester was killed and a Georgia state trooper was wounded during a confrontation in the wooded area just outside the city where the center is to be built, the authorities said.

The shootings happened as the police worked to clear protesters out of the woods, according to law enforcement officials and activists who oppose the center. At least four people were also detained in the sweep, the authorities said.

The plans for the training center call for it to be built on 85 acres of forested land, and include an area for police trainees to learn vehicle skills and even a mock village, with space for facsimiles of a nightclub, a convenience store and homes to practice different tactics in an array of settings.

But the proposal has been assailed from the outset by critics of the Atlanta Police Department who have described the $90 million development  derisively nicknamed Cop City  as a dangerous investment in militarizing law enforcement. Activists have moved into the forest, and their efforts to block construction have escalated in recent months into violent confrontations with law enforcement officers.
A man who fatally shot his wife, their five children and her mother before killing himself earlier this month in Utah had been investigated in 2020 on child abuse allegations, but he was not charged because of insufficient evidence, according to officials and a police report released this week.

The report from the Enoch City Police Department shed new light on the man, Michael Haight, 42, who killed seven members of his family in early January, including three girls and two boys, leaving the small rural town aghast and in grief. It also showed that the police had previously investigated Mr. Haight and learned from his daughter about a violent pattern of behavior.

The 2020 incident report from the police, which The Associated Press wrote about on Tuesday, states that the authorities had investigated an allegation that Mr. Haight may have assaulted his eldest daughter, Macie Haight.

Macie told investigators in 2020 that her father had become assaultive with her over the last three years, that she felt terrified that he was going to hurt her more, and that Mr. Haight had once choked her, according to the report.
The vice president will make very clear: The fight to secure womens fundamental right to reproductive health care is far from over, her press secretary, Kirsten Allen, said in a statement. She will lay out the consequences of extremist attacks on reproductive freedom in states across our country and underscore the need for Congress to codify Roe. She added that the president and the vice president are clear that a womans right to choose is nonnegotiable.

Her office would not say on Wednesday where in the state she will visit. The event also presents Ms. Harris with another opportunity to establish herself as the administrations leading voice on promoting abortion rights, a position she has embraced in recent months. According to her office, Ms. Harris has hosted leaders from 38 states in events known as convenings, and has gathered dozens of state legislators from 18 states to discuss abortion access.

In her speech on Sunday, she is expected to call for national legislation to protect reproductive rights, even though President Biden has said repeatedly that the Senate lacks the votes to do so. She is also expected to highlight the executive action Mr. Biden signed last summer, with provisions that include defending patients right to travel across state lines to receive medical care and issuing guidance to retail pharmacies.

Ms. Harriss trip to Florida, the countrys third most-populous state, is not a coincidence: Abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy are banned there. Republicans, fresh from winning supermajorities in the Florida legislature, have discussed changing the timeline to 12 weeks. Earlier this month, after the Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation allowing the sale of abortion pills at retail pharmacies, Florida health officials warned pharmacists not to dispense the pills.

While Ms. Harris speaks in Florida on Sunday, Mr. Biden will issue a proclamation commemorating Roe, one of dozens he makes to mark events each year. Other administration officials are making trips to highlight the importance of abortion access. On Thursday, Xavier Becerra, the secretary of Health and Human Services, will travel to Minnesota, where officials are working to expand access to reproductive health care.
For days, the authorities said, a Michigan woman experiencing a mental health crisis walked the streets of a Detroit suburb with her three children, knocking on doors, asking for food and sleeping outside, underdressed, in below-freezing temperatures.

Sheriffs deputies found the woman, Monica Cannady, 35, and two of her children, Malik Milton, 3, and Kyle Milton, 9, dead from hypothermia on Sunday, the authorities said. They were in a wooded field where they had been sleeping in their hometown, Pontiac, Mich., a predominantly Black city of about 60,000 about 20 miles north of Detroit.

Ms. Cannadys 10-year-old daughter survived and reported the deaths to a nearby resident, saying that her family was dead in a field, Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County said at a news conference on Monday. He said the accidental deaths had been preventable and that they represented a larger, systemic failure.

This tragedy is fundamentally evidentiary of the breakdown of our mental health system in America, he said. We dont give our mental health providers and systems enough support.
WASHINGTON  They were deeply involved in President Donald J. Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. They have come to the defense of people being prosecuted for participating in the deadly storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Some have called for violence against their political enemies online, embraced conspiracy theories or associated with white supremacists.

Several of the most extreme Republicans in Congress and those most closely allied with Mr. Trump have landed seats on the Oversight and Accountability Committee, the main investigative organ in the House. From that perch, they are poised to shape inquiries into the Biden administration and to serve as agents of Mr. Trump in litigating his grievances as he plots his re-election campaign.

Their appointments are the latest evidence that the new Republican majority is driven by a hard-right faction that has modeled itself in Mr. Trumps image, shares his penchant for dealing in incendiary statements and misinformation, and is bent on using its newfound power to exact revenge on Democrats and President Biden.

Many of the panels new Republican members  including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania  are among Mr. Trumps most devoted allies in Congress. Their appointments underscore that, while the former president may be a shrunken presence in the current political landscape, he still exerts much control over the base of his party.
The Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, whose health has deteriorated in prison, has gotten another unusual public show of support, as dozens of current and former municipal deputies and local lawmakers signed an open letter on Wednesday demanding that he receive more humane treatment and access to proper medical care.

Their open letter to President Vladimir V. Putin is the latest in a series of public appeals from members of Russian civil society who have braved his crackdown on dissent since the invasion of Ukraine. Last week, hundreds of Russian doctors signed a petition imploring Mr. Putin to stop abusing Mr. Navalny. And dozens of Russian lawyers signed a similar letter this week, the independent news outlet Meduza reported.

Mr. Navalnys health has deteriorated in the harsh conditions of his imprisonment. In late December, posting on Twitter, Mr. Navalny said he believed that Russian officials were intentionally endangering his health to bend him to their will. His wife has urged prison officials to provide him with medicine.

Wednesdays letter was signed by Russian deputies representing cities and regions across the country who said that despite the federal governments aggressive clampdown on free speech, support and concern for Mr. Navalny remained.
DAVOS, Switzerland  Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany offered a robust expression of solidarity with Ukraine at the World Economic Forum this week, a stance reflecting not only the imperative of repelling a brutal aggressor but also palpable relief that Europe has not been crippled by Russias war.

Mr. Scholz was among several European officials who trekked to the frigid, snow-covered streets of the Alpine ski resort where the forum is held to express confidence that Europe was withstanding the sudden loss of Russian energy supplies. By diversifying rapidly into alternate energy sources and bolstering efforts to conserve, he said, the Germans had staved off the danger of homes losing heat or electricity.

I can say that our energy supply for this winter is secure, Mr. Scholz said to a receptive audience at the annual gathering. Thanks to well-filled storage facilities, thanks to improved energy efficiency, thanks to remarkable solidarity within Europe, and thanks to the readiness of our companies and of millions of citizens to save energy.

The chancellor made no mention of another pressing matter: whether Germany will send battlefield tanks to Ukraine. The German government is widely expected to announce its decision on Friday after its officials meet with American and other allies at the Ramstein Air Base in western Germany.
BROVARY, Ukraine  A helicopter carrying top Ukrainian officials crashed in a fireball on Wednesday in a Kyiv suburb, killing a senior member of President Volodymyr Zelenskys cabinet and more than a dozen other people, and dealing a blow to Ukraines wartime leadership.

The interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, a trusted adviser of Mr. Zelensky who entered the government with him in 2019, died in the crash, along with his top deputy. Their deaths leave a vacuum atop the ministry in charge of domestic security, responsible for overseeing the countrys police, its national guard and border patrol units.

Mr. Zelensky called the crash, which occurred near a kindergarten and a residential building, a terrible tragedy and linked the incident directly to Russias invasion of his country. Whether the deadly incident was accidental or not, every death is the result of war, he said in a passionate address, delivered by video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as he urged Western allies to move more quickly to provide support to Ukraine.
The Harvard Kennedy School reversed course on Thursday and said it would offer a fellowship to a leading human rights advocate it had previously rejected, after news of the decision touched off a public outcry over academic freedom, donor influence and the boundaries of criticism of Israel.

The controversy erupted earlier this month, when The Nation published a lengthy article revealing that last summer, the schools dean, Douglas Elmendorf, had vetoed a proposal by the schools Carr Center for Human Rights Policy to offer a one-year fellowship to Kenneth Roth, the recently retired executive director of Human Rights Watch. At the time, Elmendorf told colleagues that he was concerned about perceptions that Human Rights Watch had a bias against Israel, according to two faculty members.

The revelation prompted sharp rebukes from prominent free expression groups; a letter signed by more than 1,000 Harvard students, faculty and alumni criticizing what it called a shameful decision to blacklist Kenneth Roth; and private complaints from faculty.

In an email to the Kennedy School community on Thursday, Elmendorf said his decision had been an error and the school would be extending an invitation to Roth.
Im very sentimental about coming to celebrate her at Carnegie Hall, as the first time I played there, it was to play her piece All Fours for the Drum Bum. Its a practice in non-repetitive rhythm and texture. She was always somebody who was a great inspiration, and a mentor who offered such support. We did go into the studio and record duets, but we never released it. I was busy, sure, but she was extraordinarily busy toward the end. I think its probably at the right moment to release now.

I was so fortunate to play a lot with Pauline as an improviser  and we had a quintet called New Circle Five, which recorded one album, Dreaming Wide Awake. She was so playful. Especially when she had her digital accordion; you never knew which instrument was going to come out. It was a constant surprise.

Alex Peh, pianist

My entrance into contemporary music was a really social one. Im a professor of piano. But Im dear friends with Phyllis Chen  and when we did her residency at SUNY New Paltz, Pauline came down. We got the students all jazzed up on her Sonic Meditations. Thats when I started doing a lot of contemporary music.

I played with Claire on Susies album Talking Gong. We did the online release, then we had some extra time. We were at a barn upstate, and Claire was just like, Lets jam. So we read The Witness, and it all started there. After that, we started improvising in the woods, at the Mill Brook Preserve. We did it in caves, just looking for inspirations. This was in the pandemic; we were all sort of frayed and flustered. And now its spun into this.

Since that time, Ive explored piano styles throughout the world. Ive been doing a lot of work with piano traditions in Myanmar. Im doing a lot of work with Persian piano. Playing The Witness catalyzed this. Before that, I was just playing standard repertoire. I met Pauline, and it kind of unlocked curiosity. She gives permission to explore.

Tyshawn Sorey, composer and percussionist

My piece Berthas Lair was commissioned by Claire for her Density 2036 project. And the day we were scheduled to rehearse that piece  and the day it was completed  I went over to the studio where we were going to rehearse it. Within five minutes of arriving there, we found out the news that Pauline had passed. So we hugged for long time; we didnt even play. We just talked about Pauline the entire evening.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing film, television and radio workers, said in a statement that the death of Ms. Hutchins was a preventable tragedy but that it was not a failure of duty or a criminal act on the part of any performer.

The prosecutors contention that an actor has a duty to ensure the functional and mechanical operation of a firearm on a production set is wrong and uninformed, the union said. An actors job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert.

Mr. Baldwin, 64, has been a household name for decades as a Hollywood leading man, a TV star who played Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock and former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday Night Live, a co-host of the Oscars and the voice of the New York Philharmonics radio broadcasts.

He has long drawn scrutiny for his offscreen behavior, which has included run-ins with paparazzi, an arrest for riding his bicycle the wrong way on Fifth Avenue, a 2018 arrest over a parking space dispute and feuds waged on social media.

But he has never faced a crisis like the one he faces now.

Ever since the shooting Mr. Baldwin had sought to strike a delicate balance: publicly maintaining his innocence in an effort to preserve his reputation and career while trying to stay out of legal jeopardy.

He appeared on national television, where he said he had been told that the gun did not have live rounds in it, and added that he was only following directions when he pointed it at the cinematographer. Someone is responsible for what happened, and I cant say who that is, but I know its not me, he said in the interview.
TORONTO  The actor Michael Chiklis was waxing philosophical on a rainy day last April in North York, a bland but moneyed inner suburb being filmed to pass for an equally bland American counterpart. He was here on location for Foxs new anthology series Accused, debuting on Sunday, each episode of which dramatizes a hot-button issue from the perspective of an ordinary person on trial.

The past few years, as it happens, had provided plenty of issues to draw from  school shootings, environmental destruction and racial injustice are just a few the Accused writers chose. Those years had also wrought significant personal changes for Chiklis, including the death of his own father. In his profession, as in life, he noted, it was best to be humble in the face of change.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing, he said, quoting Socrates from inside a Canadian McMansion. The more he learns, he added, the more he has come to know the vast chasms of what I dont know.

It was a useful attitude when approaching his character in the series pilot: a caring father and successful neurosurgeon who faces what, for most people, would be an unimaginable moral choice about his teenage sons violent behavior. Although his quandary is uncommon, the father is typical of the protagonists in Accused, none of whom are career criminals (no prior convictions, no gang affiliations), all of whom find themselves on the wrong end of the law without a road map.
Five years after becoming the Whitneys first curator specializing in Latino art, Ms. Guerrero has made a meaningful impact on the field as the nations Hispanic population continues to grow and museums try to reflect and attract more diverse audiences.

As the first Puerto Rican curator at the Whitney, she is at the right place at a time when Latinx art is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, said Mari Carmen Ramirez, who in 2001 became the first curator of Latin American art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, when it established a department of Latino art. We all expect her to contribute to this transformation in a significant way.

That transformation has been noteworthy, though much of the attention around diversity has been focused on Black artists and curators in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. In a milestone, for example, the Brazilian museum director Adriano Pedrosa in December was named curator of the 2024 Venice Biennale, becoming the first Latin American to organize the worlds longest-running contemporary art exhibition.

In 2021 E. Carmen Ramos, formerly head of Latino art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was named the chief curatorial and conservation officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Ardern bows out

After more than five years in power, Jacinda Ardern said that she would resign as New Zealands prime minister in early February, before the end of her second term. In a surprise announcement, she said that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job.

New Zealands youngest prime minister in 150 years, Ardern, 42, became a global emblem of liberalism. Her pronounced feminism and emphasis on a politics of kindness set her apart from her more bombastic male counterparts.

But she faced deepening political challenges at home, with an election looming in October. Her Labour Party has been lagging behind the center-right National Party in polls for months. This weekend, the party will elect a new leader, but Ardern has no obvious successor.

Quotable: I believe that leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also one of the more challenging, Ardern said. You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.
SINGAPORE  They left after the government cracked down on the private sector. They ran away from a harsh zero Covid policy. They searched for safe havens for their wealth and their families.

They went to Singapore, Dubai, Malta, London, Tokyo and New York  anywhere but their home country of China, where they felt that their assets, and their personal safety, were increasingly at the mercy of the authoritarian government.

In 2022, a year that proved extremely challenging for China, many Chinese businesspeople moved abroad, temporarily or for good. They were part of a wave of emigration that led to one of the years top online catchphrases, runxue, understood to mean running away from China.

A consequential, if privileged, piece of Chinas economic puzzle, these people are pulling their wealth and businesses out when growth is at its lowest point in decades.
A founder of Nexo, Antoni Trenchev, said the company was content with this unified resolution.

We can now focus on what we do best  build seamless financial solutions for our worldwide audience, he added.

Nexo, which was formed in the Cayman Islands in 2018, is one of a large group of prominent crypto companies that promised to generate interest for customers by investing their crypto savings for them. As of March, Nexos interest product had 112,000 U.S. investors, who had put in $2.7 billion in assets, according to court documents. The company promised returns as high as 12 percent.

In its announcement on Thursday, the S.E.C. said Nexo had taken remedial acts after the agency settled with another crypto lender in February. The firm voluntarily stopped offering its interest program to new U.S. investors, the agency said, and ceased paying interest on new funds added to existing accounts.

The Nexo fine is the latest effort by U.S. regulators to rein in the crypto industry. After the Bahamian-based crypto exchange FTX collapsed in November, the S.E.C., the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Justice Department filed charges against the companys founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, accusing him of years of fraud. Two other FTX executives, Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, have pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

But federal regulators had been scrutinizing crypto lenders since long before FTXs collapse. Last week, the S.E.C. charged the crypto lender Genesis with offering unregistered securities through a product that promised investors high interest on deposits. And last year, the agency announced $100 million in penalties against BlockFi, a crypto lender that also advertised big returns for customers.
WASHINGTON  The inspector general for the Interior Department said on Thursday it had found no evidence that the former secretary, David Bernhardt, violated federal ethics or conflict-of-interest rules when the department made decisions that affected one of his former clients, a California water district.

The Interior Department under Mr. Bernhardt made decisions that benefited Westlands Water District, which represents California farmers, including a deal to grant federal water rights in perpetuity to a large agricultural district. Before joining the Trump administration, Mr. Bernhardt spent 10 years as the groups chief lobbyist.

In a report issued Thursday, investigators said evidence did not support allegations that Mr. Bernhardt withheld information, worked on issues that presented a conflict, or sought to help his former client.

We also identified no evidence showing that Mr. Bernhardts actions were otherwise unlawful or improper, the report found. To the extent that Mr. Bernhardt gave directions, guidance or advice regarding the California water decisions, his actions involved policy decisions that were within Mr. Bernhardts official discretion, it said.
DAVOS, Switzerland  John Kerry on Thursday offered a full-throated defense of the decision to hold this years United Nations climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, one of the worlds largest oil producers, suggesting the Gulf state was rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels and would not compromise the integrity of the negotiations.

Dont judge a book by its cover, Mr. Kerry, President Bidens special climate envoy, said in an interview on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The United Arab Emirates, selected by the United Nations to host the November talks, has faced withering criticism from climate activists over its selection of Sultan Al Jaber, the head of its national oil company, to oversee the climate talks.

Mr. Kerry has worked closely with Mr. Al Jaber for years and called him a good friend, adding that he believed the oil executive would be a very serious and focused interlocutor on this.
OTTAWA  An Indigenous group in Canada announced on Wednesday that ground-penetrating radar had located what it said appeared to be the remains of Indigenous children on the grounds of a former school in northwestern Ontario, the latest in a series of similar reports that have been jolting Canada over the last two years.

Chief Chris Skead of the Anishinabe of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation said 171 plausible graves of former pupils had been found at St. Marys Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ontario. Five of the potential grave sites are marked.

As we grieve these findings, remember that we have survived, Chief Skead said in a video announcement of the preliminary finding to members of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation. Remember that we are still here, and that has taken our Anishinabe strength, the strength of our ancestors.

Reports of such remains began in May 2021, when an Indigenous community in British Columbia announced that it had located what it said appeared to be 215 unmarked graves of former pupils at the now-closed Kamloops Indian Residential School in the province. The revelations have been seen as further proof of the brutality of a now-defunct system of education for Indigenous children that a national commission declared a form of cultural genocide.
All Quiet on the Western Front, a German-language movie set on the battlefields of World War I, emerged on Thursday as the surprise front-runner for this years British Academy Film Awards, Britains equivalent of the Oscars.

All Quiet, a Netflix-backed movie about the futility of war, secured 14 nominations for the awards, commonly known as the BAFTAs. Those included best film, where it is up against four higher-profile titles including Everything Everywhere All at Once, a sci-fi adventure starring Michelle Yeoh as a laundromat owner who traverses universes; and The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonaghs dark comedy about two friends who fall out while living on a small island, both of which received a total of 10 nominations.

Also competing for the main BAFTA prize is Baz Luhrmanns Elvis biopic and Tar, Todd Fields drama starring Cate Blanchett as a conductor accused of sexual harassment.

On its release in Britain, critics gave the Edward Berger-directed All Quiet rave reviews. Kevin Maher, writing in The Times of London, said that the movie was more visceral, more spectacular and certainly more harrowing than any previous adaptation of Erich Maria Remarques 1929 novel of the same title. See it on the biggest screen possible. Then watch it again on Netflix, Mr. Maher added.
Is it said that the comic poet Ogden Nash, noting the hiring practices of a certain founder of Universal Pictures, once wrote the couplet Uncle Carl Laemmle/has a very big faemmle. Carl Laemmle made no secret of his nepotism, and frankly its hard to argue against its results. His son, Carl Laemmle Jr., for instance, produced visionary 1930s monster movies including Dracula (1931), The Mummy (1932) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). One of the elder Laemmles cousins, like Laemmle a European immigrant, was William Wyler, who became a protean American director.

There are still Laemmles in the movie business, and any Los Angeles cinephile will avow that the family is doing Gods work. Only in Theaters tells the story of Laemmle Theaters, a set of art houses that dot the Los Angeles area.
When You Finish Saving the World is, for better or worse, exactly the movie one would expect from the actor, writer and playwright Jesse Eisenberg: wordy, whiny and self-consciously wry. Adapted from his 2020 audio drama of the same name, this slight debut feature alights on a mother-son dynamic so cringe-inducingly toxic that we can sympathize only with the man of the house (Jay O. Sanders), an academic who exists mainly to complain about his own irrelevance.

And not without reason, when neither his wife, Evelyn (a firmly deglamorized Julianne Moore), nor their teenage son, Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), bothers to attend his promotion to chancellor. Evelyns exhausted-hippie look and teeny-tiny car fit perfectly with her job at a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, where she oozes the empathy and attention she denies her son. For his part, the perfectly named Ziggy (his head is filled with stardust) is a self-involved twit who cares for nothing except nurturing his professed passion and charisma, livestreaming his dorkily fervent folk rock to a rapt audience of international tweens.

When Evelyn, her voice thick with censure and disappointment, inquires about Ziggys future plans, he reveals aspirations that go no further than acquiring more followers and more generous tips. Where, she wonders, is the darling child who used to accompany her on protest marches? (Pete Seegers rousing version of Woody Guthries Union Maid, stomping over the films end credits, is an unexpected pleasure.) Once, Evelyn dreamed of editing Rolling Stone; now she dreams of having a son like Kyle (Billy Bryk), the sensitive, caring young man whose mother is one of Evelyns abused residents. Deciding that Kyle is too special for the blue-collar life hes contemplating, Evelyn resolves to help him ascend the class ladder, one Ethiopian meal and college application at a time.
In September 2020, when federal authorities charged Baimadajie Angwang, a Marine Corps veteran and New York Police Department officer, with acting as an illegal agent of China, the head of New Yorks F.B.I. office called him the definition of an insider threat.

The government has quietly changed its mind.

On Thursday, in a brief and subdued hearing in a Brooklyn courtroom, a federal judge granted prosecutors request to dismiss the charges against Officer Angwang.

The swift unraveling of the case  which had been hailed as a signature example of the Justice Departments efforts to root out foreign agents embedded in the United States  came with scant detail, much of it obscured by classification. In court Thursday, a federal prosecutor said that a holistic consideration of new evidence, developed in the two years since Officer Angwangs arrest, had persuaded prosecutors to drop the case.

For Officer Angwang, the dismissal was vindication, but not before the charges exacted a steep cost. Accused of spying on Tibetans for two Chinese consular officials, he spent six months in a jail cell, then under strict home monitoring as a flight risk. He remains on paid leave from the Police Department, his future uncertain.
I would later come face-to-face with those who wanted me dead. As the first female deputy speaker of the Afghan Parliament, I was among my countrys representatives in peace talks with the Taliban in Doha in 2021. The Taliban delegation promised to cut all ties with Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, form an inclusive government and refrain from threatening other countries. During one meeting, Taliban members looked me in the eye and declared that women would be allowed to engage in business and all manner of social and political life, and to become government ministers, even prime minister.

Instead, they are once again erasing women  barring them from traveling alone in public, seeking employment or pursuing education beyond grade six. The threat faced by women was underlined this week when Mursal Nabizada, a former legislator and one of countless women who were lifted up in the years following the first Taliban regime, was gunned down at her home in Kabul. Despite Taliban promises, Al Qaedas leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, a patron of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was found to be living in Kabul, where he was killed last year in a U.S. drone attack. A humanitarian disaster is now playing out under the Talibans chaotic misrule.

International leverage is limited, but to allow the situation to continue on its current course is unconscionable.

Led by the United States, which invested so much blood and treasure in helping the Afghan people claw out of the Taliban abyss all those years ago, the world must cease any further contact with the Taliban and intensify engagement with Afghan opposition groups, especially womens rights groups. All Taliban offices abroad must be closed, its officials barred from traveling overseas and all remaining foreign revenue streams cut off, including the income from drug trafficking that has long helped sustained them. Legal bodies such as the International Criminal Court should initiate investigations of human rights violations in the country.

Actions like these wont change things overnight and could endanger the tenuous cooperation with the Taliban needed to ensure continued supplies of badly needed international humanitarian aid. Every effort should be made to ensure that aid supplies are unaffected.

But Taliban leaders have so far enjoyed a sense of impunity. They must be made to feel the same pain that the people of Afghanistan feel until they deliver on every one of their broken promises.

The alternative is to doom the Afghan people to the same nightmare that my generation lived through and to sit back while Afghanistan descends further into chaos and extremism that could soon emanate beyond the region to the shores of the United States.
When people have outsize emotional reactions to benign inquiries about their self-evident beliefs, it is often an indicator that status is doing invisible work. That makes the culture, economics and politics of blondness great ways to think about how status derives its power and how we use that power in our own lives. Now were having a conversation about the real meaning of blonde that builds on research. Racism Without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, a sociologist at Duke, is a classic study on the discursive strategies we use to talk about race without talking directly about race. The book informs my thinking about euphemisms for race and status.

Bonilla-Silva argues that white people have an in-group language to talk about racial categories, just as all groups do. We may use citizen or taxpayer or American to talk about dominant racial groups, which, in the American case, means white. We also use blonde not just to construct meaning about whiteness but also to describe how it is achieved and maintained. Sometimes our usage is also about gender and class and the status behaviors people develop to be legible as members of the dominant group. Id bet that if you envisioned a blonde at any point while reading this, the woman you pictured looks more like Reese Witherspoon than Beyonce. The tricky thing about status is that the specter of race is always close at hand.

Blond is the physical expression or phenotype of a genetic trait. The idea can be presented as a noun (blond for male, blonde for female) or an adjective (blond). Parents celebrate when a baby is born blond and cry if the child grows out of it. Some research finds that blondes make more money than brunettes (that might explain why they have more fun). The blonde stereotype Im thinking of is a modern invention of advertising and pop culture. The sociopolitical meaning of blonde as genetically superior, desirable is much older and more sinister. Many cultures have a language to describe blond but it does not always describe light hair. Sometimes it describes skin shade or economic capital. That is the case in Spanish, where rubia can mean more than light hair.

Ambitions to be a blonde, and sorrow for not winning this genetic lottery, are global. Readers from Spain, Italy, Brazil, South Korea and Sweden wrote to me about their different yet intertwining beliefs about blondness. They shared deeply personal comments on Instagram, Twitter, my university and public email addresses  anywhere they could find me, really. They wanted me to know how much not being blond has affected their lives. Some mentioned heartbroken grandparents who mourn darkening hair on a young child. Another remembered being a dark-haired Jewish child who concluded that she could never be good enough. There was the woman who used blondness to buffer fat bias. There is a lot of loss wrapped up in blondes status. Maybe that is why staying blond is so expensive. The process can also be painful. Yet, a vast majority of the worlds blondes are that way because of chemical intervention.

I may need to convince you that unpacking what blonde means as a social status is worth your consideration. I am up for the task. It helps that Im bringing a gang. I will be talking with writers, anthropologists, economists and readers about what blonde means. They can help us understand the class distinctions people make about people who achieve blonde from $10 at-home kits versus those who pay $1,500 for it. They can also help us make sense of why so many women in conservative media are also blondes.
For years, giant social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have operated under two crucial tenets.

The first is that the platforms have the power to decide what content to keep online and what to take down, free from government oversight. The second is that the websites cannot be held legally responsible for most of what their users post online, shielding the companies from lawsuits over libelous speech, extremist content and real-world harm linked to their platforms.

Now the Supreme Court is poised to reconsider those rules, potentially leading to the most significant reset of the doctrines governing online speech since U.S. officials and courts decided to apply few regulations to the web in the 1990s.

On Friday, the Supreme Court is expected to discuss whether to hear two cases that challenge laws in Texas and Florida barring online platforms from taking down certain political content. Next month, the court is scheduled to hear a case that questions Section 230, a 1996 statute that protects the platforms from liability for the content posted by their users.
It was a surprising oversight in the centuries-old repertoire of the Comedie-Francaise, Frances foremost theater company. Until now, it had never performed Georg Buchners 1835 Dantons Death, arguably the best-known play set during the French Revolution.

A new production by the French director Simon Deletang tried to right that wrong this week, but it may have come too late. Given the Comedie-Francaises affinity for prestige period dramas, the feuding revolutionaries of Dantons Death should be an easy fit. Yet Deletang, who was until recently the director of the indoor-outdoor Theatre du Peuple in the Vosges Mountains, plays into the companys worst instincts, with a staging that eschews historical insight for endless grandstanding in front of candelabras.

The Comedie-Francaises actors undoubtedly look good in knee breeches, but youd be hard-pressed to know what they, or Deletang, make of the revolution, based on this production. Part of the issue is that, from a French perspective, Buchners play feels dated. Buchner, a German playwright, wrote it at age 21, using the historical sources available to him in the 19th century.

The result, which is laced with literary references, dramatizes the rivalry between two revolutionary leaders, Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre. Formerly friends, they are at odds when Dantons Death starts, at the height of the Reign of Terror, in 1794. In the play, Danton is as hedonistic as Robespierre is inflexible; Robespierre is also ready to sacrifice anyone to the virtuous new republic  starting with Danton, whose relative moderation he has grown to despise. These are undoubtedly meaty roles, and other important historical figures make appearances, including Louis Antoine de Saint-Just and Camille Desmoulins.
By the middle of this century, most cars and buses should be powered by renewable energy, while bikes, electric trains and your own two feet will continue to have little impact on the climate. And if global aviation achieves the goal it adopted last year, then your 2050 flight from New York to Hong Kong will result in net zero carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Theres no guarantee that the industry will get there, but the technologies being developed in pursuit of the target will change aviation, regardless of whether the goal is met.

In the years leading up to the pandemic, aviation emitted roughly a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, about as much as the entire continent of South America in 2021. And the figures are bouncing back as passengers return to the skies. But major airlines, including six of the largest U.S. airlines, have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, if not sooner. At a meeting in October of the United Nations agency dedicated to civil aviation, delegates from 184 countries adopted net zero by 2050 as a long-term global aspirational goal.

Aspirational is the operative word. Aviation is what experts refer to as a hard-to-abate sector, meaning there arent currently any easy, market-ready technologies that can drastically reduce its carbon emissions. And the net qualifier attached to the goal means that airlines can account for any CO2 they continue to emit either by using traditional carbon offsets, a practice that has attracted major criticism, or by capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
Many anti-abortion activists are now more focused on legislative wrangling and legal battles playing out in the states, and the internal conflicts to contend with there: Those opposed to abortion disagree on things like whether to settle for a ban at 12 or 15 weeks, and whether to carve out exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

The March for Life is ramping up its network of state events. And the march has a new route, ending not at the Supreme Court as it has for 49 years, but between the court and the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing that the judiciary is still critically important, Ms. Mancini said, but now, so is Congress.

Many groups, including the Catholic high schools that send busloads of students to the event, are still planning to make the trek to Washington. This will be the first occasion for the entire movement to gather since its triumph in the high court last summer.

Historically, the march has been the place everybody had to be if they were anybody in the pro-life movement, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, the author of several books on abortion law and politics.

But the end of Roe compounded existing fractures in the movement and upended its hierarchy, Ms. Ziegler said. (She has written opinion pieces in support of abortion rights.)
MIAMI  Florida will not allow a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies to be offered in its high schools, stating that the course is not historically accurate and violates state law.

In a letter last week, the Florida Department of Education informed the College Board, which administers A.P. exams, that it would not include the class in the states course directory. Rigorous A.P. courses allow high school students to obtain credit and advanced placement in college.

As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value, the departments office of articulation, which oversees accelerated programs for high school students, wrote on Jan. 12. In the future, should the College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion.

The letter, with no name attached to it, did not cite which law the course violated or what in the curriculum was objectionable. The department did not respond to questions asking for more details. But last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed legislation that restricted how racism and other aspects of history can be taught in schools and workplaces. The laws sponsors called it the Stop WOKE Act. Among other things, it prohibits instruction that could make students feel responsibility for or guilt about the past actions of other members of their race.
Four former correctional officers in Hawaii have been handed prison sentences ranging from one to 12 years for beating an inmate in 2015, breaking his jaw, nose and eye socket, and trying to cover up the abuse, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

The inmate, a man who was held at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center and whose name federal prosecutors did not release, was kicked in the face, head and body, prosecutors said. The four officers then lied about the abuse, writing false reports and providing false testimony, according to court filings.

Two of the former officers, Jordan DeMattos, 31, and Craig Pinkney, 39, were sentenced this month. Jonathan Taum, 50, was sentenced in November, and Jason Tagaloa, 31, was sentenced in December, according to the Justice Department.

Physical abuse and corruption by officials working inside jails and prisons is unacceptable, no matter where it occurs, Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney general with the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, said in a statement Wednesday.
The British actor Julian Sands, known for his role in the critically acclaimed 1986 film A Room With a View, among others, is one of two missing hikers the authorities are searching for in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California following a period of heavy rain and snow across the area.

Mr. Sands, 65, of North Hollywood, was reported missing on Friday after hiking alone on a trail on Mount Baldy, more than 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles, Mara Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, said on Thursday. The trails there are popular but also labeled challenging and strenuous on hiking websites.

Search efforts had been affected by trail conditions and the risk of avalanche, Ms. Rodriguez said.

However, we continue to search by helicopter and drones when weather permits, she added.

Elsewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains, the authorities are searching separately for another missing hiker, Robert Gregory, 61, of Hawthorne, Calif. That search is being handled by the Hawthorne Police Department, supported by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office San Dimas station.
In the end, I think the important thing to remember is that America must never default on its debt, Mr. McConnell said in Kentucky. It never has, and it never will. But we will end up in some kind of negotiation with the administration over what are the circumstances or conditions under which the debt ceiling be raised.

He added: I would not be concerned with a financial crisis.

White House officials say it is inappropriate to attach any conditions to raising the limit. They also say Republicans are not serious about reducing deficits, pointing to the first bill the new House took up this month. That legislation would cut new funding for the Internal Revenue Service to crack down on wealthy tax cheats, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated would generate $180 billion over 10 years. The bill to repeal that funding would add more than $100 billion in additional budget deficits over the next decade, according to the offices estimates.

Theyre threatening to kill millions of jobs and 401(k) plans by trying to hold the debt limit hostage unless they can cut Social Security, cut Medicare, cut Medicaid, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Wednesday.

Congress still has a few months to find a way to raise the limit. The Treasury is expected to employ its extraordinary measures for as long as possible. But the economic toll could mount the closer the country comes to running out of cash, which could result in the United States being unable to pay its bondholders and defaulting on its debt. In 2011, as the standoff escalated, investors grew jittery, driving up borrowing costs for businesses and home buyers.
WASHINGTON  John C. Eastman, a legal architect of Donald J. Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times under questioning by the House Jan. 6 committee.

But in recently released testimony from the committees investigation, other witnesses had plenty to say about him.

Many White House lawyers expressed contempt for Mr. Eastman, portraying him as an academic with little grasp of the real world. Greg Jacob, the legal counsel to former Vice President Mike Pence, characterized Mr. Eastmans legal advice as gravely, gravely irresponsible, calling him the serpent in the ear of Mr. Trump. Eric Herschmann, a Trump White House lawyer, recounted chewing out Mr. Eastman. Pat A. Cipollone, the chief White House counsel, is described calling Mr. Eastmans ideas nutty.

In the coming months, Mr. Eastman will be facing a legal reckoning. He has been drawn into the criminal investigation into election interference in Atlanta, which is nearing a decision on potential indictments. The F.B.I. seized his iPhone. And the Jan. 6 committee, in one of its last acts, asked the Justice Department to investigate Mr. Eastman on a range of criminal charges, including obstructing a congressional proceeding. For good measure, he faces a disciplinary bar proceeding in California.
(Though often used interchangeably, fonts and typefaces are not the same thing. Calibri is a typeface, while fonts include other factors, like size or bolding. A 12-point Arial is a different font than a 14-point Arial, but they use the same typeface of Arial.)

The long-running divide: serif v. sans serif

One debate has taken place over typefaces that use serifs, or those with the little wings and feet at the edges of many characters (as in the typefaces used by The New York Times). Several experts said the research now leans strongly toward the conclusion that sans serif fonts are more readable, but there is a decades-long history of disagreement.

Some researchers have argued that serifs help guide readers and reduce confusion  the word Ill, for example, can be difficult to read if the three characters look identical, but serif fonts help distinguish between a capital I and a lowercase l. The letters q, p, d and b are all shaped identically but rotated, and some have argued serifs make them easier to identify.

But increasingly experts are finding the ease of reading sans serif fonts wins out, and was a large part of the reasoning behind the State Department change, which was earlier noted by a reporter for The Washington Post. The department has used Times New Roman since 2004, when it switched from another serif font, Courier New.

Serif fonts have an extra flourish that makes it look pretty for many people, but can clutter what is on the page, Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley said in an interview, echoing the dominant thinking among researchers. And thats what makes it harder to distinguish for people with visual disabilities than just having a very clean font with no extra bits and pieces around it.
It has always been one of the most intriguing stories surrounding the storming of the Capitol: On the evening of Jan. 5, 2021  a day before the building was attacked  the leaders of the two far-right groups that ultimately played a central role in the assault came face-to-face in an underground parking garage on Capitol Hill.

The mysterious meeting brought together Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia. Now part of Capitol riot lore, it has been described alternately as proof of a conspiracy between the organizations and as an innocuous encounter by two like-minded men who were both in Washington that day to support President Donald J. Trump.

On Thursday, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy trial of Mr. Tarrio and four other members of the Proud Boys revealed new details about the meeting that only served to make it more tantalizing  and elusive.

Without the jury present, the prosecutors told Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who is presiding at the trial, that a video of the get-together taken by a documentary filmmaker included a portion in which someone could be heard saying aloud: Its inevitable. Its going to happen. We just have to do it strong, fast, together.
President Biden took office pledging to admit thousands more refugees. The nonprofits were still ramping up again when the United States exodus from Afghanistan in August 2021 fueled a mass evacuation of allies. Limited resources were diverted to the evacuees, and refugees from other countries, some of whom had already waited years to reach the United States, were even further delayed.

The new private sponsorship initiative aims to expand the capacity of the program and accelerate arrivals. Groups of a minimum of five people who are willing to sponsor a refugee family must raise at least $2,275 per refugee to participate. The private sponsors will be expected to provide the same broad support to new refugee families as the nonprofit agencies, which will continue to resettle the vast majority of refugees.

In Welcome Corps first year, the goal is to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to help at least 5,000 refugees, and then scale up to make the program an enduring feature of the refugee system. The first refugees who will be assisted by private sponsors are expected to arrive in April.

We hope it will become as widely known and engage as many Americans as the Peace Corps, Ms. Valls Noyes said. It will tap into the energy, expertise and resources of communities across the country, and will strengthen them in the process.
A San Francisco art gallery owner who was recorded on video spraying a homeless woman with a hose outside his business last week has been charged with misdemeanor battery, the citys district attorney said.

The video, made by a bystander on Jan. 9, shows a man identified by the police as Shannon Collier Gwin, 71, who runs the Foster-Gwin Gallery in the citys Financial District, leaning against a railing with his legs crossed at the ankle.

Holding the nozzle in his right hand and supporting a length of the hose with his left, he aims a steady stream of water at the woman, who is sitting on the sidewalk surrounded by her belongings.

Move, move, move, the man says after he stops spraying. OK? You gonna move? he adds, pointing down the sidewalk.
The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, also known as the new 988 hotline, has been operational for only six months, and it has already handled more than two million inquiries across phone calls, chats and text messages.

This number far surpasses the inquiries received in the same time period the previous year, when the hotline was 10 digits long.

The old number, previously called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, was established in 2005.

Leaders of the 988 rollout efforts said that the significant usage was not surprising. A large influx of federal cash has helped expand the number of crisis centers across the country  there are now around 200  and has supported more robust staffing, they said. And the three-digit number is much simpler to remember and dial.
JOHANNESBURG  South Africas military announced on Thursday that it plans to hold joint training exercises off its coast next month with Russia and China, a move criticized by the United States, which has been trying to rally other countries to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine.

The exercises will coincide with the one-year anniversary of the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24. South Africa was among three dozen countries that abstained last year in a vote in the United Nations to condemn Russia for its claim to have annexed several regions of Ukraine.

South Africa has conducted military exercises with Russia and China before, as well as with the United States and NATO countries. The South African National Defense Force said that the upcoming drills, to be held from Feb. 17 to 27 near the coastal towns of Durban and Richards Bay, are a means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

The United States, which has fostered a decades-long strategic partnership with South Africa, immediately expressed disapproval. David Feldmann, a spokesman for the United States Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, said in a statement, We note with concern the plan by South Africa to move ahead with the joint exercises even as Moscow continues its brutal and unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
WOODO, South Korea  Jeoung Byeong-deok remembered how a grateful old woman waited on the pier so she could wave goodbye when his ship pulled away from the island.

Its the kind of thing that makes you feel proud that you are doing something good, he said.

Mr. Jeoung, 57, is the captain of the 128-ton Jeonnam 511, one of five government-run hospital ships in South Korea that bring free medical services to hundreds of islands scattered off the countrys south and west coasts.

The ships have been in operation for decades, but their necessity has increased in recent years. The islands  like the rest of rural South Korea  have seen their populations decline rapidly as the country deals with the fallout of a demographic crisis.
PARIS  More than a million protesters, chanting slogans like retirement before arthritis, took to the streets throughout France on Thursday to protest President Emmanuel Macrons plan to raise the legal age of retirement to 64 from 62.

Striking workers, from Calais in the north to Marseille in the south, closed schools, stopped many trains, disrupted the Paris Metro, lowered electricity output and curtailed flights, as France once again roused itself to resist tampering with its protective social model.

Mr. Macron, who is in the first year of his second and last term, wants to push through an overhaul of what he views as an untenable pension system. He sees this as a core part of his legacy. But in a country where work is viewed by many as a burden rather than an opportunity, and retirement as the panacea beyond it, his determination has ignited fierce resistance.

Labor unions, from the extreme left to the moderate center, united behind the protests, as did often splintered left-of-center political parties. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the extreme-right National Rally party that has attracted growing support among the working class, also called for an unjust reform to be blocked.
Germany on Wednesday ended weeks of speculation by saying it would send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and also allow other countries to send their own.

Here is a brief look at the Leopard 2 tanks and how they could be valuable to Ukraine.

What is a Leopard 2 tank?

The Leopard 2 is one of the worlds leading battle tanks, used by the German Army for decades and by the militaries of more than a dozen other European nations, as well as by the armies of countries as far apart as Canada and Indonesia. It has seen service in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.

The tank, which is powered by a diesel engine, features night-vision equipment and a laser range finder that can measure distance to an object, enabling it to better aim at a moving target while traveling over rough terrain. There are multiple iterations of the Leopard 2 with different features and designs.

How could the tank help Ukraine?

Until now, both Ukraine and Russia have used Soviet-era tanks in battle, and the Leopards would offer a big step forward in capability. Ukraines government has been calling for tanks on top of earlier packages of military aid from allies in the United States and Europe that included aircraft, air defense systems to protect against Russian missile and drone attacks and longer-range artillery.
Since his arrest, Mr. Messina Denaro has been held in isolation in a high-security prison near the central Italian city of LAquila.

Image Mr. Messina Denaro, in a police booking photo taken after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy, on Monday. Credit... Carabinieri, via Getty Images

Even as Mr. Messina Denaro was wanted, investigators say, he had been living a comfortable life in Campobello di Mazara, a western Sicilian town of 11,000 people near his native Castelvetrano. He had gone into hiding without ever having been arrested, leaving investigators without fingerprints, which further created a sort of legend around him.

In the days since Mr. Messina Denaros arrest, the news media in Italy have delved deeply into details about his life on the lam, including the authorities discovery of a small, secret room behind a closet in one of his apartments.

The discovery set off speculation that police might find a so-called archive once owned by Salvatore Riina, the last boss of all bosses, who died in 2017. Mr. Messina Denaro was close to Mr. Riina, whose leadership stretched over all Sicilian mafia families.

A police informant had said that a collection of Mr. Riinas notes had been given to Mr. Messina Denaro and might shed light on connections between the mafia and national politicians, but investigators have yet to establish that such a trove exists.
Canada is sending 200 personnel carriers. Britain will donate 600 missiles. Sweden is giving artillery systems and armored vehicles. And in one of its single largest security commitments since the start of the war, the United States said on Thursday it will ship about 100 additional fighting vehicles to help Ukraine repel Russian advances.

But so far missing from a new weapons package that officials from NATO states will reaffirm at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday are American and German-made tanks that Ukraines leaders say are desperately needed  an issue that is expected to be center stage in the talks.

The debate over whether either country will allow their tanks onto Ukraines battlefields has been brewing for months. But after British officials gave word last week that they would send a platoon of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, demands have amped up for Berlin and Washington to quickly follow suit.

Ben Barry, a ground warfare expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said the pressure campaign by Ukraine and its immediate neighbors in Eastern Europe harkened back to a lesson from World War II, when the United States supplied the British Army with Sherman tanks to beat back enemy forces in Europe and North Africa.
Ukraine has established a commission to investigate the cause of a helicopter crash that killed 14 people including the countrys interior minister this week, an Air Force spokesman said on Thursday, but it will likely take weeks to reach a conclusion.

The helicopter came down on Wednesday near a kindergarten and a residential building in Brovary, a small town outside Kyiv, causing severe damage and panic among parents and children who were at the school. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine described it as a terrible tragedy.

The interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, was one of Mr. Zelenskys trusted advisers. The crash left a void at the top of the ministry just as Kyiv prepares for a possible Russian offensive in the spring and endures a barrage of missile and drone attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Ukraine will send six survivors of the crash abroad for treatment for burns, the deputy health minister, Iryna Mykychak, said. The six, who include children, are the most difficult and complex cases after the crash, she said, though she added in an appearance on Ukrainian television that none of them is in a critical or life-threatening condition.
The new right-wing Israeli government and the countrys judiciary were locked in a standoff Thursday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed upholding a Supreme Court ruling that called for the dismissal of a key government minister.

Mr. Netanyahu had taken no apparent action Thursday on removing his interior minister, Aryeh Deri, a day after the countrys highest court ruled that the minister should be fired, principally because he had recently been convicted of tax fraud and received a suspended prison sentence.

If Mr. Deri does not resign in the coming days or Mr. Netanyahu does not fire him, the legal dispute will compound a wider clash between the government and the judiciary that analysts consider one of the most profound in Israeli history.

Mr. Netanyahu faces an almost existential dilemma: Legal experts say there is no direct precedent for an Israeli leader failing to heed the ruling of the Supreme Court and would constitute a broadside against the rule of law, but removing a top official from his coalition could bring the government crashing down.
Last January, as the peak of the pandemic began to recede, Dave Andrade took a trip from his home in Santa Cruz, Calif., about an hour south of San Francisco, to the desert community of Palm Springs, where friends had recently moved to escape big-city life in the Bay Area.

After three days of this trip, I was like, I love it. I could really see myself living here, he said.

Mr. Andrade, 34, grew up in Santa Cruz and went to college in San Francisco, where he lived for about a decade after graduation. He returned to Santa Cruz in 2019 to be closer to family, and then to ride out Covid lockdowns. But he didnt have many friends nearby, and he didnt want to return to the Bay Area.

Like San Francisco, Palm Springs offered a thriving gay community, with a more relaxed vibe and much more affordable housing. I had lived my entire life in this 75-mile radius in Northern California, he said. I realized I wanted to try something different.

[Did you recently buy or rent a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]

In March, Mr. Andrade contacted Kevin Koerner, a friend who was a broker with Compass, to help him sift through properties. Mr. Koerner warned him that places were going fast. Palm Springs, historically, has been a destination for buyers looking for places to get away for the weekend, or a week, or to come here in the winter, he said. But a new wave of buyers had descended on the desert, looking for permanent homes, as jobs went remote.

Mr. Andrade set a budget of about $350,000 and began looking for a home with two bedrooms, so friends and family could comfortably visit. He also wanted an enclosed yard so his 3-year-old corgi, Gus, would have space to run around.

He considered condominiums and manufactured homes, sometimes called mobile homes, where the owner buys the building but pays a monthly fee to the mobile-park operator to lease the land beneath it. Mr. Andrade had grown up in a manufactured home in Santa Cruz and had most recently lived in one there, which he sold in the spring for $578,000  grossly overpriced, he said  as he hunted in Palm Springs.

Dave came into the market at the right time, Mr. Koerner said. He was in a financial position where he was able to do exactly what he wanted to do.

His plan was to bank the difference between the Santa Cruz sale and the Palm Springs purchase, and live off the profit. To me, it just makes sense not to spend more for a roof over my head than is absolutely necessary, said Mr. Andrade, who worked in tech for years and is now self-employed.

Among the homes he considered  all of which had a pool and spa in the complex:
Mass Protests in France as Macron Plans to Raise Legal Retirement Age

By The Associated Press  January 19, 2023
Brandon Vezmar, a 37-year-old man from Austin, Texas, has become an overnight celebrity after he decided to sue his first date for texting too much during a screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. He is asking for $17.31, which is how much he paid for her ticket.

Brandon and 35-year-old Crystal met on online dating app Bumble and went on their first and only date on May 6. Vezmar bought two tickets for the 3D screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, and he says everything was going good until 15 minutes into the movie, when his date took out her phone and started texting. At one point, it got too much for him to bear, and he asked the woman to either stop texting or go into the lobby of the theater. She left, and never came back, leaving without a ride home, as they had both arrived at the Barton Creek Square theater in her car. He later texted Crystal to ask for his money back, and when she refused to pay the $17.31 price of the ticket, he had no choice but to take her to court for it.

Photo: Brandon Vezmar/Facebook

It was kind of a first date from hell, Brandon told the Austin American-Statesman, adding that texting in a movie theater is one of his biggest pet peeves. In his court filing, he mentions that the defendant activated her phone at least 10-20 times in 15 minutes to read and send text messages, a claim that is disputed by his date. She says it was only a couple of time, and only because her friend had been in a fight with her boyfriend and needed support.

I did have a very brief date with Brandon, that I chose to end prematurely. His behavior made me extremely uncomfortable, and I felt I needed to remove myself from the situation for my own safety, Crystal, whose last name has not been revealed, told KVUE-TV. He has escalated the situation far past what any mentally healthy person would. I feel sorry that I hurt his feelings badly enough that he felt he needed to commit so much time and effort into seeking revenge. I hope one day he can move past this and find peace in his life.

Photo: video screengrab

But Brandon is obviously not the kind of guy who lets this kind of thing go, especially since this isnt just about him, but about the plight of daters everywhere.

While damages sought are modest, the principle is important as defendants behavior is a threat to civilized society, Vezmar wrote in his court filing.

I filed my theater texting lawsuit because online dating etiquette is at such a low ebb it needs to be actively corrected. People know what I mean, which is part of why the story went viral. Enough is enough of the nut-job, self-centered, bizarro-land experiences, he later Tweeted.

Photo: Brandon Vezmar/Twitter

Although he sounds like the worlds worst first date, Brandon says he has received a lot of support on social media, including from many women. Never been called a hero so many times in my life, he tweeted.

On the other hand, Crystal, who only learned about the lawsuit after being contacted by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, claims that she has done nothing wrong, and that Vezmar just blew the whole thing out of proportion.

I am not a bad woman, I just went on a date, she told the newspaper. I had my phone low and I wasnt bothering anybody, it wasnt like constant texting.

She chose to leave because her date was making her uncomfortable, and admits to receiving a call from him a few days later, asking for his $17.31 back. She refused to pay because he took me out on a date, but then he contacted her sister to try and get the money from her. He later also sent messages to people with the same last name on Facebook, to try and get her address for the court filing. Crystal said that his harassing behavior made her plan to file a protective order against Vezmar.

In his court filing, Brandon Vezmar says that the defendant was in direct violation of the theaters policy and her actions adversely affected his viewing experience.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

News of the bizarre lawsuit reached James Gunn, the writer and director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, who tweeted Why stop at suing? She deserves jail time!

In a news update, the Statesman reports that Tim League, the CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, offered Vezmar a $17.31 gift certificate to settle lawsuit.

Look, I heard the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a pretty good movie, but isnt this a bit too much?
A UK woman has been issued a restraining order after reportedly sending her ex-boyfriend up to 150 texts per day, trying to rekindle their relationship.

28-year-old Michelle Felton was recently banned from contacting her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Harley, in any way for 18 months, and sentenced to 18 months of community service with 30 days of rehabilitative activity. The young woman from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, reportedly harassed Mr. Harley by texting and calling him over 1,000 times after being dumped by him. Despite making it clear that he did not want anything to do with her, Harley claims that she continued trying to contact him and rekindling their 21-month romance.

Photo: Kelli McClintock/Unsplash

Mr Harley informed Miss Felton that he wished to end the relationship. He said that it had been toxic in his view. She did not agree with that, and it led to the harassment offense, prosecutor Arron Smith said. Between the dates of February 15 and February 26 (2022), there was a constant barrage of messages. There were 100s of messages each day, missed calls and texts sent without reply.

They are not threatening messages or abusive messages, but its the constant nature of them. She stated that she loves Mr Harley, that she was hurt that the relationship was over, and did not want to continue living, Smith added. She sent photos of her and said that he belongs to her.

Ryan Harley said that his ex-girlfriends constant texting caused him great discomfort and that he had made it very clear that he did not want to continue dating her, but instead was looking to rebuild his life. She simply ignored his stance and continued sending him messages like Why wont you speak to me? I love you. Are we meeting tonight? Are we going out?

When Felton started showing up at his house unannounced and leaving gifts on his doorstep, Harley called the police and reported her behavior. The 28-year-old woman accepted responsibility for the harassment and took responsibility for the over 1,000 messages, but claims that her ex only filed the complaint to avoid being prosecuted for grievous bodily harm against her.

Miss Feltons defense lawyer told the court that Ryan Harley had accidentally broken one of her fingers during an argument where she had also kicked him in the groin. After convincing her not to go to a hospital, Harley allegedly cut off all communication with Felton, and she simply couldnt understand why.

Its a sad story but nevertheless here you are, Judge Alan Eyres told Felton. We have taken into account your late guilty plea and that you have no previous convictions. We do not want to see you again.


Pacific Surfliner Needs PR Engineer Mon., Apr. 10, 2023 The Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency wants a digital marketing firm to promote visibility and recover ridership that the Pacific Surfliner brand lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has budgeted $200K for the one-year effort.
Lawrence Bell

Lawrence Bell, a top aide to Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, will join Cornerstone Government Affairs on Feb. 15.

As Warnocks chief of staff during his 2020 senatorial campaign, Bell helped chart his path to becoming the first Black US Senator from Georgia.

As deputy chief of staff to Senator Warnock, Bell led the transition team for setting up the new office and took on the role of policy and legislative advisor.

Bell is a former trustee and current member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock is senior pastor.

Prior to joining Warnocks political team, Bell did a seven-year run at Troutman Sanders and exited as director of government and community affairs, and manager of external affairs, for the City of Atlanta.

Campbell Kaufman, Cornerstone managing director, said Bells relationships in Georgia and DC and understanding of the political landscapes in both places will be invaluable to current and future clients.
Gloria Vanderham

The Next Practices Group and The Bliss Group introduce NPG Health, a life sciences marketing and communications collective. The collective will launch alongside its first firm, Bliss Bio Health. Gloria Vanderham, who was most recently region Europe head of communications at Novartis AG, will serve as CEO for NPG Health and Bliss Bio Health. The Bliss Group founder and managing partner Michael Roth will take on the role of chair for both units. NPG Health and Bliss Bio Health will focus on early science, R&D research, medical education and advertising, commercialization, health programs and reimbursement. Our goal is to build a one-stop solution from atom to access that services our clients at the global level to meet the market needs, said Bob Pearson, chair of The Next Practices Group and CEO of The Bliss Group.

Motion has opened entries for its third annual Women of Impact Award. The award honors Chicago women who challenge the status quo in the marketing, advertising, public relations and communications fields. Award nominations, which include a 300-word entry outlining why the nominee deserves to be honored with the award, can be submitted via the online nomination form through Tuesday, Feb. 21. All entries will be evaluated by a panel of internal Motion team members who will then select three finalists to be announced on Wednesday, March 1. The 2023 Women of Impact Award winner will be announced Wednesday, March 8International Womens Day. Motion will make a donation on the winners behalf to a local charity supporting the empowerment of women. We feel strongly about elevating the visibility of womens accomplishments and highlighting those who are making waves in the industry, said Motion founder and CEO Kimberly Eberl.

Mod Op, a strategic marketing, design and communications agency, acquires Toronto-based creative agency Context Creative. Context Creative will become Mod Ops second location outside the US (it also has an office in Panama) and serve as Mod Ops Canadian headquarters. Context Creative founder Lionel Gadoury and agency principal Cate Jevons will join the Mod Op team as executive vp of strategy & creative and executive vp of client experience, respectively. This is the logical next step for our agency and enables us to offer our clients the well-known benefits of cross-border business relationships, said Mod Op CEO Eric J. Bertrand. Context Creatives well-rounded staff and expertise in the renewable energy and government sectors make it a perfect fit for Mod Op.
There has been increased focus on Gantly Road in Roscrea recently, which is a core part of a planned transformation of Roscrea town centre as part of the Council's new Town First strategy and the subsequent implementation of a new Masterplan to guide how the town of tomorrow evolves.

At the heart of the plans is a decision to upgrade Gantly Road to a fully fledged urban street and create Roscrea's newest commercial area - which will be named Gantly Street.

It is interesting to note that in the year when Gantly Road plays such a significant role in the future of the town, the tragic event which led to its name reaches a notable milestone on the 75th anniversary this Saturday.

Sean (John) Gantly, was born on October 6, 1899 on Main Street in Roscrea, son of Joseph Gantly (1860-1936) and Mary Anne (1863-1949) - nee Hannon.

Chief Supt. Sean Gantly from Roscrea

He remains the highest ranking Garda to ever lose their life in the line of duty. Regrettably, some controversy surrounds his memory, but in Roscrea he is forever remembered with the rare honour of a street named after him.

Having previously worked in administration, he joined An Garda Siochana on June 27, 1923. A member of the Gaelic League, he also saw military service in the B Coy, 2nd Dublin Battalion.

After the Truce he returned to Roscrea and went into business with a brother, but soon applied to join the Gardai and embarked on a career into which his brothers Joe in 1924, Tom and Mick in 1925, later followed.

He was promoted to Sergeant in 1924, Superintendent a year later and Chief Superintendent in 1941 and appointed head of the Special Branch on July 26, 1944. He was married with six children and also served in Kells, Donegal and Killarney.

On January 21, 1948, he and his men went in pursuit of a criminal, James Nolan, who had been on the run from Mountjoy Prison since the previous Christmas Eve. Nolan was believed to be hiding in Hammond Lane foundry.

In the course of the search and confusion Chief Supt. Gantly was accidentally shot by a colleague. He was given a State funeral, attended by President O'Kelly and the then Taoiseach, Eamon de Valera.

On May 9, 1998, a plaque to the memory of Chief Supt. Gantly was unveiled at the Special Detective Unit on Harcourt Square, but his name was not included on the Garda Roll of Honour for many years. Garda authorities said that "the circumstances of his death do not meet the usual criteria for inclusion".

His name was later included, but is not inscribed on the Cenotaph at the Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, despite being the most senior officer to have lost his life in the execution of his duty in this State.

Thankfully, his name is indelibly inscribed on the heart of his hometown.
A MAN convicted of allowing the smoking of cannabis at his house in Banagher denied a guard's claim that he called him a p...k in the courtroom at Tullamore District Court.

Garda David Treacy stated that Fabian Hand (26), 2 Main Street, Banagher, said I'll see you again, you p...k as he walked by him on his way out of the court after Judge Andrew Cody imposed a fine.

When Garda Treacy reported this to Judge Cody, Mr Hand said: I never opened my mouth.

Mr Hand said he was sorry if something was said but stated there was nothing said about a p...k or anything like that.

The exchange occurred after the court was told Mr Hand had previously entered a plea of guilty to knowingly permitting the smoking of cannabis at 2 Main Street, Banagher on April 28, 2021.

He also admitted obstructing Garda Treacy during the lawful exercise by the guard of power under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Outlining what happened during a search at Mr Hand's address, Garda Treacy said the accused threw one phone into a fire and broke another in two halves.

Drugs worth 600 and 4,080 in cash were found in the house and Mr Hand's father-in-law took responsibility for it. The drugs and cash were seized by the gardai.

The garda said that while the accused had no prior convictions for drugs offences, he had made payments to the poor box on two occasions when he was previously prosecuted for possession of cannabis and a similar payment was made when he was accused of possession of drugs for sale or supply, along with possession of drugs.

Two men had been arrested for possessing drugs for sale or supply at the time Mr Hand was accused of allowing it to be smoked.

Mr Hand's solicitor said his client was a father of one who lived with his partner. His only previous convictions were for road traffic offences and the occasions where payments were made to the poor box related to a contested matter which had come before Athlone District Court in 2020.

A police property application will be made in relation to the money in circumstances where the accused's partner is saying she is the owner of the majority of it.

The court heard money had been set aside for a rent payment and his partner had also taken out a loan from a credit union.

The defendant's partner was in court with him and she was pregnant. The accused was working in a hotel which housed Ukrainian refugees and so was not a burden on the State.

The house where the offence occurred had been raided previously and because of that Mr Hand destroyed the phones out of frustration.

The solicitor told Judge Cody that was what happened, even though it was not a reasonable excuse.

It's not a believable excuse either, replied the judge.

Judge Cody imposed a fine of 500 on the obstruction charge and gave Mr Hand six months to pay it. The other charge was taken into consideration.

When Mr Hand was asked by his solicitor to apologise after the guard reported his comment to the judge, the accused said he was sorry but stated he had not said anything.

Why would I say that? In the middle of a courtroom? said Mr Hand.

Before the accused left the courtroom Judge Cody told him: I'll give you a promise Mr Hand, if I see you again you'll remember it.
With the poor weather forecast on Thursday night last, there were still some brave hikers who took to the trails at Golden Grove and Orange Hill and they got lucky with no rain and limited winds.

Well done to Martin Ryan for leading the walk. Well done to everyone that made the effort.

This Thursday the 19th January we are back at a walk we have not done for quite awhile, The Brittas Lake Loop at Clonaslee. Grade: moderate , Time: 2 hours. Distance: 8km, Meeting at the Brittas Lake Trail Head in Clonaslee at 7pm, please bring head/hand torch and Hi Viz jacket.

Well done to everyone that made the effort on Sunday last with the Bog of Frogs Loop at Howth Head in Dublin. A fantastic turnout on a cold but dry January day. Our next Greenway walk will be the second section of The Grand Canal Way on Sunday the 26th February from Lock 12 to Sallins, 17km and a flat walk.

If you would like to join the group on any of their future walks you can contact Cathal on 086 3399193 or join our WhatsApp group. New members are always welcome.
THE 2023 Energy and Farm Business Show will take place at Gurteen College, County Tipperary on Thursday, July 20th 2023.

This one day event has quickly become the annual meeting place for farmers and landowners to explore energy, food and tourism options with a view to adding value and diversification to their enterprises.

The 2022 programme focused on three key areas - Energy, Farm Business Options and Land Use Change & Sustainability. Within this programme, an extensive agenda incorporating chief policy makers, industry leaders, farmers and landowners was scheduled across the day to provide insight and advice to attendees. Additionally, attendees had the benefit of one-to-one clinics, outdoor demonstrations, an extensive trade exhibitor showcase and the opportunity to meet with industry experts.

The agricultural conversation around sustainability has three pillars - economic, social and environmental. While the environmental side makes most of the agricultural headlines, this event strongly focuses on all three.

Areas that will be covered at the show in 2023 include Anaerobic Digestion, Energy Policy, Solar, Electricity, Biomass, Community Energy, Business Diversification, Food Business Start Ups, Agri Tourism, Organics, Forestry, Bio-economy and Agri-Tech. The support and advice clinics available on the day will focus on Financing, Taxation, Legal, Funding, Training and Upskilling.

This innovative and unique event, Energy and Farm Business Show, is a collaboration between Teagasc, Tipperary County Council, Irish Farmers Association, Tipperary Energy Agency, Gurteen College and TUS Midlands Midwest.

As new policy and market changes make diversification into energy, tourism and value-added food production a realistic option, The Energy and Farm Business Show on July 20th, 2023 really is a must-attend event for all farmers and landowners.

For more information visit https://energyinagriculture.ie/
LAST WEEK, objectors to a proposed meat plant near Banagher took a drone photo of the site, which, they claim, shows it's an unsuitable location because it's prone to flooding.

This site, which our county council saw fit for the erection of a 40 million Euro plant for meat processing, commented one of the objectors, Desmond Kampff, is prone to flooding and therefore is completely unsuitable.

He pointed out that the proposed plant will extend over nearly 20 hectares, covering a much larger area than the current disused abattoir buildings.

Mr Kampff and Gwen Wordingham, both living locally, initiated High Court proceedings against the proposed plant, called Banagher Chilling, in July. Mr Kampff said he was critically concerned about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed site three kilometres southeast of Banagher.

He said the facility will discharge its domestic and wastewater into the nearby Feeghroe stream (which runs along the western boundary of the 19.5 hectare site) and maintained this stream does not have the capacity to accommodate such discharges.

Their High Court case is claiming that An Bord Pleanala, when granting permission for Banagher Chilling to go ahead, broke the European Water Directive. An Bord Pleanala denies this charge.

Meanwhile, last week Deputy Barry Cowen said that objectors who lose High Court cases against major developments should foot the bill for the costs. The Deputy was speaking after confirmation that beef exports to China are resuming. Apparently, Banagher Chilling has Chinese backers, but the backers or the directors of the company have never been publicly named in the media. The largest company shareholder in Banagher Chilling Ltd is Tianwei Vision Holdings Ltd. Tianwei has a registered address in Ranelagh Dublin.

Banagher Chilling received permission from Offaly County Council in July 2020 for an extension to an existing disused abattoir along with a larger new facility at Boheradurrow and Meenwaun, Banagher. That decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala and the board gave the green light for the plant in June last year. The site is located beside Five Roads Cross which is the junction of the R438 Borrisokane to Cloghan road and a local road (the L3010 which connects Banagher with Kinnitty).

Beef shipments to China were suspended in May 2020 because of an isolated case of atypical BSE. The Department of Agriculture has been attempting to have the market reopened since and last week Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said negotiations with the Chinese authorities had been successful following the provision of technical information by Ireland.

Deputy Cowen said the Chinese market has huge potential.
QUESTIONS were asked at the January 12 meeting of Tullamore Municipal District as to when the traffic lights would be energised at the new junction at Collins Lane, Tullamore, near the Educate Together School.

Councillor Sean O'Brien said there was a lot of concern there from the residents on different estates. ''This has been going on for so long, it's quite a dangerous junction. I think it needs to be lit up as soon as possible. There were two serious accidents with cyclists there and it needs to be completed,'' he said.

Councillor Ken Smollen said there had been a number of accidents at the junction with cyclists hitting the path and going out over the handlebars.

''In order to create a clear distinction between the roadway and the cycle lane would it be possible to put a small plastic bollard between the road and cycle lane,'' he asked.

Responding Senior Executive Engineer, John Connelly said the junction is almost complete, but there are more road markings needed. ''The public lighting is working, that is energised, but the traffic lights are not,'' he said.

Mr Connelly said ''it is the only junction of its type outside of Dublin. It's the design and we have to try to get it right. It is at the transition stage, the cars have to come out right to the edge of the line and take the turns at a more sharper angle than would normally.''

He said the cycle lanes are currently closed because of incidents that happened earlier.

He added that the cycle lanes will be paved differently and the crossing through the junction will be red.

The Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District, Councillor Neil Feighery commented, ''we all want to see Collins Lane finished. We have to remember it is a groundbreaking junction that will allow for cycle lanes in conjunction with pedestrian traffic. While there was a bit of work to be done to future proof it, we look forward to it being energised. It is set to be a very positive addition to that area and to all the school going children who use it,'' he said.
China has been flying jets near the islands airspace daily recently in an ongoing act of provocation. Taiwan's foreign minister has plenty to say on the matter

Taiwans foreign minister Joseph Wu has announced that he believes China is more likely to invade Taiwan now, in order to shift attention away from the countrys domestic problems.

Speaking in a recent interview, Wu predicted that 2027 would be a likely year for China to proceed with military action on the island as President Xi Jinping would like to end his time in office with some kind of big achievement, as per Sky News.

Fighter jets

The statement comes at a time when tensions are running high as China continues to fly fighter jets around Taiwans airspace on a daily basis. The Chinese fighter jets are frequently crossing the 'median line'  the unofficial maritime border  with the number increasing five-fold from 2020 to 2022 and its daily count peaking three weeks ago.

Timo Volz - Unsplash

Wu went on to explain how volatile the situation is with just the slightest mistake having the potential to trigger a full-scale war.

Look at the proximity of the Chinese aircraft to our aircraft. If they cross the 24 nautical miles zone, some of our weapons systems might have to target those Chinese aircraft, and that might spark an accident, even though it might not be intentional for the Chinese pilots to cross the 24 nautical miles.

Very often, you see the sum of a tiny little accident might spark into a major war. Our pilots are very well-trained; they know they cannot fire the first shot.

People are not happy

Wu described how the unsettled situation in China is a factor in how and when tensions could escalate, predicting 2027 as a possible year for an invasion, as per Sky News:

To me, 2027 is the year that we need to watch out for. In 2027, Xi Jinping is likely to go into his fourth term, and, if in his previous three terms he cannot claim any achievement during his office, he might need to think about something else for him to claim as his achievement or his legacy.

The Chinese economy has been slowing recently; there has been a decline in real estate business; and the country is finding its feet again after Covid-19 so people are frustrated, Wu explained:

If you look at the Chinese situation right now, the economy is going down. People are not happy, the real estate business seems to be melting down.

Self-governed Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which claims the island as a part of its territory. China has been increasing military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the island since the 2016 election and has stated that any Taiwanese move towards a declaration of formal independence will prompt a military response, as per The Guardian.

Sources used:

- Sky News 'China 'more likely' to invade Taiwan - and attack could come in 2027, island's foreign minister Joseph Wu warns'

- The Guardian 'Dont appease China, warns Taiwans likely presidential successor'
South Africa: UIF pays over R1 billion in December

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) says it processed and paid out over R1 billion to 225 646 beneficiaries during December 2022 to ensure clients and their loved ones met their financial obligations during and after the festive season.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Labour said of the R1 billion, R876 million was paid towards unemployment benefits; R88 million towards maternity and parental benefits; R32 million towards dependants benefits; and R24 million towards illness benefits.

I am very pleased that we were able to disburse the R1 billion to so many of our clients during the busy December period. I have no doubt that this R1 billion pay out in benefits went a long way towards helping our clients put food on the table during the festive break and planning for crucial items such as purchasing stationery and uniforms for children in the beginning of the new year as schools reopened around the country, UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said.

Since the inception of the special COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (COVID-19 TERS) in March 2020 during the first lockdown, the fund has disbursed R62 billion to at least 5 million workers.

For the Workers Affected by Unrest (WABU): Temporary Financial Relief Scheme that was established to assist workers who lost income as a result of the July 2021 unrest, the UIF has paid out R21 million to 6 404 workers, Maruping said.

Maruping said the fund remains committed to providing social security to UIF contributors and their beneficiaries in line with the Constitution which states that everyone has the right to have access to social security".

The Commissioner added that this year the fund will redouble its efforts to improve service delivery and continue paying out claims to qualifying clients and their beneficiaries as efficiently as possible.

We will also be enhancing our Information and Communications Technology systems and launching a data free mobile Application (APP), a free USSD system, and a few other platforms to bolster and improve service delivery to our clients and stakeholders. Further announcements to these developments will be made in due course," Maruping said.

Maruping also acknowledged the dedicated UIF officials in all provinces who continue to make benefit payments to the clients possible.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
This aerial photo taken on Jan. 17, 2023 shows a morning view of Jingtang Port Area at Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province.(Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)

Chetan Ahya, chief Asia economist at Morgan Stanley, said that a sound recovery of the world's second-largest economy could provide a timely boost to the global economy.

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's economy is expected to deliver a strong recovery in 2023, buoyed by the country's optimized epidemic response and effective pro-growth policies, an economist at Morgan Stanley has said.

Mobility indicators across the country, such as intracity traffic and subway ridership, "have already rebounded meaningfully in early 2023," Chetan Ahya, chief Asia economist at Morgan Stanley, told Xinhua recently via email.

"We think this will help support a higher level of economic activity from an earlier starting point, supporting GDP growth throughout the year," he said.

In a research note released last week, Morgan Stanley raised its outlook for China's GDP growth in 2023 from 5.4 percent to 5.7 percent, predicting that a rebound in activity will come earlier and be sharper than expected.

The rapid rebound in mobility and the alignment of COVID-19 management, economic and regulatory policy to promote growth are two major reasons for the upward revision of the forecast, said Ahya.

He said that China has pledged to synergize its fiscal and monetary policies with its COVID-19 response shift to facilitate growth recovery, adding that "regulatory policy has also turned more conducive to anchoring market expectations."

Residents dine out in a restaurant in the Nanqiang Street of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

Moreover, the annual Central Economic Work Conference affirmed commensurate support for both state-owned and private enterprises, continued the Morgan Stanley economist.

"This backdrop should support both a stronger policy pass-through and private sector confidence, allowing a strong growth recovery to take hold in 2023," Ahya noted.

He said that a comeback in private consumption, especially services consumption, will be a crucial driver for growth.

The economist expected China's real household consumption growth to be lifted to 8.5 percent in 2023 and an improvement in investment, including the property sector, with policy support.

Ahya also said that a sound recovery of the world's second-largest economy could provide a timely boost to the global economy.

"China's counter-trend recovery should provide an uplift to aggregate demand around the world, with the strongest positive spillover effects to the rest of Asia and Europe," said Ahya.
Santos has recorded a record year of revenue after the price it received for exporting gas soared due to Europe turning away from sourcing the fuel from Russia.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said the government officials onboard had been travelling to a combat zone.
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Julian Sands has been reported missing after going for a hike on the deadly Mount Baldy in Southern California. Authorities have been searching for the 65-year-old British actor  who currently lives in North Hollywood  after his family reported him missing on Friday, January 13. Click inside to read more Around 7:30pm on Friday, [...]
The Ukraine Contact Group prepares to meet at the US military base in Ramstein, Germany. NATO and its allies seem set to upgrade arms deliveries to Ukraine. This may include the German Leopard 2 battle tank.
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A proposed bill in Utah would ban gender-affirming surgery for minors. Several states across the U.S. have considered similar bans, including Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona.
Eric Schmitt, freshman senator from Missouri, vows to bring a "fighting spirit" to Capitol Hill and "go after" an "overzealous and overbearing and overreaching federal government."
Washington (AFP) Jan 18, 2023



Microsoft on Wednesday said it would lay off 10,000 employees in the coming months as the economic downturn continues to punish US tech giants. The job cuts will affect slightly less than five percent of employees and follow in the wake of similar moves by Facebook-owner Meta, Amazon and Twitter which have announced thousands of layoffs in the once-unassailable tech sector. The cuts were
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  A 24-year-old woman and her 1-year-old son were identified Wednesday as the victim of a fatal polar bear attack in an isolated Alaska Native village.



Summer Myomick of Saint Michael and her son, Clyde Ongtowasruk, were killed in the attack, Alaska State Troopers said in a statement.



The attack occurred near the school in Wales.



Poor weather and a lack of runway lights at the Wales gravel air strip prevented troopers and wildlife officials from making it to Wales on Tuesday after the polar bear attack. Attempts were being made again Wednesday.



When asked to describe the mood in Wales on Wednesday, Dawn Hendrickson, the school principal, called it traumatic.



Classes were canceled a day after the fatal attack. The students are with their families, Hendrickson said. Counselors were being made available to students.



Like many far-flung Alaskan villages, the predominantly Inupiaq community of roughly 150 people organizes patrols when the bears are expected in town, from July through early November, before the sea ice forms and bears head out on the frozen landscape to hunt seals.



THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.



ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  A polar bear chased several residents around a tiny, isolated Alaska Native whaling village, killing two people in an extremely rare attack before another community member shot and killed the bear, authorities said



The fatal mauling of a woman and a boy happened Tuesday in Wales, an isolated Bering Strait coastal community located on the western-most tip of the North American mainland  about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Russia  that is no stranger to co-existing with polar bears.



Like many far-flung Alaskan villages, the predominantly Inupiaq community of roughly 150 people...
By Mohamed Chebaro*



Manufactured charges of spying for the West are commonplace in Iran and are usually allocated based on the level of pressure the government is feeling domestically or internationally. Saturdays execution of dual Iranian-British citizen and former Deputy Defense Minister Alireza Akbari, who was arrested...
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (18 January 2023), where he called for more support to Ukraine.



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By Henry RidgwellUkraine says the West must speed up the delivery of weapons as its troops come under increasing pressure from invading Russian forces, ahead of a key meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group of NATO allies in Ramstein, Germany on Friday.



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The secretary arrived in Berlin and will meet with the newly appointed German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius.



Weve worked...
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This shot shows the snowfield found at St. Mary's Glacier in Colorado. While quite dirty in this image, that's snow on the bottom right. This snow tends to collect dirt and dust during warmer months of the year. Image Credit: Starcevic (iStock).
Director of Content and Operations

Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The Benin government has on Wednesday ordered the reinstatement of 305 teachers who were dismissed from the civil service for refusing to be evaluated
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Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the National Unity Government, Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba, stressed here Thursday the importance of developing cooperation with Malta in all governmental sectors, and speeding up the opening of a consulate general in Benghazi, eastern Libya
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If this seems absurd to you, then [note that] it is exactly what Roman Catholicism teaches, in asserting that God grants power to Mary to hear the thousands of simultaneous prayers addressed to her. The person prays, and God takes his prayer to Mary.

If this seems absurd to you, then [note that] it is exactly what Roman Catholicism teaches, in asserting that God grants power to Mary to hear the thousands of simultaneous prayers addressed to her. The person prays, and God takes his prayer to Mary.

Hello my friend. As you yourself say, God grants power to Mary to hear . . . prayers. So far so good. The prayers are then directed through her to God, not through God to Mary. All Catholics are doing is applying what James recommended: The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects (James 5:16, RSV, as throughout).

*

So we go to the person whom we believe to be the most righteous of all: Mary. There are several passages in the Bible (Ive documented them) urging us to go to a holy person, rather than directly to God, to offer our petitions.

*

Anyone can go directly to God in prayer at any time. I want to make that crystal clear, and the Catholic Church teaches this. But they can also choose to wisely ask a person holier than themselves to make a prayer request of God, because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer (1 Pet 3:12), and When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears (Ps 34:17). God told Abimelech that Abraham would pray for him, so he could live, for Abraham was a prophet (Gen 20:6-7). So was God the mediator of Abraham in that instance?

*

All Israel (1 Sam 12:1) said to Samuel [the prophet], Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die. . . (1 Sam 12:19). God told Jobs friends: my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly (Job 42:8). Was God the mediator of Job, too? Why did God listen to Jobs prayers? Its because God Himself stated that there is none like Job on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil (Job 1:8). King Zedekiah asked the holy prophet Jeremiah to pray for him and the country (Jer 37:3).

*

How about petitionary prayer requests made to someone other than God, who is dead? No problem. Jesus Himself taught that the rich man who died (and this is not a parable, which never include proper names) could make prayer requests to Abraham (Luke 16). In the KJV, it even says, I pray thee. Abraham turned down his requests (just as God sometimes turns ours down), but he never told the rich man, Why are you praying to me?! You must only pray to God!!!!!

*

St. Paul and others, including potentially, we ourselves, function as mini-mediators of Gods grace and salvation just like Mary does:

*

1 Corinthians 7:16 Wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife? * 1 Corinthians 9:22 I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. * 2 Corinthians 4:15 For it [his many sufferings: 4:8-12, 17] is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. * Ephesians 3:2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of Gods grace that was given to me for you . . . * 1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to yourself and to your teaching: hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. * James 5:20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

* 1 Peter 3:1 . . . some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, *

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of Gods varied grace.

*

The Bible also states several times that we are His co-workers and that His works are ours and vice versa:

*

Mark 16:20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

* 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are Gods fellow workers; you are Gods field, Gods building. * 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. * 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

* Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. * Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

*

All of this being the case, it is nothing so unbelievable or extraordinary to believe in faith (in line with Catholic tradition) that God chose to involve Mary in intercession and the distribution of graces, even should He decide to do so in every case. God can do whatever He wants!

*

It is written in the Psalms and prophets that God could raise up a rock or a tree to sing His praises, if stubborn men refuse to do so. God once used a donkey to speak and express His will to Balaam. He can use babies, or infants, and the most unlikely, unexpected human beings. He appeared in a burning bush and in a cloud. He chose to come to earth as a baby!

*

Why should anything He does or chooses to do surprise us, or make us wonder in befuddlement? The ending of Job makes this clear enough. His thoughts are as far above ours as the stars are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9).

*

Mary is simply a helper or chosen vessel, just as Moses or John the Baptist or Elijah or Paul or Peter or John or anyone else was. In no way does this impinge upon Gods sole prerogatives because He is simply using one of His creatures for His divine purposes. There is nothing intrinsically impossible, excessive, idolatrous, or unbiblical in these beliefs: held by Catholics through the centuries and firmly entrenched in Sacred Tradition. It is not an a priori impossible or implausible belief to hold, from a biblical perspective. Its completely harmonious with Scripture.




Zen as a Way of Magical Realism

James Ishmael Ford

Yangshan Huiji had a dream.

In it he traveled to Maitreyas hall, where he was led to the third seat. No sooner had he sat than a senior monk struck the bell and announced, Today the one sitting in the third seat will preach.

Yangshan immediately stood up, and also gave the bell a strike. He then said, The truth of the great way is beyond the four propositions and transcends the hundred negations. Listen. Listen.

Case 25, Wumenquan, the Gateless Gate

A hard fact about religion, at least a very big part of it, is about crowed control. Heres the deal. Its also true of Zen Buddhism.

There is no spiritual tradition that is immune this. You dig around in any religion thats been around for a while, and it turns out a big part of its time is devoted to that crowd control thing. It reinforces obedience to the king or the republic or whatever stands as the center of the culture.

And. Were at an interesting moment in the West where our religions are loosening their hold on us. All this decline and chaos opens some very interesting doors. We have the opportunity to see what else is there in religions within spirituality in specific traditions thats worthy. I believe there is a lot. That spiritual within religion is the wisdom of our ancestors.

And right now, we can open ourselves in ways where we can reengage our traditions.

Ive seen three principally. One is doubling down. Here we see Fundamentalisms of various stripes. The other is picking and choosing among the bones for useful bits. Often the word secular is attached to these attempts at salvaging practices. In Zen for instance, meditation is tied to brain waves. And success is measured by stress reduction. But there is a third way. That way of rejecting literalisms of various sorts, but seeing the tradition has a lot to offer in regard to exploring the nature of the heart and the healing of the great hurt of our human condition.

A while back BBC produced a wonderful six-part History of Christianity written and presented by the scholar Diarmaid MacCulloch. I recommend it. In the first episode Professor MacCulloch talked, briefly, about the Oriental Orthodox churches. He interviewed a professor from a seminary of the Syriac Orthodox Church, which is a Monophysite church in communion with the Coptic Church in Egypt & the Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia.

The Monophysite (theres actually a ton written on why the Monophysite churches are not Monophysite) professor opined part of how things went so terribly wrong in the Latin Church was that their theologians were all philosophers. As opposed, he offered, to their churches, where theologians were all poets and Icon painters, artists of the heart.

I was so taken with that.

We want things made concrete, once and for all. When, as it turns out, everything is wildly dynamic, composed of many instances coming together for an instant. And, then reconfiguring in new ways. It is nearly impossible to capture such a thing in prose. Although we can get close. And, as the professor noted, poets and artists get even closer to the reality of things.

The Unitarian minister and theologian John Haynes Holmes elaborates a little when talking about God as a placeholder for the ultimate in our lives.

(W)hen I say God, it is poetry, not theology. Nothing that any theologian ever wrote about God has helped me much, but everything that poets have written about flowers, and birds, and skies, and seas, and the saviors of the race, and God  whoever that may be  has at one time or another reached my soul. The theologians gather dust upon the shelves of my library, but the poets are stained with my fingers and blotted with my tears

In Mahayana Buddhist teachings there is something called Trikaya. It is an explanation of reality, which points to three aspects of what is. The first part Dharmakaya is the absolute realm. Here, on the Zen way, there is no self, there is no other, all ideas, all words burn away. Nothing more may be said. And even the words approaching it are all false. Then, theres Nirmanakaya, the realm of history. Here is where we normally live, with cause and effect, gain and loss, birth and death.

And the third is the Sambhogakaya, the realm of miracle. Originally it meant quite literally miracles, bi-location, clairvoyance, all the psychic arts. Fine. But there is another way of engaging this.

Im particularly taken with what the Archetypalist psychologist James Hillman considered soul to be. Soul hasnt fared well in modernity. You may have noticed how spirit, and self, and sometimes mind, are in practice, in our times, all taken as synonyms for soul. This is a problem, another reductionist temptation.

Hillman suggested this is a simple Cartesian divide between outer tangible reality and inner states of mind, or between body and a fuzzy conglomerate of mind, psyche, and spirit. It lacks something.

Ive found that something in the classical Buddhist understanding of the Three Bodies. Within the Sambhogakaya the absolute and the phenomenal meet, and there are eruptions. Perhaps not disruptions of time and space, but absolutely disruptions of our perceptions of reality. And with that opening us to new ways of being.

For me seeing the two views, the classical presentation of the three bodies of the Buddha and Hillmans three parts of being within mind, psyche, and spirit, opened up the dynamic I kept experiencing in my own life.

Seeing neither is precisely it, but that each in its three-fold dynamic points to something more livable than even the great truths of the identity of form and emptiness suggest.

Its a call into what I think of as magical realism.

This is the spiritual within religion.

And Zen offers a way into the magical real.

If we want to touch reality, we need to allow reality to be. And what it presents as for human beings is a wonderful pageant, a tapestry, an icon. A poem. If we allow ourselves to be guided by religion as poetry, as something subtle and dynamic, as something to be experienced, then wonders await.

The magical real.
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The Gold For Oil Policy will give Ghana the space to accumulate more international reserves as the country will save the $3 billion it spends on oil imports, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumai has said.



He explained that the use of gold was specifically for oil imports in the face of declining foreign exchange reserves.



Unfortunately, the Vice President expressed concern that some people have misinterpreted this as Ghana being against the use of the US dollar in international transactions, he stated.



Far from it. We want to accumulate more US dollar reserves in the future.



Dr. Bawumia said that the gold for oil initiative is working effectively after Ghana received the first delivery on Sunday, August 15, 2023.



So far, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced 40,000 metric tons of oil arrived at the Tema port on Sunday, January 15, 2023.



The Energy Ministry, the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation, and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are to formulate plans for its distribution and sale.



Speaking at the 74th annual new year school of the University of Ghana on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, Dr Bawumia defended the policy saying that How are we going to change this whole way of doing business as far as our natural resources were concerned? Take the case of gold in Ghana, we have mined gold for over 200 years, and when I looked at the data I realized that our total reserves of gold in Ghana was just 8.7 tonnes at the end of 2021.



One of the largest gold mining countries, we are in the top 10 in the world but we have not accumulated gold to build our reserves.



We looked at the other side of the balance sheet, we export gold and we import oil. The cost of oil import is about $3 billion a year. So we ask the simple question, why dont we, since we have always got pressure in finding US Dollars to buy oil, rather reach an agreement to change our gold for oil and then, sell the oil in Cedis and then, use the Cedis to buy more gold, use that gold to pay for oil, sell the oil in Cedis and then you dont need to look for the scarce foreign exchange to buy oil, which always leads to depreciation on the currency.



With this idea, we said, let us do something that the textbooks dont teach you, let us do something that is out of the box and this is why we said gold-for-oil. We quickly looked at this and we negotiated with the suppliers of oil who were very excited and happy to receive gold in payment. Thankfully, yesterday, Monday, Ghana took its first delivery of oil under the gold-for-oil programme.



This is the cargo to test the framework to see if everything that has been put in place will work and by the grace of God, it is clear that the framework will work and if that should happen we are going to save a lot of foreign exchange and reduce the pressure on our currency.



The Vice President continued that a major source of Cedi depreciation has been the demand for forex to finance imports of oil products and to address this challenge, the government is negotiating a new policy regime where sustainably mined gold will be used to buy oil products.



We implement the gold-for-oil policy as it is envisioned, it will fundamentally change our balance of payments and significantly reduce the persistent depreciation of our currency with its associated increases in fuel, electricity, water, transport and food prices.



He explained that this is because the exchange rate will no longer directly enter the formula for the determination of fuel or utility prices since all the domestic sellers of fuel will no longer need foreign exchange to import oil products.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Global business leader and Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew Bekele and board chairman, Girma Wake have confirmed their participation at the maiden Africa Prosperity Dialogues, which is being organised by the Africa Prosperity Network and its partners, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Government of Ghana, the host nation.



Dubbed the Kwahu Summit, the first of these annual dialogues will take place from 26 to 28 January, 2023. Focusing on intra-Africa trade, the Africa Prosperity Dialogues bring together Africas political and business leaders to plan and work together on the all-important single market, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) project for the continent.



Confirming his participation via email, to organizers, Mr Mesfin Tasew Bekele said it is a delight for him to join such an important dialogue series aimed at fast-tracking the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.



Ethiopia Airlines



Mr Mesfin Tasew Bekele leads an organization which aims to become the most competitive and leading aviation group in Africa by providing safe, market driven and customer focused passenger and cargo transport, aviation training, flight catering, MRO and ground services by 2025.



Additionally, Mr Tasew Bekele and his team at Ethiopia Airlines are on a mission to ensure that Ethiopia Airlines becomes an airline of choice to its customers, employer of choice to its employees and an investment of choice to its Owner, and to contribute positively to socio economic development of Ethiopia in particular and the countries to which it operates in general by undertaking its corporate social responsibilities and providing vital global air connectivity.



About Mesfin Tasew





Mr. Mesfin Tasew was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines in March 2022. He joined Ethiopian in 1984 as Associate Engineer and progressed through the ladder and served in supervisorial and managerial positions in the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering areas.





In 1997 and 1999, he was appointed as Director Operations & Technical Systems Support and Chief Information Officer, respectively. In 2006, he was appointed as Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering.





Mr Mesfin also served as Chief Operating Officer of Ethiopian Airlines from 2010  2021, and Chief Executive Officer of ASKY Airlines from April 2021 to March 2022.





Mr Mesfin also serves as a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors. He holds BSC and MSc Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Addis Ababa University. He also holds Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Open University in the UK.



A.P. dialogues



The Africa Prosperity Dialogues are symbolically dubbed the Kwahu Summit because the Kwahus of Ghana, the host nation, represent entrepreneurialship and trade and are known to support each other excel in business. Kwahu is also the highest elevation of habitable lands in Ghana.



The organisers of the Kwahu Summit aim to support through enhanced intra-Africa trade, the elevation of Africa and her people to the highest summit of human living, dignity and prosperity.



The 2023 Africa Prosperity Dialogues is the first of what will be an annual event and being organised by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) and its partners, which include the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat located in Ghana, the Presidency of the Republic of Ghana (the host nation of AfCFTA).



The other partners are; United Nations Development Programme (Africa), the Africa Prosperity Fund, the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Africa-America Institute.



The Summit will bring into practical focus the continents critical challenges and industrialisation priorities and advance aggressively the commercial and infrastructural interventions to achieve the vision of creating the largest single market in the world of some 1.4 billion Africans.



Summit venues



The Kwahu Summit is a Pan-African economic platform which brings together the great minds and mights of Africa, both in Africa and the Diaspora, to think, plan and work together to expedite the implementation of the agreed initiatives within the AfCFTA and shape the Africa Agenda for Action.



The business and policy leaders dialogues which will take place on 26 - 27 January 2023, will be held at the Safari Valley Resort, in Adukrom, on the Akuapem Mountain.



On the 28 January 2023, the Peduase Presidential Lodge in Aburi, Akuapem Mountain, will host the presidential and business executives dialogues.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A new directive by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has introduced new mobile money transaction and wallet limits. Customers with Daily Transaction Limits of GHC 1,000, GHC 5,000, and GHC 10,000 have had their limits increased to GHC 2,000, GHC 10,000, and GHC 15,000, respectively.



Additionally, account balance limits of GHC 2,000, GHC 15,000, and GHC 30,000 have been increased to GHC 3,000, GHC 30,000, and GHC 50,000, respectively.



"With these improved transaction limits, our customers will be able to transfer much more money without incurring extra charges and also keep more money in their digital wallets securely," noted David Umoh, the Director of the Central Business Unit at Vodafone Ghana.



He encouraged users with dormant or inactive accounts to reactivate their accounts to take advantage of the new wallet limits.



To help lighten the financial burden on its customers brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vodafone waived all charges on any Vodafone Cash transfers in July 2020. The telco has continued to waive all transfer fees to any network till date, even after the implementation of Ghana's electronic transfer levy.



Mr. Umoh further explained that a key feature that sets Vodafone Cash apart from other mobile money wallets is its commitment to customer safety. In recent times, Vodafone has improved its safety features by including a simple self-reversal process for customers who accidentally send money to the wrong wallet. "With this feature, customers can easily and quickly undo a transaction without having to call customer service," David added.



To take advantage of the self-reversal feature, customers can simply select option 7 in their Vodafone Cash USSD menu, choose option 2 (self-service), enter their PIN and transaction ID, and follow the prompts.



To sign up for Vodafone Cash, customers can text "register" to 558 or dial *558# for self-registration. Customers can also visit any mobile money agent or Vodafone retail shop.









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The General Secretary of the Great Consolidated Peoples Party (GCPP), Ato Dadzie, is alleging that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is having sleepless nights in his attempt to find capable hands to replace two of his cabinet ministers who have resigned to pursue their ambitions of becoming flagbearers for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).



It is believed that the resignation of the two ministers has triggered the call for the president to reshuffle his appointees.



The replacement of the two ministers, namely Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen formerly of Trade and Industry and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, formerly of Food and Agriculture, according to the GCPP General Secretary, has become a nightmare for the president.



Mr Dadzie who is a lawyer by profession made this allegation while speaking as a panellist on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM, Thursday, January 12, 2023.



He said many of the NPP stalwarts are shying away from the appointments being offered them by the president because of the abysmal performance of the government in the last couple of years.



He explained that many of the would-be appointees are not comfortable being a part of the government.



The would-be appointees are rejecting the positions because they don't want to be seen as last-minute substitutes in the eyes of the public, he said.



He further alleged that some of the capable hands who have been approached by the president have refused to be part of the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration.



He was of the opinion that the government in the last couple of years has not been attractive to Ghanaians hence the decision by the would-be appointees.



He also said that popular party supporters are refusing to be a part of the government at this last hour.



He stressed that many of the party stalwarts contacted by the president are refusing to take up the appointments because the government has underperformed to the disappointment of Ghanaians, particularly in the past year.



According to him, he is on the side of the party stalwarts who are refusing to take up appointments at the last minute, adding that many of them want to see a dollar-pegged at GHS 4.20 pesewas.



Which is it not the case as we speak? he quizzed.



They also want to see Diesel being sold at GHS 5 per litre which is also not the case under the current administration, he concluded.









Source: class fm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has asserted that some public universities in the country are running programmes that produce unemployable graduates.



According to him, thousands were graduating from Ghanaian universities and looking for nonexistent jobs. Dr Adutwum said his outfit was engaging universities to focus on courses that have relevance to the nation as well as graduates.



He said the country had a serious challenge in terms of some of the courses that were being offered by public universities, adding that many students accepted to enrol in such programmes because they just want to attend the university.



"If you look at distance learning programmes across the length and breadth of this country, especially championed by the University of Cape Coast, so many students have been enrolled in Diploma in Education, they are being trained for jobs that do not exist," Dr Adutwum said on Tuesday at the ongoing Annual New Year School at the University of Ghana, Legon.



"Thousands and thousands are graduating for jobs that do not exist, so we had a conversation with them (the universities). One favourite course that I always cite is what is called Sanitation Education but there is no course in Sanitation to be taught. Development Education, Development Education for what? UDS, Development Studies Undergraduate Programme, for what job? So, yes, I am fully aware and we are engaging the universities. I think we need to focus on courses that have relevance to that particular student and to the nation".



He added that there was a Bachelor of Arts in Education programme at a university that was supposed to prepare students for a "non-existent teaching job".



Dr Adutwum said because of limited guidance and counselling at public universities, many students could not turn down such programmes when it was offered to them.



He said Ghana's unemployment situation could also be linked to the training of graduates by universities for jobs that do not exist in the country.

















Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intercepted a briefcase containing an amount of 80 million CFA (GH1.5 million) found to be fake at an unapproved route within the countrys territory along the Ghana-Togo border at Aflao.



The said briefcase, according to the Ag. Commissioner of Customs, Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, also contained some genuine 843,000 CFA and 110,500 Naira.



Narrating the incident to the B&FT in Accra yesterday, Commissioner Iddisah said two of the persons involved in the act were stopped on a motorbike by Customs officials on an unapproved route designated for only indigenes living in that part of Aflao.



He disclosed that the main suspect who was in possession of the luggage is a Nigerian citizen. He is a 57-year-old man and his name is Arimo Timothy Adigbo, with a Nigerian passport in his possession, the Customs chief noted.



The incident occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at Aflao, and according to the Customs Division, the case has been handed over to the Customs investigation department for further interrogation. Upon receiving the news, I ordered that the suspect be brought to Accra to enable us to carry out a detailed investigation into the matter, Iddisah disclosed.



The need to do further checks from Togo



Commissioner Iddisah explained that the case will be fully handled by the Customs Division in Accra, which only makes contacts in Togo if the need arises.



The understanding is that the suspects were arrested in Ghanas territory and not in Togolese territory. The crime was carried out in Ghana, and that informed our decision to pursue the case at the Customs headquarters. If we have to contact Nigerian Customs during the investigation, we will do that. We have that collaboration in place, he said.



But for the arrest, Commissioner Iddisah said, the culprit would have changed the monies into dollars and Naira and gone back to his country, leaving behind fake currencies circulating in both Ghana and Togo.



This, he said, may not only lead to losing foreign exchange but has other criminal implications as well. The first law in breach is lack of declaring of goods per the laws of Customs, and the fact that the suspect was plying an unapproved route with such contents in the briefcase are all criminal, Commissioner Iddisah emphasised.





Source: B&FT









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Samuel A. Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, says Ghana remains committed to working with all partners to deliver forest and nature-based climate solutions to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target for people and planet.



The minister made this known when he joined Secretary John Kerry of the US, in the capacity as co-chairs of the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP) on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.



Together with Secretary John Kerry, the Lands Minister held two separate meetings with Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to find ways of working together to achieve the ambitious objective of the FCLP to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, whilst delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.



The minister indicated that the meetings were very fruitful, adding that they were encouraged by the commitment of the IBC to work with the FCLP to achieve its objectives.



He also noted that achieving such high ambition of the FCLP, required that the teams worked closely with the major forest countries.



Already, together with Indonesia, Brazil and DRC, the minister said they have formed the Indonesia-Brazil-Congo (IBC) rainforest alliance, to protect their forests, adding that together, these three countries controlled over fifty per cent (50%) of global tropical forests, and were crucial to global efforts at halting deforestation.



Mr. Jinapor made a call for all efforts to be marshalled to fight climate change saying, the climate crisis is reaching a tipping point, and requires all-hands-on-deck approach to come to grips with this crisis.



The delegation from Brazil was led by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, as the DRC delegation was led by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Environment, Eve Bazaiba Masudi.



The Amazon Rainforest is said to be the largest tropical rainforest in the world, and some sixty per cent (60%) of this tropical rainforest is found in the territories of Brazil. Also, the Congo Basin is the second largest rainforest in the world, and about sixty per cent (60%) of this is found in DRCs territory.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Central Regional Directorate of the Ghana Tourism Authority has acknowledged the services of the Central Regional Correspondent for United Television (UTV), Isaac Agyemang.



Isaac Agyemang, who has been filing great stories to UTV, received this recognition for his hard work and accurate reportage.



Mr. Kwame Gyasi, the Central Regional Director of the Authority, in a letter dated 12th January, 2023, wrote; "The Central Region Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority acknowledges the greater service you have provided to the Authority over the years, especially giving coverage to most tourism related activities in the Region".



The letter further said; "Worth mentioning is the coverage on the enforcement exercise which was carried out by the Authority in the Awutu Senya East Municipality which recorded the highest number of illegal units regularizing their operations. We are most grateful for your selfless service and look forward to working with you again in the future."



Mr. Isaac Agyemang's service has brought honor to the Central Regional Press Association and Despite Media as well as the entire media fraternity.





Source: Nana Kwadwo Asempa/Asempamedialink.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, says Forest and nature-based solutions have proven to be very impactful and verifiable, and Ghana, as a respected member of the international community, remains committed to working with all partners to deliver Forest and nature-based climate solutions to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target for people and planet.



The Minister made this commitment when he joined Secretary John Kerry of the UK, in the capacity as co-Chairs of the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP) on Wednesday, 18th January 2023, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.



Together with Secretary John Kerry, the Lands Minister held two separate meetings with Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to find ways of working together to achieve the ambitious objective of the FCLP to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, whilst delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.



The Minister indicated that the meetings were very fruitful, adding that they are encouraged by the commitment of the IBC to work with the FCLP to achieve its objectives.



He also noted that achieving this high ambition of the FCLP, requires that the teams work closely with these major forest countries.



Already, together with Indonesia, Brazil and DRC the Minister said they have formed the Indonesia-Brazil-Congo (IBC) rainforest alliance, to protect their forests, adding that together, these three countries control over fifty percent (50%) of global tropical forests, and are crucial to global efforts at halting deforestation.



Hon. Jinapor made a clarion call for all efforts to be marshalled to figit climate change saying" the climate crisis is reaching a tipping point, and requires an all-hands-on-deck approach to come to grips with this crisis."



The delegation from Brazil was led by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Marina Silva, and the DRC delegation were led by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Environment, Hon. Eve Bazaiba Masudi.



The Amazon Rainforest is said to be the largest tropical rainforest in the world, and some sixty percent (60%) of this tropical rainforest is found in the territories of Brazil. The Congo Basin is the second largest rainforest in the world, and about sixty percent (60%) of this is found in DRCs territory.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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When a couple in Accra walked into the 37 Military Hospital Maternity Unit, they were expecting twins, but they were stunned to be handed a single baby after delivery.



They are accusing the staff of the hospital of allegedly being responsible for the disappearance of one of the freshly-born babies supposed to be the other twin, delivered at the hospital.



The delivery was done through Caesarean section on Thursday, September 8, 2022.



A visibly distraught mother of the supposed twin, 38-year-old trader  Audrey Agyapong, and her 54-year-old husband, Daniel Naawu, are suspecting foul play.



Narrating their ordeal to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, the couple recalled that an ultrasonic checks done 31 weeks into the gestation period at two medical facilities, including the 37 Military Hospital, showed that Ms Agyapong was carrying two live foetuses (twins).



The Ghanaian Times painstaking investigations suggested that the first scan report, which was signed off by Dr Otu Danquah, was conducted on April 22, 2022, at the Cerica Diagnostic Services at Lartebiokoshie in Accra, when the pregnancy was 20 weeks.



Its results showed live intrauterine (inside the uterus) foetuses.



The first ultrasonic scan after 20 weeks showed two foetuses

Furthermore, a second ultrasonic scan done at the 37 Military Hospital on July 21, 2022, and signed by Drs M.T Mpetey and R. Asiedu, a Resident and Senior Physician respectively, confirmed results of the earlier scan with twin A weighing 269g and B weighing 261g.



In all, we did four different scans, all showing I was carrying live twins and it is baffling that one could disappear at birth, Ms Agyapong told the Ghanaian Times.



Explaining further, she said on September 7, 2022, when her gestation period was 38 weeks, she was admitted at the 37 Military Hospital where her vitals were taken with two foetal heart beats confirmed as normal.



On the 8th of September 2022, the morning of the operation, my babies were checked again and I was told they were both well. Double logistics were therefore taken for them. At the theatre, I was prepared for the operation and anaesthesia was given which completely numbed the lower part of my body.



A screen was placed in the middle which prevented me from directly viewing what was happening. However, I felt the two babies being taken from my womb. Later, I heard a cry and one female baby was shown to me by a doctor named Dr Ali Saine, who told me It is only one baby.



Dr Saine is a senior Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the 37 Military Hospital, who performed the Caesarean section.



I was startled and whilst trying to process the import of what I was just told, I heard the doctor tell his team members to take out their phones and video it. I was taken to the recovery ward where the doctor told me he would come and talk to me, recalled Ms Agyapong, who said she had been having sleepless nights since the incident.



According to the disturbed mother, to make matters worse, she was later told that what she thought was a second baby, was rather a placenta.



I was shocked because this was not the first time I was giving birth and I know how one feels when the placenta comes out.



For his part, Mr Naawu, a senior driver at J.A Plant Pool Ghana Limited in Accra, said his babys alleged disappearance was unacceptable as he was asked to pay for double items before the operation.



I have twins from my previous marriage and was glad I was going to have another set only to be told this shocking story, the evidently upset father fumed.



He continued: As I speak now, I have not been able to outdoor the child, nor give her a name, because I do not know whether the missing baby is also female or male.



Meanwhile, on October 10, 2022, Mr Naawu petitioned the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital to cause an investigation into the matter and bring back his missing child.



Several attempts made by the Ghanaian Times to speak to Dr Ali Saine on the issue, proved futile, as he insisted on contacting the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital, for permission.



We have a laid-down procedure here. I cant speak to the media unless you seek permission from the appropriate quarters at the hospital, he insisted.



After a couple of attempts to speak to him fell through, the Ghanaian Times on October 14, 2022, officially wrote to the Commander-in-Charge of the 37 Military Hospital, requesting an interview with Dr Saine.



Several follow-ups have been made ever since, but to no avail; as it was always met with the refrain at the hospitals administration that: we are working on it.



On Friday, October 28, 2022, the Ghanaian Times wrote another letter addressed to the Public Affairs Department of the 37 Military Hospital, requesting for an interview with Dr Ali Saine, but only received a verbal response assuring that an investigation has been commenced into the case.



However, an eye specialist at the 37 Military Hospital, Wing Commander Isaac Bediako Fordjuor who is part of a team tasked to probe into the matter, told the Ghanaian Times in November last year that investigations had commenced.



We have interviewed all concerned including nurses who worked at the theatre on that fateful day and we shall brief you on our findings when we are done, he said.



Nearly four months have passed since investigations commenced into the incident.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Nana Ohene-Ntow, a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia must step aside in the flagbearership race of the party for the 2024 elections.



According to him, Bawumia cannot be the presidential candidate of the NPP because he has blood on his hands regarding the current state of the Ghanaian economy.



He added that most Ghanaians even blame the vice president more than President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the happenings in the economy, and his plans to contest might not augur well for the party.



 when people complain about the economy under our government now, they talk much less about our President Akufo-Addo and they talk much more about the vice president a lot of the bashing that people have had against our current government in terms of the economy has been directed at the vice president.



There are a lot of criticisms (against the vice president). If you go and put the same face on your ballot paper and you ask the people, the majority of whom are complaining about this person then it means that you are forcing the people that whether they like it or not they should vote, he said in a JoyNews interview on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, which was monitored by GhanaWeb.



He suggested that Dr. Bawumia should step out of the upcoming presidential primaries and explore his presidential ambitions for elections other than the 2024 elections.



Ohene-Ntow added that unlike the former Minister for Trades and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, who has stated his intention of contesting in the NPP presidential primaries, Bawumia has age on his side and can contest in presidential elections later than the 2024 elections.











Source: ghanaweb.com









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Constituency chairs of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the Greater Region are demanding an early congress for the partys flagbearer elections.



According to the Greater Accra Constituency Chairman Caucus of the party, an early election will afford the party a greater advantage in properly marketing the elected flagbearer.



According to a Joynews report sighted by GhanaWeb, the Caucus at a meeting held on Tuesday, January 17, at Susuana Lodge in Labone, emphasised their disagreement with any plans to hold the elections next year.



We dont agree to what the party wants to do. In fact, the General Secretary wants an early Congress but the system is pushing against it, which we dont understand.



We need time to market the flagbearer to Ghanaians and we cant afford to not break the eight, one of constituency chairmen said.



He added, we strongly want the leadership to consider our plea in the interest of the party and Ghanaians as a whole. That is all we are asking for.



Meanwhile, there have been growing calls within the NPP for an early congress ahead of Ghanas presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024.



Those in support of this argument believe an early congress will help the ruling party to advance its agenda of Breaking the 8.



The partys Member of Parliament for Subin, Eugene Boakye Antwi has argued similarly.



Going by experience, my view is that let us hold the super delegates as early as say next spring, March thereabouts, give them four or five months to campaign around the country. By August when Parliament is on recess like this, we vote for both Parliamentary and Presidential, get it off the way.



The most important thing is that we must look at the party. Akufo-Addo will not be a candidate in 2024 so whoever the candidate will be at that time is the one we should be aiming at selecting, partnering the President in terms of all these Regional tours the President is doing, he said in a JoyNews interview in September last year.



Meanwhile, the leadership of the party is expected to meet later this month where a decision will be made on the date for the election.



Ahead of the flagbearer contest, the likes of Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten, and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong have been tipped as contenders.







Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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James Kwabena Bomfeh, CPP former Acting General Secretary, has expressed disappointment in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for refusing to heed the calls on him to sack Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.



According to James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called 'Kabila', Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta is a headache to Ghanaians and the Akufo-Addo administration.



"The issue of trust is key in communication. If you talk about transparent, sincere, open conversation; trust or the confidence of people is very significant. I don't know but whatever it is, the overwhelming verdict of Ghanaians which is not scientifically established is that the President must change this Finance Minister," he said.



He also asked the Minister if he is comfortable with the outcome of events in the country.



"Mr. Minister, so all that is going on, are you okay? Are you comfortable with it?"



Kabila wondered why the President would allow the Minister to lead the government's Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), expressing that Mr. Ofori-Atta has lost the confidence of the Ghanaian people.



"The Finance Minister who is leading this conversation is an issue because the trust issue is major. Parliament, both the Majority and Minority, and many Ghanaians have registered their displeasure. So, are we saying we can't find any person in Ghana to lead this process apart from Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta?", he queried.



He couldn't fathom why Mr. Ofori-Atta remains in office despite all the pleas from the citizenry and even Members of Parliament.



"The President must get this clear that for one man to be an issue to your government, Mr. President, it's too much!"



He made these comments during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" discussion programme Wednesday morning.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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AN ASPIRING flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has said the party currently needs a new generational leader to chart a path for the growth of the NPP.



Such a visionary leader is needed to create a new dawn of understanding and purpose for public service.



I think it is time for a new generation leader, a leader who will create a new dawn, a new understanding of what public service means and what party politics should deliver for Ghanaians.



This election is a watershed. The NPP has had 16 years of the same ticket, we need to have a clear departure from that which means we need fresh set of ideas and all will be premised on our cherished values of service, sacrifice and selflessness, he stressed.



Leadership

Describing himself as the only candidate with the skillset to bring that kind of leadership to the party, Mr Agyepong, who spoke exclusively to the Daily Graphic in Accra last Friday said, the time has come for this country to look at a new dimension to recalibrate our values and to reorient ourselves so we have leadership that thinks, cares and loves people.



That, he explained, was because the centrality of party politics and governance was the welfare of the ordinary citizen and said politics should be anchored on service, sacrifice and selflessness.



Mr Agyepong indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had since 2008 been at the helm of affairs of the party and there was a crying need by the party faithful and Ghanaians for an injection of new ideas and energy to impose order and discipline in the country.



He, therefore, reiterated his call for the downsizing of government which he said made it more efficient and effective and allowed the President to have a handle on how things were happening and also demand more from his team.



It is those character traits that I bring to the table, being visionary and decisive, being prepared to take difficult decisions and making sure that there is compliance in all aspects of our national life, he stated.



Message

Mr Agyepong, who was the press secretary to former President Kufuor and also a former General Secretary of the NPP, said his message was resonating positively with the party faithful wherever he had been and called on the other aspirants to submit themselves for enquiry so that their ideas, policies and records would be scrutinised.



He said: The clarion call is to go into government to serve society, not to be served.



Responding to a question on the confusion which characterised his tenure as General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Agyepong said my tenure as General Secretary was unfortunately curtailed unceremoniously due to concocted allegations and vile propaganda which up to now has never been proven by anybody.



He said it was not for nothing that President Akufo-Addo invited him to support his re-election, an action he said goes to show that what happened was all orchestrated and calculated to destroy my political career.



In this country, when you are upright, strong and firm, you will come under a lot of persecution and I am happy that till date nobody can accuse me of misappropriation or misapplication of party resources or funds.



I have a clean record, genuine motives and I want to serve this party and our country to the best of my ability, Mr Agyepong added, pointing out that the difficulty in our politics now is we have become enablers meaning people hero-worship leaders and political appointees.



He observed that there was too much sycophancy, praise-singing and hero-worshipping and said we need to revive the confidence people must have in the political architecture because we do not have to endanger our democracy, which he said was the best option to govern ourselves.















Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Constituency Chairmen of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra Region have declared their support and endorsement for former President John Dramani Mahama, should he decide to contest the partys presidential primaries.



With the party expected to announce the details and modalities for the presidential and parliamentary primaries on Wednesday, the Greater Accra Chairmen Caucus during a courtesy call on Mr. Mahama asked him to lead the party to the 2024 election.



According to the thirty-three (33) chairmen, it is only President John Mahama who can lead and win the elections for the NDC in 2024. The Amasaman constituency is yet to elect a chairperson.



The caucus, led by Dome Kwabenya Chairman, Isaac Lamptey, has promised that they will raise and pay the filing fee of GH500,000 for Mr. Mahama to contest the primaries.



The chairmen also urged the membership of the party, its rank and file to continue the process of uniting each other and get ready to start the hard work until victory is achieved in December 2024.



The caucus chairmen also urged Mr. Mahama to promote aggressively and encourage members to adopt a branch or constituency to help contribute to an emphatic win for the party.



President Mahama thanked the Greater Accra NDC Constituency Chairmen for their visit and declaration.



The former president was joined by former chief of Staff Julius Debrah, 2020 Running Mate Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman and the 2020 Campaign Manager Professor Joshua Alabi to receive the chairmen.









Source: starrfm.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Experts say the low-cost airline model is exacerbating an already existing pilot shortage that threatens to become an even bigger problem for this country's aviation industry in the years to come. A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
U.S. Border Patrol agents Katy Siemer, left and David Marcus stand outside the Customs and Border Protection facility in Pembina, N.D., on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. A year after a family of four from India froze to death while trying to walk to the United States from Manitoba, the agency tasked with patrolling the border says others have not been deterred from attempting the same treacherous journey. THE CANADIAN PRESS/James McCarten
The National Capital Commission is set to provide an update on the renaming of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. A vehicle travels along the parkway in Ottawa, Wednesday June 2, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The chief of a northern Ontario First Nation that uncovered the provinces first "plausible burials" say the community is in shock and its members are working hard to ensure survivors and their loved ones have mental health support. Margot King, 4, touches an orange flag, representing children who died while attending Indian Residential Schools in Canada, placed in the grass at Major's Hill Park in Ottawa, Thursday, July 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
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The Republican attacks on voting are a year-round effort, which is why it is important that a court in Arizona rejected a GOP challenge to the states no excuse mail-in voting.

AZ Central reported:

The three-judge appeals court rejected the partys argument that mail-in voting violates the secrecy clause in the state Constitution, which requires that voters must have a way to conceal their choices on the ballot.

The states mail-in, or early voting, process does provide secrecy, the court found, by requiring voters to ensure that they fill out their ballot in secret and seal the ballot in an envelope that does not disclose the voters choices.

Court after court has ruled that mail-in voting is constitutional, but Republicans continue to follow the lead of Donald Trump and attack a method that they should be using to reach more voters and potentially win elections.

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DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DSCC Chair Gary Peters, and Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Teran all replied to the ruling in a joint statement provided to PoliticusUSA:



This ruling is a win for all Arizonans. The state has a long history of running a popular and secure vote-by-mail system, and we were proud to help defend against Republicans continued attempts to undermine it.

As Republicans try to rig the rulebook and disregard the will of voters, Democrats stand united, ready to take Republicans to court to protect every eligible voters rights and ensure their vote is counted.

Republicans saw what Ron DeSantis was able to do in Florida, and they want to make it more difficult for voters who are likely to support Democratic candidates to show up and vote.

The attacks on mail-in voting are about shrinking the size of electorates so that Republicans can win.

Mail-in voting is safe and constitutional and Republicans are only costing themselves future elections by fighting it.
The 11th season of the Aiken Civic Orchestra will come to a close Sunday with a Rising Stars concert. Part of the Under the Steeple series at St. John's United Methodist Church, the program will include Rossini's Overture to La Gazza Ladra, Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C and Tchaikovsky's Violi Read moreAiken Civic Orchestra to close season with Rising Stars concert
The United States and Britain have announced new sanctions aimed at Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich. The penalties target the financial networks of two of Moscows wealthiest businessmen who are close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Usmanov has been subject to U.S. and European Union sanctions since shortly after the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine last year. Abramovich, who amassed a fortune in Russias oil and aluminum industries, was forced to sell the Chelsea football club after he was cited last year. U.S. officials say the new designations aim to reinforce existing penalties and further disrupt Russias importation of critical technologies used in its war against Ukraine. Read moreUS, UK aim sanctions at Russian oligarchs' finance networks
A Port of Charleston rail yard that's been on the drawing board for more than a decade is suddenly on a tight construction schedule.

The State Ports Authority this week approved a slew of contracts totaling nearly $137 million with an eye toward getting a new train hub serving its container terminals open a little over two years from now.

The newest deals represent the biggest step to date toward wrapping up the project, officially known as the "Navy Base Intermodal Facility."

"This is a really exciting day for us as we embark on a project that handles about 25 percent of our business and will give us the ability to increase that marketshare," said Barbara Melvin, the SPA's president and CEO.

State lawmakers budgeted $400 million over the past two years to pay for completion of the rail yard, which had made steady  but slow  progress under previous owner Palmetto Railways, a division of the S.C. Commerce Department. Melvin has said a near-dock rail yard, which Savannah and other competing ports already have, is the last key asset needed to keep Charleston among the nation's busiest commercial waterfronts.

With the funding now in hand, the SPA is under the gun to deliver the rail yard, where miles-long trains operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX Corp. will load and unload cargo containers.

"When the state allocated the $400 million for this project there was an expectation that, even though we knew it was a tight time frame, that we could handle our first train in July of 2025," Melvin said, adding the latest contracts are an example of the SPA "working very diligently" to meet that deadline.

The biggest chunk of money from the deals approved this week  about $119.7 million  will go to Landmark Construction for site development on the former Navy base. The work will include construction of utilities, a storm water drainage system, paving, signage and rail-mounted gantry crane foundations.

North Charleston-based Landmark, the lowest of three bidders, also will build 11 rail tracks within the property where cargo will be processed. Another four arrival and departure tracks the company will install will provide access at the northern and southern ends of the yard.

In addition to the Landmark contracts, the SPA's board approved a half-dozen deals totaling nearly $17.3 million:

Nearly $4.4 million for engineering firm Thomas & Hutton to design and permit a rail line that will exit the southern end of the site, head toward Charleston and then loop back toward North Charleston. The route was added at the request of both railroads, drawing criticism from Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, who said trains would cause a traffic and public safety problem. The SPA agreed to pay $11.5 million to address traffic concerns and buy city-owned property that will be affected by the line.

$1 million  $500,000 apiece  to cover engineering fees the two railroads will incur in designing track signalization for the southern loop.

Nearly $8 million to HDR Construction Control Service for construction engineering and inspection services.

Engineering consultant TranSystems will be paid $661,536 to be the engineer of record during the rail yard's construction. The company also will get $120,550 for additional design work it completed at the SPA's request under a previous contract. As engineer of record, TranSystems will be available to answer questions about its design as the construction proceeds, said Walter Lagarenne, the SPA's vice president of engineering and facilities.

Chandler Construction will be paid about $3.1 million to relocate water lines running along McMillan Avenue, North Hobson Road and Cosgrove Avenue Extension. The SPA said the water lines maintained by Charleston Water System need to be moved so they won't be damaged by new road and utility construction.

The flurry of contracts follow nearly $47 million the SPA's board agreed to spend in September for six specialty cranes made by an Austria company that will lift containers on and off railcars.

The SPA has also spent about $10 million to settle lawsuits over land acquisition and condemnation issues related to property it needed for the project.

Trains carry about one-fourth of the 2.8 million 20-foot containers that move through Charleston's port each year, and the SPA wants to boost that number to reduce truck traffic. Part of that effort will include a barge system that will move containers by water from the Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant to the Leatherman Terminal, where they will be put on trains at the new rail yard. The General Assembly has set aside $150 million for that project.
An exhibit gallery at Charleston's International African American Museum will be named for longtime South Carolina lawmaker and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, courtesy of a $1 million donation.

The dedication gift announced Jan. 18 was made by Lynne Dobson and husband Greg Wooldridge of Austin, Texas, whose Tejemos Foundation supports social justice and civil rights causes, constitutional freedoms and education.

Clyburn, 82, was the first chair of the IAAM board of directors and a long-term museum supporter.

Cyburn, a Sumter native and Democrat who has served 15 successive terms in the U.S. House for the states 6th Congressional District, said he was honored.

My hope is that those who visit will leave with a more complete understanding of African American and American history, he said in a written statement.

Dobson is a philanthropist, photojournalist and member of the family who started the Whataburger restaurant chain. She said she met Clyburn last spring at an event in Austin.

Rep. Clyburn has always inspired me with his many years of devoted public service for our country, especially his tireless work to ensure that the needs of Black Americans are heard, and their contributions are recognized," Dobson said in the statement. "We are passionate about supporting people and institutions like IAAM, who are dedicating resources to exposing injustice and telling the whole truth of our history.

The gallery being named for Clyburn will include the "Carolina Gold Exhibit," centered on a variety of African rice that was grown in the Palmetto State from the late 1700s until the late 1920s, and the "Memories of the Enslaved Exhibit." It will offer "a look at the transformative impact of enslaved people whose labor shaped and built the lucrative rice industry," according to the museum.

The IAAM was scheduled to open later this week, but its board postponed the long-awaited debut in December after issues arose with the building's heating and cooling systems that could affect temperature-sensitive artwork and artifacts. A new opening date and schedule of events will be "announced soon," according to the website.

More than $100 million in private and public money has been raised to build and fund the museum. The waterfront site off Concord Street near the S.C. Aquarium was once part of Gadsdens Wharf, a major port of entry during the transatlantic slave trade. Its stated mission is to honor the untold story of the African American journey at one of Americas most sacred sites.
Workers are busy at a workshop producing new-energy electric sweepers in Fanchang Economic Development Zone in Wuhu, east China's Anhui province, Jan. 12, 2023.(Photo by Xiao Benxiang/Xinhua) Maasdorp expects robust growth of the Chinese economy driven by consumption in the second half of this year, despite a possible "bumpy period" in the first two quarters. DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese economy is heading for strong growth in 2023, Vice President of the New Development Bank (NDB) Leslie Maasdorp said at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. Maasdorp said in an interview with Xinhua that China's recent decision to lift COVID-19 restrictions will drive economic growth, which in turn will have a snowball effect on other aspects of the economy such as consumption. Although he predicted a "bumpy period" in the first quarter of this year, and potentially in the second, there are strong expectations for robust growth driven by consumption in the second half of the year. Trucks transport containers at the international container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 17, 2023.(Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua) China's optimization of COVID policies "will have a very positive impact both for China and for the world economy," Maasdorp said. Many banks have already predicted that Chinese growth for 2023 will be much higher than originally projected. Growing consumption and increased investor confidence will lead to a consumption rebound and stronger economic growth, Maasdorp said. With an economy of about 18 trillion U.S. dollars, China has an important role to play in the recovery of the global economy, he added. China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3 percent year-on-year to a record high of 121.0207 trillion yuan (18 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday. Vehicles run on Jianguo Road in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2023.(Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) As the second-largest economy in the world, Chinese growth also drives global growth. "A recovery in Chinese consumption will have a very positive spin-off for the global economy," Maasdorp said. Growth areas in China include tourism and green industries, he said. "China is one of the largest investors in green energy, solar energy, wind energy, in battery storage. Those are high-growth sectors. And with new increased investment in those sectors, it will also contribute very positively to global growth." "Everybody recognizes that China has a very important role to play in the climate agenda," he said. Many economists have expressed hope that once Chinese companies resume manufacturing at pre-pandemic levels, trade flows will be stimulated and supply chains restored. People visit the 20th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 30, 2022.(Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) China also has a critical role to play in boosting multilateral cooperation, Maasdorp said. "Without multilateral cooperation, you cannot really deal with challenges that are cross-national ... I believe that the one positive lesson we can learn from COVID is that we are interconnected," he said. China's successful eradication of absolute poverty is "one of the biggest achievements of humanity," Maasdorp added. The NDB, headquartered in Shanghai, is a lender established by the BRICS group of emerging nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in 2015. It aims to become a global development bank, mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development.
An airline with a decade of service in Charleston is bringing back a transcontinental flight between the Holy City and the City of Angels.

JetBlue Airways will resume nonstop service five times a week between Charleston International and Los Angeles International, starting Feb. 16, after a mid-winter pause in flights, according to Gary Edwards, a liaison between the Charleston County Aviation Authority and tourism agency Explore Charleston.

Flights will operate each day except Tuesday and Wednesday until April, when service will run daily as the tourism season picks up.

A JetBlue representative did not immediately respond for comment Jan. 19.

Edwards said the New York-based carrier has a long-term commitment to making the cross-country route a permanent part of its presence in the Lowcountry. It's based in the airline's belief that Charleston's tourism industry marketers can draw more visitors from southern California, he added.

He also noted the Lowcountry's growing automotive and aerospace industries and the overall population growth from other states are among the other factors driving the need for direct connections to and from the West Coast.

JetBlue launched daily service between the Lowcountry and LAX in December 2020, but like other carriers, it adjusted the schedule afterward, including suspending flights. Last fall, the flight was offered four times a week.

Startup carrier Breeze Airways announced last summer it would compete with JetBlue by offering nonstop service to Los Angeles, beginning last November. The Utah-based carrier later added a layover where LA-bound passengers remain on the plane during the stop.
Folly Beach had some time in the spotlight this month with the premiere of Netflix's new heist drama "Kaleidoscope."

Some viewers, however, might have noticed Netflix's Folly Beach shares little resemblance to the real one.

The show was filmed in New York, and the scenes set on Folly Beach, such as in the episode titled "Pink," were actually filmed at Corey Beach on Long Island, according to Samantha Queen, director of communication for South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. Long Island news website greaterlongisland.com corroborated those findings.

Released Jan. 1, "Kaleidoscope" has ranked among Netflix's most popular shows so far this year. The show sits at a 50 percent critic rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.

The anthology series follows a crew of thieves through 25 years as they attempt to crack a seemingly unbreakable vault. "Kaleidoscope" is inspired by the real-life story of how $70 billion in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy.

The show consists of eight episodes spanning from 24 years before the heist to six months after.

Similar to its 2018 choose-your-own-adventure film, "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch," Netflix puts viewers in control of how they approach the story, based on the order of episodes watched.

Every episode tells a chunk of the story, but those segments come in a random order that differs between viewers, with the exception of the actual heist serving as the final episode. Viewers can choose to stick to Netflix's arbitrary order or create a pattern of their own.

Showrunners for "Kaleidoscope" did not contact South Carolina's film commission prior to filming, Queen said. The economics of making TV and movies often dictate that filmmakers make do with their primary filming location, she added.

Similarly, Netflix's "Outer Banks" takes place in North Carolina but is actually filmed in South Carolina. That decision was made in part due to a controversial anti-transgender North Carolina bathroom bill.

South Carolina has a limited budget for attracting filmmakers to the Palmetto State. "Outer Banks" and HBO's "Righteous Gemstones" command the bulk of the state's incentives for filmmaking, Queen said.

On average, the state spends about about $15.5 million in incentives to projects filming here. For the state's most recent audited year, fiscal year 2021-2022, the South Carolina Film Commission issued about $19.9 million rebates to film projects. In that same fiscal year, film projects qualifying for those incentives spent about $97 million.

Amid a state budget surplus, lawmakers gave the film commission an additional $7 million in incentives to entice additional projects to South Carolina for fiscal year 2023-2024. One of those projects the commission has revealed is the directorial debut of Laura Chinn's "Suncoast," starring Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson and Nico Parker.

The drama film is based on Chinn's life in the early 2000s. It follows a teenager (played by Parker) living with her strong-willed mother (played by Linney), who takes her brother to live at a specialized facility, according to Deadline. While at the facility, Parker's character forms an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (played by Harrelson).

Queen said additional announcements of recipients of the $7 million increase in incentives will come throughout the year.

"Our film industry is growing and thriving, and we run out of incentive money and we have to turn projects away," Queen said.

The popularity of "Righteous Gemstones" and "Outer Banks" has bolstered South Carolina's filmmaking infrastructure, which includes hospitality, catering and other local services utilized by filmmakers during a production.

The hope is that these new incentives will continue that trajectory.
COLUMBIA  A group of state legislators and LGBTQ advocates announced two pieces of legislation meant to counter a string of recent laws that they say are discriminatory and harmful to parents and children.

Dozens of members of SC United for Justice and Equality  a coalition of about 30 advocacy groups  hosted a press conference at the Statehouse on Jan. 19, where they denounced 22 measures that have gone through the Legislature in the past year centering on health care, school curricula, identity documents and local businesses in relation to LGBTQ individuals.

"We see in both the volume and severity of the bills that South Carolina is one of the most serious places in the country to be fighting for LGBTQ equality in this moment," said the Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the North Carolina-based Campaign for Southern Equality.

Legislators introduced a Senate bill on Jan. 10 that would prohibit people under the age of 21 from receiving gender-transition medical care.

The next day, the House introduced the "Live and Let Live Act," which would prohibit the government from discriminating against people or organizations based on their beliefs regarding gender, sex or marriage.

Democratic legislators appearing at the event are offering their own proposals in response. House Reps. Todd Rutherford, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Chandra Dillard, John Richard King and Heather Bauer are introducing the "Uniform Antidiscrimination Act" on the House floor on Jan. 18.

The Democrat-backed legislation is meant to "expand the definition of discrimination" and "prohibit discrimination ... on the basis of an individual's gender identity and sexual orientation." The bill applies the same principle to state laws regarding employment, fair housing, medical or hospice care.

"What I would encourage us to do is think about those we love who are faced with all kinds of barriers, opposition and just downright nastiness because of who they are and who they love," Cobb-Hunter said at the Jan. 19 gathering.

Cobb-Hunter said the anti-discrimination legislation is in direct response to the bills introduced by some of her colleagues from across the aisle.

One bill making its way through the House, referred to by Republicans as the "South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act," was written to prohibit minors from being given any medical procedures or prescriptions "intended to alter the appearance of the minor's gender or delay puberty."

Another law introduced on Jan. 11 would require state marriage certificates to have the signature of both a bride and a groom, which would potentially exclude many nonbinary individuals and same-sex unions.

"I was able to do a wedding for a non-binary couple a few months ago, and they went to go change their name at the Social Security office and ran into a slew of issues," Bauer said at the Jan. 19 gathering. "She was asked to change her name to his name, and she's like, 'Well, it's not a 'he,' first of all.'"

A week prior to the SC United coalition's gathering, Bauer co-sponsored the other one of the two bills in response to the wave of LGBTQ-targeted legislation. She filed the bill looking to "clarify that any person may petition for a surname change regardless of whether a spouse, if any, has petitioned for the same surname change."

At least 167,000 South Carolinians identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, according to the Colorado-based Movement Advancement Project. South Carolina is also one of 18 states with no explicit prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Additionally, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, 81 percent of South Carolinians thought that LGBTQ individuals experienced discrimination in the state.

"I think it's important to put a human face on these issues, because these are real people," said Ivy Hill, executive director of the advocacy and support group Gender Benders, and community health program coordinator for the Campaign for Southern Equality.

"Even when these bills are just introduced, whether or not they're passed, they have a very negative impact on trans youth," Hill said, citing the high suicidal ideation rate among young LGBTQ people.

Beach-Ferrara echoed this sentiment, saying the proposed laws can have a chilling effect on LGBTQ and especially transgender youth.

Advocates are "ready to fight" against legislation they believe to be discriminatory, but also ready to build bridges between the different sides of the issue, Beach-Ferrara said. Most people in South Carolina have a loved one or at least know someone who's affected by the proposal of legislation like this, she said.

"We need the politics of South Carolina to match the people of South Carolina, and that's what we're fighting for," Beach-Ferrara said, "and we think, ultimately, that's a message of hope and love."

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
COLUMBIA  Fourteen cadets and a staff member at a S.C. National Guard youth program were sent to a hospital after what one law enforcement agency called "riots" at the guard's training center.

S.C. Adjutant General Van McCarty said what he called an "incident" occurred the afternoon of Jan. 17 at the Robert L. McCrady Training Center in Eastover east of Columbia involving the Youth and Job ChalleNGe Academy.

At around 5 p.m. on Jan. 17, an argument between cadets turned physical, the National Guard said in a statement. While all available staff were responding to the incident, a separate altercation broke out among Youth ChalleNGe program cadets, many of whom are at-risk or have dropped out of school.

Military police from the Fort Jackson Army base were called to backup, as well as other law enforcement agencies.

The Richland County Sheriffs Department received a call at around 5:30 p.m. from the McCrady Fire Department requesting assistance for a riot. When deputies arrived, several people had minor injuries and a staff member had been injured while attempting to break up a fight, according to the incident report from the sheriffs department.

Columbia Police also were called in to assist. When asked for the incident report, which is public information under state law, the department fully redacted all pages of the report with the narrative of the fights.

Both incidents were under control within an hour and 14 cadets, ages 15 to 18, as well as the injured staff member were transported to local hospitals, according to the S.C. National Guard.

All of the cadets who were injured were released from the hospital the same night, either back to the program or to their parents.

While there have been several claims of teenagers using make-shift weapons, a spokeswoman for the S.C. National Guard confirmed that there were no weapons of any kind.

A surprise room inspection was conducted by the staff over the weekend prior to the incidents and no weapons were found. No weapons were found for either altercation, according to the statement from the National Guard.
COLUMBIA  For nearly 15 years, Columbia's hydrogen fueling station has sat unused. Three locks dangle in front of the gas pump-like dispenser, with weeds poking out of the gravel behind it and sticks hanging embedded in the chain-link fence all around.

Columbia hydrogen company ImaGEN is looking to get the defunct station up and running again with new, up-to-date technology. City Council approved an agreement Jan. 17 to lease the site of its unused station to ImaGEN.

"It's a great way for us to use an asset that's been underutilized to bring opportunities for small business, so we're excited for this one," Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said during the meeting.

In 2009, the station near the Columbia Canal opened to much excitement and some trepidation as part of the state's "hydrogen freeway," along with another site in Aiken County. Together, the stations cost $1.5 million from Columbia, Aiken, the state and the University of South Carolina.

Bob Coble, the Columbia mayor at the time, touted hydrogen as a way for the city and state to position themselves as high-tech research leaders, while then-Gov. Mark Sanford called the endeavor risky and expensive, according to The State newspaper.

Then plans for Columbia's bus system, The COMET, to get a hydrogen-powered bus  part of the impetus for building the station  fell through, so the site sat unused, Assistant City Manager Clint Shealy said.

By the time The COMET considered getting another hydrogen bus, the city realized the station would need to be updated to meet the need. Those plans never panned out, either.

"To my knowledge, the station has essentially been dormant ever since," Shealy said.
COLUMBIA  Drivers who back up traffic by driving slowly in the left lanes of major highways could soon face a much heftier fine under a bill headed to the Senate floor.

If the bill passes, it would increase the fine to $100 from the current $25 under a law that went into effect in 2021 requiring drivers on interstates who are not passing traffic to move out of the fast lane.

"When we passed the last bill dealing with this  it was pretty good," Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, said in a Jan. 17 subcommittee hearing. "I'd be riding along and somebody would be in the left-hand lane and they would come over and let you go by. But now it seems like folks have gone back to their old ways of just driving slow in the left-hand lane."

"Hopefully this will will help that because it just makes for a better flow of traffic," he added.

The new "slowpoke" bill, which the Senate Transportation Committee approved Jan. 18, would allow law enforcement to dole out those higher fines to dawdling left-lane drivers, 75 percent of which will go to S.C. Highway Patrol.

When the law was originally being discussed in 2021, an early proposal would have set fines at $200 and sent violators to prison for 30 days, but that was negotiated down significantly before the measure passed. The current bill would potentially move closer to those steeper penalties.

At least one other aspect of the 2021 law is also being reassessed. It required the state Department of Transportation to erect signs reading slower traffic move right on South Carolina's interstates every 35 miles. Sen. Rex Rice, R-Easley, raised concerns in a Jan. 18 hearing that the signage has not been sufficient.

"I have not seen the signs out here and the fines associated with it," Rice said. "I don't know that it's gotten any better."

Since the original law went into effect late in 2021, 637 citations have been handed out to left lane slowpokes, Sen. Sean Bennett, R-Summerville, said in the hearing.
Peak Drift Brewing Company hosts ribbon-cutting for forthcoming brewery

Amidst a crowd of over a hundred people, tall silver fermenters and a sign that read "An ode to the oceans, the mountains and the rivers of the region," Sara Middleton-Styles and a handful of others cut the ribbon at Peak Drift Brewing Company Jan. 18.

"Our mission here at Peak Drift ... is to celebrate life's peak moments, the moments that no matter how big or how small, when you've finally reached that peak that you've worked so hard for, it's the moment that you can finally sit back, relax and break away," Middleton-Styles told attendees at the event.

The long-awaited, massive brewery that's set to open to the public on North Main Street in the fall, has officially entered into the second phase of production, according to Director of Operations Jason Snyder. The brewery has already begun distributing across the Columbia area and will expand to Charlotte and Charleston in the coming months, Snyder said.

The brewery comes from Greg Middleton and Sara Middleton-Styles, the brother-sister duo behind lavish downtown restaurant Smoked and the forthcoming 518 Smokehouse which is set for Chapin. Their father, Scott, owns other Main Street spots like The Venue, The Grand and Good Life Cafe.

The project is a massive one  at more than 60,000 square feet, it'll be one of the largest in the city  with beer brewed by one of the city's few female brewers, Ashley Kinart-Short. It'll be one of the largest to open in Columbia and one of the first to open in the North Main area.

It sits inside the historic Stone manufacturing building, a space that has sat empty for over a decade, Columbia City Councilman Howard Duvall said.

"I had opportunities to show this building to so many different prospects and you can't imagine what it used to look like. It got so bad that I stopped showing it," County Councilman Paul Livingston joked at the ribbon-cutting.

With the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the brewery enters into what it refers to as phase two. In this phase, Snyder explained, it will prepare to open the taproom, restaurant and bar. It'll add to the area's growing number of taprooms and biergartens  in the last few years spots like Savage Craft and WECO Bottle and Biergarten have opened in West Columbia. And in the spring of this year, Bierkeller, a nomadic German beer operation, will open in the Canalside Plaza.

Snyder said the brewery plans to work in partnership with other breweries around town to provide a space for other beer-producers to brew and to use canning technology. So far, Peak Drift has one contract with Columbia Craft Brewing Company, owner Andrew Strauss confirmed.

"While, on paper, it feels like it's just a brewery, I'm here to remind you all that it's so much more than that," City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells said. It's increasing quality of life, bringing millennials ... and most importantly, it's cultivating a local economy."

Other food news you may have missed:

Boku Kitchen and Saloon to host Chinese New Year celebration: Boku, the modern Asian fusion restaurant in the bright green building in the Vista, will celebrate the Chinese New Year on Jan. 22. The restaurant will be decorated accordingly and have a special menu available, which includes their Dim Sum brunch.

Bojangles to launch hard sweet tea: You've had their chicken. You've had their biscuits. Heck, you've probably even had their sweet tea. But Bojangles, the fast-food chicken chain, will soon add alcohol to their offerings. Bojangles will release an alcoholic sweet tea in March, the company announced in a press release. The drinks will be available in cans at South Carolina and North Carolina gas stations and grocery stores.

PJ's Coffee in Elgin to host grand opening: A new coffee shop in Elgin will celebrate its opening, Jan. 27, according to the coffee shop's Facebook page. From 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., they'll have free coffee and a handful of giveaways. The official ribbon cutting happens at 11:30 a.m. at 100 Pontiac Business Center Drive in Elgin. More info can be found at facebook.com/pjscoffeeelginsc.

Dave's Hot Chicken to open in former Smashburger space: Out with the smash, in with the spice. A new franchise, Dave's Hot Chicken, will fill the space of the recently closed Smashburger location at 4601 Devine St., according to reporting from Post and Courier Columbia Business Reporter Mike Fitts.
TAYLORS  A 16-year-old vehicle passenger charged with illegal gun possession was shot during a traffic stop late Jan. 17 in a shooting that authorities said didn't involve deputies firing their weapons.

Around 11 p.m., a Greenville County sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle on Wade Hampton Boulevard near St. Mark Road for an unspecified traffic violation, according to a Greenville County Sheriff's Office news release.

The deputy then requested backup.

According to the release, deputies saw a firearm "on one of the occupants" and went to secure the occupant when the shot was fired. One of the occupants, who is 16 years old, was struck. No one else was.

Deputies rendered medical aid to the occupant, who was taken to the hospital with what the sheriff's office described as an injury that was not life-threatening.

The 16 year old, whose identity hasn't been released because he's a juvenile, was charged with unlawful possession of a pistol under the age of 18, unlawful carrying of a firearm, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and trafficking fentanyl.

He was transported to the juvenile detention facility in Columbia after his release from the hospital.

The release didn't specify who shot the 16 year old, but it said neither of the two deputies fired their weapons. It also didn't specify if the vehicle's other two occupants fired a weapon.

Another passenger, 20-year-old Joselito Leopard-Rivera, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana. He's incarcerated in the Greenville County Detention Center where he's awaiting a bond hearing.

The vehicle's driver wasn't charged.

The sheriff's office requested the State Law Enforcement Division investigate the shooting.

According to protocol, the sheriff's office will release a community briefing at 8:30 a.m. March 3 that will provide details of the incident.
PENDLETON  The campus police officers at Tri-County Technical College have a new power behind their badges: South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation.

It is the first technical school in the state to do so, according to a news release, and  with 14 officers on its three campuses  officially the smallest accredited police force in the state.

The accreditation shows dedication to the community and offers increased accountability, school spokeswoman Karen Potter said.

Accreditation gives us a proven framework to self-reflect and evaluate our policies, training and practices against a set of standards, she said. Many of these standards go a step beyond state or federal law, which gives those that we serve and protect the confidence that we are seeking to be the best-performing agency possible.

Police Chief Marcus Guess said it makes the department more professional and commits the officers to upholding best practices and policies that better suit the community they serve.

The completion of the assessment and review process was marked Dec. 8 in Columbia with a presentation and celebrated again Jan. 13 at Tri-Countys campus in Pendleton.

This is a momentous occasion, school President Galen DeHay said January 13 at a college-wide celebration of the accreditation. Im proud of our campus police who make our campuses a safe working and learning environment for students, faculty, staff and guests.

TCTC has three campuses in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. Court proceedings take place in the county system where an incident occurs, Potter said, though parking tickets are handled in-house.
Terrorist groups continue to pose a major threat for America and its allies -- even if U.S. policymakers have shifted most of their focus to Russia and China. Read moreWe can't ignore the terror threat from Somalia -- or the southern border
MONCKS CORNER  A former prosecutor who said he suffered from alcoholism when he abused his small children, one of whom was just an infant, was sentenced Jan. 19 to two years in state prison.

Michael Justin Mims, 41, pleaded guilty Jan. 19 in a Berkeley County courtroom to three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

But he will receive credit for 13 days in the county jail and 437 days of house arrest, a sentencing document released Jan. 20 indicated.

The former DUI prosecutor was arrested in October 2021 after local law enforcement obtained video footage from inside his family's Hanahan home that documented the father strangling, hitting and mocking his children in 2018. The footage came to light in family court proceedings after Mims' wife filed for divorce in the summer of 2020.

Ninth Circuit Assistant Solicitor Kamila Szymczynska-Sas described the assaults in graphic language on Jan. 19 to a packed court room.

"We are here today to acknowledge the acts of abuse toward these innocent, small children who had no way of protecting themselves," she said.

In August of 2018, Mims kicked his 18-month-old daughter to the ground in their family kitchen. The assault occurred in the presence of two other children, who said they were scared.

In October 2018, Mims repeatedly slapped the infant across the face. He demanded she shut up, grabbed her by the neck and repeatedly slammed her into furniture.

That same day, Mims strangled his son on a bed in the family's home. The father threatened to kill the child, whose buttocks was exposed, and mocked him for urinating.

"Go potty you little girl," he said. "How's that butt feel buddy."

Szymczynska-Sas said the defendant also slapped another son who was between 5 and 6 years old in September and November of 2019. Photo evidence showed the victim suffered a prominent bruise from the November assault, which kept him out of school for two days.

The mother of the victims said Jan. 19 that her children are in intensive therapy after suffering years of abuse from their father. She called her ex-husband's violence "torture" and asked Circuit Judge Bentley Price to send a message through his sentence that South Carolina will not tolerate child abuse.

The couple's divorce was finalized in December 2022, Berkeley County court records show. The mother has received sole custody over their four children.

Mims, freshly shaven and wearing a suit, said Jan. 19 that he suffered from alcoholism at the time of the assaults but has since sought treatment, forsaken alcohol and studied religion. The defendant said he has been sober since April 2020.

"I just wanted to tell you how ashamed I am of how I treated my children in those videos," Mims said. "They're amazing kids and I love them dearly."

A third-party appointed by family court to advocate for the children wrote in a court filing submitted last month that Mims would not pose a continued threat to his children so long as he completely abstains from alcohol.

At the time of his arrest, Mims served as the Berkeley County Sheriff Offices DUI prosecutor, responsible for prosecuting first-time drunken driving offenses in the countys municipal courts. The assaults occurred before Mims held the post, according to his defense attorneys, Shaun Kent and Mason West.

Price, who said he had reviewed the video footage, passed down a 10-year prison sentence. The judge suspended the sentence to two years incarcerated followed by three years of probation. If Mims violates his probation, he will be required to serve the remaining eight years of the sentence behind bars.

Editors Note: This article was updated Jan. 20 to include the amount of credit Mims received for time served, which was stated in a sentencing document released on Jan. 20.
COLUMBIA  Statehouse tensions brewing between members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and their GOP colleagues spilled out into the open Jan. 19 in a fiery floor debate amid conflicting accounts of who is even a legitimate member of the ruling Republican ranks.

The drama began in the morning when House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said lawmakers who have not signed onto rules agreed to last month will not be recognized as Republican Caucus members.

"We believe that South Carolina has sent us down here to legislate, to make their lives better, so were going to move forward with our agenda today," Hiott, R-Pickens, said at a press conference about the caucus's priorities.

"But our doors are open to return at any time," he added.

State representatives can be members of the Republican Party without being members of the House Republican Caucus, which steers the party's priorities in chamber.

It had previously been unclear whether refusal to sign the rules would eject members from the Republican Caucus; Hiott's comments made it clear that's the case.

"Like any organization, our caucus operates under a set of rules," he said in statement. "That is not unusual  I know even my church operates under rules."

At least 70 Republicans out of 88 in the House have signed the rules and are members of the Republican Caucus, including at least four members of the Freedom Caucus, Hiott said.

The non-signatories, who number in the mid-teens, are the other members of the Freedom Caucus, including their chairman, Rep. Adam Morgan, R-Taylors, and vice chair, Rep. R.J. May, R-Lexington.

Despite Hiott saying non-signatories were not members of the Caucus, Morgan told reporters he still considers himself a member of the Republican Caucus and that Hiott's comments were "news to me."

Morgan declined to comment on whether the four members of the Freedom Caucus who have signed the Republican Caucus rules would be kicked out of the Freedom Caucus.

The implications of what might otherwise seem like backroom party intrigue became clear when Speaker Murrell Smith gaveled the House into session. Many members expected the body to quickly approve the allotment of the remaining $580 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to rural water and sewer projects.

Instead, members of the Freedom Caucus proposed a series of amendments that sought to restrict how the money could be used, or allot it as tax rebates instead (which is likely illegal), and attach measures they argued would increase transparency.

Other Republicans said they might support the measures but that the Freedom Caucus members had proposed the amendments at the last minute without consulting them.

Then the Freedom Caucus members forced public roll-call votes on the amendments, which other Republicans said were "gotcha" votes meant to make them look bad on social media.

The floor debate was heated.

"Today feels a little more tense than other days that I've been on the floor," Morgan said from the podium before proposing an amendment.

In one particularly strained moment, Rep. Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia, and Morgan yelled over each other when Caskey questioned Morgan's motivations, leading to Smith gaveling them down.

In speech after the confrontation, Caskey charged cooperation "is a concept that some members find foreign" and said that the amendment sponsors surprising their colleagues "with the cloak of nobility is absurd.

"Standing on some hill of righteousness and on social media is not how we get things done," he said.

Morgan then accused Caskey of crossing a line by impugning his honesty. The ideas for the amendments "just hit me today and were an earnest attempt to increase transparency, Morgan said.

He dismissed assertions the Freedom Caucus amendments were linked to the rules dispute.

Most of the Freedom Caucus-backed amendments were tabled by overwhelming votes.

The dissention in the GOP ranks was sown last spring when Freedom Caucus members led primary challenges, many of them successful, against incumbents they branded as too moderate.

After the November elections, the rules committee of the House Republican Caucus introduced guides that include a provision barring caucus members from (engaging) in campaign activities of any kind against any other Caucus member in good standing.

Morgan told reporters that a number of members have brought up issues with what that rule might mean.

The rules stipulate representatives must sign them to be caucus members and that a violation of the rules can result in expulsion.

Hiott released a full copy of the rules to the media at the end of the day on Jan. 19 in an effort to clarify the situation.

For months, the House leadership has been in on-again, off-again talks with the Freedom Caucus over their membership in the Republican Caucus and the rules. At one point, the leadership set deadlines for members to sign the rules or be ejected, which the Freedom Caucus members repeatedly ignored. Republicans have tried to keep the infighting behind closed doors, though rumors have swirled for weeks.

The chamber's Democrats seemed to be either greatly amused or annoyed by the days events.

"In the words of Marshawn Lynch, as a Democrat, I'm just here so I wont get fined, " Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Smoaks, said from the floor, referring to the former Seattle Seahawks running backs famous refrain at a pre-Super Bowl press conference.
Six months after a young actor was killed in a hit-and-run on James Island, a magistrate judge found probable cause Jan. 18 to believe an Upstate man was the second driver to hit Alexander "AJ" Jennings and leave the scene of the accident.

The first driver to hit Jennings has not been identified.

Jennings, who was a stand-in actor on the hit Netflix series "Outer Banks," had left a party on foot during the early morning hours of July 5. The 22-year-old man was searching for an Uber on Sol Legare Road at 2:15 a.m. when an unidentified vehicle struck him.

Thirteen minutes later, Jennings was struck by a second vehicle which also fled the scene, an investigation by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office found.

Nicholas Ashton Virgil Price, who was also 22 years old at the time of the collision, was charged in July with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Authorities believe Price, a resident of Little Mountain, a town 30 miles northwest of Columbia, was driving the second vehicle that struck Jennings.

Magistrate James B. Gosnell Jr. ruled at a Jan. 18 preliminary hearing in North Charleston that the Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office established probable cause in the case.

Price was coming from the same party on Roberts Road as the victim, who was looking for a ride after he had been kicked out of the event, Charleston County Sheriff Master Deputy Mark Schreffler testified at the hearing.

When questioned by local police in downtown Charleston later that morning, Price said he was driving a silver Honda Civic, the same make and model of the second suspect vehicle. Price said he saw Jennings lying in the roadway, according to an affidavit supporting a warrant for Price's arrest.

Schreffler testified that video footage from a gas station near the collision showed a silver Honda Civic hit something in the roadway at 2:28 a.m. and then it pulled into the gas station. The driver exited the vehicle and examined the front hood of his car before getting back in the car and driving off. The driver passed the victim's body.

Pieces of the vehicle collected at the scene are believed to have come off of a Honda Civic, the vehicle that Price admitted to driving, Schreffler said. He added that investigators collected suspected blood and tissue samples from the car, which is still being processed for DNA.

Price did not get out of his car to help Jennings, and he did not call the authorities, Schreffler testified.

The investigator said Price sent a "Snapchat call" to people at the party saying that he saw someone on Sol Legare and "it didn't look good." One of the party members drove to the scene of the collision and called 911 after he found Jennings in the roadway, Schreffler testified.

Law enforcement arrived on scene at 2:39 a.m.

When we arrived on scene, the victim had a faint pulse, another sheriff's deputy testified at Price's bail hearing in July.

Jennings died later in the hospital as a result of his injuries.

Price's attorney, Jerry Finney, said his client cooperated with authorities when they located Price later that morning at a residence in Charlestons East Side where the college student was vacationing with friends.

The defendant shares law enforcement's desire to identify the first driver, Finney said.

"My client did not put the victim in the roadway," the Columbia-based attorney said. "This is an ongoing investigation."

Law enforcement still do not know the make or model of the first car, Schreffler acknowledged.

The victim's mother, LuJean Jennings, said she has retained local attorney Andy Savage to investigate the case. The woman, a cardiovascular surgeon, drove 13 hours from her home in Grand Island, New York  a town between Buffalo and Niagara Falls  to attend the hearing.

The mother is used to traveling long distances for her son. LuJean Jennings adopted Alexander Jennings in 2001 from an orphanage in Russia.

Alexander Jennings moved to Charleston in May 2022 to pursue his acting career and Netflix offered him a job in "Outer Banks," which was filming a third season. The 22-year-old served as a double for the shows lead male actor, Chase Stokes, who plays the charismatic John B.

Price's mother approached LuJean Jennings after the hearing and offered her condolences to the grieving mother. The two women shook hands.

He is the same age as Alex was, LuJean Jennings said of Price. I can see how these things happen."

"Im dismayed that he didnt help  but people react differently," she added.

Finney said his 23-year-old client is trying to maintain his lifestyle, attending college classes and working.

"This weighs heavily on him every day," Finney said.

Antonio Taylor, who worked alongside Jennings on the set of the Netflix show, said after the hearing that he is still shocked by his friend's untimely death.

Taylor, a stand-in for the character Pope, said Jennings was a constant source of energy.

"We had a lot of fun together," Taylor recalled. "He was so happy and so joyful."
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
You could argue that the positions Gov. Henry McMaster advocates dont always match his vision for South Carolina. And you could argue that he lets himself get distracted from that vision too often, as he pursues culture-war and other partisan priorities.

But you cant argue with his vision for our state, which he articulated so beautifully last week when he took the oath of office for the third time, setting up what could become the longest tenure of a South Carolina governor since our state ceased to be a British colony.

Of course, our favorite part of Mr. McMasters second inaugural address (his first inauguration lacked any real address, since we would have been governor-less had he not gone ahead and taken the oath of office as soon as Gov. Nikki Haley resigned to become U.N. ambassador) was when he read from the inscription on a framed drawing of Charleston that was a gift to one of those royal governors.

The 1739 inscription, published by order of Parliament, proclaims that Charles Town may well be looked upon as the most temperate part of the habitable Earth. It continues: (I)t is the fairest & most fruitful Province belonging to Great Britain.  Its Silk is preferable to any, & its Rice is the best in the world.  So that it is no wonder of Charles Town  be now a very great and flourishing Town, adorned with handsome & commodious buildings  amongst which the Church of St. Philip, may justly be reckoned the finest structure in America. (T)his Town and Province may justly be esteemed the most flourishing of any of His Majesty's Dominions in America."

While Mr. McMasters vision for the future includes preserving those physical assets that continue to make our entire state such an appealing place to live and visit, thats only one part of the virtuous cycle that he hearkened to once again last week: economic strength, education and our natural environment.

As he did in his 2019 inaugural, Mr. McMaster declared that our magnificent natural and cultural resources help attract visitors, residents and businesses, which in turn create jobs. And those jobs create tax revenues that allow us to provide the type of education that helps cultivate a deep appreciation for our natural and cultural heritage and produce the workforce that attracts more economic development.

And he appropriately identified education as the linchpin, noting that As once all roads led to Rome, today all quests for prosperity lead to education.

We must do whatever it takes to see that every child  to see that every child  in our state has the opportunity to receive an excellent education, he said. Albert Einstein said, A problem can never be solved by thinking on the same level that produced it. He was right; we must think big and be bold, and we will.

Of course, talk is cheap, and our state still does far from an adequate job seeing to it that every child in our state has the opportunity to receive a decent  much less an excellent  education. But Mr. McMaster has helped lead an evolution in our government, with a much greater focus on early childhood education and improved teacher pay, and we look forward to him and lawmakers doing an even better job of advancing those priorities in the coming year.

Mr. McMaster has a long record as a champion of clean air and water, and the remarkable success his administration is having recruiting alternative-energy jobs to South Carolina seems to be helping turn him and other elected officials into much stronger proponents of green energy. And all of that rebuts the misconception that policies that protect our environment hurt business and vice versa.

As he explained: Vigorous economic growth and the preservation of our shared natural heritage and environment are not, are not, opposing objectives which must be balanced as in a competition, one against the other. Instead, they are complementary, intertwined and inseparable, each dependent on the other. Each can be accomplished to the fullest if we plan now and be bold.

Inaugurals tend to be long on vision and short on policy. Next week, Mr. McMaster will address a joint session of the General Assembly and give his annual State of the State address. Thats where governors outline the specific laws they want the Legislature to pass in the coming year. That will give us an opportunity to assess the degree to which his agenda matches his vision. But for today, we are encouraged that he continues to articulate one of the best visions for our state that we can recall.
Educators, students and community partners are invited to participate in the 2023 Service Learning Youth and Community Preparedness Summit being held Jan. 25 to 27.

While also creating awareness about disaster preparedness for natural hazards, risks and threats, the event partners the Service Learning Program with the Guam Youth Preparedness Program and presents concepts for environmental advocacy that the teachers and students can participate in, take into their service learning planning and apply them when preparing for natural disasters, Jenna Blas, Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense public information officer, told The Guam Daily Post.

Service learning is a requirement for all high school students, with each student required to have earned 75 hours of service learning in order to graduate. Not only is it mandatory, Blas said, it gives students the opportunity to grow and give back to the community.

The mission of service learning is to allow each student to gain knowledge of the communitys needs, to expand their learning beyond the four walls of the classroom, to provide opportunities for lifelong intellectual and personal growth, and to feel the intrinsic rewards associated with giving back to society, Blas said.

There will be two tracks at the summit. The first two days will be focused on teachers and the community. Topics include climate change impacts, wildfire prevention and service learning curriculum, along with environmental advocacy, implementation of place-based strategies into schools and an outdoor field activity on the second day. Outreach exhibitors from partner agencies will be available, GHS/OCD stated in a press release.

During the summit for educators and community partners, an outdoor excursion will be conducted at Ritidian, where participants will learn about fanihi habitat, behavior and research, Blas said. "Hands-on activities will reinforce what was discussed during the summit about generating solutions inspired by nature."

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Guam has not seen a typhoon with the capability of serious destruction since weather patterns switched to La Nina, the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. However, natural hazards still pose a serious risk to the community.

It is important to increase community resilience in order to reduce impacts these hazards have on lives, properties and the economy," said Blas. "Attendees will learn about disaster preparedness for natural hazards such as typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis."

The third day will focus on the students and how they can do their part by volunteering in their communities, while preparing them for potential disasters the future may bring, Blas said.

The summit is geared toward ninth grade students to create awareness about service learning initiatives and opportunities they can take part in throughout high school, while also creating awareness about disaster preparedness for natural hazards, risks and threats, Blas said.

Attendees also will learn about environmental advocacy and how adopting more environmentally sensitive practices will benefit society, Blas said.

With the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns due to climate change, consequences on the environment include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity, said Blas.

The summit will allow teachers and students to take what they have learned from the Guam Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX, National Weather Service and others into their service learning planning and apply them when preparing for natural disasters, Blas said.
Dangote Cement Plc has named Arvind Pathak as the companys new chief executive/managing director, the company said in a note posted on the Nigerian Exchanges website on Thursday.

Mr Pathak will replace Frenchman Michel Puchercos, who will depart the cement maker at the end of February after three years at the helm.

The new CEOs tenure begins on 1 March, the disclosure said.

Mr Pathak led Indias Birla Corporation, a cement producer, before he became the chief operating officer and deputy managing director of Dangote Cement. He formerly served at Mumbai-based Associated Cement Company Limited as regional CEO and has experience spanning more than 30 years, which includes transforming businesses, spearheading crucial greenfield projects, as well as overseeing operations and plant maintenance.

The newly appointed CEO obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Roorkee now IIT Roorkee in 1980, and a postgraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and Management in 1982.

The appointment of Mr Arvind Pathak will be included in the Agenda at the next Annual General Meeting for ratification by the shareholders in accordance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Dangote Cement said.

The Board would like to thank Mr Michel Puchercos for his commitment and contributions to the Board and wishes him well in his future endeavours while welcoming Mr Arvind Pathak back to the Dangote family and wishing him success in his new role.

Dangote Cement, sub-Saharan Africas biggest cement company, has presence in ten countries and a production capacity of 51.6 million tonnes per year.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday vowed to sanction any commercial bank found hoarding the new naira notes.

The CBN Kano Branch Controller, Umar Biu, made the disclosure during a sensitisation programme on the new naira notes organised for traders at the Sabon Gari market in Kano.

You have the right to report any bank found hoarding the new naira notes or refusing to collect your old naira notes before the 31st January 2023 deadline, Mr Biu said, according to a Punch report. https://punchng.com/cbn-to-sanction-banks-hoarding-new-naira-notes/

No bank should refuse to collect the old naira notes until the deadline of 31st January 2023.

The sensitisation programme was extended to Kwari Market, Wapa Bureau De Change Market, Kofar Wambam market and the popular Kurmi market, Kano.

Earlier on Wednesday, CBNs Director of the Legal Services Department, Kofo Salam-Alada, disclosed that the CBN is already monitoring banks that are still dispensing old naira notes from their ATMs.

Mr Salam-Alada who made this known during a sensitisation program on the new naira notes in Lagos urged banks to switch to the new notes immediately.

I can tell you today that the CBN on a daily basis issues new notes. As we speak, banks are with the CBN taking money. We are actually begging banks to come and take money from the Central Bank. We have these new naira notes in our vaults and we are begging banks to come and take them, he said.

In October last year, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced the plan to redesign Nigerias N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. He said the new notes would go into circulation in December while residents are expected to change all old notes by January 31.

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The move to replace old notes generated heated debates among Nigerians. While some public commentators questioned the rationale behind the policy, many have called for an extension of the deadline.

Meanwhile, many ATMs and cash points across the country are still dispensing and transacting with the old notes due to the scarcity of new notes among Nigerians.

Challenges

Mr Salam-Alada said the CBN already identified some developments that could affect the circulation of the new notes.

We stopped withdrawal of new notes over the counter to ensure that everyone can have access to it and not one chief who is known to the manager, walks in, and carts away all the new notes in a particular branch. That is why we said it should be in the ATMs which cannot distinguish people.

We also have monitors going around banks now. I have been to some ATMs this morning and I have done the reports. We are not mobilising the masses against the banks because the banks are there to serve you, but be rest assured that they will serve you now that they know that the CBN is on them to serve you with the new naira notes.

He said anyone caught selling the new notes or any denomination of the naira would be jailed.

On his part, the President of the Coalition of Associations in Computer Village, Lagos, Timi Davies, noted that the new naira notes are a good initiative.

But unfortunately, the new notes are not well circulated within our market. The ATMs are not dispensing the new notes and only a few privileged ones seem to be having access to the new notes, he said.

We want to encourage the CBN and the government to enforce the deadline on the banks. There should be no bank that should not be giving the new naira from their ATMs. All ATMs should load the new notes. As we are giving the old notes, we should be able to get the new notes. If the ATMs are not dispensing, the new notes will not flow around.

Similarly, the Olukosi of Ikeja Land, Lateef Oluseyi, assured the CBN of the support of the traditional rulers in sensitising the community about the new notes. The monarch also dispelled rumours that the new naira note was not durable.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with the embattled governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, as the interest of concerned parties in the banking sector heightens over the fate of the nations topmost banker.

The duo met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what is believed to be their first meeting this year, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mr Emefiele arrived the villa at about 14:30 GMT and had a closed-door meeting for about 25 minutes with Mr Buhari. However, reports said the apex bank governor declined questions and comments from state house correspondents after the meeting.

Mr Emefiele joined a delegation of the Arab Bank for Economic Development led by its Director General, Sidi Tah, to the state house. The apex bank chief was reportedly received by Mr Buhari, who welcomed him back to the country.

The Central Bank Governor, you are welcome back. I am grateful you are well received, Punch newspaper quoted Mr Buhari as saying.

In recent weeks, Mr Emefiele has been in the eye of the storm amid moves by Nigerias secret police to arrest him over several allegations of professional misconducts.

On Monday, PREMIUM TIMES reported how the apex bank announced that Mr Emefiele was back in the country and had resumed duty amid report of DSS invasion of the CBN headquarters in Abuja.

Reports claimed Monday afternoon that operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) invaded the headquarters of the CBN and took over the office of the embattled governor of the apex bank.

An online publication, Daily Nigerian, reported that the SSS operatives came in with about 20 vehicles with armed personnel. The operatives also barred all staff of the bank from gaining access to Mr Emefieles office, it said.

But the SSS, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Peter Afunnaya, said the reports are fake and misleading.

Last week, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Emefiele quietly returned to the country, according to sources in the apex bank and the presidency. The apex bank chief returned to Nigeria ahead of the CBNs first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the year scheduled for 23 January.

Earlier in December, the CBN governor left the country upon approval of his two weeks leave by Mr Buhari, a decision many beleived he took ostensibly to avoid being arrested by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS).

Ordeals

The SSS in December had secretly sought a court order to arrest Mr Emefiele over alleged acts of financing terrorism, fraudulent activities and economic crimes of national security dimension.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, however, rejected the SSS request.

The judge, John Tsoho, who is the Chief Judge of the Court, in a ruling on 9 December, rejected the application on the grounds that the SSS failed to provide sufficient evidence to warrant the issuance of an arrest warrant against Mr Emefiele.

He explained that the depositions in the affidavit filed by the SSS in support of its application purport that preliminary investigation has revealed various acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities perpetrated by the respondent and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension.

The Judge also accused the SSS of deceit, saying the secret police failed to indicate that Godwin Emefiele, against whom the order was sought, was the same as the CBN governor.

It is left to speculation if the Godwin Emefiele is the same person as the serving Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. If it is, then he is unarguably a high-ranking public official in Nigeria and indeed occupies a sensitive position as one of the key drivers of the nations economy.

Therefore, an application of this kind should have evidence of the approval of the respondents boss, that such measures are authorised to be taken, he said.

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The Real Housewives of Abuja (RHOAbuja) marks the eighth version of the hit format in Africa and is set to premiere exclusively on Showmax on 17 February with new episodes dropping every Friday.

The new series will follow the luxurious lives of six influential and successful women in Abuja.

The women include Arafa, Comfort Booth, OJ Posharella, Princess Jecoco, Samantha Homossany and Tutupie as they navigate their opulent lives, relationships, family and businesses within the powerful city of Abuja and beyond.

Meet the Real Housewives of Abuja

Arafa is an art entrepreneur, creative director and founder of Selaralifestyle. She is married and a mother to amazing twins.

Comfort Booth is a lawyer, social commentator, travel blogger and talk show host. She is a partner at Asia Ahmed and Co.

Ojoma Sule, also known as OJ Posharella, is an entrepreneur and the CEO of Posthe harella Group of Companies. She is also the founder of Posharella Life Foundation, an NGO with the mission to create a better life, society and world.

Princess Jecoco is a lawyer, brand ambassador, influencer, content creator and hotelier. She is the managing director of the SefSeftonoup of hotels. She is married and a mother to two beautiful, energetic kids.

Samantha Homossany is a wellness entrepreneur and creative director of Zohi Taglit. She is passionate about art, fashion and style. She is married to an Abuja-based Israeli millionaire and is a mother of four children.

Tutupie is a trained and certified chef and event curator. She is the creative director of Urban Day Party.

The ladies will give viewers an exclusive glimpse into their luxurious lives.

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Set in a powerful city like Abuja, the new series promises to entertain, showcasing the hottest and most intriguing social scenes across the city and providing exclusive access to the ultra-rich.

Speaking about the show, Busola Tejumola, executive head of content and West Africa channels at MultiChoice, said the show will explore the power and influence of Abuja through the eyes of these fabulous women who are both unique and very entertaining.

Record-breaker

The Real Housewives of Abuja is the second Nigerian instalment of the award-winning franchise and the 21st international version of The Real Housewives format.

RHOAbuja is coming on the back of the success of The Real Housewives of Lagos, which broke the Showmax first-day streaming record in Nigeria.

The Real Housewives of Lag was one of the ten most-streamed shows of 2022 on Showmax in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Produced by Delmedia Productions, RHOAbuja will be available exclusively on Showmax in more than 40 African countries from 17 February with new episodes every Friday.

Watch the trailer:

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The tragic death of the Aluu 4, four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) who were stripped naked, beaten and lynched over an alleged robbery incident on the 5th of October 2012, is the inspiration behind a new movie produced by Linda Ikeji and distributed by FilmOne.

The deceased students, Lloyd Toku-Mike, 19; Tekena Friday Elkanah, 20; Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor, 18; and Chidiala Loroson Biringa, 20, visited the Aluu community on the day the incident happened in search of a debtor who owed one of them.

The debtor raised a false alarm that the students were robbers who came to steal his valuables. Sadly, an enraged mob paraded them as thieves and set them ablaze.

Ms Ikeji, who has followed the case for years, is making her foray into Nollywood with the release of a film project titled Dark October directed by Toka McBaror, based on the tragic Aluu Four lynching of 2012.

Premise

The film, she says, aims to shed light on the evil of extrajudicial killings and the importance of justice for all.

Dark October, directed by an award-winning Nigerian filmmaker, will bring to life the story of these four young men and the events leading up to their tragic deaths. It will also delve into the aftermath of the lynching and the impact it had on their families, friends, and the community.

This film is a powerful and important story that needs to be told, said Ms Ikeji, the films producer. We hope it will spark a conversation about the dangers of extrajudicial killings and the importance of ensuring justice for all.

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FilmOne Founders Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa said they hope the film will help to bring about change and to ensure that something like this never happens again. Its a reminder of the importance of holding those in power accountable and the need for justice for all.

The film aims to bring awareness to this tragic event and remind everyone of the importance of justice and fair treatment. The film will show the human side of the victims and the impact of their loss on their loved ones, and it will also lead to the effects of the event on the community and the nation, they said.

Roll call

The film features a cast of talented newcomers, Chuks Joseph, Munachi Okpara, Kem-Ajieh Ikechukwu, and Kelechukwu Oriaku.

Dark October is set to premiere on Netflix on the 3rd of February. It will be available for streaming in over 190 countries, making it accessible to a global audience.

The film is expected to be a powerful tool in raising awareness about extrajudicial killings and the importance of justice for all.

The producers hope it will remind Nigerians of the importance of holding those in power accountable and the need for justice.

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The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has reacted to Anambra State governor, Charles Soludos request to stand as surety for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Kanu has been leading a separatist campaign for an independent state of Biafra.

According to Mr Kanu, the Biafran Republic would comprise people of Igbo-speaking origin from Nigerias South-east and some parts of South-south states.

The IPOB leader was first arrested by Nigerias spy agency in 2015 in Lagos, South-west Nigeria.

Mr Kanus trial on terrorism and treasonable charges has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The appellate court on13 October held that Mr Kanus extraordinary rendition to Nigeria from Kenya last June was a flagrant violation of Nigerias extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights. The governments action, the court said, invalidated the trial.

The court ordered his release from the custody of the Nigerian secret police, State Security Service (SSS).

But Mr Kanu remains in detention while the federal government pursues its appeal at the Supreme Court in an effort to have the charges against him restored.

There have, however, been calls from different quarters for the IPOB leaders release.

Governor Soludo joined the list of those calling for Mr Kanus release during the presidential campaign flag-off of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Awka, Anambra State on 15 January.

Mr Soludo said if Mr Kanu cannot be released unconditionally by the Nigerian government, the IPOB leader should be released to him.

Anambra governors request not before federal government

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the Attorney-General said he was not in receipt of Mr Soludos request.

There is no such request formally before the federal government or the judicial process.

As at today, being 18 January 2023, I am not in receipt of any application arising from the public statement made by the governor of Anambra State (Chukwuma Soludo), either through the judicial process or extended to me as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Malami said.

Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), explained that when a matter is pending before the court, the right channel through which any request or perhaps concession can be presented for consideration is through the judicial process.

He added that the renewed call for Mr Kanus release has not been invoked formally for the consideration of the Attorney-General.

Backstory

Mr Kanu was facing terrorism charges before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja and was granted bail in 2017.

But the Nigerian Army on 14 September 2017 invaded the IPOB leaders Afara-Ukwu home near Umuahia, Abia State during which 18 civilians were killed, Mike Ozekhome, Mr Kanus lawyer, said during a court session.

Due to the invasion, Mr Kanu fled the country prompting Mrs Nyako, the trial judge, to issue a warrant of arrest for the IPOB leader.

One of Mr Kanus lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, described the IPOB leaders escape during the invasion as the rule of self-preservation.

But Mrs Nyako revoked Mr Kanus bail for abandoning his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants.

While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanus has been stalled since 2017.

After nearly four years abroad, on 29 June 2021, Mr Malami in the company with the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba and SSS officials announced Mr Kanus arrest and repatriation from Kenya to Nigeria.

He was subsequently re-arraigned before Mrs Nyako on 15-count terrorism and treasonable felony charges, but the judge, in April 2021, struck out eight of the charges after the IPOB leader challenged their validity.

The separatist leader went on to the Court of Appeal seeking to quash the remaining seven counts.

In a unanimous judgement last October, the Court of Appeal panel held that the Nigerian government breached local and international laws in the forcible rendition of Mr Kanu to Nigeria.

It said the IPOB leaders illegal repatriation to Nigeria renders the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.

Mr Kanu who was brought back to Nigeria last year is being held by SSS in its facility in Abuja, Nigerias capital.

Nigerias Supreme Court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the federal governments appeal challenging the Court of Appeal decision ordering the IPOB leaders release.

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The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Wednesday in Abuja, signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, with provisions to deter unapproved lottery and gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

A statement issued by Reuben Muoka, Director Public Affairs of NCC quoted the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta to have noted that the MoU, which will impact the gaming industry, is in sync with the Commissions Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) and is in a bid to promote fair practices in the industry for the protection of telecommunications consumers in relation to lottery and gaming activities.

Danbatta said the collaboration is in line with the provisions of Commissions SVP, 2021-2025, which provides for facilitation of strategic partnership and collaboration with other bodies to enhance service delivery.

He explained, The initial MoU expired in 2022, amendments and modifications have been made since no MoU is cast in stone, especially given the industrys dynamic nature.

The Director General of NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the MoU will yield favourable outcomes in curbing illegal online gambling as he shared his hope that NCC and NLRC will achieve their intentions in the interest of gaming stakeholders.

He noted how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets, hence the collaboration with the Commission to arrest such tendencies.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Mr Adeleke Adewolu disclosed that the MoU was designed to address recent technology information-sharing capabilities, and consumer satisfaction and to enhance areas of co-regulation in line with the Federal Governments digital economy mandate.

The new MoU replaces one that was first signed by both organizations, which expired in 2022. It provides complementary approaches to deter unapproved lottery/gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing in recognition of how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets.

Under the agreement, following requests from NLRC, NCC shall endeavour to block or disable illegal lottery gaming operators on the telecommunications service providers platform in Nigeria and NLRC

The document was developed by a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) comprising representatives of NCC and NLRC to implement the MoU and other matters that promote collaboration between both organizations in their regulatory functions.

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Emmanuel Enoidem, a close political associate of Godswill Akpabio when the latter was the governor of Akwa Ibom State, is set for an epic battle with Mr Akpabio if the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs becomes the APC candidate in the Akwa Ibom North-West District for the 2023 general elections.

Mr Akpabio has gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeals judgment which nullified his election as the partys candidate.

Mr Enoidem is the PDP candidate in the Akwa Ibom North-West District. Both men fell apart when Mr Akpabio left the PDP for the APC in 2018.

Akpabio has no history of loyalty, not to God, not to any political party or any man, Mr Enoidem said in this interview with Cletus Ukpong.

Excerpts:

PT: You were asked to contest for Senate in 2019 but you declined. Why?

ENOIDEM: Let me take you a little bit back. In 2010, I was in my house when (Godswill) Akpabio sent for me. He was a governor then and I was his commissioner for Housing. He said he wanted me to go to the Senate, to take over from Senator Aloysius Etok. Actually, it was the turn of my (Abak) federal constituency to go to the Senate at that time. So I set out, I did the campaign, visited the local government areas and consulted all the people I needed to consult. Everybody was waiting to vote for Enoidem to go to the Senate in the (PDP) primary. A month to the (primary) election, Akpabio called me and said he didnt want me to go to the Senate again, he said I was one of the pillars of his administration, and that he wanted me to remain as his commissioner.

That wasnt what he wanted, really. He wanted to lay a foundation for a second term for his Senate ambition. He wanted Aloysius (Etok) to do a second term so that when he finishes Akpabio would take over in 2014, which was our plan to send him to the Senate.

If Akpabio wanted a second term we would have given it to him if he were in the PDP. He didnt need to deceive me, he didnt need to lie to anybody. At that 2010, Akpabio and Aloysius were fighting dirty. I and some other persons from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District were planning to recall Aloysius from the Senate. We had finished our plan to recall him only for Akpabio to come up with an intervention that we should allow Aloysius Etok to return to the Senate.

PT: Are you talking about Akpabio seeking a second term as governor or..?

ENOIDEM: No, for the Senate. The Senate used to be one term for every person in our senatorial district. Senator Ibokessien started it, handed over to Itak Bob Ekarika. Itak Bob Ekarika handed over to Aloysius Etok. Aloysius Etok was supposed to hand over to another person from the Abak Federal Constituency because all the other federal constituencies would have taken their turn at that time. In 2014, we, Akpabios close political associates, already had the plan to send Akpabio to the Senate after his second term as governor, although it wasnt the turn of his federal constituency. But what Akpabio did in his usual way of being smart was for him to foresee that if he doesnt set a second term history in another person, if he goes to the Senate he too may be hurried out after one term. But even if there were no such history we would have given him a second term in the Senate if he were still in the PDP. We loved him, he was our leader when he was in the PDP.

PT: Is that why you didnt want to contest against him?

ENOIDEM: 27 December 2017 was when Akpabio told me he wanted to go to the APC. I went to pay him my normal Christmas homage, only for me to meet him talking to a group of people, telling them that he wanted to leave PDP for the APC. (He said) that things were not working well in the PDP in Akwa Ibom State. I went into the meeting, I told him, sir, this is not the kind of thing you should discuss here. If you want to discuss this kind of thing, call the leadership in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and discuss it and let us know what your grouses are. Somehow, my voice was a bit raised because I was surprised at the discussion. So he (Akpabio) said, Are you coming to insult me in my house? I left his house. But before I left, I told Prince Akpabio and Emmanuel Inyangetor to tell him not to discuss this matter here, and not to go to the APC because he would fail election. That was 27 December 2017. Akpabio went to APC on 8 August, 2018.

When he left, everybody  the governor, the deputy governor, and the entire leadership of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District  agreed that I should go to the Senate.

Two reasons I didnt want to contest the election against Akpabio. I knew Akpabio was going to fail, but I didnt want it to be me that would take over from him, he was my boss. The second one was that we should create a balance in politics; since the history of a second term had already been established, it was proper we get someone from Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency to succeed Akpabio in order to complete the second term.

PT: But that sounds contradictory because you are now standing in the election against him?

ENOIDEM: Akpabio is not in the Senate as we speak.

PT: So if he was still in the Senate, you wouldnt have contested against him?

ENOIDEM: I am not saying I wouldnt have contested. Akpabio is not in my party. He has moved to the APC, so I dont owe him that allegiance. But at the time he was still in the Senate, I didnt want to be that person that would remove him from the Senate.

PT: But he says you are his boy, and he feels insulted that you are standing in the election against him?

ENOIDEM: If Akpabio says that, then he is a very dishonest person. If Akpabio feels insulted by my ambition to the Senate, then he is a very dishonest person, one who doesnt have regard for God. He thinks he is God. I have two reasons for saying so. One, I got my ticket on 23 May 2022. At that time, Akpabio wanted to be the president of Nigeria. So the whole world will wait for Akpabio because his name is Akpabio, so that when he chooses what he wants everybody will now pick whatever is available. It would be the height of dishonesty and lack of integrity for him to say that. If anybody is contesting election against anybody it is Akpabio that is contesting the election against me. I hope he wont say that in public because I would insult him in a way he wouldnt love. Two, Akpabio is not in the PDP, he is in the APC. PDP must have a candidate. So are we saying that because Akpabio wants to contest the election, PDP wont field a candidate?

PT: He feels Udom Emmanuel is pushing you against him?

ENOIDEM: Udom Emmanuel is not pushing me! Is it not Akpabio who wanted me to go to the Senate in 2010, was Udom Emmanuel in politics then? Akpabio knows that I have the competence to be in the Senate. It is part of his lame excuses to blame everybody, instead of blaming himself for where he has put himself. I am not a child. If Akpabio is older than me it is just for two years. It just happened that Akpabio was a governor and I was a commissioner under him. But Akpabio was a commissioner under (Victor) Attah! He contested the governorship election against Attahs wishes, was he insulting Attah? Attah wanted Udoma Bob Ekarika.

Akpabio has no history of loyalty, not to God, not to any political party or any man. Akpabio did everything to rig the (2007 governorship) election in Akwa Ibom, against the wishes of Attah. If Akpabio had loyalty to our party that made him a commissioner for six and a half years, made him a governor for eight years, and a senator for four years, he wouldnt have crossed over to APC. I knelt down for Akpabio, one of the first persons I have ever knelt down for in my life, to beg him not to go to APC. I told him plainly you dont have a future in APC. APC is a house that was built by some group of people, you cant go there and dominate.

PT: But we learnt that he was frustrated out of the PDP?

ENOIDEM: Who frustrated him?

PT: Yeah, that there was a conspiracy against him by Udom Emmanuel and others?

ENOIDEM: Akpabio is a liar if he goes through that route. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, a sitting governor lent the name of the state through the office of the attorney general of the state to go to the court to defend Akpabio that Akpabio did not get himself involved in corruption, that Akpabio did not steal the money of Akwa Ibom State. Udom Emmanuel did it for Akpabio. So what was the conspiracy? Akpabio doesnt want to stay without power. If you remember in the 2015 election when we were campaigning for Jonathan, all that Akpabio was saying was that Akwa Ibom should support Jonathan so that Jonathan should win the centre because Akwa Ibom does not want to stay without the centre. That was a bad political campaign. Nigeria is a federation. You dont run your campaign on that kind of basis, what happens if the centre is taken by another party? Akwa Ibom is a state among the comity of states in Nigeria. For you to campaign that you dont want us to stay out of power means that you yourself it means that you must be in power forever. So when Buhari won the election, the morale of Akwa Ibom people was very low because the plank of Akpabios campaign had fallen. It took me to go to the media houses to talk to our people that we, as a federating state in Nigeria, can stay without the centre.

Akpabio could not imagine himself staying without being in the federal government. Akpabio couldnt be a minister in an APC government while he was still in the PDP. So he escaped in order to go and be a minister. He did everything, both noble and ignoble, to get a ministerial appointment.

PT: Are you saying that Akpabio had no issues with Governor Udom Emmanuel?

ENOIDEM: Akpabio had not a single issue with Udom Emmanuel. All the agreements they had, Udom Emmanuel fulfilled them, including all the laws Akpabio made to be paid this and that, to be given this and to be given that.

PT: But it is said that Akpabios wife was prevented from entering Akwa Ibom Government House?

ENOIDEM: Who said it?

PT: Ata Ikiddeh, a former aide to Akpabio, said it.

ENOIDEM: Ata Ikiddeh is not a normal human being, he thrives on controversy. I know him.

PT: But the government hasnt refuted it?

ENOIDEM: Government does not need to come out and refute a junk report.

PT: Akpabio too hasnt come out to say the report was false?

ENOIDEM: I dont think Akpabio needs to say that. I am telling you that as an insider there was no real problem between Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel by the time Akpabio left PDP. Akpabio left because he said EFCC was harassing him. Tell him I say so.

PT: Akpabio, while he was governor, significantly changed the infrastructures in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, including in your own local government area. And he appears well-loved by the people in the district. Just yesterday, I spoke with someone in the district who said you are part of a conspiracy to humiliate Akpabio.

ENOIDEM: The person who told you that is daft, he doesnt know the elementals of politics. I and Akpabio are not in the same political party. All the things you said Akpabio did, he did them under PDP. When Akpabio left PDP and became the minister of Niger Delta Affairs under APC, what did he do for the Annang people? No, he did nothing.

If the people love him that much he wouldnt have failed the 2019 election.

PT: He said they rigged him out?

ENOIDEM: Nobody rigged the election, it was Akpabio who was trying to rig people out. Ask Akpabio if he beat up the PDP chapter chairman in Essien Udim with his own hands. Ask him if he used the military to terrorise the collation centre in Essien Udim. Ask him whether he got people to write results for him at the INEC centre in Essien Udim. Akpabio thought he could use all the votes in Essien Udim to win the election in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. Akpabio doesnt think very well. If he has deep thought, he wouldnt dare contest election in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. The qualification to go to the Senate is not because you did roads. We are talking about justice, fairness, equity and good conscience here. If Akpabio cannot see that Abak Federal Constituency has not gone to the Senate in 63 years of Nigerias independence, then Akpabio is a very wicked man. We cannot wait for Akpabio to become everything before anybody will become something. Akpabio has been a commissioner, a governor, and a senator. When he was in the Senate what did he do for us? I heard he is telling people he wants to be Senate President. Who contests elections because he wants to be Senate president? Is that reasonable? Who even told him that APC would form the majority in the Senate? If Akpabio is reasonable, he would know that Nigeria has rejected APC after what Nigerians have been passing through.

PT: Whats the focus of your campaign?

ENOIDEM: To give my people proper representation. Nigeria is being negotiated. It has been like that since 1960. I am going to make sure what is being shared to other parts of Nigeria gets to my people too.

PT: Like what?

ENOIDEM: The Federal government cannot give us electric power, we need to sit down and agree that the states should provide electric power for themselves. Nigerians are very enterprising people, if you give them electric power they will fend for themselves.

Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has the largest belt of palm trees. Palm trees are one of the most important revenue-yielding businesses in the world. Dont forget that the Malaysians came to Abak here to get their palm seedlings. We can return to that history when Nigeria was the highest producer and exporter of palm produce. That has been the message of my campaign. If you get to any village in my place, the first business of every woman is palm produce, to produce palm oil. They sell this oil at cheap rates to people from Aba, Abia State. We are looking at refining the oil for export and sale across Nigeria. A barrel of palm oil is more expensive than a barrel of crude oil. The beauty is that we are going to provide off-takers for our people. We are also going to make sure we provide palm mills in each of the 10 local government areas in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

PT: But the Akwa Ibom State Government has established mills in some of these areas and they appear not to be working.

ENOIDEM: What I am talking about here is not a state government matter, it is going to be private-sector driven. The Central Bank of Nigeria has a lot of money to fund agriculture. So if we get a loan for 10 per cent interest, we can share it to our people. Our people are honest enough to return the loan. I will leverage palm produce as much as God will give me the strength. We are also endowed with clay, some of the best qualities in the world. If we get an investor to set up a clay refinery, we would have empowered our people. We can set up ceramics factories.

PT: But must you be a senator before you do these things? You have been part of the government for several years as a powerful commissioner.

ENOIDEM: I dont know what you mean by a powerful commissioner. There are certain things I wouldnt want to say here. But this will be my focus.

PT: But people would like to have you tell them why you didnt do these things for all the years you have been in government.

ENOIDEM: A commissioner is like a messenger, you dont have your own policies, you depend on the policies of the chief executive who is your boss. When I was the commissioner for investment, I was the one who rejuvenated the Peacock Paints factory in Ikot Ekan, Etinan, with the cooperation of the governor.

PT: Have you ever been involved in electoral violence in Akwa Ibom?

ENOIDEM: Never. Never. Every journalist that came to my polling unit from 1999 to till the last election would see that that is the most orderly polling unit.

PT: You have never been part of election rigging?

ENOIDEM: How do you mean? Me, carrying ballot boxes?

PT: You encouraging people to do it?

ENOIDEM: Not Emmanuel Enoidem. I will never encourage rigging elections.

PT: Some people out there think you are.

ENOIDEM: (Cuts in) But you cant stop them from enjoying their thoughts. But I am telling you the reality about me. I challenge anybody to say that they have caught Enoidem rigging election. Let me give you an example. In 2019, we had a man called (Mike) Igini. I was the PDP state agent for all the elections  presidential, governorship elections, in Akwa Ibom State. This man called Igini, may he live long. This man said INEC had a server, INEC had the capacity to do what they are saying they want to do now in the 2023 elections. And they were doing it. The only person in this country that held onto this policy was Igini. And because I knew how serious he was, what I did was in my ward, I made sure every vote passed through the card reader. You know what? When we got to the local government INEC office my ward was number one. The votes in Etim Ekpo reduced to less than 10,000 from the 20,000 plus that we used to have. Because I wanted to show people that we could make a difference, I ensured that the votes in my ward passed through the card reader.

My prayer is, God as I am going to the Senate, let me have partners that will be ready to change things in Nigeria, to give hope to Nigerians.

PT: Akpabio and his rival in the APC, Udom Ekpoudom, are still in court over who should be the APC candidate in the district. Who between the two would you prefer to stand against in the election?

ENOIDEM: Anybody. I have paid my dues in politics. I supported Akpabio to be governor, I bought (the PDP nomination) form for Akpabio to go to the Senate. There is nobody that went for election in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District as a senator that I was not at the forefront of his campaign.

PT: Do you think you can defeat Godswill Akpabio in a free and fair election?

ENOIDEM: This election is going to be free and fair. Godswill Akpabio is on the wrong side of history. Godswill Akpabio is on the offside of God. God is justice, equity and of good conscience, and therefore he cannot win this election (that is if he becomes the APC candidate). He is a greedy man who wants to be in power every day. Cant Godswill Akpabio be (Bola) Tinubu that he went and surrendered to at Eagle Square? Am I not better than Tinubu whom he surrendered to? Dont I have more energy than Tinubu? He will surrender to me or I will win him in this election.

Tinubu left government in 2007 as the governor of Lagos State and was raising people across the western states. When he was satisfied with the west, he went to the north and raised people  he made people governors, ministers, sent people to the Senate, House of Representatives. Godswill Akpabio thinks he can be a leader without having strong men, without encouraging other people to be strong. God will not allow that to happen. Tinubu waited for long, raised men and he strategised to win the 2015 presidential election (for the APC), and then Godswill Akpabio jumped boat to go and join him because he must eat food is ready. Godswill Akpabio is a food-is-ready politician. In a free and fair election, I will win Godswill Akpabio 10 times.

PT: You have been part of the PDP leadership in the state. Otu Ita Toyo, who was the PDP chairman in Akwa Ibom, is one man with great intellect. How come your party prevented him from becoming a part of the leadership of the PDP in the South-south zone?

ENOIDEM: The leader of our party was Godswill Akapbio at the time Toyo wanted to go to. As a matter of fact, he (Akpabio) was the one who told Toyo to go for the South-south zonal chairman. He is also the one that stopped him because he doesnt want anybody that has a voice.

PT: But you were there as a powerful party man and a close associate of Akpabio, did you advise him against that?

ENOIDEM: What would I have done as a commissioner? Toyo is my friend till tomorrow, he is a very cerebral guy and I respect him. Go and ask him what happened, I would have allowed him to go to anywhere he wanted to go to because I believe in his capacity. I was the state treasurer of PDP when he was the chairman of the party. Akpabio doesnt want anybody that has a strong voice. When Akpabio left PDP for APC, how many people followed him? How many people are with him now? They went and discovered the Akpabio that we already knew. Mention everybody that left with him, how many of them are still with him? Nse Ntuen, Emmanuel Akpan, Otobong Ndem, Emmanuel Ekon, Gabriel Tobby, Godwin Afangideh. All of them have left Akpabio.

PT: At some point, you wanted to be a deputy governor (to Udom Emmanuel)?

ENOIDEM: There is no sane person that would sit down in his house and say he wants to be a deputy governor, you dont buy a form to become a deputy governor. Akpabio said he wanted to make me a deputy governor. He didnt and I didnt quarrel with him because I know he is not God. You see, why I am a different politician is that if a man promises you something, just know that he is a man and may not keep to his promise. I know that if God wanted me to be deputy governor, he would have made me. Akpabio doesnt want any strong voice around him.

PT: You were the PDP treasurer in Akwa Ibom at that time, where did you get Edet Mkpubre to fill the position of the PDP national vice chairman, South-south zone?

ENOIDEM: Akpabio brought him.

PT: Was Mkpubre involved in the PDP politics of that time?

ENOIDEM: Of course, he wasnt. Akpabio wanted somebody who wasnt very strong.

PT: But how can he survive in politics without having strong people around him?

ENOIDEM: Oh, there are things I would have loved to say but not today. Ask me this question next year, I will tell you a lot of things.

PT: Is it true Akpabio stopped you when you wanted to be the PDP national legal adviser?

ENOIDEM: He wanted to stop me but God stopped him. If Udom Emmanuel was not a man of integrity Because Akpabio doesnt want strong people, when he wanted to leave the government, before he handed over, he said that those of us who were in his (Akpabios) government should not last more than one year in Udom Emmanuels government. The man (Udom Emmanuel) wasnt ready to honour the deal. So after one year, he (Akpabio) went to him and said this deal must be observed. Thats why I keep saying that Udom Emmanuel wasnt the problem, it was Akpabio that was the problem.

He wanted to force Udom Emmanuel to drop all of us who were up to five years in government. So when he told the governor to remove me, the governor said how can I remove this man that is productive? Akpabio said no, that that was the agreement. The governor asked where he would keep me. So Akpabio went and negotiated for the position of the PDP national legal adviser to be zoned to Akwa Ibom. He was the Senate minority leader then, dont forget. When the governor said whos going to tell Enoidem about this, Akpabio left Uyo and flew to the US where I was attending the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria (US) conference in Virginia to come and tell me that the governor wanted me to resign as commissioner and contest for the PDP national legal adviser. It was his game, not the governors game. Since it was his game the governor asked him to manage it. When they told me that Akpabio was in the US to see me, I said how can Akpabio travelled all the way to see me when I had only three days to stay in the US. I told Akpabio I would give him my response later. When I got back to my hotel room, I called the governor, the governor told me that it was Akpabios proposal, not his. I said okay, I would resign when I come back from the US.

When I came back I resigned as commissioner. For almost one year the PDP did not have its election because of the Ali Modu Sheriff issue. In between that one year, the governor said instead of being redundant I should go to the London Business School. In between that time, Akpabio went and conspired with Emmanuel Ekon that the APC has a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) as their legal adviser, how can they bring Enoidem that is not a SAN, what if there is a case between PDP and APC? They took the story to (Governor) Wike (of Rivers State), but Udom Emmanuel said no, that that is his choice and that there is no provision in the PDP constitution that you must be a SAN before you become the partys legal adviser.

He (Akpabio) didnt want me to occupy any position. That was how I became the partys legal adviser. Before we went to Eagle Square, they called a meeting of national assembly members across the South-south in Akpabios house to decide whether they will support me or not. Fight broke out in Akpabios house in Ikoyi because of me. Akpabio and Emmanuel Ekon brought those people to come and say they dont want Enoidem. Mike Enyong and Bassey Albert told Emmanuel Ekon who are you to come and say you dont want Emmanuel Enoidem when the governor says he wants him. When I became the national legal adviser, I performed very well because I didnt want to let Udom Emmanuel down.

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The Nigerian octogenarian journalist who on Wednesday officially bagged his PhD certificate during the 53rd convocation ceremonies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Dayo Duyile, has said it is now time to pursue his life-long ambition.

Mr Duyile, who was one of the reporters who witnessed and reported the official inauguration of the university in 1963, was the cynosure of all eyes at the institution on Wednesday when members of the universitys management, guests, well-wishers, and students hailed him for the feat.

The graduand, who described the achievement as a 40-year-old dream, said the ultimate goal is to become a professor of journalism.

Long-term dream

The accomplished journalist said he had many opportunities to pursue his PhD programme as early as 1990 but that his employer at the time could not release him to go for it.

He said: My intention to have a PhD degree is about 40 years old now. I have been making efforts since I was just between 35 and 45. I had tried to put in for it but unfortunately, one thing or the other would disturb me.

I recall that Michigan State University admitted me for Phd in 1990 and gave me a teaching assistantship along with a scholarship but because I was the Director of Nigeria Institute of Journalism, the Chairman of the board, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, did not permit me to leave the institute for the offer. Then I got another admission to a Canadian University but I couldnt go due to another engagement.

I also got another opportunity at the University of London and I couldnt go. In fact, I got six opportunities for my PhD during my active career years. So when I retired and I returned home to Ondo State I found that I should have the opportunity to now go back to the university for my PhD because it has been a life ambition to have a PhD.

He said with the support of his family, his lecturers, and the people around him, he was able to complete the programme without much trouble.

Challenges

According to Mr Duyile, the major challenge he experienced throughout the time of his study was transporting himself from Ondo town, a three-hour journey, to Lagos, twice a week.

The graduand, who was also combining the programme with his teaching job at universities, said he would hit the road as early as 4:30 a.m. sometimes, to beat traffic gridlock on the popular Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

He said: My wife has been very supportive. I travel from Ondo to Lagos two times a week for lectures and I would be the first student to be in the classroom. At times, there would be traffic gridlock. Sometimes I would pass through Ijebu-Ode-Epe Road, then to Lekki, and I would then navigate my way to Akoka. It wasnt easy. The challenge was more about the travels. There was no financial problem.

Mr Duyile also complained about the scarcity of relevant historical materials needed for his PhD thesis in Nigerian libraries, saying he had to travel to the United Kingdom to access some of the materials needed.

Mr Duyile said: Another challenge I encountered is with our libraries. At a stage, I found out there was no material for my research in the country, and not even at the National Archives at the University of Ibadan because I was investigating the emergence of early newspapers in Nigeria.

So I had to go to Birmingham University in England. The libraries there have everything about what has been happening in Nigeria since the 17th century. I spent two months in that library and I got the authentic materials I needed.

He said the situation of libraries in Nigeria is worrisome, saying It is a pity that all the records on colonialism, the introduction of Christianity to Nigeria, among others, could only be found overseas.

Next level

Mr Duyile, who said God has been gracious to him by granting him quality health, said throughout the period his PhD programme lasted, he was not sick.

He said he hopes to become a professor in no distant time, and that the steps towards achieving that are already being taken.

He said he knows that achieving professorship is not childs play because you have to show some accomplishments through publications and research works in both domestic and international journals.

And I am already taking those steps. I already have seven published books on journalism and by March I can tell you that the 8th, 9th and 10th books would be out because they are already with printers, Mr Duyile said.

View on journalism in Nigeria

Mr Duyile said journalism, as practiced in Nigeria today, is different from what operated during his own time, saying materialism now seems to be dictating the pace among journalism of this age.

According to him, money was not the determinant during his early career days in journalism, saying the society is now in decay.

So unless we go back to how journalism should be practiced and follow the ethics of our profession, I will say that for now, Im not enjoying the type of journalism being practiced in Nigeria, he said.

About Duyile

A former director at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, Mr Duyile was also the editor of Daily Sketch, an Ibadan-based national daily, and also worked with Daily Times and Nigerian Tribune.

He currently teaches at both Wesley University, Ondo, and Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, also in Ondo State.

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Captions: Chairman of UNILAG Governing Council, Lanre Tejuoso; Representative of President Muhammadu Buhari and Deputy Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki; Mr Duyile, and the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, during the convocation ceremonies.

2. Representative of President Muhammadu Buhari and Deputy Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki; Mr Duyile, and the Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, during the convocation ceremonies.

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of N1.4 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the hydro-carbon pollution remediation project in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr Abdullahi said that the vehicles were required for effective supervision of the projects at polluted sites.

Today, on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, I presented a memo to the council requesting for approval to procure some project vehicles for the hydro-carbon pollution remediation project.

You recall that late last year December, the council approved some projects to do with power for Ogoni people and remediation of some polluted sites.

It was approved in view of this desire to ensure effective supervision of this project, particularly in the five water schemes.

And the upcoming 16 water schemes and the proposed shoreline remediation and also the proposed Centre of Excellence to be built within Ogoniland and in view of the fact we are going to inspect on regular basis experts from outside the country, there is a need to provide project vehicles so that they can effectively inspect, supervise and monitor the remediation exercise.

So, FEC today approves the sum of N1.4 billion only in favour of Messrs Mujaf Automobile Nigeria Ltd to provide 31 vehicles for the project.

According to the minister, the vehicles include one 18-seater Toyota Hiace Bus, one 30-seater Toyota Coaster Bus all supposed to be 2022 models.

He also listed 11 Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Four-wheel Drive2022 model, diesel engine, 15 Toyota, double cabin four wheel drive, petrol engine2022 model, one Toyota Land Cruiser Twin Turbo 2022 model and two units of Toyota Land Cruiser V6 Prado..

So, all in all, about 31 vehicles were approved for the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project to ensure effective supervision of the project, particular the remediation project, essentially, this is what we presented and it was approved by FEC, he said.

(NAN)

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The West Africa Democracy Solidarity (WADEMOS) Network will embark on a three-day solidarity mission to Nigeria, from January 25 to 27, ahead of its February 25 national elections. This will be the sixth consecutive presidential elections since the countrys return to multiparty democracy in 1999.

The WADEMOS Network is a non-partisan, independent civil society-led transnational democracy solidarity network. The Network consists of over 35 civil society organizations (CSOs) located in all 15 countries in West Africa, with the Secretariat based in Accra, Ghana, and housed at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

While in Nigeria, the WADEMOS delegation is expected to meet and interact with the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, and engage the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), on the preparations for the national elections.

In addition, the Network is scheduled to hold deliberations with other stakeholders, including the Nigeria Peace Council, political parties, civil society organizations, and the media. The purpose of the visit is to interact with various stakeholders on issues confronting the sub-region and the implication of the upcoming Nigerian elections on strengthening democracy in the region. As a transnational civil society led organization, it is important to have first-hand information from the people involved in the processes, Professor Prempeh, WADEMOS Project Director, stated.

We are concerned about the situation in the sub-region. There are about three national elections this year, so it is important that Nigeria, being a regional powerhouse in the sub-region, sets the tone for free, peaceful, and transparent elections in the sub-region, Professor Prempeh remarked.

The WADEMOS Network delegation would include representatives from the West Africa Election Observation Network (WAEON), the Rencontre Africaine pour la Defense des Droits de lHomme (African Meeting for the Defense of Human RightsRADDHO) in Senegal, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD) in Liberia, AFLED in Mali, and the National Elections Watch (NEW) in Sierra Leone.

Being Africas most populous nation and largest economy, the outcome of the 2023 presidential election will have a significant impact on the future political and economic direction of the country, and the West African sub-region at large.

We aim to solidarize with civil society, particularly the WADEMOS Members in Nigeria, namely, Yiaga Africa, Center for Democracy and Development-West Africa (CDD-West Africa), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) around their planned activities for the 2022 Nigerian general elections and also to strengthen cooperation among pro-democracy actors involved in the elections, the WADEMOS Network Coordinator, Kopep Dabugat, noted.

As we advocate for free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections, we will also observe various aspects of the elections in relation to the current context of democratic backsliding in West Africa. We have noted the high level of enthusiasm, especially among the youth, ahead of the February 2023 elections, and we hope that civic education activities intensify in order to promote informed and active citizen participation in the democratic process, the Network Coordinator disclosed.

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In furtherance of our agenda to regionalize all national elections in the sub-region, WADEMOS will also be sharing solidarity messages from democracy champions, creatives, and leaders of civil society organizations from across West Africa with the stakeholders in Nigeria and via various social media platforms.

About WADEMOS

WADEMOS is a non-partisan, independent civil society-led transnational democracy solidarity network. The WADEMOS Network consists of over 30 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) located in 15 countries in West Africa. WADEMOS mobilizes, coordinates, and leverages the collective power of civil society and other pro-democracy actors, resources, and opportunities within the West African sub-region to advance, defend, and reinvigorate democracy and promote democratic norms and reforms.

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The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Marwa, said the agency has secured 3,733 convictions of drug dealers in 24 months.

Mr Marwa, who said this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the activities of NDLEA during his tenure, said 26,458 drug traffickers including 34 drug barons, were also arrested within the period.

He said 2,346 convictions were recorded in 2022 alone, the highest in the history of the agency and almost doubled the highest ever recorded in the 33 years of NDLEA.

He added that the agency also counselled 19,401 addicts during the period.

In 2022, I issued a New Year appeal to them and also warned that those who refused to heed the warning will find themselves in a difficult situation.

Already, we have 34 barons in our net and they are facing the music in court. We have secured orders for the temporary forfeiture of their assets.

In these two years, we arrested 26, 458 drug traffickers, among them, 34 barons. In 24 months, we successfully prosecuted 3,733 offenders, who were convicted and handed various jail terms in court.

This is not happenchance but a result of professionalism, determination, commitment and hard work of our officers, men and women, he said.

Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier general, described 2022 as an epoch year, saying that the agency had taken giant leap in drug demand reduction.

He said that the inauguration of the NDLEA drug abuse call centre had broadened access to treatment and rehabilitation.

It is a year that NDLEA has unprecedented support too, notably from the Governors Wives Forum, which made commitments to broaden and deepen social efforts to ameliorate the consequences of drug abuse, the chairman added.

Mr Marwa warned that unrepentant drug barons and cartels would face tougher time in 2023, promising to ensure that they spend long time in prison and lose their wealth and assets.

The signs are clear: we have already, in the first two weeks of this year taken down three major drug cartels, one of which has built extensive networks across the world while at least six of their kingpins are in our custody as I speak.

The details you will get to know in the coming days.

We also had support from our international partners, chiefly the UNODC, counterparts and governments of the United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, India, and South Korea.

The support came in the form of donations of equipment, training, intelligence and other logistics, he added.

The NDLEA boss assured Nigerians that the agency was firmly on the task of making Nigeria safe from illicit substances, adding that it was achievable.

He said that NDLEA would sustain its offensive action and shut down the drug route from other countries into Nigeria.

The chairman pledged that the agency would broaden access to treatment and rehabilitation, and carry Nigerians along on the journey to curb trafficking and abuse of substances in the country.

Mr Marwa warned citizens to be wary in their dealings with people of questionable wealth, saying that the anticipated amendment of the NDLEA Act would strengthen the arm of the agency in its drug law enforcement.

We look forward to arresting more barons and the 34 in the net presently will know their fate in court in the weeks and months ahead.

The Proceed of Crime Act 2022 enacted last year has given us new leverage and I will like to remind those who benefit from the proceeds of drug crimes, this time  families, friends and associates, that our investigations are thorough.

And where we find any link between a drug baron and private citizens, we shall scrutinise their assets. The onus is now on every citizen to be honest in their financial dealings with people whose source of wealth is suspect, he said.

He expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and other concerned parties for their support in the total transformation of the agency.

(NAN)

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The Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Council has demanded an unreserved apology from its All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart over allegation of corruption levelled against its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The council also accused the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, of corruption while serving as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council had on Monday, at a press conference, given the EFCC and the ICPC 72 hours to arrest Atiku over an allegation of corruption made against him (Atiku) by one Michael Achimugu, who claimed to be a former aide to the former vice president.

Mr Achimugu had claimed that Atiku formed the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) which he used to fleece the federal government.

Mr Keyamo, who addressed the conference, later said on a national television programme the following day, that he was willing to drop from the campaign council to prosecute Atiku.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the PDP campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Mr Tinubu , not Atiku, was the real SPV, because of his alleged involvement in looting Lagos treasury while in office.

Mr Ologbondiyan said that the allegation against Atiku was to distract the party and divert its attention from winning the election.

He said the PDP will not be distracted by the antics of the APC in its quest to win the 2023 presidential election.

He said that the party and its campaign council would continue to rally with Nigerians in the collective desire to restore the nation to the path of purposeful leadership and prosperity for all.

However, no matter how much falsehood appears to thrive, the truth will always prevail at the end of the day, he said.

Mr Ologbondiyan urged the APC to tender an unreserved apology to Abubakar over the unsubstantiated allegation.

He added, Like the age-long aphorism states, those who dig pits for the innocent always fall into them. This is the case in the vexatious plots by Asiwaju Tinubu to divert attention from his litany of atrocities by seeking to impugn on the impeccable character of our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with unfounded controversy of corruption.

Bola Tinubu, sensing that his many alleged corrupt activities, especially his fleecing of Lagos State with many Special Purpose Vehicle companies was about to come to light, rushed to allegedly hire a serial blackmailer, as he has always done, to foul the public space with fabricated allegations against Atiku Abubakar.

The PDP campaign spokesperson asked Mr Tinubu to come out clean and speak to these damning money laundering allegations against him, adding that he should explain to Nigerians how billions of naira belonging to Lagos State and meant for the welfare of the people, reportedly found its way into soft alliance and ended in bits and pieces in foreign currencies into domiciliary accounts allegedly owned by him in commercial banks.

He stressed We also challenge Asiwaju Tinubu to explain to Nigerians how, as Lagos State governor, he awarded the exclusive right of tax collection in Lagos State to his alleged proxy company, Alpha Beta, as well as the allegations that the SPV was used to allegedly siphon over N100bn belonging to Lagos State, he said.

If anyone is to be arrested and disqualified from the presidential race on account of corruption, certainly, that person is not Atiku Abubakar but Bola Tinubu.

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, was in Abeokuta for over five hours on Wednesday in continuation of his campaign tours but refused to pay a courtesy call on his former boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

It was the first time Atiku was visiting Ogun State after Mr Obasanjo overlooked him toendorse the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

On 1 January, the former president in a New Year message had urged Nigerians to vote for Mr Obi.

Atiku had always made Mr Obasanjos residence at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library his first point of call on previous visits to Abeokuta.

But on Wednesday, Atiku arrived at the Park Inn hotel, less than one kilometre to Mr Obasanjos residence at about 1:57 p.m. from where he left for his campaign engagements.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting during his visit the PDP presidential flag-beare said party members hoping for appointments in his government must win their polling units for the PDP during the presidential election.

The only way, as far as I am concerned, if I am president, if you come and say you want a job or you want a contract, I will ask you let me have the result of your polling booth and that is what I am going to direct to everybody, because unless we do that we will not win the elections.

You are all members of the PDP and supporters of the PDP, you want PDP to return to power, please I beg of you make sure you win your polling booths.

Adeleke vows to help Adebutu unseat Abiodun

At the campaign rally in Abeokuta, Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, told the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Ladi Adebutu, that he will give him the secret to unseat an incumbent governor.

Mr Adeleke unseated former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC in July, 2022.

I will tell my brother, Lado my secret and the strategies we used to win in Osun, Mr Adeleke told party supporters at the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta.

What I have to tell you is that the victory that happened in Osun will be replicated in Ogun by Gods grace. The revolution has started in Osun.

Now that I have come to Ogun, light has come and when light comes, darkness vanishes, the Osun governor said.

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The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, will not retire in March when he attains the age of 60 years.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, disclosed this to journalists on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Baba was expected to bow out of office on 1 March when he clocks 60 years.

He was appointed IGP on 6 April, 2021 and confirmed two months later by the Police Council.

Mr Dingyadi explained that the Police Act 2020 gives the IGP a four-year tenure which cannot be interrupted by retirement age.

Let me say that by the provision of the Police Act 2020, the IG is now supposed to have a kind of four-year period and Mr. President has already given him letter of appointment in that regard.

So the issue of IG going out during this election period does not arise, he said.

Some Nigerians had expressed concern about the retirement of the IGP at the time the country will be conducting the forthcoming general elections.

While the presidential election and the National Assembly elections hold on 35 February, four days before Mr Bubas 60th birthday, the governorship and State assembly elections hold on 11 March, 10 days after his birthday.

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The Northern Elders Forum has given reasons why it has not endorsed any of the 18 presidential candidates taking part in next months election in Nigeria.

The presidential election will be held on 25 February.

Peter Obi (Labour Party), Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress) , Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party) are the four leading candidates for the election.

The spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the group would not rush to endorse any presidential candidate despite having a few weeks to the election.

He said this while featuring on a live television programme, Focus Nigeria, aired on the African Independent Television and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Baba-Ahmed recalled how the group supported Muhammadu Buhari to win the 2015 election and later worked against his reelection in 2019 because they were apparently dissatisfied with Mr Buharis performance.

The Northern Elders Forum was unable to convince other Nigerians not to support Mr Buhari in 2019, Mr Baba-Ahmed said.

This time we are taking precautions  we are saying be careful, dont rush into judgment. We still have about six weeks to take a decision. We are doing a lot of good things in terms of following around and assessing what they (candidates) are doing, what they are saying, not just at the presidential level but governors and National Assembly.

We believe governance is not just about one person and that is why we have not rushed to say this is our candidate because one person cannot change this country, he said.

Mr Baba-Ahmed, a former secretary to the Kaduna State Government, said the group would endorse a candidate before the election as they cannot afford to leave the north hanging.

He said Nigerians do not need an ethnic president or one voted on the basis of faith but a courageous president that will take decisions which may not be popular among the people.

Do you negotiate with Boko Haram, do you negotiate with bandits, should you just continue to fight them and they will fight you? What do you do with people like Nnamdi Kanu, should you speak with him, should you negotiate, is there basis for negotiating?

We must have a president who will weather the storm, face problems and deal with them. We need the president who will insist that questions must be raised and answers must be found for them. We need a president who understands where resources should go and shouldnt go, he said.

On the concerns raised by some Nigerians about the electronic transmission of results, Mr Baba-Ahmed said the forum was happy with the progress made by the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve the integrity of Nigerias electoral process.

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order a thorough investigation into the cases of corruption in the water, health and education sectors as documented in the 2018 and 2019 Auditor Generals reports.

The civil society organisation made this recommendation Wednesday at a press briefing on Failed Promises: Corruption in the Water, Health and Education Sectors in Nigeria, suggesting that the President should direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to commence the investigation.

In his presentation, the Deputy Director of SERAP, Oluwadare Kolawole, cited some of the promises made by the President in his inaugural speech in 2015 and 2019, but unfortunately, his government has made little to no progress in fulfilling the promises made to Nigerians.

He said Mr Buharis government has failed to fulfill its promise to fight grand corruption, end impunity of perpetrators, respect the rule of law, and ensure access of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians to basic public goods and services, such as quality education, healthcare, and regular and uninterrupted water supply.

Rising poverty

Mr Kolawole noted that SERAP is seriously concerned about the rising rate of poverty and socio-economic inequality in Nigeria.

He cited a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealing that some 133 million Nigerians are poor, despite the government reportedly spending N500 billion yearly on social investment programmes.

The rising poverty is an obvious result of many years of corruption and mismanagement of the countrys commonwealth and neglect of the socio-economic rights of the people. Corruption, the bane of Nigerias development is flourishing with impunity and appears to be winning.

Despite the growing deficit in our national budget and increasing national debt profile, access to basic public goods and services such as quality education, affordable healthcare and regular and uninterrupted water supply has become almost non-existent due primarily to systemic and widespread corruption in these sectors, he said.

Unresolved allegations

He recalled that in 2022, the National Council of State endorsed the pardon of Mr Dariye, Mr Nyame and 157 others serving jail terms following the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

Mr Dariye and Mr Nyame were jailed for stealing N1.16bn and N1.6bn, respectively.

In reaction to that, Mr Kolawole noted that SERAP challenged President Buharis exercise of the prerogative of mercy in favour of the two convicted politicians, adding that Goal 16.6 of the 2030 Development Agenda Goals calls upon member-states to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

The Nigerian government is yet to account for several millions of dollars of Abacha loot recovered from 2015 till date, he said.

Mr Kolawole also pointed out that unresolved allegations of corruption in public institutions like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) continue to undermine public confidence in the education sector.

He said such cases lead to the erosion of access to education, and if not urgently addressed, will lead to an increase in out-of-school children, and exacerbate educational inequalities in the country.

This selective application of the rule of law invariably undermines the independence and integrity of the judiciary, and is counter-productive to the governments fight against corruption, he noted.

SERAPs many lawsuits

Speaking further on SERAPs efforts to ensure accountability in the management of public funds, Mr Kolawole said the organisation issued more than 70 freedom of information requests in 2022, filed more than 60 public interest lawsuits against the federal government, the National Assembly and state governments, out of which he noted 22 was filed in 2022.

He highlighted that SERAP filed a lawsuit against Mr Buhari over failure to investigate spending on all social safety nets and poverty alleviation programmes and projects executed between 2015 and 2022 after his government reportedly spent N500 billion yearly on social investment programmes.

It also filed a lawsuit against the President over the failure to probe the spending of trillions of ecological funds by governments at all levels federal, state and local governments from 2001 to date, and to ensure the prosecution of suspected perpetrators of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.

National Assembly was not left out, as SERAP also filed a lawsuit over their failure to probe and to refer to appropriate anti-corruption agencies fresh allegations that N4.1bn of public money budgeted for the National Assembly is missing, misappropriated or stolen as documented in the 2016 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

It also urged the leadership of the National Assembly to promptly cut the outrageous National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, including the N30.17bn severance payments and inauguration costs for members (the highest ever).

Non-adherence to court verdicts

The SERAPs Deputy Director further noted that some of the progress on some of the public interest cases highlighted has been slow due largely to what he described as the challenges confronting Nigerias justice system but justice, we are sure, will certainly prevail.

The failure and/or refusal to enforce and implement legally binding judgments of the court is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with Nigerias international human rights obligations.

The persistent and deliberate disobedience of judges decisions would, ultimately, encourage impunity and corruption, he said.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, slated 5 April for judgement in the trial of a former Head of Service of the Federation, (Ex-HoS) Stephen Oronsaye by the federal government.

He is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 22 charges of multibillion-naira pension fraud.

He faces trial along with the Managing Director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Osarenkhoe Afe, and three companies on amended 22 charges

The firms standing trial with them are Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited.

EFCC alleged that the defendants, between 2010 and 2011, used the firms and diverted billions of naira in public funds through procurement projects purportedly aimed at reforming the federal civil service pension.

The former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team ( PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, was indicted in the case but has been tried and jailed in a separate trial over similar charges by another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The trial of Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants started over six years ago with his first arraignment in July 2015.

It had passed through two judges before it was reassigned to the third judge, Inyang Ekwo, who brought it to a close on Thursday.

Mr Ekwo fixed 5 April for judgement after the lawyers to EFCC, Mr Oronsaye and other defendants adopted their final addresses for and against the case.

Closing arguments

While adopting his final brief of arguments, Mr Oronsayes lawyer, Ade Okeanya-Inneh, asked the court to dismiss the charges against him.

Mr Okeanya-Inneh requested the judge to discharge and acquit him from the charges on the ground of lack of evidence and merit.

He contended that the charges against his client were worthless because they were not based on evidence.

The defence lawyer recalled that the EFCC on its own in the course of the trial withdrew 22 of the original charges when faced with the reality that the charges lacked substance.

READ ALSO:

But the prosecuting lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, prayed the court to convict the defendants based on the evidence adduced by 21 prosecution witnesses who testified in the case.

Mr Atolagbe predicated his argument on the alleged confession of the 2nd defendant (Osarenkhoe Afe) in the trial.

It is the second criminal trial of Mr Oronsaye, who retired as the Head of Service of the Federation in 2010 and would be facing since 2015.

But the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama, Abuja, exonerated him of the earlier trial in 2017.

The court held that the EFCC failed to prove the allegation that he used his position as the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force set up under President Goodluck Jonathans government to divert the N190 million in public funds.

Pension fraud case trajectory

Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants in the pension fraud case were first arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges before Gabriel Kolawole, then a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on 13 July 2015.

They were to take a new plea following the amendment of the charges by the EFCC on 16 February 2016, when the case was suddenly transferred to John Tsoho, another judge, who later rose to become the current Chief Judge of the court.

When the case came up on 16 February 2016, the judge adjourned the case till 1 March 2016.

But at the resumed hearing when the defendants were scheduled to be re-arraigned, Mr Tsoho said he had since realised that the case was reassigned to him in error.

He said he had been instructed to return the case to Mr Kolawoles court.

Mr Kolawole who continued hearing the case would later be elevated to the Court of Appeal bench.

The case was then reassigned to Mr Ekwo.

In February 2022, the anti-graft agency closed its case before Mr Ekwo with the testimony of its 21st prosecution witness.

Thereafter, Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants opened their defence to the 49 charges of money laundering involving N2 billion in public funds.

EFCC alleged in the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja that the defendants siphoned the money through a biometric enrolment contract purportedly for the reform of the civil service pension system.

In November 2021, a former chairperson of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Maina, was jailed for eight years by the Federal High Court in Abuja for money laundering offences involving pension funds.

The judgement convicting and jailing Mr Maina was tendered by the EFCC to strengthen its case against Mr Oronsaye and his co-defendants.

PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported in 2014 how the Auditor-General of the Federation indicted Mr Oronsaye for about N123 billion allegedly diverted between 2009 and 2010 under his watch.

The 169-page report titled Special Audit of the Accounts of the Civil Pensions, uncovered humongous financial irregularities, outright stealing and kickbacks.

The report found that the pension payroll was never subjected to an internal audit between June 2009 and December 2010; and that over N52 billion paid as monthly pension under Mr Oronsaye remained unaccounted for.

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The National Judicial Council ( NJC), on Thursday, condemned the failure of some state governments to pay up the benefits of retired judges in their states.

The NJC asked the offending states to immediately pay up the retirement benefits being owed to retired judges.

In a statement issued on Thursday at the end of its meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, the NJC asked the defaulting States to step up their legal obligations on payment of retirement benefits to judicial officers.

The statement issued by NJCs Director of Information, Soji Oye, directed state Chief Judges to file reports on compliance, to reach the Council not later than 1 April 2023.

Welfare crisis

The welfare of serving and retired judges welfare has been a major issue of concern within Nigerias legal community for years.

Many judges are said not to have a home of their own after retirement because they are poorly paid while in active service.

Disturbed by judges poor pay which has remained stagnant since 2008, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastian Hon, filed a suit to compel the relevant federal government officials and its relevant agencies to approve an improved salary scale for judges.

Ruling on the suit in July last year, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja, ordered a substantial increment in the salaries of the CJN and other Nigerian judges.

The trial judge, Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, gave this order in her judgement, saying judges have been victims of great injustice and describing their poor salaries as a national shame.

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Although the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, opposed the suit as a defendant sued in the suit, he announced in November that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved an immediate increment in the salaries and welfare packages of judges.

The NJC is responsible for paying the salaries of serving judges at both the state and federal levels.

But the governments of various states are responsible for the payment of the pensions, gratuities and other retirement benefits of the retired judges in their states.

Although the NJC did not disclose the names of states defaulting in paying retired judges their benefits, many state governments in Nigeria are finding it difficult to pay active workers and retirees.

A report by the civic organisation BudgIT shows that at least 12 out of Nigerias 36 states owed workers at least one-month salary as of July 28, 2022.

According to the report, Abia State, South-East Nigeria, did not pay some workers for 22 months.

The state (Abia) currently owes its state tertiary institution workers six months salary, while Ebonyi state has not paid its pensioners in the last six months, Budgit said in its report last year.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that eight state governments failed to pay some of their workers for at least six months, the report disclosed.

The states were Taraba, Nasarawa, Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Plateau, Imo, and Abia. They owed active workers as well as retirees.

Read NJCs full statement below.

PRESS RELEASE

19 January 2023

 NJC meets on, and very strongly condemns non-payment of retirement benefits/ gratuities of State Judges

The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON at its 100th Meeting held on 19 January 2023, deliberated on the worrisome situation whereby many Judicial Officers of the States are being owed their retirement benefits, including severance pay/gratuity and pensions.

After due consideration, Council condemns in very strong terms this act, which is undermining the Rule of Law and Section 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

It therefore calls on the offending States to ensure that all entitlement of retired Judges are fully settled forthwith.

Council further directed State Chief Judges to file reports on compliance, to reach the Council not later than 1 April 2023.

Soji Oye, Esq

Director, Information.

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The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has set aside the judgement of a Federal High Court, Uyo, which nullified the nomination of Akanimo Udofia as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State for the 2023 election.

The lower court had on 14 November 2022 nullified the election of Mr Udofia as the APC candidate and barred him from participating in a fresh primary which it ordered.

The case was instituted by a former aide to President Mohammadu Buhari, Ita Enang, who was an aspirant in the 26 May 2022 governorship primary of the APC in Akwa Ibom.

Delivering judgement on Thursday on the appeal filed by Mr Udofia, the appellate court held that the Federal High Court in Uyo wrongly assumed jurisdictions to entertain the case by Mr Enang contrary to provisions of Section 97 and 98 of the Sheriffs Act, Channels television reported.

The three-person panel of the appellate court therefore unanimously set aside the 14 November 2022 judgement on the grounds that the lower court lacked jurisdiction.

The Appeal Court reportedly allowed the appeal by the APC against Augustine Akpan, who had challenged the result of the APC governorship primary election held in November last year.

According to the report, the panel said the appeal by the APC had merit and is hereby allowed, adding that the lower court, having no jurisdiction to entertain the suit, the reliefs and the consequential orders granted cannot stand.

A judge, Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, had agreed with Mr Enangs argument and ruled that the APC candidate, Mr Udofia, was not a member of the APC, having not participated in all stages of the process of electing a governorship candidate of the party.

Mr Udofia, an entrepreneur, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had bought the PDP nomination form to contest the party governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State before he defected to the APC.

Mrs Okeke had ruled that Mr Udofia did not satisfy the provisions of the electoral laws which stipulate that he ought to have been a member of the APC for at least 30 days before the nomination and that moreover, the waiver Mr Udofia allegedly got from the APC was not signed by any known persons.

The lower court had nullified Mr Udofias nomination and barred him from participating in a fresh primary.

But the appellate court by this judgement has restored Mr Udofia as the candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom State.

The APC will now begin its 2023 campaigns which had been grounded as a result of the earlier judgment.

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The deputy governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Cross River State, Daniel Obo, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He was received on Thursday into the APC by the Chairman of Obubra Urban Ward, Daniel Okpa, after due registration and collection of the party card.

Speaking, Mr Obo, who is the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Cross River Chapter, said he moved to APC because the party is youth-friendly.

According to him, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has brought leadership and governance closer to the people by appointing more than 80 per cent of youths into his cabinet.

He also said he was defecting to the APC to support the candidates of the party to win their elections.

I represent the young people and we need to stand firm for the young people of our dear state. APC in Cross River has been favourable to the young people and their tickets were given to young people.

We have realised that our strength is in the APC and that is why we took the decision to join the party and protect the young people.

For today, we have the 18 youth council chairmen at the local government level that are moving with me to APC. Also, over nine ward chairmen from SDP have moved with me to APC.

We have hundreds of young people who have also decided to join the struggle of protecting their generation.

I want to charge youths in Cross River to get their Permanent Voters Card and come out massively to vote for all the APC candidates in the state, he said.

The Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams, said Mr Obos defection to the APC was timely and well-conceived.

The APC deputy governorship candidate in the state, Peter Odey, assured Mr Obo of a seat at the table if the party wins the governorship election in the state.

The lawmaker representing Boki 2 State Constituency in Cross River House of Assembly, Hilary Bisong, described Mr Obo as an asset to the party in the state.

Mr Bisong, who was the chairman of the event, said Mr Obos defection to the APC had given the party an edge in winning the elections in his area.

The lawmaker, who called on other youths in the state to join the APC, said the party was the only platform in the state with youthful candidates seeking election in 2023.

(NAN)

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The Niger State House of Assembly has asked the executive arm of the state government to apprehend the killer of a Catholic Priest, Isaac Achi.

Mr Achi was killed on Sunday morning by suspected terrorists who attacked his parish at Kafin-Koro area of Paikoro Local Government.

He was shot and then burnt to death.

On Thursday, Andrew Jagaba, the member representing Munya Constituency made a motion under matters of urgent public importance, calling for the killers to arrested.

Presenting his motion at the floor of the House, Mr Jagaba said that section 14 (2)(b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

He said that where government failed or is unable to protect lives and property of its citizens, then calamities are bound to happen and sometimes, are followed by grave consequences.

The lawmaker described the killing of the priest as disheartening.

Providing further details about how the priest was killed, the lawmaker said the assassins got hold of the late fathers assistant and a young man also residing at the house, told them that they were not there to harm them, tied them up and asked the assistant to lead them to the late priests quarters.

The Speaker of the House, Abdullahi Wuse, subsequently called on the state government to treat the matter with urgency and deploy resources towards apprehending the perpetrators.

He stated that the State Government should also carry out its constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of citizens.

Mr Wuse said a delegation should be sent to condole with the Catholic Diocese of Minna and families of the deceased.

The Assembly also summoned the states Commissioner of Justice, Nasara Danmalam; the Commissioner for Local government and chieftency Affairs, and Internal Security, kabiru Abass; and the Commissioner of Police, Ogundele Ayodeje; over the killing of the District Head of Lambata community, Mohammed Abdulsahur.

The resolution followed a motion by the member representing Gurara Constituency, Binta Mamman.

The lawmaker advised the government to, as a matter of urgency, take immediate proactive measures to avert further crises in Lambata community.

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A Chief Magistrate Court in Gyadi-Gyadi Division, in Kano, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of three Sharia court judges, and 12 other judicial workers over the alleged theft of N500 million.

The accused persons are standing trial before the magistrate, Mustapha Datti, on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of public trust, and theft.

The magistrate, however, did not name the accused persons.

The offences are contrary to sections 97, 79, 315, and 289 of the Kano state penal code law and are punishable under the law, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, which is prosecuting the officials said.

The accused judicial officials are staff of the Kano State Sharia Court of Appeal. They include court registrars, cashiers, other workers, and some external collaborators.

Arraigning the accused before the court on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Zaharaddeen Hamisu told the court that the judicial workers forged letterheads of the Kano Sharia Court and signatures of the two signatories to the courts Stanbic IBTC bank and fraudulently withdrew N484,067,327:07.

The prosecution counsel also told the court the accused perpetrated financial fraud by criminally facilitating the withdrawal of N96,250,000.00 from the Kano State Pension Fund Trustee to the Account of the Sharia court and subsequently siphoned the same amount into different private accounts.

The suspects created 15 fake civil servants death benefit files and fraudulently convinced and claimed the cash benefits from the pension board, the prosecutor told the court.

The defence lawyers argued that the application was brought under sections 35 and 36 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and sections 168 and 172 of Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019 of Kano.

READ ASO:

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their lawyers applied for their bail.

In a counterargument, the prosecution lawyer cautioned the court to consider the huge amount involved in the alleged crime in granting the bail. He urged them to order the defendants to deposit some amount of money and or, valuable property before giving their prayers.

The magistrate adjourned the case to 1st February for a hearing and ordered that all the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre.

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The Edo State Government has confirmed the arrest of two village chiefs in connection with the 7 January terror attack on a train station in the state.

The government said the terrorists had kidnapped 20 people who were waiting to board a train at the Igueben train station.

Commissioner for Communication and Orientation in the state, Chris Nehikhare, said this when he briefed reporters shortly after the state Executive Council meeting in Benin on Wednesday.

Mr Nehikhare said seven other suspects had also been arrested in connection with the incident, saying that the two remaining passengers in captivity had also been rescued by security agents.

The success story in the kidnapping is that five persons and two village chiefs have been arrested in connection with the incident and they are helping with investigations, he said.

Police in Edo had said that the attack was carried out by herdsmen.

The state government initially said 31 people were missing after the attack, which led to shutting down of the train station.

Lassa fever outbreak

Speaking on the Lassa fever outbreak in the state, Mr Nehikhare said the Federal Government and its agencies had failed to moblise to the state despite all appeals for help from the government.

READ ALSO: Nigerian security forces rescue two more victims of Edo train attack

Over 50 persons have been infected with the Lassa fever since the outbreak in the state. We have a five per cent fatality rate which is very high, compared to COVID-19.

All appeal and entreaties to the federal government have been rebuffed.

We are constrained to reach out to the World Health Organisation and other international agencies to intervene in the infectious disease in our state.

We have written letters to the Ministry of Health, National Centre Disease Control (NCDC) and all the people involved in disease matters to come and help us fight this disease, but unfortunately they refused to come to our aid, he said.

Nigeria recorded 178 deaths from Lassa fever in 2022.

(NAN)

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The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has awarded scholarships to three postgraduate students of the University of Calabar for the conservation of Cross River gorillas.

The acting Director, Technical Programmes, NCF, Memudu Adedayo, at the scholarship award ceremony in Calabar on Thursday, expressed worry at the rate at which gorillas were being gamed.

He said the NCF was in collaboration with Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo and the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR) in Ghana.

The scholarship is a form of community conservation initiative to protect the endangered Cross River gorillas, Mr Adedayo said.

He said the gesture would bring enormous ecotourism benefits to the people through preservation and conservation efforts of those species.

The beneficiaries, who were awarded scholarships in environmental sciences, were Agabi-Eneji and Adekanmbi Adeyinka who were awarded M.Sc. scholarship for two years.

Wilfred Ayambem was awarded a Ph.D. scholarship for three years.

These are the first set of recipients out of the five students that will be beneficiaries from the 5-year community conservation graduate student scholarship programme.

The scholarship covers registration and tuition fees, operating and living expenses, accommodation, field research expenses, study materials and equipment.

The programme, which is full-time, involves a mandatory paid six-month internship at the NCF and a compulsory one-month hands-on training during an exchange visit to CBCR Ghana, he said.

Mr Adedayo said that in 1987, the NCF led a team to Afi Mountain in Cross River which led to the rediscovery of the Cross River gorilla which was hitherto considered extinct.

He said the NCF had partnered with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, Canada; the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research, Ghana; and the University of Calabar on research to promote the conservation of the Cross River gorilla.

According to Mr Adedayo, other partners providing technical support for the project are the Cross River National Park and the Cross River Forestry Commission.

As a leading conservation organisation in Nigeria who understands the implication of losing biodiversity at a rapid rate, NCF sourced funds to address the challenge by engaging experts and consultants in conducting result-oriented research that will promote the conservation of endemic Cross River gorilla.

The NCF is the foremost environmental Non-Governmental Organisation in Nigeria dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resources management.

According to Mr Adedayo, the key pillar in the 2021-2025 NCF Strategic Action Pillar (SAP) is Saving Species in Peril.

He said that SAP was designed to rescue and conserve species, especially those endemic to Nigeria such as Cross River gorilla, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, Ibadan Malimbe and many others.

(NAN)

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Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday boycotted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign rally held by Atiku Abubakar in Ibadan, the state capital.

Mr Makinde is one of the five dissident governors of the PDP who have been staying away from Atikus campaigns.

The governors are demanding the resignation of the partys national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition to support Atikus presidential ambition.

The rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan started around noon and ended around 4 p.m.

The presidential candidate, Atiku, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, were accompanied to the rally by five state governors. They are Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

National leaders of the party that attended the rally include former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the wife of the presidential candidate, Titi Abubakar, and a former senator from Kogi State, Dino Melaye.

Atiku will win South-west states  Adeleke

Governor Adeleke, while addressing the rally, expressed optimism that the PDP presidential candidate will be victorious in all the six South-west states in the election.

The party currently has only two governors in the region, including Mr Adeleke who was elected in July after defeating the incumbent governor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

READ ALSO:

I have seen the high level of turnout and goodwill the PDP enjoys across Yorubaland. This was demonstrated in Osun State when I was massively voted into office. The light of grace started in Osun and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is spreading it to all parts of South West and Nigeria, he said.

Yorubas will support Atiku/Okowa candidacy because he is the most experienced, most tested, and the most stable to protect the interests of all Nigerians. Yorubas want an all-inclusive Nigeria and only Atiku can deliver on that, he added.

Osun State will vote PDP. Same for Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos states. Atikus blueprint is the only one that can take Nigeria out of the wood, Governor Adeleke declared.

Governor Adeleke urged Nigerians to vote massively for the PDP presidential candidate in the February presidential election.

Next month is around the corner. Vote PDP at all levels. Secure your future. Osun people have shown the template. We must copy Osun State. Osun State hosts the cradle of Yorubaland and Osun is now PDP enjoying rule of law, due process, and good governance.

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The Hartford and UPMC Recognized for Their Commitment to Advancing Women and Equity

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hartford and UPMC (the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) are this year's Catalyst Award winners to be honored at the Catalyst Awards Conference & Dinner on March 30, 2023.

The 2023 Catalyst Awards Conference & Dinnerthe premier gender equity conference and awards event for advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)will take place in person at the Hilton Midtown in New York City as well as online. This year's theme, Accelerating Equity on All FrontsSo Women Thrive, urges leaders to build more gender-equitable workplaces from the frontlines to the C-suite.

Ticket packages and individual tickets are on sale now for both the Conference and Dinner events.

Executives from top global corporations, professional firms, governments, NGOs, and educational institutions will convene at the 2023 Catalyst Awards Conference, as well as at the Dinner chaired by Zoetis CEO Kristin Peck and Northrop Grumman Corporation CEO Kathy Warden. Zoetis and Northrop Grumman are also Platinum Sponsors. Hundreds are expected to attend the in-person eventand thousands to join virtuallyincluding the Catalyst Board of Directors and Catalyst CEO Champions For Change.

Target is the 2023 Conference Presenting Sponsor. KPMG is a Platinum Sponsor.

The organizational initiatives receiving this year's Catalyst Awards are:

The Hartford : A Deliberate and Courageous Transformation

UPMC: Care and Culture Starts and Ends with People: Executive Workforce Demographics

The Hartford : A Deliberate and Courageous Transformation

The Hartford, a Fortune 200 insurance company, has embarked on a journey of significant change born more than ten years ago when many companies were reimagining their futures in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Over the years, The Hartford has created a sustainable diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) culture by taking a whole-company approachimplementing accountability measures, addressing unconscious bias in systems that support talent management, and revising other processes and systems throughout its operations.

Its unique DEI strategy, which was accelerated and expanded in 2017, comprises board governance, CEO engagement, leadership accountability for the achievement of representation and pay data goals, and a commitment to the practices that encourage and enable all people to participate and achieve their full potential.

From the CEO to customer-facing employees and managers, The Hartford's employees are actively engaged in planning and executing programs to drive DEI results. Its innovative business unit DEI councils help to design and cascade an organization-wide DEI agenda to all employees, creating customized plans tailored to the unique needs of each business unit.

The initiative is getting results. From 2010 through 2021, women's representation among senior vice presidents (SVP) and above increased from 18.4% to 42% (23.6 percentage points); among vice presidents (VPs) and assistant vice presidents (AVPs), it increased from 31.9% to 36.1% (4.2 percentage points). For women of color during that same time period, representation among those SVP and above increased from 0% to 12% (12 percentage points) and among VPs and AVPs it increased from 1.9% to 4% (2 percentage points).

UPMC: Care and Culture Starts and Ends with People: Executive Workforce Demographics

In 2016, John L. Galley, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, and Dr. James E. Taylor, Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Talent Management Officer, intentionally launched a two-pronged strategy of external recruitment and internal development that became the foundation of this initiative and was designed to ensure that UPMC's executive workforce is reflective of the communities it serves.

Although UPMC's US healthcare workforce is about 75% women, the company's C-suite was about 62% men in 2016. This body of work has resulted in a 19% increase in women in executive roles and a 96% increase in people of color in executive roles.

Three years after the launch, the Pittsburgh Inequality Across Gender and Race report revealed significant inequities and barriers for Black residents, particularly Black women, in the communities UPMC serves. The company redoubled its efforts to advance women from marginalized races and ethnicities. UPMC set a goal to increase the executive workforce to align more closely with labor market data.

Since the start of the initiative, opportunities for women, including women of color, at UPMC have greatly expanded, most profoundly since 2020.

From 2016 to 2021, executive women's overall representation increased from 38% to 45.5% (7.5 percentage points). Executive women of color's representation increased 0.9% to 5.1% (4.1 percentage points). Women of color also saw increases in Band 1 (Executive VP through VP, 4 percentage points, 3.8% to 7.8%) and Band 2 (Unit Chief through Director, 3.1 percentage points, 6.7% to 9.8%).

"The Catalyst Award-winning initiatives from The Hartford and UPMC are testaments to what is possible when DEI is prioritized at every level," said Lorraine Hariton, President & CEO, Catalyst. "With intentionality, commitment, and innovation, these initiatives are accelerating equity and serving as models for others to do the same."

Kristin Peck, CEO, Zoetis, said "I am thrilled to team up with Kathy Warden on March 30 as we co-chair the 2023 Catalyst Awards Dinner and celebrate the most outstanding initiatives across companies that drive representation and inclusion for women. I'm proud of the progress Zoetis and other companies are making to raise women's representation in the workplace and within our industries. When we intentionally and thoughtfully create an environment that allows womenand all our colleaguesto bring their best selves to work, everyone wins."

Kathy Warden, CEO, Northrop Grumman Corporation, added that "It is an honor to co-chair the 2023 Catalyst Awards Dinner with Kristin Peck. As a former Catalyst Award recipient, Northrop Grumman is proud to support Catalyst's efforts to celebrate leaders building inclusive, dynamic, and productive work cultures that encourage employees of every background to grow and thrive. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts foster teams who innovate and solve the world's greatest challenges. I am excited to recognize the next generation of DEI thought leaders at this important event."

Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla and Marshall Plan for Moms Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani are among this year's keynote speakers.

Since 1987, the Catalyst Award has recognized 108 DEI initiatives at 96 organizations from around the world. Catalyst Award Winners lead a community of forward-thinking organizations that are developing new and innovative ways to advance talent and strengthen their organizations.

Join the 2023 Catalyst Awards conversation by following Catalyst on social media using #CatalystAwards and #AcceleratingEquity.

Register now for the event on March 30.

About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world's most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with preeminent thought leadership, actionable solutions and a galvanized community of multinational corporations to accelerate and advance women into leadershipbecause progress for women is progress for everyone.

Contacts

Erin Souza-Rezendes

Vice President, Global Communications

Catalyst

[email protected]

Stephanie Wolf

US Communications Consultant

Catalyst

[email protected]

SOURCE Catalyst
Building the Future of Healthcare on Patient Engagement

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alira Health , a global healthcare advisory, clinical research and technology company, is pleased to announce today the appointment of Annabel de Maria as Chief Patient Officer. In this leadership capacity, she will spearhead the central role of patient engagement across Alira Health's continuum of healthcare innovation services. Annabel brings an extensive background and noteworthy experience with over twenty years in the healthcare industry, both as an in-house executive and freelance consultant, focusing on the patient-engagement sector. She originally joined Alira Health as Vice President of Patient Engagement in October 2020, and is based out of the firm's Barcelona, Spain office.

Annabel de Maria, Chief Patient Officer, Alira Health

"At Alira Health, we truly believe that patients should be at the center of everything we do," said Gabriele Brambilla, CEO and Co-Founder of Alira Health. "I am proud to have Annabel leading in this critically important position as our Chief Patient Officer, in collaboration with all of our teams and services across Alira Health. Her guidance and leadership enables us to partner with patients throughout the whole lifecycle management of a drug or medical device. We work with clinical teams in co-developing clinical trial protocols with patients. We research diseases with patients from around the globe in order to understand the patient journey and apply the insights to trial protocols, regulatory submissions, Health Technology Assessments (HTAs), and commercialization. We help companies set up patient-centric strategies and build patient support programs. Alira Health is focused on co-creating healthcare solutions with patients for our clients. Annabel will play a critical role as we build the future of healthcare on patient engagement."

"I am honored to bring the voice of the patient, in collaboration with teams across Alira Health, our clients, and our global partnerships, in this central role as Chief Patient Officer," Annabel de Maria said. "For over twenty-five years, I have focused my professional experience in pharma and MedTech on patient engagement, working to understand the patient journey throughout many important diseases and to implement groundbreaking plans to support and advocate for patients."

In her earlier role as Vice President of Patient Engagement, Annabel led Alira Health's Patient Engagement practice, where she helped clients introduce patient-centric activities into their organizations in a meaningful way. The practice is dedicated to helping organizations harness the power of patient insights, using them to make better decisions, impact outcomes, and enhance the patient experience. The practice's services include the development of patient-centric strategies, a patient knowledge center, advisory boards, and mobilization programs to facilitate true and fruitful interactions that serve stakeholders across the ecosystem and benefit patients.

Annabel assumes her role as Chief Patient Officer effective immediately. Prior to joining Alira Health, Annabel was Head of Corporate Communications at Almirall and Head of Media Relations Europe at Nestle Purina. As a consultant, her work focused on global strategy for Champix, Lucentis, and Pradaxa. Annabel's early career included the Spanish launches of Celebrex, Detrusitol, and Xalatan, with later positions at Pfizer, Bayer, and Novartis Spain. In addition to her role at Alira Health, Annabel teaches patient engagement at the University of Bocconi, and she is the patient representative for the EULAR working group on autoinflammatory diseases.

About Alira Health

Alira Health is a global advisory and clinical research firm whose mission is to humanize healthcare and life sciences, in partnership with patients, through innovative technologies and expert guidance. From development to medical care, Alira Health complements the expertise of its Pharma, Biotech, and MedTech clients with a full spectrum of services across their entire solutions lifecycle. Learn more: www.alirahealth.com

SOURCE Alira Health
International Online Jeweler Debuts New Colorful Gemstones Initiative Because the World Needs More Color  In Every Way

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Angara, the leading international online jeweler, today is pleased to announce its new colorful gemstone initiative, Dream in Color, highlighting how color brings out the best in people. Inspiring self-expression and discovery, Angara harnesses the depth and deeper meaning connected to colors to create a new world of opportunity for consumers  after all, the World Needs More Color in Every Way.

Angara is where color meets creation  since the beginning, it has always focused on providing consumers with high-quality gemstones to express themselves, along with the tools to create beautiful, handcrafted pieces of jewelry that are made just for them. Whether opting for Garnet, Citrine or Amethyst, gemstones, known and valued for the complexity and versatility of their natural flaws, enable consumers to showcase and celebrate individuality from a place of self-expression and creativity.

Encouraging consumers to Dream in Color and take the colorful journey with them, Angara will inject a variety of color-filled moments throughout 2023 to celebrate the year in a vibrant way, such as:

#MemoriesInColor Valentine's Day campaign - capture and relive your favorite memories in a colorful way that lasts forever

A limited-edition capsule collection, highlighting how color can bring out the best in us through our accessories

A Holi celebration event to honor the founders' heritage, the Festival of Colors and the journey of colorful self-expression

And so much more!

"Pulling from our Indian heritage, we are able to show the world the different ways that color can be celebrated and represented in our everyday lives," said Aditi Daga, Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Partnerships of Angara. "Color is beautiful and incites special memories, allowing us to both live and Dream in Color. At Angara, we are here to help you mark these important moments, no matter how big or small, with a beautiful piece of jewelry that will be a reminder of what you've experienced, as an individual."

As the world's most ancient source of color, gemstones transform over time in a process that can take 30 million years, where they are constantly changing and evolving, just as each of us do throughout our lives. While others in the jewelry industry are embracing "flawlessness" within "colorless" stones, Angara understands that just like gemstones, everyone has flaws and intricacies that make them unique  and that is something to be celebrated, both universally and individually.

"At Angara, color influences every decision we make because it really does bring out the best in all of us," said Ankur Daga, Co-Founder and CEO of Angara. "We strive to provide consumers with every gemstone imaginable to be able to express themselves in the best way possible, while embracing their truest personality  flaws and all. Color can have such a substantial impact on a person, so we want to make sure that when thinking of color, consumers think of Angara."

With studio artisans handcrafting every order, consumers can feel confident knowing that their custom-designed piece of jewelry is being handled with the utmost care and consideration. With color so intricately intertwined in Angara's DNA, the handling and shaping of gemstones is taken seriously and only the most sustainable practices are used for harvesting the colorful gemstones. This collaborative process between consumers and Angara allows for creative expression at its most personal level.

For more information about Angara, Dream in Color, exciting upcoming announcements or to shop the brand's high-quality, handcrafted jewelry, please visit Angara.com, and follow @AngaraJewelry on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok.

About Angara

Angara is an online DTC fine jewelry retail brand, offering handcrafted jewelry dressed in natural-colored gemstones, high-quality diamonds, and pearls, with every piece custom made-to-order. Founded in 2005 by husband-wife duo, Ankur and Aditi Daga, Angara has grown to become the leading source for D2C fine gemstone jewelry. A vertically integrated company, with deep, familial roots in the gemstone business, spanning hundreds of years of experience, Angara handles each step of the process in-house from stone-cutting, designing, manufacturing, quality control and fulfillment. Angara is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with additional offices globally in India, Thailand, Ireland, Australia and Canada. The brand also currently holds licensing deals with Harvard University and Natori. For more information visit https://www.angara.com/ and follow along on social media @angarajewelry.

SOURCE Angara
BATON ROUGE, La., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernhard Capital Partners ("Bernhard Capital"), a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm, today announced the following promotions:

Julius Bedford to Principal

to Principal Ryan Lemoine to Principal

to Principal Michael Bernhard to Vice President

to Vice President Michael Beutner to Senior Associate

to Senior Associate Matthew Kowalczyk to Senior Associate

Tim Poche, Chief Operating Officer at Bernhard Capital Partners, commented: "We are pleased to congratulate Julius Bedford, Ryan Lemoine, Michael Bernhard, Michael Beutner and Matthew Kowalczyk on their well-deserved promotions. Our long-term success is driven by the talent, dedication and thoughtfulness of our team, and we are proud to support the growth of our skilled team members, whose diverse backgrounds across the energy, infrastructure and finance sectors enable us to continue providing unparalleled support to our portfolio of exceptional infrastructure and services-focused businesses."

Julius Bedford

Julius Bedford has been promoted to Principal at Bernhard Capital. He is involved in all areas of the firm's investment activities and has played a key role in the Bernhard Capital Partners' Infrastructure Fund. Prior to joining Bernhard Capital, Julius served as an Associate at Rockland Capital, LLC in Houston, TX, where he evaluated and analyzed investment transactions in the power sector. Prior to Rockland, Julius was an Analyst at Barclays in its Power and Utilities investment banking group. Julius received his B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College.

Ryan Lemoine

Ryan Lemoine has been promoted to Principal at Bernhard Capital. He is involved in all areas of the firm's investment activities and supports operational excellence within our portfolio companies. Prior to joining Bernhard Capital, Ryan served as a Detachment Commander in 7th Special Forces Group (U.S. Army). While in 7th Group, Ryan and his team conducted special warfare activities in Central Asia and South America focused on developing partner-nation military capabilities and disrupting threats to U.S. and partner-nation security. In addition, Ryan served as a platoon leader and executive officer in the 4th Infantry Division. Ryan received his B.S. in Engineering Management from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Michael Bernhard

Michael Bernhard has been promoted to Vice President at Bernhard Capital, where he is involved in all areas of the firm's investment activities. Prior to joining Bernhard Capital, Michael served as the Deputy Director of Software Development at a large energy-as-a-service solutions company, where he established an in-house software engineering team and led the development of monitoring and machine learning applications for energy efficiency projects. Previously, Michael served on the Biden Presidential Campaign's software engineering team. Michael received his B.S. in Computer Science from Loyola University and his J.D. from American University.

Michael Beutner

Michael Beutner has been promoted to Senior Associate at Bernhard Capital, where he is involved in all areas of the firm's investment activities. Prior to joining Bernhard Capital, Michael served as an Associate at Lockheed Martin Ventures, where he focused on investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning platforms, space technologies and communications technologies. Michael received his B.A. in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College.

Matthew Kowalczyk

Matt Kowalczyk has been promoted to Senior Associate at Bernhard Capital, where he is involved in all areas of the firm's investment activities. Prior to joining Bernhard Capital, Matthew served as a Private Debt and Private Equity Analyst at Northwestern Mutual Capital, where he was a member of the European investment team, focusing on investments in healthcare, pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Matthew received his B.B.A. in Finance with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Notre Dame.

About Bernhard Capital Partners

Bernhard Capital Partners is a services and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013. Bernhard Capital Partners has deployed capital in four funds across several strategies, has approximately $3.0 billion of gross assets under management and is ranked as one of Private Equity International's 300 largest private equity firms worldwide. Bernhard Capital Partners seeks to create sustainable value by leveraging its experience in acquiring, operating and growing services and infrastructure businesses. For more information, visit www.BernhardCapital.com.

Contacts

Media

Ed Trissel / Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

(212) 355-4449

SOURCE Bernhard Capital Partners Management, LP
'Music Triumphs Homophobia' available now on Amazon Prime Video

BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Gay Men's Chorus (BGMC) is proud to announce the release of a new documentary film, "Music Triumphs Homophobia." The film chronicles the impact of BGMC's mission-driven music on audiences and BGMC members alike as they perform for audiences in New England and around the world. Written and directed by filmmakers Michael Willer and Craig Coogan, BGMC's former executive director, "Music Triumphs Homophobia" is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Music Triumphs Homophobia trailer "Music Triumphs Homophobia" is a timely demonstration of music's power as both a healing balm and an effective tool in the fight against persistent anti-LGBTQ hatred and violence.

As states across the U.S. move to ban LGBTQ-themed books, classroom discussions of LGBTQ issues, and access to affirming health care for transgender youth, "Music Triumphs Homophobia" is a timely demonstration of music's power as both a healing balm and an effective tool in the fight against persistent anti-LGBTQ hatred and violence.

"With right-wing religious and political forces working to roll back LGBTQ rights here and abroad, 'Music Triumphs Homophobia,' is a much-needed reminder that the LGBTQ community is powerful, resilient, and has allies willing to stand and fight for dignity and equality," said BGMC Executive Director Sarah Shoffner. "As Matthews Motsoeneng of South Africa's Mzansi Gay Choir says in the film, 'Homophobia makes you or breaks you. Don't choose the breaking part, choose the making part.' We hope this film inspires others to continue the work of making a more accepting world."

Using archival material, contemporary tour and news footage, interviews with past and present chorus members and BGMC staff, as well as commentary from activists, audience members, arts advocates and political leaders, "Music Triumphs Homophobia," documents how a small, Boston-based chorus became global cultural ambassadors educating people about LGBTQ lives and encouraging acceptance and respect for the LGBTQ community. The film is scored with original compositions by Chad Weirick, BGMC's Principal Accompanist and Assistant Music Director, and features choral cover performances of songs by Katy Perry, Janet Jackson, Andrea Day, Richard Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Schwartz, and Benji Pasek.

"I can't wait for audiences to see this film," said Craig Coogan, producer of "Music Triumphs Homophobia." "Legislation and law enforcement are critically important in responding to anti-LGBTQ hatred and discrimination, but neither the law nor the law enforcer is capable of changing hearts and minds. But music is. We experienced it in South Africa. We experienced it in Israel and Turkey. We experienced it in Germany and Poland. Music builds bridges across groups of people that otherwise have nothing in common. It breaks down stereotypes and gives humanity to people who are routinely dehumanized."

Since 1982, BGMC has created musical experiences to inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. It's a mission that has brought BGMC to some unlikely venues, including a Congregational Church in rural Vermont, Worcester's College of Holy Cross, Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, conservative Catholic-dominated Poland; a kibbutz by the Dead Sea, a university parking lot in Istanbul, and the shores of South Africa. As chorus member Alex Kapitan says in the film "BGMC goes to places where we know our voices will make an impact."

"Music Triumphs Homophobia" depicts the protests and public criticism from anti-LGBTQ religious groups or political officials that follow the chorus just about wherever they go. In Turkey, anti-LGBTQ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw to it that the host venue for BGMC's performancethe first by an LGBTQ chorus in the countrylost its permit for the event unless BGMC agreed to drop the word "Gay" from its name. The performancethe country's first by an LGBTQ choruswas saved when students at a local university organized for the use of outdoor space on campus for the concert, even though credible threats of violence had been made against BGMC. It took place with extra security measures in place and under the watchful eyes of Charles F. Hunter, the then U.S. Consul General in Turkey, who not only attended the concert with his husband, but joined BGMC on stage for its encore.

In South Africa, the city of George welcomed BGMC for a free community concert as part of its inaugural Pride celebration. The invitation by George's city council was marred when George Mayor Melvin Naik took to the airwaves to lambaste BGMC and the city's support for its LGBTQ residents. The mayor's remarks received widespread coverage throughout the country. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by inviting BGMC to join him for the country's annual Youth Day march, where he personally greeted each member of the chorus and publicly welcomed them to South Africa.

Watch a trailer for "Music Triumphs Homophobia" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzxhNE1MyJc

About the Boston Gay Men's Chorus

The Boston Gay Men's Chorus is one of New England's largest and most successful community-based choruses. Founded in 1982, the 200+-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, groundbreaking community outreach and an innovative educational program. Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Reuben M. Reynolds III, the BGMC sings a wide spectrum of classical and popular music and creates social change by providing a positive, affirming image of the LGBTQ+ community. The Chorus is heard live by thousands of people each season and millions more through recording, television and internet broadcasts. CBS-WBZ named the Boston Gay Men's Chorus one of the "top 5" choruses in the city of Boston. The Boston Business Journal has named BGMC one of the top 10 performing arts organizations in the city each year since 2018. BGMC is a Cultural Ambassador  being the first LGBTQ+ chorus to perform in Poland in 2005, the Middle East in 2015 and in South Africa in June 2018.

CONTACT

Susan Ryan-Vollmar

[email protected]

617-999-5644

SOURCE Boston Gay Men's Chorus
Weekend Wellness Workshop to be held at Civana Wellness Resort in Carefree, AZ from March 23-26

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooke Burke Body & Soul, the premiere digital gym create by TV personality and fitness encourager Brooke Burke, is excited to announce a joint venture with world-renowned leader in travel management and experiential wellness Yogando Retreats to launch a series of wellness retreats in bucket list locations worldwide. Each retreat will be finely curated by Burke  for the mind, for the body, and for the soul.

Brooke Burke Announces Weekend Wellness Retreat March 23-26 in Carefree, AZ. Learn more at https://BrookeBurke.com.

The partnership kicks off in Brooke's home state of Arizona from March 23-26, 2023, at the Civana Wellness Resort in Carefree, AZ. Focused on fitness, self-care, and personal potential, the special VIP weekend wellness workshop will help attendees accomplish their goals and manifest their best self. The four-day, three-night retreat will include such modalities as breathwork, functional fitness, mantra movement, meditation, mindful nutrition, sound bath, yoga  and many more.

"There is something magical that happens when you bring a group of like-minded women together in real life for a transformational journey that will sculpt your body and reshape your mind," said Burke. "Kicking-off Brooke Burke Body & Soul wellness retreats in Arizona is especially exciting. Not only is it where I grew up. But Arizona has an indescribable energy that will drive the journey and empower attendees to recharge, reconnect, and reimagine their possibilities."

Reserve your spot at Brooke Burke Body & Soul's Weekend Wellness Workshop in Carefree, Arizona by visiting https://yogandoretreats.com/brooke-burke-body-soul/. Be sure to check out all of Brooke's live events including her classes on the scenic rooftop of Rafi Lounge in Malibu, Fitness Friday livestreams, and Zoom classes by visiting https://brookeburke.com/classes-retreats/. She will soon add daylong retreats in Malibu as well as additional destinations to the 2023 Yogando Retreats calendar.

Brooke Burke is a television host, fitness educator, author, mother, and founder and CEO of Brooke Burke Body & Soul (BB Body & Soul)  your personal digital gym. Available on both IOS and Android as well as smart TV's, BB Body & Soul features original content to fuel your mind, body, and soul. Workouts range from bite-size target-toning to total body sessions incorporating HIIT, yoga, home workouts, 5 min ABS, BOOTY Burn, family fitness and more. BB Body & Soul also offers the highly popular Woman2Woman series where Brooke sits down for intimate discussions to inspire wellness as well as original recipe content, seasonal challenges, LIVE classes, and team trainers 24/7. Made for every BODY and offering a seven-day free trial, consumers can download or stream BB Body & Soul by visiting https://www.brookeburke.com.

Media Contact:

Sean Lashley

6184440707

[email protected]

SOURCE Brooke Burke Body
To Celebrate the Stunning Makeover of Its Legendary Mascot Catalina, the Beloved Seafood Brand Is Inviting Fans to Try and Prove That Mermaids Actually Exist.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quick question: Do you have any Scientific Evidence that proves once and for all that Mermaids actually exist?

If so, 2023 could be your year.

Chicken of the Sea has given their iconic mascot, Catalina, a makeover

For more than a century, Chicken of the Sea has been committed to serving up magic and wild-caught happiness to celebrate life's everyday moments. Now, to kick off the new year, the beloved seafood brand is inviting fans to dive headfirst into the deepest fathoms of the unknown, sharing real-life moments of magic with the whole wide world.

In celebration of National Mermaid Day, Chicken of the Sea is looking for Scientific Evidence in the form of unaltered video proof of a real-life Mermaid; another majestic and magical sea creature who can effortlessly hold court with Catalina, Chicken of the Sea's legendary mascot.

Think you're up to the task? Now until the end of February 2023, the brand invites you to track down an honest-to-gosh Mermaid, providing unedited video proof that the splashy creature is very much alive and kicking. (Of course, please make sure that no Mermaid, Merman, or Merchild is harmed in the process.)

Chicken of the Sea is offering a $1,000,000 Grand Prize to anyone who can submit an unaltered video documenting Scientific Evidence of a real-life, ever-frisky Mermaid in action. If your Scientific Evidence passes muster with the brand's Mermaid Expert, you'll subsequently be asked to coordinate an in-person meet-up between the live Mermaid and Expert. Be sure to check out the Official Rules for the official Mermaid and Scientific Evidence definitions along with a full list of eligibility requirements*.

If you satisfy all of the requirements cataloged in the Official Rules and the Expert is ultimately convinced that your Mermaid is realcongratulations! You're officially a millionaire Mermaid spotter (Put that on your resume).

Intrepid Mermaid spotters are cordially invited to submit their Scientific Evidence over at https://chickenofthesea.com/mermaidspotting/ until the contest ends on February 28, 2023. If no Scientific Evidence of a Mermaid is submitted and no Grand Prize is awarded, worry not: Chicken of the Sea has pledged one million ounces of protein to food banks across the country  all to honor its iconic mascot, Catalina.

Of course, the magic doesn't stop there: Chicken of the Sea also wants to see all your images and videos of adorable babies in mermaid costumes, scene-stealing pets in mermaid tails heck, even a Catalina-shaped cloud will do. To join in on the fun, simply submit a magical mermaid moment  that is, any image or video relating to mermaids in a fun, creative, wholly unexpected way  to https://chickenofthesea.com/mermaidspotting/. So long as you send your entry by February 28, 2023, you'll be entered for a chance to win the coveted "Swimmer's Up" Prize of $2,500.

Please note that any eligible entry that doesn't qualify for the Grand Prize will automatically be entered for a chance to win the Swimmer's Up Prize.

The Promotion comes at an especially exciting time for Chicken of the Sea, a brand that's just given its beloved mermaid mascot Catalina a stunning head-to-fin makeover for the first time in more than 20 years, not to mention the unveiling of an eye-catching new logo and a brand-new campaign headline: "Wild-Caught Happiness".

"At Chicken of the Sea, we're thrilled to be kicking off the new year with a Promotion that lets our fans pay tribute to one of the world's most majestic, magically elusive creatures," says Griffin Raasch, Director of Marketing at Chicken of the Sea. "The hope is that it will inspire fans to find the little moments of magic in their everyday lives. We're confident that Chicken of the Sea fans will be able rise to the challenge and find a new friend and confidant for Catalina, our iconic mascot."

But enough reading. You have a Mermaid to spot and one million dollars to claim as your own.

About Chicken of the Sea

Founded in 1914, Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) is a leading provider of healthy, delicious and responsibly sourced seafood, offering not only a robust product line but the recipes and meal-planning insights needed to inspire seafood lovers to greater culinary creativity. The company provides tuna, salmon, clams, crab, oysters, mackerel and sardines in cans, cups and pouches as well as innovative new products consistent with seafood's growing status as a healthy "new" protein choice in America. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., COSI uses responsible fishing practices to source its seafood products from around the world, and packages them at a state-of-the-art processing facility in Lyons, Georgia, as well as at third-party facilities.

* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the United States who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, or the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, whichever is greater, as of the date of their participation. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion Period: begins at 12:00 AM [ET] on January 19, 2023 and ends at 11:59 PM [ET] on February 28, 2023. For prize details, entry guidelines and full Official Rules, visit http://bit.ly/3XndEi2. Sponsor: Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d/b/a Chicken of the Sea International, 2150 East Grand Avenue, El Segundo, California 90245. Odds of winning the Swimmer's Up Prize depend on the number of eligible Entries received.

CONTACT: Casey Carty, [email protected]

SOURCE Chicken of the Sea
Polaris - The Powersports Industry Leader & Innovator Expands National Distribution of Packtalk Edge ORV Through Its Expansive Dealer Network in the US

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardo Systems, the global market leader in wireless communication systems for powersports riders, today announced Polaris, Inc., one of the off-road industry's most iconic and innovative brands, as an official U.S. distributor for its PACKTALK EDGE ORV wireless helmet communication system and accessories. Initially, Polaris' distribution will focus on the U.S. through its expansive network of dealers, with plans to branch out to global dealers in the future.

The PACKTALK EDGE's industry-leading technology and superior sound quality offer untethered freedom to change vehicles with ease, spot for your crew and seamlessly maintain communication when you're not in the vehicle. The in-cockpit wireless communication solution and its hands-free functionality are game changers for Polaris off-road vehicle drivers and passengers.

Polaris has been a leader in the advancement of off-road vehicle technologies, and the driving force for the off-road industry since 1954. And while it maintains a leadership position in off-road vehicles, Polaris began in the snow category, pioneering snowmobile design and innovation over the years with its extensive snowmobile lineup. Throughout its nearly 70-year history, Polaris has committed itself to enable the ultimate outdoor experience for its customers, and Cardo Systems' mobile communication technologies reinforce this commitment, taking the group-riding, off-road experience to a new level.

"Over the past two years, we've conducted significant research validating and reinforcing the significant demand for more efficient and effective wireless communication solutions among avid recreational off-road vehicle riders, said Alon Lumbroso, CEO of Cardo Systems. "Having over 15-years of success in the motorcycle communications segment and now having the support from a brand as influential as Polaris provides powerful validation that products like Packtalk Edge ORV, not only have a viable place in the industry, but the ability to elevate the off-road experience."

"Our relentless effort to unlock the outdoors and enable unforgettable outdoor experiences through off-road innovation is the cornerstone of our success, and it's clearly a commitment Cardo Systems shares in its ongoing quest for innovation," said Matt Kershner", VPGM, Off-Road & Snow Parts, Garments & Accessories at Polaris Inc. "Our customers expect the best when they walk into our dealers, and Cardo Systems products and innovative technologies are a wonderful addition and complement to our industry-leading product offering."

About Cardo Systems

Cardo Systems is a leading developer and supplier of wireless communication and entertainment systems for Powersports and Outdoor enthusiasts. Originally focused on motorcycle Bluetooth devices - a market it invented in 2004 - Cardo has been pioneering the vast majority of innovations for groups in motion. These innovations include; The world's first Mesh-based intercom, the first premium sound, and the first natural Voice operation, to name but a few. Cardo's mission is to empower riders, adventure seekers, and professionals with cutting-edge communication, safety, and sound. The company's products are available in over 100 countries through an expanding network of dealers and directly online.

For more information, visit CardoSystems.com, or follow along and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE Cardo Systems
DENVER, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cousins Maine Lobster, leading food truck concept and provider of the tastiest Maine lobster rolls across the country, announces their upcoming grand opening at Joyride Brewing Company on Saturday, January 28.

Cousins Maine Lobster Denver will be led by brothers Raj and Rahul Mohan, who joined the Franchise Family in 2020 when they launched in the San Francisco Bay Area. That market rapidly grew to support three food trucks and will soon expand to a brick and mortar location.

"Denver presented an interesting opportunity for us to offer a unique product via a unique method. There is not a lot of lobster availability for consumers in Denver and the market is very food truck friendly. We have already experienced a warm welcoming from breweries and other businesses seeking to partner with us and we are excited to deepen our ties with the community," explained Raj Mohan.

"Raj and Rahul have built an impressive team and infrastructure to support their business in San Francisco and we have no doubt that they will replicate that model in Denver," explained Cousins Maine Lobster co-founder Sabin Lomac, who will attend the grand opening. "Their steady growth has been strategic and they have been innovative partners for us to work with to expand our brand and nationwide."

Cousins Maine Lobster Grand Opening

Saturday, January 28

11:30am - 8:30pm

Joyride Brewing Company

2501 Sheridan Boulevard

Edgewater, CO 80214

FMI: https://www.facebook.com/CMLDenver

About Cousins Maine Lobster

Founded in 2012 by real-life cousins and Mainers, Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac, Cousins Maine Lobster began with a food truck and a shared vision to extend the highest-quality Maine lobster to the lobster-starved masses by making it affordable and accessible. After appearing on Shark Tank a few months later, Jim & Sabin partnered with Barbara Corcoran and began franchising, partnering with local entrepreneurs to bring Maine lobster to over 40 cities nationwide. For more information on Cousins Maine Lobster franchise opportunities, visit https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/franchise/ or call 207-387-2707.

Contact:

Annie Tselikis

Cousins Maine Lobster

[email protected]

SOURCE Cousins Maine Lobster
Signature "e3" technology grants advance equity, evidence, and engagement in inspired learning experiences around the world.

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Echo360, the most comprehensive, global, SaaS-based video platform for creating, delivering, and measuring learning engagement outcomes in any learning environment, announced its annual grants program today across global education, business, and government markets.

This year's program will once again award up to 20 recipients with cash or software grants between $2,000 - $5,000 in each of the program's two categories:

Echo360's grants support innovations and impact in learning equity, evidence, and engagement.

EchoImpact Grants supporting instructors and researchers using Echo360 solutions to empirically improve learner outcomes. EchoInnovation Grants providing software solutions to help teachers and trainers develop innovative practices that improve learning engagement.

Criteria for both grants are based on Echo360's "e3" formula for inspired learning:

EQUITY : Demonstrating that all learners are afforded equal opportunity to engage and excel regardless of environment, access, and ability.

: Demonstrating that all learners are afforded equal opportunity to engage and excel regardless of environment, access, and ability. ENGAGEMENT : Demonstrating that everyone learns better when they are actively participating.

: Demonstrating that everyone learns better when they are actively participating. EVIDENCE: Demonstrating a commitment to measuring progress and outcomes empirically.

Applications will be accepted through March 24, 2023 from any entity that provides learning opportunities across the North American, EMEA, and APAC regions which Echo360 supports. Eligibility includes K12 schools, colleges/universities, businesses, and non-profits. There is no entry fee and no purchase is required. Application detail and submission is available at www.echo360.com/company/grants.

"My Echo360 grant is helping measure the influence that video-based, collaborative learning has on individual critical thinking skills," said 2022 ImpactGrant winner Rukmani Kuppuswami, a biology professor from Hill College. Matthew McElhenie of Hartnell College, another 2022 grant winner, stated "Echo360 grant is helping me increase student access to asynchronous content. A lot of our students are economically challenged and do not have computers. My goal is to use EchoVideo to allow these students an easier way to access content on the go."

The wide range of last year's grants, which will be reported on later this year at Echo360's EchoExperience 2023 community conference, advanced learning and training efforts spanning middle-school math assessments to opioid mitigation and hands-on medical training. A full list of 2022 grant winners can be found on the company's website at https://echo360.com/2022-grant-award-winners/.

"Our mission is to enable inspired learning experiences in any environment, and these EchoImpact and EchoInnovation Grants will once again accelerate the development and sharing of ideas from instructors and trainers around the world," said Murad Velani, Echo360 President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Echo360

Echo360 is the leading interactive video learning management, content, engagement, and assessment platform serving over 2 million learners and instructors at more than 1200 higher education institutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Built for the cloud and grounded in principles of learning equity, evidence, and engagement, instructors and learners around the world can use the platform from wherever they are, on any device, to create, record, and consume content, give and receive feedback, and gain real-time insights along their inspired learning journey. www.echo360.com.

Media Contact:

Jeff Peterson

Chief Marketing & Experience Officer

Echo360

612-859-0488

[email protected]

SOURCE Echo360
Gift is the Largest Bestowed on the School by Living Donors

MIDDLEBURG, Va., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foxcroft School, a college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in northern Virginia, is excited to announce a transformational, multi-generational $22 million gift from alumnae Victoria Beth Mars 1974, Pamela Mars Wright 1978, Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003, and Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012. Designated for the construction of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) wing as part of Foxcroft's $65 million Building for Our Future Campaign, the gift is the largest ever given to Foxcroft by living donors in its 108-year history. Further, it is one of the most generous gifts given to an all-girls school in the nation.

Foxcroft School, an all-girls school, announces a $22 million gift from two generations of Mars family alumnae. Tweet this Mars family donors - Charlotte Audrey Rossetter, Pamela Mars Wright, Victoria Beth Mars, Bernadette Schuetz Russell Foxcroft School STEAM Wing rendering Foxcroft students explore STEAM fields through inquiry-based learning in dynamic, hands-on, and engaging ways.

"The four of us  my mother Victoria, my aunt Pamela, my cousin Charlotte, and myself  feel very strongly about the School and our experiences there and believe in the need to give back and help the School advance," said Bernadette, who currently serves on Foxcroft School's Board of Trustees. "We made this gift because we believe in women supporting women, in investing in the place that is important to us, and in inspiring others to join in support of this vital effort to help our School reach its campaign goal."

"For a family to come together and give a transformative gift like this because they see the current and future possibilities of the School is amazing. This gift will create new learning spaces and laboratories that reflect best practices for teaching girls the way they learn best, which is at the heart of Foxcroft's mission," commented Head of School Cathy McGehee.

The four Mars family members share a passion for Foxcroft, a love of learning, and a commitment to all-girls education that is evident in their interactions with the School. Victoria and Pamela are former trustees who served on Foxcroft's Board for eighteen years and nine years respectively. In addition, they have shared their experiences and expertise as leaders of a multi-billion dollar company with the School community. Bernadette, a pediatric nurse practitioner, chairs the Boards' Buildings and Grounds Committee, and Charlotte, who is pursuing her Doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, saw the evolution of the STEM curriculum while a student at Foxcroft and is ensuring the future of the program with her participation in this extraordinary gift.

"These two generations of women epitomize Foxcroft's legacy of educating girls who will become tomorrow's leaders, solve real-world problems, and who will make a positive impact on the world," states Chair of Foxcroft's Board of Trustees, Kate Hastings 1978. "With the announcement of their gift of a new STEAM wing, our main academic building, Victoria, Pamela, Bernadette, and Charlotte have ensured that our facilities will be equipped with the resources, technology, and physical spaces to reflect better our pedagogy and curriculum for the future of our girls. On behalf of the Foxcroft Community, we are forever grateful for the Mars family's vision in making such a positive impact on our school."

The gift speaks to the donors' continuing belief in the value and power of an all-girls school and education and reflects their desire to support women succeeding in traditionally male-dominated fields, by giving Foxcroft's students the opportunity to build a strong STEAM foundation. Research confirms that attending an all-girls school increases students' interest and success in STEM fields. On their website, the International Coalition of Girls' School states that graduates of independent girls' schools are 6x more likely to major in math, science, and technology, 3x more likely to consider engineering careers, 10% more confident in their computer ability, and 11% more confident in their mathematical ability as compared to girls who graduated from coed independent schools.

Victoria, Pamela, Bernadette, and Charlotte's bold commitment to the construction of the STEAM wing will propel the $65 million, 10-year Building for Our Future Campaign forward and bring to life the vision of academic spaces that provide state-of-the-art facilities for Foxcroft students to develop 21st-century skills through inquiry-based learning in dynamic, hands-on, and inspiring ways. The Building for Our Future Campaign calls for the renovation of Schoolhouse, the School's main academic building and the Music Building, and the construction of the Ruth T. Bedford 1932 Performing Arts Center in addition to a STEAM wing.

Founded in 1914, Foxcroft School is a college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12 and post-graduate with a mission of helping every girl explore her unique voice and develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world. Foxcroft offers 72-76 courses, including 16+ AP classes and 5+ post-AP offerings, and a STEM program that inspires girls to pursue studies in fields where women are underrepresented. Foxcroft fields athletic teams in 9 sports and has a nationally recognized riding program. For more information about the School, visit our website at www.foxcroft.org or call 540.687.5555

SOURCE Foxcroft School
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Urban Air Mobility Market By Platform, By Platform Operations, By Range, By Platform Architecture: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global urban air mobility market is envisioned to garner $30,740 million by 2031, growing from $2,280 million in 2021 at a CAGR of 30.2% from 2022 to 2031.



The increasing need for alternative forms of transportation will drive urban air mobility market growth. To support mass movement in cities with expanding populations, transportation infrastructure needs to be managed properly. Municipal corporations and government bodies all over the world are looking at other forms of transportation to lessen traffic congestion.

It is hoped that using autonomous drones for urban air mobility will have positive effects on the environment, reduce travel times, and ease pressure on the system's current infrastructure. Urban air mobility is a newly emerging industry that aims to provide and develop new air vehicles which are quiet, dependable, and safe.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) envisions a safe and efficient aviation transportation system that will use highly automated aircraft that will operate and transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas. Urban air vertical takeoff vehicles are increasingly being used for suburban, urban and rural operations around the globe and it is estimated to boost the urban air mobility market growth.



The substantial investment in infrastructure and R&D, however, may be a barrier to the growth of the worldwide market for urban air mobility. Additionally, it is anticipated that social worries regarding the safety of urban air transportation aircraft adoption will have a negative impact on the market share for urban air mobility.



Recent advancements in urban air mobility technology have demonstrated that the transportation industry is undergoing an amazing phase, offering people intelligent mobility options. The urban air mobility vehicle has a wide range of uses, including delivering taxi services, emergency services, cargo delivery, and many more.

Aircraft can transport medical personnel in the event of a natural disaster, hazardous road conditions, high traffic, or any combination of the three. When individuals suffer devastating scenarios as a result of natural calamities, urban air mobility can serve the needy populace with high-priority medical or food supplies.



The COVID-19 pandemic brought several uncertainties leading to severe economic losses as various businesses across the world were at a standstill. There were import-export restrictions laid down on major urban air mobility manufacturing in countries such as the U.S. and China, which imposed significant challenges on the market. In June 2021, Ehang the company which develops and produces urban air mobility vehicles took a new initiative in Guangzhou, China by using urban air mobility vehicles to provide medical relief and support in the quarantine and containment zones.



The key players profiled in this report include market players Ehang, Lilium Gmbh, Airbus, Wisk Aero LLC., Bell Textron, Volocopter GmbH, Workhorse Group Inc., Joby Aviation., Kitty Hawk, and Archer Aviation.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the urban air mobility(UAM) market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing urban air mobility(UAM) market opportunities.

Market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders to make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the urban air mobility (UAM) market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global urban air mobility (UAM) market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Topics Covered:

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION



CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top investment pockets

3.3. Porter's five forces analysis

3.4. Top player positioning

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.2. Restraints

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market

3.7. Value Chain Analysis

3.8. Key Regulation Analysis

3.9. Patent Landscape

3.10. Market Share Analysis

3.11. Regulatory Guidelines



CHAPTER 4: URBAN AIR MOBILITY(UAM) MARKET, BY PLATFORM

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Market size and forecast

4.2 Air Taxis

4.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3 Market analysis by country

4.3 Air Shuttles and & Air Metro

4.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3 Market analysis by country

4.4 Personal Air Vehicles

4.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3 Market analysis by country

4.5 Cargo Air Vehicles

4.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.5.3 Market analysis by country

4.6 Air Ambulance & Medical Emergency Vehicles

4.6.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.6.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.6.3 Market analysis by country

4.7 Last-mile Delivery Vehicles

4.7.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.7.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.7.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 5: URBAN AIR MOBILITY(UAM) MARKET, BY PLATFORM OPEATIONS

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Market size and forecast

5.2 Piloted

5.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3 Market analysis by country

5.3 Autonomous

5.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 6: URBAN AIR MOBILITY(UAM) MARKET, BY RANGE

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 Market size and forecast

6.2 Intercity

6.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3 Market analysis by country

6.3 Intracity

6.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 7: URBAN AIR MOBILITY(UAM) MARKET, BY PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE

7.1 Overview

7.1.1 Market size and forecast

7.2 Rotory Wing

7.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

7.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

7.2.3 Market analysis by country

7.3 Fixed Wing Hybrid

7.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

7.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

7.3.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 8: URBAN AIR MOBILITY(UAM) MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 9: COMPANY LANDSCAPE

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Top winning strategies

9.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

9.4. Competitive Dashboard

9.5. Competitive Heatmap

9.6. Key developments



CHAPTER 10: COMPANY PROFILES

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hlqpxl

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Veteran trial lawyer joins as senior counsel in the firm's Houston office

HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial litigation boutique Hicks Thomas, LLP is growing its team of trial lawyers with the addition of attorney Katherine Kunz, who joins as a senior counsel in the firm's Houston office. The move bolsters the firm's already robust and talented group of courtroom lawyers.

"We are excited to welcome Kat to our team," said Hicks Thomas partner John B. Thomas. "Her talent as a lawyer and her previous experience will be valuable assets to our firm and will position us to better serve our clients now and into the future."

Ms. Kunz brings to Hicks Thomas years of experience handling complex commercial litigation matters involving breaches of contract, fraud, tortious interference, and unjust enrichment. In addition, she has represented multiple energy sector clients, including exploration and production companies, midstream service providers, independent power producers and public utilities.

Prior to joining Hicks Thomas, Ms. Kunz worked as senior counsel at Houston's Gibbs & Bruns LLP. She also served as senior associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and as an associate at Houston's Susman Godfrey L.L.P. Ms. Kunz's experience includes a clerkship for U.S. Circuit Court Judge Emilio M. Garza of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and District Judge Jack Zouhary of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Following her clerkships, Ms. Kunz began her legal career in the litigation section of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP in New York City.

Ms. Kunz earned her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law and her bachelor's degree from Yale University. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, where she serves as Vice Chair of the Women in the Profession Committee, and a member of the State Bar of New York. She also served as Co-Chair of the Gender Fairness Committee of the Houston Bar Association.

Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Amarillo, and Sacramento, California, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Visit the firm at http://www.hicks-thomas.com.

Media Contact:

April Arias

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Hicks Thomas LLP
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) will announce its fourth-quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Lilly will also conduct a conference call that day with the investment community and media to further detail the company's financial performance.

The conference call will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Investors, media and the general public can access a live webcast of the conference call through a link that will be posted on Lilly's website at https://investor.lilly.com/webcasts-and-presentations. A replay will also be available on the website following the conference call.

About Lilly

Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 47 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges, redefining diabetes care, treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects, advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease, providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders, and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/newsroom or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. F-LLY

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
The awarded grants are distributed among three organizations focused on expanding and funding innovative solutions for access to clean water

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Liquid I.V., the number one powdered hydration company in the U.S., announced its investment of $1.3 million in grants to MAP International, International Rescue Committee, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, all of which share the mission of funding innovative solutions for access to clean water.

The selected organizations awarded align with Liquid I.V.'s goals to expand access to clean and abundant water for communities in need. Since its founding, for every purchase, Liquid I.V. has donated a serving of its product to communities in need. To date, over 36 million servings have been donated. In 2021 Liquid I.V. first funded projects by partners DigDeep and Waterboys to expand clean water access in both schools and homes. To kick off 2023, Liquid I.V. is evolving its impact programming and expanding water access beyond a 1-to-1 donation model to focus more holistically on expanding water security.

"Liquid I.V. was founded on the principle of helping everyone live better lives and be great stewards of our planet. As we enter our 10th year in business, we embark on a bold journey to broaden our impact footprint. The ambition is to escalate and expand our efforts focusing on clean water access and water inequity. There is a great urgency to succeed, not just for our company but for the world." said Sean Lavin, Vice President of Impact at Liquid I.V.

The grants awarded across the three organizations include $300,000 in funding to MAP International to implement hand pumps and water filtration in targeted communities focused on women, children, and internally displaced people in Liberia and Burkina Faso.

Next, with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Liquid I.V. is giving $500,000 to help restore and expand access to clean water sources for over 38,400 drought-affected individuals in Ethiopia.

Finally, the brand will dedicate $542,986 to fund water security projects at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to support the development of next-generation climate and sustainability solutions with the UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge. The program is tackling climate change by bringing together interdisciplinary faculty, researchers, and scholars, and Liquid I.V. will fund three water security projects through:

An Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

An Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Graduate Fellows Program

A Faculty Research Project

"We are very excited about this new partnership with Liquid I.V. and grateful for its visionary gift to the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge," said Eric Hoek, Faculty Director of the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge. "Liquid I.V.'s philanthropic support will not only have an immense impact on opportunities for students to receive unique educational experiences but will also have an immediate impact in the Los Angeles region and beyond through student and faculty research that is focused on sustainable and equitable water solutions."

Liquid I.V.'s approach to expanding water security is driven by the values of community empowerment, innovation, and equity to create long-lasting, sustainable impact. These grants mark a bold new chapter for Liquid I.V.'s impact work, which is uprooted by the Liquid I.V. community.

For more information about Liquid I.V.'s impact work, please visit liquid-iv.com/pages/mission.To request a product donation for your nonprofit, fill out the product donation request form.

About Liquid I.V.

Liquid I.V. is a wellness company based in Los Angeles, CA, created to fuel life's adventures. The product line features great-tasting, non-GMO electrolyte drink mixes made in the USA utilizing Cellular Transport Technology (CTT) to enhance rapid absorption of water and other key ingredients into the bloodstream. As a purpose-driven brand, giving back is at the core of Liquid I.V.'s DNA, and to date has donated over 36 million servings to people in need around the globe. Liquid I.V. is committed to donating a total of 150 million servings over the next 10 years.

Liquid I.V. is available online and in-store at retailers across the United States. The Hydration Multiplier, Liquid I.V.'s hero product, is available in a variety of core flavors including Lemon Lime, Strawberry, Concord Grape, Golden Cherry, Passion Fruit, and more. To learn more, visit www.liquid-iv.com and follow @liquidiv on I Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.

About MAP International

MAP International provides medicines and health supplies to those in need so they can experience life to its fullest.

About International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas.

Ingenuity, fortitude and optimism remain at the heart of who we are. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls.

About UCLA's Sustainable LA Grand Challenge:

The UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge is an interdisciplinary university-wide initiative aimed at applying UCLA research, expertise and education to help transform Los Angeles into the world's most sustainable megacity by 2050  making it the most liveable, equitable, resilient, clean and healthy megacity, and an example for the world.

Contact:

KWT Global

[email protected]

SOURCE Liquid I.V.
GREENVILLE, Miss., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mars Food, Delta Group, The MolinaCares Accord ("MolinaCares") and the Community Foundation of Washington County in Mississippi announced a partnership to create the Washington County Food Access Improvement Fund ("The Fund") along with a commitment of more than $400,000 to the fund over the next three years. The fund will provide long-term support by making grants to food pantries and other non-profit organizations that provide access to healthy food for Greenville and Washington County-area residents.

Beginning January 30, 2023, through March 3, 2023, the Community Foundation of Washington County will accept grant applications from food pantries and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Grants will focus on assisting food pantries in developing and implementing plans for sustained community impact, including growing their capacity, increasing the quantity of healthy food distributed to at-risk and vulnerable populations, and improving access to healthy foods in outlying areas in Washington County  where there is a 22.9% food insecurity rate.

"It's critical that we continue to invest in Greenville, where we have produced Ben's Original rice for more than 40 years," said Denis Yarotskiy, Regional President, Mars Food North America. "Partnering with local businesses like Delta Group means we can take a long-term, systemic approach to positively impact food insecurity and the health and wellness of Washington County communities."

The Fund is the second iteration of the Mars Food and The MolinaCares Accord collaboration committed to donating approximately 70,000 healthy meals* (including produce and protein) per year. The two entities first partnered in 2021 to expand access to healthy foods across the Delta Region.

"A top priority of MolinaCares is addressing food insecurity to improve better health outcomes in the community" said Carolyn Ingram, executive director of The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation. "We are proud to work alongside Mars Food, the Delta Group, and Community Foundation of Washington County to ensure individuals have access to nutritious food and other resources to improve their overall health and well-being."

To ensure longevity of this initiative to impact food insecurity in Mississippi, the Washington County Food Access Improvement Fund was set up through the Community Foundation of Washington County  one of 700 across the United States formed to help individuals, families, and corporations connect with causes that matter to create a thriving community for all.

Additionally, the Community Foundation will assist in soliciting more investments from residents, organizations, and other area businesses to support the funds sustainability.

"Since its inception in 1925, Delta Group has always been committed to serving the Delta region through many charitable and philanthropic efforts. After being closely connected to the growing food insecurity in our communities since the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Group is pleased to join the Community Foundation of Washington County, Mars Food North America and The Molina Cares Accord in their efforts to create a systemic and coordinated approach to positively impact food insecurity in our community," stated Joe Nash, Chief Operating Officer of Delta Group.

"The Community Foundation of Washington County is thrilled to be working with companies like, Mars Food, the Delta Group and MolinaCares to help improve access to healthy food for at-risk and vulnerable residents throughout Washington County. This is an excellent model of how a community can work together to create a sustainable approach to battle food insecurities," said Melanie Powell, Community Foundation of Washington County, Executive Director.

For more information on how to donate or the grant process please contact the foundation office via email at [email protected] or by phone (662) 580-4500.

*According to the USDA, 1.2 pounds is equivalent to one meal.

About Mars Food



Mars Food is a fast-growing dinnertime food business, making tastier, healthier, easier meals that bring the world to the dinner table. With North American headquarters in Chicago, Ill. and global headquarters in London, Mars Food US's portfolio of leading brands includes: Ben's Original, Seeds of Change, and Tasty Bite. Our purpose Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow. drives our business to be a leader in health & wellbeing and sustainability. Mars Food is a segment of Mars, Incorporated. For more information about the Ben's Original Brand and its purpose initiatives, visit https://www.bensoriginal.com/ or https://www.mars.com/.

About Delta Group



Delta Group, the umbrella organization for Ayres-Delta Implement, Inc., Delta Implement Company and Planters Equipment Company, is one of the premier farm equipment dealerships in Mississippi with locations in Cleveland, Greenwood, Leland and Yazoo City. Service has always been the cornerstone of our company. Taking care of our team members, our customers and the communities that we serve is an essential core value of our company. To learn more about Delta Group, please visit our website at delta-grp.com.

About Community Foundation of Washington County



From its inception in 2012, the Community Foundation of Washington County has kept a single, unwavering mission of connecting people who care with causes that matter to create a thriving community for all. With more than $3.0 million in managed assets and over 70 funds under the Foundation's umbrella, the Community Foundation has established an accountable and transparent way for donors to make their philanthropic dreams a reality. For more information about the Community Foundation of Washington County please visit our website www.cfwashco.org.

About The MolinaCares Accord

Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community

investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations

by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health,

life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through the

Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare,

Inc.

About Molina Healthcare of Mississippi

Molina Healthcare of Mississippi has been providing government-funded, quality health care since 2018. The Company serves members through Medicaid (Mississippi Coordinated Access

Network/Mississippi CAN and Children's Health Insurance Plan/CHIP) and Marketplace. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, served approximately 5.2 million members as of September 30, 2022. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroPlusHealth , New York City's high-quality, affordable health plan, has launched its annual Lunar New Year celebrations to ring in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins on January 22. From January 14 to February 12, the events will honor the City's Asian and Asian American residents and provide festive and enjoyable experiences for residents and visitors of all ages.

Lunar New Year

New Yorkers are invited to visit any of the eight MetroPlusHealth offices across the five boroughs to pick up free red envelopes, a traditional gift that symbolizes good wishes and luck for the year ahead. Additionally, beginning January 19, the Flushing Community Office will display a 6-foot-tall gold rabbit statue for families to photograph and enjoy.

Residents can visit the following locations during regular business hours from now through February 12 to pick up red envelopes:

MetroPlusHealth Locations

Flushing Community Office  136-13 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11367

11367 Jackson Heights Community Office  92-14 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372

11372 Bronx Community Office  959 Southern Blvd, Bronx , NY 10451

, NY 10451 Brooklyn Community Office  2221 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11212

11212 Staten Island Community Office  238A Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302

Additional Locations

Queens Center Mall  90-15 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373

11373 NYC Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst  79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373

 79-01 Broadway, 11373 NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur  227 Madison St, Manhattan, NY 10002

During the month-long program, the City will be animated with events ranging from family carnivals to cultural festivals and parades. Representatives from MetroPlusHealth will be on-site during these events to answer questions regarding access to care and health insurance and enroll residents into a plan for the New Year.

"MetroPlusHealth has a proud history of serving the AAPI community, and we are thrilled to be a part of the Lunar New Year festivities," said Talya Schwartz, MD, President and CEO of MetroPlusHealth. "The Year of the Rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity, which we hope all New Yorkers experience in the year ahead. To those celebrating the Lunar New Year, have a safe and healthy celebration."

"On behalf of the 2.4 million residents of Queens, 'The World's Borough,' I thank MetroPlusHealth for its many contributions to our City's Lunar New Year festivities," said Donovan Richards Jr., President of Queens Borough. "MetroPlusHealth recognizes that the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit is an important occasion that warrants joyous celebrations. Queens deeply appreciates MetroPlusHealth's commitment to honoring the AAPI community through its special programming in observance of the Lunar New Year. I hope everyone has a great time celebrating this wonderful holiday and has a happy and prosperous year ahead."

"MetroPlusHealth has a proactive history of providing culturally competent health care to New York City's immigrant communities, including in my district, where MetroPlusHealth has been working to dispel stigmas that create barriers to accessing health care in the AAPI community," said Sandra Ung, New York City Council Member for District 20. "One of the characteristics of the Year of the Rabbit is longevity, so I can't think of a better time to encourage Asian Americans to take control of their long-term health."

According to a recent analysis by the NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), AAPI is the fastest growing and most diverse racial group in the City, representing more than 30 different ethnic groups and speaking more than 50 languages." Unfortunately, AAPI residents can face barriers to health care, especially when trying to access mental health services . MetroPlusHealth is working to break down these barriers.

Culturally sensitive and fluent in more than 40 languages, MetroPlusHealth staff is as diverse as the great City we serve. MetroPlusHealth is committed to making health care more affordable, affordable, modern and customized uniquely to fit the needs of communities across the five boroughs.

To learn more about MetroPlusHealth and its initiatives, visit http://www.metroplus.org . Watch our Lunar New Year video greeting here.

About MetroPlusHealth

Since 1985, MetroPlusHealth has helped the people of New York City get quality health care at little to no cost. MetroPlusHealth is the plan of choice for over 700,000 New Yorkers, and its commercial and government-sponsored plans meet the needs of individuals, families, and workforces. The MetroPlusHealth staff speaks more than 40 languages and is as diverse as the great City it serves. MetroPlusHealth is part of NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation's largest public health system. For more information, visit metroplus.org. Join the conversation on social media at @metroplushealth.

CONTACT:

Divendra Jaffar

212-908-3380/646-952-3243

[email protected]

SOURCE MetroPlusHealth
WINTER PARK, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Full Sail DC3 announced the launch of the online course The Craft of Mixing Hit Records in partnership with multi-GRAMMY award-winning Mix Engineer, Leslie Brathwaite. This exclusive online course provides aspiring audio professionals looking to build their mixing skills with an intimate course featuring one of the industry's top names in the field of mix engineering.

Multi-GRAMMY Award-Winning Mix Engineer Leslie Brathwaite

Leslie Brathwaite is a multi-GRAMMY award-winning mix engineer based in Atlanta. Graduating from Full Sail University's Recording Arts program in 1992, he began his career assisting producer Dallas Austin, earning credits on albums like Boyz II Men's II and Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. From there, Leslie established himself as a go-to mix engineer and producer  working with artists including Jay Z, Madonna, T.I., and more. Today, his list of mixing credits includes Pharrell Williams, Cardi B, Beyonce, Lil Uzi Vert, Ludacris, Outkast, N.E.R.D., T-Pain, Future, Bjork, Rick Ross, TLC, Gucci Mane and many more.

Meeting the desire for a shortform educational option, combined with award-winning industry expertise, within this exclusive 6-week online course, Leslie will navigate students across a hands-on tour through the craft and process of audio mixing. This cohort-based course will delve into areas such as how to work with artists and producers, how to build up a mix piece by piece, honing the skill of ear training, and not only which tools Leslie uses for the job, but more importantly: why.

When reflecting on the course, Leslie stated, "You may be coming to learn how to make things sound a certain way - what you will also end up learning is how to make people feel a certain way."

Following this course, students will be equipped to recognize the roles of artists and clients in a variety of situations, adapt mixing tools and techniques into personal workflows, and communicate and build a positive relationship with collaborators.

To learn more about the Craft of Mixing Hit Records with GRAMMY-Winning Mix Engineer Leslie Brathwaite click here.

About Full Sail DC3:

Full Sail DC3 is a dynamic, digital-centric education platform that offers online courses and accredited certifications. With the values and benefits of Full Sail University, DC3 is backed by over 40 years of experience in entertainment media and emerging technology, as well as more than a decade of experience delivering compelling online education.

https://www.facebook.com/FullSailDC3/

https://twitter.com/FullSailDC3/

SOURCE Full Sail University
FELICE debuts its first-ever Florida location, bringing an unparalleled Tuscan culinary experience to Related Companies' The Square in West Palm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- All-day Tuscan dining destination, FELICE, which is part of the successful SA Hospitality Group that also owns Sant Ambroeus and Casa Lever, unveils its first Florida restaurant, located on the first floor of 360 Rosemary in The Square neighborhood of West Palm Beach. The restaurant will offer guests a taste of century-old recipes made with the finest, artisanal Italian products, which has earned the restaurant a loyal following with its New York locations.

"After recently expanding FELICE from NYC to the outskirts of New York, introducing the restaurant to another part of the country was a natural next step," said Jacopo Giustiniani, partner and chief operating officer at SA Hospitality Group. "With the boom in New Yorkers relocating to the Sunshine State and the region becoming a leader in the culinary industry, we know South Florida has a strong appetite for what we offer."

Tasked to design an elevated and classic Italian eatery, Meyer Davis combined their aesthetic with FELICE'S known inviting and cozy atmosphere. Upon entry, guests are drawn to the custom curved bar made of arabescato corchia stone and clad with Italian tiles. The plastered walls reach up to the high ceilings and a rich color palette with walnut finishes create a space that provides a grand yet comfortable ambience. FELICE adds to the lifestyle of The Square, providing a social sanctuary where guests can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

"Within our rapidly diversifying and culinary-focused neighborhood, there's undoubtably an insatiable demand for the exquisite and authentic Italian flavors of FELICE," says Gopal Rajegowda, partner, Related Southeast.

Serving authentic Tuscan cuisine, FELICE's menus, led by Executive Chef Roberto Maurizio, features signature favorites such as French Toast (homemade brioche, mixed berries, creme Anglaise) and Vegetable Frittata (spinach, tomato) in the morning and Pappardelle Alla Salsiccia (pappardelle pasta, Italian sausage, endive, Porcini mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano), and Branzino Al Cartoccio (oven roasted Greek branzino, potato, olive, fresh herbs) during lunch and dinner.

"Our goal is to transport guests to the rolling hills of Tuscany through our menu at FELICE West Palm," said Chef Roberto Maurizio. "By sourcing ingredients locally and from Italy, we're able to take the best of both destinations and turn that into a fantastic culinary experience."

The extensive Italian-driven wine program at FELICE West Palm will feature a collection of beloved varietals, blends and esoteric grapes that can only be found in Italy, including a large selection of vintages of Super Tuscan and Brunello wines. Guests visiting this location will find a heavy focus being placed on highlighting organic, biodynamic, sulfate-free, sustainable and natural wines, which includes three signature house labels: Felice Chardonnay, Felice Sangiovese and Felice Rosato.

The coffee program honors traditional Italian coffee culture with espresso and cappuccino beverages that will be crafted using signature blends by Trucillo and Ammirati.

Located at 366 South Rosemary Avenue, FELICE West Palm is now open for dinner, Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Friday through Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm. Lunch service will begin on Monday, January 30, 2023, and will be offered Monday through Friday from 11 am  4 pm.

Now accepting reservations: Call (561) 421-6036 or visit: https://www.felicerestaurants.com/felice-west-palm-beach/

Menus: Available HERE

ABOUT FELICE WEST PALM

New York-based hot spot, FELICE, is bringing its esteemed Italian fare to The Square neighborhood in West Palm Beach, transporting guests from South Florida to the small towns of Tuscany. The neighborhood restaurant, which is part of the successful SA Hospitality Group, offers guests a taste of century-old recipes made with the finest, artisanal Italian products and fresh, locally sourced seasonal produce, embodying the truest essence of Italian cuisine. Known for being an all-day dining destination, FELICE caters to those looking for a morning espresso, an evening aperitivo and everything in between. For more information on FELICE, please visit https://www.felicerestaurants.com/.

ABOUT SANT AMBROEUS HOSPITALITY GROUP (SA HOSPITALITY GROUP)

For almost forty years, Sant Ambroeus has served as one of New York's most beloved Italian restaurants, offering contemporary Milanese cuisine and exceptional service in unrivaled locations. The original Sant Ambroeus opened its doors in Milan in 1936, quickly acquiring a devoted following in Northern Italy's cosmopolitan capital. Partners Gherardo Guarducci and Dimitri Pauli have translated these old-world sensibilities from the original Sant Ambroeus location to appeal to American diners, importing generations of Italian culinary tradition via its restaurants and coffee bars to a selective group of New York neighborhoods including the Upper East Side, Soho, West Village, Southampton, Palm Beach, Florida, as well as with the debut of Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bars at the Loews Regency Hotel, Sotheby's Auction House and Hanley New York. Guarducci and Pauli have since expanded Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group's offerings with the addition of Casa Lever, an elegant, fine-dining Italian restaurant located in Midtown Manhattan's landmarked Lever House building. Additionally, the hospitality group includes Felice Ristorante & Wine Bars, a collection of four Tuscan-inspired neighborhood favorites in partnership with Jacopo Giustiniani. For more information on SA Hospitality Group, please visit www.sahospitalitygroup.com.

ABOUT RELATED SOUTHEAST

Headquartered in the heart of rapidly expanding Downtown West Palm, Related Southeast is Related Companies' locally-based, global real estate and lifestyle company that has redeveloped Downtown West Palm into one of the nation's fastest growing commercial, retail, culinary, art and tourism destinations. Related Southeast leads the market in Class A office with 1.3M square feet of existing commercial holdings, 275,000 square feet under construction at 1 Flagler and an additional 1.3M office space in the pipeline; is under construction with mixed-use luxury apartment building 575 Rosemary, and owns the celebrated destinations of The Square, Hilton West Palm Beach, RH West Palm and the historic Harriet Himmel Theater. The dynamic neighborhood of The Square recently underwent a $700 million transformation designed to foster culture and enrich the community with lush green spaces; a diverse mix of experiential retail and culinary offerings; the largest concentration of public art installed by a private company in Palm Beach County, featuring renowned artists such as Yinka Shonibare, CBE, and Jeppe Hein; rich cultural and educational programming and modern residences. For more information about Related Southeast, please visit www.relatedsoutheast.com.

ABOUT MEYER DAVIS

Meyer Davis is a multi-disciplinary design studio founded by Will Meyer and Gray Davis. The award-winning firm has established itself at the forefront of high end commercial and residential design practices throughout the U.S. and abroad, through its work on private residences, hotels, restaurants, retail experiences, and workplace environments. Meyer Davis designs seamless physical experiences tailored to their client's individuality, combining principles of great design with a clear vision for the experience they seek to create. The designers consider each new project an opportunity to bring a unique and powerful story to life. Playing with space, form, texture, and light, they develop a visual experience that seeks to compel and inspire. Meyer Davis believes that great design works on multiple levels, weaving together bold design moves and striking details to ensure that when completed, each project makes an immediate and lasting impact. For more info, please visit https://www.meyerdavis.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT

QUINN PR

[email protected]

212.868.1900

SOURCE FELICE West Palm
New partnership accelerates SP Manufacturing's momentum as a rising star in Southeast Asia's manufacturing economy

SINGAPORE, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Tellus, a leading private equity fund focused on building industrial and technology companies, has completed an investment in SP Manufacturing ("SP" or the "Company").

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore with global operations, SP is a growing leader in producing mission-critical electronics for industrial and medical customers. The Company prides itself on building close, strategic partnerships with leading global OEMs, and delivers an integrated set of manufacturing, engineering and design services focused on high-mix, high-performance industrial products.

In connection with the investment, Novo Tellus has acquired a controlling stake in SP, with the Company's family owners retaining a meaningful and active stake in the business.

"We've been impressed with SP's specialised approach to building long-lived partnerships with global customers," said Keith Toh and Peishan Wong at Novo Tellus. "As a result, SP has grown 2 to 3 times faster than the global electronics manufacturing services for over a decade now. We believe SP's ability to serve customers closely onshore in Europe and the United States, but also provide engineering and manufacturing services offshore in Southeast Asia and China, reflect the best strengths of where the modern global production network is evolving in the coming decade."

"We're pleased to partner with Novo Tellus to build the future of SP", noted Philip Ong, CEO of SP. "We found in Novo Tellus a kindred appreciation of our strong customer orientation, and also a deeply informed mindset around how SP is positioned to benefit from long-term tailwinds of digitalisation and automation in our key industries. We've been impressed with Novo Tellus' track record of growing industrial companies globally, and look forward to accelerating growth in our customers and capabilities together in the coming years."

To discover how SP Manufacturing can advance your mission critical electronics production and engineering, visit sp-manufacturing.com or contact SP directly below.

About SP Manufacturing

SP Manufacturing delivers electronics manufacturing, engineering and design services for mission-critical industries. With over 20 years of experience and a global presence in Southeast Asia, Europe, and China, SP has grown its business through close and strategic partnerships with customers to manufacture and engineer products where quality and performance must not fail. To learn more about SP Manufacturing, contact us at: [email protected]

About Novo Tellus

Novo Tellus is a private equity firm focused on building lasting technology and industrial companies in Southeast Asia. The firm is distinguished by its deep insight into shifts in the global technology ecosystem, and by its active and empathic partnerships with management teams to build lasting businesses and superior investment returns.

To learn more about partnering with Novo Tellus, visit novotellus.com

SOURCE Novo Tellus Capital Partners Pte. Ltd
PHILADELPHIA and LANCASTER, Pa., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leaders of Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences (PA College) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, announced a definitive agreement to become part of Saint Joseph's University. The merger will expand both Saint Joseph's geographic reach beyond Philadelphia and its academic portfolio with more than 20 nursing and allied health programs ranging from certificates through the doctoral level. The agreement also allows PA College to expand opportunities for students while preserving and stewarding its tradition of serving South Central Pennsylvania through excellence in healthcare education for more than 120 years.

"We know that programs like those offered at PA College are not only sought after by students, but they also have an exponential value in the communities where those students then go on to live, work and lead," said Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, interim president of Saint Joseph's University. "It has long been our strategy to add nursing to our list of offerings for our students."

Facilitated by a shared strategic alignment, complementary academic programing, financial capability, and leadership and board commitment, both institutions see the agreement as a way to expand their missions with opportunities for students through:

advancement of academic programs in Lancaster and adding nursing programs to Saint Joseph's Hawk Hill and University City locations;

and adding nursing programs to Hawk Hill and University City locations; development of interprofessional and interdisciplinary programs at the intersection of societal need and student interest and;

a responsive, sustainable academic portfolio that includes certificate and two-year nursing and allied health degree programs leading to family-supporting careers.

"By becoming part of Saint Joseph's, we have an extraordinary opportunity to continue PA College's valued role in the education and professional development of the regional healthcare workforce while expanding the geographic and demographic reach of its critically needed nursing and allied health programs," said Mary Grace Simcox, EdD, RN, president of PA College.

PA College's rich history includes a long-standing connection to its founder, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health), where more than 800 employees are current PA College students and thousands more boast alumni status. PA College students' licensure exam passage rates are among the best in the nation and state in nursing  a testament to PA College's strong curricula and excellent faculty and LG Health's outstanding clinical rotation experiences.

LG Health and Saint Joseph's are committed to future students and patients through a joint healthcare-education pipeline, which will continue to provide a pathway to rewarding, financially secure careers for Lancaster-area residents. They will maintain strong affiliation agreements allowing for tuition benefits and clinical placements and will engage in ongoing conversations to address evolving healthcare workforce needs. Additionally, the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) will reserve clinical placements in the Philadelphia metropolitan area for Saint Joseph's nursing students.

Saint Joseph's and LG Health intend to continually evaluate and adapt educational offerings to meet Southeastern Pennsylvania's evolving healthcare workforce demands with a sustainable academic portfolio.

Nearly 2,000 PA College students will become part of the Saint Joseph's community following the closing of the merger, which is planned for January of 2024, after a one-year period of integration planning and efforts. Closing of the merger is subject to a variety of accreditation and government approval processes.

SOURCE Saint Joseph's University
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") (OTC:PTBS), the one bank holding company for Bank of Charles Town (BCT), declared at their January Board meeting a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share. The dividend is for all shareholders of record on February 3, 2023 and will be paid on February 10, 2023.

About the Company

Founded in 1871, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $771 million in assets as of September 30, 2022, the Company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and two loan production offices. BCT's offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun and Stafford Counties (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 65 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland.

The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc., and the Bank, please visit our website at www.mybct.bank.

SOURCE Potomac Bancshares, Inc.
Fast-paced urbanization and rise in disposable income of individuals in developing countries are likely to create lucrative business opportunities for smart cooktop market

User-friendly and advanced features that are preferred by large volume of consumers is driving smart cooktop market demand

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The smart cooktop market size stood at US$ 1.1 Bn in 2021 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2022 to 2031, according to the smart cooktop market report by TMR.

A smart cooktop is an electric burner that contains Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity and can be linked to the user's smartphone. Users can use the smartphone app to remotely operate the appliance. The smart touch induction cooktop has gained immense popularity owing to its efficiency. Working-class individuals prefer to cook on smart cooktops as it saves a lot of time. This has led to rise in smart cooktop sales.

Cooktops and cooking ranges are widely acknowledged as the most essential kitchen appliances for everyday use. Smart cooktops are becoming increasingly popular owing to user-friendliness and effectiveness. Technological developments have a substantial impact on the demand for consumer products, particularly domestic cooking appliances such as smart cooktops. These advancements have resulted in smart cooktops with improved designs and greater efficiency, which are driving the smart cooktop market growth.

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Smart Cooktop Market: Growth Drivers

Numerous smart cooktop models are available with a dual-fuel option, which combines the benefits of both cooking techniques by employing an electric oven and a gas stove. These advantages offered by smart cooktops are propelling smart cooktop market development.

Increase in spending and shifting lifestyles in developing countries are driving the expansion of the smart cooktop market. Rapid urbanization and industrialization activities leading to new building projects are anticipated to augment the smart cooktop market during the forecast period. Moreover, cost-effectiveness and various advantages over conventional cooktops are estimated to bolster smart cooktop industry growth.

Key Findings of Smart Cooktop Market

Several types of heating and cooking technologies, including convection, infrared heating, and adding or repositioning classic heating components for more accurate cooking, help meals cook more evenly and rapidly. These market trends are anticipated to increase demand for smart cooktops in the near future.

Practice of controlling or connecting smart cooktops to other smart home devices, such as Google Home, using voice commands has gained traction. These offer the same functions as traditional cooktops, but the adjustable hob layout and induction burners reduce cooking time. Several smart cooktops types, including smart induction stoves, smart induction cooktops, smart gas cooktops, and smart electric cooktops, include two independent cooking zones, which allow users to cook various items at different temperatures simultaneously. These features have led to increase in adoption of smart cooktops, which in turn are fueling market development.

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Smart Cooktop Market: Regional Landscape

North America is anticipated to dominate the global market due to consumer preference for cutting-edge kitchen appliances

is anticipated to dominate the global market due to consumer preference for cutting-edge kitchen appliances Asia Pacific market outlook is optimistic due to the increase in purchasing power of individuals. Low labor cost and availability of cost-effective raw materials in the region have resulted in increase in manufacturing capacities of home kitchen appliances. These factors are likely to augment the market for smart cooktops in Asia Pacific in the next few years.

Smart Cooktop Market: Competitive Landscape

The global smart cooktops market is consolidated, with a few large-scale players accounting for a substantial portion of the market. Manufacturers of smart cooktops invest in extensive research and development activities, particularly to offer customized products with modern technology. Key market participants are concentrating on the expansion of product portfolio and merger & acquisition in order to increase revenue and consolidate their position in the market.

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Leading companies operating in the global smart cooktop market include:

BSH Home Appliances Corporation

Miele

Haier business

Berbel Ablufttechnik GmbH

Cooking Surface

Dacor, Inc.

GE Appliances, a Haier company

Meyer Corporation

Electrolux,

Samsung

Gaggenau Hausgerate

Hestan CUE

Smart Cooktop Market: Segmentation

Type

Gas



Electric





Installation

Built-in



Countertop

Width

Less than 24 inch



24 to 30 inches



More than 30 inch

Control Type

Digital



Analog

Number of Burners

Less than 3



3 to 4



More than 4

End-use

Residential



Commercial

Price

Less than US $ 1000



US $ 1000 to US $ 2000



US $ 2001 to US $ 4000



Above US $ 4000

Distribution Channel

Online



E-Commerce Webiste





Company Website



Offline



Specialty Stores





Others

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

& South America

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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, is a global market research company providing custom research and consulting services. TMR provides in-depth insights into factors governing demand in the market. It divulges opportunities across various segments based on Source, Application, Sales Channel, and End-Use that will favor growth in the market over the next 9 years.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

Contact Us:

Nikhil Sawlani

Transparency Market Research Inc.

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
New Joint Venture to be Named Stratagem Kleinburg Studios Brings Stratagem Studios Total Space to 400,000 Sq Gt in Toronto

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratagem Studios , Toronto's premier studio facility, production and service company, has announced a new joint venture with Canada's first purpose built clear span studio facility, Kleinburg Film Studios , which will bring Stratagem Studios' GTHA footprint to 400,000 sq ft of stage and production support space.

Through the new partnership, Stratagem Studios, home to major productions including Marvel's Hawkeye and Taylor Sheridan's Mayor of Kingstown, will be handling all sales, marketing and studio operations of Kleinburg Studios. Additionally the partners will rebrand the studio to Stratagem Kleinburg Studios to further allow Kleinburg to become part of the Stratagem ecosystem of production facilities and provide a one-stop turnkey solution for major productions coming to Canada.

"I am truly excited to partner with Riccardo Bozzo and Kleinburg Film Studios given its rich history as a studio that has long been a favorite of Hollywood studio films, television and independent production. This new partnership with Kleinburg is an important strategic move for Stratagem that firmly positions us on the Toronto and Canadian map. Together we can now offer some 400,000 sq ft of stage and support space that can match the offering of any other comparable studio both domestically and globally." Michael Cerenzie, CEO & Founder, Stratagem Studios

Kleinburg opened in 1959 and boasts 20,000 sq ft of clear span stages and 17,500 sq ft of support space. The facility is situated in the North end of Toronto and for many decades was the first choice by Hollywood to shoot in Canada, as it was the only purpose built studio until Pinewood launched in 2008. Unlike any other studio in the city, Kleinburg features horse paddocks and barns, field lots, woodlots, the Humber River Valley and an authentic log cabin all available to the productions filming there. Recent productions include Amazon's The Boyz and Starz' American Gods and in the past A-list actors such as Al Pacino, Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Douglas have all filmed at the studio.

What makes this site truly unique, is its extensive 6 acre backlot, making it the largest backlot in all of Toronto. The demand for backlot is ever growing as many productions require substantial set building that allows for more filming versatility. This asset will broaden the spectrum of productions that come to Toronto as they can use backlot builds to replicate the likes of London, New York etc. Stratagem is hoping that given they now have the largest backlot in Toronto and have plans for an eventual phase two expansion, they will not only add to the growth of Stratagem Kleinburg Studios, but enhance the local market as a whole by drawing in productions that would not normally film in Toronto as it historically lacked backlot availability.

"In keeping with the rich cinematic history of Kleinburg Studios, we are pleased to partner with Michael Cerenzie, the Stratagem Group and their highly talented executive team to continue supporting local and international film and television productions." - Riccardo Bozzo, Owner of Kleinburg Film Studios

In 2022, Stratagem Studios announced their one-of-a-kind, fully operational 250,000 sq ft Stratagem Studios Eastside complex in Toronto, Canada. The studio boasts over 100,000 sq ft of clear span stages, two of which are 61ft high making them the tallest clear span stages available in the North American market. Stratagem has proven they are prepared to offer the only turnkey studio facility in Canada that meets the growing demand for state-of-the-art production facilities in combination with in-house production services, comparatively to the top US facilities and production service companies.

"Kleinburg has been an important contributor to the Ontario film, television and digital media industry for its entire history. I am happy to be partnering with Kleinburg and Riccardo Bozzo to continue to build on that tradition while responding to a rapidly growing and changing market" - Jonathan Ahee, President & Partner, Stratagem Studios

Stratagem Studios will be unveiling new development sites in Canada, North America and globally throughout 2023, as well as announcing more joint ventures with new creative partners which will both encompass their national plan and global expansion. With the completion of this joint venture, Stratagem's footprint of top tier studio and support space has increased to the point of competing with major production spaces locally and abroad.

About The Stratagem Group

Founded in 2015 by 25-year industry veteran Michael Cerenzie, The Stratagem Group (TSG) is a Toronto-based collective of creative companies providing forward-thinking solutions for in studio infrastructure, content development, financing, production service, and workforce development across the $250 billion global media landscape. Stratagem Studios, the new 250,000 sq ft studio and production facility in Toronto that recently announced a $20 million 100,000 sq ft expansion , has already been home to premier productions including Marvel's Hawkeye , Taylor Sheridan's Mayor of Kingstown , Phillip Noyce's The Desperate Hour , and currently Showtime's new series' Fellow Travelers starring Matt Bomer. TSG's portfolio of companies creates an integrated ecosystem model that drives, curates and supports film, television and digital streaming projects through every phase of the production pipeline. TSG has aligned proprietary assets in physical infrastructure (Stratagem Studios) with innovative logistics supports (Stratagem Rx Production Services, Stratagem Financial) and dedicated labour training (Stratagem Workforce) to offer unmatched full-service solutions for the global screen based marketplace. Stratagem Studios will be unveiling new development sites in Canada, North America and globally throughout 2023, as well as announcing more joint ventures with new creative partners which will both encompass their national plan and global expansion.

Connect With Stratagem Studios: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

SOURCE Stratagem
Billion-Dollar Company Preparing to Deport 600 Union Jobs from Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is fighting plans by Energizer to outsource good-paying jobs, after the company announced intentions to close its battery plants in Fennimore and Portage, Wisc. The company told workers and Teamster representatives it plans to offshore American manufacturing jobs and send others to a nonunion facility in North Carolina.

Nearly 600 Wisconsin workers at the two plants are members of Teamsters Local 695.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien personally committed the full resources and support of the 1.2 million-member Teamsters to keep the union jobs in Wisconsin.

"Energizer is putting a plan in motion to kill hundreds of good jobs here in America and offshore them in favor of even bigger profits," O'Brien said. "Some workers have been in these factories for more than 40 years. The American public should be outraged by these plans. Our entire union is furious. If Energizer thinks it's going to outsource American jobs and destroy Wisconsin communities, we've got news for them  the Teamsters are coming and we will stop at nothing to protect American workers."

The company told the Teamsters it plans to close the plants in Fennimore and Portage in the next 12-24 months, providing few details or information about the planned closures.

Last year, Energizer gave $93 million to shareholders through quarterly dividends and posted a gross profit of $1.1 billion. In three years, the corporation tripled its CEO's compensation to $9 million.

In 2020, Wisconsin gave Energizer a five-year, $600,000 tax credit to create 96 jobs and retain 453 jobs. Since 1999, Energizer has received more than $10 million in public subsidies from six states.

Wisconsin Teamsters at the plants produce batteries for Energizer's retail brands, including Eveready and Rayovac, as well as specialty batteries for hearing aids.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The most relatable Gen Zer featured in Lancome's first web series, talks about self-image and how to be the authentic version of yourself

PARIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lancome is thrilled to announce the appointment of the new face of the brand, the American Gen Zer, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and girl of the 21st century, Emma Chamberlain.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9133451-lancome-global-ambassador-emma-chamberlain/

THE NEW LANCOME GLOBAL AMBASSADOR EMMA CHAMBERLAIN

LEADING THE 'BE YOURSELF' MOVEMENT

With her engaging personality and relaxed demeanor, Emma became a global sensation by establishing herself as one of the most popular fashion icons, and effortlessly cool content creator. Shortly after launching her YouTube channel at the age of 16, Emma broke into social media stardom at a very fast pace. The success of her social content gaining traction came from Emma demonstrating an authentic version of herself, which made her stand out as a disruptor in the crowded content creator space. Chamberlain's fans don't only find her content entertaining and filled with humor, but rather comforting, feeling that they are not alone in their journey.

Since then, Emma won the People's Choice award Pop Podcast category and was acknowledged by Forbes, making it on the '30 under 30  Social Media' list in 2021. With her mannerism, her unique video editing was largely imitated, shaping a new vlogging style, by keeping it real.

Bringing her modernity and edge to the French house of beauty, Emma says: "I have always had my own notion of beauty and didn't project myself within the beauty industry because of the duality that I show, mixing comfort, with being nicely put together. Hence why, when Lancome came to me, I felt so honored and excited that the brand understood and appreciated who I am."

Francoise Lehmann, Lancome International President adds: "I am proud to welcome Emma to the Lancome family. Beside achieving so much at such an early age, Emma is adored by a generation for the perspectives that she shares. We can only appreciate her authentic tone, and the humor used to discuss meaningful topics."

Joining the Lancome stellar group of ambassadors, Emma will add her irresistible wit and singularity. Together with Lancome, Emma will further spread the brand's values of positive and powerful beauty to invite a whole generation to shine inside out.

Besides from being a renown content creator who openly addresses the issues of her generation, Emma also got into the realm of business and created her own brand "Chamberlain Coffee" in 2020. Being the voice of a generation, Emma runs her own podcast "Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain" where she remains unfiltered.

With a social media following of almost 30M Emma has become one of the most influential, relatable and popular personality. She is a role model for her generation, who lives by her own convictions.

STARRING IN THE FIRST EVER LANCOME WEB SERIES

The ones who want to watch Emma candidly wandering the Parisian streets and opening the doors of Lancome offices, will not be left disappointed. The unprecedented web series "How do you say beauty in French" released on the 12th of January on Lancome's YouTube channel is full of surprises and sometime ambushes, showing Emma's fresh perspective and modern humor. Watch now how Lancome gave Emma the keys to their entire office, and be warned, she can do whatever she wants!

Contacts:

Carolina SCHMOLLGRUBER, [email protected]

Hayat ZENATI, [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1985731/Lancome_Emma_Chamberlain.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1985730/Lancome_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Lancome
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- W. P. Carey Inc. (W. P. Carey, NYSE: WPC), a leading net lease REIT specializing in corporate sale-leasebacks, build-to-suits and the acquisition of single-tenant net lease properties, rang the Closing Bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Wednesday, January 18 to celebrate 25 years as a publicly traded company.

W. P. Carey Rings NYSE Closing Bell to Celebrate 25 Years as a Publicly Traded Company

Jason Fox, Chief Executive Officer, W. P. Carey said: "We're honored to ring the Closing Bell as we celebrate the first of many company milestones this year. In addition to commemorating 25 years as a publicly traded company, this year marks 50 years since our company's founding. Throughout our long history, we've remained steadfast in our Founder Wm. Polk Carey's commitments to delivering long-term value to our shareholders by Investing for the Long Run and giving back to our communities through Doing Good While Doing Well. I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come, which is all thanks to our dedicated and talented team members past and present  many of whom joined us at the Closing Bell ceremony."

W. P. Carey was founded by Wm. Polk Carey in 1973 to create an investment vehicle for net lease commercial real estate assets. In 1998, W. P. Carey began trading on the NYSE and in 2012, the company converted to a REIT, expanding its access to institutional capital. Today, W. P. Carey ranks among the largest U.S. REITs with an enterprise value of approximately $22 billion.

Jason Fox was joined by fellow W. P. Carey employees to ring the bell. To view the full video, visit the W. P. Carey YouTube channel.

W. P. Carey Inc.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, W. P. Carey ranks among the largest net lease REITs with an enterprise value of approximately $22 billion and a well-diversified portfolio of high-quality, operationally critical commercial real estate, which includes 1,428 net lease properties covering approximately 175 million square feet and a portfolio of 84 self-storage operating properties, as of September 30, 2022. With offices in New York, London, Amsterdam and Dallas, the company remains focused on investing primarily in single-tenant, industrial, warehouse and retail properties located in the U.S. and Northern and Western Europe, under long-term net leases with built-in rent escalations.

www.wpcarey.com

Institutional Investors:

Peter Sands

1 (212) 492-1110

[email protected]

Individual Investors:

W. P. Carey Inc.

1 (212) 492-8920

[email protected]

Press Contact:

Anna McGrath

1 (212) 492-1166

[email protected]

SOURCE W. P. Carey Inc.
SinglePoint Inc. subsidiary BPA Solutions recently showcased its newest product, the LifeShield+ ballistic door panel

Three different caliber firearms were tested five times each

The highlights of the demonstration, as well as a before and after of the LifeShield+ can be viewed on the BPA Solution website

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB:SING) subsidiary BPA Solutions has released footage from a recent demonstration of their newest product offering, the LifeShield+ ballistic door panel. The demonstration highlighted the capabilities of the LifeShield+ and showed how it can withstand various firearms.

Watch the full video here.

BPA Solutions showcased the panel's capabilities by using a UL 752 Level 2 panel (LifeShield+ comes in UL 752 Level 2 or 3, with 3 being a higher level of protection) and can be installed on a hollow core door. The panel was then subjected to five rounds of ammunition using three different firearms, a .9mm, a .40 caliber, and a .38 special, from roughly 15 ft away.

The LifeShield+ ballistic door panel easily withstood all 15 shots with no caliber of ammunition passing through. Overall, the demonstration not only resulted in excellent footage but proved to be a prime example of LifeShield+'s capabilities, even under the worst conditions.

BPA Solutions CEO Ryan Cowell commented, "seeing the LifeShield+ work live provides a far better understanding of just how effective it is and how important it is to have in every school across America. I believe through the footage captured, everyone watching can better understand just how impressive this product is."

As the exclusive distributor of LifeShield+ products to schools in the United States, BPA Solutions is actively working to assist schools with purchasing LifeShield+ door panels, window shades, and hallway dividers using the existing funding available immediately to schools through the US.

"For the longest time, the feedback we received from schools was that they wanted to invest in safety products, but their current funding wouldn't cover it. So rather than wait for safety funding to be approved, we collaborated with ballistic barrier products to design a product that qualifies for the existing ESSER or EANS funding allowing them to act immediately," continued Cowell. "Our goal for the LifeShield+ is to provide schools with a solution to their safety concerns that is both extremely effective and easily obtainable."

BPA Solutions is currently taking orders for LifeShield+ products. Call 843.936.6649 or email [email protected] to order or visit bpasolutions.com for more information.

About BPA Solutions

BPA Solutions provides schools and other governmental agencies with innovative and proven products designed to create healthier, safer public gathering places. To learn more, visit www.bpasolutions.com .

About SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB:SING)

SinglePoint is a sustainable lifestyle Company focused on the solar energy and storage and indoor air purification markets. The Company plans to build the largest renewable energy solutions network and modernize the traditional solar energy and energy storage business model. SinglePoint continues to execute its acquisition strategy by exploring future growth opportunities in indoor air purification and ventilation, electric vehicle charging, solar as a subscription service, and additional energy efficiencies and appliances that enhance sustainability and healthier life. For more information, visit the Company's websites: www.singlepoint.com , www.bostonsolar.us , and www.boxpureair.com .

SOURCE SinglePoint Inc.
At a special 'Breakfast of Champions' event, Friends of the Children announces a new Houston chapter under the leadership of Executive Director Brandon T. Denton

HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Friends of the Children Ambassador Simone Biles and Wheaties hosted a 'Breakfast of Champions' event to unveil her second limited-edition Wheaties box at the World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas. The box celebrates Biles' personal journey that has served as a catalyst for her continued support and advocacy for children in foster care, including her efforts with Friends of the Children that have helped the organization launch a new chapter - Friends of the ChildrenHouston.

"I am honored to be featured on my second Wheaties box and grateful for the opportunity to highlight Friends of the Children, an extraordinary organization that is working to make sure other youth have access to mentors and the support to dream big in life," said Biles. "I hope my journey can be an example to all children that anything is possible, and I'm excited to help expand access to resources and mentorship in my hometown with the launch of the Friends of the ChildrenHouston chapter!"

Simone Biles Unveils Limited-Edition Wheaties Box Featuring Friends of the Children, Houston Chapter Launches Tweet this

Joined by family, friends, and youth from Friends of the Children, Biles shared her personal journey with foster care and adoption to help inspire today's youth to not let life circumstances define who they are or deter them from pursuing their dreams. The launch of FriendsHouston creates a larger footprint in Texas and marks the national organization's 29th location overall. The organization launched Friends of the ChildrenAustin in 2017.

"Friends of the Children could not be more thrilled to announce the Houston chapter launch with Ms. Biles and the team at General Mills," said Terri Sorensen, National CEO of Friends of the Children. "Their support was instrumental in bringing a chapter to Houston. It is also such a meaningful moment for our organizationand the youth we serveto be featured on the iconic Wheaties box alongside a true champion for youth."

FriendsHouston, under the leadership of Brandon T. Denton, M.B.A., will begin identifying and enrolling children in the greater Houston area to welcome its first cohort of youth ages 4 to 6 years old, and by extension their families, later this year. The chapter aims to partner with key institutions, including DePelchin Children's Center, Houston Independent School District and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Their initial focus will be on supporting children and families in areas across Houston who have been disproportionately impacted by foster care and other systemic issues.

Read the full press release here and view photos from the event here.

SOURCE Friends of the Children
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Advanced Ceramics Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global advanced ceramics market size reached US$ 86.62 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 158.63 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.61% 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 industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Advanced ceramics are inorganic and non-metallic solids produced from highly refined and purified powders. Some commonly used advanced ceramics include alumina, titanate, zirconia, silicon carbide, and aluminum and silicon nitride. They are widely used in rotors, combustors, furnace heaters, hot gas filtration, fuel cell membranes, gas turbine airfoils, diesel engine filters, and fuel injectors.

As compared to conventional ceramics, advanced ceramics have higher strength, stability, abrasion and chemical resistance, and can withstand extreme temperatures. They are also cost-effective and lightweight, offer high performance, improve productivity, and reduce operating costs. As a result, advanced ceramics are extensively used in aerospace, defense, industrial processing, and power generation industries.



Advanced Ceramics Market Trends:



The global advanced ceramics market is primarily being driven by significant growth in the electrical and electronics industry. Advanced ceramics are widely used to produce various electronic components, such as transistor dielectrics, insulators, capacitors, integrated circuit (IC) packages, and piezoelectric components.

Apart from this, increasing product demand in the automotive industry to manufacture spark plugs, clutches, engine filters, sensors for electronic controls, and heat-resistant engine parts is providing a considerable boost to market growth. Additionally, the introduction of advanced ceramics produced from eco-friendly processes and naturally occurring minerals due to the rising concerns regarding environmental degradation is providing an impetus to market growth.

Moreover, the widespread product adoption for manufacturing components of various emerging and energy-intensive technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), and fifth generation (5G) telecommunication, due to its durability, low power consumption, non-volatility, and high speed is acting as another growth-inducing factor.

Besides this, extensive product utilization in the medical industry, continuous research and development (R&D) activities, and rising product incorporation in military armor and protection equipment are supporting the market toward growth.

Competitive Landscape:



The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being 3M Company, AGC Inc., Blasch Precision Ceramics Inc., CeramTec GmbH, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A., CoorsTek Inc., Corning Incorporated, Elan Technology, Ferrotec (USA) Corporation (Ferrotec Holdings Corporation), Kyocera Corporation, Materion Corporation, McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies LLC, Morgan Advanced Materials plc and Paul Rauschert GmbH & Co. KG.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global advanced ceramics market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global advanced ceramics market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the material type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the class type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end use industry?

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 advanced ceramics 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 Advanced Ceramics Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Material Type

6.1 Alumina

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Titanate

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Zirconia

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Silicon Carbide

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Class Type

7.1 Monolithic Ceramics

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Ceramic Coatings

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Ceramic Matrix Composites

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Others

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End Use Industry

8.1 Electrical and Electronics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Medical

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Transportation

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Defense and Security

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Chemical

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast

8.6 Others

8.6.1 Market Trends

8.6.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis

11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 3M Company

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 AGC Inc.

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Blasch Precision Ceramics Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 CeramTec GmbH

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A.

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 CoorsTek Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Corning Incorporated

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 Elan Technology

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 Ferrotec (USA) Corporation (Ferrotec Holdings Corporation)

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Kyocera 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 Materion Corporation

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 McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies LLC

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13 Morgan Advanced Materials plc

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13.3 Financials

14.3.14 Paul Rauschert GmbH & Co. KG.

14.3.14.1 Company Overview

14.3.14.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ebv25z

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
U.S. government program aims to mobilize 10,000 Americans to welcome refugees through private sponsorship in 2023

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, more than 200 diverse organizations are signaling their support for the Welcome Corps, a new U.S. government community service program that allows everyday Americans to privately sponsor refugees from around the worldrepresenting the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in more than 40 years, grounded in the generosity and compassion of American communities.

Over the last year, Americans from every corner of the country have stepped up to welcome first Afghans, then Ukrainians, and then people in need of safety from our own hemisphere, including Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans. Now, with the launch of the Welcome Corps, the U.S. government is making it possible for Americans to sponsor refugees from all around the world. Many of these refugees have lived for decades in refugee camps worldwide, often unable to leave freely, earn a living, rebuild their livesand make contributionsin the warm embrace of a new community.

New U.S. government program represents boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in more than 40 years. Tweet this

"When Americans welcome, communities flourish. Newly arriving refugees have been forced to flee, leaving behind their communities and livelihoods, with some in search of a safe place to call home for years. Whether you are a business owner, teacher, stay-at-home parent, nurse, or store clerk, the Welcome Corps equips you with the resources you need to work together and share knowledge of your community with refugees as they adapt to life in America," said Sarah Krause, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Community Sponsorship Hub.

"We know that Americans' capacity to welcome is far greater than what our government can do alone. The Welcome Corps is the newest massive innovation in the refugee resettlement system that will make it possible for everyday Americans to do what we do bestbe a good neighbor, a guide, and a friend to people finding their way in a new community," said Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US.

"The United States has long been a humanitarian leader for those fleeing violence and persecution. With over 100 million people displaced worldwide, the launch of the Welcome Corps is a much-needed pathway to help additional people find safety through the American spirit of welcome. The International Rescue Committee is proud to support the launch of this effort and join Americans from all walks of life and across the nation to welcome refugees," said David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

"We are thrilled to support the Welcome Corps as it expands the joy of sponsorship to new groups and communities across the United States and increases our nation's capacity to resettle refugees. The Welcome Corps builds upon a decades-long proud tradition of community sponsorship and local partnership in refugee resettlement. We look forward to more communities having the opportunity to experience the life-changing work of sponsorship by coming alongside new arrivals with the friendship and support they need to thrive," said Rick Santos, President and CEO of Church World Service.

"The Welcome Corps is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to directly engage communities in the resettlement process and allow more refugees to find a safe place to call home. Creating a permanent private sponsorship program is a crucial and historical innovation in U.S. refugee admissions to increase capacity, strengthen communities, and deepen connections between new neighbors," said Becca Heller, Executive Director of the International Refugee Assistance Project.

"Like the Peace Corpscreated more than 60 years agothe Welcome Corps is rooted in American principles of generosity, compassion, and volunteerism. The Welcome Corps Volunteers will help strengthen communities across America, while welcoming persecuted people from around the world and helping them start new lives," said Chris George, Director of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services and former Peace Corps Volunteer.

Through the Welcome Corps, Americans work in groups of at least five to welcome newcomers by securing and preparing initial housing, greeting refugee newcomers at the airport, enrolling children in school, and helping adults to find employment. Most importantly, they offer a sense of welcome, belonging, and inclusion for families that have left far more than their worldly goods behindthey have left behind friends, families, and the social networks that help us thrive. These shared acts of welcome bring communities together while making it easier for newcomers to adjust to life in the United States. The program aims to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans in 2023 to welcome refugees through private sponsorship.

Leaders from across the resettlement, faith, service, and government communities are voicing their strong support for this bold new program that will dramatically expand America's ability to welcome newcomers.

"HIAS welcomes the Welcome Corps! In 2021, with the mass evacuation of Afghans, HIAS was the first resettlement agency to augment network capacity through 'welcome circles,' partnering with American synagogues to receive Afghans and, later, Ukrainians. We were, however, troubled that these newcomers entered the U.S. as temporary 'parolees'without the legal protections enjoyed by refugees, such as pathways to family reunion and a green card. The Welcome Corps solves that problem by allowing groups outside of traditional resettlement networks to receive refugees with peace of mindwith pathways to family unity, green cards, and citizenship. A welcome development," said Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of HIAS.

"Colorado welcomes newcomers from around the world, and I am proud of how Coloradans have stepped up to support those seeking refuge and freedom. The Welcome Corps will create a permanent pathway for Americans to sponsor newcomers from around the world, making it easier for those who wish to help refugees and enabling newcomers to learn about their new community from those who know it best. While we continue to call on Congress to secure our borders and pass comprehensive immigration reform, this new program provides a path to safety for many people," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

"As active and engaged changemakers within the communities we serve, Rotary's members see how war, natural disasters, and civil unrest are among the many forces driving millions of people from their homes, communities, and countries. Our global network supports refugee resettlement in ways that meet local needs. Our U.S.-based Rotary members are continuing these efforts through collaboration with Welcome.US to help Ukrainians and Afghans seeking refuge in the United States, and we applaud the call for expanded private support to welcome all newcomers," said John Hewko, General Secretary and CEO of Rotary International.

"Ensuring newly-arrived refugees thrive in their new communities requires sustained community involvement and cooperation across governments, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. We are thankful for the efforts of the U.S. government and Welcome.US in supporting a sponsorship program that will allow more Americans to welcome refugees with open arms, and Airbnb.org will continue to invest in its partners to help bridge the critical gap in housing needs for newcomers," said Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb and Chairman of Airbnb.org.

"LGBTQI+ people are facing increasing persecution around the world, and LGBTQI+ persons seeking refuge have a critical need for networks of support throughout the process of resettlement. The Welcome Corps represents a major step in the Biden administration's goal of advancing LGBTQI+ rights worldwide. Rainbow Railroad is excited about this program, which will empower communities of care across the United States to support LGBTQI+ people at risk," said Dr. Kimahli Powell, CEO of Rainbow Railroad.

Applications for the Welcome Corps will be accepted beginning January 19, 2023. Americans interested in learning more about sponsorship should visit WelcomeCorps.org .

The Welcome Corps was launched by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and is being implemented by a consortium of six organizations with expertise in refugee resettlement, protection, and welcome. Led by the Community Sponsorship Hub, the consortium includes Church World Service/Refugee Welcome Collective, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Welcome.US.

Refugee newcomers who arrive through the Welcome Corps will follow an established government process that includes extensive security vetting and health checks. They will have refugee status, employment authorization, access to key public benefits like health insurance, and can eventually apply for U.S. citizenship. The Welcome Corps program provides sponsor groups with access to tools and resources, including a budget template, fundraising support, an arrival checklist, and ongoing guidance throughout the initial sponsorship period.

A full list of the organizations expressing support for the Welcome Corps is available here.

SOURCE Welcome.US
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Mazda CX-5 has been named Best Compact SUV for the Money by U.S. News & World Report. The 2023 CX-5  the brand's best-selling vehicle in the U.S.  has a starting MSRP of $26,700.

2023 Mazda CX-5 Named Best Compact SUV

"The Mazda CX-5 combines desirable features, such as standard all-wheel drive, with a top spot in our rankings," said Jim Sharifi, managing editor at U.S. News Best Cars. "The CX-5 also offers a competitive price and low ownership costs, but many of its best attributes are noticeable right out of the gate. Buyers will appreciate that the CX-5 really shines when it comes to interior quality, and sporty driving dynamics help it deliver a unique and rewarding driving experience."

For 2023, the CX-5 is available with an all-new Rhodium White exterior premium paint color, complimenting Mazda's Kodo design. As with all of Mazda's SUVs, all 2023 CX-5 models retain standard i-Activ all-wheel drive in the U.S.

The critically acclaimed CX-5 has received numerous top industry and safety awards including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK+. In fact, the CX-5 was the first vehicle to earn a Good rating in IIHS's new, tougher side impact test. To that end, all the engineering and safety features that contributed to these awards have been carried over to the 2023 model year as standard features. These include Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Smart Brake Support, Advanced Smart City Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist. These features allow CX-5 drivers to feel confident and comfortable, from the city streets to the open highway.

The 2023 Mazda CX-5 is available in eight packages. Each providing customers with a well-equipped vehicle with an impressive list of standard technology and safety features designed to meet their needs while providing the brand's renowned driving dynamics.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia through approximately 795 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at news.mazdausa.com.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "5G in Oil & Gas Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global 5G in oil & gas market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25.81% during 2023-2030. 5G is amongst the key technologies that are gaining significant importance in the oil & gas sector. The oil & gas market includes operational activities conducted under extreme weather conditions and severe environmental challenges.

Operation in these conditions face challenges such as low latency network connectivity, cybersecurity issues, and managing the network at remote locations. These things mandate the use of strong communication technology. 5G is one of the prominent technologies that effectively moderates these issues, as it offers ultra-high speed coupled with low latency communication between production sites and vessels. Increased use of 5G-enabled systems such as drones, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) enhances operational efficiency, thus, driving adoption in the oil & gas sector, further propelling the growth of the 5G in oil & gas market.

Key Advantages of 5G:

Streamlining growing complexity in the operational activities.

Managing the increasing competition from renewable resources.

Supports improving margins by minimizing cost.

Helps in timely maintenance and prevents equipment failure.

Increases operational efficiency by employing decreasing unmanned downtime.

The 5G network provides robust connectivity and smooth communication essential for daily operational activities.

MARKET TRENDS & OPPORTUNITIES

Industry 4.0 To Boost 5G in Oil & Gas Market

Industry 4.0 is currently essential for all entities engaged in the production and manufacturing processes. Evolution in the utility sector mandates the incorporation of Industry 4.0 in day-to-day activities. The utility sector is an integral part of the new industrial revolution era. Transformations such as process automation, integrating machines for predictive diagnostics and maintenance, equipment health tracking, and digitizing other operational parameters require the integration of Industry 4.0 in the energy sector. Oil & gas companies across the globe are also mandating incorporation of Industry 4.0 in daily operational activities. Oil & gas companies, especially in the upstream sector, are incorporating the advantages of industry 4.0 to enhance their overall operations. This is also required to remain relevant in the market due to the rising competition from the increasing demand for renewable energy, electric vehicle, and new hydrocarbon sources. Industry 4.0 also enables unmanned drilling operations, forecast maintenance needs, and enable asset management. Modernizing services and solution offerings in tandem with the improvising industry practices is set to be the key to growth over the next few years.

Growing Adoption of Digitization in Oilfield

Oil & gas companies are proactively implementing digital transformation techniques in their operations, which can contribute towards the 5G in oil & gas market growth. The advancement in automation processes, sensing technologies, and data analytics drives these developments. Digitization in the oilfield or digital oilfield is the concept that integrates business processes with digital technologies such as IoT, AI, augmented reality, VR, digital twin, and cloud systems. This process supports companies by collecting real-time data from sensors, pressure and temperature meters, tank-level sensors, and others. Assimilation of such advanced technologies increases any oil or gas field's operational efficiency.

Segmentation by Application:

Upstream

Midstream

Downstream

Segmentation by Spectrum:

High-Band

Low-Band

Mid-Band

Segmentation by Geography:

US

Europe

UK

Norway

Russia

Italy

China

Vietnam

Middle East & North Africa

& Tunisia

Algeria

Egypt

Morocco

Libya

Sudan

Turkey

Saudi Arabia

Rest of the World

Canada

India

Brazil

Mexico

Venezuela

Key Vendors

Athonet

Cisco

Ericsson

Hitachi Energy

Huawei

Niral Network

Nokia

Sierra Wireless

Other Prominent Vendors

Alibaba Cloud

Fuze

Google (Google Cloud)

Intrado

Microsoft (Microsoft Azure)

NTT

Qualcomm

Samsung

Sateliot

Verizon

Windstream

ZTE

Market Dynamics

Market Opportunities & Trends

Recent Developments in 5G Technology

Recent Launches/ Developments in the 5G Oil & Gas Market

Digitization of Oilfields

Integration of AI in Oil & Gas Industry

Adoption of Enhanced Oil Recovery Technique

Market Growth Enablers

Expansion of Upstream Production Activity

Adoption of Digital Twin

Industry 4.0 Implementation in Oil & Gas Industry

Increased Penetration of 5G Network & Sd-Wan

Market Restraints

Security Concerns

5G Adoption Barriers

Shift Toward Renewable & Alternate Energy Sources

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED



1. How big is the 5G in oil & gas market?

2. Which region dominates the global 5G in oil & gas market?

3. Who are the key players in the global 5G in oil & gas market?

4. What is the growth rate of the global 5G in oil & gas market?

5. What are the key driving factors in the 5G in oil & gas market?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats



6 Premium Insights



7 Market at a Glance



9 5G Outlook



10 Case Study Analysis



11 Market Opportunities & Trends



12 Market Growth Enablers



13 Market Restraints



14 Market Landscape



15 Application



16 Spectrum



17 Geography



18 US



19 China



20 Europe



21 Saudi Arabia



22 Rest of the World



23 Competitive Landscape



24 Key Company Profiles



25 Other Prominent Players



26 Report Summary



27 Quantitative Summary



28 Geography



29 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7wbq14

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fiberglass Pipes Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global fiberglass pipes market size reached US$ 4.37 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 6.07 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.63% 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 industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Fiberglass pipes are composite material-based pipes manufactured by combining glass fibers, fillers, and polyester resins. They exhibit various properties, such as durability, cost-effectiveness, chemical inertness, and resistance to corrosion. They offer long product life, high modulus of electricity, and excellent tensile property and efficiency at extreme temperatures.

They are widely used in water treatment and distribution, chemical, sewage, and irrigation applications. Fiberglass pipes are also considered suitable for carrying high corrosion materials, acids, and biological liquids. At present, fiberglass pipes find extensive applications across oil and gas, chemicals, and agriculture sectors due to their high strength-to-weight ratio.



The global market is primarily driven by significant growth in the oil and gas industry. Fiberglass pipes are widely employed in the extraction, processing, refining, and distribution processes due to their superior flow characteristic and exceptional performance under extreme pressures and high-capacity loads.

Additionally, the integration of computer-aided designing (CAD) technology and the introduction of new production processes, such as dual helical filament binding and four-axis helical winding methods, are supporting the market growth. These advancements assist in reducing production time and improving specifications with higher accuracy.

Furthermore, the widespread product adoption in metallurgy sewage facilities, wastewater treatment plants, industrial effluent treatment plants, and other such establishments to improve sanitary conditions and industrial sewage management is acting as another growth-inducing factor.

Moreover, rising construction activities have significantly facilitated the demand for lightweight and durable pipelines in commercial and residential complexes, which is creating a positive outlook for the market. Other factors, including increasing investments by several governments in water and waste management systems, extensive infrastructural development activities, and widespread product adoption in the chemical industry, are anticipated to drive the market.

Competitive Landscape:



The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Abu Dhabi Pipe Factory LLC, Amiblu Holding GmbH, Chemical Process Piping Pvt Ltd, Enduro Composites Inc., Fibrex Corporation, Future Pipe Industries, Graphite India Limited (The Emerald Company Ltd.), Gruppo Sarplast S.r.l., Hubei Apex Technology Co. Ltd., Nov Inc., Russel Metals Inc and Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global fiberglass pipes market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global fiberglass pipes 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 fiber type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the production process?

What is the breakup of the market based on the material?

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 fiberglass pipes 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 Fiberglass Pipes 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 Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Pipes

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) Pipes

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Others

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Fiber Type

7.1 E-Glass

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 T-Glass/S-Glass/R-Glass

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Others

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Production Process

8.1 Centrifugal Casting

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Filament Winding

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Pultrusion

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 Material

9.1 Polyester

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Polyurethane

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Epoxy

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Others

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by End User

10.1 Oil & Gas

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 Chemicals

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast

10.3 Sewage

10.3.1 Market Trends

10.3.2 Market Forecast

10.4 Irrigation

10.4.1 Market Trends

10.4.2 Market Forecast

10.5 Others

10.5.1 Market Trends

10.5.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region



12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis

15 Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 Abu Dhabi Pipe Factory LLC

16.3.1.1 Company Overview

16.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.2 Amiblu Holding GmbH

16.3.2.1 Company Overview

16.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.3 Chemical Process Piping Pvt Ltd

16.3.3.1 Company Overview

16.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4 Enduro Composites Inc.

16.3.4.1 Company Overview

16.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.5 Fibrex Corporation

16.3.5.1 Company Overview

16.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.6 Future Pipe Industries

16.3.6.1 Company Overview

16.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.7 Graphite India Limited (The Emerald Company Ltd.)

16.3.7.1 Company Overview

16.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.7.3 Financials

16.3.8 Gruppo Sarplast S.r.l.

16.3.8.1 Company Overview

16.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.9 Hubei Apex Technology Co. Ltd.

16.3.9.1 Company Overview

16.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10 Nov Inc.

16.3.10.1 Company Overview

16.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10.3 Financials

16.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.11 Russel Metals Inc

16.3.11.1 Company Overview

16.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.11.3 Financials

16.3.12 Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company

16.3.12.1 Company Overview

16.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.12.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/m477oi

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
Sharf's Iconic Imagery Pops On Screen with New 'Blobosistic' Print

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADLAR Studio, the publisher of fine art prints with augmented reality as seen through ADLAR's proprietary app, is pleased to announce the release of its latest print edition with the legendary Kenny Scharf - available for sale now. Titled Blobosistic, ADLAR Studio worked very closely with Scharf on this new print using the highest quality print-making techniques enhanced with a second-to-none augmented reality (AR) animation that brings Scharf's iconic characters to life in 3D on a user's mobile device. See the technology in action by clicking HERE .

Kenny Scharf | Blobosistic, 2022 | Pigmented ink print on Moab Entrada Rag paper (290 gsm) | 33 x 33 inches (84 x 84cm) sheet | Edition of 100

Using world-class creative special effects, animators, engineers, and technologists, many with decades of experience working in Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Scharf guided the creative and artistic decisions with exacting precision to create this artwork in AR. The ADLAR Studio app makes it easy to experience Blobosistic on the wall as a fine art print, and as an enhanced digital asset through its mobile app, now available at no cost for iPhone users in the Apple Store.

"I've been waiting my whole life for technology to catch up with my ideas of intermingling painting with animation. I didn't know exactly how or when it was going to take effect, but I knew it would be right now. So get yours today!!"

 Kenny Scharf

Published in a limited edition of 100 signed prints, Blobosistic shows Scharf in his full classic style. Here Blobosistic (the central red character) greets us with his infectious and slightly mischievous grin. Soaring through outer space, Blobosistic isn't lonely or cold in fact, he's surrounded by some of his closest friends huddled around him, laughing, smiling, licking and keeping warm. Here, the AR gives us a glimpse into life for Blobosistic, laughing, giggling, burping, and even a little gas. The AR also enables Blobosistic's friends to spill out from their frame as figures intricately modeled in 3D, pushing up against one another with noses and tongues and cheeks unfurling and nudging and laughing all the while.

The release of Blobosistic, comes on the heels of ADLAR Studio's launch in late 2022 with prints from Analia Saban, and Shane Guffogg. Learn more on ADLARStudio.com

ABOUT KENNY

Kenny Scharf (born in Los Angeles, 1958) attended Manhattan's School of Visual Arts and came of age in the 1980s New York downtown art scene alongside his contemporaries Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. A painter and performer inhabiting the visual worlds of street art and popular culture, Scharf's paintings gained him notoriety and established a visual language all his own.

Often working with improvisation, he creates playful, gestural pieces that blend stylized motifs with references to the surreal, science fiction, and icons of popular culture. Many of his larger works still adorn New York streets to this day.

Scharf was included in the 1985 Whitney Biennial and again in their show "Fast Forward: Painting from the 1980s" in 2017. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the Miami Center for the Fine Arts, Florida, and the Queens Museum of Art, New York, among others. Work by Scharf is held in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Broad Foundation, Los Angeles, and The Jewish Museum, New York, MOCA, Los Angeles in addition to others worldwide.

He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

About ADLAR Studio

Co-founded by Adam F. Gross and Larry W. Jones, ADLAR Studio combines the highest quality limited-edition prints with cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) activations. Bringing together years of experience in fine art print-making with Gross at Lapis Press, and in content creation with Jones at Viacom/CBS, ADLAR Studio brings together talented and provocative artists, master printers, and world-class, award-winning special effects experts and engineers to create the highest quality prints and bring them to life via AR. The ADLAR Studio team pushes the boundaries of what is possible in augmented reality.

SOURCE ADLAR Studio
The Israeli startup has developed state-of-the-art voice and image recognition combined with advanced AI models to digitize, automate and streamline inspection processes

HERZLIYA, Israel, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Israeli startup aiOla announced that it has secured $25 million in funding led by New Era with the participation of Hamilton Lane and other investors. The Israeli startup has developed state-of-the-art voice and image recognition combined with advanced AI models to digitize, automate and streamline inspection processes. It aims to dramatically reduce operational costs, increase production time, automate trend reporting, and minimize downtime.

aiOlas CEO, Amir Haramaty

aiOla, which has raised a total of $33 million to date, employs 55 people, mostly in Herzliya, Israel. The company's founders are Amir Haramaty, the company's CEO, and Guy Ernst, who serves as CTO and was the director of Amazon's AI architecture.

"The AI revolution has yet to succeed and artificial intelligence is mostly in use by data scientists. We understood that we can make AI accessible to everyone," aiOla's CEO, Amir Haramaty. "aiOla's proprietary and patented natural-language interface technology is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the 'gold rush" in AI adoption. Our technology spans any language or jargon for any process, offering an instant and lasting impact across a variety of industries and verticals."

Haramaty noted that he was extremely happy of the interest investors like New Era and Hamilton Lane showed in the company in a time when raising funds is far from straightforward. He explained that the company is focused on bringing its solutions to "must have" industries, such as the food and medical industries.

Gideon Argov, Managing Partner at New Era Capital remarked: "We are delighted to be able to partner with Amir and the entire aiOla team. The company's breakthrough technology is poised to help enterprise customers save valuable time, increase the precision of critical operational recommendations and reporting and break down language-based barriers between geographies and business units."

For additional information, visit: https://www.aiola.com, or visit our official LinkedIn Channel.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986673/Amir_Haramaty.jpg

SOURCE aiOla
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Universal, the leading security and facility services company, today announced the appointment of Lasse Glassen as chief communications and investor relations officer.

Allied Universal Appoints Lasse Glassen as Chief Communications and Investor Relations Officer Tweet this Lasse Glassen, Allied Universal Chief Communications and Investor Relations Officer

Glassen will be responsible for developing and accelerating communications to the company's global customers, as well as to its approximately 800,000 employees worldwide. Additionally, as its Investor relations officer, he will focus on external shareholder and lender communications, ensuring the company is appropriately and strategically positioned with analysts, investors and all stakeholders.

"We are very excited to have Lasse Glassen join our team. His background and experience in communications and investor relations made him the perfect candidate for our organization," said Steve Jones, Allied Universal chairman and CEO. "The entire executive leadership team believes that Lasse fits into our hard charging and dynamic culture and adds tremendous value to the organization now and into the future."

Glassen has more than 30 years of senior-level investor relations, corporate communications, media relations and corporate finance experience. Before joining Allied Universal, Glassen was managing director at Addo Investor Relations, a strategic communications firm where he advised a broad array of clients on investor relations, merger and acquisition transaction communications, corporate communications, media relations and initial public offerings. Prior to this, Glassen was director of investor relations at Fisker Automotive, Inc., a privately held global automotive company where he oversaw and directed the establishment of the company's investor relations function. Earlier in his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility in investor relations and corporate financial planning and analysis at The DIRECTV Group, Inc., formerly Hughes Electronics. Glassen has a Bachelor of Science degree from The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from The University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.

"I am thrilled to be named Allied Universal's global chief communications and investor relations officer and look forward to collaborating with this outstanding team to create and execute impactful engagement strategies with its internal and external stakeholders," Glassen said. "I have followed and admired the tremendous rise of Allied Universal over the years to become the world's leader in mission-critical security services. With a significant amount of additional runway for growth ahead, this is an extremely exciting time to take on this role."

About Allied Universal

Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company, provides proactive security services and cutting-edge smart technology to deliver tailored, integrated security solutions that allow clients to focus on their core business. Through a global workforce of approximately 800,000 people, we leverage best practices in communities all over the world. With revenues at approximately $20 billion, we are supported by efficient processes and systems that can only come with scale to help deliver our promise locally: keeping people safe so our communities can thrive. We believe there is no greater purpose than serving and safeguarding customers, communities, and people in today's world. Allied Universal is There for you. For more information, please visit www.aus.com.

SOURCE Allied Universal
Two iconic Virgin hotel brands, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Limited Edition to join under one parent brand to focus on growth and driving positive change and differentiation within the luxury hospitality industry.

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Hotels  the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand of the Virgin Group and Virgin Limited Edition  the private global collection of unique retreats, hotels and exclusive islands owned by Sir Richard Branson have today announced that they will come together under the new parent brand named Virgin Hotels Collection.

James Bermingham Jon Brown

The two award-winning and world-class luxury hospitality brands that form part of the Virgin Group have some of the most incredible and unique properties within the industry and this unity will see two brands come together to further change the luxury hotel business for good. They will also be joined under the Virgin Hotels Collection brand by Virgin Residences and collectively they have a significant growth strategy to add more city locations, resorts and residences.

James Bermingham, current CEO of Virgin Hotels will take up the realm of CEO for the new Virgin Hotels Collection brand on 1 April as long-serving Jon Brown, CEO of Virgin Limited Edition steps down at the end of March; having spent more than 24 years leading Virgin Limited Edition as the ultra-luxury and hugely successful brand it is today.

James joined Virgin Hotels back in 2021 with an impressive 37 years in the industry and more than two decades at Montage International building its luxury and luxury lifestyle brands, before taking on the CEO role for Virgin Hotels and successfully delivering a global growth strategy and multi award-winning customer experiences. He will now be responsible for driving this forward for all brands under Virgin Hotels Collection.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group commented "I'm thrilled that we are bringing Virgin Limited Edition and Virgin Hotels together under the Virgin Hotels Collection brand. Two incredible teams that share a deep passion for creating unrivalled and unique customer experiences whilst making a positive impact on people and the planet. James is a visionary leader, and under his leadership, I am confident we will create one game- changing company.

"I'd like to thank Jon Brown, who has dedicated an incredible 24 years to Virgin Limited Edition. Jon had the vision and drive to turn our dreams into a reality, and he truly put his heart and soul into making Virgin Limited Edition the incredible company it is today."

"I have some huge shoes to fill in Jon's departure and I can only promise to ensure his legacy and give Virgin Limited Edition the same love and devotion he did - with the added opportunity to bring further growth, collaboration, and innovation by bringing our wonderful brands together and ensuring they are best placed to compete in the luxury lifestyle and ultra-luxury markets" said James Bermingham, CEO of the newly launched Virgin Hotels Collection.

"As if launching Virgin Hotels Collection wasn't enough, we have an unbelievably exciting year ahead for the new collection with the opening of Virgin Hotels in New York, followed by Glasgow and then the widely anticipated launch of Virgin Limited Edition's beautiful Son Bunyola Hotel in Mallorca's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thereafter, the launch of Virgin Residences Miami, as well as Virgin Hotels Denver, both in 2025. And we certainly won't be stopping there

"I'd like to take this opportunity to say an enormous thank you to of course our people, all our past, present, and future guests along with, our loyal trade partners across the globe, who have helped make our brands into the success they are today. I very much look forward to continuing this journey even further, developing joint opportunities as we proudly bring these incredible brands together."

Formed to shake up the hotel industry, Virgin Hotels has been making its mark in key locations across major cities in the US and UK, combining heartfelt service with a personalised hotel experience. The brand has a significant global growth strategy including resort destinations and residences, having already seen six city hotels open and two more set to open in 2023.

Renowned for its world-class luxury standards, unique experiences and boasting two of the world's most exclusive private-islands, Virgin Limited Edition shares the same undeniable passion for championing customer experience and one that the Virgin Group has disrupted in the industry for more than 50 years. Virgin Hotels Collection will focus on accelerating the growth of both brands, to offer a truly differentiated customer experience, while continuing to make a meaningful contribution to the communities and destinations its brands operate in.

For more information on Virgin Hotels Collection visit www.virginhotelscollection.com

For more information on Virgin Hotels visit www.virginhotels.com

For more information on Virgin Limited Edition visit www.virginlimitededition.com

About Virgin Hotels

Virgin Hotels is a luxury lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service and a personalized hotel experience inspired by the innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for over 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music, design, and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. The current portfolio includes five hotelsVirgin Hotels Chicago, Virgin Hotels Dallas, Virgin Hotels Nashville, Virgin Hotels New Orleans, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and newly launched Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. Locations in Glasgow and New York City are scheduled to debut in 2023, followed by Miami and Denver in 2025 as well as the launch of Virgin Residences. In addition, Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel, conversions, and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Philadelphia, Seattle, London, and more.

About Virgin Limited Edition

Virgin Limited Edition is an award-winning collection of unique retreats, chosen for their beautiful locations and magnificent surroundings; each offers a sense of fun, style, luxury, and exceptional personal service. The group includes Necker Island and Moskito Island in the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, The Lodge in Verbier, Mahali Mzuri, a tented safari camp in Kenya, Mont Rochelle Hotel and Mountain Vineyard in South Africa, and the Son Bunyola Estate in Mallorca. Please visit www.virginlimitededition.com for more details.

SOURCE Virgin Hotels
The APEX-002-A01-03 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study plans to recruit patients across Canada to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of APEX-52, a microdose, orally administered synthetic psilocybin drug product in treating depression and anxiety among adults diagnosed with PTSD.

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Apex Labs Ltd. (APEX or the Company), a pharmaceutical company optimizing the standard of mental health care with psilocybin, is pleased to announce its approval by Health Canada to begin APEX-002-A01-03, the world's largest take home psilocybin clinical trial approved to date. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of APEX-52 microdose, orally administered synthetic psilocybin drug product in treating depression and anxiety among adults diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The approval comes by way of a No Objection Letter (NOL) from Health Canada received on January 5th 2023.

Image from Psygen (psygen.ca), one of the labs where the APEX-52 GMP API is manufactured (CNW Group/Apex Labs Ltd.)

"We are incredibly proud of the team for making APEX the first-mover in take home psilocybin treatment" Tyler Powell, APEX Chief Executive Officer comments. "Our focus is to execute a rigorous clinical pathway and positive results from APEX-002-A01-03 will allow APEX to move swiftly into phase 3 commercialization studies."

APEX-52 is a microdose, orally administered psilocybin drug product dosed regularly per the study protocol, manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which is currently formulated, packaged, and labeled for self-administered patient dosing.

APEX-002-A01-03 is a multi-centre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial aiming to recruit 294 adult subjects with depression and anxiety in diagnosed PTSD. Subjects not receiving placebo will be provided multiple doses of APEX-52 which will be self-administered in an outpatient setting. Efficacy will be evaluated against globally recognized scales for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidality compared to baseline.

"After treating PTSD patients in my clinic for more than 20 years, we've seen the limitations of current treatments and the promise of psilocybin but more research is required," says Dr. Mark Johnston, APEX-002-A01-03 Principal Investigator and Director of Central Nervous System Research at Centricity Research. "This trial is significant as we are studying microdose psilocybin at a scale never done before. Microdoses are not associated with an intense psychedelic effect, allowing them to be taken at home and offering an easy to access, yet potentially equally effective pathway for psilocybin. Centricity has the facilities and operational expertise to begin a trial of this complexity swiftly."

Physician oversight will be present for the duration of the trial, with patients receiving regular check-ins during the study period.

Trial sites will be located in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Recruitment will begin in the first half of 2023 and the trial will take place over the course of three months.

"As a Canadian company we are excited to conduct this trial in our own backyard," says Arron Victory, APEX Chief Strategy Officer and Canadian Armed Forces Veteran. "We have been incredibly pleased with Health Canada's efficient, thoughtful feedback and support across APEX submissions, exemptions and approvals."

APEX is a portfolio company of Iter Investments, with Managing Principal Dustin Robinson Esq. adding, "We have supported APEX since the early stages and are thrilled to see their hard work and our belief in the team pay off with this industry-changing approval."

To stay up to date on opportunities to participate in clinical research, corporate milestones and investment opportunities, subscribe for updates or contact the team directly at apexlabs.com/contact.

About Apex Labs Ltd.

APEX is a patient-driven pharmaceutical company focused on optimizing the standard of mental health care with psilocybin by bringing data supported, clinically evaluated drugs to market for depression and anxiety in PTSD. APEX's strategy is focused on developing pharmaceutical products through a phased clinical program evaluating safety and efficacy across multiple indications, alongside a robust early access program.

APEX sees Veterans as a patient base with the severest unmet need and strong mental healthcare infrastructure. APEX is supporting Veteran patients first and expanding to broader global patient communities.

Visit apexlabs.com for more information and follow APEX on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: Health Canada's non-objection to clinical trial application protocol APEX-002-A01-02; the Company administering the first take home multi-dose psilocybin clinical trial in Canada; the Company evaluating the safety and efficacy of APEX-52 (psilocybin) in treating depression in Veterans with depression in post-traumatic stress disorder; statements related to APEX-52 has a low dose, multi-dose, orally administered psilocybin drug product, manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices and currently formulated, packaged, and labeled for self-administered patient dosing in the home; statement's made by the Company's CEO with respect to the Company's goal to expand access to pharmaceutical grade drug products through regulated systems, providing transparency and support for patients in need; statements relating to North American regulatory bodies are taking necessary steps in accelerating patient's path to medical access; statement's made relating to Canadian Veteran patient's taking APEX-52 in the comfort of their own home; the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 on the Company's business, operations and financial condition, the successful integration of technology, the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements' best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

SOURCE Apex Labs Ltd.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The global bag-in-box container market size is projected to reach USD 6.77 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The increasing consumption of alcoholic beverages has emerged as a major driving factor fueling demand for the application of bag-in-box containers in the food & beverage industry. The growth of the industry is also fueled by the shift in consumption patterns towards natural food products across the globe.

Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:

The food and beverages segment in the application scope accounted for the largest share of 65.8% in 2021 owing to an increasing consumption of alcoholic beverages across the globe. However, the household products segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate over the forecast period backed by increasing application of bag-in-box containers for the packaging of cleaning products.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. Increasing exports by counties such as Japan , China , and India coupled with rising popularity of flexible packaging products in the region has bolstered the demand for bag-in-box container.

is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. Increasing exports by counties such as , , and coupled with rising popularity of flexible packaging products in the region has bolstered the demand for bag-in-box container. In China , the bag-in-box container industry is anticipated to witness a reasonable CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period. The increasing demand for convenience food by time-constrained consumers is expected to drive the market growth in China .

, the bag-in-box container industry is anticipated to witness a reasonable CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period. The increasing demand for convenience food by time-constrained consumers is expected to drive the market growth in . The market for bag-in-box represents a highly competitive landscape with a sizable number of players sharing the market space. Some of the key competitive strategies employed by the key players include mergers & acquisitions, expansion of product portfolio, and product innovation.

Read 158-page market research report for more Insights, "Bag-in-Box Container Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Food & Beverage, Industrial Liquids, Household Products), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.

Bag-in-Box Container Market Growth & Trends

Another important factor bolstering the demand for bag-in-box containers is the increasing consumption in the household products industry. In this regard, household products, most notably surface cleaners and surface deodorizers are being increasingly packaged using bag-in-box containers. Growing urban population across the globe has further contributed to the growth of the industry owing to an increasing consumption of hygiene promoting products in households. Furthermore, the industry is driven by the rise in the packaging of low-foam detergents in bag-in-box containers coupled with their rising consumption (low-foam detergents).

Europe has witnessed a considerable surge in the adoption rate (bag-in-box containers) in the recent few years. The demand for the product in this region is principally driven by the food sector and is backed by the increasing demand and consumption of cooking oils and sauces. In addition, the demand for the product is also augmented by the shift towards organic and healthy food. The region has also been witnessing high demand for convenient and flexible packaging solutions. This development has been encouraging major food brands operating in the flexible packaging to increase their scale of operation in Europe.

The demand for bag-In-box container in the U.S. is expected to grow due to the presence of well-established food and beverage sector, coupled with high product adoption rates. In addition, presence of numerous manufactures including Smurfit Kappa Group, DS Smith, and Amcor Ltd. is expected to open new avenues for the industry growth over the projected period. The market is characterized by the presence of numerous established players in the market, which mostly operate out of North America with their distribution and manufacturing locations present across the globe. These companies enter into long-term agreements with raw material suppliers to reduce their production costs, ensure constant supply of the materials, and gain competitive edge over other small-scale, local players.

Bag-in-Box Container Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global bag-in-box container market on the basis of application and region

Bag-in-box Container Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

Food & Beverage

Alcoholic Beverages



Wine





Beer





Others



Non-Alcoholic Beverages



Soft Drinks





Juices & Flavored Drinks





Water



Others



Tomato Products





Milk & Dairy Products





Liquid Eggs





Edible Oil





Others

Industrial Liquids

Oils



Industrial Fluids



Petroleum Products

Household Products

Household Cleaners



Liquid Detergents



Liquid Soaps & Handwash



Others

Bag-in-box Container Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

Germany



U.K.



France

Asia Pacific

India



China



Japan

Central & South America

Brazil

Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players of Bag-in-box Container Market

Amcor Ltd.

Smurfit Kappa

DS Smith

Liquibox

Scholle IPN

CDF Corporation

Arlington Packaging (Rental) Limited

CENTRAL PACKAGE & DISPLAY

Accurate Box Company, Inc

TPS Rental System Ltd

Optopack Ltd

Zarcos America

Aran Group

BiBP SP. z O.O

Hangzhou Hansin New Packing Material Co., Ltd.

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Plastic Battery Containers Market - The global plastic battery containers market size is expected to reach USD 28.90 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. The growing number of electric vehicles and the rising renewable industry around the world are the factors expected to drive the growth. Plastic battery containers are used in power backup, telecom, and valve-regulated lead acid battery (VLRA) among others. Plastic battery containers hold the battery plates, cast-on straps, and electrolytes and reduce the impact of vibration and improve the battery lifecycle.

The global plastic battery containers market size is expected to reach by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. The growing number of electric vehicles and the rising renewable industry around the world are the factors expected to drive the growth. Plastic battery containers are used in power backup, telecom, and valve-regulated lead acid battery (VLRA) among others. Plastic battery containers hold the battery plates, cast-on straps, and electrolytes and reduce the impact of vibration and improve the battery lifecycle. Bags And Containers Market - The global bags and containers market size is expected to reach USD 56.86 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Consumer's increased inclination for the fashionable, trendy and lightweight bags designed for travel and tourism propels the bags & containers market growth.

- The global bags and containers market size is expected to reach by 2028, registering a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Consumer's increased inclination for the fashionable, trendy and lightweight bags designed for travel and tourism propels the bags & containers market growth. Shipping Container Market - The global shipping container market size is expected to reach USD 15.83 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2020 to 2028. The market is expected to be driven by maritime trade, expanding penetration of the e-commerce industry, digitization in shipping container space, and increasing demand for specialized shipping containers by the department of defence

Browse through Grand View Research's Plastics, Polymers & Resins Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
RENO, Nev. and TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bendito Resources Inc. ("Bendito", the "Company", or "we") is pleased to announce the preparation of a technical report in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") for the Oposura project, located in Sonora, Mexico. The report was prepared by Mr. David G. Thomas (P. Geo.) of Mine Technical Services ("MTS"), an independent geological consulting company based in Reno, Nevada and is available on the Bendito's website.

Highlights of the report include the following opportunities 

Figure 1: Styles of mineralization within a schematic Carbonate Replacement Deposit (Figure from Taylor et al., 2010), consistent with the style of mineralization identified at Oposura Figure 2: Oposura exploration and resource drilling areas overlayed on the concession boundary and magnetics survey

The potential to support Mineral Resource Estimates at Oposura, once appropriate data verification and modelling has been completed,

Base and precious metal, massive sulfide manto-style mineralization of zinc-lead-silver,

Additional drilling required for immediate extension of the resource estimates, aimed to connect and extend the already known ore zones,

The potential for discovery additional mineralization, which revealed thickness and grades comparable to the existing mineralized bodies, as demonstrated by geophysics and surface mapping and sampling; undrilled,

The Mina Blanca target that exhibits polymetallic vein mineralization; undrilled,

Potential for discovery of the porphyry source, as it is partially intercepted in some drillholes underneath the mineral resource estimates.

Mr. John Antwi, President and CEO of Bendito, commented: "The Bendito Resources team is pleased with our partnership with MTS to unravel the geology of the Oposura deposit and then target the expansion potential of the mineral resource. The potential for mineral resource growth at Oposura is very promising and this maiden Exploration report provides context to this opportunity. Oposura is a permitted project on private land with very significant untested targets and I am very excited to lead the effort to advance it."

Mr. Facundo Cazares, VP Exploration of Bendito, commented: "The geological setting in Oposura has shown a multi-directional potential for growing, as supported by mapping, rock and soil sampling, and geophysics. With the completion of this NI43-101 Technical Report, Bendito is also completing a deep analysis of the existing information and defining the baseline to continue creating additional resource through drilling as the key factor."

About the Oposura Property

The Oposura Project is located approximately 150 km by sealed highway to the northeast of the Sonoran state capital of Hermosillo, and about 200 km south of the international border with the USA. It is 30 km by road to the southwest of the town of Moctezuma. The Oposura project displays mineralisation and alteration styles consistent with a carbonate replacement system ("CRD") (Figure 1).

Mineralization styles known within the Project area include:

Distal skarn / manto mineralization at the Oposura East and West deposits, and extensions to the north and south within the favourable Arenillas limestone host unit,

Copper and molybdenum mineralization proximal to porphyry style intrusions, and

Base metal vein style mineralization,

Numerous phases of exploration and drilling have occurred on the project including geological mapping, geochemical sampling, airborne and ground geophysics, exploration and resource drilling, and small scale underground and open-pit trial mining. Previous drilling on the Oposura project totals 305 core holes for a total of 22,650m. Historical estimates were undertaken for both the Oposura East and Oposura West deposits which both outcrop at surface as manganiferous mantos. Extensions of these mineralisation styles are noted both to the north and to the south of the property. To the west of Oposura West, the preferential host unit is interpreted to be downdropped by normal faulting and does not outcrop. To the northwest of the property small scale workings and dumps indicate base metal veins are present.

Bendito is currently planning exploration activities (Figure 2), including drilling, to develop maiden Mineral Resource Estimates for the Oposura project to be reported in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards and NI 43-101. Earlier stage exploration activities are also being developed to the north of the project extents to indicate the scale of CRD mineralization that may exist on the property.

About Bendito Resources Inc.

Bendito Resources Inc. is a private mineral resource company formed and led by experienced mining and exploration executives with headquarters in Reno, Nevada, USA and regional offices in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The Company fully-owns a portfolio of diversified mineral projects in Mexico, which includes the Alacran and Oposura projects, both of which have historically reported mineral resources. The Mexican property portfolio comprises the Company's sole mineral interests. For additional information please visit the Company's website at www.benditoresources.com or contact the Company at the below:

John Antwi Bendito Resources Jeff Stieber President & CEO 6490 S McCarran Blvd Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Building E, Suite 121 [email protected] (775) 340-2719 Reno, NV 89509 (775) 250-0300

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of management concerning, among other things, performance, business, and future events, including the development of the Mexican property portfolio and the expected timing thereof; the growth potential of the Mexican project portfolio; the resource potential of the Oposura and Alacran projects, the expected direction of project and exploration capital; anticipated operational and strategic plans pertaining to the projects and the timing thereof; the expected timing and amounts of future financing efforts; and timing of a resource estimates and related technical reports with respect to certain project.

Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates, and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

SOURCE Bendito Resources Inc.
The approved projects, with an overall budget of $20 million, involve innovations in the areas of 3D Printing, Agrotech, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech, Cell Therapy, Medical Devices, Robotics, and Space

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During its meeting in December 2022, held in Tel Aviv, the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved $8.4 million in funding for nine new projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. In addition to the grants from BIRD, the projects will access private-sector funding, boosting the total value of all projects to $20 million.

The BIRD Foundation promotes collaborations between U.S. and Israeli companies in various technological sectors for joint product development. In addition to providing conditional grants of up to $1.5 million per project, the Foundation assists by working with companies to identify potential strategic partners and facilitate introductions.

The submitted projects are reviewed by evaluators appointed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Israel Innovation Authority.

The nine projects approved by the Board of Governors are in addition to over 1000 projects which the BIRD Foundation has approved for funding during its 45-year history. To date, BIRD's total investment in joint projects is over $370 million, helping to generate direct and indirect sales of more than $10 billion.

The projects approved include:

Amarel Embedded Solutions (AES) (Yokneam, Israel ) and Setco Sales Company ( Cincinnati, OH ) who will develop a smart spindle platform optimizing CNC machines.

(Yokneam, ) and ( ) who will develop a smart spindle platform optimizing CNC machines. Apeiro Motion ( Zur Igal , Israel ) and Hellbender ( Pittsburgh, PA ) who will develop an Indoor/Outdoor Robotic Navigation System.

( , ) and ( ) who will develop an Indoor/Outdoor Robotic Navigation System. CASTOR Technologies ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and Siemens Corporation Technology ( Charlotte, NC ) who will develop an automatic CO2 emission calculation to identify environmental benefits by using Additive Manufacturing.

( ) and ( ) who will develop an automatic CO2 emission calculation to identify environmental benefits by using Additive Manufacturing. Cielo Inertial Solutions ( Jerusalem, Israel ) and Guinn Partners ( Austin, TX ,) who will develop an inertial sensor solution designed to fulfill NewSpace requirements.

( ) and ( ,) who will develop an inertial sensor solution designed to fulfill NewSpace requirements. EyeControl ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ( Boston, MA ) who will test the efficacy of the EyeControl-Pro platform in reducing ICU delirium by enabling bi-directional communication between patients, medical teams, and families .

( ) and ( ) who will test the efficacy of the EyeControl-Pro platform in reducing ICU delirium by enabling bi-directional communication between patients, medical teams, and families Kadimastem Ltd. (Ness Ziona, Israel ), and iTolerance ( Miami, FL ) who will develop a regenerative technology to potentially cure type 1 diabetes without the need for chronic immuno-suppression.

(Ness Ziona, ), and ( ) who will develop a regenerative technology to potentially cure type 1 diabetes without the need for chronic immuno-suppression. New Phase (Petach Tikva, Israel ) and Ultraflex Power Technologies ( Ronkonkoma, NY ) who will develop the NextGen RF machine for activation of cancer treatment nanoparticles to treat metastatic solid tumors by electromagnetic hyperthermia in stage 4 patients.

(Petach Tikva, ) and ( ) who will develop the NextGen RF machine for activation of cancer treatment nanoparticles to treat metastatic solid tumors by electromagnetic hyperthermia in stage 4 patients. Tevel (Gedera, Israel ) and Vinergy ( Bakersfield, CA ) will develop a clean-energy autonomous harvesting system.

(Gedera, ) and ( ) will develop a clean-energy autonomous harvesting system. Xerient Pharma (Petach Tikva, Israel ), and Accuray ( Madison, WI ), who will develop a treatment that combines novel gastrointestinal radioprotectant with precision radiotherapy to increase the effectiveness of treating pancreatic cancer.

Ms. Mojdeh Bahar, Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and co-Chair of BIRD's Board of Governors said: "This cycle's nine projects feature many exciting partnerships, small and large businesses and a wide variety of technologies ranging from robotics to medical devices, agrotech to advanced manufacturing. I look forward to the outcomes of these R&D projects. I wish the companies good luck as they work to develop these promising technologies."

Dr. Amiram Appelbaum, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, and co-Chair of BIRD's Board of Governors: "We are pleased with the bilateral US and Israel support of technologically innovative projects that are tackling some of the most pressing global challenges including Climate-tech, Agritech, and Health Services."

Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, the outgoing Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation, said: "This cycle demonstrated, once again, that there is great interest among U.S. and Israeli companies in jointly developing innovative technologies and leveraging BIRD funding as a way to reduce their risk. I wish the awardees much success in bringing their jointly developed technologies to market."

The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries for the next BIRD cycle is March 1, 2023. Approval of projects will take place in June 2023.

For more information, please contact, in Israel: Ms. Limor Nakar-Vincent, Deputy Executive Director of Business Development and BIRD Energy, Tel: +972-3-698-8310, [email protected]. In the U.S., contact: Ms. Andrea Yonah, Director, Business Development, East Coast/Midwest, Tel: +1-609-356-0305, [email protected], Ms. Shiri Freund-Koren, Director, Business Development, South, Tel: +1-512-436-1609 or Ms. Maya Vardi Shoshani, Director, Business Development, West Coast, Tel: +1-650-752-6485, [email protected].

SOURCE The BIRD Foundation
Hybrid homeschool conference to feature Exhibitor Hall, Teen Track, Read-In

CLARKSTON, Ga., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Black families are the fastest-growing homeschool population in the United States. Celebrating that fact and raising awareness about home education as a school choice, the Georgia Black Home Educators Network is hosting The Flourish: 2023 Black Family Homeschool Conference on Jan. 25-27 during National School Choice Week.

The community event brings together Black families, group leaders, churches, academia, and community organizations to support the growing homeschooling movement in Georgia. Hosted at the DeKalb Conference Center, at least 250 community members are expected to attend in person, with hundreds more attending virtually.

Keynote speakers at the event include University of Georgia professor Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and author, speaker, and worldschooling mama Amber O'Neal Johnston. The conference will include an exhibitor hall of homeschool materials, a Black Family Read-In event featuring Black authors, a networking event for educational entrepreneurs like microshooling families, a mental health and faith session for teens, workshop sessions on homeschool fathers, exceptional children, support groups, four-year highschool homeschooling plans, and much more.

Event planners say their vision for the conference is for underserved parents to experience the power and freedom of home education. The event is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week 2023, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states.

The Georgia Black Home Educators Network is a collaboration of Black Homeschool Group leaders and supporters working together to provide opportunities, ensure access, and secure resources that empower Black families as home educators.

The DeKalb Conference Center is located at Georgia Piedmont Technical College at 495 North Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston, GA. Tickets and more information about the 2023 Black Family Homeschool Conference are available at www.georgiablackhomeeducators.org.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
Acquisition to Accelerate Bulgin's Growth as Part of Infinite Electronics Portfolio of Brands

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications, announced today that it has been acquired by Infinite Electronics, Inc., a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands. Bulgin was previously owned by Equistone Partners Europe, a leading European mid-market private equity firm.

"Joining Infinite Electronics' portfolio provides the Bulgin brand additional leverage and opportunities to accelerate business growth globally," said John Wilson, Bulgin's Chief Executive Officer. "Infinite Electronics and Bulgin share much in common, such as ambitious global growth plans and customer-centric values. This is an exciting milestone in the Bulgin journey."

Infinite Electronics' portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solutions brands provide products, solutions and real-time support for their customers across the globe. Infinite's legacy brands include: Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, ShowMeCables, NavePoint, INC Installs, Integra Optics, PolyPhaser, Transtector, KP Performance Antennas, RadioWaves and Aiconics.

"By welcoming Bulgin to Infinite Electronics' growing brand portfolio, we are better positioned to meet the increasing demand for reliable connectivity solutions for harsh environments," said Infinite Electronics President and Chief Executive Officer Penny Cotner. "Bulgin's focus on mission-critical, customizable components with outstanding design and customer support aligns with our own longstanding reputation for delivering our customers what they need, when they need it most."

This acquisition further establishes Bulgin as a leading manufacturer of harsh environment connectivity solutions. It is the latest milestone in Bulgin's rapid growth over the past six years.

About Bulgin:

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Bulgin is a leading manufacturer of harsh environment connectivity solutions. The business designs, develops and manufactures high integrity circular connectors, switches, and power-related components, which are environmentally sealed to withstand harsh conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, water, and humidity.

Founded in 1923, Bulgin has a well-established brand and a strong reputation for product quality and reliability with its global customer base of more than 75,000 end users, who are served primarily via specialist electronic distributors. Currently, the business offers more than 7,000 products that are used across a wide range of end markets including industry 4.0, robust electronics, transportation and infrastructure, and medical technologies. Learn more at www.bulgin.com.

About Infinite Electronics, Inc.:

Infinite Electronics has a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solutions brands. Infinite's brands help propel the world's innovators forward by working urgently to provide products, solutions and real-time support for their customers. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Infinite's brands serve customers across a wide range of industries with a broad inventory selection, same-day shipping and 24/7 customer service. Learn more at www.infiniteelectronics.com.

About Equistone Partners Europe:

Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe's leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between 25m and 200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between 50m and 500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its 2.8bn hard cap in March 2018, and has recently launched the Equistone Reinvestment Fund, with a mandate to make minority re-investments alongside new sponsors following a portfolio company exit from one of its main buyout funds.

Press Contact:

Katee Schalau

17792 Fitch

Irvine, CA, 92614 USA

SOURCE Bulgin Ltd.
BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Burns & Levinson announced today that Kelly Kirby Ballentine has been selected for the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) 2023 Women's Leadership Initiative, which brings together senior women attorneys and up-and-coming stars of the legal profession for leadership development and mentoring.

Burns & Levinson attorney Kelly Kirby Ballentine has been selected for the Womens Bar Association of Massachusetts 2023 Womens Leadership Initiative, which brings together senior women attorneys and up-and-coming stars of the legal profession for leadership development and mentoring.

"Kelly is an impressive young lawyer and we are very excited that she was chosen for this prestigious WBA leadership program. She has many mentors here at our firm, but this initiative will provide her with even more opportunities to expand her training and connections with other accomplished women lawyers," said Paul Mastrocola, Co-Managing Partner of Burns & Levinson.

Ballentine is an associate in the firm's Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group, where she focuses her practice on business litigation, employment-related litigation and insurance coverage disputes. She has broad experience in a wide range of industries including automotive, consumer products, education, real estate, and finance.

She has been named a Massachusetts Rising Star five times, and a Connecticut Rising Star prior to that. Ballentine received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2013 and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Boston University in 2010, while attending the School of Management Honors Program.

About Burns & Levinson LLP

At Burns & Levinson, we provide high-level, client-centric and results-oriented legal services to our regional, national and international clients. We are a full-service law firm with over 125 lawyers in Boston, Providence and London. Our areas of expertise include: business/finance, business litigation, cannabis, divorce/family law, venture capital/emerging companies, employment, estate planning, government investigations, intellectual property, M&A/private equity, probate/trust litigation, and real estate. We partner with our clients to solve their business and personal legal issues in a collaborative, creative and cost-effective way. For more information, visit Burns & Levinson at www.burnslev.com .

Contact:

Amy Blumenthal Kristen Weller Blumenthal & Associates Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer 617.879.1511 617.345.3555 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Burns & Levinson
CARS Connected Platform Arms Retailers to Efficiently and Profitably Elevate the Retail Experience

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the automotive industry faces disruptions from ongoing inventory challenges and macroeconomic forces, auto retailers nationwide are focused on solving three core challenges in 2023, according to a recent survey by Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS):

Turn more used cars more profitably.





Invest in better data to reach the right customers.





Differentiate from competitors.

CARS will showcase how its platform of connected solutions solves these challenges at the industry's largest annual gathering next week, the 2023 National Association of Automobile Dealers (NADA) Show in Dallas. Dealers can visit CARS Booth #509 in Hall A at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Jan. 27-29.

"Retailers face new challenges this year as new-car inventory returns, used-car supply shrinks and prices normalize. Dealers' competitive advantages will come from efficient operations, marketing and customer experience," said Alex Vetter, chief executive officer at CARS. "We continue to integrate solutions into our proven platform that help dealers understand where and how to optimize the retail experience as it moves from online to offline  where the final mile of the sale is best left to the pros."

According to Cars.com data1, new-car inventory increased on the marketplace for the seventh consecutive month in December, reaching levels not seen since the spring of 2021. Used-car inventory fell for the fifth straight month in December.

More than 80% of dealers surveyed by CARS2 identified the following as the top three pain points for 2023:

Turn more used cars more profitably: Some 94% of dealers said acquiring used inventory and maximizing used-car margins is the No. 1 challenge heading into 20232. Leveraging CARS' new Accu-Trade Connected solution, retailers can capture the cars they want from the 27 million shoppers on Cars.com  approximately 40% of whom have a trade-in3  through Instant Offers on the Cars.com marketplace and any Dealer Inspire website. Accu-Trade's patent-pending OBD plug-in scanner generates a fully transparent, highly trusted appraisal  including reconditioning costs  in as little as two minutes. Dealers can shave hundreds of hours off appraisal time and save thousands in recon costs by modernizing their trade-in process and technology with Accu-Trade. If a dealer acquires a car it can't sell, Accu-Trade will purchase it back  no questions asked. New for the NADA Show, Accu-Trade now allows for vehicle valuations using only a license plate and can power trade-in estimates through the Dealer Inspire's Online Shopper for dealer websites as well.



Invest in better marketing data more efficiently: Inefficient spending is crushing dealership margins, so it's no surprise 81%2 of dealers say investing in high-quality audience-targeting data to better leverage media and marketing is the second most significant challenge to address this year. With only 6.1%4 of U.S. households actively shopping for a car at any given time, data quality matters. FUEL media network enables dealers to maximize every dollar and grow market share using Cars.com's exclusive, first-party audience data of 27 million pure, in-market shoppers across video, display and social.



Differentiate from competitors: Some 80% of dealers say differentiating their dealership from competitors is another top concern2. CARS helps dealers compete on dimensions other than price, such as experience and reputation. Through DealerRater , retailers can build and promote their strong reputations and connect shoppers with their top-rated salespeople across the internet. As 65%3 of consumers want to complete some portion of the car buying process online, delivering an experience that meets their needs is critical.



Another opportunity for differentiation is Instant Financing powered by CreditIQ . Since rolling out nationwide in September, more than 2,300 retailers have signed on to enable their shoppers to get instantly pre-approved directly from the dealership's inventory pages on Cars.com or Dealer Inspire website. Retailers can further compete by leveraging Cars.com's pure, in-market audience data through the FUEL media network to promote their "why buy" message, communicating a faster, easier, more transparent customer experience.

To learn more about how CARS can help retailers with their 2023 goals, visit CARS Booth #509 in Hall A at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Jan. 27-29 at the 2023 NADA Show.

Sources:

Cars.com Data, Q3 2022 Earnings Report CARS Drivers Seat Community, Jan. 6-11, 2023 ; 120 dealer responses Cars.com Consumer Metrics Survey, Q4 2022 Based on 4.86MM average monthly new and used sales in 2021, compared against total U.S. households (122MM), for 60-day sales cycle. Statista, 2022 ; 20162020 U.S. Census Bureau .

CARS is the leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.

In addition to Cars.com, the Company's brands include Dealer Inspire, a technology provider building solutions to future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations and connected digital experiences; FUEL, an advertising solution providing dealers and OEMs the benefit of leveraging targeted digital video marketing to Cars.com's audience of in-market car shoppers; DealerRater, a leading car dealer review and reputation management technology solution; CreditIQ, digital financing technology and Accu-Trade, vehicle valuation and appraisal technology. The Company's portfolio of brands also includes Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com.

The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com , Dealer Inspire , FUEL , DealerRater , CreditIQ , Accu-Trade.com , Auto.com , PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com . For more information, visit www.Cars.com .

SOURCE Cars.com Inc.
China and Arab states are all developing countries. Combined, they account for one-sixth of the world's land mass, one-fourth of the world's population, and one-eighth of the world economy. Therefore, they face the shared mission and responsibility of advancing global cooperation and development. Arab states are standing at a historical crossroads. Internationally, long-time interference by Western countries in their regional affairs has deprived them of many development opportunities. Domestically, fragile economic structures and social turbulences have plunged the states into economic distress. The average GDP growth of economies in the Middle East was around 4.1 percent in 2021, below the global average for that year. Countries in the region face mounting pressure to recover their economies and ensure people's livelihoods. For China, it is confronted with serious external challenges and risks in its new journey of building a great modern socialist country in all respects. China's economy faces great headwinds as the United States adopts a policy of strategic competition toward China, the world economy is fluctuating, and the COVID-19 continues wreaking havoc around the world. During his visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in September and October 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward initiatives that later developed into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). When addressing the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, he proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI). BRI and GDI are a continuity of his conception of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and offer possible solutions to the difficulties facing humanity. Arab states have actively supported and participated in these initiatives proposed by China. By early 2022, 20 of them had signed agreements on cooperation with China under the BRI, aligning the initiative with their national development plans, such as vision 2030 plans of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, Jordan 2025, Algeria's Vision 2035, Morocco's Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City Project, and Iraq's reconstruction list of 157 projects. Marked progress has since been made in Sino-Arab cooperation in the fields of financial connectivity, nuclear energy, new energy, and aerospace, and in the development of a Health Silk Road. In support of the GDI, multiple Arab states have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. On May 10, 2022, the China-Arab Friendship Organization Dialogue, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Federation of Arab-China Friendship Associations, adopted a declaration, calling for parties concerned to act on the GDI, safeguard world peace with practical actions, and uphold the common interests of the Chinese and Arab peoples. China and Arab states have maintained a long tradition of supporting each other on development issues. Back in December 1963, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai proposed the five principles underpinning China's relations with African and Arab countries during a visit to the then United Arab Republic, a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 to 1971. In the new era, the two sides should follow the guidance of the GDI to enhance cooperation, advance common development, and build a Sino-Arab community of a shared future. Three areas should be prioritized. The first is economic cooperation. China and Arab partners should implement the GDI in the Arab region and advance high-quality cooperation under the BRI. For cooperation on industrial capacity, China should increase greenfield investment to help promote industrialization in the Middle East and increase local employment. For example, China can combine its technological strength in the photovoltaic industry with that of Arab states in cost, and increase production in the region. More efforts should be made to advance negotiations for free trade agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and individual Arab states. The agreements, after being signed, will enhance trade facilitation between China and Arab states, particularly in non-energy sectors. Once established, the China-GCC Free Trade Zone will make RMB-denominated oil pricing a reality and advance the process of internationalization of the Chinese currency. With oil exports settled in RMB and foreign direct investment in China by overseas capitals in RMB, China and the GCC will be able to conduct cooperation across the petroleum industrial chain. The second is sci-tech cooperation. China and Arab states should seize the opportunities brought by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation to narrow the technology gap. According to a report published by the U.S.-based Institute for Scientific Information, between 1980 and 2019, the Middle East's share in Web of Science indexed articles rose from two percent to eight percent, with half coming from researchers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, China's share soared from shy of one percent to 25 percent. With such remarkable progress in science and technology on both sides, China and Arab states should step up technology transfer and innovation cooperation under the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan and the Sino-Arab science and technology partnership program. These efforts can span the fields of information technology, modern agriculture, smart manufacturing, environmental protection, and especially digital economy. The third is about exchanges of experience in state governance. China and Arab states should intensify exchanges of expertise and experience in national development. A key reason why developing countries have been lagging behind in development is their lack of independence in terms of institutions, education, and science and technology. Without a development path fit for local conditions, many countries have long been entangled in the vicious cycle of political unrest, social upheaval, and economic debacle. In general, developing countries are weak in sci-tech innovation, and have to rely on foreign brains for progress. Exchanges among these countries are, therefore, of special importance for advancing South-South cooperation and accomplishing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When addressing the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on June 24, 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China would set up a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on international development, a global development promotion center, and a global knowledge network for development, for the purpose of exchanging experience in state governance. China and Arab states have both garnered extensive development experience from their respective time-honored history. China is the world's largest developing country. With its own development, China offers peer developing countries with an alternative path to modernization, and has attracted great attention from other members of the developing world, including those in Arab regions. China is ready to share its governance experience with all other developing countries. It also values the experience of Arab states. For example, China can learn from Dubai's experience in running its free trade zone. In summary, to thrive in a world that is undergoing changes not seen in a century, China and Arab states must enhance solidarity and collaboration, set a good example for South-South cooperation, and make more contributions to human progress and prosperity. Wang Jian is director of the Institute of International Relations, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
BEIJING, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed efforts to ensure a joyful and peaceful Lunar New Year when he held virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke with medical workers in a hospital, senior citizens at a nursing home, workers at an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village via video link in Beijing.

Addressing the general public afterwards, Xi first extended greetings to all Chinese people and especially to those who are sticking to their posts during the holiday.

He said his biggest wish is that everyone will have a happy Lunar New Year.

He called on Party committees and governments at all levels to ensure the supply of electricity, gas and heating during the holiday, tighten supervision over food safety, and implement the measures for epidemic prevention and control to prevent all kinds of emergencies and safety accidents, so as to make sure that people of all ethnic groups in the country can have a joyful and peaceful Spring Festival.

Xi also acknowledged the achievements made in various areas in the past year and encouraged everyone to reap even more fruitful results in the new year.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 22.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJvBEmKGh4

SOURCE CCTV+
SUZHOU, China, and ROCKVILLE, MD, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, and Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), today announced that the novel drug olverembatinib has been included into the China 2022 National Reimbursement Drug ListNRDL), for the treatment of T315I-mutant chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) and accelerated-phase CML (CML-AP). The new version of the NRDL will take effect on Mar 1st, 2023.

Developed by Ascentage Pharma with support from the National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing program, olverembatinib is the first and only approved third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor in China. It is, also the only approved therapy for CML harboring the T315I mutation, with clear global best-in-class potential. Olverembatinib was approved in China in November 2021 and is being jointly commercialized in China by Ascentage Pharma and Innovent. At present, clinical studies of olverembatinib are being conducted in the US to fast track the drug's journey to market in the country and allow more patients from around the world to benefit from it.

This inclusion into the NRDL in China is another milestone validating olverembatinib as an effective and safe innovative therapy addressing an urgent unmet medical need. The inclusion will bolster the accessibility of olverembatinib, allowing more patients with CML to easily and affordably access a novel therapeutic that can help to extend patients' lives and enable them to live a more fulfilling life with their families and communities.

CML is a malignancy caused by the clonal proliferation of hematopoietic stem cell in the bone marrow. It is one of the most common subtypes of chronic leukemia, accounting for 15% of all leukemia cases in adults1-2. According to epidemiology data, the median age of onset of CML in Chinese patients is 45-50 years old, about 20 years younger than that of the Western patients3, which are among the prime years for many who have families to support.

The introduction of BCR-ABL-targeted TKIs has brought marked improvement to the clinical treatment of CML in recent years, allowing treatment-compliant patients to achieve long-term survival and the ability to live a normal and productive live. However, acquired resistance to TKIs remains a major challenge in the treatment of CML, and many patients resistant to both first- and second-generation BCR-ABL inhibitors due to their T315I mutations have long lacked an effective alternative treatment. As the first and only approved third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor in China and the only therapy for CML harboring the T315I mutation, olverembatinib fulfills the treatment gap in T315I-mutant CML and opens the era of precision medicine for the treatment of CML in China.

In July 2022, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) accepted and granted Priority Review designation to a New Drug Application (NDA) that will support the full approval of olverembatinib in patients with CML-CP who are resistant and/or intolerant of first- and second-generation TKIs. The potential approval of this NDA could allow olverembatinib to benefit a broader population of patients with CML in China.

"Approval by the National Healthcare Security Administration for inclusion in the NRDL will help both patients as well as China's Healthcare System," said Dr. Dajun Yang, Chairman & CEO of Ascentage Pharma. "The NRDL inclusion will drastically improve the accessibility of olverembatinib, allowing many more Chinese patients to affordably access a novel therapy that can help restore normalcy to their lives. Remaining steadfastly committed to our mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients, we will continue to explore olverembatinib's efficacy and safety in other indications with the hope of benefiting more patients."

Dr. Michael Yu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Innovent, stated: "We are glad that olverembatinib is successfully included in the NRDL, which will further alleviate the financial burden for CML patients. Innovent has always been devoted to the national health care reform, and working toward improving drug accessibility and affordability to patients. Innovent has established a well-diversified novel pipeline and a professional commercial team in hematology area, and we will proactively support the work of the government departments for the implementation of medical insurance policies to let olverembatinib benefits more Chinese patients and their families as soon as possible."

About Olverembatinib

Developed by Ascentage Pharma with support from the National Major New Drug Discovery and Manufacturing Program in China, the third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor olverembatinib is the first and only China-approved third-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor. Olverembatinib has been granted Priority Review and Breakthrough Therapy designations by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).

On November 25, 2021, olverembatinib was approved in China for the treatment of adult patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) or accelerated-phase CML (CML-AP) harboring the T315I mutation as confirmed by a validated diagnostic test. This effectively filled a long-time treatment gap in Chinese patients with TKI-resistant CML harboring the T315I mutation, thus creating enormous value for patients and the society as a whole.

As a China-developed novel drug with global best-in-class potential, olverembatinib has received widespread interest from the global hematology community. The clinical results of olverembatinib have been selected for oral presentations at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meetings for five consecutive years, and was nominated for "Best of ASH" in 2019. In 2022, results from multiple clinical studies of olverembatinib were selected for 3 Oral Presentations at the 64th ASH Annual Meeting4-9.

In addition, data presented at the 64th ASH Annual Meeting showed that olverembatinib monotherapy was efficacious and well tolerated in patients with TKI-refractory Ph+ ALL5. Furthermore, results from a preclinical study of olverembatinib was published in the renowned scientific journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, showing olverembatinib's therapeutic potential for the treatment of COVID-19 infections10.

To date, olverembatinib has been granted 4 Orphan Drug Designations and 1 Fast Track Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and 1 Orphan Designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) of the European Union.

In July 2021, Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) and Innovent Biologics (1801.HK) reached the agreement regarding the joint development and commercialization of olverembatinib in China.

About Ascentage Pharma

Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK.

Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 50 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.

Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the company's first approved product, has been granted Priority Review designations and a Breakthrough Therapy designation by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Furthermore, it has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EMA of the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 ODDs from the US FDA and 1 Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU for 4 of the company's investigational drug candidates.

Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MSD, and AstraZeneca, Pfizer and UNITY Biotechnology. The company has built a talented team with global experience in the discovery and development of innovative drugs and is setting up its world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients.

About Innovent

Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop, manufacture and commercialize high-quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high-quality innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease, metabolic disorder and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK.

Since its inception, Innovent has developed a fully integrated multi-functional platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 36 valuable assets in the fields of cancer, metabolic disorder, autoimmune disease and other major therapeutic areas, with 8 approved products on the market. These include: TYVYT (sintilimab injection), BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection) , Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor), olverembatinib (BCR-ABL TKI) , Cyramza (ramucirumab) and Retsevmo (selpercatinib). An additional 3 assets are under NMPA NDA review, 5 assets are in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials, and 20 more molecules are in clinical studies.

Innovent has built an international team with advanced talent in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many global experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Sanofi, Adimab, Incyte, MD Anderson Cancer Center and other international partners. Innovent strives to work with many collaborators to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com. and www.linkedin.com/company/innovent-biologics/.

Ascentage Pharma's Forward-Looking Statement

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, Ascentage Pharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development.

Innovent Biologics Forward-looking statement

This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly.

These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of the Company with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, the Company's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions.

The Company, the Directors and the employees of the Company assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialise or turn out to be incorrect.

References

1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, V.2.2008[DB/OL]. NCCN Web Site. 8-28-2007.[2007-10-25]

2. HehlmannR, HochhausA, BaccaraniM, et al. Chronic myeloid leukaemia[J]. Lancet, 2007, 3709584: 342-350.

3. The guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia in China (2020 edition). Zhonghua Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi. 2020 May; 41(5): 353364.

4. Jabbour E, Koller PB, Oehler VG, et al. Olverembatinib (HQP1351) Overcomes Ponatinib Resistance in Patients with Heavily Pretreated/Refractory Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ ALL). Blood 2022;140 (Supplement_1):200-202. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2022-162387

5. Jabbour E, Koller PB, Oehler VG, et al. Olverembatinib (HQP1351) overcomes ponatinib resistance in patients with heavily pretreated/refractory chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). Oral presentation 82.

6. Jiang Q, Li Z, Hou Y, et al. Updated Results of Pivotal Phase 2 Trials of Olverembatinib (HQP1351) in Patients (Pts) with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI)-Resistant Chronic- and Accelerated-Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML-CP and CML-AP) with T315I Mutation. Blood 2022;140 (Supplement_1):203-204. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2022-170698

7. Jiang Q, Li Z, Hou Y, et al. Updated results of pivotal phase 2 trials of olverembatinib (HQP1351) in patients (Pts) with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant chronic- and accelerated-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP and CML-AP) with T315I mutation. Oral presentation 83.

8. Jiang Q, Li Z, Qin Y, et al. A Five-Year Follow-up on Safety and Efficacy of Olverembatinib (HQP1351), a Novel Third-Generation BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI), in Patients with TKI-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) in China. Blood 2022;140 (Supplement_1):198-199. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2022-170868

9. Jiang Q, Li Z, Qin Y, et al. A five-year follow-up on safety and efficacy of olverembatinib (HQP1351), a novel third-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), in patients with TKI-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in China. Oral presentation 81.

10. Chan M, Holland EC, Gujral T. Olverembatinib inhibits SARS-CoV-2-Omicron variant-mediated cytokine release in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. EMBO Mol Med. 2022 May 17;e15919.

SOURCE Ascentage Pharma
25 schools to participate in School Saturday in Kansas City, offer tours and information

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-five Kansas City schools and childcare centers will open their doors to families on Jan. 28, supporting parents as they consider options for the upcoming school year. The fourth annual School Saturday event is fun for the whole family.

From early education programs to leadership academies, a diverse array of Kansas City schools will share their offerings in the citywide fair for National School Choice Week 2023. From 10 a.m. to noon, families can drive to as many of the schools as they are interested in, meeting with teachers and staff and taking campus tours.

This citywide event is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week (Jan. 22-28, 2023), which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states. School Choice Week takes place in January to give families ample time to explore their options; in Kansas City, the deadline to submit applications for public charter schools is March 1.

Schools participating in the citywide open house event include: Academie Lafayette, Academy for Integrated Arts, Bare Essentials Childcare Center, Brookside Charter School, Brown's Christian Academy & Preschool, Citizens of the World, Cristo Rey Kansas City High School, Crossroads Charter Schools, DeLaSalle Education Center, Della Lamb Early Education Program, Each One Teach One Learning Center, EarlystART, Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center, Ewing Marion Kauffman School, Genesis, Gordon Parks Elementary, Guadalupe Centers Charter Schools, Hogan Preparatory Academy, Hope Leadership, Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy, Kids in Christ Academy, KC International Academy, KIPP Endeavor Academy, Lee A Tolbert Leadership Academy, and University Academy.

"The School Saturday event is essential to parents in the Kansas City, Missouri area to make an informed educational choice for their families," said Robyn King, director of SchoolAppKC at Show Me KC Schools. "This year, 25 of the SchoolAppKC schools are participating with 30 campus locations for the community to visit during the citywide open houses."

This event is planned by SchoolAppKC in conjunction with a diverse array of Kansas City schools. SchoolAppKC is designed to streamline the school application process for families in the Kansas City Public Schools boundaries. It is a special project of Show Me KC Schools, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help parents understand their school options.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Companion Animal Health Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2022 to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global companion animal health market accounted for US$ 17.21 Bn in 2021 and is likely to witness growth, with a CAGR of 6.0% across the forecast period from 2022 to 2030. With the rising companion animal ownership population, owners are concerned about companion animal health and nutrition, and thereby seeking various veterinary services. Which in turn, is increasing demand for diversified companion healthcare products such as, vaccines, feeding products, nutritional supplements and drugs for various diseases.

Similarly, acquisitions by major players are increasing the demand for companion animal health market across the globe. For instance, in October 2021, Zoetis announced the acquisition of Phoenix Central Laboratory. Phoenix lab serves anatomic and clinical pathology in veterinary clinics of around 20 states. With the help of this acquisition, Zoetis aims to increase its portfolio by providing comprehensive diagnostics products and services in the US.



A major strategy that is implemented by companies in the companion animal health market is collaboration with one another, a crucial reason for the development of companion animal health market across the globe. For instance, in January 2019, Jaguar Animal Health, Inc. and Elanco US Inc. announced an agreement. This collaboration aims to develop Canalevia. Canalevia is a drug that will help in the treatment of Diarrhea, which is the most common cause for veterinary calls among dogs.



Manufacturers are focusing to provide new and innovative techniques and services in companion animal health market. For instance, in January 2021, Bayer announced to support infectious disease surveillance program for companion animals. Bayer is a major sponsor of the disease surveillance system that will provide distribution and prevalence of infections caused by arthropod and ectoparasite among dogs and cats in Africa. Moreover, initiatives such as One health initiative is one of the key factor which is increasing the demand for the companion animal health market.



Dog holds the largest share in companion animal health market



In 2021, dogs held the largest share in the global companion animal health market. The dominance of this segment is supported by benefits which are associated with keeping dogs as pet. Dogs provide many health benefits such as improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol. According to The American Pet Production Association (APPA) National pet owners survey 2019-2020 announced that approximately 68% of the US households own pets, from which 60 million households have dogs as pets. Additionally, manufacturers are developing new product for dogs which is increasing the demand for Companion animal health products among dogs. For instance, in May 2021, Merck Co. Inc. launched Bravecto Cares. Bravecto Cares is an educational campaign for keeping service dogs healthy. Merck as a part of this initiative launched Bravecto chewing tablets that protect dogs from fleas and ticks.



North America Garnered Largest Market Share in 2021



North America dominated the companion animal health market in 2021 and is most likely to continue its governance during the forecast period from 2022 to 2030. North America is having highest pet-owners population across the globe. For instance, according to statistics provided by The Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy the population of companion animals in North America for the year 2019 accounts for 86.8 Mn for cats and 76.6 for dogs. One of the key factors which supports the growth of companion animal health market is the wide availability of pet care products in North America. For instance, in November 2020, Zoetis launched new product for parasite prevention in cats.

Market Segmentation

Animal

Dogs

Cats

Horses

Others (Avian etc.)

Products and Services

Pharmaceuticals

Animals Feed Additives

Diagnostics

Vaccines

Others

End-user

Veterinary Clinics

Veterinary Hospitals

Homecare

Other CAH Centers

Key Topics Covered:



1. Preface



2. Executive Summary



3. Companion Animal Health Market: Competitive Analysis



4. Companion Animal Health Market: Macro Analysis & Market Dynamics



5. Companion Animal Health Market: By Animal, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



6. Companion Animal Health Market: By Products and Services, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



7. Companion Animal Health Market: By End-user, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



8. North America Companion Animal Health Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



9. UK and European Union Companion Animal Health Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



10. Asia Pacific Companion Animal Health Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



11. Latin America Companion Animal Health Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)



12. Middle East and Africa Companion Animal Health Market, 2020-2030, USD (Million)

13. Company Profile



Companies Mentioned

Zoetis

Jaguar Health

Elanco

Bayer AG

Merck & Co.

Ceva

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH.

Virbac.

Vetoquinol S.A. Inc.

Conklin Company Inc.

Nestle Purina Petcar.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bxsogs

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Synergies provide unique opportunity to expand and diversify the tech workforce

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CompTIA , the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body, today announced the strategic acquisition of TestOut , a proven market leader, providing comprehensive delivery solutions for training, courseware, online labs, performance-based exams and more.

Through this acquisition, two mission-driven organizations join forces to extend their best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career accelerators to students, professionals and academic institutions the world over.

This combination will accelerate CompTIA's training and certification offerings into and more tech and IT job roles. Tweet this

Utah-based TestOut Corporation, launched in 1991, has helped millions of individuals acquire the skills they need to progress in their education and careers. TestOut's full feature learning platform, LabSim, enables students to access a broad range of hands-on learning content that builds "career-ready IT skills" while providing educators with the tools they need to help these students succeed.

"TestOut has an amazing team of dedicated professionals driven by a customer-first mindset," said Todd Thibodeaux, CompTIA president and CEO. "They've built a great company, developing world-class learning solutions for a broad array of students and instructors. The combination of our two companies will greatly accelerate CompTIA's training and certification offerings into more and more tech and IT job roles."

TestOut CEO Noel Vallejo believes the two companies are well aligned.

"Over the past 10 years, I have often thought that if I were going to sell TestOut, CompTIA would be at the top of my list of potential buyers," Vallejo said. "We fit well together.

Both organizations are committed to helping individuals build a better life for themselves through technology education and certification."

Employer hiring activity for technology and digital job roles reached an all-time high in 2022 with over four million employer job postings.1 Over the next decade, projections indicate demand for tech workers will grow at twice the rate of the overall labor force. In areas such as cybersecurity, data, cloud infrastructure and software development growth rates are even higher, while momentum continues to build for digital literacy across all occupation categories.

"There is a critical economic need to break the cycle of persistent talent shortages, and an equally critical need to expand opportunity and diversity in the tech workforce," Thibodeaux said. "CompTIA and TestOut share a passion and commitment to unlocking the potential of every student, instructor, career changer or tech professional reaching for the next rung."

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for unlocking the potential of the tech industry and its workforce. https://www.comptia.org/

About TestOut

TestOut's dedication to a "show what you know" philosophy creates a unique training experience that seamlessly integrates learning content, hands-on simulations, assessments, and educator tools into an effective online platform and nearly 20 technology courses. TestOut's scaffolded approach to learning and commitment to serving educators has helped millions of students effectively obtain workforce skills and prepare for industry certifications.

https://www.testout.com/

Media Contact

Steven Ostrowski CompTIA

[email protected]

+1 630-678-8468

1 Covers U.S. employers. Source: CompTIA analysis of Lightcast job posting data

SOURCE CompTIA
ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP is pleased to welcome a 44-member team, including 32 experienced attorneys, in a significant expansion of the firm's Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice. The attorneys who will be joining the Constangy Cyber Team are located across 17 cities in 12 states, and are driving the opening of new offices for Constangy in Baltimore, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle and Washington, DC.

The expanded practice group will be led by chair Sean Hoar and vice-chairs Richard Goldberg, Lindsay Nickle, Sarah Rugnetta, Allen Sattler, and Alyssa Watzman.

"We are delighted to welcome this amazing team of preeminent leaders in the privacy and cybersecurity industry and expand our ability to serve clients in this rapidly growing and increasingly critical area for businesses," said Neil Wasser, chairman of the executive committee at Constangy.

"Constangy's collaborative and diverse culture, complex litigation expertise, client-friendly platform, and more than 75 years of solid business experience provide the perfect environment to better serve our clients and continue to enhance our practice," Hoar said. "There is a powerful synergy between our cybersecurity and data privacy services and Constangy's experience in advising companies across complex regulatory and litigation environments. We are excited to join their professionals, add value to existing client relationships, and continue to increase our incident response and compliance advisory services as the new Constangy Cyber Team."

In addition to expanding Constangy's legal service offerings, this continues the firm's growth strategy to increase its footprint, which included the addition of more than 10 new attorneys in 2022 and new offices in Northern New Jersey and San Diego.

"Data privacy and information security involve business-critical issues that demand experienced and responsive legal counsel," said vice chair Nickle. "As the Constangy Cyber Team, we have the infrastructure and support to enhance our client service and continue to grow our practice as the firm expands its footprint."

Vice chair Watzman added "Constangy's diverse culture is a great fit for our team. Similar to the larger Constangy firm, the majority of the Constangy Cyber Team members, at every level including its team leadership, are female. We are also excited to work within such a collaborative environment."

The attorneys who will be joining the firm include:

Sean Hoar Richard Goldberg Lindsay Nickle Sarah Rugnetta Allen Sattler Alyssa Watzman John Babione Jason Cherry Maria Efaplomatidis Laura Funk Lauren Godfrey Julie Hess Donna Maddux David McMillan Todd Rowe Aubrey Weaver Julie Keersmaekers Andrea Kuettel Cristina Di Maria Amanda Novak David Rice Suzie Allen Michael Christopher Sarah Estephan Allyce Estremera Michael Ferragamo Amir Goodarzi Jacqueline Lien Alyssa Pearce Jamie Seibert Loree Stuck Rachel Weinstein Partner & Practice Group Chair Partner & Practice Group Vice Chair Partner & Practice Group Vice Chair Partner & Practice Group Vice Chair Partner & Practice Group Vice Chair Partner & Practice Group Vice Chair Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Of Counsel Of Counsel Senior Counsel Senior Counsel Senior Counsel Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Portland Philadelphia Dallas Buffalo Orange County Denver Indianapolis Los Angeles New York Dallas Pittsburgh Philadelphia Portland New York Chicago Philadelphia Denver Buffalo New York Minneapolis New York New York Los Angeles Orange County Philadelphia DC Philadelphia San Francisco Raleigh Baltimore Seattle Dallas

More information about the practice group is available at https://www.constangy.com/practices-Cybersecurity-Data-Privacy.

About Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete offers a wider lens on workplace law. We have counseled employers exclusively since 1946. With offices in 21 states, we are one of the largest labor and employment law practices in the U.S. Constangy has been named as a top firm for women and minorities by organizations including Working Mother Magazine, Law360, the National Law Journal and Vault.com. Many of our more than 200 attorneys have been recognized by leading authorities such as Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America and Martindale-Hubbell. Find out more about us online at www.constangy.com or follow us on Twitter @ConstangyLaw.

Media Contact:

Michael Mooney

(404) 875-3400

[email protected]

SOURCE Constangy
Strangers At Home: The Asian and Asian American Professional Experience Finds 62% of Asian Professionals Say Ongoing Violence Against the A/AA/PI Community Has Negatively Impacted Their Fear of Racial Discrimination

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The increase in anti-Asian violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (A/AA/PI) professionals in and outside of the workplace. Coqual, a leading global think tank, published a new report today, Strangers at Home: The Asian and Asian American Professional Experience, which documents the daily indignities of racism and microaggressions, addresses a broken career pipeline, and acknowledges the diversity within this large cohort and why it is important to disaggregate data about them. Coqual's study features The Erasure and Invisibility of Pacific Islander Professionals, a white paper within the report that spotlights the Pacific Islander professional experience, treating them separately, not as a monolithic group.

AAPI Cover

Given the ongoing violence against the A/AA/PI community, Coqual finds a large portion of respondents across racial backgrounds strongly believe their companies should take a stand. Nearly half (49%) of Asian and Asian American professionals surveyed say it's very or extremely important to them that their companies address violence against the A/AA/PI community. But only about one in four (26%) Asian and Asian American professionals feel that their company is very vocal on the issue of violence against the community.

"The current climate of anti-Asian hate has forced the community to fear for their psychological and physical safety in the world and the workplace," said Lanaya Irvin, Coqual Chief Executive Officer. "This new report brings visibility to the challenges A/AA/PI employees face and provides concrete solutions for company leaders as they address inequities and support their employees."

The study employed Coqual's rigorous mixed methodology -- the results are from a survey of 2,634 college-educated professionals who were employed full-time in America, 17 focus groups and Insights sessions, and expert interviews.

To show the vast differences within this large, diverse community, Coqual featured a variety of intersectional identities. In addition, the report presents data by regional background whenever possible: East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, with precise definitions included for each.

According to the study, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Asian and Asian American respondents say that the ongoing violence against the A/AA/PI community has negatively impacted their mental health and nearly half (45%) say it has negatively affected their physical health. Additionally, 62% say the violence has negatively impacted their feelings of safety commuting and half (50%) say it has negatively impacted their ability to focus at work.

"Solving for the challenges Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities face in the workplace requires dedicated focus," said Melonie Parker, Google's Chief Diversity Officer. "Coqual's latest report, which we are proud to sponsor, presents fresh data and insights that everyone can use to better understand the nuances of their experiences, and builds on the data-driven approach proven to help address equity across communities. It's important work that can light the way to a more informed and inclusive path forward."

Coqual finds more than one in three (36%) of Asian and Asian American professionals say they have experienced racial prejudice at their current or former companies. According to the survey data, Asian and Asian American respondents face several microaggressions more frequently than their peers of other races. Pervasive stereotypes such as being seen as quiet, and hardworking outsiders affect the workplace experiences of Asian and Asian American employees.

Coqual's report examines the two specific types of microaggressions faced by this cohort: the perpetual foreigner and overvalidation. Microaggressions such as colleagues assuming they are not born in the U.S., asking "where are you really from?" and commenting on their good English-speaking skills maintain the perpetual foreigner concept; while overvalidation assumes that they are good at math and tech skills and labels them as hardworking or smarter because of their race. The study finds that some of these microaggressions seem like compliments, but their effects are harmful, contributing to a wider structural impact such as being pigeon-holed, less visible, having their contributions overlooked or being assigned unfair workloads.

Diversity in executive representation is critical for advancing structural equity, signaling to junior-level employees that a senior-level position is possible. According to the report, Asian and Asian American professionals are the least likely of any racial group surveyed (29%) to say they have role models at their company, the least likely to say they have strong networks (17%), and least likely to have a sponsor (21%). Due to under representation in senior roles, lack of role models, and thin support networks, A/AA/PI employees have few, if any, advocates in powerful positions to help their career advancement.

To avoid contributing to the systemic erasure of Pacific Islanders, Coqual captured the PI professional experiences through focus groups and interviews. A white paper within the report, The Erasure and Invisibility of Pacific Islander Professionals, features a detailed breakdown of this cohort and finds that Pacific Islander professionals share some workplace obstacles with Asian and Asian American professionals. But the report reveals that due to their lack of representation, for some, the challenge is not microaggressions or stereotypes, it's invisibility, erasure, and exclusion from DE&I.

To help companies drive sustained, meaningful change, Coqual has developed a framework: Audit, Awaken, Act to provide steps for companies, leaders, and DE&I practitioners to use as they develop and execute their DE&I strategies. The full report includes examples, pointers, and pitfalls to avoid in each stage of the framework.

Audit : Assess the current state by engaging in organizational introspection. Identify where systemic inequities exist. Companies should avoid treating A/AA/PI professionals as a monolithic cohort and disaggregate the data and take inventory of missing leadership qualities.

: Assess the current state by engaging in organizational introspection. Identify where systemic inequities exist. Companies should avoid treating A/AA/PI professionals as a monolithic cohort and disaggregate the data and take inventory of missing leadership qualities. Awaken: Share audit results with leaders and employees and educate them on the structural racism that A/AA/PI professionals face. Build bridges for communication and prioritize solidarity among the cohort.

Share audit results with leaders and employees and educate them on the structural racism that A/AA/PI professionals face. Build bridges for communication and prioritize solidarity among the cohort. Act: With the knowledge and understanding developed in the Audit and Awaken phases, companies must engage in a collaborative effort to build solutions, hold employees accountable to contribute and take action to drive systemic change.

Methodology: The primary sources of data for this research report consisted of a survey; virtual focus groups; Insights In-Depth sessions (a proprietary web-based tool used to conduct voice-facilitated virtual focus groups); and one-on-one interviews. Through our qualitative methods, we reached more than 170 professionals, experts, and practitioners who have expertise on A/AA/PI experiences in the U.S. The survey was conducted online in August and September 2022 among 2,634 respondents (824 Asian and Asian American professionals, 612 Hispanic/Latino professionals, 565 Black professionals, 544 White professionals, and 89 multiracial professionals), with the criteria being that they were at least 21 years old, were currently employed full time in professional occupations in the U.S. and had earned at least a bachelor's degree.

Lead Sponsor: Google; Research Sponsors: American Express, Baker Tilly, Bristol Myers Squibb, Credit Suisse, Cushman & Wakefield, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Vanguard.

Research Advisors: Dr. Peter T. Keo, PhD, CEO, Rapid Research Evaluation LLC; Manjusha P. Kulkarni, JD, Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance and Cofounder of Stop AAPI Hate; Sumun Pendakur, EdD., Founder, Sumun Pendakur Consulting; and Eric Toda, Head of Meta Prosper and Global Head of Social Media Marketing at Meta.

About Coqual: Coqual is a leading global, nonprofit think tank dedicated to helping leaders design diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces where every person belongs. Founded in 2004, Coqual provides in- depth research, thought leadership, and data-driven, actionable solutions for companies to address bias and barriers to inclusion for underrepresented populations in the workplace. Coqual's cutting-edge research and advisory services focus on gender, race, ethnicity, disability, veteran status and LGBTQ identities, and othersas well as the intersections among these groups. For more information, visit www.coqual.org .

SOURCE Coqual
With More than USD 3 trillion Investment Opportunities Across Healthcare Services in North America Alone, the In-Vitro Diagnostics Market is Witnessing Huge Growth in North America.

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the in-vitro diagnostics market will grow at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2022-2028. In recent years, IVD diagnostics has been one of the biggest industries that observed several product launches. The increasing demand for new diagnostics tests forced the development of new solutions. Currently, the IVD players are operating in a world that designs, develops, manufactures, and sells best-in-class solutions. COVID-19 is one of the best periods where several companies have come forward to develop rapid test kits to detect coronavirus. The leading market players are competing with rapidly emerging players in the market. Vendors in the market are increasing their share through inorganic growth. There is a constant product launch, helping the vendors acquire new customers in the market.

In-Vitro Diagnostics Market

In 2022, North America accounted for the largest share of 40% of the global IVD market. The patient population with high healthcare expenditure is the major factor driving the in-vitro diagnostics market across North America. In addition, awareness about disease diagnosis, such as point-of-care, early detection, and preventive health check-ups, are some factors that positively impact the region's market growth. More than 60% to 80% of the regional population have any chronic condition, which led to demand for diagnostics services. The expenditure for healthcare services in the region is more than $3 trillion, indicating the potential growth of in-vitro diagnostics in the region. Moreover, the presence of market players and their market penetration in the region fuel access to IVD services.

The POC diagnostics market is growing faster than the traditional IVD industry. Over the few years, there has been a constant increase in the number of approved POC devices. In Canada's healthcare services, one of the emerging factors is point-of-care which is expected to drive the market in the future. The Canadian Standard Association has developed requirements that apply to POC (CAN.CSA-Z22870-07). The demand for POC for infectious diseases is increasing and becoming an important part of healthcare systems. In cancer and infectious disease diagnosis, point-of-care IVD solutions are commonly used.

Global In-Vitro Diagnostics Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2028) USD 127.56 Billion Market Size (2022) USD 105 Billion CAGR (2022-2028) 3.3 % Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Segmentation Analysis Product & Services, Technology, Application, End-Users, and Geography Largest Regional Market North America Geographic Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Leading Countries The US, Canada, Germany, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, the UK, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa Key Vendors Abbott, Danaher, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Siemens Healthineers, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Atomo Diagnostics, Accelerate Diagnostics, Agilent Technologies, altona Diagnostics, Amoy Diagnostics, ARKRAY, AccuBioTech, Agappe Diagnostics, BD, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Balio diagnostics, B&E BIO-TECHNOLOGY, BIOMERIEUX, bioLytical Laboratories, Biosynex, Biocartis, Biocept, Biohit Oyj, Biomerica, Biosystems, Bioway Biological Technology, Boule Diagnostics, Cupid Limited, CareDx, Chembio Diagnostics, CLINDIAG SYSTEMS, CONTEC MEDICAL SYSTEMS, Convergent Technologies, CPC Diagnostics, CPM Scientifica, CellaVision, DIALAB, Dexcom, DiaSorin, Diagon, Diatron, DIRUI, Drucker Diagnostics, EDAN Instruments, EKF Diagnostics Holdings, ELITechGroup, Erba Diagnostics, Genetron Holdings, Genrui Biotech, Hologic, High Technology, HORIBA, Linear Chemicals, Illumina, INTEC, J. Mitra & Co., Kilpest India Limited, Maccura Biotechnology, Medsource Ozone Biomedicals, Meril Life Sciences, MP Biomedicals, Nanjing Synthgene Medical Technology, NIHON KOHDEN, Norma Instruments, NOWDiagnostics, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, OPKO Health, OraSure Technologies, Perkin Elmer, Prestige Diagnostics, QIAGEN, Quidel, Sysmex, Salofa Oy, SEASUN BIOMATERIALS, Sekisui Diagnostics, SFRI, Shenzhen Dymind Biotechnology, Shenzhen iCubio Biomedical Technology, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, SHENZHEN PROKAN ELECTRONICS, Shenzhen Landwind Medical, Sinocare, SPINREACT, SureScreen Diagnostics, The Binding Site Group, Trinity Biotech, Trivitron Healthcare, Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology, and Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech Page Number 402 Customization Available If our report does not include the information you are searching for, you may contact us to have a report tailored to your specific business needs https://www.arizton.com/customize-report/3703

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Reagent & Consumables Market to Boom the Adoption Rate of In-Vitro Diagnostics Market

Faster adoption of concentrated reagents has enhanced vendors' competitiveness by improving customer satisfaction and reducing CO2 emissions and waste by decreasing the number of reagent shipments.

The global in-vitro diagnostics market by reagents & consumables has been growing rapidly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly boosted demand for reagents used in IVD procedures to run the COVID-19 sample for diagnosis. With the increasing demand for disease diagnosis and the rising number of clinical and research laboratories, the demand for IVD reagents is significantly increasing.

Innovation in consumables, especially reagents, is low compared to analyzers. Some companies do come up with new types of reagents for unique products. For instance, Sysmex, a Japanese company, developed a concentrated reagent for hematology analyzers. These concentrated reagents are gaining traction in the market, especially in developed countries. This is helping the company to gain market share.

COVID-19 Pandemic Positively Impacting the Market Growth

In the global IVD market, manufacturers played a vital role in enabling countries to broaden their COVID-19 testing capacity- certainly, molecular testing instruments usually dedicated to tuberculosis and HIV programs constitute major opportunities to be repurposed for COVID-19 response.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of IVD solutions. According to "under Emergency Use Authorization" in the US and "under the in-vitro Diagnostics Directive" (IVDD) in Europe, the preference for self-testing solutions increased significantly, thus driving the market growth through rapid COVID-19 test kits. Several COVID-19 self-test kits were developed to drive the companies' revenue growth.

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Key Company Profiles

Abbott

Danaher

F. Hoffmann-La Roche

Siemens Healthineers

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Atomo Diagnostics

Accelerate Diagnostics

Agilent Technologies

altona Diagnostics

Amoy Diagnostics

ARKRAY

AccuBioTech

Agappe Diagnostics

BD

Bio-Rad Laboratories

Balio diagnostics

B&E BIO-TECHNOLOGY

BIOMERIEUX

bioLytical Laboratories

Biosynex

Biocartis

Biocept

Biohit Oyj

Biomerica

Biosystems

Bioway Biological Technology

Boule Diagnostics

Cupid Limited

CareDx

Chembio Diagnostics

CLINDIAG SYSTEMS

CONTEC MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Convergent Technologies

CPC Diagnostics

CPM Scientifica

CellaVision

DIALAB

Dexcom

DiaSorin

Diagon

Diatron

DIRUI

Drucker Diagnostics

EDAN Instruments

EKF Diagnostics Holdings

ELITechGroup

Erba Diagnostics

Genetron Holdings

Genrui Biotech

Hologic

High Technology

HORIBA

Linear Chemicals

Illumina

INTEC

J. Mitra & Co.

Kilpest India Limited

Maccura Biotechnology

Medsource Ozone Biomedicals

Meril Life Sciences

MP Biomedicals

Nanjing Synthgene Medical Technology

NIHON KOHDEN

Norma Instruments

NOWDiagnostics

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

OPKO Health

OraSure Technologies

Perkin Elmer

Prestige Diagnostics

QIAGEN

Quidel

Sysmex

Salofa Oy

SEASUN BIOMATERIALS

Sekisui Diagnostics

SFRI

Shenzhen Dymind Biotechnology

Shenzhen iCubio Biomedical Technology

iCubio Biomedical Technology Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics

SHENZHEN PROKAN ELECTRONICS

PROKAN ELECTRONICS Shenzhen Landwind Medical

Sinocare

SPINREACT

SureScreen Diagnostics

The Binding Site Group

Trinity Biotech

Trivitron Healthcare

Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology

Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech

Market Segmentation

Product & Services

Reagents and Consumables

Instruments/ Analyzers & Software

Services

Technology

Immuno and Clinical Chemistry

Molecular Diagnostics

Hematology

Microbiology and Cytology

Others Technology

Application

Infectious Diseases

Diabetes

Cardiology

Oncology

Autoimmune Diseases

Nephrology

Drug Testing

Others

End-Users

Standard Reference Labs

Hospital-Affiliated Labs

Individuals

Clinics

Others

Geography

North America

US



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



Russia



Spain



Italy



UK

APAC

China



Japan



India



South Korea



Australia



Indonesia



Malaysia



Singapore

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Middle East & Africa

& Turkey



Saudi Arabia



South Africa

Check Out Some of the Top-Selling Related Research Reports:

HIV Rapid Test Kits Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028: The global HIV rapid test kits market is expected to reach USD 1.68 billion by 2028. In the U.S., HIV testing is vital and integral to HIV prevention and management. The knowledge about HIV infection is increasing rapidly in the country, accelerating the high demand for HIV self-testing. In recent years, the significant patient population in the country has gone through routine medical check-ups, which includes HIV test. It increases the knowledge about HIV testing and care in the country and propels the market growth.

IVD Raw Materials Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027: IVD raw materials market is expected to reach USD 34.25 billion by 2027. The Europe region is one of the matured markets for in-vitro diagnostics; the large laboratory instruments are highly automated compared to most point-of-care testing devices. Automation has increased the speed and ease of using the devices the workforce is thoroughly trained and adopted. Furthermore, the global IVD raw materials market is expected to witness an incremental growth of USD 9.91 billion and absolute growth of 40.73% by 2027.

COVID-19 Diagnostics Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026: The global COVID-19 diagnostics market is expected to reach USD 7.4 billion by 2026. The RT-PCR testing segment constituted over 75% of the global COVID test market share. The market is growing because of the coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) pandemic outbreak, which has increased the demand for rapid testing worldwide. As the number of people suffering from viral infection increases, the demand for rapid testing, which allows quick detection of the virus, is growing. Adopting a population-wide testing approach, which includes household, and individual testing is one of the trends influencing the demand for covid-19 diagnostics kits. The shift from symptomatic testing to mass testing in developed countries is another major factor affecting the market.

Rapid Diagnostics Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025: The global rapid diagnostics market size is to cross USD 43 billion by 2025. Abbott, F.Hoffman-La Roche, and Siemens Healthineers are the key players in the rapid diagnostics market. Global players focus on developing innovative products and expanding their product portfolio to remain competitive. They are investing extensively in R&D and product development activities to expand their product portfolio. Abbott, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Danaher, Quidel, Luminex, and BD continuously focus on product development and offer new diagnostics technology to increase their market presence.

Table of Content

1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

3 RESEARCH PROCESS

4 SCOPE & COVERAGE

4.1 MARKET DEFINITION

4.1.1 INCLUSIONS

4.1.2 EXCLUSIONS

4.1.3 MARKET ESTIMATION CAVEATS

4.2 BASE YEAR

4.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

4.3.1 MARKET BY PRODUCT & SERVICES:

4.3.2 MARKET BY TECHNOLOGY

4.3.3 MARKET BY APPLICATION

4.3.4 MARKET BY END-USERS

4.3.5 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY GEOGRAPHY

5 REPORT ASSUMPTIONS & CAVEATS

5.1 KEY CAVEATS

5.2 CURRENCY CONVERSION

5.3 MARKET DERIVATION

6 MARKET AT A GLANCE

7 PREMIUM INSIGHTS

7.1 OVERVIEW

8 INTRODUCTION

8.1 OVERVIEW

9 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES & TRENDS

9.1 ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE

9.2 INCREASED DEMAND FOR COMPANION DIAGNOSTICS IN IVD

9.3 INCREASING PRODUCT LAUNCHES & MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS IN IVD

10 MARKET GROWTH ENABLERS

10.1 PRESENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT PATIENT POPULATION

10.2 ADOPTION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN IVD

10.3 COVID-19 IMPACT ON IVD MARKET

11 MARKET RESTRAINTS

11.1 STRINGENT REGULATIONS AND ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES

11.2 HIGH COST OF IVD

11.3 LACK OF ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES AND ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES

12 MARKET LANDSCAPE

12.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

12.1.1 INSIGHT BY PRODUCT & SERVICES

12.1.2 INSIGHT BY TECHNOLOGY

12.1.3 INSIGHT BY APPLICATION

12.1.4 INSIGHT BY END-USERS

12.1.5 INSIGHT BY GEOGRAPHY

12.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

12.3 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

12.3.1 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS

12.3.2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS

12.3.3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS

12.3.4 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES

12.3.5 COMPETITIVE RIVALRY

13 PRODUCT & SERVICES

13.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE

13.2 MARKET OVERVIEW

13.3 REAGENTS AND CONSUMABLES

13.3.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

13.3.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

13.3.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

13.4 INSTRUMENTS/ANALYZERS & SOFTWARE

13.4.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

13.4.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

13.4.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

13.5 SERVICES

13.5.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

13.5.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

13.5.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

14 TECHNOLOGY

14.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE

14.2 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.3 IMMUNO & CLINICAL CHEMISTRY

14.3.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.3.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

14.3.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

14.4 MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS

14.4.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.4.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

14.4.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

14.5 HEMATOLOGY

14.5.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.5.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

14.5.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

14.6 MICROBIOLOGY & CYTOLOGY

14.6.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.6.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

14.6.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

14.7 OTHERS

14.7.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.7.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

14.7.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15 APPLICATION

15.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE

15.2 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

15.3.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.3.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.3.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.4 DIABETES

15.4.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.4.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.4.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.5 CARDIOLOGY

15.5.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.5.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.5.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.6 ONCOLOGY

15.6.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.6.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.6.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.7 AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

15.7.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.7.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.7.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.8 NEPHROLOGY

15.8.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.8.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.8.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.9 DRUG TESTING

15.9.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.9.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.9.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

15.10 OTHERS

15.10.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.10.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

15.10.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

16 END-USERS

16.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE

16.2 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.3 STANDARD REFERENCE LABS

16.3.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.3.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

16.3.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

16.4 HOSPITAL-AFFILIATED LABS

16.4.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.4.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

16.4.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

16.5 INDIVIDUALS

16.5.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.5.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

16.5.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

16.6 CLINICS

16.6.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.6.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

16.6.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

16.7 OTHERS

16.7.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.7.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

16.7.3 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

17 GEOGRAPHY

17.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE

17.2 GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

18 NORTH AMERICA

18.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

18.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.3 PRODUCT & SERVICES

18.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.4 TECHNOLOGY

18.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.5 APPLICATION

18.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.6 END-USER

18.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.7 KEY COUNTRIES

18.7.1 US: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

18.7.2 CANADA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19 EUROPE

19.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

19.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.3 PRODUCT & SERVICES

19.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.4 TECHNOLOGY

19.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.5 APPLICATION

19.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.6 END-USER

19.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7 KEY COUNTRIES

19.7.1 GERMANY: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7.2 FRANCE: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7.3 RUSSIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7.4 SPAIN: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7.5 ITALY: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.7.6 UK: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20 APAC

20.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

20.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.3 PRODUCT & SERVICES

20.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.4 TECHNOLOGY

20.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.5 APPLICATION

20.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.6 END-USER

20.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7 KEY COUNTRIES

20.7.1 CHINA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.2 JAPAN: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.3 INDIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.4 SOUTH KOREA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.5 AUSTRALIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.6 INDONESIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.7 MALAYSIA MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.7.8 SINGAPORE MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21 LATIN AMERICA

21.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

21.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.3 PRODUCT & SERVICES

21.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.4 TECHNOLOGY

21.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.5 APPLICATION

21.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.6 END-USER

21.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.7 KEY COUNTRIES

21.7.1 BRAZIL: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.7.2 MEXICO: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.7.3 ARGENTINA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

22.1 MARKET OVERVIEW

22.2 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.3 PRODUCT & SERVICES

22.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.4 TECHNOLOGY

22.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.5 APPLICATION

22.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.6 END-USER

22.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.7 KEY COUNTRIES

22.7.1 TURKEY: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.7.2 SAUDI ARABIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.7.3 SOUTH AFRICA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

23 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

23.1 COMPETITION OVERVIEW

23.2 MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

23.2.1 ABBOTT

23.2.2 DANAHER

23.2.3 F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE

23.2.4 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS

23.2.5 THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

24 KEY COMPANY PROFILES

24.1 ABBOTT

24.1.1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW

24.1.2 PRODUCT OFFERINGS

24.1.3 KEY STRATEGIES

24.1.4 KEY STRENGTHS

24.1.5 KEY OPPORTUNITIES

24.2 DANAHER

24.3 F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE

24.4 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS

24.5 THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

25 OTHER PROMINENT VENDORS

25.1 ATOMO DIAGNOSTICS

25.1.1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW

25.1.2 PRODUCT OFFERINGS

25.2 ACCELERATE DIAGNOSTICS

25.3 AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES

25.4 ALTONA DIAGNOSTICS

25.5 AMOY DIAGNOSTICS

25.6 ARKRAY

25.7 ACCUBIOTECH

25.8 AGAPPE DIAGNOSTICS

25.9 BD

25.10 BIO-RAD LABORATORIES

25.11 BALIO DIAGNOSTICS

25.12 B&E BIO-TECHNOLOGY

25.13 BIOMERIEUX

25.14 BIOLYTICAL LABORATORIES

25.15 BIOSYNEX

25.16 BIOCARTIS

25.17 BIOCEPT

25.18 BIOHIT OYJ

25.19 BIOMERICA

25.20 BIOSYSTEM

25.21 BIOWAY BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY

25.22 BOULE DIAGNOSTICS

25.23 CUPID LIMITED

25.24 CAREDX

25.25 CHEMBIO DIAGNOSTICS

25.26 CLINDIAG SYSTEMSA

25.27 CONTEC MEDICAL SYSTEMS

25.28 CONVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES

25.29 CPC DIAGNOSTICS

25.30 CPM SCIENTIFICA

25.31 CELLAVISION

25.32 DIALAB

25.33 DEXCOM

25.34 DIASORIN

25.35 DIAGON

25.36 DIATRON

25.37 DIRUI

25.38 DRUCKER DIAGNOSTICS

25.39 EDAN INSTRUMENTS

25.40 EKF DIAGNOSTICS HOLDING

25.41 ELITECHGROUP

25.42 ERBA DIAGNOSTICS

25.43 GENETRON HOLDINGS

25.44 GENRUI BIOTECH

25.45 HOLOGIC

25.46 HIGH TECHNOLOGY

25.47 HORIBA

25.48 LINEAR CHEMICALS

25.49 ILLUMINA

25.50 INTEC

25.51 J. MITRA & CO.

25.52 KILPEST INDIA LIMITED

25.53 MACCURA BIOTECHNOLOGY

25.54 MEDSOURCE OZONE BIOMEDICALS

25.55 MERIL LIFE SCIENCES

25.56 MP BIOMEDICALS

25.57 NANJING SYNTHGENE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

25.58 NIHON KOHDEN

25.59 NORMA INSTRUMENTS

25.60NOWDIAGNOSTICS

25.61 ORTHO CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS

25.62 OPKO HEALTH (BIOREFERENCE HEALTH)

25.63 ORASURE TECHNOLOGIES

25.64 PERKIN ELMER

25.65 PRESTIGE DIAGNOSTICS

25.66 QIAGEN

25.67 QUIDEL

25.68 SYSMEX

25.69 SALOFA OY

25.70 SEASUN BIOMATERIALS

25.71 SEKISUI DIAGNOSTICS

25.72 SFRI

25.73 SHENZHEN DYMIND BIOTECHNOLOGY

25.74 SHENZHEN ICUBIO BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

25.75 SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS

25.76 SHENZHEN PROKAN ELECTRONICS

25.77 SHENZHEN LANDWIND MEDICAL

25.78 SINOCARE

25.79 SPINREACT

25.80 SURESCREEN DIAGNOSTICS

25.81 THE BINDING SITE GROUP

25.82 TRINITY BIOTECH

25.83 TRIVITRON HEALTHCARE

25.84 XIAMEN BIOTIME BIOTECHNOLOGY

25.85 ZHEJIANG ORIENT GENE BIOTECH

26 REPORT SUMMARY

26.1 KEY TAKEAWAYS

26.2 STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

27 QUANTITATIVE SUMMARY

27.1 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.2 MARKET BY PRODUCT & SERVICES

27.3 MARKET BY TECHNOLOGY

27.4 MARKET BY APPLICATION

27.5 MARKET BY END-USERS

27.6 PRODUCT & SERVICES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.6.1 REAGENTS & CONSUMABLES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.6.2 INSTRUMENTS/ANALYZERS & SOFTWARE: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.6.3 SERVICES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7 TECHNOLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7.1 IMMUNO & CLINICAL CHEMISTRY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7.2 MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7.3 HEMATOLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7.4 MICROBIOLOGY & CYTOLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.7.5 OTHER TECHNOLOGIES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8 APPLICATION: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.2 DIABETES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.3 CARDIOLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.4 ONCOLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.5 AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.6 NEPHROLOGY: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.7 DRUG TESTING: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.8.8 OTHER APPLICATIONS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9 END-USERS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9.1 STANDARD REFERENCE LABS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9.2 HOSPITAL AFFILIATED LABS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9.3 INDIVIDUALS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9.4 CLINICS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

27.9.5 OTHER END-USERS: MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

28 APPENDIX

28.1 ABBREVIATIONS

About Us:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. 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 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.

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SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
New name reflects Informativ's unified approach to comprehensive credit and compliance solutions

FRISCO, Texas, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Bureau Connection (CBC), a provider of credit-focused lead generation, credit report and compliance solutions to automotive dealers, lenders, and other end markets, today announced a corporate rebrand to Informativ ("Informativ" or the "Company"). Informativ is backed by Capstreet, a Houston-based lower middle market private equity firm.

Informativ brings CBC together with CreditDriver and Dealer Safeguard Solutions (DSGSS), companies CBC acquired over the last two years, under one cohesive brand. With a long history of dealership marketing, fraud protection, dealer compliance, and credit reports, Informativ is a complete and proactive credit and compliance solution that encompasses the customer experience from lead generation through a transaction. The Company helps to simplify the complex by providing trackable, enriched leads and qualified buyers, a protected and compliant sales process, and a fast, reliable credit partner.

"Rebranding as Informativ is more than just a name change," said David Carner, CEO of Informativ. "Over the last year, we've created a comprehensive solution that enables businesses to have a seamless and consistent credit and compliance process that benefits their operations and their consumers. We plan to continue to innovate and expand our capabilities to better serve our clients while providing the exceptional customer service for which we're known."

"This is an exciting milestone for Informativ, reflecting the vision and strategy that David and Capstreet set out for the Company," said Rick Pleczko, CEO, Operating Executive Group at Capstreet and Executive Chair at CBC. "David and his team have created an offering that enables customers to track and deliver qualified leads, reduce risk exposure and easily obtain credit reports all in one place, and we're proud to continue to support Informativ's development."

Informativ also announced it has relocated its corporate headquarters to Frisco, TX, while its former headquarters in Fresno, CA, will serve as its Innovation & Client Success Center. The Company will be unveiling its new name and branding during the automotive industry's biggest event, NADA, in Dallas from January 27  29, 2023.

About Informativ

Informativ, formerly known as Credit Bureau Connection, offers credit-focused lead generation, credit report and compliance solutions to the automotive and general consumer finance industries across the United States. The Company optimizes and automates the consumer finance qualification process through a fast, easy-to-use, and secure software platform made available to its extensive network of software affiliate partners. Informativ's products and solutions place a heavy emphasis on compliance and identity verification to support the credit application and credit report process. Please visit www.informativ.com for additional information.

About Capstreet

Founded in 1990, Capstreet invests in lower middle market software, tech-enabled services, and industrial business services companies. With over 45 platform investments and over 200 add-on acquisitions since inception, Capstreet's investment strategy is focused on utilizing its Capvalue Framework to help accelerate growth and profitability, and help create long term sustainable businesses. The majority of Capstreet's investments have been with founder- or entrepreneur-owned businesses. For more information, visit the Capstreet website, www.capstreet.com.

Contact:

Lambert

Jennifer Hurson, 845-507-0571, [email protected]

or

Joanne Lessner, 212-222-7436, [email protected]

SOURCE Informativ
WILMINGTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF), a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services, has named eight Route Service Representatives (RSRs) recipients of the prestigious Aldo Croatti Award for 2022.

The UniFirst Corporation Aldo Croatti Award Winners.

This accolade is the most coveted of all UniFirst Corporation recognitions. Named after the company founder, the Aldo Croatti Award is presented to UniFirst RSRs who exemplify customer service excellence by retaining 100 percent of their customers in the most recent fiscal year.

UniFirst's 2022 Aldo Croatti Award recipients are as follows:

Joshua Ayala , Fort Worth, Texas

, Marc Briganti , Wilmington, Delaware

, Ronald Caywood , College Station, Texas

, Trey Creamer , Greenville, South Carolina

, Josh Eickenhorst , College Station, Texas

, Patrick Lebel , Montreal, Quebec

, Jerrell Smidovec , Austin, Texas

, Jeff Traut , Cleveland, Ohio

"It gives me great pleasure to start out the new year by acknowledging this elite group of service professionals for meeting and exceeding their business goals. I'm extremely proud of their accomplishments and for continuing to set the standard for customer service excellence," said Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and CEO. "Providing the best service experience in our industry continues to be our top focus. And, these RSRs represent best-in-class service professionals who always put the customers first."

Each Aldo Croatti Award winner was honored at UniFirst's President's Club celebrations held in Aruba receiving a cash prize and other rewards. These individuals will also be publicly recognized with customer communications.

For more information about UniFirst and the company's uniform rental service programs, please visit https://unifirst.com/uniforms-workwear/rental/

About UniFirst

Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products; and with 260 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 14,000 employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 2 million workers each business day. For more information, contact UniFirst at 800.455.7654 or visit UniFirst.com

SOURCE UniFirst Corporation
SHANGHAI, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo New Energy", the "Company" or "we"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, announced that its subsidiary Xinjiang Daqo New Energy ("Xinjiang Daqo") had provided estimate of its net profit in 2022 to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Xinjiang Daqo estimates that under PRC GAAP its net profit attributable to Xinjiang Daqo's shareholders in 2022 would be in the range of RMB19.0~19.2 billion, representing a 231.9%~235.4% increase as compared to net profit attributable to Xinjiang Daqo's shareholders of RMB5.7 billion in 2021. Xinjiang Daqo's unaudited net profit attributable to its shareholders in the three quarters ended September 30, 2022 was RMB15.1 billion.

Daqo New Energy currently beneficially owns 72.7% of Xinjiang Daqo's equity interest, and a majority of the Company's revenue and net income are contributed by Xinjiang Daqo. The estimated net profit described in this press release was prepared solely for Xinjiang Daqo in RMB in accordance with PRC GAAP and is subject to change upon completion of Xinjiang Daqo's internal financial closing and reporting process. In contrast, the Company's consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022 will be reported in U.S. dollars in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The estimated profit described in this press release is based solely on the information currently available to Xinjiang Daqo's management. Its actual result could vary materially from this preliminary estimate. As a result, investors should exercise caution in relying on this information and should not draw any inferences from this information regarding financial or operating data not provided. The estimated net profit should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements of Xinjiang Daqo prepared in accordance with PRC GAAP. In addition, the estimated net profit is not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved by Xinjiang Daqo in any future period.

About Daqo New Energy Corp.

Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company manufactures and sells high-purity polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufactures, who further process the polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. The Company has a total polysilicon nameplate capacity of 105,000 metric tons and is one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon.

For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "might," "guidance" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook for the full year of 2022, Daqo New Energy's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company's control. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies; global supply and demand for polysilicon; alternative technologies in cell manufacturing; the Company's ability to significantly expand its polysilicon production capacity and output; the reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications; the Company's ability to lower its production costs; changes in the political and regulatory environment; and the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in China and many other countries and the impact of the outbreaks on economic and market conditions, including potentially weaker global demand for solar PV installations that could adversely affect the Company's business and financial performance. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents the Company has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.
TSX.V: DME

U.S. OTC: DMEHF

Frankfurt: QM01

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSX.V: DME), (U.S. OTC: DMEHF), (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company. The Company is pleased to announce that on January 17, 2023, the Company held a commissioning ceremony for the McCauley Helium Processing Facility. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by Robert Rohlfing, CEO and Executive Director of DME. The Company's management, directors, legal and accounting along with the McCauley Family and members of the investment community were in attendance.

All attendees at the commissioning of the McCauley Helium Processing Facility. (CNW Group/Desert Mountain Energy Corp.) DME's management team at the commissioning of the McCauley Helium Processing Facility (CNW Group/Desert Mountain Energy Corp.)

"Over twenty years of hard work and planning came to fruition as we opened the doors for attendees to walk through the first-of-its-kind helium processing facility," said Robert Rohlfing, CEO of DME. "We look forward to the start of testing this month prior to initiating the 90-day optimization program that will lead into full commercial production."

The 8 acres of solar panels have now been rolled out in addition to the onsite necessary infrastructure being near completion and the interconnects linking the modular units are being completed. All road work and over a mile of fencing are complete.

ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY

Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded resource company primarily focused on exploration, development and production of helium, hydrogen and noble gases. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries.

We seek safe harbor

"Robert Rohlfing"

Robert Rohlfing

Exec Chairman & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp.
ROSEAU, Dominica, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Discover Dominica, the tourism office for the island of Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a), reports a significant increase in 2022 tourism arrival numbers, projecting even stronger growth in 2023.

The destination welcomed 60,704 visitors in 2022 compared to 14,888 in 2021, an increase of more than 308%. The uptick can be attributed to a few key factors including an increase post-pandemic travel demand, relaxed COVID protocols, the island's first direct flight from the U.S., as well as being recognized by well-known travel sources as a top Caribbean destination.

"We are thrilled to see the comeback of travel," said Discover Dominica CEO Colin Piper. "We are still working toward recovery as we are not yet back to pre-pandemic numbers, but we are in a good place as we begin 2023 with strong bookings throughout the winter travel season. In 2023, Dominica remains focused on its sustainability efforts, which is becoming an increasingly popular selling point of the island."

Overall, 2022 proved to be a momentous year for Dominica. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for new travel experiences and outdoor adventures were at an all-time high, the island had much to celebrate. From the opening of Coulibri Ridge , an ultra-luxury resort that is completely self-sufficient, to the record numbers of attendees at the first in-person World Creole Music Festival since the pandemic, the island saw a tremendous amount of interest among repeat and new visitors to the island.

For the first time, Dominica received recognition from some of the world's leading travel publications as a coveted tourism destination in the region. The Nature Island was recognized by Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards as the number one island on the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas list for 2022. Additionally, Lonely Planet named Dominica as one of the top destinations to unwind in its 'Best in Travel' list for 2023, marking another first for the island. Forbes also featured Dominica as one of the top destinations to travel to in 2023.

December 2022 marked the first anniversary of American Airlines' nonstop service to Dominica from Miami International Airport. The first commercial service to the island from the U.S, the addition of the flight has made the island more accessible than ever before. As of November 2022, the American Airlines' service contributed nearly 33% of all carrier contributions to the island. Service will continue throughout 2023 with changes to the schedule and frequency.

"The addition of the American Airlines flight had a significant impact on our tourism arrivals. It's never been faster or easier for U.S. visitors to travel to and from Dominica. It's also a valuable addition for the diaspora community," continued Piper. "We appreciate American Airlines continued support and look forward to seeing more U.S. travelers exploring our beautiful island this year."

For more information on Dominica, visit Dominica's official website at www.discoverdominica.com, explore the destination's YouTube Page and follow Dominica on Instagram and Facebook.

About Dominica

Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a, and not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) is the youngest Caribbean Island and the last to be colonized, ultimately earning its independence on November 3, 1978. Dominica lies south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean. Air travelers can connect to Dominica direct from Miami on American Airlines and make regional connections on Air Antilles, Air Sunshine, Coastal Air Transport, InterCaribbean Airways, LIAT, Caribbean Airlines, Silver Airways - (Code share: American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue), from the surrounding hubs of Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, the British Virgin Island and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If traveling by sea, travelers may connect to Dominica on L'Express des Iles ferry service from Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia, and on Val'Ferry from Guadeloupe and Martinique. For more information on Dominica, visit Dominica's official website at www.discoverdominica.com , explore the destination's YouTube Page and follow Dominica on Instagram and Facebook .

Media Contact:

Zapwater Communications

Holly Zawyer and Cherise Stevens

E: [email protected] / Ph: (305) 444-4033

SOURCE Discover Dominica Authority
- New Double Crunch Pizza Options Launch February 2, 2023 for just $4.99 -

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to popular demand, Taco Cabana will add two all-new Double Crunch Pizza (DCP) flavors this February following the release of its first-ever pizza in December 2022. Launching February 2, 2023, a Chorizo and Egg Double Crunch Pizza, available all day  perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner  and a Shredded Chicken Double Crunch Pizza will be added to the TC menu. The new flavors will continue TC's tradition of culinary innovation and will be available for just $4.99 at all Texas Taco Cabana locations.

"Over the last 30 days, since the launch of our Ground Beef Double Crunch Pizza in mid-December, the TC guest response and engagement has been incredible," said Ulyses Camacho, Chief Operating Officer, Taco Cabana. "Our guests immediately began asking us for more DCP options and we listened and responded. We're excited to launch two new, available all-day DCP line extensions, and we will continue to develop within our innovation culinary pipeline across a number of different platforms for the future as well."

New Double Crunch Pizza flavors Taco Cabana Tweet this

TC's Double Crunch Pizza's are composed of two crispy tortillas blended with corn and flour, layered with the guest's choice of seasoned ground beef, flavor-packed shredded chicken or chorizo and egg, refried beans, chipotle ranch dressing and Monterey Jack & cheddar cheese, topped with Pico de Gallo, shredded cheese and drizzled with sour cream. Guests 21 years of age or older can complement their Double Crunch Pizza selection with their choice of one of TC's 12 refreshing margarita options available for $3 each all day, every day at TC's Margarita Headquarters. This flavor-filled combination is not to be missed!

All menu items can be ordered in-restaurant, via online ordering for front counter and curbside pick-up, in the drive-thru or by mobile order when using the MY TC! App or TacoCabana.com. For more information on Taco Cabana's menu items, visit TacoCabana.com .

About Taco Cabana:

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of bottled beer and signature $3 tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up, delivery and catering. As of January 19, 2023, Taco Cabana operates 143 company-owned restaurants in Texas. For more info, visit www.tacocabana.com .

SOURCE Taco Cabana
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Edsembli, a leading provider of student information systems in North America, is proud to announce its certification with the Ed-Fi Data Standard. This certification recognizes Edsembli's expertise in using the Ed-Fi Data Standard and tools to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of education data systems.

Edsembli & ED-FI Data Standard Certified (CNW Group/edsembli Inc.)

The Ed-Fi Data Standard is a set of standards, tools, and technologies used by schools, districts, and states to manage, analyze, and share data about their students, teachers, and other staff in a consistent and interoperable way. By achieving certification with the Ed-Fi Data Standard, Edsembli demonstrates its commitment to using these standards and tools to support local education agencies (LEAs) in improving their education data systems and driving better student outcomes.

"We are thrilled to have achieved certification with the Ed-Fi Data Standard," said Randy Lenaghan, CEO of Edsembli. "This recognition reflects our dedication to using the best tools and technologies to support LEAs in managing and analyzing their education data. We believe that by leveraging the power of data, we can help schools and districts make informed decisions that will lead to improved student outcomes."

By achieving this certification, Edsembli will continue to help K-12 education and leading school districts turn their data into a powerful asset that enables student success. This will allow school districts to unlock new levels of decision-making by reimagining how they collect, manage, and analyze data within the context of modern education.

About Edsembli

Edsembli is a provider of student information systems in the United States. Our modern, cloud-based platform is designed to help schools and districts manage and track student data, including information about enrollment, attendance, grades, and other important aspects of a student's academic and personal life. With tools for reporting and analysis, as well as integration with other education-related systems and technologies, Edsembli is dedicated to helping schools and districts use data to drive decision-making and improve student outcomes.

For more information about Edsembli, please visit our website at https://www.edsembli.com

About Ed-Fi

The Ed-Fi Alliance manages the Ed-Fi Data Standard. This non-profit organization works to promote the use of the standard and provide resources and support to educational organizations that are using or implementing it. The Alliance includes a community of educators, researchers, policymakers, and technology experts who are dedicated to improving education data systems and using data to drive decision-making and improve student outcomes.

The Ed-Fi Data Standard is used by a wide range of education organizations and has been adopted by several state and national education agencies to standardize and improve the quality of education data. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable so that it can be used in a variety of different contexts and settings.

For more information about Ed-Fi, please visit https://www.ed-fi.org

SOURCE edsembli Inc.
Bolstering its position as the largest asset manager focused on decarbonizing the real estate industry

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifth Wall the largest asset manager focused on decarbonizing the real estate industryhas hired Alok Sindher as a Partner to expand the mandate of its Climate business to include infrastructure investing alongside the Firm's leading venture and growth equity business. The Firm also added Heather McGeory as Head of Climate & ESG Partnerships to bolster the Firm's ESG and decarbonization strategies.

Source: Fifth Wall

Fifth Wall's Climate business has rapidly emerged as the largest and most prominent private fund dedicated to decarbonizing the real estate industry, with more than $740M in commitments and over 110 of the world's biggest real estate companies as investors. The Firm has made noteworthy investments in more than twenty Climate companies such as Ascend Elements , Electric Hydrogen , RoadRunner , Runwise , SPAN , and Sealed , to name a few.

Thus far, the Firm's climate investment strategy has been primarily focused on taking non-controlling venture and growth equity stakes in promising startups. With the addition of Sindher, Fifth Wall will now be able to invest in renewable energy infrastructure, decarbonization services, and project finance, in addition to debt securities and majority equity stakes in companies. As a result, Fifth Wall will not only be able to invest in world-changing venture and growth-stage Climate companies, but also finance post-money growth of their technologies, enabling them to scale from laboratory to factory to deployment.

Prior to joining Fifth Wall, Sindher served as a Partner at The D.E. Shaw Group's renewable energy and infrastructure platform for over a decade. Sindher previously worked for J.P. Morgan's Energy Investment Banking group, and currently serves as an Advisor to The Department of Defense's energy transition and decarbonization efforts and the TomKat Center, a part of the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University. Based out of San Francisco, Sindher is a Computer Science and Economics graduate of Stanford and holds an MBA from The Wharton School.

"Fifth Wall has firmly established itself as today's leading venture and growth equity investor in emerging technologies to decarbonize the global real estate industry," said Brendan Wallace , Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Fifth Wall. "Alok's seasoned track record combined with our new ability to invest in Climate infrastructure is the necessary, synergistic element to accelerating the energy transition for the real estate industry, representing an $18 trillion opportunity."

McGeory joins from APCO Worldwide where she advised multilateral institutions and corporates on their climate engagement. Prior to APCO, McGeory grew the We Mean Business Coalition, developing corporate commitments on climate change, such as the Science Based Targets Initiative. McGeory is also a former carbon trader. Based out of New York City, McGeory is a graduate of Barnard College and has a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University.

Real estate is the single largest emitter of CO2, representing 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy consumption. Fifth Wall's record $500M Climate Fund announced in July 2022, was the inaugural dedicated fund focused on reducing the industry's immense carbon footprint. The Firm's newfound capability to deploy capital toward infrastructure investments enables it to be a full spectrum investor, accelerating the critical work of decarbonizing the real estate industry over the next twenty years. McGeory will enhance these efforts, working collaboratively with the Firm's strategic investors to expedite their climate commitments.

"I have been consistently amazed at the success and speed with which Fifth Wall has established itself as one of the top investors in Climate," shared Sindher. "I look forward to augmenting the team's venture and growth equity investment capabilities with the infrastructure expertise needed to enable the industry to achieve carbon neutrality."

"Fifth Wall has built an unparalleled consortium of real estate investors, representing the largest network of leading industry participants committed to sustainability in the world," said McGeory. "I couldn't be more excited to help them with their decarbonization goals."

Within its existing Climate practice, Fifth Wall elevated Anastasia Istratova and Clay Macfarlane to Principals and Cedric Char and Christian Thatcher to Vice Presidents.

About Fifth Wall

Founded in 2016, Fifth Wall, a Certified B Corporation, is the largest venture capital firm focused on technology for the global real estate industry. With approximately $3.2B in commitments and capital under management, Fifth Wall connects many of the world's largest owners and operators of real estate with the entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of the Built World. Fifth Wall is backed by a global mix of more than 110 strategic Limited Partners from more than 15 countries, including BNP Paribas Real Estate, British Land, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Hilton, Host Hotels & Resorts, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Kimco Realty Corporation, Lennar, Lowe's Home Improvement, Marriott International, MetLife Investment Management, MGM Resorts, Related Companies, Starwood Capital, Toll Brothers, and others. Fifth Wall believes this consortium represents one of the largest groups of potential partners in the global Built World ecosystem, which can result in transformational investments and collaborations with promising portfolio companies as well as decarbonization technologies. For more info about Fifth Wall, its Limited Partners, and portfolio, visit www.fifthwall.com .

SOURCE Fifth Wall
WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Families and educators in the greater Wichita area who have chosen microschooling will gather together to network, share stories, and celebrate learning at the Exploration Place on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Hosted by AIM Educational Collaborative, in partnership with Wichita Innovative Schools and Educators (WISE), the family fun day will bring together more than 400 microschoolers. Besides sharing knowledge with others who have made the same educational choice, parents and students will enjoy exploring museum exhibits, learning about science and technology, and sharing a pizza lunch.

The event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week 2023, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states.

Microschools  creative learning environments where students learn and socialize in small group settings under adult supervision  have risen quickly in popularity in Kansas and nationwide since 2020.

Groups attending the museum meet-up include Apollos Schole Community, Northfield School of Liberal Arts, Loreto Learning, Wildflower Community School, Green Gate Children's School, Guiding Light Academy, Freedom Preparatory School, Bee Curious Learning Collaborative, Go! Homeschool Co-Op, Charity Christian Academy, Co/op 412, and the Izora Elaine Dean Education Center.

"Wichita has a growing number of microschools and innovative education options for families and this event helps raise awareness of these diverse schools and the policies that allow them to thrive," said Dalena Wallace, president of WISE. "Families have many wonderful opportunities when it comes to educating their children and they should be empowered to choose the option that works best for them."

This event is organized by AIM Educational Collaborative, which is dedicated to helping others think outside the box when it comes to education, and Wichita Innovative Schools and Educators (WISE).

Exploration Place, Kansas' premier science center, is located at 300 N. McLean Blvd.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
Acannability Poised to Lead, Educate, and Set Quality Standards

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago-based Acannability is working to create an impact for the cannabis, industrial hemp and CBD industries like a previously iconic campaign. "Got Milk" is one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. It was supported by a dairy cooperative -- a group of small businesses pooling resources to educate and advocate for the dairy industry.

Acannability is the first member-driven direct-to-consumer advertising and advocacy cooperative for the cannabis industry.

The co-op's first campaign launching January 2023 is focused on consumer education featuring these messages around "Why Legal":

Why legal weed? The testing requirements for purity & THC levels

Did you know cannabis comes in many forms?

Healing without the high. When used properly products can provide healing without psychotropic effects

I-Cann. Cannabis seltzers have fewer calories than alcohol and no hangover

U-Cann. It is legal in some states to gift cannabis to adults

We-Cann. Consumers can look for the Acannability seal to assure adherence to cooperative industry standards.

Acannability is led by a proven team with experience launching new regulated products, marketing and proven start-up success.

"Acannability supports all stakeholders in the cannabis and hemp industries, serving as a complement to existing associations and non-profit organizations. Our team has worked in the investment space, corporate operations and grass-roots settings allowing us to provide leadership, mentorship and advocacy at all levels."- Lisa Mann, Co-Founder

Acannability is the go-to, accurate source of information and best practices. We educate consumers, medical professionals and their patients on the uses of cannabis. Our goal is to be the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for the cannabis industry. Members follow a code of ethics including product safety standards meeting or exceeding all national/state safety standards. The cooperative works to establish a trusted, standardized, labeling of ingredients/instructions and or provide online information about dosage, administration, and consumption.

Acannability is for producers, growers, retailers, ancillary businesses, advocacy and patient support groups and trade associations. The co-op provides an inclusive environment for businesses and advocates for the health and wellness of consumers. Current members include: Ocean Tomo, AMPM Hemp Farm, Cannabislaw.com, CLOUT LLC, Progress Retail, Notiphy, Amundsen Davis, CannaCardby CC Technology Corporation and Bigfoot Digital Marketing.

SOURCE Acannability
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Navy sailor Nathan Chandler and his wife, Erica, were preparing to greet their first child when, at just over 35 weeks, they learned that they would need an emergency C-section. This premature birth would make a long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital necessary.

At first, they paid out of pocket to stay at a hotel about 20 minutes from the hospital. They were hoping to take their newborn, Henry, home quickly, but learned that he was sometimes ceasing to breath while feeding or traveling in a car seat.

After they learned they would be staying a little longer, they took the advice of a case worker to use Fisher House Foundation's Hotel for Heroes program.

"I like to think I'm pretty proud, and it sounded like charity, so I refused it in the beginning," Nathan said. "Then I realized this could be a big help. We'd be literally down the street from the hospital, and it would take off one less stressful thing. Especially with having a baby in the NICU, commuting long distances, wife recovering from a C-section. It was pretty stressful."

All the emotions of having a premature baby, recovering from an emergency C-section, and being away from family hit Erica all at once as they switched hotels.

"The hotel we had paid for, we were 20 minutes away," Erica said. "The hotel we got from [Fisher House], we were 30 seconds away. It was amazing. And the staff at the hotel, on day one, I had gotten a room and check-in was at, I think 3, and I called the hotel at noon, crying because I was so tired. And the woman was like, 'Honey, come now. We have a room for you. Just come.' They didn't care that we were early. She even had a nice setup for me in the room with water and snacks."

Erica and Nathan worked together in those tough, early days of caring for a premature baby.

"I think our marriage at that point kind of took a back burner to a degree," Erica said. "And I think that we both just focused on getting our son home. At that point we kind of looked at it as a team and when one person couldn't handle it anymore, we'd switch. Nathan, if he just hit a wall and couldn't do it anymore, then I jump in and I take over. And when I hit that wall, he would jump in and take over."

Henry is sleeping and eating safely now, and the family is enjoying their time at home. They did wish that they could make one change, though.

"Part of me wishes we had learned about Fisher House earlier."

Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 94 comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital they serve. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $547 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages an awards program recognizing programs that support military and veteran communities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses, and children of fallen and disabled veterans.

For more information about Fisher House Foundation, please go to www.fisherhouse.org.

SOURCE Fisher House Foundation
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz has joined 1898 & Co. to help businesses, industries and governments make the most of unprecedented opportunities fueled by federal funding for addressing critical infrastructure needs.

After having led the Kansas Department of Transportation for four years, Julie Lorenz is now a principal consultant at 1898 & Co., the business, technology and cybersecurity consulting arm of Burns & McDonnell.

After having led the Kansas Department of Transportation for four years, Lorenz is now a principal consultant at 1898 & Co., the business and technology consulting arm of Burns & McDonnell, a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture and consulting firm. With more than 25 years of experience, she is recognized as a national leader in policy development, collaboration and scenario planning.

"At 1898 & Co., we bring together a unique blend of business professionals, technologists, engineers and industry specialists, a combination that allows us to better serve our clients and deliver multifaceted solutions," says Chris Underwood, vice president and general manager of 1898 & Co. "Julie will bring her diverse experience and unique perspective to help solve our clients' most complex challenges. She will lead an industry transformation in critical infrastructure, advancing the industry to a more successful future."

As a principal consultant, Lorenz will provide C-suite-level advisory services for the private and public sectors, and will also lead the charge to grow services into other markets. This includes consulting on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) deployment across infrastructure sectors.

While at KDOT, Lorenz launched the Kansas Infrastructure Hub in support of IIJA, created the $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program and led the Kansas Recovery Office, responsible for administering over $1 billion in CARES Act COVID-19 relief funding in six months. In October 2022, Lorenz received the George S. Bartlett Award for leading development of a national vision for transportation, which was unanimously approved by all 52 state and territory departments of transportation.

"Working with the private sector and our KDOT team, I helped rebuild aged infrastructure and modernize how we deliver transportation," Lorenz says. "Kansas is now positioned to better seize opportunities and meet challenges today and in the future. Solutions need to work in the real world, not just exist on the drawing board. I look forward to moving vision to action for our critical infrastructure clients."

Prior to her role with KDOT, Lorenz worked as a senior strategic consultant for Burns & McDonnell on transportation projects at the local, regional and national levels. Before that she served for eight years as KDOT's director of public affairs.

During her career Lorenz has led research for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) on topics such as long-term and emerging trends in transportation and how to create and sustain a culture of innovation for state departments of transportation. She just completed her appointments on the executive committee of the TRB and is chairing the Council on Aviation for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. She is president of the Mid-America Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Lorenz is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where she earned a Master of Arts in organizational psychology, and Drury University, where she earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and business administration.

For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT.

About 1898 & Co.

1898 & Co. is a business, technology and cybersecurity consulting firm serving the industries that keep our world in motion. As part of Burns & McDonnell, our consultants leverage global experience in critical infrastructure assets to innovate practical solutions grounded in your operational realities. For more information, visit 1898andCo.com.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 10,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, and more to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 60 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn how we are designed to build.

Contact: Mary Young, Burns & McDonnell

816-809-2677

[email protected]

SOURCE 1898 & Co.; Burns & McDonnell
Capriotti's Fans Can Get their Hands on Award-Winning Sandwiches in McKinney

MCKINNEY, Texas, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Capriotti's Sandwich Shop debuted its latest franchised location in America's fifth fastest-growing city at 3194 West University Drive on January 18. Capriotti's is an award-winning national franchised restaurant chain that remains true to its 47-year tradition of slow-roasting all-natural Butterball turkeys in house each day. Capriotti's prepares their homemade subs on its signature bakery-fresh bread using the highest-quality ingredients including American Wagyu beef, genuine Italian meats, and, for our vegetarian diners, Impossible's plant-based meat. This unwavering attention to quality and authenticity has earned the franchise numerous accolades including being named one of the "10 Great Places for a Surprising Sandwich" by USA Today.

The McKinney Capriotti's will bring over thirty jobs to the North Texas area. It is owned and operated by local Texans: Stan Carver II, Kirk Coleman, Neil C. Hopkins, and veteran Mike Mixson. While visiting his daughter who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas  headquarters of Capriotti's  Carver discovered a unique sandwich place  Capriotti's. The flavorful sandwiches left an unforgettable impression on him, and, as he was already contemplating a career move, decided to bring the infamous Capriotti's brand to the state of Texas. Intrigued by the idea, Carver's friends banded with him to make Capriotti's in Texas a reality.

"We are thrilled to be opening our first brick and mortar Capriotti's location in McKinney," said Stan Carver. "This is one of many Capriotti's locations we plan to open in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We look forward to serving these delicious sandwiches to our fellow Texans."

This location, referred to by its owners as "McKinney West," offers a variety of purchasing options via in-house and online ordering for dine-in, carry-out, curbside, or delivery. Purchases can also be made using popular third-party delivery services like DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEATS. Catering is available for events from small get-togethers to large corporate events.

No matter which option of ordering is chosen, the sandwiches, soups, and salads will satisfy your tastebuds. The Bobbie will give a Thanksgiving meal in every bite; the Capastrami a delectable taste of pastrami, coleslaw and Russian dressing; the most popular menu items are the cheese steaks with a choice of American Wagyu beef, Impossible plant-based meat, or chicken. Accompanying these sandwiches are choices of crisp salads, soul-warming soups, and, especially for Texans, steak fries!

Capriotti's is open from 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. Monday-Sunday, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. For additional information, visit www.capriottis.com or call the location at (972) 521-9944.

About Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is an award-winning national franchised restaurant chain that remains true to its 47-year tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house every day. Capriotti's fresh ingredients, homemade subs, and unique menu items have won numerous accolades including being named one of the "10 Great Places for a Surprising Sandwich" by USA Today and many "Best of" awards across the country. Capriotti's cold, grilled and vegetarian subs, cheese steaks, and salads are available at more than 170 locations across the U.S. Capriotti's signature sub, The Bobbie, was voted "The Greatest Sandwich in America" by thousands of readers across the country and reported by AOL.com. Capriotti's fans can also download the CAPAddicts Rewards app for iOS and Android, where they can earn and redeem rewards. For more information, visit capriottis.com. Like Capriotti's on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

About 3 Strand Restaurants

Headquartered in Anna, Texas, 3 Strand Restaurants is known for bringing the revitalized Capriotti's and Wing Zone brands to Texas. Our goal is to provide award-winning food prepared by our enthusiastic operations team to our loyal customers. 3 Strand is actively opening locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more information, visit 3strand.co.

3 Strand is grateful to have Lamar National Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank as such solid financial partners in bringing Capriotti's Sandwich Shop franchise to Dallas Metroplex. For more information, visit lamarnationalbank.com and fhlb.com.

Media Contact: Regan Lee, Fishman PR | [email protected] | 847-945-1300

SOURCE Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio, the global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market size is estimated to grow by USD 3,230.96 million from 2022 to 2027. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.05% during the forecast period. Moreover, the growth momentum will accelerate. APAC will account for 42% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels and provides an analysis of the latest trends and growth opportunities from 2017 to 2027, For more insights, Request a sample report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Ultraviolet Sensor Market 2023-2027

Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market - Five forces

The global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market is fragmented, and the five forces analysis covers

Bargaining power of buyers

The threat of new entrants

Threat of rivalry

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of substitutes

For an interpretation of Porter's five forces model  buy the report!

Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market  Customer landscape

The report includes the market's adoption lifecycle, from the innovator's stage to the laggard's stage. It focuses on adoption rates in different regions based on penetration. Furthermore, the report also includes key purchase criteria and drivers of price sensitivity to help companies evaluate and develop their growth strategies.

Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market - Segmentation assessment

Segment overview

Technavio has segmented the market based on type (UV phototubes, light sensors, and UV spectrum sensors) and end-user (Industrial, automotive, medical, consumer electronics, and others).

The UV phototubes segment will grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. UV phototubes are radiation-sensitive sensors that are used for tracking UV water, UV air, and solar irradiance treatments. Some of the characteristics of phototubes are high sensitivity, temperature stability, broad dynamic range, sizable photosensitive area, and low-voltage operation. They are used extensively in processes such as chemical and medical analysis as well as laser measurement. Thus, the increasing demand for UV phototubes in the chemical and medical analysis is expected to fuel the growth of the segment during the forecast period.

Geography overview

Based on geography, the global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market is segmented into APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market.

APAC is estimated to account for 42% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The growth of the market is attributed to factors such as the increase in the demand for UV sensors from the regional automotive, consumer electronics, and industrial sectors. China , which is a major producer of automobiles, significantly contributes to the growth of the UV sensor market in the region.

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Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market  Market dynamics

Key factor driving market growth

The increasing investments in the global smartphone market are driving the growth of the market.

are driving the growth of the market. Major smartphone vendors are investing in manufacturing facilities across the world.

The vendors are competing with each other to expand their market shares in developing countries such as India , South Africa , and Brazil . For instance, in January 2020 , Samsung announced that it would invest USD 500 million in setting up a smartphone display manufacturing plant on the outskirts of New Delhi, India .

, , and . For instance, in , Samsung announced that it would invest in setting up a smartphone display manufacturing plant on the outskirts of . Therefore, the increasing investments in the smartphone market by various vendors are expected to fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Leading trends influencing the market

The use of UV sensors in wearables is a key trend in the market.

is a key trend in the market. Wearable devices include smartwatches, smart glasses, smart fabrics, heart rate monitors, and fitness-tracking gadgets.

UV exposure on the body can be tracked using a smartphone or any other device.

UV sensors help in preventing sunburns and skin blemishes by issuing alerts when UV levels go beyond the danger limits.

These factors will support the market growth during the forecast period.

Major challenges hindering market growth

The calibration and standardization issues of UV sensors are challenging the market's growth.

are challenging the market's growth. Developers are facing challenges in optimizing the performance of UV sensors for current and new applications.

For example, there are challenges related to leakage in the detector cell in the UV sensor attached to the liquid chromatography (LC) system. It is caused by the temperature difference within and outside the cell when UV light passes through it.

Some of the UV light is absorbed, and a photodiode measures this absorbance by a change in the intensity of light passing through the cell.

Such factors will hamper market growth during the forecast period.

Drivers, trends, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report!

What are the key data covered in this Ultraviolet (UV) Sensor Market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the ultraviolet (UV) sensor market between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the size of the ultraviolet (UV) sensor market and its contribution to the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the ultraviolet (UV) sensor market across APAC, North America , Europe , South America , and Middle East and Africa

, , , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of ultraviolet (UV) sensor market vendors

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Related Reports:

The ultraviolet stabilizers market is expected to grow by USD 321.19 million during 2021-2026, accelerating at a CAGR of 6.40% during the forecast period. This report extensively covers market segmentation by type, application, and geography.

The UV lamp market size is expected to increase by USD 2.31 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 20.05%. This report extensively covers the UV lamp market segmentation by product type, application, and geography.

Ultraviolet (UV) Sensor Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 175 Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.05% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 3,230.96 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 16.63 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 42% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading vendors, market positioning of vendors, competitive strategies, and industry risks Key companies profiled Adafruit Industries LLC, Apogee Instruments Inc., Balluff GmbH, Broadcom Inc., Davis Instruments Corp., GaNo Optoelectronics Inc., Genicom Co. Ltd., LAPIS Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Panasonic Holdings Corp., sglux GmbH, Silicon Laboratories Inc., Skye Instruments Ltd., Solar Light Co. Inc., STMicroelectronics NV, TRI-TRONICS, UV-Technik Speziallampen GmbH, Vernier Software and Technology LLC, Xylem Inc., ZED Ziegler Electronic Devices GmbH, and Vishay Intertechnology Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and 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.

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Table of contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global ultraviolet (UV) sensor market 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.2 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Type

6.3 UV phototubes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on UV phototubes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on UV phototubes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 36: Chart on UV phototubes - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on UV phototubes - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Light sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Light sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Light sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Light sensors - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Light sensors - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 UV spectrum sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 42: Chart on UV spectrum sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on UV spectrum sensors - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on UV spectrum sensors - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on UV spectrum sensors - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 46: Market opportunity by Type ($ million)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 47: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 49: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Industrial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Industrial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Automotive - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Automotive - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Automotive - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Automotive - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Automotive - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Medical - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Medical - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Medical - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Medical - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Medical - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 63: Chart on Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Consumer electronics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Consumer electronics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 67: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 69: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.8 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 71: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 72: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 73: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 74: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 75: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 76: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 77: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 78: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 79: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 80: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 87: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 91: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 97: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 98: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 99: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 100: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 101: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 103: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 104: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 105: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 106: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 107: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 108: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 109: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 110: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 111: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 112: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 113: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 114: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 115: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 116: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 117: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 118: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 119: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 120: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 121: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 122: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 123: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Adafruit Industries LLC

Exhibit 124: Adafruit Industries LLC - Overview



Exhibit 125: Adafruit Industries LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 126: Adafruit Industries LLC - Key offerings

12.4 Apogee Instruments Inc.

Exhibit 127: Apogee Instruments Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 128: Apogee Instruments Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 129: Apogee Instruments Inc. - Key offerings

12.5 Balluff GmbH

Exhibit 130: Balluff GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 131: Balluff GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 132: Balluff GmbH - Key offerings

12.6 Broadcom Inc.

Exhibit 133: Broadcom Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 134: Broadcom Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 135: Broadcom Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 136: Broadcom Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 137: Broadcom Inc. - Segment focus

12.7 Davis Instruments Corp.

Exhibit 138: Davis Instruments Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 139: Davis Instruments Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 140: Davis Instruments Corp. - Key offerings

12.8 GaNo Optoelectronics Inc.

Exhibit 141: GaNo Optoelectronics Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 142: GaNo Optoelectronics Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 143: GaNo Optoelectronics Inc. - Key offerings

12.9 Genicom Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 144: Genicom Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 145: Genicom Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 146: Genicom Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.10 LAPIS Semiconductor Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 147: LAPIS Semiconductor Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 148: LAPIS Semiconductor Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 149: LAPIS Semiconductor Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.11 Panasonic Holdings Corp.

Exhibit 150: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 151: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 152: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 153: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 154: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Segment focus

12.12 Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Exhibit 155: Silicon Laboratories Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 156: Silicon Laboratories Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 157: Silicon Laboratories Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 158: Silicon Laboratories Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 159: Silicon Laboratories Inc. - Segment focus

12.13 Skye Instruments Ltd.

Exhibit 160: Skye Instruments Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 161: Skye Instruments Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 162: Skye Instruments Ltd. - Key offerings

12.14 Solar Light Co. Inc.

Exhibit 163: Solar Light Co. Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 164: Solar Light Co. Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 165: Solar Light Co. Inc. - Key offerings

12.15 STMicroelectronics NV

Exhibit 166: STMicroelectronics NV - Overview



Exhibit 167: STMicroelectronics NV - Business segments



Exhibit 168: STMicroelectronics NV - Key news



Exhibit 169: STMicroelectronics NV - Key offerings



Exhibit 170: STMicroelectronics NV - Segment focus

12.16 Vernier Software and Technology LLC

Exhibit 171: Vernier Software and Technology LLC - Overview



Exhibit 172: Vernier Software and Technology LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 173: Vernier Software and Technology LLC - Key offerings

12.17 Vishay Intertechnology Inc.

Exhibit 174: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 175: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 176: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 177: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 178: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 179: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 180: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 181: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 182: Research methodology



Exhibit 183: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 184: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 185: 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.

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Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio, the global marine electronics market size is estimated to grow by USD 1765.93 million from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.64% during the forecast period. The report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels and provides an analysis of the latest trends and growth opportunities from 2017 to 2027, For more Insights on market size Request a sample report

Global Marine Electronics Market - Five Forces

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Marine Electronics Market 2023-2027

The global marine electronics market is fragmented, and the five forces analysis covers

Bargaining Power of Buyers

The threat of New Entrants

Threat of Rivalry

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Threat of Substitutes

Interpretation of porter's five models helps to strategize the business, for entire details  buy the report!

Global marine electronics market  Customer landscape

The report includes the market's adoption lifecycle, from the innovator's stage to the laggard's stage. It focuses on adoption rates in different regions based on penetration. Furthermore, the report also includes key purchase criteria and drivers of price sensitivity to help companies evaluate and develop their growth strategies.

Global marine electronics market - Segmentation assessment

Segment overview

Technavio has segmented the market based on components (hardware and software), products (sonar systems, radars, and GPS tracking devices), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

The market share growth of the hardware segment will be higher than the other segments during the forecast period. The market segment is expanding due to the military's expanding naval presence, which is brought on by the acquisition of new ships and submarines as well as maintenance and upgrade initiatives for current navy vessels. Additionally, increased marine trade, oil and gas development, dredging, and fishing operations will drive market growth.

Geography overview

By geography, the global marine electronics market is segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global marine electronics market.

North America will account for 43% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The US Navy has invested heavily in sonar devices to combat invisible threats in the water. As a result, the increasing demand from the US for research and defense-related applications promotes the expansion of the North American marine electronics market.

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Global marine electronics market  Market dynamics

Key factor driving market growth

The increase in the adoption of GPS systems is notably driving the market growth.

GPS systems that rely on satellite transmission are extremely reliable and efficient. They aid in determining ship position and location. Marine vessels use GPS devices to determine which path to take and which directions to avoid. GPS systems connect many devices and deliver precise information and details.

Furthermore, the growing focus on improving marine transportation safety and the rise in seaborne trade will drive the market during the forecast period.

Leading trends influencing the market

The growing use of passive radars is an emerging trend in the market.

Passive radar is important for military operations and is positioned in distant areas to track flying objects at low altitudes. The development of radars is in great demand worldwide as militaries place a greater emphasis on creating stealthy platforms.

Furthermore, the developments in SAS technology and the increasing deployment of UUVs will further drive the market during the forecast period.

Major challenges hindering the market growth

The high cost associated with sonar systems is a major challenge impeding the market.

The development of sonar modules is hampered by the significantly higher average selling prices and significant R&D expenditures of sonar systems used in defense applications.

This is to ensure that sonar system manufacturers can customize their products to suit the needs of their clients. Vendors must also continuously upgrade sonar equipment with the newest technology to provide acoustic superiority at a reasonable price. Therefore, factors like these will hinder market growth.

Driver, Trend & Challenges are the factor of market dynamics which states about consequences & sustainability of the businesses, find some insights from a sample report!

What are the key data covered in this marine electronics market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the marine electronics market between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the size of the marine electronics market and its contribution to the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the marine electronics market across North America , APAC, Europe , South America , and Middle East and Africa

, APAC, , , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of marine electronics market vendors

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Marine Electronics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 167 Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.64% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 1765.93 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.38 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 43% Key countries US, Canada, China, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Adrie Marine Electronics Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Elcome International LLC, Furuno Electric Co. Ltd., Garmin Ltd, Icom America Inc., Japan Radio Co. Ltd., Johnson Outdoors Inc., Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Kraken Robotics Inc., Marine Electronics, Navico, Neptune Sonar Ltd., Northrop Grumman Corp., R2SONIC Inc., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Sound Metrics Corp., SRT Marine Systems Plc, Teledyne Technologies Inc., thyssenkrupp AG, and Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc Market dynamics Parent Market Analysis; Market growth inducers and obstacles; Fast-growing and slow-growing segment 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.

Browse for Technavio "Information Technology" Research Reports

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Component



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global marine electronics market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global marine electronics market 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.2 Component Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Component Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.3 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Component

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Component - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Component - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Component

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Component



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Component

6.3 Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Hardware - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Hardware - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Software - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Software - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Component

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Component ($ million)

7 Market Segmentation by Product

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by Product

7.3 Sonar systems - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Sonar systems - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Sonar systems - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Sonar systems - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Sonar systems - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Radars - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Radars - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Radars - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Radars - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Radars - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 GPS tracking devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on GPS tracking devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on GPS tracking devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 57: Chart on GPS tracking devices - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on GPS tracking devices - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 59: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 60: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 61: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 63: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 65: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 66: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 68: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 69: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 71: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 72: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 85: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 86: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 87: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 88: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 91: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 97: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 99: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 101: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 103: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 104: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 105: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 106: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 107: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 108: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 109: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 110: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 111: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Elcome International LLC

Exhibit 112: Elcome International LLC - Overview



Exhibit 113: Elcome International LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 114: Elcome International LLC - Key offerings

12.4 Furuno Electric Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 115: Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 116: Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 117: Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 118: Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 119: Furuno Electric Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.5 Garmin Ltd

Exhibit 120: Garmin Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 121: Garmin Ltd - Business segments



Exhibit 122: Garmin Ltd - Key offerings



Exhibit 123: Garmin Ltd - Segment focus

12.6 Icom America Inc.

Exhibit 124: Icom America Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 125: Icom America Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 126: Icom America Inc. - Key offerings

12.7 Japan Radio Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 127: Japan Radio Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 128: Japan Radio Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 129: Japan Radio Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.8 Johnson Outdoors Inc.

Exhibit 130: Johnson Outdoors Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Johnson Outdoors Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 132: Johnson Outdoors Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 133: Johnson Outdoors Inc. - Segment focus

12.9 Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

Exhibit 134: Kongsberg Gruppen ASA - Overview



Exhibit 135: Kongsberg Gruppen ASA - Business segments



Exhibit 136: Kongsberg Gruppen ASA - Key news



Exhibit 137: Kongsberg Gruppen ASA - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: Kongsberg Gruppen ASA - Segment focus

12.10 Kraken Robotics Inc.

Exhibit 139: Kraken Robotics Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 140: Kraken Robotics Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: Kraken Robotics Inc. - Key offerings

12.11 Navico

Exhibit 142: Navico - Overview



Exhibit 143: Navico - Product / Service



Exhibit 144: Navico - Key offerings

12.12 Neptune Sonar Ltd.

Exhibit 145: Neptune Sonar Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 146: Neptune Sonar Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 147: Neptune Sonar Ltd. - Key offerings

12.13 Northrop Grumman Corp.

Exhibit 148: Northrop Grumman Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 149: Northrop Grumman Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 150: Northrop Grumman Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 151: Northrop Grumman Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 152: Northrop Grumman Corp. - Segment focus

12.14 Raytheon Technologies Corp.

Exhibit 153: Raytheon Technologies Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 154: Raytheon Technologies Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 155: Raytheon Technologies Corp. - Key offerings

12.15 Teledyne Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 156: Teledyne Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 157: Teledyne Technologies Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 158: Teledyne Technologies Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 159: Teledyne Technologies Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 160: Teledyne Technologies Inc. - Segment focus

12.16 thyssenkrupp AG

Exhibit 161: thyssenkrupp AG - Overview



Exhibit 162: thyssenkrupp AG - Business segments



Exhibit 163: thyssenkrupp AG - Key news



Exhibit 164: thyssenkrupp AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 165: thyssenkrupp AG - Segment focus

12.17 Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc

Exhibit 166: Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc - Overview



Exhibit 167: Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 168: Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 169: Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 170: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 171: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 172: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 173: Research methodology



Exhibit 174: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 175: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 176: List of abbreviations

About Us

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SOURCE Technavio
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global bleeding disorders treatment market size reached US$ 13.28 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is set to reach US$ 19.22 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.36% during 2021-2027.



Bleeding disorders involve hemophilia A and B, Von Willebrand disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and deficiencies of vitamin K and factors II, V, VII, X, and XII. They are a class of conditions that disrupt the blood clotting process in an individual. They can also lead to heavy and prolonged bleeding after an injury.

They have symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding, easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, excessive bleeding from minor cuts, and joint bleeding. They are diagnosed through blood tests of complete blood count (CBC), platelet aggregation, and bleeding time. Their treatment comprises medications, including adrenochrome monosemicarbazone, retinal hemorrhage, epistaxis, aminocaproic acid, aprotinin, and iron supplements.

These medications can aid in minimizing specific symptoms and prolonging the life of patients. Bleeding disorders treatment also includes blood transfusion, replacement therapy, and injections of a clotting factor and plasma.

Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Trends:

The increasing prevalence of bleeding disorders among the masses and the rising geriatric population, which is more susceptible to these medical conditions, are among the key factors driving the market around the world.

Moreover, the growing adoption of health insurance policies that provide financial assistance for bleeding disorders treatment and reduce healthcare expenses is influencing the market positively.

In addition, governing agencies of numerous countries are generating awareness about blood and plasma donation. They are also undertaking initiatives to promote blood donation camps. Apart from this, the increasing awareness about the availability of effective treatment alternatives is creating a positive outlook for the market.

Furthermore, research and development (R&D) activities and considerable improvements in the healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic technologies are expected to provide a favorable outlook to the market.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global bleeding disorders treatment market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global bleeding disorders treatment 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 drug class?

What is the breakup of the market based on the distribution channel?

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 bleeding disorders treatment market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being

AbbVie Inc

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Bayer AG

CSL Behring (CSL Limited)

Grifols S.A.

Johnson & Johnson

Novo Nordisk A/S

Octapharma AG

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi S.A.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Wellona Pharma.

Key Market Segmentation:

Breakup by Type:

Hemophilia A

Hemophilia B

Von Willebrand Disease

Others

Breakup by Drug Class:

Plasma-derived Coagulation Factor Concentrates

Factor VIII

Factor IX

Factor for Von Willebrand Disease

Activated Prothrombin Complex Concentrate

Recombinant Coagulation Factor Concentrates

Factor VIII

Factor for Von Willebrand Disease

Factor IX

Desmopressin

Antifibrinolytics

Fibrin Sealants

Others

Breakup by Distribution Channel:

Hospital Pharmacies

Retail Pharmacies

Online Stores

Breakup by End User:

Hospitals

Clinics

Academic and Research Institutes

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/85wdys

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Calibration Services Markets Strategies and Trends With Forecasts by Type of Calibration, By Industry and By Country" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A growing market. Key growth drivers. An industry protected from economic cycles. An industry-driven forward by increasing global regulations and security.

The report doesn't just look at market size. It examines key operational principles and industry best practices provided by industry veterans. Look at acquisition and divestiture opportunities. Revise pricing and service terms. Develop new service packaging and offerings. Consider integrated marketing programs.

The future of the calibration services industry is explored with detailed market forecasts and strategic analysis. Worldwide Metropolitan Market sizes are included in every report. This latest edition of the industry-standard report provides valuable information and insight.

Key Features

29 companies are profiled in this report.

All report data is available in Excel format on request.

Make investment decisions and valuations with confidence using the latest data.

The report includes five-year market forecasts.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Market Guides

1.1 Calibration Services Market - Strategic Situation Analysis & COVID Impact

1.2 Guide for Executives, Marketing, Sales, and Business Development Staff

1.3 Guide for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors



2. Introduction and Market Definition

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Market Definition

2.3 Important Role of Metrology Institutes



3. Market Overview

3.1 Manufacturer Practices

3.1.1 Difference Between Manufacturer and other Vendors

3.1.2 Difference Between Electronic and Mechanical Segments

3.2 Accreditation

3.2.1 Accreditation Recognition

3.2.2 Two-Tiered Accreditation Standard

3.3 Segments and Capability

3.3.1 An Overview of Segmentation Practice

3.3.2 Segmentation by Company Size

3.3.3 On-site Service as a Segment

3.4 Industry Structure and Participants

3.4.1 The International System of Measurement - A Primer

3.4.2 Current Industry Participants

3.4.3 Industry Structure

3.5 Geographic Influences

3.5.1 Geographic Preference

3.5.2 Implications for Laboratory Management

3.5.3 Growing Demand for On-Site Service



4 . Market Trends

4.1 Factors Driving Growth

4.1.1 Impact of Climate Change

4.2 Factors Inhibiting Growth

4.2.1 Laboratory Automation

4.2.2 Quality Movement Maturity

4.2.3 Measurement Technology

4.2.4 Economic Uncertainty

4.2.5 Equipment Lifecycles

4.2.6 Reliability/Disposability

4.2.7 Recalibrate Versus Replace

4.3 The Changing Role of the Manufacturer

4.3.1 The Position of Trust

4.3.2 Customers Have an Equipment Management Need

4.3.3 Effect on Repair Demand

4.3.4 Manufacturer's Rethink Service and Support

4.4 Services Packaging

4.4.1 Services Packaging Today and Tomorrow

4.4.2 Reduced Services Play a Role

4.4.3 Basic Calibration Changes

4.4.4 The Role of Online Value Added Services

4.4.5 Change in Demand for Accreditation

4.4.6 Pricing for On-Site to Change

4.4.7 Contract Agreements to Change

4.5 Technology Development

4.5.1 Three Important Technology Developments

4.5.2 Calibration Services Look to Installed Base

4.5.3 Calibration Intervals Change

4.5.4 Impact of Self Calibration



5. Pricing and Business Development

5.1 Calibration Service Pricing and Plans

5.1.1 Variable Factors in a Calibration Service

5.1.2 Fee-Based Pricing

5.1.3 Approaches to Pricing

5.1.4 Pricing and Geography

5.1.5 Surcharges

5.1.6 Limited Calibration

5.1.7 Volume Discounts

5.1.8 Mobile Pricing

5.1.9 Service Plans

5.1.10 Asset Management

5.1.11 Customer Commitment

5.1.12 Personnel Rental

5.2 Promotion

5.2.1 Sales Promotion Practice

5.2.2 A Calibration Services Marketing System

5.2.3 Services Marketing Program Tools

5.2.4 Company Website and Marketing Strategy

5.3 Customer Service

5.3.1 Customer Service Measurement

5.3.2 Teamwork in Customer Service

5.3.3 The Role of Leadership

5.4 Merger and Acquisition

5.4.1 Economies of Scale

5.4.2 Caveats and Factors Unfavourable to Merger Activity

5.5 Competition



6. Industry Segmentation Analysis

6.1 Aerospace/Defense

6.2 Agriculture and Food Production

6.3 Automotive

6.4 Biomedical/Pharmaceutical

6.5 Communication

6.6 General Manufacturing

6.7 High Technology

6.8 Material Production

6.9 Other



7. Recent Market Activity

7.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section

7.1.1 Importance of These Developments

7.1.2 How to Use This Section

7.1.3 Trescal Launches Its Single Source Calibration Solution

7.1.4 Pipette.com Adds New Capability

7.1.5 Calibration Technology Ltd Expands Operations

7.1.6 Transcat Expands Reach with Acquisition of Tangent Labs

7.1.7 NMI acquires Young Calibration

7.1.8 Summit Testing and Calibration Laboratory receives BAB certifications

7.1.9 Kaye Earns Accreditation in China Lab

7.1.10 Autel US Expands ADAS Calibration Coverage

7.1.11 New Chairman of the Board at Transcat, Inc.

7.1.12 Vision Engineering's Cal Lab Attains ISO 17025:2017

7.1.13 NMI Metrology is Expanding Calibration Services across Nigeria

7.1.14 Mitutoyo America Corporation Introduces New Processor Package with Profile Projector

7.1.15 Transcat Acquires TTE Laboratories, Inc.

7.1.16 Michigan State Police launch investigation of breathalyzer calibration

7.1.17 Transcat, Inc. Acquires Calibration Software Company

7.1.18 Endress+Hauser builds new Calibration Laboratory

7.1.19 Transcat acquires Infinite Integral Solutions Inc.

7.1.20 Keysight opens new calibration facility

7.1.21 Transcat Acquires Gauge Repair Service

7.1.22 Trescal Announces 3 Aquisitions

7.1.23 Newbow Aerospace Expands Calibration Laboratory

7.1.24 Trescal Acquires Diamond Technical and Acteam

7.1.25 Boonton Electronics and Noisecom Receive ISO 17025:2017 Accreditation

7.1.26 Transcat Acquires Angel's Instrumentation Inc.

7.1.27 Trescal and Stahlwille UK sign partnership agreement

7.1.28 Laboratory Testing Inc. Acquires TAC Technical Instrument

7.1.29 Trescal Acquires Metriccontrol

7.1.30 Keysight Technologies Acquires Thales Calibration Services

7.1.31 Transcat Acquires NBS Calibrations



8. Key Players

8.1 ABB

8.2 Ametek

8.3 Beamex

8.4 Bruel & Kjaer

8.5 Consumers Energy

8.6 e2b calibration Calibration Services Markets

8.7 Emerson

8.8 Endress & Hauser

8.9 ESSCO Calibration Laboratory

8.10 Fluke

8.11 GE Kaye

8.12 Innocal (Cole Parmer)

8.13 Instron

8.14 J. A. King

8.15 Keysight Technologies

8.16 Lockheed Martin

8.17 Mettler-Toledo/Troemner

8.18 Micro Precision Calibration

8.19 Optical Test and Calibration

8.20 Rhode & Schwarz

8.21 SGS

8.22 Siemens

8.23 Simco

8.24 Technical Maintenance Inc.

8.25 Tektronix

8.26 Teseq

8.27 Tradinco Instruments

8.28 Transcat

8.29 Trescal



9. The Global Market for Calibration Services

9.1 Calibration - Global Market Overview by Country

9.2 Calibration - Global Market Overview by Type

9.3 Calibration - Global Market Overview by Industry



10. Global Calibration Markets - By Type of Calibration

10.1 Electrical Calibration

10.2 Dimensional Calibration

10.3 Mechanical Calibration

10.4 Thermal Calibration

10.5 Other Calibration



11. Global Calibration Markets - By Industry

11.1 Calibration Market Aerospace & Defence

11.2 Calibration Market Agro & Biomedical

11.3 Calibration Market Electronic & Communications

11.4 Calibration Market Industry & Manufacturing Calibration Services Markets

11.5 Calibration Market Other Industry



12 Market Sizes and Forecasts World Metropolitan Areas

12.1 World Metropolitan Areas Datatable. 2022 Market Size Forecasts

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cak8do

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Prescription Drugs Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global prescription drug market is estimated to augment at a CAGR of 4.98% increasing from USD969.305 billion in 2020 to USD1,361.905 billion by the end of 2027.



Growing global pharmaceutical spending will have a significant impact on fueling the market growth during the forecast period. One of the main drivers is the high cost of speciality medicines and the growing use of medical treatments. The prevalence of rare disorders is further propelling the market demand during the forecast period.

The increasing number of chronic diseases worldwide is further continuing to increase the sales of prescription drugs in the forecast period. The growing number of cancer incidences worldwide is driving the market growth during the forecast period. The novel coronavirus pandemic scenario has had a positive impact on fueling the market growth in 2020.

It is, however, at a lower growth rate than the previous year. The market for prescription drugs will further proliferate with the research and development investments among companies for the manufacturing of innovative drugs. Hence, the presence of pipeline drugs indicates that a greater number of drugs are capable of gaining commercialization in the near future, further providing an opportunity for the market to thrive during the forecast period.

Furthermore, the growing number of elderly individuals worldwide has significantly raised market growth prospects in the forecast period. The developed regions of the world, particularly, North America, are projected to hold a significant market share in the global prescription drug market.

On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific region is regarded as one of the fastest-growing, owing to the prevalence of a large population base in need of treatment. In addition, significant investments in improving healthcare infrastructure with better health facilities are further providing an opportunity for the market to grow during the forecast period.



The use of generics as prescription medicines and companies offering generic drugs are further providing an impetus to propel the market growth in the forecast period. One of the leaders in generics, Teva Pharmaceuticals states that in the United States of America, the company is the pioneer in generic pharmaceuticals. In the US, one out of every nine drugs prescribed is filled by Teva products.

In the United Kingdom, it is observed that one out of six individuals is prescribed Teva generics. Additionally, other companies manufacturing prescription medicines utilize Teva pharmaceutical's active pharma ingredients. One of the benefits provided by generic medicines includes that they are quite affordable for patients in comparison to branded drugs.

It is noticed on a wide scale that generic medicines, on average, cost between 80 and 85% less than branded drugs. In the USA, generic medicines account for around 90% of the total prescribed medicines. It is estimated to hold approximately 78% of the market in Germany. The growing chronic diseases worldwide are propagating the market growth in the forecast period.



It has been observed on a wide scale that there is a significant rise in the global chronic disease burden. One of the major reasons includes growing urbanization and the adoption of unhealthy living conditions. Also, the growing geriatric population worldwide is contributing to the growth of age-associated diseases, further augmenting the chronic disease growth and further fueling the market growth in the forecast period.

Diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes are some chronic diseases. The rising incidences of cancer are further providing an impetus, fueling the market growth in the forecast period. As per the World Health Organization, 2018, information, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. In 2018, it was responsible for 9.6 million deaths. Also, around one in six deaths in the world occurs due to cancer. The most common cancers include lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and stomach cancer. The total number of new cases in 2018 has grown to 18.1 million.



According to the organization's global analysis, Europe accounted for 23.4% of the global total number of cancer cases in 2018. While it was responsible for 20.3% of all cancer deaths worldwide, The Americas accounted for 21% of global cancer incidence while accounting for 14.4% of global cancer mortality. . Asia accounted for 48.4% of global cancer incidences, while, it held a share of 57.3% in global cancer deaths. Africa held a share of 5.8% in the global cancer incident cases, while it accounted for 7.3% of the global cancer deaths.



The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is further contributing to the sales of prescription drugs, fueling the market growth in the forecast period. As per the CDC, cardiovascular diseases, comprising disorders of the heart and blood vessels, are ranked as the number one cause of death and disability globally.

The major risk factors for this disease include high blood pressure or hypertension, which are attributed to causing a predicted 10 million deaths globally every year. Several initiatives, such as the Global Hearts Initiative, are being taken for the improvement of the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. This is for the reduction of premature deaths occurring from heart diseases.

Covid-19 Impact:



Covid-19 pandemic has positively impacted the overall market growth owing to the increased approvals of speciality medications, increasing R&D investments by key players and growing demand for effective immunity-building drugs across the globe. COVID-19 increased the revenue generation opportunity for players in the global prescription drugs market.

The companies across the globe are getting into collaborations and mergers with the various research institutes and manufacturers is another key factor which has contributed to the overall market growth in 2020. There was a high demand for various prescription drugs to fight against infectious diseases, diabetes, influenza etc. during and after the pandemic.



Key Developments:



Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. has launched a new generic drug, Mycophenolic acid delayed-release tablets which are used to prevent organ rejection in kidney transplants in the United States .

. Dr Reddy's lab ltd. has announced the launch of the generic equivalent of Geodon injection. The drug is launched for the treatment of schizophrenia patients.

Company Profiles

Novartis AG

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc.

AbbVie Inc.

GlaxoSmithKline plc.

AstraZeneca

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Amgen Inc.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Novo Nordisk A/S

Bayer AG

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Eli Lilly and Company

Allergan

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Segmentation:





By Type

Generics

Orphan Drugs

By Application

Diabetics

Oncology

Cardiovascular Diseases

Autoimmune Diseases

By Distribution Channel

Hospital Pharmacy

Drug Stores & Retail Pharmacy

Online Pharmacy

By Geography

North America

USA

Canada

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Middle East and Africa

and UAE

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Asia Pacific

Japan

China

India

Australia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6ryvg6

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Process Instrumentation Market (2022-2027) by Technology, Type of Instruments, Communication Protocol, End-User, and Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Process Instrumentation Market is estimated to be USD 22.56 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 28.81 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.01%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Process Instrumentation Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors.

There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding growth and reducing risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Yokogawa Electric Corp., Siemens AG, Endress+Hauser Group Services AG, ABB ltd, Emerson Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Schneider Electric, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., GE Measurement & Control Solutions, HK Instruments, OJ Electronics A/S, S+S Regaltechnick, Carel Industries S.p.A., etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Process Instrumentation Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as the Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Process Instrumentation Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Process Instrumentation Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains a competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Need for Efficient Energy

4.1.2 Increase in Demand in Various Industries

4.1.3 Increasing Labor Cost with Modernization and Migration Services

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Limited Availability of Skilled Professionals

4.2.2 Stagnant Growth in Developed Markets

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Growing Demand for the Multi-Variable Pressure Transmitter

4.3.2 Potential in Emerging Economies

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Evolving Cyber Security Threats



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis

5.5 PESTLE Analysis



6 Global Process Instrumentation Market, By Technology

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Distributed Control System (DCS)

6.3 Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

6.4 Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

6.5 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)



7 Global Process Instrumentation Market, By Type of Instruments

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Analyzer

7.2.1 Conductivity Analyzer

7.2.2 Gas Chromatograph

7.2.3 Liquid Chromatograph

7.3 Control Valve

7.4 Actuator

7.4.1 Valve Body

7.4.2 Field Instrument

7.5 Humidity

7.5.1 Level

7.5.2 Pressure

7.5.3 Temperature



8 Global Process Instrumentation Market, By Communication Protocol

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Wired Communication Protocol

8.3 Wireless Communication Protocol



9 Global Process Instrumentation Market, By End-User

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Agriculture & Livestock

9.3 Aircraft

9.4 Automotive

9.5 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

9.6 Household

9.7 Mining & Metals

9.8 Oil & Gas

9.9 Power Generation

9.10 Water/Wastewater Treatment



10 Americas' Process Instrumentation Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Argentina

10.3 Brazil

10.4 Canada

10.5 Chile

10.6 Colombia

10.7 Mexico

10.8 Peru

10.9 United States

10.10 Rest of Americas



11 Europe's Process Instrumentation Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Austria

11.3 Belgium

11.4 Denmark

11.5 Finland

11.6 France

11.7 Germany

11.8 Italy

11.9 Netherlands

11.10 Norway

11.11 Poland

11.12 Russia

11.13 Spain

11.14 Sweden

11.15 Switzerland

11.16 United Kingdom

11.17 Rest of Europe



12 Middle East and Africa's Process Instrumentation Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Egypt

12.3 Israel

12.4 Qatar

12.5 Saudi Arabia

12.6 South Africa

12.7 United Arab Emirates

12.8 Rest of MEA



13 APAC's Process Instrumentation Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Australia

13.3 Bangladesh

13.4 China

13.5 India

13.6 Indonesia

13.7 Japan

13.8 Malaysia

13.9 Philippines

13.10 Singapore

13.11 South Korea

13.12 Sri Lanka

13.13 Thailand

13.14 Taiwan

13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 IGR Competitive Quadrant

14.2 Market Share Analysis

14.3 Strategic Initiatives

14.3.1 M&A and Investments

14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



15 Company Profiles

15.1 Yokogawa Electric Corp.

15.2 Siemens AG

15.3 Endress+Hauser Group Services AG

15.4 ABB ltd

15.5 Emerson Electric Co.

15.6 Honeywell International Inc.

15.7 Schneider Electric

15.8 Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

15.9 GE Measurement & Control Solutions

15.10 WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG

15.11 OMEGA Engineering Inc.

15.12 Rotronic Instrument Corp.

15.13 OAKTON Instruments

15.14 Krohne Marshall Pvt Ltd

15.15 Badger Meter, Inc.

15.16 HK Instruments

15.17 OJ Electronics A/S

15.18 S+S Regaltechnick

15.19 Carel Industries S.p.A.



16 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7lpyob

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

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[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Government-Guaranteed Loan for Louisiana Hospital Brings Capital to Rural Healthcare

RENO, Nev., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greater Commercial Lending (GCL), which provides government-guaranteed loans to businesses and organizations in rural communities, has completed $80 million in financing for Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, Louisiana.

The loan package, guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will go towards renovating and expanding the existing hospital facility.

The project includes construction of an 82,000-square-foot four-story tower, which will comprise a new patient nursing unit, a surgery unit with a central sterile services department, an ICU waiting room and administrative and general support space. The renovation will provide expanded admitting and lobby space, as well as improvements to the outpatient surgery unit, surgery support space, radiology, pre-admit testing, post anesthesia care unit and special procedures.

"GCL is committed to helping organizations in rural areas gain access to financing at favorable terms that might otherwise be unavailable or difficult to obtain," said Jeremy Gilpin, executive vice president of GCL, one of the largest originators of USDA loans. "Rural healthcare systems like Lane are vitally important and this project will enable them to extend and enhance the critical care they provide."

"We are excited about the future of Lane and what this expansion means to all we serve," says Lane CEO Larry Meese. "Upon completion in 2026, our newly modernized facility will expand Lane's ability to provide patient-centered care as well as enhance our mission to provide exceptional healthcare services to every patient, every time."

The facility is expected to be completed in 2026 and will bring more than 520 jobs to the community.

About Greater Commercial Lending

Greater Commercial Lending (GCL) is a credit organization that brings together banks, credit unions and other lenders to provide U.S. government-guaranteed loans to businesses and initiatives in rural and under-served markets throughout the U.S. and its territories. It helps finance key infrastructure services, like power, renewable energy, transportation and fiber optics, as well as schools, hospitals, restaurants, agriculture, hotels and manufacturers. GCL partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which guarantee loans, to arrange credit at favorable terms. GCL's network of lenders includes approximately 185 banks, credit unions and other financial institutions.

About Lane Regional Medical Center

At Lane Regional Medical Center, we value community and take pride in the role we play as caregivers. It is an honor to say that we serve as the primary healthcare resource for approximately 200,000 of our neighbors located throughout Zachary and the surrounding region of Baker, Central, Clinton, Jackson, St. Francisville, New Roads, North Baton Rouge and Southern Mississippi.

Lane began as a community hospital in 1960. Over the years, we evolved into a 131-bed healthcare system by continually expanding and adding new capabilities and technologies.

Offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient diagnostic services, Lane supports Interventional Cardiology, Medical & Radiation Oncology, OB/GYN, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Dermatology, Wound Care and Hyperbaric, as well as Orthopedics, Labor & Delivery, In-Patient Rehabilitation, Home Health, Family Medicine, Emergency Services and After-Hours Urgent Care.

With more than 850 dedicated team members, Lane is the largest employer within the city of Zachary. The hospital continues to grow and invest in the community by recruiting new physician specialists and providing access to exceptional healthcare services, technologies and programs. Lane's mission is to provide exceptional healthcare services to every patient, every time. Our core values are Quality, Service, Stewardship, Teamwork and Innovation. For more details, please visit us online at LaneRMC.org and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/LaneRMC.

Media contact:

Michael-Jon Romano

Allison+Partners

[email protected]

SOURCE Greater Commercial Lending
SHANGHAI, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Guotai Junan Securities and Bloomberg L.P. signed on Monday strategic collaboration pacts to better seize opportunities in the higher quality opening-up of China's capital market.

The Chinese securities broker will thoroughly leverage its core capacity and advantages in comprehensive services platforms, digital technology and prudent compliance culture to forge pragmatic, profound and new cooperation modes with Bloomberg.

Under the modes, Guotai Junan Securities pledged to dig opportunities in serving sci-tech innovation and people's livelihood, promote its internationalization, practice ESG philosophy and further explore core areas to craft an open securities ecology during the two-way opening-up of capital market in China. Bloomberg, as an all-around partner for financial institutions in China, will facilitate the securities broker's international drive.

Specifically, the two sides vowed to advance cross-industry service-scape integration, data resource sharing and sci-tech capacity complementation, deepen securities broker digital transformation, optimize domestic and outbound investment strategies and procedures, strengthen risk management, ESG study and data cooperation and jointly develop innovative indexes products to present the unique value of China's capital market.

On Monday's ceremony, Guotai Junan Securities' board chairman He Qing and Li Bing, head of Bloomberg in Asia Pacific witnessed signing of the strategic collaboration agreements. Luo Dongyuan, vice president of Guotai Junan Securities and Wang Dahai, head of Greater China at Bloomberg inked the agreements as respective representatives of the two parties, with Yu Feng, chief information officer of the former also taking part in the ceremony.

SOURCE Guotai Junan Securities
- The Pacific Cigar Co. LTD and Infifon HK, exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A., presented Cohiba Siglo de Oro at a multiple event held simultaneously in several Asian countries.

- This vitola will be the first to include NFC technology in its cases, which will allow aficionados to verify its authenticity and learn more details about the product.

HAVANA, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of the commemoration of the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, Habanos, S.A. unveiled its new Cohiba Siglo de Oro vitola (54 x 115 mm long), a novel product from the Cohiba brand, the most prestigious in the world of Habanos. The leading Premium tobacco company not only wants to celebrate the arrival of the new year, but the selected vitola -Siglo de Oro also honors the 30th anniversary of the Linea 1492, one of Cohiba's most successful.

Cohiba Siglo de Oro // Habanos, S.A. (PRNewsfoto/Habanos, S.A.)

The presentation of the new Cohiba cigar took place in an exclusive event held simultaneously in several of the main Asian markets, organized by The Pacific Cigar Co, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A. in Asia-Pacific and Infifon HK, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A for Mainland China. Event were hosted in Macao, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The latter was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel under the attentive gaze of 120 guests, including Ms. Denisse Llamos Infante, Cuba's Consul in Guangdong, China.

The new product from the leading premium tobacco company will be a limited-edition item, so only a lucky few will be able to enjoy this unique vitola. Cohiba Siglo de Oro is presented in a special box containing 18 Habanos "Totally handmade with Long Filler," after a careful selection of wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the most prestigious area, Vuelta Abajo*, in the region of Pinar del Rio*, Cuba*.

However, its limited production and the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Cohiba's 1492 line are not the only aspects that will make this vitola unique. Cohiba Siglo de Oro will be the first Habanos, S.A. vitola to incorporate an NFC chip into its cases that aficionados can scan to verify the product's authenticity and learn more details about it.

"At present, China is the most important market in value for our business, and Cohiba is the most recognized Habanos' brand worldwide. That is why we wanted to take advantage of this occasion to present such a special vitola as Cohiba Siglo de Oro, and to showcase the implementation of NFC technology to make the experience for aficionados even more complete," Habanos, S.A. explained.

Cohiba Siglo de Oro

Factory name: Exitosos

Measures: 54 ring gauge x 115 mm length

Tasting Notes:

Cold taste, green tea tones and light hints of white pepper, with subtle earthy aromas

Firm quality construction to the touch

Draw: excellent

Wrapper: light-colored, smooth, with great brightness, no ribbing, oily and beautiful construction

Burn: perfect

Pairing:

Harmonies: Extraordinary pairing with Havana Club 15-year-old rum and Havana Club Union rum

With Chinese Oloong tea, it finds its soul mate, uniting 2 transcendental cultures, that of Habano and tea

Click here to download high resolution product images.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986039/Habanos_Cohiba_Siglo_de_Oro.jpg

SOURCE Habanos, S.A.
Only one of two in existence.

Minted in one kilogram (32.15 Troy Ounces) of 99.9% pure silver.

Its unique three-dimensional, crown shape is embellished with six colored crystals and 70 genuine, brilliant round diamonds (one stone for each year of Queen Elizabeth's historic reign), plus selective regal purple.

historic reign), plus selective regal purple. Proof-like finish and measures a giant 3  inches wide x 4  inches high.

Reverse bears Her Late Majesty's last effigy, marking it as 2023 official legal tender from the commonwealth nation of Samoa , with a 25 Dollars legal tender denomination.

, with a legal tender denomination. Individually serial numbered as 040/199, designating this as the very last "first strike" coin and North American exclusive for distribution.

For more information about The Queen's Diamond and Silver Kilo Crown Coin, Please call Hammacher Schlemmer at 1-877-935-5777.

ABOUT HAMMACHER-SCHLEMMER:

Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, and backs its products by a rather famous Lifetime Guarantee of Complete Satisfaction. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog and online at www.hammacher.com.

SOURCE Hammacher Schlemmer
BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinckley Allen announced that John P. Kacavas joined the firm, continuing the firm's strategic expansion into the Southern New Hampshire market. John previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Dartmouth Health and as United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.

John P. Kacavas joined Hinckley Allen

"John brings a wealth of expertise to the firm, having served with distinction as a U.S. Attorney, leading health care general counsel, and private practice attorney," said Patrick A. Rogers, Managing Partner at Hinckley Allen. "John has a stellar reputation as one of the top attorneys in the region and is highly regarded for his legal, business, and political skills."

At Dartmouth Health, John served as the chief legal officer and general counsel to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees. In this role, he managed and supervised a broad range of the system's functions, including government relations, risk management, claims, insurance, litigation, communications and marketing, and corporate and governance matters.

Prior to his work at Dartmouth Health, John was the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, nominated by President Barack Obama and unanimously approved by the United States Senate in 2009. As U.S. Attorney, he was responsible for all federal criminal prosecutions, civil and regulatory litigation, and federal law enforcement initiatives in the State of New Hampshire. In addition to serving on several national policy-making committees during his tenure, he was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to serve as a commissioner on the National Commission on Forensic Science.

John began his legal career at a private law firm in his hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire, following his admission to the New Hampshire Bar in 1990. He began his career in public service in 1993 when he became a prosecutor with the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. From 1993 to 1999, he served as an Assistant Attorney General, Senior Assistant Attorney General, and Chief of the Homicide Unit. John then joined the U.S. Department of Justice as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division in Washington, DC, from 1999 to 2000. He spent the next nine years in private practice as founder of the firm Kacavas Ramsdell & Howard in Manchester, New Hampshire.

He also previously served on the Manchester Board of School Committee and in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

John received a J.D. from Boston College Law School, a M.A. in International Affairs from the American University School of International Service, and a B.A. in Political Science from St. Michael's College.

Hinckley Allen is a client-driven, forward-thinking business law firm with one goal: to provide value and deliver results for our clients. Recognized as an AmLaw 200 firm, our lawyers collaborate across practices and pursue excellence to deliver exceptional client service. Clients include leading regional, national, and international companies in a wide range of industries. With offices throughout the Northeast  Boston, Hartford, Providence, Manchester, Albany  and Chicago, Hinckley Allen has been a vital force in law, business, government, and our communities since 1906.

Contact:

Nicholas Puleo,

[email protected]

SOURCE Hinckley Allen
WENZHOU, China, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a few days, Chinese across the globe will celebrate the most lively and important traditional festival - the Spring Festival. Since 1983, it has become a habit for billions of Chinese families to watch the CCTV series of Spring Festival Galas during the festival time. The Spring Festival Opera Gala is the most popular program among the Chinese opera lovers. The 2023 Opera Spring Festival Gala was recorded in Wenzhou City. This is the first time the show has moved outdoors in more than 30 years of broadcasting.

The main stage of the 2023 Spring Festival Opera Gala [Photo/WeChat account: wenzhoufabu] A performance is staged at the opera gala. [Photo/WeChat account: wenzhoufabu]

Located on the southeast coast of Zhejiang province, Wenzhou is famous for its vivid private economy and daring entrepreneurs within China. It is also the birthplace of Southern Opera (Nanxi), the oldest mature form of opera in Chinese history. According to Wenzhou Social Sciences Association, Wenzhou has been an important port for China's maritime trade and a key node on the Maritime Silk Road since the Song Dynasty (AD 960). In 2022, Wenzhou excavated the ruins of the Shuomen port of the Song-Yuan Dynasty, including the remains of the city gates, sluice gates, and wharves, etc., as well as tens of tons of various porcelain specimens, lacquered wood, and other relics.

The development of commercial civilization has created conditions for the prosperity of art and culture, and Southern Opera (Nanxi), known as the "ancestor of a hundred operas", was born in this period, and then spread to various places and formed Kunqu Opera and other singing voices, which were named "Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.

The main stage of this gala is located in the "Nine Mountains Book Club"(Jiushan Shuhu), a Southern Song Dynasty academy that preserves the earliest surviving Southern Opera (Nanxi) manuscript "Top Scholar Zhang Xie". The evening brought together nearly 30 opera genres, more than 100 actors and rookies from all over the country, and was divided into 14 performances, fully demonstrating the richness of Chinese opera.

Chinese opera and culture lovers can watch the show on January 22, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. (Beijing time) on CCTV1 and CCTV11.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986710/Wenzhou_Main_Stage.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986711/Wenzhou_Performance.jpg

SOURCE The Information Office of Wenzhou Municipal Peoples Government
Latest Acquisition to Further Strengthen Infinite Electronics' European Footprint and Global Distribution Network

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinite Electronics, Inc., a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands, has announced today that it acquired Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications. Bulgin was previously owned by Equistone Partners Europe, a leading European mid-market private equity firm.

"By welcoming Bulgin to Infinite Electronics' growing brand portfolio, we are better positioned to meet the increasing demand for reliable connectivity solutions for harsh environments," said Infinite Electronics President and Chief Executive Officer Penny Cotner. "Bulgin's focus on mission-critical, customizable components with outstanding design and customer support aligns with our own longstanding reputation for delivering our customers what they need, when they need it most."

Bulgin has a century of experience designing, developing and manufacturing IP66, IP67, IP68 and IP69K harsh environment connectivity solutions for end-users across a wide range of industries. Bulgin's business focuses on bespoke services and custom capabilities with quick prototyping and a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to address customers' urgent needs. Since Equistone's acquisition of the business in 2019, Bulgin has grown significantly, opening a new site in Tunis, Tunisia and new headquarters in Cambridge, UK.

"Joining Infinite Electronics' portfolio provides the Bulgin brand with the scale to leverage opportunities required to accelerate business growth globally," said John Wilson, Bulgin's Chief Executive Officer. "Infinite Electronics and Bulgin share much in common, such as ambitious global growth plans and customer-centric values. This is an exciting milestone in the Bulgin journey."

Today, Bulgin has more than 600 distributor locations spanning 60 countries and six continents. It employs 680 people globally, including its UK headquarters, operations in Tunisia, and Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as well as a presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

William Blair served as exclusive financial advisor and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as the legal advisor to Infinite on the transaction.

This acquisition further establishes Infinite Electronics' presence in Europe and comes after the company announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cable Connectivity Group (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group NV, a leader in the production, distribution and assembly of specialty cables and cable connectivity solutions. These acquisitions are the latest milestones in Infinite Electronics' rapid growth over the past six years.

About Infinite Electronics, Inc.:

Infinite Electronics has a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands. Infinite's brands help propel the world's innovators forward by working urgently to provide products, solutions and real-time support for their customers. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Infinite's brands serve customers across a wide range of industries with a broad inventory selection, same-day shipping and 24/7 customer service. Learn more at www.infiniteelectronics.com.

About Bulgin:

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Bulgin is a leading manufacturer of harsh environment connectivity solutions. The business designs, develops and manufactures high integrity circular connectors, switches, and power-related components, which are environmentally sealed to withstand harsh conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, water, and humidity.

Founded in 1923, Bulgin has a well-established brand and a strong reputation for product quality and reliability with its global customer base of more than 75,000 end users, who are served primarily via specialist electronic distributors. Currently, the business offers more than 7,000 products that are used across a wide range of end markets including industry 4.0, robust electronics, transportation and infrastructure, and medical technologies. Learn more at www.bulgin.com.

About Equistone Partners Europe:

Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe's leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between 25m and 200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between 50m and 500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its 2.8bn hard cap in March 2018, and has recently launched the Equistone Reinvestment Fund, with a mandate to make minority re-investments alongside new sponsors following a portfolio company exit from one of its main buyout funds.

Press Contact:

Katee Schalau

17792 Fitch

Irvine, CA, 92614 USA

SOURCE Infinite Electronics, Inc.
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Dental 3D Printing Market by Type of Printing Technology, Application Area, Type of Printing Material and Key Geographical Regions: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2023-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report features an extensive study of the current market landscape and future opportunity for the players involved in the field of dental 3D printing. The report answers many key questions related to this domain.

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of producing 3-dimensional objects layer-by-layer, using a computer aided design. Owing to its ability to print complex models using a wide range of materials, 3D printing has applications across various industries, including dental, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, food, fashion, mechanical engineering and other manufacturing industries.

In recent years, the adoption of 3D printers has risen at a commendable pace, specifically in the dental industry. This is primarily due to the increasing scope of inhouse dental 3D printing, growth in digital dentistry business and rise in the demand for 3D printed products. 3D printing in dental industry is an advanced solution which produces high quality and more accurate dental products (including, crown and bridges, dentures, surgical guides and dental implants).

Moreover, the process of dental 3D printing is time saving and economical for both the patients and dentists. Driven by the growing prevalence of dental diseases and rising demand for high quality dental products, the dental 3D printing market is anticipated to witness a steady growth in the foreseen future.

Advantages of Dental 3D Printing

The conventional dental product manufacturing methods are fraught with several challenges, including poor quality and accuracy of dental products, time-consuming printing processes and high cost of dental products. Dental 3D printing offers more treatment choices for both patients and clinicians in economical prices, while increasing the quality of care and services provided to the patients. Further, given that 3D printing is a digitalized process, the products manufactured using it can be easily customized (even the complex dental structures), and, therefore, offers more precise and accurate solutions for dental applications.

Key Drivers in the Dental 3D Printing Market

Several factors, including growing incidence of dental caries and other dental diseases, challenges associated with conventional methods of dental product manufacturing and rising demand for cosmetic dentistry, have led to the high adoption of dental 3D printers. Additionally, dental 3D printers can produce highly accurate restorations, orthodontic models, dentures, aligners, crowns, retainers, bridges, as well as surgical guides, from various types of materials, including resins, plastics, metals, ceramics and other materials.

Current Market Landscape of Dental 3D Printing

The current market landscape features around 230 dental 3D printers, manufactured by more than 75 players across the globe. The developer landscape features a mix of large, mid-sized and small companies, which claim to have the required expertise to offer dental 3D printers for use across different dental applications. Additionally, various recent developments aimed at revolutionizing the dental 3D printing industry with latest 3D printing technologies indicate that the printer manufacturers are upgrading their printer capabilities and infrastructure to accommodate the current and anticipated demand for dental 3D printed products.

Market Size of the Dental 3D Printing Market

Driven by the rising prevalence of dental diseases across the world and increasing adoption of the advanced dental 3D printing technologies, the dental 3D printing market is anticipated to grow at an annualized growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6% during the period 2023-2035. Presently, close to 75% of the market is captured by players based in North America and Europe.

Who are the Key Players in the Dental 3D Printing Market

Examples of key players engaged in this domain (the full list of players is captured in the main report) include 3D Systems, Asiga, BEGO, Carbon, Digital Wax Systems (DWS), Formlabs, Prodways, Rapid Shape, SprintRay and Stratasys.

The study presents an in-depth analysis, highlighting the capabilities of various stakeholders engaged in this domain, across different geographies.

Key Topics Covered:

1. PREFACE

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. INTRODUCTION

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

4.1. Chapter Overview

4.2. Dental 3D Printers: Overall Market Landscape

4.3. Dental 3D Printer Manufacturers: Developer Landscape

5. PRODUCT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

5.1. Chapter Overview

5.2. Assumptions and Key Parameters

5.3. Methodology

5.4. Product Competitiveness Analysis: Dental 3D Printers

6. COMPANY PROFILES

6.1. Chapter Overview

6.2. 3D Systems

6.2.1. Company Overview

6.2.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.2.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.3. Asiga

6.3.1. Company Overview

6.3.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.3.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.4. BEGO

6.4.1. Company Overview

6.4.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.4.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.5. Carbon

6.5.1. Company Overview

6.5.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.5.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.6. Digital Wax Systems (DWS)

6.6.1. Company Overview

6.6.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.6.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.7. Formlabs

6.7.1. Company Overview

6.7.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.7.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.8. Prodways

6.8.1. Company Overview

6.8.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.8.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.9. Rapid Shape

6.9.1. Company Overview

6.9.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.9.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.10. SprintRay

6.10.1. Company Overview

6.10.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.10.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.11. Stratasys

6.11.1. Company Overview

6.11.2. Dental 3D Printer Portfolio

6.11.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7. PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

7.1. Chapter Overview

7.2. Partnership Models

7.3. Dental 3D Printing: List of Partnerships and Collaborations

7.3.1. Analysis by Year of Partnership

7.3.2. Analysis by Type of Partnership

7.3.3. Analysis by Year and Type of Partnership

7.3.4. Most Active Players: Analysis by Number of Partnerships

7.3.5. Geographical Analysis

7.3.5.1. International and Local Agreements

7.3.5.2. Intercontinental and Intracontinental Agreements

8. PATENT ANALYSIS

8.1. Chapter Overview

8.2. Scope and Methodology

8.3. Dental 3D Printing: Patent Analysis

8.3.1. Analysis by Type of Patent

8.3.2. Analysis by Patent Publication Year

8.3.3. Analysis by Patent Application Year

8.3.4. Analysis by Annual Number of Granted Patents and Patent Applications

8.3.5. Analysis by Geographical Location

8.3.6. Analysis by CPC Symbols

8.3.7. Analysis by Type of Applicant

8.3.8. Analysis by Patent Age

8.3.9. Leading Industry Players: Analysis by Number of Patents

8.3.10. Leading Non-Industry Players: Analysis by Number of Patents

8.3.11. Leading Individual Assignees: Analysis by Number of Patents

8.4. Dental 3D Printing: Patent Benchmarking Analysis

8.4.1. Analysis by Patent Characteristics

8.5. Dental 3D Printing: Patent Valuation

8.6. Leading Patents by Number of Citations

9. BOWMAN CLOCK PRICING

9.1. Chapter Overview

9.2. Bowman Strategy Clock

9.2.1. Two Dimensions of Bowman Strategy Clock

9.2.2. Eight Positions on Bowman Strategy Clock

9.3. Publisher Framework

9.3.1. Scope and Methodology

9.3.2. Theoretical Framework and Price Evaluation Hypothesis

9.3.3. Results and Interpretation

9.3.3.1. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Types of Products Printed

9.3.3.2. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Application Area

9.3.3.3. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Type of Printing Technology

9.3.3.4. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Type of Printing Process

9.3.3.5. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Type of Printing Material

9.3.3.6. Product Price Evaluation Matrix: Information on Type of Connectivity

9.3.4. Concluding Remarks

10. MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS

10.1. Chapter Overview

10.2. Forecast Methodology and Key Assumptions

10.3. Global Dental 3D Printing Market, 2023-2035

11. CONCLUDING REMARKS

12. EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS

14. APPENDIX

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2bo69c

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Washing Machine Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global washing machine market size reached US$ 49.4 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 65.7 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.87% 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 on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



A washing machine is an electronic appliance used for laundry of clothes and fabrics. It operates by spinning the fabrics at high speed and generating centrifugal force to remove dirt with water from the fibers. It is commonly available in fully automatic, semi-automatic and top- and front-load variants.

The fully automatic machines have pre-programmed functions and can wash, dry and rinse the clothes automatically. The semi-automatic variants usually have a twin-tub system for washing and drying the fabrics separately. The components of the washing machine, such as tub, tub guards, balance rings and pumps, are manufactured using sheet steel and plastic with zinc or porcelain coatings for corrosion resistance and longer operational life.



The global washing machine market is primarily being driven by the widespread adoption of online laundry services among the masses. With the changing lifestyle patterns and increasingly hectic schedules of the working population, there is a shifting consumer preference towards on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning services that offer doorstep pick-up and delivery facilities for enhanced convenience for the consumer.

Moreover, the widespread adoption of fully automatic washing machines across both residential and commercial sectors is providing a thrust to the market growth. These machines aid in reducing the manual labor and are highly convenient to use and space-saving.

Additionally, various technological advancements, such as the integration of smartphone applications with the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for real-time alerts and remote access of the machine, are acting as other growth-inducing factors. Product manufacturers are also developing energy-efficient variants with minimal carbon footprint and maintenance requirements.

Other factors, including significant growth in the fashion and apparel industries, especially in the developing economies, along with the increasing expenditure capacities of the consumers, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being AB Electrolux, Alliance Laundry Systems LLC, Godrej Group, Haier Group Corporation, IFB Industries Limited, LG Electronics Inc., MIRC Electronics Limited, Panasonic Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corporation and Whirlpool Corporation.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global washing machine market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global washing machine market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the capacity?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end use?

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 washing machine 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 Washing Machine Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Fully Automatic

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 Front Load

6.1.2.2 Top Load

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Semi-Automatic

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Dryers

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Technology

7.1 Smart Connected

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Conventional

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Capacity

8.1 Below 6 kg

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 6.1 to 8 kg

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Above 8 kg

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Application

9.1 Healthcare

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Hospitality

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Others

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by End Use

10.1 Commercial

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 Residential

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region



12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis



15 Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 AB Electrolux

16.3.1.1 Company Overview

16.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.1.3 Financials

16.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.2 Alliance Laundry Systems LLC

16.3.2.1 Company Overview

16.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.3 Godrej Group

16.3.3.1 Company Overview

16.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4 Haier Group Corporation

16.3.4.1 Company Overview

16.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4.3 Financials

16.3.5 IFB Industries Limited

16.3.5.1 Company Overview

16.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.5.3 Financials

16.3.6 LG Electronics Inc.

16.3.6.1 Company Overview

16.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.6.3 Financials

16.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.7 MIRC Electronics Limited

16.3.7.1 Company Overview

16.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.7.3 Financials

16.3.8 Panasonic Corporation

16.3.8.1 Company Overview

16.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.8.3 Financials

16.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.9 Robert Bosch GmbH

16.3.9.1 Company Overview

16.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

16.3.10.1 Company Overview

16.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10.3 Financials

16.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.11 Toshiba Corporation

16.3.11.1 Company Overview

16.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.11.3 Financials

16.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.12 Whirlpool Corporation

16.3.12.1 Company Overview

16.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.12.3 Financials

16.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qw8dd3

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be an easy way to add multiple fire hose connections to a water supply when extinguishing a fire," said an inventor, from Houston, Texas, "so I invented the R T X EXTINGUISHER. My design would allow multiple firefighters to pull hoses in many directions for optimal firefighting procedures."

The invention provides a firefighting wheeled water tank trailer with multiple fire hose connection points. In doing so, it offers more effective and efficient firefighting in all locations. As a result, it enhances safety and it could aid in optimal water delivery. The invention features a practical design that is easy to deploy so it is ideal for fire departments.

The original design was submitted to the Houston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-HOF-271, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J.F. Lehman & Company ("JFLCO"), a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, is pleased to announce several recent promotions and new hires.

Promotions included Michael J. Greenspan to Principal, Tyler W. Creamer and Alfred E. Johansen to Vice President and Bridget A. Harding to Senior Associate. "This talented group of professionals has made many meaningful contributions to our growing organization in recent years," said Louis N. Mintz, Partner. "Their promotions are well-deserved and we're confident Michael, Tyler, Alfred and Bridget will continue to grow in their new and expanded roles."

The firm also announced the additions of Erik P. Toth (Managing Director), Kellan M. Strain and Rikke L. Gillespie (Vice Presidents) to its Portfolio Operations team and several new members of the Investment Team including Aidan A. Thomas, Peter G. Kohler and Cianan E. Moore (Associates) and Bailee D. Glass (Analyst). Natalie Ramos also joined the firm's Finance & Administration Team.

"Our organization's success is directly related to building cohesive teams and empowering them to be successful," said Stephen L. Brooks, Partner. "Collectively, these new hires reflect the firm's demonstrated ability to attract high caliber talent from leading organizations and foster a culture of shared success."

Recent Promotions

Michael J. Greenspan, Principal, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm in 2019 as a Vice President, Mr. Greenspan was a Manager in Alvarez & Marsal's Private Equity Services Group and a Senior Associate at HBR Consulting. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Tyler W. Creamer, Vice President. Prior to joining the firm in 2018 as an Associate, Mr. Creamer began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in Deutsche Bank Securities' Leveraged Finance Group. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Alfred E. Johansen, Vice President. Prior to joining the firm in 2018 as an Associate, Mr. Johansen began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in UBS' Industrials Group. He graduated magna cum laude from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, where he earned a B.S. in management with concentrations in finance and information systems and a minor in history.

Bridget A. Harding, Senior Associate. Prior to joining the firm in 2020 as an Associate, Ms. Harding began her career as an Investment Banking Analyst in Goldman Sachs' Global Industrials Group. She graduated summa cum laude from Lehigh University, where she earned a B.S. in accounting and finance.

Recent Team Additions

Erik P. Toth, Managing Director, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Toth founded Larx Advisors, an advisory firm focused on providing finance, accounting, marketing and operations expertise to private equity firms, family offices and mid-market companies. In addition to holding various portfolio company management roles, including serving as the divisional CFO for a reporting segment of DynCorp International, Mr. Toth served as Director of Corporate Finance at FTI Consulting and as a mechanical systems engineer for the NASA space shuttle program. He earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Kellan M. Strain, Vice President, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Strain was a Director in Alvarez & Marsal's Private Equity Services Group. Mr. Strain started his career in manufacturing operations management at General Electric. He earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.B.A. from Auburn University, and an M.S. in supply chain management from Pennsylvania State University.

Rikke L. Gillespie, Vice President, Portfolio Operations. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gillespie was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at Larx Advisors. She previously served as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Hostess Brands. Ms. Gillespie started her career as a Director in the Corporate Finance Group at FTI Consulting. She earned a B.S. in accounting from Utah State University and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Aidan A. Thomas, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Thomas began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Moelis & Company. He graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University, where he earned a B.S. in finance.

Peter G. Kohler, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kohler was an Investment Banking Analyst in Houlihan Lokey's Aerospace, Defense & Government Group. Mr. Kohler began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at KippsDeSanto & Co. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.A. in economics.

Cianan E. Moore, Associate. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Moore was an Investment Banking Analyst in J.P. Morgan's Financial Sponsors Group. He graduated magna cum laude from Miami University, where he earned a B.S. in finance.

Bailee D. Glass, Analyst. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Glass began her career as an Alternative Investments Research Analyst in BlackRock's hedge fund solutions group. She graduated from the University of Chicago, where she earned a B.A. in economics.

Natalie Ramos, Administration. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Ramos held various administrative and managerial positions, most recently as a Senior Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Wolters Kluwer. She earned a B.A. in business administration and management from Briarcliffe College, and a Culinary Arts Diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education.

About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc.

Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company focuses exclusively on investing in the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental industries. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

www.jflpartners.com

SOURCE J.F. Lehman & Company
Featuring its iconic Chickenjoy Fried Chicken, Chicken Sandwiches and Peach Mango Pies, new Orlando restaurant marks global brand's fourth in The Sunshine State and its 62nd in the U.S.

WEST COVINA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jollibee, the joyful restaurant brand recently named "the best chain fried chicken in America" by Eater, celebrated the grand opening of its first location in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The highly anticipated opening day attracted thousands of excited customers who wanted to be among the city's first to get their hands on Jollibee's mouth-watering Chickenjoy fried chicken, Chicken Sandwiches and Peach Mango Pie dessert. Primely located at 11891 East Colonial Drive in East Orlando, the new restaurant not only marks Jollibee's premiere in The City Beautiful, but it's also home to the global brand's first two-lane drive-thru service in North America.

Global restaurant sensation, Jollibee, celebrates its first Orlando, Fla. restaurant opening on January 18, 2023, to the joy of thousands of fans and first timers from around the city. (Photo credit: Jollibee) Jasmine Hong (left) poses with her friends from the University of Central Florida in the car they camped out in for more than 13 hours to try Jollibee for the very first time. Jolly day, indeed! (Photo credit: Jollibee). The first of its kind for the Jollibee brand, the new Orlando, Fla. location features the first ever two-line drive-thru of all the Jollibee stores in North America. (Photo credit: Jollibee) New fans from all around the Orlando area wait patiently in line to place their to-go orders comprising of dishes such as the iconic Chickenjoy and the crispy, juicy Chicken Sandwich. (Photo credit: Jollibee) Winning new fans! A group of friends are all smiles as they enjoy Jollibees mouth-watering Peach Mango Pie for the first time at its January 18 grand opening in Orlando, Fla. (Photo credit: Jollibee)

"Not only are we thrilled to finally bring our Chickenjoy and other signature menu items to both our loyal fans and newcomers who call Orlando home, but we also are so excited to open our first two-lane drive-thru service in all of North America in this wonderful city," said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President, Jollibee Group North America. "The new two-lane drive-thru is a milestone for Jollibee, as it allows us to conveniently serve our customers, reach everyone faster, and get them their favorite Jollibee treats in no time."

Jollibee's biggest fans began showing up at around 8:00 PM Tuesday evening, where they camped out over 13 hours ahead of Wednesday's 9AM opening. Among them was Jasmine Hong, who waited in her car with a group of friends throughout the night to be the restaurant's first official drive-thru customers.

"We all go to the University of Central Florida, and we are all excited to try the food at Jollibee," said Hong of her and her friends. "We have heard a lot of good things and cannot wait any longer to try the famous Chickenjoy and Peach Mango PieI heard it's all really, really good."

Jollibee's drive-thru was buzzing from morning until midnight as carloads of hungry customers from near and far wrapped around the store throughout the day. Jollibee's cheerful staff welcomed a host of curious newcomers to the brand, including more college students from the nearby University of Central Florida campus, and families from the area's many surrounding neighborhoods.

"I got in line about nine hours ago and my family and I have always loved Jollibee ever since I was a kid," said Arren Huckleberry, an Orlando resident. "I moved here for school about five years ago and it is so nice to have a local Jollibeeit feels like a little piece of home away from home. I am excited that this is all finally happening."

For those planning to visit Jollibee's first location in Orlando, here's everything you need to know:

Address : 11891 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826

: 11891 East Colonial Drive, 32826 Hours of Operation : 9AM  10:30 PM , seven days a week.

:  , seven days a week. How To Order: Customers can pick up their orders to-go or enjoy the convenience of the two-lane drive-thru service beginning on opening day. Dine-in, online ordering, and delivery will be available in the coming weeks.

Customers can pick up their orders to-go or enjoy the convenience of the two-lane drive-thru service beginning on opening day. Dine-in, online ordering, and delivery will be available in the coming weeks. What To Order  Jollibee's most popular menu items include:

Chickenjoy : Jollibee's signature fried chicken. Each piece is delicately hand-breaded to be crispy on the outside, cooked with precision to be juicy on the inside, and marinated to the bone for next-level flavor.

: Jollibee's signature fried chicken. Each piece is delicately hand-breaded to be crispy on the outside, cooked with precision to be juicy on the inside, and marinated to the bone for next-level flavor.

Chicken Sandwich : This sandwich features a crispy, juicy chicken breast fillet, spread with umami mayo, and served on a toasted brioche bun. Find out why this newly launched sandwich has been lauded for its "intense crunch" by The Takeout , and discover how the umami flavor profile and signature Jollibee seasonings meld together to create a perfect chicken sandwich offering.

: This sandwich features a crispy, juicy chicken breast fillet, spread with umami mayo, and served on a toasted brioche bun. Find out why this newly launched sandwich has been lauded for its "intense crunch" by , and discover how the umami flavor profile and signature Jollibee seasonings meld together to create a perfect chicken sandwich offering.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich : A spicy version of the original chicken sandwich features sriracha mayo and fresh jalapenos for added crunch and heat.

: A spicy version of the original chicken sandwich features sriracha mayo and fresh jalapenos for added crunch and heat.

Peach Mango Pie: Make sure to leave room for this mouth-watering dessert made with peaches and real Philippine mangoes enveloped in a light and crispy crust.

Jollibee's new Orlando restaurant joins the brand's three existing Florida locations  Jacksonville, Tampa and Pembroke Pines  and marks its 62nd store in the U.S. On a mission to become one of the world's top-five restaurant chains, Jollibee is rapidly growing its fan-base among North American audiences from fried-chicken lovers to those who simply seek a deliciously new and different dining experience  by offering great-tasting food at a great value that is always served with joy.

Follow Jollibee at @jollibeeus on Facebook, @jollibeeus on Instagram, and @jollibeeusa on TikTok to get updates on Jollibee's upcoming store openings and other exciting announcements and events, including new product launches and special promotions.

About Jollibee Group

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 6,300 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Australia.

Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, PHO24, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand.

Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 90% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that ultimately owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. It also has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Jollibee Group also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers and World's Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, thus spreading the joy of eating to everyone. To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

SOURCE Jollibee
EWTN News, Franciscan University co-sponsor conference to reclaim truth-based journalism for the 21st-century

IRONDALE, Ala., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- How can journalists committed to truth thrive in a polarized world drowning in propaganda and hostility? That will be the focus of the Journalism in a Post-Truth World Conference, March 10-11, 2023, at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

Co-sponsored by EWTN News and Franciscan University of Steubenville, the event will discuss the state of modern journalism and challenges of media ethics, bias, and covering the Catholic Church.

Renowned journalists and experts in the field of journalism and digital media will equip participants with new insights and strategies for their daily battle against threats to freedom of speech from a cancel culture, political and ideological biases, and the mainstream media's hostility to people of faith.

"There is no question that we live in a post-truth era," said Michael Warsaw, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN, "a time when objective facts are less important in shaping public opinion than emotions or feelings, and the field of journalism is both on the front lines of this new phenomenon and also an active participant in its spread across modern culture. EWTN News is pleased to partner with Franciscan University in presenting this conference. We hope this event will spark conversation among media and journalistic professionals in how to understand the post-truth era better and work to restore badly needed principles of journalism."

"A courageous commitment to truth has never been more urgent for journalists than it is today," said Father Dave Pivonka, TOR '89, president of Franciscan University. "A free and peaceful society, in which the Gospel can thrive, is just not possible unless journalists carry out their mission with integrity and honesty.

"I'm grateful to EWTN News for collaborating with us on this timely and important conference," Father Pivonka added. "I'm confident it will give participants renewed hope and many practical tools to prosper in an often hostile, biased media landscape."

In addition to speakers from Franciscan University and EWTN, the conference will feature journalists from FOX News, CNN, National Review, Washington Examiner, The Daily Signal, Catholic News Agency, The Daily Caller, GetReligion, and other outlets.

A major address will be offered by Warsaw. Other speakers and panelists include Father Pivonka; Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of National Review Online; Lauren Green, chief religion correspondent, FOX News; Mary Katharine Ham, contributor, CNN; Terry Mattingly, founder and editor, GetReligion; Tim Graham, director of Media Analysis, Media Research Center; Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics; Tim Carney, senior political columnist, Washington Examiner; Terry Mattingly, founder and editor, GetReligion; and Mary Margaret Olohan, senior reporter, The Daily Signal.

To register or for more information, go to franciscan.edu/journalism-in-a-post-truth-world/.

Those who cannot attend in person may register for the livestream or view recordings after the conference.

In its 42nd year, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN's 11 TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to more than 400 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the largest Catholic websites in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, "The National Catholic Register" newspaper, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

One of only 15 faithfully Catholic universities endorsed by the Cardinal Newman Society, Franciscan University of Steubenville continues to lead the renaissance of Catholic higher education called for in Ex corde Ecclesiae.

Franciscan University, founded in 1946 by friars of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Province of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, integrates excellent academic programs with a dynamic faith environment to serve 2,500 students from all 50 states and 17 countries on campus and an additional 900 students online.

Ranked in the top tier of Midwest universities by U.S. News & World Report since 1998, Franciscan offers over 100 programs of study including 45 undergraduate degrees, 12 graduate programs, and 17 online programsall grounded in Franciscan's acclaimed Catholic core curriculum.

Home to the largest undergraduate Theology Program in the U.S., Franciscan also has a well-regarded Priestly Discernment Program, which has seen over 250 members ordained to the priesthood since 1985.

For more about Franciscan University of Steubenville and its mission to educate, evangelize, and send forth Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus Christ, visit Franciscan.edu or connect with Franciscan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

SOURCE EWTN Global Catholic Network
CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaufman Hall has appointed Kate Guelich to president of its extensive management consulting operations, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

In this role, Guelich will oversee the firm's Strategy, Financial Planning, Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Performance Improvement, Treasury and Capital Markets, and Clinical Documentation Improvement practices. Guelich previously served as managing director of Kaufman Hall's Strategic Financial Planning practice, and is a member of the Kaufman Hall Board of Directors.

"Kate has demonstrated superb capabilities managing our largest practice and maintaining a stellar reputation among executives at the most important health systems in the country," said Kaufman Hall CEO and Managing Director R. Wesley Champion. "We are confident that she will be a tremendous success in this new role as she applies her well-developed skills for smart consulting, analysis, management and being ahead of trends."

Throughout her career, Guelich has provided healthcare clients with exceptional strategic guidance, authoring numerous publications and providing presentations for professional industry groups. Guelich has also been a strong supporter of Kaufman Hall's "Women in Healthcare Leadership" efforts.

"I look forward to working with our talented team to position Kaufman Hall to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients," Guelich said.

Guelich holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

About Kaufman Hall

Kaufman Hall provides management consulting solutions to help society's foundational institutions realize sustained success amid changing market conditions. Since 1985, Kaufman Hall has been a trusted advisor to boards and executive management teams, helping them incorporate proven methods, rigorous analytics, and industry-leading solutions into their strategic planning and financial management processes, with a focus on achieving their most challenging goals.

Kaufman Hall services use a rigorous, disciplined, and structured approach that is based on the principles of corporate finance. The breadth and integration of Kaufman Hall advisory services are unparalleled, encompassing strategy; financial and capital planning; performance improvement; treasury and capital markets management; mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and joint ventures; and real estate.

CONTACT: Tyler Williams, [email protected]

SOURCE Kaufman Hall
NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global academic e-learning market size is estimated to increase by USD 147.89 billion from 2022 to 2027. The market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 17.5% during the forecast period. The emergence of HTML5 as the main programming language for content authoring is a key trend in the Germany and Global Academic E-Learning Market. For instance, in 2015, YouTube replaced Flash with Hypertext Markup Language 5 (HTML5). Content developers prefer HTML5 to Adobe Flash Player, with the rising penetration of smartphones and mobile learning. HMTL5 authoring tools enable e-learning service providers to adapt their courses to various screen sizes. HTML5 also offers offline storage that allows learners to download the e-learning course and access it without the Internet. Hence, the adoption of the HTML5 authoring tool by content developers will support market growth during the forecast period. - Request a sample report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Academic E-Learning Market 2023-2027

Global academic e-learning market  Vendor analysis

Vendor offerings -

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - The company offers academic e-learning services such as K-12 school education, tutoring services, international education programs, and online educational offerings.

The company offers academic e-learning services such as K-12 school education, tutoring services, international education programs, and online educational offerings. Berlitz Corp. - The company offers academic e-learning for business and education sectors.

The company offers academic e-learning for business and education sectors. D2L Corp. - The company offers academic e-learning services for students and professionals both online and in person.

The company offers academic e-learning services for students and professionals both online and in person. EF Education First Ltd. - The company offers academic e-learning for cultural exchange, academic achievements, and educational travels.

The company offers academic e-learning for cultural exchange, academic achievements, and educational travels. For details on vendors and their offerings  Buy the report!

Vendor landscape 

The global academic e-learning market is fragmented, with the presence of well-diversified international and regional vendors. A few prominent vendors that offer academic e-learning in the market are 51Talk English International Inc., Ambow Education Holding Ltd., Berlitz Corp., Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., D2L Corp., EF Education First Ltd., inlingua International Ltd., Instructure Holdings Inc., LearnWorlds CY Ltd., MPS Ltd., NIIT Ltd, Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, SAI Global Pty. Ltd., Sanako Oy, TAL Education Group, Teachable, Inc, Udemy Inc, VIPKID HK Ltd., and WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt Ltd and others.

International vendors are expanding their footprint globally. The competitive environment is expected to intensify during the forecast period owing to product and service extensions, M&A, and innovations in technology by global and regional vendors. With the rise in demand for academic e-learning, vendors will focus on providing e-learning courses with varying content. They will also focus on selling e-learning courses to university students, corporations, and individuals.

Global academic e-learning market - Customer landscape

To help companies evaluate and develop growth strategies, the report outlines 

Key purchase criteria

Adoption rates

Adoption lifecycle

Drivers of price sensitivity

Global academic e-learning market - Segmentation assessment



Segment overview

Technavio has segmented the market based on deployment (on-premises and cloud-based) and end-user (higher education and K12).

The on-premise segment by deployment will grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. End-to-end quality control and data security capabilities are driving the growth of the on-premises e-learning solutions segment. Servers that contain academic e-learning modules are owned and managed by the buyer's educational institution. As a result, the data is more secure when compared to a public cloud-based solution. In addition, servers containing e-learning modules are located within educational institutions, which enables easy access to e-learning modules.

Geography overview

Based on geography, the global academic e-learning market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global academic e-learning market.

North America is estimated to account for 35% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The e-learning model is considered a learning process wherein students can use new technologies, which is increasing its adoption in the region. Moreover, companies are investing in new technologies. Therefore, students can learn using advanced technologies while exploring a virtual learning environment. Many universities in the region have launched online degree microlearning, and the adoption of m-learning will be the key trend in the region during the forecast period.

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Global academic e-learning market  Market dynamics



Leading drivers - The launch of new online degrees is driving the market growth. Academic institutions globally are launching online degrees, with the growing acceptance and enrollment of online courses. For instance, in June 2021, the University of the Arts London launched 30 new online and low-residency degrees. Similarly, in February 2022, the University of Sydney partnered with 2U to offer four online postgraduate degrees. Thus, the growing enrollment of online courses is anticipated to fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Major challenges - High development cost associated with e-learning courses is challenging the market growth. The development and design costs of academic e-learning courses include consultation with SMEs on content creation, designing lecture and visual content, and development of practical assessments. Academic e-learning courses should be updated on a regular basis to keep up with the latest trends. Moreover, developing academic e-learning courses for different target learners is also expensive. Therefore, the high cost associated with e-learning is expected to slow down the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Drivers, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report!

What are the key data covered in this academic e-learning market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the academic e-learning market between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the size of the academic e-learning market and its contribution to the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the academic e-learning market across North America , Europe , APAC, South America , and Middle East and Africa

, , APAC, , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of academic e-learning market vendors

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The predicted growth of the e-learning market size from 2021 to 2026 is USD 1.72 trillion at a progressing CAGR of 16.35%. This market research report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (higher education, corporate, and K-12) and geography (APAC, MEA, North America, South America, and Europe).

The size of the e-learning market in Europe is expected to increase by USD 53.27 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 17.14%. This report extensively covers segmentation by end-user (higher education, corporate, and K-12), product (packaged content and solutions), and geography (UK, Germany, and Rest of Europe).

Academic E-Learning Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 161 Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.5% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 147.89 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 16.99 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, Canada, China, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading vendors, market positioning of vendors, competitive strategies, and industry risks Key companies profiled 51Talk English International Inc., Ambow Education Holding Ltd., Berlitz Corp., Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., D2L Corp., EF Education First Ltd., inlingua International Ltd., Instructure Holdings Inc., LearnWorlds CY Ltd., MPS Ltd., NIIT Ltd, Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, SAI Global Pty. Ltd., Sanako Oy, TAL Education Group, Teachable, Inc, Udemy Inc, VIPKID HK Ltd., and WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt Ltd 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, and 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.

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Table of contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Deployment



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global academic e-learning market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global academic e-learning market 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Deployment Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Deployment Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Deployment

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Deployment - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Deployment - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Deployment

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Deployment



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Deployment

6.3 On-premises - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on On-premises - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on On-premises - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on On-premises - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on On-premises - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Cloud-based - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Cloud-based - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Deployment

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Deployment ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Higher education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Higher education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 K12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on K12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on K12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on K12 - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on K12 - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 55: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 56: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 57: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 59: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 61: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 62: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 63: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 64: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 65: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 66: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 68: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 69: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 71: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 72: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 79: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 81: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 82: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 87: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 91: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 97: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 99: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 101: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 102: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 103: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 104: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 105: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 106: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 107: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

Exhibit 108: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 109: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 110: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 111: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - Segment focus

12.4 Berlitz Corp.

Exhibit 113: Berlitz Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 114: Berlitz Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 115: Berlitz Corp. - Key offerings

12.5 Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.

Exhibit 116: Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 117: Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 118: Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. - Key offerings

12.6 D2L Corp.

Exhibit 119: D2L Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 120: D2L Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: D2L Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 122: D2L Corp. - Key offerings

12.7 EF Education First Ltd.

Exhibit 123: EF Education First Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 124: EF Education First Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 125: EF Education First Ltd. - Key offerings

12.8 Instructure Holdings Inc.

Exhibit 126: Instructure Holdings Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 127: Instructure Holdings Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 128: Instructure Holdings Inc. - Key offerings

12.9 MPS Ltd.

Exhibit 129: MPS Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 130: MPS Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 131: MPS Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 132: MPS Ltd. - Segment focus

12.10 NIIT Ltd

Exhibit 133: NIIT Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 134: NIIT Ltd - Product / Service



Exhibit 135: NIIT Ltd - Key news



Exhibit 136: NIIT Ltd - Key offerings

12.11 Pearson Plc

Exhibit 137: Pearson Plc - Overview



Exhibit 138: Pearson Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 139: Pearson Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 140: Pearson Plc - Segment focus

12.12 Providence Equity Partners LLC

Exhibit 141: Providence Equity Partners LLC - Overview



Exhibit 142: Providence Equity Partners LLC - Business segments



Exhibit 143: Providence Equity Partners LLC - Key offerings



Exhibit 144: Providence Equity Partners LLC - Segment focus

12.13 SAI Global Pty. Ltd.

Exhibit 145: SAI Global Pty. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 146: SAI Global Pty. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 147: SAI Global Pty. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.14 TAL Education Group

Exhibit 148: TAL Education Group - Overview



Exhibit 149: TAL Education Group - Business segments



Exhibit 150: TAL Education Group - Key offerings



Exhibit 151: TAL Education Group - Segment focus

12.15 Udemy Inc

Exhibit 152: Udemy Inc - Overview



Exhibit 153: Udemy Inc - Product / Service



Exhibit 154: Udemy Inc - Key news



Exhibit 155: Udemy Inc - Key offerings

12.16 VIPKID HK Ltd.

Exhibit 156: VIPKID HK Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 157: VIPKID HK Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 158: VIPKID HK Ltd. - Key offerings

12.17 WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd

Exhibit 159: WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd - Overview



Exhibit 160: WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd - Product / Service



Exhibit 161: WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd - Key offerings

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 162: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 163: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 164: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 165: Research methodology



Exhibit 166: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 167: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 168: 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, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kushner (together with its affiliates, "Kushner"), a seasoned real estate owner and operator and one of the largest shareholders of Veris Residential (NYSE: VRE) ("Veris"), today sent a response to Veris' Board of Directors following their update on discussions with Kushner Companies:

Kushner Companies Responds to Veris Residential's Public Statements

The full text of the press release follows:

January 18, 2023

Kushner Companies Responds to Veris Residential's Public Statements

Kushner Companies today issued the following statement:

For many months, Kushner Companies has worked in good faith in pursuit of an acquisition of Veris Residential that would provide compelling value to Veris Residential shareholders. Despite Veris' repeated efforts to cast doubt on the credibility of our proposals, for the past several months Kushner has sought to work collaboratively with Veris. During this period, we have raised our offer price on multiple occasions, yet at no point has Veris provided any counterproposal, nor indicated a range of values at which it would be prepared to transact.

Over the December holiday period, Veris requested that Kushner make itself and the senior representatives of its principal financing partners available for an in-person meeting with Veris' advisers to discuss our financing plan for an acquisition of Veris. In our and our advisers' experience, a meeting of senior personnel of this nature is virtually unprecedented, but in spite of this, on December 20, 2022, the most senior executives from both our lead equity partner and our lead debt financing partner met in-person with the Board's chosen advisors from J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs at the offices of our counsel, Fried Frank. Our financing partners, which the Board and its advisors know very well and have worked with extensively, forcefully reiterated their full commitment to the financing of our bid. Our financing partners' position has not changed since the beginning of this process: we are entirely financed and prepared to move quickly to consummate a transaction. Indeed, during and shortly after this meeting, Veris' advisers provided feedback on certain of our financing assumptions, indicating that additional financing would be required for a transaction. We advised Veris the very next day that we and our partners were prepared to fund these additional amounts.

Since that day, Kushner and its financing partners have worked diligently to finalize a potential confidentiality and standstill agreement with Veris that would provide us access to non-public information. Throughout this time, we were transparent with Veris and its advisers that, for Kushner to sign away the right to pursue a transaction independent of the Veris board that would maximize value for Veris shareholders, Kushner needed a very high level of confidence that the Veris board was open to a sale of the company and that the parties were reasonably close on value. This concern was exacerbated by the Veris board's failure, throughout our prior discussions, to provide even cursory guidance as to whether or at what price it might be willing to engage in a change of control transaction.

A video conference between the parties was scheduled for January 12 and postponed by Veris to the following day. The understanding of both parties was that, provided each side was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, the parties expected to enter into a confidentiality/standstill agreement following the meeting.

After the January 13 video conference, a significant Veris shareholder filed a 13D amendment, disclosing that on January 12 that shareholder had met with the Veris nominating and corporate governance committee and requested representation on the Veris board, and expressing its desire to "maintain a constructive dialogue with [Veris] regarding opportunities to continue to support Veris' current business plan and approach to acquisition interest from third parties."

We were disappointed that we learned of these discussions through an SEC filing rather than from Veris directly, particularly in view of the timing of the meeting with this shareholder. Since learning of that SEC filing, we have been evaluating the implications of this development. We have expressed to Veris on multiple occasions that we were continuing to assess the impact of this development before deciding on next steps. At no time did Kushner "inform [Veris] that it was not interested in proceeding at this time."

The actions taken by the Veris board today eroded shareholder value, with the stock plummeting to below $15.00 in after hours trading, and reinforced our longstanding concern that the Veris board is entrenched, and does not want to engage in good faith in discussions regarding a transaction that would result in a loss of itsand its chosen high-priced management team'sperks. Meanwhile, the Veris board has permitted insider share purchases and made new equity grants, despite being engaged in M&A discussions.

Veris shareholders deserve a Board that recognizes its responsibilities, acts on its words, and engages in serious and transparent processes to achieve value for its shareholders. Unfortunately, Veris' current Board has shown neither the ability nor the willingness to so engage.

About Kushner

Founded in New Jersey in 1985, Kushner is a diversified real estate organization responsible for the ownership, management, development, and redevelopment of properties through the country. Kushner currently owns and operates over 21,000 units across the country, with a strong presence in New Jersey, and has a multifamily development pipeline of over 9,300 units.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to [email protected]

Investor Contact:

Bruce Goldfarb / Pat McHugh

Okapi Partners LLC

(212) 297-0720

[email protected]

SOURCE Kushner
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LB Water is excited to announce the expansion of Zenner meter offerings in Virginia. The Zenner water meter product line includes residential, commercial, and industrial water meters and stealth networks.

We offer a range of Zenner metering solutions to ensure our customers get the right meters for their applications, including metering automation and data-protected system security. Current metering automation services include AMR and AMI.

The LB Water Meter Team offers industry-renowned support online, by phone, or in the field. Our services include:

Technical and IT support to help you set up your system and keep it working

Complete end-to-end meter system design

Business intelligence to help you improve efficiency, reduce NRW and improve customer satisfaction

Operations support  we'll help you interpret and act on data, alerts, and alarms to optimize your operations

Updates to hardware and software

Customized training and ongoing user education for you and your team

"When you work with the LB Water Meter Team, you get more than 240 years of combined experience," said Mitch Franks, Meter Operations Manager. "We not only bring you the best technology but also the knowledge and expertise to set up and manage your network and data."

About LB Water

LB Water is a solutions-based provider of waterworks infrastructure products to cities, counties, municipalities, private water and sewer authorities, and contractors throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Its products include water infrastructure, water-metering technologies, sanitary and storm sewer systems, specialty products, and environmental solutions. It is a 100-percent employee-owned organization. Founded in 1970 by Lehman B. Mengel, the company employs 225+ people at 10 locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Visit www.lbh2o.com to learn more.

CONTACT:

Clare Wallace

757.500.5322

[email protected]

SOURCE LB Water
HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center and Texas Tech University School of Law are accepting presentation proposals for the Lone Star Regional Legal Writing Conference. Deadline to submit proposals using this form is Friday, Feb. 10.

"Good writing skills mean better analysis, and better analysis translates into higher exam scores, improved bar passage, winning advocates, and successful practitioners. With this in mind, we are restarting Lone Star to provide a forum where those of us engaged in the profession of teaching law can become better at teaching these most critical skills," said UH Law Center conference organizer and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Katherine Brem.

The two co-host schools will hold the in-person conference this spring to provide a forum for legal educators to become better at teaching critical writing and analytical skills. The free one-and-a-half-day conference is open to any anyone who teaches law, full-time or part-time, and anyone interested in teaching law.

"Restarting Lone Star has been a passion project for everyone involved. We are excited to welcome so many great minds and to learn from your wealth of knowledge and experience," said Brandon Beck, Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University School of Law.

Lone Star invites presentation proposals in the areas of legal writing, legal research, advocacy, and pedagogy. Topics might include techniques to improve legal writing instruction in the 1L legal writing course, but also collaborative efforts among faculty members in areas such as these:

Improving student exam-writing skills

Enhancing client deliverables in clinics

Sharpening appellate briefing among competition teams

Ensuring student success on the bar exam

Presentation slots will be in increments of 25 or 50 minutes. Individual presenters, co-presenters, and panels are welcome.

The conference will take place April 14-15 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Click here to submit a proposal.

Click here for more information on the event.

University of Houston Law Center media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Bonnie Buffaloe, Communications Manager, 713-743-9137, [email protected].

About the University of Houston Law Center

The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 15 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

SOURCE University of Houston Law Center
HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lopez Negrete Communications and Hyundai Motor America announce first-of-its-kind anthemic brand work aimed at showing that no matter how far apart we might be, how different we may be, where we go or where we came from, it is the miles we spend together that are worth treasuring. The Las Millas que Nos Unen or The Miles that Unite Us campaign was originally created for the Hispanic market, but Hyundai observed its emotional relevance resonating across all audiences and selected it for the general market as well.

"Our first bilingual anthemic brand campaign with Lopez Negrete transcends our vehicles to truly capture Hyundai's perspective on life, that while 'miles' are normally thought of as indicators of geographic separation, they can unite us when they are used to create experiences that bring us together," said Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. "We also strongly believe this campaign crosses over cultures and emotionally connects with diverse audiences, so the broadcast and digital campaign will run in both English and Spanish, capturing today's multicultural consumers."

The goal of the campaign was to show the benefits of the brand and to share the role Hyundai plays in their drivers' lives as a partner that brings design, technology, and functionality to spark excitement, comfort, and joy to every step of their journeys.

"The time we spend in our vehicles is, in many cases, quality time we spend with partners, family, friends, or just by ourselves. Within these vehicles, we live moments, sometimes significant and sometimes irrelevant, that stay with us for years, moments we label with miles," adds Executive Creative Director Alex Garcia. "The car becomes then a silent witness, a stage for those fun, loving, memorable miles in the journey of our lives."

The anthem spot was filmed in Los Angeles and brought to life under the direction of Isis Malpica, with Macgregor as director of photography. Hyundai's campaign consists of :15, :30, and :60 TV commercials, :30 radio spots and streaming audio, and digital assets that will be shared nationally in English and Spanish through the end of 2023.

"As Hyundai's Hispanic agency of record, we are proud to represent a brand that is committed to building an authentic relationship with this consumer whether that is in-language or in-culture or both," said Lopez Negrete Communications President and CEO Alex Lopez Negrete. "To see our strategy and final production afforded content for both our market and the mainstream market makes me extraordinarily proud of the work and our shared teams."

About Lopez Negrete Communications

Lopez Negrete Communications stands as the largest independent, Hispanic-owned-and-operated, full-service agency in the United States, specializing in providing marketing services to corporations wishing to reach and engage with America's large and influential Hispanic consumer segment. Founded in 1985 by Alex and Cathy Lopez Negrete, the agency offers thought leadership and a full range of marketing, advertising, and communications services, including strategic planning, brand strategy, creative and production, research and consumer insights, media planning and buying, digital/social/mobile marketing services, public relations, and promotions. Award-winning throughout a rich 37-year history, Lopez Negrete counts as clients some of the nation's largest corporations and their prestigious brands, such as Bank of America, Walmart, McDonald's, Hyundai Motor America, Sam's Club, Mattress Firm, Phillips 66 Company, and Motiva Enterprises LLC. With headquarters in Houston, Texas, Lopez Negrete employs over 100 professionals who are dedicated to delivering the promise of Maximum Return On Cultural Intelligence and is a founding agency member of both the Hispanic Marketing Council and the ANA's Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM).

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on 'Progress for Humanity' and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 830 dealers sold more than 724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.

SOURCE Lopez Negrete Communications
Hispanic college-bound students nationwide can visit hacertour.com/register to sign up for the free virtual session.

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- High school seniors, prepare for takeoff. With the application period for the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship open for a few more weeks, there's still time to explore the limitless possibilities of a college education with the help of astronaut Katya Echazarreta. The McDonald's crew alum is hosting a virtual mentorship session on Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. EST to inspire Hispanic students nationwide and instill in them the confidence that college is within reach.

McDonald's USA: McDonald's HACER National Scholarship McDonald's USA: McDonald's HACER National Scholarship

"After meeting with students face to face at local high schools across the country, I'm excited to connect with even more students virtually to let them know that their dreams of getting an education can be achieved," said Katya Echazarreta, Electrical Engineer, STEM Content Creator, and first Mexican-born woman to go to space. "With resources available to them like the HACER scholarship, I encourage high school seniors nationwide to join me on January 24, so I can show them that if I could do it, they can too!"

During the session, Katya will share insights on how her perseverance and passion for learning helped shape her journey toward becoming a NASA electrical engineer as a first-generation college student. Students will be able to interact with Katya through a live chat. To participate, students everywhere can register by visiting hacertour.com/register .

The scholarship application period for the 2022-2023 academic year is open through Feb. 6, 2023. Hispanic college-bound students and their parents are encouraged to visit mcdonalds.com/hacer for additional college resources in English and Spanish and details on how to apply for the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship.

Making an Impact Across the Country with HACER

Katya's partnership with the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is a full-circle moment for the engineer, as she considers her time at McDonald's foundational to her approach of becoming an astronaut. Last fall, she reunited with the Golden Arches as a guest speaker in the annual McDonald's HACER Education Tour , inspiring Hispanic students to reach for the stars with in-person workshops and 1:1 mentorship sessions across select high schools. The education workshop series is hosted by CoolSpeak , the leading youth engagement company in the country, to help students in different cities navigate the college application process. Katya's final in-person appearance will take place today, January 19, at Bowie High School in El Paso, TX.

The McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is one of the largest programs committed to college scholarships and resources for Hispanics, giving students the golden opportunity to receive up to $100,000 for their education. Since 1985, the program has awarded more than $33 million in scholarships to more than 17,000 students. McDonald's and its Hispanic Owner/Operators are proud to continue its legacy for the 2022-2023 academic year.

About McDonald's USA

McDonald's has always been committed to the communities it serves, and the people that make up those communities. Every day the brand takes steps to achieve a more equitable and inclusive future for our employees, Franchisees, suppliers, customers, and the communities we serve and foster.

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Our global aspiration is that no matter where you are in the world, when you interact with McDonald's  through the app, in a restaurant, by watching a commercial, working in an office setting or as a crew member  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are as evident and familiar as the Golden Arches. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds .

About Katya Echazarreta

Katya Echazarreta is a Mexican-American electrical engineer, STEM content creator, and civilian astronaut who at only 26 years old, became the first Mexican-born woman to fly to the edge of space as a member of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's NS-21 spaceflight mission. She was selected from a pool of 7,000 applicants from more than 100 countries as a Space for Humanity Ambassador based on her outstanding achievements in the space industry.

Katya's partnership with the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is a full-circle moment for the engineer, as she worked at her local McDonald's as a partial breadwinner for her family when she was in high school. The first-generation college student earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA while on a scholarship and is currently on the way to earning a Master's degree at Johns Hopkins University, all while inspiring and encouraging young Latinos across the country to pursue their dreams!

MEDIA CONTACT

Erick Morelos

[email protected]

(708) 308-2963

SOURCE McDonald's Corporation
Pari Selects smartShift Intelligent Automation for SAP S/4HANA Transformation of Validated SAP Environments

Objectives are to reduce risks, minimize the impact on business operations, and simplify compliance with GxP requirements.

BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- German medical device manufacturer PARI and smartShift, leading global provider of Intelligent Automation for SAP transformations based in Mannheim/Germany, announce their collaboration on the planned S/4HANA transformation for PARI group's validated SAP systems.

PARI is currently transforming its core SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA. PARI chose smartShift's innovative Intelligent Automation to customize and modernize in-house developments. The main reasons for this decision are to reduce project risks, minimize the impact on business operations during transformation, and simplify compliance requirements resulting from GxP.

"smartShift brings a lot of experience with the specifics of validated system environments in an industry like ours" says Edgar Osswald, Head of Information Technology & Digitization at PARI Group. "We are very happy that smartShift and PARI have come together so that we can now go into this critical S/4HANA transformation much more relaxed, and also with a much more compact schedule."

"We are pleased to support PARI, our next customer in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry, on its journey to S/4HANA," says Arndt Hoffmann, Chief Customer Officer at smartShift, "We know and understand the requirements and criticality of validated systems. Our automation brings significant benefits 'out of the box' in terms of documentation, quality, and consistency. These benefits directly impact documentation and testing efforts in validated environments. We look forward to bringing these benefits to PARI and ensuring a smooth S/4HANA transformation."

About the PARI Group

As a manufacturer of medical devices with a focus on inhalation devices, PARI has been the trusted brand for doctors, pharmacists, and patients for many decades.

PARI Group is headquartered in Starnberg/Germany with additional locations in Weilheim and Grafelfing. In addition, there are international subsidiaries and a worldwide distribution network. The approximately 500 employees and a management team that has been stable for many years can look back on the experience of over 100 years of company history.

For more information, please visit www.pari.com.

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About smartShift

Leading companies worldwide rely on smartShift Intelligent Automation to modernize their SAP systems. We help our customers accelerate the transformation of their SAP systems into next-generation cloud computing environments. Our solutions have supported thousands of application modernization projects, analyzed and converted more than 2.5 billion lines of code, eliminated risk, and freed up strategic resources to focus on growth.

To learn more, please visit: www.smartShift.com

Contact

Corporate Communications

Darshita Srivastava

E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE smartShift
LANSING, Mich., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For some students across Michigan, their futures turned from bleak to bright the minute they stepped foot into their new schools. Next week, students who benefited from the state's growing school choice options are sharing their inspirational stories at a high-energy rally at the State Capitol in Lansing.

The event will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Heritage Hall of the Michigan Capitol (100 North Capitol Avenue in Lansing). More than 200 participants are expected to attend.

Hosted by Michigan School Choice Coalition, the event will include student remarks and performances; in addition, participating schools will provide information to parents at booths set up in the Hall. The celebration is open to the press and the public.

Organizers hope that as a result of the event, additional parents from across the Wolverine State will discover and explore the education options available for their children.

"For decades, Michigan has been a national leader in providing families with a variety of unique and effective options for their children's education, but families across our state still need practical information about the education options available for their children," said Amy Dunlap, director of family engagement, marketing, and legislative advocacy of Michigan International Prep School and the event's organizer. "This event will educate even more parents about our state's school choice offerings, while celebrating the transformational benefits of K12 school choice."

The Michigan School Choice Coalition is comprised of K12 education groups including P.A.C.E. (Parent Advocates for Choice in Education), MAPSA (Michigan Association of Public School Academies), Mackinac Center for Public Policy, GLEP (Great Lakes Education Project), National Coalition for Public School Options, Michigan Catholic Conference, and Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools which are 501c3 nonprofit organizations.

The January 26 event is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (NSCW), which will feature more than 26,000 school choice events across all 50 states to raise equal and positive awareness of the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education options available for families.

In addition to this event, 765 public and private schools in Michigan will host independent events and activities during NSCW. These schools enroll an estimated 257,161 students across all grade levels.

For more information, visit mipace.org , charterschools.org , mackinac.org or schoolchoiceweek.com .

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children. The Week is a charitable program of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. NSCW events are educational in nature and are not designed to influence the introduction, passage, or defeat of any legislation or specific policy proposals.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
 Former Publicis, Packable Executive to Direct Market Research and Strategy Practice for Brands, Private Equity Firms, and Banks 

BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentum Commerce , a modern digital retail consultancy, today announced an expansion of its senior leadership team with the hire of Aisha Khan as VP of Strategy & Insights. Aisha will marshal Momentum Commerce's Strategy Consulting practice, building upon existing work with firms like Raymond James and Boston Consulting Group, along with brands like Therabody.

Enterprise Brands, Consumer-Focused Private Equity Firms and Investment Banks all turn to Momentum Commerce's Strategy Consulting Practice because of exacting needs around data-backed research and expertise on the Amazon marketplace. Past projects include total addressable market (TAM) analyses, multi-year retail channel revenue models, and competitive assessments.

Aisha's management of Momentum Commerce's growing Strategy Consulting practice comes after a decade in eCommerce leadership roles, including as SVP of Commerce - Retail Media at global agency Publicis, Chief Strategy Officer at Packable, and most recently as General Manager at Forum Brands.

"Brands and financial firms operating in the eCommerce space are struggling to find the precise, objective data and insights necessary to make sound long-term strategic decisions," explained Aisha Khan, VP of Strategy & Insights at Momentum Commerce. "Momentum Commerce's Strategy Consulting practice addresses this exact pain point. I'm excited for the opportunity to build and improve on the work the team has already accomplished so we can create more value for our current and future clients."

Financial firms like Raymond James turn to Momentum Commerce's Strategy Consulting because the company pairs eCommerce-specific expertise with an unparalleled repository of brand- and market-level Amazon data designed in a way that meets the firm's needs and answers meaningful questions.

"Momentum Commerce has really proved in a 360-degree fashion that they not only know what a successful Amazon model is, but also provide really good advice on what makes something special on a specific client basis," said Laura Hillman, VP of Investment Banking at Raymond James. "They're really able to take a deeper view into our clients and provide a unique analysis on them. I personally have never seen the type of analyses that they do on Amazon from anyone else, and I think that our clients are also really impressed by it."

For more information about Momentum Commerce's Strategy Consulting services, please visit https://momentumcommerce.com/services/

About Momentum Commerce

Momentum Commerce is a modern consultancy offering brands flexible technology and professional services to grow sales on digital retail platforms such as Amazon, Walmart.com and Target.com. Comprised of half technologists and half consultants, Momentum Commerce's team provides unrivaled data assets with a scientific approach to retail media management, insights services, and bespoke projects brands need to meet their growth goals. With a mission to be the most respected firm in the space, Momentum Commerce brand clients include emerging and enterprise brands such as Crocs, Chaps, Lush Decor, Level Home, XMONDO and many more. For more information, please visit https://momentumcommerce.com .

Media Contact

Andrew Waber

[email protected]

SOURCE Momentum Commerce
NEO: SHWZ

OTCQX: SHWZ

DENVER, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Medicine Man Technologies operating as Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), announces changes to its executive financial leadership team in preparation for its growth initiatives in Colorado and New Mexico with the addition of Chief Financial Officer, Forrest Hoffmaster. Effectively immediately, Hoffmaster replaces the current CFO, Nancy Huber, who previously announced her plans to retire once the Company hired a new CFO.

As Chief Financial Officer, Forrest Hoffmaster joins the executive leadership team at Schwazze where he will be responsible for the company's finance functions including Accounting, Audit, Risk, Tax, Treasury, Financial Planning & Analysis, Investor Relations, and Capital Markets. In addition, he will oversee the company's data analytics and information technology functions. Hoffmaster brings to Schwazze a 30-year career with broad C-suite experience in purpose-driven companies including Whole Foods, HEB Grocery, Advanced Micro Devices and, most recently, with New Seasons Market headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

As CEO of New Seasons Market, a specialty gourmet food retailer, Hoffmaster successfully led the company through one of the most disruptive periods within the company's history and the retail grocery industry. Grounded in founder-inspired values, he stewarded the company to financial health growing EBITDA by 30% over two years, with a deliberate growth strategy coupled with operating cost optimization, resulting in a successful sale and integration of the company with Good Food Holdings LLC.

Prior to New Seasons Market, Hoffmaster spent 15 years with Whole Foods Market in various capacities in finance and operations. Previously he was with HEB Grocery and Advanced Micro Devices in finance management roles. Hoffmaster began his career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen focusing on SEC and GAAP compliance and reporting, graduating from the University of Houston Cum Laude with a BBA in Accounting in 1993.

"We are excited about the addition of Forrest Hoffmaster to our executive leadership team as Chief Financial Officer. Hoffmaster brings a wealth of financial and operational experience that will enable Schwazze's growth strategy, optimize its operating costs, and foster a performance-driven organization," said Justin Dye, Chairman and CEO of Schwazze. "We thank Nancy Huber, outgoing CFO, for her invaluable contributions since 2019 and wish her well in her retirement."

"I am excited to join such a deeply experienced, operationally focused team at Schwazze and look forward to the growth and success ahead. Schwazze has solid fundamentals and is writing an incredibly successful story as an admired retailer with a house of brands in the cannabis industry. I am looking forward to contributing to that," said Forrest Hoffmaster.

Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 41 cannabis retail dispensaries (Star Buds, Emerald Fields and R.Greenleaf) as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced the creation of its Biosciences division, and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ; NEO: SHWZ) is building a premier, vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices.

Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth. To learn more about Schwazze, visit www.Schwazze.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may," "continue," "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, including the acquisition described in this press release, and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Schwazze
LONDON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- myGwork, the largest global business platform for LGBTQ+ professionals, has launched the myGwork Academy to provide practical and relevant LGBTQ+ training and education that promises to create inclusive environments for all.

A recent LinkedIn poll, carried out by myGwork, revealed that 61% employees said that their company doesn't offer LGBTQ+ training. However, if companies are serious about LGBTQ+ inclusion then training, and education are a must. More business leaders and managers are keen to create inclusive organisations as they know it's key to retain valuable diverse recruits. In fact, myGwork's latest survey of students and graduates in the US & UK revealed that being out at work and #WorkingWithPride is important for the majority of Gen Z (72%). Additionally, 9 out of 10 students/graduates would be more inclined to be out at work from day one if they knew their employer was truly committed to inclusion.

However, employers are struggling to create inclusive workplaces because many LGBTQ+ professionals (6 out of 10) continue to be discriminated against in their place of work/study, according to myGwork's latest findings. As a result of rife discrimination, the majority of LGBTQ+ professionals either return to the closet in the absence of supportive allies, or much worse, they leave their jobs. In fact, myGwork's telling survey revealed that two-thirds of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers entering the workplace would actually leave their job if they felt they couldn't be out at work.

In short, companies need to work much harder at making their workplaces more inclusive if they are serious about holding onto invaluable diverse talent. Education and the right training are key to this. Finding out what diverse groups, like the LGBTQ+ communities, need at work means having those difficult, emotive, yet very necessary conversations. For example, most people at work want to be better allies, prevent discrimination/micro-aggressions, and ensure they are being inclusive through their everyday actions and words. Part of this requires helping leaders, managers and employees across the organisation develop a better understanding and awareness of marginalised communities and their needs.

The new training from the myGwork Academy can help to achieve that. The Academy's launch course, LGBTQ+ Allyship in the Workplace, helps by focusing on building an understanding of what it means to be LGBTQ+, the importance of allyship in the workplace and how this can be reflected in day-to-day actions.

Unlike, traditional and general corporate diversity training programmes that do little to challenge or stamp out ingrained prejudices, stereotypes and misconceptions, the modules developed by the myGwork Academy are different. The content is developed by DE&I specialists with specific LGBTQ+ inclusion expertise and is highly interactive and practical, with relevant simulations and a variety of gamification and media to hold user engagement. All modules conclude with both a certificate of achievement and a call to action to drive the tangible behavioural change that will build inclusive workplaces for all. Furthermore, myGwork Academy's modules can be seamlessly integrated into an organisation's learning management systems, removing the burden of administrative set up and helping organisations focus on what matters  getting impactful training to the front line.

The myGwork Academy complements the platform's existing suite of services, which not only supports 300+ corporate clients to attract and retain LGBTQ+ talent, but also provides its fast-growing global network of professionals and allies, with thousands of jobs with inclusive employers, as well as LGBTQ+-related news, events, training and mentors.

Commenting on the launch of the myGwork Academy, Co-founders Adrien (CMO) and Pierre Gaubert (CEO) stated: "Training has always been a critical part of myGwork's contribution to help create more inclusive workplaces. The launch of the myGwork Academy is a cornerstone of our strategy to evolve from our classic jobs board offering to becoming the world's leading business community eco-system for LGBTQ+ professionals, allies and anyone who believes in workplace equality. Our latest innovative offering delivers much-needed relevant, yet highly practical LGBTQ+ education and training that works."

Adding to their comments, myGwork's Chief Strategy Officer Stephan Heinz, said: "Coming from a corporate world where I endured hours of e-learning that lacked elements to truly engage the user and drive behavioural change, we took it upon ourselves to create something truly unique  experiential learning that really makes the user feel like they are in a specific situation. This drives empathy, understanding and practical reactions  something so important for topics like inclusion and allyship. I am excited to see how our partners benefit from what we've built and the change this will drive across the world."

For more information about the myGwork Academy and training modules, check out the website here . For a full copy of myGwork's 2022 LGBTQ+ Gen Z Survey, contact [email protected] .

About myGwork

Award-winning company myGwork is the largest global business community for LGBTQ+ professionals, graduates, inclusive employers and anyone who believes in workplace equality. It aims to empower the LGBTQ+ community by offering individual members a safe space where they can connect with inclusive employers, find jobs, mentors, professional events and news. The company's founders Adrien and Pierre Gaubert won the Attitude Young LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur of the Year Award, honoured as one of the Top 100 Global LGBT+ OUTstanding Executives and listed as one of the UK's Top 50 inclusion champions in the 2022/23 Diversity Power List . myGwork was also shortlisted for The 2022 Digital Leaders Impact Awards as a finalist in the 6th Digital Leaders Impact Awards 2022 celebrating UK tech for good. The company also won last year's Bank of London's 2022 Rainbow Honours . Additionally, myGwork was listed in the Top 5 Startups with Pride by Geek Times and won the Diva Magazine Award of Corporate Allies.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986037/myGwork_Academy__Logo.jpg

SOURCE myGwork
Scientific milestones achieved significantly ahead of schedule

CAMBRIDGE, England , Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NeoPhore Limited, a small molecule neoantigen immuno-oncology company, today announces the completion of its 21.5m (US $28.5m) Series B financing, with a 6m (US $7.5m) financing extension. The syndicate comprised its Series B subscribing investors including CRT Pioneer Fund, Claris Ventures, 2Invest, 3B Future Health Fund and Astellas Venture Management.

NeoPhore is focused on the discovery and development of novel first-in-class small molecule drugs targeting the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway to treat cancer. The additional funding will be used to progress NeoPhore's expanding pipeline of drugs, encompassing multiple biological targets and modalities of treatment, to the start of IND-enabling studies in 2024.

Dr Robert James, Chairman of NeoPhore, said: "This additional support from NeoPhore's existing investors is a strong testament to the Company's novel and differentiated immunotherapy approach. We believe that by altering the tumour genotype to elicit immunological responses, we can offer huge clinical benefit in the level and durability of anti-tumour responses in a wide range of indications for the benefit of cancer patients. 2022 was a year of remarkable progress for NeoPhore in which it demonstrated, for the first time that we are aware of, a number of exciting therapeutic consequences of inhibiting mismatch repair with a small molecule."

In January 2022, NeoPhore achieved all of its investment related scientific milestones significantly ahead of schedule. In February 2022, NeoPhore expanded its research partnership with St George's, University of London after a successful collaboration investigating novel cancer immunotherapies, and in July 2022, the Company entered a three-year research collaboration agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to further validate the potential of NeoPhore's proprietary DNA mismatch repair inhibitor (MMRi) compounds to enhance tumour immunogenicity and induce tumour immunity.

Dr Matthew Baker, Chief Executive Officer of NeoPhore, added: "2022 was a year of progress for NeoPhore. Collaborating with such prominent leaders in the field allowed us to advance our goal of developing next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics. It is known that drugs designed to spark cancer neoantigen creation and subsequently stimulate the immune system, can improve outcomes for patients who do not benefit from the current generation of cancer immunotherapies. We welcome the continued support from our investors that enables us to further develop our drug discovery pipeline."

NOTES TO EDITORS

NeoPhore Ltd

NeoPhore, UK is focused on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapies to treat cancer through stimulation of the immune system. Generation of cancer neoantigens in tumours can be exploited by the patients' immune system to overcome natural defence mechanisms in cancer. The Company's approach targets the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway, which has been proven to promote neoantigen creation and subsequent immunity against numerous cancers. Using these insights, NeoPhore aims to generate next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. NeoPhore was spun-out of the University of Turin and PhoreMost Ltd by the CRT Pioneer Fund. For more information, please visit www.neophore.com

About Sixth Element Capital LLP and the CRT Pioneer Fund

Sixth Element Capital LLP (6EC) is a UK based fund manager, which manages the CRT Pioneer Fund. 6EC's experienced partners focus on creative and collaborative novel financing solutions designed to fund and manage innovative science in order to bring new therapeutic products and technologies to market, creating long term value and benefit to stakeholders. The CRT Pioneer Fund is a specialist oncology investment fund established by 6EC in 2012. The 70 million fund is dedicated to investments in oncology development programmes in Europe. The fund was established to bridge the investment gap between cancer drug discovery and early clinical development.

For more information, please see www.sixthelementcapital.com

About Claris Ventures

Claris Ventures is a biotech-focused venture capital firm based in Turin (Italy). Its first fund under management, Claris Biotech I, was launched in 2020 to finance high potential biopharma companies arisen from the Italian R&D ecosystem  both local and international. We identify and support innovation in the pharmaceutical space, investing in new companies with transformational drugs under development. We aim at the highest impact possible on highly unmet patients' needs, building value around strong science. Our pursuit for high potential projects involves every research center, clinical structure and company in the Italian life sciences network, whether the founding team is based in Italy or it includes Italian scientists abroad who have strong links with Italy.

http://www.clarisventures.com/

About 3B Future Health Fund S.A. SICAR, formerly known as Helsinn Investment Fund S.A., SICAR

3B Future Health Fund is focused on investments in areas of high unmet patient need and aims to help companies with innovative technologies to transform new ideas into commercial solutions with the potential to impact health-related quality of life of patients. The Fund selects companies with technologies in a range of areas including cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, cancer supportive care, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatology conditions. For more information, please visit : https://3bfuturehealth.com/

About Astellas Venture Management LLC

Astellas Venture Management LLC (AVM) is the corporate venture capital organization dedicated to reinforcing Astellas Pharma Inc. (Astellas) to accomplish the strategic goals. The venture capital activity of AVM is designated since 2005. Astellas, the ultimate parent company of AVM, headquartered in Tokyo is actively engaged in business as an R&D-driven global pharmaceutical company with the business philosophy to "Contribute toward improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products". Through strategic investments in private early-stage companies, the funds aim to mutual-interact with Astellas, leading to partnering/collaboration in the future. AVM will be able to provide portfolio companies with invaluable R&D advice and assistance.

About 2Invest

2Invest AG (2Invest) is an investment company listed on Frankfurt market formed in 2020 from the restructuring of businesses of 4basebio AG. Our investment objective is primarily but not exclusively to identify and support emerging companies with both strong management teams and ground-breaking technologies in the biotechnology, life sciences and IT sectors. Our ambition is to enable those companies to reach new and meaningful value inflexion points.

SOURCE NeoPhore
The new report provides blueprint for communities to reduce emissions and prepare for future risks

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) along with the Wells Fargo Institute for Sustainable Finance released a new report "Investing in Resilient and Equitable Neighborhoods," which highlights focus areas, best practices and strategies for communities looking to address the effects of the climate crisis. This report is the result of a year-long partnership between the two organizations to assess how local elected officials and the private sector could work together to achieve climate and resilience goals.

"Mayors continue to be on the front lines as they deal with the consequences of the climate crisis in their own communities and push for solutions," said USCM President and Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez. "We are proud to share this report, a blueprint to help communities as they work to become more resilient, which would not have been possible without the collaboration between mayors and business partners over the past year."

"Wells Fargo is committed to building community resilience in light of the impacts of climate change, particularly in underserved communities," said Robyn Luhning, chief sustainability officer at Wells Fargo. "Our partnership in this report with the USCM is a part of our work to support the transition to a resilient, equitable and sustainable economy."

The climate initiative was announced at USCM's 2022 Winter Leadership Meeting, kicking off a year that brought together city leaders, Wells Fargo representatives, subject matter experts and non-profits to discuss the challenges faced by cities throughout the country due to the climate crisis, and how local communities are addressing their impacts. All together, these meetings and conversations aimed to find out how the public and private sectors can invest in solutions that will result in resilient and equitable neighborhoods for years to come.

The full report can be found here.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors
QINLOCK  (ripretinib) now Medsafe approved for GIST patients in NZ

QINLOCK now being considered by PHARMAC for reimbursement

Data from the INVICTUS Phase 3 study shows QINLOCK reduces risk of disease progression or death by 85%1, 2

SINGAPORE and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Asia (ST) is pleased to announce that a new therapy to treat rare gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) shown to improve survival has now been approved in New Zealand.

The therapy, QINLOCK (ripretinib) has been approved for use by the country's regulatory agency Medsafe for the treatment of adult patients with GIST who have received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib.

It is currently being made available to eligible patients in New Zealand via a co-pay Access Program while it is considered by PHARMAC for reimbursement.

Cancer specialists said the approval was welcome news for NZ patients diagnosed with GIST.

In a joint statement, medical oncologists Dr Joanna Connor and Dr Clement Korenbaum from the Auckland City Hospital said QINLOCK would provide patients with more treatment options, aligning with international standard of care.

"QINLOCK offers clinically meaningful benefits in progression free and overall survival for patients living with advanced GIST," they noted. "It offers an option for patients who have progressed on other treatments."

"We would now support having fully funded access to QINLOCK for all those affected by advanced GIST who meet the pivotal study's criteria."

61-year-old Auckland grandfather and sales manager Tom Turrall was diagnosed with GIST earlier this year after being admitted to hospital for what doctors initially believed was a bleeding ulcer.

"The approval of QINLOCK means hope and an opportunity," Mr Turrall said.

"I want to live to see my grandchildren grow. I want to live to be able to experience growing old with my wife. I want to live to be able to spend some time relaxing and enjoying what we have worked for. The approval of QINLOCK will remove a level of anxiety that I live with every day as it provides an opportunity for an additional treatment option."

Mr Turrall said it was critical that PHARMAC now funded QINLOCK for patients to ensure all those who are eligible for treatment can afford the therapy.

"PHARMAC funding will mean the financial burden is eased. We consider ourselves the average Kiwi couple. We have worked hard for what we have accumulated and are looking forward to retirement. We are not sure what we will do if we have to fund (any) treatment ourselves."

QINLOCK belongs to a class of drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs. It is designed to inhibit key enzymes linked to tumour growth. In Australia it has been fully reimbursed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme since 2021.

A pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of QINLOCK in patients with advanced GIST  the INVICTUS study  demonstrated that QINLOCK was able to significantly reduce the risk of disease progression by 85% (hazard ratio of 0.15, p<0.0001) with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 6.3 months in patients administered QINLOCK, compared to 1.0 month in the placebo arm.1 In addition, in a long-term follow up analysis, patients in the QINLOCK arm demonstrated a median overall survival (OS) of 18.2 months compared to 6.3 months in the placebo arm and reduced the risk of death by 59% (hazard ratio of 0.41).1, 4

QINLOCK is made available in New Zealand by independent pharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics (ST) under an exclusive distribution agreement from US based Deciphera Pharmaceuticals.

ST Chief Executive Officer Carlo Montagner said QINLOCK was currently under review by PHARMAC.

"We are hopeful for a positive outcome by PHARMAC so that patients with advanced GIST in New Zealand have ready access to this important new treatment option."

About GIST

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a cancer affecting the digestive tract or nearby structures within the abdomen, most often presenting in the stomach or small intestine. GIST growth usually begins in the connective tissue in the wall of the affected organ and grows outwards. The common location of GIST is in the stomach (50 to 60%) and small intestines (30 to 40%) but can occur in any site in the digestive system. Other possible GIST sites are the oesophagus, rectum, and colon. The risk of GIST diagnosis increases with age, with GIST incidence peaking among people in their fifties and sixties.5

About QINLOCK (ripretinib)

QINLOCK is a switch-control tyrosine kinase inhibitor that was engineered to broadly inhibit KIT and PDGFRA mutated kinases by using a dual mechanism of action that regulates the kinase switch pocket and activation loop. QINLOCK inhibits primary and secondary KIT mutations in exons 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, and 18 involved in GIST, as well as the primary exon 17 D816V mutation.6,7 QINLOCK also inhibits primary PDGFRA mutations in exons 12, 14, and 18, including the exon 18 D842V mutation, involved in a subset of GIST.6,7

About Specialised Therapeutics

Headquartered in Singapore, Specialised Therapeutics (ST) is an international biopharmaceutical company established to commercialise new therapies and technologies to patients in Australia, New Zealand and across South-East Asia. ST and its regional affiliates collaborate with leading global pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to bring novel, innovative and life-changing healthcare solutions to patients affected by a range of diseases. Its mission is to provide therapies where there is an unmet need. The company's broad therapeutic portfolio currently includes novel agents in oncology, haematology, neurology, ophthalmology and supportive care. Additional information can be found at www.stbiopharma.com

About the INVICTUS Phase 3 Study

The INVICTUS Phase 3 study was an international, multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of QINLOCK compared to placebo in patients with advanced GIST whose previous therapies have included imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. Patients were randomized 2:1 to either 150 mg of QINLOCK once daily (n=85) or placebo (n=44). The primary efficacy endpoint was PFS based on disease assessment by blinded independent central review (BICR) using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. The median PFS in the study was 6.3 months compared to 1.0 month in the placebo arm and significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 85% (hazard ratio of 0.15, p<0.0001) compared to placebo.1 Secondary endpoints included Objective Response Rate (ORR) as determined by independent radiologic review using modified RECIST and OS. QINLOCK demonstrated an ORR of 9.4% compared with 0% for placebo (p=0.0504)1. In a long-term follow up of 19 months after the primary analysis, QINLOCK also demonstrated a median OS of 18.2 months compared to 6.3 months in the placebo arm and reduced the risk of death by 59% (hazard ratio of 0.41).4 The most frequently observed adverse drug reactions (25%) in a pooled safety population (n=392) treated with QINLOCK were fatigue, alopecia, nausea, myalgia, constipation, diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (PPES), weight decreased, and vomiting.1

References:

1. Blay J-Y et al. Ripretinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours (INVICTUS): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2020; 21: 923-934 2. QINLOCK (ripretinib) Medsafe approved Product Datasheet 3. QINLOCK (ripretinib) PBS Listing https://www.pbs.gov.au/browse/medicine-listing 4. Von Mehren M et.al. Presented at ESMO 2021 virtual meeting, 16-21 September 2021 5. GI Cancer Institute Australia https://gicancer.org.au/cancer/gastro-intestinal-stromal-tumour-gist/#cancer-explanation 6. Smith B et al., Ripretinib (DCC-2618) Is a switch control kinase inhibitor of a broad spectrum of oncogenic and drug-resistant KIT and PDGFRA variants. Cancer Cell 2019; 35:738751. 7. Bauer S, Heinrich M, et al. Clinical activity of ripretinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor harboring heterogenous KIT/PDGFRA mutations in the phase 3 INVICTUS study. Clinical Cancer Research [online] September 9, 2021. Available from: https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2021/09/08/1078-0432.CCR-21-1864 [Last accessed: December 2022].

SOURCE Specialised Therapeutics
MIAMI, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicklaus Children's Hospital is collaborating once again with other organizations to offer "GENEuary 2023," a month-long program to promote genomic literacy among healthcare providers and the general public. During the month of January, the Victor Center for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases and the Personalized Medicine and Health Outcomes program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital will host virtual and in-person events to share the latest developments in genomic medicine.

"With GENEuary 2023, we are pleased to share our work in genomic medicine and other emerging developments to improve care for children in our community and beyond," said Daria Salyakina, PhD, Director of Personalized Medicine and Health Outcomes at Nicklaus Children's.

Offerings for this year's GENEuary program, including links to virtual presentations, include:

"The Impact of Racism on Health," led by Dr. Monique Jindal , 8 a.m. Friday, January 20 . Dr. Jindel is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution.





, 8 a.m. . Dr. Jindel is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. "Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Past, Present and Future," led by Dr. Lina Felipez , noon Tuesday, January 24 . Dr. Felipez is a pediatric gastroenterologist and director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research within the Division of Gastroenterology at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.





, noon . Dr. Felipez is a pediatric gastroenterologist and director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research within the Division of Gastroenterology at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. "Who Do You Think You Are? How Genomics and Artificial Intelligence Challenge Our Sense of Self," led by Dr. Paul Wope, 7:30 p.m. Monday, January 30 . Dr. Wolpe is the Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair in Jewish Bioethics, a professor in the departments of medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and sociology, and the director of the Center for Ethics at Emory University .





. Dr. Wolpe is the Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair in Jewish Bioethics, a professor in the departments of medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and sociology, and the director of the Center for Ethics at . "The Importance of Biobanks," led by Dr. Chun-Hung Chan , 8 a.m. Friday, February 3 . Dr. Chung-Hung is the director of the Sanford Health BioBank.

For more details and a complete list of events available to clinicians and the public, visit our website.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital made a giant leap in embracing the genomic revolution in medical care in 2018, becoming the first and only pediatric hospital in the southeastern U.S. to implement personalized medicine at the bedside with the founding of its Personalized Medicine Initiative. Other highlights of the program include research that has validated the benefits of whole genome sequencing and rapid whole genome sequencing to support the care of children with undiagnosed genetic disorders.

About Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. In the 2022-2023 U.S. News ranking, the hospital tied with two other hospitals as the number one children's hospital in Florida. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.

For more information:

Rachel Bixby

305-898-9165

SOURCE Nicklaus Children's Health System
Delta Dental of Arkansas Hosts 3rd Annual Say No to Cavities Challenge for AR Families

The prospect of winning a Nintendo Switch OLED just for brushing and flossing wowed the North Little Rock 6th-grader. "What else do I get for participating?" he asked.

How about healthy teeth that last a lifetime?

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third year in a row, Delta Dental of Arkansas will host the Say No to Cavities Challenge in February, which culminates in a giveaway of two Nintendo Switch OLED models.

The month-long initiative invites all Arkansans to brush their teeth twice a day, floss at least once a day and track their progress on a calendar chart, available for free downloading and mark-up on the company's website at https://www.deltadentalar.com/nocavitieschallenge.

Youth and children ages 5-17 may submit their completed charts to Delta Dental by March 10, 2023, to enter a drawing for a Nintendo Switch OLED. Two winners will be chosen at random on March 13.

The challenge is part of National Children's Dental Health Month, a nationwide initiative to draw attention to the importance of pediatric oral health. Tooth decay is the most widespread chronic childhood disease, even though it is largely preventable with good oral hygiene and preventive dental visits.

"Almost everybody can have healthy teeth and gums that last a lifetime," said Thomas Redd, DDS, MS, Vice President of Professional Relations of Delta Dental of Arkansas. "Daily brushing and flossing that starts in childhood helps prevent painful tooth decay and gum disease. We hope our annual Say No to Cavities Challenge will help develop these oral hygiene habits for lifelong healthy smiles."

The challenge is open to all Arkansas residents, and there is no charge to participate. One entry per participant, please. Partially completed charts may be submitted. Delta Dental of Arkansas employees and their immediate families are ineligible to enter the drawing.

Delta Dental of Arkansas staff has scheduled in-person appearances at some schools and public libraries in Central Arkansas to promote the challenge. Many Arkansas dentist offices have also agreed to distribute the Say No to Cavities Challenge flyers in their offices.

Complete information, along with the February calendar chart and submission guidelines in English and Spanish, is available at https://www.deltadentalar.com/nocavitieschallenge.

About Delta Dental of Arkansas

Delta Dental of Arkansas is the largest dental benefits provider in the state, helping more than 800,000 Arkansans keep their smiles healthy through commercial and Medicaid coverage. As a not-for-profit company, Delta Dental is committed to improving the oral health of Arkansans through the philanthropic efforts of its Foundation, which donated more than $3 million to support oral health education initiatives in the last three years. For more information, visit www.deltadentalar.com.

Media Contact:

Claudia Utley

Public Relations & Social Media Strategist

(c) 501-442-6951

[email protected]

www.deltadentalar.com

SOURCE Delta Dental of Arkansas
The acquisition marks Noodle's entry into the international market and underscores its commitment to building the highest-quality online learning design and experience for university partners and students

NEW YORK and CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Noodle , a mission-driven B Corp and the nation's fastest-growing online education network of universities, employers, and learners, today has completed the acquisition of Hubble Studios , a global e-learning design firm headquartered in Cape Town. This marks Noodle's entry into the international market, scaling to seven countries, including the US, South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, Switzerland and Singapore. The substantial added capacity accelerates the company's mission to transform online learning design and the overall learner experience for university partners and their students. Hannes Geldenhuys, CEO of Hubble Studios, will join Noodle as SVP of International.

"The acquisition underscores and strengthens Noodle's commitment to building world-class online learning design that is affordable for our partners and modernizes teaching and learning," said John Katzman, CEO of Noodle. "We believe the new emphasis of Hubble Studio's innovative and interactive design capabilities empowers Noodle to create a unified vision for the rigor and aesthetic of the online learning experience and to integrate that vision into the ongoing student journey, from inquiry to alumnus and lifelong learner."

Noodle and Hubble Studios first partnered in 2021 and are currently building over 100 courses for partners, including the Yale School of Nursing, Butler University, the New England College of Optometry, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Independently, Hubble Studios has deep experience in higher education, having partnered with institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, London Business School, and the University of Bristol. The learning design firm also brings Noodle a roster of corporate clients supporting the upskilling and training at Johnson and Johnson, USAID, The World Bank, and dozens more.

"The management and staff of Hubble Studios are honored to join the esteemed team at Noodle and contribute to their trailblazing efforts to deliver high-quality, rigorous and accessible hybrid degree programs," said Hannes Geldenhuys. "As one entity, we can elevate our support for university partners in North America and introduce the Noodle brand to universities globally."

Furthermore, this acquisition continues a multi-year evolution of Noodle bringing its services, such as marketing, enrollment, and student support, in-house to more nimbly and efficiently respond to its university partners' needs to modernize the online learning experience.

"Noodle and Hubble Studios share a vision of great learning that is engaging, personalized, interactive, intuitive, inclusive and collaborative," said Melora Sundt, Chief Academic Officer of Noodle. "The extensive experience of Hubble Studios in higher education and the quality of their work with Noodle make them a natural fit as we augment our internal learning design capabilities."

"We are thrilled to unite with a team so transformative and intentional in their approach to online education," adds Chelsey Pienaar, Hubble Studios Chief Academic Officer, who joins Noodle as Managing Director, Learning.

The acquisition comes at an exciting time of growth and iteration for Noodle and its commitment to building a robust partner ecosystem. By adding Hubble Studios, Noodle now partners with over 40 universities and 30 corporations worldwide.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Noodle

Noodle is a mission-driven certified B Corp and was founded to make education more accessible and affordable by offering an alternative to the traditional online program management (OPM) model. Noodle partners with leading universities to launch and scale world-class online and hybrid degree programs that are high-quality, rigorous, and cost-efficient. In 2022, the company launched an employer partnerships service to help companies find, retain, and maximize the performance of great employees, and the Noodle Learning Platform , which allows students to discover the best pathways for their career aspirations and then upskill in a socially-engaging, expert-supported way. Follow Noodle on LinkedIn and Twitter .

About Hubble Studios

Hubble Studios is an eLearning company founded in 2012 to develop custom online education content and technology that will maximize learning impact and serve the missions of our partner institutions, foundations and clients. Adding value as both a content provider and thinking partner, Hubble Studios' teams of expert learning designers, creatives and software engineers work together to create bespoke ed-tech solutions. We believe the most effective solutions come from working alongside our clients, immersing ourselves in the organization to truly understand their specific needs.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lee Bradshaw

Noodle

[email protected]

540.761.6880

SOURCE Noodle
A new platform allows you to own blue chip Art from masters like Warhol, Rodin or Picasso through collective purchases.

PARIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuwart is a new decentralized ecosystem that enables global Art enthusiasts to manage and own collectively blue chip Art. The Paris-based startup just launched a revolutionary project to make the world's finest Art accessible and affordable to everyone.

The fists raising up as part of a revolutionary mouvement holding a triangle, which is a part of a piece of artwork as Nuwart brings art back to the people

The most breaking aspect from Nuwart is that it allows users to buy collectively and hold a participation in a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). Nuwart is not a traditional investment fund, offering a unique approach: it allows anyone to own a share or even the whole physical artwork and decide about its future, through a friendly and secure crowdfunding platform. Non-custodial Blockchain technology allows Nuwart to list fine Art pieces, ensuring that even if Nuwart ceases to exist, legal rights of the owners over the Artworks will remain forever.

Initial listings are quite impressive: a unique and original Aleksander Kosolapovs triptych, "Constitution Day", one of the greatest examples of Soviet Pop Art from 1990-1991 has already been listed, and Andy Warhol's portrait of Mao Zedong (1972) is coming these days.

Nuwart's business model is fair based, and they only get their commission after a sale is closed; if a presale is not funded completely, all investors will have their funds returned automatically by the crowdfunding smart contract, making it a safe and viable alternative to traditional Art markets.

The founders, Arnaud Sarrade and Pedro Gallardo, with extensive knowledge and experience in Art and Blockchain security worlds respectively, have conceived Nuwart with a clear vision: making Art accessible to everyone, through fair trade, education and transparency, bringing Art markets closer to the people.

Nuwart has already launched its first presale, and inscriptions are open at https://nuw.art

Contact details :

Arnaud Sarrade

Email : [email protected]

Tel : +66 99 307 2211

https://nuw.art/?mtm_campaign=CISIONJanuary&mtm_kwd=Presskit

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SOURCE Nuwart
Families want to preserve school choice so that others may benefit.

MIDLAND, Pa., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PA Cyber is participating in the world's largest celebration of opportunity in education: National School Choice Week. Every January, National School Choice Week not only raises awareness but also highlights the benefits of having K-12 education options available for families to choose from. National School Choice Week is January 2228.

The Costanzo family enrolled their three children in PA Cyber in 2015 and never looked back. Our biggest regret as parents is not coming to PA Cyber sooner, said Sarah Costanzo, pictured on the far left. When her father is called for duty, Ginny moves to the base with her family where she continues PA Cyber classes online.

"At PA Cyber, we focus on giving students and families the opportunity to find the best way to learn," said Brian Hayden, PA Cyber's chief executive officer. "For tens of thousands of kids across Pennsylvania, cyber schools have proven to be the best path to their success."

Consider a military family's perspective. Eighth grader Ginny Henry transferred from a brick-and-mortar school to PA Cyber in 2021. At first, her family made the switch due to COVID, but her mother, Shannon Henry, said the platform "gave Ginny the opportunity to do her very best work. The lack of distractions, bullies, and general stress has enabled her to thrive." With Ginny's father belonging to the US Army Reserve, he can be called away from home for extended periods of time. As a PA Cyber student, Ginny can travel with her parents and continue learning while on base.

"[School] choice has allowed my daughter many unique, personalized experiences that she wouldn't have had otherwise," said Henry. "Military life is challenging for many reasons. The freedom to make decisions for our children's benefit is essential and is a right that should not be denied." Read more about the Henry family.

Learning online with PA Cyber since 2015 has enabled the Costanzo family to thrive. Rhiannon and Paden are honors students, and Rhiannon is on track to graduate one year early. Their eldest sister, Morgana, graduated from PA Cyber in 2020 and now is a junior at Penn State Scranton. Morgana said, "Being able to learn at my own pace actually allowed me to accelerate more than I would've in a brick-and-mortar school."

Mother Sarah Constanzo said her children found a supportive learning environment at PA Cyber that helped each one overcome hurdles and gain confidence. "PA Cyber helped shape our children into cultured, self-motivated, worldly people who are now better prepared for college and adulthood," she said.

"I think the next generation of parents are willing to embrace new ways of learning," said Costanzo. "It's an exciting time for education and school choice. Our biggest regret as parents is not coming to PA Cyber sooner." Learn more about the Costanzo family.

After 22 years of refining online education and with a legacy of 20,000 graduates, PA Cyber has demonstrated that cyber school is a long-term answer for many students. "We are proud of the ways in which we teach, mentor, and prepare our students for limitless opportunities," said Hayden. "All of us at PA Cyber remain committed to ensuring that we work every day to meet the needs of the students who enroll here."

About PA Cyber

Serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is one of the largest, most experienced, and most successful online public schools in the nation. PA Cyber's online learning environments, personalized instructional methods, and curricula choices connect Pennsylvania students and families with state-certified and highly qualified teachers and rich academic content aligned to state standards. Founded in 2000, PA Cyber is headquartered in Midland (Beaver County) and maintains a network of support offices throughout the state. As a public school, PA Cyber is open for enrollment to any school-age child residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and does not charge tuition to students or families.

Media Contact: Jennie Harris

[email protected]

724-313-5842

SOURCE The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber)
BANGALORE, India, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Beauty and Personal Care Market is Segmented by Type ( Skin Care , Hair Care , Oral Care , Color Cosmetics and Makeup, Fragrances and Deodorants, Soaps and Shower Gel, Sun Care Products), by Application (Hypermarkets and Retail Chains, Specialty Stores, Pharmacies, E-Commerce): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222028.

Considering the economic change due to COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine War Influence, the global Beauty and Personal Care market is projected to reach USD 633630 million by 2028 from an estimated USD 467460 million in 2022, at a CAGR of 5.2% during 2023 and 2028.

The major factor driving the growth of the Beauty and Personal Care Market:

One of the main factors fueling Personal Care market expansion is consumers' growing awareness of the importance of their looks. As part of their daily grooming routines, millennials are increasingly using beauty and personal care products like skin care, color cosmetics, and hair care. The personal care products market will continue to be driven by the wide variety of products that are available to meet various skin type demands.

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BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE INDUSTRY TRENDS

The growing focus among individuals on personal hygiene and skin health is expected to drive the growth of the personal care market. This is especially true for the substantial young population of the nation, who are increasingly conscious of the value of taking care of their skin. Additionally, the industry is growing as a result of the accessibility of an extensive selection of reasonably priced and efficient personal care and beauty products. To satisfy the shifting needs of consumers, the top market players are concentrating on product innovation and new product launches.

As individuals become more conscious of the drawbacks of using chemical cosmetics frequently, the market for herbal cosmetic products is expanding significantly. This trend for natural cosmetics is being driven by a number of factors. First off, more and more individuals are becoming aware of the long-term implications of applying chemical-based skin care products. Natural substances are thought to be more effective and milder than harsh chemicals. Last but not least, herbal cosmetics are frequently less expensive than their chemical counterparts. As more individuals become aware of the effects of their beauty decisions on their health and the environment, this trend is likely to continue in the future. This will further boost the personal care market.

In addition, players are spending money on marketing and advertising initiatives to enhance their brands and increase customer awareness of their goods. The rise of India's beauty and personal care industries in recent years has been aided by rising disposable income. India's beauty and personal care industries have a wonderful opportunity to grow significantly due to rising disposable income and rising expectations among Indian consumers to appear beautiful. The development in popular categories like bath and shower, hair care, and dental care will be slow because these segments already have great penetration and are well-established. International corporations rule these markets with items that offer useful advantages while remaining reasonably priced. This will further fuel the personal care market.

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BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS:

The major portion of the revenue came from skincare. referring to the growing popularity of goods made from herbal ingredients like fruit and plant extracts and leaf extracts. In addition to rebuilding body cells and whitening skin pigments, skincare products also treat wrinkles and lessen their symptoms, lessen the likelihood of acne breakouts, remove dark spots, and keep skin looking young. These fantastic benefits fuel market expansion & possibilities for the skincare division.

Due to the rising number of working-age women in the countries of the region and their interest in purchasing upscale cosmetics and cutting-edge personal care products, the Asia Pacific region currently holds a dominant position in the worldwide market and is also exhibiting rapid growth. Additionally, it is projected that throughout the course of the projection period, the smart youthful population in APAC countries would create enormous chances for the regional market.

The industry's leading producers are L 'Oreal, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble, with revenues of 7.38%, 6.00%, and 4.61% respectively in 2019.

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Key Companies:

Procter Gamble

Unilever

L'Oreal

Estee Lauder

Shiseido

Beiersdorf

Amore Pacific

AVON

Johnson & Johnson

Kao

CHANEL

LVMH

Coty

Clarins

Natura Cosmeticos

Revlon

Pechoin

JALA Group

Shanghai Jawha

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SOURCE Valuates Reports
New Fintech Platform Makes Affordable Housing Available to More Buyers

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PorchPass, developed and launched by Braustin Homes, the nation's first virtual mobile home dealership, brings financial technology (fintech) speed to the process of securing land for a manufactured home. This new platform, accessible online, streamlines the manufactured home construction process, giving buyers the power and speed of a cash close.

PorchPass

"It's hard to compete with cash buyers," says Braustin Homes CEO Alberto Pina. "PorchPass will expand the pie by helping the industry say yes to more customers looking for homes in the $250,000 range. No one else is providing this kind of solution in the $20B+ factory-built home market."

The challenge is universal: nearly one-third of all mobile home customers, who have already been approved for a home mortgage, also need a land home construction loan, which is racked with problems. These often-complicated loans, with high rates and fees, can take up to 140 days to clear, which puts potential homeowners at risk of losing their dream property to a cash buyer.

PorchPass has secured the financial backing to streamline the process, giving prospective homeowners the same leverage as cash, with the ability to pay the land seller in 14 (vs. 140) days, and save up to $15,000 or more in construction loan bank fees.

"Fintech harnesses the power of technology to make something old school simpler and more accessible for more people," says Rackspace Technology Co-Founder Pat Condon, who serves on the Braustin Homes board of directors. "PorchPass's fintech platform streamlines the traditional process for obtaining a construction loan, utilizing desktop appraisals, online applications, and other virtual tools that help buyers skip many of the expensive, time-consuming steps that put their land acquisition at risk."

Competitive Market Calls for More Affordable Options

According to data reported by the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, an average single-family house in the United States costs nearly eight times the U.S. median annual household income. A new White House plan for boosting affordable housing calls for reviving the production of mobile homes, backyard flats and other manufactured units, which are now customizable with higher-end features that make them a desirable option for more consumers.

Now that the supply chain is improving, and manufacturers have lifted their allocation limits on how many homes each dealer can sell, Braustin Homes is launching its new fintech platform in Texas, which accounts for approximately 20 percent of the national manufactured homes dealership market. PorchPass was initially available to Braustin customers and is now offered to select dealerships in a pilot program.

"The speed of PorchPass will make more affordable mortgage products, including FHA and VA home loans, available to people in the manufactured housing space," says Braustin Homes Chief Financial Officer Edward Stepanow. "Most land sellers won't wait four months for an FHA loan to process in this hyper-competitive market. Now, more people will be able to compete with cash buyers and other faster financing."

How PorchPass works:

PorchPass validates that a buyer has been approved for a legitimate, underwritten mortgage.

PorchPass steps in as a cash buyer, using cash to lock down the land, the home, and the contractor services so that a single-family residence can be built in 60 to 90 days.

PorchPass then assembles all three components into a mortgage-ready product, which is sold to the homeowner, who purchases it with their pre-approved mortgage (mortgage companies cannot finance these three pieces individually).

"You can't have a truly virtual way to buy a home without a virtual way to streamline the financial process," says Pina. "PorchPass brings our virtual offerings full circle."

ABOUT PORCHPASS: PorchPass is the first fintech platform, offered by Braustin Homes, the nation's first virtual mobile home dealership, which integrates across the entire industry. PorchPass empowers land buyers, land sellers and dealerships in the manufactured housing space with a cash-backed solution to streamline the new home construction process, giving buyers the power and speed of a cash close in today's hyper-competitive market. This online process allows buyers to close on the property and start construction up to three months faster and save thousands on bank fees. PorchPass works with the land seller, home builder and mortgage broker to ensure each phase of funding progresses smoothly, so home buyers can move in faster and avoid costly short-term rentals. For more information, visit www.porchpass.com.

Media Contact:

Mary Ullmann Japhet

[email protected], 210-414-9030

SOURCE PorchPass
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight percent of the total North Carolina public school population attend a public charter school. Together, public charter schools have a total waiting list of more than 60,000 students. Students and educators from 25 public charter schools will rally to raise awareness and testify to the personal impact of school choice at a capitol celebration in Raleigh on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Hosted by the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools and the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools, "A Celebration of North Carolina's Charter Schools" will draw families from Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Wilmington. School representatives, legislators, alumni, parents, and students will gather at The Fairview in Raleigh at noon. Over a shared lunch, attendees will enjoy student performances, remarks from the North Carolina Charter School Teacher of the Year and other guest speakers, and a discussion of "Charter Schools 101."

The awareness-building event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2023, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states.

"With the unprecedented enrollment growth in North Carolina's public charter schools over the past two years, what better time is there to celebrate these unique public schools than during National School Choice Week? This event will highlight some of the great things going on in our schools," says Rhonda Dillingham, Executive Director of the NC Association for Public Charter Schools.

The noon lunch is open to the press and public. The Fairview Raleigh is located at 1125 Capital Blvd.

The NC Association for Public Charter Schools exists to advance quality educational opportunities for all North Carolina children by supporting and expanding successful charter schools. The North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools is a trade association that works to protect and promote the interests of N.C. charter schools and the more than 130,000 students these schools serve.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
As the next step in the evolution of RE/MAX technology, affiliates across the U.S. will gain access to the state-of-the-art platform and multiple add-ons

DENVER, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its enterprise relationship with Inside Real Estate (IRE), the developers of kvCORE, RE/MAX, LLC today began offering the RE/MAX-branded platform  MAX/TechSM powered by kvCORE  to affiliates across the U.S. Following a successful launch of the tech ecosystem in Canada in late 2022, RE/MAX accelerated its phased U.S. rollout, which will provide access to RE/MAX Broker/Owners, agents and teams as a benefit of affiliation  at no additional cost.1

Offering award-winning agent/team/office websites, lead management, a smart CRM, effortless marketing, transactions integration, business intelligence and more, the robust, state-of-the-art platform empowers affiliates to automate virtually every aspect of their business. Best-in-class features of the tools and platform include:

Customizable IDX Websites  Affiliates can engage website visitors with rich community details, home valuation pages, and more  all while maintaining total brand control with customizable templates.

 Affiliates can engage website visitors with rich community details, home valuation pages, and more  all while maintaining total brand control with customizable templates. Powerful Lead Engine  The most robust lead generation tools on the market help brokerages, teams, and agents effectively drive new business.

The most robust lead generation tools on the market help brokerages, teams, and agents effectively drive new business. AI-Powered Smart CRM  A personal, private database with AI-driven lead validation, scoring and scheduled follow-up helps affiliates convert contacts to clients.

A personal, private database with AI-driven lead validation, scoring and scheduled follow-up helps affiliates convert contacts to clients. Marketing Autopilot  Smart campaigns engage contacts directly, so affiliates are always top-of-mind and positioned for more business.

Smart campaigns engage contacts directly, so affiliates are always top-of-mind and positioned for more business. Listing Management & Marketing  Affiliates can seamlessly manage all their listings, from all markets, in one central location, driving maximum listing exposure with built-in marketing tools to instantly post to Facebook, mass email, text, and more.

Affiliates can seamlessly manage all their listings, from all markets, in one central location, driving maximum listing exposure with built-in marketing tools to instantly post to Facebook, mass email, text, and more. Transaction Management Integration  Deep integration into industry-leading transaction management platforms like: Dotloop, SkySlope and DocuSign Transaction Rooms makes closing a deal easy and streamlined.

Deep integration into industry-leading transaction management platforms like: Dotloop, SkySlope and DocuSign Transaction Rooms makes closing a deal easy and streamlined. Team Platform Independence  The platform provides team branding, lead gen and sophisticated routing, agent accountability rules and a built-in marketplace to integrate the add-on solutions needed to run a business.

The platform provides team branding, lead gen and sophisticated routing, agent accountability rules and a built-in marketplace to integrate the add-on solutions needed to run a business. Top-Rated Mobile Dialer & Open House App  With agents and teams on the go, business can be run from anywhere with the top-rated mobile dialer app and a sleek open house app designed to capture and convert more business.1

"With more brokers, agents and teams gaining access to MAX/Tech powered by kvCORE every day, we're starting to see what happens when premier technology meets the most productive global network and the backing of a top brand," said Grady Ligon, RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Chief Information Officer. "This platform can help affiliates do everything they need to grow their business. From maximizing their sphere, generating leads, automating their systems, marketing their services, and driving their overall growth. It gives them the technology edge they need to build their business and take it to a higher level."

In addition to the robust kvCORE package, affiliates will also have access to:

CORE Listing Machine & Design Center: A fully automated listing marketing suite, including single property websites, property tours, automated social posting, along with a complete print & digital design center.

A fully automated listing marketing suite, including single property websites, property tours, automated social posting, along with a complete print & digital design center. CORE Present: An award-winning CMA & presentation builder with interactive pricing analysis, persona driven designs and client engagement tracking.

An award-winning CMA & presentation builder with interactive pricing analysis, persona driven designs and client engagement tracking. CORE Team Add-On: Independent team accounts with team lead generation and lead routing, pond accounts, team accountability rules and more.

Independent team accounts with team lead generation and lead routing, pond accounts, team accountability rules and more. Marketplace: A built-in and fully integrated Marketplace for premium add-on solutions and integrations like PropertyBoost, Done For You lead generation, and more.

Some existing RE/MAX technology tools like RE/MAX Hustle will be fully integrated, completing the branded tech experience.

"As RE/MAX takes the next step in the evolution of the RE/MAX technology strategy, offering tools specific to managing and building successful teams is a homerun," said Nick Bailey, President and CEO. "We know RE/MAX teams lead in productivity and can thrive at RE/MAX, and these tech offerings only give them more opportunities and resources to up their game. We're especially proud to provide CORE Team Add-On as part of our package, a unique offering RE/MAX includes."

"[I] love all the resources; everything is accessible. The support team is quick to respond. It feels like I have the keys to a Ferrari," added RE/MAX Key Broker/Owner, Carey Rose, who is based in Alberta, Canada, and began onboarding to MAX/TechSM powered by kvCORE late last year.

Product rollout will continue throughout the remainder of the year. Initial rollout of the platform is for U.S. company-owned regions, followed by participating independent regions. For more information on RE/MAX and the global real estate franchisor's technology offerings, visit the technology page on news.remax.com.

1Telemarketing laws vary from state to state, and it is the caller's responsibility to be aware of and comply with all state and federal telemarketing laws

About the RE/MAX Network

As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 140,000 agents in almost 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about RE/MAX, please visit news.remax.com.

SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC
She will be one of the first examples in the world in her segment

RMK MARINE won the international tender opened for the commercial sailing Ro-Ro Vessel, which will operate almost entirely with the propulsion of wind energy and signed a contract with its French client, Neoline Armateurs for the construction of the Vessel. She will be one of the first examples in the world in her segment.

Standing out with her high-tech and fully automated equipment, as well as her environmentally friendly features, the 136 meter sailing Ro-Ro Vessel, Neoliner, makes a difference in her class with her sensor system which determines the optimum navigation route, masts built with carbon fiber technology and a 3000 m2 sail area.

ISTANBUL, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RMK MARINE, one of the leading companies of the Turkish shipbuilding industry is implementing a new project which will use environmentally friendly and renewable energy resources. In this context, RMK MARINE won an international tender opened for a commercial sailing Ro-Ro vessel which will operate almost entirely by the wind energy and be one of the first examples in the world in its segment and it signed a contract for the construction of the vessel with the French company Neoline Armateurs on 28 November 2022. The said contract entered into force on 6th of January 2023, following the fulfillment of the required conditions and the final agreement was announced to the public at a ceremony held in Nantes, France, with the participation of the parties.

Sailing Ro-Ro Vessel Image 1 Sailing Ro-Ro Vessel Image 2

The 136-meter-long Ro-Ro vessel, with its concept name Neoliner, is planned to be delivered in 2025 and has a navigation and sailing equipment control system with high level integration and automation, as well as smart sensors which determine the optimum navigation route and speed by evaluating wind and sea conditions. Moreover, the Vessel is also equipped with sailing equipment, suitable navigation determining system for the cruising with the sailing equipment and foldable sails made of light, high endurance strength, special material positioned on two carbon fiber masts.

Neoliner has a total of 3000 m2 sail area, a crew of 20, accommodation areas with 12 passenger capacity and life support systems, as well as 6300 ton cargo carrying capacity. This also draws attention as a capacity equivalent to 321 cars, 265 container of 20' or 125 containers of 40'.

On the other hand, RMK MARINE which works with different solution partners such as Chantiers De l'Atlantique shipyard, the designer and manufacturer of Solidsail Rig System; Bureau Mauric, one of the leading design offices in France; D-Ice, expert on the special navigation system on navigation with sails; and other solution partners, plays an important role in creating synergy in the design and construction of the Vessel by collaborating also with the suppliers of other critical equipment in this process.

Mr. Adnan Nefesoglu, RMK MARINE's CEO: "We offer innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to our clients in compliance with IMO's targets for decarbonization and reducing greenhouse gases, and we find it very valuable that renewable energy sources, particularly wind energy, find application in our own sector."

Evaluating on the subject, Mr. Adnan Nefesoglu, RMK MARINE's CEO, stated that, "The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set targets to reduce carbon emissions of all ships by 40% by 2030, by 70% by 2050, and ultimately to become carbon zero. In accordance with these goals, we use environmentally friendly and carbon footprint-reducing technologies in our projects we realize. On the other hand, we find it very valuable that renewable energy sources, particularly wind energy, find application in our own sector. The contract we signed with Neoline Armateurs for the construction of commercial sailing Ro-Ro vessel Neoliner which will operate almost entirely with the propulsion power of the wind energy is an important indication of our environmentally friendly production understanding.

Following the signing of Letter of Intent on July 5, 2022, we are proud to have concluded the process by signing a contract with our esteemed Client for the construction of the said Vessel and having the privilege of putting this contract in effect.

It is my firm belief that we will successfully complete this major project which excites us with the strength we derive from our infrastructure facilities and capabilities, skill sets, financial power, our recognition by our customers in the global market, and the awareness and reliability we have created in the sector."

Speaking on behalf of Neoline Armateurs, Mr.Jean Zanuttini, CEO, stated the following:

"Together, we have succeeded in carrying out a project which, in many respects, could initially seem utopian. But, in a context that daily reminds us that the fight against climate change is the challenge of this century, wind propulsion for commercial ships is becoming more and more of a pragmatic solution to an increasingly complex energy issue. Wind is certainly intermittent, but it is more predictable than the prices and availability of many other energies. This is an unprecedented opportunity to do our part in the energy transition and to pick up the thread of history of maritime transport under sail."

About RMK MARINE

RMK MARINE is one of the leading companies of the Turkish Shipbuilding Industry with its high-tech projects and at international standards, its corporate identity and infrastructure facilities. RMK MARINE, which has continuously improved its business volume and expertise since 1997, when it joined Koc Holding, offers turnkey solutions in the production of Super Yachts, Naval and Commercial Ships in national and international markets as its main fields of business activity.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986609/Ro_Ro_Vessel_1.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986608/Ro_Ro_Vessel_2.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986607/RMK_Marine_Logo.jpg

SOURCE RMK MARINE
Seven specialists arrive as the firm establishes a new location in Montreal and expands its presence in North America

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Savills is expanding its presence in North America with the opening of a location in Montreal. Joining the firm are Brandon Allen, Erik Charton, Paul Fischlin, and Stephane Robillard as executive vice president, Robin Blanchard as vice president, George Manousos as vice president and agency executive officer, and Antoine Dumas as associate. The team will specialize in industrial leasing, investment sales, and capital markets.

"Savills has strategically opened locations in key markets throughout Canada, and Montreal was a natural next step for our first location in the province of Quebec," said Vice Chairman Rick Schuham. "We have recruited the market's most seasoned industrial brokerage group to establish our location in Montreal. Bringing together this group of top-producing real estate advisors strengthens our ability to deliver market-ready solutions and services in North America and allows us to expand our geographical coverage into Southeast Canada."

Allen, Charton, Dumas, Fischlin, Robillard, and Blanchard join the firm from JLL, and Manousos from Cushman & Wakefield. In total, the team brings an average of 20 years of industry experience to Savills. In 2022, the team brokered over $800 million in real estate transactions across Canada, representing clients from across the industrial spectrum, such as cold storage, warehousing, port, airport, global infrastructure, distribution and logistics, flex space, land sales, and research and development. The team offers a wide range of real estate strategies, including tenant representation, landlord and vendor representation, built-to-suit consulting, and investment sales.

"The industrial sector in Montreal has remained resilient post-pandemic, with strong investment sales and leasing velocity," said Gregg Healy, head of Savills industrial services. "Montreal has a rich mix of industries, including life sciences, financial services, manufacturing, transportation, technology, and healthcare, that have continued to invest heavily in establishing operations in the market. We look forward to tapping into the new team's expertise to drive growth for industrial services throughout Canada."

With more than 40 offices and over 900 employees in North America, Savills provides local and international clients with a comprehensive and cohesive suite of services and solutions encompassing tenant representation, occupancy strategy and analytics, workplace strategy, capital markets, workforce and incentives strategy, labor analytics, and project management and additional areas of commercial real estate.

About Savills Inc.

Savills helps organizations find the right solutions that ensure employee success. Sharply skilled and fiercely dedicated, the firm's integrated teams of consultants and brokers are experts in better real estate. With services in tenant representation, workforce and incentives strategy, workplace strategy and occupant experience, project management, and capital markets, Savills has elevated the potential of workplaces around the corner, and around the world, for 160 years and counting.

For more information, please visit Savills.us and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

SOURCE Savills
Independent Survey Shows Franchise Owners Are Highly Satisfied with School of Rock's Performance

CANTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. This is the 18th annual ranking of the 200 best franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners. The list is available at https://franchisebusinessreview.com/page/top-franchises/.

"It's gratifying to be ranked among the top 200 franchises once again," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. "This is a testament to the dedication of our franchisees and corporate team, who enrich lives through performance-based music education. We look forward to continuing to provide our franchisees with the support and resources they need to be successful."

Franchise Business Review , a market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement, provides the only rankings and awards for franchise companies based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of the top 200 franchises in its annual Guide to Today's Top Franchises .

School of Rock was among over 360 franchise brands, representing nearly 38,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Review's research. School of Rock franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training & support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, and financial opportunity.

"Franchisee satisfaction levels hit an all-time high last year despite the pandemic, and we are pleased to report that our 2023 research shows satisfaction has remained sky higha sure indicator that franchisee satisfaction is a top priority for franchise companiesand that's good news for franchise owners and anyone thinking about investing in a franchise," said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. "As an independent research firm, Franchise Business Review is committed to helping prospective franchisees get an objective view of the best franchise opportunities available based on actual feedback from the people who own them. This year, nearly 38,000 franchisees completed our survey and from there we identified the franchise brands with the highest levels of satisfaction and performance to educate potential buyers about which franchise to invest in. Each of the 200 Franchisee Satisfaction Award winners on this year's list achieved stellar ratings from their franchisees."

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full description of the 2023 Top Franchises .

About School of Rock

School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to nearly 60,000. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons , including guitar lessons , singing lessons and piano lessons . The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. School of Rock is proud to support Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), and the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS). School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2022 and 2021 Global Franchise's Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2023 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; Franchise Business Review's 2023 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 200 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America.

Follow School of Rock on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SchoolofRockUSA and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SchoolofRockUSA .



For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. To learn more about School of Rock franchise opportunities head to http://franchising.schoolofrock.com/

About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading market research firm serving the franchise sector. FBR measures the satisfaction and engagement of franchisees and franchise employees and publishes various guides and reports for entrepreneurs considering an investment in a franchise business. Since 2005, FBR has surveyed hundreds of thousands of franchise owners and over 1,200 leading franchise companies. FBR publishes free and unbiased franchisee satisfaction research reports throughout the year online at http://www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com . To read our publications, visit https://franchisebusinessreview.com/page/publications/ .

SOURCE School of Rock
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) announces new initiatives and events to benefit the veterinary community in 2023

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Veterinary Community concluded its 40th annual Veterinary Meeting and Expo (VMX 2023) Wednesday, Jan. 18., kicking off the new year with introductions and demonstrations of myriad veterinary healthcare innovations. A record-breaking number of over 28,000 people attended from 78 countries, representing a local economic contribution of $70.8 million.

The more exciting trends this year are non-invasive ways to do surgery, diagnose skin cancer and even understand pain. Tweet this Veterinary professionals take a break from attending sessions to visit the Puppy Playground on the VMX Expo Floor Middle school students learn how to prepare for surgery and use veterinary surgical tools at special student program at VMX 2023

Trends in noninvasive procedures to diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease and pain management, microsurgery procedures on pocket-sized animals, new approaches to treating aging as a manageable disease, and the critical role veterinarians play in preparing for and addressing future pandemics and their spillover effect topped the agenda. The 80's-themed conference highlighted the past 40 years of breakthroughs and technologies in the veterinary industry, with celebrity appearances by Kevin Bacon, Cole Hauser, and Lady A. VMX 2023, the world's largest and most comprehensive annual veterinary conference, was held in Orlando from Jan. 14-18 at the Orange County Convention Center.

"The bond between humans and animals has grown tremendously over the past 40 years and animals are not just pets, they are family members," said Gene O'Neill, NAVC CEO. "The reach of the veterinary industry has exponentially expanded over the past four decades and the commitment to providing the very best healthcare to animals of all kinds has been on full display at VMX 2023, from record attendance, education sessions, exhibits and the incredible excitement we see everywhere."

With over 50% more attendees than previous highs, VMX 2023 shattered attendance records, including a record number, over 9,500, first-time attendees. VMX 2023 included more than 1,300 hours of continuing education in both virtual and on-site sessions.

"Over the last 40 years, we have seen tremendous change in the veterinary industry. Animals are not only living longer, they are living better lives. Dogs are living almost twice as long as they did 40 years ago," said Dr. Dana Varble, NAVC Chief Veterinary Officer. "A longer lifespan comes with diseases like cancer, arthritis and diabetes. As we have seen over the course of VMX 2023, there are incredible breakthroughs taking place today with new medications designed specifically for cats, dogs, horses, and other species, as well as new medical devices to improve their healthspan and increase lifespan. The more exciting trends this year are non-invasive ways to do surgery, diagnose skin cancer and even understand pain."

The NAVC also joined with the nationally-recognized DEI program, BLENDVet , to host more than 20 central Florida middle school students for a new Martin Luther King Jr. "Day of Service." The event was designed to increase diversity in the veterinary industry in which only 6.7% of veterinarians are people of color and 1.2% are Black.

"The really exciting thing about the Veterinary Meeting and Expo is that it takes place in January and it really helps veterinarians and veterinary nurses/technicians kick off the year," said Dr. Varble. "We come here, we learn about new technologies, new medications, new methods to treat animals and we take them back to our clinics knowing we have a whole year to introduce these things to our practice. What that really means for pet owners is that we have new ways to help them and their pet live a longer, happier life together."

During VMX 2023, NAVC announced a new sustainability initiative and a new, community-based live event program that focuses on topics and trends of interest in local veterinary communities across the country. These events will aim to tackle different needs of the veterinary industry, including patient treatment and the needs of specific members of the veterinary team.

Registration for VMX 2024 is now open. The NAVC announced that the special $125 anniversary registration pricing would be extended through VMX 2024 during early bird registration. For more information about VMX 2024, please visit this link.

Click link to access our VNR with highlights from VMX 2023.

About the NAVC

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. The world's leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best medical care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including educational events, headlined by VMX, the world's largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; the veterinary industry's largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC's products and brands, visit https://navc.com/. To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit https://navc.com/calendar/ .

SOURCE North American Veterinary Community
MONTGOMERY, Ala., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Montgomery families will share their education journeys and raise awareness about equal opportunity to quality education at a special breakfast on Thursday, Jan. 26 during National School Choice Week. Tyler Barnett from New Schools Alabama is also scheduled to speak about charter school opportunities for families in the Yellowhammer State.

The free community event, which takes place 9-10:30 a.m at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel, will give families, educators, and community leaders the chance to discuss and celebrate Alabama's K-12 learning choices, from traditional public schools to homeschooling. The event will shine a special light on how tax-credited scholarships in Alabama can increase access to quality education.

The student breakfast is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week 2023, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey officially proclaimed Jan. 22-28 to be Alabama School Choice Week, with several K-12 scholarship recipients present as she signed the proclamation.

"I just celebrated my one year anniversary with the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund and I have been overwhelmed at the impact that education opportunity can have on all aspects of a student's life," said Abbie Schofield of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. "We look forward to hearing some of their stories and sharing the impact with the rest of our community."

This student breakfast is hosted by the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. Established in 2013, the organization provides tax-credited scholarships to low-income K-12 children across Alabama to attend the public or private school of their choice.

The Montgomery Renaissance Hotel is located at 201 Tallapoosa St.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
Sells Outsourced Services Business Unit to Focus on SmartCare AI Solution

ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Select Data, a company with thirty years of Home Health and coding experience, today announced a major shift in its business strategy, selling its outsourced services unit to focus on SmartCare, an artificial intelligence (AI) solution designed to revolutionize post-acute document review.

SmartCare introduces the augmented reviewer, which enhances healthcare professionals' proficiency by applying AI to the health record review process. SmartCare automates tedious and laborious tasks, such as identifying the diagnoses, medications, and ADLs/IADLs within the medical record, allowing the reviewers to focus on tasks that require human skills and competency to complete.

Select Data Transforms Post-Acute Document Review; Refocuses its Business on SmartCare Artificial Intelligence Tweet this

"We believe the issue of clinical teams having to pour through unstructured patient records is so prevalent that solving that will have a material impact across all post-acute care," said Ed Buckely, CEO of Select Data. "Our goal is to use SmartCare to give back time to clinical reviewers by making it easy to quickly access the information they need to make informed decisions."

Select Data's SmartCare was recently awarded the 2022 ABL Innovations in Healthcare award for Artificial Intelligence. The award recognized SmartCare for its cutting-edge technology and its ability to improve patient outcomes by transforming the post-acute document review process.

In a related transaction, Select Data sold its outsourced services business unit to The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC (see related press release). In connection with the transaction, Corridor will commence extensive use of SmartCare, combining Corridor's best-in-class technology-enabled services with Select Data's unique artificial intelligence solution.

Select Data's sole focus on SmartCare artificial intelligence is a clear indication of the company's commitment to providing innovative technology solutions that help post-acute healthcare providers improve patient outcomes. The company plans to continue investing in AI technologies to further enhance the capabilities of the SmartCare platform.

To Learn more about SmartCare: www.selectdata.com/smartcare

For more information about SmartCare, please visit the Select Data website at www.selectdata.com or contact the company directly at (800) 332-0555. For more information, news, and perspectives from Select Data, please visit the Select Data Newsroom at selectdata.com/news/. Web links, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Select Data's corporate communications team at:

Media Contact

[email protected]

Phone: 800.332.0555

About Select Data

Select Data is a healthcare technology company based in Anaheim, California, founded in 1991. Select Data is leading the industry by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with its SmartCare platform. Purpose-built for the challenges of post-acute care settings, SmartCare uses AI components such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning, and Deep Learning to serve up fundamental information targeting the full spectrum of clinical teams, from field staff to back-office clinical reviewers. Select Data is committed to quality and innovative data platform solutions that drive successful outcomes.

www.SelectData.com

About The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC

Founded in 1989, The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC (Corridor) is a leading provider of outsourced coding, revenue cycle and education solutions to the post-acute healthcare industry. Since inception, Corridor has delivered solutions to thousands of clients ranging from large health systems and national chains to smaller, independently operated agencies. For more information visit www.corridorgroup.com.

SOURCE Select Data
HAMDEN, Conn., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SimiTree, a company that provides industry-leading, tech-enabled specialty revenue cycle management (RCM), coding, professional services, and talent management resources for post-acute and behavioral health organizations, has promoted Directors Tiffany Fuller, Wayne Regan, and Kimberly Skehan to Managing Directors and Nicole Hawthorne to Director.

All four exemplify innovative and effective leadership qualities SimiTree relies on to direct clients through market challenges and add value to the client experience, according to William Simione, SimiTree CEO and Managing Principal.

"Wayne has more than 20 years of interim management experience in home care, hospice, palliative, and long-term care, while Kim has extensive experience in home health, and hospice clinical operations, regulatory compliance, risk management, and survey readiness," Simione said. "Tiffany has more than a decade of Coding & OASIS management experience in the home health and hospice industry, and Nicole has more than 20 years of experience in the delivery of quality care, patient satisfaction, levels of care transitions, and dealing with the regulatory and reimbursement challenges of the industry."

During his seven-year tenure with SimiTree, Regan more than tripled the Interim Management department's revenue. He has more than 20 years of progressive leadership and consulting experience in home care, hospice, palliative, and long-term care, and more than a decade of experience in sales and marketing of healthcare products and services. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of MetroWest HomeCare & Hospice, Tenet Healthcare, where he led regional operational efforts for post-acute services. He also was a principal with Homecare & Hospice Solutions, an independent consulting firm in post-acute services focusing on strategic planning, business development, feasibility studies, interim management, and turnaround operations. An active collaborator in post-acute care services and advocacy, Regan previously served as President of the Board for the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, and previously served as a member of the regulatory committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Regan earned a B.S. in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio.

"I am excited to continue the great work SimiTree has been known for and honored to be included in the leadership team as we continue to craft talent solutions for our clients," Regan said.

Fuller has more than 20 years of leadership and management experience, and more than a decade in the home health and hospice industry. In her current role as Director in the SimiTree Coding & OASIS department, she has helped grow the Coding & OASIS department by 14% year over year. Before joining SimiTree, Fuller served as Chief Operating Officer at Home Health Solutions, a nationwide coding and OASIS consulting and outsourcing company. During Fuller's tenure, HHS was named three consecutive years to Inc. 5000, the list of the nation's fastest-growing companies published annually by Inc. magazine. She holds a B.S. in Business Management and home health survey accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Healthcare.

"I consider myself privileged to work with a group of people that make our success seem effortless," Fuller said. "I am honored for the recognition and excited for the opportunities to grow with our team as we continue to align business and care."

Skehan, RN, MSN, HCS-D, COS-C, has more than 30 years of clinical, management, and consulting experience in home health and hospice clinical operations, regulatory compliance, risk management, and survey readiness. She oversees SimiTree's work on federal and state government audits, appeals, and survey readiness activities as well as leading overall compliance and regulatory consulting services. Skehan is nationally recognized and highly respected by state, federal, and industry leaders and has served as a liaison to state and federal regulatory agencies and legislators to facilitate collaboration regarding issues affecting the home care and hospice industry. She serves on the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Regulatory Committee and National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) Hospice Quality Committee and is a member of the CT Association for Healthcare at Home, where she previously served as VP of Clinical and Regulatory Services. An AHCC-accredited home care coding specialist (HCS-D) and certified OASIS reviewer (COS-C), Skehan earned her B.S. degree in nursing from Southern Connecticut State University, and her M.S. degree in nursing administration from the University of Connecticut (UCONN), where she has also served as adjunct faculty for the School of Nursing.

"This opportunity will allow me to focus on the growth and further development of our Compliance/Regulatory and M & A teams, as well as the expansion and development of collaborative solutions with other SimiTree service lines. I am grateful for this opportunity to continue to support SimiTree in a Senior Leadership role," Skehan said.

Hawthorne, RN, BSN, COS-C, HCS-D, has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, including decades in home health and hospice with a focus on the regulatory and reimbursement challenges of the industry and providing cost-effective and compliant quality services. She has extensive experience in due diligence, operations, ADR/Recovery Audits and appeals, and quality outcome and reimbursement management through OASIS and Coding expertise. Initially, Hawthorne entered the Home Health and Hospice industry as an RN Case Manager and then advanced throughout several large healthcare systems as a Clinical Supervisor, Administrator, Director of Operations and Program Development, Director of Quality and Compliance, and Clinical Consultant. Nicole earned her bachelor's degree in Nursing from Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, after attending The University of Georgia for Health Promotion. She is a member of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice and holds certifications for Clinical OASIS Specialist and Homecare Coding Specialist-Diagnosis.

"I'm excited to join this extraordinary group of leaders and continue partnering with our clients to assess new opportunities and achieve success," Hawthorne said.

About SimiTree

SimiTree was created by the merger of Simione Healthcare Consultants and BlackTree Healthcare Consulting in 2021. In 2022, SimiTree further expanded its RCM capabilities with its Imark Billing acquisition, and its behavioral health footprint with a strategic alignment with Infinity Behavioral Health Services, now known as Infinity, a SimiTree company. Two additional companies were acquired earlier this month, when SimiTree announced the acquisition of Afia Health, a company offering behavioral health data analytics, and GreenpointMed, a medical billing and credentialing company.

In addition to clinical, financial, and operational consulting, SimiTree offers a robust suite of outsourced services, including billing, coding, OASIS, Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI), and revenue cycle management; executive placement, interim management, retention consulting and other talent solutions; mergers and acquisitions support; compliance assessments and risk mitigation plans; sales and growth training; and benchmarking and data analytics. For more information, visit www.SimiTreeHC.com.

Media contact: Lynn Eastep, Vice President, Marketing, SimiTree, [email protected]

SOURCE SimiTree
The Initial Mineral Resource Estimate comprises a total Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,340,000 ounces of gold beginning at surface.





The Blackjack zone discovered in late 2021 contains a higher grade resource of 900,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 0.83 g/t gold at a cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t gold.





at a cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t gold. The Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits are open in all directions and the resource does not include other areas including the Saddle zone where drilling has confirmed the presence of additional gold mineralization.





Located in Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt, a rapidly expanding mining district.





Tombstone Gold Belt, a rapidly expanding mining district. Initial metallurgical testing indicates that the gold is not refractory and has high gold recoveries of up to 94% with minimal NaCN consumption (see News Release dated July 13, 2022 ).

This pit constrained Mineral Resource is classified as inferred and contained in two near/on-surface zones: The Blackjack and Eiger deposits. The Mineral Resource estimate is presented in the following table at a base case cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au:

Table 1: RC Gold Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate

COG g/t Au Blackjack Zone

Eiger Zone

Combined Tonnes 000's Au g/t Oz Au 000's

Tonnes 000's Au g/t Oz Au 000's

Tonnes 000's Au g/t Oz Au 000's



0.20 35,798 0.80 921

32,523 0.45 471

68,321 0.63 1,391 0.25 33,743 0.83 900

27,362 0.50 440

61,105 0.68 1,340 0.30 31,282 0.88 885

22,253 0.55 393

53,535 0.74 1,279 0.35 29,065 0.92 860

17,817 0.60 344

46,882 0.80 1,203 0.40 26,975 0.96 833

14,506 0.66 308

41,481 0.86 1,1402

Notes 1. Mineral resource estimate prepared by Ronald G. Simpson of GeoSim Services Inc. with an effective date of January 19, 2023. Mineral Resources are classified using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. 2. The cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au is believed to provide a reasonable margin over operating and sustaining costs for open-pit mining and processing 3. Mineral resources are constrained by an optimized pit shell using the following assumptions: US$1800/oz Au price; a 45 pit slope; assumed metallurgical recovery of 85%; mining costs of US$2.00 per tonne; processing costs of US$8.00 per tonne; G&A of US$1.50/t. 4. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

The resource estimate is based on analytical data from 34 drill holes representing 11,630m of drilling. A National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report describing the details of the mineral resource estimate is in preparation and will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.

"The production of an initial resource of over 1.3 million ounces of gold with only 34 diamond drill holes marks a major milestone for our flagship project in the Yukon," stated Cor Coe, Director and CEO of Sitka. "Beginning in 2020 with the initial four diamond drill holes that Sitka drilled in the Blackjack-Saddle-Eiger corridor, our team knew we had discovered an area with high potential to produce a discovery of an intrusion related gold deposit. To advance the project in such a short time and produce an initial resource estimate for the Blackjack and Eiger zones is a testament to this potential and the abilities of Sitka's technical and operational teams. With both the Blackjack and Eiger deposits open in all directions, this initial Mineral Resource provides a solid foundation from which we can build upon to add additional resources and unlock further value from our RC Gold Project. The Company is currently planning a two part, winter and summer diamond drilling program totalling 10,000 metres at RC Gold for 2023, focused primarily in the Blackjack, Saddle and Eiger zone areas."

The Blackjack and Eiger zones are typified by intrusion-hosted mineralization within the 2 km x 500 m extensional corridor (see news release dated June 13, 2022) that provides a structural and genetic link between the Blackjack zone and Eiger zone intrusions (see Figure 1). The Blackjack and Eiger zones remain open in all directions and have excellent potential for resource expansion. The Saddle zone, located midway between the Blackjack and Eiger is characterised by metasedimentary rocks intruded by dykes and sills. This zone remains relatively untested but contains significant mineralization with the potential to add additional resources as demonstrated by drill hole DDRCCC20-01 which returned 0.52 g/t gold over 84.8 m from surface and DDRCCC21-19 which intersected 80.0 m grading 0.59 g/t gold from 48.0 m depth.

Table 2: RC Gold Drill Highlights 2020-2022

BLACKJACK ZONE Drillhole ID Azimuth

() Dip

() Length (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Au (g/t) News Release

Date DDRCCC-20-02 200 -60 296.0 9.0 296.0 287.0 0.52 Nov 23, 2020 Including





156.4 257.1 100.8 0.82

DDRCCC-21-07 208 -58 336.0 18.0 336.0 318 0.45 Aug 19, 2021 including





262.0 294.0 32.0 1.24

DDRCCC-21-021 320 -54 480.0 surface 220.0 220.0 1.17 Dec 13, 2021 Including





120.0 170.5 50.5 2.08

DDRCCC-22-022 320 -45 364.6 46.0 319.0 273.0 0.52 Apr 26, 2022 Including





253.0 315.0 62.0 1.21

DDRCCC-22-023 320 -61.5 285.0 4.2 210.0 205.8 1.01 May 17, 2022 Including





46.0 137.0 91.0 1.61

DDRCCC-22-024 277 -47 204.0 4.5 112.0 107.5 1.44 May 18, 2022 Including





16.0 82.0 66.0 2.11

DDRCCC-22-025 320 -46 389.2 19.0 368.0 349.0 0.71 June 13, 2022 Including





25.0 246.0 221.0 1.01

DDRCCC-22-026 140 -45 374.0 152.0 194.0 42.0 0.43 Sept 7, 2022 DDRCCC-22-027 320 -55 209.0 6.0 18.0 12.0 0.83

and





131.0 145.0 14.0 1.49

DDRCCC-22-028 320 -50 254.0 6.0 28.0 22.0 0.69 Sept 7, 2022 and





185.6 198.0 12.4 0.76

DDRCCC-22-029 320 -50 308.0 27.0 143.0 116.0 0.65 Sept 7, 2022 Including





124.0 143.0 19.0 1.22

DDRCCC-22-030 320 -50 398.0 1.4 148.0 146.6 0.90 Sept 7, 2022 Including





2.8 36.6 33.8 1.42

DDRCCC-22-031 320 -50 359.0 147.0 216.0 69.0 0.51 Sept 7, 2022 Including





147.0 157.0 10.0 1.18

DDRCCC-22-032 320 -54 386.0 255.0 265.0 10.0 0.42 Nov 18, 2022 and



352.0 362.4 10.4 10.4 0.47

DDRCCC-22-033 320 -50 344.0 104.6 114.7 10.1 1.56 Nov 18, 2022 and





292.0 311.0 19.0 1.03

DDRCCC-22-035 320 -50 244.0 156.0 164.4 8.4 0.95 Nov 18, 2022 DDRCCC-22-036





34.9 167.0 132.1 0.51 Nov 18, 2022 DDRCCC-22-037 125 -50 305.0 186.0 223.5 37.5 0.68 Nov 30, 2022 DDRCCC-22-038 315 -50 545.0 73.0 474.5 401.5 0.63 Nov 30,2022 Including





176.0 356.0 180.0 1.04

DDRCCC-22-039 320 -54 480.0 336.0 348.0 12.0 0.52 Jan 11, 2023 and





357.0 367.0 10.0 0.60

DDRCCC-22-040 320 -55 209.0 8.0 209.0 201.0 1.26 Jan 11, 2023 including





8.0 90.0 82.0 2.04

SADDLE ZONE

DDRCCC-20-01 180 -45 209 Surface 84.8 84.8 0.52 Nov 23, 2020 DDRCCC-21-19 180 -45 195.6 48.0 128.0 80.0 0.59 Jan 20, 2022 Including





80.0 96.0 16.0 2.18

EIGER ZONE DDRCCC-20-03 341 -45 307.4 3.0 307.4 304.4 0.36 Oct 15, 2020 including





243.0 300.5 57.5 0.50

DDRCCC-20-04 189 -45 281 2.1 281.0 278.8 0.40 Oct 15, 2020 Including





132.0 271.0 139.0 0.61

DDRCCC-21-09 342 -45 430.0 76.0 430.0 354 0.41 Aug 19, 2021 Including





76.0 148.0 72.0 0.72

DDRCCC-21-10 344 -45 458.0 39.0 441.5 402.5 0.40 Sept 22, 2021 Including





136.5 174.3 37.8 1.03

DDRCCC-21-11 308 -46 224.0 124.0 147.0 23.0 0.50 Sept 22, 2021 DDRCCC-21-12 340 -45 419.0 25.0 50.0 25.0 0.67 Sept 22, 2021 And





166.0 173.0 7.0 1.20

DDRCCC-21-13 340 -50 476.0 113.0 326.0 213.0 0.45 Oct 21, 2021 Including





267.0 326.0 59.0 0.62

DDRCCC-21-14 340 -50 490.3 265.0 477.0 212.0 0.41 Oct 21, 2021 Including





273.0 355.0 82.0 0.61

DDRCCC-21-16 340 -45 435.0 39.0 51.0 12.0 1.18 Jan 20, 2022 and





136.0 161.0 25.0 0.56



*Intervals are drilled core length, as insufficient drilling has been completed at this time to determine true widths

Drilling at the RC Gold project has been planned to provide Sitka geologists with a solid database of drilling data to understand controls on mineralization observed in both intrusive and metasedimentary host rocks while also providing the necessary spatial density to generate the initial resource estimate. Assay results from drilling along with structural information obtained from oriented drilling, data from detailed core logging, reprocessed Lidar data and interpretation of an airborne magnetic geophysical survey will form the basis for planning of the 2023 resource expansion drilling program.

Quality assurance/quality control

On receipt from the drill site, the HQ-sized drill core was systematically logged for geological attributes, photographed and sampled at Sitka's 2022 field camp. Sample lengths as small as 0.3 m were used to isolate features of interest, otherwise a default 2 m downhole sample length was used. Core was cut in half lengthwise along a predetermined line, with one-half (same half, consistently) collected for analysis and one-half stored as a record. Standard reference materials, blanks and duplicate samples were inserted by Sitka personnel at regular intervals into the sample stream. Bagged samples were placed in secure bins to ensure integrity during transport. They were delivered by Sitka personnel or a contract expeditor to ALS Laboratories' preparatory facility in Whitehorse, Yukon, with analyses completed in North Vancouver.

ALS is accredited to ISO 17025:2005 UKAS ref. 4028 for its laboratory analysis. Samples were crushed by ALS to over 70 per cent passing below two millimetres and split using a riffle splitter. One-thousand-gram splits were pulverized to over 85 per cent passing below 75 microns. Gold determinations are by fire assay with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) finish on 50 gsubsamples of the prepared pulp (ALS code: Au-ICP-22). Any sample returning over 10 g/t Au was re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50 gsubsample (ALS code: Au-GRA21). In addition, a 51-element analysis was performed on a 0.5 gsubsample of the prepared pulps by an aqua regia digestion followed by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) finish (ALS code: ME-MS41).

About the RC Gold Project

The RC Gold Project consists of a 376 square kilometre contiguous district-scale land package located in the newly road accessible Clear Creek, Big Creek, and Sprague Creek districts in the heart of Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt. It is the largest consolidated land package strategically positioned mid-way between Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine - Yukon's newest gold mine which reached commercial production in the summer of 2020 - and Sabre Gold Mine's Brewery Creek Gold Mine. The RC Gold Project land package comprises five underlying properties, namely, the RC, Bee Bop, Mahtin, Clear Creek, and Barney Ridge properties*. The Company recently identified a large 500 m by 2000 m intrusion related gold system on the Property between the Blackjack, Saddle and Eiger zones and to date has drilled 38 diamond drill holes into this system for a total of approximately 13,000 metres. This has been the main focus of the Company's drill programs at RC Gold in 2020, 2021 and 2022 which have returned several significant gold intercepts. including the discovery hole in the Blackjack zone in the last drill hole from the 2021 drill program, DDRCCC-21-021 ("Hole 21"). Hole 21 intersected 220.1 m of 1.17 g/t gold from surface that included 50.5 m of 2.08 g/t gold. Hole 21 was the westernmost hole drilled in the Saddle-Eiger trend and was drilled under a greater than 500 ppb gold-in-soil anomaly that was previously identified on surface. This gold-in-soil anomaly is part of the larger 2 kilometre by 500 m gold-in-soil anomaly that stretches from the Saddle Zone to the Eiger Zone and is open in all directions. Drilling in 2021 in the Eiger Zone in the easternmost area of the gold-in-soil anomaly has produced numerous significant intersections as demonstrated by Hole 9 which intersected 354 m of 0.41 g/t Au including 72 m of 0.72 g/t Au (see news release dated August 19, 2021).

Sitka Gold inherited a wealth of historical and current data from these properties from work spanning the last 40 years. Recent exploration work and the compilation of historical data have defined several mineralized zones with both bulk tonnage, intrusion-related gold deposit targets and high-grade, vein- and breccia-hosted gold targets. The RC Gold Project also has a common border with Victoria Gold's Clear Creek property at its western boundary and Florin Resources' Florin Gold property at its northern boundary.

*For more detailed information on the underlying properties please visit our website at www.sitkagoldcorp.com.

Deposit Model

Exploration on the Property has mainly focused on identifying an intrusion-related gold system ("IRGS"). The property is part of the Tombstone Gold Belt which is the prominent host to IRGS deposits within the Tintina Gold Province in Yukon and Alaska. Notable deposits from the belt include: Fort Knox Mine in Alaska with current Proven and Probable Reserves of 230 million tonnes at 0.3 g/t Au (2.471 million ounces; Sims 2018)(1); Eagle Gold Mine with current Proven and Probable Reserves of 155 million tonnes at a diluted grade of 0.65 g/t Au at the Eagle and Olive deposits (3.261 million ounces; Goodwin et al. 2019)(2); the Brewery Creek deposit with current Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.2 million tonnes at a gold grade of 1.11 g/t (0.789 million ounces; Hulse et al. 2020)(3); the Florin Gold deposit, located adjacent to Sitka's RC Gold project, with a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 170.99 million tonnes grading 0.45 g/t (2.47 million ounces; Simpson 2021)(4) and the AurMac Project with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 207.0 million tonnes grading 0.60 gram per tonne gold (3.99 million ounces; Jutras 2022)(5).

(1) Sims J. Fort Knox Mine Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report. June 11, 2018. https://s2.q4cdn.com/496390694/files/doc_downloads/2018/Fort-Knox-June-2018-Technical-Report.pdf



(2) Goodwin R, Gray P, Jutras M, Tang S, Wilbur S. Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine, Yukon Territory, Canada. JDS Energy & Mining Inc. December 6, 2019.

https://vitgoldcorp.com/site/assets/files/6480/jds-vit-eagle-gold-ni-43-101-fs-report-20191206.pdf



(3) Hulse D, Emanuel C, Cook C. NI43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Resources. Gustavson Associates. May 31, 2020.

https://www.goldenpredator.com/_resources/Brewery-Creek_NI-43-101-05OCT2020-File.pdf



(4) Simpson R. Florin Gold Project NI43-101 Technical Report. Geosim Services Inc. April 21, 2021.

https://sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005795&issuerType=03&projectNo=03236138&docId=4984158



(5) Banyan Gold News Release Dated May 17, 2022 (Technical Report to be filed within 45 days of news release) https://www.banyangold.com/news-releases/2022/banyan-announces-4-million-ounce-gold-mineral-resource-estimate-for-the-aurmac-property-yukon-canada/

Upcoming Events

Sitka Gold will be attending and/or presenting at the following events:

Roundup, Vancouver, BC : January 23 - 26, 2023

: Coreshack Booth #925, January 23rd and 24th

and 24th Vancouver Resource Investment Conference: January 29 - 30, 2023

Booth #123



Yukon Leaders Corporate Update and CEO Gold Roundtable: January 29 th from 2:30pm  3pm PST

from  CEM Whistler Capital Event, Whistler, BC : February 10 - 12, 2023

: PDAC, Toronto, Ontario : March 5 - 8, 2023

: Booth #2346

All events are subject to change.

About Sitka Gold Corp.

Sitka Gold Corp. is a well-funded mineral exploration company headquartered in Canada. The Company is managed by a team of experienced industry professionals and is focused on exploring for economically viable mineral deposits with its primary emphasis on gold, silver and copper mineral properties of merit. Sitka currently has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the RC, Barney Ridge, Clear Creek and OGI properties in the Yukon and the Burro Creek Gold property in Arizona. Sitka owns a 100% interest in its Alpha Gold property in Nevada, its Mahtin Gold property in the Yukon and its Coppermine River project in Nunavut.

Sitka has received all assay results from its 2022 diamond drill program at its RC Gold Project in the Yukon. Results from the final two drill holes at the Company's Alpha Gold Property in Nevada where a new Carlin-type gold system was recently discovered are expected shortly. The Company is focused on vectoring towards the high-grade core of this newly discovered system which is located in the Cortez Trend only 40 km southwest of the Cortez Mine Complex of Barrick/Newmont.

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Cor Coe, P.Geo., Director and CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

SITKA GOLD CORP.

"Donald Penner"

President and Director

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information 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, the expected timing and terms of the private placement, use of proceeds, anticipated work program, required approvals in connection with the work program and the ability to obtain such approvals. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and no undertaking is given 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 or the CSE. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE Sitka Gold Corp.
Standout Seafood Brand's Updated Focus Allows Guests to Customize Menu Offerings in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Slapfish, chef-driven seafood restaurants, announced today its partnership with The Culinary Edge (TCE), America's leading culinary innovation agency offering future-driven solutions for foodservice brands, to bring the brand's newest coastal seafood kitchen concept to three of its restaurants in the Salt Lake City market. The new and improved restaurants will open to the public on Monday, January 30. Designed to deliver on the whitespace for approachable and elevated seafood in the fast-casual space, Slapfish has created a bold offering by combining fearless flavors, fan-favorite forms, and responsibly sourced seafood that guests can't find anywhere else. Conveniently located throughout Greater Salt Lake City, each of the reimagined Slapfish locations will offer a revolutionized take on seafood cuisine paired with unwavering hospitality.

"...fresh seafood can be both an affordable everyday staple and a stand-out addition." Tweet this Slapfish Salt Lake City's "seariously fresh" Poke Bowl

Founded by Andrew Gruel in 2011, Slapfish began as a food truck before growing into the fast-casual seafood concept with more than 20 locations throughout the U.S. The brand was recently acquired by Mac Haik Enterprises in October 2022.

"Slapfish has always been at the forefront of delivering bold flavors and Instagram worthy seafood dishes that is rarely found on the fast-casual sea of brand. To continue to push the envelope and maintain relevancy, we view this as an opportune time to elevate our menu, and allow our guests to be in charge of their Slapfish Voyage," said Dan Anfinson, President, The Slapfish Company, LLC. "Our focus is to maintain the highest quality ingredients at an affordable price point, creating seafood for the every day. Guests can guarantee they'll always enjoy a fresh and original meal for lunch or dinner at Slapfish. We are certain both our new and loyal guests will revel in the updated Slapfish experience, and we look forward to unveiling it to more locations in the future."

Slapfish boasts its commitment to excellence through careful preparation and quality ingredients showcased throughout its new menu  brought to life by The Culinary Edge's unmatched team of innovators. Focused on creative customization, the "seariously fresh" menu will allow guests to choose your voyage providing the opportunity to modify meals based on cravings while staying true to the healthy, delicious convenience that Slapfish prides itself on. The menu customization process will include:

Pick a protein. The seafood proteins include familiar favorites like Grilled Salmon, Grilled or Crispy White Fish, Seared Ahi Tuna, and Grilled or Crispy Shrimp. Not a seafood aficionado? Guests can also opt for Grilled or Crispy Chicken, or the more health and environmentally conscious can select Plant-based Seafood.

The seafood proteins include familiar favorites like Grilled Salmon, Grilled or Crispy White Fish, Seared Ahi Tuna, and Grilled or Crispy Shrimp. Not a seafood aficionado? Guests can also opt for Grilled or Crispy Chicken, or the more health and environmentally conscious can select Plant-based Seafood. Pick a format. Perhaps the most flexible benefit of the new menu is the option to build your meal as a Salad, Bowl, Sandwich, or Tacos.

Perhaps the most flexible benefit of the new menu is the option to build your meal as a Salad, Bowl, Sandwich, or Tacos. Pick a sauce. Finish off your meal with one of our five homemade sauces which cover a range of flavor profiles from light to creamy, spicy to sweet including Herby Chimichurri, Sriracha Honey Lime, Sesame Soy Glaze, Greek Yogurt Ranch, and the brand's signature Slap Sauce.

Aimed at covering a range of healthy to indulgent needs, Slapfish's desirable flagship items will continue to hold prime real estate on the new Salt Lake City menus such as the Lobster Roll, The Clobster Grilled Cheese, Fish & Chips, Epic Shrimp Burrito, and Poke Bowl. But don't forget to save room for the bites and sides! Slapfish will also offer veggie-forward, shareable options with fried favorites. In celebration of the grand re-opening, guests can enjoy Clam Chowder and Chowder Tots for a limited time, so get them while they're hot!

"Our goal is to show how fresh seafood can be both an affordable everyday staple, and a stand-out addition to fast casual options. It doesn't have to be too bland or too indulgent. We changed the brand's structure to balance fun flavors with familiar forms." said Graham Humphreys, CEO at The Culinary Edge. "Following suit with best-in-class fast-casuals, we gave guests the option of signature favorites, or custom builds. To communicate this new proposition, we created a brand identity that conveys the spirit of fun at the heart of the brand," added Sam Aronson, Strategist.

Upon opening, guests can enjoy Slapfish's new coastal seafood kitchen at any of the three Salt Lake City restaurants located at Sandy  10431 State Street, Sandy, UT 84070; Lehi  3320 N. Digital Drive, Suite 130, Lehi, UT 84043; and Farmington  254 N. University Drive, Suite Q-010, Farmington, UT 84025. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about Slapfish, please visit our website at www.slapfishrestaurant.com.

About The Culinary Edge

The Culinary Edge (TCE) is a San Francisco-based food and beverage innovation consultancy, fusing culinary excellence and human-centered design for a better future. At TCE you'll find classically trained chefs working alongside designers, brand planners, operational experts, and food anthropologists. The company's unique 360-degree process has led them to work with ambitious national brands including Starbucks, First Watch, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the launch of TCE's own brand, Starbird. To learn more about The Culinary Edge and the team, visit www.theculinaryedge.com. Follow The Culinary Edge on Facebook for the latest news and trends.

About Slapfish

Slapfish is a food truck turned brick and mortar, fast-casual seafood restaurant that consists of 20 locations across the U.S. Slapfish has received many awards for culinary innovation and sustainability efforts across the concept including MenuMaster's Trendsetter Award (2016), Sustainable Operator of the Year from The Buyer's Edge (2022) and Future 50: Emerging Brands by Restaurant Business (2022). Slapfish is headquartered at Mac Haik Enterprises (MHE) in Houston, Texas. To learn more about Slapfish, please visit slapfishrestaurant.com.

About Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE)

MHE includes commercial real estate development entities that develop, own and manage office buildings, medical buildings, retail centers, outdoor billboards and hotels. The Mac Haik Automotive Group is the largest independent automotive group in the state of Texas and the 15th largest in the United States with 17 new car dealerships plus seven stand-alone used car dealerships. MHE subsidiaries also are majority owners in three rapidly expanding fast-casual restaurant brands, Original ChopShop, Bellagreen and Slapfish A Modern Seafood Shack. MH Outdoor Media LLC is an outdoor advertising media company with over 1100 digital and static signs in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama. MHE was one of the founding partners and maintained an equity and chairmanship interest in Acuity Healthcare Inc, the largest ESOP-owned LTAC in the country with hospitals in New Jersey, West Virginia, and Ohio. The overall MHE companies employ over 3,000 employees nationwide. For additional information regarding MHE, visit machaik-enterprises.com.

Media Contact:

Hayden Koone

Fish Consulting, Account Director

[email protected] | (754) 888-6303

SOURCE The Culinary Edge
Newest Platform Enhancement Offers Geographical View of Keyword Rankings

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SOCi Inc. , the marketing platform for multi-location brands, has released a first-of-its-kind enhancement to the platform's Listings solution, SOCi GeoRank. SOCi GeoRank boosts the power of brands' local listings and search performance by giving multi-location marketers the ability to see a precise, geographical view of Google keyword rankings from specific points on the map as well as the ability to see ranking averages at the national or group level.

With one out of every two consumer searches now having local intent, how often a brand appears in Google's top three local search results is more important than ever, especially considering that 78% of local searches result in an offline conversion. SOCi GeoRank gives brands a complete picture of their local search performance through an easily consumable, visual map display of how a brand's locations are ranking against top local competitors at the hyper-local or block level in specific geographical areas, uncovering blind spots in SEO strategies by closely monitoring local keyword search performance.

"Multi-location brands need to be able to monitor how well their locations rank in local search results to create a successful localized SEO strategy. Securing a top ranking for your business locations not only requires good SEO know-how and persistence, but a sophisticated toolset as well," said Alo Sarv, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, SOCi. "SOCi GeoRank provides multi-location businesses a scalable way to not just check, but keep track of their local business rankings through the ability to see ranking averages and changes over time by target keyword at the hyper-local, group, or corporate level."

SOCi GeoRank alongside SOCi Listings will help marketing teams improve their SEO strategy and search rankings. According to SOCi's Top Ranking and Conversion Factors for Local Search research report, high ranking correlates to businesses success, with businesses ranked 1-3 in Google searches earning 126% more traffic and 93% more consumer engagements than businesses ranked further down.

"Given the rise of mobile search, it's no longer enough to track the search performance of a business using a single data point for each keyword," said Damian Rollison, Director of Market Insights, SOCi. "Google may show your location in the top results for a keyword when the consumer is a block or two away, but you may rank differently when the same search is conducted from a greater distance. Having a more detailed picture of your ranking profile across your territory, as well as knowing how your competitors are ranking at different points on the map, gives you a much more powerful and actionable picture of local search performance. The goal of a business should be to outrank the competition as broadly as possible within its target geography."

With SOCi GeoRank, multi-location marketers can dive deeper into ranking insights to see competitors' total reviews, average review scores, and Google Business Profile categories to further investigate how to make informed SEO decisions. To assist in making and acting on these decisions, SOCi provides professional services to help marketers execute on any campaign enhancements and actionable insights as directed by SOCi GeoRank, minimizing the burden on its customers.

To learn more about how SOCi GeoRank supports multi-location brands, visit www.meetsoci.com/products/listings .

About SOCi

SOCi is the marketing platform for multi-location brands. We empower businesses like Ace Hardware, Sport Clips and Anytime Fitness to scale marketing efforts across all digital channels in a way that's brand directed, locally perfected, and data connected. As one central place to scale marketing, SOCi makes the impossible possible by enabling top brands and their locations to strengthen and scale their digital presence across limitless local search and social pages while protecting what matters most, their reputation. For more information on how SOCi can help fuel your localized marketing success, visit us at www.meetsoci.com or message us at [email protected] .

SOURCE SOCi
TOKYO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Ventures Corporation ("SVC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation (Sony Group), has completed a final closing for "Sony Innovation Fund 3 L.P." (SIF3), with total of 26.5 billion yen.

Sony Group has long participated in the global ecosystem for creating new businesses and supported the business growth of innovative venture-backed companies. Through the establishment of Sony Innovation Fund (established 2016); Sony Innovation Fund by IGV (2019), a joint venture with Daiwa Capital Holdings Co., Ltd.; Sony Innovation Fund: Environment (2020), which supports companies that tackle global environment issues, and the "Sony Innovation Fund 3 L.P." (SIF3), (2022), Sony Group's dedicated investment team has accumulated experience and a track record of managing startups around the globe.

SMBC Group1, Mizuho Group2, Daiwa Securities Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited., The Bank of Yokohama, Ltd., The Shiga Bank, Ltd., Koei Tecmo Group3, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., a university, and the Sony Group were amongst the initial limited partners. The final closing on December 31, 2022, had the participation of Fund Corporation for the Overseas Development of Japan's ICT and Postal Services Inc., Osaka Shoko Shinkin Bank, International Christian University, The Chiba Bank, Ltd., Ricoh Leasing Company, Ltd., Development Bank of Japan Inc., and The Yamanashi Chuo Bank, Ltd.

The closing of the recent fund brings the total Assets Under Management (AUM) to over 60 billion yen.

Going forward, Sony Group and SVC will continue to support the business growth of their portfolio companies by actively utilizing resources within Sony Group, while promoting activities aimed at maximizing the performance of the Fund.

This press release is not intended to provide investment management services or solicit specific investment products by the Sony Group. In addition, the Sony Group does not solicit the above funds, etc. through this press release.

1.Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

2.Mizuho Bank, Ltd. and Mizuho Leasing Company, Limited

3. Koei Tecmo Capital Co., Ltd.

SOURCE Sony Group Corporation
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Space-Based Fuel Management System Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Application, Component, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global space-based fuel management system market is estimated to reach $45,124.1 million in 2032 from $38,578.4 million in 2022, at a growth rate of 1.58% during the forecast period 2022-2032. The space-based fuel management system technology companies have witnessed the demand from the growing commercial industry. The ecosystem of the space-based fuel management system market comprises system manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and end users.

Market Lifecycle Stage

In 1957, when the Sputnik-1 satellite was launched, it implemented a fuel regulator, which failed and resulted in excess fuel consumption. Since then, till 2022, propulsion system technologies and fuel management systems have come a long way in being cost-effective and efficient. Companies like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin have shown their capabilities in the propulsion system and fuel management system department.

Currently, many space agencies and commercial companies across the globe have been focusing on developing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. This would drive the market for the space-based fuel management system. Moreover, rising research and development activities to develop cost-efficient propulsion technologies and fuel management systems are other factors contributing to the growth of the LEO-focused space-based fuel management system market. For instance, in June 2022, ThrustMe signed a contract with European Space Agency (ESA) to provide an NPT30-I2-1.5U electric propulsion system for the GOMX-5 mission under ESA general support technology programme (GSTP).

Impact

The increasing number of smaller telecom satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) with the upcoming mega-constellation has placed a high demand for the production of space-based fuel management systems during the forecast period.

Furthermore, there is a rise in research and development activities for building cost-effective space-based fuel management systems for satellites.

Demand - Drivers and Limitations



The following are the drivers for the global space-based fuel management system market:

Increasing Demand for Fuel Management Systems due to the Serial Production of Satellites and Launch Vehicles

Increasing Need for Customization of Satellite and Launch Vehicle Platforms

The following are the challenges for the global space-based fuel management system market:

Modular Propulsion Solutions Negating the Need for Commoditized Fuel Management Solutions

Evolution of Integrated Propulsion Solutions Restricting the Choice of Fuel Management System Components

The following are the opportunities for the global space-based fuel management system market:

Evolution of New Environment-Friendly Spacecraft Fuels

Market Segmentation



Segmentation 1: by Application

Satellite

Launch Vehicle

Deep Space Vehicle

The satellite application type segment is expected to dominate the global space-based fuel management system market during the forecast period 2022-2032.

Segmentation 2: by Component

Sensors

Valves

Flow Controllers

Mass Flow Sensors

Pressure Transducers

Particle Filters

Plumbing/Tubing

Based on component, the global space-based fuel management system market is expected to be dominated by plumbing and tubing segment during the forecast period.

Segmentation 3: by Region

North America - U.S., Canada

- U.S., Europe - France , Germany , Russia , U.K., and Rest-of- Europe

- , , , U.K., and Rest-of- Asia-Pacific - China , India , Japan , and Rest-of- Asia-Pacific

- , , , and Rest-of- Rest-of-the-World - Middle East and Africa and Latin America

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

Airbus

Accion Systems

Benchmark Space System

Cobham

Exotrail

IHI Aerospace Co. Ltd

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Microcosm Inc.

Moog Inc.

Northrop Grumman

Orbion Space Technology

Reaction Engines

Safran S.A.

Thales Alenia Space

ThrustMe

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/59tdj7

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Specialized Property Management is pleased to announce a fully-integrated solution for the real estate investor with a partnership with Done For You Real Estate (DFY).

DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialized Property Management is pleased to announce a fully-integrated solution for the real estate investor with our partnership with Done For You Real Estate (DFY). Since 2007, the DFY team has transacted more than 4000 investment properties. Done For You Real Estate is the trusted solution for busy and successful people looking to add real estate income to their investment portfolio. DFY has successfully brought to the individual investor on Mainstreet, what institutional investors have been doing for Wall Street. The partnership between Specialized and DFY forges an alliance between two companies who emphasize the importance of trust and integrity, with an overall focus on consistently placing the needs of the client first. The symbiotic core values of both Specialized and DFY provide a unique customer experience for all real estate investors.

Regarding the partnership, DFY's CEO, Steve Earl states, "we are extremely pleased with our new partnership with Specialized Property Management. Two companies working so closely together, whose values and organizational principles are so aligned, is a powerful combination. I am confident that our clients' experience owning single-family home investments will be elevated, and their ability to own property in multiple markets will be more easily facilitated. I am also excited about the many synergies we share with Specialized Property Management. The partnership between our companies opens doors and opportunities that did not exist prior to this collaboration."

Rodd Schifferdecker, Vice President of Market Expansion for Specialized Property Management says of the cooperative venture, "This partnership now provides Specialized and DFY clients an unparalleled best-in-class service offering. DFY shares the same vision and upholds the same level of integrity as we do at Specialized, and that is what makes this relationship so special. Their ability to educate and guide the investor client through the purchase process is second to none. Backed by the most experienced team and innovative technology, this partnership aids our expansion into 5 new markets this year, allowing thousands of investors to maximize investment returns.

Specialized's proprietary technology platform, Rental-iQ, utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven predictive models, providing a comprehensive view of the rental market, enabling real-time insights into maintenance, leasing, and the property and tenant performance. Based on this data, informed, reliable decisions are made that not only result in a better experience for clients, but also a higher return on investment than competitors can offer. The platform is leveling the playing field, allowing first time investors able to compete and evaluate, purchase and own residential investment properties with confidence from anywhere in the world. Partnering with DFY further differentiates Specialized from other property management companies by pairing real estate investment opportunities with the comprehensive oversight of property assets  from researching and purchasing homes, to inspections and leasing, to rent collection and maintenance.

About Specialized Property Management

Specialized Property Management is one of the largest and fastest growing real estate management providers. The firm provides complete residential property management for homeowners, investors, and institutional funds, including comprehensive leasing, marketing, screening, maintenance, collections, compliance, asset acquisition and disposition and accounting services. Its rigorous management protocol is supported by an experienced team and a proprietary technology platform that is pioneering new levels of data-driven performance for single-family rental management and investing. The Specialized management team has managed more single family rental homes than any other company in the industry, and the company's proprietary technology continues to manage rental properties with precision. Specialized is recognized as the industry-leading management experts on whom investors can rely for successful and predictable results and performance. The company combines best-in-class management methodologies with innovative ever-advancing technology to create a superior customer experience. The Specialized team believes that people come first, and they strive to listen carefully, communicate professionally, and treat others as they wish to be treated in order to create a win-win rental experience for both owners and residents. Specialized hires only the most talented, intelligent, and agile performers who continually strive to go above and beyond for their customers.

For more information, visit Specialized247.com.

Contact:

Zane Hansen

[email protected]

SOURCE Specialized Property Management
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Home and small business owners will soon be able to shine a light on their Internet activity and better diagnose problems without having to be a tech wizard*. Speedtechs mi-inta reveals all devices, websites visited, WiFi hogs and more. Already fully developed, a Kickstarter campaign is scheduled for early 2023 to springboard mi-inta into volume production, protected by a 90-day money back guarantee. mi-inta comes in two models; 100M ($49) suitable for most users, and 1G ($99) for those with high speed connections.

Speedtechs

30% of users continue to experience Internet problems , with over-utilization the most common cause, according to the Speedtechs founders, having consistently observed this phenomenon during their 18 years in the ISP industry.

"Complaints of poor performance were usually the result of a maxed-out Internet connection rather than a fault with the Internet itself. Once users realised the impact that other devices on the same WiFi could have, the issue could be easily remedied by identifying those responsible and the associated Internet activity. Unfortunately, most users are still in the dark; while solutions to reveal this information exist, they are often prohibitively complex and come with a steep learning curve," said Calum Anderstrem, Speedtechs founder.

Designed to overcome this complexity, mi-inta plugs into a spare port on the home or office router. Using only basic Internet terms such as web address, speed (Megabits per second) and data (Megabytes), the companion app allows users to see:

All devices, including phones, computers, consoles and smart home devices, wired or WiFi.

History of when each device joins or leaves the network.

Interactive chart showing level of activity over the past 24 hours.

Devices contributing to the selected activity & their level of contribution, continually updated in real time.

Websites visited by each active device & their level of contribution.

This allows users to quickly spot:

Unfamiliar devices connected to the WiFi & what they're doing.

The high activity of some devices (and websites) impacting time-critical applications (remote access to the office, Whatsapp and other phone calls over WiFi, Zoom other video conferencing apps, online gaming, etc) through over-utilization.

Suspicious activity at unusual times.

Drop in total available speed (prompting check of WiFi, Internet connection, cabling, rebooting etc).

*Independent reviewers agree about mi-inta's ease of use; "mi-inta gives you all this information in an easy-to-read format without needing to be a tech whiz," said Julie Strietelmeier, owner of the-gadgeteer.com.

For more information on mi-inta, or to join the campaign, visit www.speedtechs.net. Alternatively, visit the Kickstarter campaign .

Webpage Press Release

https://www.speedtechs.net/press-release-parental-oversight

Press Kit

https://www.speedtechs.net/press-kit

About Speedtechs

Speedtechs is a Melbourne based company founded in 2019 that develops simple, innovative and affordable products that help Internet users gain visibility into their Internet usage and activity.

Contact

Calum Anderstrem

Director

[email protected]

+61 (0) 412 399 367

SOURCE Speedtechs
Premier Hospitality Management Company Leads the Way for Marketing Independent Hotels

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Springboard Hospitality, a premier hospitality management company with 40 hotels in 10 states, today unveiled a refreshed brand identity and all-new website. Recently acknowledged by Hotel Management magazine as one of the top hotel management companies in the country, Springboard Hospitality is hyper-focused on managing lifestyle hotels in urban and leisure markets. The relaunch of the company's identity and website marks a new wave for the management company as a leader in the independent and lifestyle market. Featuring user-friendly destination and trip planning tools and a tech-forward approach, the new website invites intrepid travelers to discover and interact with Springboard's range of hospitality experiences.

The Los Angeles and Honolulu-based company has realized tremendous growth in the past two years, increasing its presence on the East Coast and key destinations, including Sedona, AZ, Kona, Hawaii, Myrtle Beach, SC, Branson, MO, Mammoth Springs, CA, and Jackson, Wyo.  which join anchor properties in markets such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu. The company added six new hotels to its portfolio in 2022, and now manages more than 6,000 rooms across the United States. Springboard deploys a personalized approach to managing hotels, offering customized management agreements to support owners' operations, marketing, revenue, capital planning, and sales goals. A key differentiator is the company's hospitality intelligence platform (H.I.), which curates a suite of best-in-class tools to ensure optimal returns and peak performance.

"We are excited to debut our updated identity and website, which reflects the unique value we provide for stakeholders in both urban and vacation destination markets," said Ben Rafter, Chief Executive Officer, Springboard Hospitality. "With an expert team, supported by best-in-class technology, we are able to provide truly customizable management strategies for independent and branded hotels and resorts, as well as flagged properties with unique stories to tell."

The new website and refreshed brand identity is a natural evolution for Springboard Hospitality to better represent the company's pulse on managing lifestyle hotels and providing curated destination-focused experiences. The website offers a visually compelling, one-stop place for consumers to discover Springboard's destinations through interactive content guides, book a hotel stay, or request an event or meeting proposal from multiple Springboard properties. Creating a direct-to-consumer interface for the new website was a primary focus to provide more opportunities for consumers to utilize Springboard as a gateway to new destinations and make it easy for travelers to plan their next hotel stay or event.

Hoteliers who would like to learn more about Springboard Hospitality's management capabilities or capital planning services through sister company Springboard Investment Advisors, can reach out through https://www.springboardhospitality.com/contact/ for more information.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Springboard Hospitality
ST. HELENA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Two years ago, with only four days' notice of the impending rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, St. Helena Hospital Foundation converted its mobile health van, into a COVID-19 vaccine program. Allowing it to become the first responder in the County to provide vaccines to the most vulnerable in the Napa County community. This week, the St. Helena Hospital Foundation celebrates the two-year anniversary of its heroic staff and technologically advanced facilities that enabled the Foundation's early and successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable members of the Napa Valley community. Along with the hundreds of doctors, nurses, staff and community volunteers that enabled this life-saving campaign, the Foundation celebrates its unique, converted mobile health van that was itself a complete COVID-19 vaccine program on wheels. Since those early days of the new vaccines in early January, 2021, the Foundation's mobile health unit has since hosted 450 clinics (including home visits) that provided 60,000 vaccines and boostersa program recognized at a global telehealth conference in Denmark as a model for other community-based public health programs.

St. Helena Hospital Foundation Mobile Unit (Mobi) serving vineyard workers throughout Napa Valley. St. Helena Hospital Foundation Mobi Vaccine Line.

When the idea for the mobile health van was first discussed by Foundation Board members in 2018, the goal was to reach underserved communities with general health services, in particular, Upvalley seniors. When the pandemic hit, given the dire need for testing among farmworkers, the Foundation pivoted and forged partnerships with dedicated testing labs. With support from the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, the Foundation became the first to take large-scale Covid-19 testing directly to the Napa County agricultural workforce.

When the vaccines were rolled out in January 2021, the mobile health van allowed the program to pivot again. "We knew on Day 1 that the technology needed to register for a vaccine, as well as time and transportation to get to vaccine sites, would create barriers, so with the mobile health van, we were able to remove those barriers, making it easy and welcoming for everyone to receive their vaccinesand later, boosters," says Noemi Mauricio, RN, Community Educator RN for the St. Helena Hospital Foundation Mobile Health Unit (MOBI).

"We were able to vaccinate the most vulnerable in their homes and the rest of the community at community vaccination sites, schools, businesses, churches, community centers, and even in the middle of vineyards, all across Napa County," said Glen Newhart, President and CEO of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation. "While other agricultural areas in the state were ravaged by seemingly endless waves of infections, we were able to help keep Napa County workers safe."

"Another key to success was our community volunteers. In the first week that vaccines were available, 150 medical and community volunteersincluding nursing students from Pacific Union College and Napa Valley College as well as countless community supporters and partners like Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, and Napa County Farm Bureaustepped up. Everyone came together for the health of our community."

"We see mobile primary care as a key to our overall commitment to the health of our communitythe last few years have shown that this is an excellent way to rapidly pivot to address the need to open up access to quality care to those who have not had access," says Newhart. "Care for our vulnerable farmworkers and seniors has always been important to St. Helena Hospital. We provide health assessments and testing, in addition to COVID and flu vaccines, free of charge when and where our community needs us."

"For 145 years, St. Helena Hospital has been part of the rich history of Napa County, and we are proud to celebrate of all our doctors, nurses, staff and community volunteers who have helped our communities survive and prevail over this awful pandemic  including taking our mobile health van where it is needed. We're excited about the new ways we can improve the health of our family, friends and neighbors by taking healthcare out of the hospital and into our community with our mobile health team. We might be in a vineyard in Carneros one day, in Pope Valley the next, a school in Calistoga or community center on another, but wherever there is a need, we will be there."

ABOUT ST. HELENA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

St. Helena Hospital Foundation provides philanthropic support and enhances community connection for Adventist Health St. Helena and its vision to transform the health of our communities. Established in 2004 as a 501(c)(3) organization, St. Helena Hospital Foundation partners with supporters to fund technology, equipment and programs that improve and save people's lives. Its dedication to ensuring the most vulnerable populations in Napa County are healthy led to them winning a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year. With a rich legacy of giving since the hospital's inception in 1878, donations have allowed for Adventist Health St. Helena to remain at its best, providing top-quality care in the region. For more information, visit www.shhfoundation.org.

Contact: Glen Newhart

707-963-6206 | C 760-672-0319| [email protected]

SOURCE St. Helena Hospital Foundation
Helping Users Navigate Uncertain Economic Environments

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Storepay is pleased to announce that as of December 28th, their native currency $SPCFIN has been officially listed on the global cryptocurrency exchange AscendEx. Trading of the $SPCFIN token on AscendEX is now available.

Storepay New Listing on AscendEX

Recently listed on the LBank Exchange, the $SPCFIN Token is expanding its utility. The native token of Storepay, $SPCFIN, can be used to purchase goods through the Storepay app. Users receive 1% of what they spend in $SPCFIN tokens directly into their account and can deposit $SPCFIN to increase their Storepay credit limit and stake the tokens to earn rewards. $SPCFIN can also be used as an alternative credit scoring system and collateral substitute.

With over 300k active users and more than 2000 merchant partners, Storepay was born from the belief that everyone deserves the best quality of life without worrying about how it may impact their credit. The app uses a unique combination of Fintech, Crypto, and Blockchain technologies to provide consumers and businesses with an interest-free BNPL service and is an ethical alternative to traditional credit.

About Storepay

Storepay is a blockchain-powered fintech platform that allows retailers and merchants to sell their products and services on installment plans with no interest fees. It offers "buy now, pay later (BNPL)" services for B2C and B2B transactions. The user-friendly Storepay app's KYC and credit scoring both take less than a minute, and the token wallet is smoothly integrated with the BNPL app.

SOURCE Storepay
SUMMIT, Miss., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Plastics ("Summit"), a LongueVue Capital ("LVC") portfolio company and manufacturer of custom packaging solutions, is pleased to announce its successful partnership with fifth generation owner Tim Fredman of Fredman Bag Company ("Fredman" or the "Company"), a niche-manufacturer of printed and converted custom flexible packaging products. Fredman represents the third acquisition for Summit since LVC's investment in 2020.

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and founded in 1889, Fredman specializes in custom flexible packaging serving a diversified customer base and end-markets, including food & beverage, healthcare/medical, agriculture, industrial, and retail. Fredman operates a 50,000 square foot facility with state-of-the-art printing and converting capabilities. Given Summit's recent acquisition of Fredman coupled with the ClearView Packaging transaction in 2021, Summit continues to broaden its geographic presence, expand its product offerings, and create a vertically integrated platform better able to serve customers across the packaging value chain.

"We are delighted to partner with Fredman," commented Tom Nathanson, Chairman of the Board of Summit. "This transaction further expands our market reach and adds to our product capabilities. We welcome the talented employee base at Fredman and look forward to their contributions to the combined business."

Todd Romer, President of ClearView Packaging, a subsidiary of Summit, added, "We are very excited about the addition of the Fredman team. Fredman and ClearView are very similar; however, Fredman adds new capabilities that complement our current product offerings. We are also both multi-generational family businesses with a strong focus on our culture and employee base. This is an exciting partnership for Summit and will add tremendous value to our customers."

"Partnering with Summit and ClearView will enhance our ability to support our employees, customers, and suppliers. We have known and respected the ClearView family for decades, and our employees are excited for the growth and opportunity as part of a larger platform. The key to our partnership decision was people and culture, and we found a great fit in LVC, Summit and ClearView. We look forward to working together," stated Tim Fredman, President, Fredman Bag.

"The acquisition of Fredman is a great development for Summit," added Ryan Nagim, Managing Partner of LVC. "Fredman's multi-generational history and strong reputation is a significant addition to our Summit platform. We look forward to helping maximize the potential of the combined Summit, ClearView, and Fredman entity."

Operating Partner Paul Ebbert, Principal Evan Golden, and Associate Baker Saslow worked alongside Ryan Nagim on the Fredman transaction. Origin Bank provided senior debt financing. Summit's legal counsel was provided by Jones Walker LLP.

To learn more information about Fredman and the Company's products, visit www.fredmanbag.com.

To learn more information about ClearView and the Company's products, visit www.clearviewpackaging.com.

To learn more information about Summit and the Company's products, visit www.summitplastics.com.

About LongueVue Capital:

Founded in 2001, LongueVue Capital is a New Orleans-based equity investment firm focused on providing transformational growth capital to middle-market companies, drawing upon its successful 20+ year track record of partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to drive value creation. With over $850 million of committed capital spanning four funds coupled with 150 years of combined operating and investing experience, the LVC team is an ideal partner for middle-market companies at inflection points and seeking to maximize value for all stakeholders. LVC has made successful investments in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, life sciences, transportation and logistics, food and beverage, specialty packaging, consumer, and industrial services. For more information, please visit www.lvcpartners.com, and for media inquiries, please contact [email protected] or call 504.293.3600.

SOURCE LongueVue Capital
The report highlights concerning security stats following two years of extreme tech growth.

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The media industry is at higher risk of cyber attack. According to the newly released State of Penetration Testing as a Service report , an average of 3.75 critical vulnerabilities were found for every MediaTech application tested in 2022. During the same period, the data & analytics industry came second with an average of 1.5 critical vulnerabilities found per client application. Across all industries, 0.9 critical vulnerabilities were identified per client application.

Critical vulnerabilities are the most severe form of application security risk, and include categories of vulnerabilities such as SQL injection (SQLi), remote code execution (RCE), command injections, and unauthorized administrative host/application access. The "OWASP Top 10" also defines a list of the most common and severe vulnerabilities facing software applications today.

Companies facing critical vulnerabilities are at high risk as these issues are easily exploitable and will have significant damaging effects if exploited by a malicious hacker. Negative consequences include unauthorized release of confidential information, access to sensitive customer data, and access to control internal systems. As such, most companies are recommended to fix these within a maximum of 5 days after discovery.

Software Secured , an Ottawa-based penetration testing firm, released the report based on insights from their client testing in 2021 and 2022. The goal of the report is to help leaders of security and compliance teams understand the most prominent risks facing their software within the next year. Included within the report are explanations on the identified threats and recommendations for companies to stay ahead of hackers. Some other insights gained from their reporting include:

Increase in critical-level SQL injection attacks by 250% compared to 2021

Increase in high-severity Denial of Service (DoS) attacks by 133% compared to 2021

Cross-site scripting (XSS) findings remain the most common critical vulnerability for two years in a row

Penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) is a comprehensive security assessment that is proven to help companies secure their applications, significantly decreasing the likelihood of cyber attacks

Download the full 2022 State of Penetration Testing as a Service report here .

For more information or questions, please visit us online at softwaresecured.com or contact us with the information below:

SOURCE Software Secured
New Center to Shine Light on the Dark Genome

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Genome Center (NYGC) announced the launch of the MacMillan Center for the Study of the Non-Coding Cancer Genome (MCSNCG) today, a major new initiative in cancer research to study the role and function of the non-coding genome and epigenome in the evolution, progression, and treatment of multiple cancer types, including breast, ovary, pancreas, gastrointestinal, lung, and hematologic cancers.

The study of the non-coding "dark" genome allows for insight into the evolution, progression, and treatment of multiple cancer types, including breast, ovary, pancreas, gastrointestinal, lung, and hematologic cancers.

Tom Maniatis, PhD, NYGC's Evnin Family Scientific Director and CEO, commented: "This Center, with its leading-edge multidisciplinary approach  bringing together experts in genomics, engineering, mathematics, computational biology, and cancer biology  will dramatically advance the understanding of the role of the non-coding genome in cancer."

The non-coding "dark" genome constitutes 98% of the human genome and it plays an essential regulatory role across all molecular layers of biological complexity (i.e. genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome), influencing DNA organization and structure, genome accessibility to regulatory proteins and RNA, and intracellular organelle organization. The molecular mechanisms by which cell functions are carried out hold extraordinary promise for understanding how cellular identity is encoded in individual cell types and cell states; how cells are altered by intercellular interactions within the microenvironment, including immune cells; and how they are disrupted in various disease states, most specifically in cancer.

While extraordinary progress has been made through individual, gene-focused research projects, the biomedical research community has historically lacked the technology and collaborative framework to systematically study the causality of the non-coding genome in cancer. Therefore, foundational questions regarding the role of the non-coding genome in the development and progression of many cancer types remain unanswered.

Established by a generous gift from the MacMillan Family Foundation, the MCSNCG will seek to answer these questions through an inter-institutional, multi-disciplinary research program that brings together engineers, data scientists, mathematicians, technologists and biological experts. This range of expertise from the NYGC's collaborative network will allow the MCSNCG to engage in coordinated efforts to understand how behavior is encoded in cells and unravel the intricacy of intercellular interactions involved in the development of cancerous cells, metastasis, and drug resistance.

Education and Outreach to promote diversity and representation in genomics and cancer research, engage the broader scientific community, and educate the public on the value and benefit of this important work is another critical component of the Center. To that end, the MCSNCG will offer internship and post-baccalaureate training opportunities, workshops and seminars for both scientific and public audiences, and will broadly disseminate the Center's scientific findings through the publication of protocols, analytic methods, genomic data, and discoveries.

To maximize the impact of this research, the MCSNCG will also leverage existing regional cancer and genomic technology research initiatives anchored by the NYGC collaborative network such as the Polyethnic-1000 (P-1000) initiative. The researchers of the P-1000 initiative study cancer genomes of under-represented minority populations with the goal of understanding the role of genetic diversity in cancer, improving the application and outcome of precision medicine for these populations, and addressing the stark ethnic disparities in cancer research and diagnosis.

Samuel Aparicio, FRCPath PhD, FRSC, NYGC's Senior Scientific Director of Cancer Genomics, says, "Decoding causality is fundamental to providing interpretable quantitative explanations of elements of the non-coding genome in cancer. Biological problems of this nature require cross-cutting programs where investigators with a broad range of expertise are supported to collaborate and focus on building new measurement methods and computational frameworks to understand the complex dynamics of cancer biology."

The NYGC and the MacMillan Family Foundation share a mutual commitment to meaningfully and measurably advancing our understanding of cancer biology by innovating and applying new technologies, methodologies, and analytics. This new collaborative initiative brings together leading researchers from eight institutions including the BC Cancer Research Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Northwell Health, New York University, and Weill Cornell Medicine.

About the New York Genome Center

The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is an independent, nonprofit academic research institution that serves as a multi-institutional hub for collaborative genomic research. Leveraging our strengths in technology development, computational biology, and whole-genome sequencing, our mission is to advance genomic science and its application to novel biomedical discoveries. NYGC's areas of focus include the development of computational and experimental genomic methods and disease-focused research to advance the understanding of the genetic basis of cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and neuropsychiatric disease. During the pandemic, the NYGC worked with its hospital and academic partners to advance COVID-19 research, monitoring viral variants and exploring the genetic basis of severe disease. We are committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is fundamental to promoting greater collaboration, innovation, and discovery.

About the MacMillan Family Foundation

The mission of the MacMillan Family Foundation is to support organizations that help strengthen and enrich our society in three major areas: cancer and medical research, education, and the arts. In addition, through its community grants program, the Foundation supports local, grass-roots organizations and services that seek to maintain and enhance the health, education, and well-being of the communities where it operates.

The MacMillan Family Foundation was founded in January 2003 by Duncan and Nancy MacMillan. The MacMillans were early signers of the Giving Pledge. Duncan serves as Chairman of the Foundation, and Nancy serves as its President.

Media Contact

Madi Grimaldi

Senior Communications Associate

[email protected]

(646) 977-7149

SOURCE NEW YORK GENOME CENTER, INC.
Panel Discussion To Follow With Jason Segel, Michael Urie, Zach Braff, Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein and More

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Paley Center for Media  The iconic cultural institution that has led the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of media for over 45 years  will be presenting an exclusive screening of the debut episode of the new Apple Original comedy series, "Shrinking."

"Shrinking" is a new Apple Original comedy series that tells the story of a grieving therapist  played by actor Jason Segel  who starts to break the rules of all of his training and ethics. When he begins to tell his clients exactly what he thinks, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives  including his own.

The screening will be held on Tuesday January 24 at 7:30 pm ET at The Paley Museum in Midtown Manhattan, followed by a panel discussion with the cast and creative team for the series, who will discuss the creation of the show and what to expect from the coming episodes. Panelists for the conversation include:

Jason Segel , "Jimmy," Creator, Executive Producer, Writer

, "Jimmy," Creator, Executive Producer, Writer Michael Urie , "Brian"

"Brian" Luke Tennie , "Sean"

"Sean" Christa Miller , "Liz"

"Liz" Lukita Maxwell , "Alice"

"Alice" Jessica Williams , "Gaby"

, "Gaby" Bill Lawrence , Creator, Executive Producer, Writer

Creator, Executive Producer, Writer Brett Goldstein , Creator, Executive Producer, Writer

Creator, Executive Producer, Writer Neil Goldman , Executive Producer, Writer

Executive Producer, Writer James Ponsoldt , Director, Executive Producer

Director, Executive Producer Zach Braff , Director (Moderator)

For additional information, please visit:

https://www.paleycenter.org/events/shrinking-2023/

The Paley Center's Membership offers free admission to the Paley Museum in New York City; advance and discounted tickets to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including PALEYFEST and PALEYLIVE; conversations with celebrities; VIP invitations; access to the Paley Archive with an international collection of more than 160,000 television and radio programs across genres; access to the PaleyGX Gaming Studio and VR Experience; and more. For more information about Paley Membership, visit paleycenter.org/membership.

About The Paley Center for Media

The Paley Center for Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has proudly made its home in NYC for over 45 years and operates the iconic Paley Museum. Through its respected programming, The Paley Center leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of media, drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the media community. The general public can participate in Paley programs in both New York and Los Angeles that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the talent and the leaders who are shaping media. The public can also access the Paley Center's permanent media collection, The Paley Archive, often referred to as a national treasure, containing over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, The Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry.

For more information about The Paley Center for Media, and to learn about the Paley Center's acclaimed programming, please visit www.paleycenter.org

SOURCE The Paley Center for Media
DUBLIN, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global blood pressure monitoring devices market size reached US$ 2.1 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 4.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.54% 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.



The blood pressure (BP) monitoring device is a machine that is used to accurately measure the blood pressure of an individual. It consists of an inflatable cuff, air pressure sensor and a pump. The cuff is placed on the left arm of the user which collapses and releases the artery beneath the cuff in a controlled manner.

This measures the amount of blood pumped by the heart and the recorded blood pressure is then displayed on the device. Several portable, lightweight and inexpensive BP monitors have been launched in the market. They are easy to use with a large reading display. Additionally, these digital devices are also capable of storing numerous previous readings which aid the users to keep track of their average blood pressure.



Growing awareness about the risks associated with hypertension is one of the major factors that is catalyzing the growth of the market. A severe case of hypertension can often lead to stroke, cardiovascular disorders and kidney failure, which can ultimately result in an untimely death.

A majority of the population therefore monitors their blood pressure on a regular basis by using digital and portable BP devices. This allows the users not only to keep a check on their pressure but also enables them to consult a doctor as soon as any peculiarity is witnessed.

Apart from this, an increase in the geriatric population has also impelled the demand for such devices. Furthermore, manufacturers are continually engaging in research and development (R&D) activities to improve the performance of these devices. Several variants of these monitors have been introduced in the market that offer multi-user interface while providing average blood pressure readings of each user.

Other factors contributing to the market growth include rising disposable incomes and healthcare expenditures, increasing inclination toward proactive monitoring, and government initiatives regarding the advantages of home-based BP devices.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analyzed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being A&D Medical Inc., GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V, Omron Healthcare, Welch Allyn, Rossmaax International Limited, Spacelab's Healthcare Inc., Contec Medical System Co.Ltd, Microlife AG, Halma plc., Hill-Rom Holdings, American Diagnostic, Smith's Group Plc., Schiller AG, SunTech Medical, etc.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global blood pressure monitoring devices market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the key regional markets in the global blood pressure monitoring devices industry?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global blood pressure monitoring devices industry?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the accessories?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end-user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the global blood pressure monitoring devices industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global blood pressure monitoring devices industry?

What is the structure of the global blood pressure monitoring devices industry and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the global blood pressure monitoring devices 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 Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Breakup by Product Type

5.5 Market Breakup by Technology

5.6 Market Breakup by Accessories

5.7 Market Breakup by End-User

5.8 Market Breakup by Region

5.9 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product Type

6.1 Monitor

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Breakup by Monitor Type

6.1.2.1 Sphygmomanometers

6.1.2.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.1.2 Market Forecast

6.1.2.2 Automated BP Monitors

6.1.2.2.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.2.2 Market Forecast

6.1.2.3 Ambulatory BP Monitors

6.1.2.3.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.3.2 Market Forecast

6.1.2.4 BP Transducers

6.1.2.4.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.4.2 Market Forecast

6.1.2.5 Home-Based BP Monitors

6.1.2.5.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.5.2 Market Forecast

6.1.2.6 Others

6.1.2.6.1 Market Trends

6.1.2.6.2 Market Forecast

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Accessories

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Breakup by Accessories Type

6.2.2.1 Blood Pressure Cuffs

6.2.2.1.1 Market Trends

6.2.2.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2.2.2 Manometers

6.2.2.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2.2.2 Market Forecast

6.2.2.3 Valves and Bladders

6.2.2.3.1 Market Trends

6.2.2.3.2 Market Forecast

6.2.2.4 Others

6.2.2.4.1 Market Trends

6.2.2.4.2 Market Forecast

6.2.3 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Technology

7.1 Digital

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Aneroid

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Wearable

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End-User

8.1 Hospitals and Clinics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Ambulatory Surgical Centers

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Diagnostic Centers

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Homecare Settings

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porter's 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 A&D Medical Inc.

14.3.2 GE Healthcare

14.3.3 Koninklijke Philips N.V

14.3.4 Omron Healthcare

14.3.5 Welch Allyn

14.3.6 Rossmaax International Limited

14.3.7 Spacelab's Healthcare Inc.

14.3.8 Contec Medical System Co.Ltd

14.3.9 Microlife AG

14.3.10 Halma plc.

14.3.11 Hill-Rom Holdings

14.3.12 American Diagnostic

14.3.13 Smith's Group Plc.

14.3.14 Schiller AG

14.3.15 SunTech Medical

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bcl5r6

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets
Increase in demand for umbrella insurance as it minimizes business risks and surge in consumer awareness among people drive the growth of the global umbrella insurance market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Umbrella Insurance Market by Coverage (Bodily Injury, Property Damage, Personal Liability, Lawsuit), by Distribution Channel (Insurance Agents and Brokers, Direct Response, Banks, Others), by End User (Personal, Business): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" According to the report, the global umbrella insurance industry generated $72.5 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $170.7 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chains, regional landscapes, and competitive scenarios.

Download Free Sample Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/15130

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities-

Increase in demand for umbrella insurance as it minimizes business risks and surge in consumer awareness among people drive the growth of the global umbrella insurance market. On the other hand, rise in fraudulent activities and lack of knowledge about umbrella insurance policies impede the growth to some extent. However, high-end technological investments in the field of insurance are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the key players in the industry.

Covid-19 scenario-

Rapid adoption of digitalization in the insurance sector during the outbreak of the pandemic boosted the umbrella insurance market positively.

This trend has persisted even after the pandemic is almost over.

The bodily injury segment to maintain its dominance during the forecast period-

By coverage, the bodily injury segment held around two-fifths of the global umbrella insurance market revenue in 2021, and is expected to retain its dominance by 2031. This is because it includes the cost of medical bills and/or liability claims due to injuries caused by accidents where the policyholder is at fault. The lawsuit segment, simultaneously, would display the fastest CAGR of 13.3% from 2022 to 2031. Umbrella insurance policies tend to cover businesses from lawsuits along with other legal problems. Umbrella insurance can be expensive, but it is very useful to run a business smoothly. Moreover, the liability coverage on policy helps cover the cost of lawsuits, including legal defense and any damages they are ordered to pay to a third party.

The insurance agents and brokers segment to rule the roost-

By distribution channel, the insurance agents and brokers segment held the lion's share in 2021, garnering more than two-fifths of the global umbrella insurance market revenue, and is projected to retain its dominance by 2031. This is due to the fact that insurance agents and brokers are investing in digital technologies to provide assistance online and increase sales and margins. The direct response segment, on the other hand, would portray the fastest CAGR of 12.0% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to the fact that direct response is easily measured, which makes it easy for insurance agents and companies to assess the performance of a campaign. In addition, direct mail response activities can be hidden from competitors, which is a great benefit for umbrella insurance providers as the insurance industry is highly competitive.

The personal segment maintained the lion's share by 2031-

By end user, the personal segment accounted for the major share in 2021, holding nearly two-thirds of the global umbrella insurance market revenue. Rising number of independent consultants leaving the corporate world or large enterprises to form a sole proprietorship or limited liability company fuels the segment growth. Additionally, risk management is important for every industry including liability coverage that protects the individual from financial crisis and legal consequences. The business segment, however, would display the fastest CAGR of 11.2% throughout the forecast period. This is because business umbrella insurance protects the financial interests of business owners from penalties they may face from litigation waged against them while also covering the associated legal costs.

Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire Here (Get Full Insights in PDF - 255 Pages) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/15130

North America garnered the major share in 2021-

By region, North America contributed to nearly two-fifths of the global umbrella insurance market share in 2021, and is expected to rule the roost by 2031. Massive increase in natural hazards across the province drives the market growth. Also, with the rise in security concerns, various small business owners have gained awareness of this insurance policy. Simultaneously, Asia-Pacific would showcase the fastest CAGR of 11.7% from 2022 to 2031. Increase in demand from customers expecting fast, seamless insurance services, as well as customized user experiences, propels the market growth.

Leading Market Players-

GEICO

Insureon

NerdWallet

The Hartford and Travelers

and Travelers Nationwide

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company

CAN

Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited

The report analyzes these key players in the global umbrella insurance market. These players have adopted various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in determining the business performance, operating segments, developments, and product portfolios of every market player.

Similar Reports We Have on BFSI Industry:

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Hyundai wins more awards than any other brand.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2023 Best Cars for the Money awards . Covering 12 automotive categories, the awards put a spotlight on cars, SUVs and minivans that represent the best combination of long-term value and excellent ownership experience. For the third time, U.S. News will present the Best Cars for the Money awards at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show.

"A Best Car for the Money award represents a strong value over the course of ownership and at the dealership," said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. "A new vehicle is a big purchase for any buyer, especially as new-car transaction prices continue to rise. In addition, the least expensive car on the lot could carry high ownership costs or be poorly suited to the buyer's needs. Our Best Car for the Money award winners prioritize long-term value and a rewarding ownership experience, with comfort, features and performance that buyers will appreciate."

Hyundai won four Best Car for the Money awards this year, which is more than any other brand. Kia earned three, Chevrolet and Honda each won two, and Mazda earned one. The Honda Odyssey won this award for the seventh time, while the Honda Civic now has four Best Compact Car for the Money wins under its belt. The Hyundai Kona and Santa Fe each earned awards for the third time in their respective categories, while the Elantra Hybrid won Best Hybrid Car for the second time. The Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV, as well as the Hyundai Palisade, Kia K5, Kia Rio, Kia Sportage Hybrid and Mazda CX-5 each won the award for the first time.

Methodology

Within each class, the award winner has the best combination of quality and value. We measured quality using a car's overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings. The overall score is based on safety and reliability data, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press on a given model's performance and interior and how strongly each reviewer recommends the car. We measured value by looking at each model's real-time transaction prices, provided by TrueCar, and five-year total cost of ownership data, calculated by Vincentric.

About the Best Cars for the Money Award Ceremony:

Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center

When: Today, January 19, 2:15 p.m.

Learn more about the auto show here .

About U.S. News Best Cars

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. U.S. News Best Cars supports car shoppers throughout the entire car buying journey, offering advice for researching cars and finding cars for sale near you. U.S. News Best Cars had more than 60 million visitors over the past year, with the majority actively shopping for a car. More than 70% of active shoppers reported that U.S. News influenced their car-purchasing decision, saying that they trust our advice to be unbiased and that they would recommend our site to others.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As new subsea cables land on the coast of California, companies like Vero Networks build fiber inland to bring the new connectivity to more places including traditionally underserved areas and to further government broadband initiatives.

Vero Networks has been busy constructing networks around the North, East, and West sides of Arcata Bay and in the City of Arcata. This connectivity is now available in the Arcata area and California's third Polytechnic University, Cal Poly Humboldt, particularly, has wasted no time putting the new network and its capabilities to work.

The future of earthquake detection via fiber optic cable

Cal Poly Humboldt, USGS, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, Cal Tech, Vero Networks, OptaSense Inc., and city and county governments, including the Arcata Police Department, who are housing crucial equipment, are leading the charge on leveraging fiber optic cables to detect and understand earthquakes and other geologic hazards.

"We are grateful for these partnerships. There are many scientific and environmental opportunities that will directly benefit from this new infrastructure!" said Connie Stewart, Executive Director of Initiatives for Cal Poly Humboldt.

"In addition to studying the most seismically active location in the lower 48 states, we can study the impact of sediment moving from mountains to the sea, traffic pattern impacts, and migration patterns of offshore Marine life."

Fiber optic cables can detect changes in the earth during earthquakes. Researchers are investigating just how the optic parameters of the cable change when shaken by an earthquake. With the cooperation of the county, city of Arcata, PG&E and local landowners, these researchers installed about 50 seismometers, instruments that respond to ground noises and movement, along the new line. They are conducting a multi-month evaluation of the line, detecting even the smallest earthquakes that occur on a daily basis within our highly seismic area.

More information here:

https://now.humboldt.edu/news/fiber-optic-cable-and-future-earthquake-detection-video

Fiber optic cable to a California Healthcare Education Hub

Vero Networks is further supporting educational networks by building fiber optic cable towards a state-of-the-art learning lab focused on the development of a healthcare workforce in Northern California.

This will support the State of California's $10 million dollar investment to convert a 30,000 square foot warehouse into a healthcare education hub. This historic investment will help grow healthcare career programs at both Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods.

More information here:

https://now.humboldt.edu/news/mcguire-secures-10-million-healthcare-education-hub-north-coast-healthcare-nursing-programs

Said Pam Moore, CEO of Vero Networks, "While the first segment of this network has only been active for less than a year, we are starting to get a view into the breadth of the possible benefits that the fiber network will bring to the area. We are optimistic that we will continue to have a positive impact in the Arcata area and also support the communities along the Highway 299 corridor."

In 2023 Vero Networks will begin construction of the Digital 299 route from Arcata (along hwy 299) to Redding bringing fiber optic network along a corridor that has traditionally been underserved or unserved with broadband.

Vero Networks is thrilled with the expanding relationship with Cal Poly Humboldt and excited to see some of the ways in which the network is already making an impact on the community

About Vero Networks

Vero Fiber Networks is a leading fiber optic network provider delivering infrastructure solutions to K-12 schools and libraries, higher education, wireless carriers and hyperscale content providers. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Vero Fiber Networks provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, Vero Networks, Vero Broadband and Glass Roots Construction. For more information, please visit https://www.veronetworks.com .

SOURCE Vero Fiber Networks
HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage , a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation, has been identified as a Leader by Aragon Research, Inc . in the Aragon Research Globe for Conversational AI in the Intelligent Contact Center, 2023*.

Modern consumers expect their issues to be resolved quickly and efficiently all while having a high-quality, intelligent, seamless experience. To meet these growing expectations, an increasing number of intelligent contact center (ICC) providers are integrating conversational AI technology into their product offerings - from intelligent virtual agents (IVA) to omnichannel connections to low-code/no code natural language solutions. The Aragon report covers 14 providers that are including conversational AI technology within their intelligent contact center offerings or providing solutions focused exclusively on the ICC and focuses on the set of companies that are either major established players in this space and/or demonstrating innovation in the market.

"The era of low expectations for contact center engagements is coming to an end as users are demanding enhanced, flexible and intelligent engagement with brands across all industries," said Jim Lundy, Founder & CEO of Aragon Research. "If artificial intelligence (AI) is the fuel that's driving the modernization of the ICC, then conversational AI is the vehicle making the UX much more enjoyable. And with a full, integrated portfolio and an increasing focus on intelligence and AI, Vonage is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for intelligence in the contact center through the power of the Vonage Communications Platform."

Vonage Contact Center is built on top of the Vonage Communications Platform (VCP), comprised of the Company's unified communications solution Vonage Business Communications (VBC), Vonage Contact Center (VCC) solution and composable Communications APIs that can all be integrated and layered with AI and conversational intelligence capabilities. As the report highlights, Vonage provides a variety of conversational AI options, including a set of production-ready conversation templates to jump-start the building of your virtual agents, providing templates for customer care, appointment scheduling, delivery updates, and post-call surveys.

"We are excited to be named a Leader in Conversational AI in the Intelligent Contact Center by Aragon, driven by the power of our comprehensive, integrated Vonage Communications Platform and the intelligent engagement capabilities that we offer customers around the world," said Noam Fine, Head of AI for Vonage. "Inclusion in this Aragon Research report highlights the value of our ongoing product innovation and continued focus on helping businesses enhance the way they communicate, connect, and engage with intelligent, composable solutions. We expect to see continued growth in this space and are excited about the possibilities ahead."

Other key strengths noted in the report include:

The recently announced Vonage AI Studio , a low code/no code tool with a visual interface to design, create and deploy customer engagement solutions that operate in natural language using artificial intelligence across channels such as voice, SMS, and messaging apps such as WhatsApp;

, a low code/no code tool with a visual interface to design, create and deploy customer engagement solutions that operate in natural language using artificial intelligence across channels such as voice, SMS, and messaging apps such as WhatsApp; Vonage AI Virtual Assistant , an omnichannel offering that includes voice and messaging, handles both inbound and outbound calls, can act as an AI-powered receptionist for inbound calls to triage requests and either solve requests independently or route calls to a live agent for more complex requests, and includes a leading-edge feature that incorporates video into the contact center and enables agents to escalate any call into a video session on the fly;

, an omnichannel offering that includes voice and messaging, handles both inbound and outbound calls, can act as an AI-powered receptionist for inbound calls to triage requests and either solve requests independently or route calls to a live agent for more complex requests, and includes a leading-edge feature that incorporates video into the contact center and enables agents to escalate any call into a video session on the fly; Vonage Conversation Analyzer which records, transcribes, and analyzes all calls, and provides a summary dashboard to segment and analyze the call providing insights into compliance, quality management, and agent performance; and

which records, transcribes, and analyzes all calls, and provides a summary dashboard to segment and analyze the call providing insights into compliance, quality management, and agent performance; and Vonage Marketplace which provides 150+ add-ons, integrations, and services.

Vonage was also recently named a Leader in both the Aragon Research Globe for the Intelligent Contact Center, 2022 and the Aragon Research Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration, 2022 . Acknowledgment in all three of these reports underlines the value of Vonage's integrated strategy and years-long focus on the convergence of APIs, UC, and CC - which together make up the single, integrated VCP. This composable architecture, layered with AI capabilities, allows businesses to build better customer and employee engagements that will surprise and delight users.

Download the Aragon Globe excerpt.

Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them "AS IS," without warranty of any kind.

*Aragon Research "Aragon Research Globe for Conversational AI in the Intelligent Contact Center, 2023." by Craig Kennedy, January 17, 2023.

 2023 Aragon Research, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

About Vonage

Vonage , a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage's Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage's fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely - providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements.

Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and Asia and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ericsson. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage . To become a fan on Facebook, go to facebook.com/vonage . To subscribe on YouTube, visit youtube.com/vonage .

SOURCE Vonage
VERO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Watercrest Columbia Assisted Living and Memory Care celebrates the honor of being named 'Best Memory Care Community' in the 2023 Best of Columbia Awards. For the past 30 years, Columbia Metropolitan Magazine has announced the winners of the annual competition selected by peer and consumer voting in dozens of categories encompassing the city of Columbia, South Carolina.

Watercrest Columbia Assisted Living and Memory wins Best Memory Care Community for the second consecutive year in the 2023 Best of Columbia Awards by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine.

Watercrest Columbia recently celebrated the three year anniversary of their grand opening as a signature product by Watercrest Senior Living Group. A multi-award winning community, Watercrest Columbia was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best Assisted Living Community, achieving the highest possible rating for Assisted Living.

The community offers 75 assisted living and 32 memory care apartments with premium accommodations, resort-style amenities and world-class care. Residents enjoy aquatic therapy in the resort-style pool, pampering in elegant Spa W, savoring private label Watercrest wines at the wine bistro, and relishing the flavors of locally grown, seasonal ingredients and organic fare whether dining outdoors, bistro-style, or in the chef's private dining room.

"Being voted 'Best Memory Care' by our community and industry peers is a testament to the excellent team of associates dedicated to honoring and serving our seniors here at Watercrest Columbia," says Executive Director Joan Cisneros.

Designed by LifeBUILT Architecture, Watercrest Columbia includes a stunning promenade, pool, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining venues, children's play space, grand balconies and Southern style outdoor living spaces. Watercrest's uniquely designed Market Street Plaza, showcases an 'outdoor' streetscape with numerous LifeBUILT programming touches; a highlight and crucial element of their multi-sensory memory care programming.

Watercrest Columbia is ideally located at 1951 Clemson Road. For community information, or to schedule a tour call 803-882-2139.

About Watercrest Senior Living Group

Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. A five-time certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com.

SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group
CLEVELAND, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- We are pleased to announce that on December 7, 2022, Wes Creese, CPA of Wexford, PA, signed an agreement to combine his practice with Carnegie Investment Counsel and is now a Principal of the firm. This agreement expands Carnegie's Pittsburgh presence, adding to its current office in Canonsburg, PA. Wes will maintain his office in Wexford, PA but operate under Carnegie.

Before joining Carnegie in November of 2022, Wes was the founder and President of RiverStone Wealth Management. Wes shares our philosophy for serving clients by the fiduciary standard, along with personalized service and a customized investment portfolio approach. Wes started RiverStone in 2017 and built a successful company amounting to approximately $300 million assets under management. He thrives on bringing peace of mind to his clients through advanced financial, tax and estate planning services. His primary focus is helping high-net-worth individuals and small businesses. Wes brings over 25 years of experience as a financial advisor and 40 years as a Certified Public Accountant.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Wes; he is a natural fit. Our clients and team will benefit from his knowledge and expertise," says Kim Gannis, Principal of Carnegie.

The combination brings Carnegie Investment Counsel approximately $3.5 Billion in Assets Under Management as of 12/31/2022. Firm headquarters are in Cleveland, Ohio, with offices in Cincinnati, Fort Myers, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh South (Canonsburg), Pittsburgh North (Wexford) and Toledo.

Learn more about how Carnegie Investment Counsel creates custom investment portfolios for individuals, families, nonprofit organizations and business owners. Visit www.carnegieinvest.com, call 1-800-321-2322, or email [email protected].

SOURCE Carnegie Investment Counsel
Made in America by Americans, customized food delivery vehicles for some of the most iconic and beloved brands

BUNNELL, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Premier Food Trucks (PFT) officially declared 2022 the busiest time in the company's history after having completed 20 custom truck builds over the course of the year. PFT offers the highest quality gas/diesel food truck construction with state-of-the-art metal fabrication techniques, high quality refrigeration and generators, stainless steel counterspace and fixtures, along with 24/7 support from PFT's dedicated staff. PFT designs and builds food trucks for a growing range of popular brands and providers including Cousins Maine Lobster, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Jamba Juice, Carvel Ice Cream, and many more.

Premier Food Trucks Premier Food Trucks

"We're really excited to share this news with everyone because it shows just how popular our food truck builds continue to be, especially with new entrepreneurs," said Jordan Schild, PFT Owner. "The food truck industry brings in an estimated $2 billion+ revenue annually, representing more than 300% growth in just a few years. And that growth is expected to continue, far faster than typical brick-and-mortar restaurants. That's why we create these restaurants-on-wheels helping restaurateurs with equipment that is both functional and brand promoting."

PFT: One-Stop Shop for Gas/Diesel Food Delivery Vehicles

With a wide variety of customizations possible, every PFT gas food truck comes equipped with multiple amenities, including:

12,000 watt diesel generator.

T-19 True upright fridge; T-19F True upright freezer.

Tssu-36 True 36-inch sandwich prep.

9-foot commercial stainless steel hood (buyers select 8 feet of cooking equipment with building price adjustments up or down depending on size).

3-bay sink with 2 drain boards.

Hand washing sink with splash guards.

40-gallon freshwater tank; 45-gallon waste tank.

6-gallon propane hot water heater.

Stainless steel cooking line wall.

Brushed aluminum serving side and ceiling.

Diamond plate flooring.

Assorted counters and shelves.

"And it's not just individual business owners who are driving the food truck trend," explained Schild. "Big restaurant chains know an opportunity when they see it and they don't wait around. We already have multiple orders for new trucks in 2023 and have had to expand our building space from 3000 sq. ft. to a 10,000 sq. ft. facility  with an additional 3000 sq. ft. coming soon for our new vinyl wrap services. Now is the time to purchase a food truck."

Go online to explore build options for both gas and diesel vehicles, or learn more about food truck ownership and operation via the PFT blog. And for the latest information and pictures of recently completed food trucks, follow PFT on social media: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter.

*Statistics and facts sourced from Food Truck Nation, a project of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

About Premier Food Trucks

PFT is the number one food truck builder in the world with over 300 trucks built so far. Using the highest quality generators, metal, equipment, signage, and gas/diesel trucks available, PFT lovingly designs and creates custom-built food delivery vehicles that are as beautiful as they are functional. Rated first for reliability, style, and unmatched customer service, PFT offers start to finish services from manufacturing to wrapping of each mobile unit. Learn more at: www.PremierFoodTrucks.com.

Media Contact:

Jordan Schild

C- 770-825-1648

[email protected]

SOURCE Premier Food Trucks
CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 25-27, 2023 Maryland auctioneers Alexander Historical Auctions, known internationally for their sale of military and historical collectibles, will be offering at auction Adolf Hitler's signed 1926 tax return, a particularly timely piece in light of current events.

Adolf Hitler's 1926 signed tax return. Hitler, with no other occupation or income, describes his profession as "writer" and declares 2,487 Reichsmarks of income, solely from the sale of his political manifesto "Mein Kampf." This was the first year of the book's sales - only 9,473 copies were sold. Within a few years, Hitler would become an absolute dictator and make millions from the sale of the book. This document to be auctioned by Alexander Historical Auctions, Jan. 25, 2023. The first trade sign used by Apple Computer Inc. and displayed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at trade shows and outside the fledgling company's headquarters in its earliest days in the mid-1970s. To be offered at auction by Alexander Historical Auctions, January 27, 2023

The return lists Hitler's profession as 'Writer' and sets his income at 2,487 Reichsmarks, this being his earnings for the first year's sales of his political manifesto, 'Mein Kampf.' Hitler paid 262 Reichsmarks in taxes on this income, of which 22 Reichsmarks were ironically for 'church levies.' Just released from prison for treason, Hitler had no other income at the time but for the meager proceeds from the sales of "Mein Kampf," which had sold only 9,473 copies. In later years, Hitler made millions from the sale of the book which was later banned in Germany until 2016.

Also included in the sale is a recently-discovered trove of historic African-American military items. One of the most important items is the regimental banner of the segregated 372nd Infantry Regiment which served in both World Wars. The 61" x 55" silk flag bears a red "hand," showing the regiment's assignment to the "Red Hand Division" of the French 157th Infantry Division. It bravely fought in the Champagne region during World War I. Also included in the sale is the collection of medals awarded to Captain Edward A. Walton of the 369th Infantry "Harlem Hellfighters." Present is Walton's Distinguished Service Cross, awarded to him after he escorted his battalion commander 100 yards in advance of his assaulting lines. The commander was struck six times in the legs and was carried by Walton to safety while under heavy fire, in which Walton too was wounded. The "Harlem Hellfighters" is one of the most recognized regiments in history. During World War I, the regiment suffered the most losses of any American regiment, with 1,500 casualties. Many other items attributed to Black soldiers will also be offered in the same sale.

Another highlight of the sale is Apple Computer's first trade sign. The plexiglass sign, almost nine feet long, is encased in its original weathered wood frame. It once accompanied company founder Steve Jobs at Apple's first trade show, and then was displayed outside the company's headquarters for several years. The sign was later salvaged by an Apple engineer, and since 2008 it has been on display at the All About Apple Museum in Savona, Italy. In the same sale is another historic Apple relic, the battered toolbox used by co-founder Steve Wozniak in his earliest days with the company. The dented, soiled blue box has a single tray within, and the exterior bears years of scratches, dings, and grime, along with a very old yellow label bearing Wozniak's name. Wozniak personally gave this toolbox to the same Apple engineer once he had no further use for it.

These historic relics are part of a three-day auction of over 2,000 lots of historic autographs, documents, and military items, commencing January 25, 2023. Some of the more notable lots include: D-Day maps and orders to the men who first freed the way for those trapped on Omaha Beach; a bronze statue head of Saddam Hussein, recovered from the pitched battle at Baghdad Airport; Afrika Korps Gen. Erwin Rommel's shoulder boards, Hitler's signed warning to his armed forces predicting D-Day; and much more.

Bidding will be available live, by telephone, and at the auctioneer's web site.

Bidding is also available at websites invaluable.com and liveauctioneers.com. Alexander Historical Auctions may be reached at 203-276-1570, email: [email protected], website: historyauctioneer.com.

SOURCE Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft takes to the sky in testbed configuration for first flight as part of the HyFlyer II project

Milestone moves ZeroAvia forward on the way to meeting target of commercial flights using only hydrogen fuel cell power by 2025, and scaling the engine technology to larger airframes

Marks a significant step in addressing aviation's climate change impact and a major innovation success for the UK Government's Jet Zero Strategy

KEMBLE, U.K., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero-emission flight took a giant step forward today with ZeroAvia flying the largest aircraft in the world to be powered by a hydrogen-electric engine. The leader in zero-emission aviation took to the skies for the maiden flight of its 19-seat Dornier 228 testbed aircraft, retrofitted with a full-size prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain on the left wing of the aircraft.

ZeroAvia successfully carries out the first flight test of its Dornier 228 19-seat testbed in Gloucestershire, UK, marking a pivotal milestone in ZeroAvias HyFlyer II program.

The flight took place from the company's R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, UK, and lasted 10 minutes. At 13.35 pm GMT this afternoon the aircraft completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit, and landing. The landmark flight forms part of the HyFlyer II project, a major R&D programme backed by the UK Government's flagship ATI Programme, which targets development of a 600kW powertrain to support 9-19 seat aircraft worldwide with zero-emission flight.

The twin-engine aircraft was retrofitted to incorporate ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric engine on its left wing, which then operated alongside a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on the right. In this testing configuration, the hydrogen-electric powertrain comprises two fuel cell stacks, with lithium-ion battery packs providing peak power support during take-off and adding additional redundancy for safe testing. In this testbed configuration, hydrogen tanks and fuel cell power generation systems were housed inside the cabin. In a commercial configuration, external storage would be used and the seats restored.

All systems performed as expected. This is the largest ZeroAvia engine tested to date, and places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalized and submitted for certification in 2023, with this programme also serving as key to unlocking speedy technology development for larger aircraft. ZeroAvia's 2-5 MW powertrain programme, already underway, will scale the clean engine technology for up to 90-seat aircraft, with further expansion into narrowbody aircraft demonstrators over the next decade.

Of note, this flight test campaign is being conducted under a full Part 21 flight permit with the UK CAA, which is a much more stringent set of requirements compared to the E-Conditions framework ZeroAvia used for its 6-seat prototype test flights in the prior years. This signifies the maturity of the company's processes and design approaches and its readiness to proceed towards full commercial certification of its powerplants.

ZeroAvia will now work towards its certifiable configuration in order to deliver commercial routes using the technology by 2025. The Dornier 228 will conduct a series of test flights from Kemble and later demonstration flights from other airports. Almost exactly two years ago, ZeroAvia conducted the first of more than 30 flights of a six-seat Piper Malibu aircraft using a 250kW hydrogen-electric powertrain.

Celebrating this remarkable progress, Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia said: "This is a major moment, not just for ZeroAvia, but for the aviation industry as a whole, as it shows that true zero-emission commercial flight is only a few years away. The first flight of our 19-seat aircraft shows just how scalable our technology is and highlights the rapid progress of zero-emission propulsion. This is only the beginning - we are building the future of sustainable, zero climate impact aviation. Our approach is the best solution to accelerate clean aviation at scale. Congratulations to everyone on our team and all of our partners and stakeholders for the collective effort that brought us to this monumental day in history."

Secretary of State for Business, Grant Shapps, said:

"Today's flight is a hugely exciting vision of the future  guilt-free flying and a big step forward for zero-emission air travel. It also demonstrates how government funding for projects like these is translating into net zero growth.

"The UK is a world leader in green aviation technology, and the global shift to cleaner forms of flight represents a huge opportunity to secure growth and jobs for our country. That's why we are backing businesses who share our ambitions, reaping the benefits of green technology and growing the thousands of new, skilled jobs that come with it."

This latest achievement follows ZeroAvia's previous world-first milestones, starting with 6-seat prototype flights of a Piper M-Class airframe in 2019, and the world's first commercial-scale 6-seater hydrogen-electric powered flight in September 2020. The 2020 prototype was a part of the HyFlyer I programme in the UK. Unlike the previous tech demonstrator programme, ZeroAvia's 600kW engine being developed under HyFlyer II is a commercial-intent programme.

The hydrogen-electric powertrain on board was fuelled using compressed gaseous hydrogen produced with an on-site electrolyzer. To enable hydrogen production on site, ZeroAvia and HyFlyer II partner the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) have delivered and operated the Hydrogen Airport Refuelling Ecosystem (HARE), a microcosm of what infrastructure will look like in terms of green hydrogen production, storage, refueling and fuel cell powered flight. The system's electrolyser capacity was doubled earlier this year from its initial design for the latest project.

ZeroAvia's HyFlyer II programme to develop its ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine and retrofit the Dornier 228 is being delivered in partnership with EMEC and Aeristech and is supported by the UK Government through the ATI Programme and the Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and Aerospace Technology Institute. Val Miftakhov is also a member of the UK Government's Jet Zero Council.

Today's historic first flight follows significant commercial momentum for ZeroAvia in recent months, including an engine order from American Airlines, a partnership agreement with OEM Textron Aviation and infrastructure partnerships with airports including Rotterdam, Edmonton International and AGS Airports. With 1,500 engines on pre-order, partnerships with 7 aircraft manufacturers, and a number of fuel and airport partnerships, ZeroAvia is well positioned to lead the industry's transformation to a clean future.

Notes to Editors

About ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting a 300-mile range in 919 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 4080 seat aircraft by 2027. Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its twoprototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and major global airlines, and is on track for commercial operations in 2025. The company's expanding UK operations are supported by grants from the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government's Jet Zero Council. For more, please visit ZeroAvia.com, follow @ZeroAvia on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About the Hyflyer II Project:

The HyFlyer II project will see ZeroAvia develop a certifiable hydrogen-electric powertrain that can power airframes carrying up to 19 passengers. To do this, it will collaborate with two partners, the European Marine Energy Centre and Aeristech. The HyFlyer II project will conclude with another world's first hydrogen-electric flight by ZeroAvia in a 19-seat aircraft, with a 300 nautical mile flight in 2023. The HyFlyer II project is part-funded by the UK Government's Aerospace Technology Institute's (ATI) programme, supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK.

SOURCE ZeroAvia
Ghazipur : , Jan 19 (IANS) The family members of four men from Ghazipur, who were killed in a plane crash in Nepal, have failed to identify the bodies of the deceased from among the 25 charred bodies that were shown to them, officials said.

The family members of the four young victims had reached Kathmandu on Tuesday to receive the mortal remains.

Now, the bereaved family members would be given a second attempt to identify the bodies on Saturday, said Ghazipur district officials.

"As many as 25 charred bodies were shown to us but we could not make out," said Abhinesh Kushwaha, elder brother of victim Abhishek Kushwaha.

Once the identification process is done, a DNA test would be carried out before handing out the bodies. However, the Nepal government is yet to decide whether the bodies will be handed over directly to the kin or sent to India as per protocol.

Five Indians, including the four from Ghazipur and one from Bihar, were on board the Yeti Airlines ATR 72 aircraft which crashed in Pokhara on January 15.

Jaya Singh, tehsildaar, Kasimabad tehsil, Ghazipur, said, "One person each from the five bereaved families, along with a nayab tehsildaar and a police constable, have gone to Kathmandu for the identification of the bodies. They were sent after district administration received a call from the Nepal Embassy to complete the identification formalities." The four Ghazipur victims on the ill-fated plane include -- Sonu Jaiswal, 35, Abhishek Kushwaha, 25, Vishal Sharma, 22, and Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27.
Tunis, Jan 19 : Senior officials of Tunisia and Italy met in Tunis, vowing to combat illegal immigration together, according to the Tunisian presidency.

Tunisian President Kais Saied met with visiting Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, on Wednesday during which the two sides agreed that immigration is not only a matter of security but needs a comprehensive answer from the governments.

They expressed a common desire to develop partnerships in various fields, said the statement.

On January 11, Tunisian and Italian Foreign Ministers held a phone conversation to discuss bilateral ties and the issue of irregular immigration, Xinhua news agency reported.

Thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean every year as Tunisia is one of the main points of access to Europe through irregular channels.
Etawah, Jan 19 : A minor girl who ran away from home, was allegedly raped in a train standing at the railway station in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district, police said.

A civic worker of the carriage and wagon department of the Railways has been arrested for the incident which took place on January 15 but came to light later when the victim's parent lodged a complaint.

According to the police, the girl, a native of Jhansi, left her house to reach her grandfather's house in Mahoba, after being scolded by her parents.

However, by mistake she boarded the train to Etawah. When the train reached Etawah at night, all the passengers got down and the girl student remained sitting there. Later, a civic worker who came to clean the train, raped her in the train.

The following morning, the girl took the phone from another passenger and talked to her family members and asked them to take her back from Etawah railway station. When the girl reached her home in Jhansi with her parents, she narrated the ordeal to them.

Later, the girl's family members returned to Etawah and lodged a complaint against the civic worker. The Government Railway Police (GRP) thereafter swung into action and arrested the accused.

Agra GRP Superintendent of Police (SP), Mohd Mushtaq, said, "The GRP has arrested the accused from the Maal Godam area near Etawah railway station." The SP added that the accused Raj Kapoor Yadav was posted as a civic worker in the carriage and wagon department of Etawah Railway.

"During interrogation by the police, the accused has also confessed to his crime. He has been sent to jail after being booked under relevant sections of the IPC, including Section 376 and POCSO Act," he said.
Seoul, Jan 19 : North Korea has convened a two-day parliamentary session in Pyongyang to discuss budgetary and other issues, including legislation against foreign cultural influences, but without the attendance of leader Kim Jong-un, its state media said on Thursday.

The North held the 8th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

No messages by Kim were issued in public in regard to South Korea or the US, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The SPA is the highest organ of power under the North's constitution, although it rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The parliamentary session had drawn keen attention from the outside world as a possible stage for Kim to send messages targeting the South or the US, or announce the country's development of nuclear and other major weapons.

This week's session, instead, focused on domestic issues, such as reviewing the state budget, organisational issues and adopting a law on the "protection of the cultured Pyongyang dialect", according to the KCNA.

The adoption of such legislation appears aimed at tightening state control over the inflow of outside culture by regulating the use of South Korean styles of speech, observers said.

On budgetary issues, the North decided at the SPA meeting to increase the overall state expenditure by 1.7 per cent on-year in 2023, without mentioning the size of the total budget. It will also raise spending on the economic sector by 1.2 per cent on-year.

Spending on the defenCe sector will account for 15.9 per cent of the total budget this year, the same proportion of last year.

The country also decided to allocate 45 per cent of its 2023 budget in developing its economy and improving people's livelihood, it added.

The reclusive country's economy has been faltering under global sanctions and the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.
New York, Jan 19 : The White House has released its first-ever national strategy to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

Senior Biden-Harris administration officials outlined the details of an action plan made by 32 federal agencies to promote safety and equity for Asian Americans, including Indians, and NHPIs at a virtual event on Tuesday, the White House said.

Community leaders also discussed additional steps the federal government can take to address critical priorities for AA and NHPI communities, including data disaggregation, language access, and combating anti-Asian hate.

One in five incidents involve language scapegoating of Asian-Americans, including Indians, by wrongfully blaming them for Covid, espionage or economic insecurity, an October 2022 report by Stop AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islanders) hate said.

A national survey by AAPI last year estimated at least three million from the community experienced hate incidents between March 2021 and March 2022.

The 30-page report said that information will be accessible in different languages.

For example, the Internal Revenue Service developed landing pages in 20 different foreign languages, including Arabic, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Khmer, Japanese, etc.

"Language access can be the difference a between life and death. Being able to access public safety professionals if something is going wrong, being able to access any type of program for benefits," Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General, US Department of Justice, said at the event.

Apart from Gupta, other prominent Indian-Americans who attended the event were, Chiraag Bains, Deputy Assistant to the President on Racial Justice and Equity; Sonal Shah, Chief Commissioner, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate.

"With the release of today's national strategy, the public can see the Biden-Harris administration's whole-of-government approach to advancing equity and addressing the challenges that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities face," Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Xavier Becerra, said in a statement.

On May 28, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14031, establishing the White House Initiative on Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

In its first year, the Initiative collected action plans from 32 federal agencies -- including all 15 executive departments in the President's Cabinet.

These plans are deeply aligned with the administration's broader equity agenda and represent an historic first for the federal government.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : A.C.V. Ananda Bose, the new governor of West Bengal, will soon take Bengali lessons, sources said here on Thursday.

A ceremonial beginning as per Hindu rituals will start on January 26, which besides being the Republic Day is also the occasion of Saraswati (Goddess of learning) Puja, they added.

Hate Khori, which is the ceremonial beginning of the process of learning as per Hindu rituals, will be organised on January 26 afternoon at the East Lawn of the complex, the Governor's house informed.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been specially invited to attend the function.

Incidentally, soon after taking charge as the governor, Bose attended a literary meet on December 25 last year and expressed the desire of writing a book on his experiences of working as a constitutional head of West Bengal.

"I feel proud to come to this state as its Governor. The literary and cultural heritage of West Bengal with icons like Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is so rich. The Bengali language is like the Pacific Ocean. Bengal in itself is India's pride. I consider myself as an adopted son of this state. In the long run, I have a dream to write a book about my experiences as the governor of the state," Bose had said then.

The new governer often recalls his association with West Bengal as he started his professional career as probationary officer with State Bank of India (SBI) in Kolkata. He recalls his memories of working as a bank officer with different branches with SBI in the city then.

He also expresses delight of having the surname of "Bose" associated with his family name, considering that the same surname was associated with the great Indian revolutionary freedom fighter Netaji Subhash.
Jaipur, Jan 19 : 16th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival has returned to Pink City after a year ushering in a festive feel as it brings along 350 speakers from across the globe associated with literature, music, art and film from across the world.

This unique festival shall continue from January 19 to 23 at Hotel Clarks Amer in Jaipur.

The inaugural ceremony on Thursday was addressed by Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah in Front Lawn from 9:50 a.m. onwards. The theme for this year is 'Utsav' celebrating the colours of Rajasthan and displaying bright colours. Indian weddings make statements with its vibrant colours, extravagant celebrations, resonating music and sharing the happiness of a new start.

With its decor, Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 tried to replicate the same joy for the audience which they take away from an Indian traditional celebration. The entire decor and theme for this year is an amalgamation of Indian cultural heritage and its vibrant nature.

The speakers will discuss global issues along with art, literature and music. Since the theme this time for the Jaipur Literature Festival is Utsav, Hotel Clarks Amer has been decorated with Rajasthani colours and artefacts.

Producer of Jaipur Literature Festival, Sanjoy Roy, said that this time the festival is being organised on the green concept in which no card is required. People will be able to attend the festival by just showing their barcode after online registration.

Once they enter, they shall get to see colourful cultural programmes along with contemplation and brainstorming issues related to literature, art and music.

Some of the key sessions include The Essential Abdulrazak Gurnah in which Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah will be in conversation with British publishing legend Alexandra Pringle. Gurnah fled Zanzibar as a teenager following the Revolution of 1964. His striking and formidable works include Memory of Departure, Pilgrims Way, Dottie, Paradise, By the Sea, Desertion, and his most recent, Afterlives, which examines the German colonial force in East Africa and the lives of Tanganyikans - as they, work, grieve and love - in the darkening shadow of war.

The other sessions include Seven Moons of Maali Almeida in which Shehan Karunatilaka will be in conversation with Nandini Nair, Sustaining Democracy; Nurturing Democracy in which Shashi Tharoor will be in conversation with Tripurdaman Singh.

Overall, 350 speakers will participate in the festival. A total of 21 Indian and 14 international languages will be presented in the 16th edition of the festival. Speakers and panellists include last year's International Booker Prize winner for 'Tomb of Sand' Gitanjali Shree, Gulzar with Booker winner Bernardin Evaristo, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shobhaa De, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Shashi Tharoor, Aanchal Malhotra, Amish Tripathi.

Well-known faces like Sudha Murthy, Ashwin Sanghi, filmmaker Onir, Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah and former Special Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau Amarjit Singh Dulat will also mark their presence in the event.

Many musical and cultural programmes will also take place during the five days of the literary festival.
Hyderabad, Jan 19 : A man who had gone into forests for hunting died when a country-made firearm he was carrying went off accidentally in Telangana's Nizamabad district.

The incident occurred in the Srikonda forest area of the district in the early hours of Thursday.

According to police, three people had gone into the forest to hunt wild animals. They had climbed a tree and were waiting for the hunt. When one of them was getting down from the tree, the gun he was carrying went off accidentally. The bullet pierced through his chest killing him on the spot.

The deceased was identified as Banot Raoji of Somaripeta village of Machareddy mandal of Kamareddy district. Two other persons accompanying him informed the family about the incident.

Police have registered a case and took up further investigation.

A police officer said search was on for the two men who were absconding.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 : Undettered by backlash from the top brass of the faction-ridden Congress in Kerala, three-time Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor will soon be calling on former party president Sonia Gandhi and her successor Mallikarjuna Kharge to brief them on the happenings in the party state unit.

Interestingly, the soaring popularity of the Thiruvananthapuram MP, has all his senior party colleagues setting aside their differences and uniting to take on him.

Subsequent to his contesting the party presidential polls against Kharge and losing it by a mile, Tharoor's popularity has shot up like never before and continues to surge.

Numerous invites, cutting across political affiliations and religious and socio-cultural groups from all across the state, coming his way bears testimony to his rising clout.

Sources close to him say that Tharoor is determined not to succumb to the pressure tactics of his colleagues and attend all possible programmes.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said that his senior colleagues will be left shaken when he decides to throw in his hat to get into the party's highest-decision making body.

"Given the strong opposition that he has from a huge majority of the senior party colleagues, a nomination to the Congress Working Committee is practically ruled out and then his option is to contest and it's going to be an acid test not just for him, but for those who oppose him, as both will be engaged in a fight to finish," saidA the critic.
Islamabad, Jan 19 : In the latest strike on Pakistan armed forces, as many as four security personnel were killed when terrorists attacked from "Iranian soil", the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The incident took place when terrorists from across the Pakistan-Iran border targeted a convoy of security personnel patrolling along the divide in the Chukab area of Balochistan's Panjgur district, Geo News reported.

In response, the military's media wing said that the Iranian side has been asked to hunt down the terrorists.

The development comes as Pakistan tackles rising terror attacks - especially by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and from across the Afghan border.

According to reports, the TTP regrouped in Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover, with Pakistan repeatedly asking the interim government in the neighbouring country to ensure that its soil isn't used for terrorism.

But the Taliban-led government has not been able to live up to the expectations.

The activities of militants have been mainly focused in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the former accounting for 31 per cent of the attacks during the last year and the latter 67 per cent, according to statistics provided by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

Hours before the attack on security forces, four terrorists were gunned down in a shootout that took place during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan, Geo News quoted the military's media wing as saying.

The ISPR, in its statement, said the operation was launched to clear a hideout of terrorists, linked with firing incidents on security forces and civilians besides planting "improvised explosive devices on M-8, in general area Talsar, Hoshab".

Just a day earlier, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir vowed that the military would thwart attempts by "foreign-sponsored and supported" hostile elements to destabilise Balochistan, Geo News reported.

"We are aware of the nefarious designs of external enemies of Pakistan to disturb the hard-earned peaceful environment in Balochistan," General Munir added.

The army's deployment and operations, he said, "are being focused in the south-western province to provide an enabling environment for benevolent people-centric socioeconomic development".

Last month, five soldiers were killed and more than a dozen others injured as seven separate blasts ripped through Balochistan -- in Quetta, Turtbat, Hub, and Kohlu districts, Geo News reported.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : At least 11 persons were killed and another 24 injured in two separate accidents on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in Raigad and Sindhudurg districts, here on Thursday, officials said.

In the first incident, nine persons of a family were killed instantly when their car collided with a truck which purportedly lost control around 4.45 a.m., at Repoli village near Goregaon, said Raigad Superintendent of Police Somnath S. Gharge.

"The truck was proceeding towards Mumbai and the Eco car coming from Mumbai was bound for Guhagar when the tragedy struck," said Gharge.

Five men and three women, and a minor girl, perished on the spot, but a four-year-old boy had a lucky escape in the truck-car collision.

He was pulled out in a badly injured condition from the wreckage and has been rushed to the Mangaon government hospital.

In the second incident, at least two passengers were killed and 23 others hurt when a private bus overturned on the highway around dawn.

The passenger bus was proceeding from Mumbai to Goa and suffered the mishap at a treacherous curve near a bridge on the Gad River, officials said.

Local villagers along with rescue teams, fire brigade and police are at the two accident sites even as traffic was badly hit on both sides on this busy highway.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed pain and grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

According to preliminary reports, in the Raigad crash, the speeding truck driver reportedly lost control and crashed into the Eco car coming in from the opposite direction resulting in the disaster.

Later, Gharge said that the highway was cleared of the vehicle wreckage and traffic had resumed as normal in both directions.

The work of identifying the victims and informing their families is currently on and the exact causes of the two accidents are being investigated, local officials said.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : Sujoy Mukherjee, the son of the late actor-director Joy Mukherjee, is making his directorial debut with the film 'Kalpvriksh'. The plot of the film revolves around the sufferings of a parent vis-a-vis their over ambitious and selfish children.

The basic idea of the story was given by Anandji of Kalyanji Anandji fame, story, screenplay and dialogues are by Sunil, Sudhir and Sujoy.

Talking about the film, Sujoy said, "I am making this film 'Kalpvriksh' with the basic theme of not selling or destroying the properties and assets received in legacy from the elders." With the film, Sujoy takes forward his father's banner Joy Mukerji Productions and also incorporates classic glimpses of the golden era.

Talking about his father, he said, "He was the joy of Indian cinema. To see him act in films was like going to an acting school, he was a gurukul. My father late Shri Joy Mukherjee has left a beautiful legacy which I would like to reintroduce." In addition, he will also be working in association with Dilip Shukla to direct 'Ganga' which revolves around Ganga, an orphan from Lathipur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh.

As the film progresses, the lead has to fight with enemies of society, evil and powerful villains for the sake of the poor and oppressed. Ganga becomes a ray of hope and emerges as a hero.

Dilip said, "I am honoured to be associated with Joy Mukerji Productions & Royal Cinemas. They are the oldest & the flag bearers of our Indian Film Industry. My association with them for Ganga will only expand my audience base in different regions & fetch me a broader audience base."
Kalaburagi, Jan 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Karnataka on Thursday to inaugurate and lay foundation stone for projects worth Rs 10,800 crore in Yadgir and Kalaburagi districts of the state.

On his arrival at Kalaburagi airport, he was accorded a warm welcome by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Prime Minister Modi later travelled to Kodekal village in Yadgir district along with them by special chopper.

This happens to be Prime Minister Modi's second visit to the state in January.

With his visit, the ruling BJP is hoping to make an impact in 41 Assembly constituencies of Kalyan Karnataka region which is also called Hyderabad-Karnataka.

Besides, a total of 51,000 of Banjara community members will be distributed property documents. Arrangements are being made for a gathering of more than three lakh people for the event in Yadgir.
Patna, Jan 19 : Two on-duty women police personnel fought three robbers and foiled a bank robbery in Bihar's Vaisghali district.

Juhi Kumari and Shanti Kumari were guarding the Gramin Bank in Sendhuari block when three robbers arrived on two bikes. They entered the bank and tried to snatch the rifles of the women constables with an intention to rob the bank.

The women cops then overpowered the criminals and not only saved their weapons but also prevented the robbery. As a large number of locals assembled at the place, the robbers fled the spot.

Following the incident, top officials of Vaishali reached the bank and appreciated the brave efforts of the cops. The entire incident was captured on the CCTV cameras.

Om Prakash, the SDPO of Vaishali (Sadar) said, "We are appreciating the brave efforts of our cops and recommended for the reward. The identification of the accused is on. They will be put behind bars soon."
Chennai, Jan 19 : Passenger car major Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has begun exports of its new sport utility vehicle Grand Vitara to Latin America, the company said.

The company aims to export Grand Vitara to more than 60 countries across Latin America, Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and neighbouring regions.

The first shipment of Grand Vitara, manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar for Maruti Suzuki, sailed to Latin America from the Kamarajar Port here.

According to Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, the company has taken multiple initiatives to increase its international presence.

"Expanding product portfolio for exports has been one of the key pillars of success. By adding Grand Vitara, we now export a range of 17 vehicles. Grand Vitara, unveiled in July 2022, has received overwhelming response in the domestic market and we are confident that the India manufactured Grand Vitara will meet with similar success in overseas markets as well," Takeuchi added.
Modasa, Jan 19 : Seventeen families of the barber community in Gujarat's Bhutavad village have been facing social boycott after a youth from the community married an upper caste woman.

One of the affected, Prabhudas told media persons, "A youth from our community has married a woman from Chaudhary family (Patel), even we are against this love marriage, yet, upper caste members are socially boycotting Nai families living in the Bhutavad village since the last one week. They have stopped selling milk and other groceries to Nai families, children are not allowed to attend school, and a pregnant woman is treated badly." Women and children are worst affected, complained Manjulaben. "Though males tried to talk to upper caste males, they are adamant and are not allowing us to live in the village," she alleged and demanded that the district administration should immediately intervene.

Prabhudas said, "We have submitted a memorandum to the Collector office and pleaded to rehabilitate the village." District Collector Narendra Meena said: "On Wednesday evening, the issue was brought to my knowledge. I have instructed the Sub Divisional Magistrate and local officers to visit the village and address the issue within 24 hours."
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 : Former top Congress leader K.V.Thomas, who had defied the party leadership and joined hands with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front last year, was on Thursday given a cabinet rank post in New Delhi.

His appointment was cleared at the weekly cabinet meeting held here chaired by Vijayan. Thomas, also a former union minister, will be Kerala's special representative in Delhi.

As a Congressman, the 77-year-old veteran had won five terms to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Kerala Assembly and was a cabinet minister in the A.K.Antony cabinet besides being a Union Minister in the second UPA government.

His days in the Congress were numbered ever since he was officially removed from key party posts for attending the 23rd CPI(M) party Congress held at Kannur on April 10, despite being stopped by the then AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

And his ouster came when he attended the first election rally of the CPI(M)-led Left at the Thrikkakara by-election on May 12 last year held at Kochi and heaped praises on Vijayan.

Several leaders in the party who have been longtime colleagues of Thomas described him then as the "modern-day Judas", for defying the party high command.

His stock seemed to rise then, but with the Congress candidate winning hugely at Thrikkakara, Thomas was no longer seen in public space. His elevation to Delhi by the Vijayan government is being seen as a new lease of life and by posting him to Delhi, where he has deep roots, Vijayan felt he could help Kerala's needs when it comes to politicking, for which Thomas is known for.

Reacting to the development, K.Muraleedharan -- his former Lok Sabha colleague and son of K.Karunakaran -- termed the new post nothing but "peanuts' '.
Yerevan, Jan 19 : At least 15 servicemen were killed in a fire that broke out in the barracks that belong to a unit of the Armenian Armed Forces, the country's Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

Three other servicemen were seriously injured and have been hospitalised, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement.

The fire broke out at 12.30 a.m. on Thursda in the barracks of the engineering and sniper company of a military unit.

The Ministry said that the fire, which completely burned down a building with an area of 104 square metres, had been extinguished by early Thursday morning.

It did not however, mention the cause of the blaze.

A local TV channel said the commander of Armenia's second corps was sacked because of this tragedy.
Kiev, Jan 19 : The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is finalising the stationing of permanent missions at Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs), officials said here.

While speaking at a joint briefing with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the mission at Khmelnytsky NPP in western Ukraine is to start working in the coming days, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Today, I heard from Director General Rafael Grossi assurances of full support from the IAEA for our efforts to ensure nuclear safety, including at the Zaporizhzhia NPP," Shmyhal said.

"We are working on the issue of organising a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP, and we are making progress on this matter," he was quoted as saying.

According to an IAEA statement, the experts will monitor key nuclear safety and security systems, provide technical assistance, assess the plants' needs and report to the IAEA headquarters.

"With IAEA teams permanently present at all of Ukraine's NPPs and the Chernobyl site, the Agency will have around 11-12 staff simultaneously on the ground in the country, an unprecedented undertaking by the organization," the international nuclear watchdog said in the statement.

On January 16, the IAEA established its mission at the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

There are five nuclear power plants in Ukraine, four of which are functioning.

The Chernobylplant, which witnessed a nuclear disaster on April 26, 1988, was completely shut down on December 15, 2000.

In August 2022, the IAEA sent its monitoring mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which Russian forces have controlled since March.

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Jaipur, Jan 19 : Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot on Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot demanding compensation for farmers who have incurred major losses due to damage of their standing crops amidst the ongoing cold wave in the desert state.

In his letter, Pilot said: "During my visit to Hanumangarh and surrounding regions, I met many farmers who complained that their standing crops have been damaged due to cold wave and frost in recent days.

"So I request the Chief Minister to announce maximum compensation for these farmers whose mustard and other crops were damaged after getting proper evaluation done." Since Monday, the former Deputy Chief Minister has been holding Kisan Sammelans in different parts of the state which will continue till January 20.

In the last three days, he has been attacking the state government for protecting the mastermind engaged in the paper leak case.

Gehlot however, said that the ones who have been caught were the mastermind and there is no official involved in the case.

"If no officer was involved, how did the question paper go out of the locked almirah from the office. This seems to be a magical act," Pilot had said.
Chennai, Jan 19 : The Greater Chennai Police have commenced operation to detect and prevent drug smuggling in the city and surrounding areas after arrest of a man who used to sell ganja-laced chocolates.

On Wednesday, the police have arrested Surendra Yadav, who used to sell ganja-laced chocolates to even children from his shop in Triplicane and recovered seven kg contraband from his shop.

After Yadav's arrest, the police formed several teams and commenced a crackdown on the ganja and other drug peddlers in the city.

There has been in an increase in the usage of drugs in Chennai city and this has led to the arrest and counselling of those who have been using the drug.

A senior officer of the Chennai police told IANS that highly-toxic synthetic drugs are in circulation in Chennai and the police is trying to unearth the source of these drugs. The arrest of peddlers is only the tip of the iceberg and the real culprits are sitting somewhere else and managing the show in Chennai city.

The source of most of the synthetic drugs like MDMA is reaching Chennai from states as far as West Bengal and Bihar. However, with the arrest of the peddlers, most of these drug seizures are forgotten leading to new peddlers arriving at the market.

The special police teams have arrested a few drug peddlers and are questioning them to ascertain the source of these drugs. While there are reports of the former operatives of LTTE being involved in the smuggling of these drugs, after the arrest of Satkunam alias Sabesan, a former top intelligence operative of the LTTE, police said that the former LTTE operatives were not directly involved in drug smuggling.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Leading wearable brand Garmin on Thursday announced the launch of its new 'Instinct Crossover' series of multisport smartwatches for Indian consumers, which includes two variants.

The 'Instinct Crossover' comes in black and 'Instinct Crossover Solar' comes in graphite colour, which will both be available from Friday at Rs 55,990 and Rs 61,990 respectively, the company said in a statement.

The Crossover series delivers a full suite of wellness features including 'Sleep Score' and 'Advanced Sleep Monitoring'.

It also allows users to record key health metrics, such as 'Body Battery', stress and heart rate in a single view.

"Instinct Crossover's bold, luminescent watch hands dynamically enhance Garmin's robust 24/7 health monitoring and activity tracking features in an easy-to-read digital display," the company said.

Instinct Crossover -- Solar edition is said to provide up to 70 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging.

"With people getting more inclined towards active and healthy lifestyle, we are excited to expand our Instinct series in India," said Yeshudas Pillai, Country Head, Garmin India.

"Garmin brings a hybrid GPS multisport smartwatch in India that redefines the modern adventure smartwatch, as the pandemic dread subsides and people in India start stepping out for outdoor tracking, travelling and driving. Instinct Crossover is specifically designed for those who prefer the look of a rugged traditional watch but also love to have the latest technology on their wrist," Pillai added.

Moreover, the new series comes with thermal and shock resistance.

With the new RevoDrive analogue hand technology, the Instinct Crossover can deliver accurate time keeping even in the harshest activities and environments.

"Users will now get Instinct Crossover -- solar edition's infinite battery life in battery saver mode with solar charging which provides traditionalAanalogueAfeatures like time, date and a stopwatch." Additionally, the series provides "GPS tracking, multi-GNSS support, ABC sensors, TracBack routing, which helps users navigate the same route back to their starting point, and Reference Point, which helps keep track of a known place relative to their location", the company said.
Lucknow, Jan 19 : Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest enrolment rate (97.1 per cent) in schools in the last 15 years.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022, a national survey that sheds light on learning outcomes in schools, has stated this fact.

A significant improvement is seen in enrolment in government schools in UP from 44. 3 per cent in 2018 to 59. 6 per cent in 2022.

The increase is 15 percentage points as compared to 7 percentage points nationally.

On the contrary, enrolment in private schools has dipped from 49.7 per cent in 2018 to 36.4 per cent in 2022.

However, school attendance remains an issue with only 56.2 per students present in the surveyed government primary school on the day of visit as against 59.9 per cent in 2018, says the report.

There is also a steep decline in the presence of teachers in the schools.

In 2022, 79.8 per cent teachers attended school on the day of visit in comparison to 85.6 per cent in 2018.

In 2010, 80.4 per cent teachers were found present in schools on the day of survey visit.

Director General, school education, Vijay Kiran Anand said: "The School Chalo Abhiyan has paid off thus ensuing migration from private to government schools. A lesson plan-based pedagogy under the NIPUN Bharat Mission has helped us improved our learning outcomes. We will soon distribute tablets to schools for monitoring attendance of students and teachers." Though reading levels of children in the state fell overall (grades 3, 5 and 8), the survey shows improvement in arithmetic levels at all stages (grades 3, 5, 8).

The report states that there is an urgent need for "catch up" in basic reading and arithmetic from class 3 onwards.

The fall in overall reading levels between 2018 and 2022 is being driven by decline in reading levels of private school children.

In Uttar Pradesh, children's ability to read simple English sentences in grade 5 has improved from 18.6 per cent in 2016 to 24.1 per cent in 2022.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : The special CBI court in Asansol, on Thursday, extended till February 3 the judicial custody of Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Before being presented before the court, Mondal -- the party's Birbhum district president -- was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials at the Asansol Special Correctional Home this morning.

Recently, CBI sleuths came across several fake bank accounts at a cooperative bank in Birbhum district, that were opened using the identity proofs of people from financially weaker sections without their knowledge.

Investigations also revealed that the accounts were opened using the signature of a single individual raising doubts that they were used for channelising the cattle scam proceeds.

When the investigating officials questioned some of the people whose identity proofs were allegedly misused, they learnt that the AADHAR cards were submitted with the local panchayats as documents at one point or the other.

The CBI counsel also submitted copies of the statements of those whose identity proofs were misused.

Monda's counsel, however, did not move any bail plea since a separate bail petition has already been filed at the Calcutta High Court.

Finally, the judge of the special court Rajesh Chakraborty extended Mondal's judicial custody till February 3.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor is amping up the curiosity for her upcoming release, 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar' in which she stars opposite Ranbir Kapoor.

On Thursday, the actress shared a social media post stating that her mind is clouded with thoughts of what's the most difficult part of modern love of the year 2023.

The trigger for the question came after she saw the trailer of the film which will be open to public consumption only by Monday. But, for now the thought seems to be simmering in her mind and has asked for aid from her followers to share what they think is the most difficult part of love in current times.

Shraddha uploaded a picture of herself smiling. She captioned the picture, "2023 ke pyaar mein sabse mushkil kya hai? A question that stuck with me after watching the trailer of #TuJhoothiMainMakkaar. Excited to read your answers!!!"

'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar', which brings Shraddha and Ranbir together for the first time on screen, is modern-day rom-com with a fresh and contemporary take on love and relationships. The first look of the film, which dropped on the Internet a few days back, has already created waves with the audience getting eager to dig more about the film.

'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar' is directed by Luv Ranjan, produced by Luv Films' Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, and presented by T-Series' Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar. It is set to have a festive release worldwide in cinemas on the occasion of Holi on March 8, 2023.

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to National Investigation Agency (NIA) and sought its reply in four weeks' time in an appeal filed by convicts in a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) conspiracy case.

Last year on November 28, Special Judge Shailender Malik had handed life imprisonment to four namely Sajjad Ahmed Khan, Bilal Ahmed Mir, Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, Ishfaq Ahmed Bhat and Mehraj-ud-din Chopan for various offences under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), after they pleaded guilty in the case.

Tanveer Ahmed Ganie was granted five years of rigorous imprisonment.

A division bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh listed the matter for next hearing on March 24.

Representing the convicts, the counsel told the court that the appeal being dealt with currently is only the first appeal on the NIA court's decision of sentencing them for life.

The counsel further told the court that the convicts "pleaded guilty" to the charges.

"So the question is u/CrPC the appeal is limited to the extent of sentences, but whether u/NIA Act, I can argue more, because it's notwithstanding anything contained in the CrPC. But in any case... sentence for life was awarded particularly when remorse had been expressed & time of court was saved. The most extreme sentence of life imprisonment has been given in the case of waging war against the State when no violence actually occurred", the counsel said.

"It may be an excessive case of first-time offenders particularly when the court has come to the conclusion that they were not the moving figures. All of them were camp followers," the counsel added.

The NIA lodged an FIR in March 2019 and started the investigation.
Yadgir, Jan 19 : In a veiled attack on the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said previous governments were responsible for backwardness of northern part of the state.

Addressing a public rally in Kudekal village of Yadgir district, Prime Minister Modi said: "The north Karnataka region has the same potential as other regions. But, the previous governments did not even bother to think of providing infrastructure, water, road and power to the region." He appreciated Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and team for working towards speedy development of north Karnataka region. The region will take strides in development in coming days, he added.

"We have to learn from the past blunders. Earlier governments have washed their hands of ensuring development by declaring the region as backward," he said.

"They did not bother to look into what is preventing the development. They were only focusing on vote bank politics. But Our priority is not vote bank politics. Our priority is only development, development and development," Prime Minister Modi said.

He further attacked the opposition that they were only eying votes on caste and religion basis.

"Unless every district of the country develops, the country will not progress. Yadgir is one among the top 10 of the 100 aspirational districts in the country. It has achieved 100 per cent vaccination of children, the number of children with malnutrition rate has come down, Yadgir district has 100 per cent connectivity of village roads," he said.

"North Karnataka region is a 'bowl of dals'. The farmers of this region have helped the country to reduce the import of dal from foreign countries," he said.

Modi stated that India has "pressurised" the UN to declare this year as the International year of Millets. Karnataka grows millet crops like ragi, jowar in large quantities and the double engine government is ready to promote millets at the international level.

North Karnataka region faces the challenge of connectivity. The Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor which connects two biggest ports of the country is going to benefit Yadgir and the entire region. The double engine government will ensure all round development, he said.

India is preferred for investments as the double engine government is stressing on development and infrastructure, the Prime Minis "Karnataka is attracting most of the investment and the investments are likely to grow. North Karnataka region will also benefit from this, he added.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy has admitted to being a little worried over Australia not playing any tour games ahead of their four-match Test series against India starting from February 9 in Nagpur.

In 2017, Australia prepared for the India Test tour with a ten-day stint on specifically prepared pitches at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Before playing in the first Test at Pune, which they won by 333 runs, they also played a three-day tour match against the Hardik Pandya-led India 'A' at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

But, India, then led by Virat Kohli, bounced back from the loss in Pune to win the series 2-1, thanks to victories in Bengaluru and Dharamshala apart from a draw in Ranchi. But ahead of the series in 2023, Australia will enter without playing a tour game, something which they did when touring Pakistan last year.

Healy was speaking in response to opener Usman Khawaja's comments over no tour matches harming their chances of doing good in the series against India. "That's an in-form natural batsman talking." "I think the spinners would like a 'bowl-off' into it and so the non-natural players who need some repetition and to grind before getting back into it. It's not for everyone practice matches, but it is for some," he said on SEN radio.

Also, Australia won't play any tour games in the week-long gap between Tests in New Delhi and Dharamshala, which Healy thinks could come back to bite Pat Cummins and Co as players in the squad need time in the middle.

"How do we get players back into form? There'll be no games in between the Tests either. Someone who is going to be sitting on the bench for three matches might get dragged in, we've got to be careful." "I am a little bit worried, not so much for a Usman (Khawaja) and that sort of personality that he's got with great natural flair. But a Lance Morris, I want to keep him revving, I would be looking to find games for a few of those (players)." "We want them to play games, see if there's a club game if there is such a thing in India. I don't need him (Morris) getting stale or bored without form behind him." After the first Test in Nagpur ends on February 13, India and Australia will play Test matches in New Delhi (from February 17-21), Dharamsala (March 1-5) and Ahmedabad (March 9-13).
Agartala, Jan 19 : Hours after the Election Commission announced the date for the Tripura Assembly polls, a 44-year-old worker of the tribal Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) party was killed in Dhalai district, police said on Thursday.

A police spokesman said that the murder was non-political and the man was killed due to financial disputes.

So far, four people have been arrested and the police are looking for two more absconders in connection with the crime.

TIPRA supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said that the state's ruling BJP members attacked Pranajit Namasudhra and he was seriously injured and subsequently succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.

Police said that some "unknown miscreants" attacked Namasudra when he, along with his friend, were returning home in a two-wheeler late Wednesday evening.

The miscreants, after attacking the victim at Bamancherra area, dragged him out and further assaulted him.

The victim was subsequently rescued by a police team and taken to hospital where he died during treatment.

The incident occurred after a Congress bike rally came under attack in West Tripura district's Majlishpur on Wednesday.

Ten Congressmen, including AICC General Secretary Ajay Kumar, suffered injuries in the attack.

Congress leader and the party's lone MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleged that a Minister provoked the BJP party workers to attack the Congress rally.

"We have already told the Election Commission that of the 60 Assembly constituencies, there is no conducive situation in 5/6 constituencies, including Majlishpur, to hold the polls in a fair and peaceful manner," Roy Barman told the media and urged the poll panel to take appropriate measures in these areas.

Elections to the 60-member Tripura Assembly will be held on February 16. Votes will be counted on March 2.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : Rakhi Sawant has been detained by Amboli police because of a complaint filed by actress Sherlyn Chopra. She alleged that Rakhi was defaming her and circulating her obscene videos and photos online.

As per the media reports, she was going to launch her dance academy today, however, because of the FIR filed by Sherlyn, now she has been detained for questioning.

Sherlyn in her tweet has claimed that Rakhi has been arrested. She also added that her anticipatory bail application has been rejected.

She tweeted: "Amboli Police has arrested Rakhi Sawant in respect of FIR 883/2022. Yesterday, Rakhi Sawant's ABA 1870/2022 was rejected by the Mumbai session court." After her post, many social media users shared their reactions. While a few of them expressed their concern as her mother is not keeping well, others said that Sherlyn's tweet is not factual and she is being interrogated only.

Last year also Sherlyn filed a complaint against Rakhi for using derogatory language against her.

Earlier, Rakhi Sawant told the media that Sherlyn is a 'porn star' and showed her pictures and videos.

She told the media: "Look at this, Sherlyn Chopra is a porn star. You will find her such pictures and seductive videos only. She runs a sextortion racket where she seduces and then blackmails powerful individuals".

Rakhi was already in the headlines because of her marriage with Adil and later news of her miscarriage also created a stir. Adil called it fake and asked everyone not to believe such rumours.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan's plea challenging opening of history sheet against him and listing him as bad character by the Delhi Police last year.

A single-judge bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, however, granted him liberty to submit a representation to the Delhi Police.

Representing Khan, Advocate M Sufian Siddiqui contended that at the time of opening a history sheet, the police officer, according to the law, should have stated the reason, but in Khan's case, the rules were not followed and he was listed as bad character.

He further objected that the police has not abided by the rules, and said that things that are supposed to be kept confidential were given out to media without my knowledge.

"On the face of it, their conduct is malafide. They leaked it to the media before it was sent to me (petitioner). It has been published in all the newspapers. This is in complete violation of my Article 21 rights," Khan said.

"As per their own circular issued by the DCP Headquarters, it mandates that the DCP concerned has to record reasons where there is no conviction," he added.

To that, counsel for Delhi Police argued that nothing was leaked by their side but himself.

"He is a political person. He may have leaked it himself. We have not leaked anything. He has 16 FIRs against him," the counsel said.

Khan's counsel argued that the concerned Station House Officer has conducted the exercise in a malafide manner, without any material or basis to substantiate the allegations against his client.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : While domestic steel prices have remained subdued, raw material costs have surged approximately by Rs 6,000 per metric tonnes.

Amid this scenario, Indian steel makers have sought suo moto safeguard in terms of import duty of up to 25 per cent on ad-valorem basis, in the forthcoming union budget.

In a representation to the finance ministry, the domestic steel makers have also sought reinstatement of anti-dumping measures on HR coil, sheets and plates as well as colour coated and wire rods.

The industry has also urged upon the finance ministry to increase the basic customs duty to 12.5 per cent on ad-valorem basis for all steel products including semis, flats and longs.

In addition to this, the steel makers have also sought inclusion of import of steel products in quality control order (QCO) and requested the government to channelise all non-prime steel products to be channelised through select ports for 100 per cent testing and inspection.

The domestic steel industry has said that contrary to India some of the major import dependent countries like the US, Europe and few others have adopted various conventional and unconventional trade measures to safeguard against trade practices, therefore they have urged the government to take similar measures to protect their interests.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : The Amboli Police Station on Thursday detained controversial media star Rakhi Sawant for investigations into allegations of using objectionable language and posting videos, photos pertaining to model Sherlyn Chopra, officials said here.

Senior Police Inspector Bandopant D. Bansode said that "she has been brought to the Amboli Police Station for further investigations and is under detention" in the case.

Chopra, who had lodged a complaint against Sawant in November 2022, claimed in a tweet this afternoon that "Amboli Police has arrested Rakhi Sawant", but the police have said that she (Sawant) is presently being questioned.

Sawant had also lodged a complaint against Chopra accusing her of making allegations about her personal life with the Oshiwara Police Station in November 2022.

The latest development came a day after a Dindoshi Sessions Court rejected Sawant's anticipatory bail application in the same case lodged by her professional rival.

The actress-model duo shares a love-hate relationship in public and have been waging a war against each other on social media for some time now.
Mumbai, Jan 19 : Actor Kay Kay Menon, who will be soon seen in an outlandish avatar in the upcoming streaming series 'Farzi', had a thrilling experience while shooting for the series as he was treading in unknown territory as a performing artiste.

Since the character is so unpredictable and spontaneous in his action, Menon had to constantly look for the director duo Raj & DK's reactions to gauge if he had done justice to a scene or a sequence.

On Thursday, the look of Menon's character was unveiled by the makers of the show. It shows him surrounded by an air of currency notes as he dons a sand coloured jacket, an aqua coloured floral shirt, beige coloured pants and glasses.

Talking about his part in the series, the actor shared, "I have been fortunate to get such varied roles to play in the digital space. My character in 'Farzi' is outlandish and has his own swag. Very interesting for an actor to push the act to the edge and yet keep consistency throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it's something that you, as a performer, are not quite sure of and you look at your directors' reaction eagerly after every take to see if you have hit the note each time." In the series, the actor plays the counterfeiting kingpin, who has kept Michael aka Vijay Serthupathi on his toes as he sets out to catch him and eradicate the counterfeiting network. The flamboyant kingpin, Mansoor is the man behind the Indian counterfeiting network.

The actor further heaped praise on the director duo as he called them one of the finest directors, "'Farzi' is a one-of-a-kind crime thriller created by one of the finest directors Raj & DK. It was amazing to collaborate with them and work with such a talented pool of actors on this project. I can't wait for the launch of the series and to see the audience's response to it." The eight-episode crime thriller series will premiere on Prime Video from February 10.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
January 19 : Controversial diva Sherlyn Chopra has finally caught-up with Rakhi Sawant for misusing media and slandering her with false allegation, and she even called her a dog for Sajid Khan and Raj Kundra.

Sherlyn Chopra filed a complaint against Rakhi Sawant in 2022, for showing her naked pictures and video to media and accusing her of being involved in prostitution racket.

While interacting with Newshelpline at Amboli Police station in Mumbai, actress Sherlyn Chopra said, I am here at Amboli Police station, and something interesting has happened, the police have arrested Rakhi Sawant, and she will be produced in Magistrate court

On 8th Nov 2022, Id filed a complaint against Rakhi Sawant in this police station, and FIR was registered on the same day, and now she has been arrested. Id like to thank Amboli Police for proving that no one can beyond the reach of law added Sherlyn.

Talking about the dispute and complaint, Sherly added, Id like to remind everyone that Rakhi Sawant gathered every news-portal she could get her hands on, and showed them my alleged naked videos, pictures, and scenes, and talked baseless stuff, like I was caught red-handed in some resort in Ali Baugh, in a prostitution racket. And now Amboli Police station has clarified with Ali Baugh station that I was never arrested

Things went south for Sherlyn when she accused Raj Kundra and Sajid Khan during Me Too movement. Rakhi was a strong supporter of Raj and Sajid and tried to call out Sherlyn by refuting her claims.

Sherlyn said, It makes me wonder, why woman like Rakhi Sawant so blatantly smear girls like me, why? I had no tussle with Rakhi, never did and never will. But every time I spoke about Raj Kundra and Sajid Khan, she would just jump in like a lapdog and started defending those predators

Rebuttal from Rakhi Sawant or her legal team is still awaited.
Chennai, Jan 19 : Multiplex cinema major PVR Ltd on Thursday said it closed the third quarter of FY23 with a net profit of Rs 12.93 crore.

In a regulatory filing, the company said it had logged an after tax profit of Rs 12.93 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2022 (Q3FY22 net loss of Rs 24.53 crore) on a total income of Rs 858.96 crore (Rs 626.28 crore).

The company's total expenses for the period under review stood at Rs 837.56 crore (Rs 664.56 crore).

Meanwhile, the company said the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai Bench, has through its verbal order, allowed the proposed scheme of amalgamation between PVR Ltd and INOX Leisure.

The company expects to complete all the legal formalities with respect to proposed merger including issue of PVR shares to Inox shareholders within the next 45 days of receipt of certified true copy of the order passed by the NCLT.

"With the verbal approval for the merger coming through from NCLT, we are tracking well within the projected timelines for the closure of the transaction. We intend to complete all the formalities within the current financial year," Chairman cum Managing Director Ajay Bijli said in a statement.
Bengaluru, Jan 19 : Fintech platform PhonePe on Thursday said it has raised $350 million in funding from General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, at a pre-money valuation of $12 billion.

Marquee global and Indian investors also participated in the round. The investment marks the first tranche of an up to $1 billion total fundraise that commenced in January 2023.

The fundraise follows PhonePe's recently announced change of domicile to India and full separation from Flipkart.

"We look forward to delivering the next phase of our growth by investing in new business verticals like insurance, wealth management, and lending, while also facilitating the next wave of growth for UPI payments in India," Sameer Nigam, Founder and CEO, PhonePe, said.

PhonePe plans to deploy the new funds to make significant investments in infrastructure, including the development of data centres and help build financial services offerings at scale in the country.

The company also plans to invest in new businesses, including insurance, wealth management, and lending.

PhonePe has over 400 million registered users and has also digitised over 35 million offline merchants spread across Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities and beyond, covering 99 per cent of pin codes in the country.

It recently announced a full separation from the Flipkart Group.
Jammu, Jan 19 : Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and president of National Conference, Farooq Abdullah on Thursday travelled to Lakhanpur in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district to receive Rahul Gandhi during the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Abdullah, accompanied by some senior leaders of the National Conference went to Lakhanpur to receive Rahul Gandhi on the latter's entry into Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, has also announced her decision to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Choudhary Lal Singh, president of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan party, has also decided to join Rahul Gandhi's march when he enters the union territory.

Singh joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra has evoked strong reaction from many quarters including former chief minister Omar Abdullah who alleged that Singh was trying to 'whitewash his past' by joining the Yatra.

Singh had been dropped from PDP-BJP cabinet after he made a controversial speech in support of culprits of a minor girl's rape and murder in Kathua in January 2018.
Chandigarh, Jan 19 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said the disposal of complaints received on the CM window should be redressed in a time-bound manner.

Presiding over the CM Window meeting here, the Chief Minister said a mobile app would be created for departmental officers for information about the grievances received. He said the details of the complaints regarding the police department should be kept separate and it should be disposed of within the time limit.

The Chief Minister said to redress the grievances of the people, various departments should develop a separate system at their level.

Along with this, information about redressal of complaints received during the last three months should also be made available to them on a regular basis.

He said in cases of corruption, the complaints should be disposed of by senior officers concerned on priority and in case of complaint against any officer, only the senior officer should investigate the matter.

Khattar said the Chief Secretary can directly send the complaints of corruption to the Vigilance Bureau for investigation as per the requirement.

Along with this, he should also regularly review the complaints related to various departments.

He said unless there is a clear order of the court in any case, the department should settle them within the time-frame at its own level to provide relief to the complainant.

Also, the reference of the complaint given to the department should also be registered in the complaints received in the CM Window, he added.

The Chief Minister was apprised that 10,58,888 complaints have been received on the CM Window, out of which 9,23,880 have been resolved.

Out of these, 54,262 complaints have been found inconsistent and action taken report has been received on 23,011 complaints.

Along with this, action has been taken on 10,057 complaints and 29,072 complaints are overdue and clarification has been sought on 17,614 complaints.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the Bar Council of India (BCI) for sending a three-member team to probe the incident of ruckus outside Calcutta High Court's Justice Rajasekhar Mantha's court.

Addressing an administrative review meeting at Alipurduar, the chief minister said that central teams rush to West Bengal even if there is a termite attack. "If there is a problem at the Calcutta High Court, the Chief Justice will look into it. The Bar Council of West Bengal is there. We are here. Then why was a team sent from Delhi?" she questioned.

She also said that even bursting of firecrackers in the state prompts the Centre to send the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team. "But when Border Security Force personnel shoot down innocent civilians at Cooch Behar or South Dinajpur the Union government no inspection team is sent. Do you send central teams when women are tortured in Uttar Pradesh? Do the central teams come when the farmers starve to death?" the chief minister asked.

Without naming him, the chief minister also targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his pictures in all government schemes. "Just one face can be everywhere. He has given ration. He has given houses. So, even in the case of deaths, his face should also be there. In reality he has given us COVID-19. He has given us demonetisation. He increased the price of cooking gas. You should try to find a place in the hearts of people instead of pushing your face everywhere," Chief Minister Banerjee said.
Islamabad, Jan 19 : Pakistan on Thursday called upon the Iranian authorities to investigate the cross-border terrorist attack in the Panjgur district of Balochistan province and bring the perpetrators to task, local media reported.

Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad, said the terrorists used Iranian soil to target a convoy of security forces patrolling along the Pakistan-Iran border. She said Pakistan commits that its territory will not be used for undertaking cross-border attacks in Iran, and we expect the same from Iran, Geo News reported.

Baloch added that communication channels are active, and Pakistan has shared its concerns regarding the attack with the Iranian authorities.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Wednesday, reported that four security personnel were killed in a terrorist attack carried out from "Iranian soil".

The incident took place when terrorists from across the Pakistan-Iran border targeted a convoy of security personnel patrolling along the divide in the Chukab area of Balochistan's Panjgur district, Geo News reported.

In response, the military's media wing said that the Iranian side has been asked to hunt down the terrorists.

The development comes as Pakistan tackles rising terror attacks - especially by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and from across the Afghan border.

According to reports, the TTP regrouped in Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover, with Pakistan repeatedly asking the interim government in the neighbouring country to ensure that its soil is not used for terrorism. But the Taliban-led government has not been able to live up to the expectations.
Chennai, Jan 19 : The opposition AIADMK on Thursday demanded an explanation from the Tamil Nadu government on its 'essential healthcare at doorsteps' scheme.

The AIADMK demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, and Health minister Ma Subramanian should provide details regarding the 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvum' scheme of the state government which is taking essential healthcare to the doorsteps of people.

Leader of the opposition and AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) in a statement said that as per media reports, there are no reports available to the public regarding the scheme including the expenditure as well as the number of patients treated under the scheme.

He charged that the health officers have pointed out duplication of patients in the number of beneficiaries and added that transparency of the scheme was the need of the hour.

The former Chief Minister said that the DMK government had changed the name of the Pain and Palliative care scheme of the previous AIADMK government and changed it to 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvum' scheme.

The scheme launched in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu on August 4, 2022 was projected in a big way by the state government.
Ranchi, Jan 19 : A clash between the security forces and Maoist organisation TSPC, took place in Palamu district of Jharkhand on Thursday.

In the encounter that occurred in the Manatu police station area of the district, 60 to 70 rounds were fired by both the sides.

As per the police, the Maoists escaped through the jungle and there is a possibility of some of them being injured.

The police have recovered many items from the spot, including an airgun.

District SP Chandan Kumar Sinha said that the clash continued for about 15 to 20 minutes.

The police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had received information that a squad of TSPC's top Commander Shashikant had been seen in the area, following which they were conducting a search operation there.

The Maoists, upon seeing the police and the security personnel, fired upon them.

The district police and the CRPF's 134 Battalion personnel returned the fire.

Search operations by the police are underway in the area.
New York, Jan 19 : Three Indian-Americans are among 60 scholars who would be joining the 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) programme to collaborate and create meaningful change in the US and around the world.

Neil Vora, Sonia Singhvi and Anahita Dua will join the eighth annual PLS class, which begins on January 24 in Washington, DC.

The class, which was selected after a rigorous application and review process, comprises service members, educators, physicians, public servants, and corporate professionals.

Neil Vora, is a physician with Conservation International where he leads its efforts on pandemic prevention.

He served for nearly a decade with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer and a Commander in the US Public Health Service (USPHS).

"Throughout his career, he has focused on the link between human health and the health of the planet -particularly as it relates to the increasing threat of "spillover" of viruses from animals to humans because of the destruction of nature," his profile on Conservation International read.

From 2020-2021, Neil developed and led New York City's COVID-19 contact tracing programme, overseeing a team of over 3,000 people.

His programme traced more than half a million people who had contracted the virus.

Sonia Singhvi is Global Head of Culture, Inclusion, & Diversity with Boston-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Singhvi is a "strategic, patient-centric, biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of industry experience across multiple therapeutic and functional areas".

Her project aims to advance health equity, improve patient outcomes, and enhance diversity in clinical trials.

Anahita Dua is a vascular surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

Dua completed her vascular surgery fellowship at Stanford University Hospital, her general surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin and her medical school in the United Kingdom.

She specialises in advanced endovascular (minimally invasive) and traditional (open) limb salvage techniques for treating peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia, diabetic limb disease, aortic disease, carotid disease, thoracic outlet syndrome and venous disease.

The Presidential Leadership Scholars is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W Bush, William J Clinton, George H W Bush, and Lyndon B Johnson.

Over the course of several months, the scholars will travel to each participating presidential centre to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics, according to a PLS press statement.

"They will study and put into practice varying leadership principles and exchange ideas to help maximize their impact in the communities they serve," the statement read.

The latest class joins an active network of more than 400 scholars whose efforts include, providing quality, trauma-and survivor-informed healthcare at no cost to gender-based violence survivors; providing support to and improving the lives of recently resettled refugee and immigrant families; and addressing the workforce crisis in trade industries.
Kalaburagi : , Jan 19 (IANS) Addressing a large gathering of people from the Banjara community at Mulakhed village in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured them that "their son is sitting in Delhi who would ensure the community's progress".

After handing over property documents to the beneficiaries from the Banjara community at the rally, Modi maintained that the recommendation to give permanent shelter to them was made in 1993, as he went on to flay vote-bank politics.

"The parties in power only focused on vote-bank politics and never thought of improving the lives of the Banjaras residing in temporary shelters. I know how Banjara community members were made to struggle, face hardships and wait for a long time to get their rights," the Prime Minister said.

"But the BJP government has reversed the trend. I want to tell the Banjara community members across the country, you need not worry as your son is sitting in Delhi," Modi added.

"Banjara community members are not new to me. They are settled at many places, from Rajasthan to the western sea borders of the country. I am connected to them for a long time now. I congratulate Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for upgrading more than 3,000 'tandas' and 'bastis' in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir and Vijayapura districts, and giving them status of revenue villages," the Prime Minister said.

He added that this is a big day for lakhs of Banjaras, as for the first time they are being given property rights.

"Community members are getting honour, respect and dignity in the society. Their families can live peacefully and happily now," he said.

"Earlier, MSP was given for only a few forest products. Now, it has been increased to 90 forest products," the Prime Minister added.
Chennai, Jan 19 : A worker died, and another was grieviously injured in a blast at a fireworks factory at Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar on Thursday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Ravi, 60, while the injured worker is Jayaraj, 60.

The fireworks factory owned by Krishnamoorthy at Sengamalapatti has more than 40 sheds and 100 workers working in these sheds.

Sivakasi East police which is investigating the case said that a blast occurred in the shed where Jayaraj and Ravi were working and this led to its roof collapsing. Ravi died after being crushed under the debris and Jayaraj suffered serious injuries.

Jayaraj is admitted to Sivakasi Government Hospital for further treatment. Police said that investigations have commenced regarding the safety measures adopted in the sheds.

Sivakasi in Virudhunagar is the fireworks capital of the state. Many youths who drop out of school finally end up here as workers. There have been several incidents of fireworks blasts in these areas. However, the functioning of these units continues unabated.
Khandwa : , Jan 19 (IANS/ 101Reporters) With the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopting an India-sponsored resolution making 2023 the International Year of Millets, the world is all set to welcome the next year with a dash of this superfood. For the Korku tribal farmers in five villages of Madhya Pradeshs Khandwa district, millet has indeed been a super grain that has increased their earnings and has turned their fallow lands into cultivable fields.

All that involved slogging away for 45 days each in 2020 and 2021 (March-April) on a total of 85 acres of fallow land spread across Gadriyakheda, Indirakheda, Devlikala, Devlikhurd and Ghutighat villages. It was conceived as a part of the SABAL project run by NGO Caritas India in collaboration with Khandwa Diocesan Social Services.

Once big stones in the lands were dug out and bunds made out of them to harvest rainwater during the southwest monsoon (mid-June to September), minor millets were sown once every year to make the soil fertile. As such, Khandwa has low-fertile medium black soil, which is ideal for crops such as millets, wheat and soybean.

Mukund Deshmukh of Caritas India, who has done extensive research on minor millets, told 101Reporters that tribal farmers in the district had given up on paddy, ragi (finger millet) and small grains kutki (little millet), sawa (barnyard millet), rala (foxtail millet), kodo (Kodo millet) and oil seed jigani nearly two decades ago, in favour of wheat, soybean and corn. As cash crops were water-intensive, they tried to cultivate only those plots where rainwater could be harvested efficiently.

Eventually, the plots that failed to give yield were neglected as villagers here are not financially capable of digging wells or tubewells. Noticing that land disuse in villages was on the rise, Caritas India came up with a unique idea of giving grains as wages to farmers for working in their own fields and helping them set up bunds for irrigation. The results were amazing.

"This experiment panned out quite well. Under the project, two kg of rice, half a kg of pulses, half a litre of oil and tea leaves were given daily to individual farmers working in their plots. We also gave them small grains to cultivate. A part of the yield that came out of those seeds was used for the next crop cycle. We also taught them how to use seeds efficiently," SABAL project coordinator Rakesh Karole told 101Reporters.

A picture of contrast Being kharif (May-June) crops, minor millets can grow well even if the area gets only around 350 mm rainfall. Major millets ragi, jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet) need up to 500 mm. However, wheat being a rabi crop (mid-October to mid-November) requires watering at least six times during various stages of growth. If we were to calculate in terms of rainfall, a maximum of 750 mm is enough for a decent harvest.

Millets have a short growing season of 70 to 100 days against wheat's 120 to 157 days (depending on seed variety). Moreover, millets are more resilient to heat stress and drought conditions than wheat.

Right now, only major millets have MSP support like wheat. According to farmers, bajra is still not bought at the price that the government fixed. However, as market demand has been increasing, they manage to sell millets in the open market for good prices.

Farmers also set aside a good portion to meet the nutritional needs of their families. The grain is less prone to spoilage and can be stowed away for years together. After sowing small grains, they also cultivate corn, gram and soybean in the rainy season.

What makes millet more appealing to farmers is its ability to enhance soil nutrients. The plant has a fibrous root system that prevents soil erosion and maintains soil integrity. As an organic matter, millet composts slowly and helps retain water.

Dr Yogendra Shukla, a scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra associated with Bhagwatrao Mandloi Government Agricultural College, Khandwa, told 101Reporters that when land remained fallow for a long time, its capacity to absorb fertilisers decreased. "Cultivating small grains there for two to three years after land treatment is a good option. Minor millets require less water, which reduces the amount of salt reaching the soil. The roots and leaves of the plants are left in the soil to decompose. Both these practices improve soil health." Once millets are harvested, farmers can cultivate other crops on their land. With increased soil moisture, they even go for a second cash crop during the rabi season, provided they have enough water storage for irrigation.

Case studies Neelabai Ratna of Devlikhurd was apprehensive when the SABAL project members approached her with the idea of turning her two-acre fallow land into a minor millet field. First, her stony land was prepared for sowing sawa and kodo. What followed was a surprise for her. Despite scanty rains, both millets thrived and gave bountiful yields.

Continuous cultivation has increased land productivity to such an extent that she even experimented with tur dal (pigeon pea), paddy and maize last year. All three gave rich dividends, which motivated others in the locality to follow suit.

"Initially, I got two quintals of yield, which later clocked nearly five quintals," said Neelabai. Sevanti Pita Tumba of the same village also got good results by sowing minor millets in her 2.5 acres of fallow land for the last three years.

Weeds and waist-high plants covered the three acres belonging to Guddi Bai of Devlikala once, but ragi, rala and sawa adorn it now. "I used to cultivate only seasonally before. Minor millets have increased the yield by three times. If I sow one kg of kodo, I will get two sacks of the produce. A sack of kodo sells for around Rs 6,000. This has taken away all my troubles," Guddi told 101Reporters.

Bena Bai Champalal's family possessed 15 acres, of which they could cultivate only seven. The rest of the land had heavy stones in it. When other farmers of Devlikala started utilising the SABAL project, she also contacted the resource persons to learn about ways to improve soil quality. Her two-and-a-half acres of fallow land was selected for the purpose.

As a first step, big stones were removed manually from the land. Then broad bed furrows were made to channel water between the rams where millets were sown. The method reduced water use and prevented both waterlogging and wastage. Additionally, it helped the crop's roots to develop fast, thus increasing productivity.

Anita Buda of Indira Kheda explained to 101Reporters the tough grind behind treating her 1.2 acres of fallow field. The removed stones were used to build a bund-like structure in the sloping area of the field to stop soil erosion. The embankment was fortified with the remaining stones. Due to this, around two feet of soil got deposited in the field. "This soil can give yield without watering till winter as its water retention capacity has increased," she claimed.

Buda's family has two-and-a-half acres, of which they could cultivate only half the land. In a year, her family earned just around Rs 15,000. But after she started growing kodo, sawa and savariya (Indian backyard millet) in the treated land without a break, the land became so fertile that now maize, pigeon pea, gram and lentils easily grow here. In winter, Buda grows green peas, too. As soon as the land texture changed, the family's fortunes also saw a reversal. They presently earn around Rs 1.5 lakh annually.

"Small grains do not require much fertiliser or water. This trick is very useful to get our lands fit for cultivation," said Shyama Pita Sikdar of Gadriyakheda. An elderly with 15 acres of land, he had worked on two acres of his total five acres of fallow land for four months to make it crop-ready.

He had started work on the rest of the land when his health deteriorated. After a six-month-long bed rest, Sikdar is able to walk again. "I will soon get the remaining land functional," he said, with the vigour of a youngster.

Kalibai Shyama, who has started cultivating minor millets in her two acres in the same village, said efforts were being made to get another three acres ready for cash crops. "Embankments have proved to be a game changer as there is no soil erosion during rains. We are totally dependent on the moisture content present in the land to take up rabi crops." Right now, 30 villages are part of the SABAL project. Rakesh Karole said 50% of the fallow land in Khandwa district would be ready for cultivation soon if the land remediation continued at the present pace. Around 200 more acres are to be reclaimed in the five villages that have registered speedy progress.

He also expressed concern that farmers were turning to cash crops after the land retrieval, when the project idea was to encourage farmers to cultivate more millets. Either way, farmers are more than happy to exert themselves, experiment and earn.

(Asif Siddiqui is a Khandwa-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters, where this article was originally published)
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Shankar Mishra, the Air India passenger who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on board a New York-Delhi flight in November last year, has been banned from the airline for four months.

Earlier, Air India had announced a ban of 30 days on Mishra after the incident came to light, saying an airline can only ban an unruly passenger for 30 days unilaterally -- before consulting the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Sources claimed that the airline on Thursday submitted an internal report in connection with the case.

Air India earlier had said that it has reported the matter to the aviation regulator DGCA. "As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, and reported the matter to the DGCA for further action," the airline had said.

Air India had constituted an internal committee to look into the lapses by the airline crew.

The incident occurred on November 26 last year when the drunk passenger allegedly urinated on a co-passenger, in her 70s, in an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. The lights had been dimmed after a meal. The woman complained about the matter to the crew and told them her clothes, shoes and bag were soaked in urine.

Currently, the matter lies in court and has witnessed many twists in the last few days.
Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at Mumbai Airport on Thursday, Jan 19, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at Mumbai Airport on Thursday, Jan 19, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at Mumbai Airport on Thursday, Jan 19, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Jan 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Mumbai on a much-anticipated visit of a few hours to inaugurate or dedicate several projects and address a rally in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) intended to kick-start the Bharatiya Janata Party's BMC polls campaign, here on Thursday.

The Prime Minister was accorded a warm welcome at Mumbai Airport by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other dignitaries.

In his packed schedule for the evening, Modi will inaugurate the second phase of two Mumbai Metro lines, several projects of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, a beneficiary scheme and take a Metro ride from Gundavali station to Airport station.

At the BKC, he was honoured with a traditional Maharashtrian style welcome of a 'pheta', a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, plaques and garlands.

He will also address a mega-rally at the BKC in the presence of top leaders of the ruling alliance, and several Central ministers of Maharashtra, amid tight security arrangements.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : A Delhi government school teacher, posted as an invigilator, was stabbed by a student during a practical exam on Thursday, police said.

The incident occurred in the school in Inderpuri area and the teacher, identified as Bhudev, sustained a wound in his stomach, an official said. He is undergoing treatment at the B.L.K. Kapoor hospital.

Bhudev was appointed as an invigilator during a practical exam in the school on Thursday.

A senior police official said that a case under the IPC's Section 307 (attempt to murder) has been registered.

"The juvenile has been apprehended and police have also recovered the knife used in commission of crime from his possession," the official said, adding that further investigation is on.
Amaravati, Jan 19 : The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday found fault with the appointment of advisors for different departments by the state government and termed it a "dangerous affair".

A division bench of Chief Justice Prashanth Kumar Mishra and Justice D.V.S.S. Somayajulu, taking up hearing of petitions challenging appointment of J. Srikanth as advisor for the Endowments Department and that of N. Chandrasekhar Reddy as advisor for employee welfare, court wondered if an advisor would be appointed for employees' TA and DA.

Advocate General S. Sriram submitted to the court that the government is appointing qualified persons as advisors. He argued that the government is taking the advice of these persons before making final decisions.

The high court earlier this month had directed the state government to submit all records pertaining to the appointment of advisors to the government. The bench wondered how these advisors can advise better than the senior IAS officers.

It had also wondered how many advisors can be appointed and at what level. It posed questions about eligibility criteria and asked whether advisors can be appointed to departments.

Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Seva Sangha Samakhya spokesperson H.K. Rajasekhara Rao filed a PIL challenging appointment of Srikanth as advisor to the Endowments Department, terming it "extra-constitutional".

The counsel of the petitioner had argued that appointment of an advisor to a department is not traceable to any of the Articles in the Constitution.

The bench had asked the government what was his expertise that warranted his appointment as an advisor to the department.

It had observed that having an advisor to a person like the Chief Minister is different from an advisor to a department. "Are we creating a new cadre outside the service cadre," it asked.

In August last year, the court stayed the appointment of Srikanth but vacated the same later.
Hyderabad, Jan 19 : Software giant Microsoft plans to expand their data centre investment in Hyderabad by setting up three more data centres, the Telangana government announced on Thursday.

Microsoft had last year announced its first captive data centre investment of three campuses. While the earlier investment commitment entailed three data centres in Hyderabad, each with an IT capacity of at least 100 MW, Microsoft now targets to reach 6 total data centres in Telangana with each data centre serving 100 MW of IT load on average, the government said.

These data centres form an integral part of Microsoft's goal of strengthening its cloud infrastructure to serve Azure's customers in India and worldwide. All 6 data centres are estimated to be deployed phase-wise in the next 10-15 years.

The upcoming projects were discussed by the officials of the state government and Microsoft at the Microsoft Cafe at Davos. State Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao, and Principal Secretary, IT Jayesh Ranjan had discussions with Microsoft's President, Asia, Ahmed Mazhar.

Telangana had earlier signed an MoU with Microsoft to enable several activities such as skilling, internship programmes, and cloud adoption. As part of Telangana's cloud adoption, Telangana is working with Microsoft Azure and others to ensure citizen services have the best of infrastructure as part of its tech stack.

"Microsoft and Hyderabad have had a very long-term mutually beneficial relationship and I am very happy to learn that Microsoft will expand in Telangana with such huge digital infrastructure projects. I look forward to seeing Microsoft continue to grow in the state," Rama Rao ssaid.

Mazhar noted that Hyderabad is one of their most important markets across the world and they continued to invest in the city. "The data centre projects we will deploy in Telangana are some of the fully-owned data centre projects in India by Microsoft. Apart from data centres, we will work with the government to identify special projects and support them in implementing them," he said.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Supreme Court collegium has expressed its disagreement with the Centre for returning the proposal to appoint advocate Saurabh Kripal, who is openly gay, as a Delhi High Court judge, saying "every individual is entitled to maintain their own dignity and individuality, based on sexual orientation".

Saurabh Kirpal is son of former Chief Justice of India B.N. Kirpal.

The collegium, which is headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprises Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph, in a statement, said: "It needs to be noted that the decisions of the Constitution Bench of this court have established the constitutional position that every individual is entitled to maintain their own dignity and individuality, based on sexual orientation. The fact that Mr. Saurabh Kirpal has been open about his orientation is a matter which goes to his credit." Reiterating Kirpal's name, it said: "The Collegium resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated 11 November, 2021 for appointment of Saurabh Kirpal as a Judge of the Delhi High Court which needs to be processed expeditiously." It further added that the letter of the Law Minister dated April 1, 2021 states that though "homosexuality stands de-criminalised in India, nonetheless same-sex marriage still remains bereft of recognition either in codified statutory law or uncodified personal law in India".

"Moreover, it has been stated that the candidate's 'ardent involvement and passionate attachment to the cause of gay rights' would not rule out the possibility of bias and prejudice," said the statement.

The statement, dated January 18, which was uploaded on apex court website on Thursday, added: "As a prospective candidate for judgeship, he has not been surreptitious about his orientation. In view of the constitutionally recognised rights which the candidate espouses, it would be manifestly contrary to the constitutional principles laid down by the Supreme Court to reject his candidature on that ground." The collegium said Kirpal possesses competence, integrity and intellect and his appointment will add value to the bench of the Delhi High Court and provide inclusion and diversity.

It further said that his conduct and behaviour have been above board and it may have been advisable for the candidate not to speak to the press in regard to the reasons which may have weighed in the recommendations of the collegium being sent back for reconsideration.

"However, this aspect should not be considered as a negative feature, particularly since the name has remained pending for over five years. The overwhelmingly positive aspects of the candidature of Saurabh Kirpal must, therefore, weigh in the balance," added the statement.

The recommendation for Kirpal's appointment as judge was unanimously made by the collegium of the Delhi High Court on October 13, 2017 and approved by the Supreme Court collegium on November 11, 2021, and it was referred back to apex court on November 25, 2022 for reconsideration in light of the observations made in the file.

The proposal has been pending for over five years. "From the letters of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) dated April 11, 2019 and March 18, 2021, it appears that there are two objections to the recommendation which was made by the collegium of this court on November 11, 2021 approving the name of Saurabh Kirpal namely: (i) the partner of Saurabh Kirpal is a Swiss national, and (ii) he is in an intimate relationship and is open about his sexual orientation," noted the collegium.

In connection with the two communications of R&AW, the collegium said they do not reflect any apprehension in regard to the individual conduct or behaviour of the partner of Kirpal having a bearing on national security. "There is no reason to pre-suppose that the partner of the candidate, who is a Swiss national, would be inimically disposed to our country, since the country of his origin is a friendly nation. Many persons in high positions including present and past holders of constitutional offices have and have had spouses who are foreign nationals. Hence, as a matter of principle, there can be no objection to the candidature of Saurabh Kirpal on the ground that his partner is a foreign national," said the collegium.
Chennai, Jan 19 : Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Hindustan Unilever Ltd on Thursday said a fine of Rs 9 lakh has been levied on its Independent Director, Dr Ashish Gupta, for breach of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015 (PIT Regulations) and the former's Share Dealing Code.

In a regulatory filing, Hindustan Unilever said it had noticed an inadvertent trade by one of the designated person - Gupta.

The company said the Portfolio Management Services of Gupta's wife Nita Goyal, had traded in its shares on her behalf without her prior approval/intimation.

The company said Goyal had confirmed that she was not in possession of any Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI).

The Share Dealing Code Compliance Committee, formed under the Share Dealing Code and the Audit Committee of the company, were informed and notified on the above-mentioned inadvertent trade.

Based on the facts placed by Gupta, it was understood that it was an inadvertent trade made without any intent to violate the provisions of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015 (PIT Regulations) and the Code of the Company.

However, due to the breach of the Code and PIT Regulations, SDC Compliance Committee has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 9 lakh on Gupta.

The said amount shall be transferred to SEBI Investor Protection and Education Fund Account as per the provisions of PIT Regulations.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Condemning the recent vandalisation of two Hindu temples in Australia, India on Thursday said it has taken up the matter with the government there and expects investigation and swift action against the perpetrators.

"We are aware of a couple of temples that have been vandalised in Australia... We strongly condemn these such actions," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a weekly briefing.

"These actions have also been publicly condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders and religious associations there," Bagchi said.

The vandalism of Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs, Victoria, on January 17 came just days after alleged Khalistan supporters defaced the walls of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne's northern suburb of Mill Park with anti-India graffiti.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said that the Indian Consulate-General in Melbourne has taken up the matter with the local police.

Requesting a thorough probe into the incident, India has taken up the matter with the Australian government to prevent such incidents in future.

"We have requested expeditious investigation, action against the perpetrators and, of course, measures to prevent such incidents in the future," Bagchi said.

"The matter has also been taken up with the Australian government -- both in Canberra and in New Delhi, and we are looking forward to the action that we've requested," Bagchi added.

Makrand Bhagwat, Hindu Council of Australia's Victoria state President, had told Australia Today that "any kind of hatred and vandalism against places of worship is not acceptable and we condemn it".

He promised to raise the issue with the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Multicultural Minister of Victoria.

Melbourne Hindu community member Sachin Mahate had said, "If these Khalistan supporters have the courage they should go and draw graffiti on the Victorian Parliament building rather than target peaceful Hindu communities' religious places." According to census data, Hinduism is the fastest-growing religion in Australia. In the 2021 Australian census, Hinduism grew by 55.3 per cent to 684,002 people.
Kochi, Jan 19 : Kerala's BJP unit President K. Surendran on Thursday asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to end his "bluff game" and come out with a white paper on the funds that the state has received from the the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.

"I challenge Vijayan to come out with a white paper. State Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal should say how much funds did the state receive when the Congress-led UPA ruled the country for 10 years and how much was received in the last nearly 8 years of rule by the Modi government," he said.

"It was during Modi's tenure that Kerala received the maximum funds. During the fiscal 2021-22, Centre gave Kerala the maximum when Rs 69,000 crores more was given. Both Vijayan and Balagopal are bluffing and when there is an outstanding of just Rs 700 crores outstanding from the Centre from the GST, they say it's Rs 7,000 crores," he claimed.

Surendran said the BJP will commence a state-wide protest to highlight the mismanagement of the Vijayan government.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Home-grown startup founders on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's order where it refused to interfere with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision, declining to stay operation of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing Rs 1,337.76 crore fine on Google.

Google had moved the apex court after the setback at the NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case.

Rohan Verma, CEO and ED at homegrown MapmyIndia said that they are extremely grateful to the Supreme Court for their order against Google's appeal.

"MapmyIndia was mentioned and spoken of multiple times in the Supreme court today by multiple parties, who said that MapmyIndia pioneered digital mapping in India since 1995, far before the birth of Google, and offer an alternative in terms of MapmyIndia's 'Mappls' app versus the force pre-installed Google Maps," Verma added.

It was discussed in the court how Google foreclosed rivals such as MapmyIndia due to their anti-competitive practices, harming Indian consumers ability to choose, and harming the Indian economy and rivals such as MapmyIndia.

The Supreme Court in the end declined Google's arguments.

Google was yet to react to the apex court ruling.

On January 11, the Supreme Court had agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by the NCLAT.

Verma hoped that after the SC ruling, consumers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will now use 'Mappls' app, which "offers far better maps, navigation and safety features than Google Maps".

Rakesh Deshmukh, Co-founder, CEO, Indus OS, had said that in its ruling, the CCI categorically demonstrated multiple anti-competitive actions carried out by Google in the last decade.

"In fact, it scuttled Indian entrepreneurs in the Android ecosystem with unfair and restrictive Google policies. The CCI ruling against Google is a step towards ushering in the next phase of digital revolution in the country," he said.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Two persons, including a differently abled (limbic disability) man, who were inspired by Charles Shobhraj and shot dead an elderly woman were held ten months after the incident, the police said on Thursday.

A senior police official said that the accused were identified as Mohammed Shakir Ali and Mohameed Faiz.

"In March 2022, they killed one Sushilwati and dumped her body in Bulandshahr. They had got her original property documents and were planning to sell it. Shakir Ali is differently abled. He used his disability to gain the sympathy of females. He also used Hindu names and identity cards to become familiar with women," said DCP Sagar Kalsi.

The official said that both the accused were held from Kamla Nehru Park area following a tip off when they were going in a car. Two pistols and live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

During investigation, Shakir Ali disclosed that he used to work as a tailor and property broker. He saw a movie on Charles Shobraj, and inspired by him, he was using women for his benefit.

He became familiar with a prostitute in Laxmi Nagar in Delhi and started working as her pimp. He also used her money for his financial transactions.

"He also came in contact with 2-3 more women using his fake Hindu identity and started using them for his financial benefit. The whereabouts of all these women is yet to be ascertained. Mohd. Shakir hid his real identity and introduced himself as Rajesh. For this he also created a fake Voter ID Card in the name of Rajesh from the SDM's office, a PAN Card in the same name and opened a bank account," the police said.

The official said that Ali even gave false surety for several accused in court in the name of Rajesh with the connivance of an advocate. He also bought a Maruti Baleno car, defaulted on the EMIs and filed a false FIR of theft.

The official said that Sushilwati wanted to sell her flat in DLF. Ali became friendly and visited her flat after which both entered into an agreement of Rs 25 lakh.

"The accused obtained possession of the flat without paying the full amount. Later Ali came to know about her other properties and decided to kill her in order to grab them. They shot dead the victim and dumped her body," the police added.

The Delhi police contacted the Bulandshahr police who confirmed that they had recovered a body identified as being of Sushilwati and a murder case was lodged against unknown persons in the matter.

Further investigation in the matter is on.
Amaravati, Jan 19 : Andhra Pradesh Government Employees Association (APGEA) on Thursday sought Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan's intervention to ensure payment of salaries and pensions on time while another group of employees met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and warned those who called on the Governor.

A delegation of APGEA leaders led by its President K.R. Suryanarayana met the governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum.

The delegation requested the governor to issue necessary advice to the government as he is competent authority as per the Article 309 of the Constitution to intervene in the affairs of the government employees.

After the meeting, APGEA leaders told reporters that they were compelled to meet the governor as all their efforts to resolve the grievances through the state government had failed.

Suryanarayana alleged that the state government is not honouring the commitment to pay the salaries and pensions on the first of every month. The APGEA leader said the government also withdrew the GPF amount from the accounts of over 90,000 employees without their permission. He termed this as a serious financial fraud.

The APGEA also decided to intensify the agitation from April if the government failed to resolve all their grievances. The association leaders said their demands were justified and recalled that the government had promised to pay salaries and pensions on the first of every month.

The employees' leaders said the government had not even cleared the pending four Dearness Allowances (DAs). They claimed that the state government had to pay nearly Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore to employees.

Suryanarayana said though they met the Cabinet sub-committee, the government advisor and senior officials of the finance department, they did not receive a positive response on the issues raised by them.

Suryanarayana alleged that the government is not treating employees with dignity and decency.

The differences among government employees, however, came to the fore when another group met Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and claimed that he was ready to address all their issues.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGO) Association also slammed APGEA leaders who met the governor and warned that if employees' unions don't follow the rules, the government has the powers to derecognise them.

Bandi Srinivasa Rao, who was recently elected as the President of APNGO Association, along with general secretary K.V Siva Reddy and panel members called on the chief minister.

Srinivasa Rao dismissed the allegation by Suryanarayana that APNGO Association had colluded with the government. APNGO Association leader said government employees know the force working behind Suryanarayana.

Srinivasa Rao said the chief minister assured the delegation that he will immediately take steps to pay the DA which was due on Sankranthi. He claimed that the chief minister also told the delegation all their problems would be resolved.
Chennai, Jan 19 : The Chennai City public prosecutor on Thursday filed a defamation petition at the principal District and Sessions Court against suspended DMK leader Shivaji Krishnamoorthy for an alleged derogatory speech against Governor R.N. Ravi.

Public Prosecutor, G. Devarajan in a statement said: "Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi is the aggrieved person and the complainant is the public prosecutor, Chennai presenting this complaint on behalf of the Governor, before this court." The Raj Bhavan had asked the city police to take action after a video surfaced of Krishnamoorty using extremely abusive, derogatory, and defamatory language against the Governor.

Deputy Secretary to the Governor, Prasanna Ramaswamy in a complaint to the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner, said that the speaker was also seen using intimidation tactics against the Governor. The complainant said that the video had gone viral on various social media platforms and wanted the police to take proper action against the individual who was seen in the video speaking against the Governor.

The Chennai City police, on scrutinising the video. said the speech was defamatory and hence falls under the ambit of Sections 499 (Defamation) and 500 (Punishment for defamation ) under the Indian Penal Code.

In the complaint before the sessions court, Devarajan submitted that the state government has accorded sanction to him in a government order dated January 15 to file this complaint. He also said that the speech was circulated on various social media platforms with the intention to harm the reputation of the Governor and that this was not in good faith.

The complainant also asked the court to take cognisance of the complaint and punish the accused for defamation.

The DMK had, on January 14, suspended the accused from its primary membership for violating party discipline.
Colombo, Jan 19 : India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, arrived here on Thursday amid written assurance given to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of India's strong support for Sri Lanka's debt restructuring process.

During his two-day visit, Jaishankar will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, besides having an official discussion with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry.

Sabry told the media that Sri Lanka would focus on expediting the proposed Indian investments, including renewable energy projects. Instead of depending on financial assistance, Sri Lanka would focus on seeking investments from India for economic development, the minister said.

With a senior delegation representing the External Affair Ministry, including Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri, Jaishankar's visit comes close on the heels of a written assurance given by the Indian Finance Ministry to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, assuring strong support for crisis-hit Sri Lanka.

In a letter to IMF dated January 16, Finance Ministry official Rajat Kumar Mishra confirmed India's "strong support for Sri Lanka's prospective EFF-supported programme and commitment to supporting Sri Lanka with financing/debt relief, consistent with restoring Sri Lanka's public debt sustainability under the IMF-supported programme and ensuring that the programme is fully financed as projected by IMF staff".

According to media reports, Mishra stated in his letter that the financing and debt relief to Sri Lanka would be provided by the Export-Import Bank of India.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : With the arrest of three men, the Delhi Police on Thursday said it has busted an inter-state arms supply syndicate run by a Madhya Pradesh-based illegal firearms manufacturer-cum supplier, said an official.

The accused have been identified as Jafar Ali Khan, 28, a resident of Rangpuri, Dinesh alias Chhanga, 24, and Harender, 30, both residents of Khair near Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh.

Police said that Dinesh and Harender are suppliers and have supplied more than 200 pistols in the national capital in the last five years.

Police have also recovered 12 pistols and 15 bullets from the possession of the accused.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southwest, Manoj C, specific inputs were received on Junuary 10 about Jafar, who is a 'bad character' of Vasant Kunj South police station area and having illegal firearms and ammunitions.

"Accordingly, a raid was conducted and Jafar was nabbed near Mahipalpur Bypass road. On checking police found an illicit semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore loaded with three cartridges," the DCP said.

During interrogation, Jafar disclosed that he had procured the weapon and ammunition from supplier, Dinesh.

"Based on the interrogation, Dinesh was also apprehended from Khair and from his possession, two more illicit pistols of .32 bore were recovered," said the official.

Dinesh told police that Harender is his source to procure the illegal firearms and ammunition.

"Harender, who is a prominent arms dealer and previously arrested in Delhi with the huge recovery of illegal pistols, was also arrested and nine more illegal pistols and 12 cartridges were recovered on his instance," said the official.

Harender revealed that he had procured the consignment of recovered pistols and cartridges from a notorious arms manufacturer of Dhar in MP and further disclosed that he has been indulging in the supply of illegal firearms and ammunition in Delhi NCR, Haryana and western UP for the last five years.

"The accused used to purchase the semi-automatic pistol at a lower rate from MP and further sell it at a higher rate to gangsters and criminals in Delhi NCR. Dinesh was lured by Harender to join his arms trafficking syndicate. All the accused persons have been taken on police remand," said the official.

"Further interrogation is in progress. Efforts to identify and arre st the remaining members of this arms syndicate including the manufacturer are being made," the official added.
Hyderabad, Jan 19 : The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) made an impressive beginning as a national party with a mammoth public meeting in Telanagana's Khammam on Wednesday but questions remain on how it plans to achieve its goal of expanding to states ruled by other opposition parties.

Sharing dais with Chief Ministers of three states and leaders of different parties, BRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao made some promises the party would fulfill after coming to power at the Centre or by playing a key role in the formation of the next government.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, was expected to unveil the national agenda of the BRS but he told the gathering that this would be done soon. With focus on his slogan of 'Ab ki baar kisan sarkar', he gave a glimpse of the agenda and made certain promises.

While leaders from four states, including three Chief Ministers, heaped praise on KCR for taking the initiative of bringing together leaders of various opposition parties, there was no clarity if they are ready to work together. They were also silent on Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) turning into the BRS to expand its footprint in various states.

Political observers say while all the speakers were unanimous on the need for the opposition parties to work together to throw the BJP out of power, they were not clear how they plan to achieve the goal.

The absence of Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at the BRS meeting also raised eyebrows in political circles as Karnataka is one of the first states where the BRS is planning to get a foothold.

Kumaraswamy was present at the TRS meeting in October last year when the party decided to rename itself as the BRS. He had also attended the inauguration of BRS national office in Delhi last month.

Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled in the next few months. BRS leaders have already made it clear that 2024 Lok Sabha elections are their target.

On several occasions, KCR spoke how some villages in the border areas of Karnataka and Maharashtra passing resolutions for merger with Telangana. He claimed that people in these villages want to avail benefits of welfare schemes being implemented by the Telangana government.

Political analysts say while the BRS may campaign for the JD-S in Assembly elections, it may want the latter to reciprocate with seat sharing in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It is still not clear if the JD-S would agree to any such proposal.

Doubts also remain on how the BRS will expand its activities to states where non-BJP parties are in power. Early this month, the party announced its first state President for Andhra Pradesh.

KCR had announced that the BRS will launch its activities in 7-8 states after Sankranti. He said the party was ready to constitute state-level committees in Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Kerala had attended the inaugural meeting of BRS in Khammam. Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and CPI national Secretary D. Raja also addressed the meeting.

The speakers were unanimous in targeting the BJP government at the Centre and underlining the need for a collective effort to defeat BJP. However, they were not clear if they will work together and if yes how.

The BJP was quick to attack KCR on this contradiction at the Khammam meeting. "KejriwalA had said that the Aam Aadmi Party will come to power at the Centre and yesterday, KCR said the BRS will come to power at the Centre. Let them first decide which party they want to see in power," taunted Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

--IANS ms/vd

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New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Central government on Thursday said that it has been taking measures to bring down domestic prices of wheat (atta), which had risen to record limits earlier this week owing to poor supplies.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra told media persons that measures are being considered to curb wheat prices. India is the second largest wheat producer in the world.

Despite the government having banned wheat exports in May 2022, domestic prices have been rising steadily.

Meanwhile, Chopra also said that the government will take a call on hiking sugar export quota from the current 60 lakh tonnes, after conducting an assessment of domestic production and internal demand.

The government has allowed 60 lakh tonnes of sugar exports for the current 2022-23 marketing year (October-September). India exported around 110 lakh tonnes of sugar in the previous year.

The Food Secretary further informed that in the current marketing year till now, sugar mills have dispatched 30 lakh tonnes of sugar for exports and out of that, 18 lakh tonnes have already been shipped. The Food Ministry said the entire 60 lakh tonnes will get exported by May.

Asked about increasing the exports quota, he said: "We are open to revisiting the export quota. Depending on the domestic production and internal requirement, we will take a fresh call in the next month or so." On hiking the minimum selling price of sugar from the current Rs 31 per kg, he said mills are earning good revenue from different streams including sweetener and ethanol.

Chopra said the government has set a target of achieving 12 per cent blending of ethanol into petrol and the aim is to reach 20 per cent by 2025.

He was optimistic that the target of 20 per cent blending would be met by sourcing ethanol from different feedstock including sugarcane and grain.
Moscow, Jan 19 : After Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky claimed that he is not certain that Vladimir Putin is actually holding the office of the President of Russia or is even alive, the Kremlin dismissed the remark as an expression of Zelenskys 'wishful thinking', according to a media report.

Russia and Putin are "a big problem" for Zelensky, so it's natural that he "would prefer that neither Russia nor Putin existed", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday, RT reported.

He was reacting to a claim that Zelensky had made earlier in the day during his virtual appearance at the Ukrainian Breakfast, an event hosted on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, RT reported.

"I am not certain that the President of Russia, who makes occasional appearances on TV in front of a chroma key, is actually [Putin]," the Ukrainian leader said, using the term for a background replacement technique colloquially called the 'green screen'.

"I absolutely do not know whether he is alive, whether he takes decisions or someone else does," Zelensky added, speculating that Russia could be under a collegial rule, RT reported.

The remark came as the Ukrainian leader claimed that failure to reduce tensions with Moscow during the years of his presidency and the lack of negotiations today were Russia's fault.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had assessed that Zelensky and his government were not free to take decisions on foreign policy and that the country was hostage to a Western proxy war against Russia.

"There can be no negotiation with Zelensky, if only because he legally banned any talks with the Russian government," he had pointed out, RT reported.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Jan 19 : With the Union Budget just a few days away and amid expectations that the government is likely to focus on boosting the agriculture sector, heads of public sector banks on Thursday were directed by the government to provide Kisan credit card facility to all farmers in the country.

In a day-long review meeting of the banking sector, which was presided over by the Banking Secretary Vivek Joshi, the public sector banks' chiefs were directed to take the help of PM KISAN database to undertake this exercise.

The progress of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme was also reviewed in the meeting, sources said. Officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare were also present in the meeting, where review related to agricultural credit was also undertaken.

The progress in digitisation of process for getting the Kisan credit card was also discussed to improve the transparency. Public sector banks were advised to take necessary steps to digitise the entire journey of Kisan credit card loans in a time-bound manner.

During the meeting, the progress of various social security schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri MUDRA and Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi), and Agri credit etc, were also reviewed.

It was emphasised in the meeting that banks need to put in all-out efforts to make customer experience more enriching and pleasant for sustainable banking relationship. Indian Banks Association (IBA) has already been requested to expedite the Consumer Service Rating for all scheduled commercial banks to gauge the consumer expectation and to enable banks to raise their standards of services delivery to every segment of the customer.
Kolkata, Jan 19 : West Bengal has become a hotbed of corruption and misuse of funds provided under Centrally-sponsored projects, BJP President J.P. Nadda alleged on Thursday.

"The funds sent under Prime Minister Awas Yojana have been misused. Corruption and threats go side-by-side here. There is corruption in everything, starting from sand to coal. The Union government sends money to the state regularly. But rampant corruption and extortion takes place here.

"The Trinamool Congress government is a government of traitors," Nadda said while addressing a public rally at Bethuadahari in Nadia district on Thursday.

Nadda also said that only the BJP can relieve the people of West Bengal from this regime of corruption, and also punish the masterminds.

"You vote for the lotus symbol and we will push the thieves behind the bars," Nadda said.

The BJP President also advised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to shed her anger and instead perform according to the provisions of the Constitution.

"Why are you always so angry? This is not good for your health. You please follow the Constitution of the country," Nadda said.

Nadda also claimed that India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been elevated to the status of a "giver" from the previous status of being a "taker".

"So many people are sitting together without any masks. This you can see only in India when countries like China and America are still struggling against Covid-19. But Indians are protected because of the shield of vaccine produced in the country under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

"This is the New India. We have provided our vaccines free of cost to 50 nations. Has anyone ever imagined that India will achieve the status of a giver? This has been possible under the leadership of the Prime Minister," Nadda said.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by an all-women outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) challenging the Centre's 2004 decision of listing it as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2018 and is currently in judicial custody, is the founding leader of DeM.

A single-judge bench of Justice Anish Dayal dismissed the plea noting that the organisation, if it wanted, could have made an application to the Centre seeking its removal from the Schedule, as it is available as a remedy under the UAPA. However, it was not exercised in the matter.

The court noted: "A perusal of the provisions of UAPA show that chapter VI provides for adding a terrorist organization or individuals as part of the Schedule (as per section 35) and section 36 provided that an application may be made to the central government to exercise power under section 35(1)(c) to remove an organization from the Schedule." The organization that claims for the freedom of Kashmir from India contended that they got to know about being declared a terrorist organization only in 2018 when chargesheets were filed in court in 2018 against its members.

To this, appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said that though DeM was declared a terrorist organization on December 30, 2004, the group chose to come to court only after 18 years.

He argued that the government has the right to decide who is a terrorist and who is not.

"It is the prerogative of Central Government to say who is terrorist and who is not," Sharma said.

He added that the information on the same was already in the public domain.

Justice Dayal told the DeM's counsel: "To be fair, you cannot say that when the Schedule was promulgated in 2004 and is in public domain, it has to be specifically communicated. What procedure happened because you were a banned organization is a different issue, it is not before this court. Your prayer is to quash the notification. The procedure for de-notification has to be processed first. In section 36, the de-notification procedure is given, you have to go there. Then the government needs to apply its mind." The DeM had moved the High Court requesting for a copy of the UAPA notification and its removal from the list of organizations mentioned in the first Schedule of the Act.

Section 3 gives power to the Centre to declare an association unlawful. The terrorist organisations are mentioned in the First Schedule of the Act.

"Accordingly in view of these provision, the petition is dismissed since an alternative remedy prescribed under the statutes is available to the petitioner," the court said.
Patna, Jan 19 : A 10-year-old girl was set ablaze in Bihar's Vaishali district on Thursday and sustained severe burns in wake of her asking some youths to stay away from a group of girls who were dancing in a marriage function, police said.

The marriage function was held a couple of days ago and the accused waited for two days before committing the crime on Thursday.

Vaishali's Superintendent of Police, Maneesh, said: "We have recorded the statement of the victim and registered an FIR against two persons. Raids are on to nab them." The victim belongs to a village that comes under Raja Pakar police station.

The victim, in a statement to the police. said: "We went to a marriage ceremony of Raushan Bhaiya in the village where I, along with some other girls, were dancing at one place. Some youths came there and started dancing with us. We objected to them and requested to go away from our group. They finally went away." "Next day, we went with the baraat to the bride's village. While returning, the two youths intercepted me and threatened me with dire consequences. I came to my house and slept with my grandmother without informing her about the incident. On Thursday morning, I went out in the morning to relieve myself where two youths grabbed me and took me to the isolated place. They poured petrol on my body and set me blaze. I immediately raised the alarm and some local farmers of the village rescued me," she said in the statement.

The victim was admitted in Sadar hospital in Hajipur with severe burns on some parts of her body.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Independent Internal Committee probing the Air India peeing incident concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of "unruly passenger" and is banned from flying for a period of four months.

An Air India spokesperson on Thursday said, "The independent three-member Internal Committee under the Chairmanship of the former District Judge has concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of "unruly passenger" and is banned from flying for a period of 4 months as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)." The airline said that it will inform the regulator and other airlines accordingly. "The passenger has already been put on the airline's "No Fly List". Air India has shared a copy of the Internal Committee report with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and will also be intimating other airlines operating in the country." After the renewed ban by Air India, other airlines can take their own decision on whether any ban should be imposed on the individual.

Earlier, the DGCA had asked the airline to refer the incident to the Internal Committee which will decide the duration of the ban on flying of the unruly passenger within 30 days. The Internal Committee comprised three members including a retired district and sessions judge as Chairman, a representative from a different scheduled airline as member, and a representative from a passengers association or consumer association or retired officer of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum as member.

The incident occurred on November 26 last year when the drunk passenger allegedly urinated on a co-passenger in her 70s in the business class of an Air India flight from New York to Delhi.

Aviation regulator DGCA on January 5 had said that the conduct of Air India was unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure. The aviation regulator has noted that the incident of passenger misbehaviour with a female co-passenger was reported to it too late on January 4 while it took place on November 26. The DGCA also issued show cause notices to senior Air India executives and pilots and cabin crew of the flight.

Currently, the matter lies with the court and the case has witnessed many twists in the last couple of days. Shankar Mishra was arrested from Bengaluru and brought to Delhi where the case against him was registered.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against two accused before a NIA Special Court, Bengaluru, in a case pertaining to a conspiracy hatched by Al-Qaeda, to send youth to Kashmir and Khorasan province of Afghanistan to undergo terrorist training.

The accused persons instigated the youth to provoke communal violence in India.

The accused Akhtar Hussain Laskar alias MD Hussain and Abdul Aleem Mondal have been chargesheeted under sections 120B, 121A, 153A and 153B of the IPC and sections 13, 18, 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act.

The case was initially registered on July 24 at Thilaknagar Police Station, Bengaluru City. Later on the directions of the government the NIA took over the probe.

"Investigations revealed that the accused were affiliated with Al-Qaeda, a proscribed terrorist organisation. They were also in contact with online handlers based abroad through end-to-end encrypted communication platforms. Based on the directions of online handlers, the accused tried to recruit youth, to wage war against India and further they were planning to leave for Khorasan Province of Afghanistan for terrorist training," the NIA has said.

During investigation, a lot of incriminating jihadi material was recovered at the instance of the accused.

Further investigation in the matter is on.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : Indigo flew far ahead of other airlines during December with 54.9 per cent share in the domestic aviation sector, Vistara and Air India secured second slot with a market share of 9.2 per cent.

As per the latest data of December of aviation regulator DGCA, Indigo carried 69.97 lakh air passengers during the month while Vistara and Air India carried 11.70 lakh and 11.71 lakh air passengers.

Go Air, with 9.51 lakh air passengers, had a market share of 7.5 per cent during December.

For the year 2022, Indigo secured a market share of 56.1 per cent, carrying 690.93 lakh passengers, while Vistara had a market share of 9.2 per cent with 113.59 lakh passengers, and Air India a market share of 8.7 per cent with 107.74 lakh air passengers.

As per the DGCA data released on Thursday, the overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of December 2022 has been 0.79 per cent. The main reasons for cancellation have been identified as weather, technical, or operational. Maximum 81.1 per cent flights were cancelled due to weather-related reasons and 7.8 per cent due to technical reasons during the month.

Domestic air traffic continued to register growth as passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-December 2022 were 12.32 crore as against 8.38 crore during the corresponding period of previous year, thereby registering annual growth of 47.05 per cent and monthly growth of 13.69 per cent.

As per the data released by the DGCA on Thursday, nearly 1.27 crore passengers were carried by the domestic airlines during December in the country as against 1.12 crore during the same period last year.
Panaji, Jan 19 : Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai on Thursday called on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to step down like New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her resignation.

Participating in a discussion on a 'Resolution' over Mhadei diversion in the Assembly, he said: "My stand is clear, I am with the Chief Minister completely, but time-bound to get Karnataka's Detailed Project Report (for disputed Kalasa-Bandhuri dam project) withdrawn. It should be withdrawn within 15 days." "I don't know why the Chief Minister is not confident to get the DPR withdrawn when he has 'good relations' at centre," Sardesai said sarcastically.

Citing the New Zealand Prime Minister resignation announcement, he said: "She had handled the covid situation in the best possible way, but today, she has just resigned from politics saying she no longer had 'enough in the tank'. In a similar way, the Chief Minister should resign. He should take this step to pressurise the centre." He said that a deadline of 15 days should be given to the government to get the DPR withdrawn, else call for a Goa bandh should be given.

"Let all political parties get united and make the Goa bandh successful. This is in the practice in the neighbouring states. Even then if the Central government doesn't listen to the demand then the Chief Minister should resign and along with him rest all 39 MLAs should resign to create a Constitutional crisis," Sardesai said.

"We can show that a tiny state can create a constitutional crisis in the country for water. In any case, it is said that the third world war will be fought for water. So let us be prepared," he said.

Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the Kalasa-Bhanduri dam project across the water of Mhadei river at a central tribunal.

Mhadei originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji.

While the river traverses 28.8 km in Karnataka, it is 81.2 km in length in Goa. Karnataka plans to construct dams on the river, aimed at diverting the water into its water-starved Malaprabha basin in North Karnataka.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 : Highlighting the philosophy of 'Aarogyam Param Bhagyam, Swasthyam Sarwaarth Sadhanam', which translates as 'Good Health is the Greatest Fortune' and 'Health is the only way to Happiness in the World', Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar said under the G20 Presidency, "we plan to strive for equitable access to healthcare for all and to help create a framework which can reduce disparities in healthcare availability across the world".

"India envisions to accelerate efforts towards increasing the pace of implementation of value-based healthcare and achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage across the world," she said.

Pawar said this while inaugurating the session on Medical Value Travel on sidelines of the 1st Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency, here on Thursday. Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present at the event.

Underscoring the significance of Medical Value Travel, Pawar said: "For centuries, traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health in communities worldwide, and it continues to be a first port of call and crucial resource for individuals." She highlighted the wide acceptance of traditional medicine and noted: "Traditional medicine is gaining worldwide recognition as effective tools for pain management and hold a lot of promise against antibiotic resistance too. Over 170 of 194 WHO member states have also reported the use of traditional medicine." Pawar also lauded India's efforts toward creating a unique ecosystem for holistic wellness and healthcare.

She said: "India has been able to combine the best of modern and traditional medicine coupled with wellness treatments. Also, our health system offers quality treatment, having widespread availability and is one of the most affordable in the world." "With G20 India Presidency, we have the opportunity to create multilateral collaborations between countries, facilitated by knowledge sharing, leading to formulation of effective policies aiding accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to citizens across the world." She was hopeful that "G20 nations will forge a unique blueprint for the future of medical value travel through effective collaborations", MoS Health said.

Representatives from the G20 member countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, UK, and the US, and the European Union attended the event.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The winter session of the Delhi Assembly was adjourned sine die on Thursday amid protests in the House by both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs over several issues.

However, before the final adjournment, the assembly session was adjourned many times because of protests by BJP legislators as they carried miniature ploughs in the assembly premises against the alleged 'anti-farmer' policies of the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the government does not give enough compensation for land acquisition or a subsidy on agricultural equipment. "No hospitals and colleges were constructed or sewer lines laid in the villages of Delhi during the eight years of the AAP government," he claimed.

Meanwhile, the AAP MLAs also continued to attack Lt Governor VK Saxena over various issues. Soon after the House resumed proceedings, the AAP MLAs began sloganeering against the LG, leading to an adjournment by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel till 12 p.m.

The AAP MLAs demanded suspension of the Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, and Principal Secretary Finance for allegedly sabotaging the work of the Delhi government at the behest of the Lt Governor.

AAP senior leader and MLA Atishi claimed that the Lt Governor is impeding projects of Delhi's elected government by manipulating the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary Finance and the Health Secretary.

"Today we have gathered to protest outside the Vidhan Sabha as through the medium of IAS officers in Delhi, the LG is obstructing all the developmental work of the state government. He is doing this through the medium of the Principal Secretary (Finance), Principal Secretary (Health) and the Chief Secretary of Delhi", Atishi said.

She claimed that the salaries of the doctors and the medical staff of Mohalla Clinics have not been dispensed. The money that the state government gives to private agencies to conduct tests and provide medicines in the Mohalla Clinics have also not been dispensed. The drivers and the marshals of the DTC have not been given their salaries, the pensions of the employees of DTC have also not been provided. So, one by one, through the medium of these IAS officers, the developmental work of the Delhi government is being obstructed by the LG, Atishi said.

The MLAs camped under the Gandhi Statue in the Vidhan Sabha premises and raised slogans against the LG, accusing him of undermining the elected government and causing harm to the public.

MLA Dilip Pandey said, "We have said this inside the Vidhan Sabha and now we are repeating it outside as well. The LG has until now ignored all the work that he is constitutionally mandated to do, and has been indulging in those activities that he should not be getting into. He has been stopping files from reaching the designated departments."
New Delhi, Jan 19 : In October last year, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India's northward development journey had just begun and would end only when "we... reached the remaining parts of (POK) Gilgit-Baltistan", illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947.

Perhaps, residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) heard his remarks.

Plagued by food and wheat shortages, power outages and well-known government apathy, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have been protesting for quite some time. The world outside knows of this through videos and blogs on social media which have gone viral in the last few months. The latest instance is of a video from the region, that shows, a huge rally in Gilgit-Baltistan, where people are seen demanding the re-opening of the Kargil Road and reunion with their fellow Baltis in the Kargil district of the Union Territory of Ladakh in India.

More recently, former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider of so-called "Azad Jammu and Kashmir" and PML-N leader, warned against alleged land grabbing in Gilgit-Baltistan and called for "restoration of the state subject rule (SSR)". He made this demand in the context of mass demonstrations in Gilgit-Baltistan under the banner of the Awami Action Committee, an alliance of various political, religious and trade associations, against electricity shortages, reduction in the wheat quota, taxation, and alleged land grabbing by the state.

Protests have been going on in the region at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.

Various issues, like the restoration of subsidies on wheat and other food items, load-shedding, illegal land occupation, and the exploitation of the natural resources of the region have been raised by the residents.

A report from Pakistan's vernacular media outlet Baad-e-Shimal (Urdu) highlighted the protests due to overload shedding, flour crisis and ownership of Khalsa Sarkar land. These protests over concerns raised by the Baltistan residents have been intensifying, the report claims, adding that Pakistan's military establishment continues to exert coercive claims over the land and resources of the area. Angry with discriminative policies of the Pakistan government that had been exploiting the region for several decades, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are now demanding a reunion with India.

In a video that has gone viral on several social media platforms, a huge rally in Gilgit-Baltistan can be seen demanding the reopening of the Kargil Road and reunion with their fellow Baltis in the Kargil district of Ladakh in India.

Earlier in December last year, local traders and members of various political and social organisations observed a shutters-down strike (December 28) in different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, with markets closed and vehicles off the roads.

These demonstrations have been held in Skardu, Gilgit, Hunza, and Ghizer. The locals have also been protesting at the open misuse of 'Khalsa Sarkar' laws for land-grabbing in Gilgit-Baltistan by the Army and Federal Government. The law states that the federal government in Islamabad can claim "ownership of barren or uncultivated land" in Gilgit-Baltistan, even if it was collectively owned by the local community.

Pamir Times tweeted on December 30: "Massive protest demonstrations held in different parts of #Gilgit-#Baltistan yesterday against the "Khalsa Sarkar" colonial law, imposition of taxes and the wheat and power crisis." The Chairman of National Equality Party, Jammu-Kashmir Gilgit-Baltistan and Ladakh said: "Ppl of #GilgitBaltistan protest for the 8th consecutive day at Yaadgaar #Skardu against #Pakistan on the issues of illegal land occupation, cutting subsidies, increasing electricity prices, black laws & imposing unfair taxes. #Pakistani govt & media have closed their eyes & ears." Dawn newspaper editorially reports (January 9, 2023) that protests held across the region have united the region's geographically and religiously diverse communities, as well as supporters of different political parties. Further, traders' bodies in the northern region have also backed the demonstrations. The regions ambiguous constitutional status, as well as the lack of infrastructure compared to the rest of Pakistan, makes this region's plight unique. The protesters are not in favour of the GB Revenue Authority Bill, and have serious reservations about the state taking over land in the region that they say belongs to the people. The state has been acquiring land in GB for CPEC as well as other projects.

Former PM Farooq Haider, while addressing (January 9) a public meeting in Hajira sub-division of Poonch district recently, called for the protection of the rights of the local people. "I want to ask the government of Pakistan not to evict the people of Gilgit-Baltistan from the Khalsa (Crown's) land they have been living on since the times of Dogra rule," he said.

A Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report states that the "Khalsa Sarkar" system violates international human rights standards, including the "UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", which protects indigenous peoples' "rights to their collective bio-cultural heritage as a whole, including, traditional knowledge and resources, territories, and cultural and spiritual values and customary laws".

Haider emphasised that Gilgit-Baltistan should be given an official set-up on the pattern of so-called AJK "so as to make good of its deprivations of the past more than seven decades"." He also took strong exception to the AJK government, by saying that there did not exist anything by the name of government in the territory. There is thus a very strong narrative developing in PoJK towards disillusionment of people of the region with Pakistan. Despite being under the Pakistani jackboot for over 70 years, Islamabad has done little to give the people of PoJK any rights and development. This is the primary reason for people of the region protesting against Pakistan and more recently seeking re-unification with India.
San Francisco, Jan 19 : Yum! Brands, that owns fast food brands like KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, has admitted a ransomware attack and data was stolen by cyber criminals. The company, however, said there was "no evidence that customer databases were stolen".

In a statement, Yum! Brands said that certain information technology systems were breached.

Due to the cyber attack, "less than 300 restaurants in the United Kingdom were closed for one day, but all stores are now operational", said the company.

After detecting the incident, the company said it initiated response protocols, including deploying containment measures such as taking certain systems offline and implementing enhanced monitoring technology.

It also initiated an investigation, engaged the services of industry-leading cybersecurity and forensics professionals, and notified Federal law enforcement.

"The company is actively engaged in fully restoring affected systems, which is expected to be largely complete in the coming days. Although data was taken from the company's network and an investigation is ongoing, at this stage, there is no evidence that customer databases were stolen," it informed.

Although the ransomware attack largely affected its UK operations, the company has notified US federal law enforcement agencies.

"While this incident caused temporary disruption, the company is aware of no other restaurant disruptions and does not expect this event to have a material adverse impact on its business, operations or financial results," said Yum! Brands.
Jaipur, Jan 19 : The differences between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot which seemed to have settled down during former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra have again started coming out openly.

On Thursday, a video of CM Gehlot's pre-budget conversation with employees' organisations surfaced in which without naming Pilot, the veteran Congress leader compared his junior party colleague to 'Corona'.

During the conversation on Wednesday, when the leader of the contractual employees, Shamsher Khan complained to the Chief Minister on not meeting anyone, Gehlot interrupted and said: "You are right... but now I have started meeting, I had met last Monday. What happened was that Corona came first and then came a big 'Corona' inside our party.

"Sometimes by-elections, sometimes Rajya Sabha elections. Even in the Rajya Sabha elections, votes were being cast somewhere and we were at different places. It was a bad time. The time that has passed... in a different way. Despite this, with your cooperation, blessings, support and blessings, we have come up with wonderful schemes, because of which everything has been covered. If our budgets were not good then you and I would not have been able to do what we are talking about," he said.

The Chief Minister told the employee leaders: "The damage which happened in four years has been our own, the way the days have been spoiled; don't meet, don't mingle and then I got corona thrice. Post covid got heart stunts. I agree with your complaint. Now, I am meeting... see you on Monday and will let you know the time if I go out for urgent work." It needs to be mentioned here that Pilot is also attacking the government regarding the paper leak in his Kisaan Sammelans.

On Wednesday, Pilot raised questions on the CM's clean chit to the officers-politicians in the paper leak in Jhunjhunu's Gudha.

Pilot said: "When no leader or officer is responsible, then how did the paper come out from the vault... it was a witchcraft, someone must be responsible?" Shortly after that statement, there was a pre-budget meeting of the Chief Minister.

In this, Gehlot mentioned "the corona of the party", in front of the employees.
Two dates are interconnected: January 19 and February 5. Thursday marks the 33rd anniversary of the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits that was orchestrated between 1988 and 1990. It was an attempt to 'purify the Valley by ridding it of non-Muslims.

Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza Two dates are interconnected: January 19 and February 5. Thursday marks the 33rd anniversary of the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits that was orchestrated between 1988 and 1990. It was an attempt to 'purify the Valley by ridding it of non-Muslims.

Pakistan-sponsored jihadi organisations and political parties were at the forefront of this vile campaign, while the Muslim majority living in the Kashmir valley were silenced through intimidation and fear, therefore no one came to the rescue of the Kashmiri Pandits.

A feature film by the name of 'The Kashmir Files' has been screened all around the world depicting the horrors of the day.

However, no such thing as a truth and reconciliation commission has been set up to investigate the crimes committed against the oldest indigenous community of Kashmir.

Here is what conspired: In July 1988, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) began separatist insurgency in Kashmir. (Let me make this absolutely clear that JKLF was on the pay role of the ISI which has been confessed by its founder Amman Ulla Kahn in his book).

JKLF targeted a prominent advocate, Tika Lal Taploo, on September 14, 1989 and gunned him down in Srinagar. On November 4, 1989, a judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo, was shot and killed near the Srinagar High Court. In December, members of JKLF kidnapped the daughter of then Union Minister Mufti Mohammed Saeed (a Muslim himself). Today, new evidence is emerging that this kidnapping was orchestrated with the collaboration of the Union minster himself in order to help JKLF secure the release of its terrorist, who were subsequently released! On January 4, 1990, a Srinagar based newspaper by the name of 'Aftab' (The Sun) released a message of a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisation, Hizbul Mujahedeen, which asked all Hindus to leave Kashmir immediately.

On April 14, 1990 another Srinagar based Urdu newspaper Al-Safa reproduced the same warning. Meanwhile, posterswere pasted all over Srinagar threatening Kashmiri Hindus to convert to Islam. Armed goons were forcing people on the streets to set their time to Pakistan's standard time.

Office buildings, shops, and government buildings were painted green to highlight Islamic rule. This was followed by a systematic burning down of Hindu temples, shops and factories. Posters were pasted on the doors of the houses which belonged to Hindus demanding that they leave Kashmir immediately.

As the fear and uncertainty set in, a defenseless Kashmir Hindu community who also happen to be a minority among 94% Muslim majority, the shadows of darkness and death loomed over the valley.

On the night of January 18 and 19,1990, Srinagar fell into complete darkness as power was cut by the Jihadist. However, all mosques were receiving uninterrupted supply of electricitywhich were using loudspeakers to broadcast inflammatoryhate speeches against the Kashmir Hindu population asking Muslims to purge and kill infidels.

This led to a panic exodus of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley on January 19, 1990 who escaped to Jammu and Delhi. This exodus is remembered and the Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits.

On January 25 1990, at Rawalpura four Indian Air Forces personnel were gunned down at a bus stop while waiting for their bus. The leader of the JKLF Yassin Malik himself was identified by witnesses to be one of the gunmen.

Incidents of individual murder and targeted killing of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley continues to this day.

This murderous episode of Kashmiri Pandits in the Vale of Kashmir was scripted by the ISI and executed collectively by the Jamat e Islami, elements of Syed Gilani's Huriyat Conference, Hizbul Mujahedeen, the JKLF and other Pakistan sponsored organisation as well as by the imams of various mosques in Kashmir valley.

In 1990 the Jamat e Islami wing of Pakistan announced to commemorate the genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits as Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 of each year. It was adopted as an official day of solidarity with KashmiriMuslims by the government of Prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

February 5 is in actuality celebrated as a victory of the Pakistan military establishment and its proxies in driving out Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. It is a fascist event that is used to keep the anti-Hindu sentiment boiling in the mindset of each and every Pakistani as well as those living in Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.

Over a long period of time, thanks to social media, more and more people, especially youth, are becoming aware of the human atrocities committed by Pakistan against their Kashmir breathen and are waking up to a new kind of realisation that Pakistan and not India is their real enemy.

The two dates that are mentioned in the title of this article are interconnected and should be seen in the light of the above mentioned historical truth.

January 19 and February 5 are interrelated through action and in meaning. As the unrest and economic austerity continues to grow in PoJK and PoGB the time for Pakistan to pay for its crimes against humanity and peace in our region seems to be approaching fast.

( is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK. The views expressed are personal)
New Delhi, Jan 19 : After returning to power in 2019 with a thumping majority for the second consecutive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned "Mission Kashmir" to his most trusted lieutenant, Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Just within a few months after assuming the charge of the all important Union Home Ministry, Shah moved a Bill in the Parliament on August 5, 2019, to revoke J&K's special status and to divide the erstwhile princely state into two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh.

The Bill was passed in both the houses of the Parliament and the government led by PM Modi achieved the feat which no dispensation at the Centre could during the past 70-years.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the past three years has played a pivotal role in pulling J&K out from the quagmire of uncertainty.

He has led from the front by reaching out to every section of the society in the Himalayan region.

While addressing his first public rally after the abrogation of Article 370 in north Kashmir's Baramulla town in October 2022, Shah had said that the people who ruled J&K for seven decades were suggesting to the Central government that it should talk to Pakistan.

He had ruled out any talks with Pakistan and had announced that the Centre would reach out to youth of Kashmir, Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis and others.

"I am clear. I don't want to talk to Pakistan. I would talk to people of Kashmir. They (Pakistan) have spread terrorism here. What good have they done for Kashmir," Shah had said.

Besides engaging with the different sections of the society, the Union Home Minister has personally ensured that the contribution of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the country's honour, is acknowledged and their families are provided with all the possible help and support.

Whenever Amit Shah has visited J&K, he has made it a point to visit the families of martyrs and express solidarity with them. Public infrastructure, including schools, roads and buildings, in Jammu and Kashmir after 2019 has been rechristened after prominent martyrs and eminent persons.

It's an acknowledgement of their exceptional contributions towards J&K.

J&K among top performers After J&K's transition into a Union Territory, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have been monitoring all the developments closely in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Centre taking keen interest in J&K has transformed the Union Territory into one of the most developed regions in the country.

Post abrogation of Article 370, the erstwhile princely state has figured on top of the various development surveys conducted by independent and government agencies. It's among the top performers in the country.

During the 70-year rule of Kashmir based politicians in Jammu and Kashmir the investments stood at only Rs 15,000 crore.

However, in the past three years, the Centre has brought Rs 56,000 crore investment in the Union Territory.

Books, pens and laptops have replaced stones, guns and grenades. Youngsters have been provided with multiple opportunities to chase their dreams.

Peace has returned to the strife torn region after three decades as the government has launched a decisive war against Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the past three years Kashmir has not witnessed a shutdown even for a single-day.

Stone-pelting has become a history and the gun culture introduced by the neighbouring country in J&K is on its last legs.

True warrior The Union Home Minister has handled the "Mission Kashmir" like a true warrior and has ensured that nothing escapes his eye. Shah along with his team has shattered all the myths that revolved around J&K's relationship with India being unstable and temporary.

After the scrapping of Article 370 all the confusions have been put to rest as Jammu and Kashmir has been merged completely with the Union of India.

Ones who used to claim that the Article 370 is a bridge between New Delhi and J&K and if it's fiddled with it would lead to large scale violence and bloodshed have been proven wrong.

People of J&K have endorsed all the decisions of the Centre as the government led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has ended the discrimination which they faced for 70-long years due to so-called special status being in vogue.

When Amit Shah had tabled the Bill in the Parliament to revoke Article 370 on August 5, 2019, he had stated that the 'J&K's special status' was the root cause of terrorism and a biggest hurdle to normalcy.

He had assured the House and the people of the country that once Article 370 is gone, J&K's pristine glory would be restored and within five years it would be turned into one of the most vibrant places in the country.

Shah had lauded the strong political will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end an obstacle of Article 370 to integrate the Himalayan region with the rest of India and develop it.

The promises of development that were made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been implemented in the letter and spirit.

Promises fulfilled In the beginning of this month, the Union Home Ministry in its year-ender review report for 2022 noted that the number of terror incidents in J&K decreased from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, while the number of security personnel martyred reduced from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021.

According to the report there has been about 54 per cent reduction in terrorist incidents, 84 per cent in the deaths of security personnel and about 22 per cent in recruitment of terrorists in J&K.

It stated that under the PM's Development Package for Jammu and Kashmir, about 63 hydro-electricity projects have been completed at the cost of Rs 80,000 crore.

The work on Kiru project, costing Rs 4,287 crore, is under progress.

The Union Home Minister laid the foundation stone of 240 development projects worth about Rs 2,000 crore in Srinagar on October 5, 2022.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has worked hard to take "Mission Kashmir" to its logical end. He has worked towards achieving the goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end terrorism and discrimination in J&K.

Shah by reaching out to one and all in Jammu and Kashmir has built a strong relationship with the people of the Union Territory.

Common man in J&K has understood that whatever the government says it does it and the central leadership fulfils the promises which it makes.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has informed the High Court that it has requested the Centre and Delhi governments for interest-free subordinate debt of Rs 3,565.64 crore from each for repaying of its unpaid arbitral award to Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Ltd (DAMEPL), owned by Reliance Infrastructure.

"The DMRC, following the decision of its Board of Directors, have approached its shareholders, that is, Government of India and Delhi government, and had written letters dated January 18, 2023 to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Delhi government that a sum of Rs 3,565.64 crore may please be provided as interest-free subordinate debt at an early date so that the Supreme Court directions may be complied with," the DMRC's affidavit read.

Dealing with the matter, Justice Yashwant Varma was informed that the decision was taken as the city government earlier refused to contribute money and because of the DMRC's financial inefficiency, it was not able to raise funds from open market.

The Delhi government, in its communication, had said that the shareholders cannot be held liable for payments arising out of contractual defaults.

According to the DMRC, the Delhi Metro is under increased financial strain as a result of this "interest-free subordinate debt", and earlier, the less burdensome alternative of issuing equity shares did not work out.

Justice Varma listed the matter for next hearing on January 31.

On January 4, the DMRC had notified the HC that the city government is not inclined to contribute towards the payment of unpaid dues of arbitral award to the DAMEPL.

The Delhi government had claimed that it is not inclined to offer Rs 3,565.64 crore towards equity for payment of the arbitral sum with interest, according to the affidavit filed by the DMRC.

The Centre and the DMRC, represented by Attorney General R. Venkataramani, had informed the court that the issue is being actively considered and deliberated by the relevant authorities, and that they anticipate a resolution by January 16 and the court then listed the hearing for Thursday.

The DMRC had informed the court that it may obtain funding to cover this liability through the open market, externally aided funds, or a loan from the Centre.

The Supreme Court on December 14, 2022, also told Venkataramani, "we should not repeat again that on one hand, you give speeches everywhere that India should be a model arbitration hub", as it pulled up Centre for its failure to pay an arbitral award for Rs 4,500 crore following a lawsuit filed by Reliance Infra against the DMRC.
Srinagar, Jan 19 : For Faizan Arif Keng, a 22-year-old youth from the Nawakadal area in Srinagar, life is all about weather forecasting for over five years now. He has been widely applauded by the ex-director of Disaster Management, Aamir Ali, politicians, senior journalists and other people for his accurate weather predictions.

According to Faizan, he provides weather information to many media houses along with the agricultural sector. Besides, he also appeared on several radio stations like 98.3 FM, 95.0 FM, Radio Mirchi etc. Faizan is using weather models like GFS, ARPEGE, GEM, UKMO, ECMWF, ICON, meteoblue's NEMS, UM, ACCESS and CMA to share weather forecasts.

For the 2020-2021 winter season, he had released a long-range weather forecast in November 2020, becoming the first to do so for the Union Territory. His analysis and reports are taken seriously and published by national-level newspapers and agencies.

He said the World Meteorological Organization has rewarded him with an honourable mention in its WMO 2022 calendar competition. He has over 65,000 followers on Instagram and over 23,000 on Twitter under the handle 'Kashmir Weather'.

Faizan said he learnt about weather all by himself and his insterest for weather was in-born. Even before getting his first smartphone, he used to watch lightning and thunder by sitting near the window. He used to ask questions to his family members as to "how it is happening, when we are going to see another rain and snow spell etc." Faizan learnt forcasting from different websites, Wikipedia pages, books and research papers. He not only provides short-range weather forecasts, his long-term weather forecasts have also proved to be very accurate.

His study based on El Nino-Southern Oscillation and its link to climate forecasts for Jammu and Kashmir has also turned out to be accurate.

As the scope of meteorology is less in India, he has applied for his Masters in Meteorology at universities in the UK. However, Faizan said he needs a good scholarship to pursue his dream of serving his people and the country.

He said that no university in Jammu and Kashmir offers an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences.

"Even at the India level, only a couple of universities offer postgraduation in meteorology and atmospheric sciences," he said.

"As climate change is killing a huge number of people directly and indirectly every year, we definitely need more scientists in India whose research can benefit the country a lot," he said, adding that various institutions should be set up across the country where courses in meteorology, climate change and atmospheric and oceanic physics will be taught.

"The government of India should create more jobs in this field. Many weather enthusiasts believe that choosing this subject will leave them without jobs in future, so they go for different subjects. Their concern is definitely valid as we don't have many jobs in our country in this field," he said.

"We need to develop our own high-resolution models which will improve weather forecasting and will help save a lot of lives. This will also save the government from providing relief funds for damages. If not in the short run, in the long run our country will save a lot of money if we create a scope for meteorology in India and take climate change seriously," the independent weather forecaster said.

Faizan also said that many more weather observatories, automatic weather stations, automatic rain gauges and weather radars are needed across the country, especially in complex terrains like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : "Khalistan-related graffiti", found painted on walls in areas of west Delhi on Thursday, has been removed, police said.

A senior police official said that in the early morning hours, multiple graffiti raising objectionable slogans ike "Khalistan Zindabad" and "Referendum 2020" appeared in the area of Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi and other parts of west Delhi.

"Based on aforesaid information, a case under Sections 154 B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) has been registered by the Special Cell unit of Delhi Police," police spokesman Suman Nalwa said.

Sources said that as Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a banned organisation, it is trying to make itself known and wants to be in the news.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : As the entire world is trying hard to find solutions to mitigate climate change, India is putting its plans together faster to conserve energy and move towards alternative ones.

"India is the front-runner in mitigating climate change globally and is progressing fast on its energy transition agenda. Today's event marks the extent to which India is willing to innovate to keep its pledge of protecting the environment while simultaneously addressing the growing demand for energy," said Hardeep S. Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Talking about the progress made by India in terms of ethanol blending, the minister said, "We have increased ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in 2022, which was well ahead of the November 2022 deadline, and have advanced its target to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025-26." Puri said that this has resulted not only in augmenting the country's energy security, but also translated into a forex savings of over Rs 41,500 crore, reduced GHG emissions of 27 lakh MT and has benefitted farmers with expeditious payment of over Rs 40,600 crore made to them.

The minister also mentioned about the reduction in security deposit amount from 5 per cent to 1 per cent, extending a benefit of around Rs 400 crore to ethanol suppliers for 'ease of doing business', along with reduction of GST on bio-fuel from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

The minister said the government is setting up five 2G ethanol bio-refineries at Panipat in Haryana, Bathinda in Punjab, Bargarh in Odisha, Numaligarh in Assam and Devangere in Karnataka.

"We are also launching a Global Alliance on biofuels, along with USA and Brazil during India's Presidency of G20," he said.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the US Grains Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support higher ethanol blending in India at the Auto Expo 2023.

SIAM is the apex industry body for the Indian automobile industry and the US Grains Council (USGC) is a US-based not-for-profit organisation developing export markets for ethanol globally.

The SIAM and USGC will work to create ethanol awareness, increase production capacity and efficiency and advocate for ethanol's wide adoption. The MoU was signed by Vinod Aggarwal, President, SIAM, and Josh Miller, Chairman, USGC, in the presence of Puri, and Gloria Berbena, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Counsellor, Embassy of the US, New Delhi.

Ethanol is a renewable and clean fuel, which benefits the environment, health, and economy. In June 2022, India had achieved the target of supplying 10 per cent ethanol-blended petrol, five months ahead of schedule, up from 0.67 per cent blending in 2012.

The country aims to double the blend to 20 per cent by 2025-26, for which it will need an estimated 2.68 billion gallons or 10.15 billion litres of ethanol.

USGC Chairman Miller said, "We congratulate the Indian Government for achieving the significant milestone of 10 per cent ethanol blending ahead of schedule. We believe in collaboration and are constantly exploring opportunities to support India to achieve its next target of 20 per cent blending by 2025. India is the second-largest importer of US ethanol for industrial purposes. This MoU reflects the excellent mutual relations between the countries and our collaborative efforts and shared priorities in this space."
New Delhi/Agartala, Jan 19 : A day after the Election Commission announced the schedule of the Assembly polls in three northeastern states - Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, hectic parleys have started in New Delhi and in the state capitals between various parties.

Leaders of the BJP and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland held meetings in New Delhi in presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) and former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman also held separate "inconclusive" meetings with Sarma in the national capital.

Deb Barman reportedly reiterated his stand that his party would ally with those party or parties who would give in writing assurance to their 'Greater Tipraland State' demand. The TIPRA, since 2021, has been demanding elevation of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas by granting of 'Greater Tipraland State' under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

In Agartala, the Congress and the CPI-M held a second round of meetings about their seat adjustments for the February 16 elections. Congress Tripura state President Birajit Sinha, CPI-M state Secretary and former MP Jitendra Chowdhury, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, former MLA Asish Kumar Kumar Saha, Left Front convenor Narayan Kar and few other leaders were present in the one and a half hourslong meeting.

After the meeting, the Congress and the CPI-M leaders under the banner of "Secular Democratic Forces" apprised the media about the pre-poll violence in Tripura.

Barman said that people have serious apprehension whether they would be able to cast votes or not in the forthcoming Assembly polls. "Since the BJP government came to power in Tripura in 2018, people could not cast their vote in different elections. We (Congress and CPI-M) came together for restoring law and order situation and democracy," he told the media.

In Delhi, the Assam Chief Minister accompanied by the Nagaland BJP leaders after the meeting with NDPP leaders including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, said that the seat sharing has been finalised.

"The NDPP would field candidates in 40 seats and the BJP would contest in the remaining 20 seats in Nagaland. BJP would go alone in Meghalaya. Another BJP team has been looking after the seat sharing and alliance affairs of Tripura," Sarma told the media in Delhi.

In another development in Tripura, responding to the influential tribal-based party TIPRA's appeal, the ruling BJP's ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) agreed to hold discussions on contesting the February 16 Assembly election together for the all-round development and protection of the tribals.

IPFT's working President and state minister Prem Kumar Reang, in a letter to TIPRA supremo said: "I express my sincere gratitude for the proposal to unite IPFT and TIPRA in any form for solving the question of survivability and existence of the Tiprasas with an endeavour of achieving our demand for Tipraland and Greater Tipraland state." Senior TIPRA leader and Deputy Chief Executive Member of the TTAADC Animesh Debbarma told IANS on Thursday night that after TIPRA chief Deb Barman returned to Agartala, the formal meeting with the IPFT leaders would be held to take the next course of action.
Hyderabad, Jan 19 : Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) on Thursday delivered the first fuselage for six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army from its state-of-the-art facility here.

Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India, called it a proud milestone and a testimony of their commitment towards' Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and the world-class manufacturing capabilities at their joint venture, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, in Hyderabad.

The Apache will provide the Indian Army with a significant boost in capability, just as the AH-64 has for the Indian Air Force, he said.

Boeing had completed the deliveries of all 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020.

TBAL's 14,000 sq mt facility in addition to being a global sole source supplier for Apache fuselages, produces complex aero-structures for Boeing 737 and 777 models.

The joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced systems Limited (TASL) employs over 900 engineers and technicians and utilizes cutting-edge robotics, automation and advanced aerospace concepts in its manufacturing processes.

"Successful delivery of the first fuselage for Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopters for the Indian Army is the result of the hard work and seamless collaboration of the teams at TBAL, India. This delivery also positions TBAL and India as an important manufacturing base in overall Boeing operations. We stay committed towards progression of indigenous defence manufacturing with strong focus on the quality and timely delivery," said Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

TBAL has produced and supplied Boeing's Apache final assembly plant in Mesa, Arizona, with over 190 fuselages. More than 90 per cent of the parts used in these aerostructures assemblies are manufactured within India through over 100 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) suppliers in support of the government's vision for Make in India. Tata Group recently won the "Supplier of the year" award 2022 from Boeing, from among more than 11,000 suppliers worldwide.

With more than 1,275 AH-64 Apaches in operation accumulating over 4.9 million flight hours globally, 1.3 million of which have been in combat, the attack helicopter holds the reputation of being the world's most advanced and proven attack helicopter.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea by Google challenging a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order, which refused to stay operation of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing Rs 1337.76 crore fine on the tech giant.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala said the findings by the CCI cannot be said to be without jurisdiction or with manifest error and affirmed the NCLAT order declining to grant interim relief to Google. The bench directed the NCLAT to dispose of Google's appeal by March 31, and granted Google seven days to deposit 10 percent of the penalty imposed by the CCI.

Additional Solicitor General N. Venkatraman, representing the CCI, argued that Google Play services which are very important for OEMs, cannot be downloaded by users independently and pre-installation creates a behavioural bias, which is used for marketing by Google. He added that all these findings have resulted in a statutory infraction and causes lack of bargaining power in OEMs and deprives consumers of choice.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud told senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Google: "Dr Singhvi, all that you gave us in terms of data in fact militates against your argument." "Look at the kind of authority which you wield in terms of dominance... data indicates 15,000 Android models, 500 million compatible devices, 1500 OEMs. When you have that kind of market penetration, then by insisting you necessarily have my bouquet, you (are) directly affecting..what the OEM does, impact upon the ultimate consumer," the CJI said.

Singhvi submitted: "I am one of the players in this ecosystem, and people choose Google Play Store due to its excellence and not because of dominance." He added that suppose there is no Android would this revolution in telephony had taken place. Singhvi further argued that in Korea, there is a different user and pressed that Google is there due to excellence and not due to dominance. "Where it is voluntary, non-imposed. It is free, non exclusive, what more you can do," he said.

On January 11, the Supreme Court agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by NCLAT, declining to stay a Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI for alleged anti-competitive practices.

Google moved the apex court after the setback at the NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case. Earlier this month, the NCLAT did not find any urgency to pass an interim order, after noting that Google filed the appeal in December last year, though the CCI passed the order in October. It directed Google to deposit 10 per cent of the fine amount.

The tribunal had said that there was no urgency shown in the filing of the appeal, therefore Google could not be allowed to press for interim relief. In October last year, the CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in relation to Android mobile devices.

The CCI also imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies
Jaipur, Jan 19 : Well-known educator, author, philanthropist and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty was in Jaipur on Thursday where she shared the secrets of how she became a storyteller and a writer.

At an event titled 'In Conversation with Sudha Murty', organised jointly by Rajat Book Corner and Puffin Books in collaboration with FICCI Flo, Murty said, "When I was young, I used to live in a small village in Karnataka. Due to lack of electricity, I used to listen to stories from my grandmother for hours. I learnt to imagine from that phase of life. In my stories, the characters and places are all real, but the stories are fictional. When you learn to imagine, you can prepare yourself to become a writer. For me, writing about my life experiences is my favorite genre. When I write a book, I become a child myself." Murty, who's married to the co-founder of Infosys, N.R. Narayana Murthy, discussed some of her old writings, new book 'The Magic of Lost Story' and life experiences at the special event organised at the Totuka Bhawan here.

The highlight of the programme was a panel discussion involving children from Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mussoorie, who not only asked Murty questions, but also reminded her of her childhood, and her innocence and mischievousness.

"I take out time from writing books, travelling and my foundation to watch movies. Earlier, I used to keep many DVDs, but today in the era of OTT, DVDs are not that useful anymore. But I have still kept the DVDs of some of my favourite movies. I love watching Hindi films, they teach you to be in sync with imagination," said Murty, who was awarded the Padma Shri for social work in 2006.

Earlier, Mohit Batra from the Rajat Book Corner and Jayanthi Dalmiya and Mudrika Dhoka from FICCI Flo welcomed Murthy at the programme.

"There is no age to become a writer, just inspire the world with your characters," Murty said on her writing experience.

At the end of the programme, Murty had a lovely moment with the children during a book signing session when she signed their books, answered their questions and clicked photos with them.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said that it has registered a case against one Amit Kumar Aggarwal and and others including unknown officers of Kolkata Police (Hare Street Police Station).

It has been alleged that Aggarwal used to help Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in parking alleged ill gotten money through shell companies.

After lodging the case, searches were conducted at different locations and premises belonging to the alleged accused in Jharkhand and Kolkata.

The CBI said that earlier a preliminary enquiry was conducted on the orders of Jharkhand High Court.

The High Court had directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the conduct of the accused into "scandalising" the judiciary, ED officials and other government officials.

"An enquiry has revealed that prima facie offence under relevant sections of IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act etc., is made out. Therefore, a case was registered," said the official.

The High Court directed the CBI to conduct a Preliminary Inquiry into the conduct of Amit Kumar Aggarwal into scandalising the judiciary, ED officials and other Government officials particularly considering the Prevention of Corruption Act case of Hare Street P.S. case in which Aggarwal was the complainant.

The writ petition was filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma through his counsel advocate Rajeev Kumar before the Jharkhand High Court at Ranchi, wherein it was alleged that Agarwal amongst others were involved in the laundering of ill-gotten money of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and others through various shell companies.

There was another PIL filed against Soren and Pooja Singhal, a suspended IAS officer, related to the mining lease acquired by Soren, CM and Minister of Department of Mines and Industries (he was also the forest Minister and he obtained Environment Clearance for the new lease).

Both the PILs were clubbed by the High Court.

The CBI's enquiry revealed that earlier in the month of March, 2022, an attempt was made by Aggarwal through the then DC, Ranchi to influence Rajeev Kumar in connection with the PILs.

Aggarwal filed a complaint on July 31, 2022 at Hare Street Police Station against Rajeev Kumar and Shiv Shankar Sharma for illegally demanding a bribe amount of Rs 10 crore and for extorting the same for dismissing the PIL. The police filed a case on his complaint.

Aggarwal called Rajeev Kumar from Ranchi to Kolkata, first on July 13 and then on July 31 through one Sonu Agarwal and induced him to take money for getting the PIL dismissed.

Aggarwal had claimed he recorded his call with Rajeev Kumar.

"Aggarwal induced Rajeev Kumar to use his good contacts with judges and get the PIL matter dismissed and also offered him money and enquired about the amount of money required for the same. Aggarwal called Rajeev Kumar on July 31 and handed over Rs 50 lakh to Rajeev Kumar and got him trapped by the Kolkata Police," the CBI said.

A preliminary enquiry revealed the Prevention of Corruption Act case was registered by Hare Street PS on the basis of the complaint by Aggarwal even without mentioning name of any public servant or unknown public servants in the FIR before invoking the sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI enquiry revealed that the information provided by Aggarwal to Hare Street PS was false and the bribe was given to Rajeev Kumar by alluring him with an intention to interfere with the judicial process.

Contrary to the allegation made in the complaint to the Hare Street PS, it was Aggarwal who called Rajeev Kumar to Kolkata through Sonu Agarwal and offered him money.

Further, the conversation recorded by Aggarwal also did not reveal any threat of extortion from Rajeev Kumar to stop the Income Tax department from conducting any raid.

"Our inquiry has therefore revealed that Aggarwal had called Rajeev Kumar to Kolkata and offered and gave him Rs 50 lakh to induce a public servant to get the PIL dismissed. Hence, a prima facie offence under section 120-B IPC read with section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act and section 182 of IPC has been filed against Aggarwal, unknown officers of Kolkata Police and unknown others," the official said.

(Atul Krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, Jan 19 : A Delhi government school teacher, posted as an invigilator, was stabbed by a student during a practical exam on Thursday, police said.

The incident occurred in the school in Inderpuri area and the teacher, identified as Bhudev (29), sustained a wound in his stomach, an official said. He is undergoing treatment at the B.L.K. Kapoor hospital.

Bhudev, a native of Rohtak in Haryana, has a young daughter and his wife is pregnant.

Police said that they have arrested the student aged 18 years in connection with the incident while a hunt for two other students involved in the incident is going on.

"Bhudev has scolded the accused in the past for not wearing a proper uniform and he scolded the accused again on Thursday," said the official.

"Bhudev was on rounds in the school when three students encountered him on the staircase. One of the students took out a knife and stabbed him after they were pulled up again over uniform," said the official.

A senior police officer said that a case under the IPC's Section 307 (attempt to murder) has been registered.

"The knife used in commission of crime has been recovered from the possession of the accused," the official said, adding that further investigation is on.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Supreme Court collegium on Thursday emphasised the importance of free speech, noting "expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office", while reiterating its decision to appoint two advocates as judges in the Bombay High Court and Madras High Court.

The detailed response by the collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph, on the government's objection to the elevation of lawyers as judges of high courts assumes significance against the backdrop of friction between the judiciary and the Centre over the mechanism in the appointment of judges.

Moving away from the convention, the collegium published its resolution on the apex court website where it divulged details why the government objected to certain names for the appointment of judges to the high court. Usually, collegium decisions are uploaded on the top court's website.

In connection with the elevation advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan as a judge of the Bombay High Court, the collegium said the government wanted it to reconsider his candidature since he expressed views on social media on matters pending before the courts.

Returning Sundaresan's name, it said: "The manner in which the candidate has expressed his views does not justify the inference that he is a 'highly biased opinionated person' or that he has been 'selectively critical on the social media on the important policies, initiatives and directions of the government." "All citizens have the right to free speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Expression of views by a candidate does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional office so long as the person proposed for judgeship is a person of competence, merit and integrity." The collegium said Sundaresan has specialised in commercial law and would be an asset to the Bombay High Court which has a large volume of cases of commercial and securities laws, among other branches. "The Department of Justice has adverted to paragraph 175 of the Second Judges Case [(1993) 4 SCC 441] to the effect that the candidate to be selected must possess high integrity, honesty, skill, high order of emotional stability, firmness, serenity, legal soundness, ability and endurance. The candidate fulfils these qualities," said the collegium, advocating his appointment as a high court judge.

In the second case, the collegium reiterated the elevation of advocate R. John Sathyan as a judge of the Madras High Court. The collegium's resolution said the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had pointed out that he had shared an article critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and another post regarding committing of suicide by medical aspirant who ended her life in 2017 since she was unable to clear NEET, portraying it as a killing by 'political betrayal' and a tag stating 'shame of you India' came to notice.

The collegium said these two posts "will not impinge on the suitability, character or integrity of Sathyan" and pointed out that all the consultee judges had a favourable opinion about suitability of the lawyer. "The Intelligence Bureau has reported that he enjoys a good personal and professional image and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity. Sathyan belongs to the Christian community. The IB report notes that he does not have any overt political leanings," said the collegium, adding that Sathyan is fit and suitable for being appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court.

According to the memorandum of procedure (MoP), in connection with appointment of judges, the government can only object once if it does not agree with the collegium's recommendations, and it is bound by the collegium's decision after the names are reiterated.
Bengaluru, Jan 19 : Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai said on Thursday that BJP MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya, did not open the emergency exit of an IndiGo aircraft they were travelling in recently.

Surya is being targeted by the opposition Congress in Karnataka over the issue after reports emerged that it was the BJP MP who had allegedly pulled open the emergency exit of an IndiGo flight before take-off at the Chennai airport in December last year.

Speaking to the media in Chikkamagaluru, Annamalai said that he was accompanying Surya in the flight when the alleged incident took place on December 2, last year.

"We were travelling in an ATR-72 aircraft in which the emergency exit door was located in the front. Tejasvi Surya had placed his hand on the door as his seat did not have an arm-rest. At that point, he drew my attention to some gaps in the door beading. So I informed the air hostess who reported the matter to the pilot," Annamalai said.

Annamalai, a former IPS officer who had worked as the superintendent of police in Chikkamagaluru, insisted that Surya did not open the emergency door at all.

"He did not pull the door. He was simply resting his hand on it. Surya is an educated and widely-travelled person. Why will he pull the door? Moreover, this incident occurred while the boarding process was still on, so the passengers were deboarded till the door was fixed and the flight was cleared for take-off." Annamalai also attacked the Karnataka Congress leaders for triggering a controversy on the issue.

"They don't have anything else to target the BJP and that's why they're picking up this issue," he said.

The controversy was triggered on Tuesday afte IndiGo released a statement saying that a passenger had opened the emergency exit of its Chennai-Tiruchirapalli flight on December 10, 2022, leading to a two-hour delay in flight departure.

While the airline did not name the passenger responsible, some passengers travelling on the same flight had confirmed that it was Tejasvi Surya.

Meanwhile, Surya has maintained silence over the issue.

When approached for his comments on Tuesday, the MP's office had told IANS that a statement would be issued soon. However, no clarification has come from the MP thus far.
Patna, Jan 19 : BJP's Bihar President Sanjay Jaiswal on Thursday claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become "irrelevant" in national and state politics and hence he is taking out Yatras.

Nitish Kumar had said that he would go across the country for the unity of opposition parties after the Budget Session in February this year. He had also met several leaders of opposition parties last year after forming the government with the help of the RJD and other five political parties in the state.

However, Jaiswal said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao punctured Nitish Kumar's hopes of opposition unity by not inviting him to the first rally of his renamed BRS in Khammam.

During the rally of Khammam, KCR had invited many opposition leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan, Samajwadi Party chief and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, leaders of Left parties, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others but not Nitish Kumar.

"Nitish Kumar became irrelevant in national politics and that is the reason why KCR did not invite him for the rally in Khammam. No one is discussing him. Even in Bihar, the alliance partners are not paying attention to him. He is doing Yatra in Bihar only to get some attention of leaders," Jaiswal claimed.
New Delhi/Guwahati, Jan 19 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that it is big news that Jiban Singha Koch, the self-styled chief of militant outfit Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), has returned to the mainstream.

Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi, Sarma said, "He (Jiban Singha) has joined the mainstream a few days back... Let him take rest for some time then he will start discussions with the government." Singha, along with nine members of his outfit, surrendered before the security forces in the Longwa region in Nagaland's Mon district last Friday. He is expected to join the peace talks with the Central government soon.

Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, said that efforts are on to bring the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) led by Paresh Baruah to talks with the government.

"We have told people about the issues we have with ULFA. However, despite that, we are directly and indirectly in touch with the ULFA leadership. I am hopeful of resolving this issue within this (five-year) tenure," the Chief Minister said.

Sarma, who is in Delhi to finalise various issues relating to Assembly elections in three northeastern states, had said in his Independence Day speech last year that sovereignty is non-negotiable.

Operating out of the Myanmar territory, ULFA-I had twice extended the unilateral ceasefire in 2021. Restoration of Assam's sovereignty is one of the core demands of the outfit.

Earlier, the pro-talk faction of ULFA had submitted a charter of demand to the Centre. The peace talks between a faction of ULFA and Centre had started in 2011.

ULFA General Secretary, Anup Chetia, was extradited to India in November 2015 from Bangladesh. Later he had joined the peace process.

KLO chief Jiban Singha had formed the group in 1995. Its demands include a separate state with parts of Cooch Behar, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal, as well as four districts of Assam -- Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara -- Kishanganj in Bihar and Jhapa district in Nepal.

The KLO cadres claim that the organisation's aim is to address the problems of the Koch Rajbongshi people, including large-scale unemployment, land alienation, perceived neglect of the Kamtapuri language, economic deprivation, etc.

Earlier, just before last year's Independence Day, Singha had issued an appeal to the President and the Prime Minister of India to meet the outfit's longstanding demand for a separate Kamtapur state.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : During the upcoming budget session of the Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might present the Union Budget 2023-24 at the new Parliament building on February 1. Preparations for presenting this year's Budget is going on in full swing.

According to sources, the construction work for the new Parliament House is almost complete and is expected to be ready by the end of January.

Therefore, preparations have also started for the upcoming Budget session to be held at the new Parliament building.

Although a final decision on this count is yet to be taken, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has already started making new identity cards for the MPs of different parties for entry into the new Parliament House.

The Budget session will commence on January 31 and is likely to continue till April 6, with a break between February 14 and March 12.

As per tradition, on the first day of Budget session on January 31, President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament.

On February 1, Sitharaman will present the Budget for FY 2023-24.

According to sources, efforts are being made to hold both the President's address and the Union Budget in the new building of the Parliament House.

And if need arises, the proceedings of the remaining days of the new House can be conducted at the old Parliament building.

Sources said that the fencing between the existing and the new Parliament House building has been removed.

The work of exterior decoration of the new Parliament building has already started and if no technical problems arise, this time the Budget session can be started from the new Parliament House. In case this is not possible due to some technical fault, efforts will be made to hold the second phase of the Budget session in the new Parliament House.
Panaji, Jan 20 : The Goa government has unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw the Detailed Project Report (DPR) sanctioned by the Central Water Commission, immediate constitution of the Mhadei Water Management Authority and oppose the diversion of water from Mhadei basin.

During the discussion on 'Mhadei Diversion' resolution on the last day of the Assembly session, it also constituted the 'House Committee' headed by the Goa Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar.

"We will oppose the diversion of water from Mhadei basin, we are firm on it. We will urge the Central government for an immediate constitution of the Mhadei Water Management Authority as given in the award and also urged for the withdrawal of the DPR sanctioned by CWC," Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, while reading out the resolution.

"They (Karnataka) may be watching us to check whether we are fighting. Instead of making allegations and counter allegations, we should make a strategy to fight this battle, politically, technically and even legally," Sawant added.

"Perhaps it may be an election agenda for Karnataka. But for us it is not a political battle. For us it is a battle of existence. If water stops coming to Goa then it will affect the state and our identity. Definitely it will affect. Hence we need to unite on this issue and should not make it a political battle," he said.

Sawant also added that a House Committee under the leadership of the state Water Resources Minister will be constituted.

"I am committed to follow-up on the resolution, which would be sent to the Central government," he said.

Participating in the discussion, the Opposition benches attacked the Treasury bench stating the 'Double-engine failed' and they have compromised Mhadei to benefit the BJP in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election. However, most of the ruling BJP MLAs urged the Opposition to unite over the issue and fight the battle of Mhadei together.

The Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai said that the Chief Minister is not talking about whether "double-engine" is betrayal or whether it will function (to protect Goa's interest).

"DPR has to be withdrawn and the Chief Minister has to take responsibility for it. If he can't then he should step down. He should go to his Central leadership and withdraw the DPR," Sardesai added.

"We want serious and time-bound action and for that purpose we are with you. If you are not taking this seriously then resolution is 'nothing'. It can't be indefinite. It is a serious issue of identity and should have accountability and must be resolved in a time-bound manner," he said.

He alleged that the state BJP leadership had consented for the DPR and hence it was notified by the Centre.

"I am not afraid to tell you this," he added.

However, Chief Minister Sawant rejected the allegations, saying nothing such had happened.

Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the Kalasa-Bhanduri dam project across the water of Mhadei river at a central tribunal.

Mhadei originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji.

While the river traverses 28.8 km in Karnataka, it is 81.2-km in length in Goa. Karnataka plans to construct dams on the river, aimed at diverting the water into its water-starved Malaprabha basin in north Karnataka.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, V. Sivadasan wrote to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressing concern regarding the issue of alienation of land owned by Railways in Kannur.

Sivadasan in a letter to the Union Railway Minister said, "I would like to invite your attention towards the serious issue of alienation of land owned by Railways in Kannur. It has been reported that more than 7 acre of land around Kannur Railway Station has been handed over to a private agency through the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA)." "As the land for projects, including new platform is limited, this move will result in the railway development in Kannur being blocked," he claimed in the letter.

The CPI(M) leader claims that with the completion of the land transfer, development projects that were expected to come up at Kannur railway station, including the construction of new platforms, will now become more difficult.

Due to unavailability of space, the railway will also hamper the parking facilities for more vehicles at both the entrances of the railway station. There is also a serious concern that the railway land transfer will hinder urban road development, Sivadasan added.

He said that he has demanded the Union Railway Minister Vaishnaw to take immediate steps in this regard.
Tokyo, Jan 20 : The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet dropped to 26.5 per cent, a record low since he took office in October 2021, as a majority opposed tax hikes for defence spending, according to a Jiji Press survey.

The latest public opinion survey found that the Kishida cabinet's approval rating dropped 2.7 percentage points from the previous month to 26.5 per cent, below 30 per cent for the fourth consecutive month, and that the disapproval rating grew 1.1 points to a record high of 43.6 per cent.

A public support rating below 30 per cent is commonly viewed as a danger zone for the cabinet, Xinhua news agency reported.

The result apparently reflected anxiety about Kishida's plans to raise taxes to boost defence spending as well as higher prices, Jiji Press said on Thursday.

The survey, conducted for four days through Monday, showed that 50.8 per cent of respondents opposed the tax increase for defence spending, far higher than 24.7 per cent in favour of the plan.

Meanwhile, Kishida's response to the resignation of four cabinet ministers since last October was rated negatively by 56.4 per cent of respondents, while only 18.7 per cent were in favour.

The interview-based survey for January covered 2,000 people above the age of 18 nationwide. Valid responses came from 60.5 per cent.
Moscow, Jan 20 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Western nations have been openly trying to restrain the development of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

"Our Western neighbours have openly proclaimed their aim to restrain our development and (the development) of the Union State," Lavrov said on Thursday at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik, in the Belarusian capital Minsk, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"The West is trying to incite the non-systemic opposition that is working abroad against the interests of Belarus and Russia," he added.

At a joint press conference after the talks, he said the two sides also discussed "the ongoing attempts made by the West to interfere in the internal affairs of both countries," including through the introduction of illegal sanctions that aim to weaken both economies and undermine their political stability, Xinhua news agency reported.

During his visit, Lavrov also met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and participated in a joint meeting of the Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries.

Russia and Belarus also signed an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding on ensuring biological safety, in addition to a number of other documents on bilateral cooperation. The memorandum, according to Lavrov, was important in strengthening the security of the two countries and in countering biological threats emanating from Western states and organisations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Berlin, Jan 20 : A day after Germany's new Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, took office, who stressed that "the meaning of security is different than it was a year ago" due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"These are not normal times," Pistorius said in his inaugural address on Thursday. Although Germany is not part of the conflict, the country is affected by it, he added.

Taking over his predecessor, Christine Lambrecht, he inherits the task of rehabilitating an aging army long affected by austerity measures. "The armed forces, it has to be said, unfortunately, have often been neglected in recent decades," Pistorius said.

In order to tackle the issue, Germany already set up a special defence fund of 100 billion euros ($108 billion) last year. With this, the country also aims to achieve the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence in the future, Xinhua news agency reported.

There are concerns, however, that the additional budget will not be sufficient for the task. According to Bundestag Defence Commissioner Eva Hoegl, it could take three times the 100 billion euros in special defence funds approved last year to correct the deficiencies.

"The biggest part of these times of change is still ahead of us," the Defence Minister said, adding that his job would be to "get tangible progress done now".

Immediately after taking office, Pistorius met with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, to discuss further support for Ukraine.

Lambrecht resigned from office on Monday following growing pressure after she posted a New Year's speech on social media, in which she referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a manner that was perceived as inappropriate. (1 euro = 1.08 US dollar)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Tehran, Jan 20 : An Iranian health official has said that 20,800 people in Iran die of air pollution-caused diseases per year, according to a state media report.

The figure was estimated according to the results of research and studies conducted in 27 Iranian cities with a total population of 35 million, Abbas Shahsavani, Head of the Air Health and Climate Change Department of Iran's Health Ministry, told Tasnim news agency on Thursday.

Nearly 12.6 percent of the annual fatalities in the country are due to diseases caused by air pollution, he said, adding air pollution annually incurs a cost of 8.2 billion U.S. dollars on the country, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Commenting on the situation in Tehran, the Iranian official said air pollution killed 6,400 people in the Iranian capital in the Iranian calendar year ending March 20, 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.

Shahsavani blamed Tehran's air pollution on old cars and diesel motorcycles, saying 90 per cent of the country's motorcycles and 50 per cent of Tehran's transport fleet are old and worn out.

With the arrival of the cold season, the air pollution in major Iranian cities, including Tehran, reaches alarming levels, which is hazardous for the health of local residents.

Domestic and foreign experts said under the years-long US sanctions, the forced use of old vehicles, which should have been scrapped long ago, is the cause of the terrible air quality in Tehran.

"It is no surprise that Tehran is one of the world's most polluted cities. US sanctions force people to prolong the use of older vehicles that burn fuel less efficiently while making it impossible for Iran to obtain equipment and technology to reduce vehicle emissions," a group of UN human rights experts announced on December 20, 2022.

The sanctions also prevent Iranian scientists from engaging in joint environmental research projects abroad, and prevent Iranians from accessing online databases and courses about environmental issues and sustainability, they pointed out.
Beirut, Jan 20 : The UNICEF has warned against an educational disaster in Lebanon, urging the immediate reopening of public schools to end education disruption.

"Children in Lebanon are experiencing another devastating disruption to their education following the closure of public schools at the beginning of this month," Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF representative in Lebanon, said in a statement released by the UN agency on Thursday.

"Unless schools reopen without delay, the immediate and long-term impacts on their learning, protection and future prosperity will be insurmountable and hinder prospects for a sustainable recovery from the current economic crisis," he added.

Beigbeder also urged "the Lebanese government to prioritise long-term solutions through the 2023 country budget and take steps to support teachers with an income which provides dignity and so that children can access quality, safe and inclusive education," as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

Lebanon's public school teachers started a strike earlier this month to protest at devalued salaries and the dire work conditions since the start of Lebanon's economic crisis in 2019.
Jerusalem, Jan 20 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he met visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and explored ways to forge official ties with Saudi Arabia.

The two discussed "the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the circle of peace, with emphasis on a breakthrough regarding Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Thursday.

The Abraham Accords are a series of normalisation deals signed in 2020 in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco agreed to establish official ties with Israel, breaking the country's relative isolation in the Middle East, Xinhua news agency report.

Upon his return to office last December, Netanyahu declared that he wish to form diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, a move that he hopes will "bring an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict".

Netanyahu and Sullivan also discussed "joint efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear programme and Iran's actions in the region," the office said.

Sullivan is the most senior US official to visit Israel since Netanyahu's new extreme-right government was inaugurated last December. The swearing-in of this coalition government, which includes ministers who advocate the annexation of the occupied West Bank and voice anti-Arab rhetoric, has caused discontent in the administration of US President Joe Biden.
Dar Es Salaam, Jan 20 : Tanzanian Vice-President Philip Mpango has called for the protection of water sources that flow into Lake Victoria, one of the world's largest freshwater lakes.

Mpango made the call shortly on Thursday before he laid the foundation stone for a 24.4-billion-Tanzanian-shilling (about $10.4 million) project that will draw water from Lake Victoria and supply it to Tinde and Shelui townships in Shinyanga region.

"A decrease in water levels in Lake Victoria will have dire consequences for humankind," he said.

He also urged water authorities in the country to come up with strategies aimed at conserving water, including harvesting rainwater for use in times of scarcity, Xinhua news agency reported.

Covering an area of 68,800 square kilometre, Lake Victoria is shared by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Colombo, Jan 20 : Visiting External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has conveyed to his Sri Lankan counterpart about India's commitment to increase investment flows to the financially-strapped southern neighbour to hasten its economic recovery.

"Conveyed our commitment to increase investment flows to Sri Lanka to hasten its economic recovery. Look forward to my discussions with the leadership tomorrow morning," tweeted Indian EAM following his meeting with Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Thursday evening.

"A good meeting with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and other ministerial colleagues this evening in Colombo. Discussed India-Sri Lanka cooperation in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, industry and health," Jaishankar said.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister also tweeted, "A pleasure to meet with S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India in Colombo. Discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship between our nations, people-to-people contacts, trade and investment ties and appreciated India's steadfast assistance for Sri Lanka." Jaishankar's visit to the crisis-hit neighbour followed India's assurance given to the IMF to support the restructuring of Sri Lanka's debts.

Undertaking to restructure debts specially from Sri Lanka's major creditors -- India, China and Japan -- are a prerequisite to obtain IMF's bridge loan of $2.9 billion -- the much needed immediate relief for the debt-ridden country.

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the Parliament that debt restructuring talks with India and China were successful.

India's EAM with a high profile delegation from the Ministry is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka on January 19 and 20.
WillDom, a leader in enabling high-growth organizations to rightsource, strategize, and execute on their digital transformation initiatives, today announced the conversion of Nativo as its latest WillDom branch. Having a presence in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Nativo will further enable WillDom to offer top tech talent from these regions to US tech companies.

Nativo will now operate as WillDom Costa Rica and marks the eleventh branch for WillDom, cumulatively.

We cant think of a better way to start the New Year than with the announcement of a new branch and welcoming WillDom Costa Rica to the WillDom community, stated Andres Perea, CEO of WillDom. Companies are having a difficult time developing technology to grow their businesses. WillDom as a global company will play a critical role in how these organizations are able to keep their tech projects moving forward. WillDom Costa Rica has a legacy of working with the best talent in their regions, and we cant wait to bring these professionals into WillDom projects to strengthen the innovative practices for current and prospective clients.

Were very excited that Nativo has decided to join the WillDom ecosystem, added Martin Suarez-Viacava, chief revenue officer at WillDom. The addition of WillDom Costa Rica not only supports the companys strategic expansion efforts, but it bolsters our brand equity and transforms what were able to offer not only within our ecosystem, but to our clients.

Nativo, formerly DotCreek, was founded in 2011 by Pablo Arroyo, Bladimir Arroyo, and Fran Quesada. Nativo had just completed its rebrand in November 2020 before being approached to join WillDom in August 2021. The company was apprehensive at first about becoming a branch due to its recent activity and rebranding efforts but was drawn to the benefits that being associated with WillDom offered. Starting as a partner, Nativo gained access to new opportunities but saw greater potential in furthering the relationship as a branch. Joining WillDom enables Nativo to expand its services, reach new clients, and be viewed as a bigger and stronger organization to potential clients.

Were thrilled to be joining WillDom and look forward to the continued symbiotic relationship weve developed, noted Pablo Arroyo, managing director at WillDom Costa Rica. We take great pride in the relationships weve developed with tech professionals and our clients, and cant wait to bring these capabilities to a larger customer base and market thanks to the powerful brand WillDom has created. With WillDom concentrated on the holistic digital journey of its customers, were excited to jump in and help bolster these efforts moving forward."

Along with bringing in their own network, WillDom Costa Rica gains access to WillDoms vast technical talent pool of more than 5000 software developers, engineers, and technologists that can enhance their tech services for current and future customers. Additionally, WillDom Costa Rica will gain access to the WAVE platform, WillDoms proprietary platform that streamlines and supports business operations including client and talent management, onboarding, payroll, and so much more.

About WillDom

WillDom is a leader in enabling high-growth organizations to rightsource, strategize, and execute on their digital transformation initiatives. Through its proprietary end-to-end WAVE platform, WillDom utilizes its vast network of more than 5,000 best-in-class software developers, engineers, and technologists to provide organizations with software development that brings big ideas to life. If you need a partner for your digital journey or are looking to hire a full team, visit WillDom.com or follow us on LinkedIn today to access the power of the WillDom Ecosystem.
The Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and Northside Hospital are hosting the 38th annual Breast Surgery Symposium from January 27th through January 29th, 2023 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead. This year three top surgeons from Atlanta Plastic Surgery, Program Chair James Namnoum, M.D., and Program Co-Chair Franklyn Elliott, M.D. and Jonathan Nguyen, M.D (board-eligible). will have prominent roles in the three-day scientific program.

The late Dr. Carl Hartrampf, the co-Founder of Atlanta Plastic Surgery, originated the three-day Breast Surgery Symposium in 1984. Since then the Symposium has grown to include nearly 500 registrants from 15 countries and has become internationally synonymous with innovations in reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery. This year Dr. Robert J. Allen, M.D., Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at Louisiana State University, will deliver the Honorary Hartrampf Lecture on "The Marriage of Beauty and Blood Supply."

The Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposiums agenda will begin with live demonstrations of the most advanced surgical techniques transmitted from Northside Hospital to meeting attendees at the Intercontinental Hotel. Other live telecast surgeries will feature secondary breast augmentation with mesh and trans abdominal breast augmentation.

Dr. Nguyen (board-eligible) from Atlanta Plastic Surgery will assist in one of the Symposium's two live surgery telecasts. This telecast features gender affirming mastectomy by Dr. Loren Schechter, Director of Gender Affirming Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Nguyen(board-eligible)is Atlanta Plastic Surgery's newest surgeon.

The symposium will also feature comprehensive panels discussing autologous fat grafting, prosthetic based breast reconstruction, and revisional breast surgery. Symposium panels will discuss current trends and techniques in breast surgery, breast implants, breast augmentation, mastectomy, oncoplastic surgery, and breast reconstruction. Other panels will discuss reduction Mastopexy, moderated by Dr. Elliott with a presentation by Dr. Namnoum on Mastopexy: Breast Transformation by a Comprehensive Approach. Dr. Elliott will also moderate a Breast Implant Panel.

About Atlanta Breast Symposium: An educational three day conference geared toward advancing the knowledge and skill of all aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgeons, the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium was formed in 1984 by the late Dr. Carl Hartrampf, co-Founder of Atlanta Plastic Surgery. It is hosted every January by the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS) and sets the precedence for breast surgery advancements. Visit sesprs.org for symposium details.

About Atlanta Plastic Surgery: Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. was founded in 1968 by the late Dr. Carl Hartrampf. Our staff of surgeons have achieved international reputations in their specialties through published books, papers, lectures and live surgical demonstrations. Because each of Atlanta Plastic Surgery's physicians have different areas of concentration, they can provide unparalleled scope, expertise and specialization in cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures. For more information, visit their website at atlplastic.com.
A Film Industry Focus on Uganda Uganda is uniquely advantaged, with globally resounding high-interest stories, thriving diaspora human resource pool, scenic landscape, and diverse climate, that are beneficial to the emerging film industry.

His Excellency President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, held a meeting with top government officials and film industry professionals at the recent US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC, last month, speaking on Ugandas commitment to promoting the nations film industry and its importance in the areas of social and economic development. Highlighting the importance of proactive government support, President Museveni gave the directive to the Minister of Finance, the Honorable Matia Kasaija, to fast-track packages of non-cash incentives to strengthen Ugandas negotiating power and give a competitive edge when pitching for film projects or their financing.

Ugandan film industry partners and stakeholders attended the summit unveiling their plans for bolstering the local film industry and firming its foundation to support and attract foreign productions. Real estate developer Brian Kayongo is a part of a conglomerate in the development stages of building a state-of-the-art studio to attract foreign productions to Uganda, working alongside David Godfrey, the former Pinewood Group Director of International Operations and the go to world expert for the designing, building, and managing of screen-based media facilities.

President Museveni expressed his unequivocal support, Innovative ideas that lead to diversification of the economy and the widening of the tax base is my priority, he said while signaling that a Film Office be created at the global industry standard of a one-stop center under the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development to oversee the requirements to develop the industry and a committee to facilitate the transition by ensuring a swift film policy enactment.

Amid the summit, President Museveni was informed by the Ugandan film industry stakeholders that the economic synergies created by the film slate

could inject $150M in wages and service provision and a joint foreign investment effect of $1B in three years with ancillary benefits like capacity

building for the film industry and destination marketing of tourism sites.

"Uganda is uniquely advantaged, with globally resounding high-interest stories, thriving diaspora human resource pool, scenic landscape, and diverse climate, that are beneficial to the emerging film industry," says Sentongo, his producing a slate of five globally resonant tourism and cultural-themed feature projects to be released through an internationally recognized studio.

At the summit, it was also announced that the Honorary Consul of Uganda in Florida, Peter Schou Nielsen, is producing an estimated $32M budgeted epic biblical production entitled "Betrayal."

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Odongo Jeje, Minister of Finance, Hon. Matia Kasaija, Principle Private Secretary to the President, Dr. Kenneth Omona, and newly appointed Ambassador of Uganda to the United States, Robie Kakonge, were also in attendance.

Notable foreign productions shot in Uganda include "The Last King Of Scotland," "Queen of Katwe," "Saras Notebook," and "Fauci."

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PRESS CONTACT: Justin O. Cooper - justin@jocmedia.com - (404) 803-3006

Uganda Film Promo Reel: https://vimeo.com/jocmedia/uganda
Syner-G BioPharma Group (Syner-G), a leading provider of integrated pharmaceutical science and regulatory consulting services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, today announced the acquisition of RMC Pharmaceutical Solutions (RMC). Based in Boulder, CO, RMC supports the outsourced CMC and Quality needs of biotech and pharma companies across multiple therapeutic areas.

The acquisition provides additional depth to Syner-Gs suite of pharmaceutical science services, adding impressive development experience in all biologic modalities including cell and gene therapy. The combined team offers an impressive range of process and analytical development services, regulatory strategy, regulatory submission support, and quality management services. For RMC, the acquisition provides biotech and pharma clients access to a full range of integrated development and regulatory services.

Syner-G and RMC have strong records of consistent growth and success in providing customized solutions to support the development of life enhancing and lifesaving therapeutics. The combination enhances their ability to deliver the highest caliber CMC services to pharma and biotech companies of all sizes on a global basis.

I am very pleased to welcome the RMC team to Syner-G, said Ron Kraus, chief executive officer, Syner-G BioPharma Group. RMCs Biologics experience and their Responsive, Measured, and Creative approach to product development fits perfectly with Syner-Gs vision to be the trusted development partner to our clients, recognized globally for our strategic, innovative, and scientifically-driven approach.

Led by founders, Timothy Joy and Scott Rudge, RMC has provided practical and science-driven CMC and Quality solutions to its clients for over 18 years.

"Our clients have come to expect high levels of critical thinking, informed by the best science and engineering, applied reliably, nimbly, and phase appropriately to solve problems and advance their programs," said Scott Rudge, co-founder, chairman, and chief operating officer of RMC. "We know thats exactly what they will continue to receive from Syner-G and Im delighted to continue to play a key role in the combined business." Timothy Joy, co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of RMC added, In addition to the obvious benefits the combined organization presents to RMCs clients, Im excited about the future opportunities that being part of a larger organization offers to the RMC team.

Financial terms of the transaction, which closed in January 2023, were not disclosed.

About Syner-G BioPharma Group

Based in Boston, MA, Syner-G is a leading provider of customized CMC, regulatory strategy, medical writing, regulatory submissions and publishing services, supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the therapeutic spectrum and complete drug development lifecycle. For more information, visit http://www.synergbiopharma.com.

About RMC Pharmaceutical Solutions

Based in Boulder, CO, RMC specializes in providing CMC and quality management services for the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. For more information, visit http://www.rmcpharma.com.
Since 2017, the fellowship program has championed individuals who share the foundations dedication to advancing Gordon Parkss vision for social change through the arts and humanities.

The Gordon Parks Foundation has announced its 2023 fellowship recipients: Artists Jammie Holmes and Jose Parla are Fellows in Art, and art historian and scholar Melanee C. Harvey as the Genevieve Young Fellow in Writing. Since 2017, the fellowship program has championed individuals who share the foundations dedication to advancing Parkss vision for social change through the arts and humanities. Each recipient receives $25,000 to support new or ongoing projects that explore themes of representation and social justice. The 2023 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellows will be celebrated at the annual Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner on May 23, 2023 in New York City. More info can be found at: https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/support/gala.

This years art fellows are both painters whose work moves Gordon Parkss legacy forward in important ways, while Melanees writing fellowship project at Howard University brings forth an important new historical context to his work, said Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., Executive Director of The Gordon Parks Foundation. We are proud to support the thought-provoking, innovative work of Jammie, Jose, and Melanee.

The Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship programs were established to grant the same vital support that Parks received early in his career to contemporary artists and writers who are continuing his legacy of using art to enact social change. In 1942, Parks was awarded the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship, a grant which allowed him to move to Washington D.C. and apprentice under Roy Stryker at the Farm Security Administration (FSA). This opportunity set the course for Parkss 60-year career documenting American life through powerful photographs and iconic films, becoming one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century. The annual fellowships support the development of new or ongoing projects that explore themes of representation and social justice, and are in historical dialogue with Gordon Parkss work. Fellows participate in a wide range of Foundation initiatives and programs throughout the year, culminating in a solo exhibition at the Gordon Parks Foundation.

The Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship in Art

The Gordon Parks Foundation awards two $25,000 fellowships in art annually to support artists working in a variety of fields and mediums in the development of new or ongoing projects that explore themes of representation and social justice, and are in historical dialogue with Gordon Parkss work.

2023 Art fellow Jammie Holmes creates intimate, complex paintings that foreground themes and experiences of Black life. Originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana and now based in Dallas, Texas, Holmes is a self-taught artist. His paintings incorporate portraiture, symbols, text, and objects that depict the celebrations and struggles of everyday life, particularly the contemporary American South.

"I'm honored to join the family of Gordon Parks Fellows, said Holmes. Gordon Parks's courage in capturing moments of everyday life has been a long-time inspiration to me as an artist and individual. I am excited to explore Parks's legacy and bridge the gap between his work and contemporary perspectives."

Holmes is joined by Jose Parla, who has been working for more than twenty-five years to establish a style of painting that transforms the language of the street into a hybrid form of abstraction and urban realism. Born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Parla has sought to interpret his experience of cities that have served as crossroads in his life, by engaging with the rich history of abstraction in painting.

"Gordon Parks's unique approach and message have paved the way for many to clearly see the issues of civil rights, race relations, poverty, and urban life, said Parla His work continues to inspire me, and I am honored and privileged to receive the Gordon Parks Foundation Art Fellowship."

The Gordon Parks Foundation has awarded 12 fellowships in art since 2017. Previous fellows include Bisa Butler and Andre D. Wagner (2022), Nina Chanel Abney and Tyler Mitchell (2020), Guadalupe Rosales and Hank Willis Thomas (2019), Derrick Adams and Deana Lawson (2018), and Devin Allen and Harriet Dedman (2017).

Genevieve Young Fellowship in Writing

Launched in 2022, The Gordon Parks Foundation's Genevieve Young Fellowship in Writing awards one annual $25,000 fellowship to a writer working in a variety of fields including art history, journalism, and literature. This year, the Fellowship in Writing is awarded in partnership with Howard University, celebrating the acquisition of a collection of photographs by Gordon Parks that represent the arc of his career over five decades. The Fellowship will support research and writing by a Howard University professor and act as the foundation for a series of programs that will celebrate this historic acquisition.

Writing fellow Melanee C. Harvey is an associate professor of art history at Howard University. She will embark on a project that investigates the social structures and sites of religious practice documented across Gordon Parkss photographs from the 1930s to the last quarter of the twentieth century. An exhibition mounted at both the Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery and Howard University will be enhanced by collaborative programming hosted by the University.

"Receiving the support of the Gordon Parks Foundation marks a significant milestone in my study of the visual culture of Black religion and spirituality but also in the practice of photo history at Howard University, said Harvey. Across this year-long fellowship, I am excited about the opportunity to study Parkss photographic practice through The Gordon Parks Legacy Collection as well as the rich collection of historic African American photography at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. This support from the Gordon Parks Foundation helps to extend and augment the legacy of photo history at Howard University.

The Genevieve Young Fellowship was established last year in honor of the legendary book editor, who was also Gordon Parkss creative partner and estate executor. Young was also instrumental in the creation and development of the Gordon Parks Foundation beginning in 2006, and served on the Foundations board from 200620. Writing in particular was central to Parkss work, a means of expression that broadened the reach and impact of his perspective.

2022 Fellow Bisa Butler Exhibition to Open at Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery

Next month, the Gordon Parks Foundation is pleased to present Materfamilias, an exhibition by 2022 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow Bisa Butler, a textile artist. The exhibition will run February 1April 14, 2023 at the Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery, located at 48 Wheeler Ave in Pleasantville, NY.

Butler creates quilted works inspired by photographs  portraits composed entirely of fabrics and textiles in vibrant colors and patterns that reimagine and celebrate Black life. For this exhibition, the culmination of her 2022 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship, she has created quilts inspired by, among others, photographs by Gordon Parks. More information can be found at: https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/exhibitions/gordon-parks-foundation-gallery.

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS OF THE 2023 FELLOWS HERE

DOWNLOAD A PHOTO OF BISA BUTLER HERE

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ABOUT JAMMIE HOLMES

Jammie Holmes is a self-taught painter from Thibodaux, Louisiana, whose work tells the story of contemporary life for many Black families in America. Through portraiture and tableaux, Holmes depicts stories of the celebrations and struggles of everyday life, with particular attention paid to a profound sense of place. Growing up 20 minutes from the Mississippi River, Holmes was surrounded by the social and economic consequences of Americas dark past, situated within a deep pocket of the Sun Belt, where reminders of slavery exist alongside labor union conflicts that have fluctuated in intensity since the Thibodaux Massacre of 1887. His work is a counterpoint to the romantic mythology of Louisiana as a hub of charming hospitality, an idea that has been perpetuated in order to hide the deep scars of poverty and racism that have structured life in the state for centuries. Holmes relocated to Dallas in 2016. His work has most recently been presented in exhibitions at Library Street Collective, Detroit; Deitch Projects, Los Angeles; Marianne Boesky, New York; Nassima-Landau Projects, Tel Aviv; Dallas Museum of Art; and Dallas Contemporary, among others. His work is also included in the permanent collections of the Aishti Foundation, Brooklyn Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Hammer Museum, ICA Miami, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, New Orleans Museum of Art, Perez Museum of Art, X Museum, and The Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art. Holmes lives and works in Dallas, Texas.

ABOUT JOSE PARLA

From the outset, Jose Parla has sought to interpret his experience of cities that have served as crossroads in his life, from Miami to Brooklyn, San Juan to Havana, London to Tokyo, Istanbul to Hong Kong as a central theme in his work, while purposefully engaging with the rich history of painting since the rise of abstraction in the 1950s. His work provides markers of time, and is about the accumulation of information that settles like accretions upon the surfaces of walls and streets, like the lines on the hands and faces of the people who inhabit them. Parla is known for his permanent installations of large-scale paintings and community engagement as a co-founder of Wide Awakes. In 2015 he painted the monumental mural ONE: Union of the Senses in the lobby of One World Trade Center. Other notable mural projects include Nature of Language at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University, and the mural Diary of Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, and Amistad America at The University of Texas at Austin. Solo institutional exhibitions of Parlas work have been organized at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York (2020); Istanbul74 a project of the Istanbul Biennial (2019); HOCA Foundation, Hong Kong (2019); Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. (2018); Neuberger Museum of Art, New York (2018); SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah (2017); National YoungArts Foundation, Miami (2016); and The High Museum of Art, Atlanta (2015). Parlas work is in several public collections including Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM); The British Museum, London; The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; POLA Museum of Art, Hakone, Japan; The Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York; El Espacio, Miami; and The National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba. Parla studied at Miami Dade Community College, New World School of the Arts, and Savannah College of Art & Design. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

ABOUT MELANEE C. HARVEY

Melanee C. Harvey is associate professor of art history in the Department of Art in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She earned a B.A. from Spelman College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in American Art and Architectural History from Boston University. In addition to serving as coordinator for the art history area of study, she has served as programming chair for the James A. Porter Colloquium on African American Art and Art of the African Diaspora at Howard University since 2016. She has published on architectural iconography in African American art, Black Arts Movement artists, religious art of Black liberation theology and ecowomanist art practices. Her recent publications include a thematic introduction on motion for Movements, Motions, Moments: Photographs of Religion and Spirituality from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Double Exposure Series) and an entry on the artistic activism of Benny Andrews in The Unforgettables: Expanding the History of American Art (University of California Press, 2022). During the 2020-2021 academic year, Melanee was in residence as the Paul Mellon Guest Scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. She is currently writing her first book entitled, Patterns of Permanence: African Methodist Episcopal Architecture and Visual Culture.

ABOUT THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION

The Gordon Parks Foundation supports and produces artistic and educational initiatives that advance the legacy and vision of Gordon Parksrecognized as the most significant American photographer of the 20th century, as well as a writer, musician, and filmmaker, who used the arts to further the common search for a better life and a better world. Through exhibitions, publications, and public programs organized in collaboration with national and international institutions at its exhibition space in Pleasantville, New York, the Foundation provides access to, and supports understanding of, the work and contributions of Gordon Parks for artists, scholars, students, and the public. Through its year-round educational programming and annual grant-making initiatives, the Foundation champions current and future generations of artists and humanitarians whose work carries on Parkss legacy. https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org

ABOUT GORDON PARKS

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, photographer, filmmaker, musician, and author Gordon Parks created an iconic body of work that made him one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Beginning in the 1940s, he documented American life and culture with a focus on social justice, race relations, the civil rights movement, and the Black American experience. Born into poverty and segregation in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks was drawn to photography as a young man. Despite his lack of professional training, he won a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in 1942; this led to a position with the photography section of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in Washington, D.C., and later, the Office of War Information (OWI). By the mid-1940s, he was working as a freelance photographer for publications such as Vogue, Glamour, and Ebony. Parks was hired in 1948 as a staff photographer for Life magazine, where he spent more than two decades creating some of his most groundbreaking work. In 1969, he became the first Black American to write and direct a major feature film, The Learning Tree, based on his semi-autobiographical novel. His next directorial endeavor, Shaft (1971), helped define a genre known as Blaxploitation films. Parks continued photographing, publishing, and composing until his death in 2006.

Media Contacts:

Jill Mango

SpinLab Communications

jill@spinlab.net

John Vlautin

SpinLab Communications

jv@spinlab.net

Dominique Wright

SpinLab Communications

dominique@spinlab.net
The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO) is delighted to announce the Spark Your Sense pop-up event in Los Angeles, a collaboration with 10 notable bars in LA. From January 20th through February 19th, you can enjoy a signature shochu highball and craft cocktails at the following iconic establishments: Bar Bohemien, Big Bar, Death&Co, Jonah's Kitchen+Bar, kodo, Redbird, The Normandie Club, Thunderbolt, Wolf & Crane, and 1212 Santa Monica.

During this event, each bar will serve at least two kinds of cocktails. Our signature is the Shochu Highball, with a refreshing taste perfect for bringing out the spirit's rich aroma and flavor. In addition, each bar will offer their own original craft cocktail made using shochu.

JFOODO will also host a pop-up event partway through the celebration called Shochu Night at Death & Co, where you can enjoy 3 shochu drinks for $20: A Shochu highball, a craft shochu cocktail, and a cocktail a la minute. To buy tickets, please visit here: https://www.exploretock.com/deathcola

Free special shochu stickers are available throughout the month of the event for anyone who tags @shochu_japan when they post the cocktails to their instagram story. And anyone who posts directly to their feed gets a chance to win a Shochu T-shirt. Check @shochu_japan for more information.

About Shochu:

Shochu is a pure, clean, and expressive spirit that makes use of a variety of traditional ingredients from Japan's long history to create an appealing range of aromas and tastes. Shochu is typically made from sweet potatoes, barley, rice, or brown sugar, and though each type of Shochu has a distinct flavor depending on its base ingredient, the general taste is often described as nutty or earthy, with an ABV of around 25%. Shochu can be difficult to categorize compared to other spirits due to the wide range between all the different varieties, but the more you understand about the properties of each base ingredient, the greater the potential for your enjoyment.

Signature Cocktail: Shochu Highball:

The Shochu Highball is one of the best ways to savor the rich aroma and flavor of Shochu. It can be made with very simple ingredients: Sparkling water, ice, and fresh fruits, such as citrus. The many varieties of Shochu itself, each with a different flavor, make it so that a simple cocktail is ideal for fully appreciating the variations between them. The Shochu Highball is refreshing, with a clear aftertaste that retains the full flavor of the base spirit, and goes well with many different fruit juices and other ingredients. Shochu Highballs are perfect for Shochu beginners, and since they are made with sparkling water, they can be enjoyed casually, for instance on weeknights when you may want to enjoy a lighter drink.

For more information, visit https://shochu-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp/index.html

Press Kit: HERE



Participating Bars, Bartenders/Mixologists, and the Special Japanese Shochu Cocktails:

Bar Bohemien (Fabio Casalenuovo):

Shochu Highball: Green Tea Shochu Highball, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold / Barley SHOCHU



With scents of lemon and mint followed by green tea, rosewater, and ginger, this perfectly sweet highball complements the delicious flavor of Shochu.

Shochu Cocktail: Island Spud, made with Aka Kirishima / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

Notes of pineapple and melon hit you immediately on the nose, ends with a tart and puckery finish. This is a winter island cocktail.

Big Bar (Abigail Smith): Shochu Highball: Apple Sherbet Shochu Highball, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold / Barley SHOCHU

Start with the tart crispness of granny smith apples, softened by vermouth & enhanced w/ shochu, inspired by Asia's culture of after-work drinks.

Shochu Cocktail: Ai Shiter-Root , made with Kuro Kirishima / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

Take in the aroma of the cocktail, appreciate how the aromatics of shochu and components of the cocktail interplay, take a sip, have a bite of your lotus chip and/or enjoy with spicy food. BONUS: if you happen to have mustard stuffed lotus root on hand.

Death&Co (Kevin Nguyen): Shochu Highball: Wolf Song Shochu Highball, made with Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

The juiciness of fresh cantaloupe and smoky spice of curry leaf accent the savory, floral qualities of Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen Imo Shochu.

Shochu Cocktail: Double Vision, made with iichiko SAITEN / Barley SHOCHU

The tropical flavor of lychee and crisp bittersweet grapefruit form the backbone of this refreshing Shochu-based daiquiri, reinforcing the fruitiness and florality of iichiko SAITEN.

Jonah's Kitchen + Bar (Shun Sakaguchi): Shochu Highball: Tajin Shochu Highball, made with Kinjo Shiro / Rice SHOCHU

Enjoy the ease and the lightness of a Japanese style highball drink with a staple Japanese rice Shochu, with a Mexican Tajin on the rim.

Shochu Cocktail: Cross-Cultured, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold / Barley SHOCHU

Distinct flavor of barley with a hint of Mezcal, this is a hybrid of popular shochu drinks "chawari" and "sour" with a staple mexican cocktail Paloma.

kodo (Sam Walton): Shochu Highball:Green Leaf Shochu Highball, made with IKKOMON / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

Enjoy slowly and savor the grassy pandan flavors paired with the funk of the sweet potato shochu. Pairs well with lightly fried dishes.

Shochu Cocktail: Thoroughbred Tea, made with AOKAGE FORTY-ONE / Barley SHOCHU

Enjoy over ice on a hot or cold day, paired with Grilled/Fresh White fish, shellfish.

Redbird (Tobin Shea): Shochu Highball: Skyscraper Shochu Highball, made with Nankai / Black Sugar (Kokuto) SHOCHU.

The highball is refreshing and a great way to start the evening. It allows the shochu to be the star. The carbonation helps it become an aroma angel.

Shochu Cocktail: Beach Cruiser, made with IKKOMON / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

The Shochu is to be part of a synergy of ingredients all highlighting each other. Its rich umami flavors stand out amongst other tropical ingredients.

The Normandie Club (Jeremy Hicks): Shochu Highball: Ume Shochu Highball, made with Kinjo Shiro / Rice SHOCHU

A highball with familiar Japanese flavors that allow the rice to shine through.

Shochu Cocktail: Our Manhattan, made with AOKAGE FORTY-ONE / Barley SHOCHU

A Manhattan riff allows the complexity and natural umami of the shochu to create a well balanced and delicate cocktail.

Thunderbolt (Tom G. Liu): Shochu Highball: Soba Shochu Highball, made with iichiko SAITEN / Barley SHOCHU

Pour over ice in a tall glass and enjoy a bubbly complex highball featuring the complex nutty flavors of a barley distilled Shochu and buckwheat tea.

Shochu Cocktail: South by South Sea, made with Nankai / Black Sugar (Kokuto) SHOCHU

A light drinking Sazerac style cocktail that highlights the cherry and chocolate notes found in this black sugar distilled Shochu.

Wolf&Crane (Jason Valdez): Shochu Highball: Changing Tides Shochu Highball, made with AOKAGE FORTY-ONE / Barley SHOCHU

A tropical escape with passionfruit aromatics & rice notes rounding out the finish of this cocktail. A lingering nuttiness leaves you wanting more.

Shochu Cocktail: Inazuma, made with Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

A complex sipping cocktail that starts off sweet & ends with a chocolate bitterness to accent the sweet aromatics of Shochu & orange fragrance.

1212 Santa Monica (Julian Martinez): Shochu Highball: Prickly Pear Shochu Highball, made with Aka Kirishima / Sweet Potato SHOCHU

Enjoy the aroma of sweet potato and rice as the main ingredient. Sweet potato Shochu with added tropical fruits and Japanese essence.

Shochu Cocktail: La Perilla, made with Kinjo Shiro / Rice SHOCHU

Enjoy this cocktail chill straight up in a coupe glass.



Shochu Night Dates: January 26th, 2023 Time: 6:00 pm - 12:00 am Venue: Death&Co. 818 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Ticket: $20 (3 drinks)

To make a reservation, please visit: https://www.exploretock.com/deathcola

Instagram: @deathandcompany
"It is going to be an amazing 2023! We are looking forward to continued growth as we strive to do what's right for our clients. We aim to earn the business of every one of our clients"

SEO Werkz, a leader in both local and national SEO and digital marketing services across hundreds of industries, is proud to announce some of its major recent acquisitions for the year 2022!

SEO Werkz has been in operation for over nine years, providing Utah and national business clients with varied digital marketing solutions ranging from search engine optimization and on-site optimization to paid ads, social media marketing, and much more. Here's a breakdown of the company's most notable acquisitions for the year 2022.

SEO Werkz Acquires Climb Marketing

On September 1, 2022, SEO Werkz was proud to complete the acquisition of Michigan-based marketing entity Climb Marketing. Founded by Jeremy Lopatin all the way back in the mid-2000s as a personal project to help his and his wife's tea business get off the ground, Climb Marketing is the culmination of Jeremy's journey to becoming an expert in the world of digital marketing, working with many clients for years to help build their success in the digital space.

Climb Marketing has focused on B2B and enterprise marketing engagements and will allow SEO Werkz to further support our largest entities in robust ways.

"This acquisition adds an amazing team with years of experience to help support our larger SEO engagements," said SEO Werkz CEO Paul Staten. "This will create a focus for us to continue to grow these bigger engagements and expand our focus to large companies in 2023."

This was the fifth acquisition in SEO Werkz history and included the addition of seven new experienced, highly-skilled marketing experts to the team.

SEO Werkz Acquires Marlin Consulting

Just under two months later, on October 4, 2022, SEO Werkz announced the acquisition of Marlin Consulting, a Florida-based SEO, web design and hosting company. Founded all the way back in 2009 in Palm Coast, Florida, Marlin Consulting specializes in web design - including winning numerous awards for website design and related services within Florida and nationally as well. Today, they offer some of the best design rates in the business, plus the same kind of month-to-month contracts that SEO Werkz already offers - with no long-term commitments required of clients.

Marlin Consulting marked the sixth acquisition in SEO Werkz's history and added two seasoned web design professionals to the team.

"The addition of Marlin Consulting supports our web development team with some really tenured experience," Staten said. "We are excited to continue to support their clients under the SEO Werkz umbrella and strive to bring them exciting new services they haven't had access to before!"

SEO Werkz Acquires Firetoss

In its seventh and single largest acquisition yet, one that was carried out on November 1, 2022, SEO Werkz acquired Firetoss, a graphic design and marketing leader in the Utah area. Founded in 2010 by Tony Passey, Firetoss was already well-known in the area for its work with major local entities like the University of Utah, Real Salt Lake, Colliers International and Digicert. Firetoss handles needs ranging from e-commerce store building, website design, digital ad management and much more.

In this major acquisition, 17 experienced Firetoss employees joined the SEO Werkz team. This brought SEO Werkz to a total of 65 US-based employees.

"Firetoss is an addition to the company I have been working on for years," Staten said. "Tony and I have met on and off for years working out details and finally, the stars aligned. We couldn't be more excited to have the Firetoss team add their expertise to augment our team."

All in all, SEO Werkz has added over 25 new employees to its team, in addition to many other services and features that will help them continue to be a leader in the digital marketing space. Says Staten:

"It is going to be an amazing 2023! We are looking forward to continued growth as we strive to do what's right for our clients. We aim to earn the business of every one of our clients. Showing a return on investment very early on is our focus! We have been able to build up to over 800 running SEO campaigns and over 350 Google Ad campaigns, all investing with us month over month because they see the value that we bring. This is our passion!"
Helping collegiates specifically in recovery from addiction and/or specifically wanting to pursue a degree in these important fields aligns with Santes core values.

Sante Center for Healing is honored to announce three recipients of our annual collegiate scholarships. Pictures of the recipients are available upon request. The Deb Corley & Sante Center for Healing Scholarship is in honor of Santes co-founder/co-owner Dr. Deb Corley, PhD, LMFT, LCDC, LSOTP, CSAT, CMAT. Recipients of this scholarship are pursuing a graduate degree towards work in the mental and behavioral health field.



Brittany David of Fresno, CA attending College of William and Mary

The Rip Corley & Sante Center for Healing Scholarship is in memory of Santes co-founder Rip Corley, LMSW, RN. Recipients of this scholarship are individuals in recovery from addiction for at least two years, having completed at least one year in college and pursuing an undergraduate degree from an accredited college and/or university.

Mason Collie of Houston, TX attending University of Houston

Carey Price of Fort Worth, TX attending Weatherford College

We offer these collegiate scholarships with the desire to assist individuals who are working to further their education. Helping collegiates specifically in recovery from addiction and/or specifically wanting to pursue a degree in these important fields aligns with Santes core values, says Santes CEO Sam Slaton, M.ED, LPC-S, MBA, MHSM. Providing assistance to those entering this field is a privilege. In 2021, 46.3 million people aged 12 or older (or 16.5 percent) had a substance use disorder in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder, 24.0 million who had a drug use disorder, and 7.3 million people who had both an alcohol use disorder and a drug use disorder. Nearly half of young adults aged 18 to 25 in 2021 (45.8 percent or 15.3 million people) had either a substance use disorder or any mental illness in the past year. This percentage was higher than corresponding percentages among adults aged 26 to 49 (39.5 percent or 40.4 million people) and adults aged 50 or older (22.6 percent or 26.7 million people). And in 2021, 18.8 percent of adults aged 18 or older (or 46.5 million people) received any of the following mental health services in the past year: inpatient or outpatient mental health services, prescription medication for a mental health issue, or virtual (i.e., telehealth) services.(1) It is vital to have qualified individuals in the fields of mental and behavioral health and health care management. About [Sante Center for Healing]: Sante Center for Healing provides integrity-driven, evidence-based, and personalized long-term recovery for those suffering from substance use disorders, mental health, trauma, problematic sexual behavior, co-occurring disordered eating and other compulsive behaviors. For more information visit http://www.santecenter.com.1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-nsduh-annual-national-report
Durable, stylish pet products are important to so many pet owners, yet can be hard to find. FINNERO, a six-year-old Finnish company, offers the unique, practical products youve been looking for. They have been all the rave in Europe and are now available in the United States.

Adjustable for dogs of all shapes and sizes, FINNEROs best-selling Ballerina Heat Pants help protect furniture from pets heat stains and other leakage. Theyre designed so your dog cant remove them on their own and comfortable enough that they wont want to. FINNERO also offers Booties to protect your furry family members paws from extreme weather conditions. With double Velcro fastening, you can rest assured theyll stay on firmly.

These products were created to help your pet feel happy and beautiful, says Tarja Keen, Founder of FINNERO. Im so happy to be working with Shark Discoveries and help more pet parents get the products they need.

"FINNERO products are easy to put on and so comfortable that your pet will love them," says Lisa Vrancken, Executive Vice President of Shark Discoveries. "Plus, theyre trendy through different seasons."

As part of its BRTV campaign with Shark Discoveries, FINNERO has appeared in 60 second spots nationwide, featuring the original Shark himself, Kevin Harrington. Shark Discoveries is comprised of an award-winning team of producers, writers, videographers, and editors as well as industry veterans dedicated to finding the latest, most innovative products and ideas, and putting them on the BRTV map.

About Shark Discoveries

Headquartered in South Florida, Shark Discoveries is a full-service production, branding, and marketing company that specializes in brand response television, including Celebrity Influencer Videos, and brand building. Based out of a 25,000+ sq ft, state-of-the-art studio, the companys creative team handles every aspect of production from script to screen to airing.

About Kevin Harrington

As the inventor of the infomercial, founder of As Seen on TV, and one of the original Sharks on Shark Tank, Kevin Harrington has worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities and launched some of the best-selling DRTV campaigns in history. Since producing his first 30-minute infomercial in 1984, Harrington has been involved in over 500 product launches that have resulted in over $5 billion in sales. Now, in his latest venture with Shark Discoveries, Harrington is on the hunt for the best new products and ideas, bringing them to homes everywhere through personalized BRTV campaigns featuring the Shark.

For more information on FINNERO, please visit http://www.FINNERO.com.
"We found that CQL aligned with not only the technical aptitude requirements in Salesforce Commerce Cloud, but also the culture, vision, and values of our brand.

Lighting New York, a leading e-retailer in lighting and home decor, announced the launch of its new website LightingNewYork.com, in partnership with Digital Agency CQL. The new site is part of a complete transformation of Lighting New Yorks digital ecosystem on Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC), featuring a new brand design, an innovative user experience, award-winning customer service as recognized by Newsweek, and a scalable framework for over 100+ microsites.

Prior to the launch, Lighting New York was struggling with a home-grown commerce solution, an extensive website feature roadmap, costly development, and difficulty scaling their business. Partnering with CQL, Lighting New York evaluated several enterprise commerce solutions, ultimately selecting Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) due to its scalability, multi-site framework, responsive design, ability to handle complex integrations, and best-in-class tools for its internal teams to use.

The combination of Salesforce Commerce Clouds powerful commerce platform and CQL was a great match for Lighting New York, states CEO Derek Kloostra. As part of Lighting New Yorks core values, we prefer to work with partners that want to foster long-lasting relationships aimed at mutual success. We found that CQL aligned with not only the technical aptitude requirements in Salesforce Commerce Cloud, but also the culture, vision, and values of our brand.

The new site illuminates Lighting New Yorks high quality, an unparalleled customer journey that leads shoppers seamlessly through nearly 1 million SKUs, and a commitment to excellent customer service with anytime access to certified lighting experts. With over 150 brand pages, LightingNewYork.com features a robust navigation, designer bios, access to designer collections, and product pages with extensive product details, product collections, and recommended products of similar styles.

Lighting New York is a great example of how powerful Salesforce Commerce Cloud can be for our enterprise-level clients. Our team was able to elevate their brand with a full mobile-responsive redesign, and then replicate the site - complete with its backend integrations - to over 100 microsites using SFCCs scalable, multi-site framework. Moving from a home-grown solution to SFCC has laid a new foundation for growth for Lighting New York, and we look forward to our continued partnership, says Scott Robertson, Managing Director at CQL.

Visit LightingNewYork.com to see their new website.

About Lighting New York

Established in 1992 as two showroom locations in The Lighting District of New York, Lighting New York (LNY) has since evolved into a leading retailer in the eCommerce realm of the lighting industry and now sets its sights on becoming a premier resource for residential consumers and design professionals. LNY offers architectural and portable lighting for any atmosphere and application, including wall and ceiling fixtures, fans, lamps, landscape essentials, recessed lighting, and cabinet lighting. In addition to light fixtures and lighting accessories, home decor and furniture are also gaining momentum with the company and have contributed to LNY becoming a one-stop destination for customers' residential and commercial design needs. For more information, visit LightingNewYork.com.

About CQL Corp

CQL is a digital commerce agency with a 27+ year history of creating commerce experiences and solutions for inspiring brands and people who love them. CQLs unparalleled technical expertise and experience design coupled with industry leading eCommerce platforms, has helped retailers and manufacturers drive record on-line revenue, build new channels, and envision world-changing ideas. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, our clients include PetSmart, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Wolverine Worldwide, Paulas Choice, Stride Rite, Escalade Sports, Footwear Unlimited, Haworth, and more. For more information, call 616-365-1000 or visit CQLCorp.com.
Populus Curb Manager The City of Oakland is partnering with Populus to launch Smart Loading Zones that will allow fleet operators to easily pay for their use of space through GPS technology from delivery or on-demand vehicles.

This week, the City of Oakland announced a new permit for commercial fleet operators to leverage a frictionless, hardware-free method to pay for curb use and reduce potential parking tickets. The City is partnering with Populus to launch Smart Loading Zones that will allow operators to pay for their use of space through GPS technology from their delivery or on-demand vehicles.

With the rapid rise of commercial delivery, cities everywhere  including Oakland  have experienced unprecedented demand for use of their curbsides for pick-ups and drop-offs by a variety of fleets, including Uber, Lyft, on-demand food delivery, and package delivery trucks. The City of Oakland is advancing their curb management strategies to reduce congestion, support local businesses, and improve safety.

Delivery operators can sign up for the new Smart Loading Zones permit at https://www.populus.ai/smart-loading-zones-oakland. Permitted operators will no longer need to use cash or credit cards to pay for parking at designated meters, but will instead have the option to share vehicle location data with Populus to seamlessly pay for their use of curbsides on a per-minute basis.

This cutting edge partnership was developed in response to an increase in dangerous parking behavior and the misuse of commercial loading zones by non-commercial vehicles. It is also being supported by an increase in parking enforcement activity. The new permit is expected to improve delivery vehicles access to safe parking options and reduce traffic incidents.

Populus will leverage the Curb Data Specification (CDS), a new data standard that was championed by cities for cities to pilot and scale dynamic curb zones. CDS provides a method for sharing static and dynamic regulations, measuring activity at the curb, and developing policies that create more accessible, useful curbs.

Populus is a key contributor to the CDS standard, and their platform is designed to share curb rules, and receive data from operators, in this approved city standard.

"We are thrilled to work with the City of Oakland to implement the new Smart Loading Zones to contribute to building a safer and less congested city," said Regina Clewlow, Populus CEO and Founder. "Oakland is leading the way in developing and implementing curb management strategies that lead to outcomes that work for both residents and commercial fleet operators."

"Demand for our very limited curb space has increased dramatically over the past decade" said Fred Kelley, Director of Oakland Department of Transportation. "The City of Oakland is excited about this new partnership to better manage the rapid rise in delivery vehicles. Improving the way we use the curb means businesses are able to get goods faster, traffic congestion goes down, and our streets are safer for everyone."

ABOUT POPULUS

Populus helps cities and private mobility providers deliver safe, efficient, and equitable streets. The Populus platform is the only comprehensive digital solution that empowers cities to manage their streets and curbswith access to mobility data from shared bike, scooter, moped and carsharing operators, and delivery services. The Populus platform serves over 100 cities around the world, ingesting data from more than 40 operators and 150 million rides to date. Learn more at http://www.populus.ai.
High Pressure Processing and Freeze Drying of Raw Pet Foods and Treats Workshop Were excited to collaborate with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and bring together leading pet food processing experts to discuss the latest advances in HPP and freeze-drying. We expect the raw pet food segment to continue growing and HPP is the key to meeting safety and nutrition.

Hiperbaric, the global leader in High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology, has partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to host the High Pressure Processing and Freeze Drying of Raw Pet Foods and Treats Workshop", March 15-16, at the Nebraska Innovation Campus, Food Innovation Center.

HPP is often used in raw and freeze-dried pet food because it allows manufacturers to create safe raw pet food by controlling pathogens prevalent in raw meats and fresh produce like Salmonella and Listeria.

After HPP, many raw pet food products undergo freeze-drying, a process by which water is removed from a food product by sublimation. The goal of freeze drying is to reduce the water activity of the pet food product to a level that does not support microbial growth and minimizes chemical changes and physical deterioration, even when the product is stored at room temperature for 6 months to 2 years.

The introductory and hands-on workshop will allow participants to interact with industry experts and university researchers and learn about HPP, freeze drying, water activity, product shelf-life, food safety regulations, market trends, and best practices. The workshop combines lectures, pilot plant demonstrations, and visits to HPP and freeze-drying co-manufacturing facilities near Lincoln, Nebraska.

The workshop is geared towards product developers who want to learn more about best practices of using HPP and freeze-drying technology in pet food manufacturing, or food industry professionals with the goal of expanding their HPP and freeze-drying knowledge base.

The two-day raw pet food workshop will focus on the following topics:



Pet Food Processing: Trends and Innovations

HPP Equipment, Operation and Process Variables

Freeze Drying Equipment, Operation and Process Variables

Microbial Food Safety, Validation and Product Shelf-Life Extension

Packaging Considerations with HPP and Freeze Dried Pet Foods

Working with Co-Manufacturers in Recipe Development, Raw Meat Processing, High Pressure Processing, Freeze-Drying, and Packaging Solutions

Participating companies include UNL Food Processing Center, Hiperbaric, Parker Freeze Dry, CRB Group, Petsource by Scoular, AQUALAB, and Universal Pure.

The workshop fee is $450 per person, which includes a digital badge for workshop completion, access to the workshop materials for up to six months after conclusion, meals and break refreshments, campus parking, and participation in the Networking Social. Due to the hands-on activities and demonstrations in the pilot plant, seats in the workshop are limited, and early registration is encouraged.

Roberto Peregrina, Hiperbaric USA Director, said, Were excited to collaborate with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and bring together leading pet food processing experts to discuss the latest advances in HPP and freeze-drying. We expect the raw pet food segment to continue growing and HPP is the key to meeting safety and nutrition.

Dr. Grace Danao, UNL Research Assistant Professor, added, The UNL Food Processing Center is pleased to offer a workshop to pet food manufacturers and entrepreneurs interested in learning more about HPP and freeze-drying technologies to produce high-quality, safe raw pet foods and treats.

Registration is available at https://fpc.unl.edu/petfoodconference.

About Hiperbaric

Hiperbaric is the worlds leading supplier of high pressure processing (HPP) equipment for the food industry.

Since its inception in 1999, Hiperbaric has designed, developed, produced, and marketed the best high pressure processing equipment internationally. The company is recognized for its reliability, customer support, teamwork, and continuous effort in R&D.

Hundreds of companies worldwide use Hiperbaric equipment for the processing of juices and beverages, meat, fish and shellfish, fruits and vegetables, dairy and prepared dishes. A highly versatile technology, HPP can be applied to a wide range of foods.

With world headquarters in Spain, the company also has an office in Miami to serve its North American market. For more information, visit: http://www.hiperbaric.com.

About UNL Food Processing Center

Established in 1983, the Food Processing Center is a multi-disciplinary resource that offers technical and business development services under one roof. This combination is rare in the food industry, which enables the organization to meet the needs of its diverse clients including manufacturers, entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, associations, retailers, and food service providers.

The role of The Food Processing Center is to enhance value throughout the process, from idea through ongoing market support.

The Food Processing Center is equipped to work with products in every major food group including grains and oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and poultry. Depending on customer needs, it can provide a stand-alone service or a fully integrated package of technical and business development support.

The Food Processing Center offers a unique combination of technical and business development services to reflect the nature of the food industry accurately. Food is both a science and a business, and it understands the dynamic relationship between these two different, yet interconnected worlds. For more information, visit: https://fpc.unl.edu/
We are thrilled to welcome Koah Doud to Structure Law Groups Los Angeles office. Koah brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the transactional field, and we are confident that he will be a valuable asset to our team and to our clients.

Koah Doud is a California business attorney who counsels businesses and individuals on a wide range of transactional matters. Mr. Douds practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private securities offerings, business formations, corporate governance, and various commercial and intellectual property transactions. Mr. Doud counsels his clients with an eye towards developing and managing business relationships for sustainable growth and success.

Before joining Structure Law Group, Mr. Doud was in-house counsel for a Fortune 100 technology and manufacturing company where he was the front-line legal support for the service and enterprise software groups. Mr. Doud counseled the business on legal issues at all stages of the product life cycle and in its relationships with all manner of counterparties, including customers, agents, distributors, and government authorities. Prior to that, Mr. Doud worked for a leading Delaware corporate law firm where he advised top Wall Street law firms on the issues of Delaware entity law relevant to substantial financing and investment transactions of all types. Mr. Douds experience with this wide range of business contexts helps him to be sensitive to each clients present needs.

We are thrilled to welcome Koah Doud to Structure Law Groups Los Angeles office. Koah brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the transactional field, and we are confident that he will be a valuable asset to our team and to our clients. We look forward to the valuable contributions Koah will make to the firm, our clients, and to the legal community in Los Angeles, said attorney, Michael B. Saryan.

Mr. Doud received his J.D. from Penn State Law. During law school, Mr. Doud worked as a research assistant for the Center for the Study of Mergers and Acquisitions and was also involved in research on issues of comparative constitutional law. Mr. Doud received a BA in Philosophy from UC Berkeley, where he learned things that will keep his head spinning for the rest of his life.

I am thrilled to join Structure Law Groups team of talented and personable professionals, said Mr. Doud.

Mr. Doud can be reached at:

kdoud@structurelaw.com or (310) 818-7500

About Structure Law Group, LLP

Structure Law Group, LLP is here to provide comprehensive legal services for businesses of all sizes, entrepreneurs, and individuals. Our experienced team of legal professionals is dedicated to providing an exceptional client experience by offering innovative and cost-effective solutions tailored to meet your specific needs. We can assist you with a range of business law topics, including start-ups and financing, business litigation, merger and acquisitions, employment law, intellectual property, debtor and creditor rights, and commercial real estate. With our deep understanding of companies of all sizes and businesses, you can trust SLG to provide you with the best legal advice and representation.

Structure Law Group, LLP is a trusted team of legal professionals with extensive experience in the areas of:



Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Business Transactions

Business Litigation

Construction Contracting & Payment Claims

Corporations

Debtor & Creditor Rights

E-Commerce

Employment

Immigration EB-5 Fraud Litigation

Limited Liability Companies

Mergers & Acquisitions

Partnerships

Real Estate

Start-ups & Financing

Technology Licensing & Protection of Intellectual Property

Austin, Texas Office:

7600 Burnet Road

Suite 515

Austin, TX 78757

Phone: (512) 881-7500

Los Angeles Office:

1801 Century Park E #475

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Phone: (310) 818-7500

Silicon Valley Office:

1754 Technology Drive

Suite 135

San Jose, CA 95110

Phone: (408) 441-7500

For more information about the legal services offered at Structure Law Group, LLP, please call (310) 818-7500 or visit http://www.structurelaw.com

For more information about business law careers at Structure Law Group, LLP, please visit https://www.structurelaw.com/careers.
41 new captives in 2022 Vermont has so much to offer, and the captive insurance industry remains a point of pride in our state.We look forward to once again improving our statutes this legislative session so we can continue to be aleading choice for companies in their captive insurance domicile selection."

The Vermont Department of Economic Development is hosting Captive Insurance Day today at the Statehouse to highlight the continued success of the captive insurance industry in the state after another banner year in 2022.

The State of Vermont licensed 41 new captive insurance companies in 2022. Vermont is now home to 639 licensed captives, consisting of 608 active and 31 dormant captives. Vermonts 59 sponsored cell captives currently host over 500 cells and separate accounts, in addition to the licensed captive companies. The growth in captive formations in 2022 is Vermonts 6th highest year of growth in its over 40-year history since passing captive-enabling legislation in 1981.

Vermont has so much to offer, and the captive insurance industry remains a point of pride in our state, said Governor Phil Scott. We look forward to once again improving our statutes this legislative session so we can continue to be a leading choice for companies in their captive insurance domicile selection.

While we are happy to have another year of record growth, we never stop asking ourselves how we can be better, said Sandy Bigglestone, Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation (DFR). We are actively looking into how to improve our statutes and internal processes to be most efficient and useful for businesses and look forward to providing the best service to them in the year ahead.

The new captives were licensed in 17 different industries, the top three industries being healthcare (7), construction (5), and real estate (4). At least 4 of Vermonts new captives in 2022 were formed by companies with international roots, including Canada (2), Mexico and Austria. Top formation types were pure (30), Sponsored (6), Agency (2) and Risk Retention Groups (2). Nearly 40 new cells were formed in 2022.

Throughout the pandemic captive insurance has been a great tool for the health care industry, said Christine Brown, Director of Captive Insurance, DFR. Hospitals and health care providers have had emerging risks and fewer available insurance options. Captive insurance has given them a way to have more control over that risk thats also financially sustainable.

The State of Vermont returned to pre-pandemic outreach with businesses in 2022 and the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) held its first in-person annual conference in Burlington since 2019. Attendance at the conference reached nearly 1,000 and 71 companies exhibited at the conference. 5 countries were represented at the conference.

The captive industry has remained steady throughout the pandemic, and is thriving here in Vermont, said President of the VCIA, Kevin Mead. The momentum is strong to keep developing this great industry. We continue to raise awareness about captive insurance around the world, and we look forward to expanding our efforts in the year ahead.

Vermont has licensed 5 new captives already in 2023 and has a total of 1288 captive insurance companies to date. Vermont remains, by far, the largest U.S. domicile for captive insurance and third largest in the world. With an active pipeline of prospective new captive insurance companies already underway, the state expects continued growth in the coming year.

The captive industry brings in significant and increasing revenue to the state of Vermont and jobs for Vermonters year after year, said Brittany Nevins, Captive Insurance Economic Development Director, Department of Economic Development. We are committed in 2023 to continuing our proactive and innovative work to remain a top domicile choice for captive insurance companies worldwide.

Vermont received multiple awards in 2022. Vermont was named once again Domicile of the Year for a record 9th time and for a second time International Domicile of the Year by captive publication Captive Review. Vermont was named Domicile of the Year  Highly Commended by Captive International. Deputy Commissioner Sandy Bigglestone was once again voted in the top 10 most influential professionals in the captive industry by Captive Review and Brittany Nevins was voted One to Watch.

Despite times of great transition in the world, the Captive Insurance Division in Vermont has continued to be a leader that companies can count on, said Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Kevin Gaffney. Our dedication to quality and efficient regulation of captive insurance companies has been unwavering through periods of change.

For more information on Vermonts captive insurance industry, visit http://www.vermontcaptive.com, call Brittany Nevins at 802-398-5192 or email Brittany.nevins@vermont.gov.

###

About Vermont Captive Insurance

Captive insurance is a regulated form of self-insurance that has existed since the 1960s and has been a part of the Vermont insurance industry since 1981, when Vermont passed the Special Insurer Act. Captive insurance companies are formed by companies or groups of companies as a form of alternative insurance to better manage their own risk. Captives are commonly used for corporate lines of insurance such as property, general liability, products liability, or professional liability.
"Publishers who run their own prebid will understand and appreciate how easy it is to plug into our demand and will quickly experience the revenue effectiveness were driving for our publisher partners." - Stephen Johnston, Jr., founder and CTO

Programmatic advertising management platform PubWise announced today it has made its bidder available on a self-serve basis, for the first time giving publishers access to its quality demand sources and advanced optimization technology without the requirement for a managed services agreement.

By joining PubWise, publishers gain immediate access to high-quality demand from all major sources and direct sales of its unique inventory, which results in increased programmatic advertising revenue and yield. PubWise supports all web and mobile display AMP, CTV and video formats.

Publishers who run their own prebid will understand and appreciate how easy it is to plug into our demand and will quickly experience the revenue effectiveness were driving for our publisher partners, said Stephen Johnston, Jr., founder and CTO of PubWise. Rather than waste time meeting and requiring managed service agreements, we decided to simply invite publishers in to see for themselves why were so excited about the technology.

Registration is free to publishers, who can implement the PWBid adapter via any Prebid.js or compatible third-party wrapper by registering at https://admin.pubwise.io/register. Known for its innovative work in header bidding, programmatic monetization and optimization technology, PubWise has evolved into a sophisticated programmatic management platform with an advanced managed wrapper solution and fully-managed and enterprise level services. The self-service access announced today allows publishers to secure new demand via Prebid with the flexibility to grow into other fully-managed PubWise service levels as their business needs evolve.

As a Google Multiple Customer Management (MCM) partner, PubWise has the authority to grant qualified publishers access to Google Ad Exchange (Google AdX). With its header bidding code already in place on hundreds of sites, logging hundreds of billions of data points and direct access to demand through its own DSP and DMP, PubWise is one of the few truly end-to-end programmatic advertising platforms.

PubWises patented Smart Path Optimization Technology (SPOT) uses machine learning to optimize dynamically across the programmatic supply chain, continuously learning to improve performance over time.

Combined with its ability to record up-to-the-second intrinsic and extrinsic data along the path of every ad impression traveling through the programmatic ecosystem, PubWise provides publishers and advertisers with a fully observable view of the supply chain, which it calls advertising logistics.

To learn more about PubWise or to become a supply or a demand partner, please visit http://pubwise.io.

About PubWise

PubWise is a programmatic management platform allowing publishers and buyers to transact smoothly up and down the digital advertising supply chain with Radical Observability and optimal performance. Its patented Supply Path Optimization Technology (SPOT) uses machine learning, hyper-automation, bidstream compression and other traffic-shaping technologies to adapt and learn to deliver value to both supply and demand partners over time. With both managed and self-service options, PubWise helps publishers take control of their data and earn more revenue from high-quality demand sources. For advertisers, PubWise provides direct access to trusted supply partners that creates more speed, efficiency and reach, resulting in better campaign performance. For more information visit http://pubwise.io.
First Rate Launches Into Latin America Through Acquisition of Finantech SpA "We believe that this acquisition presents an exciting opportunity for both our companies. By joining forces, we will be able to bring together the best of both worlds, leveraging our strengths to achieve additional success in Chile, greater Latin America, and the global wealth management market."

First Rate, a leading wealthtech services provider to the wealth management industry, today announced the acquisition of Finantech SpA, a Chilean based wealthtech that offers comprehensive reporting solutions to family offices and private banks.

Acquiring Finantech supports our global strategy of seeding international hubs and offices that are locally run, distributing First Rate products and services to the LatAm region, said Grayson Greer, First Rates Global Managing Director. What attracted us to Finantech was first and foremost the team, whose knowledge and professional experience serving financial institutions in Chile has been a key driver for new and retained clients over the past 9 years. The addition of Finantechs product capabilities will provide many opportunities for growth, innovation, and expansion into other regional markets.

Finantech will continue to offer its data aggregation and performance reporting solutions locally to clients while incorporating many of First Rates award-winning machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions. Finantechs products and services include:

Data Feed  Custodial feed application that connects to every client account information source.

Aggregga  Data aggregation and investment performance analytics application that provides a complete view of your portfolio structure, exposure, and performance with a flexible UI.

Reporta  A custom report building interface that enables the team to use a drag-and-drop functionality to create custom report layouts for their clients.

Current and future clients of First Rate Chile can expect to benefit from enhanced data privacy and cybersecurity measures in addition to the comprehensive suite of tools being leveraged by First Rate customers across the globe.

All employees will remain with the firm along with Jose Antonio Honorato, Finantechs General Manager, serving as the Managing Director of First Rate Chile.

"We believe that this acquisition presents an exciting opportunity for both our companies. By joining forces, we will be able to bring together the best of both worlds, leveraging our strengths to achieve additional success in Chile, greater Latin America, and the global wealth management market, said Honorato.

First Rate Inc and its investment subsidiary, First Rate Ventures, continue to actively explore opportunities in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America.

For more information about First Rate, please visit http://www.FirstRate.com or email info@firstrate.com.

ABOUT FIRST RATE:

First Rate exists to help wealth management companies grow and thrive as stewards of their clients investments. Our innovative services and solutions help financial firms create absolute transparency, enhance efficiency, and empower advisors to create more meaningful and intelligent investment strategies for their clients. Its technology as it should be.

First Rates flexible and intelligent solutions adapt to the evolving demands and complex challenges of the wealth management industry. With a proven track record including more than 30 years of experience, our relentless focus on meeting the diverse needs of our partners is unmatched in the industry.

Through data aggregation, performance calculation, client reporting, and intelligent data analytics backed by a powerful AI engine, our innovative technologies enable wealth managers to grow their business by enhancing efficiency and providing strategic value to investors.

Website: http://www.FirstRate.com

Follow us: @FirstRatePerf

ABOUT FINANTECH

Finantechs mission is to build innovative solutions for the Wealth Management and Asset Management industry, that allows managers to make decisions with clear and trustworthy information. Through investment analysis, portfolio consolidation, and flexible reporting solutions, our clients are able to see the financial world all in one place by leveraging a technology platform that brings together their clients' complete wealth picture. Finantech is a team of engineers based in Santiago, Chile with over a decade of experience in investments, operations, and programming ready to help you optimize your time and make informed decisions.

One place. One Platform. All your Assets.

Website: http://www.Finantech.cl
Extraordinary Travel Festival This travel festival offers the opportunity to showcase and promote your destination to the worlds most accomplished and expert travelers from around the globe. If interested in hosting this event of the worlds most traveled people, please reach out to learn more.

Award-winning travel photographer, podcaster, blogger and filmmaker Ric Gazarian announces the successful conclusion of the Extraordinary Travel Festival (ETF) and the search for a 2024 location. The Festival is an event he created to bring together the worlds most accomplished, adventurous, mega travelers during three days of story sharing and learning. Hosted in Yerevan, Armenia from October 14-16, speakers and attendees of the 2022 festival shared insights on what it takes to visit all 195 of the worlds sovereign countries  a feat accomplished by fewer than 250 known people living today.

More than 25 speakers, in keynotes, breakout sessions, and panels, engaged, informed, and entertained an audience of 130 mega-travelers. "It was like 100 modern-day Marco Polos gathered in a single location, said Gazarian, whose website @GlobalGaz, features stories and images from his colorful travels to more than 150 countries. The energy, enthusiasm and vast knowledge exchanged about country-collecting and travel was like nothing Ive seen before.

Invited mega-travelers include Paul Barbato of GeographyNow! (with 3m+ plus subscribers), Gustav Rosted (with 500k+ subscribers), and Scott Eddy (with 1m+ followers) highlighted the excitement of the festival and the beauty of the host destination with non-stop content creation across their channels.

The largest mega-travel clubs were represented at the event, including Most Traveled People (30,000 members), NomadMania (20,000 members), and Travel Massive (90,000 members). Travel partners such as Soviet Tours, ITC Sudan, and HIKEArmenia who specialize in creating travel experiences for these audacious travelers appeared at the ETF.

While 90% of guests or presenters originated from North America and Europe, the Extraordinary Travel Festival attracted attendees from six different continents. Ages ranged from 20 to 80 years old with a 60/40 split between men and women. In addition to the robust schedule of speakers, attendees were entertained with lively parties and a gala dinner. Some attendees opted for multi-day trips across the region while others were hosted on VIP day trips.

"Our intention with creating this event was to strengthen this incredible community of mega-travelers by bringing us together in one place, while sharing strategies for advising and inspiring the travel fans who follow us. Many of us explore the world as solo travelers, but we are far from alone in wanting to spread the word about the eye-opening power of going further in our travels, farther, and more often, added Gazarian. An amazing 100% of attendees surveyed plan to attend the second event.

Gazarian and his team are actively exploring options for the host city in which the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will take place, sometime in 2024.

This travel festival offers the opportunity to showcase and promote your destination to the worlds most accomplished and expert travelers from around the globe. If interested in hosting this event of the worlds most traveled people, please reach out to learn more.

For questions, please contact Ric Gazarian, ric@extraordinarytravelfest.com or +1 617 901 9248 (Whatsapp)
Air Cargo Next

Air Cargo World, the award-winning digital publication that for more than 80 years has reported on air logistics news and trends, has rebranded to Air Cargo Next, Royal Media Group, its publisher, announced today.

The relaunch of the brand positions the publication as the definitive resource on transformational strategies and developments in the Air Cargo industry.

AirCargoNext.com, which traces its publishing history to more than 80 years, will uniquely track what is new, revolutionary, and next in Air Cargo. Through a combination of insightful news, relevant data, and keen analysis, Air Cargo Next will guide its readers  industry executives and tech professionals, alike  to more profits, market share, and efficiencies.

The transition to Air Cargo Next is a natural next step in the evolution of the brand, said Molly Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of Royal Media Group. Since its inception, the publication has kept pace with the ever-changing air logistics industry, and now, as the focus of the air freight industry shifts to technology, we continue to evolve as the go-to resource for freight forwarder, airline and airport executives on what matters most to their businesses.

The airfreight industry is undergoing a tremendous transformation as stakeholders embrace innovative technologies like cargo community systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital booking platforms. In fact, analysts predict that nearly 60% of air carrier bookings could come through digital channels by 2025, jumping nearly 30 percentage points from the end of 2022. In addition to digitalization, sustainability initiatives like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), electric ground-handling vehicles, and clean energy warehouses are gradually making the industry greener.

Air Cargo Next will present the second-annual Air Cargo Tech Summit on September 18-19 in Brussels, Belgium, to explore what is next in digital transformation in the industry. The live event attracts top thought leaders in Air Cargo and includes insightful sessions on technology and tech strategies.

Air Cargo Next routes you to whats next in Air Cargo. Let your future take flight. For more information, visit http://www.AirCargoNext.com

A free trial is available to preview the subscription product and services. To subscribe, visit the new website at http://www.AirCargoNext.com

ABOUT ROYAL MEDIA

Royal Media is a leading specialized information company formed in 1995 to deliver deep market knowledge and news via digital channels and industry events. The company serves several industries, including air cargo, financial services, telecom, and vehicle finance. Royals Air Cargo-related news brands are among the most respected in trade media. Royal Media is headquartered in New York and has won several awards for its journalism. For more details, visit http://www.RoyalMedia.com.
Amanda is a trusted and valued partner to MBTA, bringing extensive expertise in all facets of bus and rail transit operations, planning and program management, said Gary Bua, HNTB's Massachusetts office leader.

Amanda DeGiorgi has joined HNTB as a program manager in the firms Boston office, where she brings more than seven years of experience in the transit industry primarily working with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. DeGiorgi will serve as HNTBs deputy program manager for the MBTAs Mattapan High-Speed Line Transformation Program. In this role, DeGiorgi oversees planning and early design for the light rail corridors modernization. The project includes implementing state-of-good repair, accessibility and safety improvements on all infrastructure, as well as upgrades that will allow future deployment of a modern light rail vehicle.

Amanda is a trusted and valued partner to MBTA, bringing extensive expertise in all facets of bus and rail transit operations, planning and program management, said Gary Bua, HNTB senior vice president and Massachusetts office leader. The addition of her skills to the Massachusetts office enhances our already deep bench of innovative multi-modal transit experience here and throughout the firm.

DeGiorgis background includes expertise in transit infrastructure and vehicles planning, design, and operations. Before joining HNTB, she was at another engineering firm, where she began working with the MBTA in 2015. Her resume includes the Authoritys Bus Facility Modernization Program, Transit Asset Management Improvement Plan and Facility Condition Assessments, Green Line Transit Signal Priority Implementation, as well as the Mattapan High-Speed Line Due Diligence and Initial Options Study. Her transit expertise has been tapped by the Federal Transit Administration to develop its Transit Asset Management Systems Handbook and by Orlando, Floridas SunRail; Norfolk, Virginias Hampton Roads Transit; and Seattles King County Metro.

DeGiorgi is an active member of the Women in Transportation Seminar. She holds a masters degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University and a bachelors degree in physics from the University of Chicago.

About HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With 109 years of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, and program and construction management. For more information, visit http://www.hntb.com, or follow HNTB on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Tom Flaim, a business leader, serial entrepreneur, ordained minister, philanthropist, and noted speaker, has completed his new book Through Sacrifice: Freedom: a gripping and fascinating biography that details the life of the authors father, including his incredible accomplishments throughout the Second World War and his eventual immigration to America to escape the dangers following the end of the war.

Underground fighter, insurgent, operative, freedom fighter, double agentall words that describe Angelo Flaim as he was torn from his home in Tyrolia (now northern Italy), and thrust into WWII, writes Flaim. Eventually working for both the United States and Russia, he and his team become experts in sabotage, espionage, intelligence gathering and living on the run from the German SS units that methodically hunt them. With the wars conclusion, new dangers arise and he quickly escapes to America, meets his future wife on the ship, and ultimately establishes a life as an invisible immigrant. Finally, after decades of sacrifice for his homeland, the United States, and his family, he ultimately attains true freedom.

Published by Page Publishing, Tom Flaims potent tale is a stirring tribute to the authors father and provides a deep dive into a side of World War II that is often rarely explored. Powerful and deeply emotional, Through Sacrifice: Freedom provides readers with an untold piece of history, and a profound story of one mans perseverance and determination to one day truly come to know freedom following the horrors of war he faced. Flaim weaves an expertly paced and thought-provoking tale that is sure to remain with readers long after its stunning conclusion.

Readers who wish to experience this enlightening work can purchase Through Sacrifice: Freedom at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.


"It is our responsibility as water professionals and technology innovators to chart a course for a successful and sustainable future," said Chi Ho Sham, AWWA immediate past president and a member of the Water 2050 Leadership Team.

A diverse group of influential thinkers from within and outside the water community put forth 10 recommendations for a technologically-advanced water future in the second think tank report of the Water 2050 initiative.

Published today by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the Water 2050 Technology Think Tank Report is the second in a series of five think tank reports associated with the initiative. Water 2050 seeks to envision the future of water and chart a course for sustainability.

The 26 participants in the Water 2050 Technology Think Tank, which took place Dec. 5-7, 2022, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, included highly respected voices from the water and wastewater utility, manufacturing and consulting community, innovation incubators, Silicon Valley thought leaders, privacy and cybersecurity experts, regulators and academics, CEOs and an agriculture research hydrologist. The group engaged in a series of facilitated discussions and developed recommended actions that can be grouped into four broad categories:



Accelerate innovation

Transform water services through next-generation technology

Apply technology as the "Great Water Equalizer"

Achieve a secure cyber future

"It is our responsibility as water professionals and technology innovators to chart a course for a successful and sustainable future," said Chi Ho Sham, AWWA immediate past president and a member of the Water 2050 Leadership Team. "By collaborating with influential thinkers from within and beyond the traditional water community, we will be better positioned to harness transformational new technologies and approaches, and at the same time, mitigate unintended consequences."

Three other think tanks will be held over the next six months to visualize the future of water through the additional drivers of economics, governance and social/demographics. High-level recommendations will be reported after each think tank, and after all five are completed, the reports will be combined with additional Water 2050 inputs into a final report. Outcomes will be presented at AWWAs 2023 Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE23) in Toronto to support the water community in realizing the Water 2050 vision.

The next Water 2050 Think Tank, focusing on economics, is Jan. 23-25 in New York City. To engage in AWWAs Water 2050 initiative or to learn more, visit the Water 2050 webpage. To access the Water 2050 Technology Think Tank report, visit this webpage.

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Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the worlds most vital resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.
BioHub Maryland, an initiative to accelerate the states life sciences industry, is partnering with Platoon 22, a non-profit dedicated to ending veteran suicide through successful reintegration, to reskill and upskill military veterans for rewarding careers in the life sciences industry. BioHub Maryland is an initiative of the Maryland Tech Council, the largest technology and life sciences trade association in the state.

Finding and training talent to meet the workforce needs of Marylands growing life sciences industry is critical. The state is home to one of the nations strongest life sciences ecosystems, with more than 2,700 companies and 54,000 workers contributing $20 billion to the states economy and delivering life-changing medical treatments to the world.

BioHub Maryland and Platoon 22 will partner to offer military veterans access to training in the skills life sciences employers value most. This includes BioHub Marylands online skills academy that teaches the fundamentals of the industry, such as biomanufacturing concepts, cell and gene therapy and vaccine manufacturing fundamentals, quality control skills, technical writing, and data analysis. Beginning in 2024, BioHub Maryland will also offer state-of-the-art lab space where trainees can gain competency-based, learn by doing biomanufacturing training.

Marylands life sciences companies value mission-driven problem solvers who understand logistics, teamwork, and other skills learned in the military, said Michelle Ferrone, Chief Operating Officer of Maryland Tech Council. Our partnership with Platoon 22 will enable more veterans to upskill or reskill into the life sciences industry, where theyll find a new mission fighting medical conditions such as cancer, Muscular Dystrophy, diabetes, and rare diseases.

By taking advantage of BioHub Marylands resources, veterans gain a competitive edge, relevant skills, and ability to add immediate value in a life sciences workplace.

Just under 400,000 Veterans live in the state of Maryland and 70 percent of those Veterans live within just 60 minutes of the Veterans Service Commission, said Niki Falzone, Director of Operations and Veterans Services for Platoon 22. The population is there to serve, and Platoon 22 is dedicated to aiding in successful transition and reintegration. Employment and a sense of belonging are major barriers identified in the transitional phase. The partnership with BioHub allows for Veterans to find gainful employment and continue a life of service in an industry that requires the unique skillset they possess.

Military veterans can learn more at biohubmaryland.com or contact the team at info@biohubmaryland.com.

Anyone can pursue a rewarding career in life sciences, regardless of their background or education level. Some of the most in-demand life sciences careers, such as manufacturing technicians and lab technicians, do not require advanced degrees or bachelors degrees. Life sciences incomes in Maryland are also significantly higher than the statewide average for all industries, according to a 2021 Milken Institute report.

About BioHub Maryland

BioHub Maryland is accelerating the life sciences industry for companies and career seekers to expand the states global innovation advantage. An initiative of the Maryland Tech Council, the largest technology and life sciences trade association in the state, BioHub Maryland helps residents of all backgrounds pursue rewarding careers in life sciences by offering skills training, career resources, and access to 1,200+ job openings in life sciences. BioHub Maryland also helps life sciences companies at every stage grow by showcasing their career opportunities, training the next generation of life sciences talent, and providing strategic resources for raising capital. Learn more at biohubmaryland.com and follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Platoon 22

Platoon 22 is dedicated to ending veteran suicide through the successful reintegration of service members and their families by assembling critical resources, providing peer support, and developing transitional programs. Learn more at platoon22.org or follow on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.
Chip City Cookies, the gourmet cookie brand that rotates its delicious and sizable cookies every week, is opening a new location in Newark, New Jersey, on January 24th. This will be the brands first location in New Jersey with additional openings scheduled for February in Ridgewood and Hoboken.

The new Chip City location, located at One Gateway Center, Suite C111 in Newark, New Jersey, is the latest addition to the brands growing footprint as it plans to cross 40 open units by the end of 2023 and strengthen its position in the competitive cookie segment.

Chip City now has 15 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, with Newark marking the brand's first move into New Jersey. It will be followed by locations in Ridgewood and Hoboken, which will both open in February.

We are thrilled to open our doors in Newark, said Chip City founder and CEO Peter Phillips. This opening is another incredible step forward for the brand and the business mission we have  to make communities smile through the quality of our products and to make our employees feel purpose in their communities.

Born in Astoria, Queens, in 2017, Chip City Cookies began as a hobby between childhood friends Phillips and Theodore Gailas, as the duo challenged each other on who could make the best cookie. A small storefront, some equipment, and a dream led the entrepreneurial team to listen to that feedback and open their first store. In addition to New Jersey, Chip City also has plans to enter new markets, such as Florida.

The brand rotates more than forty unique flavors every year, such as Peanut Butter & Jelly, the Everything Cookie, Oatmeal Apple Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, SMores, Lemon Berry, the Cannoli Cookie and more. Each week, the menu changes to offer classic flavors and seasonal varieties.

In 2022, Chip City received a $10 million investment from Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), the growth equity fund associated with Danny Meyers Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). The investment will be used to support the brands multi-state expansion and growth of its direct-to-consumer business, bolstered by its ship-anywhere partnership with Uber Eats.

About Chip City

Chip City was born in Astoria, Queens in July of 2017 as a hobby between two childhood friends who sought to recreate the simple taste of their childhood. What began as a fun challenge to see who could create the best cookie turned into the Chip City we know and love today. The brand currently has 15 locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and New Jersey, with plans to enter into new markets, including Miami, Boston and Washington, D.C.Learn more at http://www.chipcitycookies.com.
1EdTech (formerly IMS Global) added eight new directors for 2023 and re-elected one incumbent via its annual member board election process.

1EdTech is the worlds leading non-profit collaboration dedicated to powering learner potential by fostering an open, trusted, and innovative edtech ecosystem with more than 870 members worldwide, representing K-12, higher education, corporate learning, and edtech suppliers.

The recently elected board members are:



Dr. Gwendolyn Britton, Vice President, Product Strategy, Southern New Hampshire University

Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer, Turnitin

Jim Chilton, EVP, Chief Technology Officer & GM INFOSEC, Cengage

Dr. Christopher Davis, VP of Academic Services and Quality, University of Maryland, Global Campus

Sarah DeMark, VP, Workforce Intelligence & Credential Integrity, Western Governors University

Jeff McCoy, Associate Superintendent, Academics, Greenville County Schools

Marc Nelson, VP of Platform Product Management, Savvas

Dr. Shana Rafalski, Chief of Staff, Clark County School District

Darlene Rankin, M.Ed., Director, Instructional Technology, Katy ISD

The new members will join more than a dozen others from educational institutions, supplier organizations, nonprofits, and industry to oversee the business of 1EdTech and provide leadership on behalf of all members.

Paul Czarapata, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, will be the 1EdTech board chair for 2023. Melissa Loble, chief customer experience officer at Instructure, will be the board vice-chair for 2023. Dr. Vince Kellen, chief information officer of the University of California San Diego; Dr. LaTanya McDade, superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools; and Serena Sacks-Mandel, global chief technology officer at Microsoft, have been added to the 1EdTech board executive committee in 2023.

Jack Suess, CIO for the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Donna Kidwell, chief information security and digital trust officer for Arizona State University, will step down from the board after years of dedicated service.

I want to thank Jack and Donna for their hard work in helping us build 1EdTech to what it is today, said Czarapata. Im grateful they will continue to help us move this work forward as Contributing Members, and I look forward to working with our new board members who will bring new ideas and perspectives to our work.

1EdTechs board comprises representatives from seven K-12 institutions, seven higher education institutions, and ten supplier organizations.

Our board members are very special people from very special organizations that are actively leading the creation and adoption of the open and trusted edtech ecosystem that lowers the barriers to innovation and increases opportunities for all learners at all levels, said Dr. Rob Abel, CEO of the 1EdTech Consortium. The leadership from our board and our Contributing Members are having a profound impact on educational institutions' ability to accelerate and scale both strategic and operational innovation.

About 1EdTech

1EdTech is a member-based non-profit community partnership of leading educational providers at all levels, government organizations, and edtech suppliers working together to enable better digital teaching and learning. This unique collaboration establishes the connectivity that accelerates an open, innovative, and trusted education ecosystem in which products work together to enable better learning. Together, we power learner potential. 1EdTech hosts the annual Learning Impact conference and other engagement opportunities to advance the leadership and ideas that shape the future of learning. 1EdTech is supported by an affiliated public charity, the 1EdTech Foundation, that puts philanthropic funds to work for our cause. Visit our website at 1edtech.org.
It is exciting to see that the hard work and dedication of our attorneys has been recognized by Super Lawyers. It is no surprise to me that all of these lawyers were selected for inclusion on their respective 'Super Lawyers' lists  they are skilled and determined advocates for our clients.

For the 18th consecutive year, James Scott Farrin Partner Gary Jackson was named to Super Lawyers 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers' list. He was joined on the list this year by two other Partners of the firm, Coleman Cowan and Paul Dickinson.*

Super Lawyers also recognized associates Chris Bagley and Casey Day on the 2023 North Carolina Rising Stars list  a category which focuses on attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. Both Bagley and Day were honored on the 'Rising Stars list in 2022, as well.*

Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have achieved widespread peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process entails a survey of peer nominations and evaluations, along with independent research. The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more than 5% of attorneys in each state, and the Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each state.

Gary Jackson

Jackson, a leader and Partner in the firm's litigation practice, was recognized on the Super Lawyers 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers' list* for his work with class actions, and he has received it every year since 2006. From 2013 to 2015, Super Lawyers ranked Jackson on the 'Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina' list and ranked him on the 'Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte' list in 2013 and 2015.* Business North Carolina named Jackson to the state's 'Legal Elite' list in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2013.* In addition, Jackson was named to the 2023 'Best Lawyers in America' list by Best Lawyers in Litigation for the fourth year in a row and holds an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.* Jackson has 42+ years of experience trying cases in North Carolina state and federal courts and is the lead attorney for the firms Camp Lejeune water contamination cases.

Coleman Cowan

As head of the firms litigation practice, James Scott Farrin Partner Cowan was named to the 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers North Carolina Super Lawyers list*. Business North Carolina recognized him on its 2002 Legal Elite list,* and he has developed legal courses for the North Carolina Bar Association and spoken at various legal seminars. Prior to joining the firm, Cowan received acclaim in broadcast journalism and won Emmy, Gracie, Murrow, Peabody, and Polk awards for his reporting and producing efforts.

Paul Dickinson

Dickinson, a Partner of the firm, was once again recognized in 2023 on the Super Lawyers North Carolina Super Lawyer list for civil litigation. He was also honored with this designation in 2006 and from 2016-2020.* Dickinson is a veteran trial attorney who represented civilian victims in the Blackwater Massacre case in Iraq and fights for victims in personal injury, products liability, wrongful death, malpractice, business disputes, and many more areas. Dickinson has 30+ years of litigation experience and has tried cases in North Carolinas state and federal courts. He received an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell in 2011.*

Chris Bagley

Bagley joined the firm in 2017 and litigates consumer protection cases, mass torts, and class actions. In addition to law, his professional background includes a 12-year career in business journalism and public relations. Best Lawyers in America recognized him on the Ones to Watch list for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions  Plaintiffs from 2020 - 2023.* This is the third consecutive year that Super Lawyers has recognized him on the North Carolina Rising Stars list for Consumer Law.*

Casey Day

Day is licensed to practice in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia and represents plaintiffs in workers compensation cases for the firm. This is her second consecutive year of being recognized by Super Lawyers on their North Carolina Rising Stars list in the Workers Compensation practice area.* She was also named to the Ones to Watch list for Workers Compensation - Claimants by Best Lawyers in America in 2021, 2022, and 2023.*

Firm founder and President James S. Farrin said, It is exciting to see that the hard work and dedication of our attorneys has been recognized by Super Lawyers. It is no surprise to me that all of these lawyers were selected for inclusion on their respective 'Super Lawyers' lists  they are skilled and determined advocates for our clients.

*For more information regarding the standards for inclusion, visit: 'Super Lawyers,' Rising Stars, 'Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina,' and 'Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte' at http://www.superlawyers.com; 'Best Lawyers,' Ones to Watch, and 'Lawyer of the Year' at http://www.bestlawyers.com; 'Legal Elite' at http://www.businessnc.com; and Martindale Hubbell peer review ratings at https://www.martindale.com/.

ABOUT THE LAW OFFICES OF JAMES SCOTT FARRIN

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is one of the largest personal injury firms in North Carolina and has helped over 60,000 injured people since 1997. Operating from 16 offices in NC and one in SC, many of the firm's 60+ accomplished attorneys are recognized professionals in their fields. The firm focuses on providing quality legal services to as many people as possible in the following practice areas: personal injury, car accidents, workers' compensation, nursing home abuse, whistleblowing, defective products, eminent domain, mass torts, class actions, and Social Security Disability.

Contact Information:

David Chamberlin

555 S. Mangum Street

Suite 800

Durham, NC 27701

866-900-7078

https://www.farrin.com

Offices in Durham (main), Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, NC, and Greenville, SC. Attorney J. Gabe Talton: 555 S. Mangum Street, Suite 800, Durham, NC
Protected by PENETRON ADMIX: The $35 million 356-unit luxury apartment complex in Doral, Florida features 7 four-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment layouts. By adding PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, to the mix, contractors can enhance the durability and service life of the concrete, as it will be less likely to crack, spall, or deteriorate due to water and corrosion related damage.

The Alexan Park 82nd Apartment complex in Doral, Florida, welcomed its first residents in September 2022. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline admixture, was used as a concrete waterproofing solution for all below-grade elevator pits in the luxury development.

Located three miles (5 km) from Downtown Miami, Doral is a city of around 76,000 inhabitants. Bordered on the west by the Everglades and adjacent to the Miami International Airport, this vibrant community was voted one of the Best Places to Live in 2018 by Money magazine.

Architects for the $35 million, 11-acre luxury apartment complex were MSA Design, an architecture, interior design, and graphic design company based in Ohio and Florida. Alexan Park 82nd Apartments feature 356 luxury units housed in seven four-story buildings; the units are available as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment layouts ranging from 780-1,400 ft2 (70-127 m2). Amenities for residents include co-working spaces (with conference rooms, computers and printing station), outdoor saltwater pool, fully-equipped indoor/outdoor fitness center, gaming lounge, DIY creative lab, pet spa, mail center (with Amazon parcel lockers), and electric car charging stations.

Due to the construction sites high groundwater levels typically encountered in southern Florida, MSA Design required a robust waterproofing solution to protect the below-grade concrete elevator pits  usually the deepest below-grade structures in multi-story buildings.

Unprotected concrete buildings in Floridas coastal towns are constantly exposed to hydrostatic water pressure, as well as moisture and chloride ingress, which causes concrete deterioration over time, explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.

After consulting with Ozinga, the projects ready-mix concrete supplier, PENETRON ADMIX SB was specified as the preferred concrete waterproofing and durability solution. Once exposed to moisture, the admixtures active ingredients create a non-soluble crystalline network, which forms throughout the micropores and capillary tracts of the concrete, dramatically decreasing concrete permeability.

By adding PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, to the mix, contractors can enhance the durability and service life of the concrete, as it will be less likely to crack, spall, or deteriorate due to water and corrosion related damage, says Christopher Chen. The concrete matrix now also has the ability to self-heal and seal any micro-cracks that may occur in the future, drastically reducing the need for any future concrete waterproofing-related maintenance and repairs.

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives, and distribution channels.

For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.
Lauren Formosa of Franklin County Visitors Bureau serves Matt Wedd of Conococheague Institute as Jordan Nace of Cumberland Valley Business Alliance looks on. Bens birthday was the perfect time for FCVB to celebrate community and recognize impactful partners.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau (FCVB) celebrated Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Countys namesake, on the evening of his 317th birthday. The 11/30 Visitors Center transformed to the Spirit of Independence Tavern on 11/30 to host more than 175 tourism partners and members of the Cumberland Valley Business Alliance at a Ben Franklin Day Mixer. Three centuries after his birth, Americans still know about Benjamin Franklin-- his level-headed advice, his community-minded inventions, and his passion for independence.

Bens birthday was the perfect time for FCVB to celebrate community and recognize impactful partners. In 2018, when a 135-foot, high voltage power line project was proposed to cross nearly thirty miles of Franklin County, the county came together behind the use of county land and gave a collective voice to the countys value. The project simply did not make sense as one to improve and deliver power. Ultimately, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission did not approve the project. Without partnership and love of community, Franklin Countys voice would not have been heard and the land of Franklin County respected. The FCVB Board of Directors knows the tourism assets of Franklin County depends on respecting and maintaining Franklin Countys natural, agricultural, and cultural resources because it is the reason Franklin County is a good place to live, work, play, and visit. Out of genuine appreciation and esteem came two special recognitions of the Franklin County Visitors BureauPartners for Impact Awards and Community Impact Award.

Benjamin Franklin would be among the biggest supporters of these awards, so it just made sense to celebrate Ben, the community of Franklin County, and say thank you with these two awards. The recipients of the Partners for Impact Award were the South Mountain Partnership, Lori and Allen Rice, Karri Benedict, Leah Nitterhouse, and the Franklin County Commissioners. All were recognized for their collective work to sustain the natural, agricultural, and cultural resources of Franklin County. Brad Warner of Patriot Federal Credit Union received the first Community Impact Award because of support in the powerline struggle and for generous and abiding contributions to make Franklin County a good place to live, work, play, and visit.

Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance (CVBCA) was on hand and received the proceeds of the 2022 Franklin County Festival of Trees. Samantha Logsdon, CVBCA, accepted a check for $7000, the money raised from voting and auctioning of 51 trees and 18 wreaths at the 4th annual event. Also presented at the Ben Franklin Day Mixer was the Franklin County Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) of the Year 2022 Award. Heather McEndree was chosen by her fellow CTAs. CTA is a national certification, which Franklin County PA initiated in 2017. The Franklin County CTA program strives to bring consistency, positivity, and pride to the people visitors meet.

When accepting the Community Impact Award, Brad Warner of Patriot Federal Credit Union said, In more than 40 years of working in banking that he had not found a community like Franklin County. People come together and make things happen. Franklin County Visitors Bureau is proud to represent Franklin County PA.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods, and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive from Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Plan a visit at E xploreFranklinCountyPA.com or contact 866.646.8060.
Gilbane is proud to play a role in supporting innovation and the expansion of research and testing capabilities by building this new facility for the Navy, said Heidi DeBenedetti, Chief Administrative Officer and Regional President.

Gilbane Federal has been awarded a multiple award construction contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast for the construction of a Littoral Innovation and Prototyping Facility at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Panama City, Florida. The project supports the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PDC) and will replace nine buildings that received damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018. The award to Gilbane Federal represents a $58.5 million fixed-price task order.

Gilbane is proud to play a role in supporting innovation and the expansion of research and testing capabilities by building this new facility for the Navy, said Heidi DeBenedetti, Chief Administrative Officer and Regional President. We look forward to beginning the construction process and realizing this important project for NAVFAC and NSWC PDC.

The Littoral Innovation and Prototyping Center will enhance collaborative and equipment capabilities during Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) for Mine Warfare (MIW) and Expeditionary Warfare (EXW) operations taking place in the littoral environment, both key mission areas for NSWC PCD.

The work provides for construction of a 54,475 square-foot laboratory, and support space capable of housing workspace and laboratories for engineers and scientists. The facility will consolidate geographically dispersed buildings, increasing inter-program research interaction while also reducing maintenance and repair costs.

The facility will be equipped with high bays with an overhead crane, loading dock, large tank room, and elevator. Laboratory spaces will be outfitted for technology development in the areas of: advanced sensors; biosciences; communications; computational sciences; platform-based cybersecurity; big data analytics; autonomy; robotics; machine learning; artificial intelligence; automatic target recognition; and predictive methodologies.

Work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, and is expected to be completed by January 2026.

About Gilbane Building Company

Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services  from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out, and facility management services  for government clients worldwide. A family business founded in 1870, Gilbane has active participation from the 4th, 5th, and 6th generations of the Gilbane family.

Gilbane has more than 45 office locations around the world.

For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com.

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The Hood Advantage Program is going to help students from Maryland with the greatest financial need, said Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., president of Hood College. By ensuring access to a Hood education for Marylands most deserving students, we know this program will change lives.

Hood College is proud to launch the Hood Advantage Program, a need-based financial aid award for high-achieving Maryland-based students that fully covers the cost of tuition.

Now available for students entering fall 2023, the Hood Advantage Program presents a significant investment in making higher education more accessible to students in Maryland. By covering remaining tuition costs after federal grants and scholarships, qualifying students are guaranteed to have their tuition covered each year without loans for up to four years.

The Hood Advantage Program is going to help students from Maryland with the greatest financial need, said Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., president of Hood College. By ensuring access to a Hood education for Marylands most deserving students, we know this program will change lives.

To qualify for the program, students must:



Be a full-time resident of the state of Maryland

Live in a household with an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less

Display consistent high achievement throughout their high school career

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually

All eligible students who both apply to Hood and submit a FAFSA for the 2023-24 academic year will automatically be considered for the Hood Advantage Program.

Many people may think a small, private institution such as Hood can be expensive, said Bill Brown, vice president for enrollment management. But our goal is to make a Hood College education even more accessible to all students of promise. By dedicating funds to covering tuition costs, this program is doing just that.

The Hood Advantage Program is one of many efforts by the College to bring affordability to its students. Hood recently ranked no. 20 for Best Value in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings, as 100 percent of Hood students receive aid, and 81 percent receive need-based grants. In total, Hood awards more than $40 million annually to assist students with the cost of a degree.

About Hood College

Hood College is an independent, liberal arts college, offering more than 30 bachelors degrees, four pre-professional programs, 19 masters degree programs, two doctorates and 10 post-baccalaureate certificates. Located in historic Frederick, near Washington, D.C., Baltimore and the I-270 technology corridor, Hood gives students access to countless internships and research opportunities.
Following Jesus Daily Footsteps: The four gospels combined in chronological order: a helpful tool for group or independent study. Following Jesus Daily Footsteps: The four gospels combined in chronological order is the creation of published author Karen Miller, a native of Wisconsin who later moved to California where she met her husband, Ralph. In 1965 they were married, and in 1967 they moved from Southern California to Johnson County, Kansas.

Miller shares, The phrase It is a God thing is often used today. Karen says she senses Gods presence daily but doesnt regularly use that phrase. With this book, however, she is deeply aware that it really is a God thing from beginning to end starting back in 1968 when she was a new child of God and received a Bible with the J. B. Phillips paraphrase. She wanted to read of Jesus daily activities but could only combine the Scriptures for each activity. She didnt know how to put them in chronological order until discovering her husbands Harmony of the Gospels book. She has combined the Gospels and put them in chronological order and hopes it will be helpful to others."



Each activity of Jesus is titled with the exact Scripture written below the title for further research if one wishes.

All Scriptures are printed in color to make it easy to know which apostle is talking as well as easily see which of the four apostles have written about the same incident.

Any quotes the apostles use from the Old Testament is in yet a different color with its reference included.

When more than one apostle tells the same story but remembers it differently, a slash (/) is used, and both are included in the text.

There is a table of contents for each of the apostles book and a table of contents for each activity.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Karen Millers new book provides readers with a clear and encouraging guide to understanding Gods word.

Consumers can purchase Following Jesus Daily Footsteps: The four gospels combined in chronological order at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Following Jesus Daily Footsteps: The four gospels combined in chronological order, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Kevin Dinino is the President of KCD PR, one of the top-ranked PR firms in the nation focused on financial and fintech communications.

KCD PR, an integrated communications agency for the financial services, fintech and technology industries, today announced that its President Kevin Dinino, was named one of San Diegos top marketing executives in 2023 by SD Metro. SD Metro Magazine is a leading source for San Diego business news. This year, its Top Marketing and PR Executives award honored 15 marketing and PR executives across San Diego County for their success and contributions to their field.

I am honored to be acknowledged as a top PR exec by SD Metro, said Dinino, The San Diego local community has no shortage of talented marketing and communications professionals, and Im humbled to be recognized in such distinguished company.

Kevin Dinino is the President of KCD PR, one of the top-ranked PR firms in the nation focused on financial and fintech communications. Backed by more than 23 years of experience in fintech and financial services, Dinino leads the strategic vision for KCD PR and many of the clients it serves. Additionally, as an issues management strategist, he provides counsel on communications challenges for companies of all sizes  from startups to well-established publicly-traded enterprises.

In addition to his role at KCD PR, Kevin sits on the board of the Cyber Center of Excellence in San Diego (CCOE) and is chair of its outreach committee. He also is a founding member of Fintech Connector, technology-driven member marketplace where professionals, entrepreneurs, organizations, and capital providers connect to collaborate on and create the next generation of financial services innovation.

About KCD PR

KCD PR is an integrated communications agency with deep roots serving clients in the financial services, fintech and blockchain technology industries. The firm is recognized by Forbes as one of the Top PR Agencies in America and delivers award-winning strategic communications, content development and digital activation and engagement campaigns for clients across the world. KCD PR has cultivated a diverse client list from fast-moving technology startups to well-established Fortune 500 brands. For more information on client results and case studies, please visit http://www.kcdpr.com.
It is such an honor to be recognized once again by Find Local Doctors. Providing my patients with beautiful, natural-looking results is always my goal, says Dr. Sedgh.

A true leader in the world of aesthetic surgery, board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Jacob Sedgh, has impressive credentials and a superior level of training, coupled with a natural eye for balance and harmony. Dr. Sedgh offers his talent and skill to deliver excellence all areas of facial plastic surgery, ranging from traditional rhinoplasty procedures to reconstructive surgery on cancer patients. Find Local Doctors has selected Dr. Jacob Sedgh for this award as a result of his five-star ratings and exceptional reviews from patients across multiple online sources. Find Local Doctors is a user-friendly online directory, helps consumers connect with skilled physicians in their area. Dr. Sedgh has a deep understanding of facial aesthetics and consistently achieves results of outstanding quality that exceed the expectations of his patients. He provides a wide range of surgical and non-surgical treatments, which can often be combined to achieve optimal results, and he offers expertise in nose surgery (rhinoplasty), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), facelifts and ear surgery (otoplasty) and more. He has authored numerous medical articles and lectures at major seminars and conferences across the globe. Dr. Sedgh applies cutting-edge techniques to develop uniquely tailored treatments to address the specific needs of his patients.

It is such an honor to be recognized once again by Find Local Doctors. Providing my patients with beautiful, natural-looking results is always my goal, says Dr. Sedgh.

More about Dr. Jacob Sedgh:

With the benefit of two decades of medical training and practical experience at top medical institutions in the United States, Dr. Jacob Sedgh merges mastery of medical knowledge and surgical skills with the attention and perfection of a sculptor, delivering highly-personalized patient care. Dr. Sedgh attended the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, receiving honors and recognition signifying his achievements as a top-tier graduate and completed a surgical internship at the University of California, San Francisco. He then finished his residency in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the prestigious University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which is ranked third in the nation in head and neck surgery training. Patients can be confident they will receive the most advanced techniques and state-of-the-art technology from Dr. Sedgh at his clinic, located at 9201 Sunset Blvd, Suite 404 in West Hollywood, CA. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please call 310-888-2884 or visit http://www.sedghplasticsurgery.com.


Margaret Suman announces the release of Unfiltered: An Iraq Veteran and Family Coming Home Story (published by Balboa Press) as she shares the compelling story of her veteran sons combat wounds upon returning home from Iraq, shedding light on inadequate systems of care.

Nineteen-year-old Mark was deployed overseas in 2003. He was gone for 15 months, with more than a year of that time spent in Iraq at the beginning of the war. When he returned, he landed a full-time job and bought a home. At first glance, it appeared he was ready to live a stable and secure life. But sadly, that was not to be.

In this book, Suman shares her sons battle dealing with both visible and invisible combat-related wounds during the next 17 years and the battle with the behemoth bureaucratic systems. Taking an unfiltered look beyond fanfares and parades, it tells the behind-the-scenes account that happens to millions of veterans and their families after war, speaking out toward a code of silence with hopes of bringing perspective and awareness as a catalyst for change.

This story is told to inspire questions within us all; to view the warrior and their families through a wider lens than the picture that has been painted; to ask us to rise beyond our instinctual and habitual patterns of thought and behavior and to mitigate the legacy of destruction and imagine a legacy of healing, Suman says. When asked what she wants readers to take away from the book, she answers, That those who read the book will get a glimpse of the reality that our veterans face when returning from war, which is starkly different than the concept that their needs are cared for and that there is no better time than now to address it. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/838917-unfiltered

Unfiltered: An Iraq Veteran and Family Coming Home Story

By Margaret Suman

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 184 pages | ISBN 9798765231739

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 184 pages | ISBN 9798765231715

E-Book | 184 pages | ISBN 9798765231722

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Margaret Suman (pen name) is a licensed mental health counselor with vast experiences in social services. Suman aims to dispel myths that permeate the civilian and military world about the impact of war with both clarity and compassion.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
This logo is a celebration of our past  the design purposely incorporates aspects from the first ever one used by Title Alliance  but it also makes it clear that we are focused on the collective future success of both this company, our JV partners and the customers we serve together,

Title Alliance, a growing title & escrow company specializing in establishing and operating joint ventures with real estate partners across a national footprint, is celebrating 75 years in business in 2023.

As part of the festivities, the company, which is based in suburban Philadelphia and has a western headquarters in Phoenix, recently unveiled a special logo and commemorative tagline to celebrate the occasion. The tagline is, Committed to Today, Investing for Tomorrow.

This logo is a celebration of our past  the design purposely incorporates aspects from the first ever one used by Title Alliance  but it also makes it clear that we are focused on the collective future success of both this company, our JV partners and the customers we serve together, said Lindsay Smith, Title Alliances Chief Strategy Officer. We love celebrating milestones and accomplishments, but our eyes are always on the future.

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1948, Title Alliance started exclusively focusing on joint ventures in 1983. In 2022 alone, Title Alliance expanded operations to Alaska and Nevada and operates in a total of 12 states. The updated logo also alludes to Title Alliances parent company, Acrisure. Title Alliance has been part of the Acrisure family since 2021.

Several outreach campaigns and partner celebrations are being planned throughout the year to celebrate the companys Diamond accomplishment. For Smith and the rest of the leadership team, its important to recognize the contributions of the team members, stakeholders and communities associated with Title Alliance. The capstone of the anniversary will take place during the companys annual internal AMPLIFY event in October.

Were excited to recognize our past, talk about the present and plan for the future with those who have helped get Title Alliance to where it is today, said company CEO Jim Campbell. As the last couple of years have shown, Title Alliance is a company people trust and love, and we want to keep building on that momentum into our next chapter. Seventy-five years is an accomplishment worth celebrating, and were going to do it all year long.

During the last few years, Smith has also become a trusted part of the speaker circuit at national title and other real estate conferences and conventions, which is a trend shes looking to continue in 2023.

I love sharing the TA story with my peers and colleagues and talking about what we do and how we do it. All of us in this business have stories and tips to share, and thats especially true when you have 75 years of success in your back pocket.


Havis 2-Piece Under-Seat Storage Box for 2020-2023 Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 Crew Cab Pickup Trucks. "We are excited to launch an under-seat storage option for Ram trucks that allows mobile workers to store mission-critical items securely," says Brett Young, Havis National Sales Manager for Public Safety.

Havis, Inc., a leading designer, and manufacturer of in-vehicle mobile working solutions for the public safety and utility sectors, is pleased to introduce the new Lockable Under-Seat 2-Piece Storage Box for Dodge Ram trucks.

"We are excited to launch an under-seat storage option for Ram trucks that allows mobile workers to store mission-critical items securely," says Brett Young, Havis National Sales Manager for Public Safety.

The C-SBX-106 features a 14-gauge steel box for secure storage that is compatible with 2020-2023 Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 Crew Cab Pickup Trucks. This storage solution features driver and passenger side boxes with low-profile lids that latch that lock with included keys.

"Another key differentiating factor for Havis's Under-Seat Storage Box is that customers have the option to purchase storage boxes individually to customize their storage solution," adds Sam Barall, Havis Director of Sales for Enterprise.

Users can complete an easy, no-drill installation in minutes by mounting to the factory holes and can utilize cut-outs for wire routing.

For more information, contact media@havis.com, or visit http://www.havis.com.

ABOUT HAVIS

Havis, Inc. is a privately held, ISO 9001-certified company that is the leader in providing rugged mobility solutions in demanding environments. The Havis legacy dates back over 80 years as a trusted designer and manufacturer of mission-critical equipment. Our ergonomically designed vehicle mounts and technology docking maximizes productivity & comfort without sacrificing quality, reliability, or durability. Channel and OEM partnerships lead to solutions spanning public safety, energy & utilities, warehouse & distribution, field operations, transportation & logistics, retail & hospitality, healthcare, & military, defense, & aerospace. Havis's engineering & manufacturing teams are committed to consistently researching and developing unique products and solutions for mobile industries worldwide. With headquarters in Warminster, PA, and an additional location in Plymouth, MI, Burnsville, MN, and in the UK, Havis currently employs more than 400 team members. For more information on Havis, please call 1.800.524.9900 or visit http://www.havis.com.
The Lion King goes for a short holiday and leaves the ruling in the wrong paws. What happens when the standards of the animal kingdom are turned upside down? Award-winning author Jamal Matar invites readers to find out in his latest book titled Jungle Spring: The Coup Against The Lion King (published by Trafford Publishing).

By the great cypress tree stands the king of the jungle consulting his flock. The Lion King has long struggled to make this kingdom a country of peace for a long time so that everyone lives together  the wolf with the lamb, the hen with the fox. One day, a mouse decides to meet the mighty king to restore his lost prestige in the forest. He asks the Lion King to accompany him on a walk through the woods so that everyone may acknowledge his existence. Upon their return, the generous king informs the jungle council that he will travel for a day or two, and must elect a suitable replacement. There was disagreement at first, but there is no way around it. Each candidate presented their good qualities and strengths, and revealed their rivals weaknesses. Most failed in securing the congregations approval  except for one animal, who won the majority of votes.

There are two important elements that prompted me to write this novel, Matar shares. The first is a question: who should rule in society? Is he strong or wise? Is it permissible to rule the weak? As for the second matter, it is my observation of the events of the so-called Arab Spring, in which many governments fell, and weak political forces wanted to ascend to power under the slogan of religion and justice derived from the rule of the religious people.

When asked what he wants readers to take away from the story, the author says, I want the readers to live the pleasure of this work, and for each person to reflect on the meaning of his existence, and is he really aware of what is going on around him? And where does he stand in the open space in which good wrestles with evil?

Visit https://www.trafford.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/847535-jungle-spring to get a copy.

Jungle Spring: The Coup Against The Lion King

By Jamal Matar

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 108 pages | ISBN 9781698713564

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 108 pages | ISBN 9781698713540

E-Book | 108 pages | ISBN 9781698713557

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Jamal Matar is a famous writer, theater director, novelist and TV presenter from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He wrote and directed more than 10 plays that achieved great fame in the Arab world and won prestigious awards. He also published a number of plays, two books on poetry, and a novel titled Dog. His style is characterized by direct symbolism in theater and novel, and on the literary level, he has a remarkable presence in reciting poetry, and in managing and presenting cultural and artistic programs. This novel, Jungle Spring, is the culmination of his rich experiences in television, theater, novel, poetry and cinema.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an on-demand publishing service, and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Traffords experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 844-688-6899 or visit trafford.com.
Outrider, the pioneer in autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, today announced it closed $73 million in Series C financing led by FM Capital. New investors include a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and NVentures, NVIDIAs venture capital arm. Existing investors participating in the round include Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT) and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Outrider has raised $191 million in financing to date based on its technical leadership in autonomous systems for distribution yards.

Outrider has consistently delivered breakthrough technology to automate one of the most inefficient links in the supply chain  the distribution yard, said Andrew Smith, CEO and Founder of Outrider. Our customers will move massive quantities of freight more efficiently, safely, and sustainably using Outriders technology. We are thrilled to have an outstanding network of investors who share our vision to set a new standard for the global logistics industry.

Trucking moves over 20 billion tons of freight each year, and almost all of it passes through distribution yards. While they are critical links in the supply chain, todays yards still run largely the way they have for decades  filled with repetitive, manual tasks performed in often inhospitable and potentially hazardous conditions. These yards are difficult to staff and create bottlenecks in the supply chain. By automating yard operations, logistics-dependent enterprises will increase the time freight spends moving down the highway, address labor shortages, and allow more people to work in safer environments.

Outrider will use this funding to expand its proprietary autonomy and safety technology portfolio, increase hiring domestically and internationally, and scale its yard automation solution with large customers in package shipping, retail, eCommerce, consumer packaged goods, grocery, manufacturing, and intermodal industries. Outriders customers, representing more than 20% of all yard trucks operating in N. America, have invested in joint product testing and pilot operations since 2019.

"Outrider has addressed all the pieces  technology, safety, operations, and support  needed to deploy a reliable, industrial-grade system at scale. The company is a case study in bringing advanced robotics and autonomy technology to market, said Mark Norman, Managing Partner of FM Capital. Outrider has a world-class team to scale their solution and FM Capital is excited to invest and join the companys Board of Directors."

To autonomously move semi-trailers, the Outrider System seamlessly works with how large distribution hubs operate today. Outriders fully autonomous system dynamically adapts to changes occurring in the yard, such as interacting with over-the-road semi-trucks, delivery vehicles, service vehicles, and integrates with supply chain management systems. At the center of the Outrider System is the autonomous yard truck, which hitches to and unhitches from trailers, robotically connects and disconnects trailer brake lines, backs semi-trailers with precision, interacts safely with loading docks, and keeps track of trailer locations throughout the yard.

Outriders technology also helps its customers achieve their sustainability goals. Instead of automating legacy diesel vehicles, Outrider automates electric vehicles to reduce fossil fuel use, lower energy and maintenance costs, and reduce emissions. Outriders Series C financing will further accelerate its work with EV yard truck manufacturers to maximize the benefits of automation and electrification for customers and the communities around large logistics hubs.

Our confidence in Outrider is based on its technical and commercial leadership in yard automation for fully autonomous vehicles to integrate fluidly into real-world customer operations, said Mohamed Sid Siddeek, Head of NVentures, NVIDIA. The fundamental processing pipeline for autonomous vehicles can be applied to all kinds of autonomous and robotics systems, a key area of focus for NVIDIA.

In addition to ADIA and NVentures, new investors joining the Series C financing are B37 Ventures; Lineage Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Lineage Logistics; Presidio Ventures, the venture capital arm of Sumitomo Corporation; and ROBO Global Ventures. Additionally, Henrik Christensen, a founding member of ROBO Globals Advisory Board and Qualcomm Chair of Robotics at UC San Diego, has joined the company as a board advisor.

Since announcing its Series B financing in 2020, Outrider has performed tens of thousands of fully autonomous trailer moves at customer sites and Outriders Advanced Testing Facility, released best-in-class technology, opened a first-in-industry test site dedicated to yard automation, and developed an extensive intellectual property portfolio. The company's numerous achievements led to Fast Company recognizing Outrider as a top 10 company in the Logistics category on the prestigious 2022 Worlds Most Innovative Companies list.

About Outrider

Outrider, the pioneer in autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, helps large enterprises improve safety and increase efficiency. The only company exclusively focused on automating all aspects of yard operations, Outrider works with logistics-dependent enterprises to eliminate manual tasks that are hazardous and repetitive. Outriders mission is to drive the rapid adoption of sustainable freight transportation by deploying zero-emission systems. With its customers representing over 20 percent of all yard trucks operating in North America, Outrider is a private company backed by NEA, 8VC, Koch Disruptive Technologies, FM Capital, and other top-tier investors. For more information, visit http://www.outrider.ai.


R. O. Jones announces his entry into the publishing scene with the release of Perky and Camille: True Friends (published by AuthorHouse), a childrens book about celebrating differences, accepting others and understanding other cultures.

Perky is a young pig who lives with a bunch of other pigs on a farm in Kansas. He has problems with his ears. They perk up whenever he hears noises or someone whistles. What happens when Camille the cow befriends Perky and others in the barn that are not as accepting?

An excerpt from the book reads:

The zookeeper said, Those animals have been running around and playing with each other ever since I put them together. That sure changes the kids minds, They actually see how animals can get along with each other. They dont have to be scared of or make fun of others. They can actually become best friends.

Youngsters usually like animals and stories about them. Parents and teachers like to use stories to help educate children while making the experience entertaining. I believe it is vitally important to stress to young children various elements of trust, compassion, and understanding of others, Jones says. When asked what he wants readers to take away from the book, he answers, Individuals can become close friends even if they are totally different and have very different backgrounds. Anyone can overcome distrust and come to understand anothers feelings and needs. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/831768-perky-and-camille

Perky and Camille: True Friends

By R. O. Jones

Hardcover | 8.5 x 11in | 30 pages | ISBN 9781665533171

Softcover | 8.5 x 11in | 30 pages | ISBN 9781665533157

E-Book | 30 pages | ISBN 9781665533164

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

R. O. Jones is a retired insurance and reinsurance executive. He fondly remembers reading to his children every night at bedtime. His vivid memories of summers on his uncle's farm inspired this story so he decided to pursue a new pastime by writing a children's book. The story is told from the perspective of his oldest daughter, interlaced with happenings on the farm.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 833-262-8899.
"Receiving our exemplary SOC 2 Type 1 accreditation is a big win for Rencore, our customers, and potential customers going forward."

Rencore, the provider of award-winning software for governing cloud collaboration technology, today announced its SOC 2 Type 1 accreditation. Successfully completing the external audit serves as independent validation of how Rencore processes all customer data with enterprise-level security and integrity through its internal systems.

Since launching its cloud collaboration governance tool Rencore Governance in 2020, Rencore has been committed to keeping its security and compliance posture at the highest standard. Among the highest standards for security and compliance best practices is the SOC 2 accreditation. After passing a thorough auditing process, Rencore is now SOC 2 Type 1 compliant further solidifying its position as the leading provider of secure cloud governance.

Receiving our exemplary SOC 2 Type 1 accreditation is a big win for Rencore, our customers, and potential customers going forward, said Matthias Einig, Co-Founder and CEO at Rencore. It further proves to our customers that our tools are continuously meeting the highest security and compliance standards when handling their data. While there are many security standards out there, the SOC 2 accreditation is an internationally recognized standard. It puts us into a leading position ahead of most providers in the M365 governance space.

Rencore was audited by United States SOC 2 auditing firm Schneider Downs and is monitored by Drata, the world's most advanced security and compliance automation platform. The report, which customers and future customers can request at any time, provides the details on how Rencore Governance measured up against the following criteria: security, availability, and confidentiality.

For further information on Rencores SOC 2 Type 1 accreditation, click here.

About Rencore:

Rencore is a B2B software company providing award-winning solutions essential for staying in control of cloud collaboration technologies. Our customers rely on our tools to simplify, automate, and speed up their everyday governance, risk, and compliance challenges. Rencores diverse, global customer base ranges from mid-sized businesses to enterprises that use their products as SaaS or self-hosted tools. Consultancies and managed service providers build their cloud governance and operations services around Rencores powerful solutions.
Jennie: a thoughtful biographical work that explores an engaging family history. Jennie is the creation of published author Roy H. Wilton, a dedicated husband and veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Wilton shares, The book was written after Roy had retired to honor his beloved mother, Jennie. She passed away when he was just seven years old. He had such fond memories of her. The book is about his life with her and after she passed away.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Roy H. Wiltons new book will tug at the heartstrings as readers explore the challenges and victories of life in the early 20th century.

Wilton shares a heartfelt collection of stories from a loving family and a life of determination.

Consumers can purchase Jennie at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Jennie, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Amy Levin is an extremely accomplished and highly respected regulatory affairs specialist with a stellar history of high performance across multiple organizations, said Slone Partners President Tara Kochis.

Slone Partners, a nationwide executive search firm for life sciences, biotechnology, and healthcare companies, has announced the placement of Amy Levin as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Mainz Biomed, a biomedical company that develops market-ready molecular genetic diagnostic solutions for life-threatening conditions.

In her new role, Levin will be charged with guiding the implementation and regulatory, clinical trial, and quality initiatives that are related to in vitro diagnostics. She will also contribute to key milestones for the FDA submission process for ColoAlert, the companys highly efficacious and easy-to-use DNA-based detection test for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Levin has a successful track record of leading and collaborating with cross-functional teams and regulatory authorities to author, manage, and review required reports of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international regulatory submissions. Previously, she served as Director of International Regulatory Affairs at Roche Molecular Systems after serving in several other roles with increasing leadership responsibilities within the company. She has also held other regulatory positions at various biotechnology companies in the San Francisco Bay area.

Amy Levin is an extremely accomplished and highly respected regulatory affairs specialist with a stellar history of high performance across multiple organizations, said Slone Partners President Tara Kochis. She is a smart and passionate leader who will be a tremendous addition to the Mainz Biomed team as it moves forward with its aggressive plans to bring ColoAlert to market in the U.S.

Ms. Levin is an outstanding addition to our executive team and is well known as a strategic thinker, methodical problem solver, and inclusive people manager who is results-oriented, commented Guido Baechler, Chief Executive Officer of Mainz Biomed. With these strong attributes and extensive professional experience, she will help drive our internal processes to support operational excellence as we execute our clinical trials and work toward FDA submission and approvals in the U.S.

I have spent a majority of my career in regulatory affairs and am excited to use my expertise and in-depth knowledge of the regulatory guidelines, landscape and processes to further advance ColoAlert with a focus on the U.S. as its key market as well as the companys portfolio of cancer detection products, said Levin.

ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS

Slone Partners delivers the leaders who build amazing and diverse life sciences and healthcare organizations  People Are Our Science. Founded in 2000, Slone Partners specializes in delivering world-class C-suite leadership, executive, and upper management talent to the most promising and established biotech, diagnostics, research tools, healthcare, precision medicine, medical device, and laboratory services companies. With national and global clients, Slone Partners uniquely and precisely provides an array of executive search and advisory services, including diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, to innovative life sciences and healthcare companies. To learn more about Slone Partners value proposition and processes, visit http://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422.

ABOUT MAINZ BIOMED NV

Mainz Biomed develops market-ready molecular genetic diagnostic solutions for life-threatening conditions. The Companys flagship product is ColoAlert, an accurate, non-invasive and easy-to-use, early-detection diagnostic test for colorectal cancer. ColoAlert is marketed across Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The Company is currently running a pivotal FDA clinical study for US regulatory approval. Mainz Biomeds product candidate portfolio also includes PancAlert, an early-stage pancreatic cancer screening test based on real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction-based (PCR) multiplex detection of molecular-genetic biomarkers in stool samples. To learn more, visit mainzbiomed.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
RoseMary's Place The ability to provide brand new housing for this population in the dignified Midtown area, conveniently on a transportation hub, is a win-win for the city and the residents, said Neal Drobenare, Sr. Vice President, NHPF.

The NHP Foundation (NHPF), a national not-for-profit provider of affordable housing, announced today that it has finalized the lease of land from Magnificat Houses Inc. (MHI) in order to build 149 housing units for those experiencing homelessness in Houston. The new apartments at 3300 Caroline will be known as RoseMarys Place.

The acquisition was made possible with $18,656,493 from the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department, $10,248,169 from Harris County Community Services Department, $13,554,324 from the sale of tax credits to Hudson Housing and $2,363,369 from Magnificat Houses Inc. (MHI) as a sponsor loan. Demolition of existing structures on the Caroline property is completed.

The ability to provide brand new housing for this population in the dignified Midtown area, conveniently on a transportation hub, is a win-win for the city and the residents, said Neal Drobenare, Sr. Vice President, NHPF, The construction also furthers NHPFs goal of creating housing that is affordable and beneficial to its surrounding community.

The new construction will include offices for Magnificat Houses Inc., a 55-year-old nonprofit which welcomes the unsheltered into a dozen family-style group homes, many proximate to RoseMarys Place. In easy walking distance are St. Josephs Clubhouse, MHIs accredited psycho-social rehabilitation center which empowers the mentally ill, and the Moran Training Center where residents learn useful skills to foster growth in stability, productivity and independence.

The Magnificat community is overjoyed to welcome RoseMarys Place, and its 149 residents, onto our campus and into our hearts, said Victor Hay, MHI Executive Director. MHI will welcome the new residents into our active, lively community, our programs and celebrations, while our partner runs building operations. We appreciate NHPF for its foresight in recognizing community support as key to healing homelessnessand for naming their building after our founder, Rose Mary Badami.
Mikes depth of experience, approach to solving operational problems and history ofsuccessfully leading his customers on their digital transformation journey aligns perfectly withACCs vision to enable our customers success by using technology and data.

Automated Control Concepts (ACC), a provider of digital transformation solutions and consulting services to life sciences and manufacturing companies, today announced the strategic hire of Michael Stephens as Executive Vice President Sales & Business Development  Manufacturing Digital Transformation.

Working together with ACCs executive team, Stephens will focus on business development and strategy for ACCs digital transformation and smart factory solutions for the manufacturing industry. Based out of California, Stephens will support the companys growing client base across the U.S. and globally in manufacturing intelligence solutions.

Mikes depth of experience, approach to solving operational problems and history of successfully leading his customers on their digital transformation journey aligns perfectly with ACCs vision to enable our customers success by using technology and data, said Kevin Hannigan, CEO of Automated Control Concepts. Im excited to see Mikes thought leadership help sharpen the focus of our team to deliver exceptional solutions to our customers.

With more than three decades of success deploying smart technology solutions in the manufacturing, financial, retail, and hospitality industries, Stephens has collaborated with executive teams across the globe to drive business value and impact through digital transformation. Having previously held executive positions at several leading SaaS companies, Stephens was most recently the executive vice president of sales for Parsec Automation Corp. Prior to that, Stephens served as CEO at Vigilistics, Inc.

I am excited to be joining an organization that is creating the life sciences smart factory of the future, today! said Stephens. With ACC combining a wealth of industry and process knowledge with extraordinary technology capabilities, I look forward to delivering on the promise of a more intelligent, agile, and high-performing enterprise.

About Automated Control Concepts

Established in 1983, Automated Control Concepts, LLC (ACC) is a leading Industry 4.0 solutions provider delivering digital technologies, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence to manufacturing companies. By providing the right information to the right people at the right time, ACC enables clients to leverage the full value of their operational data across the entire manufacturing value chain. ACC provides digital transformation solutions and consulting from initial requirements definition and system design through the implementation and commissioning of plant-wide automation and manufacturing execution systems. ACC delivers solutions to manufacturers in a variety of industries, including life sciences, consumer goods, and food & beverage. ACC offers two proprietary software products focused on life sciences  Lab Owl bioreactor control system and TruTraq environmental condition monitoring. ACCs AiRAID is a proven cyber-physical security device using deception technology for OT cybersecurity. The OP/Station division of ACC offers industrial computer workstations designed for NEMA 12/4/4X and hazardous duty environments. For more information, visit ACCs website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Vlado Rahal, Ph.D., a theoretical physicist and former atheist, shares insights on what led him to reexamine his view of the world in his new book titled U Dream, Inc. (published by Balboa Press).

His early quest to understand the meaning of life led the author to study physics and mathematics, believing back then that the most fundamental natural science should provide the answers he was seeking. He went on to earn numerous degrees, including a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, and thought he found the answers he sought  thus he embraced atheism. He maintained the conviction that his atheist belief system was right for almost two decades and lived accordingly as a staunch materialist until several unexpected events occurred in late 2000 and early 2001. When his atheist worldview could no longer be reconciled with what he was experiencing in his life, Rahal decided to reconsider it in an attempt to explain his experiences. This book is the means he chose to share some of the insights he made along his inner journey.

This world is not real. It never existed, it does not exist, and it will not come into existence in the future. We all dream, and, while sleeping, we think that the things we see in the dream are real; but as soon as we awaken, we perceive the mistake, the author explains. We who can create and cannot therefore deny that we are creators, created this world in our imagination. We can awaken anytime we want. This is the liberating truth everyone will arrive at when the time is right for him or her in this new age of human experience.

Visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/846699-u-dream-inc to purchase a copy and learn more about the book.

U Dream, Inc.

By Vlado Rahal, Ph.D.

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 174 pages | ISBN 9798765237205

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 174 pages | ISBN 9798765237212

E-Book | 174 pages | ISBN 9798765237199

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Vlado Rahal, Ph.D. holds a doctorate degree in theoretical physics from Rockefeller University and an MBA degree in finance from Columbia University. He worked as a trader and portfolio manager in New York City and London before retiring to Cyprus to write.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
Wellish Vision Institute in Las Vegas to Join American Vision Partners Were looking forward to the organizational and administrative support that other partners have spoken so highly about when partnering with American Vision Partners. We always put our patients first and AVP will continue to allow us to do just that, Dr. Wellish

American Vision Partners (AVP), one of the largest and fastest-growing eye care practice management organizations in the nation, announced a strategic partnership with Wellish Vision Institute in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. This partnership will further enhance the quality of care for patients in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas by bringing more comprehensive vision care services to the community.

As part of the American Vision Partners family, Dr. Kent Wellish and the team will continue to provide the same exceptional care that the community has come to expect, but will now be able to do so with the added support and services of American Vision Partners and their affiliates. Were looking forward to the organizational and administrative support that other partners have spoken so highly about when partnering with American Vision Partners. We always put our patients first and AVP will continue to allow us to do just that, Dr. Wellish said.

Wellish Vision Institute is one of the most recognized eye care practices in the Las Vegas area. Dr. Wellish has been voted a Top Doc for LASIK by his peer physicians on multiple occasions and has trained more than 100 Las Vegas area eye doctors in all aspects of vision correction.

Wellish Vision Institute is a premiere eye care practice in the Southwest and has patient focused values that align exceptionally well with our own. As such, its so exciting to consider what more we can learn from one another as we continue to deliver the highest quality of care that our patients have come to expect, said Shane Armstrong, CEO of American Vision Partners.

Dr. Shaun Brierly, AVPs Chief Medical Officer says, Dr. Wellish is an international thought leader anterior segment surgeon. He has created state-of-the-art clinical offices as well as their surgery center. He is universally viewed as the leading corneal, cataract, and refractive surgeon in Nevada.

The partnership with Wellish Vision Institute represents the fourteenth transaction implemented by American Vision Partners. To learn more about a partnership with American Vision Partners, please visit http://www.AmericanVisionPartners.com, or contact Jimbo Cross at Jimbo.Cross@AmericanVisionPartners.com.

About Wellish Vision Institute

Wellish Vision Institute has been located in Las Vegas, Nevada on Flamingo road for more than 25 years and has been fortunate to open up an additional two locations in Las Vegas and just down the street in Henderson, Nevada. Dr. Kent Wellish founded the practice in 1994 and Wellish Vision Institute. The second location is the surgery center considered the west location and it was opened in 2009. Our newest location is in Henderson, NV only a short distance from the other two locations and is our most state of the art and advanced practice Wellish Vision Institute has. To learn more about Wellish Vision Institute visit us at http://www.WellishVision.com.

About American Vision Partners

American Vision Partners is one of the nations largest and fastest growing eye care physician services organizations. AVP serves communities throughout Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Nevada with more than 180 nationally recognized doctors and 120 locations. We partner with the most respected ophthalmology practices in the country and share a best-in-class management system, infrastructure and technology to provide the highest-quality patient care. Our partner practices, including Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center, Southwestern Eye Center, Retinal Consultants of Arizona, M&M Eye Institute, Abrams Eye Institute, Southwest Eye Institute, Aiello Eye Institute, Moretsky Cassidy Vision Correction, Wellish Vision Institute, West Texas Eye Associates, Laser Eye Center of Lubbock, and Vantage Eye Center have on average been in practice for more than 30 years. For more information, please visit http://www.AmericanVisionPartners.com.
The new year is quickly shaping up to include a new array of book and TV titles to look forward to. Leading the pack is a gang of geometric buddies. The new television show Shape Island is based on the Shapes trilogy of picture books by frequent collaborators Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. The show features eight episodes, which will premiere globally and exclusively on Apple TV+ on January 20.

The stop-motion animated series follows a trio of best friends living on a fictional island: Square (voiced by Harvey Guillen; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Triangle (voiced by Scott Adsit; Big Hero 6), and Circle (voiced by Gideon Adlon; Blockers) as they go about their daily lives and navigate the differences in each others personalities. Yvette Nicole Brown (Disenchanted) serves as the narrator. The series is directed by Drew Hodges (Tumble Leaf) and executive produced by Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen, Kelli Bixler (Tumble Leaf), and Hodges. Ryan Pequin (Regular Show) is the head writer.

Barnett and Klassen were heavily involved in the page to screen adaptation, beginning with the early stages of development, from establishing how they wanted their characters to be portrayed to getting the series greenlit and casting the voices for their characters. These books are important to us and we wanted this series to land a certain way, Barnett told PW. At the heart of it, its just Jon and me wrestling with the story trying to get it just right.

Toying with a new storytelling medium proved to be a welcome challenge for the duo. With a picture book you have a known quantity of what you're dealing with, and your problems are this page doesn't relate to this page; its very specific to the end product, Klassen said. With a show, especially in the early stages, when youre setting it up, you don't even know the places you want it to go, but you kind of have an idea of the places you dont want it to go.

A brief tussle with the mathematics community even surfaced. We thought from the start that its going to be a triangle, circle, and a square with eyes. This is one of the greatest things about translating to stop-motion; [in the book] they are simple [2-D] geometric forms. We are aware for all the geometry heads out there, Barnett said. Were already getting grief about it. Klassen said with a laugh, We did know from the start [of the show] that they were a tetrahedron, a cube, and a sphere, and we decided that they should be named Triangle, Square, and Circle. Wed just like to say for the record that we dont care.

Barnett and Klassens close bond and self-described telepathy was a big benefit even off the page. Theres so much unspoken with us, its all so deeply felt and deeply idiosyncratic. We would act as translators for each other, Barnett said. So many times it would be like, What Jon was trying to say. And the other one would be like, What Mac is mad about, but in a nicer way, Klassen interjected. It would happen a lot of the time.

The challenge was learning to work with a larger team beyond their duo. With us, I feel like weve known each other for so long, we have such a shorthand. We understand each other so well that it was almost a detriment at the beginning, Klassen said. We dont have to go out into the wide world with our ideas very often until theyre finished. And in the infancy stages, to not have that same understanding with eight other people [was hard]. We would make phone calls [to each other] after the [group] call to be like, Did we get that across? I knew what you were talking about and you knew what I was talking about, but do you think that [they knew what we were talking about]? There was a lot of that. And then we slowly [learned] how to communicate outside of our little universe.

Expanding the bubble and working with the cast proved to be an enjoyable experience. Our actors are all such gifted comedians, Barnett said. One of my most vivid [memories] is Scott Adsit, who plays Triangle, was doing a ridiculous auctioneer slash barn-dance-caller character. That day he had on a black turtleneck and could not have looked more serious and respectable. But then he would just flip. Klassen added, We would be on the ground laughing at what he was doing and while you were trying to put yourself back together, hed be like let me try one more time, and then he would do this crazy thing again, Klassen said. You have this insecurity that you have these serious people doing these voices and you wonder whether theyre going to take the show seriously or just sort of chuckle and walk off. Everybody in the room was really trying and thinking about the takes; it was really nice to see.

While voice acting may not be in the immediate future for the two, Barnett would love to get their voices into something. Klassen has already voiced a character in a short animation by Weston Woods of his picture book I Want My Hat Back. Im the deer that comes in at the end and I say, What does your hat look like? Ive got no charisma in a microphone at all. So if fans hear Klassens voice in a future cartoon, just know that I have strong-armed him into it, Barnett quipped.

Fans of the duo can look forward to a new picture book, How Does Santa Go Down a Chimney?, a Candlewick fall release. Barnett is also collaborating with illustrator Christian Robinson on the picture book Twenty Questions, due out in March from Candlewick.

One of the things Jon and I are proudest of is that kids who love the books will feel like the characters they see on screen are the same characters as the ones in the books, Barnett said. We always think that the most important time kids spend with our books is after they close the covers and think about it afterward. And we hope for the same thing with the show.

Klassen said they hope that audiences laugh and that they see some of themselves in the characters with the feelings theyve felt or questions theyve wondered. He added, Were not interested in teaching kids lessons. We want to tell grounded stories about what it means to be a human through three shapes who live together on a magical island. That sounds pretty straightforward, right?
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Registration is now open for the 2023 Indiana Small Farm Conference, the premier annual event for the states farming community. The 11th annual conference and trade show will take place March 2 and 3 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville.

One of the featured keynote speakers is Hunter Smith, former Indianapolis Colts punter and co-owner of Wonder Tree Regenerative Farm in Zionsville, Indiana.

At WonderTree we hope to prove, once again, the viability and sustainability of decentralized, local farms serving communities as primary sources of food, experiences and culture, Smith said.

Since 2013 the conference has featured comprehensive, instructive and enjoyable programming about diversified farming and local food systems, bringing together novice and experienced small-scale farmers. For more information and registration, visit purdue.ag/sfc.

I grew up on a small family farm where nothing was ever wasted, and food was simple and delicious, said Sara Frey, owner of Frey Farms and a 2023 conference keynote speaker. Every growing season yielded different crops, and were proud to bring that produce to market today. Some of my fondest memories are of trying to figure what to do with the imperfect or ugly fruit, which led to my vision of using all of what we grow and creating farm-fresh beverages for families.

This years conference offers 12 tracks, allowing attendees to choose sessions that best align with their farming operations and goals. Among the topics are:

Urban agriculture

Vegetable production

Farm stress

Marketing

Technology on small farms

Livestock

Equity in the food system

Value-added products

Fruit production

The Indiana Small Farm Conference is a great way to learn whats next in production, marketing and other areas to make the most of your efforts in 2023 and for years to come, said Amy Thompson, Purdue Extensions beginning farmers coordinator and a conference organizer.

Follow the conference on Twitter and Instagram at @SmallFarmPurdue or on Facebook at @PurdueExtensionSmallFarms, with the hashtag #PurdueSmallFarms.

Writer: Nyssa Lilovich, nclilovi@purdue.edu

Sources: Lais McCartney, lmccartn@purdue.edu

Amy Thompson, afthompson@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
A press conference was called by the personal injury law firm Go Big Injury Lawyers Thursday afternoon regarding Devin Willock. The conference was set to include the parents of Devin Willock, but they were not in attendance. The University of Georgia offensive lineman was killed in a car crash early on Sunday morning, along with recruitment football staff member Chandler LeCroy.
Matthew Tesvich, a senior at the University of Georgia, has always had a passion for baseball. When the career path he expected didnt pan out the way he wanted it to, he took his inspiration from his love for the sport and started OX SOX, an odorless sock business that he hopes will help change peoples lives.
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Telly Halkias is a national award-winning freelance journalist and the secretary of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC). Email: tchalkias@aol.com

Twitter: @TellyHalkias
Jack Hoffman is senior analyst at Public Assets Institute (www.publicassets.org), a non partisan, non-profit organization based in Montpelier. He is a resident of Marshfield currently living in France. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
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Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer.
Twice a hero  in one night: Firefighter, 17, returns from accident to rescue dad from home fire
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John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
To the editor: Our town has lost a cherished family business; Hotel Pharmacy has closed its doors after four decades. It is really impossible to measure the loss until it happens. While never taken for granted, they, like a good family member, have always been here when you needed them.

Insurance industry blamed for Hotel Pharmacy's end BRATTLEBORO  Mary Giamartino tried to hold on to Hotel Pharmacy as long as she could.

The Giamartinos and their wonderful long-time staff have always provided essential professional medical services and support not found in most doctors offices. They could help one navigate the absurdities of the health care system. Their knowledge, genuine concern and humor was always there to allay anxieties.

Personable and empathetic, they were family offering support to other families. They were of our community and their contributions went well beyond medical care. Remember the Kids Place, support for youth sports, valuable employment for high school students, college scholarships, and contributions to countless town artistic and charitable events, to name a few.

Like so many in the community our family was fortunate to have them as our pharmacy from their beginning.

Hotel pharmacy embodies much of what is so special about Brattleboro: friendly, personable and committed to our community. In the world of growing impersonal, franchised big boxes, Hotel Pharmacy cannot be replaced. We offer our best to Mary and the staff and a sincere expression of thanks.

Sincerely,

The Kipp and Keller family, Tim, Kathi, Ry and Delia

Brattleboro, Jan. 12
Tokyo and London have signed the Japan-U.K. Reciprocal Access Agreement allowing each country to deploy forces to the others territories in a move to counter Chinas rising clout in the Indo-Pacific. The U.K. is the first European country, and the second in the world after Australia, to have signed such an agreement with Japan. Britain in early 2021 announced a new integrated foreign, defense and security policy with a tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, a region of economic vitality and growing geopolitical rivalry.
Bereaved relatives say funeral homes are still running two-week waitlists despite operating round the clock.

Relatives and neighbors attend the funeral of a woman in a village in Tonglu county, Zhejiang province, China, Jan. 9, 2023.

China could see as many as 36,000 deaths a day over the Lunar New Year holiday period as millions of people travel to their ancestral homes to spend time with loved ones, a U.K.-based research firm said in a computer-modeled prediction of the impact of the current COVID-19 wave sweeping the country.

"In our updated model, cases could peak at 4.8 million a day with 62 million infections predicted across a fortnight between Jan. 13-27 before beginning to fall," Airfinity said in an updated report on its website.

"Deaths are forecast to peak at 36,000 a day on the 26th of January during the Lunar New Year Festival. This is up from our previous estimate of deaths peaking at 25,000 a day," it said.

It said the higher prediction was due to "increased pressure on hospitals and crematoriums."

Crematoriums continue to burn around the clock across China as COVID-19 rips through a population that has been vaccinated with less effective homegrown vaccines.

A resident of the eastern city of Hangzhou who gave only the surname Zhao for fear of reprisals said his grandfather had recently died of COVID-19, but that the family is having trouble getting a cremation booking.

"There are about eight or nine funeral homes in Hangzhou, all of which are full, and the waiting list is at least two weeks long," Zhao said. "It's not just Hangzhou either. My friend in Shanghai said the relatives of someone who died of COVID-19 recently were having to pay out for cold storage every day that they were in the queue."

He said funeral home staff in Hangzhou had told him that their cold storage was completely full, and that there were no memorial services currently being held, so as to save time.

"The farewell ceremony for the dead person is held right there in the courtyard, and only lasts a few minutes," he said.

A staff member walks next to bodies in body bags at a funeral home in Shanghai, China, Jan. 4, 2023. Credit: Reuters

Noticeable increase in activity

A series of satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies and analyzed by the Washington Post on Jan. 9 showed a noticeable increase in activity at funeral homes across six different cities, from Beijing in the north to Nanjing in the east, to Chengdu and Kunming in the southwest.

The photos showed vehicles transporting remains and family members lining up for cremation in larger numbers than the same time last year.

They appeared to confirm repeated anecdotal evidence from people on the ground who have struggled to organize cremations for deceased loved ones.

U.S.-based businessman Hu Liren said his father, who was in his nineties, died recently of COVID-19 in Shanghai.

"Cremations are now backed up until the 29th of this month in Jinqiao, Pudong [a district of Shanghai]," he said.

Hu said that while funeral homes once worked an eight-hour day, they are currently operating round the clock in a bid to clear the backlog.

"A friend of mine said the staff of a funeral home told him that they're not just working overtime; they're also adding cremation furnaces and making renovations," Hu said.

"The Chinese government may have realized that future death rates may be much higher," he said.

Airfinitys Analytics Director Matt Linley said the firm expects the current wave of infections to be more prolonged, and with a higher peak, than previously anticipated.

"Some provinces, such as Hubei and Henan, could see patient demand for intensive care beds being six times hospital capacity," Linley said in comments on the firm's website.

"It is likely that many treatable patients could die due to overcrowded hospitals and lack of care."

A combination image of satellite photos shows Tangshan city funeral home in Tangshan, China, on Jan. 26, 2020 [top], and amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, on Jan. 4, 2023. Credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters

The more disasters the better

China has reported 60,000 Covid-related deaths in just over a month since the ruling Communist Party abandoned its stringent zero-COVID policy of rolling lockdowns, mass surveillance and compulsory testing.

Current affairs commentator Heng He said Airfinity's revised deaths predictions came as the Chinese government announced that Pfizer's antiviral Paxlovid, which is recommended as a front-line treatment for COVID-19, won't be on the list of approved drugs under China's national health insurance scheme.

"One thing the Chinese authorities aren't bothered about is people dying," Heng said. "From the Chinese Communist Party's point of view, the more disasters the better, because they can boost their own reputation with disaster relief efforts."

"Entering this drug [Paxlovid] doesn't really do much for its reputation, and it's not going to change its policy just because of a large number of deaths," he said. "China doesn't want a foreign medicine to impress on the Chinese people the idea that foreign is better."

"It prefers that people see the superiority of its [political] system. It doesn't care how many people die," Heng said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
The United States and its allies in Asia, including South Korea and Japan, take the North Korean cyber threat very seriously, says Nathaniel C. Fick, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

Nathaniel C. Fick is the U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

As the first person to ever hold that office, Fick leads the State Departments newly created Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, which addresses national security challenges, economic opportunities, and implications for U.S. values associated with cyberspace, digital technologies, and digital policy.

Chief among the bureaus responsibilities is ensuring the digital security of the U.S. and its allies, including against cyberattacks sponsored by foreign governments.

Increasingly frequent cyberattacks from North Korea have targeted the U.S.,South Korea, and other allied countries in recent years. The South Korean National Intelligence Service estimates that Pyongyang has stolen around U.S.$1.72 billion in cryptocurrencies worldwide since 2017.

Fick recently spoke with RFA Korean about the threat that North Korea poses, and strategies that the Bureau has to deal with it. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Fick: The North Korean government uses malicious cyber activity to steal military secrets and intellectual property, which further isolates North Korea and the North Korean people, and the North Korean government uses malicious cyber activity to target human rights activists, dissidents and defectors around the world.

So we are very interested in containing and deterring North Korean malicious cyber activity. The State Department has a Rewards for Justice program that offers up to $10 million in rewards for information that leads to the dismantling of some of these North Korean cyber organizations targeting critical infrastructure and financial services around the world.

The North Korean people have a wealth of IT skills. And the North Korean regime has sent many North Korean IT workers around where they are posing in order to work in Western technology companies [to engage in] malicious cyber activity. We would far prefer for the skilled and talented people of North Korea to use those skills for the benefit of their own society.

RFA: How serious is the North Korean cyber threat to the United States and its allies like South Korea and Japan? Can we say that North Korea's threats have increased more over the past few years?

Fick: So the United States and its allies in Asia including South Korea and Japan, take the North Korean cyber threat very seriously for all of the reasons that I've described. Because of illicit financing, because of the theft of IP, because the North Korean government is developing new malware and is launching new attacks that are inherently global in their ability to threaten stability in cyberspace.

Protesters burn portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il [right] and his son Kim Jong-un during an anti-North Korea rally denouncing the North's cyber attacks in Seoul, South Korea, in 2009. Credit: Reuters

RFA: How active do you expect North Korea to be this year in terms of cyberattacks and other threats?

Fick: Well, Kim Jong Un has been explicit in talking about his desire to see an exponential increase in the size of his nuclear arsenal and that would require an increase in the ballistic missile forces including ICBMs. So I think we can anticipate an increase in malicious cyber activity in order to fund that military buildup. So our working assumption is that North Korea will remain a capable, destabilizing, and dangerously irresponsible cyber actor globally this year.

RFA: What plans does the Bureau have to counteract any potential North Korean moves?

Fick: So, the United States State Department, in concert with our other elements of the U.S. government, have a robust set of policies to maintain strategic stability in cyberspace to deter malicious activity and to respond to it when necessary. So I think it's essential to understand that this isn't only a cyber response to malicious cyber activity, we can use every element of national power to respond to and deter cyber activity. So that's diplomatic tools, economic tools, informational tools, and, if necessary, military.

It's a whole government approach to do things like [identify] individuals who [have] conducted these kinds of activities, usually using sanctions tools, and and financial forensic tools in order to recover stolen funds and return them to the victims.

RFA: Are you aware of any new tactics North Korea is trying to use recently that the public don't know about?

Fick: Something that's interesting about cyber tools. And one of the reasons that regimes like North Korea use them is that they are relatively inexpensive. They are relatively hard in some cases to attribute and so we believe that they're constantly changing, right? They're innovative and dynamic. We're particularly concerned right now about North Korea's focus on decentralized financial exchanges, particularly cryptocurrency exchanges. And these are new financial instruments where regulation is still developing. And so, they're comparatively easy to penetrate and disruptive.

North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in this undated photo released Nov. 19, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Credit: KCNA via Reuters

RFA: There are reports that North Korean cyber hackers are living abroad, even in South Korea. They hide their identity and work with South Korean IT companies. So do you know how many North Korean hackers live abroad? Could they be in the U.S. as well?

Fick: So, before coming to the State Department, I ran a global technology business with smart young people working on our business, all of them. And so I have a real conviction and belief in the power of technology to help transform societies to bring economic opportunity to people. And I think that young people in North Korea are no different. I have no doubt that there are thousands and thousands of talented, capable young IT professionals in North Korea. Many of them have left the country many of them have been sent out of the country to work undercover in western, South Korean and even American technology firms in order to use their skills to advance the agenda of the North Korean regime in order to steal money, in order to steal secrets, and in order to empower the regime. My request to them. My hope for them is that instead, they would use their skills to build things, to build tools, to build applications to build IT capability, to help their society and help their people rather than to undermine strategic stability.

RFA: North Korea fired more than 60 ballistic missiles last year and has carried out many other provocations. People are wondering where all the money to fund the missiles has come from since U.N. and U.S. sanctions still remain in place. North Korea has also been even more isolated after the COVID-19 pandemic. What role do you think illegal cyber activities play in North Korea to evade sanctions?

Fick: So North Korea is one of the most highly isolated countries in the world. And we have a deep and abiding belief that it is worthwhile to connect the North Korean people to the world. The government, if it's going to do things like test missiles and increase the sizes of its offensive forces and its nuclear forces, needs money. And so illicit cyber activity is a key means for the DPRK regime to evade sanctions to steal money in order to fund its military buildup. We would far prefer to see the government spending those same resources on food, education, housing, and development for the benefit of the North Korean people.

RFA: Is the Bureau prepared for the North Korean cyber threat, and prepared to prevent Pyongyangs illegal cyber activity?

Fick: We're very focused on North Korea's illicit cyber activity and highly motivated to stop their theft of money, their theft of intellectual property in their evasion of sanctions in order to continue the military buildup on the peninsula instead of caring for the well being of their people.
The second exchange this month follows a November ceasefire agreement.

Myanmars military and the ethnic Rakhine Arakan Army have exchanged prisoners as a seven-week ceasefire still holds.

The Jan. 15 prisoner swap took place near Rakhine states Ponnagyun township, a local witness, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told RFA.

He said both sides sent a vehicle to Kun Taung village on Sunday afternoon to carry out the exchange.

The Arakan Army released five people: a police corporal, a sub-inspector, a lance corporal and two policemen, the local said, adding that the junta freed two AA soldiers.

Neither side has released any information on the exchange.

RFA tried to contact AA spokesman Khine Thukha but was unable to get in touch.

The prisoner swap follows a Jan. 3 exchange near the same village when a major from each side was released along with some junta and AA soldiers, locals told RFA.

On Nov. 15, 2021, the Arakan Army released 15 soldiers and police officers near Ponnagyun.

Fighting between the two sides resumed in July, following a two-year lull. During that time, nearly 100 civilians were arrested by the junta and accused of working with the AA, Khine Thukha told RFA last month.

The locals were charged with illegal association and incitement against junta employees, he said. Seven were released in January, while the rest are still being detained.

The Arakan Army and the military agreed a ceasefire at the end of November last year, with the AA citing humanitarian reasons because junta bombs and roadblocks had cut off supplies.

The informal agreement has so far held, allowing the reopening of roads and the free movement of civilians and goods between Yangon and the Rakhine capital Sittwe, northern Rakhine and southern Chin state, according to a UNHCR report on Jan. 9.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing welcomes Gen. Chalermphon Srisawasdi, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, to a state dinner at Pristine Mermaid Resort in Ngapali beach, Thandwe, Rakhine state, Myanmar, on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

UPDATED AT 1:16 p.m. ET ON 1-20-2022

Myanmars junta chief met with his Thai counterpart at a Myanmar beach resort on Thursday for talks that will likely focus on military relations and stability issues along their 1,500-mile (2,415-kilometer) border, according to sources in the country and Thailand's military.

The three-day meeting between Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and a delegation led by Gen. Chalermpol Srisawat, Thailands military chief of staff, in Ngapali in Rakhine states Thandwe township is the eighth annual gathering for the two nations' military leaders.

Myanmars military is squaring off with anti-junta forces that include Peoples Defense Force paramilitary groups and ethnic armies on multiple fronts in embattled Kayah, Kayin and Shan states, as well as Tanintharyi region, all of which border Thailand.

The official Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday that Min Aung Hlaing rolled out the red carpet for the Thai delegation at Ngapali Beach's Pristine Mermaid Resort, treating them to a dinner accompanied by performances by artists from the Myawady Entertainment Troupe under the Directorate of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare and from the Myanma Radio and Television under the Ministry of Information.

A press release issued by the Royal Thai Armed Forces said that during the meeting the two sides discussed "a friendship sporting event to boost a relationship of both sides personnel and families, an exchange of military cultures, an exchange of combat medical matters, [and] a cooperation in Military Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief." It said plans were also made to cooperate on border security issues including drug trafficking, "social strengthening" of border villages, and the repatriation of displaced persons.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA he was unable to comment because he was not present at the talks.

Myanmar-based political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA that an issue of pressing concern for both nations is an ongoing junta campaign of heavy aerial attacks on areas controlled by the ethnic Karen National Union along the border in Kayin state, near Thailand.

At a time when the [junta] has to decide whether or not to continue with airstrikes, it will be important to discuss these issues with Thai officials in order to gain an understanding, he said.

The two sides will also likely discuss the issues of Myanmar refugees who have fled to Thailand since the coup as well as shells mistakenly fired into Thai territory by junta troops, Than Soe Naing said.

Min Aung Hlaing, viewed as a pariah by the international community after leading a February 2021 coup and subsequent violent crackdown on Myanmar's opposition, enjoys close personal ties to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who himself seized power in a 2014 putsch.

Prayut Chan-o-cha helps to prop up the junta through supporting Thai natural gas purchases from Myanmar, and Thursdays meeting came just days after the two countries reopened the key Myawaddy-Mae Sot Friendship Bridge border crossing after a three-year hiatus.

Thai soldiers stand in formation during the annual troop rotation ceremony inspection at Chulabhorn military camp in Narathiwat province in 2022. Min Aung Hlaing is said by observers to envy the Thai military. Credit: AFP Secret talks

Than Soe Naing, the analyst, also suggested that there could also be secret talks between the two generals regarding Thai authorities confiscation of assets owned by Min Aung Hlaings children during the arrest of Myanmar arms broker Tun Min Latt on charges of drug smuggling and money laundering in September last year.

The discovery of a property title belonging to Min Aung Hlaings son, Aung Pyae Sone, and two bank passbooks belonging to his daughter, Khin Thiri Thet Mon, among the seized assets as detailed in a report by campaign group Justice for Myanmar last week has prompted calls for a probe into their ties and to block their access to Thailands financial system.

Another Burmese analyst, Sai Kyi Zin Soe, downplayed any indication that a meeting between the two leaders might lead to unexpected announcements.

It is not unusual to see something like this, he said, noting that Myanmar and Thailand have a long history of diplomatic relations that precede their current political situations.

But he predicted that the two sides will have much to talk about because of the similarities of their rise to power and eagerness to hold post-coup general elections. Thailand has scheduled an election for May 7  its second since the 2014 takeover  while the junta has also vowed to hold a ballot this year, although a date has not been announced.

Burmese observers frequently suggest that Min Aung Hlaing envies Thailands military because of the control it exerts over the stability of the country, despite having staged an unpopular coup.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

This story has been updated to include details from a Royal Thai Armed Forces press release and a report by the Global New Light of Myanmar.
The live-fire drills come after a US strike group entered the disputed waters.

The Shandong aircraft carrier, seen docked at a naval port in Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province on Dec. 17, 2019.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has held a number of live-fire drills, including a confrontational exercise by the Shandong aircraft carrier group, in the South China Sea as a U.S. carrier operates in the area.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been in the South China Sea since last week and conducted maritime strike training, anti-submarine operations, integrated multi-domain and joint training between surface and air elements, and flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

The Nimitz is accompanied by a guided missile cruiser and three guided missile destroyers including the USS Chung Hoon that made a Taiwan Strait transit on Jan. 5, angering China.

This is the carrier strike groups first 2022-2023 South China Sea deployment.

Soon after the U.S. strike group made its entrance, the PLA Navy conducted a series of drills in the South China Sea, including a combat exercise by the Shandong aircraft carrier group.

The Shandong is China's second aircraft carrier and the first wholly designed and built in the country. It is accompanied by four guided-missile destroyers.

The China Daily said the drills, carried out in both day and night time, involved warships, aircraft and submarines.

Another media outlet, the Global Times, said they were realistic combat-oriented confrontational exercises and simulated hostile aircraft attacks.

It said the Nimitz carrier strike group had only stirred up tensions and had limited military significance.

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier operating in the South China Sea, Jan. 2023. Credit: U.S. Navy



Show of power

China currently operates two aircraft carriers  the Shandong and the Liaoning. A third carrier named Fujian is expected to enter service in the near future.

The United States Navy, the world's largest and most powerful naval force, has 11 active-duty aircraft carriers, all nuclear-powered.

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has the capability to deliver integrated lethal and non-lethal effects from space to undersea, across every axis, and every domain, Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, the strike groups commander, was quoted as saying.

The strike group demonstrates the ability to deliver overwhelming maritime force if called upon and remains committed to protecting the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea, and upholding the rules-based international order alongside Allies and partners, he added.

The South China Sea, claimed by six parties including China, serves as one of the busiest waterways in the world. Beijing claims historical rights to most of the sea but its claims were rejected by regional countries and a U.N. tribunal.

The U.S. 7th Fleet has been conducting routine freedom of navigation (FONOP) operations in the area despite Chinas protests.

Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz conduct flight quarters while underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, Jan. 2023. Credit: U.S. 7th Fleet





Besides the exercise by the Shandong carrier group, the PLA Southern Theater Command has also held at least two live-fire drills in the South China Sea, according to Chinese military sources.

The PLA Daily said on its Weibo account that a frigate detachment from the Command in mid-January carried out formation movement, air defense and anti-missile, anti-terrorism and anti-piracy [exercises], and light weapon shooting to sharpen their actual combat skills.

Another recent exercise focused on combat support was held by the same Southern Theater Command, the China Broadcasting Network Military Channel said without giving the date. This time, the PLA warships conducted maritime replenishment, joint search and rescue, and carrier-based helicopter take-off and landing, suggesting it was carried out in coordination with the Shandong aircraft carrier group.

The Southern Theater Command is one of the PLAs five major theaters commands and its primary area of responsibility is the South China Sea.

The U.S military alleged that it may also play a role in supporting another command, the Eastern Theater Command, in any major amphibious operation against Taiwan.
Brother posts videos of himself pleading with authorities to visit Dorjee Tashi, who is serving life sentence.

Dorjee Tseten has been pleading with authorities to allow relatives to visit his ailing brother, Dorjee Tashi, who is serving a life sentence in Drapchi Prison in Tibets capital Lhasa.

The brother of an imprisoned Tibetan businessman has posted videos of himself pleading with authorities to allow relatives to visit his jailed sibling, including a protest he staged in front of the prison in the western Chinese autonomous region where the younger brother, who is in poor health, is detained.

On a video posted on social media on Jan. 13, Dorjee Tseten says Chinese authorities have denied all his requests to visit Dorjee Tashi, 48, who was arrested in July 2008 following mass Tibetan protests that spring. Since 2010, has been serving a life sentence in Drapchi Prison in Tibets capital of Lhasa on what rights groups and supporters say are politically motivated charges of loan fraud.

When I went to appeal again on Jan. 6 for a visit, the local authorities accused me of ruining the reputation of Drapchi Prison and demanded an apology from me, he said, adding that a security guard wanted him to post an apology video online.

A member of the Chinese Communist Party, Tashi was a successful businessman who owned a luxury hotel chain and real estate companies in Tibet before his arrest, according to International Campaign for Tibet, a rights group. He was praised for his philanthropic activities that contributed to poverty alleviation and economic development in the region.

But following mass protests against Chinas rule in Tibet in March 2008, he was branded a secessionist for alleged covert support to the Tibetan protesters and for political connections with the Tibetan community in exile, which he later denied, according to the rights group. Though the political allegations against him were dropped during pretrial interrogation, Tashi was indicted for loan fraud and sentenced to life in prison.

In recent years, authorities cited the COVID-19 pandemic for not letting Tseten visit his brother, but they also refused to grant him a virtual meeting, said Tseten, who was previously sentenced to six years in prison in a separate hearing as were two other relatives who received jail terms of five and two years, respectively.

In another video circulating on social media, Tseten is seen speaking in Chinese outside the prison on Jan. 6 about an appeal letter he wrote to Chinese authorities to allow him to visit Tashi.

My younger brother is suffering from a severe illness in the prison, and we have requested the associated authorities to examine his health and provide him proper medical treatment, but there has been no response from the authorities, and therefore, we request those leaders to treat everyone equally, he says.

Tseten also asked authorities to allow family members to visit Tashi.

We believe that denying his family members to visit him and not informing us of his health condition goes against the countrys law and is a violation of basic human rights, he says.

Drapchi Prison will have to take full responsibility if his health continues to deteriorate in the coming days under these circumstances, Tseten adds.

On Dec. 19, Gonpo Kyi, also known as Gontey, who is the elder sister of Dorjee Tashi, staged a peaceful protest calling for her brothers release outside a courthouse in Lhasa until security guards took her into custody. She also staged sit-ins outside another courthouse in the capital in June 2022.

Drapchi Prison, or Lhasa Prison No. 1, is the largest detention facility in Tibet, housing some Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns detained for their political beliefs. It has gained a reputation for its poor conditions, brutality and use of torture on inmates, according to the human rights group Free Tibet.

Tibet was formerly an independent nation until it was invaded and incorporated into China more than seven decades ago. Chinese authorities keep a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Ha Van Phuc, director of Kien Giang Provincial Department of Health, who was removed from all his positions by the Kien Giang Communist Party Committee on Jan. 18, 2023.

The Communist Party Committee in southern Vietnams Kien Giang province has removed the director of the provincial health department from all his positions, as an investigation into the bidding for substandard COVID-19 test kits continues.

Ha Van Phuc was dismissed from the Provincial Party Committee Executive Board, sacked as director of the Department of Health and forced to give up his role as delegate to the Kien Giang People's Council for the 2020-2025 term at a committee meeting on Wednesday, the state-controlled Voice of Vietnam news site reported.

Phuc was disciplined in August last year for approving healthcare company Viet As bids to provide hospitals with medical supplies, biological products and COVID test kits.

The kits were found to be substandard and the companys chief executive officer later admitted to paying officials the equivalent of U.S.$34 million in bribes to win contracts at inflated prices, earning Viet A U.S.$172 million in profits.

The scandal has claimed the jobs of top Vietnamese officials as the communist party continues its blazing furnace crackdown on corrupt cadres.

On Wednesday, parliament approved the removal of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was forced to take responsibility for Viet A and other COVID scandals that happened on his watch.

Two deputy prime ministers and three ministers have also been removed by the party in connection with COVID corruption.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn.
U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to allay concerns about the recent purported leak of classified documents last week that supposedly reveal details about the military capabilities of some U.S. allies and adversaries, as U.S. media reports on April 13 said an arrest was imminent in the state of Massachusetts.

The Department of Justice has opened a formal criminal probe into the matter after it was referred to the case by the Pentagon, which continues to assess the damage done by the release.



The Washington Post reported on April 12 that the person who allegedly posted the documents on a small chat group on the Discord social media platform was a gun enthusiast in his 20s who worked at a military base. The daily based its reporting on interviews with two unnamed members of the group. The documents were posted months ago without attracting attention until The New York Times reported on them.

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, citing sources, said an arrest was imminent. The WSJ said it could come as early as April 13.



Theres a full-blown investigation going on, as you know, with the intelligence community and the Justice Department, Biden told journalists in Dublin on April 13 in his first public comments since the scandal erupted . And theyre getting close.



Biden, who is in the middle of a four-day visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, added that he was not concerned about the leak because there is nothing contemporaneous that Im aware of.



The White House said earlier in the day that Biden did not discuss the matter with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when the two met in Northern Ireland earlier this week.



The number of documents leaked, some of which were reportedly marked top secret, is not clear.



They purportedly include sensitive disclosures about Ukraine, South Korea, Israel, and others. The Biden administration fears the leak could cause lasting damage to U.S. relations with key allies and strategic partners.



The Discord group allegedly included people from Russia and Ukraine, the paper reported, and was focused on a mutual love of guns, military gear and God. The social media platform itself is popular with players of online games.



The man who posted the documents, who went by the online handle OG, allegedly told group members he sometimes worked in a secure facility at the base that prohibited cell phones and other electronic devices.



Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Ukrainian television on April 12 that the risk of leaks is very minimal because only a very narrow circle of people is aware of Ukrainian military planning.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
A military court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don sentenced five Crimean Tatar defendants to 13 years in a strict-regime prison on January 11, having convicted them of participating in a terrorist organization.

Appeals notwithstanding -- including one filed with the European Court of Human Rights prior to Russias exclusion from the Council of Europe -- the sentences bring to an end the prosecution of the so-called 25 Case, under which 25 Crimean Tatar men who were detained in Crimea in 2019 were sentenced to long terms in Russian prisons.

The men were all convicted of participating in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic political organization that was banned as extremist in Russia in 2003 but is legal in Ukraine. However, Russian Prosecutor Yevgeny Kolpikov, at the sentencing of the first five defendants in March 2022, summed up the accusations against the men quite differently.

They repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the policies and the security forces of the Russian state, Kolpikov told the court. Their guilt has been proven in court.

Supporters of the men say they are being silenced for their work with the human-rights organization Crimean Solidarity, a network that has monitored and publicized evidence of crimes and rights violations by the Russian occupation authorities and the Russian military since Moscow sent troops to Crimea and seized control of the Ukrainian region in 2014. Since that time, local and international rights monitors have charged that Russia has targeted the Muslim Crimean Tatar minority with harassment, criminal prosecutions, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and abuse while in custody.

When the repressions began in Crimea against the native Crimean Tatar people, there were searches, arrests, disappearances of Crimean Tatar activists, and so on, said Khalide Bekirova, the wife of activist Remzi Bekirov, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison in March 2022. So my husband began working as a citizen journalist. He is a historian by education, but the need to help his fellow Muslims and his countrymen prompted him to take his cellphone and document searches, arrests, and court hearings.

'Political Prisoners'

For years, Bekirova said, her husband received warnings, summonses, and threats because of his activism. Finally, in March 2019, he was arrested as part of a massive campaign against Crimean Solidarity activists.

On March 27, 2019, the 25 Case got under way when Russian security forces carried out searches in 26 different locations in Crimea. Twenty men were arrested that day, while four more were arrested on March 28 and April 17. The last defendant, Eskender Suleymanov -- the brother of one of the men arrested in the initial round-up -- was arrested in June.

Crimean rights activist Lutfiye Zudiyeva said the 25 Case is the most wide-reaching criminal prosecution carried out by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) since the region was occupied in 2014.

Prosecutors were forced to take the unprecedented step of dividing the defendants up into five groups, she said, noting that it would have been difficult to place all 25 men in the special cage where criminal defendants sit during Russian court hearings. Of course, the goal was to destroy the work of the Crimean Solidarity rights movement, with which most of the defendants were associated. Thats why the case was so broad.

All 25 of the men have been designated as political prisoners by the Russian human rights group Memorial, which itself was banned by the Russian state in April 2022.

Concealed Witnesses

The men were transferred to the southern Russian city of Rostov-on Don, where their trials were held in a military court. The trials, defense lawyer Edem Semedlyayev said, were illegitimate, based on the testimony of witnesses whose identities were concealed.

In the indictment, there are many passages with undetermined dates and undetermined people and undetermined times, Semedlyayev said. That is, there were many undetermined facts, which made defense impossible. And all the accusations were based on this, but nonetheless the judges handed down sentences of 17 or 19 years.

Much of the evidence was based on edited fragments of audio recordings in which the defendants allegedly discussed political and religious topics with the concealed witnesses. No illegal or banned materials were found during the initial searches, defense lawyers told RFE/RLs Crimea.Realities.

Under questioning, it became clear that these witnesses did not even know the defendants, Semedlyayev said. Whenever we asked clarifying questions, they answered, I dont know. They didnt know how tall [the defendants] are. They didnt know their approximate ages, even though they testified that they met with these people every week in the mosque for a whole year. But when we started digging deeper and asked them to describe the mosque -- How many stories did it have? Did it have a minaret or not? -- they just said, We dont remember.

The judges regularly halted the hearings when the concealed witnesses were unable to answer questions, he added.

In addition, the audio recordings, which were edited and fragmentary, were evaluated by experts with connections to the FSB, Semedlyayev charged.

They have in-house institutes and in-house experts who are able to say that any conversation of this type is evidence of an exchange between Hizb ut-Tahrir members, he said.

'Such Events Need To Be Brought To Light'

In all, more than 80 Crimean Tatars have been accused of being connected with Hizb ut-Tahrir, and more than 50 are serving terms in Russian prisons, according to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

The Russian Federation misuses its legislation for political purposes, in particular to suppress the nonviolent struggle of the Crimean Tatars and their protest against the occupation of Crimea, the center wrote in a July statement. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center demands the cancelation of all sentences against those involved in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case and the immediate release of other political prisoners.

The crackdown on the Crimean Solidarity movement is an effort by the Russians to cover up their actions in Crimea, activist Zudiyeva said.

A person finds himself in the defendants cage and it is perfectly clear they will be convicted and sent to prison with a long term, she said. Of course, such events need to be brought to light. People need to be told about them. And that is why (the Russian authorities) dont like any human-rights or media organizations. It isnt just a matter of Crimean Solidarity -- this is how they treat all activists and journalists in Crimea and in present-day Russia.

In his closing statement to the court in March 2022 shortly before he was sentenced to 17 years in prison, activist Raim Aivazov remained defiant.

I have no doubt that you will convict me, he told the judges. But remember, you will reap the fruits you have sown. I am sure history will remember us as martyrs of a criminal regime and you as tools in the hands of tyrants.

The Crimean Tatars are a Muslim Turkish ethnic group that settled in Crimea as early as the 13th century. After the Russian colonization of Crimea in the 18th century, Crimean Tatars -- who formed a large majority on the peninsula at the time -- were subjected to violent repressions and legal discrimination. In 1944, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin forcibly deported the entire Crimean Tatar population to Uzbekistan and other parts of the Soviet Union, causing catastrophic loss of life. They were only allowed to return en masse after 1989. According to the Ukrainian census of 2001, there were 240,000 Crimean Tatars living in Crimea.

Written by RFE/RL feature writer Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RLs Crimea.Realities.
TBILISI -- U.S.-born financier and political activist Bill Browder has accused doctors involved in treating imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of being "probably involved" in malpractice and taking orders from government officials.

Known for his lobbying for the Magnitsky Act, a sanctions list targeting Russian officials responsible for the death of Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 in a Moscow prison, Browder has now vowed to create a similar list of those involved in keeping Saakashvili in prison.

In a tweet, Browder promised Saakashvili that he will "do whatever I can to bring this to the attention of Western governments for Magnitsky sanctions."

Following his arrest in October 2021 after illegally crossing into Georgia, Saakashvili, who was president from 2004 to 2013, has staged repeated hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment. His health appears to have deteriorated significantly while incarcerated. He is currently serving a six-year prison sentence on charges of abuse of power, which his supporters claim are politically motivated.

International support for the 55-year-old former president has grown over the last few weeks in tandem with the visible decline of Saakashvili's condition in the military hospital facility where he is now receiving treatment.

At a court hearing on January 17, British orthopedic traumatologist James Cobb, who is working as part of an international team to examine Saakashvili, noted that the patient's neck "was stiff, he felt severe pain, and he could not bend his head to the left. There was also severe pain in the left shoulder area [and] he could not move his left arm. His left shoulder and left wrist area were very weak."

He added that Saakashvili should undergo surgery on his neck, left shoulder joint, and left hip joint. "If these operations are not carried out, it will be difficult for him to move every day, and it will become even more difficult, and he will not be able to walk and move," he added.

In an interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Browder said, "If Saakashvili dies in prison, the consequences will be disastrous for those responsible."

"Two weeks ago, photos of what [Saakashvili] looks like after being arrested and tortured were released. These were the most disturbing, horrifying photos I have seen since Sergei Magnitsky was killed by slow torture," Browder said in the interview.

"I made it very clear publicly how shocked I was, as were many other people. I tweeted this message, and then I got a response from Mr. Saakashvili, obviously through a member of his team. He was basically asking me for help, begging me for help. I felt immense sympathy for him. I don't want anything worse than what has already happened. I think he should be let out of jail," Browder said.

'This Is An Emergency'

According to Browder, he is currently waiting for evidence supplied by Saakashvili's lawyers, which would confirm the violations of Saakashvili's rights as well as naming those who have abused them.

Once the evidence has been collected, Browder says he plans to present it to governments, engaging with politicians and political bodies who have shown sympathy towards the imprisoned former president and have voiced alarm at his mistreatment.

"It's very simple," Browder says. "Documentary or other evidence proving that he was tortured, ill-treated, or treated negligently. It could be that the judge ignored his request that he needed medical attention, that the prosecutors imposed certain prison conditions on him, or the evidence could be the actions of the police officers who were somehow involved in his case.... It could also be about those who stand above all these people, to government officials if there is evidence that it was a political order. I don't want to prejudge the evidence because I haven't received it yet. What I can assess are the photos of Mikheil Saakashvili, which clearly show that he was treated badly. There are no more questions about it."

Public international alarm has quickly grown in recent weeks, with heads of state and diplomats, including Moldovan President Maia Sandu, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski, and U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, expressing concern over Saakashvili's health and urging the Georgian government to ensure the protection of his rights.

After the incumbent Georgian Dream government recently publicized edited footage of the former president in his hospital room, it then accused Saakashvili of exaggerating his illness.

On December 1, 2022, Saakashvili asked the court to release him from prison or postpone his sentence due to the need for treatment abroad.

"The more the process drags on, the more problems it will bring to the Georgian government," says Browder. "They shouldn't be torturing a former president in a politically motivated situation. He definitely has signs of torture, signs of deteriorating health. This is the shame of Georgia, the shame of the Georgian government, and the shame of the Georgian justice system."

"This is an emergency. His condition is rapidly deteriorating," Browder adds. "It's like a person on the verge of death, so it's not something that can be put off. It should be done very quickly. I think the other cases related to his mistreatment should have been completed at the same time. This [making the list] is just one tool in the fight to save his life.

Written by Nadia Beard in Tbilisi based on reporting by RFE/RL's Georgian Service.
Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here. www.rferl.org/a/31793259.html



I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iran appears to be making headway toward renewing official ties with Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf states that in some cases have been publicly avoiding Tehran for decades.

The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia held talks in Beijing on April 6 in a significant step toward restoring diplomatic relations, which were cut in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following Riyadhs execution of prominent Saudi Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Iran also accepted an invitation from Saudi King Salman for President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh, while Tehran said it will send a similar invitation to the Saudi king. Meanwhile, a Saudi delegation traveled to Iran on April 9 to discuss the reopening of the embassy in Tehran and a consulate in Mashhad. The trip came as Iranian media reported on April 8 that a street sign near the Saudi consulate in Mashhad provocatively named after Sheikh al-Nimr had been quietly removed. An Iranian delegation also arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 12 to pave the way for the reopening of Iranian diplomatic missions there.

Iran is meanwhile taking steps to improve ties with other countries in the region, naming an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and working to decrease tensions with Egypt and Bahrain.

Why It Matters: Iran and Saudi Arabia appear to be pursuing implementation of last months Chinese-brokered agreement, possibly clearing the way for Tehran to de-escalate tensions with other countries that followed Riyadhs lead on a rupture seven years ago.



What's Next: Tehran and Riyadh could move surprisingly swiftly toward normalization, but its no sure thing. Abdolrasool Divsallar, a visiting professor at the Catholic University of Milan (UCSC), told me that the political environment between the two regional rivals could encourage the start of military and security talks within months.

But Divsallar also warned that opponents at home and abroad could still undermine the agreement. Hard-liners in Iran may act as a spoiler rather than as a supporter of the deal, he said, adding that Israel could do the same.

The regional tensions between Israel and Iran, on one side, andbetween Iran, Saudi [Arabia] and the United States, on the other side, are two dynamics that make this process very fragile, he said.

Divsallar also suggested that any normalization between Iran and countries with less appetite for a quick restoration of ties, for instance Bahrain, could take longer.

They feel more secure under the current status quo rather than immediately normalizing their ties with the Islamic republic and losing their leverage, he said, adding, They may wait to see a major change of policies.

Stories You Might Have Missed

Irans civil aviation sector has for years been under Western sanctions that prevent it from purchasing new aircraft or spare parts for repairs. Now, Russia's oldest airline, Aeroflot, has sent one of its passenger planes to Iran for repairs for the first time ever. Aeroflot reportedly ran into obstacles at home stemming from Western sanctions over Russias ongoing, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The RBK media group cited an Aeroflot representative and sources close to the company on April 11 as saying that an Airbus A330-300 had been sent to Tehran on April 5 to be repaired by specialists from Iran's Mahan Air.

Iranian pensioners staged protests in more than a dozen cities across Iran, demanding higher pensions amid soaring prices. Protests were reported on April 9 in Tehran, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Isfahan, Arak, Qom, Shush, Tabriz, and several other cities where retirees complained of poor living conditions and chanted anti-government slogans. Labor protests in Iran have swelled as the economy deteriorates following years of mismanagement compounded by crippling U.S. sanctions.

What We're Watching

Prominent Iranian female religious scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi has challenged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the Islamic republics mandatory hijab law.

In a letter published online, Vasmaghi asked about the reasoning behind Irans strict model for womens dress and said the Koran does not specify the need for women to cover their hair in public.

There is no evidence to show that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad women were harassed and punished for not covering their hair or even their bodies, Vasmaghi, who has published several books on Islamic jurisprudence, wrote.

Why It Matters: Vasmaghis letter is significant for its timing -- just days after Khamenei asserted that the removal of the hijab in public was religiously banned. But it is also important because it comes from a religious woman who wears the veil while opposing the mandatory hijab, which is seemingly being defied by a growing number of women.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.
Ukraines defense and foreign ministers have stressed the need for NATO engagement -- including membership for Kyiv -- to safeguard security in their country and the entire Black Sea region, as Russian forces continued their assault on the city of Bakhmut and elsewhere in eastern Ukraine.



"We need a system of guarantees that would make aggression from Russia impossible," defense chief Oleksiy Reznikov told a security conference in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on April 13.



"There is no alternative to Ukraine's accession to NATO," he said.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensives, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking to the conference by video link, urged the Western alliance to become more active in the region and said it was time to turn the Black Sea into a sea of NATO.



Kuleba also urged NATO to accept his country and Georgia, also a Black Sea littoral state, as members.



He said the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius should present a clear plan on when and how Ukraine will enter.



Kuleba also restated Kyivs position that peace is only possible in Ukraine if Russia withdraws from all Ukrainian territory, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow has occupied since 2014.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a Moscow briefing rejected Kulebas comments about the Black Sea.



This is a shared sea, Peskov said. It must be a sea of cooperation, interaction, and security for all its littoral states.



Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv exchanged conflicting comments on the situation in Bakhmut, the mostly destroyed eastern Ukrainian city, which has been the focal point of a monthslong Russian attempt to capture a built-up area and hail some kind of battlefield victory.



Moscow claimed to have cut off Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut, but the head of the Kremlin-linked Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it remains "too early" to say the city has been surrounded.



Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, rejected claims that Ukrainian forces had been cut off in Bakhmut, telling the AFP news agency that army chiefs still had communication with troops there and were able to resupply them with ammunition.



"This does not correspond to reality," Cherevaty said in response to Russian claims.



"We are able to... deliver food products, ammunition, medicines, all that is necessary, and also to recover our wounded," he said.

Off the battlefield, Germany approved Poland's request to export five old MiG-29 fighter jets to bolster Ukraine's air power, the German Defense Ministry said on April 13.



Germany inherited 24 MiG-29 jets from East Germany during reunification in 1990, then in 2004 supplied most of them to Poland, which requires Berlins approval before shipping them to a third country.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who is currently in Washington, posted on Twitter that he had signed an agreement under which the World Bank would provide $200 million to repair Ukraines electrical grid, which has been badly damaged in recent months by Russian air strikes targeting its civilian infrastructure.



In Moscow, Russias Prosecutor-Generals Office opened an investigation into videos that appeared online purporting to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russian troops. Prigozhin dismissed allegations that the executioners were Wagner fighters.



On April 12, Ukraine launched a probe of the video, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the purported execution.



We are not going to forget anything, he said in a video posted on Twitter.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
Kosovo has turned away cars with what it says are illegal Serbian license plates issued after December 2022, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said on January 18, accusing Serbia of violating an agreement reached in November on the contentious issue.

Svecla confirmed that some cars with the KM abbreviation, which stands for the city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, on their license plates were denied entry into Kosovo on January 18 because they were re-registered in December.



The November agreement said Serbia was to stop producing these license plates, and, according to Kosovo officials, re-registering existing ones.



"Serbia has breached the November 2022 accord on car plates. [Kosovo's] Police Border Directorate has recently discovered cases of cars with illegal plates renewed by Serbian authorities as late as December 2022. As a result, entry into Kosovo was denied," Svecla wrote on Twitter.



Serbia should be held responsible for "flagrantly violating" an accord reached under EU auspices and "deceptively inviting Kosovo Serbs to renew their car registration," he said.



"Similar cases of cars with the license plates in question will not be allowed to enter or operate within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, considering that they are illegal and there is an agreement on the cessation of production or their re-registration," he added on Facebook.



Serbian officials in Belgrade and Kosovo reacted angrily to the ban on the entry of cars with KM license plates. Petar Petkovic, head of an office under the Serbian government that coordinates relations with Serbs in Kosovo, accused Kosovo of trying to cause a new crisis and tensions.



He said barring cars with KM license plates issued since December constituted a "flagrant violation and violation of the agreement on license plates" reached in Brussels in November after a crisis that threatened the peace in Kosovo.



Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo quit their jobs in November over the government's plans to implement a license-plate conversion program.



Petkovic said the November agreement foresees that until a final decision on the plates is made, the KM license plates can remain in use.



Serbia, according to the agreement, agreed to stop issuing illegal KM license plates, and Kosovo agreed to remove the decision on reprimands and fines for drivers of cars with such license plates.

According to Petkovic, the agreement states that Pristina is obliged to suspend its punitive license-conversion policy and all activities related to the re-registration of cars with KM plates.



Petkovic said that the actions are bringing new tensions and problems to northern Kosovo and that he expects the European Union, which is the guarantor of the agreement, to protect and enable its implementation.



EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in November also confirmed that Serbia will no longer issue license plates with Serbian acronyms for Kosovo's cities and Kosovo will suspend further actions related to the re-registration of cars, inviting the parties for discussion on next steps.

EU spokesman Peter Stano on January 19 called on both sides to observe the November deal and refrain from escalating the situation.



"We urge all stakeholders to fully and unconditionally respect the agreement and related settlements reached on November 23, by which both Kosovo and Serbia agreed to specific measures related to license plates to de-escalate the situation and to fully focus on the EU proposal on the normalization of their relations," Stano told journalists in Brussels.



"This included Kosovo refraining from any further enforcement action against owners of KM vehicles and effectively maintaining the status quo until the issue can be resolved in the dialogue in a sustainable manner, and Serbia not issuing new KM plates," he added.
Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved in the initial reading on January 19 a bill that would oblige all state entities, local self-governing bodies, enterprises, institutions, and organizations, regardless of the type of ownership, to use Kyrgyz only as their working language. The bill must go through two more readings and, if approved, will need President Sadyr Japarov to sign it into law. Russian, which dominates many spheres of everyday life, has the status of an official language while Kyrgyz is the state language in the Central Asian nation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
SOFIA -- Russia has been hit by waves of Western sanctions for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, including its energy sector, a major source of revenue for the Kremlin.

On December 5, 2022, Russia's ability to sell crude oil got harder when it was blocked from transporting its black gold by ship to the EU. Moreover, that same day, an EU cap on the price of Russian oil exports of $60 per barrel took effect.

Data suggests the latest measures are having an impact. Russian oil exports have fallen to a two-year low, and the price of Russian crude has slipped to levels not seen since the start of its full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

But while nearly all of the EU is cutting its deliveries of Russian oil, Bulgaria, also a member of NATO, appears to be bucking the trend. As 2022 ended, Bulgaria had become the third-largest purchaser of Russian oil in the world.

Bulgaria is not defying sanctions. Sofia has secured itself from Brussels an exemption, allowing it to take shipment of Russian oil delivered by sea. The measure had widespread support across the political spectrum in Bulgaria, with Kiril Petkov, the former prime minister of one of Bulgaria's most pro-Western governments ever, lobbying for it.

Russia's Refinery

All of the Russian crude oil delivered to Bulgaria ends up at the Neftochim Burgas refinery, which is said to be the largest such facility in the Balkans. The refinery, located in the Black Sea port of Burgas, is also owned by LUKoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer. Bulgaria is heavily dependent on Neftochim Burgas, with every car and truck in the country said to be fueled by its gas and diesel.

The money from the sale of fossil fuels is unequivocally a major contributor to the Russian state budget. Since 2006, more than 60 percent of Russia's federal budget revenues have come from sales of oil and natural gas with the share from oil some five times higher than gas.

But the latest data shows Western sanctions are starting to bite. Russian crude oil exports fell in December 2022, according to numbers from S&P Global Commodity Insights.

The amount of Russian crude oil being loaded at the country's ports at the end of 2022 averaged 2.65 million barrels per day. That's down about 14 percent from the previous month, November.

"The main buyers are China and India with more than half, and in December [2022] the third-largest buyer of Russian oil in the world was Bulgaria," said Kostantsa Rangelova, an energy expert at the Sofia-based Center for the Study of Democracy, in an interview with RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service. (Turkey previously held the position as the third-largest buyer.)

The increase in Bulgarian oil purchases is due to the exemption it received in June 2022 from the European Commission, allowing it to keep importing crude oil and petroleum products from Russia by sea until the end of 2024 despite the EU-wide ban in force since December last year. Under another special exemption, the commission also allowed Bulgaria to export to Ukraine diesel products refined locally from imported Russian crude oil.

"In May 2022, there was a significant increase in these imports compared to the typical levels of previous months, and since then they have remained at these elevated levels up till the latest available data from December," Rangelova said.

The data published by S&P Global shows that, in December 2022, Bulgaria imported about 150,000 barrels of Russian oil per day.

"The capacity of the refinery in Burgas is 140,000 barrels per day and it can operate up to 10 percent above this capacity. The data for December of 150,000 barrels per day coincides with 100 percent processing of Russian oil," said Rangelova.

Since the beginning of 2022, LUKoil has processed more than 7 million tons of crude oil at the Burgas refinery. This is almost twice as much as in 2021, when about 4.2 million tons were processed.

Hard Times For LUKoil

This status quo, however, might not last forever, with LUKoil coming under increasing pressure globally -- and in Bulgaria.

The Russian oil giant is recalculating its business across Europe. On January 9, the company announced it had reached an agreement to sell its ISAB oil refinery in Sicily.

That came days after it announced it could sell its businesses in Romania and Moldova, including gas stations, a refinery in Ploiesti, Romania -- where it also owns a wind farm -- along with oil depots in both countries.

In Bulgaria, politicians are watching keenly to see if LUKoil can finally pay up. As part of the EU's exemption, the Russian company vowed to pay local taxes from the revenue generated inside Bulgaria. That's something LUKoil has not done for years, with officials long suspecting the company was cooking the books.

Since at least 2006, the company has regularly reported yearly financial losses with few exceptions. In 2020, that loss was a whopping 500 million lev ($292 million). No declared profits mean no income taxes paid into Bulgaria's state coffers.

Generating revenue will soon be even harder for LUKoil. Under the EU exemption, the Neftochim Burgas refinery cannot export fuels or oil products from February 5 -- with the exception of deliveries to Ukraine. The refinery is also allowed to export byproducts that cannot be safely stored in Bulgaria and could pose an environmental hazard.

Only allowed to sell the diesel in Bulgaria or ship it to Ukraine, Neftochim Burgas has suggested the ban could be a death knell for its business, perhaps prompting the Bulgarian parliament to prepare for a possible government takeover.

On January 13, Bulgarian lawmakers decided that the state can now take control of the refinery, in a vote aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring fuel supplies for the Balkan country.

LUKoil Neftochim did not respond to requests for comment by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.

Energy expert Rangelova, however, suggested that the company could look for ways to skirt the fresh EU ban.

"It is very easy to play with how exactly to label the fuel that is exported, and with a more creative mixing of the products, there really won't be any change," the Bulgarian analyst said.

There is also the question of whether LUKoil remains loyal to the Kremlin.

An investigation by the German daily WELT published on January 18 found that Bulgaria, with Petkov at the helm of the government, had provided Ukraine with crucial support in the early days of the Russian invasion, including shipments of diesel from the Burgas refinery.

"Bulgaria became one of the largest exporters of diesel to Ukraine and at times covered 40 percent of Ukraine's needs," former Finance Minister Assen Vassilev told WELT.

Today, with it feeling the sanctions pinch and its market shrinking, LUKoil might not be in such a charitable mood.

Written by Central Newsroom senior correspondent Tony Wesolowsky based on reporting by RFE/RL Bulgarian Service's Genka Shikerova
A teenager and his friend ran into a burning kindergarten to save terrified children after a helicopter crashed into it on January 18. The authorities said 14 people were killed, including one child, along with the Ukrainian interior minister and other officials flying in the helicopter. Many children were injured.
One of Springfields most well-known businesses celebrated the end of a months-long remodel project earlier this month.

On Friday, Jan. 6, the Farm Credit Mid-America office in Springfield commemorated their newly remodeled office with an open house event for customers and members of the community. Farm Credit Mid-America also held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, joined by members of the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce.

During the open house Farm Credit gave away prizes, enjoyed a variety of local food, and connected with neighbors who are building diverse agricultural operations across the local region.

As a proud member of the Farm Credit System, Farm Credit Mid-America has had a presence in communities across Tennessee for more than a century. Their business exists to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture as a leading provider of reliable, consistent credit and financial services to 135,000 farmers, producers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Springfield office, located at 5189 Highway 41 North, is just one part of the companys ongoing commitment to meet local farmer and rural residents agricultural loans, leases, crop insurance and country living needs.

Our purpose is to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture, said Senior Vice President of Agricultural Lending Jason Alexander, who was in attendance at the open house. We offer loans, leases and crop insurance. We work with farmers and rural homeowners. Weve been in business for over one hundred years, and plan to be here many more, fulfilling our purpose.

Farm Credit Mid-America and its rural lending brand, Rural 1st, have continued to support rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.

The customer-owned cooperative manages a portfolio of $33.5 billion in assets. Farm Credits products and services include loans for real estate, operating, equipment and rural living, as well as related services including crop insurance and vehicle, equipment and building leases.

More information about Farm Credit Mid-America can be found online at e-farmcredit.com/inquire.
Weather Alert

...National Weather Service Cold Water Safety Message... ...Please check with state and local authorities regarding guidelines for allowed activities... * Very warm air temperatures today around 80 are expected today. This may cause people to underestimate the dangers of the cold water temperatures which are currently only in the lower 40s across Lake Champlain, and in the upper 30s to lower 40s in the regions' smaller lakes and rivers. * The cold water temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia to anyone immersed in the water. According to the US Coast Guard, when the water temperatures are below 50 degrees, the chance of immediate incapacitation due to cold shock is extremely high. Anyone on small boats, canoes or kayaks should plan accordingly if recreating this weekend and use extreme caution to avoid this threat. Paddle smart from the start and always wear your life jacket!
A team of meteorite hunters from Belgium and the United States has found five new Antarctic meteorites, including one that weighs 7.6 kg.

Antarctica is a tough place to work, for obvious reasons  its bitterly cold, remote, and wild, said Dr. Maria Valdes, a researcher at the Field Museum and the University of Chicago, and her colleagues.

However, its one of the best places in the world to hunt for meteorites.

Thats partly because Antarctica is a desert, and its dry climate limits the degree of weathering the meteorites experience.

On top of the dry conditions, the landscape is ideal for meteorite hunting: the black space rocks stand out clearly against snowy fields.

Even when meteorites sink into the ice, the glaciers churning motion against the rock below helps re-expose the meteorites near the surface of the continents blue ice fields.

The researchers were the first to explore potential new meteorite sites mapped using satellite imagery.

They found five new extraterrestrial rocks, one of which had a mass of 7.6 kg.

Of the roughly 45,000 meteorites retrieved from Antarctica over the past century, only about a hundred or so are this size or larger, Dr. Valdes said.

Size doesnt necessarily matter when it comes to meteorites, and even tiny micrometeorites can be incredibly scientifically valuable, but of course, finding a big meteorite like this one is rare, and really exciting.

Going on an adventure exploring unknown areas is exciting, but we also had to deal with the fact that the reality on the ground is much more difficult than the beauty of satellite images, said Dr. Vinciane Debaille, a researcher at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

Despite timing their trip for Antarcticas summertime in late December, temperatures hovered around minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).

Some days during their trip, it was actually colder in Chicago than it was in Antarctica, but spending days riding snowmobiles and trekking through ice fields and then sleeping in a tent made the Antarctic weather feel more extreme.

The five meteorites recovered by the team will be analyzed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

Meanwhile, sediment potentially containing tiny micrometeorites was divided among the researchers for study at their institutions.

Were eager to see what the analyses of the meteorites reveal, because studying meteorites helps us better understand our place in the Universe, Dr. Valdes said.

The bigger a sample size we have of meteorites, the better we can understand our Solar System, and the better we can understand ourselves.
(Photo : Pexels / Miriam Espacio )

Astronomers have been trying to figure out a long-standing mystery regarding star formation in faraway galaxies. SciTechDaily reports that they have been in pursuit of knowing more about this by picking up radio signals from these systems. However, with greater distance, the signals end up getting weaker.

Distant Radio Signals Successfully Caught

Now, according to McGill University, specialists from Montreal as well as India were able to successfully catch a radio signal from the farthest galaxy to date. The signal was picked up at a particular wavelength, recognized as the 21 cm line. This, then, enables astronomers to delve through the universe's mysteries.

With India's Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope playing a huge role, this is the first instance where a specific radio signal type was able to be picked up from a remarkable distance.

The study was included in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Postdoctoral researcher Arnab Chakraborty from McGill University shares how galaxies emit various types of radio signals. However, until now, it was only possible to grasp such signals from proximate galaxies. This served as a huge limitation, as knowledge only covered those systems that were situated near earth.

However, thanks to gravitational lensing, it is possible to grasp faint signals from great distances. Chakraborty notes how this will help the researchers know more about the galaxy composition of those systems far from earth.

ALSO READ: Largest Monster Radio Galaxy Found: Biggest Structure Of Galactic Origin 16.3 Million Light-Years Away

Mysteries of the Early Universe

It is the first time that researchers were able to pick up signals from a far star-forming galaxy called SDSSJ0826+5630. They were also able to gauge the composition of the gas.

The specialists were able to see that the gas content's atomic mass was also double the mass of visible stars.

SciTechDaily notes how the universe expelled this signal when it was just around 4.9 billion years old. This allowed the specialists to look into the mysteries of the early universe. Chakraborty notes how such an instance equates to looking back over 8.8 billion years.

Nirupan Roy, study co-author and associate professor from the Indian Institute of Science's Department of Physics, notes how gravitational lensing enhances the signal from the far object to enable researchers to dig deeper into the early universe. In the specific case at hand, the radio signal is bent because of another huge galaxy situated between the observer and its target. As a result, the signal gets magnified by a factor of 30, which enables the telescope to detect it.

The specialists note that such results show how it is possible to look into distant galaxies through gravitational lensing. This also births various fresh opportunities to dig into how stars and galaxies evolved through the use of radio telescopes, which are low in frequency.

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RELATED ARTICLE: Hubble Space Captures Telescope Stunning Spiral Galaxy That Lies in Constellation Hydra

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
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Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko has hailed Vietnam for its efforts in economic development amid a host of difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and concerns over a global economic recession.

Vietnam recorded good economic growth in 2022 although many countries across the world found it hard to go through the year, the diplomat said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year).

Due to some negative factors, including the pandemic and soaring energy prices, the global economy faced a range of challenges, he continued.In Vietnam, thanks to flexible and effective actions taken by competent agencies in a bid to restore business activities after the pandemic was controlled, the country's GDP growth reached 8.02 percent, surpassing the target of 6-6.5 percent set by the Government, which is surely a positive sign, the ambassador stressed.

The countrys total export-import turnover was estimated at around US$750 billion in 2022, up about $50 billion from the previous year, with a trade surplus of over $11 billion .The figures showed the right path Vietnam has selected, Bezdetko said, noting his hope that such favourable trends will continue this year.The ambassador also lauded Vietnams impressive strides over the past more than 35 years of Doi moi (renewal), saying the national economy has been developing rapidly amid global challenges.

The country has kept foreign investment inflows, and integrated more intensively and extensively into the global economy, with production and technology potential intensified, he explained.

With these achievements, the targets of maintaining the annual GDP growth at 7 percent and raising per capital income at $7,500 by 2030 are reachable, the ambassador said.

Bezdetko pointed to the optimistic prospects for Vietnam in the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) despite the present global economic and political situation, particularly the food and energy crises.

Regarding the fight against corruption, the ambassador described it as a key for Vietnam to ensure the stability and efficiency of political institutions and dynamic economic development.

He recalled the establishment of steering committees for anti-corruption in Vietnamese provinces and centrally-run cities, which, he said, would help the country make progress in the fight.Asked about Tet, the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam which is approaching, Bezdetko said this is the time for family gatherings, meetings between friends, visits to teachers, reviewing the previous year and making future plans, and it is associated with interesting customs and rituals.

On this occasion, the ambassador noted his wish that the Vietnam-Russia relationship will grow more broadly and strongly, and his belief that the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries will be enhanced in 2023 in the spirit of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
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California's Agricultural Labor Relations Board recently published an overview on AB 2183, the monumental "card check" legislation passed last year that makes it far easier for California agricultural workers to organize into unions.

The ALRB's guidance, published on their website on Dec. 28, 2022, includes information on the new law and a portal for employers to register a Labor Peace Compact, in which the employer agrees to act neutrally with respect to unionization.

Specifically, such a compact would see the employer agreeing to the following:

Our lips are sealed: Not to make statements for or against union representation to employees or publicly (in writing or orally) at any time during employee hire, orientation, or after a Notice of Intent to Organize, Notice to Take Access, or petition is filed.

Come on over: To allow union access to worksites. The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided that a California law requiring employers to provide such access was illegal. But agreeing to a Labor Peace Compact requires an employer to give up their rights to block access.

Seriously, don't talk about it: To not engage in captive audience meetings where an employer would discuss unions or union representation. Employers can't disparage the union in written or verbal communications to employees or the public. Employers also can't express a preference for one union over another union.



The new guidance notes that employers that opt to enter a Labor Peace Compact must do so by enrolling via the ALRB's online portal between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, 2023. Thereafter, employers must sign up before January 1st of each year. The list is public and available on the ALRB's website. As of publication, no employers have opted to enter the Labor Peace Compact.

Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined an agreement with the United Farm Workers and California Labor Federation that essentially eliminates the Labor Peace Agreement option, and naturally the mail-in-ballot option. The ALRB's recent guidance clarifies that Newsom's agreement is not the law, and it will enforce AB 2183 as passed until the legislature acts.

Farm Labor Contractors (FLC) are bound by their grower's decision regarding the Labor Peace Compact. If an FLC provides labor to an employer that entered a Labor Peace Compact, the FLC is bound by that determination and must follow the neutrality rules. FLCs and their growers should discuss this point for 2023 contracts.



How Can a Union Petition for Election?



Let us count the ways. Instead of the secret ballot election, the guidance confirms that there are now three ways for a union to petition:

The Old Way: Unions may petition for certification for a traditional in-person election. In the petition, the union must provide proof that more than 50 percent of the workers want to have an election. After this threshold showing, the ALRB conducts a secret ballot election where employees cast ballots in-person, privately.

You've Got Mail: For employers that enter a Labor Peace Compact, unions may not utilize the card check option, but instead may petition for a mail-ballot election. In this scenario, the ALRB will mail ballots directly to employees. The employees will complete the ballot and return it by mail.

Card Check: There is no notice, mailing, or run-up period in this type of election. A unionizing organization is only required to provide proof of support from a majority of workers through authorization cards or petition signatures. Once the union demonstrates majority support, the ALRB will certify the union without a secret ballot election or any prior notice to the employer.



If an employer seeks judicial review of a final order of the board, the guidance confirms that it must post a bond with the board for the entire economic value of the contract, meaning the difference between the employee's existing wages and economic benefit in the new contract. The cost of the bond alone could be a limiting factor for employers when deciding to challenge final ALRB decisions in the courts.

The ALRB's guidance outlines that additional civil penalties are now available where the Board finds a violation of the ALRA. The penalties may be up to $25,000, depending on the circumstances. The guidance specifically describes that a director or officer of an employer may be personally liable for penalties.

If you haven't already, you should be in active discussions with your legal counsel about navigating this new law with a response and mitigation plan in place. Given how quickly a card check election will move forward, you should also have labor counsel at the ready in the event of activity at your operation.

Benjamin M. Ebbink, Rebecca Hause-Schultz and Alden J. Parker are attorneys with Fisher Phillips in Sacramento, Calif.  2023. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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After a "gut and replace" of Illinois Senate Bill 208 at the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, the Paid Leave for All Workers Act passed both houses of the legislature on Jan. 10. The legislation has been sent to the governor, who said he is looking forward to signing it.

Once signed, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, the legislation would require nearly all covered Illinois employers to provide covered employees up to 40 hours of paid leave per year to be used for any purpose. This would make Illinois the third state with a mandatory paid time off law, following Nevada and Maine.

The legislation applies to all employers in Illinois, including state and local government. It does not, however, cover school districts organized under the School Code or park districts organized under the Park District Code.

The legislation covers all employees, with the following exceptions:

Employees covered under the federal Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or the Railway Labor Act.

Temporary college or university student-employees.

Certain short-term employees of an institution of higher learning.

Employees working in the construction industry who are covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Employees who are covered by a bona fide CBA with an employer that provides services nationally and internationally of delivery, pickup, and transportation of parcels, documents, and freight.

It does not apply to employees covered by a valid CBA in effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Following that date, the requirements of the legislation can be waived in a bona fide CBA if the waiver is set forth explicitly in the agreement in clear and unambiguous terms.



Accrual, Carryover, and Frontloading



On Jan. 1, 2024, or when employment begins, covered employees will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Exempt employees are presumed to work 40 hours per workweek unless their regular workweek is less than 40 hours, in which case paid leave accrues based on that regular workweek.

Employees can accrue up to 40 hours in a 12-month period. A 12-month period may be any 12-month period designated by the employer in writing at the time of hire. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of paid leave from one 12-month period to the next.

In lieu of accruing time, employers may choose to grant (or "frontload") 40 hours of paid leave on the first day of the 12-month period. If the full 40 hours is frontloaded, carryover from year to year is not required, and any unused leave will be forfeited at the end of the 12-month period.

Employees cannot use their paid leave until they have completed 90 calendar days of employment, or March 31, 2024, whichever is later.

Employers may require up to seven days' advance notice of a foreseeable need for paid leave. If leave is unforeseeable, employees need only provide notice as soon as practicable. An employer that requires advance notice for unforeseeable absences must adopt a written policy that contains procedures for the employee to provide notice.

Unlike most paid leave laws, the new legislation expressly prohibits employers from requiring documentation or certification to support an employee's need for leave.



Using Leave



Employers may set a reasonable minimum increment of use for paid leave, but it cannot be more than two hours. If an employee's shift length is less than two hours, the minimum increment of use will be the length of the employee's scheduled shift.

Employees must receive their hourly rate of pay when using paid leave, which does not include commissions or gratuities. However, an employee's hourly rate of pay for leave cannot drop below the applicable minimum wage.

Unless an employer is using a more generous paid time off policy for compliance, they are not required to pay employees for unused paid leave time upon separation from employment.

Unused time must be reinstated and made available for use if the employee is rehired within 12 months of separation. Presumably, these reinstatement requirements would not apply in the event that unused paid leave is paid out upon separation from employment, but the legislation does not address this issue. Employees transferring to a separate division, entity, or location will retain their accrued paid leave time.

Employers may use other types of paid leave policies to satisfy their obligation to provide paid leave under the new legislation. An employer is not required to modify its policy, if it satisfies the minimum amount of leave required under the legislation, and the employee is permitted to take paid leave for any reason.

If an employer does use another type of vacation bank to satisfy its obligations under the legislation, any unused leave must be paid out upon separation from employment, consistent with the requirements under the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act.



Notice and Recordkeeping Requirements



Employers must post a notice to be provided by the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) in a conspicuous place on the employer's premises and include a copy of the notice in a written document, or written employee manual or policy. If the employer's workforce includes a significant portion of non-English speakers, it will be required to post a notice in this language, a model of which will be provided by the IDOL.

Employers must maintain accurate records for each employee, showing the employee's hours worked, paid leave accrued and used, and remaining paid leave balance. Records must be retained for at least three years and must be available for inspection by the IDOL. While an employee's paid leave accruals need not be reported on a paystub, employers must provide this information to an employee upon request.

An employer cannot require that an employee seek or find a replacement worker to cover the hours during which the employee uses paid leave. The legislation contains broad anti-discrimination and retaliation provisions, and it explicitly prohibits consideration of the use of paid leave as a negative factor in any employment action that involves evaluating, promoting, disciplining, or counting paid leave under a no-fault attendance policy.

The IDOL will be tasked with the administration and enforcement of the legislation. Employees may file a complaint with the IDOL within three years of an alleged violation. There does not appear to be a private right of action for employees.

Violations would make the employer liable to the affected employee for damages in the form of actual underpayment, compensatory damages, and a penalty of at least $500 but no more than $1,000. Affected employees will also be entitled to equitable relief including attorney's fees, reasonable expert witness fees, and other legal costs. Additionally, violators will be subject to a $2,500 civil penalty for each separate offense. For violating the notice/posting requirements, employers will be subject to a $500 civil penalty for the first audit violation and $1,000 civil penalty for each subsequent audit violation.

The introduction of mandatory paid leave on a statewide level will be a significant shift for Illinois employers. We expect additional guidance to be forthcoming from the IDOL prior to the law's Jan. 1, 2024 effective date. However, employers should start analyzing their compliance strategy with respect to usage of existing paid leave policies.

Stephanie Mills-Gallan is an attorney with Littler in Milwaukee. Jeff Nowak, and Meg Karnig are attorneys with Littler in Chicago.  2023. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region on Wednesday organised a business outreach session on sector-wise opportunities and benefits arising out of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).

The session aimed to brief the industry on the gains for the Indian industry arising out of this Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Tapan Mazumder, Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the major boost for India would be in its labour-intensive sectors, which are currently subject to import duty of 4-5 per cent by Australia.

"The Department of Commerce is having talks with the Australian government for bringing in investments in clean air technology, mining, education and research and development. The warehousing systems in Australia can be used as a gateway to New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea where Indian presence is miniscule," said Mazumder.

Further, he urged the CII and the industry to work together and give more information to the Department of Commerce so that the bilateral relationship between India and Australia can be strengthened.

P.J. Singh, Vice Chairman, CII Punjab State Council, said the implementation of the ECTA between India and Australia has the potential to double bilateral trade in goods and services to $45 billion in five years.

Congratulating the Prime Ministers of the two countries for the quick conclusion of the agreement, Singh noted zero-duty access to Australia's market is available to India presently with the ECTA entering into force on December 29, 2022.

Australia will provide zero-duty access to India for 100 per cent of its tariff lines (98.3 per cent tariff lines from day one and the remaining 1.7 per cent in a phased manner in five years).

This is expected to lead to $10 billion jump in India's merchandise exports by 2026-27 and would help in creating additional 10 lakh jobs in India and more job opportunities in Australia.

Besides providing cheaper raw materials to many sectors, including steel and aluminium from Australia, the ECTA would also facilitate increased investments from Australia and will support Indian manufacturing, said Singh.

Virendra Pal Singh Mongia, Regional Head, EXIM Bank, said Australia and India are increasingly working together as strategic and economic partners. India-Australia ECTA is a ground-breaking agreement that will leverage the industry to capitalize the enormous untapped potential.

The agreement is expected to boost investments, enhance market access, create additional job opportunities, and most importantly strengthen the bilateral ties of two important players in Indo-Pacific region.

About 96 per cent of Australia's exports to India comprised of raw materials and intermediate products, thus the tariff concessions offered by India will allow local and domestic industries to get cheaper raw materials and enhance their competitiveness.

The CII said in a statement that it is also looking forward to various opportunities for trade in services. Australia has made wide ranging commitments in around 135 sub-sectors with most-favoured nation (MFN) status in around 120 sub-sectors.

The major gains are for the Indian IT sector followed by healthcare and education, and service professionals such as yoga teachers and chefs.

The CII expects that the deal would provide large Indian IT companies to increase their involvement in Australian government projects. The deal enables India and Australia to collaborate and develop niche skill sets, provide global digital solutions, and further develop fintech capabilities.

On the other hand, India is making commitments in around 103 service sub-sectors with MFN in 31 sub-sectors.
Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys grew their brand value to retain their positions as the second and third most valuable IT services brands, as per the IT Services 25 list prepared by UK-based consultancy Brand Finance for the year 2023.

Indias largest IT company TCS brand value was up 2% on year to $17.2 billion while Infosys valuation, too, was up 2% on year to $13 billion.

This year, TCS delivered many tailored transformation programs as clients migrated to various hybrid working methods. As a part of this, TCS was a key leader in engaging with new advances in big data, AI and ML to serve clients businesses, the report said.

At the peak of the pandemic period, many global brands sought to optimise their operations for digital transformation and consulting to improve customer experience  leading to a boom for IT services brands. Infosys was at the lead of this, particularly parlaying the Infosys brands strong ESG credentials and a sustainable business model and commitments to environmental causes, Brand Finance mentioned in its report.

The Bengaluru-based company is also leading by example by operating carbon neutrally for the past three years and continues to deliver on the goals stated in its ESG Vision 2030 first published in 2020, it added.

Accenture, whose brand value was up 10% to $39.9 billion, retained its position as the most valuable IT services brand in the world for the fifth consecutive year. The brand continues to innovate in the field of information technology services and consulting, the report stated.

HCLTech brand value rose 7% to $6.5 billion as its recent brand transformation has helped strengthen the brand in the near-term. The Noida-based firm too retained the eighth place in the global list.

LTIMindtrees brand value grew 75% to $1.9 billionmaking it the fastest-growing IT services brand after successfully completing a merger between L&T Infotech and Mindtree in 2022. It jumped three places to be ranked 19th on the list. The brand has been able to use the benefits of economies of scale and pool its capabilities and resources, allowing it to push to deliver greater results to stakeholders, the report stated.
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Just weeks later, Abramovich, 56, was forced to put his prized London possessions up for sale after Russia invaded Ukraine. UK lawmakers, following decades of Russian investment and involvement in business, real estate and sports, set out to pressure those perceived as having ties to President Vladimir Putin  and no one in Britain was as high profile as Abramovich.

Chelsea FC had just won the Club World Cup and the billionaire owner was on the pitch, celebrating with the players and coach Thomas Tuchel.

It only got worse for the billionaire, who made his vast fortune in oil and metals. In March, he suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after engaging in futile peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. (It was unclear who was behind the attack or what type of poison might have been used, people familiar with the situation said at the time.) He was sanctioned by the European Union, and $US6 billion in hedge fund investments, made by US-based Concord Management, were effectively frozen. Just this month, Canada said it intends to seize $US26 million ($37 million) in assets from his Granite Capital Holdings to help fund Ukraines reconstruction.

The influence that these elites once had abroad is waning, and their options regarding where to park their wealth have become increasingly more limited. Liana Semchuk, Sibylline intelligence analyst

Abramovichs wealth fell more than 50 per cent to $US7.8 billion this year, and some of that is now illiquid, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He almost certainly wont see any proceeds from Chelseas sale to US investors. Whats more, his ability to roam the world by private jet or superyacht and snap up trophy properties is now curtailed.

A representative for Abramovich didnt respond to a request for comment.

He is the largest decliner of the approximately two dozen Russian billionaires tracked by Bloomberg, some of whom made their initial fortunes when Russia privatised state-run industries in the 1990s. In total, their net worth has declined almost $US95 billion this year, or more than $US330 million a day since the Ukraine invasion.
Spowers & Syme may sound like a firm of accountants, but were dealing with an entirely different order of creativity. Ethel Spowers (1890-1947), and Eveline Syme (1888-1961), were groundbreaking Australian artists at a time when women found it difficult to make any impression on an art scene dominated by self-confident and self-serving males.

A touring exhibition put together by the National Gallery of Australia, Spowers & Syme is showing at the S.H. Ervin Gallery on the fourth stage of a lengthy journey, before winding up in Brisbane later this year. As the display is mostly works on paper, the exhibited items will go into extended storage when the tour concludes, so its worth catching the show while you can.

When a survey from late 2019 revealed that women were now ahead of men in most categories of artistic representation in Australia, the one blemish was in the number of works exhibited in public collections, which is a function of history, not institutional will.

From left, Ethel Spowers, The Skaters, c. 1932 (detail) and Eveline Syme, Skating, 1929 (detail). Credit: NGA

Its a useful exercise to seek out works by neglected female artists but museums need to judge dispassionately in terms of what they collect and exhibit. When a gallery commits to a 50-50 representation, as both the NGA and the Art Gallery of NSW have done, this is a simple matter in the contemporary field (where women are in the ascendancy) but becomes progressively more difficult as we move back in time as there arent enough female artists to fill the quotas. Its not a function of present-day chauvinism, but of past chauvinism which we are powerless to change.
Here McLeod talks to his classmates, his teachers and Brandon Lee himself about what happened during that year. He seats them at desks that recreate the now demolished school; he animates their stories with simple, charming cartoons, with actors supplying their voices. The singer Lulu provides a growling disciplinarian teacher.

Bearsden is a tonier part of Glasgow - a leafy suburb for professionals - but the school was old, mouldy and tough enough to daunt the young man, who said he was 16. Filmmaker Jono McLeod was part of that classroom that day.

Brandon Lee was the new boy at the Bearsden Academy in 1993. He had bright red curly hair, an odd face and a reserved manner. In the interview accompanying this bizarre and inventive documentary, he says he was terrified, but suppressed his fear, thinking it would do him no good.

McLeods most daring touch is to bring in Alan Cumming. Brandon Lee gave an audio interview, but would not show his face. Cumming lip-syncs Lees words with uncanny precision and an air of resignation: if it must be told, then I will tell it.

On one level, its a beat-up: nothing really happened. There was no crime. On another, Brandon Lee betrayed everyone by not divulging that he was really 32 years old. That was his crime: he lied. When outed, the rabid British tabloids jumped on the story, besieging the house in which he lived with his grandmother. He went into hiding, but the story did not stop. Indeed, the repercussions kept coming. Why did he do it? How did nobody guess, especially since he had attended Bearsden 15 years earlier under his real name? Why conceal his face - has he had cosmetic surgery?

One of the animated scenes in Jono McLeods documentary. Credit: Madman Films

Some of this functions at a prurient level, but thats partly playfulness, before McLeod dives deeper. The classmates have differing memories of events. There is video proof that some things did not happen as they remember - notably a kiss in the school play when Brandon Lee, aged 32, kissed a 16-year-old on the lips as part of a production of South Pacific.

This young woman, who has gone on to work as an actress, is at a loss to describe how she felt when she found out his real age. At the base of all of this, McLeod keeps coming back to the question: what was the offence here? The abuse of trust or the cold calculation it took to put the scheme into effect? And whom did he hurt?
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In a backstage area at Londons Barbican Hall, members of the London Symphony Orchestra gather in a small cafe, sip tea, chat and manage to look most unlike a group of the worlds finest musicians. Their musical director Sir Simon Rattle  an unmistakable figure thanks to his all-black outfit and crown of silver curls  moves among them with an easy familiarity. Rattle, 67, is fond of describing the LSO as a pirate ship  a go-anywhere, play-anything unit with a work ethic unmatched by rival orchestras. Thats partly because its self-governing; members arent employees, theyre stakeholders with a say in everything from the concert dress code to the touring schedule. Sir Simon Rattle in action at Londons St Pauls Cathedral. Credit:Mark Allan In less than an hour, the people in the cafe will change into monochromatic garb and walk onstage to perform Janaceks opera Katya Kabanova. Tomorrow, its Sibelius and Bruckner in Paris. After that, a short German tour will be followed by the British orchestras first visit to Australia since 2014. Most musicians live peripatetic lives, but the LSO is in perpetual motion. It plays almost 110 concerts a year at Barbican Hall, its London base, and in nearby LSO St Lukes, its chamber-sized education and community venue. As many as 50 concerts a year take place in cities outside Britain. Rattle, the pirate ships captain since 2017, says, the way they have to work to survive would put most other international orchestras in the hospital within a month. Somehow they survive and somehow, however exhausted they might be, they play with 110 per cent intensity. Members of the London Symphony Orchestra inside LSO St Lukes, its education and community venue.

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A case in point. Rattles final concert as the LSOs musical director  he is leaving at the end of the current season to take up the baton at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra  was to have been The Last Night of the Proms in September. Berlin asked if the orchestra would play Mahlers Symphony No. 7 the following day and Bucharest made a similar request. So, Rattles time as the LSOs full-time leader [he will still work with them as Conductor Emeritus] will end in the Romanian capital. Loading Given the way the LSO has to work  the almost brutal schedule it follows to survive  the way it plays is even more extraordinary, he says. When you hear them live you would see immediately that this is not anyones job  the concert is where everyone gives maximum energy and intensity. This band has a long and storied history, but the only time they talk about the past is to tell funny stories. They are always asking, What can we do thats different? What can we do thats new? Theres an energy and idealism here I find incredibly touching. Rattles final concerts as the LSOs musical director  including dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne  will be emotional, he concedes. Were very close and a lot of us have known each other for years. But the Liverpool-born maestro, who first conducted the LSO at the age of 22, is a realist. Most of the musicians he cut his teeth with in Britains National Youth Orchestra have retired  as any sensible person would. The pull of family contributed to his decision to leave. Berlin became his home during the 16 years he was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. He bought a house in the citys suburbs and his wife, the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena, and their three children, Jonas, Milos and Anezka, live there. He got used to cooking for them during the pandemic and the opportunity to enjoy family life and still conduct a world-class orchestra was too good to resist. Sir Simon Rattle says the London Symphony Orchestras schedule would put most other international orchestras in the hospital within a month. Credit:Getty Images For the LSOs Australian performances, Rattle has picked music he loves for three diverse programs. Highlights include Mahlers Symphony No. 7  a piece with exactly the kind of intensity and complexity at which the LSO excels  and Sun Poem, a new work by young British composer Daniel Kidane.

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The most ambitious work, in logistical terms at least, is Harmonielehre by American John Adams. A minimalist piece written in 1985, it opens with a salvo of 39 E minor chords and requires a notoriously large percussion section; an armoury of marimbas, tubular bells, vibraphones, gongs and chimes. The LSO has never attempted to tour the work  until now. Loading Enter Alan Goode, the LSOs operations manager and the man responsible for moving tonnes of orchestral gear across the globe. In another life, the lean 47-year-old Dubliner was a tour manager for rock acts including The White Stripes and Shane MacGowan. Working with an orchestra, he concedes, is rather more civilised. Civilised, perhaps, but far from relaxing. Consider the numbers. The LSO is bringing its largest ever orchestra  a 120-strong touring party  to Australia at a time when the cost of air freight is soaring. Says Goode: Post-Covid weve had issues around the availability and cost of cargo space. Obviously, the war in Ukraine means aircraft have to travel longer distances and there have been less aircraft available. Money isnt the only issue. The days of musicians circling the globe without paying heed to their impact on global warming are over. Even Coldplay got that email. Weve had to look at how we can be a bit more nimble, Goode says. Weve always been a fairly lean machine, but were turning into an exceptionally lean, green touring machine. A new approach was tested on the LSOs recent tour of Japan and South Korea. It is simple in theory, harder to implement. Instead of filling wide-bodied transport planes with every piece of equipment required by a touring orchestra, the LSO will borrow gear  the weighty percussion instruments needed to play Harmonielehre in particular  from sister orchestras.

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In the case of Australia, thats the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which signed a formal partnership with the LSO in November last year. The loans will include marimbas, vibraphones, glockenspiels, tam tams, bass drums, harps and a celeste (or bell-piano). Says Goode, Traditionally, this kind of program would require us to ship about six tonnes of equipment. [By borrowing equipment] Weve got it down to about four tonnes. For some musicians playing a different instrument is a bit like asking Lewis Hamilton to drive a different car in a race. Alan Goode Not every elite musician is happy to play someone elses instrument, of course, so the approach must be applied judiciously. For some musicians playing a different instrument is a bit like asking Lewis Hamilton to drive a different car in a race, says Goode. Its all about finding the point of equilibrium between savings and having the right instruments in the right hands. Borrowed equipment isnt the only measure the LSO is using to slim its air freight. Many of the orchestras violin and viola players have agreed to take their instruments on the plane as hand luggage. That may not sound revolutionary, but its significant given 90 per cent of these instruments are usually shipped as freight. LSO violinst Belinda McFarlane is looking forward to working with Ensemble Dutala  Australias first ensemble for classically trained First Nations musicians  in Melbourne. Credit:Tina Korhonen Belinda Bindi McFarlane is an Adelaide-born violinist who joined the LSO in 1991. She clearly relishes the orchestras efforts to do things differently and plays a leading role in its community engagement work in Britain and elsewhere.

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The Melbourne Fashion Festival has slimmed down with the departure of Vogue as a show sponsor, David Jones downgrading its runway commitments and organisers failing to secure international talent for the influential Australian Fashion Summit.

A day has also been shaved from the ticketed March event, which launched its program of runway shows and smaller seminars on Thursday.

Melbourne Fashion Festival director Caroline Ralphsmith (wearing Sydney label Michael Lo Sordo) with models Jay Coolahan (wearing Reigner) and Clare Walker (wearing Paul McCann). Credit: Simon Schluter

I feel we need more time to get international events in place, says festival chief executive Caroline Ralphsmith, who started in the role in August. We would love to get more international exposure, and Im looking forward to bringing it back next year.

Past summits have featured the billionaire founder of the Diesel fashion label Renzo Rosso, Lady Gagas stylist Nicola Formichetti, and body-positivity advocate and supermodel Ashley Graham. Last year festival organisers shifted the summit date to July before cancelling it.
It may seem like a lifetime ago, but as the COVID-19 pandemic came to Australia it remarkably altered how the public interacted with their governments.

In Western Australia, the relationship between the public and the government was one of the most interesting as the government successfully avoided major outbreaks for nearly two years.

Premier Mark McGowan announced the panel for the COVID-19 review on Thursday. Credit: Hamish Hastie

The police trumpeted about new drones equipped with lights and sirens that would be deployed to beaches to ensure people werent gathering illegally; borders were closed to the relief of many, but to the disdain of those locked out and in; and people faced the full force of the law for skipping quarantine or falsifying vaccination records.

All of these decisions born of the pandemic that became so de rigueur, but now seem so alien, could face dissection by a special panel tasked with reviewing the WAs COVID-19 management and response.
Muay Thai trainer's Apple Watch sparks full-blown police raid at gym

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Sydney is preparing to ring in the Lunar New Year on Saturday night and into the week with an array of festivals, firecrackers and lion dancers dotted across the city.

From Ryde to The Rocks, Chinatown to Campsie, the traditional new year will be celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean cultures, among many others, whose calendars are tied to moon cycles.

The St George Community Wushu Centre will be performing at the Georges River Councils Lunar New Year celebrations. Credit: Wolter Peeters

But Lunar New Year is really an umbrella term for the countries own festivals: in China, its called the Spring Festival, while in Vietnam, Tet marks the festival of the first day. And while the calendars zodiacs remain similar, this year highlights a difference: 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac system, but the Vietnamese zodiac replaces the rabbit with a cat.

Traditionally, the rabbit symbolises a humbled person, earnest in all they do. (Rabbits include those born in 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 and 1963.)
The uncle of a woman who vanished from Sydneys south-west late last year has issued a plea to his niece to come home as police said they held grave concerns for her welfare.

Jessica Zrinski, 30, was last seen around Bossley Park at 10pm on Friday, November 25, before she disappeared. She was reported missing to police a week later.

Jessica Zrinski was last seen in November 2022. Credit: NSW Police

Vlad Zrinski, Jessicas uncle, held back tears as he said the Bossley Park local struggled a bit with mental health issues, but shes still part of our loving family.

Shes a beautiful girl. Shes a great soft personality, he said. Everyone who meets her is drawn to her.
Significant reform of tolling on Sydneys expensive motorway network is still years away, with Premier Dominic Perrottet saying any move to overhaul the complex system would not occur until the next term of government.

Opening the $3.2 billion M4-M8 connection of WestConnex motorway on Thursday  which will cost motorists $5.60 to drive through  Perrottet said while his goal was to transform Sydneys patchwork of toll roads into one united network, it could not be achieved in the near-future.

The first vehicles enter the WestConnex M4 and M8 extensions in St Peters on Thursday. It opens to the public on Friday. Credit: Kate Geraghty

We ultimately determined that it couldnt be done in the short term in terms of the work that had to go into that  it will be completed sometime in the next term of government, Perrottet said.

In the interim, the state government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars subsidising Sydney drivers for the cost of rising tolls.
Police will resume their search for a missing Swedish student on Friday morning after he fell from a cliff and was swept out to sea at North Head in Manly late on Wednesday afternoon.

Noa Sage, 20, was climbing up the cliff at Blue Fish Point with friends when he fell approximately seven metres onto the rocks below, police said.

Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command, the Marine Area Command and surf lifesavers began searching for Sage after the incident was reported at about 5.30pm.

Nine News reported Sage had moved to Manly in September on an international student visa and had begun working as a bartender in the area.
Three Queensland men who allegedly displayed a pro-Nazi banner on a highway last year and posted other offensive material in public areas have been charged by counter-terrorism police.

Police arrested three men after searches of homes in Toowong, Pimpama and Oxenford allegedly turned up a cache of nazi propaganda including banners, stickers and flyers.

Police allege the three men were involved in displaying a Nazi banner over the Pacific Highway last year. Credit: Queensland Police

Police alleged a 42-year-old from Oxenford and a 21-year-old from Toowong displayed a banner, which included the words Hitler was right, on the Pacific Highway at Helensvale in November.

The Pimpama man, 20, was accused of posting offensive symbols, and was not believed to have been connected to the others.
Police responding after shots were fired in the small Queensland town of Tara, west of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon. Credit: Twitter/Seven News

And five weeks later, the tiny station at Tara experienced another major shooting.

It had been a quiet day for both Chinchilla and Tara police stations until each sent crews to nearby Wieambilla.

The community was still reeling from the deaths of constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, who were killed in Wieambilla, about half an hour drive from Tara. Neighbour Alan Dare, 58, who rushed to help, was also gunned down.

The officers had been responding to a missing person report regarding Nathaniel Train, and came under fire when they approached the property, where Nathaniel and brother Gareth and his wife Stacey Train were living.

In the weeks since, McCrow and Arnolds colleagues who rushed to provide back-up at the Wieambilla shooting had transferred to other stations.

The four-officer Tara station had been running with two officers per shift, with the acting officer in charge a sergeant from Dalby Station.

Other officers were being called in from Dalby, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Brisbane districts and even the Railway Squad to relieve the shortage.
A Queensland man has been jailed for 12 years for encouraging a US woman to film her own son while she sexually abused him.

Gavin Leigh Melide, 30, of Morayfield, appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday for sentencing after pleading guilty to eight counts related to his interactions with a woman referred to as Brooke in Florida.

Melide has been jailed for 12 years.

Copies of text messages showed Melide also shared child sexual abuse material with Brooke and they discussed plans to abuse multiple other children in the US and Queensland.

The sentence was due to be handed down on Monday but Justice Soraya Ryan adjourned it to seek more information on determining an appropriate jail term as prosecutors were unable to nominate a comparable case.
So-called sovereign citizens arrested after claiming police have no authority

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Residents first reported an unusual odour to the EPA in October 2019. The smell intensified, and in November, the Barro Group notified the EPA of four hotspots in two cells, as the disposal pits for hazardous waste are called. Loading The EPA says the hotspots were likely due to oxygen entering the landfill, and combusting with old, decomposed waste, and committed to investigate further once all hotspots were remediated. The Barro Group commenced its remediation work in July 2020. By late 2021, three of the hotspots were extinguished. The largest is still burning. More than 10,000 odour and health complaints have been made since the hotspots were first detected, according to the Kealba Landfill Odour Report, released by the EPA in July 2022. The odour primarily impacts those living west of the landfill in Kealba and St Albans. They experience increased asthma symptoms, coughing and nausea, among other ill effects, according to the report.

Resident Marian Pham says she too first developed asthma a year after the fires started burning. Pham says she now uses a steroid inhaler to get it under control. The Barro Group is required by the EPA to conduct monthly air monitoring for key substances at the site, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 (tiny airborne pollutants that can travel deep into the lungs). Barro Groups monthly reports from its western monitoring station, directly opposite residents houses, showed PM2.5 readings exceeded safe levels on nearly thirteen days per month from July 2020 to August 2022. It was poor on close to three days per month. When Power, who lives 350 metres from the landfill, expressed concern about the unsafe PM2.5 levels, she says the EPA told her they could be caused by traffic rather than the fires.

Power is not convinced. She points out the roads were quiet during the COVID lockdowns. If its from the road, [the unsafe levels] would be at the same time every single day, but [they are] not, she says. Then there is the terrible odour itself. EPA inspectors test the air quality in Kealba due to pollution from the Barro landfill fire. Odours are detected when the odorant compounds of airborne chemicals stimulate the olfactory nerve. Cells in the lining behind the nose and in the throat react to these chemical aromas, which can then release inflammatory chemicals that may, in turn, trigger physical symptoms. According to the US Public Health Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the human olfactory system can detect chemicals below the threshold levels at which concentrations cause toxic effects in humans. Health symptoms such as asthma can occur from sub-irritant odours, with the degree of unpleasantness and an individuals exposure history believed to play a role.

According to the EPA and the Barro Group, air monitoring results demonstrate odour, while offensive, pose no issues of concern for long-term community health  in most cases. The EPAs advice on whether odour alone can cause physical ailments is inconsistent. In its 2021 report into the Kealba landfill fires, it describes odours as concentrations of substances in the air  that stimulate the sense of smell but are below levels at which they would create a physiological response in humans. Yet in advice to doctors treating communities near the Kealba fires, the EPA states: Odours can stimulate the central nervous system causing short-term, reversible physiological effects including triggering of asthma symptoms. Nonetheless, the long-term risk to health from odour exposure is very low. Trevor Thornton, environmental consultant at Deakin University and a former EPA employee, says odours without chemicals at harmful levels can still cause distress.

Loading You can have odour which doesnt actually necessarily have any really harmful chemicals in it, but it can still make people feel ill, he says. [It] can interfere with sleep  and just being outside and enjoying where you live. Thorntons analysis is consistent with a 2009 paper, published in the American Journal of Human Health, which found people exposed to persistent foul odour from pig farms avoided engaging in outdoor activities and socialising, and experienced sleep disruption  all essential for good health  and appeared to trigger stress and negative mood. Local Jamie Ramsay says the psychological impact of living with the odour was especially challenging during COVID-19 lockdowns. Not to be able to escape [it was] detrimental to mental health and wellbeing, he says.

Power says that even with the single fire burning, the odour and its effects are overwhelming. You cant breathe ... you get headache ... youre just frustrated and depressed and angry, he says. It consumes your life. Community health is something members of the Barro family appear to have an interest in. Raymond Barro, managing director of the Barro Group, is also a non-executive director of ASX-listed building materials company AdBri, where he sits on its safety, health, environment and sustainability committee. The committees objective is: To assist the board in enabling the group to operate its business safely, ethically, responsibly and sustainably in the communities in which it operates.

Meanwhile, Rhonda Barro is executive director of Barro Group and a non-executive director of Adbri. She is also a director of the prestigious St Vincent Institute of Medical Research Foundation board, and previously had a long-term involvement with Melbourne-based Italian welfare organisation Co.As.It, whose patron is Victorian Governor Linda Dessau. Critics say the siblings health and welfare stance is in stark contrast to the impact the landfill site is having on the nearby community. Pham says residents had also asked for help from the Barro Group, but requests to provide air purifiers to affected households had been refused. The company has made hundreds of millions of dollars over the last years in other areas of expansion, says Van T Rudd, who stood for election in St Albans as the Victorian Socialist candidate in 2022. But still they will not supply air purifiers to the locals. A spokesperson for the EPA describes as astounding Barro Groups December admission the last hotspot would take until 2024 to extinguish after previously claiming it was 90 per cent complete. The move came only weeks after the EPA laid criminal charges that, if proven, could attract penalties of up to $360,000 for each director and $1.8 million for the company.
A lawyer for the ex-soldier did not respond to questions but multiple sources said OSI officials had privately expressed confidence he would be charged with war crimes. The removal of a prosthetic leg from the dead Afghan symbolised everything the Troop stood for: violence, drinking and theft. Social media promotion for a whiskey product named after an alleged war crime The OSI, which was set up by the government two years ago as the investigation and prosecution agency for war crimes, has been examining the wheat field killing, along with the veterans involvement in two other alleged war crimes incidents. The second former three-squadron soldier is under investigation for his involvement in at least two alleged war crimes in 2012. This soldiers alleged breaches of the Geneva Conventions were first uncovered and exposed in 2019 by The Age and Herald and involved the death of an injured Afghan who was removed from the care of an SAS medic by the soldier. The highest profile member of the SAS three under the OSI microscope is Roberts-Smith, who denies all wrongdoing and who is suing this masthead for defamation for previously exposing his alleged involvement in war crimes.

It has long been anticipated that Roberts-Smith would be one of almost two dozen special forces soldiers to be scrutinised by the OSI, but his emergence as a key target has not previously been reported. Roberts-Smith was a prominent target of the Brereton inquiry into war crimes, which referred the findings of its exhaustive report in November 2020 to the OSI, along with the names of 23 suspects. In November 2020, Roberts-Smith welcomed the creation of the OSI because the office had the expertise and experience to consider evidence, not rumours, and make decisions based on evidence rather than on unsubstantiated rumours. Among the lines of inquiry being pursued by the OSI are allegations that Roberts-Smith directed two now former SAS soldiers to conduct summary executions. One of those soldiers has confessed to the alleged execution to other veterans, according to sources with intimate knowledge of the confessors conduct. In 2018, this masthead revealed that Roberts-Smith was the subject of war crimes investigations being carried out by the Australian Federal Police. The AFP inquiries are ongoing and separate from the OSIs more recent inquiries into Roberts-Smith, although sources said there has been ongoing discussion about the possibility of merging the probes. The AFP has referred partial briefs of evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal analysis. Even SAS soldiers and officers who have helped the OSI or federal police are frustrated that the various inquiries have taken so long, casting an unresolved shadow over the special forces community.

The investigations by the OSI and AFP have divided the veterans community. Some defence alumni believe the probes are a witch hunt, but others have called for accountability. An investigation by this masthead has identified one of the former SAS soldiers who has participated in an online campaign against war crimes witnesses as Andrew White. White, who was not involved in the alleged crimes, recently posted online that ongoing investigations were being run by keystone cops who were harassing SASR operators and their families. Former SAS soldier Andrew White, pictured with Ben Roberts-Smith. Credit: Instagram White, an Afghan veteran, has denigrated SAS soldiers and support staff who have spoken up against alleged war crimes as rats and written that two of the Afghan veterans now assisting the OSI investigation are dogging the boys. White has attacked soldiers who have accused Roberts-Smith of wrongdoing, writing in one online post that it was a pity he wasnt eventually shown mateship from some brothers in arms. I would spit in their face, White has written of these Afghan veterans. In a photo he posted of himself next to Roberts-Smith, White wrote we gotcha back.

White previously sent this masthead a statement about his online comments, but asked that it not be published. White has also been using his social media accounts to promote a whiskey product named after an infamous alleged war crimes incident involving Roberts-Smith. The whiskey is also being promoted by the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) sub-branch in Kawana Waters, Queensland. The whiskey being sold under the name of a prominent alleged war crime. Credit: Instagram The whiskey has been produced and marketed by a liquor company owned by five veterans, including Mark Henneberry and Bryan Ramsbottom. The pairs company produces and markets whiskey bottles designed by other veterans in a decant on demand model. On Wednesday, the firm removed from public display its online promotion of the product after the pair were contacted by this masthead. It is still selling a whiskey range that celebrates an SAS mission on Easter Sunday 2009, in which two Afghans were allegedly summarily executed, although customers now need a password to view the offensive online content promoting the whiskey.

The Easter Sunday mission is under active federal police investigation. Several SAS soldiers have given statements to the federal police about witnessing the alleged involvement of Roberts-Smith in the execution of two Afghans on Easter Sunday, including one with a prosthetic leg that was souvenired and later used as a drinking vessel. The Afghans were allegedly found in a tunnel and detained during the Easter Sunday mission, according to multiple sources with knowledge of aspects of the police inquiry. Ben Roberts-Smith (left) with a former colleague drinking from the prosthetic leg of a dead Afghan man in 2012. The promotional material for the whiskey uses highly offensive racist terms to describe Afghans killed on the Easter Sunday mission, describes how the SAS soldiers engaged in gangster shit during the operation, disputes that any detainees were found in a tunnel and describes the removal of the prosthetic leg from the dead Afghan as symbolising everything the Troop stood for: violence, drinking and theft. The marketing material, which also glorifies the killing of Muslim men, claims to be tongue in cheek.

Henneberry and Ramsbottoms company, which this masthead has decided not to name in order not to publicise its products, has released 150 bottles of the whiskey dedicated to the Easter Sunday mission. When contacted, the pairs company said the whiskeys name, label and promotional material had been designed by a third party to raise funds for an unwell veteran. The companys statement said the promotional material was obviously embellished and the firm would review its contents. Loading Military sources said serving and former SAS soldiers who took part in the mission found the production and sale of the whiskey disgusting, offensive and warned it could impact on the mental health of veterans. Henneberry defended his companys involvement in the whiskey production, saying no soldiers had been found guilty of war crimes and, in an apparent reference to those who have raised concerns about misconduct, that hed never seen so many people with axes to throw in my life.
In 1975, when Portugal withdrew from East Timor, Fretilin took over, provoking resistance within the country supported by Indonesia. It was of concern to Australia and especially to Greg, who according to Shirley became worried, perplexed and angry and was keen to get an assignment to get over there and find out what is going on. He left on October 10. Shirley had in her mind that something might happen. When she heard that her husband and four other newsmen had gone missing on October 16, she feared the worst. Aged 43, with an eight-year-old son, Evan, she was alone. It soon became clear that her husband was dead. The Indonesians annexed East Timor, brutally, on December 7 that year. Another journalist, Roger East, who had gone to East Timor to find out what had happened to the Balibo journalists  soon to be known as The Balibo Five  was executed by the Indonesian soldiers on the Dili waterfront. Selling her home to raise funds, Shirley Shackleton committed herself to finding out what had happened to the Balibo Five and bringing to the worlds attention what was happening in East Timor. She flew in the face of federal government policy, which took into account political and diplomatic considerations. The Indonesian government said the journalists were caught in cross-fire, and the Australian government appeared willing to accept that. Greg Shackleton with his wife Shirley and son Evan taken Christmas 1972 in Melbourne. Credit: Fairfax Shackleton occupied herself with the arts, in acting and in textiles, sculpture, painting, drawing and writing, even travelling to Iran to study textiles. She ran an antique gallery and tea rooms. But always there was East Timor. She received intelligence on what was happening there, and in her letters to newspapers described the Indonesian brutality.

She visited East Timor in 1989 and heard a horrendous account of the fate of the Balibo Five. She personally confronted General Benny Moerdani, who had led the invasion of East Timor, but he was unresponsive. In November 1991, she wrote: According to witnesses I have spoken to, what they found were mostly women and children who had taken refuge in the bush. The witnesses describe incidents where women were raped then killed, childrens heads were smashed upon the ground. Shackleton called out then prime minister Bob Hawke, accusing him to be too accepting of excuses. She had a wide following, including prominent journalists John Pilger and Rohan Rivett. In 1992, she joined students on a peace mission to East Timor, rejecting a warning by the then foreign minister, Senator Gareth Evans, that people should think carefully before participating. Its not to do with my husband any more, although I know thats what he would have wanted, she said. Itll be 17 years this year since he died, and I have dedicated my life to helping free East Timor. In 1995, Shackleton addressed audiences in Perth, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney, and was expecting invitations from Japan and Portugal. Its not over, she said. If I drop dead tomorrow, its still going to go on. The quickest way to make something endlessly intriguing is to try and cover it up. Shirley Shackleton visiting the grave of her dead husband at the Tanah Kusir cemetery in Jakarta. Credit: Michael Bachelard She said an inquiry would be conducted, whether the government liked it or not. It wont be the full judicial one done by the Australian government as it should be, but its going to be a pretty embarrassing inquiry, she said. I have been speaking with the International Court of Jurists, the Australian Section, who are quite horrified at the news that Mr Downer [Alexander Downer, foreign minister] thinks its the end.

An investigation by the former head of the National Crime Authority, Tom Sherman, found no evidence that the five had been murdered, but that the Indonesians had burned their bodies as a cover-up. He said East had more likely than not been murdered by Indonesian soldiers. Shackleton was hardly satisfied. In 1999, East Timor regained its independence, amid a great deal of turmoil and bloodshed. In 2000 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade published Commonwealth government documents relating to the Indonesian invasion and subsequent annexation of East Timor, but excluded intelligence material. Shackleton helped establish and then directed the Balibo House Trust, responsible for the recovery of the Australian Flag House, the building the Balibo Five had used and which they had adorned with the Australian flag in a futile attempt to claim diplomatic immunity. Shackleton attended the opening in October 2003, along with her son. The trust supported several social projects in Balibo. Loading In 2007, a NSW Coroners Inquest was held into the death of one of the Balibo Five, Brian Peters. Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam told the inquest he warned Greg Shackleton about going to East Timor because the government could not protect him or his colleagues. I assumed Greg Shackleton would have taken notice of my warnings; I assumed he would have warned his colleagues, he said. It would have been very irresponsible if he didnt  then he would be culpable.

Shirley Shackleton would have none of it. Im defending my husbands reputation, she said. My husband has been virtually slandered by the [former] prime minister. The prime minister has said my husband is culpable. This was bloody murder. They had their lives ripped away. Deputy State Coroner Dorelle Pinch found that the Balibo Five were deliberately killed by Indonesian special force soldiers after surrendering. She said she was referring the matter to federal lawyers and police for consideration of prosecution. Two Indonesian soldiers named adversely in the inquest were Captain Yunus Yosfiah and Christoforus Da Silva. In 2009, the Australian Federal Police launched a war crimes inquiry into the case but were to conclude five years later that there was insufficient evidence to prove an offence. Shackleton had a book, Circle of Silence: A personal testimony before, during and after Balibo, published in 2010, which won a Walkley Award for journalism. In 2013, the East Timorese Government awarded Shackleton the Medal of the Order of Timor Leste. Loading She tried to present a petition to the then prime minister Scott Morrison, who with former foreign minister Marise Payne and others had travelled to help celebrate 20 years of the nations independence. In 2020, she gave evidence at an inquiry in Jakarta into the Balibo Five film ban by the Indonesian Film Censor Agency. Getting at the truth was my job, she told journalists. She enlisted further political support, including that of then Senators Nick Xenophon and Scott Ludlam, and had an interview with the then foreign minister Bob Carr. A film on her story, The Circle of Silence, was screened at the Mumbai film Festival in 2022.
Money laundering, addiction and ruined lives: how a powerful lobby group has set up a multibillion-dollar industry.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is preparing to ban political donations from registered clubs as part of wider poker machine reforms ahead of the state election.

The move is being considered within government as it works towards introducing a cashless gaming system, though no final decision has been made as Perrottet consults with stakeholders and senior members of the Coalition.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has signalled he is open to overhauling the entire donation system. Credit: Kate Geraghty

Banning donations from clubs with poker machines would prove a significant blow to the influence of the gaming industry on Macquarie Street after Labor this week confirmed it would no longer accept club cash.

Asked whether he would follow Labor and ban political donations from registered clubs housing poker machines, Perrottet on Thursday signalled he was open to overhauling the entire donation system.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in the case of jailed Australian Yang Hengjun after the pro-democracy writers sentencing was extended by another three months by Chinese authorities.

Wong was optimistic about the progress in the relationship between Australia and its biggest trading partner after returning from China in December but rebuked Beijing on Thursday, the fourth anniversary of Yangs detention on national security charges.

Foreign minister Penny Wong. Credit: AAP

Since Dr Yang was detained, the Australian government has called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be afforded to Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and Chinas legal obligations, Wong said.

The Australian government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case.
Ramstein Airbase: Western allies have dampened Ukraines hopes for a rapid shipment of battle tanks to boost its firepower for a spring offensive against Russian forces, with the United States urging Kyiv to hold off from mounting such an operation.

The United States top general, speaking after a meeting of the allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday (Germany time), also said it would be very hard for Ukraine to drive Russias invading forces from the country this year.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in blue, talks to German soldiers by a Leopard 2 main battle tank during an exercise in Ostenholz, Germany, in October. Credit: dpa/AP

The run-up to the Ramstein meeting had been dominated by the issue of whether Germany would agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, or permit other countries that have them to do so.

In the end, no decision on supplying Leopards was reached on Friday, officials said, although pledges for large amounts of other weapons including air defence systems and some other model of tanks, were given.
Another of his alleged inquiries: Can you be charged with murder without a body? His lawyer Tracy Miner cast doubt on the evidence in a statement issued after the hearing, during which a judge ordered Walshe held without bail. She said prosecutors had not provided her with evidence in the case and declined to comment further. Biran Walshe, right, has been charged with the murder of his wife, missing woman Ana Walshe in Massachusetts. Credit: The Patriot Ledger/AP I intend to win this case in court, not in the media, which has already tried and convicted Mr Walshe, Miner said. The disappearance of Ana Walshe had drawn national attention, in part because of her husbands previous legal troubles. At the time his wife vanished, the 47-year-old man was on home confinement while awaiting sentencing in a federal fraud case involving phoney Andy Warhol art. He was also entangled in a protracted legal battle over his fathers estate.

Ana Knipp, a native of Serbia who would climb to an executive-level position in Washington, DC, first crossed paths with Brian Walshe, the son of a prominent Boston neurologist, at the hotel where she worked in 2008, according to a Boston Globe report. She was married to another man around that time but described her encounter with Walshe as love at first sight in a court filing, the newspaper reported. They announced their engagement in 2015, according to the Globe, and went on to marry and have three boys who are now two, four and six years old. Last year, she began splitting her time between Washington and Massachusetts after getting a job as a regional general manager at the real estate investment firm Tishman Speyer. She flew to Washington during the week and returned on weekends to Cohasset, Massachusetts, where her husband and children lived. The family kept a townhouse in Washington in addition to their Massachusetts home. The couple had allegedly encountered conflict in their relationship in the past. In 2014, Ana reported to Washington police that Brian had threatened to kill her and a friend. No charges were filed, and a police spokesman said the case was closed because Ana declined to cooperate. When Brian was arrested in the fraud case in 2018, she stood by him. According to court records, he promised a friend that he would sell three Andy Warhol paintings for a good price. He sold one piece for $US40,000 ($58,000) soon after, but did not tell the friend or give him the proceeds. He later sold two other paintings to a California gallery owner for $US80,000  but the pieces were fake. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud, interstate transportation for a scheme to defraud, possession of converted goods and unlawful monetary transaction in 2021. Ana wrote a letter last year thanking the judge overseeing the fraud case for allowing him to await sentencing at home, saying that their family was able to be together during many of the milestones.

We are all looking forward to the new chapter of his life, she wrote. But more recently, Anas mother feared strife. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Milanka Ljubicic said her daughter had called on December 25 and begged her to come from Serbia to Washington to see her the next day. The plea led her to believe that clearly there must have been some problems, she said. She said she had also missed calls from her around midnight on December 31. Four days later, co-workers reported her missing after she failed to show up at her office. Police officers were dispatched to the Walshes home to conduct a welfare check. It was only at this time when they met with the defendant that he first reported his wife missing, Beland said. His statements to police would land him with a charge of misleading investigators. He said the couple had hosted a friend for New Years Eve dinner at their home and gone to bed after the friend left between 1am and 1.30am. Hours later, he said, his wife woke him up and said she had a work emergency. He said she kissed him goodbye around 6 or 7am, according to an arrest affidavit for the misleading an investigation charge, which was obtained by the Boston Globe.

Although Brian told police his wife typically travelled to the airport in a ride-share vehicle, investigators said they were unable to confirm that she took one on New Years Day. They also found that she never boarded a flight, although she had one booked for January 3. Her phone had not pinged mobile phone towers since early on January 1, and investigators could find no electronic footprint. Meanwhile, Brians account of the days after his wife went missing did not add up, prosecutors allege. He told investigators that on January 1 he visited his mother in Swampscott, Massachusetts, a roughly 53-kilometre drive away, and ran errands for her at Whole Foods and CVS. Police were unable to verify the store visits  Brian was not captured on surveillance cameras at either store and did not produce any receipts to prove he had made a purchase, the affidavit says. Investigators also allege that Brian failed to disclose a January 2 trip to Home Depot where he wore a black mask and blue surgical gloves while buying about $US450 worth of cleaning supplies. During the time frame when he didnt report his wife and gave various statements, that allowed him time to either clean up evidence, dispose of evidence, Beland said as he was arraigned on the charge of misleading investigators. In court on Wednesday, the prosecutor revealed additional evidence that led to the murder charge. She said Anas phone indicated it was stationary near their Cohasset house on New Years Eve, until 3.14am on January 2. At that point, it was switched off.

Beland said the 10 trash bags, which were recovered at a transfer station in Peabody, contained human blood. Testing revealed Brian and Ana Walshe were contributors to DNA found on a pair of bloody slippers and the interior cuff of a Tyvek protection suit. Also found in the bags were Hunter boots and a Prada purse consistent with the outfit Ana was last seen wearing. A coronavirus vaccination card in her name was also inside, as well as part of a rug with red-brown stains and baking soda on it. When police visited the couples home on January 4, they found Brians Volvo had the seats down and a plastic liner in the back, Beland said in court. The next day, she said, there were fresh vacuum streaks in the vehicles carpet. An analysis of the car allegedly turned up traces of blood. In the basement, police allegedly found blood, a damaged bloody knife, a second knife, a heavy-duty tarp and plastic liners. Loading On her public Instagram account, where she published smiling selfies and photos of her kids, Ana betrayed no signs of trouble leading up to her disappearance. In a December 31 post, she shared an image with the quote Take the risk of optimism, adding hashtags including #2023. Shortly after the new year struck, prosecutors allege, she was killed.
Im a politician who is first and foremost human. Ardern addressed her fiance Clarke Gayford, who sat in on her press conference, and her four-year-old daughter Neve. NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern embraces partner Clarke Gayford after announcing her resignation in Napier on Thursday. Credit: Getty Images Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year, she said. And to Clarke  lets finally get married.

Albanese, who had a close relationship with Ardern, paid tribute to her leadership, saying: Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities. Albanese described Ardern, 42, as a fierce advocate for New Zealand and a great friend to him. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Ardern for her empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership over these past several years.

The difference you have made is immeasurable, he said. Loading Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: Jacinda brought strength, compassion and kindness to leadership, gaining the admiration of so many around the world. You are a source of inspiration to me and many others. Richard Shaw, an expert in politics at New Zealands Massey University, said Ardern had suffered a torrent of toxic digital abuse in recent years from misogynist and anti-vaccination social media users. I think shes buggered, he said.

Well-known New Zealand actor Sam Neil said on Twitter: I am not surprised nor do I blame her. Her treatment, the pile on, in the last few months has been disgraceful and embarrassing. All the bullies, the misogynists, the aggrieved. She deserved so much better. The Maori Party said Ardern was an outstanding leader who was driven from office by constant personalisation and vilification. Ardern became the worlds youngest head of government in 2017, at age 37, in a left-wing minority government with the support of the Green Party. A year later she became just the second elected head of government to give birth while in office.

Ardern became a hero to progressives  especially progressive women  around the world with her style of leadership, which presented a stark contrast to the rise of populist conservative leaders such as Donald Trump in the United States and Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom. Loading She led her party to a landslide victory in the 2020 election, capitalising on her success in making New Zealand one of the countries with the worlds lowest COVID-19 death rates. Arderns polling numbers had sunk to some of their lowest levels over recent months, with Labour trailing the centre-right National party amid soaring inflation and highly publicised cases of violent crime. Speaking from the Labour Party caucus retreat in Napier, she said she needed to let someone else take on this job and still believed the party would win the upcoming election.

Ardern revealed that Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson would not be entering the leadership contest. National Party leader Christopher Luxon thanked Ardern for her service, saying: She has given her all to this incredibly demanding job and I wish her and her family all the very best for the future. Thank you, Jacinda. Ardern will remain in the electorate MP for Mount Albert until April, Stuff reported. This will give me a bit of time in the electorate before I depart, and also spare them and the country a by-election, she told reporters. Beyond that, I have no plan, no next steps. All I know is that whatever I do, I will try and find ways to keep working for New Zealand and that I am looking forward to spending time with my family again - arguably, they are the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us.
Wellington: New Zealands ruling Labour Party is looking for a new leader after Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns shock resignation on Thursday.

Ardern said she had no more in the tank to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election.

A Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Arderns term as leader will conclude no later than February 7 and a general election will be held on October 14.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson and deputy party leader Kelvin Davis have already ruled themselves out, as has newcomer to cabinet, Kieran McAnulty, seen by many to be a rising star.

So who could replace Ardern?
Thousands of French workers in mass protest over plans to raise retirement age

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BONAIRE:--- Last week, two sea turtles were fatally struck by vessels in the coastal waters of St. Maarten. On Tuesday, the 10th of January, the Nature Foundation received a call of a sea turtle boat strike in the area of Simpson Bay. Upon arrival, NF crew found clear evidence of the dead green sea turtle being in contact with the boat propellor. On Thursday the 12th of January, an injured sea turtle was reported in Great Bay. When the ranger team arrived, they found a horribly wounded green sea turtle who was still alive and in great suffering. This sea turtle was collected onboard the foundation vessel and died during transport. This sea turtle had been struck on one side of its neck and front fin, and areas of the shell. The strike was so bad that the sea turtle was nearly decapitated.

The Simpson Bay lagoon and Simpson Bay beach are critical foraging grounds for sea turtles and an abundance of turtles has been recorded. In 2022, three fatal sea turtle boat strikes have been recorded, four in 2021, and five in 2020. Two sea turtles dying in one week can be linked to the high rate of boat activities this month in comparison to previous years.

Sea turtles are able to dive underwater quickly to avoid vessels. The two that were struck this week must have encountered vessels traveling at extremely high speeds in the waters surrounding our island. Please, all boaters should adhere to a no-wake policy in the lagoon and in bay areas of our island where turtles can be found living and feeding on seagrass beds.

Each of these beautiful creatures survives for decades, many live in our waters throughout their lives while some return here only to nest. Only 1 in 1000 hatchlings (baby sea turtles) survive to adulthood due to the immense adversity this species faces. Many species of sea turtles are endangered, and all are protected by International and Sint Maarten law. All sea turtle species are protected by the SPAW Protocol and the Nature Conservation Ordinance St. Maarten Articles 16 and 17. If a sea turtle is seen while boating, the engine should be turned into neutral immediately and efforts should be made to avoid the animal.

According to the new visiting sea turtle project ranger, "It is very disturbing to see so many sea turtles injured and killed in such a short time. It is alarming. I've traveled to every ocean in the world (apart from the poles), and I've never seen so many incidents. The work of the NGO is therefore very necessary, but without the cooperation of the public we will see this population shrink to nothing if this continues," explained Sacha Martin.

Sea turtle populations have plummeted to dangerously low numbers throughout the past century due to human impacts, bringing many species close to extinction and causing them to be listed as critically endangered. The Nature Foundation urgently requests individuals contact the Foundation when injured or dead sea turtles are found.

There are 5 simple actions that can be taken to reduce the impact of boaters on this species:

1. Slow down. Sea turtles have lived long before humans, they have survived the laws of nature. They are able to take shelter in case of danger, except when the danger moves at more than 10 knots. Slow down your engine close to the shore.

2. Stay focus on where you go. As the captain of a boat is responsible for anything that happens during their sailing, we remind captains always to have a lookout onboard.

3. Switch to neutral. Close to the shore or at sea as soon as you see any floating object. It can save you technical problems but above all it can save the lives of living beings.

4. Sharing is caring. Become an example of respect for nature in your behavior, your actions count. And spread the word.

5. Inform the professionals. As soon as you see an injured turtle, a turtle on a beach, or people approaching turtles, contact Nature Foundation. The life of one of them may be in your hands.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Minister of Justice, Anna E. Richardson, and her delegation joined her colleague Justice ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Aruba to engage in intense discussions and decision-making regarding various agency matters related to the detention system, immigration and border protection and the progress on legislations, projects and structural improvements that will improve the enforcement for safety, security and the overall well-being of society. These are just a few of the matters handled during the two-day deliberations on the technical and ministerial levels.

The Chief Prosecutor, Mrs. Hieke Buist, and Chief of Police, Mr. Carl John, of Sint Maarten were part of the JVO delegation of Sint Maarten. Chief John also has an important role in the Caribbean part of our kingdom as the chairman of the College of the Chiefs of Police.

In representation of the Chiefs of Police of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, Chief John delivered a presentation that covered various collaborative efforts underway by each territory to tackle crimes of various calibers.

Minister Richardson appreciates the efforts underway with the cooperation initiatives that address undermining activities and cross-border crime. In particular, with attention zooming in on subversive crimes such as combating the import and sale of counterfeit products.

Regarding the subject matter of combatting counterfeit products in Sint Maarten, which is one of the Minister Richardsons top priorities of 2023, it is relevant to mention that it is becoming apparent to retailers and consumers that the existing anti-counterfeiting laws are now being heavily enforced by the Customs Department of Sint Maarten.

In December 2022, the Customs Department launched an awareness campaign to further inform the public that the efforts to eradicate counterfeit products from within the community of Sint Maarten will be intensified.

The import and sale of fake and non-authentic products are a danger to the health and wellness of consumers and by extension is universally known to be heavily entwined with human trafficking, smuggling, and child labor rings.

These are all serious crimes affecting nations around the globe and must be denormalized with consistent effort.

Most recently, the Prosecutors office gained the support of the courts to not release fake cigarettes that were imported to Sint Maarten. This case is ongoing, but the Government of Sint Maarten is pleased that the courts recognizes the danger of such products and has taken a stance thus far to not allow the release of these fake products.

Another important point Minister Richardson spoke very intensely on and called for her colleague Minister of the Netherlands to assist with is the immense cutting of the budgets of the Ministries of Justice of Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten. Though the efforts are to achieve a balanced budget, its coming at a dangerous sacrifice that can ultimately result in cause and affect scenarios and this gives all the Ministers of the Dutch Caribbean great concerns about operations, needed developments, and required growth.

Intertwined with the cuts made on the budgets, the Ministers of Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten jointly addressed their severe concern about the many obligations of the countries coming from JVO initiatives and the country packages to work on projects to strengthen the combating and prevention of crime within the Kingdom.

The CAS islands have limited human, financial and material resources to work in a successful manner on the initiatives simultaneously. Therefore, the countries agreed during the JVO meeting that a joint prioritization of initiatives including the impact on the aforementioned local resources of these priorities will be carried out by the countries within short.

In June of this year, the second and final JVO meeting of the year will be hosted by Minister Richardson in Sint Maarten. Minister Richardson sees the need to open the JVO discussions to representatives of all agencies of the justice chain. This is to ensure that the impact of decisions made during the JVO ministerial meeting, and the possible concerns of the agencies are completely taken into consideration by the decision-makers of the four countries and with that stimulate the realistic and successful implementation of decisions on an operational level.
TinOne Resources further strong tin intercepts and extends mineralization at depth at its Great Pyramid Tin Project, Tasmania, Australia

TinOne Resources Inc. (TSX.V: TORC) (OTCQB:TORCF) (\TinOne\ or the \Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/tinone-resources-inc/ ) is pleased to provide further results from its Great Pyramid Tin (Sn) Project (aGreat Pyramida or the aProjecta) located in the tier one mining jurisdiction of Tasmania, Australia. Drilling has now concluded, and data compilation and modelling are underway.A The program has been highly successful in continuing to define significant tin mineralization near surface and at depth below and adjacent to historical drilling.

Highlights:

Drillhole 22GPRC021 returned 14m@0.36% Sn from 128 metres and 17m@0.21% Sn from 181 metres

Drillhole 22GPRC014 returned 8m@ 0.14% Sn from 87 metres

aThe diamond core extensions of drill holes 22GPRC014 and 22GPRC021 have delivered further encouraging results below the area of the historical resource at Great Pyramid,a commented Chris Donaldson, Executive Chairman. aThese drill holes have continued to demonstrate the quality of the Great Pyramid system which remains open in all directions. With the completion of this Phase 1 drill program our team has gained significant insights into the distribution and controls on mineralization and is now undertaking detailed modelling to determine the most appropriate next steps. We look forward to keeping the market updated as we continue to advance the Project.a

Results reported here represent data from both the upper reverse circulation component and the lower diamond drill component of holes 22GPRC014 and 22GPRC021.A The reverse circulation components have been previously reported (see TinOne news releases September 6, 2022 and October 11, 2022) and in this release, the combined intersections are reported where the diamond drill data are contiguous with the previously reported RC data (ie 22GPRC014 from 87 metres and 22GPRC021 from 128).

Results have been received for 3,816 metres of the Companya?s completed 4,687 metre drilling program at Great Pyramid. These results represent complete results for 18 RC reverse circulation drill holes, results from two diamond cored holes and partial results from one diamond cored hole, in addition to results from six diamond tails and partial results from one other diamond tail.A

About the Great Pyramid Tin Project

Geological Setting

The Great Pyramid deposit is located around a topographical feature known as Pyramid Hill and is hosted by Silurian to Devonian Mathinna Supergroup sandstones.A The mineralization is formed by closely spaced sheeted northeast trending cassiterite (SnO?) bearing veins associated with silicification and sericite-pyrite alteration. The deposit style and regional comparisons suggest that a tin-fertile granite exists at depth below the deposit, however this has not been encountered in drilling and the deposit is open at depth. Geological interpretation indicates that certain sedimentary units within the folded Mathinna Supergroup sediments are more favourable hosts and diamond drilling being undertaken by the Company during the current campaign, combined with numerical modelling, will assist in developing a deeper understanding of controls on grade for follow up drilling.

The deposit is currently known over a strike length of more than 500 metres with an average width of approximately 150 metres. The depth extent of the deposit is unknown with only nine historical drill holes greater than 150 metres deep. These rare deeper holes encountered encouraging tin mineralization to depths of approximately 300 metres below surface2.

Historic Resources and Drill Data1

A historical mineral resource estimate was completed on the Great Pyramid Project (the aHistorical Estimatea) for TNT Mines Ltd.1,2,3,4,5 (Table 2).

NOTES

Source: aInferred Mineral Resource for the Great Pyramid Tin Deposit in Tasmania, Abbott, 2014a prepared by Jonathon Abbott of MPR for Niuminco Group Ltd. The effective date for the Historical Estimate is February 26, 2014.

The Historical Estimate was prepared using the 2012 Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee Code (JORC). The Historical Estimate was not completed using CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves and is not supported by a technical report completed in accordance with National Instrument 43-101.

The estimation of the Historical Estimate utilized close spaced historic percussion (~85%) and lesser diamond drill holes with drill spacing in the estimation area typically 15 x 30m and locally closer. The Inferred Resource was estimated using Multiple Indicator Kriging method of 1.5 metre down-hole composites within a mineralized domain interpreted from tin grade. Continuity of tin grades was characterised by indicator variograms at 14 indicator thresholds. The estimates are extrapolated a maximum of approximately 30 metres from drilling. Gemcom software was used for data compilation, domain wireframing, and coding of composite values, and GS3M was used for resource estimation. Resources were estimated into 15 by 30 by 3 m blocks (across strike, strike, vertical) aligned with the 067o trending drilling grid. Planview dimensions of the blocks approximate average drill hole spacing. For precise volume representation, resource estimates include the proportion of block volumes within the mineralised domain below surface. The modelling included a three-pass octant-based search strategy. Search ellipsoid radii (across strike, along strike, vertical) and minimum data requirements for these searches were: Search 1: 20 by 20 by 4 m (16 data), Search 2: 30 by 30 by 6 m (16 data), Search 3:30 by 30 by 6 (8 data). Model validation included visual comparison of model estimates and composite grades, and trend (swath) plots, along with comparison with estimates from alternative estimation methodologies and previous model estimates. The Historical Estimate is restricted to the area of close spaced drilling and 90% of the resource occurs within 40 metres of surface. Although the limited deeper drilling has encountered mineralized material this was not included in the Historical Estimate. The mineralised domain wireframe used to constrain the estimates was primarily interpreted on the basis of tin assay grades and restricts estimates to the volume tested by reasonably close spaced drilling. The wireframe was trimmed by the cross-cutting dyke and soil units interpreted from drill hole logging and geological mapping. Investigation of alternative interpretations included resource estimation with assumed dominant mineralisation controls varying from flat lying to steeply west dipping. These models did not give significantly different total estimates

The reader is cautioned that the Historical Estimate is considered historical in nature and as such is based on prior data and reports prepared by previous property owners. The reader is cautioned not to treat them, or any part of them, as current mineral resources or reserves. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the Historical Estimates as current resources and TinOne is not treating the Historical Estimates as current resources. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the Historical Estimates can be classified as a current resource. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.A Even if classified as a current resource, there is no certainty as to whether further exploration will result in any inferred mineral resources being upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.

The Company has determined that the Historical Estimate is reliable, and relevant to be included here because it was estimated using close spaced drilling with modern geostatistical methods and software by an experienced resource geologist and provides a guide to the location of the Great Pyramid mineralised zone. This will be used to assist in targeting drilling to undertake testing of the extent and grade of the mineralised system.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drill core and RC samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Brisbane, Australia for sample preparation and for analysis. The ALS, Brisbane facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Tin and tungsten are analysed by ICP-MS following lithium borate fusion (ALS method ME-MS85), overlimit results are reanalysed by XRF (ALS method XRF15b).A Forty-eight element multi-element analyses are conducted by ICP-MS with a four-acid digestion (ALS method ME-MS61).

Control samples comprising certified reference samples, duplicates and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Companya?s quality assurance / quality control protocol.

About TinOne

TinOne is a TSX Venture Exchange listed Canadian public company with a high-quality portfolio of tin projects in the Tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Tasmania and New South Wales, Australia. The Company is focussed on advancing its highly prospective portfolio while also evaluating additional tin opportunities.A A TinOne is supported by Inventa Capital Corp.

Qualified Person

The Companya?s disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Stuart Smith., Technical Advisor for TinOne. Dr. Smith is a Qualified Person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101.A

Contact Information: For more information and to sign-up to the mailing list, please contact:

Chris Donaldson, Executive Chairman

Tel: (604) 813-3931

Email: info@tinone.ca

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain aForward?Looking Statementsa within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and aforward?looking informationa under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words aanticipatea, abelievea, aestimatea, aexpecta, atargeta, aplana, aforecasta, amaya, awoulda, acoulda, aschedulea and similar words or expressions, identify forward?looking statements or information. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the development of the Companya?s projects, including drilling programs and mobilization of drill rigs; future mineral exploration, development and production; the release of drilling results; and completion of a drilling program.

Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of TinOne, future growth potential for TinOne and its business, and future exploration plans are based on managementa?s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of gold and other metals; no escalation in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; TinOnea?s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect TinOnea?s respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward?looking statements or forward-looking information and TinOne has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company\-s dependence on early stage mineral projects; metal price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company\-s mining activities in Australia; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company\-s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company\-s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company\-s interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company\-s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified under the caption aRisk Factorsa in TinOne\-s management discussion and analysis. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward?looking statements or forward-looking information. Although TinOne has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. TinOne does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward?looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
Gold Terra Starts Winter Drilling Program on Con Mine Option Property to Expand Current Mineral Resources

Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSX-V: YGT; Frankfurt: TX0; OTC QX: YGTFF) (aGold Terraa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/gold-terra-resource-corp/ ) is pleased to announce the start of an 8,000-metre winter drilling program on the Con Mine Option (aCMOa) Property in Yellowknife, NWT. The CMO property is under option from subsidiaries of Newmont Corporation and is acquirable by the Company upon fulfillment of certain conditions set out in the CMO agreement, as reported in the Company\-s news release datedA November 22, 2021

The initial drilling program will consist of 20 holes drilled from surface A to a depth of -600 metres over a 2-kilometre stretch with the objective of expanding the September 2022 initial Mineral Resource Estimate A A (aMREa)(see September 7, 2022 press release) along the Campbell Shear south of the Con Mine.A In addition, preparations are underway to move in a second drill which is capable of drilling 2,500 metre holes to test the depth extension of mineralization below the former Con Mine.

Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, \This winter drilling program will continue to focus on expanding the current near surface mineral resources on the CMO on where the initial MRE was based on. At the same time, we are planning, to drill the down plunge extension of the Con Mine deposit below -1,900 metres as we strongly believe there is significant additional high-grade potential. A The current MRE remains open in all directions along the prolific 6-kilometre-long Campbell Shear structure from which the Con Mine produced more than 5 million ounces of high-grade gold (16 g/t Au) on 2 kilometres of strike length alone. Our goal is to advance the project towards an economic study and bring further value to our shareholders.\

Drilling Program on the Yellorex North, Yellorex and Kam Point deposits

The focus of the winter drilling program is to expand the current mineral resource estimate with targets being shown in Figure 1 below.

All these targets are located along the Campbell Shear structure between surface and -500 meters depth with the exception of one hole which will test the depth of the Yellorex Main deposit where most of the initial MRE is located.

The drilling program will start on the Yellorex North target this week, with the first seven (7) holes drilled near surface representing the best underexplored target of the area. The target area is very close to existing underground mining infrastructure and tested only by one hole in 2022 (GTCM22-039).

Figure 1 a Drilling areas

Deep Drilling Program below the Con Mine

The objective is to drill two holes targeting high-grade gold shoots beneath the Con Mine workings as shown in Figure 2:

Figure 2 a Deep drilling target on Con Mine

2022 Key Achievements

The Company announced an initial MRE of an underground Indicated 0.82 million tonnes averaging 7.55 g/t for 109,000 ounces of contained gold and an underground Inferred of 2.0 million tonnes averaging 6.74 g/t for 432,000 ounces of contained gold (See Sept 7, 2022 press release for full details). The October 21, 2022 technical report, titled \Initial Mineral Resource Estimate for the CMO Property, Yellowknife City Gold Project, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada\ with an effective date of September 2, 2022 can be found on the Company\-s website atA https://www.goldterracorp.comand on SEDAR atA sedar.com.A

The initial CMO mineral resources was delineated at a discovery cost of $12 per oumce.

On November 21, 2022, the Company completed a non-brokered private placement

for gross proceeds of $3.8 million.A This financing is allowing the Company to have a substantial winter drilling program on the CMO Property.

Qualified Persons

Joe Campbell, P. Geo., Senior Geological Advisor for Gold Terra is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

A About Gold Terra

The YCG project encompasses 800 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometers of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople. Gold Terra is currently focusing its drilling on the prolific Campbell Shear, where 14 Moz of gold has been produced, and most recently on the Con Mine Option claims immediately south of the past producing Con Mine (1938-2003).

The YCG and CMO property lie on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometers of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that host the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company\-s exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company\-s objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com.

For more information, please contact:

Gerald Panneton, Chairman & CEO

gpanneton@goldterracorp.com

Mara Strazdins, Manager of Investor Relations

Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102

strazdins@goldterracorp.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.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Therefore, investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource could ever be mined economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of aMeasured Mineral Resources,a aIndicated Mineral Resources,a or aInferred Mineral Resourcesa will ever be upgraded to a higher category. The Mineral Resource estimates contained herein may be subject to legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of such mineral resources. Refer to the Technical Report, once filed, for more information with respect to the key assumptions, parameters, methods and risks of determination associated with the foregoing.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

The Company prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to Mineral Resources in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Council on May 19, 2014, as amended (\CIM Standards\). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the \SEC\) has adopted amendments effective February 25, 2019 (the \SEC Modernization Rules\) to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC will now recognize estimates of \Measured Mineral Resources\, \Indicated Mineral Resources\ and \Inferred Mineral Resources\, which are defined in substantially similar terms to the corresponding CIM Standards. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of \Proven Mineral Reserves\ and \Probable Mineral Reserves\ to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Standards.

U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms are \substantially similar\ to corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any Mineral Resources that the Company may report as \Measured Mineral Resources\, \Indicated Mineral Resources\ and \Inferred Mineral Resources\ under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the Mineral Resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of \Inferred Mineral Resources\ cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute \forward-looking information\ within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (\forward-looking information\). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as \plans\, \expects\ or \does not expect\, \is expected\, \budget\, \scheduled\, \estimates\, \forecasts\, \intends\, \anticipates\ or \does not anticipate\, or \believes\, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results \will\, \may\, \could\, \would\, \might\ or \will be taken\, \occur\ or \be achieved\ or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear, potentially adding ounces to the Companya?s current YCG mineral resource, and the Company\-s objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company\-s actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the \Risk Factors\ section in the Company\-s most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company\-s profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.
EtherMail Web3 email solution enabled streamlined voting for Decrypt Studios First Annual Crypties Awards

Schaan, Liechtenstein, Jan 17, 2023  (ACN Newswire)  EtherMail, the first Web3 email solution setting the standard for anonymous and encrypted wallet-to-wallet communication, facilitated Web3 voting for Decrypt Studios\- inaugural Crypties Awards 2022.

Launched by Decrypt Studios, the Web3 production studio, The Crypties are the crypto industry\-s preeminent annual awards initiative, showcasing the standout achievements of Web3 innovators. A decentralized token-gated voting system for the inaugural awards, held at Art Basel Miami in November 2022, was open to the public with a number of nominees across nine categories such as NFT Project of the Year, DAO of the Year, and more.

EtherMail enabled Decrypt Studios to engage members of the community and distribute the Crypties voting NFT to voters, providing a seamless voting mechanism for the community to participate in selecting the winners of the Crypties Awards. Through this integration, Crypties voters will also now be able to receive future updates about the Crypties directly into their EtherMail inbox, driven by token-gated dynamic mailing lists. Thanks to EtherMail, Decrypt Studios received over 64,000 sign-ups with a 40% vote cast rate by airdropping NFTs to their community.

To vote for The Crypties, members simply had to create an EtherMail account, after which they received a welcome email inviting them to cast their vote on The Crypties voting platform. The user\-s voting token was airdropped to the crypto wallet associated with their account, which granted them exclusive access to the voting process. Once the vote was registered, the user\-s voting token was burned and replaced with an aI Voted\- NFT

EtherMail is the only tool in the Web3 space that allows Web3 companies to send rich, relevant content directly to their asset holders based on up-to-the-minute information. By leveraging EtherMail, companies always have an up-to-date registry of their entire set of asset holders, and can create customized email and automated communication streams. Included in EtherMail\-s future pipeline will be the introduction of its native utility token, $EMT, an ERC-20 token based on the Ethereum network. EMT will be a first-of-its-kind incentivization mechanism designed to reward email users for their time and attention reading unsolicited emails, creating a much-needed framework for email economics.

Shant Kevonian, CEO and Founder of EtherMail, said: \Given how often tokens and NFTs are bought and sold across the Web3 ecosystem, it has been impossible for projects to maintain direct contact with current holders of their assets. The key word is acurrent\-. Keeping pace with the ever-changing pool of holders requires consensual self-updating mailing lists based on real-time, blockchain-synced data. This is precisely what we\-ve developed, a Web3 email solution tailored to the needs of Web3 projects. We\-re delighted to have worked alongside Decrypt Studios, a true industry heavyweight at the cutting edge of Web3 innovation.\

Joshua Roth, VP of Development at Decrypt Studios, said: \The EtherMail and Crypties aGet Out the Vote\- campaign proved the power of EtherMail as a customer engagement, awareness, and information distribution tool. Not only were we able to reach a wide audience of new users, but the product\-s flexibility allowed us to define our parameters of voting and provide great ease of use for our voters.\

Further details on the collaboration can be viewed on the dedicated case study page.

Join the official EtherMail Telegram channel here: https://t.me/ethermail_official and follow the latest developments on twitter: https://twitter.com/ethermail_io.

For more information on how EtherMail can help your project maintain a direct and secure line of communication with your asset holders, visit: https://ethermail.io/daos.

About EtherMail

EtherMail is the first Web3 Email Solution setting the standard for anonymous and encrypted wallet-to-wallet communication. With EtherMail, companies can send rich, relevant content directly to their asset holders based on blockchain-synced real time information. EtherMail also allows fully anonymous P2P communication and rewards its users for reading relevant content in their inbox.

About Decrypt Studios

Decrypt Studios is a Web3 creative studio providing blockchain solutions for brands, strategic partners, and IRL and metaverse events. Decrypt Studios demystifies digital assets and virtual worlds, providing tools to help stakeholders reach new audiences via Web3 offerings and activations. With our finger on the pulse of the industry via sister organization Decrypt Media, Decrypt Studios cuts through the hype to provide real-world results across the scope of the blockchain ecosystem.

Media contact:

lorcan@forewordventure.com

marketing@ethersuite.io
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We bring you a comprehensive and up to date spoiler service on all the major US TV shows and Movies. You can find specific show content by clicking the menu system at the top of the screen. We scour the Internet for spoilers as well as posting our own exclusive spoilers (Scripts, Casting Calls, Set Photos etc) as well as recaps and other fun articles and polls. We hope you enjoy your stay.




Romanian original products will be promoted at the "International Green Week 2023" exhibition in Berlin, where, annually, the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (MADR) participates with an information stand regarding the policies applied in the area.

According to an MADR release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, Secretary of State Sorin Moise will participate in the official opening of the 87th edition of the "International Green Week 2023" exhibition (Grune Woche), which takes place between 20 and 29 January 2023, in Berlin, Germany, told Agerpres.

The MADR annually participates in the exhibition with an information stand regarding the policies applied in the agriculture and rural development area, within which the MADR experts will promote Romanian agri-food products known at national and European level.

Thus, representatives of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry will offer tasting samples of the products registered on European quality schemes, namely Magiun de prune Toipoloveni/Topoloveni plum jam - Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Salam de Sibiu/ Sibiu Salami - PGI, Telemea de Ibanesti/Ibanesti Salted Cheese - Protected designation of origin (PDO), Novac afumat din Tara Barsei/Smoked Carp from Tara Barsei - PGI, Scrumbie de Dunare afumate/Danube Smoked Mackerel - PGI, Carnati de Plescoi/Plescoi sausages - PGI, Telemea de Sibiu/Sibiu Salted Cheese - PGI, Cascaval de Saveni/Saveni cheese - PGI, Salata cu icre de stiuca de Tulcea/Tulcea pike roe salad - PGI, Salata traditionala cu icre de crap/Traditional salad with carp roe - Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) and products to be registered at the European level: Dobrogean pie - PGI, Marinated sardine - TSG, Salted products from Turda (neck, cutlet, pork breast and pork leg) - PGI.

Moreover, at the 2023 edition of the "International Green Week" in Berlin, there will be over 60 products out of the approximately 700 registered with the National Register of Traditional Products, such as: sloi/mutton stew, bellows cheese in fir bark from Bran, smoked trout in fir bark from Suceava, Bradet cheese, smoked plums from Vrancea, which have the potential to be registered on European quality systems.

In terms of spirits with Geographical Indication, there will be promoted: Palinca from Satu Mare and Maramures counties, Tuica Zetea de Mediesu Auriu, Satu Mare county and Tuica and Rachiu Sordony de Horezu, from Valcea county, which are undergoing the European registration stages.

Moreover, the members of the National Federation of Traditional Products Producers will participate in the event with traditional products and related promotional materials, from the counties of: Arges, Bihor, Botosani, Brasov, Cluj, Gorj, Hunedoara, Satu Mare, Tulcea, Valcea and Vaslui.

At the same time, employers' associations and federations from the food industry sector will be present with products of the companies with export potential from the counties of Buzau, Constanta, Valcea, Suceava, Tulcea and will exhibit pastry and bakery products, meat, dairy products, fruit-vegetable processing within the MADR stand.

The varieties of white, rose and red wine, Voinesti apples, various kinds of honey and cold-pressed oils from Giurgiu and Alba counties, but also bio products such as jams, fruit preserves, juices and syrups will be presented and tasted at the MADR stand, the release shows.
Almost 216,000 people were employed last year, as a result of the implementation of the National Labor Force Employment Program by the labor force employment agencies of the county and the municipality of Bucharest, according to a press release from the Agency National Employment Agency (ANOFM).

From the total number of employed persons until December 31, 2022, some 102,093 are over 45 years old, 36,256 are between 35 and 45 years old, 34,704 are between 25 and 35 years old, and 42,895 are young people under 25 years old, Agerpres informs.

The number of employed women is 102,598, and of men 113,350, the share of the total employed persons being 47.51% and 52.49%, respectively.

Depending on residence, 114,510 people employed in the reference period come from urban areas, and 101,438 people are from rural areas.

The level of training of the people for whom a job was identified shows that most have graduated from high schools (74,425), secondary schools (51,358), vocational schools (48,459) and 23,042 have university education. Of the total number of people employed through ANOFM in 2022, 93,376 belong to the category of those who are difficult and very difficult to employ. We specify that the placement in an employability category is carried out as a result of the profiling activity of the persons registered in the ANOFM records.

The rankings of the counties with the most employed people shows that Bucharest holds the first place (21,988), followed by Timis (15,219) and Neamt (8,783).

In 2022, the number of people who benefited from assistance for registration as jobseekers, in order to ensure social protection regarding the granting of unemployment allowance or inclusion in active measures, was 493,698 people.

In order to integrate into the labor market, people looking for a job, registered in the database of the territorial agency for the employment of the labor force in whose radius they have their domicile or residence, benefit from personalized packages of active measures provided for by Law no. 76 /2002 regarding the unemployment insurance system and the stimulation of employment.
Several dozen people gathered, on Thursday, in front of the Cotroceni Palace, at a protest organized by the Declic Community, to call on President Klaus Iohannis to dismiss the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lucian Bode, whom they accuse of plagiarism, told Agerpres.

The protesters carried placards that read "Bode plagiarized, he must be revoked. What is Klaus Iohannis doing?" and they chanted the so-called 'anthem of plagiarists', "Plagiamus igitur".

"More than a week has passed since Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj proved the plagiarism of Lucian Bode in his doctoral thesis and yet it seems that the president's soul project - 'Educated Romania' - is, in fact, 'Plagiarized Romania'. It has been quiet for a week at Cotroceni, although an entire country is watching the president and waiting for him to keep his word and remove the plagiarists from politics," said the representative of Declic, Denisa Soare.
The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, had a meeting, on Thursday, with the ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain, Jose Antonio Hernandez Perez-Solorzano, and the discussions focused on the security situation, especially in the Black Sea region and the Western Balkans, as well as on the support given to Ukraine by the two countries.

"The need to support the Ukrainian people in the defense of the country and the condemnation of the brutal actions of the Russian Federation in this country, which have also resulted in victims among the civilian population, were agreed upon," the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

According to the cited source, in his intervention, Minister Tilvar highlighted the importance of the Joint Declaration signed by the Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the joint meeting of Governments in November 2022, which ensures the prerequisites for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of Defense, Agerpres informs.

"Considering the current security context, the Minister of National Defense expressed Romania's appreciation for Spain's substantial contribution to the implementation of allied deterrence and defense measures on Romanian territory. In the same context, bilateral cooperation was reviewed, highlighting the importance of exchanges of experience, as well as participation in multinational activities and exercises that will be organized in Romania in 2023. It was also agreed on the resumption of the work of the Romanian-Spanish joint military commission, as a particularly useful tool for increasing practical cooperation, strengthening bilateral dialogue and the identification of new opportunities of mutual interest," the press release mentions.
The European Commission has approved Romania's request for the urgent approval of a temporary suspension of the distribution outside the country of certain drugs in the category of oral antibiotics and antipyretics, the Health Ministry reported on Thursday.

"The measure is a temporary measure to be applied for a period of three months amid the current epidemiological situation, and is intended to secure continuity in the availability of these medicines for Romanian patients," the ministry says.

It is about the common international names of the antibiotics Amoxicillinum, Amoxicillinum + Acidum Clavulanicum, Azithroycinum, Cefuroxinum, Clarithromycinum, Phenoxymethylpenicillinum, Sulfamethoxazolum + Trimethoprium, as well as antipyretics Ibuprofenum and Paracetamolum for children, told Agerpres.

According to the ministry, the measure does not affect the export of medicines manufactured by Romanian manufacturers, as it only regards halting intra-Community distribution of medicines allocated to the Romanian market.

In January 2023, Romania notified the European Commission about a draft order regarding the approval of a list of oral antibiotics and antipyretics whose distribution outside Romania is temporarily suspended for a period of three months, and requested the urgent adoption of the document in line with Article 6 (7) of Directive (EU) 2015/1535.

After examining the draft order, the Commission said that the request for urgent adoption is justified.
The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, a number of 58,538 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,684 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, approximately 130,000 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 42,000 means of transportation, completed the control formalities at the border crossing points nationwide, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of 10 February 2022 (the pre-conflict period), a number of 3,348,365 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

In the relevant areas - the border crossing points and the "green border," the border policemen discovered 65 illegalities (43 offenses and 22 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, with the amount of fines enforced exceeding 10,000 RON.

Assets of an estimated value of approximately 340,000 RON were impounded.

On Wednesday, a number of 18 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they didn't meet the requirements stipulated by the law, while a number of 23 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
Senior official for European affairs with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) Daniela Gitman paid a visit to Chisinau, Moldova, between January 17-19, together with Finland's Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen, reconfirming the full solidarity of Romania and Finland towards Moldova amid the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, told Agerpres.

According to MAE, the Romanian and Finnish officials reconfirmed the support of their countries for the European integration of Moldova.

Gitman and Tuppurainen met Moldova's Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu, and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu.

Gitman had a bilateral meeting with Popescu, as well as a round of political consultations with Vladimir Cuc, a senior official with Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

"Discussions took place against the background of a complex European agenda marked by the preparation of important events, such as the EU-Moldova Association Council (February 7, Brussels), the second meeting of the European Political Community (June 1, Chisinau) and the fourth meeting of the Moldova Support Platform (Chisinau). The subjects covered mainly concerned the multidimensional assistance provided by Romania to Moldova, with emphasis on the advancement of the European integration process, support for which the Moldovan officials expressed their appreciation during the visit," the statement reads.

During her meetings, the Romanian official welcomed the firm commitment of the Moldovan government to advance on the path to EU accession based on substantial reforms, underlining the importance of the quality and sustainability of the measures to implement the recommendations included in the European Commission's Opinion of June 17, 2022.

Gitman reconfirmed Romania's full support for boosting the EU accession process and the fastest possible integration of Moldova with the EU single market.

"This approach is illustrated both by the constant steps undertaken by Romania at the European level, in dialogue with the European institutions and in the relationship with the EU member states, as well as by the bilateral assistance provided along the lines of a transfer of expertise, the transposition of legislation and professional training of experts involved in the European integration process. The Romanian official also emphasised the need for the European Union to continue multisectoral support for Moldova as a candidate state for EU accession, including support for strengthening resilience and energy security, at a time of unprecedented geopolitical challenges," the MAE statement also shows.

Also discussed were the security situation as well as ways to capitalise on the opportunities opened up by regional co-operation in advancing the reform processes in the EU candidate states, as Moldova is holding of the Chairmanship-in-Office of the Central European Initiative.
The President of the Romanian Academy, Ioan-Aurel Pop, on Thursday said, on the occasion of the resumption of the series of public conferences held at the "Dalles" Foundation, after an interruption of 75 years, that the purpose of these actions is to restore dialogue and communication in the Romanian society, told Agerpres.

"In my opinion, today, the Romanian society lacks dialogue and communication, and this is one of the reasons why the world feels disoriented. Young people allow themselves to be enslaved by these devices, by digitization, by communication through social networks, while the adults and the elder are nostalgic for the old times. We would like to restore this dialogue. Of course, through the Romanian Academy," stated Pop, at the end of the event.

The President of the Academy showed that the name Dalles (...) represents "an effigy of spiritual quality."

"The exhibitions that took place at the Dalles Hall, even during the communist regime, meant the affirmation of some artists. The conferences that took place at the Dalles Hall, especially before, but also during the communist regime, when they were no longer under the auspices of the Romanian Academy, were still of great quality. And people of extraordinary openness and with intellectual concerns in their specialty felt the need to explain these results that they obtained, as a result of their concerns and research, in a way that the public could understand. And there was a dialogue, an extraordinary communication in society," said Pop.

Through this cycle of conferences "a tradition is resumed," added Pop, noting that, "at the same time, because many decades have passed since 1948, the conferences are conceived for the beginning of the new millennium."

"That is, they are meant to bring novelties - and the news of science are the order of the day -, to explain certain realities, to determine the world turn to culture again, general culture and special culture, at the same time, to be understandable to intellectuals, to the understanding of some groups of interested people and not strictly specialized, because we keep those at the Romanian Academy within the sections," explained the President of the Academy.

During the conference, also attended by academician Razvan Theodorescu, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy, and university professor Gheorghe Chivu, PhD, corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, president of the "Ioan I. Dalles" Cultural Foundation, Ioan-Aurel Pop, gave a eulogy to the academies and summarized the current purpose of this forum.

Speaking about the totalitarian period, Ioan-Aurel Pop highlighted that "in all these years, the Academy was not equal to itself, but it tried and mostly succeeded in remaining a benchmark institution of the country."

"And very few counterfeit scholars entered it. In other words, after facing a great danger in 1948, when it was disbanded and then reestablished, from '74 to '89, the Academy did not receive any more members into its ranks, after Elena Ceausescu joined as a member, the Academy was actually not allowed to receive any more members in its ranks for 15 years. And you know that academicians are not young people. In the vision of the regime, which had established another parallel academy of social and political sciences, which was supposed to come to the fore and take over the other institutions, which it did to a certain extent, our institution was supposed to disappear in these 15 years, had to die, biologically, by nature, through the death of people. And if the regime lasted a little longer, this biological death of the institution would have been fulfilled," the academician explained.

Ioan-Aurel Pop showed that during all those years, "the Academy tried to fulfill its mission that it had since establishment, to defence language and literature, history, ethnography, folklore, arts, plus the fundamental sciences, which had become a component part of culture - even under those conditions."

On the same occasion, in his turn, Razvan Theodorescu briefly presented the history of the "Ioan I. Dalles" Foundation, as well as of the edifice with the same name, mentioning that the Academy is "in a dispute, in a process" with the Ministry of Culture to obtain the hall with the same name, "which is unoccupied, in which the rain has started to infiltrate and which is the most beautiful hall that Bucharest has."

Built between 1930 and 1932 by the Romanian Academy, according to the provisions of Elena Dalles' will, the famous "Dalles" Hall in Bucharest was illegally confiscated in 1948 by the communist regime.

After the fall of the communist regime, the Romanian Academy sought to recover the "Dalles" Hall, by returning the building in kind, which was initially rejected by Bucharest City Hall. Only in 2018, the general mayor of the Capital ordered the restitution in kind of this building. Thus, the building built by the Romanian Academy in the 1930s returned to its rightful owner.

Starting in 2023, a programme of conferences and debates structured by the Romanian Academy will take place here, once a month. Both renowned academicians and other names of Romanian science and culture will be invited to the events. The programme will be created by the "Ioan I. Dalles" Cultural Foundation within the Romanian Academy, with the aim of supporting, promoting and developing cultural and educational activity.

Currently, the Metropolitan Education and Culture Centre of the same name operates in the building of the "Dalles" Hall, which uses the concert and performance hall based on the rental contract signed with the Romanian Academy.
As many as 72 black-and-white frames by renowned Tokyo-born photographer Kosei Miya will go on display as of January 24 at the exhibition 'Maramures, The Center of the World' organized at the Euro Foto Art Gallery in Oradea.

The photos featured in the exhibition were taken several decades ago, most of them on classic film, during the Japanese photographer's trips to the picturesque region of Maramures, a place he is enamored with.

"The photo artist born in 1937 in Tokyo has been photographing for 58 years now, since 1965. He first learned about Maramures by chance, in the same year, and ever since he has traveled over 200 times to Romania, to Maramures! He had personal exhibitions in several big cities of the world, including Paris, Vienna, Rome, Linz, Venice, New York and Sibiu. In Oradea he exhibits for the first time. For the Japanese photo artist, Maramures means the local people and their fortitude, and photography is a perfect love," says Stefan Toth Istvan, the president of the Euro Photo Art International Association (AIEFA), as cited in a release, Agerpres informs.

The exhibition will open on Tuesday, January 24, at 16:00 hrs, with the author attending, and will stay open until February 17.

Thurzo Sandor Jozsef (viola) will provide the musical atmosphere of the opening event performing several Japanese compositions.

The exhibition is part of the 11th edition of the "Carol Pop de Szathmari - Szathmari Pap Karoly" International Festival launched on January 15, organized by AIEFA in partnership with Summit Agro Romania under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).

The photos on display can also be admired on the AIEFA website at: https://www.eurofotoart.com/efa-exbhibitions-halls/fiap-exhibition-center-oradea/08/.
The Ministry of National Defence is donating to the Republic of Moldova medical supplies worth RON 7,302,836.95, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.

According to the source cited by the MApN, the donation, which consists of 1,000 protective face visors, 9,000 boxes with gloves, 2,000 plastic protective glasses, 3 million surgical masks, as well as 500,000 protective masks, is granted, based on the donation agreement between the Romanian state, through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence, and the Republic of Moldova, of December 29, 2022, in order to continue Romania's constant support measures for the Republic of Moldova.

MApN representatives will hand over the medical supplies to their counterparts in the Republic of Moldova, on Thursday and Friday, at the Leuseni-Albita border crossing point.

MApN shows that the transport of material goods from the Medical Logistics Centre and from the Nord-Sebes sanitary warehouse to the Leuseni-Albita border crossing control point is carried out by the Joint Logistics Command of the Ministry of National Defence, and the export/donation and delivery operations of goods to the representatives of the Republic of Moldova takes place with the support of CN Romtehnica SA.
President Klaus Iohannis had a telephone conversation on Thursday with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, with the discussion mainly focusing on the accession of the two states to the Schengen Area and the ways to overcome the deadlock of last December's Justice and Home Affairs Council, informs the Presidential Administration.

The cited source shows that the two presidents reconfirmed both sides' firm decision to continue close cooperation in order to achieve the common goal of joining the Schengen Area in 2023, Agerpres informs.

"The President of Romania and the President of Bulgaria agreed on the need to actively maintain the topic at the European level, in order to facilitate a positive decision this year," informs the Presidential Administration.

The two presidents also expressed their openness to deepening cooperation in terms of internal affairs, in order to identify solutions at European level aimed at continuing the fight against illegal migration and effectively protecting the external borders of the European Union.

The presidents of Romania and Bulgaria also addressed issues related to the progress in the advancement of interconnection projects between the two countries.
The Constanta Port registered a record traffic of goods in 2022, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the Constanta Port Business Association (CPBA) announced, told Agerpres.

"The Constanta Port statistics for 2022 show increases in the main parameters that outline the performance of a port: 4,498 maritime ship stops compared to 3,985 in 2021, 10,868 river ship stops compared to 10,619 in 2021 and a total traffic volume of 75.550 million of tons compared to 67.483 million tons the previous year," a press release issued by the CPBA mentions.

Furthermore, the maximum volume of traffic operated by the Constanta Port in its history was registered in 2022.

According to the quoted source, 75.550 million tons of cargo traffic in 2022 through the Constanta Port represents an increase of 11.85pct compared to 2021.

"The explanation for the unforeseeable increase is, without a doubt, the economic and geopolitical context generated by the armed conflict in Ukraine which offered Romania and the Constanta Port as a solution for goods originating in or destined for the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine and which could no longer be operated in the ports of southern Ukraine - Mariupol, Odessa, Chornomorsk, Mykolaiv," the press release added.

This particular context generated an additional volume of goods of 11.1 million tons, grains in the vast majority, on the Ukraine relation.

"First of all, the port operators of the Constanta Port made it possible to carry out port traffic even in the case of a significant surplus of non-EU goods, generating novel import and export situations and formalities," according to the document.

The operators of the Constanta Port, members of the Constanta Port Business Association have proved storage capacities in silos and warehouses of approximately 1.7 million tons of grain and operating rates between 20,000 - 75,000 tons/day, depending on the terminals and the type of processed grains. Thus, the total operating capacity of the Constanta Port reaches approximately 6 million tons of grain per month.

According to the quoted source, the context around the Constanta Port is estimated to remain complicated in 2023 as well.

"We express our hope that the investment moment for the Constanta Port will not be missed, as it has happened before, that the railway port system in Constanta will be renewed and that Romania will be able to impose on Bulgaria the fulfillment of the obligations of dredging the sectors under its responsibility, creating on the Danube the pan-European corridor that is supposed to be," the quoted source mentions.

Moreover, the operators of the Constanta Port will maintain the operating rates at the superlative level of 2022 and will ensure the attractiveness of the Constanta Port in terms of the traffic generated by Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
The Romania-Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce (CCBRU) will get involved in creating a database with companies that are eligible, in terms of ability and skill, for the reconstruction projects of Ukraine, a Memorandum of Understanding initialed on Thursday with the Embassy of Ukraine in Bucharest stipulates, told Agerpres.

At the event, which was attended by both Ukraine's Ambassador to Romania Ihor Prokopchuk and President of the Romania-Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce Nasty Vladoiu, the foundations were laid for a collaboration aiming to involve companies that want to become members of the trade organization in the reconstruction process of Ukraine.

In this context, the CCBRU invites all those who do not hold the membership of the Chamber to register by filling the Membership Application, available on the institution's website, with the possibility to also opt for registration in the database, if the companies believe that they have the necessary ability and strength to get involved in this process.

Subsequently, the companies registered in the database will benefit from a short presentation on the official page of the CCBRU, in the dedicated section, and a working group will be created, where more business opportunities will be presented.

The Romania-Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce was established in 1993 and supports its members in the development of bilateral trade relations.

The Chamber is established for the purpose of developing economic cooperation between the two states both in bilateral and international relations, as well as to support the interests of Romanian and Ukrainian economic agents in relations with the authorities in the country and with relevant bodies abroad.

The CCBRU is a member of the Union of Bilateral Chambers of Commerce in Romania, an organization which signed in 2021 a Memorandum of Understanding between the Exporters and Investors Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Through this document, the parties have decided: the dissemination of all information that may be relevant to strengthen bilateral trade and business; providing mutual support in trade, investment and business events, including fairs, missions and conferences; informational counseling of the members of the Council and the UCCBR within the visits of the official delegations to the respective countries; promoting the exchange of training programmes between the Council and the UCCBR; promoting the establishment of contacts and cooperation in the business milieus of Romania and Ukraine.
The Romania - Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce (CCBRU) is organizing, on Thursday, the conference entitled "Rebuilding Ukraine," where the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Embassy of Ukraine in Bucharest will take place, told Agerpres.

The document aims to involve CCBRU in the creation of a database with companies that could be eligible for the reconstruction projects of Ukraine.

The event will be attended by Ihor Prokopchuk, the ambassador of Ukraine in Romania, and Nasty Vladoiu, the president of the Romania-Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce.

CCBRU was established in 1993 and supports its members in the development of bilateral commercial relations. The entity is established for the purpose of developing economic cooperation between the two states both in bilateral and international relations.

The Romania - Ukraine Bilateral Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Union of Bilateral Chambers of Commerce in Romania.
A ceremony for the commissioning and award of the flag to two maritime patrol vessels built under a project worth 26 million euros on non-repayable European funds took place on Thursday in the Port of Constanta in the presence of Inspector General of the Romanian Border Police Victor Sefan Ivascu.

According to the Coast Guard, the receiver of the two boats, the acquisition of maritime patrol vessels and response boats boosts the Romanian Border Police operational capacity for carrying out specific missions to ensure the observance of the rights of the Romanian state in the maritime waters, the surveillance and control of the sea border, the prevention and combat of illegal migration and trans-frontier crimes, the search for ships in danger and the rescue of their crews, told Agerpres.

Part of the management of the migration phenomenon at the external borders of the EU, the acquisition of new means of naval mobility will help the Romanian Border Police meet its commitments to the Frontex Agency regarding the deployment of technical equipment for joint operations at the EU extremal sea borders.

The project for building the two vessels started in March 2021, when the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Border Police signed a commercial agreement for the purchase of two maritime patrol vessels - Damen FCS 4008 PATROL - with Damen Shipyards Gorinchem B.V. Netherlands. The contract was part of a project for the acquisition of means of naval mobility necessary for Frontex.

The value of the contract is RON 154.6 million (26 million euros), a project developed on non-reimbursable European funds under the Internal Security Fund.

The Romanian Border Police manage 2,070 kilometres of the external border of the European Union, including 243.5 kilometres at the Black Sea. Their fleet is designed to provide an efficient surveillance system for the continuous coverage of a sea space of approximately 30,000 square kilometres (inland waterways, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone).
The need for the bilateral dialogue between Romania and the Republic of Moldova to continue at the same intense level and the support provided by Romania for the security and stability of the neighboring country were two of the topics of the meeting of Senate acting President Alina Gorghiu with the visiting President of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu.

"The senior Romanian official emphasized the need for an intense and open bilateral dialogue to continue at all levels, including between the two Parliaments. The sides noted the good cooperation between the Senate of Romania and the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, as the joint meeting of the two Parliaments held in Chisinau in 2022, as well as the meeting planned for this year in Bucharest reflect the upward trend of relations in the line of parliamentary diplomacy," shows a Senate statement issued on Thursday, Agerpres informs.

Gorghiu welcomed the organization in Pitesti, between January 19 and 21, of the joint meeting of the Law Committees of the Senate of Romania and of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, pointing out that this initiative is an opportunity to exchange best legislative practices such as legal education in schools or the compatibility of legal professions.

The acting head of the Romanian Senate mentioned that the reform of the judiciary that Chisinau intends to implement will be on the agenda of the meeting of the two committees.

Alina Gorghiu also proposed the organization of a meeting of the Moldovan Parliament's Platform of Women Deputies with women lawmakers from the Bucharest legislature.

She also reiterated Romania's support for the security and stability of Chisinau through concrete bilateral actions, as well as on a multilateral level through the Moldova Support Platform.

Gorghiu welcomed the presence of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, at the World Economic Forum in Davos and pointed out that the Kremlin's energy blackmail must stop.

The acting President of the Senate stated that Romania, including through parliamentary diplomacy, contributes to increasing the role and visibility of the Republic of Moldova at European and international level and opined that the organization by the Republic of Moldova, on June 1, 2023, of the second European Political Community Summit, represents an opportunity in this regard.
More than 120 important events will take place throughout the year as part of the Timisoara - European Capital of Culture 2023 programme, which will officially kick off February 17-19, told Agerpres.

This week, the public is invited back to the theatres and exhibition halls and also to rediscover the city and its stories, says Timisoara 2021 - European Capital of Culture association.

The Timisoara National Theatre House presents this evening the show "Phantom Pains," which talks about an infernal bus garage, a trap for the mind and the soul. It is the place where Olga returns again and again in search of her husband. Vassily Sigarev sees humanity beyond horror, tenderness beyond bestiality, hope beyond decay, peace beyond nightmare.

On Saturday at 13:00hrs, a journey begins on the wild Bega, aboard the Pelicanul steamboat.

Although it is January and, theoretically, it is the middle of winter, the public is invited to the first boat party of the year. Along with the DJs, a fun ride with Pelicanul to Sanmihai and back is scheduled. The journey introduces the public to the wild landscape of the River Bega after leaving Timisoara.

The local Romanian National Opera House presents on Sunday evening "Ball at the Savoy." The show is brings a crazy comedy to the public. Musical direction by Mihnea Ignat, direction and choreography by Razvan Mazilu, and the sets and costumes by Dragos Buhagiar.

Also on Sunday evening, moviegoers can watch "Holy Spider" at the Victoria Cinema Hall. The film is based on a real case: that of the criminal Saeed Hanaei, called "Spider Killer", who between 2000 and 2001 killed 16 women in what he called "a holy mission". Directed by Ali Abassi, the film was nominated for Best European Film, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the European Film Awards and the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
ST. LOUIS  Filling the 44-story, former AT&T tower may not be developer Advantes Groups biggest challenge with the long-vacant building. Instead, convincing St. Louisans that the downtown area is safe and deserves a comeback could be paramount in determining its success.

The St. Louis-based developer is gearing to go out of state to find more financing for the $300 million redevelopment. And the owners, husband-and-wife team Brian and Gretchen Minges, say they will need city support  from tax incentives to policing  to make the project a reality.

St. Louis at times is its own worst enemy, Brian Minges said in one of their first interviews on the AT&T redevelopment. People think that if one person didnt do a project, then there was a reason that that project should never get done.

Advantes Group, known for its historic renovations throughout the city, plans to transform the skyscraper into a vertical city with hundreds of apartments, office workers and hotel guests rebranded as The Beacon on Chestnut  a place, the Mingeses said, that could represent a beacon of growth for a struggling city.

Its a big risk: The 1.4 million-square-foot building, the largest in the state of Missouri, was built during an era when companies needed palatial headquarters and when downtown St. Louis had more business. Today, companies are downsizing their offices and the region has stagnant growth and is grappling with crime.

Downtown is the heartbeat of this region, he said. This building is the heartbeat of downtown.

The developers say they believe that investment can move things forward and that a highly amenitized building with unparalleled 360-degree views can be the key to kick it off.

Its kind of a chicken-and-the-egg thing, said Gretchen Minges. Theres not much down there now, but someones got to be the first one to break the ice and start pushing forward.

Neal Richardson, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corp., said his agency is supportive of the redevelopment because it will create more employment, housing, retail and hospitality options in the heart of downtown, which is the economic engine for the entire region.

We look forward to seeing one of the most recognizable buildings in the St. Louis skyline come back to life, Richardson said in an email.

Since starting in 2009, Advantes Group has focused on historic renovation and has completed four conversions of shuttered city schools, like Hope Lutheran and Wilkinson, into apartments.

More recently, Advantes turned its attention to Lacledes Landing, a historic neighborhood in downtown St. Louis abutting the Mississippi River. The company had to go out-of-state to find financing to fund its first project there.

Like the AT&T building, the Landing had a lot stacked against it: nightlife was gone, infrastructure was poor and the main parking garage was demolished during the Gateway Arch renovations. Locals saw no reason to visit. And Advantes had to draw from lenders based outside of the region.

Any good attraction of capital and development is having to come from outside (of the region) versus the inside out, Brian Minges said, and its part of our perception problem.

City support in the form of financial incentives, policing, managing homeless encampments and the like is needed to turn that around, Gretchen Minges said.

They have to do their part to succeed, she said. Theres no ifs, ands or buts about it.

Clearly, in order for this project to work, we have to get more businesses out there, we have to have the city doing their fair share of policing and reducing crime, which usually comes with (more) development coming down, she said.

The AT&T building wasnt on the Mingeses to-do list two years ago when they toured the property, located about six blocks northwest of Busch Stadium.

The skyscraper was built in 1986 for Southwestern Bell Co. for $120 million, or about $320 million in todays money. The company eventually moved to Texas and sold its tower, though it still maintained a lease at 909 Chestnut Street.

But by 2017, the company, now known as AT&T, decided to move its employees to other nearby buildings. That same year, U.S. Bank sued the owner and foreclosed on the property.

The building languished in receivership for a few years, until this past year when New York-based SomeraRoad Inc. bought it for just $4.1 million. Bondholders at the time held about $107 million in debt on the building.

SomeraRoad approached Advantes about taking on a redevelopment. It agreed, but only if it could pursue historic tax credits. The project would be dead without them, Brian Minges said. And late last year, the company succeeded in getting the building on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that allows Advantes to access about $80 million in state and federal tax credits. The company now plans to buy the building from SomeraRoad by January 2024.

Brian Minges said he is searching for a bridge loan to help acquire the AT&T building and fund some of the pre-development work, though he said he has half of the funding needed to pull off the $300 million redevelopment. Tax abatement worth $27 million is pending at the Board of Aldermen.

Advantes first project, buying and renovating the Bi-State Building at 701 North First Street, became Peper Lofts, which added the Landings first-ever apartments and where Advantes set up its office.

Were getting some density down here, Minges said. The tide is changing.
Nick Johnson spent the holidays working furiously from his parents home in Kirkwood  putting the final touches on his first Hollywood feature film.

Johnson, 31, never expected that his directorial and screenwriting debut would be a studio sequel, but he and co-director Will Merrick took the helm of Missing, a computer screen thriller that arrives Jan. 20 in theaters.

Johnson and Merrick edited Searching, a 2018 mystery thriller that takes place entirely on computer screens and smartphones. The same core group of film school friends who made that project a hit came together to create Missing.

Johnson attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts after graduating from Kirkwood High School. He says he relied on a collaborative approach to filmmaking with his friends and producers, Natalie Qasabian, Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty, who had directed Searching.

Its intimidating doing a follow-up to a movie that is beloved, he says. We definitely leaned on them to help.

The jump from editors to co-directors was made easier by their familiarity with the material, having written the screenplay. The film, in the screenlife genre, is shot differently from a traditional movie.

Its extremely technically demanding, Johnson says. The scenes are all hand-animated, a labor-intensive process. He and Merrick did the animation on the back end and oversaw the technical completion of the movie.

One of the biggest challenges was communicating the unusual process to veteran actors such as Nia Long, accustomed to traditional sets and shooting. The directors had to build trust with the cast and crew and be able to answer questions like: Wheres the camera? Why am I looking away from the camera?

Ultimately, working with the actors was the most rewarding part of the experience for Johnson.

He participated in the theater program at Kirkwood High and credits the teachers there for instilling in him a love for the craft. Kelly Schnider, his former drama teacher, and Dave Holley, former principal, had been big supporters of the arts, Johnson recalls. He also credits former English teacher Melissa Adams for introducing films as critical texts, just as worthy as books. These educators inspired a love for film as art, he says.

On set, Johnson enjoyed collaborating with actors. It was a shift from getting into the nitty-gritty of technical details as an editor.

We didnt get our hands as dirty in terms of editing, he says. Their focus was on communicating the vision to the production heads. He learned that being the person calling the shots means being able to see the forest for the trees.

Part of being a first-time director is constantly making mistakes and confronting those mistakes, he says. Being able to give specific, detailed feedback and instruction helped address some of those mistakes.

The film includes a number of references to his hometown. Both Keysor and Tillman elementary schools are named for Kirkwood schools, Fergies bar and restaurant is inspired by a family favorite in South County, and St. Pauls Lutheran Church is where Johnson attended elementary school.

Its loaded with St. Louis stuff, Johnson says. He misses his family and friends back home, and the institutions he grew up loving, such as the Muny, Cardinals and KDHX radio. He makes a point to eat at Seoul Taco and Imos Pizza when he returns for the holidays.

Surprisingly, he also speaks nostalgically about the citys humid summer nights.

He and Merrick have another project in development at Paramount. Their goal is to make a more traditional movie, likely a thriller, in the future. He wants to keep doing things that are more technologically experimental.

Now that Missing is finally out of their hands, Johnson plans to sleep for a solid week.

Then, its back to writing.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

Ubiquitous lawyer-lobbyist Jane Dueker is back behind the thin blue line again, as she has officially registered as the lobbyist for several police officer unions.

The Missouri Ethics Commission has received the official word that Dueker will again represent both the St. Louis and St. Louis County police officers associations, as well as the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.

In April, Dueker deregistered as the groups lobbyist so she could run in the Democratic primary in August for St. Louis County Executive, a race she lost to incumbent Sam Page. She had to officially cut ties with the groups so that she could open her own campaign account.

Dueker had lobbied for the two local associations, which represents officers ranked as sergeants and lower, since 2017. Shortly after that, she took up the mantle for the fraternal order, which has 27 lodges throughout Missouri.

I am honored to continue doing all I can to give a voice to 8,000 of Missouris police officers and professional staff ... who put their lives on the line every day, Dueker said in a statement.
FARMINGTON  Five inmates were still at large Wednesday after escaping from the St. Francois County Detention Center on Tuesday evening, authorities said.

The group broke out of jail around 7 p.m. by crawling through a hole behind a sink in a cell, making their way to a closet on the roof, and busting out the closet door to the outside, according to court records.

They were discovered missing during the 10 p.m. inmate count, the St. Francois County Sheriffs Department said.

The jails cameras that would have captured them leaving were down because of construction, authorities said.

Police said after leaving the jail the group traveled just over a mile within 15 minutes, and stole a grey 2009 Scion TC with Missouri temporary tags from a secured lot at a Centene Corp. office on Air Park Drive in the Farmington Industrial Park.

Surveillance footage showed all five left the area in the car driving south, police said. They ditched their orange jail clothing and were seen in the video wearing white thermal leggings, shorts and T-shirts.

The sheriffs department issued felony warrants for each escapee and a nationwide broadcast on the escape. The charge, escape from confinement, carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.

On Wednesday just before 5 p.m., the sheriffs office said the Missouri Highway Patrol and the United States Marshals Service were searching for the five and offered cash rewards for information on their whereabouts.

All were in custody on felony charges, police said. Three of them  LuJuan Tucker, Aaron Sebastian and Kelly McSean  are sex offenders held in connection to offenses while confined in the Missouri Department of Mental Healths Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS) program.

The other two, Dakota Pace and Michael Wilkins, were being held on other felony warrants.

All five have rap sheets spanning the last two decades.

Tucker, 37, was convicted in 2003 of raping a 12-year-old girl in St. Louis County, according to the states sex offender registry. He was 17 at the time and sentenced to five years in prison, court records indicate. The sheriffs office said while he was incarcerated for that charge he received a violation of forcible sexual misconduct.

In 2012 he pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge and was sentenced to another five years in prison, according to court records. He has pending cases for charges that include third-degree assault while at SORTS, second-degree sodomy and damaging state property.

Sebastian, 30, pleaded guilty in 2012 to attempted statutory sodomy of a 7-year-old girl in Greene County  he was 18 at the time of the offense  according to the states sex offender registry. He was sentenced to six years in prison. The St. Francois County Sheriffs Department said he was being held at SORTS on charges of two counts of first degree statutory sodomy, when Sebastian was 15. The victims were 8 and 9, the department said.

Court records show he is scheduled to stand trial in August on a charge of knowingly committing violence upon a SORTS employee. In 2007, he received a violation for forcible sexual misconduct while incarcerated, the sheriffs office said.

He also pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in 2021.

McSean is a 52-year-old transgender woman from Holts Summit who has multiple convictions under her previous name, Larry Bemboom, according to police.

She pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 39-year-old woman in 2003 in Columbia and was sentenced to five years in prison, court records indicate. She then pleaded guilty to several assault charges in 2014, one carrying a sentence of seven years in prison. She also faces charges of knowingly committing violence upon a SORTS employee.

Pace, 26, of Park Hills, was being held on charges that include resisting arrest, stealing, property damage and tampering with a motor vehicle.

He is scheduled to stand trial later this month on 16 felony counts of receiving stolen property, one count of forgery and one count of identity theft. He has several other open cases that include forgery, tampering with a motor vehicle and second-degree assault.

Pace has a long history of convictions on charges that are largely nonviolent such as resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, theft, burglary and trespassing.

Wilkins, of Festus, was being held at the jail for second-degree burglary and violating probation.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of felony motor vehicle theft in 2001 and was sentenced to six years for each charge. He received a four-year prison sentence for tampering with a motor vehicle in 2006 and another seven years in 2015 for similar charges.

People who see the men should call 911 and not approach them, police said. Anyone with information on their location is asked to call the St. Francois County Sheriffs Department at 573-756-3252 or 573-431-3131.
HILLSBORO, Ill.  The two substances that sent 18 correctional staff members to the hospital on Wednesday turned out to be baby powder and acetaminophen nasal spray, Illinois authorities said Thursday.

Officials said the staff members at John A. Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro were treated at a hospital after they came into contact with detainees they believed were under the influence of drugs.

Some staff reported feeling dizzy, and in an abundance of caution were transported to the hospital for observation and treatment, Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello said Thursday.

Illinois State Police conducted tests on the substances, Puzzello said, and determined they were baby powder and acetaminophen nasal spray, not fentanyl or other illicit drugs.

The police agency was also conducting tests on clothing on Thursday.

An undisclosed number of inmates received treatment in the health care unit of the prison about 65 miles northeast of St. Louis. Puzzello did not immediately clarify if inmates or corrections staff received Narcan, a substance that reverses the effects of opioid overdose.

The substances were identified as nonhazardous and should not have necessitated the use of Narcan or required hospitalization, but IDOC works diligently to ensure the safety of both incarcerated individuals and employees and worked swiftly to ensure everyone had access to the care they requested, Puzzello wrote in an email.

While the substances were harmless, a union spokesman said prison officers and other staff who responded to the situation all became ill, some violently, when they came near the affected inmates.

Those who were in proximity to the inmate were immediately overcome with a variety of symptoms: Lightheadedness, dizziness, vomiting or feeling nauseous, Anders Lindall told The Associated Press. He is the spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, an employee union.

On Thursday, after test results were released, Lindall said in a statement: While we have not yet seen the preliminary State Police report, we are aware of how the Corrections department has characterized it in the media. Further investigation is needed to explain the very real symptoms that employees experienced.

Graham Correctional Center opened in 1980 and is a medium-security lockup for men with room for 1,596 inmates. The prison houses 1,328 inmates.

Josh OConnor of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  Legal challenges to Illinois semiautomatic weapons ban began Wednesday with a federal complaint that the 8-day-old law prohibits commonly possessed and constitutionally protected guns. A state court pleading was also filed Wednesday, questioning the laws exemptions based on a persons employment.

A central Illinois judge is considering a gun shops request for a temporary restraining order on the law, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Jan. 10 in response to the mass shooting that killed seven and injured 30 at the Highland Park July Fourth parade. The lawsuit was filed by lead plaintiff Accuracy Firearms of Effingham, about 100 miles northeast of St. Louis, and other plaintiffs. The law bans dozens of specific types of rapid-fire handguns and rifles, .50-caliber guns, attachments and limits cartridges to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for pistols.

Effingham County Circuit Judge Joshua Morrison said he would rule on the restraining order by weeks end.

Attorney Thomas DeVore, last falls unsuccessful Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general, said the law is unconstitutional because of its exemptions. The ban on semiautomatic weapons does not apply to people in certain positions, such as prison guards or other law enforcement officers.

It violates the equal protection clause because it carves out a whole section of people, DeVore said. They are free to do what they will based on their employment.

Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said the Democrat is confident of its constitutionality and accused opponents of grandstanding.

This legislation was the result of hundreds of hours of collaboration and cooperation between legal experts, legislators and advocates and it makes Illinois a safer place for every resident, Abudayyeh said in a statement. Despite political grandstanding from those more beholden to the gun lobby than to the safety of their constituents, this law is in effect and protecting Illinoisans from the constant fear of being gunned down in a place of worship, at a parade, or on a street corner.

Dane Harrel, a gun owner and retired U.S. Air Force officer who lives in St. Clair County, is the lead plaintiff in the federal test of the ban. Backed by the Illinois State Rifle Association and two other nonprofit gun rights groups, Harrel contends that the new law unconstitutionally bans commonly used weapons, not dangerous or unusual guns, which is the only justification for government regulation, according to the landmark 2008 Supreme Court case known as Heller.

The rifles that Illinois bans as assault weapons are, in all respects, ordinary semiautomatic rifles, the lawsuit states. To the extent they are different from other semiautomatic rifles, their distinguishing features make them safer and easier to use. But even if they are considered as a separate group of assault weapons, they cannot be banned because they are not dangerous and unusual.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, where gun rights advocacy is strong. The federal courts northern district base is Chicago, where gun violence produces a much stronger attitude toward regulation.

Those who obtained the prohibited firearms before the law took effect must register them with the Illinois State Police by Jan. 1, 2024. Merchants who stocked them prior to the ban may sell them to those who live outside of Illinois or return them to the manufactures.

Illinois sheriffs have caused a stir over the law. More than 90 out of 102 county sheriffs have publicly stated that they wont aggressively enforce the law. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul responded fervently, suggesting that if sheriffs dont take action against illegal weapons, other law enforcement agencies will.

The Illinois Sheriffs Association said the group ardently believes the law violates the Constitutions 2nd Amendment, but reaction to the pronouncements is overblown. The statements the sheriffs have released say they wont go door to door to ensure gun owners register their firearms and wont jail anyone charged solely with non-registration until a judge orders incarceration.

No one will be strong-arming recalcitrant sheriffs anytime soon, given registration isnt required for nearly a year.

Updated at 4:25 p.m.
ST. LOUIS  A man who spent six years in prison for murder walked out of the city jail on Thursday moments after prosecutors dismissed charges against him, and weeks after a judge overturned his conviction.

Lamont Cambell, 28, was found guilty in 2016 of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Lenny J. Gregory III. Gregory, the son of a retired St. Louis police officer, was found fatally shot around 3:15 a.m. July 17, 2011, in the 2800 block of Chariton Street in south St. Louis.

But St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy J. Boyer ruled in December that Cambells attorney did not do enough to counter a weak case or explore an alternative suspect, and investigators failed to disclose a romantic relationship between the lead homicide detective and a key witness, which would have called into question the witness credibility, according to a December filing.

On Thursday, prosecutors opted not to seek a new trial and announced officials would begin the investigation into Gregorys death anew.

Cambell walked out of the City Justice Center an hour later, flanked by smiling family members.

Im just happy to be out, Cambell said as he walked to a waiting SUV.

For relatives of Gregory, 29, Thursday marked the latest frustration in the search for closure  and to be kept apprised of the latest developments in the case.

Gregorys aunt, Christine Tierney, said family members had been blindsided by the proceedings. She told the judge that Gregorys parents only found out about Cambells appeal, which was filed in 2019, when a Post-Dispatch reporter called for comment in late December about the overturned conviction.

We didnt have a chance to talk to the prosecutor to tell him how we felt, she said. We want justice for Lenny, and we do want the correct person in prison. We just feel it would be an injustice to the family to let (Cambell) out.

Cambell was 17 at the time of Gregorys death. Prosecutors charged him in July 2011, and he maintained his innocence during an initial trial in 2013. Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict, so prosecutors tried again in 2016. Three witnesses, including a husband and wife who saw the killing, returned to testify. Police still hadnt found the .38-caliber murder weapon or any physical evidence. Prosecutors did not offer a motive.

A judge sentenced Cambell in January 2017 to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 30 years. In 2019, he filed a motion arguing his attorney was ineffective and the state violated his due process.

Last spring, experts, witnesses, Cambell and Mary Fox, who represented Cambell in his trial and now leads the state public defenders office, gathered for a hearing on the evidence.

Experts testified that the witness identifications were likely unreliable and, at the time of the second trial, the wife of the married couple had begun an affair with the lead homicide detective in the case  a fact that was not disclosed to the defense.

Evidence of another perpetrator also was not presented at trial, court documents said: A neighbor saw multiple people fighting with Gregory on the night he died and identified a man who was a person of interest in another killing nearby. An analysis from the state crime lab matched two palm prints found at the scene to that person as well.

At Thursdays hearing, Tierney and Gregorys sister asked the judge for Cambell to remain in jail while the case continued. Tierney said she was frustrated with the lack of communication from prosecutors and felt the family hadnt been considered during the process.

Where is the state protecting the family? she said. Its not right.

Boyer apologized for the way the process played out.

Im sorry for your loss, and Im sorry for the way youve had to relive it, he said.

Moments later Marvin Teer, chief trial assistant at the circuit attorneys office, said he had been notified the case was dismissed.

Gregorys family members sat in the courtroom, stunned.

Who does this? Tierney asked.

Meanwhile, Cambells lawyers prepared him for release, and his family walked to the City Justice Center to greet him.

A spokeswoman for the circuit attorneys office said Thursday that authorities were restarting the investigation and asked the public to provide information.
WENTZVILLE  Police on Thursday identified the man killed by police earlier this week in Wentzville.

Sonny J. Vincent, 36, of Montgomery County, Missouri, was shot and killed by officers after he and a woman led officers on a chase in a stolen car from near St. Peters to Wentzville late Tuesday.

Officers with a St. Charles County task force attempted to pull over a 2011 Black Chevrolet Silverado around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday near Interstate 70 and Highway 79. Vincent sped off, leading police 12 miles west.

The shooting happened as Vincent and his passenger, Amber Smith, were running away in Wentzville, at which point police said Vincent pointed a gun at them. Two officers  one from St. Charles and one from St. Peters  shot at him. Vincent died at a hospital.

Smith, 37, was uninjured and eventually arrested a few blocks away. She has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon; possession of a controlled substance; forgery; resisting arrest; and second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. On Thursday she was in custody at the St. Charles County Department of Corrections on a $10,000 cash-only bail.

Court documents indicate Smith had a handgun, counterfeit money, six credit cards with different names, one social security card that wasnt hers, and 0.3 grams of methamphetamine.

She was on probation for a drug-related charge.

Wentzville police said the two officers who shot Vincent are on administrative leave. The St. Charles officer is a 32-year-old man with eight years of law enforcement experience, and the St. Peters officer is a 37-year-old man with nine years of law enforcement experience.

Investigators are reviewing both dash camera and body camera footage that captured the shooting.

Police said Vincents gun, recovered at the scene, was a stolen firearm out of Marion, Illinois.

Vincent had been convicted on several charges in Missouri over the last several years. Those include assault on a law enforcement officer, possessing drug paraphernalia, possessing a controlled substance, excessive speeding and unlawful possession of a firearm.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican lawmakers signaled their intent to restrict the teaching of social studies in Missouri schools as the Senate education committee kicked off its first hearing of the session Wednesday.

The debate over the definition and application of critical race theory in schools was a common theme during the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee hearing, which included testimony on two bills about curriculum and parents rights in schools.

History should be taught. You cant learn from history unless you know the history, said committee chairman Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, who sponsored one of the bills.

Koenigs concern is the concept of labeling people on a scale of oppression or privilege by racial and other identifiers, he said.

They want to place that blame on people today and an entire race as endemically racist, and thats who they are because of some action in the past, he said.

Critical race theory is the study of the ongoing impact of racist laws and policies on American life. It is mostly found in law school curriculum, although opponents have used the term more broadly to include racial equity and diversity concepts in teacher training and lesson plans.

The Missouri Legislature has failed to pass similar bills proposed since 2020, when virtual learning during the pandemic brought increased scrutiny to school curriculum.

Koenigs latest bill would prohibit the teaching of critical race theory defined through actions that would qualify as violations, he said. Under the bill, schools could not teach that individuals of any race, ethnicity, color, or national origin are inherently superior or inferior or that anyone should be adversely or advantageously treated based on race or nationality.

Penalties would include a school district losing state accreditation after a third offense. If a teacher is found to be in violation after a parents complaint, as determined by the state board of education, the school district would be required to pay the states student funding amount toward an education savings account for the family.

Sen. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, said she worried the bills would exacerbate the teacher shortage in Missouri by forcing educators out of the profession.

Im hearing from a lot of teachers in particular who say, I dont teach CRT in my classroom. ... Im now fearful that any sort of complete telling of history is going to get me in trouble, Arthur said. Even if the intent is not to put more burden on teachers ... this really does feel like an attack.

Both Koenigs bill and another from Sen. Ben Brown, R-Washington, would establish a Parents Bill of Rights including a statewide transparency portal for anyone to view public school curriculum and professional development materials. Arthur, a former teacher, said the policies are unnecessary because the information is already available to parents.

Two students from St. Louis County skipped school Wednesday to testify against the bills.

I believe that every student deserves to learn an accurate and unfiltered history, said Ella Nichols, a senior at John Burroughs School. There is always going to be some degree of discomfort when it comes to learning history. When we talk about restricting curriculum, we are further marginalizing groups of students that already feel invisible in the classroom.

Sela Masaki, a senior at Ladue High School, spoke about their grandfather who fought in a Japanese-American combat team for the U.S. Army in World War II.

When their AP History teacher discussed the 442nd regiment, I saw myself in my history classroom, they said. I am proud of grandpa, my heritage and his legacy, despite the odds and the hate and the bigotry.

Koenig pointed out that the bill does not prohibit the teaching of sexism, slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, affirmative action, or racial discrimination, including laws that result in discrimination.

Browns bill calls for giving parents the right to object to the instructional materials and other materials used in their childs classroom based on the parents beliefs that such materials are inappropriate for whatever reason and to be assured that such objectionable materials are not taught to the parents child.

School districts would also be required to notify parents of any on- or off-campus crimes including misdemeanors committed by any school staff members.

The penalty for violating the statute would include withholding up to half of the school districts annual funding from the state.

The bills are Missouri SB 4 and SB 89.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republicans who have preached for years against growing the size of government are facing a dilemma after Gov. Mike Parson unveiled a spending plan that pumps billions of dollars into education, child care and road building.

But, the leader of the GOP-controlled Senate sounded a positive note Thursday that the governors call for increased spending could nonetheless move forward in the Legislatures upper chamber.

This is an opportunity were not going to have many, many times, said Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

Under Parsons budget plan, the state would spend $50 billion in the fiscal year beginning July 1. Even with his proposed flood of spending, the state would end the year with an estimated $4 billion surplus just a year after lawmakers and Parson cut state income tax rates.

Its good to know you can cut taxes and still have a growing and vibrant economy and have some money to do some good stuff, Rowden said. Its always better to have money to spend than not.

The governor wants to pump $859 million into widening parts of Interstate 70, including a traffic-clogged stretch between Wentzville and Warrenton.

He proposed a $700 million outlay to public schools that includes $233 million for school districts to use for transportation costs. Schools also would get a $117 million boost in the school funding formula. Another $56 million would go to preschool programs for low-income children.

He also wants to create a rainy day fund for schools worth $250 million that would gird against potential revenue drops in future years.

The states public colleges and universities also would see a 7% increase in state aid and more than $272 million to help with campus building projects.

Parson also wants lawmakers to give state employees an 8.7% raise to stop workers from leaving for the private sector. He also is asking for a $2 an hour raise for employees who are working overnight hours.

Parson, who has made workforce development and education top priorities, also wants to boost a subsidy that helps people afford child care by $78.5 million, bringing total spending on child care to $800 million.

The plan was praised by Democrats, who said it was notable that Parson did not spend time in his speech discussing Republican talking points like critical race theory or transgender athletes.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, suggested that the governor is playing catch-up after years of underfunding key areas of state government like worker pay, maternal mortality and teacher salaries.

Current Republican ideas are 10-year-old Democrat ideas, Rizzo said.

The large outlays of money, however, could run into opposition from GOP conservatives, he said.

Hes going to have a lot more trouble from his own party, Rizzo said.

Rowden said the investments in state programs outlined by Parson dont need to be viewed through a partisan lens.

Its not supposed to be partisan to fix roads. Its not supposed to be partisan to make sure we have adequate opportunities for kids. Its not supposed to be partisan to make sure were not ranking near the bottom in maternal mortality, Rowden said.

Were going to take a good, hard look at what the governor is proposing. We want to be sensible about that and not just grow government at an alarming rate that certainly most of us are not in favor of, Rowden added.

In the House, Republican leaders also offered support.

We are committed to working with the governor to find commonsense, fiscally responsible solutions that create safer communities, give our children the educational opportunities they need to become successful, productive adults, and invest in critical infrastructure improvements that will position our state for sustained growth, they said in a statement.
ST. LOUIS  More than a dozen faith leaders filed suit Thursday in St. Louis Circuit Court to overturn Missouris abortion ban, arguing state legislators acted based on their personal religious beliefs and violated the separation of church and state protected in Missouris Constitution.

The faith leaders, from St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia, represent several Protestant and Jewish denominations. They partnered with the National Womens Law Center and Americans United for Separation of Church and State in drafting the suit.

What these abortion restrictions do is enshrine into law the particular narrow religious beliefs of the state officials who enacted these laws, and it forces all of us to live by these narrow beliefs, said Michelle Banker, the NWLCs director of reproductive rights and health.

Missouri bans abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. Providers who violate the ban can be charged with a felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison, and lose their medical license.

Missouri is among 14 states that have enacted laws either banning or greatly restricting access to abortion since the June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the constitutional right to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Why is this lawsuit being filed in Missouri?

The state has long had an active group of clergy fighting for abortion access and robust laws protecting the separation of church and state, say those involved in the suit.

Legislators also openly invoked their personal religious beliefs as the reason for passing the abortion ban, they say.

Missouri is an easy first case because of the states strong commitment to church-state separation, and because lawmakers said the quiet part out loud and made crystal clear that this ban is religiously motivated, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United.

Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, called the lawsuit foolish.

We were acting on the belief that life is precious and should be treated as such, Rowden said. I dont think thats a religious belief. And I think people need to understand what separation of church and state is. Most people dont.

And Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, issued a statement Thursday saying that the attorney generals office has won a similar suit in the past that landed before the Missouri Supreme Court.

We look forward to doing it again, Bailey stated. I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children, and that includes unborn children.

Conception

The faith leaders lawsuit lists several examples in which religious doctrine is mentioned in the effort to ban abortions:

The law itself begins with, In recognition that Almighty God is the author of life ... it is the intention of the General Assembly to defend the right to life of all humans, born and unborn.

The law states that the life of each human being begins at conception, defined as the fertilization of the ovum by a sperm.

The lead sponsor of the bill banning abortion, then-Rep. Nick Schroer, a Republican from St. Charles County, argued that as a Catholic, I do believe life begins at conception, and that is built into our legislative findings. Schroer is now a member of the Missouri Senate.

Another co-sponsor, Rep. Barry Hovis, R-Cape Girardeau County, stated that from the Biblical side of it  life does occur at the point of conception.

Rep. Ben Baker, R-Newton County, said, From the one-cell stage at the moment of conception, you were already there  you equally share the image of our Creator.

And then-Rep. Holly Thompson Rehder, a Republican from Sikeston, urged passage of the ban by stating: God doesnt give us a choice in this area. He is the creator of life. And I, being made in His image and likeness, dont get to choose to take that away, no matter how that child came to be. To me, life begins at conception, and my God doesnt give that option. Thompson Rehder, like Schroer, is a state senator now.

Banker says the legislators showed their cards during their arguments.

It makes Missouri a particularly special place to bring a suit like this, she said. Its just so clear that these abortion bans were religiously motivated. The legislators were unequivocal about it.

The plaintiffs

The conservative Christian notions of conception run contrary to the religious and moral beliefs of others, the lawsuit argues.

The 13 religious leaders filing the suit argue that their faith calls them to ensure abortion access because of how it affects a pregnant persons autonomy, health, economic security and equality.

Among them are the Rev. Deon K. Johnson, the first openly gay Black bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. He follows the opinion of the Episcopal Church that the decision to have an abortion is a personal one and an integral part of a womans struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being.

The Rev. Krista Taves, who serves as a minister at Eliot Unitarian Chapel in Kirkwood and First Unitarian Church in Alton, said her faith places trust in an individuals ability to make moral decisions about their bodies.

Rabbi Andrea Goldstein at the Shaare Emeth, the largest congregation for Reform Judaism in the St. Louis area, says her faith rejects the notion that abortion terminates human life and gives priority to the safety and well-being of the pregnant person.

Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, said she must consider the experience and needs of a pregnant person seeking counseling from her about continuing the pregnancy.

Judaism demands of me that my first priority must be to the living, breathing, fully-formed person sitting in front of me, Neiss said.

Some of the plaintiffs share that they have had abortions themselves as teens, including Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis.

The Rev. Cynthia Bumb, a retired United Church of Christ minister in St. Louis, had an abortion after her fertilized egg failed to develop into an embryo; and Rep. Barbara Phifer, D-Kirkwood, a United Methodist pastor for more than 40 years, experienced a failed miscarriage in 1978 and had to leave the state in order to get an abortion she needed to prevent serious complications.

Reproductive and religious freedoms are tied at the hip, Laser says. Reproductive freedom means that every pregnant person gets to make their own decisions about their own bodies according to their own religious and moral beliefs.

Webster University Political Science Professor Gwyneth Williams, who teaches courses involving religion and politics, said legislators can support laws because of their religious beliefs, just as many have advanced civil rights protections because of their religious beliefs.

That doesnt necessarily mean that the law itself is imposing a religious belief, Williams said.

However, religious interpretations and preferences written into the statute itself could be problematic, she said. That could put it at greater risk.

A trailblazer

The lawsuit refers to three sections in Article I of the Missouri Constitution that prohibit the government from establishing preferences for any particular faith.

They include Section 5, which states that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience, and Section 7, which states no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion nor any form of religious faith or worship.

The plaintiffs argue that state funds are unlawfully being used to enforce a religiously motivated abortion ban.

Those named in the suit include the governors office, the attorney generals office, the board overseeing the licenses of health providers and the health department.

A handful of similar religious freedom lawsuits challenging abortion restrictions have been filed in states such as Indiana, Kentucky and Florida. Banker and Laser say this suit is unique in that it argues Missouris ban violates the state constitution and should be nullified.

Our lawsuit is a trailblazer, Laser said, because rather than seeking a religious exemption from the abortion ban, we are challenging the entire ban as a violation of church-state separation.

Banker acknowledges, however, that obtaining an abortion in Missouri will take more than winning the lawsuit. Even before the states abortion ban was enacted, the procedure had become nearly nonexistent because of onerous laws and restrictions.

It wont necessarily restore access to abortion in the state , she said. But we are hopeful that this lawsuit will be the first step in improving access to abortion.

Jack Suntrup of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Updated at 2:50 p.m.

Photos: Faith leaders file lawsuit, say Missouri legislators violated church and state separation

Photos: Abortion protests in St. Louis since 1973 1973 - Anti-abortion protest along North Euclid 1977 - Abortion protesters on SLU's campus 1978 - Abortion rights supporters in downtown St. Louis 1978 - Abortion protesters 1979 - Anti-abortion protest near the Arch 1980 - Anti-abortion protest in Kiener Plaza 1980 - Anti-abortion protest along Market Street 1985 - Abortion rights protest in CWE church 1986 - Abortion rights protesters at SLU 1989 - Abortion rights protesters in Forest Park 1991 - Anti-abortion protest during 'Life Chain' 2005 - Anti-abortion protest in Granite City 2005 - Abortion rights protest at Planned Parenthood 2005 - Anti-abortion protest at Planned Parenthood 2008 - Anti-abortion protest at Planned Parenthood 2017 - Abortion rights protest along Lindell 2017 - Anti-abortion protest at Planned Parenthood 2019 - Anti-abortion protest in St. Louis 2019 - Abortion rights protest in downtown 2019 - Abortion rights protest in state capitol 2019 - Anti-abortion and abortion rights activists protest at clinic 2019 - Abortion rights rally results in arrests downtown 2019 - Abortion rights rally results in arrests downtown 2019 - Anti-abortion protesters hold rally outside Planned Parenthood clinic 2021 - Anti-Abortion advocates rally in St. Louis on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade 2021 - Planned Parenthood St. Louis 2022 - Hundreds attend abortion rights rally at Kiener Plaza 2022 - Anti-abortion activists hold weekly prayer vigil 2022 - Roe v. Wade overturned by the Supreme Court
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that he took only folders for classified documents as a cool keepsake and accused Trump-hating feds of planting top secret documents to frame him.

Trump sought to downplay the scandal surrounding his taking hundreds of classified documents to Mar-a-Lago by focusing on the scores of empty folders found by FBI agents in an explosive Aug. 8 search.

These were ordinary, inexpensive folders with various words printed on them, but they were a cool keepsake, Trump wrote in a post on his social media site. Perhaps the Gestapo took some of these empty folders when they Raided Mar-a-Lago, & counted them as a document, which they are not.

Without offering any evidence, Trump said Trump-hating Marxist thugs may be planting more documents while the folders are in the hands of federal prosecutors.

He also tried to change the subject to the discovery of classified documents at President Joe Bidens home and office, a scandal that has jolted the White House in recent days.

(They) keep saying I had a large number of documents in order to make the Biden Classified Docs look less significant, he said.

As President ... I did nothing wrong. JOE DID, Trump added.

To the contrary, Trump fought tooth and nail to hold onto a trove of thousands of government documents and presidential records that he improperly took when he left the White House, federal investigators say.

Trump also defied a subpoena for the return of all classified documents, prompting the search that turned up more than 300 classified documents at his oceanfront resort.

In Bidens case, his lawyers immediately informed the feds when they found a small number of classified documents stored at an office the president once used last November.

They later launched a more extensive search, which turned up two more sets of documents at Bidens home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Special counsel Jack Smith is mulling whether to file charges against Trump while special counsel Robert Hur is probing the Biden documents case.
On top of everything that has spilled out  actually, gushed out  regarding New York Republican Rep. George Santos, theres this little tidbit: Republican officials were aware as far back as fall 2021 that he was a serial liar and fraudster. But Santos, 34, resisted warnings that he would embarrass himself and the party if he didnt withdraw. Miscalculations abounded by both parties amid assumptions that the Santos problem would die as the scandals surfaced. But they didnt. Then, to the shock and surprise of all involved, he won on Nov. 8.

The New York Times this week explained the long series of investigative failures that allowed Santos to slip through the cracks. Those failures included lapses by journalists whose job is to check the backgrounds of the candidates they cover. There were even warnings that someone in Santos campaign had impersonated now-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while soliciting campaign donations. McCarthy told CNN on Tuesday that he had always had a few questions about Santos suspicious background.

Yet now that its time for McCarthy to punish Santos, the speaker has opted to look the other way. In 2021, 11 Republicans joined Democrats in revoking the committee assignments of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, to hold her accountable for antisemitic and other offensive remarks. But Santos so far has escaped so much as a wrist slap. He fraudulently claimed academic degrees and employment by blue-chip Wall Street firms. He is wanted in his native Brazil for check fraud and theft. He misrepresented his religion and falsely claimed to be a descendant of Holocaust survivors. Campaign-finance irregularities abound.

Voters of his Long Island district have spoken, McCarthy says, and if they dont want Santos, they can vote him out in 2024. At least with Greene, voters knew what they were getting  Jewish space lasers and all. With Santos, voters were defrauded from Day One. A Long Island newspaper, the North Shore Leader, actually raised big questions about Santos integrity back in September, but its reporting garnered little or no attention, nor did its limited circulation reach enough local voters to impact the election.

A report surfaced this week that Santos set up a GoFundMe account to benefit a homeless Navy veteran whose service dog was ill. Santos took in $3,000, of which the veteran says he didnt receive a dime. The dog died.

Although multiple New York Republican House members have urged Santos to resign, there are signs the partys far-right House membership is pulling him into their fold. Should Americans be surprised anymore? A party that would stand behind a president who lied thousands of times  and used the lie of a stolen election to attempt a coup  seems perfectly comfortable welcoming Santos with open arms. In the quest for power at any price, concepts like truth and honor no longer hold sway in the GOP.
Regarding the editorial editorial "Missouri legislators again move to limit women's right to choose  their clothes." (Jan. 14): The Missouri Legislature deserves thanks for voting on and passing such an important rule: a dress code for women legislators. This is such an important issue.
Parlamento Europeo expreso su apoyo al orden democratico y constitucional del Peru, asi como su esperanza en que el impecable y responsable actuar de sus autoridades refuerce la democracia, y pide celebrar elecciones lo antes posible para superar situacion politica. pic.twitter.com/t95mKovgPP
Pakistan has problems with its 134 JF-17 jet fighters. The Russian built RD-33 engines that power the JF-17s have been cut off from replacement engines, spare parts for maintenance and technical assistance by the heavier sanctions imposed on Russia because of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. There are no legal solutions to this problem and all alternatives are being explored by Pakistan to keep their most modern jet fighters operational.

Pakistan made a huge financial investment in the JF-17 to replace 270 French Mirage fighters acquired in the in the late 1960s and early 70s. These are now grounded. Some of the 140 Chinese F-7 (Mig-21 clone) fighters acquired in 2002 are still operational, and the same with the 75 American F-16s acquired since the 1980s. Updating or replacing the American F-16s has been disrupted by Pakistani deceptions about its support for Islamic terror groups it was supposed to be fighting. Pakistan is still trying to revive relations with the United States but that is not going well. The only other modern fighters Pakistan has are 14 of the 72 Chinese J-10CE fighters ordered in 2022. This is the first export order for the J-10, which was developed about the same time as the JF-17 but for use by the Chinese air forces. Pakistan considered the J-10 too much of an F-16 clone and vulnerable to retaliation for technology theft.

Pakistans purchase of new Chinese J-10CE fighter-bombers was Chinas first sale of its own models of new jet fighters, and it took fifteen years of discussions and negotiations. Technically the first Chinese made jet fighter to be exported was the JF-17, but that aircraft is not used by the Chinese air forces. Currently two jet fighters designed in China are offered for export; the J10 and the JF17, which is technically a Pakistani aircraft.

To address the tech theft issue and obtain export customers for the J-10, the Chinese developed a version of the J10 expressly for export and priced to sell. This led to the J10CE, and for the last few years China has conducted a major effort to sell this special version. The J-10CE is basically an export version of the Chinese Air Force J-10C. It was prominently featured at a November 2019 air show, along with eager sales reps looking for customers. There were some nibbles but nothing serious. The E designates an export model, with some advanced or highly classified (or based on stolen technology) items left out. The J-10CE appeared to have all its major new features and apparently the only items left out were Chinese IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) transponders and similar China-specific features of the communications or defensive systems.

Sales reps touted the J-10CE as having the same capabilities as the latest version of the F-16; the F-16V. The salesmen pointed out that the J-10CE had all the advanced electronics in the F-16V as well as some stealth features like radar absorbing surfaces and stealthy air intakes. Every sales pitch ended with an emphasis on the fact the J-10CE cost only $40 million, half of what the F-16V was selling for. That was also a lot less than modern European jets like Eurofighter or Rafale as well as the latest Russian offerings like the MiG-35 or the latest Sukhoi models. India is now buying Rafales and already has a lot of upgraded SU-30s.

What the J-10 sales reps did not want to discuss was what most potential customers already knew; the F-16 had an exceptional service and combat record and was the most widely exported post-Cold War fighter. In contrast, the J-10 first flew in 1998 and entered service seven years later. Nearly 600 J-10s have been produced so far and none were bought by export customers until Pakistan did so in 2022. The F-16 entered service in 1978, four years after the first flight and nearly 5,000 have been produced so far. Over a third of F-16s were purchased by export customers and sales are still brisk.

The reputation of the J-10 is less attractive. The J-10 is considered less safe to operate with at least ten of them crashing since 2014. The F-16 has a much better safety record. The Chinese J-10 sales force also had to deal with the fact that the Middle East is full of satisfied F-16 customers, including Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iraq and several Persian Gulf states. This satisfaction was expressed by repeat orders for F-16s and resistance to sale pitches from European and Chinese competitors.

The F-16V Block 70 is similar to the F-16E Block 60 Desert Eagle the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has been using since 2005. The Israeli version of the F-16 is in the same class as the Desert Eagle and uses a lot of Israeli developed tech. Since 2020 Israel and the UAE has established diplomatic and trading relationships, including the first UAE purchases of Israeli defense tech.

The Chinese were undeterred and keep seeking export customers for the J-10 while also improving it. China put its own J-10C into service in 2017, twelve years after the first J10s in 2005. This in itself was after a long (since 1988) effort to get an original modern Chinese fighter design operational. The J-10C version uses more composites in the airframe and has improved electronics. This includes a new AESA radar. J10s are the most widely used modern Chinese-designed jet fighter and it is still in production. More numerous are several different models of modern Russian jets, many of them legal and illegal clones produced in China. China does not try to export these clones. Russia was willing to tolerate China using its illegal copies of Russian aircraft, but not exporting them. A more practical reason for not exporting them is that makes them vulnerable to Russian lawsuits for tech theft.

In 2019 China finally formed its first J10C squadron. There were about 40 J-10Cs in service then and a full-strength fighter squadron had 24 aircraft. The J-10C began arriving at the new squadron in May 2019 and many were still being used for training and testing.

China produced a lot of J10s because, well, they were a Chinese, not Russian, design. That meant it took longer to get the J10 into service and China used the J10 to advertise its new aircraft development capabilities. Chinese developed electronics includes a glass cockpit, helmets with built-in HUD (head-up display), look and shoot capabilities and AESA radar. J10s were the first Chinese fire control systems to operate smart bombs (satellite or laser-guided). The J10 was the first to receive targeting pods, ECM (electronic countermeasures) pods and improved fly-by-wire systems. The J10 was also the first Chinese jet fighter to switch to Chinese-made engines rather than ones bought from Russia. Until 2019 the J10 still depended on the more reliable Russian made AL-31 engines. That has now changed with the WS10 standard on all newly built J-10s and for those in need of an engine replacement.

Partly because of the Russian engine, China had not been able to get any export orders for the J-10. China has to get Russian permission for the AL-31 engines used in exported J-10s and the Russians would not automatically cooperate. Before the J10 entered service China began buying the most modern Russian fighters (Su-27/30) in the 1990s and were able to buy and steal a lot of Russian aircraft tech during the 1990s because Russia was broke and the only thing keeping the Russian military aviation producers in business was export sales. China and India were the biggest customers and China, unlike India, had more advanced aircraft production capabilities and fewer scruples when it came to stealing foreign technology. Before the 1990s ended China had created an illegal copy of the Su-27, calling it the Chinese developed J11. Russia knew better and despite China continuing to claim the J11 design is Chinese, and that it just happens to resemble the Su-27, China has not tried to sell the J11 to export customers.

The J10 looks something like the American F-16 and weighs about the same (19 tons). Like the F-16 the J10 has only one engine and the aircraft is longer than the F-16 to accommodate the larger Russian/Chinese engines. It's no accident that the J10 resembles the F-16 because Israel sold China the technology for their Lavi jet fighter, a "super-F-16" design that Israel abandoned in 1987 because it was too expensive. China always insisted the J10 was an original Chinese design but after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 a lot of Russian engineers and scientists who assisted China in developing the J10 revealed details about how the Chinese had access to the Lavi design data and used it extensively. Israel wont comment because the U.S. cracked down on Israeli sales of military technology to China during the 1990s.

Despite the J10 being the first Chinese-designed modern fighter and the most produced model, China has purchased more legal and illegal versions of the Su-27/30. Russia is still selling China improved versions of the Su-30 design with an understanding, part of it in writing, that any tech stolen from these aircraft will not be offered for export. The understanding is that if China tried to export the stolen tech, Russia would make a fuss, sue and make China look bad.

China has gone on to develop several stealth fighter designs that are sufficiently Chinese (and not obviously stolen foreign tech) to be offered for export. Not many takers, not yet anyway. China appears to feel their new stealth designs are not ready for active service or export customers. Getting all the new tech working together, as well as developing a powerful enough engine, were major obstacles. Until recently a Russian engine, or a less powerful Chinese engine was being used temporarily. While China declared its J-20 stealth fighter ready for service in 2019, the reality was it was still in development. China finally put the J20 into service during 2021 with the arrival of a mass-produced Chinese engine that might equal the performance of the best Russian engines. While J20s are now actively used by Chinese pilots, the availability of an exportable J20 will have to overcome some of the same problems that delayed the J-10 from becoming the salable J-10CE.

In contrast Pakistan began an effort in the 1980s to design and build a Pakistani jet fighter. That proved beyond Pakistani capabilities and resources, A compromise solution was the JF-17 from China. For the last two decades Pakistan has depended on China for help in creating and building the JF-17. This includes replacing the Russian RD-33 engine with the Chinese WS-13. China has finally matched and even overtaken Russia in production of jet engines. Despite that the WS-13 is not jet reliable enough to replace the RD-33. China believes it will have solved these problems in a year or two, as it has already done with other even more powerful engine designs.

China was long a major customer for Russian jet engines, especially the RD-33, but that demand is rapidly declining as new Chinese engines enter service. An operational WS-13 will cost Russia a lot of RD-33 export sales.

The JF-17 was largely designed in China and assembled/built in Pakistan, with most of its components now also built in Pakistan. The 13-ton JF17 is meant to be a low cost ($20 million) alternative to the American F16. The JF17 is considered the equal to earlier versions of the F16, but only 80 percent as effective as more recent F-16 models. The JF17 uses a Russian engine similar to the RD-93 used in the MiG29. The JF-17 design is based on a canceled Russian project, the MiG33. Most of the JF-17 electronics are Western, with Italian firms being major suppliers. The JF-17; can carry 3.6 tons of weapons and use radar guided and heat seeking missiles. It has a max speed of Mach 1.6 (over a thousand kilometers an hour), an operating range of 1,300 kilometers and a max altitude of 17.000 meters (55,000 feet).
The U.S. Navy is having a problem with introducing new robotic tech t0 do jobs already performed by trained sea mammals, especially dolphins. One faction in the navy wants to replace the dolphins with new tech while another faction points out that the tech has not yet been able to match the performance of the dolphins. There is still a role for the tech because if there is a major war and a lot more demand for what the dolphins do, more tech can be manufactured quickly than more dolphins can be trained.

Over a decade ago, the navy expanded the number of jobs its force of about a hundred trained sea mammals (dolphins, sea lions and seals) can carry out. The animals were now trained to carry a tow line down to an underwater object, so that it can be hauled up, or simply into view. Some of the mammals are also trained to patrol an area, equipped with a harness containing a camera.

In 2007 the navy sent 30 trained dolphins and sea lions to help guard a submarine base in Puget Sound (near Seattle, Washington) against hostile swimmers. The dolphins are trained to either drop beacons, if they spot a swimmer, or slip a cuff around a swimmers leg. The cuff is attached to a rope, and this allows the dolphin handler to reel in the swimmer.

In 2003, some of these sea mammals were sent to the Persian Gulf to guard against hostile swimmers getting near coalition ships or port facilities with bombs. Called the "Mk 6 anti-swimmer dolphin system", these dolphins normally worked with Explosive Ordnance Disposal units. This is because the dolphins are mainly trained to search for underwater explosives and mines, using their natural sonar ability.

For example, it took four decades of trial and error for the navy to determine how its dolphins could perform certain military functions like finding mines close to shore. This job, when done with human divers, is dangerous and often impossible at night. Human divers can be spotted and killed. Dolphins blend right in, and have built in sonar and other sensors to enable them to cover a much larger area than trained human divers. The human handlers finally found a way to teach the dolphins how to find mines and report what they have found. The dolphins are rewarded with food and affection. Although the navy still classifies the program as "experimental," recent exercises using the dolphins shows that the sea mammals are ready for prime time.

About as intelligent as dogs, each sea mammal bonds with its handler. Without that bond, the sea mammals could just wander off and not come back when turned loose to work. Occasionally a sea mammal will disappear for a few days, particularly when there are wild members of the same species in the area. But dolphins and sea lions are pack animals, and it is difficult for a domesticated sea mammal to be accepted into a group living in the wild. The sea mammals tend to bond with their handler. It takes about 18 months to train a new animal, and most can continue to serve 10-20 years before being retired. As with dogs, the sea mammals found life with their human pack attractive enough to stick with it.

The U.S. Navy has been training sea mammals since the 1960s, and has found that they are as trainable as dogs, but live twice as long. When too old to work, dolphins and sea lions are retired to a facility which feeds them, looks after their health and lets them out for swims in the open water. These are domesticated animals, and prefer the company of humans. Because they work under water, these animals don't get a lot of attention in the media.

In contrast, dogs have been used by the military for centuries and are easier and quicker to train for essential tasks only the dogs can perform. This was demonstrated after 2001 when the war on terror brought back military dogs in a big way. Within five years over two thousand were in service with American troops. The uses are many, and include patrolling, narcotics and explosives (and land mine) search. For most dogs, it takes nearly a year, and some $60,000, to train them to perform useful military skills. After 2001 the army issued a new Field Manual on military working dogs. By 2003 there were several hundred military dogs in combat zones like Afghanistan and Iraq.

War Dogs are an ancient military practice. But for thousands of years, the dogs were used mainly for helping guard the camp, and for helping out in combat. During the 20rth century, as warfare changed, so did the use of dogs. They were used to carry messages during World War I, but by World War II were also trained for patrolling, delivering messages in combat, detecting mines and crowd control. Most were still used for guard duty. During World War II, some 10,425 dogs were taken into U.S. military service, with another 1.500 mobilized for the Korean war and, in the Vietnam war, some 4,000 dogs were trained. In Vietnam 281 were killed in combat. The marines used 327 dogs in the Pacific during World War II, and 29 died in battle. The troops in the Pacific, both during World War II and Vietnam, found the dogs particularly useful for detecting enemy ambushes during patrols. The dogs could detect enemy troops up to a thousand meters away. In Iraq, the dogs were very useful for guarding bases, guarding prisoners, finding bombs and hidden enemy troops.

In Iraq, a seven-pound flak jacket was developed for dogs used in dangerous situations. Costing about a thousand dollars each, the Kevlar protective vests protect the dogs from stab wounds, shell fragments and some bullets. The K-9 Protective Vests weigh about seven pounds, which for a 90-pound German Shepard, is about the same burden as the 17-pound vest worn by the heavier marines. The K-9 vests have some special features as well. There are compartments on the inside of the vests for the insertion of cold packs (soft, flat plastic bags containing a chemical that, when activated, becomes very cool). Since dogs do not deal with heat as effectively as humans (dogs dont sweat), and Iraq is a very warm place in the summer, the cold packs can prevent heat stroke. There are also attachments on the vest to enable the dog to be dropped by parachute, or hauled up via a rope. The vests hinder the dogs mobility a bit, especially when they are jumping. But the dogs have quickly adjusted to the vests.

After World War II, until 2000, when the law was changed, military dogs were used until they were about ten years old, then killed. It was thought that the retired military dogs could not adapt to family life. But decades of police, and some military experience, with dogs living safely with their handlers and family members finally caused the policy to be changed. Dog handlers had long urged that retired dogs be allowed to stay with their handlers, or be put up for adoption.

Many other countries still used military dogs. In some nations civilian dogs with special skills are quickly put to work by the military. For example, two decades ago the Philippine army used police-trained bloodhounds to track Islamic terrorists who were pursued by soldiers.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (TSXV:GCX)(OTCQB: GCXXF) ( "Granite Creek" or the "Company" ) is pleased to report positive results from its Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Carmacks Copper-Gold-Silver project (the "Project" or "Carmacks Project"), located in the Yukon, Canada's Minto Copper District within the traditional territories of Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and Selkirk First Nation.

The PEA demonstrates attractive project economics with significant opportunities for additional mine life expansion, reinforcing the potential of the Minto Copper District to become a top-tier global copper district.

Granite Creek Copper will be hosting a live webinar to review the PEA results on January 24th , 2023, at 9:00am PT | 12:00PM ET. To register, click here .

PEA Highlights

Attractive project economics: Base case metal prices of US$3.75/lb Cu, US$1,800/oz Au and US$22/oz Ag:

Pre-tax NPV 5% of C$324 million and 36% IRR

After-tax NPV 5% of C$230 million and 29% IRR Case 1 metal prices of US$4.25/lb Cu, US$2,000/oz Au and US$25/oz Ag:

Pre-tax NPV 5% of C$475 million and 48% IRR

After-tax NPV 5% of C$330 million and 38% IRR

Mine life of nine years at 7,000 tonnes per day with clear exploration potential to extend mine life with four target areas within 1km of the current resource.

Capital cost of C$220m with payback of 2 years from commencement of production.

Head grade of 1.10% copper equivalent ("CuEq") consisting of 0.90% Cu, 0.30 g/t Au and 3.5 g/t Ag.

Average cash operating costs of US$1.76/lb CuEq and all-in sustaining costs of US$2.57/lb CuEq.

Option for tailings treatment: PEA study identifies additional potential cash flow through processing of oxide tailings to increase total copper recovery. Recovery sensitivity shows an additional $180M pre-tax NPV based of a 20% increase in recovery rates.

The Company envisions developing the Carmacks Project into a low-carbon source of copper. A critical mineral, as defined by the Canadian government, copper is key to the transition to a zero-carbon economy through the electrification of transportation and other industries, and the development of renewable energy production. The 2023 PEA clearly demonstrates the viability of the Carmacks Deposit as a robust open pit sulphide and oxide copper-gold-silver project with significant potential upside from both resource expansion and secondary processing of oxide material to further improve oxide recoveries. The Project is to be powered by the Yukon's electrical grid which uses primarily renewable electricity.

"The completion of the PEA is a major accomplishment that doesn't just advance the Project beyond previous studies but completely re-envisions Carmacks as a high-grade, open pit copper, gold and silver producer with excellent expansion potential in a tier one jurisdiction", commented Timothy Johnson, President and CEO. "The inclusion of sulphide alongside oxide ore, either as a blend or a straight sulphide feed, has resulted in significant upside on the Project, with further opportunities recognized in both processing and exploration."

"Potential for near mine resource expansion is demonstrated in new volumetrically significant targets identified by comparison of the geophysical signatures of known mineralization with similar signatures of untested targets near the proposed pits ", continued Mr. Johnson. "These strong geophysical responses have a high correlation with copper sulphide minerals on the Project, giving us high confidence in these new targets, which are a priority for testing in upcoming drill campaigns."

PEA Study Approach

The PEA contemplates open pit mining using a conventional truck and shovel operation in two separate pits. Mining targets the high-grade, near surface oxide material in the 147 pit, then transitions to target sulphide material in the 1213 pit followed by final mining of the deeper oxide and sulphide material in 147. Mined material would be delivered to a crushing and grinding circuit consisting of a primary crusher, SAG mill and ball mill. Both oxide copper ore and sulphide copper ore would be processed via a simplified flow sheet consisting of well-established flotation technology producing a high-quality copper-gold-silver concentrate. Oxide and sulphide ore would be blended and sequenced to provide optimal cash flow and to minimise the environmental footprint with mined-out pits or portions of pits being reclaimed as mining commences in the next area. Both conceptual pits lie within 2km of the proposed mill site.

Tailings from the flotation circuit would be filtered and water recirculated into the flotation circuit. This would improve water management and limit environmental impact, with final tailings placement on a lined dry stack tailings facility at site.

A high-grade, premium copper, gold and silver concentrate would be shipped via deep seaports in Skagway, Alaska or other nearby facilities. Treatment and refining charges terms are within standard market rates.

Average copper recovery during life of mine ("LOM') is calculated to be 64% with approximately 2/3 of material processed being oxide ore and 1/3 being sulphide ore. Metallurgical studies returned 93% copper recovery when processing sulphide ore, 40% copper recovery while processing oxide ore and 82% when processing a 50:50 blend. Metallurgical work highlights the opportunity for further optimization of the Project through more detailed mine sequencing or discovery of near mine sulphide or that could be blended with ore from the 147 pit.

Table 1: PEA Key Parameters

Parameter Unit Base Case 1 Case 1 Metal Prices Copper Price US$/pound $3.75 $4.25 Gold Price US$/troy ounce $1,800.00 $2,000 Silver Price US/troy ounce $22.00 $25 Average Recovery to Cu Concentrate 2 Copper Recovery % 64% Gold Recovery % 58% Silver Recovery % 60% Concentrate Grade Copper % 40% Gold g/t 11.0 g/t Silver g/t 134.4 g/t Production Data Resource Tonnes 21,270,518 Copper Equiv. Grade 1.10% Daily Mill Throughput Tonnes / day 7,000 t 7,000 t Annual Processing Rate Kilo tonnes/ year 2,495 kt 2,495 kt LOM Strip ratio Waste: Ore 4.6:1 4.6:1 Mine Life Years 9 years 9 years Average annual production Copper EQ production 6 Million Pounds / year 33.9 M Copper in concentrate Million Pounds / year 27 M Gold in copper concentrate Troy ounces / year 12 385 Silver in copper concentrate Troy ounces / year 151 584 Operating Costs (LOM avg) 2 Mining C$/t mined $3.16 Milling C$/t processed $18.30 G&A C$/t processed $4.93 All in Sustaining Costs 4,5 US$/lb CuEq $2.57 Capital Costs Initial Capital Cost C$ C$220M LOM Sustaining Capital Cost C$ C$130M Financial Analysis Pre-Tax NPV 5% C$ C$324M C$475M Pre-Tax IRR % 36% 48% After Tax NPV 5% C$ C$228M C$330M After Tax IRR % 29% 38% Payback period 7 Years 2.0 1.5

Base case metal prices based on 36-month trailing average from January 15, 2022. Recovery includes both oxide and sulphide ore and is based on mining 2/3 oxide and 1/3 sulphide LOM. Total operating costs include mining, processing, tailings, surface infrastructures, transport, and G&A costs. AISC includes cash operating costs, sustaining capital expenses to support the on-going operations, concentrate transport and treatment charges, royalties and closure and rehabilitation costs divided by copper equivalent pounds produced. AISC is a non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. Refer to note at end of this news release. The copper equivalent grade (CuEq) is determined by (total copper x US$3.75) + (total gold x US$1800) + (total silver x $22)/$3.75)/total resource tonnes. Payback period is from commencement of mining.

Capital Cost

The PEA for the Project outlines an initial (pre-production) capital cost estimate of C$220 million and LOM sustaining capital costs of C$130 million, including overall closure costs of C$5 million. Initial capital costs include the construction of milling and processing facilities, lined dry stack tailings and lined waste rock facilities, on-site infrastructure of 15km of access road and facilities for water capture and treatment. Construction of a powerline (12.8 km, 138 kV) from an existing substation is placed under sustaining capital to allow for construction time of the power grid.

Table 2: Capex Estimates 1

Cost Element Base Case Mine Costs C$25M Processing C$84M Infrastructure C$27.7M Tailings C$14.7M EPCM and Indirect Costs C$34.1M Sub total Capex C$185 M Sustaining Capital C$130.M Contingency C$35.0M Reclamation and Closure C$5.0M

1 All values stated are undiscounted.

Operating Costs

Operating costs estimates were developed using first principles methodology, vendor quotes received in Q3 2022, and productivities being derived from benchmarking and industry best practices. Over the LOM, the average operating cost for the Project is estimated at C$3.16/t mined and C$18.30/t processed. Tailings costs are included in processing costs.

The average cash operating costs over the LOM is US$1.76/lb CuEq and the average AISC is US$2.57 /lb CuEq.

Economic Analysis and Sensitivities

The PEA indicates that the potential economic returns from the Project justify advancing to a feasibility study.

The Project generates cumulative cash flow of C$371.2 million on an after-tax basis and C$505.8 million pre-tax at a base case of $3.75/lb Cu based on an average mill throughput of 7,000 t/day over the 9-year life of mine.

Table 3: Summary of Economic Analysis 1,2

Element Base Case Case 1 Metal Price Assumptions (US$) Copper, Gold Silver $3.75, $1800, $22 $4.25, $2000, $25 Exchange Rate 0.75 0.75 Average annual cash flow C$61.8M C$76.9M Payback Period 2.5 years 1.5 years EBITDA C$505.8M C$710M LOM Undiscounted Net Cash Flow After Tax C$371.2M C$505M NPV (5% discount) After Tax C$230.5M C$328M IRR After Tax 29% 38%

1 The analysis assumes that the Project is 100% equity financed (unlevered).

2 Appropriate deductions are applied to the concentrate produced, including treatment, refining, transport and insurance costs.

The PEA is significantly influenced by copper price assumptions. Using the Case 1 metal price scenario consists of near current prices of US$4.25/lb Cu, US$2000/oz Au and US$25/oz silver, the Project generates an after-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") using an 5% discount rate of $328 million and an after-tax IRR of 38% with a payback period of 1.5 years from the commencement of production. (Table 3), Outlined below in Table 4 is a detailed sensitivity analysis across gold and copper prices with silver kept at $22/ounce. Table 5 below highlights additional sensitivities to foreign exchange, recovery, CAPEX and OPEX.

Table 4: Copper and Gold Metal Price Sensitivity Analysis NPV- Pre-Tax values in Million CDN$

Copper Price per pound US$ Gold price per ounce

US$ 1 3.25 3.50 3.75

Base Case 4.00 4.25

Case 1 4.50 $4.75 $5.00 $5.25 1500 $165.7 $227.6 $289.4 $351.3 $413.1 $474.9 $536.8 $598.6 $660.5 1600 $177.3 $239.1 $301.0 $362.8 $424.7 $486.5 $548.3 $610.2 $672.0 1700 $188.9 $250.7 $312.5 $374.4 $436.2 $498.0 $559.9 $621.7 $683.6 1800 Base $200.4 $262.2 $324.1 $385.9 $447.8 $509.6 $571.4 $633.3 $695.1 1900 $212.0 $273.8 $335.6 $397.5 $459.3 $521.1 $583.0 $644.8 $706.7 2000 Case 1 $223.5 $285.3 $347.2 $409.0 $470.9 $532.7 $594.5 $656.4 $718.2 2100 $235.1 $296.9 $358.7 $420.6 $482.4 $544.3 $606.1 $667.9 $729.8 2200 $246.6 $308.4 $370.3 $432.1 $494.0 $555.8 $617.6 $679.5 $741.3

Table 5: Multiple variable sensitivity analysis (all values $CDN)

Variable Pre-Tax NPV 5% After - Tax NPV 5% -20 % Base +20% -20 % Base +20% Copper Price $138.6M $324.1M $509.6M $88.3M $230.5M $361.0M FX Rate $129.7M $324.1M $615.6M $118.6M $230.5M $381.8M Recovery $138.6M $324.1M $509.6M $88.3M $230.5M $361.0M CAPEX $381.9M $324.1M $266.2M $243.5M $230.5M $215.6M OPEX $452.2M $324.1M $196.0M $318.9M $230.5M $131.2M

Opportunities

The third conceptual pit, 2000S as identified in the Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE), could be brought into the mine plan if sufficient additional resources were defined by drilling to offset pre-stripping costs.

Electrification of the mining fleet. Significant cost saving and reduction in greenhouse gas production may be possible through the sourcing of electric vs. diesel haul trucks for the Project. The PEA envisions using a contract mining fleet for the Project and preference will be given to suppliers that can provide either fully electric or hybrid equipment.

Significant cost saving and reduction in greenhouse gas production may be possible through the sourcing of electric vs. diesel haul trucks for the Project. The PEA envisions using a contract mining fleet for the Project and preference will be given to suppliers that can provide either fully electric or hybrid equipment. Further discovery. Exploration conducted in 2022 consisting of geophysics, trenching and soil sampling identified four areas proximal to the proposed mine plan that if successfully drilled could enable longer mine life beyond nine years or provide additional sulphide mill feed earlier in the mine's life. Four targets on the Property require evaluation, all located within 1km of the current deposits. Two of the targets are located beneath the current resource and there is higher geological certainty that these may contain appreciable copper mineralization. Zone 1213 shallow:

Downward continuation of Zone 12 and 13. Estimated dimensions are 360m long, 15 - 40m wide, starting at approximately 65m below the current drilling. Zone 12 deep:

Downward continuation of Zone 12. Estimated from geophysics to be continuing for an additional 170m below current resource modelling. Approximated to be 580m long and 15-40m wide. Gap Zone target:

Geophysical anomaly that fits with current geological understanding of the fault offset between 147 and 2000S Zone. Estimated to be 500m long, up to 400m deep, and 30-50m wide. Sourtoe target:

Estimated from geophysics to be a lensoidal body of similar size to known deposits at 370m long x 370m deep with an estimated width of 15-50m. It has been lightly tested at surface by trenching and is weakly mineralized.

Exploration conducted in 2022 consisting of geophysics, trenching and soil sampling identified four areas proximal to the proposed mine plan that if successfully drilled could enable longer mine life beyond nine years or provide additional sulphide mill feed earlier in the mine's life. Four targets on the Property require evaluation, all located within 1km of the current deposits. Two of the targets are located beneath the current resource and there is higher geological certainty that these may contain appreciable copper mineralization. In addition, the Carmacks North target area is host to several mineralized zones that have the potential to add resources to the mine plan, all within 15 km of the proposed mill site.

Additional recovery through metallurgical improvements. The Company has retained Kemetco Laboratories to complete additional leaching and copper precipitating testing to evaluate the processing of tailings. The calculated grade of copper in tailings averages 0.32% with over 140 Mlbs of copper not recovered LOM. Recovery sensitivity show an additional $180M pretax NPV based of a 20% increase in recovery rates. Review of historical metallurgical testing has indicated that copper minerals present in oxidized material respond well to leaching. Once the copper is in solution the copper would be chemically precipitated to produce sulphide minerals that can be added back into the flotation cells.

Mineral Resources

The basis for the PEA uses an updated mineral resource estimate ("MRE") for the Carmacks deposit (effective date March 30, 2022). The mine plan contemplates processing 62% of resources outlined in the MRE. The MRE includes inferred resources that are too speculative to have economic parameters applied to them. Resources are not reserves and there is no certainty that the resources outlined on the Project can be converted to reserves.

Table 6: Mineral Resource Estimates

CATEGORY Cut -Off

Cu (%) Quantity (Mt) Grade Cu Au Ag Mo CuEq Total (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) Total (%) In Pit Oxide Measured 0.30 11.361 0.96 0.40 4.11 0.006 1.30 Indicated 0.30 4.330 0.91 0.28 3.37 0.007 1.16 Measured & Indicated 0.30 15.691 0.94 0.36 3.91 0.006 1.26 Inferred 0.30 0.216 0.52 0.09 2.44 0.006 0.63 In Pit Sulphide Measured 0.30 5.705 0.68 0.16 2.54 0.016 0.88 Indicated 0.30 13.486 0.72 0.19 2.83 0.013 0.93 Measured & Indicated 0.30 19.191 0.71 0.18 2.74 0.014 0.92 Inferred 0.30 1.675 0.51 0.13 2.24 0.020 0.70 Below Pit Sulphide Measured 0.60 0.026 0.71 0.16 2.54 0.010 0.88 Indicated 0.60 1.341 0.82 0.19 2.88 0.012 1.03 Measured & Indicated 0.60 1.367 0.82 0.19 2.88 0.012 1.03 Inferred 0.60 0.967 0.77 0.17 2.48 0.012 0.96

Notes:

CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. The effective date of the Mineral Resources is March 30, 2022. Mineral Resources are estimated using an exchange rate of US$0.75/C$1.00. Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term gold price of US$1,800/oz Au with a metallurgical gold recovery of 60%, and a long-term copper price of US$3.75/lb with a metallurgical copper recovery of 95% for sulphide material and 60% for oxide material. Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.30 copper equivalent. Bulk density of 2.83 t/m 3 was used for tonnage calculations. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Numbers may not add up due to rounding.

Mining

The overall mining operation is expected to consist of two open pits completed over three phases. Phase I contemplates development of the 147 zone with low strip ratio. Phase 2 contemplates the mining of 1213 zone with a slightly higher strip ratio. Phase 3 contemplates pushback on the 147 pit to a final LOM strip ratio of 4.6:1, resulting in a total of 9 years of operation, plus one year of pre-stripping. Following this mining period, a low-grade stockpile of 2Mt grading 0.18% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au and 0.8 g/t Ag may be reprocessed once mining operations cease. All waste and tailings will be disposed near the mining infrastructure.

The contract mining operation is planned to be a conventional truck and shovel open pit operation, moving approximately 118Mt of material over the 9-year life of mine. This would provide the floatation processing plant with 21.3Mt of ore at a rate of 7 000 tonnes per day.

Metallurgy and Processing

The processing facilities and saleable mineral products are fundamentally different from the beneficiation procedures that were contemplated in the 2006 Feasibility Study and updated in the 2017 PEA. The processing facilities currently being recommended for the Project would include a simplified flotation circuit, capable of processing three individual types of feed materials, oxide, sulphide, and blended ores, each of which would produce a high grade, premium concentrate.

Metallurgical testing both by Bureau Veritas in 2021 and by SGS Vancouver in preparation for the PEA study support the simplified flotation circuit. Flotation testing of individual oxide copper ores, sulphide copper ores as well as blended ores has been completed in this initial phase of the process investigation.

A test program including mineralogy and flotation was completed on samples from the Carmacks Project. The flotation test program included test work on sulphide, oxide, and blend ores.

The sulphide ore assayed 0.92% Cu, 0.67% S, and 0.24 g/t Au. Gold and copper head grades calculated from the flotation test assays agreed well with the direct head assays.

The oxide ore assayed, 0.60% Cu, 0.06% S, and 0.25-0.82 g/t Au, indicating that nugget gold may exist. However, the gold head grade calculated from the flotation tests was consistently between 0.20 g/t to 0.23 g/t with an average of 0.21 g/t.

Sulphide flotation recovered 93.7% of copper and 69.0% of gold at 42.7 % Cu and 7.7 g/t Au grade (Sulphide F4) while oxide flotation recovered 39.8% of copper and 57.5% of gold at 26.2% Cu and 13.6 g/t Au grade.

A 50/50 oxide/sulphide blend batch flotation program recovered 75.3% of copper and 65.7% of gold at 40.8 % Cu and 12.4 g/t Au grade (Blend F4).

Locked cycle flotation on blend sample recovered 82.0% of copper and 70.1% of gold at 40.1% Cu and 10.6 g/t Au grade (Blend LCT1).

Flotation optimization and an economical evaluation of the target copper grade versus recovery is recommended in future test work.

As mentioned above, the Company has commissioned additional test work to evaluate the potential for further recovery of copper from tailings when material in the mill contains a significant percentage of oxide material. Review of historical metallurgical testing has indicated that copper minerals present in oxidised material respond well to leaching. Once the copper is in solution the copper will be chemically precipitated to produce sulphide minerals that can be added back into the flotation cells.

Infrastructure

The Project lies along the Freegold Road, a Yukon government-maintained gravel road, currently being upgraded as part of the Yukon Resource Gateway Program. The road would ultimately lead to the near by Casino Project and other significant development projects in the area. A 12.8 km transmission line would be constructed to access the 138 kV Carmacks-Stewart transmission at McGregor Creek. Future studies will look at alternate routes for powerlines that could also benefit projects near the proposed Carmacks Project.

Next Steps

Additional Metallurgical work. In addition to the metallurgical work underway to assess further recovery from tailings work will be completed to optimise recoveries of both copper and precious metal. Additional studies will also be completed to identify any metallurgical variability between the two proposed mining areas to assist in further mine plan optimization through sequencing and blending of ore.

Exploration Drilling. Significant resource expansion potential exists within 1 km of the proposed pits. In addition to the new zones identified by 2022 geophysical and geochemical surveys, and trenching, many areas of both the 2000S and 12-13 zones remain open for expansion.

Geotechnical drilling on 1213 pit. In order to advance the Project towards feasibility geotechnical drilling will need to be completed on the proposed 1213 pit. Significant geotechnical drilling in the 147 area dating back to 2006 when a full feasibility study was completed on that portion of the Project will also be reviewed.

Baseline environmental studies. In preparation for advancing the Project towards feasibility existing environmental studies including ongoing water sampling programs will be reviewed and updated.

Continued community engagement. The Company is dedicated to working with communities effected by the Project including Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and Selkirk First Nation to ensure that the Project advances in a respectful way with maximum benefit to the effected communities.

Technical Report and Qualified Persons

The PEA was prepared by SGS Geological Services. ("SGS"). with several individuals and departments within SGS contributing to sections of the study. William Van Breugel P.Eng., is the lead consultant for this study. SGS Geological Services is known globally as the expert in ore body modelling and resource/reserve evaluation with over 40 years and 1000 consulting projects of experience providing the mining industry with computer-assisted mineral resource estimation services using cutting edge geostatistical techniques. SGS bring the disciplines of geology, geostatistics, and mining engineering together to provide accurate and timely mineral project evaluation solutions.

As part of the larger SGS Natural Resources group, they draw upon their massive network of laboratories, metallurgists, process engineers and other professionals to help bring mineral projects to the next level.

Table 7: Qualified Person

Department Area of Responsibility Qualified Person SGS Mine Design Johnny Canosa, P.Eng and William Van Breugel, P.Eng Mine Infrastructure Johnny Canosa, P.Eng SGS Tucson Metallurgy. Processing and process plant operating costs Joseph Keane PE SGS Tucson Process plant and infrastructure capital costs Joseph Keane PE Financial analysis William Van Breugel, P.Eng

Note: The Qualified Persons are independent as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects". The Qualified Persons are not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, marketing, political, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the PEA.

The Company cautions that the results of the PEA are preliminary in nature and do not include the calculation of mineral reserves as defined by NI 43-101. There is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized.

A NI 43-101 technical report supporting the PEA will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release and will be available at that time on the Company's website. Readers are encouraged to read the Technical Report in its entirety, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the details summarized in this news release. The Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context.

A presentation summarizing the Project's PEA results is available on the Company's website.

Qualified Persons

All scientific and technical data contained in this presentation relating to the PEA has been reviewed and approved by William Van Breugel P.Eng., a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. All exploration data including exploration upside potential has been reviewed and approved by Debbie James P.Geo., for the purposes of NI 43-101 The Qualified Persons mentioned above have reviewed and approved their respective technical information contained in this news release.

About Granite Creek Copper

Granite Creek, a member of the Metallic Group of Companies, is a Canadian exploration company focused on the 176-square-kilometer Carmacks Project in the Minto Copper District of Canada's Yukon Territory. The Project is on trend with the high-grade Minto copper-gold mine, operated by Minto Metals Corp., to the north, and features excellent access to infrastructure with the nearby paved Yukon Highway 2, along with grid power within 12 km. More information about Granite Creek Copper can be viewed on the Company's website at www.gcxcopper.com .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Timothy Johnson, President & CEO

Telephone: 1 (604) 235-1982

Toll-Free: 1 (888) 361-3494

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.gcxcopper.com

Twitter: @yukoncopper

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, potential economic estimates, capital costs, operating costs, potential cash flows, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Granite Creek Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Granite Creek Copper and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.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.

SOURCE: Granite Creek Copper Ltd.

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB: PMMCF) is pleased to report completion of its review and interpretation of the Block 4 Project and the Buenavista Target, and to announce a Non-Brokered Private Placement.

Summarised key findings - Block 4

Block 4 is the Company's priority project, with characteristics indicative of a large, fertile porphyry coppermolybdenum system, located along the world's preeminent porphyry copper belt in northern Chile;

Soil geochemical data is consistent with surface geology, induced polarisation (IP) geophysics, and magnetometry, and other complementary data including 3D modeling and age dating;

Anomalous soil geochemical values of Mo, Cu and Au in a heavily supergene leached desert environment, coincide with mapped geology, hydrothermal alteration, and geophysical anomalies;

The combination of several geological, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies on the Block 4 property is suggestive of a potential "cluster" of porphyry copper-molybdenum systems, a characteristic typical of some major porphyry copper districts in Chile and worldwide; and

The Buenavista Target footprint is ~1.5 km E-W by 1 km N-S along a significant geological structure.

Non-Brokered Private Placement

The Company is also pleased to launch a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to 20,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.15 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000. Each Unit will consist of one fully paid common share one purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share at a price of $0.21 for a period of 3 years after the closing of the Offering.

In connection with the Offering, the Company will pay finder's fees of up to 7% in cash and 7% in finder's warrants from the sale of Units to third parties sourced by finders. Finder's warrants will be on the same terms as those issued under the Offering and entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.21 per share for a period of 3 years from the closing date.

Proceeds from the Offering will be used primarily to drill test the Buenavista target and the Block 4 Project more broadly, where an initial ~2,100m diamond drill program has been designed to test coincident geological, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies. Residual proceeds will be directed towards due diligence on the identification and possible acquisition of large porphyry copper-molybdenum targets capable of complementing the Company's existing portfolio, as well as general corporate purposes.

Units will be offered by way of the "listed issuer" exemption under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions in all the provinces of Canada with the exception of Quebec. A potential investor resident in Canada (except Quebec) is not required to be an "accredited investor" under applicable Canadian securities laws to participate in the Offering. The securities forming part of the Units are expected to be immediately freely tradeable under applicable Canadian securities legislation if sold to purchasers resident in Canada.

There is an offering document related to this Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and at the Company's website. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches with the final tranche expected to occur on or before February 11, 2023, and is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

Block 4 - Board & Management Site Visit

Pampa Metals - Project Locations & Mineral Belts of Northern Chile

Block 4 / Buenavista - Principal Findings & Conclusions from Technical Data

Preliminary results from a soil geochemical survey were previously reported (see news release dated November 10, 2022), but key findings now include:

The soil geochemical data are consistent with key findings identified by surface geology, Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysics, and magnetometry, and other complementary data including 3D modeling.

Clearly anomalous values of Mo (up to 14 ppm Mo) and Cu (up to 1,560 ppm Cu) in soils, in a heavily supergene leached desert environment, coincide with mapped hydrothermal alteration at the key central quartz-stockwork zone and the neighbouring quartz-sulphide breccia zone (previously reported).

Additional sporadic gold anomalies (up to 175 ppb Au), together with the distributions of copper, molybdenum, and pathfinder elements including Zn, Pb, As, and others, suggest Buenavista represents a fertile Tertiary porphyry copper-molybdenum system located along the world's preeminent porphyry copper belt.

Buenavista has a footprint of about 1.5 km E-W by 1 km N-S according to the exploration results to date, and is located on a significant NE-SW trending geological structure revealed by the geochemical dataset and supported by surface mapping.

The geochemical data is also suggestive of a further potential target to the SW of Buenavista, and gives encouragement to the likely existence of a further target under cover to the east of Buenavista, currently defined by geophysical data.

Mo in Soils Compared to Buenavista Magnetic Anomaly

The combination of geological, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies is suggestive of a potential "cluster" of porphyry copper-molybdenum systems on the Block 4 property, an aspect typical of some major porphyry coppermolybdenum districts in Chile and worldwide.

A diamond drilling program to test Buenavista, and likely an additional covered target under cover to the east, is well supported by the various surface datasets, where three to four diamond drill holes totaling around 2,100m have initially been programmed.

Block 4 - Regional Location Along Domeyko Belt

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective, wholly owned, 47,400-hectare portfolio of seven projects for copper, molybdenum and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively progressing four of its projects, including completed and planned drill tests, and has two additional projects optioned to Austral Gold Ltd.

The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper or gold discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website www.pampametals.com.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company.

Note: The reader is cautioned that Pampa Metals' projects are early-stage exploration projects, and reference to existing mines and deposits, or mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties, is not necessarily indicative of any mineralization on Pampa Metals' properties.

The latest Company Presentation can be accessed at https://pampametals.com/investor/.

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO

INVESTORS CONTACT

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO

[email protected]

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

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Altria Group (NYSE: MO) was reiterated with a Buy rating and $49 per share price target by BofA analyst Lisa Lewandowski on Thursday.

The analyst explained that effective January 22, Altria's Philip Morris USA division has announced a list price increase of 15c/per pack on Marlboro, its first increase of 2023, and follows a price boost of +15c in October 2022, July 2022, April 2022, and December 2021.

"Compared to year ago prices, Marlboro's list price increased by ~10%, driven by mgmt's desire to maintain profitability goals. Further, per pack prices for Benson & Hedges, Merit, Nat's, Parliament, and Virginia Slims have been lifted by 20c per pack in MO's latest round of price increases," the analyst said.

She added that Altria's price hikes are less aggressive than British American Tobacco's recent US cigarette pricing moves.

"While nicotine is an addictive product, we anticipate these more frequent pricing actions at a time of elevated inflation to drive combustible tobacco users to lower priced nicotine alternatives (oral, vapor and deep discount cigarettes) despite continued employment and wage growth for lower income consumers," wrote Lewandowski. "We would also note that price gaps (Marlboro vs. the lowest effective brand) has widened to nearly 40% (39.8%) as of 3Q22, a level not seen since 2009."

Lewandowski went on to state that Altria has a "long history of adapting to changes in the US nicotine landscape," and they expect this to continue. The company's shares have climbed 1% in Thursday's session.

By Sam Boughedda
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alpha Cognition Inc. (TSX-V: ACOG) (OTCQB: ACOGF) (Alpha Cognition, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people with debilitating neurodegenerative disorders, announced today that it has cancelled an aggregate of 4,655,000 incentive stock options with exercise prices ranging from $0.64 CAD to $1.05 CAD. The board of directors (the "Board") has also approved the grant of options totaling 4,655,000 to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company at $0.28 per share, with vesting in monthly installments over either an 8 month, 18 month or 24 month term.

The option grant included an aggregate of 4,540,000 options granted to directors and officers of the Company and the exercise of those options is subject to stock exchange and disinterested shareholder approval. The Company intends to seek the requisite shareholder approval at its next annual general meeting.

The option cancellation and new grant is intended to maintain appropriate incentives as necessary to retain valued team members. Recognizing that option grants are a critical element of the Company's compensation policy, the Board is of the view that it is in the best interest of the Company to cancel certain existing options and grant the new options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company at current market pricing.

About Alpha Cognition Inc.

Alpha Cognition Inc. is a clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), for which there are limited treatment options.

ALPHA-1062 is a patented new chemical entity being developed as a new generation acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, with expected minimal gastrointestinal side effects. ALPHA-1062's active metabolite is differentiated from donepezil and rivastigmine in that it binds neuronal nicotinic receptors, most notably the alpha-7 subtype, which is known to have a positive effect on cognition. ALPHA-1062 is also being developed in combination with memantine to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia, and as an intranasal formulation for traumatic brain injury.

ALPHA-0602 (Progranulin) is expressed in several cell types in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues, promotes cell survival, regulates certain inflammatory processes, and plays a significant role in regulating lysosomal function and microglial responses to disease. Its intended use for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has been patented by the Company and ALPHA-0602 has been granted an orphan drug designation for the treatment of ALS by the FDA. ALPHA-0702 and ALPHA-0802 are granulin epithelin motifs (GEMs), derived from full length progranulin which have therapeutic potential across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. GEMs have been shown to be important in regulating cell growth, survival, repair, and inflammation. ALPHA-0702 and ALPHA-0802 are designed to deliver this with potentially lower toxicity, and greater therapeutic effect.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange (the TSX-V), OTC Markets Group, nor the TSX-Vs Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or a public offering of securities. No securities commission or similar authority in Canada or in any other jurisdiction has reviewed or in any way passed upon this news release or the merits of the securities described herein and any representation to the contrary is an offence.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, any information contained in this news release may be a forwardlooking statement that reflects the Companys current views about future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forwardlooking statements by the words may, might, will, could, would, should, expect, intend, plan, objective, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, project, potential, target, seek, contemplate, continue and ongoing, or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. Forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the Companys business strategy, market size, potential growth opportunities, capital requirements, clinical development activities, the timing and results of clinical trials, regulatory submissions, potential regulatory approval and commercialization of the technology. Although the Company believes that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our expectations of the future, about which we cannot be certain. The Company cannot assure that the actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forwardlooking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forwardlooking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

This news release may also contain estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by the Company relating to share value and other data about our industry. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230120005008/en/

Alpha Cognition

Lauren DAngelo

[email protected]

https://www.alphacognition.com/

Source: Alpha Cognition Inc.
OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from positive and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of bb+ (Fair) for Rutgers Casualty Insurance Company and American European Insurance Company, which operate an intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement, and are collectively known as AEIG or the group. Both companies are headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ.

These Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect AEIGs balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as adequate, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The revision in outlook to stable considers asset concentration within the investment portfolio and significant unrealized losses in 2022.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005925/en/

Robert Raber

Director

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5696

[email protected]

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]

Greg Williams

Senior Director

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5815

[email protected]

Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) announced its 2023 capital investment plan of $3.96 billion. BNSF's capital investments play a key role in its ability to operate a safe and reliable network while supporting the anticipated needs of its customers.

"Our capital plan reflects our growth mindset and commitment to having the capacity and equipment we need to support our customers. Continued investment in our network through our capital plans helps ensure we run a safe, efficient and growing railroad that provides customers with the service they expect from BNSF," said Katie Farmer, President and CEO.

The largest component of this year's capital plan, $2.85 billion, is devoted to maintaining BNSF's core network and related assets. Investing in BNSF's existing infrastructure ensures the railroad is in top condition, which results in less unscheduled service outages that can slow down the rail network and reduce capacity.

Maintenance projects include replacing and upgrading rail, track infrastructure like ballast and rail ties, and maintaining its rolling stock. It will consist of nearly 14,000 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work and the replacement of 346 miles of rail and approximately 2.8 million rail ties. $402 million of this year's capital plan is for equipment acquisitions. Over $700 million of this year's capital plan will be for expansion and efficiency projects, adding to the nearly $2.5 billion invested in expansion projects over the past five years. This year's expansion plans support the growth of BNSF Intermodal and Automotive, Agricultural and Industrial Products customers.

On its Southern Transcon route between the West Coast and Midwest, BNSF will support traffic growth by beginning the construction of a second bridge over the Missouri River at Sibley, Missouri, completing double track for one of the last segments of single track along the Southern Transcon. The plan continues projects that add several segments of new track in Eastern Kansas and Southern California. It will also begin a multi-year terminal and fueling project near Belen, New Mexico. All four projects will increase capacity throughout the corridor. Also, in the South, BNSF will complete a second main track expansion in Fort Worth. In the Pacific Northwest, BNSF will begin a multi-year project to add double track near Spokane, Washington, including over the Spokane River and by constructing a siding near Pasco, Washington. BNSF will continue multi-year intermodal facility expansion projects in Chicago (Cicero) and Stockton, California. Also, in California, BNSF will continue its track efficiency improvement projects in San Bernardino, along with property acquisitions in the Barstow area, enabling future rail facility and infrastructure development for the Barstow International Gateway Project.

About BNSF

BNSF Railway is one of North Americas leading freight transportation companies. BNSF operates approximately 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and also operates in three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food and beverages. BNSFs shipments help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005710/en/

Lena Kent

General Director, Public Affairs

(909) 386-4140

[email protected]

Source: BNSF Railway Company
Welteroths Pregnancy Experience Highlights the Black Maternal Healthcare Crisis in America

Her Testimonial is a Resounding Protest Against a Healthcare System that, in her Words, Simply Does not Advantage Black Women

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Bobbie for Change, the social impact arm of infant formula brand Bobbie is proud to elevate award-winning journalist and Bobbie MotherBoard activist Elaine Welteroths story of self-advocacy in pregnancy and childbirth. Her never-before-shared first-person story and choice to rely on midwifery outside of the hospital system was rooted in protecting herself and her baby against the backdrop of the horrifying realities of maternal mortality in the U.S.  the very same cause that inspired the establishment of nonprofit 4Kira4Moms in 2017.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005321/en/

The U.S. has the worst maternal death rate of any industrialized country, and recent research shows its getting worse. While the global maternal mortality rate is decreasing, the U.S. is one of the few countries where it is actually climbing, at a rate of 30% in just the past 15 years. This crisis disproportionately impacts Black families and mothers  who are three to four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 84% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are classified as preventable. Bobbie for Change, Elaine Welteroth, and 4Kira4Moms believe this is unacceptable.

There's this idea that if you have a certain amount of education or a certain network or a certain status, maybe the stats don't apply to you. But you would be gravely mistaken. Todays healthcare system simply does not advantage Black women, said Elaine Welteroth, award-winning journalist. Bobbie MotherBoard activist, and mom. I wanted my birth to feel safe and sacred. I could not find that in the hospital system as it currently exists. But I felt empowered when I came to realize the power that midwives give back to birthing people  especially women of color  seeking a positive childbirth experience. I chose to work with Kimberly Durdin, co-founder of Los Angeles Kindred Space LA birthing center and her incredible team of midwives. And it was the best decision of my life.

The latest data shows that deaths from complications related to pregnancy in the U.S. can be reduced by ensuring that all women have access to primary care, expanding and diversifying the maternal care workforce, and providing access to comprehensive postpartum support. Studies also show that including midwives in healthcare systems could prevent more than 80% of maternal deaths. Unfortunately, the United States only has about four midwives per 1,000 births while many European countries have five to 10 times that.

In 2016, Charles Johnson lost his wife Kira during a routine C-section at Cedar Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, California. He founded 4Kira4Moms in 2017 as a response to his experience, to be a voice for other mothers and families facing unnecessary maternal loss, and putting an end to the maternal mortality health crisis. Since inception, Johnson has testified twice before Congress where 4Kira4Moms advocated in support of key legislation including the Preventing Maternal Death Act of 2018, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021, and the Momnibus Act, which was introduced in 2021, with broad support, but has since stalled in Congress. Comprehensive legislation of this type, supporting the maternal mortality crisis, needs additional support to ensure it is passed at a federal level.

How to help? Write to or call your representatives today, asking them to be co-sponsors of the bill and join the Black maternal health caucus. Stronger together, 4Kira4Moms, Bobbie for Change and Welteroth are getting loud and taking action on behalf of families across the country  now more than ever, we need all voices, from parents and allies alike, to do the same.

4Kira4Moms is launching a new program  the Maternal Mortality Family Response Team  providing a full year of support via grief counseling, diapers, formula, food, and other essentials to care for and nourish babies and families who experience the tragedy of maternal loss through childbirth. Bobbie is proud to support in building this initiative by providing organic infant formula to each family for the entirety of the infants feeding journey to ensure their needs are met and to offer peace of mind. To support the response team directly, donate to 4Kira4Moms.

Its imperative that when we discuss the grave realities of why our organization exists that we highlight what we can do to change the situation. Were currently working with Congress to pass key legislation  the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act  an unprecedented set of bills addressing every aspect of the maternal health crisis currently happening in America. It was introduced a year ago and though it has not been finalized, together we can ensure it is passed into federal law, said Charles Johnson, 4Kira4Moms Founder and dad of two.

Bobbie has never been about just selling formula. We exist to uplevel this industry. Thats why we founded Bobbie for Change, our social impact and policy arm, which helps drive societal change about the issues impacting our community and motherhood, said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie and mother of three. The maternal mortality crisis in this country is one of the issues that keeps us up at night. Ensuring a safe, equitable and empowering birth, especially for Black mothers, is of critical importance and were here to fight for it.

Visit www.4kira4moms.com to learn more about their mission  and to donate directly and join Elaine and Bobbie for Change in this fight, please visit https://www.bobbieforchange.org.

About Bobbie

Bobbie is an Organic Infant Formula company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison, where every parent is supported in the feeding choice that is right for them and their baby. Bobbie launched in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula company in the U.S. Today, Bobbie is the only mom-founded and led infant formula in the country and the fastest growing infant formula to enter the U.S. market since the 1980s. Bobbies recipe is modeled after breastmilk and designed to meet the most recent EU nutritional standards for critical ingredients like DHA and iron, while also complying with all FDA nutritional standards for infant formula. Bobbie is focused on providing a purposefully sourced, USDA Organic infant formula with Organic Valley milk from pasture raised cows. It was the first-ever infant formula to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award and certification as a Pesticide-Free Product. Bobbie was founded in 2018, is based in San Francisco, and is venture-backed. For more information on Bobbie, visit www.hibobbie.com, and follow Bobbie on Instagram @bobbie.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005321/en/

Bobbie

[email protected]

Source: Bobbie
Results Support Economic, Environmental and Community Sustainability

WARWICK, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corvias achieved numerous performance milestones during 2022 across all of its partnerships and is grateful for the efforts of its approximately 750 employees.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005554/en/

At Fort Riley, Kansas, Corvias CEO Chris Wilson (left), Managing Director Peter Sims (right) and the local team participated in a volunteer event as part of Corvias core principles of giving back to the communities we serve. (Photo: Business Wire)

From our team members at Fort Braggs award-winning single-soldier barracks to our leasing team at Notre Dames The Landings, to our subcontractor engagement team at Clean Water Partnership, the largest stormwater program of its kind in the country, there is a personal dedication and enthusiasm for what we do that is incredibly inspiring, said Chris Wilson, CEO of Corvias. And while we can look at 2022 as a successful year, every ounce of credit goes to our team members who work with service members, students and subcontractors to support quality infrastructure partnerships.

Over the past year, we focused on investments, plans and processes that position our partners for future growth and success, while enhancing the quality of life for residents who call our communities home, added Wilson. It is upon this strong foundation that in 2023 and beyond, Corvias will build and significantly expand the positive impact we make within our partnerships.

In 2022, significant capital improvements were made across all seven of Corvias military housing communities, which included construction (infrastructure and interior/exterior) and energy-related renovations. Made possible by Corvias 2019 investment of $325 million into its Department of Defense (DOD) portfolio, the enhancements modernize and improve the resiliency and sustainability of these communities, generating expense savings that will be directed back into the housing program.

Improvements included: Historic home renovations and 13,000 water and energy-saving devices in approximately 200 homes at Aberdeen Proving Ground; energy conservation improvements at approximately 5,300 Fort Bragg homes; the renovation of 120 homes in the Heritage Park, Potomac Place, and Patriot Ridge neighborhoods as well as 142,000 energy-related enhancements at Fort Meade; geothermal pumps and roughly 1,000 exterior home renovations at Fort Polk; approximately 350 additional rooftop solar systems at Fort Riley making the base a top solar energy producer in Kansas; major renovations to more than 100 duplex homes built in the 1950s and energy upgrades in approximately 1,350 homes at Fort Rucker; and water and energy savings systems into more than 1,600 homes at Fort Sill, a critical U.S. Army artillery training base.

We are continuously looking ahead and innovating to support the goals of our partners and meet the current and future needs of our residents, said Pete Sims, managing director for Corvias DOD portfolio. We are actively working toward a goal to achieve 100% renewable energy in our communities. We have already generated enough megawatts of solar energy to power approximately 3,800 homes for a year, and we expect overall long-term utility savings to be approximately $240 million, which we will reinvest back into on-post living for more than 72,000 service members and their families.

Corvias was also nationally recognized for its military property management services through SatisFacts, an independent resident satisfaction survey, for the second year in a row. To be named as a National Company Award Winner, resident satisfaction scores must achieve a minimum 4.25+ out of a possible 5.00 rating.

At North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and featured in its Millennial Campus Celebration and Ribbon Cutting Celebration, Corvias completed development of three new, on-campus residential buildings. The project adds more than 1,200 beds to help solve the housing shortage and need for affordable housing options on campus.

Student Housing Business, an industry-leading source of news, research and trends, named Corvias a Top 25 Student Housing Management Company for high-quality operations and management of approximately 20,000 beds across 15 properties.

Corvias also continued to enable economic development in support of green infrastructure and sustainability goals as part of the DC-metro Clean Water Partnership (CWP), a 30-year community-based partnership between Corvias and Prince Georges County, MD. This includes the recently started Nine Pond Project which will create a three-acre pond and stormwater management facility to mitigate flooding in Hyattsville, MD. Corvias and the CWP also presented to industry leaders and addressed stormwater and climate-based challenges at StormCon, a premier east coast water trade show. The Fresh Coast Protection Partnership, between Corvias and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is making critical strides to achieve compliance with pollutant programs, reduce regional flooding and build local green infrastructure capacity and participation to benefit the region. More than 56 projects were reviewed and prioritized, among them, a ribbon cutting and forest planting ceremony to celebrate the River Trail School Sustainable Production Forest.

In late December, the company also announced that Shane Kilgore, vice president of information technology, with the support of his team, was the recipient of the esteemed Info-Tech CIO award. He was one of 10 recipients for the mid-market division.

At Corvias, we pride ourselves on giving back to the communities in which we live and work. In 2022, the Corvias team increased volunteering by 40% over the previous year and together with its donation-match program donated more than $120,000 to organizations in need.

If you look holistically at our portfolio, it is truly amazing to see all we have accomplished. We are grateful for the steadfast commitment of our team, partners, vendors and contractors, who support our vision truly care about the work we do, said Wilson. And, we are proud of the milestones and foundational work achieved, which will help to make an even greater impact in 2023 and beyond.

About Corvias

As a privately-owned company headquartered in Warwick, RI, Corvias partners with the Department of Defense, higher education and government institutions nationwide to solve their most essential systemic problems and create long-term, sustainable value through our unique approach to partnership. Corvias pursues the kinds of partnerships that materially and sustainably improve the quality of life for the people who call our communities home, purposefully choosing to partner with organizations who share our values and whose mission is to serve as the foundational blocks, or pillars, of our nation. To learn more, please visit: www.corvias.com.

About Corvias Property Management

For more than 20 years, Corvias Property Management has applied its resident-first approach to provide housing operations, maintenance and service support for military and university communities to create safe, high-quality places to live, learn, work and interact. Corvias Property Management manages 22,000 residential units, totaling approximately 50 million square feet of real estate across ten U.S. states, including at seven military installations and 14 universities.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005554/en/

Media Inquiries

Mary Humphreys

(401) 541-3375

[email protected]

Source: Corvias
Said delegation was led by Christian Salazar Volkmann, Director of the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division of the aforementioned office.

Likewise, the mission was made up of Igor Garafulic, Maia Campbell, and Fritz Boehm.

During the meeting, President Boluarte explained the events that have occurred in the country since December 7, 2022 the day of the failed self-coup attempt.

Moreover, the dignitary provided information on the social mobilizations, the violence that broke out in the country, and the unfortunate loss of human lives.

For his part, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the willingness of the Peruvian Government to provide information that will help to determine what happened in the country.

Salazar stressed the need to ensure the right to protest, to continue promoting dialogue, and to investigate acts of violence and vandalism that occurred in Peru in order to be punished.

Presidenta @DinaErcilia Boluarte recibe a delegacion del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos.

Lee la nota en:https://t.co/XWzCpi6awb pic.twitter.com/UmezbdqcdP
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CW Bancorp (OTCQX: CWBK), the parent company of CommerceWest Bank, is pleased to announce it has been named to the 2023 OTCQX Best 50, a ranking of top performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Markets.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006028/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. and international companies traded on the OTCQX market. The ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year. Companies in the 2023 OTCQX Best 50 were ranked based on their performance in 2022.

Mr. Ivo Tjan, CEO, commented, Our team has done it again! We are honored to have received this recognition as a top performing stock on the OTCQX and especially proud of our teams performance in 2022. The companys future is bright and we are well positioned to continue to execute on our long term growth strategy. Bank on the Difference!

For the complete 2023 OTCQX Best 50 ranking, visit https://www.otcmarkets.com/files/2023_OTCQX_Best_50.pdf.

The OTCQX Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

About CW Bancorp

CommerceWest Bank is determined to redefine banking for small and medium sized businesses by delivering on customized products and services. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Irvine, California, the Bank serves businesses throughout the state of California with our digital banking platform. By employing a strategically selected team of experienced professionals, we will provide flexibility, create a complete, safe and sound banking experience for each client. We provide a wide range of commercial banking services, including remote deposit solution, NetBanker online banking, mobile banking, lines of credit, M&A / working capital loans, commercial real estate loans, SBA loans and treasury management services.

Mission Statement: CommerceWest Bank will create a complete banking experience for each client, catering to businesses and their specific banking needs, while accommodating our clients and providing them high-quality, low stress and personally tailored banking and financial services.

Please visit www.cwbk.com to learn more about the bank. BANK ON THE DIFFERENCE

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006028/en/

Bancorp Contact:

Ivo A. Tjan, CEO

Leeann M. Cochran, CFO

Telephone: (866) 521-CWBK

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.cwbk.com

Bank on the Difference

Source: CW Bancorp
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gensource Potash Corporation (Gensource or the Company) (TSXV: GSP, AIM: GSP) today provides a 2022 year-end summary and update on its plans for 2023.

As we look forward into 2023, Gensource is thankful for its strong and focussed shareholder base as we complete the process of financing our first potash project (the Tugaske Project or Project). Gensources commitment to social and community values reflects our purpose and our role in supplying a hungry world with a sustainably produced macro nutrient, potash, essential for the transition of society towards a more food-secure future.

World events of 2022 made for a very challenging year for investors, businesses and communities alike with rapidly changing global economics negatively impacting global capital markets and Gensources plan to complete full project financing for the Tugaske Project.

In light of these events, combined with recent discussions on investor risk-return expectations, Gensource is revising the previously proposed ownership structure of KClean Potash Corporation (KClean, the entity created to own and operate the Tugaske Project- see news release dated September 2, 2021). Currently, KClean and the Tugaske Project are, and continue to be, 100% owned by Gensource. The proposed 33% equity ownership offer by Helm AG and Helm Fertilizers (collectively, Helm) in KClean resulted in an unappealing risk-return ratio for new investors, since the investment for all parties only occurs at financial close of the full project financing. This structure had the effect of creating an unequal ownership structure for incoming investors in KClean. In this regard, Helm has confirmed it will withdraw its proposed 33% ownership offer in KClean. The Company thanks Helm for this action, which now provides the opportunity for Gensource and potential investors to work with an open capital structure to complete the financing of the Tugaske Project. Of course, Helm remains supportive of the Project and committed as off-taker for 100% of all granular fertilizer product produced at the Tugaske Project pursuant to the binding off-take agreement dated May 7, 2021. Further, KfW IPEX-Bank and Societe Generale, the Projects Mandated Lead Arrangers for the senior debt financing, remain engaged and fully supportive of the Project.

Gensource continues to progress its short-term financing, which the Company anticipates will advance the near-complete bridge engineering work for the Tugaske Project. Key deliverables for the bridge engineering, anticipated to be completed in early 2023 include:

Confirm and update the AACE Level 3 capital cost estimate (first completed in October 2021). For those interested in the depth of detail involved in this work, see https://library.aacei.org//pgd01/pgd01.shtml;

Confirm and update operating cost estimates;

Pursue exciting new CAPEX and OPEX reduction opportunities; and

Bring key procurement contracts for the Tugaske Project to a ready-to-sign status.

Stephen Dyer, Chairman of Gensource Potash, says Although 2022 was one of the most challenging years in recent memory, we see a great opportunity with an appropriately balanced capital structure for KClean Potash Corporation which will allow Gensource to proceed with the required financing for the Tugaske Project.

Looking forward into 2023, Gensource anticipates positive developments, including:

Completing financing with private equity and strategic investors to move the Tugaske Project into construction;

A revised and updated ownership structure for the Tugaske Project;

Robust demand for reliable and sustainable potash supply, particularly from a tier-one jurisdiction like Saskatchewan;

Enhanced focus on global food security, and Canadas role in providing critical minerals.

Gensource anticipates 2023 will usher in a more stable backdrop which will begin to normalize global business. The potash industry remains strong and Gensource is determined to bring the Tugaske Project into production, bringing the efficiencies of its modular approach to market. said Mike Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer of Gensource. In addition, the moderation of fertilizer prices to more sustainable levels is a positive sign for the agricultural producers, who drive the need for new and sustainable fertilizer production.

Further information on Gensource Potash Corporation can be found at www.gensourcepotash.ca

Follow us on twitter @GensourcePotash

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR") and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.

About Gensource

Gensource is a fertilizer development company based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is on track to become the next fertilizer production company in that province. With a modular and environmentally leading approach to potash production, Gensource believes its technical and business model will be the future of the industry. Gensource operates under a business plan that has two key components: (1) vertical integration with the market to ensure that all production capacity built is directed, and pre-sold, to a specific market, eliminating market-side risk; and (2) technical innovation which will allow for a modular and economic potash production facility, that demonstrates environmental leadership within the industry, producing no salt tailings, therefore eliminating decommissioning risk, and requiring no surface brine ponds, thereby removing the single largest and negative environmental aspect of potash mining.

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.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

This news release may contain forward looking information and Gensource cautions readers that forward- looking information is based on certain assumptions and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations of Gensource included in this news release. This news release includes certain forward-looking statements, which often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. These statements are based on information currently available to Gensource and Gensource provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations.

Forward looking statements include estimates and statements with respect to Gensources future plans, objectives or goals, to the effect that Gensource or management expects a stated condition or result to occur, including any offering of securities by Gensource. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: failure to finance the Tugaske Project or other projects on terms which are economic or at all; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; the ability to find and source off-take agreements; changes in demand and prices for potash; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Gensources activities; an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of Gensource, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, failure to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Gensources forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Gensources forward-looking statements. Gensource does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by Gensource or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005866/en/

For further information on Gensource Potash, please contact:

Gensource Potash Corporation

Mike Ferguson  President & CEO

+1-306-974-6414

[email protected]

Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated & Financial Adviser)

Ritchie Balmer / Rory Murphy / Charles Hammond

+44 (0) 20 7409 3494

Peel Hunt LLP (Broker)

Ross Allister / David McKeown / Georgia Langoulant

+44 (0) 20 7418 8900

Camarco (Financial PR)

Gordon Poole / Charlotte Hollinshead / Lily Pettifar

+44 (0) 20 3757 4997

For any press enquiries please contact us on [email protected]

Source: Gensource Potash Corporation
OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gulfport Energy Corporation (NYSE: GPOR) today named John Reinhart President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, effective January 24, 2023. Tim Cutt, who has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since 2021, will retain his position of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

I am pleased to welcome John to Gulfport, Cutt said. John has a proven track record of instilling a culture anchored on driving operational excellence, accountability, transparency and safety and he will bring strong leadership during this time of great opportunity for our Company. The Board and I look forward to working with John and the management team to build on the momentum we have created and continue establishing Gulfport as an attractive investment opportunity in our sector.

I am excited to join the Gulfport team, Reinhart said. The Company is at a pivotal stage in its evolution and I look forward to working alongside our teams in optimizing corporate, financial and operational achievements that will build on the solid foundation that has been established.

Gulfport and our shareholders greatly benefited from Tims steady leadership during such a critical time for our Company, Lead Independent Director David Wolf added. Tim helped transform Gulfport, building a team and culture which has positioned Gulfport for continued sustainable success. We thank him for his service and are grateful he will continue to lead our Board as we welcome John to our company.

Reinhart joins Gulfport with over two decades of oil and gas industry leadership experience. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Montage Resources Corporation where he led actions that positioned Montage as an attractive strategic partner with sufficient scale, low debt profile and achievement of top-quartile operational and financial metrics. Reinhart previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ridge Mountain Resources and as Chief Operating Officer at Ascent Resources. He started his oil and gas career at SLB before joining Chesapeake Energy Corporation, where he held operations roles with increasing responsibility. Reinhart began his career in the United States Army, serving tours in Panama and Iraq.

About Gulfport

Gulfport is an independent, natural gas-weighted exploration and production company focused on the exploration, acquisition and production of natural gas, crude oil and NGL in the United States with primary focus in the Appalachia and Anadarko basins. Our principal properties are located in eastern Ohio targeting the Utica formation and in central Oklahoma targeting the SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer formations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005830/en/

Investor Contact

Jessica Antle  Director, Investor Relations

[email protected]

405-252-4550

Source: Gulfport Energy Corporation
Companies partnering to develop CO2-derived protein ingredients for food applications, using Arkeons carbon conversion process

TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty minerals company, today announced its AgriFood innovation and investment platform, ICL Planet Startup Hub, has invested 2.75 million in Arkeon, GmbH. The investment will support Arkeons innovative and sustainable one-step fermentation bioprocess, which creates completely customizable protein ingredients by capturing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) and converting it into the 20 proteinogenic amino acids necessary for human nutrition. The resulting alternative proteins are carbon negative and clean-label functional ingredients.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005879/en/

Arkeons patented process pioneered the harnessing of carbon dioxide to make protein  through the use of archaea, a highly resilient single-celled microorganism  without genetic engineering. Archaea, part of the microbiota of all organisms, naturally feeds on CO2 and transforms these environmental emissions into nutritious protein  meaning the process is not just sustainable, it is also regenerative.

I dedicated much of the past decade to exploring new and sustainable biotechnological methods of alternative protein production, said Gregor Tegl, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Arkeon. Our team has harnessed proficiencies in microbiology and gas fermentation to create an entirely new regenerative food-production system. ICLs support and partnership will be instrumental in helping us scale our archaea-derived protein production capabilities.

Arkeon has achieved a major breakthrough, by finding a way to nourish people and revitalize our ecosystems at the same time, said Hadar Sutovsky, vice president of External Innovation at ICL, and general manager of ICL Planet. Arkeons dedication to developing a renewable and easy to use protein is completely in-line with our organizations commitment to creating impactful solutions for humanitys sustainability challenges in the global food markets.

Although a young company, Arkeon brings to the table innovative and sustainable technology for use in creating the next generation of alternative protein products. They also fully align with ICL Food Specialties growth strategy of pursuing new frontiers in unique and functional alternative proteins, added Rado Sporka, vice president of the Food Specialties Commercial Business for ICL. As an established corporation, we are able to offer our advanced infrastructure, extensive experience and accrued insights, plus market and regulatory related support. We look forward to working with this promising start-up to unlock a whole new food category based on Arkeons unique protein discovery, which is not dependent on land and requires minimal use of water, providing it with a limited ecological footprint.

ICL is leading the current SAFE investment round, which totals more than 4 million and includes other investors, as well. As the newest portfolio member of ICLs Planet Startup Hub, Arkeon will have full access to the ICL Food Specialties state-of-the-art R&D labs and production facilities. Arkeon marks ICLs third investment over the past 12 months, via its Planet Startup Hub, which the company launched in 2021. The accelerator was established to nurture and advance both early stage and pilot-ready innovative companies operating within the FoodTech and AgriTech domains.

About ICL

ICL Group Ltd. is a leading global specialty minerals company, which creates impactful solutions for humanity's sustainability challenges in the food, agriculture and industrial markets. ICL leverages its unique bromine, potash and phosphate resources, its global professional workforce, and its sustainability focused R&D and technological innovation capabilities, to drive the company's growth across its end markets. ICL shares are dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The company employs more than 12,500 people worldwide, and its 2021 revenues totaled approximately $7 billion.

For more information, visit ICL's website at www.icl-group.com.

To access ICL's interactive ESG report, please click here.

You can also learn more about ICL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Arkeon GmbH (Arkeon)

Arkeon is an ingredients company, based in Vienna, Austria, leveraging the power of ancient microbes to convert CO2 directly into protein ingredients. The company's proprietary technology is a new, innovative approach to produce amino acids and functional peptides for food and lifestyle products, enabling a regenerative way to nourish people on a global scale. The companys technological foundations have been built up over a decade of research by Co-Founders Dr. Simon Rittmann, Dr. Guenther Bochmann, and Dr. Gregor Tegl.

For more information, visit www.arkeon.bio.

Press information available at [email protected] and arkeon.bio/press.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains statements that constitute forwardlooking statements, many of which can be identified by the use of forwardlooking words such as anticipate, believe, could, expect, should, plan, intend, estimate and potential, among others.

Forward-looking statements appear in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the companys intent, belief or current expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to: estimates, forecasts and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, business and financial prospects, financial multiples and accretion estimates, future trends, plans, strategies, positioning, objectives and expectations, general economic, market and business conditions, supply chain and logistics disruptions, energy storage and electric vehicle growth, the potential for new COVID-19 variants, global unrest and conflict, governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government policy, changes in environmental, tax and other laws or regulations and the interpretation thereof. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements contained in this press release concerning the timing of the transaction, or other more specific risks and uncertainties facing ICL, such as those set forth in the Risk Factors section of its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on February 23, 2022, as such risk factors may be updated from time to time in its Current Reports on Form 6-K and other filings ICL makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.

Forward-looking statements refer only to the date they are made, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to publicly release any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005879/en/

Investor and Press Contact  Global

Peggy Reilly Tharp

VP, Global Investor Relations

+1-314-983-7665

[email protected]

Investor and Press Contact - Israel

Adi Bajayo

Spokesperson and IR Representative

+972-3-6844459

[email protected]

Source: ICL Group LTD
Lee Pacchia and Joan Vollero Bring Category Expertise to Support ICR Clients

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ICR, a leading strategic communications and advisory firm, today announced that it has hired senior industry veterans Lee Pacchia, Esq. and Joan Vollero as Managing Directors in its Special Situations Practice Group. They will join a growing team of communications advisors, where Mr. Pacchia will focus on bankruptcy and corporate restructuring and Ms. Vollero will focus on litigation support communications.

ICRs Special Situations Group provides comprehensive strategic communications around crises and other corporate events such as M&A, activist defense, proxy contests, and executive transitions that require dedicated teams of experts to help inform, educate and persuade key stakeholders to achieve critical company objectives. With their deep category expertise and proven advisory backgrounds, the addition of Mr. Pacchia and Ms. Vollero will complement the existing Special Situations team and strengthen their ability to provide premier advisory services across of ICRs client base of more than 1,000 public and private companies.

To protect reputation and valuation in times of crisis, corporations must deploy a team of advisors with the range of experience to manage all aspects of the issue at hand, said Tom Ryan, Co-Founder & CEO, ICR. He added, Our multifaceted teams regularly advise clients on how to address complex situations. Our Special Situations team helps clients manage through challenging situations, whether it is a reduction in force, an out-of-court restructuring, distressed M&A, complex litigation, or another unplanned event. Adding Lee and Joan to our team is another key step in our commitment to helping our clients manage the communications around those situations.

We are excited to have Joan and Lee join ICR. They will be valuable additions to our Special Situations team and they will provide us the opportunity to represent an increasingly wider spectrum of clients across a broad range of communications needs. In the current business climate where companies are increasingly facing restructurings, litigation and other crisis situations, their experience and expertise will be of great value to our clients, stated Phil Denning, head of ICRs Special Situations Group.

Mr. Pacchia has nearly 20 years of experience in the bankruptcy and restructuring industry having most recently served as a Director at Traxi, a consulting firm specializing in providing financial and operational advisory services to organizations in bankruptcy, restructuring, turnaround and crisis. Following completion of his law degree, Mr. Pacchia clerked for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court before joining Bloomberg as a journalist covering bankruptcy and the legal industry where he also established a multimedia group within Bloomberg Law, a leading media platform in legal journalism. Mr. Pacchia earned a bachelors degree from Wesleyan University, a law degree from New York Law School and was admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey.

Ms. Vollero has over 20 years of experience in communications and public affairs, most recently focusing on crisis and litigation support as Senior Vice President at communications firm Prosek Partners. She brings significant experience navigating clients through criminal and civil court matters, particularly relating to class- and mass-action. Prior to her career in public relations, Ms. Vollero spent 11 years in the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, where she was a senior advisor to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. during his three terms in office], leading communications and external affairs. Joan also ran Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, a national, non-partisan organization of 50 leading prosecutors Ms. Vollero began her career in broadcast journalism, serving as a political producer for NY1 News. She earned a bachelors degree from Tufts University and a masters degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

About ICR

Established in 1998, ICR partners with its clients to execute strategic communications and advisory programs that achieve business goals, build awareness and credibility, and enhance long-term enterprise value. The firms highly-differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, brings deep sector knowledge and relationships to approximately 1,000 clients across more than 20 industry groups. ICRs healthcare practice operates under the Westwicke brand (www.westwicke.com). Today, ICR is one of the largest and most experienced independent communications and advisory firms in North America, maintaining offices in New York, Norwalk, Boston, Baltimore and Beijing. Learn more at www.icrinc.com. Follow us on Twitter at @ICRPR and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005215/en/

Brian Ruby, ICR, 203-682-8268, [email protected]

Source: ICR
Intera Oncology Inc. Is Changing the Course of Cancer with Hepatic Artery Infusion Therapy

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intera Oncology Inc., the manufacturer of the only FDA-approved implantable pump used for hepatic artery infusion (HAI) therapy, will showcase its Intera 3000 HAI Pump at the 2023 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium, taking place at the Moscone West in San Francisco, Calif. from January 19 to 20, 2023.

HAI therapy is a powerful treatment option for colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver and for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Recently published clinical studies demonstrate the potential of HAI therapy to improve survival rates, increase conversion to resection and reduce the frequency of recurrence.

The Intera 3000 HAI Pump is surgically placed in the abdominal wall delivering a continuous flow of chemotherapy via a proprietary catheter directly to the hepatic arterythe key blood supply to tumors in the liverall while minimizing systemic toxicity.

Our pump is an important treatment option in the advanced cancer care space where patients and physicians need better treatment options, said president and CEO of Intera Oncology, Michael Gaisford. The impressive clinical results of HAI therapy are the driving force behind everything we do at Intera Oncology, and our mission is to ensure that any patient who can benefit will have access to this treatment.

To find out why numerous institutions across the country, including nine of the U.S News & World Reports top 10 U.S. cancer centers, offer HAI therapy and to learn more about data supporting the use of HAI therapy, visit Intera Oncology at booth #6 at #ASCO23. Learn more at www.interaoncology.com.

ABOUT INTERA ONCOLOGY: Intera Oncology Inc. is a Boston-based medical device company founded in 2018 by two doctors with a singular vision for improving the survival of colorectal cancer and cholangiocarcinoma patients by ensuring access to hepatic artery infusion (HAI) therapy. Dedicated to helping patients live longer and better lives by changing the course of cancer with HAI therapy, Intera Oncology is the only company that manufactures the FDA-approved device required for the treatment, the Intera 3000 HAI Pump. Today, the treatment is used in nearly 50 cancer centers across the U.S., including nine of the nations top 10 cancer centers. Learn more at interaoncology.com and follow Intera on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Editors Note: Patients and experts are available to share their HAI treatment stories. Contact Leslie Licano at [email protected] or 949.733.8679.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005137/en/

Leslie Licano, Beyond Fifteen Communications, Inc.

[email protected] | (949) 733-8679 ext. 101

Source: Intera Oncology Inc.
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kaneka Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Minoru Tanaka)(TOKYO: 4118) has decided to increase its GMP*1 manufacturing capacity for mRNA*2 in Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. (Headquarters: Liege, Belgium; President: Lieven Janssens), a wholly owned group company in Europe. We plan to start operation sequentially from the end of 2023 with a capital investment of 2 billion JPY and a production capacity that is around 5 times higher than the current capacity. Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. will grow as a leading company of biopharmaceutical CDMO*3, responding to the vigorous global demand for mRNA.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006042/en/

Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. building (Photo: Business Wire)

mRNA, which has been rapidly implemented in vaccines against COVID-19, is expected to be applied not only to vaccines for other infectious diseases but also to therapeutics for genetic diseases, cancer and so on. The demand for GMP manufacturing of mRNA will increase drastically with the active development of biopharmaceutical pipelines by pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. is a CDMO for biopharmaceuticals inspected by the US FDA*4 and has world-class technology for producing plasmid DNA*5 and GMP manufacturing track records of over 25 years. They provide plasmid DNA, recombinant proteins, oligonucleotide*6 and so on as drug substances for pharmaceutical companies worldwide. In addition, Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. has started GMP manufacturing services for mRNA since 2020, and this capacity expansion will be utilized to expand the CDMO business.

Regarding the priority area of Health Care, Kaneka will continue to provide solutions globally for health issues through the growth of its biopharmaceutical business.

*1. GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice): A system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. *2. mRNA: An RNA molecule that is transcribed genetic information of protein synthesis from DNA. It is expected to be used as vaccines and therapeutics. *3. CDMO: Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization. *4. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): US governmental agency dealing with approval and supervision of violation of products which may be used by consumers in their daily life such as pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, medical devices, veterinary drugs and toys. *5. plasmid DNA: A general term for circular DNA molecules that exist outside the nucleus of bacteria such as E. coli and yeast, and that are passed down to daughter cells through cell division. It is conventionally used in processes for producing biopharmaceuticals such as therapeutic proteins and has been applied to genetic medicines and vaccines in recent years. *6. Oligonucleotide: Short polymeric sequences of nucleotides (RNA or DNA). It is used as drug substance of nucleic acid therapeutics.

[General description of Kaneka Eurogentec S.A.]

Headquarters: Liege, Belgium

President: Lieven Janssens

Description of business: Manufacturing and sales of proteins, nucleic acids and peptides for medicinal, diagnostic and basic research uses

Established: 1985

Capital: 31 million euros

URL: http://www.eurogentec.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006042/en/

KANEKA CORPORATION

Investors & Public Relations Department

Chika Harada

[email protected]

Source: Kaneka Corporation
New Directions Behavioral Health and Tridiuum Become Lucet; Company Unveils Navigate & Connect, A Solution Proven to Reduce Costs and Improve Quality for Health Plans

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lucet, the behavioral health optimization company for health plans, launched today and unveiled a new solution for payers to improve care access, quality and measurement for their members. Lucet brings together 20+ years of member-centric behavioral health experience from New Directions Behavioral Health, and 20+ years of clinical research and technology expertise from Tridiuum. By combining this expertise, Lucet is launching a new tech-enabled solution that addresses the most critical behavioral health challenges payers face ensuring their members receive quality care, quickly.

According to a 2022 report from Mental Health America, 20% of U.S. adults are experiencing mental illness. Even more children are struggling with mental illness with one in four youth globally experiencing clinically elevated depression symptoms, according to research in JAMA Network. For people facing mental illness, regardless of their age, accessing the care they need is a major challenge with wait times that can average more than three months for an initial visit. In fact, the Mental Health America report found that more than half of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment.

In contrast, Lucet enables payers to connect members with the right care in less than five days on average, and as little as one day from first contact. In addition, Lucets ability to more effectively measure outcomes has shown that members who receive care through its solution average a 40% improvement in their Behavioral Health Index (BHI) score. With mental health being an important component of overall health, plan members who receive care through Lucet have sustained annual savings of more than $1,000 in outpatient settings, and more than $3,000 in inpatient settings.

While behavioral health may traditionally be viewed as a nominal cost-driver for health plans, its ability to improve or detract from a persons overall health and cost of care cannot be overstated. With the challenges in care access and quality that health plans face today, many are missing an important opportunity to better serve their members and manage costs, said Shana Hoffman, President and CEO at Lucet. Effectively addressing mental health needs in todays complex environment requires people and technology. You cant just have one or the other, and we have decades of experience with both. What were launching today with Lucet is an innovative solution for this countrys most innovative payers.

Introducing Navigate & Connect

Lucets tech-enabled solution, called Navigate & Connect, combines the industrys largest team of care navigators with an advanced technology platform built upon 20+ years of clinical research. This provides a turn-key solution for payers to optimize behavioral health care and access for their members.

Lucets team of care navigators give health plans the ability to provide concierge-level service to members across the clinical acuity spectrum. By relying on Lucets proprietary technology platform, care navigators ensure that all members who need care are immediately assessed and quickly matched to the right care for their needs. This robust clinical screening process is driven by real time risk assessment and a proprietary claims-based algorithm that provides care navigators with additional insight to ensure members are always connected with the appropriate provider.

Lucets concierge-level service is delivered through hundreds of clinically-informed care navigators who specialize in behavioral health benefits management and clinical case management. The company also provides a 24-hour crisis support line for instances where immediate crisis intervention is required.

Through integration with provider systems including EHRs, practice management systems and other point solutions, care navigators can see providers availability and schedule appointments in real time. With proprietary analytics powering its dynamic provider network management capabilities, Lucet ensures that provider capacity matches member demand, through the lens of quality, access and outcomes. This unlocks existing capacity and the ability to add partners and resources to meet evolving needs. Through a single platform Lucet enables payers to assess members needs, match them with the right care, and schedule an appointment  all during the first interaction.

In addition, Lucets mission control dashboard provides real-time, granular insights into member demand, care quality and outcomes, and network supply and performance, giving health plans real time visibility into their behavioral health offerings and performance.

With the deep expertise of its team and more than two decades of clinical research powering its solutions, the behavioral health insights that Lucet brings our business are unmatched, said Chuck Divita, Executive Vice President, Commercial Markets, GuideWell and Florida Blue. Lucets Navigate & Connect solution quickly drove material positive impact on our behavioral health offerings, and we expect that the value and support it delivers to our members will continue to expand over time.

For more information about Lucet and to learn how its Navigate & Connect solution ensures quality and timely access for all members who need it, and can connect member demand with provider supply in real time, visit https://www.Lucethealth.com/for-health-plans.

About Lucet

Lucets unique combination of people and technology is proven to optimize access to behavioral health care providers and increase a health plans ability to connect members to quality care. With the industrys largest network of care navigators and technology powered by more than 6 million assessments and more than 20 years of data, Lucet is the only solution proven to successfully identify and connect people across the entire acuity spectrum with the right care in less than 5 days on average, and often as little as 1 day. Lucet is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. For more information, follow Lucet on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/lucethealth) or visit www.LucetHealth.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118006002/en/

For More Information, Press Only:

Sarah Graham

fama PR for Lucet

[email protected]

Source: Lucet
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GMO Research Inc. (TOKYO: 3695), a part of Japan's GMO Internet Group, has launched a new service website -- "Z.com Engagement Lab", [URL: https://engagement.z.com/], aimed at providing marketing services in Asia.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005462/en/

Z.com Engagement Lab is an end-to-end loyalty solution powered by GMO Research, a leading audience engagement platform in Asia for over 20 years. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Z.com Engagement Lab offers businesses a unique loyalty program solution that is based on the concept of Engagement as a Service (EaaS) to improve consumer commitment, which is a challenge for many membership-based businesses.

Z.com Engagement Lab by GMO Research

Z.com Engagement Lab is a loyalty program operated by GMO Research, a leading marketing research company in Asia. For over 20 years, GMO Research has been providing online research services to support the marketing challenges of companies globally. The focus of the business is proposing new marketing solutions to enhance the relationships between companies and consumers.

We are able to conduct online research by utilising our ASIA Cloud Panel1, one of the largest panel2 networks in Asia, with approximately 50 million3 survey monitors from 170 partners across 16 Asian countries and regions.

Services provided by Z.com Engagement Lab

Z.com Engagement Lab offers a new type of loyalty program service that can be provided by integrating a membership system with GMO Research's market research platform. This service operates by consumer members receiving enticing rewards through survey participations. Consumer members are at liberty to select the types of surveys they would like to complete from the list that GMO Research and the respective companies have agreed upon. This will increase customer engagement and revenue for membership-based businesses.

Benefits of Using Z.com Engagement Lab's API Solution:

1. Monetize API

Businesses are able to add a new source of income through the market research platform without incurring additional costs or hassle.

The more surveys are completed, the more incentives are given to members, thereby increasing the frequency of service use and visits by members.

If the membership system has a point usage service, members are able to increase their point usage by accumulating points earned by responding to the surveys.

2. Engagement API

Promotes member activation, improve engagement and retention rates through the distribution of survey questionnaires.

Activating members can enhance the results of marketing campaigns.

Discovery of new attributes (demographics and psychographics) of members can be achieved through surveys directed at members to enhance marketing initiatives.

Find potential customers that match a companys products from the panel networks.

Shinichi Hosokawa, President of GMO Research, commented on the new service, saying: As part of our mission to continue bringing new value to the marketing process in Asia, Z.com Engagement Lab is a new service that will play an important role in connecting consumers and society. We hope that more companies will use our market research platform, and we look forward to making a significant contribution to the future development of Asia.

About GMO Research, Inc.

GMO Research is in the business of promoting new audience engagement platforms that redefine the relationship between companies and consumers. By utilising the ASIA Cloud Panel, a panel network capable of conducting Internet research with approximately 50 million consumers in 16 Asian markets, GMO Research proposes solutions to increase customer engagement in membership programs such as loyalty/rewards/mileage programs, and to develop and create better products and services.

Z.com Engagement Lab: engagement.z.com

GMO Research: gmo-research.com

---------------------------------------------------------------

1 ASIA Cloud Panel is a consumer panel that is specialised for the Asian regions in the GMO Research Cloud Panel Internet research services.

2 A panel is formed by a collection of monitors (an individual who has agreed to cooperate in a survey).

3 As of January 2023.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005462/en/

Media Contact:

GMO Research, Inc.

Fiona Fu - APAC Sales

[email protected]

Source: GMO Research, Inc.
New MoU between O-RAN ALLIANCE and ATIS opens the opportunity for ATIS adopting O-RAN specifications

O-RAN ALLIANCE event and demos at MWC Barcelona to bring latest updates from the open RAN ecosystem

O-RAN Software Community 7th release G expanded to 13 project streams

New Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTIC) approved in Japan and North America

BONN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New MoU between O-RAN ALLIANCE and ATIS opens the opportunity for ATIS adopting O-RAN specifications

O-RAN ALLIANCE and ATIS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further both organizations mutual objectives to advance the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and global standards-compliant Radio Access Networks (RAN).

O-RAN is welcoming the opportunity to work with ATIS, said Alex Jinsung Choi, Chairman of the O-RAN ALLIANCE and SVP Group Technology at Deutsche Telekom. We look forward to the opportunity to consider ATIS adopting O-RAN specifications for ATIS Open RAN standards and working together to define the next generation of open and intelligent RAN technology.

O-RAN ALLIANCE event and demos at MWC Barcelona to bring latest updates from the open RAN ecosystem

O-RAN ALLIANCE plans to hold its next industry event on February 28, 2023 from 15:30-16:30 CET at MWC Barcelona 2023, hosted by Deutsche Telekom at Hall 3 Stand 3M31. The event will include:

Keynotes by Alex Jinsung Choi, Chairman of the O-RAN ALLIANCE and Stefan Engel-Flechsig, O-RAN ALLIANCEs COO

Views on open RAN testing & integration and security by CSPs from Asia, Europe and Americas

Industry panel discussions on regional development (deployments and trials), security, ecosystem maturity and energy efficiency by key CSPs and vendors from the O-RAN ecosystem

Follow our website for speaker lineup and further updates.

More than 60 O-RAN member companies plan to present demonstrations of their O-RAN based technology and solutions at MWC Barcelona or the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition and welcome visitors to join their booths. O-RAN ALLIANCE plans to issue a map of the demos at the exhibition. Follow us on the O-RAN ALLIANCE LinkedIn channel to learn more, closer to the event.

O-RAN Software Community 7th release G expanded to 13 project streams

In December 2022, following on the half year release cycle, the O-RAN Software Community (OSC) published its 7th open software release named "G". For the G release, the OSC expanded to 13 project streams, adding a new AI/ML Framework project.

With each release, OSCs open software continues to greatly help companies to develop, test and integrate their commercial open and intelligent RAN solutions. Contributions to OSCs open software come from a diverse community, delivering a broad scope of software according to latest O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications.

"I am so delighted to see the 7th release and the addition of the new AI/ML Framework project stream from our open source community," said Chih-Lin I, Chief Scientist from China Mobile and Co-chair of O-RAN Technical Steering Committee. "With O-RAN ALLIANCE moving into its 5th year, we look forward to evolving towards a new phase. I deeply believe that the power of open source is essential in pushing O-RAN's progress to new heights in the coming years."

The growth of the O-RAN Software Community has been tremendous. With the O-RAN SC G release, this milestone will help further accelerate O-RAN globally and advance the deployment of flexible networks demanding carrier-grade cloud-native infrastructure as we move towards an intelligent systems world fueled by innovative edge applications, said Gil Hellmann, vice president, Telecom Solutions Engineering, Wind River. For the latest O-RAN SC G release, Wind River has continued to provide key contributions to the INF project by working with the community to enable more Open RAN related features in StarlingX and implementing a framework supporting the latest published O2 interface, which is pivotal to cloud infrastructure management and deployment operations. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration.

New Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTIC) approved in Japan and North America

O-RAN ALLIANCE is pleased to announce Japan OTIC and North American OTIC in NYC Metro Area/East (COSMOS) joining the community of Open Testing and Integration Centres. With this addition there are now 9 approved OTICs across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Shared testing and integration are key to delivering commercial O-RAN solutions, so it is great to see more OTICs being approved in North America and around the world, said Igal Elbaz, Network CTO of AT&T and Board member of O-RAN ALLIANCE. OTICs are also part of O-RAN PlugFests and the O-RAN Certification and Badging program, promoting more confidence in O-RAN products, components, and solutions within the industry.

"We are delighted with the start of Japan OTIC, pinned by the opening ceremony last month, and believe the neutral and open testing environment for vendors will help to advance O-RAN solutions," said Naoki Tani, EVP and CTO at NTT DOCOMO and Board member of O-RAN ALLIANCE. "NTT DOCOMO has deployed 5G networks nationwide with O-RAN compliant equipment and intends to further expand the O-RAN ecosystem as co-host of Japan OTIC together with YRP R&D Promotion Committee and Japanese operators.

For more about O-RAN ALLIANCE testing and integration efforts and the OTICs, please visit our website.

About O-RAN ALLIANCE

The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a world-wide community of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors, and research & academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, the O-RAN ALLIANCEs mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN specifications enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN based mobile networks at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by mobile operators. To achieve this, the O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations.

For more information, please visit www.o-ran.org.

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O-RAN ALLIANCE PR Contact

Zbynek Dalecky

[email protected]

O-RAN ALLIANCE e.V.

Buschkauler Weg 27

53347 Alfter/Germany

Source: O-RAN ALLIANCE
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Icelands Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council of Europes Committee of Ministers, Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in blockaded Nagorno Karabakh.

Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir has made the following statement:

I am concerned about the increasingly precarious humanitarian situation of people living in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the month-long blockade of the Lachin corridor.

I call on the relevant authorities to quickly restore freedom of movement along the corridor to avoid further deterioration of the situation.

I call on all stakeholders to resolve their concerns through dialogue and remain ready to contribute to their efforts in this regard.
Believes that Funds Eleventh-Hour Motion Was Filed to Prevent a Fair and Lawful Shareholder Vote for Ocean Capitals Director Candidates at PRITF VI and TFF I

Highlights that Ocean Capitals Highly Qualified Director Candidates  Jose Izquierdo II and Brent D. Rosenthal  Were Elected by PRITF VI Shareholders by a 7-2 Margin Based on a Preliminary Vote Tally Provided by Broadridge

Exposes Apparent Intimidation Tactics Being Utilized by the Funds Boards to Coerce Shareholders into Voting for Incumbent Directors

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ocean Capital LLC, a significant shareholder of numerous Puerto Rico closed-end bond funds managed or co-managed by an affiliate of UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, today issued the following letter to shareholders of the funds.

***

January 19, 2023

Fellow Shareholders,

As many of you are aware, Ocean Capital LLC (collectively with its affiliates, Ocean Capital or we) is a significant shareholder of numerous Puerto Rico closed-end bond funds that are managed or co-managed by an affiliate of UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico (UBS). We have nominated independent director candidates to the Boards of Directors (collectively, the Boards) at several funds within the UBS family of Puerto Rico closed-end bond funds (the Funds) because shareholders have been forced to endure poor corporate governance and financial losses for far too long.1

Today, we are writing to make you aware of what we believe to be the latest  and perhaps most concerning  entrenchment tactics being utilized by the Boards in response to our efforts to facilitate boardroom change over the last 18 months:

Filing a motion to expand their federal lawsuit to include TFF I as a new (ninth) plaintiff Fund and filing that motion the day before the latest adjournments of the TFF I and PRITF VI annual meetings, in what we believe is an effort to avoid yet another shareholder vote that would likely see Ocean Capitals nominees elected to the Boards of the two Funds. Attempting to coerce certain shareholders to vote in favor of the incumbent directors at the Funds upcoming annual meetings in exchange for a dismissal of the Funds seemingly meritless lawsuit against these shareholders for expressing their view that the Board of one Fund should consider an alternative value-enhancing strategy after years of financial underperformance.

WE BELIEVE THE BOARDS HAVE REPEATEDLY USED LEGAL ACTION TO PREVENT OR DELAY FAIR AND LAWFUL SHAREHOLDER VOTES FOR OCEAN CAPITALS DIRECTOR CANDIDATES

On December 14, 2022  the day before the Funds were to hold their respective annual meetings after dozens of adjournments for lack of quorum  the Funds filed a motion to amend their lawsuit against Ocean Capital to include TFF I as a new plaintiff Fund.2 This was no coincidence.

In the days leading up to the reconvening of their 2022 and 2021 annual meetings, respectively, on December 15, 2022, TFF I and PRITF VI were very close to reaching quorum for their meetings, according to preliminary vote tallies made available to both sides by Broadridge. Reaching quorum would have allowed the Funds shareholders to elect Ocean Capitals nominees. In fact, PRITF VI did reach quorum when its 2021 annual meeting was reconvened on December 15, 2022, and Ocean Capitals nominees each appear to have won by more than five million votes, or a 7-2 margin, based on the Broadridge-issued preliminary vote tally. It was only after preliminary vote totals suggested that TFF I and PRITF VI might achieve quorum and finally hold an actual vote for directors that the Funds filed their motion to amend their federal lawsuit.

This is not the first time the Funds have employed this type of entrenchment tactic to preserve the incumbent directors in the face of shareholder-driven change. When this lawsuit was first filed in February 2022, the Funds were in much the same situation. As PRITF I approached quorum for its 2021 annual meeting, which had been adjourned three times already, eight of the Funds, including PRITF I, suddenly sued Ocean Capital and numerous shareholders on the basis of what we view as baseless allegations related to our proxy materials dating back to July 2021.

Given the last-minute nature of the Funds latest filing and the fact that we were set to (and did) reach quorum for PRITF I, we believe the litigation represents another desperate attempt by the Funds to delay the inevitable and to obstruct shareholder rights. In fact, according to preliminary vote tallies provided by Broadridge, our nominees each received the affirmative votes of more than 3 million PRITF I shares  three times the votes for either of the UBS-backed incumbents. Yet, Ocean Capitals nominees have still not been seated as directors at PRITF I over 10 months after shareholders voted for our candidates.

WE BELIEVE THE BOARDS HAVE USED APPARENT INTIMIDATION TACTICS TO COERCE CERTAIN SHAREHOLDERS INTO VOTING FOR INCUMBENT DIRECTORS

Ocean Capital has also recently been made aware of an apparent settlement offer extended to a pair of shareholders and co-defendants who were sued by the Funds in their lawsuit  ostensibly because these shareholders had signed a May 2021 letter (the Shareholder Letter), which asked the board of directors of PRITF IV to merely consider an alternative value-creation investment strategy after years of financial underperformance. PRITF IVs incumbent directors refused and, together with seven (and now eight) other Funds managed or co-managed by UBS, sued the signatories to the Shareholder Letter simply because these investors had the audacity to suggest a different strategic path.

UBS and the Funds have now offered to dismiss their lawsuit against these investors in exchange for (a) voting in favor of the incumbent directors at the upcoming annual meetings of the Funds in which they are invested, (b) assisting the Funds in prosecuting their lawsuit against Ocean Capital and other shareholders, and (c) extending to the Funds, their directors and affiliates broad releases from any and all liabilities. To make matters worse for the investors, the offered dismissal of the lawsuit is without-prejudice, meaning that the Funds can return to court and sue these investors again should the Funds, for example, feel dissatisfied with the shareholders assistance.

We find it extremely troubling from a corporate governance perspective that the settlement terms require these shareholders, who in our view were unjustly dragged into litigation to begin with, to vote in favor of the incumbent directors at upcoming annual meetings in exchange for a dismissal of the meritless lawsuit filed by the Funds. It has also come to our attention that the Funds coercive settlement offer would require these shareholders to provide details about any private interactions they have had with Ocean Capital.

We are appalled that UBS and the Boards continue to trample shareholders rights and waste significant sums of investors capital on these repeated entrenchment tactics. In our view, the Funds latest litigation tactics and terms of the supposed settlement offer underscore what we have known all along: the self-interested incumbents need to be replaced with highly qualified, independent and ethical directors who are not beholden to UBS. Ocean Capital remains committed to faciliating change at the Funds on behalf of all shareholders, no matter how long it takes and how much it costs.

Sincerely,

W. Heath Hawk

Ocean Capital LLC

***

VOTE FOR OCEAN CAPITALS HIGHLY QUALIFIED DIRECTOR CANDIDATES ON THE BLUE PROXY CARD TODAY.

IF YOU ARE A FUND ADVISOR WITH CLIENTS WHO WISH TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT FOR CHANGE BY VOTING THE BLUE PROXY CARD, PLEASE CONTACT OUR PROXY SOLICITOR, MORROW SODALI, AT (203) 658-9400 OR (800) 662-5200, OR VIA E-MAIL AT [email protected].

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES RELATED TO OUR CAMPAIGNS AT THE UBS-MANAGED FUNDS AT WWW.IMPROVEUBSPRFUNDS.COM.

***

Certain Information Concerning the Participants

To the Shareholders of Each of the Funds:

Ocean Capital and the other participants in its solicitation (collectively, the Participants) have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) a definitive proxy statement and accompanying form of BLUE proxy card to be used in connection with the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of each of the Funds for its upcoming annual meeting of shareholders. All shareholders of each Fund are advised to read the applicable definitive proxy statement, any amendments or supplements thereto and other documents related to the solicitation of proxies by the Participants, as they contain important information, including additional information relating to the Participants and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise. The definitive proxy statement and accompanying BLUE proxy card for each Fund, any amendments or supplements thereto, and other relevant documents filed by the Participants with the SEC are available at no charge on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.

__________________________

1 Specifically, the Funds with respect to which Ocean Capital has made nominations so far include Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc., Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund II for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc., Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund III for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc., Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund IV for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc., Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund V for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc., Puerto Rico Residents Tax-Free Fund, Inc. (PRITF I), Puerto Rico Residents Tax-Free Fund IV, Inc. (PRITF IV), Puerto Rico Residents Tax-Free Fund VI, Inc. (PRITF VI), and Tax Free Fund for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc. (TFF I).

2 Tax-Free Fixed Income Fund for Puerto Rico Residents, Inc. et al. v. Ocean Capital LLC et al., No. 22-cv-01101 (D.P.R.)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005295/en/

For Investors:

Morrow Sodali

Mike Verrechia / Bill Dooley, 800-662-5200

[email protected]

For Media:

Longacre Square Partners

Charlotte Kiaie / Ashley Areopagita, 646-386-0091

[email protected] / [email protected]

Source: Ocean Capital LLC
HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) celebrated outstanding achievements in the information and communication technologies (ICT) industry, to improve the ability of people and firms in the Pacific region, at last nights PTC Awards 2023 event, which was held during PTC23 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005996/en/

Now in its fifth year, the PTC Awards program continues to excel from the number of entries received to the high caliber work being done in the industry, commented Joe Weinman, founder and principal, XFORMA LLC and chair of the PTC Awards 2023 Committee. It was incredible to celebrate the individual and organizational achievements and particularly those that support the non-profit mission of PTC, to advance the ethical development and use of ICT for collaboration, knowledge, and outreach.

The PTC Awards 2023 recipients are:

Networking and Network-Centric Solutions Awards

Outstanding Satellite or Submarine Company: Southern Cross Cable Network

Outstanding Wireline and/or Wireless Company: TELUS

Outstanding Applications Company: Swarmio Media

Outstanding Cloud/Edge Company: AWS

Outstanding Data Center/Colo/Interconnection Company: Equinix

Outstanding Innovation or Transformation: CITIC Telecom CPC

Outstanding Start-up: AdaniConneX

PTC Vision and Mission Award

Outstanding Support for PTCs Vision and Mission Award: Pacific Dataport

Leadership Awards

Outstanding C-level Executive: Joe Zhu, CEO, Zenlayer

Outstanding Female Executive: Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt

Outstanding Diversity and Inclusion Champion: Phillip Marangella, Chief Marketing & Product Officer, EdgeConneX

Outstanding Up-and-Coming Leader: Nicky Peshwani, Vice President, Bankai Group

In addition, William Bill Barney, chairman of Asian Century Equity, received the Richard J. Barber PTC Distinguished Service Award for his exceptional service to PTC for more than 25 years.

ABOUT PACIFIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL

Recognized as PTC, the Pacific Telecommunications Council is the leading global non-profit membership organization promoting the advancement of information and communications technologies (ICT) in the Pacific Rim, the most dynamic geography of the world, spanning over 40 nations. PTCs Annual Conference, held each January in Honolulu, is the Pacific Rims premier telecommunications event and serves as the strategic springboard for the global communications industry.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005996/en/

MEDIA CONTACT

Nicole Fuertes

Marketing & Communication Director



Jason ORourke

Marketing Manager



Pacific Telecommunications Council

[email protected]

1.808.941.3789

Source: Pacific Telecommunications Council
PEPPM members can now obtain scanners through PFUs authorized partners to digitize documents for easy access, higher efficiency, and more actionable insights

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PFU America, Inc. today announced the company was awarded PEPPM contracts in Pennsylvania (contract number 533902-066) and California (contract number 535122-068). The PEPPM purchasing program is the nations most comprehensive source for schools and other public agencies to research and procure technology brands that meet their local standards, bypassing the RFB process. These new contracts will make it easy for schools and government agencies to purchase PFUs industry-leading fi-series and ScanSnap document scanners at discounted pricing.

We are thrilled to expand the usage of our scanner technology more broadly as we partner with PEPPM, which has been the cost-effective source for public sector bid-protected technology purchases in the U.S. for 40 years, said Daisuke Kutsuwada, President & CEO, PFU America, Inc. PEPPM removes much of the stress and delays related to procuring IT assets and enables our channel partners to streamline their purchase process with discounted government pricing. Schools and other government agencies can leverage pandemic funding through programs such as ESSR, GEER or HEER, cutting through the usual red tape to purchase what they need, and receiving and deploying document imaging devices more quickly.

The document scanners in the fi- and ScanSnap series enable schools and state and local government agencies to digitize operations, making it easy for personnel to organize, store, and securely share important data. The scanners also allow users to make critical data easily accessible with any department or off-site facility. Both fi- and ScanSnap series scanners integrate with popular software applications to create modern and digitized systems that speed document access, allowing organizations to eliminate data swamps and reducing their reliance on paper to save time and streamline processes.

K-12 school operations administrators can leverage the scanners to simplify the management of student and employee HR records, accounts payable processes, and more. The scanners can capture and process student registration documents and transcripts to expedite the student registration process, while teachers can use ScanSnaps support for Chromebooks to easily and securely transmit information directly to students.

For more information about how to purchase PFUs industry leading fi-series and ScanSnap document scanners from the companys PEPPM-authorized resellers, please visit https://scanners.us.fujitsu.com/peppm

About PFU Limited

PFU Limited (PFU), a subsidiary of Ricoh Company, Ltd., is a $1.3 billion global enterprise that designs, develops, manufactures, and globally markets computer hardware, peripheral products, enterprise software and systems. PFU is one of the worlds leading document scanner companies which offers a broad portfolio of document scanners for personal, desktop, workgroup and high-volume production environment. PFU has been engaged in the document imaging scanner business for more than 30 years. For more information, please see https://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/global/

Copyright  2022 PFU America, Inc. (PAI). All text, graphics, trademarks, logos contained herein related to PFU, or PAI are owned, controlled or licensed by or to PAI with all rights reserved. All other texts, graphics, trademarks, service marks and logos used herein are the copyrights, trademarks, service marks or logos of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005062/en/

Heath Meyer, [email protected]

Source: PFU America, Inc.
Urovant Sciences, Inc., and Holly Robinson Peete Collaborate to Bring Awareness to Overactive Bladder (OAB) Symptoms and Management Options as Part of the Time To Go Campaign

Holly Robinson Peete Shares Her Experience Living with OAB and How Her Symptoms Have Improved Since Taking GEMTESA

Approximately 33 Million Americans Experience Symptoms of OAB, Which Can Be Disruptive

IRVINE, Calif. & ZUG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Urovant Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., today announced its partnership with actress and overactive bladder (OAB) patient Holly Robinson Peete as part of its Time To Go campaign  an educational program to raise awareness of OAB. Time To Go aims to highlight the impact the condition can have on patients and introduce options for managing symptoms of OAB, which may make those living with OAB feel more comfortable seeking help from their healthcare provider.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005908/en/

Holly Robinson Peete, Actress, OAB Patient, and Urovant Spokesperson. (Photo: Business Wire)

OAB causes sudden urges to urinate that are difficult to control and can result in leakage, as well as frequent urination  usually eight or more times a day.1 Approximately 33 million Americans experience bothersome bladder symptoms  and the prevalence increases with age.1,2 These symptoms can negatively impact daily activities such as changing travel plans, exercising less or not at all, and limiting certain activities.3

I experienced OAB symptoms for years prior to talking to my doctor about potential treatment options, and I wish I had sooner, said Holly Robinson Peete. I noticed I was going to the bathroom a lot and had a sudden urge to go, like now. With my OAB symptoms, there was a lot of added stress and worry before I traveled either for work or for fun. Ive seen a positive impact on my OAB symptoms with GEMTESA. By reducing my symptoms, Im spending my time planning activities and less time mapping out the closest bathroom.

Research shows that many people with symptoms of OAB delay seeking help from their doctors. On average, patients waited 3.5 years between noticing OAB symptoms and seeking a doctors help. This may be because they are too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms or mistakenly think its just a normal part of aging.4,5

Were excited to work with Holly Robinson Peete to raise awareness about OAB and help reduce the stigma around the condition, says James Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Urovant. We believe this collaboration will bring more attention to recognizing its symptoms and the treatment options that may help.

OAB patients are encouraged to discuss their symptoms with their doctor to determine the best treatment options to help them manage the condition.

Visit TimeToGo.com to learn about OAB, GEMTESA (vibegron) 75mg Tablets, a prescription treatment for OAB, and to register for a travel kit, including options for traveling with OAB. You can also learn more about GEMTESA at GEMTESA.com.

About Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical condition that occurs when the bladder muscle contracts involuntarily. Symptoms may include urinary urgency (the sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control), urgency incontinence (unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate), and frequent urination (usually eight or more times in 24 hours).1 About 33 million US adults experience the bothersome symptoms of OAB.2

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents

urgency: the need to urinate right away

frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for full Product Information for GEMTESA.

References:

Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder  symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715. Gomelsky A. Update on the management of overactive bladder: patient considerations and adherence. Journal of Urology. 2010. DOF_OAB QoL Questionnaire. Urovant. 2021. Filipetto F, et al. The patient perspective on overactive bladder: a mixed-methods needs assessment. BMC Family Practice 15:96(2014). Hahn SR et al. Physician-patient communication about overactive bladder: Results of an observational sociolinguistic study. PLoS One. 2017.

About Urovant Sciences

Urovant Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for areas of unmet need, with a dedicated focus in urology. The Companys lead product, GEMTESA(vibegron), is an oral, once-daily (75 mg) small molecule beta-3 agonist for the treatment of adult patients with overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. GEMTESA was approved by the U.S. FDA in December 2020 and launched in the U.S. in April 2021. Urovant Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, Ltd., intends to bring innovation to patients in need in urology and other areas of unmet need. Named one of the Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharma (2022), twice as one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal (2021, 2022) and winner of the PM360 Trailblazer Award for Best Product Launch of the Year, Urovants people-focused culture leads the way for innovation and impact. Learn more about Urovant at www.Urovant.com or follow on Twitter, Linked In or Instagram.

About Sumitovant Biopharma

Sumitovant is a technology-driven biopharmaceutical company accelerating development and commercialization of new potential therapies for patients with rare conditions and other diseases. Through our proprietary computing and data platforms, scientific expertise and diverse company portfolio, Sumitovant has supported development of multiple FDA-approved products and a robust pipeline of early- through late-stage investigational assets addressing unmet patient needs in pediatrics, urology, oncology, womens health, specialty respiratory and infectious diseases. Sumitovant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma. Please visit our website www.sumitovant.com for more information on Sumitovant and our portfolio.

UROVANT, UROVANT SCIENCES, the UROVANT SCIENCES logo are trademarks of Urovant Sciences GmbH, registered in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  2023 Urovant Sciences. All rights reserved.

US-VBGN-2200419

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005908/en/

Urovant Sciences

Thomas Hill

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

949-490-4959

[email protected]

[email protected]

Sumitovant Biopharma

Maya Frutiger

VP, Head of Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Source: Urovant Sciences
Bolstering Vantas pioneering trust management platform to close the loop on the security lifecycle from compliance through continuous monitoring and communication

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vanta, the leading trust management platform, announced today its acquisition of Trustpage to transform trust into a marketable advantage for companies around the world. With the addition of Trustpage, Vanta is accelerating its product innovation and continuing to scale its industry-defining trust management platform for thousands of global customers to monitor, improve and demonstrate their security, and ultimately, establish and deepen trust.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005118/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

Relied on by nearly 400 companies worldwide, including Pendo, Sift and ZoomInfo, Trustpage is a centralized hub that reimagines how companies communicate their security posture. As a holistic view into a company's security stack and policies, Trustpage gives organizations dynamic Trust Centers to collaborate on, automate, and accelerate end-to-end security reviews and questionnaires, leading to happier customers and faster deal cycles.

According to the Ponemon Institute and IBM1, the average cost of a data breach $4.35 million reached an all-time high in 2022, with vulnerabilities in third-party software as one of the top attack vectors. As a result, enterprises are increasingly aware not only of the financial implications of a breach to themselves, but also of the risk of their vendors  accelerating the need for software firms to establish and continuously prove their security.

Making security continuousnot just a point-in-time checkis more essential than ever in the face of the rising frequency and cost of breaches, said Christina Cacioppo, CEO, Vanta. Our vision since Vantas inception has been to deliver this level of protection for our customers around the world. By expanding our team and offerings with the acquisition of Trustpage, the conviction in our ability to achieve our shared mission of securing the internet has never been deeper. Together, were reimagining trust to better serve our current and future customers and their increasingly complex security needs.

Vantas trust management platform simplifies and centralizes security program management for over 4,000 leading companies, including Autodesk, Modern Treasury and Quora, by providing full visibility into an organizations risk. Vanta then enriches those findings with contextual data, and helps organizations remediate issues and track progressall in a way thats demonstrable to customers and partners. Vanta and Trustpages combined solution will automate time-consuming and tedious workflows and improve customers ability to communicate their security policies  ultimately enabling them to win more deals and grow their business faster.

Vanta pioneered security and compliance automation, and continues to both define and lead the category with the most comprehensive solution in the market, said Chase Lee, CEO, Trustpage. Our shared mission to secure the internet brought our respective companies together, and I couldn't be more excited to align our industry-first technology, world-class teams, and deep expertise in service of our customers. Now with Trustpage by Vanta, every business can have a real-time, single source of truth for their security posture that's verified to meet industry gold standards.

Todays announcement is just the latest milestone capping off a year of hypergrowth for Vanta. In 2022, the company nearly doubled its customer base to serve over 4,000 companies across 58 countries, while expanding its global footprint with offices in Australia, Ireland and the U.S.

Recently named the #1 Leader in G2's Winter 2023 Grid Reports for Security Compliance, Vanta debuted a number of new product innovations over the last year, including Access Reviews which automates the once-manual, time-consuming access reviews process and an enhanced Risk Management solution allowing companies to holistically understand, prioritize, and reduce risks within their company to build a stronger security approach and demonstrate compliance. Vanta ranked #25 in the Inc. 5000 2022 list, was recognized by Y Combinator as a Top Private Company, and was named a 2022 Intelligent Applications Top 40 company by Madrona Ventures.

In 2022, Vanta raised $150 million in funding from leading investors Craft Ventures, Sequoia and Y Combinator and security industry pioneers like CrowdStrike, bringing the companys total amount raised to $203 million at a $1.65 billion valuation.

About Vanta

Vanta is the leading trust management platform that helps simplify and centralize security for organizations of all sizes. Over 4,000 companies including Autodesk, Chili Piper, Flo Health and Quora rely on Vanta to build, maintain and demonstrate their trustall in a way that's real-time and transparent. Founded in 2018, Vanta has customers in 58 countries with offices in Dublin, New York, San Francisco and Sydney. For more information, visit www.vanta.com.

_____________________________

1 https://www.ibm.com/resources/cost-data-breach-report-2022

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005118/en/

Erin Cheng

[email protected]

Source: Vanta
Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW), the Data Cloud company, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for Snowflake to acquire SnowConvert, the premier suite of tools for efficiently migrating databases to the Data Cloud, from Mobilize.Net. Closing of the acquisition is subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

A key challenge with platform migrations is the code conversion required to ensure that all legacy database functionality can be moved to the cloud with minimal time and effort. The SnowConvert toolkit has long been a preferred solution for migrating customer workloads to Snowflake, using sophisticated automation techniques that reduce the need for manual coding and help ensure migration projects are successful.

After converting more than 1.5 billion lines of code1 with SnowConvert, the toolkit has proven to significantly reduce migration effort and greatly improve the speed of migrating legacy databases to Snowflake through the built-in analysis capabilities at a data-type and procedure level, as well as matching to Snowflake native types. In addition to legacy database conversions, SnowConvert also converts workloads written in Scala and Python, making it easy to transfer that code to Snowflakes Snowpark developer environment.

One of our key objectives at Snowflake is to make it as fast and simple as possible for our customers and partners to unlock value from data. For many organizations, that starts with the efficient migration of their legacy databases and applications to the Data Cloud, said Ted Brackin, Snowflake VP of Professional Services. With the acquisition of SnowConvert, we can help more customers, partners and more broadly our Snowflake partner network move more data and applications into the Data Cloud, enabling customers to obtain faster value from their investment in Snowflake sooner.

To ensure organizations can monetize all their data and generate the insights and services that differentiate their businesses, they need the speed and flexibility that a modern data platform provides, said Tom Button, Chairman and CEO at Mobilze.Net. By joining forces with Snowflake, customers will have seamless access to the premier suite of tools for migrating their data to Snowflakes platform, so they can tap into the speed and agility of the Data Cloud sooner.

SnowConvert will expand Snowflakes professional services footprint in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Bellevue, Washington.

About Snowflake

Snowflake enables every organization to mobilize their data with Snowflakes Data Cloud. Customers use the Data Cloud to unite siloed data, discover and securely share data, and execute diverse analytic workloads. Wherever data or users live, Snowflake delivers a single data experience that spans multiple clouds and geographies. Thousands of customers across many industries, including 543 of the 2022 Forbes Global 2000 (G2K) as of October 31, 2022, use Snowflake Data Cloud to power their businesses. Learn more at snowflake.com.

1 of Dec 31, 2022

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005242/en/

Danica Stanczak



Sr. PR Manager, Snowflake



[email protected]

Source: Snowflake Inc.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) today announced that Lisa Atherton, the president & CEO of the Textron Systems segment, has been named to a new role as chief operating officer of the Bell segment. Tom Hammoor, who most recently led Textron Aviation Defense LLC, will succeed Atherton as president & CEO of the Textron Systems segment.

Hammoor brings more than 38 years of leadership experience in the defense industry and military service to Textron Systems. Hammoor most recently served as the president & CEO of Textron Aviation Defense LLC from 2016 to 2022. Prior to joining Textron, Hammoor had a distinguished nearly 30-year career with General Electric, encompassing leadership roles in Quality, Manufacturing and Customer Service. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. His military career culminated in the 101st Airborne Division in which he served as scout/attack helicopter platoon leader.

Scott C. Donnelly, Textron chairman & CEO, said, Lisas leadership and experience with military programs at Bell and Textron Systems will be invaluable as we ramp up and execute on the U.S. Armys Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program. He continued, we are also fortunate to have a leader like Tom, who brings tremendous expertise, leadership and business acumen to his new role at Textron Systems.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information visit: www.textron.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005965/en/

Michael Maynard



401-457-2362



[email protected]

Source: Textron Inc.
FILE PHOTO: Yum Brands logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - Yum Brands Inc said late on Wednesday a ransomware attack impacted certain information technology systems of the company which led to the closure of nearly 300 restaurants in the United Kingdom for a day.

The company added all the stores were now operational and it had initiated response protocols detection of the incident. It added an investigation had also been initiated while Federal law enforcement were notified.

Yum, which also owns the Pizza Hut chain and Taco Bell, did not specify which restaurants were impacted by the attack.

The KFC parent said there was no evidence customer databases were stolen even though data was taken from the company's network.

The company said the event was not expected to have a material adverse impact on its business, operations or financial results.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
FILE PHOTO: A T-Mobile logo is seen on the storefront door of a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., April 30, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

(Reuters) -U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile said on Thursday it was investigating a data breach that may have exposed 37 million postpaid and prepaid accounts, and hinted at incurring significant costs related to the incident.

It's the second major cyberattack in less than two years and comes months after the carrier agreed to upgrade its data security to settle a litigation related to a 2021 incident that compromised information of an estimated 76.6 million people.

The company identified malicious activity on Jan. 5 and contained it within a day, it said, adding no sensitive data such as financial information was exposed.

T-Mobile, however, added that basic customer data - such as name, billing address, email and phone number - was breached and that it had begun notifying impacted customers. The company has more than 110 million subscribers.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the regulator had opened an investigation into the incident.

"Carriers have a unique responsibility to protect customer information. When they fail to do so, we will hold them accountable. This incident is the latest in a string of data breaches at the company, and the FCC is investigating," the spokesperson said.

T-Mobile declined to comment on the investigation. The company's shares fell 1% in Friday morning trade.

The news of the incident also drew sharp reaction from analysts.

"While these cybersecurity breaches may not be systemic in nature, their frequency of occurrence at T-Mobile is an alarming outlier relative to telecom peers," said Neil Mack, senior analyst for Moody's Investors Service.

"It could negatively impact customer behavior, cause churn to spike and potentially attract the scrutiny of the FCC and other regulators."

(Reporting by Eva Mathews and Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Additionaly reporting by Akanksha Khushi; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Savio D'Souza and Anil D;Silva)
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 8Twelve Financial Technologies Inc. (8Twelve or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to provide mortgage solutions to Dwello.

Dwello is on a mission of helping all Canadians get equitable access to credit. Renters can sign up for free to pay rent through Dwellos payment platform. Their rent payments get reported to Equifax Inc., one of the major credit bureaus serving Canada. Over time, the on-time payments help build credit scores, thus unlocking favorable offers on credit products like loans, mortgages and credit cards.

This partnership will help Dwello renters eventually become owners. By integrating into 8Twelves proprietary INFIN8 platform, Dwello customers will be notified when they qualify for a mortgage from 8Twelve. INFIN8 utilizes real-time analytics, AI, and workflow automation to identify the best possible mortgage from Canadas largest marketplace of bank, alternative, and private mortgage products. 8Twelve also has access to other products such as Co-Equity down payment programs to further facilitate home ownership.

Rent reporting to the bureau has demonstrated success in assisting renters in improving and establishing their credit profiles. This has led to increased access to preferred lending products and favorable rates, as well as a broader range of rental properties. This initiative has benefited hard working Canadians who may have otherwise been disadvantaged in the system due to low credit scores or non-existent credit profiles, said Roy Moufawad, CEO of Dwello Ltd. Dwello's rent reporting system is beneficial for both renters in Canada and financial institutions by giving them visibility into the rental market. Additionally, landlords have found that using this platform to collect rent not only simplifies the process but also helps retain tenants.

Innovation is moving at a very rapid pace in the real estate and mortgage industries. Until very recently, solutions such as these did not exist for renters and home buyers. People were left to their own devices to figure out how to migrate themselves from being a renter to being a homeowner, said Jason Baibokas, CFO of 8Twelve. The convergence of finance and technology has finally reached a point where an increasing number of tools are available to plan for and achieve home ownership. At 8Twelve we strive to integrate the best and most intelligent solutions in our mission to streamline the home financing process.

About DwelloDwello is a payment technology platform that helps Canadian renters build their credit scores just by paying rent. Rent payments paid through Dwello get reported to Equifax to help renters establish a stronger credit history while helping property owners get paid on time. Learn more at dwello.com and follow us on Facebook @dwellopayments and on Twitter @dwellopayments.

About 8Twelve Financial Technologies8Twelve is transforming the home financing experience by providing consumers with one convenient platform to solve all their mortgage needs. Gone are the days of needing to search for a mortgage through multiple providers such as banks, mortgage brokers, and private lenders. Borrowers can now access Canada's largest selection of mortgages in one convenient marketplace. 8Twelves proprietary cloud platform INFIN8 utilizes real-time analytics, AI, and workflow automation to identify the best possible financing solution in the Canadian market (from over 65 lenders and over 7000 mortgage products).

Contact: Rick McLaughlinEmail: [email protected]

Follow 8Twelve on:Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin

Source: 8Twelve Financial Technologies Inc.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. A serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces stationed in a military outpost deployed in the direction of Yeraskh sustained a gunshot wound from Azerbaijani gunfire around 10:50, January 19, the Ministry of Defense said.

The soldier is in a serious condition. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSXV: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the Company or AIS) announces that Phillip Thomas has resigned from the board of directors effective January 17, 2023. Mr. Thomas will continue to provide consulting services to the Company.

The Company would like to thank Mr. Thomas for his contribution and wishes him well in his future endeavours.

About A.I.S. Resources LimitedA.I.S. Resources Limited is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on lithium, gold, precious and base metals exploration. AIS value add strategy is to acquire prospective exploration projects and enhance their value by better defining the mineral resource with a view to attracting joint venture partners and enhancing the value of our portfolio. The Company is managed by a team of experienced geologists and investment bankers, with a track-record of successful capital markets achievements.

AIS owns 100% of the 28 sq km Fosterville-Toolleen Gold Project located 9.9 km from Kirkland Lakes Fosterville gold mine, a 60% interest in the 57 sq km Bright Gold project (with the right to acquire 100%), and 100% interest in the 167 sq km Kingston Gold Project in Victoria Australia near Stawell and Navarre. AIS has further options to achieve a 7.5% royalty in Pocitos 1 and Pocitos 2 lithium brine projects, a 20% equity interest in Pocitos 7 and 9 lithium brine projects and a 20% joint venture interest with Spey Resources Corp. in the Incahuasi lithium brine project.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,A.I.S. Resources LimitedMartyn ElementPresident, CEO, Chairman

Corporate ContactFor further information, please contact:Martyn Element T: +1-604-220-6266E:[email protected]Website:www.aisresources.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.

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them 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. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations 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. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: A.I.S. Resources Limited
BALTIMORE, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ADX) announces the Funds investment returns for 2022.

The total return on the Funds net asset value for 2022 was -17.3%, with dividends and capital gains reinvested. The comparable figures for the S&P 500 Index and Morningstar U.S. Large Blend Category were -18.1% and -18.2%, respectively. The total return on the Funds market price for the period was -19.8%. In a difficult year for the market, our Fund modestly outperformed our benchmark and our peer group, said Mark Stoeckle, CEO of Adams Funds.

The Fund paid $1.07 per share in income dividends and realized capital gain distributions to shareholders in 2022, producing an annual distribution rate of 6.3%, exceeding the Funds annual 6.0% minimum distribution rate commitment. Details regarding the annual 6.0% minimum distribution rate commitment can be found at adamsfunds.com.

The 2022 Annual Report is expected to be released on or about February 15, 2023.

ANNUALIZED ONE, THREE, AND FIVE-YEAR COMPARATIVE RETURNS (12/31/22)

1 Year 3 Year 5 Year Adams Diversified Equity Fund (NAV) -17.3% 8.4% 10.3% Adams Diversified Equity Fund (market price) -19.8% 6.6% 9.8% Morningstar U.S. Large Blend Category -18.2% 7.2% 8.8% S&P 500 -18.1% 7.7% 9.4%

NET ASSET VALUE ANNOUNCED

The Funds net asset value at the end of 2022, compared with the year earlier, was:

12/31/22 12/31/21 Net assets $2,100,737,733 $2,652,527,878 Shares outstanding 120,900,484 117,872,178 Net asset value per share $17.38 $22.50

TEN LARGEST EQUITY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS (12/31/22)

% of Net Assets Microsoft Corporation 6.8 % Apple Inc. 5.9 % Alphabet Inc. Class A 3.1 % UnitedHealth Group Incorporated 2.5 % Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc.* 2.3 % Amazon.com, Inc. 2.2 % Mastercard Incorporated Class A 2.0 % Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 2.0 % Visa Inc. Class A 1.8 % Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B 1.7 % Total 30.3 % * Non-controlled affiliated closed-end fund.

SECTOR WEIGHTINGS (12/31/22)

% of Net Assets Information Technology 25.4 % Health Care 15.7 % Financials 11.9 % Consumer Discretionary 10.4 % Industrials 8.5 % Communication Services 7.3 % Consumer Staples 6.8 % Energy 5.2 % Utilities 3.0 % Materials 2.6 % Real Estate 2.5 %

About Adams FundsSince 1929, Adams Funds has consistently helped generations of investors reach their investment goals. Adams Funds is comprised of two closed-end funds, Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ADX) and Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc. (NYSE: PEO).The Funds are actively managed by an experienced team with a disciplined approach and have paid dividends for more than 85 years across many market cycles. The Funds are committed to paying an annual distribution rate of 6% or more, providing reliable income to long-term investors. Shares can be purchased through our transfer agent or through a broker. For more information about Adams Funds, please visit: adamsfunds.com.

For further information please contact: adamsfunds.com/about/contact 800.638.2479

Source: Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc.
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp. (NEO: PWWR) (OTCQB:ALKFF) (Frankfurt: 77R, WKN: A3CTYF) (PWWR or the Company), a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned Belgium subsidiary, Fuel Cell Power NV (FCP NV), has launched the prototype of its micro-combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell, named Jupiter 1.0.



Alkaline Fuel Cell Power is proud to present the prototype of our fuel cell system for homes and small buildings - Jupiter 1.0, stated Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of PWWR. The Jupiter 1.0 prototype will be piloted with select strategic partners to demonstrate the advantages of delivering green hydrogen to homes and small buildings, globally. We thank staff for their dedication and effort to complete this important milestone on time.





Figure 1- FCP NV development team with completed fuel cell system prototype - Jupiter 1.0

Jupiter 1.0

The planet Jupiter is made up of roughly 90% hydrogen, and similarly, this PWWR fuel cell converts hydrogen to heat and electricity at approximately 90% efficiency. Jupiter 1.0 is built to supply power during peak demand periods and serves as a back-up when required for homes and small buildings.

Jupiter 1.0 has successfully demonstrated its capabilities by powering several appliances and providing hot water within the Companys Belgian facility. At capacity, Jupiter 1.0 is expected to deliver approximately 7kW for the first hour of use, with a 4kW electrical output afterward representing approximately 3.2 kWh equivalent in heating output. The use of internal batteries enables Jupiter 1.0 to deliver higher peak power when called upon in the first hour of use. Over the coming months, additional enhancements will be made to the system prior to submission for CE-certification (a regulatory standard that verifies certain products are safe for sale and use in the European Economic Area) and prior to pilot projects.

PWWR has been working to optimize innovation for hydrogen-powered fuel cells that operate in an alkaline environment, which offer meaningful cost benefits. Such technology, and therefore Jupiter 1.0, requires fewer components compared to conventional fuel cells and also eliminates the need for expensive, precious metals such as platinum which have traditionally been required in the electrodes. PWWRs systems will therefore be more cost-effective to build and offer a competitive advantage over existing fuel cells. Jupiter 1.0 is currently stationed in the FCP NV plant in Belgium.





Figure 2- Jupiter 1.0 delivering power and heat to appliances and a boiler

Pilot Projects

As announced on September 20, 2022 and November 22, 2022, PWWR is in the process of negotiating two pilot projects which will demonstrate the mutual technologies and business cases with the use of hydrogen extraction from natural gas pipelines, and the use of ammonia converted to hydrogen as a back-up power solution for remote sites. PWWR, in coordination with its partners, continues to narrow down sites for these pilots, and will provide ongoing updates as developments are confirmed.

Management Update

With the launch of Jupiter 1.0, PWWR moves into a more strategic focus on the completion of prototypes for CE-certification and deployment in pilot projects. Jo Verstappen, Managing Director of FCP NV has resigned in his role. The Company offers its gratitude and appreciation for his guidance to launch the prototype. Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp, has assumed management of FCP NV, and is actively reviewing and developing the commercialization strategies and tactics to bring Jupiter 1.0 and fuel cell generator to markets, globally.

ABOUT ALKALINE FUEL CELL POWER CORP.

The Company is a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech. We bring Power to the People today, combining a stable revenue stream with a future-forward vision to commercialize our advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology to meet the massive global market need, and ultimately generate compelling returns for investors.

The Company operates through two global entities: Fuel Cell Power NV, a wholly owned subsidiary in Belgium, and PWWR Flow Streams (PWWR Flow), a Company brand in Canada.

Fuel Cell Power NV is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024.

is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024. PWWR Flow is focused on the development, ownership and operations of combined heat and power (CHP) assets. PWWR Flow assets deliver efficiency improvements of over 20% with reduced costs to customers in multi-residential and commercial applications. PWWR Flow has contracted existing CHP assets in Toronto, Canada, and has an additional pipeline of potential contracts valued at over $50 million currently in development.

The Company is well positioned to deliver Power to the People in the global energy transition while offering a diversified cleantech growth platform for investors.

Further information is available on the Company website at https://www.fuelcellpower.com/ , and the Company encourages investors and other interested stakeholders to follow it on:

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Common shares are listed for trading on the NEO under the symbol PWWR, the OTC Venture Exchange OTCQB under the symbol ALKFF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under symbol 77R and WKN A3CTYF.

For further information, please contact:

Frank Carnevale

Chief Executive Officer

Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp

+1 (647) 531-8264

[email protected]

www.fuelcellpower.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, occur or achieve. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, expectations and intended use of CHP system, Juniper 1.0; efficiencies of the CHP system; the ability to successfully bring the CHP system to market; future pilot projects of the Company and future strategic initiatives and plans of the Company and FCP NV.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

NEITHER THE NEO EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE NEO EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/418691fc-3249-4b23-89fd-4d33359eae01

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd7508c7-5de0-4efd-b162-95ac0fb6b44a
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp. (NEO: PWWR) (OTCQB: ALKFF) (Frankfurt: 77R, WKN: A3CTYF) (PWWR or the Company), a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned Belgium subsidiary, Fuel Cell Power NV (FCP NV), has launched the prototype of its micro-combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell, named Jupiter 1.0.

Alkaline Fuel Cell Power is proud to present the prototype of our fuel cell system for homes and small buildings - Jupiter 1.0, stated Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of PWWR. The Jupiter 1.0 prototype will be piloted with select strategic partners to demonstrate the advantages of delivering green hydrogen to homes and small buildings, globally. We thank staff for their dedication and effort to complete this important milestone on time.

Figure 1- FCP NV development team with completed fuel cell system prototype - Jupiter 1.0

Jupiter 1.0

The planet Jupiter is made up of roughly 90% hydrogen, and similarly, this PWWR fuel cell converts hydrogen to heat and electricity at approximately 90% efficiency. Jupiter 1.0 is built to supply power during peak demand periods and serves as a back-up when required for homes and small buildings.

Jupiter 1.0 has successfully demonstrated its capabilities by powering several appliances and providing hot water within the Companys Belgian facility. At capacity, Jupiter 1.0 is expected to deliver approximately 7kW for the first hour of use, with a 4kW electrical output afterward representing approximately 3.2 kWh equivalent in heating output. The use of internal batteries enables Jupiter 1.0 to deliver higher peak power when called upon in the first hour of use. Over the coming months, additional enhancements will be made to the system prior to submission for CE-certification (a regulatory standard that verifies certain products are safe for sale and use in the European Economic Area) and prior to pilot projects.

PWWR has been working to optimize innovation for hydrogen-powered fuel cells that operate in an alkaline environment, which offer meaningful cost benefits. Such technology, and therefore Jupiter 1.0, requires fewer components compared to conventional fuel cells and also eliminates the need for expensive, precious metals such as platinum which have traditionally been required in the electrodes. PWWRs systems will therefore be more cost-effective to build and offer a competitive advantage over existing fuel cells. Jupiter 1.0 is currently stationed in the FCP NV plant in Belgium.

Figure 2- Jupiter 1.0 delivering power and heat to appliances and a boiler

Pilot Projects

As announced on September 20, 2022 and November 22, 2022, PWWR is in the process of negotiating two pilot projects which will demonstrate the mutual technologies and business cases with the use of hydrogen extraction from natural gas pipelines, and the use of ammonia converted to hydrogen as a back-up power solution for remote sites. PWWR, in coordination with its partners, continues to narrow down sites for these pilots, and will provide ongoing updates as developments are confirmed.

Management Update

With the launch of Jupiter 1.0, PWWR moves into a more strategic focus on the completion of prototypes for CE-certification and deployment in pilot projects. Jo Verstappen, Managing Director of FCP NV has resigned in his role. The Company offers its gratitude and appreciation for his guidance to launch the prototype. Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp, has assumed management of FCP NV, and is actively reviewing and developing the commercialization strategies and tactics to bring Jupiter 1.0 and fuel cell generator to markets, globally.

ABOUT ALKALINE FUEL CELL POWER CORP.

The Company is a diversified investment platform developing affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech. We bring Power to the People today, combining a stable revenue stream with a future-forward vision to commercialize our advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology to meet the massive global market need, and ultimately generate compelling returns for investors.

The Company operates through two global entities: Fuel Cell Power NV, a wholly owned subsidiary in Belgium, and PWWR Flow Streams (PWWR Flow), a Company brand in Canada.

Fuel Cell Power NV is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024.

is focused on the development, production and commercialization of micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems and off-grid and back-up power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions. Fuel Cell Power NV is working through milestones to deliver a commercialized alkaline fuel cell in 2024. PWWR Flow is focused on the development, ownership and operations of combined heat and power (CHP) assets. PWWR Flow assets deliver efficiency improvements of over 20% with reduced costs to customers in multi-residential and commercial applications. PWWR Flow has contracted existing CHP assets in Toronto, Canada, and has an additional pipeline of potential contracts valued at over $50 million currently in development.

The Company is well positioned to deliver Power to the People in the global energy transition while offering a diversified cleantech growth platform for investors.

Further information is available on the Company website at https://www.fuelcellpower.com/, and the Company encourages investors and other interested stakeholders to follow it on:

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Common shares are listed for trading on the NEO under the symbol PWWR, the OTC Venture Exchange OTCQB under the symbol ALKFF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under symbol 77R and WKN A3CTYF.

For further information, please contact:

Frank CarnevaleChief Executive OfficerAlkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp+1 (647) 531-8264[email protected]www.fuelcellpower.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, occur or achieve. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, expectations and intended use of CHP system, Juniper 1.0; efficiencies of the CHP system; the ability to successfully bring the CHP system to market; future pilot projects of the Company and future strategic initiatives and plans of the Company and FCP NV.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

NEITHER THE NEO EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE NEO EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/418691fc-3249-4b23-89fd-4d33359eae01

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd7508c7-5de0-4efd-b162-95ac0fb6b44a

Figure 1 FCP NV development team with completed fuel cell system prototype - Jupiter 1.0 Figure 2 Jupiter 1.0 delivering power and heat to appliances and a boiler

Source: Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp.
Washington, DC, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arabella Advisors announced today that Redstone Strategy Group has joined the Arabella team and will now operate as a division within Arabellas Advisory Services practice. Operating from offices in Colorado, California, and New York, Redstone works alongside institutional foundations and leading nonprofits to help them address and solve many of the worlds most urgent and complex challenges. As a result of the acquisition, which was formally completed January 13, 2023. Arabella Advisors will broaden and deepen the set of consulting services it provides to help clients across the philanthropic sector maximize their impact.

As a division within Arabella Advisors, the Redstone team will continue to grow and expand its work and impact, with support from the broader Arabella team. At the same time, the union of the two firms will increase their collective ability to support clients working to tackle societys biggest challenges more efficiently, effectively, and equitably.

We are thrilled to announce that we are uniting with Redstone Strategy, extending our ability to support foundation clients as they pursue solutions to social problems through partnerships, impact investing, grantmaking, and more, said Rick Cruz, Arabellas president and CEO. We know the world is facing urgent and complex challenges, but we also know there is immense opportunity to achieve necessary change. This new partnership with Redstone will position us to help our clients create the greatest possible impact in our rapidly changing world.

I have long admired Arabellas contributions to helping the social sector operate more effectively, and its reputation in our industry is impeccable, said Ivan Barkhorn, founder of Redstone. I am thrilled for Redstone to be joining forces with the Arabella team; I couldnt imagine a better partner as we continue to scale Redstones impact.

Nathan Huttner, Redstones managing partner, added: We know that the cutting edge of social impact lies in justice, empowerment, and co-creation with community. We see this partnership as being perfectly positioned to both deliver operational excellence and help clients turn execution into greater impact.

About Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a business dedicated to making philanthropic work more efficient, effective, and equitable. Along with our clients, we are working to build a better futureone with healthy air, water, and food for all; with strong democracies and engaged citizens; with flourishing communities, expanded opportunity, and enhanced equity. We help our clients by sharing our expertise and experience, which includes providing outsourced operational support to nonprofit organizations.

Arabella Advisors is proud to be a certified B Corporation, a Great Place to Work, and a two-time winner of Entrepreneur Magazines Best Entrepreneurial Companies award.

Steve Sampson Arabella Advisors 2025951037 [email protected]

Source: Arabella Advisors
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX: AOT; OTCQX: AOTVF) (Ascot or the Company) is pleased to announce the Company has completed final documentation for a total of approximately C$200 million in project financing for construction of the Premier Gold Project (PGP or the project), located on Nisgaa Nation Treaty Lands in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia. As announced in the News Release dated December 12, 2022, the finance package consists of US$110 million as a deposit (the Deposit) in respect of gold and silver streaming agreements (the Stream) with Sprott Private Resource Streaming and Royalty B Corp. (Sprott Streaming) and a strategic equity investment (the Strategic Investment) by Ccori Apu S.A.C (Ccori Apu) of C$45 million, a portion of which will be structured as Canadian Development Expenditures flow through shares (CDE flow through), such that the total gross proceeds to the Company is C$50 million. With the finance package closed, Ascot is able to proceed with re-mobilizing of contractors for project construction in 2023 ahead of initial gold production, which is anticipated in early 2024.

Derek White, President and CEO of Ascot commented, We commend our financing partners Sprott Streaming and Ccori Apu for working diligently over the past month to expeditiously close the C$200 million financing package. We view the financing package as attractive as it preserves Ascots operational flexibility and enables the Company to advance towards production with minimal debt. With funding secured, we look forward to refocusing our efforts on project construction this year and becoming Canadas next gold producer.

Michael Harrison, Managing Partner at Sprott Streaming, commented, We are very pleased to enter into this partnership and support Ascot Resources with the development of the Premier and Red Mountain Gold Projects. With substantial infrastructure in place and excellent exploration potential, we are financing Ascot to production to contribute to the local communities and Nisgaa Nation and expect a long mine life. Sprott Streaming continues to provide funding to advance quality projects and provide project financing to bring mines into production.

Victor Ostolaza, Attorney of Ccori Apu, commented, Our investment in Ascot expresses our belief in the potential of the Premier Gold Project and in the management team tasked with leading its development. We have ample experience in underground gold mining and are confident that the project will be the next success story in Canadian mining. We are thrilled to be part of Ascot and look forward to collaborating in the creation of value.

GOLD AND SILVER STREAM  SPROTT STREAMING

Ascot has executed definitive documentation for the Stream with Sprott Streaming covering the PGP and Red Mountain Project (RMP) properties. Sprott Streaming will provide to Ascot an upfront payment (the Deposit) of US$110 million and terminate the existing 10% streaming agreement it has on RMP in return for the delivery to Sprott Streaming of 8.75% and 100% of gold and silver production, respectively, from PGP and RMP in exchange for the reduction of the Deposit and ongoing payments from Sprott Streaming equal to 10% of prevailing gold and silver prices, including after the Deposit is reduced to nil. Silver production from the Silver Hill Target at the northeastern part of the PGP property, where Ascot has identified a distinct style of high-grade silver mineralization, has been excluded from the Stream.

From January 1, 2025 until December 31, 2026, Ascot has the right to buyback 50% of the stream from Sprott Streaming for US$80 million in cash (the Buyback). Once 150,000 ounces of gold have been delivered (Delivery Threshold) to Sprott Streaming, the stream deliveries for gold and silver shall be reduced by 50% to 4.375% and 50%, respectively. In the case that the Buyback is exercised, then the remaining Delivery Threshold at that time will be reduced by the Buyback percentage, and once the threshold is met the stream deliveries for gold and silver shall be reduced by a further 50% to 2.1875% and 25%, respectively. The Delivery Threshold and the Buyback shall apply to both PGP and RMP. Sprott Streaming has been granted first-ranking security to secure the obligations under the Stream, which security will be subordinated to any operating loan on the earlier the Buyback being exercised or the Deposit being reduced to zero. The Stream also contains certain customary covenants.

A portion of the gross proceeds have been used to repay the existing senior credit facility and production payment agreement with Sprott Lending.

STRATEGIC EQUITY INVESTMENT  CCORI APU

Ccori Apus shareholders are the majority shareholders of Compania Minera Poderosa S. A. (Poderosa), a publicly traded gold mining company listed on the Lima Stock Exchange. Poderosa owns and operates a high-grade, underground gold mine in northern Peru. The mine produces approximately 300,000 ounces of gold annually by feeding the Maranon and Santa Maria process plants with high-grade gold ore averaging 17 grams per tonne from the surrounding underground gold deposits. Ccori Apu has invested a total of C$45 million in the Strategic Investment. A portion of the common shares sold were structured as CDE flow through, such that the total gross proceeds to Ascot was C$50 million. Ccori Apus ownership of Ascot is 19.9% upon closing and it received participation rights to maintain its pro rata ownership in subsequent equity issuances. Ccori Apu has the right to nominate up to two people to Ascots Board of Directors as long as its ownership remains above 10% of Ascot common shares outstanding. If Ccori Apus ownership falls below 10%, it will have the right to nominate one person to Ascots Board of Directors, and if its ownership falls below 5% then it will not have the right to nominate anyone to Ascots Board of Directors.

The Strategic Investment consisted of 48,500,000 Common Shares of the Company at a price of C$0.41 per Common Share for gross proceeds of C$19,885,000 and 60,000,000 Common Shares of the Company that qualify as flow through shares, as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the CDE Common Shares), at a price of C$0.50 per CDE Common Share for gross proceeds of C$30,000,000. The Common Shares and CDE Common Shares were offered by way of private placement pursuant to applicable prospectus exemptions and will be subject to hold periods in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The net proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for capital costs at the Premier Gold Project and for general corporate purposes.

An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the CDE Common Shares will be used to incur Canadian development expenses as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (Qualifying Expenditures). The Qualifying Expenditures will be incurred on or before June 30, 2024 and will be renounced by the Company to the subscribers with an effective date no later than June 30, 2024 to the initial purchasers of the CDE Common Shares in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the CDE Common Shares.

ADVISORS

Morrison Park Advisers Inc., along with its affiliate Summa Advisors in Peru, is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Ascot in connection with the Strategic Investment by Ccori Apu and Auramet International LLC is acting as financial advisor to Ascot in connection with the Stream. Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is acting as Ascots legal advisor. Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP is acting as Sprott Streamings and Ccori Apus legal advisor.

Qualified Person

John Kiernan, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company is the Companys Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release that relate to Ascot.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ascot Resources Ltd.Derek C. WhitePresident & CEO

For further information contact:

David Stewart, P.Eng.VP, Corporate Development & Shareholder Communications [email protected] 778-725-1060 ext. 1024

About Ascot Resources Ltd.

Ascot is a Canadian junior exploration and development company focused on re-starting the past producing Premier gold mine, located on Nisgaa Nation Treaty Lands, in British Columbias prolific Golden Triangle. Ascot shares trade on the TSX under the ticker AOT. Concurrent with progressing the development of Premier, the Company continues to successfully explore its properties for additional high-grade underground resources. Ascot is committed to the safe and responsible development of Premier in collaboration with Nisgaa Nation as outlined in the Benefits Agreement.

For more information about the Company, please refer to the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or visit the Companys web site at www.ascotgold.com, or for a virtual tour visit www.vrify.com under Ascot Resources.

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events may constitute forward-looking information under Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "targeted", "outlook", "on track" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements in respect of the proposed use of proceeds, the advancement and development of the PGP and the timing related thereto, the exploration of the Companys properties and managements outlook for the remainder of 2022 and beyond. 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, including risks associated with the business of Ascot; risks related to exploration and potential development of Ascot's projects; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and indigenous groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; risks associated with COVID-19 including adverse impacts on the world economy, construction timing and the availability of personnel; the possibility that the transactions described herein are not completed; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Ascot's filings with Canadian securities regulators, available on Ascot's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com including the Annual Information Form of the Company dated March 21, 2022 in the section entitled "Risk Factors". Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made with regard to: the structure of the Strategic Investment and the Stream, the completion of the Strategic Investment and the Stream on the terms described herein, the estimated costs associated with construction of the Project; the timing of the anticipated start of production at the Project; the ability to maintain throughput and production levels at the Premier Mill; the tax rate applicable to the Company; future commodity prices; the grade of Resources and Reserves; the ability of the Company to convert inferred resources to other categories; the ability of the Company to reduce mining dilution; the ability to reduce capital costs; and exploration plans. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Although Ascot believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since Ascot can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Ascot does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Source: Ascot Resources Ltd.
OTTAWA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skills/Competences Canada (SCC), a not-for-profit organization that actively promotes careers in the skilled trades and technologies, is proud to announce Cenovus Energy as the Presenting Sponsor for the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Cenovus Energys generous support will enable SCC to better promote careers in the skilled trades and technologies to students and apprentices in Canada through this important event.

On May 25 and 26, 2023, labour groups, industry partners, government officials, educators, and youth will gather at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, where over 550 students and apprentices from across the country will compete in more than 40 skilled trade and technology Skill Areas. SCC is pleased to be working with Cenovus Energy, a Canadian-based integrated energy company, for this years competition. They are an instrumental partner, and they will be onsite to support several skill areas.

Skilled trades and technology workers are key to our industrys success, including operating our assets safely every day, said Susan Anderson, Cenovus Energys Senior Vice-President, People Services. The work Skills Canada does promotes these careers as a rewarding option for Canadas future workforce  some we hope to see at Cenovus.

In addition, approximately 10,000 students from Manitoba are expected to attend SCNC Winnipeg 2023. In addition to watching the competitors, students will have the opportunity to participate in over 50 Try-A-Trade and Technology activities throughout the two-day event.

Being involved in SCNC is a great way for industry partners to engage with youth and educate them about the great careers that are available in the skilled trades and technologies. Through our partnership with Cenovus Energy, we are able to raise awareness of the changing landscape of the Canadian job market and the importance of developing the skills needed to succeed, said Shaun Thorson, Chief Executive Officer, Skills/Competences Canada.

According to the Government of Canada, approximately 700,000 skilled trades workers are expected to retire in Canada by 2028, which will create a significant shortage of tradespeople in Canada. Events like SCNC are a great way to promote these careers to our future skilled workers.

Cenovus Energy Inc.Cenovus Energy Inc. is an integrated energy company with oil and natural gas production operations in Canada and the Asia Pacific region, and upgrading, refining and marketing operations in Canada and the United States. The company is focused on managing its assets in a safe, innovative and cost-efficient manner, integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into its business plans. Cenovus common shares and warrants are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, and the companys preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, visit cenovus.com.

Find Cenovus on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.About Skills/Competences CanadaSkills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not-for-profit organization with member organizations in each of the provinces/territories that work with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trade and technology careers among Canadian youth. Its unique position among private and public-sector partners enables it to work toward securing Canadas future skilled labour needs while helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills Canada offers experiential learning opportunities including skilled trade and technology competitions for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians through regional, provincial/territorial, national and international events, as well as skilled trade awareness programs. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Skills/Competences Canada is the Canadian Member organization of WorldSkills. Follow Skills/Competences Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT: Michele Rogerson, [email protected], T. 343-883-7545 ext. 509.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc18a280-e851-405f-85df-719cccf50f42

A welder at Cenovus Energy. A skilled tradesperson carries out welding activities at the Lloydminster Upgrader.

Source: Skills/Competences Canada
ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Communities in Schools of Georgia (CISGA) announced today that it is the recipient of the Department of Education's Full-Service Community Schools Program (FSCS) grant for its Georgia ACRES Project: Activating Communities for Rural Education Success. A project to significantly transform rural educational opportunities in six counties across the state and serve as a model for other Georgia sites. The five-year, $3,000,000-a-year grant is one of the largest in the Department of Education history and the most extensive federal grant in CISGA history.

"We are grateful for the vital support of the U.S. Department of Education, which allows us to serve thousands of children across the State," states Carol Lewis, CEO of CISGA. "Together with our local CISGA affiliates, their strong executive directors, and partners, we will use every tool at our disposal to help the State's children face barriers and succeed in both school and life."

The ACRES Project is a comprehensive plan to fully implement all pillars of the FSCS model, with local CISGA affiliates as local lead partners and full-time site coordinators in each school. These site coordinators will assess a student's needs, and then provide direct services and/or make referrals to community partners to ensure a student has everything they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.

The following goals and outcomes will be achieved:

1) improved academic performance,

2) increased social/emotional learning and life skills,

3) improved physical and mental health,

4) increased graduation rates,

5) improved partnerships between schools and families,

6) increased family involvement in education, and

7) increased family connections to community resources.

The following Counties in Georgia will partner with the project:

Ben Hill County; Berrien County; Candler County; Laurens County; Troup County; Twiggs County

The following School Districts will work with Communities in Schools: Candler County School District; Berrien County School District; Dublin City School District; Troup County School District; Twiggs County School District; Ben Hill County School District; Laurens County School District.

"Community schools are an essential component of accelerating our students' learning and supporting their social, emotional, and mental health, and deepening community partnerships. At the height of the pandemic, community schools connected students and families with vital nutrition assistance, mental, physical, and other health services, and expanded learning opportunities. This work continues today because we know that students learn best when there is a comprehensive and holistic approach to meeting their needs," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "I am thrilled that through the historic investment, we're announcing now, the Department is funding the largest cohort of grantees in the history of this grant program. This represents a huge step toward the Biden-Harris Administration's goal of doubling the number of Full-Service Community Schools across the country and raising the bar for our support of children."

This year's grant selection process was highly competitive, with the largest number of applications in the history of the program, demonstrating the enormous need to have a continuum of coordinated support to address students' academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. CISGA is committed to implementing the four pillars of the grant: 1) integrated student supports that address out-of-school barriers to learning through partnerships with social and health service agencies and providers; 2) expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; 3) active family and community engagement; and 4) collaborative leadership and practices.

About Communities in Schools of Georgia (CISGA):

Communities In Schools of Georgia is the state's leading organization providing wraparound student supports and dropout prevention using an evidence-based model.

Our unique model places a site coordinator inside the schools to build relationships with students. We base success on our ability to build strong local community partnerships with school administrators, regulatory agencies, businesses, and other youth-oriented organizations. Our local CISGA sites tailor programs and activities to meet the specific needs of its community and schools. Types of programs include mentoring, parent education, technology training, literacy initiatives and youth leadership development. CISGA is part of a national organization committed to surrounding students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Contact Information: Katherine Seymour Director of Partnerships [email protected] 404-644-9603

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Source: Communities in School of Georgia
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Complete College America, a national non-profit organization on a mission to raise postsecondary attainment in the United States, today announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors: Adrian K. Haugabrook, an executive vice president at Southern New Hampshire University; Latrisha S. Jemison, a senior vice president at Regions Bank; and Vistasp M. Karbhari, a past president of The University of Texas at Arlington.

Our nations colleges and universities are making significant progress toward improving on-time completion rates, but gaps remain that disproportionately affect part-time students and students of color, said Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. During this critical time for higher education and students across the nation, our work remains laser-focused on improving those rates and closing those gaps. The knowledge, wisdom and lived and professional experiences that Adrian, Latrisha and Vistasp bring to our board will strengthen our efforts.

The three newest members of CCAs 13-person board of directors are:

Adrian K. Haugabrook, Ph.D., serves as executive vice president and managing director for the Social Impact Collective at Southern New Hampshire University. In that role he provides executive leadership and strategic guidance to support SNHUs equity and social mobility goals. Over a career that has spanned more than three decades, Haugabrook has led strategy, growth, policy and transformation initiatives in the higher ed and nonprofit sectors to increase access, equity and opportunity at local, regional and national levels. He lectures frequently on change, innovation and the future of higher education and was a featured TED speaker in 2021. Haugabrook was the 2021-22 Designer in Residence with Education Design Lab and serves on numerous boards, including Upswing, an education technology company based in Austin, Texas; the Postsecondary National Policy Institute and the Ascend National Advisory of the Aspen Institute. An ordained Baptist deacon and a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Haugabrook received his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Latrisha S. Jemison is the senior vice president and regional community development manager for Regions Bank. In that role she oversees Community Reinvestment Act programs and community development outreach in Tennessee, where she is based, and nine other states. Jemison also serves as chief operating officer of the Regions Foundation of Tennessee. Jemison has spent most of her professional career in banking, including the past 23 years with Regions. In 2015, she received The Better Life Award, the top honor given to a Regions associate for outstanding job performance and exemplary involvement and commitment to the community. Jemison holds leadership roles in many community initiatives, including The Housing Fund, The Ivy Center Foundation of Nashville, Rocketown of Middle Tennessee and YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, and has served on boards of numerous other organizations.

Vistasp M. Karbhari, Ph.D., served as eighth president of The University of Texas at Arlington from 2013 to 2020. During his tenure, the university attained R1 status from the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, gained designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and completed all metrics to be designated as a Texas Tier One university. Throughout his career, Karbhari has championed issues related to enhancing access and eliminating inequities in postsecondary education, improving transfer pathways, supporting returning adult students, conducting impactful research, transforming digital and online learning and integrating academic knowledge and skills needed for success in the workforce. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the European Academy of Science and Arts, Karbhari earned his doctorate from the University of Delaware. He is currently a professor in UTAs departments of Civil Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and serves as a Complete College America Fellow.

They join an esteemed group of leaders from education, government and the nonprofit sector. The other CCA board members are:

Estela Mara Bensimon, Ph.D., university professor emeritus at the University of Southern California and founding director of the Center for Urban Education

Barbara Damron, Ph.D., chief government relations officer and associate professor at the College of Nursing and School at The University of New Mexico

Joe Garcia, J.D., chancellor of the Colorado Community College System

Maggie George, Ph.D., owner of education consulting firm Indigenous Research Associations and past president of Dine College

Jim Geringer, director of policy and public sector strategies for Environmental Systems Research Institute and former governor of Wyoming

Robin Martin, Ph.D., former deputy director of strategy, planning and management for the Postsecondary Success team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Gary McGaha, Ph.D., past president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Gene Sharratt, Ph.D., senior research advisor for the Center for Educational Effectiveness and chair of the Washington Higher Educational Facilities Authority

Edward Smith, Ph.D., senior program officer at The Kresge Foundation

Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., president of Complete College America

###

About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions through data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and equity-driven practices. Since its founding in 2009, CCA connects a national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders and introduces bold initiatives to help states and institutions confront inequities, close institutional performance gaps, and increase college completion rates, especially for marginalized and historically excluded students. For more information, visit www.completecollege.org.

Media Relations Complete College America (317) 829-0483 [email protected]

Source: Complete College America
MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Management of Dios Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: DOS is very pleased to report Dios acquired the Pontax-North lithium property within James Bay prolific lithium region of central Quebec, Canada. It is located north of Pontax River and some 23km south of KM381 facilities.

Pontax-North lithium is also located some 6 km north (and west) of Pontax-Lithium prospect (1.16% Li2O over 30.55m) of Striae Resources and about 23 km due south of Galaxy Resources James Bay/Cyr lithium deposit (40.3Mt @1.40%Li2O resource) for which Canada Environment federal minister just gave its approval on January 16 to start this new lithium mine in James Bay.

The Pontax-North lithium project covers favourable rocks (paragneiss) along the margins of a 23 by 5-10 km magnetic felsic pluton with a prospective section some 10-11 km long. Pontax-North claims are also located in the axis of SW-NE glacial movement and along a cluster of lithium metal lake sediment anomalies combined with useful other anomalous critical elements.* The claims are also located in the vicinities of several magnetic features intersecting the general SW-NE magnetic trend. Pontax-North lithium totals 33 wholly-owned claims for 1760 hectares. Field work is planned in 2023.

Geochemical signature is comparable to Pivert-Rose deposit and Pontax-Lithium prospect with even higher values in secondary environment. Pontax-Lithium (lithium-tantalum-bearing pegmatite dikes) was discovered and successfully drilled in the scope of former joint Dios/Sirios Resources exploration project under supervision of Harold Desbiens M.Sc. P.Geo, V.P. of Dios & 43-101 Qualified Person, who reviewed this release.

* Pontax-North (Li over 15ppm, up to 22.5ppm; Cs>2ppm; Rb > 13ppm, up to 18.2ppm)

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.

Contact information :Marie-Jose Girard, P. Geo M.Sc., 43-101 QPPresident[email protected]Tel. (514) 923-9123

Website: www.diosexplo.com

Source: DIOS Exploration Inc.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is shocked by the inadmissible attitude of the Azeri side towards children returning home to Nagorno Karabakh on January 17.

We are shocked by the inadmissible attitude of the Azerbaijani side towards the children returning to Nagorno-Karabakh on January 17, who were deprived of their parental care and separated from their families for about 40 days as a result of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement. As can be clearly seen in the videos published by the Azerbaijani side, the "eco-activists" conducting themselves as terrorists, halted the vehicle transporting the children home to Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor, shouted demonstratively, broke into the vehicle wearing masks, illegally filmed the children and subjected them to psychological violence: as a result of all this, the children were subjected to psychological terror, leading to one of them fainting.

These actions of the Azerbaijani side are vivid examples of the state-level policy of hatred and hostility towards Armenians and the displacement of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh - even at the level of targeting children. Such behaviour has no justification in both international legal and human-moral dimensions.

International organisations and institutions responsible for protecting children's rights, representatives of civilised humanity should provide a clear assessment of this reprehensible behaviour of the Azerbaijani side in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, it said.
Tampa, FLA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Youth-targeted social media marketing is rearing its ugly head once again. Illegal Chinese disposable vape brands like ELF and Puff Bar can be spotted all over popular social platforms like TikTok, spewing content specifically made to appeal to young consumers. Despite FDA regulations and platform policies prohibiting the marketing of tobacco or drugs to minors, youth-targeted vaping content is quite accessible and easy to find on platforms like TikTok and Instagram; with some of the categorys most popular clips boasting methods on how to conceal vape products, how to use certain devices, and even content focused on where to find fruit and dessert flavored products.

JUUL continues to pay the price for its disturbing and controversial youth-marketing tactics. After being investigated for over 2 years, JUUL was subsequently ordered to pay a $438.5 million settlement for the intentional marketing of their products to underage consumers. If our government is choosing to make an example out of JUUL for leading the charge with youth-marketing schemes and being one of the worlds top contributors to the youth vaping epidemic, where is the enforcement against the markets current offenders? Not only are disposable e-cigarette brands finding devious and surreptitious ways to market to young consumers on social media, but they are also selling illegal products with no Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) on file with the FDA.

With most of the worlds teenage population spending so much time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it is imperative that we protect this group from exposure to youth-appealing content coming from illegal disposable vape brands. Illegal Chinese disposables should be stopped at US customs and eradicated from our market. These dangerous and problematic products should be completely inaccessible by now, not only from children but from all Americans. If you witness illegal disposable vape products being marketed online or in a store near you, demand action and report the potential tobacco violation to the FDA. The solution starts with us.

On behalf of the American people, Pure Labs implores the FDA and the DOJ to enforce the removal of illegal disposable vape products from the US Market by working with US Customs to physically inhibit these products from entering our country. Put an end to the disposable-fueled youth vaping crisis once and for all.

About Pure Laboratories

Operating since 2009, Pure Laboratories (Pure Labs) is a Veteran-Owned state-of-the-art 110,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility located in Gainesville, Florida. Nicopure Labs, a subsidiary of Pure Labs, is an industry-leading manufacturer of American-Made tobacco and menthol E-liquid products. Nicopure Labs is best known for its award-winning E-liquid and hardware brand, Halo. With a 10,000-sq. ft. cleanroom, Pure Labs is synonymous with quality manufacturing. Pure Labs corporate headquarters are based in Tampa Florida, with additional European operations.

For additional information about carrying Halos premium American-made e-liquid and innovative line of vaporizer devices, please email Halos principal distribution partner, Syndicate Distribution at [email protected].

For additional information on Pure Laboratories full capabilities visit www.PureLabs.com.

For media inquiries, please email [email protected]

Samantha Knight Pure Labs [email protected]

Source: Pure Labs
Municipality Finance Plc

Stock Exchange Release

19 January 2023 at 1:00 pm (EET)

Municipality Finance Group Financial calendar in 2023

In this stock exchange release, MuniFin Group provides its financial calendar for 2023. The calendar includes the planned publication dates of MuniFin Groups financial reports.

The financial statements of MuniFin Group for the year 2022 will be published on 10 February 2023.

The annual report 2022 will be published around 7 March 2023. On the same date, MuniFin Group will also publish the Pillar III disclosure based on the Capital Requirements Regulation, and the Corporate Governance Statement.

The half year report for the period 1 January30 June 2023 will be published on 7 August 2023 and the Pillar III disclosure for the same period during the calendar week 32.

The financial reports are published in English and in Finnish.

The Annual General Meeting of Municipality Finance Plc is planned to be held on 28 March 2023.



MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Harri Luhtala

Executive Vice President, Finance, CFO

tel. +358 50 592 9454

MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finlands largest credit institutions. The company is owned by Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland. MuniFin Group also includes the subsidiary company, Financial Advisory Services Inspira Ltd. The Groups balance sheet totals close to EUR 47.5 billion.

MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin's customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

MuniFin's customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.



Read more: www.munifin.fi
DENVER, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) announced today that its Board of Directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend of twenty-five cents ($0.25) per share of common stock will be payable on March 15, 2023 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2023.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation

National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high quality client service and committed to stakeholder results. Through its bank subsidiaries, NBH Bank and Bank of Jackson Hole Trust, National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 98 banking centers, serving individual consumers, small, medium and large businesses, and government and non-profit entities. Its banking centers are located in its core footprint of Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico and Idaho. Its comprehensive residential mortgage banking group primarily serves the banks core footprint. Its trust business is operated in its core footprint under the Bank of Jackson Hole Trust charter. NBH Bank operates under a single state charter through the following brand names as divisions of NBH Bank: in Colorado, Community Banks of Colorado and Community Banks Mortgage; in Kansas and Missouri, Bank Midwest and Bank Midwest Mortgage; in Texas, Utah, New Mexico and Idaho, Hillcrest Bank and Hillcrest Bank Mortgage; and in Wyoming, Bank of Jackson Hole and Bank of Jackson Hole Mortgage. Additional information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: cobnks.com, bankmw.com, hillcrestbank.com, bankofjacksonhole.com, or nbhbank.com. Or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as anticipate, believe, can, would, should, could, may, predict, seek, potential, will, estimate, target, plan, project, continuing, ongoing, expect, intend or similar expressions that relate to the Companys strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve certain important risks, uncertainties and other factors, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the Risk Factors referenced in our most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC. The Company can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not intend, and assumes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

Contact:

Analysts/Institutional Investors: Aldis Birkans, 720-554-6640 Chief Financial Officer [email protected] or Media: Jody Soper, 303-784-5925 Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] Source: National Bank Holdings Corporation

Source: National Bank Holdings Corporation
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ITALY, DENMARK, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES, OR TO ANY NATIONAL OF SUCH JURISDICTIONS

19 January 2023

NB Private Equity Partners (NBPE), the $1.3bn, FTSE 250, listed private equity investment company managed by Neuberger Berman, today releases its 31 December 2022 Monthly Net Asset Value (NAV) estimate.

Highlights (as of 31 December 2022)

NAV per share of $27.94 (23.23)

(8.9%) NAV total return (TR) during 2022, with performance impacted by quoted holdings and FX movements

$143 million of announced realisations during 2022

$307 million of available liquidity

As of 31 December 2022 YTD 3 years 5 years 10 years NAV TR (USD) (8.9%) 60.1% 86.4% 226.1% MSCI World TR (USD) (17.7%) 17.3% 38.2% 146.4% Share price TR (GBP) (9.7%) 49.8% 87.3% 400.8% FTSE All-Share TR (GBP) 0.3% 7.1% 15.5% 88.2%

*Reflects cumulative returns over the time periods shown and are not annualised.

Business review (as of 31 December 2022)

NAV performance during the month driven by:

0.7% NAV increase ($10 million) from positive FX movements, primarily attributable to changes in the EUR/USD rate

0.4% NAV decrease ($5 million) from the value of quoted holdings (which constitute 12% of portfolio fair value)

0.2% NAV decrease ($3 million) from the receipt of additional third quarter private company valuation information

0.2% NAV decrease ($3 million) attributable to changes in the Zero Dividend Preference share (ZDP) liability and expense accruals

$143 million of announced realisations from the portfolio in 20221

Seven full or partial sales announced in 2022 include: the remaining assets of Telxius, the announced full sales of Leaseplan and Omega Environmental Technologies, the final sale of public shares of Fiserv, the partial realisation of MHS Global, the sale of Stratus Technologies and the partial sale of an additional transaction which was signed in June and closed in August 20222

$41 million invested in two transactions in 2022

$26 million invested in True Potential, a wealth management technology platform

$15 million re-invested in an undisclosed investment

$307 million of available liquidity

$7 million of cash and $300 million of undrawn credit facility

A further $27 million of proceeds from previously announced realisations expected in the coming months

Portfolio Valuation

The fair value of NBPEs portfolio as of 31 December 2022 was based on the following information:

15% of the portfolio was valued as of 31 December 2022

12% in public securities 3% in private direct investments



85% of the portfolio was valued as of 30 September 2022

84% in private direct investments 1% in private fund investments



For further information, please contact:

NBPE Investor Relations +1 214 647 9593

Kaso Legg Communications +44 (0)20 3995 6673

Charles Gorman [email protected]

Luke Dampier

Charlotte Francis

Supplementary Information (as of 31 December 2022)

Company Name Vintage Lead Sponsor Sector Fair Value ($m) % of FV Constellation Automotive 2019 TDR Capital Business Services 69.7 5.1% Action 2020 3i Consumer 60.1 4.4% USI 2017 KKR Financial Services 48.0 3.5% Advisor Group 2019 Reverence Capital Financial Services 46.0 3.3% AutoStore (OB.AUTO) 2019 THL Industrials 44.9 3.3% Agiliti (NYSE: AGTI) 2019 THL Healthcare 40.8 3.0% Material Handling Systems 2017 THL Industrials 39.7 2.9% Kroll 2020 Further Global / Stone Point Financial Services 34.7 2.5% Cotiviti 2018 Veritas Capital Healthcare 34.5 2.5% Business Services Company* 2017 Not Disclosed Business Services 32.4 2.3% BeyondTrust 2018 Francisco Partners Technology / IT 29.4 2.1% Marquee Brands 2014 Neuberger Berman Consumer 27.6 2.0% GFL (NYSE: GFL) 2019 BC Partners Business Services 27.3 2.0% Branded Toy Company* 2017 Not Disclosed Consumer 26.5 1.9% Stubhub 2020 Neuberger Berman Consumer 26.4 1.9% Engineering 2020 NB Renaissance / Bain Capital Technology / IT 24.7 1.8% True Potential 2022 Cinven Financial Services 24.4 1.8% Addison Group 2021 Trilantic Capital Partners Business Services 24.3 1.8% Auctane 2021 Thoma Bravo Technology / IT 23.5 1.7% Branded Cities Network 2017 Shamrock Capital Communications / Media 23.4 1.7% Petsmart / Chewy (NYSE: CHWY) 2015 BC Partners Consumer 22.0 1.6% Solenis 2021 Platinum Equity Industrials 21.5 1.6% Excelitas 2017 AEA Investors Industrials 21.5 1.6% Monroe Engineering 2021 AEA Investors Industrials 21.3 1.5% Staples 2017 Sycamore Partners Business Services 21.2 1.5% Bylight 2017 Sagewind Partners Technology / IT 20.6 1.5% Accedian 2017 Bridge Growth Partners Technology / IT 20.6 1.5% FV Hospital 2017 Quadria Capital Healthcare 17.7 1.3% Renaissance Learning 2018 Francisco Partners Technology / IT 17.0 1.2% Leaseplan 2016 TDR Capital Financial Services 16.4 1.2% Total Top 30 Investments $908.2 65.9%

*Undisclosed company due to confidentiality provisions.

Geography % of Portfolio North America 72% Europe 24% Asia / Rest of World 4% Total Portfolio 100% Industry % of Portfolio Tech, Media & Telecom 21% Consumer / E-commerce 20% Industrials / Industrial Technology 16% Business Services 14% Financial Services 14% Healthcare 10% Other 4% Energy 1% Total Portfolio 100% Vintage Year % of Portfolio 2014 & Earlier 5% 2015 2% 2016 7% 2017 25% 2018 19% 2019 17% 2020 11% 2021 11% 2022 3% Total Portfolio 100%





About NB Private Equity Partners Limited

NBPE invests in direct private equity investments alongside market leading private equity firms globally. NB Alternatives Advisers LLC (the Investment Manager), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, is responsible for sourcing, execution and management of NBPE. The vast majority of direct investments are made with no management fee / no carried interest payable to third-party GPs, offering greater fee efficiency than other listed private equity companies. NBPE seeks capital appreciation through growth in net asset value over time while paying a bi-annual dividend.

LEI number: 213800UJH93NH8IOFQ77

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 26 countries, Neuberger Bermans diverse team has over 2,600 professionals. For eight consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation, since last assessed, that was awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. In the 2021 PRI Assessment, the firm obtained the highest possible scoring for its overarching approach to ESG investment and stewardship, and integration across asset classes. The firm manages $427 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2022. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.

This press release appears as a matter of record only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any security.



NBPE is established as a closed-end investment company domiciled in Guernsey. NBPE has received the necessary consent of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. The value of investments may fluctuate. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee of future results. This document is not intended to constitute legal, tax or accounting advice or investment recommendations. Prospective investors are advised to seek expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before making any investment decision. Statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, estimates, projections, opinions and beliefs of NBPE's investment manager. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Additionally, this document contains "forward-looking statements." Actual events or results or the actual performance of NBPE may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such targets or forward-looking statements.







1$120 million of cash from realisations received through 31 December 2022, of which $17 million was attributable to a sale announced in 2021, but received in 2022. NBPE expects total additional net cash from these realisations of $27 million.

2Additional transaction represents an aggregate gross value to NBPE of approximately $33 million, of which NBPE received approximately $12 million in cash and NBPE elected to roll a total of approximately $21 million in value. The transaction closed in August 2022 and NBPE received the cash in October 2022.





Attachment
Project marks first Renewable Natural Gas initiative for Perdue in the Southeast

Lewiston, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perdue Farms has partnered with GreenGasUSA to further the companys carbon-reduction goals.

In late 2022, GreenGas completed installation of equipment at Perdues operations in Lewiston, N.C. to capture the methane from the operations onsite wastewater treatment facility and convert it to renewable natural gas (RNG).

Through GreenGas partnership with large food producers, industrial, and manufacturing companies all across the United States, the pipeline-grade RNG is transported from Perdues Lewiston operation to a GreenGas RNG pipeline interconnection hub, where it is injected into existing pipelines and made available to their customers.

A leading provider of renewable energy solutions, GreenGas helps farmers, food processors, and industrial manufacturers capture greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations. Through wastewater optimization and anaerobic digestion, the company converts waste streams into RNG, which is used by their customers as a zero- and negative-carbon fuel source to offset and reduce fossil fuel consumption. In the first two months of this project with Perdue, over 10,500 metric tons of CO2e were captured and converted to RNG. This is the GHG equivalent of eliminating 1,181,500 gallons of gasoline being consumed.

The Lewiston project has been a huge success for RNG development in the agriculture and food processing space, and a wonderful partnership with Perdue. We are excited to help accelerate Perdues sustainability journey by reducing emissions of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, and condition it to a valuable renewable fuel for end-users. The people, integrity, and collaboration at Perdue made this project the success that we are celebrating today, said CEO and Founder of GreenGasUSA, Marc Fetten.

A family-owned, vertically integrated food and agriculture company, Perdue Farms partners with more than 2,600 farmers in North Carolina growing poultry and grain, contributing significantly to the states agribusiness industry.

Through this high-impact initiative in North Carolina, weve initially reduced Perdues companywide carbon emissions by 17 percent, and expect that number to grow considerably over time, said Drew Getty, Perdue Farms vice president of environmental sustainability and government relations. Working with like-minded partners like GreenGas, were able to accelerate our environmental efforts and continue reducing the impact of our operations.

# # #

About Perdue Farms

Were a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE brand, Niman Ranch, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats, Coleman Natural, and Yummy, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms and Full Moon, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.

Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.

Now in our companys second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.

About GreenGasUSA

GreenGasUSA provides high quality renewable energy solutions centered around renewable natural gas (RNG) to carbon and renewable energy buyers. GreenGas wastewater and engineering experts design and permit comprehensive biogas solutions including, biogas capture, anaerobic digestion, gas flaring, compression, transportation, and pipeline injection. The core of our solutions is built around safety and environmental improvements. GreenGas has operational RNG facilities at agricultural and food processing sources across the country, with proven success in installing, commissioning, and operating gas upgrading equipment; RNG product compression and transportation; and existing pipeline injection infrastructure. Our existing assets and high-profile partnerships are helping to shape the renewable energy landscape by offering zero-carbon solutions to customers committed to bettering the environment.

Attachments
-- First living medicine to treat antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in the lung, a leading cause of mortality in hospital settings 

-- Data demonstrate treatment reduced lung infection and increased survival in preclinical models, and support advancement of ongoing research leveraging platform in other serious lung diseases, including lung cancer and asthma --

BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulmobiotics SL, a biotechnology company pioneering novel live biotherapeutics for the treatment of lung diseases, and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), an international biomedical research institute of excellence whose mission is to discover and advance knowledge for the benefit of society, public health and economic prosperity, today announced the publication of preclinical results demonstrating that treatment using Pulmobiotics engineered live biotherapeutic significantly reduced antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in the lungs of mice, thereby improving survival rates, and dissolved biofilms formed on endotracheal tubes of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). These data highlight a promising new approach to treat antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections, a leading cause of mortality in hospital settings, and could offer a potential alternative to the use of antibiotics that enable antibiotic resistance, a global public health crisis. Importantly, these data also support the application of Pulmobiotics synthetic biology research platform to discover and develop novel live biotherapeutics for the treatment of other serious lung diseases.

This novel treatment approach uses a strain of attenuated live bacteria genetically engineered to produce specific enzymes with activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the biofilms it forms which help the bacteria evade the immune system and antibiotics. This publication is the first time data has been described for a live biotherapeutic for the treatment of lung infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results are published in Nature Biotechnology and this research is supported by the European Research Council through an H2020 project and la Caixa Foundation through the CaixaResearch Health Call.

We have developed a battering ram that lays siege to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The treatment punches holes in their cell walls, providing crucial entry points for antibiotics to invade and clear infections at their source, said Maria Lluch, PhD, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Pulmobiotics, Professor of Basic Sciences at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya and co-corresponding author of the study. This new treatment approach is working as intended, and, importantly, demonstrates strong activity against the difficult-to-penetrate bacterial biofilms. We believe these data represent a promising new strategy to address a leading cause of mortality in hospitals.

Key Findings

Data demonstrate a signification reduction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial load in lungs of treated mice compared to controls. Histopathology assessment showed a significantly lower total score of lung lesions in lungs of treated mice compared to controls with less inflammation and less pneumonia indicating that treatment reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in the acute pneumonia mouse model.

In mice with acute lung infections, treatment doubled their survival rate. 50% of mice given the treatment survived after eight days, the time period given for an infection to clear, whereas only 25% of the untreated mice survived.

The treatment dissolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms formed on the surface of endotracheal tubes from VAP patients in the intensive care unit. Biofilms are clusters of bacteria that form impenetrable structures that are highly resistant to antibiotics. Treatment led to a significant reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial load with the Pulmobiotics treatment alone or in combination with ceftolozane/taxobactam antibiotics. These results demonstrate that the treatment has broad spectrum activity against biofilms formed by different multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strains.

There were no signs of toxicity in the lungs of mice after a single, high dose of the treatment, and the treatment was cleared in four days.

When tested as a prophylactic treatment against infection, the live biotherapeutic significantly reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa in lungs of treated mice compared to untreated control mice.

Todays publication is an exciting milestone for our company as it demonstrates the potential power of our live biotherapeutic platform in difficult-to-treat infectious diseases, as well as strong support for our belief that this approach can be applied to treat other serious lung diseases requiring continuous local delivery of a treatment said Claudio Santos, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Pulmobiotics. We will continue to leverage our synthetic biology and microbiology engineering expertise to develop additional pipeline programs that address unmet clinical needs. Our recent funding awards from the European Union and Spanish government to advance treatments for additional lung diseases including NSCLC and asthma provide validation for this new modality and potential benefit for patients.

The European Innovation Council has selected Pulmobiotics research platform as a potential breakthrough technology for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The funding will support research aimed at advancing live biotherapeutics that can overcome resistance that many patients develop to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pulmobiotics has also received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovations Public-Private Collaboration Projects to develop novel treatments for severe asthma in a consortium with the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB).

About Pulmobiotics Live Biotherapeutic Treatment for Infectious Lung DiseaseThe live biotherapeutic was developed by modifying a bacterium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, that is naturally present in the lung, removing its ability to cause disease and repurposing it to attack harmful microbes. It is designed to be administered alone or in combination with low dose antibiotics that would not work independently. The treatment offers an alternative to using high doses of antibiotics, which contribute to antibiotic resistance, a global public health threat. Unlike conventional treatments, an engineered bacterium may be able to deliver therapeutic molecules at the source of an infection without also adversely affecting healthy tissue, resulting in effective treatment with a low risk of side effects. Further preclinical testing and evaluation of the treatment is ongoing to support initiation of future clinical trials. The treatments being developed are designed to be administered using a nebulizer.

About Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a type of infection that affects critically ill patients who require intubation for breathing. Approximately 400,000 cases occur per year in the US and Europe and it is a significant cause of increased hospital stays and costs. The most common cause of VAP is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that accumulates on the surface of endotracheal tubes. In this environment, Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms that are extremely resistant to conventional treatments. To date, few treatments are available that can dissolve Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, exacerbating mortality rates in intensive care units.

About Pulmobiotics SLPulmobiotics SL is a biotechnology company pioneering novel live biotherapeutics for the treatment of lung diseases. Using a proprietary microbial engineering and synthetic biology toolbox, the Company engineers bacteria to expose antigens or deliver therapeutic agents in a controlled, local and continuous manner. Pulmobiotics SL is currently using this technology to discover and develop novel treatments for respiratory diseases, which are among the most common causes of severe illness and death worldwide, and is exploring its application in other disease areas. Pulmobiotics is a spin-off company from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (Barcelona - Spain) founded by experienced entrepreneurs and funded by Invivo Ventures.

About the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, created in July 2000. It is a non-profit foundation funded by the Catalan Government through the Department of Business & Knowledge and the Department of Health, the Spanish Ministry of Science & Innovation, the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, and includes the participation of Pompeu Fabra University. The mission of the CRG is to discover and advance knowledge for the benefit of society, public health and economic prosperity. The CRG believes that the medicine of the future depends on the groundbreaking science of today. This requires an interdisciplinary scientific team focused on understanding the complexity of life from the genome to the cell to a whole organism and its interaction with the environment, offering an integrated view of genetic diseases.

Pulmobiotics Contacts:

Claudio SantosChief Executive Officer[email protected]

Media:Mike Beyer[email protected]+1-312-961-2502

Source: Pulmobiotics, S.L.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Sugar Inc. (RSI) will be holding a conference call to discuss their 2023 first quarter results on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 8h00 (Eastern Time).

The conference call will be chaired by Mr. Michael Walton, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Jean-Sebastien Couillard, Chief Financial Officer.

If you wish to participate, please dial 1-888-886-7786. A recording of the conference call will be accessible shortly after the conference, by dialing 1-877-674-7070, access code 884450#. This recording will be available until February 24, 2023.

For further information

Jean-Sebastien Couillard Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary Tel.: (514) 940-4350 www.lanticrogers.com

Source: Rogers Sugar Inc.
OKEMOS, Mich., Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RSI Logistics, Inc. is excited to announcing a new strategic partnership with Transtar, LLC and its operating companies. This collaboration will see RSI Logistics operate the Delray Connecting Railroad Companys Zug Island transloading location within Transtars rail network, as well as jointly partnering to market the transloading location. The Zug Island bulk terminal is located within Detroit, Michigan, USA, and is a central shipping location for several commodities, as well as the Detroit, and Toledo, Ohio markets. Both RSI Logistics and Transtar place an important emphasis on providing the best possible service for customers, and this partnership will benefit rail shippers of both organizations.

Kelley Minnehan, Vice President of RSI Logistics, Inc., says that this partnership between RSI Logistics and Transtar brings together two organizations who care deeply about providing quality in rail shipping. We are ready and excited to begin working with Transtar to provide more opportunities for transloading. Transtar is all about providing rail transportation services and satisfying customers, and we foresee a successful journey together.

Transtar is thrilled to kick off an exciting new phase in our relationship with RSI Logistics, one that drives growth and development. This new relationship with RSI will unlock some unique synergies while providing us more access to expertise and resources to serve the growing needs of our expanding customer base, states J.W. Burwinkel, Transtar LLC Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer.

The benefits of this new partnership include.

Access by rail shippers to expanding markets and truck/rail shipping opportunities via Transtars Detroit, Zug Island location.

Ability to introduce new opportunities through the use of upgraded equipment, personal, and expanding tracks.

Future opportunities between Transtar, LLC and RSI Logistics, Inc.

About RSI Logistics, Inc.: RSI Logistics, Inc. is a premier rail logistics solution provider and has helped customers in every major industry improve the effectiveness of their rail transportation. A range of solutions, including logistics services, rail management software, transloading solutions, and more, allow RSI Logistics to tailor services to a customers needs. With over 20 locations in 14 states, RSI Logistics has been successfully helping organizations improve their rail shipping since 1984.

For more information about RSIs terminal locations, please visit Rail Terminal Services | Bulk Terminal - RSI Logistics

About Transtar, LLC: Transtar is a 130+ year old company built on a legacy of serving heavy manufacturing and positioned for rapid growth in the freight transportation market. Transtar owns and operates a group of freight transportation and rail service businesses that serve a range of industrial markets. Transtar is proud to be a well-maintained, high-quality company with an experienced management group dedicated to meeting the highest safety standards.

For more information about the Transtar companies, please visit Transtar, LLCs website.

Adam AndersonRSI Logistics, Inc.(517) 908-3657[email protected]

Source: RSI Logistics
WORCESTER, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire -- SideChannel (OTCQB:SDCH), a provider of cybersecurity services and technology for emerging and middle market companies, today announced that the Company will host an Investor Day on February 15, 2023. The event is scheduled from 9:00am to 10:30am ET and will be structured in a virtual webcast format.

The Investor Day will be hosted by Brian Haugli, President & CEO, as well as Ryan Polk, CFO, who will provide an update on SideChannels operations, recent developments, and strategic priorities.

Please Click Here to preregister for the event.

The Company will be answering questions submitted in advance to [email protected].

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Time: 9:00am to 10:30am ET

Webcast Registration Click Here

Webcast Link https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2071/47491

Dial in info Toll Free: 888-506-0062 International: 973-528-0011 Participant Access Code: 469673

Dial in participants will be greeted by an operator and asked for the access code. If a caller does not have the code, they can reference the company name.

About SideChannel

SideChannel is committed to creating top-tier cybersecurity programs for mid-market companies to help them protect their assets. SideChannel employs what it believes to be skilled and experienced talent to harden these companies' defenses against cybercrime, in its many forms. SideChannel's team of C-suite level information security officers possess a combined experience of over 400 years in the industry. To date, SideChannel has created more than 50 multi-layered cybersecurity programs for its clients. Learn more at sidechannel.com.

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SideChannel

146 Main Street Suite 405 Worcester, MA 01608

Investor Contact

Scott McGowan InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN) Phone: 310.299.1717 [email protected]

Media Contact

Jamie Szwiec STiR-communications 954-647-0052 [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of SideChannel's future expectations, plans and prospects, subject to the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes", "hopes", "expects", "intends", "plans", "anticipates", or "may", and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act and otherwise. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of SideChannel to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to integrate the operations of the acquired company into our company; that we have incurred net losses since inception, our need for additional funding, the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and the terms of any future funding we raise; that COVID-19 has materially adversely affected our operations and may continue to have a material adverse impact on our operating results in the future; our dependence on current management and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; competition for our products; our ability to develop new products, improve current products and innovate; unpredictability in our operating results; our ability to retain existing licensees and add new licensees; our ability to manage our growth; our ability to protect our intellectual property (IP), enforce our IP rights and defend against claims that we infringed on the IP of others; and other risk factors included from time to time in documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, our Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on SideChannel's future results. Further, factors that we do not presently deem material as of the date of this release may become material in the future. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. SideChannel cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, SideChannel undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, nor any obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties.

Corporate Communications:

InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office [email protected]

Source: SideChannel
Columbus, OH, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rob Lee, Director of the Tim Lamb Groups Northeast Region, the largest auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm in North America, has brokered the sale of the Gibbons Ford Dealership in Dickson City, PA to Rhode Island based Tasca Automotive Group. The sale came after the announcement that Gibbons Ford owner for the last 20 years, John Grow, was retiring. Lee helped facilitate the deal which closed on December 5, 2022. The dealership is now known as Tasca Ford Dickson City and is located at 704 Martin F. Gibbons Blvd. in Dickson City, PA.

Grows hope was to find a company who would share the same values and to keep with the family-oriented dynamic that he strived for at Gibbons Ford. Lee connected Grow with Tasca Automotive Group, a four-generation family owned and operated business, who agreed to honor Grows wish with the purchase of the dealership.

This deal took about eight months to finalize, stated Lee. As a broker, I act as a trustworthy resource for both the buyer and the seller. The process starts with finding a buyer that will be the right fit for the seller and continues with making sure that both parties have everything negotiated and organized prior to the final signing.

We understand how important honesty, integrity, and customer satisfaction are to a company, stated Bob Tasca III, Vice President with Tasca Automotive Group. These values and principles are the same ones that we have been committed to providing since my great grandfather Bob Tasca Sr. founded Tasca Automotive Group in 1943 and we are happy to carry them on at Tasca Ford Dickson City. With the sale of the dealership, Tasca has retained all of Gibbons 71 employees.

The 47,500 sq. ft. dealership is located at 704 Martin F. Gibbons Blvd., in Dickson City, PA. and features a vast selection of new and used vehicles as well as a service center that includes 28 service stalls.

This is our first dealership in Pennsylvania, and we are excited to be expanding into a new market and providing a stress-free car shopping experience with exceptional car care and customer service, stated Tasca. Tasca has 30 additional locations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Missouri.

For more information on Tim Lamb Group visit, https://timlambgroup.com/

About Tim Lamb Group

Since 2006, Tim Lamb Group has been the number one choice for dealers looking to sell, or purchase, a new vehicle dealership. Twelve regional directors handle billions of dollars per year in transactions for multiple dealer operators in every part of the United States and Canada. The Group has leveraged their factory management experience and retail dealership background to become the largest auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm in North America. For more information and dealership offerings, visit www.timlambgroup.com.

Dawn Kelley Expand Marketing Group 734-765-1429 [email protected]

Source: Tim Lamb Group
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan had a phone call with Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

They discussed the regional security situation and Grigoryan presented the deteriorating humanitarian crisis with all its consequences in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor, Grigoryans office said in a read-out.

Grigoryan and Doval were pleased to note the stable dynamics of development of the Armenian-Indian friendly relations and the existing high level of political dialogue.
RICHMOND, British Columbia, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transoft Solutions, developers of productivity-enhancing software and services for aviation, civil infrastructure, transportation and traffic safety industries, announced the promotion of Daniel Shihundu to CEO, along with a number of executive level changes effective January 2023.

With this appointment, Mr. Shihundu will assume the leadership of Transoft Solutions' global business operations with a focus on growth, building high-performing teams, and driving technical innovation to better serve our clients.

Mr. Shihundu joined Transoft Solutions in 2007 as Senior Civil Engineer and oversaw the forming of Transoft's first Product Management team. He has held progressively senior roles, including Senior Vice President of Civil & Transportation before being appointed to President in 2021.

Milton Carrasco will be stepping back from his role as CEO into the position of Chair, board of directors. As co-founder of Transoft, Mr. Carrasco led the company from a Richmond-based business to become a top transportation software company with a global presence and an impressive product portfolio spanning aviation, civil & transportation, and traffic safety industries. The company originated in 1991 when Mr. Carrasco launched its first product, AutoTURN, which was borne from his master's thesis "Computerized Vehicle-Turning Simulation: An Interactive Application".

"I have every confidence that Daniel will be successful in carrying the torch as Transoft's CEO and ensuring the company's continued growth and success, given his years of embracing the Transoft culture, his sound leadership and methodical approach." said Mr. Carrasco. "I look forward to seeing Transoft continue to evolve and grow under his leadership."

New Leadership Appointments to Bolster Operations

Ben van Leest has been promoted from Senior Vice President, Aviation to Executive Vice President, Business Units. He will oversee all three business units, including Aviation, Civil & Transportation, and Traffic Safety. Mr. van Leest joined Transoft Solutions when Simtra was acquired in 2014. Throughout his career with Transoft, he has led key acquisitions and the development of our Aviation software offerings and enhancing our existing portfolio.

Peter McIntyre has been promoted from Senior Vice President, APAC to Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing and will now oversee Corporate and Digital Marketing, as well as the Regional Sales & Marketing teams. Mr. McIntyre joined Transoft in 2006 and is an accomplished leader and industry veteran with nearly 20 years of sales, marketing and operations experience in software.

"I look forward to working alongside Transoft's talented and dedicated leadership team to continue our mission to build the most trusted, innovative, and intelligent transportation software and provide outstanding service for our users," said Mr. Shihundu. "These important organizational changes will result in better collaboration and greater accountability for decisions within the company. Together, we will keep moving forward with sustainable growth that benefits stakeholders and the regions in which we operate - all while staying true to our core company values, such as respect, collaboration, professionalism, and compassion."

About Transoft Solutions

Transoft Solutions develops innovative and highly specialized software for aviation, civil infrastructure, and transportation professionals. Since 1991, Transoft has remained focused on safety-oriented solutions that enable transportation professionals to work effectively and confidently. Our portfolio of planning, simulation, modeling, and design solutions are used in over 150 countries serving more than 50,000 customers across local and federal agencies, consulting firms, airport authorities, and ports. We take pride in providing the highest quality of customer support from our headquarters in Canada, and through our offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, India, Belgium, Spain, and China. For more information on Transoft's range of aviation, civil design, and traffic safety solutions, visit transoftsolutions.com

Contact Information: Jeannine Sheares Corporate Marketing Director [email protected] 16043966472

Related Images

Image 1: Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre were promoted to bolster global operations at Transoft Image 2: Daniel Shihundu, Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre Daniel Shihundu, Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre in new leadership roles at Transoft Solutions to bolster global operations Image 3: Daniel Shihundu and Milton Carrasco Long-time Transoft Solutions CEO & founder Milton Carrasco steps down and welcomes Daniel Shihundu to helm the organization

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment

Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre Ben van Leest & Peter McIntyre

Source: Transoft Solutions Inc.
A 3D printed Whatsapp logo and keyboard buttons are placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Meta's WhatsApp subsidiary was fined 5.5 million euros ($5.95 million) on Thursday by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC), its lead EU privacy regulator, for an additional breach of the bloc's privacy laws.

The DPC also told WhatsApp to reassess how it uses personal data for service improvements following a similar order it issued this month to Meta's other main platforms, Facebook and Instagram, which stated Meta must reassess the legal basis upon which it targets advertising through the use of personal data.

A spokesperson for WhatsApp said it intended to appeal the decision, and that it strongly believed that the way its service operates is both technically and legally compliant.

The Irish watchdog, which is the lead EU regulator for many of the world's top technology companies due to the location of their European headquarters in Ireland, directed WhatsApp to bring its processing operations into compliance within six months.

The DPC fined WhatsApp 225 million euros in September 2021 for breaches that occurred in May 2018, the same period of time as the complaint dealt with on Thursday. WhatsApp is in the process of appealing that fine through the Irish courts.

The regulator has fined Meta 1.3 billion euros to date and has 10 other inquiries open into its services.

($1 = 0.9246 euros)

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Jason Neely and Jan Harvey)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77I) ("Boosh" or the "Company") a premier plant-based brand in the "better for you" food sector, is pleased to announce that it has closed a small production facility in Penticton that it gained through the acquisition of Pulse Kitchen last year.

Boosh is moving production of those lines to Plant Veda Inc., (CSE: MILK) a premier producer of plant based milk and yogurt located in Delta BC.

"We are thrilled to be working with Plant Veda as our co-manufacturer. It was paramount that we found a company used to producing high quality products and using similar ingredients. Amuse boosh cheeze and vge pate are made primarily of plants, nuts, and seeds, as are Plant Veda's products," said Connie Marples, CEO. "We know this move will improve our margins by approximately 5% and help Boosh achieve its goal of becoming profitable this year."

Mayur Sajnani, Co-Founder of Plant Veda states, "We are really excited about this partnership with Boosh. By providing co packing services at our SQF certified facility-Plant Veda Innovation Centre, we are trying to build a platform for more and more Plant based food companies of different sizes to provide consumers with more plant-based choices available."

Connie Marples

Founder/CEO

[email protected]

Telephone: 778 840 1700

www.Booshfood.com

About Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc.:



Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Boosh Food (www.booshfood.com) offers high quality, non-GMO, gluten free, 100% plant-based nutritional comfort foods for the whole family. Through a separate subsidiary, Beautiful Beanfields, (www.beanfields.com) the Company owns Beanfields, a plant-based chip brand sold in over 7,000 stores throughout North America. Boosh, good for you and good for planet earth.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's expectations concerning the size of the Financing, its ability to close the Financing in whole or in part or at all and its plan for the proceeds of the Financing. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

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/151862
Nassau, Bahamas--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - DelphX Capital Markets Inc. (TSXV: DELX) (OTCQB: DPXCF) ("DelphX"), a leader in the development of new classes of structured products for the fixed income market, today announced that the Company will participate in the CEM AlphaNorth Capital Event, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas on January 21-22, 2023.

The event introduces growth-stage companies (Non-Resource, Technology, Biotech, & Special Situations) to active top-level capital finance individuals through a day of 20-minute 1:1 meetings. DelphX CEO Patrick Wood will meet with investors on Saturday January 21st, 2023.

"We are very excited about the recent launch of our new Credit Rating Security (CRS) product, which represents an industry-first solution that gives bond holders and traders the ability to position against potential rating changes on existing bonds," explained CEO Patrick Wood. "The format of this event is ideal for reaching a large number of investors in a short time frame, but just as importantly, gives us the opportunity to familiarize attendees with a very large market opportunity for DelphX."

The Company also announces that its Board of Directors has approved the grant of 650,000 stock options (the "Options") to eligible participants under its stock option plan (the "Plan"). The Options have a two-year maturity and are exercisable for common shares of DelphX at an exercise price of $0.15 per common share, all in accordance with the Plan.

About DelphX Capital Markets Inc.

DelphX is a technology and financial services company focused on developing and distributing the next generation of structured products. Through its special purpose vehicle Quantem LLC, the Company enables fixed income dealers to offer new private placement securities that optimally transfer and diffuse credit risk, while allowing the enhancement of yield. The new DelphX securities will enable dealers and their qualified institutional investors (QIBs) accounts to competitively structure, sell and make markets in:

Collateralized put options (CPOs) that provide secured default protection for underlying corporate, municipal and sovereign securities;

Collateralized reference notes (CRNs) that enable credit investors to take on the default exposure of an underlying security in exchange for enhanced yield.

All CPOs and CRNs are fully collateralized and held in custody by BNY Mellon. CPOs and CRNs are proprietary products created and owned by DelphX Capital Markets.

For more information about DelphX, please visit www.delphx.com.

Mark Forney, Corporate Development

DelphX Capital Markets Inc.

[email protected]

(718) 509-2160

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" including, without limitation, statements regarding the launch of the DelphX platform. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results or events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, business, economic and capital market conditions, regulatory uncertainties, and the demand for our products. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the state of the capital markets, the ability of DelphX to successfully manage the risks inherent in pursuing business opportunities in the financial services industry, and the ability of DelphX to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner to develop its business. Any forward-looking statement reflects information available to DelphX as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable laws, DelphX undertakes no intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151880
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Endurance Gold Corporation (TSXV: EDG) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company will be exhibiting at the 2023 Association Mineral Exploration (AME) Roundup Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre East starting with the Trade Show #1521 on Monday January 23 and Tuesday January 24 followed by The Core Shack on Wednesday January 25 and Thursday January 26.

Drill core will be displayed from several of the best holes completed by the Company at its Reliance Gold Project with intersections such as 15.7 grams per tonne ("gpt") gold over 24.8 metres ("m") including 26.96 gpt gold over 4.1 m, 8.47 gpt gold over 24.9 m including 16.27 gpt gold over 10.5 m, 8.62 gpt gold over 24.4 m including 17.02 gpt gold over 4.3 m, and the most recent drill hole of 3.05 gpt gold over 139.9 m including several higher grade separate intersections such as 12.85 gpt gold over 12.9 m and 6.21 gpt gold over 11.8 m.

The Reliance Gold Project is located in southern British Columbia 10 km north of the historic Bralorne-Pioneer Gold Mining Camp which has produced over 4 million ounces of gold. The road accessible property is located 4 kilometres east of the village of Gold Bridge.

During the convention the Company will also be entertaining strategic proposals for its 100% owned intrusive-hosted Elephant Mountain Gold Project in Alaska and 100% owned Bandito Rare-Earth Niobium Property in the Yukon.

Endurance Gold Corporation is a Company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of highly prospective North American mineral properties with the potential to develop world-class deposits.

ENDURANCE GOLD CORPORATION

Robert T. Boyd

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Endurance Gold Corporation

(604) 682-2707, [email protected]

www.endurancegold.com

Please review prior press releases and presentations for sampling procedures and cautionary statements. The work programs were supervised by Darren O'Brien, P.Geo., an independent consultant and qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. O'Brien has reviewed and approved this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151898
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM) (OTCQB: HMTXF) ("Hemostemix" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has received a $250,000 Letter of Commitment for funding from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation. The Letter of Commitment confirms that the MUHC Foundation will fund $250,000 of the clinical trial expenses and partner with Hemostemix, Dr. Nadia Giannetti and Dr. Renzo Cecere to complete a phase II double blind randomized clinical trial of ACP-01 as a treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

In 2020, the MUHC Foundation launched its $200 million Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine. The Dream Big Campaign is designed to ensure bold innovations like ACP-01 are well supported by philanthropy. To reach that goal, Hemostemix and the MUHC Foundation are committed to working together with federal and provincial partners alongside donors to fund the phase II clinical trial at the McGill University Health Centre.

"Given our three investigator led studies of 179 ischemic cardiomyopathy subjects demonstrates ACP-01 is safe and generates a statistically significant improvement in left ventricle ejection fraction, the interest of Dr. Giannetti and Dr. Cecere and the MUHC Foundation is pivotal, as it enables Hemostemix to raise additional non-dilutive clinical trial funding. Investors can also choose to support this exciting innovation through a tax-deductible donation to the MUHC Foundation," stated Thomas Smeenk, CEO.

"Innovation is key to advancing medicine. The MUHC Foundation is proud to help bring this ground-breaking clinical trial to the MUHC. Our partnership with Hemostemix will not only benefit patients at the MUHC living with cardiomyopathy, but create new knowledge that will benefit people with the disease across Canada and around the world," says Julie Quenneville, President, MUHC Foundation.

Dr. Giannetti received her medical degree from McGill University. After training in cardiology at McGill, she went on to pursue a Fellowship in Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at Stanford University in California. She returned to McGill to become an Attending Cardiologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine. Along with her team, Dr. Giannetti participates in the care of over 1,000 patients with heart failure. She is the former Chief of Cardiology at the McGill University Health Centre (2010-2021) and since 2021 she has been the Associate Physician-in-Chief for the Department of Medicine at the McGill University Health Centre.

Dr. Cecere is the McGill University Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Surgical Director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Program, and Director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program. He is also Associate Member of McGill University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and a Director and Principal Investigator of the Research Institute of the MUHC's Myocardial Regeneration Laboratory.

For over a decade, Dr. Cecere's lab has been investigating novel methods to strengthen the stem-cell induced regeneration of infarcted heart tissue. Dr. Cecere has utilized placenta-derived stem cells and investigated their regenerative potential in different animal models of myocardial infarction ("MI"). More recently, Dr. Cecere's lab is actively involved in a project to create a platform to generate patient-specific cardiomyocytes from the blood of patients with heart failure. In Dr. Cecere's recent project (under review, Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine), the team encapsulated placenta derived stem cells in a hydrogel scaffold and implanted it in a rat MI model. The stem cell/scaffold composite enhanced several parameters of cardiac function, including ejection fraction and fractional shortening, while also reducing fibrosis and increasing angiogenesis. In fact, Dr. Cecere's lab recently published a systematic review and meta-analysis that demonstrated that stem cells combined with bioactive scaffolds provide enhanced tissue regeneration in animal models of MI, compared to stem cells injected alone. This study paves the way for future research and clinical trials, supporting the use of ACP-01-based bioactive scaffolds to improve the stem cell-induced repair after a MI.

ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX

Hemostemix is an autologous stem cell therapy company, founded in 2003. A winner of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, the Company has developed, patented, and is scaling a patient's blood-based stem cell therapeutics platform that includes angiogenic cell precursors, neuronal cell precursor and cardiomyocyte cell precursors. For more information, please visit www.hemostemix.com.

For further information, please contact: Thomas Smeenk, President, CEO & Co-Founder

EM: [email protected] PH: 905-580-4170

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the lead product ACP-01, the Phase II Clinical Trial of ischemic cardiomyopathy and related results, the retrospective study of ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy, and the commercialization of ACP-01. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Hemostemix's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Hemostemix and on assumptions Hemostemix believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of Hemostemix and its Common Shares; the successful resolution of the litigation that Hemostemix is pursuing or defending (the "Litigation"); the results of ACP-01 research, trials, studies and analyses, including the analysis being equivalent to or better than previous research, trials or studies; the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for research, trials or studies; the level of activity, market acceptance and market trends in the healthcare sector; the economy generally; consumer interest in Hemostemix's services and products; competition and Hemostemix's competitive advantages; and Hemostemix obtaining satisfactory financing to fund Hemostemix's operations including any research, trials or studies, and any Litigation. Forward-looking information is Subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Hemostemix to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the ability of Hemostemix to complete clinical trials, complete a satisfactory analyses and file the results of such analyses to gain regulatory approval of a phase II or phase III clinical trial of ACP-01; potential litigation Hemostemis mayface; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations including the actual results of future research, trials or studies; competition; changes in legislation affecting Hemostemix; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in Hemostemix's markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, disruptions to economic activity and financings, disruptions to supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession or depression;the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Hemostemix which may include a decreased demand for the services that Hemostemix offers; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit Hemostemix's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Hemostemix's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although Hemostemix has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Hemostemix as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, it is Subject to change after such date. However, Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151892
Single Municipality Represents Between 300 to 500 SmartGATE Units over Next Few Years

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Legend Power Systems (TSXV: LPS), a global leader in commercial Active Power Management solutions, confirms that Active Power Management solutions will be part of new building design and construction standards as well as major electrification renovation standards for a major North American municipality. This confirmation represents between 300 to 500 Active Power Management systems over the next few years within this municipality's building portfolio.

"This opportunity signals the strong need for Legend Power, and this is a major step to cement the need for Active Power Management Systems, like the SmartGATE, as part of any electrification strategy going forward," said Mike Cioce, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Legend Power Systems. "Societies demand global GHG reduction. Commercial building electrification and renewable energy are areas that can significantly contribute to these reductions. However, there isn't enough electricity to meet the growing demand, and more electricity growth will require more wind and solar power generation which is great for the planet but a major challenge for people who depend on electricity. More wind and solar power generation creates more grid volatility, which can damage sophisticated systems that are core to decarbonization strategies, resulting in disruptions to critical building systems for the people that depend on them. The SmartGATE is simply the best available option to prevent grid volatility from impacting buildings while saving energy consumption and GHG emissions in the process as demonstrated by this major city incorporating Active Power Management into its electrification plans."

This major step positions Active Power Management as a core component to reducing carbon emissions as commercial buildings represent an estimated 40% of carbon emissions globally. Our need for renewable electricity continues to grow to meet the growing demand while reducing GHG emissions. As our buildings and facilities get more sophisticated to reduce carbon emissions and minimize electric consumption, the market for Active Power Management will continue to expand. Legend Power estimates the potential addressable market for Active Power Management to be north of one million installations in North America alone, representing over a $200 billion market opportunity.

About SmartGATE

SmartGATE is an industry-leading, turnkey solution which identifies and fixes underperformance and waste in the electrical system of a commercial building. These performance issues often impact key areas of commercial real estate metrics including occupant safety and satisfaction as well as financial performance. This waste can also lead to higher operating costs, lower net operating income and other potential financial risks to the building owner, including adverse tenant experiences.

About Legend Power Systems Inc.

Legend Power Systems Inc. (www.legendpower.com) provides an intelligent energy management platform that analyzes and improves building energy challenges, significantly impacting asset management and corporate performance. Legend's proven solutions support proactive executive decision-making in a complex and volatile business and energy environment.

For further information, please contact:

Jonathan Lansky, Director

+1 416 417 7664

[email protected]

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

+ 1 647 503 1054

[email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151834
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Nexo Capital Inc. with failing to register the offer and sale of its retail crypto asset lending product, the Earn Interest Product (EIP). To settle the SECs charges, Nexo agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty and cease its unregistered offer and sale of the EIP to U.S. investors. In parallel actions announced today, Nexo agreed to pay an additional $22.5 million in fines to settle similar charges by state regulatory authorities.

According to the SECs order, in or around June 2020, Nexo began to offer and sell the EIP in the United States. The EIP allowed U.S. investors to tender their crypto assets to Nexo in exchange for Nexos promise to pay interest. The order states that Nexo marketed the EIP as a means for investors to earn interest on their crypto assets, and Nexo exercised its discretion to use investors crypto assets in various ways to generate income for its own business and to fund interest payments to EIP investors. The order finds that the EIP is a security and that the offer and sale of the EIP did not qualify for an exemption from SEC registration. Therefore, Nexo was required to register its offer and sale of the EIP, which it failed to do.

In agreeing to settle with Nexo, the Commission considered remedial acts promptly undertaken by the company and the companys cooperation with Commission staff. Specifically, the SECs order notes that, after the Commission announced charges involving a similar crypto investment product in February 2022, Nexo voluntarily ceased offering the EIP to new U.S. investors and ceased paying interest on new funds added to existing EIP accounts of U.S. investors. Further, the order states that Nexo announced in December that it was ceasing the EIP in certain states and phasing out all of its products and services in the United States, including permanently ceasing to offer the EIP to all U.S. investors.

We charged Nexo with failing to register its retail crypto lending product before offering it to the public, bypassing essential disclosure requirements designed to protect investors, said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Compliance with our time-tested public policies isnt a choice. Where crypto companies do not comply, we will continue to follow the facts and the law to hold them accountable. In this case, among other actions, Nexo is ceasing its unregistered lending product as to all U.S. investors.

We are not concerned with the labels put on offerings, but on their economic realities. And part of that reality is that crypto assets are not exempt from the federal securities laws, said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SECs Division of Enforcement. If youre offering or selling products that constitute securities under well-established laws and legal precedent, then no matter what you call those products, youre subject to those laws and we expect compliance.

Without admitting or denying the SECs findings, Nexo agreed to a cease-and-desist order prohibiting it from violating the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933.

The SECs investigation was conducted by Pei Y. Chung, Randall D. Friedland, and Christian J. Ascunce, with assistance from Sachin Verma and Peter Rosario, under the supervision of Stacy L. Bogert. The SEC appreciates the assistance of members of the North American Securities Administrators Association.

The SECs Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and Enforcements Retail Strategy Task Force has previously issued anInvestor Bulletin on Crypto Asset Interest-bearing Accounts. Investors can find additional information about crypto assets at Investor.gov.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2023) - Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMN) (OTCQB: SMREF) is pleased to report drill results from the first five holes of its fall 2022 exploration drill program on its Buck Project, central B.C. The program consisted of 10 diamond drill holes totalling approximately 3,000 metres.

The focus of the drill program was to test the extent of the Buck Main gold-silver-zinc epithermal-related system along strike and at depth. Analytical results from the first five expansion holes indicate the presence and continuity of gold-silver-zinc epithermal-related mineralization beyond the previously tested Buck Main mineralized system. Three of the westernmost holes intersected broad zones of strong gold-silver-zinc mineralization with numerous higher-grade intervals.

Highlights from the first 5 holes include:

Hole BK22-083: 72.0 metres of 0.5 g/t Au and 10.0 g/t Ag,

including 4.2 metres of 3.1 g/t Au and 53.8 g/t Ag; 7.0 metres of 6.4 g/t Au and 27.6 g/t Ag,

including 1.1 metres of 38.0 g/t Au and 137.0 g/t Ag.

Hole BK22-082: 37.3 metres of 0.7 g/t Au and 10.9 g/t Ag , including 1.5 metres of 11.8 g/t Au and 39.2 g/t Ag, before the hole was lost in bad ground.

Hole BK22-081: 27.0 metres of 0.4 g/t Au and 14.9 g/t Ag before the hole was lost in bad ground.

Results demonstrate strong expansion potential for both disseminated and high-grade gold-silver-zinc mineralization to the west and to the south of previous drill programs.

Notes:

Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. Calculations are uncut and length-weighted using a 0.10 g/t gold cut-off. Actual values may slightly differ from Table 1 due to rounding.

Sharyn Alexander, Sun Summit's President, stated: "Our goal for the fall 2022 drill program at Buck Main was to investigate lithologic and structural controls on gold-silver-zinc mineralization as well as scale potential along strike, primarily to the west and south of where our previous drilling defined new zones of mineralization. Initial results from these five holes appear to support our objective and demonstrate the potential for expansion. With every new step out hole we gain valuable insight into the Buck Main system which helps us better plan for the next phase of drilling. Analytical results from the remaining five holes conducted in this drill program are expected shortly and will be reported as they become available."

Table 1. Assay Results

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Zn (ppm) BK22-081* 5.4 32.4 27.0 0.39 14.9 2824













BK22-082* 4.0 41.3 37.3 0.73 10.9 2293 inc 27.9 29.4 1.5 11.75 39.2 4140













BK22-083 64.4 73.2 8.8 0.16 2.3 1792 and 162.0 282.5 120.5 0.41 7.6 5162 inc 210.5 282.5 72.0 0.53 10.0 5582 inc 268.0 272.2 4.2 3.13 53.8 12298 and 311.0 320.0 9.0 0.32 2.2 3211 and 342.3 351.3 9.0 0.82 18.3 3254 and 390.5 406.5 16.0 2.87 12.6 4935 inc 390.5 397.5 7.0 6.44 27.6 10832 inc 391.9 393.0 1.1 38.00 137.0 59400













BK22-084 69.1 84.1 15.0 0.32 3.2 775 and 123.0 138.5 15.5 0.45 15.0 3402 and 155.0 171.5 16.5 0.15 4.1 925 and 182.0 205.0 23.0 0.29 7.9 1670 and 220.0 270.0 50.0 0.18 8.1 1668













BK22-085 92.0 120.5 28.5 0.24 8.6 594 and 128.0 137.0 9.0 0.12 4.3 457 and 185.0 192.0 7.0 0.14 5.4 1215 and 202.5 217.5 15.0 0.71 5.4 1303 and 225.0 244.5 19.5 0.14 5.7 760 and 253.5 276.0 22.5 0.25 12.3 859

* Hole terminated early due to bad ground conditions

Notes:

Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. Calculations are uncut and length-weighted using a 0.10 g/t gold cut-off. Actual values may slightly differ from Table 1 due to rounding.

Drill Program

The primary objective of the fall 2022 drill program at Buck Main was to investigate the lateral and vertical extents of near-surface gold-silver-zinc mineralization covering a known east-west strike length of one kilometre. A total of 10 diamond drill holes were completed over 3,000 metres, two of which were terminated early due to bad ground conditions. Most holes were drilled on similar sections as previous drill programs to better facilitate modeling and structural interpretation.

Three of the five holes in this release were drilled to the west of previous step-out holes (e.g., holes BK21-059, -065 and BK22-070, -072, Figure 1) to test for depth as well as southern and western mineralization extents. The two remaining holes, designed to test for mineralization potential below basalt cover rocks, were drilled on the eastern side of Buck Main.





Figure 1. Map showing drill collar locations with selected highlights



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/151806_3e13ad06941fe842_001full.jpg

Hole BK22-083 was collared to the southwest of BK22-072 (see May 3, 2022 news release). The hole was designed to test for the western extent of strong gold-silver-zinc mineralization intersected in BK22-070 (see May 3, 2022 news release) as well as test for vertical continuity of mineralization. Numerous broad zones of disseminated and veinlet-hosted sulfide mineralization were intersected and yielded intervals such as 6.4 g/t Au and 27.6 g/t Ag over 7.0 metres, including 38.0 g/t Au and 137.0 g/t Ag over 1.1 metres. This hole successfully extended mineralization 40 metres to the west from hole BK22-072.

Holes BK22-081 and -082 were drilled to the southwest and were designed to test for the southwestern extent of mineralization previously intersected in holes BK21-059 and -065 (see February 22, 2022 news release). Both holes collared in strong disseminated mineralization highlighted by 0.7 g/t Au and 10.9 g/t Ag over 37.3 metres, including 11.8 g/t Au and 39.2 g/t Ag over 1.5 metres in BK22-082. Both holes were terminated early due to bad ground conditions. Together with the top of BK21-059, both holes successfully defined a zone of near-surface mineralization with open depth potential to the south.

Two holes were also drilled east of the known limits of the Buck Main zone. Holes BK22-084 and BK22-085 were collared east of BK22-075 (see June 1, 2022 news release). Both holes bottomed in mineralized rocks and returned numerous intervals of broad gold-silver-zinc mineralization (e.g., 0.5 g/t Au and 15.0 g/t Ag over 15.5 metres in BK22-084, and 0.7 g/t Au and 5.4 g/t Ag over 15.0 metres of in BK22-085) and suggest the main epithermal-related system extends below basalt cover eastward. Additional drilling is warranted to fully investigate the eastern and northeastern lateral extent of the Buck Main system.





Figure 2. Cross section showing selected highlights



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/151806_3e13ad06941fe842_003bfull.jpg

Table 2. Drill Collar Locations

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Azimuth Dip Depth (m)

BK22-081 654192 6019711 884 200 -49.8 53

BK22-082 654192 6019713 884 200 -50.2 52

BK22-083 654082 6019633 879 357 -85.8 408

BK22-084 654926 6019633 907 312 -44.9 270

BK22-085 654928 6019631 907 342 -44.6 276





Coordinates are in UTM NAD83 Zone 9N

Upcoming Events

January 23 to 26, AME Roundup, Vancouver January 23 to 24: Exhibition Hall Booth # 89 January 23 to 24: Core Shack Booth # 922 January 26: BC, Yukon and Alaska Session, Technical Talk at 9:45 am

January 29 to 30, Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC), Vancouver Booth # 309 Corporate Presentation January 30: Workshop 2 at 2 pm



Quality Assurance and Quality Control

All sample assay results have been monitored through the Company's quality assurance / quality control (QA / QC) program. Drill core was sawn in half at Sun Summit's core logging and processing facility in Houston, B.C. Half of the core was sampled and shipped in sealed and secure bags to the ALS Global preparation facilities in Langley, B.C., by bonded courier. Samples were prepared using standard preparation procedures. Following sample preparation, the pulps were sent to the ALS Global analytical laboratory in North Vancouver, B.C. for analysis. ALS Global is registered to ISO / IEC 17025:2017 accreditations for laboratory procedures.

Core samples were analyzed for 48 elements by ICP-MS on a 0.25 gram sample using a four acid digestion (method ME-MS61L). Gold was analyzed by fire assay on a 30 gram sample with an AAS finish (method Au-AA23). Samples with >10 parts per million (ppm) gold were re-analyzed by fire assay using a gravimetric finish on a 30 gram sample. Samples with >100 ppm silver were re-analyzed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish. Samples with >10,000 ppm zinc were re-analysed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish.

In addition to ALS Global laboratory QA / QC protocols, Sun Summit implements a rigorous internal QA / QC program that includes the insertion of duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

This news release has been approved by Sun Summit's Vice President Exploration, Ken MacDonald, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has also verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying the technical information in this news release.

Community Engagement

Sun Summit is engaging with First Nations on whose territory the Buck Project is located and is discussing their interests and identifying contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives. The Company looks forward to continuing to work with local and regional First Nations as the project continues.

About Sun Summit

Sun Summit Minerals is an exploration company focused on expanding its gold, silver, and zinc discovery at its flagship 100% controlled Buck Project located in north-central British Columbia near the town of Houston.

The Company is exploring multiple high priority targets through systematic exploration campaigns. The project benefits from excellent developed infrastructure and year-round drilling access. The Buck Project has high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold, silver, and zinc potential and is located in an established mining region that includes many former operating mines and current exploration projects.

Sun Summit is committed to environmental and social responsibility, with a focus on accountable development and building respectful and beneficial relationships with Indigenous and local communities.

Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com.

Link to Figures

Figure 1:

https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Buck_Drilling_Overview_Jan19-NR-final-No-AuEq.jpg

Figure 2:

https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Buck_Sxn_4400_Jan19-NR-final_No-Au-Eq.jpg

For further information, contact:

Sharyn Alexander

President

[email protected]

Roger Blair

Acuity Advisory Corp., Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Tel. 778-588-9606

Forward-Looking Information

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the impact of exploration competition; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; variations in anticipated metal recoveries; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada 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/151806
U.S. government program aims to mobilize 10,000 Americans to welcome refugees through private sponsorship in 2023

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, more than 200 diverse organizations are signaling their support for the Welcome Corps, a new U.S. government community service program that allows everyday Americans to privately sponsor refugees from around the worldrepresenting the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in more than 40 years, grounded in the generosity and compassion of American communities.

New U.S. government program represents boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in more than 40 years.

Over the last year, Americans from every corner of the country have stepped up to welcome first Afghans, then Ukrainians, and then people in need of safety from our own hemisphere, including Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans. Now, with the launch of the Welcome Corps, the U.S. government is making it possible for Americans to sponsor refugees from all around the world. Many of these refugees have lived for decades in refugee camps worldwide, often unable to leave freely, earn a living, rebuild their livesand make contributionsin the warm embrace of a new community.

"When Americans welcome, communities flourish. Newly arriving refugees have been forced to flee, leaving behind their communities and livelihoods, with some in search of a safe place to call home for years. Whether you are a business owner, teacher, stay-at-home parent, nurse, or store clerk, the Welcome Corps equips you with the resources you need to work together and share knowledge of your community with refugees as they adapt to life in America," said Sarah Krause, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Community Sponsorship Hub.

"We know that Americans' capacity to welcome is far greater than what our government can do alone. The Welcome Corps is the newest massive innovation in the refugee resettlement system that will make it possible for everyday Americans to do what we do bestbe a good neighbor, a guide, and a friend to people finding their way in a new community," said Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US.

"The United States has long been a humanitarian leader for those fleeing violence and persecution. With over 100 million people displaced worldwide, the launch of the Welcome Corps is a much-needed pathway to help additional people find safety through the American spirit of welcome. The International Rescue Committee is proud to support the launch of this effort and join Americans from all walks of life and across the nation to welcome refugees," said David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

"We are thrilled to support the Welcome Corps as it expands the joy of sponsorship to new groups and communities across the United States and increases our nation's capacity to resettle refugees. The Welcome Corps builds upon a decades-long proud tradition of community sponsorship and local partnership in refugee resettlement. We look forward to more communities having the opportunity to experience the life-changing work of sponsorship by coming alongside new arrivals with the friendship and support they need to thrive," said Rick Santos, President and CEO of Church World Service.

"The Welcome Corps is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to directly engage communities in the resettlement process and allow more refugees to find a safe place to call home. Creating a permanent private sponsorship program is a crucial and historical innovation in U.S. refugee admissions to increase capacity, strengthen communities, and deepen connections between new neighbors," said Becca Heller, Executive Director of the International Refugee Assistance Project.

"Like the Peace Corpscreated more than 60 years agothe Welcome Corps is rooted in American principles of generosity, compassion, and volunteerism. The Welcome Corps Volunteers will help strengthen communities across America, while welcoming persecuted people from around the world and helping them start new lives," said Chris George, Director of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services and former Peace Corps Volunteer.

Through the Welcome Corps, Americans work in groups of at least five to welcome newcomers by securing and preparing initial housing, greeting refugee newcomers at the airport, enrolling children in school, and helping adults to find employment. Most importantly, they offer a sense of welcome, belonging, and inclusion for families that have left far more than their worldly goods behindthey have left behind friends, families, and the social networks that help us thrive. These shared acts of welcome bring communities together while making it easier for newcomers to adjust to life in the United States. The program aims to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans in 2023 to welcome refugees through private sponsorship.

Leaders from across the resettlement, faith, service, and government communities are voicing their strong support for this bold new program that will dramatically expand America's ability to welcome newcomers.

"HIAS welcomes the Welcome Corps! In 2021, with the mass evacuation of Afghans, HIAS was the first resettlement agency to augment network capacity through 'welcome circles,' partnering with American synagogues to receive Afghans and, later, Ukrainians. We were, however, troubled that these newcomers entered the U.S. as temporary 'parolees'without the legal protections enjoyed by refugees, such as pathways to family reunion and a green card. The Welcome Corps solves that problem by allowing groups outside of traditional resettlement networks to receive refugees with peace of mindwith pathways to family unity, green cards, and citizenship. A welcome development," said Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of HIAS.

"Colorado welcomes newcomers from around the world, and I am proud of how Coloradans have stepped up to support those seeking refuge and freedom. The Welcome Corps will create a permanent pathway for Americans to sponsor newcomers from around the world, making it easier for those who wish to help refugees and enabling newcomers to learn about their new community from those who know it best. While we continue to call on Congress to secure our borders and pass comprehensive immigration reform, this new program provides a path to safety for many people," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

"As active and engaged changemakers within the communities we serve, Rotary's members see how war, natural disasters, and civil unrest are among the many forces driving millions of people from their homes, communities, and countries. Our global network supports refugee resettlement in ways that meet local needs. Our U.S.-based Rotary members are continuing these efforts through collaboration with Welcome.US to help Ukrainians and Afghans seeking refuge in the United States, and we applaud the call for expanded private support to welcome all newcomers," said John Hewko, General Secretary and CEO of Rotary International.

"Ensuring newly-arrived refugees thrive in their new communities requires sustained community involvement and cooperation across governments, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. We are thankful for the efforts of the U.S. government and Welcome.US in supporting a sponsorship program that will allow more Americans to welcome refugees with open arms, and Airbnb.org will continue to invest in its partners to help bridge the critical gap in housing needs for newcomers," said Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb and Chairman of Airbnb.org.

"LGBTQI+ people are facing increasing persecution around the world, and LGBTQI+ persons seeking refuge have a critical need for networks of support throughout the process of resettlement. The Welcome Corps represents a major step in the Biden administration's goal of advancing LGBTQI+ rights worldwide. Rainbow Railroad is excited about this program, which will empower communities of care across the United States to support LGBTQI+ people at risk," said Dr. Kimahli Powell, CEO of Rainbow Railroad.

Applications for the Welcome Corps will be accepted beginning January 19, 2023. Americans interested in learning more about sponsorship should visit WelcomeCorps.org.

The Welcome Corps was launched by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and is being implemented by a consortium of six organizations with expertise in refugee resettlement, protection, and welcome. Led by the Community Sponsorship Hub, the consortium includes Church World Service/Refugee Welcome Collective, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Welcome.US.

Refugee newcomers who arrive through the Welcome Corps will follow an established government process that includes extensive security vetting and health checks. They will have refugee status, employment authorization, access to key public benefits like health insurance, and can eventually apply for U.S. citizenship. The Welcome Corps program provides sponsor groups with access to tools and resources, including a budget template, fundraising support, an arrival checklist, and ongoing guidance throughout the initial sponsorship period.

A full list of the organizations expressing support for the Welcome Corps is available here.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/200-organizations-signal-support-for-the-welcome-corps-new-service-opportunity-for-private-refugee-sponsorship-301725913.html

SOURCE Welcome.US
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh, calling on Azerbaijan to respect and implement the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020 and immediately reopen the Lachin corridor and to refrain from undermining the functioning of transport, energy and communication connections between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in future. The resolution underlines the need for a comprehensive peace agreement, which must guarantee the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakhs Armenian population.

Below is the full text of the European Parliament resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh which was adopted on January 19 after debates on the issue.

The European Parliament,

 having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

 having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, the Lachin corridor, has been blocked by self-proclaimed environmentalists from Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022; whereas this has disrupted access to essential goods and services, including food, fuel and medication, for the 120 000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, effectively placing them under a blockade;

B. whereas the blockade has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, significantly affecting the most vulnerable populations; whereas the transfer of critically ill patients is nearly impossible, with one death resulting from this situation; whereas hundreds of families remain separated;

C. whereas this humanitarian crisis was further aggravated by Azerbaijans disruption of the natural gas supply to Nagorno-Karabakh, which left houses, hospitals and schools without heating;

D. whereas by sustaining the blockade of the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan is breaching its international obligations under the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, under which Azerbaijan must guarantee the security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the corridor in both directions;

E. whereas the impediments to the use of the Lachin corridor set back the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and undermine international confidence;
ST. PAUL, Minn. and CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) are announcing the launch of the Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network and Alumni Grants Program. The effort will support past participants and the future science leaders as part of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge (#YoungScientist). As the nation's premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for a mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." The new Alumni Network and Alumni Grants Program offers previous participants networking opportunities, resources, events, and funding for existing science projects.

The Alumni Grants will award a total of $25,000 in grant money to ten different alumni annually.

"For 16 years, alongside Discovery Education, we've brought science to life through the 3M Young Scientist Challenge," said Karina Chavez, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at 3M. "By participating in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, hundreds of students have been inspired to create world-changing innovations. The Alumni Network and Grants Program are a way to continue supporting and celebrating these tremendous young people that represent the future of science."

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network brings together a growing community of former Challenge finalists and mentors to connect over shared experiences, celebrate, and promote innovations. America's Top Young Scientists have gone on to give TED Talks, file patents, found nonprofits, make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and exhibit at the White House Science Fair. These young innovators have also been named Time Magazine's first Kid of the Year, featured in The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, and Business Insider, and have appeared on national television programs such as Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and more.

"A real joy of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the connections the students make with each other and their mentors. The new Alumni program is designed to nurture growth and support ongoing science opportunities for prior participants as they tap into a network of innovators," said Amy Nakamoto, general manager of social impact at Discovery Education. "We are incredibly excited to launch this new effort catalyzing future science leadership."

The Alumni Grants will award a total of $25,000 in grant money to ten different alumni annually. Former finalists must be a registered member of the 3M Young Scientist Alumni Network to apply. Alumni may apply online to receive one grant within three funding areas:

Continuation of 3M Young Scientist Challenge Project: This grant supports alumni who are interested in continuing to develop or evolve the project they originally developed during the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Three alumni are eligible to receive $5,000 each annually.

This grant supports alumni who are interested in continuing to develop or evolve the project they originally developed during the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Three alumni are eligible to receive $5,000 each annually. New Idea to Improve the World: This area of funding would be available to support projects alumni may be working on that are different from their original 3M Young Scientist Challenge innovation. Two alumni are eligible to receive $2,500 each annually.

This area of funding would be available to support projects alumni may be working on that are different from their original 3M Young Scientist Challenge innovation. Two alumni are eligible to receive $2,500 each annually. Science in Your Community: Funding can be used to support alumni initiatives such as community enrichment opportunities, school events, or community activation projects. Five alumni are eligible to receive $1,000 each annually.

Grant applications are now available for submission through application close on March 23, 2023. More information about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network and Grants Program applications are available here.

The award-winning 3M Young Scientist Challenge supplements the 3M and Discovery Education program  Young Scientist Lab  which provides no-cost dynamic digital resources for students, teachers, and families to explore, transform, and innovate the world around them. All the resources are also available through the Young Scientist Lab Channel and in the Social Impact Partnerships channel on Discovery Education's recently enhanced K-12 learning platform.

About 3M3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what's possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we're working to improve lives and make what's next at 3M.com/news or on Twitter at @3M or @3MNews.

About Discovery EducationDiscovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3m-and-discovery-education-launch-alumni-network-and-grants-program-supporting-nations-young-scientists-301725365.html

SOURCE 3M
The brand's fresh baby coolers will feature their extensive portfolio of organic, nutritious, and delicious blends for babies including their new Advanced Nutrition line

BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Once Upon a Farm, the leading childhood nutrition brand announces today the roll-out of fresh baby coolers starting at many select Wegmans Food Markets across New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Delaware. The cooler rollout will be completed in most stores by the end of Q1 2023. This strategic and significant commitment at Wegmans puts consumers first by meeting the growing demand of parents seeking fresh baby food and clean snack options for the family, while also giving retailers an edge. The baby coolers will complement Once Upon a Farm's existing assortment of organic Fruit & Veggie Blends and Dairy-Free Smoothies for toddlers and big kids available at Wegmans.

"Fresh baby food is a fast-growing category, that's fueled by direct-to-consumer brands online. Once Upon a Farm was the first to bring fresh baby food to retail in 2016, and this expansion at Wegmans solidifies our partnership and their commitment as industry leaders to be the destination for the entire family," said Co-Founder and CEO, John Foraker. "Not only does executing fresh baby coolers create convenience and efficiency for shoppers, but it also creates incremental category growth, leading to larger and more profitable baskets. We are in position to continue to lead this initiative because of our years of experience and investment into the program. Simply put: our coolers are winning both for consumers and retailers and this is just the beginning of our fresh baby food to be in thousands of additional doors at retailers across the country."

Championing clean, nutritious food for babies and kids, Once Upon a Farm are leaders in the fresh snacking space and plans to introduce their baby coolers in thousands of stores nationally by 2024. Their product portfolio features a robust innovation pipeline that has expanded in the refrigerator section and now encompasses the first organic, frozen Plant-Rich meals geared toward encouraging self-feeding and is available to purchase online and at select retailers. Last year, Once Upon a Farm debuted their new Advanced Nutrition blends for babies which are the first products to be First 1,000 Day Promise Certified by Clean Label Project. Inspired by European regulations, the First 1,000 Day Promise is the first U.S. certification that requires heightened nutritional elements and regulation of heavy metals, toxic compounds and melamine found in baby food.

About Once Upon a Farm

At Once Upon a Farm, a better story starts here. We're on a greater mission in providing organic, crave-worthy, snacks and meals for children of all ages. Our recipes are crafted with only the best organic ingredients  whole fruits and veggies picked, then cold-pressed (our pouches) or freshly frozen (our meals) to perfection to support your growing kids at every stage. Each of our organic, non-GMO, non-dairy recipes contain no added sugar, and are free from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives  just simple, real, nutritious snacks your entire family will love. For more information visit: www.onceuponafarmorganics.com

Media Contact:Jane Ablaza[email protected]

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SOURCE Once Upon a Farm, PBC
Benihana Growth Strategy Accelerates with Seven New Restaurants Including Three Franchised (Midland, MI, Saginaw, MI, Bayside Marketplace, Miami, FL) and Four Company (Conroe, TX, Plantation, FL, Temecula, CA, San Mateo, CA) Restaurants

AVENTURA, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Benihana Inc., the nation's leading owner and operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants is thrilled to announce the opening of Benihana Saginaw, Michigan on January 11. Located at 3870 Bay Road with over 9,100 square feet and 16 teppanyaki tables offering lunch, dinner, happy hour, take-out and delivery.

"It's an honor for us to be a part of one of the most well-respected brands in the United States," said Henry Pi, newest Benihana franchisee and President of Company Pi. "We invite our neighbors and guests to come experience high-quality Japanese cuisine served in a fun-filled, engaging teppanyaki experience and we look forward to serving you soon!"

"We at Benihana strive to create great guest memories and are proud to partner with Henry Pi and his talented team to expand our Michigan restaurants beyond our current Farmington Hills, Dearborn and Troy locations," said Tom Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer and President of Benihana. "Guests in Saginaw will enjoy the same time-honored traditions and experiential dining that Benihana guests have come to love for almost 60 years. This new partnership aligns with our continued focus on a robust development pipeline."

Benihana builds on its growth strategy with additional restaurant openings in the next year including:

Benihana Midland, MI is planned to open in March at 2929 S. Saginaw Road with over 6,800 square feet and 12 teppanyaki tables;

Benihana Conroe, TX is scheduled to open in spring 2023 just south of Houston in Teas Crossing Shopping Center at 3061 Interstate 45 North. The restaurant will span 7,000 square feet with 17 teppanyaki tables, a full-service sushi bar and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery business;

Benihana Bayside Marketplace in Miami, FL is planned to open in spring 2023 in Bayside Marketplace at 401 Biscayne Boulevard;

Benihana Temecula, CA in Riverside County is scheduled to open in the fall just south of the 15 and 215 freeways at the intersection of Winchester Road and Ynez Road near the Promenade Temecula Mall. Benihana Temecula will be over 8,000 square feet with 18 tables, a full-service sushi bar and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery business;

RA Sushi Plantation, FL in Plantation Walk is planned to open in the fall at 333 North University Drive. The RA Sushi restaurant will be over 3,800 square feet with 34 tables, a full-service sushi bar and dedicated area for take-out and delivery business;

Benihana San Mateo, CA is scheduled to open in early 2024 at 2204 Bridgepointe Parkway with 18 teppanyaki tables and a full-service sushi bar.

These new restaurants support the previously-announced strategic plan centered on four key growth initiatives:

New Benihana and RA Sushi restaurant development in the U.S.;

Select U.S. acquisitions;

Select U.S. franchise development;

International franchise development in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

About Benihana Inc.Benihana, through its subsidiaries, is the nation's leading operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants with more than 100 restaurants operating under the brands BENIHANA, RA SUSHI, and SAMURAI, including franchised BENIHANA restaurants in the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Contact:Jeannie Means / [email protected]

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SOURCE Benihana Inc.
Driving Wellness Among Florida Communities

DAVIE, Fla., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BHG Financial (BHG) announces its latest initiative to further strengthen the company's philanthropic presence in the Sunshine State.

Eric Castro, Co-founder at BHG Financial, was joined by City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Pam Beasley-Pittman, and YMCA CEO Sheryl Woods to celebrate a pledge of $100,000 in support of the Y's mission, as well as BHG's new feature space in the South Florida YMCA gymnasium. With a focus on healthy living, community wellness and inclusion, children's programs, and compassion for all members of the community, BHG is honored to partner with the YMCA.

The announcement was made on Martin Luther King Jr. Daya National Day of Service which encourages all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. With this collaboration, BHG aims to accomplish that mission not only on this historic day but as part of a partnership with the Y.

Castro, a South Florida native, addressed city officials, community members, and volunteers to share more about what the collaboration means to BHG Financial leadership, colleagues, and the communities it works and lives in.

"Not only is South Florida the area where BHG Financial first laid its roots, but it's where I grew up and learned what a sense of community was," says Castro. "It is a true honor to sponsor a civic pillar such as the Y and the critical services it provides to people from all over this region. We're looking forward to elevating the YMCA of South Florida not only on MLK day, but every day of the year."

The BHG Cares-branded "Winning Together" wall signifies a cornerstone of BHG's culture and a space where all community members can come together and exercise the unified mission of both YMCA and BHG; building a healthy spirit, mind, and body.

A beacon for many residents of Broward County, the YMCA of South Florida has provided economic development, career opportunities, and an inclusive community environment for more than 100 years.

Whether developing skills or emotional well-being through education and training, welcoming diverse demographic populations through community service, or preventing chronic disease and building healthier communities through collaborations with policymakers, the Y fosters care and respecta cornerstone of BHG Financials' culture.

About the YMCA of South Florida

The Y is a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Every day, the Y works hard to build healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults, families and communities through over 200 afterschool, preschool, special needs, sports, camp and youth programs, family centers, and senior health outreach sites. To learn more, visit www.ymcasouthflorida.org, connect on Facebook or Twitter, or call a Y near you.

About BHG Financial

BHG Financial is transforming the financial industry, leveraging the power of data, analytics, and cutting-edge technology to become one of the best sources for high-performing loans, and the creator of one of the largest community bank loan and product networks in the country.

Since 2001, BHG has originated more than $13 billion in loan solutions to top-quality borrowers, which community and midsize banks can access via a state-of-the-art loan delivery platform.

BHG Financials' dedication to providing services that meet the needs of its clients has led to the creation of a full family of brands that range from business, consumer, and SBA 7(a) loans to credit cards, risk management services, and point-of-sale financing.

With record growth year after year, BHG continues to be recognized regionally and nationally, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list 16 times and receiving accolades from Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine, among others.

BHG Financial is partially owned by Pinnacle Bank (PNFP) and has headquarters in Davie, FL and Syracuse, NY. To represent the company's growth and dedication to continuously expanding their services, Bankers Healthcare Group became BHG Financial in 2021.

Find out more about the company's financial solutions at https://bhgfinancial.com/. For more information about the BHG Bank Network, click here. Follow BHG on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Media Contact: Jasmine Heard [email protected]

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SOURCE BHG Financial
The company was also cited as a Strong Performer in Continuous Automation Testing by Leading Independent Analyst Firm

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Copado, the global leader in low-code DevOps, today announced it was named Leading DevOps Vendor by the DevOps Industry Awards and Best DevOps Automation Solution by the Tech Ascension DevOps Awards. These awards recognize Copado's innovation, leadership and achievements in solving critical challenges within the DevOps community.

Additionally Copado was named a finalist for Best Cloud Service in the Computing Technology Product Awards, for Leading Vendor in the North American Software Testing Awards, and for Best End-to-End DevOps Tool/Service and Best CI/CD Tool in the DevOps Dozen Awards. The company was also ranked #152 in the Deloitte 2022 Technology Fast 500 list, which honors the most innovative, fastest-growing public and private companies from all over North America.

Additionally, Copado was cited as a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave: Continuous Automation Testing Platforms, Q4 2022 by Diego Lo Guidice. He noted in a recent blog that "clients recognize that testing takes a village, and enterprises need a consistent and high-usability testing environment that fosters collaboration among the business, technical testers and test engineers, and developers and product owners."

"Copado's ability to improve enterprise SaaS deployments with speed and quality has made it the choice for hundreds of businesses around the world," said David Brooks, Senior Vice President of Products at Copado. "We are honored to be recognized by so many organizations for our dedication to low-code DevOps innovation and transforming the software development process. For us, it is a testament to our team's commitment to providing faster, higher quality and more secure deployments to accelerate Salesforce releases."

Follow Copado:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutionsBlog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/

About Copado

Copado is the leading DevOps and testing solution for low-code SaaS platforms that run the world's largest digital transformations. Backed by Insight Partners, Salesforce Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund, Copado accelerates enterprise SaaS deployments by automating the end-to-end software delivery process to maximize customers' return on their cloud investment. More than 1,200 companies rely on Copado to drive digital transformation with speed, quality and value including Boston Scientific, Coca-Cola, Fair Trade, Linde, MassMutual, Schneider Electric and Shell. Copado processes over 50 million DevOps transactions per month and is rated with a 100% score on the Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: http://www.copado.com.

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SOURCE Copado
Build-to-Rent Community by Crescent Communities and Pretium Expands Housing Choice in Desirable Market

First HARMON Community to be Certified by the National Green Building Standard

CHARLOTTE, N.C. and NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Crescent Communities and Pretium are pleased to announce leasing will begin soon at HARMON Five Points, the fourth build-to-rent (BTR) community under development, and the second in Charlotte, as part of their previously announced joint venture. The community is comprised of 76 BTR homes with accompanying shared amenities. Progress Residential, Pretium's single-family rental management services platform, is providing the leasing and property management services.

HARMON Five Points offers residents the option to rent three-story townhomes with three bedrooms, three and a half baths, outdoor balconies, private garages, and driveways. Interior finishes include modern, stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, elevated flooring, spacious nine-foot ceilings, ample window exposure for natural light, and SMART home technology. The community is the first for the HARMON brand to be certified by the National Green Building Standard (NGBS), a residential building certification for sustainable construction and development. Each home is designed to be energy and water efficient, while offering residents a greater degree of comfort and lower utility bills.

Residents of HARMON Five Points will also have access to dedicated communal spaces such as a fire pit with outdoor lounge seating, a lawn area for gatherings and pets, and a direct connection to Five Points Park and Stewart Creek Greenway. HARMON Five Points is located two miles from Uptown and is walking distance from the Gold Line Streetcar.

"HARMON Five Points offers a much-needed new construction infill housing option to the historic West End neighborhood to accommodate the migration and population growth in Charlotte over the past several years," said Tony Chen, Senior Managing Director of Single-Family Build-to-Rent at Crescent Communities. "We are pleased to have reached the leasing milestone ahead of schedule, and are also excited for the NGBS Bronze certification achievement. Stewardship is fundamental to Crescent Communities' mission to build community and better people's lives, and we are excited to extend our commitment to stewardship into our BTR platform through our goal of achieving NGBS Bronze or greater on each HARMON home. We strive to have a positive impact on the planet, people, and places we build and call home, and we look forward to seeing the HARMON Five Points community flourish."

"Pretium is a leading investor in homes throughout some of the most desirable areas across the country, and we are thrilled to have another build-to-rent community welcome residentsbringing our total footprint in the Charlotte market to more than 5,300 homes and demonstrating our commitment to housing choice across growing regions," said Matt Johnston, Managing Director and Head of Build-to-Rent at Pretium. "In addition to increasing housing access and offering consumers more choices, HARMON Five Points is delivering modern, sustainable homes that will be an important addition to the Charlotte community for years to come. We are committed to continuing our investments to increase the supply of move-in ready homes and contribute to the long-term health of our communities."

HARMON Five Points is located at 360 Seldon Drive, Charlotte, NC, and was constructed by DRB Group. Additional partners include lender Atlantic Union Bank, landscape architect LandDesign and architectural review by 505Design. Progress Residential, which currently oversees more than 90,000 homes, is a market leader, with the people, technology, scale, and data-driven solutions that streamline operations, optimize asset performance, and provide an exceptional renting and living experience for residents.

Imagery of HARMON Five Points is available here and floorplans can be found here. For more information, please visit: www.liveatharmon.com and rentprogress.com.

About Crescent CommunitiesCrescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer and operator of mixed-use communities. We create high-quality, differentiated residential and commercial communities in many of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Since 1963, our development portfolio has included more than 83 multifamily communities, 24 million square feet of commercial space and 60 single family master-planned communities. Crescent Communities has offices in Charlotte, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Our residential communities are branded NOVEL, RENDER and HARMON by Crescent Communities and our industrial developments are branded AXIAL by Crescent Communities and our life science developments are branded THE YIELD by Crescent Communities.

About PretiumPretium is a specialized investment firm focused on U.S. residential real estate, residential credit, and corporate credit. Pretium was founded in 2012 to capitalize on investment and lending opportunities arising as a result of structural changes, disruptions, and inefficiencies within the economy. Pretium has built an integrated analytical and operational ecosystem within the U.S. housing, residential credit, and corporate credit markets, and believes that its insight and experience within these markets create a strategic advantage over other investment managers. Pretium's platform has approximately $50 billion of assets, comprising real estate investments across 30 markets in the U.S., and employs more than 4,000 people across 30 offices, including its New York headquarters, Dubai, London, Seoul and Sydney. Please visit www.pretium.com for additional information.

About Progress ResidentialProgress Residential is a market leader in intelligent single-family rental management services, with people, technology, scale and data-driven solutions that streamline operations, optimize asset performance, and provide an exceptional renting and living experience for our residents. Progress Residential's approximately 3,000 employees currently manage approximately 90,000 homes across 30 markets. Progress Residential also offers third-party property management service for investors with mid-to-large single-family rental home portfolios and Built to Rent communities through its Progress Residential Management Services. For more information, please visit www.rentprogress.com

Crescent Communities Media Contact Lauren Alligood 205-383-8450 [email protected]

Pretium Media Contacts Jon Keehner / Lyle Weston / Erik Carlson Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 [email protected]

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SOURCE Pretium
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Henric Andersson, who is currently on leave of absence for medical treatment, is unlikely to return to active status as Group CEO due to personal reasons. Therefore, the Board is initiating a process to identify a potential permanent successor.

In order to respect Henric's privacy, the Company will not comment further on Henric's personal situation. The Board is initiating a process to search for a potential successor. Until further notice, Pavel Hajman will continue in his current role as acting CEO.

This press release contains insider information that Husqvarna AB is required to disclose under the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact person set out above, at 14:00 CET on January 19, 2023.

For additional information, please contact:

MediaFredrik Henriksson, Vice President Corporate Communications +46 767 19 59 25 [email protected]

InvestorsJohan Andersson, Vice President Investor Relations+46 702 100 451[email protected]

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/996/3700250/1792233.pdf 20230119 Press Release Husqvarna Group CEO

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SOURCE Husqvarna AB
MONTREAL, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is pleased to announce that Octaviana V. Trujillo (Yaqui), Ph.D., founding Chair and Professor Emerita in the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University and former Chair of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, will chair CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) for 2023.

Octaviana Trujillo has spent her career advocating for Indigenous Peoples' rights and developing educational courses, initiatives and programs to support Tribal Nation Building and Indigenous communities, especially with regard to sustaining Indigenous languages, cultures and lifeways, and working with Indigenous youth.

Trujillo is an advisory board member to Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, whose mission is to affirm the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including their right to self-determination, their collective human and civil rights, the rights of sovereignty and the protection of sacred sites, and their right to free unrestricted movement across international borders. In 2015, she was appointed by President Obama to serve as a JPAC member.

"It is with great pleasure that we announce the election of Octaviana Trujillo, a long-standing member of JPAC, as its new Chair," said Jorge Daniel Taillant, CEC Executive Director. "We have benefited greatly from her knowledge and experience through her engagement with the CEC. She is a distinguished academic and community leader and representative of Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona who, as JPAC's new Chair, will surely bring new energy to the Committee and to all the CEC family."

Trujillo will chair the CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee in the coming year, as the body holds public consultations and public forums in Canada, Mexico and the United States on pressing environmental matters of regional and global concern.

"A human rights-based approach to conservation and transformative stewardship are essential enabling conditions to ensure the resilience of systems of life and good health, as well as the sustainable use, management, restoration and conservation of natural resources. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow JPAC members and the CEC on these topics as they are integral for us to continue to live on our shared earth," she said.

Following its public consultations, JPAC, composed of nine citizen volunteers (three from each country), provides advice to the CEC Council, made up of North America's top federal-level environmental officials. It advises the Council on any matter within the scope of the trinational Environmental Cooperation Agreement, a parallel agreement to the USMCA/CUSMA North American trade agreement.

The JPAC Chair is elected for a one-year term and by rotation from among the three countries' members. JPAC meets throughout the year in different North American locations, typically in conjunction with CEC events.

For more information about the CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee, visit www.cec.org/jpac. To receive updates about CEC initiatives and news, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media.

About the CEC

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established in 1994 by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to NAFTA. As of 2020, the CEC is recognized and maintained by the Environmental Cooperation Agreement parallel to the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous People, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America's shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations. Find out more at: www.cec.org.

The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.

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SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Susan G. Komen Commends Bill Introductions; Urges Quick Passage

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, applauds Senator Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver) and Representative Amy Walen (D-Kirkland) for working with Komen to introduce legislation that would remove financial barriers to imaging that can rule out breast cancer or confirm the need for a biopsy. In 2023, more than 7,050 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 960 will die of the disease.

"This legislation can make an immediate impact for thousands of people who require diagnostic or supplemental breast imaging yet are unable to afford it and often forego the tests," said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. "Everyone should be able to access the care they need and afford it, especially when it could mean the difference between a person's life and death."

SB 5396 and HB 1261, introduced by Sen. Wilson and Rep. Walen, would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging (such as an MRI, ultrasound, diagnostic mammogram) when medically necessary. These exams can be extremely expensive and require people to pay high out-of-pocket costs  all before more expensive treatment even begins.

"I'm living proof of the value of detecting breast cancer early, and the importance of following up on a mammogram. This legislation would remove a barrier many women face when they have reason to seek advanced imaging," said Sen. Wilson, whose openness about her own treatment during the 2019 legislative session inspired legislators and staff to wear pink weekly, promoting awareness of the need for mammograms and self-exams.

A Komen-commissioned study found the costs to patients range from $234 for a diagnostic mammogram to more than $1,021 for a breast MRI. The cost of the test prevents individuals in Missouri from getting the imaging they require, making it difficult to detect their breast cancer as early as possible.

"Access to medically necessary imaging remains the best way to prevent breast cancer fatalities," said Rep. Walen. "My mother left young kids alone when she passed from breast cancer and as a survivor myself, the worst part for our family was not knowing what we were facing. This legislation will save lives."

An estimated 16 percent of people who receive annual screening mammograms nationwide get called back for diagnostic imaging. Additionally, these tests are often recommended for those who have previously been diagnosed with breast cancer and for some individuals who are considered at high-risk for breast cancer, making their out-of-pocket costs particularly burdensome to those individuals.

The use of breast cancer screening and follow-up diagnostics have led to significant increases in the early detection of breast cancer in the past 30 years. However, this is not true across all demographics. Evidence shows that Black and Hispanic breast cancer patients tend to be diagnosed at a later stage, perhaps due to delays in follow-up imaging after abnormal findings on an annual mammogram.

More diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging is likely going to be needed due to "missed" breast cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts warn that missed mammograms could lead to more later-stage breast cancer diagnoses, once detected, so it is critically important that we increase access to affordable tests to those who medically require it.

About Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/.

CONTACT: Amanda DeBard Susan G. Komen (972) 701-2131 [email protected]

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SOURCE Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Featuring its iconic Chickenjoy Fried Chicken, Chicken Sandwiches and Peach Mango Pies, new Orlando restaurant marks global brand's fourth in The Sunshine State and its 62nd in the U.S.

WEST COVINA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jollibee, the joyful restaurant brand recently named "the best chain fried chicken in America" by Eater, celebrated the grand opening of its first location in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. The highly anticipated opening day attracted thousands of excited customers who wanted to be among the city's first to get their hands on Jollibee's mouth-watering Chickenjoy fried chicken, Chicken Sandwiches and Peach Mango Pie dessert. Primely located at 11891 East Colonial Drive in East Orlando, the new restaurant not only marks Jollibee's premiere in The City Beautiful, but it's also home to the global brand's first two-lane drive-thru service in North America.

"Not only are we thrilled to finally bring our Chickenjoy and other signature menu items to both our loyal fans and newcomers who call Orlando home, but we also are so excited to open our first two-lane drive-thru service in all of North America in this wonderful city," said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President, Jollibee Group North America. "The new two-lane drive-thru is a milestone for Jollibee, as it allows us to conveniently serve our customers, reach everyone faster, and get them their favorite Jollibee treats in no time."

Jollibee's biggest fans began showing up at around 8:00 PM Tuesday evening, where they camped out over 13 hours ahead of Wednesday's 9AM opening. Among them was Jasmine Hong, who waited in her car with a group of friends throughout the night to be the restaurant's first official drive-thru customers.

"We all go to the University of Central Florida, and we are all excited to try the food at Jollibee," said Hong of her and her friends. "We have heard a lot of good things and cannot wait any longer to try the famous Chickenjoy and Peach Mango PieI heard it's all really, really good."

Jollibee's drive-thru was buzzing from morning until midnight as carloads of hungry customers from near and far wrapped around the store throughout the day. Jollibee's cheerful staff welcomed a host of curious newcomers to the brand, including more college students from the nearby University of Central Florida campus, and families from the area's many surrounding neighborhoods.

"I got in line about nine hours ago and my family and I have always loved Jollibee ever since I was a kid," said Arren Huckleberry, an Orlando resident. "I moved here for school about five years ago and it is so nice to have a local Jollibeeit feels like a little piece of home away from home. I am excited that this is all finally happening."

For those planning to visit Jollibee's first location in Orlando, here's everything you need to know:

Address : 11891 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826

: 11891 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826 Hours of Operation : 9AM  10:30 PM, seven days a week.

: 9AM  10:30 PM, seven days a week. How To Order: Customers can pick up their orders to-go or enjoy the convenience of the two-lane drive-thru service beginning on opening day. Dine-in, online ordering, and delivery will be available in the coming weeks.

Customers can pick up their orders to-go or enjoy the convenience of the two-lane drive-thru service beginning on opening day. Dine-in, online ordering, and delivery will be available in the coming weeks. What To Order  Jollibee's most popular menu items include:

Chickenjoy : Jollibee's signature fried chicken. Each piece is delicately hand-breaded to be crispy on the outside, cooked with precision to be juicy on the inside, and marinated to the bone for next-level flavor.

: Jollibee's signature fried chicken. Each piece is delicately hand-breaded to be crispy on the outside, cooked with precision to be juicy on the inside, and marinated to the bone for next-level flavor.

Chicken Sandwich : This sandwich features a crispy, juicy chicken breast fillet, spread with umami mayo, and served on a toasted brioche bun. Find out why this newly launched sandwich has been lauded for its "intense crunch" by The Takeout , and discover how the umami flavor profile and signature Jollibee seasonings meld together to create a perfect chicken sandwich offering.

: This sandwich features a crispy, juicy chicken breast fillet, spread with umami mayo, and served on a toasted brioche bun. Find out why this newly launched sandwich has been lauded for its "intense crunch" by , and discover how the umami flavor profile and signature Jollibee seasonings meld together to create a perfect chicken sandwich offering.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich : A spicy version of the original chicken sandwich features sriracha mayo and fresh jalapenos for added crunch and heat.

: A spicy version of the original chicken sandwich features sriracha mayo and fresh jalapenos for added crunch and heat.

Peach Mango Pie: Make sure to leave room for this mouth-watering dessert made with peaches and real Philippine mangoes enveloped in a light and crispy crust.

Jollibee's new Orlando restaurant joins the brand's three existing Florida locations  Jacksonville, Tampa and Pembroke Pines  and marks its 62nd store in the U.S. On a mission to become one of the world's top-five restaurant chains, Jollibee is rapidly growing its fan-base among North American audiences from fried-chicken lovers to those who simply seek a deliciously new and different dining experience  by offering great-tasting food at a great value that is always served with joy.

Follow Jollibee at @jollibeeus on Facebook, @jollibeeus on Instagram, and @jollibeeusa on TikTok to get updates on Jollibee's upcoming store openings and other exciting announcements and events, including new product launches and special promotions.

About Jollibee Group

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 6,300 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Australia.

Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, PHO24, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand.

Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 90% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that ultimately owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. It also has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Jollibee Group also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers and World's Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, thus spreading the joy of eating to everyone. To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

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SOURCE Jollibee
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. At the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Switzerland expressed concern regarding the ongoing obstacles to access through the Lachin Corridor and the resulting humanitarian consequences, ARMENPRESS reports the Eurasia Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a tweet.

"On January 17, at the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Switzerland expressed concern regarding the ongoing obstacles to access through the Lachin Corridor and the resulting humanitarian consequences. The free movement of people and essential goods should be restored immediately," reads the post.

Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan continues to keep closed the only road connecting Artsakh to the world, the Lachin Corridor, citing false environmental reasons.
Following the Government of Colombia's decision on insurance coverage for medical cannabis, Khiron has begun dispensing medical cannabis to its patient base under the new mandate.

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV: KHRN) (OTCQX: KHRNF) (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), announces that it has begun dispensing medical cannabis to patients in its wholly owned ZereniaTM clinic, under the insurance coverage system approved by the Government of Colombia on January 1st, 2023.

ZereniaTM is a healthcare network of specialized clinics focused on treating chronic pain, neurological conditions, mental health, and sleep disorders. It is the leading medical cannabis clinic network in Colombia, as evidenced by its recent contract with Colombias largest public insurance company. In 2022, in Colombia alone, the clinic network had more than 130,000 individual consultations, up 20% from 2021, and it has a physical capacity of up to 300,000 consultations per year. In the first half of 2022, more than 40% of all consults resulted in a medical cannabis prescription. ZereniaTM has locations in Colombia, UK, Brazil, and Peru.

Alvaro Torres, CEO of Khiron, comments: "Thanks to the wise decision from the Government of Colombia to cover medical cannabis prescriptions, more and more of our patients are leaving our clinics with funded life-changing medication. Its great to see that medical cannabis is now an integral part of the patient journey towards improving their quality of life. Our Zerenia clinics are recognized nationwide by patients, doctors, insurance companies, and the Government, for our unique healthcare model and we will continue to lead the disruption of medical cannabis in Colombia and abroad."

About Khiron Life Sciences Corp.

Khiron is a leading global medical cannabis company with core operations in Latin America and Europe. Leveraging wholly owned medical health clinics and proprietary telemedicine platforms, Khiron combines a patient-oriented approach, physician education programs, scientific expertise, product innovation, and focus on creating access to drive prescriptions and brand loyalty with patients worldwide. The Company has a sales presence in Colombia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Peru, and Brazil. The Company is led by its co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and board of directors.

Visit Khiron online at https://investors.khiron.ca.

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/khiron-life-sciences-corp/

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this news release may include statements pertaining to the expected synergies and benefits to the Company from the acquisition of the Target as well as statements as to business strategy. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release reflect management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available and on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the expected benefits to be realized by Khiron's business as a result of the acquisition of the Target, and assumptions regarding market opportunities in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates and where it seeks to operate.

Although management believes that its expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, forward-looking information is always subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of management, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: general economic conditions, adverse conditions in capital markets, political uncertainties, counterparty risk, failing to obtain required regulatory requirements and approvals, failure to maintain required permits and licences, business integration risks, as well as those other risk factors discussed in Khiron's most recent annual information form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

As a result of the foregoing and other risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this press release. Readers are further cautioned that the foregoing risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive, and there may be other risks and uncertainties, presently unknown to management of the Company, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Khiron disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information disclosed herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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

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SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp.
Combination of Zapproved's Industry-Leading Customer Service and Exterro's Award-Winning Legal GRC Platform Will Enable Organizations to Better Manage the Complex Interconnections of E-discovery, Privacy, Legal Operations, Digital Investigations, Cybersecurity Response, and Information Governance

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exterro, a leading provider of Legal Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) software, has acquired Zapproved, a provider of e-discovery software known for its strong customer outcomes. This acquisition is the latest step in furthering Exterro's vision to empower customers to proactively and defensibly manage their legal governance, risk and compliance obligations. It also represents another significant strategic milestone for Exterro in its partnership with Leeds Equity Partners, which originally acquired the business in 2018 and completed a recapitalization in 2022. Upon closing of the acquisition of Zapproved, Vista Equity Partners ("Vista") will maintain a minority stake in the combined company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Today, Exterro offers a comprehensive solution on a single unified platform that addresses all phases of the e-discovery and forensic investigative process. Converging market forces in privacy, digital forensics & incident response, including e-discovery have created a need for a comprehensive and unified solution that can identify, understand and manage data in a contextual manner within a consistent, defensible process that meticulously ensures and maintains data integrity. Modern enterprises must address critical business challenges within these disciplines as quickly and cost effectively as possible, which is one of the driving forces behind Exterro's acquisition of Zapproved.

"I have known Monica Enand, President & CEO of Zapproved, since the early days of both of our companies' origins in Portland, Oregon. Since inception, we have shared a common vision for providing market-leading software and support for our clients and partners, and the combination of Exterro and Zapproved will continue that vision by delivering enhanced value to our constituents," said Bobby Balachandran, CEO & President of Exterro.

"Zapproved's mission has always been to make our customers ridiculously successful," said Monica Enand, President & CEO, Zapproved. "We are confident that combining Exterro's innovation engine with Zapproved's world-class customer experience brings the best of the industry together in one powerful and easy to use solution that comprehensively addresses the critical business challenges facing our customers today."

About Exterro, Inc.

Exterro empowers legal teams to proactively and defensibly manage their Legal Governance, Risk and Compliance (Legal GRC) requirements. Our Legal GRC software is the only comprehensive platform that automates the complex interconnections of privacy, legal operations, digital investigations, cybersecurity response, compliance, and information governance. Thousands of legal teams around the world in corporations, law firms, managed services providers and government and law enforcement agencies trust our integrated Legal GRC platform to manage their risks and drive successful outcomes at a lower cost.

For more information, visit www.exterro.com

About Zapproved

Founded in 2008, Zapproved builds easy-to-use e-Discovery software designed to help corporate legal teams save time, lower costs, and defensibly reduce risk. Backed by ironclad security and unrivaled customer support, Zapproved has an unwavering commitment to keeping our 350+ corporate customers ridiculously successful.

About Leeds Equity Partners:

Leeds Equity is a New York-based private equity firm dedicated exclusively to partnering with management teams in the education, training and information services industries (the "Knowledge Industries"). The Firm was founded in 1993 and currently manages over $4 billion of capital across a broad spectrum of companies within the Knowledge Industries. Leeds Equity seeks to leverage its sector-focused expertise and market insights to create long-term value for its partner companies and investors.

For additional information on Leeds Equity, see www.leedsequity.com

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $95 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista's investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future  a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.

For More Information:Jacques GalanteTel. 212-835-2000Fax: 212-835-2020www.leedsequity.com

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SOURCE Leeds Equity Partners, LLC
C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

Efforts will surface and scale innovative solutions that strengthen sustainable forestry and improve health and well-being.

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife and the World Economic Forum ("the Forum"), announced the launch of two Innovation Challenges in 2023 through UpLink, the Forum's open innovation platform. The partnership was announced at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos and aims to engage ecopreneurs and partners to help them scale new and innovative ideas and ventures.

The two UpLink Innovation Challenges will unlock solutions that stem from, and are aimed at, forests, to galvanize an ecopreneur revolution that will help to safeguard nature, climate, livelihoods, and the well-being of people. Full project details, including eligibility criteria and timelines, can be found on the challenge page here.

The Sustainable Forest Economy Challenge will aim to source innovative solutions across the value chain from the sustainable management of forests to the production and utilization of wood. A climate smart forest economy approach is critical to protect, maintain, manage, restore, and regrow forests. Applicants can begin applying today through March 1st, 2023.

The Forests and Trees Improving Human Health and Well-being Challenge will aim to surface innovations fostering improved interlinkages between planetary and human health. Details for this challenge will be made public later this year.

Biodiversity is degrading faster than at any time in history1, driving poor environmental, economic, and human health outcomes. This includes the loss of forests, which is destabilizing natural systems. Sustainably managed forests and farms are a critical part of reversing harmful environmental impacts; they sequester carbon, regulate global temperatures and freshwater flows, recharge groundwater, anchor fertile soil, act as flood barriers, and have been shown to enhance mental and physical health. Through this project, Manulife furthers its ongoing commitment to continue scaling nature-based climate solutions and investments in sustainable forestry and farmland to help combat nature loss, because collective action is needed to sustain our societies and economies.

"Our environment is key to human health and wellbeing, and as a global life insurer and asset manager, we see firsthand how damaged ecosystems put livelihoods and economies at risk," said Roy Gori, President and CEO, Manulife. "Given our position as one of the world's largest sustainable timberland and farmland investment managers2, we can support and scale innovative solutions, which are urgently needed in response to the rapid degradation of nature and biodiversity. We are very excited to launch this project with the World Economic Forum and UpLink and want to hear from passionate, big thinkers who can help us address and reverse nature loss."

__________________________________ 1 Based on the "The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services" released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IBPES) in 2019. 2 RISI, Inc. 2021 data based on top 15 global Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMO) by assets under management. Manulife pays a subscription fee for access to the database.

"Innovation is not a nice-to-have, but an essential ingredient in achieving the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals," said John Dutton, Head of UpLink and Member of the Executive Committee for the World Economic Forum. "We're proud to join forces with Manulife to source and scale the innovative solutions that will strengthen sustainable forestry, improve wellbeing, and promote nature-based solutions to climate change. This commitment will help to shine a light on the often-overlooked purpose-driven entrepreneurs whose solutions are so urgently needed, giving them the visibility, resources, and expertise they need to tackle the world's biggest challenges head on."

This project builds upon Manulife and the World Economic Forum's continued partnership. Late last year, Manulife announced a pledge to 1t.org which is the Forum's Trillion Trees initiative. As part of the pledge, Manulife is aiming to scale Manulife Investment Management's carbon-focused forestry investments and sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere through the forests it manages over a period of 5 years.

Like the 1t.org pledge, this partnership with Uplink aligns to Manulife's recently announced Impact Agenda, which aims to build business to better the world by making decisions about the future of the firm's business, rooted in the belief that collective actions drive meaningful change. To learn more about Manulife's Impact Agenda, and to track progress against its goals, visit manulife.com/impact.

About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

About UpLinkUpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, designed to unlock an 'entrepreneur revolution' for people and planet by supporting start-ups with innovative solutions for the world's most pressing issues, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Launched at the World Economic Forum's 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos in partnership with Deloitte and Salesforce, UpLink builds bridges between entrepreneurs and the investors, experts and partners who can help scale their ventures. UpLink crowdsources new innovations through a competition framework known as innovation challenges. UpLink has now run more than 43 challenges and identified over 350 entrepreneurs with innovative solutions across critical SDG areas including health, food, freshwater, ocean, plastics, education, climate and more. For more information, visit https://uplink.weforum.org

About 1t.org 1t.org is a World Economic Forum initiative that serves a global movement to conserve, grow and restore 1 trillion trees by 2030. 1t.org is set up to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. 1t.org mobilizes private sector engagement and ambition in forest conservation and restoration, facilitates multistakeholder dialogues in key geographies, and supports innovation, ecopreneurship and youth to incentivize and accelerate restoration. For additional information, please visit www.1t.org.

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SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
Diverse managers now handle $9 billion in pension fund's AUM

BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MassPRIM deployed more than $2.8 billion to diverse managers in 2022, bringing the total to more than $9 billion, as part of its award-winning FUTURE Initiative. (Last month, MassPRIM received the Commonwealth's "Equity in Governance Award" for its efforts in this area.)

The public pension fund also designated more than $340 million to 15 emerging-diverse managers as part of a $1 billion program specifically designed to reduce barriers between the fund and emerging-diverse managers.

The findings were part of a report MassPRIM delivered to the state legislature as part of Investment Equity legislation, advocated for by the pension fund's chair, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg.

"The FUTURE Initiative has taken important steps to address inequities while still ensuring a focus on maximizing returns," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, who Chairs the PRIM Board. "This is real and tangible progress that will reduce barriers and expand opportunities for diverse investment managers."

One of these 15 emerging-diverse managers is Kinzie Capital Partners, a diverse private equity firm. Jill Kitazaki, President of Denning and Company, LLC expressed her gratitude of MassPRIM's "dedication to diverse, emerging managers." She added, "Kinzie's partnership with MassPRIM  elevates the firm's status in the market and creates a path to a successful fundraising campaign. As you know, this fundraising environment has been one of the toughest, even for the market's most promising and high-potential emerging managers. Your commitment helps tip the fundraising scale for a great outcome and elevates Kinzie in the eyes of other institutional investors. Thank you again for supporting (Kinzie) and giving Kinzie an opportunity to contribute to the successful future of MassPRIM's beneficiaries."

"I'm proud of the progress MassPRIM has made in allocating funds to diverse managers," said Michael G. Trotsky, CFA, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of MassPRIM. "While these numbers are encouraging, we will continue to work tirelessly to find new, diverse-managers, who help us meet our rigorous equity goals as we advance our reputation for excellence."

Other highlights of the report include:

About The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board

MassPRIM was ranked seventh among the largest 200 funds in the U.S. for assets managed by diverse managers, far above our rank in size, Pensions & Investments .

the U.S. for assets managed by diverse managers, far above our rank in size, . MassPRIM was a founding signatory to the CFA Institute's first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Code for the Investment Profession.

Said Tina Byles Williams, Founder and CEO & CIO of Xponance, Inc., of MassPRIM's call for managers to sign on to the CFA Institute's DEI Code: "I would like to join PRIM's roster of investment managers in saluting the Fund on its leadership on the CFA Institute's DEI Code. We truly appreciate PRIM's commitment to sustainable change, as evidenced by the DEI Code and the FUTURE Initiative."

The Office of the State Auditor completed their audit of MassPRIM which "determined whether the PRIM Board developed a plan to ensure that not less than 20% of its investment managers are owned by minorities, women, or people with disabilities, in accordance with Section 23(8)(a-c) of Chapter 32 of the General Laws" noting "no significant instances of noncompliance".

The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board serves as a professional investment service for the retirement assets of Massachusetts teachers and many state and municipal employees. PRIM's mission is to provide a professional investment service for retirees that maximizes the return on investment within acceptable levels of risk and cost. PRIM broadly diversifies its investment portfolio, capitalizing on economies of scale to achieve cost-effective, high quality, innovative investment management strategies and results. Learn more at http://www.mapension.com/. If you're interested in participating in the FUTURE Initiative, click here."

Seth GitellChief External Affairs Officer[email protected](617) 946-8403

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SOURCE Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management
SAN RAMON, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumin Digital has announced a multi-year partnership with California's Pacific Service Credit Union (Pacific Service CU) to support an enhanced online-banking experience for the credit union's nearly 70,000 members and more than $1.4 billion in assets.

Slated to launch in October, Lumin's cloud-based online and mobile digital banking platform will deliver enhanced safety and security features and seamless digital integration. This will support Pacific Service CU's ability to create customized experiences through personalized recommendations like spending insights, financial advice, savings goals, and fraud alerts. Lumin will also enable the credit union to provide users with real-time updates and features that simplify everyday banking.

"At Pacific Service CU, we've built a strong reputation for providing world-class products and services for our members," said Michelle Shelor, chief operating officer of Pacific Service Credit Union. "Our partnership with Lumin Digital will greatly improve the user experience and back-end processes. We are excited to bring this new technology to our members."

Lisa Daniels, chief delivery officer of Lumin Digital, added that the partnership with Lumin will benefit Pacific Service CU's members in multiple ways. She pointed to a recent digital-banking report from The Financial Brand that highlights four trends U.S. financial executives predict for 2023  all of which are part of Lumin's focus: digital transformation, simplifying the customer journey, improving data and analytics, and expanding digital product and payment capabilities. "Addressing these critical areas hasn't always led to predictable outcomes for financial institutions in the past," Daniels said. "Lumin's thoughtful approach, experienced implementation teams, and innovative technology stack simplify this process greatly - providing Pacific Service CU with the confidence, security, and engagement they deserve from their digital partner."

About Lumin Digital

Lumin Digital is a PSCU-majority-owned fintech company specializing in digital banking solutions. Through a fundamentally different approach to technology, service, and people, we're creating the next generation of financial solutions each and every day. Lumin helps credit unions and financial institutions build and deploy next-gen digital experiences that help to continually serve, engage and grow their membership base. While other platforms are partially adapted or retrofitted for the cloud, Lumin is 100% cloud-native. It was built specifically for the cloud environment, allowing us to realize its advantages. It's a difference that financial institutions and their users will see and feel almost immediately. For more information, visit lumindigital.com.

About Pacific Service Credit Union

Founded in 1936 by Pacific Gas & Electric Company employees, Pacific Service CU is dedicated to providing trustworthy products and services to its more than 67,000 members to help them achieve their financial goals and strengthen their financial lives. Today, 86 years later, the not-for-profit credit union has over $1.4 billion in assets. Pacific Service CU serves anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. The credit union boasts a talented, cohesive leadership team with an average of more than 11-years of service; and was named a Top Workplace in the Bay Area in every year from 2019-2022. Over the years, the credit union has ranked for corporate philanthropy by the San Francisco Business Times, joining a handful of companies that donate more than 2% of their net earnings to charities located in the communities they serve. Pacific Service Credit Union concentrates on funding organizations that provide services for at-risk children, education, health and human services, and disaster relief. For more information, visit https://www.pacificservice.org.

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SOURCE Lumin Digital
ASHBURN, Va., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SteelCloud LLC, a leading STIG and CIS cyber compliance software developer, announced today its ConfigOS technology has been licensed to a major U.S. energy company to secure nuclear power critical assets.

SteelCloud's software will be used to harden assets using the STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) system-level controls. The initial implementation will be deployed to support the NIST security framework. The ConfigOS agent-less architecture provides unique benefits to critical infrastructure operators because it performs its cyber work without the need to load software on the assets that it secures.

According to Gartner, "attacks on organizations in critical infrastructure sectors have increased dramatically, from less than 10 in 2013 to almost 400 in 2020  a 3,900% change." Gartner also predicts that by 2025, "30% of critical infrastructure organizations will experience a security breach that will result in the halting of an operations- or mission-critical cyber-physical system."

"Protecting critical infrastructure is increasingly becoming a top priority for government regulators due to the potential impact of potential breaches, said Brian Hajost, SteelCloud Chief Operating Officer. "Our years of experience in classified environments and weapon systems, positions us to be a valuable resource to security-focused utility companies. Our ConfigOS automation software effectively and efficiently, gets and keeps, organizations compliant with the industry-standard STIG controls and CIS Benchmarks."

About ConfigOS

SteelCloud's ConfigOS software is currently implemented in hundreds of commercial and government organizations. Use cases for ConfigOS range from business, cloud, SCADA, and weapon systems. ConfigOS scans and remediates hundreds of system-level controls in minutes. Automated remediation rollback as well as comprehensive compliance reporting and SIEM dashboard integration is provided. ConfigOS was designed to harden hundreds of system-level controls around an application stack in about 60 minutes - typically eliminating weeks or months from the RMF accreditation timeline. ConfigOS addresses Microsoft Windows workstation and server operating systems, SQL Server, IIS, IE, Chrome, and all of the Microsoft Office components. The same instance of ConfigOS addresses CISCO network devices, Apache, Red Hat 5/6/7/8, SUSE, CENTOS, Ubuntu, and Oracle Linux. Learn more at https://www.steelcloud.com/configos-cybersecurity/.

About SteelCloud

SteelCloud develops STIG and CIS compliance software for government and commercial customers. Our products automate policy and security remediation by reducing the complexity, effort, and expense of meeting government security mandates. SteelCloud has delivered security policy-compliant solutions to enterprises worldwide, simplifying implementation and ongoing security and compliance support. SteelCloud products are easy to license through our GSA Schedule 70 contract. SteelCloud can be reached at (703) 6745500 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.steelcloud.com, or contact Jamie Coffey at [email protected].

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SOURCE SteelCloud LLC
GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers, announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per share, payable on February 15, 2023 to common shareholders of record on January 31, 2023.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) is a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers that owns (or has an ownership interest in) and/or manages a portfolio of 36 centers with an additional center currently under development. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 13.9 million square feet, leased to over 2,700 stores operated by more than 600 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 42 years of experience in the outlet industry and is a publicly-traded REIT. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com.

Investor ContactDoug McDonaldSVP, Finance and Capital MarketsT: (336) 856-6066[email protected]

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SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
BERWYN, Pa., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Triumph Group, Inc. (TRIUMPH) [NYSE:TGI] announced that its Actuation Products & Services business has been awarded two multi-year contracts from Airbus. These contracts include the manufacturing of ball bearing control cables for the Airbus A330, A320 and A350 aircraft fleets. TRIUMPH has been performing this work since the inception of both programs at TRIUMPH's facility in Villeneuve Le Roi, France.

"Triumph is a market leader of high precision low friction ball bearing cables, and these contract extensions continue to demonstrate the aerospace market's need for high performing products from TRIUMPH," said Mike Boland, President of TRIUMPH Actuation Products & Services. "We appreciate the confidence Airbus has in TRIUMPH to deliver the highest quality products."

TRIUMPH Actuation Products & Services is a leader in design, development, manufacture and support of complex electro-hydraulic and mechanical systems and equipment for the aerospace and defense industry. Products include actuators, pumps, motors, reservoirs, control valves and a wide range of mechanical controls for commercial and military aircraft. Our Actuation Products & Services business services customers around the world with ten manufacturing sites across North America and Europe.

TRIUMPH, headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs, and overhauls a broad portfolio of aerospace and defense systems, and components. The company serves the global aviation industry, including original equipment manufacturers and the full spectrum of military and commercial aircraft operators.

More information about TRIUMPH can be found on the company's website at www.triumphgroup.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/triumph-receives-award-from-airbus-for-control-cables-on-the-a330-a320-and-a350-programs-301725878.html

SOURCE Triumph Group
Ukrainian co-founders strengthen AIR Media-Tech's suite of digital content creator solutions through the acquisition of ScaleLab and its recent partnerships with various industry-leading content amplification solutions

TORONTO and KYIV, Ukraine, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AIR Media-Tech, a global media company for digital-first creators and brands, today announced that its network of partner creators has exceeded one trillion views on YouTube on the heels of a year of record company growth. Through the strategic acquisition of successful U.S.-based media network ScaleLab, as well as multiple partnerships with industry-leading creator amplification tools and services such as Vidby and Gyre, AIR accelerates its growth into 2023.

"Not only did we meet our growth goals for 2022, we've far exceeded them, and this would not be possible without the support of our loyal partner creators," said Sergii Bielousov, co-founder of AIR Media-Tech. "AIR reaching one trillion views is incredible! To put this in perspective, one trillion views is the equivalent to every single person on earth watching a video created by an AIR partner 125 times."

Bielousov continued, "With the acquisition of ScaleLab, we combined two of the strongest social media players in the global creator economy market. And as we continue to strategically partner with companies like Vidby and Gyre, we are thrilled to continue giving more creators access to new opportunities. Achieving this one trillion views milestone truly demonstrates the strength of the AIR content creator ecosystem and helps strengthen our momentum as we venture into 2023."

AIR's leading-edge suite of both content creator and financial technology solutions are designed to increase a creator's global exposure, driving viewership and subscriptions, and cultivating additional monetization opportunities. Additionally, AIR translates content into 20+ languages, making it possible for creators to expand to global markets and co-owns the localized channels with top creators.

Since 2011, AIR has developed an expansive portfolio of YouTube channels that generate vast numbers of monthly views. Some of the biggest influencers in the world have grown their audiences on YouTube with AIR, including Kids Diana Show (250M+ subscribers), Vlad & Niki (230M+ subscribers), and Vania Mania Kids (25M+ subscribers), The Q (13M subscribers), among many others.

"It's an honor for us to become a part of this globally progressive and ambitious media group with the most advanced products that will greatly benefit our ScaleLab partners," said David Brenner, founder and CEO of ScaleLab. "By combining our expertise, AIR and ScaleLab will provide even more value to creators across the globe and ultimately generate more engaged audiences across their channels and platforms."

The partnerships with online translation and dubbing service, Vidby, and Gyre, a cloud streaming service delivering continuous streaming capabilities, provide additional tools and resources for AIR's partner creators and enhance their channels by offering viewers more unique, localized content.

"We dedicate ourselves to delivering world-class products and services that help creators to grow on and off YouTube," said Fedir Skyba, co-founder and CEO of AIR Media-Tech. "Right now, we have the trajectory to continue building our ecosystem, offering even more to AIR's partner creators, ensuring they have all the tools necessary to bring their business as creators to the next level."

Creators now have more access to opportunities to expand and grow through AIR's state-of-the-art creator content ecosystem, which includes more than 50 innovative services and products for content creators. Additionally, with an expansive portfolio of multichannel creators in the United States and Latin America, the acquisition of ScaleLab supports AIR's commitment to becoming the largest global creator ecosystem in the world.

"AIR is excited to continue building one of the most complex content suites available for creators today," said Stepan Mikhailov, co-founder of AIR Media-Tech. "Joining forces with ScaleLab and our recent partnerships bring the best of AIR, Vidby, and Gyre into one centralized place, providing creators with all the tools they would need to become a viral success in a single platform."

About AIR Media-Tech

Founded in 2010 by Ukrainian co-founders Sergii Bielousov and Stepan Mikhaylov, AIR Media-Tech is an international company helping digital-first creators and brands grow faster globally and earn more on YouTube and beyond. AIR's mission is to create the best content creator services and solutions that help influencers and brands grow and produce inspirational content that improves people's lives.

AIR works with creators and influencers from 44 countries and has a portfolio of 3800+ YouTubers who generate over 21 billion video views monthly. AIR has been a YouTube Certified partner since 2011 and has been working with TikTok since 2019. With the world-largest creator economy ecosystem, AIR is responsible for the growth of the biggest YouTubers like Kids Diana Show, Vlad and Niki, and many others. To learn more about AIR Media-Tech, visit air.io/en/ce.

About ScaleLab

Founded in 2013, Hollywood, California-based ScaleLab is listed in the top 50 out of 5000 fastest growing media companies according to Inc. Magazine. ScaleLab represents 1,000+ YouTube creators, with over 400 million subscribers. Altogether they generate 4 billion video views per month. ScaleLab is known for its previous partnerships with Mr. Beast, Jake Paul, Mariale Marrero, Erika Costell, Katie Angel, and many other top-tier YouTube stars. ScaleLab has offices in Latin America, the U.K., and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.scalelab.com.

Media ContactColeman Pyeatt[email protected](214) 797-9848

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SOURCE AIR Media-Tech
(Tribune News Service)  A defense contractor with a strong Dayton-area presence has been awarded a large contract to modernize the Air Force Research Laboratory's data sharing and AI operations.

Northrop Grumman Corp. has won a $406 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate AFRL/RI for the Intelligence Systems Infrastructure, Tools and Enhancements ( InSITE) program to advance information collection and analysis.

AFRL's headquarters is at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, while the Information Directorate is based in Rome, N.Y.

Northrop Grumman has more than 900 employees in the Dayton region and across Ohio.

InSITE is meant to modernize the AFRL/RI's intelligence information collection, sharing and analysis capabilities, helping warfighters make faster, better-informed decisions, Northrop Grumman said.

"Our innovative solutions will meet today's advancing threats at unprecedented speed and accuracy, transforming decision-making and analysis," said Rebecca Torzone, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. "Building on our 40 years of support to the AFRL/RI, Northrop Grumman will digitally transform InSITE to meet its space domain awareness and counterspace intelligence mission priorities."

(c)2023 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit at www.daytondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. On January 19, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a phone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

During the phone conversation, a number of regional security issues were touched upon.

Ararat Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, the challenges threatening the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia also touched upon the incident concerning the children returning to Nagorno-Karabakh, the indmisable behavior demonstrated by Azerbaijan towards them.

Minister Mirzoyan highlighted the importance of the targeted statement of the Government of the Netherlands regarding the full restoration of free movement through the Lachin Corridor.

Ararat Mirzoyan also stressed the importance of clear steps by the international community to prevent Azerbaijans attempts to subject Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.

Touching upon the normalization process of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the Foreign Minister of Armenia noted that the Armenian side has handed over the proposals on the peace treaty to Azerbaijan and is now waiting for a response.
WASHINGTON  The Armys top general warned Wednesday that lowering entry requirements for recruits is dangerous as the U.S. military looks for ways to attract troops who want to serve and can pass the physical and academic tests.

Gen. James McConville, the Armys chief of staff, said the challenges to increase recruiting numbers are formidable. By the end of 2022, the Army was hoping to have 473,000 troops, but ended up with about 465,000 after lowering its goal twice.

Its not just the Army. The other service branches are also having difficulty finding recruits who can meet physical and academic requirements.

Heres what we do know. We have a lot of young men and women who want to serve  and they cant pass the academic requirements or they cant pass the physical requirements, said McConville, who became the Armys chief of staff in 2019.

To join the Army, a recruit must be between the ages of 17 and 35, medically and physically fit, and in good moral standing. Further, they must be a high school graduate, or the equivalent, and pass the Armys placement exam known as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test. According to Pentagon data, 23% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 meet all eligibility requirements.

We are facing unprecedented challenges recruiting new soldiers. Among a myriad of causes, Americas youth are less qualified for service than ever before, said Army Brig. Gen. Patrick Michaelis, commander at Fort Jackson, S.C. Since the all-volunteer force was established in 1973, this is the hardest Recruiting Command has had to work to meet recruiting goals.

Army officials have said the coronavirus pandemic has also made recruiting more difficult, as ASVAB test scores are down almost 10% since the start of the crisis.

They just cant pass it, McConville said. Its harder for people today to pass it than it was before.

He also pointed to a university study done that found about half of high school ROTC students are also failing the ASVAB test. But despite these recruiting hurdles, he said he remains opposed to relaxing entry requirements because the standards are there for a reason.

This could be a very dangerous time and unimaginable things can happen, McConville said, stressing the importance of troops intellect and physical capabilities during conflict.

What we are not willing to do is  we dont want to lower standards, he said, noting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shares his opinion. We think that quality is more important than quantity.

What we are willing to do is were willing to invest in young men and women. We have started what we call the Future Soldiers Prep Course at Fort Jackson, and were getting ready to stand one up at Fort Benning [in Georgia].

The pilot prep course started last year and its chief goal is to train young Americans to pass the entry requirements when theyre ready to join. To test its effectiveness, the Army put about 3,000 young men and women through the prep course and saw remarkable improvement.

It got about a 95% success rate. Either they are improving their scores or they are losing body fat, McConville said. When they go into initial military training, they have got a heads up on their peers.

He said the prep course could save the Pentagon money by helping to weed out recruits before they get to the stage where the military starts investing in their futures.

I think we are going to have to do this if we dont want to lower standards, McConville said. We want to give people an opportunity to do great things.

In fact, we want them to be all they can be, he added, harking back to the Armys Be All You Can Be slogan from the 1980s and 1990s  a slogan so fondly remembered that the service is bringing it back in 2023 as part of its evolving recruiting plans.

Another avenue that the Army wants to follow, McConville said, is finding recruits in families that dont have a lot of military connections. He emphasized more than 80% of recruits have traditionally come from military families.

We really need to make it not a military family business  but an American family business, he said.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  A U.S. soldier in charge of one of the worlds most advanced missile systems died Wednesday outside her home near Camp Carroll, according to Eighth Army and South Korean police.

Staff Sgt. Theresa Garris, 28, of Stroudsburg, Pa., was found unresponsive in Chilgok county by first responders, Eighth Army spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday.

Garris was discovered around 3 a.m. in the parking lot of her apartment, a Chilgok Police Station investigator told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday.

Initial evidence suggests Garris, who lived on the fourth floor, fell from her unit, the investigator said. South Korean officials customarily speak to the media on the condition of anonymity.

Garris served with 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade as a Patriot launching station enhanced operator and maintainer at Carroll, roughly 130 miles south of Seoul, Penttila said.

The job involves ensuring Patriot missiles are ready to fire the moment an airborne threat is detected, according to a career description on Goarmy.com.

The command said the death is under investigation, but foul play is not suspected.

Every member of the Dragon Brigade is a member of our family and losing one is hard on the entire unit, brigade commander Col. Scott McLellan said in an Eighth Army statement. Together we will move forward, remember the past, and take care of each other during this tough time."

Garris arrived in South Korea on Sept. 15, 2021. Her awards include the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Superior Unit Award and Army Good Conduct Medal.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
A 21-year-old soldier has been charged with murder in the death of another soldier at Fort Rucker, officials at the Army post in Alabama said Thursday.

Pvt. Brian Jones Jr. faces one count of murder in the Jan. 10 death of Pvt. Abdul N. Latifu, said David C. Agan Jr., a Fort Rucker spokesman. A military judge ordered Jones held in pretrial confinement until he faces a court-martial for the charge, Agan said.

No date has been set for Jones trial.

Jones and Latifu, also 21, were students at Fort Ruckers Advanced Individual Training course for air traffic control operators at the time of the altercation. AIT is the second stage of initial military training for enlisted soldiers.

Officials have not provided information about the motivation for the altercation. Agan said Thursday that he could not provide further details about the case.

Latifu was from the Bronx in New York City. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade at Fort Ruckers AIT program, which is part of its Army Aviation Center of Excellence.

Latifu was described last week as a promising young soldier by Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, the commander of Fort Rucker and the aviation center.

The Armys Criminal Investigation Division led the probe into the altercation. Latifu was killed with an Army-issued entrenching tool  a small, steel folding shovel known as an e-tool  according to Army Times, which cited an unnamed source with knowledge of the incident. Agan declined to confirm an e-tool was used in the attack.
(Tribune News Service)  The Coast Guard announced Wednesday that it has been tracking what it believes is a Russian intelligence-gathering ship over "recent weeks" off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands and released video of the ship refueling at sea with another Russian vessel.

"While foreign military vessels may transit freely through the U.S. economic exclusive zone, as per customary international laws, foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering within Coast Guard District Fourteen's area of response," the service said in a news release. The Coast Guard's District 14 is headquartered in Honolulu and encompasses operations across Oceania. A spokesperson for District 14 confirmed that there were two ships that were believed to be conducting a refueling operation but said he could offer no other details.

During the Cold War, Russian military vessels commonly lingered off the coasts of American states and territories, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union these operations became far less common. In 2012 the Russian navy sailed as an invited guest to Hawaii to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific, the world's largest recurring international naval war game.

But since the March 2014 seizure of the Crimean region of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the Russian navy aggressively began stepping up operations globally. American fishermen sailing in the northern Pacific near Alaska have reported increasing interactions with Russian military ships and aircraft that some have described as confrontational.

The Kremlin has longstanding military ties and arms trading deals with several countries across Asia and maintains its own sizeable Pacific fleet. The Vladivostok-based intelligence gathering ships Kareliya and Pribaltika have been spotted multiple times near Hawaii since the Pribaltika stopped in to monitor the 2016 iteration of RIMPAC from a distance.

In May 2021 the U.S. Pacific Fleet tracked Kareliya lingering about 15 miles to the west of Kauai. The island is home to the Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, which is used by the Navy and the Missile Defense Agency to test-fire missiles. The Kareliya's presence prompted American commanders to delay a planned missile test.

That incident preceded the arrival of dozens of warships from Russia's Pacific fleet in June that conducted what Russian officials described as the largest exercise its navy has conducted in the Pacific since the end of the Cold War. Hawaii Air National Guard fighter jets scrambled several times in response to Russian bombers flying close to Hawaii's airspace. The exercise coincided with President Joe Biden's first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since his inauguration.

After the majority of the Russian warships left Hawaii at the end of the exercise, a spy ship stayed behind to monitor maneuvers by the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

In 2022 the military acknowledged monitoring Russian vessels off Hawaii at least twice, first in January as Biden again met with Putin, this time discussing a massive military buildup of Russian forces around Ukraine. Though Putin insisted it was only an exercise, the following month Russian forces invaded western Ukraine and expanded its war with the country. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed in May 2022 that it was again tracking a Russian military vessel around Hawaii.

The two Russian vessels in the video released Wednesday are the first the military has announced operating off Hawaii since the new year.

"The U.S. Coast Guard is currently monitoring the Russian vessel operating in the vicinity of Hawaii, " said Cmdr. Dave Milne, chief of Coast Guard external affairs, in the news release. "As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities.

"The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific."

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NEW YORK  They met as a veteran Tony Award-winning actress in her early 60s and an unknown from Kansas City, Kan., in his late teens, making his professional debut. Almost immediately, they were required to forge something remarkable: a believable relationship as 15-year-old friends in a musical about a girl who grows old too quickly, and a boy who has to grow up fast.

And to an astonishingly convincing degree, Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley are accomplishing this nightly at the Booth Theatre, in Kimberly Akimbo, a show not only conquering Broadway hearts but also shaping up as a favorite come awards time this spring. Their connection forms the vital emotional core of the musical by dramatist David Lindsay-Abaire and composer Jeanine Tesori, adapted from Lindsay-Abaires play, about a New Jersey teenager in 1999 with an illness that ages her four times as fast as normal.

Whatever the chemistry is between these two actors, Lindsay-Abaire says, its making the audience believe: Yes, these two very different but weirdly similar people belong together.

Without that essential belief  that we see Clarks Kimberly as a typically acting atypical kid, and that Cooleys Seth sees her as girlfriend material  the musical might feel like a precious gimmick. The rhapsodic reviews suggest otherwise: A heartbreaking new nerdical, the New York Times teasingly proclaimed it. The New Yorker said it was howlingly funny, hopscotching among emotions with virtuosic fluidity.

Under Jessica Stones witty direction, the shows strengths include a Tesori-Lindsay-Abaire score that resounds with personality and supporting performances from the likes of Bonnie Milligan as Kimberlys disruptive Aunt Debra; Alli Mauzey and Steven Boyer as her incompetent parents, Pattie and Buddy; and four young actors playing impressionable high schoolers: Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan, Michael Iskander and Nina White.

But it all starts with Clark, who offers up one of the most affectingly permeable portrayals of adolescence Ive ever encountered on a stage. Her work strikes that chord, too, for 19-year-old Cooley, who earned the role of nerdy Seth after being a finalist in 2021 for the Jimmy Awards, the national high school musical theater contest.

When you drop into Kim, you are so unpredictable and realistic and authentic as a teenager. This is Cooley talking to Clark, during a joint interview in a subterranean lobby of the Booth. It was like a callback to where I was not too long ago, and really allowed me to bring my guard down and just see this friend who I wanted to pursue, Cooley continues. I wasnt scared of the actress; I wasnt scared of the co-worker. I just saw an interesting girl that I wanted to be friends with.

It seems such an ideal distillation of a protean art, to be able to create the illusion of youth without camouflaging age.

Im almost the same age as some of these kids grandparents. Im way older than or significantly older than their parents, Clark says of her cast mates. The only aesthetic adjustments are supplied by costume designer Sarah Laux, who outfits Kimberly in jeans and denim jumpers and long-sleeved tops layered under short-sleeved dresses. (David Zinns rendering of Kimberlys room, adorned with maps and photos and strings of lights, assists as well.)

The rest is up to Clark, who seems to slip into a 15-going-on-16-year-old version of herself, as if that were on a hanger in her dressing room, too.

I dont sit down and study, you know, like teenage behavior or any of that stuff, she says. I just kind of try to remember as much as possible what my body felt like. She does admit, though, to the occasional glance around at the style of kids in the city.

Sometimes a teenager will catch my eye, Clark says. And Ill just watch them. Like get off the elevator, the subway, or Ill like see a bunch of girlfriends talking. In the lobby of her apartment building, she went up to one teenager because she was wearing Doc Martens, which Kim wears. And she had these bell-bottom jeans that were super interesting. And she had dyed her hair, part of it was purple  which Clark had done, during the off-Broadway debut run of Kimberly at Atlantic Theater Company. I was just kind of like, okay, theres a modern version of Kimberly. I feel like shes everyone.

The disease that afflicts Kimberly, which is said to end lives at about 16, is never named; Lindsay-Abaire says he intentionally leaves that up in the air. Her home life is another source of grief, particularly as Kimberly is portrayed as a parent to her parents, who cant cope with their daughters condition. The musical plays constantly with upending our notions of maturity and immaturity  even, it seems, in the casting.

As Lindsay-Abaire notes in a Zoom interview with Tesori and Stone, the temperaments of Clark and Cooley turn out to be almost eerily apt.

Justin is young and hes open, but hes also so incredibly centered. And he gives off this old-soul energy, you know, there is something wise about him, he says. Like I remember looking over at him often in rehearsals, and he had this sort of placid, beatific look on his face. I think Jesus  like the Dalai Lama! And then I just as often think, nope, that is the look that my teenage son gives me when hes stopped listening.

Conversely, Vicky, who is our most, lets say, experienced actor in the cast, Lindsay-Abaire adds, also has this amazing youthful spirit about her, in the sort of gangly goofiness that makes her fit in perfectly with those teenagers.

Its no myth that actors who portray close comrades, or even couples, sometimes come to loathe each other in real life. (Ive heard stories.) But the mentoring role Clark has assumed, and the eagerness of Cooley to seize this extraordinary opportunity, seem to have strengthened their collaboration. Putting off college, Cooley arrived in New York with raw talent and little knowledge of what was to come  I never thought of myself as a professional Broadway kid, he says. He quickly found a sympathetic rather than intimidating colleague in Clark, who won a Tony for best actress in a musical in 2005 for a wildly different performance, as the prim mother of a daughter with a mental disability in The Light in the Piazza.

The first day we were up on our feet after wed done our book work, and sitting on the table, I started improvising with him, Clark recalls, of their early rehearsals. (Kimberly began performances at the Atlantic in November 2021 and transferred to Broadway a year later.) So I just started talking to him off-script, I was like, Hey, do you have chips? or like, I gave him a bag of tortilla chips and Im like, This is my snack and now youre going to like sell it back to me.

The memory cracks Cooley up; he admits he had no idea what Clark was up to. I wasnt like, in the world of just playing, he says, cackling. Soon, though, he recognized in Clark a kindred spirit.

You said about this role, that it allowed you to bring a silly part of yourself you dont normally bring to work, Cooley says to Clark. And you just came in and pulled that  the pureness, the childishness  out of me. And allowed me to feel comfortable.

Of course, the indelibly moving aspect of Kimberly Akimbo is the awareness that time is ticking down for Kimberly; the musicals joyful moments are tempered by that knowledge. Cooley says Stone helped them deal with the sadness by advising them to focus on the short term, on what their characters get to share as the show ends. Were so excited about whats right ahead of Kim and Seth, Cooley says.

A life lesson, right? Clark adds. Like to live here. And thats what this show is about. And, I mean, I do break down. I break down all the time. The first time I did a complete show at the Atlantic I came home and just collapsed on the floor and sobbed for 20 minutes. My husband didnt even know what to do with me. He was like, Do I hold you? and I was like, I dont know. Because I was crying for Kim.

Cooley looks over at Clark and smiles. And thats the whole idea of this show, he says. We are going to cry. And then were just going to pick up and keep trudging on.

Kimberly Akimbo, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori. Directed by Jessica Stone. At Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., New York. telecharge.com.
This story has been corrected

Four decades ago, Claudia Ramseys father, a former U.S. Army captain, gave her an American flag, which today hangs behind the till at her bakery, K-Town Cupcakes, in downtown Kaiserslautern.

Despite being one of few decorations there that isnt pink, the flag blends in surprisingly well and feels appropriate, as Ramsey started the business six years ago, largely to cater to the areas sizable American military community.

The initial idea was to make cupcakes like in America for the Americans stationed here, said Ramsey, whose father met her German mother while stationed in Kaiserslautern in the 1960s.

The trained baker lived in the U.S. for a few years as a child but returned to Kaiserslautern with her mother after her parents divorced.

She now spends most days at the small bakery on Richard Wagner Strasse, where she arrives before or near sunrise, depending on the time of year, to start baking fresh products before the doors open.

People often say it must be nice to work at a place that opens so late, but they dont realize that we arrive much earlier, and were constantly busy, Ramsey said, referring to her sole co-worker and herself.

Together they fill a large display case, which is one of the first things visitors see upon arrival. There are usually about a dozen types of cupcakes inside, each topped with homemade buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

Many of them have their flavors infused into the cake and frosting, and include a corresponding garnish.

The strawberry cupcake, for example, is made with real fruit blended into both the cake batter and frosting, and topped with a fresh strawberry.

Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, blueberry and red velvet are available daily. Other flavors, such as Oreo, bubble gum, banana and caramel, are offered on a rotating basis.

While Ramseys aim is to make cupcakes likes those commonly sold in the U.S., she said some customers have noticed differences.

Two days ago, a man was here and said: We love your cupcakes because theyre not so sweet like in America. Here you can taste the different flavors, she recalled.

That was also the consensus among Stars and Stripes staff, who recently tried several cupcakes and agreed that they were American in style but not as sickly sweet as some of those stateside.

They also were light in texture and almost dissolved in the mouth. A day after purchase, the remaining cupcakes had only a marginal decrease in quality.

K-Town Cupcakes also sells large coconut macaroons. Once common at bakeries in the region but now difficult to find, they are popular among the bakerys older German clientele, according to Ramsey.

Also available are assorted macarons. The delicate texture amazed me, but they were too sweet for my tastes. They might go better with a hot drink.

Homemade oatmeal cream pies are another offering. They reminded me of the Little Debbie version being phased out at U.S. military bases , but the ones at K-Town Cupcakes have more texture and flavor.

Eating the bakerys products on the premises suffuse the experience with added charm. Pink-and-white polka-dotted tablecloths and flamingo figurines are among the decor.

In winter, they contrast with the often gray skies outside the large windows. Various coffees and teas may be ordered to accompany the desserts.

Customers who want a cupcake flavor that has already sold out during the day can request that it be made anytime up until around closing. Gluten-free varieties and vegan cupcakes made with banana also are available.

I tell people all the time that they have to come in. Its a pretty place and it always smells good, Ramseys co-worker, Ilona Riffel, said while making a new batch of frosting. And the coffee is good, too.

But most customers leave after buying their baked goods. This has especially been the case in recent years, as the bakerys business has shifted from predominantly cupcakes to 8-inch round cakes, which come in chocolate, vanilla, red velvet and mixed flavors.

When we started, it was just cupcakes, but then we realized that making cakes would help us stay in business, Ramsey said.

And business is booming.

Ramsey and Riffel can make only five or six full-size cakes a day. Customers who want a cake for a weekend event need to visit the bakery at least three weeks in advance to discuss designs.

Those who want a cake for a weekday often can order it a week or two in advance, depending on the number of existing orders.

Full-size cakes are made with the same ingredients as the cupcakes. Past designs can be found on the bakerys Instagram account, @k_town_cupcakes.

Ramsey said that an increasing number of Germans have been coming to the bakery for wedding cakes but that Americans make up an estimated 70% of the clientele.

They often order cakes for birthdays, retirements or promotions, sometimes asking for designs incorporating the American flag, like the one behind the till, which her father gave her during a visit to Kaiserslautern after he and her mother divorced.

A few weeks ago, a customer came in and asked why I had the flag hanging up, Ramsey said. I put it up because its my flag and its my bakery. And because Im American and Im proud of it.

K-Town Cupcakes

Address: Richard Wagner Strasse 15, Kaiserslautern, Germany

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 12-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; closed Wednesday and Sunday.

Prices: Cupcakes 3.10 euros; oatmeal cream pies, 3.80 euros; full-size cakes, 80-100 euros. Cash only.

Information: Phone: +49 631 670 489 05
Base tours offer an easy way to see Europe with other members of the military community. Here is a sampling of trips scheduled as of Jan. 20, 2023. Please update this information and add tours by sending an email to Marcus Klockner at kloeckner.marcus@stripes.com.

Belgium

SHAPE TRIPS AND TOURS: Call 06544-3884. Email shapetripsandtours1@gmail.com or visit www.shape2day.com.

Germany

ANSBACH OUTDOOR RECREATION: Feb. 4, Garmisch ski and snowboard trip, $129 adults, $99 children ages 16-18, $89 children ages 5-15; Feb. 11, Oberstdorf ski and snowboard trip, $129 adults, $99 children ages 16-18, $89 children ages; Feb. 25, Karlovy Vary and Pilsen Brewery tour, $89 adults, $45 children ages 4-12, $20 children ages 3 and under. DSN 467-3225/CIV 09802-83-3225 or MWR Central DSN 467-1780 or CIV 09802-83-1780.

BAUMHOLDER OUTDOOR RECREATION: Jan. 21, Black Forest, $69 adults, $49 children; Jan. 28, Amsterdam, $99 adults, $79 children ages 12 and under; Feb. 11, Paris, $99 adults, $79 children ages 11 and under; Feb. 25, Prague, $99 adults, $79 children ages 11 and under; March 4, Epenay (France) champagne tour, $139; March 17-19, Copenhagen, $179-199. DSN 485-7182 or CIV 06783-67182.

GRAFENWOEHR OUTDOOR RECREATION: Jan. 30, March 6, Grafenwoehr, rock climbing; Feb. 14, March 11, ski and snowboard trip, Skiwelt (Austria), $159 adults, $109 children ages 6-15, $49 children ages 5 and under. DSN (314) 475-8529 or CIV 09641-83-8529.

KAISERSLAUTERN OUTDOOR RECREATION: Feb. 16-20, delights of Tunisia, $1,199 adults (single room), $999 adults (double room), $849 children ages 3-11, $449 children ages 2 and under; Feb. 16-20, carnival in Venice, $699 adults (single room), $549 adults (double room), $479 children ages 3-11, $199 children ages 2 and under. DSN 493-4117 or CIV 0631-34064117.

RTT TRAVEL RAMSTEIN: Feb. 17-20, Northern delights, 659 euros; Feb. 24- 27, Arctic igloo adventure, 1109 euros; Call CIV 06371-463650 or see www.RTTtravel.com. RTT FLIGHT TOURS/RAMSTEIN: Call 06371-463650 or see www.RTTtravel.com.

SPANGDAHLEM INFORMATION, TICKETS AND TRAVEL: DSN: 452-6567 or CIV 06565-61-6567.

STUTTGART OUTDOOR RECREATION: Jan. 31, Fishing in Germany: Get your German Fishing License!, $100 per family, $60 per person. DSN 431-2774 or CIV 0703-2774.

WIESBADEN OUTDOOR RECREATION: Jan. 21, recreational shooting, $10-$15; Jan. 31-April 29, hunting course, Wiesbaden, $269; Feb. 18, Black Forest, Ski and snowboard, $119-$149; March 18, Muerren (Switzerland) ski and snowboard, $169-$199; April 22, Keukenhof flower parade, $369 adults; $349 children ages 11 and under. DSN 337-5760 or CIV 06117-055760; email usarmy.wiesbaden.imcom-eurospe.list.mwr-outdoor-recreation@mail.mil.

Italy

USO ROME: Daily: 8 a.m., Rome, 36 euros adults, 28 euros ages 2-8; 9:30 a.m., Borghese Gallery, 45 euros adults, 35 euros children; 3 p.m. daily, Love and Death in Rome: 2,700 Years of Scandals, 40 euros adults, 33 euros ages 5-17; daily: 10 a.m., Vatican museums and St. Peters Basilica, 65 euros adults, 46 euros ages 5-17; 9:30 a.m. daily, ancient city (Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill), 60 euros adults, 45 euros children ages 5-17; 7 p.m. daily, Rome at Twilight, 29 euros adults, 23 euros ages 5-17; 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily, Underground Rome, 46 euros adults, 38 euros ages 5-17; 2 p.m. daily, catacombs, 45 euros; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Arts and History Elite Walking Tour, 35 euros adults, 28 euros ages 2-12; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Rome by Night with dinner and music, 75 euros adults, 60 euros ages 2-12; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Jewish Ghetto, Tiberina Island and Trastevere, 35 euros adults, 28 euros ages 2-12; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Baroque Rome and Caravaggio, 35 euros adults, 28 euros ages 2-12; Mondays, Florence (semi-private walking tour), 52 euros adults, 39 euros ages 5-17; call CIV 06-397-27419 or visit www.rome.uso.it.

Netherlands

SCHINNEN: (+31) (0) 46-443-7561 or DSN 360-7561 or email usarmy.schinnen.imcom-eurospe.list.schinnen-fc@mail.mil.

Spain

ROTA OUTDOOR RECREATION: Jan. 21, Grazalema, hiking El Pinsapar; Feb. 3, Feb. 17, Granada, ski and snowboard trip; Jan. 28, Pinar de la Algaida, mountain bike ride; Feb. 11, Hiking Garganta del Capitan in Los Alcornocales Natural Park; Feb. 25, bike ride in Olvera; March 11, bike ride in Tarifa; March 18, Via Ferrata Grazalema park. DSN 727-3101 or CIV 095682-3101/3208.

ROTA ITT: Jan. 21, Sevilla historical tour; Jan. 28, Jamon Iberico foodie tour; Feb. 4, Vejer de la Frontera historical tour and Bolonia Roman ruins; Feb. 11, Ronda historical tour; Feb. 19, Cadiz, carnival parade; March 4, Plaza de Toros visit, wine tour and lunch. DSN 727-3101/3208 or CIV 095682-3101/3208.
Visiting the Palatinate Museum of Natural History is bound to interest its patrons for hours, regardless of whether they can read German or not.

Im in the latter category, and I loved this museum. The Google Translate app on my phone allowed me to read the signs that lack explanatory material in English.

I found something fascinating to gaze at or inspect in every room, such as a giant hornets nest, a display of brilliant glow-in-the-dark minerals and the 13-foot-long skeleton of a tiger python.

The museum is housed in an old mill on the banks of the Isenach River, along a quiet residential street on the outskirts of Bad Duerkheim.

A local doctor founded the museum in the 1840s with the aim of informing villagers about medicine and hygiene, according to its website.

Some original exhibits are still on display and may make you shudder: lifelike models of children infected with typical diseases of the era, such as scarlet fever and diphtheria.

But most of the exhibits, spread across four floors, relate to the natural history of the region, with an emphasis on animals. The fauna ranges from a collection of small birds to the huge, 120,000-year-old pelvis bone of a European elephant found in Speyer.

Each collection has a theme. Theres one on insects, another on the geology of the Pfalz and the variety of rocks found in the earth here, including pieces of volcanic rock dating back 296 million years. Others include botany, mushrooms, mining and minerals.

In one room, you can glimpse the animals you might encounter in the vast Pfalz forest, from a wild boar, wildcat and fox to several species of woodpeckers. Despite being preserved behind a glass box, the critters look lifelike.

One of the museums best-known exhibits is the Kraehenberg meteorite, which fell from the sky and landed in the Pfalz village of the same name in 1869.

The bang caused as it entered Earths atmosphere was said to have been heard as far as Wiesbaden, about 62 miles away, according to the museum. The 32-pound chunk of gray rock is estimated to be 4.7 billion years old.

In the attic is the so-called room of curiosities. A stuffed polar bear on its hind legs seems to peer at you when you walk in, one of several grim trophies from the days of colonial hunting, according to the museums own description.

The ecletic collection ranges from a giraffe skull and teeth to fish heads and exotic beetles. This is also where the aforementioned child mannequins are housed. Their lifelike qualities gave me a start.

For real kids, the museum has several hands-on activities, such as looking at spiders preserved in plastic cases under a microscope, touching animal skins and finding camouflaged insects.

Bring a few extra euros to buy a souvenir or two in the museums small gift shop.

Palatinate Museum of Natural History

Address: Kaiserslauterer Str. 111, 67098 Bad Duerkheim

Cost: Admission is 3 euros for adults, 2 euros for students and children. A family ticket is 6 euros.

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday closed.

Information: Phone: +49 (0) 06322-9412-20; email: info@pfalzmuseum.bv.pfalz.de; online: pfalzmuseum.de

Jennifer Svan
Kujira is an Italian restaurant on Okinawa that does not ask diners to choose between a nice meal and a family-friendly outing.

The restaurant, whose name translates to whale in Japanese, uses organic and high-quality ingredients to concoct its delectable homemade dishes.

Kujira offers intimate settings, perfect for a romantic rendezvous, but also family spreads with toys and books for children. It is a restaurant that truly caters to everyone. English-language menus are available upon request.

Kujira was founded in 2015 by Hiroki Ochiai, who hails from Gunma prefecture, according to the restaurants website. After graduating from university, he managed a slew of restaurants, from bars to soba shops and even an Okinawan restaurant in Tokyo.

Ochiai moved to Okinawa and opened Kujira following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. There are two locations, one in Yomitan and a second in Kitanakagusuku.

Everything at Kujira  from the pasta sauces and salad dressings to the pizza dough and desserts  is homemade. They serve only the freshest meats and fish.

Kujira tries to source its ingredients locally when available. The mushrooms come from Yambaru in northern Okinawa, and the shrimp from Ginoza in the central area, for example.

They focus on ingredients that are grown without chemicals and sweeten desserts with cane sugar, as opposed to its processed cousin, the website said. All dishes are made to order so they can take a little extra time during busy hours.

Kujiras prices are surprisingly affordable. Sides range from 250 yen, about $1.89, for a house-made egg roll to 1,480 yen for a large order of fried tiger shrimp. A small order of shrimp is also on the menu for 750 yen.

Meals can range anywhere from 680 yen for a half order of house salad to 3,500 yen for an eight-course dinner. Most entrees fall somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 yen.

All of the dishes on the extensive menu range between 880 and 1,780 yen. Kujira also offers a wide variety of meat, fish and shellfish entrees. Kujira has an extensive selection of beer, wine, whiskey and other spirits. Locally inspired cocktails are also on the menu.

The kids meal, for children ages 10 and younger, includes tomato spaghetti, soup, fresh bread and a drink for 650 yen.

During a windswept evening in early January, Kujira was a beacon on the hill overlooking the glowing lights of the city below. It was warm and inviting with slightly dimmed overhead lighting that bounced off its soothing wood grain interior.

Kujiras house-made fried egg rolls with uncured ham, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce were rolled tight and delicious. They were crispy and the flavors popped thanks to the addition of some hot pepper-infused olive oil and a dusting of parmesan.

The margherita pizza for 1,000 yen tasted homemade, and each fresh ingredient sang out on my palate.

The capellini with lemon cream, clam chowder style, for 1,430 yen, was the real showstopper.

Being from New England, I couldnt really see the connection between the dish and clam chowder, but the clams were clean, fresh and flavorful. The broth was delicious and wholesome with a hint of sweetness.

The pasta was cooked perfectly and didnt stick together. The bowl was big enough to be shared.

To wash it down, I tried one of Kujiras locally inspired cocktails, the Sugarcane Field, made with rum, amaretto, lemon, soda, grapefruit juice and what seemed like a touch of Blue Curacao. The layered drink was crisp, tasty and refreshing.

My friend tried the Sweet Potato Field with Beniimo plum wine, red wine and orange and grapefruit juices. The cocktail had good flavor but was very sweet. Each drink cost less than $5.

Kujira is easily one of the best restaurants in Okinawa city  a whale swimming among minnows.

Kujira

Location: 443-1 Chunjun, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagami District, Okinawa 901-2303

Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Last order at 10 p.m.

Prices: Sides range from 250 yen to 1,480 yen. Main courses between 1,000 and 2,000 yen.

Dress: Casual

Information: 098-989-1062; Online: gaishokuya-kujira.com. Reservations can be made on the website.
Member of the European Parliament Miriam Lexmann (Group of the European People's Party, Slovakia) has emphasized that the European Union also bears responsibility for the situation resulting from Azerbaijans blockade of Lachin Corridor.

January 19, 2023, 09:45 MEP Miriam Lexmann calls for international peacekeeping mission, immediate humanitarian aid for Artsakh

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: During European Parliament debates on the Humanitarian Consequences of the Blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, the MEP said that Azerbaijans despotic strategy is obvious, but the EU also bears responsibility for the situation because for many years it failed to pay attention to the Caucasus region, and by having energy agreements it turned a blind eye on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs repressions against Armenians.

Now we must finally make serious diplomatic efforts to help in resolving this conflict, work with our partners and form an international peacekeeping mission and immediately provide humanitarian aid, Lexmann said.

MEP Lexmann added that the Aliyev regime and a group posing as environmentalists are blocking the Lachin Corridor for over a month, which resulted in a severe humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh, with shortages of food, medicine and fuel, and endangered lives.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The South Korean military intends to deepen its ties with Japan this year by restarting joint military exercises suspended since 2018, according to Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup.

Lee, in a report Monday by the Segye Ilbo newspaper, said the Ministry of National Defense will promote its security cooperation with Japan this year through joint missile-warning drills, antisubmarine and maritime interdiction exercises, and search-and-rescue training.

The real-time intelligence operation system among [the United States, Japan and South Korea] will be further upgraded, he said in the report. It is our goal to hold the trilateral meeting to hold discussions on it as soon as possible.

Lee cited North Koreas military threat in the region for the increased cooperation. Pyongyang fired about 75 missiles last year in 36 days of testing, an annual record. Its latest launch, a short-range ballistic missile, happened Jan. 1.

U.S., South Korean and Japanese warships conducted an antisubmarine drill on the East Sea, or Sea of Japan, in September. The drill was defensive in nature and a measure to restore the levels of  trilateral cooperation, the defense ministry said in a statement at the time.

The South Korean navy also attended Japans International Fleet Review in November, the first such appearance by Seoul in seven years.

Lees comments are part of South Koreas broader shift in diplomatic relations with Japan. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was inaugurated in May, vowed to mend ties with Japan after a long-standing division between the countries.

The Japanese and South Korean government have historically been at odds over several issues. The two have a territorial dispute over Dokdo, also known as Takeshima, remote islets between South Korea and Japan, and have argued whether Tokyo ought to compensate South Korean forced-labor victims from World War II.

Military relations have also been strained in recent years. In 2018, Japans Ministry of Defense said a South Korean navy destroyer pointed a fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol aircraft off the Noto Peninsula, a move described by the ministry as an extremely hazardous act that may cause unintended consequences.

South Koreas defense ministry said the destroyer was conducting a search-and-rescue operation using a different radar system.

Yoon, President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged during a summit in Cambodia on Nov. 13 to work together out of a shared concern for  the nuclear and missile threats North Korea poses, according to a White House statement that day.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  International support could be key to deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, according to Taipei-based defense experts who say U.S. forces arent likely to fight on the island or in the strait separating it from mainland China.

A Chinese effort to reunify Taiwan by force is a possibility that many U.S. defense leaders take seriously, based on regular threats by Chinese President Xi Jinping and stepped-up Chinese military activity around the island in response to an August visit by former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

President Joe Biden in September said U.S. troops would defend Taiwan if China invaded and made a similar statement while visiting Japan in May. Walk-backs by his staff, however, suggest a deliberate policy of strategic ambiguity meant to deter conflict by leaving the possibility of U.S. intervention uncertain.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has said she is confident the United States will come to the islands defense if China attempts to invade. In an Oct. 26 interview with CNN, she confirmed the presence of small numbers of U.S. Marines and special operators on the island.

Defense experts in Taipei, however, think its unlikely that significant numbers of U.S. troops will deploy to Taiwan in a crisis.

Professor I-Chung Lai, a former Taiwanese artilleryman who works at the Prospect Foundation, also doesnt think U.S. warships would enter the Taiwan Strait to oppose an invasion, because the waterway is so close to Chinese forces on the mainland.

The time it would take to send aid means European nations probably wont play a military role in any Taiwan Strait crisis, Lai said.

We do not think Europeans are going to play a significant military role in the Taiwan Strait, he told Stars and Stripes Jan. 10, noting the vast distance from Europe to the Far East.

However, the internationalization of Taiwans security is still important, Lai said.

What the U.S. is doing is to encourage other friendly nations to have a public concern regarding security and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said. It makes the Chinese aware that things happening there wouldnt just be about the U.S., Taiwan and China.

Taiwan needs to prepare to defend itself, which is why it recently extended military service for young men from four months to a year, Lai said.

The Ukraine model, in which the U.S. and allies send arms and supplies to help defend the country after Russia invaded last year, does not apply to Taiwan, according to Ming-Shih Shen of Taipeis Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

Ukraine borders NATO member Poland, simplifying the movement of air and arms, the former Taiwanese infantryman said Jan. 10.

Taiwan is an island, Shen said. If China blockades Taiwan, how can the U.S. supply Taiwan?

China is capable of effectively blockading Taiwan, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, told the Wall Street Journal for a Sept. 20 article.

They have a very large navy, and if they want to bully and put ships around Taiwan, they very much can do that, he said.

A blockade isnt an all-out lethal attack, Thomas said, and the international community could work together on how were going to solve that challenge.

Its possible the U.S. could resupply Taiwanese forces from Japan or the Philippines, Shen said.

However, Taiwan needs to prepare munitions and supplies on the island. It also needs energy stocks. Taiwan would run out of natural gas in eight days and oil in three months in the event of a blockade, he said.

If we dont have power, many weapon systems cant operate, he said. We are thinking about these problems and preparing.
CIA Director William Burns traveled in secret to Ukraine's capital at the end of last week to brief President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his expectations for what Russia is planning militarily in the coming weeks and months, said a U.S. official and other people familiar with the visit.

Burns' travel comes at a critical juncture in the 11-month war. Russian forces are mounting a massive assault near the eastern city of Bakhmut that is causing many casualties on both sides and forcing Ukraine to weigh its resources there as it prepares a major counteroffensive elsewhere in the country.

Top of mind for Zelenskyy and his senior intelligence officials during the meeting was how long Ukraine could expect U.S. and Western assistance to continue following Republicans' takeover of the House and a drop-off in support of Ukraine aid among parts of the U.S. electorate, said people familiar with the meeting. All spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private high-level engagement.

Burns emphasized the urgency of the moment on the battlefield and acknowledged that at some point assistance would be harder to come by, the people said.

Zelenskyy and his aides came away from last week's meeting with the impression that the Biden administration's support for Kyiv remains strong and the $45 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine passed by Congress in December would last at least through July or August, those familiar with the discussion said. Kyiv is less certain about the prospects of Congress passing another multibillion-dollar supplemental assistance package as it did last spring, they said.

While hawkish Republicans in Congress continue to favor arming Ukraine, other conservatives have said they want to slash U.S. spending, in particular, the billions of dollars going to the war effort.

"Director Burns traveled to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian intelligence counterparts as well as President Zelenskyy and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," a U.S. official said.

Burns is a respected figure among Zelenskyy's inner circle because of his accurate warning in January 2022 that Russian forces would seek to capture Ukraine's Antonov Airport in the opening stages of the Feb. 24 invasion. His message, delivered in person, was based on a U.S. intelligence assessment and is credited with helping Ukraine prepare to defend the airport and deny Russia a foothold needed to capture Kyiv.

Burns's skeptical view of Russia's willingness to negotiate also has endeared him to Zelenskyy's aides, who have bristled at suggestions Ukraine should consider talking to the Russians to end the conflict.

"Most conflicts end in negotiations, but that requires a seriousness on the part of the Russians in this instance that I don't think we see," Burns told PBS last month. "At least, it's not our assessment that the Russians are serious at this point about a real negotiation."

A CIA spokesperson declined to characterize what Burns relayed to Zelenskyy on Russia's military planning. Any insights he might offer would be highly valued in Kyiv.

At the moment, Ukrainian and Russian forces are locked in an intense war of attrition in eastern Ukraine around Bakhmut. The city has relatively little strategic value but it has taken on symbolic importance for both sides, in particular, Russia, which hasn't captured a major Ukrainian city since last summer.

Military analysts expect that an uptick in fighting this spring could determine the war's trajectory.

The United States and Western countries are rushing armored vehicles, artillery and missiles to Ukraine in an effort to bolster its military's firepower, hopeful the additional equipment will enable Zelensky's army to break through Russian-controlled areas such as Zaporizhzhia in an offensive expected to begin in the coming months.

Russia, meanwhile, is looking to launch its own offensive in the spring, stoking expectations that it will draft more troops following last September's mobilization of 300,000 men. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu unveiled a proposal in December to increase the country's military personnel to 1.5 million by 2026, up from 1.1 million now.

Moscow, which has recruited convicted felons in the war effort, has shown a willingness to endure heavy casualties. Last year, many of the recruits were highly inexperienced, given only two weeks of training before being sent to the front lines. But in recent months, Russia has improved its training, according to Western intelligence officials.

Burns, a former ambassador to Russia and senior State Department official, is one of the U.S. government's foremost experts on Russia. He has thought extensively about the place Ukraine takes in the Russian psyche.

During the George W. Bush administration, when the topic of NATO membership for Ukraine was discussed, Burns underscored the depth of Russian opposition to the idea in a memo to Condoleezza Rice, then secretary of state.

"Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite (not just [Vladimir] Putin)," he wrote. "I have yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests."

More recently, Burns has linked the Russian president's decision to invade Ukraine as a key step in his goal of returning Moscow to its former glory.

"He is convinced that his destiny as Russia's leader is to restore Russia as a great power," he told an audience at a security forum in Aspen in July. "He believes the key to doing that is to re-create a sphere of influence in Russia's neighborhood and he does not believe you can do that without controlling Ukraine and its choices. And so that's what produced, I think, this horrible war."

Burns also visited Ukraine in November. The trips offer the spy chief an opportunity to build trust with his intelligence counterparts and form a better understanding of the conflict, said people familiar with his travels.

Burns' latest trip came ahead of a busy week of engagements on Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with his Ukrainian counterpart in Poland for their first face-to-face interaction since the start of the war.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's supporters to send tanks and air defense missiles, and criticized Germany for refusing to supply its modern Leopard tanks unless the United States sends the more advanced Abrams tanks.

"There are times where we shouldn't hesitate," Zelenskyy told an audience in Davos, Switzerland, via video feed.

That same day, NATO defense ministers began a two-day meeting in Brussels, where the topic of Leopard tanks divided allies, with Poland threatening to send 14 tanks regardless of whether Germany approves. Technically, Germany's approval is required because it is the manufacturer of the Leopard 2.

"Either we will obtain this consent, or we will do the right thing ourselves," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a local broadcaster.
Delivering modern battle tanks to Ukraine wont diminish the ability of allies to defend their own territory, NATOs top military officer said Thursday, as tensions mount over Germanys reluctance to allow its tanks to be used by Ukraine to fight Russia.

I think we can manage any risks that we're dealing with, said U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATOs supreme allied commander, at the conclusion of a meeting of defense chiefs in Brussels.

Cavolis comments came a day ahead of another round of high-level discussions happening at Ramstein Air Base, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be meeting with dozens of allies to determine what additional weaponry Ukraines military needs.

Within NATO, pressure is mounting on members to send more armored weaponry, including tanks. Germany in particular has come under withering criticism for balking at the idea of dispatching its Leopard tanks.

Berlin also is standing in the way of other allies sending Kyiv their own German-made tanks to Ukraine.

German hesitance prompted Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday to say that Warsaw was prepared to ignore German demands.

If Berlin doesnt offer permission to transfer Leopard tanks already in Polish possession, we will do the right thing ourselves," Morawiecki said during an appearance at the International Economic Forum in Davos.

Germany has said it will send tanks to Ukraine only if the United States sends its Abrams tanks. But U.S. officials said this week that the idea of sending Abrams tanks  which require more complicated training and have unique maintenance needs  is on hold for now.

Instead, Washington is poised to announce another round of military aid for Ukraine involving armored Bradley fighting vehicles and, for the first time, highly mobile Strykers.

Those offerings, along with other gear, add up to more than $2 billion in aid, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. The details are expected to be formally announced during the talks at Ramstein on Friday.

The meeting at Ramstein will mark the second day on the job for German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who met Austin in Berlin on Thursday. Pistorius took over after the resignation of Christine Lambrecht, who critics said hadnt moved forward quickly enough on plans to upgrade Germanys military.

Meanwhile, Cavoli said neither Western tanks, or any other system, are a silver bullet for Ukraine. But tanks would provide an advantage, said Cavoli, who also heads U.S. European Command.

A balance of all systems is needed. In the end, a tank simply comes down to, conceptually, a balance between firepower, mobility and protection, Cavoli said, describing that combination as the holy trinity for ground forces.

So far, Western weapons have proven superior to Russias on the battlefield in Ukraine, and Cavoli indicated he would expect the same to hold true for tanks.

I think it's clearly the case that Western technology, modern Western technology, is outperforming Russian technology, he said.

Ukraine has continued to walk a fine diplomatic line in seeking the weapons it needs to drive Russia from its land. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised the United States, Germany and other nations for their help.

But on Wednesday, speaking by video link to a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, he made reference to lack of specific weaponry, adding that we cannot just do it with motivation and morale.
TEL AVIV  Immediately after the November election that elevated a once-fringe bloc of far-right politicians to Israel's top seats of power, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked on an American media blitz, aimed at reassuring his country's most important ally.

"My hands are firmly on the steering wheel," he said in interview after interview.

But just three weeks into his term, critics say Netanyahu's far-right coalition has already begun to veer off course  swiftly advancing measures that seek to weaken Israel's judiciary system and eliminate any remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The barrage of initiatives contrast sharply with Netanyahu's calculated and measured style, and are proof, said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul in New York, that he has lost control.

"Netanyahu's partners know he's the weakest he's ever been, so they're holding him hostage," said Pinkas, who has fielded calls from U.S. senators and representatives struggling to find strategies for dealing with the new government, the most far-right and religiously conservative in Israeli history.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, "no longer has legitimacy; if this government falls apart, there's a chance he'll go to jail," said Yoav Fromer, head of Tel Aviv University's Center for the Study of the United States, referring to the ongoing trial against Netanyahu, who has been indicted in three separate corruption cases. The trial, Fromer said, has granted outsize leverage to Netanyahu's extremist religious partners, who have promised to help save him from prosecution in exchange for the freedom to pursue their own agenda.

The unofficial quid pro quo has already translated into substantive concessions to Israel's far right and revealed the limits of U.S. influence. U.S. officials expressed their discomfort to Netanyahu over the demands by Bezalel Smotrich, head of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism bloc, during coalition negotiations, according to Israeli media. But Smotrich and his allies were appointed to critical, and sensitive, positions in Israel's security establishment and overseeing civilian affairs in the West Bank  the disputed territory that members of the radical bloc, in defiance of the United States, have openly vowed to annex.

In public, Washington has reiterated its commitment to its "shared values" with Israel. But it is also quietly recalibrating its position, communicating to Netanyahu that he will be held responsible for undermining those values  and warning that his ambitions to curb Iran and normalize relations with Saudi Arabia could be affected.

"My approach is, you, Prime Minister Netanyahu, want to get big things done, we want to get big things done," U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides told The Washington Post. "But if your backyard is on fire, then we can't get anything done."

"Every minute I'm talking about problems with the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, the [West Bank] outposts, on calls with the White House is a minute lost when we could be talking about other things," he added, referring to the Jerusalem site that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and has often been a flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier this month, Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister, made a controversial visit to the site. The United States was the first country to publicly condemn the move, saying that changes to the status quo would be "unacceptable."

On Jan. 2, the night before Ben Gvir's visit, as Hamas called on Palestinian youth to "mobilize," Netanyahu convinced Ben Gvir to delay his tour, according to Israeli media. But his hard-line base demanded that he resist "surrendering to terrorism" and at 7 a.m. the following morning, flanked by security officers, Ben Gvir arrived at the Temple Mount.

"This is what happens when a weak prime minister is compelled to entrust the most irresponsible person in the Middle East with responsibility over the most combustible place in the Middle East," opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted in response to the incident.

Netanyahu's far-right ministers are staunch ideologues with fervent constituencies, including many messianic Jews who believe that peace in Israel can only be achieved through all-out war.

Tzvika Foghel, a lawmaker from Ben Gvir's Jewish Power party, told Army Radio that even if Ben Gvir's visit resulted in Hamas rocket fire that killed Israelis, "then, yes, it would be worth it, because it would be the last war, and after that we can sit back and raise doves and all the other beautiful birds that exist."

At an emergency United Nations meeting on Jan. 5, American representative Robert A. Wood said the United States was "concerned by any unilateral acts that exacerbate tensions or undermine the viability of a two-state solution."

The United States has vetoed more than 50 U.N. resolutions against Israel over the years  blocking tribunals, sanctions and boycotts over its occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and its wars in Gaza  arguing that Israel's robust justice system is capable of holding its military accountable.

But in the past week, Netanyahu's government has also rapidly advanced a judicial overhaul aimed at weakening the Supreme Court, and potentially allowing the prime minister and his allies to hand-pick the judges presiding over his corruption trial. The ploy, legal experts warn, could save Netanyahu in the short term, but ultimately harm Israel by undermining the ability of the United States to defend it in the international arena.

"The Supreme Court and judicial system are our legal Iron Dome against the world," said Benny Gantz, former Israeli defense minister, referring to Israel's U.S.-funded antimissile system, in a televised statement last week.

That defense mechanism is critical, he said, at a time when international condemnation of Israel is accelerating. On Monday, more than 90 U.N. member states expressed "deep concern" over Israeli sanctions against the Palestinian Authority  including the freezing of construction and the withholding of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue  after the PA sought support from the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The prospect of a fracturing American diplomatic shield also coincides with a surging settler movement, emboldened by the government's promises to authorize dozens of illegal outposts and allocate $2 billion to upgrade roads and infrastructure on land that Palestinians envision as part of their future state.

"We should, as policy, send our people to [all of the West Bank]. This is the land of Israel," Ben Gvir said last year.

That could complicate U.S. aid to Israel  including $3.8 billion in annual security assistance  which will be key to Netanyahu's broader agenda of curbing Iran's nuclear program and normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia. Israel and Riyadh have covertly collaborated to destabilize Iran in recent years, but formal ties would "expand the circle of peace beyond our wildest dreams," Netanyahu told the Washington Examiner last month.

Nides, the U.S. ambassador, said the United States has been working to remind Netanyahu that changes to the status quo at Jerusalem holy sites and government support of West Bank settlements undercut his regional ambitions. Washington remains committed to keeping the "vision" of the two-state solution alive, Nides said, but he acknowledged that there is a lack of political will and that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is escalating.

"We will push back when we need to push back," he said.

Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, said Israel's new government has already eroded the shared values touted by diplomats, and that could damage the "unbreakable bond" beyond recognition.

"The results will not bode well for anyone," he said.

The Washington Post's Hazem Balousha in Gaza City contributed to this report.
The United States has seen setbacks when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh and wants to see constructive dialogue put back on track, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing.

January 19, 2023, 13:08 U.S. describes Armenia-Azerbaijan process as personal priority of Blinken, hopes to see constructive dialogue

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: Were going to do what is ultimately most helpful. And at the end of last year, there were a couple meetings that the Secretary chaired between his counterparts, a trilateral meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan, with Secretary Blinken in the middle. We did that at Blair House. We did that in New York. Of course, weve seen setbacks when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh of late. We want to see constructive dialogue put back on track. We stand ready to engage bilaterally. We stand ready to engage with and through partners, through the OSCE or, if and when appropriate, trilaterally, as we have done in the past, Price said.

Price said Secretary of State Antony Blinken will have an opportunity in the coming days to speak to Azeri President Aliyev.

So the Secretary did have an opportunity today to speak to the leader of Armenia. I do expect that he will have an opportunity in the coming days to speak to President Aliyev, Price said.

Furthermore, Price described the Armenia-Azerbaijan process as a personal priority for Secretary Blinken.

So, of course, Ambassador Reeker did retire from the Department of State after an illustrious 30-year career just last week. But there are a number of individuals in this department who are deeply invested in this process, not the least of whom is Secretary Blinken himself. This is a personal priority of his. But people like Toria Nuland, people like Karen Donfried, people like a number of the senior officials in our Bureau of European and Eurasian affairs, will remain deeply engaged in this, Price said.
BRUSSELS  The Biden administration has launched its search to find the next chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, landing on the top generals in the Air Force and the Marine Corps as leading contenders, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, will probably be interviewed by President Joe Biden before the commander in chief settles on whom he would like to replace Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, who has served as the Pentagon's top uniformed officer since fall 2019, these people said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's internal deliberations.

By law, Milley must rotate out of the position by the end of September. He is expected to retire.

It's possible that other candidates could emerge, the people familiar with the matter said, particularly from the Army. Anyone who has served as either a service chief or a combatant commander is eligible, opening the position to senior officers in roles such as the chiefs of U.S. Central Command, Indo-Pacific Command or U.S. European Command. One such candidate is Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, an Army officer who leads U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, these people said.

A Navy officer is unlikely to be considered, because the No. 2 job is filled by Adm. Christopher W. Grady, who is confirmed by the Senate to serve as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Historically, the chair job has rotated between the military services, making an Army officer following Milley less likely. Biden's eventual nominee also must be confirmed by the Senate.

Spokespeople for the White House, the Pentagon and Milley declined to comment.

Whoever becomes the Pentagon's next top general will take over at a tumultuous time. The Defense Department, at Biden's direction, has committed about $25 billion in security assistance to help Ukraine fend off the bloody, nearly year-old invasion by Russia while turning its attention to an ascendant China and the fear that it could attempt an incursion of Taiwan.

Over the past few years, the military has repeatedly been dragged into partisan political squabbles in Washington as well, creating additional challenges for the Pentagon and raising alarm among scholars who study civil-military relations and want the military to be seen as apolitical.

News of the potential candidates to replace Milley was first reported by the Wall Street Journal as he continued a week-long tour of Europe. On Wednesday, he held a meeting with NATO defense chiefs here in Brussels, after meeting Tuesday just outside Ukraine in southeastern Poland with Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the top officer in Ukraine's armed forces.

Brown, 61, has served as the top officer in the Air Force since 2020, and previously was the commander of Pacific Air Forces. A fighter pilot, he also has led troops in the Middle East and Europe, and has called for the United States to speed up how quickly the military innovates.

Brown became the first Black person to lead a branch of service and would be the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs if selected, following Army Gen. Colin Powell.

While awaiting his confirmation to become Air Force chief of staff, he memorably released a video describing his experience as a Black man in the military after the police killing of George Floyd. He said in it that he was aware of the "immense expectations" that came with his historic promotion, "particularly through the lens of current events plaguing our nation."

Floyd's murder set off protests, some violent, across the country, including one in Washington for which Milley drew scrutiny for appearing in his camouflage uniform alongside President Donald Trump. Milley later apologized, and Brown was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 98-0 four days after his video regarding Floyd.

Berger, 63, has served as the top Marine since July 2019. An infantry officer, he has commanded forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Pacific. He, too, has sought to innovate within his service, directing his commanders to break away from 20 years of insurgency wars in the Middle East, shed tanks and heavy artillery, and adopt more long-range missiles and drones for potential conflicts on Pacific islands. His vision for reshaping the Marines has faced objections, including from frustrated retired generals. Berger was confirmed by the Senate for his current job with a voice vote.

Milley's chairmanship has been defined by the crises of the Trump administration, the chaotic fall of Afghanistan and, more recently, his focus on helping the Ukrainian government. In recently released testimony to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, he told lawmakers that he knows he has become a "lightning rod for the politicization of the military," and expressed frustration with critics who have sought to "smear" him and other senior Pentagon leaders.

The general cited as one example the backlash he received after previously telling lawmakers that he wanted to "understand White rage" and what prompted people to assault the Capitol. His comment came in response to Republican criticism of leaders at the U.S. Military Academy who allowed cadets to learn about critical race theory, an academic framework that centers on the idea that racism is systemic and not just demonstrated by prejudiced people.

"I think it's fundamental to the health of the republic that we have an apolitical military," Milley said in his testimony. "And apolitical means nonpartisan, neither Democrat nor Republican, and we execute the lawful orders of the civilian leadership that's appointed over us. The key is 'lawful' orders, and therein lie some judgment calls."
WASHINGTON  Three inspectors general, including the Pentagons top watchdog, have issued their first comprehensive oversight plan that outlines transparency efforts to manage and keep track of billions of dollars that the U.S. has provided Ukraine to defend itself against invading Russian forces.

Congress requires the IGs produce the oversight plan and the first edition, which was released Wednesday, elaborated on where aid dollars authorized by federal lawmakers went during most of 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February.

The U.S. governments Ukraine response efforts seek to address major national security objectives by promoting democracy, deterring future aggression, and ensuring a peaceful and stable Europe, the Joint Strategic Oversight Plan for Ukraine Response states. Oversight of all U.S. government Ukraine response efforts is critical to ensure proper use of these funds and to detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse.

The 42-page report states Congress provided $113.4 billion for Ukraine through emergency supplemental funding measures in March, May, September and December.

A majority of the congressionally authorized funding, $62 billion, went to support efforts through the Defense Department. About $46 billion went to efforts by the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and about $5 billion through other departments.

The report was presented by Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch, State Department Deputy Inspector General Diana Shaw and acting Deputy USAID Inspector General Nicole Angarella. Storch became the Pentagons first full-time, independent watchdog in seven years when he was confirmed last month by the Senate.

The $62.3 billion in [Pentagon] funding supports security assistance requirements in Ukraine and operational mission requirements within the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, replacement of DoD stocks provided to Ukraine through presidential drawdown and excess defense article authorities, and reimbursement for defense services, education, and training provided to Ukraine, according to the report. Furthermore, this funding provides for additional service requirements such as operations and maintenance; military personnel, research, development, test, and evaluation, and procurement of new munitions and equipment.

Many congressional Republicans, including those in the now GOP-held House, have called recently for increased oversight of aid to Ukraine. While President Joe Bidens administration, other Democrats and many experts agree supporting Ukraine is critical for democracy and security in Europe, some Republicans have said there should be a limit to how much the U.S. helps Ukraine.

Congress cant only cut checks, Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a joint statement after the oversight plans release Wednesday. We must also ensure U.S. aid is being spent transparently, effectively, and advances U.S. national security interests. The inspectors generals newly released Joint Strategic Oversight Plan is a welcome development.

However, Rogers and McCaul also urged Biden to send Ukraine more equipment, including tanks and long-range precision munitions. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have also been asking for more tanks.

German officials have said they will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine only if the U.S. also agrees to send M1 Abrams tanks, according to some news reports this week. Bidens administration has given Ukraine hundreds of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M113 and M1117 armored carriers, Humvees, armored trucks and helicopters  but no Abrams tanks.

Part of the reason for the hesitancy to send Leopard tanks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this week, is because Germany would rather send tanks when the United States does. Some experts have said, however, the M1 Abrams isnt suited for the environment in Ukraine and Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Thursday that its a sustainment issue.

[The M1 Abrams] is a tank that requires jet fuel, whereas the Leopard and the [British-made] Challenger  they require diesel, she said. The maintenance and the high cost that it would take to maintain an Abrams just doesnt make sense to provide that to the Ukrainians at this moment.

The oversight report, which includes a list of all the military equipment given to Ukraine, mentions there will be dozens of smaller and more targeted oversight projects throughout 2023. Those efforts will include topics such as reviewing how the U.S. is training Ukrainian troops, replenishing weapons stocks and sharing intelligence.

Singh noted in her remarks that another security package is coming soon and hinted it might include more armored vehicles because Ukraine has been asking for them.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the new security package is expected to include nearly 100 Stryker combat vehicles and at least 50 more Bradleys.

Deciding what weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself will be at the center of a meeting of the allied Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Friday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are participating in the session.

We'll renew our united commitment to support Ukraine's self-defense for the long haul," Austin said in a statement about the meeting.
Marine Corps veteran Michael Boll said he had followed the unraveling of Rep. George Santos lies with amusement as the freshman Republican from New York took his seat in Congress this month.

Santos list of fabrications is long: a faked Jewish heritage, a resume full of jobs that he didnt work and colleges that he didnt attend. The Long Island congressmans false claims first came to national attention in December, sparking ridicule, calls for his resignation and investigations as more untruths were uncovered.

But Boll said he stopped laughing when his friend and mentee, disabled Navy veteran Richard Osthoff, told him two weeks ago that Santos  under the alias Anthony Devolder  had stolen $3,000 in donations for Osthoffs dying service dog in 2016.

Were talking about two of the worst possible things that a man or any woman could do  go after a veteran and a dog, Boll said. I was just disgusted and really angry that this person basically benefitted throughout all his bad behaviors and became a congressman.

Boll, the founder and president of the New Jersey Veterans Network support group for veterans in need, connected with Osthoff at a low point in Osthoffs life. Osthoff was living in a tent in Howell, N.J., just so he could be close to his dog Sapphires veterinarian.

The pit bull mix had developed an 8-inch tumor on her stomach and urgently needed surgery.

This dog was not just an ordinary dog, she was his lifeline, Boll said. He loved this dog.

Through a veterinary technician, Osthoff connected with Santos and the Friends of Pets United animal charity that he claimed to run. Santos, under the Devolder alias, set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for Sapphires surgery and successfully collected $3,000, Osthoff said.

The planned operation never took place, however. Osthoff said Santos became cagey about the money, forcing him to drive to a specific veterinarian on Long Island. The veterinarian deemed Sapphire too sick for the surgery.

He was making me jump through hoops, making me do things that I knew right then and there that something was going on here, Osthoff said. I told him he was mining my dog and my familys and friends hearts for money and he said, That is the most offensive thing anybodys ever said to me. He just became belligerent after that and nasty.

Boll then stepped in as a mediator. He told Santos to either provide refunds to donors or give the money to Osthoffs veterinarian to cover future medical bills for a new service dog.

Anthony did not agree [with] that, he didnt like those ideas at all, Boll said. Anthony said he wasnt going to give the money at all to Rich and that he was going to give it to another veterinarian or another place.

Boll, a retired police sergeant, advised Osthoff to file a fraud complaint with law enforcement but Santos fake identity made that impossible.

Obviously, Anthony does not exist, Boll said.

Sapphire died Jan. 15, 2017. Osthoff said Santos did not help pay for the dogs euthanasia or cremation and never reimbursed Osthoff for his travel to Long Island, as Santos had promised.

I never got any money from him, Osthoff said. He refused.

No official registration records of Friends of Pets United have been found.

Santos on Tuesday was assigned to two House committees despite growing calls by Democrats and some Republicans for his resignation. The House Ethics Committee has been formally asked to investigate Santos and the congressman also faces multiple federal and local investigations.

Boll said Wednesday that he wanted to see Santos just go away.

When you mess with veterans, the consequences should be a lot worse but I would be happy with him just disappearing and moving on with his life, Boll said. Just go away, youre not bringing anything good to this country.

Osthoff is now happily living with a new service dog. Santos did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment but has denied even knowing Osthoff, telling the news website Semafor that the veterans claims were fake.

No clue who this is, Santos said.
The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Canadian parliament unanimously adopted a motion, calling for a maximum of three meetings on the blockage of the Lachin Corridor and to hear directly from Artsakh State representatives, The Armenian National Committee of Canada reports.

January 19, 2023, 11:44 The representative of Artsakh in the USA and Canada and Artsakh Ombudsman will be invited to the special session to be held in the Parliament of Canada

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: This is a historic move that will officially give an opportunity to representatives of the Republic of Artsakh to speak in front of the Canadian Parliament, the Armenian National Committee of Canada said.

Horizon Weekly quoted the motion as follows; That, pursuant to standing order 108(2) the Committee undertakes to hold a maximum of three meetings to study the present situation of the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, de facto isolating the Nagorno-Karabakh region; that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, the Ambassador of Armenia, the charge daffaires a.i. of Azerbaijan, representatives of the two communities in Canada, the Permanent Representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to the United States and Canada and Gegham Stepanyan, the Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Defender be invited to testify by Friday, February 3, 2023; that the testimony and materials gathered by the community at these meetings be taken into consideration in the study of the security of the Azerbaijan Armenia borders and that deadline to submit additional witnesses to the clerk be at noon, on Friday, January 20.
Man got a couple of hundred euro after 32,903 taken from victim

A CASH-strapped student who let fraudsters use his bank account to launder 2,500 had made a very bad choice, a court has heard.

Florestin Adamou (22) was in financial difficulty when he agreed to take part in the laundering of cash from an invoice redirect scam in return for a couple of hundred euro.

Judge Bryan Smyth gave him a six-month suspended sentence.

Adamou, of Remount, Racecourse Commons in Lusk, admitted money laundering and handling stolen property.

Detective Garda David Jennings told Dublin District Court 32,903 was transferred from a victims account in an invoice redirect fraud. This ended up in a co-accuseds account, but 2,500 was then transferred into Adamous bank account.

Some 1,850 was withdrawn before the bank managed to freeze the remainder.

He made a choice that was thoroughly wrong and was ashamed, Mr De Courcy said.

The main person involved and another accused were before another court, Det Gda Jennings said.

He agreed with defence solicitor Matthew De Courcy that the others were higher up the chain than Adamou, who was at the lowest end.

The accused had no previous convictions, was not on the garda radar and co-operated. He had repaid the money withdrawn from his account in full.

At the time, he was about to start college and was in significant financial difficulty, Mr De Courcy said.

Someone suggested allowing his account to be used to transfer funds, which he would take out. He was to give this to a third party in return for a couple of hundred euro.

Florestin Adamou of Lusk outside court

He made a choice that was thoroughly wrong and was ashamed, Mr De Courcy said.

He had studied business and Spanish in college and was now working at an airline. He had his whole life ahead of him and Mr De Courcy asked the judge to consider any alternative to a conviction.

Judge Smyth refused to leave the accused without a conviction and suspended the sentence for a year.
Little Mias Grandmother had previously pleaded with her partner to get rid of the dog

Gardai at the house in Clashmore, Co Waterford, where Mia O'Connell died. PA   PA

A coroner issued a stark warning over the dangers posed by dogs to young children after an inquest into the death of a four-month-old girl who was fatally mauled as she slept by the family's pet terrier.

Cork Coroner Philip Comyn recorded a verdict of death by misadventure for Mia O'Connell who was fatally mauled by a rescue dog called 'Red' as she slept in a Moses basket at the family home in Clashmore, Co Waterford on June 6, 2021.

Mr Comyn explained he was opting for a misadventure verdict after hearing that the dog  a terrier-Dachshund cross  had previously snapped at little Mia after she had been brought home from the maternity unit at University Hospital Waterford in March 2021.

The inquest heard evidence from Mia's mother, Ella Woods, that she always "felt uncomfortable" when the dog was anywhere near her daughter  while Mia's grandmother, Noreen O'Connell, said she had repeatedly asked her partner, Barry, who had re-homed the dog, to get rid of it after it had tried to snap at the little girl.

Mr Comyn said it was vital that lessons were learned from the tragedy.

He urged all dog owners to be conscious of the dangers posed by even the most friendly of pets to children and the vulnerable.

The inquest heard that the terrier was apparently jealous of the little girl and the attention she had taken from him in the family home.

"What can we learn from this terrible tragedy," Mr Comyn said.

"At the end of the day a dog, even a beloved family pet, is still an animal and can still be unpredictable."

Mr Comyn urged all pet owners to enforce "extreme vigilance" to ensure children and the vulnerable were properly protected at all times.

Mia was the daughter and first child of young couple Ella Wood and Rhys O'Connell.

She was born on February 22 2021.

The late Mia O'Connells aunt Heidi OConnell and father Rhys O'Connell pictured at Cork Coroners court.

Mia's aunt, Emily, was visiting her sister, Ella, in Clashmore on June 6. Rhys O'Connell was not present in the property that evening.

The inquest heard that the terrier  which was red in colour and resembled a fox  was kept outside the house and slept in a kennel in an alley by the side of the family home.

Whenever the dog slipped inside the house, it was immediately ushered back outside.

Mia was teething and was fed and put to bed on the evening of June 6 with her relatives eating downstairs.

Her aunt, Emily, went to check on her and her own son, Jaden, that evening and was horrified to discover the infant lying on the bedroom floor with 'Red' standing over her.

"Emily screamed my name," Ella explained in a statement given to gardai.

Mia's mother was too upset to attend the inquest.

"I had never heard her scream like that. When I got up to the landing I saw Emily on the landing holding Mia. Emily screamed: 'It was the dog, it was the dog.' I saw the dog on the landing."

"The dog's face was covered in blood  it was disgusting."

Emily told the inquest she had gone to check on Mia who had been put to bed in a Moses basket  and was horrified to see the child lying in the middle of the bedroom floor with the dog standing over her.

"Mia was in the middle of the room. The dog Red was behind her. He was just standing there. There was blood all over his mouth."

Gardai Waterford Fire Brigade and paramedics raced to the scene and Mia was transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where desperate attempts to stabilise her condition failed.

Mia was pronounced dead at CUH in the early hours of June 7.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster conducted a post mortem examination and found that Mia died from severe brain trauma due to fractures to the skull and multiple lacerations consistent with an animal attack involving a dog.

The inquest heard that, when found, Mia was bleeding heavily from the back of her head with deep lacerations visible.

Her aunt, Emily, had tried to staunch the blood loss by holding a cloth to the child's head.

Dr Bolster noted that an infant's skull is relatively pliable and would fracture given such an attack.

Mia's father, Rhys O'Connell, queried whether his daughter would have suffered.

"It would have been very quick  she would not have felt any pain," Dr Bolster said.

The inquest heard that the dog had been re-homed by Barry, Mia's grandfather and Noreen O'Connell's partner.

Mr Comyn was told the dog had apparently refused to hunt for its previous owner - something that caused enormous distress to Rhys O'Connell, his sister, Heidi, and their mother, Noreen.

The family insisted they were never aware that the dog had once been hunted.

"If I had known that  that dog would never have set foot in the house," Rhys O'Connell said.

Noreen O'Connell said she wanted the dog removed once it had previously snapped at her granddaughter.

"I pleaded with Barry to get rid of that dog I hated that dog," Noreen O'Connell said.

The family had no idea how the dog gained entry to the house that evening and managed to get into the bedroom where Mia was sleeping.

Gardai who attended the scene said they saw the dog outside the house and growling at those present.

The dog was euthanised within days of the tragedy.
Gardai found an imitation firearm in Keith O'Reilly's rucksack after he was arrested for assaulting his former partner

A man who broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, a wheelchair user, before assaulting her and throwing her dog on to the road has been given a three-year suspended sentence.

Gardai found an imitation firearm in Keith O'Reilly's rucksack after he was arrested for assaulting his former partner in May 2022, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Garda Ronan Harris told the court that O'Reilly (31) sent the woman a number of threatening texts the day after they broke up, before he turned up at her home in Harold's Cross, Dublin on May 25 and started knocking repeatedly on the door.

In the texts, O'Reilly told the woman he was going to take her dog, smash her face and smash her windows, Gda Harris told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting. He also described her disability in derogatory terms, the court heard.

When O'Reilly turned up at the woman's assisted living home, she refused to answer the door and told him to leave. She thought he had gone when he suddenly appeared at a window and broke his way into her home.

The woman was part-way through a 999 call and had just told gardai her name and location when O'Reilly pushed her over, causing her to fall out of her wheelchair, and smashed her phone on the ground.

The woman managed to get back into her wheelchair, grab her dog and leave the home through the back, but O'Reilly caught up with her and slapped her across the face before he took the dog and threw it on to the road.

Gda Harris said it was generally a busy street, but there was no traffic at the time and the dog escaped injury.

When gardai arrived and arrested O'Reilly, they found an imitation firearm in his rucksack which he said he used to shoot cans. When the woman went back to her home, she found it had been ransacked and her phone was gone.

O'Reilly, with an address at Glenmore House, Swords, County Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of assault, criminal damage and production of a realistic firearm at Harolds Cross, Dublin. He has no previous convictions.

The woman's phone was never recovered.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said his client's behaviour on the day was not attractive and uncharacteristic. He said O'Reilly is remorseful for his actions and was somewhat intoxicated on the day in question.

He has a history of homelessness and drug abuse, but is now working for a car park company, the court heard.

Keith O Reilly   Paddy Cummins - PCPhoto.ie

Sentencing O'Reilly on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan said he had taken into account a letter from the woman which he said was very Christian.

She asks me not to send the man to prison by reason of his good behaviour towards her in the past and her belief that everyone is entitled to a second chance, Judge Nolan said.

He said what OReilly did was very serious and he obviously lost control but he said he is taking the womans request very seriously.

Judge Nolan said he felt it unlikely that OReilly will re-offend and took into account his lack of previous convictions before he suspended a three-year term of imprisonment on full on strict conditions.

You should be ashamed of yourself, Judge Nolan said before he added that it was only because of the womans Christians view that he was not going to prison.
Eleanor Moore (29) was also angry at the childs friend for getting her put in jail

A woman awaiting sentencing for child sex offences and who was readmitted to bail on two occasions after breaching conditions is back in custody after again contacting the victim.

Eleanor Moore (29), from Craigavon Park, Fintona, Co Tyrone, admitted intentionally sexually touching a boy aged under 16 on dates between November 2020 and February 2021.

She further accepted communicating sexually with him for her own gratification between November 2020 and March 2021.

It was previously disclosed that Social Services alerted police over concerns around Moores engagement with the boy.

She was arrested in early 2022, then released on bail on the condition she was to have no contact with the child. However, she breached this several times, on each occasion being found with him, after he was repeatedly reported as missing from home.

Examination of Moores phone revealed sexual communications with the victim.

Following Moores arrest for a different bail breach last summer, a detective believed she would continue to tell [the boy] not to engage with police or other services.

There is a high risk of child sexual exploitation, as he appears besotted Social Services has made numerous reports of her continuing to engage with the child. Its evident she shows no regard for bail conditions, despite charges for serious sexual offences with a child.

The guilty pleas were entered at Dungannon Crown Court in November, where Judge Brian Sherrard ordered pre-sentence reports and directed Moore to sign the sex offenders register.

He remanded her on continuing bail, warning there was to be no contact with the child.

However, within days she was brought before Dungannon Magistrates Court after police observed the child seated in her car.

The judge refused bail, but Moore was later freed by Judge Sherrard after the defence assured Moore had no intention of contacting the child.

Her curfew was also relaxed to allow her to socialise over Christmas.

Eleanor Moore

Earlier this month, she was arrested again, this time appearing before Omagh Magistrates Court after the victims friend alerted police to a number of messages and calls from Moore on his phone.

The friend asked Moore: Should you even be texting him?

She responded: You know too much.

Bail was refused, but the case was again brought to Dungannon Crown Court on January 9, where Judge Sherrard once more ordered Moore to be released.

Within hours she began contacting the victim, who told police he initially received a number of phone calls which would be hung up upon answering but this developed into her speaking.

Moore was arrested and appeared before Strabane Magistrates Court, where a police officer explained Moore told the victim, during one phone call, that they would be together forever.

She was also angry at the childs friend for getting her put in jail.

Along with phone calls, there were multiple attempts at communication through Facebook, of which police have obtained a log.

Objecting to bail, the officer said: The defendant is awaiting sentencing for sexual activity and communication with a child and is on the sex offenders register.

She was only released from prison for breaching the same conditions when she again contacted the victim the same day.

These conditions have been breached on multiple occasions and the defendant shows no regard for them, or the court She knows she is not to contact the victim but persistently does The contact is unwanted and it started as soon as she was released from prison.

A defence barrister informed the court Moore does not accept she contacted the victim and denies breaching bail.

However, after consideration, District Judge Alana McSorley found the breach proved and, remanding Moore in custody to await sentencing, added: This is a matter for Judge Sherrard.
The senior officer, who was head of professional standards  the unit responsible for disciplining officers, remains suspended

PSNI Chief Superintendent Patricia Foy leaving Lisburn Courthouse after pleading guilty to a drink driving charge and receiving a fine with disqualification from driving (Photo by Liam McBurney/PA Wire)   PA

A senior PSNI officer was more than twice the legal drink driving limit when she crashed her car into a traffic light pole during a Christmas Eve grocery run.

Patricia Foy (57) whose address was given as PSNI headquarters Brooklyn House, Knock Road, Belfast, appeared at Lisburn Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.

The defendant entered guilty pleas to driving with excess alcohol, failing to stop or report a collision and driving without due care and attention.

Foy is one of the most senior female officers in the force.

She was also the head of professional standards branch, the unit of the police responsible for disciplining officers accused of misconduct and would have sat on panels to hear allegations against others.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed Foy remains suspended. They added the police have no further comment to make at this time.

The court heard police had been made aware of a damage-only road traffic collision at around 3.40pm on December 24 last year.

Foys vehicle had been observed turning right from Ballymacoss Avenue onto the Knockmore Road in Lisburn when it mounted the pavement and collided with a traffic light pole.

Eyewitness statements identified the vehicle and police were able to ascertain the last registered owner was the defendant.

Around a minute later, police received a report from another member of the public that a female known to them had collided with her parked car.

After arriving at the scene, police observed Foy walking from her vehicle into her home and after they spoke with her, the defendant failed a preliminary breath test.

She was then arrested and taken to custody in Musgrave, where she recorded an evidential sample of 89mg - over twice the legal limit - before giving a no-comment interview.

Defence for Foy said she had expressed regret for the incident and apologised, but said that though she had served the public for 34 years as a police officer, her reputation was now in tatters and her career in jeopardy.

They said she had made a foolish decision to make the three-minute journey to buy some last-minute groceries for Christmas Day.

Counsel said the defendants recollection of the events was patchy and said she had consumed three large gins before the incident took place.

They said social media comments on the incident had been unhelpful and unpleasant but that Foy realised she had made a mistake for which no excuse could be proffered.

District Judge Rosie Watters said the defendant had made a big mistake and that she would deal with her the same way she would deal with any other defendant.

Judge Watters disqualified the defendant from driving for a period of 18 months and fined her a total of 450, alongside a 15 offenders levy.

She said Foy could reduce her sentence by completing the drink driving course and advised she would also have to re-sit her driving test.
Pakistani national Abdul Wahab also admitted causing the youngster grievous bodily harm with intent in an attack 24 hours before she died

A 34-year old man was handed a life sentence today after he confessed to torturing and murdering his five-year old step-daughter.

Nadia Zofia Kalinowska was pronounced dead at the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in the early hours of December 15, 2019 - and over three years after the fatal attack, Abdul Wahab finally admitted murdering her in the family home at Fernagh Drive in Newtownabbey.

The Pakistani national also admitted causing the youngster grievous bodily harm with intent in an attack 24 hours before she died, as well as carrying out a campaign of assaults against her on dates between July 1 and December 14, 2019.

Nadia's mother Aleksandra Wahab (28), who is orIginally from Poland, pleaded guilty to an 'alternative' charge to murder - namely causing or allowing the death of her daughter.

She also admitted a charge of causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm the day before Nadia's death, and of allowing Nadia to suffer over a period from July 1 and December 14, 2019.

The couple were arrested and charged with murdering Nadia following her death on December 15, 2019. They were also charged with a litany of other offences which they initially denied.

A trial into Nadia's death started at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday (18th) when a jury was told the schoolgirl was tortured and killed in her home - a place where she should have felt safe.

During the opening, Crown barrister Liam McCollum detailed the injuries inflicted on Nadia.

As well as suffering a skull fracture and lacerated liver which caused her death, Nadia had also sustained fractures and re-fractures to her ribs, a fractured collarbone, a fractured pelvis and an injury to her bowel.

Also present at Nadia's time of death were 70 surface injuries including bruising and abrasions.

This led the Crown to conclude that Nadia had been subjected to a campaign of physical abuse in the family home which culminated in her death.

As the hearing was due resume today, barristers for both Mr and Mrs Wahab asked that their clients be re-arraigned - and at this point Mr Wahan bowed his head and tearfully pleaded guilty to the murder.

He was told by Mr Justice O'Hara: "In light of the fact you have pleaded guilty to murder, I now impose a sentence of life imprisonment upon you.

"In due course a plea hearing will take place at which I will set the minimum period which you have to serve in jail before you can be considered for release."

The trial judge also addressed the jury of seven men and five woman. He said that as both Mr and Mrs Wahab had now pleaded guilty to three charges each, he directed them to return 'not guilty' verdicts on all the remaining counts.

He thanked the 12 members of the jury for their service before discharging them from the case.

Barristers for both Mr and Mrs Wahab asked for time ahead of sentencing to allow defence reports to be prepared.

Mr Justice O'Hara agreed to this and listed the plea for March 9. Both defendants were then remanded back into custody.
It is understood that the balaclava wearing gang had been watching the property before they targeted it

A businessman was tied up after he was frogmarched into the bathroom of his home when it was raided by an armed three man gang on Tuesday evening.

It is understood that the balaclava wearing gang had been watching the property in Lusk, north Co Dublin, before they targeted it when they noticed a vehicle leaving it at around 6.30pm.

One of the criminals was armed with a firearm and the other two raiders carried meat cleaver type knives when they burst into the property.

It is understood the occupant of the house, a businessman aged in his early 60s was threatened and assaulted before being forced into the bathroom where he was tied up.

Sources say that for almost an hour the gang ransacked the house looking for valuables and cash, but were interrupted when two male relatives of the man who was being held against his will arrived back at the house.

They were confronted by the burglars and it is understood that these two men suffered minor injuries in the course of an altercation with the raiders who spoke with Dublin accents.

At this stage it is believed that the man in his early 60s who was in the bathroom managed to partially free himself and was able to alert neighbours which led the criminals to flee the scene empty handed.

Gardai were notified and rushed to the scene and a major investigation has been launched.

This was a terrible ordeal for all three of these men, but particularly the first injured party who was in the house on his own when the gang struck.

It was a very distressing home invasion, a source said.

Gardai said tonight that no arrests have yet been made in the case.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following an aggravated burglary at a property in Lusk, Co Dublin yesterday evening, Tuesday 17th January 2023, a spokesman said.

At approximately 6.30pm, a number of males entered the property and demanded cash.

Three men, aged in their 50s and 60s were injured during the incident. Their injuries are understood to be non-life threatening.

It is understood nothing was taken during the incident.

Gardai in Balbriggan are appealing to any person who was in the Ballealy Lane area of Lusk between 5pm and 8pm last night, Tuesday 17th January 2023 to contact them. They are particularly keen for any road users who may have camera footage from this area at the time to make it available to investigating Gardai

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Balbriggan Garda Station on 01 666 4500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station, he added.
Thug Gavin Quinn (28) was only released from prison in August

A violent criminal who was only recently released from prison after trying to butcher a garda has been arrested over a serious knife attack.

One man is in hospital with a several stab wounds following the vicious assault in south Dublin at around 10.30pm last night.

Gardai were alerted to the incident at a house in the Drimnagh area where two unarmed members arrested a man holding a large knife following a physical struggle.

Sundayword.com has learned that the suspect in custody is Gavin Quinn (28) who was only released from prison in August.

There was widespread anger when he walked free a month after being sentenced to two-and-a-half years for his role in an attack on a garda in 2020.

He was released after his time served was taken into account while awaiting trial over the assault in the south-inner city during which the officer feared he would be killed.

Last night emergency services were called to an alleged assault on Keeper Road during which a man in his 20s received a number of stab wounds.

Sources described the victim as an innocent party who suffered serious injuries after attempting to intervene in an incident.

Gardai confirmed that the injured man was later taken to St James Hospital for treatment with his injuries thought to be non-life threatening.

A man (20s) was arrested by Gardai at the scene and is currently detained at Crumlin Garda Station. Investigations ongoing, the garda spokesman added.

He can be questioned for up to 24 hours before he must either be charged or released from custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

During the attack in 2020 Gavin Quinn assaulted the garda and held him down while his younger brother Lee (27) tried to stab the officer in the eye and slashed his head with a kitchen knife.

They were originally charged and due to stand trial for attempted murder but later pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Gavin Quinn was released from Mountjoy Prison last August, just one month after being sentenced, having been given credit for the time he spent in custody awaiting trial.

Gardai issued an alert following his release because of his violent past and links to criminality.

In a victim impact statement to the court Garda Alan Murphy said there was no doubt" in his mind that hed be dead if it werent for the assistance of emergency service colleagues from Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), who pulled Lee Quinn away from him moments after the knife-wielding attacker had slashed the officers head.

He told the court he wanted to thank the DFB members for "saving my life and putting their own bodies between myself and two individuals who were trying to butcher me like an animal".

Gavin Quinn later pleaded guilty to assaulting a peace officer in the execution of his duty, contrary to Section 19(1) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, at St Vincents Street West, Inchicore, Dublin 8, on March 30, 2020.

Lee Quinn, of Keeper Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause serious harm on the same date at the same location and was jailed for six years.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) said at the time it was "disappointed and dismayed at the sentences handed down over the "life-threatening" assault.
Gardai were called to the house in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 shortly before 10.30pm last night.

A man in his 20s who was found by gardai brandishing a knife while another man lay injured on the floor of a Dublin home has been arrested.

The injured man who is also in his 20s suffered a number of apparent stab wounds.

Gardai were called to the house in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 shortly before 10.30pm last night where they physically struggled with the man holding a large knife.

He was eventually disarmed and arrested in relation to the alleged assault and taken to Crumlin Garda Station.

The injured man was taken to St James Hospital for treatment where his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Gardai are continuing to investigate the incident.

A garda spokesperson said: Following a physical struggle between the man and the uniformed Gardai, the man was successfully disarmed and arrested by two unarmed Garda members.

"The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 and was taken Crumlin Garda Station where is currently detained.

"The injured man (20s) received a number of apparent stab wounds and was later taken to St James Hospital for treatment.

"His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

"No other injuries have been reported.

"Anyone with information on this incident can contact Gardai at Crumlin 01 666 6200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Investigations are ongoing, they added.
The pair met through mutual friends in their late teens, with the abuse starting small but it grew, the 22-year-old said.

A young woman who suffered horror abuse from an ex-boyfriend has told how he controlled every aspect of her life.

Jody Duggan (22) watched Dublin security worker Jake Boles (24) walk free from Trim Circuit Court last week with a suspended sentence.

Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Boles to two years for the assaults and two years for the coercive control offences, with the criminal damage offences taken into consideration. The sentences were suspended in full on a number of conditions including that he does not contact Jody again.

Boles young age, the fact he is a new father, has steady employment, is not taking drugs and was engaging in counselling were taken into account.

Jody first spoke to the Sunday World about the ordeal she experienced at his hands.

Since the story broke, the brave victim continued to speak out about how her relationship with Boles and told how it started as normal.

The pair met through mutual friends in their late teens, with the abuse starting small but it grew, brave Jody told the Opinions Matter podcast.

"He controlled every aspect of my life, she said, revealing she lost a lot of friends as a result of the impossible rules Boles set.

"If I had even 2 more money than him it became a big ordeal.

He would lock her in rooms, control her food, track her every movement and isolate her from loved ones to the point where she wanted to end her life.

Jody told of the extensive abuse she suffered from Boles, recorded in photos of injuries she eventually showed her mum.

In the car on the way to work one day, she said she broke down.

"I showed her them and straight away she said we have to go call the guards.

The 22-year-old reveals she still had bruises from Boles attacks when she made her report. "There were cuts down my leg from being pushed down the stairs.

She admitted the court case was tough, as everything became all about him and what a good guy he is now.

Jody insisted on delivering her victim impact statement herself.

"Getting up there and speaking, do you think it even moved him? No, hes sitting there across from me, staring at me and I could barely even get the words out.

"All I could feel were his eyes staring at me and I could barely get my words out but once I did, I was so proud of myself for getting up there and speaking because it was the one thing I needed to do for that bit of closure.

She said his fully suspended sentence isnt right.

"People go to prison for a lot less, Jody admitted, saying she disappointed in how it ended but she hopes her story helps other women.

Jody previously told the Sunday World how Boles abuse will always stay with her.

This will stay with me forever, it wont go away. The cuts and bruises will go but the emotional stuff will never go.

Jake took so much from me. Some things I dont think Ill ever get back. I feel stuck in the time this happened to me, she said.
Armenian defense army soldier was wounded by an opponent's shot at the combat position located in the direction of Yeraskh.

January 19, 2023, 14:10 Armenian soldier shot and wounded by Azeri military on border near Yeraskh

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Ministry of Defense informed that his condition is assessed as critical.

An investigation is being carried out to find out all the circumstances of the incident.
Clothes taken after thieves hit Grafton Street shop in robbery

A worker helps clean up the damage at the Hugo Boss store on Grafton Street which was ram-raided early yesterday morning. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Thieves who carried out a smash-and-grab raid at the Hugo Boss store on Dublins Grafton Street are believed to have caused nearly 10,000 of damage.

The burglars struck at around 4.30 yesterday morning when a car was rammed into the front of the store.

It is understood that during the brief raid they grabbed a number of hangers of clothing before fleeing the scene.

The full value of the stolen stock is yet to be determined, but sources estimate it could be in the thousands.

Gardai were alerted after a worker in an adjacent property heard the noise and raised the alarm. However, the raiders had fled by the time gardai arrived.

Significant damage was also caused to the front of the shop, including to a door valued at around 2,000, with the overall damage estimated to be up to 10,000.

A source said: The actual figure for the damage caused has yet to be determined but at this stage is believed to be as much as 10,000.

CCTV footage will be central to identifying the suspects as part of this investigation.

There are cameras used by stores along Grafton Street while there are also garda cameras in the area.

This was a fairly quick raid. The alarm was raised by a worker in a nearby store immediately, but the suspects had already left the scene by the time gardai arrived.

It isnt the first time a high-end fashion retailer on Grafton Street has been the target of vandalism and theft. The North Face store was targeted a number of times by thieves.

North Face assistant manager Courtney Heary said: We were broken into through our shop window on November 29, just after the Black Friday weekend.

It was only one guy who broke in on the Tuesday morning. We were then broken into on the Thursday, but instead of the window it was the door. And then on the Friday it was three guys rather than just the one.

All we know is they came in and they took the same stock that they had taken on the Tuesday. They had an idea of what they wanted. They didnt come past the till point, it was the entrance  they lifted product and out they went.

On the Friday they had a wheelie bin and they put the stock in that. But on the Tuesday the guy just manhandled it and ran through the street.

Going back during Covid, it was the car going through the window, which is what happened with the Hugo Boss store. As of now, we have overnight security so we have a guy who just sits at the door all night until we at least get the window fixed, because it could have been us again last night.

When they smashed the door it was fixed on the same day because we had no choice, but with the window its just taking a little bit of extra time to fix.

An assistant manager at Hugo Boss said: Things like this are done during the night. It doesnt really affect the employees, everyone is fine, and everyone is cheerful. Its just unfortunate.

Its more to do with the vandalism of the shop  they didnt take anything of value, the damage is the main problem.

Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town, said: We are hopeful that the gardai will apprehend the culprits. They have a very good crime prevention unit in Pearse Street, and they give good advice to businesses in terms of how to improve their own security. We will work on that.

Theft from shops is as old as shops themselves. Its an unfortunate incident and we certainly dont want to see it happening regularly.

I do think the area is well covered in terms of things such as CCTV, so hopefully gardai can apprehend the culprits.

Its not the first time it has ever happened in Ireland and unfortunately there have been similar incidents, not so much within the city centre, but throughout the country.

The store manager of fashion retailer Dune, also on Grafton Street, said: We do see gardai walking around the street, but because it happened so late or early morning there isnt much they could do. But its a bit scary now.
Nicola Tallant looks back on the gangster they called The Pimpernel and recalls his ties to Ireland

The Sunday World tracked down Mickey Green to his Irish bolthole

HE was an A-list star of the criminal underworld, a gangster so wily that he travelled the world amassing a 100million fortune and died not from a bullet, but from his love of a sun-kissed tan.

Dubbed 'The Pimpernel' for his ability to evade the law, Mickey Green's life as a mobster - which spanned an incredible five decades - personifies the changing face of organised crime.

From the Costa del crime to California, from the rolling hills of Colombia to the rugged Irish countryside, he travelled the globe negotiating drug deals, VAT scams and sensational robberies.

Nicola Tallant presents a three-part Crime World special on the life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green.

Crime Word Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
Matteo Messina Denaro who had disguised himself as a woman at one point to avoid capture, had enjoyed a playboy lifestyle during his years on the run

Italian newspapers with the news of fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro's arrest on January 17   Getty Images

Italian police who finally caught up with a ruthless mafia boss after 30 years on the run found a secret lair that had been packed full of condoms, Viagra, expensive perfumes, designer clothes and a well-stocked fridge.

Cosa Nostra godfather Matteo Messina Denaro, who was snared by the elite Special Operations Group on Tuesday had been hiding out in a luxury flat in the small Sicilian town of Campobello di Mazara.

Investigators discovered the entrance to the bunker was concealed behind a closet full of clothes in the apartment where the 60-year-old had been living for at least six months before his capture.

In a follow up operation, a second hideout was discovered at the back of a wardrobe with a sliding base.

Italian police said jewellery, gemstones and silverware were found in the hidden chamber.

Nicknamed Diabolik or U Siccu (the skinny one), the notorious mobster had been on Italys most wanted list for at least 50 murders in the 1990s when mafia hitmen were targetting judges and police chiefs.

The mafia chief who had disguised himself as a woman at one point to avoid capture, had enjoyed a "playboy" lifestyle during his years on the run, with a fleet of luxury cars, a wardrobe full of Versace and Armani suits, and a collection of Rolex watches in his collection.

Matteo Messina Denaro is led away   Carabinieri via Getty Images

Italian police spokesman Fabio Bottino said: We found expensive clothes, which show he had no money problems, and now we are checking DNA traces and looking for hiding places where he might have stashed documents.

Informants have talked of these documents, he added, and our job is to find them if they exist.

It is believed that this secret archive of the Sicilian mafias boss of bosses Toto Riina, who died in 2017, was stolen by Denaro and allegedly contains the secrets of the last 40 years of mafia killings.

Denaro was born in Castelvetrano, Sicily, in 1962. His father was a powerful Cosa Nostra boss and Denaro thrived in the family business, building an illicit multibillion-euro empire in the waste disposal, wind energy and retail sectors.

Denaro rose to prominence within the crime syndicate after murdering rival gang boss Vincenzo Milazzo and strangling his pregnant girlfriend to death.

Throughout his reign as a mafia enforcer, Denaro's brutal crimes which included dissolving a child in acid, as well a deadly bombing campaign, earned him the nickname Diabolik.

Italian newspapers with the news of fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro's arrest on January 17   Getty Images

However, his other reputation as a womaniser did not go down well with more conservative mafia chiefs.

The crime boss who once boasted how he filled a cemetery all by myself, is believed to have been responsible for a string of 1993 bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan that killed 10 people and injured many more.

But after the murders of prominent anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, Denaro went on the run and headed to Greece with his lover Maria Mesi.

In 2002 was sentenced in his absence to life imprisonment for his role in the 1993 bombing campaign.

In an operation reportedly involving up to 100 members of the armed forces, the Italian polices elite Special Operations Group dramatically captured the notorious mafia chief in a raid on private clinic in Sicily's capital Palermo where he was receiving treatment for liver cancer.

One doctor at the clinic told Italys La Repubblica newspaper that Denaro attended appointments wearing Yves St Laurent scarves and shirts worth over 700.

Video of the raid showed members of the public standing in the street and applauding Italian police as the feared gang boss was led away.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi lauded the capture of "an extremely dangerous fugitive" as "an extraordinary day for the state".

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has suggested marking the date of the gangsters capture, January 16, as a public holiday.
Linda also said Annie was never forgotten among those of us that are lucky to call her a friend

A childhood pal of American woman Annie McCarrick has posted a poignant tribute to the missing woman on the 30th anniversary of her disappearance.

Taking to Twitter, Linda Ringhouse wrote: 30 years ago this week I was vacationing with my friend #Anniemccarrick in Ireland.

On 3/26/93 she would be murdered and never found. She added the hashtag: #findanniemccarrick.

Linda has always remembered her tragic friend and last year revealed how she had been happy in Ireland before she disappeared.

Linda also said Annie was never forgotten among those of us that are lucky to call her a friend.

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People have left numerous messages of support in response to Lindas tweet, with some in Ireland describing their memories of Annies disappearance.

So very sorry Linda for the loss of your dear friend Annie McCarrick, one person has written.

"Annie is always very much on my mind as the 30th anniversary of her disappearance approaches. I continue to hope & pray for a break in the case. Sending love & hugs from Ireland.

Another added: Annie is remembered in Ireland; the place she loved which holds the secret of her disappearance.

"So sorry for your loss Linda. 30 years on we hope someone will have the courage to make that call that provides an opportunity to justice. Not knowing is just heartbreaking.

On last years anniversary of Annie (27) vanishing without a trace on March 26, 1993, Linda said she had visited her pal in Ireland a month before she went missing.

She wrote: I was able to see how happy she was to be there and starting a new life chapter. She took off to Ireland to live her ultimate dream.

Annie went missing after taking a bus to Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, to go walking in the mountains.

New Yorker Linda described how difficult it was to lose someone this way.

She wrote: Its a different type of loss and grief. It brings a type of anger and rage that does subside but can come right back at any moment.

She wrote: She was a force of freedom and adventure. She is never forgotten among those of us that were lucky to call her a friend.

In a documentary aired last year novelist Marisa Mackle told how every time she goes for a walk in the Dublin Mountains, she finds herself asking: Annie, where are you?

Haunting footage of a carefree Annie delightedly thanking her Nana so much for the money that she had sent to her in Dublin forms the opening frames in the documentary that explored the enduring mystery.

The only child of parents with strong Irish links, Annie is described as bright, beautiful, good-humoured, confident, outgoing."

There have been many theories over the decades, but with no crime scene, and in those days of scarce CCTV footage, gardai spent the initial weeks of the investigation following up over 100 tips and taking dozens of statements.

In the Scannal documentary, Mackle, who waitressed with Annie in the Courtyard Restaurant in Donnybrook, says she believes her friend is somewhere in the Dublin Mountains.

When Im up there, I say a prayer for Annie. I just hope that one day somebody will find something, she says. My personal belief is that there was a serial killer.

It is a theory shared by one of the main detectives on the original case.

It definitely wasnt a coincidence that a number of women travelling on their own went missing in the east [of the country], says retired Detective Garda Thomas Rock. Looking back on it now, it looks like it could have been the same person.

One of the major difficulties in solving a case like this is you have no crime scene, you have no body, you have no material evidence.

When gardai first began investigating Annies disappearance, they treated it as a missing person case as there was no evidence of foul play.

Mr Rock remembers the McCarrick family coming to Ireland as hundreds of volunteers searched for any trace of Annie.

They were very worried and anxious parents, and they took a very proactive role in the investigation, he says. We set up a mobile communications centre out at Johnnie Foxs and we carried out massive searches of the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. But whoever took her made sure there was nothing left.

Larry Murphy

Some people dont realise the massive size of the Wicklow and Dublin Mountains. Its only when you go up there that you realise the size of that area, the remoteness of it  and the probability that a body could be buried up there and never found.

We had sightings of her, where people came forward and said they had given her a lift or brought her here and there, and we had to follow up every single lead.

The whole focus of the investigation for the first couple of weeks was trying to find out where had she gone. Its different in an investigation where you have a scene and a body.

In the years that followed, Annies disappearance began to be linked to the cases of other women who went missing in the east of the country, which led to the setting up of Operation Trace.

There were similarities between three of the women that went missing  there was Annie McCarrick, JoJo Dullard and then there was Deirdre Jacob  three women on their own, just out walking, and then they suddenly disappeared and were never seen again, Mr Rock says.

The documentary also detailed how Larry Murphy was arrested in February 2000 for the kidnap, rape and attempted murder of a young woman in the Wicklow Mountains.

She was rescued when two hunters stumbled upon the horrific scene, and Murphy was later sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Mr Rock says that without evidence, you have no court case.

As a detective, you have to work with what you have  you can have thoughts about who may or may not be responsible.

Kenneth Strange, a former FBI agent and McCarrick family friend, helped and advised them, and took an active interest in the case on the 10th anniversary.

My gut tells me that she made her way to Enniskerry and she met someone there, or was approached by someone there who maybe asked her for directions  and then, by that time, its over, he says.

I would call that person a psychopath. These are people who act alone  they have a place where they know they are going to dispose of the body.
The board of management at Wilsons Hospital School in Co Westmeath is to hold a disciplinary meeting today to consider the case of suspended teacher Enoch Burke.

Mr Burke and members of his family have arrived for the hearing this morning, as have representatives from the school.

The meeting was scheduled after the High Court refused to grant Mr Burke an injunction preventing it from going ahead.

Mr Justice Conor Dignam found that while Mr Burke had satisfied the standard for the injunction, it could only be granted if he agreed to comply with court orders restraining him from attending Wilsons Hospital School in Multyfarnham.

Mr Burke indicated to the court yesterday that he would not comply with the orders.

The history and German teacher is expected to attend the hearing, which is scheduled to take place at the Mullingar Park Hotel.

The complaint against him arose from incidents in which he publicly expressed opposition to a request from his then principal, Niamh McShane, to address a transgender pupil by a new name and to use the pronouns they and their.

Mr Burke, who is an evangelical Christian and opposed to transgenderism, refused to comply with the request, claiming that to do so would violate his religious beliefs.

The meeting will take place under stage four of Department of Education and Skills procedures regarding the suspension or dismissal of teachers.

This stage involves board of management consideration of a principals report and a presentation by the teacher to the board. Sanctions open to the board include demotion and dismissal.

Mr Burke was suspended on full pay last August. However, he continued to show up for work  even after the school obtained a court order restraining him from doing so. He eventually spent 108 days in Mountjoy Prison for contempt of court.

Despite refusing to purge his contempt, Mr Burke was released just before Christmas, after a judge concluded he was exploiting his imprisonment to his own ends.

The disciplinary process was paused while he was in prison, but the school put Mr Burke on notice of its intention to resume it as soon as he was released.

Mr Burke again turned up for work when Wilsons Hospital School reopened on January 5 following the Christmas holidays.

An application from the school for the sequestration of Mr Burkes assets for his continued contempt of court will be ruled on next week.

In court yesterday, Mr Burke claimed to have won his application and queried why Mr Justice Dignam had made an injunction conditional on him complying with orders to stay away from the school.

You are asking me to agree to something that is flawed, wrong and unconstitutional, he said.

Mr Justice Dignam replied: I want to make it clear you didnt succeed in getting your injunction. It is incorrect to describe you as succeeding in the injunction.

The judge said Mr Burke had satisfied the test for injunctive relief, but in view of the teachers stated intention to continue attending the school he was now exercising his discretion not to grant the injunction sought.

In a written ruling yesterday, the judge said individuals do not get to pick and choose whether they will comply with court orders, the enforceability of which is a central plank of any system based on the rule of law.

He also said it was open to Mr Burke to comply with the orders without prejudice to his contention that the orders were wrong, and that Ms McShanes instruction was unlawful.

Mr Justice Dignam said Mr Burke had established the test for the granting of an interlocutory injunction on two grounds.

These related to his claim that there were findings and conclusions in a report presented to the board of management to which he was not given the opportunity to respond; and that a report written by Ms McShane was read at a board meeting to which he was not invited, depriving him of natural justice and fair procedures.
More than 300 people took part in the Northside Welcomes Refugees protest organised by the Northside For All community group.

Hundreds of people converged at the Fairview footbridge in north Dublin on Wednesday evening for a Refugees Welcome protest.

The protest was organised to counter anti-immigration demonstrations that have taken place outside refugee accommodation centres in the capital and elsewhere in Ireland.

More than 300 people took part in the Northside Welcomes Refugees protest organised by the Northside For All community group to show solidarity for refugees and asylum seekers who have been targeted by right-wing activists holding protests outside accommodation centres in East Wall, Ballymun, Co Cork and other centres nationwide.

Among those in attendance last night were local people and politicians, anti-racism activists and Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham.

'Refugees Welcome' protesters on Fairview Bridge. Picture: Gary Gannon TD/Twitter

Chanting no hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here the protesters cheered as a steady steam of motorists honked in solidarity as they drove under the bridge.

Clontarf resident Mairead White, a spokesperson for the community group, said they were delighted with the large turn-out of normal everyday people from the community despite the biting cold at teatime.

We wanted to show the normal northside people, she told Independent.ie.

"We want to speak for who we are. We all have worked and been in the community for years and years and there are so many diverse people in this community and we just really want to show that, she said.

"Were very proud of our community and there is so much support (for the asylum seekers), she said.

She criticised people protesting outside accommodation centres.

"Equality and diversity works better together than fear and hate and were certainly not getting anything else from these groups, she said.

Fairview resident Martina Buggle (42) brought along her seven-year-old son Charlie to the protest because she said: I think its really important to learn from a very young age that you have a responsibility not just for yourself but to your community and the wider global community.

Ms Buggle said she has witnessed the protests against asylum seekers in the area and its really hard to see that.

"Its really disturbing and its really scary and its playing on people who have been marginalised and vulnerable and feeding them information thats not correct, she said.

"Its not the representation of the community here. It's really important that were welcoming and were supportive and that we recognise the privilege that we have of the country that we are born into that we have the freedoms that we have and we need to extend that to others.

"Its really important that we show what were about.

Ms Buggles brother Michael Stanley (49) added that its time to set the record straight on the anti-immigrant protests.

"I think a lot of people have been hoodwinked and manipulated by various nefarious actors out there. This far-right crew is getting more and more organised but people with an opposite view are similarly organised, he said.

"I still believe they [far right activists] are an absolute miniscule part of the population.

Rallies like this and hopefully more rallies like this in the future will show the authentic feelings of the vast bulk of the population in north Dublin, south Dublin and neighbouring counties and indeed the whole island because this is the real picture.

Martha Ni Riada (23), who is 'the Education Officer at UCD Students Union, braved the bitter cold and travelled from her home in the southside of Dublin to support the counter-demonstration.

Martha Ni Riada

She said its not just refugees and asylum seekers who are being targeted but anyone from a visible minority background is a target.

She has heard reports of foreign students being subjected to racist and discriminatory bullying  especially amongst students seeking accommodation.

"Weve had students come into us with reports of landlords saying the most unbelievable racist stereotypes to them and they dont feel safe in their homes, she said.
Enoch Burke arrives at the Mullingar Park Hotel with his family

Gardai were called to a meeting of the board of management at Wilsons Hospital School where it was due to consider the case of suspended teacher Enoch Burke.

Officers were called in after members of the Burke family began shouting objections to the meeting going ahead due to the absence of the board's chairman John Rogers.

Enoch Burke was accompanied by his mother Martina, sister Ammi and brother Isaac at the meeting at the Mullingar Court Hotel.

The meeting got under way shortly after 10am, but five gardai arrived around 11.15am.

Members of the Burke family could be heard repeatedly chanting: "Chairperson John Rogers must be present at this meeting", "Where is the chairperson?" and "It's a shame. Its a cover up".

They could be seen gathered in front of the top table in the room.

A witness said the disturbance began almost immediately from the start of the meeting.

Gardai were seen standing outside the meeting room.

It is understood Mr Rogers was not present due to a medical appointment.

In a recent court hearing, Mr Burke accused Mr Rogers of lying in an affidavit.

The claim is disputed by Mr Rogers.

The school's principal Frank Milling eventually suspended the meeting due to the disturbance.

The Burke's were ushered out of the meeting room but refused to leave the hallway outside, indicating they would wait for Mr Rogers to arrive.

However, there appears to be no prospect of the meeting resuming.

Gardai remained with them in the hallway for a period until the Burke protests quietened down.

Officers did not intervene further and left the hotel at 12.15pm, although the Burkes remained in the hallway outside the conference room.

While they eventually stopped chanting, Ammi Burke intermittently asked: "Where is John Rogers?"

Martina Burke intermittently repeated: "God help our schools."

Members of the family were also heard objecting to the presence of a lawyer from Mason Hayes and Curran at the meeting.

They maintained it should only have been attended by members of the board.

The meeting was scheduled after the High Court refused to grant Mr Burke an injunction preventing it from going ahead.

Mr Justice Conor Dignam found that while Mr Burke had satisfied the standard for the injunction, it could only be granted if he agreed to comply with court orders restraining him from attending Wilsons Hospital School in Multyfarnham.

Mr Burke indicated to the court yesterday that he would not comply with the orders.

The history and German teacher is expected to attend the hearing, which is scheduled to take place at the Mullingar Park Hotel.

The complaint against him arose from incidents in which he publicly expressed opposition to a request from his then principal, Niamh McShane, to address a transgender pupil by a new name and to use the pronouns they and their.

Mr Burke, who is an evangelical Christian and opposed to transgenderism, refused to comply with the request, claiming that to do so would violate his religious beliefs.

The meeting will take place under stage four of Department of Education and Skills procedures regarding the suspension or dismissal of teachers.

This stage involves board of management consideration of a principals report and a presentation by the teacher to the board. Sanctions open to the board include demotion and dismissal.

Mr Burke was suspended on full pay last August. However, he continued to show up for work  even after the school obtained a court order restraining him from doing so. He eventually spent 108 days in Mountjoy Prison for contempt of court.

Despite refusing to purge his contempt, Mr Burke was released just before Christmas, after a judge concluded he was exploiting his imprisonment to his own ends.

The disciplinary process was paused while he was in prison, but the school put Mr Burke on notice of its intention to resume it as soon as he was released.

Mr Burke again turned up for work when Wilsons Hospital School reopened on January 5 following the Christmas holidays.

An application from the school for the sequestration of Mr Burkes assets for his continued contempt of court will be ruled on next week.

In court yesterday, Mr Burke claimed to have won his application and queried why Mr Justice Dignam had made an injunction conditional on him complying with orders to stay away from the school.

You are asking me to agree to something that is flawed, wrong and unconstitutional, he said.

Mr Justice Dignam replied: I want to make it clear you didnt succeed in getting your injunction. It is incorrect to describe you as succeeding in the injunction.

The judge said Mr Burke had satisfied the test for injunctive relief, but in view of the teachers stated intention to continue attending the school he was now exercising his discretion not to grant the injunction sought.

In a written ruling yesterday, the judge said individuals do not get to pick and choose whether they will comply with court orders, the enforceability of which is a central plank of any system based on the rule of law.

He also said it was open to Mr Burke to comply with the orders without prejudice to his contention that the orders were wrong, and that Ms McShanes instruction was unlawful.

Mr Justice Dignam said Mr Burke had established the test for the granting of an interlocutory injunction on two grounds.

These related to his claim that there were findings and conclusions in a report presented to the board of management to which he was not given the opportunity to respond; and that a report written by Ms McShane was read at a board meeting to which he was not invited, depriving him of natural justice and fair procedures.
Argos is to close down its entire retail operation in Ireland, trade union Mandate, which represents Argos workers, has said.

There are just under 40 Argos stores in the Republic of Ireland.

In a statement this morning, Mandate expressed its disappointment at Argos decision to close all of its outlets in Ireland.

Mandate said it will now being intensive engagements with Argos to get best possible deal for workers being made redundant.

Today is a difficult one for Argoss staff here in Ireland as they get the news that the company will be closing down here.

"Because Argos is shutting down its complete operation in Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know the company intends to honour that obligation to engage, Mandates Michael Meegan said.

We will be using this period to negotiate the best possible terms for those who are losing their jobs and we are expecting a constructive response from the company, Mr Meegan said.

In a statement, Argos Ireland Operations Manager Andy McClelland described the decision as a sad day.

He said: We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues.

"As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted.

"On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business.

Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until 24 June.

Argos said they will begin the process of gradually winding down its Irish business.

A spokesman said customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after 22 March.

Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.

The aftersales, returns, refunds and exchanges policy will continue to apply until Argos stores close. Customers will be able find more information hereabout how this policy will continue, in line with the retailers statutory obligations, after its stores have closed.

Argos is communicating its overall decision to colleagues, customers, landlords, suppliers and other stakeholders today in order to give them as much time as possible to plan accordingly.
Ingram, a veteran of 26 years, met Harry at Sandhurst at his commissioning ball at the end of the princes Army training.

Former Army colonel Philip Ingram says he fears for Prince Harrys mental health following the recent revelations in his newly-published book.

The former military intelligence officer, who met the royal at Sandhurst, says Prince Harry is clearly suffering from untreated PTSD after his mothers death and his military service.

The Tyrone man, now an international expert on cybersecurity, says he knows all the signs of the serious mental disorder from his own experience after tours in Iraq, and believes Harry needs protection, not criticism.

Philip has also slammed the outrage from military figures over Prince Harrys admission in autobiography Spare (right) that he killed 25 Taliban during his 10 years of service as an Army pilot in two tours of Afghanistan.

The Americans are fixated on body counts and kill numbers and his publishers know a US audience will want those numbers, says Philip.

There is a false horror thats coming out from senior officers, and the Taliban wouldnt have responded if it hadnt been for the comments from senior British generals.

If you read a headline that said, British soldier kills Taliban in Afghanistan youd say, no sh*t Sherlock.

The Duke of Sussex has done a series of interviews to promote his book and told ITVs Tom Bradby that hes had a post-traumatic stress injury.

Philip Ingram

Philip believes hes clearly got PTSD, which is displayed in his admissions of self-destructive behaviour, negative thoughts, anger, turning on those closest to him and displaying what others consider bad behaviour.

The former military man, awarded an MBE in 1996, has real concerns about the state of Harrys mental health and says the disorder is a red flag for suicidal thoughts.

Harry has made claims of assault against Prince William and painted Queen Consort Camilla as a villain who briefed the media against him.

He has this Machiavellian view of the world where there is this massive plot going on, Philip told the Sunday World.

On one of the talk shows he was downing tequila shots and he has admitted to abusing drugs. Anything thats breaking the rules is self-destructive. What your subconscious is trying to do is say help but the individual doesnt see it. The avoidance and negative thoughts are all there. Some of the ways hes behaving are almost triggering for me. That guy is suffering what I was suffering. Im not medically trained but Im speaking from my lived experience.

Philip, a veteran of 26 years, met Harry at Sandhurst at his commissioning ball at the end of the princes Army training.

He says the meeting was brief but the young man he met bears no resemblance to the troubled royal hes become.

He was a typical newly commissioned young officer with the spark of overconfidence in life in his eyes. He was running around with his mates and was clearly looking forward to a proper career in the Army.

He was being a normal person, not a royal.

Prince Harry In Afghanistan (Photo by John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

That sparkle has gone out of his eyes and his demeanour lacks the spontaneity that I saw in his behaviour. He is putting a front on, and that character almost becomes you.

Philip believes the combination of Princess Dianas death when Harry was just 12 and his Army experience have taken their toll and seeking therapy will not have helped if hes not receiving the right treatment.

Taking human lives is an experience no soldier ever forgets, says the former Army man, and Harrys declaration that he has a post-traumatic injury suggests hes never been properly assessed.

I disagree with him having PTSD because its not a medical diagnosis.

PTSD has to be medically diagnosed and its life-changing and life-ending. If he hasnt been diagnosed with PTSD, hes not getting treated for it. Hes a massive suicide risk.

Its a horrible place to be. You only realise when you are out the other side and able to look back into it again, and if you dont get to that point you are dead.

The 57-year-old developed the condition after his tours of Iraq in 2005 and 2006.

Prince Harry In Afghanistan (Photo by John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

On the second day of Philips first tour as head of 1 Military Intelligence Battalion, his friend was travelling to visit him when he was blown up, and several of his colleagues were seriously injured. In a second incident he watched live footage of the aftermath of a helicopter being shot down.

Looking at the screen I watched these people run down the road with someones leg on their shoulders, laughing. They wanted the bodies to be sent home incomplete and often bodies came back without heads.

I got so low I put a loaded pistol to my head. What stopped me was a vision of my dad, and I didnt want my soldiers having to clean my brains off the wall.

After leaving the Army I used to carry a suicide kit with me. Through the NHS I got a brilliant therapist and came out of it a different me, but a nicer me.

He believes the silence from the royal family about Harrys belief hes been persecuted has been the right one, but wife Meghan will accept his version of events.

Meghan loves her husband dearly and sees him having real difficulties. She doesnt understand British culture and she will be believing that all of this is caused by members of the royal family and staff and the tabloid press.

She will want to create as much distance as possible from their nuclear family to protect them and that will reinforce him in his Machiavellian views.

Harry has to hit the bottom and shatter.

King Charles and Prince William are doing the right thing by not saying anything.

They need to sit and watch and wait and when it all comes tumbling down hopefully, theyll have a mechanism in place, a family protective bubble, says Philip.
Kennedy told police she had been walking around the sewer system for the entire three weeks she was missing

A Florida woman has been rescued from a storm drain for the third time in two years.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue and Police responded to a call about a possible person in distress while swimming on Wednesday.

The call was received at approximately 12pm and first responders who arrived at the canal near the 500 block of Lindell Boulevard located then questioned the woman swimming in the canal, asking if they needed assistance.

According to police: She ignored them and climbed into a storm drain pipe. The woman refused to come out and began crawling farther into the culvert pipe, which crossed under Lindell Boulevard.

Delray Beach Firefighters were able to contain her between two sections of pipe, BocaNewsNow.com reports.

Delray Beach Police Dept. received a call about a woman in distress

The special operations team members deployed a ladder to reach her, secured her in a rescue harness, and extracted her from the storm drain."

The woman, identified as Lyndsey Kennedy, was not seriously injured.

It has since emerged that Kennedy's first rescue from a storm drain occurred on March 23, 2021 after she went swimming in a canal near her boyfriend's house.

Seeing a doorway near a shallow part of the canal, she entered it, noticed a tunnel, and followed it out of curiosity.

She told police the tunnel led to another tunnel until she realised she was lost.

Incredibly, Kennedy told police she had been walking around the sewer system for the entire three weeks she was missing.

She told them she lived off an unopened can of ginger ale she found while looking for a way out to the surface.

Two months later, in May 2021, police in Grand Prairie, between Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas, reported searching for Kennedy for four days.

A friend told how police spotted Kennedy near a creek but when they approached, she slipped into a nearby storm drain.

Kennedy made news again in Florida when she was arrested for hit and run in July 2021.

Emergency services at the scene (Delray Beach Police Dept)

Palm Beach County sheriffs deputies said she ran from the crash scene to an apartment complex.

Her passenger said Kennedy ran because she didnt have a drivers license as it had been suspended 17 times from 2007 to 2020.

That case continues.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that the West is trying to use Ukraine against Minsk, but Kiev has so far refrained from provocations, Tass informs.

January 19, 2023, 16:54 West tries to use Kiev against Minsk  Belarusian president

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Today, security for us, not only for Russia, is even more important. You know the designs of our Western neighbors. Not only Ukraine. They are trying to use Ukraine against Belarus as well. But what I find amazing and pleasantly surprising is that Ukraine is still holding on. It refrains from provocations against Belarus. Although our Western neighbors are actively pushing it. You know who," Lukashenko said on Thursday at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to the Belarusian news agency BelTA.

He focused the attention on how important security issues were for Belarus at the moment. Lukashenko stressed that "therefore, we will have to endure this period."

"Last year showed that we will manage. We adhere to the same stance," the Belarusian leader said.
The man was retrieved from the surf about 7pm by surf lifesavers and given CPR by paramedics, but died at the scene

A brave Irishman has tragically drowned while trying to rescue his daughter from the sea in Australia.

The 45-year-old man reportedly went into the water at Seven Mile Beach, Lennox Head in New South Wales when his 11-year-old daughter was swept out to sea on a body board.

It has been reported that the couple and their three children were in shallow water on what, has been described, as an unpatrolled beach at about 6.30pm on Wednesday when the incident occurred.

The girls father swam out after her, however, he was unable to bring her back to shore.

The man's wife managed to reach the girl and the pair made it back to the beach and alerted authorities.

Two police officers who rushed to the scene tried to rescue the man from the water but were un able to.

The man was retrieved from the surf about 7pm by surf lifesavers and given CPR by paramedics, but died at the scene.

The woman and her daughter were treated by paramedics and allowed to go home.

Police on Thursday confirmed the family was from Lennox Head but the man was an Irish citizen.

"The family is from Lennox Head; officers from Richmond Police District have alerted the Irish Consulate of the man's death," police said in a statement.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

The man's death represents the third drowning on the state's beaches in less than three weeks.

Police and Surf Life Saving NSW earlier this month issued a safety reminder to be extra careful in and around waterways after recent drownings.

The tragedy comes one year after Irishman Cassan Cowman also drowned rescuing his son from drowning in Australia.

Father-of-three Cassan Cowman (49), who was originally from Cork, drowned while rescuing his son after he slipped into water rapids in Queensland on 2 January 2022.

Cass Cowman

The tragedy happened when the family were enjoying a day out at Wappa Falls.

Mr Cowman bravely managed to push his son out of the water but he did not resurface.

The body of the Irishman, who was known to his friends as Cass, was discovered later that evening.

His wife Trish has paid tribute to her husband, whom she described as a fabulous father and passionate about politics and social justice.

Our Irish and Australian families and friends are mourning the loss of Cassan, our father, husband, brother, friend, she said in a statement to the Irish Independent.
Michael Flatley has said he is on the mend after having surgery to treat his cancer.

The 64-year-old Riverdance creator added that he has been released from hospital.

Flatley told his followers on Instagram: Thank you to everyone around the world for your love and prayers.

I am overwhelmed by your kindness. I have been released from hospital and am on the mend.

In a post last week, Flatleys account revealed he had undergone surgery for an aggressive form of cancer and was in the care of excellent doctors.

Flatley, who was born into a blue-collar Irish-American family in Chicago, rose to fame when Riverdance performed during a seven-minute interval at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994.

A year later, he had a full-length show in Dublin and followed this up with his own stage show, Lord Of The Dance.

He has also created, produced and directed other productions including Feet Of Flames and Celtic Tiger.

Flatley has also expanded into film  directing and starring in the 2018 spy thriller Blackbird, which was released last year.

In the movie, which also stars Eric Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Ian Beattie, Flatley plays former MI6 operative Victor Blackley, who is drawn back into the world of espionage he had left behind.

Last year, Flatley also launched a Lord Of The Dance tour to raise money for the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
There is increasing fear about childrens safety after two boys were randomly attacked in separate incidents in the Bay of Plenty.

Welcome Bay mother Leanne Gray told Stuff that her 13-year-old son was attacked and punched in the head on Tuesday while biking with a friend.

Gray wanted to alert people in the community to be vigilant.

The latest attack comes just a day after an 11-year-old boy was assaulted and knocked unconscious in a shocking attack at a Bay of Plenty skate park.

While the attacks are unrelated, LEanne says theres increasing concern in the community.

You wouldnt think things like this can happen in broad daylight when kids are just doing what kids do.

Leannes son was biking with his friend, also 13, in Welcome Bay when they were approached by a man.

A man came towards them who was staring, which gave them a bad feeling. He lunged towards my son and punched him in the side of his head. It knocked him off his balance, and feet out of the pedals.

The boys managed to escape, and sped off around the corner where they spotted some workers mowing a lawn.

They did the right thing finding adults who could help. This is why I wanted to speak out because people need to look out for each other and especially for kids."

The two men, who were from a local lawn care company, told the boys to wait safely with them while they contacted their parents.

Were so grateful for their kindness. They even looked after the bikes for us until we could collect them later in a ute.

The incident happened at 2pm and was reported to the police, says Leanne.

Fortunately my son didnt have serious physical injuries. The side of his face and ear were all red, and he had a thumping headache, so we monitored him for concussion. It was the emotional trauma  he said he kept picturing the attack and going over it in his head. He told me he didnt want to go biking again. That really saddens me that a child can be robbed of confidence in this way.

Angela Benstead, mother of an 11-year-old boy attacked at Omokoroa skatepark on January 16, also spoke of the traumatic nature of the assault.

Its terrible to think that kids are now scared to do things they love. Parents told me that children are now too afraid to go to the skate park.

In the attack, her son was knocked unconscious when set upon by teenagers at the park, and was left with "cut and swollen lips, broken braces and bruising to his jaw.

The family has been overwhelmed with positive support from police and within the community.

The idea is to call a meeting with local MPs, police, youth aid, councillors, community members and attempt to create a focus on this safety issue and what can be done to create a safe environment. One community member has started up a roster of parents at our skate park to protect all children.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council chief executive John Holyoake.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council chief executive John Holyoake says council is keen to help.

We do have CCTV in public areas including Western Ave, but it doesnt necessary provide coverage for all eventualities. When the time is right, wed be keen to sit down with police, Angela Benstead and her son to discuss possible solutions. Often these issues are best resolved through a community led response.

Coromandel National MP Scott Simpson said it was understandable that the community was concerned.

Scott Simpson, MP for Coromandel, an electorate which includes areas of the Western Bay of Plenty such as Omokoroa, says the attack has been a rude awakening to parents worry about childrens safety.

Smaller communities are not immune from the wider issues across the country with crime. They feel vulnerable as police are stretched. Some people have become empowered that they can get away with criminal behaviour as they don't think they will get caught and there is a lack of sanctions even if they do.

Simpson says law and order will be a big issue this year.

Attacks like these are part of a bigger issue that needs solving with crime and the justice system. Its understandable people in the community are concerned.

Police say inquiries into the attacks are ongoing.

-Annemarie Quill/Stuff.
One year on from when many Kiwis got their first Covid-19 booster vaccine, how is the country's immunity holding up?

"It is now around a year since many New Zealanders received their last Covid-19 vaccine, says Te Punaha Matatini and University of Canterbury Professor Michael Plank.

A large proportion of the population has since been infected by the virus, providing a natural boost to immunity albeit by an unwelcome route.

The professor says there is probably still at least half the population whose last vaccine dose or infection was more than six months ago.

Covid-19 is still causing or contributing to 30-40 deaths every week and will continue to inflict a significant health burden. Alongside antiviral treatments, vaccines are by far the best tool we have to minimise illness and death.

He says New Zealand has at least two routes available to increase levels of immunity using vaccines.

The first is to continue efforts to reach those who are currently eligible for a vaccine dose, especially groups where risk is high or uptake is low. These include Maori and Pacific peoples, and the elderly.

More than half of over-50s are still due for either their first or second booster. Using vaccination to top up immunity levels among older adults aged 50-plus will go a long way to reducing the health burden of Covid-19.

He says the second potential route is to start offering so-called bivalent vaccines as many countries are now doing.

These updated vaccines contain mRNA-encoding proteins from both the original 2020 strain of the virus and an Omicron variant (either BA.1 or BA.4/5).

Although the virus continues to evolve its ever-growing family tree, using Omicron-based vaccines will provide a better match to currently-circulating variants, which are all part of the Omicron family. They may also broaden our immune response, meaning our immune system is less likely to be blindsided by a future new variant.

England has offered these bivalent vaccines to over-50s since September 2022 and around 65 per cent have since had a dose.

He says data shows that these vaccines halve the risk of hospitalisation for Covid-19 compared to people whose last dose was more than six months ago.

I hope New Zealand will start to use these updated vaccines in the near future."

University of Auckland Immunisation Advisory Centre Director Professor Nikki Turner says evidence continues to clearly show the effectiveness of a course of the mRNA Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine against severe disease, but says it is relatively less effective for mild disease or transmission.

So many of those vaccinated will still catch Covid, but most will avoid severe disease, says Professor Turner.

The virus has evolved from the original strains through to a range of Omicron strains. It is clear that for all adults, a primary course of two doses, plus a booster, is needed to reduce the risk of severe disease - i.e. being hospitalised or dying from Covid disease.

She says the vaccine does have some effect against mild disease and reducing transmission - but to a lesser extent, and it is this protection that wanes fairly fast.

There are still a lot of people who havent had their first booster and for healthy adults we should concentrate on getting that first booster, rather than offering extra boosters.

For healthy adults, two vaccine doses plus having one booster (2 + 1) is important protection against Omicron strains.

She says having mixed immunity is good too, that is, for people who have had vaccinations and then also had Covid infection.

Even if its many months from the first booster shot, for most people protection from severe disease continues, says Professor Turner.

A second booster is used for people at higher risk, the elderly or those with other health problems, i.e. when their immune systems are compromised in some way. The extra booster helps them to lift their immunity so its closer to that of a healthy person with a first booster.

She says bivalent vaccines for Covid - that include a component of the original strain of Covid and an Omicron strain - have been tested internationally.

The results to date do show a good immune response that has the potential to offer even broader protection than the current 'monovalent' vaccine.

The New Zealand Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group will be considering these data in the coming weeks.

So far the research done in the United States and Israel suggests that the use of a bivalent vaccine as a further booster can reduce hospitalisations in those 65 years and older by 73 to 84 per cent, compared with no booster, says Professor Turner.

They are also expected to be effective against recent strains of the Omicron XBB, which is dominant in the United States now.

An Israel study including 700,000 participants showed 81 per cent reduction in hospitalisations and 86 per cent reduction of deaths using the bivalent in adults 65 years and older, while data from the CDC in November shows a 13.5-fold reduction in hospitalisations for adults 65 years and older who received a further booster as a bivalent versus those who were unvaccinated.

There was a 2.5 fold higher rate among seniors vaccinated but without a bivalent booster.

She says there is a clear body of consistent evidence now to show the bivalents benefit in a booster dose particularly for high risk individuals, and there is nothing to suggest the bivalent is inferior.

All data points to added benefit."




Jacinda Ardern is announcing she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her last day will be Tuesday, February 7.

Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister.

Ardern is also announcing the 2023 general election will take place on Saturday, October 14.

Mininister of Finance Grant Roberson says he will not stand to lead the Labour Party.

A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days time on Sunday, January 22.

Being Prime Minister has been the greatest honour of my life and I want to thank New Zealanders for the enormous privilege of leading the country for the last five and a half years, says Ardern.

With holding such a privileged role comes responsibility, including the responsibility to know when youre the right person to lead, and also when youre not.

I have given my absolute all to being Prime Minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably come along.

Having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. Its that simple.

I have spoken to the Governor-General this morning to let her know.

In addition to our ambitious agenda that has sought to address long term issues like the housing crisis, child poverty and climate change, we also had to respond to a major biosecurity incursion, a domestic terror attack, a volcanic eruption and a one in one hundred year global pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. The decisions that had to be made have been constant and weighty.

Im incredibly proud of what weve achieved over the last five years in spite of the many challenges thrown at us. Weve turned around child poverty statistics and made the most significant increases in welfare support and public housing stock seen in many decades.

Weve made it easier to access education and training while improving the pay and conditions of workers. And weve worked hard to make progress on issues around our national identify - I believe that teaching our history in schools and celebrating Matariki as our own indigenous national holiday will all make a difference for years to come.

And weve done that while responding to some of the biggest threats to the health and economic wellbeing of New Zealanders, arguably since World War Two.

The Labour team are incredibly well placed to contest the next election. They are the most experienced team in the country and have shown they have the skills necessary to respond to whatever comes their way.

Im not leaving because I believe we cant win the election, but because I believe Labour can and will win it. We need a fresh set of shoulders for the challenges of both this year and the next three.

As to my time in the job, I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when its time to go, says Ardern.

Follow RNZ's live blog:

- Additional reporting by RNZ.
New Zealand needs a new prime minister, and the Labour Party a new leader.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shocked the country and her Labour Party colleagues on Thursday, unexpectedly announcing she would resign in the coming weeks.

But the country will not decide on its next leader until an election, set down for Saturday, October 14. Instead, Labour MPs will gather this weekend to choose the partys, and New Zealands, new leader.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson has already ruled himself out. The partys deputy leader Kelvin Davis has also ruled himself out, as has newcomer to Cabinet Kieran McAnulty, seen by many to be a rising star.

No-one else has yet declared they will contend, but some have declined to rule themselves out.

So who could replace Ardern?

Chris Hipkins

Education and police minister Chris Hipkins is among senior Labour MPs with the most experience in Cabinet. He has a reputation for being a fixer of problems, and has something of a national profile after fronting the Covid-19 response for some of the pandemic.

He was parachuted into the police portfolio in 2022 as Ardern sought to reset the Governments law and order efforts amid a spate of high-profile crimes and attacks from the Opposition.

Hipkins, the MP for Remutaka in Wellingtons north, has been an MP since 2008, and is currently ranked fifth in Cabinet.

He would not rule out running for the leadership when asked on Thursday.

No, Im not [ruling out running] but Im also saying that, you know, at the moment, I think people just need a little bit of time, he says.

In due course, I think I need to have a conversation with my colleagues. As do my colleagues need time to digest the news.

Michael Wood

A comparative newcomer to politics, Michael Wood has been a strong performer in Cabinet with a reputation as a safe pair of hands.

As workplace relations minister he has ushered through a hallmark Labour policy, fair pay agreements, on top of managing the transport and immigration portfolios.

He entered Parliament in 2016 as MP for Mt Roskill.

Wood did not rule out running for the leadership on Thursday.

Im very proud to have served under Jacinda Ardern, one of the finest prime ministers wed ever had, for the past couple of years. Todays about recognising her extraordinary achievements. Thats all I'll be saying, he says.

Megan Woods

Housing Minister Megan Woods is a senior Labour MP with a long history in politics who will again run the partys election campaign in 2023.

Housing has been a major policy area for Labour and, after the Governments failed attempts to build homes after coming to power in 2017, Woods was tasked with getting this work on course.

She was also appointed minister in charge of managed isolation facilities during the pandemic, as failures in the system emerged.

Woods was elected to the Christchurch electorate of Wigram in 2011, joining the Labour Party in 2007 after years in the Alliance and Progressive parties.

Nanaia Mahuta

Foreign Affairs and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta contested the Labour leadership in 2014, and is among senior Labour ministers who represent the partys old guard.

Mahuta has significant clout with Labours Maori caucus and has a high profile.

However, she has fronted some of the parties most contentious policies, namely Three Waters reform and co-governance between government and iwi representatives within this reform. This has made her a lightning rod for controversy, and may be seen as a risk by other MPs.

Kiri Allan

A fast riser in Labours Cabinet, Justice Minister Kiri Allan may be an outside contender for the leadership.

Allan entered Parliament as a list MP in 2017, and won the East Coast electorate in 2020.

A former lawyer who was also involved in the agriculture sector on the East Coast, Allan has been among the top performers of Labours newer MPs and has held numerous ministerial positions since 2020.

She was conservation and emergency management minister before taking on the justice portfolio in June 2022. She also has an associate finance portfolio.

Allan could represent a fresh start for the party as it heads to the 2023 election.

- Thomas Manch, Nikki Macdonald and Anna Whyte/Stuff.
Loyal customers walking the extra distance is what Cameron Rd businesses between 10th and 11th Avenue are relying on as roadwork barricades block off customer parking spaces.

Last year, SunLive spoke to businesses between Cameron Roads 11th and 12th Ave whose customer parking was taken out by roadworks for six months  with some stores losing up to 70 per cent turnover as a result.

Now businesses further along between 10th and 11th Ave, across from PAK'nSAVE, are worried as orange barricades were installed in customer parking in front of their stores last week.

January and February are some of our busiest times so to have no parking is devastating. Theres no conversation they [barricades] just went up like that, says sales representative Amy Piper, who works at family business Industrial Footwear & Safety.

The Cameron Rd roadworks are part of the Building our future. Cameron Road, Te Papa infrastructural project which includes the construction of bus lanes and cycle ways.

Along here there are six shop fronts that have 12 parks between them which in turn were losing with this new look Tauranga and getting four 15 minute pull in bays which we fought tooth and nail for, says Amy.

Going the distance

While storefront carparks are cordoned off by roadworks, store owners are counting on customers supporting their businesses by finding alternative parking nearby, and walking to their stores.

I just hope our customers will be loyal and find a way to get in here or ring us and we can pick up or meet them out the back some where to get their products, says Howard Jones, who owns Naismith & Jones  chainsaws and mowers.

A SunLive reporter parked down 10th Ave, outside of the Warehouse, to visit the businesses  some customers had the same idea.

We hope [for more people] like the two guys that have just come in  theyve walked around the corner which we appreciate more than anything  they couldve driven past and gone: Oh I cant get a park.

Still here

Storeowners want the community to know that they are still operating. The fact that theyve blocked us off completely to parking makes us look like were not here, says Amy.

Amy Piper of Industrial Footwear & Safety says the family business has been on Cameron Rd for 42 years.

Tauranga City Council project director Derek McFadden says council recognise that a period of construction can be difficult for businesses directly affected.

We have discussed wayfinding signs with the businesses in this section and the Businesses open as usual traffic management signs along the centre median are in the process of being installed. Across the whole construction area we prioritise installing directional signage for customers to find parking areas and access to businesses, says Derek.

Howard has paid for a radio advertisement while customer parking is out of actiondetailing to customers that they can access his store via Saint John St while roadworks are carried out.

Weve got an ad on the radio telling customers to come in through the back door but we dont like to encourage that either because that means people walking through the workshop where its a health and safety issue.

Time will tell

These businesses are also concerned how long the barricades will really be outside their stores.

Weve had conflicting dates the entire way along so this supposed revamp where theyre taking away the carparks is going to take eight weeks which is a laugh.

I imagine it will be months and I dont know how were going to get on, says Howard.

Howard Jones had to hire storage for his ride-on mowers during roadworks outside store fronts in November 2022 and wonders if he will need to do this again.

The remainder of work on this section is expected to be complete by mid-March, says Derek.

We are very aware that any construction road works impact on local businesses. Planning of all traffic management for the Cameron Road upgrades is done with this in mind, including, where possible undertaking works at night so not to impact businesses access during the day and allocating resources to reduce the amount of time work is being done outside businesses.

Manageable chunks

I know Cameron Rd is a big job but cut it into smaller portions. Dont do between avenues because thats going to affect everyone on that avenue. Cut the avenue in half, take small bites, do one job and do it quickly.

When SunLive asked council how they will manage roadworks on Cameron Rd differently to last year after businesses were impacted by length delays, Derek says: Council and the Cameron Road Joint Venture will continue to keep businesses informed of all construction activity and work with them to address any concerns.

The orange roadwork barricades continue their sweep down Cameron Rd.

The delays we have experienced on this project so far have generally as a result of the wide-ranging effects of Covid-19 (like many industries in New Zealand) and availability of resources, combined with the wet weather in Tauranga in recent months.

The actual road workers here dont know a lot but from what we experienced last month they were very obliging, but they dont know how long its going to be or whats happening next, says Howard.

Weve just got to remain positive, ride it out and hopefully were not effected like the businesses down there were.
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The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh, calling on Azerbaijan to respect and implement the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020 and immediately reopen the Lachin corridor and to refrain from undermining the functioning of transport, energy and communication connections between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in future.

January 19, 2023, 17:38 European Parliament adopts resolution calling on Azerbaijan to immediately reopen Lachin Corridor, consider deployment of OSCE int'l peacekeepers

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: The resolution underlines the need for a comprehensive peace agreement, which must guarantee the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakhs Armenian population.

Below is the full text of the European Parliament resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh which was adopted on January 19 after debates on the issue.

The European Parliament,

 having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

 having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, the Lachin corridor, has been blocked by self-proclaimed environmentalists from Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022; whereas this has disrupted access to essential goods and services, including food, fuel and medication, for the 120 000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, effectively placing them under a blockade;

B. whereas the blockade has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, significantly affecting the most vulnerable populations; whereas the transfer of critically ill patients is nearly impossible, with one death resulting from this situation; whereas hundreds of families remain separated;

C. whereas this humanitarian crisis was further aggravated by Azerbaijans disruption of the natural gas supply to Nagorno-Karabakh, which left houses, hospitals and schools without heating;

D. whereas by sustaining the blockade of the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan is breaching its international obligations under the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, under which Azerbaijan must guarantee the security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the corridor in both directions;

E. whereas the impediments to the use of the Lachin corridor set back the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and undermine international confidence;
Chinese state media has suggested Beijing is willing to meet Australia half way to settle their differences in the wake of Canberra's latest "positive" move.

On Saturday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was his intention to fully restore trade ties with China  a message that has been well received in Beijing.

"It is hoped that the Albanese government move on from political differences and meet China half way so as to jointly steer bilateral relations back on the right course for sustainable development," nationalistic Chinese tabloid the Global Times said on Sunday.

The indication China is willing to act in some way to appease Australia over its grievances is in stark contrast to its unrelenting stance in recent years where the fallout between the two countries has been solely placed on Australia's shoulders.

Anthony Albanese has led Australia to a more favourable position when it comes to China Source: Getty

China's foreign ministry repeatedly stressed to former prime minister Scott Morrison, he must be the one to act to repair the relationship, calling for concessions on several matters including Chinese investment in Australia. A similar message had been extended to his successor Anthony Albanese.

Yet, Beijing has been impressed with Canberra's approach to Sino-Australian relations in recent months, in particular Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

"People are wondering if the year 2023 could be a crucial year for the bilateral relationship to return to a conciliatory tone," the state media outlet said.

China walking back on controversial diplomacy tactic

It comes as China appears to be walking away from its assertive and aggressive diplomacy that has been rife in recent years.

Former foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian  the poster boy of China's 'wolf warrior' diplomacy  was earlier this month moved to an obscure and somewhat hidden role.

Story continues

Professor David Goodman, Director at the University of Sydney's China Studies Centre, told Yahoo he believed the move appeared to show China was moving away from its previously hostile diplomatic approach.

Chinese political expert Wen-Ti Sung at the Australian National University said Zhao's new role left him no choice but to "play nice".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
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NEW YORK  When New York's first licensed recreational marijuana outlet opened last month, the chief of the state's Office of Cannabis Management, Chris Alexander, proudly hoisted a tin of watermelon-flavored gummies above the crowd.

Outside the Manhattan shop, he displayed another purchase  a jar containing dried flowers of a cannabis strain called Banana Runtz, which some aficionados say has overtones of fresh, fruity banana and sour candy.

Inside the store run by the nonprofit Housing Works, shelves brimmed with vape cartridges suggesting flavors of pineapple, grapefruit and cereal milk," written in rainbow bubble letter print.

For decades, health advocates have chided the tobacco industry for marketing harmful nicotine products to children, resulting in more cities and states, like New York, outlawing flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Now as cannabis shops proliferate across the country, the same concerns are growing over the packaging and marketing of flavored cannabis that critics say could entice children to partake of products labeled mad mango, loud lemon and peach dream.

Cannabis businesses open in Auburn, Union Springs amid legal uncertainty Two cannabis businesses have opened in Cayuga County in recent weeks: a self-described consulting and marketing firm in the city of Auburn, an

We should learn from the nicotine space, and I certainly would advocate that we should place similar concern on cannabis products in terms of their appealability to youth, said Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who has written extensively about the rise in marijuana use among young people.

If you go through a cannabis dispensary right now, she said, its almost absurd how youth oriented a lot of the packaging and the products are.

Keyes added that public health policymakers  and researchers like her  are trying to catch up with an industry and marketplace that is rapidly expanding and evolving.

New York, which legalized recreational marijuana in March 2021, forbids marketing and advertising that is designed in any way to appeal to children or other minors."

But New York's state Office of Cannabis Management has yet to officially adopt rules on labeling, packaging and advertising that could ban cartoons and neon colors, as well as prohibit depictions of food, candy, soda, drinks, cookies or cereal on packaging  all of which, the agency suggests, could attract people under 21.

Consumers need to be aware  parents need to be aware  if they see products that look like other products that are commonly marketed to kids, that's an illicit market product, said Lyla Hunt, OCMs deputy director of public health and campaigns.

Hunt recently saw a cannabis product calling itself Stony Patch Kids" that she said looked like the popular candy Sour Patch Kids."

Similar products are being sold by the dozens of illegal pot dispensaries that operate out in the open and that officials worry are selling unsafe products. Once packaging and marketing standards are established, the illicit marketplace will likely not comply, experts say.

Cannabis business owner pleads case for downtown Auburn location The owner of a cannabis business expanding to downtown Auburn believes the city should be embracing it, not considering legal action.

We can regulate until were blue in the face. But the truth is, its a partnership between a compliant industry, strong regulations that are robust in their protections for youth and then with parents, too, Hunt said.

Under state law, a minor in possession of marijuana would face a civil penalty of not more than $50. Licensed cannabis retailers who sell to minors face fines and the loss of their licenses, but no jail time.

Science has long established the addictive nature of nicotine and the health maladies associated with smoking tobacco, including cancer and emphysema.

Less settled are the health repercussions from vaping, particularly among children whose bodies and internal organs have yet to fully develop.

While smoking tobacco cigarettes has fallen among teens and young adults, the use of e-cigarettes and vapes has risen.

A handful of states  California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island  have bans on most flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes. An increasing number of cities, including New York City, also have similar bans.

But those rules need to be broadened to include marijuana, said Linda Richter with the Partnership to End Addiction, who says the issue has yet to be widely addressed.

There is more scrutiny on the tobacco industry, and very, very little in terms of rules, regulations, scrutiny, limitations when it comes to the cannabis industry, she said.

Because of the relative infancy of the legalized industry, she added, states have yet to coalesce rules on a single national standard. States often look to the federal government to set those standards, but marijuana remains illegal on the federal level.

Thats a real issue where you dont have the weight of the federal government in terms of standards of packaging and marketing," to set parameters to avoid appealing marketing to young people, Richter said.

Anti-smoking groups, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have long railed against the tobacco industry for its marketing, such as using cartoon characters to help market their products. In more recent years, theyve campaigned against flavored nicotine products, including those in vaping form.

But thus far, such groups have not put the marijuana industry in its crosshairs.

A study released earlier this month documented the steep rise in poisonings among young children, especially toddlers, who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats.

The uptick in cases coincides with the rise in the number of states allowing the use of marijuana for medicine or recreation. Medical use of cannabis is currently allowed in 37 U.S. states, while 21 states allow recreational use.

When youre talking about strawberry-cheesecake, or mango, or cookies-and-cream flavors, its very difficult to argue that those are for older adults, said Dr. Pamela Ling, the director for the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California in San Francisco.

Folks who consider themselves to be more like cannabis aficionados," she said, would say that smoking a flavored cannabis product is like putting ketchup on your steak.
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BMW X3 M40i goes to Smoky Mountains, Tennessee + Nashville, Tennessee Prologue



This is one of the many road trips that I did in US in the last few years. Hopefully, I will try to share them one after another as and when I get time.



Ever since we heard wonderful tales about the Smoky Mountains from our close friends who made this trip in 2020, we have been planning to go to Smokies based on their feedback. They were quite impressed with this national park and kept goading us to make a trip. We had initially planned to this trip with them as they didn't mind doing it again within a year but, as you know what we plan rarely happens.



We ended up planning this trip on our own and the timeframe decided was to make it happen during the Independence Weekend of 2021. We were aware that it's the wrong time to go to any tourist destination as it's usually chaotic and everything gets super expensive but, with limited choices and holiday dates, we went ahead with this plan.



Here is a route map of our trip. It was ~ 1500 miles over 3-days of Independence Day Long Weekend (July 3rd- July 5th, 2021)







Day 1- July 3rd, 2021



We were surprised to know that Smoky Mountains National Park is the "Most Visited" National Park in entire US. I thought it would be the Yosemite, Glacier or some other in West Coast would be the most visited.



This came as a pleasant surprise.







As its with any roadtrip, the excitement is super-high the previous night and it's hard to get any sleep despite making plans of sleeping early and getting an early start. Plan was to leave at 4:00am as it was a 550 miles/ 900 kms drive and we knew it would take around 8-hours with a couple of stops.



As we thought got just around 4 hours of sleep due to the excitement and instead of 4:00am, we headed out at 4:30am which wasn't too bad. Our target was to reach around noon. Entire route drive was seamless our drive consisted of driving south crossing Michigan entering into Ohio then to Kentucky and finally reaching Tennessee.



Im quite familiar with this route as back in 2018, I used to drive from Detroit to Cincinnati every 2 weeks to meet one of my customers (Worldpay) and also knew all the hotspots of Cincinnati including one of the best Thali places which I promised wifey to treat on our way back.



I never visited the souther part (via. road) beyond Cincinnati and was curious to see how the states of Kentucky which will be large part of the drive and final destination of Tennessee would be. To be honest, I always had a below average impression of these southern states (Kentucky, Tennessee, New Orleans etc) and always thought the infrastructure would be below-average and people are talking in southern drawl, drinking bourbon and eating fried chicken as their main meal (lol !! ). On that note, I did learn a lot about bourbon, moonshine and fried chicken a lot.



For us, it's the East Coast or the West Coast. Everything else in America is an outlier. ...But, boy when we moved here I realized, that I was quite wrong. While the coasts are definitely a lot better from all aspects (Jobs, Scenery, Food Scene and Infrastructure) but, the Mid-West and some of these other not-so popular areas aren't too bad.



The moment we crossed into Kentucky, We were pleasantly surprised to see the landscape completely change (Ohio is pristine, broad roads and boring like hell) to hilly terrain, lots of beautiful foliage/trees and curvy roads. It was a memorable drive covering most part of Kentucky to cross over to Tennessee which is small part of this route but, Kentucky is the state where the mountains start and continue until reaching Gatlinburg, TN.



When we crossed the border into Tennessee driving towards, Gatlinburg, TN, the landscape turned even more beautiful and we totally enjoyed the drive and infrastructure was top-notch.



Since this trip was planned within 2-3 days notice, we decided to skip staying in Gatlinburg as all hotels were charging 3X or 4X of the usual rates.



All hotels were priced in range of $350-$500/night. We decided to book in decent hotel in Pigeon Forge for around $200 a night (Pigeon Forge is like what is Tirupathi to Tirumala, if you can understand the analogy). Pigeon Forge is at a lower sea level and we have to drive about 10 miles up in the mountain to reach Gatlinburg which is a small hilly town which is super famous for everyone who visits the Smokies.



We reached at 12:30pm and quickly freshened up and left the hotel room by 1:00pm.



We drove through the beautiful hilly roads towards Gatlinburg which was 10 miles up in the mountains and parked the car in a safe parking garage ($20/Day) and headed to the main attraction which was taking a ride on the Skybridge. As expected, there was a huge line and we got the tickets that gave us 2 rides valid for 24 hours costing around $100.



The cable ride was really enjoyable. You can get down at the top and enjoy lunch on the top and then take a ride back whenever you want. There is no time limit to how much you want to spend at the top. The cable ride to the top was lovely from where we can view entire Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Smoky Mountains in the distance. We had refreshments on top and generally sank in the beautiful scenery until late afternoon taking one more additional ride to ground level and back up again.



We also walked through the Skybridge which had a major portion with glass bottom. It was scary for sure as there were high winds and bridge swayed dangerously.



Off we go in the morning...







Coffee Stop was our first break in the morning







Wifey took over the wheel while I chilled for most of the drive.







Entering the state of Kentucky







Must be going to the drag strip..







Never new an M of this size/model existed. Haha!







Beautiful freeways of Kentucky and Tennessee











At the Skybridge entrance after the cable car ride.











Gatlinburg was lively, eclectic and amazing with tourists aplenty.











Cable Car Ride











Famous Nashville Fried Chicken in Gatlinburg. I loved it.







Asked him sauce. He showed me this. I took a bottle back home.











Us in Gatlinburg Downtown















Tennesse is the birthplace of Moonshine- It's like high ABV % alcohol which took birth in Tennessee. They use to bootleg this stuff across US back in the day. But, now it's legal. They come at as high as 75%-85% ABV with different flavors.







This cable car ride was awesome. Some amazing views of the Smokies from up there.



https://youtu.be/x0U8hGW5bQ8



https://youtu.be/lZE2_xR1Wzo This is one of the many road trips that I did in US in the last few years. Hopefully, I will try to share them one after another as and when I get time.Ever since we heard wonderful tales about the Smoky Mountains from our close friends who made this trip in 2020, we have been planning to go to Smokies based on their feedback. They were quite impressed with this national park and kept goading us to make a trip. We had initially planned to this trip with them as they didn't mind doing it again within a year but, as you know what we plan rarely happens.We ended up planning this trip on our own and the timeframe decided was to make it happen during the Independence Weekend of 2021. We were aware that it's the wrong time to go to any tourist destination as it's usually chaotic and everything gets super expensive but, with limited choices and holiday dates, we went ahead with this plan.Here is a route map of our trip. It was ~ 1500 miles over 3-days of Independence Day Long Weekend (July 3rd- July 5th, 2021)As its with any roadtrip, the excitement is super-high the previous night and it's hard to get any sleep despite making plans of sleeping early and getting an early start. Plan was to leave at 4:00am as it was adrive and we knew it would take around 8-hours with a couple of stops.As we thought got just around 4 hours of sleep due to the excitement and instead of 4:00am, we headed out at 4:30am which wasn't too bad. Our target was to reach around noon. Entire route drive was seamless our drive consisted of driving south crossing Michigan entering into Ohio then to Kentucky and finally reaching Tennessee.Im quite familiar with this route as back in 2018, I used to drive from Detroit to Cincinnati every 2 weeks to meet one of my customers (Worldpay) and also knew all the hotspots of Cincinnati including one of the best Thali places which I promised wifey to treat on our way back.I never visited the souther part (via. road) beyond Cincinnati and was curious to see how the states of Kentucky which will be large part of the drive and final destination of Tennessee would be. To be honest, I always had a below average impression of these southern states (Kentucky, Tennessee, New Orleans etc) and always thought the infrastructure would be below-average and people are talking in southern drawl, drinking bourbon and eating fried chicken as their main meal (lol !! ). On that note, I did learn a lot about bourbon, moonshine and fried chicken a lot.For us, it's the East Coast or the West Coast. Everything else in America is an outlier....But, boy when we moved here I realized, that I was quite wrong. While the coasts are definitely a lot better from all aspects (Jobs, Scenery, Food Scene and Infrastructure) but, the Mid-West and some of these other not-so popular areas aren't too bad.The moment we crossed into Kentucky, We were pleasantly surprised to see the landscape completely change (Ohio is pristine, broad roads and boring like hell) to hilly terrain, lots of beautiful foliage/trees and curvy roads. It was a memorable drive covering most part of Kentucky to cross over to Tennessee which is small part of this route but, Kentucky is the state where the mountains start and continue until reaching Gatlinburg, TN.When we crossed the border into Tennessee driving towards, Gatlinburg, TN, the landscape turned even more beautiful and we totally enjoyed the drive and infrastructure was top-notch.Since this trip was planned within 2-3 days notice, we decided to skip staying in Gatlinburg as all hotels were charging 3X or 4X of the usual rates.All hotels were priced in range of $350-$500/night. We decided to book in decent hotel in Pigeon Forge for around $200 a night (Pigeon Forge is like what is Tirupathi to Tirumala, if you can understand the analogy). Pigeon Forge is at a lower sea level and we have to drive about 10 miles up in the mountain to reach Gatlinburg which is a small hilly town which is super famous for everyone who visits the Smokies.We reached at 12:30pm and quickly freshened up and left the hotel room by 1:00pm.We drove through the beautiful hilly roads towards Gatlinburg which was 10 miles up in the mountains and parked the car in a safe parking garage ($20/Day) and headed to the main attraction which was taking a ride on the Skybridge. As expected, there was a huge line and we got the tickets that gave us 2 rides valid for 24 hours costing around $100.The cable ride was really enjoyable. You can get down at the top and enjoy lunch on the top and then take a ride back whenever you want. There is no time limit to how much you want to spend at the top. The cable ride to the top was lovely from where we can view entire Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Smoky Mountains in the distance. We had refreshments on top and generally sank in the beautiful scenery until late afternoon taking one more additional ride to ground level and back up again.We also walked through the Skybridge which had a major portion with glass bottom. It was scary for sure as there were high winds and bridge swayed dangerously.Cable Car Ride Last edited by mobike008 : 18th January 2023 at 07:16 .
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In brief: For all the joy video games bring people, there are plenty of negatives associated with the medium, including loot boxes, gold farming, and addiction. The EU has just voted to take action against these and other issues, though exactly what this will entail remains unclear.

As per Gamesindustry.biz, the European Parliament voted to adopt a report that "highlights the positives of this pioneering industry, but also social risks we need to bear in mind, like the impact of gaming on mental health," said MEP Adriana Maldonado Lopez, who led the report.

One of these risks is loot boxes, which have long been a controversial area. The EU commission will analyze the impact of loot boxes and prompts to make in-game purchases, taking action if necessary.

A Norwegian consumer watchdog report last year concluded that loot-box mechanics in games are predatory and exploit consumers. The report prompted consumer watchdogs in 18 other countries to call for stricter regulation of games featuring loot boxes.

The EU Commission will investigate whether gold farming can be linked to financial crimes and human rights abuses. The report also calls for the adoption of regulatory measures on games that allow players to create their own content to protect users, especially minors, from illegal practices. Moreover, it wants an end to illegal practices allowing anyone to exchange, sell or bet on in-game and third-party sites (for skin betting).

Much of the report focuses on the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system, essentially the EU version of the ESRB rating system. The MEPs want it to become the mandatory age-rating system for all games in the single market. It also wants to introduce standard labels for information such as a game's theme, in-game purchasing options, and the presence of pop-up advertising.

Not all of the report is focused on gaming's worst elements. It asks for the creation of a European Video Game Strategy to boost the industry and "help unlock its full potential." And it proposes the creation of a new annual European online video game award and recognizes how games can help with education, mental health, and other aspects of life.

These are all just recommendations, of course. We'll have to wait and see when, how, and if any are implemented.
Many website development companies are ready to create your site or app, no matter what business you run or where you are. However, since there are a lot of web development companies, it is hard for clients to pick which is suitable for their project.

We listed the top 10 best website development companies you can consider:

What Are Website Development Companies?

A website development company helps people and businesses make websites and programs with the help of experts. Even though the steps for creating a website may differ, most web design firms use a fair standard set of methods.

Website Development Service

Countless commercial websites attest that there is no standard format for websites. A web development company can make a website fit an organization's needs and aesthetic preferences. In contrast to those built in the past decade, modern websites are created with mobile users in mind from the get-go. As a result, you'll need to optimize your website for mobile devices before making it available on larger screens. The following elements could influence how a web development firm would go about your company's website:

In terms of the industry (B2C or B2B)

Where you fit in the business world

Budget for both development and upkeep of the site

The locations and types of customers you cater

What you hope to achieve and what you hope to accomplish (both short-term and long-term)

Mobile Application Development Services

Entrepreneurs now understand they must shift their focus to portable devices. Research and industry trends indicate that audiences are increasingly glued to their mobile devices. It's no secret that apps, like modern websites, are designed with mobile devices in mind. The success or failure of an app development project depends on the following factors:

Distribution Channels for Your Business App (iOS, Android, etc.)

What you do for a living and the industry you're a part of

Who you're trying to reach

The reason behind the application

How much money you have set aside to create and maintain the app

Which Company Is Best for Website Development?

1 eFlair Webtech

There is a good reason why eFlair Webtech is at the top of our list as the best website development company. This website development company offers a full range of services at reasonable prices with a wide range of skills. eFlair is good at web and mobile development as well as user experience and interface design. This makes them one of the best website developers.

eFlair will help you every step of the wayfrom the conceptualization of your website or app to its eventual release. It contributes to research at every level, develops fresh and cutting-edge designs, writes streamlined code that delivers engaging features, and more.

This website development company has locations in Atlanta (USA), Vijayawada (India), and Bangalore (India), allowing them to offer 24/7 assistance no matter which phase of the development process you are in. When you're ready to start your web development project, schedule a free consultation and take advantage of their pricing as low as $25 per hour.

If that doesn't convince you, think about how eFlair has gone above and beyond when working with well-known companies like Expedia, Engage, and Razorpay. Customers also like this website development company, giving it an average of 4.9 stars on Google review sites.

2 XWP

Some agencies do website designs. Some people are more concerned with the website's technical stacks. Such is XWP. They are competent in every aspect that they are in an advantageous position to contribute to the overall improvement of the Internet.

They are highly knowledgeable in the field of web technology. Because of their expertise, they can develop software of the highest caliber for their customers' publishing platforms and websites. In addition, they use their knowledge gained from that experience to create products that contribute even more to the overall success of their customers.

It is a feedback loop that enables them to continually enhance and expand the work they do all around the web, from Open source leadership to the websites and products their customers use. The typical procedure they follow is as follows: Discover, plan, and finally put into action.

3 LaunchPad Lab

LaunchPad Lab is a software company in Chicago that provides mobile and web application development services. This website development company can aid in sound product strategies and efficient sales processes. LaunchPad Lab is a web development firm that charges more than $150 per hour and only works with major customers.

LaunchPad Lab has an average of 4.8 stars on the Google review site, and the outcomes they deliver have attracted clients such as Whirlpool, Amplify, and CDK Global. LaunchPad Lab provides no-cost consultations if you contact them through their website.

4 Emergent Software

Emergent Software has its sights set on web and app development. Databases, Azure Cloud Services, SharePoint, and even human resources are some of the areas where this firm excels. This firm, like Designli, uses an agile technique to cut down on production time.

They have an extensive list of services that Emergent Software provides, and each one is costly. The customers with enormous, complicated projects can afford the company's hourly rate of $150 or more. The average review score for this web development firm is 5 stars on Google.

5 AllianceTek

AllianceTek offers a set of software and web development services. This includes building websites and apps, automating processes, making online stores, and implementing customer relationship management systems. This organization can start charging $50 an hour, which is surprising given the quality of the service they offer.

AllianceTek is a company that makes websites. They have offices in the US and India, which lets them serve many clients. Google users have given them an average score of 4.66 stars.

6 ChopDawg

ChopDawg Studios has been in business since 2009 and has worked with big companies. Some examples are Hilton, Six Flags, and Siemens, all of which combine design and development in unique ways. ChopDawg can take charge if you need help with things like artificial intelligence or chatbots.

ChopDawg has a Google rating of 4.6 stars. Their hourly rate starts at about $50.

7 Sunrise Integration

Sunrise Integration has been making websites for more than 22 years. They have worked with well-known companies like Maersk, DHL, and FreshBooks. The company focuses on a wide range of thingsfrom mobile and web development to shipping and logistics.

Even though Sunrise Integration's hourly rate already starts at $100, it still goes up immediately as more hours and services are added to a project. They have a long list of online and mobile apps and other software development projects. Google gives them a perfect 5-star rating.

8 App Maker LA

Unlike the others on this list, this company prioritizes mobile applications over websites. Moreover, they provide web design services. App Makers LA can make both traditional mobile apps and mobile games.

App Makers LA has its headquarters in Los Angeles, as the name implies. This app development firm has a 5-star rating on Google and charges as little as $50 per hour to get started. App Makers LA's portfolio includes diverse clients, such as Sun Scooter and Los Angeles Apparel.

9 Small Planet

The team at Small Planet puts great emphasis on aesthetics while creating websites and mobile applications. That implies that the company's work always has a polished appearance and that the underlying code is as well-maintained and well-optimized as the user interface. The likes of Disney, Warner Bros., and ASCAP have collaborated with this web development firm.

Small Planet is well-versed in several content management systems, including Shopify and WooCommerce. This provides them a leg up over other e-commerce websites in addition to the company's five-star rating in Google Reviews. Its applicability extends well beyond online retail.

10 Arctouch

No matter what kind of business you run, Arctouch can help you engage with your consumers and staff through cutting-edge mobile applications, websites, and digital goods. In the years since the advent of the app revolution, they have aided organizations of all sizes. They also offer a variety of services you can enjoy.

Their portfolio is quite impressive. However, they do not include pricing on their website, which is a disadvantage for clients looking for a web developer company while on a budget.

Conclusion

Finding a website development company like eFlair, LaunchPad, etc., may be challenging since it depends on your needs and your company's demands. However, research is the key. Know more about the best web development companies, their pricing, and other factors to consider in choosing the best fit for your business.

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Archaeologists may have found the world's oldest runestone in Norway, written over 2,000 years ago, making it more ancient than earlier finds, as reported first by AFP.

In late 2021, an excavation was conducted in an ancient burial site near Tyrifjorden northwest of Oslo. However, a square brown sandstone rock measuring approximately 30 by 30 centimeters (12 by 12 inches) was unexpectedly discovered.

Runologists

According to Oslo's Museum of Cultural History, the rune was etched sometime between the year one and 250 CE based on carbon dating of bones and wood discovered in a cemetery next to the archaeological find.

Runes are stones etched with the runic letters, the first alphabet known in Scandinavia, and were typically placed at gravesites during the Viking era.

Oslo's museum said that the find might have been made during the lifetime of Jesus Christ, making it a perfect "dream for runologists," who research old runic alphabets.

The researchers originally believed that the first ones in Norway and Sweden emerged in the years 300 or 400. But they found that some runestones may be even more ancient than previously assumed, according to runologist Kristel Zilmer.

The writing on the Tyrifjorden rune may be rewritten in the Latin alphabet to create the unknown word "idiberug," which may reference the person buried there.

This discovery is expected to reveal a great deal of information about the early iron age's use of runes. According to Zilmer, this could be one of the first attempts to apply runes on stone in Scandinavia and Norway.

Read also: Archaeologists Find an Extremely Rare 1,300-year-old Gold and Gemstone Necklace From a Medieval Woman in England

Runic Discovery

There have been older runes discovered on other objects but not on stone. A bone comb discovered in Denmark has the oldest runic discovery. Zilmer suggested that the runes may have been carved using a knife or needle's point.

Viking runestones may hint at harsh winter, according to a study on the Rok stone in Sweden, which has the world's longest runic inscription.

The runestone was uncovered in late 2021 while excavating a cemetery west of Oslo in an area noted for its significant archaeological finds. As per the archaeologists, the burned bones and charcoal found in the cremation pit show that the runes may have been written between AD1 and AD250.

Not all of the inscriptions on the stone are linguistically coherent. The front of the stone has eight runes that spell out "idiberug," which could be the name of a person or a family.

The runestone will be showcased at Oslo's Museum of Cultural History from Jan. 21 to Feb. 26.

Related Article: Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Earliest Known Narrative Scene Carved in an 11,000-year-old Neolithic Bench

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A new US GPS navigation satellite was successfully launched into orbit on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:24 AM EST (12:24 GMT). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted the satellite off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to a Space.com report.

So far this year, SpaceX has successfully launched four rockets.

Falcon 9's first-stage rocket was reused for the GPS satellite launch after it carried NASA's Crew-5 astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata, and Russia's Anna Kikina to the International Space Station (ISS).

Rocket Launch

About 2 minutes and 40 seconds after lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape, the first stage successfully separated from the upper stage carrying the cargo. It then returned to Earth and landed on SpaceX's floating platform named "A Shortfall of Gravitas" 8 minutes and 40 seconds after launch.

The fairing, which shielded the cargo during the rocket's first ascent, will be collected from the Atlantic Ocean and examined by SpaceX for potential reuse, according to the launch webcast.

Also Read: LOOK: SpaceX's Latest Falcon Heavy Mission USSF-67 Launches to Orbit Spectacularly

The Satellite

When the Falcon 9's upper stage separated into its first stage and fairing, the high-tech GPS III Space Vehicle 06 proceeded to orbit. Around 1 hour and 30 minutes after liftoff, the satellite was released from the upper stage at the height of approximately 2,670 miles (4,300 kilometers) above the Earth's surface.

The Amelia Earhart satellite, named after the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean, will now go independently to its operational orbit 12,500 miles (20,200 km) above Earth.

The sixth satellite in the GPS III series, Amelia Earhart, will join the Neil Armstrong-named last satellite in the series in June 2021.

The US Space Force owns and operates the satellite as part of a broader initiative to upgrade the country's GPS system. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, claims the new satellite will have a 15-year lifespan and be included in a constellation of 32 subsequent-generation satellites.

Sophisticated GPS System

In order to better meet evolving mission demands and emerging threats, Lockheed Martin has announced that the newest generation of GPS satellites is up to three times more accurate and eight times more equipped to counteract jamming. It reportedly has a new modular architecture that can be easily modified, too.

The firm estimates that four billion people throughout the globe utilize GPS for mobility, precision agricultural monitoring, and utility infrastructure (some of which uses GPS in part to pinpoint service areas).

However, the US GPS network is not the only accessible constellation of navigation satellites.

Europe has its own separate system known as Galileo; Russia has GLONASS; and China has its own different server known as Beidou.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, GPS independence has often been brought up as a question of national sovereignty and security.

Also Read: NASA Scientists Spot Flashes from the Sun that May Help Them Predict the Next Solar Flare

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
MailChimp has reportedly been hacked, exposing the personal information of dozens of its users.

This is the second time the organization has been attacked by hackers. Unfortunately, this hack seems to be quite similar to the one that occurred last year.

Another Hack Incident

MailChimp is a widely used platform for sending out newsletters and emails. Last Friday, Jan. 13, the company confirmed the most recent hack in its system, as first spotted by TechCrunch.

In an unnamed blog post, Mailchimp their security team discovered an intruder using one of their internal tools for customer assistance and account management on Jan. 11. The firm did not specify how long the hacker had been in the system.

According to Mailchimp, a hacker used social engineering to gain access to its systems. The said technique is an attempt to get sensitive information by deceiving an organization's own workers or contractors.

Employee credentials were obtained, and the hacker exploited them to access 133 Mailchimp accounts, of which the firm has now informed its users.

Among the companies whose accounts were hacked is WooCommerce, a major player in the online retail industry.

See Also: Malware Attack on Health Provider MFHS Breaches 460,000 People's Personal Data

Affected Client

WooCommerce wrote a letter to customers, saying it had learned from Mailchimp that the breach may have revealed customers' names, store web URLs, and email addresses. However, the company claimed that no user passwords or other personal data had been stolen.

Mailchimp is used by WooCommerce to send out emails to its clients. WooCommerce is an open-source platform that develops and maintains e-commerce technologies for small enterprises. There are more than five million alleged WooCommerce users.

Previously Reported Breach

Basically, if this all seems familiar, it is because this is not the first time it has happened to Mailchimp.

In April of last year, Mailchimp said that the company had been the target of a social engineering assault that stole the credentials of its customer care workers, allowing the intruder access to Mailchimp's internal tools. Some 214 Mailchimp accounts had their data stolen in that hack, most of them associated with the financial sector or crypto.

DigitalOcean, a leading cloud provider, has said that the issue affected an account it controls and has sharply criticized Mailchimp's response to the incident.

At the time, Mailchimp said it had installed an extra set of strengthened security measures, but the company would not elaborate on what those actions were.

TechCrunch said it is unclear if Mailchimp correctly deployed those upgraded precautions or whether they failed, given the near-identical nature of the most recent breach and the previous one.

Because of the resignation of Mailchimp's chief information security officer Siobhan Smyth soon after the hack last year, it is unknown who, if anybody, is now in charge of the company's cybersecurity.

See Also: Twitter Says 200 Million Users' Leaked Data Were NOT Stolen from its Systems

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Nest Team is reportedly working on its own location tracker that will include an onboard speaker, Bluetooth Low energy, and ultra-wideband. This will be similar to existing trackers like Apple's AirTags, Samsung's SmartTag, and Tile.

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: The San Francisco Bay Bridge is seen reflected on the entrance to a Google office on April 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Google parent company Alphabet will report first quarter earnings today after the closing bell.

Codename 'Goru'

Tech giants are releasing smart location trackers one by one. Google adds to that list, as the company is reportedly working on a smart tracker similar to the existing ones in the market. Developer and well-known leaker Kuba Wojciechoswki revealed that the tracker's codename is "Grogu."

Google is working on a smart tracker similar to Apple's AirTag, codename "grogu" - report  pic.twitter.com/8K6KO7tfzj  Kuba Wojciechowski (@Za_Raczke) January 16, 2023

Grogu is an alternative word for "groguaudio" or "GR10," named after baby Yoda from "The Mandalorian" Star War series. While the device is currently in development by the Nest Team, this does not guarantee that the tracker will launch under Google Nest.

Evidence was found when Wojciechowski noticed that the company added support for locator tags in the developers' hub for Fast Pair. This Android feature lets users connect rapidly to Bluetooth devices.

Tracker's Offerings

Engadget reported that Grogu will include an onboard speaker that will help users to track and locate their missing devices. This feature is very similar to Apple's AirTags. Aside from this, it will also include support for Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband (UWB).

"It's worth mentioning that Google is currently working with multiple chipset manufacturers to bring support for the new Fast Pair-based technology to their products to enable OEMs to develop their own trackers without much hassle," the leaker stated.

Also Read: Apple AirTags Help in Recovering $16,000 Worth of Stolen Goods from Airport

Despite having no specifications and details regarding this device, Google's tracker will work like its competition. The device remains unclear on whether the trackers can replicate Apple's slick experience for AirTags.

As per MacRumors, AirTags requires an Apple device to set up. Android users can also use this product especially since Apple does have a "Tracker Detect" application in the Google Play Store. This will allow users to scan AirTags and Find My-enabled devices that have been missing..

Tracker Detect is designed to decrease concerns and fears regarding AirTags as a malicious location tracker for individuals.

Trackers on Flights

October last year, AirTags was the talk of the town in the aviation industry. Lufthansa released several statements regarding the device on whether the tracker is safe on flights. At first, they banned these devices during flights as it was considered "dangerous goods" due to their transmission function.

This confused travelers as the airline released contradicting measures, not until the Federal Aviation Administration stepped up.

The FAA allows Apple AirTags on checked baggage, as they found out that there is nothing harmful with it on flights. Any trackers with under 0.3 lithium batteries are safe for flying. AirTags met this threshold, with only 0.1 grams of lithium.

Hopefully, Google will comply with this measurement as other luggage tracking devices exceed the requirement.

Related Article: Man Jailed After Using Apple AirTags to Stalk and Harass Ex-Girlfriend

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
It is an issue that emerged early in the state Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday to consider the nomination of Hector LaSalle for chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who chairs the committee, asked LaSalle, the presiding judge of a downstate appellate court, about the support he has received from the Conservative Party. Hoylman-Sigal quizzed LaSalle about the Conservative Party's platform and why he donated money to the party.

But Hoylman-Sigal omitted key facts about the backing LaSalle received from the party.

LaSalle's judicial campaigns

In 2008, LaSalle  a former prosecutor in Suffolk County who also worked in the state attorney general's office  ran for state Supreme Court in the 10th Judicial District (Nassau and Suffolk counties).

As a judicial candidate, LaSalle was cross-endorsed by multiple political parties. That is allowed under New York law. Candidates for elective offices can run with the support of more than one party. For example, Democrats are usually cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, while Republicans are backed by the Conservative Party.

For judicial seats, it is common for candidates to be cross-endorsed by a handful of parties. That was the case in 2008 when LaSalle sought a state Supreme Court judgeship.

When LaSalle first ran for state Supreme Court judge, he was endorsed by the Democratic, Independence, Conservative and Working Families parties. There were seven candidates for four seats, and he was one of the top four vote-getters. One of the four winners, William Condon, was endorsed by the Democratic and Republican parties.

State Supreme Court judges serve 14-year terms, so LaSalle was up for reelection in 2022. He was one of six candidates vying for six seats in the 10th Judicial District. The candidates were all endorsed by Democratic, Republican and Conservative parties.

Donations

During Hoylman-Sigal's initial questioning, he asked about a donation made by LaSalle to the Conservative Party. LaSalle thought it was for $100. Hoylman-Sigal said it was higher than that.

State election records show that LaSalle's campaign committee donated $300 to the Suffolk County Conservative Chairman's Club on Oct. 29, 2008. The Citizen's review found no other contributions to Conservative Party organizations.

LaSalle's campaign donated to other political entities, including the Suffolk County Democratic Committee. LaSalle also made personal donations to the Suffolk County Democrats and Democratic candidates. That was not mentioned during Wednesday's hearing.

Analysis

The goal of Hoylman-Sigal's questioning was clear: To portray LaSalle as someone who is aligned with the Conservative Party, which opposes abortion rights and LGBTQ rights. In his opening remarks, LaSalle sought to refute claims that he is anti-abortion  one of the several lines of attack used against him since Gov. Kathy Hochul nominated him for chief judge.

But as some of Hoylman-Sigal's colleagues pointed out as the hearing continued, LaSalle also received the support from other political parties, including the progressive Working Families Party. He also had the now-defunct Independence Party's support in 2008.

This is a standard practice in New York. State Supreme Court judge candidates are cross-endorsed by multiple parties, sometimes both major parties. It is also possible for the Conservative and Working Families parties to endorse the same candidate.

It is true that LaSalle's campaign donated to a Conservative Party organization in 2008, but the reason for that contribution is unknown. One possible explanation: Judicial candidates tend to attend events hosted by the parties that endorsed them. LaSalle's campaign could have paid for tickets or bought a table at such an event.

However, none of LaSalle's other political activity, namely his donations to Democratic candidates and causes, was mentioned.

LaSalle's nomination was not advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ten of the committee's 13 Democrats voted against his nomination. Three other Democrats, along with the panel's six Republican senators, either voted in support of LaSalle or to advance the nomination without recommendation.

The vote could set up a legal fight between Hochul and the state Senate. One interpretation of the state Constitution is that the Senate must hold a floor vote on LaSalle's nomination. But that issue would likely be settled in court, leaving the state's highest court without a chief judge until the matter is resolved.
A massive survey on the Milky Way's cosmic plane has been released by astronomers. The new collection, which may be the largest of its kind to date, contains an astounding 3.32 billion celestial objects.

The US Department of Energy's Dark Energy Camera was used at the NSF's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a program of NOIRLab, to collect the data for this ground-breaking survey, as per a press release.

(Photo : NASA/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo made with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and released 23 November shows thousands of never-before seen galaxies in a view that looks down a 12 billion light-year long corridor of space.



Mapping the Vast Milky Way

There are hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, along with gleaming star-forming regions and enormous, dense clouds of gas and dust.

The second data update of the Dark Energy Camera Plane Survey (DECaPS2) exposes an astounding number of celestial objects in unparalleled detail, despite the burden of imaging and documenting the Milky Way's vast space for research.

About 3.32 billion items were recognized by the DECaPS2 survey, which required two years to complete over 10 terabytes of data from 21,400 individual exposures. This catalog is likely the largest one to be assembled to date, according to NOIRLab.

The Dark Energy Camera (DECam) equipment on the Victor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), recorded this historic collection.

DECam was able to capture the southern Galactic plane in striking detail because of CTIO's elevated vantage point, which provides astronomers with an unmatched perspective of the southern celestial hemisphere.

DECaPS2 is an optical and near-infrared survey of the Milky Way's plane viewed from the southern portion of the sky.

Read Also: The Largest Alcohol Molecule in Space Near the Center of the Milky Way Has Been Identified, May Lead to a New Star Formation

All About DECaPS

DECaPS' first data set was made public in 2017, and after the addition of the current data release, the survey now spans a stunning 130 degrees of the night sky or 6.5% of the total area of the sky. NOIRLab said that this is equivalent to 13,000 times the angular area of the full Moon.

The Community Science and Data Center, a division of NOIRLab, hosts the DECaPS2 dataset, which is accessible to the entire scientific community.

"One of the main reasons for the success of DECaPS2 is that we simply pointed at a region with an extraordinarily high density of stars and were careful about identifying sources that appear nearly on top of each other," said Andrew Saydjari, lead author of the study, said in a press release statement.



"Doing so allowed us to produce the largest such catalog ever from a single camera, in terms of the number of objects observed."

DECam was initially designed to help the Dark Energy Survey, which was undertaken by the US National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy.

The public can access the massive dataset here.

Related Article: New Mysterious Barrier in Milky Way Confuses Experts-Allegedly Blocking Cosmic Rays From Reaching Galaxy's Center

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Winnebago has unveiled their all-electric RV prototype, the eRV2, as reported by Electrek. Currently, the RV maker opens the prototype for test drives to collect feedback from consumers before they finalize its design.

(Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: RVs that will be used for coronavirus (COVID-19) isolation are seen during a tour of the Randall's Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center on October 18, 2022 in New York City.

The eRV2 was revealed during the 2022 Florida RV SuperShow, their next attempt at an EV platform since 2018.

The concept of the eRV was built from the Ford Transit platform, using the vehicle's body, chassis, and suspension. It is equipped with a 86 kWh battery that can deliver 125 miles of range and charge in time of 45 minutes on DC fast charger.

The eRV2

Now with the eRV2, it's an operational prototype that is closer to becoming a real electric RV option for consumers today. It is also built on Ford E-Transit chassis with a range of 108 miles.

Winnebago also partnered with Lithionics Battery to create a proprietary IonBlade lithium house battery to be compact and powerful with a 48V system that will have over 15,000 usable watt-hours.

The powertrain and house systems are powered by electricity. And even more, the electric RV has a 900-watt solar capacity with the panels on its roof.

Inside the eRV2 prototype, there is a lot of recycled materials, such as the mats, window trim, flooring, and the WinnSleep mattress system. Furthermore, the cab seats have plant-based coverings, while all the acrylic countertops are made from biodegradable materials.

Also Read: Canadian Startup Will Bring a Unique Off-Road Electric RV, the Adventure 1

The Main Goal of the eRV2

The company knows they still have a long way to go to finally make that breakthrough into the electric motorhome market. Their goal is to build the eRV2 to people explore the world around them comfortably and with less environmental impact.

That said, user experience is at the heart of the development of this prototype.

The eRV2 will be on display until January 22 at the Winnebago booth at the Florida RC SuperShow. You can also schedule a test drive while you're there.

The Future of Electric RVs

We have seen many electric campervan concepts, but the eRV2 is the first electric RV on the market that isn't a conversion kit. If it proves to be a success, it will be huge.

It could start a market shift that could disrupt and include more electric options in the recreational vehicle industry.

You can easily see that the Winnebago company is heading in the right direction to help consumers get an electric RV experience. But, not all companies are so into the idea of electric RVs.

It is true that the long range of EVs is still a concern, but with the fast charging infrastructure being built, it is getting easier to sit on a sofa and enjoy the scenery.

Related Article: Campworks NS-1: This Solar-Powered Camper can Store Energy and Use It to Power Your EV

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One of the most recent controversies with Twitter is banning third-party apps' access to its platform, with some experiences no longer accessible for users despite a long time of its use. The company recently justified why it blocked these apps on the platform, citing that they broke the company's API rules, and its enforcement is the reason for some apps not working.

However, when asked directly as to what is the exact rule that these online services broke, Twitter stood in silence and did not address this simple question from a known YouTuber.

Twitter Justifies Third-Party Apps Ban

(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

This illustration photo taken on July 8, 2022 shows Elon Musk's Twitter page displayed on the screen of a smartphone with Twitter logos in the background in Los Angeles.

The Twitter Devs account tweeted a statement regarding the ongoing controversy of the third-party apps ban on the platform. It justified its actions by saying that these apps broke its API rules, and said that for those who remain inaccessible on Twitter, it only means that they are in violation of said rules that the company has long enforced.

The verified developers' account did not specify which rules were violated by these third-party apps that operate on Twitter's platform.

This led to more questions from its social media users, alongside a prolific tech influencer on YouTube, Marques Brownlee, who asked which rules were violated.

The YouTuber did not get any response from Twitter Devs, or other accounts of the company.

Read Also: Twitter Blue Check is Now Cheaper: Annual Blue Subscription Gets 12% Discount

What are the rules  Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) January 17, 2023

Breaking an Unknown Rule

Of course, this sparks another controversy in the platform, as the famous and massively-used third-party apps do not know which rule they broke, from Twitter's API documentation. It remains an unanswered question, a mystery, but something which Twitter users want an answer to, as these apps are essential for a handful of users on the platform.

Twitter's Management

It was only last week since Twitter made third-party applications inaccessible on the platform, and this is despite many people depending on these features for their daily consumption and work on the platform. According to reports, Twitter intentionally blocked off platforms like Tweetbot and Echofon, alongside other services present on social media.

Additionally, this change in management, with Elon Musk now serving as its head, sees different issues which the company is not addressing well, starting off with the many changes in the company. Moreover, there was a round of new layoffs in Twitter's New York City office, where janitors protested against this unexpected event.

With the latest batch of layoffs and blocking third-party websites from working on social media, Twitter's management is on fire because of their lack of explanations to the public. While Twitter Developers already released a statement, it is still not enough for some users, especially Brownlee who asked the question directly but did not get any answer from the company.

Related Article: Twitter Revenue Drops by 40% as Advertisers Pull Out | Office Assets Now Auctioned

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Nokia had a comeback in 2016 and released a slew of mid-range and premium mid-range smartphones. However, their attempts at creating a flagship phone have been unsuccessful.

Nokia C12 Drops as a Low-End Budget-Friendly Device for 2023

According to the story by Giz China, the brand focuses primarily on low-end devices, and with the new Nokia C12, Nokia is keeping up with its efforts. Nokia is back and looking to shake up the budget market.

The Nokia C12 is the latest offering in this low-cost range for 2023, as seen on GSM Arena, and it doesn't disappoint. It features a 6.3-inch LCD display, Unisoc SC9863A1 octa-core processor, up to 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Nokia C12 Specs Revealed Including Camera, Connection, Ports, and Charging

On the camera side, the Nokia C12 comes with an 8MP main camera with LED flash and a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies. It also includes connectivity options such as 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.2, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack.

Unfortunately, it features a micro USB port and a 5W charging rate, which might disappoint some. The Nokia C12 is the perfect choice for anyone seeking a budget device with a decent display and capable hardware.

Nokia Started in 1865 as a Paper Mill Company Before It Turned Towards Telecommunications

Although the battery life and the outdated USB port might hold it back, it still offers great value for its price tag. Fans are sure it will see many takers, especially given its low cost.

Nokia is a Finnish telecommunications company that first started out as a paper mill in 1865. By the late 1960s, the company had become one of the world's largest and most recognized mobile phone manufacturers.

Nokia Only Started Selling Smartphones in 1992 with Its Popular Nokia 3310 and 1100

The company first announced its foray into the mobile phone market in 1992 and quickly rose to the top of the industry, introducing well-known products such as the Nokia 3310 and Nokia 1100. Nokia was one of the first companies to introduce smartphone technology.

The Nokia 8800, released in 1998, offered customers internet connectivity, allowing access to emails and the world wide web. As smartphones grew in popularity, Nokia continued to keep up, releasing the Symbian OS-based Nokia N-series.

Read Also: Sony Xperia 10 IV Receives Android 13 Update: New Features, Fixes, More

Nokia was Able to Capture 40% of the World's Market Share by 2009 and Now, It Launches the Nokia C12 withh Android 12 Go

By 2009, Nokia had become the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones, with a market share of around 40%.

Overall, the Nokia C12 is a decent budget phone packed with various features; however, its average specs may not be the best choice for those looking for a powerful device. Nevertheless, the C12 offers an Android 12 Go edition and is bound to be an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable mid-range phone.

Related Article: Samsung Galaxy S22 Joins Self-Repair Program in the US - How About Galaxy Book Pro Laptops?

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Google Play Services has released an update and is currently rolling out, as reported by Phone Arena.

(Photo : by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 06: Attendees visit the Google booth where a model of the Android logo is on display at CES 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 08 and features about 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 100,000 attendees.

New Features Coming

One of the best features of the update is the Google Password Manager on mobile and PC, which got an update. The update now allows users to add notes to password extruders, which will come in handy for those with multiple accounts on some services.

The Google Wallet can also get a visual upgrade on its mobile web version. However, there are no details yet on this one, but some guess it has something to do with the built-in browser.

Another feature that got an update is the Android QR scanner. One, users can now re-scan photos with QR codes that will allow them to access the QR code content later on. Next, I can now detect Matter-enabled smart home devices for a quick setup. And finally, the QR scanner now supports the UPI code that is mainly used by payment systems in India.

The Play Store also got updated with Play Protect, which can now detect malicious apple. Moreover, the Play Store has been optimized for faster and uninterrupted downloads.

It is also hinted that the Play Games app will undergo an overhaul and receive PC compatibility. Currently, the update has more use cases for the Play Games profile, which means that more games and apple will have it as a login option to save progress.

Also read: Google Android Update for October Rolls Out - Last One for Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL?

Better Android for Users

This update is expected to make the Android experience better for users. People who store a lot of passwords on their devices will also like the update since the Google Password Manager is one of the best options for these users.

In short, the new update for Google Play Services means that Android users will have a better experience. Also, the update means that the Android platform will be more of a uniform software for all users across all devices.

It can be recalled that Google just recently rolled out its new security updates in the first week of 2023. There were 20 issues resolved in the Android 13 January patch. There was also a Pixel update. Moreover, the Samsung January 2023 security update was also rolled out.

These updates are meant to address critical security flaws in the smartphone mobile operating system.

There are a lot of Android updates that tech experts are keeping their eyes on. The updates that are now rolled out will surely be a good start to a new year. By the looks of it, it seems that Google is determined to make Android a good experience for users and developers. Both parties will greatly benefit from these updates.

Related article: Google's Android Update Now Allows Users to Pay Parking Using Voice Commands | Here's How

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The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia, under the Perrottet administration, is exploring a ban on campaign donations from the clubs' sector. It is also planning to carry out a cashless gaming card policy with special exemptions for rural pubs and clubs.

The Reform

According to The Guardian, the government is contemplating a transition phase that excludes non-metropolitan regions from the cashless gaming card as premier Dominic Perrottet pushes for support from the Nationals in his campaign for gambling reform in NSW.

A preliminary trial program focusing on urban poker machines may be a part of the policy, which is still in the works.

The premier has publicly supported a cashless gambling card, but his Nationals colleagues are wary of upsetting the state's strong club lobby by making it obligatory.

Paul Toole, head of the Nationals and the deputy premier, revealed on Thursday, Jan. 19, that the concept of omitting rural regions from the card had been part of the talks about the policy.

If an exception was made, Toole said it would be an aspect of the ongoing talks that they are having about the cashless card.

"I've made it very clear that the road to get there needs to be a sensible one...And we all need to recognize that a large venue in the city is very different to a small venue in the bush."

Toole added that clubs were crucial to the well-being of their respective communities.

Cashless Gaming Program

Since the Labor party published their gambling ideas this week, the pressure has been on Perrottet to divulge the specifics of his cashless gaming program, which he has been advocating for months.

Opposition leader Chris Minns has promised to form an expert panel to monitor a trial of cashless gambling should he be elected in March. This is in contrast to the Labor Party's stance, which opposes its instant implementation.

The Coalition is expected to adopt Labor's policy that forbids accepting donations from clubs. While NSW law currently prohibits funding from gaming corporations, non-profit groups are exempted.

During his farewell statement in parliament last month, former planning minister and opponent of the gambling sector Rob Stokes called it an "outrageous loophole."

See Also: Australia's New Misinformation Code Excludes Some Messaging Apps, Including Whatsapp

Donation Limit

Perrottet claimed he was absolutely in favor of contribution reform when asked on Thursday whether the regulations should be altered.

He emphasized the need to maintain the greatest integrity while accepting political contributions.

Even more consistently, Perrottet has stated his support for a daily limit on poker machine wagers. A cashless system would not operate without a limit, according to him.

The government has reportedly considered setting the restriction at $1,000 per day, in line with limitations imposed for NSW casinos last year, as reported by The Guardian.

Some members of parliament who favor the premier's reforms think that number is too high, but they also think that a larger cap could be essential to winning over Nationals members of parliament, and Liberals are worried about a voter reaction.

See Also: Arcade1Up's Wheel of Fortune Casinocade Deluxe Debuts at CES 2023: Slot Machine in Home Version?

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Elon Musk's 2018 controversial tweet about Tesla going private resurfaced after shareholders got alarmed about its possibility.

According to the post, the business tycoon wants to take Tesla private at $420. He adds that the funding for the plan is already "secured" for the bid at that time.

However, it does not look appealing to the shareholders, and he might lose billions of dollars when he gets sued.

Elon Musk Has More to Lose

According to a report by The Independent, the lawyers of Musk note that some people are using the second world's richest man after his tweets drove "regular" investors to lose millions of dollars.

It should be noted that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is aware of the rules about the companies. According to the policy, the firms should not disclose their plans to the public, especially if the discussion among executives is not yet over.

The same rule also applies to companies if they think there's no assurance that their financing plan will materialize.

Basically, the trial will be settled depending on the judges' decision over the intent of Musk's post on Twitter.

Related Article: Attorneys Call Elon Musk a 'Liar' Amid Tesla Buyout Tweets Trial

What the 2018 Tweet Contains

According to Musk, Tesla is about to undergo a huge transformation after finishing a meeting with some officials in Saudi.

The Tesla founder thinks that the automaker should go private. He believes it's about time to transition to this state because he already has "secured funding" for it.

Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018

"I left the July 31st meeting with no question that a deal with the Saudi sovereign fund could be closed, and that it was just a matter of getting the process moving. This is why I referred to "funding secured" in the August 7th announcement," Musk said in a tweet.

Just a few days after he tweeted about the "Tesla Private" Musk claimed that he was thrown "under the bus" by the governor of Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi.

Of course, the funding was never an issue for Tesla, as Musk's lawyers stated. However, the company's plan to go private did not sound good to the investors, so they decided to ditch the plan.

In April 2022, Musk's tweets were flagged "false and misleading" by Edward Chen, a US District Court Judge.

Twitter in Shambles Amid Debt Payment Fiasco

Musk's tweets have a bearing on investors, given their power. It could mean that a single post could result in the rise or drop of a cryptocurrency's price.

The share price of Tesla reportedly declined by $14 billion after his 2018 tweet. While the judges were keen over Musk's intent on his post, his lawyers claimed that the "funding secured" post was made out of "sporadic thoughts."

According to Bloomberg, Musk might be facing one of the biggest problems that Twitter is facing now. The article says that the billionaire has "more to lose" if he attempts to skip the debt payment for the microblogging platform.

Just recently, Musk said there's about $1 billion of cash left for Twitter.

Read Also: Elon Musk Lawsuit: Jury Selected for Tesla Buyout Tweets Class Action Case

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Amazon revealed on Wednesday, Jan. 18, that it would discontinue AmazonSmile, a charity donation program. This was announced only days after declaring a massive wave of layoffs that would affect 18,000 individuals of its workforce.

The firm is likely scrambling to find and discover new ways to cut expenses.

End of the Initiative

Through its AmazonSmile initiative, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible goods to the charitable organization of your choice. It is an independent website with the exact shopping features of Amazon.com.

On the other hand, Amazon would maintain tabs on your spending habits and contribute in your name.

According to TechCrunch, Amazon customers have begun receiving emails from the business explaining the changes. The closing date for AmazonSmile is Feb. 20.

The corporation admitted that its efforts were sometimes ineffective, considering more than 1 million qualifying entities worldwide. "After almost a decade, the program has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped."

Over $400 million has been given away by Amazon via the AmazonSmile program since 2013. It seems probable that larger groups received a larger percentage of their contributions, whereas smaller ones received just a few dollars annually.

Also Read: Amazon Receives OSHA Citation for Violating Safety Laws in Three Warehouses

Business Repercussions

Amazon will provide a one-time gift to charities registered for AmazonSmile that is equal to three months of donations. This is equivalent to a severance payout at for-profit companies, except it benefits charitable organizations.

As the initiative winds down, Amazon will feel the consequences in two ways.

One, the mandatory 0.5% donation on AmazonSmile purchases has been eliminated.

Secondly, efforts were being made to establish a distinct retail presence, cultivate ties with nonprofits, and more. By ending AmazonSmile, the business will be able to release the employees responsible for it.

With this statement coming at the same time as the company's largest-ever wave of layoffs, it seems clear that the demise of the AmazonSmile program is linked to these measures.

Newest Wave of Layoffs

Amazon began notifying those who would be affected by the layoffs.

After Amazon announced intentions to lay off 18,000 workers globally, including almost 1,000 in India, several upset employees allegedly broke down and were left weeping in the office.

Layoffs impacted both new recruits and seasoned employees at Amazon India's offices in Bengaluru, Gurugram, and others.

Most of the company's closures have targeted newly developed subsidiaries.

A few days before that said news, the company also said it would close three of its more than 30 facilities in the UK. It is estimated that 1,200 jobs would be lost due to this decision.

Currently, Amazon is worth $974 billion on the stock market. Their most recent financial report showed they had $2.5 billion in operational profits. Despite the lackluster performance, Amazon is not in danger of going under.

Also Read: Amazon's Robot Fleet is Rising, and Chances are It May Replace Human Workers Soon

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China's astronomers have overthrown one of astronomy's most fundamental assumptions about star formation.

That underlying principle has been used for decades to calculate galaxies' histories and the possibilities of discovering dark matter and life beyond our solar system.

Initial Discovery

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Beijing and Nanjing researchers examined 100,000 nearby stars from China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and the European Space Agency's Gaia space observatory.

They discovered that low-mass stars (30 to 70% of the sun's mass) were rare billions of years ago.

The team's findings were published Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Nature. The discovery shows that the Initial Mass Function (IMF) is not universal but changes with time.

IMF is a basic power law where a relative change in one variable leads to a commensurate relative change in another. It is a key idea in contemporary astronomy. It tells how many stars of each size are generated as a gas cloud collapses under gravity.

Related Story: A Massive Astronomical Survey Uncovers 3.3 Billion Milky Way Objects

IMF Concept

Astronomers use the IMF to study star formation, galaxies, supernovas, and black holes.

The paper's principal author, Liu Chao from Beijing's National Astronomical Observatories, claimed a universal IMF, based on Milky Way findings, is "counterintuitive."

He added the number of stars formed might vary with the temperature of the collapsing gas cloud, and the IMF of our own galaxy may not reflect the IMF of other galaxies.

Scientists are using better telescopes to monitor smaller, fainter stars to challenge the IMF's notion. That notion indicates that a new stellar population always has a set proportion of relatively few massive stars, a modest number of sun-sized stars, and many smaller stars.

One of these sophisticated devices is the LAMOST, a 4-meter (13.1-foot) reflecting telescope in Beijing. It can record hundreds of star spectra.

Novel Device and Method

LAMOST accurately measures Milky Way stars' temperature, velocity, and chemical composition. It also detects metallicity, the number of elements heavier than helium in a star.

LAMOST, the most efficient ground-based telescope, has captured millions of star spectra in a decade.

This data, together with Europe's Gaia satellite telescope's star position and distance information, made the study possible, said Liu.

Meanwhile, galaxies' evolution must be recalculated using the IMF's confirmed variation.

In 2015, Liu and his Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nanjing University colleagues selected 93,000 neighboring stars and grouped them by metallicity. The scientists then determined mass distribution by group.

Young populations' star proportions changed with metallicity. The report suggested parent gas clouds form more low-mass stars with more heavy elements.

Liu said the team spent a lot of work eliminating star selection and calculation biases to make their conclusions robust.

He added additional scans must verify the discoveries before they can be used to reconstruct a more precise history of the Milky Way.

The Hubble-class Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), which will launch next year, excites Liu.

Liu said CSST would provide astronomers with a bigger sample of stars in and beyond the Milky Way, particularly huge stars that are uncommon and hard to identify with current equipment.

See Also: NASA Scientists Spot Flashes from the Sun that May Help Them Predict the Next Solar Flare

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ALBANY  Democrats rejected Gov. Kathy Hochuls choice to serve as the states top jurist Wednesday following an at-times testy confirmation hearing.

A total of 10 Dems on the 19-member Senate Judiciary Committee voted against advancing the nomination of Hector LaSalle to be the chief judge of the Court of Appeals to a full floor vote.

The nomination is lost and and we will proceed based on that information, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-Manhattan, said as he adjourned the hearing amid an uproar from LaSalle supporters.

LaSalle spent much of the nearly five hour hearing defending his record, saying early on he wanted to set the record straight as he countered claims that hes too conservative to be New Yorks next top judge.

The 54-year-old described himself as a union supporter and a fair-minded jurist as he faced questions from lawmakers about his past and shot down criticisms that have come from opponents.

I believe passionately that our justice system should be the great equalizer, LaSalle said. Like every judge, I know that not everyone agrees with every ruling, but I can promise you that in every case, I have sought and will continue to seek to give everyone a fair shake, to listen to arguments carefully, to do my best to apply the law to the facts before us, and to work with my colleagues to reach a fair and just result, LaSalle said during his opening remarks.

LaSalles nomination has faced intense pushback from a number of Hochuls fellow Democrats, labor leaders and advocates who argue his judicial records shows him to be anti-union, anti-reproductive rights and overall too right-leaning to run the state judiciary.

The Long Island native currently serves as the presiding justice of the 2nd Appellate Division in Brooklyn and would be the first Latino to lead the Court of Appeals if confirmed.

LaSalle described his working-class upbringing and repeatedly said he believes in reproductive rights and supports unions, referencing criticisms about his judicial record.

Any suggestion that I am anti-union or anti-labor is untrue, LaSalle said. When youre talking about labor, those are the people who raised me.

Fact check: Was LaSalle, Hochul's chief judge pick, endorsed by NY Conservative Party? It is an issue that emerged early in the state Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday to consider the nomination of Hector LaSalle fo

Opponents, particularly labor leaders, have slammed a 2015 ruling LaSalle joined that allowed a defamation lawsuit filed by Cablevision to proceed against union leaders since the company argued they were acting in their personal capacity.

Supporters say LaSalle is being unfairly painted as a conservative and many of his past colleagues have praised his record and his work as an administrator.

You do not come across as a rightwing conservative nut, Sen. Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, told LaSalle during the hearing as Republicans overall appeared more open to his confirmation.

Hochul and LaSalle supporters say that LaSalles nomination should be moved to the full 63-seat chamber regardless of what happens in the committee. It remains to be seen if Hochul will attempt to sue the Senate over the decision and force a full floor vote.

The Buffalo News reported that Hochul was in the process of retaining a lawyer to potentially take the matter to court, but the governor's office said no contract had been signed.

In a written statement released after Wednesday's hearing, the governor did not back down from her assertion that a full Senate vote is legally required.

"While the Committee plays a role, we believe the Constitution requires action by the full Senate," she said.

She also blasted, without naming individuals, senators who she said made up their minds about LaSalle too early.

"While this was a thorough hearing, it was not a fair one, because the outcome was predetermined," Hochul said. "Several Senators stated how they were going to vote before the hearing even began  including those who were recently given seats on the newly expanded Judiciary Committee."

The State Senate has never rejected a governors pick for chief judge since the current nomination system has been in place since the 1970s.

As the hearing wrapped up, Sen. Anthony Palumbo, R-Suffolk, the ranking Republican on the committee, could be heard asking for a motion to advance the nomination to a floor vote as Hoylman gaveled out.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, issued a statement blasting Democratic senators.

"The Judiciary Committee failed to follow its Constitutional responsibility to allow the nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle to proceed to a full Senate vote. ...The radical majority members of the Judiciary Committee put their far-left politics ahead of their obligation to the people of New York," Ortt said in a written statement.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Pusaski, who represents part of Cayuga County, also criticized how Democratic senators have handled the nomination.

"The nomination of a new chief judge of the state Court of Appeals is a historic and significant event," he said in a written statement. "Its unfortunate that Senate Democrats turned it into an embarrassing example of woke dysfunction."
Around 95 percent of this product is being exported to Asian countries such as India, Vietnam, and China.

On Tuesday, Celso Fantine, the president of the Confederation of Associations of Agricultural Producers (Fedeagro), announced that the Venezuelan production of green peas increased notably in the last year.

Between 2021 and 2022, the production of this grain went from 20,800 tons to 73,000 tons, that is, production increased by 250 percent in just 12 months.

Around 95 percent of the green peas is being exported to Asian countries such as India, Vietnam, and China. Fantinel also mentioned that the expansion of production was favored by the improvement of climatic conditions during the times of sowing and cultivation.

"2022 was a very good year for agriculture," the Fedeagro president said, emphasizing the recovery in the food crops area.

MADURO: "The US has unfortunately been caught up in a nonsensical policy regarding Venezuela... hit, threaten invasions, extremist sanctions, try to break the country from within. And all those policies failed - they were defeated. Firstly by reality, secondly by strength." pic.twitter.com/47QbK5y1tn  COMBATE | (@upholdreality) January 3, 2023

Over the last year, thanks to the policies applied by the Bolivarian government, private economic agents have managed to increase their import and sale of seeds, chemicals and other essential supplies for agriculture.

Between 2021 and 2022, food production grew by 5.3 percent, going from 17.4 to 18.2 million tons. Approximately 72 percent of the production corresponds to plant foods and 28 percent to foods of animal origin.

In Dec. 2022, Economy Minister Tareck El Aissami already announced that exports of green peas and shrimp would increase to Asian countries.
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The Future of Online Casinos and the Technologies That Will Shape It

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Maruti Suzuki has commenced exports of the Grand Vitara compact SUV from its India plant and the first shipment was shipped to the Latin America market from the Kamarajar port recently. The automaker said it aims to export the Grand Vitara to over 60 countries worldwide across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and ASEAN regions.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, Supporting government of Indias efforts to increase exports from India, Maruti Suzuki has taken multiple initiatives to increase its international presence. Expanding product portfolio for exports has been one of the key pillars of success. By adding Grand Vitara, we now export a range of 17 vehicles. Grand Vitara, unveiled in July 2022, has received overwhelming response in the domestic market and we are confident that the India manufactured Grand Vitara will meet with similar success in overseas markets as well."

Also Read : Maruti Suzuki recalls 17,362 vehicles on possible airbag controller defect

Watch: Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara: First Drive Review

Maruti Suzuki is one of the largest auto exporters in the country. The company registered its highest-ever exports in the 2022 calendar year with 2.6 lakh vehicles shipped overseas. The automaker aims to strengthen its position further in passenger vehicle exports. Maruti's major competition comes from Hyundai with respect to exports. The Korean auto giant exports 1.48 lakh units in CY2022, growing by 13.7 per cent year-on-year.

Also check these Cars Find more Cars Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 1462 cc | Mild Hybrid(Electric + Petrol) | Manual | 21.11 kmpl | 102 bhp 10.45 - 19.65 Lakh* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Volkswagen Taigun 999 cc | Petrol | Manual | 18.1 kmpl 10.49 - 17.5 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Skoda Kushaq 999 cc | Petrol | Manual | 17.88 kmpl 10.5 - 17.6 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift 1197 cc | Petrol | Manual 6.5 - 10 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Maruti Suzuki Dzire 1197 cc | Petrol | Manual | 23.26 kmpl 5.89 - 9.09 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers

Maruti's exports are set to grow further with at least two new launches confirmed to join the stable soon. The Jimny 5-door and the Fronx are both global models as much as they are intended for India. Both offerings are expected to arrive in the next few months with the Fronx likely to arrive by April and the Jimny by May-June this year. The Jimny and Fronx will be sold by the premium Nexa dealerships.

First Published Date:
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese battery maker EVE Energy Co., Ltd. ("EVE Energy") announced on Jan. 19 that it intended to ink an agreement with the government of Jianyang, a county-level city in China's Sichuan province, for a power and energy storage battery manufacturing project.

According to the announcement, the project is set up to build a power & energy storage battery base in Jianyang city with a planned annual production capacity of 20GWh. It will involve a total investment of around 10 billion yuan ($1.475 billion), at least 6 billion yuan ($885.021 million) of which are expected to be poured in fixed assets.

Photo credit: EVE Energy

With the whole construction set to be completed in one phase, the new manufacturing base will produce a variety of battery products including but not limited to consumer batteries, power batteries, energy storage batteries, battery packs, and have such facilities as office buildings, dormitories, as well as canteens. The construction works are planned to last two years.

EVE Energy also noted it would register a wholly-owned subsidiary ("the project company") in Jianyang city to take charge of the investment, development, construction, operation, and management of the aforesaid project. Registered capital of the project company should be no less than 100 million yuan ($14.75 million).

EVE Energy said the new cooperation would be conducive to the company's deployment of power and energy storage battery businesses, so as to help it further boost the overall development regarding production and R&D of lithium ion batteries, and improve its influence and competitiveness in the new energy vehicle industry.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

NIOs Vehicle Engineering business reportedly taken over by Executive Vice President Zhou Xin

Danilo Teobaldi has reportedly left his position as Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at NIO to become the chief vehicle engineer of NIO Europe. At the same time, Zhou Xin, NIO's executive vice president and chairman of the company's product committee, is said to take over the vehicle engineering operation of NIO, according to a local media outlet.

Photo credit: NIO

EVE Energy to build lithium iron phosphate cylindrical battery project in Yunnan Province

Chinas battery maker EVE Energy announced on Jan. 19 that it intends to pour 5.5 billion yuan in building a lithium iron phosphate cylindrical energy storage & power battery project in Qujing city, Yunnan Province. The project will feature a designed production capacity of 23GWh.

Honda Accord PHEV to hit Chinese market in 2023

The all-new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant of the popular Honda Accord was recently included by a catalogue released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The vehicle will be installed with a 2.0L engine and electric motor, and expected to hit the Chinese market in 2023.

NIOs affiliate company files for registration of NIO PHONE trademark

NIO Co., Ltd., an affiliated company of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) startup NIO Inc., has applied for the registration of the trademark "NIO PHONE", according to the corporate information inquiry platform Qichacha, a sign that NIO is preparing for the future launch of its smartphones.

SAIC VW sees 26-millionth vehicle roll off production line

On January 18, SAIC Volkswagen ("SAIC VW"), the joint venture between SAIC Motor and Volkswagen Group, saw its 26-millionth vehicle roll off the production line at the automakers new energy vehicle plant in Anting Town, Shanghai.

CATL to build integrated intelligent chassis production base in Chinas Yichun city

CATL (Shanghai) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("CATL Intelligent Tech"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, on Jan. 18 signed an agreement with the Management Committee of Yichun Economic & Technological Development Zone for a CIIC (CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis) manufacturing project, according to a post on CATL's WeChat account.

Lifan Technology forecasts 170% YoY surge in 2022 annual net profit

Chinese motor vehicle manufacturer Lifan Technology announced on Wednesday it was anticipated to record an annual net profit attributable to shareholders of around 150 million yuan ($22.126 million) in 2022, which should surge 170% compared to the previous year.
One dead and two rushed to hospital after three men pulled from water at Gold Coast beach

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Two teenagers accused of a shooting in a small Queensland town will front court after about nine shots were fired at vehicles and residents were evacuated by police.

Police declared an exclusion zone in the Western Downs town of Tara, about 250 kilometres west of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon, as specialist police swarmed from other regions.

Superintendent Ray Vine said police were remarkably resilient dealing with the second shooting-related incident in the region. Credit: Nine News

The emergency declaration was revoked about 11.30pm when four local boys, aged 14, 15, 16 and 16, were found just outside the cordon and taken into custody.

Tara is the town where constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold  who died last month during a shootout that killed six people at nearby Wieambilla  had been based.
A teenage jet-skier is facing a string of charges after he was filmed harassing the occupants of a boat and deliberately spraying them with water off a popular Mornington Peninsula beach on Monday.

The 16-year-old boy, who obtained his marine licence shortly before the incident, faces the prospect of losing his permit for six months and paying thousands of dollars in fines if found guilty of the charges.

Footage of the incident obtained by Nine News shows the jet-skier riding at speed towards the boat for several seconds before taking a sharp turn and spraying the occupants with water.

The group said he had been tailing them for some time as they sailed off Safety Beach, about 57 kilometres south of Melbourne, when he came dangerously close to the boat.
An elderly man is lucky to be alive after being rescued from his burning home in Perths north-east overnight by four good Samaritans.

Emergency services were called to the Bayswater home about 7.30pm on Wednesday night after reports of smoke coming from the single-storey home.

The Bayswater home sustained water and smoke damage, which is expected to cost $200,000 to repair. Credit: Nine News

The triple-zero call was made by Amy Cummings, who had been driving down the street with her mother when she noticed flames coming from the house.

Amy told 6PR the pair swung into action, pulling over alongside a taxi driver and a nurse to source water and alert neighbours.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL (Shanghai) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("CATL Intelligent Tech"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, on Jan. 18 signed an agreement with the Management Committee of Yichun Economic & Technological Development Zone for a CIIC (CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis) manufacturing project, according to a post on CATL's WeChat account.

Under the agreement, CATL Intelligent Tech will build its first manufacturing base of integrated intelligent chassis enabled by the CTC (Cell to Chassis) technology in Yichun city, Jiangxi province. The battery giant said the move will greatly contribute to the development and application of its CTC technology and skateboard chassis products.

Photo credit: CATL

Through the CTC technology, key components in battery and other systems are integrated at the bottom of the vehicle, with no need of separate battery packs. This can reduce the user acquisition cost and energy consumption, increase the distance per charge and expand the passenger space, according to CATL's introduction.

CATL Intelligent Tech focuses on the design, production, sale, and service provision of the CIIC products.

On January 10, HOZON Auto, the owner of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brand NETA, and CATL Intelligent Tech inked a cooperation agreement on the CIIC project, making NETA the first Chinese startup-owned auto brand to develop the CIIC technology.
Embattled Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour has withdrawn as the Labor candidate for the NSW upper house, with Labor leader Chris Minns saying Asfours decision to charge ratepayers for luxury clothing and other items was clearly not acceptable.

Minns had backed Asfour for months in the face of allegations he had charged ratepayers for some personal and educational expenses, but that changed after a conversation between the pair on Thursday night.

Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown Khal Asfour.

Its clear that hes a distraction when it comes to the big task weve got to take on the Liberal Party, Minns said.

Its also unacceptable to charge those things to ratepayers in this state. Claiming expenses in this way is clearly not up to community expectations.
The Victorian Greens will seek to establish a parliamentary inquiry to determine what went wrong during last years devastating Maribyrnong River floods, to make up for what they say is an inadequate review that will not look at urban planning, warning systems and government policy.

Residents and former senior Melbourne Water staff this week were alarmed that the limited scope of the water authoritys review would ignore crucial factors that led to the flooding of inner-west streets, affecting more than 520 homes in the Maribyrnong City Council area.

An SES crew moves residents to higher ground near the Maribyrnong River. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Greens water spokeswoman and deputy leader Ellen Sandells electorate of Melbourne covers Kensington, parts of which were flooded on October 14. Sandell said she worried Melbourne Waters narrow review would let the Andrews government escape scrutiny.

The Labor government is using it as a smokescreen, she said. Theyre just trying to tick a box.
There was a lot of panic, said Anna Mayboroda, 37, who safely retrieved her three-year-old amid the mayhem. I started to yell the name of my daughter, too, because I didnt know where she was. The scene where a helicopter crashed in Brovary, Ukraine on Wednesday. Credit: AP The episode was just the latest in a long string of tragedies for a weary country, coming just four days after a Russian missile slammed into an apartment building in the eastern city of Dnieper, killing 45 people in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians of the war. Monastyrsky is the highest-ranking government official to die since Russias invasion began last February. He and other members of Zelenskys brain trust had held together from the early days of the war. They had survived the initial assault on the capital, Kyiv, and what Ukrainian officials have said were Russian assassination plots, as well as multiple trips to front lines despite fierce fighting. Monastyrsky, like Zelensky, took office pledging to root out the corruption that had long bedevilled the government, in particular the Interior Ministrys history of operating as a separate political fief.

US President Joe Biden, in a message of condolences to the families of those who were killed, cited those efforts, saying that Monastyrsky and his team were engaged in the vital work of reforms to strengthen Ukraines institutions through this war and into the future. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine in the face of this tragedy, and for as long as it takes, Biden said in a statement released by the White House. A witness told Suspilne, Ukraines national public broadcaster, that she had seen the helicopter on fire and spinning before it hit the ground. Another witness told Ukrainian media he heard the helicopter circling before the crash. At the scene, the crumpled, blackened remains of the helicopter, some of its seats still visible, lay in a heap on the sidewalk and street just in front of a building, all but unrecognisable except for the rotors propped against the structure. A partially crushed, burnt car poked out from under the wreckage.

Loading Videos and photographs posted from the immediate aftermath showed a long trail of fire, which could have been caused by spilled fuel. One photo appeared to show damage to the upper story of the kindergarten. Ukraines parliament said in a statement that those killed alongside Monastyrsky included Yevhen Yenin, the first deputy minister for internal affairs; and Yurii Lubkovich, the ministrys state secretary. Yenin had served in the international affairs section of Ukraines prosecutor generals office in 2019 when then-president Donald Trump asked Ukrainian officials to investigate the Biden family while withholding military aid to Ukraine. Those events led to Trumps first impeachment by the House of Representatives. Yenin had opposed complying with the request. Loading

Monastyrskys portfolio gave him authority over a broad array of Ukrainians participating in the conflict with Russia. More than 200,000 soldiers and special police in units under the Interior Ministry have fought in the war, although some of the direct command had transferred to the army. Monastyrsky, 42, was also a member of Ukraines National Security and Defence Council, the organisation setting security policy for Ukraine. The ministry has also overseen rescue efforts after missile and drone strikes in Ukrainian cities, including a frantic attempt to find survivors in the rubble of the attack in Dnieper on the weekend. The ministry has also supervised teams clearing mines from recaptured territory, an operation in which dozens of people have been killed or maimed each month. Monastyrsky, who worked as a lawyer before becoming a lawmaker, was elected to parliament in 2019 as a member of Zelenskys political party, Servant of the People. He became chair of the committee on law enforcement, and then, in 2021, the interior minister. His focus had been overhauling the countrys Soviet-legacy law enforcement system to stamp out corruption and provide better service. But, as with others in Zelenskys government, he was thrust into a wartime leadership role after the Russian invasion in February last year. Loading

He was a very modest person, very brave, Serhiy Leshchenko, an adviser to Zelenskys chief of staff, said of Monastyrsky on Wednesday. There were no scandals around him. He was a good guy. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on the Telegram messaging app that Ihor Klymenko, the head of the national police service, would carry out Monastyrskys duties until a new interior minister is appointed. For the residents of Brovary, the helicopter deaths were another grim reminder of the hardships and tragedy of living through war. The town was already traumatized by months of Russian missile strikes, and early in the war a Russian ground assault reached the outskirts of the community before Ukrainian forces repelled it. On Wednesday, war-weary residents stood around the cordoned-off site of the kindergarten, where windows were charred and broken, looking on with stony expressions. Cellphone videos of the immediate aftermath showed parents screaming. Mayboroda had dropped off her daughter, Vika, and was walking home when she heard a loud, crashing, banging noise.
When Jacinda Ardern became New Zealands prime minister a little over five years ago, right-wing populism was sweeping across the globe. Donald Trump was rampaging through the White House. The United Kingdom was grappling with how to turn Brexit into reality. Far-right parties were ascendant across Europe, and ex-army officer Jair Bolsonaro was preparing to launch his successful run for the Brazilian presidency.

In an era dominated by conservative machismo, Ardern stood apart as a striking alternative: a young, female and unashamedly progressive world leader. In the words of Foreign Policy magazine, she was the worlds anti-Trump.

Elected at 37, Ardern was something of an accidental prime minister. The centre-right National Party won the most seats at the 2017 election, but Arderns Labour Party formed power thanks to support from the far-right and far-left. She was  in the alleged words of Paul Keating  at the arse end of the Earth, running a minority government in a nation of just five million people.

Yet Ardern, who resigned on Thursday, became a hero to left-leaning women around the world, turning New Zealand, of all places, into a source of global political fascination. TIME magazine featured her on its cover; The Atlantic raved that she may be the planets most effective leader.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- SERES Auto, Chinese ICT giant Huaweis first official automaking partner, saw its monthly auto registrations reach 10,945 vehicles in the final month of 2022, down 2% month-over-month, according to the data compiled by Gasgoo Auto Research Institute (GARI).



Photo credit: AITO

Owning two auto brands, namely, SERES and AITO, SERES Auto is affiliated to SERES Group, which was formerly known as Chongqing Sokon Industry Group. The two auto brands all have Huawei as their partner.

In December 2022, a total of 16 SERES SF5s were registered across China. Among cities in China, Chongqing, the homebase of SERES Auto saw the most SF5s registered (9 units) in the past month. Meanwhile, Shanghai and Shenzhen both registered 2 SF5s, while Lanzhou, Changsha, and Zhengzhou all had 1 SF5 newly registered last month, respectively.

With regard to the registration performance of the AITO brand, the AITO M5 (REEV version) recorded a monthly registration volume of 4,014 vehicles in December 2022, climbing up 8.43% over a month ago. Shanghai registered the most M5s at 394 units. As to the pure-electric variant of the M5, the M5 EV, a 24.5% month-over-month slip challenged the models December registrations. There were four cities whose M5 EV registrations surpassed 100 units, namely Shanghai (237 units), Hangzhou (134 units), Beijing (113 units), and Suzhou (102 units).

As to AITOs latest and hotter-selling model, the M7, a 6.66% month-on-month growth was shown in the models December registration volume, which came in at 4,438 units. With 501 M7s registered, Shanghai was crowned the top 1 city regarding M7 registrations in the month, which were doubled from that of the runner-up city, Shenzhen.

In terms of monthly registrations of the AITO brand alone, a total of 10,929 vehicles were registered across China in December 2022. Among the 254 cities AITO vehicles were registered in during the past month, Shanghai maintained its leading position, with an impressive registration volume of 1,132 vehicles.
Hong Kong: Injury compensation reform proposed

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Law Reform Commission today recommended that the court should be given, by way of legislation, the power to make periodical payment orders (PPOs) in respect of damages for future pecuniary loss in personal injury cases.

Under the current law in Hong Kong, the court awards pecuniary damages in personal injury cases in a lump sum. The claimants past and future losses are assessed once and for all into a compensation determined at the date of the hearing or agreement.

In determining the compensation, the court must consider what a plaintiff might have earned without the injury, the plaintiffs earning capacity after the injury and any additional expenses incurred following the injury.

The commission said in its report that this conventional approach to quantify future losses has been generally criticised as being imprecise and unscientific. In a Court of First Instance case, the judge also pointed out the option of making periodical payments as an alternative to the conventional way of assessing damages for future pecuniary loss.

In addition to giving PPOs, the commission recommended that the Financial Secretary should be empowered to formulate and promulgate the presumed net rates of return on investment, which is also known as the discount rate. The rate should be subject to periodic review once every six years, and the Financial Secretary should consult an expert panel for each review.

The power of the court to award periodical payments should be limited to catastrophic cases, the commission noted.

Besides, irrespective of the consent of the parties to the proceedings in respect of future pecuniary loss, periodical payments should be referable to care and accommodation cost. However, without contravening the aforesaid, the payment should cover all heads of future pecuniary loss, subject to the consent of the parties to the proceedings.

Additionally, the original PPOs should be open to review by the court under certain circumstances.

These include changes in the need for future care as a result of significant medical deterioration or improvement, which is foreseen at the time of the original order, provided that specific criteria pertinent to the nature of deterioration or improvement, as well as the duration during which a review can be applied for, are stipulated in the PPO.

The review should be restricted to only one application, subject to extension of time for the application as the court may allow in appropriate circumstances, the commission added.

Furthermore, the commission suggested that the court should have a discretion to make a PPO after taking into account the security of the periodical payments to ensure the continuity of payments and satisfying itself that a PPO is able to secure the full scope of the plaintiffs award.

PPOs ought to be introduced by way of legislation as soon as practicable, the commission urged, adding that further refinement can be made after implementation for stakeholders to build readiness.

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has been recognized as a Pediatric Receiving Facility by the Wyoming Department of Healths (WDH) Office of Emergency Medical Services.

CRMC received the Pediatric Emergency Readiness Level 1 recognition during a presentation in its emergency department last week that included WDH officials and CRMC executives and emergency department providers and staff.

Everyone here has done fantastic work, said Brad McKee, WDH Emergency Medical Services for Children specialist. All the CRMC staff and providers who have contributed to this effort should be extremely proud. Your community should also feel a sense of pride knowing that CRMC is ready to provide their children with high-quality emergency care if the need arises.

Wyoming Pediatric Recognition is part of a federal program to ensure that certified hospitals have the appropriate services, equipment, disaster preparedness and staff competencies to treat an acutely injured or ill child.

I want to thank our emergency department providers and staff for achieving this recognition. Undertaking this process shows the departments commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive emergency care to children in our community, said Tim Thornell, CRMCs president and chief executive officer.

State officials conducted an onsite assessment of CRMCs emergency department in December to ensure it meets the readiness criteria.

Children require specialized tools, training and preparedness to make sure they get the best care possible in emergency situations, said Aaron Koehler, Wyoming EMS State Director. The pediatric recognition program is intended to organize and recognize the work that Wyomings emergency departments do every day on behalf of our states kids.

CRMC is one of seven hospitals in Wyoming with the Pediatric Emergency Readiness Level 1 designation.

Being certified as a Pediatric Receiving Facility requires ongoing training and education focused on providing children with high-quality, evidence-based emergency treatment, said Jared Skagen, CRMCs trauma and emergency services director. Achieving this certification demonstrates that we have the expertise, technology, equipment and readiness to provide the appropriate treatment to children needing emergency care.
Several corrections officers were injured over the past year during assaults at Attica Correctional Facility. The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association says attacks on officers have increased statewide.
At 6 a.m. Thursday, it was 20 degrees. But at Chick-fil-A, they were lined up anyway.

The restaurant finally opened Thursday morning after more than two years of waiting. A developer first filed a request to bring the Atlanta-based fried chicken franchise to Billings back in January 2021. And the new location, at 670 S. 24th St. W., in front of Planet Fitness, broke ground last April.

At 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, it was finally time. Cars spilled out of the Chick-fil-A drive-thru all the way into the Walmart parking lot. Outside the front door, there was a line of 35 or so eager patrons, some with blankets draped over their shoulders. Inside, an employee washed windows. Nobody had really had a chance to smudge them yet, but better to be safe.

The lucky folks who were at the head of the throng had to wake up pretty early to beat the rush. Noah Berg was first in line for the dine-in customers. The finance major at MSUB had staked his claim in line at 5 a.m., a full hour and a half before doors opened.

I had nothing else better going on, he said. Ive got class at 8:40 a.m., so I figured I might as well come grab some breakfast first.

Berg was looking forward to ordering a Hash Brown Scramble, a bowl piled high with scrambled eggs, potatoes, two types of cheese and, of course, Chick-fil-As proprietary chicken nuggets.

I think all of Billings is excited to have this here, Berg said. Itll be a good addition.

A 5 a.m. wakeup call would have been sleeping in for the folks in the drive-thru line. Maddie Skidmore and Tyson Boller, both from Lockwood, arrived at 3:30 a.m. Skidmore had a simple reason for getting up so early to wait in line for fast food.

Its Chick-fil-A, she laughed. Its pretty good.

Skidmore had eaten Chick-fil-A before, and likes to seek it out when traveling. But Boller had never been to one.

She just texted me and was like Yo, get up. And, you know, I had nothing better to do at three in the morning.

It was the two of them in the car, but they were buying food for a crowd.

My mom sent me with a whole list, Skidmore said. She had it all mapped out.

Were doing a sort of buffet for breakfast, explained Boller.

Gina Gallo had them all beat. She got to the drive-thru at 1:15 a.m.

I love Chick-fil-A, and I havent had Chick-fil-A in way too long, she said. I want my biscuits.

She was also ordering food for others.

My kids, my friend, my ex-husband, she said, everybody sent me with a list.

Gallo said the wait hadnt been too bad, but she had one complaint. With nearby businesses closed for the night there had been no bathroom available.

I didnt think out that part of the plan, she admitted. Next time I get in line at one in the morning with no sleep, maybe Ill bring a buddy who can hold the spot so we can take breaks.

Those four were the first, but they certainly weren't the only people getting Chick-fil-A on Thursday. Three minutes before opening, a team of employees in fluorescent vests hopped out, manning the drive-thru, and helping control the flow of traffic.

Remember, one of the vested employees said to the others, watch toes and watch mirrors.

Overhead, a drone zoomed around. It felt like the old, pre-internet days of waiting out all night to score concert tickets.

When franchise owner Lee Lewis, who moved to Billings from Georgia to open the restaurant, finally unlocked and opened the doors, they started pouring in. Lewis shook each customers hand as they entered.

Ive never been so excited for anything in my life! one loudly exclaimed.

Inside, they were greeted with not only fried chicken, eggs and biscuits (Chick-fil-A doesnt start serving their famous chicken sandwiches until 10:30 a.m.), but also with swag like little stuffed cows emblazoned with Eat mor chickin, and Chick-fil-A branded reusable coffee cups.

Patrons left, eager to start the day with bellies full of fried chicken. And right behind them, more poured in.

Caroline Taylor, who works in Chick-fil-As PR department, said they couldnt even hazard a guess for how many people will go through the line today. Theres a traffic plan in place, and the restaurant is encouraging perspective customers to enter the queue at King Avenue and 26th Street, and leave the 24th Street entrance open for other businesses.

At around 6:50 a.m., after becoming one of the first people in Billings to order Chick-fil-A, Gina Gallo was triumphant. And not just with the chicken biscuit and coffee shed ordered for herself.

I got my two cows, a bag full of food, and there was no line at the bathroom, she laughed. I think that was my favorite part.
2 Australian Flatmates Face Court Over Scam Targeting US Residents

A supplied video screenshot shows two 19-year-olds among four Chinese nationals living in Sydney arrested by the Australian Federal Police as part of an investigation into an organised criminal syndicate, Sydney, Australia on Oct. 20, 2022. (AAP Image/Supplied by Australian Federal Police)

Two young men accused of dealing with tens of millions in criminal proceeds as part of an international investment scam are yet to see the evidence against them as their case comes before a New South Wales court.

Jiachen Jiang, 20, and Wiezhe Huang, 19, faced Sydneys Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.

Both had their matters adjourned until February as their lawyers told the court they are yet to receive evidence briefs.

The pair, arrested at their Pyrmont apartment in October, remain on bail.

Both are charged with recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime as part of an investigation triggered by a notification from the U.S. Secret Service about an Australian link to an international investment scam primarily targeting Americans.

Huang is alleged to have recklessly dealt with criminal proceeds totalling more than $16.7 million, while Jiang allegedly dealt with more than $11.7 million.

Two other men, allegedly involved at a higher level in the same scheme, faced court on Wednesday after being arrested while awaiting one-way flights to Hong Kong in November.

Han Xiao, 24, had his bail review denied and remains behind bars on one count of dealing in proceeds of crime worth $10 million or more, which carries a maximum 15 years imprisonment.

Zimo Tang, 27, faces the same charge and had his case briefly mentioned in court.

The four men, all Chinese nationals, are accused of running a sophisticated investment scam involving social engineering, dating and employment sites, and messaging platforms to gain the trust of victims who were directed to fraudulent and legitimate foreign exchange and cryptocurrency investment platforms, Australian Federal Police said when announcing the arrests.

Their investments were maliciously manipulated to show a false positive return, the AFP alleged.
A standoff in Billings came to an end peacefully Wednesday after more than two hours.

Members of the Montana Violent Offenders Task Force arrested two people wanted for multiple out-of-state warrants. The standoff drew agents from United States Marshals Service, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office and Montana Highway Patrol.

You couldnt have asked for better cooperation between state, local and federal partners, said U.S. Marshal Timothy Hornung.

Hornung told the Gazette the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Spokane alerted Montana authorities that Lucas Hancock, a 32-year-old man wanted on charges of flight to avoid prosecution in Washington and assaulting a police officer in Idaho, may be in Billings. Investigators found a vehicle associated with Hancock at the Golden Meadows Mobile Home Park on Billings West End.

Agents determined that Lucas was inside one of the trailers on Southgrove Place, Hornung said, and he was with a woman also wanted in Washington State. Shyla Chapman, 25, has an arrest warrant for one count of harboring a fugitive.

With multiple agencies surrounding the home Wednesday afternoon, including BPD SWAT, Hornung said the owner of the trailer got out of the home safely before the standoff. After speaking with BPD negotiators over the phone, Lucas and Chapman surrendered to authorities by around 3 p.m.

The standoff, Hornung said, ended with no injuries. As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Hancock and Chapman were booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility. Neither had any previous felony convictions in Montana, according to Montana Department of Corrections records.

Wednesday's standoff comes 10 days after BPD spent seven hours negotiating with a man barricaded in a midtown home. Thomas John Slevira Jr., 32, allegedly shot and killed a man January 8, then invaded a birthday party at a house on Burlington Avenue, with county prosecutors accusing him of also shooting and wounding one of the adults at the party.

He pleaded not guilty Friday in Yellowstone County Justice Court to charges of deliberate homicide and attempted deliberate homicide, and is currently in custody at YCDF on a $1 million bond.
3 Get Life in Slaying of Michigan Guard Over Face Mask Order

Latryna Sims, partner of Calvin Munerlyn (C), cries on the shoulder of his uncle Ramon Munerlyn as the family celebrates outside the courtroom after Sharmel Teague, her husband Larry Teague, and son Ramonyea Bishop, three defendants charged in the fatal shooting of the security guard at a Family Dollar store in Flint, Mich., were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Genesee County Circuit Court on Jan. 17, 2023. (Jake May/MLive.com/The Flint Journal via AP)

FLINT, Mich.A married couple and their son convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the fatal shooting of a security guard who demanded the womans daughter wear a mask while shopping were sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole.

Larry Teague, wife Sharmel Teague, and Sharmel Teagues son, Ramonyea Bishop, were sentenced by Genesee Circuit Court Judge Brian Pickell in the shooting death of Calvin Munerlyn on May 1, 2020.

The three were convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, a crime that carries a mandatory punishment of life in prison without parole, following a trial that spanned several weeks, The Flint Journal reported.

Munerlyn, 43, was shot at the store just north of downtown Flint shortly after telling Sharmel Teagues daughter she had to leave because she lacked a mask, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton has said.

Two men later came to the store and shot the security guard to death, investigators said.

Bishops sister, Brya Bishop, was charged with tampering with evidence, lying to police and being an accessory to a felony. She was sentenced in November to time served and probation.
42 Texas Counties Call on Governor to Declare Invasion at Southern Border: Analysis

At least three dozen Texas counties have now declared an invasion or have called on Gov. Greg Abbott to declare an invasion at the U.S.Mexico border, according to a recent analysis.

Since July 2022, 42 commissioners and judges have issued declarations of invasions or signed resolutions calling for such declarations across Texas. Those officials represent the counties of Atascosa, Burnet, Chambers, Clay, Collin, Ector, Edwards, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Goliad, Hamilton, Hardin, Harrison, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Johnson, Kinney, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Madison, McMullen, Montague, Navarro, Orange, Parker, Presidio, Shackelford, Somervell, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tyler, Van Zandt, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Wilson, and Wise, according to a Jan. 18 Center Square analysis of news reports and public statements.

Clay County adopted a resolution calling for more measures to deal with an invasion at the border, Judge Mike Campbell told local media earlier this month.

I think about all the things that we could use that money for instead of what theyre using it for right now, Campbell said. But the governor needs to understand that we back him on that, and we get it. We understand that its a problem. And that while we wish the federal government would take care of it, theyre not doing it right now.

And Collin County, located in northern Texas, similarly approved a resolution to recognize an invasion against the state of Texas. Both Collin and Clay County officials have stated that crime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling are the main reasons.

We just want the governor to know that were behind him and whatever he needs to do in the absence of actual real action from the federal government, Darrell Hale, a commissioner in Collin County, told Spectrum News.

People wait to cross the U.S.Mexico border from Ciudad Juarez, next to U.S. Border Patrol vehicles in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

In another example, Franklin County Judge Scott Lee signed a resolution in October 2022 that seeks additional border security measures to stop the invasion at our southern border to protect Texas communities, while citing the invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas constitutions. Specifically, Lee called on the Texas governor to make a formal declaration of invasion thereby invoking the state authority under the invasion clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3.

Even though Abbott cited the invasion clauses in a November 2022 letter and in a letter critical of President Joe Biden, he hasnt yet declared a formal invasion.

I invoked the Invasion Clauses of the U.S. [and the] Texas Constitutions to make the statement, Abbott said on social media. Im using that constitutional authority [and] other authorization [and] Executive Orders to keep our state [and] country safe.

[But] until a declaration of invasion is issued, the State of Texas does not possess the legal authority to remove illegal aliens from the United States, Goliad County Judge Mike Bennet and Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd said in a joint statement in 2022. The only two ways to solve the problem are to enact a declaration of invasion or put enough economic pressure on Mexico and make them bring this mass movement to an end in their country.

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott upon arrival at El Paso International Airport in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Biden visited El Paso, Texas, a border city where numerous illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States in recent years, following months of pressure and criticism from Republicans and some members of his own party. About a month ago, Abbott ordered the Texas National Guard to block the flow of illegal aliens by setting up fencing near El Paso.

The service members are erecting concertina barrier as needed to funnel migrants to the designated points of entry, the Texas National Guard said in a statement in December 2022. The primary goal of the Texas Army National Guard is to prevent illegal crossings into Texas.

According to a statement issued by the White House ahead of Bidens visit this month, the Biden administration stated that it would provide additional resources to the border and increase its anti-smuggling operations. The administrations announcement came after the Supreme Court allowed a Trump-era immigration rule, Title 42, to remain for the time being while arguments on whether to remove the rule are being heard by the court.
Al Gore Hits Climate Alarm in Davos With Warning of Boiling Oceans and Rain Bombs

Former U.S. vice president and climate campaigner Al Gore speaks at an event during the COP27 climate conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 9, 2022. (Joseph EID / AFP via Getty Images)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore warned of rain bombs and boiling oceans in an emotional speech about climate change at a gathering of global elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland on Wednesday.

Gores impassioned plea to fight climate change or face disastera common theme at the WEF summitcame during a panel on the second day of the elite gathering of world leaders and corporate executives in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Wednesday.

We are not winning. The crisis is still getting worse faster than we are deploying these solutions, Gore said.

The former VP claimed that human actions were causing the Earths atmosphere to be treated as an open air sewer for greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

People are familiar with that thin blue line that the astronauts bring back in their pictures from space? Thats the part of the atmosphere that has oxygen, the troposphere, and its only five to seven kilometers thick. Thats what were using as an open sewer, Gore said at the WEF summit.

World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab delivers a speech on during a session of the WEF annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 17, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

To drive home the apparent severity of the problem, he compared the impact to a nuclear holocaust.

Were still putting 162 million tons [of greenhouse gas] into it every single day and the accumulated amount is now trapping as much extra heat as would be released by 600,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs exploding every single day on the earth, he said.

Gore listed what he thinks are some of the detrimental consequences of climate change, including rain bombs and boiling oceans.

Thats whats boiling the oceans, creating these atmospheric rivers, and the rain bombs, and sucking the moisture out of the land, and creating the droughts, and melting the ice, and raising the sea level, and causing these waves of climate refugees! Gore said.

He dove into the idea of a global warming-induced refugee crisis, claiming that the number of people escaping the consequences of climate change is predicted to reach 1 billion in this century.

Gore blamed climate change for the rise in authoritarianism, suggesting that liberal democracies are being undermined by forces that seek to exploit refugee flows for political benefit.

Look at the xenophobia and political authoritarian trends that have come from just a few million refugees, he said, shouting, What about a billion?! We would lose our capacity for self-governance on this world! We have to act!

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore makes a speech during the COP24 U.N. climate summit in Katowice, Poland, on Dec. 12, 2018. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP Photo)

Highway to Climate Hell?

Gores impassioned outburst and dramatic call for action came on the heels of a similarly alarmist speech earlier that day from the United Nations chief, who repeatedly expressed urgency regarding the horror story and death sentence of climate change.

We are flirting with climate disaster, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Every week brings a new climate horror story, he continued, while calling for urgent action to prevent the world from heading for a 2.8 degree increase in temperature, the consequences of which would be devastating.

Parts of the planet would be rendered uninhabitable, he warned, while for many, such a rise in temperatures would be a death sentence.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the 53rd annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

Like Gore, the UN chief has long been in the camp of climate alarmism, famously saying at the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt several months ago that we are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.

But a number of experts say such alarmism is a bad take and, while climate change is a problem, theres no need to panic.

Among them is Steven Koonin, a professor at New York Universitys department of civil and urban engineering, who once served as undersecretary for science at the Department of Energy, and holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Almost a Nothingburger

Koonin threw cold water on the UN chiefs alarmism in a recent interview with psychology professor Jordan Peterson, arguing that humanity adapting to climate change may be a challenge, but its far from an emergency.

Responding to a question by Peterson about what percentage of scientists in his view take an apocalyptic view on the climate change issue, Koonin said he thinks around 95 percent arent in the climate panic camp.

None of them are kind of jumping off the roof and saying My God, wed better do something or were headed for the climate highway to hell or something which is what the Secretary General of the UN said a couple of months ago, Koonin said, referring to Guterres remarks at COP27.

Its an issue. Its a long-term problem. We can deal with it. But theres no reason to ring alarm bells, Koonin said.

If I wanted to be a little snarky, its almost a nothingburger, he said of the issue of climate change and global warming, adding that the science says that, if you read the reports.

But the detrimental effects get hyped up by various players, he added.

While the detrimental effects of global warming get exaggerated, its benefits get ignored by climate alarmists, Koonin said. For example, he said higher concentrations of carbon dioxide have benefits such as greater greening of the planet, as well as increased agricultural yields.

Koonin, who wrote the bestselling book Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesnt, and Why It Matters, also told Peterson that there are other factors that are more important to human well-being than climate change.

Hard to Find Trends

He also discussed the widely cited report from the International Panel on Climate Change and argued that policymakers tend to read summaries rather than the detailed report itself and, as a consequence formulate incorrect conclusions.

Koonin said the detailed report acknowledges natural variation in temperature, not just human-caused, and that aside from things directly associated with warming like record-high temperatures, there are basically no extreme weather event trends.

You dont see much trends, globally, he said. Droughthard to see a trend. Hurricanes or tropical cycloneshard to see any trend at all over a century.

He acknowledged that theres a little thing that warrants some discussion, namely sea level rise, but that this is proceeding at about one foot per century.

Its hard to find trends, he said. Doesnt mean that the trends arent there. But theyve just not emerged from the data.
Amazing Australian Open Win for Brooksby

Mar 29, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jenson Brooksby (USA) reacts after winning a point against Daniil Medvedev (not pictured) in a fourth round men's singles match in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Unseeded American Jenson Brooksby has staged an improbable recovery to claim the biggest win of his career, sending world number two Casper Ruud packing in the second round of the Australian Open.

Brooksby looked a broken manphysically and mentallyafter blowing three match points in the ninth game of the third set on Thursday.

The 22-year-old slumped to his chair during the changeover, muttering How? How? How? to himself and anyone else who cared to listen.

When Ruud claimed the resulting tiebreak, it seemed near-certain he would go on to seal victory.

But Brooksby somehow found the wherewithal to lift again, breaking the Norwegians serve twice early in the fourth set before closing out the 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 upset on his fifth match point.

Casper is a warrior and I knew it would be a great battle, said Brooksby, who is playing his maiden Australian Open, having missed the 2022 tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Im really proud of my mental resolve after the third-set battle didnt go my way and to be able to turn it around.

His opponent in the third round will be fellow unseeded American Tommy Paul, who outlasted Spanish No.30 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4.

Thats going to be another battle for sure and hopefully we get a great court, Brooksby said.

Ruuds departure means the top two mens seeds have bowed out in the space of 24 hours after world number two and defending champion Rafael Nadal lost to another American, Mackenzie McDonald, on Wednesday.

Fifth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev also booked his spot in the third round on Thursday with a convincing victory over Finlands Emil Ruusuvuori.

Rublev overcame a poor third-set tiebreak to win 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3 in two hours, 42 minutes.

Its the fifth time the 25-year-old Rublev has advanced to at least the third round at Melbourne Park, where his best result yet was a run to the quarterfinals in 2021.

The world number six lost his opening matches of the two Adelaide International events this month to Thanasi Kokkinakis and Roberto Bautista-Agut but is starting to find his groove at the years first grand slam.

His opponent in the round of 32 on Saturday will be Britains Daniel Evans after the number 25 seed made short work of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.

Now an even shorter-priced favourite to claim a record-extending 10th title at Melbourne Park following Nadals shock early exit, Novak Djokovic will take on Frenchman Enzo Couacaud in the opening match of the night session on Rod Laver Arena.

Eighth-seeded American Taylor Fritz was squaring off against Australian wildcard Alexei Popyrin, while Kokkinakis has a headline clash with five-time Open runner-up Andy Murray.
Another Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Commentary

Forms of mass psychosis arise periodically throughout human history. It is a human condition, viscerally driven to create herd protection in the face of fear or fear of the unknown.

Mass hysteriahowever logical in its causedenies, defies, and fears logical explanations for its actions, and equally constrains the emergence of wisdom, nobility, and true leadership. This wildfire swarming of fever-eyed locusts has strategic consequences.

It is a fever that burns without logic, ultimately consuming those who have joined in the mindless huddle of obedience to mob rule. It is also a phenomenon that is heightened and hastened by large-scale urbanization and by the technologies of mass communication. Both these characteristics define our current situation, and clearly, both phenomena have suppressed the mass appetite for leadership.

This present era is largely bereft of leadership. And the English saying (claimed to come from the Chinese), May you live in interesting times, needs to be seen for what it is: a blessing, not a curse. Interesting and uninteresting times may each be dangerous, but an age of mass psychosismass hysteriais not an interesting age. It is an age that defies what defines an interesting age: inquiry, debate, innovation, risk, and relishing the unknown.

In uninteresting times, such as we have now embarked on, questioning a mobs belief incites it to a frenzy of fear. As history shows, it is a fear that distills beliefs to visceral and viral panicked oversimplification.

Almost any mass belief held in the form of crowd psychosis or hysteria exists only to create the comfort of conformity among societies packed closely together. These mass beliefs, when held together by mob-driven enforcement, are usually, subsequently, seen to have been incorrect and damaging to the societies that had been infected. (What were we thinking?) The most prevalent expression, or outcome, of mass hysteria is to tear down social, economic, and intellectual patterns of the past, from religion to technology to social structures.

Antique pills that promised to cure hysteria-related complaints at the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy in Florence, Italy, on April 19, 2016. (Michelle Locke via AP)

We are afraid, and the old gods have betrayed us.

So the pasthistoryand its record of successes and failures are what mass psychosis is most intent on destroying. The popular expression (particularly at this time of incitement against Russia) that the future for Russia is certain; it is only its past which is uncertain is actually a mantra for todays global mob. Indeed, Russia todayafter the inevitable collapse in 1991 of Soviet communismis intent on rediscovering its deep history as something that can guide its future.

The rampaging, ragged, and ignoble mobs of the West, however, are the ones casting doubts on the past; trying, indeed, to erase the past and create a view of the future, which is pseudo-utopian. So these are not interesting times; they are merely times of oppression and the searing of all thoughts from the brain. Fear is not interesting; it is merely tragic. Indeed, a modicum of fear is necessaryand naturalto stimulate defenses and creative thinking. But excessive fear, pervasive and inescapable, is as damaging to thought as the excesses of wealth. Indeed, more so.

British scholar Jessie Childs, in her 2023 history, The Siege of Loyalty House: a Story of the English Civil War, cites another writer, the late Anglo-Irish novelist J. G. Farrell, in his 1973 book, The Siege of Krishnapur, in saying: We look on past ages with condescension, as mere preparation for us  but what if were only an after-glow of them? History shows that while we may indeed be only an after-glow of great human accomplishment of the past few hundred years, it is equally probable that greatness will occur again after we have passed beyond the scarified firebreak of the present.

Today we gaze helplessly at the sociallyor politicallycontrived mass psychosis that has removed much of society from all meaningful debate and common sense. It is reminiscent of the 1954 U.S. science fiction serial by Jack Finney, The Body Snatchers, made in 1956 into the movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in which aliens take possession of the bodies of humans to seize control of the Earth.

I have seen the aliens, and they are us.

Young demonstrators hold placards as they attend a climate change protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London on Feb. 15, 2019. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

The Childrens Crusade of 1212in which children (and others) gathered spontaneously all over Europe into a march intended to take them to the Holy Lands to fight a war for Christendomwas such a symptom of mass psychosis. It was mirrored in a new, seemingly spontaneous childrens crusade around 2018. It was triggered by a troubled then-15-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, whose wild-eyed jeremiads caused adherents to her climate change religion to fall to their knees in supplication.

Mass psychoses emerge from the fears of societies and are then usually exploited by pseudo-leaders. Anglo-Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke said, The crowd is in the street; I must go out in front of them if I am to be their leader to take advantage of the naturally-arising hysteria.

Hysteria rarely takes root in highly-structured autocratic states. The oppressed have little need for belief until a crack appears in their prison walls. Obedience takes root in the certaintythe trustof oppression, but messianic beliefmass psychosistakes root in the uncertainty of freedom.

Political opportunism attempts to capture that mass psychosis.

Together opportunistic politics and mass psychosis corrode democracy, which is usually about a trust-based social contract between individuals, as well as between governed and governors.

Fear recalibrates trust.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Australian Government Says Energy Bills Will Drop Despite Sharp Price Rises from Retailers

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen speaks to media during a press conference in the Mural Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 23, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

The Australian Labor government has said consumers would see energy bills eventually decrease as its gas and coal price caps take effect. This is despite reports indicating that many households will face steep price hikes in February.

As gas companies and energy experts are speaking up about the negative impact of the $12 (US$8.27) per gigajoule price cap on gas supply, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the federal government interventions were working in markets that look at future prices.

They have come down substantially, and that will flow through to the price increases we would have seen otherwise, he told ABC radio.

At the same time, he said Australian households could expect more energy price relief when state governments worked out the energy rebates.

The price rises will be a lot less than what they would have been without the intervention.

However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the gas price cap was not delivering the outcome Labor wanted.

We warned it would be a disaster, and we said it shouldnt be done, Dutton told reporters.

They did it, and what are we seeing now? An increase in prices.

Sharp Gas Price Increases

Bowens remarks came as reports emerged that households on the east coast of Australia would face a sharp increase in their gas bills from February.

Specifically, major retailers will raise prices by 20 percent on average, or even higher, depending on the regions and gas distribution zones.

A pile of bills in Brisbane, Australia, on Oct. 30, 2013. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

In the state of Victoria, gas companies had told their customers to expect a price surge of up to $1,100 in 2023, reported The Herald Sun.

Three major retailers, Energy Australia, Origin, and AGL, will lift their prices by $480, $370 and $326 per year for Victorian customers, respectively, starting from Feb. 1.

Chris Ford from the financial comparison website Compare the Market said while the price cap had come into effect, it only applied to new gas contracts between producers and retailers.

He elaborated that the prices retailers were charging were from existing contracts and that the changes brought by the price cap would flow into the market in the next few months.

However, he noted that the changes might not be the cost relief people were thinking about and that prices would still go up under the price cap.

It is definitely going to be a rise. Lets just hope itll be on the smaller end, he said.

Since the federal government implemented the price cap on Dec. 23 last year, a number of gas retailers have been unable to secure new supply with producers, forcing them to refuse new industrial and commercial customers.

New Guidelines For the Gas Industry

On Jan. 17, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission published interim guidelines (pdf) to help the gas industry have a better understanding of the governments policy and how to comply with new laws.

According to the guidelines, the price cap is applied to gas producers who transact primarily in wholesale markets and does not include Western Australia, which has a separate gas market.

Companies that fail to comply with the price cap will face a fine of $50 million (US$35 million), three times the value of benefits obtained, or 30 percent of turnover during its period of misconduct.

Energys Australia Pacific liquefied natural gas facility at Curtis Island in north Queensland, Australia, on Oct. 10, 2016. (AAP Image/Origin Energy)

Following the guidelines release, Industry Minister Ed Husic said the government was determined to get the gas price balance right for businesses and consumers.

There might be some that are addicted to the Putin profits that they were making, and theyre going through withdrawal symptoms, he told Sky News.

But they should be under no illusion about the determination of the government to get the balance right in terms of pricing.

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Dan Tehan said the price cap had left the gas industry in a state of uncertainty.

There are still uncertainties in the policy. They left the sector in a state of flux, he said.

No one knows what a reasonable price looks like or is. Therefore, they cant negotiate contracts.

Rebecca Zhu contributed to this article.
Calls for Audit as Timber Shortages Block White Paper Production in Australia

Workers oversee the production of paper at a paper mill in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Oct. 19, 2006. (PETER HARMSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Australias manufacturing union is calling on the government to examine the amount of white paper available in the country after timber shortages put a halt to production at Australias last white paper mill in Victoria.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) on Thursday called for an audit, raising concerns about a drop in the number of paper products, including doctor scripts, exercise books and government services documentation.

We dont have a sense of how much white paper is actually available in the country at this point in time, secretary of the pulp and paper workers district Denise Campbell-Burns said in a comment obtained by AAP.

People could be going to the doctor, and the doctor cant print their script.

Timber Shortages Led To Staff Stand-Downs

In late December, timber shortages pushed the government to order government-owned timber supplier VicForests to scale back harvesting in parts of East Gippsland and the Central Highlands, where two endangered possum species live.

The Victorian Supreme Court found VicForests had failed to adequately survey logging coupes for two protected possum species.

VicForests is appealing against the decision, with a hearing in the Court of Appeal on March 23.

But the decision to scale back harvesting has forced Opal Australian Papers Maryville paper mill in eastern Victoria to stand down 48 production workers. The workers will receive full pay and entitlements without accessing leave.

Opal, owned by Japans Nippon Paper Group, said it hadnt planned to make any further decisions on stand-downs, but flagged a potential scaling down of white paper manufacturing due to a dwindling supply of timber.

Attempts to find alternative wood supplies have so far been unsuccessful.

Opal continues to consider a number of different operational scenarios for the longer term, in case possible alternative wood sources are below the volumes required or are not commercially feasible, Opal said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the timber supplier noted that the company could stop white-paper operations entirely in the long run, which could result in redundancies.

This is a complex and ever-changing situation, and no longer-term decisions on operational changes have been made at this stage, the spokesperson said, AAP reported.

Meanwhile, VicForests had blocked all timber harvesting and consulted experts to create new practices in line with the court order.

The organisation was also struggling to ease the supply shock while providing compensation to sawmills and contractors impacted by the latest move.

Stationery Products Among Those Affected

The supply issues also hit office product companies, which were demanding the removal of white paper import tariffs, as paper shortfall drove them towards the foreign-made paper.

The tariffs were there to stop injury to the Australian manufacturing market, but there is no Australian manufacturing market at the moment, but were all paying the tariffs, Office Brands chief executive Adam Joy said, AAP reported.

Meanwhile, Campbell-Burns said removing tariffs would do nothing for sovereign capability.

To not make any white paper products in our country anymore, its a real risk, she said.

The paper shortfall also meant that students and parents shopping for back-to-school stationery could be met with increased prices and empty shelves as suppliers ration goods due to pressures on the supply chains and logistics.

The Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association has said the federal government should ease white paper import duties to support the industry.

Theres some rationing sort of going on around the amount that we can order, but at the moment, weve still got product on shelves, association chief executive Ben Kearney told AAP.

Im concerned that down the line we might start to see that situation where theres theres a lack of availability.
Canada to Repatriate Six Women, 13 Children From Syrian Detention, Lawyer Says

A general view of Karama camp for internally displaced Syrians, Feb. 14, 2022 by the village of Atma, Idlib province, Syria. (The Canadian Press/AP-Omar Albam)

The lawyer for six Canadian women and 13 children being held in Syrian camps says the federal government has agreed to help bring them home.

Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon says a mutually acceptable agreement was reached today with Ottawa to repatriate the 19 Canadians.

The Canadians are among the many foreign nationals in Syrian camps run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-torn region from the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Family members of the women and children, as well as four men, have been arguing in Federal Court that the government must arrange for their return, saying that refusing to do so violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Greenspon says that as a result of the agreement, the application from the six women and 13 children is being discontinued, but the case of the four men remains before the court.

He says details of the newly reached agreement with the government are confidential.
Cancel the IRS? We Can Only Hope

Commentary

While I cant say Im supportive of cancel culture, I am incredibly supportive of cancel culture when it is directed at the IRS.

Recently the 118th Republican-led Congress introduced The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act. If successful, the bill would abolish the IRS, replacing the income tax (and the income tax code) with a consumption tax and rescinding nearly $71 billion of recent IRS funding.

The bill passed the House on Jan. 9 and now lingers in the Senate. The White House has threatened to veto the bill.

A consumption taxor fair taxhas been discussed for as long as I can remember, but now the idea is picking up speed.

While abolishing or attempting to abolish the IRS is a massive undertaking, this is a step in the right direction and a crucial signal that Congress is finally sending to conservative voters.

American citizens, politicians, legal scholars, and financial scholars have long questioned the legal authority of the IRS. In the late 1800s income tax in America was widely considered a socialist confiscation of wealth, and even the Supreme Court declared such taxation unconstitutional.

Below are a few key themes of the bill from the House Ways and Means Committee:

 Democrats voted to supercharge the IRS with a massive infusion of taxpayer dollars focused on IRS enforcement and the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents to squeeze American taxpayers.

 Republicans fought for guardrails to protect middle and lower-income taxpayers from increased audit scrutinyDemocrats rejected these protections.

 According to CBO, the Democrats supercharged IRS will cause audit rates to rise for all taxpayers and a conservative analysis shows that returning audit rates to 2010 levels would mean 1.2 million more audits, with over 700,000 of those falling on taxpayers making $75,000 or less.

 Democrats have long used the IRS and the tax code as a political weapon and will lead to more IRS abuses like those weve seen in the past:

 Targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups during the Obama administration.

 Seeking a bank surveillance scheme on all American bank accounts.

 Massive leak of information to ProPublica used to support Democrat causes.

 Unleashing a dangerous new political weapon through the public release of the former presidents private tax returns.

 Americans deserve a government thats accountable and one that works FOR them, not AGAINST them. Rescinding funding for 87,000 new IRS agents is a great first step in the right direction.

Continued blunders by the IRS have only deepened the partisan divide. Apart from the mishaps during the Obama administration and the continued politicization of the IRS, late last year, the Democrat-controlled Ways and Means Committee took an unprecedented move and released former President Donald Trumps tax returns.

The release of Trumps tax returns has created an uncontrollable ripple effect; releasing a former presidents tax returns is unfathomably shocking and undoubtedly political.

While Congresss Ways and Means Committee is within its right to release individual tax returns, no one expected it to happen.

Throughout the past centuryit seemedthe IRS and the Ways and Means Committee have held confidentiality in high regard.

If you cant trust Congress or the IRS, how can you be assured Congress and the IRS will safeguard your identity, social security number, and personal finance information?

How can you be sure the IRS wont share important personal information about you with creditors or enemies?

There is no denying that the IRS has unequivocally and successfully weaponized its own agency.

The IRS routinely makes life much harder for ordinary hard-working Americans. It is well noted that the IRS has a higher audit rate for lower-income and middle-income Americans than it does for upper-middle and upper-class Americans, not to mention the obvious fact that wealthy citizens also have attorneys and resources to fight the IRS.

When liberal politicians talk about the IRS and taxing millionaires, multi-millionaires and billionaires, they rarely discuss statistics that prove the IRS goes after average to below-average-income citizens.

Regardless, lets pretend the IRS is abolished. What would taxation in the United States look like?

Joe Lancaster from Reason.com has piercing insight: annual tax returns and W-2s would cease to exist. People who make their money on the black market would be taxed at the same rate as anyone else. The enormous compliance costs currently associated with filing ones annual taxes would be cut significantly. With only one tax and no deductions, the entire process of funding the government would be more precise and transparent.

Perhaps the IRS will not be canceled, but at the very least, we can hope that the IRS will be defunded, recalibrated, and partially dismantled. It is clear that the Republican-led Congress needs to take advantage of its political power and drain the IRSs swamp.
In the latest move of the Republicans probe into President Joe Bidens classified documents, they are turning their focus back to the Penn Biden center, where the documents were first found.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is meeting with Chinas top economic official. We assess the current relationship between these two economic superpowers.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has made some surprising decisions about who will serve on committees. Two representatives have now been reinstated after they were voted out by Democrats in the last Congress.

Capitol Police officials give an update on threats against lawmakers. Whats the trend in last years numbers?

The United States is set to hit the debt ceiling on Thursday. We speak with Rachel Snyderman of the Bipartisan Policy Center to get a better understanding of whats at stake.

The Pentagon gives more details on the decision to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. But will dismissed troops get backpay?

Marylands 63rd governor was sworn in Wednesday at the States Capitol in Annapolis. He took his oath on a Bible belonging to a historic abolitionist.
A former Colstrip police officer is accused in federal court of accepting sexually explicit photos from a minor.

Hossein Cristiano Luigi Borhan has been charged in U.S. District Court with one count of receipt of child pornography. Federal prosecutors alleged Borhan exchanged sexual messages with an underage girl from August 2021 until April 2022. Borhan resigned from the Colstrip Police Department last year, Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton told the Gazette on Thursday.

Starting in late August 2021, court documents said Borhan began an online relationship with a minor. He allegedly knew the girls parents, and over the next eight months received hundreds of photos and videos from her. In one instance, according to court documents, he directed the girl to send him pictures and videos of herself performing specific sex acts on camera.

In an interview with investigators, Borhan allegedly admitted to receiving the child sex abuse material involving the girl, and also said he sent her approximately 20 photos and videos of his penis.

Federal prosecutors filed the charge against Borhan on Dec. 30, according to court records, and he is scheduled to be arraigned in court in Billings on Jan. 26.

In 2012, Colstrip fired its police chief due to complaints of misconduct from several women. Larry Reinlasoder, Colstrips chief of police from 2004 until his firing, then took the city to court in a wrongful termination suit that went to the Montana Supreme Court.

In its July 2016 decision, the high court reversed a Yellowstone County District Court judges ruling in siding with Colstip, citing several instances of misconduct on Reinlasoders part. In at least one instance, court documents said, he invited Colstrip dispatcher into his office to watch porn.

If convicted of receipt of child pornography, Borhan could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of federal supervision.
CCPs New Special Agent Diplomacy Involves High-Level Chinese Intelligence Assets, Experts Warn

Who are China's new foreign minister and Taiwan Affairs Office director?

A police officer stands guard in Tiananmen Square before the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The Chinese communist regimes recent personnel change among its top diplomats amid rising domestic unrest and Beijings aggression aimed at Taiwan has attracted international attention, with experts calling it Beijings clear new directive of special agent diplomacy.

Experts are warning that diplomats, particularly those from the United States and Taiwan, must be prepared for the regimes use of gray-zone tactics that threaten the norms of effective diplomacy.

John J. Tkacik Jr., a retired U.S. diplomat and director of the Future Asia Project at the U.S.-based think tank International Assessment and Strategy Center, highlighted in a Taipei Times article on Jan. 16 that Chinas newly appointed foreign affairs minister and director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Chinas State Council both have backgrounds primarily in intelligence and not the diplomatic service.

The former Chinese ambassador to the United States turned Chinese minister of foreign affairs, Qin Gang, graduated from Beijings University of International Relations (UIR) which, as I recall from early in my diplomatic career, was a campus well-known for its affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party Centers intelligence services, Tkacik wrote.

Most Chinese diplomats generally receive training at the China Foreign Affairs University.

Tkacik pointed out that the UIR was a unit of Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS). He cited a few American and Australian scholars and a report by the Australia Strategic Policy Institute that warned the University is designated very high risk for its affiliation with the MSSChinas equivalent of both the FBI and CIA.

After graduation, Qin was assigned to work in the Beijing Diplomatic Service Bureau (DSB), which is run by State Security, and was dispatched to work in the Beijing bureau of United Press International.

Tkacik recalled that when he was working in the U.S. Liaison Office in Peking and the U.S. embassy and consulates around China, Chinese staff who were DSB employees all served under the direction of State Security.

They were eager to learn all they could about our offices, he said. And the political and economic researchers on our local staffs, all generously provided by the DSB, very capably and unobtrusively steered our attention to interesting developments that they believed we should report on.

He believes they were all commissioned MSS officers.

Chinese paramilitary police officers march past the former U.S. embassy in Beijing on May 10, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

After working for four years with the foreign news media in Beijing, Qin was placed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under diplomatic cover, Tkacik said. He recounted that Qin worked in the United Kingdom as a press officer and for Chinas Foreign Ministry press office where he was in close liaison with the Ministry of State Securitys DSB-supplied informants in all foreign diplomatic public affairs offices and in all foreign media bureaus in Beijing.

Tkacik said that Qins new appointment is emblematic of Chinas new diplomacy.

It is not driven by professional diplomats, but rather by professional intelligence officers.

New Director of CCPs Taiwan Affairs Office

In his article, Tkacik also pointed to the background and sudden rise of Song Tao, the new minister-level director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

According to the CCPs official data, Song was a provincial communist cadre in Fujian, Chinas southeastern province facing Taiwan on the Taiwan Strait.

Song worked in Chinas forestry sector from 1978 to 1992, during which time he studied for three years at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. However, Monash University has never had a forestry specialty, Tkacik said.

He also cast doubt over Songs sudden career change from a local cadre in Fujian to counsellor of embassy at the Chinese mission in New Delhi, and his abrupt reassignments every one or two yearsas Chinas ambassador in South Americas Guyana, director general of Chinese Diplomatic Missions Overseas in Beijing, and the Chinese ambassador in Manila, Philippines. Tkacik called the unusual diplomatic career track miraculous for someone who came from an unrelated field.

An island that lies inside Taiwans territory is seen with the Chinese city of Xiamen, Fujian Province, in the background on Feb. 4, 2021. (An Rong Xu/Getty Images)

He noted that in 2015, Song was promoted to the minister-level director of the CCPs Central International Liaison Department (ILD).

Tkacik concluded, Comrade Songs odd mid-career transformation (from provincial nobody to international man of mystery in New Delhi) hints at an intelligence background. And his sure-footed rise through the foreign affairs ranks to become ILD minister and CCP central committeeman in just 15 years confirms that he is a figure of exceptional United Front talents.

The CCPs United Front Work Department is the regimes agency responsible for coordinating influence operations, especially overseas.

U.S.-based China expert Heng He told The Epoch Times on Jan. 16 that Liaison Department was for networking with the communist parties in other countries.

After the global communist camp collapsed in the early 1990s, it expanded its liaison scope to socialist parties and transformed former communist parties in various countries. It has a strong intelligence and spy nature, he said of the department formerly led by Song.

In light of Songs sudden appointment, for which he was recalled from retirement, Tkacik warned that the CCPs policies toward Taiwan will be run by leadership cadres with intelligence and active measures backgrounds such as Qin Gang and Song Tao.

Both Americas diplomats and Taiwans must up their game and prepare themselves for a long campaign against Chinas new gray-zone special agent diplomacy, which has little regard for the old-fashioned diplomatics of negotiation and accommodation.

Target Set: Taiwan

Lai Jianping, a scholar of international law from China University of Political Science and Law, said that he believes the recent CCPs appointments of Qin and Song are aimed at Taiwan.

As ambassador to the United States, Qin learned the varying attitudes of the American people toward the CCPs possible military invasion of Taiwan in the future.

Meanwhile, Songs decades in Fujian gave him a deep connection with Taiwan affairs. When he was minister of the Liaison Department, he also cultivated many pro-communist forces in Taiwan, which is the so-called fifth column in Taiwan  traitors of Taiwan.

Once the CCP wants to invade Taiwan by military force, these people may be mobilized to help the CCP, Lai said.

The CCP relies on intelligence cadres and special agents to lead its foreign policy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has become an assassin in a suit, which is gangsters engaging in diplomacy. This is very deceptive for the international community. It will bring great trouble to international peace and security, especially [on] Taiwan.

Heng said that the unusual appointments of Qin and Song indicate that the CCPs global diplomatic focus will shift from diplomatic norms to non-normative diplomacy.

The CCPs diplomacy has never been conducted according to international standards, and wolf warrior diplomacy is its norm, he said.

Read More Houston Chinese Consulate Likely Burned Secret Reports on Spy Operations: Former Chinese Diplomat

A view of the South China Sea between the city of Xiamen in China, in the far distance, and the islands of Taiwans Kinmen County in the foreground, home to around 140,000 people, on Feb. 2, 2021. (An Rong Xu/Getty Images)

It is very difficult for an ordinary local official to enter the diplomatic department. It is very likely that when Song was a local official in Fujian, because he was on the front line against Taiwan, he had already been included in this system, Heng said of Songs background.

The head of the ILD, who has the functions of United Front intelligence and subversion, is in charge of Taiwan affairs, which is in line with the current increasingly aggressive Taiwan policy of the CCP.

Ning Haizhong and Chang Chun contributed to this report.
China Sends a Carrier Task Force Toward Guam and a Message to America

Commentary

While much of America was focused on the drama and theatrics of the election of a new Speaker of the House and a domestic American airline system disrupted by winter weather, there was an unprecedented surge of naval and air challenges by China toward Japan and Taiwan.

One of the two existing Chinese carriers, the Liaoning, made a passage through the Ryukyu/Nansei island chain south of the major Japanese Island of Kyushu on Dec. 16. The second operational Chinese carrier, the Shandong, may have been at sea also, and showed up later in January in the South China Seas somewhat simultaneously with the American Nimitz Strike Group as the American and Chinese carriers conducted demonstrative activities of their capabilitieswhich in some descriptions was a confrontation.

The Liaoning Task Force conducted extensive flight operations in coordination with land-based aircraft from the Chinese air force challenging Japanese airspace. It also demonstrated possible attack scenarios against the Ryuku/Nansei island chain, which includes the island of Okinawa, a host to a large U.S. military force. At the same time, the Chinese air force conducted the largest challenge of Taiwanese air space to date.

Around Christmas Day, the Liaoning and its task force conducted operations within striking distance of Guam. This advance on Guam was rare and established a new high bar for the burgeoning Chinese carrier force. Having both Chinese carriers at sea in December and January was also a new bar of operational tempo.

The Reality of the Liaoning Foray

What triggered the Liaoning Task Force pivot to Guam was likely the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23. A state-run Chinese news outlet headlined that the 2023 NDAA turns Taiwan into a U.S. military outpost.

The NDAA was filled with strong support for Taiwan, the most important being the new law titled The Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (TERA), which establishes a five-year, $10 billion accelerated program to deliver military aid to Taiwan, above existing and future Taiwan requestsessentially a World War II Lend Lease program for Taiwan. The TERA was on top of an October 2022 announcement to restrict Chinese access to chips, which is akin to a modern version of the June 1941 restrictions by Roosevelt on Japan.

In a tactical sense, some naval experts may minimize the Liaoning move on Guam. The Liaoning carries 50 percent of the number of planes and helicopters of an American carrier, and because it doesnt have catapults and arresting gear, the number of sorties and the weight of the aircraft launched and recovered could potentially bring the capability of the Liaoning mathematically down to 15 to 25 percent of an American carrier strike group.

But the boldness of the move may indicate Chinese awareness of some overlooked factors and vulnerabilities. One is the ability of the Chinese to provide covering fire to the Liaoning task force through the long-range DF-26 ballistic missilea very important capability, unmatched in the Western arsenal. Another factor is the presumption of readiness of planes and missiles on Guam for defense of the island. This is a significant presumption. Anything less than full availability and readiness of all the defensive capabilities would allow even a handful of Chinese planes launched from the Liaoning to establish air dominance and wreak havoc on unprepared bombers and fighters on the ground in Guam.

The ominous sailing of a single Chinese carrier toward Guam should not be dismissed outright when considering these and other factors.

Chinese Carrier Number Three to Conduct Sea Trials This Year

The Liaoning and Shandong will soon have another carrier, the Fujian, to complement the Chinese carrier force, and the Fujian will reportedly be conducting sea trials this year. The Fujian is more along the lines of an American supercarrier, albeit conventionally powered. The Fujian appears to have at least three catapults, shown in the pictures covered by long maintenance coverings. By introducing the catapults and arresting gear, this should greatly increase the number of sorties and weights of launching and landing aircraft, bringing them closer to the American supercarriers in terms of weight and number of aircraft launched, which translates into more bombs and missiles on target.

Chinese carrier number four appears to be a copy of the Fujian with nuclear power, but there are concerns that the Chinese nuclear propulsion technology isnt mature enough yet. A few years ago there was talk of Chinese carriers five and six, but public talk on this has ceased and there have been assertions that high costs and technical challenges have forced decisions to hold the Chinese carrier force level at four. Even with four, this means China could have two to three available at any one time.

Carriers are maintenance heavy, especially the catapults and arresting gear, so it can be presumed that at least one will be undergoing maintenance at any one time. With two to three carriers, complemented by the specter and deterrence impact of the DF-26 missile overwatch of their movements, this will provide China with significant capability to support operations against Taiwan, including holding the American facilities on Guam at risk.

Reasonable Deterrence Measures Are Important

The frenzy of Chinese air and naval activity in December was extraordinary and continues. An additional amphibious assault capability was communicated by the reveal of large, specialized float on/float off vessels that will be quite helpful in any amphibious invasion. Taiwan has made an important response by announcing the extension of all conscription service to one year, which will help enlarge its military forces. Interestingly, a report was released showing that in most scenarios (pdf), China would be defeated in any attempt to take Taiwan, although Taiwan, Japan, and America would take heavy losses also. To prevent any attempted invasion, its prudent to rapidly build up deterrent options to defend Taiwan from aggression.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chinas Ongoing Warfare to Dominate the Pacific

Promoting division and buying off elites are part of the CCP's unrestricted warfare playbook

Each country has a comprehensive national power numerical value, says Cleo Paskal, a leading expert on China and the Indo-Pacific region, and the overt goal of China is to be No. 1 in the world in comprehensive national powereconomically and militarily.

In this episode of American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek discusses the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) strategy in the Pacific with Paskal, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Paskal breaks down the CCPs moves in the region, from promoting division, and buying off the elites of small island nations, to its ultimate ambition of taking control of Taiwan.

Jan Jekielek: You wrote a fascinating article, China Winning Entropic Warfare in the Pacific Islands. Whats going on there?

Cleo Paskal: First, lets define the term entropic. A state of entropy is when things start to fall apart, or fragment and become chaotic. If you look at how the Chinese Communist Party conducts its political warfare and targets countries, part of it involves entropic warfare. A core component of that foreign policy, as we see in the Chinese think tanks, is comprehensive national power.

Its a term that the Chinese use to rank countries; an empirical metric. Each country has a comprehensive national power numerical value, and Chinas overt goal is to be No. 1 in the world in comprehensive national powereconomically and militarily. If you have a rare earth mineral mine in your country and a Chinese company is mining it, they count that toward their comprehensive national power, not yours, because its feeding into their systems.

Its very empirical, and its a little bit insane. The Chinese Communist Party thinks it can break everything, even humanity, down into numbers. But its an important driving force. According to this view of comprehensive national power, there are two ways of improving your relative ranking. One is the typical American way, where you work hard and get better. The other is you knock everybody else down. If youve knocked them down, youre doing better than they are.

From a comprehensive national power perspective, this explains why it is beneficial to the Chinese Communist Party to pump fentanyl into middle America, because it destroys communities and families. Entropic warfare creates this disintegration within a target country.

Unrestricted warfare is another Chinese term. Its the name of a 1999 book by two PLA [Peoples Liberation Army] Air Force colonels about methods of warfare against enemies like the United States. They listed 24 different types of warfare, including drug warfare.

So, weve got two Chinese terms: comprehensive national power and unrestricted warfare. They look at a country and if they can do elite capture, they prefer to do that. They get the country through the elite leaders. If they cant do that, then they use unrestricted warfare to wage entropic warfare to disintegrate and weaken those societies, so that resistance to Chinese coercion is lessened.

They tend to identify authoritarian leaders and then back them. In the case of entropy or civil war, an authoritarian leader has an advantage, especially if theyre backed with PRC assets and intel. This is exactly what happened in the Solomon Islands during a three-year period. In 2019, the Solomons switched from recognizing Taiwan as China to recognizing the Peoples Republic of China [PRC].

Mr. Jekielek: How did that happen?

Ms. Paskal: The usual elite capture. And weve forgotten how important the Pacific Islands are strategically. The Solomon Islands are the home of the Battle of Guadalcanal, which was just over 80 years ago this past summer. This was a highly strategic location that the Japanese needed to control if they were to control Australian access into the region. And the Americans needed to control it if they were going to push back the Japanese.

That movement was very closely studied by the Chinese. They learn a lot from history. Theyre trying to do with political warfare what was bought in blood by the Americans during the liberation of the region.

This time, China got the Solomons by buying off the right people. At that 80th commemoration of Guadalcanal, all these high-level people came for this commemoration. There were Japanese and American representatives. But the prime minister of the Solomon Islands didnt show up, because hes so deep in Chinas pocket.

The Solomons switched in 2019 from Taiwan to China, and also signed a security agreement with the PRC allowing the deployment of Chinese military personnel to protect Chinese citizens and assets in the Solomon Islands at the request of the Solomon Islands government.

They also bought off 39 of the 50 members of Parliament, which was enough to change the constitution to delay elections. This is what happens. A pro-PRC authoritarian leader sets the groundwork to delay elections, and if theres a civil war because of it, thats fine with him, because his Chinese backers will keep him in power. Thats entropic warfare.

Mr. Jekielek: So there is this whole idea of wanting to establish the rest of the world as vassal states to the CCP. Is that how you see it?

Ms. Paskal: Yes. There is the imperial vassal state, and you pay your tribute. And the advantage of doing this in the Pacific islands is that they are very small. The Solomons are 350,000, 400,000 people, something like that. You can see the mechanisms a lot more clearly. You can see who China is targeting, and what theyre going after. You can see them going after democracy and the judiciary and the media.

Three countriesPalau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesiathrough the voluntary Compact of Free Association have given over their defense and security to the United States. They literally trust their lives to the United States. These Pacific Islands are small, but when you look at the zone they cover, they are as large as the continental United States.

If you have that zone and Guam and the Marianas, which are part of the United States, the security perimeter of our country goes from Hawaii all the way to just behind the Philippines. Its very important strategically. Those countries are independent countries, and they have these Compacts of Free Association with the United States.

Mr. Jekielek: So this is of much greater importance to the United States than many people realize. Lets jump to Taiwan because this is the critical question.

Ms. Paskal: If you want to take Taiwanand we know that the Chinese want to take Taiwanand you plan on holding Taiwan, you need to have functional control in at least that band of Pacific Islands. And if you go down the map and youve got the Solomons and PNG and maybe Vanuatu, then you can cut off the Australians and the New Zealanders. Its also a lot more difficult for Japan to come down from the north.

If they take Taiwan, then what will the American allies in the region think? Will the Philippines think the United States is going to back them? What will the Japanese do? What will the Malaysians and Indonesians do? Youd get a whole band of failure in the U.S. ability to protect allies and partners in the region.

Mr. Jekielek: Some people might be thinking that the United States is already way over-extended. Why are Taiwan and that whole region so important at this stage?

Ms. Paskal: This is a battle of systems. So you have a choice. You have a choice of a system thats happening in the Solomons, where you accept the Chinese Communist Party. Or you live a free life in the faith of your choosing with the people you care about.

And the Chinese Communist Party is fundamentally expansionist. They dont know how to not expand. And if China takes Taiwan, the United States will have demonstrably failed at defending a successful democratic society. That is a key component of the strategic architecture of the Indo-Pacific. Its a very, very big win. Taiwan is incredibly important strategically, philosophically, economically, and any way you can imagine. Thats why China wants it.

Mr. Jekielek: And not to mention chip manufacturing.

Ms. Paskal: Yes. The chip manufacturing is important, but when you get back to comprehensive national power, its like COVID. Wherever COVID came from, China knew it had a problem, and what did they do? They blocked internal flights and allowed external flights, so it was allowed to spread.

They turned a domestic epidemic into a global pandemic. Because if your mentality is comprehensive national power, youre going to take a hit when you know youve got a problem. But if everybody else takes a hit, and you use that moment to position yourself, you can come out relatively ahead, which they did. The same thing with the chips. If the chip manufacturing is destroyed, it hurts China, but it also hurts everybody else. If they can be in a position where theyre hurt relatively less, they come out ahead.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Chinese Authorities Halt Plans to Build New Universities, Suggesting Population Crisis: Experts

Students walk outside a school after finishing the National College Entrance Examination, known as "gaokao," outside a school in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province, on July 8, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

News Analysis

More than a dozen Chinese provinces recently announced that they have no plans to build new universities. China experts point out that with the decline in the countrys population, particularly a large number of COVID-19 deaths, there is a significant reduction in the college-age population, and universities will have trouble recruiting enough students in the near future.

Chinese state media Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Jan. 16 that several new university projects were shelved in Guangdong Province. For example, Zhanjiang City rejected a proposal to establish the College of Health and Chinese Medicine. Jieyang City ended the construction of Puning University and Jieyang Health Vocational College. In December 2022, the Education Bureau of Foshan City also hinted that a joint project between the Foshan municipal government and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University would not proceed as planned.

Other provinces, such as Heilongjiang, Shandong, and Shanxi, announced that they would not add or approve any more colleges or universities. Moreover, many regions around the country have set restrictions on new university projects, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.

Chinas National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the countrys population data for 2022 on Jan. 17, and for the first time since the 1960s, Chinas population declined.

Mainland Chinas population, excluding foreigners, fell by 850,000 people in 2022 to 1.41 billion, with 9.56 million births and 10.41 million deaths in the year, according to the NBS report.

Population Decline, Lack of Funds

Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Chinas Capital Normal University, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 18 that authorities are no longer adding new universities due to the population decline and, in turn, a reduction in the college-age population.

Students throw their mortar boards into the air as they graduate during a ceremony held at Tsinghua University in Beijing on July 18, 2007. (China Photos/Getty Images)

With the decline in Chinas population, including the population drop caused by the Chinese Communist Party virus or the CCP virus, which resulted in a large number of deaths, there is a shortage of students, and the existing universities are already in a status of oversupplying. If China keeps adding new schools, the universities will be in fierce competition for students. In fact, the existing universities are having difficulty meeting their quota.

Another problem is the lack of funds, Li continued.

Now the local government has no money, and the banks wont invest in an industry with no future and no returns. The central government is also tightening the purse strings for new universities. Therefore, many provinces and cities announced around the same time that there would be no new universities, he said.

Regarding the rapid development of Chinas universities in the past 20 years, Li said the main reason is the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) industrialization of educationoperating schools like companies.

In the process of such rapid development, there is no guarantee of quality, he said. Nowadays, almost all students get higher education. The end result is that they have to face unemployment as soon as they graduate from college, which is a great burden to families and society.

Li also said that the CCPs education development is not based on the needs of society, but on administrative orders. Moreover, local governments used to be enthusiastic about infrastructure development, including new universities, as the officials can get kickbacks from contractors.

In the process of expanding university enrollment, schools acted like wholesalers, ignoring the quality of education. This has led to a perverse development of higher education in China in recent decades, Li said.

A Consequence of the CCPs Birth Control Policy

Chen Weijian, a pro-democracy activist and editor-in-chief of Beijing Spring, said the halting of university projects in China is a manifestation of the negative consequences of the CCPs one-child policy.

Now it is time for it [the CCP] to make this decision public, Chen told The Epoch Times on Jan. 18, referring to Beijings decision to put an abrupt stop to university expansions. It knew this situation was right around the corner but didnt make it public; now it has reached this point when the CCP has to make it public.

According to Chen, many elderly professors in universities across China have died in the latest COVID-19 surge, including some prestigious professors.

I have received a lot of information regarding many old professors passing away. Some of them were trained in foreign universities in developed countries, and their academic standards were quite high, Chen said.

So the future of Chinas universities is not only the enrollment problem, but the universitys education level will also experience a cliff-like drop. The younger professors are nowhere near the older professors in academia [regarding continued learning and research]. That is, we expect to see Chinas overall academic level, university education, drop several levels.

Kane Zhang contributed to this report.
Court Records Reveal What Police Found in Idaho Murder Suspects Apartment

A court in Washington state on Wednesday unsealed a series of documents that detail what detectives were looking for and what they have found at University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohbergers apartment.

Kohberger, a criminology student at Washington State University, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary after he allegedly stabbed and killed four University of Idaho students in their off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022.

The newly unsealed filings include a search warrant in which Washington State University Police said they were looking for blood, knives, photos of the victims and of the house where the killing took place, dark clothing, trace evidence such as DNA from blood or skin cells, and data compilations showing an interest in or planning for murder or stabbing people.

The warrant includes a detailed statement from Sgt. Dustin Blaker of Moscow Police Department, Idaho. According to Blaker, the police were looking for animal hairs that may have come from one of the victims dogs, which was unharmed; shoes with diamond pattern soles that match shoe prints left at the crime scene; as well as dark clothing and a black mask one of the surviving roommates saw the suspect wearing.

In a warrant return, Assistant Chief Dawn Daniels of the Washington University Police Department said they seized from Kohbergers apartment an uncased pillow with a reddish/brown stain, one nitrite type black glove, eight possible hair strands, a possible animal hair strand, a computer tower, and other evidence including a collection of dark red spots that could be blood stains.

In his application for warrant, Blaker told the court that he believes the murders appear to have been planned, as opposed to a crime that happened in a moment of conflict.

I believe it likely that Kohberger planned his actions ahead of time, the Idaho officers sworn statement reads. The plans may have included a review of other murders or violent assaults/stabbing and/or cutting of people, as well as how to avoid detection after the commission of such crimes.

The victims have been identified as Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21; and Xana Kernodle and boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20.

At Washington State University, Kohberger worked a teaching assistant for an introductory criminal justice course and a third-year criminal law course, according to student newspaper The Daily Evergreen.

Kohberger came to class around three times after the murder, looking slightly more disheveled than normal, reported The Daily Evergreen, citing students who had him as a TA.

Kohberger is currently held in Latah County Jail in Idaho. He is set to return to court on June 26.
Crown Corporation Disbanded in 2017 Completes Final Audit: Report

Workers make their way past a construction site in Toronto on April 16, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin)

A Crown corporation that was disbanded in 2017 has completed its final audit and all of its leftover legacy projects are set to be completed this year, according to a report.

Public-Private Partnerships Canada, also known as PPP Canada, was created in 2008 under the Harper government to launch, facilitate, and promote the adoption of partnerships between the federal government and private companies for certain infrastructure projects.

 PPP Canadas mandate was to improve the delivery of public infrastructure by achieving better value, timeliness and accountability to taxpayers, through P3 [public-private partnerships], wrote Infrastructure Canada in its 2017-2018 annual report.

PPP Canada was disbanded in March 2017 after the federal government determined it had successfully fulfilled its mandate to improve the delivery of public infrastructure and develop a strong P3 market in Canada.

All 24 funded legacy projects inherited by the Department of Infrastructure in 2018 are scheduled to be substantially completed by 2023, said an internal federal, according to Blacklocks Reporter.

Some projects would not happen without funding as some municipalities have limited capacity to access and qualify for private sector financing. Project starts would have been delayed, added the audit, titled Combined Internal Audit And Evaluation Of The Public Private Partnership Canada Fund.

In PPP Canadas stead, the Canada Infrastructure Bank was created, the stated objective of which is to invest $35 billion in revenue-generating infrastructure across the country.

Some of the government-funded projects being managed by PPP Canada at the time of its dissolution included a biofuels waste plant in Surrey, B.C., a water treatment plant in Saint John, N.B., and the Edmonton Light Rail Transit System.
Deaf Student Neglected by Michigan Schools Should Be Able to Sue Under Anti-Discrimination Law, SCOTUS Hears

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan stands during a group photograph of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

A public school system in Michigan wronged a deaf student by failing to properly educate him, and the student was justified in suing the system under two federal laws, the Supreme Court heard on Jan. 18.

The hearing came as parents nationwide have become increasingly protective of the rights of their children and are taking legal action and demanding accountability from government officials. Among other things, parents in other cases say public schools have lost their focus on properly educating students and are spending inordinate resources on trendy projects such as critical race theory and gender identity education.

At issue were two federal laws, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides that disabled students must be educated according to their specific needs, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which forbids discrimination against disabled individuals.

Deaf student Miguel Luna Perez, now 27, is the petitioner in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, court file 21-887. The Biden administration argued in support of Perez at the hearing and some educational organizations filed briefs supporting his position.

His attorney, Roman Martinez, said Perez immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was 9 years old, and that the public schools of Sturgis, Michigan, hindered his education by failing to give him a qualified sign language interpreter. A school employee who was not familiar with American Sign Language improvised a signing system but the two people were the only ones who understood it, which made it hard for Perez to communicate with anyone else.

The school system allegedly deceived Perezs parents, leading them to think he was on his way to be awarded a high school diploma but when it came time to graduate they were informed he would be given a certificate of completion, as opposed to a diploma.

The family sued and eventually settled the claims under the IDEA. Sturgis schools agreed to provide additional educational instruction to Perez, along with sign language lessons for him and his family.

The family then sued under the ADA for monetary damages which the IDEA did not provide for. Courts said the family couldnt seek ADA damages.

During oral arguments Jan. 18, Martinez told the justices Sturgis schools neglected Perez for 12 years, denied him an education, and lied to his parents about the progress he was allegedly making in school.

This shameful conduct permanently stunted Miguels ability to communicate with the outside world. It also violated two federal statutes, the IDEA and the ADA, giving different remedies to victims of discrimination, the lawyer said.

Miguel responded by doing everything the IDEA wants him to do. He filed an IDEA agency claim. He followed the IDEA settlement procedures. And he accepted a favorable settlement giving him full IDEA relief  

But Sturgis argues the IDEA settlement extinguishes Miguels separate and distinct rights to money damages under the ADA, Martinez said.

Justice Clarence Thomas said he was having difficulty seeing how ADA fits in with IDEA.

Martinez replied:

A hundred percent, Your Honor. And I think thats exactly the right way to think about the statute. And I think what Congress was trying to do here was essentially say we want you to have rights under both statutes; we want you to be able to go into court if necessary and vindicate your separate rights to separate types of relief under both statutes.

It is the bottom-line position of Sturgis that if they did everything right, they accepted the [IDEA] settlement, they lose their ADA claims. That just cant be right, the attorney said.

Justice Elena Kagan said Perez had done everything right in attempting to vindicate his rights.

What should Miguel have done differently from what he did do in this case? Kagan said to school system attorney Shay Dvoretzky.

Dvoretzky said a plaintiff could negotiate an appropriate settlement for non-IDEA claims or proceed to court, assuming the other party was willing to waive the requirement that the plaintiff exhaust remaining administrative remedies.

So there were options as part of that global settlement to get the full relief he was asking for, the lawyer said.

Kagan responded: Now, Sturgis was not, for all we know, offering any of those things. So whats he supposed to do?

Dvoretzky replied: Negotiate. I mean, as in all settlements.

Kagan was incensed.

Better  negotiate better. Just pound his fist on the table with your legal rule, such that Sturgis doesnt have to offer any of those things because  he has two choices. He can either reject a good settlement, which is enabling him to receive educational services, or give up on the potential, which this statute clearly gives him of getting compensatory damages as well under the ADA, Kagan said.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she didnt see a problem with suing under the two statutes. Congress thought that dual actions at least in some circumstances were possible and that was fine, she said.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion in the case by June.
DeSantis Announces $100 Million in Recovery Grants for Hurricane-Hit Beaches

Members of Virginia's Urban Search and Rescue unit receive a briefing before combing through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida, on Oct. 4, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Floridas Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $100 million to support beach recovery projects in counties hard hit by two hurricanes in 2022.

Speaking in Daytona Beach Shores, DeSantis allocated money to 16 counties. The amounts ranged from $37.7 million for Volusia County, hard hit by Category 1 Hurricane Nicole, and $23.1 million for Lee County, the Fort Myers area where the Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall, to $250,000 for St. Lucie County south of Volusia on Floridas Atlantic Coast.

Placing sand as quickly as possible is essential in order to avoid additional damages to public and private infrastructure from subsequent storms and erosion, the governors office said in a public statement on Jan. 18.

The funding was authorized by the states Senate Bill 4A, signed into law by DeSantis on Dec. 16, 2022.

A public facility and lifeguard tower are seen partially collapsed near the Pirates Cove condominium due to a storm surge by Hurricane Nicole, in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., on Nov. 10, 2022. (John Raoux/AP Photo)

The coastal erosion caused by these storms not only damaged upland structures and infrastructures but left them vulnerable to subsequent storms if not addressed, DeSantis said in the statement.

I am pleased to announce another step to expedite recovery of our communities impacted by these historic storm events. This funding will support beach restoration needs, allowing us to rebuild and further enhance resilience.

The governors office said that a wide beach system absorbs wave energy, protects upland areas from flooding, and mitigates erosion. A healthy beach provides a buffer between storm tides and landward areas, preventing destructive waves from reaching the dunes and upland developments.

Other grants awarded include Brevard County, $3.2 million; Broward County, $488,000; Charlotte County, $1.3 million; Collier County, $2.4 million; Duval County, $418,750; Flagler County, $17 million; Indian River County, $4.1 million; Manatee County, $305,271; Martin County, $1.4 million; Nassau County, $922,016; Palm Beach County, $2.1 million; Sarasota County, $618,469; and St. Johns County, $4.6 million.

The governors office said that the money comes in addition to $20 million granted in November to help several local governments immediately counter erosion.

Casey DeSantis (L), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (2L), US First Lady Jill Biden (C), and US President Joe Biden (R) walk to meet with local residents impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fishermans Pass in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Beaches are vital not only to the environment and the states economy but are most importantly our first line of defense against storms, said Shawn Hamilton, Environmental Protection Secretary.

In another environmental move announced on Jan. 18, DeSantis and his cabinet put more than $17.7 million into conserving 3,500 acres in five counties.

The governors office said that the tracts buffer land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a recently designated network of connected lands crucial for wildlife habitat.

They are part of the states Florida Forever conservation project, which has acquired almost 900,000 acres of land to conserve since its inception in 2001. Including a predecessor program, P2000, the state has purchased more than 2.6 million acres, according to the Office of Environmental Services.

Those efforts include the acquisition of 565 acres in Nassau County within the Tiger Island/Little Tiger Island Florida Forever project; the purchase of nine acres in Charlotte County within the Charlotte Harbor Estuary Florida Forever project; a conservation easement of 2,529 acres in Okeechobee County within the Triple Diamond Florida Forever Project; a conservation easement of 287 acres in Osceola County within the Osceola Pine Savannas Florida Forever Project; and a conservation easement of 135 acres within the Rainbow River Corridor Florida Forever project, the governors office said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Protection sold a surplus property, the Gore Building in Fort Lauderdale, for $62.6 million to the Namdar Group in a sealed bid sale.

The $100 million was part of $250 million in disaster recovery spending the state authorized. The federal government has approved more than $5 billion in federal grants, disaster loans, and flood insurance payments to the state and households.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a statement on Jan. 17 that it has provided $896 million to households affected by Hurricane Ian and $504 million to the state for emergency responses to Hurricane Ian, while the U.S. Small Business Administration has provided $1.47 billion in disaster loans.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.2 billion in claims to Hurricane Ian survivors.

Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on Sept. 28 near Fort Myers on Floridas Gulf Coast, was the fifth strongest hurricane ever to hit the United States and the deadliest in Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.

It killed at least 146 people in Florida, five in North Carolina, one in Virginia, and five in Cuba, and did damage estimated at more than $112 billion.

Hurricane Nicole, which made landfall south of Vero Beach on Floridas Atlantic Coast on Nov. 10, killed 11 people and did more than $1 billion in damage.

Erosion from the stormsHurricane Ian exited the state via its Atlantic Coastuncovered an 80-foot wooden ship from the 1800s at Daytona Beach Shores and what is believed to be a Native American burial site on South Hutchinson Island.
Do Chinese Donations Explain Bidens Energy Policies?

President Joe Biden waves as he participates in a virtual meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House on Nov. 15, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Commentary

With reports that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania, questions arise about the potential connection between the universitys receipt of $54 million in Chinese donations and President Joe Bidens promotion of energy policies that are strengthening Chinas economy at the expense of our own.

Under Bidens anti-fossil fuel energy policies, Americans have been left with higher costs and a weaker economy, while China has gained a larger market for its green energy wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries.

Could the money and the policies be related?

The New York Post reported that tens of millions in donations to the University of Pennsylvania came from Chinese donors after the Penn Biden Center was first announced in 2017.

Between 2017 and 2019, Biden also allegedly received $775,000 from the university, although he had no teaching responsibilities.

Around the same time, Bidens son, Hunter, was conducting lucrative deals in China that are alleged to have included a cut for Biden.

The National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the Justice Department in 2020 alleging that Hunter Bidens Chinese energy client, CEFC, was trying to avoid registering as a foreign company.

One reported text message regarding CEFC in May 2017 from Hunter to his colleague, Tony Bobulinski, stated, We dont want to have to register as foreign agents  which is much more expansive than people who should know choose not to know.

The Chinese donations seem to be paying off. The Biden administration is following Californias lead with a goal of transitioning to sales of only battery electric vehicles by 2035, an executive branch focus on climate change, and support of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement.

Battery Electric Vehicles

The California Air Resources Board has issued a rule that all new vehicles sold in the Golden State be plug-in hybrid or pure battery-powered by 2035. In Washington, Biden issued an executive order calling for half of the nations new vehicle sales to be electric vehicles by 2030 and instructed the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate the agencys activities with the state of California.

The rule and executive order trade Americas energy securityand its reliance on inexpensive domestically-produced oil and natural gasfor dependence on batteries made in China, reportedly with slave labor from the Xinjiang region. America cannot produce these batteries at a lower cost than those that are slave-made in China.

Moreover, electric vehicles have limited range and are more expensive than equivalent gasoline-powered vehicles, so the orders emanating from the White House will raise the costs of transportation for Americansfurther weakening the U.S. economy. More money spent on cars also means less money to spend on other products and services.

Climate Change

Over the past year, executive branch agencies have used climate change to justify slowing the production and delivery of U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal, and to encourage the use of wind turbines and solar panels made in China. This drives up Americans electricity bills. And once again, its the Chinese who profit: Seven of the top 10 wind and solar manufacturers are Chinese.

More specifically:

The administration is actively discouraging investment in oil, gas, and coal, claiming that such investments pose a risk to the environment. Companies producing and relying on conventional fuels are finding it harder to get capital to expand because they face higher rates to borrow.

The Department of Transportation is prioritizing climate initiatives such as funding for electric vehicles, charging stations, and electric transit, as well as bike and pedestrian paths.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is slowing the approval of new pipelines to carry oil and gas from the interior of the country to consumers nationwide, as well as to the coasts, where it can be exported.

The Interior Department has called for fewer leases for companies to drill for oil and gas on federal lands, higher royalties for those leases, and a more complex bidding process to screen buyers, knowing that this raises prices for consumers.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler has proposed rules to require private companies to disclose information about governance and management of climate-related risks, how climate-related risks will affect companies strategies and outlooks, and the effects of climate events such as hurricanes and wildfires on financial statements.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, has appointed a new chief climate risk officer to oversee climate-driven risks to banks. If she deems investments in oil and gas risky, banks will be discouraged from lending to oil and gas companiesreducing available capital to further develop resources.

Environmental, Social, and Governance Movement

Led by BlackRock Inc. and State Street Global Advisors, major financial institutions are pressuring international development organizations, private corporations, and pension funds not to invest in conventional fuels. This weakens America, which produces these fuels, and helps China, which manufactures the alternativeswind turbines and solar panelsusing coal-fired power plants.

ESG means fewer jobs for Americans, more jobs for the Chinese.

As my colleague, Heritage Action for America Executive Director Jessica Anderson, explains, The ESG movement is set on taking over culture and business to control working Americans.

On its website, State Street suggests four ways to influence companies investments, all of which would benefit China. First, require countries to adopt regulations to reduce carbon emissions. Second, raise consciousness of climate change through more ESG education, guidance, solutions, and analytics. Third, take over corporate boards and use customers and investors to compel companies and organizations to address climate risks and opportunities. Finally, organize global pledges to cut fossil fuel carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.

By following the ESG movement and discouraging investments in conventional fuels, America is giving up geopolitical power overseas, as well as economic strength at home. For example, China is financing the production of coal-fired power plants in developing countries that American institutions refuse to fund, giving the Chinese significant influence as it helps those countries provide cheap power to homes and industry.

Some might justify these gifts to China on the grounds that the worlds climate will benefit from lower emissions as a result of U.S. decarbonization. But China is producing the wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries it sells to the United States with coal, increasing global emissions.

Consider that America has 225 coal-fired power plants and China has 1,118 (half of all the coal-fired plants in the world). Since 2010, America has reduced coal-fired electricity generation by 100,000 megawatts; China has increased it by 580,000 megawatts. Between 2005 and 2020, America cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 970 million metric tons, while China increased its emissions by 4.689 billion metric tons.

Many people have been puzzled that Biden has oriented American energy policy toward a country that enslaves its people, steals intellectual property from the United States, and threatens our allies and partners.

The ongoing federal investigation into son Hunters multimillion-dollar Chinese business deals and the reports of tens of millions of dollars in Chinese donations flowing to the University of Pennsylvania just as it was creating Bidens new think tank may give a clue as to why.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Driver, Child Killed, 4 Other Minors Injured in Solo SUV Crash in Oceanside

OCEANSIDE, Calif.Investigators sought Jan. 18 to determine what caused a solo SUV crash in Oceanside that killed a woman and a child and injured four other underage passengers, two critically.

The vehicle was traveling south on Douglas Drive at high speed when the driver lost control of it near Pala Road about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Oceanside Police Department.

The mid-sized SUV veered off the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned, rolling side over side several times before coming to rest, police departments spokeswoman Jennifer Atenza said.

The 30-year-old motorist and one of her passengers, a 6-year-old girl, were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, Atenza said. Their names were withheld pending family notification.

Emergency crews had to free a 13-year-old girl and three boys, ages 15, 14, and 10, from the wrecked SUV. Paramedics took them to hospitals, where the latter two were admitted in critical condition. The others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the spokeswoman said.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
A bill to extend and expand Montanas Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force came before the Legislature Wednesday.

Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, introduced the bill by request of the State-Tribal Relations Committee.

The Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force was created by the Legislature in 2019. It consists of representatives from all tribal nations in Montana, as well as representatives from law enforcement, the Department of Justice, FBI and other entities. The task force aims to reduce the number of missing Indigenous people, and by law, it must be renewed every two years. The task force is set to terminate June 30.

The disproportionate number of missing or murdered Indigenous people is a nationwide crisis, and experts say Montana is an epicenter. Native Americans comprise 6.7% of the states population, yet they account for, on average, 26% of Montanas missing persons population.

House Bill 163 would extend the term of the task force and the grant program it administers to tribal colleges. It also adds a representative from the Office of Public Instruction to the task force; authorizes the task force to make recommendations to federal, state and local entities; and provides an appropriation. The bill would cost the General Fund $102,581 each year.

In his address to the House Judiciary Committee, Running Wolf spoke of the task forces work, citing its database, reporting portal and grants to tribal colleges. He called the work a shining star, as it serves as a model for states across the country.

Blackfeet Community College in 2020 was awarded $25,000 through a grant offered through the task force. With the funds, the tribal college created a website, mmipmt.com, where people can safely report people missing.

Running Wolf, who is Blackfeet, concluded on a personal note.

I can only imagine how it would be if I had to visit this website and lost one of my five girls or two boys and I was desperate, he said. As an elder once told me before, he said, Were not fighting hard enough for our women and children.  But this is what it means to be fighting for our women and children and our loved and missing people.

Support for the bill

Patrick Yawakie-Peltier, representing the Blackfeet Nation, spoke in support of the bill, saying it helps the states government to government relationship with the tribes.

Dana Toole, special services bureau chief at the Department of Justice, said while the task force has worked toward its goals, establishing a mission and vision, theres a lot of work left to be done.

Policy Director for the ACLU Montana Keegan Medrano emphasized the need for a representative from the Office of Public Instruction to be on the task force. He spoke of Elijah Anenakew, a 13-year-old boy who has been missing for six days from Great Falls. Medrano said Elijah also went missing four months ago. A Montana Department of Justice report found that in 2021, more than 80% of missing Indigenous people were under the age of 18, and Medrano said adding a representative from the Office of Public Instruction to the task force would provide a needed perspective on school policy and other things pertaining to missing youth.

Ellie Bundy, presiding officer of the task force, said the entity brings everyone to the table with voices from every reservation.

Theres still so much more (work) ahead, she said. This task force is an acknowledgment that we care and that we are still seeking answers and working towards solutions. Please know that the work we are able to do on task forces such as this is critical to help keep hope alive.

Why renew the task force every two years?

The task force is set to terminate every two years. It was created in 2019 and the Legislature voted to extend the task force during the 2021 session. House Bill 163 would again extend the task force to 2025, but some who spoke in the hearing raised concerns about the constant need for renewal.

Jade Bahr, who is Northern Cheyenne and a state-tribal policy analyst for the Montana Budget and Policy Center, supported the bill and said it might be worth reassessing the need for it to be reauthorized every two years.

This is not an issue that can be solved in just two more years, she said. It can be exhausting for Native families to feel like they need to keep coming back every session to fight for this funding when they fought so much longer just to get it on the books.

Members of Montanas American Indian Caucus have in the past noted that bills that include funding for Indian Country often must be renewed every session.

Medrano said that while his support does not hinge on the two-year renewal aspect of the bill, he said, I would support not needing to come here every session to support this.

Alan Doane, legislative liaison for Montana Office of the Attorney General, advocated for keeping termination at two years, saying the renewal process keeps the crisis, which often goes uncovered, in the news.

Running Wolf said the caucus has discussed whether to advocate for a longer extension but called the process a total juggling act.

In a perfect world, this is extended out for 12 years and theyre funded annually at $5 million, and were totally eliminating the missing Indigenous person (crisis), he said, adding that he doesnt think that is realistic.

Running Wolf closed by saying that the task force is a critical piece in ending the crisis were facing.

No one spoke in opposition of the bill, and the committee has yet to take executive action on it.
Election Integrity Watchdog Finds 10.9 Million 2022 Midterm Mail-In Ballots Unaccounted For in California

'Mail voting practices have an insurmountable information gap'

People count California recall ballot votes at a Los Angeles Registrar site at the Los Angeles Fair Grounds in Pomona, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

An election integrity group said 10.9 million out of a total 22.1 million ballots that had been mailed out to registered voters during the 2022 midterm elections went unaccounted for, according to a Jan. 18 report.

Mail voting practices have an insurmountable information gap, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) said on Monday. The public cannot know how many ballots were disregarded, delivered to wrong mailboxes, or even withheld from the proper recipient by someone at the same address.

The watchdog released the two-page report (pdf) detailing what it called the failures of Californias first mass-mail balloting election following the passage of Assembly Bill 37 (AB 37), which requires that ballots automatically be mailed to all active registered voters statewide. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2021, makes vote-by-mail ballots, a practice implemented in the 2020 general election in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic, permanent for all elections.

California has more registered voters than any other state. Yet its vote-by-mail policiesamong the nations most expansivehave resulted in large numbers of ballots disappearing at poll closing time, PILFs data show.

After accounting for polling place votes and rejected ballots in November 2022, there were more than 10 million ballots left outstanding, meaning election officials do not know what happened to them, reads the Wednesday report.

It is fair to assume that the bulk of these were ignored or ultimately thrown out by the intended recipients. But, under mass-mail elections, we can only assume what happened, it continued.

Besides the almost half unaccounted-for mail ballots, data show that 9.8 million were accepted, over 120,000 were rejected, and 1.4 million were counted from in-person voting centers.

The Golden State, which has been a Democratic stronghold for over two decades, mailed out more than 22.1 million ballots to its registered votersnearly 47 percent Democrats and 24 percent Republicansduring the 2022 elections. A GOP victory in California on Nov. 16 granted the party slim control of the U.S. House.

Mail-In Ballot Rejects

PILF, after finding that election officials in California had rejected 226,250 mail-in ballots during the 2022 primary and general elections, argued that the switch to mail balloting has taken away voters rights.

According to the report, the state would reject mail ballots primarily for nine reasons, including mismatched or missing signatures, and double voting when a registrant casts a vote both in-person and by-mail, which took place 813 times in the past midterms.

The most common reason, which researchers said is endemic to mail voting, turned out to be late-arriving ballotstaking up 48 percent of all rejects during the 2022 elections, finding show.

Every registered voter in California should receive a ballot in the mail a month prior to Election Day. All ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 8 to be counted, and received within seven days by county election officials, who would then verify the signatures on the return envelopes and process ballots through their vote tallying system.

In the November contests, more than 57,000 ballots arrived after November 15, setting them up for rejection, PILF stated.

The official datasets do not differentiate between ballots postmarked too late or delivered too late. The U.S. Postal Service also touts its 2022 performance by claiming that 99 percent of mail ballots were delivered nationally within 3 days to officials for counting once in their custody, the repost reads, noting that the Post Office sets the success rate at 94 percent for timely delivery of political mail.

So the failure to deliver ballots on time is not surprising.

Mail-in ballots are placed in bins to be processed after arriving at the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 22, 2018. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)

PILF President J. Christian Adams agrees that mail-in ballots can disenfranchise voters.

There are many reasons mail ballots fail ultimately to count. No one casting a ballot at home can correct an error before its too late, the chairman said. Californias vote-by-mail demonstration should serve as a warning to state legislators elsewhere.

Mail-in ballots may still be counted when a postmark is missing or illegible, but it depends on the circumstances. Under the new legislation, Californians can also bring ballots to a polling place in person or drop them in an official ballot box, if they wish.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the California secretary of states office and Newsoms office for comment.
Energy Secretary Opposes GOP Push to Add Conditions for Withdrawing More Oil From National Reserves

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm speaks during a briefing about the bipartisan infrastructure law at the White House, on May 16, 2022. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm sent a letter to the House energy panel warning that the GOP push to add stipulations to the withdrawal of oil from strategic reserves will harm Americans and contribute to an increase in gas prices.

Earlier this month, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) introduced the Strategic Production Response Act that will make President Joe Bidens authority on releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) conditional on the president opening up more federal lands for oil and gas drilling. House Republicans are set to soon vote on it. Rodgers chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

This bill would significantly weaken this critical energy security tool, resulting in more oil supply shortages in times of crisis and higher gasoline prices for Americans, Granholm said in the letter to the committee, according to Reuters. In an email to the outlet, Rodgers said that the committee is reviewing the letter.

Granholm also cited estimates from the Department of the Treasury which claim that the Biden administrations use of the SPR led to a reduction in U.S. gas prices by $0.170.42 per gallon.

U.S. retail gas prices jumped from $3.701 per gallon in the week ended Feb. 28, 2022, to a peak of $5.107 per gallon in the week ended June 13. Bidens release of 180 million barrels from the SPR began in March. As of Jan. 9, 2023, gasoline prices averaged $3.366 per gallon.

Even though gas prices have fallen since the June peak, they still are up by more than 35 percent compared to the $2.478 per gallon price in late January 2021.

The administrations policies have been blamed for elevated gas prices. For instance, Biden canceled the Keystone Pipeline project that was revived by former president Donald Trump. The project was expected to carry 800,000 barrels of oil per day into the United States.

Biden has issued the fewest acres of land for federal oil and gas leasing since the late 1940s. In June last year, the Interior Department announced a plan which gave the agency an option to not issue any new leases until the end of 2028.

And in April 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to rescind exemptions which allowed more than 30 refiners to avoid blending renewable biofuels into gasoline and diesel. This is said to have contributed to a hike in costs for refineries and reduced output.

Low SPR Stockpile, Blocking SPR Sales to China

Bidens release of SPR reserves has been heavily criticized by Republicans, who argue that more needs to be done to boost domestic drilling. The Biden administration insists that its policies toward oil and gas lease are a long-term issue while supply disruption requires a short-term solution.

Since 2000, the SPR has usually remained above 600 million barrels. However, the Biden administrations SPR release has depleted it to below 400 million barrels by the end of last year, which is the lowest level since the 1980s.

To protect the SPR stockpile, Rodgers also introduced the Protecting Americas Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) from China Act. It was passed by the House of Representatives by a margin of 33197 on Jan. 12.

The bill prohibits the sale of SPR oil to any entity that is under the control, influence, or ownership of the Chinese Communist Party.

It should not have to be stated: we simply should not allow our oil to be exported to the Chinese Communist Party. A strong energy sector is a strong national defense, and we cannot let this administration drain our SPR to record lows by selling barrels to one of our nations adversaries, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), who co-sponsored the bill in the House, said in a press release on Jan. 12.

Government Opposition

The Protecting Americas Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) from China Act had received large support from Democrats, with more than half of the House Democratic Caucus voting for it.

However, the Biden administration has opposed it, with White House spokesperson Andrew Bates calling it a backwards move and an attempt by the GOP to raise gas prices so as to make the president look bad.

In an interview with NTD, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) dismissed such accusations.

Its another example of how little he [Biden] knows about economics and market principles, Palmer said. When youre sending your crude oil to another country where its going to be refined and consumed there and its not coming back here, it reduces the market supply, which increases price.
EXCLUSIVE: DeSantis Plans to Let Controversial COVID-19 Hospital Immunity Expire: Source

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to let a controversial law giving hospitals immunity related to COVID-19 expire in June, a high-ranking administration official with direct knowledge of the plan told The Epoch Times on the condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for DeSantis declined to comment on the information.

Hearing that their governor wont seek to extend the law thrilled some medical freedom activists in the state. Others expressed frustration that the law would stay in place for five more months. Now, some told The Epoch Times, they hope the Republican-led Legislature will stand down as well.

The law, they say, has led to countless unnecessary deaths by giving hospitals immunity from malpractice cases in their treatment of COVID-19.

Weve been working on [getting rid of] that for two years, said Gainesville, Florida, attorney Jeff Childers.

Evils of Blanket Immunity

Childers used to focus strictly on business law. He quickly jumped into medical-freedom cases after the pandemic erupted.

Soon after lockdowns began, Childers helped business owners and parents of school children fight forced masking. He organized lawyers nationwide in a group to share information on how to win those and other COVID-related cases.

He helped government and hospital employees push back against vaccinate-or-terminate policies. He helped assist patient families seeking alternative COVID-19 treatments for hospitalized loved ones.

Of late, one of his main aims has been to reverse hospitality immunity laws.

Removing hospital immunity will save lives, Childers and others told The Epoch Times.

The hospitals now have blanket immunity for following a preset protocol for every patient thats dictated by federal officials, regardless of the patients individual circumstances, their co-morbidities, their personal medical situation, and especially their desires for treatment, Childers said.

Yet, the current hospital protocol has not changed in three years, despite our having learned an entire Encyclopedia Britannica-worth of information about this virus, which is weird, he said.

Early in the pandemic, hospitals wouldnt admit you until your oxygen levels were life-threateningly low, he said. They would send people home from the emergency department.

When patients worsened at home and returned to the hospital for care, they immediately put you on Remdesivir and on the ventilator, and then youre most likely to die. The mortality rates are off the charts for that treatment protocol.

And, Childers added, because of laws giving hospitals immunity for following that federally recommended treatment, you can go into the hospital with a broken toe, and if they test you, and you test positive [for COVID-19] in the ER, youre going to be on the COVID floor.

And theyre going to start you on steroids and Remdesivir, which leadsin 25 percent of the cases, according to the best studies that Ive seento kidney failure. So then, youre going to be in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator.

An ampule of Gilead Sciences COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir is pictured at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, on April 8, 2020. (Ulrich Perrey/Pool via Reuters)

And heres the point, Childers said. Hospitals have no incentive to change that protocol.

But its not entirely the hospitals fault, because the hospitals enjoy liability protection if they follow the prescribed protocol. They have risks if they vary from that protocol, not to mention massive financial incentives for adhering to it.

So if Remdesivir and ventilator use are linked to a higher likelihood of death, why hasnt the treatment protocol recommended by the federal government changed, he challenged.

Thats the $64,000 question.

His best guess: because of the money tied to lucrative vaccine and medication sales.

And if government officials acknowledged a good alternative treatment for COVID-19, the vaccines would no longer be able to be distributed under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), he said.

Its evil of the worst kind, in possibly its most fully-flowered form.

Genesis of Hospital Immunity Laws

Childers has joined others in lobbying DeSantis vigorously to end hospital immunity in Florida.

With letters, calls, and visits to his office, theyve begged the governor to dismantle the measures giving hospitals special protections.

By stripping the immunity, theyve argued, it would force doctors and hospitals to listen more to patients wishes about COVID-19 treatment, rather than adhering strictly to protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Laws giving hospitals immunity in the treatment of COVID-19 blasted through 29 state legislatures across the country at the urging of officials within the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Early in the pandemic, Trump officials argued that hospitals needed protection in treating the unknown novel virus, which was spreading rapidly, leaving a trail of funerals in its wake.

President Donald Trump greets the crowd before he leaves at the Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit on Dec. 8, 2020 in Washington. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

And despite a swelling contingent of activists calling for hospitals to try treatments that were not part of the CDC-recommended protocols, only a narrow approach of COVID-19 treatment was approved for immunity from liability.

Testimonies of successful alternative treatments were flooding professional medical blogs and social media. Related posts were routinely censored by big tech platforms.

Often, those success stories touted the effectiveness of a detailed regimen outlined by the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance. That treatment plan calls for specific doses of ivermectin, vitamins, and other medications approved for other uses by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Shawn McBride, an attorney with the American Freedom Information Institute in Maitland, Florida, drafted a letter in early 2022 signed by organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Floridians. It was a plea asking DeSantis to veto the immunity extension bill sent to his desk by Florida lawmakers. Without an extension, the bill would have expired in March 2022.

Activists said they were bewildered when DeSantis signed the bill extending hospital immunity until at least June 2023. But they also told The Epoch Times they were willing to trust his leadership.

That same day, DeSantis expanded freedoms in three areas related to COVID-19.

He announced a new policy shielding doctors in Florida who offer medical treatments they feel are best for their patients, even if they deviate from CDC and NIH guidelines.

The new guidelines also eliminated forced masking of employees in the state; reduced COVID-19 quarantines in schools, child-care centers, and workplaces; and added treatment guidelines empowering health care practitioners to follow science and not the status quo, his office said.

Nick Caturano speaks at an Oct. 13, 2022 press conference he organized in Kissimmee, Fla., to allow families tell how they believe hospital treatments for COVID-19 were to blame for the deaths of their loved ones deaths. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

But then medical freedom activists grew increasingly impatient about the hospital immunity laws.

Those legal measures must be reversed, activist Nick Caturano told The Epoch Times in November 2022. Only then will doctors feel free to do what they think is best for patients.

We will continue to appeal to Gov. DeSantis to repeal hospital immunity and to get straightforward laws that protect our rights to choose our medical treatments, [to have] informed consent, and to abolish any and all avenues, loopholes, and powers of discrimination based on health status and medical choices, Caturano said.

Sending Hope

Caturano sighed heavily two months later when told of DeSantiss plans to halt hospital immunity in the state.

It cant come soon enough, Caturano said wearily. People shouldnt still be dying of COVID.

Hes been organizing families whose loved ones died in hospitals to speak about their COVID experiences. All families have blamed hospitals for the tragic outcomes.

Family members upset about hospital treatment for COVID-19 displayed these posters at a press conference on Oct. 13, 2022 in Kissimmee, Fla. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

Caturano blames hospitals, too, for their adherence to treatments recommended for COVID-19 by the federal government.

If DeSantis does this, hell send a message to the rest of the country, Caturano said. Thats the beautiful thing. It will send hope. 

Family members who believe their loved ones died unnecessarily from COVID-19 in hospitals just want to see the killing stopped, he said.

He compared their hopelessness to how family members must have felt watching loved ones loaded onto trains headed for the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-controlled Germany.

We just want to see the trains stopped, the protections to go away, he said. That will help the healing begin. Thats what these families need. I just hope that its sooner than later.

He prays that other governors will follow with similar actions.

DeSantis  hes brave, Caturano said.

Cynthia Schrock speaks about the death of her husband, who was treated in a hospital for COVID-19, at a press conference spotlighting the families of COVID-19 victims in Kissimmee, Fla. on Oct. 13, 2022. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

Cynthia Schrock spoke at a press conference that Caturano organized in October 2022 in Kissimmee, Florida. From the podium, she told of how her husband, a 56-year-old real estate broker, died after seeking treatment at a Florida hospital.

For three weeks, Eric Schrock received treatment that strictly followed the CDC-approved protocols.

A year after his death, his widow asked an independent doctor to review the hospital records. His revelation broke her heart afresh.

Her husband had died, not of COVID-19for which hed tested positivebut of a heart attack left untreated for three weeks, records showed.

She sucked in her breath in a ragged gasp when she heard that DeSantis hopes to allow hospital immunity to die in the state.

Ive been on my knees before the Lord asking Him to make that [law] go away, she told The Epoch Times through a rush of tears. Accountability would happen if those laws were removed. It would bring justice.

Eric and Cynthia Schrock, before he fell ill and was treated in a hospital for COVID-19, despite records that she says show he was suffering from an untreated heart attack. (Courtesy of Cynthia Schrock)

Just today, I prayed, and I said, Lord

Her voice trailed off, and she began to weep again. She knows she cant sue the hospital that she believes killed her husband. But people have told her that Eric would be proud that shes still fighting to change how hospitals treat COVID-19.

And now, that just might happen.

Im just amazed, she said, stifling a sob. I do believe hed be proud.
Family of California Public Defender Claims His Death Was Brutal Crime

The family of an Orange County deputy public defender who died in Mexico while celebrating his first wedding anniversary is claiming the lawyer was the victim of a crime, not an accident, according to a Jan. 17 statement from their attorney.

The family of Elliot Blair, 33, wholeheartedly believes based on their initial investigation that Elliot was the victim of a brutal crime, according to the statement from attorney David Scarsone.

Blairs wife Kimwho was with him on Saturday at the Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito, Mexico, where her husband diedhas been told multiple versions of the incident by Mexican authorities since it happened, according to the statement.

(Courtesy of GoFundMe)

His family has only been in touch with a liaison to the local coroners office, he said. About 2 p.m. Monday the liaison indicated that the cause of death was severe head trauma and that the case had been forwarded to the district attorneys office to conduct a possible homicide investigation, according to the statement.

The family is devastated that they have not been contacted by anyone from the Rosarito Beach Police Department, its District Attorneys Office, or any other Mexican officials, Scarsone said.

The family told the liaison they intended to conduct an independent investigation, which would include a medical examination of Blairs body, Scarsone said.

Hours later the family said it saw a news article quoting Mexican officials saying the death appeared to be due to an unfortunate accident, the result of a fall from the third-story floor where the couple was staying, according to the statement.

(Courtesy of GoFundMe)

But the family is arguing that Blair was a victim and was found dead below an open-air walkway outside his room at the hotel.

Blair and his wife stayed at the resort, in that same room, several times in the past five years and they were, therefore, familiar with its layout, according to the statement.

Mexican authorities and a representative of a local funeral home suggested the family cremate Blairs remains, according to the statement. However, they are refusing, so they can conduct their own investigation.

The family has raised almost $110,000 through GoFundMe as of Jan. 18.

City News Service contributed to this report.
Farmers Group in Tennessee Sue USDA, Allege Illegal Subsidizing of Industrial-Scale Poultry Farms

Farmers in West Tennessee are suing the federal government, alleging that a loan program benefited mass poultry operations by subsidizing them rather than helping its intended target of family-run farms. The lawsuit calls the actions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) illegal corporate welfare.

The suit, filed in late December 2022 by the litigation nonprofit Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on behalf of a local group of farmers known as the Concerned Citizens of West Tennessee, alleged that the USDA program meant for supporting family farms is illegally being used to finance industrial poultry operations controlled by massive corporations like Tyson.

The first-of-its-kind lawsuit centers around an industrial poultry operation recently built in a predominantly Black farming community in Henderson County, Tennessee, the SELC stated in a press release. The operation includes 16 industrial-scale poultry warehouses that are more than 50 feet wide and 600 feet long, and would raise millions of chickens for Tyson Foods each year.

The group claims that operations for the facilities, including their construction and operations, are nearly completely controlled by Tyson Foods.

Those facilities function not as individual farms, but as extensions of Tysons multi-billion-dollar industrial meat complex, the nonprofit stated. Despite Tysons control over operations, the Henderson County facilities received more than $3.5 million in federally-backed loans through a Farm Service Agency program intended to help family farms with start-up and operational costs.

Tyson Foods didnt respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by press time.

Large-Scale Poultry Farms in Tennessee

The lawsuit notes that industrial chicken-raising operations affiliated with Tyson Foods are rapidly spreading across the landscapes and watersheds of West Tennessee.

Tyson constructed a $425 million poultry complex in Humboldt, Tennessee, in 2021, which includes a processing plant, feed mill, and hatchery. The investment is the companys largest ever in the state and the largest corporate investment ever in Gibson County.

The company has five facilities across Tennessee, according to its website. When Tyson opened its facility in 2021, Republican Gov. Bill Lee said that Tyson has an enormous impact on the states agriculture industry and rural communities.

Job creation is crucial to our continued economic success, and I thank Tyson for its investment and commitment to Humboldt and West Tennessee, Lee said.

A sign sits in front of the Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, Iowa, on May 1, 2020. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

The Humboldt facility, which opened in 2021, is expected to employ around 1,500 staff this year. The company expects that the facility alone will generate an annual economic benefit to Tennessee of around $150 million. It said that in 2021, the company employed around 5,000 people in the state, with an annual payroll of $226 million, including payments to Tennessee farmers of more than $61 million.

Tyson contracts with local poultry farmers and has done so since the late 1940s, according to the companys website.

We supply the birds and feed, and provide technical advice, while the poultry farmer provides the labor, housing and utilities, the company stated on its website. This cooperation between Tyson Foods and family farms increases efficiency and quality, while maintaining affordable prices for consumers.

The Lawsuit

The plaintiffs claim that the USDA, through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), administers a federal lending program intended to help family farms with start-up and operational costs. They allege in the lawsuit that the agency has guaranteed more than $3.5 million in aid to Tysons ventures in the state.

Through that lending program, the FSA illegally guarantees seven figure loans used to construct large industrial chicken operations affiliated with Tyson, the lawsuit claims. Tyson is a multi-billion-dollar, international conglomerate that does not need help from federal taxpayers.

Plaintiffs also allege that the companys operations are hazardous to the local environment. SELC and the Western Tennessee Farmers claim the company slaughters 1.2 million chickens each week which takes approximately 330 industrial chicken houses each housing 25,000 or more birds. This includes up to 8.25 million chickens concentrated in rural parts of the state within an hours drive of the plant.

The SELC claims the operation causes significant harm to surrounding communities by polluting the air with noxious odors and ammonia, which can irritate and burn the skin, mouth, throat, lungs and eyes of area residents.

SELC also adds that large-scale chicken operations create thousands of tons of waste each year such as feces, bedding material, and even dead and decomposing birds that could end up in nearby rivers, streams, and drinking water sources.

These huge, smelly, and dirty industrial poultry facilities threaten to pollute our air, contaminate our water, and ruin our way of life, said James Lavel, a member of Concerned Citizens of West Tennessee. The Farm Service Agency should be helping real family farms, not subsidizing massive corporations and rubber stamping dangerous industrial operations that can destroy our communities.

The SELC and group claim the Farm Service Agency officials ignored the environmental and community impacts, including by hurrying through environmental reviews before rubber-stamping federal loan guarantees, which the SELC claims violates the National Environmental Policy Act.

It is clear that these industrial animal operationsincluding the poultry facilities in Henderson Countyare neither small nor family run, SELC senior attorney George Nolan said. The Farm Service Agencys abuse of loan programs meant to help small, family farmers is a blatant violation of federal law and of the agencys own regulations. FSA leaders should stop using lending programs meant for family farms to subsidize massive, multi-billion-dollar corporations like Tyson Foods.

The group seeks the court to vacate the loans that they believe were illegally awarded and prevent the FSA and USDA from granting loans for family farms to large corporations such as Tyson.

Awaiting a USDA Response

The USDA hasnt yet replied to the suit in federal court. In response to a request for comment from the agency, a representative told The Epoch Times in an email: Thank you for reaching out. USDA does not comment on ongoing litigation.

The agency notes on its website that the vast majority of farms in the United States are family farms. This includes more than 2.2 million farms, according to the agency.

USDA defines a family farm as any farm organized as a sole proprietorship, partnership or family corporation. The definition excludes farms organized as non-family corporations or cooperatives, as well as farms with hired managers.
FBI Offers $25,000 Reward for Info on Pregnancy Center Attacks

A message written on the wall of a pregnancy resource center that was set on fire in Longmont, Colorado, on June 25, 2022. (Longmont Police Department)

The FBI said it is offering a $25,000 reward for information on a series of attacks on pregnancy centers dating back to last years Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade.

In a statement, the bureaus Portland office said it will provide the payment to sources and informants who can give information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for these crimes at three centers in Oregon.

Last year, between 4 p.m. on July 4 and 8 a.m. on July 6, arson and vandalism occurred at the Mother and Child Education Center in Portland. IF ABORTION AINT SAFE NEITHER RU JR and JANES RVVGG were scrawled on the property in spray paint, according to officials.

Weeks before, police in Gresham, Oregon, discovered a fire inside the Gresham Pregnancy Center after an alarm was sounded, the FBI said. The center offers care and information for new mothers.

Once on scene, law enforcement personnel found a fire inside the building. Investigators believe several Molotov cocktails were thrown through a kitchen window in order to ignite the fire, said the release. Investigators found several large bottles in the kitchen with fire accelerant confirmed on the floor.

Photos published last year suggested that pro-abortion extremists may have been behind that attack. Vandals wrote if abortions arent safe then niether (sic) are you on the side of the building and included the anarchy symbol.

And in Keizer, Oregon, the local police department fielded 911 calls on May 8 that reported someone throwing Molotov cocktails at an Oregon Right to Life building, the FBI said. The Oregon Right to Life describes itself as a leading a pro-life group in the state.

From nearby security footage, investigators determined the suspect retrieved an item from the trunk of their vehicle and walked towards the building, the release states. A glow could be seen on the security footage that was determined to be flames from the Molotov cocktail thrown at the building.

Shortly after, the assailant was observed running back to a vehicle, the FBI said. That person appeared to have been driving a 2017 to 2018 white Hyundai Elantra.

Pro-abortion activists (R) argue with pro-life activists in front of the Supreme Court in Washington on June 26, 2022. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

The FBI Seattle division said it, too, will provide $25,000 for information regarding an arson attack targeting a pregnancy center north of Seattle in Everett, Washington.

On the night of June 27, 2022, the Two Hearts Pregnancy Aid clinic building located at 3202 Hoyt Avenue in Everett, Washington, was vandalized. Evidence of an incendiary device was recovered from the scene. It is believed to have been thrown through a window in an attempt to cause a fire, it said.

Another FBI statement on Thursday said the bureau is offering $25,000 for information in connection to an attempted arson attack targeting the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Lincolnton, North Carolina, last June. The incident occurred a day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Domestic Terrorism?

A statement issued by FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested the bureau may treat the attacks as domestic terrorism cases. The FBI news release, meanwhile, said that the perpetrators, if convicted on arson charges, could face up to 20 years in prison.

Todays announcement reflects the FBIs commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country, Wray said in a statement to news outlets Thursday. We will continue to work closely with our national, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold responsible anyone who uses extremist views to justify their criminal actions.

The head of the Mother and Child Education Center told Fox News last year that her Oregon nonprofit helps young mothers and infants, and it has taken no official stance on abortion.

My organization, we are nonprofit, and we help moms, families, kids in need, babies from zero to 5 years old, Maura White said in June. Were just there to help people. And so they mistakenly thought that we were out here doing anti-abortion and everything. The violence was horrible.

Janes Revengea left-wing pro-abortion grouphas encouraged the firebombing and vandalism of pro-life groups and crisis pregnancy centers, starting in May 2022 after a leaked Supreme Court draft suggested Roe v. Wade would be overturned.
FDA Asks Federal Judge to Protect Access to Abortion Drug Mifepristone

Signage outside of the Food and Drug Administration headquarters in White Oak, Md., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking a federal judge to reject a lawsuit seeking to withdraw the approval given to an abortion drug as plaintiffs accuse the agency of failing to follow proper regulatory standards and succumbing to political machinations during the approval process.

The lawsuit (pdf), filed by a group of pro-life medical doctors and organizations in November, challenges the FDAs decision to approve the abortion drug mifepristone in 2000.

The lawsuit claims the drug poses an ongoing danger to women.

Mifepristone, available in a generic version and under the brand name Mifeprex, is used in conjunction with another drug for medication abortions within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. In its court filing on Tuesday, the FDA insisted that there was no basis for second-guessing its original judgment from 2000.

Pulling mifepristone from the market will force abortion seekers to potentially undergo unnecessary and more invasive solutions like surgical abortions, the FDA stated. This can pose risks to some patients, like those who are intolerant to anesthesia.

The public interest would be dramatically harmed by effectively withdrawing from the marketplace a safe and effective drug that has lawfully been on the market for twenty-two years, FDA lawyers wrote in their filing to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the American College of Pediatricians, and four individuals.

In its court filing, the FDA submitted positive declarations from abortion providers to support its position. Danco Laboratories, which manufactures Mifeprex, is seeking to intervene in the lawsuit to protect its ability to sell the drug.

Politics Behind Approval

The lawsuit insists that the FDA failed to protect American girls and women when it chose politics over science and approved chemical abortion drugs for use in the United States.

In January 1993, President Bill Clinton asked his cabinet to legalize the use of chemical abortion drugs. At the time, mifepristone was manufactured by a French company.

Clinton and agency officials pressured the manufacturers to donate for free the U.S. patent rights of the drug to the Population Council, an entity focused on controlling population numbers, the lawsuit claims.

After receiving the patent rights, the Population Council worked closely with the Clinton administrations FDA in the review process. The FDA approved mifepristone just a month before the closely-contested U.S. presidential election in 2000.

The only way the FDA could have approved chemical abortion drugs was to use its accelerated drug approval authority, necessitating the FDA to call pregnancy an illness and argue that these dangerous drugs provide a meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments, the lawsuit states.

By asserting such transparently false conclusions, the FDA exceeded its regulatory authority to approve the drugs, the lawsuit states, adding that the agency did not study the drugs safety under the labeled conditions of use despite being obligated to do so per the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The FDA ignored the potential impact of the drug on the developing bodies of girls in violation of the Pediatric Research and Equity Act, disregarding substantial evidence that chemical abortion drugs cause more complications than surgical abortions, the plaintiffs said.

Removing Drug Safeguards

In 2016, the FDA removed crucial safeguards to the chemical abortion drug regimen by expanding the gestational age limit for the procedure from seven weeks to 10 weeks, the complaint states.

Those extra three weeks of fetal development pose an increased risk to the pregnant woman as the size of the baby and the surface area of the placenta have significantly grown during this time, the lawsuit states.

Also in 2016, the FDA changed the dosage and route of administering the chemical abortion drugs, cut the number of in-person visits required from three to one, eliminated a requirement to report nonfatal complications from such drugs, and expanded who could prescribe and administer the drugs beyond just medical doctors, the plaintiffs said.

All this was done without any objective clinical investigations or studies that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of this new chemical abortion regimen or any safety assessment of its effects on the developing bodies of girls under 18 years of age, the plaintffs argue.

In 2019, the FDA approved the generic version of the drug, mifepristone, again without any new clinical investigation evaluating the safety of the drugs, the lawsuit states.

In April 2021 after Biden took office, tbe FDA temporarily approved mail-order chemical abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2021, the FDA made this measure permanent.

After two decades of engaging the FDA to no avail, Plaintiffs now ask this Court to do what the FDA was and is legally required to do: protect women and girls by holding unlawful, setting aside, and vacating the FDAs actions to approve chemical abortion drugs and eviscerate crucial safeguards for those who undergo this dangerous drug regimen, the lawsuit states.

On Jan. 13, attorneys general from 22 states sent a letter to the FDA, asking that the agency reverse a rule change that allows for the remote prescription of abortion-inducing pills via mail.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Fed Taking First Step Toward Pressuring Banks Into Restricting Energy Investments With Climate Risk Analysis

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Federal Reserve has called on prominent American banks to conduct a pilot climate assessment for analyzing how their businesses would be impacted by climate change, including a transition to a low-carbon economy, despite worries that the measure will end up limiting investments in traditional energy firms.

During the course of the climate scenario analysis (CSA), the Federal Reserve will engage with the banks to understand challenges they face as well as their approaches to dealing with financial risks stemming from climate change. The Fed will collect and discuss governance and risk management policies, estimates of the potential impact on specific portfolios, data challenges and limitations, and measurement methodologies.

The program has been accused of setting the stage for more Fed intrusion into how banks deal with climate risks, even as Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently dismissed the possibility of the central bank becoming a de facto policymaker on issues related to climate.

The six banks that will participate in the pilot CSA include Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.

The CSA includes two independent modules, a physical risk module and a transition risk module. In the first module, the aim is to understand the potential harm to property and people due to climate-related events. The transition risk module seeks to understand the stresses the banks might have to undergo during the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The climate scenarios used in the CSA exercise are neither forecasts nor policy prescriptions. They do not necessarily represent the most likely future outcomes or a comprehensive set of possible outcomes, a Jan. 17th Fed report (pdf) states.

Rather, the pilot CSA exercise includes a range of plausible future outcomes that can help build understanding of how certain climate-related financial risks could manifest for large banking organizations and how these risks may differ from the past.

CSA Calculations, Fed Intrusion

For the CSA, the Fed will define forward-looking scenarios, including climate, economic, and financial variables. The participating banks are expected to estimate the effect of these scenarios on their loan portfolios over a future time period.

The banks are required to calculate the probability of default, internal risk rating grade, and the loss given default for each loan of the portfolio under the CSA exercise.

The Fed had first announced the pilot CSA program back in September, at which time it attracted criticism from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), a ranking member of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee.

Toomey called the pilot CSA exercise the first step toward pressuring banks into restricting loans and limiting investments in traditional energy companies and other disfavored carbon-emitting sectors.

There is no risk from global warming that banks arent already fully capable of pricing into their decisions, and the Feds intrusion into this process only underscores that the real risk is government, he said, according to a press release on Sept, 29, 2022.

The real purpose of this program is to ultimately produce new regulatory requirements. While the Fed can call this pilot program by whatever name it may prefer, it sounds exactly like a stress test to me.

Fed Stance on Climate Policy, GOP Countering Climate Agenda in Business

The banks are required to submit responses to the Fed by July 31. The Fed estimates to publish results from the program by the end of 2023. The central bank will not release any firm-specific information.

The Fed has published the CSA rules roughly a week after Powell had insisted that the central bank will not seek to act as a policymaker on climate issues.

While speaking at a panel in Sweden, Powell admitted that the Fed has narrow but important responsibilities regarding climate-related financial risks.

But without explicit congressional legislation, it would be inappropriate for us to use our monetary policy or supervisory tools to promote a greener economy or to achieve other climate-based goals. We are not, and will not be, a climate policymaker, he said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are strongly pushing against the climate agenda being forced into the business sector.

In December, six Republicans from the House Judiciary Committee wrote a letter to two executives from a group called Climate Action 100+, alleging potential violation of antitrust laws due to their roles in making some companies pursue environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies.
Feds Reveal Canadas Role in WEF-Promoted Fourth Industrial Revolution

World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab delivers a during a session of the WEF annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 17, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Additional details of Canadas participation in a World Economic Forum (WEF) initiative to streamline regulations across countries in order to speed up the coming of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have been revealed through a request for information submitted by Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis.

Lewis submitted questions to the government in October pertaining to Canadas involvement in the Agile Nations network, a project of the WEF and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The MP received a response dated Dec. 7 from the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and provided a link to it on her Twitter account on Jan. 18.

In Nov 2020 while Canadians were distracted by COVID, the Liberal govt signed a World Economic Forum-initiated Charter. The Agile Nations Charter will facilitate agile rule-making outside of Parliament. Why the secrecy? Lewis tweeted.

Other countries involved include Denmark, Italy, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

The TBSs Inquiry of Ministry document obtained by Lewis says the WEF and the OECD also invited corporations to take part on the discussions surrounding the establishment of the Agile Nations Charter.

Those include Facebook, IBM, German industrial giant Siemens, Sherlock Biosciences, financial tech company Suade Labs, Volvo Group, and Wingcopter.

The charter, which is not legally binding, was signed by the participating governments in November 2020.

It says that technological breakthroughs are heralding a Fourth Industrial Revolution and that a more agile approach to rulemaking will help new innovations drive economic growth and address the worlds most pressing social and environmental challenges.

In other words, streamlining regulations will allow the proliferation of new technologies, which the WEF identifies in its charter toolkit as gene editing, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and autonomous vehicles.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers the potential to change lives around the world for the better. But to realize this potential, a new approach to governance is needed, says the WEF toolkit.

The WEF wants to speed up the regulating processes, and says the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this transition in some areas  driving the adoption of digitally-enabled ways of producing goods or providing services in a world where physical interaction becomes less possible.

The charter says the OECD and the WEF have an observer status, but it is not limited to observing, as they may make proposals for inclusion in the work programme; and  participate in other activities.

Canadas Involvement

What does it mean specifically for Canada?

The TBS says participation in the Agile Nations Charter involves supporting the development of work programs, engaging with partner countries, and taking part in specific projects.

Canada is involved in seven of those projects, and TBS says there are no extra costs involved for the participating agencies and departments, with the funds coming out of their normal operating budgets.

MP Lewis asked for specific details on the Digital Credentials project, which pertains to the use of digital ID.

The TBS says the objective of the Canada-led project is to increase global reliance on digital trust technologies and aims to support international collaboration on solutions to foster interoperability of these technologies.

Charter members are working on a pilot project to test the use case end-to-end, from the issuance of the digital credentials to a users digital wallet, to the use of those digital credentials to obtain services and/or complete transactions and also use in crossing borders between participating countries.

This project is spearheaded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

It appears to be similar to another WEF initiative that Canada also takes part in, the Known Traveller Digital Identity (KDTI).

Details about that program were revealed in October, also through an Inquiry of Ministry request submitted by Lewis.

Transport Canada indicated that the project, which also involves the Netherlands, had been delayed due to the pandemic. The Epoch Times contacted the department to get a status update.

Innovation Canada is also responsible for the Consumer Connected Products project which relates to cybersecurity and the internet of things, or consumer products which can connect to networks.

The aim is to promote internationally-recognized security requirements for those products to help protect consumers.

Health Canada is involved in a project to facilitate the marketization of digital health devices, and TBS is working on two projects related to experimental and forward-looking approaches to regulation.

The WEF recently held its annual meeting in Davos, where Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Trade Minister Mary Ng participated in discussion panels.

Media relations teams from Global Affairs, Finance, and the Privy Council did not respond to inquiries regarding Canadas involvement at the summit, and apparently didnt issue a press release about the event.
Ford to Allow Doctors, Nurses From Out-of-Province to Start Work in Ontario Immediately

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, joined by Health Minister Sylvia Jones, makes an announcement on health care in the province, in Toronto on Jan. 16, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will introduce legislation that would allow doctors and nurses from all over Canada to start practicing in Ontario without delay.

Currently, licensed professionals from other regions must first register in Ontario. That restriction will be removed if the legislation passes.

We call these new rules As of Right and we are the first province to implement them, Ford said at a press conference in Windsor on Jan. 19.

A doctor from B.C. or a nurse from Quebec shouldnt face barriers or bureaucratic delays to start providing care, Ford said. Other provinces and territories have the same high standards as we have here.

Ontario has less than three physicians for every 1,000 people and about 1.3 million people without a family doctor, according to Ontario Medical Association and Ontario College of Family Physicians data.

The province has less than six nurses for every 1,000 people, and would need to hire 24,000 immediately to catch up to the national average, the Ontario Nurses Association reported in November.

Ford, along with Health Minister Sylvia Jones, discussed other initiatives to address health care staff shortages.

Addressing Shortages

Ontario is expanding medical school education, adding 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate seats over the next five years.

At the Jan. 19 conference, Ford said Ontario has had a problem with international students coming to train at Canadian medical schools, but then leaving the country to practise.

He said theyre taking spots from Ontario students, who are going instead to the Caribbean or Ireland to get their medical degrees. I have no problem students coming here and studying and becoming a doctor, as long as they stay here, Ford said. Especially, he said, since they are being subsidized to a certain degree.

The government has also been streamlining the process for internationally trained health care professionals to get licensed in Ontario.

Other Announcements

Ford and Jones made the announcement at the Windsor Regional Hospital, where they also announced a $30 million investment in the hospitals facilities. The funds are aimed at helping diagnose and treat cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Jones said many in Windsor have had to travel to London or Detroit to get care and this investment will allow patients to get that care locally.

A new hospital is supposed to be built in Windsor by 2030, but Jones said this investment and expansion is needed in the meantime and the equipment purchased will be transferred to the new site.

Ford and Jones also spoke about their recently announced plan to expand the number of surgeries and diagnostic scans conducted at private clinics.

Ford reiterated that the procedures would be publicly funded and would tackle the backlog of surgeries, currently above 200,000 in the province.

When asked whether the private clinics would get more money per procedure than the public hospitals, Jones replied, We have a formula for compensating that is based on patients that are served.

The plan has three steps, the first of which has already commenced. The first step is focused on getting 14,000 cataract surgeries performed through new partnerships with clinics in Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Windsor. Cataract surgeries currently have the longest wait-time.

Subsequent steps will depend on the same legislation to open practice in Ontario to out-of-province doctors and nurses. That legislation will be introduced in February.
In a fire-prone region of southeastern Montana, the Custer Gallatin National Forest is proposing an ambitious tree planting, logging and controlled burn plan over the next eight to 20 years.

The project area for the South Otter Landscape Restoration and Resiliency Project stretches across more than 456 square miles, south of the community of Ashland. The entire ranger district covers more than 680 square miles between the Tongue and Powder rivers, just east of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

This project uses forest management tools, such as prescribed burning and thinning to reduce negative effects of future wildfires, while also enhancing conditions that welcome frequent low-intensity fire events, said Ron Hecker, Ashland District ranger, in a press release.

The Forest Service released its draft decision notice, finding of no significant impact and environmental assessment for the project on Wednesday and is now taking comments from previously involved agency representatives and members of the public.

Burned

The forest is valued by hunters and other recreationists for the large block of public lands it provides. The project area includes two developed campgrounds, Cow Creek and Black Pond, a functional fire lookout that doubles in the winter months as a recreational rental cabin, and the Poker Jim Picnic Area. There are roughly 290 miles of motorized trails currently open to all vehicles.

It is also one of the largest grazing districts the Forest Service manages in the United States.

Yet from 1988 to 2012, almost 453 square miles burned on the Ashland Ranger District  66% of forest lands, resulting in a 47% reduction in forest cover. In 2000, 13 fires were ignited in the district following a thunderstorm. The two largest fires that year burned more than 110 square miles. Eleven years later, the Diamond Complex fires burned more than 79 square miles in the region. The Ash Creek, Taylor Creek and Dutch fires struck in 2012, burning 242 square miles in the ranger district.

Over a third of the of the Ashland Ranger Districts landscape has burned since 2012, with high severity and high intensity, resulting in substantial levels of tree mortality and vegetation change, Hecker stated.

Trees damaged by the fires may also attract beetles and wood boring insects that can kill them. The result of this wave of mortality has the same effect as high severity fire  loss of the forest cover, the Forest Service explained in its environmental assessment.

While wildfires have helped shape the landscape, todays fires are not similar to those of the past; they are often hotter, more destructive, and more dangerous to suppress, the environmental assessment noted.

Actions

By planting trees across almost 62 square miles, logging more than 57 square miles and igniting controlled burns on about 287 square miles, the Forest Service is hoping to reduce the occurrence of wildland fires, or at least lessen the chance that small fires can grow quickly into larger blazes.

To complete the work, up to 168 miles of temporary roads may be constructed to facilitate commercial timber harvest, that would be  decommissioned and closed after completion of vegetation treatments, the agency noted.

The proposal has concerned the Montana Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit sporting group. Alec Underwood, senior policy and development director for MWF, wrote in a letter to the Forest Service last year saying in the wake of recent fires, the timber harvests on the last remaining 'green islands' of timber, that provide both thermal and hiding cover and refuge for ungulates are troubling.

With the disturbance of logging and road building, elk may leave public lands for refuge on adjoining private property, making them unavailable to most hunters, Underwood added.

State representatives of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks endorsed the Forest Service proposal.

Elizabeth McFarland and Mike Wigen, who live within the project area, criticized the agency in a comment letter for not providing more public outreach regarding the proposed work.

Jackie Walden, of the Ashland Fort Howes Grazing Association, wrote that her group welcomed the project as an attempt to reduce the risk of large-scale wildfire.

Timber

The Forest Service estimated the project would contribute 139 jobs and $7 million in labor income.

Tom Partin, a consultant for the American Forest Resource Council, wrote his group is very appreciative of the fact that this Project could yield over 100 (million board feet) of timber and provide 139 jobs, the project could be even better if it would include the harvest of larger trees, more trees per acre and limited required road work and brush disposal.

The expense of these planning documents is high, and we feel it is important to get as much work done using this document, Partin added, suggesting the number of acres harvested be increased.

To review the South Otter environmental assessment, decision notice and comment letters, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=58396.
US Water Resources Under Foreign Control Increasing Amid Security Concerns

An expert says up to 63 million Americans are potentially exposed to unsafe drinking water. Upgrading the country's nearly 50-year-old lead water pipes alone will cost an estimated $60 billion. (Emmily/Shutterstock)

While U.S. officials continue to express concern over the surge in foreign-owned farm acreage, an important question looms: Who owns Americas water?

Foreign interests are expanding their hold on U.S. water in opaque ways besides just land ownership. At the moment, the door is wide open for foreign investment in water privatization.

Increased privatization in water utilities also leads to higher prices at the tap for residents, new research suggests.

Water pumped up from an underground well flows into a cistern on a farm in Fresno, Calif., on July 24, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Moreover, private water companies in the United States lack transparency.

Information gaps, inaccuracies, and ownership data are missing from 14 publicly traded water companies that serve 33 states, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

There also are water futures to consider. In 2020, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange established its first water futures market, allowing investors to buy shares as with any other commodity.

Some analysts claim big investments in U.S. water futures can drive up costs for residents, saying inflated market prices may result in hoarding among water rights owners.

This trifecta approach is effectively tightening a foreign investment noose around Americas water.

Long-Term Threat

The United States is grappling with drought in 44 percent of the lower 48 states as of January. Western states have endured prolonged arid conditions for years, affecting multiple farming regions and domestic food supply.

Meanwhile, outside investors are placing their biggest bets on land acquisition.

Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land represents nearly 38 million acres. For perspective, thats roughly the size of Illinois or Iowa. Between 2009 and 2019, foreign land holdings doubled.

With that comes the potential for turning water into money.

While laws concerning water usage vary from state to state, landowners often have the right to use, sell, or divert those resources. Coupled with expanding foreign ownership, some insiders are worried about Americas water.

New water pipes awaiting installation in Flint, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

The topic is a very serious one, a senior official within Californias resource management agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Epoch Times. Wealthy non-farming Americans and foreign interests are buying up U.S. farms and water rights.

Foreign investors are manipulating domestic politics in ways that prioritize the commodification of farmland over things such as sustainable use, clean food, and water quality, the person said.

Foreign ownership of American real estate is one of the biggest long-term threats to the integrity of our political systems.

Lawmakers also are sounding the alarm over foreign companies and nations owning broad swaths of U.S. agricultural land.

In May 2022, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) proposed legislation that would prohibit individuals or companies associated with China from the purchase of public or private agricultural land.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced similar legislation with restrictions against China-affiliated ownership of U.S. farmland in 2021.

Direct Chinese investment in the U.S. economy is a major threat to the American way of life, he said in a statement.

Leaky Infrastructure

When it comes to water privatization, advocates point to Americas aging pipes as proof that corporations can deliver where the government has failed for decades.

Upgrading the countrys nearly 50-year-old lead water pipes alone will cost an estimated $60 billion.

While President Joe Biden originally proposed $45 billion to upgrade public water pipes and service lines, only $15 billion was allocated for lead pipe remediation in a bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by Congress. That means Americas public water utilities wont see dramatic improvements anytime soon.

Cue the entrance of foreign investors with deep pockets.

Its not so much about water quantity as it is about water quality, water engineer Antoine Walter told The Epoch Times.

Unsafe Drinking Water

Walter has worked on water projects in places such as New York; Hong Kong; Melbourne, Australia; Vancouver; and the U.S. West. He noted that 63 million U.S. residents are potentially exposed to unsafe drinking water.

Chronic underfunding in water utilities, combined with a system where 85 percent of these utilities have three or fewer employees  hampers the chances for American citizens to keep accessing good water in the future, he said.

Privatization is one of the solutions to combat that trend.

Foreign companies getting into the U.S. water game isnt new. Big names in the world of water, such as the French-owned Suez Environment, and Veolia Environment, along with Germanys Siemens, have all held stakes in U.S. water utilities.

The part where foreign investment in water resources may play a role is in the agricultural and marginally industrial uses of water, Walter said.

With the existing lack of clarity surrounding ownership data in private utility companies, it begs the question: Who will provide Americas drinking water?

National Security Threat

In general, theres always a risk associated with selling land to foreign investors. Rental periods are a much better way to preserve U.S. interests, security analyst Irina Tsukerman told The Epoch Times.

Functioning as the president of Scarab Rising, Tsukerman said the outcome of foreign-owned land and water rights will largely depend on the countrys or companys relationship with the United States.

Short-term immediate risks with unfriendly or competing powers are a higher risk for many reasons, she said.

Tsukerman says that in states with drought conditions, land ownership can become an additional risk factor.

She pointed out that Canada and a number of European nations have purchased huge amounts of land in various states.

None of these countries will necessarily deliberately abuse their acquisitions to deprive Americans of water, she said.

However, the sheer number and quantity of such purchases for agricultural consumption  raise risks and concerns about loss of control by the United States over agriculture, water, and other natural resources.

In a historic first, the U.S. government flagged domestic water security as a national security issue in 2022.

Lugging gallon jugs of water, migrants thread their way along footpaths just north of the Mexico/Arizona border. (Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times)

A National Intelligence Council analysis highlighted a growing risk of conflict over water and migration, which could wind up creating additional demands on U.S. diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and military resources.

In addition, a White House report noted, Global water security is essential to U.S. national security.

Tsukerman supported this, saying, There may have to be an outright ban for adversarial actors from owning or controlling entire supply chains involving water resources  if theres a realistic chance it could result in abuses and compromising precious resources.
David Stilwell at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 18, 2023. (NTD)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.China has been through 5,000 years of dynasties coming and going, and only in the last 100 years has the communist party of China been in power. Yet in these short 100 years, China has become nearly unrecognizable. Shen Yun Performing Arts is striving to let the world perceive the beauty that China once had.

David Stilwell was the former Assistant Secretary of State for the East Asian Pacific Bureau, at the State Department. Having lived in China for many years he expressed his appreciation for New York-based Shen Yuns efforts to renew traditional Chinese culture.

Last time I saw it was in Hawaii. And it just keeps getting better and better. The best thing about it is its doing its best to preserve Chinese traditional history, Chinese culture, said Mr. Stilwell.

Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power, it used its authority to demand the destruction of culture.

Appreciate what you all are doing to preserve Chinese culture.  David Stilwell

We have a government thats doing its best to destroy that culture. Since 1949, the Great Leap Forward, [and] the madness of the Cultural Revolution. Were it not for people like [those in Shen Yun], all those treasures would have been destroyed; all that history, all the relics would not have been around today. So again, appreciate what you all are doing to preserve Chinese culture, he added.

Mr. Stilwell pointed out that when the communist ideology fails in China, the traditional culture that Shen Yun is reviving will be able return.

Weve seen with the handling of COVID, the fact that it began in China, and it was allowed to leak out of China. And now weve seen the madness of the zero COVID policy and how it failed miserably. Those policies and their approach to managing and governing the country dont work. And so by preserving the culture, when this all resolves, you will have something to fall back onsomething thats traditional, solid and representative of China, commented Mr. Stilwell.

With the atheist ideology that the CCP instilled, many Chinese people found that they were missing their spiritual side. Mr. Stilwell expressed that while in China, he and cab drivers talked about the church they attended. This indicated to Mr. Stilwell that the people in China knew that atheism wasnt the answer.

I was able to relate to them my own beliefs. But in the current government, you cant talk about faith. You have to talk about the party and the party leadership, so Shen Yun preserves traditional Chinese religion, spirituality and its a good thing, he said.

He added that he particularly enjoyed the music. Shen Yuns orchestra combines a classical Western orchestra with traditional Chinese instruments.

Im a music fan. And I really liked the blend of Western cellos, oboes, and bassoons with the erhu, the pipa, and the percussion. Its a very nice combination, said Mr. Stilwell.

Through dance and music, Shen Yun tells vivid stories from Chinese history and literature.

The combination of the music and the dancing was at times uplifting. My toes are tapping. But it was also very calming and soothing and relaxing. So we hit both ends of the spectrum, expressed Mr. Stilwell.

He added that he would recommend everyone to come out and experience Shen Yun.

When Shen Yun comes to town, I thoroughly recommend getting out and seeing it. Its very different than what youve seen before, but in many ways its familiar. If you can see it, take the chance. Go out and be surprised, he said.

Reporting by NTD and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Former Eton Master: Chivalry Is the Wests Answer to the Problem of Masculinity

Will Knowland says that marriage is 'fundamental to an individual man finding fulfilment'

Will Knowland, a writer and social commentator who focuses on masculinity and morality, speaking to NTD's "British Thought Leaders" programme in London in January 2023. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

A writer and former Eton teacher who was fired from his job after he refused to take down a video of a lecture challenging the theory of toxic masculinity, says that men must embrace tradition and fatherhood.

Will Knowland told NTDs British Thought Leaders programme that this idea that the truly strong man can restrain himself is one of the big points of chivalry that I think were missing today.

Knowland was one of Etons youngest masters and taught there for nine years before being sacked for refusing to take down an online lecture on the patriarchy.

He was cleared of professional misconduct and received considerable support from Eton pupils, staff, and even government ministers.

Sadly, however, the lecture never made it to the boys at Eton, because the recorded version was watched by a member of staff who found it offensive, he said.

Independent Thinking

His job as an Eton master was to uphold the aims and ethos of the college, which aims at broad-based critical discussion and independent thinking.

Eton is an establishment that has produced around 20 British prime ministers.

In this file image, a student walks in front of Eton College, in Eton, west of London, on Oct. 1, 2015. (Jack Taylor/AFP via Getty Images)

Knowland said it was not only the soul of Eton that was under threat from a reluctance to discuss ideas.

I think theres a sense in which these institutions right at the top of education, the elite ones, the ones that are most affected by an ideology that is hostile to what they have stood for traditionally, its very much a top-down phenomenon, he said.

Fatherhood

Since leaving Eton, Knowland has worked on his website, focusing on masculinity and morality, giving advice on the pitfalls facing men in a society that is increasingly conflicted about manhood.

I think one of the main roots of whats troubling men in their sense of masculine identity today is that going back to the sexual revolution in the 1960s, what weve got is a severing of manhood from fatherhood, he said.

Knowland said that it was sad to hear young men contacting him, raising fears about getting married, scared of no-fault divorce laws, and afraid it will ruin them financially.

I think that marriage is really fundamental to an individual man finding fulfilment, but its also fundamental to social stability, and the future of culture generally, he said.

Couples arrange for Valentines Day courthouse wedding services at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

One of the big problems in the fall of Rome was the breakdown of marriage. Augustus made laws, trying to bring marriage back to encourage more men to do it, but even that wasnt enough, said Knowland.

He said that men have been historically valued for acts of courage, putting themselves in danger, or for aspects of life to do with the fathers role in protecting a mother and child.

So being a man is very much about having a calling in your very body to those particular virtues. But if you take it away, then it just becomes a kind of empty swagger, he added.

He noted that one of the main ways in which young men go astray is in wanting to be sexually active.

He said that when men sleep with as many women as possible they lose that sense of deeper fulfilment of family.

And that longing for sex is really a longing for connection with a woman that goes beyond just the physical, he said.

A man prays in a church as shoppers make their last minute purchases on Christmas Eve in Birmingham, England, on Dec. 24, 2018. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

European Civilization and Christianity

Knowland often draws on Christian scripture to make the case for men to start families.

So you see yourself as leading your wife and leading your children towards virtue traditionally, thats the main role of the father. And certainly in Christianity, and up until recently, European civilization and Christianity were basically the same thing, he said.

The fathers role is to get his family to heaven, and in so doing, get himself to heaven. So its a model of service rather than selfishness, he added.

Chivalry is essentially the Wests answer to the problem of masculinity, he said, distinguishing it from the swaggering bravado of machismo, which he says is shown by the man whos forgotten that his strength is to be put in the service of the weak and into the service of his community, specifically women and children.

Instead, its about being a man with great manners, whos developed the virtues, and who is able and willing to resort to violence if necessary, in the defence of what is good, but is otherwise going to be meek, said Knowland.
Former Heroine Jacinda Ardern Bites the Dust

Commentary

It was only a few weeks ago on a video call with a Brownstone writer in New Zealand when I got an education about the reality on the ground. I told him that Americans had the impression that Jacinda Ardern was popular in her country, a fact which dismayed me. She, after all, became the most famous dictatress in the Western world pushing for Zero COVID, a woman adored by the media, courted by all the late-night talk show hosts, and cheered by Harvard students at a commencement address just last year.

The gentleman assured me that my impressions are very wrong. She is loathed and despised in her country. She put this great nation through nearly three years of living hell, locking down her own citizens, arresting people for being out and about, ordering people never to speak to each other, blocking travel in or out, and then mandating jabs for everyone while encouraging segregation and isolation for those who refused.

He was right. What seemed to bring her down was massive public anger at her COVID policies. She took a healthy, happy, and free nation and turned it into a prison state, issuing edicts with a toothy grin to the cheers of the media. Even now, following a surprising and sudden resignation, she is being lauded by the press.

World leadership has rarely seen anything like her, says the Guardian. The dignity and integrity of her departure strikes a paradoxically powerful note, especially at a time when political transition in democracies from the United States to Brazil has been marred by violence and insurrection. The childhood Mormon who became the world leader of the International Union of Socialist Youth was elected leader of NZ Labour in 2017. Ardern subsequently became the worlds then-youngest elected national leader at the age of 37.

So on it goes, with no mention of her appalling censorship and Stalinesque brutality exercised against her own people, except to say she managed a pandemic that not only threatened lives but devastated key local industries. In fact, it was she who threatened lives and devastated local industries! The Guardian, however, agrees with the Harvard Political Review that she is authentic, empathetic and bold, thus defying gendered stereotypes.

Honestly, if the path for a woman leader to experience canonization by the Western pressand being sainted by the Ivy Leagueis to trample human rights with a smile, I suspect that most people would prefer the stereotype.

Arderns resignation announcement was strange indeed. She cried. She said she is tired. She said she doesnt have the energy to continue. Good. Indeed, the human person is not intended to fare well emotionally when imposing cruelty on his or her own fellows. Doing so surely does take a toll. We do have this thing called a conscience, which St. Paul said is the means by which God inscribes ethical intuition on our heart.

The only way a ruler such as Ardern could have done what she did was to block out the conscience completely and thus become less than human. She apparently grew tired of that. Good for her. Maybe in her retirement, she will find her way back toward goodness, issue a heartfelt apology, and urge the world to use her example only as a warning of how not to rule.

However, that is not likely. Instead, she will write a book. She will accept speaking invitations the world over. She will be the toast of the World Economic Forum. She will be on corporate boards. She will be on nonprofit boards. Her next gigs will double, triple, and quadruple her income. She will become rich. She will have a huge staff around her to manage her correspondence and finances, not to mention endless interviews.

She is not disgraced. Quite the opposite. She will be adored by the global ruling class forever.

What she will not be allowed to do is rule her people anymore, and that is a true blessing. But her downfall will be attributed to the rubes among the citizens who never understood what the heck she was doing with this whole Zero COVID bit. Was New Zealand planning to stay isolated forever, hiding from a germ while the immune systems of her countrymen are degraded by forever jabs and lack of exposure? Was that the plan?

Actually, the plan was never clear. Ardern is one of many despots in the world spawned by this pandemic. They believed that their power and pronouncements were capable of ruling the pathogenic kingdom, causing even tiny viruses to be afraid and to go into hiding. It was a case study in human arrogance like weve never seen before.

Many college administrators copied her grotesque cruelty. Same with many mayors and company heads. Her example to the world was to be as brutal as possible and tolerate no dissent. That she was and is celebrated is a terrifying truth about our times: there is a ruling class in media, technology, and government that longs for totalitarian forms of governance. They dont believe in freedom any more than she did or does.

There are two legends that pertain. The first concerns King Canute of the 13th century, who became so fed up with his obsequious and adoring court that he set out to show that his powers were not what they were cracked up to be. He had his throne taken to the sea coast and proceeded to order the tide not to come in. It came in anyway, thus demonstrating that he was in no position to control natural forces.

Ardern was like an evil King Canute who actually believed that stopping the tide was possible on her order alone. Of course COVID came anyway, thus revealing that her destruction of New Zealanders rights and liberties, not to mention the whole economy, was utterly pointless.

Another parable that pertains is The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. King Prospero takes note of a pandemic and so gathers all members of the court, plus piles of food and drink, to hide in a castle until the pathogen is gone. They party hard for months and have the time of their lives, while people outside face the pandemic with many dying. Finally once the germ is endemic, the castle dwellers hold one final ball but at this ball there is a visitor. That visitor is of course death himself. They all kick the bucket.

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

The lesson here is that privileged isolation from a pathogen is a short-term strategy. Degraded immune systems are, in the end, more vulnerable to death than the exposed. The court in the castle had a great time but they were, the entire time, making themselves more vulnerable. That is essentially what Ardern was doing to her entire country. In this she was reversing decades of progress toward freedom. She wrecked the countrys stellar reputation for freedom and prosperity. It will be many years before it comes back.

The path trod here by Ardern is not different from many lockdowners. They all seem to be biting the dust, one by one, almost as if they are being sacrificed by someone somewhere once they have played their role. Donald McNeil at the New York Times started much of the hysteria and then got his head chopped off. Same happened to Andrew Cuomo of New York. Newscasters have been toppled. University presidents too. They were all on the wrong side of history, and they are being tossed out as sacrificial victims.

The question will always exist: why did she do this? Was she working for China and the Chinese Communist Party? Did her socialist ideology blind her to the limits of power? Was she merely confused about immunology or was she acting out some dark-hearted fantasy in which she would be the grave hegemon lording over an entire nation? Is power really that much of a drug that it makes even decent people blind to the sufferings of others?

The answers are elusive. We might have far more respect for her if she owned up to her failures and admitted what she has done. But the way things are going in the world today, there is reason to doubt that this will be the end. She leaves in her wake darkness and decay.

Sadly, this could just be the beginning of what could turn into a stellar career ahead.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
From Labor to One Nation, Will Tania Mihailuks Woke Warning Come True?

Member for Bankstown Tania Mihailuk (L) and NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns arrive to address media during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 5, 2021. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Commentary

Ten weeks out from the New South Wales (NSW) state election, Tania Mihailuk, the independent member for Bankstown, has announced that she will run for an Upper House seat on the One Nation ticket.

Formally of the Labor party, Mihailuk has been a member of the NSW Parliament since 2011 and served as the mayor of Bankstown City Council between 2006 and 2012.

Mihailuk had some sharp words for her former party. After telling Seven News that she was very concerned about a potential Labor government, she added:

[Labor Leader] Chris Minns as premier and a Labor government will see New South Wales go both woke and broke. I know the true agenda of the people currently sitting on Chris Minns frontbenchthey are from the extreme left.

Labors frontbench is a place Mihailuk has intimate knowledge of, given she used to sit on it.

The announcement that Mihailuk has joined One Nation followed earlier speculation when she was spotted with NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham. This would make her the third One Nation MP in NSW Parliament, joining Latham (also formally of the Labor party) and Rod Roberts.

It is no surprise that Mihailuk has stepped away from an increasingly hard-line Labor party. Self-described as a Christian, Labors crackdown on spiritual freedom (particularly Christianity in schools and shared social spaces) has made it an unattractive prospect for many of its former supportersincluding socially conservative migrants who often hold values at odds with Woke activism.

South-west Sydney communities like those in Bankstown have the highest observance in faith, be it Christianity, Buddhism, or Islam, but freedom of religion is a toxic notion to the inner-west left-wing hipsters that set Labor party agenda on social policy, said Mihailuk.

Mihailuk also said that she was fiercely opposed to corruption, drug legislation, and gender-fluidity being taught in schools. Latham has been particularly vocal when it comes to protecting children from radical gender ideology inside the classroom, frequently bringing controversial educational material into the public spotlight.

It hasnt always been smooth sailing between the pair. Mihailuk gave some unflattering commentary regarding Mark Latham in 2017.

Mark Latham poses for a portrait during the launch of Mark Lathams new book in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 5, 2017. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

But times change, and so do people, particularly in politics. Now, it appears, the pair have a larger fight against the Woke agenda ahead of them.

One Nation has become a party that attracts political talent from both sides of the right-left divide that share traditional values and seek to restore previously cherished social norms and liberties.

Mihailuk said of One Nation that it was the only party focusing on the cost of living crisis and energy bills. Meanwhile, Labor and Liberal were both running an unnecessary scare campaign against coal and nuclear energy.

NSW is rich in natural resources, but Labor wants to ban coal and forestry, and this will send electricity prices and the cost of building materials to record highs.

Mihailuks Last Straw

Mihailuks journey to One Nation began when she became an Independent in 2022 after a nasty breakup with NSW Labor. In September of 2022, Mihailuk used parliamentary privilege to link Canterbury-Bankstown Council mayor, Khal Asfour, to corrupt former Labor Minister Eddie Obeid.

Three days later, Minns sacked Mihailuk from the Shadow Cabinet. Shortly after, she resigned from the party, claiming NSW Labor was plagued by corruption and not ready to govern.

In a statement to the Lower House, Mihailuk said: Clearly, the NSW Labor party has not cleaned up its act, its not ready to govern, and as a consequence, I will now be resigning from the Labor party. Our party has been plagued by the Obeid factor for way too long.

Minns retaliated against Mihailuks claims: [I] told her that she cant stay in the Shadow Cabinet and continue to launch repeated political attacks without substantiated documents using parliamentary privilege.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns speaks to the media during a press conference at NSW Parliament, Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2022. Bankstown MP Tania Mihailuk made sensational claims against a selected candidate and was booted from NSW Labor leader Chris Minns shadow cabinet. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

Asfour denied the accusation against him, calling it outrageous and unsubstantiated. Nevertheless, he was officially endorsed by Labor as its candidate for the swiftly approaching March 2023 election. An investigation by the council cleared Asfour of wrongdoing.

At the time, he called Mihailuks comments a gutless slur and said it reeks of sour grapes at being overlooked on Labors Upper House ticket.

She has used parliamentary privilege to launch a cowardly attack on me and my family, and I call on her to produce evidence of any wrongdoing, he said.

It remains an open question whether the people of Bankstown will re-elect Mihailuk. While Independents sometimes can survive after departing their parent parties, switching to One Nation has created easy media fodder, with stories already running wrongly accusing the party of being anti-migrant.

That said, Latham remains a powerful memory in the minds of Labor voters.

Labor will run a strong campaign against Mihailuk, but their Woke policies in the classroom might be a bridge too far for Bankstowns parents.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
FTX Token Rallies After New Chief Says Crypto Exchange Could Restart

FTT, the native digital token for bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, rallied as much as 35 percent on Jan. 19 after a report revealed that new CEO John J. Ray III is considering restarting the platform.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ray has established a team to look at resuscitating FTX.com, the website that maintains non-U.S. clients. Ray and his team would determine if reviving the exchange would recover more value for the firms users rather than liquidating assets or selling the platform.

Everything is on the table. If there is a path forward on that, then we will not only explore that, well do it, Ray told the Journal.

There are stakeholders were working with whove identified what they see is a viable business.

Its unclear if thered be any customer demand, especially after the company discovered substantial shortfalls of its clients digital assets at both the U.S. and international exchanges compared to what users are owed.

Now that the crypto exchange is going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, Rays main objective is to uncover any last vestige of value.

Ray has been forthright about the state of the company, explaining in filings that hed never seen such a complete failure of corporate controls, calling it an unprecedented occurrence in his four-decade career.

FTX Group CEO John Ray testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on Investigating the Collapse of FTX, Part I, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 13, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Ray revealed when he took over FTX that he wasnt provided a location where FTX staff stored clients cash and cryptocurrency. He then discovered that there was no centralized system to determine where the firm stored its money. According to Ray, there was no record or proof of transactions for many of Bankman-Frieds multimillion-dollar deals.

This comes shortly after the FTX CEO confirmed that about $415 million of crypto was stolen by hackers$323 million from the international exchange and $90 million from the U.S. platform. FTX also informed the bankruptcy judge in Delaware that it had retrieved more than $5 billion in assets, including $3.5 billion in liquid crypto and $1.7 billion in cash.

Bankman-Fried Glad About the News

Former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried celebrated the news on Twitter, commenting in a tweet that hes glad Mr. Ray is finally paying lip service to turning the exchange back on after months of resistance.

Im still waiting for him to finally admit FTX US is solvent and give customers their money back, Bankman-Fried wrote in a tweet, sharing a link to his Substack post.

The FTX co-founder has repeatedly claimed that the company is solvent, as it always as [sic] been.

Despite investigators noting that the company held only $181 million worth of crypto, Bankman-Fried asserted that they shouldve included the $428 million of cash held by FTX US.

These claims by S&C [Sullivan & Cromwell] are wrong, and contradicted by data later on in the same document, he wrote on Substack. FTX US was and is solvent, likely with hundreds of millions of dollars in excess of customer balances.

In November 2022, he wrote in a tweet that FTX US faced different solvency challenges than its international alternative. The U.S.-based exchange is 100 percent liquid, according to Bankman-Fried.

Ray has dismissed Bankman-Frieds comments, telling the Journal that we dont need to be dialoguing with him.

He hasnt told us anything that I dont already know, adding that Bankman-Frieds statements have been misleading.

Thats unfortunate because people are continuing to be victims right now. They are victims of misinformation, he said. Its harmful.

Still, Bankman-Fried reiterated his stance that FTX is solvent.

Mr. Ray continues to make false statements based on nonexistent calculations, he told the Journal. If Mr. Ray had bothered to think carefully about FTX US, he would likely have realized both that his interpretation is wholly inconsistent with bankruptcy law, and also that even if one were to subtract $250 million from my balance sheet, FTX US would *still* have been solvent. Rather, Mr. Ray sees everything as one big honey potone he wants to keep.

Meanwhile, some market experts arent exactly bullish on the idea of relaunching FTX.

Restarting FTX is like when your margin trading account gets liquidated but you deposit just a little bit more money to give it one last shot,' former money manager and market commentator Genevieve Roch-Decter said in a Twitter post.

Last month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission officially charged Bankman-Fried with defrauding FTX investors and violations of securities law. He was also charged with eight criminal counts, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.

The 30-year-old defendant pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to 115 years in prison.

In the end, crypto enthusiasts appear optimistic about the companys prospects moving forward as FTT touched a two-month high of $2.50 in intraday trading on Jan. 19. The tokens market cap is inching closer to $750 million, which is still down from its all-time high of $9.39 billion in September 2021.
Fullerton May Partner With County to Open Cold Weather Homeless Shelter

Fullerton may soon partner with Orange County to open a temporary cold weather shelter for the homeless after the countys efforts to open such a facility in Santa Ana have reached a standstill.

The Fullerton City Council unanimously voted during its Jan. 17 meeting to begin negotiations with county officials to open such at its Independence Parks gymnasium starting Feb. 1 until the end of March or April, depending on the need.

I think we were duty bound as a society to protect those that are along the margins and taking people out of the rain is the least that we can do, Mayor Fred Jung said during the meeting.

Independence Parks gymnasium in Fullerton, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

If approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the shelter would open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Both the county and Fullerton typically open such shelters in the fall. Previously, the countys site has been in downtown Santa Ana, and Fullertons at the Fullerton Armory.

However, this year, neither could find operators.

After efforts in Santa Ana reached a standstill, the county asked Fullerton to use Independence Parks gymnasium. It was used also as a shelter at the beginning of the pandemic.

If approved by the supervisors, the city said it expects the county to fund the cost of the proposed shelters operator, People Assisting the Homeless, and for security and any damage to the location.

Fullerton may also receive $7,500 in monthly rent from the county for the location, according to city officials.

A homeless woman sits along Harbor Boulevard, in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Last October, after not receiving any responses for a bid to operate such a shelter in the county, officials began negotiations with the Salvation Army to run a shelter in downtown Santa Ana.

But the nonprofit backed out after facing opposition from Santa Ana city officials, who argued that surrounding cities do not do their part to address homelessness in the county.

David O. Carter, a federal court judge, issued a temporary ruling Oct. 14 to stop the county from opening the shelter in downtown Santa Ana, but ruled a week later that it could do so at an alternate Santa Ana location at the National Guard Armory at 612 E. Warner Ave., which has stalled.

The Board of Supervisors will likely review and vote on its contract with Fullerton at its upcoming Jan. 24 meeting.
Hard Road to Birth Amid Maternity Closures

At 33 weeks pregnant, Lisa Lehtinen cannot sleep at night as she worries about going into labour in her car or alone in a motel room far from home.

Her local maternity unit at Biloela in central Queensland has been on bypass since August, meaning expectant parents have to travel 140km to Rockhampton Hospital to give birth.

The 29-year-old, who has a toddler son, must decide whether to stay in a Rockhampton motel weeks before the birth, drive there closer to the time or present at the Biloela hospital and be transferred.

I was pregnant during COVID, and this is more stressful, Lehtinen told AAP.

I had a really quick birth with my first, so giving birth on the side of the road is a legitimate possibility.

Theres a good chance her husband would not be able to be present for the birth if it was in Rockhampton, she said.

Lehtinen is among hundreds in rural and regional Australia who are forced to travel long distances for maternity care and make difficult decisions about childbirth as workforce shortages set in.

Gladstone Hospital south of Rockhampton has been on maternity bypass for more than six months, while there have been inconsistent services in the last month at Beaudesert Hospital in southern Queensland.

Shrinking maternity care is being felt beyond the Sunshine State with Victorias Epworth Geelong Maternity, where 600 babies are born per year, set to close in March.

Recent parliamentary inquiries into rural health in NSW and Tasmania heard from families who travelled hundreds of kilometres for maternity care and basic procedures like ultrasounds.

The Rural Doctors Association this week urged state and federal governments to save maternity services, saying rural women and their babies are at risk.

Enough is enough, association president Megan Belot said.

These recent examples are sadly the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the continuing erosion of regional and rural birthing services across Australia.

Belot said a national training pathway for rural generalists, who have advanced skills across a range of specialities, including obstetrics, should be urgently set up along with more rural placements for junior doctors.

In its October budget, the federal government provided $143.3 million over four years for improved access to health care in country areas, including funding for rural generalists and more training places.

In the shorter term, the Queensland government said Gladstone Hospital will likely remain on bypass until mid-year, when four obstetricians can be recruited.

Health Minister Yvette DAth denied the bypass was due to funding cuts.

It is about a lack of obstetricians nationally right now, and particular challenges at that hospital due to personal circumstances and a range of reasons why other obstetricians who were there had to move on.

Lehtinen said rural families deserve better.

Were just asking to be able to give birth close to home, and I dont think thats too much to ask, she said.

Everyone in Australia should have access to basic maternity services and basic health care.
On any given day at any given pediatricians or family physicians office, youre likely to find several young adultstweens and teenspopping in for a Gardasil vaccine, which is intended to prevent infections from four strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). These visits take just a few minutes of a nurses time. Then, since fainting is a common side effect of the vaccine, the patient is supposed to sit or lie down for 15 minutes to avoid injuries. Whether a practice follows this U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) observation guideline or not is usually up to the provider.

But now, a dozen lawsuits that have been filed in federal court allege that Merck, the vaccines manufacturer, failed to warn patients of the risks of the Gardasil vaccine adequately. These risks, according to the lawsuits, include autoimmune problems and neurological injuries.

The plaintiffs contend that Merck was negligent in the way it conducted its clinical trials to get the vaccine approved in the first place and then deliberately downplayed the vaccine side effects and ignored postmarket safety signals.

Merck misrepresented and overemphasized Gardasils efficacy while concealing Gardasils serious risks, the plaintiffs wrote in a statement.

Among the highly troublingand sometimes lethalside effects that Merck has ignored are chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, premature ovarian failure, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

The entire issue is about choice, Bijan Esfandiari, a pharmaceutical products liability attorney based in Los Angeles, California, and a co-lead of the Gardasil multidistrict litigation, told The Epoch Times.

Our contention is that Merck knew through clinical trials that Gardasil was linked with serious autoimmune injuries. If youre going to be injecting a 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old with this vaccine that has purportedly all these benefits, you have to also inform the patients and the parents about all the risks associated with the product, Esfandiari said.

Whats more, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs, the vaccines are not as effective as the manufacturers contend.

The vaccine has never been shown to prevent cervical or any other cancer, Kim Mack Rosenberg, a lawyer based in New Jersey who is also involved in the lawsuits, told The Epoch Times. When you break down the epidemiological studies, they are seriously flawed and many of them are industry-funded.

What Is HPV?

HPV is a very common sexually transmitted virus. Passed from one person to another through skin-to-skin contact, oral sex, and deep kissing, even people who arent sexually active or only have one partner throughout their lifetime can get infected with it.

Scientists have identified more than 150 different strains of HPV. The majority of sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.

While this sounds worrisomeand much has been made of the dangers of HPV infectionsmost people who carry some strain of the virus in their bodies experience no ill health effects. In fact, the virus will self-resolve in two years with no treatment at least 90 percent of the time, according to the CDC.

However, like with other infections, some viral strains are more pathogenic than others. While this is often not a problem, we also know that HPV infections can lead to painful genital problems, including warts, as well as cancers of the anus, cervix, penis, and vagina. The virus has also been implicated in 70 percent of the cases of oropharyngeal cancer (cancer in the back of the throat), according to the CDC.

What About the HPV Vaccine?

The vaccine against HPV has been used widely since 2006 in several countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. Other industrialized nations soon followed suit.

In the United States today, the CDC recommends the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12 for both boys and girls, though it can be given to children as young as nine. If you missed the vaccine as a child, the CDC further recommends anyone up to age 26 get the shots. Its given as a series of either two or three injections.

For sexually active adults over 26 years old, the vaccine is not recommended because they have likely already been exposed.

As the new documentary film, Under the Skin: What Does Aluminum Do in Vaccines?, explored, the marketing blitz surrounding the HPV vaccine was tremendously successful.

Parents in countries around the world were bombarded with television advertisements and state-sponsored campaigns to prevent cancer.

Many of these appeals were done by beautiful tweens and teens looking directly into the camera and asking their parents some version of the question, You dont want me to get cancer, do you?

Serious Safety Concerns From the Start

But what was not revealed in the aggressive rollout of the different iterations of the HPV vaccine (it was updated to include more strains after the initial vaccine was found lacking), was that this miracle vaccine against cancer had serious safety concerns right from the beginning.

On Feb. 5, 2015, these safety issues were detailed in an outstanding original investigation published in the Toronto Star, The Dark Side of Gardasil.

According to that investigation, between 2008 and 2015, at least 60 Canadian girls and women had convulsions or developed disabling joint pain and other debilitating conditions after their shots.

After Kaitlyn Armstrong received her third HPV vaccine, the 13-year-old experienced pain throughout her body.

Natalie Kenzie, also 13, developed lumps the size of eggs on the bottoms of her feet, her joints swelled, and her limbs began twitching uncontrollably.

Another girl had an even more severe reaction. Annabelle Morin, 14, died two weeks after her second vaccine. She drowned in the bathtub on Dec. 9, 2008. The Quebec coroner listed the cause of death as drowning, but also said that Gardasil might have played a role and that Morins death warranted further investigation.

Safety Concerns Censored

Due to pressure from the medical establishment, the Toronto Star expunged its 2,600-word article from the internet.

A search for the article comes up with several headlines, among them: Science shows HPV vaccine has no dark side and How the Toronto Star massively botched a story about the HPV vaccineand corrected the record.

In 2009, Japan joined other countries in recommending the HPV vaccine (in this case, GlaxoSmithKlines bivalent vaccine) to tweens and teens. In 2011, Mercks quadrivalent shot was approved.

But in 2013, concerned about debilitating and ongoing side effects, the Japanese government suspended its recommendation for the universal use of the HPV vaccine.

An advisory panel concluded that the real side effects reported by Japanese women and girls, which included chronic and debilitating pain, convulsions, and excruciating headaches, did not justify the theoretical benefits of the vaccine. After the recommendation was changed, HPV vaccination rates in Japan declined from nearly 70 percent to less than 1 percent, according to Science magazine.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, and Colombia, have been flooded by reports of side effects.

However, on April 1, 2022, Japanese health authorities resumed the vaccination program, again recommending that girls (only girls) ages 12 to 16 get vaccinated.

Still, many in Japan remain concerned. This change, Masumi Minaguchi, a lawyer helping vaccine-injured women and girls sue the Japanese government, told Science, is without any scientific basis and is wrong as public health policy.

Bad Medical Advice

If the HPV vaccine is so reactogenic, why is it still being recommended? Esfandiari said many of the families his firm is representing that are dealing with HPV vaccine injuries were actually advised to continue to get HPV vaccines even though their first shots damaged their health.

Most of the medical community is not well informed when it comes to these injuries, he said. Doctors, Esfandiari told us, are not connecting the dots.

Theyre given the very product that is causing them harm because the family had no idea that what theyre suffering from was a result of the vaccine, Esfandiari explained. Had they been better informed, they wouldve known not to get the second or third vaccine. By withholding this information, Merck is creating unnecessary risk when the whole point of vaccines is to promote health, but here its causing harm.

Mack Rosenberg, the lawyer representing one of the vaccine-injured plaintiffs and who has also co-authored a 2018 book about the history of the HPV vaccine, said that HPV vaccine injury is much more widespread than people realize.

There have been thousands of injuries that individuals and their families believe have been caused by HPV vaccines around the world, Mack Rosenberg told The Epoch Times. These lawsuits just represent the tip of the iceberg.

Dr. Yuhong Dong, a medical doctor who earned a doctorate in infectious diseases and is the chief scientific officer and co-founder of a Swiss biotech company, conducted an independent investigation into the science behind the HPV vaccinations for The Epoch Times. You can read her analysis here.

The Epoch Times reached out to Merck for comment.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
While the House Taxation Committee on Wednesday voted to table Gov. Greg Gianforte's proposal for using $500 million of the state's estimated surplus for two years of property tax rebates, a Republican legislative leader said the bill is likely not dead.

Rep. Sue Vinton, the Republican House majority leader from Billings, brought the motion to table House Bill 222, which is an action that can't be debated. The vote was tabled in committee on a 14-7 vote, without any clear party-line division. The bill would have created property tax rebates of up to $1,000 for a homeowner that lives in Montana for at least seven months in each of the next two years. It is carried by Rep. Tom Welch, R-Dillon.

Supporters said the bill would be a good way to use the surplus to help homeowners facing ever-increasing property tax bills. The next reappraisal cycle will hit at the end of April near when the legislative session will adjourn. Opponents say solutions should be more permanent, policy changes and that renters are left out of the conversation even though landlords pass along increased property taxes in the form of higher rents.

In the committee meeting, Vinton did not say why she brought the motion. But in an interview after, she said it was to allow for more debate on many of the proposals on property tax relief and ideas on how to use the surplus. She also said she expected the legislation to resurface.

"House Bill 222 is a is a large, complex bill, and there are a lot of people that have a lot of interest in ideas in that bill. I just thought that the committee needed a little more time to think about it before we acted," Vinton said. " ... I expect to (HB) 222 to continue moving through the process."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Gianforte said he was "shocked" by the tabling.

"After Montanans lined up to support the governor's plan for $2,000 property tax rebates, the governor is shocked legislators decided to stall providing Montanans with property tax relief," spokesperson Brooke Stroyke wrote.

Vinton said Republicans are in regular communication with the governor's office, but did not say specifically if GOP lawmakers told the governor the tabling was coming.

"We're all united in doing the most fiscally responsible thing we can for our taxpayers and our citizens," Vinton said.

Vinton also said a number of different ideas will advance in the coming day and weeks.

There's a bill from Rep. Bill Mercer, House Bill 192, that would put $250 million of the surplus toward property tax rebates, along with providing income tax rebates and pay down state debts. It is awaiting a vote in the House Appropriations Committee. Gianforte, a Republican, has also said he'll bring a bill to pay off all state bonded debt but he does not have a proposal for income tax rebates; instead he wants to lower the tax rate paid by those earning more than about $19,000 and an increased threshold to the earned income tax credit for lower wage earners.
Scientists from the University of Utah recently concluded that ones ancestorsparticularly where and when ones grandparents and their children were bornmay contribute to an increased risk of autism.

Recently published in the International Journal of Health Geographics, the study reveals that ancestors genetics carry a significant risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)with the strongest signal identified from the birth and childhood of paternal grandparents.

Paternal grandparents nutrition in childhood, for instance, directly impacts health outcomes in grandchildren.

Looking back at families and where and when they lived helped us detect clusters of individuals who seem to have a higher subsequent risk of autism among their descendants, senior author and environmental epidemiologist James VanDerslice from the University of Utah said.

The researchers identified information from 7,900 parents and 31,600 grandparents of autistic children born between 1989 and 2014 based on geographic and population data of families in Utah.

Study lead Rebecca Richards-Steed said what they found fitted in with the current scientific understanding of paternal genetics being key to evolutionary change and adaptation.

So, it is quite possible in the case of autism that a signal, shaped in part by environmental experiences, is coming from the paternal lineage, which is being passed down through the family, Richards-Steed, who is also a geography graduate at the University of Utah, said.

In contrast, their findings in rural areas showed a different pattern. Out of the 20 key clusters of autism, the researchers identified seven clusters from the rural regions that had a low risk of passing autism down the family tree.

Were really not sure why some rural areas seemed to have what might be called a protective effect, Richards-Steed said.

Its certainly possible that parents and grandparents living in urban areas had different environmental exposures or experiences.

What we can say, based on our findings, is what we are being exposed to now is probably not just affecting us or even our children but maybe even our childrens children.

Incomplete Picture

However, the dramatic uptick in autism in the past six decades still leaves many unanswered questions.

The autism rate was one in 10,000 in the 1960s. By 2021, this had risen to one in 44 eight-year-olds on average. In California, where incidence is the highest, one in 28 eight-year-olds has a diagnosis of autism.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this sharp rise is in part due to more comprehensive identification and diagnosis.

Physician Dr. Joseph Mercola said that mere diagnostic improvements cannot explain the significant upward trend.

Autism rates have reached new heights, with boys being over four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed. (Dubova/Shutterstock)

One in 44 children were not autistic in the 1980s, with or without a diagnosis. Something is going on. One or more environmental factors are clearly having a devastating impact on our children, Mercola wrote.

Top suspects include childhood vaccines, toxic chemicals (glyphosate in particular), autoimmune antibodies, gut inflammation, retroviruses, and electromagnetic field exposure.

Theres no single answer to this problem. Since many different toxins can contribute, preventing autism must include the elimination of most toxic exposures.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) didnt include serious adverse events like heart inflammation on post-vaccination surveys even though the agency knew the issues could be linked to COVID-19 vaccines, documents show.

Even before the surveys were rolled out in December 2020 after the first vaccines were authorized, the CDC knew that myocarditisa form of heart inflammation since confirmed as being caused by the Pfizer and Moderna shotsand other serious adverse events were of special interest when it came to the vaccines, according to a newly disclosed version of the protocol for the survey system.

The Nov. 19, 2020, protocol (pdf) for V-safe, the survey system, lists myocarditis, stroke, death, and a dozen prespecified medical conditions. The protocol was obtained by the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), a nonprofit that seeks transparency around health information. All of the conditions can cause severe symptoms.

V-safe is a system of surveys that was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor vaccine safety. It was developed and is managed by the CDC.

Updated versions of the protocol list the same 15 adverse events.

None of the conditions were included in the actual surveys.

Respondents could check boxes if they experienced certain symptoms, but only 10 lower-level problems such as fever and nausea were listed as options.

Its deeply troubling that the CDC would construct V-safe in a manner that does not permit it to be able to easily assess the rate of harm from adverse events the CDC had already identified as potentially being caused by these products, Aaron Siri, a lawyer representing ICAN, told The Epoch Times. This calls into question what the CDC was really trying to accomplish with V-safe. Was it trying to assess the actual safety of these products? Or was it trying to design a system that would be more likely to affirm its previous public pronouncements regarding the safety of these products?

The CDC did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

V-Safe Data Finally Made Public

The CDC rolled V-safe out in December 2020. Americans were told to use the surveys, which are only available through smartphones, to report how they felt after vaccination.

Through V-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, one poster promoting the tool stated.

Users were asked how they felt, whether they had a fever, their temperature, and common symptoms. They were also asked whether they were unable to work or go about their daily activities, and whether they needed medical care.

About 10 million people signed up through July 31, 2022.

The CDC has described the results of V-safe in multiple studies, but refused to release the raw data until ICAN brought litigation against it. Data released to ICAN in October 2022 showed that more than 3.2 million people sought medical attention or missed school, work, or other normal activities following vaccination.

The CDC posted some of the V-safe data on Dec. 1, 2022, several months after a self-imposed deadline passed.

Hiding Free-Text Entries

V-safe users could report the serious adverse events, but only if they wrote them out in a free-text field.

The prompt was, Any other symptoms or health conditions you want to report.

The CDC has resisted releasing the results from the field, insisting that it would be too onerous to review the 6.8 million entries for personally identifiable information (PII), according to a joint status report made to the court in November 2022.

The agency declined a request from ICAN to provide a random sample of a few hundred entries, which plaintiffs say would back their argument that the entries likely hold little or no PII such as names and addresses.

The entries are important because they would show how many respondents reported experiencing the prespecified adverse events like heart inflammation.

The CDC instead offered to review all the entries and convert them into medical codes, according to the filing.

It was apparently willing to do this because, even though it would have been more time consuming and complex then simply reviewing for PII, this approach would permit the CDC to hide from the public most of what is actually written in the free-text fields, ICAN said in the document.

The group said the CDC, which has recommended vaccination for virtually all Americans, is presumably plainly concerned about being transparent with the public because what this data may reveal may run contrary to the recommendations it pushed to deprive people of their jobs, their livelihoods, schooling, military careers, among other harms and that the disclosure of the entries may potentially reveal data that is contrary to the CDCs claim that there was a low incidence of various serious issues, like tinnitus, myocarditis, and small fiber neuropathy, from this product.

Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment on the free-text entries, which was opposed by the CDC. The agency is being allowed by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, the Obama appointee overseeing the case, to produce all records it deems non-exempt to the Freedom of Information Act before it moves for judgment, or dismissal of the litigation. The next joint status report is slated to be entered by Feb. 3.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly described whether the CDC posted V-safe data. It did so in late 2022. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Omicron XBB.1.5, also called the Kraken variant, is currently responsible for nearly 50 percent of new cases this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that XBB.1.5 could start a worldwide escalation in COVID-19 infections.

However, it also noted that growth advantage estimates are only from the United States, so the organization rated its confidence in their escalation assessment as low, while warning the variant could more easily evade protective measures.

Along with BQ.1 variants, XBB variants are the most antibody-resistant variants to date, the WHO said in a statement (pdf).

Steep Rise in Cases

By end of December 2022, XBB.1.5 accounted for just under 12 percent of infections, but by the first week of January, that number has risen to 43 percent, according to CDC data.

In a Jan. 4, Twitter post, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha called this a stunning increase.

Jha said that while XBB.1.5 could be more contagious, but its still unclear whether it causes more severe disease.

A new, not yet peer-reviewed study reveals a likely reason why this variant is spreading so fast.

The researchers found XBB.1.5 binds more tightly to human ACE receptors compared to other circulating variants. This may be due to a rarely seen amino-acid change, called F486P, in the spike protein.

Over time, the SARS-Cov-2 ancestral strain has been replaced by variants which are more easily transmissible and immune-evasive, Dr. Miriam Smith, chief of infectious disease at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in Queens, told The Epoch Times.

Most recently, the XBB.1.5 subvariant arose through genetic recombination between other Omicron variants, she continued.

The prefix X in the variants name is how virologists label a pathogen that evolved through genetic recombination between two or more subvariants.

Most Transmissible COVID-19 Variant Yet

Last week, the New York City Department of Health announced that Omicron XBB.1.5 accounted for 73 percent of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in the nations most populated city.

It may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID-19 compared to prior variants, the agency cautioned.

According to the most current CDC data, the Northeastern United States is most affected by XBB.1.5, with around 80 percent of cases in the region being caused by the variant.

Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, director of Global Health for Northwell Health, explained that XBB.1.5 is different in similar ways that previous variants differed from what was circulating when they emerged.

This means it has many mutations that help it dodge existing immunity and is very infectious.

It takes less time with someone whos sick, and less quantity of viral exposure to get infected, said Cioe-Pena.

But does this mean its an entirely new variantsomething novel that COVID-19 vaccines may not work against? Cioe-Pena said it is, and it isnt.

COVID vaccines are less effective in preventing infection, he said. Until now, it seems like they are still effective in protecting you once you are infected, from needing oxygen, hospitalization, or [from dying].

However, its still too early to tell if the vaccine will continue to provide protection from XBB.1.5.

Cioe-Pena thinks the most recent booster that targets Omicron subvariants is more effective than the original vaccine.

The New Bivalent Vaccine

In December 2022, the CDC reported that the bivalent vaccines had demonstrated protection against hospitalization and mortality versus the unvaccinated population or recipients who have been vaccinated and boostedespecially for those 65 years of age or older.

This protection has been shown to hold for the XBB.1.5 subvariant as well, said Smith.

The elderly population, patients with major underlying co-morbid conditions that put them at risk for severe disease, and patients with underlying immunosuppressive disorders should receive the bivalent vaccine, advised Smith.

However, she emphasized that while not yet clearly known, the durability of the protective effect from these vaccines will likely decrease after six months.

But the shots are controversial.

Some studies indicate the bivalent shot might not be more effective at preventing COVID-19 infections than the original shots. One study was co-authored by Dr. David Ho, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, and another by Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

As the virus mutates over time, is it possible that available vaccines wont offer any protection against a new variant? Could we, at some point, be facing a new and deadlier phase of the pandemic?

Thats always a risk, said Cioe-Pena, but the more we get used to COVID, immunity-wise, the less chance [there is] of that occurring.

He added that theres always a risk that there could be a major shift, almost so its a completely new coronavirus, and that could be a game changer for the pandemic.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Otto Rohwedder's invention from a little town in Missouri

While traveling last summer from the East Coast to Montana and back in our 1969 restored Shasta camper, my husband and I spent hours playing a history trivia game. One of the questions was, Who invented sliced bread? Neither of us knew, but we learned that a man named Otto Rohwedder was behind the machine that completely changed how bread was presented, packaged, and consumed by Americans.

Ironically enough, while traveling through Missouri, we saw a billboard for Chillicothe: The Home of Sliced Bread! Had we not just played the trivia game, we would have had no idea of the significance of the town that boasted the food culture-changing invention. Seeking as many off-the-beaten-path historical sites as possible on the more than 5,000-mile journey, we took the exit and entered the small, rural town of Chillicothepopulation, around 9,000.

Sure enough, the towns main attraction is the site of the Chillicothe Baking Company, atop which sits a giant model of a sliced loaf of bread. Plus, a historical marker is located in front of the brick building.

How the small Missouri town became the home of sliced bread is a fascinating story. Rohwedder grew up in Iowa, received a degree in optics in 1900, and became a jeweler. He opened three jewelry stores in Missouri and ran them until 1916. However, Rohwedder was an inventor at heart, and he decided that packaging bread of uniform slices was an idea whose time had comeespecially for the industry in the Midwestern wheat belt.

Rohwedder took a chance and used the funds from the sale of his jewelry businesses to set up a workshop and began creating prototypes for a bread-slicing machine. A year later, while he was still working on his prototype, a fire destroyed all his design plans and equipment.

Despite the setback, Rohwedder persevered. For years, he worked on the bread-slicing machine, and, by 1927, had created a machine that not only sliced bread but also wrapped it. Rohwedder happened to be acquainted with an entrepreneur named Frank Bench, who ran a bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri. Rohwedder asked Bench if he would be willing to try the invention at his bakery.

On July 7, 1928, the first loaves of machine-sliced bread were sold and within two weeks, the Chillicothe Baking Companys sales increased 2,000 percent. Area consumers were clearly tired of trying to slice bread evenly themselves, only to have parts of the bread crumble or get smashed in the process.

Wonder Bread ran a marketing campaign for sliced bread in 1930. Vintage postcard for Wonder Bread advertisement, circa 2002. (Steve Shook/CC BY 2.0)

Rohwedder filed for a patent on the bread slicer and it was issued to him as U.S. Patent No. 1,867,377. Due to the Great Depresson, Rohwedder sold his invention in 1929. Sliced bread rapidly became more popular than unsliced bread, especially when Wonder Bread ran a marketing campaign for sliced bread in 1930. Rohwedder gave talks about his invention across the country until his death in 1960.

While the original Rohwedder invention eventually fell apart from overuse, his second automatic bread-slicer became part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of American History. Proud of the designation as the original home of sliced bread, the city of Chillicothe annually hosts the Sliced Bread Day Festival in July, featuring such activities as The Greatest Parade Since Sliced Bread, a bread-tasting event, and a Sliced Bread Jam music event.
Huntington Beach Saves Over $200,000 Annually Changing Plans With Energy Provider: Officials

Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland (C) speaks at a city council meeting at the Civic Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The Huntington Beach City Council voted Jan. 17 to change the citys energy plan option for all the citys customers with the Orange County Power Authoritya non-profit public agency that offers energy to Southern California citiesfrom the 100 percent renewable plan to one at 38 percent.

The votemotioned by Councilman Casey McKeonwas approved 43, with McKeon and the other newly electeds Mayor Tony Strickland, Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, and Councilman Pat Burns in favor, and council members Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton against.

According to city officials, the switch will save the city over $200,000 annually for its over 450 municipal accounts.

Residents gather for a city council meeting at the Civic Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

But some residents in emails to city officials were not in favor of the change.

This seems to be a financial decision with little consideration for the environment, said resident Danny Gray. It would be appropriate to remove any references that claim that the city is a Green city.

During the meeting, McKeon, who was recently named to the power authoritys board of directors, said the savings could be better used for city projects, such as enforcing laws regarding homelessness in the city.

Huntington beach City Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark listens to public commenters during a city council meeting at the Civic Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Huntington Beach joined the Orange County Power Authority in 2020. Municipal and commercial energy services were first offered to the city in 2022 and residential energy options were added in October 2022.

According to a presentation from city staff at the meeting, the possibility of withdrawing the city from the power authority entirely is under consideration, but study sessions and evaluating other options must occur before a decision is made.

The Orange County Power Authority was formed in 2020 to provide energy, offering renewable options, to some residents and businesses in Irvine, Huntington Beach, Buena Park, and Fullerton, as well as some unincorporated areas of the county.

Huntington Beach City Councilwoman Rhonda Bolton at a city council meeting at the Civic Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

But the agency has faced scrutiny since a June 2022 Grand Jury Report titled Orange County Power Authority: Come Clean, raised concerns over an alleged lack of transparency and inexperienced management.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors later conducted an audit of the power authority, which found in December the agencys prices were up to 7 percent higher for residential consumers, compared to its competitor Southern California Edison.

After the audit, the agency announced its Basic Choice plan rates would be 2 percent cheaper beginning mid-January than Edisons.
Illegal Alien Gets up to 19 Years in Prison for Strangling Beloved School Teacher to Death

A Massachusetts judge has sentenced an illegal alien to 17 to 19 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2017 death of a beloved city educator who was strangled to death.

Superior court Judge Daniel M. Wrenn issued the sentencing for Jose Melendez, an illegal alien who also goes by the names Jose Segura and Jose Alvarado, on Jan. 18.

He was credited with 2,135 days already served in prison awaiting trial.

Melendez was aided by a Spanish interpreter during his court appearance.

Sandra Buffy Hehir, a 49-year-old teacher at Claremont Academy who had worked for Worcester Public Schools for more than a decade, was found dead in her apartment on Feb. 5, 2017. An autopsy determined the cause of her death was homicide by means of strangulation, police said.

At the time of her death, officials said that DNA evidence belonging to Melendez that was recovered from the crime scene was also linked back to a separate unsolved 2000 rape case, in which Melendez was a suspect.

Melendez Had Criminal Record

On the day that he was arraigned in Worcester Central District Court for the murder of Hehir, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed an immigration detainer on Melendez, who was born in the Dominican Republic but lived in Worcester, according to Mass Live.

Melendez, 60, had a previous criminal record, and had defaulted on probation he was serving in 2014 after being convicted of breaking and entering, Breitbart reported. He was also charged with two unrelated drug-related crimes at the time of his arrest for Hehirs death.

Despite this, he was never deported from the United States prior to Hehirs death.

Melendez had initially denied knowing Hehir or ever being at her apartment when interviewed by police, despite his DNA matching evidence from the scene of her murder.

But after citing evidence found at the crime scene, prosecutors charged him with murder. Wednesdays sentencing is the result of a plea deal he entered ahead of a murder trial that was set to start next month.

Melendezs attorney, Mark Bluver, told the court on Wednesday that his client wanted to plead guilty to accept responsibility, Telegram & Gazette reported.

He wanted to be held accountable, Bluver said of his client, who did not directly address the court.

Elsewhere, Hehirs sister described to the court how the teacher was a thoughtful, dependable, brave, and hardworking individual who taught her students how important it is to be kind.

Buffy was a dreamer, a strong soul, and went through life with a smile on her face, her sister said.

Best Teacher in the World

Corinne Tsouvalos, the best friend of Hehir, told the court that Hehir had lost her father early on in life but appreciated every second she had with family, friends, and her students at Claremont Academy.

Tsouvalos read out a comment from one of Hehirs students on her memorial page which reads: I will miss you, Ms Hehir. You will always be in my heart, adding that she was the best teacher in the world.

In a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, Hehirs family thanked Worcester police and prosecutors for their hard work and effort in closing the case.

Our family has long awaited this day, the family said. One door opens to another door closed.

In a separate statement to the Daily Voice, Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said he hoped Wednesdays plea deal would help bring peace to Hehirs family and friends.

It was the hard work by the Worcester police detectives together with our prosecutors and the state police crime lab that brought this suspect to justice, Early said. This plea will hopefully bring some measure of closure to Ms. Hehirs family.

The Epoch Times has contacted Melendezs attorneys Michael Hussey and Mark Bluver for comment.
PORTLAND, Ore.A scene from the heavens was the first thing the Madrids saw when they attended a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts.

One moment I felt like I was in heaven when I see the performance. I feel like Im seeing angels flying, said Ms. Rocio Madrid, an owner of a business, who saw the performance together with David Madrid.

Its amazing the way that they are moving. Its like someone is pulling [them] up. Like theyre flying basically, said Ms. Madrid.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive Chinas 5,000 years of culture. For many audience members, Chinese culture is completely foreign to them, but seeing a China before communism presented on stage by Shen Yun becomes a rewarding experience.

This is the first time Ive been in a performance like this so I dont know much about the tradition of China, said Ms. Madrid, who emphasized that Shen Yun should be shared with people around the world and encouraged it.

Not only in the United States but in the whole world. So the whole world can be all together and help each other. I really think its amazing. When I heard the years of the traditions, I was like, oh my, she said. You guys have been doing this for many years. So thats something that touchedreally my heart and it makes me feel more human.

Shen Yun has been sharing Chinese culture with audiences around the world since 2006, but although it is spreading the beauty of China, Shen Yun is not able to perform in China.

Its kind of sad that its not allowed to perform in China. It should be so that you can [be aware] of whats happening, said David Madrid.

Along with the dances, Shen Yun also features solo vocalists who are trained in the traditional bel canto singing style. Using a digital backdrop, a text translation is available so audiences worldwide can understand what is being sung.

Mr. Madrid said the song he heard that night really touched his heart. He said that the text indicating that we have to believe in heaven and we have to be positive and have good principles to go to heaven, is his belief. Thats what touched my heart too. And hes got a really nice voice. I love it.

Reporting by Mary Zhang and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Incarcerated Youth Rehabilitate Through Dog Training at OC Probation

SANTA ANA, Calif.Incarcerated youth at Orange County Probation celebrated with a graduation of sorts Jan. 17, after training rescue dogs for nearly four months before handing the trained pets over to their new owners.

The programoperated by Cell Dogs, Inc. since 2008started up again last October after being shut down for nearly three years due to the pandemic.

The nonprofit collaborates with the animal shelter OC Animal Care to provide dogs at risk of euthanasia a second chance.

Incarcerated youth train Rocky at Orange County Probation in Santa Ana, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

Currently youth within the probation department and adult inmates at the Theo Lacy Facilitya county jailcan develop skills with the program including positive lifestyle changes, and empathy through hands-on-dog-training experience.

One Southern California resident, Mary OConnor, who adopted a small dog named Wiggles, said this is her second adoption through the program.

Its a win-win for everybody, the person training them, the dog itself and the recipients, she said. Its just an all-around good program.

Wiggles. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

Redondo Beach resident Brooke Seipel and her boyfriend said they came across the program through a Facebook search.

This is my first dog, and my first time adopting a dog from a program like this, Seipel said.

She said its great to adopt an animal thats already well trained and to know that its also a rescue dog and someone else benefits from it. Its really cool.

Eleven youths participated in the recent training. Two had been recently released. Of those that remained, many were seen wiping away tears before handing the dogs over to their new owners.

Incarcerated youth train dogs Gus and Molly. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

Erick Bieger, a probation center supervisor since 2013, told The Epoch Times the experience was rewarding.

Its enabled the kids in my unit to get in touch with their empathy, with their compassion, and to realize some of the feelings they have inside them that they didnt realize they had, he said.

Bieger said he hopes to see the program replicated across the nation.

This is a program that I would like to see in every correctional facility. What it does for the people that interact with these dogs is life changing, he said.

Bieger also gained more than what he was expecting from the program. He and his wife adopted Polly, a golden retriever mix, trained by youth in his unit.

Polly. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

Founder of the nonprofit Janette Thomas told The Epoch Times their return to working with the youth probation department was a big success, noting it worked, this time around, with youth who are serving extended days.

The kids are going to be here a long time, so it gives them a chance to really dig their feet into the program and really do a good job, she said.

After 4 weeks of classroom learning, participants have between 8 to 10 weeks to care for and train a dog daily.

Thomas, who additionally serves as lead organizer of the program, said she and staff spend dozens of hours selecting dogs for the program. Important qualities needed, she said, include being comfortable with people, tolerance for a noisy environment, and a good temperament.

Rescued dog Molly is adopted. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

A dos is adopted after graduating from the Cell Dog program. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

A wide assortment of dogs have completed the program she said, including the largest at 115 lbs., one-eyed dogs, deaf dogs, those with medical issues, and even amputees.

Thanks to the experience, several participants of the program, Thomas said, have gone on to become dog trainers once they were released.

Theyve been trainers for PetSmart and Petco. We also employ and offer job opportunities to trainers we think are amazing, she said.

The nonprofit relies solely on donations and fundraising.

Cell Dog trainer Lynn works with rescue dog Buddy. (Courtesy of Cell Dogs)

Division Director of the Orange County Juvenile Hall Sanford Rose told The Epoch Times such programs help lower recidivism rates, or the rate to which someone returns to the system, because of the skills learned.

He said that through research and data, criminal justice agencies know employment and education are the most effective tools an agency can provide to those who enter their halls.

If they have somewhere to go and they have something to do thats gainful, then theyre going to be able to take care of themselves and sustain themselves out the community, and theyre less likely revert to crime to survive, he said.

To support Cell Dogs, shop online at AmazonSmile, the philanthropic version of Amazon, which donates 0.5 percent of eligible purchases to the charity of the buyers choice.
Israel Ministry of Health Finds Pfizer Agreement After Claiming It Couldnt Be Located

A medic prepares a dose of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Netanya, Israel, on Jan. 5, 2022. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Ministry of Health (MoH) declared to an Israeli court that it couldnt find the COVID-19 vaccine agreement it signed with Pfizer, but it was found one day after a national broadcaster asked for comment.

The declaration was made during a Jerusalem District Court hearing regarding a request seeking the original, signed agreement between the State of Israel and Pfizerthe agreement that regulates the transfer of epidemiological information regarding Pfizers vaccine from Israel to the company.

Israeli authorities published a redacted copy (pdf) of the agreement called The Real World Epidemiological Evidence Collaboration Agreement in January 2021.

The preamble stated that Pfizer and Israel agree that it would be highly beneficial from a public health perspective to track pandemic data in accordance with vaccination compliance in a Real-World context, adding to evaluate whether herd immunity protection is observed during the Product vaccination program rollout.

The copy was published after a nonprofit expressed concerns to Israeli officials over privacy protection, since the agreement gave Pfizer the ability to access information on Israeli citizens.

Significant parts of the copy made public were redacted, including dates and page numbers, and it was not signed by either the MoH or Pfizer.

Freedom of Information Request

A Freedom of Information application (FOI) was filed in April 2022 seeking to clarify the degree of authenticity and validity of the PfizerMoH agreement.

The request was filed by Joseph Zernik, who holds a doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Connecticut and who in recent years has been involved in matters related to human rights.

Zernik is the CEO of Human Rights Alert, a nongovernment organization that works to increase transparency in government authorities. It deals with the integrity and authenticity of legal and judicial government documents.

The agreement with Pfizer was of particular importance since it was published in response to public pressure on the highest level of government, Zernik told The Epoch Times.

They published an unsigned document, undated document, and major parts of it were redacted, he said, questioning the legal justification for the redactions and the documents authenticity.

Among the redacted portions: sections titled INDEMNIFICATION; [sic] LIMITATIONS OF DAMAGES AND LIABILITY and Dispute Resolution. Additionally, a date in the preamble referring to another document, a confidential Manufacturing and Supply Agreement, was blacked out.

Zernik also asked in the FOI request for the number of agreements Pfizer and MoH signed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the names of the agreements and the dates each was signed, according to the FOI letter reviewed by The Epoch Times.

Zernik took MoH to court in September 2022 after it didnt provide any of the requested information and did not respond to two letters warning of legal action.

The Jerusalem District Court in Jerusalem, Israel. (Google Maps)

Administrative Appeal

The court action, or administrative appeal (pdf), was directed to three officials, including Nitzan Horowitz, the minister of health at the time.

Zernik said in his appeal letter that the information he was seeking holds the highest public policy significance in Israel, given growing concerns regarding side effects of the Pfizer vaccines, hiding the true data regarding side effects, and/or publishing perverted side effects data by the Respondents.

The appeal noted that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla had called Israel the worlds lab. In an NBC interview in 2021, he said that Israel has become the worlds lab right now because they are using only our vaccine at this stage and they have vaccinated [a] very big part of their population.

The court was asked to force the government to file a signed copy of the contract and, once it received the copy, to review each of the redactions and the provided justifications for each to decide whether each redaction should be kept in place, or removed.

Providing [the] court with an authentic signed document was a prerequisite for moving on with the rest, Zernik said.

MoHs Response

MoH finally responded on Oct. 26, 2022seven weeks after the submission of the appeal and six months after the FOI was filed. The delay meant the MoH significantly exceeded the time legally allowed for a reply.

The letter of response (pdf) included a copy of the Pfizer agreement and the names of additional contracts that were signed with Pfizer and the dates they were signed.

But the vaccine agreement was unsigned and contained redactions.

The MoH said that the copy of the agreement it presented in court was the copy found at the office.

The ministry claimed that the disclosure of the redacted information could damage the State of Israels bargaining capabilities in future negotiations, including with other companies and discourage companies from engaging in dialogue with the State of Israel for fear that information will be revealed from the negotiations or from the agreements themselves upon their signing.

It also said that under the agreement, the parties agreed not to disclose some of the information.

New Information

The letter and the new copy of the agreement did provide new information.

For one, the ministry said it signed at least two additional agreements with Pfizer: a confidential disclosure agreement signed on July 12, 2020, and a statement of principles signed on Nov. 13, 2020.

Further, some of the redactions were different in the new copy. The differences showed that one of the other agreements, for manufacturing and supply, was signed on Dec. 1, 2020.

That agreement has still not been made public.

Court Hearing

In a letter to the court, State Attorney Achva Berman, representing the MoH, said that authorities could not locate a signed copy of the vaccine contract.

The version provided is the copy of the agreement that is found at the office, Berman said. After Zernik lodged his request, another inspection was conducted, and no signed copy of the agreement was found, she added.

Berman said authorities, therefore, had to reject the petitioners request to receive the signed agreement.

On Dec. 1, 2022, a hearing was held in the Jerusalem District Court that focused on whether there was an agreement that was signed but the agreement was not located, or whether the agreement was not signed, said Judge Yoram Noam, according to the hearing transcript.

Is it possible to get a clear answer about this matter? asked the judge.

We searched and could not find a signed agreement, replied Berman.

Zernik argued that for such a complex contract, each party has a battery of experts who review it. That means the legal department should have records, including when the agreement was signed, and that the director-generals calendar should also reflect when it was signed.

We tried to locate the signed agreement. It was not located, said Berman. We searched in all the relevant places, including the director generals office and the legal office. We searched in the place where agreements should be.

So it is not only that they lost the signed contract, but they lost all records outside of the contract that the contract was ever signed, Zernik said.

Eventually, the judge ruled that the MoH needed to provide Zernik with additional clarification regarding the existence of a signed copy.

A week later, the state attorney said in a missive to Zernik that a comprehensive inquiry was conducted with many officials with the Ministry of Health to clarify the question of whether the agreement was signed or not, but, citing the change of the government and the relevant parties in the MoH, the agency was unable to find whether the agreement was signed or not.

The letter also noted that the agency contacted Pfizer to find out if the company had a signed copy of the agreement, but Pfizer did not respond by the time the letter was submitted to the court and Zernik.

The petition was going to be dismissed by consent, said Zernik. I was going to agree to a dismissal.

Since the MoH insisted that it couldnt find the signed authentic contract, there was nowhere to go with this petition concerning the redactions, according to Zernik. There was no way to establish what was written under the redactions if they cant find an authentic signed document.

Signed Copy of the Agreement Found

Several days later, on Dec. 13, 2022, the MoH reversed its position. The agency told the court officials it had located a signed copy of the agreement (pdf).

The Ministry of Health has located a collaboration agreement in epidemiological evidence with Pfizer, signed by the parties to the agreement, the letter signed by Berman declared.

The finding came after Kan 11, an Israeli broadcaster, contacted MoH about the matter.

We reached out to the Ministry of Health to get a comment and then in less than a day, lo and behold, the signed agreement was found, Nov Reuveny, a journalist with Kan 11, said on air.

The Ministry would like to emphasize that an epidemiological evidence cooperation agreement was originally signed with the Pfizer company, the agency told Kan 11. It exists in the Ministry and the signed copy was delivered to the court.

The initial answer, given to the court, should not have been given as it is, and for that we are sorry, the MoH said.

Zernik had contacted Kan 11 because he thought the inability to find the signed agreement was significant.

It was so bizarre, Zernik said. Thats why I approached Kan 11, because anybody who has any understanding of how government works couldnt believe this story.

In the end, the narrative MoH presented in court collapsed, he said. It was so ludicrous, so outrageous, that it eventually collapsed and the petition is going to move forward.

The MoH did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

The new copy provided by the MoH was signed by Chezy Levy, the director-general of the MoH when the agreement was signed. The name and position of the Pfizer representative were redacted. Most of the previously redacted parts remain blacked out.

On Feb. 16, 2023, there will be another hearing when the MoH is supposed to present to the court the authentic document without redactions and to provide justification for each and every redaction in the document.

Zernik said he hopes the judge will rule that at least some of the redactions have no legal justification and will be removed so well learn a lot more about whats going on in the relationship between the State of Israel and Pfizer.

So were not at the end of it yet, he said.
Kash Patel: I Have No Faith in Special Counsels Probe of Biden Documents

Kash Patel, former chief of staff for the Department of Defense, speaks during a campaign event for Republican election candidates at the Whiskey Roads Restaurant & Bar in Tucson, Ariz., on July 31, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Former Defense Department Chief of Staff Kash Patel said he does not trust the special counsel to fairly investigate President Joe Bidens mishandling of classified information.

Weve already seen how theyre handling ittheyre not, Patel told The Epoch Times Jan Jekielek on an episode of his Kashs Corner podcast, due to premiere on Jan. 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The FBI, DOJ arent investigating this matter, he added. No, subpoenas have gone out, nothing. And so, I dont have any faith in this new special counsel.

On Jan. 12, Attorney General Merrick Garland capped off a turbulent week for the Biden administration by appointing attorney Robert Hur as special counsel to probe Bidens storage of classified documents in unsecured locations.

Hur, a Trump appointee, served as U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland from April 2018 to February 2021, when he left the Department of Justice (DOJ) for private practice.

Between 2003 and 2018, Hur served on and off at the DOJ in various roles, reporting to familiar figures like now-FBI Director Christopher Wray and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

And that fact, according to Patel, is one of the reasons Hur cannot be trusted to remain impartial.

In the Trump administration, when Jeff Sessions was recused from all the Russiagate stuff, Rod Rosenstein was the attorney general for all those matters, Patel noted, adding that Rosenstein had hand-picked Hur to serve under him as the principal associate deputy attorney general.

How they handled the Russiagate investigation is my problem, Patel said.

A Political Charade

In 2017, with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions unable to get involved, Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel in the Trump-Russia investigation. It was also Rosenstein who signed off on applications to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign associate, based on false information.

Patel, who at that time was serving as senior counsel to the House Intelligence Committee, said that Rosenstein and Hur subpoenaed his records while he was working to expose the corruption of Russiagate, and that they had blockaded the committees attempts to obtain information on the probe.

[Hur] doesnt get a hall pass from me, he said. I think hes just another one of these corrupt government gangsters who  was politically chosen by Merrick Garland because theyll be able to say the following headline: A Former Trump Appointee Is the Special Counsel Investigating Joe Biden.

Describing Hurs appointment as a political charade, Patel added: Just like in the Russiagate days, I think [the DOJ is] already setting the landscape for the cover-up that they need to have happen so their own problematic handling of prior investigations is not exposed. So, thats why I have no faith in this new special counsel, and I just dont see it becoming an actual investigation.

In appointing Hur, the attorney general described the former U.S. attorney as having a long and distinguished career as a prosecutor.

I am confident that Mr. Hur will carry out his responsibility in an even-handed and urgent manner, and in accordance with the highest traditions of this Department, Garland added.

Although Hur was not present for Garlands announcement, he pledged to conduct his duties as special counsel with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment in a statement released by the DOJ.

I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, Hur added, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service.

The Epoch Times has contacted Hur for comment.

A Questionable Timeline

According to the White House, the first cache of classified documents in Bidens possession was discovered on Nov. 2 at the Penn Biden Center in Washington and reported immediately to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The documents were then transferred to NARA the next day.

According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the National Archives Office of the Inspector General notified the Justice Department of the documents discovery on Nov. 4 and the FBI opened an investigation into the matter on Nov. 9.

Patel, however, said he doubts the administrations timeline of events, finding it unlikely that NARA was unaware that the documents were missing.

Are we really to believe that our top librarians in the United States of America didnt know for six years that these documents were missing? he said, adding that the matter should be investigated by the Houses newly-formed Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

Last week, House Republicans launched their own investigations into Bidens possession of classified materials, requesting access to all the classified documents that had been discovered by the presidents attorneys at any location, in addition to the names of all involved in the search, the locations searched, and communications on the matter between the White House and NARA and the DOJ.

Other Concerns

Since the first stash of documents was located, additional documents have been found at Bidens Wilmington, Delaware, residence, in searches conducted by his personal attorneys. And even as the White House has made disclosures about the fruits of those searches, many questions remain unanswered.

Noting that it is still unclear as to how the classified materials ended up in Bidens possession and were moved to those different locations, Patel said it was important to find out whether there were more documents to be found in other locations and who had access to the materials.

As no visitor logs exist for Bidens Wilmington home, Patel said Congress should question all the Secret Service agents who have protected Biden over the last six years to learn more about who might have had access to the documents.

Did the Secret Service have knowledge back then that there were sensitive documents running around in the wild? he added. Thats another question that no ones asking.

The Secret Service, according to spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, screens all of the presidents visitors but does not keep records of who is vetted.

Other questions have arisen regarding the DOJs handling of the investigation thus far, like the departments decision to allow Bidens personal attorneys to carry out the document searches without any supervision from law enforcement.

Thats like having someone commit the murder  and then you let the murderer go and collect the evidence and bring it back to the cops, Patel noted. Thats absurd.

Patel also contrasted the situation against that of the DOJs investigation into former President Donald Trumps storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, alleging that the departments political bias against Trump was now on full display.

How is it that Merrick Garland can go to a podium and now say, Well, it was justified that we went in with a full SWAT force into Mar-a-Lago, and its justified that we are letting President Bidens attorneys conduct their own search of classified documents, who may or may not have the appropriate security clearances?

Implications for 2024

Prior to the White Houses public disclosure last week of the classified materials discovery, it was anticipated that Biden would announce his intention to seek reelection within the next couple of weeks.

However, as news of the investigation broke and prominent Democrats began calling for a special counsel, some began to wonder whether there wasnt more to the timing of the announcement.

I dont think its a coincidence that this story broke the week or two before the world was to learn whether or not Joe Biden was going to run for reelection, Patel noted.

Suggesting that the scandal was leaked to sideline Biden, he posited, What I believe is happening is there are people in the Democratic Party and the establishment media who dont want Joe Biden to run for reelection.

Others have espoused the same theory, like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who told Fox News on Wednesday, Theres an element to this that feels like the Democrats are taking out Joe Biden.

I dont know that thats the case, but I dont know that its not, Gaetz added. But just as Joe Biden is hardening the cement around his decision to run for president again, they start looking for what classified documents might have been tucked away eight years ago.

But whether a political smear tactic or not, Patel said he thought it unlikely that the DOJ would charge Biden in the case. Instead, he held that the department would do the bidding of the Democratic Party and, using the legal woes of Bidens son Hunter as leverage, convince him not to run again.

Theyll say, Hey, look, well probably walk your son Hunter into a really nice deep plea agreement where hes not charged with anything serious and you as a sitting president can commute or pardon him, he suggested. And then you guys can leave and go live your lives, and we, the Democrats, will put up a candidate we think can defeat Donald Trump.

The Epoch Times has contacted the White House, Justice Department, and Democratic National Committee for comment.
Former Republican U.S. senator and two-time presidential candidate Rick Santorum was on hand at the Montana Capitol Wednesday, stumping for a proposal to call a national convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 takes aim at federal spending and regulations, and would make Montana the latest Republican-leaning state to endorse the state-led avenue to amending the Constitution under Article V, often referred to as a convention of states.

You have been given the power in the Constitution, under Article V, to control the federal government, Santorum told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Development Committee. ... And if you dont use it and this country fails, thats on you.

Calling a convention to propose constitutional amendments would require two-thirds, or 34 states, to do the same. Three-fourths of the states would need to ratify any proposed amendments that come out of that process.

The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, seeks to call a convention specifically to propose constitutional amendments that would require Congress to balance its budget, to enact term limits for federal representatives and to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.

Members, Ill be a bit hard on Congress today, McGillvray told the committee, offering some levity to what would sprawl into a three-hour bill hearing. It was an understatement.

They are destroying the economic foundations of America, Congress has taken on imperial powers and they are encouraging and abetting the destruction of this great nation, he added a few minutes later.

No such convention has been called since the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and all 27 amendments added afterwards have originated in Congress.

The proposals detractors, including members of the right-wing John Birch Society, said that theres no way to ensure that such a convention would be limited to just those goals outlined in the states matching resolutions. Instead, once called, delegates or Congress could expand the purpose of the convention, they say, up to and including rewriting the entire document.

Congress takes over and calls the convention, not the states, said Ed Regan, chair of the Broadwater County Republican Central Committee. Congress would be acting under its legitimate powers, with total control of the process once the gavel drops.

Sen. Willis Curdy, D-Missoula, also argued that if a convention of states were called, there is no indication that delegates to that convention would be apportioned by population.

In an exchange between the two, Santorum argued that past, smaller-scale conventions of state delegates, including two to divvy up water rights among several southwestern states, apportioned one vote to each state. Curdy disagreed, noting that the states had never called a convention to amend the Constitution, and that the 1787 Constitutional Convention had proportional representation.

Patrick Yawakie, testifying on behalf of the Blackfeet Tribe, also argued against the resolution. He said it could compromise the treaties and agreements established between the federal government and tribes across the U.S.

So far, 19 state legislatures have passed identical resolutions to call a convention of states, according to the conservative organization Citizens for Self-Governance, the main funder of the national Convention of States effort. Six other states have passed the resolution through one, but not both, chambers of their legislatures.

Its McGillvrays second attempt to get the resolution approved by the Legislature. In 2021, it came within two votes of passage in the Senate, with five Republican Senators joining with all 19 Democrats to vote it down. This session, Democrats control three fewer Senate seats and several of those GOP defectors are no longer in office.
Kirby Reacts to Ukraine News, Helicopter Crash

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Jan. 12, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that the issue of air defense of Ukraine will be discussed when U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visits the Ukraine Contact Group later this week.

Im not aware of any assessment of a specific number of of Patriot batteries that are required by Ukraine, Kirby said. What we are aware of is that air defense remains a priority.

Kirby also reacted to a helicopter crash in suburban Kyiv that killed Ukraines interior minister and other government officials. The helicopter crashed into a kindergarten, killing Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and about a dozen other people, including a child on the ground.

Kirby called the crash heartbreaking.

There was no immediate word on whether the helicopter crash, which occurred on a foggy morning in the capitals eastern suburb of Brovary, was an accident or related to the war. Ukrainian authorities immediately opened an investigation. No fighting has been reported recently in the capital region.

Ukraines State Emergency Service, which was operating the French-manufactured Super Puma helicopter, said at least 14 people were killed, including nine on the helicopter, and a child on the ground. It said 25 people were injured, including 11 children. Early official reports gave differing numbers of casualties.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscows goals in Ukraine are determined by Russias core legitimate interests. He claimed the goal of Ukraines Western allies is to use the conflict to exhaust Russia.

Russia will achieve its objectives in Ukraine despite a hybrid war waged by the West against Moscow, the top Russian diplomat said Wednesday.

There must be no military infrastructure in Ukraine that poses a direct threat to our country, Lavrov said, adding that Moscow also intends to make sure the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine were protected.

Our first reaction is how dare he [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov] compare anything to the Holocaust, Kirby said. Let alone a war that they started.

Kirby also confirmed that National Security adviser Jake Sullivan is currently visiting Israel.

Sullivan will underscore the enduring U.S. commitment to Israel security, Kirby said.
Lithium Crystal Unlocks Potential Next-Gen Microchip

An employee of the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ, or Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum) poses next to the Mistral supercomputer, installed in 2016, at the German Climate Computing Center on June 7, 2017, in Hamburg, Germany. (Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images)

The next generation of microchips could be used for anything from navigating the moons surface to helping farmers determine whether the fruit is ready for harvest.

Lithium niobate is a lab-grown crystal discovered in the late 1940s that has come back in vogue as scientists search for alternatives to the silicon chips used in cars, phones and computers.

The material can detect colour waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, which is what makes it so unique, according to RMIT Universitys Prof. Arnan Mitchell.

The science, technology and industrial community are starting to move away from the sort of mass manufacture of silicon, Mitchell told AAP.

And so theres almost a change in philosophy about, OK, what are we trying to do here?

Research by Mitchell and the University of Adelaides Andy Boes, published in the journal Science earlier in January, sets out how lithium niobate could also be used in other technology.

The material can be turned into strips about 1000 times thinner than a human hair and printed with circuits just like silicon chips, but with the potential to be manufactured on a smaller scale.

Silicon is very, very good at a few things, but its really only accessible to very large players like Intel or Cisco who can afford to have huge volumes of these electronic circuits, Mitchell said.

I believe with lithium niobate; there are opportunities for lots of different applications and industries that have got niche needs.

The scientists, along with colleagues at Chinas Peking University, Harvard University in the United States and other institutions, are working with industry to create technology that could allow rovers to navigate the moon.

On earth, when we use Google Maps, we use the Global Positioning System, but on the moon or in space, there isnt any GPS, and so you need to navigate in other ways, Mitchell added.

The team is exploring how lithium niobate chips could be used by the National Broadband Network, and whether sensors in orchards could pick up a particular gas emitted by ripe fruit, which could then notify farmers when its ready to be picked.
Los Angeles City Council to Create $50 Million Emergency Homeless Fund

Tents line the street in Skid Row in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2019. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles City Council will create a $50 million emergency fund to address the citys homelessness crisis.

Council members approved a motion on Jan. 18 to transfer city funds to a new emergency homeless response account$26.5 million from the general fund and $23.5 million from what was previously set aside for COVID-19 response. The motion, which was authored by Council President Paul Krekorian, passed 130.

The funds would boost Mayor Karen Basss Safe Inside Initiative pilot program, which seeks to evaluate citywide encampments and place homeless individuals into temporary and permanent housing.

The new account will make spending more quickly available for hotels, motels, staffing, outreach, meals, as well as permanent housing, according to City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo.

There is a need for providers that are executing the program, the need to have an account for flexible dollars to be spent quickly without going through the standard process of going through appropriations, he told the council.

This is a complicated program because of the citys attempt to scale it to include all areas of the city, he said.

Within 45 days, Szaboin collaboration with the mayors officemust report back to the council with an update on the Safe Inside Initiative, including the number of homeless currently in city-sponsored permanent and interim housing, the cost, types of services afforded, and the involvement of nonprofit and government agencies.

This will help provide greater transparency on homelessness spending, and metrics on how our citys performing on tackling homelessness as it pertains to the mayors initiative, newly elected City Controller Kenneth Meija told the council. Our work will help shine a light on the resources available and what is lacking.

Councilwoman Traci Park of the 11th District, who also supports the initiative, cited the success of her collaboration with Bass in cleaning up encampments in Venice Beach earlier this month.

We housed over 100 people, so thank you for your partnership, she told the council. I do think its important to further empower [Bass] with the funds to bring this initiative citywide.

However, Park expressed concern over the use of the funds to get the homeless immediately off the streets.

I do understand the need for the investment in the long-term permanent solutions, but Im not convinced that this $50 million will get us where we need to be on that front, she said.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield of the 3rd District called the funds a drop in the bucket for whats needed, while expressing concern over the fiscal allocation.

Theres not a lot of detail in where the money is going, but we are in this crisis right now and we want the mayor to succeed, he said.

Even as he voted in favor of the motion, Blumenfield cautioned the council that many of the current temporary housing sites are already full, so there arent many places for the homeless to go.

Basss Safe Inside program will encourage people to move indoors and offers temporary housing through the master leasing of nearby motels, rather than simply clearing encampments through anti-camping ordinances or enforcement.

Last month, Bass said the program could be considered successful if there are fewer to no encampments left in the city within four years. She said she hopes the plan, along with a six-month state of emergency she declared in December, which allows for additional resources from the state, will solve the problem.

Homelessness rose 1.7 percent in the City of Los Angeles and 4.1 percent in the county since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the latest point-in-time count showing more than 41,000 homeless people citywide and nearly 70,000 countywide.

In Eric Garcettis final year as mayor, he allocated nearly $1 billion to the city budget to combat homelessness. When he took office in 2013, there were just shy of 23,000 homeless people in the city, including 60 percent without shelter.

The new funding is another attempt to get homeless people into interim and permanent housinga repeated effort through various city and county policies, such as Proposition HHHa $1.2 billion bond proposal approved by voters in 2016 that promised to build 10,000 affordable housing units for the homeless in 10 years.

But previous LA City Controller Ron Galperin found the plan largely failed six years later due to issues such as a lack of units completed and expensive building costs. In one instance, more than $800,000 was spent on a single unit.

Additionally, three main homeless provider services in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority, failed to spend almost $150 million in federal housing grants between 2015 and 2020, with the unused funds returned to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a report published last September.
Majority of British Trading Standards Officers Say Sale of Vapes in Shops to Children Is Top Concern

A festival-goer is seen vaping at Reading Festival in Reading, west of London, on Aug. 27, 2021. (Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)

A rise in shops selling vaping products to children as young as 12 is causing alarm among Trading Standards officers in England and Wales, according to new research.

A survey by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has found 60 percent of local Trading Standards services are most concerned about high street shops selling illicit vapes or vaping products to children.

Trading Standards said it has seen a surge in illicit sales of vaping products by specialist shops, convenience stores, and corner shops over the past year.

More than 1.4 tonnes of illegal vapes seized in the last six months of 2022 in the north east of England alone.

Significant Rise

Trading Standards teams across England and Wales reported a significant rise in underage vape sales last year.

CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: While we recognise that vaping can be a useful quitting aid for smokers, we are worried about increasing breaches of the law, with many non-compliant devices being sold on the UKs high streets.

There is also an increasing problem with vaping products being sold to children in many general retail premises such as mobile phone shops, gift shops, and convenience stores.

Trading Standards teams are doing vital work by cracking down on the unscrupulous retailers who are selling these products to young people without the legally required age verification checks. It is important that vaping products comply with rules that were established to safeguard public health, and that they do not end up in the hands of children, he added.

David MacKenzie, chairman of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, said: Single-use vapes in particular are very cheap, they have bright colours, and they are attractive to children.

With a lot of our age-restricted product work on tobacco and cigarettes, fireworks and traditional vapes, were looking at sales to 16 and 17 year olds, he added.

But we were getting good information that these are being sold to much younger children, or certainly finding their way into the hands of 12 and 13 year olds, said MacKenzie.

1 in 10 Children Vape in England

Last year, doctors warned that generations of children could become hooked on nicotine after new figures show an increasing number of teenagers are being tempted to smoke cheap sweet-flavoured e-cigarettes, even though their long-term effects are still unknown.

The figures from a survey conducted for NHS Digital found that 9 percent of 11- to 15-year-olds in England now regularly use e-cigarettes, a rise from 6 percent in 2018.

The highest use trend was among girls aged 15, which rose from 10 percent in 2018 to 21 percent last year.

While the mass survey found that vaping had increased, drug use and smoking are reportedly in decline among young people.

Vapes and e-cigarettes and their refill containers are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). According to UK rules, products must comply with tank capacity and nicotine strength limits and labels must display manufacturer details and health warnings.

A study from the European Academy of Paediatrics said that e-cigarettes include numerous unregulated chemicals, including known carcinogens, whose acute and long-term toxicities are unknown.

Professor Andrew Bush, director of Imperial Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health and a consultant paediatric chest physician at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, told The Epoch Times that he was very concerned by childrens access to both legal and illegal vapes.

I am very concerned about the rapid rise in the number of children using these things, and risking nicotine addiction, and how easy it is for these things to be accessed by the young, he said.

Advertising and the flavoured liquids are clearly targeted at the young. My concerns are for both legal and illegal vapes. There is no crackdown, only complacency. The UK is totally out of step with the rest of the world, he added.

Hooking Children

Trading Standards said many of the devices it had seized flouted rules and that there were some designed specifically to appeal to children and young people, with packaging and flavours emulating popular sweet brands.

The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that children were increasingly drawn to cheap disposable e-cigarettes which come in candy, alcoholic drink, energy drink, soft drink flavours, and more.

Another study by ASH, released in July, found that the young are influenced by social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram.

In response, TikTok said that regardless of a users age, we strictly prohibit content that depicts or promotes the sale, trade, or offer of tobacco, including vaping products, and we will remove any content found to be violating our community guidelines.

At the time, Dr. Mike McKean, vice president of policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said that children are being targeted by e-cigarette companies with bright packaging, exotic flavours, and enticing names and without action we run the risk of having generations of children addicted to nicotine.

Disposable e-cigarettes are growing in popularity amongst children and young people and can be accessed easily in newsagents and sweet shops. Nowadays there is a vape shop on almost every high street, he said.

These companies are simply interested in hooking children and young people to make a profit off them, there is absolutely no thought or care about their health and wellbeing, added McKean.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Man Killed, Trooper Shot While Cop City Protesters Cleared

DeKalb, Ga., and Atlanta SWAT members are pictured leaving the Gresham Park command post in Atlanta on Jan. 18, 2023. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

ATLANTAAuthorities said they killed a man who shot and injured a Georgia state trooper Wednesday morning as law enforcement officers tried to clear protesters from the site of a planned Atlanta-area public safety training center that activists have dubbed Cop City.

Officers from several law enforcement agencies were conducting an operation to clear people out of the area around 9 a.m. when someone fired at them and officers shot back in self-defense, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Mike Register said during a news conference. A trooper was shot in the abdomen and the man who shot at the officers was killed at the scene, Register said.

The trooper was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery, Georgia State Patrol Col. Chris Wright told reporters. The troopers vital signs are good and hes in stable condition, but he is in the intensive care unit and hes still not out of the woods yet, Wright said.

Register and Wright declined to identify the trooper or the man who was killed, citing the active investigation and the need to notify family members.

Register said the clearing operation was being conducted in the same area where a handful of people were arrested last month and charged with domestic terrorism. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said at the time that people attacked firefighters and police officers with rocks and weapons as the officers removed barricades blocking some entrances to the site.

The GBI and other law enforcement agencies embrace a citizens right to protest, but law enforcement cant stand by while serious criminal acts are being committed that jeopardize the safety of the citizens were sworn to protect, Register said.

People are illegally occupying the area and are committing criminal acts that endanger the community, including arson, beating people up, using explosives and setting booby traps that have the potential to seriously hurt someone, he said.

Register said four people had been detained with possible charges to come and that the situation remains fluid.

More than 150 people gathered to mourn the mans death during a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening in Atlantas Little Five Points neighborhood.

Activists said they did not have much information about the mornings incident and did not know the identity of the person who was killed. But they called for an investigation into the shooting.

The group then took to the streets, blocking a busy intersection and throwing scooters in front of cars as others held a large banner reading, Trees give life. Police take it.

Stop Cop City! the group yelled.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement earlier this month applauding the earlier arrests and saying they will not be the last we will take down as this project moves forward.

Domestic terrorism will NOT be tolerated in our state, and we will not hesitate, we will not rest, we will not waver in ending their activities and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law, he said in the statement posted on Twitter.

Opponents of the training center have been protesting for over a year by building platforms in surrounding trees and camping out at the site. They say that the $90 million project, which would be built by the Atlanta Police Foundation, involves cutting down so many trees that it would be environmentally damaging. They also oppose investing so much money in what they call Cop City, which they say will be used to practice urban warfare.

The 85-acre property is owned by the city of Atlanta but is located just outside the city limits in unincorporated DeKalb County, and includes a former state prison farm.

In an email to news outlets Wednesday morning, opponents of the training facility said they gathered outside the DeKalb County courthouse on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to demand that Boston drop the charges against people who were arrested at the site on Dec. 13 and 14.
Matt Gaetz Introduces Bill to Abolish ATF After It Declared Braced Pistols Illegal

The new Abolish the ATF Act bill introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) would immediately disband the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms (ATF) upon its enactment.

The continued existence of the ATF is increasingly unwarranted based on their repeated actions to convert law-abiding citizens into felons. They must be stopped. My bill today would abolish the ATF once and for all, Gaetz said on Wednesday upon introducing the new bill, H.R.374 (pdf).

Gaetz told Fox News that the final straw came when the Department of Justice, which oversees the ATF, on Jan. 13 announced a new rule on pistol attachments known as stabilizing braces. The new rule was also posted on the ATFs website.

It says that gun owners could be charged with a felony if they dont register their braced firearms with the ATF.

The rule will go into effect on the date of publication in the Federal Register. From then onwards, gun owners have 120 days to register their braced firearmsor modify their firearms by permanently removing braces, turning relevant firearms into the local ATF office, or having them destroyed. Otherwise, owners will face National Firearms Act (NFA) violations, which are felony consequences including a prison sentence and fines.

Concern for Disabled Veterans

The stabilizing braces targeted in the new rule (pdf) as devices that can be used to convert pistols into shoulder-mounted firearms.

The National Rifle Association says the devices were originally designed to help disabled veterans fire large format pistols, make it easier to hit targets by reducing movement of the firearm and help absorb recoil, making follow-up shots faster and more accurate.

In some cases, these devices can also serve as a kind of shoulder stock to a short-stocked firearm and allow a shooter to shoulder a pistol and operate it like a short-barreled rifle.

Gaetz said the rule unfairly punishes disabled gun owners and veterans who rely on stabilizing braces to be able to fire with one hand.

I have a lot of disabled veterans in my district who enjoy pistol shooting and rely on stabilizing braces to be able to engage in the activity, he told Fox News in a phone interview Wednesday morning.

Despite the ATF saying that the new rule does not affect stabilizing braces that are objectively designed and intended as a stabilizing brace for use by individuals with disabilities, and not for shouldering the weapon as a rifle, Gaetz said the concern was that the ATF will now be allowed to make case-by-case determinations on whether a pistol with a stabilizing brace is legal or an unlawful, sawed-off shotgun.

ATF Director Steven Dettelbach said that stabilizing braces essentially turn the pistols into short-barreled riflesones that have barrels shorter than 16 inches. He noted that Congress has subjected short-barreled rifles to greater legal requirements than most other firearms because they have a greater capability like long guns, but are easier to conceal, like pistols.

Under the new rule, people who manufacture, sell, or use stabilizing braces must comply with laws regulating short-barreled rifles, including background checks for transfers, and additional taxation.

For decades, short-barreled rifles have been subject to strict regulations, including a law known as the National Rifle Act, which imposes additional requirements like background checks for all transfers, including private ones.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey previously said in a statement that the egregious new rule on stabilizing braces makes it harder for senior citizens and people with disabilities to defend themselves. He added that his office was evaluating our legal options.

Meanwhile, the Second Amendment Foundation said it would challenge the rule in a lawsuit.

Gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety applauded the new rule, saying gunmakers had exploited loopholes to make firearms more deadly.

Gaetz in 2021 had co-sponsored a similar bill to abolish the ATF. The bill was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). At the time, both chambers of Congress was controlled by Democrats. Republicans now form the majority in the House.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
Mexican President Says Hell Consider El Chapo Request

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, is escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture in the beach resort town of Mazatlan, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2014. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP Photo)

MEXICO CITYMexicos president said Wednesday his government will consider a plea by imprisoned drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to be returned to Mexico, presumably to serve out his sentence.

Guzman, 64, was sentenced to life behind bars in the United States for a drug conspiracy that spread murder and mayhem for more than two decades.

Guzman has lived in poor conditions in prison since his 2019 conviction, said Jose Refugio Rodriguez, a Mexican lawyer who claims to represent him. Rodriguez told local media that Guzman hasnt had adequate access to sunlight, visits, good food or medical care.

The Mexican Embassy in Washington said in its Twitter account that it had received an email from Rodriguez about the issue and had turned it over to Mexicos Foreign relations Department.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said we will review it, adding: You always have to keep the door open when it comes to human rights.

The U.S. and Mexico have a prison transfer agreement that allows inmates convicted in one country to serve out their sentence in their home country under certain circumstances. But given Guzmans crimes, his sentence and the risks he purportedly still poses, many doubt the agreement would apply in his case.
Mother Livid After Key Figure in Teens Death Gets Parole

Garbage is off loaded into the Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Lenox Township, Mich., on July 28, 2022. (Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

DETROITA man who told police that he placed a teenagers body in a trash bin, a disclosure that led to an extraordinary but unsuccessful search of a suburban Detroit landfill, has been released from prison after less than a year.

Im livid. Im absolutely livid, said Cierra Milton, the mother of Zion Foster of Eastpointe, who was 17 when she disappeared a year ago.

Jaylin Brazier was sentenced to at least 23 months in prison in 2022 for lying to police during the investigation. Police believe Zion was the victim of a homicide, but no one has been charged in her death.

Brazier, 24, was released on parole this week. His last stop in the prison system was a special 90-day program that focuses on changing negative behavior into socially acceptable behavior, according to the Corrections Department website.

The judge has to sign off for the prisoner to take part in it, spokesman Chris Gautz told The Detroit News. The state law governing the program says that successful completion results in an automatic parole.

Milton said she wasnt aware of any changes in Braziers original sentence.

Photos of Zion Foster, 17, are shown in a staging at the Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Lenox Township, Mich., on July 28, 2022. (Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

He didnt even get the 23 months behind bars, she said.

A message seeking comment was left for Braziers attorney Wednesday.

When he was sentenced last March, Brazier told a judge that Zion suddenly became unconscious while they were smoking marijuana. He didnt call 911.

I dont know what caused it. I did not cause it, Brazier insisted.

Police learned that her body was placed in a dumpster. The trash eventually landed in a vast landfill. For roughly five months, a special team of Detroit officers searched the landfill but couldnt find Zions remains last year.

Detroit police Chief James White said the case remains under investigation.

Our detectives are constitutionally doing everything they can to talk to him, White said of Brazier, investigate him, visit with him, to make sure that we get what we need to charge that case the way it needs to be charged But theres a lot to it that I cant go into right now.
Mom Sentenced to 40 Years for Killing 8-Year-Old Son

NEW HAVEN, Conn.A Connecticut woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for suffocating her 8-year-old son and then setting their house on fire.

Prosecutors said Karin Ziolkowski killed her son, Elijah, in their Meriden home on Nov. 14, 2016, and then used tiki torch oil to set two fires. Rescuers could not resuscitate the boy, whose death was ruled a homicide by asphyxia.

Ziolkowski was arrested in October 2017 in North Carolina. She was sentenced Tuesday to four decades in state prison for murder and 10 years for arson, to be served concurrently. A Superior Court jury in New Haven found her guilty on both charges on Nov. 8, 2022.

Though nothing can bring back Elijah or lessen the pain of his loved ones, we hope todays prison sentence brings Elijahs family some measure of peace now that the person responsible for his senseless and unimaginable death has been brought to justice, New Haven States Attorney John P. Doyle Jr. said in a statement.
Most Childrens Hospitals Now Offer Gender Affirming Care

Dr. Blair Peters is among the latest additions to the surgical staff of the recently expanded Gender Affirming Care Unit at the Doernbecher Children's Hospital of Oregon Health and Science University. (Courtesy of OHSU)

Every major childrens hospital in the United States now has a gender reassignment surgical center, with the vast majority of all childrens hospitals offering some kind of gender-affirming care services.

An investigation by The Epoch Times shows that 50 states now have at least one childrens hospital running gender reassignment programsranging from surgical genital replacement to chemical-based gender reassignment.

The revelation comes on the heels of a market report showcasing sex reassignment surgery as a $2 billion industry with annual growth projected at 11 percent.

The report, prepared by Grand View Research, which tracks global market trends used by investors and researchers, indicated that the growth is in large part due to both insurance companies and government insurance like Medicaid increasingly covering the procedures.

Legislation to ban gender reassignment for minors has been passed in five states, with another 15 states currently considering similar legislation, but efforts have been stymied with federal judges in three of the states declaring the bans discriminatory.

Some childrens hospitals are ratcheting up their gender related services.

In its annual 2022 newsletter, The Doernbecher Childrens Hospital in Oregon, touted the expansion of its gender affirming care services, which it expressly states includes providing medical treatment for children as young as 10.

The childrens hospital, run by the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), also heralded an expanded gender affirming staff that includes a gender reassignment surgeon whose Twitter name is Queer Surgeon, gender affirming robotic procedures, and the use of a child-like avatar called Xploro that narrates information like gender reassignments at a childs level of comprehension.

Suzanne Gallagher, President of the Oregon-based Parents Rights In Education told The Epoch Times she is concerned about what she sees as a growing connection between what she calls the transgender push in schools and the rapidly growing transgender-based medical industry.

Schools, said Gallagher, are adding more and more mental health staff and they in turn are declaring more and more students as transgender kids.

We are starting to see schools use these mental health school counselors to threaten parents if you dont support transgendering kids, well report you to child protections services, she said, its a very frightening arrangement because under it, kids become wards of the government and they can put then under the knife at these gender reassignment places.

In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Childrens Hospital Association (CHA) urged the Department of Justice to investigate attacks and threats they said are being made against childrens hospitals and other providers offering gender-affirming care.

Providers of evidence-based gender-affirming health care and their colleagues are facing increased stress and fear on top of the conditions they have faced while working on the frontlines of a global pandemic for nearly three years, the organization stated in a letter to the DOJ. Families seeking care at these institutions as well as those providing their care fear for their personal safety in the wake of these attacks.

The organizations said they represented more than 270,000 physicians and more than 220 childrens hospitals across the country.

They include the top childrens hospitals as ranked by U.S. World Reports.

All of them offer gender reaffirming care including Boston Childrens Hospital (BCH), which recently came under fire for allegations that it was promoting gender reassignment surgeries to minors. The allegations are based in part on a video BCH posted, but later deleted of Dr. Frances Grimstad, a physician in its gynecology division talking about gender-affirming hysterectomies.

Currently, the Massachusetts hospital states in bold on its website that patients must be at least 18 years of age to undergo three specific surgeriesphalloplasty or metoidioplasty and vaginoplasty. However, on its eligibility page, the hospital specifically states that patients as young as 15 can pursue chest surgery at the hospital.

Some hospitals are tight-lipped about the age cutoff for their gender reassignment surgeries. One example is The Barbara Bush Childrens Hospital in Maine, as reported by a local TV station.

Others are more forthcoming. The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Health Program in New Hampshire states on its website that it is accepting new patients under 18 years of age for what it describes as its comprehensive and inclusive care to gender expansive and trans youth.

In Florida, where a law was recently passed outlawing transgender treatment for minors, The University of Florida Health Childrens Hospital, the Sunshine states largest childrens hospital, calls its program the Youth Gender Program and says it is for transgender and gender-nonconforming, or TGNC, youth and their families.

Childrens hospitals also treat young adults.

According to a recent report by the American Hospital Association, about three percent of patients seen by childrens hospitals are over the age of 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a general age cap of 21 for patients in childrens hospitals.

Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona, also passed laws banning gender treatment for minors.

Dr. Ximena Lopez of the Texas Childrens Hospital, one of the top 10 U.S. Childrens Hospitals, sued and won a partial reprieve from the ban from a federal court. The hospital has resumed treating transgender youth.

Other childrens hospitals in Texas, like the Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, also continue to offer a gender-affirming surgical program.

The childrens hospital does not mention anything about age in its details about the programincluding under Frequently Asked Questions. It does not ask for a patients age on its intake forms.

Phoenix Childrens Hospital in Arizona, where a ban on gender reassignment surgery for minors is also under legal challenge, runs what it calls a gender support program.

We are the only childrens hospital in Arizona with comprehensive Gender Support, its website states. We provide outpatient services that support the physical, mental, and social health of children and their families as they progress through gender identity development.

While Alabama law criminalizes gender reassignment surgeries for minors, a federal judge did lift the ban on prescribing puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones to transgender minors.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Liles Burke ruled that there was no evidence that transitioning medications are experimental as claimed under The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which made it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison to prescribe or administer gender-affirming medication to minors.
Press Release

January 19, 2023 Legarda recognized by Italian gov't for role in boosting PH-Italy bilateral ties Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has been conferred the award of "Commendatore" to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in appreciation of her role in strengthening bilateral relations between the Philippines and Italy. The recognition was presented to Legarda by Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Marco Clemente on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at the ambassador's residence in Makati City. "It is immensely an honor to receive the prestigious Order of Merit from the Italian Republic. I am extremely grateful to the Italian Republic, President Sergio Mattarella, to my good friend Pier Ferdinando Casini, and to His Excellency Marco Clemente and everyone else involved with this recognition," Legarda stated as she accepted the award. Legarda emphasized the importance of the Philippines and Italy's partnership as both nations work together to expand their cooperative ties as essential partners in the international arena. The two countries, she said, share common goals and interests, including the love of food, diverse culture, passion for arts, and the tradition of family values and close-knit communities. She also underscored how culture could lead to peace and stability; thus, promoting Philippine culture remained her passion and advocacy. In 2015, the Philippines was able to return to the Venice Biennale after a fifty-one year hiatus through Legarda's initiative in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). "This is the best example of how cultural exchanges are not merely a way to showcase and promote culture. Our participation in Venice has forged a deep relationship because each year we exchange ideas, we have meaningful discourses and we have new experiences together," said Legarda. As a legislator, Legarda has bridged parliamentary relations between the Philippines and other nations, such as Italy, to become partners for economic cooperation and cultural promotion. Her dedication to her craft was acknowledged through numerous global recognitions, such as the Global Leader for Tomorrow given by the World Economic Forum (WEF). She is also a United Nations Environment Programme Laureate, and the Global Ambassador for Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, and Environment of the Women Political Leaders. In recognition of her commitment to the fight against climate change and to the promotion of Philippine culture and heritage, she has been bestowed the title of Chevalier (Knight) in the Ordre national de la le gion d'Honneur (National Order of the French Legion of Honor) by then French President Francois Holland through former French Ambassador Thierry Mathou last February 18, 2016, and on November 2, 2022, she was recognized as an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Biodiversity Hero in Bogor, Indonesia, for her significant contributions to biodiversity efforts in the Philippines. The title "Commendatore" is the second recognition bestowed on Legarda by the government of Italy. On July 13, 2017, the Cavaliere dell Ordine al Merito Della Repubblica Italiana (Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) was presented to her by then Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Roscigno. "The world is decisively changing, shaped by the dangerous effects of climate change, technological advancements, and sharp shifts in social and individual values. The situation can be formidable and intimidating, but the Philippines and Italy must face the future and create deeper partnerships that can help navigate uncharted territory," Legarda stated. "As such, I commit to supporting Philippine-Italian projects and programs, whether these be in the arts, culture, or trade and economy. It is when we ensure a sustainable exchange that we step into the unknown with hope and anticipation," she concluded.
When she was a child, Mackenzie Williams spent 14-hour days busy with manual labor in what her parents were told would be a therapeutic residential school setting.

But the strain of forced physical work, the abuse she witnessed of other students and her sexual assault were never brought up in the few conversations she had with her parents while at the program in Montana. She would have, Williams told state lawmakers this week, if the program's staff had not kept those calls under observation.

A bill proposed to state lawmakers on Wednesday would ratchet up regulations on private therapeutic boarding schools in Montana, building on overhauls that went into place four years ago. Rep. Laura Smith, D-Helena, is carrying House Bill 218, which would require those programs to report every instance in which seclusions or restraints were used on a child and facilitate weekly communication with parents or guardians.

"If I had had weekly confidential communication with family as outlined in HB 218, I would have been able to tell my mother what they were actually doing to me," Williams said.

Williams and three other students offered grave testimony as lawmakers consider whether to take regulations a step further than they could muster in 2019.

"Parents have the right to parent and have access to their kids," Smith said. "And kids have a right to heal, get treatment and not be harmed by treatment."

Those who testified in support of the bill noted that not every program has been harmful to students, but said the measures proposed in HB 218 would shed more light on those that are. State law requires the health department to inspect programs once every three years, but Smith's bill would up that frequency to four inspections per year.

"If these programs cannot adhere to basic standards that require them to provide a safe environment that provides basic human rights, then they shouldn't be in the business of working with children," said Jennifer Shaw, a former teacher at a Montana program. Since leaving the industry, Shaw has worked with former students to raise awareness about the traumatic practices conducted at some of these programs.

The 2019 Legislature handed oversight of the industry to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services in response to the issues that were raised by an investigative series by the Missoulian newspaper. Smith was deputy director of the department under the previous administration.

The move was a shift away from what was essentially a self-regulation model for the industry that typically serves parents who are unable to find adequate services through school, counseling or generally traditional methods. The Missoulian's review four years ago found costs could be as high as $100,000 a year.

Previously the private alternative adolescent residential or outdoor programs had been under the purview of a board within the state labor department. The majority of that board's membership was made up of people who themselves owned or operated programs in far-flung parts of the state. Untrained and unlicensed staff were handling children's medications, employees accused of sexually assaulting students remained on staff, children died by suicide and while complaints were made to that board, no significant action was ever taken against one of these programs in the 12 years the board had control of oversight.

The House Human Services Committee that heard HB 218 on Wednesday bears just four state lawmakers who held office in 2019 when the overhaul passed; the other 17 are in their first or second term.

Diane Sands, who last year termed out of the Legislature and carried the 2019 overhaul bill, laid out the history of that effort for the committee. As was the case on Wednesday, no program owners or operators appeared in legislative hearings to testify against the bill. In 2019, then-Rep. Bob Brown, R-Trout Creek, passed an amendment that watered down much of the tightest regulatory component of Sands' bill. Brown, himself a former employee of a Trout Creek program, told the Missoulian he did so at the request of those program owners who had not testified in the public process.

The bill at hand, Sands said, would bring regulations closer to the potency her 2019 bill had envisioned.

"There's still more need for more protections," she said. "We have more protections for felons in our prison system.  These kids haven't committed crimes, they need help."

The four state representatives on the House committee who were in the Legislature in 2019 were Republicans Ed Buttrey, Lola Sheldon-Galloway and Tom Welch, as well as Democratic Minority Leader Kim Abbott. All four voted for Sands' bill in 2019.

At that time, Montana had 19 programs operating in the state, almost entirely in the rural areas of northwest Montana. By the end of 2020, some programs changed to chemical dependency providers, which requires totally different licensing and oversight; some closed due to enrollment decreases; one went under a religious affiliation, therefore avoiding government oversight entirely; one received a license but never enrolled any students and closed voluntarily; and a few left due to the new regulations. Just one, Ranch for Kids, saw its license revoked.

According to DPHHS, eight programs remain in Montana.

Still, state inspections have found repeated violations of the current regulations that resulted in harm to students. In 2021, staff at Reflections Academy had, according to state inspection reports, done nothing to supervise a girl who had told employees she felt suicidal on the day of her death, instead raising suspicions that she was manipulating staff. She was 17.

State inspectors also found at another program staff had waited for more than an hour to report two boys had run away. As punishment for running away, Wood Creek Academy staff prohibited the boys from having any interaction with their peers for three days. State regulations prohibit the use of isolation as a punishment in private residential outdoor programs. According to the inspectors notes, the boys were sent to sleep in shorts and T-shirts in tents during days when the high temperatures were between 30 to 40 degrees and nights dipped as low as 28 degrees.

Wood Creek Academy closed in 2021.

Smith said amendments are coming to the bill, including specifying the use of chemical restraints must be reported to the state health department. The committee will decide on advancing the bill or not in coming days.
National Security Officials Worked to Flag Election Misinformation for Social Media Companies: Deposition

A man stands outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) building in Tukwila, Wash., on March 3, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images)

A newly released document describes how a group of national security officials worked day and night to flag election-related misinformation and disinformation and provide it to social media platforms, which Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said shows that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been weaponized to suppress domestic free speech.

As part of efforts by Bailey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to uncover what the latter described as widespread and systematic collusion between Big Tech and Big Government to censor Americans, Landry on Jan. 19 released the full transcript of the deposition (pdf) of CISA official Brian Scully.

Scully is a key figure in CISAs Multi-Domain Management (MDM) division, which focuses on the coordination and integration of physical and cyber security efforts across various domains, including the electric grid, transportation systems, and election infrastructure.

The deposition is part of a court-ordered discovery process in a lawsuit filed last year by Missouri and Louisiana against the Biden administration for allegedly colluding with social media giants to suppress Americans free speech.

In our efforts to protect the First Amendment, we deposed Brian Scully of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a key player in the federal govs efforts to suppress so-called mis-, dis-, and mal-information (MDM) about elections, Bailey said in a post on social media.

The Epoch Times reached out to CISA with a request for comment on Landrys and Baileys assertions that CISA has been weaponized to censor domestic free speech. No response was received by publication.

Switchboard Work

Scully said in the deposition that the MDM division works to protect Americas critical infrastructureincluding election infrastructureby engaging with federal partners and civil society groups in efforts to mitigate risks.

In 2020, we did some switchboard work on behalf of election officials, Scully said, referring to one of the activities of the division.

Switchboard work, he explained, was essentially receiving alerts from elections officials about social media content they deemed to be disinformation and then CISA routing those concerns to social media companies.

Scully said it was mostly for informational awareness purposes, just to make sure that the social media companies were aware of potential disinformation. He confirmed, however, that there was an understanding that the social media platforms would then apply their moderation policies to the content, suggesting that the content was being primed for suppression.

Scully also said that, for CISA, switchboard work was very resource intensive, involving at least five other individuals, with Scully as the point man.

The MDM team took shifts, in terms of receiving and doing, Scully said.

Over the course of the election I think we forwarded about 200 emails, total, Scully said in response to a question about the MDM team flagging disinformation concerns to social media platforms.

Taking Action

The deposition listsbut does not include as attachmentsa number of exhibits, including emails between CISA and other entities as part of the switchboarding.

Examples of actions taken by social media companies as a result of such flags were shared by Bailey on social media.

Here, Twitter actioned (censored) accounts under their civic integrity policies after CISA flags them, Bailey wrote in a tweet, which shows a redacted screenshot of correspondence between a Twitter employee and someone at CISA, neither of whom are identified.

Here, we see CISA offers to help the major social media companies connect with local election offices, Bailey wrote in a separate tweet, with a screenshot showing an unidentified Facebook employee asking to be put in touch with local election offices.

And as always, if theres anything we can do to be helpful in the meantime, please let us know! the Facebook staffer writes.

The deposition also shows that CISA liaised with other entities, including a partner organization to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), a collaboration between Stanford University, the University of Washington, Graphika, and Atlantic Councils DFRLab.

Scully said his understanding was that EIP consisted of several organizations aiming to better understand what was going on in the information environment around elections.

The EIP would later release a report on mis- and disinformation around the 2020 election which the group said details how misleading narratives and false claims about voting coalesced into the metanarrative of a stolen election, which propelled the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a characterization that perhaps hints at the entitys political leanings.

Scully said that, given how resource intensive the flagging was for his team, he put EIP in touch with CIS, which he described as a non-profit that oversees election infrastructure information sharing and analysis networks.

It wasnt a role we necessarily wanted to play because its very resource intensive, Scully said of the MDM teams involvement in switchboarding and of his desire to get other parties to take some of the load.

I would say early on in the process, the switchboarding generally came through CISA, Scully said. Later on in the process, it was more of a mixed bag of how the switchboarding worked.

Misinformation Report

During the deposition, Scully was asked to comment on various emails, including a misinformation report from October 2020 involving CISA that was part of the switchboarding.

Brianreferring to youwe know many are already aware of this case, but the impact seems to be escalating. Our hope is the platforms can do more to take down the misinformation; correct? one of the individuals questioning Scully asks, citing the correspondence.

Thats what it says, correct, Scully replies, adding later that he forwarded it to Facebook, even though it related to Twitter activity.

In other words, if the disinformation or misinformation might be spreading to other platforms you would notify not just the platform reported, but other platforms as well, the individual questioning Scully asked.

It sounds like it literally jumped platforms, Scully said of the content, adding that sometimes we would just  we would share.

Two Tracks

Scully, who for the past several months has served as the MDM teams active engagements lead, said in the deposition that the teams communications with social media companies had two tracks.

One type of communication involved MDM being briefed by social media companies if they were putting out policy announcements or public reports on policy activities. Asked if the companies were communicating to CISA about things theyre doing in relation to misinformation and disinformation on their platforms, Scully explained they dont call it that but instead refer to it as coordinated inauthentic behavior.

The second type of communication CISA was involved in was conducting regular sync meetings between government and private sector companies, which would involve taking part in coordination calls and setting common agendas, Scully said.

Several years back, these meetings were held on a quarterly basis, then monthly at some point in 2020, and about a month before the 2020 presidential election, they were held biweekly.

He said that representatives from Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Google, Reddit, and sometimes LinkedIn and Wikimedia Foundation would take part in these meetings, though he added that I believe there are others.

Scully said other agencies were also involved in these meetings, namely: the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the DHS.

These agencies, Scully said, would provide unclassified high-level reviews or strategic intelligence briefs or anything else of relevance that they had to share.

There was never any discussion of specific content, Scully said, but things at a high-level that they were seeing and wanted to flag, such as actors that might be interested in undermining confidence in the elections.

If they were seeing domestic terrorism type threats, he said as an example, adding that he did not recall any instances in which these other agencies identified specific domestic actors.

Scully said the team stopped doing switchboarding in April 2022, at the direction of CISA head Jen Easterly.

Easterlys name came up in a recent statement by Landry, who claimed Easterly believes that the Infrastructure in CISA doesnt mean protecting roads and bridges. It means cognitive infrastructure, i.e., suppressing certain kinds of speech.

Scully said the meetings between CISA and social media companies have been discontinued with no current plans to hold them in 2023.

He also said that the MDM team has no immediate plans to expand its efforts to fight election disinformation going into the 2024 election cycle.

Bailey, commenting on Scullys deposition, said in a post on Twitter that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We look forward to releasing more documents.
New Lawsuits Challenge Legality of Illinois Assault Weapon Ban

A federal lawsuit filed this week is one of several new complaints seeking to assert that a recently signed Illinois gun ban is illegal.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act, or House Bill 5471, runs afoul of the U.S. Constitutions Second Amendment, the new 28-page suit charges.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear Arms. Under this constitutional provision, Plaintiff Harrel, and all other law-abiding, responsible Illinoisans have a fundamental, constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear common firearms for defense of self and family and for other lawful pursuits, it states.

But the State has enacted, and Defendants have authority to enforce, a flat prohibition on the manufacture, delivery, sale, import, purchase, and possession of many common firearmstendentiously labeled assault weaponsby ordinary citizens, making it a crime for law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear such arms.

The law, signed by Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 11, defines assault weapons as semiautomatic firearms with certain capacities. Common guns such as AR-15s fall under the definition.

The new suit says the definition mischaracterizes the firearms as assault weapons and asserts that the banned guns cant be outlawed because theyre owned by many people and arent unusual or dangerous.

The Illinois State Rifle Association and others, including several gun store owners, brought the suit.

The 2nd Amendment is fundamentally about self-defense, and the 14th Amendment is about not having our rights infringed, Richard Pearson, executive director of the association, said in a statement. This new law makes criminals out of law-abiding citizens. The real problem is that there are existing gun laws that do not work because they are not enforced. We would all be much safer if the police had the resources they need, and there were stronger consequences for the non-law-abiding citizens.

The suit, filed in federal court, asks for a declaration that the new law violates the Constitution and a prohibition on the laws enforcement.

The United States had a federal assault weapons ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004, which prohibited the sale and manufacture of certain semiautomatic weapons and higher-capacity magazines. The Department of Justice previously issued a study, which has been often cited by the National Rifle Association and other groups, finding that the 1994 federal ban didnt lead to a significant drop in shootings and murders.

Other Suits

Several other actions were brought in state courts.

Tom DeVore, a former Republican Illinois attorney general candidate, filed suit on Jan. 17 in Effingham County.

The law is an outright attack on the constitutional rights of lawful gun owners across the state, DeVore said in a statement.

Illinois residents across 87 counties joined the suit, which asked for a temporary restraining order against the enforcement of the law.

An emergency hearing was already held and a judge is expected to decide on the request on Jan. 20.

A separate suit was filed in Crawford County. It says the law violates multiple parts of the Constitution, including the 14th Amendment.

Firearms of these types that have traditionally been held for lawful purposes simply may not be banned, Thomas Maag, who filed the suit, told WLS-TV.

Reaction

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, told news outlets in a statement that his office has become accustomed to facing a barrage of challenges to newly enacted state statutes and executive orders.

As we have done previously, we are prepared to defend the Protect Illinois Communities Act in courtrooms around Illinois, Raoul said.

Pritzker said when signing the bill that he was proud to sign the legislation, which he said was one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation.

In a statement to outlets regarding the suits, the governors office said Pritzker was confident the courts will uphold the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act.

This legislation was the result of hundreds of hours of collaboration and cooperation between legal experts, legislators, and advocates, and it makes Illinois a safer place for every resident, the office said. Despite political grandstanding from those more beholden to the gun lobby than to the safety of their constituents, this law is in effect and protecting Illinoisans from the constant fear of being gunned down in a place of worship, at a parade, or on a street corner.

Sheriffs

A number of sheriffs in Illinois have said they wont enforce the new law, including Iroquois County Sheriff Clinton J. Perzee, who said he believes its a clear violation of the Second Amendment.

DeVore said that hes tallied only three sheriffs who support the law, while most havent taken a position.

I suspect local officials will just ignore the law in the unlikely event its not struck down by then, DeVore said on Facebook.

Sometimes mass disobedience is the only method to deal with a tyrant. History has long proven that when people take a stand and say no, there is nothing a tyrant can do about it.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 made up about 43 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States. But in New York City, that number is much higher. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene posted on Twitter that 73 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Big Apple trace back to XBB.1.5.

This new subvariant may not be any more severe than previous strains of Omicron, according to CDC. But it seems to be more likely to infect people who are vaccinated, and even bypass immunity from a previous infection.

Despite this, health authorities are still encouraging Americans to get their updated booster shots, although the protection from these vaccines seems to only last for three months. Some experts argue that the COVID-19 shots will still prevent hospitalization and death. Whether that is accurate is still up for debate. An investigation by The Epoch Times has found that people who are boosted are actually more likely to be hospitalized or pass away from COVID-19, compared to those who just received their primary series.

 Watch our Cured Series:

Episode 2: UNVAXXED Patient: How I Was Rescued From Hospital Death

Episode 1: Band of Doctors Defy CDCs Protocols to Save Americans



Medical Disclaimer:

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The information on the Show is gathered from reputable sources; however, neither Frontline Health nor The Epoch Times Association Inc. are responsible for errors or omissions in reporting or explanation and will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising therefrom.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Resigning

'I no longer have enough in the tank'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces her resignation at the War Memorial Centre in Napier, New Zealand, on Jan. 19, 2023. (Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

New Zealand (NZ) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed that shell be resigning after six years in the position as the nation heads into an election year.

Ardern, who was elected as the prime minister in 2017, will step down sometime between Jan. 19 and Feb. 7, after the NZ Labour Party decides on her replacement.

Speaking about her decision, she said she had realised that after leading the country for nearly six years, she didnt have enough left in the tank for another four-year term.

I am human; politicians are human, she said at the Labour Partys caucus meeting in Napier on Jan. 19. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then its time. And for me, its time.

Ardern noted that she would be doing a disservice to New Zealanders if she continued as prime minister.

Im not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case, I probably would have departed two months into the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility, she said. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not.

Ardern noted that her decision was supported by her family, some of whom hadnt wanted her to resign. She also addressed her daughter in her speech, telling her that she would be there for her first day of school this year.

Youngest Elected Leader Since 1800s

Elected when she was 37 years old, Ardern was the youngest person elected as prime minister in New Zealand since the 1800s and was just the third woman elected to the leadership position. She was also only the second female prime minister in the world to give birth to a child during her time in power, with the first being former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

She leaves behind a mixed legacy, with many praising her for her empathy as prime minister when responding to events such as the March 2019 Christchurch massacre.

The shooting resulted in the death of 51 people at two mosques in one of New Zealands largest cities. In its immediate aftermath, Ardern announced a nationwide ban on military-style semiautomatic assault rifles, a policy move that made international headlines and sparked mixed responses in the United States, where the Second Amendment remains a contentious topic among Americans.

New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern leaves after prayers at Hagley Park outside Al-Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 22, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Her legacy was marred by her governments COVID-19 pandemic response, which saw New Zealanders rally in the thousands multiple times during 202122 over government-mandated lockdowns, strict vaccine mandates, and quarantine measures.

In an infamous moment captured in October 2021, Ardern told reporters at a press conference that New Zealand would essentially become a two-tier society between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Separately, her governments environmental protection laws were met with mass protests from farmers across the country.

Read More Thousands of New Zealanders Protest for Freedom After 6 Weeks in Lockdown

A convoy of vehicles blocks a road near the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 8, 2022. Hundreds of people who were protesting vaccine and mask mandates drove in convoy to New Zealands capital and converged outside Parliament as lawmakers reconvened after a summer break. (Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP)

Leaders of the countrys opposition parties have had a mixed response to the resignation announcement.

NZ National Party leader Chris Luxon thanked Ardern for her service, saying in a Twitter post that she had given her all to the job.

On behalf of the National Party, I offer to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern our thanks for her service to New Zealand, Luxon said. She has given her all to this incredibly demanding job, and I wish her and her family all the very best for the future. Thank you Jacinda.

On behalf of the National Party, I offer to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern our thanks for her service to New Zealand. She has given her all to this incredibly demanding job and I wish her and her family all the very best for the future. Thank you Jacinda.  Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) January 19, 2023

NZ ACT Party leader David Seymour said in a Jan. 19 statement that he wished Ardern well but that the country was in need of a new leadership direction.

Ive known Jacinda for over a decade and while we rarely see eye to eye on political matters, we have remained collegial and have been able to team up for a good cause when the opportunity arose, he said.

Jacinda is a well-meaning person, but her idealism collided hard with reality. Unfortunately, this has left the country with big problems: the economy, the lawlessness, the Treaty.

New Zealand needs a new government of real change, and ACT will be providing the ideas and the backbone to make the change real.

NZ Labor in Good Position Coming Into the Election

Ardern said she believed that she would be leaving while the NZ Labor Party was in a good position coming into the election scheduled to be held on Oct.14.

I am not leaving because I believe we cant win the election. But because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge, she said.

Weve achieved a huge amount in the last five years. And Im so proud of that.

We are in a fundamentally different place on climate change than where we were, with ambitious targets and a plan to achieve them. We have turned around child poverty statistics and made the most significant increases in welfare in the state housing stock that weve seen in many decades.

Weve made it easier to access education and training; weve improved the pay conditions of workers and shifted our settings toward a high-wage, high-skilled economy, and weve worked hard to make progress on issues around our national identity.

Ardern noted that this was all done while the government responded to some of the biggest global challengessuch as the COVID-19 pandemicsince World War II.

The team that has done all of that, they are well placed to take us forward as we continue to focus on our economic recovery with one of the strongest economies in the world, she said.

World Leaders Respond

World leaders have taken to social media to respond to Arderns resignation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Ardern on Twitter.

Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength, he wrote on Twitter. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.

Calling her a fierce advocate for New Zealand, Albanese said that Arden had been an inspiration to many and a great friend.

Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities. Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me. pic.twitter.com/QJ64mNCJMI  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 19, 2023

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also thanked Ardern in a Twitter post.

Thank you, @JacindaArdern, for your partnership and your friendshipand your empathic, compassionate, strong, and steady leadership over these past several years. The difference you have made is immeasurable. Im wishing you and your family nothing but the best, my friend, Trudeau wrote on Twitter.
Kevin Stocklin, producer of The Shadow State documentary and Epoch Times financial reporter, discusses the World Economic Forums meeting this week and breaks down the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda.

Rob Henneke, executive director and general counsel at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, analyzes the Biden classified document debacle and the GOP response, and looks at the new Congresss first move.

Democratic strategist and civil rights attorney Robert Patillo discusses how politicians can evenly handle the Biden classified document revelations without getting caught up in politics.

New Founding cofounder Matthew Peterson takes us on a deep dive tour of the Twitter files revelations. He shows us the key information to pay attention to.

Former President Donald Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington discusses Trumps possible Twitter and Facebook return, and Trumps vow to ban Chinese investment in U.S. farmland.

Gen. Robert Spalding, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and an Epoch Times contributor, talks about Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss plan to ban Chinese investment in farmland. He also discusses the new House China Committee.
Last December, Arizona mom Lindsey Graham went viral for crashing a school board meeting dressed in a cat costumecomplete with ears, whiskers, and tail.

Donning leopard spots, Graham approached the mic and expressed outrage over a male school board members being allowed to dress as a woman while still keeping his position.

She accused board members of failing their one job by forcing [children] to participate in their lie in denial of not just truth, but basic biology.

No tail, whiskers, or outfit makes me a cat, she said, nor does any lipstick, high heels, or long hair make the man in question, Paul Bixler, 72, a woman.

The board in question is Liberty Elementary District, located in Buckeye. The Epoch Times reached out to the school district for comment yet they did not respond in time for publishing.

(Left) Lindsey Grahams three kids, aged 8, 6, and 2-and-a-half; (Right) Lindsey Graham (Courtesy of Lindsey Graham); (Inset) Liberty Elementary School District, located in Buckeye, Arizona. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

My opinion, very strongly, is that boys and girls cannot interchange their gender, she told The Epoch Times. If an adult is cross-dressing, they are teaching children that gender can be defined redefined and biology is not a solid truth.

After footage of Grahams dramatic confrontation went viral, she confirmed with us that three of the board members have since called for Bixlers resignation.

One even thanked her right after her presentation.

Its not just a matter of miseducation, Graham said, but also of childrens safety.

[Bixler] wears lipstick, permed his white thinning hair, and wears his deceased wifes clothing, Graham said. He regularly interacts with the children and has insisted that he be addressed as Miss Bixler.

He has even used the womens restroom at an event and startled a female rightfully using her restroom, Graham said. Imagine if there had been a young girl there alone when he decided to enter.

Two of Grahams own three children now attend private school, as she no longer trusts the public school system.

To genuinely believe Grahams cat identity would signal a mental disorder, she said, as would the belief that gender is fluid.

Medically, gender dysphoria is a mental disorder, Graham said. We should be treating these people instead of allowing them to remain in positions of decision and influence, especially around children.

Someone with a mental disorder should not be making educational decisions for elementary school children.

Lindsey Graham and her three children. (Courtesy of Lindsey Graham)

Grahams catcalling ambush was executed on an impulse using her Halloween costume, she said, adding that the stunts idiocracy showcases what Bixler pulls off every day.

Host of the podcast @the.patriot.barbie, Graham told the world on Jan. 16 that Bixler cannot be voted out of his position; parents must demand he step down, she said, pointing to his picture. Lawsuits will follow if he does not.

This isnt the first time Graham has pushed back. In 2020, in Salem, Oregon, she reopened her salon despite Governor Kate Browns executive order requiring businesses to stay closed during the pandemic.

The government threatened and attacked me endlessly, even sending Child Protective Services to my home, she told the newspaper. Antifa, the media, and BLM were all threatening me, tracking me, and harassing my family.

We lost 6 businesses to cancel culture, sold our newly-built home, and quite literally ran for our lives to Arizona for safety.

She was then called into action to protest a cross-dressing school board member in the Grand Canyon State.

Wokeness has completely overtaken the school system, she said, calling the compulsion to adhere to anyones whims and ideology appalling.

It redraws the lines of truth and fiction to the point where now there is none, she said. Parents need to take a firm stand in the face of threatsor even violence.

This is the last straw and this should be our last stand, she added. Our children are the hill to die on.
Northern Ireland Legacy Bill Will End Court Case Merry-Go-Round, Defence Secretary Wallace Says

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has lauded new legislation to deal with the legacy of The Troubles in Northern Ireland as the best way of ending the merry-go-round of court cases.

The Legacy Bill, which is advancing through Parliament, would provide immunity for those accused of offences during The Troubles as long as they cooperate with a new truth recovery body.

It would halt not only criminal proceedings but also prevent civil cases and would also negate the need for hundreds of inquests linked to killings during The Troubles.

Wallace, who served in Northern Ireland as a soldier in 1991, said the current system is not serving the peace process well.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, has said he will scrap the bill if the opposition win the next general election, but Wallace urged him to be very cautious before making these type of commitments.

I understand the sense of loss many victims have held, Wallace said in Belfast on Jan. 18. But it is also important that we stop what has become a merry-go-round of legacy inquests, and constant reopenings and retrials that dont actually seem to serve the peace process well.

Its Really Important  to Draw a Line Under It

He said the current process doesnt help either the victims that I have seen or indeed many of the people accused, I think its really important we do our best to draw a line under it.

Wallace said, The Good Friday Agreement was as much about forgiveness and coming together as anything else, and this legacy legislation is about saying, we want to move out of the constant reopening of inquests through the same processeswhen I was a junior minister here, I think they thought it would take 30 years to get through that weight of inquestsand to put it into a better system where people can come forward, and if they engage with this legacy programme then, of course, they will achieve a level of immunity.

He said former paramilitaries and members of the security forces who didnt choose to engage or cooperate would be open to be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein politician Gerry Kelly, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, called Wallaces comments insulting and disrespectful to victims of the conflict who have waited decades for truth and justice about the killings of their loved ones.

More than 3,600 people were killed during The Troublesthe period of sectarian strife between 1969 and 1998 when the Provisional IRA sought to force a united Ireland through terrorismand 1,000 of those killings remain unsolved.

One is the killing of Roseanne Mallon, a 76-year-old spinster from the Roman Catholic community, who was shot dead in her isolated cottage in Killymoyle, County Tyrone.

Her nephew, Martin Mallon, a former IRA man who served time in prison for explosives offences, has always claimed she was killed by a loyalist death squad with the connivance of the British Army.

The Good Friday Agreement, which ended The Troubles in 1998, allowed for convicted killers on both the republican and loyalist sides to be freed from prison, but didnt create a process for what should happen if new evidence emerged about the unsolved killings.

The head office of Saoradh, the political wing of the New IRA, in Derry, Northern Ireland, in October 2019. (Chris Summers/The Epoch Times)

Later this month, Soldier F, the only member of the Parachute Regiment ever to face charges over the events of Jan. 30, 1972better known as Bloody Sunday, when 14 unarmed demonstrators were shot dead in Londonderryis due back in court.

Soldier F has been charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney and the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, and Patrick ODonnell.

In April 2021, defense minister Johnny Mercer, a former soldier, resigned from his role in protest at the treatment of armed forces veterans who served in Northern Ireland.

This week, the government amended the legislation to allow the truth recovery body to conduct criminal investigations where it judges that to be appropriate.

Sinn Fein Calls Wallaces Comments Callous

Comments by the British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that the British governments flawed legacy bill will end a merry-go-round of legacy inquests are insulting and disrespectful to the families of victims of the conflict who have waited decades for truth and justice, said Kelly, a former Provisional IRA man who planted car bombs in London when he was 19. He later endorsed the peace process and was one of the negotiators of the Good Friday Agreement.

His comments are arrogant, callous, and completely unacceptable, Kelly said. Access to the courts and to due process is a human right.

He said the amendments to the bill made by the government this week do not deal with the substantive issue of victims being entitled to access to due process.

The legacy bill is in breach of human rights standards and international law and should be scrapped now, said Kelly, who was described in 1986 as an extremely dangerous, resourceful and dedicated terrorist.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will move to the House of Lords next week.

PA Media contributed to this report.
The United States reaches its borrowing limit. The Treasury Department is now trying to avoid a government default.

A San Francisco business owner has been arrested. A video of him went viral on social media, where he was seen spraying a homeless woman with water, trying to get her to move.

At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, the United Nations chief slams fossil fuel producers hard, saying that oil is inconsistent with human survival. Whats behind the war on fossil fuels?

A new survey shows that Americans are losing more and more money because of financial illiteracy. It caused many to lose over $10,000 last year.

Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt says millions of dollars have disappeared from his account with a Jamaican investment firm. What happened?

Demand for non-alcoholic drinks is soaring. We hear from business owners who are rushing to keep up.
Former President Donald Trump on Jan. 18 released a three-minute policy video in which he says he will ban Chinese nationals from buying U.S. farmland or owning telecommunications, if he is reelected president in 2024.

Republicans are refreshing their focus on the Penn Biden Center in the investigation into President Joe Bidens classified documents. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer sent a letter to the University of Pennsylvania, requesting detailed records of the think tanks visitor logs and more.

A prosecutor said the husband of a Massachusetts woman whos been missing since New Years Day went online to look up ways to dismember and dispose of a body, together with how to mask the smell of a decomposing body.
A Santa Fe district attorney announced on Jan. 19 that actor Alec Baldwin will be charged before the end of the month for fatally shooting a cinematographer on set in 2021. The incident happened in New Mexico during a rehearsal of the upcoming film Rust.

Amid the fallout of the documents debacle, a new poll finds President Joe Bidens approval rating dropped to 40 percent, close to the lowest point of his presidency, which was 36 percent in May and June. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is gearing up for a big political speech in Miami.

America has reached its $31.4 trillion debt limit. The U.S. Treasury is taking what it calls extraordinary measures to avoid defaulting on its debt for the first time in history.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the end of proxy voting, saying lawmakers have to show up to work if they want their vote to count.

The Supreme Court said in a new report that it still doesnt know who leaked the draft opinion on the abortion ruling last year. Meanwhile, the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information related to a series of attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers.
Two bills aimed at improving how child protective services in Montana work took steps forward in the Capitol on Thursday, including legislation to require warrants for removals unless there's an emergency, while another aimed at eliminating anonymous reports of suspected abuse or neglect was voted down.

A bill that came out of nearly two years worth of work done by lawmakers and others involved in child protection services during the interim was passed out of committee after some major amendments.

This bill will be a huge win for children and families and a giant step towards improving Montanas child welfare system, said Rep. Jennifer Carlson, R-Churchill, after her House Bill 37 passed out of a committee on an 18-1 bipartisan vote.

This bill is the result of nearly two years of legislative committee work  and many years of legwork by legislators before that. I am very encouraged to finally have broad bipartisan support for child welfare reform, Carlson continued.

During its initial hearing last week, those who testified both in support and against the bill reiterated they all shared the same goals of keeping kids safe and working to reunify families but they differed on the best ways to achieve that. Amendments to Carlsons bill on Thursday were intended to address the concerns raised by opponents.

One amendment changed the bill from saying that emergency removals without a warrant could only happen if a child was at risk of sexual abuse or serious bodily injury to a threshold of sexual abuse and physical abuse.

The change came over concern that some types of abuse could have fallen through the cracks because of how serious bodily injury is defined in law. Supporters of the amendment said physical abuse is still a very high standard.

Another amendment changed the bill to no longer require a police officer to be present during some types of removals. During the bills hearing, there were concerns that the presence of law enforcement could elevate tensions during a removal from a home and that local law enforcement offices would not have enough resources

Another change was meant to alleviate concerns from court-appointed special advocates and guardian ad litems about a proposal in the bill that would have limited the amount of information they could receive about a case. The amendment removed that limitation on access.

Another major change in an amendment from Carlson offered a compromise between the bills original goal of holding an initial court hearing within 72 hours of removal and the five days previously proposed.

Under the change, emergency protective services hearings would happen within three business days of removal, with a delayed effective day so that courts would have time to prepare.

This would give some time to implement what I believe, what most people believe, is the best. The sooner we can have judicial oversight, that is the better, (but we also are recognizing) sometimes things move at the speed of government, Carlson said.

Carlson added she was not a big fan of the change, but that she thought it was a compromise that allows the very important parts of this bill to move forward.

In the Senate, lawmakers split on bills from Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, voting down one that would have eliminated anonymous reporting of suspected abuse and neglect cases and advancing another that would improve the process for legislators who are allowed to review documents about abuse and neglect cases.

On a 19-31 vote the Senate halted the progress of Senate Bill 114, which would have eliminated anonymous reporting for suspected abuse and neglect. On the Senate floor, Lez said he had concerns that many anonymous calls are not investigated, meaning they might be done in retribution and not because of actual suspected abuse.

But Sens. Walt Sales, Jeff Welborn and Wendy McKamey, all Republicans, shared concerns citing personal situations that they said would possibly let abuse continue if not for anonymous reporting.

Welborn said while he felt Lenzs bill was well-intended, it would have bad consequences and pointed to abuse or neglect hed observed while doing his job as an auctioneer that involved going out to peoples homes. He said he witnessed bad situations he would not have been able to report if he couldn't do so anonymously.

But on a 49-1 vote the Senate advanced on second reading Lenzs Senate Bill 116, which builds upon a past bill that gives lawmakers the ability to review case records if a family requests it. The bill would let lawmakers take notes to discuss what they read with families, among other changes to the timeline for the health department to provide the information. Lawyers must agree to confidentiality for what they view otherwise.

In initial hearings for two more of Lenzs bills this week, he advocated for legislation that would block drug testing from being a requirement in a treatment plan during a child abuse and neglect case, unless the court finds that substance use contributed to the child's removal. There were no opponents to the bill and the state health department, which is tasked with child protective services, spoke in support of it.

Another bill would say child support payments to the state for children entering foster care may only happen in very rare circumstances that would not impede reunification or a successful placement for a child.
NY Democrats Block Gov. Hochuls Pick for Top Judge for Being Too Conservative

New York Gov. Kathy Hochu gives a speech at her inauguration ceremony in Albany, N.Y. on Jan. 1, 2023, in a still from video. (New York Governor's Office/Screenshot via NTD)

A New York state Senate committee has deemed Gov. Kathy Hochuls nominee unfit to lead the states highest court, saying that the Democrat is not progressive enough for the job.

In a 109 vote, the progressive wing of the Senate Judiciary Committee successfully torpedoed Hochuls nomination of Hector LaSalle to lead the New York State Court of Appeals. Three Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in supporting LaSalles bid to become the first Hispanic to hold that position.

The nomination is lost, Senate Judiciary Chair Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who voted against LaSalle, said after Wednesdays vote.

Not to long before the vote, the 15-member committee was packed with three more Democrats and one Republican, a maneuver largely seen as designed to give progressive Democrats just enough votes to prevent the nomination from reaching the 63-member full Senate, where LaSalle would very likely secure a bipartisan simple majority and get confirmed.

Meanwhile, Hochul has yet to rule out the possibility of directly advancing the nomination to the full chamber. In a statement Wednesday, she emphasizes that the process for appointing top judges, as laid out in the New York State Constitution, requires the advice and consent of the state Senate.

While the Committee plays a role, we believe the Constitution requires action by the full Senate, the governor argued.

On top of that, Hochul claimed that LaSalle didnt get a fair hearing from the committee, calling the outcome predetermined.

While this was a thorough hearing, it was not a fair one, because the outcome was predetermined, she said. Several Senators stated how they were going to vote before the hearing even beganincluding those who were recently given seats on the newly expanded Judiciary Committee.

In the final vote, just two senators actually voted in favor of the nomination. Ten senators voted in opposition, with the rest seven voting to advance the nomination without recommendation.

The vote came at the conclusion of a five-hour hearing in Albany, where LaSalle gave a 10-minute speechthe first time he spoke publicly since Hochul nominated him in December 2022.

Like every judge, I know that not everyone agrees with every ruling, LaSalle told the committee. But I can promise you that in every case, I have sought and will continue to seek to give everyone a fair shake, to listen to arguments carefully, to do my best to apply the law to the facts before us, and to work with my colleagues to reach a fair and just result.

LaSalle, who currently serves on the Second Department of the state Supreme Courts Appellate Division in Brooklyn, has faced aggressive opposition from progressive Democrats, labor unions, and social justice activists over a handful of decisions. Opponents say those rulings show that LaSalle is too conservative on issues such as abortion and labor rights, while his defendants praise him for being able to not let personal beliefs interfere with his judgments.

For example, the Communications Workers of America came out to condemn LaSalles appointment for concurring with a 2015 opinion that allowed Cablevision to proceed with defamation claims against union leaders. His opinion in this case was to enlarge loopholes and create workarounds for large corporations, instead of protecting workers, the union said.

Some pro-abortion activists also took issue with a 2017 ruling in which LaSalle joined four other judges to form a unanimous opinion in favor of Evergreen, a non-profit clinic chain that provides pregnancy services from a pro-life perspective. The ruling limited the scope of information then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman could demand Evergreen provide.

LaSalle would have replaced former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, who took a relatively centrist approach during her 14-year tenure. DiFiore resigned last summer amid an ongoing ethics probe.
Opposition Warns of Vigilantism If Alice Springs Crime Wave Not Dealt With

A view of the town of Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory on October 13, 2013 (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on the government to take concrete action to deal with a crime wave that has swept the central Australian city of Alice Springs following pleas from the local mayor for additional law enforcement resources.

Ive called for a Royal Commission in relation to the disaster, the tragedy, thats unfolding in Alice Springs, and I noticed the news this morning in the Northern Territory newspapers around the mayor calling the attorney-general asking for additional resources. I asked this of the prime minister when we were in Parliament before Christmas, Dutton said in a press conference on Jan. 18.

Dutton said the Coalition would look for bipartisan support to deal with the situation.

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton delivers his Budget Reply Speech in the House of Representatives of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 27, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

There will be vigilante action in Alice Springs because people are completely at the end of their tether, Dutton said.

Police have just thrown their hands up in the air; they dont have the resources to deal with it. The social workers deliver kids back into communities who are crying and screaming, asking not to be returned back.

I dont know why the Prime Minister wont act.

Alice Springs Under Siege from Crime

The call from the opposition leader comes after Mayor Matt Paterson appealed for help to deal with the crisis.

It is crazy bad  and its not even just nighttime anymore; its seriously 24-7, Paterson told the Northern Territory News.

Parents driving their kids to childcare in the morning are being confronted with anti-social behaviour; they cant even go shopping in the afternoon because theres someone wielding a weapon.

Our library was broken into on Sunday afternoon with over $20,000 worth of damage caused, and the police took seven hours to respond. Our police are doing an amazing job, but clearly, we dont have enough resources.

Current crime statistics for Alice Springs have jumped, with assaults and domestic violence rates jumping by 38.01 percent and 47.22 percent, respectively.

Home and commercial property break-ins have risen 25.75 percent and 55.97 percent, respectively. Motor vehicle theft has also risen 39.88 percent.

Paterson also told the Northern Territory News that he is currently open to any plan that would make his constituents safe, including federal police or the military.

People are genuinely fearful to go to sleep at nightwe cant continue to live like this, he said. People are leaving in droves.

Attorney General Mark Dreyfusss office has confirmed to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he is organising a meeting with Paterson to discuss the issues.

NT Police Allege Operation Drina Having an Effect

The call for more policing resources comes after the Northern Territory police launched Operation Drina to target anti-social behaviour and associated crime in Alice Springs in November 2022.

In a media release on Jan. 11, Commander Matt Hollamby said during the past six weeks, Drina had made a positive impact through high-visibility police patrols and proactive engagement with the Alice Springs community.

Operation Drina has enabled a targeted approach to crime and anti-social behaviour in the CBD, which includes working closely with other government stakeholders and police operational units such as Strike Force Viper and the Dog Operations Unit, Hollamby said.

The NT police also noted that to date, they had seized and destroyed a total of 1,386 litres of liquor, apprehended for protective custody 168 individuals, made 237 arrests, and issued 97 notices to appear in court. A further 278 traffic infringement notices were given, and 101 summary infringement notices were issued.

Aboriginal women gather to meet Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough as he arrives for a meeting with the Mutitjulu community in Mutitjulu, near Alice Springs, Australia, on July 6, 2007. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

Additionally, the police issued 54 banning notices from the Alice Springs Liquor Act declared area.

Northern Territory Police Minister Kate Worden said alcohol retailers in Alice Springs could do more to help.

Alcohol retailers have a part to play, as does government, Worden told the ABC on Jan.18.

We need to make sure that we can come up with some local solutions around alcohol; were looking at absolutely everything we can at the moment to make sure that weve got a solid plan about tackling that issue.
OSHA Cites Amazon for Failing to Keep Workers Safe at 3 Warehouses, Larger Investigation Ongoing

The Amazon logo outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, N.Y., on Nov. 25, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on Jan. 18 that it has cited retail giant Amazon for failing to keep workers safe at three of its warehouse facilities.

In a release, OSHA said the facilitiesin Deltona, Florida; Waukegan, Illinois; and New Windsor, New Yorkwere cited following inspections between July and August last year.

Those inspections followed referrals from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York.

Specifically, Amazon has been cited for violations of the general duty clause in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide safe workplaces.

It was also cited for exposing workers at the Florida warehouse to struck-by hazards.

Similar investigations at three Amazon locations in Aurora, Colorado; Nampa, Idaho; and Castleton, New York, are ongoing as part of a wider investigation, OSHA said.

In December 2022, OSHA cited Amazon for 14 recordkeeping violations, which included failing to record injuries and illnesses, misclassifying injuries and illnesses, and failing to record injuries and illnesses within the required time, as part of that same investigation.

A worker drives a powered industrial truck at the Amazon fulfillment center in Aurora, Colo., on May 3, 2018. (Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images)

Workers Made to Lift Heavy Packages

The regulatory agency has six months from a violation to issue citations.

OSHA said investigators viewing the retailers warehouses found that workers were at high risk of sustaining lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, which it said was due to the high frequency with which workers are required to lift packages and other items; the heavy weight of the items; awkward postures, such as twisting, bending and long reaches while lifting; and long hours required to complete assigned tasks.

In addition, OSHA investigators looked into on-site injury logs at the warehouses where it was found that workers experienced high rates of musculoskeletal disorders

In total, Amazon is facing $60,269 in penalties for the violations.

Doug Parker, the assistant secretary for OSHA said that Amazons work processes at the warehouses were designed for speed but not safety and resulted in workers sustaining serious injuries.

While Amazon has developed impressive systems to make sure its customers orders are shipped efficiently and quickly, the company has failed to show the same level of commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of its workers, Parker said.

In a separate statement issued by the Department of Justice, U.S. attorney Damian Williams said that Amazon workers have the right to work in a place that is free from severe safety hazards.

These citations are a step toward protecting the hard-working people at Amazons warehouses who have been laboring under hazardous conditions, Williams said. And our office is investigating possible fraudulent conduct designed to hide injuries from OSHA and others.

Amazon has 15 business days to comply with the citations or contest the findings of OSHAs investigations.

Amazon to Appeal OSHA Citation

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company plans to lodge an appeal.

We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously, and we strongly disagree with these allegations and intend to appeal. Weve cooperated fully, and the governments allegations dont reflect the reality of safety at our sites, Nantel said.

Over the last several months, weve demonstrated the extent to which we work every day to mitigate risk and protect our people, and our publicly available data show weve reduced injury rates nearly 15 percent between 2019 and 2021. Whats more, the vast majority of our employees tell us they feel our workplace is safe.

An April 2022 report released by the Strategic Organizing Center, a labor activism group, found that workplace injuries rose 38 percent between 2020 and 2021.

That is despite Amazon founder Jeff Bezos telling shareholders in 2020 that the retailer would become Earths Safest Place to Work following a $300 million investment in workplace safety. The company has also pledged to halve its warehouse injury rates by 2025.

At the time of the April report, Amazon blamed the rise in injuries on training new employees, adding that compared to 2019, its recordable injury rate declined more than 13 percent in 2021.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York is investigating workplace safety at Amazon facilities across the country.
Ottawa Summons Russian Ambassador Following Missile Strikes on Ukrainian City

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly attends the second day of the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, Romania on Nov. 30, 2022. (The Canadian Press/AP, Andreea Alexandru)

Ottawa has summoned Russias ambassador to Canada to answer for recent Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, who called the attacks sheer brutality.

We will ensure that those responsible for the horrific scenes and crimes in these cities and those across Ukraine answer to their crimes, said Joly during a press conference in Toronto on Jan. 18.

We will continue to suffocate the Russian regime with coordinated sanctions and we will continue to counter Russian lies with facts.

Joly added that her departments officials summoned Russias ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, to make clear we do not accept the sheer brutality of Russias recent attacks against civilians in Dnipro.

Russias missile attacks on Dnipro on Jan. 14which struck an apartment building, and reportedly killed at least 45 people, including some childrenwas the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since Russia began its three-month-long missile campaign.

The Russian government has denied the attacks and said they did target residential buildings.

Face-to-Face

Joly added during the press conference that Stepanov has also been summoned to condemn face-to-face the anti-Semitic comments made by Russias Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Joly was referring to comments made recently by the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister in which he compared the Wests approach to Russia to the Holocaust.

Theres no doubt that President Putin is a war criminal and, for Putin and his oligarchs, there will be nowhere to hide, Joly said.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also reacted to Lavrovs comments from Washington on Jan. 18.

Our first reaction is how dare he compare anything to the Holocaust, Kirby said. Let alone a war that they started.

Canadas summoning of Stepanov comes after the federal government had previously summoned the Russian ambassador five times in 2022.

Canada also announced on Jan. 18 that it would be supplying Ukraine with 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers as part of its ongoing military assistance to the country.

Defence Minister Anita Anand said the armoured vehicles, Canadas most recent round of military assistance to Ukraine, cost $90 million.

It comes shortly after Canada also donated an American-made surface-to-air missile defence system, which cost around $406 million.

Canada alone has provided $5.2 billion worth of support [to Ukraine] and there will be more coming, Joly said.

Reuters, The Associated Press, The Canadian Press, and Andrew Chen contributed to this report.
Ottawa to Ban Wage-Fixing, No-Poaching Agreements This June

The Canadian flag flies near the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 17, 2020. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

The federal government will be making wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements illegal for Canadian employers this year and introducing criminal charges for both offences, says Competition Bureau Canada.

Much like other agreements between competitors, such as price fixing, wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements undermine competition, said the bureau in a news release on Jan. 18. Maintaining and encouraging competition among employers results in higher wages and salaries, as well as better benefits and employment opportunities for workers.

The new amendments to Canadas Competition Act will come into force on June 23, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter. They will supplement the Competition Bureaus current Competitor Collaboration Guidelines, which outline the legal stipulations for large competitors when making employment agreements.

As of [June 23], it will be an offence for unaffiliated employers to agree to fix, maintain, decrease or control wages or other terms of employment, or to not solicit or hire each others employees, according to the Competition Bureaus news release.

However, the federal department adds that the new provision will apply only to new agreements entered into by employers on or after June 23, 2023, as well as to conduct that reaffirms or implements older agreements.

The Bureau will continue to review and update the guidelines in light of experience, changing circumstances and decisions of the courts.

The department is also inviting Canadians to send feedback on the new competition and employment guidelines through an online portal until March 3, 2023.

Competition Act

Parliament last year via Bill C-19 passed certain amendments to the Competition Act, which now states that every person who is an employer commits an offence who, with another employer who is not affiliated with that person, conspires, agrees or arranges to fix, maintain, decrease or control salaries, wages or terms and conditions of employment.

Jennifer Miller, director general of the federal Industry Departments Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in May 2022 that the amendments were the product of ongoing policy dialogue with stakeholders and the Competition Bureau dating back several years.

Conservative MP Adam Chambers asked Miller during the committee meeting on May 5, 2022, if the amendments would apply to ride-sharing services like Uber.

Would they be considered captured under this new proposed rule? he asked.

The law applies broadly across the entire economy, Miller replied. In the enforcement of that act, if cases come forward, the Competition Bureau considers them in light of the general provisions and makes its determinations in the enforcements in that way.
Party City Files for Bankruptcy After Lockdown Woes

Party City Holdco. Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, citing COVID headwinds.

Dwindling sales during the COVID-19 lockdowns, difficulties in maintaining inventory, shortages of helium, and stores closing down could be among factors leading to the filing.

The companywhich has 800 owned stores and franchises across North Americasaid in a press release that only its owned stores will be impacted by the filing, and the franchises, non-U.S. stores, and Anagram business will continue operations.

Party City secured $150 million for its expedited restructuring and for keeping up its operations, according to the release.

Based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, the company said bankruptcy restructuring will allow it to lower its debt and free up cash.

Troubled retailers often seek bankruptcy protection following the holiday season to take advantage of the cash cushion provided by recent sales.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. raised doubts earlier this month about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Party City reported $1 billion to $10 billion of estimated assets and liabilities.

The company said it also faced higher costs in freight, labor, and raw material needs.

Its stock fell 57 percent on Jan. 6 after the Wall Street Journal reported that it might file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks.

A Barclays Capital Specialist trader works at the post that trades Party City Holdco Inc. during the companys IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 16, 2015. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Party City for years has faced growing competition from Walmart and Target and increasingly from occasion-based pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween. That pressure has intensified in an era of rising prices, including for helium used in party balloons, as well as slowing consumer demand.

Party City used to be one of the best games in town, but it is now something of an also-ran operation, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. There is likely still something of a role for Party City, but the company needs to financially restructure and to rethink its approach.

Saunders believes Party City should think about how it reaches customers, including looking at more attractive locations for its stores and beefing up its e-commerce site.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Police Arrest Two Suspects in Waterloo Region in Connection With Grandparent Scam

Waterloo Regional Police say two suspects have been arrested after allegedly running a grandparent scam victimizing two separate senior citizens.

In a Jan.18 news release, police said a Quebec male, 21, and a Toronto male, 47, face charges of two counts of fraud over $5000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

The latest victim was an 86-year-old man who was contacted by telephone on the morning of Jan. 17. He was told his grandson was in jail and was advised to send $8,000 for his bail. The elderly man instead contacted police.

Later that same day, the suspects contacted an 80-year-old female, demanding $8,000 to have her grandson released from jail.

Both suspects are in police custody awaiting a bail hearing.

This follows two similar arrests earlier this month. On Jan. 17, police announced they had arrested a male, 30, and a female, 23, both from Quebec, and charged them with fraud over $5,000 in another alleged grandparent scam.

Police said on Jan. 12, a 90-year-old victim was scammed out of $8,000 for bail money for a jailed grandchild.

On Jan 16, another man, age 79, was contacted in a similar scam demanding $9,000 for bail money for his grandson. The senior called police, who apprehended the suspects on their way to pick up the money from the seniors house.

On the Rise

The grandparent scam appears to be on the rise. This month Halifax RCMP and regional police issued a warning to the public, stating they had received numerous complaints of fraud since mid-December.

Victims are contacted in a perceived urgent situation and instructed to provide money to alleviate a bad circumstance of a loved one such as, but not limited to, being in jail or in a car accident, said the police. In some of these incidents, victims have given up thousands of dollars.

These fraudsters are very good at what they do; theyre believable.

The Canadian Bankers Association also issued a public warning about the grandparent scam on Nov. 28, 2022, with tips to help protect seniors.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), in 2021, the grandparent, or emergency scam as it is also known, defrauded victims out of $2.4 million. In 2022, that number had already doubled by early December, to $4.2 million.

CAFC said the scam preys on an individuals fear of a loved one being hurt or in trouble. Con artists use phone, email, text, or fax to target individuals, claiming to be someone the victim knows, and that money is needed urgently.

Some of the scammers do extensive research on social media, and may even know the name of a grandchild when they call, according to CAFC. The scammer might say they need bail money because theyve been arrested, claim they have been in a car accident, or pretend they are trying get home from abroad.

Sometimes the criminals pose as police officers or lawyers, and impersonate the grandchild or family member. In some situations, suspects have obtained the victims address and physically arrived to obtain the money.

The scam has taken place in multiple provinces across the country.
As extremely cold temperatures befell parts of the U.S. over Christmas, one abandoned canine in New Jersey suffered the storm more painfully than many of us.

The Neptune Township Police Department found Coco the Rottweiler chain-tethered to a stepped railing along Fisher Avenue on the morning of December 28.

After the pipes in her owners home had frozen, they left Coco outside on a concrete pad with no food, no water, nor any protection from the elements. Coco spent three icy-cold nights outside in temperatures well below freezing.

Coco spent three freezing-cold nights on a concrete pad after her owners abandoned the house. (Courtesy of Monmouth County SPCA)

Coco was found alone, without food, water, or shelter. (Courtesy of Monmouth County SPCA)

After Neptune Township Police Department discovered her, they alerted Monmouth County SPCA, who immediately responded to recover the poor girl.

Coco was extremely confused and excited to see Animal Control come to her rescue, Monmouth County SPCA told The Epoch Times. When we got her back to the shelter, she kept licking everyones face and was so sweet.

They warmed her up and gave her food, water, and a comfortable place to rest.

Coco was brought to Monmouth County SPCA where she was warmed up and given food, water, and a place to rest. (Courtesy of Monmouth County SPCA)

Bloodwork later showed that she may have kidney stones and a genetic eye condition that affects her visionlikely the result of careless breeding, they said.

The Monmouth County SPCA described Coco as being gentle, loyal, and loving toward their staff and volunteer friends.

The dogs former owners will be charged with two counts of animal crueltythe first for cruel restraint; the second for failure to provide necessary care.

The owners of Coco made no attempt whatsoever to help Coco and they did not seem remorseful at all, Monmouth County SPCA said. We charge both, boyfriend and girlfriend, with animal cruelty.

The Monmouth County SPCA stated on Facebook that although she is not yet up for adoption, they encourage anyone interested to keep tabs on their social media and website for updates.

This girl deserves a loving home, they added.

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Recent Deaths of Chinas Top Officials and Elites Amid COVID Surge Expose an Unspeakable Crime

A security guard (right) and a police officer (left) secure the area at the entrance to Zhongnanhai, the leadership compound of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing on May 18, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

During the new wave of COVID-19 cases and deaths in China, its hard not to notice the number of deaths among high-ranking officials and elites.

For example, in less than one month, between Dec. 15, 2022, and Jan. 13, 22 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering died, compared with only 12 in the entire previous year, according to the academys official website. Most were between the ages of 80 and 100their lifespans being way above the national average. Like officials at the provincial level and above, scientists and experts at the national academy level enjoy free medical care and many other benefits. Their health is well taken care ofeven during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But why did many elites die at this time, when they had survived other health issues? What put this group at high risk just after Beijing abandoned its zero-COVID policy and the outbreak in China got out of hand? In the past month, bodies piled up in hospitals, intensive care units were overcrowded with patients, and fever clinics were overwhelmed by long lines.

Former CCP Official Gao Zhanxiang

Of all the reported death cases among Chinas elite, one stands out.

On Jan. 2, state media outlet Xinhuanet announced that Gao Zhanxiang, former vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, had died at 87 on Dec. 9, 2022. The report didnt provide further information.

It gets even more interesting.

According to the eulogy posted on Chinese social media by Zhu Yongxin, executive vice chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, over the years, Gao Zhanxiang has been fighting the disease tenaciously. He had replaced many organs in his body. He joked that many parts are not his own.

Gao wasnt high up in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hierarchy, and there were at least several hundred officials at the same level. Why did he receive such special treatment, and how could he obtain many organs, when theyre supposedly in short supply?

This may confirm the rumor that high-level CCP officials mainly rely on organ transplantssourced from young and healthy peopleto extend their lives. I believe that national-level experts also receive this kind of treatment. However, this privilege has become a disadvantage amid the recent wave of COVID-19 infections.

The latest COVID-19 outbreak started in the hospitals in Beijing, where many elderly high-ranking officials and elites had reserved wards. What made things worse is that the organ recipients used immunosuppressants. A suppressed immune system leaves organ recipients vulnerable to viral infection. This explains why this time, top-level officials and experts between the ages of 80 and 90, who may have had organ transplants, died within a few days after Beijing abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy.

A patient on oxygen is wheeled into a busy emergency room at a hospital in Beijing on Jan. 2, 2023. (Getty Images)

In China, human lives have different values. In the new wave of COVID-19 cases, the world witnessed how the CCP treated its people and took away their dignity. Not only is there a shortage of medicines, respirators, and hospital wards, but there are no proper funeral and cremation services throughout the country.

Organ Transplantation During the Pandemic

While the official number of deaths since early December 2022 reached 60,000 (although the number could be higher, given Chinese authorities past record of underreporting infections and covering up information), the renowned Dr. Chen Jingyu announced a successful double lung transplant for a COVID-19 survivor. Given the limited medical resources at this time, why did this patient get special treatment?

It isnt the first time that Chen conducted a lung transplant during the pandemic.

He performed his first lung transplant on March 10, 2020, soon after COVID-19 first broke out in Chinas Wuhan city. He found an organ donor for his patient within two days.

Another operation was done in Wuhan. Chen went to the city on April 18, 2020, examined the patient the following day, and confirmed that the patient needed a lung transplant. The transplant was done on April 20, 2020! That means the organ was obtained in less than a day.

Four days later, Chen performed two other lung transplants in Wuhan. Both patients had suffered lung failure from COVID-19. There was suspicion about the source of the organs, the hospitals and doctors involved, and the identity of the patients. One transplant was done during the Wuhan lockdown, and the other took place just after the lockdown was lifted in the city. At that time, most COVID-19 patients couldnt even get diagnostic reagents, and medical equipment was in short supply. Who could use ECMO or life support while waiting for a lung donor?

Moreover, the transplant shouldnt have been performed even according to Chinas transplant guidelines during the pandemic. Generally, patients with acute infectious diseases arent suitable for lung transplantation, especially those with lung infections, and these patients are in a period of potential infection, which is why the physician and nurses involved in the procedure are very cautious. In addition, due to the scarcity of lung sources, lung transplantation isnt recommended for patients who cant be guaranteed a transplant outcome. These are some of the reasons why these transplants arent worthwhile or shouldnt be done.

According to Chinese media reports, those patients werent rich or powerful. Thus, the transplants can only be considered part of the 981 Health Project for Leaders. The transplants werent done to save those recipients lives. They were experimental transplants that provided doctors with experience to operate successfully on Chinas most influential people when necessary. The project was first revealed by an ad for 301 Hospital, also known as the General Hospital of the Peoples Liberation Army, in 2019. The projects goal is to extend the lifespan of top leaders to 150 years.

Its noteworthy that Huang Jiefu, the tsar of Chinas organ transplant system, kept only two titles after he retired from his post as health minister: director of the China Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee and deputy director of the Central Health Commission, whose only function is to look after the top leaders health.

It appears that Chinese leaders longevity is linked to organ transplants.

Transplant Tourism

CCP officials, the ultrawealthy, and the elites arent the only ones to get organ transplants. The overseas associates of the CCPs United Front Work Department (UFWD) also get transplants as a reward for their loyalty to the CCP.

For example, Rose Pak, a political and community activist from San Francisco, was one of the top friends of UFWD in the United States. She was an overseas executive director of the China Overseas Exchange Association, a united front organization. She went to China to have a kidney transplant in 2016. Sadly, she died several months after returning to San Francisco. That raised several questions.

Pak wasnt employed at the time of her surgeryso where did she get the money for the transplant? Where did she get the kidney in China as a U.S. citizen?

Organ tourism to China is already banned in Israel, Taiwan, Italy, and Spain. The UK also changed its bioethics law to prevent British patients waiting for organs from going to China for transplants.

Shouldnt the United States do the same?

Where Did the Organs Come From?

Chinas organ transplant industry started booming in 2000, the second year of the persecution of Falun Gong adherents. In 2006, the state-backed crime of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners was exposed. In 2019, an independent peoples tribunal concluded that forced organ harvesting has taken place in China for years on a significant scale and that killing to supply the transplant industry continues today. The main victims, the tribunal stated, were detained Falun Gong practitioners.

Falun Dafa practitioners carry banners to raise awareness about organ harvesting in China during a march through the center of Warsaw, Poland, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Mihut Savu/The Epoch Times)

Beijing had insisted that most of the organs, if not all, were from executed prisoners. It took another nine years for China to establish a bogus organ donation and distribution system. The system was largely used for international public relations campaignsand it worked. The global transplant community, mainly The Transplantation Society, lifted the restriction on China and endorsed the CCPs lies. The endorsement of the international transplantation community encouraged the CCP.

The transplantation business continues to expand without a functional organ donation system. However, the organ supply from prisoners of conscience isnt unlimited. Under the regimes umbrella, underground organ harvesting and trading started booming with the growth of the transplant business. From 2013 to 2017, more than 100 university students disappeared without a trace. Despite surveillance cameras being installed everywhere, none of the cases were solved. Many Chinese people began to believe that the disappearances had something to do with organ harvesting.

Recently, another wave of cases became a hot topic on Chinese social media: missing teenagers. One of the victims is Hu Xinyu, a middle school student in Yanshan County, Jiangxi Province, who went missing from school. The surveillance recording may have been tampered with because there was missing footage that may have provided clues about his disappearance. The case remains unsolved. The authorities goal isnt to solve the case but to silence the victims family. There are several unofficial versions of the story, but most link the teens disappearance to organ harvesting.

Correction: A previous version of this article contained an inaccurate statement on the death rate of organ transplant recipients who become infected with COVID. The Epoch Times regrets the error.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Rep. Greg Steube in Hospital After Sustaining Several Injuries

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) speaks to host Steve Lance from NTD's The Capitol Report in an interview in June 2022. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The office of Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) asked the public to pray for him after he sustained injures and was hospitalized.

The incident took place at the 44-year-old lawmakers property late afternoon on Wednesday.

In a statement on Twitter, Steubes team announced that he has sustained several injuries.

We will provide additional updates when possible. Please pray for the Congressman and his family.

Steube, a third-term lawmaker, was transported to a hospital in Sarasota, Florida, reported Florida Politics.

According to the outlet, a staffer to Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) found Steube at his home. The staffer was in the neighborhood doing part-time delivery work.

The Sarasota Republican was reportedly doing routine home maintenance and apparently fell from his roof about 25 feet to the ground, according to the report.

Steube lives in Sarasota with his wife and son, according to his biography on the congressional website.

Doing Well

Christian Ziegler, currently the vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party, and a former Sarasota County Commissioner, shared an update following Steubes hospital admission.

I just heard that even though Congressman @RepGregSteube is still in the hospital, he is doing well. Big relief to hear, Ziegler wrote. Our country, state & local community needs him to recover and get back to fighting for us in Congress ASAP.

Steube and Buchanan represent adjacent congressional districtsFloridas 17th and 16th congressional districts, respectivelyand both are on the House Ways and Means Committee for the 118th Congress.

Horrible to hear about [Steube]s accident earlier today, Buchanan said on Twitter late Wednesday. Sandy and I are keeping him and his family in our thoughts and prayers and wishing him a very speedy recovery.

Steube is a new member of the House Ways and Means Committee, along with nine other Republicans who are also new members.

Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) its new chairman, called Steube a patriot and fierce advocate for the freedoms of all Americans and said the committee is fortunate to welcome him during this critical time for our country.

He will undoubtedly be a valuable leader in fighting for a stronger economy that will support working families, lower taxes, and promote investment in Americaa much-needed change after two years of Democrat one-party rule in Washington, Smith said.

Steube was first elected as a U.S. Representative in 2018. He was re-elected to the House in November 2022 with over 63 percent of the vote. Prior to joining Congress, he served for 2 years in the Florida Senate and 6 years in the Florida House, according to his biography. Before being involved in politics, Steube served in the U.S. Army in Iraq.
A new report released Tuesday shows that Native American people are incarcerated at rates up to seven times higher than white people in the United States.

The report, Over-incarceration of Native Americans: Roots, Inequities, and Solutions was released through the MacArthur Foundation and highlights the alarming incarceration disparities can be based on race and ethnicity.

Further, American Indians and Alaska Natives are overrepresented in the prison population in 19 states and are sentenced more harshly compared to White, African American and Hispanic people.

The report was written by Ciara Hansen, Shawnee and Cherokee, Desiree Fox, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Ann Miller, an attorney with the Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The report both highlights the inequality of the American justice system, but also highlights the progress that tribes are making to address the issue.

Hansen said it was important to publish the report and it is a great step at addressing and examining the issue of over-incarceration of Native people.

I hope that not only do we increase awareness about the uniqueness of Native populations, which means the unique barriers, but also the unique resiliency factors, she said. I hope that what can be gleaned from the report is that there's lots of resilience within Native communities and if we are to move forward in addressing kind of this mass incarceration problem as a nation, and as tribal communities, I hope that the message is that we already have a lot of resilience and we're already doing a lot of things right.

Fox echoed those sentiments, adding that she hopes the report also shines a light on practices some tribes have already implemented in its respective communities.

What we're trying to communicate with this though, and I think a continuation of that is just highlighting the over reliance on a punitive system that we know doesn't work, Fox said. We know putting people in jail and fining people who don't have money to begin with, like none of that actually works. And I think most people agree with that.

Bria Gillum, a senior program officer at MacArthur, said in the press release from the foundation that the report highlights the painful and unacceptable treatment of Native people in the criminal justice system.

It is our hope that the report contributes to the growing conversation about racial disparities in this broken system, sparks deeper collaboration between state and tribal agencies, and leads to investments in diversion services that can end this devastating cycle, Gillum said.

The press release highlighted key findings, including:

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 45 percent of people incarcerated in tribal jails were being held pretrial, and pretrial detention rose by at least by 80 percent since 1999. The average length of stay doubled from 2002 to 2018.

The number of jails in Indian Country has increased by 25 percent since 2000, which has led to filling them with more people charged and held with petty crimes for longer periods of time.

The 2020 Bureau of Justice Statistics report showed tribal jail incarceration rates steadily increased by 60 percent since 2000. The most recent report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, however, has shown a significant reduction of incarceration in tribal jails during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the most serious offense for 16 percent of people held in tribal jails was public intoxication and 15 percent were held for drug related or DUI charges, the report states. Native youth are more likely to face conviction in adult court, especially for drug-related crimes.

While writing the report, Hansen said the trio of authors struggled to nail down what they thought the audience needed to hear and that they needed to provide historical context to help people understand the nuances of federal Indian law along with tribal and federal jurisdiction.

That part is so integral to understanding this kind of modern issue, Hansen said. One of the reasons why people aren't more active in advocating for this change is because it's so difficult to understand.

Among the tribes listed in the report which are providing innovative approaches to criminal justice systems include the Kanaitze Indian Tribe in Alaska, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in Michigan and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation In Oklahoma, among others.

For example, the latter has an intensive reintegration program where services begin pre-release and address all aspects of reentry including financial assistance, career development, culturally relevant programming, supervision, and legal counsel, the report states.

Hill has been practicing law for more than 25 years and while she unfortunately wasnt surprised by the reports findings, one of her main takeaways is that tribes are coming up with solutions that best serve their populations.

We saw anything from tribal systems that were trying to divert people from state court to offer services and do a diversionary court to victim services in Indian Country, Hill said. The other main takeaway was to talk about offering services to people is really the best way to try to address that cycle into the criminal justice system.

Moving forward, all three authors hope the report continues  or for some start  the discussion on this issue.

In particular, Hill says the federal government takes a deeper look at funding tribes to enhance tribal court systems and funding public defense systems particularly.

I think if you're looking at improving criminal justice outcomes, that really having an in-house public defender for tribal systems is a good first step to that, Hill said.

I hope that that's one of the main takeaways, one that we're unique, Hansen said. We have a unique history with the U.S. government and that we have a lot of resiliency that we can build from.
Rep. Santos Responds to Calls for Resignation, Says He Will Serve Voters to Best Extent of My Capacity

Amid escalating calls for his resignation and piling allegations of lies and misconduct, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) told The Epoch Times that he has no intention of doing so and instead is focused on serving his constituents.

Earlier this week, despite a mounting pressure campaign from critics on both sides of the aisle, Santos, 34, was assigned to two committees, the House Committee on Small Business, and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

The congressman, who is facing investigations reportedly by federal authorities over potential campaign finance violations, and by local prosecutors over misrepresentations during the campaign, said that rather than resigning, he would refer the matter back to voters in two years when he would sit for reelection.

I was hired by the voters and I will be fired by the voters, not by the Democrat Party or the Republican Party or the media, Santos said.

I serve the 142,000 voters who voted for me and the other 125,000 or so voters who didnt vote for me. So my goal within the next two years is to service them to the best extent of my capacity, he added.

Santos is accused of lying about a growing list of topics, including his education, work history, his Jewish heritage, that hes the descendent of Holocaust survivors, and that his mother survived the 9/11 attack.

Santos has admitted to lying about attending college, while also conceding to embellishing his resume in claiming that he worked for Wall Street firms when he actually worked with other companies that did business with them.

Im human, and I made a bad decision. Lying is never excusable, he told The Epoch Times.

On the higher education stuff, I did not graduate from an institution of higher education, he added. I am sorry for misleading folks into believing that.

A group of GOP officials and lawmakers, many from New York, have called for Santoss resignation.

The congressman said some who publicly called for his resignation gave him the heads up that they were doing it for political reasons.

I wont name names, but they then checked up on me afterwards and said, Look, I understand this is politics, he said.

I have had an enormous amount of support from people who say, Hey, Ive been through this locally. I know its a little different when its national. But youll get through this.

Committee Assignments

Santos said he was thankful to have the opportunity to work on the Small Business, and Space, Science and Technology committees.

Previously, Santos told The Epoch Times that he was hoping for a committee assignment to financial services, but withdrew from consideration for that panel in the wake of the controversy.

Obviously, I wanted financial services, but not with all the controversy. Thats a very big committee with big assignments and it was smart for me to withdraw consideration from there, so as not to distract from the work of the committee, the congressman said.

On Science, Space, and Technology, Santos said the United States is particularly vulnerable to technology from China that is deployed here.

China is definitely going to be a big talking point there. We need to make sure that we can understand the vulnerabilities we have with China, Russia, and all the cybersecurity threats that they pose to the United States, he said.

In small business, Santos said he would like to see the agency supporting businesses to give them the foundations to build strong foundations. So that in times of crisis, they can withstand a crisis.

Specifically, hed like to see more by the SBA to create accessibility for growth capital loans offered by the agency.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the SBA for comment.

Allegations

In addition to alleged false claims during the campaign trail, reports have emerged of potential campaign finance violations. Santos is accused of improper fundraising and spending activities, both of which have been the subject of Federal Electoral Commission complaints.

When asked about the alleged violations, Santos expressed puzzlement, saying he hired a compliance firm to run his campaign spending for both election cycles in 2022 and 2020, during his unsuccessful Congress bid.

To the best of my knowledge, theyve always done a great job. Weve never received any violations. And it wasnt until the media hysteria started that now theyre claiming that Ive misappropriated campaign funds, he said.

So Im just trying to understand wheres this all coming from because the same company I hired represents many high-profile Republicans and I seem to be the only one thats getting heat.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Sunday that Santos will be removed from Congress if he broke campaign finance rules.

Hes a bad guy, Comer told CNNs State of the Union program. Its not up to me or any other member of Congress to determine whether he can be kicked out for lying. Now, if he broke campaign finance laws, then he will be removed from Congress.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he will leave the Ethics Committee and voters to decide on the issue of Santoss fate.

In response to revelations that prosecutors in Brazil have revived a 2008 fraud case into Santos regarding a stolen checkbook, the congressman said that he has not been in contact with authorities there.

Ive retained a lawyer there to go look at this and see whats going on, he said. They have not been able to deliver a confession letter, they have not been able to deliver a mug shot, fingerprints, or anything that proves these allegations against me.

Part of the proof I am not a wanted criminal there is between the years of 2008 and 2015, I was issued two brand new Brazilian passports by the Federal Police there, which is the equivalent of Homeland Security/FBI over here in the United States, he added.

I had about eight entries into the country within that timeframe. Never once was I stopped, detained or asked questions about any crimes.

The Republican congressman alleged that the media and the Democrats are applying a double standard to him that didnt apply in the cases of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who made false claims about his Vietnam War record, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who lied about her Native American heritage.

I also believe that the media is trying to command the narrative and trying to create some kind of opportunity for a special election, knowing that in a special election, this seat would go to Democrats. This is all its about. This has nothing to do with me, Santos added.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces Bill Criminalizing Speech Deemed White Supremacist

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) speaks at a Congressional Black Caucus press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 1, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) has introduced the Leading Against White Supremacy (LAWS) Act of 2023, a bill that would criminalize speech around certain topics and label it hate speech.

The Texas Democrat filed HR 61 to expand the scope of hate crimes and to prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit white supremacy inspired hate crime, the bill reads.

The bills text states that anyone who publishes material advancing white supremacy, white supremacist ideology, antagonism based on replacement theory, or hate speech that vilifies or is otherwise directed against any non-White person or group could face criminal penalties.

Published material refers to any information posted online, including a social media platform or by other means of publication.

A person could be charged with a crime if the published material was read, heard, or viewed by a person who engaged in the planning, development, preparation, or perpetration of a white supremacy inspired hate crime against any nonwhite person or group.

Additionally, a person could also face criminal charges even without acting on any threat if they publish material that could, as determined by a reasonable person, motivate actions by a person predisposed to engaging in a white supremacy inspired hate crime or by a person who is susceptible to being encouraged to engage in actions relating to a white supremacy hate crime.

The bill alleges that white supremacy is the motivating factor behind mass shootings and other hate crimes.

Mass shootings and other hate crimes motivated by white supremacy have been increasing in frequency and intensity, the bill states. These heinous and virulent crimes are inspired by conspiracy theories, blatant bigotry, and mythical falsehoods such as replacement theory. All instances must be prevented and severe criminal penalties must be applied to their perpetrators.

The congresswoman did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment.

First Amendment Rights

The bill is unlikely to pass the House since Republicans gained the majority during the midterms, but it does demonstrate an ongoing effort by Democrats to censor and criminalize certain speech they dont agree with.

The labels of white supremacist and white nationalist have been used by politicians and mainstream media to describe former President Donald Trump and his supporters because of their views on issues like illegal immigration, border security, and election integrity.

The labels have also been used against people who disagree with the tenets of critical race theory and mandatory race-based training programs in the workplace.

In September, President Joe Biden hosted the United We Stand summit to address hate-fueled violence.

All forms of hate fueled by violence have no place in America, Biden said, recalling various attacks, including the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, and another at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, in 2022.

White supremacists will not have the last word, he continued.

During his speech, he mentioned Jan. 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was breached during an election integrity protest, adding that the United States has long had a through line of hate against minority groups and that the media and politics have fueled the problem.

Biden went on to say that he wanted Congress to hold social media companies responsible for spreading hate.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a federal law that protects social media companies from liability for the content posted by their users.

The Biden administration has repeatedly called for the revocation of Section 230.

Im calling on Congress to get rid of special immunity for social media companies and impose much stronger transparency requirements on all of them, Biden said.

In May, Senate Republicans filibustered House-passed legislation to combat domestic terrorism. The bill was an effort to create thought police, critics said.

The failed bill would have created a new division within the FBI that would be required to submit an annual assessment of the domestic terrorism threats posed by White supremacists and neo-nazis, including White supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.

It would also create training programs designed to identify and root out white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the military.

Republican Response to HR 61

On Monday, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert alleged the proposed bill is making a mockery of the First Amendment, according to a post she wrote on Twitter.

Jackson Lee defended the legislation, claiming she fully supports the First Amendment.

If you desire to defend the acts of white supremacy or maybe even be one if your heart desires, that is your choice to make; its protected by the first amendment; and I fully support the protections of the first amendment for every American, Jackson Lee responded to Boebert.

Jackson Lees bill has no co-sponsors.

Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
The protection provided by a second COVID-19 vaccine booster was worse than that bestowed by an initial booster, with the shielding trending negative after a period of time, according to a new study.

Protection against symptomatic infection was boosted to 64 percent for seven to 30 days after an initial Pfizer or Moderna booster when compared with the protection the person had from a primary series, researchers in France estimated. The measure is known as relative effectiveness.

The relative booster effectiveness against symptomatic infection, however, quickly droppedreaching 33 percent 90 to 120 days after injection and 8.8 percent 150 to 180 days after infection, the French researchers found.

A second booster increased the shielding to 39 percent but the difference from the first booster turned negative after 120 days, hitting negative 32.6 percent by 210 days.

Although additional protection with the second booster dose was achieved, it decreased over time reaching levels below 10% at >90 days post vaccine administration, Cynthia Tamandjou and the other researchers, all with Frances national public health agency, said in their study, which was published as a preprint by medRxiv.

The lower protection from a second dose may stem from immune imprinting, or repeatedly stimulating peoples immune systems with vaccines aimed at the Wuhan virus variant.

While that approach helped protect against that variant, it hasnt been in circulation since 2020. Omicron and its subvariants gained dominance starting in late 2021, but vaccines, apart from boosters cleared in the fall of 2022, have remained the same.

Frequent exposure to the same antigen is to the detriment of new neutralizing responses against variant antigens, the researchers said. They called for human clinical studies to examine the impact of immune imprinting.

The researchers arrived at the results after analyzing COVID-19 tests that were logged via government surveillance systems and conducted on people who reported COVID-19-like symptoms, including people who tested positive and people who tested negative for the disease. Only people who were aged 60 and older and who were tested between March 21, 2022, and Oct. 20, 2022, were included. People were considered vaccinated if they received a booster at least seven days before the test. Researchers ended up with 456,657 cases, and 476,834 controls.

Limitations included possible unmeasured confounding variables or factors that may influence the results, such as being vaccinated, potentially influencing the decision to get tested.

The paper was completed as part of routine work at Public Health France, the authors said in the section for funding disclosures. They didnt report any other funding.

Previous research has shown that the two-dose primary series of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines work considerably worse against Omicron and its subvariants, with protection against infection nearing zero or even turning negative after a period of time. The protection against severe illness is estimated to be better but comes in lower than against earlier strains.

Booster dose protection also wanes rapidly, researchers have found. One recent study indicated that a second booster provides negligible protection above a first.

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (purple) infected with a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (pink), isolated from a patient sample. (NIAID via The Epoch Times)

Other Recent Papers

Another recent paper on vaccine effectiveness, from the Netherlands, concluded that the effectiveness of a primary series against infection during the Delta era was 47 percent but dropped after Omicron emerged in late 2021 to negative 36 percent. Protection from a booster was estimated at negative 30 percent.

The researchers, with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, drew from surveys that were given to people who tested positive for COVID-19 who are participating in a five-year study on vaccine effectiveness.

During the Omicron period no direct protection against infection was found, the researchers said.

They said they were unable to estimate the protection from a second booster because most people who werent vaccinated were under 60 and most people who received another booster were over 60, resulting in a faulty comparison.

The group also estimated what they called effectiveness against infectiousness, or transmission, and found that it was worse during the Omicron era. The effectiveness was estimated at 45 percent for index cases with a primary series and 64 percent for index cases with a first booster. Index cases were defined as a person participating in the study who tested positive first in their household. People with prior infection were excluded.

When taking into account the time since vaccination, the effectiveness of vaccines against infectiousness was strongest in the first three months and dropped to 32 percent for the primary series and 58 percent for a booster after three months.

The study period was from July 23, 2021, to Aug. 7, 2022.

The paper was published on the preprint server medRxiv. Limitations included some of the infections potentially coming from a source other than the index case.

A third paper, also from Dutch researchers and released ahead of peer review, estimated that people with a combination of vaccination and natural immunity had better protection against infection, but that additional vaccine doses didnt increase shielding.

This indicates that among populations with high levels of immunity, additional vaccine doses have the potential to reduce risk of any infection only temporarily, said the researchers, who drew from the same five-year study.

Vaccination Study on the Coronavirus, or VASCO, is funded by the national government.

Pfizer and Moderna didnt respond to requests for comment on the papers.
Shanghai Hospitals Are Out of COVID Medicines

Patients lie on beds in a hallway in the emergency department of Zhongshan Hospital, amid a COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 3, 2023. (Staff/Reuters)

Shanghai continues to be challenged with surging COVID-19 infections. Patients are too numerous to be handled, and the infected face shortages of medicine.

Many major hospitals in China have been fully occupied with severe cases, and doctors of community clinics and hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of patients. Staff at the Central Hospital of Jingan Districtone of the central districts of Shanghaiconfirmed to The Epoch Times on Jan. 13 that almost all visitors to the general internal medicine department have been patients with COVID-19 infection, and the average waiting time for outpatients has been more than an hour.

The staff said that the hospital is out of Paxlovid, and if theres any, it would require the approval of the director of the department.

Medicines Are Out

A manager of a Shanghai hospital told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that there are 20,000 packs of Pfizers Paxlovid in all of Shanghai for a population of more than 24 million residents. You wont get it even if you have the money, he said.

Some have been illegally imported, but doctors wouldnt dare to use it for fear that it could be counterfeit medicine, he indicated.

Patients without connections wont get to use it at all, he said.

Shanghai health administrators claimed to have allocated approximately 60,000 packs of antiviral agents, including Paxlovid and Azvudine, Shanghai health administrators said at a press conference on Jan. 14. Although nearly 40,000 packs have been used, according to state media Caixin.

Chinese social media users said that all hospitals in Shanghai are out of effective antiviral medicines.

Miao Xiaohui, chief physician and vice president of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital a prominent infectious disease expert in Shanghai, posted on WeChat, a Chinese social media site, his profound apologies to those who had taken his advice and didnt stock up on medicine.

When the pandemic surged in early December, he called on his followers on social media to calm down facing the asymptomatic Omicron virus, but two weeks later when he was having a hard time finding medicine for his own symptoms he apologized.

The real cause of all these shortages is really Chinas sudden shift from zero COVID to total COVID, said Dai Tinglong, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who has been tracking medical supply chains, the Wall Street Journal reported.

CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, on June 17, 2022. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

Chinas National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), said that there are more than 600 medications used to treat COVID-19 in the current medical insurance catalog, and those who test positive have multiple options, the regimes mouthpiece Xinhua reported on Jan. 11 regarding the fact that Pfizer and NHSA failed to reach an agreement to include Paxlovid in Chinas reimbursement program.

Airfinity, a London-based predictive health analytics firm, estimated COVID-19 infections in China to reach a peak that will last from Jan. 1327 with 4.8 million cases a day, said Airfinitys latest update on Jan. 19.

Xiao Lusheng and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Shapiro Talks Abortion Access in Pennsylvania With Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood leaders met with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at the state Capitol in Harrisburg on Jan. 19, 2023. (LR Sydney Etheredge, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western Pa.; Dayle Steinberg, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa.; Shapiro; Melissa Reed, CEO Planned Parenthood Keystone; Signe Espinoza, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pa. Advocates. (Courtesy of Planned Parenthood)

In his first week as Pennsylvanias governor, Josh Shapiro has put abortion on the front burner. He highlighted abortion in his inauguration speech, and on the third day of his administration, he hosted Planned Parenthood leadership for a conversation on expanding abortion access.

Planned Parenthood PAs executive director and the CEOs of all three Planned Parenthood affiliates met with newly sworn in Governor Josh Shapiro [Thursday] to talk about the state of access to abortion care in Pennsylvania and the future to expanding sexual and reproductive health care to everyone who needs it, a Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates press release said.

Shapiro is no stranger to the organization that has been a longtime donor to his campaigns for office.

Lindsey Mauldin, Shapiros newly appointed deputy chief of staff for health and human services, worked for Planned Parenthood before being picked to be a staffer on the leadership team in the governors executive office.

In their meeting, Planned Parenthood representatives, in their words, asked for improved access to care for patients regardless of their financial situation; removing limitations and hurdles for providers to offer abortion; holding crisis pregnancy centers accountable for misinformation when they are state funded; and waiving onerous and unnecessary testing requirements for clinic patients.

Its very interesting that the newly elected governor would have this meeting with Planned Parenthood, the nations largest abortion operation, Maria Gallagher of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation told The Epoch Times. They are basically asking for changes to the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act. And while he had a pro-abortion record as a state legislator and as attorney general, Governor Shapiro had said in the campaign that he supports current Pennsylvania law.

Political Promises

Pennsylvania has 18 abortion facilities, accounting for more than 32,000 abortions annually, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

We endorsed Josh Shapiro early in the race last year because he has a record of fighting for sexual and reproductive health care, and having met with him as Governor, we know hes going to maintain that commitment to our cause, Signe Espinoza, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, said in a statement. We believe with a champion for reproductive health care in the governors mansion, we can build a future where every Pennsylvanian can access the care they need.

Shapiro has talked about having a diverse staff that looks like the people of Pennsylvania, and he said in his inauguration speech that he would not roll back access to abortion. He also promised to do his best to be a governor for all Pennsylvanians.

We would hope that the governor would be a governor for all the people in Pennsylvania, Gallagher said. And all the people in Pennsylvania are not for abortion on demand for any reason during all nine months of pregnancy. Thats what Planned Parenthood is pushing, and thats not what the majority of Pennsylvania wants.

The Epoch Times has contacted the governors office for comment.
How a Bill to Combat Racism Could End Up Eroding Constitutional Rights

Commentary

Have you recently posted something on social media about your concern with the worsening situation on the U.S. southern border? How about the potential dangers of unmitigated flows of illegal newcomers entering the country without a properly thorough vetting process?

In the past three years, have you posted any crime statistics highlighting the spike in theft or violent attacks, particularly among certain racial categories, following the 2020 Antifa/BLM riots?

Have you cited soft-on-crime policies (such as the elimination of cash bail) intended to reduce the prison population percentage of specific demographic groups as a potential factor contributing to skyrocketing recidivism rates, increased drug use, and the generally deteriorating status of U.S. inner cities?

Did you answer yes to any of the above questions? If so, you have been found guilty of spreading dangerous and inflammatory information that could potentially incite racially motivated crimes. Please prepare for an extended stay in the bourgeoning state gulag system for reeducation of those afflicted by chronic misinformation disease.

Fortunately, this type of inquiry isnt a normally occurring event in the United Statesyet.

But the attempt to narrow the confines of acceptable discourse into an increasingly constrained prism of regime-approved narratives through the force of law is intended to get us there as fast as possible.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lees (D-Texas) proposal to combat white supremacy is about as blatant an attempt as we have seen of late to sow greater racial division in pursuit of political gain.

Signs are seen on a bench during a rally against critical race theory (CRT) being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government Center in Leesburg, Va., on June 12, 2021. (Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

The Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023 is meant to prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit white supremacy inspired hate crime. The conspiracy section means that an individual who posts material advancing white supremacy, white supremacist ideology, antagonism based on replacement theory, or hate speech that vilifies or is otherwise directed against any non-white person or group could be prosecuted regardless of whether they actually commit (or attempt to commit) a violent crime.

All that is required is that someone elseeven if they have no actual connection to that individual, having never spoken, met, or heard of themengages in an act that qualifies as a type of hate crime.

There is so much that is ethically wrong and fundamentally un-American about this bill that its hard to know where to begin.

Lets start with the obvious attempt to shut down sources of information that deny systemic or institutionalized racism as the foundational concept of the United States. This isnt merely aimed at anonymous posters on the internet. Specifically in the crosshairs would be such prevalent figures as Tucker Carlson (the most-watched show on cable news) and Ben Shapiro (one of the most popular podcasts in the country).

But dont take my word for it. That analysis comes straight from The Root, an online magazine that labels itself Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude, in which the attitude seems to come from one specific (left-wing) angle.

But what about the average American who shares some of the same views on Twitter or Facebook? Should their words be found to have played a role in some other individual engaging in white supremacy, it appears that they, too, could be held accountable for the ensuing actions and subsequently face criminal charges.

This is what we might call a thoughtcrime.

The First Amendment enshrines the freedom of expression in this country and is the bedrock of the constitutional republicanism that is meant to be the guiding principle of our regime. You get to share your opinionregardless of how distasteful, offensive, or downright stupid it may be. Being held in contempt of the public relations court doesnt equal a mandate to prosecute you in the U.S. judicial system.

Of bigger concern for the present measure under consideration, however, isnt so much that an individual has the right to speak, but rather what type of speech, in particular, its attempting to prohibit.

What our regime defines as hate is essentially anything that doesnt meet the standards of the current political narrative. In the latter, the United States is an endemically racist country that also happens to be wracked by homophobia, transphobia, climate change denial, anti-science sentiment, and pretty much every other left-wing bugaboo you can think of. Denying that a man can be a womana statement that a mere 10 years ago wouldnt have been considered controversialis now hate. Refusing to condone double-mastectomies or castration on teenagers as gender-affirming carealso hate.

As far as white supremacy? We have seen statements from legacy media, prominent politicians, and even the White House about how actions unrelated to racesuch as questioning the integrity of elections, refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and refusing to wear a mask properly or social distanceare all inextricably linked to white racism.

People march at a COVID-19 vaccine mandate protest in New York City on Oct. 4, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

We know that the slippery slope argument is the most validated concept there is. Totalitarian government control almost never comes about through unqualified attacks on personal sovereignty. What seems reasonable at first progresses exponentially until we see blatant attempts at top-down authoritarian mandates.

One of the most alarming features of Lees bill is the fact that it specifically targets one demographic groupwhite peoplethe implication being that only the latter can even be guilty of hate. The intention is to harvest and mobilize the social unrest around the deteriorating situation in neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, and the country. While failed policy exacerbates a downward spiral, one specific identity group becomes the target of all public ire and is scapegoated as the source of every problem.

At about the same time as Lee had been proposing her bill, Vice President of the European Commission Vera Jourova stated the importance of controlling public speech in a conversation at this years World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. Sitting next to former CNN personality Brian Stelter, she gladly predicted illegal hate speech, which you will have soon also in the U.S. I think that we have a strong reason why we have this in the criminal law.

How long before questioning vaccines is hate speech? Or doubting the science around climate change?

White supremacy is the bludgeon the American regime uses to beat us into submission. Anti-white hate in the United States is an effective rallying tool to guarantee support from the left-wing progressive base as the government continues to strip away constitutional rights in an imitation of Europe.

The regime will continue to tighten its grip on narrative control as our domestic situation inevitably deteriorates due to incompetent leadership and left-wing ideology. Lees bill may be unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled House, but the anti-white sentiment is here to stay.

As an ending note, one wonders whether this article in itself could be used to prosecute me under the bill proposed by Lee.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Shen Yun Performing Arts World Companys curtain call at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan, on the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2023. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times)

KAWAGUCHI, JapanShen Yun Performing Arts amazed Japanese elites at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan on the afternoon of Jan. 18. Several theatergoers said they were in awe after seeing the New York-based classical Chinese dance company.

At the moment the curtain opened, I knew immediately that this show will be wonderful, said Mr. Tanaka Hikohachi, the chairman of a nursery school.

The dancers are awesome! They are very well-trained. Especially the male dancers. Their energies enveloped us. Its fantastic, he said.

Mr. Tanaka said that Shen Yun brought him into a space-time tunnel, where he saw different parts of history.

From ancient times to today  I saw so many scenes presented on stage. No matter which, all the programs were amazing. All are great memories that I can recall again and again with enjoyment in the future, he said.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of the 5,000 years of Chinas civilization. Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, including story-based dances and musical solo performances.

Mr. Tanaka Hikohachi, the chairman of a nursery school, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Niu Bin/The Epoch Times)

Shen Yun has a very high artistry. Its awesome, a real first-class show, said Mr. Hamaguchi Tsutahiro. Dancers move accurately and synchronously. All their tumbling movements are very beautiful and extraordinary.

Mr. Hamaguchi is a professor of medicine at a university and owns a clinic in Tokyo. He spoke highly of the male dancers skills.

Their vitality is influencing all of us. Their jumping abilities are unbelievable. They even tumbled in the air. Its brilliant, he said.

Mr. Hamaguchi enjoyed Shen Yuns patented dynamic backdrop.

A dancer wrote a poem on the backdrop. Others jumped up (from the stage) but entered the backdrop  The cooperation between the stage and the backdrop is seamless. It has superb expressiveness. I enjoyed it a lot. Its really magnificent! he said.

Mr. Hamaguchi Tsutahiro, a professor of medicine, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times)

I love the male dances. The dancers are masculine and valiant. They are majestic. Of course, the female dances are very beautiful, said Mr. Sasaki Akira, a board member of a well-known shipping company.

Mr. Sasaki was also impressed by Shen Yuns music.

The live orchestra is great. Their music and performance are excellent. The ensemble of Western instruments and Chinese erhu (a two-stringed and bowed instrument) is very pleasant to my ears, he said. The erhu virtuoso is outstanding. The sound she plays is like therapy for the soul. It has a little bit of sadness, and is very touching.

Shen Yun uses highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.

My Soul Was Healed

The performance is really amazing! I have been immersed in the world Shen Yun presented. Then my soul was healed, said Mr. Kakumoto Yosiaki, the strategy director of a catering company. Now I have a calm and relaxed mind.

Mr. Kakumoto said he was tired and nervous before attending Shen Yun. After the refreshing experience, he felt resolve to treat issues fairly and rationally once more.

Shen Yun is something from the heavens. Its hard to believe that our human beings can make this. I really feel my heart was cleaned, he said.

Mr. Kakumoto believed that Shen Yuns beauty has the power to heal peoples souls. The cooperation of Shen Yuns artists and Shen Yuns effort to revive the tradition also held this power, he expressed.

I feel the whole cast work very hard for the same aim without a second thought. This is powerful and encouraging, he said.

Shen Yun Is Beautiful

Mr. Kenmotu Kenitirou is the president of a sanitation and air-conditioning equipment manufacturer. He said he was moved by Shen Yuns dance and music, which made him want to attend again.

Mr. Kenmotu said without any vocal explanation, he understood all dances.

Dancers have great expressiveness. The female dancers are really eye-catching. They are charming, elegant, and graceful. The male dancers are very strong and powerful. You cant find them in Japan. I loved it, he said.

Mr. Kenmotu was surprised by the live orchestra. He said: Normally, the dancers dance according to the music. I saw Shen Yuns musicians play according to the dancers. They are very successful. They did a splendid job!

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Kawaguchi, Japan.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Wen Qiang attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan, on Jan. 17, 2023. (The Epoch Times)

KAWAGUCHI, JapanMr. Wen Qiang, a Chinese student, began his study abroad in Japan a mere three months ago. It was fortunate timing, as on Jan. 18, he was able to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kawaguchi Comprehensive Cultural Center Lilia in Kawaguchi, Japan.

After all, New York-based Shen Yun is a show that cannot be seen in China.

I was shocked by Shen Yun. I felt the performance was very good, said Mr. Wen. He was amazed by the beauty of Shen Yun, and said every scene is like a picture on a postcard. Its great and I enjoyed it very much.

Mr. Wen praised the solo vocalists, whose voices resonated with his heart.

Their voices are very strong, and reached very far. They have excellent voices and I feel I can listen to them continually, he said. Especially the soprano, I loved her voice. I felt her voice is very powerful and went straight to my heart.

Mr. Wen said that there is no performance in China as wonderful as Shen Yun, both artistically and in value.

In China, songs or shows are all just to entertain the public  Shen Yun is very different. No matter the dances or songs, they all make audiences to be more positive and inspired. My soul was purified, watching Shen Yun. I felt wonderful, he said.

Mr. Wen said he would like to attend again and again, because he thought Shen Yun is really worth attending.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company. It has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of the 5,000 years of Chinas civilization.

Chinese culture was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, virtues like loyalty, propriety, wisdom, justice, and benevolencevalues that are universal and shared the world over.

I Felt Strong Energy

Mr. and Mrs. Wang are Chinese architectural designers who immigrated to Japan five years ago.

Mr. Wang said, I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed the whole experience. I love the atmosphere here. I felt very relaxed.

Mrs. Wang said, Since I entered the hall, I felt strong energy. Especially during the last program, I loved the feeling of that strong energy.

For Mr. Wang, it was a profound experience.

(Shen Yun brought us) a lot of things, you can feel it in your heart, but you cant describe it by using any words. The live Shen Yun orchestra is very unique. I heard pipa (also called the Chinese lute) and erhu (an ancient two-stringed instrument), he said. You know, music is a type of medicine. It has a healing effect on the human spirit.

Mrs. Wang enjoyed the music as well.

Shen Yuns music is excellent. The music for male dancers is masculine, and the music for female dancers is graceful. The music quite matches the dances. I am uplifted by Shen Yuns music, she said.

The Wangs said that Shen Yun presented the real Chinese culture and traditions, as well as humanity, moral values, and other deep messages, which cant be found in current communist China.

Shen Yun did a great job of reviving our culture. It also wakens our Chinese people to a longing for our traditional values, Mr. Wang said. I was very moved.

Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, presented through highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.

Never Seen a Show Like Shen Yun

Mr. Yang Chunhua moved to Japan from China for his job last October. He was astounded by the dynamic backdrop.

Its magical. I saw the dancers arrived on the stage from the sky (backdrop), he said. When the scene was changed, everything changed accordingly in a very short time. The interaction between the backdrop and dancers is so natural.

Mr. Yang said the dancers skills were excellent, and the vocal soloists voices were touching.

This is the first time that I attended a show as wonderful as Shen Yun, he said. I feel I want to be a better man now. I hope everybody can attend Shen Yun and be better.

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Kawaguchi, Japan.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Shooter Stood Over California Mom Holding Baby, Killed Both and 4 Others

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux speaks about the victims from a shooting that left six people dead in Goshen during a news conference, in Visalia, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (Ron Holman/The Times-Delta via AP)

LOS ANGELESA shooter stood over a 16-year-old mother clutching her 10-month-old baby and shot and killed them in a brazen attack in a central California farming community that left six dead, a sheriff said Jan. 17.

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the teenager was fleeing the violence early Jan. 16 when the killers caught up to her outside the home in Goshen, a central California community of about 3,000 residents in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley, and shot the young mother and her child assassination-style.

The other four victims ranged from 19 to 72 years old, including a grandmother who was shot as she slept. Their autopsies are expected to be completed later in the week.

The victims of a shooting in Goshen, Calif., are displayed during a news conference in Visalia, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (Ron Holman/The Times-Delta via AP)

Authorities said they were searching for two suspects and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrests.

None of this was by accident, Boudreaux said during a news conference Tuesday. It was deliberate, intentional, and horrific.

Boudreaux walked back his earlier comments to reporters that the attack was likely a cartel hit, saying that investigators are also looking into whether it was gang violence.

I am not eliminating that possibility, the sheriff said. These people were clearly shot in the head and they were also shot in places where the shooter would know that a quick death would occur  This is also similar to high-ranking gang affiliation and the style of executions that they commit.

Law enforcement is familiar with the home, the sheriff said, citing gang activity there that has routinely occurred in the past without giving any specifics.

Tulare County Sheriff crime unit removes the body of one of the victims at the scene of a shooting, in Goshen, Calif., on Jan. 16, 2023. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via AP)

The sheriffs department on Tuesday identified the victims as Rosa Parraz, 72; Eladio Parraz, Jr., 52; Jennifer Analla, 49; Marcos Parraz, 19; Alissa Parraz, 16; and Nycholas Parraz, 10 months.

Boudreaux said there was no reason for the shooters to kill the young mother and her child.

I know for a fact this 10-month-old baby was relying on the comfort of his mother. There was no reason for them to shoot that baby, but they did, he said.

Samuel Pina said Alissa was his granddaughter and the baby, Nycholas, was his great-grandson.

I cant wrap my head around what kind of monster would do this, he told The Associated Press on Monday.

Pina said Parraz and her baby were living with her fathers side of the family in Goshen, and that her dads uncle, her dads cousin, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother were also killed.

He said the family is in shock.

It comes in big waves, he said.

The Tulare County Sheriff Department continues to investigate a shooting that left six people dead the day before, in Goshen Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (Ron Holman/The Times-Delta via AP)

Authorities received a call at 3:38 a.m. Monday about multiple shots being firedso many that it initially seemed like an active shooter situationat the residence in the town of Goshen, some 170 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

It was later determined the person who made the call was someone hiding at the property. Deputies arrived seven minutes later and found two bodies outside the home in the street, and a third body at the doorstep, Boudreaux said.

Deputies found more victims inside the home, including the grandmother. Down the street, they discovered the teen mom and her baby. A forensics investigation revealed she had tried to run away before the shooter caught up with her and stood over her and fired multiple rounds into her skull, Boudreaux said.

It is very clear that this family was a target, he said.

Three people survived and will be interviewed by authorities. They include a man who hid in the home as the killings happened.

He was in such a state of fear that all he could do was hold the door, hoping he was not the next victim, Boudreaux said.

Tulare County Sheriff crime unit investigates the scene of a shooting, in Goshen, Calif., on Jan. 16, 2023. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via AP)

On Jan. 3, a search warrant at the home led to the arrest of Eladio Parraz Jr., a convicted felon who was killed in the shooting Mondaythough Boudreaux said Parraz Jr. was not the initial intended target and declined to elaborate. Parraz Jr., 52, had an extensive criminal record including driving recklessly to evade arrest, and possessing firearms and drugs, according to prison records.

The search warrant stemmed from a parole compliance check during which investigators found shell casings on the ground, the sheriff said. The occupants refused to let officials inside the home, Boudreaux said.

They returned with a search warrant and arrested Parraz Jr. after discovering ammunition, a rifle, a shotgun, and meth in the home, court records show. He was released on bail four days later.

Rural California is no stranger to drug-related violence. In 2020, seven people were fatally shot in a small, rural Riverside County town where the property had been used for an illegal marijuana growing operationa common practice in that area.

The following year, a man accidentally shot himself while working at his familys illegal marijuana grow in Butte Countys Forbestown. His father and two brothers were accused of moving his body to prevent investigators from discovering the grow site.

By Stefanie Dazio
This Szechuan shrimp stir fry recipe is saucy, flavorful, and nutritious, too! Better than takeout, it comes together with just 10 ingredients and 20 minutes. Youre in for a quick, succulent meal everyone will love.

What Is Szechuan?

Also referred to as Sichuan or Szechwan, Szechuan is a type of Chinese cuisine that originates from the Sichuan province of southwestern China. Known for their spicy flavors, many Szechuan dishes incorporate liberal amounts of garlic and chili peppers. Furthermore, the cuisine incorporates a variety of cooking techniques including sauteing, stir-frying, dry braising, soaking in water, and frying. Some of the most common Szechuan recipes are twice-cooked pork, spicy chicken, fish-flavored pork shred, and Szechuan shrimp!

Whats The Difference Between Szechuan Shrimp And Hunan Shrimp?

Both Szechuan shrimp and Hunan shrimp are popular Chinese dishes containing shrimp coated in a spicy, flavorful sauce. However, this is where the similarities end as the cooking techniques and flavor profiles of each dish differ dramatically.

For example, Hunan shrimp is made with spicier, more savory flavors thanks to the garlicky sauce containing either chili oil or black bean paste. Meanwhile, Szechuan shrimp has a sweet and sour flavor thanks to the addition of vinegar and sugar added to the red pepper-based sauce.

In addition, Hunan shrimp is typically cooked in a wok over high heat while Szechuan shrimp is cooked over low heat. The combination of these differences results in two entirely different recipes.

Szechuan shrimp is a filling meal thats easy to make at home, healthy, and teeming with flavor. (Courtesy of Amy Dong)

Shrimp Stir Fry Key Ingredients

Given its immense depth and bold flavor, you might be surprised to find that the ingredient list for this shrimp stir fry recipe contains just a handful of basic pantry items.

For the Shrimp

Shrimp  Large, raw shrimp work best. Just be sure they are thawed, peeled, and deveined before adding them to the dish.

 Large, raw shrimp work best. Just be sure they are thawed, peeled, and deveined before adding them to the dish. Oil  We prefer to use olive oil to stir fry the shrimp, as its a healthy way to add flavor and prevent them from sticking to the wok.

 We prefer to use olive oil to stir fry the shrimp, as its a healthy way to add flavor and prevent them from sticking to the wok. Aromatics  Garlic and freshly minced ginger impart wonderfully bright and zesty aromas to the dish.

For the Szechuan Sauce

Rice Cooking Wine  A staple in many Chinese recipes like ginger soy Asian steamed fish and Kung Pao Chicken, this can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores and is used to add depth to the sauce.

 A staple in many Chinese recipes like ginger soy Asian steamed fish and Kung Pao Chicken, this can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores and is used to add depth to the sauce. Water  Just a splash helps combine the ingredients.

 Just a splash helps combine the ingredients. Ketchup  Adds a subtle sweetness that balances out the spiciness of the rest of the dish.

 Adds a subtle sweetness that balances out the spiciness of the rest of the dish. Soy Sauce  Regular or light soy sauce can be used. If you need it to be gluten-free, use Tamari sauce.

 Regular or light soy sauce can be used. If you need it to be gluten-free, use Tamari sauce. Cornstarch  Helps thicken the sauce while keeping the dish gluten-free.

 Helps thicken the sauce while keeping the dish gluten-free. Honey  For a sweet flavor and thicker texture that helps the sauce cling to the shrimp.

 For a sweet flavor and thicker texture that helps the sauce cling to the shrimp. Crushed Red Pepper  Used to create mildly fiery flavor we love! You can always use less or more, depending on how big of a kick youd like.

Pro-Tips For The Best Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe

Quick and simple, this shrimp stir fry is a fail-proof recipe anyone can make, especially when following our top tips and tricks below!

Dry the Shrimp. Use paper towels to pat the shrimp dry. Otherwise, they wont sear and brown in the wok; if shrimp contains excess moisture, itll tend to steam rather than brown.

Use a Large Wok or Skillet. You want to make sure you have plenty of room to arrange the ingredients in an even layer and stir them around as they cook. This is key to creating tender cooked shrimp.

Work Quickly. Shrimp cooks fast! So, be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to use. Stay close to the stove, and keep a close eye on your stir fry to prevent it from overcooking.

Immediately Remove from Heat. Once shrimp turns opaque and no longer is transparent, its done. Do not allow opaque shrimp to continue cooking, as it can quickly go from succulent and tender to tough and rubbery.

Serve this shrimp stir fry recipe with fluffy Jasmine rice. (Courtesy of Amy Dong)

Shrimp Stir Fry Commonly Asked Questions

Can I make this Szechuan shrimp stir fry ahead of time?

Its best to serve this shrimp stir fry recipe fresh and hot off the stove. However, leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in 30-second increments in the microwave to avoid overcooking your leftovers.

What should I serve with this shrimp stir fry?

We love to serve this shrimp stir fry over a bed of Asian sticky rice or easy fried rice. However, it also tastes great paired with lo mein noodles, and feel free to incorporate all your favorite veggies! You wont go wrong serving shrimp stir fry over a bed of fluffy Jasmine rice.

Can I sub with another protein, or combine another protein with this recipe?

Yes, this Szechuan stir fry also tastes great with chicken, pork, or beef. If combining shrimp with another protein, cook the other protein first, as shrimp cooks quickly. If substituting with another protein, be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed.

Whats the secret to successful stir fry?

Its of utmost importance to start with an extra large pan or a wok, and get the oil super hot prior to adding ingredients. Keep stirring, and never overcrowd the pan. Also dont skimp on oil  if youd like to keep your stir fry healthy, you can use extra virgin olive oil. The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is 410F, which is safe for stir frying.

More To Cook And Eat

Shrimp Stir Fry (Szechuan)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Shrimp

12 oz large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined

2 TB olive oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, freshly minced

For the Sauce

 cup rice cooking wine

 cup water

 cup ketchup

2 TB soy sauce, or gluten-free Tamari sauce

4 tsp cornstarch

1 TB honey

 tsp crushed red pepper

Optional:  cup chopped scallions for garnish

Instructions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat just until hot. Add garlic, and cook 1 min or until fragrant. Add ginger, and stir another 30 seconds.

Add shrimp, and cook 2-3 min, OR just until they are opaque. Once they turn opaque, immediately move to next step.

Add the prepared sauce to the wok, stirring to combine and coat the shrimp, about 1 minute or until sauce is heated through.

Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Large Wok

Rice Cooking Wine

Tamari Sauce

Notes

See original article for serving suggestions and substitutions.

This article was originally published on chewoutloud.com.

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A Nez Perce hunter was grazed by another hunters bullet on Tuesday while field dressing a bison outside Gardiner during a tribal hunt.

Details of the incident were made public on Wednesday by Buffalo Field Campaign, a nonprofit bison advocacy group, in a newsletter. On Thursday the group provided more information and photos of the injury.

According to a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesperson, an accident was reported and is under investigation.

The BFC press release included a statement from Mary Jane Oatman, mother of the man who was accidentally shot. Oatman demanded a federal investigation into the incident, adding, Had the tables been turned, I can almost guarantee that my son would be locked up in Park County on some sort of charges. My family is just glad that hes okay. My son honestly feels like he took a bullet for the entire Nimiipuu Nation.

Buffalo Field Campaign highlighted the incident as clearly foreseeable given the nature of bison hunts conducted in Montana as Yellowstone National Park bison migrate out of the park in winter. Hunting is allowed only in narrow areas near the park border, concentrating hunters in whats been described as a firing line.

Some Gardiner-area residents have complained in the past about the danger of the hunts so close to homes and highways. Restrictions have been enforced in at least one constriction point, Beattie Gulch on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

As of this week, state hunters in the Gardiner area had killed 31 bison, 21 near West Yellowstone. As of last week, Nez Perce hunters had shot 28 bison near Gardiner, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes hunters 34, Shoshone-Bannock 11, Umatilla 14 and Blackfeet one. In the West Yellowstone hunting area, CSKT hunters shot 21 bison as of last week, along with one for the Blackfeet.

Montana hunters are limited by quota to 85 either-sex bison licenses, awarded through a drawing. The licenses are good from Nov. 15 through Feb. 15.

Montana also allows tribal treaty right hunting for bison, which is regulated by each of the eight federally recognized tribes.

BFC executive director James Holt, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, called for more habitat for wild bison to allow treaty hunts to be less concentrated.

Why does Montana force treaty hunters to take buffalo in full view of public roads and local communities? Holt asked in the BFC press release. Why are hunters crammed into such small galleries that they end up accidentally shooting one another?

The Montana Department of Livestock, which regulates bison in the state, has resisted expansion of the animals farther outside the park because some bison carry brucellosis, a disease that can cause cattle to abort. Bison are the only big game animal in Montana not managed by FWP.

Montana began allowing bison hunting outside the park in 2005 after a 15-year hiatus. In the early 1990s, game wardens would lead hunters to a bison and the hunter could shoot the animal. Later in the decade, agency sharpshooters shot bison wandering out of Yellowstone. Both efforts were abandoned after a barrage of mostly negative publicity.

Tribal hunting began in 2006 when the Nez Perce began exercising its 1855 treaty rights to hunt bison in Montana. The Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes began hunting in 2007.

Yellowstone National Park continues to capture bison for testing just outside Gardiner at its Stephens Creek facility. Bison captured are tested for brucellosis. Those that test negative can be placed in quarantine for eventual dispersal to tribal nations once they pass successive negative tests. In the past, bison that did not test negative were shipped to slaughter with the meat given to participating tribes.

The captures, hunts and slaughter of bison is part of an agreement by the park with Montana after the state sued in 1995 to halt bison migrations. After five years of litigation, the Interagency Bison Management Plan was developed to reduce the possibility of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle. To do that, it was agreed to capture, slaughter and hunt bison when they left the park near Gardiner. Hunting inside the park is against the law.

In recent years, Yellowstone has put more emphasis into the quarantine and transfer program. Since 2019 the park has transferred more than 180 bison and expanded its quarantine facility to handle up to 200 animals.

More than 6,000 bison live in Yellowstone, the highest population the park has ever recorded. The park is developing a new bison management plan. The current document is more than 20 years old.
Sister of Woman Who Died Following Mask Altercation With Hospital Security Files $16 Million Lawsuit

A $16 million lawsuit has been filed in the death of Stephanie Warriner, a 43-year-old mother of five who never regained consciousness 16 days after physical interaction with Toronto General Hospital Security guards who confronted her because she had her face mask pulled down under her chin, reportedly because she was having trouble breathing.

The lawsuit was filed in September 2022 by Warriners sister Denise, but was only recently served against five security guards and the University Health Network. The claim alleges the guards used excessive and unreasonable force in an aggressive manner, contrary to their training, and acted with reckless disregard for the life of Stephanie.

The legal action also alleges the hospital failed to tell the family of Warriners death for 11 days, leaving them to believe she was a missing person.

Warriner, who was in a medically fragile state with preexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had gone to the hospital for chronic breathing issues in May 2020. She was admitted to the COVID ward of the hospital due to a positive test two weeks prior. She weighed 125 pounds at the time of her death on May 27, 2020, and her sister said she left her hospital room to go to the food court.

The lawsuit states the security guards knew or ought to have known that Warriner had mental health issues before pushing her against a wall, and then allegedly pushing her to the ground and restraining her. Her sister said Warriner had bipolar disorder and challenges with substance abuse.

Kyle Bryson, the guard who admitted he intentionally moved the security camera away from the scene, shift supervisor Andrew Li, and James Rouse, the guard who handcuffed Warriner when she was face down on the ground, have been named as defendants.

The legal action, filed at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, also names security guards Amanda Rojas-Silva, 42, and Shane Hutley, 35who had charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence by unlawful confinement/restraint causing death dropped against them on Nov. 22, 2022. At a preliminary hearing, Ontario Superior Court Justice Sean Dunphy quashed the charges, stating there was a lack of admissible evidence to proceed to a trial, a decision that was reported by CTV News on Jan. 12.

Disturbing Video

CTV obtained judicial approval to publish the video of the altercation, which shows Warriner being confronted by guards Rojas-Silva and Hutley at Toronto General Hospital on May 11, 2020.

A coroners report states Warriner had been sitting calmly in the hospital lobby when a group of guards approached. A security camera was purposely turned away for over two minutes while the guards restrained her, stated the report.

One of the security guards aggressively and violently grabs my sister and crushes her face first into a concrete wall, alleged Denise Warriner. Stephanie Warriner was restrained on the ground by multiple guards.

She was effectively dead right there, said Denise Warriner. While doctors later resuscitated her, she never regained consciousness and with the doctor saying there was no brain activity, 16 days later she was taken off life support.

Court documents indicate Warriner suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest that caused her brain to be starved of oxygen.

In the video, moments after the camera was turned away from the scene, multiple security guards are seen walking in a group, one pulling a wheelchair with Warriner slumped in it, handcuffed, feet dragging on the floor. She appears unconscious.

Court documents state Rojas-Silva noticed Warriner was non-responsive and appeared to have no pulse. A Code Blue was called.

The coroners report said she died of restraint asphyxia.

Family Traumatized

I dont know if Ive ever experienced gut-wrenching horror.  You cant help but replay those traumatic images, over and over, in your mind. It haunts me, said Denise Warriner, referring to the first time she saw the video of the last moments of her sisters life.

She blames COVID paranoia and phobia for her sisters death. There was indifference toward her. She was wrangled like cattle, she said. She was pushed against the wall, held down, and handcuffed. It was heartless, cruel, and unnecessary.

This was not a jail but a hospital, she added.

Denise Warriner said Jan. 18 that the legal action is meant to hold the hospital and employees responsible for extreme and outrageous conduct.

She said the trauma her family has endured as a result of the incident is indescribable and is an ongoing grief that never ends.

Two staff members involved in the situation faced disciplinary action, and two are no longer working at the hospital.

The lawyer for the Warriner family was unable to respond by press time, but told reporters no statements of defence have been filed; however, all defendants have served notices they do intend to defend against the lawsuit.
South Africa to Host China and Russia for Military Exercises

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (2-L) waves as he walks past Chinese leader Xi Jinping (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) during a photo session in front of Osaka Castle at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

China, Russia, and South Africa will conduct joint military exercises off the coast of South Africa in February.

The South African Department of Defense announced the drills, dubbed Operation Mosi, on Jan. 19. The exercises are planned to take place from Feb. 17 to 27, and will coincide with the first anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Operation Mosi is intended to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia, and China, according to a statement shared by the South Africa National Defense Force on social media.

The exercises have been in the planning stages since December, and will include 350 South African personnel working with Russian and Chinese forces in Durban and Richards Bay with the aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge, according to the statement.

Russian state-owned media outlet TASS reported that Russia would send two ships to the exercises, which the nation believes will strengthen multilateral ties between the three countries.

It is unclear what type of units the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will send.

South Africa Turning on Western Partners



The move to build military ties with Russia and China is likely to sour South Africas relations with the United States, which has historically been a key economic and diplomatic partner in the region.

South Africa has been growing apart from its Western partners since Cyril Ramaphosa became president in 2018. Shortly thereafter, in 2019, the nation engaged in its first trilateral military exercises with Russia and China.

Ramaphosas administration has refused to condemn Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. However, a survey shows nearly three-quarters of all South Africans believe the invasion to be an act of aggression that must be condemned.

This suggests that the South African government, which has refused to condemn the invasion and has even embarked on joint military exercises with Russia, is hopelessly out of touch with its voters, who believe that the country should be offering moral, diplomatic, and even military support to democracies that are invaded by their neighbors, said a report from the Brenthurst Foundation, which conducted the survey.

Similarly, the Ramaphosa administration has actively helped key members of Russian President Vladimir Putins regime to dodge international sanctions, providing safe harbor to Russian oligarchs by allowing them to dock sanctioned super yachts in Cape Town.

South Africa also recently assumed chairmanship of the BRICS geopolitical bloc, a grouping that includes Brazil, China, India, and Russia, and primarily aimed at challenging U.S.- and European Union-led governing organizations worldwide.

The Democratic Alliance, South Africas main opposition party, said that the exercises were silly and demonstrated that the nations current government was biased in favor of Moscow.

Ramaphosas alignment with the Kremlin and the CCP could signal hard times ahead for the United States in the region, which is currently in a struggle for influence across the African continent.

To that end, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit South Africa in the coming weeks.

The United States is all in on Africa, and all in with Africa, Yellen is slated to say in a Jan. 20 speech in Senegal.

Our engagement is not transactional, for show, or for the short term.

The United States is here as a partner to help Africa realize its massive economic potential at home and advance its growing leadership abroad.
State Department Says Americans Among Those Killed in Nepal Plane Crash

The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday that two Americans and two permanent residents living in the United States were among those killed when a plane crashed on Jan. 15 into a river gorge in the city of Pokhara, Nepal.

We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic Yeti Airlines crash over the weekend, which killed 72 people, including two U.S. citizens and two lawful permanent residents, State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a news conference.

Our thoughts are with the families of those on board, he continued. The United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way we can at this difficult hour.

Price did not identify or release any additional information about the four American citizens and permanent residents killed in the crash.

The twin-engine Yeti Airlines ATR 72 aircraft was carrying 72 people68 passengers and four crew memberswhen it crashed over the weekend just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara.

Nepals Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that 15 foreign nationals were among the passengers. The foreigners included travelers from India, Russia, South Korea, Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France.

The Jan. 15 crash was the countrys deadliest air disaster in over three decades.

A rescue team recovers the body of a victim from the site of the plane crash of a Yeti Airlines operated aircraft in Pokhara, Nepal, on Jan. 16, 2023. (Rohit Giri/Reuters)

Footage Offer Clues About Cause

On Monday, searchers recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, a discovery that is likely to help investigators determine what caused the aircraft to go down in clear weather, Reuters reported. Both devices were reportedly in good shape and will be sent for analysis.

The Nepal government, meanwhile, has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash.

Bishnu Prasad Paudel, the countrys finance minister, said the committee must submit their findings within 45 days, The Himalayan Times reported.

Video footage posted to social media and taken by an onlooker appears to show the plane flying low over Pokhara as it approaches the airport and then rolling to its side before the video pans away. A loud explosion and screams can then be heard.

Although the official cause of what caused the crash remains unknown, veteran airline consultant Neil Hansford told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that, based on reports, the crash may have been caused by pilot-handling.

I think the pilots have lost control of the aircraft and thats why its ended up on the edge of a ridge, Hansford said. Fuel is not an issue, because it burnt so readily, because there was obviously a lot of fuel on board.

Hansford also noted that environmental conditions in Nepal, such as the rough terrain and high mountainsincluding Everestwhich can prompt cloudy weather and hazardous conditions, are hostile to aviation.

It requires a very high level of pilot skill, very good equipment and, unfortunately, a country underdeveloped like Nepal will always battle to have those factors in place, he said.

The Jan. 15 crash marked the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board.

Overall, nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal since 2000. The European Union has banned Nepali airlines from its airspace since 2013 due to safety concerns.

Pokhara is located some 129 kilometers (80 miles) west of Kathmandu and serves as a popular tourist destination owing to its laid-back atmosphere, picturesque lakeside, numerous yoga retreats, and paragliding sites. It also serves as the gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular hiking trail in the Himalayas.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.

From NTD News
In the webinar The CCP Runs the Table Throughout the Western Hemisphere: Implications for the USA and the Region, hosted by the Committee on the Present Danger: China, panelists examine developments from the Arctic to the Antarctic, the implications for the region and the United States, as well as the strategy America should take to avert further damage throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Frank Gaffney, the Executive Chairman of the Center for Security Policy, and vice-chair for the Committee on the Present Danger: China hosted the webinar.

Panelists include: Dr. Bradley Thayer, director for China Policy, Center for Security Policy;

Matthew Tyrmand: investigative journalist, board member of directors of Project Veritas;

Christine Douglass-Williams: international award-winning journalist;

Charles Gerow: vice chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference and the American Conservative Union;

Gordon Chang, senior fellow, Gatestone Institute;

Colonel Grant Newsham: U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), former Marine attache in Japan.

The Epoch Times will replay the webinar at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 18.
The Great Dropout: Why 1.4 Million Children Left Public Schools in 2020 and Where They Went

Principal William Shipp opens the door to direct unmasked students to the main office of Woodgrove High School in Purcellville, Va., on Feb. 2, 2022. (Courtesy of Erin Thomas)

Enrollment in U.S. public schools grew by only 77,000 students in the fall of 2021 after dropping by 1.4 million the year before, according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The figures suggest that the public school system failed to gain back the confidence of the parents who withdrew children en masse in response to pandemic-era lockdowns, masking requirements, and increased dissatisfaction with K12 education.

Public school enrollment declined by 1.4 million students between fall 2019 and fall 2020, dipping to 49.4 million, a loss of nearly 3 percent, and remains at the lowest point in more than a decade.

The decline could be closer to 2 million, according to a survey by Education Next showing that traditional public school enrollment as a percentage of all school enrollment declined sharply between 2020 and 2022.

Enrollment in traditional public schools fell from 81 percent to 76.5 percent of total enrollment during that period, while enrollment in public charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling grew by a combined 4.5 percent.

Those numbers suggest that nearly 2 million students left traditional public schools for other educational options between 2020 and 2022. The findings are based on the May 2022 survey of a national representative panel of more than 3,600 American adults commissioned by Education Next.

In many cases, the disruption in learning due to COVID-19 policies was the catalyst many parents needed to make the jump away from public schools to charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling.

Based on recent enrollment figures and the comfort many parents express with their decision to opt out of public schools, it appears the missing millions will not return.

Dissatisfaction With Learning

Parental satisfaction with K12 education plunged between 2019 and 2022, according to Gallup. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, 51 percent of parents said they were either completely or somewhat satisfied with their childs education. Three years later, that satisfaction level was 42 percent, the lowest in more than 20 years.

A student works on a computer at a Provo, Utah, school on Feb. 10, 2021. (George Frey/Getty Images)

Nearly a quarter of Americans, 23 percent, said they were completely dissatisfied with their childs education.

Parent interviews conducted by The Epoch Times revealed that distance learning during school lockdowns provided a glimpse into the classroom that made parents question their schools ability to educate their children.

For a while, [our kids] were getting homework assigned to them by their teachers  but there was no teaching going on, said Matt Mohler of Tallahassee, Florida. He moved his children from a state-run public school to a classical charter school in the fall of 2020.

Once a week, theyd all get together on a classroom call, and that was the extent of what the teachers were doing. We realized that we werent getting a lot of effort out of the teachers.

Maria Nicholas of Whittier, California, who began homeschooling her son in the fall of 2021, said that during the school closures, the distance learning was eye-opening. She said she wouldnt have considered homeschooling if not for the lockdown, but seeing how her middle-school son thrived while at home rather than in the classroom was a factor in her decision.

Shireen Qudosi of Orange County, California, took her autistic son out of public school in October 2020. There wasnt even a functioning curriculum in place, which access into the classroom through remote learning confirmed.

Mask and Vaccine Requirements

In January 2022, 65 percent of public schools tracked by data site Burbio had student masking requirements. Parent and student protests against mandatory masking erupted that month in New York, California, and Massachusetts.

The combination of public school mask policies and state vaccine mandates drove some parents to seek alternatives.

Longtime homeschooler Christine Hamman saw an influx of parents to her homeschool group during the past two years.

COVID added people who are anti-vax and anti-masking, she said. Mostly, parents didnt want their kids masked for six hours a day.

Sara Cruz began homeschooling during the current school year after a California law expanded vaccine requirements for schoolchildren.

When SB 276 was signed, we realized wed be homeschooling all of our children, Cruz said.

Im on the other end of this spectrum, Nicholas said. Im for it, and I would like more people to have it.

However, seeing the number of people unmasked and unvaccinated at her school caused concern for her sons health and became a factor in her choice to withdraw her son.

I thought they werent doing enough to keep the kids safe, she said.

Parents demonstrate at a Long Island Loud Majority protest against state-mandated masks for schoolchildren on Jan. 26, 2022, at the Suffolk County government offices. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times)

Other reasons for leaving public schools included concern over what they saw as inappropriate teaching on social issues such as sex, gender, and drug abuse, as well as student safety.

Parents dont want their children exposed to the radical indoctrination that the public schools are doing, J. Allen Weston, executive director of the American Homeschool Association, told The Epoch Times.

The school had a Say No to Drugs campaign, but they were going into detail on what drugs were out there, Mohler said, speaking of his daughters second-grade class.

If theyre going to learn about that, theyre going to learn about that from me.

Other parents expressed concern over bullying, the stress created by active-shooter drills, and the availability of sexual content on smartphones carried by other students.

Where They Went

Most parents who opted out of public schools over the past few years chose other educational options for their kids. Homeschooling was the choice for many, though the number of children enrolled is difficult to estimate.

It is impossible to know the exact numbers because more than half of the states do not require parents to register as homeschoolers, Weston said. Or if they are required, then the state does not keep count.

Weston reported that his organization grew by a factor of 20 over the past three years.

Heather Martinson, founder of homeschool co-op Celebration Education, told The Epoch Times that the Facebook group for homeschoolers in her area tripled to 12,000 members since January 2020.

Public charter schools, which had more than doubled to 3.4 million in the preceding decade, enrolled another 270,000 students between 2019 and 2021, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS).

Students in uniform at Voice Charter School of New York, Corona, Queens, on Sept. 18, 2014. (Petr Svab/Epoch Times)

Private school enrollment grew as well, adding more than 500,000 students in 2020 to reach 11.1 million, according to data site Statista. A study by the Cato Institute shows that more private schools gained enrollment than lost it during 20202021.

Some students who left public schools in 2020 entered the workforce. About 2 million students dropped out of high school that year, according to the NCES.

In 2017, the NCES found that 47 percent of high school dropouts were employed. If the percentage remained similar in 2020, that would mean more than 900,000 students left school for work that year.

Other Shifts

Though not reflected in national totals, public school enrollment in large cities has been in decline for up to 20 years in some cases. These losses appear to be driven more by demographic changes than by parents opting out of public schools.

Enrollment in Denver public schools dropped by 3 percent from 2019 to 2021, a change driven in part by low birth rates and a shrinking population, according to education news site Chalkbeat.

New York Citys public school enrollment decreased by some 38,000 students in 2020, but 9,376 of them simply crossed the river to New Jersey, according to news website Gothamist. More than 5,100 students moved from New York to Pennsylvania that year and another 5,600 to Florida.

Also, the population of New York was in decline during that time. The state lost more than 350,000 people to domestic migration between July 2020 and July 2021.

Enrollment in Los Angeles public schools has dropped 42 percent since the early 2000s, according to the online publication EdSource. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told journalists in July 2022 that recent losses are attributable partly to people moving to other states because of political ideology or the desire for lower taxes.

Return Unlikely

Relatively few students who withdrew from public schools in 2020 have returned so far. Public school enrollment rebounded by just 0.2 percent in 2021, including first-time enrollees, and remains at its lowest level since 2010.

Parents who made the choice to withdraw from public school during the past two years are highly satisfied with their choice, according to a report from NAPCS.

Nearly 90 percent of families who changed school types experienced a positive change as a result of the switch, with 57 percent saying their child was happier, according to NAPCS.

Daisley Kramer helps her kindergarten daughter, Meg, with schoolwork at home in San Anselmo, Calif., on March 18, 2020. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Most parents opting for homeschooling appear satisfied as well.

At first I was upset about being forced to homeschool over medical decisions we were making for our children, Cruz said.

Yet after observing what she sees as a political agenda being pushed in schools, shes happy with the decision.

Attendance at the Celebration Education co-op has returned to 2019 levels, Martinson said, but the influx of new students is ongoing.

Some have gone back to public schools. Theres kind of a different mindset with homeschoolers. Kids who were coming last year were more public-school minded, Martinson said.

She theorizes that some parents viewed homeschooling as a temporary haven during lockdowns but always intended to return to public school.

Weston thinks most parents who try homeschooling wont return to public school.

Parents have come to understand that one to two hours of one-on-one instruction with their children is far more productive than an entire week of classroom instruction, so homeschooling takes far less time, giving the children the opportunity to explore things that they are actually interested in and that make them happy, Weston said.
Top Turkish Diplomats Washington Visit Highlights Complex Relationship

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends a news conference after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, on March 16, 2022. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

A visit to Washington on Jan. 18 by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, during which he met U.S. counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken, served to highlight the complex relationship between the NATO allies.

At the meeting, both men reaffirmed their longstanding commitment to collective defense as [NATO] allies, according to a joint statement released afterward.

While both sides hailed the meeting as constructive, it papered over longstanding differences that continue to plague U.S.Turkey relations.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the State Department on Dec. 22, 2022, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

F-16 Sale in Limbo

For one, Turkey hopes to purchase a fleet of U.S.-built F-16 warplanesa move staunchly opposed by influential U.S. lawmakers.

While the Biden administration favors the $20 billion deal, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senates foreign relations committee, remains opposed to the sale.

Menendez reiterated his objections last week, accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of engaging in destabilizing behavior in Turkey and against neighboring NATO allies.

While the issue has remained a point of contention since late 2021, little headway appears to have been made in the BlinkenCavusoglu meeting.

The joint statement merely said the two men had discussed strengthening the defense partnership, including modernization of Turkeys F-16 fleet.

In remarks to reporters after the meeting, Cavusoglu urged the Biden administration not to waste an important deal between allies just because one person, or a few people, is blocking it.

The issue of arms procurement has dogged relations between the nations for years.

In 2017, Ankara agreed to purchase S-400 missile-defense systems from Russia. Washington responded by sanctioning Turkeys defense industry and calling off Ankaras planned purchase of American F-35 warplanes.

A ground controller salutes an F-16 fighter jet at Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey on March 7, 2003. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

The YPG: Allies Versus Terrorists

Blinken and Cavusoglu also stressed their countries desire to collaborate in efforts to fight against terrorist organizations, notably ISIS/Daesh and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), according to the joint statement.

However, the statement didnt contain any reference to the Kurdish YPG group, which remains a primary irritant to relations.

Washington views the YPG as an ally and continues to use it as an ostensible bulwark against the ISIS terrorist group in Syria.

Turkey, for its part, sees the YPGthe Syrian offshoot of the PKKas a terrorist group that threatens its borders.

Since 2016, Turkey has carried out three ground offensives into northern Syriaand has threatened to launch a fourthwith the stated aim of destroying the YPG.

In November 2022, several people were killed in central Istanbul in a bombing that Turkish authorities have blamed on YPG operatives.

In the joint statement, Blinken reiterated his condemnation of the attack, saying the United States stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

The two men also agreed on the need to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

No mention was made, however, of Washingtons continued support for the YPG.

In January, Erdogan warned that Turkey would take matters into its own hands if Washington continued to arm and support the group.

Kurdish fighters from the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) talk with members of U.S. forces in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border with Syria on April 29, 2017. (Rodi Said/Reuters)

Turkey Stalls Nordic NATO Bid

Blinken and Cavusoglu also reportedly discussed means of strengthening coordination and solidarity between NATO members in the face of current threats and challenges.

Within this context, they discussed the implementation of a trilateral memorandum aimed at allowing Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

In May 2022, Stockholm and Helsinki both formally applied to join the alliance. Turkey, however, objects to the move and accuses both countries of harboring PKK militants.

Countries seeking NATO membership must secure the approval of all the alliances current members.

Signed by Turkey, Sweden, and Finland last summer, the memorandum seeks to address Turkeys legitimate security concerns by obliging the two Nordic states to take steps against terrorist groups.

Ankara, along with Washington and Brussels, has long considered the PKK a terrorist organization.

Last week, an anti-Turkey rally in Stockholmreportedly staged by PKK supportersdrew furious reactions from Ankara.

Words arent enough; we need to see action, Cavusoglu said at the time. Stockholm, he added, must fulfill its obligations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) during a meeting in Sochi, on Aug. 5, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/AFP via Getty Images)

Relations with Moscow, Damascus

In Washington, Blinken and Cavusoglu also stressed their unequivocal support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russias unacceptable war.

Nevertheless, Turkey maintains good relations with Russia and has steadfastly declined to support Western-led sanctions on Moscow.

Last summer, Turkey and Russia agreed to expand bilateral ties, especially in terms of trade and energy, prompting Western fears of a Turkish tilt toward Moscow.

Washington has also voiced concern over what appears to be a budding rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus following 10 years of hostility.

Turkey supports armed rebel groups in Syria that have sought to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government.

In recent months, however, Moscow has urged ally Damascus to mend relations with Ankara.

Late last month, the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers held landmark talks in Moscow.

Syrian Crisis Discussed

Plans are now underway to hold a second meeting in Moscow between Cavusoglu and the Syrian foreign minister, which would pave the way for an eventual meeting between Erdogan and Assad.

Washington, meanwhile, takes a dim view of the Russia-backed TurkeySyria reconciliation process.

We do not support countries upgrading relations with  the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad, a U.S. State Department spokesman said earlier this month.

The joint statement issued after the BlinkenCavusoglu meeting, however, made no reference to the planned TurkishSyrian foreign ministers summit.

It merely said the two men had discussed all aspects of the Syrian crisis, stressing their commitment to a Syrian-led political process in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Adopted unanimously in 2015, Resolution 2254 calls for a cessation of hostilities between warring parties in Syria and a political settlement of the decade-long crisis.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Transparency in Government Investments Important to Avoid Taxpayer Blowback, Says Minister Ng at WEF Panel

Minister of International Trade Mary Ng speaks during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Maintaining transparency in federal government investments in private businesses is important to avoid taxpayer blowback, says International Trade Minister Mary Ng, who made the comments while taking part in a World Economic Forum (WEF) panel discussion.

Canadians care because this is about growing the middle class. Its about growing jobs. Its about new, innovative, intangible companies in todays marketplace who are part of communities, Ng said on Jan. 19 while attending an annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Ng was responding to a question posed by a member of the audience.

In cases where you cannot completely de-risk the [government] investmentfor example, in early-stage companiesare you worried about taxpayer blowback from that if things fail? the audience member asked.

Transparency  is absolutely key in the way that we make the investment commitments, Ng replied, adding that budgets and very lengthy contribution agreements and just a range of modalities are examples of how the federal government informs Canadians of spending measures.

A transparency on outcomes as well, not just transparency of the investment, she added.

Ng also said that when private companies partner with the government through investments, each party takes on some of that shared risk and these initiatives in return bring about economic growth and community growth and create jobs across the country.

All of that means a greater social cohesion in our country, she said. The investments are directly tied to the opportunity for Canada and for our communities to create jobs.

Ngs comments come just over a month following a ruling by Canadas Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion that found her guilty of breaking federal conflict-of-interest laws after her office awarded a contract to one of her friends.

The WEF panel discussion Ng spoke at was titled Bricks or Clicks: What Kind of Investment do Economies Need?

She was joined by British journalist Martin Wolf, Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch, Indias Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Khalid Humaidan, CEO of the Bahrain Economic Development Board.

Many countries now invest more in intangible assets, such as IP, than in tangible assets like buildings and machinery, with consequences for innovation, productivity, market concentration and more, read the panels description.

What does the rise of the intangible economy mean and how should policy-makers respond? World Economic Forum

Ng is currently attending the WEFs 2023 annual meeting in Davos along with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who also sits on the WEF board of trustees.

Freeland participated in a WEF panel discussion on Jan. 18, at which she said G7 countries can help Ukraine by giving the country more military and economic assistance.

We can help Ukraine win, clearly, definitively. And if we do that, if that happens this year, you know it as well as I do, Fareed, that would be a huge boost to the global economy, Freeland said, referring to Fareed Zakaria of CNN, the host of the panel titled Restoring Security and Peace.

Questions sent by The Epoch Times to various federal department, about the size of the federal governments delegation to Davos, the costs associated with the trip, and governments main objectives in making the trip, have so far gone unanswered.

Noe Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Trump, DeSantis Should Ban China from Buying American Farmland, Critical Assets: Robert Spalding

Title III in the Defense Production Act gives the U.S. federal government wide latitude when protecting the United States national security. Consequently, if he once again wins the White House, President Donald Trump, can, and should, ban China from purchasing American assets, retired Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding said in an interview that aired on the Newsmakers Epoch Times-NTD collaborative program on Jan. 18.

According to Spalding, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can also use his authority to limit Chinese purchases.

The retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general is a U.S.-China relations expert and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Spalding also authored the book, Stealth War: How China Took Over While Americas Elite Slept, which investigates and exposes Chinas success in infiltrating Americas institutions and compromising its national security.

Retired Air Force Brigadier General Robert Spalding in Washington on Sept. 27, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Absolutely, Spalding answered when asked if Trump and DeSantis could limit Chinas purchases. For example, Spalding explained that during the Cold War, the United States and its Allies had a treaty that ensured that nobody could trade technology with the Soviet Union.

He said that during World War II, the United States took specific precautions to safeguard American assets, and those options would be open to Trump and DeSantis.

During World War II, we nationalized the rubber and steel industries, Spalding said. All things are possible on behalf of national security. In fact, Title III in the Defense Production Act gives the federal government wide latitude in doing things that are to protect the national security.

In the case of China, they use financial relationships. They use the ability to buy assets in our country as a proxy for the way that, you know, traditional warfare happened.

Spalding said what China is doing is almost like an invasion of the United States, just using money.

Stances of Trump and DeSantis on China

In a campaign video released on Jan. 18, Trump stated, China does not allow American companies to take over their critical infrastructure, and America should not allow China to take over our critical infrastructure.

He then stated the United States needs aggressive new restrictions on Chinese ownership of any vital infrastructure in the United States, including energy, technology, telecommunications, farmland, natural resources, medical supplies, and other strategic national assets.

An aerial view from a drone shows a combine being used to harvest the soybeans in a field in Rippey, Iowa, on Oct. 14, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Similarly, DeSantis, a potential presidential rival for Trump, stated during a press conference on Jan. 10 that he, too, believes China poses a security risk and wants to ban Chinese entities from purchasing property in Florida.

If you look at the Chinese Communist Party, theyve been very active throughout the Western Hemisphere in gobbling up land and investing in different things, DeSantis said.

And, you know, when they have interests that are opposed to ours, and youve seen how theyve wielded their authority  it is not in the best interests of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases.

CCP Threat

Spalding agreed with the assessments of Trump and DeSantis, adding, Its not just farmland  The Chinese Communist Party has been spending funds mostly through private members of the party buying huge swaths of land. For example, down in Texas, you had a former [Peoples Liberation Army] general buying up hundreds of thousands of acres.

Spalding explained that the PLA general didnt just want the land. Instead, he tried to turn it into a wind farm and plug it into the Texas power grid. Not only that, Spalding said, there are others buying whole farms. Theyre also meat processing and other agricultural assets.

More importantly, when the Chinese get ahold of Americas assets, they can use them in various ways. [The Chinese] could do things in terms of polluting the land, making it fallow. They can also direct that agricultural product to China, Spalding said.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a virtual summit from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 15, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

In the past, theyve used Chinese nationals to go out in the middle of fields, and dig up genetically modified seeds and take them back to China. You can use [the land] to collect intelligence on nearby bases or other manufacturing facilities.

Theres a whole lot of things that you can do when you own the land. In fact, the Chinese general in Texas was basically locking it up and making it so people couldnt come on. So, you really didnt have an idea of whats going on.

Regarding Republicans in the House establishing a new select committee to examine the threats posed by China and if theyll take action, Spalding said, Well, what happens is Corporate America, and Wall Street typically lobbies both the Hill and the administration to water down any legislation thats meant to go after the Chinese Communist Party.

Washington DC is full of think tanks. Its full of law firms that the Chinese Communist Party have retained  They have locked down Washington DC in ways that really make it hard for us to create policies that protect the country.
Trump Announces Big Political Speech

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower the day after FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home, in New York on Aug. 9, 2022. (David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters)

Former President Donald Trump said hes planning a big political speech on Thursday in a sign that he is ramping up his 2024 campaign.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced his plans. The former president did not elaborate on what the speech would be about but responded to reports claiming that his presidential campaign is off to a lackluster start.

The Fake News says I am not campaigning very hard. I say they are stupid and corrupt, with the Election still a long time away, Trump wrote on the platform. But do not fear, MANY GIANT RALLIES and other events coming up soon. It will all be wild and exciting. We will save our Country from DOOM and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Without elaborating when he would give the speech, Trump added that hes giving the address at the Trump Doral resort in Miami, Florida.

After a Nov. 15 announcement confirming he would run for president a third time, Trump has increasingly faced criticism from GOP figures. Some have blamed the former president for Republicans poorer-than-anticipated midterm results, namely Trump-backed Senate candidates like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Don Bolduc, Blake Masters, and others.

Trump may also face his stiffest Republican challenge yet from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not publicly indicated whether he will run for president in 2024. There has been rampant speculation about whether the governorconsidered by many to be a rising GOP starwould join the race, while some opinion polls have shown Trump and DeSantis are close.

During a recent interview, Trump said that DeSantis running would be a bad move for the Florida Republican. So you know, now I hear he might want to run against me. So well handle that the way I handle things, Trump said, adding that his endorsement of DeSantis in 2018 led to him being elected governor; DeSantis won his reelection by about 20 points.

Other than Trump, no other Republicans have announced they would join the 2024 race. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former CIA Director Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, and several others have signaled they might run, although polls show that Trump and DeSantis are by far the front-runners.

More Signs of Activity

In another sign of a ramped-up campaign, the former president said Wednesday he is aiming to reinstate his Facebook account after it was banned in January 2021. In an interview with Fox News, Trump declared that Facebook, owned by Meta, needs us more than we need them.

The Mark Zuckerberg-operated Meta lost $700 billion since I was de-platformed, Trump said, referring to significant stock losses that the Menlo Park, California-based firm took in recent months. The former president, whose account was reinstalled on Twitter in late 2022, said that social media platforms that banned him all suffered losses.

It has been considered a major business mistake for them, Twitter, and others, Trump said of his deplatforming. If they took us back, it would help them greatly, and thats okay with me, Trump added.

In late 2021, Zuckerberg announced the formation of Meta, which oversees Facebook, Instagram, and other social media ventures, while also announcing the Metaverse. Analysts say that the Metaverse and rebranding havent panned out, while Meta recently announced it would terminate more than 11,000 jobs due to poorer-than-anticipated earnings and dim U.S. economic forecasts.

Reports indicated that Facebook was Trumps main vehicle for digital fundraising during his 2020 campaign. If he had full access to his accounts, he would again be able to solicit donations.

A spokesperson for Trump, Liz Harrington, told The Epoch Times on Wednesday night that its not clear whether Trump would re-join Twitter. New CEO Elon Musk conducted a poll on the platform and found that a majority of users voted to reinstate Trumps account, which had amassed more than 80 million followers.

Well have to see what happens, Harrington said, while touting the Trump-owned Truth Social. Im not here to make any announcement as of yet.

Harrington added: We do know that Truth Social is doing incredibly well  theres no shadow banning, theres no censorship, theres really hardly any bots on the platform. Its a great platform for free speech. But we will see if [Trump is] going to return to Twitter and use it as an asset for the campaign.
Trump Spokeswoman Comments on Whether He Will Return to Twitter, Facebook

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the 2022 Zionist Organization of America Superstar Gala after receiving the ZOA Theodor Herzl Medallion at Pier Sixty in New York City on Nov. 13, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Is former President Donald Trump planning to rejoin the land of tweets?

Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington did not deny the move nor explicitly confirm the move in an exclusive interview with the Newsmakers Epoch TimesNTD collaborative program late Wednesday, following reports that leading up to the U.S. presidential race 2024, Trump might be seeking to return to Twitter and Facebook.

Well have to see what happens, she said. Im not here to make any announcement as of yet.

But she did hint at it, in emphasizing the importance of First Amendment rights and, by extension, the ability for a person to have a presence on multiple social media platforms.

We do know that Truth Social is doing incredibly well, Harrington said, referring to Trumps own social media platform, which was launched in February 2022.

Theres no shadow banning, theres no censorship, theres really hardly any bots on the platform. Its a great platform for free speech. But we will see if [Trump is] going to return to Twitter and use it as an asset for the campaign, she said.

The suspended Twitter account of Donald Trump appears on a laptop screen on Jan. 08, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

I think the more platforms, the better, the more open and free they are, and it is important to reach masses of audiences. Nobody has done it better than President Trump than the way hes skillfully used not just Twitter but now launching Truth Social, which has been really such a success and important platform to have more voices involved, so that will continue.

Trump, in November 2022, suggested he had no interest in rejoining Twitter even after he was reinstated due to orders from Elon Musk. Trump had been off the platform since Jan. 8, 2021, when Twitter suspended him.

Trump Says Team is Talking to Meta

Trump, who announced his presidential bid in November 2022, told Fox News Digital late Wednesday that his team is talking to Meta in a push to reinstate him on the platform.

Trump has been off Facebook since the platform suspended him on Jan. 7, 2021, a day after the breach of the U.S. Capitol which temporarily interrupted a joint session of Congress that convened to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Facebook had banned Trump indefinitely at first, but it later said it would reassess the ban in January 2023.

I think we want a lot of options on the table and also to put everyone on notice that, again, this is in violation of fundamental constitutional rights, Harrington told Newsmakers in response to a query about Trumps efforts to rejoin Facebook.

Youre talking about removing the sitting President of the United States, silencing him and millions of his followers, thats what Facebook did, thats what Twitter did  And I think its important that we brought in this conversation because Twitter gets a lot of the attention because Elon Musk bought it and there has been the Twitter Files, and thats been a great thing, Harrington said.

However, whats been missing from the conversation is what Facebook has done[its a] large [platform] has a lot more users than Twitter does. [It] has more powers, especially with Instagram, she said.

Youtube, owned by Googlethey do the same illegal censorship that these other tech companies have been engaging in with the government. So its very important that we free these up, and I think its one tactic for us to be engaging and making sure that these are free platforms if we want to have a free country.

Musk, who purchased Twitter in October 2022, speculated late Wednesday that the Biden administration may try to weaponize Federal agencies against Twitter if Trump is actually preparing to return to the platform.

Harrington told Newsmakers that Musks actions to expose government influence on Twitter have shown that Americans First Amendment has been under attack.

Thats something thats so unacceptable. I think the more speech, the better, she said.

President Trump has already laid out his plan to curb the censorship regimewhich is exactly what it isand hes going to be continuing to make steps to end that as well, she said.

We cant have First Amendment if half the country is not able to speak freely, Harrington said.

Its even more so than that, its not even a right or left issue. Its an issue with all types of censorship on all type of viewpoints that are deemed inappropriate by the censorship regime. That is very unhealthy for the Constitutional Republic. It violates our constitutional rights.
An Idaho snowboarder was injured in an avalanche on Monday after being swept about 600 feet downhill into Death Canyon, striking several trees along the way, according to the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center.

The rider was found by rescuers against a tree on the west side of Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park. The avalanche was 300-feet wide and ran 2,400 feet downhill.

The center received an emergency call at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, alerting the parks search and rescue staff which responded with Teton County Search and Rescue and a helicopter.

The injured snowboarder was able to walk a short distance to the helicopter. The patient and two uninjured members of his party were flown to a landing zone near the Teton Park Road where they met a waiting ambulance. The helicopter then returned for the remaining two rescuers and the fourth member of the party, still on Albright Peak. After further assessment in the ambulance, the patient refused additional medical care and self-transported to St. Johns Hospital.

The avalanche hazard rating for the Teton forecast zone at the time of the avalanche was moderate, yet skiers and riders should always exercise caution when entering high consequence avalanche terrain.

Anyone planning to recreate in the backcountry should visit the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center at jhavalanche.org to obtain an avalanche forecast. Anyone recreating in avalanche terrain should utilize safe travel practices whether on skis, a snowboard, or a snowmobile.
Twitter Files Prove America Headed for Totalitarian State Territory, Expert Warns

Thanks to the revelations in the Twitter Files, theres evidence that the FBI and other agencies worked to suppress lawful speech, and if this type of action is allowed to continue, the United States is headed for totalitarian state territory, Matthew Peterson, the cofounder of New Founding, said in an interview with Epoch TimesNTD collaborative program Newsmakers.

New Founding helps people and organizations position themselves to avoid threats from Big Tech and woke capital, and Peterson has two decades of experience in digital media and political consulting.

When asked what will happen if the countrys current trajectory continues for three to five years, Peterson said, Well be in totalitarian state territory, theres no question about it.

Facebook, Google, and Twitter logos in a file photo. (Reuters)

I mean, remember, this went so far as the government saying, You need to find evidence that there are Russians influencing the election on Twitter. And Twitter saying, No, thats not happening.

And then [Twitter had] to be quiet about it and not even defend themselves when they knew that there wasnt Russian interference that they could find, he added.

Peterson further explained that the U.S. government drove a narrative that it knew wasnt true and was the antithesis of Americas founding principles.

[The governments actions are] the antithesis of America. The American founding is basically contradicted by whats happening here, over and over again. And if we dont do something about that, we will not have free speech in this country, Peterson warned.

FBI and Fake News

Peterson pointed out that one of the biggest revelations in the Twitter Filesa collection of internal emails and communications made public by the companys CEO, Elon Muskwas that the intelligence communitys influence on Twitter was more significant than anyone imagined.

What you first have to realize is that a lot of people from the intelligence community were already embedded in Twitter. So much so that they had their own Slack channel chat for people who are from the FBI, Peterson said.

And so, what you see with the censorship is not just a selective, we dont like this guy, we dont like this guy. Its promoting large-scale narratives, both pro and con repeatedly, again and again and again and again.

And, Peterson said, the U.S. government didnt limit itself to shadow-banning and censorship.

In reply to the question about the Twitter Files revelation, the Department of Defense used a back channel with Twitter to create fake accounts to push a specific narrative in the Arab world. Peterson stated such actions show a direct line between the government and social media.

So, what we see is, again, direct channels from the U.S. governmentboth really creating fake news and deleting anything they dont like. And people have to realize  what you see is a direct line again, Peterson said.

Additionally, Peterson said before the Twitter Files, the U.S. government and Twitter were essentially gaslighting Americans.

Billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk arrives at the San Francisco headquarters of Twitter on Oct. 26, stating, let that sink in as he completes his $44 billion acquisition of the social media company. (Twitter account of Elon Musk/AFP via Getty Images)

We should make clear that everyone claimed that this wasnt happening, right? So, the whole world was being gaslit by Twitter and friends saying, Oh, no. Were not shadow-banning anyone. You know this is all crazy, right-wing talk.

And what the Twitter Files have done is give conclusive, definitive proof of what was actually going on. And what was going on was shocking.

I think it was worse than a lot of regular peopleand even expertsthought it was. I mean, Big Pharma having a direct line to censor people when it came to their thoughts and opinions about what was going on with the vaccine and COVID? Of course, famously, [theres] the Hunter Biden laptop controversy in which news organizations were just outright censored, in violation of Twitters own rules.

And what we see is a direct line between the government and other powerful organizations, and a media outfit, over and over again, censoring people, essentially, at the whim of the powerful.

Peterson said such government and complicit media actions arent on the decline. Instead, he said, its increasing every day.

He said action is necessary to combat that and return America to its guiding principles of free speech and limited government. What we need to see is increasing resistance with law, and other powerful forces, fighting against this. And that starts with exposing what Elon Musk has already exposed but is now being hidden from the American public in these Twitter files.

The Twitter Files

Since taking over Twitter, Musk has consistently vocalized the need for transparency regarding what happened behind the scenes at the tech company. To that end, he, via a chosen few journalists, has released secret emails and discussions about shadow-banning or removing accounts that didnt toe the party line.

In response to the allegations of collusion between the FBI and Twitter, the FBI said in a statement to Fox News, The correspondence between the FBI and Twitter show nothing more than examples of our traditional, longstanding and ongoing federal government and private sector engagements, which involve numerous companies over multiple sectors and industries.

A seal reading Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, on Aug. 9, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

As evidenced in the correspondence, the FBI provides critical information to the private sector in an effort to allow them to protect themselves and their customers.

The FBI National Press Office responded similarly to The Epoch Times request for comment: The FBI regularly engages with private sector entities to provide information specific to identified foreign malign influence actors subversive, undeclared, covert, or criminal activities.

It is not based on the content of any particular message or narrative. Private sector entities independently make decisions about what, if any, action they take on their platforms and for their customers after the FBI has notified them.
Two Retired Metropolitan Police Officers Charged Over Child Sex Abuse Images

Undated photo showing the New Scotland Yard sign outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters in London. (Kirsty OConnor/PA Media)

Two retired officers with the Metropolitan Police have been charged with offences in relation to child sex abuse images following the death of a serving chief inspector who was found dead last week.

Jack Addis, 63, and Jeremy Laxton, 62, will appear at Westminster magistrates court next month. Both are understood to have left the Met a decade ago.

The Met has confirmed a lengthy and complex investigation had targeted Richard Watkinson, 49, who was found dead at his home in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, on the same day he was due to be charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, voyeurism, and two counts of misconduct in public office.

Watkinson was the West Area Command Units chief inspector in charge of neighbourhood policing in west London.

The Crown Prosecution Service had authorised charges against Watkinson, who had been suspended from duty since July 2021.

Earlier this week The Sun reported that when detectives searched his home in July 2021 they found a secret room, behind a trap door, which contained a computer on which were numerous images of child sex abuse.

The Met says Addis, who was first arrested in November 2021, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children.

Laxton, who was arrested in September 2021, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute or show indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent photos of a child, possession of prohibited images of a child, possession of extreme pornographic images and intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence (misconduct in public office).

The alleged offences occurred between January 2018 and September 2021.

Serious Charges and Concerning Charges

Commander Jon Savell, said: Chief Inspector Watkinson was facing extremely serious and concerning charges, as the result of a painstaking and thorough police investigation. Before this matter came to light, we had no previous information about these allegations or to indicate the officer posed any risk to the public.

He had not faced any other criminal or conduct matters during his Met career. He had been suspended from duty since his arrest, he added.

Savell said: Two other men were also arrested during the course of the investigation and have been charged, their matters will now progress through the courts.

Watkinsons death and the charging of two retired officers come only days after David Carrick, a serving Metropolitan Police officer, admitted the last of 49 charges, including 24 rapes, against 12 women over the space of 20 years.

Carrick had served as an armed officer in the same Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command as Wayne Couzens, who was given a whole life sentence in 2021 for the abduction, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard.

On Monday, after reporting restrictions in Carricks case were lifted, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs it was a dark day for British policing and the Metropolitan Police.

Double Down on Rooting Out Corruption

She said: It is vital that the Metropolitan Police and other forces double down on their efforts to root out corrupt officers. This may mean more shocking cases come to light in the short-term.

Carrick will be sentenced next month and is likely to face a life sentence.

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, was appointed in September to clean up the force after the Wayne Couzens affair and a string of other scandals involving police corruption.

Rowley said this week he planned to write to Braverman and Khan at the end of March in an open public letter, and said that by then he hoped the Met would have finished reviewing all of our people, having checked their details against all the police, national intelligence data in the police national database.

Last month Rowley told the home affairs committee he was trying to rid the force of a toxic minority whose behaviour was either corrupt, racist, or misogynist.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton asked him how he planned to get rid of the bad apples.

Rowley replied: I dont like the phrase bad apples. It suggests there are just a few people over there somewhere. We have allowed a few bad apples to become pockets  Corrupt behaviour  is not pervasive but its widespread.

At that point, Rowley would have been aware of both the Carrick and Watkinson cases, which were not in the public domain.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UK Government Announces Winners of 2 Billion Levelling up Fund

More than 100 projects across the UK will be awarded a total of 2.1 billion from the Levelling Up Fund, the government said on Wednesday.

The winners of the second round of funding, from 111 areas across the UKs four nations, include the Eden Project North visitor attraction in Morecambe, a new artificial intelligence campus in Blackpool, a new rail link in Cornwall, and a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead that will create jobs and grow the economy, the government said.

Around a third of the funding672 millionwill be used to develop transport links, 821 million will be allocated to community regeneration projects, and 592 million will be used to restore local heritage sites.

Around 1.6 billion will go to 80 local councils in England while 158 million will go to 10 Scottish councils, 208 million will go to 11 Welsh councils, and 71 million will go to 10 councils in Northern Ireland.

Having previously vowed to match the funding awarded in the first round of the Levelling Up Fund, which was 1.7 billion to 105 projects, the government said it decided to increase the funding after receiving a high number of transformative bids.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in peoples lives and the places they call home.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt called the investment a major down payment on local jobs, growth, and regeneration that are part of the governments mission to level up opportunity across the country.

But Conservative MPs whose constituencies lost out in the bid were disappointed, while Labour labelled the bidding process a Hunger Games-style contest.

Siobhan Baillie, Conservative MP for Stroud, said Stroud District Council worked really hard on its bid and she wanted to ensure that people from the council could have meetings to improve our application.

Robbie Moore, Conservative MP for Keighley, said its incredibly disappointing that Keighley had lost the bid.

After discussions with the department, I understand that Bradford councils application for the funds was not detailed enough to meet the standard for a successful bid, he said, asking for civil servants to write to the council urgently to explain how it could significantly enhance the quality of their bids.

The military town of Catterick Garrison in the prime ministers wealthy North Yorkshire seat is receiving 19 million to regenerate the high street. Almost 362 million will be spent in London and the southeast, while 354 million will go to the northwest, prompting accusations that Conservative areas are being favoured.

Shadow communities minister Alex Norris questioned the criteria of the awards, while Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, said the fund is in chaos, beset by delays and allegations of favouritism.

It takes an extraordinary arrogance to expect us to be grateful for a partial refund on the money they have stripped out of our communities, which has decimated vital local services like childcare, buses, and social care, she said.

It is time to end this Hunger Games-style contest where communities are pitted against one another and Whitehall ministers pick winners and losers.

Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said the allegations are simply untrue.

I think more of the money is going to Labour-led local authorities than to Conservative-led local authorities and thats because the moneys been allocated according to a set of objective criteria and on the basis of deliverability, he told Times Radio.

Asked about the southeast receiving larger sums of cash, Gove said, Its simply untrue that the levelling up fund is concentrated disproportionately on London and the southeast.

He said London and the southeast together constitute a quarter of the countrys population, but that per capita the biggest winners are those in the northwest.

If you look at it in terms of the amount of money allocated per person, then it is the case that its the northwest, the northeast, Wales, which do best of all, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

The prime minister defended the regeneration of the Catterick Garrison high street in his constituency, saying the funding would deliver the amenities needed by troops living there.

Im really grateful to all our armed forces personnel for the incredible job that they do and Im delighted that this investment will support them, he said.

Sunak also said that if you look at the overall funding in the levelling-up funds that weve done, about two-thirds of all that funding has gone to the most deprived part of our country.

PA Media contributed to this report.
US Coast Guard Monitoring Alleged Russian Spy Ship Off Hawaii

The US Coast Guard said Wednesday it has been tracking a suspected Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii. (US Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday its monitoring and tracking a suspected Russian intelligence vessel off the coast of Hawaii amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine.

In recent weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard has continued to monitor a Russian vessel, believed to be an intelligence gathering ship, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, the USCG said in a news release.

It noted that foreign military ships can move freely through the U.S. economic zone under international law but said that foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering within Coast Guard District Fourteens area of response. The Coast Guard added that it is monitoring the situation.

The Coast Guard on Wednesday posted a video of the alleged Russian military vessels movements near Hawaii. In the clip, it showed crew members manning a ship that appeared to be refueling.

The Coast Guard continues to coordinate with Department of Defense partners, providing updates to foreign vessel movements and activities and to appropriately meet presence with presence to encourage international maritime norms, the service said.

In recent weeks, the @USCG has continued to monitor a Russian vessel, believed to be an intelligence gathering ship, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. Full story: https://t.co/yEy7JbYMQL pic.twitter.com/fEdiQPRMpS  USCG Hawaii Pacific (@USCGHawaiiPac) January 19, 2023

The Coast Guard, which also falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security, describes itself as the lead federal agency for at-sea enforcement of fisheries laws.

The U.S. Coast Guard is currently monitoring the Russian vessel operating in the vicinity of Hawaii, said Cmdr. Dave Milne with the Coast Guard in the news release. As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities. The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific.

Some speculated that the ship identified in the Coast Guard video is the Russian intelligence vessel SSV-535 Kareliya, a Vishnya-class intelligence ship that was built for the Soviet navy in the 1980s. The Russian Navy currently operates seven such ships, which are used for intelligence-gathering, according to DefenceBlog.

Other Incidents

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed last May that it was monitoring a Russian vessel near Hawaiis coast. At the time, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel told KHON-TV that the Soviet Union used to send ships to Hawaii during the Cold War.

The tactics, techniques, and procedures that we saw the Soviets doing back in the Cold War seem to be resurfacing again under the Russian banner, retired Lt. Colonel Hal Kempfer told the local outlet. This looks like one of those issues that I would point to Russian intelligence ships potentially off the shore of Hawaii.

Russias presence off the coast of North America isnt unusual as several vessels have been seen off the coast of the United States in recent years. A Russian naval vessel was spotted near Alaska in September of last year, while a month earlier, U.S. military officials detected Russian surveillance planes flying in Alaskas air-defense zone.

In 2019, a Russian spy ship was seen operating off the coast of the southeastern U.S. in what officials said was an unsafe manner. The Viktor Leonov vessel was operating near Georgia and South Carolina, prompting reports to the U.S. Coast Guard at the time, according to a notice.

President Joe Biden in April banned Russian-flagged ships from entering any U.S. port following Russias invasion of Ukraine months before. An executive order authorized the Department of Homeland Security to issue mandates to regulate the anchorage and movement of Russian-affiliated vessels, and delegate to the secretary my authority to approve such rules and regulations.

That means no ship, no ship that sails under the Russian flag or that is owned or operated by a Russian entity, will be allowed to dock in a United States port or access our shores. None, Biden said last year. About a month before the ban, Biden also issued an order barring Russian oil imports.

Also in recent years, the U.S. and its allies have scrambled fighter jets as Russian planes have flown near their respective airspaces. South Koreas military scrambled fighter jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes entered the countrys air defense identification zone in November.
US Enabling North Korea, So South Korea Wants Nuclear Weapons

Commentary

South Koreas president has just told the world that he no longer has confidence in the United States.

Its possible that the problem gets worse and our country will introduce tactical nuclear weapons or build them on our own, President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Jan. 11 at a joint briefing by his countrys defense and foreign ministries. If thats the case, we can have our own nuclear weapons pretty quickly, given our scientific and technological capabilities.

America has a treaty obligation to defend the Republic of Korea, as South Korea is formally known, and Washington has extended its nuclear umbrella to protect it. In other words, the United States has pledged that it will, if necessary, launch its most destructive weapons at those attacking South Korea. For Yoon to announce that his government might have to arm itself with nukes, therefore, is to, in effect, announce that he does not trust Washington to honor its word.

Not trust America? That is something Americas friends may say in privateNATO allies all the time muttered that in private during the Cold War, for instancebut it is not something Americas friends officially say in public, which is what the pro-American Yoon just did.

And Yoon has reason to be distrustful. As David Maxwell of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Gatestone, Today, even a blind man can read the tea leaves and know that [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong-un will not denuclearize despite the fact that his policies have been an abject failure.

One of the most destitute states in the world has consistently gotten the better of the most powerful nation in history. American presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden have completely failed to stop the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) from building nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The failure to stop North Korea has consequences. The North Koreans, for instance, at any time they want, can turn South Korea into a radioactive slab. Furthermore, the Norths Hwasong-17 can reach any part of the United States, and the missile will be able to land a nuclear warhead soon, if it cannot do so already.

There are many reasons for this American failure, but the most important is that Washington had, for decades, placed more importance on integrating Chinas Communist Party into the international system than on disarming North Korea. President George W. Bush, for example, put Beijing at the center of the worlds efforts to defang Pyongyang by allowing it to run the ill-fated Six-Party Talks from 2003 to 2009. During that period, Chinese officials used their central role in the negotiations to protect their only formal military ally, North Korea. Even today, the United States is still hoping to work with Beijing to rein in the Kim regime, which the communist Party has no intention of doing. As a result of its efforts to enlist the Chinese, the Biden administration is imposing no costs on China for openly supporting Pyongyangs weaponization efforts.

Why would China support a nuclear North Korea? For just about the same reason it supported the Pakistani nuclear weapons program and today supports the Iranian one. Beijing uses nuclear-armed proxies to keep America and its friends off-balance. The proxies are also good bargaining chips: Just about every time Pyongyang does something provocative, Washington seeks Chinas help.

We do not have to wonder if Beijing, in fact, supports North Koreas weapons programs. China, for decades, has allowed the North to use Chinese banks to handle proceeds from criminal activities and activities in violation of U.N. sanctions.

The Trump administration in June 2017 finally lost patience and, pursuant to Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, designated Chinas Bank of Dandong to be of primary money laundering concern. The designation meant that the bank could no longer clear dollar transactions through New York.

Yet Trump in 2018 decided not to enforce money-laundering laws against two of the Big Four Chinese banks, Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank, which were handling suspicious transactions for North Korea. Another of the Big Four, Bank of China, has been caught red-handed hiding DPRK cash.

Such designations would put these state banks out of business everywhere outside China.

If these banks were to fail, so would Chinas state-dominated banking system. The failure of the banking system would undoubtedly mean the end of the Chinese economy and financial system. The end of the communist Partys political system could not be far behind.

Whatever the effects of designations, the United States needs to enforce its laws. America did not allow Pablo Escobar to run criminal cash through New York, so why does America allow China to do that for North Korea?

Today, Pyongyang is still using Chinese banks.

Recent U.S. government advisories confirm that China is still the main enabler of North Koreas money laundering, Joshua Stanton, who has assisted Congress in drafting North Korea sanctions, told Gatestone this month. The Biden administration has yet to impose a significant penalty on a major Chinese bank or corporation for violating North Korea sanctions.

This failure is a choice, said Stanton, who also writes on North Korea sanctions issues at One Free Korea, to Gatestone last year. The money Kim Jong-un obtains by fraud, computer hacking, and ransomware and which he uses to build bombs to threaten us is being laundered through our banks. Were giving Xi Jinping and Kim de facto immunity to keep right on doing it.

No wonder South Koreas Yoon is not particularly impressed with America.

Yoon tried to walk back his words on the day after his stunning remarks.

The most important part of his comments yesterday was that, as a realistic measure at the moment, its important to effectively strengthen extended deterrence within the security alliance between South Korea and the United States, said an unnamed official from Yoons office to reporters. However, when it comes to security, the worst-case scenario must always be taken into consideration, and from that perspective, he was making his commitment and determination ever clearer to protect the people as commander-in-chief against the escalating threat of North Koreas nuclear weapons.

South Korea is a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. If Seoul were to develop nuclear weapons, it would have to withdraw.

Perhaps South Korea should withdraw. China, also a signatory, has been freely proliferating nuclear weapons technology to dangerous states, such as Pakistan and Iran, in addition to North Korea, and the United States has done little, sometimes nothing. At the same time, Washington repeatedly stopped South Korea and Taiwan from building nukes.

Yoon did the world a favor by exposing the folly of Americas nonproliferation policy. Washington needs to stop being afraid of Beijing and start defending allies such as South Koreaand itself.

Originally published by Gatestone Institute.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The United States is the most permissive country for legal and medical gender transition of children, according to a new study.

The report, released on Jan. 16 by Do No Harm, a group that seeks to insulate the health care profession from radical, diverse, and discriminatory ideology, compared the United States with 11 Northern and Western European countries on metrics including legal requirements to change gender, provisions for medical transition, the minimum age for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and the number of youth gender clinics.

In a sharp departure from the gender affirmation model employed in the United States, these countries now discourage automatic deference to a childs self-declarations on the grounds that the risks outweigh the benefits, while also calling for months-long psychotherapy sessions to address co-occurring mental health problems, the report reads. Notably, in the United Kingdom, the Cass Review attributed the lack of safeguards for children at the largest pediatric gender center to the affirmative model, which originated in the USA.

In July 2022, the UKs National Health Service (NHS) announced that it would close its only gender identity clinic for children, the Tavistock Clinic, in 2023. The NHS made the decision based on an official reportthe Cass Review (pdf), conducted by top British pediatrician and former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, Dr. Hilary Cassthat cited safety issues and concerns over long-term effects.

As a result, the NHS stated that it would move young people who believe they have gender dysphoria into regional centers, which would take a more holistic approach with mental health support.

In November 2022, the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) said the Cass Review had serious flaws.

Health authorities in Sweden updated their guidelines for young people with gender dysphoria by advising against puberty blockers, surgery, and sex-change hormones before adulthood, a departure from WPATHs recommendation to provide affirmation and medical intervention as the first line of treatment.

In Finland, adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria were allowed to access puberty blockers and hormones until 2020, when the countrys national health care council changed how it dealt with the matter through a new guideline that recommended identity exploration and mental health treatment.

Inflection Point in the United States

Andrew Brown, associate vice president of policy at the non-profit Texas Public Policy Foundation, published a report (pdf) in June 2022 similar to the new study. He described the situation with a hiking analogy.

The U.S. were hikers, and then we were seeing England, Finland, Sweden, all these other countries running away, saying, No, we went down further; thats not a good path to go down, he told The Epoch Times.

And so were at an inflection point in the United States to determine: Are we going to go down this path that other countries are telling us not to go down, or are we going to heed their advice and stop providing these experimental treatments to kids?

Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, said she has been warning parents about transgender ideology since 2016. Cretella worked for 15 years as a pediatrician specializing in behavioral health.

Many European countries have only a single gender clinic for children as opposed to the United States, which has at least 80 pediatric gender clinics and allows independent physicians and nurse practitioners to dispense puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, she told The Epoch Times, explaining why European countries are taking precautions on medical procedures for gender transition. It is much easier to investigate and obtain data on benefits or harm from a single centralized clinic.

The myth that sex and gender are both social constructs has become ubiquitous across American public institutions, including within our academic, medical, and mental health industries, to the point that this ideological myth trumps objective evidence of potential and actual irreversible harm to children.

I believe that the vast majority of lay and professional Americans know sex is innate and immutable from conception to death, but remain silent for fear of being canceled or worse.

Brown said his organization is working with state representatives to pass new legislation to provide common sense protections for kids so that theyre not subjected to medical experimentation in the state of Texas.

The American people need to understand how radical the United States has become regarding gender ideology, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, board chair of Do No Harm, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. Our study documents the concerns expressed by many European nations about caring for children with gender dysphoria. We show how the concept of gender-affirming care in the United States is harming many children.

WPATH officials didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
US Navy Sacks Two Commanders Over Loss of Confidence

U.S. and French guided-missile destroyers are seen in a file photo. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Navy this week relieved two commanders of their duty on Wednesday, citing a loss of confidence in their respective capacities to command.

Capt. Michael D. Nordeen, the commander of the amphibious transport Mesa Verde, and Cmdr. Alexa Jenkins, commanding officer of the USS Carney, were relieved, according to the Navy.

Nordeen took command of the vessel in August 2022 but was fired on Wednesday due to loss of confidence in his ability to command, the Navy said.

Capt. Gregory Baker will be assigned as the commander of the Mesa Verde until a permanent replacement is named, the Navy added.

Jenkins will be temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Squadron 14, the Navy said in a statement. There is no impact to the commands mission or schedule due to the relief.

The service added that Capt. Aaron Anderson, the deputy commodore of Naval Surface Squadron 14, will serve as the commanding officer until a permanent replacement is named.

A fire broke out in December on the Carney, a guided-missile destroyer, while the ship was at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, according to reports. The ships crew put out the fire, but six sailors were hospitalized.

On Dec. 22, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) confirmed it was helping an investigation into the fire on the USS Carney, an official told Military.com. Lt. Cmdr. Jason Fischer confirmed that ATF agents entered the ship to investigate.

The Navy is leveraging all available tools during this investigation, to include support from partner agencies, Fischer told the outlet.

Other Recent Incidents

Last year, the Navy said that it had fired five officers in the span of a few days, while in November, the service said it relieved Cmdr. Cassidi Reese, commanding officer of the VX-31, also due to a loss of confidence.

The loss of confidence is a result of actions leading to a Nov. 4, 2022 arrest and citation for driving while intoxicated at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, the Navy said at the time.

Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct, the Navy added in its statement last year. They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards.

Vaccine Mandate Dropped

Earlier this month, the Navy, along with other branches of the military, officially dropped separating sailors who didnt receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Jan. 11 message issued by Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman. The vaccine mandate was implemented in August 2021 after an order was handed down by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The message tells commanders to immediately discontinue administrative separation processing of Navy Service Members solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, including those with approved separation letters, Cheeseman said. The bulleting also stated that all commands will immediately suspend new punishments for refusing the vaccine.
US Reaches Debt Ceiling, Forcing Treasury Into Extraordinary Measures

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during her visit at the Microsoft India Development Center in Noida, India, on Nov. 11, 2022. (Money Sharma /AFP via Getty Images)

The United States has officially reached its statutory debt limit (pdf) of $31.381 trillion on Jan. 19 as was predicted by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter to Congress (pdf) on Jan. 13. The Treasury Department will now have to implement extraordinary measures to prevent default on the national debt.

In her letter, Yellen explained that the debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments.

Presidents and Treasury Secretaries of both parties have made clear that the government must not default on any obligation of the United States, Yellen wrote.

The Treasury Department may use accounting and budgetary measures known as extraordinary measures to avoid defaulting on the national debt until Congress takes action to raise the debt limit and allow the government to borrow again. The duration of these measures depends on the governments spending levels and is not permanent. The Treasury Department will only be using two of the four available extraordinary measures during the initial phase of the debt limit standoff.

Two Extraordinary Measures

The Treasury anticipates implementing these two extraordinary measures this month, January 2023. Firstly, to redeem existing, and suspend new, investments of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF), and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (Postal Fund). Secondly, reinvestments of the Government Securities Investment Fund (G Fund) of the Federal Employees Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan, will be suspended.

Congress has provided the Treasury authority to use these measures that, according to Yellen, will reduce the amount of outstanding debt subject to the limit and temporarily provide additional capacity for Treasury to continue financing the operations of the federal government. She explained that after the debt limit impasse has ended, the CSRDF, Postal Fund, and G Fund will be made whole.

Extraordinary measures have been used when necessary by treasury secretaries over the recent decades. Yellen warned that the use of extraordinary measures only enables the government to meet its obligations for a limited time.

It is therefore critical that Congress act in a timely manner to increase or suspend the debt limit. Failure to meet the governments obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability. Indeed, in the past, even threats that the U.S. government might fail to meet its obligations have caused real harms, including the only credit rating downgrade in the history of our nation in 2011, she wrote.

Standoff

The Biden administration has been firm in expressing that the debt ceiling should be raised without any additional conditions or stipulations attached.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has urged Democrats to participate in discussions with Republicans on a financial plan that includes an increase in the debt limit. However, the White House restated its refusal to engage in such talks and emphasized the potential for a market-disrupting battle over the debt limit later in the year.

I would like to sit down with all the leaders and especially the president and start having discussions. Who wants to push the nation through some type of threat at the last minute with the debt ceiling? Nobody wants to do that, McCarthy said on Tuesday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, claimed that the presidents economic plan was indeed working, despite the debt limit being reached, at a press briefing on Jan. 18.

He will not allow Republicans to take the economy hostage or make  working Americans pay the price for their schemes to benefit the wealthiest Americans and also special interests.
US to Begin Delivery of Black Hawk Helicopters to Australia This Year

A pair of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters take part in the Han Kuang drill at the Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) air force base in Taichung, central Taiwan, on June 7, 2018. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia has confirmed it will acquire 40 U.S.-made Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian army, which will begin arriving this year to replace its current French-made Taipan helicopter fleet.

The request, made by the former Morrison government, was approved by the U.S. State Department in August 2022 for an estimated $2.82 billion (US$1.95 billion).

Maj. Gen. Jeremy King, head of land capability, said it was an important acquisition to meet the strategic needs of the army.

The Black Hawk capability will be a crucial element for us to protect Australias sovereignty and deliver foreign policy objectives, including providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, King said in a media release on Jan. 18.

The Black Hawk will support the deployment of our troops and their equipment where they are needed in times of crisis. The Black Hawk is a reliable, proven and mature platform supported by a robust global supply chain.

This acquisition will mean we can continue to defend Australia and respond in times of need in a safe and effective way for years to come.

Australia will phase out its MRH-90 Taipan helicopters following numerous safety and maintenance concerns.

Over the course of the last decade, weve struggled in terms of getting the hours out of the Taipans that we would want, both with maintenance and having spare parts available, Defence Minister Richard Marles told ABC news.

For example, in June 2021, the entire fleet of 47 helicopters was grounded for safety following maintenance issues with the IT support system.

The Taipans began service in 2007 and were originally meant to retire in 2037. With the delivery of Black Hawks, the Taipans will cease operations at the end of 2024.

Weve just not got the flying hours out of the Taipan that we would need, Marles said. Were confident that we can get that from the Black Hawks.

The Black Hawks will operate from Oakey in the state of Queensland and Holsworthy in New South Wales.

France previously urged Australia to keep its fleet of Taipans during a review into their program and capability under the Albanese government.

Bilateral relations began to strain after the former Morrison government cancelled its $90 billion (US$60 billion) diesel-powered submarine program with a French defence contractor in favour of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

Soon after, the government announced it would retire its French helicopter fleet in favour of U.S.-made Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters.

Peter Dutton, the defence minister under the Morrison government, said the Black Hawk was the most widely used helicopter model in the world and was heavily used by the U.S. Army.

For the interoperability with the U.S. and Australia, which is increasingly important for us given the instability in our region, the Black Hawk made perfect sense, he said.

Australia Increasing Defence Budget

Australia has been ramping up its defence spending in response to the rising threat of the Chinese Communist Party.

The federal government finalised a deal to acquire 20 U.S.-made missile systems on Jan. 5 after the Ukrainian defence force demonstrated its effectiveness against Russian troops.

The government also signed another contract to buy Norwegian-made naval missiles by 2024.

The cost of the package hasnt been officially revealed, but its expected to cost taxpayers $1 billion (US$680 million) to $2 billion.

The rockets have a range of 300 kilometres (186 miles), which is expected to increase to more than 500 kilometres as technology advances.

Cabinet minister Murray Watt said the increased range of the HIMARS rocket launchers would significantly boost Australias capabilities. The Australian armys current missile range is about 40 to 50 kilometres.

One of the really key benefits of this is not just the mobility of these vehicles and these forces, but the range that those missiles can be fired, Watt told Sky News Australia.

We want to ensure that our defence forces have the best equipment to keep Australian people safe.

The former Morrison government also commenced the most significant expansion of military personnel in 40 years, a move that will see the active force increase by 30 percent by 2040around 60,000 to 80,000.

Nina Nguyen contributed to this report.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on State Law Giving Patients the Right to Choose Their Own Medical Treatment

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday concerning a case that has brought into question the purview of a statute giving patients the right to choose their own medical treatment.

No health care may be given to you over your objection, and necessary health care may not be stopped or withheld if you object, the statute says under 155.30: Power of attorney for health care instrument; form.

The debate began after John Zingsheim, who had been admitted for COVID-19 to Aurora Medical Center in Wisconsin in September 2021, had requested to be treated with ivermectin. The hospital declined, saying that ivermectin fell below its standard of care.

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic that is used in both humans and animals.

When there were increasing reports that people were using it successfully to treat COVID-19 throughout 2021, legacy media outlets slammed people who advocated for its use.

In 2021, CNN chastised podcaster Joe Rogan after Rogan said he had treated the virus with ivermectin, among other treatments, under counsel from his doctor.

The media outlet accused him of taking the form of ivermectin used as a de-wormer for horses.

At the time, Rolling Stone sourced a local media outlet that cited Oklahoma physician Jason McElyea who claimed that people overdosing on farm-grade ivermectin were causing emergency rooms to fill up, leaving no room for gunshot victims.

Rolling Stone updated its article after a spokesperson at Northeastern Health System Sequoyahwhere McElyea said the overcrowding was taking placesaid McElyea hadnt worked at that location in over two months, and that the hospital hadnt treated any patients experiencing complications from ivermectin.

According to an Epoch Times records request, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials were enthusiastic about a public response to a Twitter post the government agency tweeted about ivermectin.

In an attempt at humor, the post stated, You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, yall. Stop it.

The August 2021 post is now the center of a court case.

Despite this, physicians and patients like Dr. Leland Stillman and Nancy Orr praised its results in previous stories.

I still prescribe it to patients because I dont see any downsides, and there are tremendous upsides, Stillman said. What kind of doctor doesnt prescribe a therapy that he knows is effective, with documented efficacy in the literature, and is safer than Tylenol?

Hospital Appeals Circuit Court Decision

Zingsheims power of attorney and nephew, Allen Gahl, filed for injunctive relief in circuit court, which was granted, allowing for a physician of Zingsheim and Gahls choosing to administer the ivermectin.

Aurora appealed the decision, leading to the appeals courts conclusion that the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion in granting Gahls requested relief.

The court failed to identify any viable claim upon which the temporary injunctive relief was granted, and as such, Gahl did not show a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, the appeals court concluded (pdf). While the lack of viable claim is dispositive in and of itself, the court also failed to explain how granting Gahls requested relief was necessary to avoid irreparable harmgiven that there was no legal authority to compel Aurora to provide treatment below the standard of care.

Standard of Care

Karen Mueller, an attorney with Amos Center for Justice & Liberty who represents Gahl and Zingsheim, told The Epoch Times that Zingsheim had appointed Gahl his power of attorney before he was intubated in the hospital.

The hospital had already determined that they were out of options and that there was nothing else to do but keep him on a ventilator, Mueller said. They had wanted to keep him on remdesivir, which the family had stopped because of the toxic side effects of it.

A study found in the New England Journal of Medicine in which a safety board found it to be the least effective and deadliest drug in the trial before it was suspended after 53 percent of the Ebola patients in the trial who took the drug died.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has said its the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19.

Throughout the United States, there are several lawsuits alleging that hospitals administered remdesivir without informed consent, leading to injury and death.

Just as the circuit court had agreed to permit an outside doctor to administer ivermectin, Aurora appealed the case, Mueller said.

Not only did they take the case, but they also stayed the order, which prevented Mr. Zingsheim from getting the drug that he needed, Muller said. The appellate court said that the statute was only informative and instructive, but that it did not have the rights that we believed it did.

Mueller appealed the appeals court decision made in May 2022, which brought them before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Mueller said the hospitals stance had been from the beginning that the courts have no authority to intervene in a situation where they contend that medical treatment falls below its standard of care.

The problem is, their standard of care is arbitrary and capricious, she said. Its these federally reimbursed COVID-19 protocols in which the hospital gets a 20 percent bonus over whatever the overall patient bill is.

A think tank in Tennessee charted the COVID-19 federal relief funds that it alleged drove the controversial treatment protocols, which usually begin with the use of remdesivir.

The TN Liberty Network (TLN), an independent organization started by AJ DePriest and comprised of 28 researchers who live in Tennessee, has released several papers examining how lucrative payoffs from the federal government may have influenced previously trusted medical institutions to exchange their Hippocratic oath for a darker agenda.

Over a million people are reported to have died from COVID in hospitals, DePriest told The Epoch Times. But they didnt die from COVID; they died from the hospital protocols.

In its most recent report: Follow the Money: Blood Money in U.S. Healthcare Financial Incentives: The Use of Covered Countermeasures, TLN examines how financial incentives have fueled hospital treatment protocols for COVID-19 that TLN said have done more harm than good.

The full report can be found here.

We started looking at money coming in from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act because thats where we had been involved in advocating for people whose loved ones or themselves were being kidnapped and isolated in hospitals, DePriest said. We wanted to know why this was happening because we were seeing too many commonalities in all of the stories we were hearing.

By mid-2022, numerous people had reported to The Epoch Times the deaths of family members in federally funded hospitals.

Based on her interviews, Mueller said the typical protocol is the use of remdesivir, keeping the patient isolated, having food and water withheld, and putting the patient on the ventilator until they pass.

The protocols are the same throughout the country, Mueller said.

The Rights Are Very Clear

For the people of Wisconsin, Mueller said, the protocols, according to the appeals court, have taken precedence over the health care power of attorney statute, which grants people the right to not only refuse treatment they dont agree with, but also grants them the right to have treatment such as ivermectin that has been withheld.

Regarding the necessity, that would have to do with the safety of it and the circumstances under which the patient is in, Mueller said. In this situation, Mr. Zingsheim was out of options, so it made perfect sense to try a drug with a better safety record than remedesivir that may have actually been able to help him.

Today, Zingsheim is out of the hospital after his 10-month stay and is well, Mueller said.

For Mueller, the case is no longer about just him but an ongoing issue in Wisconsin, she said, and throughout the country.

If there are other people that have these health care power of attorneys, then they need to look at what rights were given to them by the legislature, Muller said.

Because the legislature enacted the statute into law, Mueller said, its rights given to the citizens shouldnt be cast aside as informative and instructive.

What I told the court yesterday is that you dont have to decide which drug is appropriate for Mr. Zingsheim, she said. The issue is whether that statute carries the force of law. The legislature enacted it. The rights are very clear.

The Epoch Times contacted Aurora Health Cares attorney for comment.

In response, Aurora Health Care gave this statement:

As always, the health and safety of our patients is our top priority. In keeping with legal and ethical obligations, our physicians rely on evidence-based treatments. We strongly believe that courts should not be allowed to compel providers to administer care that is medically substandard, and we are pleased that the American Medical Association and the Wisconsin Medical Board have weighed in to support our position.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Highway drivers in North Dakota may soon be required to shift over a lane or slow down when they see any kind of vehicle sitting on the shoulder with its flashers on.

State law dictates that drivers on interstates and multilane highways must move over a lane or slow down for police cars, ambulances and other emergency vehicles, but lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand the so-called "slow down, move over" law to all disabled vehicles on the side of the road.

The Republican-led House of Representatives voted 88-5 to advance House Bill 1141. The proposal sponsored by Rep. Austen Schauer, R-West Fargo, will go to the Senate when the chambers swap passed legislation in March.

The legislation would impose a $20 fine but no points against driver's licenses if they are caught failing to move over or slow down for a disabled vehicle on a North Dakota highway, said bill carrier Rep. Scott Wagner, R-Fargo.

"The current law protects vehicles, not the driver or the passenger of the vehicle," Wagner said. "House Bill 1141 is simple. If you see flashing lights on a vehicle -- any vehicle -- sitting on the side of an interstate or multilane highway in North Dakota, move over a lane or slow down to a safe speed to provide a buffer of safety to the occupants of that vehicle.

The House Transportation Committee heard testimony earlier this month from Joshua Edwards, a Killdeer paramedic who was struck by a passing pickup truck in 2021 while trying to help an injured victim of a vehicle rollover. Edwards said he recovered from the injury and returned to work, but the psychological trauma inflicted by incident will stay with him for life.

"I believe that our current 'slow down, move over' law statute does not clearly state expectations and should include personal vehicles and penalties," Edwards said.

No one spoke in opposition to the bill.
Chinas Guangdong Spent $22 Billion on Zero-COVID in 3 Years

Inbound travelers waiting for hours to board buses to leave for quarantine hotels and facilities from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport in southern China's Guangdong province on Dec. 25 2022. (The Canadian Press/AP, Emily Wang Fujiyama)

Three years under the Chinese Communist Partys zero-COVID policy is a disaster to local finances.

Southern Chinas Guangdong Province directly spent $22 billion on the central governments COVID containment measures, such as mass testing and forced vaccination, over the last three years.

Guangdong, Chinas economic powerhouse, spent a total of 146.8 billion yuan ($21.65 billion) on epidemic prevention in the past three years, according to its 2022 budget report released on Jan. 12.

From 2020 to 2022, the epidemic prevention and control campaign costs were 30.278 billion ($4.47 billion), 45.376 billion ($6.69 billion), and 71.139 billion ($10.49 billion) respectively, increasing by about 50 percent year by year, Chinese media Caixin reported.

This total expenditure exceeded investment in Beijings national chip fundthe China National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the Big Fund.

Big Fund was established in 2014 with an initial investment of RMB 138.7 billion ($21 billion).

Huge Burden to Local Finance

Local governments in China convened their 2023 annual legislative sessions for budget planning and growth targets in the first two weeks of January, in preparation for the upcoming national political meeting, Two Sessions, in March.

Huge expenditure to support the zero-COVID policy will be a ubiquitous characteristic of local government balance sheets.

Beijings local authorities, for instance, spent nearly 30 billion yuan ($4.5 billion) in 2022a 140 percent increase over 2020s spending. The city did not disclose its 2021 spending in COVID containment.

Fujian Province spent 13.04 billion yuan ($2 billion) in 2022a 56 percent increase from 2021. These charges amounted to 30.5 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) for the province over the past three years.

Shanghai, which suffered a two-month lockdown in April and May last year, reported that its Songjiang District expenditure on zero-COVID exceeded that of public healthcare in 2022. The district, home to the factories of several global chip-making giants including TSMC and SMIC, spent 4.45 billion yuan ($664 million) on COVID-related measures.

Riot police in personal protection suits walk down a street, during protests over COVID-19 restrictions in Guangzhou, a city in Guangdong province, China, in this screen grab taken from a social media video released on Nov. 29, 2022. (Video Obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS)

CNN Business reported that Chinas broad fiscal deficit for the first 10 months of 2022, combining deficits for both the central and local governments, reached 6.66 trillion yuan ($944 billion), nearly tripling from a year ago, based on data from Chinas Ministry of Finance.

Economist Zhao Wei estimated that the broad fiscal deficit could surpass 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in 2022, the largest in history, according to CNN Business.

Failed Zero-COVID

State media Xinhua News in a Jan. 8 article touted the regimes adjustments in its now anti-COVID campaign, which unintentionally admitted the failure of the three-year zero-COVID policy. This presented an opportunity for the outside world to learn about the regimes policy shift.

The article mentioned the huge costs of zero-COVID.

New cases continued to emerge, the rapid transmission became more and more prominent  zero-COVID is highly difficult to sustain, and the social cost of epidemic prevention and control elevated, the Xinhua report said.

The London-based Spectator magazine speculated on the reason for Beijings abrupt easing of its cornerstone zero-COVID policy: For the first time ever, the Chinese government appears to have admitted the real reasonzero COVID was failing to control the Omicron variant, it stated.

Zhang Ting contributed to this report.
Ebonyi state Governor, Chief David Nweze Umahi has again recommended the use of concrete road technology in tackling challenges of roads in the South East Zone.

The Governor made the recommendation while commissioning a Housing Estate constructed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in partnership with the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association under the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme for Nigerian Workers at Ugwuachara in Abakaliki, Thursday.

Governor Umahi while commending the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mrs. Chioma Nweze for her diligent supervision of the project which ensured it's realization, lauded the Federal Mortgage Bank for delivering the project in the best of quality.

"Concrete road is the answer to our problems in the South East.

"This is a very decent job, I thank you very much, if we can do this then the confidence in Government would be restored.

"A shelter over our heads will give us comfort and give us sense of belonging."

The Group Managing Director, COPEN Group, the contractors who handled the project, Mr. Ugochukwu Chime commended Governor Umahi for his commitment to the project.

"I wish to particularly thank the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Dr. David Nweze Umahi for his avowed determination and unyielding commitment and drive towards this project.

"The aim of the collaboration is to ensure that each participating stakeholder contributes something towards ensuring affordability and availability of shelter for our people. Bravo to us all. This success story will embolden us to ideate, initiate and execute other worthy mutually beneficial engagements towards delivering the democracy dividends to our people.

"We will be stating the obvious when we say that Ebonyi State is blessed with the most transformational governor in Nigeria. The People's Governor, His Excellency Dr.Dave Nweze Umahi,has administered and transformed Ebonyi State with unusual devotion and unflinching commitment to better the lives of Ndi Ebonyi.

"I believe that Ebonyi State workers and people have not had it as good as they have it under the administration of Governor Umahi. Promoting the welfare of workers in this state has not prevented our governor from touching the lives of all the residents of Ebonyi by the huge value engineering efforts in relentlessly extending the state's infrastructure backbone."

Representative of Executive Director, Business Development and Portfolio Management, Mr Kingsley Chukwuma said the ninety housing units were achieved through effective partnership between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Federal Mortgage Bank.
BoT plans to launch virtual banks by 2025

BANGKOK: The Bank of Thailand estimates that the countrys first virtual banks will begin offering their services in 2025, as part of their plan to encourage competitiveness, expand loan access, and reduce costs for clients and businesses.

economics

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Thursday 19 January 2023, 10:14AM

Image: NBT

BoT assistant governor Tharith Panpiemras stated that the central bank will issue licenses in 2024 before services begin in 2025, reports state news agency NNT.

He stated that applications will be available later this quarter and that 10 entities have already expressed interest in applying for the permits.

In addition to not being authorised to open physical branches or operate their own ATMs, virtual banks will provide full-service banking to customers and will be subject to the same regulations and supervision as traditional commercial banks.

While there are currently no independent virtual banks in Thailand, financial institutions such as Kasikornbank, Bangkok Bank and others have already made investments and offer digital services such as online accounts and payments.

Mr Tharith said that these virtual banks will help strengthen the overall banking system by encouraging companies to improve their services and drive innovation in order to retain consumers. He added that virtual banks can also expand their services to new clients at lower costs, which would benefit all customers.
Direct flights from China resume in Phuket

PHUKET: The first direct flight from Mainland China to Phuket in three years landed on the island yesterday evening (Jan 18), bringing 181 tourists and marking the return of the largest source market by volume before the COVID-19 pandemic.

tourismeconomicsChinese

By The Phuket News

Thursday 19 January 2023, 09:00AM

Spring Airlines Flight 9C8667 direct from Shanghai landed at Phuket International Airport at 6:20pm, reported Phuket officials.

On hand to welcome those disembarking from the Airbus A320 at Gate 15 of the International Passenger Terminal were Phuket International Airport General Manager Monchai Tanode and Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office (TAT Phuket) Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, along with leading Immigration officers, International Communicable Disease Control officials as well as representatives from the Phuket Tourist Association and from Spring Airlines.

Following the arrival of the Sprng Airlines flight the Airbus 320 of Juneyao Air Flight HO1321 also direct from Shanghai landed at Phuket International Airport at 8:50pm.

Following the announcement that Chinese citizens would be allowed to travel outside China from Jan 8, many airlines from China expressed interest in flying to Phuket and have requested to add their flights to the flight schedule, Ms Nanthasiri said.

Yuthasak Supasorn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, predicts that there will be about 300,000 Chinese tourists [in the first quarter of 2023], with a market share of about 17% in Phuket, she said.

Ms Nanthasiri noted that in 2019 Chinese were the number one tourists travelling to Thailand, with 17,695,489 arrivals from China entering the country.

For Phuket, there were 3,118,901 Chinese tourists coming in, making it the largest target market, she said.

This will help the tourism sector of Thailand [as a whole] as well, because Chinese tourists enjoy boat tours and shopping for Thai products a lot, she added.

Phuket is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese people to travel to, and we are ready in terms of the number of rooms, variety of tourism products and services, department stores and spas, which all meet the needs of Chinese tourists, Ms Nanthasiri continued.

In addition, Chinese people have a desire to travel abroad due to travel restrictions during the COVID epidemic over the past two years [sic], she said.

During that time, the five TAT offices in China  in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming and Hong Kong  have continued their marketing efforts to make Thailand a Top of Mind destination for Chinese tourists, Ms Nanthasiri said.

This first group of tourists who have arrived have different travel behavior than before. They mostly arriving on self-managed travel, and is a group of middle- to upper-level income brackets, she said.
Cities with expired Renaissance Zone community revitalization areas would be able to reapply to the program under a bill passed Thursday by the North Dakota House of Representatives.

The bill would impact cities such as Bismarck, whose Renaissance Zone expired last year when the Burleigh County Commission denied support to reauthorize the program, which is for revitalizing communities with residential and commercial development through tax incentives.

House Bill 1266, brought by Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, passed the House on an 84-7 vote. It now goes to the Senate.

Dockter told the Tribune cities would have to follow the same requirements as when they originally applied, and would have to go through the same process of obtaining approval from local park, school, city and county boards.

"I think when (the Legislature) first originally put in the Renaissance Zone, they didn't know if it was going to be successful. It's been a very successful program, and (the Legislature) didn't even think ahead that what if someone does opt out and opt in?" Dockter said.

The 1999 Legislature created the Renaissance Zone Program; 62 communities have joined since, with 54 of them active. Bismarck's zone was established in 2001. It encompassed downtown Bismarck and a length along Main Avenue.

Since inception in Bismarck, the program led to 136 completed projects and six approved or under construction, and generated a total investment of $83.2 million, according to the former zone authority chairman.

A recent Renaissance Zone project is the Trestle apartment building and commercial space near McDonald's on Main Avenue.

Bismarck's Renaissance Zone in 2021 generated over $383,000 in net property taxes, distributed to the local park district, schools, city and county, according to a program study.

Burleigh County commissioners, in denying support last year, cited concerns such as rising property taxes and questioned the program's tax incentives, the accuracy of its impacts and costs, and projects perceived to have strayed from the program's intent.

Renaissance Zone projects receive up to five years of tax breaks, but do continue to pay property taxes on the land value during the exemption period. North Dakota's state Commerce Department manages the Renaissance Zone programs.

Renaissance Zone programs in Carrington, Kenmare, Rolla, Watford City and Westhope also have expired.

Gov. Doug Burgum has expressed support for legislation such as the bill, telling the Legislature earlier this month to refresh the Renaissance Zone program and allow for communities' reentry.
DSI chief transferred over alleged bribe taking by DSI officials

BANGKOK: Department of Special Investigation chief Traiyarit Temahiwong has been abruptly transferred over the alleged extortion of a bribe by DSI officials and police and subsequent release of 11 Chinese suspects found hiding in a Bangkok house formerly occupied by the consul-general for Nauru.

crimecorruptionChinese

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 19 January 2023, 10:52AM

A car carrying police and officials from the Department of Special Investigation enters the residence of a former consul-general of the Republic of Nauru in Sathon district, Bangkok, on Dec 22, where 11 illegal Chinese suspects were found hiding. Screenshot: Chuvit Kamolvisit / Facebook

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed the transfer order on Wednesday (Jan 18), reports the Bangkok Post.

Effective immediately, Mr Traiyarit was moved to the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), to serve as acting director.

CIFS director Pol Maj Gen Suriya Singhakamol takes over as acting director at the DSI.

A source said the sudden transfer of the DSI chief was linked to allegations that Mr Traiyarits right-hand man had sought cooperation from a senior officer at the Patrol and Special Operations Division, better known as 191 Police, to coordinate with a deputy commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Bureau and obtain court approval for the search at the former home of the Nauru consul-general in Bangkok on Dec 22 last year.

Police and DSI officials involved in the search allegedly extorted about B9.5 million in bribes in exchange for the release of 11 Chinese nationals found hiding on the premises.

On Monday, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, said five DSI officials, nine policemen, including from the Patrol and Special Operation Division, a military police officer and a Chinese-born interpreter were involved in the alleged extortion and bribe payment.

The house was formerly rented by a consul-general of the Republic of Nauru.

Former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, alleging that the consul-generals former house was now sheltering illegal Chinese nationals and served as a place to forge passports and visas.

Mr Chuvit on Tuesday posted a document about an investigation by the Office of the Consulate General of the Republic of Nauru. It found that a stamp shown on a lease agreement dated on Sept 2, 2022 was similar to that used by the consul-general of the Republic of Nauru in Thailand.

However, it had no document or details regarding the use of the official stamp for the lease agreement. The consulate office insisted it had not signed the lease agreement, according to the document posted by Mr Chuvit.

The residence was rented by Chinese nationals running grey businesses, according to Mr Chuvit. He alleged that those Chinese used false diplomatic licence plates on their van and falsified the signature of the former consul-general to rent the luxury house.

During the search on Dec 22, the officers arrested 11 Chinese nationals, one of them on Interpols Red Notice list, and found B8mn in cash. The Chinese had allegedly escaped a raid at the illegal Jinling pub complex, which catered to Chinese tourists, on Charoen Rat Rd in Bangkok on Oct 26.

All the suspects found in the house were released in exchange for B5.5mn of the seized funds. Whistleblower Chuvit also alleged that the officers had demanded an additional B4mn, to be picked up from a petrol station by the Chinese interpreter.

On Tuesday, the DSI chief insisted the DSI had not ordered the accused officials to search the former consul-generals premises on Dec 22. He also denied reports that his right-hand man coordinated with 191 Police in organising the raid.
More direct flights from China en route

PHUKET: More direct flights from China to Phuket have been confirmed as Chinese travellers take to the skies again following the reopening of their borders on Jan 8.

ChineseCOVID-19Coronavirustourism

By The Phuket News

Thursday 19 January 2023, 03:10PM

China Eastern Airlines are just one of many carriers that have resumed direct flights from mainland China to Phuket. Photo: AFP

Yesterday (Jan 18) saw the first direct flights from the Chinese mainland touch down in Phuket in almost three years as Spring Airlines Flight 9C8667 and Juneyao Air Flight HO1321, both direct from Shanghai, landed at Phuket International Airport.

Three China Airlines flights via Bangkok are scheduled to arrive today, with flights from China Eastern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines scheduled to land tomorrow. No official figures were made available at time of press in relation to how many passengers would be aboard the flights.

The resumption of direct flights from mainland China marks the return of the largest source market by volume before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019 there were 17,695,489 arrivals from China entering Thailand, 3,118,901 of which came to Phuket.

Yuthasak Supasorn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, has stated he predicts that there will be about 300,000 Chinese tourists arriving in Thailand during the first quarter of 2023, with around 17% heading to Phuket.

Phuket is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese people to travel to, and we are ready in terms of the number of rooms, variety of tourism products and services, department stores and spas, which all meet the needs of Chinese tourists, Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office (TAT Phuket) Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri said yesterday.

In addition, Chinese people have a desire to travel abroad due to travel restrictions during the COVID epidemic over the past two years [sic], she said.

During that time, the five TAT offices in China  in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming and Hong Kong  have continued their marketing efforts to make Thailand a Top of Mind destination for Chinese tourists.

This first group of tourists who have arrived have different travel behavior than before. They mostly arriving on self-managed travel, and is a group of middle- to upper-level income brackets, Ms Nanthasiri concluded.

Airports of Thailand Co., Ltd. (AOTGA), which provides ground services at Phuket International Airport, has confirmed it is fully prepared to provide comprehensive services to cope with the additional flights, more of which are expected to be scheduled in due course as China slowly but surely begins to travel again.
Tourism workers run short

BANGKOK: More than 9,000 workers are still in demand in the tourism industry as foreign arrivals continue to arrive in large numbers, according to the Labour Ministry.

tourismeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 19 January 2023, 10:26AM

Tourists pack Yaowarat Rd in Bangkok on Jan 14. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul / Bangkok Post

Boonchob Sutthamanaswong, Permanent Secretary for the Labour Ministry, said labour offices in 60 provinces had recently surveyed labour demand among 32,359 operators in the tourism sector, reports the Bangkok Post.

Of them, 1,817 businesses still needed 9,763 workers, he said.

The top five provinces where workers in the tourism sector are in high demand are Phuket (3,648 workers in demand), Chiang Mai (858), Chon Buri (594), Phang Nga (410), and Surat Thani (349).

The types of workers sought by bosses are receptionists, porters, waiters, cleaners and housemaids, chefs, kitchen workers, cashiers, and accountants.

Mr Boonchob met the Thai Hotels Association (THA), the Tourism Council of Phuket, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Thai Spa Association and operators in the tourism sector recently to find ways to address labour shortages in the sector.

THA president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi said five-star hotels in Bangkok had enough workers to welcome guests during the Christmas and New Year festivals.

However, three-and-four-star hotels in some major tourism provinces such as Phuket and Pattaya still face shortages, particularly housemaids, bartenders, and food and beverage personnel, she said.

She said foreign arrivals are expected to arrive in large numbers from now on, and it is necessary to find more workers and upskill them to welcome foreign guests.

ATTA President Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said there are still shortages of tour guides as foreign tourists continue to arrive.

He proposed the law be relaxed to allow foreigners to work as tour guides in the country to ease the shortages as well as promote tourism.

Krod Rojanastien, President of the Thai Spa Association, said some foreign tourists come to Thailand for Thai massage and spa services.

Due to lockdowns and health precautions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60% of massage and spa workers were forced to quit their jobs and return to their home provinces, Mr Krod said.

As the pandemic eases, the association has been trying to persuade them to return to their jobs as well as recruiting and training new employees, he said, adding that between 7,000-8,000 workers are still in demand in the sector.

The Department of Skill Development will launch a programme to upskill final-year undergraduates studying tourism and hospitality.

It will also coordinate with businesses in the sector to employ them upon graduation, Mr Boonchob said.

See also:

Strategies unveiled to help resolve Phukets hotel labour crisis

Phuket school leavers must be dual-linguals to break inequality

Tackling Phukets labour shortage: More than 17,000 vacancies available
Ukraine investigates helicopter crash that killed interior minister

UKRAINE: Ukrainian authorities on Thursday (Jan 18) were investigating the circumstances surrounding a helicopter crash that killed the countrys interior minister and 13 others.

Ukraine

By AFP

Thursday 19 January 2023, 11:15AM

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko was at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the day of a major helicopter crash. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Denys Monastyrskyi, 42, who was killed in a helicopter crash, had served as Ukraines interior minister since July, 2021. Photo: AFP file

A helicopter crash near a kindergarten in Brovary, outside Kyiv, killed more than a dozen people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks via video link during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 18, 2023. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

A helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, a commuter town for the capital Kyiv. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP

A woman reacts near the site where a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, outside the capital Kyiv. Photo: Sergei Supinsky / AFP

Wednesdays crash outside Kyiv came as the head of NATO said at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos that allies were set to provide heavier weapons to the war-battered country.

Ukraine did not claim direct Russian involvement in the helicopter crash, but President Volodymyr Zelensky said the tragedy was a consequence of the war.

There are no accidents at war. These are all war results, Zelensky said in English, appearing by video link at Davos.

He also renewed calls for modern, Western-designed heavy tanks, which analysts say are crucial to pushing through entrenched defensive lines in eastern Ukraine.

In a barely veiled reference to Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz is weighing whether to greenlight the export of its highly regarded Leopard tanks, Zelensky issued a call for speed.

The time the Free World uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill, Zelensky told delegates in Davos.

The statement came after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would provide more advanced support, heavier weapons and more modern weapons, because this is a fight for our values.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said the United States was not there yet when it came to providing advanced Abrams tanks to Ukraine, though he did not completely close the door on a shift in the future.

Children were crying

The helicopter carrying Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky crashed next to a kindergarten and a residential building in Brovary, a commuter town for the capital Kyiv that was the scene of fierce fighting with Russian forces last year.

Fourteen people were killed, including Monastyrsky, other ministry officials and a child, Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. Another 25 people were wounded, including 11 children.

He added that an investigation had been opened to clarify all the circumstances of the disaster.

Minister Denys Monastyrsky, [his deputy] Yevhen Yenin and their colleagues who died in the crash are not people who can be easily replaced, Zelensky said. It is a truly huge loss for the state. My condolences to the families.

Dmytro Serbyn, who was in his apartment when the helicopter crashed, rushed to help children as soon as he saw flames billowing over the kindergarten.

They were looking for their parents, children were crying... their faces were cut and covered in blood, Serbyn told AFP.

We pulled out one girl. I wrapped her in a jacket, her face was wounded... She did not tremble, did not cry.

The child, Polina, was so badly injured that her father did not immediately recognise her, Serbyn told AFP.

Heartbreaking tragedy

Amateur footage circulating on social media in the immediate aftermath captured cries and a large blaze.

It was not immediately clear where the helicopter was going.

The presidency said it was headed to frontline regions, while Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said it was flying to a missile strike site in Dnipro.

Zelensky said information on the circumstances of the crash would be made available as soon as clear facts are established.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement it was a heartbreaking tragedy, calling Monastyrsky a reformer and patriot.

We dont have any notion right now as to what caused that crash, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Britain said: Ukrainians will continue to be collateral (victims) as long as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin continues his needless war.

Berlin, meanwhile, offered Germanys support in identifying the causes of the helicopter crash.

A creative, good person

Klitschko, the Kyiv mayor, paid homage to Monastyrsky as a young, very creative, good person... always proactive in supporting and defending the lives of our citizens.

The 42-year-old, a trained lawyer, had served as Ukraines interior minister from July 2021.

He was a key member of Zelenskys party and was married with two children.

Aviation accidents are fairly common in Ukraine.

In one of the deadliest recent incidents, 26 people, most of them air cadets, were killed when their plane crashed near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in September 2020.

The town of Brovary is located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Kyiv and was among the urban hubs around the capital that Russian troops had tried to capture after invading Ukraine last year.

Russian question

The task is the same: the final solution of the Russian question. Just as Hitler wanted to finally solve the Jewish question, Lavrov said.

Canadas Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest what it called Lavrovs anti-Semitic comments as well as to condemn a recent Russian strike on a residential building in Ukraines Dnipro that killed at least 45 people.
Today

A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High 46F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tonight

Rain and snow showers this evening. Then becoming partly cloudy overnight. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 40%.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy. High 46F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
North Dakota lawmakers are reviving efforts to make edible products available to medical marijuana patients.

The House Human Services Committee on Wednesday heard House Bills 1202 and 1164, brought by Reps. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks, and Vicky Steiner, R-Dickinson, respectively. Similar bills failed in previous years.

Supporters say edibles are a better dosing method for patients. Opponents say edibles could fall into the hands of children, and can result in overconsumption or take effect when a user is driving.

House Bill 1202 would allow edibles as soft or hard square lozenges, and would limit patients' possession to 500 milligrams of edibles, or a maximum 50 lozenges. The State Health Council would bring rules to regulate edibles' form, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and marketing.

Vetter told the Tribune edibles are "a healthier form of medicine" for elderly people and people with lung issues who don't want to smoke, and are easier to dose.

North Dakota voters in 2016 approved of a state medical marijuana program; it has 8,898 active patient cards, with manufacturing facilities in Bismarck and Fargo, and eight dispensaries statewide, including one in Bismarck.

Patients are limited to using dried marijuana leaves and flowers, or THC products such as concentrates, tinctures, capsules, transdermal patches and lotions. THC is what gives marijuana users a high.

Steiner said her bill is "primarily a dosing solution bill for those who have problems taking their medical marijuana" as allowed by law, such as patients whose hands shake.

She told the Tribune she previously opposed medical marijuana edibles, but now understands from constituents how "people with pain" physically struggle to use medical marijuana in current methods.

The bill would allow square, colorless edibles with a maximum 5 milligrams of THC per serving; Vetter's bill would allow 10 milligrams per serving.

"This is not a bill about cookies or brownies. This is a bill about an edible square," Steiner told the House panel.

The state Department of Health and Human Services under the bill would adopt rules for storage, display or dispensing of edibles.

State Medical Marijuana Program Director Jason Wahl recommended changes to both bills, such as lowering 1202's 10 milligrams of THC per serving to 5, and adding THC limits to 1164 for packages, purchases and possession.

Rep. Gretchen Dobervich, D-Fargo, brought previous, unsuccessful bills to legalize medical marijuana edibles. A co-sponsor of 1202 and 1164, she said she hopes this session's efforts are successful, regardless of who brought the bills.

"When bills become code in North Dakota, our names aren't attached to them," she told the Tribune. "It's not about 'I got this bill passed,' or 'you got this bill passed.' It's about 'this bill was passed for the people of North Dakota.' I just want to see them pass."

Edibles would benefit patients who don't want to smoke or who live where smoking is banned, and also taste better than earthy tinctures, she said.

The House panel did not take immediate action on the bills.
Could there be a new name on the sign to replace Marche Richilieu?
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.
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Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Harvard University, he is author, most recently, of The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery and the Refounding of America.
SEAN BERGEL, Wheeler, Baseball, Junior; Bergel struck out eight and allowed only five hits as Wheeler defeated Griswold in its season opener. Bergel walked just one batter and allowed two earned runs.

CAMI BROWN, Stonington, Softball, Junior; Brown finished 11 for 16 in four games for the Bears. Brown doubled four times, tripled twice and drove in nine runs.

CASEY MACERA, Westerly, Girls Lacrosse, Freshman, Macera scored five goals in a Division III win against Rocky Hill. Westerly ended a 15-game losing streak with the victory.

ADAM CARPENTER, Chariho, Baseball, Junior; Carpenter pitched a two-hitter in his varsity debut as the Chargers beat East Providence. Carpenter carried a no-hitter into the sixth. He struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.

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Speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin has long been swirling, but is it possible that hes no longer alive? Because thats a possibility that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky apparently thinks might be true.

Speaking virtually at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Zelensky urged Western countries to continue sending military assistance to his country before making an eyebrow-raising comment.

Right now, I dont understand who to talk to. I am not sure whether the president of Russia is still alive, Zelensky said. I dont understand that hes still alive or that it is him particularly making decisions.

Report after report cites unnamed Kremlin sources that Putin is deathly ill, but no concrete evidence has emerged yet of those rumors being true, though various videos of the Russian president certainly raise questions.

Zelenskys comments take a leap that nobody else has yet suggested. Does he know something we dont?

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




If the presidential election were held today, the victor would be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a new poll shows, and follows another recent poll which found that DeSantis would defeat Trump in a Republican primary.

A WPA Intelligence survey found that DeSantis currently gets support from 45% of voters compared to 42% for Biden. And while Trump has already announced his 2024 presidential bid and DeSantis has not, a poll last month from USA Today showed the Florida governor with a broad lead over Trump in the GOP primary  56%% to 33%.

However, if the election were held today and pitted Biden against Donald Trump, the current president would demolish his predecessor 49% to 41%, according to the poll.

Right now, the only point of concern for the DeSantis team is his name recognition. While nearly every respondent to the WPA poll recognized both Trump and Biden, 36% couldnt name DeSantis when shown a picture of him.

This could, of course, be a good thing for him, as it means he has more time to make his positions known to Americans without their preconceived notions of him getting in the way.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The Biden administration is providing $125 million for electrical parts and other supplies to help repair crews in Ukraine keep up with Russian strikes pounding the countrys electrical system, the U.S. international development aid chief said Wednesday.

The U.S. Agency for International Development plans to use the money to procure backup power for Kyivs water and district-heating systems. The funding also will help replenish supplies of gas turbines, transformers and other vital power equipment.

USAID administrator Samantha Power, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, announced the funding in a meeting with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska and others. USAID said in a statement that the money comes from the supplemental Ukraine funding approved by Congress last month.

Russian forces since October have intensified strikes on Ukraines electrical grid and other critical infrastructure, repeatedly plunging Ukrainians into darkness and winter cold. Utility workers and others are scrambling during what have been nearly weekly barrages on infrastructure to restore electricity and heating.

Past USAID energy assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February included delivery of 1,415 generators to keep the heat and lights on at schools, hospitals and other sites across Ukraine. USAID also has invested $55 million in Ukraines heating infrastructure.

(AP)




When Joe Biden stepped to the lectern in the shadow of the Brent Spence Bridge in northern Kentucky this month, he couldnt stop showering praise on the states senior Republican senator, who had fought to repair the ramshackle span for decades.

It was quite a contrast to the clipped introduction delivered just a few minutes earlier by that senator, Mitch McConnell, who referenced Biden only in noting that the president had signed the bill to finally fix the aging bridge.

By temperament and manner, the two men  whose relationship in Washington has been scrutinized, analyzed and satirized for years  are decidedly mismatched. Biden is tactile, gregarious and gaffe prone; McConnell is tactical, often grim-faced and rarely utters an unscripted word.

But with the new days of divided government underway, the Biden-McConnell relationship will become more important.

McConnells experience in cutting deals and the political capital he retains among Republican members could leave him much freer to negotiate with the White House on thorny matters such as government spending and the debt ceiling than new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., whose ranks have already issued hardline demands on the debt that the White House says are nonstarters.

Both Biden and McConnell see political imperatives in strategically cooperating. McConnell, who fell short of regaining the Senate majority last November, will have a far more advantageous political map in the 2024 election cycle and wants to demonstrate that Republicans can govern responsibly. Meanwhile, central to Bidens case for reelection is promoting his policy accomplishments and selling a record of competent governing  punctured somewhat by recent discoveries of classified documents at his former office and Delaware home.

Look, I got elected by the people of Kentucky, McConnell said in a radio interview Tuesday with Louisvilles 840 WHAS. I dont view my job, even though Im the Republican leader of the Senate, as objecting to everything just because Joe Biden might sign the bill.

When asked about McConnell after the Kentucky bridge visit, Biden pointed to their joint efforts in the Obama administration to ward off federal fiscal calamities.

Ive had a relationship with Mitch McConnell for years, Biden said. Weve always been able to work together.

McConnells acceptance of the White House invitation to attend the bridge event surprised even some of those close to him.

He was among those who greeted Biden on the tarmac at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Then McConnell joined Biden in the armored presidential limousine, known as the beast, where the two men talked foreign policy and how to keep the international coalition united on Ukraine. Having McConnell ride with the president was not planned in advance, according to an official familiar with the interaction, but it wasnt a surprise, either.

On the one hand, its easy to overread it, said Scott Jennings, a veteran Kentucky-based party strategist with close ties to the Republican leader. McConnell had long said he would be more than happy to work with Biden on policy things that are within what he considers the 40-yard line in American politics and building a bridge in Kentucky is right in the middle of that field.

Jennings continued: On the other hand, I do think theres a message in that whole event, that there is a basic threshold of governing responsibility that people expect out of a political party, and I do think the Republicans sort of got judged as failing that threshold at the end of the Donald Trump presidency and with some GOP Senate candidates last year.

Indeed, Biden and McConnell have demonstrated in the past that they could capably govern when others couldnt.

Their deal-making through a trio of financial agreements prevented what could have been major economic and political catastrophes. Those agreements temporarily extended the Bush tax cuts in 2010, lifted the debt limit in summer 2011, and in late 2012 avoided the fiscal cliff that would have hiked tax rates and enacted steep spending cuts, risking a recession.

Former President Barack Obama and then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, were unable to reach an agreement as the fiscal cliff loomed. McConnell dialed up the then-vice president and asked: Is there anyone over there who knows how to make a deal?

Obviously, I dont always agree with him, but I do trust him implicitly, McConnell said in a farewell tribute to Biden on the Senate floor in December 2016. He doesnt break his word. He doesnt waste time telling me why Im wrong. He gets down to brass tacks. And he keeps in sight the stakes.

McConnell continued: Theres a reason get Joe on the phone is shorthand for time to get serious, in my office.

Biden also has found McConnell trustworthy. In a February 2011 speech at the McConnell Center in Louisville, Biden lavished the highest of praise for a congressional leader: Mitch knows how to count better than anyone else I have ever known.

This is not a joke, Biden said as the crowd chuckled. When Mitch says, Joe, I have 41 votes or I have 59 votes, it is the end of the discussion.  He has never once been wrong from what hes told me.

Over the years, the interactions between the two men has turned, at times, deeply personal. McConnell was the sole Republican senator to attend the funeral of Beau Biden, the presidents elder son, who died from glioblastoma in 2015. The following year, an emotional Biden presided over the Senate as McConnell, then the majority leader, surprised him by leading the renaming of legislation to bolster cancer research at the National Institutes of Health in Beau Bidens honor.

Biden recalled that moment in his first joint address to Congress in April 2021, remarking directly to McConnell: Ill never forget you standing and mentioning  saying youd name it after my deceased son.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said of the two: There is a personal relationship that  transcends isnt the right word, but that is different from their philosophical leanings. And my experience has been that personal relationships count in this setting.

That working relationship has been evident throughout the Biden presidency.

As the military in Myanmar was staging a coup in February 2021 and arrested de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the White House put national security adviser Jake Sullivan on the phone with McConnell  who has long advocated on behalf of democracy efforts in the Southeast Asian country  to brief him on the administrations efforts and to solicit feedback. McConnell has backed Biden on aid to Ukraine even as some Republican lawmakers question continued U.S. support to resist Russias invasion.

Theyve even found cooperation when it comes to the judiciary, an area deeply important to McConnell and where Biden has set records in how quickly he has gotten new judges confirmed. Last summer, the White House agreed to nominate an anti-abortion lawyer favored by McConnell to a federal judgeship in Kentucky, despite significant resistance from Democrats in the weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That nomination was later scuttled due to opposition from the states other senator, Rand Paul.

Instead of just using the next two years to dig in and fight and hash it out until the 24 election, I know McConnell  as youve heard him say  believes that a divided government can be a time of significant accomplishment, said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican. Hes always been a believer in the long game.

Still, it hasnt always been so smooth between the two men during Bidens first two years.

In the run-up to the midterms, Biden wove McConnells name into his usual fusillade of warnings about Republicans threatening to take hostage the debt limit  the nations borrowing cap that lawmakers will have to suspend or lift later this year. When asked in September whether Biden viewed McConnell differently from Republicans like McCarthy, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Florida Sen. Rick Scott  the presidents campaign-season GOP boogeymen  White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded: I wouldnt go that far.

And in January 2022, McConnell took umbrage at a fiery speech that Biden delivered in Atlanta, during which the president compared opponents of Democrats voting-law legislation to racist politicians such as the segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace and Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. McConnell called Bidens remarks profoundly unpresidential.

I have known, liked, and personally respected Joe Biden for many years, McConnell said. I did not recognize the man at that podium.

Notably, the most significant bipartisan achievements of the Biden presidency were clinched without McConnell in the room, although the Republican leader did eventually vote for two of the major ones: the big infrastructure bill and a measure to boost production of computer chips.

But with no major Biden legislative accomplishments on the horizon, McConnell almost certainly will have to be a fixture in negotiating with the White House for the basic tasks of governing.

While they would be the first to tell you that they disagree on all kinds of things, Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier this month, they believe in cooperating when they have specific areas of mutual agreement for the good of the country.

(AP)




Prosecutors announced Thursday that actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer who was killed in 2021 on a New Mexico movie set.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals for the Western Rust at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Authorities said assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins death, described a degree of neglect on the film set. But he left decisions about potential criminal charges to prosecutors after delivering the results of a yearlong investigation in October. That report did not specify how live ammunition wound up on the film set.

Baldwin  known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live  has described the killing as a tragic accident.

He sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun that was handed to him on the set. Baldwin said he was told the gun was safe.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during rehearsal for a scene, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator determined the shooting was an accident following the completion of an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports.

New Mexicos Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has levied the maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions, based on a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on the set prior to the fatal shooting.

Rust Movie Productions continues to challenge the basis of a $137,000 fine by regulators who say production managers on the set failed to follow standard industry protocols for firearms safety.

The armorer who oversaw firearms on the set, Gutierrez Reed, has been the subject of much of the scrutiny in the case, along with an independent ammunition supplier. An attorney for Gutierrez Reed has said she did not put a live round in the gun that killed Hutchins, and she believes she was the victim of sabotage. Authorities said they have found no evidence of that.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition at the movie set on the outskirts of Santa Fe  a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appeared to be live rounds. Industry experts have said live rounds should never be on set.

In April 2022, the Santa Fe Sheriffs Department released a trove of files, including lapel camera video of the mortally wounded Hutchins slipping in and out of consciousness as a medical helicopter arrived. Witness interrogations, email threads, text conversations, inventories of ammunition and hundreds of photographs rounded out that collection of evidence.

The family of Hutchins  widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros  settled a lawsuit against producers under an agreement that aims to restart filming with Matthew Hutchins involvement as executive producer.

Rust was beset by disputes from the start in early October 2021. Seven crew members walked off the set just hours before the fatal shooting amid discord over working conditions.

Hutchins death has influenced negotiations over safety provisions in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers and spurred other filmmakers to choose computer-generated imagery of gunfire rather than real weapons with blank ammunition to minimize risks.

(AP)




A little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel is being used by the Pentagon to supply Ukraine with artillery shells for its battle against Russia, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, which cited US and Israeli officials, the US stockpile in Israel is used by the Pentagon in Middle East conflicts and is also available for use by Israel for emergencies.

Since arms stockpiles in the US are strained and US arms manufacturers are unable to keep up with Ukraines needs, the Pentagon has turned to two stockpiles: one in South Korea and a second one in Israel. The transfer of arms from Israels stockpile to Ukraine has not been previously revealed.

Israel has refused persistent requests to supply Ukraine with weapons due to its special interests in maintaining a cordial relationship with Russia due to the latters military presence in Syria. According to the report, Israel initially expressed concerns about the US transferring arms from Israel to Ukraine due to fears of Russias response but the request was ultimately approved by then-interim prime minister Yair Lapid. About half of the 300,000 rounds have already been shipped to Europe and will be delivered to Ukraine through Poland.

The US request to transfer artillery shells from Israel to Ukraine was officially made in an encrypted phone call between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and then-Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz.

The request was brought for discussion to the Israeli security cabinet and the defense establishment recommended accepting the request to avoid conflict with the US, and partially due to the fact that the arms belong to the US. At the end of the discussion, Lapid approved the request.

The stockpile of US arms in Israel originated during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when the US airlifted weapons to replenish Israeli supplies. After the war, the US made a decision to establish warehouses in Israel for potential emergencies, eventually leading to the pre-positioning of Pentagon assets in Israel.

US tanks and armored personnel carriers were initially placed in Israels southern desert, with the understanding that they would be available for use by US forces if needed. The program was expanded in the 2000s, with munitions for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force stored in separate areas in Israel and accessible only to American military personnel, according to a former U.S. arms inspector.

Israel was granted permission to use arms from the US stockpile during the Lebanon War in 2006 and during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

The report quoted two senior Israeli officials as saying that the US has promised Israel that it will replenish the stockpile following the arms transfer to Ukraine and will also immediately send arms in case of a dire emergency.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Press Release

January 19, 2023 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommends charges for overpriced DepEd laptops purchased in 2021, abolition of DBM procurement office MANILA - In a 197-page report released today, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Francis N. Tolentino recommended that charges be filed and an investigation be conducted in relation to overpriced laptops purchased in 2021 by the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS DBM) for the Department of Education (DepEd). On the basis of evidence presented to the Committee which included findings and recommendations of the Commission on Audit (COA), the overprice was established to have reached at least Php979 million pesos in relation to the procurement of more than 39,000 laptops in 2021. In the course of five extensive hearings conducted in the last quarter of 2022 where representatives from the DepEd, PS-DBM, COA, concerned suppliers, and teacher groups were invited, competent evidence submitted to the Blue Ribbon panel indicate that violations of Sec 3 (a), (e) and (g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA No. 3019), Article 171 for falsification of public document and Article 183 for perjury both under the Revised Penal Code have been committed and concerned DepEd and PS DBM officials should be investigated. In addition, the committee found basis for the filing of administrative charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service against said officials. The procurement process for the laptops, intended to support remote learning of students during the pandemic, was conducted by the PS DBM supposedly upon the request and authority of the DepEd. The Committee, however, found that the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed by the DepEd authorizing and delegating the procurement task to PS DBM was antedated which rendered the procurement process questionable and highly irregular. The committee report also contained recommendations for the abolition of the PS DBM and urged government departments, agencies, offices, instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), states universities and colleges (SUCs) and local governments to refrain from delegating procurement tasks and to conduct their own procurement as an exercise of their fiduciary duty of accountability for public funds appropriated for their respective offices. Equally important, the committee report called for the amendment of Republic Act No. 9184, or the procurement law, and its implementing rules and regulations, to include more robust transparency and accountability safeguards to prevent recurrence of procurement anomalies, especially for large-scale procurement projects. Notably, the report included a strong recommendation for the recovery of the amount of the overprice through the issuance of notice of disallowances by COA and the filing of civil complaints against the concerned officials, and the amount of the recovered proceeds to be placed in a special National Teachers Trust Fund which will be created for the benefit of the teachers to support their health and medical needs as well as the educational needs of their children through a special scholarship program. The report is expected to be forwarded in due course to the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Immigration, the Anti[1]Money Laundering Council Secretariat, among other agencies of government with the proper jurisdiction, for their appropriate action on the panel recommendations as may be warranted by the evidence.
A new book that takes aim at the critical theories that abound in academia and the culture only confuses issues and avoids direct confrontation between what the Bible clearly teaches and what the world clearly believes.

If a Christian scholar has figured out a way to wrestle with critical theory through a biblical lens, that would be an important book. Unfortunately, Christopher Watkins Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bibles Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture is mistitled. Watkins project is to construct a Christian cultural theory showing that the Bible supports Christian cultural analysis with as much intellectual rigor as any postmodern critical lens. While Watkin attempts a noble goal, the end result is not worth the time invested. Biblical critical theory, in short, is an impossibility, as the Bible does not lead to a critical theory, since critical theory begins with suspicion rather than reception of what God has made.

To understand the evaluations below, two elements of Watkins method require explanation. First, he dedicates much space to the description and diagramming of figures. Watkin defines a figure as a repeatable structure or pattern of language that can be filled with almost any content whatsoever. Figures are patterns and rhythms in creation whether of matter, language, ideas, systems, or behavior. Watkin analyzes 114 figures throughout his book; each figure represents an important pattern in creation that the Bible addresses. In most cases, Watkin describes a binary then diagonalizes the opposition. For example, Figure 15 has Traditional societies: communal identity, individual crushed. This is opposed to Modern societies: individual identity, community neglected. Watkin explains that this pattern exists throughout the world, but the opposition is solved by the Trinity. He places Trinity in a diagonal box crossing both opposed boxes. Through the Trinitys identity as three-in-one, Christianity apparently resolves the contradictions of traditional and modern societies.

The second element is Watkins commitment to biblical theology. He surveys the whole Bible, sometimes grouping books together by genre (histories, gospels, wisdom literature); within the context of this biblical survey he introduces different figures. The first 10 chapters are anchored to Genesis, leaving 18 chapters for the rest of the Bible. While this approach allows Watkin to showcase biblical resources for answering philosophical questions, it leaves the reader uncertain of how ideas are related and what argument the book advances. For example, chapter 6 focuses on the doctrine of sin in the context of Genesis 3. Watkin introduces a multi-lens anthropology, a figure opposing pessimism and utopianism in political structures; a discussion on wretchedness and dignity in human nature; the asymmetry of good and evil in the post-Fall world; the way asymmetry applies to cultural critique, politics, and culture making; and a final discourse on grace in the midst of judgment. Each topic is interesting, but bringing so many under a single chapter makes keeping sight of the whole vision difficult.

Watkin describes his work as a crudely drawn map that seeks to delineate uniquely Christian ways of analyzing and engaging culture. One of the best places on his map deals with idolatry. Drawing on the work of Timothy Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, Watkin argues that idolatry describes a particular way of relating to those things, finding our ultimate significance, worth, purpose, or rest in them. Understanding idolatry in this light opens the way for a Christian cultural critique identifying the idols of the age as so many forms of restraint and incarceration.Thinking themselves free, moderns bind themselves to slaveries of wealth, beauty, and power. Such an analysis provides clear application to current political questions. Christian engagement with marijuana shifts from Is it permissible for a Christian to smoke weed? to What satisfaction is sought in this action? Is this a potentially enslaving action? Applying the biblical concept of idolatry enables a distinctly Christian response to political possibilities.

A second strength of Biblical Critical Theory lies in Watkins focus on Jesus great reversal in ethics. Watkin shows that the tradition of charity for the poor draws its life from these biblical waters. Christian charity gives rise to both structural reform and efforts to free the enslaved. Watkin focuses on the English Reformation and later the work of William Wilberforce to illustrate these arguments. He also argues that the proclamation that the last will be first and the first last strikes a blow at the social hierarchies of any age. Watkin sees in Jesus of Nazareth the beginnings of true human equality. This great reversal also establishes respect for womenIt is in Christian-influenced countries that marriage became a matter of consent, not of coercion and servant leadership as the reigning paradigm. Christianity, Watkin argues, is responsible for many positive changes in the modern world compared to antiquity.

In a post-Christian West, however, Watkin sees two tasks for the church: telling a counter-story and cultivating a counter-desire. Modernity showers the consumer with advertising, control of time, and power dynamics. The church is the community that performs a different story, rhythmed to the beat of creation, fall and redemption. Through liturgy, community, and the sacraments, the church proclaims and lives a different story. That story results in a different desire. Watkin argues that modernity is built around a consumption-desire but that the church cultivates an intimacy desire. Everything Christians do is motivated by love for others and for God. In these two ways, the church pushes back against modernity, calling Christians to a still more excellent way.

Any volume that attempts as much as Watkin does in Biblical Critical Theory is bound to have flaws, but the flaws in Watkins book are substantial. The following four areas harm the overall value of the project.

First, Watkin comments on economics with a reflexive assertion that free market economics is exploitative and harmful. The excess of capitalismthe excess of overconsumption, of overabundant provision that hides from view the dirty secret of the sweatshop factoryis a mock excess: always framed by the logic of equivalence and the drive for efficiency. He explains economic efficiency with reference to garment workers of the Philippines and Southern Chinathey know the brutality and injustice of [the cruel logic of equivalences] insatiable drive for efficiency. In his eschatology, Watkin argues that the Whore of Babylon embodies the market and that she symbolizes economic exploitation. Chapter 27 focuses on the ways the modern market economy commodifies the individual and renders identity a purchasable product. While the market is not perfect (as nothing can be in a fallen world), free market economics governed by a sound anthropology and an ethic grounded in natural law remains the best method humans have developed for elevating themselves from poverty into freedom of choice and action. Because Watkin fails to recognize the good modern economics has done, his economic analysis falls flat.

Watkin also critiques both right-wing and left-wing politics without defining terms or locating them within a national tradition; his analysis reflects a refusal to praise good or condemn evil. Watkin attempts to straddle the political fence, and the result is both a lukewarm attitude on vital issues and a caricature of current political complexities. The right fails to acknowledge that when freed from regulation and government, individuals and institutions become prey to the harsh, brutal lordship of the market. Both the left and right are searching for ever-new oppressions from which we need to be liberated. On the right this takes the form of a regularly refreshed list of bogey taxes and regulations that are supposedly stifling innovation and enterprise. On the left it is an ever-renewed string of identities that are labeled as oppressed and in need of emancipation. Watkins unwillingness to take a bold, definitive stand is a failure of his analysis. The Gospel has direct implications for ethical decisions, and Watkins equal condemnation of right and left causes him to fall prey to James Woods critique of winsomeness.

For example, Watkin wrote 604 pages about Christian cultural engagement without substantial reference to abortion, LGBTQ+, transgenderism, or religious freedom. Watkin attempts to excuse these omissions by saying I am painfully aware of the gaps in the present volume and argues that they remain because of the already unwieldy size of this book. A failure to recognize that the increasing secularity of the western world stands in direct opposition to biblical Christianity in these areas is inexcusable for a scholar of Watkins wide reading. A Christian cultural engagement must equip the church to respond to secular arguments in these areas.

Finally, the size of this book results from insufficient editing. Watkin is verbose. His addiction to adverbs and adjectives recalls Orwells third and fourth rules: If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out and Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. Watkins prose and metaphors both obscure his argument and make this work unnecessarily long.

Biblical Critical Theory promises a needed engagement between the Christian tradition and critical theory, but it does not deliver on its promise. Such an engagement is badly needed; the church needs men and women whose scholarship takes captive every thought to the mind of Christ. Instead, this volume delivers a combination of obscure philosophy and a seminary crash course delivered through chapters alternating in form between lecture notes and sermon outlines. The end result is unbalanced, and the inaccuracies in political and economic thought raise skepticism about other parts of Watkins analysis. The church needs a strong engagement with secular philosophy and cultural theory, but this is not it.




Donald Trump is trying on a new line of defense for size: he now says that he didnt actually take classified documents to Mar-a-Lago; rather, he only took folders that had classified markings but didnt actually contain any classified documents.

The Fake News Media & Crooked Democrats (Thats been proven!) keep saying I had a large number of documents in order to make the Biden Classified Docs look less significant. When I was in the Oval Office, or elsewhere, & papers were distributed to groups of people & me, they would often be in a striped paper folder with Classified or Confidential or another word on them. When the session was over, they would collect the paper(s), but not the folders, & I saved hundreds of them, Trump wrote in his first post.

Remember, these were just ordinary, inexpensive folders with various words printed on them, but they were a cool keepsake, he continued in a second post. Perhaps the Gestapo took some of these empty folders when they Raided Mar-a-Lago, & counted them as a document, which they are not. Its also possible that the Trump Hating Marxist Thugs in charge will plant documents while theyre in possession of the material. As President, and based on the Presidential Records Act & Socks Case, I did NOTHING WRONG. JOE DID!

The absurd defense is a nice try by the former president, but with Biden being in hot water himself over classified documents, Trump can probably be confident anyway that he wont be charged over his handling of classified materials.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday she is stepping down as New Zealands leader and will not contest this years general elections.

Fighting back tears, Ardern told reporters in Napier that Feb. 7 will be her last day in office.

I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months into the job. I am leaving because with such a privileged role, comes responsibility, the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also, when you are not. I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple, she said.

Ardern had faced a tough election campaign this year. Her liberal Labour Party won reelection two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.

She was lauded globally for her countrys initial handling of the coronavirus pandemic after New Zealand managed for months to stop the virus at its borders. But its zero-tolerance strategy was abandoned once it was challenged by new variants and vaccines became available.

She faced tougher criticism at home that the strategy was too strict.

Ardern in December announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry would look into whether the government made the right decisions in battling COVID-19 and how it can better prepare for future pandemics. Its report is due next year.

(AP)




The United States and Turkey on Wednesday looked to brush aside differences that have strained relations for years but were unable to report progress in resolving disagreements over Russias invasion of Ukraine and NATO expansion that have soured ties between the allies.

At a meeting in Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sought to bridge those gaps, but there was no immediate sign that they had, even though both men lauded the partnership between their countries.

They played up cooperation on Ukraine, with Blinken in particular praising Turkeys leadership in securing a deal with Russia for the transport of Ukrainian grain. But in brief remarks before their meeting, neither specifically mentioned their differences over the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which the Turks have so far blocked despite strong support from the U.S. and other allies.

Turkey is demanding that the Swedes do more to rein in Kurdish groups that Ankara sees as a threat to its security before approving the alliances expansion.

We are close allies and partners, Blinken said. That doesnt mean we dont have differences, but when we have differences, precisely because we are allies and partners, we work through them in that spirit.

Cavusoglu made no mention of Finland and Sweden in his comments, but did make a point of stressing the importance Turkey places on winning U.S. approval to buy advanced F-16 fighters, something the Biden administration supports but that faces significant congressional opposition.

Cavusoglu called the F-16 deal a significant topic in U.S.-Turkey defense cooperation. As we have said before, this is not only about Turkey but also for NATO and the United States as well. So we expect approval in line with our joint strategic interest.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the two sides said they had discussed strengthening the U.S.-Turkey defense partnership, including modernization of Turkeys F-16 fleet, as well as underscoring their mutual commitment to NATOs expansion to qualified applicants.

Although the statement said the two sides were keen to bolster NATO coordination and solidarity in the face of current threats and challenges, it gave no indication that either of those issues had been resolved.

Cavusoglus visit is a rare one to Washington by a top Turkish official as President Joe Bidens administration has kept its distance from Turkey because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogans increasingly authoritarian direction and policies curbing rights and freedoms.

Positioned at the crossroads between East and West, Turkey remains strategically important for Washington. And, as Blinken pointed out, Turkey was key to the agreement between Russia and Ukraine that allowed millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to be transported to world markets, averting a food crisis during the war.

NATO allies, however, frequently find themselves at odds over a number of issues, with the biggest disputes centering on Turkeys purchase of Russian-made missiles and support for Kurdish militants in Syria.

Turkeys acquisition of the S-400 air defense system from Russia in 2017 led to sanctions and Turkey being removed from the development program for the next-generation F-35 fighter plane. After losing out on the F-35, Ankara is trying to restock its F-16 fleet.

U.S. concern over Ankaras cozy relationship with the Kremlin has been reinvigorated by the war in Ukraine. Despite Turkeys ties with Moscow producing breakthroughs such as the grain deal and prisoner swaps, Washington is worried about sanctions-busting as Turkish-Russian trade levels have risen over the last year.

And, Ankaras feet-dragging over ratifying bids by Sweden and Finland to join NATO has added to friction between the allies.

Turkeys recent attempts at rapprochement with Syria after a decade of bitter enmity have caused another break with the U.S. Following a meeting of Syrian and Turkish defense ministers in Moscow last month, the U.S. State Department reiterated its opposition to countries normalizing relations with Damascus.

The U.S. military has also warned that a threatened Turkish operation against the Kurdish YPG in northern Syria could destabilize the region and revive the Islamic State group.

(AP)




By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

There are great individuals that often surround us, and yet because of their quiet demeanor, one hardly knows of their greatness. This Wednesday night and Thursday mark the shloshim of the petirah of a remarkable individual, Gerald Feldhamer, who dedicated his life to chesed and to serving the klal.

Early Years

Reb Jerry, as he was affectionately known, was born in 1929, and grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn during the Great Depression. His life virtually encompassed the entire history of 20th century Jewish America.

Jerrys parents were recent immigrants of very modest means, and could not afford to send him to yeshiva, so he attended public school. But the rabbi in his neighborhood shul noticed a strong thirst for Yiddishkeit in him, and arranged for the Shammas in the shul to learn with Jerry. After graduating from high school in Brooklyn, he decided to attend college in Denver, Colorado, where his elder brother had begun college a couple of years before.

Arriving at the out-of-town college in the late 1940s, he immediately established a kosher kitchen, organized tefillos on Shabbosim, arranged for Shabbos seudos, and inspired many of the unaffiliated college students around him to connect with their Jewish roots. Soon enough, the local Talmud Torah hired him, and the young college student with no yeshiva education became a rebbe in the local cheder. One can only say, wow. His life, even as a college student served as an inspiration.

Returning to New York after college, Jerry earned a law degree from NYU, but ultimately made his career in finance as an investment banker, eventually founding his own small investment firm. Many of his friends remarked at the shiva that no one really knew what Jerry did professionally. His independent occupation may have been the source of his material livelihood, but more importantly, it was an avenue that enabled him to immerse himself in a myriad of communal activities in each of the communities that he lived in, and for the Jewish community at large.

Jerry married late  he was in his 40s when he married Karin (nee Finkelstein), yibadel lchaim aruchim, ultimately building a beautiful family with four sons and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Even before he was married, he had been instrumental in building two shuls in the 1960s  The Young Israel of Fifth Avenue, where he personally oversaw construction of the shul, and served as Chairman for many years; and the original summer minyan on Fire Island in Suffolk County.

He organized it together with the late Rabbi Herman Wouk obm and Rabbi Moshe Tendler obm, who served then as the Rabbi of the summer community. It was through this that he developed a life long kesher with the Gadol HaDor  Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl.

Russian Jewry

Jerry and his wife were pioneers in the movement to save soviet Jewry. As newlyweds, in 1972, the traveled together to the Soviet Union. Karin was his devoted partner in all of his myriad activities. It was at the height of communism, and Jews were being subjected to government persecution for any religious expressions or activities.

Jerry and Karin secretly brought in siddurim, tzitzis, yarmulkahs and other religious article in their suitcases. They visited a number of large cities in the Soviet Union. They met in secret with members of each community while avoiding surveillance by the KGB.

In addition to distributing the religious articles that they had brought with them, they also provided much needed encouragement and hope to the people they had met with, most of whom were seeking permission to leave Russia so they could live openly as Jews. When they were returning to the US, they smuggled out a long list with the names and addresses of people who were looking to emigrate to the US and Israel.

This information was vital for the Jewish community in the US to submit affidavits assuming financial responsibility for these individuals so that they could secure permission to emigrate to the United States. Today that list, the longest of its nature to leave Russia at that time, is in a museum in Tel Aviv. That trip to Russia led to the Feldhamers lifelong commitment to helping Soviet Jewry, including Karins many years of work for the Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe organization.

Yeshiva Beer HaGolah

In the late 1970s, at the behest of several gedolei yisroel including Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, ztl and Rav Shneur Kotler, ztl, Jerry, along with his cousin Marc Ratzersdorfer, zl and several other baalei batim, founded Yeshiva Beer Hagolah. The founding of the Yeshiva was a monumental achievement for the Jewish community which had been struggling to meet the needs of the increasing number of children arriving from Russia, who unfortunately were not being absorbed into the existing yeshivas, and many of whom would otherwise have ended up public schools. The Yeshiva still exists today, and has educated thousands upon thousands of members of Klal Ysiroel.

Kashrus and the Orthodox Union

Among his many communal interests, Jerry always showed a passion in the area of kashrus, so he was naturally drawn to the Orthodox Union, initially serving as a member of the OUs Kashrus Commission, and subsequently as a member of the organizations Executive Board. Continuing in his involvement, Jerry eventually became president of the New York Region of the OU, in which capacity he served for many years from the 1980s through the late 1990s. During that time, he spearheaded a program of annual Torah Retreats and Yarchei Kallahs held at the Homowack Hotel. For two weekends each year, noted rabbonim and roshei yeshiva would come from all over the US and beyond to give shiurim to several hundred attendees.

In the late 1980s, Jerry was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo (and subsequently by Governor Pataki) as chairman of the New York State Advisory Board on Kosher Law Enforcement. In this capacity he helped transform the agency, strengthening the oversight of kosher certification throughout New York State. Through the state agencys enforcement program, he helped ensure that restaurants, supermarkets, manufacturers and other food service providers throughout the state adhered to the standards of kashrus that they advertised.

At around the same, Jerry also joined UJA Federation as a member of the Religious Affairs Committee, in the interest of helping broaden the organizations Orthodox representation. He later became Chairman of the Committee, and through the Committee, introduced halachic guidelines in a number of programs being administered by UJA, and helped direct much needed resources to the Orthodox community.

Chesed Shel Emes

In the 1980s, a friend of Jerrys introduced him to the Hebrew Free Burial Association (HFBA), a hundred-year-old organization that was founded to provide for the burial needs of indigent Jews. Unfortunately, at that time, the organization was largely defunct and nearly bankrupt. Jerry joined the board and soon became President of the organization. Investing boundless energy and efforts, Jerry breathed new life into HFBA, promoting awareness throughout the Jewish community regarding the importance of caring for meis mitzvah, raising considerable funds to restore all of the organizations services as well as its existing cemeteries, and organizing annual learning programs and tzedakah campaigns in many communities to benefit the organization. He also initiated a successful campaign to raise money for thousands of matzeivas to be placed on previously unmarked graves. As a result of Jerrys considerable efforts, the Hebrew Free Burial Association performs hundreds of free burials (according to halachah) for indigent Jews each year, many of whom could have otherwise been cremated or buried unceremoniously in mass graves.

Jerry continued his work for the Jewish community well into his advanced years. He served as vice president of the COJO of the West Side, and was the longest serving member of the Board of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. The Met Council provides vital services such as soup kitchens, senior citizen housing and legal assistance for the poor and elderly throughout the New York area.

Jerrys unique ability to transcend the boundaries that could divide the Jewish community was what endeared him to both the leaders and members of the many organizations with which he was involved. He always kept his eye on the goal, which was solely to serve the klal in the best way possible. Recalling their warm friendship and the projects that they worked on together, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive VP of Agudath Israel remarked regarding Jerrys exemplary character, I was especially impressed with Jerrys efforts to bring together all segments of the Torah community, no matter their minhagim, no matter their affiliation. He was a rodef shalom par excellence, whose success in breaking down internal barriers was perhaps his greatest legacy.

Golden Years

As the years passed, Jerrys dikduk hamitzvos and commitment to Torah learning only grew stronger. For the last 40 years of his life, he was punctilious in never missing a minyan. Every morning he planned his daily schedule around where he would daven, and would not travel anywhere that did not offer a minyan. If he was returning from the airport in the evening, he would make a detour through Boro Park to catch maariv at Shomer Shabbos before returning home to the West Side. In his 60s, Jerry began learning the Daf Yomi, and was on his way to finishing Shas for the third time.

Jerry dedicated his life not only to Hashem, to his family, and to the Jewish community, but also, to his fellow man. He was truly mekabel es kol odam besever panim yafos. A consummate gentleman, he was the first to greet every person in shul, and always did so with a smile and a compliment. His genuine friendliness extended not only to his friends and neighbors, but also to their children, who recall how he always had a kind word for them.

The Feldhamers hachnasas orchim was also remarkable. In Long Beach, where they spent many of their Shabbosim and Yomim Tovim, and especially on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where they made their home, a typical Shabbos seudah often meant no less than 10  15 guests at the table. Over the years, thousands of people came through their doors, with many of these guests becoming adopted as part of the extended family.

On of Jerrys legacies can perhaps be best summed up in his own words. When asked toward the end of his life what accomplishment he was most proud of, Jerry responded without hesitation that it was his family. Together with his eishes chayil Karin, Jerry merited to raise children and grandchildren that follow in his footsteps with lives dedicated to torah, avodah and gemilas chasadim, which undoubtedly is the greatest testament to his legacy.

On the afternoon of the third day of Chanukah, Jerry was laid to his final rest, surrounded by family and close friends. As the kevurah was coming to an end- a cellphone buzzed. Someone was calling with a plea for several men to assist in a minyan for a mes mitzvah, which turned out to be in the same cemetery, and just a couple hundred feet away. Several of the men in attendance happily obliged, and proceeded afterwards to perform the ultimate chesed for a fellow Jew whom they had never known. After dedicating so many years of his life to chesed shel emes, Hashem granted Jerry one final opportunity to assist with one last mes mitzvah.

Yehi zichro baruch.

Rabbi Hoffman can be reached at [email protected]




A complex and tragic agunah case was resolved this week at the Eitanim psychiatric hospital in the mountains outside Jerusalem.

The story began four years ago when a couple wed. Unfortunately, two years later, the husband fell into a severe psychotic state and was hospitalized in a closed ward in Eitanim.

The wife opened a file at the Jerusalem Regional Beis Din for a get but repeated attempts by the dayanim to procure a get were unsuccessful due to the husbands continuous psychotic state.

The members of the Beis Din did not give up and were in continuous contact with the husbands psychiatric team over the husbands condition. For example, this past erev Pesach, the team reported that the man was showing signs of rationality. The head of the Jerusalem Batei Din, HaRav Mordechai Ralbag, rushed to the hospital, only to be disappointed as the man had meanwhile reverted to a psychotic state.

This week, the psychiatric team reported that there was a sudden change for the better. HaRav Ralbag was abroad but he instructed his staff to do everything they can to procure a get.

Av Beis Din HaRav Yitzchak Oshinksy and head secretary HaRav Moshe Biton urgently put together a team including a sofer stam, eidim and shaliach, and rushed to the hospital.

In a moment of lucidity, the husband appointed a shaliach, the sofer stam wrote the get, and shortly later, the get was delivered and the woman was freed from her aginus.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday compared the American support of Ukraine in its battle against Russia to Hitlers quest to wipe out the Jewish people.

Lavrov accused the US of organizing a coalition of European countries against Russia by proxy through Ukraine to solve the Russian question,' comparing it to Hitlers mobilization of European countries against the Soviet Union in its quest to solve the Jewish problem.

They are waging war against our country with the same task: the final solution of the Russian question, Lavrov said, as quoted by Reuters. Just as Hitler wanted a final solution to the Jewish question, now, if you read Western politicians  they clearly say Russia must suffer a strategic defeat.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby excoriated Lavrov for his statements later on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press briefing, Kirby said: Our first reaction is how dare he compare anything to the Holocaust, anything. Let alone a war that they started. Its almost so absurd that its not worth responding to, other than the truly offensive manner in which he tried to cast us in terms of Hitler and the Holocaust.

Israels Foreign Ministry responded by stating: Any comparison or relating current events with Hitlers final solution plan for the extermination of the Jewish People distorts the historical truth, desecrates the memory of those who perished and the survivors and should be strongly rejected.

The European Jewish Congress stated: We are shocked and appalled by the shameful comparison drawn by Russian FM Lavrov between the support of the West for Ukraine and Hitlers persecution and murder of six million Jews in the Shoah.

This is Holocaust distortion at its most basic level.

In May, Lavrov sparked outrage when he claimed that Hitler had Jewish blood and that some of the worst antisemites are Jews in an attempt to justify Russias claims that they are working to eradicate Nazis from Ukraine despite the fact that the countrys president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish.

Russian President Vladimir Putin later apologized to then-prime minister Naftali Bennett for Lavrovs remarks.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Israels U.N. ambassador accused the Palestinians on Wednesday of stabbing a knife into any chance for reconciliation by seeking an advisory opinion from the U.N.s highest court on Israels decades-old West Bank presence  and the Palestinian U.N. envoy accused Israels new government of seeking to crush its people.

The always contentious monthly U.N. Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was even more vitriolic and threatening this week, and U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland warned that a dangerous cycle of violence persists on the ground, amidst increased political tension and a stalled peace process.

Israelis and Palestinians remain on a collision course amid escalating political and inflammatory rhetoric as well as heightened violence in the West Bank  both with potentially grave consequences, he said. Absent a concerted and collective effort by all, with strong support from the international community, spoilers and extremists will continue to pour more fuel on the fire and we will move still further from a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Underlying the ongoing violence is the Palestinians decades-long quest for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories that were won by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory and has built dozens of settlements that are now home to roughly 500,000 Jewish settlers.

In the latest confrontation, the Palestinians and their supporters won U.N. General Assembly approval on Dec. 30 of a resolution asking the International Court of Justice or ICJ to intervene in one of the worlds longest-running and thorniest disputes and render an advisory opinion on the legality of Israeli policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

While the courts rulings are not binding, they do influence international opinion.

Israels new hardline government responded on Jan. 6 by approving steps to penalize the Palestinians in retaliation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were aimed at what he called an extreme anti-Israel step at the United Nations.

The measures include withholding $39 million from the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority and transferring the funds instead to a compensation program for the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian militant attacks, deducting an amount equal to the sum the authority paid last year to families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed in the conflict including militants implicated in attacks against Israelis, and ending VIP travel privileges for leading Palestinians.

The Palestinians responded by getting more than 90 countries to sign a statement expressing deep concern at penalizing the Palestinians for going to the court, and urging Israel to reverse the punitive measures. Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen rejected the statement.

At Wednesdays Security Council meeting, Israels U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the Palestinians of drafting a poisonous and destructive resolution referring Israel to the ICJ with the sole purpose of destroying Israel as the Jewish state.

He claimed this has been a Palestinian goal since before Israels founding in 1948, and said one weapon they use is the manipulation and abuse of international bodies to force Israel to agree to their demands, which he called multilateral terror.

Erdan pointed to anti-Israel activities spurred by the Palestinians at the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, and said that with the adoption of the General Assembly resolution on the ICJ, the Palestinians stabbed a knife in the heart of any chances for dialogue or reconciliation.

He also accused the Palestinians and the U.N. of exaggerating Palestinian casualties and under-reporting and discriminating against Israeli victims. While 2022 may have been the deadliest year for Palestinian terrorists, he said, it was also the year with the most terror attacks committed against Israelis in a decade.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the council the new Netanyahu-led government has said openly its program is to increase settlements, annexation, systemic discrimination and oppression.

It does not recognize our rights anywhere, and proclaims a right for its settlers everywhere, Mansour said.

Mansour said peace is still possible, but only if the Security Council and the international community stand up to the supremacists and take action to end Israels presence in the West Bank, ensure accountability for its annexation of East Jerusalem, recognize the state of Palestine, and reject Israeli settlers in occupied territory.

We face the absurd situation where impunity is enjoyed by those who violate the law and collective punishment is endured by those entitled to its protection, Mansour told the council.

(AP)




The Biden administration on Thursday will announce $930 million for reducing wildfire dangers in 10 western states by clearing trees and underbrush from national forests, as officials struggle to contain destructive infernos that are being made worse by climate change.

Under a strategy now entering its second year, the U.S. Forest Service is trying to prevent out-of-control fires that start on public lands from raging through communities. But in an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack acknowledged that the shortage of workers thats been plaguing other sectors of the economy is hindering the agencys wildfire efforts.

He warned that draconian budget cuts floated by some Republicans, who control the U.S. House, could also undermine the Democratic administrations plans. Its goal is to lower wildfire risks across almost 80,000 square miles (200,000 square kilometers) of public and private lands over the next decade.

The work is projected to cost up to $50 billion. Last years climate and infrastructure bills combined directed about $5 billion to the effort.

Theres one big if, Vilsack said. We need to have a good partner in Congress.

He added that fires on public lands will continue to threaten the West, after burning some 115,000 square miles (297,000 square kilometers) over the past decade  an area larger than Arizona  and destroying about 80,000 houses and other structures, according to government statistics and the nonpartisan research group Headwaters Economics.

Almost 19,000 of those structures were torched in the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people in Paradise, Calif.

Its not a matter of whether or not these forests will burn, Vilsack said. The crisis is upon us.

The sites targeted for spending in 2023 cover much of Southern California, home to 25 million people; the Klamath River Basin on the Oregon-California border; San Carlos Apache Reservation lands in Arizona; and the Wasatch area of northern Utah, a tourist draw with seven ski resorts. Other sites are in Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Washington state, Colorado, New Mexico and Montana.

The idea is to focus on hotspots that make up only a small portion of fire-prone areas but account for about 80% of risk to communities and developed infrastructure  from houses to roads and power lines.

Critics of the administrations strategy say it remains overly focused on stopping fires  a near-impossible goal  with not enough money going to communities and populations at risk, including the elderly and people with medical conditions or disabilities.

Given the scale of how much needs to be done, we are just skimming the surface, said Headwaters Economics researcher Kimiko Barrett. Risks are increasing at a scale and magnitude that we havent seen historically. Youre seeing entire neighborhoods devastated.

Vilsack said the projects announced so far will help reduce wildfire risk to around 200 communities in the western U.S.

Warming temperatures have dried out the regions landscape and driven insect outbreaks that have killed millions of trees  ideal conditions for massive wildfires.

The impact of the Wests fires stretch across North America, with smoke plumes at the height of wildfire season in the U.S. and Canada sometimes causing unhealthy pollution thousands of miles away on the East Coast.

Last years work by the Forest Service included tree thinning and controlled burns across 5,000 square miles (13,000 square kilometers) of forest nationwide, Vilsack said.

Were very targeted in saying, Heres where we need to go to reduce the risk, Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French told the AP.

A key piece of the administrations strategy  intentionally setting small fires to reduce the amount of vegetation available to burn in a major blaze  already has encountered problems: The program was suspended three months last spring after a devastating wildfire sparked by the federal government near Las Vegas, New Mexico, burned across more than 500 square miles (1,295 kilometers) in the southern reaches of the Rocky Mountains.

If youre a community, youre going to have to worry about not just natures fires, but the governments fires, too, said Andy Stahl, executive director of the advocacy group Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. New Mexico taught us that.

(AP)




FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that he was deeply concerned about the Chinese governments artificial intelligence program, asserting that it was not constrained by the rule of law.

Speaking during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijings AI ambitions were built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that theyve stolen over the years.

He said that left unchecked, China could use artificial intelligence advancements to further its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and repression of dissidents inside the country and beyond.

Thats something were deeply concerned about. I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about, he said.

More broadly, he said, AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think, Wow, We can do that? And then I think, Oh god, they can do that.

Such concerns have long been voiced by U.S. officials. In October 2021, for instance, U.S. counterintelligence officials issued warnings about Chinas ambitions in AI as part of a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries.

Earlier that year, an AI commission led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt urged the U.S. to boost its AI skills to counter China, including by pursuing AI-enabled weapons.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment Thursday about Wrays comments. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fearmongering and attacked U.S. intelligence for its assessments of China.

(AP)
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Aston Martin has unveiled its 'most powerful production car ever'.

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Just 499 are to be built as a swansong for its stunning GT model, each costing in excess of 300,000. But you might as well put your wallet back in your pocket because Aston has already taken deposits on all of them.

The Ultimate DBS: Called the DBS 770 Ultimate, this is Aston Martin's 'most powerful production car ever' and is the last version of its grand tourer with a heavily-tuned V12 engine

As the name suggests, this is the ultimate DBS Superleggera from the luxury car maker, bidding farewell to one of the brand's most beautiful existing models.

But the 770 guarantees it won't be making a quiet exit.

While it is being promoted as the manufacturer's 'most powerful production car ever', the key word to take into account from this claim is 'production'.

That's because the 300 coupes (prices at 314,000) and 199 Volante convertibles (337,000 each) it is due to make for the global market is enough to qualify it as a volume-production model.

The reality is that this isn't the most potent road car to leave its Gaydon factory, with 'exclusive' models like the one-of-a-kind 836bhp Aston Martin Victor and 150 1,160bhp Valkyrie hypercars trumping it on horespower alone.

Yet this minor caveat makes the DBS 770 Ultimate no less brutal... or loud.

The Aston Martin 770 Ultimate has been unveiled as the swansong DBS model as part of the British car company's 110-year anniversary in 2023

While it is being promoted as the manufacturer's most powerful production car, the key word to take into account is 'production'. That's because 499 examples is enough to qualify it as a production-run model, despite a number of more potent 'exclusive' Aston road cars leaving the Gaydon factory in recent years

Aston Martin engineers have worked their magic to squeeze another 44bhp from the 12-cylinder engine, thanks primarily to increased boost pressure and tweaked air and ignition pathways, the car company says.

Linked to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, power is delivered to the rear wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential.

With 900Nm of pulling power on tap, the DBS 770 Ultimate can sprint from a standstill to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds (coupe) and continues accelerating beyond 200mph.

Away from the engine, there have been some other changes over the 'standard' DBS.

While it shares the same carbon-ceramic brake setup, it has exclusive 21-inch wheels inspired by the Valkyrie hypercar and said to have a 'jewellery appearance'.

Suspension has also been upgraded, with the adaptive dampers recalibrated to provide additional agility without ruining the ride quality, while other chassis tweaks have increased torsional stiffness by three per cent.

Announcing its arrival, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's chief creative officer, said: 'DBS has always sat at the pinnacle of the Aston Martin production model line-up. And now were infusing DBS 770 Ultimate with even more more power, more performance purity and all with more sophistication, more taste and in the most considered manner.

'Something so raw, and yet so beautiful its almost intimidating to look at.

'It's through this design approach that we came up with the shapes - starting with the amped-up front end  and from there everything else flows in design balance with the performance upgrades.'

With 900Nm of pulling power, the DBS 770 Ultimate can sprint from rest to 62mph in 3.2 seconds (coupe) and continue accelerating beyond 200mph

While it shares the same carbon-ceramic brake setup, it has exclusive 21-inch wheels said to be inspired by the Valkyrie hypercar and having a 'jewellery appearance

Among the design changes to the 'standard' DBS is this deeply recessed bonnet scoop, which is designed to suck air through the radiators to improve cooling

As Mr Reichman points out, identifying the 499 limited-edition 770 Ultimate from an 'ordinary' DBS shouldn't be a difficult task.

The swansong versions all-round more aggressive design is highlighted by a new carbon fibre sill. The firm says this 'visually lowers the side profile towards the rear wheel' and creates 'a poised stance that accentuates the DBSs muscular physique'.

It also gets a unique front splitter and rear diffuser combination, a deeply recessed bonnet scoop to suck air through the radiators to improve cooling, and a dashing of additional carbon fibre trims and louvres.

Inside, the carbon enhancements continue with this a flat-bottomed steering wheel and dashings of the lightweight material on the centre console

Even the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox paddles are made from featherweight carbon fibre, all in the aim of shedding bulk

The bucket seats chassis are made from carbon fibre while the minimum padding is a mix of leather and alcantara materials

Inside, the carbon enhancements continue and include a pair of new front bucket seats trimmed in leather and alcantara, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and the accompaniment of carbon fibre shift paddles.

The 499 customers who already have their names down on the available cars can push the price of their DBS 770 Ultimate even high if they want through extra customisation available via Aston Martins Q division.

This ranges from anything including bespoke graphics packs, unique wheel colours and contrasting leather trims.

And it's not the only limited-run model the British car company is promising in 2023 as part of its 110-year anniversary, with another unnamed Aston Martin due to be unveiled as part of the celebrations.
The BBC reports that the Church of England  founded to break from the Catholic Church after it refused to grant a divorce to Henry VIII, who wanted to wed Anne Boleyn before cutting her head off  has reached the end of a five-year-long consultation and debate regarding the church's position on same-sex marriage.

Now, Anglican bishops will be allowed to perform "prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God's blessing" on same-sex couples who are already legally united by the state  but the Church itself will not perform or formally recognize same-sex marriages.

BBC News spoke to several bishops present at the meeting who said the Church's teaching that Holy Matrimony is only between one man and one woman would not change and would not be put to a vote. [] The Anglican Church in Wales has provided an authorised service of blessing for gay couples but does not allow same-sex weddings in church. English bishops will recommend that some "prayers for God's blessing" for gay couples in civil marriages be adopted, the BBC expects. A controversial church document from 1991 that says clergy in same-sex relationships must remain celibate will be scrapped. And the Church will also issue an apology for the way it has excluded LGBT+ people, BBC News was told by several bishops.

It's worth reiterating once again that the entire foundational purpose of the Church of England was to destroy the sanctity of "traditional" marriage as defined by the Vatican just because a royal wanted to get his dick wet (and then proceed to divorce and re-marry five more times after that).

Church of England bishops refuse to back gay marriage [BBC News]
At 61 am I wrong to pursue my lifelong dream of starting a business?

I want to start a soft play business for disabled children in my local area

I want to start my own soft play business for disabled children.

I am studying a business plan and becoming more confident as time goes on, despite people trying to put me off because I am 61 and am disabled. What do you think about an older woman trying to start their own business?

I work seven days a week and live with my grown up autistic son. My work as a health and social care worker gives me insight in to what I want to set up.

Is it wrong of me to want to pursue my lifelong dream of starting up on my own business? Do you think I'm doing the right thing at my age?

My friend who has a disabled son and runs her own business is at hand to give me advice, and my old boss is going to make a website for me. I'm really enjoying it and I think I could make my business into a success.

I want to start a soft play business for disabled children in my local area - at 61, am I too old to pursue my dream? Dave Fishwick replies

Dave Fishwick, This Is Money's business doctor replies: This sounds like a fantastic idea which has the potential to benefit disabled children, their families and carers and the community as a whole.

I think with the benefit of age comes a tremendous amount of wisdom. I employed a woman called Mavis, in her early seventies, in my minibus sales business. She was one of the most wonderful, honest, decent, ethical, moral, and intelligent individuals you will ever meet, and her management skills were legendary.

At the Bank of Dave, I have seen many women take loans to start new businesses and become very successful. I don't see either your age or the fact that you have a disability as issues which should prevent you from starting this business.

However, it will definitely involve taking on more responsibility and you do need to be prepared for this.

You know your abilities and limitations better than anyone. Given your circumstances, the fact you still have the will and the drive to do this suggests that you have a great deal of determination and resilience.

We're all human, though, and nobody is indestructible. I think the more support you have in launching this project, the better the chances of success.

This could be more than just another business, and I feel that money isn't your primary motivation for doing this. If this is the case, it may be best to approach this slightly differently, perhaps by establishing it on a not-for-profit basis.

If you set up a not-for-profit or charitable entity, there will likely be much more willingness from local people to help and support the project.

Whether volunteering a few hours of their time or donating money, supplies or equipment, the people of this country are often very generous in their support of good causes.

Not-for-profit organisations can still pay wages and provide expenses, but profits should be reinvested into the enterprise to continue to benefit the community. There are several legal structures which can be used.

The exact format that is most suitable will depend on several factors, such as the sources of income and the number of people involved and positions they hold.

Where the business sector is competitive in nature and commercial secrets are closely guarded, the charitable sector is more like a community and you're more likely to find people who are willing to give advice and support.

Speak to your local council, relevant charities and support groups to see if they can assist. You may get a better deal on the premises or be allowed to use premises owned by the council for free.

Where the business sector is competitive in nature, the charitable sector is more like a community and you're more likely to find people who are willing to give advice and support

As a charity, you could be entitled to reduced or zero rates and on a large building needed for this sort of business this could help you.

I would recommend researching the number of disabled children in the area to assess the number of children likely to use the facilities.

If your local area doesn't have a sufficient number of disabled children to sustain the operation, perhaps you could consider providing a mixed-use facility rather than one which only caters for disabled children.

Alternatively, choosing a location with a larger catchment area or organising transport services may be necessary.

There are likely to be significant initial capital expenses to convert the premises to meet the requirements of the children, and there may be some funding available to help. I recommend exploring every avenue before investing your own money or taking out personal loans.

If you'll be renting premises as a business, it's normal to enter into a commercial lease, which ties you into paying rent for a fixed period, usually of several years, whether or not the business makes money or even if it ceases trading.

Therefore, if you decide to pursue this as a business I would consider setting up as a limited company instead of a sole trader to protect your personal finances.

I love your idea and whichever route you choose I wish you every success.
WH Smith has hailed an impressive start to the financial year as the bounce back in travel over the festive period provided a windfall for the group's outlets.

Turnover shot up by 41 per cent in the 20 weeks ending 14 January, compared to last year when trading was severely affected by the reimposition of Covid-19 restrictions in response to the Omicron variant's emergence.

Loosening lockdown rules and skyrocketing airport sales helped revenue in the firm's UK travel arm climb by 70 per cent, as did robust performances at its hospital stores and technology accessories brand InMotion.

Recovery: Loosening lockdown rules and skyrocketing airport sales helped revenue in WH Smith's UK travel arm climb by 70 per cent in the 20 weeks ending 14 January

During the same period, travel sales grew by almost a third in North America, while they nearly tripled across the rest of the world as the company opened new sites in cities like Brussels, Belgium and Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.

Total revenue was also 20 per cent higher on 2019 levels, although slightly down on a like-for-like basis, as airline and rail passenger numbers remained significantly below pre-pandemic volumes.

Widespread flight cancellations and delays have stifled the recovery at the group's airport locations, especially in the UK and Europe, as labour shortages have left airlines struggling to cope with the resurgence in travellers.

Concurrently, footfall at prominent British commuter rail hubs has been impacted by the pandemic-induced rise in people working from home and a series of strikes regarding pay and conditions by railway staff.

Nonetheless, WH Smith said global passenger volumes are continuing to rebound even against a backdrop of heightened economic uncertainty.

Having launched 40 new travel stores since the beginning of September, it has won bids to open over 130 more outlets, including at the airports of Reagan National in Washington D.C. and Palm Springs in California.

Chief executive Carl Cowling said the firm was 'in its strongest ever position as a global travel retailer,' following the impressive results and gaining of new tenders.

He further remarked: 'This strength, combined with the ongoing improvement in passenger numbers across the globe, means that we are confident of another year of significant growth in 2023.'

Back in November, WH Smith reinstated its dividend after revealing that its annual profits had marginally eclipsed forecasts, having halted shareholder payouts two years previously when it was forced to shut most of its venues at the outbreak of the pandemic.

As trading curbs were loosened, demand recovered more quickly at the company's high street business, partly due to surging sales at its online brands, such as greeting cards seller funkypigeon.com.

The division was also allowed to keep many of its shops open during the strictest lockdown stages because they hosted Post Offices, which were considered an essential service by the UK Government.

In the most recent reporting period, though, the high street arm's like-for-like sales flatlined and remained 10 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'For years, the UK high street operation has been something of an afterthought, run as efficiently as possible with a firm control on costs.'

He added: 'At some point, a debate over the role of the high street arm in the wider group may start to heat up, and investors may look for a sale or spin-off of a business which has very different growth prospects.'

WH Smith shares closed 2.9 per cent lower at 15.70 on Wednesday, although their value has still increased by around a third in the past three months.
Vogue publisher Conde Nast is ditching its Mayfair office after 65 years as it looks to modernise.

The publishing giant will move from the seven-storey Vogue House in Hanover Square to its Adelphi office in Embankment. The relocation could happen by January next year.

Leaving Vogue House will be hard, bosses told staff. After many attempts to find a way to expand and redesign the space to meet our needs, there were just too many challenges to be able to do so.

Fashion house: Conde Nast's Mayfair office is where editor-in-chief of American Vogue and industry icon Anna Wintour (pictured with supermodel Kate Moss) started her career

Owned by the Church of England, Vogue House has been a focal point for the fashion bible, seeing everyone from model Kate Moss to Princess Diana gracing its halls.

As the HQ of British Vogue, it is also where editor-in-chief of US Vogue and industry icon Anna Wintour (pictured with British Vogue boss Edward Enninful) started her career.

The media powerhouse, which also publishes titles The New Yorker and GQ, said its move reflects an exciting evolution and transformation.

The privately owned firm made a profit in 2021 on revenues of 1.6billion.
The French buyers of British software giant Aveva have defended the deal following a backlash.

Denying he bought it on the cheap, Schneider Electric chief executive Jean-Pascal Tricoire said his company paid a very rich premium for the Cambridge company.

He also dismissed fears over Schneiders links to China and insisted he was committed to protecting jobs.

Fair deal: Schneider Electric chief exec Jean-Pascal Tricoire (pictured) said his company paid a very rich premium for British software giant Aveva

But the comments drew criticism from leading City fund manager Richard Buxton, who opposed the deal at the time and last night said Schneider was likely to have done very well given the price it paid.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps last month waved through Schneiders acquisition of the 41 per cent of Aveva it did not already own, in a deal that valued it at 10billion.

The deal had been approved by investors in November despite concerns by some that Schneider was underpaying.

But Tricoire, told the Mail while at the World Economic Forum in Davos: Its a listed company and we paid a very rich premium.

Schneider had last September agreed to buy the stake at 31 a share, a 40 per cent premium to the price Aveva was trading at before his interest became known.

It then further sweetened the price to 32.25, a 47 per cent premium, to allay investor unrest.

Asked about the companys commitment to jobs and its future in the UK, Tricoire said: Weve committed to all this in our official communication from day one.

We are committing on the preservation of knowhow, IP [intellectual property] and people. In the takeover agreement, Schneider said it intends to maintain Avevas HQ in Cambridge, develop its research and development in the UK and back existing plans to boost its operations in the city.

A further concern centred on the joint venture that Schneider has had since 2007 with Chinese conglomerate Delixi Electric.

That had raised fears that Avevas proprietary technology was at risk from Beijing.

Some politicians and analysts wanted the deal to be reviewed for this reason under the National Security and Investment Act.

Tricoire said: Most of what we do in China is 100 per cent Schneider. The digital arm of Aveva is operating in China on its own.

The implication of his comments seemed to be that little would change in relation to China.

Aveva, which provides software to help engineers to design major industrial projects and products to help run factories, was founded in 1967 and has since pioneered industrial design technologies.

This week, chief executive Peter Herweck insisted it would remain autonomous, as the deal was formally completed. Several major investors had threatened to reject the previous offer, including the hedge fund Davidson Kempner.

Even after the deal was sweetened, the New York firm said it was highly opportunistic and said it did not take into account long-term potential. Herweck said: The independent board reviewed the offer, talked to several independent consultants that did evaluations and thats why they supported the first offer.

Of course, when shareholders are not happy they voice their unhappiness and hence it came to a revised offer, which has been largely accepted by shareholders.

Buxton, investment manager at Jupiter Asset Management, last night expressed scepticism about Schneider paying a rich premium. I think if the business performs as they would like it to, then in three years time they will have done very well.
With all the gum-flapping the Republicans do about their claims of "concern" over Biden's "cognitive state," a befuddled Donald Trump can't even recognize his own ex-wife, Marla Maples.

Or rather, he pointed to another woman's photo  that of former Elle columnist, E. Jean Carroll, who has accused the former one-term president of rape  and insisted it was Maples.

"It's Marla," Trump said when shown the photo in October. "That's Marla, yeah. That's my wife," he confirmed, according to CNN, also, apparently, confusing former wife Maples with his current wife, Melania Trump.

From CNN:
January 19, 2023







Customer support outsourcing is a tried and tested way to scale operations and access critical skills cost-effectively. Unfortunately, many businesses learn the hard way that 72% of modern consumers expect support-related answers within 30 minutes and turn to outsourcing to bridge gaps in service delivery.







However, whatever the reason for considering this option, making that final step is frightening for some firms as it means relinquishing control. The best way to alleviate such fears is by partnering with a service specialist company, but how do you find the right one?

Read on to learn what to look for when considering customer support outsourcing.

Start With Non-Core Functions

If youre not ready to leap yet or wish to try a company, you might try outsourcing a non-critical function like IT support or logistics. Doing so allows you to understand better how the process works and how your new business partner operates.

As you feel more comfortable in the companys capabilities, you can look for a partner to entrust with your customer service functions.

Do Your Research

There is a vast difference between customer support outsourcing and support offshoring. The former is a holistic solution for your business, while the latter is merely finding someone to answer calls.

Thats not to say that you should look for a company based in your home country. There are several outstanding services available globally today. However, carefully research your candidates before you sign up. Consider the following:

Do they have a good track record?

What credentials do they have? Have they won awards for service?

Who leads the company, and what is staff turnover?

Are they ethical?

How will they protect your data?

How do they deal with you, and what steps are they taking to understand your business needs?

Your initial interviews will give you some insights into the above-mentioned questions. Checking customer reviews or asking for references is another excellent way to establish a baseline from which to compare options.

Privacy Policies

Taking on a third-party company to deal with customer service means potentially exposing your clients sensitive customer information. Gauge how careful the service provider is when sharing customer information with you.

Run if they reveal sensitive information about their current clients to secure your business. Learn more about their privacy policies and see how well they measure up to yours.

Security Issues

You need to understand the companys security protocols. How do they protect your data, and what happens in the event of a breach? Steer clear of companies that give overly vague responses or do not have a data breach recovery plan.

While few companies will lay out every specific aspect of their security system, they should provide sufficient details to reassure you that they take security seriously.

Compare Apples with Apples

Finally, you must find a way to evaluate the return on investment accurately. This task may prove easier said than done because of the range of support packages available. Start by getting their estimates in writing and request detailed quotes.

Compare components like cost per client or hour, service level agreements, and features that matter to your company. Say, for example, that your client base consists of a few small states where everyone speaks English. In such instances, it wouldnt be worth paying extra for a multilingual team.

However, if you plan to expand into a new region, having that same team on your side will be an asset.

Conclusion

When it comes to customer support outsourcing, its wise to tread carefully. However, dont let undue care prevent you from investing in your firms future.
January 19, 2023





In the past three decades, there have been considerable developments in the banking sector. The main drivers behind the banks' commitment to customer experience transformation are fierce competition, a constantly evolving financial environment, and sky-high client expectations.







The most significant roles are played during the first phases of customer experience in the banking sector. A consumer is often first exposed to through an advertising they see offline or online.

A sales representative will frequently call or email a lead when they appear to be ready. Up until the consumer signs on the dotted line, the sales representative walks the buyer through the assessment and engagement phases of the sales funnel.

Customers, however, don't utilize marketing or sales as much once the transaction is made. A consumer is more likely to contact your support staff after making a transaction if they require more assistance. Therefore, the customer experience is greatly shaped by your support crew.

Customer behavior has been evolving throughout time. Clients demand seamless and immediate access, and since these trends are always changing, banks and other financial institutions must continually stay on top of them in order to enhance the customer experience in the banking sector. Every strategy approach in banking that aims to satisfy consumer needs must take into account the customer experience and not just the financial sector is affected.

The change in support agents, who now play a bigger role in how customers view businesses and their interactions with them, has been an intriguing development, says Mazzetti.

"Since fewer customers are shopping in-store, support agents' roles and visibility have grown significantly. They resemble the official face of your company.

Customer experience (CX) in banking

The efforts made by staff and banks to treat each client as important while attending to their requirements constitute the customer experience in the banking sector . Depending on how the client feels after obtaining a service, this customer experience may improve or deteriorate.

As a result, practically all big banks are investing a significant amount of money on improving their client experience. Results, however, are not always favorable. A customer's experience may be impacted by a variety of services, including creating a savings account as well as transactions and continuous assistance.

The 6 Process Pain Points that Destroy the Banking Customer Experience

A financial institution may have a well-known name and a mobile app that has won awards, but a few clumsy, annoying procedures behind the scenes can ruin all that goodwill.

There are too many banking options in the modern world that might easily win people away, therefore traditional banks and credit unions can't afford to lose customers to minor customer experience in the banking sector.

These issues are relatively simple to resolve, but they need an awareness of the points in the digital and in-branch banking experiences where clients are upset.

1. Terms and Conditions Need Improvement

The New York Times determined that it would take a typical worker 76 days of work time to read through all of the policies of internet companies. People are presented with these contracts and regulations almost every time they download an app, let alone when they apply for a loan or credit card.

Some financial institutions attempted to get around this step for customers by assigning the responsibility to staff and requiring them to read out scripts with condensed terms and conditions. When customers phone at the contact center as opposed to carrying out the same operation online.

2. Dispute Resolution Procedures Are Slow

The trust between a consumer and a financial institution may be rapidly and readily put to the test by a disagreement of any type. Frustration can then swiftly lead to customer attrition, a decline in NPS, and regulatory complaints.

According to the survey, "many dispute procedures nowadays force their consumers to traverse between channels and submit various paperwork" instead of giving them the chance to see why they're in excellent hands.

Institutions thus experience open cases, lengthy turn around times, and growing client resentment. People must ultimately provide evidence of the problem and contact many agencies before an issue is even resolved.

3. Too Slow Are Legacy Loan Deferment Systems

In many respects, the pandemic served as an example of how banks and credit unions cannot rely on outdated technology to satisfy their customer experience in the banking sector. However, most institutions utilized the same systems they had been using for years to obtain the data they needed to accept the postponement or change when clients expressly required them during COVID-19.

The basic procedure was just as slow as it has always been: banks and credit unions needed to verify people's identities, examine the outstanding balance of the loan, and gather evidence of the borrower's inability to repay their loan. Despite the fact that many institutions took steps frequently manual, to speed up decisions, the basic procedure was not changed.

4. Too Many Steps in Replacement Card Processes

Getting an extra debit card or a replacement card should be simple compared to estate-related account transfers. Customers should ostensibly just need to notify their institution that they require a new card, provide them with a few brief explanations as to why, and the plastic card will be delivered shortly after.

Most procedures at major financial institutions can be completed using a mobile app, particularly if they feature a virtual assistant that can rapidly guide users through the replacement debit card application process.

Consumers of smaller institutions could be "driven beyond their channel of choice" if they are obliged to phone a bank person. Or perhaps they need to visit their nearby branch in person rather than "engaging from any place or on their own time" because the problem couldn't be resolved over the phone.

5. Friction Delays Fraud Resolution

Fraud resolutions are frequently a complex maze that already-anxious consumers find difficult to navigate, just as dispute settlements are slowed down by needless friction.

Financial institutions are attempting to incorporate technology into their digital strategy without first ensuring that these technologies work effectively together.

According to the research, customers who are prepared to submit fraud applications electronically are "continuously bounced through online and physical channels." People have to go through several ID checks before finally submitting papers to establish the fraudulent behavior, as opposed to a single, simplified process.

What do customers anticipate from financial institutions?

Customers anticipate easy service from their financial institutions in addition to an understanding of their unique needs and requirements and the provision of tailored offerings. In 2022, customer experience in the banking sector will be at a point where it can make or break businesses, and customers will no longer see their experiences in the context of certain industries.

Customers want their banks to provide an experience that supports their requirements, fosters trust, offers specialized services, and goes above and beyond their expectations, regardless of the nation or continent.

Accessible to everyone

Because of the service, a consumer shouldn't look up the location of the closest branch and rush there. In order for clients to access services like branchless banking anytime, anyplace, banks need to make their digital platforms which are simple to use. There are 30 million active mobile internet users at Bank of America.

Real-time support

More real-time support is needed for customer experience in the banking sector than for any other sector. Nearly 50% of consumers believe that quick customer service is essential for fostering customer loyalty. To improve their customer service, banks may easily offer real-time assistance utilizing chatbots, AI-ML technologies, etc.

Tailored Services

Customers are always seeking specialized and tailored services and goods that meet their specific needs. Banks may effortlessly provide personalized support that helps to shape the customer experience in the banking sector by pinpointing the key business drivers.

Data protection

Data security is one of the most important factors, especially for banks and other financial organizations. Any consumer, regardless of who they are, wants to feel safe and secure while sharing important information with the bank. To maintain a positive, long-term client relationship, banks should foster trust.

With all these pain points in mind, let us now take a look at how a knowledge management system can improve customer experience in the banking sector.

1. Self-service portals

Have you ever been to a bank and got frustrated by the long queues and wait times?

What if there was a way to speed up the process and take things into your own hands? Studies have shown that 59 percent of consumers prefer using self-service portals in banking transactions.

This study proves that todays customer is self-sufficient and no longer needs human assistance for every transaction they need to make.

Some key areas where customer self-service software have changed the banking landscape are:

1.Routine and repetitive banking transactions

Many repetitive banking transactions can now be automated. These include checking bank balances, viewing bank statements, and changing ATM passwords. This has enhanced customer experience in the banking sector, where employees from mundane tasks can now focus on solving more complex issues that customers face.

This also enhances the customer experience as customers no longer need to travel long distances or wait in long queues for simple tasks.

2.Conflict resolution

While human support agents are still crucial to solve more complex problems, issues related to document verification, payment of late fees, and blocking or unblocking of cards can be done through self-service portals.

Thus, adopting a self-service portal can level customer experience in the banking sector and also reduce pressure on your life support agent.

2. Help Center articles

Help center articles are a great source of information for new or experienced customers. Fundamentally, the purpose of a help article is to educate your customers about your products and services. When a help article is clear and accessible, people feel confident and empowered while using your product.

Imagine this scenario. A customer arrives at your Help Center confused and frustrated. They want to open a new bank account immediately through self-service. At this point, all they want is a quick and easy resolution to their problem. This is why it is necessary to think from the customers perspective to solve their problems.

Creating help articles that answer frequently asked questions and solve customer problems will elevate the customer experience in the banking sector. In the case above, having a step-by-step help article on how to open a bank account at home will solve the customers problems.

By using a knowledge management platform, future customers having the same problems will have access to a unified knowledge base for all information.

A knowledge base of helpful articles to solve customer problems will lead to agent empowerment. Since these articles are readily available, live support agents can use them when needed.

3. Knowledge Repository

In todays world, banks have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Everyone uses a banking service in one way or another. This implies that there is an immense amount of traffic that banking employees have to deal with.

And with so much information there is to store and organize, it is humanly impossible to remember all this information. This is why it is essential to store and organize information in a way that is accessible to those who need it and when they need it.

Traditional methods of storing information in documents, long guides, and PDFs are bound to create confusion and trouble in case of immediate need of access. Not to mention these guides are extremely long and tedious to read.

In a fast-paced environment with time constraints, using a knowledge management platform as your central knowledge repository will undoubtedly improve customer experience in the banking sector.

Having an efficient knowledge management software will elevate CX in some of the following ways:

1.Ensure consistent and precise information across any branch

A centralized knowledge repository ensures that customers receive consistent information about similar problems no matter what bank branch they visit or which employee they interact with. This also ensures consistency in the service your particular bank provides to its customers, also improving your brand experience.

2.Provide employees with the latest updates and information

For instance, new laws, regulations, and policies can have a drastic impact on banking services and policies. By using a knowledge management system, employees across all branches will receive updates on the new terms and conditions simultaneously.

4. Decision trees

A decision tree software, as the name suggests, is a tree-like support tool that helps with decision-making and predicting possible outcomes. They are especially useful in banks as they assist in making complicated financial decisions.

Decision trees help bridge interactions between bank agents and customers. And how do they do this?

Call center scripting software like decisions trees help support agents in reducing the information they have to memorize while keeping in mind bank protocols. Let us see a few examples.

1.Promotes independent service

In finance, decision trees help deflect calls by using self-service. Many transactions including investing and choosing insurance can be done through AI-generated decision trees. They help customers make informed decisions based on their needs and eligibility.

2.Helps reduce wait time

For customers, decision trees are great for giving instant answers. As decision trees are integrated with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, their data is automatically stored and backed up. This means that customers no longer have to continuously repeat themselves about their information. Overall, the handle and wait time are reduced.

On the agents end, decision trees allow agents to provide solutions in a few simple steps that are error-proof. This increases customer satisfaction and ensures a pleasant experience with the support agent, thereby elevating the customer experience in their banking sector.

5. Customer service FAQs

The FAQs section of any page, including a banks, should address the most commonly asked questions by your customers about your products or services. The best way to understand what these questions are is to analyze the customer service data.

What do customers contact you mostly about? What kind of support do your customers need most? Tapping into similar questions will help you map out what to include in your FAQs.

While organizing the FAQ page, using a knowledge base of articles and short snippets with keywords that your customers use will help them find their answers faster.

Note: While FAQs are a great way to answer customer questions quickly and reduce the workload on live support agents, FAQs are only an initial phase of support. In case the customer is dealing with complex issues, a live agent will have to step in. Keeping this in mind, it is important to include options to contact a live customer support agent.

For every customer query at different touch points, providing ample and efficient customer problem resolution is the only way to elevate their customer experience in the banking sector.

6. Visual how-to guides

According to research, about 65 percent of the population are called visual learners. This means that they need to see what they are learning in order to retain it. It is no wonder then that graphics and videos are becoming increasingly popular every day.

Similarly in banking, creating visual guides will engage your customers more than plain text.

To break it down, visuals help break down topics into smaller, more manageable chunks and help the user digest them faster and easier. According to a study, an individual is found to have only retained about 20 percent of written information contrary to 65 percent of the visual content.

Thus, creating visual how-to guides will improve customer experience in the banking sector, especially in their self-service journey. Taking into account peoples varying degrees of familiarity with tools and technology, creating a knowledge base of readily available visual guides will assist customers who are tech savvy or not.

From an agents end, pictorial guides help to resolve problems faster and more efficiently, reducing wait and handling time. This boosts customer satisfaction overall, including business productivity.

For instance, if you want to create a How to open a bank account online guide, you can use a knowledge management tool to add the required images, and successive step names, highlight important information, add tips and warnings, and include text for description.

7. Helps in knowledge retention

In any industry, employee turnover is inevitable. When employees leave, they leave with their knowledge and expertise. This becomes a challenge for any organization, including banks, as a result of brain drain.

By using a knowledge management system, an organization can store this knowledge and information in its repository that can be used by present and future employees. This will prevent knowledge loss with every employee's exit.

For instance, a complex and unique customer case has been solved by an employee. The information from this case can be stored in a knowledge base as expert advice that can be used by present employees and while training new ones in the future. By retaining expert knowledge, employees can use it to elevate the customer experience in the banking sector.

8. Omnichannel customer experience

Every customer's journey is different, depending on their needs, goals, and preferences. While some customers prefer traditional methods of live support assistance, others find self-service options and AI-driven chatbots more convenient and private.

Depending on the customers preferences, an omnichannel service will elevate their customer experience in the banking sector by choosing the channel they are most comfortable with.

The channel they opt for will also depend on the kind of problem they want to resolve. Simple services like acquiring an account balance are solved by self-support channels. Other more complex situations like financial consultations require a live support employee.

Conclusion

Using a good knowledge management system can level up customer experience in the banking sector. That will improve customer satisfaction and agent productivity. This is a common denominator that all organizations have, and the banking sector is no different. Since customer experience has become the new benchmark for businesses, it only makes sense for banks to level up their CX too.

About The Author

Megha Agarwal has been working as a digital marketing executive with Knowmax, a knowledge base software for call centers & self-service. She carries out daily marketing operations from outreaching relevant websites to getting the content published and creating new content.
[January 19, 2023] 2022 Q4 BluWave Activity Index Report Reveals How Private Equity Industry Is Planning for Expected Recession

BluWave, the business builders' network for private equity grade needs, today released its 2022 Q4 BluWave PE Industry Insights Report. The report presents actionable data to help leaders navigate the new economic normal, captured through analyzing the activity of more than 500 leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies across due diligence and value creation since 2018. As economic growth and deal flow has slowed, there have been fundamental changes in private equity activity: Value creation is at a record high: PE activity has shifted from a 60/40 mix of value creation to due diligence in 2018 to 70/30, indicative of how private equity firms are proactively surrounding their portfolio companies with resources for safety and success during a recession.

PE activity has shifted from a 60/40 mix of value creation to due diligence in 2018 to 70/30, indicative of how private equity firms are proactively surrounding their portfolio companies with resources for safety and success during a recession. Human Capital dominates as the number one area of focus : Talent continues to be the biggest trend in private equity representing 41% of all initiatives. Companies are bringing in executives with strategic and operational improvement experience and adding talent at deeper levels within organizational structures for longer term value creation.

: Talent continues to be the biggest trend in private equity representing 41% of all initiatives. Companies are bringing in executives with strategic and operational improvement experience and adding talent at deeper levels within organizational structures for longer term value creation. PE has embraced transforming companies rather than simply optimizing them, requiring wholly new capabilities driven by COVID and longer term value creation plans. "In 2023, a softening economy will change the market - and the most astute leaders will be equipped to enable their companies to thrive and not just survive with the right actions," said Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO of BluWave. "Top business builders are maximizing liquidity, increasing operational effectiveness, an seeking opportunities in the face of risk," Mooney said.



Key highlights of the report's annual analysis also found in the area of due diligence, businesses are increasingly looking for support in: Strategy remains essential: the private equity industry is spending significant time understanding market conditions, customer dynamics, and identifying growth avenues that will present during a transitioning economic period.

the private equity industry is spending significant time understanding market conditions, customer dynamics, and identifying growth avenues that will present during a transitioning economic period. IT diligence activity grows: In a rapidly digitizing and more complex technological world, private equity firms are looking to further digitize, better understand cybersecurity risks, and improve their portfolio companies' capabilities and defenses. In value creation, private equity firms are indexing on resources such as:

Specialized recruiters to fill key roles : PE firms continue to make both strategic hires with longer term plans in mind as well as bringing in more operationally focused executives who can help portfolio companies navigate turbulent times. Top business builders are working with BluWave to utilize specialist recruiters with specific expertise.

: PE firms continue to make both strategic hires with longer term plans in mind as well as bringing in more operationally focused executives who can help portfolio companies navigate turbulent times. Top business builders are working with BluWave to utilize specialist recruiters with specific expertise. Interim leadership to guide the ship in transition: Increasing hiring times and growing needs for performance improvement expertise are driving strong demand for private equity-grade interim executives within BluWave's network.

Increasing hiring times and growing needs for performance improvement expertise are driving strong demand for private equity-grade interim executives within BluWave's network. Growth through recession: Usage of sales and marketing resources grew by 20% year-over-year in 2022 as PE firms support portfolio companies with growth resources as the economy softens. The data supports BluWave's financial experts' predictions for 2023: Venture capital bubble bursting will open up opportunities for private equity : Nearly $1 trillion was invested in VC in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021, and about one third of that investment occurred in 2021. Many VC-backed companies were invested in with little due diligence and are burning significant cash at a time when few companies can afford to. For PE tech investors, this will open new acquisition opportunities.

: Nearly $1 trillion was invested in VC in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021, and about one third of that investment occurred in 2021. Many VC-backed companies were invested in with little due diligence and are burning significant cash at a time when few companies can afford to. For PE tech investors, this will open new acquisition opportunities. Private equity will hire more chief marketing officers : In 2023, many PE firms will invest in more marketing for themselves. Capital is no longer a differentiator, so firms must therefore be able to more clearly communicate their unique capabilities via marketing.

: In 2023, many PE firms will invest in more marketing for themselves. Capital is no longer a differentiator, so firms must therefore be able to more clearly communicate their unique capabilities via marketing. AI and analytics will be more accessible: Tools that were previously only for the Fortune 500 are now accessible to virtually every business. Businesses that prioritize data quality, clearly define key metrics, and adopt emerging analytics and AI tools will be best positioned to succeed. To request a copy of the full report, please visit: https://www.bluwave.net/insights-report/ BluWave is the business builders' network for private equity grade needs. Founded by a private equity partner as a transformative solution, BluWave combines technology, data, AI and human ingenuity to expertly connect businesses with proven operators across due diligence, value creation, and prep for sale. The BluWave Vetted network is an invite-only ecosystem of best-in-class individuals and service providing firms. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BluWave ranks as one of America's fastest growing companies and today serves more than 500 leading private equity firms and thousands of proactive businesses. Visit BluWave to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005262/en/

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When I was in high school in Boulder, Colorado, there was a guy (I'll call him J) who we were all friends with. J was likable, kind, and funny. He was also a pathological liar. He boasted about unbelievable things, like playing bass for Chicago while they were recording at the nearby Caribou Ranch studio. Everyone knew J was a giant fibber, but we all thought it was funny. (When I saw J ten years after we graduated from high school, he told me was the CEO of a large Silicon Valley company.)

In some ways, George Santos reminds me of J. I don't think Santos can restrain himself from lying. It's a condition, I suppose. Does Santos know he's lying about his education, his employment, his former career as a drag queen, his arrest record, his charity work? No one but Santos knows.

The difference between J and Santos is J never tried to cheat or steal from any of us. He was a good guy. Santos is not a good guy, and he's smart enough to realize that the current GOP will give safe harbor to liars, hypocrites, secret fetus aborters, grifters, sex criminals, con artists, cheaters, and thieves, as long as they stick to the talking points and vote along with the Ultra MAGAs.

Santos has given conflicting stories about 9/11 and his mother. In his December 2021 version, he said, "My mom was a 9/11 survivor. She was in the south tower, and she made it out. She got caught up in the ash cloud. My mom fought cancer till her death."

As you might guess, Santos' mother wasn't even in the United States on 9/11. Immigration records show she was thousands of miles away, in Brazil, between 1999 and 2003.

The GOP is loaded with sociopaths because the people who elected them seek leaders who embody their own morally bankrupt beliefs and values.
[January 18, 2023] Israeli Mission to the UN, Israel's National Cyber Directorate and Team8, Host Cyber Security Event at UN

The Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, in cooperation with Israel's National Cyber Directorate (INCD) and Team8, hosted a cyber-security event yesterday at the United Nations (UN) to discuss the ways in which countries, governments and the private sector can collaborate to create a cyber-safer world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005933/en/ From left to right: Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, the INCD's Executive Director of International Cooperation Aviram Atzaba, the Corporate Vice President of Security Business Development at Microsoft Ann Johnson, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8, Nadav Zafrir. (Photo credit: Team8) The event, themed "Stronger Together", was held against the backdrop of increased cyber-attacks around the world against private companies and countries. Speakers at the event included: The United States' Principal Deputy National Cyber Director Kemba Eneas Walden

Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8, Nadav Zafrir

The UN's Chief Informatio Technology Officer Assistant Secretary-General, Bernando Mariano Joaquim Junior

The INCD's Executive Director of International Cooperation, Aviram Atzaba

Microsoft Corporate Vice President , Ann John son

son JupiterOne CISO & Head of Research, Sounil Yu

and Former Chief Strategist of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)'s COVID Task Force, Joshua Corman



Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said: "As a cyber defense powerhouse, Israel has a deep sense of duty to support others in the field. And by assisting Member States in fortifying their cyber defense abilities, we create a win-win situation for all. A safer future for everyone.

"Today, in an age where the battlefield is moving from geographical arenas to the digital-sphere, the key to achieving collective defense is by working as a joint global team. And the UN, the center stage of international diplomacy, is an ideal place to pursue such a crucial mission. "It is here that we share best practices, hold discussions, and learn from one another. And it is here that we can build an iron dome - a defensive shield - against cyber-attacks and digital threats. It is the responsibility of all of us to work side-by-side to ensure the safety of each of us." Nadav Zafrir, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8 said: "The internet has become a critical infrastructure. We are at a unique point in the history of technology and global cooperation is key to cyber resilience. "We need to work together to bring all nations above the cyber poverty line. First, we should acknowledge that digital infrastructure is critical infrastructure. We should understand that knowledge sharing is the right thing to do. Then, we should create an environment for world collaboration and build the technologies to do so." Bernardo Mariano Junior, The UN's Chief Information Technology Officer, said that "Collaboration for cyber security requires commitment that goes beyond what we are currently doing. We are lagging behind and we must do better. The digital transformation is already happening and no institution is immune to threats. We all need to be aware that the threat landscape has evolved. We need to reinvent and recreate security concepts at an early stage. My hope is that this event will look at this as a challenge we need to take to the next level to ensure that protection of digital assets is better." Aviram Atzaba, Executive Director International Cooperation, Israel National Cyber Directorate added: "The future is here and we need to work together to develop a digital trustworthy world. This requires teamwork -- working together, government and industry to develop services and solutions. A cyber dome." To watch the full recording of the event: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1f/k1ft7jy68n View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005933/en/

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[January 18, 2023] Vestas declares intention to invest in maturing wind supply chain in South Korea

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 18 2023, Vestas declared its intention to become a key investor in establishing and maturing the offshore wind supply chain in South Korea. At a ceremony held at the World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos, Vestas signed and submitted a Foreign Investment Notification Form to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of South Korea, in the presence of Mr. Yoon Suk-Yeol, President of South Korea. Investment plans outline the potential for several hundred million USD, and are dependent on a growing market for offshore wind. Offshore wind is a flourishing market in South Korea, and wind energy will play a central role in South Korea's journey towards fulfilling its climate and energy security ambitions. With its industry-leading expertise in global manufacturing, Vestas is ready to support South Korea's climate journey as a key industrial partner. The investment will help establish an effective and sustainable industrial supply chain for offshore wind and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the future, which will contribute to the growth of the wind energy industry i South Korea.



"We would like to thank the South Korean government for their support and look forward to continuing a close collaboration as we work to shape an optimal market framework for offshore wind," says Henrik Andersen, Group President & CEO of Vestas. "South Korea holds promising prospects for wind energy development and the potential to become a key wind hub in the energy transition. Vestas is ready to be part of it and contribute to maturing the wind energy industry in South Korea." The full details of Vestas' investment approach are currently under consideration. Further information will be communicated when the plan is finalised.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Megumi Sakuma

Marketing & Communications Manager, Vestas Asia Pacific

Tel: +81 90 6723 5325

Mail: [email protected] About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 160 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 140 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 28,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on:

https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images. We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas

www.linkedin.com/company/vestas

www.facebook.com/vestas

www.instagram.com/vestas

www.youtube.com/vestas SOURCE Vestas Asia Pacific

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[January 18, 2023] Singapore insurance broker eazy and Sgcarmart.com announce strategic partnership

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- eazy Pte Ltd, a leading broker for insurance services, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Sgcarmart.com, the leading online marketplace for new and used cars in Singapore. Under this partnership, eazy will be providing insurance options for customers of Sgcarmart.com through the Sgcarmart's Insurance Directory. The directory, which can be found at www.Sgcarmart.com/directory/insurance.php, will provide customers with a one-stop shop for all their car insurance-buying needs. "We are excited about our partnership with Sgcarmart.com as it allows us to bring our insurance services to a much wider audience," said Douglas Chia, CEO of eazy. "With our new focus on being the leading isurtech company in Singapore, and the recent launch of our new digital portal eazy.com.sg  we have integrated technology innovation to provide a simpler, faster, more transparent platform for owners to make empowered decisions on purchasing insurance for their cars."



"With over 2 million users per month and with Sgcarmart.com capturing over 90% of the local used-car transactions, we are now able to take our experience in the luxury and super car segment and use those learnings to better serve the needs of all car buyers in Singapore. This partnership will allow us to provide customers with an even more convenient, seamless and yes, 'eazy' journey to purchasing a car through Sgcarmart." "Sgcarmart is a driver-centric company that always strives to make the car buying & ownership experience for all drivers as seamless as possible. By entering into this partnership with eazy, it allows our customers to be able to find the best motor insurance options for their cars conveniently. Both partners have built a strong reputation in understanding the needs of the local automotive community, and invested heavily in digital technology, customer engagement and service. We are confident that working with eazy will provide our customers with great value for their insurance needs which is very much aligned with our mission." said Paustina Chou, General Manager of Product, Sgcarmart.

About eazy As a digital-led financial disruptor, eazy believes in harnessing the power of technology to make the process of buying insurance simpler, faster and more transparent for its customers. Backed by 47 years of success as one of Singapore's leading insurance brokers, eazy is changing the way insurance is considered and bought. To learn more, visit eazy.com.sg. Contact: Nicholas Wong

Content Strategist

E: [email protected]

M: +65 97294545 SOURCE eazy Pte Ltd

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[January 19, 2023] BRAND'S Direct Business leverages Appier's solutions to strengthen its ecommerce presence with a personalized marketing strategy

BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand leverages the power of a one-stop platform for better customer engagement across all of its online channels BANGKOK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Appier today announced that BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand, a subsidiary of the Suntory group of companies, has adopted its AI-powered solutions to boost the online marketing strategy across its online channels. Through the adoption of AIQUA, a one-stop customer engagement platform, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand was able to enhance its digital marketing approach by effectively integrating all of its online channels to deliver personalized messages and relevant communication to its customers, while optimizing the conversion rates of its marketing campaigns. The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant pressure and demands on brands to transform their marketing strategy as customers' purchasing behaviors evolved towards online browsing and shopping. As a leading provider of health, beauty and wellness supplements in Asia, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand was no exception - the company recognized that it needed to drive more personalized engagements across its online channels, which encompasses web and e-mail marketing. Thailand is Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, as well as the region's second-largest business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce market. The Thai government announced the "Thailand 4.0" economic model, with a goal to reorient and improve the country's economy away from manufacturing and towards information and services. The private and government sectors are strongly encouraged by the government to make e-commerce readily available to Thai residents and in-market trends keenly demonstrate the market's shift towards digital transformation. E-commerce users are expected to grow by 19 percent to 43 million users by 2023 and 52 percent of the population already currently shops online. The post-COVID era has driven the rapid acceleration and adoptionof more advanced technology to support digital initiatives, moving beyond traditional applications like cloud and mobile to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics.



"BRAND'S is a trademark that's warmly appreciated and loved by millions around the world. Keeping that brand loyalty alive, despite the changing rules of COVID-19, was an essential focus for us and this meant transforming our current digital strategies to adapt to our customers' evolving needs. Partnering with Appier, an industry leader in the MarTech space, gave us the confidence to rebuild our digital marketing approach with a smarter and more effective way of managing all of our online channels seamlessly. With the smarter insights we now gain into our customers, we're excited to embark on the next stage of our digital transformation journey to ensure that we're continuously evolving with our customers' needs to offer highly personalized engagements to drive stronger brand loyalty for us," said Kazuya Udagawa, Head of Marketing, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand. As part of its partnership with Appier, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand wanted to boost its online marketing approach, ensuring effective targeting and communication that would convert visitors into customers. This was on top of the company's existing need for digital transformation and flexible management of its online channels.

With Appier's AI personalized marketing cloud, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand successfully integrated all of its insights on customer behavior together with its CRM data, enabling the company to better create target audience segments. BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand then utilized AIQUA to create tailored content and messages and deliver them to customers across its online channels, namely through web push notifications, in-web pop-ups, and eDMs. As a one-stop platform, AIQUA empowered BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand to create, execute and monitor all its multi-channel online engagements in a single dashboard. This significantly freed up the company's marketing resources, allowing them to save time, streamline workflows and create smarter content, ultimately demonstrating a significant return on investment for the implementation. With AIQUA, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand achieved significant results for its ongoing marketing campaigns. The company saw a 2.5x increase in its eDM open rate and a 4x increase in its overall conversion rates, based on industry benchmarks. With Appier's ongoing partnership, BRAND'S Direct Business Thailand is embarking on the next phase of its digital transformation strategy and is looking forward to creating marketing campaigns to build stronger brand loyalty. About BRAND'S Direct Business BRAND'S Direct Business is a leading provider of health, beauty and wellness supplements in Asia which seek to help people realize a brighter, enriching and more beautiful future, by unlocking the inherent goodness within nature using modern science, research and technology. In our commitment to promote overall wellness in health, beauty and positive living, BRAND'S Direct Business unit of Suntory Beverage and Food Trading (Thailand) Co., Ltd. will be operated under Suntory Wellness (Thailand) Co., Ltd., (from 1st of January 2023) About Appier Appier (TSE: 4180) is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to power business decision-making. Founded in 2012 with a vision of democratizing AI, Appier now has 17 offices across APAC, Europe and the U.S., and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Visit www.appier.com for more company information. SOURCE Appier

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[January 19, 2023] LabourNet launches Capstone Project in collaboration with Christ University, Bengaluru

The collaboration aims to bridge gaps between the Development Sector in India and Academia, by providing students with skills and knowledge to make real world impact. BENGALURU, India, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past twelve years, LabourNet has nurtured over 1 million livelihoods across the country. They work to uplift informal workers by providing skilling opportunities, growing real wages, and enabling decent working conditions across industries. They are now looking to involve young college students in their endeavour to transform the informal sector. Their flagship Capstone Project will give students a chance to work on high-impact interventions in a purpose-led and performance-driven organization. The Capstone Project was inaugurated on 13th January at Christ University, Bannerghatta Road Campus. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the students participating in the project along with representatives from both the university and LabourNet. In attendance from Christ University included Dr Fr Biju K Chacko, Director; Dr Jyothi Kumar, Dean; and Dr Prerna Srimaal, Coordinator for the BA Liberal Arts programme. From LabourNet, the event was attended by Dr Gayathri Vasudevan, Chairperson; Dr Neena Jaju Pingaley, Head of Learning and Development; and Dr Padmini Ram, Head, CLARE and Director, Urban Ethnographers. The Capstone Project furthers the 3-year industry-academia relationship between LabourNet and Christ University. It is built upon the foundation established by Christ-LabourNet Academic Research Endeavour (CLARE). The success of that has encouraged LabourNet to open such collaborations with various universities, and hence CLARE is now Centre for LabourNet's Academic Research Endeavour (CLARE). About the Capstone Project The Capstone Project is an attempt at getting college students involved in transforming livelihoods. The project will involve participation from 35 final-year BA Liberal Arts students in a semester-long fellowship. Designed as a hybrid fellowship, the project gives students access to the rigorous practical experience of working in a high-impact organization. "I have always had a soft spot for academia. University courses in India are great in a way that they provide a solid theoretical base, however, workplace skills are a completely different ballgame. Capstone is designed to bridge this knowledge and skill gap. When students complete the Capstone Project, our aim is that they will be more employable and industry ready. It provides hands-on experience with real-time problem-solving scenaris that we encounter at the workplace. We are excited about this partnership," quotes Gayathri Vasudevan, Chairperson at LabourNet.



Young students bring with them a diverse knowledge base and different skill sets. The Capstone Project serves as a culminating experience where students meld their varied college experiences to drive impact at the ground. It offers them an opportunity to learn from industry experts and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders. Why the Capstone Project

LabourNet started its flagship Capstone Project as a response to two needs. The first was the considerable gap between classroom education and prevailing job contexts, which is making it increasingly hard for graduate students to find employment. The second was the growing need for skilled youth in the development sector, bringing with them new ideas and increased vigor to solve social problems. The Capstone Project provides students with a chance to step outside their classroom and hone their technical and soft skills by working on real-time projects. It offers them the ability to put their managerial and leadership abilities into practice and understand decision-making in a professional setting. It allows them to bridge the gap between theory and practice by gaining valuable practical experience in the industry  something many graduates do not have. In return, the organisation has a lot to gain from working with students. These students come from diverse disciplines and bring with them new perspectives that allow them to contribute to the organisation with ideas and drive innovation. LabourNet has specially designed the Capstone Project to involve students at all levels of the organisation and every stage of an intervention. The organisation is also aiming to introduce young students to the development sector and show them the rewarding experience of working on social impact projects. Speaking at the occasion, Dr Jyothi Kumar, Dean, Christ University, Bannerghatta Campus, said, "We have always strived to offer something new to students - be it as creating an interdisciplinary campus, our own liberal arts program based on sustainable development or this new Capstone Program which calls for sustained industry-academia collaboration. We are here to give our students the best form of education for the future, and Capstone is a good example of that. I believe, in line with NEP, a lot of new trends in education have to do with experiential learning." LabourNet's Capstone Project is an attempt to build lasting relationships between academia and industry. It is a novel way to involve the youth in driving social change on the ground while gaining valuable practical experience. About Christ University: Established in 1969 as Christ College, the institution has undertaken path-breaking initiatives in Indian higher education with the introduction of innovative and modern curricula, insistence on academic discipline, imparting of Holistic Education and adoption of global higher education practices with support of creative and dedicated staff. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India conferred Autonomy to Christ College in 2004 and identified it as an Institution with potential for Excellence in 2006. In 2008 under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India, declared the institution a Deemed to be University, in the name and style of Christ University. One of the first institutions in India to be accredited in 1998 by the NAAC, and subsequently in 2004 and 2016, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) has the top grade 'A' in the 4-point scale. The multi-disciplinary University which focuses on teaching research and service offers Bachelors to Doctoral programs in humanities, social sciences, science, commerce, management, engineering, education, and law to over 25000 students. About LabourNet: LabourNet Services India Pvt Ltd helps companies build, manage, and retain a talented workforce. Workforce as a Service (WaaS) offers pay-per-task and managed service models, in addition to contract staffing, apprenticeship, and hire-to-retire management services. LabourNet's Multi-skill, Multi-sector Training Centres across the country offer vocational assessments, short-term courses, diplomas, and degrees through Instructor-led Blended Learning (ILBT) in partnership with educational institutions and industry bodies. Benefits as a Service (BaaS) helps organizations offer their workforces access to housing, healthcare, insurance, formal credit, as well as tools and equipment to boost productivity. LabourNet's focus is to link the unemployed to work opportunities, the under-employed to skilling opportunities and boost productivity to fuel business opportunities. To learn how LabourNet empowers the informal sector and creates sustainable livelihoods through education, entrepreneurship, and employment, visit at www.labournet.in For more information, please contact: Alapana B

Email: [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986526/Capstone_Inauguration.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/labournet-launches-capstone-project-in-collaboration-with-christ-university-bengaluru-301725611.html

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[January 19, 2023] Indonesia Government Sees Positive Enthusiasm on the Future of Blockchain

Several discussions held during the At The Table: Blockchain & Crypto Roadmap 2023 event organized by the Indonesian Blockchain Association and Chainalysis shed light on the potential of Blockchain in supporting Indonesia's future economy JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia (A-B-I) and all its members successfully held the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) At The Table: Blockchain & Crypto Roadmap 2023 event, receiving positive enthusiasm from the government and all participants who attended. The event was held exclusively in partnership with Chainalysis - the blockchain data platform that provides software, data, services, and research to government agencies, exchanges, financial institutions, as well as insurance and cybersecurity companies in more than 70 countries. This event was also attended by: Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia

Deputy for Coordination of International Economic Cooperation - Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs

Head of Commodity Futures Trading Development and Development Bureau (Bappebti)

Head of Sub Directorate 3 Money Laundering Crimes (TPPU) - Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police

Act. Deputy for Analysis and Examination of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK)

Head of Research Center for Macroeconomics and Finance - National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)

Expert Staff Office of the President (KSP)

Director of Electronic Procurement System Development (SPSE) - Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP)

Deputy for Archive System Information and Development - National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI)

(ANRI) Information Systems and Technology Coordinator - Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Asih Karnengsih, MM, Chairwoman A-B-I highlighted the significance of the event, "This activity is designed as a meeting forum for government and industry players to discuss the potential implementaion of blockchain, issues faced, market trends, and future development plans that will support the Blockchain & Crypto Roadmap in Indonesia". During the event, there were four sessions hosted by industry subject matter experts, discussing:



Blockchain For Mass Adoption

Implementing Blockchain in Indonesia

Crypto Asset Market: Trends & Issues

Blockchain & Crypto Regulation Andianto Haryoko, Associate Expert Planner - Ecosystem Coordinator and ICT Utilization, Directorate of Electricity, Telecommunications and Informatics, Ministry of PPN/National Development Agency (Bappenas), commented, "The adoption of blockchain is inevitable, especially for the government sector. Blockchain technology has the potential to support the development of smart cities, too." Supporting Andianto's view, Nilam Amalia Pusparini, Coordinator of Information Systems and Technology - Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) emphasized the advantages of blockchain technology, especially for the supply chain in fisheries. "KKP has plans to adopt blockchain, and one of the use cases we are looking to work on is a fishery product traceability feature".

Commenting on the effectiveness of blockchain technology, Patria Susantosa, Director of Electronic Procurement System Development - Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP), said, "Existing business processes can be transformed using blockchain and can be simplified. For instance, blockchain technology can be used for the development of electronic catalogs. Blockchain can enable efficiency throughout the entire transaction process from product procurement, purchasing, contracts, delivery and to payment". Positive enthusiasm was also seen from the attendees at the event, including Zamroni Salim, Head of the BRIN Macroeconomics and Financial Research Center who shared that "Blockchain literacy at the community and government level can help blockchain activists in Indonesia to contribute ideas and creativity to drive a mass adoption of the technology." Edi Prio Pambudi, Deputy for the Coordination of International Economic Cooperation - Coordinating Ministry for the Economy also encouraged relevant ministries to be more adaptive, and go beyond planning the implementation of blockchain. "The government and all parties must work together immediately to continue to support blockchain technology and contribute to the growth of digital transformation that is being designed by Bappenas". The discussions held at the event also shed light on cryptocurrency assets, the most adopted blockchain technology use case in Indonesia. Exploring the security of crypto assets, Robertus Yohanes Deo Tresna Eka Trimana, Head of Sub Directorate 3 Money Laundering Crimes (TPPU) BARESKRIM POLRI highlighted several points including regulations and sanctions. From a regulatory perspective, Robertus said, "We must further examine regulations on crypto assets transactions. In terms of sanctions, there must be further regulation and clarity on categorization, for instance, either as administrative sanctions or criminal sanctions." Joshua Foo, Regional Director, ASEAN, and Central Asia at Chainalysis said, "Indonesia made it to the top 20 of our Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index 2022, which is a testament to the great potential for the blockchain economy in Indonesia. We are honored to have the Indonesian government participate in this dialogue, and Chainalysis will continue to be committed to supporting the local market on its blockchain journey. Public-private sector collaboration is critical to advancing the future of Indonesia's blockchain economy. Through this strong collaboration, Indonesia's blockchain ecosystem can continue to develop with trust and transparency at its core, and be a key economic driver for the country". The event was closed with a keynote speech from Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, who expressed his hope for the future. "Indonesia's economy will remain resilient in the future, considering that a large and consumptive population certainly brings very promising online business potential." "The crypto and blockchain industry can be part of these opportunities and potentials that can be explored for the future. Let's collaborate together on the future plans presented in the At The Table: Blockchain & Crypto Roadmap 2023 event, in realizing the real implementation and mass adoption of blockchain in Indonesia," Sandi said. SOURCE Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia

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[January 19, 2023] SP Manufacturing Receives Investment from Novo Tellus

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Tellus, a leading private equity fund focused on building industrial and technology companies, has completed an investment in SP Manufacturing ("SP" or the "Company"). Headquartered in Singapore, SP Manufacturing is an Electronics Manufacturing Services provider for total manufacturing solutions from design concepts to full production. Focused on high-mix, high-performance mission critical electronics, SP has 6 locations strategically located across the globe in Southeast Asia, Europe, and China, with more than 60 years of manufacturing experience under its belt. SP has grown considerably over the years due to its laser focus on customer service and innovative manufacturing techniques as a Reliable Solutions Partner. SP believes that the customer is at the heart of all that they do, and prides itself as being an extended manufacturing arm for all the key customers whom they serve. With theinvestment from Novo Tellus, SP seeks to embark on the next chapter of the company's journey through active expansion, to meet the customers' needs and drive results through supply chain efficiencies. SP also intends to leverage upon NT's expert network and portfolio of companies, which would serve to open doors to new business opportunities and technological capabilities.



"We're indeed very pleased to partner with Novo Tellus to build the future of SP", noted Philip Ong, CEO of SP. "Having spent significant time with Novo Tellus, I feel that they deeply understand the many pressure points of operating a manufacturing business. Specifically, like us, they see the importance of adopting a long-term view on business relations, as well as customer centricity. Also, we've been most impressed with Novo Tellus' track record of growing industrial companies globally, and we are very excited to accelerate growth for our customers and to chart SP's future together.' "We've been impressed with SP's specialised approach to building long-lived partnerships with global customers," said Keith Toh and Peishan Wong at Novo Tellus. "As a result, SP has grown 2 to 3 times faster than the global electronics manufacturing for over a decade now. We believe SP's ability to serve customers closely onshore in Europe and the United States, but also provide engineering and manufacturing services offshore in Southeast Asia and China, reflect the best strengths of where the modern global production network is evolving in the coming decade."

With the investment, Novo Tellus would acquire a controlling stake in SP, with the Company's family owners retaining a meaningful and active stake in the business. To discover how SP Manufacturing can advance your mission critical electronics production and engineering, visit sp-manufacturing.com or contact SP directly below: [email protected] About Novo Tellus Novo Tellus is a private equity firm focused on building lasting technology and industrial companies in Southeast Asia. The firm is distinguished by its deep insight into shifts in the global technology ecosystem, and by its active and empathic partnerships with management teams to build lasting businesses and superior investment returns. To learn more about partnering with Novo Tellus, visit novotellus.com SOURCE SP Manufacturing Pte Ltd

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[January 19, 2023] OANDA Explores Singapore's Retail Trading Trends for 2023

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At this time of year, the financial media frequently publishes articles outlining possible market scenarios for retail traders. While markets continue to be unpredictable, one of the lenses that can be applied to exploring 2023 is how retail traders' motivations and behaviours have changed. The '2022 Singapore Leverage Trading Report' by Investment Trends - a market leading global financial services industry research company - was released at the end of October, uncovering insights on the current state of the online retail trading market in Singapore. Here's how we see these findings shedding a light on trends unfolding in 2023: In line with global trends, CFD/FX trader numbers in Singapore have eased in 2022 after five consecutive years of growth. Inflows of new-to-market and reactivated traders were lower than the previous two years but remained higher than the pre-pandemic era. This suggests that building relationships with clients will become ever more key, and further focuses OANDA's efforts on developing a best-in-class online trading experience as well as supporting traders with a dedicated Client Relationship service. It also emphasizes the importance of offering advanced analytical tools to help clients identify and seize opportunities in the market. The report revealed that new traders are most often motivated by a desire to learn a new skill (44%).The 2022 cohort of new traders is more likely to have been prompted by market volatility (23%, versus 18% the previous year). They mention risk management tools (30%) as one of the top factors to encourage them to start trading. This points to the crucial role played by education and access to insights in enabling new traders to trade at their best. Phil Waters, CEO of OANDA Asia Pacific, said, "New traders also need to learn how to navigate volatile markets with a clear focus, and make decisions based on calculated research and observation. This is where effective risk management becomes an essential element of smarter trading. OANDA's ools give active traders more control through Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLOs) and Stop Loss Orders (SLOs) - in fact, we are one of the few MAS-regulated brokers who provide margin relief on both of these."



Three distinct segments of Singaporean leverage traders arose in 2022: 'mobile-light traders' (50%), 'multi-device traders' (20%) and 'mobile-heavy traders' (30%). The 'mobile heavy' segment appears to have been the most actively involved in trading. We see a shift from web platforms to mobile apps, and this trend will only continue as traders want the ability to trade at their fingertips. The convenience of mobile trading doesn't have to come at the expense of sophistication: trading on the go with OANDA means clients can access more than 50 technical tools, including 32 overlay indicators, 11 drawing tools and 9 chart types with our apps for iOS and Android. According to Investment Trends, the top three features driving selection for a CFD/FX provider remain platform ease of use (46%), mobile app (42%) and regulation by the MAS (37%). A higher proportion of traders now consider competitive spreads (30%, versus 25% the year before).

Lastly, one in two Singaporean traders (52%) have used multiple brokers over the past 12 months. Compared to a year ago, a greater proportion of traders using multiple brokers mention the mobile experience or platform ease of use as reasons for doing so. Further commenting on the report, Phil Waters said, "The findings above show how convenience, trust and value are very much front of mind for traders at the start of 2023. In a market that is increasingly competitive, providing a multi-asset offering on intuitive trading platforms will prove to be a key component of success."

Traders partnering with OANDA join forces with a globally regulated, trusted broker with an award winning platform and competitive pricing on indices, forex, commodities, and metals CFDs. Recognised for its excellence, OANDA was awarded 'Best forex and CFD broker' and 'Most popular broker' by the TradingView community for 2021 and #1 Broker in Singapore for customer satisfaction by Investment Trends two years running in 2022 and 2021. About OANDA Founded in 1996, OANDA was the first company to share exchange rate data free of charge on the Internet, launching an FX trading platform that helped pioneer the development of web-based currency trading five years later. Today, the OANDA group, which includes OANDA Asia Pacific and other subsidiaries of OANDA Global Corporation, provides online multi-asset trading, currency data and analytics to retail and corporate clients around the globe, demonstrating an unrivaled expertise in foreign exchange. With regulated entities in nine of the world's most active financial markets, OANDA remains dedicated to transforming how the world interacts with trading, enabling clients to trade global market indices, commodities, treasuries, precious metals and currencies on one of the fastest trading platforms in the market. For more information, please visit oanda.com . About the report In its thirteenth annual edition, the 2022 Singapore Leverage Trading Report by Investment Trends provides a detailed analysis of the trading attitudes, behaviours and needs of Singaporean traders of leveraged financial products. It is the largest study of retail investors in Singapore each year. This year's report was based on an online survey of 2,451 responses from Singaporean investors and traders, concluding in September 2022. About Investment Trends Investment Trends is the leading researcher in the retail online share dealing and leveraged trading markets globally. We combine our analytical rigour and strategic thinking with the most advanced research and statistical techniques to help our clients gain competitive advantage. We have over 10 years' experience in researching the retail wealth management and global broking markets from which we provide new insights and decision-making support to over 200 leading financial service businesses globally. Investment Trends' clients include a number of global banking organisations, all major online brokers and CFD providers as well as industry regulators, investment platform providers, industry associations and financial planning software providers. www.investmenttrends.com DISCLAIMER OANDA Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct the regulated activity of dealing in capital markets products that are over-the-counter derivatives contracts. Leveraged trading carries a high degree of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. Losses can exceed deposits. This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. SOURCE OANDA

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[January 19, 2023] Minister Wilkinson positions Canada as a clean energy and technology supplier of choice to Japan

TOKYO, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada aims to be the clean energy and technology supplier of choice in a net-zero world. In that context, significant opportunities exist in the Indo-Pacific region for Canada to expand trade and investment  as outlined in the Government of Canada's launched Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy . Those opportunities are particularly promising in Japan, which is among Canada's top five trading partners. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, today concluded a trade mission which sought to position Canada as a key partner to Japan on energy security in the context of the global energy transition. The Minister highlighted opportunities for enhanced cooperation on hydrogen and critical minerals, while highlighting the progress on LNG Canada and underscoring the $30B in bilateral trade between the two countries in 2021. The Minister also commended Japanese leaders for their ongoing efforts to establish hydrogen and ammonia supply chains and infrastructure, as both countries work towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050. During meetings with Takaichi Sanae, Japan's Minister in charge of Economic Security, Nakatani Shinichi, Japan's State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Nomura Tetsuro, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries, discussions were further advanced related to Canada's energy and climate priorities ahead of the next G7 meeting, which will be chaired and hosted by Japan in 2023.



The trade mission featured 16 Canadian companies and organizations, including Indigenous businesses and representatives seeking to pursue commercial opportunities in the natural resource sector with a focus on clean energy. It also provided an opportunity to promote the mutual benefits that can be realized through strong partnerships between Japanese industry and Indigenous communities on major resource development projects. The mission followed last week's visit to Canada by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, providing another opportunity for the Government of Canada to advance energy collaboration and ongoing strategic partnership with Japan. Canada continues to demonstrate concrete action and commitment to energy security and global leadership in the transition to net-zero.

Quotes "Having conducted business in Japan as a cleantech executive, I can attest to the importance of building meaningful relationships with Japanese partners in ensuring long-term, mutually-beneficial business dealings. I would like to thank our hosts for their hospitality, as well as the entire Canadian delegation for championing Canada as a clean energy and technology supplier of choice in a net-zero world." Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources Related Information

Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy

Critical Minerals Strategy Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance

Canada's Hydrogen Strategy

Hydrogen Strategy Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan ) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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[January 19, 2023] Rogers-Shaw merger: TekSavvy challenges wholesale deal with Videotron, says CRTC ruling required before Minister's final decision

Citing CRTC's exclusive jurisdiction, TekSavvy's Part 1 application contends the transaction hinges on unduly preferential wholesale agreements between Rogers and Videotron, violating Section 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act CHATHAM, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - TekSavvy Solutions Inc. (TekSavvy) today filed a Part 1 application to the CRTC disputing the legality of wholesale arrangements at the heart of the largest transaction in the history of Canadian telecom: Rogers' proposed $26 billion merger with Shaw and the acquisition of Shaw's wireless spectrum licenses and Freedom Mobile business by Videotron. A public version of TekSavvy's application is available here. At the Competition Tribunal hearing in December, Rogers, Shaw and Videotron revealed for the first time that their entire transaction hinges on special wholesale arrangements, including one where Rogers will lease its broadband network to Videotron at discounted rates that aren't available to independent ISPs, such as TekSavvy. The CRTC sets wholesale rates paid by ISPs who lease access to large carrier networks. When the Competition Bureau argued that the CRTC's rates are so high that Videotron cannot use them to compete outside of Quebec,1 Rogers confirmed that it will grant Videotron access to its broadband network at preferential rates that are below the CRTC's regulated rates.







___________________________ 1 Rogers-Shaw - Commissioner's Final Arguments, "The CRTC TPIA regime does not promote competition" paras 103-104 https://decisia.lexum.com/ct-tc/cdo/en/item/521153/index.do "Market consolidation speaks volumes about the negative economics of TPIA in Canada. Even since the 2021 increase in TPIA rates, resellers have been acquired or are being acquired by incumbents. VMedia was acquired by [Videotron], and Distributel is in the process of being acquired by Bell."



The wholesale arrangements between Rogers and Videotron were a key factor in the Competition Tribunal's Dec. 31 decision to allow the Rogers-Shaw merger. In its decision, the Tribunal described these arrangements as "very favourable", "preferential", "discounted", "further discounted from the CRTC tariffed wholesale rates" and even noted that Videotron's recent acquisition of VMedia, a former independent ISP, would help it quickly take advantage of its special wholesale arrangements with Rogers. In today's filing, TekSavvy asks the CRTC to investigate the wholesale arrangements between Rogers and Videotron and to rule that they violate Section 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act. "The largest consolidation in the history of the Canadian telecom sector is predicated on unlawful wholesale agreements. This transaction is designed so the dominant carriers can weaponize the ISPs they acquired, using below-tariff rates to eliminate us from the market," said Andy-Kaplan Myrth, TekSavvy's vice-president of regulatory and carrier affairs. "The CRTC has exclusive jurisdiction over this matter, and it must render its decision before the Minister makes his final decision on the merger." TekSavvy argues that the agreements between Rogers and Videotron are transparently anticompetitive and merely an ad-hoc product of their desperate attempts to secure regulatory approvals: "These arrangements were not arrived at through negotiations based on natural market forces, but are instead an effort by Rogers to remove regulatory hurdles to its acquisition of another Incumbent, Shaw. The arrangement with Videotron is specifically designed to allow Videotron and its TPIA-based affiliate, VMedia, to better compete than it could using tariff rates." TekSavvy has long said federal approval for the merger must be contingent upon first enacting the CRTC's 2019 decision to lower its regulated rates. However, in May of 2022, Minister Champagne declined to implement that CRTC decision and instead endorsed much higher regulated rates, as requested by Rogers and Bell. By September, three major independent ISPs Ebox, Distributel, and VMediaexited the market after being bought by dominant incumbents, Bell and Videotron. TekSavvy's application requests that the CRTC also investigate whether Bell is providing unduly preferential wholesale arrangements to its recently acquired ISPs. TekSavvy vice-president of insight and engagement Peter Nowak described the company's application as a case study in how the federal government destabilized the industry when it declined to implement the CRTC's 2019 wholesale rate decision. "It is ironic that Canada's telecom oligopolythe most vicious opponents of CRTC wholesale regulation just successfully argued to the Competition Tribunal that wholesale-based competition is the only viable solution to address competitive concerns with this merger," he said. "This stunning admission arises only after convincing the Minister to impose ruinous regulated rates on ISPs, acquiring those ISPs, and fixing rates themselves  effectively eliminating wholesale-based competition." About TekSavvy TekSavvy has been proudly serving Canadians award-winning telecom services and fighting for consumers' rights for 25 years. TekSavvy is committed to providing quality competitive choice and closing the digital divide in Canada. TekSavvy has offices in Chatham, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec and is Canada's largest independent telecom service company serving customers from coast to coast. SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.

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In July 1952, more than a dozen "flying saucers" were spotted zipping over Washington, DC. Not only did regular citizens spot the UFOs, but so did pilots, radar operators, and others. President Harry Truman asked WTF and so, according to History.com, "a representative from the Air Force's secret UFO-investigation team, Project Blue Book, was summoned to D.C. But before anyone could fully probe the incidents, the Air Force hastily convened a press conference to quell the panic, blaming the whole thing on the weather."

The strange situation prompted evangelical minister Reverend Louis A. Gardner to see if Albert Einstein had any idea that the hell was going on. His answer in the letter seen below.

From Mental Floss:

"Dear Sir," Einstein wrote. "Those people have seen something. What it is I do not know and am not curious to know. Sincerely yours, Albert Einstein." It's an interesting response from a man who typically championed curiosity. "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing," he once said. In fact, just a few months before Gardner wrote to him, Einstein told his biographer, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."

Maybe Einstein knew The Truth! (I kid, I kid.)
[January 19, 2023] Raytheon Technologies Expands Bengaluru Operations with Opening of Pratt & Whitney India Engineering Center

BENGALURU, India, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) business, today officially opened the doors to its new India Engineering Center* (IEC) in Bengaluru. The facility is co-located with Pratt & Whitney's India Capabilities Center (ICC), which opened in 2022 to provide integrated global supply chain support, and the recently inaugurated Collins Aerospace engineering and global operations centers. The IEC, which was designed to meet the LEED Platinum certification, further enhances Raytheon Technologies' combined presence in India of over 5,000 employees and fcilitates collaboration across the company's businesses.



"The Indian aviation market is growing at a rapid pace and Bengaluru is a hub for that growth," said Geoff Hunt, senior vice president, Engineering, Pratt & Whitney. "The work conducted at the IEC  by some of India's best and brightest minds  will support cutting edge technology that will drive the future of flight." More than 50 employees are now based in the state-of-the-art facility, with an additional 450 jobs to be filled over the next four years. Work performed at the IEC will encompass elements such as aero and mechanical and control systems for various products in Pratt & Whitney's broad portfolio of large and small commercial engines. It will also extend across the entire product lifecycle from development to field support and sustainment.

"The IEC will fully integrate with our existing global engineering footprint across Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland to advance world-class technology such as the geared turbofan and other sustainable propulsion solutions," said Paul Weedon, vice president, Engine Development, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. "The IEC team will be key to improving commercial engine performance, extending time on wing, reducing airline operating costs, and decreasing fuel consumption." The opening of the IEC further illustrates Raytheon Technologies' long history of investing in India. With more than 1,500 engines and auxiliary power units in service, Pratt & Whitney has one of the largest footprints for any engine maker in India. Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines power more than 180 A320neos and A321neos and have delivered more than $1 billion in savings to Indian airlines since entry-into-service. Other significant investments in-country include Pratt & Whitney's state-of-the-art India Customer Training Center in Hyderabad and its R&D collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. India is important to the global growth and investment strategy of Raytheon Technologies, and the advanced infrastructure and talent pool will help drive the country's contributions as a global leader in aerospace and defense. About Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit www.prattwhitney.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here. About Raytheon Technologies Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With four industry-leading businesses ? Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ? the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. * Note: The IEC is a part of UTCIPL (United Technologies Corporation Pvt Ltd.) Pratt & Whitney

+1 (860) 565-9600

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/raytheon-technologies-expands-bengaluru-operations-with-opening-of-pratt--whitney-india-engineering-center-301725792.html SOURCE Pratt & Whitney

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Aerobotix Receives 2022 Supplier Recognition Award from Lockheed Martin

Aerobotix, an AS9100-certified FANUC robotics integrator, announces today that it recently received a special award at a Lockheed Martin supplier conference.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005293/en/





Aerobotix Senior Project Engineer Keenan Simmons holding the 2022 Lockheed Martin Supplier Recognition Award for Ease of Doing Business. (Photo: Business Wire)

Aerobotix was presented with a 2022 Supplier Recognition Award for Ease of Doing Business. The award describes Aerobotix as "a vital partner" of Lockheed Martin's Space division.

Headquartered in Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide. LM is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Aerobotix has been a Lockheed Martin supplier for the past 17 years, providing robotics and automation support to LM divisions including Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, and Space.

"We're honored to accept this award from Lockheed Martin as one of their top suppliers," said Keenan Simmons, Aerobotix senior project engineer. "Aerobotix is known for delivering innovative robotic solutions to the aerospace and defense industries. The Ease of Doing Business Award recognizes that our team is also great to work with, providing outstanding customer support."

This is the second time in three years that Aerobotix has received a Lockheed Martin Supplier Recognition Award. In 2020, LM's Missiles and Fire Control division named Aerobotix as an Outstanding Small Business.

"Though we're technically a small business, Aerobotix takes pride in being able to make a big impact on projects for Lockheed Martin and other global companies," added Simmons.

About Aerobotix

Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, Aerobotix is an innovative leader in robotic solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. The company specializes in the creation of cutting-edge automated robotic solutions for high-value, high-precision components, aircraft and vehicles. Aerobotix has more than 130 robotic systems installed in the U.S. and abroad, providing exceptional results and savings for our clients.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005293/en/
[January 19, 2023] The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Joins a Growing Number of Federal Agencies Using Axonius to Solve Cybersecurity Asset Management Challenges

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axonius Federal Systems LLC, the leader in cybersecurity asset management and SaaS management for federal agencies, today announced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected Axonius to help it comply with new and existing cybersecurity regulations, guidelines, and mandates that require ongoing asset visibility. By adopting the cybersecurity asset management solution, CMS gains a comprehensive and always up-to-date asset inventory that makes it easier to understand security coverage and address any gaps.

Federal agencies, including CMS, often spend significant resources collecting data to satisfy requirements like the CISA BOD 23-01 and the M-22-09 Federal Zero Trust Strategy . That means they need the tools to help them better control and even eliminate shadow and rogue IT in their enterprise. By using Axonius to gain a single sourceof truth into its asset inventory, CMS was able to understand coverage of its security controls and more quickly identify asset gaps that they previously did not have the visibility into.



Weve seen an accelerated focus on strengthening our nations cybersecurity infrastructure, of which cybersecurity asset management plays a critical and foundational role, said Tom Kennedy, Vice President of Federal, Axonius Federal Systems LLC. Without visibility into what exists in your environment, its incredibly difficult to pinpoint where the majority of your security risk lies. For CMS, having that accurate and always up-to-date record of assets meant being able to get quick answers to any asset-related question. Recent high-profile public and private sector cyber attacks continue to put pressure on the federal government to ensure it has the best possible defense. For CMS, Axonius provides a view into the full scope of assets in their environments so they can know any time a device, cloud instance, or user deviates from policy expectations  and quickly remediate any issues. That also includes identifying gaps in vulnerability scanning or finding missing agents.

Since Q1 2022, Axonius has worked with CMS to create an automated process for accessing asset information and establishing a simpler, faster, and more effective way of getting enough context to secure their infrastructure. As a result, CMS is able to efficiently meet current and emerging security compliance requirements and solve any problems as quickly and securely as possible. Axonius gives federal agencies the ability to manage complexity and security risk as they work to untangle the increasing sprawl of devices, cloud services, software, and tools present in their environments. Learn more and request a demo by visiting https://www.axonius.com/company/axonius-federal-systems . About Axonius Federal Systems LLC

Axonius Federal Systems LLC (AFS) gives federal agencies the confidence to control complexity by mitigating threats, navigating risk, automating response actions, and complying with federal cybersecurity regulations and guidelines such as Zero Trust, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CDM, FISMA, and NDAA 889. A subsidiary of Axonius, the leader in cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) and SaaS management, AFS is the only solution available in the federal space that integrates with hundreds of data sources to provide a comprehensive asset inventory, uncover gaps, and automatically validate and enforce policies. For more on how AFS supports the mission of the U.S. government to improve national security, visit www.axonius.com/company/axonius-federal-systems. Media Contact:

Tracey Workman

Director, Global Public Relations, Axonius

[email protected]



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[January 19, 2023] ReasonLabs Releases Annual Report Revealing Major Cyber Threats Facing Consumers

The report includes a detailed analysis of consumer cybersecurity threats from last year and offers predictions for 2023, including an increase in metaverse-related cyberattacks and the rise of Crimeware-as-a-Service NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ReasonLabs , the cybersecurity pioneer equipping families and individuals with the same level of cyber protection used by Fortune 500 companies, today released its annual research report, The State of Consumer Cybersecurity 2023 , featuring comprehensive data and in-depth analysis of consumer cybersecurity threats from 2022 and predictions of the threats consumers are likely to face in 2023. The annual report is comprised of data derived from ReasonLabs users from more than 180 countries. The report was developed by researchers from ReasonLabs' Threat Intelligence Center (TIC) , the company's industry-leading in-house research arm. The report highlights data from 2022 and 2021 to provide context on year-over-year cybersecurity trends. Key takeaways from the report include: The emergence of the metaverse and increased adoption of IoT devices carry new cyber risks, such as the metaverse attack vector identified by TIC researchers in 2022.

identified by TIC researchers in 2022. Malicious web extensions are becoming more and more prevalent - 15% of all malicious extensions detected throughout 2022 came from users in the United States .

. Trojanized software such as coin miners, backdoors, infostealers, remote access trojans (RATs), and spyware continues to be a top threat to home users and remote employees, as they accounted for 31% of all detections.

The rise in HackUtilities detections from 4% in 2021 to 20% in 2022 demonstrates that online piracythe use of pirated or cracked software and applicationsis either at or near an all-time high.

Cyberwarfare is increasingly impacting average citizens around the world, with the most notable examples in 2022 coming from Russia's war in Ukraine . We found a large increase in detections in Ukraine throughout February compared to January, signaling that Russia's invasion was also paired with cyber attacks.

war in . We found a large increase in detections in throughout February compared to January, signaling that invasion was also paired with cyber attacks. The top five countries with the most detections per user throughout 2022 are Kazakhstan, Russia , Egypt , Ukraine , and Bolivia respectively. While the list is diverse, over 50% (11/20) of the most attacked countries are in Asia , while only 10% (2/20) are from Europe .

Phishing remains the leading malware distribution method affecting home users and remote employees.

Crimeware-as-a-Service (CaaS), the practice of providing cyber products and services to criminals to facilitate large-scale attacks, is on the rise. CaaS products and services typically deliver ransomware, malware, phishing threats, and more.

As businesses improve their cybersecurity practices, attackers are increasingly focusing on home users. The proliferation of remote and hybrid work has made it easier for attackers to access corporate networks through employees' home networks.

The 2021 launch of the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force in the U.S., along with government legislation around companies engaging with ransomware demands, means some attackers are deploying ransomware on home users instead of large corporations.



TIC researchers expect that 2023 will bring more sophisticated phishing and social engineering scams as consumers become more aware of common tactics. They also anticipate growth in Phishing-as-a-Service and overall CaaS. Additionally, researchers expect 2FA to continue to be bypassed, likely leading to the increasing use of Three- or Four-Factor Authentication. The report also indicates that unsecured consumers, particularly young users, will continue to be susceptible as they engage with cryptocurrencies, the metaverse, and other digital assets. Finally, the TIC anticipates the continued deployment of next-generation threats as emerging technologies, such as virtual reality, become more mainstream.

The TIC plays a pivotal role in identifying cyber threats and assessing the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, analyzing two billion files per day and identifying more than 24 million threats every month. The TIC shares its findings with the cyber research community at large to ensure public awareness ofand protection againstemerging threats. Click here to access the full report . About ReasonLabs ReasonLabs is a cybersecurity pioneer equipping tens of millions of families and individuals worldwide with the same level of cyber protection utilized by Fortune 500 companies. Its AI-powered, next-generation antivirus engine scans billions of files around the world to predict and prevent cyberattacks in real time, 24/7. Its flagship product, RAV Endpoint Protection, together with its other products combine to form a multilayered solution that safeguards home users against next-generation threats. Co-founded in 2016 by seasoned cybersecurity expert Andrew Newmanan architect of Microsoft's native cybersecurity program, Microsoft DefenderReasonLabs is based in New York and Tel Aviv. Learn more at https://www.ReasonLabs.com . Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube Contact:

Eric Wolkstein

Marketing Communications Manager, ReasonLabs

[email protected]

+19892441734 Logo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1883752/ReasonLabs_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reasonlabs-releases-annual-report-revealing-major-cyber-threats-facing-consumers-301725686.html SOURCE ReasonLabs

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[January 19, 2023] BairesDev Support in Tech Education and Reskilling up 73% in 2022

Mountain View, CA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BairesDev, a leading bootstrapped software solutions company, announced a 73% increase in the support it gives to fuel tech education and reskilling opportunities through its Giveback Program, an initiative aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in the tech community. Through this award-winning CSR program, the company biannually curates a list of nonprofit organizations that drive change and help underrepresented tech talent grow professionally. From the list, clients are invited to engage with and select the organizations to which BairesDev will donate funds. Given widespread big tech layoffs, the last edition of the program was aimed at supporting organizations focused on reskilling talent for careers in tech from underrepresented minorities in 17 countries: Per Scholas, an institution that helps individuals jumpstart tech careers with free industry-leading certifications and training

Generation, which prepares, places, and supports people moving into life-changing careers

Reskill American, which provides participants with free software development training



If I think back to a year ago, now Im a completely different person. I never thought Id be in this [technology] field or growing this much in my career. If I hadnt been through the Generation program, Id probably still be a curbside shopper, said Dasha, a US Generation Participant.

Per Scholas is helping people from underserved neighborhoods and giving us this training for free, said Simon Ayim, an immigrant from Ghana who dreamed of starting a career in cybersecurity. They never asked for anything back, only asked for us to put in the work. Lastly, when asked about her experience, Alexandra Gomez expressed her appreciation for Reskill Americans Bootcamp: Many Bootcamps are super expensive and require a full-day attendance. In this case, you learn at your own pace and at no cost! Reskill changed my life in less than a year: after completing the program, I got a job as a Junior Software Engineer Analyst at Wells Fargo. Co-founded in 2009 by software engineers Paul Azorin and Nacho De Marco, BairesDev is one of the worlds fastest-growing software solutions companies. Fully remote, the BairesDev team is made up of more than 4,000 professionals distributed throughout 40+ countries around the world. About BairesDev BairesDev is a leading Software Solutions company that architects and engineers scalable and high-performing software solutions to meet all kinds of business challenges. Using its tech expertise and cross-industry experience, BairesDev evolves digital transformation into digital acceleration. The ultimate goal is to create lasting value throughout the entire digital transformation journey. With 4,000+ professionals in 40+ countries, BairesDev provides time zone-aligned services to empower Fortune 500 companies and leading brands. Working for clients like Google, Rolls-Royce, Johnson & Johnson, Pinterest, and ViacomCBS, the company has been reimagining the tech landscape for over a decade.

BairesDev [email protected]

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[January 19, 2023] Immersive Virtual Reality Training From Wolters Kluwer & Laerdal Medical Transports Nursing Students to a Busy Hospital Floor

Wolters Kluwer, Health and Laerdal Medical today announced the development of vrClinicals for Nursing, an immersive, virtual reality (VR) nursing education experience designed to strengthen practice readiness. vrClinicals is built on evidence-based scenarios authored by the National League for Nursing (NLN) that simulate a realistic hospital environment, including challenging elements such as multiple patient scenarios, and interruptions to better prepare students in delivering quality patient care. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005186/en/ vrClinicals for Nursing prepares students for medical practice by building clinical judgment and multi-patient prioritization skills. (Photo: Business Wire) Limitations that impact real-life clinical training for nursing students, including a lack of physical clinical site availability and an unpredictable mix of patients, have opened the door for safe, resource-effective training modalities, such as VR, that offer a greater breadth of experiences. Students using vrClinicals for Nursing with a Meta Quest 2 headset will be immersed in an authentic, virtual clinical environment where they must navigate real challenges nurses encounter on the job - such as prioritizing multiple patients with varied, complex cases, interruptions from colleagues, or patient requests. According to Leila Casteel, DNP, APRN, NP-C, a practicing family nurse practitioner and Associate Vice President, Curriculum & Innovation at Herzing University, "The vrClinicals for Nursing solution offers just the right amount of urgency that students need to hit the ground running once they enter clinical practice. It prepares students to think critically and hone their prioritization skills across multiple, diverse patients and clinical scenarios, which mirrors the day-to-day unpredictability of nursing." Nursing shortage puts pressure on new nurses

Newly licensed nurses are increasingly managing higher patient caseloads and must refine their independent clinical judgement earlier in their careers, especially with the impacts of the current nursing shortage. To better prepare today's nursing students for this environment with a backdrop of limited clinical opportunities, educational tools using metaverse related technologies can provide a broad range of experiences tha reflect the expectations of real-world practice.



"Using immersive virtual reality, vrClinicals for Nursing allows students to benefit from clinical training in a controlled environment where they can safely make and learn from their mistakes," said Julie Stegman, Vice President, Nursing Segment, Health Learning, Research & Practice at Wolters Kluwer, Health. "This experiential learning fosters in-the-moment decision making that allows students to react and reflect on the decisions they've made in multiple, complex care scenarios. Developing this skillset early is essential to ensuring nurses feel confident as they onboard, while shortening their ramp-up for clinical practice." Promoting clinical preparedness with virtual reality

With fewer on-site educational opportunities available, VR technology is meeting the need for realistic, experiential learning for student nurses that allows them to receive real-time feedback in a hospital setting, without putting patients at risk.

"Using Virtual Reality, we are filling a gap in nursing education with immersive training that puts the student in a life-like clinical setting where they practice being a nurse and caring for a diverse set of patients. The goal is to develop their ability and confidence in clinical judgement," said Cansu Akarsu, Vice President of Healthcare Education at Laerdal Medical vrClinicals for Nursing can be used as a building block on top of the critical clinical decision-making skills developed in vSim for Nursing. Progressing from the screen-based, simulated single-patient scenario in vSim for Nursing to the advanced multi-patient, complex care scenarios within vrClinicals allows students to virtually practice in a clinical setting. Learn more about vrClinicals for Nursing Discover Wolters Kluwer's metaverse related technology at IMSH

vrClinicals for Nursing, which was co-developed with Laerdal Medical, builds on the successful collaboration between Laerdal Medical and Wolters Kluwer. Be sure to visit Wolters Kluwer at Booth 747 at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH), held January 21-25, 2023, in Orlando, Florida to experience vrClinicals, as well as other recent additions to Wolters Kluwer's virtual reality and simulation-based offerings. (Meta and Quest are trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.) About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2021 annual revenues of 4.8 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer, Health provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005186/en/

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[January 19, 2023] Cogeco and its employees give back to the community: nearly half a million dollars raised during the 2022 United Way / Centraide campaign in Canada

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Cogeco (TSX: CGO) is proud to announce that the company and its employees have once again partnered with the annual campaigns of United Way in Ontario and Centraide in Quebec. This year, nearly $470,000 was raised and will be donated to the organization. Drawing on its long history of social engagement and community involvement, Cogeco has been committed for many years to supporting the United Way / Centraide campaign, which combats poverty and social exclusion locally. "Once again, the commitment and generosity of our people have shone through, illustrating the deep connection between Cogeco and the communities we serve," said Philippe Jette, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cogeco Inc. "In the current socio-economic context, it is more important than ever to make these efforts to help reduce exclusion and address the growing needs of those most vulnerable in our society." He added: "The great sensitivity to these issues shown by our employees in Ontario ad Quebec means that this campaign has meaningful impacts in the communities that benefit from the proceeds, and this is why we are so proud of our yearly commitment to this cause."



Taking part in inclusive growth through concrete actions Social engagement is one of Cogeco's core values. As a company deeply rooted in the communities it serves through the operation of local offices where its team members and customers live, it aims to help those communities thrive by supporting local economies, building partnerships, and fostering community cohesion. In fiscal 2022, Cogeco supported over 600 non-profit organizations in Canada and the U.S., and its total donations amounted to 3.1% of pre-tax profits.

ABOUT COGECO INC. Rooted in the communities it serves, Cogeco Inc. is a growing competitive force in the North American telecommunications and media sectors with a legacy of 65 years. Through its business units Cogeco Connexion and Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband), Cogeco provides Internet, video and phone services to 1.6 million residential and business customers in Quebec and Ontario in Canada as well as in thirteen states in the United States. Through Cogeco Media, it owns and operates 21 radio stations primarily in the province of Quebec as well as a news agency. Cogeco's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA). SOURCE Cogeco Inc.

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[January 19, 2023] DON'T RISK YOUR SUMMER TRIP: VRBO REVEALS BOOK-BY DATES FOR KEY TRAVEL SEASONS

Vrbo advises travellers to book Victoria Day stays by March 22, Canada Day by May 8 TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ -- Today, Vrbo unveiled eleven key dates for booking travel in 2023. The busiest months for booking whole, private vacation rentals are January and February, so the race is on in high-demand locations. To have a wider selection of available vacation rentals for key travel periods in 2023, travellers are advised to book by the below dates:1 Family Day: January 19 March Break: February 1 Victoria Day : March 22 Saint- Jean Baptiste Day (QC) : April 26 Canada Day: May 8 Civic Holiday (QC): June 13 Labour Day: July 7 Thanksgiving: August 15 Ski season: October 5 Winter/holiday break: November 7 New Year's Eve: November 8 "If you're looking to book a private vacation home for a major holiday in 2023, mark your calendars with Vrbo's book-by dates," said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations. "All of these dates are two weeks earlier than they were in years past. Those two weeks can make or break snagging a coveted mountain cabin for a spring break ski trip or a beachside cottage for that annual summer vacation." In addition to booking by the above dates, travellers can use the following tips and Vrbo tools to help find the best vacation homes: Try out alternative destinations:

Vrbo vacation homes in top summer destinations such as Muskoka, Ontario, as well as Vancouver, Canada tend to book up more quickly and earlier than other spots. To have additional options, consider hidden gem destinations such as: Kootenay Boundary, B.C.

Lunenberg, N.S.

Essex County, ON.

Frontenac County, ON.

Laurentians, QC Plan together with Trip Boards:

With Vrbo Trip Boards, travellers can curate and save their favorite properties in one place and streamline group planning by inviting everyone in their group to do the same. To help inspire travellers planning their 2023 vacations, Vrbo curated these Trip Boards to help to turn bucket lists into a book-it lists: Beach Please

Ski-In, Ski-Out Homes

Unique Stays

Summer in Europe

Ranch Retreats



Take advantage of flexible cancellation policies:

Families and groups of friends booking far in advance for their spring and summer trips should book properties that offer flexible cancellation policies in case travel plans change. The most flexible policy allows travellers to cancel their booking up to 14 days before check-in for a full refund, and many hosts have adopted these policies. Use search filters to narrow down results:

The many search filters in the Vrbo app can be used to narrow down options when looking for a vacation home. Helpful filters when searching on Vrbo include:

Price: Filter search results by either the nightly rate or the total price of a vacation rental, including fees, to hone in on properties that fall within a specific vacation budget. Vrbo first introduced this feature more than two years ago so that travelers can clearly see the total price of a vacation home before booking.

Filter search results by either the nightly rate or the total price of a vacation rental, including fees, to hone in on properties that fall within a specific vacation budget. Vrbo first introduced this feature more than two years ago so that travelers can clearly see the total price of a vacation home before booking. Features & amenities: Some of the most sought-after amenities on Vrbo include private pools, hot tubs and backyard or patio spaces. Using these filters helps travellers find properties with the ideal spaces and amenities to accommodate their group's needs.

Some of the most sought-after amenities on Vrbo include private pools, hot tubs and backyard or patio spaces. Using these filters helps travellers find properties with the ideal spaces and amenities to accommodate their group's needs. Free cancellation policy: Filter by properties that offer flexible cancellation policies, as noted above, to have more flexibility with travel plans. Download and book on the Vrbo app:

Travellers that book and pay through the Vrbo app or site are automatically covered by the Book with Confidence Guarantee. This guarantee, which has been protecting Vrbo travellers for years, offers protections before, during and after a stay, including payment protection against fraudulent listings, lodging assistance if travelers are unable to check-in and rebooking assistance if the host cancels at the last minute. About Vrbo

In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travellers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between. Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.ca.  2023 Vrbo, an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Vrbo, HomeAway, the Vrbo logo, and the HomeAway logo are trademarks of HomeAway. Follow Vrbo on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter. 1Based on an analysis of Vrbo vacation rental demand for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2022. SOURCE Vrbo

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[January 19, 2023] Carrier SI and Xcitium Partner to Expand Affordable Endpoint Security

BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xcitium , the cybersecurity industry's leading provider of state-of-the-art endpoint protection solutions, announced they have partnered with Carrier SI , a leading business voice and data communication solutions provider. Xcitium is the first cyber security vendor with premiere status in the Carrier SI portfolio, serving as its go-to endpoint protection solution and trusted cyber advisor. "The Carrier SI team will work with Xcitium to offer our clients an affordable endpoint security service along with a first-class customer experience," said Richard Miller, CEO of Carrier SI. "This partnership comes at a particularly critical time with an estimated 450,000 new ransomware variants released daily, particularly targeting customers in the financial, manufacturing, and medical industries - a heavy footprint within the Carrier SI customer base." Carrier SI customers will now have access to the market's leading endpoint cyber security technology that specializes in containing unknown and known cyber atacks. Xcitium's patented Kernel-level API Virtualization isolates and removes threats before they can cause damage to endpoints.



"Cyber security has become a foremost concern amongst CISOs, and we're thrilled Carrier SI can now offer its customers Xcitium's proven solution to address those concerns and prevent cyber breaches and damage businesses," said Michael Costantino, Xcitium's VP of Strategic Partnerships. "We're excited to announce this new partnership that expands our market reach to wireless, data, and video markets to help more enterprises protect themselves against potential cyber threats. Richard and his team have been a leader in the communications space for quite some time, and we are thrilled to help build out their cyber security practice together." About Xcitium

Xcitium, formerly known as Comodo Security Solutions, is used by more than 3,000 organizational customers & partners around the globe. Xcitium was founded with one simple goal  to put an end to cyber breaches. Our patented ZeroDwelll technology uses Kernel-level API Virtualization to isolate and remove threats like zero-day malware & ransomware before they cause any damage to any endpoints. ZeroDwell is the cornerstone of Xcitiums endpoint suite, which includes preemptive endpoint containment, endpoint detection & response (EDR), and managed detection & response (MDR). Since its inception, Xcitium has a track record of zero breaches when fully configured.

About Carrier SI

Carrier SI Inc is a business voice and data communication solutions provider specializing in design for all voice, data, video, and wireless solutions. Carrier SI provides integrated comprehensive solutions for the planning, implementation and management of communication networks in the areas of contact center, data center, unified communications, corporate security, and private cloud. For Media Inquiries:

Barbara Webber for Xcitium

Connect2 Communications

[email protected]



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[January 19, 2023] Nied Financial Seeks Enhanced Client Service With Grove Point Financial

Grove Point Financial, a boutique broker-dealer and investment advisory platform, announces the addition of Nied Financial, a Rock Springs, Wyoming-based firm overseeing $22 million in assets. Headed by Shane Niederer, Nied Financial sought out a community-based environment to better serve clients. Specializing in planning for those near retirement, Niederer delivers personalized plans so families can live comfortably in understanding and managing their financial future. With Grove Point Financial, Nied Financial has the opportunity to join a relationship-focused firm that allows for growth with the ability to serve clients at a higher level, more efficiently. "For me, it's all about the people," said Niederer. "I love that Grove Point takes pride in its ability to work with clients and their advisors on a very personal basis. The connected nature of the firm and aligning with a team that is passionate about serving those in different life stages is key to buildingstrong bonds with clients."



Rob Engle, Executive Vice President of Business Development at Grove Point Financial added, "We are delighted to welcome Nied Financial and its clients into the fold. Shane is an experienced financial professional with a passion for relationship-building and comprehensive service. We look forward to continuing our mission of delivering service excellence and partnership-based culture." Nied Financial is now in a position to leverage Grove Point's tools and technology to better reach the needs of their clients across all stages of life. As Nied Financial looks ahead, they plan to hire additional financial professionals and increase community involvement in Rock Springs. To learn more, visit: https://www.grovepointfinancial.com/

About Grove Point Financial Grove Point Financial, LLC (Grove Point Financial) operates out of its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The firm provides broker-dealer and RIA services to more than 500 financial professionals across the U.S. Grove Point Financial is guided by a mission of delivering service excellence based on relationships, where all financial professionals thrive in an intimate and accessible culture that values partnership above all else. Securities offered through Grove Point Investments, LLC (GPI), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Grove Point Advisors, LLC (GPA). GPI and GPA are subsidiaries of Grove Point Financial, LLC, which is a subsidiary of Kestra Holdings. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005655/en/

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Walter Masterson joined a nearly all-male group of forced-birthers protesting in front of a Planned Parenthood office in New York and pretended to be one of them.

From the YouTube description:

The priest featured in this is Fidelis [Christopher "Fidelis" Moscinski]. He is notorious for invading clinics and terrorizing people trying to receive healthcare. Even though the cops love him, he has still managed to do jail time. He is head of the largest anti-abortion group in NYC.

Standing next to Father Fidelis Moscinski and the other protestors, megaphone in hand, Masterson shouted things like, "We hate women!" and "We want to control woman." When pro-choice counter-protestors started recording him, he said, "I support this man [Fidelis] and his fight to stop people from receiving health care of any kind. He's been a fervent preventer of people receiving health care."

Fidelis looked very annoyed and turned to Masterson, put his hand on him, and said, "This is too loud for me can you go do this somewhere else?"

Masterson said, "I hate women. I'm supposed to be here."

Fidelis said, "You do not belong to our group."

Masterson said, "I believe that America is a Christo-fascist state and I hate women. Can I say now?"

The group resumed marching, and Masterson resumed chanting, "I hate women." Fidelis reappeared and put his face in Masterson's, demanding him to leave. But Masterson isn't cowed by Fidelis' alpha male ploy.

Masterson grinned and said, "I'm here because I cannot trust women to make their own decisions in life."

Masterson continued to bait the protesters he was standing among by saying things like, "if we were real Christians, we would support women and their right to choose. We are not real Christians. We want everyone to know that. If we actually cared about women or children, we would support tons of social programs, but we don't because that's socialism, apparently."

Father Fidelis could only glower.

Thumbnail image: Planned Parenthood building
[January 19, 2023] Batteries Plus Closes Out 2022 with New Records, Enters 2023 with Ambitious Sales Goals

Leading Specialty Retailer Opens 44 Stores, Inks 60 Deals, Celebrates Three Decades of Franchising in 2022 HARTLAND, Wis., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Batteries Plus , the nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, has confirmed yet another record-breaking year as the brand closes out 2022 with undeniably impressive activity in Q4. December proved to be the retailer's second highest sales month of all time, giving the brand obvious upward trajectory heading into the new year. And in overall performance, Batteries Plus inked 60 new deals in 2022, including both organic growth and additional signings with current franchisees, successfully meeting its goal previously stated at the top of the year. The brand expanded its presence with multi-unit expansions in South Florida and Long Island, NY as well as new presences in several markets, including Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California to name a few. A stand-out effort during this active, memorable year, and one of the many ways Batteries Plus is staying ahead of the innovation curve, is the campaign that was executed by the brand to capitalize on the organization's commitment to providing an exceptional shopping experience both in-store and online. With the recent total digital transformation and leadership changes to the digital team, the retailer is delivering on its promise to offer an elevated shopping journey for its customers by completely reinventing the digital space. Through high-level customization and personalization to the brand's website, the rebuild of Batteries Plus's online presence has resulted in an easier and more enjoyable purchasing experience. "Batteries Plus still has plenty of untapped potential," said Scott Williams, CEO of Batteries Plus. "With an impressive executive team such as ours, and a force of 250+ franchisees in our system, our brand is capitalizing on the knowledge and advantages we've created for ourselves to position our brand to continue to deliver the best of the best for the battery-powered present and future." With a record of constant growth for the past three years, including 53 resales and 44 new store openings in 2022, it's no surprise the leading specialty retailer is yet again setting high standards for success with the announcementof this year's goal to acquire 60 additional store signings by 2023's end.



Reflecting on this past year, it's only appropriate to show appreciation to the hundreds of franchisees who make these growth goals possible, and particularly the entrepreneurs who paved the way exactly three decades ago. The year of 2022 was the 30th anniversary celebration of Batteries Plus's first franchise location in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This celebration is a genuine demonstration of the brand's long-term commitment, declared three decades ago, to providing the necessary resources and services people need to power their lives, by expanding the business to new communities and delivering on that promise through franchising. To top off a profitable and memorable year, Batteries Plus gained multiple new faces at the executive level, including Derek Detenber, who was appointed as Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer, Aaron Bundschuh as Chief Digital Officer, Scott Buchalter as Director of Franchise Relations, and Hugh Robertson as Director of Exit Strategy Support. Additionally, Batteries Plus celebrated many promotions including Jon Sica who was elevated to Chief Business Officer in March along with the brand's entire franchise development team receiving promotions. Joe Malmuth, CFE, moved into the role of Chief Franchising Officer from his previous role as Vice President of Franchise Development. Just as well, Vic Daher was promoted to Vice President of Franchise Development and Brandon Mangual to Managing Director of Franchise Development.

"It's been a commemorative year at Batteries Plus, and we show no signs of slowing down any time soon," said Joe Malmuth, CFE, Chief Franchising Officer at Batteries Plus. "We've received incredible interest in our franchise opportunities with both current and prospective franchisees, which is a testament to our remarkable numbers from 2022 and the consistent growth that follows. The driving force behind our progress can be attributed to not only our team members across the executive leadership team, franchisees and at the store-level, but to the communities and loyal customers who support us." Not only is the brand outshining competitors in its franchise development results, the retailer has also received a variety of well-deserved recognitions from highly established organizations, such as ranking no. 41 by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise for Veterans, a list the brand has consistently secured a spot on for nine years in a row. Alongside this are plenty of other honorable mentions from ranking #130 on Franchise Times Top 400 list, as well as landing on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list for the 30th year in a row  gaining 53 spots over last year's ranking. The brand was also recognized with the 2022 Leadership Award in Shareholder Value by one of their highly valued national account customers, Johnson Controls. In charitable efforts, Batteries Plus is honored to continue its partnership with the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots as National Corporate Donors in an exclusive partnership with Duracell, with 2022 being the brand's third year donating AA and AAA batteries to power children's toys. To learn more about Batteries Plus, including information on the franchise opportunity or tour a store virtually, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com . ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:

Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Isabella Bobillo, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847-945-1300 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/batteries-plus-closes-out-2022-with-new-records-enters-2023-with-ambitious-sales-goals-301725986.html SOURCE Batteries Plus

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[January 19, 2023] Government of Canada funds purchase of hundreds of new electric buses for Ottawa

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for OttawaVanier, and His Worship Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, announced $350 million in federal funding to contribute towards the purchase of 350 zero-emission buses and install related charging infrastructure for Ottawa's bus fleet. These new electric buses will replace current diesel-powered buses in the City's public transit fleet. The City will install the required charging infrastructure, build a new vehicle storage facility and upgrade two existing ones, and purchase other related infrastructure to maintain and operate the battery electric buses. The electrification of vehicles is a key initiative toward the City of Ottawa's Energy Evolution Strategy goal of reducing GHG emissions in municipal operations by 100 per cent by 2040 and demonstrates the City's commitment to lead by example. With the gradual phase-out of diesel buses as they reach the end of their life cycle, OC Transpo is targeting a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2036. At its meeting on January 25, 2023, Ottawa City Council will consider the budget authority requests to begin the procurement of zero-emission OC Transpo buses and related charging infrastructure. Public transit is key to creating sustainable economic growth and more inclusive communities. This investment will create jobs, improve user experience, reduce gridlock on our roads and help the City of Ottawa and Canada get to net-zero by 2050. By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, building resilient communities, and building a better future for all Canadians. Quotes "Continued prosperity in the 21st century will depend on our ability to innovate and respond to the climate crisis. Canadian cities are rethinking their infrastructure needs to support a growing population with increasing transit needs. The Government of Canada's significant investment in the electrification of Ottawa's bus fleet will help the city reduce street noise, pollution, and energy costs, while simultaneously bolstering the local economy." The Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for OttawaVanier, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities "Any investment in public transit in Ottawa is an investment in the environment. With the new funding for our zero-emissions bus program the Government of Canada is contributing to these shared and critical priorities. These new buses will help OC Transpo continue its work towards reducing greenhouse gases and convert our fleet to zero-emission electric fuel."



His Worship Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of the City of Ottawa Quick facts

The Government of Canada is contributing $350 million to this project through the Zero Emissions Transit Fund.

The $2.75-billion Zero-Emission Transit Fund is now accepting applications under the Planning and Capital streams. Eligible applicants can seek funding to help cover planning and capital costs related to electrifying school transportation and public transit systems, including the purchase of zero emission buses and related infrastructure. This Fund is closely coordinated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank's commitment to invest $1.5 billion in zero emission buses as part of its three-year Growth Plan.

Zero-Emission Transit Fund is now accepting applications under the Planning and Capital streams. Eligible applicants can seek funding to help cover planning and capital costs related to electrifying school transportation and public transit systems, including the purchase of zero emission buses and related infrastructure. This Fund is closely coordinated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank's commitment to invest in zero emission buses as part of its three-year Growth Plan. More information on the Zero-Emission Transit Fund, the Active Transportation Fund and the Rural Transit Solutions Fund, including details on eligibility, and how to apply for funding, can be found at the links below.

The Government of Canada is investing $14 .9 billion over the next eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This funding includes $3 billion per year in permanent, predictable federal public transit funding which will be available to support transit solutions beginning in 2026/27.

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested over $24.8 billion in transit projects across the country, providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options.

These public transit investments complement Canada's strengthened climate plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. The plan commits the federal government to provide permanent federal funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation available in every community. Associated links Zero-Emission Transit Fund

Active Transportation Fund

Rural Transit Solutions Fund

Investing in Canada Plan  Building a Better Canada

Plan  Building a Better Canada What's in Canada's climate plan

climate plan Canada Infrastructure Bank  Zero Emission Buses Initiative

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

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[January 19, 2023] Government of Canada supports greening of Mauricie SMEs

CED grants over $1.2 million for five projects that will contribute to Quebec's green transition TROIS-RIVIERES, QC, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) SMEs have a key role to play in ensuring Quebec's economy makes the environmental transition. They seek to innovate and grow by becoming more competitive in a greener world. That is why the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED, the Honourable Pascale StOnge, accompanied by the Honourable FrancoisPhilippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for SaintMaurice?Champlain and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, is today announcing a total of $1,208,952 for five projects that will foster Mauricie's green transition. The recipients are GROUPE Mauricie + RiveSud, Groupe PROB inc., Fut Mauricie (29548344 Quebec inc.), Waste Robotics Inc. and Theron Sport Inc. These CED investments will enable them to launch their project, increase their production while becoming more energy efficient or reducing losses, and market their products. Further details on each project are provided in the related backgrounder. The Government of Canada supports SMEs by fostering sustainable development in all regions across Quebec. Adapted programs and services are available to accelerate the launch of innovative projects, the adoption of clean technologies, and the development of greener products. In this way, CED is providing concrete assistance to Quebec's businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers so they can better position themselves and seize opportunities arising out of an economy in transition. Quotes



"We must help small and mediumsized enterprises make the green shift so they can carve out an ideal place for themselves in tomorrow's economy. That is why our government is supporting economic players in Quebec such as GROUPE Mauricie + RiveSud, Groupe PRO-B, Fut Mauricie, Waste Robotics and Theron Sport, whose projects will help reduce our environmental footprint, increase their competitiveness, or enable them to innovate using clean technologies. I would like to highlight their efforts in helping to create a sustainable economy. Congratulations!" The Honourable Pascale StOnge, Member of Parliament for Brome?Missisquoi, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED

"Businesses play a key role in Quebec's economy and in the green transition. That is why our government is committed to supporting them so they remain competitive and innovative, but also so they can equip themselves with what they need to carve out a place for themselves in tomorrow's economy. By helping GROUPE Mauricie + RiveSud, Groupe PROB, Fut Mauricie, Waste Robotics and Theron Sport, we are demonstrating once again that it is possible to focus on economic growth with a smaller ecological footprint." The Honourable FrancoisPhilippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for SaintMaurice??Champlain and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Quick facts According to a survey conducted in 2022 by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, 90% of Canadian manufacturing SMEs have not yet begun their low-carbon transition, and yet, SMEs generate approximately 30% of Canada's total GHG emissions.





total GHG emissions. CED is a key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow's economy. Associated links CED funding initiatives and programs





2022 Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters survey





Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan Stay connected Follow CED on social media

Consult CED's news SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

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[January 19, 2023] Median Technologies Announces 2022 Revenue of 23.8 Million, up 16%, and an Order Backlog of 60.8 Million

Regulatory News: Median Technologies (ALMDT:PA) announces its revenue level for the full year 2022. "In 2022, revenue generated by the iCRO business continued to grow in double digits. Our new offer Imaging Lab, which uses Artificial Intelligence and data mining technologies developed by the iBiopsy division, received a very warm welcome at the ASCO conference in May 2022. Imaging Lab generates significant interest from major pharmaceutical companies by enabling to deeply exploit imaging data from their clinical trials and the roll out development programs for new biomarkers," highlights Fredrik Brag, CEO and founder of Median Technologies. "After announcing outstanding results from the detection-characterization combination of our iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx Software as Medical Device in March 2022, we initiated discussions with the FDA with a view to obtaining regulatory and marketing approval in the US for our SaMD during the first half of 2024. Progress with the FDA is going ahead according to the schedule we planned. At end-2022, we began collecting the associated images and clinical data that are to be used in our pivotal study", adds Fredrik Brag. iBiopsy: clear progress in the iBiopsy Lung Cancer Screening clinical development plan In 2022, the Company announced it had completed the development of its iBiopsy Lung Cancer Screening CADe/CADx1 Software as Medical Device (SaMD) based on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Median's iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx SaMD reached outstanding performances (press release of March 22, 2022) calculated across a cohort of 1,760 patients, with a sensitivity2 of 94.7% for a specificity3 of 93.3%. During 2022, Median also initiated discussions with the FDA (press releases of March 3, 2022, and May 5, 2022), to prepare the application for regulatory and marketing approval for its iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx SaMD in the US during the first half of 2024. At thesame time, the company expects to obtain CE marking for its iBiopsy SaMD during the second half of 2024.



The collection of images and retrospective data to be used in the iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx pivotal study started at the end of 2022, as did recruitment of readers. iCRO: further double-digit growth in revenue and extension of imaging services portfolio for biopharmaceutical companies with Imaging Lab

In 2022, Median Technologies' iCRO4 business, which provides services for image management in oncology trials to the biopharmaceutical industry worldwide, continued its double-digit growth. As of December 31, 2022, Median Technologies' revenue was 23.8 million, a 16% increase compared to the 2021 level. Q4 2022 revenue stood at 5.1 million. The company's revenue is generated entirely by the iCRO division's commercial activity. From May 2022 onwards, the iCRO division leveraged the Artificial Intelligence and data mining technologies developed by the iBiopsy division. iCRO is rounding out its portfolio of services for the pharmaceutical industry with the Imaging Lab offering. Imaging Lab enables the company's customers to deeply exploit imaging data from their clinical trials, and to establish research collaborations for the identification of new biomarkers. Imaging Lab will provide new answers in four of the areas that determine the success of clinical programs: selection of patients included in trials, especially inclusion of patients diagnosed at early stages, prediction of response to therapy based on imaging, measurement of disease progression and development of imaging companion diagnostics. The Imaging Lab offer was launched during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, US. The order backlog5 stood at 60.8 million on December 31, 2022, up 2.8 million relative to December 31, 2021. Cash and cash equivalents As of December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents stood at 21.5 million, compared to 39 million as of December 31, 2021. Next financial publication April 20, 2023, after the close of trading:

2022 annual results and Q1 2023 performance Disclaimer: The preliminary figures set forth above are based on management's initial review of the Company's operations for the period ending December 31st, 2022 and are subject to revision based upon the finalization of the limited review conducted on the full year financial statements by the Group's statutory auditors. Actual results may differ materially from these preliminary figures as a result of the completion of H1 closing procedures, final adjustments and other developments arising between now and the time that the Company's financial results are finalized, and such changes could be material. In addition, these preliminary figures are not a comprehensive statement of the Company's financial results for 2022, should not be viewed as a substitute for condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and are not necessarily indicative of the Company's results for any future period. About Median Technologies: Median Technologies provides innovative imaging solutions and services to advance healthcare for everyone. We harness the power of medical images by using the most advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of many cancers and other metabolic diseases at their earliest stages and provide insights into novel therapies for patients. Our iCRO solutions for medical image analysis and management in oncology trials and iBiopsy, our AI-powered software as medical device help biopharmaceutical companies and clinicians to bring new treatments and diagnose patients earlier and more accurately. This is how we are helping to create a healthier world. Founded in 2002, based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, with a subsidiary in the US and another one in Shanghai, Median has received the label "Innovative company" by the BPI and is listed on Euronext Growth market (Paris). FR0011049824- ticker: ALMDT. Median is eligible for the French SME equity savings plan scheme (PEA-PME), is part of the Enternext PEA-PME 150 index and has been awarded the Euronext European Rising Tech label. For more information: www.mediantechnologies.com 1 A radiological CADe device is "intended to identify, mark, highlight or otherwise direct attention to portions of an image that may reveal abnormalities during interpretation of images by the clinician." A CADx device is "intended to provide information beyond identifying abnormalities, such as an assessment of disease." - Source FDA

2 Sensitivity is the ability to correctly generate positive results for cancer patients.

3 Specificity is the ability to correctly generate negative results for non-cancer patients.

4 Imaging Contract Research Organization

5 The order backlog is the sum of orders received but not yet fulfilled. An increase or decrease in the order backlog corresponds to the order intake of the reporting period, net of invoiced services, completed or cancelled contracts, and currency impact for projects in foreign currency (re-evaluated at the exchange rate on closing date). Orders are booked once the customer confirms, in writing, its retention of the Company's services for a given project. The contract is usually signed a few months after written confirmation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005545/en/

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[January 19, 2023] The Canada Infrastructure Bank and Arrow Technology Group partner to bring Indigenous-owned broadband infrastructure online in Alberta

Construction is underway to connect 20 Indigenous and 4 rural communities to high-speed

internet EDMONTON, AB, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership (Arrow) have formalized their agreement for the CIB to lend $8.1 million towards new broadband infrastructure serving Indigenous and rural communities in Alberta. The investment is part of the CIB's Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative which offers lending solutions to accelerate Indigenous infrastructure projects. The new broadband service will close an infrastructure gap by connecting underserved households in 20 Indigenous and 4 rural communities. Under the terms of the agreement, Arrow is responsible for all aspects of construction, installation, operations and maintenance of the new broadband service. Construction activities have already begun to build out the infrastructure required to support equitable access to online education, public services and e-commerce. The CIB's financing is in addition to grant funding from: Government of Canada's Universal Broadband Fund Rapid Response Stream

Universal Broadband Fund Rapid Response Stream Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's Broadband Fund

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Connect to Innovate The Indigenous communities benefiting from the broadband include First Nations from Treaty 8 and Treaty 6, as well as Metis Settlements, marking the CIB's first investment towards addressing infrastructure gaps within Metis communities. Due to the low population density and current lack of broadband infrastructure in rural areas, the cost of connection per household is very high. The CIB's financing rates allow broadband connectivity to expand in unserved and underserved communities at a quicker pace while als enabling Arrow to charge affordable rates to its Indigenous and rural customers.



Quick facts: The infrastructure to be deployed consists of building a fibre optic backbone network and a series of greenfield 'last mile' projects to connect homes.

The broadband service will offer speeds of 50-300 Mbps and unlimited data, enhancing telecommunications services for residents, businesses and public service delivery.

Through the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative, the CIB is investing in community-based projects which provide a service and a direct benefit to an Indigenous community or communities to help close the infrastructure gap. Endorsements

"As part of the CIB's Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative, our $8.1M investment with Arrow Technology Group enables a majority First Nations-owned business to expand their operations and services to 20 Indigenous and 4 rural communities in Alberta. New broadband access will address the digital divide, create new economic opportunities and support public services like health and education while strengthening communities."

Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank "Arrow Technology Group is dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities by bringing high-speed connectivity to their areas. We recognize the importance of bridging the digital divide and are committed to providing access to the tools and resources needed to succeed, creating new educational, social and business opportunities. This collaboration with the Canada Infrastructure Bank will enable us to connect more Indigenous and rural communities in Alberta to high-speed internet."

Vaughn Paul, President, Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership "The internet has the power to equalize access to resources and knowledge for Indigenous communities. The success of these projects, enabled by the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Arrow Technology Group, will have a lasting impact. By providing access to the same resources and opportunities as the rest of Alberta, we can open a gateway to a brighter future for those who have previously been left behind."

George Arcand Jr., Chief of Alexander First Nation "Our government recognizes that high speed internet is no longer a luxury, but a need. More and more services are now online, and a reliable connection is needed for all Canadians to access government services, pay bills, and talk with family and friends. Today's announcement helps bridge the connectivity gap experienced by many rural Albertans and Indigenous communities while providing good paying jobs."

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities Learn more: www.cib-bic.ca

www.atg.net SOURCE Canada Infrastructure Bank

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[January 19, 2023] Loans Canada announces two key hires to fuel growth of its new comparison platform in conjunction with the company's expansion strategy

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Loans Canada, Canada's first and leading country-wide financial service comparison platform, is pleased to announce key hires to fuel company growth in 2023 and elaborate on its expansion strategy. Sharon Drake joins as Head of Business Development. Sharon will lead Loans Canada's Affiliate Program in an effort to help more Canadians receive the financial products that they are unable to access from traditional lenders. Sharon joins the team with a wealth of experience in both the prime and non-prime space as she held key executive roles with goeasy, HSBC and Wells Fargo. Stefani Balinsky is the new Head of Content Strategy. She now leads Loans Canada in its editorial focus and content development goals. Stefani is the former Editor-in-Chief of Hardbacon and has been featured in multiple financial news segments on major Canadian broadcast outlets. Loans Canada also added new hires to its software team as part of its plan to expand its technology offering. Scott Satov, Chief Executive Officer of Loans Canada, noted, "We are very fortunate to have brought on these industry leaders to advance Loans Canada's mission to give Canadians access to better financial products and information." Saron Drake says, "I am thrilled to be joining such an impressive organization, one that cares about the financial health of Canadians. Loans Canada, with its expanding product offering has situated itself well for Canadians to gain access to financial products that will help them navigate through the economic slowdown in 2023."



"I am excited about what this means for Canadians. Loans Canada is uniquely positioned to connect the financial dots for people all over the country," said Stefani Balinsky. "A loan doesn't start with an application, it begins with people understanding their financial situation. We are ready to guide the journey." These hires are the latest in Loans Canada's strategic moves. The company recently launched CompareHub where Canadians can see their credit report and check their credit score for free.

About Loans Canada Launched in 2012, Loans Canada is the first and leading country-wide financial service comparison platform. Loans Canada has connected over 1.5 million users to personal loan, car loan, debt relief and credit building solutions. Loans Canada was named by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada's Top Growing Companies in 2022 . With its growing presence, Loans Canada is able to assist hundreds of thousands of Canadians every year with a variety of financial services. Additionally, Loans Canada is a top destination for financial literacy content and offers a Financial Literacy Scholarship to post-secondary students multiple times per year. For more information visit www.loanscanada.ca . SOURCE Loans Canada

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[January 19, 2023] ADLAR STUDIO BRINGS NEW LIMITED-EDITION FINE ART PRINT FROM KENNY SCHARF TO LIFE USING AUGMENTED REALITY

Sharf's Iconic Imagery Pops On Screen with New 'Blobosistic' Print LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADLAR Studio, the publisher of fine art prints with augmented reality as seen through ADLAR's proprietary app, is pleased to announce the release of its latest print edition with the legendary Kenny Scharf - available for sale now. Titled Blobosistic, ADLAR Studio worked very closely with Scharf on this new print using the highest quality print-making techniques enhanced with a second-to-none augmented reality (AR) animation that brings Scharf's iconic characters to life in 3D on a user's mobile device. See the technology in action by clicking HERE . Using world-class creative special effects, animators, engineers, and technologists, many with decades of experience working in Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Scharf guided the creative and artistic decisions with exacting precision to create this artwork in AR. The ADLAR Studio app makes it easy to experience Blobosistic on the wall as a fine art print, and as an enhanced digital asset through its mobile app, now available at no cost for iPhone users in the Apple Store. "I've been waiting my whole life for technology to catch up with my ideas of intermingling painting with animation. I didn't know exactly how or when it was goin to take effect, but I knew it would be right now. So get yours today!!"





 Kenny Scharf Published in a limited edition of 100 signed prints, Blobosistic shows Scharf in his full classic style. Here Blobosistic (the central red character) greets us with his infectious and slightly mischievous grin. Soaring through outer space, Blobosistic isn't lonely or cold in fact, he's surrounded by some of his closest friends huddled around him, laughing, smiling, licking and keeping warm. Here, the AR gives us a glimpse into life for Blobosistic, laughing, giggling, burping, and even a little gas. The AR also enables Blobosistic's friends to spill out from their frame as figures intricately modeled in 3D, pushing up against one another with noses and tongues and cheeks unfurling and nudging and laughing all the while.

The release of Blobosistic, comes on the heels of ADLAR Studio's launch in late 2022 with prints from Analia Saban, and Shane Guffogg. Learn more on ADLARStudio.com ABOUT KENNY Kenny Scharf (born in Los Angeles, 1958) attended Manhattan's School of Visual Arts and came of age in the 1980s New York downtown art scene alongside his contemporaries Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. A painter and performer inhabiting the visual worlds of street art and popular culture, Scharf's paintings gained him notoriety and established a visual language all his own. Often working with improvisation, he creates playful, gestural pieces that blend stylized motifs with references to the surreal, science fiction, and icons of popular culture. Many of his larger works still adorn New York streets to this day. Scharf was included in the 1985 Whitney Biennial and again in their show "Fast Forward: Painting from the 1980s" in 2017. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the Miami Center for the Fine Arts, Florida, and the Queens Museum of Art, New York, among others. Work by Scharf is held in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Broad Foundation, Los Angeles, and The Jewish Museum, New York, MOCA, Los Angeles in addition to others worldwide. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles. About ADLAR Studio Co-founded by Adam F. Gross and Larry W. Jones, ADLAR Studio combines the highest quality limited-edition prints with cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) activations. Bringing together years of experience in fine art print-making with Gross at Lapis Press, and in content creation with Jones at Viacom/CBS, ADLAR Studio brings together talented and provocative artists, master printers, and world-class, award-winning special effects experts and engineers to create the highest quality prints and bring them to life via AR. The ADLAR Studio team pushes the boundaries of what is possible in augmented reality. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adlar-studio-brings-new-limited-edition-fine-art-print-from-kenny-scharf-to-life-using-augmented-reality-301726218.html SOURCE ADLAR Studio

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[January 19, 2023] Modern Niagara achieves Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification for commercial retrofit project

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) announced that Modern Niagara achieved Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification for the large-scale commercial retrofit of 945 Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario. The 220,000 square-foot commercial building becomes one of the largest projects in Canada to receive IREE certification. Moden Niagara achieves Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification for commercial retrofit project.



IREE certification is based on a framework developed by the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) and designates compliance with standardized assessments that certifies energy efficiency retrofit projects through third-party verification to investors. Through its Building Retrofits Initiative, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) committed $25 million towards transforming the commercial space into a leading energy efficient and sustainable innovation hub. Infrastructure upgrades to the facility targets decarbonization with a goal of reducing carbon emissions by more than 80 per cent or approximately 2,000 tonnes annually.

Modern Niagara's Energy Solutions team engineered a comprehensive energy efficiency plan to convert and improve performance of the 20th-century building by replacing its fossil-fueled heating system with electrified systems that facilitate clean renewable energy sources. "Decarbonizing our existing buildings is an exciting but daunting objective. Modern Niagara has successfully developed a retrofit plan for a particularly challenging building, demonstrating the art of the possible," said Mark Hutchinson, Vice President of Green Building Programs and Innovation at CAGBC. "Achieving IREE certification is a significant milestone that further solidifies Modern Niagara's position as an innovative leader in energy efficiency solutions. We are committed to contributing to the decarbonization of buildings across Canada as we work towards a net-zero future," said Kevin Spencer, Vice President of Energy Solutions at Modern Niagara. "IREE certification provides investors with the verified assurance that we're able to meet the building's carbon reduction objectives." "Our green infrastructure investments are expediting the decarbonization of buildings across Canada. By providing attractive financing options and partnering with the private sector, we can serve as the link to ensure meaningful action is taken to enhance energy efficiency of buildings," said Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank. "IREE certification is our standard to finance retrofit projects and build positive outcomes for Canadians." "Making our buildings more energy-efficient is key to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and reaching net-zero by 2050," said Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. "Congratulations for Modern Niagara on achieving Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification  this sustainable innovation hub will be a major asset for Kingston." The commercial retrofit project which began construction in 2022 is expected to reach substantial completion by 2024. SOURCE Modern Niagara Group Inc.

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[January 19, 2023] proteanTecs to Showcase Interconnect Reliability Monitoring at the Chiplet Summit

proteanTecs, a global leader of deep data analytics for advanced electronics, announced today that the company will exhibit and present at the first annual Chiplet Summit. Held from January 24-26 in San Jose, Chiplet Summit is the only event exclusively dedicated to the skyrocketing chiplet market, which is projected to reach $57 billion in revenue by 2035.(1) This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005856/en/ proteanTecs to exhibit and present at the inaugural Chiplet Summit. (Graphic: Business Wire) proteanTecs will speak in multiple sessions, including as one of the event's featured keynotes: Keynote: At 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, vice president of business development, Nitza Basoco, will deliver a keynote address titled " Leverage Agents to Boost Chiplet Design and Reliability ." Basoco, a pioneer of stack die testability and an expert in test development and operations, will describe how advanced telemetry-based analytics makes heterogeneous integration more predictable and reliable.

At 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, vice president of business development, Nitza Basoco, will deliver a keynote address titled " ." Basoco, a pioneer of stack die testability and an expert in test development and operations, will describe how advanced telemetry-based analytics makes heterogeneous integration more predictable and reliable. Panel Session: At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, senior director of business development, Nir Sever, will be a panelist in the " Overcoming Chiplet Design Challenges - How Industry Can Help " (Session C-101) session, alongside experts from Marvell, Cadence Design Systems and Eliyan.The panelists will highlight the many ways the industry can support chiplet commercialization, including creating industry standards and offering test suits and interoperability events.

At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, senior director of business development, Nir Sever, will be a panelist in the " " (Session C-101) session, alongside experts from Marvell, Cadence Design Systems and Eliyan.The panelists will highlight the many ways the industry can support chiplet commercialization, including creating industry standards and offering test suits and interoperability events. Technical Presentation: At 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, senior director of product marketing, Marc Hutner, will moderate paper presentations in the Interfaces Track (Session A-201). During this session, Nir Sever will present on "Performance and Reliability Monitoring of Die-to-Die Interfaces." Sever will discuss the issues inherent in high-performance interfaces, and how using deep data analytics as a new monitoring solution for heterogeneous packaging can provide per-lane grading and advanced outlier detection.



"Industry leaders like proteanTecs will play a major role in the emergence of chiplets through their product offering, ecosystem participation, and support of educational forums, such as the Chiplet Summit," said Chuck Sobey, Chiplet Summit General Chair. "As participants hear and discuss ways to advance chiplet commercialization, proteanTecs brings a vital quality and reliability perspective that strengthens the conference program."

proteanTecs has made several recent announcements supporting the chiplet and advanced packaging industries. In Sept. 2022, the company announced it had joined the UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) Consortium, which is uniting industry leaders in building an interoperable, multi-vendor ecosystem. In collaboration with Global Unichip Corporation (GUC), proteanTecs unveiled a case study and silicon results from the use of proteanTecs' interconnect monitoring solutions in GUC's high bandwidth interfaces. These results are available in a white paper and webinar. In proteanTecs' Chiplet Summit booth (#34), technical experts will showcase the company's interconnect monitoring solutions for die-to-die interfaces. To schedule a meeting, email [email protected]. 1. Fierce Electronics, Chiplet futures to grow 9x in four years, Omdia says, April 2020. About Chiplet Summit Chiplet Summit showcases the emerging chiplets market. It features the trends and people leading the adoption of this new technology in designing a wide variety of extremely large integrated chips. The Summit is a product of Semper Technologies. About proteanTecs proteanTecs is the leading provider of deep data analytics for advanced electronics monitoring. Trusted by global leaders in the datacenter, automotive, communications and mobile markets, the company provides system health and performance monitoring, from production to the field. By applying machine learning to novel data created by on-chip monitors, the company's deep data analytics solutions deliver unparalleled visibility and actionable insights-leading to new levels of quality and reliability. Founded in 2017 and backed by world-leading investors, the company is headquartered in Israel and has offices in the United States, India and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.proteanTecs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005856/en/

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[January 19, 2023] BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group Earns Two Gold VETTY Awards

BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group, Inc., a full-service animal health marketing firm, is thrilled to share it has earned two Gold VETTY Awards. The VETTYs are the only creative competition recognizing marketing excellence in the animal healthcare industry. Announced at the NAVC Veterinary Meeting and Expo, the world's largest veterinary education conference held annually in Orlando, Florida, this week, BluePrints was recognized for two outstanding websites, Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services in the B2B/Trade division and Riverview Animal Clinic in the Consumer division.



"It is truly gratifying to receive top recognition for creating robust websites that promote some of the best in veterinary medicine. Bruce Christensen, DVM, MS, DACT from Kokopelli, and Amy Tate, DVM from Riverview, are both true trailblazers," said Robin Brogdon, BluePrints' CEO and Founder. It takes a team of talented strategists, copywriters, designers, programmers, project managers, and more to ensure that our clients' websites not only accurately and beautifully reflect their brands but also incorporate best digital practices. They must be user friendly, intuitive, and visually appealing, as well as be built on a stable and scalable platform that optimizes search visibility." Now in its 17th year, BluePrints' clients include veterinary emergency, specialty and referral practices, as well as animal health companies coast to coast. It is the only national firm that focuses on this unique niche within the animal health sector. They offer a full range of marketing and advertising services, including strategic planning, branding, copywriting, graphic design, website development, social media, digital ads, event planning, organizational consulting, media relations, and more. For additional information, call 949-756-8071 or visit blueprintsvmg.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230119005850/en/

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[January 19, 2023] Revive Therapeutics Submits Updated Briefing Package in Support of Upcoming Type C Meeting Granted by FDA for Amended Protocol Agreement of Phase 3 Clinical Study for Bucillamine in the Treatment of COVID-19

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (Revive or the Company) (OTCQB: RVVTF) (CSE: RVV) (FRANKFURT: 31R), a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for medical needs and rare disorders, announces today that it has submitted the updated briefing package to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to include the rationale for the proposed primary and efficacy endpoints for the amended protocol in the treatment of COVID-19 and supporting new information and independent published studies, including the most recent published study, titled Omicron Spike Protein Is Vulnerable to Reduction.

As recently reported by the Company, the FDA has granted the Companys Type C meeting request to obtain agreement on the revised protocol endpoints for the Companys Phase 3 clinical trial (the Study) (NCT04504734) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bucillamine, an oral drug with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The goal date for the FDA to provide its written responses is March 7, 2023. The Company previously submitted to the FDA the Studys amended protocol with the new primary efficacy endpoint, specifically, assessing the difference in the proportion of participants with improvement in at least two COVID-19 related clinical symptoms on or before Day 14 compared with baseline between bucillamine versus placebo. Additional secondary endpoints are considered, including the time to the polymerase chain reaction resolution, clinical outcome (death or hospitalization), disease severity, supplemental oxygen use, and progression of COVID-19. Should the FDA agree with the Companys proposed primary and secondary endpoints or a version that the FDA recommends, the Company will incorporate these endpoints into the amended Study protocol. Once the amended Study protocol is agreed upon, the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) will then review the completed Post-Dose selection data of approximately 500 subjects in the context of the new protocol endpoints. The DSMB may recommend continuing the Study if there is a trend toward achieving statistical significance, halting the Study early due to statistical significance likely not going to be met, or halting the Study early due to positive efficacy showing statistical significance. In the latter case, the Company would request a meeting with the FDA to determine the appropriate net steps toward obtaining potential regulatory approval.



The Companys proposed new primary efficacy endpoints are due in part to the evolving and current state of COVID-19, where many patients with COVID-19 are either asymptomatic or experience mild to moderate illness and could be managed in the outpatient setting. Patients who would have been at increased risk for progression to severe COVID-19 or require hospitalization during the various variant surges are now being managed less aggressively as outpatients, with close follow-up and monitoring for clinical changes. Based on bucillamines proposed mode of action, it is believed that the speed of symptom resolution and reduced viral shedding, if given promptly, could help mitigate the disease burden globally. Thus, the Company believes that comparing the pre-treatment baseline disease to the observed improvement in the severity of clinical symptoms at Day 14 in the enrolled Study population will provide a reasonable estimation of the efficacy of bucillamine on clinically meaningful aspects of the disease. Symptoms such as, but not limited to, fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, heart rate, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea have clinical relevance. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate or cure COVID-19 (SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time.

About Revive Therapeutics Ltd. Revive is a life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for infectious diseases and rare disorders, and it is prioritizing drug development efforts to take advantage of several regulatory incentives awarded by the FDA such as Orphan Drug, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Rare Pediatric Disease designations. Currently, the Company is exploring the use of Bucillamine for the potential treatment of infectious diseases, with an initial focus on severe influenza and COVID-19. With its acquisition of Psilocin Pharma Corp., Revive is advancing the development of Psilocybin-based therapeutics in various diseases and disorders. Revives cannabinoid pharmaceutical portfolio focuses on rare inflammatory diseases and the company was granted FDA orphan drug status designation for the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) to treat autoimmune hepatitis (liver disease) and to treat ischemia and reperfusion injury from organ transplantation. For more information, visit www.ReviveThera.com . For more information, please contact: Michael Frank

Chief Executive Officer

Revive Therapeutics Ltd.

Tel: 1 888 901 0036

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.revivethera.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Revives current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward looking information in this press release includes information with respect to the Companys cannabinoids, psychedelics and infectious diseases programs. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Revive at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Revive is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Reference is made to the risk factors disclosed under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys annual MD&A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, which has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com .



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I've always liked The Pitch way more than they've ever liked me.

One of their drunk-ass editors used to scream at the top of her lungs to a newsroom of terrified hipsters about how she was gonna kick my ass.

Later . . . Amid failed marriages and broken friendships . . . This blog watched the ownership bounce around from one trust fund to the next.

Still, we've admired the operation because they were the FIRST alternative Kansas City news outlet.

Now . . .

I don't know how "alternative" it is to pen adoring foodie reviews, offer local concert pix and then reprint a bunch of wire stories without much commentary and very little room for community interaction.

But we can let all of that slide.



What we won't shut up about . . .

Over the past week we've been goofing on Missouri political ladies and their right to "bare arms" in the State House.



Today The Pitch swiped our clever banter in service of old news . . . Which is still better than helping a bunch of cowtown theater people bully some dude into tripping the light fantastic without ANYBODY getting their day in court or filing complaints with the po-po.

Nevertheless . . .



Here's their FAMILIAR note about the dress code distraction . . .



Since the dress code passed, more representatives have spoken out against the decision online, adopting the hashtag #sweatergate.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Voters demanded it and now it's law . . . Here's the aftermath and a rural Missouri dude with a history of harsh times earning his freedom thanks to new law . . .



"In prison for the last 14 years on two different offenses. The first 11 were for a deadly DUI that Mace was responsible for, but the last three have been only for a marijuana possession charge he got the day before that DUI.



"That makes him eligible for release now that the Missouri amendment legalizing recreational marijuana allows people locked up for possession charges to petition for their release, which is exactly what a Cass County judge did Thursday."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Cass County judge expunges man's marijuana conviction, a first in Missouri HARRISONVILLE, Mo. - History was made in Cass County Thursday morning when a judge started the process to release a Missouri prisoner because of the state's new recreational marijuana amendment, which includes expungement for marijuana possession offenses. Adam Mace has been in prison for the last 14 years on two different offenses.
Credit to the career savvy of this 5'2 actor who managed to convince the nation that he was the epitome of 50s era cool in the last glory days of broadcast media AND NOW . . . Extends his fame with a brilliant hop aboard KC's bandwagon . . . Check-it . . .



"Henry Winkler, a self-proclaimed Chiefs mega fan, doesnt have ties to Kansas City other than the fact he fell in love with Patrick Mahomess energy on the fieldcant blame him there. Now, hes voicing an ad for the Chiefs, which offers love to the fans of Chiefs Kingdom."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
With special thanks to a bevy of KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTER who continue to find value in our blog AWESOME, ALTERNATIVE NEWS blog community . . . Humbly we submit . . .

KANSAS CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY 2023 PITS CLAY CHASTAIN AGAINST MAYOR Q!!!

We hope to argue about this one until June.

Moreover . . .

HERE'S THE FIRST KANSAS CITY LOOK AT THE COUNCIL PRIMARY CANDIDATES!!!

We can't help but notice that city hall insider Wes Rogers is running unopposed in the 2nd District and incumbent council lady Ryana Parks-Shaw is also unopposed in the 5th.

There are more than a few contests to watch here but, hopefully, there's time to unpack them all.

For right now . . .

TRANSIT ACTIVIST CLAY CHASTAIN IS THE ONLY MAN WHO STANDS IN THE WAY OF MAYOR Q'S SECOND TERM!!!



From the city clerks' office . . .



"Notice is hereby given that a Municipal Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 for the purpose of Electing a Mayor and City Council of Kansas City, Missouri."





Here's the data via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Click on the images for a bigger, better view:

Developing . . .


Political nasty talk is at an all time high . . . Here's the local angle amid national news coverage of the topic that's often manipulated for partisan gain . . .



"The trial began amid what authorities says is a sharp rise in threats to the nation's lawmakers and their families. Prosecutors say THE SUSPECT became fixated on U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner and threatened to kill him in a June 5 voicemail left with the Republican congressman's Topeka office."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Trial to open for man accused of threatening Kansas lawmaker TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A criminal trial was set to start Tuesday for a northeastern Kansas man who federal prosecutors say developed a fixation on U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner and threatened to kill him, at a time when authorities have seen a sharp increase in threats to the nation's lawmakers and their families.

Defense: Man harmless despite threat against Kansas lawmaker TOPEKA, Kan. - A man charged with threatening to kill a Kansas congressman is harmless, believing he has a special relationship with God and his weapons are "meteors and plagues," not "knives and guns," a defense attorney argued Tuesday during a federal criminal trial.

Democrats talk of fear and shock over alleged plot by Republican candidate US disinformation reporter A New Mexico man who unsuccessfully ran for state office as a Republican plotted a shooting spree targeting Democrats, police said. Solomon Pena, 39, conspired with and paid four other men to shoot into the homes of four local politicians.

Republican ex-candidate's arrest over shootings stokes political violence fears The arrest of a New Mexico Republican election denier for gun attacks on the homes of Democratic opponents has brought new attention to the scourge of political violence by extremists, more than two years after the January 6 Capitol attack.

Developing . . .
Ontario Finance Minister and PickeringUxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy launches 2023 pre-budget consultations and speaks at an event hosted by the Brampton Board of Trade on Jan. 11. - Graeme Frisque/Metroland
Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it.
Royal power struggles: Who really runs the House of Windsor?

Two new books  'Harry' and 'Courtiers' by Valentine Low  turn the spotlight on the bureaucrats who live in the shadows of their royal bosses
In the local party offices and backroom haunts where political deals are often sealed, attention is turning to potential candidates for the 2023 county executive contest.

Democrat Mark C. Poloncarz is widely viewed as planning for an unprecedented fourth term while showing every indication of running again. But even amid renewed speculation that he could assume a post in the Hochul administration, he is making nothing official.

Elections, constructions and negotiations: A look ahead at 2023 in Western New York Buffalo News reporters share a glimpse of what is to come this year on a variety of topics.

As a result, no clear picture of the race has yet to take shape. But here is a synopsis of what candidates are contemplating a candidacy, as well as those who are not, with just a few weeks remaining before designation petitions begin circulating on Feb. 28:

 Nate McMurray, the former congressional candidate and Grand Island supervisor, said he is "considering" a Democratic primary challenge to Poloncarz after what he calls an unsatisfactory response by government at all levels to the Christmas weekend blizzard that killed at least 44 people.

 Former Rep. Chris Jacobs, viewed in many Republican circles as the strongest candidate to challenge Poloncarz or another Democrat, said he is not planning to run for office again just days after ending his congressional term.

 West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson also says he will most likely not run after he was receiving prominent mention among many GOP supporters.

 Former Republican State Sen. Edward A. Rath III said he may launch a candidacy, just after his defeat for re-election in November.

 County Clerk Michael P. Kearns, a Democrat who won re-election in November on the Republican line, says he would also consider running, though some Republicans appear reluctant to grant their nod to a member of the opposite party.

At this early stage, the central person in the discussion remains Poloncarz. He has been building his campaign treasury and told supporters at a recent party that he would soon announce.

On Wednesday, he would make no commitment to a re-election bid, but promised to address the situation sometime in February. He also acknowledged "the rumors are out there" about taking a post with Gov. Kathy Hochul.

"Gov. Hochul and I talk frequently," he said, noting he was invited to the Governor's Mansion in Albany for a special reception following last week's State of the State address.

Poloncarz calls Buffalo blizzard response 'embarrassing'; Brown suggests county exec struggling under the pressure Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said during a news conference Wednesday said that the county had taken over snow removal efforts in a large chunk of the city, from Broadway at the Cheektowaga line to the waterfront.

The county executive has emerged a bit battered and bruised from commanding county forces in the blizzard, though he was widely criticized  and later apologized  for his broadside against City of Buffalo snow fighting efforts led by Mayor Byron W. Brown. Still, he is known to enjoy the support of organization Democrats led by Chairman Jeremy J. Zellner.

But for the first time, the county executive could also face a challenge from within his own party. McMurray lost a razor thin special election to the then-indicted Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, in 2018. Now he says he represents a significant number of voters who are tired of Poloncarz, resent his performance during the storm and thinks the Erie County Democratic Party is a "mess."

"The storm tipped it over for me," McMurray said Wednesday, "because of how quickly they were blaming each other, with no accountability. And how could they be so unprepared?

"Yes, it was a bad storm," he added. "But dozens of people don't die without a major failure of government."

Though they are nowhere near settling on a candidate, Erie County GOP Chairman Michael A. Kracker said Republicans are "dialed in" on finding an opponent to challenge Poloncarz.

"Fielding competition against our far left county executive is a top priority in the year ahead," he said, providing a hint of the GOP campaign that lies ahead. "He has driven County Hall far to the left, along with his friends in Albany and Washington. He is out of step with the conservative values of the average voter here in Erie County."

Poloncarz won re-election in 2019 over former County Legislator Lynne M. Dixon in a well-orchestrated and well-financed campaign, but by about only 7 percentage points. The GOP has been eyeing a rematch since, and hopes to respond with a familiar face like Rath, Kearns or possibly someone new.

Poloncarz is attempting what no other county executive  Democrat or Republican  has ever accomplished by winning a fourth term. Democrat Dennis T. Gorski tried unsuccessfully in 1999, losing to Republican Joel A. Giambra.

He would face the inevitable question of whether his political "shelf life" has expired, even though he enjoys myriad advantages of money and incumbency.

Jacobs, who last year opted against seeking another term after voting for strict gun control measures advocated by House Democrats, said he has been encouraged to run and knows his name has been tested in countywide polling.

"At this point, I would say it's unlikely I will run," he said. "I'm hoping to really focus on my private business and my volunteer things."

Rath, meanwhile, said he and his team are "actively looking at the contest."

"I do believe it's appropriate to have a viable opponent to County Executive Poloncarz to hold him accountable for the decisions he has made," Rath said. "And it's certainly important to have some set of checks and balances where you have single party government."

And Kearns said he has had discussions about running, and that he is "open to anything."

"A lot of people are not happy with the 16th floor right now," he said, referring to Poloncarz's office atop the Rath County Office Building. "And I think I would be the best candidate to oppose Mark Poloncarz."
A Buffalo man who stole thousands of dollars from an elderly Clarence woman while performing various home improvement projects at her home pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree attempted grand larceny before Erie County Judge Sheila A. DiTullio, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said Jered C. Menter, 33, fraudulently obtained $23,048 from the victim last year between Feb. 22 and June 21.

Menter stole a series of checks from the woman and forged her signature, which resulted in her losing $9,805. He also used her debit card for unauthorized cash withdrawals totaling $8,677, and he used her credit card information to make $4,566 in unauthorized charges.

Prosecutors said the crime was discovered by the victim's son after he audited his mother's financial accounts. She was reimbursed by her bank and credit card company after the thefts were reported. Menter signed two confessions of judgment to make full restitution to the financial institutions that lost money because of his crimes.
In this Episode of Morning Edition, for most of this week the major topic of discussion has 
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).
A jury has found 57-year-old Christopher Hinson of Buffalo guilty of first-degree assault in the stabbing of his neighbor, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

The verdict was reached after less than two hours of deliberation Friday following a five-day trial, prosecutors said.

Hinson and the victim in the case were neighbors who lived in apartments inside a multi-unit residence on Lark Street in Buffalo's Hamlin Park neighborhood. The two argued on March 25, 2020, in the basement of the shared residence and Hinson stabbed his neighbor in the left side of his body with a knife. Hinson continued to try to stab the victim as he attempted to flee. The victim escaped into his own apartment and called 911 for help.

Hinson, who is being held without bail, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens on Feb. 14.

A temporary order of protection that was issued to the victim and his girlfriend remains in effect, prosecutors said.
The European Parliament has adopted today the 2022 report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy, which, in particular, includes an appeal to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to repel Russian aggression.

This is said in a statement published on the European Parliaments website, Ukrinform reports.

In the annual 2022 report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), adopted on Wednesday by 459 votes in favour, 93 against and 85 abstentions, MEPs call for the immediate deployment of modern weapons and a next-generation air defence system, urging German Chancellor Scholz to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine without further delay, the document reads.

It is stressed that Ukraine is defending its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and urgently needs military aid and heavy weaponry to win the war.

In another report, which was approved today by 407 votes in favour, 92 against and 142 abstentions, the EU and its member states said about the need to increase military, political and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and strengthen defence in countering Russian threats to European security.

It is noted that the EUs response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is being closely watched by autocracies around the world and will greatly influence how they behave on the international stage.

As reported, over the past year, the EU allocated EUR 19 billion in aid to Ukraine. On January 17, the European Commission disbursed a first instalment of EUR 3 billion of the up to EUR 18 billion Macro-financial Assistance+ (MFA+) package for Ukraine.

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Since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Canada has sent more than 3,000 tonnes of military aid to Ukraine.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, this was stated by Canadas Defence Minister Anita Anand following her visit to Ukraine.

Minister Anand highlighted that Canada has transported over six million pounds (more than 3,000 tonnes  ed.) of Ukraine-bound military aid within Europe so far, Canadas Defence Ministry said.

As reported by Ukrinform, Canadas Defense Minister Anita Anand during her visit to Ukraine on January 18 announced a new package of military aid to the country, which will include 200 armoured personnel carriers. In total, since the beginning of last year, Canada has allocated more than CAD 5 billion in direct financial, military, humanitarian and other aid to Ukraine.
Russia is likely considering deploying a small number of its new T-14 Armata main battle tanks in Ukraine, but it may primarily be for propaganda purposes.

The British Defense Ministry said this its latest Defence Intelligence update, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that in late December 2022, imagery showed T-14s on a training area in southern Russia: the site has been associated with pre-deployment activity for the Ukraine operation. This followed pro-government Russia media outlets claiming T-14s were being prepared for deployment. However, it is unclear whether Russia has yet moved the type into Ukraine.

Any T-14 deployment is likely to be a high-risk decision for Russia. Eleven years in development, the programme has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems. An additional challenge for Russia is adjusting its logistics chain to handle T-14 because it is larger and heavier than other Russian tanks. If Russia deploys T-14, it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes, the British intelligence says.

It is also noted that production of these tanks is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat.

As reported by Ukrinform, British intelligence previously stated that the dysfunction of Russia's long-range strike capability is more profound, as evidenced by the use of the Kh-22 anti-ship missile on the city of Dnipro.

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The Estonian government on Thursday approved a decision to provide Ukraine with military aid worth EUR 113M, which is the largest aid package provided by the country to date.

Ukrinform reports this with reference to the Estonian national broadcaster ERR.

Thus, Estonia's military assistance to Ukraine is increasing to EUR 370 million, or just over 1 percent of Estonia's GDP. The latest military aid package announced by Estonia consists of howitzers, ammunition, artillery support equipment as well as grenade launchers, according to a press release.

According to ERR, this package will include dozens of 155 mm and 122 mm howitzers and military trucks and thousands of shells to use with them, as well as more than 100 Carl-Gustaf anti-tank recoilless rifles and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Estonians know from their painful history what happens when evil triumphs and a large country swallows up smaller ones. If Ukraine falls, freedom is in danger elsewhere in the world as well. By helping Ukraine defend its independence, we are defending all countries' right to freedom and democracy, including Estonia's Thus it is imperative that Estonia continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.

The prime minister added that the Ukrainians have been very fast learners in starting to use new weapons systems, and have been able to employ Estonian-provided military assistance very skillfully.

"We all want the war to end, but Russia has sent a clear signal that it is planning to continue its war of aggression. Therefore, the free world must continue to provide arms assistance to Ukraine, and do so at a much greater scale and speed, she said.

The prime minister also called on other countries to look into their stockpiles so that to send weapons to Ukraine, as Russia's war against Ukraine comes at a price  a price we pay in euros, but the Ukrainians are paying with their lives."

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur also emphasized Ukraine's major need for heavy weapons.

"Ukraine needs heavy weapons to maintain initiative and withstand Russia," the Estonian defense minister said.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for the announced military aid package for Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, Zelensky wrote this on his Twitter account.

Deeply grateful to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for their biggest military defense aid package announced today, including howitzers, grenade launchers and ammunition. Estonian showed in deed its genuine support for Ukraine in fighting the aggressor. We value it. It is investment into our common victory! Zelensky wrote.

As reported, on Thursday, a meeting of the defense ministers of the countries that support Ukraine will take place in Tapa (NATO military base in Estonia), which will focus on further military aid to Ukraine to repel the Russian aggression.

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Most of the Leopard 2 tanks should be transferred to Ukraine by countries located far from the front line. In particular, this is about Germany and Spain, which together can send approximately 150 units.

This opinion was expressed by the former commander of the Polish Ground Forces, ex-deputy minister of defense, General Waldemar Skrzypczak, in a comment to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The largest number of tanks should be provided to Ukraine by the countries located as far as possible from the front. Poland is on the front line, so it cannot give many. But this can be done by Germany and Spain, which are far from the front. They should make the biggest contribution and together hand over approximately 150 tanks," said Skrzypczak, who is a professional tank operator.

He noted that the formation of an international coalition regarding the transfer of tanks to Ukraine is in the right direction, but everything is happening "too slowly."

Read also: Rheinmetall to be able to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine no earlier than 2024

"In general, the decision has already been made, but the implementation is dragging. Ukraine needs these tanks immediately, politicians should not discuss this for too long. Decisions should already be made, and tank crews should start training immediately," the general emphasized.

He noted that it would be best if they were already trained tankers who would quickly master and accept tanks for service.

Skrzypczak also said that the training of Ukrainian tankers can take place in several countries, which have simulators for mastering Leopard 2 tanks. He noted that there are such centers in Poland, Germany, Finland, and other countries. The expert added that one month will be enough for Ukrainian tankers to master the equipment that is new to them.

The former commander of the Polish Ground Forces expressed the opinion that the international coalition should collect up to 300 tanks to send to Ukraine in order to form a strong panzer core to oppose Russian invaders.

The Polish general expressed the opinion that Germany has probably already made the decision to grant permission for the transfer of tanks to Ukraine, but it "should not slow the process down."

"It is obvious that they are an ally of the West, not Moscow. Therefore, let them not discuss, but make immediate decisions," stated the Polish general.

As Ukrinform reported, on January 11, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poland would hand over a company of German Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. On January 12, Finnish President Sauli Niiniste said that Leopard tanks could be handed over by his country under certain conditions.

Meanwhile, another Ramstein meeting is scheduled for January 20. Various sources claim that Germany, which remains skeptical about providing military aid to Ukraine, may decide to allow the supply of tanks of its production by other countries and participate in sending such aid itself. Until now, the German chancellor's office denied such plans for the near future.
Russia stole nearly 50 OSCE Special Monitoring Missions vehicles and transported them to the occupied areas in eastern Ukraine.

Thats according to Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, who spoke at the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Criminal Moscow regime went further and committed another crime against the OSCE, having stolen around 50 OSCE SMM vehicles. These vehicles reportedly were transferred by Russia to the temporary occupied territory in eastern Ukraine last weekend, the diplomat said.

It is likely that due to Russia feeling its impunity, today we have to address the issue of possible provocation with the use of OSCE vehicles in Donbas.

As reported, on January 16, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe stated that they retain no physical presence in Donbas and no vehicles with OSCE identification marks are used there for the OSCE purposes.

Journalist Andrii Tsaplienko previously published a photo, allegedly taken an eyewitness near the Izvarine checkpoint, which shows trailers carrying Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs with OSCE markings, being transported into the occupied area of Ukraine from Russia.
The Danish government decided to transfer 19 Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.

This was reported by the press service of the Danish Ministry of Defense, Ukrinform saw.

"This is major and important assistance. We have been in constant contact with the Ukrainians, in particular about the Caesar artillery, and I am glad that now we have received broad support from the Danish Parliament to transfer it to the fight for the freedom of Ukraine. There is no doubt that it is needed on the battlefield," said Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen.

In total, Denmark will transfer to Ukraine 19 French-made Caesar type self-propelled howitzers.

According to the Danish Ministry of Defense, together with the transfer of equipment, training of the Ukrainian military is also scheduled.

As reported, the British government will provide Ukraine with 600 air-to-surface missiles as part of military aid to repel Russian aggression.

Photo: Iben Valery
The European Parliament has approved a resolution in support of the action to set up an international tribunal to bring to justice all those accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the resolution was adopted by 472 votes in favour, 19 against with 33 abstentions.

According to the document, the European Parliament emphasizes the necessity and urgency of the leadership of European institutions and Member States in setting up a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine committed by the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation and its allies; believes that such a tribunal should be established on the basis of an international agreement between like-minded countries, with the support of the UN General Assembly.

Establishing a tribunal would, according to MEPs, fill a vacuum in international criminal justice and complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, as it currently cannot investigate the crime of aggression when it comes to Ukraine.

While noting that the exact modalities and composition of the special tribunal remain to be determined, MEPs stress that it must have jurisdiction to investigate not only Vladimir Putin and the political and military leadership of Russia, but also Alexander Lukashenko and his cronies in Belarus.

The European Parliament strongly believes that the establishment of a special tribunal would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine. MEPs point out that it is no longer feasible for the Russian Federation under Putins leadership to return to business as usual with the west.

As noted in the resolution, the Russian Federation was recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses means of terrorism. Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of all current norms of international law and the UN Charter.
In a month, on February 17-19, the capital of Bavaria will host the Munich Security Conference. At last year's event, Heusgen was introduced as the new chairman of the MSC, so the current conference will be his first "full-fledged" one.

Heusgen has been in diplomacy since 1980, working in various positions. From 2017 to 2021 he was Germanys Ambassador to the UN, and in April 2019 and in July 2020 he chaired the UN Security Council.

Prior to his New York gig, for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, he was Chancellor Angela Merkel's foreign policy and security advisor (and as many believe, he was the most influential one). In this capacity, he directly participated in the preparation of the Minsk agreements.

Ambassador Heusgen sat down with Ukrinform to talk about how the said agreements were signed, whether the conditional "Minsk 3" is possible, how realistic is it to throw Russia out of the UN, and who will represent Russia this year in Munich, the city where Vladimir Putin delivered his infamous speech in 2007.

We started our conversation in the Berlin office of MSC, the wall of which is decorated with a photo of one of the conferences during the speech of Angela Merkel, with the question that is perhaps the most relevant for Ukraine these days...

GERMANY WILL HOPEFULLY JOIN A CONSORTIUM DELIVERING LEOPARD TANKS

- Mister Heusgen, everybody has been discussing lately the possibility of the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Do you think this is the question of time for the Federal Government to take the decision (as in case of many other types of weapons before)?

- I have made known my position on Leopards before. I think we should pick up the proposal from the European Council on Foreign relations that Germany should be a part of the consortium where all the countries that have Leopard tanks in their Armed Forces pool them and train soldiers together, etc.

Maybe we can start under the umbrella of the Ramstein meeting that takes place this week. And then we should go ahead together.

- Don't you think this is really a "red line" for Berlin? The consortium seems to be emerging already among other countries while Germany is trying somehow to hinder the process.

- When you look back at the German policy during this conflict there were a lot of "red lines". Remember Nord Stream 2, that we will never impose economic sanctions, that we will not deliver arms to Ukraine... And today we are in the forefront of sanctions, we've stopped importing gas from Russia, we have delivered a lot of weapons. And on 5 January we agreed to deliver the infantry fighting vehicle Marder. Hopefully, Germany will now cross the next red line and join a consortium delivering Leopard battle tanks.

- You said in one of the recent interviews that Germany has a moral obligation to support Ukraine. What exactly have you had in mind?

- We have to remember the Second World War. At that time, 80 years ago, German Army, German militia were brutal with the Ukrainian population. Over the span of a couple of days Germans killed more than 30 000 Ukrainian Jews at Babyn Yar. And now we have a Russian president who denies the very fact of the Ukrainian identity, we see what Russia is doing in terms of destruction of civil infrastructure, deportation of children, we see that Putin is glorifying Stalin who was responsible for the Holodomor (which was declared by the German Bundestag as genocide not long ago). So, when we take all this into consideration, I think we have a moral obligation to support Ukraine.

WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO PREVENT WAR

- You have been in politics for years. Did you believe that Russia would start a big war in Europe? Do you think the Minsk Agreement could prevent it?

- I followed the developments in Ukraine, the relationship between Russia and Ukraine for many years.

Prior to becoming an adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel I was the head of the Policy Unit of the High Representative Javier Solana in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (1999-2005). Solana got involved in the Orange revolution as a mediator. Since then Ive been following Ukrainian politics very closely. I have many friends in Kyiv. And when in 2014 Putin started his aggression against your country with the annexation of Crimea and then with the occupation of parts of the Donbas we were very much engaged.

Chancellor Merkel took the initiative together with French President Francois Hollande to try to get Russia to stop the aggression.

We coordinated our policy very closely with President Petro Poroshenko in the negotiations on the Minsk Agreements.

We did everything and I personally was many times together with my Ukrainian friends in Minsk to try to implement the Minsk Agreements. We made some progress but in the end no solution could be agreed on. But at least it was a semi-frozen conflict.

I still believe it was the right thing to do  to try everything on a diplomatic track because today in the situation when people say: "Well, you have to negotiate, you have to try Minsk," we can answer: "We tried everything to have a peaceful solution and Putin decided not to go this way."

The Russians today say: "Ukraine didn't change their Constitution etc." You know why? Because the Russians didn't adhere to Paragraph 1 of the Minks Agreement - a ceasefire - and we had an exact timing - I think it was 60 hours after the signing. But the Russians didn't keep it because they wanted to finish the occupation of Debaltsevo.

And that's what I say to Russians: "Since then the Ukrainians, members of the Verkhovna Rada didn't trust you, because you didn't adhere to Paragraph 1." They didn't withdraw the heavy weapons, didn't allow the OCSE SMM to work, so they didn't implement the simplest steps agreed on at Minsk.

It is not Ukraine's fault; it's Russia's fault. Russia left the diplomatic track, it turned to the use of brute force and this is where we have to respond to. And this is why now, that Putin doesn't want negotiations, we have to confront him because the only language he, unfortunately, understands is the language of strength.

We have to see to it that Ukraine is strong and can respond to Russia's pressure.

OVER THE PARST EIGHT YEARS UKRAINE HAS CHANGED

- Chancellor Merkel in one of her rare interviews said that the past 8 years have allowed Ukraine to get stronger. But, frankly, I doubt that the main idea behind the Minsk Agreements was to make Ukraine stronger from the military point of view. And the Chancellor was the one who was against giving Ukraine the perspective of NATO membership.

- First of all, one always has to look at the alternatives. Should we have said: "OK, we don't negotiate anymore, we attack Russia," - this is something that Germany would have not supported. So, we tried everything to get a diplomatic solution. And what the Chancellor referred to has actually happened - during this time Germany engaged very strong in the support of Ukraine and a lot has been done in strengthening your democracy; you have had a peaceful transition from one president to another. And you have consolidated. When you look at (and here the Chancellor is right) at your trade figures 20 years ago, I believe up to 80% of your trade was with Russia, today it is with the EU.

So, you have a lot of strength right now.

In 2008 when it was a discussion at the NATO summit in Bucharest should Ukraine become a member the Chancellor went to Ukraine. At that time the President was Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko, and they hated each other. Yushchenko at that time tried to prevent the Chancellor from seeing the prime minister. There were polls in your country that said that the majority of the population was against NATO accession.

Now you have totally changed. Today you have a very strong and united Government, the population is behind the President, more than 80% are for NATO membership. So, you have really grown together as a country, and this is a wonderful achievement. At least if there is something that Putin has reached it is a strong Ukraine. But you have to pay a high price for that.

And I have to tell you how much we admire the strength of the Ukrainian people. I hope that although you complain about the time it takes to get decisions on weapons you are still happy with hospitality that Ukrainians find in Germany, with the economic aid, the financial aid, also the aid in terms of weapons.

- We are. And we truly appreciate it very much.

You were Chancellor Merkel's adviser in 2014-15 and thus very much involved in the preparations of the Minsk Agreements. There were some gossips that after the negotiations between the 4 sides lasted for 17 hours Angela Merkel said that no one would leave the room until the document was signed. Was it really so?

- She may have said it.

It was very clear that we insisted. And the Chancellor was the driving force.

Actually, the advisers had met the day before so there had been a pre-negotiating. Then we got all together in the evening and we worked all through the night.

I want to stress one thing which is important, so that history has it right: each and every paragraph on which we had agreed upon the Chancellor discussed with Petro Poroshenko. So, we did it in very close cooperation with the Ukrainian side. You were not forced to Minsk, you wanted it. It was not only Poroshenko, those were the Ukrainian military who said: "If we don't stop Russians now they can go all way up to Kyiv." The military situation at that stage was a pretty desperate one.

I know that a few weeks later the leaders of "Azov" said that the Agreements shouldn't have been signed, that they could have beaten the Russians. This is simply not true. The Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2015 were still the kind of soviet state type troops. And since then they have achieved enormous progress, today the Russians are totally surprised.

That is what Chancellor said while speaking about the time you had to reform, to modernize, to turn European. You have used this time.

SOMETHING LIKE MINSK-3 CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN

- Could someone today, some mediator, try to force Ukraine to go to the negotiation table with Putin, some sort of "Minsk 3"?

- No.

Something like Minsk cannot happen again.

Today one couldn't sign another "Minsk" because one couldn't trust the Russians anymore.

The only possibility could be if by one reason or another President Zelensky says: "OK, we sign a ceasefire or an Agreement." But what Zelensky rightly asks for is security guarantees which are more or less equivalent to NATO membership. The guarantees are needed in case, as it has to be expected, Putin violates the international norms again as he always does. Why all of a sudden should he adhere to a new norm? If he feels militarily strong, he will try again.

Therefore, you need these military guaranties if you sign an agreement with Russians.

- But the West doesn't seem to be very much eager to give such guarantees.

- You cannot say it like this. There are some hesitations within NATO and EU.

From my perspective, there are countries who see it that way.

But I think we have to cross the bridge when we get there. Right now, there are no signs of negotiations because Putin is not ready to admit defeat or admit that he has to enter into serious negotiations.

From the Ukrainian perspective, your demand is justified because I always remind people of the Budapest Memorandum, where guarantees were given by Russia, by Britain, USA and also by China. Russia didn't adhere to it, and the guarantees given were not enough. The Chinese who also supported the Budapest Memorandum didn't even condemn Russia for its violation.

So, therefore, you need something stronger.

- Like what? What can be stronger?

- The former NATO Secretary-General Fogh Rasmussen has developed some ideas for the creation of a Kyiv Security Compact that I think need to be discussed.

RUSSIA IS VIOLATING THE UN STATUTE

-You were once German Ambassador to the United Nations. Ukraine now raises the issue of excluding Russia from the UN Security Council, but also from the UN (given that the Russian Federation is not peace-loving county on the one hand and that no legal documents of its membership were signed - Russia "inherited" the seat from the USSR). Do you think it is possible?

- From the theoretical point of view this is something for university professors to look at. But we have to look at the realities. And when it comes to reality one has to face the fact that Russia is a member of the UN, it is a member of the Security Council and it will remain so. The fact is that Russia is generally considered a founding member of the United Nations even if it was the Soviet Union at that time.

At the same time, Russia's behavior is unbearable and violating directly the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sergey Lavrov was the Russian ambassador to the UN when the Budapest Memorandum was signed, he asked that it should become a document of the Security Council.

After they vetoed the resolution condemning Russia - the international community went to the General Assembly. There was a very strong signal coming from New York when 141 and then 143 countries condemned Russia.

But we know, and this is the experience of the 40 years of "cold war", that nothing could move against Russia's will. For many years the Security Council was blocked during the "cold war" as well.

We have to live with it, to see how to deal with it. But to change it, to throw Russia out of UN (I understand why you'd like to do it) - I think we'll not see it.

By the way, there have been transitions - look at the People's Republic of China and Republic of China that used to be the UN member before PRC replaced it.

- Do you believe that Secretary-General Guterres could be the one whom Kremlin would listen to? You mentioned it recently. They did not even condemn Russia, which prevented the UN mission from visiting Olenivka to investigate the prison attack of July 29. IAEA, which is a UN organization, behaves rather impotent as well.

- I agree with you that on many crises worldwide, also on this one, the UN is not as strong and powerful as we would wish it to be.

But I would like nevertheless to recognize that the Secretary-General was able to play an important part in the grain deal. Also, Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, was important in getting prisoner exchanges.

So, the UN has done some work. I think UN is still useful.

But I agree with you that the UN is only as powerful as member states allow it to be, the UN Secretary-General depends in using different instruments on the member states. And when it comes to peace and security, Security Council always has a veto-power and so there are limitations to what the Secretary-General can go.

But still, I wish for the Secretary-General to be more engaged and to speak out more clearly.

- Is it possible and reasonable to have a UN peacekeeping mission of Blue Helmets in Ukraine?

- This cannot be a mission that enforces peace. This can only be a mission after a ceasefire, after a peace agreement is there and with all parties agreed to it. It only works when all the parties support them, when the parties are ready to allow them to work.

We have seen that on the example of the OSCE SMM - very courageous people who did a very good job, but they could only do as much as the parties allowed them. But as we have seen it was again the Russians and their puppets in Donetsk and Luhansk who made it very difficult for the monitors to do their job.

MSC WILL NOT BE A PODIUM FOR RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA

- It is widely considered that the "new cold war" started with the notorious speech by Vladimir Putin at the MSC-2007. although not everybody recognized it back then. This year's MSC, the first under your presidency, will take place in times when the war is back in Europe. How will this fact influence the Conference? What delegation do you await from Ukraine and are there any Russians invited?

- At the Conference, we cover a whole range of important topics. One topic close to my heart is the issue of accountability because we believe it important that those who committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and now the crime of aggression be brought to justice, that we find ways how we can prosecute them. There are a lot of mechanisms actually happening - the Ukrainian ones, international ones. Now in German courts, people who committed war crimes, crimes against humanity in Syria, are being prosecuted.

We expect a big delegation from Ukrainian government, Verkhovna Rada, and civil society. And from the Russian side - this is a bit unusual for the MSC - I've taken the decision not to invite Russian officials because I don't want the MSC to serve as a podium for Russian propaganda. Since there are no indications whatsoever that they are ready to seriously negotiate, I said: "I am not going to have Russian officials representing government." But we will have Russian voices from civil society.

- The invitations have not been sent or you've sent them a letter telling that they are not welcome?

- I made a public declaration. And they reacted to it.

- In what way?

- They screamed and yelled.

But when I saw that I felt encouraged.

Olha Tanasiychuk, Berlin
The pro-Russian rhetoric of Georgian politicians does not correspond to the spirit of friendly and strategic relations between Ukraine and Georgia and contradicts Georgia's course for membership in the European Union.

This is stated in the comment by the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko, regarding the statement of the head of Georgias ruling party on the intention to restore direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow.

"Tbilisi and Moscow exchange curtseys against the backdrop of Russia's unpunished crimes against the Georgian people and the occupation of part of the Georgian territory. We also believe that such pro-Russian rhetoric does not correspond to the spirit of friendly and strategic relations between Ukraine and Georgia, and contradicts Georgia's course to become a member of the European Union," said Nikolenko.

Read also: Georgian singer Kikabidze dies aged 84

He recalled that Ukraine, both at the level of the government and at the human level, has always stood side by side with Georgia, especially during one of the most difficult days of its history.

"The lack of effective solidarity with Ukraine on the part of some Georgian politicians against the background of Russia's efforts to destroy Ukrainians in a genocidal war is political sneakiness. The support of our state by the official authorities of Georgia in repelling Russian aggression and the de-occupation of Ukrainian territory corresponds to the interests of not only Ukraine, but also Georgia," the spokesman or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

As reported, the head of the ruling party "Georgian Dream," Iraklii Kobakhidze, announced on Georgian TV that Tbilisi intends to restore direct flights to Russia. He made such a statement in response to the praise voiced by the Russian Foreign Minister to the Georgian government for not joining Western sanctions against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.
An Erie County jury Wednesday convicted a Buffalo man who fatally struck a pedestrian in a hit-and-run of second-degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death.

The verdict followed a six-day trial, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors D'Mario A. Caesar, 36, was speeding on July 16, 2017, in the Lovejoy neighborhood where his SUV hit 31-year-old Brandyn Mallory, who was walking across the street near Bailey Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. Mallory died later that morning at Erie County Medical Center.

Caesar's vehicle was recovered unoccupied nearby on Greene Street.

Caesar faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when sentenced before Erie County Judge Susan Eagan on March 29. He continues to be held without bail.

District Attorney John J. Flynn Flynn Jr. commended the Buffalo Police Department Accident Investigation Unit for its investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by prosecutors Patrick B. Shanahan of the Felony Trials Bureau and Gina M. Gramaglia of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell has harshly criticized Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for speculations on the issue of the Holocaust to justify the Kremlins aggressive policies.

The corresponding statement was published by the EU External Action press service.

Contemporary Europe was built on the ashes of the Holocaust; it is a defining, terrible legacy of European history. This is why next week, we will commemorate the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Latest comments by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov accusing The West of seeking a final solution for Russia are entirely misplaced, disrespectful and trample on the memory of the six million Jewish people, and other victims, who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust, the statement reads.

According to Borrell, this adds to previous antisemitic remarks of Minister Lavrov. This means that the Russian regimes manipulation of the truth to justify their illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has reached another unacceptable and despicable low point.

There is no parallel between the crimes of Nazi Germany and the international help for Ukraine in defending its territory and people against an unjustified aggression. Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring country, targets and kills civilians there on a daily basis, with the stated aim to destroy the country and the Ukrainian nation. Holocaust denial, distortion and trivialization are against EU law and EU values. The EU made the unequivocal commitment to ensure that such atrocities never happen again, stressed Borrell.

As reported, the U.S. and Israel condemned the comment by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov, who compared the international isolation of Russia as a result of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine to the killing of Jews in Europe during the Holocaust.
President of the European Council Charles Michel in his address to the Verkhovna Rada has assured that Europe will continue to support Ukraine on its way to freedom and independence.

The text of his speech was published by the Ukrainian parliaments press service, Ukrinform reports.

At the beginning of the speech, the President of the European Council expressed his condolences in connection with a helicopter crash in Brovary.

For nearly a year, the world has looked with horror at the war waged against your country. We are horrified by the suffering of your people, we are horrified by the devastation of your cities and horrified by Russias brutality, recently in Soledar, in Bakhmut, and in so many other towns and villages. Russias attack on an apartment building in Dnipro, killing dozens, is the latest crime in a long list of crimes. For nearly a year, the Kremlin has killed your citizens, destroyed your infrastructure, and shattered your cities, taking aim at your very right to exist. Why? Because you exercised your rights as free Ukrainians, you stood up to choose your own path and your own destiny, you chose democracy, you chose Europe, Michel said.

He stressed that this is more than a war  this is a strategy of systematic destruction, to force you into submission, to force your country into a vassal state.

And this strategy will fail. Ukraine is unbreakable, Ukrainians are united, resilient, brave and rightfully proud. I dream that one day, I hope soon, a Ukrainian will hold my job as President of the European Council, or as President of the European Parliament, or the Commission. We know that you want an end to this war of aggression and the EU shares this goal with you. We therefore support President Zelenskys initiative on the 10-point peace plan. In a few days, we will hold an EU-Ukraine Summit with your President. We will discuss all strands of our support to your country, both in your brave resistance against Russia and on your path towards the European Union, Michel said.

He also stressed that there can be no independent and safe Europe without an independent and safe Ukraine, so the European Union will provide assistance for as long as it takes. In his opinion, Ukraine will definitely win back its freedom.

As reported, President of the European Council Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv on January 19 to meet with the Ukrainian leadership.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone call with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

I had a phone call with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I expressed content with the dynamics of bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates, he said in a Telegram post.

Zelensky also thanked for the support in the UN, humanitarian support and substantial support with power generators.

In addition, the presidents discussed the implementation of the Peace Formula.

As reported by Ukrinform, Kyiv region received 198 power generators from the United Arab Emirates, 174 of them were transferred to healthcare facilities.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky, Telegram

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Published January 18, 2023

MONROE, LA  The ULM Art Program and Bry Gallery are currently hosting an exhibition of works titled Wrld Keeps Turnin by Minden artist Keldrick Dunn. The exhibition runs from January 18th through February 15th. An artists talk will be given on Wednesday, February 15th in Sandel 236 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception following in Bry Gallery.

Mr. Dunn is currently showing work at the Creative Exchange Gallery and Ruston Artisans, both located in Ruston. In 2020 Mr. Dunn received the Directors Award for Achievement by Louisiana Techs Visual Arts.

Of this exhibition, Mr. Dunn wrote, Wrld Keeps Turnin is a collection of paintings that find its identity rooted in the past. The works in this series document my feelings of being one of few black people at my college, using these token black characters as avatars to explore the feeling of cultural isolation. The work is largely autobiographical, yearning for community while retreating to a distorted version of the past in search of a familiar comfort.

Dunn continued, Cartoons have a universal nature about them, the most iconic being able to transcend time, language, and geography. I first fell in love with art because of images I saw in cartoons, comic strips, and album artwork. These mediums challenged and expanded my idea of art, allowing me to pay homage to the things that impacted my childhood. I find value in the way that cartoons can express intense emotions while being removed enough from reality to still be palatable to different audiences.



Bry Gallery is located in Bry Hall, 4101 Desiard St. in Monroe, and is open from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. on Fridays. The public is invited, and admission is free. For more information, please contact Joni Noble, Art Program Coordinator at (318) 342-1376.
Three Niagara Falls men were arrested after shots were fired Wednesday at a Town of Niagara police officer responding to a burglary call.

No one was injured when a suspect fired three shots at the officer.

Police said they were called to the Royal Park Apartments on Porter Road shortly after 5 p.m. for a burglary in progress.

An officer approached the rear of the apartment, and saw a man trying to exit an upper window.

"That male re-entered the apartment, displayed a firearm out the same window and subsequently fired three rounds at the Town of Niagara officer," a press release said.

The officer was not hit, and was able to retreat.

Town officers, Niagara County Sheriff's deputies and state police found three men coming out the front of the apartment. They were taken into custody without incident.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office said Charles Richardson, 24, was charged with attempted aggravated assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree burglary.

Cornelius Redden III, 28, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree burglary.

Kalique Miller, 18, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree burglary. He also was arrested on a warrant for second-degree harassment.

All three were remanded to the Niagara County Correctional Facility with no bail.

Authorities had issued a shelter in place order because of a report of four men in the apartment when they had three in custody, and because of the shots fired. The Sheriff's Office Emergency Response Team and Lewiston Police K-9 Shadow searched the apartment. No other suspects were found.
A 17-year-old from Buffalo was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision, for assaulting a 67-year-old man inside a Metro Rail station, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

The victim died a month later.

Erie County Judge Kenneth Case handed down the sentence Tuesday.

Case previously sentenced another adolescent involved in the case, also 17, to eight years in prison.

Prosecutors said that on Jan. 31, 2022, the then-16-year-old males attacked Michael Cason of Buffalo inside of an elevator at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Metro Rail Amherst station on Main Street in North Buffalo  shoving, kicking and punching him.

Cason died Feb. 21 at a rehabilitation facility.

Metal knuckles were found on one of the teenagers and were believed to have been used as a weapon.

Both teenagers on Sept. 27, 2022, pleaded guilty to one count each of felony first-degree attempted assault, the highest charge in the indictments against them.

District Attorney John J. Flynn Jr. commended the NFTA Transit police for its investigation of the case.
January 19 2023

Pressure is mounting to reassess proposals to demolish four tower blocks on Glasgow's Wyndford estate amidst a backlash from protesters and architects.

Tensions have risen on the estate with six people arrested for vandalism following the occupation of empty homes by members of the Young Communist League of Britain. This follows coordinated efforts by architects such as Kate McIntosh for landlord Wheatley Homes to reassess its plans.

Writing in the AJ today Malcolm Fraser adds his voice to such efforts with a call for greater value to be placed on embodied carbon, noting analysis conducted by opponents suggesting that 22,465 tonnes of CO2 would be emitted under demolition versus 12,098 through retrofitting.

Fraser wrote: "...we need to recognise our professions complicity in all this. Colleagues sometimes look askance at retrofit  not proper architecture  for wheres the glory to be gained from humble retrofit, compared with a waste-and-spend cycle with its pontificating about style, green gizmos and good urbanism?"

These concerns found an echo in an open letter to the RIAS by Alan Dunlop, who observed: "These residents clearly believe its time to drop the demolition proposals and, like Cedar Court for GHA to propose a more progressive and enlightened approach.

"It's time for the architectural profession in Scotland also to speak up and join the debate. The silence of the RIAS, so far has been deafening."

Preparations for demolition continue to be made with a blow down expected in the Spring.
The BB Energy, an independent energy trading company here on Thursday expressed interest to develop a strategic business relationship with Pakistan and supply affordable petroleum products and LNG to the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :The BB Energy, an independent energy trading company here on Thursday expressed interest to develop a strategic business relationship with Pakistan and supply affordable petroleum products and LNG to the country.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a meeting with a delegation of BB Energy headed by its Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mohamed Bassatne, said a press statement issued by Finance Ministry.

Bassatne expressed gratitude to the finance minister and shared BB Energy's business profile and business.

He apprised the minister of company's current investment in the energy sector. He also showed interest in further expanding their business in Pakistan.

Among others, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance, Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue, Tariq Mahmood Pasha, Secretary Finance and other senior officers from Finance Division participated in the meeting.

Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar welcomed the delegation and shared the economic outlook of the country.

He said that the present government inherited weak economic legacy but was focusing on fixing things in the right direction and is introducing reforms in all sectors to achieve economic growth and development.

He said that due to pragmatic measures taken by the government, the country was destined for progress and development.

The finance minister also appreciated Mohamed Bassatne for showing interest in expanding their business activities and investment in the energy sector in Pakistan to boost its energy supply line.

He assured the delegation that government would provide all kinds of support required by the company in order to expand its business and investment in the country.
The restart of only one nuclear reactor will allow Japan to reduce imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by one million tons, Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Wednesday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2023) The restart of only one nuclear reactor will allow Japan to reduce imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by one million tons, Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Wednesday.

During his address at the World Economic Forum, Nishimura said that Japan wanted to make the most of renewable energy, including nuclear energy.

Currently, ten reactors are in operation in Japan, and seven reactors have received permission to be restarted, with another ten going through safety checks for their restart, the minister said. In total, there will be 27 reactors producing energy in Japan, the minister said. According to Nishimura, if even one nuclear reactor is relaunched, Japan will be able to reduce LNG imports by 1 million tons.

Japan receives about 9% of all its LNG imports from the Russian Sakhalin-2 project. Japanese companies Mitsui and Mitsubishi said in August they would continue to participate in the project.

Japanese gas companies have also signed contracts with the Russian operator of Sakhalin-2. Reportedly, 60% of the gas produced at its facilities is sent to Japan.

Before the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in 2011, more than 50 nuclear reactors covered about a third of the country's demand for electricity. After the accident, all reactors were shut down. In order to be restarted, they had to comply with all the safety rules set by the state regulatory body.

In recent years, the Japanese government has decided to revive its nuclear energy sector and speed up the restarting of nuclear reactors. In late 2022, for example, Japan's main nuclear regulatory body approved the operation of NPPs that have been in service for over 60 years, provided the facilities passed an inspection by experts.
The speakers at the tourism conference on Thursday said that after the completion of Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) will become a hub for tourism investment

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ):The speakers at the tourism conference on Thursday said that after the completion of Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) will become a hub for tourism investment.

They said that the all three KPK government's ITZs including Ganool, Mankiyal and Madaklasht were important projects of the provincial government, which would bring revolutionary changes in the provincial tourism.

An Investment Readiness Conference for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) was held at a local hotel here in Islamabad to mobilize private sector investments and to promote responsible tourism The event was attended by a huge number of national level investors. Presidents of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), representatives of PTDC, KP-BOIT and other trade associations.

The speakers said that after the completion of three ITZs, there was possibility of adding $10 billion to the provincial economy.

Director General KP Culture and Tourism Authority (KP CTA) Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan in his keynote address, stated, "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is well positioned as a preferred tourism destination in Pakistan. It has a considerable competitive advantage due to natural endowments and a culture of hospitality. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is not only focusing on creating employment opportunities by promoting tourism activities but also making efforts to conserve the natural and cultural assets by promoting responsible tourism in the province." He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department/ was committed to its objective of making the province a preferred tourist destination. Efforts are being made to not only develop new tourist sites but also better manage the existing tourist areas, he added and said that it is important for us to prepare the sites for handling the tourist influx during peak season and to harness this opportunity to create economic opportunities for the communities, he expressed.

Chief guest Sardar Yasir Ilyas, former President ICCI appreciated the Government of KP efforts in promoting sustainable tourism and urged the local investors to make investments in the tourism sector.

He also explained steps taken by the Chamber and the government in facilitating investments in this sector.

It is important to note that Upper Swat and Mansehra were impacted by the recent floods and there is thus a compelling case for disaster mitigation in order to conserve nature, and protect tourism assets and livelihoods of communities that rely on tourism receipts.

Ali Asghar, Chief Economist KP in his welcome address, briefed on sustainable tourism initiatives undertaken by the government, "The use of innovative approaches including, development planning for new and existing destinations, public-private partnerships, reduced carbon footprint and heritage preservation are at the center of project implementation." The Government is contributing extensively towards tourist facilitation, building the sector's resilience against climate change and geophysical hazards and local economic development, he said.

Ms. Kiran Afzal, Senior Private Sector Specialist, World Bank in her remarks congratulated the Department of Tourism and project team of the KITE project on achieving this milestone and mentioned that ITZs can especially help the tourism sector of KP in attracting investments which will lead to economic and social uplift of local communities.

An exclusive discussion on the title 'Real-estate and Tourism, A Public Private Partnership approach' was part of the conference.

The panel shed light on various aspects of sustainable tourism and opportunities for the local economy.

The panelists appreciated the efforts of DoT, CTA and KITE project and recommended practical ways for the immediate implementation of these plans.

The ITZs is a maiden concept in Pakistan which aims to open new destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to promote responsible tourism by suggesting diversity and quality in the tourism offering of these destinations and provide guidance for tourist planning and destination management activities.

The ITZ feasibility and master plans were prepared by the KP's Department of Tourism (DoT) through the World Bank sponsored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project with the support of international experts over a period of one year.

The provincial authorities and other speakers shared the opportunities for private sector investments with the participants.

As part of this exercise, customized plans for each destination have been prepared and will be used to invite investments from the private sector.

It is expected that this approach of destination management will lead to improved visitor experience, better regulation of sites and mobilization of resources from the private sector for the identified investments.
Russian oil companies are ready to participate in joint projects to develop oil fields in Turkmenistan, the Russian Government said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russian oil companies are ready to participate in joint projects to develop oil fields in Turkmenistan, the Russian Government said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a meeting with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister for oil and gas Shahym Abdrahmanov and discussed cooperation in the spheres of oil and gas, electric power, renewable energy, and peaceful nuclear energy.

"Oil companies are ready to participate in joint projects to develop fields in Turkmenistan," the statement read.

The parties also discussed cooperation in the field of oil and gas supplies, construction of gas infrastructure, and the maintenance of ecological safety in the Caspian Sea.

"Moscow and Ashgabat are ready to further expand cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests," Novak said, adding that Russia and Turkmenistan are long standing partners.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Over two billion barrels of oil were discovered in the Blue Nile basin, a tributary of the Nile river, in the Ethiopian region of Amhara in the country's north, Ethiopian Minister for Mines and Petroleum Takele Uma said on Wednesday.

"Oil exploration is being conducted in 5 basins throughout Ethiopia. In an oil exploration study conducted in Warra Iluu, part of the Abay (Blue Nile) basin, the study showed that there are more than 2 billion barrels of crude oil," the minister wrote on Twitter.

The minister added that the government was working on utilizing the discovered oil resources to ensure the "prosperity of the nation."
Russian oil is in demand on the global market, production and exports from Russia in January are approximately at the level of December, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters

ASHGABAT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russian oil is in demand on the global market, production and exports from Russia in January are approximately at the level of December, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"As for production and exports, we are approximately at the level of December," Novak said.

Novak stressed that Russian oil was still in demand on the world market.

"It should be unequivocally noted that we occupy large shares in the world in terms of exports, therefore, of course, it is difficult to achieve an energy balance there without Russian oil today," the deputy prime minister added.

On Monday, Novak said that oil production in Russia in 2022 had increased by 2% year-on-year to 535 million tonnes, while exports were up 7%.
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DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Jan, 2023) Shargiil Bashir, Chief Sustainability Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), said that the bank facilitated over AED25.7 billion (US$ 7 billion) for sustainable projects in 2022, noting that the bank has made significant progress by financing many projects across the energy supply, buildings, transportation, waste, water, and food sectors.

In statements to the Emirates news Agency (WAM), Bashir said that the value of the facilities provided by the bank for sustainable projects exceeded AED128.5 billion (US$35 billion) between 2017 and 2021, highlighting FAB's target of providing AED275.4 billion (US$75 billion) in green financing for the period 2022-2030.

In line with the bank's commitment towards climate causes, he said that FAB has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Bashir stated that the FAB recently worked alongside Etihad Airways as an environmental, social and governance (ESG) structuring bank for the first global sustainability linked loan in the aviation industry.

We have created positive sustainable impact from many of the other projects that we have financed, including: 3 the solar projects where 1,989,000 tonnes of CO2 is being avoided every year; 7 green buildings we financed have 2 pearl design ratings; and a wastewater plant we financed treats of 430,000 m3 of wastewater a day, he noted.

Bashir pointed out the bank's strong contribution to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week as the largest bank in the UAE and one of the most famous institutional entities in Abu Dhabi, noting that the bank is considered one of the pioneers of sustainability in the banking sector as it isthe first bank in the UAE to commit to net-zero by 2050 and the first GCC bank to join the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).

Throughout the week, he elaborated, FAB delegates participated in a number of high-profile panels exploring major themes in sustainable solutions as the bank is considered a catalyst in the UAEs climate objectives due to the depth of its engagement with the national economy across diverse industries.

The Chief Sustainability Officer at FAB stressed that the bank has worked over the past years to consolidate its position as a regional leader in the sustainable financing sector, accumulating in the first green bonds issuance in the MENA region in 2017.

He continued, FAB has been making significant progress in green bonds issuance. This year, we executed around half of our bond issuance in a green format (US$1.5 billion), including three public benchmark transactions: 500 million five-year, the first-ever green issuance in Euros from MENA region; CHF (Swiss Franc) 200 million four-year, where FAB remains the only issuer from MENA with green CHF outstanding, and US$700m five-year, the largest-ever green issuance from a MENA bank.

Bashir affirmed that the First Abu Dhabi Bank is committed to following the international framework of UN convened Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) by focusing on decarbonisation through science. When we joined NZBA we committed to aligning our lending and investment portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Chief Sustainability Officer at FAB said that the bank views the UAE as the perfect staging ground for the COP28 Climate Summit in 2023, because of the country's excellent relationships connecting East and West, and its experience as a global convener of choice for urgent international dialogues.

Shargiil Bashir explained that the UAE's solar energy initiatives have consistently set new benchmarks for the affordability of renewables, while Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit are driving international conversations on urgent climate and other environmental challenges.

"As the first country in the region to commit to a net-zero pathway, the UAE is developing a comprehensive roadmap to enable its businesses and government entities to transition to a carbon-neutral economy," he concluded.
ANKARA , (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Eight people were confirmed dead as of Wednesday night after an avalanche in the city of Nyingchi in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to state media.

The public security bureau in Nyingchi's Medog County received calls about an avalanche at an exit of a tunnel on the highway connecting Medog with Pad Township in Nyingchi's Mainling County on Tuesday around 7:50 p.m.

local time (1150GMT), trapping people and vehicles, Nyingchi municipal authorities said late Wednesday.

A search and rescue operation for the missing is underway, Xinhua news Agency reported.

According to the state-run Global Times, local authorities dispatched 131 people and 28 vehicles to the scene overnight.

A working group from China's Ministry of Emergency Management was also dispatched to Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the media outlet added.
In December 2021, Paul J. Mioducki admitted stealing nearly $17,000 by forging checks in his father's name.

He avoided jail time and agreed to pay back his parents as part of his guilty plea.

Instead, while on interim probation the Wyoming County man stole even more money  an extra $41,000  from them in a debit card scheme that drained their bank account, authorities said.

Earlier this month, Mioducki, 44, was sentenced to up to six years in prison after admitting to both sets of larcenies.

"He stole from his parents," Wyoming County District Attorney Donald OGeen said in an interview this week. "And he didn't just steal; he wiped them clean."

Paul Mioducki's attorney, Michael Zosh, said his client understands the gravity of his crimes.

"A hundred percent," Zosh said. "I think he is very remorseful and very, I guess, torn because he has created such a situation for his parents."

The original set of thefts took place between November 2020 and April 2021 in Bennington, where Mioducki lived with his parents.

O'Geen said Mioducki stole $16,935 by forging his father's signature on 18 checks that he later cashed. The scheme was discovered, O'Geen said, when Mioducki's father was notified that one of the checks had been declined.

In August 2021, Mioducki was indicted on one charge of grand larceny and 12 counts of forgery for altering personal checks from his father's M&T Bank checking account.

Four months later, he pleaded guilty to the grand larceny charge and agreed to pay back the stolen money during his year of interim probation, a level of punishment approved by his parents who didn't want to see their son in trouble.

"While that was pending, he just continued and it got worse," O'Geen said.

Last June, while still on interim probation, Mioducki was arraigned on a warrant that accused him of failing to report to his probation officer, continuing to use drugs and not following his drug treatment program. On Sept. 26, he admitted to violating his interim probation and sentencing on the original grand-larceny charge was set for Jan. 5.

Paul Mioducki continued to live with and help take care of his elderly parents while on probation for the earlier thefts.

He handled grocery shopping for the household, O'Geen and Zosh said, with his parents giving him a debit card to pay for the groceries.

In addition, however, Mioducki purchased gift cards worth tens of thousands of dollars that he later sold on the black market for less than face value to get cash to buy drugs, the attorneys said.

Zosh emphasized that Mioducki didn't use violence to rob anyone and, instead, took advantage of parents who trusted him with a bank card knowing he was addicted to cocaine and pills.

In fact, Zosh said, Mioducki's mother wrote him checks to provide to his probation officer as part of the restitution required in the case.

"The mother actually gave him a check, several checks, to pay herself back," the defense attorney said.

O'Geen said the parents' bank account at one point had about $84,000 in it but, by the time the gift card thefts were discovered, it had nothing left.

O'Geen said the Mioduckis still were reluctant to pursue criminal charges against their son but he praised Breanna Crane, a domestic violence advocate in his office, for her work with the parents.

"Breanna really got them to understand the magnitude of what has happened here," O'Geen said. "They just were in denial."

Last October, Paul Mioducki was indicted on four counts of grand larceny and one count of petit larceny in the second round of thefts that took place between November 2021 and June 2022.

Prosecutors were not able to directly tie Mioducki to the full loss, O'Geen said.

On Dec. 15, he pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny to resolve the new set of charges and agreed to pay back an additional $41,408. Wyoming County Judge Michael Mohun committed to sentences of two to six years in prison, served at the same time, for both grand larceny guilty pleas.

At the Jan. 5 formal sentencing, Zosh argued that Mioducki should be allowed to serve his sentence at a shock incarceration facility, allowing him to serve just six months behind bars while serving out the remainder of his sentence on parole.

"Mr. Mioducki needs rehab. He's not a bad kid or bad guy. I've known him, for, since he's been 15," said Zosh, who met Mioducki at Alden High School when Mioducki was a student and Zosh was a student teacher before starting law school. "He's a hard worker but he's got a drug problem."

Mohun agreed to recommend Mioducki serve his sentence in the boot camp-style program, O'Geen said, citing the role played by drugs in the crime.

It's not yet known where Mioducki will serve out his sentence but O'Geen objected to the shock incarceration recommendation.

O'Geen said there's "no question" Mioducki has a serious drug addiction but he insisted Mioducki should serve the full sentence because he stole more money while on probation for the initial thefts.

"He had his break," O'Geen said. "We gave him interim probation. We gave him a chance. And not only did he not do well, he committed worse crimes against his parents."
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Kyiv, Ukraine, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Ukraine's foreign and defence ministers on Thursday urged Western allies to "considerably" boost arms deliveries to their war-torn country and send modern Leopard tanks.

A joint statement from Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov came on the eve of a major donor meeting to be hosted by the United States at the Ramstein military base in Germany.

"We appeal to all partner states that have already provided military assistance or are planning to provide it with a call to considerably reinforce their practical contribution to strengthening Ukraine's ability to defend itself," Kuleba and Reznikov said in the statement.

They said Russia "retains a substantial quantitative advantage in troops, weapons and military equipment" and that the Kremlin is "determined to further escalate hostilities".

The supply of modern armoured vehicles is "one of the most pressing and urgent needs," the ministers said.

The statement also said they "welcome the bold and very timely decision" of Britain -- the first Western nation to pledge heavy tanks to Ukraine -- to supply Challenger tanks but added, "it is not sufficient to achieve operational goals".

They called on a dozen countries that have the advanced Leopard battle tanks, including Germany, Poland and Turkey, to send them to Ukraine.

"We guarantee that we will use these weapons responsibly and exclusively for the purpose of protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognised borders," they said.
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Davos, Switzerland, , (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), has joined the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Jobs Consortium, it was announced at the organization's 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos.

The Jobs Consortium is a coalition of CEOs, IOs, ministers, and other leaders with a common aim to promote a better future of work for all by enabling job creation and job transitions.

The community of leaders works to boost foresight on labor market trends, support high job quality and fair wages, and identify investments in key sectors leading to good job creation.

The Kingdom's membership in the Jobs Consortium aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and its commitment to building a thriving, vibrant economy that creates new sectors, hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and cross-cutting innovation.

"People are the key driver of any successful transformation and the sustainability of its outcome.

Everything we do is focused on empowering our people by equipping them with the evolving set of tools and skills, and creating the opportunities for them to capture, grow, and flourish," said His Excellency Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim.

Members of the Jobs Consortium met in Davos at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting this week to exchange views and agree on priority areas for action to build a better future of work. In the coming months, members will develop case studies to showcase pathways to achieve the consortium's vision. They will also seek to implement the vision through scaling country and industry-level action.

Saudi Arabia is participating in WEF23 between 16-20 January to bridge global divides and facilitate near-term stability while driving multilateral reform and long-term transformation.
Barcelona, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :A Spanish great-grandmother who was born in the United States has likely become the world's oldest living person at 115, a Guinness World Records consultant has said.

Maria Branyas Morera is believed to have assumed the title following the death on Tuesday of French nun Lucile Randon aged 118, senior consultant for gerontology Robert D. Young said.

Guinness World Records must still make the official decision after carrying out document checks and interviewing Branyas Morera's family, added Young, who is also the director of the Gerontology Research Group's supercentenarian research database.

"We know what is likely, but it's not confirmed at this time," he wrote in an email sent to AFP.

Branyas Morera, who has lived through the 1918 flu, two world wars and Spain's civil war, was not available for interviews.

The Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, where Branyas Morera has lived for the past two decades, said it would hold a "small celebration" behind closed doors in the coming days to mark "this very special event".

"She is in good health and remains surprised and grateful for the interest that has been generated," it added in a statement.

Branyas Morera's youngest daughter, 78-year-old Rosa Moret, attributed her mother's longevity to "genetics".

"She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain," Moret told regional Catalan television on Wednesday.

Branyas Morera was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, shortly after her family moved to the United States from Mexico.

The entire family decided to return to their native Spain in 1915 as World War I was underway, which complicated the ship voyage across the Atlantic.

The crossing was also marked by tragedy -- her father died from tuberculosis towards the end of the voyage, and his coffin was thrown into the sea.

Branyas Morera and her mother settled in Barcelona. In 1931 -- five years before the start of Spain's 1936-39 civil war -- she married a doctor.

The couple lived together for four decades until her husband died aged 72.

She has had three children, including one who has already died, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Just weeks after ringing in her 113th birthday, Branyas Morera got Covid-19 and was confined to her room at her care home in Olot but made a full recovery.

"I haven't done anything extraordinary, the only thing I did was live," she told Barcelona-based daily newspaper La Vanguardia in 2019.
Stockholm, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Sweden on Thursday pledged to send its Archer artillery system, a modern mobile howitzer requested by Kyiv for months, to Ukraine along with armoured vehicles and anti-tank missiles.

Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his government had agreed on a three-part military support package for Kyiv, including "the first decision on starting deliveries of the artillery system Archer to Ukraine".

Sweden, which has broken with its doctrine of not delivering weapons to a country at war, will also send 50 CV-90 armoured vehicles and NLAW portable anti-tank missiles, the government said.

"Military support is decisive," Kristersson said, as "it can change who retakes the initiative this winter" on the front in Ukraine.

The domestically developed Archer artillery system is composed of a fully automated howitzer mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, which allows the gun to be remotely operated by the crew sitting in the armoured cab.

Thursday's decision meant the Swedish Armed Forces would be given the task to "make the preparations to begin delivery of the artillery system Archer to Ukraine".

Defence Minister Pal Jonson said the government had also asked the armed forces to come back with a recommendation on how many of the Archers currently in storage could be sent.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Western allies to provide Kyiv with more heavy weapons.

The United States, Kyiv's main backer, is convening a meeting on Friday of around 50 countries -- including all 30 members of the NATO alliance -- at the US-run Ramstein military base in Germany to discuss military aid to Ukraine.

Britain this weekend pledged 14 Challenger 2 tanks, making it the first Western country to supply heavy tanks.

The US has also promised to send its Bradley armoured fighting vehicles, while France has offered its highly mobile AMX-10 RCs -- offensive systems long seen as off-limits by hesitant Western nations.

Pressure has also been mounting on Germany from European allies to authorise exports of its Leopard tank, which are used by several armed forces around the world.

Asked whether Sweden would be ready to send some of its Leopard tanks, Jonson told AFP on Monday the country had "no principle opposition against sending tanks to Ukraine" but that would not be part of its next package.
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has launched a province-wide vaccination campaign to prevent the second possible wave of lumpy skin disease and inspected the vaccination used in this drive

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has launched a province-wide vaccination campaign to prevent the second possible wave of lumpy skin disease and inspected the vaccination used in this drive.

More than six million doses will be provided to livestock farmers free of cost at their doorstep as the government has provided Rs 1.5 billion for the purpose.

Punjab has procured the vaccine at a more economical cost compared to other provinces, he noted. With over 25 million cattle and 28.4 million buffaloes in the province, the chief minister highlighted the vital role livestock plays in the economy, contributing 14.1% to the national GDP and 63% to the agriculture sector, with 37% of village incomes generated from livestock.

He said that village farmers needed to be aware of the benefits of vaccination as viruses, including lumpy skin, cause illness in cattle. The Livestock and Dairy Development Department is providing 200 million doses of vaccines for various diseases free of cost across Punjab, he added. It has done the best planning along with introducing the mobile app ADS info for effective control of the disease. Vaccination has been started with the available resources, he said and appreciated the Livestock and Dairy Development Department for its efforts. He asked the field teams to use their capabilities to overcome this disease.

Sardar Shahabuddin, Sardar Asif Nikai, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, secretary livestock, secretary information and others were present.
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A delegation led by Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here wherein the two sides discussed the supply of oil and gas from Russia to Pakistan on a long term basis

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :A delegation led by Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here wherein the two sides discussed the supply of oil and gas from Russia to Pakistan on a long term basis.

During the meeting, both the sides agreed on the importance of energy sector for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

The two sides also reviewed the matters related to gas pipelines, a PM Office statement said.

Welcoming the delegation the prime minister highlighted the importance Pakistan attached to its relations with the Russian Federation.

He recalled his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September 2022 and said that the meeting had reached important decisions to further strengthen Pakistan-Russia relations.

He also noted with satisfaction the keen desire on both the sides to upgrade the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and economic matters.

The Russian energy minister reciprocated the prime minister's sentiments and delivered a special message of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the prime minister.

In his message, President Putin referring to Pakistan as Russia's important partner in South Asia and the Islamic World reiterated Russia's strong interest to deepen the bilateral relationship.The prime minister provided guidance for the work of 8th Round of Pakistan-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad on January 20, 2023.Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for State for Petroleum Musadik Malik and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatimi were also present in the meeting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he discussed with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday the bilateral cooperation in the military-political sphere and defense issues

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he discussed with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday the bilateral cooperation in the military-political sphere and defense issues.

"The day began with a meeting with the belarusian President Lukashenko, during an almost hour-and-a-half meeting we discussed all strategic directions for further deepening our alliance, in accordance with the agreements reached by the presidents of our states in the context of promoting the Union State, Russia, Belarus, and in the military-political sphere, the sphere of ensuring our security," Lavrov told a briefing.
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Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agree that the issue of delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries should be resolved, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev said on Thursday

BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agree that the issue of delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries should be resolved, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev said on Thursday.

The length of the joint border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). Despite the countries' efforts, nearly a third of the border is still undefined.

"The top leaderships of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have an understanding that the border issue needs to be resolved," the minister said at a press conference.

At the same time, Kulubaev noted the problem cannot be solved overnight.

"The delegations of the two countries are working. The result depends on their progress. We hope that 2023 will be successful in this regard," the minister added.

The situation on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border last escalated in September 2022, when Kyrgyzstan reported at least 63 people dead and 198 injured in the clashes, while Tajikistan said 41 people were killed and 30 were injured.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson met on Thursday with Indian Energy Minister Raj Kumar Singh to discuss renewable and hydrogen energy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Delighted to meet with Raj Kumar Singh, India's Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy at 2023 World Economic Forum. The EU and India are strong partners with a lot of potential for co-operation in energy, especially in reneawbles & hydrogen. Thank you for the good talk," Simson tweeted.

In early September, Simson visited India to participate in several bilateral meetings and the EU-India Green Forum to develop cooperation on alternative energy.

The European Union and India established the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership in 2016, which promotes access to and dissemination of clean energy and climate friendly technologies. An energy panel meets annually at senior officials' level, and several working groups are active during the year.
YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Fifteen servicemen in Armenia have been killed, three others are in serious condition as a result of a fire in the barracks of an engineer company, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"According to preliminary data, as a result of a fire in the barracks of a military unit's engineer company, 15 servicemen were killed, and the condition of three servicemen is assessed as serious," according to the statement.
ALBANY  By the narrowest margin, the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted against advancing the nomination of Gov. Kathy Hochul's pick to be chief judge of the State Court of Appeals.

The 10-9 vote on Wednesday afternoon was a historic rebuke of Hochul by members of her own Democratic Party, one potentially setting up a major legal fight between the Democratic-controlled state Senate and the Democratic governor.

All 10 votes against her nominee, state appellate court judge Hector LaSalle, came from Democrats on the committee.

Only two Democrats on the body voted in favor of LaSalle. Another Democratic senator, along with six Republicans, voted to advance LaSalle's nomination "without recommendation." In the end, they fell one vote short of doing so.

But state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, said on Wednesday afternoon that Hochul's nomination was now "lost" following the vote.

"It is our assessment that the Senate has fulfilled its responsibilities pursuant to the state constitution," he said.

Hochul moves to hire litigator, potentially escalating chief judge fight The move may escalate an already-tense situation between Hochul, who has continued to push Hector LaSalles candidacy despite fierce opposition from her political left, and state Senate Democrats charged with confirming or rejecting him.

That sets potential high-stakes litigation between Hochul and Senate Democrats. Hochul's office confirmed it is in the process of retaining Caitlin Halligan, a partner at the New York City-based law firm Selendy Gay Elsberg. Halligan served as solicitor general of New York from 2001 to 2007 and is an accomplished appellate attorney.

Hochul's office said Tuesday, before the Judiciary Committee vote, that a final decision had not been reached about a course of action concerning litigation.

Following the vote on Wednesday, Hochul released a statement praising LaSalle's testimony and stating he "demonstrated exactly why he is the right person for this role  because of his extensive experience, judicial temperament and integrity."

"While this was a thorough hearing, it was not a fair one, because the outcome was predetermined," Hochul said. "Several Senators stated how they were going to vote before the hearing even began  including those who were recently given seats on the newly expanded Judiciary Committee. While the committee plays a role, we believe the constitution requires action by the full Senate."

State Sen. Sean Ryan of Buffalo, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, quizzed LaSalle during the hearing about a decision he had made that was unfavorable to organized labor. Ryan ultimately voted against LaSalle and then released a statement explaining that the nominee in testimony had "demonstrated his overly narrow views of the rule of law and the role of courts in our society."

"With the rejection of this nomination, I look forward to respectfully considering another nominee put forth by the governor, Ryan said.

The vote followed a hearing lasting more than four hours, a sharp contrast to the typically pro forma confirmation hearings.

LaSalle would be the first Latino chief judge of the state Court of Appeals. But following his nomination by Hochul in December, he became the subject of a fierce  and unprecedented  backlash from fellow Democrats.

While a number of Democrats grilled LaSalle with tough questions, he generally faced much more favorable treatment from Republicans, who charged Democrats with an unfair rush to judgment and with seeking a liberal judicial activist as chief judge.

You do not come across as a right-wing, conservative nut, Republican state Sen. Andrew Lanza told LaSalle.

The hearing began with sharp questioning from Hoylman-Sigal.

This isnt going to be a roast, but it wont be your bar mitzvah, either, he told LaSalle.

Hoylman-Sigal asked about a questionnaire that LaSalle filled out during the process of seeking nomination to the top judgeship. In responses, LaSalle twice listed the states recently departed chief judge, Janet DiFiore, as a reference concerning his professional capabilities.

Many Democrats in the state Senate strongly oppose DiFiore  including her vote in April in a decision that threw out legislative district lines drawn by the Democratic controlled-Legislature, and which ultimately proved disastrous for the party during the 2022 elections.

Senate Democrats argue that DiFiore was part of a 4-3 majority that led the Court of Appeals in a more conservative direction on multiple fronts. Since DiFiore announced she was departing the chief judgeship in July, liberal advocates and some Senate Democrats have made a concerted effort move the court to the political left through the confirmation process. They have especially opposed the appointment of another prosecutor, such as LaSalle, arguing that the body has been slanted against the rights of defendants under DiFiore, also a former prosecutor.

Holyman-Sigal asked LaSalle whether he had ever run for office on the Conservative Party ballot line. LaSalle acknowledged that when he ran for state Supreme Court in 2008, he ran on the ballot lines of a number of different parties, including Democratic and Conservative. He also was on the ballot line of the liberal Working Families Party.

In 2022, he said, he ran on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines. He confirmed that he once gave a small donation to the Conservative Party, which Holyman-Sigal noted was staunchly socially conservative on issues such as abortion rights and same-sex marriage.

Republican state Sen. Anthony Palumbo later downplayed those cross-endorsements, saying that such a practice was routine in judicial races  and not reflective of LaSalles broader ideology.

Judges are always cross-endorsed, he said. They are always endorsed on multiple lines.

Holyman-Sigal also cited statistics he had complied, which, according to the senator, showed LaSalle ruled in the favor of prosecutors 70 percent of the time in criminal justice cases, and against civil protections 75 percent of the time in civil rights cases.

Stats can be misleading, LaSalle testified. Every case is treated individually, not in the aggregate.

In his initial testimony, LaSalle stressed that claims he has faced from some Senate Democrats and liberal groups  that he is anti-labor, against maintaining the rights of criminal defendants and anti-choice on the issue of abortion  was untrue.

I personally strongly believe in a womans right to make her own reproductive decisions, he said about the abortion criticism. I do not want my daughter to have fewer rights than her mother, and Im grateful in New York, they continue to have the right to choose."

He said he believed in the rights of criminal defendants and the value of unions, protecting the rights of organizing.

Without a union helping my family, I would not be here today, he said. This is what I believe, and if this is different from (what) you have heard or read, Im happy to set the record straight.

LaSalle also had his defenders among Senate Democrats. One of them was state Sen. Luis Sepulveda, who blasted colleagues in his conference that had called LaSalle "anti-woman or anti-union.

What were seeing here is a terrible cherry picking of cases, Sepulveda said.

Sepulveda ended up being one of two Democrats to vote in the judge's favor.

LaSalle said, at times, that he had disagreed with the outcomes of certain rulings hed made, but was bound by legal precedent in making them.

"We're an intermediate, appellate court," he said. "Typically we apply the case law that's been established through the generations in New York ... At the end of the day, we are constrained in a way that the Court of Appeals is not. We are an inferior court to the Court of Appeals."
German defense giant Rheinmetall is ready to supply Ukraine with over 100 Leopard 1 and 2 tanks in 2023, as well as repair UK's Challenger 1 tanks, Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources in the defense industry

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) German defense giant Rheinmetall is ready to supply Ukraine with over 100 Leopard 1 and 2 tanks in 2023, as well as repair UK's Challenger 1 tanks, Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources in the defense industry.

This initiative put forward by Rheinmetall should help avoid the transfer of tanks from the German armed forces, sources told the newspaper, adding that the defense manufacturer could supply over 100 tanks to Ukraine.

"The concern could purchase and upgrade a double-digit number of UK tanks in Oman. Vehicles can be transferred to Ukraine this year," one of the defense sources told Handelsblatt.

Germany has so far refrained from supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. In recent days, several EU states have increased pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on this matter.

Earlier in the day, a debate was held in Germany's Bundestag on the supply of tanks to Kiev, where factions of parties supporting the idea said that this issue would be resolved at the upcoming meeting of NATO countries at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Earlier in the week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed the hope that following the meeting of the contact group on support for Ukraine at the airbase on January 20, decisions will be made on the supply of heavy weapons to Kiev.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Moscow.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Moscow is satisfied with the balanced position of Israel on the situation around Ukraine and its refusal to supply weapons to Kiev, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said on Thursday.

"We are generally satisfied that the Israeli partners have taken a balanced position, despite numerous requests to them for the supply of weapons to Ukraine. It is important for both countries that this line be continued  the line of refusing to supply weapons, their components, and so on. to the conflict zone for Ukraine," Viktorov said at the Valdai Discussion Club.

Moscow hopes Israel will take a wise, balanced and diplomatic approach to the Ukrainian crisis, the ambassador said.
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Russia will do everything to make its colleagues from NATO and the European Union "sober up" as soon as possible and abandon their "colonial illusions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russia will do everything to make its colleagues from NATO and the European Union "sober up" as soon as possible and abandon their "colonial illusions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

"We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible," Lavrov said in Minsk after talks with Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik.

The Russian minister also said that Western colleagues are "presumptuous" people who put their "irrepressible political ambitions, attempts to realize their sense of superiority, their colonial and neocolonial dreams and illusions above the interests of their own peoples."
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Russia is checking information that some employees of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) helped Kiev in the preparation of military actions against civilians by hiding facts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russia is checking information that some employees of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) helped Kiev in the preparation of military actions against civilians by hiding facts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

"The mission worked blatantly, not in an unbiased manner.

It worked in favor of the version of events that the Ukrainian leadership carefully made public. And in a number of cases the mission hid information about the real state of affairs," Lavrov said.

The Russian minister added that Russian authorities are currently verifying the reports that give reason to suspect that some employees of the OSCE SMM also helped Kiev in preparing for military actions against the civilian population.
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Poland plans to increase its military spending to 4% of GDP in 2023, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday

WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Poland plans to increase its military spending to 4% of GDP in 2023, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday.

For 2022, Poland's defense budget was planned to reach 2.4% of GDP, above the NATO target of 2%. For 2023, the country announced plans to increase its defense budget to 3% of GDP, or $28 billion.

"We are not only fulfilling our obligations, but even more...

We will probably spend 4% of our GDP on defense," Duda told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The president added that Poland was already purchasing tanks in the United States and South Korea, as well as new aircraft and rocket launchers, and was expecting soon the delivery of the first HIMARS launchers and missiles.

In December, the Polish authorities said that they had spent about 1% of their GDP on arms supplies to Ukraine alone.
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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin discussed by phone strategic deterrence measures and the preparation of a regional grouping of troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin discussed by phone strategic deterrence measures and the preparation of a regional grouping of troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, held telephone talks with Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin. The heads of the military departments discussed the complex of strategic deterrence measures currently being implemented, as well as the preparation of the regional grouping of troops," the ministry said.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told reporters that during his meeting at the Canadian Foreign Ministry he drew attention to Kiev's violation of laws of war on non-deployment of military infrastructure in civilian residential areas which became the reason of the tragedy in Dnepropetrovsk.

Earlier in the day, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly told reporters that Canadian officials summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn the recent incident in Dnepropetrovsk. She also said Ottawa condemned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's suggestion that the United States is creating a coalition of European countries to solve the so-called "Russian question" in the same way that Adolf Hitler sought to eradicate Jews.

"For my part, of course, I gave a detailed commentary on this story and drew attention to the fact that an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential administration, already a former one, said that this tragic case was simply the result of the work of Ukrainian air defense," Stepanov said on Wednesday. "I drew attention to the fact that, despite the numerous testimonies of journalists, observers, experts about Ukraine's violation of the laws of war on non-deployment of military infrastructure in civilian residential areas, the Zelenskyy regime continues to do this and, in fact, the tragedy in Dnepropetrovsk is simply the result of the criminal and thoughtless actions of this regime."

Stepanov said he was surprised by Joly's statement, which he saw after the meeting.

"This invitation to the Foreign Ministry was for the Canadian side to make a demarche to me about the tragedy in Dnepropetrovsk. It was only about this," he shared. "You can imagine that everything followed the predictable lines of general Western propaganda. The Canadians accuse us of all mortal sins, saying that the Russian leadership allegedly gave the order to directly hit a residential facility and that this emphasizes all the cruelty, injustice and illegality of our military operation and we will all be held accountable for this later."

The Canadians, he added, accuse Russia of intentionally hitting civilian and energy infrastructure and thereby committing illegal actions.

"I reminded them again that the energy infrastructure primarily feeds the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces, and since a special military operation is underway, everything that supports the enemy forces is a legitimate military target," Stepanov said.

When asked how Canada wants to hold Russia responsible, Stepanov noted, "In principle, the interlocutor did not tell me anything new from what representatives of Trudeau's cabinet had not previously stated openly.

"

"In fact, they want to isolate top-level political, state figures in Russia, then try to persecute them using some pseudo-international mechanisms," he said. "The theme of the International Criminal Court is often heard here, but this is ridiculous, it is clear that it does not work. As you heard days earlier, the Western countries want to create a kind of pseudo-tribunal. At least some radical countries in the West express such ideas - let's create a tribunal and judge Russia."

Unfortunately, he added, Canada, despite its seemingly professional international legal school, actively supports this idea.

"And this is what they regularly threaten us with," Stepanov went on to say. "We accept these threats with a smile and tell Canadians about this, that, guys, these ideas of yours are far from reality."

Stepanov also said that he pointed out to his interlocutor today that, taking root in such a not just pro-Ukrainian, but hyper-anti-Russian line, Canada just raises the degree of the current confrontation and leaves no room for further diplomatic work.

"We know very well that our military operation will go on until it reaches its stated goals... but every conflict, after achieving its goals, requires some kind of formalization of the results," he said. "It cannot be self-reproducing and go on for hundreds of years. There will be some ending. With their confrontational policies, the countries, it seems to me, worsen any opportunities for achieving diplomatic results following the completion of our military operation, when we will have completed our tasks."

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych on Tuesday announced his resignation after recently suggesting that the cause of the collapse of a residential building in the city of Dnepropetrovsk was Kiev's interceptor missile shooting down a Russian missile.

On Saturday, a missile hit a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, killing at least 40 people. Shortly after the incident, Arestovych said that the building was damaged by debris from a Russian missile that was shot down by Ukrainian air defense. Kiev said later that the building was hit by a Russian missile that air defenses were incapable of intercepting. Arestovych's comment caused a public outcry, and Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko announced the start of a petition demanding Arestovych's resignation. The presidential adviser later retracted his Dnepropetrovsk missile remarks.

On Monday, commenting on the Dnepropetrovsk incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian armed forces do not strike residential buildings or civilian infrastructure facilities.
The national security advisers of the United States, Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met virtually on Thursday to discuss ways to deepen regional integration in a range of areas, including clean energy and security, according to a joint statement published by the White House

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) The national security advisers of the United States, Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met virtually on Thursday to discuss ways to deepen regional integration in a range of areas, including clean energy and security, according to a joint statement published by the White House.

"Today, the national security advisers of the United States, Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates met to discuss ways to deepen regional integration, including in the areas of clean energy, emerging technology, regional security, and commercial relations," the joint statement said.

The four officials also discussed expanding the progress achieved since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020 and new regional partnerships, including among Israel, India, UAE and the United States and the Negev Forum Working Groups, the statement said.

The officials focused their discussion on what they consider is climate crisis and welcomed the UAE's leadership in hosting the COP-28 conference later this year, the statement added.

In 2020, the United States brokered a deal known as the Abraham Peace Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and Arab countries. At the time, Israel had diplomatic relations only with Jordan and Egypt. The UAE and Bahrain joined the Abraham Peace Accords as did Morocco and Sudan. The accords stipulate establishing or resuming embassy operations, opening direct flights and lifting the ban on tourist trips and official visits.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Taiwan's national defense ministry said on Thursday that 16 Chinese aircraft and three navy vessels had been detected in the past 24 hours near the island, claimed by Beijing.

"16 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today," the ministry said referring to the People's Liberation Army and the People's Liberation Army Navy.

Four of the aircraft were identified as a Xian JH-7 bomber, a BZK-007 reconnaissance drone and two Shenyang J-16 fighters.

The ministry has been monitoring the situation. It said it ordered a combat air patrol plane, military ships and land-based missile systems to "respond these activities."

Tensions between China and Taiwan, which has been governed independently from the mainland for decades, escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August. Beijing has warned Western powers against departing from the one-China policy to condone Taiwanese separatism.
Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Thursday

JENIN, Palestine, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ):Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

"The two martyrs, Adham Jabarin and Jawad Bawaqna, were killed by the occupation bullets during the storming of the Jenin camp," official Palestine TV reported.

A special force of the Israeli army stormed the camp and other military reinforcements arrived later in the early hours of Thursday morning, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

Clashes erupted between the Israeli army and Palestinian gunmen while they were trying to stop the incursion.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank in recent weeks amid repeated Israeli raids to detain what they say "wanted Palestinians" or to demolish Palestinian homes. The raids have sparked clashes with Palestinians, causing several fatalities.
McKinley High School teachers say they are furious about the impending transfer of their principal, which they first learned about from the Buffalo School Board agenda for Wednesday night's meeting.

Moustafa Khalil, appointed McKinley's principal Feb. 11 after the shooting and stabbing at the school that rocked the district, is being transferred to Pfc. William J. Grabiarz School of Excellence, a prekindergarten through eighth-grade school near the intersection of Hertel Avenue and Military Road, according to the meeting agenda. The previous Grabiarz president, Marlon Lee, resigned Jan. 14, the board document reads.

Terence Jenkins, the previous principal at Waterfront Elementary, will be moved to McKinley to replace Khalil effective Jan. 30, according to the document.

Buffalo Schools released a statement on the changes involving Khalil and Jenkins just after 1 p.m. Wednesday.

"When placing a principal at a school, it is imperative that the talents and experience of that individual best align with the needs of the specific school community that he/she is assigned to serve, which, in turn, will best serve the students within that school community. In the instance of these two individuals, the district is assigning each of them to school communities where their talent and experience may best be utilized, and we look forward to them continuing to thrive and grow in their new respective assignments," the district's email read.

The Buffalo School Board voted to approve the consent agenda at Wednesday's board meeting at West Hertel Academy, which included the McKinley personnel change.

Andrea Augello, the Buffalo Teachers Federation delegate and English teacher at McKinley, said Wednesday that high school teachers were outraged at the district's decision and want Khalil to be returned to his post. She shared results of a quick poll sent to the school's 88 teachers: 42 of the 46 who responded are in favor of Khalil remaining as McKinley principal.

Teen admits accomplice role in knife attack outside McKinley High School Kushal Tamang, 18, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault in the Feb. 9 stabbing and beating of a 14-year-old.

Augello and fellow delegate Chuck Mahoney wrote a letter to new Buffalo School Board President Sharon Belton-Cottman asking the board to cancel or table the personnel move. McKinley teachers were unable to sign up to speak at the board meeting due to the day-before deadline to speak at a board meeting.

"We want him to stay," Augello said. "At the end of the day, what he's scrambling to do is making a noticeable change, and to remove him halfway through the year, even if he wasn't making a noticeable change, it is disruptive to every aspect to life at McKinley  faculty, staff, support staff and the kids themselves."

At the board meeting, Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said she read the letter from the McKinley teachers Wednesday night and recognizes her decision was made midyear. She said she plans to meet with Augello, Mahoney and the other McKinley teachers who signed the letter to the School Board to listen to their concerns.

"These decisions are not made in a vacuum, not haphazardly," Williams said.

Khalil had made progress in improving the culture at McKinley, Augello said, following the stabbing of a 14-year-old student and the shooting of a school security guard on Feb. 9. She highlighted his "100 Days of Peace" initiative where students would be rewarded for each 15 days accumulated that were free of violence. Augello said the principal also adhered to the progressive discipline outlined in the district's code of conduct, often speaking with students before assessing any penalties.

Buffalo Public Schools demonstrates new walkthrough weapons detection system at I-Prep As students entered International Prep on Friday, they were greeted by a new piece of technology: the Evolv Express weapons detection system. The school was the test site for a high-tech security system expected to be in all district high schools by the end of February.

"He's approachable, an active listener and he's willing to take input from teachers," Augello said. "The feeling in the building is better. We aren't at each other's throats. We're a very divided staff in a lot of ways, but Moose is pulling us together. The kids respect him."

Augello was particularly frustrated with the lack of communication from the district that such a move might occur.

"Not one of us was consulted for our input from the BPS Board of Education or any member of your Administration prior to your impending action being slid into the board agenda," the McKinley teachers' letter to Belton-Cottman read. " ... Our pleas for the Board and administration to remove previous incompetent school leadership were ignored for years."
Britain on Thursday said it would send 600 Brimstone missiles to war-torn Ukraine to help its fight against Russian forces

Tapa, Estonia, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2023 ) :Britain on Thursday said it would send 600 Brimstone missiles to war-torn Ukraine to help its fight against Russian forces.

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace made the announcement after attending a donor meeting with several of his counterparts at Estonia's Tapa military base.

"Today I can say we're also going to send another 600 Brimstone missiles into theatre, which will be incredibly important in helping Ukraine dominate the battlefield," he told reporters.

Britain made its latest pledge just days after it became the first country to meet Ukraine's request for Western heavy tanks.

Wallace and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur initiated the donor meeting in Tapa, which was attended by representatives from several Ukraine allies.

The talks will be followed Friday by a larger meeting of around 50 countries convened by the United States at the US-run Ramstein military base in Germany to discuss military aid to Ukraine.

"Now we are here today and will be there tomorrow in Ramstein... to make it very clear to (Russian) President Vladimir Putin that we will continue to donate, continue to train and continue to stand by Ukraine," Wallace said in Estonia.

"Because if President Putin is banking on us getting bored this year, he is wrong. We will plan for this year, and next year, and the year after, and beyond... we are in it for the long haul," he added.
Members of the US House of Representatives are no longer able to cast votes remotely using another lawmaker as a proxy, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) Members of the US House of Representatives are no longer able to cast votes remotely using another lawmaker as a proxy, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday.

"No more proxy voting. Effective immediately, Members of Congress have to show up to work if they want their vote to count," McCarthy said via Twitter.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed proxy voting starting in May 2020 to accommodate lawmakers wishing to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the rule, lawmakers could request colleagues who are present at the Capitol to cast votes in their name.

Some Republican congressmen have criticized proxy voting, arguing that it enabled lawmakers to shirk their responsibilities. Members including McCarthy have also questioned the constitutionality of proxy voting.

Democrats have insisted that the measure is meant to protect lawmakers and their family members who may be high-risk for COVID-19.

In September, President Joe Biden claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was coming to an end as case numbers declined and public health restrictions were rolled back.
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The US Justice Department's KleptoCapture Task Force will start the first transfers of forfeited assets of Russian businessmen to the State Department in the coming weeks and months for the purpose of providing aid to Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing special military operation, director of KleptoCapture Andrew Adams said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) The US Justice Department's KleptoCapture Task Force will start the first transfers of forfeited assets of Russian businessmen to the State Department in the coming weeks and months for the purpose of providing aid to Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing special military operation, director of KleptoCapture Andrew Adams said on Thursday.

"(The adoption of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023) makes me hopeful that we will start to see the first transfers from Justice to the State Department occurring in the coming weeks and months, as the first final orders of forfeiture are obtained with respect to certain assets to be cleared," Adams said during a Hudson Institute discussion.

Adams noted, however, that the amounts of the first transfers are "minuscule" compared to the cost of the damage inflicted by Russia on Ukraine.

At the same time, Adams does not believe that the act passed by Congress in the closing days of 2022 is a "silver bullet" in terms of getting all forfeited funds transferred to the State Department since it doesn't provide a clear mechanism for it and says nothing about forfeitures tied to export control violations.

KleptoCapture investigators continue to uncover illegal evasion of Russia-related sanctions, while US foreign partners continue to strengthen their criminal sanctions regimes that in turn expand the ability to project American seizures abroad, Adams added.

In March, the Justice Department launched the KleptoCapture Task Force to trace and seize assets of Russian businessmen in response to Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2023) Yevgeny Prigozhin, the controversial head of the Wagner Group private military company, said on Thursday that he recognized a "court victory" of opposition journalist Alexey Venediktov (recognized as a foreign media agent in Russia) since the "silence mode" about the group was no longer needed.

On Thursday, Venediktov's lawyers said that a Russian court would review a libel lawsuit filed by Prigozhin against the ex-editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy after the latter named the businessman as the Wagner's leader. Venediktov lost the case, though Prigozhin later admitted to establishing the Wagner Group in 2014.

"There was a time that I had to sue Venediktov and others since there was a conspiratorial necessity to say that the Wagner Group did not exist.

.. Today, when the silence mode regarding the Wagner Group has completed its mission, I happily grant this court victory to Mr. Venediktov," Prigozhin said in a statement published on social media.

The Wagner Group has been participating in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and played an important role in taking control of Soledar, an important fortification in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

The capture of Soledar has opened the way to the bridgehead of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which can become a turning point in wrestling control over the entire territory of DPR from Ukraine, according to DPR acting head Denis Pushilin.
Charles Ryan is joined in conversation with Patrick Maison, a recipient of the 2021 PCF Pfizer Health Equity Challenge Award for his work on integrating orthodox and traditional prostate cancer care and treatment in Ghana. The incidence of prostate cancer has been rising in Ghana since 2019. Epidemiological studies found that most patients with prostate cancer present late, and because of that, there is high mortality of prostate cancer in Ghana. In this work being discussed, Dr. Maison identified barriers that contribute to late presentation of prostate cancer, which includes the heavy reliance on indigenous traditional medicine. With the goal of reducing the deaths of prostate cancer in men in Ghana, Dr. Maison is partnering with traditional medicine providers to help educate, diagnose and manage patients. PCF-Pfizer Global Health Equity Challenge Awards: A collaboration between PCF and Pfizer Global Medical Grants, the awards totaling $1.47 million are granted to teams at some of the world's leading cancer research institutions to support prostate cancer research projects that will improve the understanding of, or reduce disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients in minority and underserved communities. The 11 award winners represent eight countries including Hong Kong, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and the United States. Biographies: Patrick Maison, MD, FWACS, Urologist, Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery, University of Cape Coast, Ghana Charles J. Ryan, MD, the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), the worlds leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Charles J. Ryan is an internationally recognized genitourinary (GU) oncologist with expertise in the biology and treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Ryan joined the PCF from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, where he served as Director of the Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation Division in the Department of Medicine. He also served as Associate Director for Clinical Research in the Masonic Cancer Center and held the B.J. Kennedy Chair in Clinical Medical Oncology.

Charles Ryan: Hello, I'm very pleased today to be speaking Dr. Patrick Maison from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Doctor Maison is a urologist, and a lecturer at the university, he is the recipient of a 2021 PCF Pfizer Health Equity Challenge Award. Welcome, Doctor Maison, good to see you today.

Patrick Maison: Thank you, good to see you too.

Charles Ryan: We're going to start with a brief presentation about your award, and about your work, and then we'll have a conversation.

Patrick Maison: Thank you very much. As I was introduced, my name is Patrick Maison, and I'm a urologist Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons. The project we are working on is integrating orthodox and traditional prostate cancer care and treatment in Ghana.

So the study team comprises of researchers from the University of Cape Coast and then we collaborate with Precision Medicine for Aggressive Breast Cancer, and then the Henry Ford institute in Michigan, and with the Ghana Health Services.

So, as a background to the research that we are doing. In Ghana, prostate cancer is known to be the leading cause, or second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, and the incidence has since been rising from 2019. When we did epidemiologic studies, we found that most patients with prostate cancer present late, and because of that, there is a high mortality of prostate cancer in Ghana.

About 75% of our population are known to rely on indigenous traditional medicine, and so when they are ill, they will first report to their traditional medicine providers, who will keep them and treat them for some time, before they allow them to come to the hospital.

In my own institution, which is the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, we find that about 70% of patients we diagnose with prostate cancer are seen with the cancer locally advanced, and about 25% of them already have very advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, or at the time of presentation. So, we hardly pick up patients with early prostate cancer. Again, we have found that more than half of these patients would have first been to their indigenous traditional medicine provider, and would have spent years with them, two years, three years, when they first noticed urinary difficulties with them. And when they realize that their symptoms are not getting any better, then they ask them to report to see us at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, by then, they would come in with advanced, or very metastatic diseases.

And so, the goal of this project is that we aim to reduce the deaths of prostate cancer in the men who come to us, or who have prostate cancer in Cape Coast by identifying all the barriers that contribute to late presentation of prostate cancer.

One of the things we want to do is that we want to partner the traditional medicine providers so that we will be able to pick up the patients when they first report to them at the early stage, and help to make the diagnosis and manage them, rather than permit the patients to stay with them for so long, and only wait for the patients to come when the cancer is so advanced and they cannot be helped much. And so, in doing this, we will be taking prostate biospecimen, and we hope that we can also use these specimen to create a bank which will be used for future genetic studies.

So, the methods will be to use questionnaires to interview the patients with prostate cancer who present to the herbal medicine providers, and then we will also interview these traditional medicine providers, and also interview ordinary hospital workers to find out their own perception about why patients prefer to go to the traditional medicine providers rather than come to see us first when they are sick with all forms of ailments.

And so for those patients that we find that traditional medicine providers with prostate diseases, we will first check their prostate-specific antigen, and for those who have high levels of prostate-specific antigens, we will do a prostate biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer. When that diagnosis is made, then we will educate the traditional medicine providers who were attending to them, and also educate the patients, get them to understand that not all difficulty with urination is from an ordinary enlargement of the disease, but sometimes there is cancer causing you to have problems with urination, and this cancer can be fatal. And so there is need to identify from the lot those who have difficulty to urinate due to cancer, and those who do not have it, and for that matter, help those who have cancer, so the cancer does not become advanced, and possibly lead to their death.

And so when this has gone on for some time, we hope to be able to partner these traditional medicine providers, and meet them periodically, maybe every three months we hold meetings with them to encourage them to refer patients who report to them early to see us, so we can rule out prostate cancer in those patients, and also help them with the management of all their patients so that in the end, they will not delay their patients with prostate cancer. So, this is partnership that we would like to form with these traditional medicine providers after they have understood what the challenge with prostate cancer diagnosis is, so that we can partner them, make the diagnosis early, an then help the patients appropriately.

And so work ongoing currently, as we speak, is that researchers have moved into the communities, they are interacting with the patients. We are also interacting with the traditional medicine providers, we are also interviewing some patients who come to hospital with prostate diseases to find out how long they were delayed in the traditional medicine providers, and see if they have cancers. And then we are also interacting with normal medical providers, or healthcare professionals, to find out from them their perceptions about why patients prefer to go to the traditional medicine provider, and not to us.

As we speak, we have also been able to, from some of these patients, take specimen for prostate-specific antigen test. Some of them are high, which is suggestive that they may have prostate cancer, and we are about getting them to come for prostate biopsy tests. And when the diagnosis of cancer is made, we will enroll them in the orthodox system, and provide the with care, so that we can at least address the cancer before it becomes very advanced and late for them to present to us, when we cannot do much to help then.

And so, here, you can see in the picture, researcher in the community interviewing a patient who has prostate disease, and is attending the local medicine, or herbal provider, herbalist in the community.

So, at the end of the study, we are hoping that we will be able to collaborate with about 50 traditional medicine providers, who, on average, should be able to recommend 100 patients every year who have prostate cancers. We are expecting that these numbers will actually go up, more then the 100 that we are talking about. But at least for now, we are expecting that the 50 traditional healers will be able to give us minimum of 100 patients with prostate cancer, who we will pick up in the early stage, and not in the late stage, when it is too late to help them.

Again, we will be able to educate the traditional healers, and even educate the patients so that we can break the barriers that lead to a delay in seeking care, especially when they have prostate diseases. And we also hope that we will be able to publish our findings in reputable journals, and maybe when we get the specimen in the future, we will be able to do genetic studies to understand the molecular disease of prostate cancer as it pertains to our populations.

So here are some references for our work. And I will say a very big thank you.

Charles Ryan: Thank you, and congratulations on receiving this award. It appears a very important opportunity in Ghana for caregivers to identify earlier stage prostate cancer, and hopefully to intervene, and prolong life and reduce complications over time in this population.

Couple of questions. For the traditional healers in Ghana, are they aware of prostate cancer as a common condition, or are they more focused on symptoms? And are they likely to say to man, "You may have prostate cancer, I will treat it," or are they more likely to say, "You have a prostate symptom, I will treat it," and they remain unclear about the diagnosis of the prostate cancer?

Patrick Maison: Thank you, Ryan, so all of them think that prostate diseases are just one thing, and they lead to urinary difficulty. And so they don't know that there can be a normal enlargement of the prostate, and there could also be cancer in the prostate.

Charles Ryan: I see.

Patrick Maison: And so that is the challenge we have with them. They manage their patients all in one, as though they all have a normal enlargement of the prostate. And so they never make anty effort at finding out whether someone has prostate cancer, or does not have it.

Charles Ryan: Sure. And I anticipate that you will get referrals for people who have non cancer, BPH, or other symptoms, other prostate enlargement symptoms, and of course what I guess you would hope would be that the many of your referrals are men who have noncancerous symptoms, so that you can follow them, and capture them, in a way, treat those symptoms, and perhaps follow them, should they develop prostate cancer later on. What are the standard... Are you only capturing men who have urinary symptoms, or will you be asking them to send you men with back pain, or other things that could be signs of metastatic diseases as well?

Patrick Maison: When we go into the communities now, we are asking about those who have urinary problems, and then we are also asking them about their patients in general. And so when we get any patients who has other symptoms of metastasis, as you said, severe low back pain, waist pain, who has maybe some weakness in the limbs, we include all these men. And so we are actually looking for any patients in the care of the traditional healer who is likely to have prostate cancer. We would even want to extend it to include those who go there for other forms of ailments, like hypertension, diabetes, et cetera. But for now, we think that it will be more accommodating if we say that we are only focusing on those who have urinary problems...problems that have got to do... Yes. Otherwise, they would then think that we are coming to take over the entire patient population.

Charles Ryan: And your plan is to include them in the care of the patient, even after a diagnosis, through shared, it's not really shared visits, but it's sharing information back and forth with them, and including them in the care, correct?

Patrick Maison: Yes. So exactly what we want to do. So, when we have been able to prove to the that we picked up maybe five patients from you, three of them had urinary problems, or had problems due to prostate cancer, the other three had just a normal enlargement of the prostate, and this cancer can kill. They understand that cancer is dangerous, everybody knows that cancer is dangerous. So, when we tell them this one one cancerous, then they will sit up. But when we have been able to do that, then we will show them that it is for these reasons that we would like to be involved when the patient comes in early, so that we will be able to find those who have cancer, and those who do not have it. And so because of that, we would like to collaborate with you, when you get these patients, involve us as early as possible. And so after we have educated them, we will be, as you said, meeting with them periodically, and we are hoping that these collaborations will work out.

In fact, the indications we are taking from them is that they are happy to collaborate with us. As we have assured the that we are not coming to take over their patients, they are now happy to collaborate with us, after the little interviews that we have done with them.

Charles Ryan: That was my next question, are you experiencing resistance from the traditional providers about your role in the care of men with urinary symptoms?

Patrick Maison: Yes, thank you, Ryan. So, when we were putting up this project, we were concerned that there was going to be a lot of resistance from these traditional medicine providers. But I think our approach has helped, because within the communities, we have what we call the CHPs zone, the community health provider zone, where there is always a nurse who knows almost everybody in the community, and knows about their ailments, they visit them at homes, and they know where these people go for treatment. So almost everybody in the community knows this nurse, and even the herbalist also knows them. And they have relations with the herbalist.

And so your approach has been to first go to the community health nurses, or the nurses in the CHPs zones, and they lead us to the patients, and to the herbalist. When the herbalists see us in the company of these nurses, they are very calm. They are comfortable. They understand that we are friends, and they are able to cooperate with us. I think that strategy has helped. Working through the nurses in the community who are already familiar with these patients and herbalists in the communities. And so they have welcomed us, much to our own surprise.

Charles Ryan: That is good, and does bode well for the success of your project. Well, Patrick, it's great talking to you, and I look forward to hearing reports of the outcomes that you're achieving. And I think it will be fascinating, either way, to look, if you have 100 men referred to you, what you will end up be seeing, because I suspect that in addition to some prostate cancer, you will identify some other conditions that your intervention could help in some of these individuals, including other types of cancers, I presume. So, congratulations on receiving this award. I look forward to the results, and look forward to further conversations with you.

Patrick Maison: Thank you very much, Ryan. I am very grateful to you and to the Prostate Cancer Foundation for their support. We are hoping for the best, and we know that our patients will benefit in the end. Thank you so much.

Charles Ryan: I'm sure they will. Thank you so much.

Patrick Maison: Thank you.
New boundary lines were drawn for the Erie County Legislature and unanimously approved more than a year ago, but it turns out the legal descriptions for those 11 districts are so riddled with errors that they send some district lines into Antarctica.

Now, Ralph Mohr, the Republican commissioner for the Erie County Board of Elections, is suing the Legislature, Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Jeremy Zellner and County Executive Mark Poloncarz over the incorrect boundaries. He is asking a U.S. District Court judge to declare the previously approved district maps unconstitutional. He also wants the judge to reinstate the earlier Legislature district boundaries, which were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge William Skretny in 2011.

Mohr said it's impossible to create a map with 11 contiguous districts with some descriptions sending boundaries into Antarctica, the Canadian waters of Lake Erie and Cattaraugus County. In some cases, latitude and longitude lines appear to be transposed, and in other cases, boundary lines that are supposed to intersect actually run parallel to each other, he said.

"Its impossible for me to be able to draw the lines on that," Mohr said.

The lawsuit's timing comes as all 11 County Legislature seats will be up for election this year. Candidate petitions can begin circulating as early as the end of February. Before that can happen, though, candidates need to know their district boundary lines, and voters need to know what district they live in. That's not possible right now, Mohr said.

New Erie County Legislature districts preserve the status quo The majority of legislature districts saw tweaks to their lines, though residents in Grand Island, Tonawanda, Concord, Springville, Marilla and Sardinia will see bigger changes in representation.

Mohr said some residents appear to live in more than one district, while other residents live in no district at all, according to the legal descriptions. Several people contacted by The Buffalo News said they had no idea how the legal definitions for the maps were created.

The lack of transparency and clarity regarding the drawing of Legislature district lines is not a new issue.

In 2021, a bipartisan Advisory Committee on Reapportionment convened to draft new district lines. The new district maps that were drawn received support from the Democratic majority on the committee, but was opposed by all the committee Republicans, who complained that the colored maps were so broad that they showed no boundary details and included no legal, written descriptions.

Those legal descriptions were not produced until close to the time the Erie County Legislature was expected to vote on the new districts. Legislators approved the new boundaries unanimously, with little public fuss over district lines that were described by one political scientist as "an incumbent protection map."

Growing Erie County population means Legislature districts get new boundaries Thanks to the U.S. census showing population growth in Erie County, pencils have been sharpened to redraw the boundaries of all 11 county Legislature districts.

When The Buffalo News inquired about getting more detailed maps that would allow viewers to zoom down to street level boundaries, the response was that no such maps existed. The News later learned that two different mapping software programs were used to generate the new district maps, including Dave's Redistricting and Maptitude. Maptitude also has a legal description report function, which served as the foundation for the legal description presented to the County Legislature, according to Legislature staff.

County legislators, up against a tight deadline, approved the new district boundaries based on what were essentially colored maps on standard-sized paper. Though the legal boundaries were listed, it appears no one tried to validate them before the vote.

"We took the information that was given to us by the experts, and we have two commissioners, Ralph Mohr and Jeremy Zeller," Republican Minority Leader John Mills said. "Those are the two people who are supposed to be experts in the process. We just cant micromanage everybody."

Spokesmen for both the Legislature's Democratic majority and for the Democratic elections commissioner said they had no comment on the matter because they either hadn't yet been officially served with the suit or were named in the suit and wished to delay any comment until later.

Mohr said he had no idea the Legislature was voting on the maps at its December 2021 session. Afterward, he said, he discovered that many of the boundary descriptions were wrong and cited the errors when he attended County Executive Mark Poloncarz's public hearing about the approved redistricting law. Despite voicing his concerns, he said, Poloncarz signed the new district boundaries into law in January 2022.

When asked why he waited so long to raise a legal flag over the district boundaries, Mohr said he was just waiting for the reapportionment committee to correct the legal description errors he had previously brought to the county administration's attention. But now, he said, he can't afford to wait any longer.
Two people suffered serious injuries in a fire Wednesday night on Harbor Street in the Village of Wilson.

A 5-year-old boy was taken to Oishei Children's Hospital then transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester in critical condition for burns, the Niagara County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. His mother accompanied him.

A 35-year-old man was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition with burns.

The fire in the house was reported at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday. When sheriff's deputies arrived they found the three residents evacuated from their home, which was fully engulfed with flames.

Deputies reported they rescued three dogs from the fire scene, and they gave them to neighbors for safekeeping at the owner's request.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Niagara County Origin and Cause Team. An estimate of property damage was not available.
In Myanmar, the Burmese army has destroyed a Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Mandalay, though a smaller chapel dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration remains standing.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

The Burmese army has destroyed a Catholic Church in northeast Myanmar.

According to the Vatican's Fides news agency, the army set ablaze the ancient Church of the Assumption, in Chan Thar, a village inhabited by Catholics in the Sagaing region within the Archdiocese of Mandalay's territory.

During the 15 January attack, the soldiers also set fire to the nearby convent of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary.

The sisters were forced to flee with some 3,000 villagers, whose homes, numbering around 500, were also destroyed. Only rubble remains of the village.

Clashes continue in the area, and local sources told Fides that the area is considered a stronghold of the People's Defense Forces rebels, who oppose the Burmese military junta that came to power with the February 2021 coup d'etat.

Time of great suffering

Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay lamented that the people of Myanmar are "living in a time of great suffering."

Half of the territory of the Archdiocese of Mandalay is affected by the clashes and this worries us greatly. We are helping thousands of internally displaced persons, in five centers set up in five Catholic parishes: we are doing what we can.

"The violence rages especially in some areas, the Archbishop said, we do not lose hope because we know we have the Lord with us.



He said the faithful trust in God.

The fact that the chapel of adoration of the destroyed church was spared by the flames, he said, is a symbolic fact which consoles the faithful and reminds them that our only refuge is the Lord."

Asking not to resist nor oppose

Sister Rita, one of the religious sisters forced to flee, told Fides that she and the other sisters asked inhabitants of the village to leave their homes, and "not to oppose the soldiers and not to resist, to avoid massacres and brutality."

The soldiers," she said, want to crush any resistance from the civilians. They enter the villages, occupy buildings like schools and churches and camp there. From there, they carry out raids from house to house to flush out the rebels. They stayed in our church for three days and when they left they set fire to the church and our convent."



By a miracle, the chapel of adoration of the church was not affected by the flames. We see there a sign from the Most High: even in this brutal and senseless violence, the Lord is always with us. Our region was known to be one of the most peaceful and harmonious in the country. Now it's a place of devastation and rubble. It's terrible.

From this region, of ancient evangelization, where the French religious of the Foreign Missions of Paris (MEP) settled in the 19th century, many vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life were born. There were seminaries, training institutes for catechists, and flourishing church building and pastoral work continued for decades.

Disappointment

A priests from Chan Thar, Father Joseph, expressed disappointment to Fides that "the Burmese military are no longer the professional soldiers of a state army, with an ethic or mission of defending the nation."

They have become armed groups without control, committing all kinds of crimes, abuses and misdeeds.

Many locals still are heartbroken for the at least eleven children died following a regular army airstrike on a civilian populated area in Sagaing in September.


Environmental activist Greta Thunberg is set to meet International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol in Davos on Thursday, organizers of a fringe round-table event at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting told Reuters.

Thunberg is to meet Birol along with fellow campaigners Helena Gualinga, Vanessa Nakate and Luisa Neubauer, the organizers said in a statement.

The IEA, which makes policy recommendations on global energy, had no immediate comment.

Thunberg was released by police on Tuesday after being detained alongside other climate activists during protests in Germany.

"Yesterday I was part of a group that peacefully protested the expansion of a coal mine in Germany. We were kettled by police and then detained but were let go later that evening," she tweeted, adding: "Climate protection is not a crime."

'We are not winning'

Former United States Vice President Al Gore said in Davos that he agreed with Thunberg's efforts in Germany and that the climate crisis was getting worse faster than the world was tackling it.

"We are not winning. The crisis is still getting worse faster than we are deploying these solutions," Gore told a WEF panel, highlighting a growing gap between those "old enough to be in positions in power and the young people of this world.

Thunberg, whose current whereabouts are not clear, attended the WEF meeting in Davos in January 2020, when she challenged world leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, to act on climate change, saying that "our house is still on fire.

She has also participated in previous protests on the fringes of the gathering, which brings business and political leaders together in the Swiss ski resort for a dialogue on topical issues.

Activists protest oil firms' role

Climate change is one of the main items on the agenda for this year's meeting, which has already seen protests against the role of big oil firms, with activists saying they are hijacking the debate over how to address global warming.

Representatives of major energy firms including BP, Chevron, Occidental Petroleum Corp., and Saudi Aramco are among 1,500 business leaders gathered there.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on the WEF attendees to make "credible, accountable net-zero pledges.

A social media campaign this week added to pressure on oil and gas companies, promoting a "cease and desist" notice sponsored by Thunberg, Nakate, Neubauer and Gualinga through the non-profit website Avaaz.

The call, which has garnered more than 850,000 signatures, demands that energy company CEOs "immediately stop opening any new oil, gas, or coal extraction sites, and stop blocking the clean energy transition we all so urgently need.

It threatens legal action and more protests if they fail to comply.

The oil and gas industry has said that it needs to be part of the energy transition as fossil fuels will continue to play a major role in the world's energy mix as countries shift to low- economies.
Rights activists and relatives of victims of alleged human rights violations by members of Bangladeshs notorious Rapid Action Battalion, an elite security force, are urging the United States to continue sanctions against the nations law enforcement agencies.

The calls come after a visit by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, who said January 15 the U.S. had not implemented new sanctions on the RAB because the force had made good progress in the area of human rights, by reducing extrajudicial killings in the country.

The activists, who have long campaigned against the countrys law enforcement agencies  alleging they had been involved in thousands of cases of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing  and the families of the victims of alleged rights violation said that they were disappointed the United States has not implemented new sanctions on other Bangladeshi security agencies and more former and present RAB officers.

Washington imposed human rights-related sanctions on the RAB and six former and then-serving officers in December 2021, accusing them of responsibility for thousands of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the country.

Lu, after meeting January 15 with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, told a local TV channel, One of the things I said to the partners [in Bangladesh] today is, normally on the anniversary of the sanction like the sanction on RAB, we would have designated more individuals from the RAB to face individual sanctions. We didnt do that because we recognize the progress being made by the [Bangladeshi] government and by the RAB itself to reform.

Lu did not say whether or when RAB sanctions would be lifted, but a day after meeting with Lu, Momen told reporters he was hopeful the sanctions imposed on the RAB and its officers would be removed.

They hinted that Bangladesh is working in the right direction and it would perhaps take some time but the sanctions would be removed, Momen said, apparently referring to Lu or U.S. officials.

Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch said that while it was true that gross violations by the RAB dropped briefly immediately after the sanctions were announced, that only goes to show that when there is accountability, the security forces can be reined in.

The fact that security forces abuses started again is because of denials and excuses by the political leaders who failed to deliver a robust effort to end impunity. The U.S. and other governments should be concerned by reports of intimidation of activists and victim families after the sanctions were announced, and not hesitate to act if abuses persist, Ganguly told VOA.

Many have expressed frustration after Lu explained why the U.S. had not designated new sanctions on Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi ministers said that they believed that the existing US sanctions would be revoked.

RAB has forcibly disappeared hundreds of BNP activists, including two former MPs and dozens of leaders, of whom more than 50 have yet to return. The members of this organization have extrajudicially killed thousands of people in the country, including BNP leaders, activists and supporters; the officials responsible for these murders have not yet been tried, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a senior leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, told VOA.

Instead, we have seen the Bangladeshi government hand out gallantry awards and prize postings to those whom the United States has sanctioned for their crimes against humanity.

In this situation, if the sanctions are lifted, people of different opinions in Bangladesh will be victims of extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance by RAB again.

A woman who refused to be identified, fearing reprisals from security agents and said her husband has not returned home since he was abducted by a branch of police before the 2014 national elections, told VOA, We all believed that the American authorities knew it well that, different wings of the police and other agencies were involved in a serious level of rights violation in Bangladesh, too. After the sanctions were imposed on the RAB, we were hopeful that more sanctions would follow through targeting other agencies.

It appears now that no new sanctions will come from the U.S. We will not get justiceThis is very disappointing.

Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, liaison officer of the Hong Kong-based Asian Legal Resource Center said, the Sheikh Hasina government continually uses all the agencies of the state including the judiciary to curb rights in Bangladesh, even after the RAB sanctions.

The systematic denial of access to justice has turned into a norm in Bangladesh. The human rights situation in the country cannot improve until an effectively functional mechanism of accountability is brought in place, Ashrafuzzaman told VOA.

To protect the defenseless victims and the human rights defenders, who have no resort to go within the countrys boundary, there should be more sanctions on the perpetrating entities.

Amanda Strayer, supervising staff attorney for accountability at the U.S.-based rights group Human Rights First, noted the RAB and several of its officers were sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes sanctions against human rights violators for widespread and longstanding patterns of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture under the Global Magnitsky program.

The U.S. government should make very clear that there can be no discussion about lifting sanctions until Bangladesh implements serious reforms to prevent these kinds of horrific violence, to hold the sanctioned officers and all other abusers accountable, and to cease the ongoing threats and harassment against civil society and victims families, Strayer told VOA.

The U.S. government risks undermining the impact of its own Global Magnitsky sanctions when it touts a temporary decline in violence early last year as 'tremendous progress,' absent real reform and accountability, she said.

If repressive governments sense they can easily hoodwink the U.S. into backing down from Global Magnitsky sanctions without meaningful change, then human rights sanctions will lose all their bite, she said.
Editor's Note: The last paragraph of this article has been corrected to clarify the number of people detained and released on bail in connection with the attack.

In mid-morning on December 25, Abu Azad, a journalist for the daily Business Standard newspaper, was documenting activity at what he believed to be an illegal brick kiln operating in Bangladesh.

He had traveled to Rangunia, an administrative region outside the city of Chattogram, to photograph workers removing soil.

Azad told VOA his investigation was interrupted when a member of the local council, Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan, asked to see his press credentials. Azad complied.

"Mohan didn't listen to me and started beating me. His gang members also joined him."

The reporter said he was forced at gunpoint onto a minibus and was driven to a market about half a kilometer away. There, he was beaten again as locals gathered. He was held in Mohan's office where "another round of beatings took place."

At one point, Azad said, Mohan called Siraj Uddin Chowdhury, the chair of the local council, and told him he had "imprisoned a journalist who has gathered information about the brickyard."

Azad said Chowdhury ordered Mohan to seize his phone.

"Mohan snatched my mobile, wallet, national identity card, three bank cards and 10,000 rupees [$96] in cash. Mohan also demanded 50,000 rupees from my family," he said.

Azad registered a case with police against 10 people, including Chowdhury and Mohan, on assault and abduction charges.

VOA emailed the local council for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Environment of risk

Journalists in Bangladesh say reporting on illicit activities is always a risk.

Saleem Samad, an award-winning journalist based in the capital, Dhaka, told VOA that the media are vulnerable to members of the criminal underworld, some of whom are believed to have connections to people in politics or the police.

He said a lack of accountability only adds to the problem.

"Most journalists in the small towns and cities are targeted for reporting on the drug trade, industrial wastes dumped into canals and rivers, and illegal sand mining with homemade dredgers from rivers, which have caused massive riverbank erosion," he said.

In a six-month study on Bangladesh, the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) found at least 30 violations against the media between April and September 2022, including the killings of two journalists.

According to IPI, journalists in Bangladesh work in a hostile environment where they are attacked, threatened or arrested.

Those risks were underscored last week, when Ashiqul Islam, a journalist in the city of Brahmanbaria, died of injuries sustained in a knife attack. Police have yet to say what they believe motivated the attack.

VOA emailed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the deputy inspector general in Chattogram, and police for comment but did not receive a response from any of the officials before publication.

Khairuzzaman Kamal, secretary general of the media rights organization Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum, blames a failure of law enforcement for the attacks.

"In Bangladesh, no cases have been adequately or legally investigated. Political parties, influential communities, or civil/law enforcement agencies interfere with the investigation of these instances, resulting in a lack of proof," he said via email.

In Azad's case, the journalist was investigating brick kilns suspected of operating without the permission of the Environment Department. Azad estimates that as many as 293 out of 411 kilns are running in Chattogram without clearance. Data from the department shows that 66 of the 69 kilns in the region do not have legal documents.

"Rangunia had lucrative natural beauty, which was a sanctuary for wild elephants. But now, people have occupied those lands and established brick kilns illegally," Azad said.

As a result, the surrounding areas and crops are being destroyed, and people are suffering from ailments, Azad said.

"Every year, the number of brick kilns is increasing as the local administration failed to take effective measures against the owners of unauthorized brick kilns," he said. "I was kidnapped because I wanted to tell people these truths."

The Ministry of Environment did not respond to VOA's email requesting comment.

Shortly after the attack on Azad, authorities demolished one of the area's illegal kilns.

Media safety

Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and activities that cause damage are coming under increasing media scrutiny, said Beh Lih Yi, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The safety of journalists reporting on public interest issues must be prioritized, she told VOA.

"Bangladesh has a dreadful record of impunity involving attacks on journalists, which is perpetuated by inadequate police investigations and a lack of political will to hold perpetrators accountable," Lih said. That "creates an atmosphere of self-censorship and fear that discourages reporting on environmental issues."

Syeda Aireen Jaman, secretary general of PEN International Bangladesh Centre, also believes the state of press freedom in Bangladesh is discouraging.

"From the [local council] to all persons working in government sectors, [they] only look after their own interests, whether it's right or wrong. And government supports them blindly," she said. "That is why the [union council] chairman dares to assault the correspondent of the Business Standard."

Overall, conditions for media in Bangladesh led the country to fall 10 places on the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. It now ranks 162 out of 180, where 1 shows a country with the best environment for journalism.

Azad would like to forget about the attack in December but finds it difficult to do.

"Before breaking my cellphone, Mohan deleted all the documents, including [items stored in] Google Drive. Later, I was brought to market and got a beating. My neck was hit with something very hard," he said, adding that he was briefly unconscious.

Eventually, Azad was able to escape to a hospital.

So far three people named in the complaint, including Mohan and Chowdhury, have been granted bail. But others named in his complaint have not been taken into custody, Azad said.
Campaigners from troubled Kashmir, Chad and Venezuela on Thursday won the Martin Ennals Award, one of the world's most prestigious human rights prizes, with the jury hailing their "courage."

The winners are Khurram Parvez, a prominent rights activist in restive Indian-administered Kashmir; Delphine Djiraibe, one of Chad's first female lawyers; and Feliciano Reyna, a rights activist and advocate for access to health care for marginalized LGBTQ people in Venezuela.

"The common denominator between the 2023 laureates ... is their courage, passion and determination to bring the voice of the voiceless to the international arena, despite the ongoing, sometimes life-threatening challenges they endure," prize jury chairman Hans Thoolen said in a statement.

"We are particularly proud to honor these three exceptional laureates who have each dedicated over 30 years of their lives to building movements which brought about justice for victims or delivered medicines to the marginalized," he said. "They have made human rights real for thousands of people in their communities."

The award ceremony will take place in Geneva on February 16, the organizers said. The laureates will each receive 20,000 to 30,000 Swiss francs ($22,000-33,000).

The award is managed by the Geneva-based Martin Ennals Foundation. The prize honors individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional commitment to defending and promoting human rights, despite the risks involved. It raises their profile and gathers international support for their work.

'An inspiration'

The annual Martin Ennals Award, named after the first secretary-general of Amnesty International, was first given in 1994. The jury comprises representatives from 10 leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch.

Parvez, 45, the founder of the widely respected Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, likely will not be able to attend the ceremony, though. He has been detained by India since November 2021.

According to the prize organizers, Parvez was catapulted into nonviolent activism at age 13, when he witnessed the shooting of his grandfather during a demonstration in Kashmir.

Parvez, who is also the chair of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, has traveled to the most remote parts of Kashmir to collect and document stories of abuse.

"Despite continued attacks on his right to freedom of expression by the Indian government, being jailed in 2016 and losing a leg to land mines, Parvez relentlessly spoke the truth and was an inspiration," the prize jury said, slamming his latest arrest on "politically motivated charges."

Djiraibe, 62, meanwhile, pioneered the human rights movement in Chad, and was a key figure in bringing former dictator Hissene Habre, who brutally ruled from 1982 to 1990, to justice, the jury said.

As head of the Public Interest Law Center, she has accompanied people seeking justice for rights violations, with a growing focus on gender-based violence.

Reyna, 67, was an architect, who upon the death of his partner from AIDS in 1995 founded Accion Solidaria to provide medication and treatment to Venezuelans living with HIV and AIDS.

He later helped create the first national AIDS help line and has advocated more broadly for health care access for marginalized LGBTQ populations.
Election conspiracy theories drove a defeated Republican candidate in New Mexico with a criminal past to hire gunmen to attack homes of Democratic legislators, marking a dangerous new level of political violence, officials said on Wednesday.

Solomon Pena, 39, faced his first court hearing on charges he masterminded and took part in a string of drive-by shootings since December 4 aimed at wounding or killing Democratic officials in Albuquerque, according to police.

Pena carried out the attacks, in which no one was hurt, after he lost a November state House of Representatives race and then visited the homes of county commissioners and state legislators to dispute his 47-percentage-point defeat.

Republican supporters said he returned to a life of crime after serving seven years in prison on a 2008 conviction for leading a burglary ring targeting Albuquerque businesses.

Adriann Barboa, a Bernalillo County commissioner who had bullets come through her front door in a December 4 attack, said Pena was driven by political rhetoric from the top of government justifying violence in response to rigged elections.

"Pena is an election denier. He weaponized those dangerous thoughts to threaten me and others," Barboa said in a statement.

Pena was not immediately available for comment.

The string of shootings follows other recent acts of politically motivated violence, including the attack in San Francisco on the husband of then-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But Penas actions set a precedent with an aspiring politician named as the suspected mastermind.

The Republican National Hispanic Assembly said it had backed Pena, a political novice, in the belief the former U.S. Navy medic and political science graduate had left crime behind.

"We bet on the wrong horse, the group said in a statement. There is no place for violence in our politics.

Pena, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, was allowed to run after a judge ruled that since he was qualified to vote he could hold office. Under New Mexico law, felons can have voting rights restored after serving sentences.
Ethiopia's tourism authorities say the industry lost $2 billion during the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in the Tigray region. With the November peace deal between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the Ministry of Tourism is ramping up efforts to revive an industry disrupted by the country's civil war.

Ethiopia's Epiphany festival, known as "Timket" in Amharic and Tigrigna, is expected to attract thousands of Christians during its two-day celebration, which ends today.

Rhoda Berger and her friend Fatima Arnous traveled from Germany and France respectively, and are taking part in Ethiopia's Epiphany festival at Jan Meda, Addis Ababa. The celebration is expected to attract thousands of Christians and other visitors intrigued to learn about the annual religious ceremony.

Berger, who said she is half Ethiopian and half German, said this isn't her first time visiting but the combination of the pandemic and war prevented her from returning since her last visit three years ago in 2020.

"I was actually trying to come last year but then I decided not to because of the conflict and COVID as well," she said. "I really wanted to and I missed it a lot because I have family here and friends here, so I really wanted to come back and I was just waiting until the situation got a bit better."

Her friend, Arnous, said she is visiting Ethiopia for the first time.

"When I read ... newspapers and when I was talking to people and everything, everybody tells me yeah, you have to be careful," Arnous told VOA. "But I guess it's everywhere the same situation and I wanted to visit the country and that's why I'm here."

Members of the tourism sector hope the tide is turning with peace that's taking root.

Henok Abebe, who has worked as a tour guide for over 10 years in the city of Gonder, the epicenter of Timket celebrations, saw work opportunities dwindle to nothing in the past three years as the war worsened and travel restrictions increased. Travel advisories  specifically from western Europe, where Henok said a majority of his guests reside  deeply hurt his business.

During that time, Henok and his fellow tour guides turned to local tourists. But at one point, when Tigrayan fighters had entered the Amhara region, Henok left to join the fighting and volunteered with the regional Amhara militia. .

Ethiopia suffered heavy financial losses from the disruption to tourism, according to Ethiopia's Tourism State Minister Sileshi Girma.

He said because of the impact of the war and COVID-19, an estimated $2 billion has been lost in revenue due to a shortfall of about 3 million tourists.

With hopes of the peace deal holding, the ministry is working on revamping the battered industry. This includes reinstating flights to cities in the Tigray region and opening up historic destinations like the town of Lalibela in the Amhara region where there are rock-hewn churches.

Officials are also looking to lure more visitors from other African countries and the Middle East.
The lack of fluoride in Buffalo's water system, as revealed by The Buffalo News on Monday, is drawing backlash from elected leaders in Buffalo and dentists across New York State.

Buffalo Common Council Member David A. Rivera said he was "very surprised" to learn that Buffalo stopped adding fluoride to its water in 2015, citing the need for capital improvements. He said city residents, after reading The News, called his office to complain.

"I have the newspaper and I wanted to keep it on purpose, because you had information that I didnt even have," said Rivera, of the Niagara District. "I think it surprised many of the Council members and the residents, as well."

Buffalo School Board Member Larry Scott said he was "dumbfounded and troubled" after reading the article. He said he considers the situation "unacceptable" for Buffalo's schoolchildren.

"To me, its something that needs to be corrected immediately," said Scott, who is an at-large School Board member. "I hope there is immediate action to address this by the city."

Rivera on Tuesday sent a letter to Buffalo Water Board Chairman Oluwole A. McFoy inviting him to speak at a meeting of the Council's Community Development Committee on Jan. 31.

Rivera wrote, "I am interested in hearing information relative to 1) why the Buffalo Water Authority is no longer adding fluoride to our water; 2) when or how city residents were made aware of this change; and 3) whether or not there are potential health implications of drinking unfluorinated water, especially in children."

McFoy said Thursday the city is committed to moving forward with its fluoride upgrade project. Mayor Byron W. Brown, through a spokesperson, did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

The New York State Dental Association in a written statement said the group was "disappointed to learn that the Buffalo Water Board discontinued the addition of fluoride to the city water supply in June 2015 and has not been able to replace the self-described 'archaic' process in over eight years."

It is critical to the oral health of the community that the Buffalo Water Board return to adding fluoride into the city water as early in 2023 as possible, said Dr. James Galati, president of the New York State Dental Association. Community water fluoridation is the safest, most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver fluoride to everyone in a community.

McFoy said he agrees with Galati's sentiments.

"Buffalo Waters role as a public health provider is to ensure safe drinking water for all our residents, McFoy said in a written statement.

Buffalo stopped adding fluoride to the system in June 2015, according to the Buffalo Water Board's annual water quality report for that year. Fluoridation was expected to be restored sometime after March 2016, the report stated. The next year, that estimate was pushed back to December 2017, before being extended to 2018 and 2019.

Starting in 2019, Buffalo Water stopped giving a time estimate in its annual reports. Instead it stated that its water has not contained added fluoride since 2015 and "we do not expect fluoride addition to be restored until completion of various capital projects."

McFoy previously told The Buffalo News the city was in the process of upgrading an outdated fluoride system when the lead water crisis in Flint, Mich., caused the water board to pause in 2016 and study whether the new type of fluoride system would have a corrosive effect on Buffalo's many lead pipes. He said studies showed the system is safe and city will begin adding fluoride to its water again sometime this year.

Since 2015, the CDC has recommended an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 parts per million in community water systems. Buffalos fluoride concentration in its 2021 water quality report was 0.13 parts per million, more than five times lower than the recommended level. The report lists natural deposits and discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories as possible sources of fluoride in the water.

McFoy said the Water Board mailed the city's annual water quality report containing the fluoride stoppage news to residents until 2018, when it began sending a mailer directing residents to read the water quality report online on its website. The fluoridation change was not listed prominently in that online report, either.

"If youre going to bury it in the fine print, I just dont understand why you dont just come out ... openly and publicly and explain," Rivera said. "Transparency is so important. The fact that there was no community engagement  next to none  is bothersome."

Of New York States 10 most populous cities, only Buffalo and Albany do not add fluoride to their water systems. In Erie County, the villages of Akron and Alden and the towns of North Collins and Holland are among the few municipal water providers that don't add fluoride.

Dentists say city parents should buy fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash as an alternative way to strengthen their children's teeth until fluoride is once again added to the water.

Scott, who has two young children, said that is "unrealistic for the majority of our children and families that are living in poverty."

"We have so many families, so many children that are dealing with trauma, dealing with loss, violence in their neighborhood, and the last thing they need to be worried about is fluoride treatments that every other child and family in Western New York, it appears, dont have to worry about," he said.
The European Union will add 37 individual entries to its sanctions against Iran on Monday, two European diplomats told Reuters, as the bloc works on listing Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

"We will adopt the fourth package of sanctions against Iran on Monday, and we believe we should already start working on the fifth one to list IRGC as a terrorist organization," said one of the sources, an EU diplomat.

The IRGC was set up shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the Shiite clerical ruling system and provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces. It has an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units. It also commands the Basij religious militia, a volunteer paramilitary force loyal to the clerical establishment that is often used to crack down on anti-government protests.

Relations between EU member states and Tehran have deteriorated as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. Tehran has also detained several European nationals, and the bloc has become increasingly critical of its continuing violent crackdown on protesters and the transfer of Iranian drones to Russia.

Both sources said 37 new names would be blacklisted for human rights violations when the bloc's foreign ministers meet Monday. The sanctions would mean the IRGC members would not be allowed to travel to the EU, and any assets they hold in Europe would be frozen.

The two diplomats added, however, that the IRGC would not be sanctioned as an organization  yet.

"If you do this, it has to be legally sound, and that is being discussed right now. But it won't be ready for Monday," one of them said.

The EU's chief executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, this week backed the listing of the IRGC as a terrorist organization in response to what she said was the trampling of fundamental human rights in the Islamic republic.

Iran warned on Thursday that the EU would "shoot itself in the foot" if it designated the guards as a terrorist entity, a day after the European Parliament called on the EU and its member states to do so.

The sources said there was still some debate among the 27-bloc members, but that France, which had previously held reservations, was now backing the move.

One of the diplomats said Paris' stance had in particular toughened, with seven of its citizens being detained in the country. On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry demanded the immediate release of Bernard Phelan, a Franco-Irish national, whose health has significantly deteriorated.
By expressing an interest in acquiring nuclear weapons, South Korea is demonstrating an urgent determination to secure enhanced security assurances from the United States as the nuclear threat from North Korea grows, experts say.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a policy briefing on January 11 that Seoul could either build nuclear weapons or have them redeployed to the country to counter Pyongyang.

While South Korea has discussed over the years the redeployment of U.S. nuclear weapons, this marked the first time a South Korean president had expressed an interest in the arms since the U.S. withdrew them from the Korean Peninsula in 1991.

Yoons remarks came after Pyongyangs New Years Day call for an exponential increase in the countrys nuclear arsenal. North Korea launched more than 90 ballistic and cruise missiles last year, a record.

Seeking assurance

One interpretation of Yoons recent remarks is that they suggest a desire for more than merely a U.S.-ROK alliance in the way that they have existed up to now, from the perspective of the South Korean administration, said Edward Howell, a lecturer on North Korea at Oxford University in England. South Koreas official name is the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The remarks epitomize a sense of frustration that he wants more than simply a security guarantee from the United States, Howell said.

South Korea is protected by the policy of extended deterrence, under which the U.S. promises to use a range of its military assets, including nuclear weapons, to provide a so-called nuclear umbrella to defend the country against threats, including ones from North Korea.

Evans Revere, a former State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea, told VOA Korean that Washington and Seoul have already been engaged in dialogue about security assurances against North Korean threats as a matter of urgency. These were discussed in a recent Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group meeting.

At the September 16 meeting in Washington, the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to use wide-ranging capabilities including nuclear weapons and to bolster information sharing, training, and better use of tabletop exercises to counter North Korean threats, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Defense.

The tabletop exercises, launched in 2011 and held annually but only twice during the 2017-22 administration of Moon Jae-in, are aimed at responding to North Koreas use of nuclear weapons. A table-top exercise is a discussion-based session "where team members meet in an informal, classroom setting to discuss their roles during an emergency and their responses to a particular emergency situation, according to ready.gov.

In February, the U.S. and South Korea plan to hold tabletop exercises on operating means of extended deterrence under the scenario of North Koreas nuclear attacks, followed by more concrete and substantive exercises in May, said South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on January 11, according to a Reuters article.

When asked at a press briefing on Tuesday whether the U.S. and South Korea plan to use U.S. nuclear assets in the extended deterrence drills next month, Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder said, We will continue to focus on training and making sure that we can be interoperable when it comes to working together.

'United States needs to do more'

Some experts think Washington should do more to provide nuclear security assurances to Seoul. Their suggestions range from discussing plans for employing and operating nuclear weapons to considering a nuclear-sharing option, which would allow Seoul to jointly operate U.S. nuclear weapons with Washington.

Although I think it would be a bad idea for South Korea to acquire nuclear weapons, the United States needs to do more to make sure that Seoul is comfortable with Americas extended guarantees, said Zack Cooper, former special assistant to the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy at the Defense Department during the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush who was interviewed by email.

Cooper continued to write, That could take the form of more engagement on nuclear planning, but it will also require that the United States talk in detail with South Korea about why an independent nuclear capability (or even nuclear sharing arrangement) would be counterproductive.

On the other hand, Daryl Press, director of the Institute for Global Security at Dartmouth College, thinks nuclear sharing or South Korea having its own nuclear weapons could add to its deterrence.

Giving South Korean leaders meaningful control over their countrys own deterrent force, through Korean nuclear sharing or an independent ROK arsenal, would substantially reduce these credibility problems and strengthen deterrence, Press said.

Mirroring the nuclear sharing option used by NATO, South Korea's would entail joint planning and using U.S. nuclear weapons deployed to bases in the country.

It would also involve joint nuclear exercises because both South Korean and U.S. aircraft and pilots would bomb enemy target areas when necessary. The U.S. would transfer control of the nuclear weapons to South Korea if North Korea crossed an agreed-upon nuclear threshold, Press said.

An option to deploy nuclear weapons to South Korea would not involve joint drills. The weapons would be delivered by U.S. aircraft and pilots for South Korea to drop on an adversary, according to U.S. plans after both countries agree their use is necessary.

South Korea is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which bans countries from pursuing the development of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear value

Thomas Countryman, who recently served as acting undersecretary of arms control and international security under the Biden administration, said, It would not be appropriate for the U.S. to give the ROK military experience in handling nuclear weapons.

He continued, But theres no limitation on what the good allies can discuss on nuclear weapons although there are certain limits to what can be done physically to utilize the weapons jointly.

Countryman also said that although others might disagree, redeploying U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea would not contradict the NPT. But the redeployment would not make a significant military difference or add much deterrent value.

By initiating a nuclear program, however, Seoul would violate the NPT, damage its international reputation and ties with Washington, and hamper U.S. efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, Countryman said.

Scott Snyder, director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, said, It is not clear if South Korean nuclear capabilities would reduce the actual threat or expand it.

The common aim here," he continued, "is to take actions that reduce the risk of miscalculation.
Families of Americans wrongfully detained in China are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to bring up American detainee cases during his meetings with top Chinese leaders in Beijing next month.

Blinken is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's top diplomat and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Wang Yi, as well as newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, according to diplomatic sources.

Meanwhile, the United States is urging Americans who plan to travel to China to "exercise increased caution" due to "wrongful detentions."

In an updated travel advisory issued on January 11, the State Department asked U.S. travelers to "reconsider travel to the People's Republic of China, or PRC, including the Special Administrative Regions, or SARs, of Hong Kong and Macau because of the surge in COVID-19 cases and arbitrary enforcement of local laws."

Kai Li is an American citizen wrongfully detained in China since September 2016. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage, a charge that his family rejects.

His son, Harrison Li, told VOA on Wednesday: "I have not heard anything concrete from the U.S. government about any real updates to my father Kai Li's case."

Harrison Li and others from the "Bring Our Families Home Campaign" sent U.S. President Joe Biden letters last June and in December, asking the president to prioritize the expeditious resolution of their families' cases.

This week, the campaign again urged President Biden to authorize Blinken "to use all available tools" to secure the release of three wrongfully detained Americans in China.

The three cases refer to Kai Li, American pastor David Lin and U.S. citizen Mark Swidan.

Lin was detained under unclear circumstances in 2006 and later sentenced to life in prison on charges of contract fraud. Lin's family staunchly maintained his innocence. Lin's sentence was later reduced, and he is expected to be released in 2029.

Swidan is a businessman detained for drug-related charges, even though his passport shows he was not in China at the time of the alleged crime.

There is no indication of their immediate release.

When asked about the estimated number of Americans wrongfully detained by China, a State Department spokesperson told VOA, "The Department does not publicly disclose the number of cases determined to be wrongful, due to privacy concerns and the sensitivity of ongoing efforts" to secure their release.

The spokesperson would not discuss "the details of ongoing diplomatic conversations."

"I'd like to tell the PRC authorities that one of the easiest things they can do to show they are truly serious about 'win-win cooperation' with the United States is to release my dad and other Americans being held in China arbitrarily. My dad has already suffered for almost six and half years, it is past time for him to come home," Harrison Li told VOA.

VOA reached out to Chinas Embassy in Washington for remarks and a spokesperson from the Embassy replied: Currently we do not have comments on this issue.

Chinese authorities are seeking to gain leverage over the U.S. with Americans wrongfully detained in China, according to U.S. officials.

There are several cases where the Chinese government wants to see the return of people deemed as tied to Beijing's so-called Operation Fox Hunt. The program has been accused of targeting Chinese dissidents in the name of returning corrupt Chinese nationals to face charges.

Generally, an American held by a foreign government for the purposes of pressuring Washington to make political or other concessions is determined as "wrongfully detained."

Once the United States government designates an American detained abroad as wrongfully detained, the government is required to transfer the case from the State Department's Bureau in charge of Consular Affairs to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. It also is required to seek the release of wrongfully detained Americans.
A former University of Kansas professor avoided prison Wednesday for making a false statement related to work he was doing in China in the latest setback for a Trump-era U.S. Department of Justice crackdown on Chinese influence within American academia.

Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, to sentence Feng "Franklin" Tao to 2 years in prison, even after she had thrown out most of his trial conviction for concealing work he did in China.

Robinson instead sentenced Tao to time served, saying there was no evidence he shared proprietary information with anyone in China and that the chemical engineering professor did research that was "freely shared in the scientific community."

"This is not an espionage case," Robinson said. "Maybe that's what the Department of Justice thought what was going on, but that's not what was going on."

Peter Zeidenberg, Tao's lawyer, said his client was "immensely relieved by the sentence."

He said Tao would appeal his remaining false statement conviction for failing to disclose his affiliation with a Chinese university on a form submitted to the University of Kansas.

Tao, who was indicted in 2019, was among about two dozen academics who were charged as part of the "China Initiative," which was launched in 2018 during former Republican President Donald Trump's era and was aimed at countering suspected Chinese economic espionage and research theft.

The Justice Department under Democratic President Joe Biden in February 2022 ended the China Initiative following several failed prosecutions and criticism that it chilled research and fueled bias against Asians, though it said it would continue pursuing cases over national security threats posed by China.

Prosecutors said Tao, who worked on renewable energy projects, concealed his affiliation with Fuzhou University in China from the University of Kansas and two federal agencies that provided grant funding for the professor's research.

A jury in April convicted him of four of the eight counts against him. Robinson in September overturned three wire fraud convictions, citing a lack of evidence.
France was hit by massive walkouts and protests Thursday against a government plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The plan is shaping up as a test for French President Emmanuel Macron and for the labor unions that oppose it.

Thousands of protesters had gathered at Paris iconic Place de la Republique by midafternoon, and they just kept coming.

Im just here because its not a fair law that the government wants to do, a protester named Virginia said.

Virginia is in her 50s and works for a cosmetic company. Like most French, polls show, shes against the governments pension reform plans. Critics say it will unfairly punish those who have worked since a young age, often in blue-collar jobs.

Its not fair, because the stronger are the winners, and people who worked all their lives in difficult situations, we will pay for that, Virginia said.

Some 200 major protests were taking place across the country, with the largest in Paris. Countrywide, flights, trains and metro routes were shut down or disrupted. Many schools were shuttered because teachers, like many other French workers, were on strike.

Middle school English teacher Hortense joined colleagues in Paris to march against the pension reform.

We think that with this kind of law, were going to be too old to teach students," she said. "Like, for me, I will be in retraite [retirement] when I will be 68.

Macron and his government say the reforms are vital to prevent the pension system from going bankrupt, as more and more people retire and live longer.

Unions and other critics say theres no immediate problem  and there are other ways to balance the books besides making French citizens work longer.

Previous French governments, including Macrons, have tried but failed to reform the pension system. Frances retirement age is among the lowest in Europe.

French lawmakers will begin examining this latest pension reform legislation next month. Unions warn of more protests to come, including this Saturday.
Hong Kong said Thursday it will soon no longer require people infected with COVID-19 to quarantine.

Chief Executive John Lee told lawmakers the move is one of the most important steps towards normalcy.

The new policy will begin January 30, and follows a similar move by mainland China earlier this month.

People in Hong Kong will still be required to wear masks unless exercising.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Following incidents of journalists being obstructed in their work and a lawyer being attacked in Zimbabwe, media and lawyers associations are demanding that police respect their rights.

When police escorted 25 members of the Citizens Coalition for Change opposition party to a magistrates court Tuesday in Harare, some journalists were blocked from the courtroom.

The party members are facing charges of holding an illegal meeting that police on Saturday broke up with tear gas.

Journalists from two state-run media houses were permitted to cover the court hearing. But others, including Daniel Kachere, a news editor at Nhau/Indaba Online News, were turned away.

It was rather appalling. It wasnt a good decision by the police to allocate a certain media house the privilege to cover the event, he said. The riot guys were in a no-nonsense mood. Some were actually threatening female journalists, threatening to rape them, and so forth. But a journalist is harmless.

VOAs calls to police for comment went unanswered. But in the past, police have said they act within the law while on duty.

Tabani Moyo, who heads the watchdog group Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said he was troubled by the decision to bar some journalists from court proceedings.

The constitution simply says every journalist has got the right to perform his or her duties within the jurisdiction of Zimbabwe, he said. We call all the arms of the state to treat all the media with the same lens, in terms of giving the media access to issues of public interest, so that they are able to cover those issues for the benefit of the citizens of the country.

Moyo said the decision to block some media was unfair.

Both officers of the court and the police should not apply directives that are aimed at discriminating members of the media, he said.

Journalists are not the only professional group affected. Police are said to have assaulted lawyer Kudzai Kadzere last weekend after he was sent by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to represent arrested opposition activists.

The Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association has since called on African Union leaders to request that Zimbabwean police cease interfering in the work of journalists and lawyers.

Stanley Nyamanhindi, executive secretary of the SADC Lawyers Association, said members of certain professions have a right to be protected.

It is important that the government must take this seriously and move to protect members of the legal profession, and even the members of the journalism profession, who have come under attack recently, he said. Kudzai Kadzere is an officer of the court who has sworn allegiance to the courts of Zimbabwe. Police and [the] legal profession should in all circumstances work together in criminal matters so that the administration of justice can be seen to be done.

Kazembe Kazembe, Zimbabwes home affairs minister in charge of police, told VOA via text message that he could not comment because he had not yet been briefed on the issues.

Nyamanhindi, who is based in Johannesburg, said the incidents are concerning ahead of elections expected to take place this year.

Media rights groups are also watching for signs of escalating tensions. MISA is hoping a solution is reached quickly so journalists can feel free to cover the elections.
Iran on Thursday criticized a vote in the European Parliament to list Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror group.

Irans foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called the vote inappropriate and incorrect in a phone call Thursday with EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell.

The Iranian criticism came a day after a non-binding vote in the European Parliament that condemned the IRGC for cracking down on protesters and supplying drones to Russian forces in Ukraine.

EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss adding new sanctions on Iran next week.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Kenya's President William Ruto said this week that there was a plot to murder the countrys top electoral official last August to prevent him from announcing Ruto as the winner of the presidential election. This was the first time the president has mentioned the plot after months of rumors on social media, and Rutos supporters are urging an investigation.

President Ruto made the allegation at the State House Tuesday as he met with outgoing commissioners of Kenyas Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, including outgoing chairman Wafula Chebukati.

Last August, Chebukati declared Ruto as winner of Kenyas presidential election, which Ruto won by a narrow margin over his main challenger Raila Odinga.

Ruto alleged that unnamed individuals plotted to kill the IEBC chairman and take other steps so the election results could not be announced.



"The mechanism constituted a syndicate to execute a series of strategies consisting of bribery, blackmail, extortion, threats and intimidation of various public officials of the IEBC, attempt their abduction, torture and assassination, to storm the national tallying center and attempt treasonous insurrection," he said.

Rumors about efforts to disrupt the election have circulated on social media for months but police have yet to open an investigation.

Opposition parties say if Ruto has evidence about a plot, he should order police to investigate.

The head of the former ruling Jubilee party, Jeremiah Kioni, says those suspected of threatening the electoral commissioner's lives must be charged.



"There are unfortunate things coming out from the head of state. If he had evidence, he should have used the agencies charged with the criminal justice system to ensure that those culpable are dealt with by the institutions as provided for in our laws, he said.

Many Kenyans see Rutos allegations as plausible. Chris Msando, a Kenyan official in charge of ICT, was kidnapped and killed a few days before the 2017 election. That killing is still unsolved.

However, political commentator Martin Andati says Ruto is making a mistake by bringing attention to the alleged plot to kill Chebukati.

"He is opening a pandora's box because the late Msando was abducted and eventually killed and Kenyans have not forgotten," he said. "The country has started healing and you saw the reception President Ruto received in Luo Nyanza but when he starts making allegations, he is now making and opening wounds which has started healing, then we will get derailed, and we will not be able to heal as a country, we will not be able to address some of the challenges that he needs to address and we are likely to lose focus."

Ruto won the August election by less than two percentage points over Odinga, and four members of the seven-member IEBC challenged the official results in court. The Supreme Court upheld the final count.

Kenya now faces months without an electoral commission after the terms of the last three remaining commissioners, including the chairperson, ended this week.

The departing commissioners have recommended the commissioners be appointed to the electoral body two years before the election, strengthening electoral laws and improving security at the tallying centers in the country.

Kenya has appointed electoral commissioners through the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG) since 1997. The opposition anticipates that a similar approach will be used in the formation of a new election agency.
Mexico's president said Wednesday that he would consider a request by convicted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to return from the United States to complete his sentence on humanitarian grounds.

The Sinaloa cartel founder has appealed to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for help due to alleged "psychological torment" that Guzman says he is suffering in a U.S. prison.

"We're going to review it [the plea], Lopez Obrador told reporters.

It was unclear if Mexico had the power to grant the request, "but the door must always be left open when it comes to human rights," he added.

El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 of charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offenses.

According to one of his lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, Guzman is unhappy with the harsh prison conditions including isolation and a lack of sunlight.

He hopes to return to face outstanding charges and complete his sentence in Mexico under a prison agreement between the two countries, Rodriguez told AFP.

On Tuesday, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard had downplayed the chance of any government intercession in favor of Guzman, who twice escaped from jail in his home country.

"Frankly I don't see any possibilities for him, but I'm going to review it with the prosecutor's office," Ebrard told reporters.

One of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested by Mexican security forces this month in an operation that left 29 people dead and sparked a dramatic shootout at an airport in the city of Culiacan.
What is it about Erie County? First it was the Sheriffs Office defending secrecy by citing a jail inmates nonexistent right of privacy, then it denied  or, rather, attempted to deny  a request for the names of those who died in last months historic blizzard.

Both relied on the handiwork of County Attorney Jeremy Toth and both were preposterous, based either on what looks like a misreading of the law or on an indefensible desire to avoid bad publicity. Toth and his superiors need to remember where their loyalties are supposed to lie: with the public that underwrites their activities.

The News had requested the names of blizzard victims based on the public need to fully understand the scale and scope of the calamity that swept through the region at Christmas. Whom did we lose and for what reasons? Are there commonalities? What future actions might save more lives when severe weather strikes  as its likely to do with greater frequency.

Toth rejected the request for the names, though he agreed to provide other information. His insufficient explanation was that one, New York State county health law prevents disclosure of certain medical records and coroners reports and, two, that the state Freedom of Information Law includes an exemption for records that would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

Both the Town of Amherst and Niagara County agreed to provide that allegedly secret information. Someone is misreading the law and it seems likely to have been Erie County, given that Toths office, apparently inadvertently, provided the names, anyway  so far, without repercussions. The News independently confirmed those names.

Anyone can understand the need for sensitivity in such matters. Family members are traumatized. Pressure is high on everyone, including Toth and other government workers. But information is essential, too, and the internal document inadvertently provided by Toths office is not privileged medical information  not according to the municipalities that readily provided the information.

Worse, still, is the refusal of the Erie County Sheriffs Office to release body camera video showing an officer kicking a handcuffed inmate in or near his head. This time Toth joined with Sheriff John C. Garcia in offering a tortured  and false  interpretation of the law: that releasing the video would violate the privacy rights of the inmate. Are they kidding?

Inmates have no right to privacy, according to a 1990 appellate courts rejection of the states blanket denial of a request for a video that showed an inmate at Attica Correctional Facility. It ruled that an inmate in a State correctional facility has no legitimate expectation of privacy from any and all public portrayal of his person in the facility.

Similarly, the Committee on Open Government, a state office that offers expert advisory opinions on Freedom of Information Law issues, has written that videos of inmates can be withheld only if they show nudity or other intimate details. A kick in the head may be outrageous, but it isnt intimate.

An attorney for The News, Karim A. Abdulla, noted that judges have ruled similarly in more recent Freedom of Information cases involving videos of inmates. Among them was a 2012 ruling against the Erie County Sheriffs Office.

While the Sheriffs Office argues that nondisclosure is needed to protect the privacy rights of the inmate, what I suspect is going on is, really, they dont want to release a video that might depict one of their officers in a negative light, Abdulla said.

Hes right. But the Sheriffs Office has no special right to protect itself from the consequences of facts. What it needs is to do better.

Toth seems predisposed to unwarranted secrecy. He needs to think harder about how he represents the people who pay his salary.

  

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.
From Lafayette Park in front of the White House to the streets of London, Toronto and many other cities around the world, activists have been staging small protests to condemn the Talibans repressive policies against women in Afghanistan and call for a stronger international response.

While they attract a relatively small number of participants, the protests have increased in frequency over the last year, largely in response to growing Taliban restrictions on women inside Afghanistan.

On January 14, fewer than 100 protesters showed up at Farragut Square Park in Washington to chant slogans against the Talibans recent edict banning universities and work for Afghan girls and women. On the same day, about three dozen protesters gathered in heavy rain in Los Angeles, making similar demands.

In Los Angeles, we called for an end to the gender apartheid instilled by the Taliban, Arash Azizada, an Afghan American community organizer, told VOA.

The protests take place as women and civil society activists inside Afghanistan have gone silent under Taliban rule.

'We want to be their voices'

Human rights groups accuse Taliban authorities of forcefully banning protests, detaining and torturing activists, and censoring the media. The Taliban strongly reject the allegations and instead claim they have freed the country from a U.S. invasion.

The protesters outside Afghanistan say they show solidarity with Afghan women whose rights are being crushed under the Talibans undemocratic rule.

We want to be their voices. We want to be their bridge to the world, said Asila Wardak, a former Afghan diplomat and now a fellow at Harvard University who participated in several protests in the U.S.

The Afghan protesters are part of a widespread global chorus that demands the Taliban immediately reverse restrictions imposed on womens work and education in Afghanistan.

But the Taliban have remained defiant, giving no clarity about when or whether the will be lifted.

Anti-government protests outside the country that the government controls (e.g., anti-Iranian government protests that take place in Washington) do not seem to have much impact in the country that the protests concern, Thomas Carothers of the Global Protest Tracker at the Carnegie Endowment told VOA by email.

Repressive governments are usually able to control news of such events, he said.

While U.S. and European officials have often voiced support for Afghan women and have imposed travel and economic sanctions on Taliban leaders and institutions, protesters say the international community should undertake meaningful action to dissuade and disable the Taliban from depriving millions of women of their basic rights.

Just issuing statements of solidarity with Afghan women is not enough, said Wardak. The international community should facilitate opportunities for Afghan women to directly engage the Taliban and demand accountability.

Azizzada, an activist in Los Angeles, said a meaningful response to the Talibans perceived misogyny would be for the U.S. and its Western allies to offer more asylum and educational opportunities for Afghans.

If Afghan girls cannot learn in Afghanistan, they should be allowed to do so in the United States or elsewhere, Azizzada said.

Local voices

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, more than 150,000 Afghans, among them many women leaders and activists, have been evacuated or given asylum in the U.S., Canada and European countries.

Many evacuees have engaged in high-profile advocacy for change in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Some activists have received prestigious awards and fellowships at elite universities, giving them a bully pulpit from which to write for and appear in prominent media outlets.

Now there are concerns that the activists in the Western countries are given too much attention at the cost of women inside Afghanistan.

Efforts outside of Afghanistan should complement the activism of those inside the country and not hijack the narrative and present unrealistic solutions, said Obaidullah Baheer, a Kabul analyst.

Even while women are not allowed to advocate for their rights inside Afghanistan, Baheer said, it should not mean that their voices be ignored.

That Afghan women have continued to suffer under the Taliban, despite protests and advocacy outside Afghanistan, is not disputed by some prominent activists.

I believe that protests have impacts on the situation, Zarifa Ghafari, a former Afghan official who now advocates for Afghan womens rights from Germany, told VOA. But I do not have confidence in the scattered gatherings by Afghans, and you have not seen any positive result over the past one and one-half years.

Taliban officials have largely ignored the Afghan protests abroad or labeled the protesters as Western puppets.

Inside Afghanistan, however, nearly all Afghans have rated their lives as suffering, and a majority have said that women are disrespected under the Taliban, according to a recent Pew survey.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement she had "no more in the tank" to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election.

Ardern, holding back tears, said that it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and that she was only human and needed to step aside.

"This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term  because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that," Ardern, 42, told a news conference.

"I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called 'real' reason was... The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human," she continued.

"Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it's time. And for me, its time."

A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday; the party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than February 7 and a general election will be held on October 14.

Ardern said she believed Labour would win the upcoming election.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.

Political commentator Ben Thomas said Ardern's announcement was a huge surprise as polls still ranked her as the countrys preferred prime minister even though support for her party had fallen from the stratospheric heights seen during the 2020 election.

Thomas said that there was not a clear successor.

Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do a better job.

She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married.

Empathetic leader

Ardern's initial election made a big splash on the global stage because of her gender and youth, coining the phrase "Jacinda-mania."

Her empathetic leadership style was cemented by her response to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 that killed 51 people injured 40.

Ardern swiftly labeled the attacks "terrorism" and wore a hijab as she met with the Muslim community a day after the attack, telling them the whole country was "united in grief". She promised and delivered major gun law reform within a month.

"Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

Ardern won plaudits across the political spectrum for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the country face some of the strictest measures globally but also resulted in one of the lowest death tolls.

But her popularity has waned over the past year as inflation has risen to nearly three-decade highs, the central bank has aggressively increased the cash rate and crime has risen.

The country has become increasingly politically divided over issues such as a government overhaul of water infrastructure and the introduction of an agricultural emissions program.
Oleksandr used to come every year with his loved ones to the Holy Dormition Lavra monastery in Svyatogirsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region to submerge himself in the freezing river to mark Orthodox Epiphany on January 19.

But this year, the monastery and the tradition have been marked by the almost year-long war with Russia.

"I used to do this with my family," the 34-year-old state investigation service member told Agence France-Presse as he pulled his clothes on after plunging into the river. "Now, I can't anymore, I am alone today."

The river was a dividing line that saw heavy fighting, with Russia temporarily seizing Oleksandr's hometown of Svyatogirsk on the other bank, and the vast monastery complex bears the scars.

The walls are pockmarked by shrapnel, its domes flayed of their golden covering.

The social fabric of the community bears signs of strain as well, as some celebrated the capture of the town by Russian forces.

The monastery has also been a focus of tensions, with its abbot in favor of Russia-backed separatists and the allegiance of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which broke ties with Moscow, questioned since the launch of the full-scale invasion in February.

That has not dissuaded 41-year-old Yevgen and a small group of his fellow servicemen in Ukraine's forces from coming to the banks of the Siverskyi Donets to bathe in the water in the ritual marking of the baptism of Jesus.

"This is our land, this is our river," said Yevgen, whose hometown of Schastia also lies along the Siverskyi Donets in territory now occupied by Russia. "Who they have been blessing here before is their own business, it's on their conscience, but it's us who live here."

A tradition spanning generations

Descending steep steps in front of the vast monastery complex to the riverbank, the servicemen pulled off their camouflage gear one by one and stepped into a horseshoe-shaped hole carved out of the ice to submerge themselves.

"This is the tradition of our grandfathers, why should we give it up?" said Yevgen.

For 28-year-old serviceman Ruslan, who has taken part in the tradition for six years, faith is a uniting force.

"We're all Orthodox," he said. "We have one religion and one God. It's people who make divisions."

'Almost impossible to come'

Valentyna Rudyk, 86, has been living at the monastery for more than six months since her apartment was destroyed in the fighting.

One of her sons accompanies her down to the water's edge before she lowers herself in and vigorously splashes her face with the breathtakingly cold water.

Another son is "fighting to defend our homeland," she said, but which homeland she means, she would not say.

She and the Ukrainian military men alike did not attend the service held for the key Orthodox Christian holiday, where dozens of believers worshipped for hours standing under the warm light of candles and the church's immense chandelier.

They emerged bearing cakes and warm drinks down to the water and the sun broke through the clouds as they stripped down and entered the water.

Even with the bustle, local resident Dmytro noted the stark difference from the year before.

Last year, "there were thousands of people coming from different cities," he said, but with movement restrictions in the region and destroyed infrastructure, including the bombed-out bridge next to the monastery, "it's almost impossible to come."

This year, "there are almost no people at all."
Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Thursday that militants had staged a gun-and-bomb attack on a police outpost, killing three security force members.



The banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly nighttime raid in the Khyber district, bordering Afghanistan.



The district police chief, Imran Khan, told reporters that at least four heavily armed assailants, including a suicide bomber, stormed the premises in what he said was a coordinated attack and inflicted the casualties.



They opened fire and lobbed hand grenades at police officers before a suicide bomber blew himself up. His accomplices later managed to escape, Khan said.



The TTP claimed in a statement that a lone suicide bomber was behind the raid on the police post, though the group often releases inflated details about its attacks.



The Pakistani Taliban have been waging a deadly insurgency in the country for more than 15 years to impose what they call an Islamic system in Pakistan, killing tens of thousands of people.



In November, the TTP called off a monthslong shaky cease-fire with the government, disrupting peace talks between the two adversaries and leading to an intensification in militant attacks across the country.



The talks were brokered and hosted by Afghanistans Islamist Taliban after they regained control of the war-torn country in August 2021.



The TTP is an offshoot and a close ally of the Afghan Taliban. Its leadership has taken refuge on Afghan soil, which Islamabad says is a source of tensions in its otherwise cordial relations with Kabul.



The United States has listed the Pakistani Taliban as a global terrorist organization.
The United States aims to break the dynamic of grinding warfare and near-frozen front lines in Ukraine with newly announced military capabilities it hopes will create momentum for Kyiv's battle against Russian forces, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

But Colin Kahl, the Pentagon's top policy adviser, said the Pentagon still wasn't prepared to meet Kyiv's calls for gas-guzzling M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

"I just don't think we're there yet," said Kahl, who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine. "The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment. It's expensive. It's hard to train on. It has a jet engine."

Kahl's remarks came ahead of this week's gathering of top defense officials from dozens of countries at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany to coordinate military aid for Kyiv.

The U.S. has committed roughly $24 billion to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian forces, including a $3.5 billion package announced this month that includes Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, armored personnel carriers, surface-to-air missiles and ammunition.

U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said President Joe Biden's administration is next expected to approve Stryker armored vehicles for Ukraine.

Pressure has been mounting on Germany to send its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer from third countries.

But Germany appears to want to tie any such contribution to a U.S. decision on Abrams.

A German government source told Reuters that Germany would allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine to help its defense against Russia if the United States agrees to send its own tanks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is due to meet with Germany's new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Thursday.

Kahl noted Britain's commitment to send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, and, without confirming any German conditions on providing the Leopard, said: "I think if there is a concern about being alone in providing this capability, that shouldn't be a concern."

"But at the end of the day, you know, the German government is going to make a sovereign decision," the U.S. defense official said.

Kahl also praised Germany's contributions so far.

"I think we should give Germany an enormous amount of credit for their generosity toward Ukraine to date," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

Front lines have hardened in Ukraine since Kyiv wrested back significant territory in the east and south in the second half of 2022. Kahl described brutal, World War I-style engagements, with advances measured in blocks.

"Really what we're focused on is surging those capabilities to Ukraine for the next phase of the conflict to really try to change that dynamic and continue the momentum that the Ukrainians had in the late summer and early fall," Kahl said, echoing comments in Washington on Tuesday by British foreign minister James Cleverly.

The U.S. provision of Bradley fighting vehicles, combined arms training, and other new weaponry for the Ukrainians is meant to enable Kyiv to change the dynamic of static defenses "by being able to fire and maneuver through the use of more mechanized forces," Kahl said.
Thousands of Peruvians, many from the country's southern mining regions, descended on the capital Lima on Thursday for a major planned march against the government and Congress, fired up by over 50 deaths linked to protests since last month.

The clashes mark the worst violence Peru has seen in over 20 years as many people in poorer rural regions vent anger at the Lima political elite over inequality and rising prices, testing the copper-rich Andean nation's democratic institutions.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, fast new elections, a clear out of Congress and a new Constitution to replace a market-friendly one dating back to strongman leader Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.

In buses and on foot, thousands have journeyed to the capital, carrying flags and banners criticizing the government and police for deadly clashes in the southern cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca, many demanding Boluarte step down.

"We want Dina Boluarte to resign," said Julio Saldivar, a protester from Ayacucho, where a dozen peopled died in December.

Protesters took to the streets for a "Take over Lima" protest on Thursday, with thousands of police expected in response. On Wednesday night scuffles began with protesters throwing rocks and police using tear gas to disperse crowds.

"We want to centralize our movement here in Lima, which is the heart of Peru, to see if they are moved," said Domingo Cueva, a protester at the state University of San Marcos.

The protests, sparked by the dramatic December 7 ouster of leftist former President Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally shutter Congress and consolidate power, have seen 43 people killed in clashes, including one police officer. Nine more have died in related accidents.

Police increased surveillance of roads entering Lima and political leaders called for calm. The government last week extended a state of emergency in Lima and the southern regions of Puno and Cusco, curtailing some civil rights.

"We do not want more deaths, we do not want more injuries, enough blood, enough mourning for the families of Peru," Interior Minister Vicente Romero told reporters.

Boluarte has asked for "forgiveness" for the protest deaths but remained firm that she is not going to resign.

Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms in the protests. The police say that the protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.

The protest deaths have been the lightning rod for much of the anger, with banners calling Boluarte a "murderer" and calling the killings by police and military "massacres."

"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca. We women, men, children have to fight," said one protester traveling to Lima who didn't give her name.

Protester Cueva, who had come from Cusco, said many had tried to come to Lima for the Thursday protest and strike, though not all had made it.

"We have observed an increase in repressions everywhere. Some leaders have been stopped on the way, they were not allowed to pass," he said.


London-based commodity markets data company Kpler tells VOA it believes Iran recorded a big increase in energy exports last year, even as the United States continued its policy of demanding a global ban on Iranian oil sales.

In a phone interview from Paris on Wednesday, Kpler senior oil analyst Homayoun Falakshahi said the company estimates that Iran's average daily exports of crude oil and gas condensate grew from 668,000 barrels per day in 2021 to 900,000 barrels per day last year. That would represent a jump of 35% for 2022.

He said Kpler uses a variety of sources to calculate those estimates, such as location data from oil tankers' Automatic Identification System transponders, satellite imagery, and information provided by personnel at ports.

Iran does not publish official data on its energy exports as part of its efforts to circumvent U.S. sanctions that President Joe Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, unilaterally imposed on Iranian global oil sales in 2018 and later toughened.

In November, Iranian state-approved news site Kayhan quoted Irans oil minister, Javad Owji, as saying Tehran had managed to boost its exports of crude oil, gas condensate and petrochemical products to the highest level since the March 2018-March 2019 Persian year. No figures were cited.

Falakshahi also discussed the factors behind Iran's apparent strong energy sales growth in an earlier phone interview recorded January 11 for VOA's Flashpoint Iran podcast. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity:

VOA: What do you think is behind such a big jump in Iran's exports of crude oil and gas condensate?

Homayoun Falakshahi, senior oil analyst, Kpler: I think it's a combination of things. First of all, since the end of 2020, we've had a rebound, generally speaking, in the oil market. And so supply and demand continued to grow in 2022, at around a bit less than 2 million barrels per day. So the market got bigger, and obviously there was a bigger share for Iran as well.

But also, looking at the [export] methods that are being used, it's the fact that, generally speaking, Iran is feeling a bit more confident in how much oil it can ship.

And we went through a big crisis with energy prices throughout 2022, especially in the first half of the year. And that meant that the U.S., to an extent, could not afford to tighten the screws on how much Iran was shipping to China, because if the U.S. did that, it would have meant less oil in the market and that could have pushed prices a bit higher too.

VOA: You mentioned that Iran appeared to be feeling more confident in terms of exporting its oil last year. What do you think is behind that greater confidence?

Falakshahi: I think to an extent they had to fight for market share more than they had, compared to the previous years. And it's a geopolitical issue as well.

We are seeing a lot more Russian oil in Asia. At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, we had seen a big increase in Russian exports to Asia, mostly to India, but also to China.

At the same time, around April to May 2022, just after the war started, we saw around a halving of exports from Iran to China. That means the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) had to fight in order to get back its market share. We believe that they offered larger discounts to Chinese buyers in order to do that.

In the second half of 2022, we saw a major increase in oil getting into China. For example, in December, arrivals [of oil shipments] into China came close to an all-time highthe second highest ever on a monthly basis. China is the main buyer of Iranian oil. So, if China buys more oil, that means more oil from Iran as well.

VOA: You talked about Iran having to engage in a bit of a price war last year to keep up its exports to major customers like China. How does that price war behavior affect the amount of money that Iran gets from its oil exports?

Falakshahi: Well, if you assume that the volumes stay the same, then obviously it is affected in a negative way. But revenues are a function of volumes and prices. So, if you reduce your pricing by, let's say, 10%, and on the other hand, you increase your volumes by just as much, then there's no negative impact on revenue.

So given the fact that the Iranians increased their exports by about 30% year-on-year in 2022 compared to 2021, and given the fact that prices, globally speaking, have been higher in 2022 compared to 2021, we believe that  despite the fact that they had to offer large discounts especially since May 2022  they probably had an increase in revenues year-on-year compared to 2021.

VOA: Do you have any idea how much revenue Iran actually made from its energy exports last year, or is that unclear based on what the Iranians themselves are saying and what you are seeing from your own research?

Falakshahi: That is something that's extremely difficult to assess because it's not exactly clear how much the Iranians are getting paid.

Obviously, the pricing is not transparent. But also, the amount of actual trade going on, or whether they're able to bring back the revenues from this trade into the country, is absolutely unclear.

We know for a fact that even before the U.S. exited the Iranian nuclear deal in 2018, at a time when secondary U.S. sanctions were lifted, it was already difficult back then for NIOC to get access to revenues from its oil exports.

So, there's a big mystery about the pricing, and a big mystery about how much of that revenue they're able to bring back.

But if you look at the amount of Iranian exports [last year], and you assume an average oil price of $65 to $70 per barrel, and you take into account the discount that they have to give [to customers], you should get somewhere between $20 and $25 billion [in revenue for 2022].
Hundreds of refugees are fleeing to safety in India as the Myanmar military intensifies airstrikes in Chin state in Myanmar's northwest, a refugee aid group told VOA on Wednesday.

At least 200 Chin refugees crossed the border last week following airstrikes by the Myanmar military on a key rebel camp on the India-Myanmar border, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

"Within the first half of this month, the Myanmar junta carried out four airstrikes in Chin state," Salai Mang Hre Lian, a CHRO program manager, told VOA by phone.

The organization, which has reported "a total of at least 14 airstrikes after the military coup in February 2021," is working to protect and promote the rights of Chin people and other oppressed and marginalized communities in Myanmar.

The latest airstrikes were reportedly conducted by the Myanmar junta air force on January 10 and 11 and targeted Camp Victoria, headquarters of the Chin National Front (CNF), an ethnic resistance organization in Chin state.

"The bombing killed five CNF soldiers, including two women, and injured more than dozens of civilians around the area of Camp Victoria," Salai Mang Hre Lian told VOA, adding that "the bombing also destroyed civilian housing and the medical facilities of Camp Victoria."

He said hundreds of refugees from at least five villages fled across the border. "They also have grave concerns about their safety, as there is a possibility of future airstrikes and military operations from the Myanmar junta in their surrounding areas," he said.

According to CHRO's report, during the junta's airstrikes last week, two bombs landed on the Indian side of the border in Mizoram state, where thousands of Chin refugees have pursued protection.

"Our main concern is the safety of Chin internally displaced persons in the Indo-Burma border areas as well as the Chin refugees in Mizoram state of India," Zo Tum Hmung, executive director of the Chin Association of Maryland (CAM), told VOA.

CAM said in a statement to VOA that "at least one bomb landed on Indian soil and damaged the truck of a villager from Farkawn Village in Mizoram State, India." The organization identified "five Myanmar military fighter jets, three Yak-130s and two MIG 29s."

"India should condemn the Myanmar military fighters [for] dropping a bomb on India soil," Zo Tum Hmung said.

Global watchdog Fortify Rights also called on India to prevent Myanmar junta fighter jets from accessing its airspace.

"New Delhi shouldn't tolerate the junta's incursions on its airspace, and Indian authorities should do everything in their power to ensure the security of civilians and border areas," Matthew Smith, CEO of Fortify Rights, said last week.

So far, there have been no responses from New Delhi or Mizoram regarding the airstrikes.

CHRO said more than 52,000 Chin civilians have fled to India since the military coup last year. Around 44,000 live in Mizoram, and about 8,000 are in New Delhi.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy had a simple message for his Western allies at a donor conference Friday in Germany: speed up your arms deliveries.

Speaking by video link to the gathering at the U.S. Air Forces Ramstein Air Base, where Ukraines allies have gathered to discuss the best way to help Ukraine as it battles a nearly yearlong Russian invasion, Zelenskyy said the allies need not to bargain about different numbers of tanks, but to open that principal supply that will stop evil."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the donor nations, "We need to dig even deeper. This is a decisive moment for Ukraine." He said, "The Ukrainian people are watching us, the Kremlin is watching us, and history is watching us.

The meeting included representatives from 50 countries, including all NATO members.

Before Fridays meeting, the U.S. and Germany appeared to be reticent about supplying the Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks that Ukraine has requested, with Austin saying, we'll renew our united commitment to support Ukraine's self-defense for the long haul" at the Ramstein meeting but did not mention specific new equipment.

Zelenskyy has been clear that what Ukraine needs is a supply of modern tanks. In a video address late Thursday, he said his country is expecting strong decisions and a powerful military aid package from the United States.

Russia said Friday any additional tanks supplied to Ukraine will have no effect on the course of the conflict.

We have repeatedly said that such supplies will not fundamentally change anything, but will add problems for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

He said the West will regret its delusion that Ukraine can win on the battlefield.

The United States on Thursday announced more than $2.5 billion in military aid that did not include tanks.

The latest U.S. package of weaponry includes 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers. The vehicles come with three types of missiles, tens of thousands of artillery and mortar rounds, and additional HIMARS and other air defense systems.

The new U.S. aid package brings American military assistance to Ukraine to almost $27 billion since Russias invasion nearly a year ago.

In a joint statement Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed gratitude toward 50 countries that have helped strengthen Ukraine's defenses, but they said the Russian military has a "substantial quantitative advantage in troops, weapons and military equipment."

The officials said one of the most pressing needs in fighting off the Russian invasion is to provide Ukraine with modern armored vehicles and give Ukrainian troops better firing and maneuverability capabilities with Western tanks.

Kuleba and Reznikov welcomed Britain's move to send its Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, while urging countries that have German-made Leopard 2 tanks to also send them to Ukraine.

"We guarantee that we will use these weapons responsibly and exclusively for the purposes of protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders," the ministers said.

A U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press and a German official who spoke to Reuters said Germany would allow the Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States sends its Abrams tanks, which it has not agreed to do.

"When someone says 'I will give tanks if someone else will also share tanks, Zelenskyy recently told the World Economic Forum in Davo via video link, I don't think this is the right strategy to go with."

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told reporters Wednesday that Ukraine needs equipment to help it break through entrenched Russian lines, but the Abrams is not a good fit for Ukraine because of the amount of fuel and maintenance it needs.

"One of the things that Secretary Austin has been very focused on is that we should not be providing the Ukrainians systems they can't repair, they can't sustain, and that they over the long term can't afford, because it's not helpful," Kahl said.

New German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, in welcoming Austin to Berlin, said German weapons systems sent to Ukraine have proved effective, but he did not mention the Leopard 2 tanks.

"We will continue in the future, together with our partners, to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom, territorial independence and sovereignty," Pistorius said.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokesperson voiced U.S. support for Ukraine if it attempts to take back its Crimean Peninsula that Russia seized in 2014.

"They have every right to take that back. Crimea is part of Ukraine. We've made that very clear from the beginning. If they decide to conduct an operation in Crimea, that is well in their bounds," Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said.

Zelenskyy tweeted his thanks Thursday to Estonia and Sweden for their announcements of new military aid packages.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said her government was sending howitzers, grenade launchers and ammunition in its "biggest aid package of heavy weapons so far to Ukraine."

Zelenskyy called the aid "investment into our common victory."

Sweden said Thursday it was sending armored infantry fighting vehicles and anti-tank weapons as part of a $419 million package.

"Military support to Ukraine is absolutely crucial," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference. "Ukraine's wishes in terms of what they want carries a lot of weight in our decision."

European Council President Charles Michel said Thursday he was traveling to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy and other officials.

In a video posted to Twitter, Michel said Ukrainians are "fighting for their land, they are fighting for their future and the future of their children," as well as "our common European values and principles."

"They need and deserve our support, and that's why again we'll discuss with President Zelenskyy and his team what are the concrete measures we can develop in order to make sure they are stronger and more powerful," Michel said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The U.S. State Department has launched a new program to recruit thousands of Americans to help refugees adjust to life in the United States. The program, called Welcome Corps, aims to pair vetted refugees with vetted Americans as part of a push to modernize and expand the U.S. refugee resettlement program.

Under the plan, U.S. citizens or permanent residents apply for the program. If approved, groups of at least five people will work to raise $2,275 to sponsor one refugee for the first three months after their arrival. The program is aimed at refugees who intend to settle permanently in the United States.

The State Department calls the plan the biggest change to U.S. refugee admissions in more than four decades, when the U.S. started working with private organizations to sponsor refugees in the 1980s.

Seeking 10,000 Americans

The goal of the program in the first year is to mobilize 10,000 Americans to sponsor 5,000 refugees. The department said officials are looking to recruit members of faith and civic groups, veterans, diaspora communities, businesses, colleges and universities, and other community groups to the program.

The sponsors will be trained how to serve as guides, neighbors, and friends for the refugees. Refugees from any country are eligible.

The program will have two phases, said Julieta Valls Noyes, the Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration.

"The first phase, groups of five or more Americans or legal permanent residents can apply to form a private sponsor group," she said. "When certified, they will be matched with a refugee who is already approved for resettlement in the United States."

In the second phase, expected to begin in the latter half of 2023, Americans who are members of the Welcome Corps will be able to recommend refugees living overseas for resettlement in the U.S. and then assist them once they arrive. The State Department said it will release details of that program later this year.

Hope to restore US as haven

U.S. refugee admission policies have come under criticism from refugee organizations and human rights groups, under both the Trump administration, which slashed the number of refugees admitted, and under the Biden administration.

The administration hopes the program will lead to more refugee admissions. Last year, more than 25,000 refugees were admitted to the United States, only a fifth of President Joe Bidens stated goal to admit 125,000 refugees per year.

Biden has vowed to restore the U.S. as a haven for those around the world facing violence and persecution, while expanding legal immigration for refugees and migrants with family members or others in the U.S. willing to sponsor them.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili met the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic within the World Economic Forum.Irakli Gharibashvili wrote on Twitter that during the meeting with the President of Serbia, support for the territorial integrity of the two countries was emphasized."I had the honor of meeting with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, within the framework of the World Economic Forum. During the conversation, support for the territorial integrity of our countries was emphasized.At the meeting, we also discussed the existing dynamic cooperation between Georgia and the Republic of Serbia, economic relations and prospects for expanding cooperation," Gharibashvili wrote.According to the government administration, the discussion at the meeting touched upon the issues of European integration.The Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, told reporters after meetings with the chairmen of the parliamentary committees in the legislative body that he hopes significant progress will be achieved on all 12 priorities.The diplomat expressed hope that the opinion of the European Commission regarding Georgia will be positive and the decision of the 27 member states of the European Union will be adopted in favor of Georgia's European aspirations at the end of this year."Work on 12 priorities continues. Progress is being made on many priorities. We are still waiting for some decisions on other priorities. For example, on the election of the public defender. Regarding other priorities, I know that the work in the Parliament has been stopped for the moment, because the Venice Commission was referred for its opinion. I know that when this opinion is ready, the work will resume," said the EU ambassador.
Riding the bus and Metro Rail should be a routine, nonthreatening experience. This is where the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority intends to be clear. The authority is focusing on a group of young riders  10,000 of them  who, due to school bus driver shortages and other issues, ride the buses and trains daily during the school year.

Kids will be kids. They can be rowdy and loud. This age-appropriate behavior can be interpreted in many ways, sometimes resulting in misunderstandings  between each other or the general public. Other times, students actions cross the line into disruption.

In October, The News wrote about problems in the previous school year involving boisterous students around rail stations and on buses, including instances in which high school students coordinated large fights in real time on social media. Students could look up on their phones where a fight was going to take place, including such locations as a particular station or a specific school. Sometimes hundreds of students would show up, many just to watch the fight.

The problem, according to NFTA officials, stemmed from 10th- through 12th-graders taking advantage of their all-access Metro bus and rail passes. The passes were temporarily restricted until the summer, when the transportation authority and Buffalo Public Schools decided to return to routed bus passes. New NFTA Transit Police Chief Brian Patterson has undertaken the task of curtailing large public altercations as part of a coordinated safety plan.

A new detail of four transit officers called the Transit School Resource Unit should allay concerns by the public. The officers roam the Metro Rail system, in addition to key bus stops when school dismisses each day.

Patterson intends to tone down the high energy afternoons to make other riders feel more comfortable. The plan already seems to be working, with several riders telling The News that they appreciate the units presence and that it makes a difference in how they feel using public transit.

The new police unit is similar to efforts stretching back to the departments 1984 debut. It is now the centerpiece of a new initiative called Ride Nice, which is about to be unveiled by the NFTA. James Morrell, the NFTAs director of public transit, said the initiative stems from new efforts to regain commuters who left during the pandemic and occasional riders attending downtown events.

The effort receives an assist from the Peacemakers, adults who act as intermediaries on the streets and where young people gather. Because they live in the same neighborhoods, members of the group know many of the kids.

Other changes are also in the works. They should all be coordinated with the school district with a goal of keeping the peace, not detaining students. It is a job for cops with the patience and desire to work with youth.

Ticket inspectors roles will soon change due to the Metros new turnstile fare collection system. They will now act as transit ambassadors to assist riders and report bad behavior to police. All efforts will combine with cameras on trains and in stations that are constantly monitored.

No one should ever feel hesitant to ride the bus or Metro Rail. The Ride Nice initiative should go a long way to making all riders and drivers feel comfortable.

  

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.
The United States is warning China against material and security assistance to Russia in Moscows war on Ukraine, laying out Washingtons red line ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to Beijing early next month.

Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase spoke to Song Yanchao, deputy director of Chinas Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, according to a U.S. official who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity.

This weeks military-to-military talks come as the U.S. is monitoring closely any decisions by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in response to Russian requests for security assistance. The U.S. official took note of reports about multiple visits to China by Russian transport aircraft.

I dont have a new assessment to offer, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told VOA last week when asked if it is still Washingtons assessment that Beijing is not providing security assistance to Russia.

If we see the PRC taking action to systemically assist Russia evade sanctions, of course there will be costs, said Price.

Tuesdays two-hour talks came after China turned down a U.S. offer for military de-confliction talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe earlier this month.

During a press conference at the State Department after the U.S.-Japan 2+2 talks last week, Austin said he has asked his Chinese counterpart to meet the U.S. halfway and keep open lines of communication to avoid miscalculation.

Wei is retiring in March. Li Shangfu, a new member of the Chinese Communist Partys Central Military Commission (CM) is widely seen as the PRCs next minister of national defense.

Li was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2018 due to Chinese purchases of advanced Russian fighters and missile systems. But the U.S. sanctions would not prevent Li from holding official meetings with American officials, according to a State Department official.

During Tuesdays talks, the U.S. official told VOA that China also raised concerns about a potential visit to Taiwan by the new U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy said last year he would visit Taiwan if he became the house speaker, a move that would anger China.

China claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy, a claim rejected by Taiwan.

U.S. diplomats and military officials have pointed out that the House of Representatives operates independently from the Biden administration and cautioned China against an overreaction near the Taiwan Strait that may lead to an unintended military accident.

We cant hold our foreign policy hostage to things that China may or may not do, said a senior State Department official.
A U.S.-based Chinese labor rights group tells VOA Mandarin that workplace safety and a December accident that killed two workers played key roles in triggering protests that turned violent over the weekend in Indonesia at a Chinese-owned nickel smelting facility.

During the protests, dozens of dormitories were torched and equipment was damaged. In the chaos, two workers died, one Indonesian and the other Chinese. Reuters and the Chinese Embassy in the capital city of Jakarta said many were injured in the melee.

Located in the Delong Industrial Park on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island, the PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry facility (GNI) is owned by China's Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry Co. Ltd. The facility is a key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in Indonesia, and one that has been in the spotlight before. The BRI is China's global investment and development initiative spanning some 150 countries.

Li Qiang, founder and executive director of China Labor Watch, which is in New York, told VOA Mandarin that the clash occurred in the third and final phase of construction for the Delong Industrial Park.

There are more Chinese workers involved in this phase than Indonesian workers, Li said.

Li told VOA Mandarin that the December deaths of two Indonesian workers were caused by an early-morning fire at the smelter. GNI said the fire was sparked by an electrical short circuit on December 22.

According to the GNI statement obtained by Li, the short circuit caused a malfunction of a machine that triggered a blast in a coal powder storage room. Tik Tok celebrity Nirwana Selle, a 20-year-old GNI crane operator with 137,000 followers, and Made Detri Hari Jonathan died in the accident.

The accident exacerbated dissatisfaction among Indonesian workers already upset at how GNI treated them. As of last year, the company said it employed more than 30,000 Indonesians, according to a GNI statement provided by Li.

Before the clash, Indonesian workers belonging to the National Workers' Union (SPN) held a meeting with the company and presented eight demands. These included the implementation of Indonesia's occupational security and safety laws, the provision of personal protective equipment to workers, an end to wage deductions, and the rehiring of SPN members who were fired because they had gone on strike.

When the company rejected these demands, the SPN workers called a strike from January 11 to 14.

However, Li said, the company framed the strike as an anti-China movement and gave the Chinese workers steel sticks and other tools to guard the facility. He said the company also held the Chinese workers' paychecks as a means of control. Some workers hadn't received their paychecks for three to five months.

"The Chinese workers are victims themselves whose labor rights and interests are violated," Li said. "If they don't show up [to guard the facility] they may even lose their job."

VOA Mandarin emailed GNI for comments about Li's allegations but has yet to receive a response.

Wang Wenbin, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, told a regular news briefing on January 16 in Beijing that the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia was in touch with local authorities.

"China will continue to maintain close communication with the Indonesian side and promote a lawful and appropriate resolution to this incident," he said on Monday according to Reuters.

Li also said that the Chinese workers are not willing to talk with the press due to fear of retaliation by the company.

Last year, the Delong Industrial Park banned Chinese workers from speaking to the press or on social media about anything the company felt would damage its reputation. Anyone who violated the rules faces fines up to 100,000 RMB (roughly $14,820) and even termination.

While Indonesian authorities moved quickly to arrest those allegedly responsible for the unrest and production has resumed at the facility, tensions at the factory remain high.

Analysts tell VOA Mandarin that if a thorough investigation is not carried out, tensions between Chinese companies elsewhere in Indonesia and local workers could spread.

Some Chinese workers have been asked to guard the Delong Industrial Park facility at night to prevent further destruction by Indonesian workers, according to a China Labor Watch tweet.

Chen Shangmao, a professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan, said it remains to be seen how the relevant authorities will deal with fallout from the unrest. If final corporate and government responses are not acceptable to the public, employees of other Chinese-funded companies in Indonesia may also protest, potentially triggering broader local anti-China sentiment.

"Now there is only a single incident, but if it is not handled well, there may be a second or third in the future, because this kind of thing can easily have an infection effect," Chen said. "When [employees in] other [Chinese-owned] factories see it, they may protest as well. Then when there is a second or third company, there may be a collective anti-Chinese power emerge. So, we have to wait to see how the [Indonesian] government, as well as Chinese companies and manufacturers, deals with it."
A helicopter crash Wednesday outside of the Ukrainian capital killed at least 14 people, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and several senior ministry officials in the aircraft and a child on the ground.

Officials said the crash occurred near a kindergarten in Brovary, a suburb east of Kyiv.

It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to go down on a foggy morning, whether it was an accident or war-related, although no fighting had been reported recently in the capital region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post he had directed authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Zelenskyy, speaking by video to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the crash had a broad connection to the war with Russia, adding: "The war has many dimensions, not just on the battlefields."



Zelenskyy called the crash a terrible tragedy. He said the exact number of casualties was still being determined.



The pain is unspeakable, Zelenskyy said.



U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expressed their deepest condolences about the crash, saying, We grieve with all those who are mourning this heartbreaking tragedy.



They said Monastyrskyi and his aides were deeply involved in the preservation of Ukraines democracyboth its defense against Russian aggression, and the vital work of reforms to strengthen Ukraines institutions through this war and into the future.

Monastyrskyi oversaw Ukraine's police and emergency services and is the most senior official to die since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago.



Early official reports gave differing numbers of casualties. Later, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said at least 14 people were killed, including nine aboard the helicopter, and a child on the ground. It said 25 people were injured, including 11 children.

Kyiv regional Gov. Oleksii Kuleba told Ukrainian television that emergency services were still identifying remains and that the death toll could rise.



The Ukraine National Police said the crash killed five Interior Ministry officials, one national police official and three crew members on the helicopter.



British Home Secretary Suella Braverman called the 42-year-old Monastyrskyi "a leading light in supporting the Ukrainian people during [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion." She said she was "struck by his determination, optimism and patriotism."



The crash occurred just days after a Russian strike on an apartment building in southeastern Ukraine killed 45 people, including six childrenthe deadliest attack on civilians since last spring.



"Another very sad day todaynew losses," said Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, dabbing teary eyes and pinching her nose as she responded to the news while at the World Economic Forum.



The forum held a moment of silence after opening the session to honor the Ukrainian officials killed.



Putin, speaking to a group of veterans in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, defended last Februarys invasion by offering a variation on arguments he has used previously.



He said Moscow's actions were intended to stop a "war" that has raged since 2014 in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have battled Ukrainian forces.



"All what we are doing today as part of the special military operation is an attempt to stop this war. This is the meaning of our operationprotecting people who live on those territories," he said.



Ukraine and its Western allies, including the U.S., have rejected Russia's justifications for the war, saying that Kyiv posed no threat to Moscow and the invasion was unprovoked.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Heather Murdock

KYIV  Ukrainians were used to 24-hour-a-day-seven-day-a-week uninterrupted electricity. It wasnt until Russia began bombing their power plants that the countrys new normal began.

Even in the capital, Kyiv, there are daily power outages. Sometimes its on a schedule, and other times, when there is an attack, the lights just go out.

But after months of Russian attacks on Ukraines infrastructure, some locals are trying to rebuild their small businesses by way of emergency services power supplies as the violence continues.

Outside of central Kyiv, emergency service workers man one of the government tents set up to provide residential neighborhoods with electricity and internet. They cant light the surrounding buildings, but people can sit in one of the tents and work or catch up on their social media using a dedicated internet dish.

Nazer Senychak, 29, moves between his home in Lviv, in Ukraines west, and his girlfriends apartment in Kyiv for his job in IT. Like many residents, when describing life in the Ukrainian capital, he oscillates between sanguinity and fear. He said hes gotten used to the bombings and hes certain the war will end this year.

He is also concerned that a missile could hit his building.

There were a few times when we heard very loud explosions here during the massive rocket attacks in October, the 10th if Im not mistaken, he said. But in general, it feels okay.

Russian attacks on Ukraines infrastructure began in October, with massive strikes across the country, killing civilians and knocking out power structures. Since then, the devastation has continued.

On Saturday, a strike hit a residential building in the central city of Dnipro, killing more than 40 people, including children.

At the Kyiv power center, locals say the daily grind of surviving the war is exhausting.

The world needs to know what is happening here, like that attack in Dnipro, said Victoria Kozlova, 51. It is impossible to understand how this could happen in the 21st century.

Before the war, Kozlova had a small advertising agency, which quickly went under after Russia invaded in February 2023. Then, after spending months in Western Ukraine and the Czech Republic, she grew tired of being displaced and unemployed, so she returned home to rebuild her business. Now, she is back home in Kyiv, trudging up 12 flights of stairs to her apartment when the power is out.

There are air sirens. I can hear explosions, notes Kozlova. And, of course, I feel the lack of electricity.
Kate Bartlett

JOHANNESBURG  South Africa plans to conduct joint military exercises with the Chinese and Russian navies off its east coast next month, despite the Kremlins ongoing war on Ukraine. The opposition Democratic Alliance has slammed the decision, saying it means that contrary to its "neutral" stance on Russias Ukraine war, South Africas ruling African National Congress party has effectively sided with Moscow.

The China-Russia-South Africa drills, named Operation Mosi, which means smoke, are to take place off Durban from February 17 to 26.

While South Africa has held joint naval exercises with Russia in the past, in 2019, these latest ones overlap with the one-year anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine and its ongoing war against Kyiv.

Pretoria has officially remained neutral on the conflict, refusing to condemn the Kremlins invasion in a U.N. vote last year.

But South Africas main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, says hosting Russian warships shows the ruling African National Congress, or the ANC, has chosen sides.

Kobus Marais is the partys shadow defense minister.

While our government has claimed to be neutral, this is just another of many incidents where the ANC has clearly exposed their favoritism towards Russia and has in fact done nothing but to showcase and prove [the] governments lack of neutrality in this case, he said.

Marais says the South Africa of Nelson Mandela, once a beacon of democracy, risks losing its international standing by siding with what he calls the most despicable autocracies of the world.

Moscows invasion, the biggest in Europe since World War II, has been widely condemned internationally.

Western governments have hit Russia with diplomatic isolation and heavy sanctions and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine to defend itself.

SEE ALSO:

Steven Gruzd, the head of the Russia-Africa program at the South African Institute of International Affairs, says South Africas hosting the drills risks its further isolation from the West while playing into Russias hands.

Russia is trying to indicate that its not isolated internationally, that it has international military reach. And South Africa, by agreeing to hold these exercises, or going ahead with them, is feeding into that narrative that Moscows putting out, he said.

South Africas African National Congress party has close ideological and historical ties to Russia under the Soviet Union, which backed its anti-apartheid struggle against white minority rule.

South Africa and Russia are also members of the BRICS group of leading, emerging economies, which includes Brazil, India, and China.

SEE ALSO:

While many countries have shunned the Kremlin over its invasion, some nations, including those in BRICS, have not.

Ukraines Ambassador to South Africa Liubov Abravitova was clear to VOA in her criticism of the scheduled military drills.

And on South Africa, Russia, China military exercises, let me just ask you, what the army that is killing innocent people, the army of rapists and murderers, what can they bring to [the] South African army as added value? she said.

Some analysts say the world is in a new cold war, with authoritarian nations China and Russia on one side and Western democracies on the other.

This conflict is increasingly playing out in Africa as both sides scramble for influence on the strategically and politically important continent.

South Africas Department of Defense spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini tells VOA they will not reconsider the joint drills.

Id like to repeat that the exercise will go ahead with the two countries in South Africa in February. In relation to the military-to-military relations between these two countries and many others, which include the United States, where exercises have been held with each of those countries, he said.

Despite pressure from Western governments, and visits last year by U.S. officials, Pretoria has continued to improve relations with Moscow.

South Africa in December received a sanctioned Russian ship that officials say was delivering ammunition ordered before the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine.

South Africas Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor will on Monday host Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In August, South Africa will host the BRICS summit and has invited Russias President Vladimir Putin to attend.
Ukraine appealed Thursday for its Western allies to send tanks to help Ukrainian forces battle a Russian military that it said has a "substantial quantitative advantage in troops, weapons and military equipment."

In a joint statement, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed gratitude toward 50 countries that have helped strengthen Ukraine's defenses.

However, they said one of the most pressing needs in fighting off the Russian invasion that began nearly a year ago is to provide Ukraine with modern armored vehicles and give Ukrainian troops better firing and maneuverability capabilities with Western tanks.

Kuleba and Oleksii welcomed Britain's move to send its Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, while urging countries that have Germany's Leopard 2 tanks to provide them to better help Ukraine's forces.

SEE ALSO:

"We guarantee that we will use these weapons responsibly and exclusively for the purposes of protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders," the ministers said.

A U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press and a German official who spoke to Reuters said Germany would allow the Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the U.S. agrees to send its Abrams tanks.

Thursday's statement from Ukraine came as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Germany to meet with new German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and to hold a Friday meeting with the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group to discuss Ukraine's defense needs.

The U.S. is expected to announce a new package totaling more than $2 billion that includes Stryker armored vehicles, but not the Abrams tanks.

SEE ALSO:

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told reporters Wednesday that Ukraine needs equipment to help it break through entrenched Russian lines. But he said the Abrams tanks would not be the best aid to provide at this time, pointing to potential challenges in using and maintaining them.

"One of the things that Secretary Austin has been very focused on is that we should not be providing the Ukrainians systems they can't repair, they can't sustain, and that they over the long term can't afford, because it's not helpful," Kahl said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his thanks Thursday to Estonia and Sweden for their announcements of new military aid packages.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said her government was sending howitzers, grenade launchers and ammunition in its biggest aid package of heavy weapons so far to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy called the aid investment into our common victory.

Sweden said Thursday it was sending armored infantry fighting vehicles and anti-tank weapons as part of a $419 million package.

"Military support to Ukraine is absolutely crucial," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference. "Ukraine's wishes in terms of what they want carries a lot of weight in our decision."

European Council President Charles Michel said Thursday he was traveling to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy and other officials.

In a video posted to Twitter, Michel said Ukrainians are fighting for their land, they are fighting for their future and the future of their children, as well as our common European values and principles.

They need and deserve our support and thats why again well discuss with President Zelenskyy and his team what are the concrete measures we can develop in order to make sure they are stronger and more powerful, Michel said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Columbus Mavhunga

HARARE, ZIMBABWE  Following incidents of journalists being obstructed in their work and a lawyer being attacked in Zimbabwe, media and lawyers associations are demanding that police respect their rights.

When police escorted 25 members of the Citizens Coalition for Change opposition party to a magistrates court Tuesday in Harare, some journalists were blocked from the courtroom.

The party members are facing charges of holding an illegal meeting that police on Saturday broke up with tear gas.

SEE ALSO:

Journalists from two state-run media houses were permitted to cover the court hearing. But others, including Daniel Kachere, a news editor at Nhau/Indaba Online News, were turned away.

It was rather appalling. It wasnt a good decision by the police to allocate a certain media house the privilege to cover the event, he said. The riot guys were in a no-nonsense mood. Some were actually threatening female journalists, threatening to rape them, and so forth. But a journalist is harmless.

VOAs calls to police for comment went unanswered. But in the past, police have said they act within the law while on duty.

Tabani Moyo, who heads the watchdog group Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said he was troubled by the decision to bar some journalists from court proceedings.

The constitution simply says every journalist has got the right to perform his or her duties within the jurisdiction of Zimbabwe, he said. We call all the arms of the state to treat all the media with the same lens, in terms of giving the media access to issues of public interest, so that they are able to cover those issues for the benefit of the citizens of the country.

Moyo said the decision to block some media was unfair.

Both officers of the court and the police should not apply directives that are aimed at discriminating members of the media, he said.

Journalists are not the only professional group affected. Police are said to have assaulted lawyer Kudzai Kadzere last weekend after he was sent by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to represent arrested opposition activists.

The Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association has since called on African Union leaders to request that Zimbabwean police cease interfering in the work of journalists and lawyers.

Stanley Nyamanhindi, executive secretary of the SADC Lawyers Association, said members of certain professions have a right to be protected.

It is important that the government must take this seriously and move to protect members of the legal profession, and even the members of the journalism profession, who have come under attack recently, he said. Kudzai Kadzere is an officer of the court who has sworn allegiance to the courts of Zimbabwe. Police and [the] legal profession should in all circumstances work together in criminal matters so that the administration of justice can be seen to be done.

Kazembe Kazembe, Zimbabwes home affairs minister in charge of police, told VOA via text message that he could not comment because he had not yet been briefed on the issues.

Nyamanhindi, who is based in Johannesburg, said the incidents are concerning ahead of elections expected to take place this year.

Media rights groups are also watching for signs of escalating tensions. MISA is hoping a solution is reached quickly so journalists can feel free to cover the elections.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today announced that Shelly Elkington from Montevideo, whose daughter died after battling an opioid addiction, will attend this years State of the Union Address as her guest. Elkingtons daughter, Casey Jo Schulte, was diagnosed with Crohns disease in 2008 and subsequently was overprescribed pain medication. Following Schultes 2015 death in Moorhead, Elkington became an advocate for victims of overprescribing and drug abuse.

Klobuchar has led efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, which now claims 91 deaths per day according to the Center for Disease Control. In Minnesota, drug overdose deaths continued a decade-long trend of growth in 2016, climbing to 637 deaths in 2016.

Casey Jo had a bright future. She was a champion swimmer and hoped to study nursing like her mother when opioids sent her on a tragic path, Senator Klobuchar said. I wish I could say shes the only one, but we all know shes not. The opioid epidemic is taking lives like hers in Minnesota and across the country at an alarming rate. Thats why the work Shelly is doing sharing her daughters story is so important in drawing much-needed attention to the opioid epidemic and putting a human face on the toll its taking on communities across the country. Im honored to have her as my guest and hope her attendance highlights the need for additional resources to combat this crisis.

"I want to thank Senator Klobuchar for inviting me to the State of the Union and for working to stop the opioid crisis facing Minnesota and the nation. We are extremely honored that she is able to use Casey Jo's story to shed light on this urgent and important issue. We are losing a generation to this epidemic, we are losing our future nurses, doctors, teachers, artists, leaders, mom's and dad's. I'm so thankful that Senator Klobuchar is willing to fight with us to save lives, from addressing over prescribing to helping provide much needed resources to help our children and our communities, said Shelly Elkington.

The president will deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on January 30 at 9:00 p.m EST/8:00 p.m. CST.

As a former Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar has long led local and national efforts to curb drug abuse and help people overcome addiction. Today, Senator Klobuchar spoke in the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) hearing in which a report detailing a year-long investigation into how drug traffickers exploit vulnerabilities in our international mail system to easily ship synthetic drugs like fentanyl from China into the United States was released. Klobuchar detailed her bipartisan Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which would close an exploited loophole and help stop dangerous synthetic drugs from being shipped across our borders.

Klobuchar was one of four senators, along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), to lead the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). This bipartisan bill, which was signed into law in July 2016, encourages states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies in the fight against opioid addiction. At the end of 2016, $1 billion was made available by Congress to fund the national effort. To build on the monumental first step of CARA, Klobuchar introduced the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, which would require the use of strong prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) in all states that receive certain federal funding to combat opioid abuse and also requires states to make their PDMP data available to other states.

In 2016, she and ten other senators introduced the Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act, which would establish a reliable funding stream to provide and expand access to substance abuse treatment. She and a bipartisan group of senators also introduced the Synthetic Abuse and Labeling of Toxic Substances (SALTS) Act. The SALTS Act would make it easier to prosecute the sale of analogue drugs, which are synthetic substances that are substantially similar to illegal drugs.

In September 2014, the DEA implemented Klobuchars bipartisan Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act. Under the legislation, consumers are provided with more safe and responsible ways to dispose of unused prescription medications and controlled substances.
ev-0119-ph

While Canada moves to get gas-powered vehicles off the road, lawmakers in Wyoming have gone in the opposite direction and are calling for a ban on electric vehicles.

The bill, introduced into the state legislature on Jan. 13 by Senator Jim Anderson and other Republicans, supports phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.

Oil and gas production has long been one of Wyomings proud and valued industries, says the bill, adding that the industry has created countless jobs in the region and contributed to the states coffers throughout its history.

The legislation also lists downsides to EVs, such the lack of charging stations in the state and the massive amounts of new power generation that would be needed to sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles.

The supply of critical minerals needed for EVs is limited and not easily recyclable, so landfills will have to develop new practices to dispose of them, the bill says.

The resolution winds up by stating that phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles will ensure the stability of Wyomings oil and gas industry and help preserve the countrys critical minerals for vital purposes.

It also calls for copies of the resolution to be sent to President Joe Biden, the president of the Senate, the Speaker and the governor of California.

If this all sounds a bit tongue in cheek, its because it is  sort of.

Anderson told the Washington Post the main motivation for the bill was Californias move in August to go ahead with a ban on new gas vehicles by 2035.

I have a problem with somebody saying, Dont buy any more petroleum vehicles,' Anderson told the newspaper, adding that he introduced the bill just to get the message out that were not happy with the states that are outlawing our vehicles.

In August California announced it would require 35 per cent of all new vehicle sales to be powered by batteries or hydrogen by 2026, 68 per cent by 2030 and all by 2035.

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The state, which CNBC calls the center of U.S. car culture, carries a lot of heft and is likely to affect the auto industry nation-wide. CNBC reported that already at least 15 states, including New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, have adopted Californias vehicle standards on their own rules.

The Wyoming resolutions co-sponsor Sen. Brian Boner told the Cowboy State Daily that the bill if passed would be entirely symbolic.

Im interested in making sure that the solutions that some folks want to the so-called climate crisis are actually practical in real life, Boner said. I just dont appreciate when other states try to force technology that isnt ready.

In Canada, new government rules dictate that 20 per cent of all new cars sold are zero-emission by 2026; at least 60 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.

 Email: pheaven@postmedia.com | Twitter:
Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has called for an international military trial, similar to the one held in Nuremberg, to prosecute former German Chancellor Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande.

Confessions made by the representative of the Kiev regime and the former leaders of Germany and France should be used as evidence for an international military tribunal. These leaders plotted to start a world war with predictable consequences. And they deserve punishment for their crimes, he said.

i

In an interview with Die Zeit, Angela Merkel asserted that she negotiated and signed the Minsk Accords not to make peace in Ukraine, but to give the Ukrainian military time to prepare for the current war [1]. Francois Hollande endorsed her declaration in an interview with Kyiv Independent [2].

International law considers crimes against peace to be more serious than crimes against humanity. However, the United Nations has never clearly defined what they actually are.

The non-application of the Minsk Accords prolonged the civil war in Ukraine for 8 years, causing at least 20,000 deaths.

Russia did not invade Ukraine, but launched a special military operation to enforce Security Council Resolution 2202; resolution validating the Minsk Accords.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose empathetic handling of the nation's worst mass-shooting and health-driven response to the coronavirus pandemic led her to become an international icon but who faced mounting criticism at home, said Thursday she was leaving office.

Fighting back tears, Ardern told reporters in Napier that Feb. 7 would be her last day as prime minister.

I am entering now my sixth year in office, and for each of those years, I have given my absolute all," she said.

She also announced that New Zealands 2023 general elections would be held on Oct. 14, and that she would remain a lawmaker until then.

Her announcement came as a shock to people throughout the nation of 5 million people. Although there had been some chatter in political circles that Ardern might resign before the next election, shed always maintained she planned to run again.

Its unclear who will take over as prime minister until the election. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson announced that he won't contest the leadership of the Labour Party, throwing the competition open.

Ardern became an inspiration to women around the world after winning the top job in 2017 at the relatively young age of 37. The following year, she became just the second world leader to give birth while holding office. When she brought her infant daughter to the floor of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in 2018, it brought smiles to people everywhere.

In March 2019, Ardern faced one of the darkest days in New Zealands history when a white supremacist gunman stormed two mosques in Christchurch and slaughtered 51 people. She was widely praised for the way she embraced the survivors and New Zealands Muslim community in the aftermath.

She was lauded globally for her countrys initial handling of the coronavirus pandemic after New Zealand managed for months to stop the virus at its borders. But she was forced to abandon that zero-tolerance strategy as more contagious variants spread and vaccines became widely available.

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Ardern faced growing anger at home from those who opposed coronavirus mandates and rules. A protest last year that began on Parliaments grounds lasted for more than three weeks and ended with protesters hurling rocks at police and setting fires to tents and mattresses as they were forced to leave.

The heated emotions around the coronavirus debate led to a level of vitriol directed at Ardern that had rarely been seen by other New Zealand leaders. This year, Ardern was forced to cancel an annual barbecue she hosts due to security fears.

Ardern had been facing tough reelection prospects. Her liberal Labour Party won reelection two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.

Ardern said the role required having a reserve to face the unexpected.

But I am not leaving because it was hard. Had that been the case I probably would have departed two months into the job," she said. I am leaving because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also, when you are not.

She said her time in office had been fulfilling but challenging.

"I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It is that simple, she said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose Labor Party is aligned with New Zealands ruling party, said Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength.

She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities, Albanese tweeted.

Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me, he added.

With China becoming more assertive in the Pacific, Ardern had tried to take a more diplomatic approach than neighboring Australia, which had ended up feuding with China. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, she'd said that building relationships with small Pacific nations shouldn't become a game of one-upmanship with China.

Ardern last month announced a wide-ranging Royal Commission of Inquiry would look into whether the government made the right decisions in battling COVID-19 and how it could better prepare for future pandemics. Its report is due next year.

The Labour Party caucus will vote for a new leader on Sunday. If no candidate gets at least two-thirds support, then the leadership contest will go to the wider party membership. Ardern has recommended the party chose her replacement by the time she finishes in the role on Feb. 7.

Ardern said she didn't have any immediate plans after leaving office, other than family commitments with her daughter, Neve, and her fiance Clarke Gayford, after an outbreak of the virus thwarted their earlier wedding plans.

And so to Neve, Mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year, Ardern said. And to Clarke, lets finally get married.
Rome ranked fourth most popular destination in world.

The Italian capital has come first in the Best Food Destinations in the World in the 2023 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Destination Awards, an annual list compiled by travel review site Tripadvisor.

The rankings are based on the millions of travel reviews and recommendations submitted to the Tripadvisor platform over the past 12 months.

Rome also came fourth in the Most Popular Tourist Destinations in the World category, up two places from last year, in a list headed by Dubai, Bali and London.

Describing Rome as "a real-life collage of piazzas, open-air markets, and astonishing historic sites", Tripadvisor advises: "Enjoy some of the most memorable meals of your life here, too, from fresh pasta to succulent fried artichokes or a tender oxtail stew."

Secondo @Tripadvisor #TravelersChoice 2023 Roma e al 4 posto per le destinazioni piu popolari al mondo (guadagniamo 2 posti rispetto al '22) e al 1 per cibo e gastronomia. Un bel riconoscimento che conferma la qualita dell'offerta turistica e della nostra cucina, unica al mondo pic.twitter.com/SWb2S4qCPv  Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) January 18, 2023

The recognition from Tripadvisor was welcomed by Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri who described it on Twitter as confirmation of the "quality of the city's tourist offer and of our cuisine, unique in the world."
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Yuriko Kotani, a Japanese stand-up comedian based in the UK, tells of seeing a poster on a London Overground train that proclaimed 93.4% of services ran within five minutes of their scheduled time. Her confused reaction: Are they apologizing? Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Those who have traveled on a train in Japan, or one of the other ultra-efficient rail and metro systems in Asia, will recognize the kernel of truth in the joke. Going by rail in Britain is to travel in a different world. The expectations benchmark starts from a lower level. The industry also gives the impression of being stuck in a permanent loop, where the same issues of dysfunction and labor strife resurface at regular intervals. Anyone who left the UK before the railways were privatized and returned three decades later in time for the latest wave of strikes (like this writer) might be struck by how little things appear to have changed. Standing in freezing rain on a century-old platform waiting for a train thats not coming (no one in Hong Kong or Tokyo checks the industrial action schedule before setting out for the station), the question naturally arises: Why cant Britain get its railways right?

The question is probably unfair. In reality, there have been significant improvements. Its just that theyre patchy, and therefore easy to miss, depending on where you are. The Elizabeth Line has speeded the journey from commuter towns to the west and east of London to and through the capital, adding spacious and spotless new trains and platforms (even if more than three years late and in excess of 4 billion over budget). There are the redeveloped Kings Cross and Reading stations, almost unrecognizable from their previous incarnations; and the upgraded Chiltern Line that carries tourists from Londons Marylebone to the designer shopping magnet of Bicester Village just over an hour away (with service announcements in Chinese).

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A high-speed rail line will link the capital with Birmingham, the second-largest city, and the northwest by 2033  though lets not dwell on the fact that China built the worlds biggest high-speed rail network from scratch since the UK first start discussing the project.

For all the improvements, Britains railways are in trouble. Punctuality has declined (a 93% on-time arrival rate would be a dream for most of the national rail network; London is managed separately). So has passenger satisfaction, which reached a 10-year low in 2018 after the botched introduction of a new timetable caused chaos (it rebounded somewhat before the survey was suspended during the pandemic). Covid-19 devastated passenger numbers, as in most countries, and they have yet to recover fully. Meanwhile, a possible resolution to the dispute between railway operating companies and trade unions wont remove the longer-term structural issues weighing on the industry.

Put simply, the system is a mess. Dont take a mere columnists word for it: That is essentially the verdict of a report commissioned by the party that was responsible for creating the industrys current form. The railways lack a guiding focus on customers, coherent leadership and strategic direction, reads the 2021 Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. They are too fragmented, too complicated, and too expensive to run. Innovation is difficult. Incentives are often perverse. Some working practices have not changed in decades.

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The 116-page document, named after Keith Williams, the former British Airways chief executive officer appointed to conduct the review, and Grant Shapps, the transport secretary until September, makes fascinating reading. Rarely can a party in power have so thoroughly disparaged a policy that it was responsible for designing and implementing. Fingered for blame is the cardinal feature of the 1993 privatization enacted by the Conservative government of then-Prime Minister John Major: the decision to separate state-owned British Rail into one company that owns the infrastructure and a series of mostly private franchise train operators that lease the rolling stock.

Breaking British Rail into dozens of pieces was meant to foster competition between them and, together with the involvement of the private sector, was supposed to bring greater efficiency and innovation, the report says, concluding: Little of this has happened. The disparate structure has created a range of knock-on problems including spiraling costs, commercial failures, poor maintenance, delays to upgrades and a burden on both users and taxpayers. Radical change was needed. Too often, the railways are not getting the basics right, starting with running the trains on time and making it easy to buy a ticket. Complex and adversarial relationships between operators, suppliers, infrastructure owner Network Rail and government do not meet the needs of passengers. And so on.

Some of the examples of dysfunction border on the surreal. Network Rail employs almost 400 so-called train-delay attributors whose job, in the reports words, is to argue with each other about whose fault a delay is. About 40% of delays are disputed, and there is a 199-page rulebook and independently chaired panel to adjudicate the process. One case turned on whether a pheasant is a small bird  in which case, the train operator was to blame for hitting one  or a large bird, in which case the rules decreed it was Network Rails problem. Really.

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Whisper it softly, but the Williams-Shapps plans solution is to recreate something much more akin to the old British Rail  cunningly disguised by placing Great in front of the new name. Great British Railways (which will also adopt British Rails iconic double-arrow logo) will be a single unified body that will both own the infrastructure and plan fares and timetables. It will replace franchising with a concession model that mirrors the public-private system used in Germany and Sweden, among other countries.

The plan makes evident sense. But will it happen? Shapps was transport secretary under Boris Johnson, a self-proclaimed believer in rail and an economic interventionist. But Johnson has gone. The prospective rebirth of a powerful state monolith has stirred opposition in the Conservative Party, with its attachment to private enterprise. The Williams-Shapps plan is being rewritten to weaken the role of Great British Railways and bring back franchising, the Telegraph newspaper reported this month. The reorganization is unlikely to be enacted before the next general election, according to the report. The opposition Labour Party, which is leading in the polls and is committed to bringing the railways back into public ownership, may be running the country by then.

The reasons behind the UK railway crisis are many and complex, but the debate over public versus private ownership is probably a red herring. Look around the world, and its clear that either can work. Switzerlands train network, usually ranked as the best in Europe, is publicly owned. Japans railways, named the planets most efficient in a World Economic Forum report in 2019, are in private hands. Hong Kongs MTR Corp., the global No. 2, is listed on the stock market but controlled by the government.

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Britains rail efficiency came in at 31st in the WEF report, trailing France and Germany in 15th and 16th, and far behind the countrys overall economic competitiveness rating of ninth. A flawed structure is surely part of the answer, but other more nebulous cultural factors have probably played a part, including the UKs history of antagonistic industrial relations.

Politics aside, whoever is in charge of Britains railways after the next election will face the challenge of how to pay for them. Even when run privately, almost all railways require public subsidies. Government support for the industry ballooned to 17.6 billion in the 12 months through March 2021, the first year of the pandemic, from 6.8 billion a year earlier. Given the fiscal strains created by Covid-19 and the even more urgent crisis facing the National Health Service, these wont be easy choices.

There are lots of reasons to love trains. They are environmentally friendly, producing only 1% of Britains carbon emissions; they prevent urban sprawl and invigorate economies along their arteries; and theyre more relaxing than driving. They do cost money, though. And theres some evidence that you get what you pay for: Switzerland, notably, also ranks as the European country that invests the most in rail infrastructure,(1) spending more than twice as much per capita as the UK, according to 2021 figures from Allianz pro Schiene, a German nonprofit railway association.

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Britains trains may never be as punctual, efficient or service-oriented as those of fastidious Japan. Many parts of the network could still be a lot nicer, though. It would be a shame if ideological wrangling or financial pressures set the industry back on the wrong track again.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Summer of Britains Railway Discontent: Therese Raphael

 A London Landmark to Cherish? When Pigs Fly: Matthew Brooker

 UK Summer of Discontent Is a Tale of Bad Planning: Martin Ivens

(1) Other than Luxembourg, which is too small to be considered comparable.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Matthew Brooker is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering finance and politics in Asia. A former editor and bureau chief for Bloomberg News and deputy business editor for the South China Morning Post, he is a CFA charterholder.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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Meme stock and retail investor darling Mullen Automotive Inc. is ostensibly in the business of making electric cars. For now, its most plentiful product is its own shares. There are now are almost 1.7 billion Mullen shares outstanding, compared with fewer than 25 million a year ago, and soon the authorized total could increase to as many as 5 billion, according to recent financial filings. Several hundred million of these shares change hands on a typical day, making it one of the most active of all US stocks in volume terms. Mullen is case study for the dangers of creeping shareholder dilution and how as the tech bubble bursts, retail investors can find themselves taken for a ride.

Loss-making Mullen had around 120 employees at the end of September, and the Tesla Inc. wannabe doesnt expect to start manufacturing its first proprietary SUV until next year. Nevertheless, it already has a devoted amateur investor following and is frequently among the most-mentioned companies on online forums such as Stocktwits. Last year Mullen acquired a majority stake in Bollinger Motors Inc. as well as assets from bankrupt Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc., which have enhanced its prospective vehicle lineup and manufacturing capacity, and further fueled investor excitement.(1)

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However, Mullen was the subject of a critical report in April by Hindenburg Research, which previously targeted truckmaker Nikola Corp. And Mullens latest accounts include a warning from southern Florida auditor Daszkal Bolton LLP on its ability to remain a going concern.

Mullen held only $54 million of unrestricted cash at the end of September. While it has lined up as much as $340 million(2)in convertible debt and preferred stock financing from Esousa Holdings LLC, Acuitas Capital LLC and a handful of other key investors, this isnt nearly sufficient to fund its vehicle programs. Rival electric vehicle maker Rivian Auomotive Inc. has more than $13 billion in cash; the collapse of UK battery startup Britishvolt Ltd this week delivered another reminder of the auto industrys massive capital intensity.

Mullens shares have declined more than 90% in the past year, valuing it at around $465 million currently. The more it slumps, the more shares it will need to issue to keep the lights on.

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Regrettably, Mullens owners wont be diluted equally. In September, the company signed a partnership with an Israeli company to eventually equip its vehicles with technology that produces fresh water from the air for vehicle occupants to drink. Leaving aside the questionable merits of an innovation reminiscent of the water-distilling machine aboard Captain Nemos Nautilus submarine, the announcement was eye catching for another reason: Mullen Chief Executive Officer David Michery, a former president of hiphop label Death Row Records, received 5% of Mullens then outstanding shares as a reward for signing the deal, according to the annual report. With those shares now worth around $12.5 million, thats a mighty expensive thirst-quencher, considering Mullen has yet to generate revenue.

In total, Michery was awarded more than 100 million shares last year for meeting what I consider unambitious targets: he was handed 2% of shares then outstanding for Mullen joining the Russell 2000 and 3000 indexes and another 2% for Mullen signing a UK and Ireland vehicle-distribution agreement, for example. Prior to securing shareholder approval for these compensation arrangements in July, Mullen noted the significant dilution Michery suffered since Mullen went public via reverse merger the previous year.

Another problem with issuing so many new shares is its easy to lose count. Much of the recent dilution has come from warrants being exercised by Mullens financial backers on a cashless basis for hundreds of millions of additional shares. Though vital to understanding Mullens growing share count, lengthy discussions about warrants in financial filings are apt to make ordinary investors fall asleep. More surprisingly, management can also lose track. The company last year erroneously issued almost 1.7 million shares to key investors in connection with the exercise of their warrants, according to the annual report. Whoops.(3)

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Potentially much worse, Mullen investors filed a pair of lawsuits in December claiming the company misrepresented the number of eligible shares at a crucial investor meeting in July that would invalidate a vote authorizing the subsequent issuance of more than 1 billion shares. Mullen says the stockholder actions are without merit and is seeking confirmation of the accuracy of its capital structure from a Delaware court in a hearing scheduled for next week.In the meantime, Mullen shareholders are due to vote on Thursday on whether to authorize another 3.25 billion shares for future issuance, because the company is close to the current cap of 1.75 billion.

Nasdaq has threatened to delist Mullens shares because theyre trading below one dollar and so shareholders have also been asked to approve a reverse stock split, which would artificially boost the price, significantly reduce the share count and thereby materially increase the total left remaining for issuance before hitting the cap (I wrote about how reverse splits are no panacea here).

Shareholders must also vote on the $340 million convertible financing I mentioned, as it could result in several billion more shares being issued, according to this filing. If the vote fails and Mullen was then unsuccessful in raising additional capital, the company has warned it would be obliged to curtail its manufacturing plans and instead cut costs and dispose of assets. So ordinary investors are stuck between a rock and hard place.

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Retail investor enthusiasm for the clean energy revolution is admirable, and the quality of Redditors research into early-stage companies like Mullen is often impressive. But the everything bubble of 2021 has popped and its harder now for supporters to pump loss-making penny stocks to the moon. While Mullen dreams of vehicles that produce water from thin air, its shareholders are drowning.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 SPACs Slap Some Lipstick on Their Penny-Stock Pigs: Chris Bryant

 Big Tech Is in Crisis. Thats Exactly What It Needed: Parmy Olson

 Sparks Will Fly in the Electric-Car Trade War: Lionel Laurent

(1) Mullen expects to start delivering electric cargo vans this year as well as the I-GO, a China-made small urban commercial delivery vehicle.

(2) Including investor option to purchase an additional $100 million of preferred stock.

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(3) Elsewhere the annual report talks about the erroneous issuance by the Company of an aggregate exercise of 1,660,988 warrants for approximately 100 million shares of common stock, which is confusing.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Chris Bryant is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Europe. Previously, he was a reporter for the Financial Times.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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Here is something I am pretty sure you dont know: The UK has one of the best pension systems in the world. You dont know this because it is hardly ever reported. When you do see headlines about UK pensions, they tend to focus on the level of the UK state pension relative to state pensions elsewhere. Read those stories, and you will learn that the annual OECD pensions report puts ours at the bottom of the pile when measured in terms of its net replacement rate  the percentage of the average working income it provides. We pay around 29%. The average across the OECD is 59%.

Shocked? Dont be.

In the UK, that 29% is just the beginning of the UKs largesse. There is much more support on offer for those with no private means. The minimum annual income for an otherwise penniless pensioner is around 18,000 ($22,349), for example (see www.entitledto.com to do the numbers), and that is before we start adding up the benefits of 100% taxpayer-funded healthcare (although perhaps this month, the less said about the NHS, the better). Add those in, and the average net replacement rate in the UK from the state comes to more than 40%.

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However, to see the real joys of retirement income in the UK, we must turn to state-supported private pensions. Consider the latest figures on how much HMRC pays in pension tax relief: Last year, the number tipped over 50 billion for the first time. Thats up around 15 billion in the last five years alone. Why? The UK has a long history of state-incentivized pension savings outside of the very generous defined-benefit pensions offered to public-sector employees. The Finance Act of 1921 allowed employers to set pension contributions off against their taxes and gave employees tax relief on all contributions at their marginal rate of income tax, while permitting all assets inside pension accounts to grow free of tax.

That basic system remains in place, but since 2013, it has been massively improved by the introduction of auto-enrollment, something very few other countries have. If you are in work, earning more than 10,000 and are over age 22, a minimum of 8% of your income will be being siphoned off into a pension for you  with all the tax benefits mentioned above automatic. If the average person on the average salary works for 30-odd years and their pension pot gets say 5% a year growth, on average, they will end up with a minimum of around 250,000 when they retire. That isnt going to tip you into the lap of luxury, but add it to your state pension and you are up to an income of around 23,000  more like 70% of the average salary in the UK than 28%. (The UK government puts the current average net replacement rate at 58%.)

You could still argue that this is mean compared to some of the European Union offers, given that you have to make some contributions to the pension out of your own pocket rather than someone elses. But there are a few other things to take into account. The first is time. You have to work for 35 years to get the full state pension in the UK. In France, it is 42 years (and rising, if President Emmanuel Macron has his way to 43). In Ireland it is 40. In the Netherlands, it is 50. Note that you can also take your private pension (the one most Europeans dont have) at 55. Most state pensions in most countries can only be taken once you are well into your 60s.

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The second is security. Most state pensions are pay as they go, meaning the government has no set pension fund. It just hopes to have the cash to pay out on its promises from its general tax take every year. That works well when most people are working taxpayers. It works less well in the aging societies of the West, where the ratio of income-taxpayers to pensions falls every year. In the UK, the auto-enrollment system means that a large part of your pension is not part of the hope system. It has been paid to you by the state in advance. It is both fully funded and in your name.

Look to the OECD numbers on this. As well as the much-quoted numbers on basic state pensions, the OECD also looks at the level of pension assets in each country and at those assets as a percent of GDP. In the UK, that number is 117%. In Italy is it 9.7%, in France 11.1%, in Germany 7.8%, in Greece 1% (yes, really), in Portugal 11.4% and in Ireland 34%. In Australia, which got started on auto-enrollment before the UK, it is 146%. Seven countries in the OECD are responsible for more than 90% of its pension assets in absolute terms  the UK is second on that list after the US.

It is also worth noting that the UK numbers will rise. Auto-enrollment only started in 2013, so there are still generations with no or little private pension provision. As it feeds through the system, our average replacement rate and our level of savings to GDP will keep rising.

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So here is the key question: Would you rather have a notional pay-as-it goes taxpayer funded pension from the state, at a time when public finances everywhere are a mess and the number of taxpayers per pensioner is falling like a stone, or a semi-private system like that in the UK  where the state hands you cash every year to put into your own dedicated pension account that you can control immediately and spend at 55?

If you choose the latter, would you still choose the tangible pile of cash over the notional pile of cash even if the newspapers tell you the former is lower? I think you would. Every time. However, to get all this, you have to be in  not out. You have to work. And you have to stay opted in, something most people do most of the time (this is an inertia-based system, after all).

But there has been a recent uptick in the number of people opting out(1)thanks to the cost-of-living crisis. This isnt OK. First, you lose everything the state and your employer chuck in. Just like that. Second, you lose what youd grow. Third, you might lose it all for a long time. Opting back in  and giving up part of your monthly salary again  will feel hard. Do not take the risk. If you do, you might end up outside one of the best pension systems in the world.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Why Mark Zuckerberg Should Face the Threat of Jail: Parmy Olson

 Head to Tokyo or Seoul for the Latest Gucci and Louis Vuitton: Andrea Felsted and Anjani Trivedi

 Henry VIII Powers Wont Resolve the UKs Strikes: Therese Raphael

(Updates detail of Irelands pension system in 7th paragraph)

(1) According to the Department of Work and Pensions, the opt out rate for new employees in August 2022 was 10.4% - up from 7.6% in January 2020.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Merryn Somerset Webb is a senior columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering personal finance and investment. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of MoneyWeek and a contributing editor at the Financial Times.

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The corridors of power in both business and politics were designed by, and for, a very specific kind of leader: men. Thats why it can feel particularly devastating when we see a woman like New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern  who has managed to successfully navigate through what often seems like an impenetrable boys club  decide that shes had it.

Arderns announcement that she just didnt have enough in the tank to keep doing the job could be read as a concession that those unbalanced power dynamics had finally gotten to her. Not only did she face sagging opinion polls and a tough election battle ahead of her, but one in which she would likely have to endure the kind of misogynistic slights and outright attacks that have marked her time in the office.

And yet in the aftermath of her announcement, I keep returning to something former Xerox Corp. CEO Ursula Burns said to me for a 2021 article I wrote for Fortune about the ways the pandemic was altering the landscape for working women. Burns, who was the first Black woman to run a Fortune 500 company, was ready to see a world where women play by their own rules rather than follow ones that had been forced upon them. I want them to actually have the chance to articulate out loud, I dont want to do this. Thank you for offering, she told me. Thats true equity, thats true equality  when you get the chance to turn the goddamn thing down.

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I prefer to think about Arderns departure through this lens. Stepping away from the big job, or adjusting your ambitions because the old ones dont work with the life you want for yourself, is the ultimate power flex. And for Ardern, it really is not that surprising a move considering she has always seemed comfortable defying the mold of what we expect a leader to look and sound like: the youngest female head of government at age 37, only the second ever to give birth while holding office, and even now in how shes framing her departure. It is difficult to picture a man in the same position admitting to some level of burnout.

Arderns decision feels different than the kind of opting out we used to talk about in the past. Its also in keeping with some of the trends were seeing in the business world. Increasingly women are choosing to leave their jobs in order to create a new path, rather than just endure their current environment or disappear from the workplace altogether. McKinsey & Co.s annual Women in the Workplace report from late last year found that women are demanding more from work, and theyre leaving their companies in unprecedented numbers to get it. Those in leadership roles were switching jobs at the highest rate in the history of the survey, and at higher rates than men.

New Zealands political climate may very well have made Arderns future as prime minister impossible and her departure inevitable. But by stepping down on her own terms, shes rebelling against the status quo rather than simply falling victim to it. As Burns said, true equity and equality may be as simple as having the option and privilege of saying no to whats expected of us. In a barrier-breaking run as prime minister, she may as well topple this last one on her way out the door.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Ardern Gives the World a Lesson in Humility: Andreea Papuc

 Single Women No Longer Pay a Retirement Penalty: Alexis Leondis

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Beth Kowitt is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering corporate America. She was previously a senior writer and editor at Fortune Magazine.

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Senator Kyrsten Sinema showed up in Davos this week, where she celebrated her recently declared independence from partisanship. The most pressing problem in US politics, the former Democrat from Arizona told the World Economic Forum, was a deeply broken two-party system. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight As Sinema was speaking, her dear friend, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was in Washington staffing committees with dysfunctional oddballs and partisan extremists. Meanwhile, in Sinemas home state, the defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate was in her third month of claiming to be the rightful ruler of Arizona.

A US senator announcing that she has become an independent  while retaining her Democratic committee assignments  is akin to the left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys declaring that he has grown tired of the long twilight struggle against the Green Bay Packers and henceforth will roam the gridiron as an independent  while still lining up with the Cowboys.

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Say what? As political scientist and multi-party enthusiast Lee Drutman writes: True independence in our partisan system is a fantasy.

There simply are no independents in Congress. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialist from Vermont, caucuses with Democrats and runs for president in Democratic primaries. If Sanders could find some other grumpy Democratic Socialists to party with, they would probably caucus with the Democrats, too.

Angus King of Maine is the other Senate independent. King is an independent because  well, I dont really know, do you? King voted the Joe Biden line 98% of the time in the last Congress. Independence seems to be a carryover from Kings long-ago tenure as Maines nonaligned governor. In the legislature, the label seems just a function of inertia.

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By contrast, Kings Maine colleague, Susan Collins, has remained a loyal Republican throughout the GOPs Trump-era descent. That cant be easy. And Collins has done it while voting with Biden 67% of the time. In an analysis of bipartisan bona fides, Collins ranked second in the Senate in bipartisanship in 2021. King ranked 20th.

Sinema tied her newfound independence to her abhorrence of partisanship. In an essay last month in the Arizona Republic, Sinema wrote: Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress. Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating.

Sinemas familiar lament portrays bipartisanship as the opposite of partisanship. The former is good; the latter very, very bad.

In the Senate, bipartisanship is usually essential due to the filibuster, the Senate rule that requires 60 votes for most legislation. At the same time, the Senate is organized as a partisan endeavor. Little happens there, from committee hearings to floor debates and the scheduling of votes, without the blessing of the majoritys leadership.

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If bipartisan legislation passes Congress, its not because partisanship has been set aside. Its because the partisan leaders in both houses deemed it substantively or politically beneficial  and some members of the minority party agreed. Bipartisanship isnt the opposite of partisanship; like everything else in Congress, its a byproduct of it.

Sinemas departure from the Democratic Party was preceded by news that she and Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina had crafted a bipartisan proposal on immigration, one of Congresss most consistent and consequential policy failures. Their modest proposal, which would have bolstered resources for processing migrants while putting a couple million Dreamers on a path to citizenship, failed. Why? Because the partisan leader of Senate Republicans wanted it to fail, and the partisan leader of Senate Democrats was OK with that. If you want a bipartisan accomplishment, youd best get partisan buy-in.

Sinema is eager to be seen as centrist. But some of the biggest bipartisan actors are also some of the most admired and reviled partisan icons. Senator Edward Kennedy was considered a political maestro for enticing conservatives  Utah Republican Orrin Hatch was a frequent ally  into legislative partnership. Has there been a more partisan name, or more polarizing politician, than Ted Kennedy? It turns out that being good at politics, and caring deeply about particular policies, is more important to political achievement than occupying perceived middle ground.

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What is Sinema passionate about? Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, no slouch at leveraging opposition to her own party or angling for notoriety, pointed out that in announcing her big move, Sinema didnt offer a single concrete value or policy she believes in. She lays out no goals for Arizonans, no vision, no commitments.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a project of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, scores legislators for effectiveness across 15 metrics. The list of the top 10 House Democrats in the 116th Congress, which ended in 2021, is dominated by liberals, not moderates. In the Senate, Marco Rubio of Florida, hardly a partisan wallflower, was rated the top Republican.

Both King and Sanders travel in the political slipstream of the Democratic Party. That appears to be the formula that Sinema has in mind as well, with the hope that, like King and Sanders, she can fend off a Democratic challenge. But unlike King and Sanders, she does not have strong Democratic support. And Arizona Republicans appear to have little use for her. Heading into her 2024 re-election campaign, the first-term senator appears to have made a mess for herself.

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Sinemas act may play well in Davos, which places a high value on theater. But in real-life Washington, true independence sometimes results from true miscalculation.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Sinemas Decision Matters Mostly to Arizona: Matthew Yglesias

 Sinema Misses the Point About Party Politics: Jonathan Bernstein

 Democrats Should Be Thanking Sinema and Manchin: Karl Smith

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Francis Wilkinson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering U.S. politics and policy. Previously, he was an editor for the Week, a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist.

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For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, people in China can travel freely for Lunar New Year, the countrys most important holiday. The annual ritual of family reunion usually involves billions of trips, but those were sharply curtailed over the past three years as the government urged people to celebrate where you are to avoid spreading the virus. The abrupt lifting of the countrys strict Covid Zero policy at the end of 2022 has already led to a huge wave of new infections. The question now is how much of an impact the massive migration will have on the outbreak  as well as the already fragile economy.

1. Whats Lunar New Year?

Also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, it marks the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar, and is seen as celebrating values like unity and family ties. By law people in China get seven days off beginning New Years Eve, which falls on Jan. 21 this year. Traditionally, the celebrations span 16 days, from a family feast on New Years Eve through the Lantern Festival on Day 15. Many migrant workers seize whats often their only chance in the year to return home, and many of the countrys urban elites also make their way back to small towns and villages. Before the pandemic the annual event was considered the worlds biggest human migration.

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2. What will travel look like this year?

Its expected to be no-holds barred as the government has jettisoned travel curbs: No more testing to board trains, planes, ferries or shuttle buses for domestic travel; no more quarantine for inbound travelers. Officials estimate the number of trips over the holiday period will hit 2.1 billion  double that of last year, but still just 70% of the level seen in 2019. (The travel rush  known as Chunyun in Chinese, or spring transport  covers 40 days around the Lunar New Year; some 34.7 million domestic trips were made on the first day this year, Jan. 7.) Previously, when travel was officially discouraged, many people stayed put, which created tremendous pent-up demand for homecomings. This year is expected to see not only people swarming out of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, but also the Chinese diaspora rushing in from near and far. Hong Kong set a daily quota of 60,000 people to travel to the mainland, which was then raised for land crossings. (In comparison, AAA estimated 113 million people in the US traveled from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2, closing in on pre-pandemic numbers.)

3. How will this impact Covid spread in China?

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Xu Chengguang, the vice transport minister, put it bluntly: this will be a New Years travel rush fraught with uncertainty, complexity and challenges. Chinas abrupt ditching of strict Covid controls in December fueled a surge of infections in major cities, prompting people to stay home as they fell ill or feared becoming infected. Almost 60,000 people died from Covid-related causes between Dec. 8 and Jan. 12, according to the National Health Commission. While thats an exponential jump from the previous official tally, experts estimate the true figure is likely in the hundreds of thousands. As many as 248 million people, or nearly 18% of the population, likely contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December, Bloomberg News has reported. The frenetic travel will give the highly contagious omicron variant another boost across the vast country of 1.4 billion. Rural China is bracing for a tsunami of infections at its understaffed and under-resourced hospitals and clinics. Many are already struggling with a sudden spike in febrile patients and pneumonia cases among the elderly.

4. What is the government doing?

Transport authorities are adding more flights and transport options to ferry not just people but also medical supplies, grains and fuel to handle expected higher demand ahead. The countrys vast rail network has boosted its passenger capacity by 11% from 2019 levels. The government also has made a plea to migrant workers and students to delay their trip back home if they are infected. It also asked villagers and farmers to reduce gatherings and wear masks when visiting elderly relatives and to practice good hygiene. Neighbors should also look after each other in this difficult time, sharing medicines and antiseptics or helping with groceries and sending the sick to hospitals. Chinas National Health Commission has also asked larger hospitals in cities to help out rural clinics and called for strengthening the mechanisms to transfer severely ill patients in rural areas to intensive care at higher-level medical institutions. It also pledged to redirect more medical supplies to rural areas and urged people to get vaccinated.

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5. What does this mean for tourism?

Domestic leisure travel is first in line to get a boost, as people recovering from a bout of Covid are looking to ski down snow-capped mountains in northern China and bathe in the sunshine down south in Hainan, known as Chinas Hawaii, and shop at the islands duty-free stores. The Lunar New Year has traditionally been a peak season for outbound travel as well, but the flow of Chinese tourists  previously a $280 billion spending force in hotspots from Paris to Tokyo  will take months if not years to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Numerous countries have implemented testing requirements on travelers from China after infections surged, and airlines have been reluctant to immediately make major changes to their flight schedules, meaning capacity remains tight and prices high.

6. And the broader economy?

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Consumption was a main drag on the economy last year as shops and restaurants were shut repeatedly and travel was restricted due to Covid outbreaks and lockdowns. Chinese households also cut back on spending to save more amid soaring unemployment and a gloomy income outlook. Now that the country has abruptly dropped the Covid-Zero strategy and started reopening its borders, economists broadly expect consumption to rebound robustly later this year after infections peak, helped by a low comparison base but also as pent-up demand is unleashed and economic activity picks up. Chinese leaders have made boosting domestic demand a top priority this year, as geopolitical tensions remain while concerns rise that the global economy could enter recession. Some government-linked analysts have called on the authorities to provide cash handouts to consumers like what the US and other countries did to spur spending, while others argue more favorable policies should be given to small businesses and the property sector to preserve jobs.

7. Whats this years animal sign?

Its the year of the rabbit. While normally considered a tame and tender animal, this years commemorative stamp issued by China Post has stirred up controversy, with some people saying the rabbit looks crazed or worse.

--With assistance from Michelle Fay Cortez.

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A Discord group member shares information on the man behind the leak. (Whitney Shefte, Jon Gerberg/The Post)

In interviews with a member of the Discord group where intelligence documents were shared, The Post learned details of the alleged leaker.
With about a month to go before the Feb. 21 Wisconsin Supreme Court primary, fundraising totals from the second half of 2022 suggest emerging leaders in each of the partisan camps.

Liberal candidate Janet Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, raised over $750,000 between July and the end of December last year, more than all of the other candidates combined during that period. Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell, the other liberal candidate, raised a little over $115,000.

The conservative candidates trail Protasiewicz in gathering money, but they both launched their campaigns well into the reporting period.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow, who announced her bid in early December, raised almost $307,000 between then and the end of the year. Thats nearly the same amount that former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, who launched his campaign in early September, raised in the last four months of 2022  about $312,000.

Protasiewicz (pronounced pro-tuh-SAY-witz) had nearly $735,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period, also more than all of the other candidates combined. She spent about $185,000 in that time.

Mitchell had just over $72,000 at the end of the period after spending just under $72,000 in that period. Dorow had around $283,000 after spending just under $24,000, while Kelly had $276,000 after spending just over $52,000.

The two candidates who receive the most votes in February will advance to the April 4 general election. The winning candidate in that election will replace Justice Patience Roggensack, a member of the courts current 4-3 conservative majority.

State Supreme Court races are nominally nonpartisan, but they are run in an intensely partisan fashion, with political parties and outside groups spending large sums to back their preferred candidates.

Because the spring election is nonpartisan, its not necessarily the case that one candidate from each camp will advance to the April 4 election. Rather, the top two vote-getters in next months primary, no matter what ideology they may embrace, will advance to the general election.

With the courts ideological balance up for grabs, the candidate elected in April will likely play a decisive role in upcoming cases, including ones that could address the legality of Wisconsins near-complete 1849 abortion ban, fights over legislative redistricting and the power of the executive branch in administering laws.
Santa Fe: Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, prosecutors have said, citing a criminal disregard for safety.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western Rust.

Alec Baldwin and the Rust set where the fatal shooting occured. Credit: AP

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on October 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun, has signed an agreement to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, the district attorneys office said.
The lone Democratic candidate running to fill a Republican-leaning state Senate seat has so far outraised her GOP challengers leading up to an April special election that could give Republicans a veto-proof majority in the 33-member chamber.

Jodi Habush Sinykin, of Whitefish Bay, will run unopposed in the Feb. 21 Democratic primary for the 8th Senate District, which was previously held by longtime Republican Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills.

Habush Sinykin raised just over $40,000 between Dec. 7, when she announced her candidacy, and the end of last month. Of that, just shy of $30,000 came from individual donations, while the remainder came from committees, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

Several Republicans are also running for the seat. They will meet in the Feb. 21 spring primary, with the winner likely facing Habush Sinykin on the April 4 ballot, which also includes several local elections and a high-stakes race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that will determine whether conservatives or liberals hold a crucial majority on the high court.

State Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, raised more than $9,000 in individual donations between Oct. 25 and Dec. 31. He also raised about $13,000 from committee transfers and put $10,000 of his own funds into his campaign.

Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, raised about $8,700 from individuals and another $3,000 in committee transfers between Oct. 25 and the end of December.

Thiensville Village President Van Mobley is also on the ballot.

Despite the fundraising advantage, Habush Sinykin faces some historical challenges in the upcoming election. A Democrat has not held the seat since 1992, when Darling won the district, but several communities encompassing Milwaukee, including those in the 8th Senate District, have seen their GOP margins trending downward over the years.

The 8th Senate District is located north of Milwaukee and includes portions of Whitefish Bay, Brown Deer, Cedarburg, Grafton, Menomonee Falls and Germantown.

Knodl has served in the Assembly since 2009. He launched his campaign on Dec. 1, about a week after Darling announced her plans to retire.

Brandtjen joined the race weeks after Assembly Republicans voted in a closed meeting to bar Brandtjen from participating in the chambers GOP closed caucus.

Brandtjen later lost her position as chair of the Assembly Elections Committee after using her position as committee chair for the past year to provide a platform to conspiracy theorists and deniers of the results of Wisconsins 2020 presidential election, despite multiple reviews, recounts and court decisions affirming that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in the state by about 21,000 votes.

Brandtjen was first elected to the Assembly in 2014 and spent eight years as a Waukesha County supervisor.

If a Republican wins the 8th Senate District seat, the GOP would secure a two-thirds majority in the chamber. Republicans are two seats short of a two-thirds majority in the state Assembly. Both chambers need supermajorities in order to successfully override a governors veto.

Elections 101: Video series explains how elections are carried out in Wisconsin The Wisconsin Elections Commission put together the following series of instructional videos and accompanying lesson plans for use in high school civics classes and the general public. Elections overview An overview of elections administration in Wisconsin. Voting Security Let's take a look at how we maintain security and integrity with all of our elections. Nuts and bolts The ins-and-outs of voter processes like registering to vote and requesting a ballot to vote absentee. A Day at the Polls See what it is like to go to the polls and vote.
Canada funded support through the WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme to the National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) to advance their Single Window Environment (SWE). This initiative aimed at modernizing the Single Window (SW) system in collaboration with stakeholders to increase efficiency, facilitate international trade, contribute to the fight against corruption and promote integrity, in line with the Reform and Modernization key factor of the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration.

The five-day workshop was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 9 to 13 January 2023 and brought together 18 SENAE officials and 8 representatives from three border control agencies. In addition, 11 participants connected remotely from different parts of the country and fully interacted with the rest of the team over the week, demonstrating a successful application of a hybrid approach to the WCOs delivery of technical assistance and capacity building. The WCO Facilitators and a Pre-Accredited Expert led the sessions, transferring knowledge on building a modern and efficient SWE and sharing examples of best practices.

In particular, participants undertook practical exercises for detecting corruption risks in an SWE, using the WCO Data Model (DM) and business process analysis. The attendees very well received these hands-on exercises. The WCO DM Application was used by the participants, including those who were participating remotely, to learn how to map a process which enabled them to have a better understanding of Customs data-sharing approaches.

During the closing remarks, the Deputy Director General of SENAE thanked the WCO for contributing to their modernization process. The WCO Facilitators acknowledged the active participation, insightful comments and engagement of all participants, pointing out that one of the guiding principles of the A-CIP Programme is Collective Action.

For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.
Close to a dozen Democratic state senators have called on the chambers Republican leader to remove Robert Spindell Jr. from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, citing the Republicans comments praising GOP efforts he said are responsible for depressing minority voter turnout in Milwaukee.

The call for Spindells removal from the six-member bipartisan commission follows similar demands for his resignation by Democratic members of the agency. Voces de la Frontera, an advocacy group for immigrants, and Milwaukee-based Black Leaders Organizing for Communities have also condemned the former Milwaukee election officials comments.

I just want the Republican Party and Bob Spindell to know that communities of color are not stupid, and we are not desperate, Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, told reporters at a Wednesday press conference.

In the famous words of Maya Angelou, When someone shows you who they are, believe them. And I want Republicans to know that communities of color know exactly who they are, and we believe what we see.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, reappointed Spindell to another five-year term on the commission in April 2021. LeMahieus spokesperson, Michael Pyritz, said the majority leader had no comment Wednesday.

Spindell, who was one of 10 Republicans to sign official-looking documents in late 2020 seeking to hand the states Electoral College votes to President Donald Trump, wrote in an email, first reported by Urban Milwaukee, that Republicans can be especially proud of lowered turnout in Milwaukee during the 2022 election, with the major reduction happening in the overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas.

Spindell told The Associated Press last week his email was an attempt to detail positive steps Republicans took to counter the Democratic message in Milwaukee. Spindell said that was a result of a well thought out multi-faceted plan that included recruiting strong Republican candidates and efforts to boost them, and a presence on Black talk radio shows along with Biting Black Radio Negative Commercials.

Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, said the effort referenced by Spindell hearkens back to the darkest days of Jim Crow. She called on LeMahieu to remove Spindell from the commission and replace him with a person of integrity and impartiality who will serve the voters of Wisconsin well.

Spindell has also been the subject of several ongoing lawsuits related to his and nine other Republicans decision to falsely attest Donald Trump won Wisconsins 2020 presidential election.

In May, a handful of Democrats, represented by Law Forward, filed a lawsuit alleging that the 10 Republicans and the two attorneys who advised them broke several criminal and civil laws  including counterfeiting public records, illegally interfering with official procedures, defrauding the public and engaging in conspiracy  when they met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign documents asserting that Trump won the state.

The lawsuit seeks more than $2.4 million in damages, including $2,000 fines for the Republicans and their attorneys, and up to $200,000 in punitive damages for each plaintiff. Plaintiffs in the case include lawfully elected Wisconsin electors Khary Penebaker and Mary Arnold, as well as Bonnie Joseph, who is listed in court documents as someone who objects to Defendants unlawful interference in Wisconsins participation in the Electoral College.

The meeting of Republicans occurred following advice from attorneys with close ties to Trump. Documents have underscored efforts by those in Trumps inner circle to circumvent the Electoral College process in several states, including Wisconsin, following the 2020 election, despite recounts and court decisions affirming that Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes.

The Republicans have said the meeting was to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election. The meeting took place on the same day the states Democratic slate of electors convened, also at the Capitol, to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to Biden. It also occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election and a month after Wisconsin county clerks canvassed the presidential election results.
GOEPEL electronic Opens Branch Office in Malaysia Published: 19 January 2023 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes

JENA, GERMANY  At the beginning of the new year 2023 GOPEL electronic GmbH opened a subsidiary in Malaysia. This means another decisive step towards establishing Embedded JTAG Solutions on the dynamic Asian market.

Lester Tseng was appointed as Sales and Support Manager. He has an excellent knowledge of the local market. The new office is located in the strategic city of Penang, providing short distances to potential prospects and customers.

"As a globally operating company, it is part of our self-image to also focus more on the opportunities of the Southeast Asian market," explains Thomas Wenzel, co-founder and Managing Director of the Boundary Scan Division at GOEPEL electronic. "With the new office in Malaysia, we will be able to better support our large local customer base as well as further develop the entire Southeast Asian region in the long term," he adds.

Lester Tseng adds, "I am excited to open our regional office here in Penang. This will allow us to better support our existing customer base and provide our best-in-class solutions to the ever-expanding entire Southeast Asian region."

GOPEL electronic develops and manufactures innovative electrical and optical measuring and testing technology as well as test and inspection systems for electronic components, assembled printed circuit boards as well as industrial electronics and automotive electronic systems. GOEPEL electronic is divided into four business units:

Automotive Test Solutions

Embedded JTAG Solutions

Inspection Solutions AOI-AXI-SPI-IVS

Industrial Function Test

and is active worldwide with its own subsidiaries and distributors. The company generated sales of approximately 40 million euros in 2022 with about 230 employees.

Further information: www.goepel.com
Two businesses in David City recently marked progress with ribbon-cutting ceremonies held by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.

Buresh Catering and Meats, 1339 38 Road in David City, opened its new location the last week in December. The family-owned business can now be found a new 15,000-square-foot facility located off Highway 15 just outside of David City.

Scott Buresh, a co-owner of the business, said their store originated in their garage. They opened a location in Columbus in 2021 and around the same time, announced that a new building would be constructed near David City.

That store (in Columbus) is getting to the point where it's just meeting its capacity, we're going to have to do something there within a year's time, Buresh said. The home store, people were still coming to us in the droves. But, we knew we had to do something.

They purchased the land the new building sits on about two years ago, he added. Buresh said the project was divine intervention.

We signed the papers, made a down payment and within a month's time, the cost of the steel building itself doubled, Buresh said. We got in at the right time, otherwise we might not have done this, everything kind of fell into line for us.

Of course, the main focus of the business is meat. Their new digs allow them to have an expanded inventory.

We've got some other fillers that go with it, some cheese, some sausages. Beef, pork, chickens our mainstay, but then weve got sauce and cheeses and then we've got some other things like jerkies and snack sticks, Buresh said, noting they also offer dry goods.

The community support has been great, he said.

Everybody's happy to see that we're open. They were glad that we had the old store but they're happier now to see this store with a bigger variety, Buresh said. With the type of purchasing that we do by wholesaling, it gives us bigger buying power now to have a bigger facility. Usually along with that comes better prices. And then we share  the reduced price with our customers.

Eventually, there will be a small bakery inside the business.

We won't do any frying in here, because it would require us to put in a lot more equipment and a fire suppression system, Buresh said. Right now it's just going to be baked goods for the most part  cinnamon rolls, Danish rolls, sweet rolls, kolaches, cookies, bars, breads, buns, things like that once we get kind of going with it. But it could be a couple, three months down the road before we get that done.

Buresh said the bakery will be run by him and his wife. He added his youngest daughter is a junior in college working on her food science degree. When she graduates, hopefully she will come back and run the bakery full-time, he said.

The enterprise is a true family business. Between their two stores, Buresh said, six of their seven children are involved in the business. Two of Bureshs sons and their wives are also co-owners.

Buresh said the business brings their family together and they are able to see their grandchildren all the time. Notably, the new store has a designated family room.

Buresh said there has been interest in expanding Buresh Catering and Meats to other parts of Nebraska, but there are no immediate plans for that.

Right now we're concentrating on this and our Columbus site, Buresh said. Not saying that's not in the future, but weve got things weve got to take care of now.

Holloway Electric LLC, 594 N. Seventh St., is also celebrating continued success in David City.

Owner Andrew Holloway said he started the business in May 2021.

A David City resident, Holloway said the business consists of him, his wife and three workers. They provide a variety of services, he said, and they plan on selling generators in the future.

Just general electrical work  residential, commercial, industrial, Holloway said. We do a lot of work mostly in Platte County and then try to pick up quite a bit around here, service locally.

Recently, the siding and gutters were redone at their building, a new window was installed in the front.

Things have been going well so far, Holloway noted.

We're pretty busy, Holloway said. We try to do a lot around here and in David city as much as we can, whenever we get calls. I kind of venture out and try to take care of more  commercial stuff.
NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists

...ELEVATED RISK OF WILDFIRE SPREAD THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING... A combination of low relative humidity, westerly breezes, and dry fine fuels will lead to an elevated risk for fire spread with any potential fire starts Thursday afternoon and evening across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the eastern shores of Maryland. Minimum relative humidity values this afternoon will range from 22 to 26 percent across the region. Winds will be somewhat lighter and not as gusty as the past couple of days. However, this afternoon into early evening west winds will still be sustained 8 to 12 mph, and a brief gust to 20 mph cannot be ruled out. Fine fuels in the form of dry or dead vegetation will be quite dry as well, and conducive to fire starts and fairly quick fire spread. This is particularly true in areas that have not received hardly any rainfall in the last 10 days, across much of Pennsylvania to northern and central New Jersey. Residents are urged to exercise caution if handling any potential ignition source, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches. Be sure to properly discard all smoking materials. Any dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter that ignite will have the potential to spread fire quickly. For more information about wildfire danger, burn restrictions, and wildfire prevention and eduction, please visit your state's forestry or environmental protection website.
READING, Pa.  The Berks County Board of Elections on Thursday voted to approve and submit a report for the states Election Integrity Grant Program.

First Assistant County Solicitor Cody Kaufman explained that ACT 88 requires counties to submit a report to the state within 90 days after an election outlining how ACT 88 money was spent for the previous election.

We have identified the expenses that we spent using Act 88 money, Kauffman said. So far, the total amount that we've expended is $418,863.55. Those expenses include the printing of ballots, training costs for our poll workers, payment of staff at the polling places on Election Day, the secure transportation of our voting machines to the precincts and the cost of BCTV to ensure the security and transparency of centralized pre-canvassing and canvassing.

Chief Operations Officer Kevin S. Barnhardt said the county was conservative at reporting the expenses, but moving forward, will look at identifying all eligible expenses to realize the full potential of the ACT 88 dollars.

County Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach called ACT 88 the one piece of true election reform that has occurred since 2020.

What this did was to eliminate any outside money coming to counties to help with elections and in place of that, provided budgeted money for counties that only can be utilized in very specific areas, Leinbach said.

This only became law last year and the first election it impacted was the general election of 2022.

In other business, the board voted to turn over a potential case of voter registration fraud to the district attorney for investigation.

Kauffman said an individual (who he did not wish to identify) came to the county with an election card he received which changed his political party.

The staff and election services pulled the various voter registration applications that were submitted for this individual and in October of 2022 of this past year, there were voter registration applications submitted for this individual which registered a party different than the party that this individual was previously registered for, Kauffman said.

Upon further review Kauffman said it appeared an unknown individual submitted the application in the name of the complainant.

The Voter Registration Act specifically criminalizes anybody would intentionally impersonate another in an application for registration, Kauffman explained. Further, as we've discussed in previous meetings, the voter registration application itself contains a sworn affirmation that this information is accurate and makes the information subject to perjury.

I think this absolutely needs to be investigated by the DA to the best of their ability to try and determine who did this, Leinbach said. It may take some forensic skill in handwriting because the handwriting seems dramatically different.
TILDEN TWP., Pa. - Police in Tilden Township are looking for two men they say intentionally dumped hazardous liquids in a local Walmart.

On January 14, two men entered the store in the 1800 block of Tilden Ridge Drive around 7:30 p.m. and proceeded through the premises.

According to investigators, one of the men acquired chemical items, including motor oil and bleach, and dumped them all over the floors of the business, creating a hazardous condition for employees and customers.

The second man followed him around the store as he committed the vandalism.

Police describe the first as a white male wearing sweatpants and a white Macungie Police K9 hooded sweatshirt.

The second is also a white male in black pants and a black Snap-on hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information on their identities should contact Tilden Police Department at (610) 562-9001, crimetips@tildentownship.com or anonymously to Crime Alert Berks at (877) 373-9913.
HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. - A teenager suspected of robbing a bank in Berks County took his own life when police arrived at his home to serve a search warrant, authorities say.

State troopers went to the home on Tulpehocken Forge Road in Heidelberg Township around 2 p.m. Wednesday in reference to an armed bank robbery in Womelsdorf on Tuesday, state police said.

When troopers arrived, they heard a gunshot from inside the home and called the special emergency response team. The situation then turned into an hours-long barricade scene.

When police got inside Wednesday evening, they found a 16-year-old dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said the county coroner and state police.

Authorities are not releasing the teen's name, but said he was the suspect in the robbery at Fulton Bank on Conrad Weiser Parkway Tuesday afternoon.

A robber went in the bank with a rifle, demanded money and fired a shot in the direction of the teller, police said. The person then took off by car.

The county coroner's office has ruled the teen's death a suicide.
Columbus residents and travelers will see the start of the 23rd Street reconstruction within the next few months.

During its regular meeting on Jan. 16, the Columbus City Council heard an update from City Engineer Rick Bogus on the 23rd Street reconstruction project.

The multi-year, Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) project involves complete reconstruction of 23rd Street from just east of East 11th Avenue to 31st Avenue. The city is involved as the local public agency for the project.

NDOT is aware the streets reconstruction will be a headache for those traveling through Columbus, Bogus said, and is taking additional steps to keep the public informed. This includes, he said, holding another public information open house that will be announced at the beginning of February, a designated website that will provide information (similar to the one for the Lincoln South Beltway) which will also be placed on the citys website and the contractor is required to have a public relations person whose job is communicate with the different entities involved.

The reconstruction will be completed in three segments from east to west, with general construction beginning with the westbound lanes followed by the eastbound lanes.

According to a memo, the traffic restrictions for the first segment  from east of East 11th Avenue to 16th Avenue  will start in mid-March 2023 and is estimated to end in late November.

The second segment, from 16th Avenue to about 24th Avenue, is set to start in early March 2024 and estimated to end in late November 2024.

The last portion, from 24th Avenue to 31st Avenue, is expected to begin in early March 2025 and end in late October 2025.

They'll provide one lane of traffic through all these projects, and then wherever they can, if possible, at major intersections they'll have left hand turn lanes. Its not going to be practical everywhere but where they can they will, Bogus said. Theyll have temporary traffic signals up where they do. They're really put a lot of effort into trying to get the traffic to go through Columbus.

There are also alternate route signs up that will hopefully help with traffic congestion once construction is underway, he added.

In other business, the council approved a resolution accepting a $15,000 grant from the Columbus Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which City Administrator Tara Vasicek noted will go towards improvements in Frankfort Square.

In a memo, Planning and Economic Development Coordinator Jean Van Iperen said the city applied for the grant this past September, asking for $5,000 to help cover the cost of the mural planned to be painted on the backside of the stage in the square; $4,000 to purchase a new sound system; and $6,000 for picnic tables.

These improvements were suggested in the downtown revitalization plan presented to the city council last month.

The mural will provide a background for social media photos for people who visit the downtown, as well as provide a visual stimulus, Van Iperen said, while the sound system will make it easier for attendees to hear performances going in at Frankfort.

The tables will be placed on concrete pads and be strategically located throughout the park, Van Iperen said in the memo. The tables will enable patrons to have lunch in the park, visit with friends and family as well as allow small gatherings such as birthday parties, baby showers, etc.

The total estimated cost of the projects is $37,397, with the city paying the remaining $22,397, which has been budgeted this fiscal year.

Additionally, the Columbus Senior Center is set to receive a new entryway. The council approved plans and going out for bids for the renovation of the centers entrance.

The new entrance is planned to be built west of the current one. A memo states the work will include constructing an entry vestibule, entry lighting, a sidewalk heating element, exterior walk and ramp and other work. The new entry is expected to provide an easier and safer access into the building, as well as a larger vestibule that wont be facing north during bad weather.

The project is estimated at $170,000, with the city budgeting $100,000 for it. The city has received a $35,000 grant from the Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation for the project, and the senior center board and FRC Housing LLC pledging funding for it. FRC Housing owns and operates the senior housing units in the Columbus Family Resource Center.

The Columbus City Council also approved:

Putting out a request for proposals for concession services at Gerrard Park. Parks and recreation staff have been running the stand but have trouble finding enough personnel for it, a memo stated. It was noted during the meeting that the concession services at other parks are run by organizations and Gerrard Park came under the citys management last year.

Awarding a bid in the amount of $3,587,259.25 to Gehring Construction and Ready Mix of Columbus for street improvement district 189, which is 48th Avenue from 23rd Street to Bradshaw Park, as well as concrete improvements for 2023.
WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. - Habitat for Humanity's "ReStore" in Lehigh County is celebrating a special birthday.

Thursday marks 10 years since the store first opened in Whitehall Township. The ReStore sells a variety of new and used building materials, appliances, and furniture.

Employees and customers celebrated the big 1-0 with games, a prize wheel, and, of course, cake.

Money from sales at the store goes toward affordable housing in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

"All the proceeds from our store go toward that mission of building homes, so, I tell people every day, the more sales we do in the store, the more homes we build," said ReStore Director David Wagar.

Since it first opened in 2013, the ReStore has helped build more than 130 homes in the area.

Wagar says they have about a dozen more in progress right now.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Search warrants served in Washington state at Bryan Kohberger's apartment and office were unsealed by a judge Wednesday.

Stained bedding, strands that appeared to be hair, and a nitrate-type black glove are among the things investigators took from Kohberger's apartment at Washington State University. They didn't collect any weapons there.

Police also took receipts from Walmart and Marshalls, a vacuum, a strand of what looked like animal hair, a fire TV stick, and a computer tower.

"They're looking for trace evidence and any transfers that would originate out the crime scene that Mr. Kohberger might have brought with him," said Brad Maskell, a retired Idaho major crimes detective sergeant.

Nothing was taken from Kohberger's office at the school.

This all comes as new reports are emerging daily about the Idaho killings suspect, and his possible links to the four college students.

Among the latest: People saying he repeatedly messaged a victim on Instagram. The magazine reports a source familiar to the investigation says messages saying "hey, how are you" went unanswered.

"He kept sending more and more DMs," said Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist and trial expert witness following the case.

"What's really chilling about that is that's exactly what he did to his main crush in junior high school or high school, who became a cheerleader. There have been reports about her, where she talked about him pestering her."

Another article by the New York Times says Kohberger felt no emotion and little remorse as a teen growing up in the Poconos.

"The first thing that his teenage posts say to me is that he was extremely disturbed by the time he was already a teenager," said Dr. Lieberman.

"Both sides, when these tips or leaks come out, will take a look at them," said Dave Leroy, the former Idaho attorney general and lieutenant governor and a practicing criminal defense attorney.

"It's almost impossible to tell at this early date, what might be critical. Remember, the prosecution does not have to prove motive."

"When I've had large cases here in Idaho, oftentimes, the judge will issue a gag order simply because of the magnitude of interest," said Maskell. "You want to protect that information that's close to the case."

Maskell worked on the notorious Joseph Duncan case; he's a convicted serial killer who also studied criminal justice.

"When I saw Brian Kohberger his picture in the news, I was immediately stunned. There seemed to be an eerie resemblance to Joseph Duncan," said Maskell. "Mr. Duncan did surveil the home that he was targeting. He covered his face."

Because of how much the public knows about Kohberger, "I would expect Kohberger's attorney to ask for a change of venue," said Dr. Lieberman.

"Juries are told to disregard anything that they have seen or heard in the media. It's really very hard for people to put things out of their mind, because they may think they're doing that, they may make a conscientious effort to do that, but in the end, they may not remember where they got a certain piece of information."

"The prosecution and the defense can ask for additional time," said Leroy. "The defense has, however, the right to a speedy trial, and that includes a jury trial within six months to the time this case gets to the district court. The defendant is presumed innocent, and one of the commitments that Idaho has, and which I believe we will be able to discharge and deliver upon, will be to give this man a fair trial."
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh University President Joseph J. Helble, in a letter to the community Thursday, said the off-campus assault of a Black student last fall was not racially motivated.

"For all of our students, and especially our students of color following this incident, we want to underscore that your safety and well-being are our highest priority," Helble said.

Over the past several weeks, the Lehigh University Police Department has worked with the Bethlehem Police Department, the lead investigating agency in the case, as they conducted their investigation, according to the letter.

As a result of the investigation, the incident was determined not to be a racially motivated assault; however, there was a physical fight in which racist language was directed at the student who reported the incident to the police, according to the letter.

The university says it has been in continued contact with the student, who is doing well.

No charges have been filed by either the student or the other individuals, according to the letter.

The university said the incident suggests it does not indicate a safety concern for students.

"It does, however, remind us we have work to do to achieve an equitable society. At Lehigh, our aim is to foster a sense of belonging and an environment where every student is not only safe on our campus and feels they belong but also can thrive. As we begin a new semester, I want to express my continued commitment to providing such an environment where discrimination and racism, hate, and violence, have no home," Helble said.
EASTON, Pa. - Northampton County Council will gather Thursday night for its regularly scheduled meeting, but will not vote on anything.

Council's agenda was not posted 24 hours in advance of the meeting as required by the Sunshine Act, the Pennsylvania law governing open meetings. That omission was pointed out Wednesday evening by blogger Bernie O'Hare. O'Hare is a former lawyer who keeps tabs on the goings-on in Northampton County's government center.

After consulting Chris Spadoni, council's lawyer, the decision was made Thursday morning to not vote on issues.

The meeting itself was advertised in advance along with a public hearing on a lease, so council can show up at the government center in Easton at 6:30 p.m. and discuss the lease for a magistrate's office in Wind Gap and anything else it wants to talk about. But, it will not vote.

Council Clerk Linda Zembo said a late issue on Wednesday afternoon came up, and the full council meeting agenda was overlooked.

"It was just an accident," she said Thursday. "We had an issue come up right before the 4 p.m. meeting for (council's personnel committee) and it got overlooked."

Zembo said that Spadoni decided that as long as council did not vote, it was not in violation of the open meetings rules.

The agenda is light anyway, with a routine lease approval and several appointments by County Executive Lamont McClure to boards and commissions. McClure appoints members, subject to the approval of council. The appointments usually sail through the process.

Any votes that were to be held at this meeting will be held at council's next full session, Feb. 2.

The public hearing on the lease of the magistrate's office in Wind Gap will proceed, just without a vote, and other business includes McClure's appointments and District Attorney Terrence Houck's request to change a personnel classification.

The council meeting will be held on the third floor of the government center and broadcast via the county's Youtube channel.
WASHINGTON - There is debt ceiling drama, as the U.S. government has hit its borrowing limit. Lawmakers can't agree on a path forward.

This isn't just Washington's problem. The consequences could be costly on many levels.

Because the U.S. runs on budget deficits it must borrow huge amounts of money to pay its bills. The Treasury Department said it can basically shift $986 billion between now and June 5, mostly federal employee retirement benefits, to keep our government open.

According to the Constitution, Congress must authorize more borrowing. If June 6 comes and it doesn't, fears are a national and global financial crisis will arrive with summer.

"The good faith and credit of the federal government to issue debt, through Treasury bonds, and other federal, economic measures. It really rests on the idea that the federal government is good for it, right? That they'll pay for it," said Muhlenberg College Political Science Professor Chris Borick.

He says the safety and security of that allows markets to function and is a big reason why the U.S. dollar is such a valued international currency.

So if the federal government would say it's not taking on any more debt, like raising the debt ceiling beyond the current $31.4-trillion limit, a once rock-solid customer that pays its bills on time is no longer considered reliable.

"And when that happens it starts to affect all kinds of things. The willingness of banks to loan money, the rates that they will loan it, by the availability of currency," Borick added.

Which could impact everything from getting a home mortgage to a car loan, to potentially affecting Social Security payments, veterans' benefits, and federal employees' salaries.

Some fear a global recession that could cause millions to lose their jobs.

"You could create the conditions within the economy to cause lots of pain for everyday Americans," Borick went on to say.

In 1917, during World War I, Congress created the debt ceiling with the Second Liberty Bond Act, allowing the Treasury to not ask permission when it needed to issue bonds to pay a specific bill.

However, the President and Congress must agree on raising it. There have been roughly 80 deals to do so since the 1960's.

In 2011 fears of not raising the debt limit caused the first-ever downgrade in the U.S. credit rating, which caused stock markets to fall.

If a deal is reached, the money taken from those federal retirement accounts will be restored.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Recently unsealed search warrants for Bryan Kohberger's apartment and office in Washington state prompt the question: could the warrant for his family's home in Pennsylvania go public, too?

A Washington judge unsealed the pair of search warrants for Bryan Kohberger's apartment and office. That's because a prosecutor filed a motion; it argues a lot of the information in those documents was already released via the affidavit that went public when the Idaho killings suspect was extradited from the Poconos.

A gag order remains in place preventing anyone involved from discussing the case, though we may learn more before the June preliminary hearing.

Kohberger's Pennsylvania public defender Jason Labar told 69 News sealed search warrants unseal after 60 days from when they were signed, unless a motion is filed earlier. That means the search warrants for Kohberger's parents' Chestnuthill Township home may be unsealed at the end of February or early March.

69 News is waiting to hear back from the Monroe County District Attorney's Office to find out if any motions are in the works.

"Items like hairs, fibers, blood evidence, blood transfers, etc.," Brad Maskell, a retired Idaho major crimes detective sergeant, describes what law enforcement is seeking when conducting these warrants in relation to homicide suspects.

Among the items taken in Washington were strands of hair, potential animal hair (significant because a victims' dog was present during the attacks), a black synthetic-type glove, a vacuum dust container, a computer, a Fire TV stick and Walmart and Marshalls receipts.

Authorities also seized two cuttings from an uncased pillow with a reddish/brown stain and a stained mattress cover.

"If they went into the apartment, and they found red stains, and those turn out to be blood from the victims themselves, that's direct evidence that directly connects him to the crime scene in Idaho, and in my world, that is a complete high-five moment," said Maskell. "When you find something like that, that energizes things."

Law enforcement was also looking for shoes with diamond pattern soles and a knife, neither of which were listed as items taken.

It could be weeks until we find out if they were located in Pennsylvania.
EFFORT, Pa. - A Monroe County man who admitted to distributing drugs that resulted in a man's death has learned his sentence.

Matthew Luce, a/k/a Luck, 36, of Effort, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

The DOJ says he was also sentenced to more than 15 years in prison on a separate drug trafficking conspiracy case. The two sentences will run concurrently.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on February 6, 2021, Luce distributed fentanyl, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old Clinton, New Jersey man.

Luce was also responsible, between November 26, 2020 until the date of his arrest on February 23, 2021, for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of heroin, according to the DOJ.

Luce had previously pleaded guilty to both charges.
NORRISTOWN, Pa.  Thursday morning, for the first time since 2016, Dr. Valerie Arkoosh did not have a place at the table for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Arkoosh resigned her position as commission chair Jan. 17, and will join the administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as head of the state Department of Human Services.

Kenneth Lawrence, commission vice chair, assumes the position of interim chair. He explained that the Montgomery County Board of Common Pleas "has begun the process to name a replacement commissioner to finish commissioner Arkooshs term." He said the court is accepting applications from interested candidates through Jan. 23. The process is dictated by state law and county code.

"Anyone who wished to apply or learn more about the position can go to our website for additional details," Lawrence noted.

Black History Month

Lawrence also announced that February is Black History Month in Montgomery County. Three virtual panel discussions will take place on the first three Wednesdays of the month from noon to 1:30 p.m., he said.

The panel discussion topics will include housing and homelessness; education, financial information and employment; and law enforcement, policing, community advocacy, and organizing.

He also said that, for the first time in several years, there will be an in-person celebration to complete the series. It will take place the last Wednesday of the month at the Human Services Center, Norristown, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lawrence added, "The in-person celebration will include live performances followed by lunch."

Tourism and convention presentation

A team of executives from the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board made their annual State of Tourism presentation.

"We're happy to report that the state of tourism is very robust, compared to where it was a few years ago," said Mike Bowman, president and CEO. "In 2021, $1.4 billion was generated in positive income and more than 17,000 jobs."

Leisure travel picked up in 2022, but business travel has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, Jake Markezin, vice president of operations, told the commissioners. He predicts a full recovery for business travel in 2024, while the county's hotels can expect nearly $270 million in room rentals.

Director of Sales Scott Higgins said 1.8 million room nights were sold in 2022 in Montgomery County's 83 hotels. He added that in 2023 the bureau would place a heavy focus on attracting more business meetings from life sciences companies which now comprise 63% of the bookings for corporate meetings.

2040 comprehensive plan

Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, Montgomery County planning section chief, delivered the annual implementation report of the Montco 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

The three key themes of the plan, she said, are to develop connected communities, sustainable places and a vibrant economy. Leavitt-Gruberger then covered dozens of projects that have been completed to date, and gave a short overview of projects that will be implemented in 2023.

Commissioner Joseph Gale congratulated Leavitt-Gruberger for preserving eight farms in 2022.

"To preserve the farmland that we have is very important," he noted, "and it's a credit to you and your team in accomplishing that."

Other news

A K-9 memorial service, lead by Montgomery County Sheriff Sean Kilkenny, was held to honor the memory of police canine Bikkel, who passed away in December 2022.

Kilkenny noted that after Bikkel died, he received countless emails, calls and cards from police chiefs around the county who had used the dog's services over the past decade. Bikkel's canine handler, Deputy Sean Forsyth, was also honored by the commissioners.

The commissioners approved a resolution for the commitment of $1.3 million for the Farmland Preservation Program in 2023. In response to a question from commissioner Lawrence, Leavitt-Gruberger said Montgomery County has 185 preserved farms with approximately 10,400 acres.
ABINGTON TWP., Pa. - Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced Wednesday afternoon that a woman is under arrest, accused of killing her parents.

Verity Beck, 49, faces first and third-degree murder charges, according to a news release from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

Investigators believe she killed her 72- and 73-year-old parents at a home on the 1100 block of Beverly Road in the Jenkintown section of Abington Township.

A chainsaw was found near one of the bodies, and both bodies were in various stages of dismemberment, the DA's office said.

Both of their bodies were found in their home with gunshot wounds to the head. The cause of death was ruled a homicide.

The DA's office says several firearms were recovered from the home.

Beck is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Abington Detectives at 267-536-1100, option #4.
WASHINGTON -Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ said Wednesday he was appointed to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for the 118th Congress.

Kean represents New Jersey's 7th District, which consists of all of Hunterdon and Warren counties, and parts of Morris, Somerset, and Union counties.

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs is the authorizing committee for matters related to United States foreign policy. The committee considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community, including the State Department, the Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps, the United Nations, and the enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act.

The committee also has jurisdiction over matters that intersect with American foreign policy ranging from international aid relief, enforcement of human rights sanctions and standards, oversight of military deployments and presidential war powers, and international law and treaties.

I am pleased the House Republican Steering Committee recommended Congressman Kean to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul. I look forward to working with him to accomplish our foreign policy goals and protect Americas interests abroad.

Now more than ever, we need strength to confront the many challenges that the United States and our allies face across the globe. I look forward to working with Chairman McCaul and Committee members on both sides of the aisle to achieve our foreign policy goals and protect vital U.S. interests abroad, Kean said in a prepared statement.

While studying history at Dartmouth College, Kean participated in an exchange program which granted him the opportunity to travel to Budapest, Hungary, and the Soviet Union for four months in 1988, according to a news release from Kean's office.

Kean previously served as a member of the New Jersey-Israel Commission while in the NJ State Senate.
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A New Cumberland woman was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for cyberstalking, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

District Court Judge Jennifer Wilson sentenced Amy Kruleski, 40, on Wednesday.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard Karam, Kruleski admitted to harassing and intimidating two people in May 2018 through electronic communication.

Karam said that over three days, she made numerous phone calls to the two people, pretending to be a family member and claiming to have been kidnapped. During the phone calls, Kruleski claimed she had been drugged, beaten and sexually assaulted.

Law enforcement was able to confirm relatively quickly that the person Kruleski was pretending to be was not kidnapped and was safe, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.
There's a new unique party bus making the rounds in North Carolina.

A pair of first responders turned an old fire truck into a new business.

Terry Whitaker and Dakota Andrews are firefighters in Asheville, North Carolina, and now they have a new business venture, after turning a retired fire truck into a party bus that you can rent.

Dakota and Terry's project started with a tanker truck, which they bought from a local fire department.

Over the span of eight weeks, they transformed it into a party-mobile.

Now it has room for up to 14 riders, with speakers so you can play music, lights and coolers for refreshments.

The firefighters say they've also used their other skills as first responders while out and about.

"We've stopped several times in different tours to kind of handle situations that's arose, came up throughout the city," said Whitaker.

"It just gives us a chance to interact with the public in a completely different atmosphere," Andrews said.

The "Hot Zone Party Fire Engine" has been running for about 6 months, and they already have plans for a second fire engine, so they'll have a party fleet you can rent.

Safety is important aboard the party bus. The benches on top of the fire truck have seatbelts. Dakota and Terry say that while there's no law people have to use them, they highly recommend it.
The new artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre has been unveiled.

Justin Audibert will take over the role from Daniel Evans, when, later this year, Evans heads to Stratford-upon-Avon to begin his tenure as co-artistic director of the RSC alongside Tamara Harvey.

Audibert, currently artistic director at the Unicorn Theatre in London  a post he has held since 2019  will take up the post in July 2023, working alongside executive director Kathy Bourne. He has also directed a variety of productions as a freelance director, including The Taming of the Shrew at the RSC and The Jumper Factory at the Young Vic and in prisons across the UK.

Audibert said today: "I am so excited to be joining Kathy Bourne and the wonderful team at Chichester Festival Theatre. It is an organisation that creates brilliant, innovative productions with inspirational artists that delight audiences in Chichester, across the UK and around the world. In addition to the magic that is created on its stages is the ground-breaking work CFT does in communities through their Learning, Education and Participation department. Being able to combine those two huge passions of mine and lead such a dynamic team makes this my dream job, and I am honoured to have been appointed the new artistic director by Mark [Foster, chair of the theatre] and the trustees.

"Whilst this is a wonderful opportunity for me it is, of course, tinged with the sadness of leaving the Unicorn Theatre. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to the entire team at the Unicorn who have given and taught me so much. It is a unique and joyful organisation and I look forward to cheering it on and watching it grow and thrive under my successor.

"Lastly, on a personal note, Chichester holds a very special place in my heart. As a child we used to holiday in this beautiful area and I have a deep abiding affection for the stunning countryside and friendly people of West Sussex. I cannot wait to get to know them better as we create the next chapter in Chichester Festival Theatre's illustrious history."

Bourne added: "Justin's shared understanding that our work off stage for all members of our community and young people stands equal with our outstanding work on stage, aligns perfectly with CFT's vision and values.

"His verve and dynamism are a great fit for CFT and will ensure that we continue to deliver ambitious, exciting work of the highest quality. I'm so looking forward to welcoming him to the team at Chichester."
This year's BAFTA nominations have been unveiled.

The film version of Matilda the Musical picked up two nominations  for Outstanding British Film and make-up and hair, following its release in UK cinemas in November.

Writer and director Martin McDonagh (The Pillowman) saw a deluge of praise for his new film The Banshees of Inisherin, which picked up ten nominations, while the big-screen adaptation of Samuel D Hunter's The Whale picked up four nominations.

Paul Mescal, currently on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire, was nominated for Leading Actor in the gendered performance categories. Director Sam Mendes picked up three nominations for new film Empire of Light.

The Film Awards will take place on Sunday 19 February (a week after the WhatsOnStage Awards) and will be broadcast at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and around the world.

What's more  Sheila Atim (Constellations) and Aimee Lou Wood (set to appear in Cabaret from next month) also picked up Rising Star nominations.
WASHINGTON  The most far-right House Republicans, early opponents of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and even embattled new Rep. George Santos all are in line for coveted committee assignments.

Some, like Rep. Scott Perry who represents Pennsylvanias 10th District that includes part of Cumberland County, are set to serve on the committee investigating President Joe Bidens administration.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona will get to serve on committees now that Republicans have dislodged Democrats from the majority. When Democrats were in charge, both lawmakers were booted from their assignments for being too extreme.

Santos, who has acknowledged lying to New York voters about his past, has picked up two committee assignments.

The full House Republican conference must ratify the recommendations, but that generally is a formality.

A look at who went where in the new House.

Oversight committee notables

Perry, chairman of ultra-conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus, retained his seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and added a new assignment: the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Boy, do I have some questions, said Perry, about his role on that investigative committee.

Perry has continuously disputed the validity of Bidens 2020 victory in Pennsylvania. The committee investigating the Capitol riot referred him to the House Ethics Committee, along with McCarthy, Biggs and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, for defying subpoenas seeking their testimony.

The House panel alleged that Perry, a leader of efforts to object to the 2020 presidential election results, sought a pardon from former President Donald Trump to protect him from prosecution. Perry has also been linked to connecting Trump with Jeffrey Clark, an official in the Department of Justice who supported Trumps efforts, according to testimony and documents obtained by the committee. Perry has acknowledged that connection in the past.

The addition of Perry, Lauren Boebert, Greene and Gosar to the House Oversight and Accountability presents challenges for Republicans who will need to show a strong measure of seriousness and even-handedness over the coming months to ensure credibility with voters about their findings. Those lawmakers are among Trumps strongest allies in the House and are known for their inflammatory political discourse.

The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, called members of his committee an all-star lineup ready to hit the ground running and go to bat for the American people.

White House spokesman Ian Sams said that with these members joining the Oversight Committee, it appears that House Republicans may be setting the stage for divorced-from-reality political stunts, instead of engaging in bipartisan work on behalf of the American people.

Greene, Gosar back on committees

Two years ago, Democrats under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted just weeks into the last Congress to remove Greene from both her committees. It was an extraordinary punishment that Democrats said she had earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Eleven Republicans joined 219 Democrats in backing Greenes ejection from her committees.

This week, a GOP panel that selects most of the committee leaders and hands out committee assignments recommended that Greene serve on two important committees: Homeland Security and House Oversight and Accountability.

Greene, who is now one of McCarthys fiercest supporters, had embraced an array of conspiracy theories before winning election in 2020. For example, in November 2018, she talked about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, referring to a so-called plane that crashed into the Pentagon. She also liked a January 2019 Facebook post that called for a bullet to the head of Pelosi.

McCarthy, R-Calif., argued that the majority party in the House should not dictate how the minority disciplines its members. He described the removal of Greenes committee assignments as a partisan power grab. Greene, who often trolls Democrats on social media, has said Biden should resign.

Joe Biden, be prepared. We are going to uncover every corrupt business dealing, every foreign entanglement, every abuse of power, and every check cut for The Big Guy, Greene said.

Gosar lost his committee assignments in late 2021 after posting an animated video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., with a sword. Democrats said the video was a clear threat to a lawmakers life, and they argued that Gosars conduct would not be tolerated in any other workplace  and shouldnt be in Congress.

The vote to censure Gosar and remove him from his House committee assignments was approved almost entirely along party lines. Then-Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois were the only Republicans voting in favor.

Gosar will return to the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, his assignments before the punishment.

Santos to science and small business

State and local Republican leaders in New York have called on Santos to resign after lying to voters about his resume and family heritage. Santos says hes staying and McCarthy has taken the position that the voters will have the final say in the matter in 2024, when Santos would be up for reelection.

Republicans have such a slim House majority that even losing one Republican seat makes it that much tougher to pass legislation. Santos represents a Long Island-based district that could flip to Democrats in a special election.

Santos will serve on two lower-profile committees: the House Small Business Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

McCarthys detractors

A core group of Republicans who opposed McCarthy for speaker but ultimately changed their votes to present, allowing him to prevail in the 15th round, got their committee assignments.

Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Matt Gaetz of Florida will remain on the House Judiciary Committee. Biggs also returns to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona, in his first term, was recommended for the House Homeland Security Committee, where he says he will fiercely combat the disaster at our border. He also will be on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee.

Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana will return to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Boebert of Colorado will serve on that committee as well as the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, where Republicans will look into the business dealings of Hunter Biden in an attempt to find any connection to the president.
BOISE, Idaho  Investigators seized stained bedding, strands of what looked like hair and a single glove  but no weapon  when they searched the Washington state apartment of a graduate student charged with stabbing four University of Idaho students to death, according to newly unsealed court documents.

The search warrant for Bryan Kohberger s home and Washington State University office was unsealed by a Washington state judge on Tuesday. Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in connection with the Nov. 13, 2022, slayings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in the neighboring town of Moscow, Idaho.

Investigators did not find anything noteworthy in Kohbergers office at WSU, where he was a teaching assistant and graduate student studying criminology. They took 15 things from his on-campus apartment, including a nitrite-type black glove, cuttings from a pillow with a reddish-brown stain, and a stained mattress cover.

The Washington State University Police Department searched the apartment Dec. 30, the same day Kohberger was arrested at his parents home in eastern Pennsylvania.

After Kohberger was extradited to Idaho, documents filed in the murder case showed that police found the sheath of a large knife near one of the victims. The knife itself was nowhere to be found.

Investigators did not seize any weapon from Kohbergers apartment, according to the search warrant. They did take several strands of possible hair, including one identified as a possible animal hair strand. They also took some store receipts, a tag from a company that makes coveralls and other work apparel, and two store receipts. The dust bin from a vacuum cleaner, a computer tower and a Fire TV stick were collected as well.

In the application for the search warrant, Moscow Police Sgt. Dustin Baker said investigators were seeking several kinds of potential evidence, including images of the stabbing victims or their home, data that might indicate an interest in planning murders or violence, anything with DNA and dark clothing and knives.

The court documents do not reveal if the items collected from Kohbergers home contained any evidence related to the murder case.

Kohberger has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea, and Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall has placed the attorneys and other people involved with the case under a gag order.

Kohberger is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing  where the judge will decide if there is enough evidence to justify the felony charges  on June 26.
Sandra McFarland of Mt. Juliet received a most unusual but timely text from a Lebanon funeral home last week.

The message from Stacy Neuble, owner of Neuble Funeral Home, read: Good morning. Uncle Petes Truck Stop owner called. They have a watch with your dads name on it. He knew we buried him, and he knew he was in the military and was employed at his job over 25 years.

McFarlands father, who served in the Korean War in the Army Signal Corps as a lineman, died April 9, 2021.

On the back of the 18-karat gold Bulova timepiece were inscribed the words James M. McFarland. In appreciation of 25 years of loyal service. Continental Telephone Corporation 1980.

My father worked for Tennessee Telephone Company in Mt. Juliet. He was the first African American to work there, said McFarland, sharing that after his death some of his possessions disappeared from his house including the watch. I had his ball cap with the Korean War logo and his Army dog tags, and now Ive got his watch.

Uncle Petes Truck Stop waitress Tammy Gonzalez spied the watch the second week of January at Haven House Thrift Store in Lebanon.

Im a thrifter. I love going to thrift stores. Its my second hobby, confessed Gonzalez, a fishing enthusiast. I saw the watch and asked them to let me see it, and I recognized the name McFarland because I used to wait on them at Sunset Restaurant. I told them I knew that family. So, I bought it and showed it to Pete (Pete Norman, proprietor of the truck stop) and Pete found them.

After getting McFarlands phone number from Neuble, Norman, the commander of American Legion Post 15 in Lebanon, called and told her she had her fathers watch in his hands.

I knew him from his being in the American Legion, said Norman.

As for her initial reaction from his phone call, McFarland said, I was kind of taken back and numb for a minute. Of course, the tears started flowing. It was very emotional. I was a wreck.

The following afternoon at the truck stop, Norman and Gonzalez placed the watch back in McFarlands hands, and she responded with hugs of appreciation.

My father was proud to be a U.S. Army veteran and proud to have worked at his job at Tennessee Telephone Company for almost 30 years as a lineman. I have a shadow box that I have his picture and his dog tags in and now this. Its just one of those instances that God worked out and was meant to be, she said.
Wisconsin is host to a plethora of spaces that represent the relationship between humans and their environments, from the petroglyphs at Roche-A-Cri State Park to the Aztalan Village at Aztalan State Park. Some 1,000 years of Native American culture, art and history can be appreciated alongside towering trees and sprawling plains.

In Necedah, there lies the largest and most significant intact mound complex in the upper Midwest.

Thanks to previous landowners, most of (the mounds) are preserved in that area, said Jon Robaidek, the property manager and ecologist at the Cranberry Creek Native American Mound group. Were out there to protect and preserve them.

The state Department of Natural Resources recently identified Cranberry Creek as needing high-priority habitat restoration work, awarding it permanent funding from the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund this year. The grant supports ecological restoration on Wisconsins state-managed public lands and is built through donations made by those purchasing a hunting or fishing license.

According to the DNR, the funding will be critical to protecting the mounds while Cranberry Creeks crew maintain the natural areas landscape.

The 675 acre-area is an ancient American Indian burial mound site. It contains prime examples of linear, oval, conical and effigy mounds built by Native Americans. Humans first inhabited Wisconsin about 12,000 years ago, and the use of burial mounds arose from 500 BC to 1000 AD during the Woodland period. Bear and panther mounds can be seen at Cranberry Creek as well as a 50-foot bird effigy mound with a wingspan of 125 feet.

While farming has damaged parts of the northern mound cluster, the southern section remains well preserved. Over 300 mounds exist on the site.

It is considered a sacred spot. You shouldnt tread on these mounds. We only do it for management in terms of trying to control brush, Robaidek said.

The site is home to a diverse array of natural communities featuring large river birch trees and silver and red maples. An old-growth northern dry forest and an open pine-oak forest are also contained in the heavily forested area.

Cranberry Creek Mound Group was designated a state natural area in 1986. Robaidek has been tending to the mound group since before 2000, long before he became a property manager in 2014. He manages state natural areas in seven counties throughout the Central Sands Region of Wisconsin.

Robaidek stated that so far, the site has been maintained manually by removing brush and trees through hand-cutting and utilizing chemicals to keep plants from re-sprouting.

Trees, when they do get older, tend to fall over and crash down, and theyll impact soil that way. Were protecting these mounds by removing some of those trees that are hazardous to it, he said.

With help from Cherish Wisconsin, Robaidek hopes they can get Cranberry Creek to a point where the area can be maintained through prescribed fires.

He assured that burnings wouldnt harm the mounds. Afterall, these structures have survived hundreds of years of weather and prairie fires that were once instrumental in maintaining Wisconsins natural ecosystem.

Normally, fires would go through here on a regular basis, and it would have been more open back when they built the mounds, Robaidek explained. (Prescribed fire) would not only protect the mounds, but put a natural community back were killing two birds with one stone.

Fire wont be coming to the area anytime soon though. Preparation will need to be made to ensure that the fire can burn safely and effectively, without threatening the creeks surroundings. Funding from the Cherish Wisconsin grant will be essential as Robaidek and his crew work to put in permanent firebreaks  strips of fire-resistant vegetation or bare ground that slows the spread of fire.

For those interested in seeing the upper Midwests largest mound group, Robaidek recommends taking some precautions. The natural area isnt a park; there are no signs or trails guiding guests to the mounds. Tours are offered occasionally. For information on how to explore Cranberry Creek, Robaidek suggests contacting him at Jon.robaidek@wisconsin.gov.

It is something that is really neat and unique in the area. A lot of other places have mounds, but maybe just one mound here, or a grouping of four or five, he said. We have a lot of examples of these in large groupings. I guess its something youd have to see for yourself.
A Wisconsin man has been charged in Columbia County after allegedly taking $10,000 from a Wisconsin Dells couple. He is also facing felony charges of theft by contractor in multiple counties around the state.

Court documents allege the man and his wife were engaging in unethical business practices by depositing customer checks into a business account and then depositing the money into a personal account.

Tyler D. Hansen, 51, Fort Atkinson, is facing one felony count of theft by contractor, between $10,000 and $100,000, after a victim reported he never completed a home improvement project in Wisconsin Dells.

Hansen appeared in court via video from the county jail on Tuesday for his initial appearance. Judge Troy Cross set his cash bond at $10,000 after district attorney Brenda Yaskal argued that a signature would not be substantial, citing bail jumping charges Hansen is facing in another county.

If found guilty Hansen could face up to five years in prison followed by five years of extended supervision and a potential fine of $25,000.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Columbia County on Jan. 17:

In June 2022 Columbia County Sheriff Officers were dispatched to a home in Wisconsin Dells. The victim said they had entered into a contract with Ecoview, a Madison-based company, but the home improvement work was never completed. The victim told officers they had given the company just over $10,000 as the first half of the total estimated project cost.

A sheriffs officer identified Tyler Hansen as the owner of Ecoview with his wife. The couple own a number of these types of companies including one called Weathersealed.

During the investigation the victim explained Hansen had agreed to do siding on the home. The total quote was $20,045 and Hansen asked the victim for half the quote as a deposit for the project. A contract was signed in April 2021.

After the victim was told it would take up to six weeks for the materials to arrive, Hansen began making excuses about why the work had not begun. A year later, the siding arrived but it was the wrong siding.

The complaint states a detective spoke with Hansens wife Jennifer Hansen. She allegedly admitted that she and her husband had been engaging in unethical business practices. She said they had eight different companies and would deposit checks into a business account.

Jennifer Hansen allegedly admitted that the money would be taken out of the business account and put into a safe deposit box or a personal bank account to prevent customers from asking for a refund.

She told officers she cleared the cash from the safe deposit box after Tyler Hansen was charged with contractor fraud in Dane County.

When Tyler Hansen spoke with officers he allegedly admitted to using money from the business account to pay his monthly child support costs. He admitted to never completing the siding job in the Dells and used the money to buy a childs bed and other non-business expenses.

The complaint outlines other open cases for which Hansen is facing contractor fraud charges. It includes two open felony cases in Dane County and one in Green Lake County. The complaint shows that a state agency is investigating Hansen and his wife Jennifers LLCs in cases of contractor fraud in 16 Wisconsin counties.
UW Health saw more than 40 children a month who needed psychiatric care last year, up from about 15 children a month a decade earlier, the organization said Thursday.

Children are showing up every day in perilous circumstances, Dr. Allie Hurst, medical director of pediatric emergency medicine with UW Health Kids, said in a statement.

Children younger than 14 years old had the highest increase in psychiatric visits over the last four years, Hurst said. The rate for children 14 to 17 has been stable since 2018. The visits involve suicidal ideation, drug or alcohol intoxication or overdose.

A similar situation is being seen in other states, according to a recent article in the journal Pediatrics, which said hospital emergency visits related to suicide increased 59% in Illinois from 2016 to 2021.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death of children ages 10 to 14 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The increase in ER visits comes amid a decadelong increase in anxiety and depression among adolescents, said Shanda Wells, a pediatric behavioral health specialist at UW Health.

Things like poverty, sexual orientation, gender identity and racism are factors at play, Wells said. Other long-standing impacts on youth mental health like loneliness and hopelessness also play big roles in risk for suicide.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted the relationship-making phase of many young peoples lives, which is important for preventing feelings of loneliness and hopelessness, Wells said.

In addition, When young people are exposed to death by suicide of those close to them, they are at risk to struggle with the same feelings that make them also vulnerable to suicide, Wells said.

People experiencing suicidal thoughts, anxiety or depression can call 988 for the national hotline or contact local agencies, such as the Dane County Behavioral Health Resource Center, at 608-267-2244 or danebhrc.org, or the Journey Mental Health Crisis Line, at 608-280-2600 or journeymhc.org.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republicans who have preached for years against growing the size of government are facing a dilemma after Gov. Mike Parson unveiled a spending plan that pumps billions of dollars into education, child care and road building.

But, the leader of the GOP-controlled Senate sounded a positive note Thursday that the governors call for increased spending could nonetheless move forward in the Legislatures upper chamber.

This is an opportunity were not going to have many, many times, said Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

Under Parsons budget plan, the state would spend $50 billion in the fiscal year beginning July 1. And, even with his proposed flood of spending, the state would end the year with an estimated $4 billion surplus just a year after lawmakers and Parson cut state income tax rates.

Its good to know you can cut taxes and still have a growing and vibrant economy and have some money to do some good stuff, Rowden said. Its always better to have money to spend than not.

The governor wants to pump $859 million into widening parts of Interstate 70, including a traffic-clogged stretch between Wentzville and Warrenton.

He proposed a $700 million outlay to public schools that includes $233 million for school districts to use for transportation costs. Schools also would get a $117 million boost in the school funding formula. Another $56 million would go to preschool programs for low-income children.

He also wants to create a rainy day fund for schools worth $250 million that would gird against potential revenue drops in future years.

The states public colleges and universities also would see a 7% increase in state aid and more than $272 million to help with campus building projects.

Parson also wants lawmakers to give state employees an 8.7% raise to stop workers from leaving for the private sector. He also is asking for a $2 an hour raise for employees who are working overnight hours.

Parson, who has made workforce development and education top priorities, also wants to boost a subsidy that helps people afford child care by $78.5 million, bringing total spending on child care to $800 million.

The plan was praised by Democrats, who said it was notable that Parson did not spend time in his speech discussing Republican talking points like critical race theory or transgender athletes.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, suggested that the governor is playing catch-up after years of underfunding key areas of state government like worker pay, maternal mortality and teacher salaries.

Current Republican ideas are 10-year-old Democrat ideas, Rizzo said.

The large outlays of money, however, could run into opposition from GOP conservatives, he said.

Hes going to have a lot more trouble from his own party, Rizzo said.

Rowden said the investments in state programs outlined by Parson dont need to be viewed through a partisan lens.

Its not supposed to be partisan to fix roads. Its not supposed to be partisan to make sure we have adequate opportunities for kids. Its not supposed to be partisan to make sure were not ranking near the bottom in maternal mortality, Rowden said.

Were going to take a good, hard look at what the governor is proposing. We want to be sensible about that and not just grow government at an alarming rate that certainly most of us are not in favor of, Rowden added.

In the House, Republican leaders also offered support.

We are committed to working with the governor to find commonsense, fiscally responsible solutions that create safer communities, give our children the educational opportunities they need to become successful, productive adults, and invest in critical infrastructure improvements that will position our state for sustained growth, they said in a statement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua)  President Xi Jinping on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke with medical workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village via video link.

Xi wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups healthy and happy lives in the Year of the Rabbit and expressed his hope that the country will enjoy prosperity and the people live in a safe and peaceful nation.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 22.

Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang  who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee  were also present during the virtual talks.

Speaking with medical workers and an elderly patient at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Xi said that facing this latest wave of COVID-19 infections, medical workers have worked long hours under heavy pressure and with an excessive workload to treat patients.

Acknowledging their great contributions to protecting people's lives and health, Xi extended festive greetings to medical workers across the country.

"We have now entered a new phase of COVID-19 response. Tough challenges remain, but the light of hope is right in front of us. Perseverance means victory," he said.

The country had made "the right choice" to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic with strict measures over the past nearly three years, Xi said, adding that China has thus withstood several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations.

China has lowered the proportion of severe cases and the case fatality rate to the greatest extent possible, protected people's lives and health, and bought precious time for the later moves to optimize response and downgrade the management of COVID-19, Xi said.

The focus of the current COVID-19 response has shifted from infection prevention to medical treatment, with protecting people's health and preventing severe cases being the priority, said Xi, noting that hospitals are now undertaking more arduous tasks.

Xi demanded efforts to increase medical resources and the supply of medical services and drugs, and to prepare for medical treatment of severe cases in particular.

While talking via video link with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, on the same day, Xi said stricter epidemic prevention and health management measures should be taken at nursing homes and welfare facilities to prevent clusters of infection, as older people are the top priority in the current COVID-19 response stage.

As China's population aging is becoming more prominent, Xi called for the proactive development of elderly care programs and industries, state-run elderly care institutions and more affordable elderly care services.

Special efforts should be made to guarantee the provision of elderly care services for those most in need, including people with financial difficulties, of advanced age or unable to care for themselves, he said.

During another virtual talk, Xi stressed the importance of stable energy supply and price.

"Energy security concerns the overall economic and social development of our country. It is one of the most important security issues," Xi told employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Noting that winter is the peak season for energy use in China, Xi said that no efforts should be spared to ensure the supply of coal, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, and to keep their prices stable.

He stressed the importance of being fully prepared to deal with possible extreme cold waves, guaranteeing energy supply and ensuring people stay warm this winter.

Noting the important role of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government, Xi asked them to make all-out efforts to increase output and ensure supply to meet the energy consumption needs of economic and social development.

Located in the Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang, the Tarim oilfield of the China National Petroleum Corporation is a major natural gas source for the country's West-to-East gas pipelines. It provides natural gas for residents in southern Xinjiang and provinces, regions and municipalities along the pipelines.

Through video link, Xi extended his festival greetings to passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station  one of China's largest high-speed railway stations  in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, and talked with passengers on the station platform.

He asked the passengers if they were heading back home for family reunions or out traveling and reminded them of safety awareness during their trips.

Xi underscored the importance of the Spring Festival travel to people's immediate interests, economic development, and social stability.

He said this year's Spring Festival travel rush is the first after the country entered a new phase of COVID response, with a major recovery of passenger flows. He urged efforts to ensure safe and sound trips for the people and smooth and orderly flows of essential supplies.

Xi called for efforts to strengthen the monitoring and early warning of extreme weather conditions and carry out safety overhauls to prevent major safety accidents.

Xi demanded strict implementation of anti-COVID measures to reduce infection risks to the minimum.

Xi also extended his holiday greetings to vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing.

To his delight, Xi heard that the food price was stable and the provision of various produce was sufficient.

Xi urged the wholesale market to expand its suppliers and the diversity of products, maintain good quality, and step up food safety examination and market management.

Xi stressed redoubled efforts to ensure sound production, sale, and supply of essential commodities such as grain, edible oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables.

A smooth delivery, sufficient and diversified provisions, and the stable market price of these commodities should be guaranteed during the holiday so that people can have a happy and sound Chinese New Year, Xi said.

Speaking with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Xi called on them to strive for common prosperity to make their lives better.

Shiyi Village is one of the villages rebuilt after being heavily stricken by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

Xi extended festive greetings to the villagers and tourists, and he also sent Spring Festival wishes to all rural residents across China and those working hard on the frontline in the country's rural revitalization cause.

He asked local officials and tourists about the village's tourism. Hearing positive feedback, Xi stressed the role of agricultural specialties and rural tourism in the rural revitalization of the new era.

Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its COVID-19 response measures.

Xi stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas, and ensure the health of rural residents and their normal running of work and life to the maximum extent possible.

At the end of the virtual talks, Xi delivered an important speech.

"As we greet the Spring Festival, I care more about my fellow people and officials working at the primary level," Xi said.

Xi said this year's virtual talks enabled him to speak with people from across the country. He said that he could feel the happiness and joy of the people, even from behind the screen.

"My heart is always with you all and people of all ethnic groups across the country," Xi said. "My biggest wish is that we all have a happy Spring Festival."

He ordered sound implementation of COVID response measures in the new phase and effective prevention of emergencies and accidents so that people across the country will have a joyful and safe Spring Festival.

The past year was extraordinary but not easy, Xi said. "We have overcome all kinds of difficulties and challenges, making new achievements on all fronts."

For the year ahead, Xi called for concerted efforts to make more progress and greater contributions to the country.

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao]

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Shen Hong]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang  who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee  were also present during the virtual talks. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

(Source: Xinhua)
A man hugs his grandson at a railway station in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Sunday. [Xinhua/Liu Lei]

China's population dropped last year for the first time in about six decades, heralding a period of negative growth, but experts and officials said it would not immediately affect the strength of the nation's labor force, and the labor supply situation remains positive.

They also stressed the need to roll out more robust incentive policies to encourage childbirth in order to counter the growing aging trend and avert a sudden sharp decline in population.

The country's overall population fell by 850,000 year-on-year to 1.41175 billion in 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

"The decline was primarily caused by a decrease in newborns, as well as less willingness to have babies, delays in getting married and having babies, and the shrinking population of women of childbearing age," said Kang Yi, head of the bureau.

About 9.56 million babies were born last year, down from 10.62 million in 2021. The birthrate stood at 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2022, down from 7.52 in 2021.

Both rates last year were the lowest in history, according to data from the bureau.

Meanwhile, the death rate nationwide was 7.37 per 1,000 people last year, putting the natural growth rate at negative 0.6 per 1,000 people, said the bureau.

"Negative population growth is a natural outcome of socioeconomic development, and many countries are experiencing this process," Kang said during a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

He added that the decline is expected to persist but there is no need to overstress the situation.

"The key to the demographic issue is matching the size and structure of the population with the industrial system," he said. "Currently, our labor supply still exceeds demand, and a falling population does not necessarily mean that our demographic dividend is lost."

Kang added that the country's labor quality and education level are improving and are compatible with its industrial development. "We have a positive labor supply situation," he said.

Zhang Xuying, deputy head of the China Population and Development Research Center, said that Japan and 19 European nations have grappled with population declines since 1950.

In China, the total fertility rate  the average number of children born to each woman of reproductive age  fell below the replacement level of 2.1 in 1992, which is below the minimum threshold for keeping a stable population.

This means that the momentum for negative growth has been building in China for over 30 years, Zhang said in an article released on Monday by the China Population and Development Research Center.

Officials said earlier that the fertility rate in 2020 was 1.3.

Even if the nation manages to increase and maintain the fertility rate at 2.1, negative population growth will persist due to the accumulated impact of years of low fertility, he said.

"China has a massive population and its demographic advantage is notable," he said. "There is still great potential in tapping into demographic resources to bolster economic development."

Data released by the bureau shows that China's working age population  people age 16 to 59  was about 875.6 million last year, or 62 percent of the total population.

Yuan Xin, a demography professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, said China's labor supply will remain stable in the coming years.

However, experts said intensified efforts are needed in the next few decades to incentivize childbirth, as issues ranging from an aging society to a labor shortage will likely loom large by the end of this century.

In May 2021, China announced that all couples could have three children, up from two, and rolled out a series of supportive measures to encourage childbirth. Since then, local governments have also launched a range of policies such as monthly subsidies for families with a third child.

Yuan said supportive policies aimed at encouraging childbirth should be long-standing and stable, and differences in policies between urban and rural areas, and first and third babies, should be decreased.

(Source: China Daily)
U.S. Jack Reed brought National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly C. Lowe to see Woonsockets Museum of Work & Culture on Friday. From left, Reed and Lowe are shown by Museum Director Anne Conway an interactive display on the citys mills. Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt also listens at right.
Years after the Charlottesville area lost its J. Crew store, the retailer is planning a comeback  on a smaller scale.

Workers this week have been adjusting the signage on the new J. Crew Factory storefront in Barracks Road Shopping Center, and the companys website said it is accepting applications at the new location.

A spokeswoman for Barracks Roads landlord, Federal Realty, told The Daily Progress on Thursday "an opening date is not 100% confirmed and is pending inspection" but customers can expect to visit the store in early 2023. However, according to Google Maps, which is updated by business owners, the new J. Crew Factory at Barracks Road is set to open Jan. 27.

The store will be occupying 9,000 square feet carved out of the former Nike Factory Store near the Old Navy in Barracks Road, Federal Realty told The Daily Progress. The Nike store closed in March of last year.

The J. Crew brands return to the area will be welcome news to those who mourned its departure when the J. Crew store at Fashion Square mall in Albemarle County just north of the city closed years ago.

For several years in the 2010s, New York-based J. Crew Group  the parent company of J. Crew, J. Crew Factory as well as Madewell  struggled financially before ultimately filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May of 2020. After it emerged from those proceedings in September of that year, the company announced it was well positioned for long-term growth with a reorganization plan that would see dozens of its high-end J. Crew stores close nationwide over the next three years.

J. Crew Factory stores, in the meantime, have been opening in new locations.

Traditional factory outlets were stores attached to the factories that manufactured their goods. The term eventually began to be applied to the stores that sold the damaged and excess goods produced by the factory at sharp discounts.

The J. Crew Factory brand, on the other hand, sells clothing similar in style to its parent company but at lower prices. So customers, in the retailers own words, can score the J.Crew style youve always loved at prices that cant be beat.

According to a statement from Barracks Road, the new J. Crew Factory will offer fun, classic and colorful styles for women, men and kids, and stays committed to dressing every family for any occasion  at a great value.

The store plans to hold a $250 gift card sweepstakes on its opening weekend as well as merchandise sales, Barracks Road said. Light refreshments will be available for customers.

There are seven J. Crew Factory stores, four J. Crew stores and five Madewell stores already operating in Virginia, according to J. Crew Group.

One of those Madwell stores is in the Barracks Road Shopping Center.
The Todd County Emergency Management Office posted this photo Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. It shows an explosion that happened the previous day in Guthrie, Kentucky.
Investigation into fugitive leads to three meth trafficking arrests and one assault arrest, sheriff's office says
The US Coast Guard says it is tracking a suspected Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii in international waters as heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow remain over Russian's war in Ukraine.
This weeks Buzz Bites will begin with Castle Hill Ciders success in the 2023 Good Food Awards.

Castle Hill was a finalist for three of its ciders  Dry Hopped, Silver Bough and Sunday Muse. They are among 38 ciders to achieve finalist status from a competitive field of more than 1,750 entries.

To sample the honored creations, and others in the collection, head to the tasting room from Thursday to Sunday. Learn more at www.castlehillcider.com.

Wine and pieIts customary to pour a hot cup of coffee to serve with your slices, but have you ever wondered which wines would be delicious with your favorite pies?

Head to Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery for the Wine & Pie Pairing event from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The event is $25, and Wine Club members get a 15% discount. Reserve your space by emailing mhaney@prince michel.com.

At Bonefish GrillNew seasonal dishes are available at Bonefish Grill, including Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts, which tosses Brussels sprouts in a sweet and spicy kung pao sauce and tops them with Toasted macadamia nuts and fresh cilantro.

Baja Scallop and Shrimp Scampi serves bay scallops and shrimp in a garlic scampi sauce over linguini.

Rockefeller Butterfish tops Alaskan sablefish with creamy spinach and jumbo lump crab. The fish often is compared to sea bass.

Old-Fashioned Cedar Plank Salmon features a Jim Beam honey bourbon glaze, a Bordeaux cherry gastrique and freshly grated orange zest.

Chocolate Lava Cake is topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Seasonal cocktails include the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Smoked Old-Fashioned and the Winter White Cosmo, which is topped with frozen cranberries.

Learn more at www.bonefishgrill.com.
This week has seen nauseating eulogies, throughout Australias political and media establishment, on the death of Liberal Party senator, ex-army general and ardent militarist Jim Molan. He died on Monday, aged 72, of prostate cancer.

Liberal Party Senator and ex-army general Jim Molan [Photo: Defence Department: Corporal Jason Weeding]

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Molan as a man of principle and a politician of conviction who lived his life in service of our country. Defence Minister Richard Marles declared Molan had been a fierce advocate for our nation with whom he held discussions on their shared interest in national security.

Liberal-National Opposition leader Peter Dutton hailed Molan as a patriot, a decent, honourable man. His Liberal Party deputy leader Sussan Ley said the parliament had lost an intellectual giant.

The Australians foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, labelled Molan a hero and army general turned politician. In an editorial, the Murdoch newspaper praised him as a disciplined leader and a strategic global thinker.

Molan was one of the countrys most prominent war hawks. He is notorious for his direct command role in the US devastation of Iraq, particularly the massacres and levelling of the city of Fallujah in 2004which has been buried in all the media tributes.

In ruling circles, Molan was highly valued for his long record of ruthless service to their imperialist interests, and his strident advocacy of the need to take a similar approach to military, ideological and political preparations for a frontline role in a potentially catastrophic US war against China.

He was also a key figure, among others, in the increasing militarisation of Australias political eliteone of a number of ex-military commanders elevated into parliament or high office over the past decade.

His service to Australian imperialism included being appointed as Australias military attache in Indonesia amid the 1998-99 economic crisis that ended the three-decade US-backed military dictatorship of General Suharto. Molan formed a close relationship with the brutal Kopassus (special forces) general Prabowo Subianto, Suhartos son-in-law, who is today Indonesias defence minister.

Molan was then dispatched to Indonesian-ruled East Timor, where he urged military intervention in 1999 to back Timorese secession in order to protect Australian imperialist interests in the strategic and resource-rich half island. As a military officer, Molan clearly had political connections at the highest level. According to Sheridans glowing tribute, Jim advised then prime minister John Howard over the phone that Australia should send in peacekeepers [to East Timor].

In 2004, Molan was deployed to enforce the barbaric US occupation of Iraq, where he was installed as deputy chief of operations of coalition forces. That gave him direct command over the savage suppression of Iraqis who rose up against the occupation in cities such as Fallujah, Ramadi, Tal Afar, Karbala, Najaf and Basra, as well as in the working-class suburbs of Baghdad.

Under Molans direction, the month-long siege of Fallujah became one of the most symbolic crimes of the ferocious US occupation. Until the 2003 invasion, Fallujah, home to the 300,000 people on the Euphrates River, was one of humanitys oldest continuous urban settlements, and known as the city of mosques. By the end of 2004, unknown thousands of people had been killed or had fled. The city was left a depopulated rubble. Of its 200 mosques, 60 were destroyed or damaged, along with some 39,000 homes and other buildings.

Reporters described systematic bombardments of civilian districts, the flattening of homes, the killing of injured people, and other war crimes, leaving the stench of rotting flesh. There is documented evidence of the use of illegal white phosphorous weapons. Marjorie Cohn, professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, noted that the attack began with an act contravening international law: They [US forces] stormed and occupied the Fallujah General Hospital, and have not agreed to allow doctors and ambulances to go inside the main part of the city to help the wounded, in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.

After leaving the army in 2008, Molan became a frequent media commentator. He accused US and Australian governments of not sending sufficient forces to complete the repression in Iraq. In 2009, he agitated for the deployment of up to 6,000 Australian infantry and support troops to the war in Afghanistan, so they could be blooded. Subsequently, the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments of 2007 to 2013 sent troops to participate in the Obama administrations surge in Afghanistan, which led to further war crimes.

Molan cemented his place in the Liberal Party leadership by becoming one of the designers of its anti-refugee regimeOperation Sovereign Bordersinvolving the deployment of the military shrouded in secrecy to turn back refugee boats at the cost of unknown numbers of lives. He was Prime Minister Tony Abbotts special envoy on operation sovereign borders from 2013 to 2014, boasting in 2016 that it had set a new normal that was leading the world.

For his services, Molan was rewarded with a Liberal Party seat in the Senate, which he ultimately obtained in 2018, unelected, after the sitting member Fiona Nash was disqualified from parliament as part of a nationalist witch hunt to ban anyone from standing for election if they were possibly entitled to dual citizenship.

War agitation

Molans maiden speech gave voice to the underlying nationalist and warmongering agenda. He declared that China represented a direct, imminent and existential threat to Australia. He told the Senate, we need to increase our self-reliance to manage strategic uncertainty through increased readiness, preparedness and all-round adaptability.

He continued: [A]n ascendant power, China, is challenging a status quo power, the US, in our region. While war with China or involving China is not inevitable, war had been the outcome of 12 out of 16 alleged historical cases since the 1500s of conflict between status quo and rising powers.

Molans call for self-reliance was not at odds with the intensification of the military and strategic alliance with US imperialism. Instead, Molan regarded a vast expansion of Australias military, and the overcoming of popular opposition to war, as essential to reassure Washington that Australia is a dependable and capable ally.

In May 2021, echoing similar predictions by the incoming and outgoing commanders of the US Indo-Pacific Command, admirals John Aquilino and Phil Davidson, Molan declared that a war with China was coming within three to five years. To help ratchet up the anti-China propaganda, Molan produced a book, Danger On Our Doorstep, that depicted China as a present and growing threat throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Danger on Our Doorstep by Jim Molan (2022)

Molan agitated for far greater military spending and the restructuring of the economy for war. He declared as insufficient the Morrison Coalition governments additional $270 billion investment in military hardware over 10 yearstaking total planned military spending to around $575 billion for the decade.

Such demands inevitably mean further cutting social spending to finance the war effort, militarising production and suppressing dissent. Molan insisted it was necessary to overcome anti-war sentiment. He claimed that complacency could leave the countryand the current crop of 18-19-year-olds who would have to fight the warunprepared for combat.

This campaigning meshed with that of the Biden administration, which declared its intent to win the 21st century. Biden ramped up Washingtons confrontation with China, which was initiated by the Obama administration and escalated under Trump, accusing Beijing of military aggression and human rights abuses throughout the Indo-Pacific.

This propaganda depicts China as the aggressor, when it is the US that is militarily encircling China. The Biden administration is forging new alliances against China, such as the AUKUS pact with the UK and Australia, and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, involving the US, Japan, India and Australia, while maintaining the economic sanctions imposed on China under Trump.

Molans glorification this week underscores the bipartisan nature of this agenda, which is also reflected in the broader elevation of military figures into positions of political power.

The Labor governments ranks include Peter Khalil, an ex-defence department analyst, who was deployed to Baghdad in 2003 to work with the US occupation regime, serving as the Coalition Provisional Authority director of national security policy. Another Labor Iraq war participant was Mike Kelly, a former senior military lawyer who was dispatched to Washington in 2003 as a counter-insurgency legal expert. Kelly, a Rudd-Gillard government minister, quit parliament in 2020.

On the Coalition side, Andrew Hastie, a former SAS commander in Afghanistan, is now the shadow defence minister, and voicing concern about the difficulty in recruiting youth to join the military.

At the top of the state apparatus, David Hurley, Australias current governor-general, with potential dictatorial political and military powers, is a former chief of the armed forces, as was one of his recent predecessors, Peter Cosgrove.

Since scraping into office in May, the Albanese Labor government has stepped up the commitment to US-led war operations, including in Ukraine. The NATO proxy war against Russia is seen as a precursor to goading China into a similar disastrous conflict over Taiwan or other flashpoints, such as the South China Sea.

Even as it mourned Molans departure, the Labor government reinforced its commitment by confirming the purchase of 40 US Black Hawk helicopters for $2.8 billion, and by sending 70 soldiers to train Ukrainian troops in Europe. Much more is to come in March, when the government will unveil the outcome of a military review and details of its AUKUS submarine purchases, which will cost at least $10 billion each.

Molan was a vehement advocate of the Ukraine war and openly lamented Ukraines surrender of nuclear weapons after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He also called for a much faster Australian acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

The adoration of Molan is another warning sign of preparations for conflicts that could threaten humanity with a devastating nuclear war. It underlines the necessity for students and young people to take up the fight to build an international anti-war movement. A global December 10 webinar of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality outlined the socialist perspective, based in the working class, for this struggle.
At least 14 people, including one child, have been confirmed dead on Wednesday after a helicopter carrying the top leadership of Ukraines interior ministry crashed over a kindergarten in Brovary, a town near the capital Kiev. Another 25 people were injured and hospitalized, among them 11 children. The crash occurred around 8:20 a.m. local time, as parents were dropping off their children at the kindergarten. According to Ukrainian officials, the helicopter was on its way to a hot spot on the frontline of the war. The rescue operation took almost nine hours.

All people on board the helicopter were killed, among them Ukraines Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, his first deputy Yevhen Yenin and the Ministrys State Secretary Yurii Lubkovych. Monastyrskys bodyguards and aides were also killed. In total, five officials of the Interior Ministry and one official of the National Police died in the crash. The pilot and the crew were killed as well.

Monastyrsky was the highest-ranking Ukrainian government official to have died since the beginning of the NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine in February 2022. As both Interior Minister and a member of the National Security and Defense Council, which is responsible for setting wartime goals, Monastyrsky was one of the most important figures in the military leadership and responsible for overseeing domestic security, including the police. He was a member of Zelenskys Servant of the People party and considered one of Zelenskys closest allies.

Monastyrsky, Yenin and Lubkovych all assumed their positions in the Interior Ministry in the immediate lead-up to the war in the second half of 2021, as part of a major reshuffle at the Interor Ministry that followed the resignation of Monastyrskys predecessor, Arseny Avakov. They counted among the most prominent government representatives during the war and frequently visited the troops on the frontline.

As of this writing, there has been no official explanation for the crash. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as a terrible tragedy. In an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos later that day, Zelensky appealed again for more Western military support for Ukraine and declared that there are no accidents at war time. These are all war results absolutely.

Zelensky ordered the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) to initiate a criminal investigation. The SBU is reportedly focusing on three possible causes: technical malfunction, the violation of flight rules and sabotage.

Igor Klimenko, the head of Ukraines National Police, has been appointed acting interior minister by Zelensky.

Whatever the causes of the crash, the sudden death of three of the countrys most important government officials is set to further destabilize the already tense political situation in the country and deepen Ukraines political crisis. The crash comes amidst a rapid escalation of the war against Russia by NATO and reports suggesting that Ukraine may be preparing an offensive.

Over the past few weeks, NATO has taken major steps to intensify its involvement in the war. Several countries, including Germany, are now sending tanks and other offensive weaponry to Ukraine. The US alone has delivered 210 howitzers, and Ukraine has received more than 400 self-propelled artillery pieces from Britain, Poland, Germany and the US. Last Friday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov bluntly stated in an interview with the BBC that Ukraine is a member of NATO de facto.

On Monday, leading officials of the White House, the US State Department and the Pentagon were in Kiev for discussions with Zelensky, Reznikov and other top Ukrainian officials. Among them were Wendy Sherman, the US Deputy Secretary of State; Jonathan Finer, Bidens Deputy National Security Advisor, and Colin Kahl, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon. According to the official press release, the goal of the meeting was to reaffirm the United States strong and steadfast commitment to Ukraine and its defense against Russias unprovoked aggression.

On Friday, the head of the US Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin will conduct the first in-person meeting with the Ukrainian Defense Contact group, which comprises 50 nations, at the US military base in Ramstein, Germany.

On Monday, Milley already visited a new US military training site for Ukrainian troops in Grafenwohr, Germany. According to the Associated Press, over 600 Ukrainian troops have just started receiving training from the US army there.

In the Russian press, military figures are arguing that the Russian army must be prepared for a renewed Ukrainian offensive within the next couple of weeks. Speaking to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta, retired Lieutenant General Yuri Netkachev stated, There should be no illusions that the Americans are only training one battalion of the Ukrainian army with 500 troops in Germany. Judging by comments from Mark Milley, the elite of the Ukrainian army is concentrated in Grafenwohr. These are commanders of formations, strike units, crews, IT specialists. These are the people who already by the end of February, according to the plans of the Pentagon, will be organizing future offensive actions by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Netkachev added that with the massive deliveries of heavy weaponry to Ukraine, NATO is helping Kiev to form several mechanized and motorized infantry brigades. And in general [the weapons serve] to complete the three army corps, which are now being formed in the Ukrainian armed forces for the general offensive in a few weeks. The Russian army must be prepared for this.

A recent report by the Institute for Strategic Studies noted that the Kremlin is now belatedly taking personnel mobilization, reorganization and industrial actions  steps to conduct the special military operation as a major conventional war.

Already, the NATO-led escalation of the war has significantly deepened the political crisis in Ukraine. On Tuesday, one of Zelenskys top advisers and one of the most prominent faces of the war, Oleksiy Arestovych, was forced to resign. In remarks on live television on Saturday shortly after a missile strike on the city of Dnipro, Arestovych had suggested that the Russian missile hit a residential area after being shot down by the Ukrainian air defense. Arestovychs remarks prompted bitter denunciations, including by the far right, Zelensky and the head of the Ukrainian air defense, and he was forced to publicly apologize and resign within days.

Forty-five people were reportedly killed and 79 wounded in the incident, the highest civilian casualty figures in months. The Ukrainian government has used the incident to call on NATO to further step up its deliveries of heavy weaponry. Russian officials have denied responsibility for the strike, insisting that the Russian army was not targeting civilian infrastructure.
The United States will likely announce that it is sending long-range missiles with a range of over 100 miles to Ukraine this week, US officials told Politico.

The weapons system, known as the ground-launched Small Diameter Bomb, is a rocket-launched maneuverable glide bomb with double the range of the HIMARS missiles Washington has already provided.

Seeming to confirm Politicos report, Ben Hodges, former commanding general of US Army Europe, wrote on Twitter: GLSDB (ground launched small diameter bombs) will reduce sanctuary for Russians. Life is about to start getting very uncomfortable for Russian navy, air force and ammunition handlers on Crimea, along the land bridge... and hopefully soon for repair crews on Kerch Bridge.

Hodges statement implies that the missiles would be used to attack the Crimean Peninsula.

The announcement would mark a repudiation of Bidens pledge in May that We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders, and his declaration that Were not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia.

The US is expected to announce the weapons system alongside an additional 100 Stryker and 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in a $2.6 billion weapons package, Politico and the Associated Press reported.

The announcement is expected to be made Friday at the meeting of the imperialist powers funding, arming and directing the Ukrainian military, which will be held at Americas Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.

While details are still being worked out, Poland, the US and Germany are expected to announce at the meeting the deployment of some combination of Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 main battle tanks, as well as hundreds of additional armored personnel carriers.

We believe the provision of modern tanks will significantly help and improve the Ukrainians ability to fight where they are fighting now and fight more effectively going forward, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday.

Whats really important at this point is providing Ukraine with armor capabilities, and, in particular, maneuver armor capabilities, said an unnamed defense official, according to a Department of Defense news report.

The official continued, Were looking at modern, mechanized armored capabilities. And thats why the focus on tanks, and Germany is the key to that capability.

The Pentagon claimed that the United States and its allies have already sent approximately 900 armored vehicles to Ukraine.

The expected announcement of the new long-range weapons comes as press reports indicate that the Biden administration is discussing openly endorsing a Ukrainian assault on the predominantly Russian-speaking peninsula of Crimea, which Russia has claimed as its territory since 2014.

In an article headlined, US Warms to Helping Ukraine Target Crimea, the New York Times reports, (T)he Biden administration is finally starting to concede that Kyiv may need the power to strike the Russian sanctuary, even if such a move increases the risk of escalation.

The Times writes that the Biden administration is considering what would be one of its boldest moves yet, helping Ukraine to attack the peninsula.

The report adds, American officials are discussing with their Ukrainian counterparts the use of American-supplied weapons, from HIMARS rocket systems to Bradley fighting vehicles, to possibly target Mr. Putins hard-fought control over a land bridge that functions as a critical supply route connecting Crimea to Russia via the Russian-occupied cities of Melitopol and Mariupol.

It continues, In deciding to give the Bradleys to Ukraine, the Biden administration moved closer to providing Kyiv with something for which senior Ukrainian officials have been imploring the United States for months: direct American help for Ukraine to go on the offenseincluding targeting Crimea.

The article quotes Seth G. Jones, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as saying, Ukraine could use Bradleys to move forces down major roads, such as the M14, which connects Kherson, Melitopol and Mariupol... Any Ukrainian infantry advancing through these areas would face significant fire from Russian positions, and Bradleys offer helpful firepower and protection for troops.

It adds, The Bradleys, along with British tanks and the armored combat vehicles that France and Germany have agreed to send, could be the vanguard of an armored force that Ukraine could employ in a counteroffensive this winter or spring, government and independent analysts say.

In order to hide the massively escalatory character of its planned war with Russia, the Biden administration had not explicitly endorsed Ukrainian plans to conquer Crimea, which is the official war aim of the Zelensky government.

Demanding an explicit US endorsement of attacks on Russia, Philip Breedlove, NATOs supreme allied commander for Europe, told the Times, We have in essence put limits on Ukraine, saying this war is going to be fought on your soil and not on Russian soil To give Russia sanctuary from which to fight, without fear of reproach, is absolutely absurd. It makes no military sense.

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley meets with U.S. Army leaders responsible for the collective training of Ukrainians at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Grafenwoehr, Germany, on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. (Staff Sgt. Jordan Sivayavirojna/U.S. Army via AP) [AP Photo]

On Monday, Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the Grafenwohr training area in Germany, which began training hundreds of Ukrainian troops on Sunday, including on how to operate NATO armored vehicles.

On Tuesday, Milley met in person with Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the head of the Ukrainian armed forces, near the Polish border with Ukraine.

On Thursday, General Lloyd Austin will meet with the new German defense minister, Boris Pistorius, to discuss securing Germanys agreement to allow the export of the Leopard 2 main battle tank to Ukraine.

Explaining the US demand for sending the Leopard 2, DOD News, the official Pentagon news service, wrote, The most immediately accessible and usable tank capability is the German Leopard 2. The Leopard 2 has digital fire control, laser rangefinders, a fully stabilized main gun and advanced night vision and sighting equipment. Its main gun is a 120 mm smoothbore, and it can fire on the move over rough terrain.

On Wednesday, Pistorius all but declared that Germany is at war with Russia, saying that the Federal Republic of Germany is involved in a war, indirectly.
Part of a whimsical landmark in the Greenwood area has gone missing, and the owner said hes disappointed that someone would steal something that has charmed residents and passersby for years: a concrete black bear cub.

The missing statue is part of an ursine assemblage of a mama and two cubs positioned at the edge of a pond between Lebanon Presbyterian Church and Ridgely Farm Road in Western Albemarle County.

Ive had those bears down there for years, Dice Hammer, who owns the statues and the farmland they sit on, told The Daily Progress. We are definitely attached to them because we get so much comment on them.

Drivers often do a double take when passing the scene, said Linda Hester Vincent, who grew up nearby.

They do look real and have been talking points for years, Hester told The Daily Progress.

The Albemarle County Police Department told The Daily Progress it is looking into the incident but had no new information to add on Wednesday.

About a decade ago, Hammer said, a citizen tip about someone in a pickup truck swiping both cubs led to their speedy return. But this recent bear-napping has already lasted at least a week. Deep tire ruts in the grass just outside the farm fence may offer a clue about the getaway.

Whoever took the cub this time, Hammer urged them to consider the joy they bring to others and return them.

I give people directions to the farm, and they say, Oh, where the bears are.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the Republican Steering Committee, the group of influential Republican representatives who decide on committee chairs and assign members to committees, have given prominent positions to members of the Freedom Caucus, the ultra-right faction that fought McCarthys election for 15 ballots during the first week of this years session.

Not a single one of the holdouts against McCarthy suffered any repercussions for opposing the candidate backed by better than 80 percent of the Republican caucus. Those representatives already on top committees, such as Judiciary, retained their positions. Others were given new positions on committees such as Appropriations, Homeland Security and Government Oversight.

The most significant action taken by McCarthy and the Republican inner circle was to award fascist Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene two positions on top committees, Homeland Security and Oversight, after she was removed from all committee positions in the previous Congress for death threats against Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats.

From left, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. attend the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the United States Department of Justice with testimony from Attorney General Merrick Garland, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. [AP Photo/Michaels Reynolds/AP]

Greene was the most prominent supporter of McCarthy among the members of the Freedom Caucus, and she repeatedly and vocally lobbied for his election among her fascist colleagues. She has not retracted either her vitriolic threats against Democrats or her association with neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups.

Arizona Republican Representative Paul Gosar, removed and censured for posting an online death threat against Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was restored to his committee positions as well.

Reportedly, McCarthy agreed to seat three members of the Freedom Caucus on the powerful House Rules Committee, but those selections have not yet been announced.

The formal process of committee selection has only just begun, and the appointments leaked to the corporate media could well change in the course of it. The Republicans and Democrats select their committee nominees through internal discussions and, occasionally, votes, and then the full lists are approved by the House.

Significantly, the two committees that will play the largest and most public roles in investigating and attacking the Biden administration are the ones with the largest contingents of outright fascists.

The House Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability has been the most public in its anti-Biden campaign, with presumptive committee chair, James Comer of Kentucky, already demanding documents related to Bidens retention of classified documents from his vice presidency even before the committee has been formed and its members elected.

Press reports indicate that at least five members of the Freedom Caucus will be seated on this committee, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Gosar, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Byron Donalds of Florida. Boebert refused to vote for Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, ultimately casting a present vote on the 15th ballot, one of six ultra-right Republicans who did so.

Perry was the Republican representative most closely linked to the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and played a key role in the effort to enable Trump to remain in office by appointing a lower-level Justice Department official as attorney general, with the understanding that he would send letters to election officials in key battleground states encouraging them to withdraw their slates of Biden electors.

Donalds was the candidate for whom most of the never-Kevin Republicans voted in the course of the lengthy balloting for Speaker. When he came over to McCarthys side, that signaled the collapse of the ultra-right opposition. For this he was rewarded with the Speakers nomination to join the Republican Select Committee that oversees the process of choosing committee chairs and members of major committees.

The other committee which is loaded with fascists is Judiciary, to be chaired by Jim Jordan, the Ohio representative who co-founded the Freedom Caucus but was a key ally of McCarthy during the speakership vote. Jordan is to head a special subcommittee of Judiciary on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, in other words, to investigate agencies like the FBI that have investigated Trump and other top Republicans.

Joining him on the Judiciary Committee will be five ultra-right Republicans, who withheld their votes from McCarthy. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted present for a dozen ballots, then switched to McCarthy. Chip Roy of Texas and Dan Bishop of North Carolina opposed McCarthy until the 12th ballot. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Matt Gaetz of Florida voted against McCarthy for 14 ballots and then voted present on the final ballot. Which of these might be on the weaponization subcommittee is not yet known.

Other major committees, and their fascist members, are as follows, according to current press reports:

Appropriations, perhaps the single most powerful committee, will include Mike Cloud of Texas, Andy Clyde of Georgia and Andy Harris of Maryland. All voted against McCarthy for 11 ballots. Cloud and Clyde switched to support him on the 12th ballot, Harris on the 13th ballot.

Homeland Security, which oversees the department of the same name, with jurisdiction over both immigration and domestic terrorism, will include numerous allies and sympathizers of the domestic terrorists who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021: two newly-elected Republicans, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma and Eli Crane of Arizona, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Natural Resources: Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Matt Rosendale of Montana

Financial Services: Byron Donalds (Florida) and Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Warren Davidson of Ohio, a Freedom Caucus member who supported McCarthy, was named chairman of the Financial Services subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Agriculture: Mary Miller of Illinois

Foreign Affairs: Scott Perry and Keith Self of Texas

The committee assignments are only a small portion of the concessions McCarthy made to the fascists in order to obtain the speakership. He agreed to significant changes in House rules, including allowing a motion to declare the chair vacantessentially a demand for a new vote for Speakerto be introduced by any individual member at any time.

This means that his own position is constantly at risk, with a narrow five-seat majority in the House. Any five fascists can turn him out of office any time he fails to satisfy the most right-wing positions in negotiations with the White House and the Democratic-controlled Senate.
A shootout in broad daylight on Jan. 8 left one dead and another injured in Charlottesvilles Belmont neighborhood, but other than a small memorial at the scene of the crime, visitors would struggle to find evidence that tragedy had visited the popular dining district.

And thats by design.

[Shootings] certainly seem like theyre happening more frequently in Charlottesville, which I think worries everyone, but I dont think we respond to that by locking our doors and hiding away, John Allen, restaurant manager at The Local, told The Daily Progress on Wednesday. I think we respond by building stronger bonds of community, so thats what Ive been encouraging our staff to do.

Patrons at the restaurant, which is feet away from the scene of the crime, said much of the same.

I love to come to The Local a few times a week after I work out, Charlottesville resident Mara Kennedy told The Daily Progress last Thursday while sitting at the bar in the restaurants full dining room. Im from Charlottesville and I moved back here more than 20 years ago, and nothing like this ever happens in Belmont.

The Local and the other restaurants in historic downtown Belmont such as Belle, Con Mole, Mas, Mockingbird, Tavola and Southern Crescent were all open for business this week. Reservations are being booked, dining rooms are filling up and wait staff at more than one eatery on Monday told The Daily Progress its business as usual.

Be Just, a home goods store on Monticello Road sandwiched between the restaurants in Belmont, is also open.

A Be Just employee told The Daily Progress on Wednesday that a fellow team member watched from behind a locked door on Jan. 8 as police wrapped caution tape around the scene of the shooting in the parking lot of Fitzgeralds Tires in front of the popular I LOVE CHARLOTTESVILLE A LOT mural.

According to Charlottesville police, Osvaldo Lopez-Hernandez of Texas was shot and killed in a shootout around 1:40 p.m. that day. Police made two arrests in connection with the crime: Jose Omar Rivas Sorto of Maryland, who has been charged with one count of shooting from a vehicle, and a second man identified only as John Doe, who was charged with felony abduction for financial benefit, felony use of a firearm and misdemeanor brandishing.

No additional details have been reported, and police say the investigation is ongoing. Police spokesman Kyle Ervin did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Progress.

I think all of us here in the Belmont neighborhood just feel so grateful that no one was caught in the crossfire, because its a very active neighborhood and Sunday brunch time is particularly busy, said the Be Just team member who asked not to be named. After speaking to the police, our team still feels safe here.

Be Just management made the decision to close the store early on Jan. 8, locking up around 2 p.m. instead of 5, according to the team member.

We did make the decision to close early so that the team member who was working at the store could take care of herself and not have to stay at work after a very traumatizing event, they said. In the same vein, we closed on Monday just to give our team a moment to take in what had happened and be tender with themselves.

Ali, a bartender at Mockingbird who preferred to only give her first name, said the restaurant staff there was preparing for the dinner shift when management sent them home on Jan. 8. After alerting the employees who were in the building, managers texted and called other staff to tell them that the restaurant was closing for the day.

About half of the staff was at The Local at the time of the shooting, also preparing for the dinner shift when management there made the decision to close the restaurant, according to Allen. He said he made about 30 calls to people who had reservations for that night to let them know that the restaurant was closing for the rest of the evening because of the shooting. He said he also made sure to alert future guests when Charlottesville police had made their arrests.

Allen said he attended a community memorial at Fitzgeralds Tires this past Sunday, exactly one week after the shooting. By the end of the evening, he said, there were about 50 Charlottesville residents standing together, talking, drinking tea, trying to heal  but not locking their doors or hiding away.
The team behind Firefly Restaurant and Game Room in Charlottesville is getting out of the food truck business, and the team behind Farmacy Cafe is expanding its food truck operations as a result.

Firefly has agreed to sell its food truck, which it promoted as Firefly on the Fly, to Mexican fusion eatery Farmacy, replacing Farmacys current, smaller truck.

Both restaurants will continue to operate their brick-and-mortar locations: Firefly at its 1304 E. Market St. barcade and Farmacy at 222 West Main St. in the Code Building. Farmacy will just be expanding its mobile operations in Fireflys larger truck, and Firefly will be focusing more on its restaurant, the owners said.

The restaurant owners would not disclose the price of the food truck, but said the sale presented a value to both operations.

It is a win/win, said Firefly owner Melissa Meece in a joint statement announcing the deal. We get to support FARMacy in their business growth, while also reducing the stress load on our team as we focus on our restaurant.

Due to Farmacys success, the business was beginning to outgrow its original 7-by-16-foot trailer, Farmacy co-owner Jessica Lino told The Daily Progress.

Its pretty big, said Lino, who estimated the new food truck is roughly 7 feet by 26 feet.

Firefly and Farmacy both opened their mobile food services in 2018, but their relationship runs deeper than that.

As female restaurant owners in Charlottesville, Jessica and I have felt a kinship and enjoy sharing resources, said Meece in the statement.

Lino added: We knew that we needed to support each other as women business owners and have really enjoyed being a part of a food truck family in our community together.
By Azernews Laman Ismayilova

The National Drama Theater will show a patriotic play "Victory Road" on January 20-22, Azernews reports.

The play demonstrates the national liberation struggle in the example of four families. The production shows how Azerbaijani citizens, even minorities fought for the liberation of Azerbaijan's territories.

The author and production director commissioned by the Culture Ministry is People's Artist Azar Pasha Nematov.

Honored Culture Worker Ilham Elxanoglu (artist), People's Artist Siyavush Karimi (composer), and director Emil Askarov were also engaged in the play staging.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on the Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27. The 44-day war ended with the Russia-brokered peace deal signed on November 10 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement ended the 30-year-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions, demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.
Workers from the University of Virginia went to Richmond on Tuesday to meet with state representatives for Lobby Day on behalf of United Campus Workers Virginia.

United Campus Workers Virginia is a union for state higher-education workers who are not executive administration, human resources representatives or members of law enforcement.

This year, a major campaign for the organization is access to child care, particularly for graduate students.

We see this as an issue thats very integral to labor, Laura Ornee, chair of the UVa chapter of United Campus Workers Virginia, told The Daily Progress.

Ive seen peers who are graduate workers who have children being hugely impacted by trying to find and keep access to childcare in Charlottesville, said Brooke Dinsmore, a member of the organization.

Ornee also noted that child care access affects both parents and non-parents.

If you dont have child care, you cant go to your job [or] do your job, Ornee said. And if you dont have kids but all of your coworkers constantly have to change their shifts and figure out their childcare, then its going to affect you too.
So-called microtransit could be coming to Albemarle County.

A late-summer pilot, run by Charlottesville Area Transit, has been proposed that would offer on-demand, shuttle-like service around Route 29 North to the Shops at Stonefield, Fashion Square mall and Pantops. Those routes were chosen after a study was conducted last year on the feasibility of a microtransit project using a $1.94 million grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

Microtransit is a real, on-demand transportation solution, Jessica Choi, a project manager at the engineering consulting firm Kimley-Horn, told the county Board of Supervisors during work session on Wednesday. Folks can make real-time trip requests, and those trips are dynamically routed.

That model is ideal for Albemarle County, which is less urban than neighboring Charlottesville, Choi said, because it can adjust to the needs of a lower-density community more easily.

That could be helpful in corners of the county where fixed transit routes are more challenging to design.

A fixed route just isnt going to work in my district, said Supervisor Ned Gallaway, who represents the Rio District immediately north of Charlottesville. We dont have the infrastructure to make a fixed route work.

Before the pilot can get moving, the Board of Supervisors needs to decide on a method of implementation. Representatives from Kimley-Horn and CAT presented the board with four options: transportation network company, turnkey, partial and in-house.

A transportation network company would be similar to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft and would not include a dedicated fleet of vehicles. A turnkey model would have a vendor provide service, whereas a partial model would split the responsibilities between a vendor and CAT. And an in-house method of implementation would have CAT provide everything.

I am not a fan of Uber or Lyft, because of a variety of reports of unreliability and safety issues, said Supervisor Donna Price. Instead, she and Gallaway as well as supervisors Jim Andrews and Diantha McKeel said they prefer a turnkey or partial turnkey model.

Choi said a turnkey model comes with real benefits.

The first is that you get to leverage the experience with companies that really have a proven track record of successful service delivery, Choi said. You can also maintain agency control without having to do everything.

Supervisors expressed their excitement at the prospect, though some were unhappy about the pilots limited hours: 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with no service on Sunday.

If I was still working at the hospital, those hours wouldnt work for me at all, said McKeel, who used to work as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Those hours had been determined as the most active in last years study.

Nevertheless, supervisors were enthusiastic enough about the pilot to start brainstorming names for the CAT microtransit.

Id suggest Kitten, Price said.
ORLANDO, Fla.  Floridas school librarians face new scrutiny, and even the threat of criminal prosecution, under a new state rule adopted Wednesday that urges them to err on the side of caution when selecting books for their campuses.

The rule approved by the State Board of Education stems from a new state law pushed by Republican leaders. Critics say it will have a chilling effect on educators and will allow those with conservative views to dictate what books all Florida students can select at their schools.

Ahead of the boards vote, Orange County Superintendent Maria Vazquez said Tuesday that her district had pulled three books, all dealing with sex or sexual themes, from school libraries after reviewing the states new training for media specialists required under the new rule.

Now that we have that, she said, the recommendation is those books be pulled.

If Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed the legislation, and the state board want to protect parental rights and freedom they would support policies and rules that allow parents to put restrictions on their own children while not limiting others, said Stephana Ferrell, a founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, in a text.

The boards action will most certainly limit our students freedom to read, added Ferrell, whose group opposes efforts to restrict or remove books from public schools.

But supporters say the new law, rule and training provide much-needed scrutiny of books in media centers and classrooms and more ways for parents to learn what is on school shelves.

We have seen time and time again questionable and inappropriate material that has entered our schools, said Paul Burns, deputy chancellor for educator quality at the Florida Department of Education, at Wednesdays state board meeting.

He said the new required training for school media specialists will help insure the appropriateness of books available in schools.

The board unanimously approved the rule after hearing from about 15 speakers, most representing conservative groups that wanted even stricter prohibitions and who complained the new rule contained a loophole that would allow some books with sexual content to be approved because they have literary merit.

Those speakers included a man with the group No Left Turn in Education who said hed challenged 500 books in Clay County schools, and several members of Moms for Liberty, which had two members on the state panel tapped to help draft the new training. The group has pushed for books to be removed from school libraries across the state.

Michelle Beavers, chair of the Brevard Countys moms group and a member of that work group, said her goal was strong language that tells librarians You need to be careful and make sure it has serious literary value before it comes into our library. 

Another mother said, Not all literature is beneficial to students.

Tom Grady, the boards chair, said those were helpful comments and asked if the board could consider their worries about a loophole. But a department attorney told the board what was described as a loophole was Floridas law on pornography, which says in part that books with sexual content or nudity are considered pornography only if they are without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

The new training provides information on how to select books for school and classroom libraries and cautions teachers pornography is against the law and that distributing it to a minor is a felony. It tells media specialists, or teachers certified to run libraries, and teachers to find books that meet state standards and the age and reading level of their students and support the broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural diversity of the students of this state.

But it is also full of warnings.

Media specialists should always err on the side of caution when selecting materials, says the narrator during the online training. It is good practice to assess whether or not you as an adult making book selection decisions would be comfortable reading aloud the material in question in a public meeting. If you would not be comfortable reading the material in a public setting than you should lean toward not making the material available in a public school library for children.

The training also tells teachers they should be careful buying books that were removed or restricted in other school districts.

The language ... essentially begs for statewide book bans without making it an official ask of the state, wrote Ferrell and other members of the Freedom to Read group in an email to the state board, asking it to vote against the rule.

The group argues the training will encourage self-censorship among teachers and administrators and limit what books students can access.

Having a government representative deny someone access to a book to read quietly to themselves because that government representative would feel uncomfortable reading it aloud to a general audience of all ages is viewpoint censorship, they wrote.

These were the top 10 books people wanted removed from schools and libraries in 2021 1. 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe 2. 'Lawn Boy' by Jonathan Evison 3. 'All Boys Arent Blue' by George M. Johnson 4. 'Out of Darkness' by Ashley Hope Perez 5. 'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas 6. 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie 7. 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' by Jesse Andrews 8. 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison 10. 'Beyond Magenta' by Susan Kuklin
Julian Sands Can Nguyen/Shutterstock

Update 1/24/23 at 10:57 a.m.

The search continues. The family of Julian Sands spoke out as rescue crews continued looking for the missing actor in California.

"Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home," the family said in a statement on Monday, January 23, as the search for Sands, 65, entered its 11th day. "We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support."

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department also announced that a third hiker, Jin Chung, was reported in the same area  Mt. Baldy  where Sands disappeared. A search for Chung began on Sunday, January 22, alongside the search for Sands.

"As we enter day 11 of the search for Julian Sands on Mt. Baldy, we are reminded of the sheer determination & selflessness of all of the people who have aided in this search," the sheriff's department tweeted on Monday. "We will continue to utilize the resources available to us."

Original story continues below:

Julian Sands, known for his work in A Room With a View and 24, was identified as one of two hikers who went missing in Southern California on Friday, January 13.

Authorities confirmed on Wednesday, January 18, that the British actor, 65, went missing five days earlier after going for a hike on a trail in Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains. Gloria Huerta, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, said that Sands' wife, Evgenia Citkowitz, reported her husband missing on Friday.

Huerta added that rescue crews began looking for Sands that day, but the ground search was suspended on Saturday, January 14, because of weather conditions in the area. Rescue workers have continued searching for the Leaving Las Vegas star with helicopters and drones, and will resume the ground search when weather permits.

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A second hiker, Bob Gregory, was reported missing by his family on Monday, January 16. Authorities are searching for him in the Crystal Lake area of the San Gabriel Mountains, which are located northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Julian Sands and Helena Bonham Carter in 'A Room With A View.' Merchant Ivory/Goldcrest/Kobal/Shutterstock

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department issued a "dangerous conditions" warning for hikers on Wednesday, urging visitors to "think twice" before heading out on the trails. "Over the last four weeks, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams have responded to 14 rescue missions on Mt. Baldy and in the surrounding area," read a statement shared via Facebook. "These rescue missions have been for lost, stranded and/or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past 4 weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves. Please know the current conditions on Mt. Baldy are adverse and extremely dangerous."

The post included a photo of a trail sign warning of "extreme alpine conditions" in the Mt. Baldy and Icehouse areas, with a list of recommendations that hikers be prepared for the possibility of staying overnight amid changing weather conditions.

Sands, whose film career began in the 1980s, is known as an enthusiastic mountaineer. "I love climbing mountains, Ive spent a lot of time in the Alps over the years, a lot of time in the Andes, Alaska and the American ranges," the Smallville alum told Thrive in May 2020. "Its about supplication and sacrifice and humility, when you go to these mountains. Its not so much a celebration of oneself but the eradication of ones self-consciousness."

The U.K. native is perhaps best known for his role opposite Helena Bonham Carter in 1985's A Room With a View. His other film credits include Gothic, Warlock, Arachnophobia, Ocean's Thirteen and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. On TV, he has appeared in 24, The Blacklist, Gotham, Dexter and more.
(Reuters) - Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Felix Moloua held talks in Moscow on Thursday with the leadership of Russia's Defence Ministry, Russian news agencies reported.

The two sides discussed regional security issues and "noted the importance of Russian-Central African ties in the defence sphere", Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Russia has been jockeying with France in recent years for influence in Francophone Africa, not least in the CAR, a gold- and diamond-rich country of 4.7 million people.

Since 2018 the CAR government, which is fighting several rebel insurgencies, has been assisted by hundreds of Russian operatives including many from the private military contractor Wagner Group, prominent in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A month ago, Dmitry Syty, head of the "Russian House" representative office, was seriously injured in the CAR capital Bangui when he opened a mail bomb.

France, the former colonial ruler, dismissed allegations by Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin that it was responsible.

(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Easton Town Center has had a number of changes in the last few months, including local favorites and several stores new to the Buckeye State.

Many of the newcomers to Easton are among the nearly 40 stores and restaurants that are "Ohio's only," which may be a trend for the shopping center following the openings of Amazon Style and Gucci last year.

In dining, Mexican eatery Dos Hermanos opened its first standalone restaurant in December, at 3946 Morse Crossing, and Weenie Wonder and Kona Grill are both expected to open soon. Weenie Wonder's will open its second location at 4117 Worth Ave. in February, while Kona Grill has returned to Easton at its original location, 4087 New Bond St., after closing in 2019.

Dining:New steakhouse Cut 132 set to open in Easton's 'luxury section'

Guests visiting the shopping center may notice the former Bon Vie space, at 4089 The Strand E. is currently being renovated for a future tenant, which the center will announce at a later date.

A look back:Easton welcomed new stores while wrestling with big vacancies during the pandemic

With that, here are five more stores new to Easton Town Center:

Garage

Trend-driven women's apparel retailer Garage opened in the former location of La Senza at 160 Easton Station, in the shopping center across from Amazon Style, in October.

The Canadian brand was launched in 1975 and currently has 185 stores across North America, including a second Central Ohio location at Polaris Fashion Place. The retailer sells casual clothing, outerwear and accessories, in addition to carrying brands like Calvin Klein and Juicy Couture.

Pacas

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Socks are seen in a basket at Pacas, an apparel store specializing in garments made with Alpaca fibers, on Wednesday afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Alpaca wool apparel company Pacas opened in October at Easton, next to Dr. Martens and across from Athleta at 4044 The Strand West. The location is the company's sole brick-and-mortar store.

The company launched in 2020 as an e-commerce store and chose Easton as its first storefront as it is one of the country's top shopping destinations, said regional director and store manager Jennifer Hamad. The brand sells socks, accessories and apparel for men, women and kids, including hats, scarves and sweaters as well as throw blankets. The apparel is made with alpaca fiber  said to be moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic and thermoregulation  sourced from Peru and produced in Peru and the United States.

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The company seeks to support alpaca farming communities and also partners with children's hospitals to provide kids with socks during their stay.

Vow'd Weddings

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The main show room of Vowd Weddings is seen at the newly opened bridal store in Easton. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Vow'd Weddings opened in early November across from Easton Town Square, at 3938 Easton Square Place, and is the bridal apparel company's first brick-and-mortar in Ohio.

Vow'd is the sister store to women's apparel brand Altar'd State, which has a location at Polaris Fashion Place. The shop offers bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes and accessories, which unlike other bridal stores take weeks to arrive, not months. Some gowns go up to size 24 and range from a few hundred dollars to $2,400, with most gowns less than $1,000.

Vow'd launched in June 2020 and now has eight locations, including in Tennessee, North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida, but store leader Paige Fuson said Easton is the first of the company's new store designs. The maximalist decor features deep shades of pink and red, with giant mirrors, loveseats and private rooms for brides-to-be, their families and friends to try on dresses for the big day. The shop is available for free appointments and weekday walk-ins.

Freebird

Luxury handmade footwear brand Freebird opened in November, at 3976 Easton Station, in the shopping center next to Levis, as the Denver-based company's first location in Ohio. The store, sells men's and women's boots, booties, shoes, sandals and accessories made with hand-finished, full-grain leather.

The company, founded in 2009, has 14 locations, including in Colorado, Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas.

Clean Origin

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Rose gold bridal rings are seen at Clean Origin, a new jewelry shop in Easton, which, according to their website, exclusively uses lab-grown diamonds, and uses recycled metals whenever possible. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Ethical jewelry brand Clean Origin opened on Dec. 19 at 4054 The Strand West, next to Aveda and across from UpWest.

The company sells environmentally conscious  meaning conflict-free, eco-friendly and ethically sourced  lab-grown diamond jewelry, including rings, bracelets and necklaces. The certified diamonds are made with technology that reproduces the natural growing process.

Founded in 2017 by a third-generation jeweler, Clean Origin has seven locations in Texas and coming soon in California, Illinois and Virginia.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuanichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 8 stores and restaurants new or coming soon to Easton
While weekly bottled water donations have ended for citizens of Flint, Michigan, according to city officials, the water crisis there is ongoing.

Health officials are urging residents to continue to use faucet filters certified to remove lead until the residential lead service line replacement is completed.

The residential lead service line replacement was initially set to be finished in 2019, according to a settlement agreement with the city. That deadline was eventually pushed back to the fall of 2022 and has most recently been set for completion in August 2023, according to city officials.

The city is offering free water filter units, replacement cartridges and water testing kits for Flint residents for pick up at City Hall or for delivery by the Office of Public Health.

The state is required to fund water filters for one year following the completion of the lead service line replacement project, which has been ongoing since 2016.

PHOTO: The Flint water plant tower is pictured on Jan. 6, 2022, in Flint, Mich. (Carlos Osorio/AP, FILE)

"More than 95% of lead pipes in Flint have been replaced, and we will continue the work until the job is done," Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in a recent statement on the water filters. "I will work with anyone who is committed to making that happen. I ask those remaining homeowners to give our crews right of entry so that we can fix this once and for all."

The city received an extension and funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for the remaining 5% of lead pipe replacements and excavations.

MORE: Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder plans to plead the Fifth in Flint lawsuit

In 2014, Michigan switched the city's water supply to the Flint River.

The water source was switched back to Lake Huron in 2015 but according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General, "the damage had been done."

Highly toxic levels of lead were discovered in the water and outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease coincided with the switch, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prompting a state of emergency declaration in 2016.

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MORE: Former Michigan governor charged in connection with the Flint water crisis

"The switch was made without the required anti-corrosive chemicals being added," read a statement from the city announcing the lead pipe replacement project in 2016. "The corrosive water removed a protective coating on the inside of the pipes, allowing lead to leach into the water going to homes and businesses," the statement continued.

In their latest announcement, city officials said that since July 2016, the city's water system has met state and federal standards for lead in drinking water for 12 consecutive monitoring periods, and "bottled water has no health benefits over filtered tap water."

The city also said that common point-of-use faucet filters like Brita and Pur effectively remove lead when installed and maintained properly.

Since 2018, 100,000 water bottles had been delivered weekly by BlueTriton Brands, Inc -- a Connecticut-based beverage company -- serving approximately 3,000 people per week, according to Flint officials.

Lack of trust in the city's tap water has been an ongoing struggle for residents.

"There are huge victories that have [been] accomplished, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done," Flint resident LeeAnne Walters told ABC News in 2021.

Flint residents urged to filter water as bottled water donations end amid ongoing water crisis originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
AP African American Studies

On Wednesday (Jan. 18), it was reported by WESH 2 that an AP African American Studies course thats offered by the College Board has been rejected in Florida. In an obtained letter from the states Department of Education, the agency claimed that the course goes against Governor Ron DeSantis Stop W.O.K.E. Act and significantly lacks educational value. It also noted that if the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the Department will reopen the discussion.

The College Board has since provided a statement to WESH 2 in response: Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers. The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks change significantly as a result. We look forward to publicly releasing the updated course framework as soon as it is completed and well before this class is widely available in American high schools.

The official website for the College Board reveals that the AP African American Studies program is in development and is being piloted in select U.S. high schools through 2024. The page also described the courses content in detail:

Drawing from the expertise and experience of college faculty and teachers across the country, the course is designed to offer high school students an evidence-based introduction to African American studies. The interdisciplinary course reaches into a variety of fields  literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography, and science  to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans.

Nikki Taylor, the chair of Howard Universitys history department, further explained the importance of such a lesson plan for the country: A solid understanding of how African Americans have shaped America, its history, laws, institutions, culture and arts, and even the current practice of American democracy, sharpens all knowledge about our nation.
How the Gainesville Sun covered race relations from reconstruction to the civil rights movement was the topic of discussion at an event held at the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center (CCMCC).

The discussion held Jan. 14 featured a panel of historians and newspaper researchers discussing their findings of the coverage regarding race relations in The Gainesville Sun, which was established in the late 1800s.

Billed as "Beyond the Headlines: Exploring Race and Newspaper Coverage in the Gainesville Sun," the discussion was organized by the University of Florida Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) and held at the museum at 837 SE Seventh Ave. The panelists included Paul Ortiz, a UF history professor and director of the SPORP; Vivial Filer, president of the CCMCC board of directors; Adolfho Romero, assistant director of the SPOHP and Donovan Carter, a SPOHP researcher; and a UF graduate student in Latin America Studies.

It was the programs inaugural event in the 2023 Challenging Racism public program series.

Mississippi Delta:Students discuss trip to Mississippi Delta

Lynchings:Historical marker acknowledges lynchings

Gainesville history:Gainesville 150?

Staff and students at the Gainesville Sun and the Proctor Program worked together to explore the history of the Suns coverage of race relations from Reconstruction to the present.

The discussion on Saturday focused on The Suns coverage of race relations during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. Part two of Beyond the Headlines is scheduled to take place in the fall semester and will focus on the Suns coverage of race relations during World War II through the civil rights movement, said Ortiz.

On Saturday, Ortiz made a presentation titled The Gainesville Sun: A Newspaper in Support of White Supremacy, 1876-1939.

The Gainesville Suns coverage was like any other newspaper in the South, Ortiz said. The newspaper was involved in maintaining white supremacy.

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Ortiz explained how the Republican Party during Reconstruction expelled two Black politicians from the party, Matthew M. Lewey and Josiah T. Walls, because their white counterparts refused to allow their names to appear alongside a Black mans name.

Ortiz added that after the expulsion, the election of white Republicans in office drew praise from The Sun.

Most of the articles promoted how Black people were not ready to participate in society, Ortiz said. To maintain the myth takes a lot of energy. Every white newspaper in the South engaged in the myth-making.

Ortiz said Lewey was a leader of the 1884 Independent Party, 1905 Pensacola Street Car Boycott and 1919-20 Florida Voter Registration Movement. He was also the first licensed Black lawyer in Florida.

Lewey founded the Gainesville Sentinel in 1887 and changed the name to the Florida Sentinel when he moved to Pensacola in 1894. His leadership of the Black press was formative to the creation of the Associated Negro Press in 1919, Ortiz said.

Walls was a U.S. congressman who served three terms between 1871 and 1876, and was one of the first Blacks elected to Congress during Reconstruction.

According to Ortiz, the first issue of the Gainesville Sun was published in 1876, and its first owners were two brothers in their 20s, W.W. Hampton and E.M. Hampton, who came from Bainbridge, Georgia, where their father had lost his plantation as a result of the Civil War.

Ortiz said The Gainesville Sun in 1920 had an editor who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and the paper justified the killing of Blacks by whites for defending their (white) wives and children after the Election Day Massacre in Ocoee near Orlando in 1920.

Imagine an editor writing an op-ed glorifying violence, Ortiz said.

Ortiz also talked about how The Suns Sports page was silent when it came to race relations.

University of Florida history professor Paul Ortiz, who is also director of the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, stands at the podium while sharing his presentation about the Gainesville Sun's coverage of race relations during the Reconstruction Era. Seated from left to right are Adolfho Romero, Donovan Carter and Vivian Filer. (Photo: Photo by Voleer Thomas/For The Guardian)

Like its southern counterparts, the University of Florida forced northern teams to bench all Black players. In 1939, UF refused to play Boston College unless they bench star halfback Lou Montgomery, read a slide in the presentation by Ortiz.

Romero said trips with the SPOHP to the Mississippi Delta and Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, which is operated by the Equal Justice Initiative, inspired him to delve deeper into the history of race relations in Alachua County.

I wanted to know what was going on in Gainesville, Romero said. We connected with Doug Ray (former manager editor The Gainesville Sun). I remember uncovering microfilms that were breaking in my hand.

The next presentation was presented by Carter, who shared archives of The Sun from 1904-1924 that included 11 articles describing lynchings and KKK activity.

The audience listens to the panel during the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program's event titled Beyond the Headlines: Exploring Race and Newspaper Coverage in the Gainesville Sun at the Cotton Club and Cultural Center located at 837 SE Seventh Ave. on Saturday. (Photo: Photo by Voleer Thomas/For The Guardian)

This project is meant to expose the truth, recognize it, acknowledge it and begin the reconciliation process, Carter said. This shows me how far the truth can take you.

The SPOHP Challenging Racism at UF public program series highlights stories of students, community organizers, faculty and others who have made an effort to create a more just world, and is supported by an Advancing Racial Justice grant from UF, Ortiz said.

It important to unearth the hidden truths that must be told, said Filer, chair of the CCMCC. I dont like any elephants in the room because I will point them out.

Filer commended the SPHOP team for presenting the work during Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday weekend. She said she hoped the event would inspire the audience to continue Kings work.

Martin Luther King Jr. is all about work, Filer said. He does not want us to sit and talk, he wanted us to do something.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: UF panel talks about Gainesville Suns Jim Crow era coverage
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday knocked the United Arab Emiratess (UAE) completely ridiculous appointment of a state-run oil company chief to lead United Nations climate talks in Dubai at the end of this year.

Lobbyists have been influencing these conferences since forever, and this just puts a very clear face to it.  Its completely ridiculous, Thunberg said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, according to CNBC.

Climate activists including Thunberg have critiqued the choice of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., to helm the COP28 climate talks at the end of the year, arguing that al-Jabers crude oilpumping company is a conflict of interest.

The UAE, which is one of the planets top oil producers, has also come under scrutiny as the host of the U.N. climate talks, since fossil fuels are the main driver of climate change.

John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, said earlier in the week that he backs al-Jaber as the COP28 host, calling the UAE pick a terrific choice and highlighting that al-Jaber has been involved in a number of renewable energy projects.

The UAE has promised to be carbon neutral by 2050, despite plans to up its output of crude oil.

Thunberg was escorted away from the site of a protest against the expansion of a coal mine in Germany earlier this week and was detained by Germany police with other demonstrators.

Days later, she was at the swanky Swiss town of Davos for the World Economic Forum, participating in the panel with fellow climate activists.

This years Conference of Parties, or COP28, is set to be held in Dubais Expo City from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Barilla knows the stomach is one of the best ways to someone's heart, and just in time for Valentine's Day, the company has crafted a new pasta shape that speaks to those with a culinary love language.

The pasta producer, beloved by food professionals and home cooks alike -- including popular Italian American recipe developer and content creator Dan "Grossy" Pelosi -- is offering the limited-edition "Love Pasta" as part of a new giveaway.

The dried heart-shaped tubes made with durum wheat flour and semolina were inspired by one of Barilla's 35 iconic pasta cuts, Mezzi Rigatoni, which has small ridges to help sauce stick.

PHOTO: New Barilla Love pasta with sauce, parmesan cheese and herbs. (Barilla)

For carb lovers looking for a chance to win a 12-ounce box of the new pasta, Barilla has asked fans to fill out a submission form between Jan. 18 and Feb. 1 and share how Barilla brings them closer to their loved ones.

An array of random winners will be selected to receive the Barilla Love pasta kit on Feb. 1, and one lucky fan will win an Italian getaway with a loved one.

The pasta kit comes with one box of the new shape, two recipes, pasta-themed Valentine's cards, heart-shaped plates and measuring spoons with sweet nothings engraved on the handles, including "A heap of love."

"Each pasta shape has a story. For us, reimagining our iconic Blue Box pasta line to include this charming shape is one other way pasta enthusiasts can celebrate their love for one another and their love of pasta," Melissa Tendick, vice president of marketing for Barilla, said in a statement. "There is no better way to show you care than through cooking, and we're looking forward to seeing our fans create authentic, delicious Italian meals at home this Valentine's Day."

The nine-day and eight-night Italy trip, meanwhile, includes economy class airfares to Florence where the guests will spend four nights at a hotel, followed by a train to Parma, home of the Barilla global headquarters. Plus, they'll receive $1,000 of spending money.

This new heart-shaped pasta from Barilla is perfect for Valentine's Day originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
Hillary Clinton, Jacinda Arden

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty; Mark Mitchell - Pool/Getty

Hillary Clinton is showing her respect for departing New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The former U.S. secretary of state, 75, called Ardern, 42, "a true stateswoman" as she shared a tribute to the youngest female head of government in the world, who made the sudden announcement of her resignation on Thursday.

"Jacinda Ardern will be remembered for guiding her country with strength, compassion, and grace through multiple historic crises, doubtless saving countless lives," Clinton wrote Thursday on Twitter. "She's shown the world a new model of powerful leadership. A true stateswoman."

RELATED: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Resigns in Shocking Announcement

Ardern revealed on Wednesday that she does not plan to seek re-election after beginning her historic first term as the country's 40th prime minister in 2017 at age 37. She plans to exit the position early, by Feb. 4, putting the Labour Party into a scramble to find a new party leader with two-thirds support.

"I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple," she announced, explaining that she does not have the energy to lead the country through the Oct. 14 general election.

Jacinda Ardern will be remembered for guiding her country with strength, compassion, and grace through multiple historic crises, doubtless saving countless lives.



She's shown the world a new model of powerful leadership. A true stateswoman.  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 19, 2023

"I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period," Ardern added. "But, unfortunately, I haven't, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue."

RELATED: 49 People Killed in 'Terrorist' Mass Shootings at 2 Mosques in New Zealand

The politician said that she hopes to spend more time with TV host partner Clarke Gayford and their 4-year-old daughter Neve Te Aroha following her resignation.

Although New Zealand polling showed the Labour Party trailing slightly behind the National Party in October, according to NPR, Ardern has the utmost confidence in her party.

"I'm not leaving because I believe we can't win the election, but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge," added Ardern.
"Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest."  ACLU online

In a few months Ohio voters will not be allowed to vote with utility bills or other nonphoto documents. Not only do people have to get a photo ID to vote, that photo ID has to list a citizen's status on it.

The states controversial law was easily sold by Gov. Mike DeWine by saying that the law would boost public confidence in elections. Who's confidence? Is this the confidence that has been undermined by Trumps lies and by voting claims by Secretary of State Frank LaRose?

There is no evidence that we need a voter ID law. The voter ID law, House Bill 458, makes it harder for many of the poorest to vote in Ohio.

LaRose and DeWine made a point that photo ID restrictions are in line with what voters want. False and baseless claims of election fraud are not valid justification for limiting voters' ability to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

Lupe Williams, Wooster

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Letter: Ohio's new law requiring photo ID to vote is not needed
An Albany man accused of attempted murder and other crimes had a plea and sentencing hearing postponed on Wednesday, Jan. 18 after the judge in the case worried about the defendants medical condition, his ability to make a decision due to pain, and his motivation.

If he cant focus and he cant hear and he cant tell whos talking, Im not taking a plea, said Linn County Circuit Court Judge Rachel Kittson-MaQatish.

John Wesley Kersey, 72, has been indicted on charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

According to previous reporting by Mid-Valley Media, Linn County Sheriffs deputies initially arrested Kersey for allegedly hitting an Arizona man with a vehicle and then stabbing him. Authorities received a report of a stabbing on Quartzville Road outside Sweet Home the night of Oct. 11.

Kersey and the accuser had traveled to the Quartzville area with a group, according to authorities, and two other men face charges in connection to the stabbing.

A new plea and sentencing hearing for Kersey was scheduled for Friday, Jan. 20.

Wednesdays hearing was derailed when Kersey entered a plea of guilty to a charge instead of no contest, as was written on a plea petition. When pressed by Kittson-MaQatish, Kersey again entered a guilty plea.

Theres no way to argue about it. I dont remember.  I was pretty drunk, Kersey said.

During the confusion, defense attorney Edward Talmadge worried his client was rushing things because he needs shoulder surgery.

Kersey, who appeared via teleconference from the Linn County Jail, said he couldnt hear proceedings well and was in pain. My shoulders killing me. It makes it hard, Kersey said.

I just want to hurry up and get rid of this pain, he added.

At one point during Wednesdays hearing, Kersey thought that prosecutor Robert Beaver was Talmadge.

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Were not going to do this today. Were going to slow it down, Kittson-MaQatish said. She added that she wanted Kersey to be present in court on Friday so he could understand what was occurring.

The complete terms of the negotiated settlement were unclear in court on Wednesday, and no plea petition was available in Oregons online court database on Wednesday afternoon. But Kittson-MaQatish had a sense of urgency because the agreed-upon sentence, based on courtroom discussion, was 7.5 years in prison.

Two co-defendants, Carl Serpa, 39, and Michael Kulp, 31, both of Albany, each are charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Serpa is scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing on Friday. A final resolution conference in Kulps case is set for Jan. 26.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he discussed steps on achieving a breakthrough in relations with Saudi Arabia as part of wide-ranging discussions with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said diplomatic relations with Riyadh were discussed as part of the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements brokered during the former Trump administration that established ties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

National security spokesperson Adrienne Watson did not include a reference to the Abraham Accords or Saudi Arabia in a readout of Sullivans meeting with Netanyahu, but said that Sullivan underscored President Bidens commitment to working together with Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and promoting a more integrated, prosperous, and secure Middle East region with benefits for all of its people

U.S., Emirati, Bahraini and Israeli officials convened in Abu Dhabi earlier in January, the second meeting of the Negev Forum Working Group, established by the Biden administration but an outgrowth of the Abraham Accords.

The Trump administration announced the Abraham Accords in August 2020 in a decision with Emirati officials and Netanyahus government that halted plans by Israel to annex territory in the West Bank, with critics saying such a move would kill an opportunity to achieve a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Riyadh held off on joining the Abraham Accords along with the UAE and Bahrain over reported concerns by Saudi Arabias King Salman that not enough progress had been made on Palestinian statehood.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan echoed this view on Thursday, telling Bloomberg TV in an interview in Davos, Switzerland, that normalization with Israel and true stability will only come through giving the Palestinians hope, through giving the Palestinians dignity. That requires giving the Palestinians a state, and thats the priority.

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The Israelis and the Saudis have held quiet security ties for years, largely to combat Iran, and Riyadh has taken small steps to bring those ties into public view.

The Saudis allowed President Biden to fly from Tel Aviv, Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during a visit in July. The Saudis have also agreed to allow Israeli commercial flights to travel through its airspace.

While the Biden administration has not launched an effort to establish peace between Israelis and Palestinians, it has put its support behind a two-state solution to the conflict and reengaged with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah after the Palestinians severed relations with the U.S. in response by moves by the former Trump administration.

Sullivan, who was in the region for three days, also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to reaffirm the U.S. administrations interest in strengthening engagement with the Palestinian Authority and deepening ties with the Palestinian people.

They discussed U.S. support for peace, preserving the path towards negotiations for two states, and advancing equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians, the White House said in its statement.

He also discussed the need for Palestinian leaders to help de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and to strengthen Palestinian institutions.

Sullivan, in his meeting with Netanyahu, reiterated support for the two-state solution and discouraged policies that endanger its viability, according to the readout provided by the White House.

Mr. Sullivan underscored the urgency of avoiding unilateral steps by any party that could inflame tensions on the ground, with special attention to maintaining the historic status quo with respect to the holy places in Jerusalem.

The remarks likely referred to a visit by member of Netanyahus ruling coalition, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in early January to what Jews refer to as the Temple Mount and Muslims refer to as Haram Al Sharif.

Security of the Holy Site is managed by the Jordanians in a delicate status quo that largely prohibits Jewish visitation and prayer on the site. Ben-Gvirs visit was slammed as a provocation by Israels political opposition, the Palestinian Authority and others.

Biden administration officials expressed deep concern at the time that Ben-Gvirs visit, with State Department spokesperson Ned Price saying the visit had the potential to exacerbate tensions and to provoke violence.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Johnson Giving Speech After JFK Assassination

President Johnson in the Oval Office, shortly before addressing the nation on Nov. 28, 1963, five days after the assassination of his predecessor President John F. Kennedy. Credit - Bettmann Archive

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States and the architect of some of the most significant federal social welfare programs like Medicare and Medicaid, died fifty years ago on Jan. 22, 1973, from a blood clot in his heart. He was buried in his native Texas.

Johnson rose from Vice President to President in 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. A TIME White House correspondent in the 1960s described the way he brought the nation together after that traumatic moment as a near miracle in a storm center of anguish.

Serving until 1969, he presided over one of the most tumultuous periods of social unrest in American history fueled by protests for civil rights and the Vietnam War. The programs he signed into law to combat his war on povertylike the early childhood education and nutrition initiative Head Startwill shape American life for years to come, TIME said in its 1973 obituary of the politician. Much of the legislation passed under his leadership was too hastily conceivedthe product of good will more than of good planning, the obituary said. Overshadowing all of Johnsons good works, moreover, was the brushfire war [in Vietnam] he inherited, which soon began to breed revolt on the campuses and riots that scarred Americas cities.

He was also known for brusque manner, dishing out eccentric words of wisdom like, Never trust a man whose eyes are too close to his nose, or when asked why he kept J.Edgar Hoover in his role as FBI Director, saying, Id rather have him inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in.

For the 50th anniversary of his death, TIME talked about his legacy to two of the nations foremost experts on Lyndon B. Johnson: Mark Updegrove, former President of TIME Canada and president & CEO of the LBJ Foundation, and Mark Lawrence, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. In the below conversation, they discuss how his legacy holds up today and some under-appreciated moments of his presidency.

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TIME: Where can we see LBJs accomplishments in the news today?

Updegrove: If you look at the full flower of LBJs legislative accomplishments, voting rights stood at the top for him because he believed there was nothing more important than every American having unfettered access to the ballot box.

And were still talking about immigration all these years later. Remarkably, were probably more xenophobic now than we were when LBJ signed the Immigration Act of 1965, which is the most radical immigration reform in the history of our country.

The Aug. 6, 1965, cover of TIME Boris Chaliapin

Lawrence: Americans these days are very much wrestling with the question of how much influence the United States can still exert globally at a time when its suffered through not one but two very, very challenging wars that have diminished the expectations that many ordinary Americans hold of what their country can achieve in the worldand I think that, too, traces back to the period of the Vietnam War. LBJ was really in many ways the first Cold War president who had to reckon with limitations on American power and trying to figure out how, nevertheless, to continue to try to exert American influence internationally.

Scholars like Elizabeth Hinton have noted that it was Johnson who shaped President Nixons Law and Order rhetoric when he invested in policing over social welfare programs.

Updegrove: Thats a part of his legacy. In the latter part of his presidency, there was a great deal of concern about crime, and LBJ felt like he had to address it in some fashion. By that point, we were seeing riots in Watts [Los Angeles] in 1965, and then in other urban centers throughout the course of the decade. So I think that compromised LBJs ability to do more in the Great Society, and I think compelled him to enact some crime bills which flowed into the Nixon Administration as well.

Lawrence: Johnson attached a lot of importance to law and order, in part, because he understood that it was an emerging political issue that could be used effectively against him and against the Democratic Party.

What are the flaws or failures of LBJ as a person or as a president?

Lawrence: LBJ, for all of his creativity in thinking about domestic policy, was fairly conventional in his thinking about foreign policy. Though he recognized the problems that the United States would likely confront in Vietnam, he nevertheless carried out the major escalation, transforming a relatively minor problem into a major war that would ultimately send 58,000 Americans to their deaths.

Updegrove: As the war evolved, there were compelling reasons to get out, which LBJ never quite fully embraced or understood, perhaps, and I think he should be faulted for that. Thats the downside of the LBJ legacy.

The Apr. 12, 1968, cover of TIME TIME

Lawrence: He was such a formidable presence in one-on-one or maybe small group interactions, but he wasnt great at reading the public mood. He was a man of Washington and not of the nation. And I dont mean that in a way that disparages LBJ. He was comfortable in the halls of power, but especially as the 1960s advanced, he had a really hard time understanding social protest and the ways in which American society was changing so dramatically.

Updegrove: As society changed, and LBJ became more insulated in Washington, he did lose touch to a certain degree with the American public and couldnt read them as readily as he might have.

Are there underrated moments in the LBJ presidency?

Updegrove: Its March 9, 1965, and LBJ is calling [Vice President Hubert] Humphrey because he needs to get through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is a profusion of federal aid to education for the first timeand fundamentally, in so many respects, a civil rights bill. And at one point, he says, I want Black voters to support Republicans. We need a strong two party system. And I think he would lament the decline of the Republican Party [today].

Speaking of education issues: In the last year, Texas enacted laws to limit the teaching of critical race theory that some teachers say will restrict how they teach about the full history of America. What LBJ would have thought of such actions in his native Texas?

Updegrove: It would be doubly offensive to LBJ. Number one because he was a teacher himself. And one of the most formative experiencesif not the most formative experience of his young lifewas teaching Mexican American school kids in Cotulla, Texas, close to the Mexico border and seeing through the eyes of these young children, what poverty and bigotry and racial injustice looked like. And he took that I think had a searing effect on his consciousness.

The Jan. 1, 1965, cover of TIME Peter Hurd

What are some unheralded accomplishments of LBJ?

Lawrence: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [of 1968] is arguably the most important international agreement that comes from the Cold War era that still has impact in the world today. Its not uniquely LBJs creation but it really got momentum during the LBJ period.

Updegrove: Johnson even suggests the notion of opening up China, preceding the Nixon Administration.

What are myths or misconceptions about LBJ that you often find yourselves debunking or setting the record straight on?

Lawrence: There is a myth that circulates around LBJ that he was gung-ho about war, that he was a war monger. We now know with near certainty that he actually was really anguished about the decisions he had to make in connection with the war.

Updegrove: The telephone tapesthe crown jewel of the LBJ Presidential Library archivesreally do show the anguish that LBJ had around the war and his profound ambivalence about it, and the fact that he wanted to pull out but really didnt see a way to do so. This is the last president weve had who had family members who were fighting on the front lines; two sons in law were fighting in Vietnam throughout the course of 1968.

And wed be remiss if we didnt say there is no proof whatsoever that LBJ was behind President Kennedys assassination. There would be no reason for LBJ to do that. He lamented being an accidental president.
Rats may not have played a critical role in causing the Black Death as is often portrayed, according to a new study.

The Bubonic Plague killed millions in Europe, spreading between 1347 and 1353 with numerous outbreaks ravaging the continent till the 19th century.

The bacterium Yersinia pestis is known to be the causative agent of the plague, with research suggesting fleas carrying the pathogen were spread across the continent by rats during outbreaks.

While the Bubonic Plague begins in wild rodents  the diseases animal reservoir  it is known to cause outbreaks when it spills over to humans.

However, a new study, published recently in the journal PNAS, suggests that the environmental conditions in Europe at the time would have prevented plague from surviving in persistent, long-term animal reservoirs.

The findings instead suggest these outbreaks that ravaged Europe were likely caused by the plague being reintroduced from Asian reservoirs.

There may have also been short- or medium-term temporary reservoirs in Europe, it says.

In the study, scientists, including those from the University of Oslo in Norway, uncovered the environmental factors associated with active rodent-based plague reservoirs in China.

Researchers then compared the findings with active reservoirs of the disease in the western US, and used a modeling approach to determine European plague reservoirs in both modern and historical contexts.

Their analysis suggests that the soil composition and low rodent diversity in Europe at the time may have rendered the continent unfavorable for long-term plague reservoirs.

The study estimates that only about 0.6 per cent of the geographic area of Europe may have had reservoir-favorable conditions.

This includes parts of Spain, Portugal, southern France, western/central Italy, and eastern Greece, scientists say.

Scientists say the finding call into question the importance of wildlife rodent species as the primary plague hosts in Europe.

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Our analyses strongly suggest that local environmental factors in Western and Central Europe, including the chemical composition of the soil, altitude, and climates, did not provide favorable conditions for persistent long-term plague reservoirs maintained by wild rodents and their ectoparasites, researchers wrote.

We question the importance of wildlife rodents as the main hosts in Europe, they added.

Instead scientists say Y pestis was likely repeatedly introduced into Europe, and may have survived in local medium-term reservoirs.

These findings have wide-ranging significance for the study of human plague through history and provide new tools for resolving century-long enigmas posed by plague, they added.
PIERRE  Lawmakers want to consolidate income requirements for low-income, elderly and disabled veterans getting squeezed by property tax.

The bill, which passed out of Senate committee Wednesday, would place the Homestead, elderly and disabled, and disabled veterans tax exemptions into one program that each city and municipality in South Dakota could opt into. It also changes the income requirements for people who want to enroll in the tax exemption program.

Rapid City has a similar program, but the last time someone enrolled was in 2019.

"More than likely, this is because the income requirement is extremely low," said Sen. Jack Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls.

Currently, single member households making less than $5,000 and multiple member household making less than $7,000 are eligible for the program.

More:A new taskforce could examine issues with court appointed attorneys across South Dakota

That would place them below the South Dakota poverty line. The Medicaid poverty level for single-income families is $12,000.

The revised program would allow single member households making less than $18,000 and multiple member households making less than $22,000 to apply for relief.

Over time the household income would change tied to inflation, Rep. Trish Ladner, R-Hot Springs, explained.

"I think it helps a population that needs to be re-indexed," she said.

The bill is part of a group of bills attempting to provide tax relief for South Dakotans. Another bill would lower property assessment rates for single-family homes while the widely popular bill to repeal the state sales tax on food was introduced on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakotas latest property tax proposal would revise requirements for these 3 groups
Tucker Carlson reported the resignation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday by insulting her appearance, mangling her name and making absurd claims about her leadership. (Watch the video below.)

And some rare good news: The appalling prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern  thats the lady with the big teeth who tormented her citizens  has just announced she is leaving office, the Fox News host said in a news alert.

Ardern, popular worldwide for her empathetic leadership, said in a speech that she no longer had the energy for the job. Although her popularity has dropped, she is credited with overseeing a ban on military-style assault rifles after mass shootings there and instituting strict COVID-19 measures that minimized the island nations death toll.

Carlson, however, framed her tenure differently. He called her an appalling abuser of human rights of her own people whos the most authoritarian leader that country has ever had.

What are the chances she was a puppet of the Chinese government? he said. We dont have enough evidence to prove that, but we would rate that as about 100% likely.

Ardern, who became the worlds youngest female head of government at age 37 in 2017, said she will step down no later than Feb. 7.

Related...
An M1A1 Abrams tank

An M1A1 Abrams tank guards a position at the Fort Irwin Army National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California Credit - Mike NelsonAFP/Getty Images

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, one request has remained high on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys wish list: tanks from Western allies. But so far, most have been reluctant to send them.

This is changing. Last week, Britain decided to send to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. Zelensky thanked British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a Tweet on Saturday for the decisions that will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners. Ultimately, Zelensky has his ambitions set much higher: Ukrainian military officials said in December they need about 300 tanks for a successful defense.

The British goal is to get the ball rolling. I think they recognize that a dozen tanks are not going to turn the tide. But the hope is that somebody had to go first, says Ian Williams, deputy director of CSISs Missile Defense Project.

The U.K. owns 227 Challenger 2 tanks, so they cant afford to lend too many to Ukraine. Thats a much smaller pool to pull from compared to the number of German Leopard 2 tanks that could potentially be made available; European countries possess about 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks between them, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.

However, Germany has veto power over whether foreign countries are allowed to export German-made tanks to other nations. So far, the German government has stood in the way of a Polish proposal to send its Leopard 2s to Ukraine. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing German government sources, that Germany would only allow the export of the tanks to Ukraine if the U.S. also send its own tanks.

This is consistent with the pattern weve seen from Germany so far: Berlin has been very hesitant to take a leading role in military matters, Williams says. The British defense secretary previously urged Germany to allow its Leopard tanks to be supplied to Ukraine. In addition to Poland, Denmark and Finland have said they are willing to send Ukraine Leopards if Germany permits re-export approval.

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German chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the Davos summit Wednesday that Germany was strategically interlocked with the U.S. We are never doing something just by ourselves, but together with others, especially the U.S., which are very important in this common task to defend the Ukrainian independence and sovereignty, Scholz said.

Over the last year, Ukraines Western allies have slowly expanded the kinds of military capabilities they are willing to share. In June, the U.S. began providing HIMARS rocket launcherswhich fire satellite-guided weapons with a range of about 50 miles. And earlier this month, the U.S., France and Germany agreed to send a delivery of armored fighting vehicles, which can help transport infantry into combat zones while firing at enemy forces.

Western tanks would be particularly effective for Ukraine to go on the offensive, owing in part to three key attributes: mobility, armor and firepower. Tanks are important because they will enable Ukrainians to push through Russian defenses  into contested territory and help liberate Russian occupied territory, says George Barros, an analyst on the Russia and Ukraine portfolio at the Institute for the Study of War. Tanks can also take out other tanks and armored personnel carriers as well as fortify positions.

Thats not to say tanks are a silver bullet; the military will need to use them effectively, Barros adds. Compared to armored fighting vehicles, they are heavier and slower and require more fuel and support to operate effectively.

Still, they are more lethal than the Soviet-era tanks that Ukraine is currently using, many of which are T-72s and have been in service since the 1970s. They lack the fire control of modern Western tanksthe ability to spot and hit a target at longer ranges, says Mark F. Cancian, a retired Marine Corps reserves colonel and senior advisor at CSIS. T-72s also tend to be smaller than Western tanks; this makes them harder to hit but also potentially more vulnerable because the ammunition is usually stored in the main tank compartment. For Western tanks, the ammunition is typically stowed in a protected compartment so that if the tank is hit, its much less likely to blow up, Cancian says.

Below, what to know about German Leopard 2, British Challenger 2, and American M1 Abrams tanksand why they matter.

The German Leopard 2

A Leopard Tank during a presentation by a German unit on May 20, 2019 in Munster, Germany. Morris MacMatzenGetty Images

Germany first made Leopards during the Cold War and now thousands exist across militaries. They are used by 13 European armies, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.

If these tanks are made available to Ukraine, they wouldnt only need to rely on Germany for supplies and maintenance, Williams says: Other countries could also theoretically contribute parts and ammunition as well.

The German Leopard 2 has two major advantages. One is that its a technology thats familiar to Ukrainians; it uses a diesel gas turbine engine. The other one is that there are lots of them out there, Cancian says.

The British Challenger 2

Challenger 2 main battle tank is displayed for the families watching The Royal Tank Regiment Regimental Parade, on September 24, 2022 in Bulford, England. Finnbarr WebsterGetty Images

The Challenger 2 weighs more than 65 tons and was first built in the late 1990s by BAE Systems and Land Armaments. It can carry up to four individuals, has a 120 mm rifled gun and can travel up to speeds of 37 mph on roads and 25 mph off-road.

The British army has used the model since July 1994 in conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq. It has never experienced a loss at the hands of the enemy, according to the British government.

One of its strengths lies in its ability to shock the enemy by placing them under pressure by a rapid and fully-committed advance, causing them to break and retreat, the British army notes.

The American M1 Abrams

American Abrams tanks are presented during a ceremony tied to the purchase of 250 Abrams tanks for the Polish Army near Warsaw, Poland on April 5, 2022 Mateusz WlodarczykNurPhoto/Getty Images

The M1 Abrams has a particularly powerful engine. That helps it to get around the battlefield and carry its powerful gun as well as heavy armor. The advantage of the gas turbine engine is its very powerful and very responsivebut the price you pay is that it uses a lot of gas, Cancian says. You have to have a lot of fuel trucks to go with it; the U.S. military built that into its structure.

This can make logistics and maintenance for the Abrams tank more complicated. These things are barriers to entry that make it difficult, logistically challenging, Barros says. Thats not to say its impossible to usejust that it requires more legwork in providing the necessary training and maintenance.

The Abrams can run at speeds up to 42 mph and carry up to four crew members.
Legislators including Democratic state Rep. Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, the nominee for House speaker, outline public spending priorities amid a windfall in state government income, at a news conference Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Santa Fe, N.M. Leading New Mexico legislators recommended a billion-dollar increase Thursday in annual state spending to expand preschool access and increase mandatory classroom instruction time at K-12 public schools.

SANTA FE - New Mexico legislators prepared to tap a multibillion-dollar budget surplus as they take on daunting challenges of surging gun violence, lagging student achievement in schools and low workforce participation, at the start of a 60-day legislative session Tuesday.

Concerns about politically motivated violence loomed over the proceedings as police on Monday arrested a failed Republican candidate in connection with a series of shootings targeting the homes of Democratic lawmakers in Albuquerque.

State Rep. Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, the Democratic nominee for House Speaker whose home was targeted by gunfire in December, said the arrest was a relief and that the shootings represent a frightening attack on the democratic process.

"Anyone who takes the plunge to participate in our democracy, to get into the process, should never have to encounter that type of violence and have that kind of fear," Martinez said. "There are a lot of things that can happen when rhetoric gets out of hand."

GOP Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca of Belen condemned an attack that "has no part in our community, or our state." No one was injured in the shootings.

The legislative session in Santa Fe starts with an agenda-setting State of the State speech from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham near the outset of her second term in office.

The Democratic-dominated state Legislature is anticipating a $3.6 billion budget surplus as it crafts a spending plan for the coming fiscal year. Leading legislators want to expand preschool access, lengthen annual instructional time at public schools, increase public salaries and provide at least $1 billion in tax relief and rebates.

Surging gun violence in Albuquerque and concerns about mass shootings nationwide have spawning proposals for enhanced criminal sentencing and new gun control measures. New bills would ban large-capacity ammunition magazines and apply felony sanctions to ensure guns can't be accessed by children.

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Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe says he'll sponsor a bill that bans firearms at all polling locations in response to the fears and frustrations of election workers.

Lujan Grisham staked her reelection heavily on her support for preserving widespread access to abortion as a foundation of women's rights and democracy, in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year that overturned Roe v. Wade and left legalization up to the states. Leading Democratic legislators hope to send her a bill that would prohibit restrictions on abortion by local governments and shield patients and abortion doctors from harassment by out-of-state interests.

New Mexico also is grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic 2022 wildfires linked to climate change and drought.

State legislators want to make the state more resilient to climate-related disasters by speeding up the delivery of federal disaster aid and allow small water districts to band together as they rebuild from wildfires. Lujan Grisham hopes to fund the first New Mexico-based corps of elite smokejumper firefighters to ensure a rapid response to future fires.

Environmentalists are renewing efforts to enshrine rights to clean air and water into the state Constitution, while Democratic state Rep. Patricia Lundstrom of Gallup is courting investments in hydrogen-fuel production as a transition away from the burning of fossil fuels in transportation and industry.

State government income is forecast to reach new heights  $12 billion in revenue during the fiscal year that runs from July 2023 though June 2024. That's about $3.6 billion in excess of current annual spending commitments.

The governor and leading legislators are proposing a pay raise for state workers and public school educators of at least 4%. Taxpayers would pay for educators' individual health care premiums under a proposal from the governor.

State Rep. Raymundo Lara of Chamberino on Tuesday signaled support among House Democrats for the proposal to underwrite health care insurance for teachers.

Beyond government, Democratic legislators want to provide automatic future increases to the statewide $12-per-hour minimum wage.

Lawmakers also hope to sock away billions of dollars into specialized trust funds, and use future investment earnings to underwrite programs ranging from smoking-cessation to highway construction and medical school teaching.

It's an investment strategy that has helped sustain public schools in New Mexico for generations through a $26 billion trust, partially sustained by income from oil- and gas-production leases on state trust land.

Legislators in the Republican minority are emphasizing support for greater competition among K-12 schools and wider options for students, while expanding public funding to private and parochial schools.

Morgan Lee is a reporter for the Associated Press.

Others are reading:

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Violence looms over New Mexico Legislature as work begins
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

In Fargo, North Dakota, a group of transgender people are plotting their escape from the states anti-trans laws.

Everyone is really scared right now. A lot of us are afraid of getting our rights or identities ripped away, Zara Crystal, 20, said of the slate of anti-trans bills proposed in North Dakota this year. I want to help as many people as I can.

Crystal is part of the newly formed nonprofit TRANSport, a group which aims to help transgender people leave the United States and relocate to more LGBT-friendly nations. The nonprofit aims to aid trans people with their transitions, as well as provide advice and financial support for those who wish to move abroad.

Crystal herself plans to move to Sweden, but not before devoting the next two years to helping other trans people in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota who are looking for a way out. Although the group is only a few months old, theyve received interest from about 30 people, according to VICE. The groups founder, Rynn Azerial Willgohs, 50, told VICE she is considering seeking asylum in Iceland.

For Crystal and Willgohs their home state of North Dakota is leading the way so far this year for anti-LGBT legislation, and may become the first state to pass a bill limiting transgender rights in 2023.

Zara Crystal is planning on moving to Sweden. Zara Crystal

Last years legislative season saw a record-breaking number of anti-LGBT bills filed across the country, many aimed at restricting the lives of trans youth. But 2023 is shaping up to be even worse for trans rights, with over 100 anti-trans bills already filed across 23 states so far, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.

In North Dakota at least seven anti-transgender rights bills are currently proposed, according to the Transformation Projects, which give an insight into the kind of legislation conservatives will be pushing this year. These include a bill that would prevent transgender girls in public schools from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity, two bills that would ban gender-affirming medical care for minors, and another that prohibits books about gender identity in public libraries.

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One piece of proposed legislation most worrying Crystal is an anti-drag show House bill that would make it a crime for male or female impersonators to perform within the line of vision of someone under eighteen. Although the bill does not explicitly mention trans people, its wording is vague enough that Crystal believes it could be used to prosecute trans people for simply existing in public spaces.

If we are caught out dancing in public, or we are accused of dancing in public, or just being in public in general, there could be serious consequences, she says. Some of us could be charged with sex crimes. That could be the end of a lot of peoples lives.

North Dakotas state house, which has a Republican supermajority, passed a bill last week that mandates that birth certificates in the state must record an infants sex as male or female, and defines sex as organs, chromosomes, and hormone profile present at birth. The bill will now continue to the Senate.

Bills restricting changes to birth certificates can have serious consequences for transgender people, says researcher Erin Reed, who tracks anti-trans legislation on her blog.

This bill on its face would essentially write discrimination into state law in North Dakota, she says.

The bill would prevent transgender people born in the state from ever having documents that match their gender, leading to issues every time they are asked to present it.

Theyll find that their birth certificate is the one thing they cant change, Reed says.

There have been flickers of hope for the North Dakota LGBT community. A Senate bill that would have forced government employees, including teachers, to misgender trans people, or face a fine of $1,500 for using their correct pronouns, did not pass out of committee. However, the chair indicated similar bills are coming.

I am glad to see its recommendation, but the larger committee discussion still involves the rights of people not to call others by their preferred pronouns, said Kristin Nelson, co-founder of Fargo-based Project RAI, an organization that supports queer and trans youth and their families.

While this bill has been defeated for now, there is more legislation proposed in the state Senate that would prohibit government entities from requiring their employees to use individuals preferred pronouns and ban public schools from adopting any policy or classroom recognizing expressed gender.

Its a dark space right now here in North Dakota. And were trying to take it day by day, Nelson says.

The slate of anti-trans bills proposed in North Dakota are not outliers, says Reed. Many Republican-majority state houses are pursuing similar legislation. Tennessee has already enacted a restrictive birth certificate law like the one under discussion in North Dakota, and lawmakers have also proposed another to ban gender-affirming health care for minors. Similar bills are proposed in Kansas, Texas, and South Carolina.

Texas Just Re-Elected My Trans Sons Worst Bullies

Bills banning gender-affirming health care are dangerous for children who are receiving treatment, Reed says, as it forces them to stop immediately and undergo rapid medical detransitioning.

And states are not only targeting health care for transgender youth. A Senate bill filed in Oklahoma takes aim at transgender adults, aiming to ban health-care providers from giving gender-affirming care to individuals up to the age of 26.

We knew 2023 was going to be bad. What we didnt expect, and what surprised me a little bit, was that the anti-trans candidates didnt sweep. They didnt have a good election, says Reed. And yet theyve doubled down during the legislative cycle.

Nelson agrees, saying the volume of testimony from conservative areas of North Dakota submitted in opposition to anti-trans bills shows that this legislation lacks support in the state.

Greater North Dakota does not believe these things, Nelson says. This is not who we are.

On Tuesday night, Crystal, Nelson and other transgender, queer people, and allies gathered at a community event organized by Project RAI, held at a local Fargo synagogue.

Crystal gave a speech about how the local LGBT community can respond to negative legislation permeating in state government.

There are 13 of these bills. Each one of them attacking a different part of queer life, she said. They are attempting to erase this out of the public space and they are attempting a hands-off approach at ending queer life by means of forcing us to suicide.

Crystal encouraged members of the community to figure out ways to leave the state or country, if necessary.

Im here to ask only that you hold up your fellow community members. Whether youre a queer person, an ally or even just questioningyou need to hold up the community in this time of need, Crystal said.

A queer middle schooler spoke up about his experiences, Nelson said.

His message was that hes not a scary person, that hes a really good person if you get to know him, Nelson says. That kid moved the room to tears, everyone was crying.

She wonders how Republican lawmakers, like her local representative Jonathan Casper, can support bills targeting trans youth. She says she thinks that must have never met a young transgender person.

If you did, creating bills like this against them, I just think you wouldnt be able to do it, Nelson says.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) said in an interview that the support in the district Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) represents is cratering by the day as the embattled first-term lawmaker is facing investigations into his deceit and campaign fundraising.

During an appearance on Fox Businesss Kennedy, Zeldin, who lost to incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the states gubernatorial election in November, expressed frustration with the controversy surrounding Santos, describing Santos as personable and charming during interactions they had on the campaign trail.

There were a lot of people who were genuinely supporting him, voting for him, volunteering for him, Zeldin told Kennedy on Wednesday. And they were just at this point crushed once the news came out, of what was true and what wasnt true, and unfortunately a lot more has come out that was false than accurate.

Zeldin also said more people who supported and voted for Santos are upset and outraged with the controversy surrounding the lawmaker than those who voted against him in the election, noting that Santos will have a difficult time during his tenure in Congress.

Santos, 34, defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in New Yorks 3rd Congressional District in Novembers midterm elections.

Hes going to have  an extremely difficult time, not just in Washington, D.C., and he pointed out that he just got seated on two different committees, Zeldin added. But especially back home, where theres just cratering support by the day.

Zeldins remarks come after several current and former New York-based lawmakers such as Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) and former Rep. Peter King (R) have called for Santos to resign.

Santos is currently facing a federal investigation over potential campaign finance violations and an investigation from Nassau County over his fabrications during his campaign.

Santoss lies range from inventing his professional resume as a Wall Street financier, claiming to be Jewish and have grandparents who escaped the Holocaust, claiming to have played volleyball for a university he did not attend and stating that he ran a charity that saved animals.

Despite the calls for his resignation, Santos has remained defiant. The House GOP leadership on Tuesday assigned him to two committees: the House Small Business Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Biden administration has updated measures its taking to address issues of importance to the nations fast-growing Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, among the presidents priorities since assuming office in early 2021.

The measures encompass efforts by 32 federal agencies  including all 15 executive departments in the presidents Cabinet  to advance equity, justice and opportunity for those communities. The report was issued by the White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, known as WHIAANHPI, which Biden created in May 2021 in the wake of rising anti-Asian hate incidents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The efforts reflect the Biden administrations unprecedented commitment to advancing racial equity throughout the federal government, said initiative director Krystal Ka'ai.

President Joe Biden hands a pen to Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, after signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. The legislation, drafted in response to violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the coronavirus pandemic, created a Department of Justice position focused on the rise in hate crimes and providing resources to federal, state and local jurisdictions to better report cases.

What areas need improvement?

The report cited two major accomplishments, including Bidens $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which has provided more than $5 billion in economic relief, housing support and health funding benefiting Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander programs, and the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which in part tackled language barriers faced by members of those communities when trying to report crimes.

But it also singled out several areas in which progress remains crucial: data disaggregation, language access and higher levels of anti-Asian hate.

For too long, systemic barriers have put the American Dream out of reach for many Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Now we have a choice: We can choose to stand for equity, justice and opportunity, or the status quo. We have chosen to move forward and stand with our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters.

Ka'ai, Becerra and others made their comments during a two-hour webinar in which participants spoke from their department offices or took part in short roundtable discussions.

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How has data disaggregation affected these communities?

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are often lumped in with Asian Americans in data collection despite roots in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia  a situation that has cloaked unique issues affecting their populations. Similar issues plague Arab Americans, whom the federal government has classified as white.

We know that Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Asian Pacific Islander communities are often aggregated into one, and that couldnt be further from the truth, said White House deputy Cabinet secretary Daniel Koh.

For instance, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were found to face higher rates of COVID-19  when they were measured. According to a 2021 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children trailed only American Indian and Alaska Native kids in terms of infection.

Part of the reason COVID-19 disproportionately caused so much harm to NHPI communities is because of a historic lack of access to adequate health care and a high rate of comorbidities among these communities, said Estella Owoimaha-Church, executive director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, an advocacy group based in Los Angeles. Even within the NHPI community, our people are as vast as the ocean from which our communities came from.

Why is having good data important?

Erika Moritsugu, the presidents liaison to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, said more than a dozen federal agencies had committed to disaggregation efforts.

Good data is critical to good policy, particularly when it comes to reaching underserved communities, said Nani Coloretti, deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. This is really about being seen and heard.

Recommendations from an ongoing review of OMB data collection standards are scheduled to be released in summer 2024.

If you dont disaggregate, many disparities are masked, said Julie Su, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Labor. For example, she said, once the departments Bureau of Labor Statistics began examining Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders more precisely, it found disproportionately high jobless rates.

You cant take action on something you cant measure, Koh said. That information didnt exist on paper, but it was there.

What is being done about anti-Asian hate crimes?

According to the reporting center Stop AAPI Hate, rnearly 11,500 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported from March 2020 to March 2022, the vast majority of them involving harassment  such as verbal comments or inappropriate gestures  that did not qualify as criminal.

A demonstrator participates at a rally "Love Our Communities: Build Collective Power" to raise awareness of anti-Asian violence outside the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

We have seen a disturbing uptick, said Daniel Dae Kim of the presidents advisory commission on Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Our communities have experienced pain and trauma with lasting mental health impacts, including depression and anxiety. But Ive never seen our community come together the way it has over the last few years.

U.S. associate attorney general Vanita Gupta noted the departments pursuit of anti-Asian hate crime charges, including a man sentenced in August to 25 years in federal prison for attacking an Asian family he wrongly assumed to be Chinese, a nationality he blamed for the pandemic, at a Sams Club in Midland, Texas.

But while such prosecutions are important given the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes, Gupta said, we all know prosecutions are not the fundamental answer to fighting hate in our communities. We dont have enough good data or the kind of trust we need in these communities for vulnerable victims to report and for us to prosecute these crimes.

The role of language access

In such instances, language access can play a crucial role in assuring justice.

Language access can be the difference between life and death and being able to access public safety officials if anything is going on, Gupta said. She noted that the Justice Department added a language access coordinator last year.

Sami Watson (left) and Ha Nguyen (right) from Hamkae Center in Virginia volunteered at a polling site in 2021. The center is reaching out to Asian American voters to provide election information in different languages.

Su, of the Labor Department, said language barriers also can produce worker inequities. More than 14 million U.S. workers, she said, identity as English-deficient  including speakers of Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog.

Theyre more vulnerable, Su said. If people cant communicate with their government, then the government has to do better.

Chiraag Bains, deputy director of the White Houses domestic policy council for racial justice and equity, said it was time to acknowledge that the federal government had played a role in erecting such barriers.

Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, Bains said.

Dig deeper

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AAPI community: Despite gains, hate crimes and language issues remain
A Brazilian art collector has asked a federal judge to order the Detroit Institute of Arts to hand over Vincent van Gogh's "The Novel Reader," alleging that the painting was stolen, according to court documents.

Gustavo Soter of Brazil said he "paid $3.7 million for the painting and would like it back," lawyers for Soter's art brokerage company, Brokerarte Capital Partners, wrote in court documents filed Wednesday.

MORE: Video Caught on camera: Banksy print worth $45K stolen from Toronto art exhibit

BCP filed a lawsuit against the DIA in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

PHOTO: A man walks past Vincent Van Gogh's 'Une liseuse de romans,' valued at 2.5 to 3.5 million pounds, during a preview of Christie's Impressionist and Modern Art sale in London, June 17, 2005. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

The brokerage company said it purchased the painting in 2017 and transferred the artwork, but not the title, to a third party. The third party "absconded" with the painting and BCP has been unable to locate it for years, earlier court documents show.

PHOTO: Visitors file past at the Van Gogh painting 'Une Liseuse De Romans', also known as 'The Novel Reader', during the Van Gogh in America exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Jan. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (Andy Morrison/AP)

DIA said it applied for immunity under the Federal Immunity from Seizure Act for 27 pieces of art being shown in the exhibition, including the Van Gogh painting in dispute. The U.S. State Department granted immunity for the DIA's entire submission in July, according to court filings.

The DIA also claimed that it received a confirmation from the Art Loss Register that the painting was not registered as stolen or missing before it submitted the application to the State Department. In a court filing, the DIA claimed Soter's request would violate the Federal Immunity from Seizure Act.

PHOTO: Visitors file past at the Van Gogh painting 'Une Liseuse De Romans', also known as 'The Novel Reader', during the Van Gogh in America exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Jan. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (Andy Morrison/AP)

The painting was a loan to the DIA from a "foreign lender," according to court documents.

MORE: Supreme Court says it failed to identify who leaked draft abortion opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade

The painting is part of an exhibition that ends on Jan. 22. BCP asked the court to take action before then, alleging the painting will no longer be in the possession of the DIA after that date and BCP will lose its chance to recover the painting.

The DIA has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging U.S. cultural institutions like itself will suffer substantial harm if the court orders it to hand over the painting to BCP.

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In a subsequent filing, BCP claimed the Immunity from Seizure Act does not apply in this case because the DIA did not enter into an agreement with the foreign owner of the painting.

DIA told ABC News in a statement: "The Detroit Institute of Arts explained its position on the pending dispute between two private parties in the pleadings filed by the DIAs counsel last week. The museums focus during these final days of the internationally celebrated Van Gogh in America exhibition is on welcoming guests from Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties, around the State of Michigan, the United States, and the world."

Lawyers for BCP did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Brazilian art collector, Detroit Institute of Art file suits over Van Gogh painting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Two Illinois paramedics accused of killing a patient last month pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges on Friday, court records show.

Peter J. Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Jill Finley, 45, appeared in the Sangamon County Courthouse in Springfield Friday for a preliminary hearing. They entered their pleas after the judge found probable cause exists for the charges. A pre-trial hearing was set for Feb. 6 and the two were remanded to custody. They are being held in the Sangamon County Jail on $1 million bonds.

The court proceedings come a day after the family of the victim -- 35-year-old Earl Moore Jr. -- filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Cadigan, Finley and their employer, LifeStar Ambulance Service, over what the family's attorney described as "barbaric" actions.

"We filed a wrongful death lawsuit this morning because we want to make sure this family gets whole justice, not just partial justice," prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing Moore's family, told reporters during a press conference on Thursday. "They treated him so inhumanely. I guess they said Earl didn't matter. But Earl matters."

MORE: 2 EMS workers charged with first-degree murder in Illinois

The paramedics were responding to a call for assistance with a man "suffering from hallucinations due to alcohol withdrawal" at a residence in Springfield on Dec. 18, 2022, just after 2 a.m. local time, according to a press release from the Springfield Police Department. The police officers on scene were wearing body cameras, and video from that night was released last week by the Sangamon County States Attorney's Office.

In the video, Finley can be heard yelling at a Black man on the floor -- who identified himself as Moore -- to "sit up" and "quit acting stupid." She is also heard telling Moore, "We ain't carrying you," and, "I am seriously not in the mood for this dumb [stuff]," using an expletive in her remark. Eventually, as the video shows, the officers on scene help Moore walk outside to where an ambulance and a stretcher await him. Finley and Cadigan are then seen strapping the patient onto the stretcher in what police called "a prone position," or lying facedown.

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PHOTO: This combination of booking photos provided by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office shows Peter J. Cadigan, left, and Peggy Jill Finley in Springfield, Illinois, on Jan. 9, 2023. (Sangamon County Sheriff's Office via AP)

The officers attempted to provide Moore care after the paramedics "acted indifferently to the patient's condition," according to police.

"The officers took steps to assist the patient, to get him the care he needed, even waiting on the scene to ensure the medical personnel loaded the patient into the ambulance," the Springfield Police Department said in its press release last week. "The officers, who are not emergency medical professionals, are not trained nor equipped to provide the necessary medical treatment or to transport patients in this type of situation."

Moore died after he was transported to a local hospital, according to police.

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Moore suffered as he "slowly suffocated," according to personal injury lawyer Bob Hilliard, who is also representing Moore's family.

"He was not suffering from a life-threatening medical condition -- he was suffering from a medical condition. The life-threatening part was during the transportation," Hilliard told reporters at Thursday's press conference. "Earl truly did, for those three minutes as his life faded away, suffered unimaginably."

MORE: Authorities investigate death of Memphis man following arrest during traffic stop

ABC News has reached out to the respective attorneys for Cadigan and Finley for comment.

A representative for LifeStar Ambulance Service told ABC News last week that the company had "no comment" regrading the ongoing investigation into the incident. ABC News has since reached out again for comment.

Moore's family -- including his mother, three sisters and niece -- spoke out during Thursday's press conference, wearing shirts and pins in his honor.

"Since my brother was killed it's like a piece of me has gone with him," Moore's sister, Chatara Moore, told reporters. "Siblings are usually the people in life that understand each other best. His joy was my joy, and his pain was also mine."

Moore's young niece, Astar Wright, also spoke, saying: "I miss him and I love him so much."

PHOTO: The family of Earl Moore Jr. announces they have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, Jan. 19, 2023. (WICS)

Moore's mother, Rose Washington, said she hopes they can prevent another family from going through what they have endured.

"These workers treated him like he wasn't even human. They tied him down like some kind of animal," Washington told reporters. "My baby suffocated because of their actions."

Teresa Haley, president of the Springfield branch of the NAACP, said watching the body camera footage reminded her of George Floyd, the unarmed 46-year-old Black man who died in handcuffs while being pinned under the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020.

"They literally threw his hands behind and strapped him down. He couldn't move if he wanted to and he's facedown," Haley said at a press conference last week. "They did not show any compassion whatsoever to this individual. He should be alive today."

ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Matt Foster, Teddy Grant and Ben Stein contributed to this report.

Illinois paramedics plead not guilty to first-degree murder charges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A forthcoming book by a former prosecutor could harm the ongoing criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and his family real estate company, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Wednesday.

That investigation led to the recent conviction of the Trump Organization and appeared to accelerate again on Tuesday when Bragg met with Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, about the hush payment Cohen says he helped arrange to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who alleged a long-denied affair with Trump.

MORE: Trump Organization sentenced to maximum fine following tax fraud conviction

The book's author, former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, was assigned to the Trump case by then-District Attorney Cy Vance. Pomerantz and another senior prosecutor, Carey Dunne, quit last February over their disagreements with Bragg about how the case should proceed.

Pomerantz's publisher, Simon & Schuster, announced last week that the book, entitled "People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account," will be released next month.

PHOTO: Donald Trump speaks to the media while departing a polling station after voting in the US midterm elections at Morton and Barbara Mandel in Palm Beach, Florida. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

Bragg's office sent a letter to both Simon & Schuster and Pomerantz, expressing concern that the book could interfere with the ongoing investigation.

"Based on the pre-publication descriptions of his book and the benefit of current knowledge of the matter, but without access to the manuscript, this Office believes there is a meaningful risk that the publication will materially prejudice ongoing criminal investigations and related adjudicative proceedings," read the letter, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News.

The letter was signed by Bragg's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, and requested 60 days to review the manuscript, which would delay the Feb. 7 publication date.

MORE: Manhattan DA hires former DOJ official who previously investigated Trump Foundation

"The District Attorney's interest here is to protect the integrity of this Office's pending criminal investigations and proceedings regarding the former President," the letter said. "The Office urges Mr. Pomerantz not to take any further steps that would damage an ongoing criminal investigation."

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In a statement provided to ABC News, Pomerantz said, "I am confident that all of my actions with respect to the Trump investigation, including the writing of my forthcoming book, are consistent with my legal and ethical obligations."

Representatives for Simon & Schuster told ABC News in a statement, "We stand behind Mark Pomerantz and his book, People vs. Donald Trump, and look forward to sharing this important and timely work with readers when it is published on February 7."

Manhattan DA concerned that upcoming Trump book could hamper investigation originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
ABC News

The D.C. Court of Appeals has declined to answer whether then-President Donald Trump was acting within the scope of his employment when he allegedly defamed writer E Jean Carroll when denying her rape claim. Carroll sued Trump for defamation over statements he made in 2019 when he denied her claim that he raped her in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s. Trump, who also denies defaming her, has argued that the Justice Department should be substituted as the defendant in the case because, at the time of his allegedly defamatory statements, he was acting in his official capacity as an employee of the federal government.
Three months have passed since the quadruple killing of four University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The accused killer Bryan Kohberger remains in jail awaiting a preliminary hearing on June 26, and more information trickles in about the case.

These include details about Kohberger's concerning behavior leading up to the killings, new potential evidence against him, and the answer to a burning question involving one of the survivors: Why she failed to report the crime until the next day. Here are five new revelations surrounding the Idaho killings.

Did Kohberger Call Himself a "Devil"?

Someone with the user name "Exarr" posted a rap song to SoundCloud 11 years ago, calling himself "devil," and some internet sleuths argue that person is Kohberger.

The song, Rise Up Instrumental, includes the lyric, "You are not my equal/You are wicked but I'm devil." The internet commenters say the SoundCloud account is linked to a "Bryan" in Effort, Pennsylvania, the accused killer's hometown.

He May Have Had Access to WSU Crime Lab

As a Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University, Kohberger could have used a crime lab that offered access to police bodycam videos and live streams from security cameras. The WSU program runs a Complex Social Interaction Lab that gives authorized students access to police surveillance video and crime scene footage. The university denied that Kohberger was allowed access to the lab. But an anonymous source told Fox News that people could enter it and use it without approval.

Police Video Included Visits to Victims' Residence

Moscow police told Fox News Digital the department does not share bodycam video or live security camera streams with WSU researchers. But MPD officers visited the victims' home at least three times during the time Kohberger attended WSU, public records show. It's possible the visits were captured on body or dashcam video. Twitch stream video also captured two of the victims ordering food on their way home hours before the killings.

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Police Found a Shoe Print

Police found a shoe print at the crime scene with a sole pattern that looked like that of a Vans sneaker. It's not clear if police have found a matching shoe. It's also not clear what kind of shoes Kohberger has. The shoeprint could prove useful to prosecutors if its size can be determined and matched with the suspect's.

Did the Shoe Print Have Blood on It?

If police discovered the shoe print using the same chemicals to detect blood, that could be important, says lawyer Paul Mauro, a former New York Police Department inspector. "First of all, they got the footprint, but also it probably helped them develop his path through the house, because by using the technology that they did, it sounds like what they picked up was a blood footprint," he told Fox News Digital. "He stepped in blood of some sort and left that impression, and apparently it's very vague  very faint, so they had to use this technology, which means he might have wiped it up."

More Details on What "DM" Heard

The surviving housemate identified by Moscow Police Cpl. Brett Payne as "DM" told police that she thought she heard Goncalves "say something to the effect of 'there's someone here,'" Payne says. DM also thought she heard crying from Kernodle's room. "DM then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of 'It's OK, I'm going to help you,'" according to the initial probable cause affidavit.

Kohberger Studied With Serial Killer Experts

While working toward a master's degree in criminal justice at DeSales University, Kohberger studied under serial killer expert Katherine Ramsland, who co-wrote a book with the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, who killed ten people from 1974 to 1991. Kohberger also studied under Melanie-Angela Neuilly at WSU. Her resume describes her as specializing in "homicide, violent deaths [and] violence as a public health concern."

Did He Date a Woman on Tinder?

A woman who identifies herself as "Hayley" recalls going on a Tinder date with a man she identifies as Kohberger in a TikTok video that went viral. "My interactions with Bryan were very brief. I don't know much about him," she says in the video. "We matched on Tinder. We talked for a couple of hours, and then he was, like, 'Hey, you want to go to the movies with me tonight?' I was, like, 'Sure.' So we went to the movies. I thought he was just going to drop me off, but that was not the case. He kind of invited himself inside. He kept trying to touch me. Not like inappropriately, just trying to tickle me and, like, rub my shoulders and stuff, and I was, like, 'Why are you touching me?' He's, like, 'I'm not,' and I'm, like, 'You are, though.' And he's, like, 'I'm not touching you.' Kind of trying to gaslight me into thinking that he didn't touch me, which is weird." The man later messaged her on Tinder to tell her that she had "good birthing hips." "So I never talked to him" again, she adds.

DNA Matched Kohberger's Father's Trash

DNA evidence collected from a button snap on a knife sheath at the murder scene matched a sample taken from Kohberger's father's trash in Pennsylvania, a court document revealed. The Idaho State Lab matched the two samples with more than 99 percent accuracy, the New York Post reports. "At least 99.9998% of the male population would be expected to be excluded from the possibility of being the suspect's biological father," the document said.

Kohberger Is Jailed With Accused Pedophiles

Kohberger is being held with 22 other inmates, some of whom face charges of serious crimes, including pedophilia, drug offenses and assault. He is being kept in the Latah County Jail, an adult male and female holding facility, until his June trial. The jail holds people "awaiting trial, and those adults sentenced to local jail time or awaiting transport to the Idaho Department of Corrections," according to its official website.

Kohberger Has His Own Cell

Latah County Sheriff Richard Skiles told TMZ that Kohberger would be placed in his own cell and treated like any other inmate. Kohberger will be allowed to speak to his family on the phone. Inmates have access to telephones for outgoing calls, the jail's website says. Visiting hours are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Can You Connect With Kohberger in Jail?

Kohberger's jailhouse phone calls may be accessible, a Reddit user posted. "There was a poster about a week back, when the gag order appeal was filed, who has a family member in the same jail system as BK," the redditor posted. "I think their phone calls are viewable. They had noticed BK on the phone for about 4 hours, typically around the time new docs come out. Most likely speaking with counsel. So it may not be that often?" In another post, the redditor said, "You're able to view telephone communications if you're an approved contact on their cellmate list through the jail. I'm pretty sure anyone can add him, he just has to accept it."

Petition to Narrow Gag Order

A coalition made up of local and national media organizations petitioned Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall to narrow the restrictions of a gag order barring the release of information about the case. The order prohibits law enforcement officials, attorneys, and others associated with the case from speaking about it to the public and media. The coalition asks Marshall to narrow the terms of the order, which also applies to attorneys who represent witnesses, victims, and victims' families.

Did Kohberger Talk to Survivors Before the Killings?

Internet sleuths speculate that Kohberger could have spoken to either Bethany Funke or "DM" on their OnlyFans pages before the killings. Some of them point to what they say are OnlyFans accounts of Funke and DM, which are accessible to the public.

Did Kohberger Take His Car to a Carwash?

A web sleuth asked on Reddit, "When did BK (Bryan Kohberger) allegedly clean all the blood, etc out of his car? Curious, as LE seemed to hone in on BK pretty quickly, when do we think he would've deep cleaned the car? It'd have to be soon right or it may stain? Also, he drove home with his dad! Surely his dad would've been like 'Bryan your car is a mess, or it stinks of rust!' etc  As parents do lol. Just a thought! Wonder what you all think." The question sparked various theories. "He may have taken his car through a car wash and it was caught on video, but the police did not put that into the" probable cause affidavit, another redditor replied.

Kohberger Had an "Altercation" with His Professor Early in the School Year

According to a new report from The New York Times, Kohberger began having troubles at Washington State, where he was studying for his Ph.D., shortly after the school year began. In fact, per a termination letter obtained by the publication, he had an "altercation" on Sept. 23 with John Snyder, the W.S.U. professor, he was assisting. On November 2  11 days before the murders  department leaders met with him to discuss an improvement plan. After the killings, on December 9, he had a second "altercation" with the professor.

Kohberger Was Accused of Making Female Students Feel "Uncomfortable"

In the weeks leading up to the murders, Kohberger also made multiple female students feel uncomfortable. Per The New York Times, they reported his behavior to professors. Two sources told the publication that one of the incidents involved him following a woman to her car. However, the school did not find him guilty of any wrongdoing involving the woman.

He Was Terminated From His TA Job Prior to His Arrest

In the termination document obtained by the Times, Kohberger was removed from his position as a teaching assistant, cutting off his pay and saying that he "had not made progress regarding professionalism." He was sent a formal letter stating that he had failed to meet the conditions required to maintain his funding under the program, according to three sources.

Bluetooth Could Link Kohberger to the Murders

According to NewsNation, Goncalves had a Bluetooth speaker in her bedroom and there might be evidence of Kohberger's phone connecting to that device. "If Kohberger's phone tried to connect with that Bluetooth device, that's what all of our phones do, they're constantly trying to connect to whatever devices that are, whether they're in the Elantra whether it's in her home that would go towards placing Kohberger physically, or his cell phone at the scene of the crime," Tracy Walder said on NewsNation.

This would give "more credence to his DNA sheath being there, him potentially being spotted with the bushy eyebrows. That really speaks to the totality of evidence because now you have three things that physically put him there."

One of the Survivors Reportedly Mistook Kohberger as a Party Guest





A source exclusively told NewsNation that one of the surviving witnesses, named as DM in the affidavit, thought that the man she saw in the hallway was a party guest. The source, who claims to have spoken directly with DM, explains that she yelled about the noises she heard during the killings because she thought it was late-night partying. Allegedly she first heard noises around 4 a.m. She opened her door and yelled, "calm down, you're being loud!" and "I'm trying to sleep!"

Per the source, she then closed her door and locked it. Later on in the night, she heard more loud noises so she opened the door again. That is when she saw the man with "bushy eyebrows" walking down the hall, but she wasn't frightened. "She assumed he was a guest of the other roommates there partying," the source told NewsNation.

Those who knew the Pennsylvania native have opened up about him, revealing chilling details to the press, and even those who just saw him around campus or town are also giving their accounts, adding some insight into what he was like as a person. Here are the most chilling new details about the Idaho murder case.

RELATED: This Is Why Idaho Survivor Didn't Call the Cops After Seeing Killer, According to Source

Kohberger Was Lingering Around the University Studen Union, Sources Say

According to three separate sources, Kohberger was lingering around the University of Idaho student union for weeks. A sophomore revealed to People magazine that she saw him drinking water at the food court of the Student Union as he sat alone. "He was the type to stare. He wouldn't look away if you caught him staring. Like he wanted you to notice that he was looking at you," the student, who identified as Chelsea, told the publication.

"He didn't smile, didn't nod, didn't say anything. Just stared," she said. "I told my friend to not be suspicious but to look at him, because the eye contact was making me uncomfortable." Chelsea added: "It was so weird that we ended up leaving and eating outside, because we wanted to get away from him."

He Allegedly Harrassed Women at Bars

According to the owner of the Seven Sirens Brewing Company in Pennsylvania, Kohberger sat alone "observing and watching" patrons at the bar, and he even harassed women. Employees even put a note in the company system about him. "Staff put in there: 'Hey, this guy makes creepy comments, keep an eye on him.' He'll have two or three beers and then just get a little too comfortable," said owner Jordan Serulneck, 34.

Kernodle Reportedly Faught Back

Sources recently told News Nation that Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were killed first, and then Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were killed on the second floor afterwards. They added that Chapin was killed in the doorway of Kernodle's room and added that Kernodle fought back. They claim she grabbed the knife from the suspect, suffering deep cuts to her fingers.



Kohberger Applied for an Internship with the Police

According to Pullman police, Kohberger applied for an internship in the fall of 2022. He wrote an essay saying he wanted to help "rural law enforcement agencies with how to better collect and analyze technological data in public safety operations," according to court documents.

He Allegedly Slid Into One of the Girls' DMs Several Times

An investigative source has told People magazine that an Instagram account believed to belong to Kohberger started sending one of the victims messages in late October, but she never responded. "He slid into one of the girls' DMs several times but she didn't respond," the anonymous source said.

"Basically, it was just him saying, 'Hey, how are you?' But he did it again and again." They added: "She may not have seen them, because they went into message requests. We're still trying to determine how aware the victims were of his existence." While there was "no indication that he was getting frustrated with her lack of response," the source added, "he was definitely persistent."

Kohberger's DNA Was Out in the World, Source Claims

Kohberger had reportedly submitted his DNA for genetic testing, according to a Washington State University graduate student living in his apartment complex, an anonymous source told the Idaho Statesman. "He talked about his ancestors," the 30-year-old neighbor said. "He had some sort of DNA test. I don't know how he got to that point.  It was just interesting to him."

Police Found a "Reddish-Brown" Stain in Kohberger's Apartment

This week the search warrant was unsealed, with investigators stating they believed the evidence was in Kohberger's apartment, including "blood, or other bodily fluid or human tissue or skin cells" or items which with blood or fluid on them, stabbing weapons (including a "sword"), and "trace evidence" including DNA and "hair (whether human or animal/dog."

They ended up seizing many items, including one black nitrite-type glove, the dust container from a vacuum cleaner, 13 possible hair strands  one of which may belong to an animal, a "Fire TV" stick, a pillow with a "reddish/brownish stain," and a computer tower.

Kohberger Reportedly Had "Delusions of Grandeur" and "Crazy Thoughts"

The New York Times claims that Kohberger allegedly posted on an online message board when he was younger, convinced he suffered from visual snow syndrome, a disorder that causes someone to see static. He reportedly used the username "exarr" and posted between November 6, 2009, and February 20, 2012. While Kohberger was a teenager, he allegedly made 118 posts on the forum under the username "exarr."

"I have had VS [visual snow] since september 21st of 2009. Since then I have changed, mainly from the anxiety and sense of derealization and hopelessness," he supposedly wrote in January 2011. "I have become very deep and determined on goals. It made me smarter," he said about the benefits of visual snow syndrome in April 2011.

He Was an "Insomniac," Neighbors Claim

One of his neighbors, Angela, told Insider that Kohberger was an insomniac, saying he "kept them awake at night by pacing and intermittently running his garbage disposal, sometimes until 4 a.m." She considered "having words" with him but opted against it, hoping "he would be equally gracious if her crying children ever kept him awake."

He Likely Acted Alone

Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA's office and attorney at Levin&Associates, debunked rumors that Kohberger had a partner in crime after his attorney. According to Levin, Ann Taylor filed a discovery request in the case, asking the judge to order the prosecution to hand over all discovery in the case within 14 days, including "Statements of co-defendant. Any written or recorded statements by a co-defendant and the substance of any relevant oral statement made by a co-defendant, whether before or after arrest in response to interrogation by any person known by the codefendant to be a peace officer or agent of the prosecuting attorney, or which are otherwise relevant to the offense charged," the filing reads. Per Levin, this was just a procedure. "These are just very standard requests as part of the defence's discovery request," he told The Independent.

This post has been updated from its February 5 version to reflect new and developing information.
Besides capturing the vigorously blowing winds off the Massachusetts coast, Vineyard Wind is looking to capture something much more subtle as it continues developing the nation's first commercial-scale, offshore wind farm in coming months: Whale blows  those fleeting clouds of moist breath the marine mammals expel when they surface to get some fresh air.

The company, which is constructing its 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1 project in shallow waters 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and bringing the energy ashore at Covell Beach in Barnstable, is planning to use an emerging artificial intelligence and computer vision system called Awarion  developed by Cambridge-based Charles River Analytics  for marine mammal, ship, and fishing gear detection as offshore work gets underway.

HYANNIS 01/05/23 Workers with Elecnor Hawkeye feed a large electric cable from a 3000 foot spool down into underground conduit where it is spliced together along Attuck's Lane in Hyannis. The cable will bring the electricity from the offshore Vineyard Wind project to a substation located off Independence Drive. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Companies building wind farms offshore must obtain federal permits and comply with a set of requirements intended to minimize harm to marine mammals in the vicinity, such as using acoustic monitoring systems and human observers to watch for endangered mammals.

A key aim of the collaboration between the two companies is to protect the many species of marine mammals, including critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, which live in and migrate through Massachusetts waters from often fatal collisions with ocean-going vessels.

We are excited about the opportunity to work with Charles River Analytics to advance local technologies focused on reducing the risk of vessel collision with marine fauna, Klaus Moeller, Vineyard Wind CEO, said.

It's an exciting prospect for the technology's developers as well.

Is this whale detection system new technology?

"We've been in development for this technology for at least the past decade. We use it for different things. We started out really focusing on ship detection, and then transitioned over to looking for whales," Ross Eaton, principal scientist and director of marine systems at Charles River Analytics, said.

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Elaine Coleman, vice president of commercialization at Charles River Analytics, said working with Vineyard Wind is an ideal partnership since object detection and avoidance are so critical to the successful construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind projects. The ability to include marine mammal detection in order to avoid negative interactions with them is an added benefit.

A North Atlantic Right Whale named Medusa, who has frequented waters in Massachusetts and Cape Cod bays, has given birth to the first calf of the season off the coast of Georgia. This image was captured by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute.

The technology, she said, "is uniquely designed to aid protected species observers efforts to detect and protect the areas marine mammals.

Awarion, Eaton and Coleman explained, adds another layer of vigilance to that provided by human lookouts, who can become fatigued and distracted, and marine radar systems, which have limited detection capabilities. The system uses electro-optical and infrared video to detect, analyze, and report on the presence of whales, ships, and other objects  such as fishing buoys and equipment  at long distances.

Special report:North Atlantic right whales in crisis

The technology is designed to perform advanced analyses, including trajectory modeling and threat assessment. Its electro-optical and infrared capabilities also provide more detail and resolution than radar, allowing the system to "see" what radar cant detect, such as a whale blow, as well as to perform object classification, according to the company.

HYANNIS 01/05/23 Workers with Elecnor Hawkeye finish up the end of a 3000 foot spool of electric cable where it was sent into underground conduit along Attuck's Lane in Hyannis. The cable will bring the electricity from the offshore Vineyard Wind project to a substation located off Independence Drive. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Will this new whale detection equipment actually work?

According to Charles River Analytics' performance metrics in testing on real-world data with targets at ranges up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles), the system has demonstrated a 90% probability of successful ship detections, an 80% probability of whale detections, and 90% accuracy in ship classification.

"The basic idea behind the way that our Awarion product works is we provide the computer with a lot of example images showing it what we want to find," said Ross. "Through AI machine learning pattern recognition, the computer learns what those things look like. The computer recognizes it."

Report:North Atlantic right whales continuing to decline

The system is based on image detection, so it uses both visual and thermal cameras mounted on a high point of a ship. Ross said the goal is to refine the detection of whales at distances adequate enough for mariners to have the time to assess and take any necessary actions to avoid colliding with them.

"We try to maximize the range that we can make those detections at," he said.

Is this new whale detection system fully tested?

Charles River Analytics, Ross said, is still "very much in the early phases" of testing the system for real-world use on vessels. In developing the system, the company has collaborated with marine scientists, mariners and whale-watching outfits over several years to collect data to understand the technology's performance and work to perfect it  an ongoing process.

The knowledge weve gained through working with marine mammal experts at the New England Aquarium and veteran mariners has been incorporated into this technology," he said.

"They're helping us with the performance. It's early phases so we need as much data as possible," Coleman said.

She noted the latest partnership with Vineyard Wind is the first direct relationship with an offshore wind company, supported with funding from the Innovations Marine Mammals Program. That program is what Vineyard Wind created to help develop and employ innovative technologies "to enhance protections for marine mammals as the Massachusetts and U.S. offshore wind industry continues to grow."

What do the right whale experts think about this new technology?

Charles "Stormy" Mayo, director of the right whale ecology program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, said there is a lot of promise in the emerging detection technology.

"A lot of folks in the field are aware of using AI. Just from what I know of the advances in the field, AI shows a lot of promise," he said.

While a lot of the artificial intelligence technology is still being proven, he said, the effort to locate whales in the areas where offshore wind is being developed "is deserving of that kind of approach."

Such technology, he said, needs to be proven by testing it in tandem with traditional methods, such as human observers and aerial surveys, then comparing the results. The effort Vineyard Wind and Charles River Analytics are undertaking, he said, is a good step.

"I think it's got to start somewhere and this is a good place to try it," he said, noting it will either eventually become acknowledged as a proven concept or areas for improvement will be identified.

"They may get enough information from it so they can demonstrate where and when that method can be used," Mayo said.

Once it's been proven, Mayo said, "then it can be increasingly used."

Boat strikes are one of the main causes of severe injury and death for whales foraging along the coast. Efforts are ongoing to mitigate the problem, including the implementation of seasonal boat speed restrictions.

Right whales:How are North Atlantic right whales doing? Cape Cod Bay experts weigh in

Is this new technology part of the overall effort to protect whales?

"I think there are a lot of organizations that recognize the importance of this work. Everyone is doing what they can to preserve the whale species that are moving along the East Coast," Ross said. "Ultimately, the goal is to make it so that every boat on the water can be smart and help avoid these whales."

Especially with North Atlantic right whales, who tend to be passive feeders hanging out quietly at the surface with their mouths open, "every one is a huge loss to the population, percentage-wise," Ross said.

A report released in the fall by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated only about 340 of the animals  plus or minus seven  remained during 2021, and indicated only about 70 of them are females of breeding age.

"Coming into this work as a company we're focused on technology development," said Ross. "Getting to apply it to this kind of meaningful challenge is really gratifying for us," especially as the developers "come to understand more and more about these animals and what they're facing."

Through the partnership with Vineyard Wind, he said, "the goal is to demonstrate the utility of the technology."

Awarion is a win-win for our team in that it combines marine science and cutting-edge technology that will have a positive impact on the natural environment," Ross said.

Vineyard Wind, which is expected to generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, intends to begin delivering clean energy later this year.

Contact Heather McCarron at hmccarron@capecodonline.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can artificial intelligence protect whales? Offshore wind group tries
Dog Chasing Squirrel Rescued From Top of Tree in Idaho

dog chasing squirrel

Photo Credit: godrick / Getty Images

Youve heard of cats getting stuck in trees and needing to be rescued by firefighters, but what about dogs? One mischievous mutt pursuing a squirrel made his way to the top of a tall tree and had to be rescued by first responders in Idaho recently.

Dog Chasing Squirrel Goes Too Far

The dogs name is Izzy, and hes a Pit Bull-Husky mix. On the fateful morning he got stuck in a tree, he pursued a bushy-tailed pestall the way to the top of a treewhere he got stuck.

Someone alerted the authorities, and Caldwell firefighters and police responded. Firefighters climbed a ladder to reach the branch on which Izzy was stuck. The pup required much coaxing according to the fire departments Facebook post documenting the ordeal.

They included photos of the dog, with the jokey caption: Well, definitely not a cat in a tree. Perhaps, he will not be so persistent, next time, in chasing squirrels.

The firefighters brought the canine down to the ground, and he was rewarded with a bowl of food.

Unfortunately, Izzy did not learn his lesson. His dog mom, Christina Danner, commented later on the post that though Izzy was never even close to nabbing the squirrel, he could still be found pacing in search of it.

Hes been whining all morning trying to get out and get that squirrel, she wrote.

Everyone Loves Izzy

Izzy may not have achieved his dream of catching the squirrel, but the internet sure did get a kick out of his escapades.

My dog cant climb the stairs and this dog climbs trees, one commenter scoffed.

I WANT THIS DUDE ON MY TEAM!!! Love the commitment, another cheered.

Well I did know some dogs like to climb but that dog was way out on a limb, a third joked.

Others shared similar experiences.

We have a Mountain Cur that has just started climbing an apple tree in the yard, one commenter wrote. Not nearly that high though! They are a breed that trees squirrels and not uncommon to climb. Glad this guy got some help getting down!

Story continues

I have 2 standard poodles that climb trees to catch squirls [sic]. They clear my 6ft fence and climb my apple tree too. Once the Nampa FD came and took them off the roof of the house, another commented.

Were all for dogs reaching new heightsmetaphorically speaking.

The post Dog Chasing Squirrel Rescued From Top of Tree in Idaho appeared first on DogTime.
European states in Estonia pledge weapons for Ukraine UK and Baltic defence ministers meet in Estonia to discuss providing heavy weaponry to Ukraine

(This Jan.19 story has been officially corrected to say that 9 countries were involved, not 11, in the first paragraph; removes Germany and Spain from paragraph 3, after Estonia revised its statement)

(Reuters) - A group of nine European states have pledged to deliver more arms to Ukraine in its war with Russia, saying they would send main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles.

The countries that issued the statement from Estonia, calling it the Tallinn Pledge, said they would urge other allies to contribute to the package at a meeting in Ramstein, Germany.

The nine nations were Estonia, Britain, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Below are highlights from the statement that listed existing and planned contributions from some of the nations in the group:

DENMARK

Denmark will continue to train Ukrainian forces, including but not limited to the UK-led Operation INTERFLEX. Denmark has donated or financed military aid worth close to 600 million euros. Weapons donations and military support will continue in close cooperation with allies and in accordance with Ukrainian needs.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic said it was working with its defence industry to increase production capacities to provide more support, especially in producing large calibre ammunition, howitzers and armoured personnel carriers (APCs). A key component will be maintenance of already delivered equipment.

ESTONIA

The Estonian package consists of tens of 155 mm FH-70 and 122 mm D-30 howitzers, thousands of rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition, support vehicles for artillery units, hundreds of Carl-Gustaf M2 anti-tank grenade launchers with ammunition. Estonia will continue to provide both basic and specialist training to hundreds of Ukrainian Armed Forces members in 2023.

LATVIA

Latvia is preparing new donations with additional tens of man-portable air-defence systems (Stinger) and additional air-defence elements, two M-17 helicopters, tens of machine guns with ammunition, several tens of UAVs and spare parts for M109 howitzers. In 2023, Latvia is planning to train about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers from basic infantry training to specialised courses.

Story continues

LITHUANIA

The new Lithuanian package consists of dozens of L-70 anti-aircraft guns with tens of thousands of ammunition, and two Mi-8 helicopters, with a total replacement value of 85 million euros. In 2023, Lithuania will invest 40 million euros for procurement to support Ukraine's military. This will include anti-drones, optics, thermo-visual devices and drones. In addition, 2 million euros will be transferred to the UK International Fund to finance heavy weaponry acquisitions projects such as artillery systems and ammunition, direct fire platforms or armoured fighting vehicles. The total value of Lithuania's upcoming package is 125 million euros.

POLAND

The new Polish package consists of S-60 anti-aircraft guns with 70,000 pieces of ammunition. Poland has already donated 42 infantry fighting vehicles along with training package for two mechanised battalions. Poland continues to deliver 155 mm KRAB howitzers and is supplying Ukraine with various types of ammunition. In addition, Poland is ready to donate a company of Leopard 2 tanks with 1,000 pieces of ammunition.

SLOVAKIA

In addition to the heavy equipment donated, Slovakia will continue intensive discussions with allies to unlock further equipment donations, now focused on main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, air defence systems. It also includes increased production of howitzers, demining equipment and ammunition. Details are being developed based on exchanges with allies and partners.

BRITAIN

Britain's accelerated package consists of a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks with armoured recovery and repair vehicles, AS90 self-propelled 155mm guns, hundreds more armoured and protected vehicles, a manoeuvre support package that includes minefield breaching and bridging capabilities, dozens more uncrewed aerial systems to support Ukrainian artillery and another 100,000 artillery rounds. It also includes hundreds more sophisticated missiles including GMLRS rockets, Starstreak air defence missiles and medium range air defence missiles, 600 Brimstone anti-tank munitions and an equipment support package of spares to refurbish up to a hundred Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The package is further augmented by continuing basic training and junior leadership training in Britain with 9 International partners, with the aim of training about a further 20,000 personnel in 2023.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas; Editing by Edmund Blair)
Measles is spreading among children in Ohio two months after cases were first detected. As of Thursday morning, there are at least 82 cases of measles in central Ohio, officials said, all of which are children.

Columbus Public Health first announced an investigation into the outbreak on Nov. 9 after four confirmed measles cases were linked to a child care facility in Franklin County. All of those cases were among unvaccinated children with no travel history, officials said, as Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts urged parents to vaccinate their children.

By the end of the month, cases were linked to several more sites, including Polaris Mall, a church and a grocery store.

The number has since spiked, and as of Thursday morning, Columbus Public Health reported at least 82 cases, including 32 hospitalizations. All of those cases are among children 17 and younger, with nearly 94% of those cases infecting infants, babies and children up to the age of 5, health data shows. No children have so far died in the outbreak.

It so far appears that all of the children impacted by the outbreak are at least partially unvaccinated, meaning they have only received one dose of the necessary two for the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, known as MMR, although four children still have an unknown vaccination status. Children are recommended to get their first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between the age of 4 and 6.

Measles symptoms  usually a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes  appear within a week or two after contact with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a rash appearing three to five days after their onset.

But "measles isn't just a little rash," the CDC says. "Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children."

The MMR vaccine is critical in preventing the spread of measles, as 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will become infected, Columbus health officials warned. About 1 in 5 people with measles end up hospitalized.

Story continues

Ohio's outbreak has already surpassed cases reported to the CDC in 2020 and 2021 combined and appears to make up the bulk of the nationwide cases in 2022.

Dr. Shannon Dillon, a primary care pediatrician at Riley Children's Health in Indiana, told CBS News this week that most of the outbreaks seen in the past decade are "clustered in unvaccinated people."

"It's hard to say what this one is going to do at this point because it seems like it's early on," she said. "...Anytime that you have a cluster of unvaccinated people who tend to associate with each other there's always the chance that it will spread pretty quickly."

Vaccine misinformation and a lack of primary health care providers have resulted in many parents being hesitant to vaccinate their kids against viruses like measles, she said. Vaccines remain "one of the most important things" that can be done to prevent the spread of diseases.

"Things like measles caused deaths of millions of children worldwide before the vaccine was available. And these are very safe vaccines," Dillon said. "The measles vaccine has been available since 1963 and has really had to be changed very little since that time. So we have decades' worth of data showing how safe they are  and it's something if you have questions about, you should feel comfortable talking to your child's regular doctor."

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BlueNoroffthe name given by security researchers to a group linked with North Korean state-sponsored hacking collective Lazarus Grouphas expanded its criminal activities to include posing as venture capitalists looking to invest in crypto startups, according to a new report from the Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.

BlueNoroff created numerous fake domains impersonating venture capital companies and banks, Kaspersky says.

In its report, Kaspersky says it detected global attacks by BlueNoroff targeting cryptocurrency startups in January 2022, but says there was a lull in activity until the fall.

According to Kaspersky, BlueNoroff is using malware to attack organizations that deal with smart contracts, DeFi, Blockchain, and the FinTech industry. Kaspersky says BlueNoroff is also using software to bypass Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) technology, which ensures that a message from Windows pops up to warn users when trying to open a file downloaded from the Internet.

Stealing cryptocurrency has been a profitable business for North Korean hackers. Since 2017, over $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency has been looted, according to data from South Korean spy agencies. In 2022, several high-profile companies, including FTX, were hit by cyber-attacks.

A treacherous fall

In August, the group sent job offers to candidates on LinkedIn for an engineering manager position at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.

In September, the Lazarus Group targeted Coinbase and Crypto.com job seekers in two separate phishing attacks. One malware attack encouraged job seekers to download a PDF document showcasing the open vacancies at Crypto.com. Once downloaded, the PDF would install a trojan horse and steal personal and financial information.

North Koreas Lazarus Group Attacks Japanese Crypto Firms

In October, cyber criminals used an exploit in the Binance Smart Chain to make off with over $100 million in cryptocurrency.

On November 11, 2022, the day FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, an unknown actor began siphoning funds from FTX wallets to the tune of $640 million in tokens.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are now flowing out of FTX wallets, some speculate liquidators but it's late on a friday night, not typical times for such rapid heavy movements. Some withdrawals are being swapped from Tether to DAI. Hack or insider actions? $26 million here pic.twitter.com/8wWlaE7na9  foobar (@0xfoobar) November 12, 2022

While the story of the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX has taken over the headlines, the threat posed by cyber criminals has never subsided.

Kaspersky acknowledged a request for comment from Decrypt but was unable to provide a response prior to publication.
Niki Hird, of Clintonville, holds a sign encouraging gun safety laws during the March For Our Lives rally against gun violence June 11, 2022 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Hundreds gathered outside the Statehouse to protest recent mass shootings and encourage lawmakers to pass gun control legislation.

Columbus is likely to lose its escalating legal contest with the state over the city's proposed gun control restrictions.

That means if Columbus  or any Ohio community for that matter  wants the power to set its own local legislative agenda regarding firearms, victory probably won't come by fighting against the state's so-called preemption law, but by seeking instead to overturn it.

That was the alternate path cut by the residents of Colorado last year, and it is the one that holds the most promise for municipalities hoping to exercise the idea of "home rule" when it comes to gun control, said Andrew Willinger, executive director of the Duke Center for Firearms Law at Duke University's School of Law in North Carolina.

Willinger is among the Second Amendment legal experts who have been watching as Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein tries to implement a number of local restrictions on firearms while enforcing their safe handling.

Columbus Dispatch Metro columnist Theodore Decker

The latest twist in the case came last week, when a Fairfield County judge granted Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's request to halt the city's newly enacted gun restrictions with a 14-day temporary order.

Following the issuance of the order, Yost said Columbus "has knowingly and deliberately overstepped its legislative authority."

Klein, meanwhile, accused Yost of "judge shopping" by filing his objection to the city's restrictions in more rural, more Republican Fairfield County.

Klein's office for several years has pursued legal action in neighboring Franklin County, questioning the validity of the state's preemption law. There, Common Pleas Judge Stephen. L. McIntosh ruled on Nov. 2 that he found to be unconstitutional a portion of a state law that banned local governments from creating new gun restrictions.

The judge ruled that the state had, in part, infringed on cities' "home rule" powers granted under the state constitution.

Yost appealed the decision, and on Nov. 10, McIntosh delayed his own order so the matter could be reviewed by a higher court.

Story continues

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost long has been an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment and gun rights.

Yet the city forged on with its plan, passing legislation that would ban large-capacity magazines, require safe gun storage and criminalize the gift or sale of firearms in scenarios that the city says are not covered by existing state and federal laws. That is what prompted Yost to head to Fairfield County.

Theodore Decker:At Columbus gun law hearing, a disappointing turnout, but promise too

Willinger predicts the back-and-forth will not end in the way Columbus officials hope. That's because the courts consistently have sided with states and their preemption laws, not with the local municipalities that decide to push back.

"I'm pretty dubious that legal challenges to these laws will bear much fruit," Willinger said. "Those laws have generally been upheld."

Only a handful of states now allow local governments to pass gun ordinances that are more restrictive than state laws. Ohio is not among them.

Until the 1970s, the opposite was true. Preemption laws soared in popularity only after an Illinois community enacted the first municipal handgun ban in the U.S. in 1981.

Much more recently, some states have been strengthening their preemption laws by spelling out significant punishments for municipalities that buck them, Willinger said.

"They make the consequences so punitive, the risk is just too high" for local municipalities to bother, Willinger said. "You may not even want to go down that route."

The citizens of Colorado took a different tack in 2021. After a string of mass shootings galvanized public opinion, voters agreed last year to repeal the state's preemption law.

"If there's a critical mass of public opinion ... if you get to that level, then maybe rolling these (preemption laws) back or repealing them may be a possibility," Willinger said.

The question that maybe no Ohioan wants answered is this: What will it take for us to reach that point?

Theodore Decker is the Dispatch metro columnist.

tdecker@dispatch.com

@Theodore_Decker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio firearms law: Courts unlikely to side with Columbus gun control
This article originally appeared on Outside

A community in Northwest Alaska is reeling after a woman and her 1-year-old son were mauled to death by a polar bear on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a report by the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the incident occurred in Wales, a coastal village of 150 residents located on the westernmost tip of the Seward Peninsula. An initial report said a polar bear entered the town and chased multiple residents before fatally attacking an adult woman and a child near the school building.

On Wednesday, officials revealed the identities of the victims: 24-year-old Summer Myomick and her 1-year-old son, Clyde. Both live in Saint Michael, Alaska.

Local residents eventually shot and killed the bear "as it attacked the pair," officials said. According to the release, officials with the Department of Fish and Game plan to travel to Wales to investigate the attack, once weather allows for travel.

Polar bears usually inhabit the pack ice and coastal regions north of the arctic circle, and in winter they migrate south via ice floes in search of food. Recent research suggests that the loss of ice in the Arctic Sea due to climate change is creating an ecological disaster for the bears, which prefer living and hunting on ice sheets. The bear population in some areas is decreasing--elsewhere, bears are now forced to spend more time on land foraging for food than normal. A study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation stated that the bears' shift from ice to land could increase the possibility for bear-human conflicts in the future.

"As polar bears have increased their duration onshore during the summer months in the Alaska, residents have expressed the challenges they face to keep their communities safe," the report said.

Despite this shifting habitat, polar bear attacks on humans are still extremely rare in Alaska. The Anchorage Daily News cited two instances in the last 35 years: in 1993 a bear broke into an Air Force radar station and mauled a mechanic, who survived. In 1990 a bear killed a man in the village of Point Lay. In 2018 a fatal attack occurred in Canada on Hudson Bay when a bear killed 31-year-old Aaron Gibbons. The bear reportedly stalked Gibbons's two daughters before the attack occurred--both the girls escaped unharmed.

Story continues

Wales is predominantly populated by the Inupiat people, who are indigenous to Northwestern Alaska. In 2018 photographer Kiliii Yuyan participated in the annual Inupiat whale hunt near the town of Utqiagvik. During the hunt, Yuyan was stalked by a polar bear, and members of the hunting party eventually shot and killed the animal as it charged the group. In a 2021 episode of The Outside Podcast, Yuyan hypothesized that the bear--which appeared to be hungry and suffering from an infection in its teeth--may have viewed humans as a last resort for food.

"A polar bear attacking a group of ten grown men--that's not something it would do unless it was desperate," Yuyan said. "Polar bears may be king of the sea ice, but they know better than to go after that many people."

For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has said that it has monitored a Russian vessel for weeks that the agency believes is an intelligence gathering ship off the coast of Hawaii.

The USCG said in a bulletin on Wednesday that while foreign military vessels may transit freely through the US economic exclusive zone (EEZ), as per customary international laws, foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering within Coast Guard District Fourteens area of response.

The agency added that its working with the Defence Department, sharing updates on the movements and activities of foreign vessels as well as to appropriately meet presence with presence to encourage international maritime norms.

Commander Dave Milne, the chief of External Affairs, said in a statement that the US Coast Guard is currently monitoring the Russian vessel operating in the vicinity of Hawaii.

As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities, he added. The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific.

The US Coast Guard has said that it monitored a Russian vessel for weeks that they believe is an intelligence gathering ship (Screenshot / The US Coast Guard)

Footage of the ship shared by the Coast Guard featured latitude and longitude coordinates revealing that the ship was about 100 miles from the Hawaii state capital of Honolulu, according to HawaiiNewsNow.

In recent weeks, the @USCG has continued to monitor a Russian vessel, believed to be an intelligence gathering ship, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands.



Full story: https://t.co/yEy7JbYMQL pic.twitter.com/fEdiQPRMpS  USCG Hawaii Pacific (@USCGHawaiiPac) January 19, 2023

US Indo-Pacific Command said in May that they were monitoring a Russian vessel in the vicinity of the Hawaiian islands. At the time, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel noted to KHON that the Soviet Union used to have intelligence ships stationed close to Hawaii during the Cold War era.

Story continues

The US Coast Guard has said that it monitored a Russian vessel for weeks that they believe is an intelligence gathering ship (Screenshot / The US Coast Guard)

The tactics, techniques, and procedures that we saw the Soviets doing back in the Cold War seem to be resurfacing again under the Russian banner, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Kempfer told the Honolulu TV station. This looks like one of those issues that I would point to Russian intelligence ships potentially off the shore of Hawaii.

The US Coast Guard has said that it monitored a Russian vessel for weeks that they believe is an intelligence gathering ship (Screenshot / The US Coast Guard)

Back in May, the Lt Colonel added that I have no doubt that Indo-PACOM is watching this closely, as are a number of other intelligence organizations trying to figure out exactly what it is.

Theyre not just watching the ship theyre watching everything might be connected to and getting some real detail on what its doing, why it might be there, who theyre reporting to, he said. All these things go into a fusion process, an analytical process, if you will, that tells us is this a threat or is it not a threat.
Former professional kickboxer and controversial influencer Andrew Tate (second from right), Tristan Tate (right), and two Romanian women (left) exit a court in Bucharest, Romania, on Jan. 10, 2023. Daniel Mihailescu / AFP via Getty Images

Escaping content featuring misogynist influencer Andrew Tate can be hard on social media  and according to new research, that's because thousands of accounts posting favorable content about him are actually bots.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate announced on Wednesday that it had found 4,621 fake Twitter accounts created to promote Tate. The bot accounts tweeted 15,202 times in support of the former kickboxer, who is in pretrial detention in Romania.

Tate, his brother Tristan Tate, and two women were arrested over an investigation into an organized crime ring, rape, and human trafficking allegations.

But the support online jumped after their arrests, thanks to the coordinated accounts. The bot mass tweeted using hashtags "#freetopG," "#freetate," "#freeandrewtate," or "#freetates" and 30% of all 50,479 tweets analyzed using the hashtags were made between Dec. 29, 2022, (the day of Tates arrest) and Jan. 9.

The accounts were defined as fake if they had 10 or fewer followers and were created within the last three months. Often the usernames for the accounts referenced words related to Tate, such as cobra, Top G, and Neo.

Free the top g fuck the matrix #FreeTopG 09:37 PM - 09 Jan 2023

Tates own username has long been @Cobratate, while Neo is a reference to the Matrix film character. Both have long formed part of his ideology and call for men to escape the Matrix, and he has always promised followers to teach them how to be a Top G.

If Elon Musk is serious about dealing with fake accounts, bots, and inauthentic behaviour then Twitter must act on Andrew Tates network of fake accounts manipulating Twitters algorithm, said Imran Ahmed, the CEO of CCDH, in a news release.

Last year, a large part of Tates online presence came from an affiliate marketing scheme involving Hustlers University, Tates discord server. The university offered business classes in which students were tasked with editing inflammatory videos featuring Tate in an effort to get more signups for HU. This was later shut down as social media platforms began deplatforming Tate.

Story continues

A BuzzFeed News investigation found that the Hustlers University 2.0 server contained more than 200,000 members. With fees of $49.99 a month, that meant at least $11 million was collected from membership payments in October 2022 alone.

Now, Tate has created The Real World, a similar suite of chat rooms and classes, and there is a new affiliate marketing boot camp that led to a surge of users on Twitter. A chart put together by CCDH shows the influx that joined Twitter after the registration for the new marketing boot camp started.

Centre for Countering Digital Hate

In its research, the CCDH also came across a now-deleted tweet from a Tate supporter who said they joined Twitter due to a marketing boot camp. That would explain why accounts were participating in botlike behavior and appeared to be disseminating similar tweets in an organized manner. The accounts are sharing the same videos and the style of the videos is almost identical.

This whole quote gave me a power surge. #motivation #mindset #lifestyle #FreeTopG 10:26 PM - 09 Jan 2023

Romanian courts will decide in two weeks whether to keep Tate in detention.

More on this
CIA director William Burns held a secret meeting in Kyiv last week with Volodymyr Zelensky, a US official has said.

The CIA director conveyed the latest US intelligence on Russias intentions and acknowledged that at some point soon American assistance will be harder to come by, The Washington Post reported.

In the secret top-level meeting, Mr Zelensky and his senior intelligence officials expressed Kyivs concerns about how long Ukraine could expect US and Western assistance to continue following Republicans takeover of the House of Representatives.

It comes as Ukrainian forces admitted to stepping back from Soledar in what they described as a tactical move.

The Volodymyr Zelensky administration has still not confirmed the fall of Soledar, a strategically located mining town, and maintains that the battle continues.

And Russia has warned the West against sending long-range missiles to Ukraine as several countries including the UK pledged more support for Kyiv.

British defence minister Ben Wallace said the UK would deliver 600 more Brimstone missiles as part of a package of support from Western allies.

Key Points

Moscow issues grim warning over long range weapons

Putin ally claims defeat may trigger nuclear war

Germany sets precondition on sending tanks for Ukraine

US to send $125m to Ukraine to support energy systems

CIA director visits Kyiv, meets Zelensky

04:12 , Arpan Rai

CIA director William Burns visited Kyiv last week to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Mr Zelensky and his senior intelligence officials shared Kyivs key concerns about how long Ukraine could expect US and Western assistance to continue following Republicans takeover of the House, reported The Washington Post.

The CIA director conveyed to the war-time president about the urgency of the moment on the battlefield and acknowledged that at some point assistance would be harder to come by, The Post reported citing the people aware of the matter.

Story continues

Mr Burns has briefed Zelensky repeatedly since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last February, passing on US intelligence findings about Moscows war plans and intentions.

CIA director visits Kyiv, meets with Ukraine's Zelenskyy

Central African Republic chief in Moscow for talks

04:00 , Liam James

Central African Republic (CAR) prime minister Felix Moloua held talks in Moscow with the leadership of Russias Defence Ministry, Russian news agencies reported.

The two sides discussed regional security issues and noted the importance of Russian-Central African ties in the defence sphere, Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Russia has been jockeying with France in recent years for influence in Francophone Africa, not least in the CAR, a gold- and diamond-rich country of 4.7 million people.

Since 2018 the CAR government, which is fighting several rebel insurgencies, has been assisted by hundreds of Russian operatives including many from the private military contractor Wagner Group, prominent in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

West discuss further military assistance for Ukraine

03:49 , Arpan Rai

Western allies are discussing further military support for Ukraine amid intense pressure on Germany to authorise the release of its Leopard 2 battle tanks to bolster Kyivs forces in their fight against Russia.

Defence ministers and military chiefs from around 50 nations are expected to take part in the talks convened by US defence secretary Lloyd Austin at Ramstein  the main US airbase in Europe  in Germany today.

It follows the announcement at the weekend that the UK is to become the first nation to respond to president Volodymyr Zelenskys call for modern western tanks with the dispatch of 14 British Army Challenger 2s.

Western allies discuss further military assistance for Ukraine

USs military boost for Ukraine: 59 Bradley vehicles, 90 Strykers, 350 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles

03:44 , Arpan Rai

The US has announced a $2.5bn package of military aid including armoured military vehicles, rockets and artillery shells for Ukraine in a major boost for the war-hit country which is losing ground against Russian attacks in the eastern sector.

Ukraine will now receive 59 Bradley fighting vehicles, 90 Stryker armoured personnel carriers, 53 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles and 350 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, the US Department of Defence said in a statement.

A staple in the US army, the armoured Bradley carries a powerful gun and has been used to carry Americans troops around battlefields since the mid-1980s.

The latest assistance package also includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), eight Avenger air-defence systems, tens of thousands of artillery rounds and about 2,000 anti-armour rockets, the defence department said.

Ukrainian soldiers admit exit from Soledar - report

03:19 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces fighting in the Donbas town of Soledar have admitted to stepping back from the site of heavy fighting, which Russian mercenary group Wagner claimed to have captured last week.

Its quite close. One kilometre, a Ukrainian unit commander named Andriy told BBC yesterday.

He said his soldiers have withdrawn from the town in a controlled and tactical move before a planned counter-attack.

The Volodymyr Zelensky administration has not confirmed the fall of Soledar yet and has maintained that the battle continues.

We have a tough situation here, Andriy said, and added that the Ukrainian soldiers are killing 50-100 enemy people every day.

Sweden jails two Russian spies

03:00 , Liam James

Two Iranian-born Swedish brothers have been given lengthy prison sentences for spying for Russia and its military intelligence service GRU for a decade.

The oldest of the two naturalised Swedes, Peyman Kia, was sentenced to life, while his younger brother, Payam Kia, was sentenced to nine years and 10 months.

They had appeared before Stockholm District Court, where they faced charges of working together to pass information to Russia between 28 September 2011 and 20 September 2021. A life sentence in Sweden generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years in prison.

Moldova requests air defence systems over Russia fears

02:00 , Liam James

Moldova has requested air defence systems from its allies as it looks to strengthen its capabilities as the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues, but Russian efforts to destabilise the country have so far failed, its president said.

We have requested air surveillance and defence systems, Maia Sandu said. We understand that Ukraine is a priority and should receive that but we [also] hope to receive some.

Several allies have sent air defence missiles to Ukraine over recent months to shield it from a brutal Russian bombing campaign which has knocked out power for millions across the country.

Moldova, which shares part of its power grid with Ukraine, has also suffered outages.

File photo: Sandu visits the town of Bucha, Ukraine last June (Reuters)

Kremlin warns Ukraine against bombing Crimea

01:00 , Liam James

The Kremlin warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian-annexed Crimea would be extremely dangerous, after The New York Times reported that US officials were warming to the idea of helping Kyiv attack the peninsula.

Crimea, which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, was seized by Moscow and declared annexed in 2014. President Vladimir Putin says the peninsula, like much of the Ukrainian land seized since February, is historically Russian.

Ukraine last summer fired a series of missile strikes on Russian airbases in Crimea. An attack on the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea in October, which Ukraine never claimed responsibility for, was met by Russia with a devastating bombing campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.

In a briefing on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: The mere discussion of allowing Ukraine to be supplied with arms that would allow it to attack Russian territory ... is extremely dangerous.

It would mean taking the conflict to a new level, which would not bode well for global and pan-European security.

File photo: People rest on a beach after explosions at a Russian military airbase in Crimea on 9 August (Reuters)

Boris Johnson compares Putin to the fat boy in Dickens

00:00 , Liam James

Boris Johnson has compared Vladimir Putin to the fat boy in Dickens who wants to make our flesh creep with threats of using nuclear weapons (Maryam Zakir-Hussain writes).

Speaking about Ukraine at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the former prime minister insisted that the Russian president would not resort to using nuclear weapons, dismissing the idea as nonsense.

He said: Putin wants to present it as a nuclear stand-off between Nato and Russia. Nonsense. Hes not going to use nuclear weapons, okay. Hes like the fat boy in Dickens, he wants to make our flesh creep. He wants us to think about it. Hes never going to do it.

Hes not going to do it. Dont go down that rabbit hole, stop it, Mr Johnson added.

Boris Johnson compares Putin to the fat boy in Dickens

Dont forget Zaporizhzhia, says nuclear inspector

Thursday 19 January 2023 23:00 , Liam James

The world is at risk of becoming complacement about the dangers posed by the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia atomic plant in Ukraine, the head of a UN nuclear watchdog said today.

Russian forces captured the plant, Europes largest, last March and it has repeatedly come under fire in recent months, raising fears of a nuclear disaster. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is working to set up a safe zone around the facility.

Grossi, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said a nuclear accident could happen any day and reiterated the situation at the plant was very precarious.

I worry that this is becoming routine, that people may believe that nothing has happened so far, so is the director general of the IAEA crying wolf? he said when addressing reporters during a visit to Ukraine.

It [an accident] can happen any time and my duty is to do everything I can to prevent that from happening.

IAEA chief Grossi on a visit to Chernobyl on Wednesday (AP)

US and Israel talk Ukraine in Tel Aviv

Thursday 19 January 2023 22:00 , Liam James

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the war in Ukraine with Israeli leaders during a trip to Israel and the West Bank, the White House said today.

In meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and other senior officials, Mr Sullivan discussed US support for Israels security and continued threats posed by Iran, according to National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

They also discussed Ukraine, as well as the burgeoning defense partnership between Russia and Iran and its implications for security in the Middle East region, she said in a statement.

While Israel has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has limited its assistance to Kyiv to humanitarian aid and protective gear.

Sullivan (left) and Netanyahu in Tel Aviv today (Office of the Israeli Prime Minister)

US probes unconfirmed reports of Russian spy case against American

Thursday 19 January 2023 21:00 , Liam James

Washington is looking into the matter of unconfirmed reports that Russia has opened a criminal case against a United States citizen on suspicion of espionage, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said today.

Mr Patel said Russia does not generally abide by obligations to provide timely notification of the detention of US citizens in Russia, adding that Washington would continue to monitor the situation.

The FSB did not name the person or provide any other details, nor did it say whether the suspect had been arrested.

Nato nations pledge unprecedented military aid to Ukraine  but no German tanks yet

Thursday 19 January 2023 20:10 , Reuters

A group of 11 Nato countries, including Britain and Poland, have pledged an unprecedented raft of new military aid to support Ukraines war with Russia a  but the big question of whether to send heavy Leopard 2 tanks remains unanswered, with Germany yet to lift a veto.

Speaking during a visit to Estonia, the UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace said the UK will be supplying a further 600 Brimstone precision-guided missiles in addition to its latest support package, which includes 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks.

In 2023, it is time to turn the momentum that the Ukrainians have achieved in pushing back Russia into gains and making sure Russia understands that the purpose now is to push them back out of Ukraine and to restore Ukraines sovereignty, which is their right under international law, he said.

We commit to collectively pursuing delivery of an unprecedented set of donations including main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition, and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraines defence, a joint statement said.

Nato nations pledge unprecedented military aid to Ukraine  but no German tanks yet

Unesco seeks loot blockade on Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 19:35 , Liam James

The United Nations is working to prevent the trafficking of looted cultural objects from Ukraine amid Russias war against its neighbour.

Unesco has begun training law enforcement and judiciary officials from countries on Ukraines western borders to identify and prevent any artistic treasures looted in the war-torn nation from crossing their borders.

Krista Pikkat, Unescos director of culture and emergencies, said that more than 230 cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country.

She said that Unesco is working to document lost cultural objects, among them treasures from museums and archaeological sites.

EU must spare no effort on Ukraine membership bid

Thursday 19 January 2023 19:00 , Liam James

The European Union must spare no effort in helping Ukraine join the 27-member bloc, European Council leader Charles Michel said on a visit to Kyiv today.

Mr Michel met President Volodymyr Zelensky and delivered an address to parliament hailing the countrys resilience amid Russias invasion and saying Ukraine is the EU and the EU is Ukraine.

Brussels granted Kyiv membership candidate status last June, just months after Russia invaded on 24 February. Mr Michel today said talks on Ukrainian membership should begin this year.

We must spare no effort to turn this promise as fast as we can into reality, Mr Michel said, according to a transcript of the address.

I dream that one day, I hope soon, a Ukrainian will hold my job as President of the European Council, or as President of the European Parliament, or the Commission.

An EU official told Reuters that Kyiv would need to improve its rule of law before joining the bloc. Last week Ukraine took a step towards reforming its judiciary by restoring an oversight body to function.

Ukraines parliament has passed all the legislation sought by the EU before the start of accession talks, but implementing those laws is expected to be a long road.

Zelensky welcomes Michel to Kyiv (Reuters)

Britain pushes for stronger support as Germany blocks tank move

Thursday 19 January 2023 18:20 , Liam James

Britains defence secretary said Nato members should be prepared to step up support for Ukraine, as allies remain at odds over sending tanks to fight the Russian invasion.

Speaking during a visit to Estonia, Ben Wallace said the UK will be supplying a further 600 Brimstone precision-guided missiles in addition to its latest support package, which includes 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks.

In 2023, it is time to turn the momentum that the Ukrainians have achieved in pushing back Russia into gains and making sure Russia understands that the purpose now is to push them back out of Ukraine and to restore Ukraines sovereignty, which is their right under international law, he said.

Mr Wallace was meeting defence ministers from eastern Europe ahead of a further meeting on Friday of donor nations hosted by the United States in Ramstein, Germany.

Britain is the only country to have approved sending tanks so far. Poland and Lithuania wish to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks but have been blocked by Berlin, which says it will approve the move only if Washington agrees to send US-made Abrams tanks.

Britain at war with Russia over Ukraine, says former Nato chief

Thursday 19 January 2023 17:51 , Liam James

Britain is at war with Russia over Ukraine, a former Nato chief said.

The stark assessment was made in Britains House of Lords by George Robertson as he welcomed the support being provided to the Kyiv government, including the sending of 14 Challenger 2 tanks. In addition to the tanks, Britain is also providing additional artillery.

The Labour former defence secretary, who was Nato secretary general from 1999-2003, said he hoped Berlin would feel the pressure to approve the export of German-made Leopard tanks, which Poland and Lithuania wish to send to Ukraine are seen as vital in the fight against invading Kremlin forces.

Lord Robertson said: The Ukrainians are defending themselves, but they are also, in defending their country, defending us as well.

Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he is at war with the West and with us and we must take that extremely seriously indeed.

File photo: A Challenger 2 tank from the British 7th Armoured Brigade in Iraq, 2003 (Reuters)

Lavrov says Russia will sober up NATO and EU

Thursday 19 January 2023 17:10 , Matt Mathers

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow would do all it could to "sober up" the European Union and NATO, which he accused of setting out to weaken and defeat Russia.

His comments came on the same day that former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war.

Nearly 11 months after invading Ukraine, Russia is increasingly presenting the war to its own people as an existential battle with the West. In televised comments, Lavrov said Moscow would set out to disabuse Western politicians of their "presumptuous" and "colonial" attitudes to Russia.

"I hope that the sobering up will come," Lavrov said. "We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible."

He was speaking during a visit to Moscows close ally Belarus, which is staging air exercises with Russia this week - part of a long series of joint military activities that have drawn concern from Ukraine that President Vladimir Putin may seek to draw Belarus into the war on Russias side.

Denmark to send artillery to Ukraine, delaying own build-up

Thursday 19 January 2023 16:40 , Matt Mathers

Denmark said on Thursday it will donate 19 French-made Caesar howitzer artillery systems to Ukraine, fulfilling the wish of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy but stunting the Nordic countrys own military build-up.

Kyiv last month asked Copenhagen to supply the weapons systems, sparking a debate in Denmark over whether the country could afford to donate much-needed artillery at the expense of its own armament as it seeks to build up depleted stock.

"We have been in continuous contact with the Ukrainians about the Caesar artillery in particular and I am happy that we have now received broad support from the Danish parliament to donate it to Ukraines freedom struggle," Defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in a statement.

UK, Poland, others pledge to pursue 'unprecedented' military support for Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 16:14 , Matt Mathers

A group of nine nations including Britain, Poland and the Netherlands on Thursday pledged to pursue providing an "unprecedented set of donations" including main battle tanks to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

"We commit to collectively pursuing delivery of an unprecedented set of donations including main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition, and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukrainess defence," a joint statement said.

The statement, published on the British government website, was made by the defence ministers of Britain, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and representatives from Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia following a meeting in Estonia.

Pro-Ukrainian activists in Serbia file criminal complaint against Wagner group

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:50 , Matt Mathers

Serbian and pro-Ukraine activists filed criminal complaints against Russias Wagner paramilitary group and its supporters on Thursday, accusing it of recruiting Serbs to fight in Ukraine.

Cedomir Stojkovic, a Belgrade-based lawyer who also leads the October civic group, said that those accused include Russias ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, and Aleksandar Vulin, head of Serbias state Security and Information Agency (BIA).

We have reasonable suspicion that Vulin ... gave orders, directives and guidelines that the activities of the Wagner Group in Serbia should not be prevented, he said.

Stojkovic said that Botsan-Kharchenko, who enjoys diplomatic immunity, could not be prosecuted in Serbia, but that he should be ordered to leave the country.

Once a criminal complaint is filed, it is up to the state prosecutor to decide whether or not to proceed.

Neither Russian embassy to Belgrade, nor the BIA replied to requests for comment.

Group of countries pledges support for Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:34 , Matt Mathers

A group of countries has pledged a raft of new military aid for Ukraine, they said in a statement on Thursday ahead of a crunch meeting on arms for Kyiv scheduled to take place in Germany on Friday.

The aid from countries including Estonia, Latvia and Poland will include tens of stinger air defence systems, s-60 anti-aircraft guns, machine guns and training, according to a statement.

Moscow issues grim warning over long range weapons

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:27 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin has warned the West against sending long-range missiles to Ukraine as Nato countries come under pressure to intervene in the war.

"Potentially, this is extremely dangerous, it will mean bringing the conflict to a whole new level, which, of course, will not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier.

His comments came as Ukraine ramped up its call for Western countries to send more aid as the war fast approaches its one-year anniversary.

Russia's Putin holds second phone call in just over a week with Iranian president

Thursday 19 January 2023 15:15 , Matt Mathers

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday, the Kremlin said, their second conversation in nine days.

In a brief readout of the call, it said the two presidents discussed the situation in Syria - where both have backed President Bashar al-Assad in a long-running civil war - and cooperation in transport and energy. The statement made no reference to the war in Ukraine.

Iran has taken on greater importance as a partner for Russia since Putins invasion of Ukraine last February triggered waves of Western sanctions against Moscow. Tehran has acknowledged supplying Russia with military drones, though it says they were sent before the war started.

The United States said last week that Iran could be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine by providing drones to Russia.

Vladimir Putin (via REUTERS)

Estonia to send $122m arms package to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 14:50 , Matt Mathers

Estonia will send military equipment to Ukraine worth some 113 million euros ($122 million) in its latest package of support for the war against Russia, the Baltic countrys defence minister said on Thursday.

"What Ukrainians need most is heavy weaponry," Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur told a joint news conference with his British counterpart and others.

UK to send 600 Brimstone missiles to help Ukraine - defence minister

Thursday 19 January 2023 14:33 , Matt Mathers

Britain plans to send 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Russia, defence secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday.

"I can say were also going to send another 600 Brimstone missiles into theatre which will be incredibly important in helping Ukraine dominate the battlefield," he said from the Tapa army base in Estonia.

Naftogaz ex-CEO suspected of embezzlement, Ukraine anti-graft agency says

Thursday 19 January 2023 14:06 , Matt Mathers

A former head of Ukraines state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz is suspected of embezzling the equivalent of around $10 million, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said on Thursday.

The person under suspicion was the Naftogaz CEO (2014-2021), the agency said in a statement.

It said it had notified the individual that he was suspected of illegally awarding himself a bonus in 2018 for extraordinary achievements.

Andriy Kobolyev, who was chairman and CEO of the company during that time, said in a Facebook post that he had returned to Ukraine from a trip abroad after learning that the investigation was being prepared in order to avoid a perception that he had fled.

I am definitely not planning to do this (flee), but am planning to prove my innocence, he wrote.

He has denied any wrongdoing by Naftogaz officials during his administration.

Zelensky calls for urgency in arms supplies to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:50 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukraines allies on Thursday to supply Kyiv with more arms as soon as possible, saying this would help guarantee the security of Ukraine and Europe.

Zelensky made the remarks through an interpreter while speaking in Kyiv at a joint news conference with visiting European Council President Charles Michel.

Earllier, Mr Zelensky said in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos that Western supplies of tanks and air defence units should come more quickly and before Russia mounted fresh missile and armoured assaults.

President Zelensky (Ukraine Presidents Office)

Moldova requests air defence systems over Russia fears

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:30 , Matt Mathers

Moldova has requested air defence systems from its allies as it looks to strengthen its capabilities as the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues, but Russian efforts to destabilise the country have so far failed, its president said on Thursday.

"We have requested air surveillance and defence systems," Maia Sandu told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. "We understand that Ukraine is a priority and should receive that but we (also) hope to receive some."

Sandu added that the country would need at least the same amount - 600 million euros (around $650 million) - of budget support in 2023 as last year, to help shield its population from inflation. ($1 = 0.9257 euros).

Ukraine urges Jewish organisations to condemn Lavrov Holocaust comments

Thursday 19 January 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraines foreign ministry spokesperson urged Jewish organisations on Thursday to condemn comments by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov comparing Western measures against Russia to the Holocaust.

Lavrov said the United States had assembled a coalition of European countries to solve "the Russian question" in the same way that Adolf Hitler had sought a "final solution" to eradicate Europes Jews.

"We call on Jewish organisations to condemn Sergei Lavrovs shameful statement equating Russians, who are waging a war of aggression against a sovereign nation, with Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter.

"Russias state-sponsored anti-Semitism must not be tolerated," he said.

Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (REUTERS)

UNESCO tries to prevent trafficking of looted Ukrainian art

Thursday 19 January 2023 12:30 , Matt Mathers

The United Nations cultural organisation is trying to prevent the trafficking of looted cultural objects by training police and judiciary officials from countries on Ukraines western border.

Unesco joined forces with Polands culture ministry to hold three days of workshops in Warsaw this week for officials from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.

Representatives from Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia last February, also attended the training, which began on Wednesday.

The aim is for the officials to be able to spot and prevent any artistic treasures looted in Ukraine from crossing their borders.

Krista Pikkat, Unescos director of culture and emergencies, said more than 230 cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since Russia invaded.

Lunchtime re-cap

Thursday 19 January 2023 12:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine pleaded on Thursday for the West to finally send it heavy tanks as the defence chiefs of the United States and Germany headed for a showdown over weapons that Kyiv says could decide the fate of the war.

DIPLOMACY

* US defence secretary Lloyd Austin met Germanys new defence minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday to press Berlin to allow the transfer of German-made tanks to Ukraine, US officials said, as the two allies remained at loggerheads over the issue.

* A US official said the Biden administration was set to approve a new aid package to Ukraine, worth more than $2 billion, which would likely include Stryker armoured vehicles for Kyiv, but not M1 Abrams tanks.

* Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos that Western supplies of tanks and air defence units should come more quickly and before Russia mounted fresh missile and armoured assaults.

* The Kremlin said that the sooner Ukraine accepted Russias demands, the sooner the conflict there could end.

* The Swedish government announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine that will include armoured infantry fighting vehicles and the Archer artillery system.

CONFLICT

* The Kremlin said Ukrainian strikes on Russian-annexed Crimea would be "extremely dangerous", after the New York Times reported that US officials were warming to the idea of helping Kyiv attack the peninsula.

* Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, an ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that the defeat of Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war.

* The founder of Russias Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces had taken the village of Klishchiivka, on the edge of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, but said that Ukrainian forces could not be forced from Bakhmut swiftly.

Ex-UK PM Johnson urges allies to double down on Ukraine support

Thursday 19 January 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson on Thursday urged allies to double down on sending military equipment to support Ukraine and speed up an end to fighting in the war with Russia.

"There is nothing to be lost by doubling down on the material that we are sending to Ukraine and there is nothing to fear in escalation, and the best thing for the world is to get this thing done, and done fast," Johnson said in an interview as part of the Reuters Impact Arctic Warning series in Davos.

"That is the cheapest solution. Its the solution that has the lowest in human life and suffering."

Kremlin: Ukrainian strikes on Crimea would be 'extremely dangerous'

Thursday 19 January 2023 11:05 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukrainian strikes on Russian-annexed Crimea would be "extremely dangerous"

after the New York Times reported that US officials were warming to the idea of helping Kyiv attack the peninsula.

Crimea, which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, was seized by Moscow and declared annexed in 2014. President Vladimir Putin says the peninsula, like much of the Ukrainian land seized since February, is historically Russian.

In a briefing on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:"The mere discussion of allowing Ukraine to be supplied with arms that would allow it to attack Russian territory ... is extremely dangerous.

"It would mean taking the conflict to a new level, which would not bode well for global and pan-European security."

Dmitry Peskov (Getty Images)

US defence secretary thanks close ally Germany before tanks talks

Thursday 19 January 2023 10:45 , Matt Mathers

Germany remains one of the most important allies for Washington, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said at his first meeting with his new German counterpart on Thursday before crunch talks on sending German-made tanks to Ukraine.

"Germany remains one of our most important allies ... Id like to thank the German government for all that it has done to strengthen Ukraines self-defense," Austin said at the start of his meeting with new German minister Boris Pistorius. He did not specifically mention the issue of tanks.

Pistorius, sworn in as minister only hours earlier, said Germany was ready to support Ukraine and that Berlin stood shoulder to shoulder with its allies.

"Together with our partners, we will continue to support Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and territorial independence and sovereignty."

Sweden to send infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 10:16 , Matt Mathers

The Swedish government announced on Thursday a new package of military aid to Ukraine that will include armoured infantry fighting vehicles and said it had ordered its defence forces to prepare shipment of the artillery system Archer.

The package is worth 4.3 billion Swedish crowns ($419 million) and will also include NLAW anti-tank weapons.

"Military support to Ukraine is absolutely crucial," prime minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference. "Ukraines wishes in terms of what they want carries a lot of weight in our decision."

Sweden will send about 50 of its tracked and armoured Type 90 infantry fighting vehicle. The government did not specify how many Archer systems it would supply.

Ukrainian soldiers get training to clear landmines

Thursday 19 January 2023 09:50 , Matt Mathers

Experts in landmine-plagued Cambodia have been teaching clearing skills to Ukrainian soldiers.

They hope their decades of experience will help the Europeans in their efforts to remove Russian mines at home.

Wearing protective armour, helmets and visors, the group of 15 Ukrainians was walked through a minefield being actively cleared on Thursday.

They were guided along cleared routes through a former battlefield in the north-west Battambang province by trainers with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (Cmac), a government agency overseeing the clearing of landmines and unexploded ordnance in the country.

Captain Arsenii Diadchenko, who led the Ukrainians, said the training has so far been "quick and fast" with some good lessons.

"It will be very helpful in clearing our area of Russian mines," he told reporters on the sidelines of the exercise.

Ill strengthen army, Germanys new defence minister says

Thursday 19 January 2023 09:22 , Matt Mathers

Germanys incoming defence minister said on Thursday it was his job to strengthen the armed forces so that they could do their job at a time of war in Europe with Russia waging war against Ukraine.

"These are not normal times, we have a war raging in Europe, Boris Pistorius said.

Russia is waging a brutal war of annihilation on a sovereign country, on Ukraine," Boris Pistorius said after a ceremony at the defence ministry, adding that the task ahead was a huge challenge.

"Our task is to make the Bundeswehr strong now, it is about deterrence, effectiveness and readiness. And it is about continuing to support Ukraine, also with materiel of the Bundeswehr," he said.

Boris Pistorius (dpa/AP)

German president says armed forces must protect nation, pledges support to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 08:56 , Matt Mathers

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promised further military support to Ukraine on Thursday and warned the incoming defence minister that Germanys armed forces must once again become capable of protecting the nation.

Social Democrat Boris Pistorius was officially made defence minister on Thursday, at a time when Germany is under growing pressure from Western allies to allow German-made battle tanks to be used in Ukraine to strengthen its defence against Russias invasion.

Mr Pistorius is due to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin later on Thursday and on Friday defence leaders from around 50 countries and NATO gather at Germanys Ramstein Air Base to discuss how to supply Kyiv with more weapons.

A German government source has told Reuters that Berlin will only allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States agrees to send its own tanks.

Russia's FSB spy agency opens espionage case against US citizen

Thursday 19 January 2023 08:30 , Matt Mathers

Russia has opened a criminal case against a United States citizen on suspicion of espionage, its Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday.

The FSB did not name the person or provide any other details, nor did it say whether the suspect had been arrested.

"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against a US citizen on the grounds of a crime under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - Espionage," the FSB said in a statement.

"The American is suspected of collecting intelligence on biological topics directed against the security of the Russian Federation," the FSB said.

It did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.

The US embassy could not be immediately reached for comment.

Another terrible day of war'

Thursday 19 January 2023 08:16 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his sorrow at another terrible day of war following the deaths of 15 people as a result of a helicopter crash near Kyiv yesterday.

In his nightly address, the Ukraine president thanked all those involved in the rescue operation in Kyivs Brovary region. The aircraft came down near a residential building and a nursery, with several children and Ukraine government officials among the dead.

Read Mr Zelenskys address in full below:

Ukrainians!

Another day of this terrible war, these tragedies that our people are going through, is coming to an end. A terrible day that we must go through, must endure. And we will endure.

The rescue operation lasted almost nine hours in Brovary, Kyiv region, on the scene of the crash of a SES helicopter. Hundreds of people were involved in extinguishing the fire, searching and rescuing the injured, carrying out the initial investigative actions. Our rescuers, police officers, National Guard soldiers, doctors, psychologists, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine.

I thank everyone involved in this rescue operation today.

I would like to thank the educators of the kindergarten on the territory of which the helicopter crashed. Mrs. Ruslana, Mrs. Olena, Mrs. Tamara, Mrs. Kateryna and all the employees of the kindergarten - I thank you! Thank you for your bold actions, for taking the children out.

I would also like to thank the ordinary residents of Brovary, in particular Mrs. Diana, Mrs. Nadiya and others who helped both the children and the wounded.

I am grateful to Hlib and Andriy, the guys who also kept self-control and helped.

25 people were injured, including 11 children. 14 people were killed, including one child. My condolences to all those who lost their loved ones!

The Security Service of Ukraine has initiated a criminal investigation into this terrible event. I have instructed the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with all other authorized bodies, to clarify all the circumstances of the crash.

Today, all the necessary decisions were made regarding the management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system. We have lost people who were professionals, patriots and reliable managers. Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, Yevhen Yenin, and their colleagues who died in the crash are not people who can be easily replaced. It is a truly great loss for the state. My condolences to the families.

(Ukraine Presidents Officd)

The Ministry will be temporarily headed by the Head of the National Police of Ukraine. The tasks for which the Minister was responsible in the context of our defense operation and ensuring the security of the state have also been distributed. The border, the situation in the frontline area, the participation of the National Guard and the police in the fighting are under control.

As soon as clear facts are established as to what exactly led to the crash, we will provide this information.

Today, as always, we have been in touch with our military all day long. The situation at the front remains difficult, with the epicenter of the most fierce and principled battles in Donbas.

We notice a gradual increase in the number of shelling occasions and attempts at offensive actions by the occupiers.

I am grateful to all our warriors who are holding their positions! I thank the warriors of the 68th separate hunting brigade and the 36th separate marine brigade for hitting the enemy very effectively and for the resilience we need in Donbas!

I also thank the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the actions that reduce the chances of the occupiers.

Today it was announced that Canada is preparing a powerful defense assistance package for Ukraine. In particular, it will include armored vehicles. This is very timely and significant. I thank Canada for its continued support and for the fact that we are preparing together for Russias attempt to intensify its attacks. No one in the world today will remain unaware of the plans of the terrorist state.

I took part in the Davos Forum. The message from Ukraine is very simple and honest: no one in the free world has the opportunity to dawdle now.

I know that in the near future there will be new and really necessary steps in support of our defense. We will do our best to ensure that there are as many such steps as necessary to defeat the terrorists.

Glory to all our warriors!

Putin ally claims defeat may trigger nuclear war

Thursday 19 January 2023 08:03 , Matt Mathers

Russias defeat in its war against Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war, an ally of President Vladimir Putin has claimed.

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, reportedly made the comments on Telegram while discussing Nato support for Kyiv.

Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends, he said. Defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war

Ukraine urges West to hurry up with supplies of tanks, air defences

Thursday 19 January 2023 07:55 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine urged Western allies on Thursday to hurry up and supply tanks and air defences to Kyiv, saying it was paying with Ukrainian lives at the front for the slow pace of discussions in foreign capitals.

"We have no time, the world does not have this time," said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

EU president heads to Kyiv

Thursday 19 January 2023 07:30 , Arpan Rai

European Union councils president Charles Michel has said that he is going to Kyiv today in a show of support.

On my way to #Kyiv. Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for the future of their children. But they are also fighting for our common European values of peace and prosperity. They need and deserve our support, the top EU official said on Twitter.

On my way to #Kyiv.



Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for the future of their children.

But they are also fighting for our common European values of peace and prosperity.



They need and deserve our support. pic.twitter.com/ewLY4E9udX  Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) January 19, 2023

Ukraine helicopter crash kills at least 14 including minister on way to hotspot combat zone

Thursday 19 January 2023 06:58 , Arpan Rai

At least 14 people including Ukraines interior minister and a child were killed when a helicopter crashed on its way to a combat hotspot in the northeastern city of Kharkiv (Thomas Kingsley writes).

Interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw Ukraines police and emergency services, is the most senior Kyiv official to die since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago.

The head of the national police, Ihor Klimenko, said that Mr Monastyrskyis first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and the interior ministrys state secretary also died when the aircraft came down on Wednesday morning beside a nursery in Brovary, a suburb to the east of Kyiv.

Child and minister among 14 killed as helicopter crashes in Ukraine

Russia likely bringing its new battle tanks to Ukraine war - MoD

Thursday 19 January 2023 06:42 , Arpan Rai

The British defence minister has assessed that Russia is likely considering deploying a small number of its new T-14 Armata main battle tanks in Ukraine.

In late December 2022, imagery showed T-14s on a training area in southern Russia: the site has been associated with pre-deployment activity for the Ukraine operation, the defence ministry said today in its latest intelligence update.

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In late December 2022, imagery showed T-14s on a training area in southern Russia: the site has been associated with pre-deployment activity for the Ukraine operation. pic.twitter.com/YzUnQ0147p  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) January 19, 2023

It pointed out that this comes after pro-government Russia media outlets claimed that T-14s were being prepared for deployment. However, it is unclear whether Russia has yet moved the type into Ukraine, the ministry said.

Any T-14 deployment is likely to be a high-risk decision for Russia. Eleven years in development, the programme has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems, it added. An additional challenge for Russia, the ministry said, is adjusting its logistics chain to handle T-14 because it is larger and heavier than other Russian tanks.

If Russia deploys T-14, it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes. Production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat, the MoD said.

US packing massive security aid for Ukraine, including Stryker combat vehicles

Thursday 19 January 2023 06:31 , Arpan Rai

The US is building up finalise a huge military aid package for Ukraine worth $2.5bn, including weaponry  and in a first  Stryker combat vehicles, reported CNN, citing two sources briefed on the next tranche of aid.

While the package is not yet finalised, one of sources said, it could come before the end of the week.

The latest US aid would also include more armoured Bradley Fighting Vehicles combined with the Strykers. This will mark a significant escalation in the armoured vehicles the US has committed to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, known as MRAPs, are also on the list, the person said, reported CNN. The US has already committed to sending Ukraine nearly 500 MRAPs.

The state department spokesperson Ned Price said Two words: stay tuned when asked by the CNN if the White House was preparing to announce another Ukraine security package.

Canada to send 200 armoured vehicles to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 06:00 , Liam James

Canada will send 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine as part of a new package of military assistance, defence minister Anita Anand said on a visit to Kyiv today.

The Canadian defence ministry said in a statement that Ukraine had specifically requested the vehicles and that Ms Anand was meeting officials including defence minister Oleksii Reznikov in the Ukrainian capital.

This aid is valued at over C$90m (54m) and is allocated as part of the additional C$500m (300m) in military aid for Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in November 2022, it said.

The remainder of the C$500m will be made up by the Nasams surface-to-air missile system Canada announced last week it would be sending.

A senator armoured vehicle sent by Canade earlier in the war (Ukraine Military)

LLyod Austin reaches Berlin ahead of talks over supplying military help to Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 05:53 , Arpan Rai

US secretary of defence Lloyd J Austin III has reached Berlin to meet his new German counterpart ahead of the Ukraine defence contact group meeting at Ramstein Air Base later this week.

The secretary will meet the newly appointed German defence minister Boris Pistorius as well today.

Weve worked with Germany very closely since the beginning of this crisis, a US senior defence official said speaking on background.

The United States is really focused right now on making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to deal with what is right in front of it, the official said.

The secretary of defence will be joined by chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A Milley at Ramstein.

This will be the eighth meeting of the UDCG and the fifth in-person session since the international group was formed in April. They will join ministers of defence and chiefs of defence from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss Russias ongoing war in Ukraine, and the continued close coordination to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to defend their sovereign territory, a statement from the US department of defence said.

US eyes shifting dynamic in Ukraine war without Abrams tanks

Thursday 19 January 2023 05:34 , Arpan Rai

The United States is looking to break the dynamic of grinding warfare inflicted by Russia as front lines in Ukraine remain near-frozen with newly announced military capabilities that it hopes will catapult Kyivs offensive against Russian forces, a senior Pentagon official has said.

But, the Pentagon is still not prepared to fulfil Kyivs calls for gas-guzzling M1 Abrams main battle tanks, said Colin Kahl, the Pentagons top policy adviser.

I just dont think were there yet, Mr Kahl said, after just returning from a trip to Ukraine.

The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment. Its expensive. Its hard to train on. It has a jet engine.

The west and Ukraine have entered a stalemate with demands of modern battle tanks as Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his allies, especially those in Europe to help his troops with better artillery instead of the Soviet-era tanks still being used.

Nato chief urges significant increase in weapons for Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 05:00 , Liam James

Ukraine needs a significant increase in weapons at a pivotal moment in Russias invasion and such support is the only way to a negotiated peaceful solution, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.

Nato and defence leaders from around 50 countries will hold talks at Germanys Ramstein Air Base on Friday, the latest in a series of meetings since Russian forces swept into Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.

This is a pivotal moment in the war and the need for a significant increase in support for Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

If we want a negotiated peaceful solution tomorrow we need to provide more weapons today.

Stoltenberg in Davos today (Reuters)

US to send $125m to Ukraine to support energy systems

Thursday 19 January 2023 04:56 , Arpan Rai

The US will provide $125m to Ukraine to support its war-hit energy and electric grids battered in the targeted attacks on those utilities by Russian forces, secretary of state Antony Blinken has said.

USAID will utilize the $125m to procure vital equipment including additional gas turbines, high voltage autotransformers, distribution substation repair equipment, and backup power for Kyivs water supply and district heating services, US administrator Samantha Power has said.

She announced the Biden administrations intent to work with Congress to provide $125m to support the resilience of Ukraines energy and utility infrastructure in the face of the Russian federations relentless, systematic attacks. Funding will be drawn from the 2023 Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act passed in December, she said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Since the beginning of the war, and particularly since October 2022, the Russian Federation forces have deliberately targeted critical infrastructure like heating, power, and gas systems in an effort to weaponise the winter, the US official said yesterday. She

Ukraine has demonstrated tremendous resilience in the wake of these attacks, she said, adding that utility workers have routinely risked their lives to repair the damage, often within hours of air strikes.

Germany sets precondition on sending tanks for Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 04:00 , Arpan Rai

Olaf Scholzs administration has said Germany will allow its indigenous tanks to be sent to Ukraine to help defend against Russia only if the United States agrees to send its own tanks, government sources have told Reuters.

This comes despite pleading from Ukraine which has sought its European allies to help with military aid and outpace Russian missile offensive.

Chancellor Scholz has stressed the condition about US tanks several times in recent days behind closed doors, the German government source said.

Berlin has flexed its veto power in this latest move to deny Ukraine the superior Leopard tanks among the Nato, fielded by Nato-allied armies across Europe.

Defence experts have condemned the move as the sought after Leopard tanks, considered to be among the best in wests possession, as it was dubbed to be the most suitable for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky has been calling on nations to provide for new modern Western weapons, especially heavy battle tanks, so it can regain momentum this year following some battlefield successes in the second half of 2022.

Obtuse, perverse and idiotic. Germany wont allow allies to ship German-made tanks to Ukraine to help its defense against Russia nor send its own systems unless the U.S. agrees to send American-made battle tanks, senior German officials said on Wednesday https://t.co/K6uthyawdh  Shashank Joshi (@shashj) January 18, 2023

Russian warbloggers cant hold the line on Soledar

Thursday 19 January 2023 04:00 , Liam James

Russian warbloggers are unable to find agreement on the state of the Kremlins claim to Soledar, the Ukrainian town which Moscow said it had taken over last week after days of heavy fighting.

The difficulty, according to military observers, is that the Kremlin has yet to find a way of framing advances in the small Donetsk mining town as tactically significant in Russias wider goal of capturing the Donbas region.

Last week, some analysts said Russian capture of Soledar could block supply lines for Ukrainian troops defending the nearby city of Bakhmut  now bloggers such as the widely-followed Rybar and Readovka are at odds on the most important impact of the claimed capture.

In its daily update on the Ukraine war, the Institute for the Study of War said: The fact that the Russian information space has not identified the key ground line of communication that Russian forces are now better positioned to take, or any other operational advantage associated with Russian tactical advances in Soledar further underscores that the offensive to capture the settlement has not significantly changed Russian operations in the wider Bakhmut area.

Cleverly urges coordination on Ukraine

Thursday 19 January 2023 03:24 , Arpan Rai

British foreign secretary praised Canadas contribution to Ukraine, as he stressed that allies integrate but dont duplicate.

The top British official was being asked whether the country was making its fair share of commitments to Nato and the war in Ukraine.

It comes as the Canadian Government announced plans to donate 200 armoured vehicles to Ukraine, amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Mr Cleverly, who met with US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Tuesday, said Canada is doing a huge amount for Ukraine.

One of the things that we need to understand is that the whole point of an alliances is that we integrate what we do, that we dont duplicate unless desirable to or less absolutely necessary, that we coordinate and we make sure that we bring our respective strengths to the table.

Read the full story here:

Cleverly stresses coordination on Ukraine as he praises Canadian contribution

Ukraine appoints acting interior minister after crash

Thursday 19 January 2023 02:30 , Liam James

Ukraines government appointed national police chief Ihor Klymenko as acting interior minister after the former office holder was among at least 17 people killed in a helicopter crash near Kyiv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Mr Shmyhal announced the appointment hours after Denys Monastyrskyis death.

He said Mr Klymenko had officially been appointed to the role of deputy interior minister, but would fulfil the responsibilities of the minister.

Russia in it for the long haul, says Nato deputy

Thursday 19 January 2023 01:30 , Liam James

Russia is preparing for an extended war so Nato must get ready for the long haul and support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the alliances deputy secretary general told top military chiefs from across Europe.

Speaking at the opening of the military leaders meeting in Brussels, Mircea Geoana said Nato nations must invest more in defence, ramp up military industrial manufacturing, and harness new technologies to prepare for future wars.

As Russias war on Ukraine nears the one-year mark, Nato chiefs are expected to discuss how allies can expand the delivery of weapons, training and support to Ukraine in the coming months, and how they can further shore up their own defences.

We have no indication that Putins goals have changed, said Mr Geoana, adding that Russia has mobilised more than 200,000 additional troops.

So we must be prepared for the long haul. 2023 will be a difficult year and we need to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Gazprom shipments via Ukraine drop

Thursday 19 January 2023 00:30 , Liam James

Russias Gazprom said it will ship 32.6 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, a volume in line with recent days but around 20 per cent lower than daily shipments recorded in the final months of last year.

Europe has turned away from Russin gas since the invasion but has not completely cut off the supply.

Russian crude oil exports to the European Union fell by 270,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 0.9 million bpd in December from the previous month, International Energy Agency (IEA) data showed.

The EU has imposed a price cap on Russian oil at $60 per barrel in order to limit price surges driven by lower supply.

West must move faster than Russia, Zelensky tells Davos

Wednesday 18 January 2023 23:32 , Liam James

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Western supplies of weapons must outpace Russias attacks and urged the world to move faster in its decision-making because tragedies are outpacing life; the tyranny is outpacing democracy.

In a video address on Wednesday to the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Zelensky stood and asked for a moment of silence for victims of the helicopter crash in Ukraine, who included his interior minister.

He said that the world needs to react quicker to challenges like global security, climate change and hunger, saying theres a time crisis.

Mr Zelensky said that Russia started the war, and the world needed days to react with the first sanctions, with the time the free world uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill.

He said the world must not hesitate: The supplying of Ukraine with air defence systems must outpace Russias vast missile attacks. The supplies of Western tanks must outpace another invasion of Russian tanks.

Zelensky appearing before the WEF in Davos today (AFP/Getty)

Russian attacks on Bakhmut repelled, says Ukraine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 22:30 , Liam James

Ukraines military said its troops repelled attacks in the eastern city of Bakhmut and the village of Klishchiivka just south of it.

Russia has focused on Bakhmut in recent weeks, claiming last week to have taken the mining town of Soledar on its northern outskirts.

A Ukrainian T-72 tank manoeuvres through trees in Donetsk (EPA)

Ukrainian soldiers in a T-72 tank fire on Russian positions in Donetsk (EPA)

Ukrainian soldiers walk along a road outside of the strategic city of Bakhmut (Getty)

Ukraine helicopter crash kills at least 14 including minister on way to hotspot combat zone

Wednesday 18 January 2023 21:30 , Liam James

At least 14 people including Ukraines interior minister and a child were killed when a helicopter crashed on its way to a combat hotspot in the northeastern city of Kharkiv (Thomas Kingsley writes).

Interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw Ukraines police and emergency services, is the most senior Kyiv official to die since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago.

The head of the national police, Ihor Klimenko, said that Mr Monastyrskyis first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and the interior ministrys state secretary also died when the aircraft came down on Wednesday morning beside a nursery in Brovary, a suburb to the east of Kyiv.

Child and minister among 14 killed as helicopter crashes in Ukraine

Turkey expects US F-16 sale to go ahead

Wednesday 18 January 2023 20:40 , Reuters

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he expected the US to approve a $20bn (16bn) sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, saying the planned acquisition is in line with the joint strategic interests of both Washington and Ankara.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is hosting Mr Cavusoglu in Washington, for the first time since the Biden administration took office almost two years ago, in a visit during which the Ukraine war, F-16 deal and Ankaras refusal to green light Nato membership for Sweden and Finland will be front and centre.

The Biden administration has expressed its support for the sale of the jets to Turkey, despite opposition from the US Congress over Ankaras problematic human rights record and Syria policy, as it seeks to keep Nato unity in the face of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking before a meeting with Blinken at the State Department, Mr Cavusoglu said the F-16 deal was important not only for Turkey but for Nato and the United States and appeared confident that it would go ahead.

So we expect the approval in line with our joint strategic interests, he said in brief remarks.

White House offended by Russian ministers Hitler comparison

Wednesday 18 January 2023 20:10 , Liam James

The White House said Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrovs statement comparing the United States assembly coalition to take on Russia to Adolf Hitlers actions to eradicate Jews in Europe truly offensive.

Its almost so absurd that its not worth responding to, other than the truly offensive manner in which he tried to cast us in terms of Hitler and the Holocaust, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Mr Lavrov earlier today said the United States had assembled a coalition of European countries to solve the Russian question in the same way that Adolf Hitler had sought a final solution to eradicate Europes Jews.

The Kremlin minister, who caused an international furore last year with remarks about Hitler, said Washington was using the same tactic as Napoleon and the Nazis in trying to subjugate Europe in order to destroy Russia.

Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow earlier (AP)

Kyiv helicopter crash is a grave blow to Ukraines war efforts and a personal loss for Zelensky

Wednesday 18 January 2023 19:40 , Liam James

Kim Sengupta recalls his encounter with Ukraines late interior minister days before the war:

In the days leading up to the war in Ukraine there was still flickering hope that negotiations could work out and that peace would prevail in the gathering darkness.

However, interior minister Denys Monastyrsky had little doubt Vladimir Putin was determined to invade. To demonstrate the extent of Moscows military build-up on the border, he took a group of journalists to the Donbas.

In the town of Novoluhanske, we came under sustained fire. You see, they did this without provocation, he exclaimed as we took cover. This is what the people around here have to live with every day. The Russians are creating false stories and carrying out this kind of bombing, they are creating excuses for war.

Two Ukrainian soldiers  Anton Sydorov, 35, the father of three daughters, and 34-year-old Denys Kononenko, the father of a young son  were killed by howitzer and mortar rounds that day. Five days later, Russian troops rolled into Ukraine.

Kyiv helicopter crash loss is a grave blow to Ukraines war efforts

Biden vows to honour Ukrainian minister killed in crash

Wednesday 18 January 2023 19:10 , Liam James

President Joe Biden expressed condolences to the families of those killed in a helicopter crash in Ukraine on Wednesday and said the United States would honour the interior minister who was on board with continued commitment to preserving Ukraines democracy.

He praised interior minister Denys Monastyrskyis efforts to fight Russian aggression and push for reforms to strengthen Ukraines democracy.

We will continue to honor that legacy through efforts to strengthen Ukraines institutions, and in our unfailing partnership with the people of Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom bright, Mr Biden said in a statement.

Today, we are praying for healing for the wounded and comfort for those who have lost loved ones. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine in the face of this tragedy, and for as long as it takes, he added.

Fragments of crashed helicopter removed from scene

Wednesday 18 January 2023 18:40 , Liam James

Emergency responders are removing debris from the helicopter crash ner Kyiv which killed at least 14 today.

The crash at a nursery in Brovary killed Ukraines interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi, among others.

A fragment of a helicopter is removed (AP)

An expert examines a fragment of the helicopter (AP)

More than 9,000 civilians dead since invasion, says Ukraine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 18:10 , Liam James

More than 9,000 civilians, including 453 children, have been killed since the war began last February, a Ukrainian presidential aide said.

The United Nations human rights agency has put the civilian toll at more than 7,000.

The war has been marked by several sieges of cities, such as Mariupol, where evacuating civilians has proved difficult or impossible.

Russia has also in recent months turned to firing on energy infrastructure, sometimes in urban centres.

Hurry up with the tanks, says Zelensky

Wednesday 18 January 2023 17:40 , Liam James

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum in Davos that Western supplies of tanks and air defence units should come more quickly and be delivered faster than Russia was able to carry out attacks.

In his speech, which he delivered via video link, he said that Russia was exporting terror.

Britain and other countries have pledged tanks to Ukraine, stepping up supplies to a level unthinkable just months ago.

Vladimir Putin today announced that Russia was increasing its military production.

Zelensky addressing WEF today (Reuters)

Boris Johnson wanted to scrap British tanks now being sent to Ukraine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 17:10 , Liam James

Boris Johnson wanted to get rid of the British army tanks now being sent to Ukraine a year before the war started because he believed they had outlived their usefulness on the battlefield, it has been claimed (Kim Sengupta writes).

The then-prime minister proposed scrapping the Challenger 2 squadrons in the 2021 defence review, and was only dissuaded from doing so after strenuous pressure from service chiefs, according to military sources.

There is now widespread consensus among Ukraines Western allies that modern tanks are urgently needed as the Kremlin prepares for the next phase of the war. Britain, in a major ratcheting-up of Nato support for Ukraine, announced at the weekend that it would send the Challenger 2 tanks. Germany is also expected to supply Leopard 2 tanks in preparation for large-scale combat which is due to resume once winter eases.

Boris Johnson wanted to scrap British tanks now being sent to Ukraine

Putin says Russia upping military production as allies pledge tanks to Ukraine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:33 , Liam James

Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Russias powerful military-industrial complex was ramping up production and was one of the main reasons why his country would prevail in Ukraine.

Speaking to workers at a factory in St Petersburg that makes air defence systems, Mr Putin said overall military equipment output was rising even as demand for it was growing because of what he calls Russias special military operation in Ukraine. Western nations have recently stepped up their weapons supplies to Ukraine.

In terms of achieving the end result and the victory that is inevitable, there are several things ... It is the unity and cohesion of the Russian and multinational Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters ... and of course the work of the military-industrial complex and factories like yours and people like you, said Mr Putin.

Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it.

Mr Putin said Russian arms companies manufactured about the same number of anti-aircraft missiles as the rest of the world combined, and three times more than the United States.

Putin with workers at the factory in Saint Petersburg today (Reuters)

Russia in it for the long haul, says Nato deputy

Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:01 , Liam James

Russia is preparing for an extended war so Nato must get ready for the long haul and support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the alliances deputy secretary general told top military chiefs from across Europe.

Speaking at the opening of the military leaders meeting in Brussels, Mircea Geoana said Nato nations must invest more in defence, ramp up military industrial manufacturing, and harness new technologies to prepare for future wars.

As Russias war on Ukraine nears the one-year mark, Nato chiefs are expected to discuss how allies can expand the delivery of weapons, training and support to Ukraine in the coming months, and how they can further shore up their own defences.

We have no indication that Putins goals have changed, said Mr Geoana, adding that Russia has mobilised more than 200,000 additional troops.

So we must be prepared for the long haul. 2023 will be a difficult year and we need to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Canada to send 200 armoured vehicles to Ukraine

Wednesday 18 January 2023 15:38 , Liam James

Canada will send 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine as part of a new package of military assistance, defence minister Anita Anand said on a visit to Kyiv today.

The Canadian defence ministry said in a statement that Ukraine had specifically requested the vehicles and that Ms Anand was meeting officials including defence minister Oleksii Reznikov in the Ukrainian capital.

This aid is valued at over C$90m (54m) and is allocated as part of the additional C$500m (300m) in military aid for Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in November 2022, it said.

The remainder of the C$500m will be made up by the Nasams surface-to-air missile system Canada announced last week it would be sending.

A senator armoured vehicle sent by Canade earlier in the war (Ukraine Military)

Wednesday 18 January 2023 15:09 , Liam James

Ukraine needs a significant increase in weapons at a pivotal moment in Russias invasion and such support is the only way to a negotiated peaceful solution, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.

Nato and fefence leaders from around 50 countries will hold talks at Germanys Ramstein Air Base on Friday, the latest in a series of meetings since Russian forces swept into Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.

This is a pivotal moment in the war and the need for a significant increase in support for Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

If we want a negotiated peaceful solution tomorrow we need to provide more weapons today.

The focus in Ramstein is expected to be not on what the United States will provide but on whether Germany will lift its opposition to sending its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine or at least approve their transfer from allied countries.

Poland and Lithuania have pledged to send the tanks but require the consent of Germany.

Stoltenberg in Davos today (Reuters)

Zelensky and Monastyrskyi seen together yesterday

Wednesday 18 January 2023 14:45 , Liam James

Volodymyr Zelensky was seen meeting his late interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi just yesterday.

A photo provided by the Ukrainian presidents press service showed the pair speaking in Kyiv, hours before Mr Monastyrskyi was killed in a helicopter crash.

Mr Zelensky said he had ordered an investigation into what he called a terrible tragedy which also killed the ministers deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and other ministry officials among others.

The pain is unspeakable, the president said in a statement.

Zelensky and Monastyrskyi meet yesterday (AP)

Crash death toll revised

Wednesday 18 January 2023 14:21 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraines State Emergency Service has revised the death toll from the crash down, saying 14 people had died  including one child.

Ukraine appoints acting interior minister after crash

Wednesday 18 January 2023 14:10 , Liam James

Ukraines government appointed national police chief Ihor Klymenko as acting interior minister after the former office holder was among at least 17 people killed in a helicopter crash near Kyiv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Mr Shmyhal announced the appointment hours after Denys Monastyrskyis death.

He said Mr Klymenko had officially been appointed to the role of deputy interior minister, but would fulfil the responsibilities of the minister.

Germanys Scholz: helicopter crash shows immense toll Ukraine paying in war

Wednesday 18 January 2023 13:40 , Matt Mathers

German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday that the helicopter crash in Ukraine that left at least 16 people dead, including the interior minister, showed the "immense toll" Ukraine is paying in the war against Russia.

"Our thoughts on this sad day are with the families of the victims and the injured, and with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky, who lost his interior minister today," said Scholz on Twitter.

Putin: Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable

Wednesday 18 January 2023 13:20 , Matt Mathers

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that a Russian victory in Ukraine was "inevitable" in remarks broadcast on state TV.

In televised remarks to workers during a visit to a weapons factory in his home town of St Petersburg, Putin told workers and reporters: "Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it."

Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was reported to have made similar remarks earlier.

Helicopter death toll up to 17

Wednesday 18 January 2023 13:07 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraine's State Emergency Service have said that 17 people were killed in the helicopter crash, including nine people who were aboard the helicopter and four children on the ground.

It said 25 people have been injured, including 11 children. Early official reports gave slightly different casualty figures, including a higher death toll.

Wests hybrid war wont stop Russia - Kremlin

Wednesday 18 January 2023 12:43 , Chris Stevenson

Russia will achieve its objectives in Ukraine despite a "hybrid war" waged by the West against Moscow, Moscows top diplomat insisted on Wednesday.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the goals of Moscows "special military operation" in Ukraine are "determined by Russias core legitimate interests" and will be fulfilled.

"There must be no military infrastructure in Ukraine that poses a direct threat to our country," he said, adding that Moscow also intends to make sure the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine are protected.
A challenger 2 Main Battle Tank during a Land Combat demonstration. Ben Birchall  PA Images/Contributor/Getty Images

Five countries have said they'll send armored vehicles to Ukraine.

The US, Germany, France, and Sweden will provide armored fighting vehicles, and the UK will send tanks.

Still, some big items long requested by Kyiv have been kept out of Western military aid packages.

Western security assistance to Ukraine as it fights Russia has ramped up in the first few weeks of the new year, with five different countries announcing that they intend to provide Kyiv with armored combat vehicles.

On Thursday, Sweden, an aspiring NATO member, became the latest country to announce that it will send much-sought-after military hardware, pledging to transfer Combat Vehicle 90 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine as part of its largest aid package so far.

Sweden has joined the US, Germany, and France, which have said that they will send Bradley, Marder, and AMX-10 RC armored vehicles, respectively. And the UK has said that it will send a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, making it the first Western country to send Western-made tanks to Kyiv.

While these much-sought-after weapons will give Ukraine a significant boost in firepower and ground combat capability, a handful of big-ticket items on Kyiv's heavy armor wish list continue to be kept out of military aid packages, such as the German-made Leopard tank and the American M1 Abrams tank.

NATO countries have pressed Germany to approve sending its tanks to Ukraine, but Berlin has been unwilling to sign off on any transfers, saying that the US would also need to send its own tanks. However, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that his country may eventually go rogue and send its Leopard tanks to Kyiv without German approval.

Ukraine's push to secure tanks and fighting vehicles comes as Russia's unprovoked invasion nears its one-year mark, with fighting heavily concentrated in the eastern Donbas region. Heavy armor could help Kyiv make advances in what has turned into a bloody and grinding affair.

Story continues

Take a look at the five pieces of heavy armor that Western countries are sending to Ukraine.

AMX-10 RC

French soldiers practice shooting an AMX-10RC in Afghanistan's Surobi district on September 24, 2010. JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

France was the first country to announce that it would send Western-made armored vehicles to Ukraine, opening the door to additional transfers. French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early January that Paris would transfer the AMX-10 RC to Kyiv.

The AMX-10 RC is a French-made armored combat and reconnaissance vehicle. It was first designed in the early 1970s and has decades of combat experience in places like the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Capable of traveling at up to 50 mph, the vehicle is armed with a 105 mm cannon and armor to protect it against small arms fire and shrapnel.

M2 Bradley

Troopers with 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division firing the 25mm canon on a Bradley fighting vehicle in order to zero the vehicles weapons systems at a range in Poland on August 18, 2022. . US military photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Porter

Soon after France's announcement, the US followed suit with its own pledge to send Western armor to Ukraine.

The White House announced it would send 50 M2A2 Bradley fighting vehicles  capable of transporting troops, conducting reconnaissance missions, and providing fire support.

Bradley fighters are armed with a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and a 7.62 mm M240C machine gun, as well as a Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missile system.

The weapon was designed by BAE Systems and has been in use since the early 1980s. It played a prominent role in both the Gulf and Iraq wars.

Marder

A Marder armored personnel carrier is on display during a presentation at the 'Erzgebirgskaserne' barracks in Marienberg, eastern Germany, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. AP Photo/Michael Sohn

The US decision to transfer Bradleys to Ukraine was presented alongside Germany, which said it would provide Kyiv with Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

This weapon was designed in the 1960s and has seen on-the-ground experience in Afghanistan and Kosovo. It is equipped with a 20 mm automatic cannon and anti-tank missiles, and is defended by steel armor.

The Marder can travel up to 40 mph and can carry a crew of three and six fully-equipped infantry soldiers, according to Forbes.

Challenger 2

A Challenger 2 main battle tank uses smoke as camouflage during a demonstration for the families watching The Royal Tank Regiment Regimental Parade, on September 24, 2022 in Bulford, England. Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Perhaps the most significant of the heavy armor going to Ukraine is the Challenger 2  the UK's main battle tank.

Defense chief Ben Wallace announced on Monday that the UK would send a squadron of the tanks as part of the country's "most significant package of combat power" for Ukraine so far.

First introduced in the 1990s, the Challenger 2 was built to replace its predecessor, the Challenger 1, and has seen combat experience in Iraq and Eastern Europe.

A crew of four can operate the weapon, which is armed with a L30A1 120 mm rifled gun, a chain gun, and a machine gun. On roads, it has a range of 340 miles and can travel at speeds of up to 37 mph; off-roads, this drops to 160 miles and 25 mph, respectively.

Combat Vehicle 90

A Norwegian Combat Vehicle 90 moves towards an objective during a combined level brigade attack in Setermoen, Norway, April 27, 2022. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Yvonna Guyette

Sweden's government announced on Thursday that it would send an undisclosed number of Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) fighting vehicles with ammunition to Ukraine as part of its biggest military aid package to the country.

The CV90 is an infantry fighting vehicle built by BAE systems in the early 1990s. It has seen combat experience in Afghanistan and Liberia. Sweden is one of several European countries that has the weapon in its arsenal.

Two users can operate the vehicle's cannon, the primary armament accompanying its multiple grenade launchers and machine gun.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Barberton woman missing since Dec. 17 has been found alive and living out of her car in Jackson, Tennessee, police said Sunday night.

The family of Ma'Ri'Ana Spaulding had feared for the 25-year-old woman's safety after she failed to contact family members throughout the holidays, missing her own birthday and that of her 4-year-old son. It was his first birthday out of the hospital after a heart transplant, Spaulding's mother, Lavina Black, said in a Jan. 11 interview.

Barberton police are asking for the public's help in locating 25-year-old resident Mariana Spaulding, who has been missing since Dec. 17.

Barberton police had asked the public for help on Jan. 11 after efforts to locate Spaulding had failed, and family members pleaded on social media for help locating her.

Police from as far away as Rockport, Texas, had sought information as news of Spaulding's disappearance spread. Her family offered a $5,000 reward in an effort to locate her. On Jan. 12, Ohio Attorney General David Yost's office posted a plea on Twitter to help locate the missing woman.

'Like she vanished': Police seek help finding Barberton woman missing since Dec. 17

In a text message Monday morning, Black celebrated the news that her daughter had been located.

"We found her alive and ok!!!" Black wrote. "GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME."

Spaulding's mother said Jan. 11 that she became increasingly worried when her daughter didn't call during the holidays.

"She missed Christmas, her birthday, her son's birthday, New Year's and then my birthday," Black said.

On her Facebook page, Black had asked in several posts for help finding her daughter.

"God bless all the parents that have missing children/ missing adult children," Black wrote in one post last week. "I wouldnt wish this feeling on any parent. Not knowing is the worst feeling you could ever have!!"

Black said Jan. 11 that she went to her daughter's house on the south side of Barberton and found water coming from underneath a door. The front door was unlocked and a pipe by the water heater had burst.

"We went out to her house to check on her and we just walked straight in," Black said. "Her house was in disarray... That's not how she normally keeps her home."

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Black said at the time she feared her daughter, whom she described as a trusting person, had become involved with someone who was connected to her disappearance.

"I feel it in my soul, and I feel it in my gut," she said.

In the Sunday statement from Barberton police, officer Marty Eberhart said Jackson police checked on Spaulding's welfare and notified her family that she had been found. The statement thanked Jackson police, other law enforcement departments, local media and the public for their assistance finding the Barberton woman.

Jackson, a city of 68,000 residents, is located about 625 miles southwest of Barberton.

More:6 reasons why you should subscribe to the Akron Beacon Journal

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Barberton woman missing for a month found in Tennessee
Ukrainians look on a part of destroyed Russian Su-25 on display in Kyiv on May 8, 2022. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Russia lost several combat aircraft to crashes in the final months of 2022.

Some of those losses reflect the toll the war in Ukraine has taken on Russia's air force.

Others, which involved jets not being used in the war, may reflect the toll of Western sanctions.

Militaries expect to lose aircraft in combat, and even in peacetime there will be accidents when operating fast, complex jets, but a series of crashes by Russian combat jets may indicate that Western sanctions are cutting into Moscow's ability to maintain its warplanes.

"Sanctions placed on Russia by the West could well be affecting Russia's ability to manufacture and maintain parts needed to keep aircraft safe," Michael Bohnert, an engineer and analyst at the Rand Corporation, a US think tank, wrote in a November essay.

Bohnert pointed to at least six crashes between September and late November.

Accidents involving older Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, a newer Su-34 ground-attack aircraft that crashed into an apartment building in Russia, and a MiG-31 fighter that crashed on takeoff are not that surprising. Those models have flown extensively in combat over Ukraine, so the incidents may reflect the wear and tear on them.

Russian emergency personnel remove parts of a Su-34 jet that crashed in a residential area in the town of Yeysk on October 18. STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images

However, two crashes involved planes that weren't being used in Ukraine. In mid-October, an Su-34 crashed into an apartment building in the city of Yeysk. A week later, an Su-30 fighter crashed into a residential building in Siberia.

The initial investigation of the Su-34 crash "pointed to a technical malfunction of the aircraft," according to Russian authorities.

"What's interesting is that even aircraft not involved in the Russian invasion are crashing," Bohnert wrote of the October crashes. "These aircraft were being used as training platforms, and their combat counterparts have limited use in the current war."

Crashes of multiple aircraft types, involving jets that have and have not seen combat, suggests a pattern. "While mechanical failures are expected in aircraft over time, a rapid increase in fleetwide mechanical failures may indicate that something fundamental has changed," Bohnert wrote.

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The question is what has changed in Russian aircraft reliability and maintenance? Specifically, are Western sanctions that have deprived Russian aviation of imported parts to blame? Russian airlines are already cannibalizing jetliners for spare parts that sanctions have made unavailable.

At the same time, there are indications that Russia is suffering from a lack of qualified military pilots as well as sloppy ground crews.

Russian troops work on Su-24 aircraft at the Hamaimim air base in Syria in May 2016. Friedemann Kohler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Bohnert sees three possible causes for the crashes: a lack of skilled mechanics, not enough third-party companies to manufacture or repair aviation parts, or a lack of tools and materials to make or fix these parts.

However, Bohnert doesn't see any of these explanations as sufficient by themselves. For example, while Western experts cite sloppy maintenance practices such as ground crews failing to remove covers from sensors before takeoff, Bohnert thinks a lack of competent mechanics isn't likely.

"While Russian airbases have been attacked, damage has not been extensive and maintainers probably would not have been transferred to forward combat units," he wrote.

Mobilization has affected small- and medium-sized companies that make aviation parts, but the crashes began before Putin ordered the mobilization on September 21. That leaves a shortage of manufacturing tools and raw materials because of Western sanctions.

This still leaves the problem of precisely attributing the reasons for the crashes. "We have seen continued and possibly increasing mechanical failures with Russian military and civilian aircraft," Bohnert told Insider. "It has been difficult to ascertain why."

The site where a Russian military aircraft crashed into a residential building in the city of Irkutsk on October 23. REUTERS/Stringer

For example, measuring the impact of mobilization on Russian manufacturing is difficult, as is determining how many aircraft parts Russia is covertly importing. Details on transshipments into Russia may appear in trade flow reports or company annual reports, but this information may take months or even years to surface.

In the end, Russian aircraft maintenance may face a mix of problems. "The likely causes of the failures remain some combination of personnel, tooling, and increased demand for domestic production limiting the supply and/or the quality of spare parts," Bohnert said.

As the war in Ukraine continues, combat will wear out aircraft and trained pilots. Pre-war stocks of spare parts will be depleted, especially of imported components and materials.

Substitutions may help a bit: Iran, for example, has been resourceful in either secretly acquiring or producing parts for its US-made 1970s-era F-14 and F-4 fighters or in cannibalizing parts from some planes to keep others flying. But that's not a reliable way to maintain an air force.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Federal authorities announced Wednesday they are launching a civil rights investigation into the actions of Memphis police after a 29-year-old Black man died three days after a traffic stop by officers.

On Jan. 7, Tyre Nichols was arrested after officers stopped him for reckless driving, Memphis police said. According to police, a confrontation occurred as officers approached him, and Nichols subsequently ran from the scene. Police also referenced another "confrontation" between Nichols and officers before he was ultimately caught and arrested.

"Afterward, the suspect complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called," and Nichols was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. On Jan. 10, he "succumbed to his injuries," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported last week, without describing the nature of those injuries.

A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service for him on Jan. 17, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols was killed following a traffic stop with Memphis Police on Jan. 7. He died three days later, on Jan. 10. / Credit: Adrian Sainz / AP

Nichols' death prompted protests this past weekend.

Kevin G. Ritz, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced Wednesday that a federal civil rights investigation has been launched into the incident.

"Last week, Tyre Nichols tragically died, a few days after he was involved in an incident where Memphis Police Department officers used force during his arrest," Ritz said in a statement. "State authorities have publicly announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating. In addition, the United States Attorney's Office, in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, has opened a civil rights investigation."

Meanwhile, the Memphis Police Department is conducting its own internal administrative investigation into potential policy violations by the officers who arrested Nichols, and expects that process will be completed by the end of this week, the department said in a news release Sunday.

"After reviewing various sources of information involving this incident, I have found that it is necessary to take immediate and appropriate action," Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said in a statement. "Today, the department is serving notice to the officers involved of the impending administrative actions."

Story continues

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Black religious leaders, including the man who said the closing prayer at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis first inauguration, sent a message to the state Monday over its rejection of the College Board's new AP African American Studies course.

"Black history is not inferior, and Black history does not lack educational value," said Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, a former Republican.

In a letter earlier this month, the Florida Department of Education told the College Board  which creates and oversees Advanced Placement courses and exams as well as the SAT and other standardized tests  its African American studies course significantly lacks educational value."

In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion, the letter said.

The letter also called the course inexplicably contrary to Florida law" but did not explain how.

Holmes and the others gathered Monday in Tallahassee promised additional protests and rallies, including one later this week set to include civil rights attorney Ben Crump and another next month featuring the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Opinion: Ron DeSantis is fulfilling his promise to oust the 'woke mob.' Is he taking it too far?

They also cited a litany of frustrations some Black leaders have voiced with the DeSantis administration.

Rev. Dr. Joseph Wright, pastor of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, spoke about DeSantis decision to get rid of two Black-led congressional delegations. Tallahassee Commissioner Curtis Richardson decried the governors culture war against African Americans. Richardson accused him of voter suppression and blasted school voucher extensions that he said would destroy public education.

Were here today to tell the governor were not going to stand by and just let these things happen to African Americans in our state, Richardson said.

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Holmes said the group aims to create a statewide movement, one he hoped would spark positive conversations about the value of learning about all peoples history, and not at the expense of erasing and eliminating Black studies. Holmes became an independent after taking issue with the governors handling of COVID-19  such as penalizing mask mandates.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs his "Stop Woke" bill in last year.

Rejection part of DeSantis' reshaping of Florida education system

DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has spent much of his time in office reshaping the states education system and fighting against what he calls woke politics, signing bills restricting the discussion of race, gender and sexual orientation in schools.

More: DeSantis aims to create 'Hillsdale of the south' with conservative overhaul of a Florida college's board

Such efforts have been embraced and parroted by Republican leaders and candidates across the country and by parent groups such as Moms for Liberty, a group born of frustrations over mask and vaccine mandates that has tapped concerns about parental rights and indoctrination of kids to gain influence while inspiring armies of moms nationwide to take up its crusade.

On Monday, DeSantis spoke publicly about the state's rejection for the first time. He said the state is blocking the course because it included the study of queer theory and political movements that advocated for abolishing prisons.

Thats a political agenda, DeSantis said during a press conference. Thats the wrong side of the line for Florida standards. We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we dont believe they should have an agenda imposed on them when you try to use Black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes.

What is the AP African American Studies course?

The College Boards AP African American Studies class has been in the works for more than 10 years and launched as a pilot this school year, debuting at 60 high schools across the country.

Additional high schools will have the chance to offer it during the 2023-24 school year, and the course will be available at all schools the following year, the College Board has said.

People protest outside the offices of the New Mexico Public Education Department's office in 2021 after the education department proposed changes to the social studies curriculum that critics describe as a veiled attempt to teach critical race theory. Supporters say the new curriculum, which includes ethnic studies, is "anti-racist."

The course emerges in the midst of a national clash over the teaching of race-related curriculum and battles over critical race theory, a concept examining how racism permeates American institutions. The concept isnt traditionally taught in public schools, but the legacy of slavery is.

More: First AP African American Studies class to be offered in some high schools this fall

The White House criticized Florida's rejection of the course Friday.

It is incomprehensible, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, responding to a question by USA TODAY. Lets be clear. They didnt block AP European history. They didnt block our art history. They didnt block our music history.

"When you think about the study of Black Americans, that is what he wants to block," she said.

Incomprehensible: White House slams DeSantis administration for rejecting AP Black studies

Last week, after the state's letter to College Board became public, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. shared a list of ways the course violates Florida law on Twitter.

The list cites references in the AP course to movements for Black lives, Black queer studies and the reparations movement.

"Despite the lies from the Biden White House, Florida rejected an AP course filled with Critical Race Theory and other obvious violations of Florida law," he said in his tweet. "We proudly require the teaching of African American history. We do not accept woke indoctrination masquerading as education."

Despite the lies from the Biden White House, Florida rejected an AP course filled with Critical Race Theory and other obvious violations of Florida law. We proudly require the teaching of African American history. We do not accept woke indoctrination masquerading as education. pic.twitter.com/Anw7Ui2JJv  Manny Diaz Jr. (@SenMannyDiazJr) January 20, 2023

How did the College Board respond?

In outlining its standards for Advanced Placement courses on its website, the College Board said it opposes both censorship and indoctrination, adding that such courses are designed to "foster an open-minded approach" while enabling students "to develop as independent thinkers and to draw their own conclusions."

In response to Florida's letter, the College Board noted that as with all new AP courses, its African American Studies course is being subjected to "a rigorous multi-year pilot phase" in which feedback is collected from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers.

"We will publicly release the updated course framework when it is completed and well before this class is widely available in American high schools," the College Board said. "We look forward to bringing this rich and inspiring exploration of African-American history and culture to students across the country."

More: Schools are becoming hotbeds of political conflict  especially in purple districts

How are some parents reacting?

In a statement, the National Parents Union said it was outraged by Floridas rejection of the course, particularly its timing: within a week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Make no mistake: This is a direct attack on the Black and all BIPOC communities, the union said.  This behavior is dangerous and should concern every American.

Nehemiah Frank, publisher of the Black Wall Street Times and the unions founding delegate, said it would challenge the move.

We will fight for the right of all children to learn the truth  and turn this into an opportunity to teach our children what it looks like to confront and organize against white supremacy, Frank said.

Contributing: Kathryn Varn, Tallahassee Democrat

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Black leaders object to Florida, DeSantis rejecting proposed AP course
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., on Capitol Hill on Jan. 10. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is denying a report that he performed as a drag queen in Brazil.

The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or performed as a drag Queen is categorically false, he wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life while I am working to deliver results. I will not be distracted nor fazed by this.

Santos was referring to a story published Wednesday by journalist Marisa Kabas, who has been reporting on the sundry deceptions put forth by Santos during his campaign. Kabas spoke with a Brazilian drag queen named Eula Rochard, who provided a photo of a person who resembles Santos dressed in drag.

The picture was taken in 2008 at the Pride Parade at Icarai Beach in Niteroi, Rochard told Kabas. George had disappeared for a little while, and then returned to Brazil with a lot of money, and that was about the same time when the picture was taken.

NEW: I just spoke by phone with Eula Rochard, a Brazilian drag queen who was friends with George Santos when he lived near Rio. She said everyone knew him as Anthony (*never* George), or by his drag name, Kitara, and confirms this photo is from a 2008 drag show at Icarai Beach. pic.twitter.com/1MeeDR1O2O  Marisa Kabas (@MarisaKabas) January 18, 2023

Rochard added that Santos was never a professional drag performer, that he just did it for fun and enjoyed dressing up, saying, He did not have what it takes to be a professional. George did not have the glamour for that.

Republicans and right-wing activists have made drag shows a top target in recent months, with some state legislatures proposing bills that would ban or limit the events. Drag shows are a frequent focus of conservative media, and GLAAD released data in December of last year alleging that the events were targeted once every two and a half days in 2022.

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The drag queen story is not the only new revelation about Santos. On Tuesday, Patch reported that he stole $3,000 from a GoFundMe fundraiser meant to go to a dying service dog owned by a disabled veteran. Richard Osthoff alleged that in 2016 a man named Anthony Devolder  one of the aliases used by Santos over the years  scammed him out of the money and that the dog, Sapphire, died the next year. Santos told news startup Semafor that the accusation was fake and that he did not know Osthoff.

He tweeted late Thursday morning that the reports he allowed a dog to die were shocking & insane, but he did not explicitly deny the charges. He concluded the message by stating, These distractions wont stop me!

On Wednesday, the Forward reported that immigration records show that Santoss mother, Fatima Devolder, was not in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Santos has claimed his mother was at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attack and that the ash cloud caused her death 15 years later. The reporting follows weeks of revelations that the freshman congressman has lied about everything from his job and education histories to his religion.

9/11 claimed my mothers life so Im blocking so I dont ever have to read this again.  George Santos (@Santos4Congress) July 13, 2021

While Santos received two committee assignments this week in the new GOP-controlled House  the Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee  he has continued to face growing calls to resign and a number of local, state and federal inquiries. On Tuesday, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., urged the Federal Election Commission to begin an investigation into Santos.

George Santos has essentially lied about every aspect of his life, Torres said at a news conference in the Republicans Long Island congressional district. He has essentially pretended to be a biracial Ukrainian-Belgian-Brazilian volleyball champion and brain cancer survivor whose mother died twice, including on 9/11, whose ancestors survived the Holocaust, whose employees died in the Pulse mass shooting, and who miraculously became a multimillionaire overnight.

Mr. Santos claims that he earned millions of dollars from clients, yet he has disclosed the names of none of those clients on his congressional financial disclosure, as required by federal law, Torres added.

Santos continues to face growing calls to resign. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

While not rushing to his defense, House GOP leaders have so far refused to call for Santos to step down.

I havent even introduced myself to him because its pretty despicable, the lies that he told, House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told CNN on Sunday. But at the end of the day, its not up to me or any other member of Congress to determine whether he could be kicked out for lying. Now, if he broke campaign finance laws, then he will be removed from Congress.

The voters of his district have elected him. He is seated. He is part of the Republican Conference, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last week. He will be held accountable, exactly as anybody else in this body would be.

It will play itself out, House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik told CNN.
Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania; Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona; Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia Getty Images

House Republican leaders have stocked the oversight panel with partisan bomb-throwers.

Many of the new panelists voted to overturn the 2020 election and defied Jan. 6 investigators.

"It's like giving Al Capone the power to investigate Eliot Ness," said a congressional watchdog.

House Republicans have tapped some of their unruliest colleagues to spearhead the chamber's political investigations arm, a roster that includes more than a dozen members who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election, 10 who've already endorsed impeaching a Biden administration official, and a trio of folks who disregarded subpoenas issued by the Jan. 6 select committee in the last Congress.

House Oversight Committee chair James Comer welcomed the "all-star lineup" of newcomers  including Kevin McCarthy-aligned Republican Reps. Lisa McClain of Michigan and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, as well as speaker-vote rebels Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and freshman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida  on Wednesday, touting their mission as "to root out waste, fraud, abuse" and collectively "hold the Biden Administration accountable."

Authorizing this menagerie of scandal-plagued politicians to probe others, and possibly insert themselves into Department of Justice and FBI investigations reviewing their own activities, seems ridiculous to American Enterprise Institute scholar Norm Ornstein.

"It'd be like if we gave Al Capone the power to investigate Eliot Ness," Ornstein said during a press conference hosted by left-leaning nonprofit Facts First USA on Wednesday, referring to the infamous gangster and the prohibition agent who brought him down.

White House counsel office spokesman Ian Sams, who is likely to have his hands full with Comer's planned investigation into President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter's, business dealings, said the oversight appointments explain a lot.

"It appears that House Republicans may be setting the stage for divorced-from-reality political stunts, instead of engaging in bipartisan work on behalf of the American people," Sams wrote in an official statement.

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US House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy embraces Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in the House Chamber during the fourth day of elections for speaker of the House at the US Capitol Building on January 06, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

'They're just gonna do whatever they want'

Other ultra-conservative members of the GOP oversight roster with 2020 election-related issues include Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan, House Freedom Caucus members Perry, Greene, Boebert, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Byron Donalds of Florida, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, and Gary Palmer of Alabama.

Perry and Biggs, both of whom withheld their support from McCarthy's demoralizing speaker bid until he caved to their myriad demands, voted to overturn Biden's lawful 2020 win, blew off Jan. 6 investigators, and have cheered on efforts to impeach someone in the Biden administration sooner rather than later.

Jordan also voted to overturn the election results and shunned Jan. 6 investigators, while individuals like Higgins, Donalds, Gosar, Palmer, Greene, Boebert, McClain, and fellow panelists Reps. Pete Sessions of Texas, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Pat Fallon of Texas, and Jake LaTurner of Kansas voted to overturn the 2020 election, have co-sponsored a Biden-related impeachment proposal, or both.

Retired Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who chaired the House Oversight Committee last session, asserted that this new cast of characters were getting into it for the wrong reasons.

"The personal vendettas these committees pursue are not a legitimate use of the oversight power. The attempts to obstruct investigations into their own criminality are not an appropriate use of subpoena power," she said during the Facts First event.

Maloney also accused the group of choosing revenge rather than focusing on "how you're going to help the American people" in the 118th Congress.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) January 20, 2023

Kurt Bardella, a former House GOP leadership aide turned Democratic strategist, said what's most alarming is that there doesn't seem to be anyone around who'll be able to rein them in when they inevitably overreach.

"These are basically the people who own Kevin McCarthy at this point," Bardella told Insider at the Facts First event. "So when Lauren Boebert, or Marjorie Taylor Greene, or Scott Perry want to start impeaching Joe Biden, McCarthy's not going to be able to stand up and stop them."

"They're just gonna do whatever they want," Bardella stressed.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - A Massachusetts man charged with murdering his wife searched online for "dismemberment and the best ways to dispose of a body" after she was last seen on New Year's Day, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Not guilty pleas were entered in Quincy District Court on behalf of Brian Walshe, 47, as a prosecutor revealed a search of a trash facility uncovered items with Ana Walshe's DNA on it along with a hacksaw and cutting shears.

He was ordered held without bail after prosecutors on Tuesday charged Walshe with his wife's murder. He was earlier arrested on Jan. 8 for misleading police investigating the 39-year-old mother of three's disappearance.

The investigation began after her employer in Washington, the real estate company Tishman Speyer, reported her missing on Jan. 4.

At the time, Brian Walshe was on house arrest awaiting sentencing in Boston federal court after admitting in 2021 he sold forgeries of Andy Warhol art based on paintings he took from a one-time friend and never returned.

Assistant District Attorney Lynn Beland said Brian Walshe originally told investigators his wife left their Cohasset, Massachusetts, home early on Jan. 1 in a ride-hailing service for the airport to go to Washington for work.

But investigators found no evidence she took such a ride, and Beland said authorities discovered Brian Walshe that day had searched on Google "can you throw away body parts" and "10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to."

Beland said the next day, Walshe went to a Home Depot to buy cleaning supplies and a hatchet and that surveillance video and phone data showed that on Jan. 3 he disposed of trash bags in dumpsters in different locations.

Some bags had already been picked up and have been incinerated, Beland said. But she said 10 bags contained items stained with blood as well as a hacksaw, Ana Walshe's COVID-19 vaccine card, and boots she was last seen wearing.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Vin Shahrestani)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Police in Tennessee say officers in Memphis face disciplinary action after a 29-year-old Black driver died following a traffic stop.

Tyre D. Nichols' death earlier this month has sparked outrage in the community, with relatives accusing police of beating Nichols and causing him to suffer a heart attack. Authorities have said Nichols experienced a medical emergency after running from officers. Officials said a cause of death has not yet been determined.

Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said Sunday that the department was serving notice to the officers involved concerning policy violations. Davis said the administrative process was expected to be completed later this week.

After reviewing various sources of information involving this incident, I have found that it is necessary to take immediate and appropriation action, Davis said in a statement.

The statement did not indicate how many officers were involved.

Make no doubt, we take departmental violations very seriously and, while we must complete the investigation process, it is our top priority to ensure that swift justice is served, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said in the statement. We want citizens to know that we are prepared to take immediate and appropriate actions based on what the findings determine.

Police said Nichols, of Memphis, was stopped along a street for reckless driving on Jan. 7. There was a confrontation as officers approached the driver, and the suspect ran before officers again confronted and arrested him. Nichols then complained of shortness of breath and was taken to a hospital by ambulance in critical condition.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Nichols died on Jan. 10. The bureau is conducting a use-of-force investigation at the request of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy.

Relatives told news outlets that the officers who pulled over Nichols were in an unmarked vehicle and that he suffered cardiac arrest and kidney failure because of a beating by officers. Memphis police referred questions to the state bureau, which said it was still investigating.

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In a statement Monday on Twitter, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said he is representing Nichols family. Crump called for Memphis police to release body camera and surveillance footage from the traffic stop.

This kind of in-custody death destroys community trust if agencies are not swiftly transparent," Crump said.

An email left with Memphis police asking about the release of the footage wasn't returned.
Kali Manley, 14, of Oak View was killed in 1998. A parole hearing for her killer, David Ramiro Alvarez, was held Thursday.

An Ojai man convicted of killing a 14-year-old Oak View girl in 1998 agreed Thursday to bypass a chance at being released and instead wait five years for another parole hearing.

At the beginning of a virtual hearing before a panel of the California Board of Parole Hearings, David Ramiro Alvarez, 46, agreed to be denied parole and wait for another chance at release. Patricia Cassady, a parole board commissioner, said the decision means Alvarez acknowledged he isnt ready for parole.

Basically, hes saying I dont want to go to the hearing today because I know Im not going to be suitable, Cassady said.

Kali Manley of Oak View disappeared on Dec. 20, 1998, after leaving a sleepover at a friends home late at night in the Ojai area. She drove away to a mobile home with Alvarez and another man never to return home.

For the next week, as many as 1,000 people day hiked into the canyons and hills of the Ojai Valley looking for the teen in one of the largest searches ever in Ventura County. The efforts continued until the day after Christmas when Alvarez led authorities to the girls bruised naked body, left in a 6-foot-wide drainage pipe in the mountains 30 miles north of Ojai.

Chuck and Holly Manley participated Thursday in a parole hearing for David Alvarez, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the 1998 murder of the Manley's 14-year-old daughter, Kali.

Alvarez, 22, at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder after the California Attorney Generals Office and Manleys parents agreed to drop attempted rape charges and eliminate the chance of a life sentence without parole.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life and became eligible for parole last month. Nearly 500 people, many of them from Ventura County, submitted letters to the parole board regarding the hearing.

Kali's parents, Chuck and Holly Manley of Oak View, participated in the online hearing as did Kalis sister, Chelsea Manley. They opted not to make statements, saying they would wait for the hearing in five years.

Afterward, Chuck Manley said Alvarez's decision not to immediately ask the two-person panel for parole came as a surprise.

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"It's a good outcome. David Alvarez will remain in prison trying to improve himself," he said. "We will be prepared in five years to do this again."

He also repeated his family's desire that Alvarez never be granted parole.

Lauren Malan, Ventura County senior deputy district attorney, spoke at the hearing on how hard it is for the Manleys to endure parole proceedings and to see the man who killed their daughter. Chuck Manley said that pain is real.

"Id rather get five root canals than go to one of these things," he said. "Weve accepted it. Its part of the burden that we carry.

The 1998 killing was prosecuted by the state attorney generals office after Ventura County District Attorney Mike Bradbury withdrew because of conflict-of-interest concerns stemming from a friendship with Alvarezs parents. Deputy Attorney General Seth McCutcheon argued Thursday another parole hearing should not be held for 10 years, citing the callousness and cold-blooded nature of the murder.

Read more:Parole hearing nears in 1998 Ojai Valley murder of teen who loved butterflies

Alvarez has minimized and refused to take full account of his role, McCutcheon said. He also said Alvarez has been disciplined for violence in prison and has a history of substance abuse.

Alvarez participated in the hearing from Calipatria State Prison, about 140 miles east of San Diego. He said he had drug issues, saying his drug of choice before his incarceration was speed and alcohol. In prison, he said, he switched to heroin and died twice only to be brought back to life during an overdose.

Alvarez said he got sober in April 2020 and is still in recovery.

Whatever the doctor tells me to do, Im going to do, he said.

David Ramiro Alvarez

Alvarezs attorney, Diane Letarte, initially asked for another parole hearing to be held in three years. The panel said that was not enough and recommended five years, which was also agreed to by Alvarez. He can also ask for an earlier hearing but that request can be denied.

Letarte asked the panel for recommendations on how Alvarez can improve his chances of parole in five years. Cassady said he needed to address domestic violence issues and also a history of sexual interest in minors. She noted a statement of remorse from Alvarez made no mention of that interest.

"Dont skip out of the sex offender treatment," she said.

The parole decision made Thursday is tentative and becomes official in 120 days.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Man convicted of killing California teen bypasses parole
Video shared by the US Coast Guard of a Russian ship near the Hawaiian Islands. US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard said Wednesday it is monitoring a Russian ship near Hawaii.

The Coast Guard said the ship is believed to be gathering intelligence.

They also said they are coordinating with the Pentagon and providing vessel updates.

The US Coast Guard said Wednesday it has been monitoring a Russian ship located near the Hawaiian Islands for weeks.

The USCG announced in a bulletin it has been watching the vessel, which is believed to be an "intelligence gathering ship."

"As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities," Cmdr. Dave Milne, the Coast Guard's chief of external affairs, said in a statement.

Foreign military vessels may travel freely through US waters, but "foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering" in the Coast Guard's "area of response," the statement said.

"The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest. This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific," Milne said.

The Coast Guard said it was coordinating with the Department of Defense to provide updates on the movement of the foreign ships.

USCG Hawaii Pacific (@USCGHawaiiPac) January 19, 2023

A video of the ship shared by the Coast Guard showed latitude and longitude coordinates that suggested the vessel was located about 100 miles from Honolulu, HawaiiNewsNow reported.

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In May, the US Indo-Pacific Command said it was monitoring a Russian vessel near Hawaii. A retired Marine lieutenant colonel told KHON at the time that the Soviet Union used to send intelligence ships to loiter near Hawaii during the Cold War.

"The tactics, techniques, and procedures that we saw the Soviets doing back in the Cold War seem to be resurfacing again under the Russian banner," Lt. Colonel Hal Kempfer said. "This looks like one of those issues that I would point to Russian intelligence ships potentially off the shore of Hawaii."

Read the original article on Business Insider
PAKISTAN-WEATHER-CLIMATE-FLOOD

Internally displaced flood-affected people take refuge in a camp at Kotri in Jamshoro district of Sindh province in Pakistan on Sept. 28, 2022. Credit - Photo by RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFPGetty Images

Every year the World Economic Forum (WEF) surveys more than 1,200 global risk experts, policy makers, and industry leaders to measure the weight of looming risks to global finance and stability over the next two and ten years. The WEF releases its Global Risks Report as world leaders and corporate titans convene in Davos for the annual conference to help frame the weeks conversations. While energy and food supply chains top todays concerns, largely triggered by the pandemics lingering effects and conflict in Ukraine, the future fears of the global elite are finally intersecting with those of climate scientists.

Natural disasters and extreme weather events, along with a failure to mitigate climate change, made it into the top five risks for the next two years. Meanwhile, the top six concerns over the next decade involve a climate angle, assuming that number sixlarge scale involuntary migrationis considered (as it should be) a result of climate change as well as conflict, or indeed conflict caused by climate change.

Lon TweetenTIME

Take the shrinking Lake Chad basin, which straddles the African nations of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, as an example. The United Nations warned last year that the region, which covers 8% of the African continent and is home to 42 million people, is particularly vulnerable to climate change related extreme events such as floods and droughts with impacts on food security and general security in the region. A new report released by the international human rights group Refugees International warns that climate change is accelerating conflict and migration in the region and needs to be better addressed before it risks destabilizing a wider area, with unknown repercussions for the economies of West Africa.

The WEFs poll respondents were probably not thinking about a shrinking Lake Chad when they fretted about the impacts of large scale involuntary migration, but such a movement could easily lead to risk concern number seven: erosion of social cohesion and societal polarization, also likely to be triggered by the impacts of climate change. Mitigating those future risks, whether in the Lake Chad Basin or even closer to home, requires action in the present. The question now is how to manage short term risk, like energy insecurity, without exacerbating the long term risks of climate change.

A version of this story first appeared in the Climate is Everything newsletter. To sign up, click here.
As a precaution for winter weather, the Texas Department of Transportations (TxDOT) Amarillo District on Wednesday pretreated major traffic corridors, bridges, and overpasses with brine, a salt and water solution that helps keep ice from bonding to the roadways, according to a news release issued Thursday.

While the chance for snow has gone lower across the Texas Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Amarillo, they are studying another winter storm system that is on track to possibly impact the area early next week, TxDOT said. There also remains a chance for snow in the northern portion of the Texas Panhandle early Saturday. Motorists are urged to practice safe driving habits and heed travel warnings during winter weather events.

"With more than 9,600 lane miles of roadway in TxDOT's Amarillo District, snow and ice removal during a winter storm is a major operation utilizing hundreds of employees and large pieces of equipment," the TxDOT release says. "In addition to pretreating roadways, crews across the 17-county District have prepared snow plows, material spreaders, safety lighting and other necessary equipment to respond to this winter weather event."

TxDOT detailed its priorities for snow and ice operations as the following:

Roadways that effect the movement of interstate commerce

Roadways of high priority, locally or regionally

Bridge decks, sharp curves, steep grades, intersections and access points

Routes near hospitals, emergency facilities and schools

TxDOT is offering the following advice to help drivers navigate road conditions often seen during the winter months:

Plan ahead for winter travel

Plan your route and check road conditions at www.DriveTexas.org or by calling 800-452-9292.

Let others know your route and expected arrival time, building in extra time for delays.

Prepare your vehicle for winter driving by checking its antifreeze, battery, tires, windshield wipers and lights, including brake lights.

Assemble an emergency roadside kit to keep in your vehicle  (this should include water, snacks, blankets, etc. just in case.)

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Tips for driving in winter conditions

Slow down and increase your distance between other vehicles. It can take twice as long to stop on wet roads and up to 10 times as long on icy roads.

Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas as they tend to freeze first.

Do not use cruise control, as it may cause you to lose control on icy surfaces.

Accelerate and brake gently using slow, steady strokes to test traction.

Approach turns, bridges and shaded spots slowly. If your vehicle starts to slide, stay calm and keep both hands on the wheel. Take your foot off the gas, and then steer in the direction of the skid. Once your vehicle regains traction, turn your wheels in the direction you want to go.

Stay a safe distance (at least 200 feet) away from snowplows and other TxDOT vehicles as they treat roadways. #DontCrowdThePlow

Drivers are encouraged to check road conditions at www.DriveTexas.org or by calling 800-452-9292 before heading out to avoid potentially hazardous conditions.

People can also follow TxDOTs Amarillo District on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TxDOTAmarilloTX, Twitter at www.twitter.com/TxDOTAmarillo, and now on NextDoor.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: With potential for wintry road conditions, TxDOT offers safety tips
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States imposed visa restrictions Tuesday on 25 people including lawmakers for undermining democracy in Belarus with politically motivated trials such as that of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Belarus put Tsikhanouskaya on trial in absentia on treason charges on Tuesday, in what the outspoken critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko said would be a "farce and a show."

Government officials targeted by Washington include members of the National Assembly of Belarus for their role in passing legislation to authorize the death penalty for people convicted of terrorism, Blinken said, a charge he said Belarus uses to repress opposition.

Some have also backed other repressive legislation revoking citizenship from those outside the country charged with "extremism" and confiscating property for "unfriendly actions towards Belarus," he said in a statement.

"We will not stand by as this regime continues to harass and repress peaceful protesters, the democratic opposition, journalists, unionists, activists, human rights defenders, and everyday Belarusians," Blinken said.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Pallbearers carry a casket to the graveside service for the Haight and Earl families in La Verkin, Utah (The Salt Lake Tribune)

A Utah man who is charged with shooting his entire family in a murder-suicide had been investigated two years prior for child abuse against his daughter, new records show, but local police and prosecutors decided not to criminally charge him after he claimed the girl was being mouthy.

The police records released on Tuesday reveal that Michael Haight showed violent behaviour towards his family.

In a 2020 interview with authorities, Macie Haight, the familys eldest daughter, detailed multiple assaults, including one where she was choked by her father and was very afraid that he was going to keep her from breathing and kill her.

The child abuse investigation was launched after a non-family member reported potential child abuse to the police in August 2020.

Macie, then 14, told investigators that her fathers violent behaviour started in 2017. She also spoke of an incident where he grabbed her by the shoulders and banged her into a wooden piece along the back of the couch.

In his own interview with an investigator, Haight denied assaulting Macie and called the report a misunderstanding, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

But he reportedly admitted to getting angry at his daughter for being mouthy and said that anger was in part fueled by his fathers death and brothers divorce.

Notes from the investigation, obtained by the Union-Tribune, also show Macie reporting that her father often belittled her mother, Tausha Haight.

Haight denied doing so but said that he had taken his wifes phone and iPad to surveil her text messages to check if she had spoken negatively about his family, the outlet reported.

Investigators said Tausha Haight did not want her husband to face criminal charges but that she hoped the investigation would serve as a wake-up call.

The investigator who interviewed Haight described his behaviour as close to assaultive, but ultimately no charges were filed.

District Attorney, Chad Dotson said in a statement on Tuesday that his office did not charge Haight in 2020 because there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges likely based on an inability to prove each element of the case beyond a reasonable doubt and/or statute of limitations barriers.

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Haight is suspected of carrying out a murder-suicide that left his entire family dead on 4 January in the small town of Enoch. The police said he fatally shot his wife, her mother and their five kids, including Macie, before turning the gun on himself.

Police believe Haight, 42, carried out the shootings two weeks after his wife had filed for divorce and just days after her relatives say he took guns from the house.

Haight is a businessman who was described in glowing terms in an obituary published in the St George Spectrum last week, calling him a father who made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children.

The obituary made no mention of the killings and was taken offline after backlash.

Additional reporting by agencies
New York City is now offering free abortion pills at public clinics, the first city in the country to do so.

The free pills will be available at four public clinics across the city, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday, just days before the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that granted a constitutional right to abortion. On Wednesday, a Bronx clinic became the first to offer the pills, and they will be available at clinics in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens by the end of the year.

The city already offers medication abortions at its 11 public hospitals. The new program expands access to the four clinics and provides a way for people to access the procedure for free.

"No other city in the nation or in the world has a public health department that is providing medication abortion," Adams said. "We are the first."

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MEDICATION ABORTION: Medication abortion may be the next focal point in the fight over abortion access

What are the details on New York's free abortion pills program?

The program is funded by a $1.2 million package for sexual health services, the city's health department said.

Once the medication abortion programs are up and running, the four clinics will be able to provide up to 10,000 medication abortions annually, Ashwin Vasan, the citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner, said at a Tuesday news conference.

Vasan said the clinics allow scheduled appointments and walk-ins, and medication abortion care will be "open to anyone," whether they are from New York City or not. The city also provides abortion care to anyone regardless of immigration status, Vasan said.

GOP-LED HOUSE PASSES 'BORN ALIVE' BILL: Abortion-rights advocates denounce measure

Mayor Eric Adams announces vision for women's health

Free medication abortions are part of Adams' vision for a "New York City Women's Health Agenda," he said at the news conference Tuesday. The initiative is "aimed at dismantling decades of systemic inequity that have negatively impacted the health of women across the five boroughs," according to a statement from his office.

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Adams cited several examples of inequities in women's health and said the average maternal mortality rate among Black pregnant people is more than nine times the rate of white pregnant people.

"For too long, health and health care has been centered around men, but that changes today," Adams said. "We have been standing on the sidelines of womens health for too long, and I have personally seen firsthand how the health system is letting our women down. It is long overdue that we break taboos and make New York City a model for the future of womens health care. We are going to build a city that is here for all women and girls."

USPS CAN SEND ABORTION PILLS: Justice Department clears USPS to deliver abortion pills even in restrictive states

Abortion access advocates laud medication abortion program

Wendy Stark, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, called the program "critical ... to our bodily autonomy and basic human rights."

"A healthier New York City requires intentional investments in reducing health care disparities that systematically disadvantage Black, Latinx and marginalized communities," Stark said in a statement. "This includes ensuring equal access to sexual and reproductive health services and compassionate abortion care."

In a statement, Dr. Herminia Palacio, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights, applauded the program as a step to "prioritize the health, well-being and reproductive autonomy of our women and girls.

"New York City can only be as strong as the health of the millions of women and girls who live and work here and make this place the ever-resilient and thriving urban center we are," said Palacio, who is also a former New York City deputy mayor for health and human services.

CASES TO WATCH IN 2023: Eyes on states as challenges to abortion bans move through courts

NYC programs target abortion access

The medication abortion effort is one of several New York City programs launched after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

In March, Adams announced a citywide expansion of doula services, a midwifery initiative and a maternal health services program. In August, he signed the NYC Abortion Rights Act legislative package, strengthening abortion protections and paving the way to free medication abortions. And in November, the city launched the Abortion Access Hub, which confidentially connects women seeking abortion care to providers across the city, as well as services for financial support, transportation and lodging.

What are the other parts of Adams' women's health initiative?

Other components of Adams' "model for the future of womens health in New York City" include:

Relaunching a sexual education task force, especially targeting young New Yorkers and school staff members.

Tracking rates of cancer, mental health conditions, heart disease and other conditions, as well as life expectancy and key indicators differentiated by age and race.

Convening women's health leaders for a Women's History Month summit in March.

Launching a campaign focusing on supporting New Yorkers with hypertension and diabetes, especially targeting neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan that experience health and other socioeconomic disparities.

Launching a family-based substance use disorder program.

Expanding access to pelvic floor physical therapy.

Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York City now offers free abortion pills at sexual health clinics
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include what the city paid former head litigator Wendy L. Quinn for her work on the T&G records case since she left the law department last spring for a private firm.

WORCESTER  The Massachusetts Appeals Court has ordered a judge to consider increasing the amount of money the city must pay to lawyers for the Telegram & Gazette following the city's three-year withholding of police records that was ruled to be illegal and conducted in bad faith.

A three-member panel of the court, following oral arguments in which justices repeatedly expressed concern over the citys legal strategy, ordered a local judge to reconsider the amount the newspaper will receive.

At 10,000 feet, what happened here is the newspaper wanted to write about something and it took them three years to get the documents they wanted to write about, noted Associate Justice John Englander, who, after questioning Wendy L. Quinn, the citys former head litigator, said he understood the judges concern regarding good faith.

Worcester Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker, in an opinion last year, ordered the city to pay $5,000 in punitive damages and nearly $100,000 in the T&Gs legal fees after finding the city broke Massachusetts Public Records Law in withholding internal police investigations the newspaper had requested into allegations of officer misconduct.

The allegations pertained to claims a local civil rights lawyer filed in 2018 with prosecutors  including at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)  that Worcester officers engaged in racial bias, used excessive force and violated civil rights.

The DOJ last November announced a civil investigation into whether city police engaged in a pattern of excessive force or discrimination based on race or sex.

It has not stated specifically what prompted its probe.

The punitive damages Kenton-Walker imposed for the citys withholding of records were the first such damages ever to be awarded under a 2016 legislative reform aimed at strengthening the Public Records Law.

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The T&G argued to the Appeals Court that the $100,000 Kenton-Walker awarded in legal fees should be closer to the more than $200,000 it had requested.

The Appeals court ruling will require Kenton-Walker to reconsider the amount she settled on. It ruled that a 50% cut Kenton-Walker applied to the number of hours the paper's lawyers billed on the case was overly broad.

"Especially in light of the city's shifting legal defenses and the significant issues that arose at each subsequent stage of the proceedings, we have great difficulty discerning how any duplication of effort here was sufficient to justify such a deep discount in the amount of fees allowed," they wrote.

The justices further referenced the important public policy implications at stake, noting that the law allows for recovery of lawyers fees to act as a powerful disincentive against unlawful conduct.

During oral arguments, Englander at one point asked Quinn whether the T&G was wrong about anything it argued, prompting Quinn to pause for several seconds before asking for clarification of the question.

What the heck did you spend three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting over if they should have gotten (the records)? Englander replied. If you had a defense, Id like to understand what the defense was.

Unsuccessful arguments

The city argued that it relied in good faith on an exemption to the Public Records Law that Kenton-Walker ruled was improperly applied in bad faith.

Quinn restated the citys unsuccessful arguments during the hearing, prompting sharp questioning from Englander and, at times, other justices.

One of the citys decisions was to withhold documents kept by police that summarize an officers history with internal affairs including basic information such as the number of times an officer had been investigated.

When Quinn restated the citys defeated legal position that the information could be withheld because some of the officers were being sued, multiple justices interrupted her.

The protective orders dont protect you, Englander, the former general counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, noted. They dont protect you from a public records request.

Quinn responded that the situation invoked a struggle of the question of why the newspaper should have a greater right of access to police documents than the plaintiffs who were suing the department.

Because the Legislature created the Public Records statute, Associate Justice James R. Milkey  a former top lawyer at the Attorney Generals office who successfully argued a case to the U.S. Supreme Court  replied as he chuckled.

And they dont have a greater right, Englander added. They have exactly the same right. Anybody could have made the public records request and they would have had exactly the same right.

The justices correction of the citys claim jibed with what the T&G argued for years: That the citys position amounted to an unlawful withholding from the public documents which it was entitled regarding the citys investigation of its own officers.

Over the course of the litigation, the T&Gs lawyer, Jeffrey J. Pyle, noted that the citys position shielded from scrutiny officers who had been accused of wrongdoing by virtue of the fact they had been sued.

Such a position, he argued, defeated the spirit of the Public Records Law by making available for public inspection only records pertaining to officers who werent being accused of misconduct.

In her decision awarding punitive damages, Kenton-Walker noted that the plain language of the statute the city relied on to forge its main argument does not allow for the interpretation it argued.

She wrote that the city, in attempting to support its erroneous interpretation with case law, merely cherry-picked certain language from those cases, taking it out of context.

Kenton-Walker continued that the city appears to have ignored language that contradicted its position that was contained within the very ruling it alleged supported its claims.

No comment

She further wrote that a pair of decisions from the Supervisor of Public Records the city used to buttress its position were merely instances where (the supervisor) declined to opine on a case, and likewise did not support the citys argument.

While the court appreciates that counsel may at times advance novel legal arguments to zealously represent a client, counsel may not misrepresent to the court what cases and other materials stand for, she wrote.

The city declined to comment on the Appeals Courts ruling on fees, or the oral arguments that preceded it.

Quinn left her position as head city litigator last year to work for the private city firm Hassett and Donnelly PC.

Quinn has continued to argue several cases for the city in private practice including a recent trial in which a man was awarded $8 million after a jury determined city police fabricated evidence in a case in which he was imprisoned for nearly 16 years.

The city paid Quinn $18,060 for her work on the T&G case in 2022 while at Hassett and Donnelly, figures the city provided the Telegram & Gazette on Wednesday evening pursuant to a public records request.

The T&G filed its lawsuit in 2018 after the newspaper requested records related to a lengthy complaint a civil rights lawyer filed with prosecutors, including the DOJ, regarding police.

The lawyer, Hector E. Pineiro, alleged police in some of the citys elite units routinely violated peoples constitutional rights, used excessive force and engaged in racial animus.

He argued local prosecutors were turning a blind eye to the issues in violation of obligations to defendants set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. created a Litigation Integrity Unit days after Pineiros complaint was filed, but, the office confirmed in 2021, never produced any written findings on the matter.

The U.S. Department of Justices Office of Civil Rights declined to release any records related to Pineiros complaint in 2021, saying the records pertained to an ongoing law enforcement proceeding.

The DOJ in November 2022 opened a civil investigation into Worcester police after finding significant justification to investigate whether city police routinely use excessive force or discriminate based on race or sex.

The department has not stated the specific basis for its probe, with leaders saying they examine all complaints they receive, as well as public information such as news articles and court cases.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Appeals court orders judge to reconsider fee award in T&G police records lawsuit
President Joe Biden on Wednesday again avoided questions about an investigation into documents marked classified found at his home and office, six days after a special counsel was named to investigate the matter.

Biden had no public events planned for Wednesday, after spending the holiday weekend at his Delaware home, out of the public eye, and not responding to reporters' shouted questions during unrelated events Tuesday and late last week.

The president has not yet offered a public reaction since Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed Robert Hur to investigate the potential mishandling of classified documents.

As it works to contain the political fallout, the White House has referred numerous questions to the Justice Department, saying it did not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks into the Oval Office of the White House after stepping off Marine One, Jan. 16, 2023, in Washington. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

MORE: Biden White House faces transparency questions as document drama continues

But the Justice Department has not said publicly if it has asked or advised the White House to refrain from commenting during its investigation, which it launched in November shortly after documents were first found.

And at a news conference Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco declined to comment when asked by ABC News at a news conference whether the department had told the White House it cannot discuss details surrounding the documents.

The White House has said it is cooperating with Hur  as it said it had with the Justice Department's ongoing investigation  and the White House counsel's office has disclosed some information in a series of written statements. Bidens personal attorney, Bob Bauer, also released a statement over the weekend explaining how the search process had worked.

But the White House has also left some key questions unanswered, including about the nature of the documents found and why it did not inform the public sooner.

PHOTO: Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Robert Hur speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, July 27, 2017. (Alex Brandon/AP, FILE)

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and a spokesperson for the White House counsel's office, Ian Sams, have repeatedly referred reporters' questions to the Justice Department, which itself has not shared much information.

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"When it comes to the Department of Justice, when it comes to legal matters, when it comes to legal issues, we have been very clear that we are not going to comment, we are not going to politically interfere," Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. "And that continues with this, also -- this legal issue."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden looks on during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 17, 2023. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The president himself has addressed the topic just twice since a news report on Jan. 9 made public the fact that documents marked classified had been found at an office he used after he left the vice presidency.

MORE: DOJ decided not to have FBI agents monitor Biden lawyers' search for more documents: Sources

Biden answered one question about the matter the next day. Then, after the White House disclosed more documents had been found, on Thursday he responded to a reporter who asked about that new batch.

On Tuesday, face-to-face with reporters at an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister of the Netherlands, Biden appeared to smile as a reporter shouted whether he would commit to speaking with the special counsel. But he did not otherwise respond.

Meanwhile, the National Archives has told the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee that before the Archives can turn over records to the panel that the Justice Department needs to consult with the newly appointed special counsel "to assess whether information can be released without interfering" in the investigation into classified documents discovered at the Penn Biden Center and at Biden's Wilmington home.

Acting Archivist Debra Wall said in a letter to Rep. James Comer that a search had begun for the information the committee requested relating to the Biden documents and advised the Archives would need to consult with DOJ on the release of any such records.

ABC News' Alexander Mallin, Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Luaren Peller contributed to this report.

Biden again avoids questions on classified documents special counsel originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
As China eases its Covid restrictions, its residents are headed to their favorite high-end retailersat least, thats what luxury companies are hoping.

Chinese spenders saved an estimated $827 billion (5.6 trillion yuan) during pandemic lockdowns over the past three years, according to Bloomberg. Now, high-end retailers worldwide are looking for that stashed cash to turn into a spending spree, as the market waits for consumers to partake in revenge shopping.

More from Robb Report

But there are no guarantees that shoppers will relinquish their savings. While global brands are hoping to see a similar retail boom in China as the one seen in the US, where sales surged past pre-pandemic levels after restrictions lessened, changes to Chinas economic landscape may make many across the country hesitant to spend as they did before Covid.

One of those key pandemic shifts was the rising population of jobless Chinese youththose who live in urban areas are a key demographic for luxury retailerswith the unemployment rate sitting at 16.7 percent in last December, according to Bloomberg. As a result, affluent Chinese parents may be more conservative if they believe their children dont have a career path, choosing instead to save and pass on their wealth.

But young people havent lost hope when it comes to employment. Morgan Stanley reports 82 percent of individuals between 18 and 24 feel very or somewhat confident they will land a job in the next six months. This comes as the government looks to end its regulatory quell on big tech, allowing foreign entities to enter the market and feed the labor demand for eager college graduates.

China previously had one of the strictest Covid-19 policies globally, and while the government has recently relaxed policies, the overall market suffered other changes as a result changed. Chinese tourists had vanished from the shopping streets of Paris or Milan, and brands such as Dior and Prada, which once went to great lengths to court luxury shoppers, have shifted their attention in South Korea and Japan, where sales have been booming.

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Its still too early to tell whether retail numbers will return to the way they were pre-pandemic, but one thing is for sure: The luxury sector is waiting to see how Chinese consumers will spend their cash.

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Mayor Aftab Pureval announced last week that the city of Cincinnati was suing Williamsburg Apartments of Cincinnati and that the lawsuit was just the beginning of its city's crackdown on negligent landlords for maintaining substandard living conditions.

The city of Cincinnati has filed its third lawsuit in less than a week against a landlord it accuses of neglecting properties and exploiting tenants.

The city's latest lawsuit accuses Texas-based VineBrook Homes of creating a "public nuisance'' and repeatedly violating both the Ohio Landlord Tenant Act and Cincinnati Municipal Code.

The complaint also says VineBrook breached a 2021 settlement agreement in another lawsuit filed by the city.

The earlier lawsuit was settled with VineBrook admitting no wrongdoing but agreeing to pay $563,000 in fines and unpaid water bills and promising to fix properties that inspectors found in violation of city codes.

The latest complaint was filed by the Quality of Life Division of the City Solicitors Office. It will be heard in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.

"We disagree with allegations in the Citys complaint and will vigorously defend our company, employees, and reputation. Since beginning our operations in Cincinnati 15 years ago, VineBrook has worked diligently and directly with the city to address business issues and provide safe and affordable housing. We view this latest development as an opportunity to refocus our efforts and we remain committed to providing safe, functional, and affordable single-family rental homes to residents to help set them on a pathway to homeownership and a better financial future,'' VineBrook said in a statement to The Enquirer.

The city last week filed a lawsuit against the owners of the 976-unit Williamsburg Apartments of Cincinnati in Hartwell, accusing the landlord of a pattern of neglectful behavior that has created conditions no one should be forced to live in, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said during a press conference.

Both lawsuits seek a court order requiring the landlords to fix issues with their properties in a timely manner.

VineBrook owns approximately 950 properties in Cincinnati, including more than 5% of all housing stock in some communities. The company has an extensive history of building, health, and safety code violations, according to the city.

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We have no tolerance for investors who come into Cincinnati, let properties degrade, and exploit tenants," Pureval said in a press release. "VineBrooks neglectful behavior has caused significant harm to renters, and the City of Cincinnati will fight back with everything we have to protect our residents."

The lawsuits against VineBrook and Williamsburg show the city's "willingness to prosecute bad-acting landlords,'' according to a press release.

In addition to the lawsuits against VineBrook and Williamsburg, the city also filed suit last week against H&E Enterprises, a business entity of landlord and property owner Avi Ohad, accusing it of negligent practices.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: One of Cincinnati's biggest landlords, VineBrook, sued by city
The Washington County Commissioners approved grants totaling $569,412 last week to expand access to health services, including mental health services and a new mobile health program for underserved areas in the county.

The Maryland Department of Health is providing all the grants; none of the money comes from the county government. The commissioners also serve as the county Board of Health and approved the grants in that capacity.

The grants include:

 $104,292 to expand mental health crisis response services. This approval is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2022, and is effective through June 30.

The grant pays for a contract with Way Station Inc. of Hagerstown, which "has a pretty extensive crisis  specifically mobile crisis  service that they are operating now," said Washington County Health Officer Earl Stoner. The money comes from the Behavioral Health Administration of the Maryland Department of Health and is used, Stoner said, to add staff so the service can operate around the clock.

"When those crises happen, they can respond to those on-site and work with that individual to de-escalate and get them into some sort of treatment," he said.

That could include responding to a substance overdose or responding to someone having a mental health crisis, Stoner said, adding that police most often contact the service for these incidents.

More local news:Warehouse Cinemas are taking dinner and a movie to a whole new level

The grant allows the health department to add evening and weekend hours for this service, which sends crisis workers to the scene of the incident, said Behavioral Health Director Victoria Sterling.

Stoner said the grant is actually federal funding, funneled through the state Department of Health.

 $76,134 to establish a mobile health program through Meritus Medical Center. This grant aims to address areas where residents can't get care easily, and the Health Department plans to partner with Meritus to provide health services, including COVID vaccines and testing, in these areas.

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"They have a pretty state-of-the-art mobile unit that they've been utilizing for some time now specifically targeting COVID vaccinations and testing," Stoner said, "but in partnership with them, we're really looking at expanding it and looking at health disparities from communities that are historically marginalized  communities of color, geographically isolated communities."

The focus, he said, will be making sure these residents can get primary care and access to mental health services.

 $276,495 to continue the Adolescent Clubhouse program through Horizon Goodwill Industries, which provides safe places for youth to meet and participate in activities aimed at steering them away from harmful activities. Stoner said Horizon has been operating the program in Hagerstown for the past year, and "it's been pretty well-received in the community."

The money comes from the Behavioral Health Administration of the Maryland Department of Health.

"This is state opioid-response funding," Sterling said. The Health Department is required to make monthly and yearly reports, she added, to document results.

Last year, she said, the program served 45 county youth.

"Not only do they work with the youth, but they also work with the families," she said, and had helped families find housing as many of these youth were homeless.

"There's lots of different stories and successes that come out of it," Sterling said.

 $112,491 for another contract with Meritus Medical Center to expand the crisis beds and stabilization services to cover the period from Oct. 1, 2022 through June 30.

This money, also granted through the Maryland Health Department's Behavioral Health Administration, is being used for recovery specialists in the Meritus emergency department to work with patients affected by addictions.

The commissioners gave unanimous approval to all four grants.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: County officials grant over $560k in health service grants
Dec. 22A Hazleton man sentenced to decades in state prison for providing false information on multiple firearm purchase applications has filed an appeal.

Emmanuel Morrobel, 25, was accused of purchasing at least 40 firearms from seven licensed firearm dealers in the region, including Nanticoke, Pittston Township, Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming from September 2020 to Aug. 10, 2021, according to court records.

Morrobel was accused of providing false answers on the applications regarding personal drug use and that the firearms were not being purchased for other people, court records say.

Morrobel listed an address on Bennett Street, Hazleton, on the firearm applications despite not residing at that residence for the previous two years.

Investigators with Kingston police, Luzerne County detectives and agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found Morrobel residing at a residence on North James Street in Hazleton.

During an interview with investigators, Morrobel claimed he was employed at a warehouse fulfillment center in Hazle Township where he was approached by a co-worker from New York City about buying firearms. Morrobel admitted he charged double the price of each firearm, court records say.

Morrobel pled guilty to 10 counts of providing false information on firearm purchase applications.

President Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced Morrobel on July 7 to 16 to 32 years in state prison. The sentence fell under the state's Brad Fox Law that was enacted in 2013 and named after a police officer who was killed in a shooting by a person not permitted to own a firearm.

The Brad Fox Law allows the imposition of a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for repeat offenders who transfer guns to persons not legally allowed to own or possess firearms.

At Morrobel's sentencing hearing, an investigator said 16 of the 40 firearms were recovered with many firearms Morrobel sold for profit linked to other crimes, including shootings and robberies.

Morrobel's illegal enterprise was discovered in August 2021 when police in New York City recovered a Phoenix 22 caliber pistol that was traced back to him.

Morrobel filed an appeal regarding his sentence with the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Inter Milan hammered rivals AC Milan 3-0 to win the Italian Supercup on Wednesday, with first-half goals from Federico Dimarco and Edin Dzeko and a late third from Lautaro Martinez securing the trophy.

The annual meeting between the Coppa Italia winners and Serie A champions was played at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dimarco scored the first goal after 10 minutes when he ran into the box unmarked and tapped in Nicolo Barellas cross.

Milans Rafael Leao could have equalised after 16 minutes, but Inter keeper Andre Onana tipped his shot from an acute angle over for a corner.

Inter doubled their advantage after 21 minutes when Dzeko got the ball on the left, wrongfooted Sandro Tonali and fired into the bottom right corner from inside the box.

Milan woke up after the second goal and started to gain possession, forcing Inter onto the defensive but they couldnt find a breakthrough.

Leao managed to get into the box four minutes into the second half, but the Milan striker fired just over the bar.

Martinez wrapped up the win in the 77th minute when he scored with an elegant curled shot with the outside of his left foot.

Milans best chance of the match came one minute into stoppage time when Ante Rebics intended cross hit the top of the crossbar.

The result marks the first time Inter have won against Milan in an Italian cup final, having lost the Coppa Italia in 1977 and the Italian Super Cup in 2011.

Reuters
CHICAGO (AP)  Illinois Department of Children and Family Services wrongfully incarcerated hundreds of children in juvenile detention after a court ordered them to be released to their guardian, according to a class action lawsuit filed Thursday by Cook Countys public guardian.

These children have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals of loved ones, said Cook County public guardian Charles Golbert, who acts as a lawyer for abused, neglected and dependent children. He spoke Thursday at a news conference announcing the lawsuit.

Theyre held for months after the time they should have been released, forced to remain in jail, forced to be under the conditions where theyre confined, theyre prevented from getting the same schooling they would get in the community, from being able to visit with their families, from being able to build the relationships that they need to prepare them for life, said attorney Russell Ainsworth, who is representing the young plaintiffs.

The problem has persisted for decades, according to a news release from the law firm of Loevy & Loevy, which is representing nine young people, mostly unnamed, as well as other children in similar situations.

DCFS director Marc Smith, who is named in the lawsuit along with several past and present agency officials, was held in contempt of court last year for continued failure to find permanent placements for two children in his care. Theyre among dozens of children who are ready for permanent placement after mental health or other types of treatment but for whom no homes available are available.

But previous legal action has not been enough to prompt reform in the troubled agency.

Nothing else has worked, Ainsworth said. The only thing that will change DCFS' practices is to sue them and hold them personally liable for their actions and force them to pay damages to the children who have been suffering harm for 30 years.

Plaintiff Janiah Caine, 18, was imprisoned wrongfully in juvenile temporary detention center for a shocking 166 days over a one-year period," according to the lawsuit.

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Caine, then a minor, lost her grandmother during the time she was recommended for release but remained locked up, and was unable to attend her funeral.

Everybody has that one family member you can always talk to and go to, Caine said at the news conference. She was that person I had.

The teen couldn't reach her case worker, and my grandma was getting sicker and sicker as we're just waiting and waiting ... its a horrible feeling.

Caine said she and other detained youths spent the majority of the day locked up in small cells the size of a bathroom, with just a bed, a toilet and a sink. Everybody knows you can go crazy just being in a room by yourself like that, she said.

In addition, the environment wasn't safe, and staff treated them badly, Caine said. You dont know when somebody gonna hit you.

They treat you like nothing. It's just so bad, she said.

DCFS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

___

Savage is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolences to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the heavy casualties as a result of the helicopter crash in Brovary city of Kyiv region.

Dear Mr. President,

We were deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a result of a helicopter crash in Brovary city of Kyiv region.

On the occasion of this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deepest condolences to you, families and loved ones of those who were killed and the Ukrainian people, and wish the injured speedy recovery.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 18 January 2023
Could the Costalegre be Mexico's "last coast"?

I fell in love with Mexico from the back of my now-husbands motorcycle. In our early years, wed spend weeks on end driving up and down the Pacific coastline around Puerto Vallarta, exploring its many secret beaches, sleepy fishing villages, and quiet coves. My first brush with the Costalegre happened in 2017, on my 30th birthday, when we wobbled on two wheels down an unpaved, sandy road, emerging at one of the largest bays I had ever seen  a gentle arcing curve of sand backed by towering mountains, and not a single hotel or building in sight. It was the closest thing to paradise I had ever experienced. Snacking on freshly grilled fish tacos underneath a thatched palapa, I felt a pang in my heart knowing that finding these places in Mexico is like discovering buried treasure, and that they never stay a secret for long.

The Costalegre is that stretch of coastline that runs south from Puerto Vallarta toward Manzanillo. Costalegre translates to happy coast, and its not a far stretch of the imagination to see why. Churning Pacific waves crash onto miles of pristine, golden sand. Mountains creep back from the coastline, carpeted in lush jungle. Groves of palm trees spring up from low-lying creek beds, creating a landscape that looks more akin to the far-reaching corners of Hawaii or Southeast Asia. Its beyond dramatic and completely removed from everything you think you know about Mexico.

Meagan Drillinger

It sounds like the perfect recipe for the beginning of the end  a blank canvas for all-inclusive resorts, restaurants, and nightclubs. However, unlike other destinations in Mexico, the Costalegre has remained protected and purposefully low-impact for decades  yes, decades. But with the recent opening of the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo and a second multimillion-dollar luxury development project called Xala opening in phases, the burning question is will Costalegre remain Mexicos "last coast," or is it destined for a similar fate of overdevelopment?

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Meagan Drillinger

The Gatekeepers of Paradise

What makes the Costalegre so unique is that this abundance of raw, wild nature is not a coincidence. Its not a part of Mexico that has yet to be discovered by glamorous hoteliers and deep-pocketed developers. Quite the contrary. A large portion of the coastline is owned by a handful of developers who control the surrounding area and, together with local governments and communities, have laid out rules and guidelines on how to keep the destination protected. Through their vision, Costalegre remains untouched on purpose and with the most intentional design. I call it Mexicos "last coast" because the Costalegre was developed to be undeveloped, and those who are the gatekeepers are ensuring it stays that way for as long as humanly possible.

"Costalegre is a very unique area within Mexico because between five different developers, we control more than 40 kilometers of coastline," said Ricardo Santa Cruz, founder and president of RSC Development and a founding partner of the Xala project. "All of us have this vision of ensuring Costalegre never gets overdeveloped. We want to be more than just sustainable. We actually are trying to become regenerative."

Meagan Drillinger

Costalegres Early Beginnings

The Costalegre has always been there, but what put it on the tourist map was Careyes. Careyes was the very first luxury community that was developed along this stretch of coastline. It was developed by Italian banker and philanthropist Gian Franco Brignone, who first visited this part of Mexico in 1968. At the time of his visit, Costalegre was totally inaccessible. Roads had not yet been built and all that existed was unfiltered jungle. But through the forest he had a vision: He wanted to coexist with this land, making it a hideaway for patrons of art, music, poetry and, of course, Mexico.

Meagan Drillinger

Today, Careyes has evolved to become a thriving residential and tourist community with more than 40 nationalities represented across its dramatic clifftop villas, cozy beachfront bungalows, and brightly colored hillside casitas. Its a community of artists, writers, designers, and creatives  all with money, mind you, but dressed down in a very approachable way. Homes may cost millions of dollars, and regulars may enjoy watching polo on Careyes private polo field, but the dress code is decidedly T-shirts instead of tiaras. In addition, Careyes prides itself on protecting the local communities and natural environment. Some 20,000 acres of land are protected with a sea turtle sanctuary, a school for the local community, uninhabited coves, and secret beaches. In fact, youd hardly know Careyes was there unless you knew exactly where to look, and thats exactly how its residents and owners prefer it.

Meagan Drillinger

The New Players

While preservation and conservation are the mainstays of the Costalegre, the area is anything but stagnant. Mexico is developing at a lightning pace, and the Costalegre, while highly regulated, is certainly part of that. Newest to the scene are the brand-new Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo and Xala, two projects that will bring a higher influx of tourists, but are also committed to maintaining the spirit of the region.

That's not to say they're not luxury destinations. Xala, for example, has housing lots going for millions and already three resident billionaires. An anchor hotel has been signed for 2024, bringing one of the most recognized luxury brand names in the world to Mexico for the first time. There will be wellness, gourmet cuisine, infinity plunge pools, and all the trimmings. But there will also be a fierce commitment and loyalty to the communities that have always existed here.

For example, in order to bring water to Xala, a waterway that would travel through local communities had to be organized. Xala has worked with the communities to ensure they'd have year-round access to this potable water. Bringing clean water to these places where rainfall is scarce throughout the year allows over 200 local families of farmers and cattle ranchers to grow more value-added crops. This translates directly to more cash in the pockets of locals.

But the impact doesnt stop there. Xala has implemented a community center for kids to have after-school activities, a skate park where Olympian Johnny Schillereff leads skate clinics with the local communities, and even a psychologist for children in the area to have someone to talk to about their mental health. Environmental projects include reforestation efforts, an organic mango plantation, and the list goes on.

"You always have to listen to the community," said Santa Cruz. "Developers come in and tell [the community] what [they] need and say 'let me help you.' In reality, it's the community that knows better than any of us what their needs are, and the order of their priority."

Courtesy of Four Seasons

Perhaps the biggest 2022 news on this coast was the opening of the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo. And although the name Four Seasons is far from boutique, this particular property was designed and developed with the spirit of Costalegre in mind.

"Imagine you are the first person to arrive on this land. You come off the boat and you will first be completely impressed by the natural richness of the area. The spirit, the service, the quality  that's the feeling when you come to the Four Seasons for the first time," said Felix Murillo, the hotel's general manager.

Christian Horan/Courtesy of Four Seasons

The resort sits on 6,000 acres of land and has been thoughtfully designed to camouflage into the natural environment. While its design is pristine, materials top of the line, and service five-star, the intention was for nothing about it to be flashy. Nothing is to take away from the natural environment.

"Our dream is that things will come into the resort, but we won't let waste go out," Murillo added. "Anything we consume, we send to an organic compost. We brought pigs in to eat the compost. We actually have farms of compost, so we prepare everything to go back to the land again."

Mexicos "Last Coast"

Costalegre is not new. A hunger for the next "undiscovered" destination is not new. What is new and refreshing are developers who aren't interested in high density developments. This united vision offers hope for this coast to stay as close to pristine as possible.

Meagan Drillinger

"[These families] are visionaries. They saw it before others," said Zach Rabinor, CEO of Journey Mexico, a locally based curator of ultra high-end trips. "The consumer interest has come around to this because of the post-pandemic mentality. This type of interest existed before the pandemic. Everyone wanted to know what the next Tulum was  low-rise, small-batch, boutique feel. But the pandemic turbocharged the desire for remote, low-density, secluded destinations even more."

Still, nothing can ever truly stay the same forever. Development is happening. The airstrip near Xala is ready to accept private airplanes in 2023, cutting the transfer time from Puerto Vallarta to the Costalegre down from several hours to 20 minutes. The plan is, eventually, for that airport to accept commercial airlines. Puerto Vallarta is also working on expanding its airport to accommodate a dramatic increase in visitors. The people are coming, and the landscape is changing.

But, and this bears repeating, Costalegre is no other place youve ever experienced in Mexico before, thanks to those who hold the keys. And once you do experience the Costalegre, it will be very difficult to go back to anything else.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Retired Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Professor Kenneth Rowe, seen here in 2013, holds a photo of himself when he was a fighter pilot for the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War. Rowe, at age 21, escaped from North Korea in 1953 by flying his MiG-15 fighter jet to a U.S. air base in South Korea. He died at his Daytona Beach home on Dec. 26, 2022, just a couple weeks shy of his 91st birthday.

DAYTONA BEACH  No Kum-Sok's dramatic escape from North Korea by flying his MiG-15 fighter jet to a U.S. air base in South Korea in 1953 made him an international celebrity.

He wound up shaking hands with Vice President Richard Nixon, explaining how his Soviet-built fighter jet operated to legendary American test pilots Chuck Yeager and Tom Collins, and appeared on television shows, including "To Tell the Truth" and "Today." He also frequently spoke on Voice of America radio broadcasts.

But after moving to Daytona Beach with his family in 1983, No Kum-Sok who changed his name to Kenneth Rowe, enjoyed a quiet life as a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He taught aircraft engineering for 17 years until his retirement and remained in the area after that with his wife Clara.

Rowe died on Dec. 26 at his Daytona Beach home, surrounded by family, just a couple weeks shy of his 91st birthday.

"He seemed to like Daytona Beach quite a lot," said his daughter Bonnie Rowe. "He liked the warm weather and he thought the people were nice."

'Wanted to be a regular American'

Kenneth Rowe's paid obituary in The Daytona Beach News-Journal once again made him the subject of international headlines, including articles in both The New York Times and Washington Post.

"He wasn't seeking to be a celebrity," said Bonnie Rowe. "He wanted to be a regular American."

Retired Embry-Riddle professor Bob Oxley remembers his former colleague as "an upstanding guy. He was open and honest. He was in favor of the kind of values Americans are supposed to have: freedom of speech and a tolerance of other points of view."

Laksh Narayanaswami currently teaches aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle where he has been a professor since the late 1980s. He remembers Rowe most for his humor. "He laughed a lot. He was down to earth."

Kenneth Rowe in 1996 recounted his life story in an autobiography titled "A MiG-15 to Freedom," which he co-wrote with another Embry-Riddle professor, the late J. Roger Osterholm. His escape was also the subject of another book, "The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot" by Blaine Harden (2015).

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Vice President Richard Nixon shakes No Kum-Sok's hand in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 1954. No Kum-Sok, who later changed his name to Kenneth Rowe, was a North Korean Air Force pilot who escaped the communist regime a few months earlier by flying his MiG-15 fighter jet to a U.S. air base in South Korea. Also pictured are Congressman Joe Holt (R-California) and U.S. Army Major James Kim, right.

Born during the Japanese occupation

Rowe was born on Jan. 10, 1932 in a small town in North Korea during the Japanese occupation. His father worked for a Japanese corporation that built and operated electric power stations and railroads. His mother was a homemaker. Both saw the United States as a utopia and beacon of freedom and did not buy into characterizations of Americans as evil enemies pushed first by the Japanese and then by the Communists who took over after World War II.

Bonnie Rowe said her dad shared his parents' views. "He was very critical about the communist system. He could see it didn't serve the common man," she said.

His father's death from cancer in 1949 left Kenneth Rowe and his mother impoverished. "He ended up joining the military so he could eat," Bonnie Rowe said.

At age 17, Kenneth Rowe began training at the North Korean Naval Academy but found the experience grueling and unbearably harsh. Cadets were fed meager meals. He jumped at the opportunity to become an Air Force cadet because he saw it as a chance for a better life  and better food.

"He thought to fly an aircraft you have to be very fit, which meant they fed you better," said Bonnie Rowe.

'Living a gigantic lie'

Kenneth Rowe became a highly decorated fighter pilot during the Korean War. He flew more than 100 missions and earned the rank of lieutenant. But he never actually shot at Americans. "He liked to just fly around and not engage in actual combat," said Bonnie Rowe.

Kenneth Rowe wrote that he suffered anxiety as a fighter pilot that he "might be forced into killing one of my beloved Americans." Instead, he resorted to firing his jet's cannon "too far away to hit anything (because) I did not want to hit anything."

The ruse worked. "Articles about my flying skill and my devotion to Communism, along with my photograph, appeared in Red magazines and newspapers," he wrote. "All that time I was living a gigantic lie."

When the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, to halt the fighting, Kenneth Rowe saw it as his chance to finally make a dash for freedom.

Assigned to test a new North Korean air base runway on the morning of Sept. 21, Rowe initially flew his MiG-15 as instructed, but instead of returning, he abruptly veered towards South Korea.

Kenneth Rowe wrote that he knew there was a good chance he would be shot down. Fortunately, he caught the Americans off guard and safely landed at Kimpo Air Base  but only after nearly colliding with an American fighter jet that was simultaneously taking off from the same runway.

"I unfastened my oxygen mask and breathed free air for the first time in my life," he wrote. "I jumped to the ground. Then I threw the picture frame (containing a photo of North Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung) to the concrete apron to destroy it."

Rowe was surprised to learn an American General previously publicly offered a $100,000 reward to the first North Korean defector who could deliver an intact MiG fighter jet to the U.S.

Rowe said he was unaware of the offer, but gladly accepted the reward money.

The Washington Post reported that Air Force Maj. Donald Nichols in Harden's book praised Rowe as an invaluable source of information on the military operations and capabilities of both the North Koreans, Russians and Chinese. "He was able to recall air units, personnel strength, structure and number of aircraft assigned to respective units," Nichols told the author.

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This is the MiG-15 fighter jet that No Kum-Sok (who later changed his name to Kenneth Rowe) used to escape from North Korea by flying it to a U.S. air base in South Korea on Sept. 21, 1953. This photo was taken after he landed.

'Incorrect to say that I defected'

Rowe bristled at being labeled a defector. "It is incorrect to say that I defected from the North Korean communist regime because I had never been a communist in my heart and, therefore, I could not have defected from an ideology I had never believed in," he wrote in his memoir. He preferred to be called "a North Korean pilot who sought freedom in the United States since his childhood."

Rowe moved to the United States in 1954 where he earned an engineering degree from the University of Delaware. Upon graduating, he embarked on a career working for "15 of the largest companies" including DuPont, Boeing, General Motors, General Electric, Grumman, Lockheed and Westinghouse.

Bonnie Rowe said she once asked her father why he kept switching jobs and moving the family. "He said, 'This is a big country and I want to see every part of it.' He didn't want to be oppressed. He wanted to go to a land where people could live freely. He was not ashamed to be a Korean, but he was proud to be an American."

Kenneth Rowe became a U.S. citizen in 1962. He also changed his name to one that he thought sounded more American. Rowe was a spelled out way of how his original surname No was pronounced in Korean. He chose Kenneth as a first name because of it started with a K like Kum-Sok. "He wanted to fit in," said his daughter.

'Famous American patriot'

Rowe in 1960 married Clara Kim who also was originally from North Korea. In addition to his daughter and wife, he is survived by a son Raymond and grandson Ben. The family followed Rowe's wishes by celebrating his life privately.

"Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was honored to have a famous American patriot on our faculty," said P. Barry Butler, the university's president. "By fleeing North Korea and delivering an intact MiG-15bis fighter jet to the U.S. Air Force in 1953, former Lt. No Kum-Sok served the United States well. As an educator, Professor Kenneth Rowe served our students well, too. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him."

Rowe's MiG-15 is on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: ERAU's Kenneth Rowe was once No Kum-Sok, North Korean fighter pilot
Franklin County Sheriffs Office deputies stand outside a parking garage at High and Fulton streets following a shooting inside the garage in March.

An investigation has found that during an altercation with law enforcement in a Columbus parking garage in March, a man took an officer's gun and fatally shot himself in the head, according to Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack's office.

Tyack's office announced Thursday that after reviewing the Ohio Bureau of Investigation's report on the incident, it will not pursue any charges against civilians or officers related to the 2022 suicide of 34-year-old Rayshawn Meeks.

The incident took place at the Franklin County parking garage in downtown Columbus.

The prosecutor's office said the BCI report shows that on March 7, Meeks was in the backseat of a car that pulled into the garage. Once parked, Meeks attacked the driver from behind, then got out of the car and began fighting with another passenger.

A Clinton Township Officer was in the garage and heard the car's driver call for help. The officer attempted to break up the fight between the two men, but Meeks attacked them.

Two Franklin County Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene moments later and ordered Meeks to lie on the ground.

"As he continued to resist arrest, Meeks seized (the officer's) revolver. After initially pointing the weapon at an officer, Meeks turned it toward himself and fired one shot," the prosecutor's office said. "(The officer) grabbed the gun from Meeks hand, engaged the safety and holstered it."

Both video of the incident and witnesses corroborate this account, according to the prosecutor's office.

Officers rendered first aid to Meeks until emergency medical services arrived and took him to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he died 12 days later on March 19.

The Franklin County Coroner's office found the cause of Meeks' death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide.

More court news:Multiple fatal shootings by officers among notable Columbus cases set for 2023

More court news:Family of man killed in sucker-punch assault in Short North sues accused security guards, bars

Story continues

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, reach out for support by calling or texting 988 to connect with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Those in crisis can call 911.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio BCI investigation reveals man shot himself with officer's gun
WASHINGTON  When thousands of protesters gather Sunday for this year's National Women's March, the site of the rally may say as much about the state of the abortion rights movement as any sign they hold aloft or chant they call out.

The decision to march on Madison, Wisconsin, was intended to underscore the fact that after last year's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the nation's abortion battle has shifted to state capitals. And that, in turn, has led to a greater focus on state judicial elections, especially when seats open up on state supreme courts.

Wisconsin is home to what has become a closely watched Supreme Court race.

"The political landscape has so fundamentally changed," said Rachel O'Leary Carmona, executive director of the Womens March, who noted that there is still a lawsuit pending in Wisconsin over the state's 1849 ban on abortion. "Writ large, the Wisconsin ban will be decided by the Supreme Court, which will be decided by the people of Wisconsin."

Marches: 'Dream bigger': As Roe marks 50th anniversary, advocates push further

Next: Medication abortion next focal point in the fight over abortion access

Guide: A look at the key cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court

Advocates supporting abortion rights, meanwhile, have been raising arguments in state courts that wouldn't work at the federal level  and they have scored some early wins, even in conservative states. That's prompted a backlash from anti-abortion groups, some of whom are holding their own march on Friday to push for further restrictions.

"It took us 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade in the United States Supreme Court. We're not going to get all these laws in effect in a day," said Katie Glenn, state policy director at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an anti-abortion group. "Courts matter because they can either become a veto on the legislature and invalidate the will of the people or they can uphold these laws and say this is an issue for the elected branches."

Story continues

Abortion rights protestors chant on the steps of the Alabama state capitol building during a rally and march on the capitol in Montgomery, Ala., on June 26, 2022. Over 150 protestors showed up to protest the overturning of Roe v Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Supreme Court's decision shifted abortion battle to state courts

Two marches are planned this weekend on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Anti-abortion groups will march on Washington, D.C., on Friday. On Sunday, the Women's March will take place in Madison, Wisconsin. Groups on both sides are focused on legislative and legal action unfolding in state capitals.

Because so much attention has shifted to state courts, which are deciding whether to allow or block state abortion laws, there has been an increased focus on state supreme court elections. That has been particularly true this year in Wisconsin, where the court's current 4-3 conservative majority is at stake.

Abortion rights advocates are raising arguments in state courts that won't fly at the U.S. Supreme Court. Some lawsuits, for instance, rely on guarantees of privacy included in state constitutions  a right not explicitly included in the U.S. Constitution.

Abortion may put new emphasis on state supreme court justice races

Most states hold an election of some kind for their top courts, and generally, those contests receive little attention. The question is whether a bevy of state-based litigation over abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling last year will change that.

Three judges and a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice are running for a seat on the state's highest court in a nonpartisan primary that will take place next month and a general election in April. The race has put the court's current 4-3 conservative majority in play at a time when it may need to address major questions on abortion and redistricting.

Pennsylvania will fill a seat on its high court in November and three seats are up in Ohio next year.

If abortion winds up playing a big role in those races then it will be paired alongside another issue that has frequently bounced between the U.S. Supreme Court, state legislatures and state courts: redistricting. Several groups that focus on how legislative boundaries are drawn have been paying attention to state judicial elections for years.

"From abortion and reproductive rights to voting fairness, American life as we know it is at stake in every state judicial election," said Eric Holder, the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and a former attorney general during the Obama administration. "By attempting to fill state supreme court benches with ideologues, Republicans are going down a dangerous path that will reduce the independence of our courts, reduce respect for them, and weaken our system of checks and balances."

Republicans accuse Democrats of playing the same game. Andrew Romeo, a spokesman for the Republican State Leadership Committee, said his group is battling "the lefts sue until its blue gerrymandering playbook" and said it is closely watching the Wisconsin race "for opportunities to ensure it is won by a strong conservative who will uphold the constitution and rule of law instead of the liberal activist candidates running to gerrymander congressional maps in favor of Democrats.

How abortion advocates are changing tactics in state courts

In South Carolina, reproductive rights advocates challenged the state's ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy on the theory that the law violated the state constitution's explicit prohibition on "unreasonable invasions of privacy." In a 3-2 ruling earlier this month, the state's highest court agreed with that argument.

"We hold that our state constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion," the state's highest court ruled on Jan. 5.

In Roe, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, a 7-2 majority of the Supreme Court said that the 14th Amendment's guarantee of liberty included a right to privacy that protects a person's decision to end a pregnancy. The court reiterated that holding 19 years later in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. But the word "privacy" isn't explicitly included in the Constitution and the court's current conservative majority took a different view of its meaning in its decision last year.

States: Where the abortion fight goes from here: Roe overruled, but battle continues

Ginsburg: Abortion fight draws Justice Ginsburg's legacy on Roe v. Wade into spotlight

Proximity: Travel times to clinics surged significantly after overturn of Roe v. Wade

Another argument being hashed out in state courts is whether state guarantees of equal protection prohibit abortion restrictions because those laws discriminate against women. In the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June, Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote that those arguments are "squarely foreclosed" in federal courts by precedents that "establish that a states regulation of abortion is not a sex-based classification." But the equal protection theory won the day last fall in a trial court in Michigan, which invalidated a 1931 law banning abortion.

Some states "have much clearer language about privacy or equal protection when it comes to abortion," said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. But that doesn't mean that abortion rights groups will win in every state.

"It's going to depend a lot on court composition," she said, "and the upshot of that is likely to be people putting more money and effort into state supreme court elections."

Contributing: Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Post-Roe abortion battle draws attention to state judicial elections
Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, the assistant Democratic leader and a top ally of the Biden White House, told CBS News in an interview Wednesday that he is convinced President Biden will seek reelection even though the president has not yet formally announced another run.

"Yes, I am," Clyburn said when asked if he is convinced that Biden will seek the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.

Clyburn said he speaks regularly with Mr. Biden, and Clyburn said he has encouraged the president to "announce for reelection" since he believes Mr. Biden has passed "more progressive legislation than any president since Lyndon Baines Johnson."

Clyburn's comments come as Democrats nationally continue to wait for Mr. Biden to jump into the 2024 presidential race, which already includes former President Donald Trump, who announced his bid in November.

"In time," Mr. Biden said earlier this month when asked about when he will announce his decision.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. / Credit: CBS News

Speaking last year with "60 Minutes," Mr. Biden said, "I'm a great respecter of fate. And so, what I'm doing is  I'm doing my job. I'm going to do that job. And within the timeframe that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do."

"Look, my intention as I said to begin with is that I would run again," the president added in the interview with Scott Pelley. "But it's just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen."

Clyburn predicted Wednesday that Mr. Biden would not likely face a challenger in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary race and warned Democrats who might be considering bids to resist any call to challenge the president.

"I don't think he will, and I don't think he should," Clyburn said of a potential challenge to Mr. Biden in the Democratic primary. "The history is very clear on what happens when you challenge a sitting president like this."

Clyburn noted that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's primary challenge against then-President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination divided Democrats ahead of the general election campaign against Republican nominee Ronald Reagan. Coupled with the legacy of President Johnson opting not to run in 1968 after Sen. Eugene McCarthy's strong showing in New Hampshire, Clyburn said r facing 1968 reelection challenges, "those two indicators" are "perilous."

Story continues

In December, Mr. Biden proposed a new order for the 2024 Democratic presidential nominating calendar which puts South Carolina, the state that lifted his successful 2020 bid, first in the nation. It would pull New Hampshire's first presidential primary status for the first time in more than a century. Clyburn told CBS News he did not have anything to do with the proposal to move South Carolina to the front of the line.

"I have always advocated for South Carolina to be the first in the South," Clyburn said. "I have never advocated for South Carolina to be first in the nation, so when I got the call saying the president was going to make this recommendation, it was a surprise to me."

In the wide-ranging interview with CBS News, Clyburn also addressed some of the most pressing matters and controversies facing the new House under a Republican majority.

The longtime Congressman from South Carolina said he believes embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York should resign from office. He also signaled Democrats would work with Republicans to take legislative action against Santos, be it strip him from committees or expel him from the House. Clyburn said he would like to see at least five Republicans start the discharge petition.

"I believe that what we ought to do as Democrats is join with whatever Republicans that may exist that want to do something about this, so if a Republican puts up a discharge petition, I'll certainly sign it," Clyburn said.

Democrats currently hold 212 seats in the House, and 218 signatures are needed for a discharge petition. Clyburn said he would not encourage Democrats to initially put forward the petition since he believes Republicans should begin that process.

"This is their colleague, and they ought to initiate the action," the congressman said. Clyburn said that Republicans alone could take action against Santos, noting that they gave him committee assignments and could take those away.

On the looming debt ceiling battle facing Congress, Clyburn said he believes Democrats and a small group of Republicans might need to eventually work together to address the debt limit. Steps to keep the U.S. paying its bills and avoid default could run out as soon as June after the U.S. hits the debt limit January 19.

"Yes, I do," Clyburn said when asked if he believes the debt limit at the end of the day would be addressed by Democrats working with a small group of Republicans. "That's nothing unusual."

"We cannot afford to threaten the full faith and credit of the United States of America," Clyburn said. "That to me would be the worst possible scenario for any Speaker of the House to start his or her tenure."

As some Republicans call for spending cuts to be part of any debt-limit agreement, Clyburn said he believes in negotiating and compromise, but he said Democrats would not agree to anything that would jeopardize Medicare, Social Security, or U.S. security.

"The American people, they pay into Social Security; they pay into Medicare," Clyburn said. "And for us to be high and mighty about taking that away after they made these investments, after they planned their whole careers factoring in Social Security and Medicare, that is something we must not compromise on at all."

He signaled there are other areas where lawmakers can talk about spending cuts.

Clyburn also addressed the discovery of classified documents at Mr. Biden's Wilmington home and his office at the Penn-Biden Center in Washington, D.C. from his time as vice president.

Clyburn said the president has not spoken to him specifically about the issue. Clyburn argued there is no indication the president intentionally took documents and said the investigation will move forward. He said the president and White House should let the Justice Department do its work.

"Stay out of the way. And if any other documents are discovered, do what he's done before, immediately turn them over," Clyburn said.

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The Biden administration announced late Wednesday that it will provide Ukraine with $125 million to support its energy infrastructure, drawing down from an aid package Congress passed in December that amounted to nearly $45 billion.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the funding will go to acquire essential industrial equipment to maintain water supply and heating systems in and around Kyiv.

Throughout its war against Ukraine, Russia has systematically targeted the energy grid in order to leave millions without power, water, or heat, Blinken said in a statement.

Russia, in doing so, has sought to sap Ukraines resilience and determination during the cold winter months. Nevertheless, these attacks have made the Ukrainians only even more determined to persevere, he said.

Congress approved nearly $45 billion in additional support for Ukraine in December that came in addition to a $40 billion aid package that passed in May.

Russian attacks on the country have destroyed half of Ukraines energy infrastructure, Jaco Cilliers, the resident representative to Ukraine for the United Nations Development Program, told the Voice of America in December.

The disruption in energy has put millions of people at risk with irregular access to heat and water. Russia in October began employing explosive drones supplied by Iran alongside rockets and missiles to overload Ukraines air defense systems and its energy structures.

The U.S. is expected to announce on Friday new military assistance for Ukraine as it continues to try to push Russia out of the territory 11 months into the war.

On Saturday, a Russian-launched KH-22 missile struck a multistory apartment building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing at least 45 people, including six children, and injuring 79 people.

The United Kingdoms Ministry of Defense said in a June assessment that the KH-22 missiles were initially designed as anti-ship missiles, to be launched at aircraft carriers and carry a nuclear warhead. But Russia has increasingly turned to the 5.5-ton missiles for land targets.

When employed in a ground attack role with a conventional warhead they are highly inaccurate and can therefore cause significant collateral damage and civilian casualties, the U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
I want to give back!

Virginia Lottery

In 2023, were trying to be more like Nicolas Houssini.

The Uber driver from Blacksburg, Virginia, was one of seven $100,000 winners in Virginias New Years Millionaire Raffle. And while most people would keep the entirety of the prize for themselves and their families, Houssini, who says he loved assisting everyday people in their daily lives, has more altruistic plans for his lottery windfall.

As he claimed his prize earlier this month, Houssini reportedly told lottery officials that he hopes to use at least part of it to help feed homeless people in the community.

I love Blacksburg, and I love people! he said in a statement. I want to give back!

According to a Virginia Lottery news release, Houssini bought his winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 1350 North Main Street in Blacksburg. The other six $100,000 winning tickets were bought in Chantilly, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Midlothian, Portsmouth, and Woodstock.

Congratulations, Nicolas, and thank you for your generosity!

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
Business Reporter

Joel Donofrio is the business reporter for the Yakima Herald. He was born and raised in the Chicago area, but he and his wife, Cathy, fell in love with the beauty (and low humidity) of the West and moved here in 2009, eventually relocating to Yakima in September 2021. They have two young adult children, Anthony and Joanna, and a dog, Molly. When he is not taking photos of construction sites, tracking down new and relocating businesses or catching up on agricultural trends, Joel enjoys playing guitar, singing, listening to music and playing and watching sports.
Crime and Courts Reporter

Donald W. Meyers is a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic covering crime and courts. He is also the writer behind It Happened Here, a weekly history column. Before coming to Yakima, Meyers covered a wide variety of beats at The Salt Lake Tribune, Daily Herald, and daily and weekly newspapers across New Jersey. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as a regional officer in the organization as well as on the national Freedom of Information Committee.
Education Reporter

Vanessa Ontiveros is the education reporter at the Yakima Herald-Republic. She grew up near Los Angeles but has happily made Yakima her new home. She is passionate about reporting stories that serve the community and highlight various aspects of the educational system.She also hosts a podcast that discusses local arts education, Yakima Arts Talk, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The daughter of two longtime public school teachers, she is always looking to include community voices in her work.
Yakima City Government Reporter

Kate Smith is the city government & politics reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic. She is passionate about connecting people to policy in storytelling that is thorough, fair and compassionate. In Yakima, she is following local elections, city council, budgets & audits, public health, housing & homelessness, public safety, utilities and more.
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Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month.
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A Letter from the President

Dear Friends,

Villanovas exceptional faculty members are the cornerstone of our vibrant academic community. They are leading researchers, celebrated experts, trusted thought leaders and, above all, skilled teacher-scholars who have a profound impact on the lives of Villanovas students.

Here, the collaborative pursuit of knowledge and the application of important discoveries are designed to better our world, while simultaneously providing partnerships for faculty and students to participate in groundbreaking innovations.

In this Presidents Report, we celebrate the scholarly work of our faculty, with representatives from each of our six schools and colleges. They highlight the excellence that distinguishes Villanova and roots us in the Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition.

These professorssome who are early in their careers and some whose work spans decadesare advancing knowledge both in their fields and for the common good. They draw on their insights, expertise and passions to provide cutting-edge educational experiences for our students, and they share their incredible work to the benefit of communities both nearby and around the world.

We are fortunate to have many such remarkable and committed faculty who call Villanova their academic home, and whose scholarship, discoveries and innovations have such impact. They are truly igniting change that reverberates well beyond our campus.

Sincerely,
Madagascars Agency for Regulation of Technology and Communication (Autorite de Regulation des Technologies de Communications, ARTEC), revealed technical challenges are preventing operators from launching 5G services but stated commercial launches are on the horizon.

The regulator said there are anomalies when conducting 5G tests at 20 sites by an operator that was not revealed, 17 sites were in the capital city Antananarivo and three in Taomasina. It explained the tests were interfering with neighbouring frequency bands.

To ensure 5G spectrum is allocated under optimal conditions ARTEC will publish its roadmap to detail its measures to ensure frequency bands are used.

In August 2020, Telecom Malagasy (Telma) launched commercial 5G services, as revealed by its vendor partner Ericsson. However, the operator was ordered to shut down its 5G network a month after by the regulator, which claimed Telma did not have its permission to launch.
YORK  A 53-year-old Wyoming man and his traveling partner have been formally charged with felony drug possession after they were found highly intoxicated at a farmstead in York County.

It was 3 a.m. when the York County Sheriffs Department received a call from a man who lives on a nearby farm who said two suspicious men were at his home, not making sense and likely under the influence of something. The man said it appeared they had been there for four to five hours and they said they had run out of gas.

Deputies went to the farmstead and when they arrived, they saw a vehicle with Utah plates. The windows were iced over and there were many items in the vehicle  it appeared to be trashed with garbage and other items.

While the deputies were looking at the vehicle, the man who reported the situation came outside from a shop building and said the two men in question were inside his house. He also told the deputies they were out of it.

Deputies found William Willden sleeping in a bed and the other man, identified as Gideon Jackson, 19, was in the room as well.

The affidavit filed with the court says Jackson acted very strange by not sitting still and was very fidgety.

The deputies spoke with Willden, who appeared to be very tired but spoke very fast while slurring his speech. They believed he was under the influence of methamphetamine and was crashing.

Deputies said in court documents, Willden said they ran out of gas but he didnt remember much because he was sleeping while Jackson was driving.

Meanwhile, another deputy found methamphetamine on Jacksons person and he was arrested.

After a York County drug dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, a search was conducted and deputies allegedly found a bag of methamphetamine, a loaded syringe, two used syringes and seven unused capped syringes.

Willden was arrested as well.

Willdens preliminary hearing was scheduled for this week in York County Court.

Both men were charged with Class 4 felonies.
Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest carmaker has commenced exports of its first mid-sized hybrid SUV Grand Vitara, with the first shipment on its way to Latin America. The country's leading carmaker and exporter aims to export the model to more than 60 countries across Latin America, Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and neighboring regions. Maruti Suzuki is one of the largest auto exporters from India and in CY 2022, Maruti Suzuki registered an export of over 2.6 lakh vehicles, its highest ever exports in a calendar year.

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, unveiled in July 2022, is sold through NEXA dealerships and has received robust response in the domestic market and the automaker is confident that the India manufactured Grand Vitara will meet with similar success in overseas markets as well, said, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said in a statement.

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV is the largest product in the Maruti's portfolio and has been made in collaboration with Toyota, who sells the same product as the Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The car offers the segment first strong hybrid engine option to buyers, with a mileage of more than 28 kmpl in single litre of petrol.

"Supporting Government's efforts to increase exports from India, Maruti Suzuki has taken multiple initiatives to increase its international presence", he added. With the addition of Grand Vitara, the company aims to further strengthen its position as India's leading passenger vehicle exporter, the automaker stated.

"Expanding the product portfolio for exports has been one of the key pillars of success. By adding Grand Vitara, we now export a range of 17 vehicles," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said in a statement.

With PTI inputs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for several projects in Mumbai today, on January 19, 2023, including Mumbai Metro Line 2A and 7. In view of the prime minister's visit, a few roads in the area will be closed for vehicles, while traffic will be diverted on some other routes, the traffic police said. The prime minister is scheduled to attend a function to be held on the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), an upscale commercial hub. He is set to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for a string of projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore during his visit.

Mumbai Traffic Police issues traffic advisory ahead of PM Modi's visit to the city tomorrow



Tomorrow, between 12pm to 9 pm, entry of heavy vehicles on all roads including Western Express Highway in the Western Suburb shall be banned: Mumbai Traffic Police pic.twitter.com/htibWz4vjX  ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2023

Route diversions in Mumbai

A few roads have been closed to traffic. On other roads, traffic will be diverted ahead of the prime minister's visit. "The city traffic police have made elaborate arrangements in view of PM Modi's visit as traffic has been diverted on some routes, while some roads are shut temporarily," an official said.

An order issued by the traffic police said, "A large number of people from Mumbai and other cities in Maharashtra are expected to attend PM Modi's programme on Thursday. Therefore, between 12.00 and 21.00 hours, entry of heavy vehicles on all roads in the area, including the Western Express Highway, shall be banned. However, ambulances, school buses and other buses have been exempted from this restriction."

There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from the Western Express Highway (WEH), Dharavi and Bandra-Worli Sea Link via BKC family court towards Kurla and also no entry to vehicles coming from Saint Dnyaneshwar Road towards Kurla.

There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from the Government Colony, Kanakiya Palace and Valmiki Nagar through BKC premises towards Chunabhatti and Kurla, it said. There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from Surve Junction and Razzak Junction through BKC premises towards Western Express Highway, Dharavi and Worli Sea Link, it added.

There shall be 'No Parking' on any road in BKC premises. Vehicles from WEH, Bandra-Worli Sea Link going via BKC premises towards Kurla shall take a road to MMRDA junction and proceed via Dharavi T Junction towards Kurla and Eastern Express Highway, the traffic police said.

The traffic police have put in place alternative route arrangements. Vehicles proceeding from Saint Dnyaneshwar Nagar through BKC premises Income Tax junction shall proceed along Guru Nanak Hospital-Jagat Vidya Mandir Junction-Kala Nagar Junction and through Dharavi T junction towards Kurla.

Vehicles going to Kurla from Kherwadi area via BKC Premises shall take a U-turn from Valimiki Nagar and proceed via Government Colony-Kala Nagar Junction-Dharavi T junction towards Kurla.

"Vehicles proceeding through Eastern Express Highway from Chunabhatti through BKC connector shall proceed through NSE Junction-Income Tax junction-family court junction and then through MMRDA junction to their desired destination," an official added.

With PTI inputs
A dismantled Dakota aircraft used by aviator and politician Biju Patnaik several decades ago was brought from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar where Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik offered floral tribute to the plane which carried memories of his father. Escorted by Odisha Police, three lorries carried the dismantled portions of the aircraft from Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to the Odisha capital, where they will be reassembled. After that, the Dakota (DC-3) VT-AUI aircraft will be kept at a designated place in the international airport here named after Biju Patnaik, the father of the Odisha chief minister.

"I am delighted that this legendary aircraft of Biju Babu has finally returned here," Naveen Patnaik said. Biju Patnaik, a former Odisha chief minister, had in the 1940s founded Kalinga Airlines which had 12 planes and four of them were Dakotas. The CM said his father who died in 1997 had many historic exploits in Dakota planes.

"The greatest of them was when he flew to Indonesia through Dutch blockades and the only other person in the aircraft was my mother who was a co-pilot. They rescued the then Indonesian prime minister Sutan Sjahrir (in April 1947)," he said.

However, the Dakota which was brought from Kolkata was not the one which Biju Patnaik used to rescue the Indonesian leader at the request of Jawaharlal Nehru, historian Anil Dhir said. A grateful Indonesia had twice decorated Biju Patnaik with its highest civilian honour 'Bhumiputra' for the feat.

The plane which was brought to Odisha remained abandoned for decades on the premises of the airport in Kolkata. When the 64 feet long aircraft weighing over 8 tonnes reached Bhubaneswar, slogans like "Biju Patnaik Amar Rahe" rented the air.

Apart from Naveen Patnaik, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, a number of ministers, MLAs, persons associated with the aviation industry and many others reached the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here to welcome the arrival of the Dakota aircraft.

The Odisha government has engaged a special team to reassemble the dismantled parts of the aircraft. The Airports Authority of India has allotted 1.1 acres of land for this purpose at the BPIA here.

The plane has undergone much wear and tear over the years, said BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan. Earlier in the day, hundreds of people gathered beside the National Highway connecting Kolkata with Bhubaneswar to have a glimpse of the dismantled Dakota aircraft.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the American space agency has partnered with the US-based aviation giant Boeing team to lead the development and flight testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator airplane. The technologies demonstrated and tested as part of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) program will inform future designs and could lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel efficiency gains. When combined with expected advancements in propulsion systems, materials, and systems architecture, a single-aisle airplane with a TTBW configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions up to 30% relative to todays most efficient single-aisle airplanes, depending on the mission.

The SFD program aims to advance the civil aviation industrys commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as the goals set forth in the White Houses U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan.

Were partnering with @Boeing to develop technologies for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft. We'll collaborate on a full-scale demonstrator by 2030 to help the U.S. achieve net-zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050. Follow @NASAAero: https://t.co/dFikvL0YPa pic.twitter.com/TMXIupCyEh  NASA (@NASA) January 18, 2023

The SFD program has the potential to make a major contribution toward a sustainable future, said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief engineer and executive vice president of Engineering, Test & Technology. It represents an opportunity to design, build and fly a full-scale experimental plane, while solving novel technical problems.

Ultrathin wings braced by struts, with larger spans and higher-aspect ratios, could eventually accommodate advanced propulsion systems that are limited by a lack of underwing space in todays low-wing airplane configurations. For the demonstrator vehicle, Boeing will use elements from existing vehicles and integrate them with all-new components.

NASAs funding through the SFD Space Act Agreement totals $425 million. The SFD program will also leverage up to $725 million in funding by Boeing and its industry partners to shape the demonstrator program and meet the resource needs required. Separately, Boeings previous internal investments for recent phases of sustainable aviation research total $110 million.

The TTBW airframe concept is the result of more than a decade of development supported by NASA, Boeing and industry investments. Under previous NASA programs including the agencys Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research program, Boeing conducted extensive wind tunnel testing and digital modeling to advance the design of the TTBW. Early conceptual studies started under NASAs Environmentally Responsible Aviation program.
Two American citizens and as many permanent residents were among those killed in the tragic plane crash in Nepal's Pokhara early this week, a US official has said. Speaking at his daily news conference on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way it can in this difficult hour. At least 71 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines' aircraft with 72 people onboard crashed into Seti river gorge on Sunday while landing at the Pokhara airport, according to officials of the Kathmandu-based carrier. One person on board the aircraft is still missing.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic Yeti Airlines crash over the weekend which killed... Two US citizens and two lawful permanent residents. Our thoughts are with the families of those on board," Price said. "The United States stands ready to support Nepal in any way we can in this difficult hour," he said.

Indian-American Congressman Dr Ami Bera condoled the loss of lives in the plane crash. "Sending my deepest condolences to the people of Nepal and the loved ones of those who perished in this weekend's devastating plane crash," Bera said in a tweet.

The government of Nepal has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash - the country's deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years.
Republic Day 2023: At the 74th Republic Day to be celebrated on January 26, 2023, a total of Fifty aircrafts will take part in the R-Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path that will include an aerial display by nine Rafale and the Navy's IL-38 which will be showcased at the event for the first and perhaps the last time, a senior IAF official said. IL-38 is a maritime reconnaissance aircraft of the Indian Navy that has served for nearly 42 years, he said. "It will be showcased during the Republic Day celebrations here for the first time and perhaps the last time. It will be among the 50 aircraft that will take part in the event," the IAF official said.

These 50 aircraft will include four from the Army as well, he added. This will be the first Republic Day celebrations hosted at the ceremonial boulevard after Rajpath was renamed Kartavya Path last year. Nine Rafale aircraft will also be part of the flypast during the celebrations, the IAF official said.

IAF formations

"Four Rafale will be part of the Netra formation and four others in Vajrang formation with a C-130 aircraft, an one will perform the 'Vertical Charlie' at the end of the flypast," he added.

Asked what all will be showcased during the flypast for the first time, the IAF official said, besides the IL-38 naval aircraft, the formations like 'Bheem' and 'Vajrang' will be showcased over the Kartavya Path for the first time.

In the 'Bheem' formation, a C-17 aircraft will be flanked by two Su-30s. And, then in the 'Vajrang' formation, a C-130 aircraft will be flanked by four Rafale aircraft, he said. "During the IAF Day, we had a similar formation, but the C-130 aircraft was flanked by Su-30s," the official said.

Other aerial formations during the flypast will include 'Dhawj', 'Rudra', 'Baaz', 'Prachand', 'Tiranga', 'Tangail', 'Garuda', 'Amrit' and 'Trishul'.

IL-38 aircraft

The Ilyushin 38 was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1977 and is a long-range surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Known as the Winged Stallions, the IL 38SDs, the oldest maritime surveillance aircraft in the Indian inventory, will be decommissioned by the end of this year. These Russian-made planes will be replaced by the US-made Boeing P8.

The IL-38 provided the Indian Navy with modern maritime reconnaissance and fixed-wing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability. These were 5 Ilyushin 38s inducted in the Navy. The maritime aircrafts added airborne long-range maritime reconnaissance capabilities to the Indian Navy, combined with long-range anti-submarine search and strike, anti-shipping strike, electronic signal intelligence and distant search and rescue missions.

In 2002, there was a mid-air collision of two IL-38s and seventeen personnel were killed in the accident.

With PTI inputs
New Delhi: Pathaan has become one of the most anticipated films to release in India in a long time. Touted as one of the biggest ever action spectacles that audiences have seen in theatres, the visually spectacular Yash Raj Films action extravaganza, Pathaan is part of Aditya Chopras ambitious spy universe and has the biggest superstars of the country Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in it.

The film marks Shah Rukh Khans return to the big screen after four long years and director Siddharth Anand reveals that the team wants to capitalise on this excitement to watch SRK again! He says Shah Rukh Khan will be seen first on the big screen before he starts any promotions for Pathaan which basically means that the makers strategically want to increase the hunger to see him and interact with him so that it hugely boosts the opening of the film.

Siddharth says, Pathaan marks Shah Rukh Khans return to the movies after 4 long years. He has had very limited exposure with people in these four years and the hunger to see him is at an all-time high. Its palpable and thats what has contributed in a big way to the buzz that people are saying Pathaan has today.

Watch the trailer here

He adds, SRK. Just these 3 letters spell so much stardom, so much love and are just so iconic. The entire nation has loved him for so long and we are hopeful that our film will deliver on the promise to give a never seen before SRK to audiences. We want the euphoria around his return to reach a crescendo by Jan 25, the release date of Pathaan. Thus, we will start all our promotional activities only post the release of the film. We are all humbled to be receiving the unanimous love that we are getting for Pathaan so far and we cant thank people enough!

YRFs Pathaan is set to release on Jan 25, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. All the assets of the film that YRF has released so far have turned out to be super-hits right from the teaser, the two songs - Besharam Rang & Jhoome Jo Pathaan - and the recently dropped trailer that has caused an internet meltdown.
New Delhi: Amazon, the online retailer founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has surpassed Apple as the most valuable brand, which it held last year. Amazon took first place despite a 15 percent decline in brand value this year, from $350.3 billion to $299.3 billion. Only one Indian company, Tata Group, reached the list of the top 100 most valuable businesses.

Despite regaining the top spot, Amazon's brand worth has decreased by almost $50 billion this year, according to Brand Finance's Global 500 2023 list, and its grade has dropped from AAA+ to AAA. While shipping times have increased, the quality of customer support at Amazon has decreased.

As a result, consumers are now less likely to tell others about Amazon, according to a survey from Brand Finance's brand valuation consultancy.

The maker of the iPhone, Apple, fell to the number two spot and was named the second most valuable brand in the world (brand value decreased 16 percent to $297.5 billion from $355.1 billion). Given that supply chain interruptions and a tight labour market are anticipated to restrict the availability of its signature hardware goods, this year's decline in brand value is related to a decline in estimated revenue.

These are the top 10 brands as per the list:

1. Amazon- Net worth $299.3 billion

2. Apple- Net worth $297.5 billion

3. Google-Net worth $281.4 billion

4. Microsoft-Net worth $191.6 billion

5. Walmart-Net worth $113.8 billion

6. Samsung Group-Net worth $99.7 billion

7. ICBC-Net worth $69.5 billion

8. Verizon-Net worth $67.4 billion

9. Tesla-Net worth $66.2 billion

10.TikTok/Douyin- Net worth $65.7 billion


New Delhi: Information technology giant Infosys has revealed that Brand Finance has placed it among the top three most valuable IT services brands globally. According to the Brand Finance Global 500 2023 report, Infosys' brand value has increased by 84% from 2020, placing it among the top 150 most valuable brands in the world.

"Sustained client relevance, best-in-class execution quality, and a deep commitment to purpose are differentiators for brand Infosys, strengthening its position among the industry's preferred partners for navigating digital transformation," Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said in a formal statement. (Also Read: THIS company beats Apple to become no 1 brand in the world; check list of top 10)

Despite its brand worth declining 15 percent this year from US $350.3 billion to US $299.3 billion, Amazon has recovered the top rank as the most valuable brand in the world, according to Brand Finance. Apple, whose brand worth dropped from US$355.1 billion to US$297.5 billion (a 16 percent decrease), is now the second most valuable brand in the world. (Also Read: Planning to buy smartphone in 2023? Check THESE top upcoming mobiles)

Here is the list of the top 10 IT services brands:

1. Accenture

2. TCS

3. Infosys

4. IBM

5. Capgemini

6. NTT Data

7. Cognizant

8. HCLTech

9. Wipro

10. Fujitsu
Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) hyperscale data centre specialist AirTrunk has announced its entry into Malaysia with plans to develop a 150+ megawatt (MW) data centre.

AirTrunk JHB1 will be the companys first facility in Malaysia and ninth in APJ, taking its data centre platform to over 1.35 gigawatts (GW) of capacity.

The JHB1 campus will span 10.3 hectares of land in Johor Bahru, a strategic location at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Servicing a major cloud availability zone for AirTrunks customers, the facility will also offer strong domestic and international connection to regional technology hubs including Singapore, with an end-to-end cross-border connection strategy.

JHB1 will be funded under AirTrunks sustainability linked loan framework and will incorporate a number of sustainable innovations including a landmark cooling solution that utilises a combination of indirect evaporative cooling (IEC), and direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology. The liquid cooling technology will enable AirTrunk customers to deploy high density racks, reducing energy consumption by up to 20 per cent.

In addition, the data centre will feature a solar-ready roof, equipped to add 5MW of solar panels. The facility is designed to AirTrunks industry-low power usage effectiveness of 1.15, and renewable energy supply options will be available to customers.

The initial phases of JHB1 will provide 50MW of capacity, with construction commencing shortly and due for completion in 2024. The data centre is ready to scale out to a total capacity of more than 150MW, with further expansion based on customer demand.
New Delhi: Currently, it is not possible to exchange the central bank digital currency (CBDC), also known as the eRupee, for cash. Only bank deposits will be used to issue eRupee by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It will enable the conversion of virtual money into real money.

Anuj Ranjan, the top general manager of the RBI's fintech division, reportedly stated that the pilot project has moved pretty nicely in a closed-user group and that the number of users is gradually increasing when speaking at an event at the Indian Merchants' Chamber. Ranjan stated that as eRupee is a liability of the RBI, the central bank will be responsible for its costs. (Also Read: Here are 10 reasons why RBI warned states to restore Old Pension Scheme (OPS))

The digital wallet is now available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store thanks to lenders like Yes Bank. Several businesses have registered to accept payments in eRupee, including Reliance Retail, Natural Ice Cream, and oil marketing firms. (Also Read: I'm on visa, have limited time: Sacked Indian-origin Microsoft worker)

A central bank issues currency notes in digital form as the eRupee. According to RBI, each country's reasons for issuing CBDC are varied. The e-R, also known as the digital rupee, would be accepted as legal cash and come in the same denominations as coins and paper money. It will be delivered by means of middlemen like banks.

Users will conduct transactions using a digital wallet that they can save on their mobile phones and other devices. Transactions between individuals and between individuals and merchants will be possible, and QR codes may also be used to make payments to retailers.

Four banksState Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and IDFC First Bankformed the first phase of the trial. The pilot initially launched in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday reiterated that he has no prime ministerial ambitions and all he wants is to unite the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to defeat the all-powerful BJP. "I keep saying. I want nothing for myself. I only have one dream - to see opposition leaders unite and forge ahead. That will benefit the country," Nitish Kumar told reporters.

The Bihar Chief Minister made these remarks while replying to a volley of questions on his plan to unite the opposition. When questioned about Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's mega BRS rally in Telangana on Wednesday, the Bihar JD-U leader said, I didn't know about a rally being held by KCR (Telangana CM). I was busy with some other work. Those who were invited to his party's rally must have gone there. You should ask them.

I didn't know about a rally being held by KCR (Telangana CM). I was busy with some other work. Those who were invited to his party's rally must have gone there: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on BRS rally with opposition leaders in Khammam yesterday pic.twitter.com/ll90nGvhaU January 19, 2023

It may be noted that top opposition leaders including Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Arvind Kejriwal and Left leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and D Raja attend the BRS rally. The Congress, currently focused on the last few days of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, and TMC was missing in action.

The third front, without Congress, has been unsuccessful in national politics. Meanwhile, Telangana CM took the first step towards forming a non-Congress opposition front with the first rally of his party at the national level.

"There is no question of a third front. There should be a front in which the Congress is involved, then we can defeat the BJP in 2024," the TMC MP Shantanu Sen told ANI while commenting on the KCR`s rally.

"Anyone can prepare a platform to defeat the BJP. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has been saying since the beginning that the aim is to defeat the BJP, to form a strong opposition. Only after this, it can be decided who should be made the face of the opposition," he said.

Apart from KCR, there have been many contenders for a prominent position in the opposition. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is also in the race. This was Telangana Chief Minister Rao's first big public meeting after his party went national. He is seen by many as an aspirant for the prime minister's post. So is Nitish Kumar, though he insists he is not a contender.
Kolkata: BJP President JP Nadda launched scathing attacks at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress (TMC) during his public meeting in the city on Thursday (January 19). He claimed that the West Bengal government had "siphoned off" Central funds for PM Awas Yojana, MGNREGA during his address and also accused the ruling party of the state - TMC of "protesting" against judges if it does not like verdicts passed by them. Nadda was referring to the recent protests by lawyers against a high court judge in Kolkata. The protestors alleged that the judge had ruled a biased judgement in favour of BJP state president Suvendu Adhikari. The protesters also displayed posters that alleged that all criminal cases against Suvendu Adhikari were pardoned as per reports. The BJP has claimed that the protests were backed by the TMC govt.

Nadda, who arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday night, is scheduled to hold organisational and public meetings in the district during the day.

BJP National President Shri @JPNadda addresses public meeting in Kolkata, West Bengal. https://t.co/JNzaInhuIM  BJP (@BJP4India) January 19, 2023

"On Thursday, he will address a public meeting at Bethuadahari, after which he will hold an organisational meeting with leaders of Nadia north organisational district and assess the party's performance in the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat," BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay said.

The BJP lost the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat to the Trinamool Congress in the 2019 elections.

Nadda's visit is a part of the central leadership's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen its organisation in 144 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country that the party had lost by a slender margin in the 2019 elections.

Over the next few months, Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are scheduled to address 12 rallies each, covering 24 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The BJP had won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2019 polls.

Earlier this week, Nadda's term was extended till June next year at the party's national executive meeting.

The Trinamool Congress, however, declined to attach much importance to Nadda's visit.

"We have seen how the BJP's central leaders had camped in West Bengal before the 2021 assembly polls. But, the party had to face defeat," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

(With PTI inputs)
Raipur: The son of a Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party MLA was booked for rape after a woman accused him of sexually exploiting her for several years on the pretext of marriage, a Raipur police official said on Thursday. A rape case was registered against Palas Chandel, son of Chhattisgarh Assembly Leader of Opposition and Janjgir Champa MLA Narayan Chandel, on Wednesday, the official said. "It was registered as a Zero FIR here and then transferred to Janjgir Champa police for further action," SHO Kavita Dhurve of Mahila Thana police station said.

"The woman has alleged the accused was exploiting her sexually in Janjgir-Champa for the last few years on the pretext of marriage. She has also alleged he made her undergo an abortion," Dhurve said.

Also Read: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to meet Wrestlers at 10 pm over sexual assault allegations, check details here

He has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 367(2)(n) (commit rape repeatedly on the same woman) and 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent), the official added.

Narayan Chandel did not respond to calls for comments. Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur said the BJP must remove Chandel as LoP and expel him from the party.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari on Wednesday accused the opposition parties of distorting the stand of the BJP and the RSS on Muslims and claimed that the minority community considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as their well-wishers. Ansari, the only Muslim minister in Uttar Pradesh, said the opposition parties are spreading falsehood that the BJP is against Muslims as they want to restrict the community members to a vote bank.

"The Opposition does not want Muslims to be associated with development. Today's reality is that the common Muslim considers PM Modi and CM Adityanath as their well-wishers," Ansari told PTI.

He said, "All Muslims have welcomed the statement made by the Prime Minister regarding the Muslim community on Tuesday. They will unite and play their role in the progress of the country under the leadership of the prime minister. The Pasmanda (backward) class of Muslims is a very large section. The progress of the Muslim community cannot be imagined without empowering them. The BJP government has worked to empower the Pasmanda community at every step."

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday asked BJP members to reach out to every section of society, including minorities such as Bohras, Pasmandas and Sikhs, and work for them without electoral considerations, party sources said in New Delhi.

Asked about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent statements on Muslims, Ansari said the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak was "never anti-Muslim".

"It would not be fair to say that Sangh's attitude towards Muslims is now softening. Sangh has always been a benevolent organisation of the country. As I said that the Opposition works to confuse the society in the wrong direction, it did the same for the Sangh," Ansari said.

Bhagwat had recently said Muslims have nothing to fear in India but they must abandon their claim of supremacy.

The Sangh chief had also visited a madrassa in Delhi a few days back. "There should be a better dialogue among every society, this is the thinking of the RSS," the minister said.

Accusing the opposition parties of presenting the Sangh's thinking in a "distorted" manner, Ansari said, "Definitely the opposition parties did this. Whom the Muslims used to consider as their well-wishers, but in reality, they are the biggest enemies of the Muslims. No leader of the opposition parties did concrete work to connect the Muslims to the mainstream of the society."

"If we look at the graph of education and employment of the Muslim society during the tenure of previous Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav governments in the state and after 2017 till now under the BJP rule, then the Muslim society is moving forward on every criterion," Ansari claimed.
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has made a scathing attack on Lt Governor V K Saxena, alleging that he was acting like a "tribal chieftain to appease his big boss" by "interfering" in an elected government's work. Addressing the third-day session of the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, Sisodia said at present the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi "simply does not care for and is absolutely apathetic towards the principles of democracy, the Constitution, and the decisions of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court".

Sisodia, who also holds multiple portfolios like health, finance and PWD, said it is the LG's obligation to act according to the aid and advice of the elected government. He charged that the LG does not have time to tackle the deteriorating law and order situation in the national capital or the land mafia but only wants to obstruct the functioning of the Delhi government. "But the LG says he does not believe in the elected government at all," he said.

"The Lt Governor has forgotten that he is not supposed to behave like the chieftain of some unruly clan (kabile ka sardar). He has been appointed to a constitutional post and owes a responsibility to the same," he said. Launching an attack on Saxena, he said the Lt Governor behaves like a chieftain that we see in the movies, who tortures people in the clan just for the approval and validation of his boss.

"Similarly, the LG is also working to please his Sardaar by torturing the people of Delhi. He has forgotten that his job is not to obey the orders of his 'Big Boss' but to follow the rules of the Constitution. "The Lt Governor has insulted the Constitution, threatened our democracy, and is in contempt of the constitutional bench of the Supreme court," he added.

The deputy chief minister said Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution has given certain responsibilities and rights to the government elected by the people. In the second list of the country's Constitution, the word local governance has been written on entry 5 with the idea that the right to take decisions regarding municipal bodies in the country is not with the central government but with the state government, he said.

"The LG must be made to understand that decisions pertaining to local governance must be taken by the state government and LG has absolutely no right to interfere in these decisions," he added.

Referring to BJP MLA Vijender Gupta's assertion in the Delhi Assembly that the right to appoint 10 aldermen in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was with the LG, Sisodia claimed, "I want to clearly inform him that the Constitution has in reality given this right to the elected state government.".

Sisodia said throughout the course of history, the elected government of Delhi has proposed names to the LG for their appointment as aldermen, but now for the first time, the LG has decided to "unlawfully bypass and overrule the elected government, and appoint aldermen like a dictator".

"He threatened officials with transfers and suspensions in case they did not follow his orders to appoint aldermen, and fearing this, the officers were forced to accept the unconstitutional order of the LG," he charged. Sisodia said the government would have proposed 10 names to the LG for their appointment as aldermen.

"If the LG believed that these names should not be considered, then he would have asked the elected government to change them, failing which, the LG would take a subsequent decision on this issue. "But the LG chose to unequivocally defy the mandate of the Constitution, bypass the elected government and appoint aldermen, having absolutely no authority to do so," he added.

Sharpening the attack, Sisodia went on to claim that the LG nominated a Congress councillor to the Haj Committee without her even having taken oath as a councillor, and by threatening to suspend officers.

The deputy chief minister said the name of a seven-time councillor was sent to the LG for appointment as the presiding officer of the MCD with the permission of the chief minister. "It is the norm to make the most experienced person the presiding officer in the MCD. But the LG blatantly lied and said that six names were sent to him for the role of the presiding Officer," he said.

For the appointment of the presiding officer, the LG was to only give his suggestion, but bypassing the government and violating the Constitution, he decided to make Shikha Rai, who became a councilor for the first time, the presiding officer, he said. "Instead of sending the file back to the chief minister or the minister, he sent the file directly to the chief secretary and said if this order is not issued, he will suspend him," Sisodia said.

The deputy chief minister said the Constitution has placed only three subjects under the authority of the LG: Police, Law and Order, and Land. Recalling the brutal Kanjhawla accident, in which a woman was killed after being dragged by a car for 12 km, he said the LG does not have the audacity to stand up and say that BJP leader committed the heinous crime.

"He did not have the courage to go to the victim's house and tell her family that the BJP leader did something wrong. But LG will not be able to say this because he knows that if he says this for one person, another BJP leader will be found involved in the crime," he said.

Sisodia requested the Lieutenant Governor to follow the Constitution and not act as the 'Sardaar' (chief) of any tribe. "He needs to work for the public, not to appease his Big Boss," Sisodia said.

MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj moved a resolution for the free and fair conduct of MCD mayor and standing committee elections in the assembly, that was passed by the House. The resolution states that "This House resolves that it is concerned about the unconstitutional interference by Lt. Governor in the functioning of MCD especially the conduct of free and fair elections of mayor, deputy mayor and members of the standing committee."

This House directs the commissioner of the MCD and the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to ensure that elections of mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee are conducted as per DMC Act and Constitution of India, it stated.

This House also directs the Commissioner of the MCD to ensure that nominated members in MCD are not allowed to vote in the House as stated in Article 243-R of Constitution and Section 03 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, it added.
Delhi Admission 2023: The merit list will be accessible on the Delhi Directorate of Education's official website, edudel.nic.in. Registration for Delhi Nursery Admissions 2023 commenced on December 1, 2022, and the deadline to apply for nursery admissions was December 23, 2022. According to the schedule, the first merit list will be released tomorrow. Admissions were held for youngsters whose parents wanted to enrol their children in private or unassisted schools. For admission to Delhi Nursery and KG classrooms, pupils must be at least 4 years old, 5 years old, or 6 years old as of March 31, 2023. Admissions are now being accepted for the academic year 2023-2024.

Delhi Nursery Admisison 2023: Heres how to check

Visit edudel.nic.in to access the official website of the Delhi Directorate of Education.

On the homepage, click on the Student link.

A login page will appear on the screen.

Enter your user ID, password, and code, and select your login type to login.

Click on the Go button.

The merit list will appear on the screen.

Check your childs name and details on the list.

Download and print a hard copy for the next stage of the admissions process

If their children are not picked, their parents need not be concerned since a second merit list will be announced on February 6, 2023, and admissions for the second round will take place from February 8, 2023 to February 14, 2023. The deadline for Delhi Nursery Admissions 2023-24 is March 17, 2023.
In a shocking incident, a student stabbed a school teacher in West Delhi's Inderpuri area. The teacher has been hospitalised while the student has been detained, said Delhi Police. The police said that they are registering an FIR under section 307 of the IPC.

"A student stabbed a school teacher in West Delhi's Inderpuri area. We are registering FIR u/s 307 IPC. The teacher is under treatment, with a stab wound on the stomach, and is stable. Juvenile has been apprehended and the knife has been recovered," said Delhi Police.

The incident took place when the teacher who has been identified as Bhudev was conducting his duty as on exam invigilator for an ongoing practical examination and the detained boy was among the candidates in attendance.

The accused has been identified as a Class 12 student. According to reports, the police suspect the involvement of two more students in the incident. The police has recovered the weapon from the accused's possession.

In another incident, an 18-year-old college student was allegedly stabbed to death when he intervened in a fight between two groups of students in the Medical Police Station area in Meerut. The fight occurred on Wednesday between students of classes 11 and 12 on one side and BSc students on the other. Kartik was allegedly stabbed by a class 12 student, Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said. Asked about the reason for the fight, the SSP said prima facie it appear to be due to some girl. A student has been detained in this connection and a search is on for two class 12 students, the police officer said.
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it was looking into the issue pertaining to declaring the Ram Sethu as a national heritage monument. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala, which was hearing a PIL filed by former Rajya Sabha lawmaker Subramanian Swamy on the issue, asked the BJP leader to make a representation to the government if he wished so.

"Learned Solicitor General (Tushar Mehta) states that a process is currently underway in the Ministry of Culture. He states that the petitioner (Swamy) may submit additional communication if he may so wish," the bench said.

The court asked the Centre to take a decision on the issue and granted Swamy the liberty to move before it again if he is dissatisfied and disposed of his interim application on the issue.

"I do not want to meet anybody... We are in the same party, it was there in our manifesto. Let them decide in six weeks or whatever," Swamy said.

Also Read: WATCH: Crowd cheers as PM Narendra Modi plays traditional drum during public rally in Karnataka

"I will come again," the BJP leader said. At the outset of the brief hearing, Swamy said that in 2019, the then Culture Minister Prahlad Patel had called a meeting on the issue and had made a recommendation for declaring the Ram Sethu as a national heritage monument.

"The issue is that they have to say-- 'yes' or 'no'," he said. The law officer said that the government was looking into it.

The bench, which was sitting in a three-judge combination, said that Justice PS Narasimha will not be part of the proceedings as he had earlier appeared in the matter as a counsel earlier.

Consequently, the order was passed by the two judges, the CJI and Justice Pardiwala, in the case.

Earlier, the top court had said it would take up the plea of Swamy in the second week of February. Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.

The BJP leader had submitted that he had already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of Ram Sethu.

He said the Union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand but nothing happened subsequently.

The BJP leader had raised the issue of declaring the Ram Sethu a national monument in his PIL against the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, initiated by the UPA-I government.

The matter reached the apex court, which in 2007 stayed work for the project on the Ram Sethu.

The Centre later said it had considered the "socio-economic disadvantages" of the project and was willing to explore another route to the shipping channel project without damaging the Ram Sethu.

"That the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel project without affecting/damaging the Adam's Bridge/Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation," the affidavit filed by the ministry had said.

The court then asked the government to file a fresh affidavit. The Sethusamudram shipping channel project has been facing protests from some political parties, environmentalists and certain Hindu religious groups.

Under the project, an 83 km water channel was to be created, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by extensive dredging and removal of limestone shoals.

On November 13, 2019, the apex court had granted the Centre six weeks to clarify its stand on the Ram Sethu. It had also granted Swamy liberty to approach the court if the response of the Centre was not filed.
Buxar: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday took an indirect dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while voicing displeasure over the Centre's "refusal" to grant special category status to the state. In a free-wheeling conversation with journalists at Buxar district, which he toured as part of his state-wide mass outreach programme 'Samadhan Yatra', Kumar referred to Modi, formerly his Gujarat counterpart, coming from "a rich state" while accusing the latter of "being oblivious of the needs of poor provinces".

"Bihar would have made unimaginable progress had our long-standing demand for a special status been accepted. We are making do with whatever resources we can marshal," said the JD(U) leader who had pulled the plug on the alliance with the BJP less than six months ago.

The provision of granting special status had been in place to support the backward states, which must progress if the nation is to prosper, he said.

"One must not be indifferent to poorer states just because one comes from a rich state", said Kumar, without mentioning Modi by name.

"His state has always been a developed one (hamesha se vikasit rajya raha hai). It has been so since the British era," said the Bihar CM, once seen as a 'secular' challenger to Modi, whose famed 'Gujarat model' has often been damned with faint praise by the socialist leader.

He responded with a wry smile and a cryptic 'sab baat aap logon ko pata hi hai (you people know it all)' to queries about the show cause notice issued by his principal ally RJD against its recalcitrant MLA Sudhaker Singh for comments against the CM.

Singh had landed the ruling coalition into an embarrassment with frequent vituperations against the JD(U) leader.

One must not say anything which is controversial: Nitish Kumar on 'Ramcharitmanas' row

Replying to another query on the row sparked by controversial remarks of another RJD leader and education minister Chandra Shekhar about the 'Ramcharitmanas', Kumar said, "it is highly improper. One must not say anything which is controversial".

When pointed out that the minister has not retracted his statement so far, the JD(U) leader said "I have already voiced my disapproval. So has his party.. Religious beliefs are a matter of personal choice. One must not make it a matter of debate".

He also sought to make light of remarks by another RJD minister Surendra Yadav, which has drawn the BJP's flak.

Yadav had on Tuesday alleged, in an oblique reference to the Pulwama terrorist strike, "the BJP has already engineered an attack on the armed forces to win an election. This time it may attack some other country".

The chief minister said, "I do not pay attention to all things that people keep saying. I am at present busy with my tour of the state."
Karnataka DCET 2022: The Karnataka Examinations Authority has released the Karnataka Diploma Common Entrance Test Mock Allotment Result today, January 19, 2023. The mock allotment result is available at kea.kar.nic.in, the official website. Candidates can enter their information and download a mock allocation. The mock allotment result for Round 1 has been announced, and candidates must input their DCET number to get the fake allotment. Those who were shortlisted in Round 1 should be aware that this is not the final round. The final Round 1 results will be available on the official website after 2 p.m. on January 20, 2023, at which point students can report to universities and secure their admission.

Karnataka DCET Mock Allotment Result 2022: Heres how to download

Visit the official website of KEA  kea.kar.nic.in

Then click on 18-01 DCET 2022 Mock allotment result link

Enter your DCET number and click on submit

The mock allotment result will appear on the screen

Download the mock allotment and keep a copy if required

Candidates should be aware that any recent changes to the Karnataka Diploma Common Entrance Test will be posted on the Karnataka Examinations Authority's official website.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that in a first in the country, menstrual and maternity leaves would be granted to all women students in all institutions under the State government's Higher Education Department. Vijayan announced this decision of the government on his Twitter handle and Facebook page. He said such a pro-women step by his government was the first of its kind in the entire country and was an indication of the Left government's commitment to ensure gender justice in society.

"Once again, Kerala sets a model for the nation. Menstrual and maternity leaves will be granted to female students of all institutions under our Department of Higher Education, reaffirming the LDF government's commitment to realising a gender-just society," he tweeted. He said although menstruation was a normal biological process, it creates a lot of mental stress and physical discomfort in women.

Therefore, the government has decided to give a relaxation of two percent to female students in the attendance requirement, he said in his Facebook post.

"This is the first time in the country that a State government has taken such a pro-women decision for female students in universities and colleges under the Higher Education department," he said.

The Higher Education department has also decided to allow a maximum of 60 days of maternity leave for female students who have completed 18 years of age, he further said. Taking a cue from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in providing menstrual leave to its students, Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Monday had said the government has decided to implement the same in all State universities under the purview of the department.

CUSAT had taken the decision following a representation made by the SFI-led students' union of the university. Considering the long-pending demand of the students, the varsity, on January 11, had sanctioned an additional two per cent condonation of shortage of attendance to female students, in each semester.

Prior to that in December last year, the Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) had decided to grant maternity leave of 60 days to degree and postgraduate students of 18 years and above so that they can continue their studies without any interrupt.
Alipurduar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government's move to discontinue scholarships for students of backward castes and minority communities, and said her government would be providing them aid.

Launching the 'Medhashree' scholarship scheme, under which students belonging to the backward and minority communities will be entitled to Rs 800 as grant, she said that her government would do its bit to protect their interests. "The central government has stopped scholarships for students of OBC and other minorities. But don't be worried. We will be providing the same grant to them," Banerjee said during an administrative review meeting.

The TMC supremo also said that attempts were being made to create division among the people of West Bengal, and urged people not to pay heed to them.

Also Read: 'Central funds for MGNREGA siphoned off in Bengal': BJP chief JP Nadda attacks Mamata Banerjee's govt

"Don't pay heed to whatever they (BJP) are saying to create divisions among people. We want to look forward to a unified society," Banerjee said.
New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that India has always wanted normal ties with Pakistan but there should be an atmosphere free from terror for it. The MEA was reacting to Pak PM's comments on talks with India. Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have said that we have always wanted normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. But there should be a conducive atmosphere which does not have terror, hostility or violence. That remains our position." Earlier this week, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif insisted that India and Pakistan should sit at a table and resolve the Kashmir issue as the three wars with India have brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people.

"India and Pakistan were neighbours and they have to live with each other. It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other and waste time and resources. We have three wars with India and it only brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people. We have learnt our lesson and we want to live in peace provided we are able to resolve our genuine problems," he told Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV.

Also Read: 'We have learnt our lesson from wars, want peace now': Pak PM's msg to PM Modi

Earlier on Wednesday, the Pak Government issued a clarification over Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's viral interview with Al Arabiya channel in which he expressed his sincere desire to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on all pressing problems, including Kashmir.

Prime Minister's Office (Pak PMO) issued a statement in which it said that talks with India can only take place after the country reverses its illegal action of August 5, 2019, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on August 5, 2019.
Bhopal: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that BJP workers should refrain from making unnecessary remarks on irrelevant issues such as movies, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said his words are important for the party members. Mishra had last month objected to actor Deepika Padukone's attire in the 'Besharam Rang' song in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Pathaan". The minister had earlier also raised objections over certain content in some other movies and web series while defending Indian culture and traditions.

In his address to the BJP national executive on Tuesday, PM Modi suggested party workers to refrain from making unnecessary remarks on irrelevant issues such as movies, saying that they put the party's development agenda on the back-burner, party sources said.

When asked about Modi's remarks and whether his name was mentioned by the PM, Mishra, who is also the spokesperson of the Madhya Pradesh government, told reporters, "Nobody was named, but his (PM Modi's) every word, sentence is important for us and that is why all the workers have drawn inspiration from there. Our conduct and behaviour are always filled with his guidance and energy and will continue to be in future."

Mishra, a powerful minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet, often hits headlines for his controversial comments -- whether they are related to films or leaders of other political parties.

Last month, while objecting to Deepika Padukone's saffron costume in the song from "Pathaan", Mishra had warned if certain scenes were not "corrected", the government would consider what to do about its screening.

Mishra had also said that Padukone had been a supporter of the "Tukde Tukde gang" as seen in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) case.

In January 2020, Padukone had visited the JNU to extend her support to the students protesting against violence at the campus. Before finding "faults" in the song 'Besharm Rang' and calling for their rectification, Mishra had in October last year warned the makers of another Bollywood film, 'Adipurush', based on the epic Ramayana, of legal action if scenes showing Hindu religious figures in a 'wrong' way were not removed.

In July, he had directed authorities to file an FIR (First Information Report) over a controversial poster of filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's documentary 'Kaali' after an outrage.
New Delhi: The United Doctors Front Association has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking postponement of the NEET PG-2023 examination, scheduled on March 5, by two-three months. The doctors' body has also sought to revise the new internship cut-off date, stating that many interns still remain ineligible.

The Union Health Ministry on January 13 extended the MBBS internship cut-off date to June 30. Earlier, the cut-off date for aspirants to complete their mandatory one-year internship was March 31, 2023.

The doctors' association said medical students are in a state of turmoil and unable to concentrate on their studies due to major ongoing issues related to the early scheduled date for NEET PG-2023. Sir, as per NBEMS revised internship eligibility criteria for NEET PG-2023, internship completion date i.E. June 30 is not justifying the criteria for the ongoing internship batch. Around 10,000 interns from many states are still ineligible for NEET PG-2023 after revision," the letter dated January 18 stated.

Recently, NEET-PG 2022 special stray round counselling was conducted on January 10. Many of the NEET-PG aspirants were busy attending counseling. So NEET-PG participants/aspirants are getting less time to prepare for the upcoming exam scheduled on March 5.

So we request you to kindly look into the above matter on an urgent basis and serve justice to NEET PG-2022 aspirants by the postponement of NEET PG-2023 for a minimum of two-three months and re-revision of internship eligibility criteria for ineligible interns to make them eligible for NEET PG-2023," the letter read.
Mumbai: At least nine people were killed and a child was seriously injured when a speeding truck collided with their van on the Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday morning, police said. The accident took place at 4.45 am near Repoli village in Raigad, located more than 130 km from Mumbai. The victims, all relatives, were going in the van to Guhagar town in Ratnagiri district, Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said.

The truck was going towards Mumbai, he said.

The victims were residents of Hedvi village in Guhagar, he said.

"Nine people were killed. The deceased included a girl child, three women and five men," the official said.

After being alerted, police rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation, he said.

A boy was seriously injured in the accident and taken to a government hospital in Mangaon, the official said. Earlier police had said a girl was injured.

The bodies were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, the official said.
Srinagar: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has cautioned Congress and said that the main opposition party should see the recent track records of the leaders joining the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra as some "might use" it to "whitewash themselves". The NC leader was responding to a question about whether Congress should allow leaders like former minister Chaudhary Lal Singh, who allegedly tried to "save the rapists" in the Kathua rape case, to join the Yatra which is scheduled to enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19.

"Congress will have to see that some people might use the yatra to whitewash themselves (their past). We should not forget the role of those leaders who tried to save the rapist and played with the sentiments of the people. It is not hidden. These leaders will use the yatra to present themselves as secular. This is wrong. Congress leaders should see who is joining the yatra and what the recent track records have been of those leaders," Abdullah said.

Earlier on Wednesday, People Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted on the issue and said that the "motive" behind the yatra is more important than who is joining it.

Mufti`s reaction came after Congress "allowed" former BJP leader and minister Choudhary Lal Singh to join Bharat Jodo Yatra. "Rahul Gandhi is out on the streets, thousands of people are joining him and trying to stitch back the fabric of the country. It doesn`t matter to me who is joining him, what matters is the motive," Mufti told ANI.

"J&K had to suffer the most due to communal politics. I think there was no other option for Congress besides Bharat Jodo Yatra, to reclaim their legacy, idea of India, secular and democratic India. So, we welcome Bharat Jodo Yatra and we`ll participate in it," she added.

On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Congress spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath resigned from the party after its state unit "allowed" former BJP leader and minister Choudhary Lal Singh to join Rahul Gandhi`s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Nath resigned from the party.

Taking to Twitter, Nath said that she is leaving the party on ideological grounds as Singh was responsible for "sabotaging" the 2018 Kathua rape case by "brazenly defending" the rapists of an eight-year-old nomadic girl.

"In view of Choudhary Lal Singh`s proposal of joining Bharat Jodo Yatra and Congress allowing the same, I am left with no other option but to resign from Congress. Lal Singh was responsible for sabotaging the Kathua rape case in 2018 by brazenly defending rapists," she tweeted.

"Lal Singh divided the entire region of Jammu & Kashmir to protect the rapists and @bharatjodo is ideologically opposite. On ideological grounds, "I cannot share the party platform with such a person," she tweeted, mentioning Rahul Gandhi.

Notably, Singh was forced by then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to resign as forest minister. Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19 where Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah Sanjay Raut, MY Tarigami, Mehbooba Mufti will join the yatra at different locations.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 19, 2023) attacked the previous governments in Karnataka and said that they were indulged in vote-bank politics and did not pay heed to basic infrastructure like electricity, roadways and water. After laying the foundation stone and launching various developmental projects in poll-bound Karnataka, Modi said that the present government's focus is "solely on development and not vote-bank politics".

Citing the example of Yadgir in North Karnataka, he said lamented the backwardness that prevailed in the region on the path of development.

"Even though the region had the capability, the past governments had absolved themselves just by declaring Yadgir and other such districts as backward," PM Modi said.

"Even if one district in the country lags behind on the parameters of development, the country cannot become developed," he added.

He noted that it was the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government that addressed the most backward regions on priority and initiated the hundred aspirational villages campaign including Yadgir.

The Prime Minister emphasised on the "good governance and development" in these regions and said that Yadgir has vaccinated 100 percent of children, the number of malnourished children has gone down significantly, all villages of the district are connected via roads and availability of common service centres in gram panchayat to provide digital services.

Elated to be in Yadgiri. Projects pertaining to water security, farmer welfare & connectivity are being launched, which will significantly benefit the region. https://t.co/jJFYGkrNSu  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2023

"Be it education, health or connectivity, Yadgir has been among the top 10 performers of the aspirational districts programme," he said.

PM Modi also underlined the importance of water security for the development of 21st-century India and said that it stands at par with border, coastal and internal security.

"Double engine government is working with an approach of felicitation and consolidation," he said and informed that out of the 99 irrigation schemes that were lying pending in 2014, 50 have already been completed and schemes have been expanded.
Khammam (Telangana): A clarion call for regime change at the Centre by dislodging the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls was sounded by prominent opposition leaders in the first mega rally of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) here on Wednesday. Taunting the Central government over a host of issues including those on interstate water and development issues, Rao in his address said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would go home following polls to Lok Sabha next year.

If a 'BRS proposed government' was to capture power, the Centre's initiatives like the 'LIC disinvestment' and the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the Armed forces would be scrapped. Welfare measures in Telangana like the Rythu Bandhu for farmers would be implemented across the nation. Free power shall be provided to farmers, he said.

The colourful rally galvanised the BRS workers who shouted slogans hailing the party-led regime's welfare schemes in Telangana and peppy political songs praised Rao's 'national' emergence.

Rao said: "I am directly telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. Your policy is privatisation. Our policy is nationalisation."

He slammed the BJP and Congress alleging that both parties are responsible for interstate water issues.

The rally saw the participation of an estimated 2 lakh people, according to a party leader and the big ticket event featured huge cut-outs, betting on KCR for a national resurgence against the Saffron party.

Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, CPI's D Raja and Marxist party's top leader Pinarayi Vijayan were among the leaders who took part.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, Kerala CM @pinarayivijayan, Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, Punjab CM @BhagwantMann, UP former CM @yadavakhilesh, CPI national secretary D. Raja addressed the huge gathering.#AbKiBaarKisanSarkar pic.twitter.com/uh2uNy1FQp  BRS Party (@BRSparty) January 18, 2023

BJP has started 'counting its days': Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented in his party's national executive meet that only 400 days are left for the 2024 LS election.

The ruling BJP has started 'counting its days' and it would not last a day more in power after its present tenure, Yadav said.

Yadav said that the ruling BJP has been pushing the nation behind and it is time for all progressive leaders to come together and work for the country's development. "BJP will be out of power after 399 days and a new government will be in place on the 400th day," he said.

Country wants a change: Arvind Kejriwal

Addressing the rally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said: "Now, the country wants a change. People came to know that these people (NDA government) did not come to change the country. They just came to ruin the country. The 2024 elections are an opportunity for you (people). Ten years is over. How long will you wait?"

He asked people to usher in a regime that would think about the country, unemployment, healthcare and price rise. It is not the Governors of some States who are troubling the elected Chief Ministers, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi, indicating that they act on the behest of the PM, the AAP leader said.

Addressing a public meeting in Khammam, Telangana | LIVE https://t.co/vj5SlbaQTq  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 18, 2023

Centre 'undoing' foundations of nation's democracy: Pinarayi Vijayan

Accusing the BJP-ruled Centre of 'undoing' the foundations of the nation's democracy, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for a 'new resistance' to protect secularism, democracy and the Constitution. People should unite against the communal agenda that seeks to divide the country.

"I hope that today, in Khammam, the land of people's resistances, we will have the beginning of a new resistance, a resistance to secure the ideals that we fought for in our freedom struggle. A resistance to protect our secularism, our democracy, our Constitution and thereby our nation," he said.

The massive public meeting held in Khammam attended by various CMs and national leaders sends a strong warning to the communal politics of Sangh Parivar. Peoples will to fight their divisive agenda by upholding democratic values shall prevail. We shall overcome! pic.twitter.com/ZILhVJ9lrZ  Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) January 18, 2023

By allowing the concentration of wealth through consistent appeasement of corporates, they go against the concept of socialism and by seeking to replace parliamentary democracy with presidential form of governance, they go against the concept of democracy, Vijayan said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the country wanted jobs and the youth are jobless.

CPI General Secretary D Raja appealed to secular, democratic parties to understand the 'emerging' threat. "We will have to fight against the BJP-RSS combine and will have to defeat them in the forthcoming 2024 election."

The mega public meeting was the first after Telangana Rashtra Samithi recently rechristened itself as BRS.

By bringing in several leaders in a show of strength against the Saffron party, the BRS has taken its first steps towards joining forces with like-minded parties at the national level. Also, it is expected to help BRS to take on the BJP within the State more strongly.
Mumbai: In the wake of traffic restrictions in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) of Mumbai where Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take part in an event on Thursday evening, police have advised offices and establishments in the area to allow their employees to leave early, an official said. The police have also asked the establishments in the area to report immediately about any suspicious activity by a person, suspicious e-mails, any other such cyber incident including hacking, he said.

During his visit to Mumbai, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of a string of projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore and dedicate to the nation Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7.

The programme will be held at the MMRDA ground in the BKC, an upscale commercial hub.

ALSO READ | PM Modi in Mumbai: Traffic Police issues advisory, check road diversions HERE

Due to the traffic restrictions in the area, the BKC police advised offices to allow their employees to leave early on Thursday, the official said.

In view of the advisory, some of the offices permitted their employees to leave after 12 noon.

PM Modi in Mumbai: Flying activities banned at BKC, nearby areas

The police also issued instructions to offices situated in the area to provide a list of security personnel in their premises and also conduct their verification, the official said.

The police also asked the establishments to check if their CCTVs are in working condition.

According to police, flying activities, including use of drones, paragliders, and remote-controlled micro-light aircraft, will not be allowed under the limits of police stations at BKC and nearby areas in Mumbai from noon till midnight in view of the PM's visit.

A few roads in the area will be closed for vehicles, while traffic will be diverted on some other routes, the traffic police said.
New Delhi: India on Thursday described a BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots as a "propaganda piece" designed to push a particular "discredited narrative".

The bias, lack of objectivity and continuing colonial mindset are blatantly visible, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on the documentary.

Do note that this has not been screened in India...We think that this is a propaganda piece, designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, lack of objectivity & continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible: MEA on the BBC documentary on PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/BImPzX9LUX January 19, 2023

The documentary deals with the riots that broke out in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the chief minister.

Bagchi said the documentary is a reflection on the agency and individuals that are peddling "this narrative" again.

"It makes us wonder about purpose of this exercise and agenda behind it," he said.
Cold Wave in Rajasthan: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rajyavardhan Rathore on Wednesday urged Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to announce a relief package for the farmers as they have suffered huge losses. In his letter to Gehlot dated January 18, the BJP MP said that vegetable crops had been destroyed due to frost during the cold wave in the state. "Vegetable crops like tomato, cabbage, peas, chillies etc. have been destroyed due to frost due to cold wave outbreak in the state for several days, along with heavy damage to mustard and wheat crops. Lok Sabha constituency Jaipur Rural is also not untouched by this. Here farmers have suffered heavy losses in mainly vegetable-producing areas including Bansur, Kotputli, Biratnagar, Jamvaramgarh, Paota, Amer, Jalsu, Amarsar, Maid, Gathwadi," he said in the letter.

Rathore further said, "The farmers, who have been suffering due to Corona for the last two years, have got another setback. Due to crop failure, poor farmers have suffered huge losses, due to which the crisis of maintenance of the family has come in front of them."

Rathore urged the Chief Minister to give compensation to the farmers as soon as possible in view of crop failure. "Therefore, you are requested to issue instructions to give compensation by doing Girdawari in Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha constituency as soon as possible, keeping in view the crop failure and economic condition of the farmers, as well as an economic package should also be announced to provide relief to the farmers," the BJP MP wrote.

(With ANI Inputs)
Jaipur: In a shocking incident, a married woman and her lover have been arrested for allegedly killing her three-year-old girl and throwing her body from a moving train in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district. The accused have been identified as Sunita and Sunny alias Malta, according to police.

Woman strangles daughter, throws body from moving train

On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the woman strangled her daughter Kiran and wrapped her body in a bedsheet with Sunny's help, police said. The couple then went to Sriganganagar railway station and boarded a train at 6:10 am. When the train reached a bridge on a canal before Fatuhi railway station, they allegedly dropped the body from the moving train in an attempt to dump it in the canal, but it fell near the railway tracks instead, Superintendent of Police (Sriganganagar) Anand Sharma said. The body was recovered on Tuesday morning.

Also Read: Wife conspires with lover to murder husband; buries body inside house in Greater Noida

Accused confesses to killing her daughter; motive unknown

Sunita, who has five children, lives in Shastri Nagar with Sunny and her two daughters. Three of her children live with her husband, police said. After identification of the girl, the police traced Sunita and called her for questioning. During the interrogation, she confessed to killing her daughter and the two accused were arrested, police said.

The police are investigating the case to understand the motives behind the murder. The accused will be brought to justice and the victim's family will be provided with all necessary support, police said.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present approximately 71,000 appointment letters to newly admitted recruits in various government ministries and organisations, and will address them through video-conferencing on Friday. It is part of his 'Rozgar Mela' initiative, which he announced last year in order to employ 10 lakh people. According to the PMO, it is a step toward fulfilling Modi's vow to prioritise job creation. The 'Rozgar Mela' is expected to serve as a catalyst for additional job creation and to create important possibilities for young empowerment and engagement in national development, according to the statement.

The new recruits, chosen from around the country, will work in jobs such as junior engineers, loco pilots, technicians, inspectors, sub-inspectors, constables, stenographers, junior accountants, grameen dak sevak, Income Tax inspectors, teachers, nurses, doctors, and social security officers.

PM Modi will distribute about 71,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits in Government departments and organisations, on 20th January via video conferencing. PM will also address these appointees on the occasion: PMO pic.twitter.com/SaTpKzuk1A  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

During the seminar, newly appointed officials will share their experiences with the 'Karmayogi Prarambh' module. According to the media reports, the module is an online orientation course for all new appointees in various government ministries.
New Delhi: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday (January 18, 2023) said that his party "alone" is capable of "defeating" the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh.

When asked about the possible alliance of opposition parties for the upcoming General elections, Yadav told reporters, "SP alone is capable of defeating the BJP in UP. All socialists should unite."

He added that his target is to remove BJP from power (at the Centre) in 2024 and make Akhilesh Yadav the next chief minister of UP in 2027.



Shivpal Yadav further said that he has accepted his nephew Akhilesh Yadav as his leader and SP as his party.

"Akhilesh Yadav is my nephew and SP president. I have accepted him as my leader. Like him, I am also an SP MLA. SP is my party and I have held various party posts earlier," he said when asked why he hasn't got any post in the party yet.

After being sidelined by the Samajwadi Party in 2016, Shivpal Yadav formed the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) in 2018 and contested against nephew Akshay Yadav from Firozabad. However, the uncle-nephew duo came together during the Mainpuri bypoll following the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav also accepted the Samajwadi Party flag in Etawah and vowed to work to strengthen the party.

Will Aparna Yadav, Varun Gandhi join SP?

Asked about the likelihood of daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who is in the BJP, of joining the SP, Shivpal Yadav said, "She is with her family in good and bad times. She is our daughter-in-law."

On chances of BJP MP Varun Gandhi joining the SP, he said, "All those who want to throw the corrupt BJP government out of power are welcome."
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Collegium has reiterated its earlier recommendation for appointing advocate R John Sathyan as a judge of the Madras High Court, brushing aside objections of IB including to his sharing a post on social media critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three-judge Collegium on January 17 reiterated its February 16, 2022 recommendation for his elevation as High Court judge.

The Collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph noted that the IB, while objecting to Sathyan's social media posts has reported that he has a good personal and professional image and nothing adverse has been found with regard to his integrity.

"All the consultee-judges had a favourable opinion about the suitability of Shri Sathyan. The Intelligence Bureau has reported that he enjoys a good personal and professional image and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity. Shri Sathyan belongs to the Christian community. The IB report notes that he does not have any overt political leanings. In this backdrop, the adverse comments of the IB extracted above in respect of posts made by him... will not impinge on the suitability, character or integrity of Shri Sathyan," the resolution of the Collegium read.

It added, "In this view, the Collegium is of the considered opinion that R John Sathyan is fit and suitable for being appointed as a Judge of the Madras High Court. The Collegium, therefore, resolves to reiterate its recommendation dated February 16, 2022, for the appointment of R John Sathyan, advocate, as a Judge of the Madras High Court."

It recommended that Sathyan be given precedence in the matter of appointment as judge over certain names separately recommended in the Collegium meeting held on January 17 for appointment as judges of the Madras High Court.
Janata Dal (United) MLC Gulam Rasool Balyavi has created a row after he said that Muslims will make every city Karbala if any finger is raised towards prophet Muhammad. Balyavi was addressing a gathering in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh. During the address, he recalled the remarks made by expelled BJP leader Nupur Sharma and said that Muslims won't tolerate the insult of their master. He also slammed so-called 'secular' political parties for not demanding an arrest of Nupur Sharma.

Gulam Rasool Balyavi said that Muslims won't hesitate as their life and breath are not theirs but for the prophet's. He said that Muslims live with the belief that a day will come when only the prophet will be there and no other people will be alive.

According to reports, the JDU leader asked his supporters to block the roads of Ranchi. He asked Muslims to show the rulers that they might be buried under the ashes, but are not extinguished. He demanded the government make Safety Act for Muslims just like Dalits. He said that kids of Muslims should get quality education.

The Battle of Karbala was fought between the army of the second Umayyad Caliph Yazid I and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Though the battle was one-sided and ended with a decisive Umayyad victory, the fallen soldiers of the Husaynid faction have ever since been hailed as martyrs of Islam.

Recently, RJD leader and Bihar Education Minister Chandrasekhar had created a row due to his remarks demeaning Ramcharitmanas. He had said that Ramcharitmanas spreads hatred and divides society. Another RJD leader had called Ramayana full of garbage.
Travelling worldwide has been a dream that everyone at least once dreamt of. One of the best things about traveling is that it forces you to go outside your comfort zone. It helps you escape from your mundane work and recharges you. Traveling to a new location, especially one you have never been to, makes everything seem and feel brand new. Travel will either relax you or may give you an anxiety attack. There are new sights and a riot of color to take in. You may go down the street and hear unfamiliar music and overhear individuals speaking a language you have never heard before. The meal's aroma may excite you and challenge your taste buds. Any challenges you come across on the journey, no matter how modest, are exciting.

These days, our everyday lives consist of racing across the city on overcrowded public transportation. We juggle between work and home. Over time, a lack of novelty leads to boredom, which leads to a loss of focus.

Everyone needs a break from time to time to relieve stress. Even if you cannot take a big vacation, a short trip also helps renew energy, reduce stress, improve mental health, and be easy on your pocket.

Meet our Founder Tushar Sanas, the man behind Nishnai Holidays, Ashtavinayak Yatra, and Bhatke Adventures, who dared to live his dream and is now helping others to achieve theirs by organizing various customized tour packages.

Tushar Sanas started his journey in 2009 when he was only 15 years old. When most of us were struggling to find our path in life, Tushar Sanas was way ahead for his age. While we were struggling to finish our education, Tushar traveled and explored the world around us. He knew if he wanted to pursue his dream, he would need to fund himself and look for a stable job like most of us. So, he decided to join a company as a tour manager. This was the turning point in his life, where he learned how tours are organized and the planning behind any tour. Tushar did not do this job only to earn his livelihood but put his soul behind understanding the basics of this industry. But Tushar was never content in working for someone else and hence decided to take the route of earning his livelihood through his passion for travel and thus founded Nishnai Holidays in 2012.

The sole purpose of Nishnai Holidays is to allow people to travel on a short vacation with their family and friends or solo and explore unknown places at a budget-friendly cost. The team at Nishnai Holidays is handpicked by Tushar Sanas. It is trained to understand the travel goals of individuals and provide the best services possible, so you relax and enjoy your tour or vacation. This company was founded with the sole purpose of allowing people to travel and explore new destinations, but at the same time, not put a strain on their pockets.

Check out the various tours and packages offered by Nishnai Holidays by visiting their website at (https://nishnaiholidays.com/)

Tushar Sanas is a great devotee of lord Ganesha and owes his success to the lord almighty, who he lovingly calls Ganu. Ganu, aka Ganesha, Ganpati, and Bappa, is the most beloved god of most Maharashtrians. There is an 11-day festival organized in Maharashtra after this deity who is worshipped before starting anything new to keep any obstacles out of one's path.

In 2013, Tushar Sanas set out his Ashtavinayak Yatra under the division of Nishnai Holidays to take as many people as possible to this pilgrimage which covers eight different Ganpati/Hindu temples which are situated around Pune in Maharashtra state. Each of these temples has its legend and history and is known to be self-manifested or self-existent (Swayambu).

Ashtavinayak Yatra or Nishnai Holidays offers the best Tours and Packages in Mumbai to suit all devotees. You can take the Bus service that leaves every Friday and be part of the 2N/3D package or select the 1N/2D package that leaves every Saturday. They also offer these packages by Car throughout the week. And if to believe the legend about Ashtavinayak Yatra, they also have packages that can take you through the Shastrokta Sequence, which starts with the very first temple of Moreshwar- Moregaon, and after visiting the other seven temples the trip is concluded by re-visiting Moreshwar- Moregaon, without which the journey is said to be incomplete.

To read more about these 8 self-manifested statues of lord Ganesh or to know the history of these temples, you can visit their website at (https://ashtavinayakyatra.in/)

Nishnai Holidays & Bhatke Adventure

Tushar Sanas started his company Bhatke Adventure in 2016 under the roof of Nishnai Holidays. If you are seeking the ideal weekend vacation or need a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, they are here to help! Bhatke Adventure is a trek and travel organizer in Mumbai who would help you choose the right adventure for the right occasion.

If you are looking for a hike, camping, or adventure trip, go beyond Bhatke Adventure. They have trips scheduled for those who wish to take a relaxed nature walk, learn about the state's history at historic forts, get some serious exercise on a lengthy trek, or push themselves to the limit by ascending the state's highest peak.

At Bhatke Adventure, they provide comprehensive information on various hiking and camping adventures. You may be confident that they will offer you all the necessary information, from a short history of the area to a comprehensive schedule for the trip, regardless of whether you are already acquainted with the destination.

Up for an adventurous weekend or just a small getaway? Check the packages by visiting them at (https://bhatkeadventure.com/)

Maharashtra Tour Organiser's Association (MTOA) is the oldest Travel association in Maharashtra, which aims to bring all Tour Operators registered in the state together to work closely with each other and grow together with mutual benefits. Tushar Sanas was chosen as the Joint Secretary of MTOA in September of 2022 and is the youngest member of this association today.

In a competitive world, sustaining a rate of 90% repeat customers proves the Quality of service offered and the effort of maintaining the relationship with his customers. Despite having a team, Tushar Sanas never shies away from still working as a tour manager as and when necessary and looking after his customers to offer them the best experience and a life-long memory.

Closing Thoughts!

There are several ways in which travel may change a person: psychologically, physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually. By seeing the world, both near and far, you might learn to challenge your assumptions and preconceptions. Get over your apprehensions and embrace the world beyond your door for all the enrichment it may bring to your life.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or just getting started, Nishnai Holidays wishes to hear from you! Do you have the urge to travel? What are you waiting for?

Please book your tickets with Nishnai Holidays and explore beautiful India with them. You can also get Mahabaleshwar booking at the lowest cost from them at (https://mahabaleshwarbooking.in/ )

These travel experts can help you choose the perfect package if you need clarification. They are available 24*7 for you; feel free to reach out anytime!

(Above mentioned article is a consumer connect initiative, This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.)
Jhunjhunu: In fresh trouble for the Rajasthan Congress, senior party leader and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot has attacked the Ashok Gehlot government over the exam paper leaks case. While not directly naming the Rajasthan chief minister, Pilot said, "We welcome the government`s decision to investigate the paper leaks case. However, it`s hard to believe that no Congress leader or government official is not involved in the leaks."

Pilot made these remarks while addressing an event in Jhunjhunu on Wednesday.

Taking a dig at the CM, with whom he had a public falling out in the wake of the Rajasthan political crisis in 2020, Pilot said the government should explain what was the magic which saw the leaked exam papers landing up with students without the involvement of any leader or government official.

"It has been said that the exam papers were kept inside a vault. So one wonders what magic went into them landing up with students without the involvement of any (Congress) leader or politician," the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said. He added that responsibility should be fixed in the paper leaks case and those involved should be identified and brought to book.

#WATCH | Rajasthan: It's unfortunate when exam paper is leaked repeatedly. I welcome action taken against perpetrators. It's being said no leader or official was involved in it but paper is kept in locker despite that it reached students...this is 'Jaadugiri': Sachin Pilot(18.01) pic.twitter.com/XW9muGmySd  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) January 19, 2023

On Tuesday, too, Pilot had raised questions on the leak of question papers for recruitment exams in Rajasthan. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said, "I was saddened and anguished after learning of the paper leaks. Repeated paper leaks compromise the future of our youth. It doesn`t matter who the culprit is, a strict investigation should be conducted to stop recurrence of such paper leaks."

In December, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) cancelled the competitive examination for recruitment of 2nd-grade teachers for 2022. The exam was rescheduled for January 29. After at least half a dozen major examination paper leaks have rocked Rajasthan since the Congress came to power in 2018.

The Opposition, led by the BJP, has accused the Gehlot government of failing to curb the menace.
Agartala: Various states in India are gearing up for the state assembly polls which are set to happen this year, and hence, to increase voter turnout, states are looking for options that can help them achieve this goal. Tripura has come up with a vote-from-home option where senior citizens and people with disabilities will be able to cast their vote from home. However, as per the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tripura, senior citizens aged above 80 will only be able to avail this vote-from-home option. He further said that for the upcoming elections in the state, an adequate number of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) have reached here and the flag march and night patrolling are also being done.

Emphasising fair and transparent polls, the Tripura CEO said, "The adequate number of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) have reached here and the flag march and night patrolling are also being done. We want fair, transparent, and peaceful polls. Senior citizens above 80 years and persons with disabilities will have the option to vote from home."

Also read: Election Commission's all-party meet to discuss Remote Voting Machine on January 19

As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the voting for Assembly Elections 2023 in Tripura will take place on February 16, and in Nagaland and Manipur, the elections will be held on February 27. The ECI also said that the results of these assembly elections will be declared on March 2. Meanwhile, Ahead of the State Assembly polls in Tripura, the Agartala police have strengthened security across the city.

"We have set up 14 nakas to ensure that there is no movement of illegal cash, weapons, narcotics, and other material. Announcement for polls is likely to happen in 1-2 days," AK Das, sub-divisional police officer, Sadar said.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday exuded confidence in winning more assembly seats than before in the upcoming February 16 Assembly polls while adding that BJP has always worked for the people irrespective of elections. While talking to ANI, the Chief Minister said, "Our party always works for the people irrespective of elections. We are fully prepared for the upcoming polls. We are confident of winning more Assembly seats than before."

According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, "There are more than 62.8 lakh electors combined in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura including - 31.47 lakh female electors, 97,000 80+ voters, and 31,700 PwD voters. Over 1.76 lakh first-time voters participated in the elections in 3 states."

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday opposed the bail plea of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish, who is one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, and told the Supreme Court that his crime is ''grave and heinous.'' Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prashad told a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice J K Maheshwari that the crime is grave.

"It is a grave and heinous crime and (granting bail) will send a wrong signal to society," she said after the court asked her what was the ground for opposing the bail plea.

Uttar Pradesh government tells Supreme Court they are opposing the bail plea of accused Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case and apprises the court about the chargesheet where witnesses have stated that Mishra was running from the spot.  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

The top court said about the grave and heinous crime there are two versions and it cannot comment on any of the versions. "We are taking prima facie view that he is involved and he is an accused and not innocent. Is it the state's case that he has attempted to destroy evidence?" the bench asked.

To this, the additional advocate general replied, "That has not happened till now."

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for those opposing the bail plea, said the grant of bail will send a terrible message to society. "It's a conspiracy and a well-planned murder. I will show it from the charge sheet... He is the son of a powerful man being represented by a powerful lawyer," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Government tells Supreme Court that alleged offences were grave in nature and granting bail in such matters may impact society adversely.  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mishra, strongly opposed Dave's submission and said, "What is this? Who is powerful? We are appearing every day. Can this be a condition to not grant bail?"

Rohatgi submitted that his client has been in custody for more than a year and the way the trial is going, it will take seven to eight years to complete it. He stated that Jagjeet Singh, who is the complainant in the case, is not an eyewitness and his complaint is just based on hearsay.

"Jagjit Singh is the complainant and he is not an eyewitness. I am surprised that when there is a large number of people saying we ran over people mercilessly, an FIR is registered on the version of a person who is not an eyewitness?" he said.

Hearing in the matter is underway.

On October 3, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district's Tikunia in violence that erupted when farmers were protesting then Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

According to Uttar Pradesh Police FIR, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was seated. Following the incident, a driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.

On December 6 last year, a trial court had framed charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 others for the alleged offences of murder, criminal conspiracy and others in the case of death of the protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, paving the way for the start of the trial.

A total of 13 accused, including Ashish Mishra, have been charged under IPC sections 147 and 148 related to rioting, 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (mischief) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), and section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The other 12 accused are Ankit Das, Nandan Singh Bisht, Latif Kale, Satyam alias Satya Prakash Tripathi, Shekhar Bharti, Sumit Jaiswal, Ashish Pandey, Lavkush Rana, Shishu Pal, Ullas Kumar alias Mohit Trivedi, Rinku Rana and Dharmendra Banjara. All of them are in jail.

While hearing the matter on December 12 last year, the apex court had asked the state government, which opposed the bail plea of Ashish Mishra terming the offence "very grave", to file an affidavit concerning the status of the case lodged over the killing of three occupants of the SUV.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched several developmental projects in Karnataka today, tried his hands on a traditional drum during a public rally in Kalaburagi district. As the PM played the drum, the crowd cheered for him. This is not the first time that PM Modi tried his hands on any musical instruments. PM Modi had in past played several instruments not only in India but during his foreign visit as well.

Addressing the rally in Karnataka, PM Modi asserted that the BJP government's priority is only development. Referring to the positive aspect of having a BJP government at both state and Centre, he said, double engine government means double benefit, double welfare and double fast paced development, and Karnataka is the best example for this.

Karnataka is going to assembly polls by May.

#WATCH | Karnataka: PM Narendra Modi plays traditional drum during a public rally in Kalaburagi district pic.twitter.com/vyfgKAVQnO  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

"It has been 75 years of India's development and now the country is marching ahead with the focus on the next 25 years. These 25 years are going to be the Amrit Kaal for every citizen and state, during which we have to build a developed India," Modi noted.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water besides a National Highway development project at Kodekal in this district, he said, India can be developed only when every citizen of the country, every family, every state gets associated with this campaign.

Noting that this can be possible only when we learn from bad experiences and wrong policies of the past decades and see to it that it is not repeated, the PM said, there are examples of Yadgiri and north Karnataka before us, despite its potential this region was lagging behind in the development journey.

This is the second visit of the Prime Minister to the poll-bound Karnataka this month. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive road show. The trip also gains significance, as the ruling BJP prepares for assembly polls in Karnataka due by May and has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of total 224 seats.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba, several Ministers from the state cabinet, legislators and officials were present at the event. (With agency inputs)
Hyderabad: A major fire broke out at a building in Hyderabad's Ramgopalpet neighbourhood on Thursday. The fire brigade and other officials have arrived and are trying to extinguish the fire. According to reports, seven fire engines were deployed to the location to extinguish the fire. According to the DCP central zone, the fire started about 11:30 a.m. on the ground and first levels of a five-story building. On the ground and first levels, there was a sportswear fabric showroom.

#WATCH | Telangana: A massive fire breaks out in a building in Ramgopalpet Police Station limits in Hyderabad. Efforts are underway by the fire department and other officials to extinguish the fire. pic.twitter.com/bDtjJZdeWo January 19, 2023

It's a commercial complex, there is a lot of fabric material inside - especially knitwear. Police personnel, State Fire Dept, officials from GHMC, disaster response force also here. We have already evacuated all the surrounding buildings, says Vikram Singh Mann, Addl CP (Law & Order) as quoted by ANI.

The incident is captured on camera, with black smoke rising from the building and covering the surrounding neighbourhood. Police and firefighters are attempting to limit the damage.

"Four people have been rescued but we cannot tell with full conviction that there is no one left in the building," Chandra said.According to the police, the reason for the fire is unknown and the fire department is working hard to control the fire."There is still smoke coming out of the building. DRF officials, police and fire department officials are working together to control the fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be known," DCP told ANI. No casualty has been reported so far.

(With ANI inputs)
Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena has taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Mumbai saying that his arrival in the city is just another "campaign for his party, not for any welfare of the state. "Modi is visiting Mumbai for a few hours and it is being said that in these few hours, he will lay the foundation for the bright future of Mumbai. But the question is since when did the BJP start worrying about Mumbai`s future and fortune? This propaganda that the Prime Minister is incarnating for the bright future of Mumbai is false. He is campaigning for his party, but can the saffron of the Shiv Sena be removed from Mumbai?" Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said in a strongly-worded editorial.

The Sena editorial further said that Mumbai would be blessed only if no attempt is made to "loot" the labour of Marathis."The fate of Mumbai was built by the Marathi people with their own labour and the buildings of `Delhiswars` were raised on the loot of the same Mumbai. 105 martyrs built Mumbai`s future and fortune, if no attempt is made to loot it, then Mumbai will be blessed," the party wrote in `Saamana.`

Hitting out at the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde, the editorial said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has swallowed the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) as a crocodile does with a frog.

For the PM`s tour, cut-outs of BJP leaders are visibly bigger than Balasaheb`s cut-outs put up in Mumbai. Why are those who call themselves Balasaheb`s Shiv Sena silent on this, the Sena mouthpiece said. "The Prime Minister, programs like the inauguration of ambitious projects, Bhumi Pujan etc. have been organized. The BJP has decorated Mumbai with its flag to welcome the Prime Minister. Somewhere in this, the Shinde group made a futile attempt to show its existence, but the crocodile has swallowed the frog, in the same way, this group has been swallowed and the picture of the frog going into the jaws of the crocodile is visible," it said.

The Shiv Sena further claimed that most of the development projects which the PM will inaugurate today were done by Shiva Sena in the Municipal Corporation. "PM is about to inaugurate a super speciality hospital in Bhandup. Shiv Sena had given a promise regarding this hospital in its promissory note and in 2017 itself, a provision of Rs 150 crore was made to complete this work. The planning of the Mumbai sewerage project is going on for the last 10-12 years. To remove the obstacles of various permissions, Central Pollution Board, and the Municipal Corporation took this matter to the Supreme Court and after the order of the Supreme Court, in May 2022, the tender process of this work was completed and a `work order` was given. Most of the development works of which the Prime Minister is going to perform Bhumi Pujan, inauguration, etc. in Mumbai, were given the go ahead when Shiv Sena was in power in the Municipal Corporation. The Bharatiya Janata Party may try to take credit for this work, but the public knows everything," it claimed.

Taking a jibe, the editorial said, "Projects worth 2.25 lakh crore were taken away from Maharashtra. This is an economic blow to Mumbai. Took away the morsel from the unemployed youth of Maharashtra. Should this be called the fate of Mumbai-Maharashtra? A crowd gathering has been planned for Prime Minister Modi`s meeting and the security wall of the University of Mumbai at Kalina was broken to facilitate the parking of vehicles for the visitors. Controversy arose regarding this. Mumbai`s fortunes began by breaking the walls of the university. Every major structure of Mumbai is being hammered in this way. Still welcome to our Prime Minister! Yes!!"

PM Modi will reach Mumbai by the evening to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 38,800 crores in Mumbai. He will inaugurate two lines of the Mumbai Metro and also enjoy a metro ride.

To provide seamless urban mobility, he will dedicate to the nation Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7, worth around Rs 12,600 crore. The metro line 2A connecting Dahisar E and DN Nagar (yellow line) is around 18.6 km long, while metro line 7 connecting Andheri E - Dahisar E (red line) is around 16.5 km long.

The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of these lines in 2015.During the visit, PM Modi will also launch MUMBAI 1 Mobile App and National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1). The app will facilitate ease of travel, can be shown at the entry gates of metro stations and supports digital payment to buy tickets through UPI.

The National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1) will initially be used in metro corridors and can be extended to other modes of mass public transit including local trains and buses as well. Commuters will not need to carry multiple cards or cash; the NCMC card will enable quick, contactless, digital transactions, thereby easing the process with a seamless experience, according to the PMO statement.

The Prime Minister will further lay the foundation stone of seven sewage treatment plants, which will be built at a cost of around Rs 17,200 crore. These sewage treatment plants will be set up in Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi and Worli. They will have a combined capacity of around 2,460 MLD.
Washington: Actor Kim Kardashian surely has an eye for things! The glamorous actress purchased the diamond-encrusted amethyst Attallah cross pendant, famously worn by Princess Diana, at Sotheby`s annual Royal & Noble auction, as reported by People, a US-based media company.

The `Kardashians` star bought the piece, which features square-cut amethysts accented by circular-cut diamonds weighing in at 5.25 carats, for 97,453 dollars. According to the statement of Sotheby London`s Head of jewellery, Kristian Spofforth, "This is a bold piece of jewellery by its size, colour and style which cannot fail to make a vibrant statement, whether it be of faith or fashion -- or indeed both," as reported by People.

As reported by People, Kim is delighted as well as honoured to possess such precious jewels, that were once worn or owned by strong, iconic women who have inspired Kim. The late Princess of Wales donned the pendant on several occasions. The most notable was, Birthright`s 1987 London charity gala supporting the organization`s humanitarian work for those in pregnancy and childbirth. She wore the floral-detailed pendant on a long pearl chain and with a royal purple Victorian velvet gown by Catherine Walker.

According to a press release issued by Sotheby`s, the ornament has a decade-long history starting with court jeweller Garrard, which designed the one-off pendant in the 1920s. It was later bought by the late Naim Attallah CBE, the former group chief executive of Asprey and Garrard who often loaned the one-of-a-kind gem to Princess Diana, in the 1980s, reported by People.

According to Sotheby`s release, the cross was only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it hasn`t been seen in public, till date. The organization also notes that Princess Diana had a close relationship with the jeweller. She selected her engagement ring from the same house in 1981. Netizens don`t seem happy with Kim`s latest purchase.

A netizen wrote, "Can`t believe that Kim Kardashian has bought a necklace that once belonged to Princess Diana she is not worthy to wear it."

Last May, Kardashian received adulation as well as a backlash at the Met gala, where she appeared wearing the same crystal-embellished Jean Louis gown worn by Marilyn Monroe when serenading then-president John F. Kennedy on his birthday in 1962, reported by People.

Borrowed from Ripley`s Believe It or Not Museum in Orlando, Florida, the iconic champagne-coloured silk souffle dress featured a curve-hugging silhouette and a scoop neckline. Kardashian even changed her hair colour to embody the Hollywood icon.
New Delhi: Actress Minissha Lamba, who made her debut with the Bollywood film Yahaan in 2005 was last seen in the 2017 film Bhoomi. In her latest interview, she talked about a lot of things including the MeToo movement and Sajid Khan, who was a contestant this year on Bigg Boss 16. Minissha participated on the reality show's season 8.

Minissha Lamba told Indian Express, how she actually wanted to become a journalist but ended up as an actor. I did not have the kind of guidance which I needed at that time. I did everything on my own and when I look back, I am wiser. Definitely if I had to do it again, I would have done certain things differently.

When quizzed about Bigg Boss 16 show, Sajid Khan and the Me Too movement, she said, The Me Too movement is and has been so important in changing the conversation around the world about women. It was just a revolution that was on the brink that was waiting to happen. It just needed that one boiling point, that one catastrophe to change the world and that is what revolutions are all about. Regarding the creature (Sajid Khan) you are talking about, the less about the person the better.

She also shared her list of favourites from the younger crop. "Among the women I am absolutely in love with Ananya Pandey. Alia Bhatt is a once in a generation actor and Sara Ali Khan is so charming. Janhvi Kapoor has her own quiet strong beauty about her."
New Delhi: The controversial celebrity Poonam Pandey was recently spotted at the Mumbai airport wearing a black bralette, leather pants and a jacket. Looking all ready, she walked towards the exit amid security as many tried to click pictures with her. She was also seen holding a book in her hand. Social media is abuzz with her airport look and netizens did try to roast her a bit this time.

Commenting on Poonam's look, many wrote mean things on social media. Some pointed out her clothes while others took a dig at her reading habit. One user wrote: Who dresses like that for a plane? Another one said: Can she read is the question.

She was last seen in Kangana Ranaut's reality show Lock Upp season 1. While on the show also, she once mentioned facing domestic violence. Poonam had revealed that her estranged husband Sam Bombay once beat her so much that it caused her brain haemorrhage.

Poonam Pandey got married to her boyfriend Sam Bombay in a private ceremony in 2020. Soon after the wedding news, she filed a complaint against him saying that he has molested, threatened and assaulted her. The incident reportedly took place in Canacona village in south Goa where Pandey was shooting for a film and later Sam was arrested.

Sam who was born and brought up in United Arab Emirates Dubai is an ad filmmaker and a producer.
New Delhi: When the Labor Ministry releases the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) numbers on January 31, there may be a hint about the upcoming Dearness Allowance (DA) increase. For central staff, just the AICPI index is used to determine their daily stipend. The country as a whole and 88 centres were included in the index. The AICPI is released on the final working day of each month.

The November 2022 AICPI statistics were 132.5. According to media reports, the dearness allowance would rise by 3% if the future index (for December 2022) stays the same. As a result, from its current 38 percent, the DA will increase to 41 percent.

How much salary will increase if government announces 3% hike in DA taking it to 41 percent

Taking Minimum Basic salary at Rs 18,000

If DA is hiked to 41% = Rs 7,380/month

Current 38% DA = Rs 6,840/month

Salary increases by Rs 900 per month (Rs Rs 7,380 minus Rs 6,840)

Annual salary hike Rs 900 X 12 = Rs 10,800

Taking Minimum Basic salary at Rs 56,900

If DA is hiked to 41% = Rs 23,329/month

Current 38% DA = Rs 21,622/month

Salary increases by Rs 1,707 per month (Rs 23,329 minus Rs 21,622)

Annual salary hike Rs 1,707 X 12 = Rs 20,484



7th Pay Commission: DA hiked by 4 percent to 38 percent



The Union Cabinet had on 28 September 2022, approved the release of additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief @ 4 percent to Central Government employees and pensioners due from 01.07.2022 based on the percentage increase in 12 monthly average of All India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June, 2022. The Central Government employees and pensioners had become entitled to higher amount of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief respectively, w.e.f. 01.07.2022.

The additional financial implications on account of this increase of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees are estimated at Rs.6,591.36 crore per annum; and Rs.4,394.24 crore in the financial year 2022-23 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).

The additional financial implications on account of this increase of Dearness Relief to pensioners are estimated at Rs.6,261.20 crore per annum; and Rs.4,174.12 crore in the financial year 2022-23 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).

The combined impart on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be of the order of Rs.12,852.56 crore per annum; and Rs.8,568.36 crore in the financial year 2022-23 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).
Invitees to the 74th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path and those possessing digital tickets for seats at the venue will be able to avail "free metro ride" to the two stations near Raisina Hill on January 26, officials said on Wednesday. This was shared in a presentation on the events to be held from January 23-31 as part of the Republic Day celebrations, made on Wednesday by defence ministry officials. Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat metro stations are located near the Kartavya Path. During the power point presentation, it was shared in one of the slides that "metro services will be operational on January 26".

"Invitees and ticket holders having valid invitation cards/admit cards/ticket along with a government-issued photo ID will be allowed to avail metro services free of cost and will exit at Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat metro stations for reaching their designated enclosures as decided," it said.

A senior official later told PTI that that Republic Day e-tickets booked online "will have a QR code" and these tickets can be shown at metro stations to "get a token for free ride to reach the stations near the venue".

Udyog Bhawan station falls on the Yellow Line while Central Secretariat station is an interchange facility between the Yellow Line and Violet Line. A senior official of the DMRC when contacted, said, "we are awaiting orders".

This will be the first Republic Day celebrations hosted at the ceremonial boulevard after Rajpath was renamed to 'Kartavya Path' last year. The Republic Day celebrations this year will take place on the revamped Central Vista avenue, and the government has put 32,000 tickets on sale online for the masses, defence ministry officials said.

For the first time, all official invites for the ceremonial event will be sent online, they said. "This year, physical invitation cards for guests and spectators have been replaced by e-invitations. For this purpose, a dedicated portal amantran.Mod.Gov.In has been launched. Sale of tickets, admit cards, invitation cards and car parking labels are being issued online through this portal," the defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This will ensure the whole process to be more secure and paperless and enable people from all parts of the country to attend this national event," it said.
A video has surfaced on Twitter, showcasing India's first rapid regional rail conducting a high-speed run, passing through an under construction RRTS train station. The video with no date or location is shot from an unknown station where the RRTS train approaches and leaves the station in a fraction of second. The RRTS trains are the India's fastest metro trains and will also be the first regional rapid rail. Currently, NCRTC, the parent body of Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail is conducting trial runs at Duhai Depot. he depot recently received 4 new trainsets from Alstom, the maker of rapid rail on this section.

Also, the RRTS also conducted its first run between Duhai Depot and Ghaziabad. The train was taken out of Duhai Depot for the first time for electrical testing and it was a unique and first time experience for all the engineers, technicians, technicians and employees. The 25-km trial was done as the OHE wire was connected, charging at 25 KB capacity. However, NCRTC says that it cannot be called a trial run.

NCRTC spokesperson Puneet Vats told IANS that before the trial run, separate checks are done for OHE wire, track, telecom, signalling, rolling stock etc. In the same sequence, Rapid Rail has been charged at 25 KV capacity. After which these trains were seen running from Duhai depot to Ghaziabad.

The entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS is targeted to be operational by 2025. Its Duhai-Sahibabad priority section in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad is expected to be operational by early 2023, the NCRTC said earlier.

Made by Alstom, the first trainset was dispatched from Savli in Gujarat on June 3, 2022 and was received by National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), after travelling by road for 10 days. The first train set of RRTS was handed over to the NCRTC by Modi at an event organised at the manufacturing unit in Savli in the Vadodara district.

Recently, the first rake of Delhi-Ghaziabad Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) underwent night trial. The video was shared on twitter and has left netizens even more eager for the arrival of the train.

With IANS inputs
San Francisco: Elon Musk-owned Twitter has placed hundreds of items from its San Francisco headquarters up for auction online, including the bird statue and other office assets.

In December 2022, after Musk revealed that Twitter spends $13 million a year on food service, the company said it will be selling at least 265 kitchen appliances and office furniture online, and the bidding will start at just $25.

Now, the auction is online on the Heritage Global Partners' website, the company administering the auction.

The company's neon Twitter Bird light electrical display is currently priced at $22,500 with just under 10 hours left to bid.

A 190 cm planter in the shape of an @ symbol is already fetching $8,000.

Moreover, the blue bird statue is currently priced at $20,500.

The auctions also include some of the kitchen appliances, including several high-end La Marzocco espresso machines and a fizzy drink fountain complete with an ice dispenser.

The microblogging platform is also offloading a pair of Herman Miller coffee tables, which currently cost $2,200.

Last week, Musk, who failed to pay the rent for Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, asked its remaining staff in Singapore to stop coming to the office and work remotely as the company has reportedly failed to pay the monthly rent.

Twitter has been sued as it failed to pay $136,250 rent for its office space in San Francisco.

Additionally, the company is reportedly looking to shed its co-working spaces in Delhi and Mumbai after having already done so in Bengaluru.
Moradabad: Some students of the Hindu college in Uttar Pradesh`s Moradabad were denied entry to the college for wearing a burqa despite the prescribed uniform code for the students here. The girls have alleged that their college was not letting them enter the college campus wearing burqa and are compelling them to remove it at the entrance gate. On the said matter, a scuffle broke out between the students, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha workers, and the college professors who remained adamant about sticking to the prescribed rules.

A video of the scene from the Hindu college has been making rounds on the Internet. Meanwhile, the college professor, Dr AP Singh said that they have implemented a dress code for the students here and anybody who refuses to follow it will be barred from entering the college campus.

To this, the members of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha submitted a memorandum to include the burqa in the dress code for college and allow the girls to attend their classes wearing it.

Earlier in January 2022, a similar situation rose in Karnataka when the massive Hijab protests broke out, where some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

The matter was then taken up to the Karnataka High Court which dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

However, when taken to the Supreme Court, the apex body on October 13, 2022 pronounced a split verdict in the Karnataka Hijab ban case.

The arguments in the matter went on for 10 days in which 21 lawyers from the petitioners` side and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi argued for the respondents.
New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, on Thursday (January 19), issued a statement on the recent vandalism of a Hindu temple - Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Australias Carrum Downs along with other similar incidents that have occurred in the recent past. He stated that the MEA has taken cognizance of such events and "strongly condemn" them. India's Consulate General in Melbourne has taken up the matter with the local police of Carrum Downs, he further informed the public. Bagchi also stated that they've "requested expeditious investigation against the perpetrators and measures to prevent such incidents in future."

'Strongly condemn these actions': MEA

As quoted by ANI, Bagchi said, "We are aware that a couple of temples have recently been vandalised in Australia. We strongly condemn these actions. These actions have also been publically condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders and religious associations there."

We are aware that a couple of temples have recently been vandalised in Australia. We strongly condemn these actions. These actions have also been publically condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders and religious associations there: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi pic.twitter.com/qXyCgQbSZs  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2023

Hindu temple vandalised by Khalistan supporters

The Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple was allegedly vandalised by Khalistan supporters on January 15 and the act was noticed the next day on January 16 when devotees thronged the temple to celebrate the three-day-long festival of 'Thai Pongal'.

The second Hindu temple was vandalized in Australia within a week. Is anyone asking why this is happening now? Hindu temples abroad were never targeted before. pic.twitter.com/WS7qyAKdse  Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) January 17, 2023

Shockingly, another temple had been vandalised a week before the Shiva Vishnu temple incident. This was the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Australias Mill Park. It was allegedly covered in anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti.

Hindu community deeply upset over recent vandalism

Hindu Council of Australias Victoria chapter President Makrand Bhagwat, as quoted by The Australia Today, said: I cant tell you how upset I am for witnessing a second Hindu Temple vandalised for Khalistan propaganda.

Melbourne Hindu community member Sachin Mahate said: If these Khalistan supporters have the courage they should go and draw graffiti on the Victorian Parliament building rather than target peaceful Hindu communitys religious places.

When I reached the temple today morning all walls were coloured with graffiti of Khalistani hatred towards Hindus, The Australia Today quoted Patel as saying.

He added, I am angry, scared and dismayed by the blatant display of religious hatred towards the peaceful Hindu community by Khalistan supporters.

(With agency inputs)
Davos: Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, has said that her country does not see a "partner" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi for working towards peace between the two countries, but it saw a partner in his predecessors, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Speaking at a session on South Asia at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023, Khar said that when she was foreign minister, she had worked hard to press for better cooperation and the situation was much better at that time compared to now.

Khar makes statement on Indo-Pak relations after Shehbaz Sharif calls for talks

Khar said that "What we have done in these years, we have added to the hostility. We must realise that we cannot change geography. And let's understand it's not a South Asia problem, it is an India-Pakistan problem and the problem from India side and there was a lack of statesmanship."

Also Read: 'We have learnt our lesson from wars, want peace now': Pak PM's msg to PM Modi

Khar's comments come days after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought "serious" and "sincere" talks with his Indian counterpart for the resolution of the "burning" issues, including Kashmir. Khar further said Pakistan has learned its lessons from the past and it wants to move forward but she feels that India was always a country where all religions coexisted but that was not the case anymore.

'PM Modi extended his hand several times': Art of Living Founder at WEF 2023

Art of Living Founder Sri Ravi Shankar, who was on the same panel discussion, said that Pakistan has to realise the problem is from their side as India does not have problem with any other neighbour. He said the two countries share the same language and have similar cultures, food etc. Ravi Shankar said Prime Minister Modi has extended his hand several times and repeatedly offered to help and the allegation that the current prime minister has shown no willingness makes no sense.

Khar also alleged that India's secular fabric has been torn apart during the tenure of the current government, a charge which was strongly rebutted by Ravi Shankar.

(With PTI inputs)
Carole Baskin is an American animal rights activist and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit animal sanctuary based near Tampa, Florida. Don Lewis, the ex-husband of Tiger King actress Baskin, was reportedly discovered in Costa Rica alive and well. Not the only unexpected turn is that. Despite the show's enormous success, it wasn't until a year later that it was revealed that Lewis was alive again and wasn't being fed to the tigers as had been claimed previously. The creator of Big Cat Rescue in Florida, Carole Baskin, gained questionable notoriety after appearing in the "Tiger King" Netflix series.

Ever since the show's 2020 premiere, Baskin has been falsely and widely charged of killing her ex-husband, who disappeared in 1997. Some fans proposed some wacky conspiracy theories regarding her mysterious missing ex, including an unsupported claim that she was somehow involved in a murder-for-hire scheme.

However, Baskin claims that her ex is well and is residing in Central America, in one of the biggest story twists ever. The animal rights activist said in a November 2021 interview that Lewis had been in contact with the US Department of Homeland Security for years and that they were aware of his movements. Despite the fact that the revelation was made last year, it is only now going viral on social media.

The Netflix star is now remarried, tying the knot with husband Howard Baskin in 2004. Despite Baskin's claims, a fact-checking site has looked into the issue and as of this writing believes it is "unproven" that Don is still alive.
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia's powerful military-industrial complex was ramping up production and was one of the main reasons why his country would prevail in Ukraine. Speaking to workers at a factory in St Petersburg that makes air defence systems, Putin said overall military equipment output was rising even as demand for it was growing because of what he calls Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

"In terms of achieving the end result and the victory that is inevitable, there are several things ... It is the unity and cohesion of the Russian and multinational Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters ... and of course the work of the military-industrial complex and factories like yours and people like you," said Putin.

"Victory is assured, I have no doubt about it."

Putin said Russian arms companies manufactured about the same number of anti-aircraft missiles as the rest of the world combined, and three times more than the United States.

Earlier, he had attended an event with veterans to mark the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the World War Two siege of his home city, then known as Leningrad, which Nazi German forces had blockaded for nearly 900 days.

He told the veterans that Russia was fighting in Ukraine to defend ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers, which Moscow says are subject to systematic discrimination in Ukraine.

Kyiv rejects the allegation and says Moscow is using it as a pretext for a naked colonial-style land grab.

"What we're doing today, including with our special operation, is an attempt to stop this war and protect our people who live on these territories," said Putin.

"These are our historical territories," he said - a reference to the fact that large parts of today's Ukraine were once part of the Russian Empire.

Putin was born in Leningrad in 1952 and began his foreign intelligence career in the city with the Soviet KGB. Later on he held positions in the city administration while his political mentor Anatoly Sobchak was mayor.
London: In a recent session of the British Parliament, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the BBC documentary series that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The series, which was aired by the UK's national broadcaster, sparked outrage and condemnation from prominent Indian-origin UK citizens, as well as the Indian government.

UK PM Rishi Sunak defends PM Modi in British Parliament

When Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain raised the issue of the controversial documentary in the British Parliament, Prime Minister Sunak stated, "The UK government's position on this has been clear and long-standing and hasn't changed. Of course, we don't tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere, but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization that the honorable gentleman has put forward."

UK Government PM Rishi Sunak Criticizes BBC Report:



UK PM Rishi Sunak dismisses Pakistani-origin Imran Hussain, a British MP, appearing in the House in connection with an allegation against PM Modi, which was conducted by BBC. pic.twitter.com/Uu3O72g1tU January 19, 2023

Prominent Indian-origin UK citizen Lord Rami Ranger condemned the series, saying that it "caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians" and insulted the democratically elected Indian Prime Minister, police, and judiciary. Ranger took to Twitter to express his disapproval, stating, "@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians. It insults a democratically elected @PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting."

Also Read: 'Propaganda piece, biased': MEA slams BBC documentary on PM Modi, Gujarat riots

MEA slams BBC documentary, says 'colonial mindset visible'

The Ministry of External Affairs also issued a statement reacting to the BBC report, calling it a "completely biased copy" and a "propaganda piece" with "no objectivity." MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also raised questions about "the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it." He went on to say, "The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts."

The documentary, which has been removed from select platforms, has sparked a heated debate about the role of media in shaping public perception.

(With ANI inputs)
FORT RUCKER  Enterprise High School students visited the home of Army Aviation during a Meet Your Army event recently held here.

Twenty-six Army JROTC cadets, primarily seniors, experienced a busy day engaged with Army aviation soldiers, trying their hands at flight simulators, an MRE lunch, an Army Aviation Museum scavenger hunt, and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flight.

It exposes cadets to all the job opportunities and different careers in the aviation field, said Sgt. Maj. (ret.) Gary T. Price, Enterprise High School Army JROTC instructor, including civilian opportunities.

Between 15-20 percent of Enterprise JROTC senior cadets join the military, and senior Amelia Ruhle hopes to be one of them.

I definitely want to join, said Ruhle, whose father is an Army pilot at Fort Rucker.

Everyone seems to enjoy their visit, Ruhle said. Being able to come on base...is a new experience for some students. It can be a turning point, and post-high school plans can change after seeing this.

Capt. Fernando Rincon, an aviation proponent officer in the Organization and Personnel Force Development Directorate (OPFD), coordinated the event for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence.

We are introducing them to Army aviation, increasing awareness of our branch and what we do for the Army and the nation, Rincon said. We do that by introducing them and exposing them to role models, experiences, and equipment.

While OPFD hosts annual JROTC events, also available to Civil Air Patrol and Boy Scout programs, other area youth civic programs can request a Meet Your Army event through the community engagement section of the Fort Rucker public affairs website at https://home.army.mil/rucker/index.php/publicaffairs.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov.

Dear Sadyr Nurgozhoevich,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and your fraternal people on the occasion of a significant date  the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kyrgyz Republic, and convey my best wishes to you on this occasion.

We attach special importance to the friendly relations and cooperation with fraternal Kyrgyzstan, with which we share deep historical, cultural and spiritual roots. It is very reassuring that our interstate relations, built on this solid foundation 30 years ago, are developing on an ascending line, especially in recent years, and have reached the level of strategic partnership.

Reciprocal visits, regular contacts and documents signed in various fields testify to the high dynamics of the development of our cooperation. In particular, the visits we made to our fraternal countries last year played an important part in raising our bilateral ties to a qualitatively new level. It is gratifying that the discussions held both in Baku and in Bishkek, the agreements reached and numerous important documents signed have given an impetus to the development of the Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz partnership in all areas and enriched them with new content.

I believe that by effectively using the favorable conditions for expanding the scope of mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries, we will achieve the strengthening of our ties and the further deepening of our fruitful interaction both on a bilateral and multilateral basis.

I sincerely congratulate you again, and wish you good health, happiness and success in your endeavors, and the fraternal people of Kyrgyzstan continuous well-being and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 16 January 2023
Its time for the 3rd Annual Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity Home Sweet Home Dessert Auction.

This auction brings a chance to gather all the sweets you love just in time for Valentines Day, and proceeds benefit the local community.

Local volunteers donate cakes, pies, and sweet treats to be auctioned off through an online bidding system. Winning bidders are able to pick up their items at the Chipola Habitat for Humanity office in Marianna. Proceeds from the auction are used to fund the construction of homes in Jackson and Washington counties.

If youd like to donate a dessert or sweet treat, fill out the online donation form or print a copy and fill it out that way if you prefer.

Completed forms can be faxed to 850-633-1063, emailed to resourcedevelopment@chipolahabitat.org, or delivered in person to either Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity location: 1368 North Railroad Avenue in Chipley or 4736 Hwy 90 in Marianna.

There are lots of options when it comes to a great donation. Popular items include cakes, pies, cupcakes, brownies, dessert bars, muffins, and cookies. Gift certificates and treat baskets are also a favorite. Not sure if your item would work? Contact Habitat and the crew will help you decide.

The deadline for donating is Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Bids on the goodies will be accepted Feb. 9-11.

Donated items can be dropped off to the Habitat offices Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Item pick-up for winning bidders will be Feb. 13 from 1-5 p.m. and Feb. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

If you want to know more, visit the Chipola Habitat website for more information. Youll find everything you need to know at https://www.chipolahabitat.org/home-sweet-home-2023.
MONTGOMERY  A fourth defendant was sentenced this week for his role in selling methamphetamine in Alabamas Wiregrass region, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.

This concludes a series of federal sentencings that resulted from a Geneva County drug trafficking investigation beginning in 2019.

The defendants convicted and their sentences are:

On Jan. 18, Shanna Collins, 44, a resident of Hartford, received a 77-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug. Collins pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 16, 2022.

On Dec. 14, 2022, Dewey Gibson, 34, a resident of Enterprise, received a 92-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Gibson pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 2, 2022.

On Dec. 6, 2022, Jarmaricue Williams, 33, also a resident of Hartford, received a 92-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Williams pleaded guilty to the charge on June 8, 2022.

On March 1, 2022, Larry Jerome Hilliard, Jr., 48, a resident of Slocomb, Alabama, received a 63-month prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Hilliard pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 24, 2021. The judge also ordered that Hilliards federal sentence run consecutive to any related state sentence he may receive.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Geneva County Sheriffs Office, the Houston County Sheriffs Office, the Coffee County Sheriffs Office, the Geneva Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson prosecuted the case.
Wines of Portugal Month to return in 2023

Wines of Portugal has announced the return of its annual campaign geared towards independent wine retailers.

Taking place in June, Wines of Portugal Month - which is now in its third year - aims to educate consumers about Portuguese wines and boost sales. According to the trade body, sales of Portuguese wines were up 383.48% in value and 440.87% in June 2022 compared to June 2021 at participating merchants.

As part of the campaign, 15 independent retailers will receive support from Wines of Portugal to organise in-store and/or online promotional activities.

This years campaign will also feature a collaboration with wine writer Jamie Goode, who will be covering Portuguese wines and platforming the 15 participating retailers through social media.

Retailers who wish to participate will be required to apply online by January 31.

Related articles:
China's relaxation of its Covid-19 restrictions will spur trade and other exchanges with Vietnam, according to Chinese ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo.

"Normalizing procedures at the border between the two countries will help with the exporting of high-quality products from Vietnam to China, especially agricultural ones," Xiong said.

Chinese ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo talks to the press in Hanoi in November 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

China has begun a series of reopening procedures following three years of its "zero-Covid" policy.

Starting January 8, China relaxed its coronavirus prevention measures, opening up its borders and stopping Covid-19 tests at border gates for imported goods, including frozen ones.

Those looking to enter China now only need a negative PCR test within the last 48 hours, and no quarantine is required.

Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked localities and businesses to stay updated on news regarding trade at border gates.

Xiong said the adjustments would "surely bring great benefits regarding economic cooperation and people's exchanges" between Vietnam and China, adding that the new flow of people, logistics and capital across the border would help activate markets.

"This will increase China's demand for many goods, including Vietnamese ones, which should further promote bilateral trade," he said.

China is one of Vietnam's largest trade partners. In 2021, bilateral trade turnover between the two countries reached $165.8 billion, a 24.6% increase from 2020. In the first 9 months of 2022, Vietnam exported $41.22 billion worth of goods to China.

Passengers line up for immigration procedures after landing on the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Zhejiang Province, China, January 8, 2023. Photo by AFP

As for cross-border travel and tourism, Xiong said China would adjust its visa policies step-by-step to meet the demands of people from other countries wanting to enter China. He said priority would be given to workers, businesspeople, students and people who want to be reunited with their loved ones.

Following its reopening, China has scrapped measures limiting the number of flights carrying international passengers. The country is also gradually resuming normal operations regarding immigration.

"We would also encourage Chinese tourists to travel abroad in an orderly and positive way, and trust that neighboring countries with friendly immigration policies would be their first choice," Xiong said.

Xiong also said the coronavirus situation in China is "within control" and that the country has gone past the toughest period of the pandemic. He said China now has sufficient conditions and facilities for disease prevention.
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"We will continue to work with the international community to help address the Venezuelan crisis," said State Spokesperson Price.
ELKO  An Elko man was sentenced in district court to a minimum of four years and maximum of 17 years in prison for a January 2021 shooting at a trailer park that left one man dead and a woman permanently disabled.

Austin Himmelman, 32, was sentenced by Judge Mason Simons for one count of involuntary manslaughter, a category D felony; and one count of battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm, a category B felony.

Simons also ordered Himmelman to pay $10,468.70 restitution for funeral costs to Jeannette Theel, the mother of Matthew Baze, who died three days after being shot twice in the back of the leg and once in the head.

Theel, who spoke during victim impact testimony, described her life since the day she learned about the shooting, the loss of her son, and the hole his death left in her family.

I am asked to describe how it has affected myself and my family, Theel said. There are no words that can. The anguish and pain of the loss of my son Matthew Allen Baze has weighed my heart and my soul. My life has completely stopped.

'Armed and dangerous' shooting suspect identified by police ELKO  A suspect has been identified in Thursday mornings shooting of two people at a southside trailer park.

Crying as she read from a prepared statement, Theel told the court her son remains alive through the four people who received his organs after he died.

The thing is, [Himmelman] didnt kill Matthew that day. He lives on, Theel said. Four strangers are walking and talking, making memories and living life.

Im angry and hurt, Theel concluded. Nobody deserves to be shot and killed. Nobody has the right to make that choice.

Bazes sister also tearfully spoke about the loss of her younger brother, reading from a poem she rewrote to fit her thoughts and feelings regarding Bazes death and the aftermath  including depression, anxiety, PTSD and nightmares.

Matthew had many titles. Brother, son, cousin, uncle, father, spouse, best friend, helper, healer, and overall jokester of our family, she said. The poorly made decision to carry out the senseless act that led to Matthews death has removed all those titles.

She said she would constantly be Matthews voice, and forgave Himmelman to set an example for her children.

Austin, for my sake, for my kids sake in setting an example as a mom, I forgive you, she said. I wont forget, but I forgive you for taking away my person and I hope that someday you can forgive yourself genuinely. As much as I want to hate you and hate what you caused, for my kids, I have to set an example so I forgive you.

Himmelman, who had earlier declined to speak on his own behalf, responded to Bazes sister in tears.

My heart goes out to every single one of you, he said. I wish everybody here knew the truth of what really happened. Im not here to talk about that today. I cant talk about that here today, but its a horrible, tragic accident, and if I could take it back, I would.

Im so sorry. Im not a cold-hearted monster. I did it out of fear for my own life, Himmelman continued. Im sorry.

In their statements, both Theel and Bazes sister expressed disappointment in how Himmelmans case was handled by Nevada Deputy Attorney General Michael J. Bongard, given the defendants criminal record. They also asked Simons to sentence Himmelman to the maximum penalty allowed.

Bongard took over the case from the Elko District Attorneys Office, which cited a conflict of interest.

Elko County Public Defender Matthew Pennell addressed the court after victim impact testimony concluded, explaining that if the case had gone to trial there was a possibility Himmelman could have been acquitted by the jury.

I believe that Attorney General Bongard gave the family the justice he could, Pennell said. The reason why I believe that is based on my evaluation of the case and how it was proceeding. We were on the path to victory, to where essentially it was very possible that he would be found not guilty.

Pennell added that there was a witness who would have testified Baze extended his firearm at Himmelman first.

Bongard argued for the maximum penalty to be handed down.

Mr. Himmelman, under the eyes of the law, was a habitual offender, but is no longer because of a change in the law, Bongard said.

A recent court filing on Jan. 12 charging Himmelman with fighting or challenging to fight while in custody at the Elko County Jail last summer was proof to Bongard that Himmelman should be sentenced to prison.

The latest offense in custody, it shows that he fails to follow the law in custody. He fails to follow the law, so I think probation should be out of the question, Bongard concluded.

More murder, attempted murder cases still in Elko courts Three attempted murder cases and three murder cases, including Brittany Figiel and Austin Himmelman, are pending resolution in Elko's Fourth Judicial Court.

Pennell told the court they hoped for probation on the charges, but that Himmelman believed differently.

Mr. Himmelman has expressed to me that he understands he could be sent to prison on this, Pennell said.

The charges stemmed from an incident at a trailer park off South Fifth Street on Jan. 7, 2021, where police were called on a report that a man and a woman had been shot.

Baze, who suffered gunshot wounds to his head and pelvic area, died three days later at a Utah hospital following surgery.

The woman survived, but is still recovering from injuries to her abdomen, according to court documents.

According to court documents, the shooting occurred over a vehicle that was at Bazes residence. The day before, Baze and Himmelmans mother had an argument.

Two casings from a 9mm gun were found on the ground with multiple holes located on the exterior of the residence.

Himmelman was arrested five days after the shooting in Sparks and charged with felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He had been convicted in earlier cases of misdemeanor domestic violence, felony drug trafficking, being a fugitive from justice, and unlawfully using or being addicted to a controlled substance.

After his arrest, he was charged with felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for possessing a 9mm handgun after being convicted of a felony. About four months later, he was released on bail.

He was then arrested on June 21, 2021 after failing to appear in court on the firearms charge and his bail was set at $100,000.

He initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, battery with the use of a deadly weapon resulting substantial bodily harm, and discharging a gun at or into an occupied structure.

On Oct. 31, he pleaded no contest to two counts, including a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Before handing down his sentence, Simons acknowledged the familys loss. These cases are horrible for the families involved. Theres nothing I can do or say to bring back your relative, your child, your sibling, your spouse.

Simons explained a negotiated resolution was reached in Himmelmans case. It may seem on its face unfair to those who lost a loved one, but I think Mr. Pennell framed it appropriately that its the justice that could be achieved in the case. That is sometimes a difficult analysis to understand as a third-party looking at the case. The evidence in this case is complicated from a perspective of how a jury might see it.

My heart goes out to the victims of this case. I wish there was something I could do to make you whole again. I know youll feel that loss for a long period of time, Simons said.

Regarding Himmelman, Simons agreed with Bongards argument to hand down a prison sentence.

If hes not able to behave himself when hes in custody, then likely hell be serving more than the minimum sentence in the Department of Corrections if hes not behaving himself in prison.

Himmelmans sentence on the involuntary manslaughter charge was 19 months to two years in prison, while the battery charge had a penalty of two years and five months up to 13 and half years to be served consecutively.

The maximum combined sentence is 17 and a half years in prison with parole eligibility after four years, with credit for 614 days served in jail.
A celebrity bowhunting couple have been sentenced in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits the trafficking of wildlife.

The case against Josh Bowmar, 32, Sarah Bowmar, 33, and Bowmar Bowhunting LLC of Ankeny, Iowa, was related to the largest known case of poaching in Nebraska.

The Bowmars pleaded guilty Oct. 19 in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge. In exchange, four other more serious charges, mostly involving allegations of illegally baited hunting sites, were dropped.

On Thursday, United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced them each to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service.

Nelson also ordered the Bowmars to pay a $75,000 fine ($25,000 each for each of the Bowmars and the business), a $44,000 money judgment in lieu of forfeiting certain property, and $13,000 restitution.

As part of probation, the Bowmars are banned from hunting or engaging in any activities associated with hunting within Nebraska during the period of probation.

In a press release, United States Attorney Steven Russell said beginning in September 2015 and continuing through November 2017, the Bowmars conducted about five hunts per year at Hidden Hills Outfitters, a commercial big game guiding and outfitting business near Broken Bow.

During commercially guided hunting activity, the Bowmars conspired to transport wildlife, or parts of it, from Nebraska to Ohio, when they should have known it was against state law, Russell said.

The Bowmars, using the internet and social media platforms including their Bowmar Bowhunting website, Instagram page and YouTube channel, broadcasted hunting activities that occurred at Hidden Hills.

"This sentencing hearing marks the completion of all foreseen prosecutions of numerous defendants related to violations committed by owners, guides, and clients of Hidden Hills Outfitters," Russell said in a press release.

In all, 39 people were convicted and more than $750,000 in fines, restitution and forfeitures have been collected in the yearslong case involving Hidden Hills Outfitters.

An additional 13 individuals resolved their cases through administrative abandonment of various wildlife trophies originating from unlawful hunts at Hidden Hills Outfitters.

The underlying violations related to at least 97 unlawfully-taken big game animals or wild turkey, including deer taken within baited areas; deer, pronghorn, and wild turkeys taken with weapons or firearms prohibited during their respective hunting seasons; deer taken during closed season hours from the road, or without a valid permit; and mule deer taken within the Mule Deer Conservation Area.

The operation was a joint investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Law Enforcement Division of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Photos: Hunters show off their harvest in Nebraska Hunting crew First buck First bucks Twins Opening morning buck Hunting Hunting Button buck Awesome hunt in Nebraska Five-point buck Hunting Deer Rick Payeur Archery buck Shot with 10 minutes left on opening day Jackson Wichman, Sprague Deshler on Nov. 14 First buck in Boyd County 11-year-old 9X7 Boyd County Double harvest Deer First deer hunt 2020 Deer Buck Commander Johnson County Hunting Easton Moore Katie Marie Sparks Garrett Rech Ashley Elizabeth Peterson Gail Loxterkamp Katie Marie Sparks Garrett Rech Gail Loxterkamp
Richard Trumka Jr, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner, set off a firestorm on Jan. 9 when he said in an interview that the agency was weighing a ban on natural gas stoves due to health hazards.

Trumka, a Democrat, was appointed by President Biden in July 2021 to the five-member CPSC.

He told Bloomberg News the popular gas stove appliance was a hidden hazard and suggested the agency could ban them.

Trumka confirmed to CNN on Jan 11: Any option is on the table to regulate them. Products that cant be made safe can be banned.

In fact, Trumka tried and failed to do just that during a commission meeting last October. He proposed the CPSC should begin rulemaking to regulate gas stoves, but was forced to withdraw his amendment after failing to earn support from a single commissioner.

But Trumkas most recent comments were not the first time he had gone rogue since the October vote. The Biden-appointee told reporters last month that a ban on natural gas stoves was a real possibility.

The purported concern is that gas stoves cause indoor air pollution and asthma, though there is little evidence to support such claims.

Even the Environmental Protection Agency says gas stoves (and gas fireplace inserts) do not require EPA certification. Whether designed to burn natural gas or propane, they burn very cleanly, emitting very little pollution.

As the California Air Resources Board explains, heating oil, fat and other food ingredients, especially at high temperatures can generate pollutants, and studies show that air can be unhealthy to breathe when people cook in kitchens with poor ventilation. The best way to ventilate your kitchen is to use a properly-installed, high efficiency range hood over your stove.

The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, the most comprehensive global study to date, found no evidence of an association between the use of gas as a cooking fuel and either asthma symptoms or asthma diagnosis.

A ban on gas cooking appliances would remove an affordable and preferred technology used in more than 40 million homes and 76 percent of restaurants.

Forty percent of households in the United States use a gas stove, and the number approaches 70 percent in California and New Jersey. Sixty percent of Nevada households use gas stoves.

The idea of banning gas stoves led to furious blowback from both Congressional Republicans and Democrats.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) blasted any potential ban on gas stoves.

The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on, Manchin said.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and 43 House Republicans on Jan. 13 introduced the GAS Act. It would block President Bidens administration from outlawing gas stoves.

The White House insists President Biden doesnt want to ban gas stoves. However, his actions are to the contrary.

Climate zealots do want to ban them and progressive-dominated cities and states are doing it.

Far-left city governments in Berkeley, Calif. (2019) , San Francisco (2020) and New York City (2021) have banned gas stoves and other appliances in new buildings. New York Gov. Kathy Hockel has announced a ban on gas equipment including stoves in new small buildings in 2025 and larger ones in 2028.

And, the Biden administration is aiding and abetting the anti-gas stove cause. Last year it filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting Berkeleys gas ban.

Green New Deal warriors are engaged in a crusade to outlaw fossil fuels by imposing their values on the lifestyle of everyone else, including in the kitchen.

Its not enough to force Americans to buy electric cars. We must all cook on electric stoves too.

They really are coming for your stove.
Leaders pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, Ha Noi, January 19, 2023 - Photo: VGP

The delegation included Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Standing member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Vo Van Thuong, President of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front (VFF) Do Van Chien, Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, former Chairpersons of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, among others.

The delegation expressed their profound gratitude towards President Ho Chi Minh who had devoted his whole life to the nation's revolutionary cause.



The delegation then laid a wreath in tribute to fallen combatants at the Heroic Martyrs' Monument on Bac Son street.
Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear Ilham Heydar oglu,

The beginning of 2023 is marked by an auspicious occasion  the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan. On the occasion of this wonderful event, I am sincerely glad to congratulate you and the fraternal people of Azerbaijan.

I am proud that the relations between our peoples, resting on a reliable foundation of centuries-old friendship, linguistic, cultural, religious and historical affinity, have acquired an interstate and diplomatic status.

I highly value the level of political ties and mutually beneficial cooperation achieved through our joint efforts in trade and economic, transport and logistical, cultural and humanitarian spheres, which reached a strategic level last year following our reciprocal visits in April and October.

I am sure that thanks to our efforts, the friendly relations between our peoples will continue to develop and strengthen and be consistent in the future.

Your Excellency, I wish you good health and continued success in your work, and peace and prosperity to the people of Azerbaijan.

Sincerely,

Sadyr Japarov

President of the Kyrgyz Republic
The delegation of Lao Consulate General in Da Nang city congratulates the leaders of Da Nang city. (Photo: TDO)

At the meeting, the Consulate Generals representatives sent congratulations on the Lunar New Year 2023 to the Secretary of the City Party Committee and the leaders of the city. They congratulated him on and highly appreciated the results of socio-economic recovery and development achieved by Da Nang in 2022.

Consul Generals of China, Japan, Laos and the Russian Federation said they will continue to promote bilateral cooperation in the coming time, and enhance connectivity between Da Nang and localities and units of other countries. They also affirmed that they will continue to act as a bridge and introduce businesses to explore cooperation and investment opportunities in Da Nang city.

Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang congratulated China, Japan, Laos and the Russian Federation on the results and achievements of socio-economic development. He noted that Central Vietnam, especially Da Nang city, has many advantages in attracting investment such as abundant human resources, many preferential policies, many industrial parks and high technology parks. Currently, the city is oriented to attract investment in the fields of tourism, high technology and information technology, in line with the development trend of the world, and draws interest from many international businesses.

He expressed his hope that the Consuls General will continue to promote investment cooperation opportunities for businesses in Da Nang city, and coordinate in organizing cultural exchanges between countries. Citys leaders are committed to always creating favorable conditions, simplifying administrative procedures, and promoting support for people and businesses from other countries living and working in Da Nang city, he said./.
Front page of the daily PathetLao, January 16 issue. (Photo: NDO)

The article stated that, in 2022, the two Parties, two States and the people of the two countries have jointly organized many rich activities, reflecting the great solidarity and friendship that cannot be separated.

The article cited that, at the closing ceremony of the Lao-Vietnamese Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh issued a joint statement, emphasizing the successful results and reviewing the comprehensive cooperation of the two countries in the past time, setting the direction of cooperation in the future. The two sides have signed 10 cooperation documents in many fields.

It emphasized that the official visit to Laos by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam recently held great regional significance. The visit took place when the two countries were summarizing activities to celebrate the Lao-Vietnam, Vietnam-Laos 2022 Friendship and Solidarity Year, to celebrate two historic events: the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2022) and 45 years since the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

During the visit, the two sides highly appreciated the commemorative activities. Since it was officially launched from the beginning of 2022 in Hanoi to the end of 2022, the two sides coordinated to organize many commemorative activities, becoming an exciting movement both in the country and representative offices of the two countries abroad. The two sides have regularly exchanged 115 delegations on both sides, of which the Lao side had 51 delegations and the Vietnamese side had 64 delegations.

Besides, the two sides also organized many activities to promote economy, trade, investment, culture-society and education. At the same time, the two sides also organized many communications activities on the mass media, organized literary and artistic composing contests, and contests about Laos-Vietnam relations, receiving wide attention in society.

One of the outstanding activities in celebrating the Year of Friendship and Solidarity was that the two sides solemnly organized the 60th Anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 45th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation at the capitals of the two countries on July 18, 2022, with the participation of high-ranking comrades and a large number of people.

The article ended with congratulations on the success of the Year of Solidarity and Friendship between Laos-Vietnam, Vietnam-Laos 2022; continued to affirm the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, the two States and the peoples./.
People enjoy snacks at a fair in Jizhou District of north China's Tianjin, Jan. 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

JINAN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Steamed buns, fresh oysters and scallops. Li Chuyun filled the trunk of his car with loads of delicacies after a busy day of shopping at a country fair in east China's Shandong Province.

Located on the outskirt of the coastal city of Rushan, the Haiyangsuo Fair boasts a history of hundreds of years. About every five days, a dazzling array of seafood, agricultural products, clothes, and daily necessities line up along both sides of the road for over 2 km, attracting thousands of people from local villages and beyond.

Li was one of many young urbanites who made special trips to the gathering. As the Spring Festival approaches, the fair is getting even more bustling with excited holiday shoppers.

Such a festive mood is now hard to find in cities. "When I was a kid, I often went to the fair with my parents, but rarely did so after I grew up," said the 21-year-old college student.

Recently, however, a "country fair boom" has emerged among China's Generation Z. On popular platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, photos and vlogs of country fairs flourish. Some shared an open-air dining experience, while many others focused on the commodities of authentic local colors.

Many traditional foods and ordinary vendors suddenly won unexpected fame after being featured by social media influencers. Swiping on their phones while drooling with envy, netizens swarmed into the comment sections, asking for addresses and prices or simply expressing how much they wanted to be there.

Yang Chenlu, a 19-year-old who grew up in Dongying, Shandong, felt homesick for the first time after she attended college in northern China last year.

After returning home for winter vacation, Yang went to a local fair and instantly fell in love with it. "The familiar aroma of snacks, street cries, and small talk among neighbors constitute the happiness of hometown!" She wrote on her social media page.

Young people tend to fancy new things. But in recent years, a zeal for traditional cultural treasures, such as Han Chinese clothing, has become the new chic, further amplified by social media.

Similarly, in the case of country fairs, the combined charm of home, memories, and delicious food easily resonates among the young.

"Traditional fairs stand as storages of time-honored local customs, dialects, specialty products, and lifestyles, said Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.

Local governments across China have also contributed to the rising popularity of country fairs, introducing a slew of policies to restore consumption and develop fair tourism.

For example, the provincial government of Shandong has launched the "Yellow River Fair" and aims to build it into a famous cultural brand.

The fair will be held once every season in multiple cities, with the inaugural one already kicked off. Coupons have been distributed to attract consumers, and livestreaming e-commerce has further promoted the event.

Sun said that the "country fair boom" highlights the new vitality of the Chinese economy and society and reflects the younger generation's growing interest in their own culture.

"The young Chinese are taking the lead in passing on traditional culture and sharing the stories of China with more people in the world," he added.

Editor: WXL
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke with medical workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village via video link.

Xi wished Chinese people of all ethnic groups healthy and happy lives in the Year of the Rabbit and expressed his hope that the country will enjoy prosperity and the people live in a safe and peaceful nation.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 22.

Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- were also present during the virtual talks.

Speaking with medical workers and an elderly patient at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Xi said that facing this latest wave of COVID-19 infections, medical workers have worked long hours under heavy pressure and with an excessive workload to treat patients.

Acknowledging their great contributions to protecting people's lives and health, Xi extended festive greetings to medical workers across the country.

"We have now entered a new phase of COVID-19 response. Tough challenges remain, but the light of hope is right in front of us. Perseverance means victory," he said.

The country had made "the right choice" to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic with strict measures over the past nearly three years, Xi said, adding that China has thus withstood several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations.

China has lowered the proportion of severe cases and the case fatality rate to the greatest extent possible, protected people's lives and health, and bought precious time for the later moves to optimize response and downgrade the management of COVID-19, Xi said.

The focus of the current COVID-19 response has shifted from infection prevention to medical treatment, with protecting people's health and preventing severe cases being the priority, said Xi, noting that hospitals are now undertaking more arduous tasks.

Xi demanded efforts to increase medical resources and the supply of medical services and drugs, and to prepare for medical treatment of severe cases in particular.

While talking via video link with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, on the same day, Xi said stricter epidemic prevention and health management measures should be taken at nursing homes and welfare facilities to prevent clusters of infection, as older people are the top priority in the current COVID-19 response stage.

As China's population aging is becoming more prominent, Xi called for the proactive development of elderly care programs and industries, state-run elderly care institutions and more affordable elderly care services.

Special efforts should be made to guarantee the provision of elderly care services for those most in need, including people with financial difficulties, of advanced age or unable to care for themselves, he said.

During another virtual talk, Xi stressed the importance of stable energy supply and price.

"Energy security concerns the overall economic and social development of our country. It is one of the most important security issues," Xi told employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Noting that winter is the peak season for energy use in China, Xi said that no efforts should be spared to ensure the supply of coal, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, and to keep their prices stable.

He stressed the importance of being fully prepared to deal with possible extreme cold waves, guaranteeing energy supply and ensuring people stay warm this winter.

Noting the important role of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government, Xi asked them to make all-out efforts to increase output and ensure supply to meet the energy consumption needs of economic and social development.

Located in the Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang, the Tarim oilfield of the China National Petroleum Corporation is a major natural gas source for the country's West-to-East gas pipelines. It provides natural gas for residents in southern Xinjiang and provinces, regions and municipalities along the pipelines.

Through video link, Xi extended his festival greetings to passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station -- one of China's largest high-speed railway stations -- in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, and talked with passengers on the station platform.

He asked the passengers if they were heading back home for family reunions or out traveling and reminded them of safety awareness during their trips.

Xi underscored the importance of the Spring Festival travel to people's immediate interests, economic development, and social stability.

He said this year's Spring Festival travel rush is the first after the country entered a new phase of COVID response, with a major recovery of passenger flows. He urged efforts to ensure safe and sound trips for the people and smooth and orderly flows of essential supplies.

Xi called for efforts to strengthen the monitoring and early warning of extreme weather conditions and carry out safety overhauls to prevent major safety accidents.

Xi demanded strict implementation of anti-COVID measures to reduce infection risks to the minimum.

Xi also extended his holiday greetings to vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing.

To his delight, Xi heard that the food price was stable and the provision of various produce was sufficient.

Xi urged the wholesale market to expand its suppliers and the diversity of products, maintain good quality, and step up food safety examination and market management.

Xi stressed redoubled efforts to ensure sound production, sale, and supply of essential commodities such as grain, edible oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables.

A smooth delivery, sufficient and diversified provisions, and the stable market price of these commodities should be guaranteed during the holiday so that people can have a happy and sound Chinese New Year, Xi said.

Speaking with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Xi called on them to strive for common prosperity to make their lives better.

Shiyi Village is one of the villages rebuilt after being heavily stricken by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

Xi extended festive greetings to the villagers and tourists, and he also sent Spring Festival wishes to all rural residents across China and those working hard on the frontline in the country's rural revitalization cause.

He asked local officials and tourists about the village's tourism. Hearing positive feedback, Xi stressed the role of agricultural specialties and rural tourism in the rural revitalization of the new era.

Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its COVID-19 response measures.

Xi stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas, and ensure the health of rural residents and their normal running of work and life to the maximum extent possible.

At the end of the virtual talks, Xi delivered an important speech.

"As we greet the Spring Festival, I care more about my fellow people and officials working at the primary level," Xi said.

Xi said this year's virtual talks enabled him to speak with people from across the country. He said that he could feel the happiness and joy of the people, even from behind the screen.

"My heart is always with you all and people of all ethnic groups across the country," Xi said. "My biggest wish is that we all have a happy Spring Festival."

He ordered sound implementation of COVID response measures in the new phase and effective prevention of emergencies and accidents so that people across the country will have a joyful and safe Spring Festival.

The past year was extraordinary but not easy, Xi said. "We have overcome all kinds of difficulties and challenges, making new achievements on all fronts."

For the year ahead, Xi called for concerted efforts to make more progress and greater contributions to the country.

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao)

This combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with vendors and customers at the Xinfadi wholesale market, a major fresh-produce marketplace in Beijing, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with older people and staffers at a welfare home in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with medical workers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with villagers and tourists in Shiyi Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of the Tarim oilfield in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passenger railway staff at Zhengzhou East Station in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and passengers on the station platform via video link, Jan. 18, 2023. Xi on Wednesday extended festive greetings to all Chinese people when he held virtual talks in Beijing with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang -- who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee -- were also present during the virtual talks. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Editor: WXL
This Spring Festival, the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway line will usher in the first Spring Festival travel rush. In response to emergencies due to bad weather, the communication techinicians of Zhengzhou Communication Section of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. carefully check the cameras, lightning rods, communication antennas and other equipment of the high-speed railway communication tower to ensure normal signal coverage and safety operation of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway.

On June 20, 2022, the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway was put into operation, reducing the travel time between Chongqing and Zhengzhou from 8 hours to 4 hours, greatly saving the time cost for travelers between Chongqing and cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and effectively promoting efficient docking and circulation between southwest China and central, north and east China.

A communication technician inspects equipment at a communication tower of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway Fangcheng sector in Fangcheng County, Nanyang City, central China's Henan Province, Jan 16, 2023. (Wei Xinyu/Guangming Picture)

Communication technicians test the azimuth and pitch angle of an antenna in Fangcheng County, Nanyang City, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 16, 2023. (Wei Xinyu/Guangming Picture)

A communication technician inspects equipment at a communication tower of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway Fangcheng sector in Fangcheng County, Nanyang City, central China's Henan Province, Jan 16, 2023. (Wei Xinyu/Guangming Picture)

Editor: ZAD
This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2023 shows a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, arrives at Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2023 shows a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Crew members of China Eastern Airlines have a meeting before a validation flight of a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Crew members of China Eastern Airlines have a meeting before a validation flight of a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Crew members get ready to board a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, before a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, takes off during a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

This photo shows a view seen through a cabin window aboard a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, during a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Crew members get ready to board a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, before a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, arrives at Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A flight attendant of China Eastern Airlines works in the cabin of a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, during a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2023 shows a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.

The testing process will comprehensively verify the reliability of the C919 with commercial operation in mind -- with the aim of ensuring its safety and efficiency. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Editor: JYZ
A child poses for photos at the Annual festival in Xigang town, Tengzhou city, East Chinas Shandong province, Jan. 17, 2023. With the Spring Festival around the corner, bustling scenes emerge as people swarm into shopping centers and bazaars to shop for the festival.

Bullet trains parked at the Guiyang North Railway Station in southwest Chinas Guizhou province, Jan. 6, 2023. The 2023 Spring Festival Travel rush kicked off on Jan 7. On the evening of January 6, at the Guiyang North Railway Station, bullet trains lined up like a land fleet.

A grandfather scoops his grandson in arms after leaving Hohhot East Railway Station in Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Jan. 15, 2023. The festival is about travelling thousands of miles across mountains and rivers for a festive reunion with family.

A folk artist paints a Chinese rabbit at a clay sculpture workshop in Yutian county, North Chinas Hebei province, Jan. 16, 2023. With the year of the rabbit around the corner, rabbit ornaments and crafts are seen everywhere, brimming with a festival atmosphere.

Paper-cutting artists show their work themed the Year of Rabbit in Hechi city, South Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 16, 2023.

Folk artists perform dragon dancing on a square in Bozhou, East Chinas Anhui province, Jan. 15, 2023. As the Chinese New Year approaches, folk performances are being held all over the country to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Editor: 
The development of Ukraine's energy sector after its victory over Russian invaders will be based on the development of nuclear and green generation and the construction of a decentralized energy system, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine for European Integration Yaroslav Demchenkov said.

"Three main priorities for the development of our energy system: a more powerful development of nuclear, green energy and the construction of a decentralized energy system. These priorities will underlie our updated energy strategy in the coming decades," he said during a discussion at Ukraine House Davos as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

According to him, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine is already holding consultations on these issues with international partners.

"We plan to completely abandon coal in the power industry by 2040, and its role will significantly decrease after 2032. It is expected that the share of renewable energy sources in the energy balance will reach 25% in 2032 and double by 2050," he described the goals of Ukraine.

At the same time, he noted that the phase-out of coal will go hand in hand with the construction of new solar and wind generation, as well as new biofuel thermal power plants.

In addition, according to Demchenkov, by 2032 Ukraine plans to build two new nuclear reactors and launch pilot projects of low-power reactors.

The Deputy Minister expressed confidence that now is the right time to discuss future energy projects in Ukraine with international partners and investors in order to accelerate the energy transition after the victory. At the same time, he emphasized that the energy transition of Europe is impossible without the participation of Ukraine.
Over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks in the area of 14 settlements in Donbas. The Ukrainian military inflicted 16 strikes on the concentration of invaders and their equipment, a Ka-52 helicopter and a Merlin-VR UAV were shot down, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

"Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region and Terny, Verkhniokamianske, Soledar, Sil, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Klischivka, Kurdiumivka, Vodiane, Maryinka and Paraskovyivka, Donetsk region," the AFU said in the summary on Thursday morning.

It is also noted that Ukrainian aviation over the past day delivered 13 strikes on enemy concentration areas and three on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems of the occupiers.

"An enemy Ka-52 helicopter and a Merlin-VR UAV were shot down," the General Staff said.

The missile and artillery units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit three command posts, five concentration areas of the invaders, one ammunition depot and two other important enemy targets per day.
Next Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in London in June 2023  PM

The next Ukraine Recovery Conference will be held in London (the UK) in June 2023, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

"The next Ukraine Recovery Conference will take place this June in London... We appreciate the decision of the UK to host it this year. We expect to mobilise international support for the reconstruction," Shmyhal wrote on Twitter following his online speech at the forum in Davos.

The Prime Minister also said in his Telegram channel that Ukraine expects the next conference to mobilise international support for a speedy recovery.

"We also expect a clear definition of the resources through which the recovery will take place. The aggressor should bear the main compensation for the damage. To hold Russia accountable for crimes, it's important to develop appropriate mechanisms of international law," he said.
Hong Kong: Online booking for virus tests urged

The Government today appealed to people who wish to undergo COVID-19 nucleic acid testing to make an online booking in advance for a testing time slot at a community testing centre or station (CTC/CTS) with more testing places.

They should also avoid going to busier CTC/CTSs without a booking so as to reduce their waiting time.

The Government noted that the testing capacity is sufficient to meet the demand of cross-boundary passenger flows before the Lunar New Year.

To cater for citizens testing needs, manpower has been ramped up and more registration/swabbing booths have been set up at certain busier CTC/CTSs.

The Government reminded citizens that testing centres and stations will accord priority for testing to individuals who have made a booking, and individual testing centres and stations will be busier in the evening.

To facilitate citizens who need to get tested, the Government has published online the latest booking status of all testing centres and stations. It will also update from time to time the list of centres and stations with fewer users on the day on the CTC website.

Separately, people travelling to the Mainland are reminded that they do not need to return to CTC/CTSs specifically for collecting paper form reports.

For the purpose of cross-boundary travel, electronic reports issued by testing institutions, and the self-paid nucleic acid testing electronic record available for download from the COVID-19 Electronic Testing Record System are also accepted for presentation and checking by relevant staff at boundary control points.

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the roundtable on IGWEL: Navigating the New Energy Reality held as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos.




President of the European Council Charles Michel announced that he arrived in Ukraine on Thursday.

"Back to Kyiv to discuss all strands of cooperation. May 2023 be the year of victory and peace," he said on Twitter.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on partner countries not to delay military assistance, and also noted that "long-range systems" are needed to strike at the temporarily occupied territories.

"We cannot travel on motivation. There are specific things on which durability depends. These are the specific things we expect," he said Thursday, speaking via video link at the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos, hosted by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

At the same time, he urged not to delay assistance. "When you say - I will give tanks, when - someone will give tanks... It seems to me that this is not a very correct strategy," he said, hinting at the position of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who linked the supply of tanks to Ukraine with similar supplies from the United States.

Zelensky considers it a top priority "to protect our weak points where the enemy is hitting. Air defense is a weak point, Iranian drones are hitting us, hundreds already. Now Russia is preparing to use another package."

"We need to do everything for people to be in cities, for business to work, so we need a 'financial pillow.' Some EUR 18 billion for 2023 will help," he said.

In order to advance on the battlefield, he said, equipment is needed "artillery, shells, of which I spoke about the shortage. We need systems that can work over a long distance. We are not talking about Russia, but we are talking about our temporarily occupied territories, from where missiles are flying, for example, Kherson region. There are weapons out there that we can't reach," he said.

"The vaccine against Russian tyranny is known. There is a letter that says what we need. Just help. No dialogue," Zelensky said.
The Estonian government has supported Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur's proposal to provide Ukraine with the largest military aid package to date, which includes remote and anti-tank weapons, as well as ammunition, worth a total of EUR 113 million.

According to the government website, Estonia's military aid to Ukraine will increase to EUR 370 million, or just over 1% of Estonia's gross domestic product.

"With today's decision, we are sending arms to Ukraine that they need the most. Ukraine has asked for this help from Estonia directly, the need for this particular weaponry was also emphasised by President Zelenskyy at our recent meeting of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Riga," Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.

Pevkur stressed Ukraine's great need for heavy weapons. "Ukraine needs heavy weapons to maintain the initiative and withstand Russia, which is currently preparing to regain its military strength. The toughest battles are yet to come. We and our allies have a direct impact on the fighting capacity of Ukrainian soldiers, and this is highly valued in Ukraine. Therefore, it is important to set an example and motivate other allies to provide assistance," the minister said.

The military aid package consists of howitzers, ammunition, artillery support and grenade launchers.
The anti-corruption authorities of Ukraine have notified the ex-head of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev of suspicion, who, abusing his official position, gave himself a bonus of more than UAH 229 million.

"On January 19, 2022, a SAPO prosecutor and NABU detectives reported a suspicion to the former chairman of the board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, who, abusing his official position, secured the payment of bonuses of more than UAH 229 million. He was charged with committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said on Facebook on Thursday.

According to the SAPO, in 2018, the board chairman, abusing his official position, initiated consideration of the issue of agreeing on the payment of bonuses for the achievement of significant goals, the implementation of important, strategic projects to employees of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, including members of the Board, by the Supervisory Board of the company.

"Later, the official prepared amendments to the presentation on the payment of a bonus for extraordinary achievements, having determined the amount of the bonus for himself at $10 million. At the same time, the board chairman deliberately concealed from the members of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Supervisory Board of the company information that based on state property, the maximum amount of bonuses based on the results of work is set, namely, no more than 36 official salaries per year," the SAPO said.

The SAPO said that as a result, the Supervisory Board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy agreed on changes that ensured the payment of bonuses to the board chairman.

"Investigators established that during 2018 the board chairman was illegally accrued and paid a bonus in an amount exceeding the highest allowable by UAH 229,250,410," the prosecutor's office said.

According to the report, during 2018-2021, officials of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy did not contribute to the investigation, hiding from the documents and materials of the company required for establishing the circumstances of the crime.

The SAPO report does not indicate the name of the suspect, but it is about Kobolev.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says not be afraid of Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons and to provide Ukraine with the necessary assistance for victory, in particular, tanks.

"He's not going to use nuclear weapons. He's like the fat boy in Dickens, he wants to make our flesh creep. He wants us to think about it. He's never going to do it," he said in Davos Ukrainian Breakfast organized by the Foundation Victor Pinchuk on Thursday.

According to the British former prime minister, the Indians and Chinese will turn their backs on Putin if they use nuclear weapons, so you need to stop thinking about it.

U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Koons also supported the words of the former Prime Minister of Great Britain. The risk of escalation should not worry us, it is needed to think about how to change the "red lines" and not how not to cross them, he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it is not only about the military side, but about the protection of values, the protection of democracy, the protection of the principle that one cannot invade another country. According to him, the experience of Munich in 1938 shows that the aggressor does not stop.

Rutte said some 143 countries supported the UN resolution condemning Russia's aggression, and noted that more and more countries share this opinion.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands said he is convinced that Ukraine will win, because all the friends of the world are with them.

He also expressed confidence that this year Finland and Sweden will join NATO, and this is another result of Russia's aggression. Rutte said he is holding relevant negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to remove barriers to such accession.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the adoption by the European Parliament on Thursday of a resolution on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

"I welcome the adoption of the European Parliament's resolution on the establishment of a Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. I call on all our partners to support such a tribunal. Russia must be held accountable for its war of aggression and justice must prevail," Zelensky said on Twitter.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba reported on the progress in negotiations on Ukraine receiving additional batteries of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.

"It took us two years to get approval to ship Patriot SAMs and it took us less than a month to get three Patriot batteries from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. And we're working on more. And I'm sure we'll have more because that we had success in several discussions on this topic," Kuleba said during a video statement at Ukraine House in Davos (Switzerland) on Thursday.

"We see how things are gaining momentum. And this is what President Zelensky spoke about yesterday in Davos: all the decisions you make are excellent, but you must speed up their adoption," he said.

The minister said when decisions on Ukraine's receiving long-range missiles and bombers are unblocked, a list of the most needed weapons will be drawn up.

At the same time, he said the issue of obtaining tanks has already been unblocked, recalling the decision of France to be the first to transfer the AMX-10 RC to Ukraine.
Russia must be held to account for every Ukrainian family killed, for every Ukrainian city and village burned, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"We must bring back justice. We must punish evil. This terrorist war of Russia against Ukraine should be the last such war. Never again should any other state step on such a path of terror," he said in an address to the attendees of the Russian War Crimes exhibition in Davos on Thursday.

"The scale of the Russian crimes on the Ukrainian soil leaves no doubt  this was the plan of the Russian leadership. These are the terms of the invasion they agreed to. All this terror, killings, torture, looting. Wherever Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory, professional Russian torturers came with them," the head of state said.

He added that "this is the way chosen by this state. The way of the terrorist. The way of the torturer. The way of the murderer. The way of the looter."

"The International Criminal Court has the jurisdiction to prosecute Russian war criminals. The International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of Russia against Ukraine will have the jurisdiction to bring to justice the highest officials of the Russian politics and army who launched this war of aggression," Zelensky said.
Death toll from missile strike against apartment building in Dnipro rises to 46

The death toll from Russia's missile attack on a multi-apartment building in Dnipro has grown to 46 people, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Valentyn Reznichenko has said.

"According to the latest updates, the Russian missile that hit a multi-apartment building in Dnipro claimed 46 lives. Eleven people are yet to be identified, and the same number of people are missing. The identification procedures continue," he said on the Telegram channel on Thursday.

"Eighty people suffered injuries. Some 24 injured remain in hospitals under medical supervision. Three people, including a 9-year-old girl, are in serious condition," Reznichenko said.

It was reported earlier that 45 people were killed and eleven went missing after the enemy missile strike on January 14.
The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) transferred medical equipment to the West Ukrainian Specialized Children's Medical Center in Lviv on Thursday.

The children's medical center received about 10 tonnes of medical equipment totaling more than UAH 16 million. Modern electric beds, vital indicator monitors, medical gurneys, first aid kits, automatic devices for indirect heart massage, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, diagnostic flashlights, phonendoscopes, electronic thermometers, as well as surgical suture material are among the equipment, the URCS said on its Facebook page.

Medical equipment was transferred to a specialized children's medical center with the donor support of the Red Cross of the Czech Republic. Some 7,500 children received inpatient care at the center annually. The Medical Centre conducted more than 70,000 outpatient consultations. After the outbreak of the war, the center began to help children of temporarily displaced persons with severe blood diseases.

"The humanitarian aid provided will contribute to the speedy rehabilitation and treatment of young patients in the region," the URCS noted.
By Azernews

Sabina Mammadli

The Russian peacekeeping contingent is looking into Azerbaijans information about the possible use of the Lachin-Khankandi road by Armenia for mine and weapons transportation into Karabakh, Azernews reports, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He recalled that according to the agreement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, the Lachin-Khankandi road should be open for the passage of goods, citizens, and transport means.

"But there should be no military cargo through the road. Azerbaijan has provided data, that is being studied by the Russian peacekeepers, that Armenia has been delivering and placing landmines near Azerbaijan's military positions," he added.

Further, the foreign minister stressed that Armenia disrupted the adoption of the document on sending the mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to the border with Azerbaijan.

"We have difficulties related to the current situation in Armenia. When our Armenian friends promoted the need to send a CSTO mission to the border with Azerbaijan in order to ensure some stability there, we agreed on such a document at the summit in Yerevan on the parameters of this mission, but it was not possible to accept it, because the Armenian colleagues began to insist that this document should contain a harsh condemnation of Azerbaijan," Lavrov emphasized.

Talking about the EU mission on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, the Russian official noted that the mission will be counterproductive without Baku's consent.

"Instead of making the situation on the border more secure, such a mission can be counterproductive if it takes place without the consent of Baku," he pointed out.

He also added that despite the CSTO mission being fully ready, Armenia prefers to negotiate with the EU so that a civilian observer mission can be stationed there on a long-term basis.

Instead of building trust at the border, it can create additional irritants, he noted.

To recap, the issue of placement of the mission was reflected in the statement adopted on October 7 following the quadripartite meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Prague.

The EU and France wanted to create a border monitoring mission that would also operate on the territory of Azerbaijan and use it to enter the region. Azerbaijan objected to this, and after a firm position, it was decided that the mission would operate only on the territory of Armenia. Azerbaijan will cooperate with the mission in accordance with its interests. The border mission will help build confidence and contribute to the border delimitation process.
The European Union supports the Peace Plan proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, European Council President Charles Michel has said

"You want an end to this war of aggression and the EU shares this goal with you. We therefore support President Zelensky's initiative on the 10-point peace plan," he said at a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv on Thursday.

In a few days, an EU-Ukraine Summit will be held with the Ukrainian president. All strands of EU support to Ukraine, both in your brave resistance against Russia and on Ukraine's path towards the European Union, will be discussed, he said.

Michel recalled that in June last year, the European Commission granted Ukraine the EU candidate status.

"So the question of EU membership has been answered. Ukraine is the EU and the EU is Ukraine. And we must spare no effort to turn this promise as fast as we can into reality," the president of the European Council said.

Michel stressed that the EU is determined to continue to help Ukraine.

"So far, we have mobilized a total of EUR 11 billion in military support (via the European Peace Facility and EU Member States). In addition, we are training 15,000 soldiers (through our military training mission)," he said.

"The coming weeks and months will be decisive. You need more. More air defense systems, more long-range missiles and ammunition and, most of all, you need tanks. Right now. And we also support you internationally, beyond Ukraine's borders. We are doing everything to isolate Russia. The EU has adopted nine packages of hard-hitting sanctions and this is not the end. We are also working hard to rally the broadest international support for your country. In Africa, in Asia, China and in Latin America, in every meeting with foreign leaders, support for your country is the first issue we raise," Michel said.

The damages caused by Russia to Ukraine must be compensated and those responsible must be and will be held accountable, he said.

"We have frozen over EUR 300 billion of Russian assets. I am strongly convinced these should and will be used for Ukraine's reconstruction. Finally, all those  without exception  responsible must be and will be held accountable," he said.

"So by firing missiles at Ukraine, Russia is firing missiles at all that the European Union believes in. [] So today, I have come to Ukraine to tell you: 'We are all Ukrainians.' Since day one of Russia's attack, Europeans have understood that this is more than an attack on Ukraine. This is an attack on us all  our common European values, our European security, our common European dream," Michel said.

This is more than a war, this is a strategy of systematic destruction, to force you into submission, to force your country into a vassal state, he said.

"It is doomed to fail. And it will fail. Ukraine is unbreakable, Ukrainians are united, resilient, brave and rightfully proud. [] From day one, Russia miscalculated. The collapse of Ukraine did not happen and will not happen. The EU is more united than ever. And our transatlantic ties are closer than ever," Michel said.
The Danish government has agreed on the transfer of 19 French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery mounts to Ukraine, the press service of the Danish Ministry of Defense reports.

Relevant consultations with the Parliament during the meeting of the Foreign Policy Committee were held on Thursday, January 19.

"I am glad that the vast majority of parliamentary parties support this donation. Denmark has been one of the most active donor countries since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. We must continue to be like this," Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said.

He noted that Denmark was in constant contact with the Ukrainian side, including about the Caesar self-propelled guns.

"There is no doubt that it is needed, even if there are still technical problems with the system," the minister stressed.

It is noted that the transfer of self-propelled guns to Ukraine will lead to a delay in the deployment of the first brigade of Denmark, so the Danish government is now considering the possibility of launching a rapid acquisition of new weapons.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting in Kyiv with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, agreed to continue cooperation to strengthen the nuclear safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities amid hostilities.

As reported on the website of the President's Office, Zelensky noted the inadmissibility of continuing shelling of Ukrainian nuclear facilities by the Russian aggressor, in connection with which he welcomed the deployment of agency inspectors at Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

"I know that our teams are working to strengthen the safety of nuclear infrastructure. Thank you for the positive decision to deploy inspectors at our nuclear power plants. This is very important," the head of state said and expressed the hope that such IAEA missions would make it impossible for Russia to continue shelling Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Special attention was paid to the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is under temporary Russian occupation.

The head of state noted the importance of the efforts of the IAEA Director General aimed at explaining to the member-states of the Agency the violations of nuclear safety standards by the aggressor and explaining to the world community the necessity of the speedy de-occupation of the Zaporizhia NPP.

The President of Ukraine also noted the need for the presence of IAEA inspectors at ZNPP and emphasized that the Ukrainian side is doing everything to ensure their safety.

In addition, Zelensky emphasized the importance of demilitarizing the plant and removing all representatives of Russia from it without exception. The President emphasized that Ukraine would continue to discuss this issue exclusively with the IAEA.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine expects the consent of the tank-producing country for the transfer from European partners.

As the President stressed at a press conference with head of the European Council Charles Michel in Kyiv, the issue of tanks for Ukraine is still relevant and very sensitive.

"This issue depends on many reasons, but, unfortunately, it does not depend on the desire of Ukraine. We exert political pressure as much as we can, but the most important thing is that we exert it in a reasoned manner. Against thousands of tanks of the Russian Federation, the courage of our military and the motivation of the Ukrainian people alone are not enough. We need the appropriate weapons," he said.

According to Zelensky, now many countries in the EU would like to provide Ukraine with tanks.

"They are motivated and support us, but they are waiting for a corresponding document from those states that have the right to do so. And you know these states. And Poland is ready, and, to be honest, Finland, Portugal, Spain, and a sufficient number of countries that are ready to provide us with even a small number of tanks that they have in service. We are all waiting for the consent of the country that has the rights to certain relevant licenses," he said.

Also, according to the president, in parallel, Ukraine itself is engaged in the corresponding production.

In addition, he stressed that the volumes of tanks already provided to Ukraine are not enough to act quickly.

"Speed and time are important. Every minute is a person. That's all. The sooner we can de-occupy our territory and be stronger, the more our state will preserve its citizens," he said.

In turn, the President of the European Council noted that the next weeks and months will be important, because the European Council is very determined to convince the EU member states to transfer tanks to Ukraine.

Michel referred to his words he said in the European Parliament yesterday that tanks and appropriate weapons should be provided to Ukraine the sooner the better.

Earlier, a number of European countries, including Poland, Spain, Finland, expressed readiness to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but have not yet received permission from the German government.
Cooperation between the private and public sectors, attracting large-scale private capital is the key to a quick and successful recovery of Ukraine, David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, and Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, have said.

"This gonna be a big challenge: it's gonna require real partnership among financial institutions and capital, capital pulls over the world, and it's gonna require your partnership between governments, and the public sector and the private sector, and for one very interested in standing ready and to do also a part, in providing some ideas capital and the leadership as we go down this journey," Solomon said in Davos at the Ukrainian Breakfast hosted by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Thursday.

"In my conversation with the President [Zelensky] I said that it is our objective, if you hire us, we are not going to create new oligarchs, but create new Ukraine, it's our objective to create a capitalistic system where capital can be properly used. And it's not about we are building the old Ukraine: it's about building a better Ukraine," Fink said.

According to the head of Goldman Sachs, the recovery process will not be simple and linear and will require a significant amount of capital.

"This cannot happen without the public sector and public money in partner with, there is no question that as we rebuild there will be good economic incentives for real return and real investment," he said.

According to the investment banker, there will be a transitional period when this capital will be raised easily: the private sector and financial institutions will bring resources, and governments would have to lend a bridge into the process to understand the roadmap work clearly.

In this regard, Solomon called Canada's initiative to issue government bonds in support of Ukraine worth CAD 500 million very important.

This initiative can be scaled, multiplied and bring success, he said.

The head of Goldman Sachs added that the capital will work and will also make money.

Fink from BlackRock also said that this is not about philanthropy, but about rebuilding Ukraine, which will become an example for the whole world.

"And the president not accepted it, but he said that you need do even more: Ukraine must become that country that is a leader in new technologies, the leader in decarbonization," the investment banker said.

According to him, it is necessary to create a platform, organizational structure, calculate KPI, create a monitoring where the money will go, how it utilized, hire Ukrainians to manage it.

"That is not gonna be that we're been doing. We'd just set up a structure, we'd organize the process and we would help to recruit the Ukrainians who can actually navigate it and manage it and then bring it to fruition," Fink said.

He said that in this way it will be possible to attract capital by showing the result.
Interfax-Ukraine to host discussion It's been a difficult week. Are there any signs of turning point in military-political situation?

On Monday, January 23, at 12.00, the press centre of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion entitled "It's been a difficult week. Are there any signs of turning point in military-political situation?".

Participants include political expert Kostiantyn Matvienko; PhD in Political Sciences, political scientist Ihor Petrenko; political commentator Leonid Shvets (8/5a Reitarska Street). The event will be streamed on the Interfax-Ukraine YouTube channel. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Representatives from nine Arab countries will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday to discuss their stance and moves to end the decade-long isolation of President Bashar Al-Assad, Arab diplomats said Tuesday.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Friday told Egyptians not to worry while wishing a year of goodness, safety and security for all Egyptians and the whole world as he attended the Christmas mass ceremony held by the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church.

Addressing the public at Christmas Mass at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the New Administrative Capital, Sisi hailed Pope Tawadros as a symbol of wisdom.

Egyptians are united against division, he added

In his short speech, El-Sisi reassured the Egyptian people that the state does not hide anything, warning them from listening to rumours or any irresponsible person.

The state and its officials are keen on the Egyptian people, he added.

The international crisis has a very huge impact; the world could change and many countries will be economically affected if the war continues for an additional year or more than that, the president said, referring to impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war.

We are moving at a steady pace despite the current circumstances, he said, calling on Egyptians not to be afraid or anxious.

Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, who make up 90 percent of the countrys Christian population, celebrate Christmas on 7 January according to the Julian Calendar.

Smaller Egyptian Christian denominations  such as Catholics and Evangelicals  celebrate Christmas on 25 December, according to the Gregorian Calendar.

Coptic Christmas was declared a public holiday in Egypt in 2003.

This year, the government announced that Sunday, 8 January will be a paid day off for public and private sector workers on the occasion of Coptic Christmas.

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By Azernews Sabina Mammadli

Canadian journalist Dave Gordon and Georgian blogger Tamuna (Tako) Mumladze traveled to Karabakh - the scene of the open-ended peaceful protests of Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankandi road under Shusha, Azernews reports.

During the trip, the media representatives were briefed about the reasons for the open-ended protest of the Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin road.

To recap, the ongoing picketing on the Lachin-Khankandi road against the illicit exploitation of Azerbaijan's mineral resources in the area of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment has been going on for over a month.

Following discussions with the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on December 3 and 7, 2022, Azerbaijani specialists from the Ministries of Economy, Ecology, and Natural Resources, the State Service for Property Issues under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold Company were to conduct primary monitoring on illegal exploitation of mineral deposits on Azerbaijani territory. However, the monitoring failed due to the provocation of ethnic Armenians.

After the Russian peacekeepers' failure to provide the necessary conditions for the Azerbaijani agency representatives to carry out their duties in the area, a group of eco-activists, NGOs, and public representatives to the street in protest at the peacekeepers' repugnance to live up to their obligations in line with the November 10, 2020, peace deal to maintain peace and order in the region, and oust the Armenian troops from the region and prevent illegalities. However, time proved that the Russian peacekeepers are driven by the interests of Russia rather than the idea coming from the essence of the notion of peacekeeping as universally understood.
Egypts Lawyers Syndicate announced Thursday an "indefinite" strike to protest the imprisonment of six lawyers for a court brawl with three clerks earlier this month in Marsa Matrouh governorate.

"We are immediately suspending all of our activities, we will stop appearing before the criminal courts and participating in public prosecution investigations nationwide from 19 January and for an indefinite period," it said in a statement published on Facebook late on Wednesday and shared by lawyers across the social media.

A Marsa Matrouh Criminal court sentenced six lawyers on Wednesday to two years in prison for their part in a fight with three clerks during a court session in the governorate on 5 January.

The convicted lawyers have appealed their sentences, with a hearing set for 22 January.

The lawyers' syndicate said in its statement there was "a clear intention" to keep the six lawyers in detention "without real justification", denouncing the "rush to bring them to trial without taking the time to carry out a real investigation."

The syndicate in Cairo also called for an urgent joint meeting between the syndicates board and the heads of the lawyers sub-syndicates in the governorates on 20 January to discuss the possible legal actions and tracks concerning the upcoming appeal.

The syndicate also launched the hashtag the dignity of lawyers is a red line in Arabic on social media.

Renowned lawyer and member of the Presidential Pardon Committee Tarek El-Awady declared on Wednesday his support for the move by the syndicate to suspend all activities.

On Thursday, El-Awady and several other lawyers travelled to Marsa Matrouh to show their support to their colleagues.

The syndicate has called for a meeting of its members on Friday to discuss the situation.

In December, dozens of lawyers demonstrated in front of the syndicate in Cairo to protest obligatory registration in the new electronic invoice system as required by the Egyptian Tax Authority.

The lawyers move attracted other professions including actors and engineers to declare their protest against the new system, leading the Ministry of Finance to extend the registration deadline to the end of April 2023.

In its first reaction to the lawyers syndicate's call for a strike, following Matrouh Criminal courts sentence, Egypts Judges Club said that its board was following the repercussions of that call to take the appropriate measure in a timely manner.

The club added in a statement released on Thursday that its media centre was monitoring social media closely to see if there are any violations or insults against the Egyptian judiciary or judges or employees and that it will address these violations by reporting them to the authorities and will take legal measures in that regard.

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Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry stressed the need to preserve the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem in a phone call on Thursday with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.





Shoukry affirmed that preserving the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem has a direct impact on easing Israeli-Palestinian tensions, calling for halting unilateral measures that will complicate the situation.

He emphasised the need to work to revive the peace process as soon as possible, given that it is the only ideal way to achieve the two-state-solution vision, the statement added.

The revival of the peace process will also be the way towards establishing the Palestinian state and achieving stability and comprehensive peace for the peoples of the region, Shoukry added.

Egypt will always shoulder its historical responsibility in supporting peace efforts to end the conflict, the top Egyptian diplomat stressed.

Shoukry also indicated that Egypt will continue its efforts to maintain calm between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

Shoukrys phone call with Cohen comes two days after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Jordans King Abdullah II held a trilateral summit in Cairo. The meeting called for an end to all Israeli illegitimate and unilateral actions.

The summit stressed that such unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution and the chances of achieving fair and comprehensive peace must stop.

The three leaders called on the international community to protect the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.

They urged all relevant parties to intensify efforts to relaunch peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

El-Sisi and Abbas also reaffirmed the importance of the historical Hashemite sole custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and its role in protecting them and their Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, said the Egyptian Presidency.

Thursday's phone call also came amid Israeli escalation and provocative acts in the West Bank and Jerusalem under the new extreme-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu and proposed Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley, a step that will certainly draw Arab and international rejection.

Shoukry also congratulated Cohen for assuming his post and the two ministers agreed on continuing consultations during the coming period, the statement said.

Shoukry wished Cohen success in his post duties, especially those related to enhancing Egyptian-Israeli relations and boosting consultation mechanisms between the two countries on various issues of mutual concern.

Early in January, President El-Sisi stressed the necessity of refraining from any unilateral measures that would lead to tensions and complicate the regional scene as he called Netanyahu right after his inauguration.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi conducted an open dialogue with Military Academy cadets on local and regional issues during a visit to the academy headquarters early on Thursday.

Related Sisi tells Egyptians not to worry during Friday Christmas Mass

El-Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts in various fields, advising them on how to assess situations correctly, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The president was accompanied by Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Osama Askar, who inspected the students training areas.

El-Sisi watched the cadets perform their daily exercises and military rehabilitation activities, which are implemented according to the latest advanced systems, Rady said.





The president advised the students to maintain their high level of physical fitness and mental readiness and to show the noble military values the Egyptian Armed Forces have been always characterised with. El-Sisi also met with the families of a number of new students at the academy, expressing appreciation for their efforts to raise their sons on the well-established values and love of the homeland. The president has visited the military and police academies frequently. The most recent visit took place in December, where he witnessed tests for candidates applying to join military colleges at the headquarters of the Military Academy.





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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decision on Thursday promoting three army commanders to the rank of Lieutenant General, said presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady.

The three commanders are Major General Ahmed Fathi Khalifa, head of the Armed Forces Operations Authority, Major General Ahmed el Shazli, head of the Financial Affairs Authority of the Armed Forces as well as Major General Ashraf Salem Zaher, director of the Military Academy.

The decree was announced during his visit earlier Thursday morning to the Military academy headquarters.

The president was accompanied by Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Osama Askar, who inspected the students training areas.

El-Sisi watched the cadets perform their daily exercises and military rehabilitation activities, which are implemented according to the latest advanced systems, Rady said.

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In a speech to the cadets at the headquarters of the Military Academy, President El-Sisi said that in the past three years Egypt has faced hard circumstances, just like the rest of the world, due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

He urged Egyptians not to feel scared or worried, affirming that they had faced tougher challenges in the past and overcome them. El-Sisi called upon Egyptians  both men and women  to unite and never to give ear to rumors.

There was a big problem in the US dollar in the past three months. Still, we promised that within two months the problem of accumulated goods will be solved. Currently, the problem has almost been resolved and we do not have a problem in US dollars, said El-Sisi. He was referring to Egypt's import backlog whereby tons of goods were held at Egyptian ports due to the shortage in US dollars.

The country's hard currency shortage, notably in the US dollar, is in part due to the exit of approximately $25 billion in indirect investments (hot money) with the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022. The crisis prompted the Egyptian authorities to apply curbs on import finance using Letters of credit in banks, which has caused vast quantities of goods to accumulate at ports.

As of December, Egypt has gradually phased out these curbs  alongside adopting a flexible exchange rate  in tandem with a 46-month financial support package agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund.

Until 10 January, the Egyptian government in coordination with the banking sector had announced the release of imported goods worth a total of $8.5 billion.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that the import backlog was almost cleared.

President El-Sisi said in his word at the Military Academy that the state eased the burden on citizens by not allowing them to bear the real cost of commodities which has risen significantly due to the global crisis.

He stressed that the state worked on reducing the impact of the coronavirus crisis as well as other crises.

The Egyptian president praised the role the Egyptian Armed forces and police have played in fighting terrorism in the past ten years. He noted that tremendous successes in securing the country have been achieved as a result of the collaboration between the Egyptian military and the police.

The president stressed that Egypt had no other choice but to confront the terrorism which had been forced on it, noting that the state had been keen in 2013 and 2014 to prevent any form of conflict or fighting.

El-Sisi added that the Armed Forces were currently playing an important role in relieving citizens. He stated that the Egyptian army will be distributing 3 million food boxes until the holy month of Ramadan as part of the armys support of the Egyptian people.

Together we shall overcome the current crisis, he said. He described the previous crisis as a test of the states capabilities.

The president was accompanied in his visit to the Military Academy by Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Osama Askar. The three inspected the students training areas.

During his visit, El-Sisi observed the cadets perform their daily exercises and military rehabilitation activities according to the latest advanced systems.

El-Sisi also met with the families of a number of new students at the academy. He praised the families for instilling in their sons well-established values and love for their homeland.

The president has visited the military and police academies frequently. During his most recent visit to the headquarters of the Military Academy, which took place in December, El-Sisi attended tests for candidates applying to join military colleges.

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Rwanda on Thursday accused Kinshasa of abandoning a deal aimed at bringing peace to DR Congo's volatile east as tensions spiral between the neighbours.

Fighting persists in eastern DRC between Congolese troops and rebels from the M23 group, despite declarations of a ceasefire and troop withdrawals.

The DRC -- along with the United States and several European countries -- has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led rebels, although Kigali denies the charge.

Talks between the DRC and Rwanda in the Angolan capital Luanda unlocked a truce agreement in November.

But, citing ongoing violence, DRC Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula on Wednesday accused the M23 and the Rwandan government of "once more failing to uphold their commitments".

He vowed that DRC would "safeguard its territorial integrity" and warned "all means" would be deployed to that end.

Rwanda on Thursday said the statement amounted to a threat and accused DRC of seeking "to exit" the agreements made in Luanda and also Nairobi.

"Attempts by the DRC to sabotage or abandon these regional agreements can only be seen as a choice to perpetuate conflict and insecurity," Kigali said in a statement.

Kigali has repeatedly accused Kinshasa of colluding with the FDLR -- a former Rwandan Hutu rebel group based in the DRC.

Scores of armed groups roam the east of the mineral-rich DRC, many of them a legacy of two regional wars at the end of the 20th century that claimed millions of lives.

The M23 first rose to prominence in 2012 and resumed fighting in late 2021 -- claiming that the DRC had failed to honour a pledge to integrate them into the army, among other grievances.

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EU chief Charles Michel on Thursday said he was on his way to Kyiv to discuss with President Volodymyr Zelensky what "concrete measures" Europe can take to support Ukraine.

"I am on my way to Kyiv," Michel said in a video he posted on his Twitter account, saying he would meet Zelensky as well as the prime minister and members of parliament.

The European Council president also said he would "discuss with president Zelensky and his team what are the concrete measures we can develop in order to make sure they are stronger and more powerful".

Zelensky has called for modern, Western-designed heavy tanks while many of Ukraine's allies have announced plans to step up their military support to Kyiv this month.

Michel hailed the Ukrainians "fighting for their land, they are fighting for their future and the future of their children".

"But we all know that they are also fighting for our common European values and principles, and also for the promise of the European Union peace and prosperity," he said. "They need and they deserve our support."

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Sweden on Thursday pledged to send its Archer artillery system, a modern mobile howitzer requested by Kyiv for months, to Ukraine along with armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles.

Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his government had agreed on a three-part military support package for Ukraine, including "the first decision on starting deliveries of the artillery system Archer to Ukraine".

Sweden, which has broken with its doctrine of not delivering weapons to a country at war, will also send 50 CV-90 armoured vehicles and NLAW portable anti-tank missiles, the government said.

"Military support is decisive," Kristersson said, as "it can change who retakes the initiative this winter" on the front in Ukraine.

The domestically developed Archer artillery system is composed of a fully-automated howitzer mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, which allows the gun to be remotely operated by the crew sitting in the armoured cab.

Thursday's decision meant the Swedish Armed Forces would be given the task to "make the preparations to begin delivery of the artillery system Archer to Ukraine".

Defence Minister Pal Jonson said the government had also asked the armed forces to come back with a recommendation on how many of the Archers currently in storage could be sent.

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Iran condemned as "inappropriate and incorrect" Thursday a call by the European Parliament to blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror group.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "strongly criticized the emotional approach of the European Parliament and labeled the move inappropriate and incorrect" in a telephone call with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the ministry said.

"Unfortunately, we witnessed the issuance of a draft of an emotional, harsh and unprofessional resolution by the European Parliament, which is in conflict with political rationality and civility," the minister said.

His remarks came a day after MEPs voted in an amendment to an annual foreign policy report to urge the EU to blacklist the IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran's armed forces.

The vote is non-binding but it comes with EU foreign ministers already due to discuss tightening sanctions on Tehran at a meeting in Brussels next week.

Amir-Abdollahian warned Europe to "think about the negative consequences of this emotional behaviour".

"It is necessary to respect mutual security in the world of diplomacy and increase mutual trust instead of following the language of threats and unfriendly actions," he said.

The European parliament cited the IRGC's "terrorist activity, repression of protesters, and supply of drones to Russia" in its blacklisting call.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Iran of delivering combat drones to Russia for use in the war on Ukraine it launched last February, an allegation Tehran denies.

Iran has been rocked by more than four months of protests triggered by the September 16 death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, following her arrest by morality police for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's dress code for women.

Authorities say hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed and thousands arrested during the "riots".

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Two Palestinians were killed by gunfire early Thursday during an Israeli army raid in the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian health ministry, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation army gunfire since the start of the year to 17.

The ministry said Jawad Farid Bawaqta, 57, a high school teacher and a father of six children, was killed by a bullet to the chest, while Adham Mohammed Bassem Jabareen, 28, was hit in the upper abdomen by Israeli occupation fire.

The occupation army claimed that during "counterterrorism activity in the Jenin (refugee) camp, armed Palestinian gunmen fired heavily at the security forces, who responded with live fire. Hits were identified".

"Explosive devices were also hurled at the forces. The soldiers apprehended one wanted individual suspected of involvement in terrorist activity and confiscated an M16 rifle, rifle parts, military equipment, explosive materials and ammunition," and a soldier was "lightly injured during the operation and evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment." the army added.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prime Minister held the occupying state fully responsible for the continuation of these heinous crimes, which are committed by its soldiers, without the slightest regard for international laws and conventions, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

He also condemned the occupation forces' targeting of the Jenin government hospital which endangered the lives of patients and staff and called on the World Health Organization and all international human rights organizations to condemn this crime and to intervene to stop it.

Sources in Jenin said a large Israeli force raided the Jenin refugee camp to arrest activists and deployed snipers on rooftops during which heavy exchange of gunfire was reported. WAFA said.

Witnesses said Bawaqta was shot by a sniper outside his home in the middle of the camp while he was providing first aid to Jabarin after he was shot.

The occupation soldiers prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the injured forcing residents to transport them to the hospital in Jenin in their private cars. Both were pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. WAFA added.

Three others were injured by live bullets in the camp and four were detained, including two siblings.

A general strike was declared in Jenin in mourning of the dead, who reached nine in the Jenin governorate out of a total of 17 killed to date by Israeli army gunfire since the start of this year.

Nearly 224 Palestinians were killed last year by Israeli occupation forces including 59 in the Gaza Strip, including more than 150 fatalities in the West Bank, making 2022 the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank in 18 years. according to Palestinian Health Ministrys statistics.

A surge in violence in 2022 made it the deadliest year in the West Bank since United Nations records began in 2005.

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met with First Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jurgen Rigterink in Davos.

They hailed the successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and emphasized that the Bank participates in important projects in the country.

The sides noted the contribution of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor.

During the conversation, they exchanged views on prospective priorities, including cooperation in the fields of transport, logistics, information technologies, and renewable energy.
Palestinian prisoner jailed for alleged killing an Israeli soldier was released on Thursday after serving 40 years, officials said, with Israel warning, it would not tolerate celebrations glorifying "terror".

After serving 40 years in Israeli prisons for resisting the occupation, freedom fighter Maher Younis, second longest-serving prisoner in the world, is free at last and back at his home this morning after his release from Beersheba prison in southern Israel, according to the Palestinian Prisoners club.

Younis was 22 when he was arrested in his hometown and sentenced on January 18, 1983, to life in prison later commuted to 40 years.

Hundreds gathered outside Younis' family home in the northern Israeli village of Arara as the 62-year-old returned home, with a young woman in tears as she placed a garland of flowers around Younis' neck.

The celebrations took place despite warnings from Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that police would intervene if Palestinian flags or chants supporting Younis took place.

"Waving terror flags and chants that the terrorist is a hero... are illegal measures, so police are instructed to prevent them and if they happen, immediately disperse them," Ben-Gvir said earlier on Thursday.

"The authorities are trying to spoil the celebration," Younis told reporters. "The Palestinian flag is in our hearts and the homeland is in our minds. It is just an issue of appearances."

"After 40 years of captivity, his health is good and his nerves are solid," his brother Nader Younis said.

His cousin, Karim Younis, was also released two weeks earlier also after serving 40 years in prison, making the two Younis members the longest-serving freedom fighters in the world.

When Karim was released, he said he was "proud" of his actions, and was welcomed by hundreds of celebrating supporters waving Palestinian flags.

The scenes sparked a backlash in Israel, and several high-ranking Palestinian officials from Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party had their Israeli entry permits revoked after attending the celebrations, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

Ben-Gvir's office said the minister had "instructed police to act firmly and with determination against the phenomena of terror and support for terror we saw the other week" during Karim's homecoming.

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In a meeting with members of the US Senate on Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the United States to take serious steps to preserve the two-state solution.

Shtayyeh's remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the US Senate in Ramallah. He said that putting an end to the unilateral israeli measures and recognizing the State of Palestine are key to achieving the two-state solution.

The prime minister stressed the importance of strengthening direct bilateral relations between Palestine and the United States. In addition, he called on the latter to reopen the US Consulate in Jerusalem and to restore direct aid to the State of Palestine to enable it to face the financial crisis resulting from Israels deductions from palestinian tax funds.

Shtayyeh also called to exert pressure on Israel to stop all its unilateral measures and violations against the palestinian people. These measures, he said, undermine the political project and the two-state solution.

Shtayyeh said that Israel deprives palestinians from exploiting their potential and their natural resources, especially in Area C. (which constitutes about 61 percent of the West Bank territory). He added that Israel prevents palestinians from developing their infrastructure.

"Israel no longer adheres to and respects the agreements signed with it. It is depriving us of our right to hold elections in all our lands, including Jerusalem, and we want the American administration to pressure in this direction to ensure the participation of our people in Jerusalem in any future elections as candidates and voters," he added.

Early in January, the United States voiced concern about the visit of a far-right minister in Israel's new government to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, holy to both Jews and Muslims, and warned against any change in the status quo of Jerusalem.

The compound is administered by Jordan's Waqf Islamic affairs council, with Israeli forces controlling access.

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A former Algerian energy minister was sentenced in absentia Thursday to 20 years in prison for corruption, the latest ruling against a top ally of late president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, local media reported.

Chakib Khelil headed the energy ministry of Africa's top gas exporter for a decade under Bouteflika, who stepped down in 2019 following mass protests against his 20-year rule.

Algeria's judiciary has pursued various graft allegations against the 82-year-old since 2013, with another 20-year jail term already upheld last June for a separate case.

The Sidi M'Hamed court in Algiers also issued on Thursday prison terms of between five and 10 years to former ministers Amar Ghoul and Mohamed Bedjaoui, along with two former heads of state energy firm Sonatrach, Noureddine Bouterfa and Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, the APS news agency reported.

All of the accused were found guilty of "squandering public funds when concluding contracts with foreign companies", the report added.

The court also confirmed an international arrest warrant against Khelil, who quit his post in 2010 and moved to the United States after being implicated in a scandal involving high-ranking Sonatrach officials who were later jailed for corruption.

In 2013, the North African country issued an international arrest warrant for Khelil over a case involving contracts between Sonatrach and foreign companies, including Saipem, a former subsidiary of Italian energy giant Eni.

He returned to Algeria in 2016 after the charges were dropped, only to flee again after Bouteflika's 2019 resignation, which sparked a string of investigations into official corruption during his time in power.

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American and Syrian Kurdish forces detained a militant from the Islamic State group following a helicopter raid in eastern Syria, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement Thursday.

IS sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq. The militant group once ruled large swaths of both countries but lost its last stronghold in 2019. In late December, U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced ``Operation Al-Jazeera Thunderbolt'' , citing a surge in IS attacks, to target sleeper cells in the areas of al-Hol and Tal Hamis in the country's east.

CENTCOM did not say where on Wednesday the operation took place. It said there were no civilian casualties, according to an initial assessment of the operation.

It did not identify the Syrian militant, but described the person as a ``provincial media and security operative'' who was involved in global recruitment and facilitating and planning operations for the group.

``The capture of this ISIS operative will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks threatening U.S. citizens, or partners and innocent civilians,`` CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino said.

There are roughly 900 U.S. troops in Syria, including in the north and farther south and east.

CENTCOM reported conducting some 313 operations against IS in 2022 in Syria and Iraq, mostly in cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces forces. According to a CENTCOM statement, 215 militants from the Islamic State group were arrested and 466 were killed in Syria.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed normalising ties with Saudi Arabia in talks with visiting White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday, his office said.





Netanyahu, who returned to power last month with the formation of a new government, was also at the helm in 2020 when Israel established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco as part of the Abraham Accords.

The Israeli premier has repeatedly expressed his desire to see Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, join the list.

In their talks, Netanyahu and Sullivan discussed "measures to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the cycle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi," the Israeli leader's office said in a statement.

In 2020, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which marked the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials.

However, Saudi Arabia has said that the price for ties with Israel is a Palestinian state.

Touching on an area where the new hardline Israeli government and the Biden administration do not see eye to eye, Sullivan said he opposed policies endangering the "viability" of a future Palestinian state, according to the statement.

Sullivan likewise "underscored the urgency of avoiding unilateral steps by any party that could inflame tensions on the ground, with special attention to maintaining the historic status quo with respect to the holy places in Jerusalem."

Sullivan's visit, the first by a senior US official since Netanyahu's new government was sworn in, also saw him meet President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday for talks about "ways to deepen the strategic cooperation", Herzog's office said.

Before speaking with Netanyahu on Thursday, Sullivan had met with the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, and Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.

Hanegbi and Sullivan also held a video call with their Emirati and Bahraini counterparts, with the four "committing to enhancing the Abraham Accords", Netanyahu's office said.

Earlier in January, Israel participated in one of its "largest" meetings with Arab countries in decades during a forum held in the United Arab Emirates, a gathering born out of recent normalisation deals between Arab states and Israel.

United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalised ties with the Jewish state in 2020 while Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979.

Netanyahu and Sullivan also discussed joint efforts to curb Iran's nuclear programme and its regional activities, with Netanyahu thanking his American guest for President Joe Biden's commitment to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear arms, the statement said.

"You come at a special time because we have acute challenges to our security and vast opportunities for peace," Netanyahu said in televised remarks relayed by his office.

"I am convinced that by working together we can both meet the challenges and realise the opportunities," he said. "That's something that bolsters our extraordinary alliance but also can change the region and change history."

The White House said that Sullivan reiterated the US pledge to "ensure Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon".

Netanyahu and Sullivan "also discussed Ukraine, as well as the burgeoning defense partnership between Russia and Iran and its implications for security in the Middle East," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

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Social media giant Meta has been fined an additional 5.5 million euros ($5.9 million) for breaches of EU data protection regulations by its instant messaging platform WhatsApp, Ireland's regulator announced Thursday.

The penalty follows a 390 million euro fine for Meta-owned media platforms Instagram and Facebook two weeks ago after they were found to have flouted the same EU rules.

In its new decision, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) found the group acted "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency," the watchdog said in a statement.

In addition, Meta relied on an incorrect legal basis "for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security," the DPC added, giving the group six months to bring its data operations into compliance.

The breaches are similar to those explained in the regulator's action against Meta earlier in January.

But the earlier decision also accused the Meta platforms of breaking rules over the processing of personal data for the purpose of targeted advertising.

In that instance, the company, co-founded by social media magnate Mark Zuckerberg, was given only three months to respond to comply with the Irish regulator.

Meta announced its intention to appeal the 4 January decision, adding the regulatory ruling did not prevent targeted or personalized advertising.

The DPC said its more recent fine was considerably less because of a 225 million euro fine imposed on WhatsApp for "breaches of this and other transparency obligations over the same period of time".

Thursday's Whatsapp fine was also far lower because it did not relate to targeted advertising.

The Irish regulator fined Meta 405 million euros in September for failures in handling the data of minors, and 265 million euros in November for not sufficiently protecting users' data.

This latest round of fines follows the adoption of three binding decisions by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the EU's data protection regulator, in early December.

The Vienna-based privacy group NOYB, which brought the three complaints against Meta, had accused the social media behemoth of reinterpreting consent as a civil law contract, which stopped users from refusing targeted advertising.

In October 2021, the Irish authority proposed a draft decision that validated the legal basis used by the group and suggested a fine of up to 36 million euros for Facebook and up to 23 million euros for Instagram, over their lack of transparency.

France's CNIL regulator and other European bodies disagreed with the draft sanction, which they considered to be far too low.

They asked the EDPB to judge the dispute with the EU data regulator deciding in their favor.

The EDPB has also asked the Irish regulator to investigate Meta's use of personal data.

However, in its statement, the DPC pushed back saying the EU body does not have the power to "direct an authority to engage in the open-ended and speculative investigation".

The regulator said it will seek to annul the EDPB's request before the European Union's Court of Justice.

The latest DPC fines are dwarfed by Meta's multi-billion-dollar earnings, but the company has been ravaged by a global advertising slump and stagnating user numbers.

Meta said in November that it would axe more than 11,000 staff after profits more than halved to $4.4 billion in the third quarter.

The group's European operations are based in Dublin, along with a number of global tech giants including Apple and Google, so Ireland's data protection agency is the lead regulator responsible for holding them to account.

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Emergency teams in Serbia are searching for two people who were swept away by a swollen river in a southwestern town, state RTS television reported on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall this week across the Balkans has caused rivers to rise dangerously in Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro, flooding some areas and threatening flood defenses elsewhere.

Floods were also reported in Kosovo and Albania, where high waters soaked agricultural land, blocked roads and caused temporary power outages.

In northern Albania, the local power company had to open sluices and release water from bulging reservoirs, flooding nearby areas for a third time in as many months.

The rain followed weeks of unseasonably warm weather. Temperatures are expected to drop at the weekend, with rain being succeeded by snow.

In the southwestern Serbian town of Novi Pazar, authorities declared emergency measures to cope with the overflowing Raska river.

RTS television said two men were carried away by the river while trying to protect their houses with wooden planks and plastic sheeting.

There was no official information about the incident. The RTS said a third man also fell into the river but was later pulled out.

In neighboring Montenegro, rescuers in the past two days have been searching for a 13-year-old boy who was dragged into the Adriatic Sea by a huge wave in the coastal town of Herceg Novi.

Heavy rain in northern Montenegro also caused rivers to reach critically high levels, while strong winds and waves lashed coastal areas.

In Bosnia, authorities said they are monitoring the situation after river levels rose considerably. Dozens of homes in the country have been flooded but no casualties have been reported.

We expect the peak of the water wave during the day to be followed by stabilization, said Bosnian hydrology official Majda Kovac.

Major floods in the region in 2014 claimed dozens of lives while submerging entire towns and villages.

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The Israeli military arrested Stefania Costantini during a pre-dawn incursion Monday into the Dheisha refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

Footage shared on social media shows an Israeli soldier picking up Costantini and flipping her over his shoulders as she shrieks. A group of soldiers drag her out of the camp and shove her into a military vehicle, videos show.

Israeli forces fatally shot a 14-year-old boy in the head during the same raid as they opened fire on Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Italian media described Costantini as an advocate for Palestinian rights. Israel's Shin Bet security service said Costantini was arrested on suspicion of belonging to and transferring funds to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The militant group, known as the PFLP, was involved in hijacking passenger planes in the 1960s and 1970s and later claimed responsibility for suicide attacks during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The Shin Bet said Costantini arrived in Israel on May 2 last year on a tourist visa and was summoned for interrogation last September about her alleged involvement with the PFLP.

Costantini did not report to authorities ``and even continued her activities`` for the militant group, the security agency said. Israel deported her on Monday afternoon, the Interior Ministry said.

The COBAS leftist labor union in Pisa, Italy, to which Costantini belongs, expressed ``consternation'' at the news of her arrest and deportation. The union said it was concerned for Costantini's ``health and safety.''

The group described Costantini as a specialist working with students with disabilities who have long sought to defend ``those whose rights are denied.'' Several months ago, the group said, Costantini left her life in Italy and moved to a Palestinian refugee camp.

It made no mention of the Israeli security agency's allegations.

The Italian consulate in Jerusalem did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israeli and Italian foreign ministries also did not comment.

But on Monday, the day of Costantini's deportation, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on Twitter that he held a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart.

The readout of the call focused on the countries' joint efforts to ``fight terrorism'' and boost their ``political cooperation.`` It made no mention of Costantini's case.

Israel has stepped up its fight in recent years against Palestinian activists and rights groups.

Last summer, the Israeli military raided and shuttered the offices of Palestinian human rights organizations that it designated as terrorist groups over their alleged links to the PFLP.

Nine European countries rejected Israel's charges against the rights groups, citing a lack of evidence.
A helicopter crash Wednesday outside of the Ukrainian capital killed at least 14 people, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and several senior ministry officials in the aircraft and a child on the ground.

Officials said the crash occurred near a kindergarten in Brovary, a suburb east of Kyiv. It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to go down on a foggy morning, whether it was an accident or war-related, although no fighting had been reported recently in the capital region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post he had directed authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Zelenskyy, speaking by video to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the crash had a broad connection to the war with Russia, adding: "The war has many dimensions, not just on the battlefields." Zelenskyy called the crash a "terrible tragedy." He said the exact number of casualties was still being determined. "The pain is unspeakable," Zelenskyy said.

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expressed their "deepest condolences" about the crash, saying, "We grieve with all those who are mourning this heartbreaking tragedy."

They said Monastyrskyi and his aides "were deeply involved in the preservation of Ukraine's democracy -- both its defense against Russian aggression, and the vital work of reforms to strengthen Ukraine's institutions through this war and into the future." Monastyrskyi oversaw Ukraine's police and emergency services and is the most senior official to die since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago.
Microsoft said on Wednesday it would cut 10,000 jobs by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2023, the latest sign that layoffs were accelerating in the U.S. technology sector as companies brace for an economic downturn.

The layoffs and costs related to hardware-portfolio and other changes will result in a charge of $1.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, representing a negative impact of 12 cents on per share profit, Microsoft said.

In a note to staff, shared with Reuters, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said customers wanted to "optimize their digital spend to do more with less" and "exercise caution as some parts of the world are in a recession and other parts are anticipating one."
By Azernews

Sabina Mammadli

The Azerbaijani Press Council has called on the leading world media outlets to give an objective assessment of the protest of the eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankandi road, Azernews reports.

Expressing hope for objective and impartial coverage of the protests, the council urged foreign media to draw attention to real facts, and not be an instrument of one-sided and biased propaganda.

The statement stressed that the presentation of the peaceful protest by a number of world media causes serious concern among people from all walks of life and Azerbaijani media.

Such an interpretation of the events is nothing but an attempt to distort reality, an abuse of freedom of speech and expression, bias and non-objectivity by a number of Western media, the statement reads.

The statement added that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan and the ethnic Armenians in the region are legal citizens of the country.

Thanks to the financial support of Armenian lobby and diaspora organizations, as well as the puppet state minister of the so-called Karabakh regime, Ruben Vardanyan, some world media outlets, create the impression that the rally of Azerbaijani activists on the Lachin-Khankandi road poses a threat to the right of Karabakh Armenians, the council said.

Further, the message underlined that the image portrayed by Armenia about the alleged humanitarian catastrophe and claims of genocide is entirely false and doesnt reflect reality, as the ongoing protest has a specific goal and it does not in any way create obstacles for the passage of humanitarian convoys.

The council went on to call the western media not to become captives of the Armenian propaganda, but rather treat the situation impartially in the region.

It is also regrettable that manipulations are allowed consciously or unconsciously by the media, which has an influence on the public opinion of the world and Europe, are ascribed to the pluralism of opinions, and declarations that their activities serve human values. Their articles are practically the same, the biased claims, sometimes even the sentences are also the same, the statement said.

Additionally, the council added that objective media would better investigate the personality of Vardanyan, report on his large financial frauds, his proximity to criminal circles plus illegal and unlawful activities.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 13:41 | All, Japan

Japan's electric scooter users will no longer require a driver's license from July, though minors under 16 will be banned from riding them, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The new rules apply to scooters with a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour, and riders must comply with the same traffic rules as bicycles, including not riding on sidewalks. Scooter riders are advised to wear helmets, although it is not compulsory.

The two-wheeled scooters have been attracting a growing number of users in Japan, especially in metropolitan areas. Accidents and traffic rule violations, such as riding under the influence of alcohol, have been rising in line with their growth in popularity.

Parliament amended the road traffic law in April last year to effect the rule change. Police will enforce the new rules strictly while working to inform the public of the changes.

Electric scooters that come under the new rules must measure 190 centimeters or less in length and 60 cm or less in width. They may also be used on sidewalks as long as their maximum speed is set to 6 kph or less, similar to electric wheelchairs.

Previously, electric scooters were classified the same as mopeds under 50 cubic centermeters in engine displacement, requiring riders to hold a driver's license, wear a helmet and have the vehicle registered with a license plate. Those which comply with the new regulation will now be classified as designated motorized bicycles.

The new rules also call for e-scooters to be equipped with green lights at the front and back, which must be illuminated while driving on roads and bicycle lanes and must flash while on sidewalks.

Traffic tickets will be issued to or fines imposed on riders who violate traffic laws. Those who repeatedly run red lights or drive in unauthorized areas will be required to sit for lectures.

Electric scooters that have already been in use or on the market and satisfy standards other than the installation of green lights can continue to be used until December 2024, but they must bear a special license plate. Such vehicles still cannot be used on sidewalks.

Other electric scooters that do not meet the standards are treated as moped, which require riders to have a license and wear a helmet.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 00:41 | All, Japan

A Japanese patrol ship ran aground off Niigata Prefecture on Wednesday morning and became unable to sail, the coast guard said, adding that no crew members were injured but spilled oil was observed in the area.

While the coast guard is investigating the cause of the incident, which occurred around 6:30 a.m. off Kashiwazaki, its local office said there may have been a human error in the maneuvering of the 3,100-ton Echigo.

Yusuke Ono, head of the Niigata Coast Guard Office, told a press conference that the accident occurred when the 105-meter-long ship was approaching a lighthouse to check that its lighting system was working properly.

Sea water came into some parts of the hull, but there was no concern that the vessel may sink, it said. Weather conditions were rainy with a wind speed of nearly 40 kilometers per hour at the time of the incident.

Japan Coast Guard Commandant Shohei Ishii offered an apology, saying, "It's regrettable that a patrol ship caused an accident even though it was supposed to ensure safety in the sea."

A similar grounding accident involving a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel off Yamaguchi Prefecture made headlines last week.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 18:13 | All, Japan, World, Travel/Tourism, G7

Japan is planning a trip to an island known for its UNESCO World Heritage shrine for the Group of Seven leaders during their summit talks in May in Hiroshima, a source familiar with the matter said Thursday.

It is still undecided whether Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his G-7 counterparts will simply have dinner on Miyajima Island, home to Itsukushima Shrine and its gigantic torii gate in the Seto Inland Sea, or hold one of the summit sessions there, the source said.

The plan emerged as the government of Kishida, who represents a constituency in the city of Hiroshima, aims to raise the international profile of other tourist spots in the western Japan prefecture.

The island is in Hatsukaichi city and is about 15 kilometers southwest off Hiroshima, the main venue for the three-day summit, which starts on May 19.

Meanwhile, the source pointed out security concerns, as the leaders of the G-7 states -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union -- would need to travel to the island by ship or helicopter.

In 2016, when Hiroshima hosted a G-7 foreign ministers gathering, Kishida, who was Japan's top diplomat at that time, and his counterparts watched a classical Japanese dance and music show at Itsukushima Shrine.

Last month saw the completion of some major repair work at Itsukushima Shrine that took three and a half years and saw the torii gate fully covered by scaffolding.

Known as one of Japan's three most scenic places, Itsukushima Shrine was registered as a U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Cultural Heritage site in 1996.

Related coverage:

Japan PM vows to pitch vision of world without nuclear weapons at G-7

FOCUS: Japan PM's trip tackles China-Taiwan tensions ahead of G7 summit
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 22:00 | All, Japan

Prosecutors have told relatives of victims killed in the 2019 arson attack of Japanese anime studio Kyoto Animation Co. that they want the suspect's trial to begin between September and December, an investigative source said Thursday.

A specific date has not been set for the trial of Shinji Aoba, 44, who was indicted in December 2020 for murder and arson after setting fire to the studio's premises, leading to the deaths of 36 artists and others on July 18, 2019.

Pretrial proceedings and jury appointments are expected to proceed before the public trial, the date of which is still being arranged by the prosecutors, defense lawyers and the Kyoto District Court.

Prosecutors are currently checking with the bereaved whether they want to participate in the trial. With many expressing interest, the court is considering expanding the space necessary for them, according to the source.

The biggest contention at the trial would be whether the defendant is mentally competent to be held criminally responsible for the attack.

Aoba was given a mental evaluation before the Kyoto District Public Prosecutors Office indicted him on Dec. 16, 2020 on five counts of crime including murder and arson.

A second evaluation was conducted at the defense's request and that was completed in March 2022.

Aoba suffered severe burns himself as a result of the attack and underwent advanced treatment before he was arrested in May 2020.

The attack on the company known for a long line of popular anime works, including "K-On!" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," shocked many domestic and international fans who affectionately call it "KyoAni."

Related coverage:

36 victims of 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack remembered
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 16:55 | World, All

North Korea touted unspecified economic achievement in 2022 despite unprecedented challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic during a recent session of its top legislature, which leader Kim Jong Un did not attend, according to state-run media reports Thursday.

In a report to the two-day Supreme People's Assembly session through Wednesday, Premier Kim Tok Hun said North Korean people "achieved remarkable successes in the struggle for economic construction" by overcoming "all sorts of unprecedented challenges and threats," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The premier, however, did not elaborate on the economic achievement and said the Cabinet revealed "not a few shortcomings" in last year's struggle to implement the decisions of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. Those shortcomings were not specified.

The North's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and international economic sanctions designed to thwart Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions.

Related coverage:

North Korea raps Kishida's visit, warns against NATO influence in Asia

The assembly session approved state budget implementation for 2022 and expenditures for this year, with 15.9 percent of the total spent last year on "further bolstering up the war deterrence," KCNA said. The percentage of defense spending in the 2023 budget remains the same, according to the report.

The total state outlays will increase 1.7 percent in 2023 compared with the previous year. Investment in economic construction will grow 1.2 percent this year so that it will amount to 45 percent of total expenditure, the news agency said, without mentioning the actual size of the budget.

The North also earmarked spending on antivirus measures for 2023 at "as much as last year's level" on a "top-priority" basis.

In 2022, its initial budget to tackle the pandemic had seen a 33.3 percent rise on year, and the country actually spent 21.3 percent more than the original plan to respond to the virus outbreak, according to KCNA.

The legislative session also adopted a law on the protection of the "cultured" Pyongyang dialect apparently to eliminate the influence of South Korean-style speech.

Late last year, Kim Jong Un called for an "exponential increase" in the country's nuclear arsenal, highlighting the need to mass-produce tactical nuclear weapons, as well as the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile system.

In 2022, the North launched missiles, including ICBMs, on a record 37 occasions in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Fears have been mounting that Pyongyang will carry out its seventh nuclear test -- the first since September 2017 -- in the not-so-distant future.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 19, 2023 - 18:02 | All, Japan

A sperm whale that died after being spotted struggling near the mouth of the Yodo River in Osaka last week was sent to the sea floor Thursday off the Kii Peninsula south of Osaka Bay, the city's ports bureau said.

The around 15-meter-long male whale referred to affectionately on social media as "Yodo-chan" was transported by ship after being attached to 30-ton concrete blocks to weigh it down once in the water.

According to the bureau, the vessel carrying the whale's corpse was towed by a tug boat in the early hours of Thursday from a quay near the mouth of the Yodo River.

The vessel was taken south between Wakayama and Tokushima prefectures and the cetacean was deposited into the water just past 3 p.m.

The whale, which weighed 38 tons, was first sighted on Jan. 9 after it strayed into the mouth of the river. It became progressively weaker, and experts confirmed on Friday it had died.

Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui told reporters on Tuesday that while there had initially been talk of temporarily burying the whale's body on land to reduce it to a skeletal specimen for display in a museum, the plans were abandoned due to the government receiving no requests for the animal's remains.

According to the coast guard, it is rare for whales to be sighted in Osaka Bay. The bay is largely enclosed by Awaji Island, leaving two narrow passages to the north and south -- the latter of which leads to the Pacific Ocean.

Related coverage:

Dead whale in Osaka to be sunk offshore this week

Whale in rare sighting in Osaka confirmed dead

Whale spotted near mouth of Yodo River in Osaka
Tourists visit the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece, Sept. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

"The Chinese market is one of the most important markets for our airport, our city and our country. It was among the top 15 markets for Athens before the pandemic," Ioanna Papadopoulou, director of communications and marketing at Athens International Airport, told Xinhua.

ATHENS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Greece is ready to welcome back Chinese tourists after China optimized its COVID-19 response. From Athens International Airport (AIA) to the country's hotels and restaurants, China's COVID-19 reopening has boosted hope that it will help strengthen a vital pillar of the Greek economy.

The tourism industry accounts for 25 percent of Greece's gross domestic product (GDP). Despite numerous major challenges in recent years, the sector showed resilience and in 2022 Greece generated over 18 billion euros (19.5 billion U. S. dollars) in tourism-related revenues, surpassing pre-pandemic record levels, Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias told a recent forum here. He said he was confident that 2023 will be stronger.

"The Chinese market is one of the most important markets for our airport, our city and our country. It was among the top 15 markets for Athens before the pandemic," Ioanna Papadopoulou, AIA's director of communications and marketing, told Xinhua.

After the relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Chinese market will again be one of Greece's fastest developing markets, she added.

The launch of a direct air link between Athens and Shanghai on Dec. 22, 2022, in addition to the already existing direct air link between the Greek capital and Beijing, signals a very good start for 2023, she said.

Tourists visit the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece, Sept. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Direct flights between Athens and Beijing commenced in 2017. In just two years, they helped to double the number of Chinese arrivals in AIA, from 108,613 to over 217,600 in 2019, according to the airport.

Chinese travelers will feel welcomed again once they get off their plane. "We are a Chinese-ready airport. We were a Chinese-ready airport before the pandemic. Right now, we have all the pieces in place to welcome the Chinese travelers," Papadopoulou said.

Virtual assistants can help the visitors with information in Chinese, and in AIA's duty-free shops Chinese customers can use all methods of payment they use back home. Sections of the airport's website are also translated into Chinese.

"We are ready to welcome our Chinese travelers back again. We tremendously missed them all during these three years of the pandemic," she said.

"It is a very good thing that now this market has reopened ... We are ready to welcome them again as we were welcoming them in 2019," Evgenios Vassilikos, secretary general of the Athens, Attica and Argosaronic Hotel Association and second vice president of the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation, told Xinhua.

"Greek hoteliers have always been prepared and learned new things about the Chinese market and the needs travelers had, so we are still ready to welcome them and follow their needs," he said.

Tourists visit the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece, Sept. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Spiros Bairaktaris runs a popular restaurant in the center of Athens, which was founded 144 years ago. He recalled that Chinese tourists love Greek food, music and everything in the country.

"We have historical ties with the Chinese people. We are all waiting for them with love from the bottom of our hearts, true love, to host them, to offer our services," Bairaktaris told Xinhua.

"All the restaurants are eager to see the Chinese coming," he said.

As the Chinese Spring Festival is drawing near, Papadopoulou told Xinhua that the AIA will display the Rabbit Mascot at the airport to mark the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar) 
Workers process shoe parts at the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory in Gazipur district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua)

DHAKA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an economic shock to industries and businesses worldwide and the Bangladeshi shoe-making industry was also dealt a serious blow.

Panda Shoes Industry Ltd. was no exception.

Thousands of households in the Gazipur district on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka have become better off after the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory opened there in 2012.

The factory overcame many difficulties, including those related to the pandemic and its local employees.

Panda Shoes Industry Ltd. has not only brought investment and development opportunities to the Gazipur district, but also provided jobs at local Mazukhan villagers' doorsteps.

Moreover, its shoe production has paid special focus on protecting the environment.

Cai Chunlei, managing director of Panda Shoes Industry Ltd., told Xinhua recently that the pandemic in the past three years has resulted in the stagnation of many enterprises, which has brought great inconvenience to their business in Bangladesh.

Especially, he said, factors such as the poor flow of people and goods caused by the pandemic and the difficulties of entry and departure from China have caused unusual difficulties in doing business abroad.

As the pandemic gradually subsides, he said, "I hope that we can strive to open this people-and-trade flow as soon as possible, and eliminate inconveniences in all aspects."

Cai said China has addressed recovering from the pandemic step by step and it's now more convenient for overseas Chinese to enter and depart the country, so as to recover losses incurred over the past two or more years soon.

"Our Panda Shoe Industry has been developing in Bangladesh for more than 10 years, from less than 100 people at the beginning, to more than 2,000 local employees now," said Cai, hoping the factory will promote the development of the whole village of Mazukhan as well.

"Our goal is also to be the best local enterprise in Bangladesh. We have been working hard to have more local workers, use locally appropriate management models and local materials," he said, noting that the company has given special attention to the living environment for employees.

"We also improve the quality of our products while improving ourselves, try to control the cost of our products, and strive to provide the people of Bangladesh with high-quality and affordable Panda shoes going into the future," he added.

Mosammat Mauri Akhter is a factory worker. She said there has been a lot of improvement in their lives since the Panda Shoes factory was established.

Because of this, she said poverty has been reduced greatly. "Thanks to this Chinese company, our area has improved greatly. Roads and shops have been built and we can pay our house rent, thus previously poor families are becoming more prosperous," Akhter said.

Akhter is satisfied with her job and life now.

"Unemployment is decreasing, we are being given medical benefits, we are being given holidays on two Eids in a year, bonuses are being given during the two Eid festivals and holiday money is being given annually," she said.

Saiful Islam Khadem is a senior executive of the factory. He said they had achieved their desired goal of production when the whole world came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the meantime, he said their enterprise has been building an effluent treatment plant (ETP) as a 100 percent ETP plant is needed to dispose of all factories' waste, he said.

"About 70 percent of our ETP plant project has been completed. We hope that the environment of our factory, and the surrounding environment will be beautiful and orderly."

Suman Kumar Chakraborty is the manager of Panda Shoes.

During the pandemic, he said they had done everything successfully to control the disease, starting from the vaccination of all workers.

"Having overcome this situation, we at Panda Shoes Industry Ltd. are in a very good position in terms of production," he said.

Susan, a Chinese national who came to Bangladesh four years ago, also works for the Panda Shoes Industry Ltd..

"I love Bangladesh, I Iove Bangladeshi people and I love the environment here very much," she said.

"Panda Shoes believes in saving the environment," said the Chinese factory staff member. 

Workers operate by a production line at the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory in Gazipur district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua)

A worker processes shoe parts at the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory in Gazipur district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua)

A worker checks quality of sample shoes at the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory in Gazipur district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua)

Workers operate by a production line at the Chinese-invested shoe-making factory in Gazipur district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua)
This file photo shows students on their way to school in Blantyre, Malawi, Feb. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Joseph Mizere)

Schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe, two major cities in Malawi, have reopened after the government demanded all classes suspended in the two cities for two weeks following an increasing number of cholera cases.

BLANTYRE, Malawi, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe, two major cities in Malawi, have reopened after the government demanded all classes suspended in the two cities for two weeks following an increasing number of cholera cases.

In Blantyre, Malawi's second-largest city, many schools reopened Tuesday with a high student turnout.

According to District Education Manager Anitta Kaliwo in Blantyre, efforts are being made to ensure that hygiene measures are followed in all public schools around the city, especially during this rainy season.

"We are so happy that classes have now resumed after a short break: cholera is becoming rampant in most areas around the city, but we have set a number of regulations to be followed to curb the spread of the outbreak in our facilities," Kaliwo said. "We are working hand in hand with all stakeholders to ensure that every school has safe water, functioning toilets and clean food. As of now, we are doing sensitization meetings with parents to enlighten them on the best ways to prepare their children for school."

Meanwhile, students are excited that schools have now opened and hygiene measures are in place.

This file photo shows students attending a class at a school in Blantyre, Malawi, on March 9, 2021. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua)

"Unusual school breaks are always demotivating to us as students: long holidays tend to switch our concentration to other things. Now that classes have resumed, I am so happy that I will have a better environment to prepare for my final examination," said Steven Kayenge, a student.

Parents are also happy that the schools have opened but they are demanding tough regulations in the schools to ensure that children are protected from the risk of contracting cholera.

"The reopening of public schools is a very good idea, but extra caution has to be taken in order to ensure that our children are safe," said Clara Msowaya, a parent.

Malawi is experiencing a severe cholera outbreak since the first cases of cholera were recorded in Malawi in March 2022. The country has recorded 26,263 cholera cases, with 852 deaths, in all the country's 28 districts as of Tuesday, according to health authorities' latest update on the disease. 
China's Capital Airlines' flight JD455 is welcomed with a water cannon salute at the Velana International Airport in Male, Maldives, Jan. 18, 2023.(Xinhua/Che Hongliang)

MALE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives has welcomed the first direct flight from China with a water cannon salute following the latter's recent optimization of COVID-19 strategy.

The Capital Airlines' flight with over 190 Chinese tourists aboard was received Wednesday by Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin, Tourism Minister of the Maldives Abdulla Mausoom and other officials at the Velana International Airport.

As tourism is the pillar industry of the Maldives, the return of Chinese tourists will help economic recovery of the Maldives following the pandemic, and is also conducive to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges and enhancing bilateral ties, Wang said at the welcoming ceremony.

Wang said the Chinese embassy welcomes Chinese tourists to the Maldives, hoping that they will come happily, have fun and return safely.

Mausoom told Xinhua at the ceremony that the Maldives earlier forecast 1.8 million tourists for this year, and at least 10 percent increase is expected from the original forecast as Chinese tourists who had contributed a lot to the tourism market of the Maldives, are arriving again.

China had remained as the largest source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives for years before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, nearly 300,000 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives, accounting for around 17 percent of total tourist arrivals that year. 
By Azernews Fatima Hasanova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met new Greek Ambassador in Baku Christo Kapodistria, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

At the meeting, the ambassador presented a copy of his credentials to Jeyhun Bayramov, who, in his turn, congratulated Ambassador Christo Kapodistria on his appointment, and wished him the best of luck in his future mission.

The meeting covered a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, including issues of cooperation in the political, economic, energy, humanitarian, educational, tourism, and other fields. In remarks about his meetings with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Stockholm and Lodz on the fringes of the OSCE Ministerial Council meetings, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stressed the importance of continuing the political dialogue between the two countries, as well as the importance of the meeting of President Ilham Aliyev with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on October 1, 2022, as part of the opening ceremony of the Greece-Bulgaria Gas Interconnector.

The process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the steps and initiatives taken by Azerbaijan in this direction, the restoration and construction work carried out in the nation's liberated territories, as well as the unhelpful position of Armenia, were all fully explained to the ambassador by Jeyhun Bayramov.

In response, Christo Kapodistria emphasized that he would make every effort to increase bilateral cooperation during his diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan. The ambassador emphasized the significance of enhancing cooperation between the nations in the areas of tourism, energy, economy, transport, and others, noting that there is a large potential for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Greece.

The two men also discussed cooperation within the framework of international organizations as well as other topics of shared interest.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in May 1992.

The embassy of Azerbaijan in the Hellenic Republic has been operating since April 16, 2004. The embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Azerbaijan was established on May 27, 1993.

In total, twenty-four documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Greece. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $435.7 million in 2021.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israel's public debt-to-GDP ratio dropped to 60.9 percent in 2022 from 68 percent in 2021, the Israeli Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

The year-on-year decrease of 7.1 percentage points is the sharpest since 1987, when an annual decrease of about 20 percentage points was recorded in the ratio figure, according to data from Israel's central bank.

However, the ratio remained above the pre-pandemic level of 58.8 percent recorded in 2019.

The annual figures issued by Israel's Accountant-General Yali Rothenberg showed that the government's debt rate decreased to 59.2 percent of GDP in 2022, compared with 66.2 percent in 2021.

The ministry attributed the debt ratio decline to economic growth at a rate of 6.3 percent, alongside a decrease of 7 billion shekels (2.07 billion U.S. dollars) in government debt.

"The cumulative decrease in the last two years in the debt-to-GDP ratio is of great importance in preserving financial stability and fiscal flexibility," Rothenberg said. 
As Spring Festival is just around the corner, a British expat visits an ancient town in China's Luoyang, to soak up the festival atmosphere of the Chinese Lunar New Year.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Iranian students display Chinese Lunar New Year decorations at a park in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng



TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- It was the first time for many of the Chinese language majors at the University of Tehran in Iran to celebrate Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, and have a personal experience of the country's cultural practices, when the Confucius Institute here held an outdoor class on Wednesday at a park in the Iranian capital.

This event provided a "very precious opportunity," said Mobina Moradkhani, a third-year Chinese major, adding Iranian students have long hoped to participate in such cultural activities and experience the atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

Iranian students display Chinese Lunar New Year decorations at a park in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

Once the students saw Chinese New Year decorations like couplets and lanterns, big smiles radiated from their faces, and they cannot hesitate to hold the red decorations to take pictures.

Li Mei, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Tehran, said since the COVID-19 outbreak more than three years ago, her Confucius Institute has mainly carried out online Chinese teaching and cultural activities, which has encountered many difficulties.

Now, this "culture class" took the Spring Festival as an opportunity to make up for the lack of face-to-face communication in the past few years, Li Mei added.

Through the get-together between teachers and students, Iranian students are expected to improve their understanding of Chinese culture and the Spring Festival, she told Xinhua.

In the "culture class," the teachers explained the traditions of the Chinese New Year, while the Iranian young students followed their example, by clasping their hands in their fists and bowing slightly to pay New Year greetings in the Chinese way to each other.

Iranian students learn Chinese martial arts Taijiquan at a park in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

Zeynab Ghaoorian, a first-year student at the Confucius Institute, was most surprised by the tradition of lucky money. When Iranians celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, elders also give similar lucky money to younger generations.

"It's really nice that the two countries have almost the same culture," she said.

For Moradkhani, the biggest feature of the traditional New Year in both countries is the "emphasis on family."

"The Chinese Spring Festival and the Iranian Nowruz Festival have a lot in common," she noted. "We both value family very much."

Teachers from the Confucius Institute also cut the Chinese character "fu" meaning "good fortune" with paper, wrote calligraphy, and practised Taijiquan, a Chinese martial art, to showcase the Chinese culture in different fashions to the Iranian students.

After interpreting the meaning of the Chinese character "fu," Li Li, a teacher wrote "fu" with a Chinese brush, spreading the artistic charm of Chinese calligraphy to her students.

According to Li Li, the Confucius Institute started a calligraphy course for first-year students majoring in Chinese this semester. After a semester of learning, students have developed a strong interest in Chinese calligraphy.

"The activity of writing 'fu' is a combination of calligraphy class and Spring Festival customs so that the students can more deeply understand that calligraphy is not only a kind of culture and art, but also closely related to daily life," she said.

Her words were confirmed by her students' reactions. After she finished a "fu" character, almost all the students raised their hands to ask for it.

Meanwhile, another teacher Wang Xinhua's Taijiquan demonstration also impressed many. He opened the class on the spot and helped two students correct their kung fu movements.

A teachers and her student of the Confucius Institute at the University of Tehran in Iran display Chinese New Year decorations at a park in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

Ghaoorian said she had watched kung fu in short videos before but seeing it live was an eye-opener.

"Through Taijiquan exercises, students can improve their physical well-being and understand Chinese culture," said Wang, who plans to start a training camp for students in the new semester.

In Li Mei's opinion, the "culture class" allowed students to watch and participate in the activities of Chinese people celebrating the Spring Festival, which will inspire their greater interest in learning Chinese.

"I love China. I love Chinese. That's why I want to learn more about China and the language. I really want to work with Chinese people in the future," said Ghaoorian, giving enthusiastic feedback.

"In my diary, today is a very unforgettable memory. The only regret is that the activity time passed so quickly," said Mohammad-Javad Jahan-Ara, another student.

"For the Chinese teachers who teach Chinese abroad, it is the most unforgettable and meaningful reunion to get together with their dear students and colleagues during the Spring Festival," said Liu Xiaxuan, a teacher.

"Who says the Spring Festival can't be celebrated away from home," she added, flashing a smile. 
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extends festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- In what has become an annual tradition, President Xi Jinping has extended festive greetings to all Chinese people during conversations with ordinary people ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan. 22 this year.



"I especially care about grassroots officials and members of the public as we ring in the new year," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, after making video calls with people at various locations across the country on Wednesday.

On the other end of the video link were medical workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village.

Chinese New Year is an occasion for family reunions, which sees people travel across the country -- some even from abroad -- to celebrate with their families and friends. After three years of fight against COVID-19, this year's festival is of particular significance for many.

Over the past decade, Xi has spent time with ordinary people ahead of this important festival. Sometimes he would help them with festive preparations, such as making dumplings, a must-have dish for many families on their banquet tables on the eve of the new year.

Four years ago, Zhu Maojin's family welcomed Xi into their home to make dumplings during his visit to the hutong neighborhoods of central Beijing. As Xi helped to fill and form the dumplings, he asked Zhu's family about their living conditions. Thanks to a government-funded renovation project, the family's access to running water, electricity, gas and heating had greatly improved.

"He is easy-going and chatted with us just like a family member," Zhu said.

Around this time of year, people in another part of the country are busy making a different festive snack known as "ciba," a glutinous rice cake. In 2016, Xi visited Shenshan Village in Jiangxi Province and joined the villagers in making ciba, quipping that pounding the snack with a mallet was a good workout.

Xi has also trekked to some of the country's most remote areas on his pre-Chinese New Year inspection tour. In 2014, braving the cold of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north, Xi visited the home of a forestry worker to learn about his difficulties. In 2018, after venturing deep into the mountains of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, Xi said: "Not a single ethnic group or family should be left behind in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects." In 2020, Xi went to Simola Wa Village in Yunnan Province and joined locals in beating a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group, a local ritual activity to bless the coming year.

Poor families and those who have encountered difficulties are always in Xi's thoughts, and he has taken this time of year to reach out and meet with them. In 2013, when visiting underprivileged villagers in Yuangudui Village, Gansu Province, Xi delivered New Year essentials like cooking oil and pork to them, and stationery for students.

On another occasion, Xi visited the home of an impoverished villager in Hebei Province in 2017 and helped him sort out his household budget. In conversations with village officials and residents, Xi said that poverty eradication is the "bottom-line task" in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

By 2020, all of the country's nearly 100 million rural residents living below the poverty line had shaken off poverty thanks to an eight-year anti-poverty campaign led by Xi, and all 832 poor counties had been lifted out of poverty.

In October 2021, north China's Shanxi Province was hit by heavy flooding, leaving millions of people's lives affected. Xi visited one of the most hard-hit villages, Fengnanyuan, a few days before the Spring Festival. Shi Hongbing invited Xi into his new house, which had been rebuilt with government subsidy and other assistance distributed after the floods.

"I came to Shanxi primarily out of the concern for people whose work and lives were affected by last year's disaster," Xi told the villagers.

Such concern about people's lives is rooted in the seven years he spent in Liangjiahe Village, in Shaanxi Province, in the 1970s. Xi said his experience in the small village gave him insight into the true meaning of the word "people" and strengthened his resolve to "serve the people."

After becoming the general secretary in 2012, Xi said: "The people's aspiration for a better life is what we are striving for." 
TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet dropped to 26.5 percent, a record low since he took office in October 2021, as a majority opposed tax hikes for defense spending, according to a Jiji Press survey released on Thursday.

The latest public opinion survey found that the Kishida cabinet's approval rating dropped 2.7 percentage points from the previous month to 26.5 percent, below 30 percent for the fourth consecutive month, and that the disapproval rating grew 1.1 points to a record high of 43.6 percent.

A public support rating below 30 percent is commonly viewed as a danger zone for the cabinet.

The result apparently reflected anxiety about Kishida's plans to raise taxes to boost defense spending as well as higher prices, Jiji Press said.

The survey, conducted for four days through Monday, showed that 50.8 percent of respondents opposed the tax increase for defense spending, far higher than 24.7 percent in favor of the plan.

Meanwhile, Kishida's response to the resignation of four cabinet ministers since last October was rated negatively by 56.4 percent of respondents, while only 18.7 percent were in favor.

The interview-based survey for January covered 2,000 people over the age of 18 nationwide. Valid responses came from 60.5 percent. 
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday inspected combat readiness of the armed forces via video link ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended festive greetings to service personnel of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces. 
A worker works at the Shuangli knitting plant in Shuangzhuyuan Village, Shangshiqiao Township of Shangcheng County in central China's Henan Province, on Jan. 13, 2023. (Photo by Wu Wendi/Xinhua)

ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Since Tong Guanghai prepared things for the Spring Festival in advance, he worked overtime at the factory to produce sweaters of an order from Spain with an easy mind.

"We usually go off duty at 5:30 p.m., but we recently worked until 10:00 p.m. with extra pay to complete the order before the festival," Tong said.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 22 this year.

Last year, Tong obtained an ironing job at the Shuangli knitting plant in Shuangzhuyuan Village, Shangshiqiao Township of Shangcheng County in central China's Henan Province. The 50-year-old man was a truck driver working in Hubei Province's Wuhan City.

"My mum is in poor health, and my son will sit the college entrance examination this summer. I want to spend more time with them, so I found this job nearby my home," Tong said.

The mountainous county shook off poverty in 2015. Ahead of that, most of the villagers traveled far away to the provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong to earn more wages in the textile industry.

Liu Chenglin, general manager of the Shuangli knitting plant, said that the plant opened in 2018 and mainly produces woolen sweaters for some European brands.

"The local government persuaded me to move back to the village from Zhejiang to promote the economy of our hometown and also boost employment," Liu recalled, adding the low rents and abundant labor in the hometown were very attractive.

Villager Cheng Guangxia had worked in southern China's Guangzhou City for more than ten years. In 2018, she returned and became a quality inspector at the Shuangli knitting plant, getting a monthly salary of 6,000 yuan (about 886.6 U.S. dollars).

"The salary is not much less than that in Guangzhou. I can take care of my mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, and my parents, in their 70s. I'm already 51 years old, and I don't want to drift from place to place anymore," Cheng said.

Shuangli knitting plant provides jobs for more than 70 locals and over 400 mobile positions, allowing workers to do work in their spare time, like cutting threads and sewing at home.

"We got a lot of orders and produced 1.8 million woolen sweaters last year, an increase of 600,000 over 2021," said Liu.

Data shows more than 130 knitting enterprises in Shangshiqiao Township provide over 4,000 jobs for the residents.

An increasing number of migrant workers have returned home to get work since the country is advancing rural revitalization. 

Workers work at the Shuangli knitting plant in Shuangzhuyuan Village, Shangshiqiao Township of Shangcheng County in central China's Henan Province, on Jan. 13, 2023. (Photo by Wu Wendi/Xinhua)
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan visits Peking University People's Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 19, 2023. The vice premier made an inspection tour of two hospitals in Beijing, where she expressed festive greetings to the medical workers. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Thursday reiterated the dire necessity of treating COVID-19 patients with all-out efforts.

The vice premier made the remarks during an inspection tour of two hospitals in Beijing, where she expressed festive greetings to the medical workers.

Sun said that China's COVID-19 response shift is progressing smoothly, and the country's treatment of COVID-19 patients has yielded remarkable results. She noted that the number of severe COVID-19 cases in hospitals is in steady decline.

However, the task for medical personnel remains daunting, Sun said. She expressed hope that medical workers will make new contributions to protecting the people's health and well-being.

At a meeting held at the National Health Commission, Sun noted that the supply of drugs and medical supplies at the community level and in rural areas must be ensured.

She underscored the need to augment community-level medical workforces, and called for more attention to be paid to key groups such as the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions.

Relevant authorities should widely promote the exemplary deeds of medical workers, so as to enhance the respect given to them in society, Sun added. 

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan attends a meeting at the National Health Commission on Jan. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan talks with medical workers at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 19, 2023. The vice premier made an inspection tour of two hospitals in Beijing, where she expressed festive greetings to the medical workers. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister on Thursday lashed out at the European Parliament's new draft resolution to blacklist Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist organization," official news agency IRNA reported.

"We, unfortunately, witnessed the issuance of an emotional, sharp, and unprofessional draft resolution by the European Parliament, which is at odds with political rationality and civility," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said during a phone call with EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Iran has repeatedly said the IRGC is an official state body that plays an important and critical role in ensuring security in the country and the region, particularly through fighting terrorism, Amir-Abdollahian noted.

He described the European Parliament's move as "shooting Europe in the foot," saying the Iranian parliament will give a "legal and decisive" response to the action.

On Wednesday, a draft resolution calling on "the EU and its member states to include the IRGC in the EU's terror list" was approved in the European Parliament with 598 votes in favor and nine against, with 31 abstentions. 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answers questions during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

MOSCOW, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- "Russia-China ties are undoubtedly experiencing absolutely the best times in the entire history of these relations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"The relationship is pragmatic, trusting and mutually respectful. This can be characterized as an ideal format for relations between any countries," Lavrov said at his annual press conference.

"We are closely coordinating within the UN, and combating new challenges and threats through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative", which will help strengthen the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, he added. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answers questions during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answers questions during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answers questions during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answers questions during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
By Azernews

Sabina Mammadli

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Deek paid homage to the memory of the January 20 tragedy martyrs in the Ally of Martyrs, Azernews reports.

As we concluded the conference of Israeli Ambassadors, @AlizaBinNoun the Pol. Director of the @IsraelMFA led our visit to the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, to join the people of Azerbaijan in commemorating Black January. #20Yanvar, the ambassador tweeted.

Meanwhile, preparatory work has been completed on the alley ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.

The territory is under the constant control of the Executive Power of Baku city.

"Traditionally, special floral arrangements are prepared on the territory of the alley. Experienced specialists and landscape designers were involved in this work," the press service of the Baku executive authorities.

On January 20, 1990, 40,000 strong Soviet troops entered the Azerbaijani capital Baku from several directions, invading the city in a desperate, brutal, and yet futile attempt to strangle the growing independence movement and to prevent the fall of the Soviet communist regime in Azerbaijan and punish ordinary people who had rallied on the streets to voice their legitimate protest against the violation of their homeland's territorial integrity.

Some 137 people were killed, 611 were wounded, 841 were illegally arrested, and five went missing as a result of the intrusion of troops into Baku and other regions of the country.

January 20, 1990, is marked in the modern history of Azerbaijan as one of the most tragic days of the country, and at the same time as a heroic page.
JINAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- East China's Shandong Province will issue more vouchers in the first half of this year to stimulate automobile consumption, the provincial government told a press briefing on Thursday.

Vouchers worth 200 million yuan (about 29.55 million U.S. dollars) will be applicable to purchase new energy vehicles, petrol vehicles, and replacement vehicles, said Wang Hongping, deputy director of the provincial department of commerce.

Since May last year, Shandong has introduced an array of policies to prop up local automobile consumption. The province has issued related vouchers worth 980 million yuan and lifted the consumption of 43.8 billion yuan, said Wang. 
Liu Yang (1st R) presides over a coordinating meeting on emergency department's medical treatment at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 17, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang answers a phone call on work while walking at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 18, 2023.

Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Relatives of patients express their gratitude to Liu Yang (L) at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 18, 2023.

Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang (L) confirms a patient's information with his colleague at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 17, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang (L) communicates with an elderly person at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 18, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang (front) presides over a coordinating meeting on emergency department's medical treatment at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 17, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang works at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 17, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Liu Yang communicates with a relative of a patient on the treatment schedule at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 17, 2023. Liu is an orthopedist at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. On Dec. 7, 2022, he was appointed as a coordinator in charge of the symptom triage of patients at the emergency department.

Besides resolving problems raised by patients' relatives, Liu and his colleagues have worked to coordinate beds and experts from 36 departments of his hospital in order to effectively treat patients in severe condition. (Xinhua/Li Ran)
by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- It was the first time for many of the Chinese language majors at the University of Tehran in Iran to celebrate Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, and have a personal experience of the country's cultural practices, when the Confucius Institute here held an outdoor class on Wednesday at a park in the Iranian capital.

This event provided a "very precious opportunity," said Mobina Moradkhani, a third-year Chinese major, adding Iranian students have long hoped to participate in such cultural activities and experience the atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

Once the students saw Chinese New Year decorations like couplets and lanterns, big smiles radiated from their faces, and they cannot hesitate to hold the red decorations to take pictures.

Li Mei, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Tehran, said since the COVID-19 outbreak more than three years ago, her Confucius Institute has mainly carried out online Chinese teaching and cultural activities, which has encountered many difficulties.

Now, this "culture class" took the Spring Festival as an opportunity to make up for the lack of face-to-face communication in the past few years, Li Mei added.

Through the get-together between teachers and students, Iranian students are expected to improve their understanding of Chinese culture and the Spring Festival, she told Xinhua.

In the "culture class," the teachers explained the traditions of the Chinese New Year, while the Iranian young students followed their example, by clasping their hands in their fists and bowing slightly to pay New Year greetings in the Chinese way to each other.

Zeynab Ghaoorian, a first-year student at the Confucius Institute, was most surprised by the tradition of lucky money. When Iranians celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, elders also give similar lucky money to younger generations.

"It's really nice that the two countries have almost the same culture," she said.

For Moradkhani, the biggest feature of the traditional New Year in both countries is the "emphasis on family."

"The Chinese Spring Festival and the Iranian Nowruz Festival have a lot in common," she noted. "We both value family very much."

Teachers from the Confucius Institute also cut the Chinese character "fu" meaning "good fortune" with paper, wrote calligraphy, and practised Taijiquan, a Chinese martial art, to showcase the Chinese culture in different fashions to the Iranian students.

After interpreting the meaning of the Chinese character "fu," Li Li, a teacher wrote "fu" with a Chinese brush, spreading the artistic charm of Chinese calligraphy to her students.

According to Li Li, the Confucius Institute started a calligraphy course for first-year students majoring in Chinese this semester. After a semester of learning, students have developed a strong interest in Chinese calligraphy.

"The activity of writing 'fu' is a combination of calligraphy class and Spring Festival customs so that the students can more deeply understand that calligraphy is not only a kind of culture and art, but also closely related to daily life," she said.

Her words were confirmed by her students' reactions. After she finished a "fu" character, almost all the students raised their hands to ask for it.

Meanwhile, another teacher Wang Xinhua's Taijiquan demonstration also impressed many. He opened the class on the spot and helped two students correct their kung fu movements.

Ghaoorian said she had watched kung fu in short videos before but seeing it live was an eye-opener.

"Through Taijiquan exercises, students can improve their physical well-being and understand Chinese culture," said Wang, who plans to start a training camp for students in the new semester.

In Li Mei's opinion, the "culture class" allowed students to watch and participate in the activities of Chinese people celebrating the Spring Festival, which will inspire their greater interest in learning Chinese.

"I love China. I love Chinese. That's why I want to learn more about China and the language. I really want to work with Chinese people in the future," said Ghaoorian, giving enthusiastic feedback.

"In my diary, today is a very unforgettable memory. The only regret is that the activity time passed so quickly," said Mohammad-Javad Jahan-Ara, another student.

"For the Chinese teachers who teach Chinese abroad, it is the most unforgettable and meaningful reunion to get together with their dear students and colleagues during the Spring Festival," said Liu Xiaxuan, a teacher.

"Who says the Spring Festival can't be celebrated away from home," she added, flashing a smile. 
WELLINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday that she will step down as prime minister and leader of the Labor Party in February as she will not be seeking re-election this year.

Ardern's last day as prime minister is Feb. 7. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new prime minister.

Ardern said, after five and a half years of the top leadership role, that she could not keep going for another year or term after careful consideration.

A caucus vote to elect a new leader will occur in three days' time on Sunday, said a government statement.

"Being prime minister has been the greatest honor of my life," Ardern said, citing her cabinet's achievement in alleviating child poverty, as well as increasing welfare support and public housing stock.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's 2023 General Election will be held on Oct. 14, 2023, Ardern announced, adding the Labor team is "incredibly well placed" to contest the next election. 
NANNING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A video showing the Vice President of Thailand greeting the first group of Chinese tourists arriving at Bangkok's international airport after China lifted travel restrictions went viral on the internet.

After reading the news, Zhang Jiajia from South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region immediately booked round-trip flight tickets to the Southeast Asian nation as she felt tourists from China are "embraced with arms wide open."

Zhang is among legions of eager travelers who have put their cross-border travel plans back on the agenda as China relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, with Thailand being one of the top destinations.

According to the Trip.com Group, among the recent hotel orders booked on the platform for stays longer than 20 days, tours to Thailand accounted for almost half of the total, hitting 44 percent.

The major airport in Nanning has resumed the international passenger routes to five ASEAN destinations, including Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila, said Yu Chaolong with the service and marketing department of the airport.

In 2019, more than 10 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, and an immediate surge of Chinese tourists is expected this year, said Lai Jinpeng. Lai owns a travel agency in Bangkok and added that the company received nearly 15,000 tourists per month on average before the outbreak, most of whom came from China.

"Many companies have reached out to me to book business trips, and charter flight operators contacted me for tailored travel products," said Lai, adding many of his old friends would be back in the business as the tourism sector recovers.

Zeng Lirong, an international tour director and guide for 18 years, is also very excited to embrace the rebound. "I volunteered to fly the first resumed flight, which is from Nanning to Bangkok," she said.

"We are always among those who feel the market in the very first place, and cross-border group tours are expected to go up in March, and by saying that, I mean massive growth," she added.

Industry insiders believe that due to the impact of the pandemic, more cross-border travelers may schedule their group tours after arriving at the destination, along with more changes in shopping and other consumption in the recent period.

However, the rampant virus still poses challenges for the rebound of cross-border travel, such as receiving treatment overseas and repeated infections during the journey.

"Despite the new challenges, I've been missing the old busy days, and this year is likely to be a bumper year," Zeng said. 
OTTAWA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada will donate 200 Senator Armoured Personnel Carriers to Ukraine as a new package of military assistance, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Wednesday.

According to a press release issued by the Defence Ministry, Anand made the announcement during her visit to Kyiv and these vehicles, which are being purchased from Roshel, a Canadian company based in Ontario, are valued at over 90 million Canadian dollars (72 million U.S. dollars).

The armoured personnel carriers, which are easily maneuverable and adaptable, are security task vehicles and offer state-of-the-art, best-in-class technology, and weapons can easily be mounted on them. The vehicles allow for the safe transport of personnel and equipment, and medical evacuations, the release said.

Canada's military assistance committed to Ukraine since February 2022 includes a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, M777 Howitzers and associated ammunition, according to the release.

Approximately 230 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed on Operation UNIFIER, Canada's training mission for Ukrainian personnel, which has trained over 35,000 Ukrainian security forces personnel since its launch in 2015, the release said. 
Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhao Chenxin (C, back), Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin (2nd R, back), Vice Minister of Natural Resources Liu Guohong (2nd L, back), Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmin (1st R, back), and spokesman of the State Council Information Office attend a press conference introducing a white paper titled "China's Green Development in the New Era" issued by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 19, 2023. The white paper aims to present a full picture of China's ideas, actions, and achievements in green development in the new era, and to share with the world its experience in this regard. (Xinhua/Li He)

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Information Office Thursday released a white paper titled "China's Green Development in the New Era."

The 18,000-character white paper mainly focuses on seven aspects of China's green development, including the country's commitment to green growth, a green territorial configuration, adjustment and improvement of the industrial structure, application of green production methods, eco-friendly living, institutions and mechanisms for green development and efforts to build the earth into a beautiful home.

It systematically summarizes China's actions and achievements in green development over the past decade, and expounds the country's ideas and experience of green development, Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference on the release of the white paper.

"Green is the defining feature of China in the new era, and green development features the Chinese path to modernization," read the white paper.

From 2012 to 2021, China planted 64 million hectares of trees, carried out desertification prevention and control over 18.53 million hectares of land, and added or restored more than 800,000 hectares of wetland, data from the paper showed.

Renewable energy has played a more significant role in the country's energy mix.

The proportion of clean energy sources in China's total energy consumption increased from 14.5 percent in 2012 to 25.5 percent by the end of 2021, while the proportion of coal decreased from 68.5 percent to 56 percent over the same period.

China's green industries continue to grow. The renewable energy industry is growing rapidly, and China leads the world in the manufacture of clean energy generation facilities for wind and photovoltaic power.

In 2021, the output value of China's energy conservation and environmental protection industries exceeded 8 trillion yuan (about 1.18 trillion U.S. dollars).

The paper also presents the joint efforts between China and the rest of the world on building the earth into a beautiful home, Zhao added.

China actively participated in global climate negotiations in a constructive manner and made historic contributions to the conclusion and implementation of the Paris Agreement, the white paper said.

China is also an active participant in South-South cooperation on climate change and is committed to working with other countries on promoting green development under the Belt and Road Initiative.

It is the common responsibility of all countries to protect the environment and promote sustainable development, the white paper noted.

China stands ready to work with the international community to advance eco-environmental conservation, promote green development, protect the green earth, and build a cleaner and more beautiful world, the white paper said. 

This photo taken on Jan. 19, 2023 shows the Chinese and English version of a white paper titled "China's Green Development in the New Era" issued by China's State Council Information Office. The white paper aims to present a full picture of China's ideas, actions, and achievements in green development in the new era, and to share with the world its experience in this regard. (Xinhua/Li He)
HANGZHOU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- As soon as Marinella Fortino landed in China, she headed for the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, to meet with her business partners.

"I missed Yiwu and my friends here very much during the two-year separation," said Fortino, a foreign merchant in Yiwu City with dual German and Italian nationality.

Yiwu City, often referred to as "the world's supermarket," has an abundant variety of commodities, convenient and fast logistics, and a good business environment, all of which have helped boost Fortino's foreign trade business since it was launched in 2017.

Fortino is among a surge of foreign merchants returning to Yiwu City after China optimized its COVID response and entry-exit policies on Jan. 8.

According to data from Zhejiang Provincial Yiwu Airport Management Co., Ltd., the number of incoming and outgoing flights on Jan. 8 returned to the pre-pandemic level.

Trading with 232 countries and regions around the world, Yiwu City is a global commercial city that had some 15,000 resident foreign merchants before the outbreak of COVID-19. But that number halved in the worst of times during the pandemic.

Returning to Yiwu has become the most pressing need of many foreign businesspeople.

Data from the local exit-entry administration shows that there are now over 10,000 resident foreign merchants in Yiwu City, about 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

"More foreign merchants will come back after the Spring Festival," said Mohammad Nasser, a Jordanian who has settled in China and has not been back home these last few years. He said that his friends have been asking him about China every day since China adjusted its COVID response policy.

The return of foreign merchants signals new orders, new opportunities, and new confidence in development.

"Nearly 90 percent of my clients have expressed their desires to come after the Spring Festival," said Nasser, chairman of Zhejiang Infinity Trade Co., Ltd. He said that his company has developed 100 new products for this year's market and has received orders worth over 40 million yuan (about 5.92 million U.S. dollars).

Liu Junming, general manager of a local sanitary products company, detailed China's latest entry-exit policies to his foreign clients through livestreaming and videos in different languages. He has arranged appointments with the majority of these clients after the Spring Festival.

Liu and his team are busy preparing new products for foreign clients. "We want to bring them surprises, making their trips worthwhile," he said.

On Jan. 1, 10 measures were officially implemented in Yiwu to improve the city's international business environment and foreign-related services, focusing on policy advice and convenience in the residence and work permit system for foreigners, among other areas.

"The Yiwu International Trade Market has attracted merchants from all over the world. They act as bridges linking Yiwu with the world, and are also promoters and beneficiaries of the booming market," said Wang Wei, vice mayor of Yiwu City. 
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Thursday held a phone conversation with Bakhtiyor Saidov, Uzbekistan's acting foreign minister, at the latter's request.

Qin said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Uzbekistan relations have entered a fast lane of development.

China is ready to join hands with Uzbekistan to well implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and push for more achievements in all-round and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, he said.

Noting that firm mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests is the political foundation and core essence of China-Uzbekistan relations, Qin said China will continue to unswervingly support Uzbekistan's independent development, and oppose external interference in its domestic affairs.

For his part, Saidov said he is ready to make joint efforts with Qin to consolidate the two countries' friendship and push for new achievements in cooperation in various fields.

Uzbekistan firmly adheres to the one-China policy, holds highly aligned positions with China on issues concerning regional security and stability, and will continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests, Saidov noted. 
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian military on Thursday warned the European Parliament of the "consequences" of its designation of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist group."

The European Parliament took the move under the influence of the hostile policies of the United States and Israel following their failures to compromise Iran's security through "inciting riots," the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said in a statement.

To blacklist the IRGC as a terror organization proves the double-standard and anti-security nature of the European Parliament's standards, and is in contradiction with all international rules and regulations, said the statement.

In response, the Iranian armed forces, particularly the IRGC, will never back down from their efforts to protect Iran's security and national interests, and from the constant fight against the "terrorists" led by the U.S., Israel and Britain, it added.

Also on Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi denounced the European Parliament's move as a contravention of international law and the UN Charter, the Iranian president's office said in a statement.

Raisi told a cabinet meeting that the move was taken out of "desperation" and followed unsuccessful bids by the West to deal blows to Iranian people by inciting "riots" in the country,

The European Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution calling on the European Union to designate the IRGC as a "terrorist group." 
By Sabina Mammadli

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has flatly denied an Armenian report about the alleged shelling of its positions by the national army, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, the Armenian information about the alleged opening of fire by units of the Azerbaijani army on January 19 at the positions of units of the Armenian armed forces and the wounding of an Armenian serviceman is false.

"We categorically refute this information spread by the Armenian Defense Ministry," the statement read.

Armenia shells Azerbaijani military positions along the state border on a regular basis. Since early September, Azerbaijani positions have been repeatedly targeted by the Armenian forces.
TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday described the agreements reached with Russia in the energy and transportation sectors as "constructive and positive."

Raisi made the remark in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, highlighting the necessity of expanding cooperation and coordination between the two countries, according to the website of the Iranian president's office.

Turning to the regional issues of common interest, the Iranian president said Tehran supports the resolution of Syria's issues through the Astana peace process, launched in January 2017 under the initiative of Turkiye, Russia, and Iran.

Putin, for his part, expressed his country's readiness and willingness to improve cooperation with Iran in the energy and transportation sectors.

The Russian president also stressed the importance of the Astana process for the resolution of Syria's problems, saying all sides are committed to the negotiations.

In another phone conversation last week, the two presidents discussed the expansion of economic cooperation, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors.

Both targeted by sanctions, particularly those of the United States, Iran and Russia have recently expanded their bilateral political and economic cooperation in response. 
This aerial photo taken on Jan. 18, 2023 shows vehicles waiting for shipment at Yantai Port in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

Many international institutions believe that China's economic growth is set to accelerate, which in turn will inject strong momentum into global economic recovery.

BRUSSELS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China will play an important role in the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy, Chairman of the China-Belgium Chamber of Commerce Bernard Dewit told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The pandemic has disrupted many global supply chains, Dewit said, as well as impacting production, reducing travel, and creating high levels of anxiety across the world. However, China achieved positive growth during the pandemic, and has become the second-largest economy worldwide.

According to Dewit, many international institutions believe that Chinese economic growth is set to accelerate, which in turn will inject strong momentum into global economic recovery.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted last November that the Chinese economy will grow by 4.4 percent in 2023. As a result, Dewit said, China will continue to provide important support for global industries and supply chains to return to normal operations.

This is extremely important in order to stabilize the global economy, he noted.

Trucks transport containers at the international container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua)

China is also a major actor in global value chains, Dewit said, and therefore has a significant impact on manufacturing, shipping, and global logistics.

It accounts for nearly 30 percent of global manufacturing trade, and an even greater share of many intermediate global value chain inputs that are essential for production.

China has been able to recover well from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks in part to strong government stimulus measures and effective pandemic control measures, Dewit said.

China's ongoing economic reform and opening-up policies, along with the country's expanding middle class and increasing consumption, are all expected to drive economic growth.

Overall, while there may be some uncertainty in the short term, China's long-term economic outlook is generally considered to be positive, he noted.

People enjoy leisure time at a business center in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Since China is a major global economic player, and a significant consumer of goods and services, a strong and stable Chinese economy will be beneficial worldwide, Dewit added.

China is a strong supporter of an open global economy, he said, and is calling for the international community to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, further improve the global governance system, and work together to find solutions to global issues. China also strongly advocates for developing a shared world market.

From an economic standpoint, Dewit said, decoupling the U.S. and Chinese economies could be detrimental for both countries.

Disrupting economic ties between the U.S. and China would likely lead to increased costs for businesses and consumers, and could slow down global economic growth, he said.

Staff member makes circuit boards in a workshop of a microelectronics technology company at the Changde National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Changde City, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 13, 2023. Many enterprises in the high-tech zone have ramped up production for overseas orders lately. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

It would also be difficult to implement in practice, Dewit said, since the economies of the U.S. and China are deeply integrated, and there are many areas of mutual benefit.

Meanwhile, European Union (EU)-China trade has grown rapidly over the past decade, and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

China and the EU also cooperate in many other economic areas, such as investment, technology transfer, and sustainable development, Dewit said. 
MACAO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), has pledged to create new prospects for the "one country, two systems" practices during a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

With sound conditions facilitated by the central authorities, the Macao SAR government will better leverage its advantages of staunch support from the motherland and connections with the world, and enhance the coupling effects of the domestic and international markets and resources to achieve new development, Ho said.

SPEED UP INTEGRATION INTO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Since China's central authorities issued a general plan for building the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, neighboring Zhuhai city, in September 2021, the development of the zone has injected new energy into Macao's integration into overall national development and the enriching of the "one country, two systems" practices.

"The in-depth cooperation zone is not an ordinary development zone, but a pioneering move that requires joint administration by Macao and the mainland over an area of 106 square kilometers. There's no precedent to follow," Ho said, calling it a big issue.

In the Macao SAR government's policy addresses for the fiscal years of 2022 and 2023, the in-depth cooperation zone was twice listed as a priority for its work agenda.

Ho said the cooperation zone provided Macao with support on land and employment, expanding the space for Macao to appropriately diversify its economy.

During the past year, preferential tax policies were put in place for businesses and Macao residents working in Hengqin. Mainland and Macao investors could complete business registrations in Hengqin or Macao without crossing the border. Quota limits were lifted on Macao-registered private passenger vehicles to enter Hengqin.

With these solid foundations laid, the development of the cooperation zone will focus on linkages of mechanisms and rules as well as supporting facilities for people's livelihood in the future, Ho said.

This year is crucial for the building of the cooperation zone and the achievement of its first-phase goals, he noted, stressing the need to use creative thinking to break the bottlenecks.

ADVANCE APPROPRIATE ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION

Ho said promoting appropriate economic diversification and striving to build an appropriately diversified industrial structure is the primary task for the Macao SAR government and different walks of the society.

"Macao has no primary industry while the proportion of the secondary industry is very small," Ho said, pointing out that Macao's heavy reliance on the tertiary industry highlighted the problem of the imbalanced industrial structure that aggravated economic woes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Learning from the painful experiences, Macao must achieve the goal of industrial diversification," he added.

In the policy address for the fiscal year of 2023, a strategy was put forward to achieve economic diversification by building Macao into a world tourism and leisure center and continuously advance the development of major industries of big health, modern finance, high technologies, conventions and exhibitions, as well as culture and sports.

In June 2022, the revision to Macao's gaming laws was approved and took effect. Near the end of the year, a new round of gaming concession tendering was completed.

"We will make efforts to see that the non-gaming industries account for around 60 percent of Macao's GDP (gross domestic product) and build a sustainable industrial structure that fits Macao's reality," he said.

Noting that the process of industrial diversification takes time and faces difficulties, Ho said this barrier must be crossed to avoid having to face the same problem again in the future.

UNSWERVINGLY SAFEGUARD NATIONAL SECURITY

Firmly safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability was also listed as one of the priorities for governance in the Macao SAR government's policy address for 2023.

Ho said the Macao SAR will always work to ensure that the political power and the power of governance are held firmly in the hands of patriots so as to consolidate the socio-political foundation for the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems."

Since 2009, Macao has completed legislation on safeguarding national security as stipulated in the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, established the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macao SAR chaired by the chief executive, amended supporting laws, stepped up the building of the enforcement team, promoted education on the subject, and improved the election system for the Legislative Assembly.

In 2022, the SAR government steadily progressed with the amendment to the law on safeguarding national security in Macao.

"Safeguarding national security is the constitutional responsibility of the Macao SAR," Ho said, adding that the law amendment was a move to obligate the responsibility.

The Macao SAR government stated in its second five-year plan that the election system will be improved to ensure that the power of governance is firmly held in the hands of patriots.

ACCELERATE RECOVERY ON NEW JOURNEY

Macao was hit hard by COVID-19 in 2022, which led to suspension of major business activities, posing unprecedented downward pressure on the macro economy.

"Now, the haze is dissipating. Macao's economic and social development is gradually recovering," Ho said.

Looking back, Ho said the Macao SAR had formulated epidemic control policies in accordance with the central government's general principle during the past three years, while working to meet people's livelihood requirements, guarantee social stability, and maintain personnel, business and trade exchanges with the mainland.

On Jan. 8, 2023, the first day since Macao and the mainland stopped requiring nucleic acid test results for COVID-19 when crossing the border, nearly 40,000 visitors entered Macao, about 1.5 times higher than the daily average number of inbound visitors in 2022.

"You can see more people on the streets. Macao's economic vitality is coming back," Ho said, stressing that the Macao SAR will, first and foremost, make sound arrangements to welcome visitors, including implementation of policies allowing mainland residents to apply online for visas to Macao and for group tours.

As stated in the policy address for 2023, the Macao SAR faces two important and urgent tasks to speed up economic recovery and promote appropriate diversification.

"Economic recovery is a short-term goal. The long-term goal has to be promoting appropriate diversification, which is the only way for Macao to solve its underlying conflicts and problems in socio-economic development," he added.

Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, Ho said Macao has ushered in a good start of the year, with multiple favorable factors emerging.

The current priority for the Macao SAR government is to focus on economic work and improve people's livelihood, hoping to achieve economic recovery and new development by actively integrating into the country's economic circulation and realizing Macao's appropriate economic diversification, he said.

"Macao faces a very good development opportunity. I'm confident that the SAR government together with Macao residents can seize the opportunity and work for a turn to the better," Ho added. 
JERUSALEM, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's total imports of goods from China, excluding diamonds, reached an annual record of 13.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, said a report issued by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.

The 2022 figure represents an increase of 22.4 percent from 2021, when Israel imported 10.7 billion dollars worth of goods from China, the report showed.

China has remained Israel's largest source of imports for the third consecutive year, accounting for 12.9 percent of all Israeli imports, excluding diamonds. The main Israeli imports from China are machinery, electrical equipment, metals and textiles.

The United States is Israel's second largest source of imports. Israel's imports from the U.S., excluding diamonds, amounted to 9.3 billion dollars, or 9.2 percent of total Israeli imports last year.

The bureau noted that China is among the seven countries from which the most significant increases in Israeli imports were recorded last year, along with Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Israeli imports from the UAE, with which Israel signed a peace agreement in September 2020, jumped 213 percent year-on-year in 2022, reaching 1.37 billion dollars, excluding diamonds.

Israeli exports to China amounted to 4.5 billion dollars in 2022, registering a year-on-year increase of about 4.5 percent, the report showed. 
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday at the latter's request.

Qin said China always views China-Iran relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work closely with Iran to well implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, and advance the comprehensive cooperation plan of the two countries, so as to push for solid progress in China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

China supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is ready to work with Iran to uphold basic norms governing international relations such as the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, preserve the common interests of developing countries and safeguard international fairness and justice, Qin added.

Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, expressed his willingness to forge and maintain close cooperation with Qin to make efforts to promote the development of bilateral relations.

Iran will work with China to implement the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries, and continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests as well as territorial and sovereignty integrity, he said.

Iran supports China in playing a bigger role in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and is willing to strengthen cooperation under this framework, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue. Amir-Abdollahian briefed on the latest progress of the talks on the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and thanked China for its constructive role.

China appreciates Iran's sincerity and flexibility, supports Iran in safeguarding its legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and calls on other parties to remain committed to dialogue and negotiation, Qin said, adding that China will continue to play its role in its own way. 
Kourosh Salehi, an Iran historian, shows an Iranian coin with a Rabbit symbol in Teheran, Iran, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)



TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The ancient Silk Road led to cultural exchanges between China and Iran, leaving visible marks on today's Iranian cultural tradition, one of which being the 12-animal Zodiac, an Iranian historian told Xinhua in an interview ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Year of the Rabbit.

China will welcome the Year of the Rabbit on Jan. 22 according to its lunar calendar. In the Chinese calendar and zodiac, the rabbit is the fourth in the 12-year cycle of animals.

Iranian students display Chinese Lunar New Year decorations at a park in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 18, 2023. The Confucius Institute of Tehran University held the event on Wednesday to help students learn about Chinese culture and festival traditions to welcome the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

"Like in China, the upcoming new year in Iran, which will begin on March 22, is also the Year of the Rabbit," said Kourosh Salehi, a historian and international affairs expert at the International University of Islamic Denominations.

"What's interesting is that throughout the evolution process and history, the animals' concept has entered Iran's culture from China and East Asia," Salehi said.

A folk artist colors a piece of work at a clay figurine workshop in Yutian County, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 16, 2023. As the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rabbit approaches, decorative items and handicraft works featuring the image of the rabbit, one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, are sweeping the streets, adding a festive atmosphere to the event. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)

"Iranians, in addition to naming and enumerating the years based on their ordinal numbers according to the Solar Hijri calendar, still say what animal each year represents," he said.

Salehi believed that China's cultural impact on Iran is also reflected in the three-hare (or three-rabbit) symbol found on different artifacts.

The circular motif is very well known and appears on paintings and pictures either carved on coins, trays and metal objects or painted on clay dishes and tiles. It has been found in many parts of the world, including East Asia and the Middle East. In Iran, a tray of the Middle Ages was found with such symbol.

A citizen shops for decorative items for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at a shop in Longhui County of Shaoyang City, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 16, 2023. As the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rabbit approaches, decorative items and handicraft works featuring the image of the rabbit, one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, are sweeping the streets, adding festive atmosphere to the event. (Photo by Zeng Yong/Xinhua)

Salehi said that the carved three-rabbit symbol found in Iran perfectly conforms to the ones seen on samples discovered in China in the ancient era, showing the Chinese cultural impact on Iranian culture during the Ilkhanate dynasty (1256-1353).

At that time, the rabbit symbol, as reflected on some metal artifacts and coins found in Iran, was believed to be brought to Iran by Chinese artists and painters, said Salehi.

A coin with the rabbit symbol is pictured in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Wencheng)

Commenting on other objects found in Iran featuring more or less the same rabbit-based symbol, Salehi said that there are two very interesting coins with the symbol in his personal collection.

According to the graphological analysis of the coins and the design of frames around the rabbits, he said that it can be assumed that the artifacts date back to the Ilkhanate era. In the Iranian culture, the topic of rabbit was often mentioned in Iran's ancient, religious and mythological narratives.

The picture shows a pattern of the three-rabbit symbol in Cave 407 of Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang of Gansu Province, China. (Dunhuang Academy/Handout via Xinhua)

Among the distinctive features of the three-rabbit symbols in all the artifacts found in Iran so far is that the rabbits are pictured at the center of a round object chasing each other in a circle, which probably implies the continuation of the circle of life, fertility and death.

From the point of view of semiotics and mythology, Salehi said the rabbit symbolizes fertility, instability, swiftness, cleverness and social life. 
RAMALLAH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called on the U.S. government to intervene to stop the Israeli new government's measures against the Palestinians before it is too late.

Abbas made the remarks during a meeting held at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

While calling on the U.S. to intervene to stop what he termed as "the Israeli government's extremist measures," Abbas accused Israel of destroying the remaining chances for peace and stability in the region, according to WAFA.

Abbas briefed Sullivan "about the destructive measures and crimes that the new Israeli government is taking with the aim of destroying the two-state solution and the signed peace agreements," according to the report.

The Palestinian leader said the U.S. should stop Israel's unilateral measures and violations, including the expansion of settlements, killings, storming of Palestinian cities and towns, and deducting Palestinian tax dues.

"The Palestinian leadership will not accept the continuation of these Israeli crimes and will confront them and defend the rights, land, and sanctities of the Palestinian people," Abbas told Sullivan.

Abbas stressed the importance of the U.S. fulfilling its commitments to preserve the two-state solution, stop settlement activity, and maintain the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem.

He also called on Washington to reopen the U.S. consulate office in Jerusalem and reopen the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington, which was closed during former U.S. President Donald Trump's tenure.

Since early January, the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has been rising. Around 17 Palestinians have been killed, and dozens of others were injured by Israeli soldiers since the start of the year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Palestinian officials have warned against the Israeli escalation against the Palestinians, particularly after the formation of the new Israeli government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is the most rightist in Israel's history. 
TRIPOLI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials from Libya and Malta on Wednesday vowed to strengthen cooperation on security training programs, joint fight against illegal immigration, and the combat against transnational organized crime and terrorism, the Libyan Interior Ministry said in a statement.

During a meeting between Libyan Acting Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi and Maltese Minister for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Byron Camilleri in Tripoli, the capital of the Libya, the two officials also discussed the launch of a joint security committee, the facilitation of granting Maltese entry visas to Libyans, and the resumption of direct flights between Tripoli and Malta's capital Valletta, the statement adds.

Following the meeting with al-Tarabelsi, Camilleri held a meeting with Libyan Undersecretary of Interior for Public Affairs Mahmoud Saeed, the statement noted.

"The meeting discussed security cooperation and coordination between the two countries," the statement said.

The officials agreed to prepare a strategic plan that includes joint cooperation in combating organized crimes, money laundering, illegal immigration, drug and fuel smuggling, as well as conducting joint naval exercises, it read.

Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libyan authorities have been struggling to maintain security amid escalating violence and political division. 
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeepers have discovered mass graves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) containing the bodies of 42 civilians, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

The victims, including 12 women and six children, were discovered in the village of Nyamamba in the country's eastern Ituri Province, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Peacekeepers found another grave with the bodies of seven men in the village of Mbogi.

Both locations are about 30 km east of Bunia, capital city of Ituri Province.

The spokesman said the UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, received reports that CODECO militias attacked civilians in the area over the weekend and launched a patrol to investigate.

"This is when they made the gruesome discoveries," he said.

The mission is supporting the Congolese judicial system to investigate the attacks, Haq said, and it called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

"These incidents occurred amidst a significant deterioration of the security situation in Djugu and Mahagi territories," he said, adding that since December 2022, the UN mission reports that at least 195 civilians have been killed, 68 injured and 84 others abducted during several incidents attributed to CODECO and Zaire armed groups.

Haq said the recent attacks have increased the number of displaced people to more than 1.5 million in Ituri and reduced access for humanitarians to those in need of assistance.

The acronym CODECO describes a loose coalition of armed, ethnic militias, which is regarded as one of the most deadly militias operating in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. 
MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen servicemen were killed, and three others are in serious condition as a result of a fire in the barracks, Armenia's defense ministry was quoted on Thursday by Russian state news network Russia Today. 
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic in Davos on January 19.

During the meeting, the sides noted that Azerbaijan and Montenegro enjoy friendly relations. They exchanged views on issues of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of tourism, investments and energy.

The head of state highlighted the situation in the South Caucasus region, saying that Armenia conducts propaganda against Azerbaijan in a number of international institutions based on false information. President Ilham Aliyev also informed the Prime Minister of Montenegro about the situation on the Lachin-Khankandi road in the territory of Azerbaijan.

Dritan Abazovi? pointed out that Montenegro always considered Azerbaijan a friendly country. The Prime Minister said that Montenegro is interested in developing cooperation with Azerbaijan in all areas.




CANBERRA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A majority of Australians have been directly affected by a natural disaster since 2019, a survey said.

The poll of more than 2,000 people, which was published by the Climate Council on Thursday, found 80 percent of Australians have experienced at least one extreme weather event in the last three years, with heatwaves, flooding, bushfires and droughts among the most common natural disasters.

Of those affected by climate-fuelled disasters, 51 percent said their mental health has been somewhat impacted and 21 percent said experiencing an event has had a "major or moderate impact" on their mental wellbeing.

More than one third said there was too little mental health support available to them.

Joelle Gergis, a climate scientist at the Australian National University and author of the report, described the findings as confronting.

"It's heartbreaking to realise that many Australians are living with significant levels of distress related to the reality of our changing climate. It shines a light on this invisible mental health crisis that is undermining the stability of our local communities all over the country," she said in a media release.

"We need to have a national conversation about climate change adaptation and listen to the experiences of people who have lived through these disasters."

The poll was conducted in collaboration with a leading mental health support organization Beyond Blue.

People in rural and regional areas were more likely to experience flooding and bushfires than those in urban areas.

"By acknowledging and addressing the mental health impacts of climate change, we can build stronger and more resilient communities, better able to weather the storms, both literal and figurative, that lie ahead," said Grant Blashki, Beyond Blue's Lead Clinical Advisor. 
TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japanese universities Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University, which are aiming to merge in fiscal 2024, announced Thursday that they have decided to name the new university Institute of Science Tokyo.

The new university's name expresses its strong will to guide the advancement of science and work together with society to create a vibrant future, the two top-tier universities said in a joint statement.

The name will become official after necessary procedures, such as registering with the education ministry. The English abbreviation for the new university has yet to be decided.

Last October, the two universities announced that they would merge into a new national university by the end of fiscal 2024 to enhance their global competitiveness in the field of science.

The two institutions are among only 10 national schools designated by the Japanese government as having top-level research capabilities in the country. 
A woman shops for festive decorations ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Jan. 17, 2023. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said here on Thursday that the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, has been broadly celebrated in the Southeast Asian nation.(Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said here on Thursday that the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, has been broadly celebrated in the Southeast Asian nation.

The 2023 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, will fall on Jan. 22.

Speaking during a visit to the construction site of a new national hospital on the northwestern outskirts of capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said that his wife, Bun Rany, is a Cambodian of Chinese descent.

"My wife, children and grandchildren have celebrated the Chinese New Year too," he said.

The Chinese New Year is not a public holiday in Cambodia, but it is widely celebrated as some schools, private companies and institutions are closed by themselves on the occasion.

Sambo Manara, vice president of the Pannasastra University of Cambodia, said the Chinese New Year has gained its popularity in the kingdom from year to year thanks to the close ties in politics, economics and culture between the two countries.

"A large number of Cambodians have Chinese ancestry, and we estimate that about 80 percent of Cambodians living in urban areas and 40 percent in rural areas celebrate the Chinese New Year," he told Xinhua.

"I believe that this year's celebration is bigger and happier than that in the past few years thanks to the country's great success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccinations," he added.

Manara said the wide celebrations truly reflected the kingdom's respect for cultural diversity and freedom of belief, and the excellent bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries.

Chhort Bunthang, deputy director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, said the Cambodia-China ties dated back to the pre-Angkor era when Chinese envoys Kang Tai and Zhu Ying traveled to Cambodia in the 3rd century, and later envoy Zhou Daguan visited Cambodia during the Angkor period in the 13th century.

"Cambodians are open-hearted to welcome the cultural value of other countries," he told Xinhua. "It is believed that Cambodians and Chinese have enjoyed the Chinese New Year celebrations together since ancient times when they began to trade with each other."

Bunthang said the Chinese New Year is also an occasion for Cambodians with Chinese ancestry to honor their ancestors and enjoy a family reunion.

Diep Sophal, a history professor at the University of Cambodia, said the kingdom usually observes three New Year festivals a year, namely the universal New Year, the Chinese New Year and the Cambodian New Year.

Days prior to the festival, Cambodian people with Chinese ancestors always clean and decorate their houses with red color paper-cuts, flowers, red lanterns and Chinese couplets, he added. 
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's percentage of jobs in the public sector hit a record high in 2021 owing to the government's efforts to create such jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical office data showed Thursday.

The number of jobs offered by the public sector, including central and provincial governments, social security funds and public companies, totaled 2,839,000 in 2021, up 2.6 percent from the prior year, according to Statistics Korea.

The percentage of public sector jobs to all employed people rose 0.1 percentage point to 10.3 percent in 2021, marking the highest since relevant data began to be compiled in 2016.

The government increased jobs in the public sector to help vulnerable people, such as unemployed middle-aged people and youths, find a decent job amid the economic slump caused by the pandemic.

Jobs provided by the central and provincial governments accounted for 30.8 percent and 53.1 percent of the total public jobs each in 2021, while those offered by state-run businesses took up 14.5 percent.

Of the total public jobs, those in their 40s made up the highest portion of 26.7 percent, followed by those in their 30s and 50s with 24.5 percent and 23.8 percent respectively. 
KIEV, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is finalizing the stationing of permanent missions at Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs), the Ukrainian government press service reported Wednesday.

While speaking at a joint briefing with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the mission at Khmelnytsky NPP in western Ukraine is to start working in the coming days.

"Today, I heard from Director General Rafael Grossi assurances of full support from the IAEA for our efforts to ensure nuclear safety, including at the Zaporizhzhia NPP," Shmyhal said.

"We are working on the issue of organizing a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP, and we are making progress on this matter," Grossi was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying.

According to an IAEA statement issued on Tuesday, the experts will monitor key nuclear safety and security systems, provide technical assistance, assess the plants' needs and report to the IAEA headquarters.

"With IAEA teams permanently present at all of Ukraine's NPPs and the Chornobyl site, the Agency will have around 11-12 staff simultaneously on the ground in the country, an unprecedented undertaking by the organization," the international nuclear watchdog said in the statement.

On Jan. 16, the IAEA established its mission at the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

There are five nuclear power plants in Ukraine, four of which are functioning. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which witnessed a nuclear disaster on April 26, 1988, was completely shut down on Dec. 15, 2000.

In August 2022, the IAEA sent its monitoring mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which Russian forces have controlled since March. 
MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 Armenian servicemen were killed in a fire that broke out in the barracks that belong to a unit of the Armenian Armed Forces, Armenia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Three other servicemen were seriously injured and have been hospitalized, the ministry was quoted as saying by Russia's TASS news agency.

The fire broke out at 00:30 Moscow time on Thursday (2130 GMT on Wednesday) in the barracks of the engineering and sniper company of a military unit.

The ministry said that the fire, which completely burned down a building with an area of 104 square meters, has been extinguished by early Thursday morning, without saying what caused the fire.

A local TV channel said the commander of Armenia's second corps was sacked because of this tragedy. 
MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the Ukraine crisis is "the result of preparations by the United States and its satellites for the start of a global hybrid war" against his country.

The West is trying to prove that they are not fighting Russia but are only helping Ukraine respond to an "aggression" and restore its territorial integrity, Lavrov said at his annual press conference, adding that the scale of their support makes it clear that the West has staked a great deal on its war against Russia.

As for the prospects for negotiations between Russia and the West on the Ukraine issue, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to consider serious proposals, but there haven't been any so far. 
ANKARA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and one person was injured in an armed attack on a vehicle in the southeastern Turkish province of Mardin, local daily Sabah reported on Thursday.

The vehicle with a foreign license plate was fired upon by unknown people on the Artuklu-Nusaybin highway.

The injured person was rushed to Nusaybin State Hospital.

Efforts are underway to apprehend the attackers. 
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said Wednesday it aims to increase convoys carrying aid to parts of Ukraine "close to the frontlines," supporting local volunteers and organizations.

The UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said in a press release that a seven-truck convoy had reached Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, just five kilometers from the Russian border.

"This community has been heavily impacted by months of hostilities and the 4,500 people who remain there depend on humanitarian aid to meet their needs," said the release.

The convoy supplied hygiene kits, blankets, solar lamps, sleeping bags and emergency shelter kits to more than 1,000 families, provided by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Children's Fund.

Among the participants in the convoy was the World Food Programme, which conducted a rapid assessment of markets.

The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative signed last July along with a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at suppling markets with food and fertilizer amid global shortages and rising prices exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis, has now allowed 17.8 million tons to reach millions in need worldwide.

The critical food supplies, mostly from farms in Ukraine, have reached 43 countries since August, more than 40 percent of them low and middle-income nations, the initiative's Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) said in a note to correspondents on Wednesday.

In December, exports through Ukraine's Black Sea ports rose to 3.7 million metric tons, up from 2.6 million in November, and over the last two weeks, nearly 1.2 million metric tons have left port.

Nearly 44 percent of the wheat exported has been shipped to low and lower-middle income countries, the JCC reported.

In support of its humanitarian operations in hunger-stricken countries, the World Food Programme purchased 8 percent of wheat exported last year.

The JCC team, which includes officials from the United Nations, Russia, Turkiye and Ukraine, has enabled over 1,300 voyages so far.

To reduce the backlog and improve operational efficiency within the JCC, the United Nations encourages all parties to remove obstacles.

Additionally, the initiative calls for the facilitation of safe navigation for fertilizer exports, including ammonia. 
NEW YORK, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices dropped on Wednesday as traders focused on recession risks.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February delivery slipped 70 cents, or 0.87 percent, to settle at 79.48 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery lost 94 cents, or 1.09 percent, to close at 84.98 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

The decline came as weak data from the United States fueled concerns over the economy.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that sales at U.S. retailers sank 1.1 percent in December, below consensus expectation for a 0.9 percent decline.

Data from the Federal Reserve also showed that U.S. industrial production declined more than expected in December.

Traders awaited data on U.S. fuel stockpiles as the Energy Information Administration will release its weekly petroleum status report on Thursday, a day later than normal due to Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. 
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Tuesday he has made the necessary planning during his trip to Ankara for a visit to Turkiye by President Ebrahim Raisi, noting that the visit will take place soon.

Speaking during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Amirabdollahian said that he has had important and diverse talks with Turkish officials.

He also noted that in a meeting with President Erdogan, which lasted for more than 90 minutes, they discussed bilateral cooperation, as well as issues of regional and international significance.

Iran's foreign minister also said that he and Turkish officials have reviewed a wide range of political, economic and cultural issues, urging the need for a speedy implementation of a strategic cooperation agreement signed between the two countries during a visit to Iran by President Erdogan.

Asked to comment on womens rights in Iran, Amirabdollahain said that the Iranian women enjoy a high level of rights. He noted that the death of Mahsa Amini was regretful while noting that the Western media waged a planned propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The foreign minister asked why the United States showed no reaction to the murdering of a Palestinian female reporter Shirin Abu Akleh. Why there is no reaction to the massacre of women and children as a result of the US intervention?

He also hailed a meeting of an Iran-Turkiye Joint Consular Commission over the past few days where he said the two sides discussed enhanced tourism and trade cooperation, as well as extradition of prisoners.

Amirabdollahian also voiced Tehran's satisfaction with the progress of relations between Damascus and Ankara.

Noting that improved relations between Syria and Turkiye will benefit the entire region, he said that having close relations with both countries, Iran will spare no effort in this regard.

On the developments going on in Ukraine, the foreign minister said that Iran has announced its stances about the war in the county at the highest level. We are against war and insist on a political solution.

He condemned and rejected false anti-Iranian claims about the war in Ukraine.

On the Caucasus developments, Amirabdollahian said Iran believes that respecting the territorial integrity of the countries is a basic principle and that no kind of geopolitical change has to take place in the region.

He stressed the need for keeping transit routes open among regional countries.

The foreign minister said that he and Turkish officials also discussed Tehrans negotiations with the West over the removal of sanctions, noting that if the US side gives up making contradictory statements and raising new conditions, and begins to act realistically, the agreement is within the reach.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A gunman stood over a 16-year-old young mother cradling her 10-month-old baby and fired into their heads in a massacre that left six family members dead Monday in the U.S. state of California, local media reported Wednesday, citing police.

"It's shocking for the nation," Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux was quoted as saying by The Sacramento Bee, the largest newspaper in Sacramento, capital city of the western U.S. state. The massacre was a very specific targeted act of violence, he added.

The six were killed in an early Monday morning attack at a home in Tulare County's town of Goshen. Police officers were called to the home just before 4 a.m. local time for multiple shots fired.

Authorities have identified the victims of the execution-style killings, most of them shot in the head. The oldest victim, a 72-year-old grandmother, may have been sleeping when she was shot and killed, according to the report of The Sacramento Bee.

Boudreaux said during a news conference Tuesday that the massacre has the hallmarks of "cartel-like executions" and stressed that investigators are still determining whether it was gang-related or if there is a drug cartel angle, reported the newspaper.

The teen mother was found in a nearby ditch down the street from the home. Investigators believe the teen fled and was hiding when a gunman stood over her and fired into her head and the baby was also shot in the head, said the report, citing Boudreaux.

A third victim was found in the doorway of the home, and three others were found dead at multiple places on the property, the report added.

Investigators believe two people committed the massacre, and speculate that a third person was in a getaway car. Authorities are offering a reward of 10,000 U.S. dollars for help in solving the massacre. 
New Delhi: One of the two terrorists arrested from Jahangirpuri in Delhi, Naushad was about to go to Pakistan. There he had to join a terrorist training camp. For this, he also went to Nepal twice, but his passport could not be made. In such a situation, he was now sitting in Delhi waiting for the next order from his handler. This has been revealed by the Delhi Police. According to the Special Cell of the police investigating the case, Naushad was arranged by Suhail to send him to Pakistan in 2019. However, due to the arrest of the Nepalese officer who provided them passports, their intent could not be fulfilled.

At present, terrorist Naushad is in police custody remand along with his associate and Khalistani terrorist Jagjit Singh alias Jassa. These terrorists killed a 28-year-old youth about a month ago. They made a video of this murder and sent it to Arshdeep sitting in Canada and to Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists sitting in Pakistan. Both of them have been arrested in this case. In the interrogation of the police, these terrorists told that they had received targets of 3 more Hindu leaders. The killings were scheduled to take place on January 27 and 31.

The arrested terrorist went to jail in a double murder case. Recently, he came out of jail after serving a life sentence. According to Delhi Police, he met terrorist Suhail while he was in jail. Suhail had fled to Pakistan three years ago after coming out on bail. Since then, he has been operating from there for the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. At the behest of Suhail and Arshdeep, Naushad met Jagjit alias Yaqub, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand. Jagjit is a Khalistani terrorist.

According to Delhi Police, a video was intercepted. On January 12, the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested these two terrorists from a house in Jahangir Puri while searching for the source of this video sent to a terrorist living in Pakistan. Then the police reached Bhalswa Dairy and recovered the body of the young man in three pieces in addition to two live hand grenades in a house.

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Seoul: As leader Kim Jong Un pushes for an aggressive expansion of his nuclear arsenal amid stalled diplomacy, North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament has approved a budget that allows for high levels of defense spending despite economic difficulties. maintains.

According to reports in state media, Kim did not attend the two-day session of the Supreme People's Assembly that ended on Wednesday. In his account of the meetings on Thursday,

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency made no mention of any remarks made by assembly members toward the United States or South Korea.

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The meeting comes weeks after Kim called for mass production of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons, an "exponential increase" in the number of nuclear warheads aimed at "enemy" South Korea, and more sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland Was.

His remarks at a key political conference in December highlighted a growing nuclear standoff with the United States and its allies in Asia after he encouraged North Korea to conduct a record number of weapons tests in 2022.

The North conducted a series of tests, portrayed as simulated nuclear strikes on South Korean and US targets last year, firing more than 70 missiles, including several ICBM launches.

According to analysts, Kim's offensive weapons build-up and nuclear doctrine are meant to persuade the United States to recognize North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

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According to KCNA, legislators predicted that total state spending would increase by 1.7% this year, but made no mention of the actual size of the budget.

To support efforts to "further strengthen war deterrence both in quality and quantity" and "safeguard the dignity and security of the country and the people",

According to KCNA, members of the assembly allocated 15.9% of this year's national budget to defense expenditure, the same proportion as last year.

Given the poor quality of the scant data North Korea provides, it is difficult to estimate how much money it will spend on its military capabilities.

North Korea will spend about $4 billion on defense in 2019, accounting for 26% of its estimated GDP, the highest percentage of 170 countries the US State Department looked at in its 2021 World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers report. ,

North Korea is attempting to revive a failing economy that has been hurt by mismanagement, US-led sanctions on Kim's nuclear ambitions and border closures due to COVID-19, according to KCNA's report on the assembly meetings.

Finance Minister Ko Jong-bom expressed sadness over unexplained deficiencies in collecting taxes from state-owned enterprises. According to KCNA, he urged economic activists to strengthen their "ideological resolve" and to prioritize the interests of the whole country over the interests of their individual units.

A new law protecting a "cultured" dialect unique to the Pyongyang region, the country's capital, was also approved by the assembly, in what appears to be the most recent effort to counter South Korean and other outside influences.

He also talked about stepping up surveillance efforts by the Central Public Prosecutor's Office to create a "sense of revolutionary law-abiding", highlighting how Kim's government still tightens its grip on its citizens despite worsening economic difficulties. Still working.

When Kim last spoke at the gathering in September, he firmly declared that his country would never give up its nuclear arsenal, which he clearly sees as its greatest hope for survival.

Members of the Assembly then passed legislation authorizing preemptive nuclear strikes in various circumstances where it might endanger its leadership, including conventional conflicts or conflicts that would not necessarily lead to war.

South Korea, Japan and other allies of the United States are trying to strengthen their defense posture in response to the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in an interview with The Associated Press last week that his country is in talks with the Biden administration about a joint military plan that could include US nuclear assets.

Next month, the allies intend to hold a tabletop exercise to fine-tune their response in the event of North Korea using a nuclear weapon.

Yoon's administration has also declared that it will push Washington to regularly establish strategic military assets closer to the Korean Peninsula.

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By adopting a new national security strategy in December that includes objectives such as acquiring preemptive strike capabilities and cruise missiles in response to growing threats from North Korea, China and Russia, Japan departed from its strictly self-defense-only postwar doctrine. important departure.
Iran refuses to recognize Ukraines Crimea, Donbas as Russian territories 19 January, 07:54 PM Hossein Amir Abdollahian (Photo:Irans Foreign Ministry/ WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)

Iran does not recognize the so-called accession of the Ukrainian Crimea and Donbas to Russia, despite excellent relations between Tehran and Moscow, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Turkish public broadcaster TRT World on Jan. 19.

We recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity within the framework of international law, and for this reason, despite excellent relations between Tehran and Moscow, we have not recognized the separation of Crimea from Ukraine, he said.

We have not recognized the separation of Luhansk and Donetsk from Ukraine because we insist on our consistent principle in foreign policy.

Video of day

At the same time, he stressed that Russias war against Ukraine is a difficult situation caused by provocations from NATO and Western countries.

Earlier Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is thought to be one of the staunchest allies of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, said that Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian territories and denounced Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The president added that he hadnt spoken with Putin for many months.

Russia received hundreds of suicide drones from Iran. An Iranian state-run media source claimed on Dec. 28 that Iran will soon receive 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia likely in exchange for Iranian-made drones and ballistic missiles.

Secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov said on Jan. 13 that Moscow is currently in talks with Tehran about exchanging nuclear technology for Iranian weapons.

Allowing these processes to go on poses a major threat to the world, he said.

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(Adds context)

ALMATY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dissolved the lower house of parliament on Thursday and called a snap election for March 19, his office said.

Tokayev had previously said he would dissolve the chamber, elected in 2021, after wresting power away from long-time leader Nursultan Nazarbayev last year and overseeing constitutional reforms.

Kazakhstan has had no genuine opposition parties in parliament for decades and, although party registration requirements have been relaxed under Tokayev, the legislature is likely to remain strongly pro-government.

In the election, 30% of deputies will be elected in single-mandate constituencies while the other 70% will be nominated by parties.

Tokayev last year resigned from the Amanat party, which dominates parliament, and said he would stay out of party politics. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and John Stonestreet)
(Adds details on supply deal, background)

Jan 19 (Reuters) - NextDecade Corp said on Thursday it will supply 1 million metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas per annum to Japan's Itochu Corp for 15 years from its Rio Grande LNG export project in Brownsville, Texas.

NextDecade's shares rose 2.7% to $5.35 in premarket trading.

The deal is the latest in a series of long-term contracts for U.S. LNG after sanctions on major producer Russia due to the Ukraine conflict squeezed an already-tight global supply.

NextDecade signed deals last year with Exxon Mobil Corp , China's ENN Natural Gas Co Ltd and Portugal's Galp Trading SA to supply LNG from the Rio Grande project.

NextDecade expects to make final investment decisions on up to three trains related to the project during the first quarter of 2023. (Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
*

'For me it's time,' Ardern says in shock announcement

*

Ardern to step down no later than early February

*

Ruling party to vote for new leader on Sunday

(Adds tributes)

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement that she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country and would step down and not seek re-election.

Ardern, holding back tears, said it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and that she was only human and needed to step aside.

"I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term - because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that," Ardern, 42, told a news conference.

"I know there will be much discussion in the aftermath of this decision as to what the so called 'real' reason was ... The only interesting angle you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, that I am human," she continued.

"Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it's time. And for me, its time."

Ardern burst onto the global scene in 2017 when she became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37.

Riding a wave of "Jacinda-mania", she campaigned passionately for women's rights, and an end to child poverty and economic inequality in the country.

Tributes poured in after Ardern's announcement, even though her popularity has dipped and support for her party has fallen.

World leaders voiced appreciation for Ardern, who became one of the most recognisable global figures through the COVID-19 pandemic and after mass shootings at two mosques in 2019.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "The difference you have made is immeasurable."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said they had exchanged text messages on Thursday, adding: "I believe that she is a formidable leader, in New Zealand, but also in the region, and in the U.N.."

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While noting how she understood Ardern's point in stepping down, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said: I think she is a brilliant leader and she is a very courageous woman."

NEXT LEADER

A ruling New Zealand Labour Party vote for a new leader will take place on Sunday. The party leader will be prime minister until the next general election. Ardern's term as leader will conclude no later than Feb. 7 and a national election will be held on Oct. 14.

Ardern said she believed Labour would win the vote.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who also serves as finance minister, said in a statement he would not seek to stand as the next Labour leader.

Ardern's successor as party leader and prime minister faces a stern test, with support for Labour falling and the country expected to go into a recession next quarter.

A 1News-Kantar poll released in December had Labour polling at 33%, down from 40% at the start of 2022. That means that even with traditional coalition partner the Green Party, polling at 9%, Labour could not hold a majority.

Commentators point to several of Arderns ministers as possibilities for the role, including the former COVID minister and current Minister of Education and Police Chris Hipkins and current Minister of Justice Kiri Allen.

FAMILY TIME

Ardern said she was not stepping down because the job was hard, but because she believed others could do it better.

She made a point of telling her daughter Neve that she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year and told her longtime partner Clarke Gayford that it was time they married.

Eight months after becoming premier she became the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. Many saw Ardern as part of wave of progressive female leaders, including Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

Her empathetic leadership style was cemented by her response to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 that killed 51 people injured 40.

"Her universal call for human unity with compassion made me cry with joy then, and it makes me cry now," said Farid Ahmed, survivor and husband of a Christchurch attack victim.

Ardern swiftly labelled the attacks terrorism and wore a hijab as she met with the Muslim community a day after the attack, telling them the whole country was united in grief. She promised and delivered major gun law reform within a month.

"She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

Ardern won plaudits across the political spectrum for her handling of the COVID pandemic, which saw the country face some of the strictest measures globally but also resulted in one of the lowest death tolls.

But her popularity has waned over the past year as inflation has risen to nearly three-decade highs, the central bank has aggressively increased the cash rate and crime has risen.

The country has become increasingly politically divided over issues such as a government overhaul of water infrastructure, and the introduction of an agricultural emissions programme. Ardern and Labour have seen their opinion poll support suffer.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington Writing by Alasdair Pal and MIchael Perry; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Alison Williams)
To get a sense of who is truly in control of Boustead Singapore Limited (SGX:F9D), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 46% to be precise, is individual insiders. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

With such a notable stake in the company, insiders would be highly incentivised to make value accretive decisions.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Boustead Singapore, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Boustead Singapore

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Boustead Singapore?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Boustead Singapore does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Boustead Singapore, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Boustead Singapore. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Fong Fui Wong with 43% of shares outstanding. With 10% and 2.8% of the shares outstanding respectively, FMR LLC and Ifast Financial Pte. Ltd., Asset Management Arm are the second and third largest shareholders.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 2 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

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While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage.

Insider Ownership Of Boustead Singapore

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Boustead Singapore Limited. Insiders own S$182m worth of shares in the S$392m company. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 36% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Boustead Singapore .

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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PETALUMA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amy's Kitchen, the national leader in organic and vegetarian frozen foods, announces five new leadership roles to its executive and management teams to support strategic goals and expansion, and continue to invest in its long-term vision of cooking delicious, organic meals that make lives easier. In operations, Oksana Woloszczuk joins in the newly created executive role of Chief Supply Chain Officer. Amy's welcomes Steve Kravariotis as VP of Supply Chain Planning and David Griego as Senior Director of Engineering. On the human resources and communications side, Goretti Hamlin returns to Amy's as VP of Human Resources, and Felicia Collins joins as Senior Director of Communications.

Amy's Logo

Amy's Kitchen announces five new leadership roles to its executive and management teams to support strategic goals and expansion.

"Our business is increasingly complex with a growing workforce. With over 2,600 amazing people who produce hundreds of thousands of meals a day, we want to make sure their needs are met and we're able to source and manage a global network of organic farmers, processors, and ingredients. The new roles will help us do that," said Andy Berliner, CEO of Amy's.

Oksana Woloszczuk joins Amy's as Chief Supply Chain Officer. She is a proven leader with 30 years of experience in operations, business expansion, strategic planning, and P&L accountability. Oksana was most recently Vice President, North American Integrated Supply Chain at McCain, where she led all aspects of safety, quality, continuous improvement, supply chain and engineering for the United States and Canada. Before that she spent over 11 years with Kellogg in successive leadership positions.

Steve Kravariotis joins Amy's as VP of Supply Chain Planning with over 30 years of experience in sales and operations planning, demand planning, supply planning, scheduling, and materials planning. Steve's experience includes leadership and global roles at Avon Products, The Clorox Company, Delmonte/Big Heart Pet Brands, and Bio-Rad Laboratories.

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David Griego joins Amy's as Senior Director of Engineering, bringing over 30 years of food and beverage manufacturing experience that will help the company streamline plant operations and utilize automated manufacturing systems. David's past roles include Senior Director of Engineering for Del Real Foods, VP of Engineering for Passport Foods, Director of Engineering for Ruiz Foods, and Senior Director of Engineering for Sugar Foods.

Goretti Hamlin rejoins Amy's as VP of Human Resources, overseeing the department. As a bilingual and strategic leader, she will continue to work with, and build and develop the employees at Amy's Kitchen. Goretti previously spent 16 years at Amy's leading employee-centric initiatives for the manufacturing sites.

Felicia Collins joins Amy's as Senior Director of Communications. With over 20 years of experience building and leading communications in the food, health and wellness space, Felicia brings her strategic insight to lead internal and external communications, innovation, and partnerships. Her past roles include Head of Marketing for Kiss the Ground, VP of Communications at Tyson Foods, and Senior Vice President and Group Manager at Edelman leading food clients such as Walmart and Darden Restaurants.

About Amy's Kitchen

Amy's Kitchen is a family owned, proudly independent prepared food company and Certified B Corporation whose purpose is to make it easy and enjoyable for everyone to eat well. The company is committed to cooking authentic great tasting food with high quality, meticulously sourced organic ingredients so consumers can enjoy them in minutes. Amy's Kitchen offers over 135 varieties of organic frozen and packaged foods, and the company is proud to offer options across gluten free, vegan, dairy free, lactose free, soy free, tree nut free, corn free, Kosher D, Kosher DE, and light in sodium categories. Amy's products are widely available in the U.S. as well as more than 11 other countries around the globe. To find Amy's products near you, please visit https://amys.com/.

Cision

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SOURCE Amy's Kitchen
The APEX-002-A01-03 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study plans to recruit patients across Canada to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of APEX-52, a microdose, orally administered synthetic psilocybin drug product in treating depression and anxiety among adults diagnosed with PTSD.

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Apex Labs Ltd. (APEX or the Company), a pharmaceutical company optimizing the standard of mental health care with psilocybin, is pleased to announce its approval by Health Canada to begin APEX-002-A01-03, the world's largest take home psilocybin clinical trial approved to date. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of APEX-52 microdose, orally administered synthetic psilocybin drug product in treating depression and anxiety among adults diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The approval comes by way of a No Objection Letter (NOL) from Health Canada received on January 5th 2023.

Image from Psygen (psygen.ca), one of the labs where the APEX-52 GMP API is manufactured (CNW Group/Apex Labs Ltd.)

"We are incredibly proud of the team for making APEX the first-mover in take home psilocybin treatment" Tyler Powell, APEX Chief Executive Officer comments. "Our focus is to execute a rigorous clinical pathway and positive results from APEX-002-A01-03 will allow APEX to move swiftly into phase 3 commercialization studies."

APEX-52 is a microdose, orally administered psilocybin drug product dosed regularly per the study protocol, manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which is currently formulated, packaged, and labeled for self-administered patient dosing.

APEX-002-A01-03 is a multi-centre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial aiming to recruit 294 adult subjects with depression and anxiety in diagnosed PTSD. Subjects not receiving placebo will be provided multiple doses of APEX-52 which will be self-administered in an outpatient setting. Efficacy will be evaluated against globally recognized scales for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidality compared to baseline.

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"After treating PTSD patients in my clinic for more than 20 years, we've seen the limitations of current treatments and the promise of psilocybin but more research is required," says Dr. Mark Johnston, APEX-002-A01-03 Principal Investigator and Director of Central Nervous System Research at Centricity Research. "This trial is significant as we are studying microdose psilocybin at a scale never done before. Microdoses are not associated with an intense psychedelic effect, allowing them to be taken at home and offering an easy to access, yet potentially equally effective pathway for psilocybin. Centricity has the facilities and operational expertise to begin a trial of this complexity swiftly."

Physician oversight will be present for the duration of the trial, with patients receiving regular check-ins during the study period.

Trial sites will be located in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Recruitment will begin in the first half of 2023 and the trial will take place over the course of three months.

"As a Canadian company we are excited to conduct this trial in our own backyard," says Arron Victory, APEX Chief Strategy Officer and Canadian Armed Forces Veteran. "We have been incredibly pleased with Health Canada's efficient, thoughtful feedback and support across APEX submissions, exemptions and approvals."

APEX is a portfolio company of Iter Investments, with Managing Principal Dustin Robinson Esq. adding, "We have supported APEX since the early stages and are thrilled to see their hard work and our belief in the team pay off with this industry-changing approval."

To stay up to date on opportunities to participate in clinical research, corporate milestones and investment opportunities, subscribe for updates or contact the team directly at apexlabs.com/contact.

About Apex Labs Ltd.

APEX is a patient-driven pharmaceutical company focused on optimizing the standard of mental health care with psilocybin by bringing data supported, clinically evaluated drugs to market for depression and anxiety in PTSD. APEX's strategy is focused on developing pharmaceutical products through a phased clinical program evaluating safety and efficacy across multiple indications, alongside a robust early access program.

APEX sees Veterans as a patient base with the severest unmet need and strong mental healthcare infrastructure. APEX is supporting Veteran patients first and expanding to broader global patient communities.

Visit apexlabs.com for more information and follow APEX on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: Health Canada's non-objection to clinical trial application protocol APEX-002-A01-02; the Company administering the first take home multi-dose psilocybin clinical trial in Canada; the Company evaluating the safety and efficacy of APEX-52 (psilocybin) in treating depression in Veterans with depression in post-traumatic stress disorder; statements related to APEX-52 has a low dose, multi-dose, orally administered psilocybin drug product, manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices and currently formulated, packaged, and labeled for self-administered patient dosing in the home; statement's made by the Company's CEO with respect to the Company's goal to expand access to pharmaceutical grade drug products through regulated systems, providing transparency and support for patients in need; statements relating to North American regulatory bodies are taking necessary steps in accelerating patient's path to medical access; statement's made relating to Canadian Veteran patient's taking APEX-52 in the comfort of their own home; the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 on the Company's business, operations and financial condition, the successful integration of technology, the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements' best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Apex Labs Company Logo (CNW Group/Apex Labs Ltd.)

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SOURCE Apex Labs Ltd.

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South Africa: Police crack business owner kidnapping syndicate

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has commended a multi-disciplinary team for the arrest of six men believed to be part of a syndicate that has been terrorising business owners in Gauteng.

SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the team - consisting of various units, led by Crime Intelligence Officers and Organised Crime members - have been conducting surveillance on the syndicate and have already linked them to more than 16 cases.

These include kidnappings where ransom demands were being made in the province.

In a takedown operation on Thursday morning, the team led by the Special Task Force (STF) and hostage negotiators conducted operations at various identified addresses in Gauteng including Jeppe, Helderwyk, Brackenhurst and Daveyton, said Mathe.

She said during the operation, a businessman who was kidnapped on 7 January 2023 was successfully rescued from one of the premises and reunited with his family.

At these premises, police also seized five high performance powered vehicles including two BMWs, two Mercedes Benz sedans and one Toyota Urban Cruiser.

Twenty cellphones and 30 portable GPS tracking devices are also among the items seized by the team, she said.

Masemola in the statement said police continue to infiltrate and apprehend those behind the spate of kidnappings in the country.

Our message is clear: the SAPS is coming for all criminals, either they make our lives easy by handing themselves in or we fetch them ourselves.

In another unrelated incident, Sandton police arrested a Tanzanian national for possession and dealing in drugs on Wednesday afternoon.

Police were acting on intelligence driven information when they found the suspect in possession of 500g of crystal meth and 1 kg of Heroine at an upmarket hotel in Sandton, reads the statement.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled that Turkiye will go to the simultaneous presidential and parliamentary polls on May 14, 35 days earlier than the slated day, vowing that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will claim another victory against the six-party oppositional alliance.

In a huge symbolism of May 14, 1950, elections in which late Adnan Menderes won the countrys first free elections against the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), Erdogan said The late Menderes said on May 14, 1950, Enough, the people will have their say, and emerged victorious at the ballot box, in his address to his partys parliamentary group on Jan. 18.

Our people will give their answer to the [opposition] on the same day 73 years later.

Erdogan has already been declared as the joint candidate of the Peoples Alliance, composed by the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and will be for another five-year term in the upcoming polls. As the AKP and MHP votes are not enough to change the election date from June 18 to May 14, Erdogan will have to use his power to dissolve the parliament in the first 10 days of March.

If no presidential candidate can get 50 percent plus one vote on May 14, then the first two contenders will go to the second round on May 28. The most voted will be elected as the president in the second round.

2023 is the beginning of the Century of Turkiye. That is what makes this upcoming election important and historical, Erdogan said, stressing that they are preparing for these polls with the excitement of this new beginning.
Data shows investigational zolbetuximab reduced risk of progression or death by 24.9%

Study evaluated patients with Claudin 18.2-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

Data to be featured in late-breaking oral presentation

TOKYO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today will present detailed results from the Phase 3 SPOTLIGHT trial evaluating first-line treatment with zolbetuximab, an investigational first-in-class Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) targeted monoclonal antibody, plus mFOLFOX6 (a combination regimen that includes oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil) versus placebo plus mFOLFOX6 in patients with CLDN18.2-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients.(PRNewsFoto/Astellas Pharma Inc.)

In the study, investigational treatment zolbetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to placebo plus mFOLFOX6. Specifically, zolbetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 reduced the risk of progression or death by 24.9% (n=565; Hazard Ratio [HR]=0.751; [95% Confidence Interval [CI]: (0.598-0.942)]; P=0.0066) compared to placebo plus mFOLFOX6, meeting SPOTLIGHT's primary endpoint. Median PFS was 10.61 months (95% CI: 8.90-12.48) in the treatment arm and 8.67 months (95% CI: 8.21-10.28) in the placebo arm. The study also showed that zolbetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 significantly prolonged OS, reducing the risk of death by 25.0% (HR=0.750; 95% CI: 0.601-0.936; P=0.0053). Median OS was 18.23 months (95% CI: 16.43-22.90) and 15.54 months (95% CI: 13.47-16.53) for the treatment arm and placebo arm, respectively.

The incidence of serious treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was similar between both arms (44.8% versus 43.5% in the zolbetuximab versus placebo arms) and consistent with previous studies. The most frequent TEAEs in the SPOTLIGHT study were nausea (82.4% versus 60.8%), vomiting (67.4% versus 35.6%) and decreased appetite (47.0% versus 33.5%).

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These new data from the SPOTLIGHT trial will be presented today at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium in an oral presentation (Abstract LBA292; January 19, 1:30 p.m. PT) by Kohei Shitara, MD, Primary Investigator for SPOTLIGHT Study and Chief, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, the National Cancer Center Hospital East in Kashiwa, Japan.

"For gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer patients with disease that is locally advanced but inoperable or metastatic, to see a positive progression-free and overall survival response in SPOTLIGHT is very encouraging given the limited treatment options available," said Dr. Shitara.

"The investigational results from SPOTLIGHT are exciting and support the potential of zolbetuximab as a precision therapy for patients with CLDN18.2-positive gastric/GEJ cancer," said Ahsan Arozullah, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President and Head of Development Therapeutic Areas, Astellas. "The SPOTLIGHT data, along with the positive topline results from the GLOW Phase 3 trial announced in December, build a strong foundation for our ongoing regulatory discussions for zolbetuximab and mark valuable progress towards our mission of turning innovative science into VALUE for patients."

The SPOTLIGHT and GLOW studies are a part of Astellas' gastric cancer development program to investigate new treatment options such as zolbetuximab and address patient needs in locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma. In both trials, approximately 38% of these patients have CLDN18.2-positive tumors (CLDN18.2 expression in 75% of tumor cells with strong-to-moderate staining intensity), as determined by a validated immunohistochemistry assay.1 Based on these findings, an estimated 82,000 patients globally may be eligible for zolbetuximab annually, if approved.1

About Locally Advanced Unresectable Metastatic Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

Gastric cancer, also commonly known as stomach cancer, is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.2 Signs and symptoms can include indigestion or heartburn, pain or discomfort in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, bloating of the stomach after meals and loss of appetite and sensation of food getting stuck in the throat while eating.3 Signs of more advanced gastric cancer can include unexplained weight loss, weakness and fatigue and vomiting blood or having blood in the stool.4 Risk factors associated with gastric cancer can include older age, male gender, family history, H. pylori infection, smoking and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).4,5 Because early-stage gastric cancer symptoms frequently overlap with more common stomach-related conditions, gastric cancer is often diagnosed in the advanced or metastatic stage, or once it has spread from the tumor's origin to other body tissues or organs.4 The five-year relative survival rate for patients at the metastatic stage is approximately six percent.6 Gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma is a cancer that starts at the area where the esophagus joins the stomach.7

About Zolbetuximab

Zolbetuximab is an investigational, first-in-class chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that targets and binds to CLDN18.2, a transmembrane protein. Zolbetuximab acts by binding to CLDN18.2 on the cancer cell surface of gastric epithelial cells. In pre-clinical studies, this binding interaction then induces cancer cell death by activating two distinct immune system pathways  antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC).8 The safety and efficacy of zolbetuximab are under investigation in gastric, gastroesophageal junction and pancreatic cancers and have not been established. There is no guarantee the agent will receive regulatory approval or become commercially available for the uses being investigated.

About SPOTLIGHT Phase 3 Clinical Trial

SPOTLIGHT is a Phase 3, global, multi-center, double-blind, randomized study, assessing the efficacy and safety of zolbetuximab (IMAB362) plus mFOLFOX6 (combination regimen of oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil) compared to placebo plus mFOLFOX6 as a first-line treatment of patients with CLDN18.2-positive, HER2- negative, locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. The study enrolled 565 patients at 220 study locations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, South America and Asia. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival of participants treated with combination of zolbetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 compared to those treated with placebo plus mFOLFOX6. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, objective response rate, duration of response, safety and tolerability and quality-of-life parameters.

For more information, please visit clinicaltrials.gov under Identifier NCT03504397.

About GLOW Phase 3 Clinical Trial

GLOW is a Phase 3, global, multi-center, double-blind, randomized study, assessing the efficacy and safety of zolbetuximab (IMAB362) plus CAPOX (a combination chemotherapy regimen which includes capecitabine and oxaliplatin) compared to placebo plus CAPOX as a first-line treatment of patients with CLDN18.2 positive, HER2- negative, locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. The study enrolled 507 patients at 165 study locations in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, South America and Asia. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival of participants treated with combination of zolbetuximab plus CAPOX compared to those treated with placebo plus CAPOX. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, objective response rate, duration of response, safety and tolerability and quality-of-life parameters.

For more information, please visit clinicaltrials.gov under Identifier NCT03653507.

About Astellas

Astellas 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.

Cautionary Notes

In 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.

References

1 Data on file. Northbrook, Ill. Astellas Pharma Inc.

2 Sung H, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209-49.

3 American Cancer Society. Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer (01-22-2021). Available at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html. Last accessed November 16, 2022.

4 National Cancer Institute. Gastric cancer treatment (PDQ): patient version (08-24-2021). Available at https://www.cancer.gov/types/stomach/patient/stomach-treatment-pdq. Last accessed November 16, 2022.

5 American Cancer Society. Esophageal cancer risk factors (06-09-2020). Available at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/esophagus-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html. Last accessed November 16, 2022.

6 National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Cancer stat facts: stomach cancer. Available at https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/stomach.html. Last accessed November 16, 2022.

7 American Cancer Society. About esophagus cancer (03-20-2020). Available at https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8614.00.pdf. Last accessed November 16, 2022.

8 Sahin U, et al. FAST: a randomised phase II study of zolbetuximab (IMAB362) plus EOX versus EOX alone for first-line treatment of advanced CLDN18.2-positive gastric and gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Ann Oncol. 2021;32(5):609-19.

Cision

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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.
By Nia Williams

Jan 18 (Reuters) - British Columbia on Wednesday announced a land, water and resource management agreement with the Blueberry River First Nations that will restart development in Canada's vast Montney shale play, but also limit new land disturbance from oil and gas activity.

New well licenses in B.C.'s Montney have been frozen since June 2021, when a landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision ruled in favour of a claim from the Blueberry that the cumulative impacts of decades of industrial development had damaged their traditional territory.

Since then the province and First Nations in the region have been negotiating a different approach to managing resource development in the 38,000-kilometre swathe of land that lies in the heart of Canada's top gas-producing play.

"This agreement provides a clear pathway to get the hard work started on healing and restoring the land, and start on the joint planning with strong criteria to protect ecosystems, wildlife habitat and old forests," Chief Judy Desjarlais of the Blueberry River First Nations said in a statement.

Around 25 companies including Canadian Natural Resources Ltd and Tourmaline Oil operate in the Montney and the uncertainty around the Blueberry negotiations has been weighing on drilling activity.

($1 = 1.3491 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Nia Williams Editing by Chris Reese)
LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - British Foreign Minister James Cleverly will seek to bolster support for Ukraine on a trip to the United States and Canada which begins on Tuesday, ahead of the first anniversary of the invasion by Russia.

Britain has been a steadfast supporter of Kyiv since Russia's invasion last February, and at the weekend pledged to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks and other heavy weaponry to Ukraine.

Germany is under pressure to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but its government says such tanks should be supplied to Ukraine only if there is agreement among Kyiv's main allies, particularly the United States.

Cleverly will tell U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly that it is the right time to go "further and faster" to give Ukraine military support.

"Today we stand united against Putin's illegal war, and we will continue to use our uniquely strong defence and security ties to ensure that, in the end, the Ukrainian people will win," Cleverly said in a statement ahead of the trip.

The British foreign ministry also said Cleverly would raise the topic of Iran while on the trip after Britain temporarily recalled its ambassador following the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari on Saturday. (Reporting by Alistair Smout in London Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, North America is expected to have the biggest market share for cloud managed services.

Farmington, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Cloud Managed Services Market Is Projected To Grow at a Rate Of 13.40% CAGR during the Forecast Period. It Is Estimated That The Market Will Grow And Further Reach Up To USD 145.6 Billion During The Forecast Period 2023-2030. In the group of halogens, Cloud Managed Services is the third-largest element. It is a red liquid with the atomic number 35 that is solid at room temperature. Cloud Managed Services is used in many places around the world as a reactant and a catalyst. Cloud Managed Services is used to make medicines, disinfectants, biocides, agrochemicals, dyes, chemicals for taking photos, and flame retardants. The most Cloud Managed Services comes from the Dead Sea. It is found in Israel and the United States, among other places. People everywhere think that these two places are the most productive. In this way, the growth of the global Cloud Managed Services market is being driven by the rising demand for Cloud Managed Services. End-user industries like oil and gas, textiles, aerospace, cars, cosmetics, and drugs are becoming more interested in this global market. Aside from this, environmental worries about how Cloud Managed Services is used are slowing the growth of the global market in a big way.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Cloud Managed Services Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2022 to 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Recent Developments:

In August 2022 , SkyMax signed a memorandum of understanding with Ericsson to form a partnership to build the next generation of 5G broadband network, including a platform to deliver digital services, across sub-Saharan Africa

In June 2022, Cisco introduced new cloud management capabilities that provide a unified experience across Cisco Meraki, Cisco Catalyst, and Cisco Nexus portfolios, as well as a new Cisco ThousandEyes product to proactively forecast and optimize WAN performance. These innovations underscore Cisco's strategy to provide customers with the agility, resiliency, and productivity their businesses need to thrive in the unpredictable power of cloud-managed platforms.

Story continues

Segment Overview

By Service Type Analysis

In 2019, the managed network services market had the largest share of the market. This market is growing because more and more businesses are using cloud managed services to handle network services and the management and administration of their networks. Companies can build and manage remote data networks like WAN, LAN, and WLAN with the help of cloud-based network managed services. The fact that these services can be used for many different things, like setting up high-quality network solutions, IT networks management and monitoring services, equipment maintenance, and ICT systems maintenance services, among other things, has also helped the number of people using these services grow at an exponential rate in recent years.

The managed security services segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR during the time frame of the projection. More and more businesses are using security services, which is making this market grow. Managed security service providers (MSSPs) offer a wide range of services, such as handling security and responding to incidents. This means that more people are likely to use these services during the planned time.

By Deployment Analysis

In 2019, private cloud deployment of cloud managed services had the biggest share of the market. The private cloud can help businesses in many ways, like giving them more control over their data and keeping it safe. This strategy also helps businesses save money and stay consistent. With a private cloud, a company can change its resources to meet its own IT needs. Most of the time, these systems are used to improve operational security by governments, banks, and other medium-sized to large organisations with mission-critical operations.

During the time period in question, the public cloud segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR. People are using the public cloud more and more because it has cheap computing resources and lets you use virtualization.

By Enterprise Size Analysis

During the time frame of the forecast, the largest share is expected to come from the large enterprise segment. By putting their IT services in the cloud, big businesses can save money on their IT costs. The point of these services is that you pay for them as you use them. Also, these services help large companies manage their operational and data needs so they can reach their efficiency goals. They also make the service capacity more flexible, better connected, and more reliable.

During the time period of the forecast, the CAGR for the SME category is expected to be the highest. As small and medium-sized businesses try to cut costs and improve business operations, they will be more likely to use these services.

By Vertical Analysis

Cloud managed services are being used by IT and telecom companies quickly to improve service maintenance for a wide range of applications. By moving to the cloud, you'll save money and have less need for internal computers. IT and telecom companies were also early adopters of helpful technologies like Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Machine Learning, and others, which have helped the industry grow even more.

The healthcare industry will need cloud-based services more and more as infrastructure changes. In the past few years, a lot of information has been collected because of research and health care. Health care providers use cloud-managed services because it takes cloud expertise to handle these kinds of data. Businesses can focus on what they do best when their platforms are built on the cloud.

Regional Outlook:

North America is expected to have the biggest market share for cloud managed services. Most of the market growth in this area is due to improvements in technology and infrastructure. Major players in the area are also making changes to the market.

The most cloud managed services will be on the market in Europe. The market is growing because more people want new technologies and the infrastructure that supports them is getting better. Businesses like Verizon Communications, NTT DATA Services, and many others are helping the markets in European countries grow.

During the time frame of the forecast, the market for cloud-based managed services in Asia-Pacific will also grow quickly. Most of the growth will happen in the Asia-Pacific area, where cloud services are becoming more popular. Because of this, as development keeps growing, the market will eventually do well in the years to come.

The rest of the world includes Africa and the Middle East. These countries will grow less quickly than others around the world. There aren't enough new technologies, and people don't know enough about them, so the market won't grow any more. Overall, there are a lot of things that will cause the cloud managed services market in these places to grow a lot.

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Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 13.40% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 145.6 Billion By Service Type Managed Business Services, Managed Network Services, Managed Infrastructure Services, Managed Security Services, Managed Mobility Services, Managed Communication, Collaboration Services, Other By Deployment Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Other By Enterprise Size SMEs, Large Enterprises, Others By Vertical Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), IT and Telecommunications, Government and Public Sector, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Retail and Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, Others By Companies Accenture PLC (Dublin, Ireland), Alcatel-Lucent S.A. (Boulogne-Billancourt, France), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Washington, United States), Atos (Bezons, France), Augmentt Technology Inc. (Ontario, Canada), Bespin Global (Seoul, South Korea), Capgemini SE (Paris, France), Cisco Systems Inc. (California, United States), Cloudticity, LLC (Washington, United States), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (New Jersey, United States), Datacom Group Ltd (Jakarta, Indonesia), Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (London, United Kingdom), DLT Solutions (Virginia, United States), DXC Technology Company (Virginia, United States), Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), Google LLC (California, United States), HCL Technologies Limited (Noida, India), Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (California, United States), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen, China), IBM Corporation (New York, United States), Infosys Limited (Bengaluru, India), Logicworks (New York, United States), Lumen Technologies, Inc. (CenturyLink) (Louisiana, United States), NEC Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), Nordcloud Oy (Helsinki, Finland), NTT DATA Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), Progressive Infotech Pvt. Ltd. (Noida, India), Rackspace US, Inc. (Texas, United States), Smartronix, LLC (Maryland, United States), Taos Mountain LLC (California, United States), Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Stockholm, Sweden), Wipro Limited (Bengaluru, India) Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Drivers:

One of the main things that drives the market for cloud managed services is the growing number of industries that use the cloud. In the coming years, these factors will help the market grow and make it worth more. Because of this, the market for cloud-based managed services will grow a lot over the next few years.

Restraints:

Several things could make it hard for the market for cloud-managed services to grow. The biggest risks come from how private information is used and shared. In the end, the service providers will focus more on security measures that can slow down growth.

Opportunities:

The market for global cloud managed services will open up new ways for businesses in many different fields to manage their data more effectively. Because of this, the costs of operations and information technology will go down. Because of these prospects and investments from big companies around the world, the market is likely to do well.

Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Accenture PLC (Dublin, Ireland), Alcatel-Lucent S.A. (Boulogne-Billancourt, France), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Washington, United States), Atos (Bezons, France), Augmentt Technology Inc. (Ontario, Canada), Bespin Global (Seoul, South Korea), Capgemini SE (Paris, France), Cisco Systems Inc. (California, United States), Cloudticity, LLC (Washington, United States), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (New Jersey, United States), Datacom Group Ltd (Jakarta, Indonesia), Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (London, United Kingdom), DLT Solutions (Virginia, United States), DXC Technology Company (Virginia, United States), Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), Google LLC (California, United States), HCL Technologies Limited (Noida, India), Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (California, United States), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen, China), IBM Corporation (New York, United States), Infosys Limited (Bengaluru, India), Logicworks (New York, United States), Lumen Technologies, Inc. (CenturyLink) (Louisiana, United States), NEC Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), Nordcloud Oy (Helsinki, Finland), NTT DATA Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), Progressive Infotech Pvt. Ltd. (Noida, India), Rackspace US, Inc. (Texas, United States), Smartronix, LLC (Maryland, United States), Taos Mountain LLC (California, United States), Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Stockholm, Sweden), Wipro Limited (Bengaluru, India), and others.

By Service Type

Managed Business Services

Managed Network Services

Managed Infrastructure Services

Managed Security Services

Managed Mobility Services

Managed Communication

Collaboration Services

Other

By Enterprise Size

SMEs

Large Enterprises

Other

By Deployment

Public Cloud

Private Cloud

Others

By Vertical

Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)

IT and Telecommunications

Government and Public Sector

Healthcare and Life Sciences

Retail and Consumer Goods

Manufacturing

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights:

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Software Market - The Virtual Private Cloud Software Market is predicted to increase its market growth by USD 95 Billion in the year 2030. The global market has expectations to meet a CAGR of approximately 24% for the forecast year 2022 to 2030. The Virtual Private Cloud Software Market analysis report highlights that North America dominates the largest market share during the forecast period among all these regions.

Cloud Orchestration Market - The Global Cloud Orchestration Market Size Was Valued At $14,985.00 Million In 2022 And Is Projected To Reach $105,071.00 Million By 2030, Registering A CAGR Of 21.4%. North America dominates the cloud orchestration market share.

Cloud Telephony Service Market - The Cloud Telephony Service Market was valued at USD 24.70 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 66.98 Bn by 2030 at a CAGR of 13.28% over the forecast period 2022-2030. North America is expected to dominate the cloud telephony services market due to significant adoption of cloud-based services in the region.

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WATERLOO, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Definity Financial Corporation (TSX: DFY) congratulates John Bowey, Definity's board chair, on being awarded the Institute of Corporate Directors' (ICD) Fellowship Award. The prestigious award is widely considered to be the highest distinction for corporate directors in Canada.

Definity Financial Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Definity Financial Corporation)

"John exemplifies the modern board chair," said Dr. Micheal J. Kelly, chair of Definity's corporate governance committee. "He balances bold ambition with a deep commitment to understanding the perspectives of his board peers and senior management. His artful combination of challenge and support at both levels helps drive organizational effectiveness and sets the tone for corporate culture. It is tremendously gratifying to see those qualities, and the achievements they have generated, recognized by this award."

"Congratulations to John on a recognition that highlights the many outstanding contributions he has made to Canadian organizations throughout his career," said Rowan Saunders, President and Chief Executive Officer, Definity. "As our board chair, John's vision and principled guidance were instrumental in the demutualization of Economical Mutual Insurance Company, which ultimately resulted in one of the largest initial public offerings in Canadian history. Since first joining our board in 2011, John has been instrumental in guiding the diversification of our business strategy, our focus on innovation, and our commitment to continuously creating value for our stakeholders."

In addition to his board membership at Definity, Mr. Bowey currently serves on the boards of Waterloo Brewing Ltd., Kognitiv Corporation and the Definity Insurance Foundation. He is also a past chair of the board of directors of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and a past chair of the board of governors of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Mr. Bowey is a retired partner of Deloitte LLP, where he held several leadership roles including chairman of the board of Deloitte Canada and being a member of Deloitte's global board of directors. Mr. Bowey has a BA in Economics from Colby College in Waterville, Maine and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, holds the ICD.D designation, and is a recipient of the Distinguished Governor Award from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Story continues

ABOUT DEFINITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Definity Financial Corporation ("Definity", which includes its subsidiaries where the context so requires) is one of the leading property and casualty insurers in Canada, with over $3.5 billion in gross written premiums for the 12 months ended September 30, 2022 and over $7.9 billion in assets as at September 30, 2022.

SOURCE Definity Financial Corporation

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2023/19/c0489.html
SPRINGFIELD, OR / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2023 / FPW Media , also known as Fast Paced World, is a comprehensive marketing agency that addresses all aspects of a client's marketing needs, both on and offline. FPW positions itself as an "unagency," which means it prioritizes the needs of its clients rather than pushing their own ideas of what a campaign should be. The company is fully integrated and adaptable to the client's needs.

FPW Media, Thursday, January 19, 2023, Press release picture



One of the key features of FPW Media is its ability to provide fully integrated marketing services. This means that the agency can handle all aspects of a marketing campaign, from strategy development to implementation and measurement. Whether a client needs help with online or offline marketing, FPW Media has the expertise and resources to deliver results.

Working with FPW Media can give businesses an advantage in the ever-changing marketing landscape. The agency's team of experts can help companies stay current with the latest trends and strategies, which can give them a competitive advantage in their industry. With technology and consumer behavior constantly evolving, it can be challenging for businesses to keep up, but FPW Media can help them stay ahead of the curve.

"In today's fast-paced marketing world, agencies must be able to adapt quickly and have a deep understanding of all marketing platforms to meet their clients' needs proactively. At FPW Media, we have over 50 creative experts who work closely with clients in real-time to understand their needs. As a professional photographer since the age of 15, I founded this agency because I saw that many of my clients felt that the agencies they worked with were inflexible and lacked a comprehensive approach. Our services at FPW Media range from photography and videography to branding, trade show design and activation, and comprehensive branded merchandise," says Owen Garitty, Founder and Lead Creative at FPW Media.

Owen Garitty left college to pursue his passion for photography and videography. Starting his career at the young age of 15, he quickly made a name for himself as a professional photographer. However, as he worked with traditional agencies for his clients, he encountered numerous difficulties that led to a "lightbulb" moment. This realization prompted him to create an agency with a refreshingly different approach.

Story continues

At FPW Media, the priority is always on providing excellent customer service. Clients have direct communication with the team members working on their projects to ensure clear communication and understanding. FPW Media serves as an advisor, guiding clients through the process and helping them to determine what works best for their needs. The ultimate goal is for FPW Media to function as an extension of the client's marketing team.

In today's climate-conscious world, FPW Media is making a concerted effort to minimize its environmental impact. As many of the agency's clients work in emerging technologies and place a strong emphasis on sustainability, the agency has thoroughly evaluated all of its manufacturing and operational processes to ensure they are as eco-friendly as possible. This includes using electric equipment instead of natural gas-powered options for screen printing and implementing energy-efficient lighting systems. The agency also sources 86% of its power from hydroelectric sources and offsets any remaining emissions through the purchase of carbon offset credits that help fund reforestation projects around the world. FPW Media has a diverse client base, including those in the green energy and heavy industrial sectors.

According to Owen Garitty, "As the marketing and branding industry has rapidly grown in the digital space, there is still a desire for a personal touch and face-to-face interactions with marketing partners. Our approach offers a unique blend of both, seamlessly integrating the customer journey from the real world to online and back again, creating a cohesive story across all touchpoints. Our recent inclusion on Adweek's list of fastest-growing agencies is a testament to the effectiveness of our approach. This honor is not given to many agencies in our industry, and our expanding customer base in countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe, along with the positive reviews and referrals from our customers, further highlights our success."

About FPW Media

FPW Media is a groundbreaking creative studio with three highly connected divisions: Brand, Films, and Merch. The agency follows a contrarian approach by eschew conventional labels, monikers and marketing models to offer services from a client oriented perspective. The studio specializes in a wide range of services like photography, videography, online marketing, trade shows, exhibition services, and product merchandise to offer 360 degree marketing services.

Media Contact:

Name: Carlee Haymes

Email: carlee@fpwmedia.com

SOURCE: FPW Media





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https://www.accesswire.com/735923/Experience-Seamless-Branding-With-FPW-Media-Integrated-In-House-Solutions-for-Digital-Physical-Media




ReportLinker

The gas sensor, detector, and analyzer market are expected to record a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period. The increasing safety awareness regarding occupational hazards and the proliferation of handheld devices are driving the markets growth.

New York, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Gas Sensor, Detector and Analyzer Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382173/?utm_source=GNW





Key Highlights

The market has become an integral part of several industries in recent years due to the effective contribution of gas analyzers, sensors, and detectors in preventing disasters related to gas leakages and explosions. Hence, their demand is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.

The proliferation of handheld devices has led to developments in the gas sensors, detectors, and analyzer field, considerably widening the scope of application across multiple end-user segments.

Stringent government regulations also improved the combustion efficiency within the vehicle to limit the emission of harmful pollutants. This development has increased the adoption of gas sensors and detectors as they help in providing real-time feedback to he automobiles emission management systems.

The production costs for gas sensors and detectors steadily increased due to technological changes. While the market incumbents have been able to adapt to these changes, new entrants and mid-range manufacturers are facing considerable challenges.

Currently, some prominent companies are developing products across the detector and analyzer segment for applications across clinical assaying, environmental emission control, explosive detection, agricultural storage, shipping, and workplace hazard monitoring. For instance, in March 2021, DD-scientific announced the launch of electrochemical gas sensors called the DceL suite for industrial safety. The products can measure oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ammonia.

As of June 2022, governments across the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom established regulatory frameworks to facilitate the energy transition in the oil and gas industry. This framework includes supporting the funding of R&D and tax credits for low-carbon investments in the long term. Thus, such developments are increasing the opportunities for the market vendors.



Gas Sensor, Detector & Analyzer Market Trends



Oil and Gas Industry to Record the Highest Adoption Rate for Gas Analyzers



The presence of oxygen in the gas sample determines that there is a leak in the pressurized pipeline system. The continuous and undetected leak may worsen the situation while impacting the operational flow efficiency of the pipeline. The presence of gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the pipeline system reacting with the oxygen can combine and form a corrosive and destructive mixture that can deteriorate the pipeline wall inside out.

In the oil and gas industry, protecting a pressurized pipeline from corrosion and leaks and minimizing downtime are a few of the crucial responsibilities. According to the NACE (National Association for Corrosion Engineers), the oil and gas industry suffers a cost of over USD 1.6 billion per year due to corrosion alone.

Mitigating such expensive costs is one of the drivers for the adoption of gas analyzers for preventive actions in the industry. A gas analyzer helps monitor leaks to extend the life of pipeline systems by effectively detecting the presence of such gases.

As per the IEA, the European Union imported an average of over 380 million cubic meters (mcm) per day of gas by pipeline from Russia or around 140 billion cubic meters (bcm) for the year. The total 155 bcm imported from Russia accounted for approximately 45% of the EUs gas imports in 2021 and almost 40% of its total gas consumption.

Additionally, there are many ongoing and upcoming projects in the industry, with huge investments toward expanding production. For instance, the Power of Siberia Pipeline in Russia involves the construction of a 3,968 KM gas pipeline from Sakha to the Pacific Port of Vladivostok, with an estimated capacity of 38 billion cubic meters per year. It is estimated to cost over USD 17.5 billion. Such projects are expected to continue during the forecast period, thus fuelling the demand for gas analyzers.



North America is Estimated to Record Significant Growth in the Gas Analyzer Market



The United States is focusing on increasing its energy generation capacity, with support from the government through investments in such projects. For instance, in March 2022, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced USD 9 million in funding to 13 American Indian and Alaska Native communities for 14 projects, which may harness their vast undeveloped solar, hydro, and geothermal energy resources, reduce or stabilize energy costs, and increase energy security and resilience on tribal lands. The projects will provide communities with clean electricity, residential power buildings that lack electricity, install microgrids, and increase workforce training opportunities.

Increased focus on reducing greenhouse gasses is one of the primary factors driving the demand for the market as governments worldwide are increasing investments to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sectors. For instance, in August 2022, the US Department of Energy announced funding up to USD 32 million for the R&D of new monitoring, measurement, and mitigation technologies to help detect and reduce methane emissions across the oil and natural gas-producing regions across the United States.

The EPA also mandated using gas detectors in the mining industry. US-based Carroll Technologies Group is a pioneer in handheld gas detectors for the mining industry. One of its products is the Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) Altair 4X Detector, which alerts the miner within 15 seconds of detection.

Unfortunately, ammonia leaks are on the rise due to the increased use of natural refrigerants over fluorinated gas counterparts and due to population growth, leading to the demand for more cold storage. Due to the issue about worker safety, the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) updated its standards for the safe regulation of this dangerous gas. Headquartered in the United States, the IIAR is the worlds leading advocate for the safe, reliable, and efficient use of ammonia.

The IIAR-2A standard, which has been in effect for several years, requires at least two ammonia detectors in a machinery room to monitor leaks. Safely designed ammonia refrigeration systems must have, at minimum, one audible and one visual alarm placed in the room or area around the ammonia engine or machinery. The audible alarm is required to be 15 dBA (decibels measured in the A-scale) above the ambient sound pressure level (SPL) and 5 dBA above the maximum SPL in the area where the alarm is present.



Gas Sensor, Detector & Analyzer Market Competitive Analysis



The gas analyzer, sensor, and detector market is fragmented due to the presence of many players worldwide. Currently, some prominent companies are developing products with applications centering on the detector. The analyzer segment has applications across clinical assaying, environmental emission control, explosive detection, agricultural storage, shipping, and workplace hazard monitoring.



August 2022 - Emerson Electric announced its plans to open a gas analysis solutions facility in Scotland to help plants meet sustainability goals. The new facility may produce more than 10 different sensing technologies that can measure more than 60 different gas components, delivering on Emersons commitment to supporting customers decarbonization efforts.

August 2022 - International Gas Detectors Ltd released a new standard for flammable gas detection, the MK8 pellistor gas detector, which provides reliability and tests performed to provide clients with the most accurate, poison-resistant, pellistor-based gas detectors.

February 2021 - Emerson, a global leader in fluid control and pneumatics technology, released its TopWorx Magnetic Target Switch(MTS) to provide ready-to-install, universally-certified position sensing for explosion-proof and intrinsically safe applications.



Additional Benefits:



The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format

3 months of analyst support

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382173/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




NORTH VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - People in North Vancouver and across Canada deserve to feel safe in their communities.

That's why the Government of Canada is taking action with a comprehensive plan that gets guns off our streets and puts more resources into our communities. An important element of this work is stopping violence before it starts, which is why the Government launched the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF). First announced in March 2022, the BSCF supports local initiatives that prevent gun and gang violence and help young people make good choices.

Today, Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North-Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, announced that the District of North Vancouver will receive up to $1.779 million from the BSCF to prevent gun crime and gang violence in the District. This funding will help address the underlying conditions that give rise to crime. It will support community-led projects to prevent violence among young people who are involved in gangs, or at risk of joining them  helping them set themselves up for success in life.

No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun crime on its own. That is why the BSCF is one of many elements in the Government's plan to keep Canadians safe.

Our work begins at Canada's borders, where we've added resources to fight smuggling and stop guns from coming into the country. The Government banned assault-style firearms like the AR-15 two years ago and will soon begin a buyback program to get these guns out of our communities. Last October, a national freeze on handguns was implemented through amendments to regulations under the Firearms Act. Finally, we recently introduced Bill C-21  Canada's most significant action on gun violence in a generation. This landmark legislation proposes significant provisions to combat organized crime and address the alarming role of guns in domestic violence.

Story continues

Quotes

"My number one priority as Minister of Public Safety is keeping Canadians safe. Investments in grassroots efforts in the District of North Vancouver are essential to addressing the social conditions that lead youth and young adults to get involved in a life of crime. Put simply, we must stop gun and gang violence before it starts."

- The Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety

"Our government understands that building a safer future means giving younger generations the tools and resources to make healthy decisions. Together with our local municipal partners, we will continue to make positive long-term outcomes in the District of North Vancouver and across Canada."

- Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North-Seymour

"We appreciate this funding for our community and will use it to strengthen public safety and support youth crime prevention initiatives. Given the interconnected nature of our North Shore municipalities, policing agencies, school districts, and non-profits, our focus will be producing a North Shore wide public safety and youth crime prevention plan to support North Shore youth."

- Mike Little, Mayor of the District of North Vancouver

Quick Facts

Public Safety Canada is finalizing agreements with municipalities and communities that have been identified through evidence-based criteria and meet the program requirements.

The amount of BSCF support for a community is based on two major elements: crime severity (homicide by firearm, incidents of firearms offences, organized crime/street gang-involved crime) and population density.

The BSCF builds on the success of the Initiative To Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence. This includes the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund - a five year $358.8 million investment announced in 2018 - that brings together federal, provincial and territorial supports to tackle the increase in gun-related violence and gang activity in Canada.

Related Products

Associated Links

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2023/19/c1853.html
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 18, 2023) - Green Impact Partners (TSXV: GIP) ("GIP" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the Future Energy Park has received final Land Use approval from the City of Calgary municipal council. The approval lays the groundwork from a local planning perspective and represents a major approval for the project. Located within the City of Calgary, Future Energy Park is a proposed net CO 2 negative biofuels facility using non-food grade waste-wheat to produce renewable natural gas ("RNG") and ethanol.

"Working with the Mayor and City Council in achieving this critical path milestone gives us confidence we will be able to break ground in 2023, subject to the receipt of other major approvals," said Jesse Douglas, Chief Executive Officer. "We are thrilled and especially thankful to the City of Calgary for their collaborative and constructive approach. The environmental benefits of this project are matched with significant direct benefits to Calgary and the Province of Alberta through job creation and economic growth in the clean technology sector."

"The Future Energy Park is a big win for Calgary and for the region. It represents a significant investment in our city that integrates the agricultural and energy sectors to produce biofuels locally," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. "I'm pleased to see Green Impact Partners bring this exciting project to Calgary, contributing to our economic diversification and environmental sustainability goals."

The Future Energy Park is an innovative, clean energy project which is forging a new path between Alberta's energy and agriculture sectors. This project represents an approximate $1.2 billion investment in Alberta and the City of Calgary. Once operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 3.5 million MMBtu per year of RNG, over 300 million litres of ethanol annually, approximately 235,000 tonnes of cattle feed annually, and create carbon credits.

Story continues

Subject to receipt of final regulatory approvals, Green Impact Partners is targeting completion in 2025.

About the Future Energy Park Facility

The project will create approximately 800 jobs over 24 months during construction and 50 jobs during operations.

The facility will generate income tax revenue of $50 million per year ($1.2 billion over the first 20 years).

Once operational, the Future Energy Park will provide annual new, direct revenue of over $150 million to rural wheat producers.

Green Impact Partners will be using local engineering, construction, and environmental firms for the project.

The proposed facility is being sited in an industrial area in southeast Calgary and will be constructed and operated on 52 acres of land which has been designated for industrial use.

With a carbon intensity score of -20, the Future Energy Park is expected to be North America's largest carbon negative energy facility.





Future Energy Park - Architectural Rendering



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8706/151707_greenimpactfigure1.jpg

About Green Impact Partners

Green Impact Partners is focused on creating a more sustainable future and inclusive planet by developing clean energy. GIP acquires, develops, and builds RNG and clean bio-energy projects, with the intention of building, owning, and operating a portfolio of producing facilities, and participates in a wide range of zero-carbon opportunities during every stage of the project lifecycle - from idea generation through to operations. GIP has a growing portfolio of RNG and clean bio-energy projects under development, representing over $3 billion in capital expenditures over the next three years. In its pursuit of net zero earth impact, GIP is positioned to be a leading producer of decarbonizing energy in North America. GIP's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GIP.V. For more information about GIP and its projects, visit www.greenipi.com.

Media Inquiries

media@greenipi.com

Investor/Analyst Inquiries:

investors@greenipi.com

(236) 476-3445

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and/or forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. When used in this news release, such words as "would", "will", "anticipates", believes", "explores" and similar expressions, as they relate to GIP, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of GIP with respect to future events, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.

Certain information and statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including: the anticipated production, performance, and capital expenditures in relation to the Company's projects; the expected timing of project construction, milestones and operations; the costs associated with the Company's projects and funding of such costs; expectations regarding future EBITDA; and expectations regarding the receipt of required permits in respect of Future Energy Park and the timing thereof.

Many factors could cause GIP's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any expected future results, performance or achievement that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the impact of general economic conditions in Canada and the United States, including the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; industry conditions including changes in laws and regulations and/or adoption of new environmental laws and regulations and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, in Canada and the United States; volatility of prices for energy commodities; change in demand for clean energy to be offered by GIP; competition; lack of availability of qualified personnel; obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities, in Canada and the United States; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; many of which are beyond the control of GIP. Forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements.

Readers are encouraged to review and carefully consider the risk factors pertaining to GIP described in the Company's annual MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is accessible on GIP's SEDAR issuer profile at www.sedar.com . The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date of this release, and except as may be expressly be required by law, GIP disclaims any intent, obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Management of GIP has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking statements provided in this release in order to provide shareholders with a more complete perspective on GIP's current and future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. GIP's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits GIP will derive therefrom.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151707
- The Pacific Cigar Co. LTD and Infifon HK, exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A., presented Cohiba Siglo de Oro at a multiple event held simultaneously in several Asian countries.

- This vitola will be the first to include NFC technology in its cases, which will allow aficionados to verify its authenticity and learn more details about the product.

HAVANA, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ -- On the occasion of the commemoration of the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, Habanos, S.A. unveiled its new Cohiba Siglo de Oro vitola (54 x 115 mm long), a novel product from the Cohiba brand, the most prestigious in the world of Habanos. The leading Premium tobacco company not only wants to celebrate the arrival of the new year, but the selected vitola -Siglo de Oro also honors the 30th anniversary of the Linea 1492, one of Cohiba's most successful.

Cohiba Siglo de Oro // Habanos, S.A. (PRNewsfoto/Habanos, S.A.)

The presentation of the new Cohiba cigar took place in an exclusive event held simultaneously in several of the main Asian markets, organized by The Pacific Cigar Co, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A. in Asia-Pacific and Infifon HK, the Exclusive Distributor of Habanos, S.A for Mainland China. Event were hosted in Macao, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The latter was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel under the attentive gaze of 120 guests, including Ms. Denisse Llamos Infante, Cuba's Consul in Guangdong, China.

The new product from the leading premium tobacco company will be a limited-edition item, so only a lucky few will be able to enjoy this unique vitola. Cohiba Siglo de Oro is presented in a special box containing 18 Habanos "Totally handmade with Long Filler," after a careful selection of wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the most prestigious area, Vuelta Abajo*, in the region of Pinar del Rio*, Cuba*.

However, its limited production and the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Cohiba's 1492 line are not the only aspects that will make this vitola unique. Cohiba Siglo de Oro will be the first Habanos, S.A. vitola to incorporate an NFC chip into its cases that aficionados can scan to verify the product's authenticity and learn more details about it.

Story continues

"At present, China is the most important market in value for our business, and Cohiba is the most recognized Habanos' brand worldwide. That is why we wanted to take advantage of this occasion to present such a special vitola as Cohiba Siglo de Oro, and to showcase the implementation of NFC technology to make the experience for aficionados even more complete," Habanos, S.A. explained.

Cohiba Siglo de Oro

Factory name: Exitosos

Measures: 54 ring gauge x 115 mm length

Tasting Notes:

Cold taste, green tea tones and light hints of white pepper, with subtle earthy aromas

Firm quality construction to the touch

Draw: excellent

Wrapper: light-colored, smooth, with great brightness, no ribbing, oily and beautiful construction

Burn: perfect

Pairing:

Harmonies: Extraordinary pairing with Havana Club 15-year-old rum and Havana Club Union rum

With Chinese Oloong tea, it finds its soul mate, uniting 2 transcendental cultures, that of Habano and tea

Click here to download high resolution product images.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1986039/Habanos_Cohiba_Siglo_de_Oro.jpg

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/habanos-sa-celebrated-the-chinese-new-year-exclusively-with-the-new-vitola-cohiba-siglo-de-oro-301726034.html

SOURCE Habanos, S.A.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2023/19/c1768.html
By Azernews Fatima Hasanova

Tree planting activities in Jabrayil District, deforested throughout the 30-year-long occupation, are underway, Azernews reports.

Since the end of last year, tree planting activities have been taking place in the Forest of Friendship, the area that houses the Azerbaijani-Turkish International Forestry Training Center, Smart Nursery, and the Forest of Friendship, in Jabrayil District at the joint initiative of Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

On January 18, Jabbar Qaribov, a representative of the Azerbaijani Forestry Development Service reported that as of today, 3,200 seedlings of various tree species were planted on terraces over an area of about 4 hectares by the staff of the Regional Forestry Center.

"As part of a project implemented jointly by the Forestry Development Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the General Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey, about 44,000 seedlings of various tree species have been planted on an area of more than 48 hectares," he said.

On May 3, 2022, the president signed a decree on measures to create a green energy zone in the countrys liberated territories.

Under the decree, $1.3 million shall be allocated from the presidential reserve fund to attract a specialized international consulting company to develop an appropriate concept and master plan for the creation of a green energy zone on Azerbaijan's liberated territories.
Singapore-based exchange Huobi confirmed Thursday that Justin Sun, founder of Tron, and one of the richest people in crypto, is not just a member of the Global Advisory Board but is leading the exchange.

Under the leadership of Justin Sun, it can be said that Huobi has embarked on the path to rebirth, the blog post said.

Sun became a Global Advisory Board member in October, shortly after Hong Kong-based investment company About Capital Management became the majority stakeholder of Huobi, but it wasnt previously confirmed that Sun was in charge of the exchange.

The timing has sparked rumors in the industry that Sun might be a shadow investor behind About Capital, but representatives for Sun have told CoinDesk that he is not an owner of the company. Sun himself has confirmed that he owns tens of millions of Huobis HT tokens.

Huobi recently came under scrutiny on several fronts, including how it handled its layoffs of around 1,600 people in January.

'Rat trading'

The exchange also addressed concerns of so-called rat trading.

Several accounts that were frozen for their abnormal behavior are characterized by their lack of trade at normal times, according to the statement. However, these accounts have been trading Huobi's new tokens and ecology tokens frequently, while transferring assets in and out quickly. As investigations have shown, these accounts have made abnormal levels of profits many times, and the profits were quickly withdrawn. These are clearly the traits of rat trading.

Huobi said it has zero tolerance for rat trading.

Under the new management, Huobi will continue to conduct in-depth audits, hold responsible people accountable and publicize information in due time, according to the statement. A resolute and consistent crackdown on rat trading demonstrates Huobi's commitment to protecting the interest of its employees and users.

CORRECTION (13:28 UTC): Clarifies that Justin Sun is the founder Tron, not founder and CEO as stated in an earlier version of this story.
Midland Exploration Inc.

Figure 1

Abitibi-Midland Projects & JV's

Figure 2

James Bay Geology-Midland Projects

Figure 3

Nunavik-Midland Projects&Alliances

Figure 4

Rio Tinto Tete Nord - 2023 Drilling Areas

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to provide an overview of its plans for 2023 in Quebec with exploration activities aimed at following up on its new discoveries made throughout 2022.



In 2023, Midland will continue to apply its business model as a Project Generator with the recent acquisition of several new high-quality properties and the formation of several new partnerships across Quebec, including new partnerships for lithium exploration in the James Bay region. With an exploration budget for 2023 estimated at more than $11 million and 20,000 metres of drilling planned, Midland will be very busy, working to advance several projects in partnership with major companies such as BHP Canada Inc. (BHP), Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (Rio Tinto), SOQUEM Inc. (SOQUEM), Probe Gold Inc. (Probe) and Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd (Wallbridge).

Highlights

New Cu-Au-Mo-Ag discovery (0.21% CuEq/345.5 m) with Probe on La Peltrie;

High-grade gold shears (18.9 g/t Au) and floats (28.7 g/t Au) discovered on Laflamme JV;

New discovery of high-grade Cu-Au under the Labrador Alliance with SOQUEM;

One-year extension of the Generative Phase of our Nickel Strategic Alliance with BHP ($1.4 million) and major magnetotelluric (MT) survey recently completed;

Heliborne VTEM survey conducted with Rio Tinto on our Tete Nord Ni project; Drilling in progress

New option agreement with Brunswick on Mythril and Elrond for their lithium potential;

La Peltrie Project (Cu-Au-Ag-Mo)  Option Agreement with Probe

In December 2022, Midland, in partnership with Probe, announced the discovery of a large copper-gold-silver-molybdenum (Cu-Au-Ag-Mo) mineralized system on the La Peltrie property located 15 kilometres southeast of Agnico Eagle Mines Limiteds Zone 58N gold deposit and 25 kilometres west of the former Selbaie mine, which produced 56.9 Mt grading 0.87% Cu, 1.85% Zn, 39 g/t Ag and 0.55 g/t Au (historical production).

Story continues

The mineralization intersected in hole LAP-22-012 was present throughout the drill hole, defining a wider Cu-Au-Ag-Mo intercept grading 0.21% CuEq over 345.5 metres from surface, with potential to continue laterally and at depth.

Midland and Probe are currently planning the next phase of work including a winter induced polarization (IP) survey, a spring prospecting program, and a summer 2,500 metres drilling program with a focus on testing new induced polarization anomalies strategically positioned to the north and west of discovery hole LAP-22-012.

Laflamme Project (Au, Ni-Cu)  Midland (79%) and Abcourt Mines Inc. (21%) Joint Venture

A major drilling program, totalling 10,000 metres, was launched in December 2022 in the Abitibi region on five (5) projects targeted under the Abitibi Discovery Drilling Program (ADDP). A total of 40 new exploration targets will be tested on the Laflamme, Patris, Heva, Adam and Lewis projects.

This drilling program will also test the best targets located near high-grade gold floats discovered on the Laflamme JV project that returned up to 28.7 g/t Au and 6.0 g/t Au in grab samples. Recently, new gold-bearing shear zones grading up to 18.9 g/t Au and 5.7 g/t Au (grab samples) were discovered north of these gold-bearing floats (see Midlands press release dated November 29, 2022). This program will also test Ni-Cu-Pt-Pd targets identified using the 3D model proximal to the Copernick zone which returned 0.45% Ni, 0.33% Cu, 0.15 g/t Pt and 0.24 g/t Pd over 42.6 metres in drill hole LAF-16-38. A minimum of 4,000 metres is planned on the Laflamme project.

Nachicapau Project (Cu-Au-Ag)  Strategic Alliance with SOQUEM

A new high-grade copper, gold and silver (Cu-Au-Ag) mineralized system was discovered by prospecting by the Midland-SOQUEM team in August 2022 in the area south of Nachicapau Lake. This system consists of several mineralized horizons observed at surface over an area of at least 160 metres by 170 metres. The best results yielded grades up to 25.6% Cu, 4.90 g/t Au, and 162 g/t Ag (29.97% CuEq) in a grab sample collected on outcrop. Channel sampling was undertaken in this area, yielding grades of 1.49% Cu, 0.54 g/t Au, and 11.41 g/t Ag (1.93% CuEq*) over 4.0 metres (channel #1) and 0.90% Cu, 0.45 g/t Au, and 6.50 g/t Ag (1.25% CuEq*) over 3.0 metres (channel #2). Due to the vegetative cover, the mineralized zone remains open in all directions and the full extent of this new mineralized system has yet to be determined.

For 2023, Midland and SOQUEM are planning a soil geochemistry survey as well as a prospecting and stripping program, for an estimated budget of $1 million.

In addition, for 2023, Midland expects to generate a steady stream of news from its various partnerships and key projects, namely:

Nunavik Alliance with BHP (Ni-Cu) ; Midland is project operator under the Nunavik Alliance with BHP and will adopt a focused approach in 2023 in an effort to generate a world-class Ni-Cu discovery. Fieldwork conducted since 2020, including regional VTEM and magnetotelluric geophysical surveys, confirms the potential for the discovery of an important world-class Ni-Cu deposit. Midland and BHP are currently preparing their 2023 exploration plans.

Tete-Nord Option with Rio Tinto (Ni-Cu) ; Near the end of 2021, Midland entered into an option agreement with Rio Tinto for the Tete-Nord (Ni-Cu) project located in the Grenville geological Province, near the town of La Tuque in Haute Mauricie. Following the helicopter-borne VTEM-type electromagnetic survey totalling 6,635 line kilometres that was completed in 2022, a drilling campaign totalling 3,750 metres was launched in December 2022 to test 15 targets mainly consisting of new VTEM conductors. These conductors are strategically positioned along the extensions, or proximal to historical Ni-Cu occurrences such as Savane and Rochette, or in new areas of interest discovered this summer including the Bonhomme area located north of the former Lac Edouard Ni-Cu mine, as well as the Cabouron and Tete Sud areas. The first assay results are expected in early February 2023.

New partnership for lithium (Li) in the James Bay region ; Midland holds a significant portfolio of properties in the James Bay region that is strategically located relative to new lithium discoveries, including the lithium discovery recently reported by Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (Patriot) on the Corvette project that yielded drill intercepts including 1.65% Li 2 O and 193 ppm Ta 2 O 5 over 159.7 metres.

Midland recently entered into a new option agreement with Brunswick Exploration Inc. (Brunswick) for lithium exploration on two of its properties wholly owned by Midland and located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, Quebec. These two properties include the Mythril and Elrond blocks totalling 513 claims and covering a surface area of approximately 263 square kilometres. The Mythril property in particular is located 1.5 kilometres north of the lithium pegmatites intersected by Patriot. Midland has granted to Brunswick the option to acquire exploration rights for all metals or minerals except precious metals (gold, platinum, palladium and silver) and base metals (copper, zinc, nickel and lead) on these two properties.

Cautionary statements

Grab samples are selective by nature and reported values are not necessarily indicative of mineralized zones.

The true thickness of reported channel and drilling intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length and channel length.

Mineralization occurring at deposits and former mines mentioned in this press release is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be intersected on projects held by Midland described in this press release.

Quality Control

During the last drilling program, assay samples were taken from the NQ core by sawing the drill core in half, with one-half sent to a certified commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which includes insertion of mineralized standards and blank samples for each batch of 20 samples. The gold analyses were completed by fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of materials. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay followed by gravimetric testing on each sample containing 3.0 g/t gold or more. Total gold analyses (Metallic Sieve) were carried out on the samples which presented a great variation of their gold contents or the presence of visible gold. Some samples had additional analysis completed using 35 multi-element geochemical package by 4-acid digestion, followed by Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) finish.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, base metals and platinum group elements. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Probe Gold Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp., SOQUEM Inc., Brunswick Exploration Inc., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson. P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, who also approved the technical content of this press release.

For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact:

Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 450 420-5977

Fax: 450 420-5978

Email: info@midlandexploration.com

Website: www.midlandexploration.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.



Figures accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aa991dee-b86e-47d6-94b3-4bbcc0d7203e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5828b18e-a239-42da-a955-a3d3cc57b491

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/94a0d2f0-092e-4af3-92c2-e09032a146a6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5bc4ee22-e47b-4be0-81e3-be8c5bc36f64








FILE PHOTO: The logos of car manufacturers Nissan and Renault are pictured at a dealership Kyiv

By Maki Shiraki

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Nissan Motor Co board committee reviewed proposals from Renault SA on Monday and endorsed pressing ahead on final terms for a reshaped alliance with its French partner, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Renault Chief Executive Luca De Meo is scheduled to travel to Japan this month for talks with Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, the second time he will have visited since the two sides began talks in October about a restructured partnership, the people said.

The Nissan board-level review also marked progress after three months of working-level negotiations aimed at restructuring a partnership that dates back to 1999, when Renault bailed out Nissan.

On Monday, Uchida briefed Nissan's independent directors on progress in the negotiations, such as recent proposals from Renault intended to address concerns by the Japanese automaker over safeguards for its technology, including hybrid systems, as the French company restructures, the people with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters.

The Nissan outside directors, meeting in committee, endorsed steps to try to reach an agreement between the two sides, they said.

The people asked not to be named because talks are ongoing and confidential.

Nissan declined to comment, while Renault did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Reuters reported on Friday that Nissan board members would meet to review proposals from Renault, in a step that people involved in the discussion have viewed as progress toward a deal.

The two companies are discussing reducing Renault's stake in Nissan from the current 43% to 15%, equal to Nissans stake in Renault. The 28% stake in Nissan that Renault would sell would be transferred to a trust, people involved have said.

At the same time, Nissan is considering investing in a new electric vehicle company that Renault aims to establish code-named Ampere.

One complicating issue has been Nissan's concern about the treatment of intellectual property, including EV-related technology, that it sees as key to its own future competitiveness, people involved in the discussions have said.

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Renault provided proposals intended to address those concerns, which were conveyed to the Nissan board committee by Uchida, a third person with knowledge of the discussions said. The exact nature of those proposals was not immediately known.

The French government, Renault's largest shareholder with a 15% stake, has endorsed Renaults restructuring.

Separately, Renault is working to finalise a deal with China's Geely Automobile Holdings and to bring Saudi Arabian state oil producer Aramco in as an investor and partner to develop gasoline engines and hybrid technologies, three people with knowledge of those talks told Reuters.

Nissan has been wary of technology it has developed while partnered with Renault leaking to the Chinese automaker or others as Renault restructures, people involved in the negotiations have said.

(Reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo and Norihiko Shirouzu in Beijing, Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Jamie Freed)
New partnership accelerates SP Manufacturing's momentum as a rising star in Southeast Asia's manufacturing economy

SINGAPORE, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Tellus, a leading private equity fund focused on building industrial and technology companies, has completed an investment in SP Manufacturing ("SP" or the "Company").

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore with global operations, SP is a growing leader in producing mission-critical electronics for industrial and medical customers. The Company prides itself on building close, strategic partnerships with leading global OEMs, and delivers an integrated set of manufacturing, engineering and design services focused on high-mix, high-performance industrial products.

In connection with the investment, Novo Tellus has acquired a controlling stake in SP, with the Company's family owners retaining a meaningful and active stake in the business.

"We've been impressed with SP's specialised approach to building long-lived partnerships with global customers," said Keith Toh and Peishan Wong at Novo Tellus. "As a result, SP has grown 2 to 3 times faster than the global electronics manufacturing services for over a decade now. We believe SP's ability to serve customers closely onshore in Europe and the United States, but also provide engineering and manufacturing services offshore in Southeast Asia and China, reflect the best strengths of where the modern global production network is evolving in the coming decade."

"We're pleased to partner with Novo Tellus to build the future of SP", noted Philip Ong, CEO of SP. "We found in Novo Tellus a kindred appreciation of our strong customer orientation, and also a deeply informed mindset around how SP is positioned to benefit from long-term tailwinds of digitalisation and automation in our key industries. We've been impressed with Novo Tellus' track record of growing industrial companies globally, and look forward to accelerating growth in our customers and capabilities together in the coming years."

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To discover how SP Manufacturing can advance your mission critical electronics production and engineering, visit sp-manufacturing.com or contact SP directly below.

About SP Manufacturing

SP Manufacturing delivers electronics manufacturing, engineering and design services for mission-critical industries. With over 20 years of experience and a global presence in Southeast Asia, Europe, and China, SP has grown its business through close and strategic partnerships with customers to manufacture and engineer products where quality and performance must not fail. To learn more about SP Manufacturing, contact us at: sales@sp-manufacturing.com

About Novo Tellus

Novo Tellus is a private equity firm focused on building lasting technology and industrial companies in Southeast Asia. The firm is distinguished by its deep insight into shifts in the global technology ecosystem, and by its active and empathic partnerships with management teams to build lasting businesses and superior investment returns.

To learn more about partnering with Novo Tellus, visit novotellus.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novo-tellus-invests-in-sp-manufacturing-301725373.html

SOURCE Novo Tellus Capital Partners Pte. Ltd
SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The open banking market reached USD 15.21 billion in 2022 and is set to hit USD 131.3 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 24.6% during the forecast period (2022 to 2028).

Westford, USA, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The open banking industry is likely to gain traction as more open banking solutions are adopted across the financial services, healthcare, retail, insurance, and education industries. In addition, the growing use of digital payments and mobile wallets, as well as increased consumer awareness of open banking, will drive market growth. However, a rise in incidents of online fraud and data insecurity is projected to limit the development of the open banking market . On the contrary, increasing collaboration between financial service providers and traditional banking with FinTech is expected to propel the market forward.

Open banking electronically shares financial details with third-party or independent financial service providers. The technology provides a secure network for parties to share financial information, making it easier for consumers to compare account details and other banking services. In addition, through online accounting, open banking saves time for small businesses and enables fraud detection organizations to monitor customer accounts and spot problems.

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As per SkyQuest's global research, financial transaction volume and value nearly doubled during 2022 compared to previous years, with an 86% increase in volume and a 73% increase in value in the third quarter of 2022.

App Segment to Witness Significant Traction owing to Its Quick and Secure Transaction Feature

Based on SkyQuest's market analysis, the app segment is in a dominant position with a 31% revenue share in 2022 and is anticipated to take this lead to reach 38% by 2025. Increasing internet penetration globally and acceptability for online transactions are driving significant growth for the segment. In addition, the growing user base of numerous transaction apps, such as Google Pay, PayPal, PhonePay, CRED, Zelle, and many others, which have made purchasing and selling easier with just one click, is predicted to push the open banking market growth.

Story continues

North America, followed by Europe, has dominated the open banking market. Such a trend is expected to continue due to the growing consumer demand for security in online transactions, government directives compelling banks to develop APIs, and many industry players in this region that could boost revenue growth.

The primary objective of the research report is to impart authentic industry information and help new market entrants and existing players to witness organic growth in their target markets. In addition, the research report needs to be viewed as a crucial source of industry insights and direction for market participants because it features vital statistics, facts, and reliable growth strategies.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://skyquestt.com/report/open-banking-market

The Payment Segment to Dominate the Open Banking Market under Financial Services Category

The payments segment has witnessed massive traction in the last few years owing to the increased use of online platforms for payment transactions. As per SkyQuest's insights, the payment segment accounted for 42% market share in 2022 and is expected to cross 51% shareholding by 2028. Making payments via debit cards, credit cards, online payments, and other methods has become a common trend in developed and developing regions. Other factors influencing market expansion include improved internet accessibility around the world. The digital payment service is rapidly progressing due to the development of new payment methods, expanded e-commerce, enhanced internet access, and the deployment of new technology.

Asia Pacific emerges as one of the fastest-growing regional markets for open banking. The increased emphasis on digitalizing financial services and growing awareness of the benefits of Open Banking can be credited to such fantastic growth. Another factor driving market expansion is the rise in investments from banks investing in utilizing open application programming interface (API) management platforms.

The research includes an in-depth analysis of the open banking market, current trends, and future projections to highlight potential investment opportunities. In addition, the study provides information and data about the global market, which is segmented into regions, sub-regions, and nations. The market analysis by region and segment helps to identify the higher-performing segments and other segments with low growth rates.

Key Developments in Open Banking Market

Salt Edge, a Canadian provider of Open Banking solutions, has announced its expansion into the Hashemite Kingdom sector, where it will offer its services to banks and financial institutions. Local banks and electronic money institutions are now permitted to give their clients approved third parties (TPPs), along with open and secure access to customer data, as a result of this extension. The task can accomplish through an application programming interface (API). Jordan's financial institutions must create the technology required to become regulatory Open Banking compliant by the end of 2023.

TCS, an Indian global corporate conglomerate, has teamed with ABN Amro, a Dutch bank, to aid in its digital transformation. ABN Amro desired to follow the most recent European legislation, the Payment Services Directive (PSD2). ABN Amro is considering supplying more useful application programming interfaces (APIs) and utilizing those of others in addition to PSD2 compliance. The goal was to construct a cloud-based Open Banking platform to expedite, create experiences outside of banking, experiment with new business models, and collaboratively reinvent finance.

Mastercard has teamed upSWOT, a white-label integrated financial platform based in the United States, to add data for small businesses to upSWOT's platform. The Mastercard Open Banking platform, whose services are offered by its subsidiary, Finicity, enables this action. As a result, UpSWOT's platform now allows small business customers to connect authenticated financial data to 200 API-enabled apps, thanks to the addition of Open Banking functionality.

BigCommerce, a US-based eCommerce startup, has teamed with the account-to-account payments platform Vyne to deliver A2A payments to their online customers. The collaboration is BigCommerce's first in the Open Banking industry. Its goal is to provide merchants, consumers, and users with the ability to accept real-time payments and refunds while saving up to 80% on each transaction.

The research report on the open banking market includes in-depth analyses of the global competition and features profiles of the leading participants operating in the industry. In addition, key insights are presented in the report with various strategic developments, significant collaborations, new product pipelines, global events, and other crucial data that helps businesses plan the future roadmap for competing in the market. Finally, the development strategies used by the major market participants are listed in the research report to comprehend the market's competitive landscape.

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Prominent Players in Open Banking Market

2BBVA Open Platform Inc.

DemystData

Credit Agricole

Finastra

Figo GmbH

Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.

FormFree

MineralTree Inc.

Mambu GmbH

NCR Corporation

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Healthcare Insurance Market

Global Health Insurance Market

Global Instant Loan Application Market

Global Digital Payment Market

Global Travel Insurance Market

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Facts & Factors

The global particle size analysis market size was valued at USD 371 million in 2021 and is expected to surpass USD 558 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period (2022- 2028), as highlighted in a report published by Facts & Factors. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are HORIBA, Malvern Panalytical Ltd, Beckman Coulter Inc., Anton Paar GmbH, DANDONG HMKTEST INSTRUMENT CO.LTD., Bettersize Instruments Ltd., Brookhaven Instruments, Fritsch GmbH, LS Instruments AG, METLLER TOLEDO, Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, Microtrac Retsch GmbH, Shimadzu Corporation, Sympatec GmbH, TSI, and others.

NEW YORK, United States, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facts and Factors has published a new research report titled  Particle Size Analysis Market Size , Share, Growth Analysis Report By Technology (Laser Diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, Imaging, Dynamic Imaging, Static Imaging, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, Coulter Principle, Sieve Analysis, and Others), By Dispersion Type (Wet Dispersion, Dry Dispersion, and Spray Dispersion), By End User (Healthcare, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, Chemical, Mining, Energy, Agriculture & Forestry, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2022  2028 in its research database.

The report analyzes the particle size analysis market's drivers, restraints/challenges, and the effect they have on the demands during the projection period. In addition, the report explores emerging opportunities in the global particle size analysis market.

Particle Size Analysis Market Overview:

The process of figuring out the size and distribution of particles in a certain solid, emulsion, suspension, or aerosol is known as particle size analysis. To determine particle size, many analytical techniques are utilized; some are sample-specific, while others may be used for a variety of materials. Particle size analysis is a crucial component of many industrial processes for quality control, as well as for assessing the effectiveness of the production process and the performance of the final product. To produce aerosols, food, drinks, paints and coatings, construction materials, and medicines, it is widely utilized.

Story continues

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(A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)

Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following:

Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the updated report.

About 215+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, Revenue Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Historic and Forecast Growth, Porter's 5 Forces Analysis

Facts and Factors research methodology

Key Insights from Primary Research

As per the analysis, the particle size analysis market is likely to grow above a CAGR of around 6% between 2022 and 2028.

The Particle Size Analysis market size was worth around US$ 371 million in 2021 and is estimated to hit approximately US$ 558 million by 2028 . Due to a variety of driving factors, the market is predicted to rise at a significant rate.

Based on technology, the nanoparticle tracking analysis segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Based on the dispersion type, the dry dispersion segment is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period.

Based on end user, the healthcare segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2021.

On the basis of region, North America is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period.





Industry Growth Drivers

Increasing efforts, government backing, and major players are projected to boost the market. The global particle size analysis market growth is being driven by inflexible regulatory regulations and the geographical expansion of important competitors. The expansion in nanotechnology research efforts, as well as growing demand in the aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industries, have enhanced demand for this industry.

The market has been pushed by increased research institute budgets. New-generation particle size analysis with better performance delivers greater accuracy and flexibility when combined with solutions that drive market growth.

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Competitive Players

The report contains qualitative and quantitative research on the global Particle Size Analysis Market, as well as detailed insights and development strategies employed by the leading competitors. The report also provides an in-depth analysis of the market's main competitors, as well as information on their competitiveness.

The research also identifies and analyses important business strategies used by these main market players, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), affiliations, collaborations, and contracts.

Some of the main players in the global Particle Size Analysis market include;

HORIBA

Malvern Panalytical Ltd

Beckman Coulter Inc.

Anton Paar GmbH

DANDONG HMKTEST INSTRUMENT CO. LTD.

Bettersize Instruments Ltd.

Brookhaven Instruments

Fritsch GmbH

LS Instruments AG

METLLER TOLEDO

Micromeritics Instrument Corporation

Microtrac Retsch GmbH

Shimadzu Corporation

Sympatec GmbH

Browse the full Particle Size Analysis Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By Technology (Laser Diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, Imaging, Dynamic Imaging, Static Imaging, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, Coulter Principle, Sieve Analysis, and Others), By Dispersion Type (Wet Dispersion, Dry Dispersion, and Spray Dispersion), By End User (Healthcare, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, Chemical, Mining, Energy, Agriculture & Forestry, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2022  2028 Report at https://www.fnfresearch.com/particle-size-analysis-market



Particle Size Analysis Market: Segmentation Analysis

The global particle size analysis market is segmented based on technology, dispersion type, end user, and region.

The global market is segmented based on technology into the following subsegment: laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering, imaging, dynamic imaging, static imaging, nanoparticle tracking analysis, coulter principle, sieve analysis, and others. During the projected time, the nanoparticle tracking analysis segment is anticipated to rule the market. The increased applications for these particle size analyzers and the expansion of nanotechnology research activities are credited with the segment's rise. Additionally, NTA is mostly used in biopharmaceutical and biotech applications, and the R&D activities of the biopharmaceutical industry are expanding.

The market for particle size analysis is divided into three categories based on the type of dispersion: wet dispersion, dry dispersion, and spray dispersion. Due to the rising urbanization and growth of the worldwide construction sector, the dry dispersion category is expected to have the biggest market share over the projection period. Additionally, segmental expansion is fueled by rising pharmaceutical industry demand during the predicted period.

The global particle size analysis market is divided into healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, chemical, mining, energy, agricultural & forestry, and other categories based on the end user. In terms of revenue share, the healthcare sector led in 2021 and is anticipated to continue to lead over the projection period. Rapid technical improvements, an increase in the number of biotechnology firms, and a greater emphasis on medication research and delivery services are all factors contributing to the segment's rise. Contrarily, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector is anticipated to see the largest CAGR growth throughout the projection year.

Regional Analysis:

North America is estimated to lead the worldwide particle size analysis market during the forecast period due to the presence of significant industry players in the region. Furthermore, the well establishes pharmaceuticals and healthcare infrastructure driving the market growth.

On the other hand, the Asia Pacific region is growing at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in the region is attributed to the rising interest in nanotechnology, the presence of major nanotechnology market participants in the area, the implementation of reforms and regulations by the government to improve product quality, the top caliber of industry standards, and the gradual transfer of manufacturing and pharmaceutical R&D from developed markets to Asian markets are all contributing factors.

Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fnfresearch.com/inquiry/particle-size-analysis-market



Recent Industry Developments:

In June 2021, Horiba signed a collaboration led by the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Catapult to accelerate the production of Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) for cell & gene therapy. It is a type of nanoparticle analysis instrument that offers a combination of experience & competence in technology, pharmaceutics, therapy, and patient demand.

Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Particle Size Analysis industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Particle Size Analysis Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Particle Size Analysis Industry?

What segments does the Particle Size Analysis Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Particle Size Analysis Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2021 USD 371 Million Projected Market Size in 2028 USD 558 Million CAGR Growth Rate 6.0% CAGR Base Year 2021 Forecast Years 2022-2028 Key Market Players HORIBA, Malvern Panalytical Ltd, Beckman Coulter Inc., Anton Paar GmbH, DANDONG HMKTEST INSTRUMENT CO.LTD., Bettersize Instruments Ltd., Brookhaven Instruments, Fritsch GmbH, LS Instruments AG, METLLER TOLEDO, Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, Microtrac Retsch GmbH, Shimadzu Corporation, Sympatec GmbH, TSI, and others. Key Segment By Technology, Dispersion Type, End User, and Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs.

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(We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.)

The global particle size analysis market is segmented as follows:

By Technology

Laser Diffraction

Dynamic Light Scattering

Imaging

Dynamic Imaging

Static Imaging

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

Coulter Principle

Sieve Analysis

Others

By Dispersion Type

Wet Dispersion

Dry Dispersion

Spray Dispersion

By End User

Healthcare

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology

Chemical

Mining

Energy

Agriculture & Forestry

Others

By Region

North America The U.S. Canada

Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Rest of Southeast Asia

The Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



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Key Offerings:

Market Size, Trends, & Forecast by Revenue | 20222028

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by Technology, Dispersion Type, End User, and Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028 Segmented By Type (Pyridine, Beta Picoline, Alpha Picoline, Gamma Picoline and Others), Application, By Region, and Competition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Global Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market is projected to grow at an impressive CAGR during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to increasing demand due to end-use industries such as agrochemical, pharmaceutical, latexes, food, electronics, and others.

It is forecasted that the U.S. agrochemical market will have a revenue of approximately USD 49 billion by 2025.



Across APAC Region, the Healthy growth of the pharmaceutical industry is driving the market. Growing Investment in India and other ASEAN countries contributes to the market's development. As per the data released by India Brand Equity Foundation, In June 2021, the Government of India announced an additional outlay of around USD 27 billion, which will be utilized for the Pharmaceutical PLI scheme in 13 key sectors such as pharmaceuticals ingredients, drug intermediaries and critical starting materials. Economic factors are significantly uplifting the market growth and increasing penetration of health insurance to push expenditure on healthcare and medicine in major countries across the globe.



An Increase in the Acceptance of Agrochemicals in the Developing Countries



The globalization of the agrochemical sector significantly impacted Asian Crop Protection markets. The need for various agrochemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides, is growing due to the population's fastest rate of increase, the necessity for food production to meet rising demand, and economic expansion. The available land mass for agrochemicals to preserve soil health and boost land productivity is growing as the demand for food products increases in rising nations of the Asia Pacific region. The market for pyridines and their derivatives is anticipated to be driven by the rising use of agrochemicals.



Increasing Paraquat Usage in Countries such as U.S., Brazil, and India



Despite being banned in several European and Chinese nations, paraquat is utilized in many other countries. Due to farmers' reliance on genetically modified, Roundup-ready soyabean crops, it is widely used in the United States. Since weeds are developing resistance to Roundup herbicides, farmers must use stronger and more efficient pesticides, including paraquat. This is fueling the growth of the Pyridine and Pyridine Derivatives Market over the forecast period as paraquat demand rises in the U.S.



Recent Trends and Developments

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Jubilant Ingrevia has purchased a 26.60% stake in AMP Energy Green Fifteen in February 2021. The company has increased its presence in several regions thanks to the acquisition.

In December 2021, Vertellus has acquired Jarchem who is a global manufacturer and provider of Unique specialty ingredients and nature-based products to expand its product portfolio across multiple geographies.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increasing Acceptance of Agrochemicals in Developing Economies

Increasing Paraquat Usage in Countries Such as the U.S. Brazil, and India

Challenges

Fluctuations in Pyridine and Beta Picoline Prices

Report Scope:



In this report, Global Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:



Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives, By Type:

Pyridine

Beta Picoline

Alpha Picoline

Gamma Picoline

Others

Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives, By Application:

Agrochemicals

Pharmaceuticals

Latexes

Food

Others

Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives, By Region:

North America

United States

Mexico

Canada

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Poland

Netherlands

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

South Korea

India

Vietnam

Australia

South America

Brazil

Colombia

Argentina

Middle East and Africa

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Qatar

Key Topics Covered:



1. Product Overview



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Voice of Customer



5. Global Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



6. North America Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



7. Europe Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



8. Asia-Pacific Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



9. South America Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



10. Middle East and Africa Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market Outlook



11. Market Dynamics

12. Market Trends & Developments



13. Global Pyridine & Pyridine Derivatives Market: SWOT Analysis



14. Porter's Five Forces Analysis



15. Competitive Landscape



16. Strategic Recommendations



Companies Mentioned

Jubilant Ingrevia Limited

Vertellus holdings LLC

Parker Hannifin Corporation

Lonza Group Ltd.

Nanjing Red Sun Company

Resonance Specialties Limited

Shandong Luba Chemical Co., Ltd.

Hubei Sanonda Co., Ltd.

Chang Chun Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

Koei Chemical Co., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x08gft

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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By Aditi Shah and Arpan Chaturvedi

NEW DELHI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A union in India has sued General Motors' local unit and its global CEO for failing to pay court-ordered compensation to sacked factory workers, deepening the U.S. automaker's struggles to exit the country years after it shuttered local operations.

GM stopped selling cars in India in 2017 after years of low sales but its complete exit from the market has been marred by complications including legal tussles with workers and failure to find a buyer for a plant in the western state of Maharashtra after talks with China's Great Wall Motor collapsed last year.

GM and the factory workers - who allege illegal termination after the company decided to exit - have been locked in legal battles since 2021. The latest filing signals an escalation in the dispute as workers accuse GM's India unit and its executives, including CEO Mary Barra, of failing to follow court orders.

In a filing to the High Court of Bombay dated Jan 16, the General Motors Employees Union of 1,086 factory workers states the company has failed to pay them compensatory wages of 50% of their monthly salary starting April last year, as ordered by a local industrial court while it continues to hear the dispute, the documents show.

A union leader told Reuters that GM so far owes the workers around 250 million rupees ($3 million) in wages, based on the industrial court's order.

GM did not respond to a request for comment. In its earlier court filings, it has said the industrial court acted beyond its power in ordering the compensation. The company has previously said it has tried to settle the issue amicably and has offered workers a generous severance package.

The union disagreed, and said GM continues to "blatantly violate" the industrial court's order by not paying the workers a single cent. In its latest filing, the union urged the court to hold the company and its executives in contempt, and punish them with imprisonment.

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"The workers are unable to feed their families, pay for medical expenses, pay for their children's education," the union said in the filing, which has not previously been reported.

The lawsuit is likely to be heard in the coming days.

India has been a graveyard for some Western carmakers, especially U.S. companies, that have struggled to break the dominance of Japan's Suzuki Motor and South Korea's Hyundai Motor, which together hold a market share of about 60%. Like GM, Ford Motor ceased operations in India in 2021.

GM stopped selling cars in India at the end of 2017 but one of its two factories continued to produce vehicles for export until December 2020. After that, GM ceased all operations and moved to close the plant in Maharashtra, but it has not received permission.

The state government has rejected applications by GM to close the plant - a move that the company has previously said sends a "concerning message" to potential future investors. (Additional reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Province's new agency announces updated training standards for apprentices and employers that better reflect industry needs and align with Red Seal standards

SCARBOROUGH, ON, Jan. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Skilled Trades Ontario (STO), Ontario's agency responsible for apprenticeship and skilled trades certification, is celebrating its one-year anniversary by updating training and curriculum standards. With one-quarter of all apprentices in Canada training in Ontario, STO is delivering on its mandate of increasing labour mobility and improving training standards for apprentices and skilled trades workers.

STO Logo (CNW Group/Skilled Trades Ontario)

Since its launch last year, apprenticeship registrations increased by thousands in 2022 compared to 2021 and more than 13,000 students, parents, and teachers attended skilled trades career fairs aimed at attracting the province's next generation of tradespeople.

"We've made great strides in our first year, and this is only the beginning," said Melissa Young, CEO/Registrar, Skilled Trades Ontario. "From updating standards to moving more services online, Skilled Trades Ontario is removing barriers and setting apprentices, employers and skilled trades professionals on the path to success."

STO is bringing Ontario's skilled trades into the 21st century, by releasing a one-window digital portal for apprentices to apply online, keep track of their training progress, pay fees and more, unveiling a bold new logo and visual identity, and introducing a digital logbook pilot which has allowed more than 100 new apprentices to now track their training progress completely online.

"Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life," said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. "That's why our government is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to attract and train our next generation of apprentices and prepare them for the future."

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The new standards now in place and available on Skilled Trades Ontario's website are for the horticultural technician, arborist and utility arborist trades. The changes include a revision of the horticultural technician on-the-job training standard to align with the Red Seal Occupational Standard and a structural refresh of the arborist and utility arborist curriculum content for better cohesion, giving apprentices additional time to learn theoretical content.

To further align with provincial and territorial Red Seal Standards, changes will also be coming to the program standards in 2023 of the three heavy equipment operator trades: tractor loader backhoe, excavator and dozer.

"As a leading educational facility in the trades, we know skilled trades provide fulfilling, well-paying and in-demand career paths that are essential to almost every part of our daily lives and critical for the future of our communities," said Dr. Craig Stephenson, President and CEO of Centennial College. "The recently updated training and curriculum standards will undoubtedly strengthen students' skills, enhance their employment options and ultimately set them up for even greater success."

Quick Facts

Skilled Trades Ontario plans to release its strategic plan this spring, outlining the agency's priorities for the next three years. Trades and industry experts can express interest in providing input at brian.gibson@skilledtradesontario.ca

By 2025, about one in five job openings in Ontario is projected to be in the skilled trades.

There are over 140 skilled trades in Ontario.

About Skilled Trades Ontario

Skilled Trades Ontario is an agency of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development responsible for apprenticeship and skilled trades certification in Ontario. Skilled Trades Ontario is dedicated to simplifying access to services for skilled trades professionals, promoting the skilled trades as a career of choice and addressing the labour shortage in the skilled trades, in partnership with government and industry.

SOURCE Skilled Trades Ontario

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2023/19/c0153.html
By Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL(Reuters) - The administration of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol wants to allow people to work up to 69 hours a week - up from the current 52 - and bank overtime hours in exchange for time off, a plan it hopes will promote family growth alongside productivity.

The government says the plan, set to be announced next month, will provide more flexibility in the labour market. Officials say people would work less as a whole, encouraging them to have families and shore up a fertility rate that is projected to hit a global-low 0.7 in 2024.

It would supersede a 2018 law that limited the work week to 52 hours - 40 hours of regular work plus 12 hours of overtime. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said in a statement that law had fallen behind the times.

If you are working at ice cream factories for example, you can work overtime seasonally, then save the hours of work and use later to go on a longer holiday," the ministry said of the reform.

The proposal would allow employers and workers to agree on whether to count overtime by the week, with 12 hours allowed; the month, with 52 hours allowed; the quarter, with 140 hours allowed; a half year, with 250 hours; or a full year, with 440 hours of overtime allowed.

For counting periods of a month or longer, up to 29 hours a week of overtime would be allowed, for a total of 69 work hours in one week. Overtime could be exchanged later for time off at a rate that has not been announced.

Only 14% of South Koreans were in trade unions in 2021, data show, which could limit how much workers can negotiate. In a statement, the Korean Women's Associations United said "only regulations like the 52-hour workweek and pressure from labour unions can protect workers from long working hours".

The law must be passed by the National Assembly, where Yoon's political opponents hold the majority. Opposition politicians have said they oppose the plan, with Rep. Park Yong-jin of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea calling it a "shortcut to population extinction".

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The labour ministry has brushed off such criticisms, saying the proposal would "only add more choice".

More than 18% of South Koreans worked more than 50 hours a week in the worlds 10th-largest economy in 2021, according to unpublished data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - the fifth-highest after Turkey, Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica.

The move has been welcomed by the countrys major business lobbying groups, including the Korea Enterprise Federation, which described it as necessary. But some experts are sceptical that the new proposal would reduce how much people work.

The beauty of introducing a 52-hour workweek was that you gave a signal to employers, unions and workers saying, Listen, you really have to do something about the long working hours culture in your country, said Willem Adema, a senior economist at the social policy division of the OECD. If the current legislation is all about giving flexibility then thats fine. But it doesnt seem to be interpreted as such.

The government says allowing workers to spend accrued overtime hours on vacations will mean people who want to work less - such as parents or caregivers - will be able to do so.

Extending working hours, even temporarily, affects women more than men, said Lee Min-Ah, Professor of Sociology at Chung-Ang University.

When male partners work more, womens economic activity will be discouraged and their responsibility of childcare will only increase," Lee said.

The country already has the lowest fertility rate in the world, and a rapidly ageing population. The working-age population peaked at 38 million in 2019 and is set to drop by more than 9 million by 2040, government data show.

Lee Yoon-sun, a 29-year-old office worker, said working high-intensity hours and then taking time off would be disruptive.

"Working long hours when you have a heavy workload and then resting when you are less busy seems like a pattern that will lead to an irregular life, affecting having children and taking care of them, said Lee, who does not have children.

Other workers say the new plan ignores a lot of the cultural and social nuances of work in South Korea.

If its 6 p.m., you don't just run out the door, you carefully put on your clothes and make sure you watch what your co-workers are doing so you are not the one leaving while everyone else is still working, said Albert Kim, a 27-year-old living in Seoul, who also does not have children. "There are a lot of grey areas I wish the proposal would have addressed.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
A total of 352 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports per Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.

The first dose of the vaccine was injected into 152 citizens, the second dose  56 citizens, while the third dose and the next doses were received by 144 citizens. As many as 35 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.

Totally, up until now, 13,938,983 vaccine doses were administered, 5,400,619 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, 4,876,483 people  the second dose, 3,396,849 people  the third dose, and the next doses.

Besides, 265,032 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.
Company Logo

Dublin, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Research Report on Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The development of shipbuilding industry in Southeast Asian countries varies greatly. According to the publisher's analysis, the shipbuilding industries in the Philippines and Vietnam are developing fast and have taken shape.

The Philippine shipbuilding industry has grown rapidly in recent years and is among the world's fourth largest shipbuilding countries. As the scale and number of shipyards in the Philippines increase in the future, its shipbuilding capacity will continue to improve. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar are still relatively weak in shipbuilding, as the tonnage of ships manufactured in these countries is relatively small.



Southeast Asia in this report includes 10 countries: Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos and Cambodia. With a total population of over 600 million by the end of 2021, Southeast Asia has an overall economic growth rate higher than the global average and is one of the key drivers of future global economic growth.



According to the publisher's analysis, the economic levels of the 10 Southeast Asian countries vary greatly, with Singapore being the only developed country with a per capita GDP of about US$73,000 in 2021. While Myanmar and Cambodia will have a GDP per capita of less than US$2,000 in 2021.

The population and minimum wage levels also vary greatly from country to country, with Brunei, which has the smallest population, having a total population of less than 500,000 people in 2021, and Indonesia, which has the largest population, having a population of about 275 million people in 2021.

The most economically advanced countries in Southeast Asia do not have a legal minimum wage, with the actual minimum wage exceeding US$400 per month (for foreign maids), while the lowest minimum wage level in Myanmar is only about US$93 per month.



Overall, the market size of the shipbuilding industry in Southeast Asian countries has shown an upward trend in recent years, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, where sustained economic growth, industrial and supporting industrial chain development have promoted the development of their shipbuilding industry.



According to the publisher's forecast, the shipbuilding industry in Southeast Asia will maintain growth from 2022-2032. On the one hand, the lower labor costs in Southeast Asian countries will prompt global shipbuilders to shift production capacity to these regions.

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On the other hand, the transportation demand brought by the economic development of Southeast Asia will also prompt global shipbuilders to increase their exports or investments to these countries.



Topics covered:

Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry Status and Major Sources in 2018-2022

What is the Impact of COVID-19 on Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry?

Which Companies are the Major Players in Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry Market and What are their Competitive Benchmarks?

Key Drivers and Market Opportunities in Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry

What are the Key Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities for Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry during 2023-2032?

What is the Expected Revenue of Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry during 2023-2032?

What are the Strategies Adopted by the Key Players in the Market to Increase Their Market Share in the Industry?

What are the Competitive Advantages of the Major Players in Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry Market?

Which Segment of Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry is Expected to Dominate the Market in 2032?

What are the Major Adverse Factors Facing Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry?

Industry Outlook 2023-2032



Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry Development Influencing Factors Analysis

Favorable Factors

Unfavorable Factors

Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry Supply Forecast 2023-2032

Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Market Demand Forecast 2023-2032

Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic on Shipbuilding Industry

Analysis of the Southeast Asia Shipbuilding Industry

Shipbuilding Industry Development Environment

Geography

Population

Economy

Manufacturing Minimum Wage

Shipbuilding Industry Operation Status 2018-2022

Shipbuilding Industry Production Status

Shipbuilding Industry Sales Status

Shipbuilding Industry Import and Export Status

Analysis of Major Processing and Trading Companies of Shipbuilding

Countries Covered

Singapore

Thailand

Philippines

Malaysia

Indonesia

Vietnam

Myanmar

Brunei

Laos

Cambodia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7tc1hi

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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




(Removes Soyo, LNG Enterprise, SM Albatross and Maran Gas Agamemnon after they leave ports; Changes expected arrival date for Megara, Stena Crystal Sky, Ribero Duero Knutsen, Adamastos, La Mancha Knutsen and Malanje; Adds Mozah; Shows Energy Endeavour is docked;) Jan 19 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). Floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) terminals are added to the table when they near deployment. As of Dec. 27 2022, this includes the Eemshaven terminal in the Netherlands, the Wilhelmshaven and Lubmin terminals in Germany. For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Castillo de Caldelas 178,000 Jan. 17 (A) United States South Hook Megara 173,000 Jan. 19 Peru Dragon LNG Sakura 177,000 Jan. 19 United States South Hook Fuwairit 138,000 Jan. 19 Qatar Milford Haven Mol Hestia 177,000 Jan. 19 United States South Hook Minerva Chios 173,000 Jan. 20 United States Dragon Flex Aurora 174,000 Jan. 20 United States South Hook Magdala 173,000 Jan. 21 United States Dragon Seapeak Bahrain 170,000 Jan. 22 United States Isle of Grain BW Paris 159,000 Jan. 23 United States South Hook British Achiever 174,000 Jan. 25 United States South Hook SM Bluebird 170,000 Jan. 28 Peru Milford Haven BW Pavilion Aranda 171,000 Jan. 28 United States Isle of Grain Mozah Jan. 28 Qatar 262,000 Milford Haven Stena Crystal Sky 173,000 Jan. 29 United States Isle of Grain Ribero Duero Knutsen 173,000 Jan. 31 United States Isle of Grain Vivirt City Lng 170,000 Feb. 1 United States Milford Haven Minerva Amorgos 170,000 Feb. 3 United States South Hook Santander Knutsen 170,000 Feb. 13 Peru Milford Haven BELGIUM Fuji LNG 145,000 Jan. 19 Qatar Zeebrugge LNG Merak 174,000 Jan. 20 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Georgiy Brusilov 173,000 Jan. 20 (STS) (L) Russia Zeebrugge Al Daayen 150,000 Jan. 22 Qatar Zeebrugge Georgiy Ushakov 172,000 Jan. 23 Russia Zeebrugge Flex Rainbow 174,000 Jan. 24 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Vladimir Rusanov 169,000 Jan. 25 Russia Zeebrugge Yari LNG 158,000 Jan. 26 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Al Zubarah 138,000 Jan. 27 Qatar Zeebrugge Rudolf Samoylovich 170,000 Jan. 28 N/A Zeebrugge Adamastos 174,000 Jan. 30 United States Zeebrugge Al Jassasiya 144,000 Feb. 1 Qatar Zeebrugge LNG Dubhe 174,000 Feb. 2 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Clean Planet 159,000 Feb. 9 (L) Russia Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS Transgas Force 174,000 Jan. 15 (A) United States Gate Energy Endeavour 170,000 Jan. 19 (A) United States Gate La Mancha Knutsen 174,000 Jan. 25 United States Gate LNG Rosenrot 177,000 Jan. 27 United States Gate GERMANY Malanje 161,000 Jan. 23 Angola Wilhelmshaven Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date estimated based on flows data (Reporting by Marwa Rashad)
Nuveen Investments, headquartered in Chicago, IL, was founded in 1898 by John Nuveen. The company aims to provide financial services to its clients using a multi-boutique structure. It provides these services through an independent team, comprising Nuveen Asset Management, Winslow Capital and Symphony.

Nuveen is the number one farmland assets manager in the world and a leader in alternative investments. In its Multi-Asset Solutions, the company had $1.1 trillion of assets under management as of Sep 30, 2022. Nuveen offers a wide range of asset classes and products, ranging from equity and alternative funds to municipal and taxable fixed-income bond funds.

Below, we share with you three top-ranked Nuveen mutual funds, viz.,Nuveen Small/Mid Cap Value Fund (NSMRX), Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (NFRIX),Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fund (NVHIX). Each has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future. Investors can click here to see the complete list of Nuveen mutual funds.

Nuveen Small/Mid Cap Value Fund invests most of its assets along with borrowings, if any, in equity securities of domestic companies with market capitalization similar to that of the companies listed on the Russell 2500 Value Index at the time of purchase. NSMRX also invests a comparatively small portion of its net assets in equity securities of foreign companies, including emerging markets.

Nuveen Small/Mid Cap Value Fundhas three-year annualized returns of 8.4%. As of the end of September 2022, NSMRX held 58 issues, with 3.03% of its assets invested in Nvent Electric.

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund invests most of its assets along with borrowings, if any, in floating rate securities like floating rate loans, other floating rate debt securities, including corporate debt securities and U.S. government securities. NFRIX advisors also invest in money market securities and shares of money market and short-term bond funds.

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Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fundhas three-year annualized returns of 2.2%. NFRIX has an expense ratio of 0.69% compared with the category average of 1.03%.

Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fund invests most of its net assets, along with borrowings, if any, in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal personal income tax. NVHIX advisors generally maintain an investment portfolio with a weighted average effective duration of less than 4.5 years.

Nuveen Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond Fundhas three-year annualized returns of 0.10%. Steven M. Hlavin has been the fund manager of NVHIX since February 2013.

To view the Zacks Rank and the past performance of all Nuveen mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of Nuveen mutual funds.

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Zacks Investment Research
Hyundai wins more awards than any other brand.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2023 Best Cars for the Money awards . Covering 12 automotive categories, the awards put a spotlight on cars, SUVs and minivans that represent the best combination of long-term value and excellent ownership experience. For the third time, U.S. News will present the Best Cars for the Money awards at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show.

U.S. News & World Report Logo. (PRNewsfoto/U.S. News & World Report)

"A Best Car for the Money award represents a strong value over the course of ownership and at the dealership," said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. "A new vehicle is a big purchase for any buyer, especially as new-car transaction prices continue to rise. In addition, the least expensive car on the lot could carry high ownership costs or be poorly suited to the buyer's needs. Our Best Car for the Money award winners prioritize long-term value and a rewarding ownership experience, with comfort, features and performance that buyers will appreciate."

Hyundai won four Best Car for the Money awards this year, which is more than any other brand. Kia earned three, Chevrolet and Honda each won two, and Mazda earned one. The Honda Odyssey won this award for the seventh time, while the Honda Civic now has four Best Compact Car for the Money wins under its belt. The Hyundai Kona and Santa Fe each earned awards for the third time in their respective categories, while the Elantra Hybrid won Best Hybrid Car for the second time. The Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV, as well as the Hyundai Palisade, Kia K5, Kia Rio, Kia Sportage Hybrid and Mazda CX-5 each won the award for the first time.

Methodology

Within each class, the award winner has the best combination of quality and value. We measured quality using a car's overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings. The overall score is based on safety and reliability data, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press on a given model's performance and interior and how strongly each reviewer recommends the car. We measured value by looking at each model's real-time transaction prices, provided by TrueCar, and five-year total cost of ownership data, calculated by Vincentric.

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About the Best Cars for the Money Award Ceremony:

Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center

When: Today, January 19, 2:15 p.m.

Learn more about the auto show here .

About U.S. News Best Cars

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. U.S. News Best Cars supports car shoppers throughout the entire car buying journey, offering advice for researching cars and finding cars for sale near you. U.S. News Best Cars had more than 60 million visitors over the past year, with the majority actively shopping for a car. More than 70% of active shoppers reported that U.S. News influenced their car-purchasing decision, saying that they trust our advice to be unbiased and that they would recommend our site to others.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news-announces-the-2023-best-cars-for-the-money-301725246.html

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
Man pleads guilty in shooting

A man who fired shots during a 2021 road-rage incident in Caroline County agreed to a deal Wednesday that calls for him to serve three years in prison.

Jordan T. Siverling, 22, of York County, pleaded guilty to malicious wounding and attempted malicious wounding in Caroline Circuit Court. Four other charges were dropped.

As part of a plea agreement worked out by prosecutor Ben Heidt and defense attorney Tara-Beth Coleman, Siverling is expected to receive a three-year active sentence when he is formally sentenced March 15. Siverling, who will remain free on bond until then, has already served about a year.

According to police and evidence presented in court, Siverling was among a group of cars that were traveling together on U.S. 301 in Caroline the afternoon of April 12, 2021. The driver of a pickup truck got into an altercation with the group when he tried to pass them.

The incident reached the Fort A.P. Hill entrance gate when the truck cut between the cars, knocking two of them off the road. When members of the group approached the truck, the driver drove away, striking two people in the process.

One woman was dragged by a trailer attached to the truck when Siverling pulled out a 9mm gun and fired several shots. Two tires on the truck were shot out, and one shot went through the back window, striking the driver in the shoulder.

Three people were injured, including the dragged woman who had to be flown to a hospital for treatment.

Coleman claimed that Siverling was trying to shoot out the tires in an attempt to rescue the woman who was being dragged.

 Keith Epps
Virginia State Police are investigating two recent fatal single-vehicle crashes in Caroline County.

Sgt. Jessica Shehan said the most recent one occurred Friday at 12:45 p.m. on northbound U.S. 17, just south of Camden Road.

Shehan said a 2020 Cadillac XT5 driven by 70-year-old Edith Mack of Portsmouth was heading north when she ran off the right side of the road. Police said she overcorrected, crossed both lanes and struck a tree on the left side of the road.

Mack died at the scene.

Just after midnight Jan. 3, Shehan said, a Suitland, Maryland, man was killed when his 2017 Volkswagen Jetta crashed into trees on U.S. 301/Fort AP Hill Boulevard.

Shehan said the Jetta was heading north when it ran off the left side of the road. Leonard Devonta Turner, 30, died at the scene.
A Spotsylvania County School Board members attempt to obtain a protective order against one of her harshest critics was denied Wednesday by a judge.

Dawn Shelley was seeking legal restraint against county resident Roy Searles, who Shelley said has been harassing her through emails and other methods. She had previously obtained a preliminary order that called for Searles to stay away from her, including attending School Board meetings, and was seeking a more permanent order.

Judge Jane Reynolds ruled Wednesday in Spotsylvania General District Court that the issues raised by Shelley do not merit a protective order. She said some of Shelleys complaints would be more suited to possible criminal charges, and pointed out there is no claim that Searles has actually threatened Shelley.

In her complaint, Shelley wrote that Searles has been bombarding her with emails that she said were, at least in part, meant to intimidate her. She said the email frequency increased last year, and said Searles has screamed at her during School Board meetings.

Shelley said she now fears for her safety in regards to Searles and pointed out an Aug. 19 incident in which she claimed Searles followed her in the parking lot after a meeting and followed her as she drove away. She said at one point she thought Searles truck was going to hit her.

She also accused Searles of being behind various websites in which she is referred to by such names as Shameful Shelley and Jezabel.

I am fearful of Mr. Searles, Shelley told the judge. I am not safe."

After the brief hearing, Searles said that Shelley is upset because he disagrees with her politically. He said that if Shelley got her way, she would make it illegal for a constituent to contact an elected official. Is that what this country is coming to?

After dismissing the request, Reynolds said Shelley has 10 days to appeal the decision.
A scheduled rebuild of Stafford Countys Hartwood Elementary School will be delayed for five years to prioritize the construction of two new elementary schools.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution to amend the countys capital improvement plan, or CIP, for fiscal years 20232032 and delay the Hartwood project in favor of the new schools.

The CIP as approved by supervisors in April 2022 called for the rebuild of Hartwood  which was constructed in 1963 and is one of the countys oldest schools  to begin this year and be completed by August 2025.

In September, the School Board approved its own list of capital priorities, which calls for construction of an 18th and 19th county elementary school to begin this year and for the Hartwood rebuild to be delayed until August 2027.

The school division is already facing significant capacity challenges, with seven of the 17 elementary schools and three of the five high schools operating at or above capacity this year.

Overcrowding is expected to get worse if enrollment continues to increase as projected.

The School Board met with supervisors in December to discuss capital priorities and request that the CIP be amended to move the new school projects forward.

The division anticipates that elementary school No. 18 will cost $58.8 million and elementary school No. 19 will cost $61.9 million. The Hartwood replacement is projected to cost $64 million.

The resolution passed Tuesday by a 61 vote, with Hartwood District representative Darrell English voting against it.

English said replacing Hartwood Elementary was one of his campaign promises.

He said it is unacceptable that the school uses a well and septic system, and that he often hears from constituents about the poor state of the building.

If we move two elementary schools ahead of Hartwood, Hartwood will never be rebuilt, English said.
Concerned residents filled the King George County Board of Supervisors meeting room Tuesday night, upset about a plan to build a 100-bed drug treatment center in their neighborhood.

But they werent the only ones who didnt like the proposal  or the fact that it seemed to appear suddenly on the radar. Members of the Board of Supervisors were equally apprehensive about Pyramid Healthcare Inc.s plans to build a two-story facility on 8 acres off Owens Road.

I dont like it, I really dont, said Board Chairman Richard Granger. This is not a good area for it. I would not be in favor if we had authority to make a decision.

But as the supervisors explained, they dont have a say in the matter because the property is commercially zoned  and a medical clinic is one of the by-right uses allowed. That means Pyramid, a Pennsylvania-based company with treatment centers there and in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, doesnt need permission from the Board of Supervisors or Planning Commission to open a clinic in King George.

The by-right explanation came about an hour into the King George supervisors meeting Tuesday night. By then, more than a dozen residents had cited the impact such a facility would have on traffic along the busy Owens Road  which is often used as a cut-through from State Route 206 to the B-gate at the Dahlgren Navy base or onto U.S. 301 into Maryland.

The clinic is planned to occupy a wooded parcel behind the Sheetz on 301 and next to the Community Storage business. Pyramid bought the property last year for $355,745, less than the lands assessed value of $454,100, according to King Georges Geographic Information Systems website.

The treatment center would abut the Monmouth Woods subdivision and is near Chatham Village, and residents in both communities worried about dropping property values, rising crimes rates and an overall decline in the quality of life for residents, including seniors and young families at the Monmouth Woods apartment complex.

I was deeply disturbed about hearing about this center coming on Owens Drive and not being made aware of it as a resident of the community, said Kim Clark, who lives in Chatham Village. I want to strongly implore that we do not do this in this particular community and that we take it someplace else.

She and other speakers painted an ominous picture of life around a treatment center, voicing fears of drug paraphernalia left in yards and on playgrounds, addicts lurking in dark alleys and drug dealers waiting on every corner.

Clark grew up in the south Bronx and said she knows firsthand what a rehab center can do to a community.

Resident Patty ODell asked the supervisors to consider the issue from their point of view.

If this was to affect your backyard, your safety, your familys safety, she said, I just wonder how loud you would fight (against) this.

Several speakers assumed the county owned the property and asked the supervisors to move the center elsewhere. JulieAnn Dertz, who along with Clark had rallied people on Facebook to attend the meeting, said she thought a land swap would solve the problem.

The county could find a better location to put this facility where it doesnt interfere with residents, schools and businesses and is not located near many sources of alcohol which would be a trigger for an addict, she wrote in a text.

Supervisor Jeff Stonehill explained, after public comment, that the county has had nothing to do with the matter.

This was a private development coming in and buying land commercially zoned, he said.

News about the drug-treatment center started showing up on Facebook pages last month. As supervisors starting hearing the buzz, they checked with county employees. They were surprised to learn Pyramids plan had been included in the Community Development offices monthly reports as early as May.

I didnt know about it either, and Im sitting on your board, said Supervisor T.C. Collins.

During Tuesdays meeting, Supervisor Annie Cupka read to the audience a letter Pyramid had written to the Community Development office in response to concerns raised by supervisors and residents.

She read that most clients with substance abuse disorders would stay about 28 days at the clinic with the option to be there 60 days. No outpatient services, including support-group meetings, would be offered there.

Its not a methadone clinic, Cupka said.

Patients wouldnt drive themselves to the facility, nor would family members visit regularly. Pyramid picks up the patients and transports them back to their homes, or to the next step in their recovery, after treatment is finished, Cupka read from the letter.

Im sure none of this probably makes any of you all feel much better, she said, after finishing the letter.

Willie Williams home in Monmouth Woods borders the Pyramid property and he and his daughter, Allison, are worried about the safety of Allisons 3-year-old daughter  and that of other children who ride bikes through the community. He said he understands the need for drug treatment clinics, but not next to neighborhoods.

People need services, but it needs to be someplace safe, it needs to be someplace where they can get the necessary help they need without putting other people in jeopardy, he said.

Pyramid officials did not respond to questions from The Free LanceStar. Its website shows three facilities in two Virginia areas. Theres an outpatient clinic as well as a detox and residential facility, both in Newport News, and a residential facility in Radford, according to the website.

Supervisors asked Community Development Director Heather Hall to make a presentation at the Feb. 7 meeting about by-right zoning so citizens can understand the process, said Supervisor Cathy Binder.

The county also will ask a Pyramid representative to attend the same meeting. It will start at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom of the Revercomb Administration Center.
Masdar City and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen foreign investment (FIs) in Abu Dhabi and support innovation that enhances UAEs competitiveness.

The agreement was signed by Ahmed Baghoum, the acting CEO of Masdar City, and Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, the CEO of ADGM Registration Authority, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023.

The two entities will exchange best practices, promote institutional integration, and explore opportunities to enhance Abu Dhabis international position as a destination for direct foreign investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Attracting new investors

Masdar City, Abu Dhabis flagship sustainable urban community and innovation hub, and ADGM will work together to attract new investors to their free zones and benefit from each others capabilities. They will also explore the possibility of providing office space to ADGM entities at Masdar City and enabling Masdar City companies to operate within ADGMs legal standards, which would subject them to English common law.

This partnership demonstrates our shared interest in advancing Abu Dhabi as the preferred destination for foreign investors, said Baghoum. As an innovation hub and one of the worlds leading clean-tech clusters advancing solutions across the sustainability domain, Masdar City shares ADGMs ambition to attract innovative businesses to Abu Dhabi that will grow regionally and internationally.

With its efforts to expand the number of companies within its jurisdiction, ADGMs Registration Authority has been collaborating with established businesses in the UAEs capital city to support mutual strategic cooperation that helps achieve greater targets.

Areas of collaboration

Al Mazrouei said: We will explore areas of collaboration, work toward developing Abu Dhabis overall economy, and advance it as an innovative and progressive economic center. This partnership will further build the pillars of future innovative projects through the exchange of best practices to attract foreign direct investments and the enhancement of performance and competitiveness of both free zones.

Developing international standards affecting registration and regulation, including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance, is at the forefront of our commitment to enhancing and accelerating the growth of the business community within the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Home to over 1,000 companies, Masdar City offers 100% foreign ownership, zero import tariffs, cost-effective licensing, and a wide range of affordable office space. Incubating and scaling clean technologies and more sustainable processes has been the focus of Masdar City since its inception.

Clean-tech cluster

A low-carbon development made up of a rapidly growing clean-tech cluster, a business-free zone and a residential neighborhood, Masdar Citys world-class free zone offers a strategic base to companies and investors seeking to grow their business in the region and internationally and trial new technologies.

Todays MoU marks the latest collaboration between ADGM and Masdar City. In 2019, Masdar City incorporated the Masdar Green Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in ADGM, the first REIT.-- TradeArabia News Service
Fremont bookworms and literary lovers can rest easy: bothersome bugs in books are very rare and not harmful to people.

The issue of pests and insects  notably what are called booklice  found in library books drew the attention of some residents after a recent agenda item from the November meeting of the Keene Memorial Library Board.

Keene library Director Laura England-Biggs squashed any rumors of bugs bothering book lovers during an interview with the Fremont Tribune on Wednesday, Jan. 18, saying the bug issue had been overblown.

It really is a non-issue, England-Biggs said of book bugs. There have been occasions when there have been bugs in books found after someone has returned them. We havent had bugs in a book in a while.

During the Nov. 21, 2022, meeting of the library advisory board, officials discussed a library policy review of damaged and lost materials. In the discussion, England-Biggs told the five-member board that current library policy was if bugs were suspected in a returned or donated book, the library official who received the item should place it in a double sandwich bag system that is lock-able.

Library board President Linda McClain had suggested in the meeting using the Care Corps LifeHouse bug oven to cleanse books of potential pests. On Jan. 18, England-Biggs said the library staff had utilized the homeless shelters bug oven once, when a patron returned multiple books that were suspected to be infested.

Contrary to the term, the library pest known as booklice is not related to the lice that infests humans.

Human lice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is broken down into three classes: head, body and pubic lice.

Head lice infect the heads and necks of humans, while body lice do not live on skin, but rather in clothing. Pubic lice, also known as crabs most often lives in the pubic regions of the body, but can also infest beards, chest hair, armpit hair, eyebrows and mustaches.

None of the human lice variations live in library books, according to the CDC and other entomology sources reviewed by the Fremont Tribune.

England-Biggs stressed that no human lice, or other bothersome insects that prey on humans, are in library books at Keene Memorial Library; and she said in her nearly two decades as a library staffer, shes never heard of booklice.

Booklice is from the order of insects called Psocoptera, and is also known as dustlice or deathwatches, according to the Texas A&M University entomology extension office.

Officials at Texas A&M wrote in a report that booklice, are not external parasites and do not bite man or other animals. The name, booklouse comes from some species association with books, especially in the days before air conditioning, when natural humidity in homes and libraries allowed more frequent growth of mildew on book bindings and pages.

According to the website for insect extermination company Terminix, booklice are one of several pests occasionally found in library books.

The paper in archived books, book covers  for example leather, and/or book bindings may become infested with pests. Some examples of pests include: beetlesbiscuit beetle, cigarette beetle, spider beetle  silverfish and booklice, Terminix officials detail on their website.

England-Biggs said Keene Memorial Library is normally kept at a cooler temperature, an environment that makes survival of book pests harder, and said the library is vigorously cleaned regularly by a full-time custodian.

If a book is suspected of having pests inside it, she said staff will seal it in baggies or use the Care Corps LifeHouse bug oven to remove the pests.

We have worked with Care Corps LifeHouse, they have an oven that essentially cooks the bugs. You bake any item to remove pests, she explained. We have used it on several books that were returned once. We have a full-time custodian and clean the library frequently.
The latest vehicles on the market will be rolling into Omaha this weekend.

The newest cars, trucks, SUVs and electric vehicles will all be showcased at the 2023 Midland International Auto Show from Friday through Sunday at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $9 for adults (ages 13 and older); $7 for seniors (ages 65 and older), kids (ages 7-12) and military (with ID); and free for children (ages 6 and younger).

Friday will be Military Tribute Day at the auto show. Free admission will be offered Friday to all those who served in the military. Veterans also will be offered a free cup of coffee on Friday morning.

The Wounded Warriors Family Support Bronco will be on display throughout the show. The military tribute vehicle features 13 stars symbolizing the Americans who lost their lives in Afghanistan.

The Nebraska State Patrol will be bringing its rollover simulator and seat belt convincer to the show to demonstrate the importance of wearing your seat belt.

Auto show attendees also will have the chance to race NASCAR replica RC cars on a 30-foot long-banked speedway. Each racer gets a steering wheel and a shifter. There is an automatic lap counter.

In addition to the auto show, there are several other events taking place in the area this weekend:

Fun Pianos Show

The Cedar Bluffs Education Foundation will be hosting the Fun Pianos Show at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Cedar Bluffs Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

The show is the result of over 12 years of evolving the popular dueling pianos concept into a comedic sing-along show that appeals to all ages. If you want to hear a specific song, bring a few dollars to tip the entertainers to play your request.

Tickets are $25 per person or $200 for a full table. Drinks will be provided by the Den Saloon (cash only). Snacks will be provided by the Cedar Bluffs Education Foundation.

To reserve your seats, email jeff.beckman@cbwildcats.org. All proceeds will go to the Cedar Bluffs Education Foundation.

Deer and Game Expo

The annual Nebraska Deer and Game Expo will be held Friday through Sunday at the Lancaster Event Center, 4100 N. 84th St., in Lincoln.

The expo features a weekends worth of trophy deer, world-class hunting seminars, hunting and outdoor exhibitors, an expanded 3D Archery Shoot, and more.

Hours for the expo are 3-8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $12 for ages 16 and over, $6 for youth ages 6-15, and free for ages 5 and younger. Military/veterans will receive half-price admission all weekend. Ladies will receive half-price admission on Friday. Three-day passes are available for $25.

Spinners Web

Spinners Web, a Fremont area spinners and weavers guild, will be sponsoring Back to Basics from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Fremont Area Art Association, 92 W. Sixth St., in Fremont.

During the free event which is open to the public, members will be spinning wool and other fibers into yarn.

Other demonstrations may include processing fleece, weaving, crocheting, knitting, tatting, and other fiber arts using handspun and commercial yarns.

There will be many examples of finished projects for all ages to see and touch.

Toy and buckle show

The Husker Toy and Buckle Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Pavilion 1 at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln.

The show will feature farm toys and other collectibles.

Admission is $5. Children under 10 years old will receive free admission with an adult.
Microsoft is cutting 10,000 workers, almost 5% of its workforce, as it joins other tech companies in a scaling back of their pandemic-era expansions. The company said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that the layoffs were a response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities.
This is simply one mans perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.

Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. Im not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.

Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall

Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.

Lt. Frank Soukup

Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.

Lt. Paul Whitehead

In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
The Denver City Council Tuesday approved a $9 million purchase of a hotel property in Denver's Central Park neighborhood that will serve as a homeless shelter. The building will begin to house residents by late 2023.

The hotel, a former La Quinta Inn, has 96 bedrooms. Ninety-five of those will be converted for use as supportive housing, while one will house an on-site manager.

Denver's Department of Housing Stability officials said will soon issue a request for proposals as they seek a partner to complete renovations. Any future partner will also operate the site and provide wrap-around supportive services, according to a news release.

Denver Clarion Hotel to become transitional housing for homeless residents

This most recent purchase is part of an ongoing effort within Denver to convert hotels to serve as shelters for unhoused Denverites.

In September, Denver allocated $5 million to purchase another former La Quinta Inn located at 3500 Park Avenue West. In November, almost $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act money was used to assist The Fax Partnership in purchasing two east Colfax Avenue motels and convert them to homeless shelters.

Other organizations, like the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, have also used the strategy. The Coalition recently acquired the Clarion Inn located at 200 W. 48th Ave. for $24 million. The Coalition also completed a purpose built, $46.5 million building in October that offers transitional housing and emergency services.

These purchases follow the "housing first" strategy of addressing homelessness. The model seeks to shelter people in a semi-permanent location first, which makes it easier to connect them with services and other needs.

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Denver City Council prepares to send Park Hill Golf Course questions to April ballot

"The solution to homelessness is housing, and we will continue to pull on every lever available to create more homes for our unhoused residents, Mayor Michael Hancock said in the release. Were proud to transform yet another hotel into new, supportive homes for those who are in need of it most.

Hancock told the Denver Gazette that housing first principles have always been a part of his values, but admitted he had to warm up to transitionary, temporary housing strategies that Denver has made use of. "Safe Outdoor Sites" are one of those solutions, and Denver approved an additional site in September.

This multi-pronged approach comes as Denver struggles to address homelessness. In the metro area, homelessness jumped by nearly a quarter  from 5,530 in 2021 to 6,884 in 2022  according to previous Denver Gazette reporting.

Homelessness is a major issue statewide, and was a big topic during Gov. Jared Polis's 2023 State of the State address.

'Plow the damn roads': Frustrations boil over as Denver promises to plow side streets with snowstorm coming

The purchase of the former La Quinta includes $2 million from an Economic Development Initiative Community Project Funding grant. These grants were championed by Rep. Diana DeGette. In March, DeGette secured the $2 million as part of a $13.3 million package that funded 10 projects designed to improve housing opportunities, provide health care and mental health services across the Denver area.

"Getting this funding approved is a big, big win for our area," DeGette said at the time. "It will help us make more housing available for those experiencing homelessness and make more health care services available to in the areas that need them the most."
OPENING

Missing  (Drama, PG-13, 111 minutes). Junes mother goes missing when shes on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend. When June tries to find her, she is hindered by international red tape. Since June is thousands of miles from Colombia, she is forced to rely on the latest technology, but her digital searching raises more questions than answers.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond  (Animation, not rated, 110 minutes). A new adventure begins when Rimuru Tempest, a slime that evolved into a Demon Lord, crosses paths with a survivor of the Ogre race named Hiiro.

SPECIALTY

Roman Holiday 70th anniversary  (Comedy, not rated, 118 minutes). The story of a sheltered princess living in Rome who runs away from her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman. 1 p.m. Sunday (Cinemark Tinseltown, Cinemark Carefree); 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday (Regal Interquest).

ONGOING

A Man Called Otto  (Comedy PG-13, 126 minutes). Grade: B-, Katie Walsh. After his wife dies, Ottos only joy comes from judging and criticizing his neighbors. However, when a young family moves in next door, he meets his match with quick-witted Marisol, and an unexpected friendship forms that turns his world upside down.

Avatar: The Way of Water  (Action, PG-13, 190 minutes). Grade: A, Katie Walsh. The story of the trouble that follows the Sully family, the battles they fight while trying to stay alive and the lengths they go to keep each other safe.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  (Action, PG-13, 161 minutes). Grade: A, Katie Walsh. While the people of Wakanda mourn the death of King TChalla, they must also fight to protect their home from intervening world powers.

Corsage  (Drama, not rated, 113 minutes). Empress Elisabeth of Austria, facing a future of strict ceremony and royal duties, must find a way to protect her legacy when she rebels against her public image.

The Devil Conspiracy  (Horror, R, 111 minutes). Satanists with a biotech company steal the shroud of Christ and use Jesus DNA to clone an ultimate offering to the devil. The Archangel of Michael comes to Earth and will do everything he can to stop the devils conspiracy.

House Party  (Comedy, R, 100 minutes). Grade: C-, Katie Walsh. In this remake of a 1990 comedy, Damon and Kevin, who were just fired from their jobs as house cleaners, decide to throw the party of the year at the site of their last cleaning job, LeBron James mansion, without his permission.

M3gan  (Horror, PG-13, 102 minutes). An engineer at a toy company builds a lifelike doll with artificial intelligence that starts to take on a life of its own.

The Old Way  (Action, R, 95 minutes). Nicolas Cage stars as Colton Briggs, a gunslinger turned respectable family man. However, when the son of a man Briggs killed years ago shows up looking for revenge, Briggs and his daughter must face the consequences of his past.

Plane  (Action, R, 107 minutes). Grade: B, Katie Walsh. When a pilot lands his commercial aircraft during a terrible storm, he finds he is caught in the middle of a war zone.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish  (Animation, PG, 140 minutes). After Puss in Boots realizes his passion for adventure has taken its toll and he has burned through eight of his nine lives, he decides to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

Smallfoot  (Animation, PG, 96 minutes). When Migo, a Yeti who lives in a secret society high on a mountain, witnesses an airplane crash, he finds something he didnt know existed: a human.

The Whale  (Drama, R, 117 minutes). An obese, reclusive English teacher tries to reconnect with his teenage estranged daughter.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Biography, PG-13, 146 minutes). Grade: C-, Katie Walsh. A celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston and her journey to superstardom.

Editors note: Please contact individual movie theaters for showtimes.

COMPILED BY CARLOTTA OLSON, THE GAZETTE
A new railroad spur planned south of Colorado Springs could serve Fort Carson and a new industrial park that could support thousands of jobs.

The spur could be made possible by an agreement between Colorado Springs and a Michigan-based company presented to the Colorado Springs Utilities board Wednesday that was greeted with enthusiasm. The board also serves as Colorado Springs City Council and will vote on the agreement in February.

"I just want to applaud everybody for never giving up on us," said Tom Strand, a board member and council president. The idea has been in the works since 2017.

The new spur is expected to be extension of a rail line that serves the Utilities' Nixon Power Plant west of Interstate 25 and it will run through property owned by the Edw. C. Levy Co. and Fort Carson. Edw. C. Levy, an international company, does business locally as Schmidt Construction, a paving and asphalt company, according to Utilities documents. The company expects to pay for the $12 million rail extension and the agreement and easements will make it possible for them to get financing for it, Strand said, in an interview. The company is planning the new industrial park focused on heavy manufacturing jobs, he said.

The rail line could serve a new industrial park that could support 6,000 jobs and would provide a better alternative to Fort Carson's existing rail line, Steve Mulliken, a local attorney working on the project told the board.

Fort Carson's current rail spur is not long enough to get the whole train on the secure portion of the base, making the new proposed spur preferable, Utilities Chairman Wayne Williams said.

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The new industrial park site also is desirable because it doesn't have any residential neighbors and it can't be seen from Interstate 25, he said.

As part of the agreement, Utilities' deliveries of coal to the power plant will be prioritized and ratepayers will not be impacted by the cost of the new spur, said Bethany Burgess, Utilities division chief for City Attorney's Office.

"If there is a conflict, our trains take priority," she said.

Matthew McFarlane, a former commanding general at Fort Carson, outlined the need for it in a letter, Mulliken shared with the board.

"A second rail line would dramatically increase the reliability of rail operations at Fort Carson," McFarlane wrote. It would also support deployments around the world, he said. Fort Carson needs a dual rail line that the new spur will provide for deployments to move heavy equipment, Strand said.

Williams noted supporting Fort Carson is key because they are the largest primary employer in the state.

City Council will discuss the project further before the February vote, where more details probably will be available.
A 13-year-old Colorado teenager and her 11-year-old passenger were taken into custody following a high-speed car chase with Nebraska state troopers.

At about 9:35 p.m. the suspect vehicle was spotted traveling along Interstate 80 at 35 mph when Nebraska State Patrol attempted to make a traffic stop at mile marker 276 near Kearney.

The vehicle fled at a high speed and the state patrol initiated a chase, according to the department's press release.

The vehicle proceeded east on I-80 at speeds of up to 100 mph. A second trooper was able to deploy stop sticks at mile marker 288 to slow the vehicle.

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The teens' vehicle exited I-80 at the Shelton interchange and began traveling north at a slower speed. A trooper soon was able to perform a tactical intervention and brought the vehicle to a stop.

The driver was identified as a female and the passenger a male, both from Colorado. Authorities found a firearm in the vehicle, along with a small amount of marijuana. Both suspects were taken into protective custody, the state patrol said.

The pursuit lasted about 16 minutes. Both the Buffalo County Sheriffs Office and the Shelton Police Department assisted in apprehending the vehicle.
Investors from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region have a huge opportunity in the surging growth of India with the countrys economy on its way to becoming a $5 trillion economy.

This is according to UTI Asset Management Co LTD (UTI-AMC), one of Indias largest and oldest Asset Management companies.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in Dubai, the UTI Group, said that regional investors could leverage its time-tested strategy of $3X growth, which has been a continuing success for the last 10 years to partake in the Indian growth story.

Growing appetite

The overseas fully owned subsidiary of the group, UTI International, which has offices in Dubai, Singapore, Paris and London, has $2.9 billion assets under management catering to investors from over 35 countries. It manages Fund Structures from its offices in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and other offices across Singapore, Ireland, the Cayman Islands and Mauritius. UTI International will soon open its operation in the US to meet the growing appetite for investments in India.

Praveen Jagwani, CEO of UTI International said: The Group manages $177 billion across Indian Equities and Fixed Income portfolios as of November 30, 2022. UTI is a legacy brand in India and is synonymous with trustworthiness and dependability and it is an honour to lead this organisation.

India, on its way to a $5 trillion economy offers tremendous potential for investors from Mena to benefit from the growth of India in the future and UTI is the window.

UTI-AMC is a pioneer in the money management Industry in India. Created by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1964, UTI has grown exponentially over the past six decades. Today UTI manages almost 12 million Live Folios, with a client base of approximately 10 per cent of the 120 million folios that are managed by the Indian mutual fund industry.

Quality of investment

Ajay Tyagi, Head of Equities, UTI AMC said: Looking back at the past as to what helped us reach here, its our philosophy towards excellence. UTI-AMC has always focused on the quality of investment. India Dynamic Equity Fund is one of our promising funds that underscore quality. Its about investing in businesses that can deliver returns on capital substantially and sustainably, higher than the cost of capital.

We are buy-and-hold investors, investing in resilient businesses, not stocks. We are only interested in the outcomes businesses can churn out  their ability to solve a particular customer need and maintain high margins. Today we are comfortably positioned and poised for a leap for years to come, he added.

Mahesh Natarajan, Head of UTI Middle East and Africa said: UTI International has been at the forefront of channelling investments into India via their various offshore vehicles. Our flagship fund, UTI India Dynamic Equity Fund, is $1.1 billion in size and has been top-rated by various fund ratings agencies like Lipper, Citywire, and Morningstar. Middle East investors are key to our growth for the future.

He added that this milestone event is a celebration of trust placed in UTI by its investors and partners and the team is focused on delivering and exceeding the expectations of the discerning Middle East investors.-- TradeArabia News Service
Colorado's second-highest court has declined to find Weld County prosecutors engaged in unconstitutional racial discrimination by dismissing two Hispanic men from serving on a Hispanic defendant's jury.

Jurors convicted Javier Hernandez-Martinez in 2018 on three drug distribution charges and he received a four-year prison sentence. On appeal, Hernandez-Martinez argued the prosecution violated the U.S. Supreme Court's longstanding prohibition on purposeful racial discrimination by removing two Hispanic men from the jury pool for reasons linked to their race.

On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals disagreed. The man identified as Juror S was removed, or struck, for having negative interactions with law enforcement, and the other man, Juror J, was struck because he voiced support for legalizing drugs.

"Having a bad experience with law enforcement and an inability to be unbiased as a result are race-neutral reasons for striking a juror," wrote Judge Jaclyn Casey Brown in the panel's opinion, upholding the strike of Juror S.

As for Juror J, "striking jurors holding such strong beliefs about decriminalization of drugs makes sense" in a narcotics case like Hernandez-Martinez's, Brown added.

The Supreme Court deemed intentional racial discrimination in jury selection to be unconstitutional in its 1986 decision of Batson v. Kentucky, a case that involved a prosecutor striking the Black members of a Black defendant's jury pool, leaving an all-white jury to convict him. Now, parties may raise "Batson challenges" during attempts to strike jurors of color.

Batson challenges proceed in three steps. First, the defendant must state a plausible case that intentional racial discrimination is occurring. Second, the prosecutor must supply a "race-neutral" reason for striking the juror of color. Finally, the trial judge decides whether the race-neutral explanation is credible.

During voir dire, which is the part of jury selection where the parties question members of the jury pool, Juror S volunteered to the prosecutor that Hernandez-Martinez "does remind me of my stepbrother, who was born in Mexico." He immediately added that he did not know if he could be "a hundred percent bias-free" toward police.

Juror S elaborated that he shares a name with another criminal defendant, which has resulted in police mistakenly arresting him. One time, officers arrested him in front of his son, and then "made fun" of him at the jail. Despite that, Juror S agreed not all police officers are bad.

At another point in voir dire, one juror stated that he was in support of "decriminalization and legalization of widespread drugs." Juror J agreed that legalization would cut down on the illegal drug trade and enhance community safety.

The prosecution moved to strike Juror S and Juror J, prompting the defense to raise a Batson challenge.

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In response, the unnamed prosecutor pointed out that the defense had already removed other Hispanic jurors. Justifying the strike of Juror S, the prosecutor said the man "had a bad experience with law enforcement, talked about some law enforcement being bad and said that he wasn't sure that he could be completely unbiased."

For Juror J, the prosecutor cited his support for decriminalizing drugs and Juror J's indication on a questionnaire that he had a "criminal history." The questionnaire went missing after trial, however, and there was no way to verify the prosecutor's assertion on appeal.

Stephen J. Schapanski, a retired Larimer County judge who presided over the case, denied the Batson challenge. He agreed the defense had removed Hispanic jurors, too. Otherwise, he found the prosecution's reasons were race-neutral.

Hernandez-Martinez argued to the Court of Appeals that the prosecutors singled out Hispanic jurors when there were non-Hispanic members of the jury pool who were similarly situated  some of whom ended up serving. For example, two non-Hispanic people had also been involved in criminal cases like Juror J, but they remained on the jury. One of those jurors also said police "can be corrupt," a description Juror S never endorsed.

"Whether or not the defense also struck minority members wasnt relevant to determining whether the prosecutor engaged in purposeful discrimination," wrote Deputy State Public Defender Chelsea E. Mowrer to the appellate court.

The prosecution countered that Juror S had expressed a "personal" opinion that was negative toward law enforcement, as opposed to the non-Hispanic juror's "generic belief that some police officers may be corrupt." It also reiterated that Juror J's criminal involvement and views on drug decriminalization affected his ability to be impartial.

The Court of Appeals panel believed the prosecution's race-neutral explanations were sufficient. For Juror S, even though he had briefly raised his stepbrother's national origin, he did not link his own race to the harassment he experienced by law enforcement. Therefore, the prosecution's reliance on Juror S's anti-police bias was not rooted in race.

Similarly, the court did not believe the prosecutor's reasons for dismissing Juror J were discriminatory, even though other, non-Hispanic jurors also supported decriminalizing drugs, and one served on the jury.

"Although empaneled jurors expressed varying views about drug decriminalization, none of the jurors expressed the categorical views on decriminalization" that Juror J did, Brown wrote in the Jan. 19 opinion.

The panel rejected Hernandez-Martinez's other claims on appeal, which were based on the evidence at trial.

Next month, the Colorado Supreme Court will hold a public hearing on proposed criminal rule changes to the process of Batson challenges, in acknowledgement that racially based juror strikes are still occurring. Under the proposal, a juror's distrust of police or prior contact with law enforcement would, without more, be invalid reasons for striking jurors of color.
Women began outlining details of alleged sexual assault by an Air Force Academy cadet in a court-martial on Wednesday.

Cadet Justin Couty faces allegations that he sexually assaulted four women in a case that will be decided by Judge Lt. Col. Dayle Percle. Couty chose to have his case decided by a judge, rather than a jury.

During opening statements at the Air Force Academy, 1st Lt. Latravious Johnson laid out accusations of rape and unwanted sexual contact that happened in 2019 and 2021.

"After he finished with one victim, he went to the next one," Johnson said.

Civil attorney Michael Waddington spoke in Couty's defense, pointing out in some cases the women didn't tell Couty to stop, and when they did verbalize discomfort, Couty followed their wishes. He also noted the allegations arose in an environment where rumors involving Couty were flying online.

The first woman to testify, a second lieutenant in the Space Force, described how she was friends and classmates with Couty when they went out to dinner together in November 2019. That night he accompanied her back to the home where she was staying and other cadets were drinking.

Later that night, he joined her in bed with her consent, although she offered alternative places for him to sleep. She allowed him to stay in her bed because she trusted him, she said. They started kissing, but then she told him she was too drunk to go on and moved away from him to go to sleep.

She testified after that he pinned her to the bed and raped her from behind.

However, Waddington also pointed out through cross-examination that her way of asking him to stop was to ask him to change positions.

The woman noted after Couty moved that it was clear to him that she was upset, and he later gave her a handwritten apology letter.

She reported the case for the "greater good," she said.

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"I didn't want it to happen to anyone else," she said.

In a February 2021 incident, Couty is accused of touching the breast and groin of a former cadet while in bed with her, Johnson said. He was in her room and with her in bed with her consent, because she considered him as close as a brother, he said.

Waddington countered that their relationship was not familial and questioned the credibility of the woman, who is now a civilian.

In March 2021, a woman who is now a second lieutenant was kissing Couty and when he started touching her groin, she stopped him and asked him to wash his hands. When he returned, he started kissing her again and went on to rape her, Johnson said. However, he noted that she "could not bring herself to say the word" no at that point after asking him to stop earlier.

Waddington pointed out that when she asked him to stop, he had stopped.

The fourth woman, a current cadet, alleges that while she was in a relationship with Couty, he raped her while she was feeling ill, Johnson said.

In Couty's defense, Waddington said the woman did not verbally tell him to stop.

The allegations and anonymous postings online have created ongoing prevalent pressure for Couty, Waddington said.

"People were talking about flaying him alive," he said.

Depending on the charges Couty is convicted of, he could face severe consequences. Those found guilty of abusive sexual contact can face penalties including up to seven years of confinement, forfeiture of pay and allowances, reprimand and dismissal, the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge, said Dean Miller, a spokesman for the academy.

Those found guilty of sexual assault face similar consequences and a maximum of 30 years in prison.
El Paso County deputies on Monday joined forces with Colorado Springs officers to arrest two suspects who allegedly eluded police in a car chase last week, according to a Wednesday news release.

Aaron Miller, 48, and Darlene Griffith, 45, each face numerous felony, misdemeanor and traffic-related charges, officials said.

On Jan. 10, deputies found the men sleeping inside a gray BMW SUV parked in an industrial area near Terminal Avenue and Ford Street in Cimarron Hills, officials said. The driver was wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest.

When the deputies approached the men, the driver started the vehicle and drove through a chain link fence and a business parking lot, the release stated. Deputies chased the SUV until the driver started driving the wrong way on westbound Galley Road, just west of Powers Boulevard. The deputies stopped chasing the SUV to keep from endangering other motorists.

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The suspects faces were captured on one of the deputies body cameras, and the Sheriffs Office circulated a still image in the hope that someone might recognize them.

Over the next several days, information was obtained that led to the suspects being identified as Miller and Griffith, the release stated.

About 3 p.m. Monday, after finding Miller and Griffith in a motor home within Colorado Springs city limits, deputies called in the Police Departments Tactical Enforcement Unit to assist with the arrest, police said. Griffith left the home when police arrived, but Miller initially refused to come out before eventually surrendering.
The El Paso County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday announced the return of its Peace Officer Standards and Training certified academies.

In 2018 the law enforcement agency, under then-Sheriff Bill Elder, began using a shorter, noncertified training program, primarily to combat attrition and staffing shortages among the detention ranks.

However, citing a need to attract more applicants to outpace current attrition, as well as provide the most comprehensive training possible to the recruits entering the organization at the onset, Sheriff Joe Roybal has reinstituted the POST training regimen.

Looking back upon it  at the time, (the noncertified program) absolutely was a benefit to the organization, the community and the taxpayers overall, said Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Lt. Deborah Mynatt. But in the end it made more sense to go (exclusively) back to POST certified academies.

Statewide, about a dozen law enforcement agencies, including the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Springs Police Department, offer a POST training program for aspiring officers. Several state and community colleges offer similar programs, including the Pikes Peak Regional Law Enforcement Academy at Pikes Peak State College. Ten new officers graduated from PPSCs program earlier this month.

The El Paso County Sheriffs Office program, Mynatt said, offers at least one feature that college programs cant match.

There are a lot of folks who attend colleges, that pay to attend academies, said Mynatt, who went through the POST program in 2008. If you get hired on as a deputy recruit with our office, we will actually pay you while you attend the academy.

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The POST academy is a highly intensive, 22-week law enforcement crash course that mixes classroom instruction with reality-based skills training to teach a wide range of topics, including ethics, nonbiased policing, search and seizure, firearms, arrest control, CPR, driving, evidence processing and use of force. The courses are taught by subject matter experts, and candidates are subjected to weekly quizzes to reinforce what theyve learned, officials said.

The majority of the instruction takes place at the Sheriffs Office training facility, not far from the county jail, Mynatt said. In addition to its classrooms, the building features a mat room as well as indoor and outdoor exercise gyms. Some of the skills courses, including driving and firearms, take place at other sites.

Upon successful completion of the program, which includes skills testing in driving, arrest control and firearms, officer candidates are required to take a certification exam. The minimum passing score is 70%, and repeated failures can result in dismissal.

Mynatt remembers her POST academy experience as challenging but rewarding.

It was pretty intense, she said. Id never even handled a weapon before the academy. But by the time I graduated, I felt really prepared to do the job.

The next training academy is set to begin in March, and the Sheriff's Office plans to hold three sessions each year, Mynatt said. The agency is currently accepting applications and is also planning a number of recruiting events in the coming months.

Theres so much more to this job than just detention and patrol, Mynatt said. There is a lot of responsibility involved, and plenty of room for advancement. The opportunities are vast here.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Thursday announced that it had identified the suspect in a 2018 double homicide that was had gone unsolved for more than four years.

The press release claimed that 72-year-old Larry Nelson and 70-year-old Pamela Nelson, who were found dead on April 14, 2018, were killed by 18-year-old William Bacorn.

Bacorn was identified as a suspect after he was shot and killed by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office's SWAT team on July 22, 2018, when Bacorn was being investigated for the homicide of Gustavo Del Sol Sanchez earlier that day.

Previous reporting from The Gazette details that Bacorn killed Del Sol Sanchez at an illegal marijuana grow hours before being shot and killed by Deputy Chad Wheat for pointing a 12-gauge shotgun at deputies.

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The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office later determined the shooting of Bacorn by Wheat was justified.

The press release states that while investigating Del Sol Sanchez's death, detectives "received information which confirmed William Bacorn committed the Nelson homicides."

After several rounds of forensic testing  the final round of which took place last month  detectives were able to confirm Bacorn's involvement in the death of the Nelsons, the press release states.

Because Bacorn was killed in 2018, the case has now been closed.
Colorado Springs kids can enter a crafty contest with a handmade Valentines Day card for the chance to win a big, plushy doughnut.

As part of its fourth Annual Valentines Day Contest, the Colorado Springs Police Department is accepting creative, handmade valentines from kids ages 3-10, now through Feb. 6.

Police Chief Adrian Vasquez will select the top three valentines, which will be posted on social media for the community to vote on. The creator of the card with the most votes will go home with a large, smiling plushy doughnut, sprinkles and all.

The submitted Valentines Day cards will be handed out to CSPD officers after the contest.

Cards should be addressed to The Community Relations Unit and dropped off or mailed to the Police Operations Center at 705 S. Nevada Ave. They can also be dropped off at CSPD substations. Cards should include the name and age of the child and parent or guardians name and phone number.

CSPD is accepting valentine submissions through Feb. 6. The three finalists will be posted on Feb. 8, and the winner will be announced on Valentines Day, Feb. 14.
Colorado Springs residents are protesting for at least the third time in recent decades the potential extension of Constitution Avenue to Interstate 25, a project officials say they must consider as east-west mobility across the city remains a challenge.

"Our current east-to-west corridors are stressed, there's limited capacity, a high number of crashes and (residents) don't view those corridors as reliable to get them from point A to point B," Public Works Director Travis Easton said.

As the city put together its draft transportation plan, called ConnectCOS, officials proposed a feasibility study to look at whether extending Constitution Avenue could alleviate some of those worries, he said.

City Councilwoman Nancy Henjum and public works staff will lead a town hall Saturday to discuss the potential study that would address mobility across the city's east and west Fillmore Street and Uintah Street corridors.

The proposed study would consider widening Fillmore Street as well as potentially extending Constitution Avenue from Paseo Road to Interstate 25 using existing right of way, or maintaining the road's current configuration while expecting increased traffic and travel delays in the future, a city news release said.

In the week ahead of the meeting, many residents have pushed back, saying the extension could fracture historic established neighborhoods in the area and threaten their close-knit sense of community, where neighbors know one another and children walk or bike to school.

"The extension says to me the city doesn't much care about its core downtown neighborhoods," said Tom Murawski, vice president of the 2400 Wood Avenue Homeowners Association, located near the proposed extension. "It's thinking about the car-centric communities on the east side" that would have access to I-25 "at the expense of" some 1,300 residents he estimates could be impacted by the project, he said.

Residents are also protesting the potential noise, pollution and traffic they say extending Constitution could bring  the same concerns they've raised before.

"Opinions have not changed," said Nancy Logan, who has lived in the Bonnyville neighborhood for 31 years. She represented the Stratton Parent Teacher Association in opposition to the extension when it was proposed in the early 2000s. "Extending Constitution through these wonderful 'normal' neighborhoods would be the kiss of death for property values, aesthetics and comfortable living  'normal' meaning the homes are not fancy, enormous or identical cookie-cutter developments."

As of Wednesday afternoon, 974 people had signed an online petition to remove the Constitution Avenue extension from the draft transportation plan.

Easton said road congestion is a citywide issue that needs a citywide solution.

"I understand their concerns about property values and (that) they don't want traffic next to their homes. But all they're doing is pushing it onto other people," he said. "We're here to benefit all of Colorado Springs, and that's why we want to do the study  to see if it's feasible. There are other people impacted by (traffic) right now and they certainly deserve to have a voice along the way."

Residents who felt they'd successfully fought back efforts to extend Constitution Avenue previously said they were surprised to see the project and its feasibility study included on the ConnectCOS project list.

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"The neighborhoods have won repeated battles over the decades, and its time to put an end to it," Murawski said. "Its time to put a wooden stake in the heart of this vampire  this whack-a-mole project  that keeps coming back."

The city floated a similar proposal in the early 2000s; last year, officials also wanted to fund a study on Constitution's extension to the highway using a portion of the Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority's 1-cent sales tax that finances regional and multimodal road projects.

Because of residents' concerns, the city decided not to pursue the feasibility study as part of the list of projects voters considered Nov. 8 when they approved the extension of the PPRTA sales tax for another decade.

Easton said the city put the study and the possible extension of Constitution Avenue on the list of projects included in the draft transportation plan after hearing from residents that they wanted a solution to the city's east-west mobility challenges.

Residents and city officials said there are other possible options for improving mobility across Colorado Springs that don't include extending Constitution.

Easton said he believes the proposed feasibility study could consider expanding Fillmore or Uintah streets and routing more traffic onto those corridors.

"I think we also need to look at the option of 'do nothing'" on Constitution Avenue, Easton said. "Maybe the impacts are too great, and we say 'This is going to be a congested area into the future and we're going to make a conscious decision about that.'"

Murawski suggested the city ensure more neighborhoods are mixed use to cut down on the number of people driving, invest in more walking and biking options, and expand and improve public transit.

The Old North End Neighbors Board of Directors also this week issued a letter formally opposing the extension of Constitution Avenue. In the letter, the board indicated it would support conducting a comprehensive study to "examine the feasibility of optimizing and improving all existing and potential east-west corridors between Woodmen Road and the (Martin Luther King Jr.) Bypass."

The letter requests several guidelines for the study, including that transportation corridors would be evaluated in terms of how construction would impact existing homes; that designs will minimize noise and air pollution; and that if Constitution were extended it would not have more than four total lanes, would not have on- or off-ramps; and wouldn't connect to other roadways between I-25 and Union Boulevard, among other requests.

The feasibility study could cost $2 million-$3 million and would be paid for out of Colorado Springs' General Fund, Easton estimated.

The city has not identified funding or a timeline for east-to-west transportation improvements, he said.

People can submit their feedback on the Constitution Avenue extension and feasibility study by email at connectcos@coloradosprings.gov, city spokesman Max D'Onofrio said.
Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), has joined the World Economic Forums (WEF) Jobs Consortium to promote the future of work, it was announced at WEFs 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos.

The Jobs Consortium is a coalition of CEOs, IOs, ministers and other leaders with a common aim to promote a better future of work for all by enabling job creation and job transitions. The community of leaders works to monitor labour market trends, support high job quality and fair wages, and identify investments in key sectors leading to good job creation.

The kingdoms membership in the Jobs Consortium aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and its commitment to building a thriving, vibrant economy that creates new sectors, hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and cross-cutting innovation.

Key driver

"People are the key driver of any successful transformation and the sustainability of its outcome. Everything we do is focused on empowering our people by equipping them with the evolving set of tools and skills, and creating the opportunities for them to capture, grow, and flourish," said Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning.

Members of the Jobs Consortium met in Davos at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting this week to exchange views and agree on priority areas for action to build a better future of work. In the coming months, members will develop case studies to showcase pathways to achieve the consortiums vision. They will also seek to implement the vision through scaling country and industry-level action.

Saudi Arabia is participating in WEF23 between January 16 and 20 to bridge global divides and facilitate near-term stability while driving multilateral reform and long-term transformation.-- TradeArabia News Service
Business France will bring together 88 French healthcare firms on three pavilions, who will present their smart solutions designed to tackle the current health challenges, at Arab Health from January 30 to February 2 in Dubai.

Gathered under the banner of the French Healthcare in partnership with the French Healthcare association, renowned French companies including Rebalance Tech, Eurasante and Devup will participate in the event.

The event will also be marked by the visit of Jean Patrick Lajonchere, Export Health Federator to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affaires and to the Minister Foreign Trade and Attractiveness on January 30 and 31.

Strong presence

In a country committed in terms of improving the healthcare system, France has a strong presence with renowned and qualified actors such as Ipsen, Servier, Sanofi, Pierre Fabre to name just a few. Arab Health will be the opportunity for more French players to come and explore the market and develop strong ties with the local partners.

In September 2022, four major not-for-profit French hospitals: Curie Institute, Paris Saint-Joseph and Marie- Lannelongue Hospitals, Rothschild Foundation Hospital and the medical services and consulting company C3Medical have announced their collaboration in opening an office in Dubai in order to better address the needs of the population in Middle East.

In mid-June 2022, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Health aiming to work on four distinct healthcare priorities, involving extensive R&D as well.

Sanofi deal

As part of this, Sanofi will extend its hand for a clinical research project and patient recruitment protocol as well as participate in DoHs Cancer Advisory Group to develop policies significant to the elderly cancer-patient community. Both will also co-create a high-risk population screening project that will support in the detection of rare metabolic diseases utilising AI tools.

France enjoys a worldwide renowned image for the quality of its healthcare offer as well as for its industrial, technical and scientific expertise. It stands out all over the world thanks to its health performance. A leader in the fight against cancer, it has one of the best cure rates and has more than 130 research projects and 13 Nobel Prizes in medicine.

Axel Baroux, French Trade & Invest Commissioner & Managing Director of Business France Middle East, commented: I believe that French Healthcare companies will explore new partnerships with the local healthcare professionals.

Facilitating access to care, improving the health system and providing new technologies and services for the patients are a common ambition between the French-UAE healthcare authorities and systems, added Baroux.

French companies are redoubling their ingenuity by proposing innovative concepts. R&D efforts are considerable: 6% of sales in 2020, making innovation the central element in the development strategies of French companies. France's expertise is based on national research centers, competitive clusters and universities that place it at the forefront of global health research. France is ranked number 5th in the world for the number of patents filed.

Rebalance Impulse

The French Company Rebalance Tech has developed a revolutionary mental wellness & neuro-relaxation solution: Rebalance Impulse. This stimulation and cognitive training device based on applied neuroscience is mainly devoted to fighting chronic stress, improving sleep quality, and increasing vitality. The effectiveness of Rebalance Impulse has been the subject of clinical studies, published in the world-renowned scientific journal: Frontiers in Psychology.

Rebalance Impulse operates in the following markets: medwellness, professional sports, healthcare, and corporate. The programs integrated in this innovative and non-invasive solution target: Neuro-Relaxation, Sleep, Addictions, Memory & Concentration, Pain Management, Emotions Management, Slimming, Brain Anti-Aging, Long Covid Recovery, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (EMDR).

French industrial production includes 1,440 MedTech companies, 93% of which are small and medium-sized companies that together employ 88,000 people. Some companies generate more than 50% of their turnover abroad, such as Mediprema, which has developed a phototherapy solution adapted for neonatology.

The MedTech sector is very dynamic thanks to its innovative companies. It includes all medical devices - surgical robots, telemedicine objects, medical imaging, but also artificial hearts as well as respirators.

The potential of French medical technologies is growing rapidly thanks to artificial intelligence, connected objects and quantum technology. These are all applications that should continue to develop strongly, while adapting to the different needs of patients, but also of health professionals. With the company ATA Medical, which has adapted to the recent health issues: thanks to the DOPAIR1000, a specialised and connected solution for air treatment in hygiene environments.-- TradeArabia News Service
Gov. Jared Polis fifth State of the State speech Tuesday included some wise insights about Colorados affordable-housing challenges. Its only too bad the speech didnt go further.

Housing was in fact the prevailing theme in his wide-ranging message to a joint session of the legislature. Polis realizes soaring real estate values have priced a lot of people out of a home or condo along most of the Front Range and across much of the high country. And the governors broad observation on the topic, by way of a quip, rang true enough:

The good news is Colorado is a great place to live. The bad news is the secret is out and thats driven up home prices.

But thats not the only thing that has driven up home prices.

What was missing from Polis speech was a recounting of his own partys worst ideas on the subject. Some of those ideas are in play already; some are pending; some are by his own hand; others are championed by his partys fringe. All stand to make matters worse.

Here are some insights we wish the governor would have included:

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Rent control is a disaster. Wherever rent control has been tried, it has backfired. Construction of new rental housing scales back or even shuts down. A black market pops up for rent-controlled units; cash and favors trade hands (ask any New Yorker). Affordable rental housing grows even more scarce. Most ironically, the renters of modest means  whom such shortsighted policies were intended to help  have nowhere to live. Polis knows all of this and sensibly has backed away from rent control proposals in the past. But some of his fellow Democrats in the legislature never tire of the policys rabble-rousing appeal and have hinted at legislation.

Growth control is a disaster, too. Its one thing for local zoning rules to reflect community lifestyles by defining what is or isnt a compatible use for a parcel in a given neighborhood. But curbing supply by imposing sweeping growth caps on a community, as in past decades, or as is now in vogue, by corralling growth around the likes of mass transit, only makes housing more expensive. Restricting where people live limits other kinds of housing stock. Prices will rise.

The best solutions are local. We need to bring our land use policy into the 21st century, Polis said Tuesday. But the 21st century might not look the same in each of Colorados 64 counties and 472 cities. There seems to be an appetite in the Polis administration and the legislature to micromanage local zoning. What works in Fort Collins might not work in Greeley or Meeker. In some locales, distant planning edicts could incentivize housing and lifestyles few want while ignoring what many do want. Again, prices will rise.

Green building codes will cost us. The state government and some cities are on a path toward electrification  i.e., eliminating natural gas, which heats most Colorado homes. Never mind that heat pump technology hasnt advanced enough to feasibly work in Colorados climate. Or, that people prefer cooking with gas. Or, that our power grid couldnt support the added load of all-electric homes. Think about how much it adds to the price of each new house to mandate electrical as well as gas hookups. Or how much more it will cost to retrofit existing homes.

Don't forget "construction defects." A long-standing law governing liability for flaws in home construction has opened the spigot to a steady stream of litigation. It has put a damper on home construction, especially for condos.

No question, booming demand is driving up housing costs in Colorado. Lets just make sure our states policies dont hinder supply.
Federal courts are not the place to hear a man's challenge to his mental health commitment under a pair of disability discrimination laws, a judge ruled earlier this month.

Jesse Dillon Kirchner has been committed to the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo for years after serving an initial prison sentence. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to assault and not guilty by reason of insanity to other charges. While at CMHIP, Kirchner enrolled in Pueblo Community College.

Representing himself in court, Kirchner claimed his ongoing mental health commitment affected his ability to continue his studies elsewhere and accomplish his career goals. He pointed to the need for "necessary accommodations" under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act, two federal laws pertaining to disability discrimination.

But Kirchner's claims also veered into requesting exoneration and expungement of his records. In places, he denied responsibility for the assault, while admitting to it in others.

In November, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty recommended dismissing the lawsuit, finding Kirchner had not shown he was being excluded from any activity because of disability discrimination. Otherwise, Kirchner was trying to overturn his state conviction using the federal courts, which is generally not allowed.

On Jan. 5, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney agreed with Hegarty that Kirchner's lawsuit was a nonstarter. Kirchner had sued the Jefferson County District Court and the chief executive of CMHIP, who were both agents of the state protected by immunity.

Although Kirchner complained about ongoing and forward-looking harms to his education, "he ultimately seeks to redress an alleged past harm  exonerating him from a state court action that has already occurred," Sweeney noted.

The case is Kirchner v. Marshall et al.
In industries such as restaurant, retail and construction, its known as show-up time: An employee shows up to work as scheduled but is sent home because there isnt enough work that day.

The employee only gets paid for actual time worked, and if sent home, that can be a days pay lost.

A measure expected to be introduced imminently in the state House, backed by some of the General Assembly's most progressive Democratic lawmakers, would require almost every food and beverage or retail business in the state to pay those employees "predictability pay" when they are sent home and don't work the scheduled hours.

Loren Furman, president of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce said the bill raises big concerns for her members.

According to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, state wage laws currently do not require an employer pay an employee for "show-up time."

Employers are only required to pay employees for actual time worked, services rendered, or the time during which the employee was permitted to work. Wage laws also do not require employers to provide a certain number of hours of work. If an hourly employee, for example, "shows up as scheduled for an 8-hour shift, only works for one hour and is then immediately sent home as directed by the employer, the employee is only owed for the one hour of actual work," CDLE says.

The "Fair Workweek Employment Standards" bill intends to address that issue. It's sponsored by Denver Democratic Rep. Emily Sirota and Sen. Julie Gonzales, as well as Sen. Faith Winter of Westminster and has the support of a number of unions, including Colorado AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 105 and Colorado WINS.

A draft obtained by Colorado Politics and slated to be introduced this week says the measure will apply to a broad range of businesses. Covered employers include those primarily engage in food or beverage, retailers with 250 or more employees worldwide, janitorial or security contractors, and those that provide food and beverage contract services in hotels, motels, amusement parks, casinos, schools and institutions of higher ed, civic and social organizations, and businesses that fall under the 2022 North American Industry Classification System sectors 31 to 33. That includes almost everything else: businesses where food or beverages are prepared, packaged, processed or manufactured and that engage in retailing miscellaneous specialized lines of merchandise, which can includes retailers of electronics, appliances, home furnishings, health and personal care products, gas stations, bookstores and news dealers, sporting goods, musical instruments retailers, pet supplies, mobile home dealers, cemetery memorial dealers, swimming pools sales and flower shops.

It also applies to "chain" businesses, even if that chain has just a handful of employees in Colorado but 250 employees or more outside of Colorado.

Under the measure, employers would have to provide schedules 14 days in advance, at least 12 hours of rest time between shifts, and offer more hours to part-time workers before hiring new ones.

Agriculture appears to be the only exempted industry in the bill.

Sirota told Colorado Politics Thursday the bill will address the unpredictability in scheduling that occurs in retail and food service sectors.

"We know from research across the country and from workers in Colorado, that in these sectors the unpredictable nature of schedule leads to extreme income volatility, negative health impacts, negative impacts on children. What we're proposing here is that large businesses work with their employees to ensure more predictable schedules, thus more predictability in incomes. We see this as a win-win," she said.

A study by Harvards Kennedy Shift Project showed unpredictable and unstable schedules lead to higher employee turnover, household economic insecurity, and reductions in workers health and wellbeing, and that was aggravated during the pandemic, particularly for people of color.

That unpredictability also extends to the workers children, who may experience emotional distress, more absences from school and sleep disruptions, the study said.

The efforts to address fair work schedules has taken hold in a few, largely Democratic-led locales. Oregon has a statewide law, as do the cities of Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Chicago and Emeryville, California, according to the HR company Workforcehub.com.

So far, Workforcehub.com said these laws appear to apply only to retail, hospitality and food service employers, and many have minimum employee requirements that exclude small business.

Furman raised concern the definition of "chain" in the bill seems to target franchises, which are often locally owned small businesses.

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"This is aimed at local small businesses," she said.

Sirota disagreed.

"If you want to count McDonald's franchise as a small business, that's not how we would characterize it," she said, pointing out those franchisees have access to parent corporation mechanisms, including scheduling tools and algorithms tied to those scheduling tools.

Furman also raised issue with a provision of the bill that prohibits businesses from changing work schedules without first an employee's consent first, which could include written consent.

"Think of the snowstorm yesterday," Furman said Thursday. "You can't anticipate when someone comes into work during a snowstorm. They have to adjust schedules in order to operate, and this will hamper a business's options for doing that."

It could also hamper hiring, Furman said. She argued that if a business is already offering a set number of hours to existing employees, that puts a new employee at a disadvantage for hours.

"The bill doesn't align with what we've seen in employment bills in the past," she said.

Peggi O'Keefe of the Colorado Gaming Association raised industry-specific concerns relating to how the measure could make it harder for casinos to hire.

"We have concerns with the current draft from both an employer and employee perspective," she told Colorado Politics.

Casinos already have a hard time getting people to drive up the mountains and fill these positions, she said.

"Putting more of an onerous, prescriptive burden on employers puts them in a position where they can't hire people," she said, adding the gaming association is working with a coalition of businesses to come up with suggestions for the sponsors on potential solutions.

Kristi Bush, associate general counsel for UFCW Local 7, told Colorado Politics that a franchise, regardless of size if the parent company is larger than 250 employees, is included in the definition. "Our research and studies have shown fair scheduling only helps businesses, not hurt them." Research shows businesses that use predictive scheduling are 5% more productive and 7% more profitable. It also reduces turnover by 15%, she said.

"Part of what we are excited about is that workers deserve advance notice of their schedules to plan their lives," Bush said. It builds trust between employer and employee, she added.

Multiple sources have told Colorado Politics the bill does not have any fans in the governor's office. A Polis spokesman declined to comment on the bill.

In reference to that, Sirota on Thursday stated: "We've been working with a number of folks, workers impacted, employers impacted and state agencies, and will continue to have dialogue with folks. At the end of the day, we're just working to ensure workers have dignity and predictability in the workplace."

As to the governor's possible opposition, Sirota indicated she's talked to the governor's office: "I'll continue to commit to the process of working through the bill with everyone."

An earlier draft of the bill showed as a co-sponsor Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, a Denver Democrat who is running for city council. She is no longer on the bill.
A federal judge has found a Garfield County sheriff's deputy did not violate the constitutional rights of a sleeping detainee by allegedly tossing a pack of playing cards at him and injuring his testicle.

According to Juan A. Carrazco's lawsuit, he had asked Deputy Amber Morrison to wake him in the morning so he could take his medicine, but Morrison was unable to rouse him verbally. She then threw a nearly-empty toilet paper roll at him, and followed it up with the semi-full pack of cards. Although Morrison maintained the cards hit Carrazco in the thigh, he alleged the blow was to his groin.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang sided with Morrison, finding the deputy did not violate Carrazco's right as a pretrial detainee to be free from excessive force.

No jury, she wrote, "could find that defendants act of underhanding a pack of cards in plaintiffs direction in an attempt to wake him up for med pass, after a number of other unsuccessful attempts to wake him up, was objectively unreasonable."

On May 10, 2019, Carrazco was in the Garfield County jail for charges that prosecutors would later dismiss. He asked Morrison to wake him up early the next morning so he could take his medicine, known as "med pass" or "medline." Accordingly, around 3:30 a.m., Morrison arrived at Carrazco's cell, which did not have a door.

Pursuant to her training, she could not go inside. Instead, she tried to wake him up verbally, but Carrazco did not respond. She then lightly tossed the toilet paper roll, also unsuccessfully. Morrison "underhanded" the playing cards in Carrazco's direction, which did succeed in waking him up.

According to Morrison, Carrazco did not act injured, but Carrazco testified he "hunched over" and asked Morrison to call a nurse. Colorado Politics reviewed the surveillance video, which did not show the location of impact but did depict Carrazco reacting physically.

Carrazco then sued Morrison in her official government capacity, meaning he would need to show Morrison violated his constitutional rights and an official policy was behind the violation. Carrazco pointed to Morrison's training, prohibiting her from entering the cell, as the responsible policy.

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"Plaintiff specifically asked defendant to wake him for Medline by tapping on his shoulder or on the bunk as he wears earplugs to help him sleep. Other deputies had previously woken him up for Medline by tapping his shoulder or bunk," wrote attorney Ryan T. Earl for Carrazco. "Defendant hardly made an attempt to wake up plaintiff by other, non-forceful means before resorting to throwing an object at him that caused injury."

Morrison argued she was entitled to qualified immunity, which shields government officials from civil liability unless they violate a person's clearly-established legal rights. Although qualified immunity is not available to defendants in their official government capacities, Morrison believed Carrazco's claims were against her personally, and not as a means of suing the government for its policies.

Wang, in a Jan. 13 order, analyzed the lawsuit under Carrazco's framing. She also viewed the jailhouse video, which depicted the playing card toss. Even though an ultrasound showed no damage to Carrazco's testicles, she acknowledged there was some evidence Carrazco was in pain at the time.

Wang did not reach the question of whether Morrison's training was responsible for a constitutional violation, finding instead that Carrazco's rights were not violated in the first place.

"Most important to the courts conclusion is the amount of force used, which was minimal," she wrote. "It is undisputed that defendant 'underhanded' the deck of cards in plaintiffs direction."

Other factors for determining whether the force was excessive included the extent of Carrazco's injury and the safety threat to Morrison. Wang agreed Morrison had limited her force all along, balancing Carrazco's request to wake him up with the jail's own prohibition on her entering the cell.

The case is Carrazco v. Morrison.
Never judge a food truck by its location; the hard to find ones, like PoBrothers, are often real treasures.

This purveyor of Cajun cuisine has little to offer in the way of views or neighborhood ambiance, but it provides plenty to satisfy the taste buds. Found in a parking lot north of Platte Avenue on Bonfoy Avenue in the Knob Hill part of town, a lot has been done to give the truck some street appeal. Of course, at night, theres not enough light to fully appreciate it. Nonetheless, in warmer weather theres an inviting outdoor area for cornhole games and seating for dining or waiting on carryout orders. With Januarys evening temperatures, we waited in the car.

The menu is literally composed of This, That and The Other. Poboys, desserts and beverages are their own categories.

The enticing aromas emanating from the truck whetted our appetites. The friendly woman taking our order patiently answered questions. We learned the andouille sausage is made in-house (rather, in-truck); the rolls for the sandwiches are sourced from The French Kitchen; and alligator tastes like fishy chicken  her description, not mine.

The That section of the menu features jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee or mac and cheese. The base price is $6. To whichever is chosen, wild alligator tail ($8); crawfish ($6), shrimp ($5, chicken ($4) or andouille sausage ($7) may be added.

We opted for mac and cheese with sausage. This is comfort food with a bayou twist. Corkscrew pasta is coated with a creamy, cheesy sauce flavored with pepper and perhaps a little tabasco  just enough to provide the suggestion of piquancy. Its topped with crispy onion rings (ours had two, but we made it known we were sharing after learning the servings are large).

An abundant serving of sliced sausage absorbs some of the cheesiness, which enhances its smoky and just-right-spiciness.

I find it hard to resist shrimp poboys, and I might have discovered the best place in town for this traditional Louisiana comfort food. The toasted roll coated with house-made remoulade overflows with crusty breaded shrimp, diced tomato and strips of banana pepper.

Cajun fries rounded out the order  or so we thought, but Ill come back to dessert.

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The hand-cut fries are seasoned with Cajun spices and served with remoulade and barbecue sauce. Remoulade is a mayonnaise-based sauce with a bit of mustard and paprika and hot sauce (to give it a pinkish color). I knew its tart flavor complemented the poboy but was surprised it did the same for the fries.

We found ourselves wondering about fried Twinkies. First, we made sure it traveled well since we werent going to eat in the car. It did. What we discovered is that this cream-filled sponge cake snack puffs up when fried and tastes like a glazed doughnut. It comes with salted caramel or strawberry sauce, but this treat is plenty sweet without either.

The chef is retired military who attended the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. He said he fell in love with Southern cooking. This is evident in what is prepared.

PoBrothers

Cajun cuisine from a food truck

Location: 1826 E. Platte, Suite 111

Contact: 1-719-650-0770; po-brothers.com

Prices: $6 to $14

Hours: 12 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Details: Credit cards accepted. Outdoor seating. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Shrimp poboy and mac & cheese.

Other: Limited gluten-free and vegan options available.
Public school enrollment in the Pikes Peak region is bucking a statewide trend of fewer students.

Colorado enrolled 3,253 fewer preschool through 12th grade students this academic year over 2021-22, but the Pikes Peak regions 17 public school districts collectively gained 450 students, according to official numbers the Colorado Department of Education released Wednesday.

Nine local districts posted increases from the annual head count taken in October.

District 49 led the way with a jump of 849 students, or 3.43% of its enrollment of 25,616 students.

D-49, covering an eastern central swath of the county, has been steadily growing since 2009 when it had 14,398 students.

Housing construction has driven the explosive growth of nearly 20% in the past five years, district officials have said, and have rallied to meet the demand by opening several new schools in recent years.

Now, D-49 has pulled within 1,000 students of the regions largest school district, Academy D-20, which grew by 207 students this year for an enrollment of 26,607, statistics show.

Many schools are rebounding from the pandemic, said Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 Superintendent David Peak.

Like many other districts, we continue to work on recovering from learning loss, supporting the mental health wellness for students and staff, as well as focusing on expanding opportunities for students through the effective use of technology as well as college and career pathways, he said.

D-12 enrolled 82 more students this year than last year, according to the data. But from 2016 to 2021, the district had a 28.68% decline, amounting to a loss of 1,497 students.

Part of the decrease, Peak said, can be attributed to a charter school, The Vanguard School, vacating its authorization under D-12 and adopting a charter under a different neighboring district, Harrison D-2.

When comparing our district over the past few years and not including The Vanguard School, we saw a slight decline of approximately 250 students; however, we have already begun to recover our enrollment numbers by increasing students per the last October count, he said.

Woodland Park RE-2 in Woodland Park, the largest city in Teller County, jumped by 290 students, a 15.83% increase over 2021-22.

Superintendent Ken Witt said the district adapted to the changing education environment by offering more options to our families through school choice, various programs at every level of learning and continued partnerships with parents.

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A new charter school and homeschool enrichment program added to district-run schools have helped broaden the offerings for families, which Witt said he believes has returned enrollment to near pre-pandemic levels.

When parents are able to find the best educational fit for each child, our students and families win, he said. Woodland Park is becoming a destination school district.

Eight local districts saw year-over-year enrollment decreases.

The third-largest district, Colorado Springs D-11, has lost students consistently since 2009, according to state data, and this year had 637 fewer students and a collective loss between 2016 and 2021 of 4,698 students.

El Paso Countys smallest school district, Edison 54-JT, recorded 94 students this school year, which is 43 fewer students than last year and down from 305 students in 2009.

This years enrollment represents 53 brick-and-mortar students, with the remainder taking classes online, said Superintendent David Eastin.

Edison, a rural district in unincorporated Yoder, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and has always offered smaller class sizes, he said, and produced a reputation for excellent academics.

This year is no different, Eastin said.

With a student-to-teacher ratio of 4:1, every student receives individualized academic support, he said, and programs that rival larger schools such as science, technology, engineering, arts and math in junior high, science fair students turning a school bus into a tiny home on wheels and college classes available for high schoolers.

Honestly, our education environment is one-of-a-kind, Eastin said.

A total of 883,264 students were counted in Colorados 178 public school districts in October, with the largest decreases in kindergarten and middle school grades.

This year marks the second statewide enrollment decline in three years, after three decades of steady increases, the state education department said.

Among races and ethnicities, white students have had the highest number change in the count, with 7,673 fewer white students statewide, a 1.67% decline.

Contact the writer: 719-476-1656.
Total snowfall didnt reach expected levels for much of the Pikes Peak region on Tuesday and Wednesday, but freezing temperatures and high winds made for slick roads and poor visibility.

Early weather models predicted that Colorado Springs would get up to 6 inches of snow, but the snow system encountered a blast of dry air that drastically reduced the snow totals, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

The dry air took away a lot of the moisture in the system, and that resulted in less snow than was originally predicted, said NWS meteorologist Cameron Simcoe.

Greater Colorado Springs saw 1-3 inches of snowfall, according to the weather agency.

Area school districts and military installations exercised caution on Wednesday, ordering delayed openings or outright closures. Lewis-Palmer District 38, District 49 and Peyton 23JT also have announced two-hour delays for Thursday.

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Colorado Springs city operations manager Corey Rivera said snow and ice crews would be downsizing from citywide operations to focus on the north and northeast portion of the city, where snow totals were higher.

Teller County saw heavier accumulation than El Paso County, weather service data show. Woodland Park and Florissant reported 4 inches, and Cripple Creek received 6 inches.

Generally, the farther north you went, the higher the snow totals were, Simcoe said.

Thursday is expected to be sunny, with a high near 36 degrees, according to the weather service. Wind speeds of 5-10 mph could bring wind chill values between 5 and minus-5 degrees.
Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies business, has officially opened the doors to its new India Engineering Centre (IEC) in Bengaluru.

The facility is co-located with Pratt & Whitney's India Capabilities Centre (ICC), which opened in 2022 to provide integrated global supply chain support, and the recently inaugurated Collins Aerospace engineering and global operations centres.

The IEC, which was designed to meet the LEED Platinum certification, further enhances Raytheon Technologies' combined presence in India of over 5,000 employees and facilitates collaboration across the company's businesses.

Growing rapidly

"The Indian aviation market is growing at a rapid pace and Bengaluru is a hub for that growth," said Geoff Hunt, senior vice president, Engineering, Pratt & Whitney. "The work conducted at the IEC  by some of India's best and brightest minds  will support cutting edge technology that will drive the future of flight."

More than 50 employees are now based in the state-of-the-art facility, with an additional 450 jobs to be filled over the next four years. Work performed at the IEC will encompass elements such as aero and mechanical and control systems for various products in Pratt & Whitney's broad portfolio of large and small commercial engines. It will also extend across the entire product lifecycle from development to field support and sustainment.

"The IEC will fully integrate with our existing global engineering footprint across Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland to advance world-class technology such as the geared turbofan and other sustainable propulsion solutions," said Paul Weedon, vice president, Engine Development, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. "The IEC team will be key to improving commercial engine performance, extending time on wing, reducing airline operating costs, and decreasing fuel consumption."

The opening of the IEC further illustrates Raytheon Technologies' long history of investing in India.

Largest footprint

With more than 1,500 engines and auxiliary power units in service, Pratt & Whitney has one of the largest footprints for any engine maker in India. Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines power more than 180 A320neos and A321neos and have delivered more than $1 billion in savings to Indian airlines since entry-into-service. Other significant investments in-country include Pratt & Whitney's state-of-the-art India Customer Training Centre in Hyderabad and its R&D collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

India is important to the global growth and investment strategy of Raytheon Technologies, and the advanced infrastructure and talent pool will help drive the country's contributions as a global leader in aerospace and defence.-- TradeArabia News Service
Winter weather hit the Pikes Peak region Tuesday evening and its impact continues to be felt into Thursday morning. The freezing temperatures have caused hazardous driving conditions for morning commuters and some areas are still feeling the cold sting. Several El Paso County school districts have announced 2-hours delays for Thursday morning as the cold weather lingers.

Read the latest Colorado winter storm updates below:

-Click or tap here for closures and delays

-Click or tap here for traffic conditions around Colorado Springs

-Click or tap here for statewide traffic conditions

-Click or tap here for Colorado Springs Airport flight status updates

-Click or tap here for Denver International Airport flight status updates, including cancellations that started rolling in Wednesday afternoon

8:02 a.m.: Two crashes are causing delays for commuters on I-25. Vehicles have been moved to the shoulder after a crash on northbound I-25 at mile marker 136 (just north of the S. Academy exit). A rollover crash is causing slowing on the Briargate entrance ramp to the highway.

WEDNESDAY UPDATES

9:30 p.m. More schools announce delays

Big Sandy SD - 2 Hours Late

CEC Colorado Springs - 2 Hours Late

CIVA Charter High School - 2 Hours Late

Orton Academy - Closed for in-person instruction

Pima Medical Institute - 10am start

8:30 p.m. US 24 reopened to traffic

Highway 24 between Woodmen Road and Kanuch Road (Calhan) is reopen to traffic following an hourslong closure due to safety concerns and poor weather conditions.

7:45 p.m. School districts announce delays

Multiple school districts in the Colorado Springs area have announced delays for Thursday. The list includes:

Academy District 20: 2 Hours Late

District 49 - 2 Hours Late, No AM preschool

Elbert School District 200 - 2 Hours Late

Elizabeth Sch. Dist. - 2 Hours Late

Lewis-Palmer Dist. 38 - 2 Hours Late

Peyton 23JT - 2 Hours Late

Pikes Peak BOCES East (Calhan) - 2 Hours Late

Banning Lewis Academy - 2 Hours Late

Colorado Military Academy - 2 Hours Late

New Summit Charter Academy - 2 Hours Late, No AM preschool

Pikes Peak School of Exped. Learning - 2 Hours Late, No AM preschool

St. Gabriel Classical Academy - 2 Hours Late

4:15 p.m. Traffic updates:

Highway 24 between Calhan and Falcon is closed due to wind snow and ice, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. The highway closure may last several hours.

Eastbound Interstate 70 is closed between E-470 (3 miles west of Watkins) and the Kansas Border (10 miles east of Burlington) due to a multivehicle crash involving nine semitrucks and 12 passengers, according to Colorado State Patrol and CDOT. Drivers should expect delays due to safety concerns.

US 40 westbound between Count Road 60 (6 miles east of Arapahoe) and County Road 23 (11 miles west of Hugo) due to adverse safety concerns. Driver should expect delays.

Heavy traffic reported on I-70 eastbound between CO 9 (Silverthorne) and C-470 (1 mile west of Golden), according to CDOT. Travel impacts are possible and drivers should expect up to 90 minutes of travel time.

9:15 a.m. Pueblo Chemical Depot has announced a two-hour delay for non-mission-essential staff.

8:30 a.m. I-25 southbound between Exit 207A: Lincoln Street and Exit 206: Downing Street (Denver) at Mile Point 205.9 Lane(s) have reopened to traffic.

8:23 a.m.I-25 southbound has reopened at Exit 173: Spruce Mountain Road (8 miles south of the Castle Rock exit) at Mile Point 172.35.

8:07 a.m.: Wolf Creek pass has reported 36 inches of fresh snow from this storm, the largest snowfall in the state. Click or tap here for the latest snow total.

7:46 a.m.: All Southbound lanes of I-25 are blocked due to a jackknifed tractor-trailer at US 34. All traffic exiting US-34. Seek alternate route.

7:45 a.m.: Two departing flights have been canceled and another two delayed at Colorado Springs Airport Wednesday morning. Five incoming flights have been canceled. Click or tap here for the latest status for flights in and out of the airport.

7:15 a.m.: As of 6 a.m., Wednesday, 262 flights were canceled at DIA and 36 flights were delayed, according to FlightAware.

DIA advises all passengers to contact their airline to check their flight status before going to the airport, and to plan extra time for traveling to the airport.

6:24 a.m.: The following highways are closed due to adverse conditions:

I-76 both directions from Sterling to Nebraska

US 385 both directions from Julesburg to Nebraska

US 138 both directions from Sterling to Nebraska

US 6 both directions from Sterling to Nebraska

CO 11 From CO 138 to Nebraska

CO 59 both directions from I-76 to Yuma

CO 52 both directions from New Raymer to Fort Morgan

CO 23 both directions from US-385 to Nebraska

CO 14 both directions from Ault to Sterling

US 550 Purgatory to Ouray (Red Mountain, Molas and Coal Bank passes)

US 160 Wolf Creek Pass

TUESDAY EVENING UPDATES

10 p.m.

First Presbyterian will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday. There will be no No AM kindergarten and preschool; all morning activities are canceled.

9:45 p.m.

Academy District 20 has announced a 2-hour delay. CPCD Head Start programs will also be on 2-hour delay Wednesday.

9:30 p.m

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More 2-hour delays have been announced for Colorado Springs District 11, Fountain-Ft. Carson District 8, Manitou Springs SD 14, Harrison District 2, and Widefield District 3.

The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, The Vanguard School and Thomas MacLaren School have announced closures for Wednesday.

The Colorado Springs Housing Authority will open at 9 a.m. for non-essential staff.

8:10 p.m.

Edison 54JT will be on a 2-hour delay; no preschool, AM/PM Buses are on snow routes.

See the full list of delays and closures here.

7:55 p.m.

State offices closed

State offices throughout Colorado will be closed Wednesday due to extreme weather conditions, according to a release from the office of Gov. Jared Polis.

"State facilities essential to public health and safety will maintain regular operating schedules and 'essential personnel' must report to work at their normal scheduled time," the release said.

More districts announce delays and closures:

Lewis-Palmer Dist. 38 will closed Wednesday due to inclement weather; Pikes Peak BOCES East (Calhan) and Woodland Park Re-2 both announced 2-hour delays for Wednesday.

Fort Carson adjusts reporting times

Soldiers will report between 9 and 10 a.m. See more information here.

6:10 p.m. District 49 will be closed Wednesday

Miami-Yoder School District JT-60 is have a 2-hour delay

CIVA Charter High School will be closed.

5:45 p.m.: James Irwin Charter Schools will have a two-hour delay.

4:45 p.m.: Peterson Space Force Base reporting will be delayed by two hours.

Latest snowfall reports across Colorado, according to the National Weather Service:

Wolf Creek Pass: 36 inches

Coal Bank Pass: 18 inches

Rockwood: 15.2 inches

Molas Pass: 12 inches

Red Mountain Pass: 8 inches

Mount Crested Butte: 8 inches

Pagosa Springs: 7 inches

Ouray: 6.8 inches

Monarch Pass: 6 inches

Durango: 4.9 inches

Telluride: 4.5 inches

4:13 p.m.: Elbert School District 200 will be closed on Wednesday. Cripple Creek-Victor and Miami-Yoder schools will be on a 2-hour delay. Click or tap here for an updated list of closures and delays.

1:48 p.m.: Westbound Interstate 70 is closed in Glenwood Canyon after a multi-vehicle crash. The closure is expected to last until at least Tuesday evening.

10:51 a.m.: Colorado State Patrol is asking the public across the state to avoid travel Wednesday in wake of snow expected Tuesday night.

If travel is unavoidable on Wednesday, CSP has provided some helpful tips to ensure your vehicle is properly equipped for the storm.

. Ensure tires are up to the task with a minimum tread depth of 3/16

. Refill washer fluid

. Check windshield wipers, and replace if needed

. Check to ensure all vehicles systems are functioning properly

. Hybrid and electric cars should be charged over night as colder temperatures drain the battery

. Drive slowly

. Scrape all windows of ice and remove all snow from your vehicle

. Check weather throughout your route and be prepared for changing conditions

CSP troopers suggest travelers to take necessary precautions in cases of being stranded.

. Stay with your stranded vehicle, and place bright markers on the vehicles windshield or antenna

. Bring extra warm clothing, snow boots, and blankets, along with food and water in the event you are stranded for a significant period

. Carry a portable charger and charging bank to ensure ability to call for help

If traveling Wednesday, stay alert for first responders working in these adverse conditions, along with stranded motorist, CSP said in a press release.
AD Ports Group, one of the regions premier facilitators of logistics, industry, and trade, continues its sustained strategy of global expansion, signing key strategic agreements with Angolan organisations to enhance maritime connectivity along Africas west coast.

AD Ports has entered into a framework agreement with the Ministry of Transport of Angola to begin collaboration on the development of maritime services and infrastructure across the country.

The group has also entered into a head of terms agreement to form a joint venture with state-owned logistics and transportation company Unicargas, which manages the multipurpose terminal at the Port of Luanda, Angolas busiest port that handles more than 70% of the countrys international imports and 80 percent of its non-petroleum exports.

The new joint venture, with majority ownership by AD Ports Group, will work to modernise, manage, operate the multipurpose terminal and the logistic business of Unicargas, it added.

Areas highlighted under the strategic framework agreement with the Ministry for potential future joint investment and development include ferry and cabotage services, maritime passenger terminals, and logistics platforms, as well as a Maritime Academy in Angola.

The framework agreement, which was signed in the presence of Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023, also covers plans to consider development of the Caio Deepwater Terminal at Cabinda Port, located in Angolas oil-rich northwest region.

AD Ports Groups new agreements in Angola have the potential to significantly boost the countrys maritime industry.

With Angolas oil and gas sector contributing approximately 50 percent of the republics GDP, and 90 percent of exports, the energy sector in particular is likely to benefit considerably from improved connectivity, it stated.

Group CEO and Managing Director Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: "Our collaboration with the Republic of Angola demonstrates AD Ports Groups commitment to supporting the UAEs strong and evolving relationship with Angola in line with the directions of our wise leadership."

"We are focused on building fast and efficient maritime trade routes, and we are pleased to bring our robust knowledge base to Angola and the ports located on Africas west coast. These agreements reflect the trust the Ministry of Transport and the team at Unicargas have placed in us, and in our ability to contribute to Angolas economic growth plans," he added.

Ricardo Viegas DAbreu, Minister for Transport of Angola said the development of the countrys port infrastructure was a key priority of its 2023-2027 National Development Plan.

"Modernising our port infrastructure is a vital step for Angola to maximise the potential of our natural resources and promote economic growth for the benefit of our people," he stated.

"We are delighted to enter into the framework agreement with AD Ports Group and to benefit from its established knowledge and expertise as a global maritime player," he noted.

Mohamed Eidha Tannaf AlMenhali, Regional CEO  Africa, AD Ports Group, said: "We are pleased to participate in the new joint venture to enhance and operate the multipurpose terminal at the Port of Luanda, leveraging the expertise we have developed at ports in the UAE and wider region."

"Working with Unicargas, we see significant opportunities to increase efficiency and boost capacity, deploying the latest innovations to enhance service levels and turnaround times," noted AlMenhali.

Joaquim Nazare Pimentel da Piedade, Management Committee Coordinator, Unicargas, said: "Our aim is to develop a state-of-the-art multipurpose terminal to enhance the Port of Luandas position as Angolas busiest port, to accelerate trade flows and contribute to economic growth. We are delighted to work with AD Ports Group, which has the technical and operational expertise to take services at the terminal to the next level."

Angola is considered the sixth largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, with a GDP of $74 billion. Well positioned to benefit from increased maritime trade, the Republic of Angola offers 1,600km of Atlantic Ocean coastline, with five major operational ports, located at Luanda, Cabinda, Lobito, Soyo, and Namibe.-TradeArabia News Service
THE Egypt opened its market cotton in feather to exports of Brazilafter a process that had dragged on since 2006, said the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Favaroto journalists.

After meeting with the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvahe pointed out that Egypt is a niche market that gives a seal to the quality of the product from Brazil.

Brazil is the second largest cotton exporter in the world, behind the United States, and has been gaining markets especially in Asiawhere demand grows the most, betting on fiber quality programs.

Everyone wants to buy a shirt or sheet with Egyptian cotton, because of the quality of the Egyptian cotton. If you are going to export, it means you have quality, you have credibility, you have respect, he said.

According to the minister, Egypt is not a very large market, but it is a quality niche, we received the seal of quality for Brazilian cotton.

Egypt currently imports around 120,000 tonnes of cotton per year, with Greece, Burkina Faso, Benin and Sudan among the main suppliers, according to a note from the ministry.

The expectation of the sector in Brazil is to supply around 20% of imports from Egypt in the coming years, the president of the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa), Alexandre Pedro Schenkel, told Reuters.

It will depend on our promotion, he said about the need to promote the Brazilian product to gain market share in the new market.

The raw material that can be purchased from Brazil is medium fiber, according to the ministry, which noted that the inauguration of a textile park in Egypt may increase demand in the coming years.

Schenkel added that Brazilian producers will have to remain attentive to the phytosanitary issue, as buyers from Egypt are very concerned about protection against pests.

From the moment we send the feather there, we have to be careful not to send pests to them.

Also during his speech at the Planalto Palace, Minister Favaro announced that China has rehabilitated three slaughterhouses in Brazil, one for beef and two for poultry, while Indonesia has enabled another 11 beef slaughterhouses in the country.
At a time when 11 of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world are based in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, more than 10 Ministers of the Arab countries will take part in the two-day Arab Water Convention.

Scheduled to be held from February 20 to 21, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai, UAE, the event will address the depleting water tables and impending water crisis in the Arab World and how to overcome those challenges.

Held under the patronage of the League of Arab States, the event will be convened by Arab Water Council, with special focus on the non-conventional water resources. More than 600 officials, experts, delegates and leaders will listen to more than 60 speakers who will address critical regional water-related topics, including in-depth projection of future actions.

COP27 outcomes

The Convention is also intended to timely bring all interested parties together to embark on implementing the COP27 outcomes. Governments, financial institutions, private sector and the civil society need to immediately engage in factual dialogues to address the subject.

According to the United Nations, around 40% of the worlds population is affected by water scarcity, while 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment, and more than 90% of disasters are water-related. As the Arab Region witnesses one of the highest rates of water scarcity and a very critical freshwater situation, Governments are increasing investments in water infrastructure.

As per data from BNC Network, more than 200 million people live under conditions of water scarcity and 160 million under absolute water scarcity. Nearly 87 million people in the region lack access to an improved drinking water source on premises and are required to collect water from public standpipes and sources, particularly women and girls.

Water table

Over the past 30 years, the water table in the UAE has dropped about one metre per year. At the current rate, the UAE is projected to deplete its natural freshwater resources in about 50 years, according to the World Bank.

Accordingly, development of the desalination projects will continue to be essential to social and economic development in the Gulf to meet the increasing water demand. Over 75% of worldwide desalinated water is in the Middle East and North Africa, 70% of which is in the GCC countries and 6% in Libya and Algeria. Collectively, Water Desalination Plant Projects in the Mena region are estimated at $39.3 Billion.

As highlighted by BNC Network, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 aims to reduce the demand for water resources, increase water productivity, increase water-use efficiency, and improve water quality by reducing pollution. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also focusing on water infrastructure and has $14 billion water projects under construction.

Climate change

By 2030, the effects of climate change will also take a toll on the challenge of water security, possibly reducing renewable water resources by a further 20%. The Arab Water Convention proposes to foster crucial dialogue to promote cooperation and exchange of knowledge and perspectives, exchange of cutting-edge technologies, advanced applications, and successful practices, says Prof Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President of Arab Water Council.

Treated wastewater in the Arab region, which has reached around 10 billion cu m/year, constitutes a significant renewable water source. Technical and technological efforts must be exerted to properly manage its use, whether in agriculture or in the artificial recharging of groundwater aquifers. There is a need to improve the quality of treated wastewater in order to overcome obstacles that limit its current use.

More than ever, the dialogue between different actors is now required for exploring pioneering solutions and for the mobilisation of public and private actions in order to promote better water resource quality and ensure sustainability.

Water challenges

Convened by the Arab Water Council to address a specific water priority issue in the Arab region, the Arab Water Convention is part of a series of regional events responding to the regions rapidly changing water challenges. The aim of the Arab Water Convention is to provide a regional and international platform to exchange state-of-the-art technologies, advanced applications, and successful practices on a specific water priority issue in the Arab region which is facing rapidly changing water challenges.

Professor Abu-Zeid added: Opportunities for new business models for non-conventional water resources will be disclosed. The world-class Water Expo, to be held on the sidelines of the Convention, will also be an additional chance to showcase the latest water-related technologies, innovative solutions, and equipment, hence enabling successful business transactions and interchange of knowledge and know-how.

The 2023 Convention is dedicated to address the non-conventional water resources (NCWR) and the wealth of emerging opportunities for business and innovation the field of water resources management has to offer. The Convention will also be an exclusive opportunity to foster business connections with a wide spectrum of high-level industry executives, planners, decision-makers and public sector from different Arab countries and international partners.

Multi-stakeholder dialogue

It will include a multi-stakeholder dialogue to promote the most efficient, adequate, and innovative technologies, exchange knowledge, share best practices, and ensure a qualified transfer of pilot experiences on emerging issues in the Arab region.

To achieve its objectives, the Arab Water Convention will address four critical themes including: Effective governance frameworks for the efficient use of non-conventional water resources; smart NCWR-business opportunities focusing, among others, on digital transformation and artificial intelligence; financing new bankable NCWR-business opportunities; and role of the private sector in promoting new NCWR-business opportunities.

The event, viewed as an accelerator for the uptake of NCWR in the region, targets Arab governmental representatives, international and regional organisations /donors, investors, finance and business stakeholders, decision-makers, industrial engineers, and specialists in different disciplines of water, food, and energy nexus in a changing climate. Gender empowerment and youth participation will be an important cross-cutting component of the Convention.

The Arab Water Convention is being organised and promoted by GM Events, a Dubai-based multi-faceted event management company of international repute, having organised numerous unique forums and exhibitions that highlight the issues faced by various economic sectors across the Arab region.-- TradeArabia News Service
A Fort Dodge woman accused of killing her 3-year-old son and a 45-year-old man after crossing the center line and causing a head-on collision in Northwood in July has pleaded not guilty.

Court records indicate that 24-year-old Maggie Jo Harvey made her plea in Worth County District Court last week. She is facing up to 75 years in prison if convicted on two counts of homicide by vehicleoperating under the influence, and one count of child endangerment-death. All are class B felonies.

According to an Iowa State Patrol report, Harvey was driving a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica north on U.S. Highway 65 near Kensett around 10:30 p.m. on July 29 when she crossed the centerline and struck a 2002 Toyota Avalon being driven by John Hinderscheid, 45, of Albert Lea.

Hinderscheids vehicle came to rest in a ditch. Harveys vehicle flipped on its top in the middle of the highway and was then struck by a 1999 International semi driven by 62-year-old Dennis Stoneking of Northwood.

Both Hinderscheid and Harveys passenger, Theilen Fausnaugh, died at the scene. Harvey was transported by ambulance to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. Stoneking was not injured.

The toxicology report alleged Harvey had a .127% blood alcohol content at the time of the collision.

Kensett Fire Department, Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Worth County Sheriffs Office, Northwood Fire and Rescue, Cerro Gordo Sheriffs Office and Mason City Fire and Ambulance all assisted at the scene.

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Barbara Meder, a registered nurse at Sovah Health-Danville, was honored Wednesday with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

The award is part of the DAISY Foundations programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

Meder works on the medical-surgical unit at Sovah Health-Danville and was nominated for the award by a patients family member who credits the nurse for being kind, making the patient comfortable and cared for with compassion.

Other than family, Barbara was the only person he wanted to see, the nomination stated. The difference Barbara made in his life was beyond measure. Barbara is such a kind and generous soul, and your hospital is fortunate indeed to have such a nurse sharing her gifts with those greatest in need.

Meder took her time to connect with this patient and the family by communicating consistently and effectively, ensuring that the patient felt comfortable and cared for. Meder went above and beyond to attend the patients private graveside service and show her respect.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. He died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Barbara is an incredible nurse, has multiple DAISY Award nominations, and consistently goes the extra mile for her patients, said Brian Bradley, chief nursing officer at Sovah Health-Danville. The compassionate care this patient and his family received from Barbara was shown in the heartfelt nomination letter. Barbara is consistently recognized by patients for her hard work and I was honored to present her with the DAISY Award this morning.

To nominate a Sovah Health nurse for the DAISY Award, visit SovahHealth.com/daisy-award.
Update at 10:44 a.m.: A spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company said Thursday that the company had not made a site selection decision on its plans for an electric vehicle battery plant in partnership with a Chinese company.

The statement from the company came in response to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report Thursday citing two sources saying the company had notified Virginia officials that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County for the plant. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Our earlier this story ...

Ford Motor Co. notified Virginia that it had selected the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill for an electric battery plant prior to Gov. Glenn Youngkin scuttling the plan, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ford was also working on the site.

Youngkin said those facts are fundamentally wrong, but repeatedly refused to answer whether anyone had told him Ford had decided on Virginia.

The location is in Pittsylvania County, near Danville, and is one of the poorest areas of Virginia. The $3.5 billion plant would have created an estimated 2,500 jobs in Southside Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee reported Monday.

Youngkin has said that he pulled Virginia from consideration for the project over his concerns about Chinese government influence and the possibility of federal tax incentives benefitting a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Democrats slammed Youngkin for killing the plan over what they said were right-wing talking points for a possible 2024 presidential run, which Youngkin is considering.

The new details confirmed by the two people with knowledge of the situation contrast with statements from Youngkins office.

Youngkins press secretary said by email Monday, A location has not been selected yet and Virginia was removed from consideration, it was never in the final discussion stage.

A Youngkin spokesman said in a text message Monday: Virginia did not win the project. ... We removed ourselves from consideration in an ongoing process.

Youngkin, in a phone interview Tuesday, told the Times-Dispatch and Danville Register & Bee that what youre writing is wrong. ... The fact set that you are navigating around is fundamentally wrong and I just wanted to be able to explain to you why.

But when repeatedly pressed on whether he had been told that Ford had chosen Virginia and wanted to move forward with an incentive package, Youngkin would not answer.

I just cant answer that question, he said, twice. The fact is, of course, that Ford investigated this site and how their interest stacked up against any other site was clearly yet to be determined because we had not even submitted an incentive package.

Youngkin: Other companies are interested in Berry Hill site

The workers would have built lithium iron phosphate batteries for Fords electric vehicles. But Youngkin cited Fords partnership with the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), saying after his State of the Commonwealth address last Wednesday that he feared the plant would be a front for Chinese influence.

Ford, based in suburban Detroit, would own the plant while CATL would operate the factory and own the technology, Bloomberg reported.

At that point, Ford representatives had been at the Berry Hill site repeatedly as they worked on a deal. About five days after Bloombergs report, the conservative news website The Daily Caller reported that Youngkin was removing Virginia from consideration over his concerns about China.

Without naming names, Youngkin said in the interview that there are other companies interested in the Berry Hill site, near the North Carolina border. More than $200 million has been spent over 15 years to make Berry Hill a premier site, but it has no tenants.

Albemarle Corp., a spinoff of Richmond-based Ethyl Corp., said Wednesday that it is still considering a site in Virginia for a project to process lithium for electric vehicle batteries and eventually recycle the material from spent batteries.

Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political observer and former dean at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the Ford Motor Co. situation is counter to Youngkins brand of bringing jobs to Virginia.

Virginia governors work closely with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, he said. Thats the state authority that helps localities land economic deals and oversees trade development and promotes business expansion in the state.

This project had been in the works for quite some time, Holsworth said. At a minimum, its been in the works for months that hes been familiar with.

And then something changed in that five-day window in December between the Bloomberg report and the Daily Caller report, Holsworth said.

Thats why people are speculating that it had more to do with presidential ambitions.

All kinds of Virginia connections with China

Youngkin is among Republicans considering a presidential run in 2024 and, like others, he has expressed concerns about Chinese Communist Party influence in the United States.

That creates a dilemma for Youngkin, Holsworth said.

Essentially what theyre saying is that the Ford Motor Co. was duped by the Chinese.

This looked to be an excellent fit with an iconic American company.

Aside from that, Theres all kinds of Virginia connections with China, Holsworth said.

Asked for comment on Youngkins action, Ford spokesman Hannah Ooms said by email: As we shared in July, Ford plans to localize and use approximately 40 GWh of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery capacity in North America starting in 2026. We also announced a separate (memorandum of understanding) with CATL to explore a cooperation for supplying batteries for Ford vehicles in markets across North America, Europe and China. Our talks with CATL continue  and we have nothing new to announce on either front.

A spokeswoman for Albemarle, the Charlotte-based company considering a site in Virginia, said she could not disclose a possible location.

The company hopes to reopen a lithium mine west of Charlotte, North Carolina, as early as 2027 to take advantage of the fast-growing U.S. market for electric vehicle batteries that use the metal, company spokeswoman Kim Ronkin Casey said.

Albemarle publicly disclosed the project in June, and said it was talking to automakers about supplying them with lithium for electric vehicle batteries. The company already supplies Tesla and other automakers.

We are hoping in the next several months we will have a final site, Casey said.
REIDSVILLE  The message of the day was clear  honor the legacy of the late Martin Luther King Jr. by building unity and preserving optimism in the face of obstacles.

For the 25th consecutive year, this citys clergy, civic leaders and civil rights advocates joined to host the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast at Zion Baptist Church downtown.

And this years event was offered as a virtual event via internet due to the recent surge in COVID-19 infections across the state and the high infection rate in Rockingham County.

Sponsored by the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, the Rockingham County Chapter of the NAACP and the Reidsville Human Relations Commission, the event featured a speech by regional civil rights advocate and Reidsville native Merald Holloway.

Holloway, 49, promotes opportunities for at-risk youth as executive director of NC100, which he founded.

I pray Lord that what happens here today will inspire us to be better, the Rev. Gregory Heading of Reidsville said during his invocation.

Reidsville Mayor Donald Gorham welcomed guests and pointed out that on the citys 150th birthday, King would be impressed. We can look back with pride on the strides our city has made. Lets do Dr. King proud and make 2023 our year to serve, to share and to shine.

Local soprano Debra Purcell performed sacred music during the ceremony.

Holloway, who spoke of his hometown pride and how he wore his Reidsville High School letter jacket to campus at UNC Chapel Hill, said his NC100 office within the Reidsville Area Foundation office anchors him to his community.

In that office is a really deep connection to my roots here in Reidsville, he said.

The idea for NC100 sprung from a few friends who grew up here, and we wanted to pour back into our community, Holloway said.

The goals of the group: leveraging energy of young people and making sure they have all the resources the need to succeed, Holloway explained.

NC100 focuses on young people, ages 12 to 22. Thats a very important stretch of 10 years, and we want to support them ... make sure they are career ready, Holloway said.

Another major goal of NC100 is to make sure folks have access to all the tools you need to create and protect wealth, Holloway said.

The legacy of King is at the heart of most everything Holloway does, he said, noting that his late aunt Mosella McDonald, a longtime area educator, bought him a book when he was young that chronicled the struggles of a little boy named Martin and introduced him to Kings accomplishments.

The first time I saw an image of Dr. King was in church, he said, recalling traditional cardboard paper fans in churches with Kings face printed out on their fronts.

And I thought: whos this guy? Hes gotta be important.

Indeed, (King) represented the best of what humans and thinkers could be, Holloway said.

I knew I didnt want to be him. I wanted to be like him.

Holloway reminded that King stressed a conflict we still face today: living in the world as it is and imaging the world as it ought to be.

And the best way to reconcile such conflict is by finding shared interest in a community to where you can move forward, Holloway said.

I will never forget the optimism he showed in times you would never expect it, Holloway said, recalling the speech to Memphis sanitation workers that King made the day before his 1968 assassination in Memphis.

King reminded in that speech that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars, Holloway said.

I thought that was pretty poignant, he said. You should be looking for the light in darkness.

Another major lesson Kings life taught Holloway: to have empathy and to practice putting oneself in the position of another to understand his plight.

Holloways goals for this year: to expect and demand excellence in every situation I am in, he said.

Furthermore, he wants to find out ways to support folks, not question the validity of their stories, he said.

And Holloway seeks to find remedies to the disparities in income and health care that still persist in rural Rockingham County and across the state.

Were not numbers, were individual people.

Awards

During the celebration, awards were presented by all sponsoring agencies.

Anna Roach of the Reidsville Human Rights Commission began by offering the Eddie C. Hughes Memorial Award to the late Elder Catherine Totten Wilson of Reidsville.

Wilson, a longtime community leader who organized the installation of a mural on The Block in Reidsville, was represented by her daughter April Totten Jeffries, who accepted her award.

Linda Bass, treasurer for the Rockingham County Chapter of the NAACP, offered the organizations J. Arthur Griggs Memorial Civil Rights Award to Darlene Smallwood for her work in civil rights.

Jessie Mutter, chairman of the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, presented the James W. Daniel Memorial Unity Award to Clara F. Gunn and Care Connect teams for their excellence in health care throughout the community.

Sponsors awarded the Julius J. Gwynn Memorial Youth Awards to two outstanding Reidsville High School students: Shelly Fuqua and Cross Hairston.
REIDSVILLE  Local civil rights leader Rochelle Tucker led a crowd of nearly 100 on Monday afternoon in a tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tucker, dressed in a vibrant purple traditional African dashiki ensemble, reminded the crowd that King knew the work of building harmony between the races would take time.

He knew that this would take several generations to become a reality, Tucker said. America today is a far different place from the country that saw ... King killed from a assassins bullet, she said.

Tucker said she imagined King would be elated if he knew Black Americans had now attained the highest offices in the land and that children could now attend nearly any university they choose.

King would also see the work thats yet to be done, Tucker pointed out. Problems with racial injustice, health and income inequities, police militarism and other issues must still be addressed through constructive activism.

Dr. King firmly believed in the power of hope, Tucker said and quoted King: Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of Gods children. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

She called for leaders to speak out against injustice.

Today, too many of us are silent on too many issues, Tucker said. Show up and stand up and speak up and make sure our voice is heard. Never be afraid to be heard and make good trouble, she said.

To succeed in achieving unity and equity, people of color must continue to educate, organize and vote to win justice, Tucker said.

The nonviolent movement remains the leg of Dr. King, Tucker said. Peaceful and persistent resistance to injustice is the best way forward. We owe it to him to remain faithful to the cause.
GREENSBORO  Antiquated. Thats what officials call the citys leaf collection system.

Seen as inefficient, its bad for the environment and also the physical well-being of city workers.

The system includes three methods: vacuuming leaves from the curb using large trucks; collecting leaves from garbage cans; and picking up bagged leaves.

That last method in particular bothers Deputy City Manager Chris Wilson.

Id love to get the plastic (bags) off the table, Wilson said. I think that is problematic from an environmental perspective.

Its also labor intensive. First, city employees have to manually pick up the bags and take them to the White Street Landfill.

Laying waste In an almost neverending process, bags of leaves are dumped from a loader for a crew to separate at the White Street Landfill.

Then, the city uses day laborers to rip open the bags, dump out the leaves and throw away the plastic.

Its just not a good method, Wilson said. Near as I can tell, were one of the only cities still doing that in North Carolina.

David Deel, the citys solid waste disposal manager, said Greensboro gets about 15,000 tons of yard waste in plastic bags at the landfill. Overall, the city last year got about 33,000 tons of yard waste, he said.

Using garbage cans poses its own problems. The cans style and size can vary, so the process isnt automated and city workers have to manually empty them.

People mistakenly put objects in there, or someone riding by can throw a cinderblock in and it be covered up with leaves, said Griffin Hatchell, the citys solid waste collections manager.

While discussing the issue with elected officials last week, Wilson said the city has received about $500,000 in workers compensation claims over the past three or four years.

Vacuuming leaves also has its challenges.Many of your roads here in Greensboro are narrow, Wilson explained. Theyre older roads and then people park on both sides and  its really hard to get that truck in there.

Plus, vehicles can block the citys access to vacuum the leaves, he said.

Another problem is that some residents rake leaves into the street  instead of the lawns edge as required  resulting in clogged storm drains.

Add to that delays caused by bad weather and a shortage of workers, and the citys leaf collection process seems to go on forever. The first citywide collection finished last week. The second collection is scheduled to continue through Feb. 10, Wilson said.

Its one of these things that is sort of a neverending cycle and were doing the best we can to keep pace, Wilson said.

A mixed bag A large pile of bagged leaves at the White Street Landfill. Each bag will have to be opened and separated by a crew of workers.

Meanwhile, he plans to present various options to the City Council in February to make the system more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Those options include using:

Biodegradable bags, which can be ground along with the leaves into compost or mulch. Hatchell said the 30-gallon bags can be found at home improvement stores and are $2.38 for a pack of five.

Leaf burrito bags, which are reusable, zip up and made of a plastic mesh. Those also are available at retail stores and cost about $85, Hatchell said. He noted that the city of Charlotte is using this method, which involves workers emptying the bags and returning them to the lawn.

Deploying 96-gallon carts provided by the city. These carts are designed to be mechanically tipped and dumped into the collection truck, which could reduce back injuries to city workers.

Though nothing has been decided, Hatchell said these other options could eventually replace the citys vacuum trucks.

Weve heard the residents frustration when it comes to leaf collection and leaves in the street, he said. Were just trying to look at some different avenues of how to help the residents and make this the most efficient and safest way possible to collect leaves and yard waste.
The Whale

At the Myrna Loy & Cinemark

(R)

Grade: B+

Darren Aronofsky is the anti-Disney director.

Instead of inviting us to slide our foot into the glass slipper and dance with the prince, Aronofsky turns off the lights, and shoves us into dark places.

Requiem for a Dream was an "agonizing and unflinchingly grim portrait of drug abuse."

In The Wrestler he introduced us to a broken, flawed aging fighter, a proud pugilist in search of redemption.

And in Black Swan we took a hallucinatory trip into the life of a ballet dancer: part horror, part thriller, part Freudian nightmare.

Aronofsky challenges us to embrace the goodness in struggling people.

The Whale is vintage Aronofsky.

We meet Charlie, an adjunct English writing teacher. Hes teaching online on Zoom, with his camera turned off to hide from his students.

Hes a morbidly obese man, with weight above 600 and blood pressure above 200.

His loving caretaker, Liz, implores Charlie to see a doctor. He refuses, resigned to fate.

Enter 17-year-old daughter Ellie, whom Charlie abandoned almost a decade ago. Charlie ran off with another man, who committed suicide.

That death sent him spiraling into binge-eating.

Ellie is still angry at her absentee dad. She treats him vengefully, cruelly.

The story is relentlessly depressing, but the sweet performance by Brendan Fraser reels us in.

Even while being insulted by his daughter, Charlie continues to love her unconditionally.

I dont want you to forget what a perfect person you are, he says through tears. I need to know that I did something right in my life.

The Whale feels stagy, like a filmed play  hardly surprising since its script was written by the playwright. Almost the entire claustrophobic story was shot in Charlies living room.

A key minor character, a young door-knocking evangelist, tries to lead Charlie to God. Those scenes are awkward, unconvincing.

But such speed bumps are easily forgiven because of four authentic performances  by Charlie, Liz, Ellie and Mary, his ex-wife. I got chills during those tender scenes, as those who loved Charlie embraced their broken friend.

I also loved the moment, late, when Charlie chose to turn on his online Zoom camera. Some students cried, some laughed, but most seemed to radiate forgiveness.

They embraced their flawed mentor for his courage to be himself.

As always, Aronofsky introduces us to a tragic person, sliding downward.

We are tempted to judge, to pity.

In the end, we are asked to accept.

We are sent home in hopes we will judge less, forgive more.

Thats a journey Im glad I took, my considerable discomfort notwithstanding.
Hong Kong: Govt to scrap isolation orders

The Government today announced that it will cancel the arrangement of issuing isolation orders to people infected with COVID-19 from January 30.

Explaining its decision, the Government said the hybrid immunity barrier against COVID-19 in the overall community is very strong, and people who have completed vaccination have presented only mild symptoms after infection with the Omicron variant.

To illustrate, the current overall second and third-dose COVID-19 vaccination rates in Hong Kong have reached 93% and 84%. With the immunity brought by a large amount of infected people since the fifth wave of the epidemic, an effective vaccination rate equivalent to that of having received the third dose has reached around 95%.

Also, public hospitals have established effective contingency plans and the general anti-epidemic capability of the healthcare system has strengthened.

The general publics anti-epidemic knowledge and experience have accumulated considerably in the past three years, while the ability to prevent and handle infected cases involving members of the public and residential care homes was enhanced.

Based on these considerations, and to continue society's gradual return to normalcy, the Government decided to cancel the compulsory isolation arrangement for infected people, and will issue advice on health measures to them instead.

Starting January 30, the authorities will no longer issue isolation orders to infected people. All those who test positive by nucleic acid or rapid antigen tests are not required to report and provide personal particulars via the Centre for Health Protections (CHP) online platforms.

Those currently under isolation at their residence places or isolation facilities will no longer be required to continue their isolation from January 30. The Government will arrange for those staying in the isolation facilities to leave in an orderly manner.

Having considered that some infected people may wish to stay at the community isolation facilities to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the household if their living space is crowded or their household members fall into high-risk groups, the CIFs will remain in operation for use by Hong Kong residents until February 28.

Starting January 30, the number of specimens that test positive by nucleic acid tests as well as the number of death cases reported by doctors and hospitals will be uploaded onto the dedicated website in lieu of the current practice of issuing press releases.

Separately, the Hospital Authority (HA) announced that all general outpatient clinics will provide treatment for COVID-19 confirmed patients when the Governments new measures come into effect. General clinics that had been suspended will resume normal service.

Currently, confirmed patients are centralised to receive treatment in the seven designated clinics for COVID-19 confirmed cases.

The authoritys tele-consultation service for confirmed patients under isolation will be terminated, while its support hotline 1836 115 will continue to answer enquiries on medical care and provide assistance to confirmed patients.

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Qatar Airways has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia, allowing passengers seamless travel to over 40 destinations when travelling on each others networks effective February 1, 2023.



Qatar Airways currently operates five weekly flights between its hub in Doha, Qatar and Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The codeshare agreement opens up a host of new exciting destinations for its passengers to use a single booking to continue their journey to European countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia among others served by Air Serbia.



Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: This partnership will allow us to expand our footprint in the Central and Eastern European markets where we are looking forward to offering additional travel choices for our customers. We are extremely proud to unveil this partnership with Air Serbia, the leading airline in this region since it was founded in 1927 and we look forward to working effortlessly together.



From its hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Air Serbia serves more than 70 destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Asia and Africa. As a part of this collaboration, Air Serbia will add its marketing code on Qatar Airways direct flights between Belgrade and Doha, as well as various points beyond Doha including Adelaide, Baku, Brisbane, Tbilisi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Muscat, Nairobi, Perth, Seychelles, Singapore and Sydney. Additionally, subject to obtaining all necessary government approvals and once all conditions are fulfilled, Air Serbia plans to extend its coverage to Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Phuket, Seoul, Tokyo, Yerevan, Zanzibar and many more.



Air Serbia, Chief Executive Officer, Jiri Marek, said: It is our great pleasure to announce the codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, known for its global network of destinations and premium service. We are joining forces to provide passengers with new connection opportunities and access to unique destinations from both networks. Through this cooperation, we believe that we will be able to jointly bring to Serbia more traffic and opportunities for trade and tourism, as well as to increase the traffic between the two hubs.



Qatar Airways and Air Serbia have a long standing interline cooperation and todays signing marks a milestone in the mutual commitment of both airlines to improving customer experience. Passengers can book their travel with both airlines, through online travel agencies as well as with local travel agents.  TradeArabia News Service
Chick-fil-A still intends to open a Helena location, according to Helena Community Development Department Director Chris Brink.

Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins inquired during Wednesday evening's administrative meeting about proposed openings of the fast-food chains Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread.

"What the heck is going on with those people?," Collins said. "Whether they're coming or not coming or whether this is just a fib?"

Brink said Chick-fil-A initially planned to open a location at the former Shopko site at Custer and Montana avenues, but pulled out over "some issues with shared parking agreements."

"Don't know the whole back story, but Chick-fil-A has pulled out of the Shopko location," he said. "I can't say specifically or with any definitive answer or information, but Chick-fil-A is not going away from the city."

Brink said the Atlanta-based, nationwide chain is now looking at a location on Washington Street "just south of Costco, Hobby Lobby and Home Depot."

"That is very nice to hear," Collins said.

In an email response sent Friday morning, Chick-fil-A spokesperson Brownlee Hopkins said "(w)hile we hope to serve the Helena community in the future, we cannot confirm a location at this time."

The company opened its Billings location Thursday and has Montana restaurants in Missoula and Kalispell.

Chick-fil-A operates 2,900 restaurants across 48 states as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

As first reported in the Billings Gazette, the city of Billings implemented a temporary traffic plan in preparation for large crowds at the newest Montana location's opening Thursday.

It was announced in April that Panera Bread has signed a letter of intent to build a restaurant on the former site of the Capital Hill Mall in Helena.

Panera Bread did not respond to two emails seeking comment when contacted in April. They have restaurants in Billings, Kalispell and Missoula, according to the Panera website.

Brink on Wednesday said "(w)e do not know anything about Panera Bread. We have not heard from them."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a Chick-fil-A spokesperson's comment.
East Helena Public Schools and the East Helena Education Support Association (EHESA) signed a memorandum of agreement to raise the basic compensation rate for classified staff.

We have been really struggling, like everyone else, to find employees and keep employees, especially in a lot of the hourly paid positions, said Superintendent of East Helena Public Schools Dan Rispens.

Michelle Lashway, president of EHESA and an instructional tutor, and Debbie Dunlap, vice president of EHESA and paraprofessional, have been hard at work with their association on the MOA since September 2022. They learned right before Christmas break that the MOA would go through.

Nobody knew wed be sitting here three years ago when we negotiated our contract (in 2019), said Lashway. Who knew we were going to be going through all of this, and we just felt like we needed to close that gap. We were sitting on wages that were too low.

East Helena participates in a budget survey with other Class A schools of similar size around Montana to compare their pay rates. From this, East Helena and EHESA determined that an across-the-board pay adjustment was warranted to attract new candidates and focus on retention.

Many hourly workers within the district will receive an additional $2 an hour market adjustment. Kitchen aides will go from $11.90 to $13.90 an hour. Paraprofessionals will go from $12.90 to $14.90 an hour. School secretaries will go from $14.65 to $16.65 an hour. Maintenance pay was $14.24 and is now $16.24. Custodians made $13.90 and will now make $15.90. Instructional tutors or title I tutors will go from $18.90 to $20.90 an hour.

Bus drivers in the district will receive an additional $2.50 an hour market adjustment taking them from $15.90 to $17.90 an hour.

Two dollars was always our goal, said Lashway.

Minimum, added Dunlap.

Absolute minimum, agreed Lashway.

The market adjustments are effective for the 2023-24 school year, which typically starts on July 1. However, EHESA and the board put it into effect on Jan. 11, giving an extra five months of pay increase for these positions. Employees will see these increases in pay on their February paycheck.

We rushed a meeting with our staff because we wanted to get this out to them prior to Christmas break so they knew something was in the works because if not I knew of quite a few people that were looking for jobs over Christmas break because they cant make it, said Dunlap. When we started putting it out that this was in the works, I think it helped retain people who maybe wouldve looked (for jobs) over Christmas break.

Rispens emphasized that the positions negotiated in the MOA have received cost-of-living adjustments for the past couple of years but that the pandemic made it more difficult for the district to compete with other hourly jobs. A quick Google search shows fast food restaurants such as Wendys in the area are willing to pay up to $16 an hour for a crew member.

As of early January, the district was advertising 12 unfilled paraprofessional positions.

When we have 12 open positions in the district, that really puts stress on all of our systems. Teachers arent getting the help they need. The kids arent getting the help they need, said Rispens. Were hoping that we can attract some candidates with the new rates of pay to fill some of those positions.

The district is also looking for more bus drivers. No bus routes have been altered or canceled yet because the district is relying on substitute bus drivers and part-time workers doing full-time work.

Were always looking for bus drivers, and we train and help people get their license to be a licensed bus driver, and the nice part about working for schools, especially if you have kids, is youre on the school schedule and off work when your kids are out of school, said Rispens.

All of these positions for the district include participation in a state retirement system and a health insurance benefit. To access a job application, go to https://bit.ly/easthelenajobapp.

These pay adjustments led to the parties extending the deadline for the collective bargaining agreement to June 30, 2024, in the MOA.

Its a great school district to work in. You know everybodys kids, everybodys families. I think thats really special, said Dunlap. ... It really was a positive experience between the superintendent, the school board and our union. It really was so much different than I thought it would be. We worked together for the better of the school district, of the employees."
Montana lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban grant funding and other private money or services from being used by local officials to run elections, a practice that has come under intense scrutiny since the 2020 elections.

Senate Bill 117 would ensure that local election offices are not influenced by outside funding, Darin Gaub, chairman of the Lewis and Clark County Republican Central Committee, told lawmakers during a Wednesday hearing. The central committee last summer adopted a resolution declaring President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected. Despite a raft of allegations since the 2020 election, no evidence has emerged to substantiate those claims.

This is simply, in essence, a basic ethics bill, Gaub told the Senate State Administration Committee. I dont believe any organization of any kind should be able to donate funds to assist and facilitate the elections  whether they mean to or not, you have the influence of impropriety.

Similar efforts around the country in the last two years have emerged in response to $350 million in grants given to local election offices around the country by the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). The large donation was made by a foundation set up by Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, earning the grants the pejorative nickname Zuckerbucks from some on the right who have questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.

According to a list published by CTCL, 30 counties in Montana received grants to conduct the 2020 election. Much of the funding supported changes to election process caused by the pandemic, which prompted most counties in Montana to hold the general election solely by mail-in ballots.

Several proponents of the bill took aim at the CTCL grants, noting that several of the organizations founders have connections to politically liberal groups. Helena resident Becky Stockton criticized Lewis and Clark Countys use of the funds in 2020, saying that informational fliers the county distributed allowed CTCL to influence the election.

I believe it was a get-out-the-vote campaign for our election office, which is not one of their roles, Stockton said. It is the role of the candidates, political parties and initiative campaigns.

In an interview Thursday, Amy Reeves, the countys top elections official, said she understood the proponents wariness of counties taking money from outside groups, but noted that the CTCL grants had no strings attached. The fliers were not partisan, and only directed voters to resources for how to register and vote, and information about changes to the process due to the pandemic.

It was nice to be able to do a lot of things that we wouldnt have normally been able to do without using taxpayer dollars, Reeves said.

The Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders, representing county election administrators, didnt take a stance on the bill. But Regina Plettenberg, speaking for the group, did raise the possibility that language prohibiting donations of personal services could create issues for the volunteers that help out with local elections.

Opposing the bill were the ACLU of Montana and the Blackfeet Tribe, arguing that it could jeopardize the ability of rural, reservation-based Native Americans to access satellite election offices.

The bills sponsor, Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade, said it's the responsibility of local election offices to request sufficient funds from their county commissioners.

The committee didnt immediately vote on the measure, but it appeared to attract some bipartisan opposition from members of the Legislatures American Indian Caucus. That includes 10 Democratic lawmakers, along with two Republicans, Sen. Jason Small and Rep. Rhonda Knudsen.

This bill would impact tribal communities negatively by restricting the already scarce funding that could go toward ensuring voting access for American Indians, read a letter from the caucus.
Environmental groups are asking a federal judge to order wildlife officials to conduct further analysis into the effects of predator control programs on grizzly bears in Montana, saying in part that removal of bears moving between recovery zones needs more scrutiny.

WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project and Trap Free Montana filed the lawsuit. It is against U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of the Interior. The former agency is the federal governments livestock protection arm that conducts predator control for animals including coyotes, foxes, wolves and bears. The latter is the agency charged with management of endangered species, including consulting with other federal agencies on impacts to listed species.

The lawsuit follows a 2020 settlement with USDA in which the agency agreed to update decades-old analysis of it programs, including lethal control programs involving aerial gunning, trapping and poison. The environmental groups say the agencys issuance of an environmental assessment and decision to resume its programs failed to use the best available science on impacts to threatened grizzly bears, particularly bears dispersing from recovery zones.

The best available science reveals the lack of connectivity and genetic interchange between grizzly bears in Montanas recovery zones and the bears absence from the Bitterroots remains a threat to long-term recovery of the species in the lower 48 states, Matthew Bishop, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center representing the groups, said in a statement. But the agencies arent taking this into account before killing and removing dispersing bears.

Estimates put the Lower 48s grizzly population at about 1,900 animals, including more than 700 in the Greater Yellowstone region, more than 1,000 in the Northern Continental Divide region and smaller populations in the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirks. The Bitterroots are also a recovery area and has seen occasional bears, but has been void of a sustainable population.

USDA takes about 13 grizzlies per year, according to the lawsuit. The term take includes both killing and capturing bears, with typically three or fewer bears killed in a given year by USDA agents. Bears captured may be transferred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which would then make a decision whether to move and release the grizzly or euthanize it. The state also captures and relocates about 30 grizzlies per year, according to the lawsuit, but has ceased relocating conflict bears captured outside of recovery zone.

USDA Wildlife Services has come under fire from environmentalists over its killing of wildlife to protect livestock, including lawsuits and settlements that have sought to curtail some practices.

But livestock groups maintain the USDA agents play an important role in responding to conflicts and reducing depredations.

Livestock producers look to Wildlife Services for their essential role in resolving wildlife conflicts, Raylee Honeycutt, Montana Stockgrowers Association executive vice president, wrote in an email. While we understand the importance connectivity and genetic interchange between grizzly bears, having tools in place to address livestock-grizzly bear conflicts is essential. Grizzly bear populations in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems are biologically recovered and have far exceeded the recovery goals set by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the Grizzly Bear Recovery Program.

The lawsuit further alleges that federal officials failed to incorporate wider analysis of potential impacts from its larger predator control program and Montanas state-based predator hunting and trapping regulations that impact grizzlies.

Predator removal, coupled with other sources of authorized trapping and snaring and other sources of mortality, has had and will have adverse effects on grizzly bears and grizzly bear recovery in Montana, the lawsuit states. Taking dispersing grizzly bears without any analysis of these impacts on the recovery of this species sets a dangerous precedent.

The lawsuit states that upon notice of intent to sue over resumption of the program, USDA notified the groups of its intent to consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but did not provide details such as a timeline. That could potentially resolve some of the claims, although other parts of the lawsuit would remain viable and the groups could challenge the results of the consultation.

The groups request the judge order USDA to conduct a full environmental impact statement, which would be a more rigorous review, of its overall livestock protection program using predator control, saying it has the potential to impact public health and safety.

The USDA did not respond to a request for comment in time for this story.
In his two winning campaigns to become Illinois chief executive, billionaire Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the nations wealthiest politician, has spent $350 million, including more than $167 million to defeat Republican Darren Bailey by nearly 13 percentage points in November, according to newly released state and federal campaign records.

Bailey, a former state senator from downstate Xenia, spent $17.6 million on his campaign. Most of that was spent before he won the June 28 Republican primary election, with only $6 million spent between then and his loss to Pritzker in the general election, records show.

Baileys primary campaign was assisted by another $43.2 million from People Who Play By The Rules, a political action committee run by political operative and right-wing radio host Dan Proft of Naples, Florida. Of that total, $35.8 million was spent after the primary, records show.

The PAC was almost entirely funded by ultraconservative megadonor Richard Uihlein, who founded the Uline office supply and packaging company. Uihleins total outlay for the primary and general election for governor was $48 million  $6 million to Baileys campaign and $42 million to the aligned PAC, records showed.

Pritzker, an entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune who largely self-finances his campaigns, faced no significant primary opposition in his bid for reelection, spending $140 million since he kicked off his reelection campaign with a $35 million donation in March 2021.

Pritzker gave an additional $27 million to the Democratic Governors Association, federal Internal Revenue Service reports showed. Leading up to the primary, the DGA aired ads that labeled Bailey as too conservative for Illinois in a backdoor campaign aimed at helping him defeat a better-funded GOP contender, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin.

Irvin, who finished third in the GOP primary, got $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin, the founder of the Citadel financial firm.

Pritzkers spending, including the DGA funding, along with Baileys spending and that of the aligned Uihlein-funded PAC, puts a total price tag of $228 million on the campaigns of the two candidates who competed in the November general election.

The total falls short of the total spent by one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy investor, and Pritzker in the 2018 campaign, which at the time was the most expensive race for state chief executive in the nations history. Rauner spent $79 million on his reelection bid compared with $173 million by Pritzker.

The 2018 figures dwarfed the previous record total of $112 million spent on an Illinois governors race four years earlier, when Rauner spent $65.3 million in defeating then-Gov. Pat Quinn.

Records show that from the time Pritzker announced his first bid for governor on April 6, 2017, through the end of 2022, his campaign fund has spent $322.6 million. Adding the $27 million he gave to the DGA puts his total spend at $349.6 million in his two campaigns for governor.

For his reelection campaign, records show Pritzker spent nearly $70 million on advertising, including non-DGA TV commercials, $20 million on consulting and more than $15 million on voter outreach, in addition to a $5 million payroll, to win reelection.

Pritzker also used $25 million to assist other Democrats and party organizations including $11.2 million to the state Democratic Party; $8 million for the Illinois House Democratic campaign fund; $2 million for the state Senate Democrats fund; $1 million apiece to Attorney General Kwame Raoul and now-Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias; and another $1 million to the Cook County Democrats.

Of the more than $17 million that Bailey spent, $12 million was for advertising and media, while $441,000 was spent on lodging  including nearly $30,000 for nine visits to the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. Bailey avidly sought and gained Trumps endorsement.

Bailey, who often spoke on the campaign trail about thousands of volunteers knocking on voters doors, also paid $560,000 for Door Knocking Service to Higher Ground Strategies. The firms Glen Ellyn address is listed to a home owned by Matthew Besler, a former Rauner political adviser who is the chairman and CEO of the Illinois Opportunity Project. A co-founder of the conservative group is Proft.

Bailey, who referred to Chicago as a hellhole during his campaign, received only $607,709 from donors with a Chicago address. Of that total, $462,000 was from the Illinois Republican Partys office in Chicago as an in-kind donation for postmarking Bailey mailings through the use of the GOPs postage meter, which has a lower postal rate. Bailey reimbursed the GOP for the expense.

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term
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Local owners of the Bristol Casino, future home of Hard Rock, oppose new legislation aimed at legalizing currently unregulated skill games in Virginia.

House Majority Leader Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, has introduced House Bill 2295 to provide a lifeline to skill games  which were originally banned by the General Assembly  and capture tax revenues from them.

The legislation provides for the operation and regulation of electronic gaming activities  so called gray machines  under the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, extending the states prior regulatory system of a flat monthly tax until at least July 1, 2024.

The bill also directs the Virginia ABC to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. It also seeks to establish a joint committee of 10 members from the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committee on General Laws to study the future regulation of all electronic gaming in the Commonwealth.

The bill has not yet been referred to a committee.

Kilgores office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2020 the General Assembly voted to ban the machines then gave a one-year reprieve due to the global pandemic. It directed Virginia ABC to collect monthly taxes of $2,500 per machine, which generated more than $100 million in tax revenues.

The machines currently operate because of an injunction in a lawsuit filed by former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler, who operates some of the machines in truck stops, convenience stores and restaurants he owns. Sadler makes the case that the machines generate revenue for his businesses and he wants to keep them and welcomes the opportunity for state oversight.

However the operators of Virginias first casino adamantly oppose the plan.

We are dismayed that the proponents of HB 2295 are attempting to legalize gray machines, after the General Assembly has repeatedly prohibited their operation in the Commonwealth, resulting in the spread of problem gambling. The Commonwealth instead should be focused on supporting those development projects that actually are having a meaningful impact on bringing jobs and tax revenue to localities and regions in need, according to a statement from the local owners of the Bristol Casino.

In 2020 the state allowed five cities to host referendums on casino gaming and four were overwhelmingly approved. Bristols temporary casino opened last July and its Hard Rock facility is expected to open in mid-2024, the same year as casinos in Danville and Norfolk. Rivers Casino Portsmouth is expected to open this month.

The proponents argument that they want to reduce illegal gaming by authorizing such prohibited activity defies logic and is troubling, particularly in light of the Commonwealths strong fiscal position and the inadequate safeguards they purport to provide. This legislation is also at odds with what our local citizens agreed to during the casino referendum. The community had the final say as to whether we had a casino and where it was located. That is not the case with gray machines.

State officials have no idea how many thousand skill games and other electronic gaming machines operate in every corner of the state. All are unregulated and untaxed.

Under the bill, skill games could only operate in businesses licensed by Virginia ABC.

No distributor shall locate more than five skill machines in any ABC retail licensee or more than 10 skill game machines in any truck stop, according to the bill. Additionally, no additional electronic gaming devices, except for an amusement device, shall be placed or operated in any other location.

The distributor or manufacturer is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $25,000 nor more than $50,000 per device. And each skill game distributor shall post a $1 million surety bond naming the Va. ABC authority as beneficiary, according to the bill. The Authority may call the bond for any violation of this act or law regulating skill game machines.

Pace-O-Matic, a Georgia-based manufacturer of skill games, supports the legislation, saying its slots-like electronic games require specific skills and differentiate themselves from other machines which it claims are purely games of chance.

We support the legislatures efforts to regulate skill games and tackle the tens of thousands of illegal games that are proliferating across the Commonwealth, according to the statement. If passed, this legislation will not only regulate skill games, but will also allow the Commonwealth to receive over $130 million per year in tax revenue generated by regulating these games and use those funds for efforts such as ending illegal gaming, growing our school system, strengthening our infrastructure, supporting law enforcement and so much more. Pace-O-Matic remains committed to partnering with all those dedicated to supporting small businesses, ending illegal gaming and growing communities across Virginia.

Under the bill, beginning Aug. 15, 2023, and continuing on the 15th of each month thereafter until July 1, 2024, distributors shall remit a monthly tax to the Department of Taxation of $1,200 for each skill game that such distributor provided for play in Virginia during the previous month.

The language also specifies how those funds would be divided.

The casino owners make the case that the state is already on track to receive substantial tax revenues.

Our casino in Bristol currently employees nearly 600 people and will employ 1,200 when the permanent facility opens. These are good-paying jobs, demonstrating that this facility is already a major economic driver for Bristol and the entire region, according to the casino statement. This destination resort will include a $500 million plus capital investment, well in excess of the state requirement of $300 million, all from private funds. The state is projected to collect over $30 million in gaming taxes this year from the Bristol Casino alone and this number will surge upward when the permanent facility opens. In Southwest Virginia the local share of the state gaming tax is equally shared among 14 localities.

With casinos, Virginia has made a thoughtful and targeted policy decision to cultivate the growth of a specific highly regulated industry, at specific locations, requiring local approval. Under this system, the safety and welfare of the general public  including minors  is protected, and our customers benefit from the industrys close oversight and daily on-site supervision by the Virginia Lottery, which has instituted extensive rules and regulations to govern how we operate, according to the statement.
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest network operator in Africa, said that it is set to commence a four times weekly flight between Addis Ababa and the US city of Atlanta from May 16, 2023.



Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: We are truly delighted to open our sixth gateway in North America with the new flight to Atlanta. We have been connecting the U.S. and Africa for 25 years now and the new service will help boost the investment, tourism, diplomatic and socioeconomic bonds between the two regions. As a pan-African carrier, we are committed to further expand our global network and connect Africa with the rest of the word. We are also keen to better serve the U.S. by increasing our destinations and flight frequencies.



Ethiopian Airlines new service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is yet another win for our City as we continue to develop and expand our air service to Africa, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. As we celebrate the new connection of the rich and dynamic cities of Atlanta and Addis Ababa, we look forward to a strong and successful partnership with our new partners in Ethiopia.



Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport General Manager Balram B Bheodari said As the worlds busiest and most efficient airport, our mission is to deliver excellence while connecting our community to the world. This new partnership with Ethiopian Airlines expands that connectivity and access for our passengers and further solidifies our position as an industry leader. We are thrilled to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to ATL.



This announcement is truly significant with Ethiopian Airlines being the biggest African carrier to fly out of ATL. We are the gateway to the world and this collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines further illustrates our global commitment to our passengers and stakeholders, said Deputy General Manager and Chief Commercial Officer Jai Ferrell. We are looking forward to welcoming new and returning passengers to our world-class customer experience as they travel to and through ATL.



Ethiopian Airlines currently operates more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations. Atlanta will be Ethiopian Airlines 5th passenger destination in the US following Chicago, Newark, New York and Washington.  TradeArabia News Service
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  A Bristol Tennessee man is due in court today on a charge of attempted second-degree murder.

Micah Neil Turner, age not given, of Bristol, Tennessee, was charged with attempted second degree murder by the Johnson City Police.

The arrest stems from a Nov. 9, 2022, incident where officers responded to a call of shots fired at 1740 Nathaniel Dr., Johnson City. Upon arrival, officers located a male subject lying on the pavement with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen, police said.

The investigation revealed that the suspect had fled to the Charlottesville, Virginia area after the incident.

Investigators were able to locate Turner in Charlottesville, with the assistance of the Albemarle County Police Department.

On Jan. 6, Turner was released from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail after waiving extradition. He was transported to the Washington County Detention Center in Tennessee, where he is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

Arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday in Washington County General Sessions Court in Tennessee.
A Missouri woman was struck by a car and killed while walking near Maiden on Monday.

Tara Faye Heidemann, 38, of Saint Clair, Missouri, died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle, Brenda Sigmon, 59, of Denver, was not injured, N.C. State Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Casey said in a news release on Thursday.

Here is how authorities say the situation unfolded:

On Monday, shortly before 6 a.m., the N.C. State Highway Patrol responded to a fatal collision in Catawba County on East Maiden Road near Withers Road. A pedestrian, later identified as Heidemann, was walking in the travel lane and was struck by a westbound 2017 Ford Explorer. Heidemann was wearing dark clothing and the road was not lighted, Casey said.

No charges are anticipated in the case, Casey said.

The road was closed for more than two hours during the on-scene investigation. In addition to assistance provided by the Maiden Police Department, the N.C. Department of Transportation set up a detour when the road was closed, Casey said.
The Nation Presidents don't track private house guests. Some want that to change By Matthew Brown The Washington Post Published Jan. 19, 2023

After classified documents from the Obama administration were found at President Joe Biden's Delaware home, top Republicans demanded to see a visitor log for the private residence. A White House spokesman responded that no such log exists because "like every President across decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal." Even as disclosure norms have increased in Washington over time, it's largely up to a president to decide if the public knows whom he meets with, either at the White House, a personal home or elsewhere. Government watchdogs pushing for more transparency have had success in getting the Obama and Biden administrations to voluntarily release visitor logs from the official White House, albeit with a months-long delay and notable omissions. But no president has ever been required to track or announce who visits their private residences. Visitor logs for the White House and other federal agencies can provide insight into the day-to-day work of an administration, revealing which celebrities grace their events and which lobbyists, activists and policy experts are welcomed for counsel. But there are no laws that require a White House to open visitor logs to the public and it was not routine for administrations to regularly publish their logs until the Obama administration did so in its first year. "Visitor logs admittedly are not a silver bullet. You can meet people at the Starbucks across the street from the White House, there are ways around it. But it is really useful for reporters and researchers alike," said Lauren Harper, the director of public policy and open government affairs at the National Security Archive, a watchdog group at George Washington University. Official White House visitor logs are considered presidential records and therefore exempt from requests under the Freedom of Information Act, leading media organizations and government watchdogs to push for access to documents like Secret Service security access logbooks to gain insight into White House happenings. "It's entirely up to each president what they want to release," said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group. "Congress should have a requirement that the president release the logs. There's always going to be a delay but the shorter the delay the better."

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The Clinton and George W. Bush administrations both fought lawsuits from watchdogs over visitor logs by arguing that publishing the records would hurt their ability to conduct daily business. And while the Obama administration was initially praised for its move to greater transparency, watchdog groups and media organizations quickly noted its voluntary system was easily manipulated to hide high-profile or controversial guests.

A 2013 federal appeals court ruling found that White House visitor logs are shielded under presidential executive privilege. The judge who wrote the unanimous court ruling, Merrick Garland, now serves as Biden's attorney general.

The Trump administration ended releasing visitor logs in its first few months in power, citing "the grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually." Watchdog groups called the move preposterous and regularly sued to publish the records, leading to a trickle of Trump-era logs over its four years.

Shortly after taking office, the Biden administration resumed the Obama-era policy of publishing visitor logs several months after meetings occur. Biden also ordered the National Archives to release the Trump White House's visitor logs to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Trump logs likely didn't include virtual meetings or those held at Trump's private properties around the globe.

The presidency is an all-consuming job; the main office of America's leader also serves as their primary residence. The arrangement naturally brings tension between public accountability and personal privacy. When presidents leave the confines of the Oval Office for favorite hideaways and private residences, official business often follows, an informal necessity that watchdog groups say Trump exploited during his presidency.

In 2020, a federal judge ruled that Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort did not have to release records of who visited the Florida estate because it was a private residence, not a government facility. The decision frustrated watchdog groups and Democrats at the time who noted Trump often hosted events with influential donors, political allies and foreign dignitaries at Mar-a-Lago beyond the reach of normal public oversight.

"What you really had were people who were paying for access to the club at Mar-a-Lago, paying to have access to the president, which is the antithesis of the way democracy should run," said Harper, whose organization was a plaintiff in the case.

Biden spends most weekends at his Wilmington home, where he spends time with family and attends his local church.

"The president is never truly off the clock," said Libowitz, whose group was also a plaintiff in the Mar-a-Lago lawsuit. "In the case of an emergency, the president does need certain information available to him. So there's always a certain amount of work that goes back and forth. But there's a difference between the president taking a briefing book to read over and holding high-level meetings with dignitaries."

There has been some push on Capitol Hill to increase transparency around who has access to the president and other top government executives. In the Trump era, Democrats introduced legislation that would have forced Trump to publish White House visitor logs. Republicans now vow to investigate Biden over the improperly stored documents and demand visitor logs from the property despite the White House saying no such records exist.

Watchdog groups, meanwhile, hope that greater public scrutiny of visitor logs at places like the White House will eventually lead to codified rules on disclosure.

"What we'd really love to see is not just a listing of the people who showed up in person but a combination of in-person, phone logs and of video chat logs. That way you have a complete list of everyone who had access to the president or senior officials," Libowitz said.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
Planet D.C. They're getting rid of 'red tape' in Washington. Literally By Danny Freedman The Washington Post Published Jan. 19, 2023

For 25 years, the National Archives has been working to rid itself of government red tape - through its gift shop. We're talking about actual, physical tape: the red-dyed lengths of fabric that were used from the 1780s to the 1980s to bundle many of the nation's documents; and which, according to the Archives, gave rise to "red tape" as shorthand for bureaucratic entanglements. The "tape" the agency is selling off isn't adhesive tape; it's a soft, flat and narrow woven cotton that's snipped from a spool. Red tape eventually was abandoned for white or undyed tape, due to its tendency to bleed, but in its heyday the government used vast amounts of the red stuff: For instance, in 1864 the War Department headquarters purchased 154 miles of red tape, according to the Archives. And even in 1943 the Treasury Department bought nearly 123 miles, a Washington Post article from the time noted. Quite a bit of that mileage landed at the National Archives among its billions of paper records. "I'm not sure how much we have," Jessie Kratz, the Archives's agency historian, says of the red tape. "I don't know if anyone knows. We have a lot." And it's probably a familiar sight at other institutions preserving documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, she says. Before the advent of fasteners like staples and paper clips, red tape and similar materials were used to bind together pages, to keep rolled documents from unfurling, to bundle papers and buttress old books. At the Archives, one common place to find it is knotted around stacks of tri-folded military records, Kratz says, which is how red tape ended up in the gift shop. A volunteer in the 1990s, Robert E. Denney, was unbundling Civil War service records to be microfilmed when he saw an opportunity with a curio that had outlasted its usefulness. In 1997, the store began selling clippings for $5, and its red-tape business is bigger than ever. It's expanded into a line of items, from shadow boxes with tape tied around a Confederate war bond, to inches of fabric encased in acrylic paperweights and pieces bottled in jewelry, including earrings, cuff links and pendants.

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All of the items, except the paperweight, are made by Kevin Clarke, an artist in Petaluma, Calif., who landed the gig on the strength of his work with another metaphorical nuisance: bugs. Trained in conservation biology and archival preparations, his business combines art and entomology - from his appreciative anatomical displays to his butterfly-wing jewelry and dioramas, like the tiny-motorcycle-riding "Weevil Knievel."

Clarke says he was approached about designing red-tape items in 2015 and was intrigued. Tape arrived in a box "like a big ball of old red shoelaces," he says. "It looked like shoelaces that had gone through the wash a hundred times."

They span a spectrum of reds and conditions and lengths; some are knotted, some are stained. There was a learning curve to working with the tape - it requires ironing, for instance, and at first it would discolor or burn when he soldered the jewelry. "But I just love working with something that's an old piece of history that somebody else has touched and utilized," he says. "It was just kind of cool to think about the past that it had."

Jim Doumas, deputy executive director of the National Archives Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the store, says visitors are often struck by those goods, having heard the expression "red tape" countless times but probably never probing its origins. "And then, son of a gun, if I'm not standing in front of red tape that was actually part of an official government document," he says. "I think folks are just floored by that."

Even for some who are well-acquainted with red tape, its proximity to history makes it something of an artifact in its own right. Biographer T.J. Stiles, who's won two Pulitzer prizes and a National Book Award, has encountered quite a bit of red tape in the course of his research. He says that while the presence of the fabric raises the possibility a document hasn't been opened in a long time, if ever, the moment is bittersweet. "Often over time it dries up and turns fragile," Stiles says in an email. "If you try to untie the knot, it crumbles, so the only way to remove it and access the document is to destroy the tape. That's painful, even though the tape itself preserves no information."

William J. Hansard bought a few red-tape charms online last year. A digital collections specialist at the Theodore Roosevelt Center in Dickinson, N.D., who has a doctorate in history, Hansard knew all about red tape. He's delighted that it has been turned into a keepsake. "This thing that once was the bane of our existence," for archivists, for citizens, " . . . now we look upon fondly as an amusing charm - as 'charming,' quite literally."

Red tape has been repurposed before; the Archives's Philadelphia outpost has at least twice, most recently in 2014, collected red tape (among other flotsam) and turned it over to artists.

Sally Willowbee, an artist who participated in the 2014 exhibition by the found-object artist group Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, says she "just fell in love" with the red tape once she learned what it was. For one work, she appended pieces of tape with lines from "The New Colossus," the poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty, and with restrictive language from U.S. immigration laws. She arranged the long, knotted lengths so they hung over a walkway like a beaded curtain.

After the show, Willowbee, of Deptford, N.J., had some red and white tape left over and found another use for it, something of a return to its utilitarian origin: Combining it with other fabric, she crocheted herself a circular bathroom rug.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
A federal Bankruptcy Court judge is giving United Furniture Industries Inc. the opportunity to direct the sale of its assets, but requiring the oversight of a trustee.

Judge Selene Maddox, of the Northern District of Mississippi, ruled Wednesday in favor of Uniteds Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection motion.

Maddox gave herself the discretion to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee. She said she would file by Feb. 1 her memorandum opinion and order.

United made promotional- to mid-priced upholstered furniture in the U.S. under its brand and the Lane Home Furnishings brand. The manufacturer also imported wooden bedroom and dining furniture.

Among its assets is the 850,000-square-foot production facility at 401 W. Hanes Mill Road in Winston-Salem, where it had 271 employees as recently as July.

Wells Fargo & Co., Uniteds largest creditor, filed a motion for Chapter 7 liquidation of the manufacturers assets and the appointment of a bankruptcy trustee.

The bank said in a statement Thursday that it is pleased and agrees with Judge Maddoxs ruling to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee.

This thoughtful decision should offer a transparent, fair and orderly process to administer the estate and maximize asset value to help all of UFIs customers, vendors and creditors.

Wells Fargo said in a Dec. 30 court filing requesting the Chapter 7 liquidation of United that it is owed $99.21 million in secured debt.

However, the bank acknowledged it estimates that any recoveries from liquidation of (Uniteds) collateral will result in a recovery equal to a fraction of this amount.

The United bankruptcy motions are the companys first formal legal response since it unexpectedly shut down on Nov. 22.

The shutdown immediately ended the employment and health insurance benefits of about 530 Triad workers and about 2,700 overall in three states.

Legal maneuvering

Uniteds Chapter 11 motion focuses foremost on how the sale of its assets would be handled.

Wells Fargo claims Uniteds Chapter 11 motion is an exercise in revisionist history and only benefits the manufacturers majority owner, David Belford.

Wells Fargo said Belfords family trust would be a beneficiary of UFIs proposed plan should its bankruptcy case be converted to a proceeding under Chapter 11 ... to the detriment of all creditors.

In its own words, UFIs main goal in bankruptcy is to run a sale process for the companys real-estate portfolio which UFI claims to potentially have in excess of $50 million in unencumbered value.

Wells Fargo disputes that value assessment.

It is unclear who this proposed sale process would benefit other than UFIs real-estate secured creditors and UFIs largest equity holder (Belford), the bank said.

Wells Fargo has pulled no punches in its court filings.

It claims United has performed post-shutdown various instances of conduct found to establish a lack of integrity, gross mismanagement, ongoing incompetence, and conflicts of interest involving Belford, and lack of credibility and creditor confidence.

Belford made the decision to shut down United.

United claims Wells Fargos motion for an interim trustee was filed solely to hinder the companys liquidation plan and that there is zero proof whatsoever of fraud, dishonesty or gross management by Uniteds owner, board of directors or executive team.

United said it hired Kimberly Harper as chief financial officer on Dec. 1 to lead its attempt to wind down the company ... to preserve the companys assets, prevent loss to the estate and develop a strategy to maximize the companys value to all stakeholders.

Those steps involve Harper negotiating with creditors and handling human resources issues. United cited the hiring of a chief restructuring officer and an outside general counsel.

As such, United claimed that the Wells Fargo motion for an interim trustee is unnecessary.

United filed on Jan. 6 its response to Wells Fargos petition, saying it is founded upon false and misleading statements and is premised on inaccurate and grossly misleading allegation.

According to a court filing, United has committed at least $10 million toward the Chapter 11 process, which Wells Fargo said is insufficient.

Wells Fargo said that immediate steps must be taken to install an (interim bankruptcy) trustee to immediately take control of, and with Wells Fargos assistance, liquidate the alleged debtors assets in order to preserve and maximize the value of UFIs assets for the benefit of all creditors.

Moreover, the magnitude of claims and issues are accelerating, Wells Fargo said, and a Chapter 11 process is impossible in this case with UFI having been shut down for more than 50 days, irrevocably damaging the value of any going concern sale prospects.
Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities to lower their flags half-staff immediately until sunset on Friday in honor of former North Carolina House of Representative Annie Brown Kennedy, who died on Tuesday.

Kennedy, of Winston-Salem, was the second Black female attorney in North Carolina and served as the first Black female presidential elector in 1976 for the state. Gov. Jim Hunt appointed Annie Kennedy to represent N.C. House District 29 in 1979 to fill a vacated seat. She later represented the 66th district in North Carolina's state House. She was the first Black woman to serve in the N.C. General Assembly.

"My friend, Rep. Annie Brown Kennedy, was an extraordinary public servant who paved the way for future leaders in our state as the first African American woman to serve in the NC General Assembly," Cooper said. "Our prayers are with her family and loved ones at this time."

Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions were also encouraged to fly flags at half-staff for the indicated time.
The day outwardly didnt hold much promise for Karel Chandler.

The weather, as it tends to this time of year, was sodden. Clouds hung low and heavy over a cold, gray morning.

The holidays hovered over the calendar, so that made Chandlers job at the Educator Warehouse  a one-stop shop that affords teachers in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools a free way to replenish precious classroom supplies  that much harder.

People dont think about us that much this time of year, Chandler said. July and August, back-to-school time, sure.

And thats unfortunate.

Chandler wouldnt say so directly, but the warehouse, which has for years lightened the financial load on thousands of teachers known to spend hundreds of their own hard-earned dollars helping students, has fallen on tough times itself.

A full blown existential crisis may be a way off, but Chandler, a volunteer from the beginning, can see it from where she stands.

Making do

The Educator Warehouse, for those who dont know, is housed inside a modular building on the campus of Diggs-Latham Elementary School.

In its 11th year, the warehouse is the largest of several initiatives backed by the nonprofit Forsyth Education Partnership intended to support schools  and their overworked, underpaid classroom frontline employees.

The idea, as Chandler explained on a dreary weekend, is simple: Allow teachers to swing by once a quarter to replenish sorely needed supplies.

If its been a while since youve been in a public school, particularly one in which students face overwhelming social and economic challenges, the warehouse is surely among the best, most important hyper-local support systems.

The kids at Sherwood Forest and Whitaker elementary schools arent left wanting; the PTAs there do a bang-up job. Their counterparts at, say, Forest Park or Cook, make do with less.

Anyhow, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, some 94 percent of public-school teachers spend about $500 of their own money every year making sure their students have such basics as pens, paper, erasers and markers.

Teachers have also been known to shell out for display items  older people, think multiplication tables or social-studies posters telling simple stories about presidents  to spruce up their rooms.

Inside the pod at Diggs-Lathan, rooms toward the front are organized by subject matter where teachers can spend points theyre allotted for a variety of materials, most of it donated by individuals and local businesses.

Data compiled by the Educator Warehouse shows that the program is used by more than 1,500 teachers, providing more than $150,000 in school supplies for more than 18,000 students.

Thats an amazing community asset. But without fresh injections of time and resources, Chandler said, hard times are coming.

Year-end grind

As anyone whos invested time, sweat and energy into supporting such work can attest, keeping even the best nonprofits afloat is a grind.

Grants must be written over and over again. Fresh appeals to potential volunteers  and donors  are near constant. And when the overall economy slows (or tanks), the first to feel the pinch is often nonprofit organizations.

Grants are usually for three years at a time, Chandler said. The cycle (for a lot of supporting organizations) seems to be five to eight years before they move on to another cause.

For the Educator Warehouse, at a time of year when school needs can often be overlooked, that means a fresh scramble.

Chandler estimated the warehouse annual budget to be about $40,000; much of the material comes via donations. Direct financial support can be more difficult to come by.

Exhibit A of difficulties is the fact that the Educator Warehouse was forced to lay off a paid, part-time manager.

Were under financial difficulties, as they say, Chandler said.

Still, despite the winter slowdown, shes hopeful that once word spreads about the fresh challenges facing the Educator Warehouse that big-hearted souls (and their companies) in the community will emerge.

If I can get two or three (homegrown businesses) onboard, wed be happy to name some rooms after them, said Chandler only half-jokingly.

Jo-Ann fabrics and crafts room, where art supplies are stored, is one such example.

We have good people who come back time after time to donate (supplies), she said. Its hard this time of year. Everybody (nonprofits) makes appeals for those year-end donations and were no different.
Made it to Thursday. Thats all we got today.

Mike Barok didnt intend to stand the way he did one recent Tuesday night while leaning on the railing lining a small rink in Greensboros LeBauer Park.

But between encouraging his friends who were sliding 38 pound stones down the ice - sometimes its a fine line between constructive criticisms and heckling - and his very bright orange and black Cincinnati Bengals jacket and toboggan (or toque as Canadians call them) he did stick out.

Nice block, he offered helpfully following one throw. If you actually meant to do that.

Barok and nearly 30 other curling aficionados turn out to the park each Tuesday to participate in a literal beer-league sport that seeps into national consciousness during the Winter Olympics.

Naturally I spoke to Barok first as I, too, suffer from the same chronic affliction having grown up in Louisville just down the mighty Ohio from the actual Queen City. Until recently, being a Bengals fan is like chicken pox. You contract it during childhood, it drives you batty and tends to leave small scars.

But I digress.

The league has been around since the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea after a handful of locals took a shine to what theyd seen on the tube.

It looked like fun so we tried it in the kitchen with a broom, said Alex Pegg, a native of Kernersville, around since the start. It sort of evolved from there.

A lack of gear didnt deter them much. The first few years, players used handmade stones they crafted from kitchen pots and concrete blocks.

A recent donation of actual, honest-to-goodness outdoor sliding stones was very much appreciated.

The bottom line is this: While it looks strange, the participants - curlers? - are enjoying each others company with an obscure sport. They hoist a few beers, fill downtown Greensboros neat little park with activity on winter Tuesdays and have managed to create a neat little community.

And heckling is not just tolerated; its encouraged.

Now, Thursdays Two Things.

Political comings and goings

WINSTON-SALEM - The political class, local and state, was unusually active Wednesday and managed to make a few headlines.

Some were wanted, others not so much.

First, Councilman Jeff MacIntosh of Winstons Northwest Ward announced that he would not run for re-election.

The job can be time-consuming and thankless, least of all because people like me pay attention to what theyre up to, so if no one else thinks to do so, thanks for serving, Jeff.

Down in Raleigh, to the surprise of absolutely no one, ambitious Attorney General Josh Stein let on that he would in fact be a Democratic governor.

The initials AG stand for aspiring governor as much as attorney general.

Under the heading unwanted headline, state Auditor Beth Wood, a Democrat, was cited by Raleigh police for unsafe movement after leaving the scene of an accident Dec. 8.

Its far too early to know if a fickle voting public will hold it against her - or even remember - but the citation does vaguely resemble that time Richard the King Petty, while a candidate for secretary of state in 1996, repeatedly bumped from behind a slowpoke driver on Interstate 85.

Petty, by the way, was charged with hit and run and reckless driving for a maneuver hed no doubt perfected on the race track over decades.

That one didnt work out so well politically speaking.

First world problems

GREENSBORO - Deputy City Manager Chris Wilson, it would seem, is rather vexed by the Gate Citys antiquated leaf collection system.

Per a report in the N&R, city officials including Wilson see a system that requires vacuuming mountains of rotting vegetation from the curb, where it can cause problems with flooding, traffic and parking, collecting leaves from garbage cans and physically picking up leaves stuffed in plastic bags.

Id love to get the plastic (bags) off the table, Wilson said. I think that is problematic from an environmental perspective.

Folk in Greensboro are not alone. More than a few Winston-Salem residents grouse annually about fetid leaf mountains left to fester for weeks, if not months, in neighborhoods.

All things considered, though, if leaves are the biggest hassles, local governments are doing something right or were focused on the wrong things.

Just a thought.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Atlantic Coast Hospitality, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based real estate development firm Q Holding, have announces plans for the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, scheduled to open in 2023.



Kasr Al Bahr, meaning castle of the sea, was built as a sprawling royal summer palace in the 19th century, later becoming a military hospital prior to closing in 1999. Following extensive renovations of the five-hectare (12-acre) cliffside retreat, Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will usher in a new era for the historic property with 204 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.



As Four Seasons continues to grow its presence in Morocco, we are proud to build upon the success of our existing properties in Marrakech and Casablanca while introducing a complementary experience, this time in the nations capital city, said Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.



We are honoured that our partners at Atlantic Coast Hospitality have chosen Four Seasons as the stewards of Kasr Al Bahr, and we look forward to introducing guests to this dynamic destination through a new luxury hospitality experience marked by our renowned personalized service and quality excellence.



Rabat, Moroccos capital city, is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and effortlessly blends the treasures of its past with dynamic offerings for the modern luxury traveller. Visitors will also, bustling music festivals, and more than 202 hectares (500 acres) of green space comprised of tranquil parks.



As we transform Kasr Al Bahr for the future, we are proud to showcase Rabats history and culture while creating a world-class hospitality experience for all who visit, said Malik Awan, Director, Q Holding. Four Seasons is the ideal partner for this important project, and together we are dedicated to honouring this exceptional property while offering guests the service and experiences they have grown to expect from this legendary brand.



Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will feature seven restaurants and lounges; a spa with well-appointed treatment rooms and an indoor pool; several outdoor resort-style pools; as well as expansive conference and event space. The Hotels thoughtful restoration has been led by Moroccan-based architect Karim Chakor of META Atelier d'Architecture, while Roger Nazarian and Associates have been selected to lead the propertys interior design, landscaping and more.



The Hotel will be led by Gregory Viaud as General Manager. With more than 19 years of experience across a broad collection of Four Seasons properties globally, Gregory will manage the Hotels pre-opening operations, the second in his career following his assignment at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center. Most recently, Gregory was the Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.



Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will join Four Seasons growing collection of properties in Morocco, including Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca and Four Seasons Private Residences Marrakech at M Avenue.



With easy access to key international and regional hubs, the Hotel will be a 20-minute drive from RabatSale Airport and 90 minutes from Casablancas Mohammed V International Airport. Visitors can also utilize Moroccos high-speed train network for seamless journeys from Rabat to the key commerce hubs of Casablanca (45 minutes) and the white beaches of Tangier (1 hour 45 minutes).  TradeArabia News Service
The 4-year-old Mount Airy boy whose adoptive parents are charged in his death suffered a hypoxic/anoxic brain injury, according to an application for a search warrant of the familys home.

Skyler Wilson died Jan. 9, four days after he was taken to Brenners Children Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Joseph Joe Paul Wilson, 41, and Jodi Ann Wilson, 38, both of Mount Airy were arrested Jan. 13 and each charged with murder in connection with Skylers death, the Surry County Sheriffs Office said.

Joe Wilson had worked in Mount Airy as a chiropractor at Affordable Wellness, according to the business Facebook page.

Anoxic brain injuries are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, and hypoxic brain injuries are caused by a restriction on oxygen, the court documents say. The restricted flow of oxygen causes the gradual impairment and death of brain cells.

The Surry County Sheriffs Office was contacted Jan. 6, by the Department of Social Services while Skyler was a patient at the hospital.

A sheriffs detective spoke with a doctor at the hospital who, in turn, had interviewed Joe Wilson, the court documents say. Wilson told the doctor that his wife uses the parenting technique from Nancy Thomas called swaddling, according to the documents. The sheriffs office didnt respond to a question about Thomas.

Jodi Wilson texted her husband at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5, saying that something had happened with the swaddling with Tyler, the application for the search warrant says. Jodi Wilson told Joe Wilson that something was wrong with their sons arms.

Joe Wilson told the doctor that he and his wife put Skyler down for the night at 6:45 p.m. in a wagon that the parents used as a bed for Skyler, the documents say. About 20 minutes later, couple heard their son wiggling in the wagon.

Jodi Wilson then attempted to stand Skyler up, but the boy fell over, according to the court documents. When Joe Wilson attempted to put Skyler on a couch, the boy was rigid and semi-responsive.

Skyler drank two sips of water, but he refused a third sip, the documents say. Joe and Jodi Wilson then attempted to pour water into Skylers mouth.

Joseph then said there was nothing else that he could do, and that he needed to call somebody, the court filing says.

At 8:19 p.m. Jan. 5, Joe Wilson called 911 and told dispatchers that Skyler was having a seizure. An investigator listened to the 911 call and heard a woman in the background say, Its my fault, according to the application for the search warrant.

When Surry County emergency medical technicians arrived at the scene, Skyler was unresponsive and not breathing, the filing says.

The doctor at Brenners Children Hospital told an investigator that Skylers brain injuries were consistent with too much restriction used during a swaddling technique.

On Jan. 6, investigators executive a search warrant the Wilsons home in Mount Airy. Detectives saw wrist and ankle support straps and braces as well as cameras in the homes basement, the records show, but investigators didnt know that those items would be evidence in the case.

Joe Wilson later told investigators that the wrist and ankle straps were used to restrain Skyler during the swaddling process, according to the court papers.

Investigators searched the Wilsons home a second time on Jan. 9, and they seized a desktop computer, journals documenting acts committed against the children, drawings, handwritten letters, and thumb drives, according to the court filing. Investigators described the seized items as evidence in their child-abuse investigation.

The Wilsons other children are in the custody of the Surry County Department of Social Services, the sheriffs office said.

Court records show that the Wilsons have waived their rights to have court-appointed attorneys.

District Attorney Tim Watson of Surry County could be reached Wednesday to comment on the case.

The Wilsons are being held in the Surry County Jail with no bond allowed for either of them, the sheriffs office said. The two are scheduled to appear Feb. 2 in Surry District Court.
SAN DIEGO  Current events make me glad that Im  as the title of my podcast suggests  Ruben in the Center.

I despise both parties. Neither my liberal friends nor my conservative ones get angry at me for saying that. What bothers them is when I add, And often, I cant tell them apart.

My friends in both parties have much invested in trying to convince contributors and voters that there are major differences between the parties. But what theyre talking about are policies; e.g., only liberals care about climate change, and only conservatives care about the security of the U.S.-Mexico border. Send your checks, folks!

I dont put much stock in policies. Positions change. Promises get broken. Politicians are chameleons; they know how to survive.

While serving in the California State Assembly in the early 2000s, Kevin McCarthy was considered a moderate on immigration who was eager to make peace with Latinos after the state GOP alienated them. Today, the new House speaker falsely claims that the border is open and threatens to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to seal the border. He knows better.

In 1994, Joe Biden  then a Democratic senator from Delaware who pandered to working-class whites  teamed up with a law enforcement group to write a racist crime bill that fueled the mass incarceration of African Americans. Today, President Biden  who chose Black women to serve as vice president and a Supreme Court justice  is forever making overtures to African Americans and aspires to be one of the most racially sensitive presidents in U.S. history.

You cant count on policies. The only thing that matters is character. And sadly, that is in short supply in the politics of today.

Nothing could better drive home that point than the scandal involving Bidens sloppy handling of what appear to be Obama-era classified documents. According to the White House, four batches of documents have been uncovered so far: a small number on Nov. 2 in a Washington office at the Penn Biden Center used by Biden after he was vice president, another set in the garage of his Wilmington, Del., residence on Dec. 20, a single classified document in a room adjacent to the garage on Jan. 11, and five more pages in the Wilmington house on Jan. 12.

Biden insisted at one point that he didnt know about the documents. Of course, later  at a different point  he knew enough about the documents to assure reporters that they were safe and sound in a locked garage alongside his Corvette.

In Washington, moral consistency is just another highfalutin phrase lawmakers in both parties shrug off as quaint.

It seems like only yesterday  or more precisely, August  that Republicans intent on protecting their own insisted that former president Donald Trump improperly warehousing classified material, including top-secret documents, at his private residence at Mar-a-Lago was no big deal. Besides, they said, the American public didnt care about any of that as much as they did the price of milk.

Meanwhile, Democrats claimed to be outraged and insisted that this sort of offense was a reckless and irresponsible breach of national security that would surely cause the collapse of the republic if Trump werent severely punished  and preferably barred from ever again holding elective office. And yes, they argued, the American people do care about keeping classified documents secured.

But that was then. This is now. The two parties have flipped the script and taken to reciting each others dialogue. Republicans now see the wisdom in coming down hard on any former vice president or current president who mishandled classified documents, and some Democrats are already making the argument that the American people dont care about this kerfluffle nearly as much as they do about the price of eggs.

Of course the parties will push back. Republicans will dismiss any comparison between what Trump did and what Biden did. Democrats will do the same for wildly different reasons.

See what I mean? These two siblings were separated at birth.

Look, the circumstances are different. But the root is the same. This is about a person in a very high place taking home classified documents that were supposed to be turned over to the National Archives.

Trump and Biden now have special prosecutors investigating them and their behavior. Both men are under clouds.

Maybe there is a silver lining  or two. Maybe both parties will emerge from these scandals a tad chastened. Maybe, in the future, they wont be so quick to delight in the misfortune of opponents, because, given the cyclical nature of politics, its likely their turn will come.
Neuroinfectious Disease Experts Heed Anthony Fauci's Farewell Message The Next Public Health Emergency Could Be Right Around the Corner

Article In Brief

Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, neurologists say an appreciation for the effects infectious diseases can have on the brain and peripheral nervous system is growing. But more training programs and a better infrastructure for addressing emerging diseases that have neurologic complications are sorely needed.

When Anthony Fauci, MD, retired last month after 38 years of breakthroughs and innovations at the helm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), he left the field with this message: The devastation that COVID-19 has inflicted globally...highlights the world's overall lack of public health preparedness for an outbreak of this magnitude...., he wrote in an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine. There is no reason to believe that the threat of emerging infections will diminish, since their underlying causes are present and most likely increasing.

As neurologists struggle to understand and treat the primarily neurologic symptoms of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), Dr. Fauci's message resonates strongly, they told Neurology Today. The next neuroinfectious pandemic could be right around the corner, and they are not nearly as prepared as they ought to be.

Allison Navis, MD, assistant professor in the division of neuroinfectious disease at the Icahn School of Medicine, said the question is not if, but when, another pandemic will emerge that causes severe neurologic morbidity. Yet, she said, There are very few neuroinfectious disease programs, and few rehabilitation programs. Pre-pandemic, nobody knew what I did. It's a little better now, but we still don't have a neuroinfectious disease society. There is so much more work to do.

Part of the problem might be, experts said, that the subspecialty is not as clearly defined. Neuroinfectious disease has not been taken as seriously as it deserves, said Avindra Nath, MD, FAAN, senior investigator in the section of infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). It doesn't fall clearly in neurology; it doesn't fall directly in infectious disease. It falls through the cracks.

Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, however, an appreciation for the effects of infectious diseases on the brain and peripheral nervous system is growing, said Walter Koroshetz, MD, FAAN, director of NINDS.

The most obvious improvement is that for years people doubted that there was any such thing as a post-infectious neurological condition, he said. That fact is now pretty much accepted. I don't think anyone questions that today.

NINDS is now gearing up to run clinical trials, he said, to test therapies for people who have persistent cognitive or other neurologic effects of COVID-19. Pathological studies are likewise underway to investigate the mechanisms behind PASC, he said.

We don't have all the answers, Dr. Koroshetz said. But we definitely are learning more about the neurological effects of COVID-19 and other viruses.

Keith Van Haren, MD, an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at Stanford University, said he sees a growing appreciation for the importance of neuroinfectious diseases among younger physicians.

I do see a growing interest among the younger generation of trainees, Dr. Van Haren said. But I agree with Dr. Nath that it feels like the clinical and scientific community are still feeling our way around the edges of something that is much larger than we had appreciated.

Long Time in Coming

The pandemic exposed some systemic shortcomings. Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Nath said, he was unable to find a facility equipped to safely perform brain autopsies. Likewise, nowhere on the NIH campus was there a biosafety level 3 laboratory prepared to safely process samples or conduct research with live virus.

The one we had was being used for storage, Dr. Nath said. It took them almost nine months before they could get it up and running again.

As a result, he said, for months it was impossible to obtain brain samples to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 virus was present there.

Nobody would do the autopsies, he said. They were afraid of the dust that would go into the air from sawing the skull. You need a negative-pressure room, a vacuum saw, PPE [personal protective equipment], and stainless steel-mesh gloves so you don't cut your fingers. Nobody was set up for it. Now finally a number of places have everything they need.

COVID-19 is hardly the first virus whose impact on the nervous system scientists initially failed to appreciate.

When the AIDS pandemic started, patients were getting demented, but people said it was just because they were so sick, Dr. Nath said. It took many years to convince people that actually HIV does go into the brain and affects the brain. The same thing happened when Ebola came around. Everybody was focused on the diarrhea. When I went to Liberia, I found that nearly 50 percent of survivors had meningoencephalitis.

Likewise, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, everyone focused on its effects on the lungs, Dr. Nath said. It took a long while before the effects on the brain were understood. Every time, the focus is on the primary symptoms, not what's happening in the brain.

Although slow in starting, research into the neurologic effects of COVID-19 received a large boost in September 2021 when NIH awarded nearly $470 million in funding to build a national study of PASC. The NIH REsearch COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, will involve over 100 researchers at 30 universities. The goal is to determine why some people develop PASC and its most common symptoms, most of which are neurologic: pain, headache, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

I don't think we have any good idea what causes it, said Dr. Navis, who spent over a year working as the primary neurologist in Mount Sinai Health System's COVID-19 clinic. I firmly believe there are a lot of things that cause it. It's not the same for any two people. And we don't really have effective treatment options.

Other research programs, however, are beginning to pay off. Dr. Koroshetz pointed to the UK Biobanks study, published earlier last year in Nature, which described brain-volume changes after COVID-19. That study identified post-infection shrinkages compared to controls in global brain size and reduction of grey matter thickness in regions connected to the primary olfactory cortex.

What we don't know, Dr. Koroshetz said, is whether all these changes are simply due to loss of smell, because pre-pandemic, cross-sectional MRI studies showed similar changes due to decreased neural input in people who lost their sense of smell due to trauma or infection.

Another study, published in March 2021 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, used both human tissue and a mouse model to demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the brain. But, Dr. Koroshetz said, The role of active infection in the brain itself remains controversial. Even now, however, the definition of what constitutes long COVID is relatively fuzzy, Dr. Nath said.

The problem is that long COVID is a term coined by patients, not by physicians, he said. It's a mixed bag of clinical phenotypes, not a single disease. There are people with sleep disorders, psychiatric manifestations, brain fog, all kinds of things.

Moving Forward

Topping Dr. Navis's wish list for strengthening the study and treatment of neuro-infectious diseases is the expansion of research opportunities.

Research is the number one thing we need, in infectious diseases in general and neuroinfectious diseases in particular, Dr. Navis said. We don't have enough good treatments, or enough specialists.

Neuro-rehabilitation programs are also too scarce, she said. Even here in New York City, there is a huge wait list to get into any outpatient clinic, I can't imagine what it's like in places around the country where there is less health care available generally.

Dr. Nath said he believes that every state in the country should have at least one autopsy facility capable of safely accessing the brain in order to respond to neuroinfectious disease outbreaks.

The whole way of how we do autopsies needs to be thought through entirely differently, he said. Let's say there's an outbreak in North Dakota. They should be in the position to do a high-risk autopsy. Setting up the infrastructure is going to cost a fair amount of money. But once you have it iin place, it can be used or lots of things. It should become routine practice.

More antiviral medications also are necessary to better respond to neuroinfectious diseases, Dr. Koroshetz said.

The trouble is the infections happen so fast, he said. It's almost like an acute stroke. It would be amazing if we had better antivirals. Unfortunately, not much research is going on in that area. NIAID gravitates much more toward making vaccines.

Although some of the major drug companies are working on antiviral medications, it's rare for them to test whether the drugs cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), Dr. Nath said.

From a neurological standpoint, it's very important for us to know that an antiviral drug can cross the BBB, he said. Right now they can get approval from the FDA for treating systemic infections. It's not a requirement that they test for crossing the BBB.

Despite the challenges, Dr. Nath is engaged in a number of studies into the neurologic effects of COVID-19.

We've been screening people who have cognitive deficits following an infection, he said. We bring them to NIH to do MRIs, spinal taps and cognitive batteries and to take blood and other bodily fluids. We're looking for immune abnormalities and any evidence of viral products, proteins or RNA.

Dr. Nath is leading a randomized trial comparing intravenous immunoglobulin with placebo in people with immune abnormalities and cognitive deficits associated with PASC.

We're gearing up to do clinical trials, to have master protocols to test therapies for people who have cognitive problems or exercise intolerance, Dr. Koroshetz said. There's a lot going on in that space right now. We also welcome applications from people outside NIH. Anybody who has good ideas about how to get to the bottom of this, we're very interested.

Perhaps the main lesson of COVID-19 for neurologists and other physicians can be summed up by how Dr. Fauci concluded his essay in the New England Journal of Medicine: It is now clear that emerging infectious diseases are truly a perpetual challenge, he wrote.
Zach Bryan will play Pinnacle Bank Arena on Aug. 29.

One of the breakout stars of the last year, Bryan will be making his Lincoln debut at the concert that is set for the 10th anniversary of the arenas ribbon-cutting.

"We are thrilled to host Zach Bryan as the official Pinnacle Bank Arena 10-year anniversary concert," said Charlie Schilling, the arena's director of booking. "We thank Zach for coming to Lincoln to make this a special concert."

Last May, Bryan, a Navy veteran who put out his first albums while he was still in the service, released American Heartbreak, a sprawling 34-song country-folk album that still sits No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart 33 weeks after its release.

Last fall, Bryan played Westfair Amphitheater near Council Bluffs, Iowa, and appeared on the hit TV series Yellowstone," performing Motorcycle Drive-By, Quittin Time and Summertime Blues, all from the nine-song EP the prolific artist released in July.

In November, Bryan received his first Grammy nomination in the best country solo performance category. His nominated song, Something in The Orange, has more than 131 million streams on Spotify alone, even though it wasnt a radio hit.

In spite of that, and the fact that his music is filled with fiddle and banjo, Bryan is ambivalent about being strictly characterized as country," telling the New York Times last year: I think people understand that Im not that. I want to be in that Springsteen, Kings of Leon, Ed Sheeran at-the-very-beginning space.

On Christmas Eve, Bryan released All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live from Red Rocks), a 24-song recording of his show on a frigid November night at the Colorado venue that was accompanied by a statement from Bryan about its title.

Seems like there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately," Bryan wrote. I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of 400 bucks to be there and Im done with it. Ive decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which Ive done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets dont have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show 

"I am so tired of people saying things cant be done about this massive issue while huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working-class people.

With the Lincoln show, Bryan is putting his money where his mouth is, with tickets starting at $39.95 and utilizing the Fair AXS system to reduce fraudulent and duplicated purchases.

Fans can register for the chance to purchase tickets via Fair AXS at axs.com/zachbryan by 9 p.m. Jan. 29.

After the registration period concludes, AXS will work to ensure any suspicious, fraudulent or duplicated registrations are removed. Fans who registered will then be randomly selected for the chance to purchase tickets in batches starting Feb. 13. If a fan has been selected to purchase tickets, they will be notified via email.

Bryans show is the seventh concert announced for the arena this year. The others are: Blake Shelton, Feb. 16; Journey, March 25; Mercy Me, March 26; Morgan Wallen, April 29; Kenny Chesney, May 13; and Shania Twain, May 19.

Photos: Luke Bryan plays concert in Nebraska farm field Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert Luke Bryan concert
A short online survey is now open that gives Nebraskans a measure of input into the search for their state's next commissioner of education.

The survey questions don't drill down into the contentious issues that have rocked public education the past few years.

Survey-takers can list what they believe are the three greatest challenges the new commissioner will face.

They also can state whether they agree or disagree with a list of characteristics members of the Nebraska State Board of Education identified as important in the next commissioner.

The list includes such attributes as "ability to make difficult decisions," "prioritizes academic achievement" and "energetic and hard worker."

Survey results will be used to help guide the selection of the finalists for the position, according to the Nebraska Department of Education.

The survey can be found on the homepage of the department's website at education.ne.gov. Responses must be entered by Jan. 31.

Board members are looking to replace Matt Blomstedt, who resigned Jan. 3.

Members designated Deputy Commissioner Deborah Frison to fulfill the duties of the commissioner until the next commissioner is hired.

The commissioner will be chosen by the board. Board members hired McPherson & Jacobson to perform a nationwide search to find a pool of candidates for the position.

The timeline calls for the board to select a commissioner the week of April 3 and to get that person onboard by July 1.

The Lincoln Journal Star's top photos from 2022
BURLINGTON  The principal of Burlington High School has resigned after just six months on the job.

Jason Sadowski, who began his role in July, cited unspecific personal reasons for resigning from the $125,000-a-year position.

Sadowski submitted his resignation Tuesday, effective immediately, to Jamie Rook, the school districts human resources director.

Burlington school board member Kevin Bird said he has received no information regarding Sadowski, except that the principal had stepped down for personal reasons.

I guess Im shocked, he said. I thought he was really good guy.

Another school board member, Marlo Brown, also said he has received no other details about the circumstances surrounding Sadowskis resignation.

Am I surprised? Sure, Brown said.

The school board is scheduled to meet Feb. 13, when Sadowskis resignation could be presented for approval.

Burlington Area School District Superintendent Steve Plank sent a letter to parents Tuesday notifying them of Sadowskis resignation.

Plank assured parents that the school would continue under the interim leadership of associate principals Amy Levonian and Reid Oldenburg, as well as other administrators.

The superintendent provided no explanation for Sadowskis departure.

We wish Mr. Sadowski well in his future endeavors, and we appreciate his service at Burlington High School, Plank wrote to parents. District administration will consider the next steps for distributing the principal responsibilities to ensure the continuity of your students educational experience.

Sadowski could not be reached for comment.

He was hired last spring to replace Eric Burling, who retired after more than 30 years in the district, including the past 10 as high school principal.

Burling earned a salary of $120,620 a year before his retirement.

A former math teacher, Sadowski came from the Waukesha School District, where he had been principal of Butler Middle School for 10 years. He has a masters degree in education from Cardinal Stritch University, a private school in Milwaukee.

Burlington school board members approved Sadowskis hiring April 11, and he took over the principals job effective July 1.

School district spokeswoman Julie Thomas said the district would provide no information beyond what the superintendent included in his letter to parents.

In an email, Thomas reiterated that the administration is appreciative of Sadowskis service.

We respect his decision, she wrote.

School Board President Peter Turke declined to comment about Sadowskis resignation, but he expressed confidence that district administration could respond and ensure continuity in the schools day-to-day operations.

Turke noted that he has two children attending the high school.

As a parent, I have no concerns, he said.

Referring to other administrators, Turke added, I know theyre going to work hard to provide a high quality of service.

Collection: Photos of smiling Burlington High School graduates at Class of 2022 ceremony Burlington High School graduate Mackenzie Perez waves during commencement Burlington High School graduate Brady Bjurstrom at 2022 commencement Parents and others fill the grandstands at Burlington High School graduation 2022 Burlington High School graduates arrive for graduation ceremonies Jonathan Morrell joins fellow graduates at Burlington High School graduation 2022 Student chorus performs at Burlington High School 2022 graduation ceremony Graduate Kyah Schwantes makes a colorful entrance at Burlington High School ceremony Graduating seniors arrive at Burlington High School for 2022 graduation ceremony Student band performs as ceremony gets started at Burlington High School graduation
WATERFORD  A candidate for Waterford municipal judge is dropping out of the race, but his name will remain on the ballot.

Noah Wishau, who serves on the Waterford Graded School Board, said he wants to avoid any possible conflict with holding two elected positions simultaneously.

Wishau qualified to be on the April 4 ballot, but he wants voters to cast their ballots for his opponent, Robert Jones.

Both Wishau and Jones jumped into the race after longtime Municipal Judge Gregory Miller announced he was stepping down after more than 35 years on the job.

The part-time judge serves a four-year term at an annual salary of $9,621 and oversees monthly Municipal Court sessions for local ordinance violations.

Village Clerk Rachel Ladewig said it is too late to change the ballot that voters will see April 4, which will have Wishau listed first and Jones second.

Wishau said he initially thought he could continue on the school board while serving in the judges position. However, he later learned that Wisconsin Supreme Court rules prevent sitting judges from seeking another office if they spend more than 40 hours per year presiding over cases in court.

The dual role in local government would not have become an issue unless Wishau won the judges race and then decided to run for re-election to the school board next year.

Wishau said he could have served as judge for a year before having to make a choice.

But, he said, Thats not fair to the voters or anyone else.

In photos: Crowd enjoys sunny skies at Celebrate Waterford street festival Brad Connor and his daughter, Aspen, visit a calf at Celebrate Waterford festival Grandfather Pete Skorstad shows his grandson the bags game cornhole in Waterford Leslie Babcox with her dog Sadie at the Celebrate Waterford festival Sisters Charlie and Joey Cade enjoy cotton candy at Celebrate Waterford festival Bonny Vermiglio with grandkids in jumbo stroller at Celebrate Waterford festival Three-wheeled bike racers Brodie Shepstone and Aubrey McGaughy at Celebrate Waterford American flags line the sidewalk during Celebrate Waterford street festival Science teacher Elizabeth Wellner greets patrons at Celebrate Waterford festival Joe Balzrina and grandson Vincent at Celebrate Waterford festival Grilled cheese sandwich vendor Rilynn Dlobik at Celebrate Waterford festival Doretta Stahl fills up build-your-own stuffed animals for kids at Celebrate Waterford Cotton candy lady Paula Heinz spins a fresh roll at Celebrate Waterford festival Michael Robinson and mother Celene Robinson at Celebrate Waterford festival Gina Sottile and grandson check out donkeys at Celebrate Waterford petting zoo Aubrey McGaughy rides a three-wheeled bicycle in a race at Celebrate Waterford Easton Tennessen, 2, rides a miniature tractor at Celebrate Waterford festival
RACINE  In an emotionally fraught City Council meeting, the issue of wage and benefit increases for staff of the Racine Public Library was discussed for nearly two hours.

Ultimately, the City Council voted to adopt a resolution encouraging the Racine Public Library Board of Trustees to allow library employees to have the wage and benefit increases all the other city employees received.

However, the library Board of Trustees is not obligated to incorporate those raises into its budget.

The library board voted against implementing the wage and benefit increase, expressing concerns the City Council patched together its budget using one-time funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The library boards primary concern was that wage increases could not be sustained in the future, leading to layoffs at the library.

The resolution passed by a vote of 85. Voting in opposition were Aldermen Melissa Kaprelian, Henry Perez, Jeffrey Peterson, Terry McCarthy and Jeff Coe. Alicia Jarrett abstained from the vote, and Marcus West was excused.

There are 65 people employed at the library. The city budgeted $125,000 for wage and benefit increases.

The library Board of Trustees could use the money for bonuses, rather than wage increases. The trustees gave a one-time bonus last year.

If those funds are not used by the library, they will be reincorporated into city coffers at the end of the year.

Library board

The Board of Trustees is in charge of the librarys budget, and its members are under no obligation to implement the wage increase.

In fact, the librarys Board of Trustees voted down the 3% wage differential for employees who live in the city  a benefit all other city employees receive  in Dec. 2021.

Those who work at the library are city employees, and there were council members who expressed their dismay that library staff would not get the wage and benefit increases that every other city employee received.

Alderman Natalia Taft, a co-sponsor of the resolution, was one of those who encouraged passage of the resolution for that reason.

Employees

Employees of the library used the public comment period to be heard on the issue for the first time, they claimed. There were repeated allegations that they were left out of the discussion of the wage increase and they were spoken to without being given the opportunity to be heard.

Library board trustee Angelina Cruz told the council she has repeatedly asked that the issue be put on the library boards agenda for discussion but was ignored.

One library staff member said she could use the wage increase to help pay her student loans and save for a house so that one day she and her partner perhaps could start a family.

Another staffer said, This board is worried about its budget in 2024. Im worried about my grocery bill today.

One staff member said library personnel deserved the same pay increase that every other city employee received.

Leadership

Angela Zimmermann, the executive director of the library, was in and out of the meeting claiming there was a coup  though she did not say who she thought was responsible for that coup.

She appeared very emotional and threatened to quit.

Im saying my farewells to everyone at this point, Zimmermann said.

However, she later said she would talk over her future with the library Board of Trustees, which will meet on Thursday.

What the city saw as advocating for city employees, Zimmermann saw as bullying from the city and attempts to circumvent library leadership by communicating directly with library staff.

Alderman Melissa Kaprelian, who is president of the library Board of Trustees, was furious with the City Council, telling them the library has the bare minimum number of people to run the library.

In fact, she said they are operating at half the staff that is considered bare bone capacity for its service population based on Wisconsin library standards.

Kaprelian noted that three years ago the library absorbed a 10% budget cut from the city, and the cut was never restored. She added the library is surviving due to the creativity of the director and the resiliency of the staff.

We are running very thin on a very tight budget, Kaprelian said. Any additional long-term funding obligation, without long-term supporting additional revenue, could make us have to decrease our staff even more.

Kaprelian went on to say that honoring and compensating the staff is always a consideration of the board.
1. Yes. Having a community member interview panel is an excellent opportunity for input.

2. Yes. Its good that the city will allow residents to meet the finalist at a reception.

3. No. The city should have conducted a public survey early in the process, as KISD is doing.

4. No. Residents should be able to meet candidates before a lone finalist is chosen.

5. Unsure. Its hard to know how to gauge the proper level of public involvement.

Vote

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Students at AMU have been demanding to conduct the elections for the students union for over 6 months. The last elections to the union were held in 2019.

Huneza Khan | TwoCircles.net

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ALIGARH (UTTAR PRADESH)  Scores of students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh are on an indefinite strike since last week demanding the university administration conduct students union election.

On January 12, the students gave a memorandum of ultimatum to the AMU administration for appointing Election Officer and announcing the election schedule within 24 hrs.

Having received no responses, the students launched an indefinite strike and blocked the AMU main gate (Baab E Syed) on January 13.

The student union elections at AMU are conducted under the guidance of the Lyngdoh committee which directs the Vice Chancellor to hold the elections within 6-8 weeks of the university reopening. The last elections to the union were held in 2019.

Students have been demanding to conduct the elections for over 6 months.

Denying students union in the campus is like clipping the Wings of the Birds. Inspired by the democratic tradition of the AMU, the students, defending the cold waves of the winter have staged an indefinite Dharna at Bab-e-Syed demanding the restoration of Students Union. pic.twitter.com/XfdVhoImx3  Irfan Bashir (@irfaninbox) January 14, 2023

Misbah Qaiser, an undergraduate student at AMU who was part of the protest, told TwoCircles.net that since May 2022 students have given at least 6 memorandums for elections to the Vice Chancellor.

The final memorandum was submitted to the administration on January 12. We began an indefinite strike after getting no response from the administration, he said.

Qaiser said that they [students] met with the Registrar who cited lack of funds for the delay in holding elections to the students union.

We asked him to oversee the elections so that the administration and students union could work together and fight effectively. The Registrar ultimately offered us personal support only, Qaiser said.

Commenting on the claims made by the students, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Proctor Mohd. Wasim Ali in conversation with TwoCircles.net said that the administration is giving preference to bringing academic activities on track which have been disturbed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Vice-Chancellor wants to restore the academic calendar first. We opened the university in phases and we will gradually restore the rights and privileges. The priority of every academic institution is admission and examination. We are neither running away nor blatantly derecognizing student rights. We will hold elections once the examination and admission are on time, Proctor said.

Procter further said that the current academic year will conclude in two months. So, we dont want academics to be disturbed due to elections. We are trying to convince the students, he added.

Qaiser said that the elections will not disturb the studies. In fact, more students attend classes during elections. If a student body is formed it will talk about students issues but the Vice-Chancellor doesnt care about it, he said.

Qaiser questioned the delay in holding students union elections as there will be questions over the usage of funds if a student union is formed.

Students at the university claim that they are facing several problems due to the absence of the students union.

The Vice Chancellor had ensured us frequent meetings but we have not seen him for more than a year, said a student.

The university is peaceful, according to proctor Waseem Ali, and classes are held regularly.

Only a few students are protesting and we are constantly communicating with them. If the elections had been important, all students would have been protesting, the proctor added.

The protesting students said that they are not missing any classes.

Students are attending the classes as well. We are not always in protest. We will keep braving the cold until the Vice Chancellor agrees to our demands. If not, we will go on a hunger strike, said Qaiser.



Huneza Khan is a journalist from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She tweets @KhanHuneza
Whats happened so far and whats next?

March 2, 2021: Investigators say that the conspiracy began when Brandon Dominic Brown informed Jessica Elaintrell Smith that he had access to U.S. Army property that he could steal without being caught. Smith then allegedly told Brown that she knew someone who would purchase and then sell the stolen items.

June 17, 2021: Locks are found to be cut and multiple items are determined to be missing from Fort Hood. A joint investigation between the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division and the Office of Homeland Security Investigations begins.

July 9, 2021: Search warrant conducted at the home of Nathan Nichols in Corpus Christi, where police allegedly recovered more than $1.2 million and stolen Army equipment, some of which was traced back to the June 16, 2021, theft at Fort Hood.

Sept. 9, 2021: Smith is charged in federal court and a warrant for her arrest is issued.

Sept. 15, 2021: Smith is arrested and taken to Nueces County. The same day, Brown is charged in federal court and a warrant for his arrest is issued.

Sept. 17, 2021: Brown is arrested and taken to Nueces County.

Oct. 13, 2021: A federal grand jury indicts Smith and Brown.

Nov. 29, 2021: Smith and Brown each waive arraignment and plead not-guilty.

March 31, 2022: Nichols pleads guilty to the federal counts against him.

April 5, 2022: Smith pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S.

Aug. 2, 2022: Smith is sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by two years of probation and ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution.

Jan. 18, 2023: Brown is sentenced to three years of probation, six months of home detention and ordered to pay $1.29 million in restitution.

Feb. 21: Sentencing hearing set for Nichols in the Southern District of Texas.


Professor Dr AP Singh of Hindu college in Uttar Pradeshs Moradabad district said that they have implemented a dress code for the students and anybody who refuses to follow it will be barred from entering the college campus.

Sana Ejaz | TwoCircles.net

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MORADABAD (UTTAR PRADESH)  Several girl students of the Hindu college in Uttar Pradeshs Moradabad district Thursday alleged that they were denied entry into the college for wearing burqa, with college authorities maintaining that the college has implemented a dress code for all students, ANI reported.

Female students alleged that their college was not letting them enter the college campus wearing burqa and are compelling them to remove it at the entrance gate.

Following this, a scuffle broke out between the students, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha workers, and the college professors who remained adamant about sticking to the prescribed rules. The group submitted a memorandum to include wearing a burqa as a dress code for Muslim women and demanded that the college allows Muslim girls to attend their classes wearing the robe.

A video of the scene from the Hindu college has been making rounds on social media.

Meanwhile, the college professor, Dr AP Singh said that they have implemented a dress code for the students here and anybody who refuses to follow it will be barred from entering the college campus.

Hijab row started in Karnataka

A row over wearing hijab at educational institutions started on January 1, 2022, when Muslim students studying in the government pre-university (PU) college in Karnatakas Udupi were barred from wearing the hijab on campus. The college administration stated that they were following the state governments orders. A day later, six students were suspended for protesting.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and that no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

On January 26, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government set up an expert committee to find a solution to the issue. On January 31, one of the protesting students filed a petition in the Karnataka high court challenging the ban.

In February, the Karnataka government issued an order under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983 prescribing a uniform for all students to wear in state-run educational institutions. In March, a three-judge bench of the Karnataka HC upheld the hijab ban in all state educational institutions. They held that the wearing of the Hijab was not an Essential Religious Practice and hence, would not receive constitutional protection.

Later, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board filed an appeal against the Karnataka HC decision at the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court delivers split verdict on hijab row

The apex court on October 13, 2022, delivered a split verdict in the hijab ban case.

A top court bench delivered a split verdict in the hijab ban case. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia set aside the High Court ruling and quashed the state governments order in his judgement, while Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals. The arguments in the matter went on for 10 days in which 21 lawyers from the petitioners side and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi argued for the respondents.

The case is now before the Chief Justice of India for his direction.

After hijab ban, over 1,000 Muslim students dropped out of PU colleges in Karnataka: report

The ban on hijab left many Muslim women in India anxious, confused and in despair. A recent report by the human rights group Peoples Union for Civil Liberties  Karnataka unit (PUCL-K) on the impact of the hijab ban on Muslim girl students in Karnataka revealed that a total of 1,010 hijab-wearing girls dropped out of PU colleges because of the hijab ban and other reasons as well.

The report titled Closing the Gates to Education: Violations of Rights of Muslim Women Students in Karnataka, noted that Muslim women students [in Karnataka] were not only actively prevented from accessing their right to education but also bore the brunt of a climate of hate, hostility, and misinformation.

Students have faced humiliation and harassment in their own classrooms at the hands of their faculty, college administration and classmates, the report said.

PUCL conducted the study for the report in five Karnataka districts  Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga, and Raichur.

The report also blamed Hindutva organisations for carrying out a vilification campaign against Muslim students. [With ANI inputs]

Sana Ejaz is an independent journalist from Bihar. She tweets @SanaEjaz
BUFFALO COUNTY  State Sen. Tom Briese has submitted a bill in the Nebraska Legislature to carry out an efficiency review of the state government.

Briese, who represents District 41, which includes Buffalo County, excluding Kearney, and Hall County, excluding Grand Island, told Kearney Hub such a review is needed.

When were dealing with taxpayer dollars, we have a solemn obligation to ensure those dollars are utilized in the most efficient manner possible, he said Wednesday. The status quo should never be acceptable.

Per LB-684, the Department of Administrative Services would contract with an entity to assist the state with significantly improving government services of state agencies.

The review would start July 2023 and conclude in June 2025.

The aim is to reduce costs while improving quality, with a target of 25% improvement overall.

Among the 194 state agencies that would be reviewed are: Department of Agriculture, Department of Banking & Finance, Department of Correctional Services, Department of Economic Development, Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Revenue, Department of Transportation, State Department of Education, and the Nebraska Accountability & Disclosure Commission.

Even the Board of Barber Examiners would be reviewed.

There are many benefits that come with fostering greater efficiency, said Briese.

We can save money and hopefully provide services in a better means and more efficient manner, he said. Its about delivery of services and saving taxpayer money.

Briese has submitted similar legislation in the past. For example, in 2021 he introduced LB-213, a bill to audit the state government.

Such efforts are a passion for Briese, he said, because of the obligation we have to the taxpayers and all Nebraska to make sure their dollars are spent wisely.

There are no specific inefficiencies that are causing Briese alarm, he said.

Im simply trying to locate those inefficiencies, he said. Were looking for ways for government to do a better job in every arena.

Briese has heard concerns from his constituents about such inefficiencies, he said.

I had a conversation with a constituent some time ago complaining about the operation of a department within state government, he said. It really reinforced my opinion that, yes, we need to try to root out any inefficiency and make sure we run state government in as efficient a manner as possible.

Briese is cautiously optimistic the bill will receive support from fellow legislators.

We have a responsibility as stewards of taxpayer dollars, as stewards of state government, that Nebraskans get the most bang for their buck, that were utilizing their taxpayer dollars in as efficient a manner as possible, and ensuring that were delivering services in the best way possible, he said, for the benefit of all Nebraskans.
FAVE 5: Kearney Hub's Mike Konz shares his memorable stories from 2022

My selections for this years Fave 5 are a reflection of what I enjoy most about journalism in Kearney, and thats the variety of assignments I am able to pursue.

During 2022 I was able to report several times on one of my favorite topics  cars  and the Fave 5 pick is an example of why I am interested in reporting on cars. I also enjoy reporting about people, and I feel I was extremely fortunate to interview heart transplant patient Roger Petersen and his family. They were open and honest about the experience, and they said it was humbling to think that the donor had lost their life in order for the organ transplant to occur.

While reporting on the consolidation of power and irrigation districts, it was challenging to distill into simple terms what was happening so that readers could understand the significance of the transaction.

In reporting improvements at Ravenna Lake, my goal was to expose a shiny jewel for camping enthusiasts, and in reporting the book ban debate, I wanted readers to know about one facet of a controversial topic.

Here are the five stories I enjoyed the most in 2022.

mike.konz@kearneyhub.com
LEXINGTON  A Lexington Middle School student earned first place in the Veterans of Foreign Wars District 13s Patriots Pen essay contest.

The awards event was held Sunday at the VFW Post 756 Club in Kearney. Students from Kearney and Lexington were selected as finalists for the state competition.

Jim Lutz, VFW District 13 chairman, said the Patriots Pen essay contest provides sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students an opportunity to express their opinion on a patriotic theme and improve their writing skills while they compete against their fellow students.

The state winners compete for $55,000 in awards at the national level. The national first-place winner receives a $5,000 award.

Lutz said the communities that sent in essays from District 13 included Kearney, Cozad, Hastings, Superior, Lexington, Bertrand, Heartwell, Harvard, Red Cloud, Franklin, Hildreth and Holbrook. For the Patriots Pen essay, there were 163 submissions from students, including 88 from Lexington alone. First and second places were awarded while three students were named finalists.

Greta Rickertsen of Lexington was named the winner for her essay submission on the theme, My Pledge to Veterans.

In part, Rickertsen wrote in her essay, In 1944, my great-grandfather fought in World War II. Generations later, I pledge to respect those who gave their lives for my freedom.

To begin, I will honor my pledge to our veterans by being respectful to my flag. I respect the flag every day at school when we say the pledge of allegiance. I learned the pledge when I was in preschool and say it every day, Rickertsen wrote, I place flags on the tombstones of fallen soldiers, my 4-H club cleans up a county cemetery for Memorial Day.

Finally, I respect my community by being a good citizen and role model. One way I can be a good citizen is by helping whenever Im needed. Another way to be a role model is treating everyone around me with respect, Rickertsen wrote.

I pledge to our veterans to show respect and pride to our flag, take part in activities to give respect to our veterans and volunteer in the community they fought hard to protect. What is your pledge to our veterans? Rickertsen concluded. Lutz noted Rickertsen would receive $100 as a reward for her first place in the district. The second-place winner was Sonia Warner of Kearney, and finalists were Molly Hemberger of Webster County, Libby Soucek of Harvard and Parker Hatch of Heartwell.

The other essay contest, the Voice of Democracy, is open to area high school students. The VFW became the national sponsor for the contest in 1961. Students also write on a patriotic theme and compete for more than $2 million in college scholarships and incentives.

State winners compete for $154,000 in scholarships with the first-place winner receiving a $30,000 scholarship.

Lexington High School student Alizia Alvarez was named as a finalist, along with Dru Niemack of Kearney. Jaxson Karn of Heartwell won second place, while Abigail Englehardt of Webster County earned first place and the $100 district prize.

Englehardt read her essay at the event and will have another chance to publicly present it at the state completion.

Englehardt wrote in part that she had several relatives who were veterans, including an uncle who fought in the Gulf War and a relative who fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

She wrote that it is veterans who give Old Glory her value.

Also announced at the event was the VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award that is presented to an elementary, middle or high school teacher for their commitment to teach and promote American history, tradition and citizenship.

Each VFW post nominates their top local candidate in each category to submit to the VFW National headquarters.

Whitney Maulsby, an eighth grade teacher from Minden Public Schools, was named as the VFW District 13 winner. She was nominated by C.L. Jones Middle School principal Chelsey Jones.

Director of VFW programs Lynn Rolf wrote to teachers and youth leaders, Thank you for the time, effort and commitment you invest each in Americans young people. Because of you, our nation continues to produce scholars, dreamers and leaders who benefit the world.




By John J. Metzler







It's all about the timing. Ana Belen Montes, an American who served more than 20 years in federal prison for spying for the then-Castro regime while serving as a senior analyst in the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington, has been released. But this case is hardly the ho-hum end to another Cold War espionage story.







Montes was arrested in 2001 for spying for the Cuban communists for 20 years; she agreed to work for Cuban intelligence after initially opposing the Reagan administration's policies in Latin America during the 1980s. Montes, an American citizen, became a highly placed mole working deep inside the U.S. intelligence system while sending information to Havana. That's a long time ago.







Back in 2012, the former head of U.S. counterintelligence for the George W. Bush administration informed Congress that Montes "compromised everything, virtually everything that we knew about Cuba and how we operated in Cuba." She seriously endangered scores if not hundreds of American agents and assets in Latin America during a particularly sensitive time in places like Nicaragua, El Salvador and Cuba itself.







As Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) stated clearly, "Montes was no harmless informant. Her leaks broke the cover of 450 American agents working in Latin America In 1996, her information also enabled the Castros to shoot down two U.S. planes carrying the heroes of Brothers to the Rescue Montes also sabotaged a top-secret satellite program."







Senator Rubio added, "Her treason against the U.S. accomplished nothing for the Cuban people. On the contrary, by helping the criminal Castro regime, Montes strengthened the Cuban people's worst enemy."







Fast-forward to the present. Fidel Castro is fortunately gone, but the communist regime which lives up to his name is very much in control of Cuba with President Miguel Diaz-Canel who continues to run the island in the shadow of the Castro brothers and with the rhetoric of socialist solidarity. So why do we see this new surge of Cubans leaving the island?







According to the human rights monitor Freedom House, Cuba remains the most repressive regime in the entire Western Hemisphere, stifling political and civil rights and media freedom.







The regime holds more than 1,000 political prisoners.







We tend to recall the Cuban refugee exodus from the early 1960s. These are the people who first settled largely in Florida and through hard work, education and faith turned their lives as refugees into success and South Florida into a renovated place. Miami prospered from the Cubans who came here back in the day. We know their story and it's one of surmounting adversity, language barriers and hardship. Approximately 2 million Cuban Americans are living in the United States.







There have been many Cuban refugees in recent years too. It's not quite the same story but could be. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the number of Cubans interdicted in South Florida surged from 49 in 2020, to 6,182 for fiscal year 2022. This number will soon be surpassed by more than 4,000 Cuban migrants who have already been intercepted in three months since last October.







Just in the past few weeks following Dec. 30, 2022, at least 500 Cubans and more than 200 Haitians have arrived by rickety boats in the Florida Keys.







This saga is set against the backdrop of President Joe Biden's long-overdue photo-op visit to the U.S. border with Mexico, where Cubans and a flood of others from Central America and Venezuela have swamped a porous U.S. southern border, violating the sovereignty of the U.S.







Why? Marco Rubio adds, "Together with the regime's incompetence and socialist policies, this tyranny has prompted a total economic collapse and a mass exodus from the island's shores."







Indeed the root cause of the problem remains the Cuban dictatorship who has turned a once reasonably prosperous island into an economic basket case and a reliable exporter of its own people.







Contrary to the long-running left-wing rationalizations concerning the Cuban Revolution and the Castro brothers enduring 64-year dictatorship, Cuba's socialist system has been built on envy, rigid control and enforced mediocracy. People want out.

















John J. Metzler ( jjmcolumn@earthlink.net ) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations; Germany, Korea, China."
I was in the dental office the Friday after Christmas, thankful that the crown the dentist was cementing back on my tooth had the good sense to fall off on a weekday. I looked up at the young doc while he rummaged around in my mouth. He reminded me of someone. When he left his rummaging for a moment to pick up another tool, I told him he reminded me of Tristan, one of two veterinarian brothers in James Herriots delightful novel, All Creatures Great and Small. More to the point, his mannerisms were like those of the actor who portrayed the young neer do well in the PBS series of the same name which ran from 1978- 1990. The dentist had never heard of the book, nor had his assistant.

Really! So many books so little time, as the saying goes. Cant expect everyone to be familiar with books I consider classics.

My crown back in place, I headed home with one thought in mind. I wanted to read that book, again. There it was on my bookshelf, my old, worn copy, tucked in among other favorite novels I cant part with. And just in time. The next day I came down with a whopper of a head cold, rendering me incapable of doing much of anything except downing cups of hot chicken broth and weak tea, and reading. Nursing a cold has never been more enjoyable.

James Herriot has a view of life and a way of describing it that puts a humorous spin on nearly every encounter he has with either man or beast, and whats more, his power of description brings the reader right along with him to every farm visit, every awkward situation. Without spoiling the wonderful surprises in this novel, based on the true-life adventures of James Alfred Wight, Ill tell you a little bit about it to whet your appetite.

Fresh out of veterinary school, James Herriot joined the practice of Siegfried Farnon, happy to start at four pounds a week (from a quick internet search, that was equivalent of $19.40) along with room and board, at a time when veterinary jobs were scarce and where new vets often took positions for the payment of room and board, alone. His first rounds with his new employer were in a beat-up Hillman with treadless tires, no heat, no seat belts, and the passengers seat was not fastened to the floor of the car. This would be the standard for future employer-supplied cars for years to come.

It wasnt long before I was immersed in the world of late-1930s England, traversing the Yorkshire Dales with the fledgling veterinarian. I shivered right along with him, as stripped to the waist, he lay on a cold barn floor up to his shoulder inside a cow or a horse or a pig, under the scrutiny of the farmer who called him away from a hot supper or a warm bed, only to be given step-by-step instructions by said farmer on how to do his work.

I went on house calls with Uncle Harriot, so dubbed by the eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey in reference to the vets new relation to her fat Pekingese, Tricki Woo, who was having another bout of flop bot, or cracker dog, chiefly from being overfed with rich foods.

After being called out twice in one night, making the second call in his bright red striped pajamas, he stopped at an all-night diner for a cup of tea and a sandwich. I squirmed with embarrassment along with him as he wilted under the scrutiny of a room full of late-night toughs as they made wry comments about his pantlegs, Would you say, Ernest, that this is what the Yorkshire country gentleman is wearing this spring?

It seemed that every situation he encountered had a funny twist, even his attempts to woo the lovely Helen Alderson. He thought hed never see her again after their disastrous first date, and the ludicrous events of their second date sent her into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

I was reminded of the differences between British English and my own, learning once more that in England, a bonnet and a boot are the hood and trunk of a car, a torch is a flashlight, and when something is rum, it is really odd.

Despite the uncertainty of his visit times to farms that were difficult to gauge, James Herriot would take time out from his rounds to get out of his car on a particularly balmy day to sit on the grass and revel in the beauty of the Yorkshires, noting his good fortune to be living and working in such a beautiful place.

His cheerful outlook on life filled my thoughts this morning, as my car followed the rise, falls, and twists of the country roads. Met with the breathtaking beauty of frosted ridgetops, the trees glittering with more elegance than Queen Elizabeths tiara, the cares of recent days fell away.

To open the readers eyes, to change their perspective even a little  thats the beauty of a well-written book.
A 54-year-old La Crosse man has been charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with dealing methamphetamine.

Raymond J. Bolstad faces felony counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of methamphetamine.

According to the criminal complaint, police arrested Bolstad on Jan. 5 after he left an apartment unit on Seventh Street South in La Crosse. Police searched Bolstads person and allegedly found a gem bag containing 1.3 grams of methamphetamine and $1,500 in cash.

Police then searched the apartment and allegedly located 226 grams of methamphetamine. Police also seized a cell phone from inside the residence.

Judge Elliott Levine set cash bond at $1,000 during Bolstads bail hearing Jan. 12. He was released after the bond was posted Jan. 17.

Bolstads next court is a Feb. 1 calendar call.

Throwback from Tribune files: Life in the La Crosse area in the 1950s 1951: La Crosse Central High School 1951: YMCA at Seventh and Main streets 1954: Triangle Cafe 1954: Estell Tall Fashions 1954: Howards Clothes 1954: Crescent Jewelers 1954: Tom's Speedometer Shop 1954: YMCA basketball 1954: 5 and 10-cent Store fire 1955: La Crosse Beauty School 1956: Christmas shoppers in downtown La Crosse 1956: Central High School Memorial Day assembly 1957: Kroger 1957: Jackson Plaza 1957: Old Style newspaper advertisement 1958: 1st National Bank 1958: State Bank of La Crosse 1958: Heat exchanger plant 1958: American Legion parade
A 17-year-old La Crosse male is being held in the La Crosse County Jail after being accused of sexual assault and other crimes.

Kavoendrea M.E. Compan was charged Friday in La Crosse County Circuit court with felony second-degree sexual assault of a child, three felony counts of bail jumping, misdemeanor using a computer to threaten harm and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint, a girl, 14, told investigators during a Jan. 4 interview that she slipped out of the house Jan. 1 and wound up at a La Crosse residence with Compan. She said Compan pressured her to have sex. She conveyed initial reluctance before she consented to it at the beginning.

The girl told investigators she asked Compan to stop at least three times. She said Compan responded by covering her mouth with his hand for about a minute. She said she was able to pull away after he removed his hand.

The girl said Compan later told her that he couldnt get in trouble because she lied about her age. The girl said she truthfully told Compan how old she was. She also said Compan asked her if she was going to be a snitch.

Police interviewed Compan at the La Crosse County Jail. He had been arrested the day before in Onalaska for criminal damage to property. He told police the intercourse with the girl was consensual and that she wanted him to continue after he was inclined to stop. He repeated the assertion that the girl lied about her age.

The complaint also details an unrelated Dec. 12 incident in which Compan allegedly used Facebook Messenger to threaten to shoot up somebodys home.

During Compans initial appearance Judge Elliott Levine rejected a request to modify Compans $1,000 cash bond. Levine will hear another request to reduce Compans bond Jan. 20.

Throwback from Tribune files: Life in the La Crosse area in the 1970s 1970: Washburn Elementary School 1970: Johnson's Junior Miss Shop 1971: Behind the Brewery Gallery 1971: Kewpee Lunch 1971: Bridgeview Plaza Shopping Center 1972: King Cinema 1972: The Stereo Shop 1972: Viking Heritage 1972: Hoffman House Restaurant 1972: Louie Bantle's Restaurant 1973: Schaak Electronics 1973: Newburg's Menswear 1973: Book Exchange 1973: Union Prescription Center 1974: Caravel TV Sales 1975: Bodega Lunch Club 1975: Yellow Checker of La Crosse 1975: Patrick Zielke running for mayor 1976: New Villa 1977: Bert's Magic and Fun Shop 1978: Soell's King of Low Prices 1978: Shopko 1978: La Crosse Answering Service 1978: Lenny's Shoe Repair 1979: Carriage House of Fashion
Just over one month out from the Feb. 21 Wisconsin Supreme Court primary election, fundraising totals from the second half of 2022 suggest emerging leaders in each of the partisan camps.

Liberal candidate Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz raised over $750,000 between July and the end of December last year, more than all of the other candidates combined raised in that time period. Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell, the other liberal candidate, raised just over $115,000 in that time frame.

The conservative candidates trail Protasiewicz in gathering funds, but they both launched their campaigns well into the reporting period, meaning their fundraising totals are limited to the time between their announcements and the end of 2022.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow, who announced her bid in early December, raised almost $307,000 between then and the end of the year. Thats nearly the same amount that former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, who launched his campaign in early September, raised in the past four months of 2022  about $312,000.

Protasiewicz (pronounced prota-SAY-witz) had nearly $735,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period, also more than all of the other candidates combined. She spent about $185,000 in that time.

Mitchell had just over $72,000 at the end of the period after spending just under $72,000 in that time frame. Dorow had around $283,000 at the end of the year after spending just under $24,000. Kelly had $276,000 left over at the end of 2022 after spending just over $52,000.

The two candidates who receive the most votes in February will advance to the April 4 election. The winning candidate in that election will replace Justice Patience Roggensack, who has helped conservatives maintain a 4-3 majority on the court.

State Supreme Court races are nominally nonpartisan, but they are run in an intensely partisan fashion, with political parties and outside groups spending large sums to back their preferred candidates.

Because the election, including the primary, is nonpartisan, its not necessarily the case that one candidate from each partisan camp will advance to the April 4 election. Rather, the top two vote-getters, no matter what ideology they embrace, will advance to the April election.

With the courts ideological balance up for grabs, the candidate elected in April will play a decisive role in upcoming cases that may include the legality of Wisconsins near-complete 1849 abortion ban, fights over legislative redistricting and the power of the executive branch in administering laws.
Looking to capitalize on some post-holiday clearance sale bargains, Village of Fontana Public Works Director Kevin Day was granted his 2023 Christmas wish list early this year.

Meeting on Jan. 10, members of as Fontana Tourism Commission unanimously approved Days four funding requests related to municipal holiday decorations.

The purchases will be paid with room tax funds through the Fontana Tourism Commission.

Taking advantage of steeply-discounted 33% off post-season sales on commercial outdoor holiday decorations, Tourism Commission members approved Days request for the approximately $11,000 purchase of 22 pole-mounted, LED-outfitted snowflake light decorations from Bethlehem, Penn.-based Holiday Outdoor Decor, the largest commercial holiday display company in the country.

In business for more than a century, Holiday Outdoor Decor specializes in offering made-in-the-U.S.A. commercial holiday decorations.

Day said ten of the snowflake lights will replace worn units along Fontana Boulevard, with the other dozen slated to extend the villages light pole-mounted snowflake holiday lighting south along Valley View Drive (State Hwy. 67) from Fontana C. Frog, 543 Valley View Dr., to Dewey Avenue.

It would look nice, said Village President Patrick Kenny in voicing his support for the purchase.

The snowflake light units to be purchased from Holiday Outdoor Decorations will be a mix of two styles10 Presidential and 12 Winterfest.

Also to be purchased from Outdoor Holiday Decor at a 33% discount will be a 22-foot-tall panel tree artificial holiday tree similar to the one at The Abbey Resort, 269 Fontana Blvd.

Day said the $12,000 panel tree would be outfitted with white LED lights, suggesting possible installations at either Porter Court Plaza in downtown Fontana or Reid Park.

We could put it wherever we want, Day said.

Commission members also approved Days request for the $2,160 purchase of 2,000 feet of LED string lights for the harbor, the costs of which will be split in half by the village and The Abbey Marina, 217 Fontana Blvd.

It seems like a good deal, Kenny said of the cost-share.

Day said the fence line holiday lights would extend from the bridge to The Abbey Harbor and be a complimentary match to the decorative holiday fence lights installed by the village at Fontana Beach.

The string light purchase will be made online through Amazon.

And given the space crunch for storing the villages existing inventory municipal holiday decorations at the Fontana Department of Public Works, 300 Wild Duck Rd., Tourism Commission members also approved Days request for the $3,200 purchase of a 40-foot storage container.

Since were getting all these new snowflakes and a tree, we have no place to put stuff up at the shop, Day said. Were already full with what weve got now. With a storage container, we could organize things a lot better. Right now were jammed for space. I need somewhere to store everything.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Fontana Tourism Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. in the village office conference room at Fontana Village Hall, 175 Valley View Dr. (State Hwy. 67).

11 photos from the 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry 38th Annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil-Steak Fry
A huge 3D printer is working to create what is believed to be the first two-story home built with the technology in the United States.

The home is currently taking shape in Houston, Texas. The 3D printing machine working on the project weighs more than 12 tons.

The 3D printer is using concrete to produce the home, which will be about 371 square meters. Some parts of the home will also have wood elements. Leaders of the project said the process is expected to take about 330 hours of printing.

Leslie Lok is the architect who designed the three-bedroom home and who leads the design studio HANNAH.

Lok told Reuters news agency that in the design process, the team had to think about more than the design of the house and how it would be used. We also design the actual print path, like how the printer will print, where it starts and where it stops, Lok said.

The project is a two-year cooperative effort by HANNAH, building company PERI 3D and CIVE, which provided engineering support.

Lok said since the printer does most of the work, fewer workers are needed at the building site. She said the effort only requires four to five people to oversee the 3D printing process.

Lok said: One of the benefits is also, it takes a lot of the heavy lifting, the labor from human workers.

Concrete is a very strong material to use in home building and can survive hurricanes, heavy storms and other severe weather.

Roberto Montemayor is the project leader for PERI 3D Construction. He told Reuters the large 3D printer operates in much the same way as the small printers used in homes and offices. But there are two main differences.

The first is that the home-building 3D printer can be expanded and changed to fit the needs of any size project, Montemayor said. The other difference is the material it uses. We are printing here with concrete, which is a completely different material than plastic.

The home is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023. The builders say they hope the modern method can be used in the future to build even larger housing structures. They said the technology can also build homes faster and for a lot less money.

A growing number of American companies have begun offering homes built with 3D printing technology in recent years. But so far, the homes being offered are much smaller.

The startup company Icon, based in Austin, Texas, made news in 2018 by completing the first permitted 3D printed home in the U.S. At the time, it said the home had been built in just one day.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - 3D Printer Builds Large Home in Texas Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

3D (3-dimensional) adj. having height, width and length

story n. a level or floor of a building

concrete  n. a hard, strong material that is used for building and made by mixing cement, sand, and broken rocks with water

architect  n. a person who designs buildings

benefit  n. a good result or effect

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China may soon receive Modernas mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.

The drug companys leader, Stephane Bancel, said Moderna is discussing supplying China with vaccines.

Bancel spoke with the Reuters news agency at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting this week in Davos, Switzerland. Moderna is based in the United States.

Bancel said he is also talking with Chinese officials about factories and other health products, including cancer treatments.

"What I really want to understand is how do we help the Chinese government (address) the needs they have from a healthcare standpoint," he said.

Bancel did not say anything more about the plan, except for that he hopes to visit China this year.

China so far has only permitted its own vaccines for COVID-19. The country is currently experiencing a surge of infections after it ended the severe restrictions of its zero COVID policy in late 2022.

The Chinese vaccines do not use the latest technology. Instead of using mRNA like the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, they use the inactive form of the virus.

International health experts believe the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations may create an even larger virus outbreak. Many Chinese people living in cities return to their hometowns for celebrations. Some rural areas do not have good hospitals and medical centers.

Modernas Bancel said his company is also working with Merck on using mRNA technology to treat cancer. They are researching an experimental vaccine for melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer.

In a group discussion at the WEF, Bancel said he wants Moderna to have factories around the world working on mRNA vaccines. He said Moderna is building, or plans to build, factories in Canada, Australia, Britain and Kenya.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by Reuters.

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Words in This Story

standpoint n. a way in which something is thought about or considered

surge n. a fast increase

outbreak n. the sudden spread of disease or violence

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The United Nations refugee agency has reported a big rise in the number of Rohingya refugees who died at sea in 2022.

The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said at least 348 people died or disappeared while trying to flee Myanmar or Bangladesh by boat.

The agency said more than 3,500 Rohingya tried sea crossings in the Bay of Bengal or the Andaman Sea last year. That is five times more than the year before.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said the big increase suggests there is despair among the population of refugees.

Mantoo said: We are hearing reportsfrom Rohingya about this growing sense of desperation and anxiety about the future. She added that many are being exploited by human traffickers who give false promises and false hope. She said most of the 39 boats making the sea crossings last year left Myanmar and Bangladesh.

In the last two months of 2022, the UNHCR said 450 Rohingya arrived in Aceh, Indonesia. Another boat carrying 100 people disembarked in Sri Lanka. A boat carrying 180 Rohingya Muslims is feared to have sunk in December.

The UNHCR said it had called on maritime officials in the area to rescue people at sea. But those requests had been ignored and boats have been at sea for weeks.

In August 2017, more than 750,000 Rohingya Muslims who faced violence and persecution in Myanmar fled to Coxs Bazaar in Bangladesh. They have been living in overcrowded camps with other refugees since then.

The UNHCR says conditions in Myanmar have not improved and it remains unsafe for the Rohingya to return. The group is barred from receiving citizenship.

Im Jill Robbins.

Lisa Schlein reported this story for VOANEWS. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

despair n. a feeling of extreme sadness

exploit v. to use someone in an unfair or cruel wayn.

desperation n. a strong feeling of sadness and loss of hope

anxiety n. a feeling of tension and nervousness

disembark v. to leave a boat or to get off of a boat, plane or other means of transportation

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A Lincoln state senator introduced a bill Tuesday requesting federal funding to begin developing a second source of water for the Capital City.

Sen. Eliot Bostar introduced the bill (LB506) a day after Lincolns Water Source Advisory Council issued a recommendation that Lincoln look at building a new municipal wellfield along the Missouri River between Omaha and Nebraska City.

Securing a new source of water  Lincoln currently pipes its water from wellfields along the Platte River near Ashland  would support future population growth up to 400,000 people and sustain the city's needs through 2075, the advisory group said in its recommendation.

The cost of hooking Lincoln up to groundwater near the Missouri River some 50 miles away is estimated to cost nearly $1.4 billion and could take between 15 and 20 years to complete.

Bostars bill, which is similar to a previous bill introduced by the Lincoln senator that launched the study conducted by the advisory council, would appropriate $200 million in federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars to get the project started.

Under the bill, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources would be required to award a grant to Lincoln before Sept. 30 to pay for a water treatment plant, transmission pipes, land acquisition, wellfields and related activities.

Bostar, who was a co-chair of Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Bairds 27-member Water 2.0 Project, said if Lincoln is unable to complete the project, the city could eventually exercise its right to water on the Platte River, which would affect upstream irrigators.

The future of Lincolns water isnt just a city issue, but a state issue, the first-term senator said in an interview before the legislative session.

LB506 also appropriates $20 million for grants to small and rural communities to install reverse osmosis systems to treat high levels of nitrates in their community water systems.

Communities with nitrates higher than 10 parts per million  the standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency as the limit in which drinking water is safe to consume  could apply for grants.

Bostar's was among 163 new bills introduced on Tuesday, including:

VOTER ID: Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar's bill (LB535) outlines the requirements for a photo identification Nebraska voters must show before casting a ballot. A proper ID must list a voter's name and show their picture. Military or Native tribal IDs would also qualify.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart introduced a bill (LB588) authorizing the cultivation, process and use of marijuana for medical purposes, including strict guidelines for how much an individual can possess and how it can be used.

ABORTION: Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston sponsored a bill (LB626) banning abortions if cardiac activity is detected in a fetus, which typically happens around six weeks after fertilization. Abortions are currently legal in Nebraska up to 20 weeks. Albrecht previewed the bill at a news conference last week.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
Anyone looking for a special night out should move Amara to the top of their list.

Rule No. One Hospitality Group opened Amara, its most ambitious restaurant, Oct. 25 at Hilldale, serving contemporary coastal Italian cuisine in the former Pasquals spot.

Not only was the service first-rate on a recent visit, the experience, top to bottom, was outstanding.

The first thing my daughter and I noticed was that in an economy where most restaurant owners talk about being desperate for workers, Amara was buzzing with them.

If you want to know where all the employees are, theyre here, said my 17-year-old daughter, a former Madison restaurant busgirl, as we settled into a table for four on a busy Friday night. We were happy for the extra space because some of the two-tops looked uncomfortably close together.

We were able to get a reservation the night before, albeit an 8:30 p.m. slot, because of the restaurants large capacity. Its a 5,100-square-foot room that can seat 110 people indoors.

The space is dazzling: expansive, open, contemporary, and customers are immediately met by warm, welcoming hosts and hostesses, and soon after, by equally friendly, hardworking waitstaff and runners.

Ramazzotti amaro rarely shows up on cocktail menus, so the Mia Amara ($15), with the Italian liqueur and rye whiskey, honey, lemon and ginger was intriguing. I usually wont pay that much for a drink, but it was worth it, sweet, but not overly so, and not too strong.

All of the bruschetta looked appealing. After consulting our server, we went with the stunning stracciatella and crab toast ($19). Stracciatella, the soft interior of burrata cheese, was light, creamy and layered with lump and claw crab and small, colorful, pickled sweet peppers. It came in a serving dish separate from the well-grilled sourdough.

Also tantalizing was the winter greens panzanella ($16), one of the most interesting salads around, with endive, radicchio, baby kale, shaved carrot, fennel, winter radish, Asian pear, ciabatta croutons and whipped ricotta and SarVecchio cheese. It was well tossed in a nicely salted brown butter and sherry vinaigrette.

It has a fermented tartness thats perfect for me because I love salt and that fermentation quality, said my daughter.

All the pasta dishes, with the exception of the pan-fried lasagna, come in two sizes, so we went with the small mafaldine cacio e pepe ($15/$25), or cheese and pepper. The mafaldine, that long, wavy ribbon-shaped pasta, was homemade and subtly treated with pepper, SarVecchio and pecorino cheeses, plus a little lemon. It was the equivalent of eating buttered noodles for grownups.

The real show-stopper was the broiled Baja striped bass ($34), the fish firm, but tender, with a crisp skin, and enhanced by a fantastic arugula pesto. Roasted cauliflower on the plate was tossed with capers, pickled shallots, pickled golden raisins and smoked almonds, and heightened by a caramelized cauliflower puree.

For dessert, the brown butter and cocoa torta ($12) with raspberries, came in two triangles, which made it easy to share. But it was slightly underwhelming, tasting like a not-too-rich brownie. It made me wish wed gone with the burnt ricotta cake with candied citrus compote and whipped creme fraiche.

Where Rule No. Ones other two restaurant-bars, Merchant and Lucille, off the Capitol Square, took years to hit their stride, Amara has started out fully realized and ready to impress.

Rule No. One is made up of Joshua Berkson, Jon Nodler, James Juedes, Caity Nicholson, Tim Williams and Tara Goldberg.

Nodler, who became a James Beard Award semifinalist while working in Philadelphia, took the job as Rule No. Ones culinary director and said he began working on the Amara project even before he moved back to the Madison area in October 2021.

He got his start in the industry working under Heritage Taverns chef/owner, Dan Fox, at The Madison Club for a year. He became a line cook at Merchant when it opened in late 2010, and its executive chef in 2012.

Nodler opened a number of smaller restaurants in Philadelphia, and the approach to Amara, he said, was taking that more boutique experience and scaling it up.

Juedes, a former co-owner of Casetta Kitchen and Counter, and once a sommelier at LEtoile, also joined the group in 2021. Hes wine director and director of hospitality, and was circulating around the restaurant during my visit.

This is a very big team effort led by really talented members of RNO, Berkson said about Amara before it opened. We are all putting immense passion, intention, and thoughtfulness into the project.

All are certainly on display. Despite the hype surrounding Amaras opening, there was nothing anticlimactic about my experience. I appreciated that some R&B played on the sound system at a reasonable volume, where you had to concentrate to hear the song, not the person sitting across the table. Thats how it should be and so often isnt.

My daughter, who had been wanting to visit the restaurant since its opening, summed up what had been a memorable evening. Thank you for taking me here, she said. Its such an immense privilege.

Diner's scorecard Restaurant: Amara Location: 670 N. Midvale Blvd., at Hilldale Phone: 608-716-7989 Website: amaramadison.com Lunch: Daily 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aperitivo happy hour: Daily 2 to 6 p.m. Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m. Dinner prices: Starters $4 to $23, salads $15 to $23, pasta $16 to $27, entrees $26 to $39, dessert $9 to $12 Noise level: Medium Credit cards: Accepted Accessibility: Yes Outdoor dining: Large patio come spring Delivery: In the future, potentially Online ordering: Yes Drinks: Full bar Gluten-free: Lots of GF options noted on the menu Vegetarian offerings: Lots of options noted on the menu, some marked vegan Kids menu: Yes Reservations: Encouraged Parking: Plenty Service: Outstanding Bottom line: One of the best dining experiences in Madison. Service, atmosphere, food, drinks: All top shelf.
A 16-year-old girl was arrested for stabbing a 14-year-old boy in the chest at a North Side Madison park Tuesday night in a dispute that reportedly began earlier in the day in the parking lot of Sherman Middle School, Madison police and school district officials said.

The boy suffered what police called life-threatening injuries but was expected to survive.

The girl was arrested Tuesday night on a tentative charge of attempted homicide, Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said. Police did not release her name because she is under the age of 17, but the case number in the stabbing matches that of Dane County Jail inmate Lanagsha Crawford.

Police said officers responding to a report of an injured person found the boy at a gas station in the 1000 block of North Sherman Avenue at about 5:20 p.m. and began lifesaving measures before he was taken to the hospital. The weapon believed to have been used in the stabbing was recovered, police said.

In a blog post Wednesday morning, Chief Shon Barnes said the stabbing was related to a disturbance involving parents and students just before 3 p.m. in the parking lot of a middle school. Those involved were gone by the time police arrived, he said.

Police and others later told the school district about the stabbing and that some of the people involved in the stabbing may also have been involved in the disturbance at the school around dismissal time, Madison School District spokesperson Tim LeMonds said.

He said that during Sherman Middle Schools after-school supervision time yesterday, staff immediately recognized the potential for a conflict in the schools parking lot as words were being exchanged between a group of individuals.

Staff were able to intervene appropriately and those involved in the argument eventually complied with our requests to leave school property, he said. We are currently unable to verify if or how the individuals who were involved in the argument in the parking lot of Sherman are connected to the school.
Enrollment in Wisconsins traditional public schools has continued to decline since the start of the pandemic.

There isnt a single answer as to where students are going and why. A nationwide declining birth rate and changing trends in where families live are big contributors.

But theres clearly a growing appetite in Wisconsin for more alternative schooling, including charter schools and home-schooling.

Ten new independent charter schools have opened across the state since 2019, with 35 options now available. Other options that break the traditional mold have also sprouted, from a new forest school in La Farge to an expanding campus at Madisons private Hickory Hill Academy.

From what Ive seen, the pandemic has had an impact where parents kind of got a firsthand look into their childrens experience in the classroom and probably got a better sense for what theyre learning and really digging into that, said Marisa Palmer, a lecturer in UW-Madisons School of Business and a mom who just launched an Acton Academy microschool in Madison.

The pandemic jolted parents out of normalcy, said Johanna Schmidt, director of enrollment and marketing at Wingra School, a longtime progressive private school in Madison. Schmidt also is a mom of two Wingra students.

Everyone was just going ahead and doing their things, your kids went to public school, and then all of a sudden theyre at home, she said. And theyre at home doing virtual learning and perhaps youre hearing more or seeing more or more involved, just because you have to be as a parent because youre sitting right there with them.

Inside the numbers

Enrollment in Wisconsin public schools dropped again this year, in keeping with a pandemic-era historic decline from which public schools have yet to recover.

More families have been opting for alternative schooling for years, but interest has recently increased.

From fall 2021 to fall 2022, headcounts in public schools declined 0.85%, while the headcount in independent charter schools increased 4.5%, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Enrollment in the states four private school parental choice programs, which allow students to attend a private school using state aid, rose by 6.7%.

The second headcount for this school year was done on Friday, but the numbers have yet to be released.

The number of students who are being home-schooled has also increased. In 2020-21, 31,878 students were being home-schooled, or just over 3% of the states students. That was a 47% increase from the previous year. Those numbers dropped slightly to 29,402 students in 2021-22, but still remained much higher than before the pandemic.

Similarly, there were 13,395 students enrolled in virtual charter schools in 2021-22 and 16,020 in 2020-21, compared to the 8,696 in 2019-20.

Applications at Wingra have doubled from last year, Schmidt said. The school expects to have about 20% more students next year than it had last year. This increase would likely bring Wingra to its pre-pandemic enrollment levels or even surpass them, she said.

Its common for students to come to Wingra after trying public schools, but theres been an uptick in applications for its kindergarten and first-grade programs.

I think it tells me that people are looking at these options earlier on, said Ebony Rose, head of Wingra School. I also think it means that parents might not want to even experiment with public schools or other schools.

What parents want

Schmidt said parents are interested in Wingras focus on the outdoors, the mixed-age classrooms and the lower student-to-teacher ratio.

This was true for Schmidt herself, who moved her family to Madison almost two years ago from Austin, Texas, where her oldest child was briefly in public school before switching to a charter. She noted that most kindergartens her family looked at only had about 15 minutes of outside time for recess.

And that didnt feel like enough time, she said.

Students at Wingra School spend between an hour and 90 minutes outside every day. Rain, sleet or snow, our students are outside every day, Rose said.

Palmer decided to launch a branch of Acton Academy because she wasnt happy with what she discovered about early education through research and in her own experience as a mom. When her son jumped from play-based preschool to traditional kindergarten, he was given homework.

The Acton microschool follows principles similar to that of Montessori schools, which strive to be hands-on, child-centered and driven by students interests rather than formal lesson plans. The school has mixed-age classes, children learn at their own pace, and there is a heavy focus on science and projects.

Classes at Madisons Acton Academy just started about two weeks ago, and four children are enrolled so far with lots of interest for enrollment in the fall, Palmer said. The school hopes to grow to 75-100 elementary students and then hopefully expand to a small middle and high school.

A lot of inertia

Palmer hears from a lot of parents interested in Acton and other alternative schools that their child is bored. She said parents dont want their children to have to learn in lockstep with the rest of their class, and they dont want them to have to sit still at a desk all day.

But its also about adapting to a changing world, Palmer said.

Jobs today are much different than the careers for which traditional schooling is preparing children, she said. Acton appeals to parents who are in technology, entrepreneurship, medicine and science.

The way I think about Acton is, when you think about public schools, theres a long legacy of curriculum and the system, and it has a lot of inertia, and I think it works well for a lot of learners, Palmer said. But Acton and some of these microschools is what a school would be today if you designed it from scratch. If you just had a clean slate today, how would you design school?

Schmidt believes the pandemic helped parents see other schooling options.

The pandemic changed a lot of what people consider to be normal, she said. And as their kids are going back to school or as theyre having maybe been back in school for a year and a half, theyre perhaps a little more willing to consider alternatives to what they perceived to be just what everybody did.

To be seen

As staffing continues to be an issue for most schools, parents may be drawn to smaller, alternative schools that offer a better student-to-teacher ratio.

We have had parents tell us that their child was invisible in public schools, Rose said. And at Wingra, those students are seen, and that means a lot to parents to have their students not feel alienated or estranged from not only the academic part of school, but also the social-emotional part of school.

But that doesnt mean they want to compete with public schools, Rose emphasized, especially because Wingra doesnt have a high school and most of its students go to public high school later on.

He said, instead, Wingra just wants to be an additional option for students.

Our justice, equity, diversity and inclusion focus also includes supporting public schools, Rose said. We dont believe that we should have an adversarial relationship with public high schools. Thats like a zero-sum game.

Our philosophy is that there are students for each of the school options in Dane County, Rose said. We have our niche, and we dont have to expand our niche or drive into other peoples lanes, because the students and the families that we want here exist.

Photos: Kickapoo Valley Forest School
Along with deciding the ideological balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, voters in April will have the final say on a proposed constitutional amendment to modify the state's cash bail system. Voters will also be asked whether some adults should have to seek work to receive benefits from taxpayer-funded programs.

The Republican-controlled Assembly on Thursday gave final approval for both measures to appear on the ballot, two days after they were approved by the Senate. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers cannot veto a proposed constitutional amendment or an advisory referendum like the welfare question.

If the bail measure passes, the change will be written into the state Constitution. Results of the benefits measure are nonbinding.

The questions will appear on the April 4 ballot, where voters will also decide who succeeds conservative Justice Patience Roggensack on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, an election that could tilt the court to a liberal majority.

The proposed constitutional amendment would allow judges, when setting bail, to consider the criminal histories of people charged with violent crimes and whether they present a risk to public safety. The measure passed the Assembly 74-23, with all Republican members and 12 Democrats voting in favor. All of the no votes were cast by Democrats.

Currently, judges may only use cash bail to ensure defendants appear in court, not to keep defendants from engaging in criminal activity by keeping them locked up. Judges may, however, add conditions to a person's bail that seek to address public safety concerns.

The Constitution also states defendants shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions aimed at protecting community members from "serious bodily harm." The proposal would change that standard to "serious harm."

The proposal will be put to voters in two questions.

Section 8 (2) of article I of the Wisconsin Constitution All persons, before conviction, shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to assure their appearance in court, protect members of the community from serious bodily harm or prevent the intimidation of witnesses. Monetary conditions of release may be imposed at or after the initial appearance only upon a finding that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the conditions are necessary to assure appearance in court. The legislature may authorize, by law, courts to revoke a person's release for a violation of a condition of release.

Question one "Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?

Question two Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused's previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?"

The measure, SJR 2, passed both chambers with bipartisan support last year. State law requires the Legislature to approve proposed constitutional amendments in two consecutive sessions before Wisconsinites can vote on them.

All four Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates support the proposed amendment, according to their spokespeople.

Bill supporters say it would fix Wisconsin's bail system, which they say lags behind other states' cash bail standards. Opponents have said the amendment would lead to some defendants being stuck in jail for longer periods of time without being able to pay bail, something they say could raise constitutional issues.

Because state law is inconsistent about what constitutes a violent crime, Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Delafield, said Thursday that she and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, are working on a measure to clarify the definition. She said that proposal would come out in the next week or two and would include crimes like rape, child molestation and human trafficking.

Public benefits

The referendum on welfare benefits will ask voters: "Shall able-bodied child-less adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?"

The measure passed the Assembly along party lines, 62-35.

State law already requires those receiving unemployment benefits to conduct at least four work-search actions each week in order to receive benefits.

Wisconsin Works, the state's primary Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, also requires participants to work or take part in "activities to help you get ready to work."

At the request of Wisconsin Republicans, former President Donald Trump's administration in 2018 signed off on a requirement for Medicaid recipients in Wisconsin to spend 80 hours a month working, in job training, engaging in community service or participating in a work program. But that requirement was rolled back by President Joe Biden's administration in 2021.

Evers last year also vetoed several GOP proposals that would have reduced benefit programs in Wisconsin  proposals that Republicans said would have helped put more Wisconsinites back into the workforce as employers statewide deal with labor shortages.

"This is not just a way for us to make sure that the bills that he vetoed are going to come back," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Thursday. "We hope that they have popular support, but it's also sending a message to the federal government," he said, referring to the rolling back of the Medicaid work requirement.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, called for replacing the workforce advisory referendum with one asking voters whether the state should repeal its near-complete abortion ban passed in 1849. Republicans rejected that effort Thursday.
Wisconsin Health News panel examines whats being done to address the challenge of dental care access, as well as the implications of unmet oral health needs.

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Authorities are investigating after a body was found in Monroe County on Wednesday that is believed to be a woman missing since Dec. 29.

Monroe County Sheriff Wesley Revels said in a statement that the body was found about 10 a.m. Wednesday in a rural area in the town of La Grange.

A search was being conducted at the time for Felicia J. Wanna and authorities believe the body is Wanna, Revels said.

The death investigation is ongoing and more information will be released when it becomes available, Revels said.

On Jan. 5, the Ho-Chunk Police Department said in a release posted on Facebook that Wanna, 50, last had contact with family on Dec. 29, and may have been in La Crosse on Jan. 3.

The statement said that Wanna has a history of mental health concerns and is considered to be endangered and possibly in crisis.

Revels said the death investigation is being done by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, Monroe County Medical Examiner, Ho-Chunk Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, State Crime Lab, and Wisconsin State Patrol.
Kingwest Resources Limited (ASX:KWR) is a mining and exploration company focused on advancing its gold projects into production as well as discovering new gold resources in its highly prospective projects located in the Eastern Gold Fields region of Western Australia.
TWIN FALLS  It was June 2019 when Cedric Mitchell crashed his pickup truck, hitting another truck from behind as it was stopped at a stoplight. The crash killed a woman, injured others, and set off a long string of court filings.

Mitchell, 38, is charged with murder and five counts of aggravated battery. The case is still active, with a jury trial set for July.

The case is taking years to get through the court system, and is an indicator of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the judicial system, Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney Grant Loebs said. In addition, defense attorneys have requested to vacate several court dates.

Since 2020, the Idaho Supreme Court has issued a series of emergency orders relating to the pandemic. Courtrooms were closed for months at a time.

The length of time it has taken for the Mitchell case isnt that unusual, Loebs said, if you take the nature of the charges, and add the COVID problem.

The court systems mission is to give defendants a fair trial, he said, and if the defense needs more time to prepare, there is nothing wrong with that happening.

On Dec. 2, 2019, Mitchells attorney filed a waiver of the right to have a speedy trial.

Filings continue in the case. On Wednesday, the state of Idaho made a request for the Custodian of Records to hand over certain documents to the public defenders office or to appear in court. On Jan. 10, Loebs office submitted more evidence in the discovery process, including aerial video of the crash scene.

Court records allege Mitchell did willingly, unlawfully, deliberately strike the motor vehicle that the victim, Maryann Steiner, occupied with his own vehicle at a high rate of speed. Mitchells pickup was estimated to be traveling between 74 and 76 mph at the time of the crash.

The crash seriously injured Steiners husband, Dwayne, and pushed his pickup into the intersection at Blue Lakes Boulevard North and Heyburn Avenue, causing additional crashes and injuries.

Mitchell told a contributor for the website Truthdig that he passed out before the crash.

Its our contention he was having some sort of medical event at the time of the crash, then-attorney J.W. Bond said in an October 2019 court hearing.

The county public defenders office is now representing Mitchell, and a motion to dismiss the case is scheduled for March 27.

Twin Falls Prosecutor Grant Loebs countered during the 2019 hearing that he didnt believe the crash was an accident, that an investigation of the accident showed the accelerator of Mitchells vehicle was 100% engaged and witnesses reportedly heard Mitchell say God take me. I want to die, and I wanted to bring the rapture.

Bail is set at $2 million and Mitchell is still in custody. Prosecutors urged that bail be set high because Mitchell, among other things, had a history of not showing up for court hearings in unrelated cases in Arizona.
Luxembourg will support Cape Verde in space defense, as part of a satellite that the European country will launch later this year, hoping to improve surveillance and patrolling of the archipelagos territorial waters, it was announced yesterday.

The announcement was made in Praia by the Minister of State and Defence of Cape Verde, Janine Lelis, and by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Francois Bausch, who began an official two-day visit to the Cape Verdean archipelago.

The Luxembourgian Minister of Defense, Mobility and Public Works also revealed that his country will launch a satellite later this year and that it will be operational in 2024, to observe the land, with precise images of the territory, helping a lot to ensure its security.

I am very happy with the continuation of that support. We have started supporting the country to equip the Cosmar [Maritime Security Operations Center] in Praia, coast guard training. We will continue that help, offering something additional that is very important to ensure security in your territory which is the observation and images through space, through satellite, Bausch stressed, at the end of a meeting between the two delegations.

After this visit, the governor revealed that the two countries will form a working group to finalize a memorandum with all the details for a protocol to be signed soon.

Francois Bausch also justified the support to Cape Verde in this area by the role that the archipelago plays in the defense strategy in Africa, to combat various illicit activities.

The minister of defense of Cape Verde recalled that the cooperation between the two countries is old and more recent in the field of defense, but already with significant gains, including funding for Cosmar, for training and capacity building of Coast Guard personnel.
The Director-General of UNESCO, the French Audrey Azoulay, announced Wednesday to the Guinean Head of State, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the openness of the organization in supporting the candidacy of the Bijagos islands to be a World Heritage site.

On a working visit to Guinea-Bissau, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) met with Sissoco Embalo, with whom she discussed, among other issues, the preservation of the Bijagos islands.

The official, who visited the Bijagos, pointed out that she discussed with the head of state the fact that those islands are now a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

I just came from a visit to the Bijagos Islands, classified 50 years ago as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which allows its conservation through different national and community UNESCO devices and also protects an exceptional biodiversity in connection with the local community that believes in its tradition, said Audrey Azoulay, speaking outside the palace of the Guinean presidency.

The director-general of UNESCO also said that the organization will be ready to accompany Guinea-Bissau, which later this year should submit the candidacy of the Bijagos islands to the World Heritage List.

We discussed with the President the way to continue to monitor the exceptional preservation of those islands, their nature, and their culture, including through the possible application to UNESCO World Heritage, added Audrey Azoulay.

The Bijagos archipelago is part of the marine and coastal territory of Guinea-Bissau, consisting of 88 islands and islets, covering an area of 2.6 square kilometers, and home to about 33,000 inhabitants.

The UNESCO official noted that her first visit to Guinea-Bissau aims to discuss with the authorities the lines of cooperation in the areas of nature protection and culture, which she said were exceptional.
Badara Alieu Joof, the Vice President of The Gambia, has died of illness in India, President Barrow announced.

Joof, who flew to India three weeks ago for medical treatment, died of short illness, the Gambian leader. It is unclear what the illness was.

Fellow Gambians, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my Vice-president, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof. The sad event took place in India after a short illness. May Allah grant him Jannahtul Firdawsi, Barrow said.

The 65-year old was appointed Vice President in 2022 after Barrows re-election in December 2021 for a second mandate.

Joofs last public state appearance came in June when he reportedly expressed dissatisfaction about the conduct of public affairs, saying Gambians had great expectations and business as usual would not lead to decisive change.
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The risk for advanced colorectal neoplasms (ADNs) 10 or more years after a negative screening colonoscopy is low, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Thomas Heisser, from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and colleagues assessed the prevalence of ADNs at 10 years after a negative screening colonoscopy among 120,298 repeated screening colonoscopy participants in Germany.

The researchers found that at 10 years, the prevalence of ADNs was 3.6 percent in women and 5.2 percent among men, which increased to 4.9 and 6.6 percent, respectively, among those who had a negative colonoscopy 14 years prior. Among all screening colonoscopies among patients aged 65 years or older (1.25 million) during the same time period, prevalence was 7.1 and 11.6 percent, respectively.

For repeated colonoscopies 10 years after a negative colonoscopy, sex-specific and age-specific prevalence rates of ADNs were consistently at least 40 percent lower among women than men, lower at younger versus older ages, and much lower than for all screening colonoscopies (standardized prevalence ratios for cancers: 0.22 to 0.38 among women and 0.15 to 0.24 among men; standardized prevalence ratios for ADNs: 0.49 to 0.62 among women and 0.50 to 0.56 among men).

"Extension of the currently recommended 10-year screening intervals may be warranted, especially for female and younger participants without gastrointestinal symptoms," the authors write.

More information: Thomas Heisser et al, Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasia 10 or More Years After a Negative Screening Colonoscopy in 120 000 Repeated Screening Colonoscopies, JAMA Internal Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.6215 Journal information: JAMA Internal Medicine

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

COVID-19 is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and death in the short- and long-term, according to a study in nearly 160,000 participants published today in Cardiovascular Research, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Compared to uninfected individuals, the likelihood of COVID-19 patients dying was up to 81 times higher in the first three weeks of infection and remained five times higher up to 18 months later.

"COVID-19 patients were more likely to develop numerous cardiovascular conditions compared to uninfected participants, which may have contributed to their higher risks of death," said study author Professor Ian C.K. Wong of the University of Hong Kong, China. "The findings indicate that patients with COVID-19 should be monitored for at least a year after recovering from the acute illness to diagnose cardiovascular complications of the infection, which form part of long COVID."

This study compared the occurrence of cardiovascular conditions and death in infected versus uninfected individuals recruited before December 2020, when no vaccines were available in the UK. More than 7,500 patients with COVID-19 infection diagnosed from March 16, 2020 to November 30, 2020 were identified from UK Biobank. Each patient was matched with up to 10 individuals without COVID-19 during the study period (March 16, 2020 to the end of follow-up on August 31, 2021) and a historical cohort before the pandemic (March 16, 2018 to November 30, 2018).

Each uninfected group had more than 70,000 participants who were similar to the COVID-19 group for age, sex, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and other health conditions, body mass index, ethnicity, and deprivation. In all three groups, the average age was 66 years and there were nearly equal numbers of women and men.

Professor Wong explained, "The historical control cohort was included to rule out the effect of routine healthcare services being reduced or canceled during the pandemic, which led to worsening health and increased mortality even in uninfected people."

Data were obtained from medical and death records for outcomes including major cardiovascular disease (a composite of heart failure, stroke and coronary heart disease); numerous cardiovascular conditions such as stroke, atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction; death from cardiovascular disease; and all-cause death. Associations were evaluated for the acute phase (within 21 days of COVID-19 diagnosis) and the post-acute phase (starting at 22 days after diagnosis and continuing up to 18 months). Participants with a history of a particular outcome were excluded from that analysis.

Compared with the two uninfected cohorts, patients with COVID-19 were approximately four times more likely to develop major cardiovascular disease in the acute phase and 40% more likely in the post-acute phase. Compared to uninfected individuals, the risk of death in COVID-19 patients was up to 81-fold higher in the acute phase and five-fold higher in the post-acute phase. Patients with severe COVID-19 were more likely to develop major cardiovascular disease or die than non-severe cases.

COVID-19 patients had a greater likelihood of several cardiovascular conditions compared with uninfected participants in both the short- and long-term including myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and deep vein thrombosis. Risks of some cardiovascular conditionsfor example stroke and atrial fibrillationwere elevated in COVID-19 patients in the short-term but then returned to normal levels.

Professor Wong said, "This study was conducted during the first wave of the pandemic, and future research should evaluate subsequent outbreaks. Previous research has indicated that COVID-19 vaccination may prevent complications, and further studies are needed to investigate its effectiveness in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and death after COVID-19 infection in patients with COVID-19 vaccination compared to those without vaccination."

ESC spokesperson Professor Hector Bueno of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), Madrid, Spain said, "COVID-19 has had a huge impact on patients with cardiovascular disease, who were less likely to receive optimal care during the pandemic and more likely to die from the infection. This study shows that COVID-19 also increases the risk of having cardiovascular complications and dying in the first weeks after the infection and remains high for months, suggesting that specific cardiovascular monitoring may be appropriate in these patients."

More information: Ian Chi Kei Wong et al, Association of COVID-19 with short- and long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality: A prospective cohort in UK Biobank, Cardiovascular Research (2022). DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac195 Journal information: Cardiovascular Research
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Summary figure of E. coli gut colonization. The plot displays the numbers of E. coli lineages found at each of the five major sampling points (4, 7, and 21 days after birth, in the infancy period, and from the mothers in the maternity unit). The flows indicate the (possible) numbers of lineages that were transmitted between the sampling points, with the colors corresponding to the first time point the transmitted lineages were detected in. Flows that skip a sampling point (such as from 4 days to 21 days) indicate that a lineage returned to detectable levels after the skipped sampling point. a Displays the vaginal delivery cohort, and b the cesarean section cohort. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35178-5

Imagine a horse race, where the winner takes it all and is awarded both food and protection against enemies. In the same way, bacteria compete with one another in the gut of newborn babies.

"The aim of many bacteria is to be the first to get into the gut of newborns and then prevent competing bacteria from entering. And each species of bacteria comes in the form of many different genetic variants. Some of the variants can be easily treated with antibiotics, while other, more malicious ones manage to resist them. Some of these can give the babies infections that are difficult to treat," says researcher and professor Jukka Corander at the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Oslo.

A study carried out by The Sanger Institute in England has shown that there is a big difference between the intestinal flora present in a baby born in the natural way compared to the flora in a baby delivered by cesarean-section birth (C-section). If a baby is exposed to the mother's intestinal flora, this will probably protect the newborn against more malicious kinds of bacteria.

No hospital bacteria found in any of the birth groups

How does the method of birth affect whether undesirable variants of different bacteria end up in the gut of babies?

"We studied several types of bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis. Variants of these bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics have spread to hospitals all over the world. We wanted to know if babies delivered by cesarean-section were more often infected by these hospital bacteria," explains Corander.

Fortunately, they did not find hospital bacteria among babies delivered by cesarean-section, nor by vaginal delivery.

"This is good news, because otherwise, the babies would be at risk of getting infections that are difficult to treat," continues Corander.

The researchers found that the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was not higher among babies delivered by cesarean section. They found only a limited number of multi-resistant bacteria in either birth group.

Their findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

The researchers handle millions of DNA strands rapidly

Professor Corander's research team have developed a completely new way of detecting relatively quickly which genetic variant of a bacteria is present in a sample. Up until now, it has only been possible to find out approximately which type it is.

The researchers devised the new detection method by creating a large library of samples that new samples can be compared against. In addition, they have set up a new statistical model and algorithm that allow them to handle millions of DNA strands not only rapidly, but with higher precision than before.

E. coli kept out-competing bacteria

The research team also studied the bacterium E. coli, which can cause blood poisoning. What is the probability of a certain variant of E. coli winning the battle for dominance in the intestines? Corander found three variants that can result in a higher risk of infection.

"We found many different variants of E. coli in the babies. But we also discovered that the variant that won the race to enter the gut, seemed to be able to prevent the other variants from invading for several weeks," explains the professor.

More information: Tommi Maklin et al, Strong pathogen competition in neonatal gut colonisation, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35178-5 Journal information: Nature Communications
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A summary of our results at the county level.(A) Graphical representation of the different outcomes observed in our methods: early warnings, synchronous warnings, late warnings, soft warnings, missed outbreaks, warnings with increased activity, and false alarms. (B) Summary of the outbreak onset events. Horizontal bars are colored, from orange to purple, depending on the event class. (C) False alarms for the Naive, Single Source, and Multiple Source methods. The Multiple Source method produced the lowest amount of false alarms (110). (D) Probability of resurgence P(R t > 1) and different events generated by the Naive, Single Source (Google Trends How long does covid last? and side effects of vaccine), and Multiple Source methods. (E) Earliness of the alarms triggered by each method. Bars represent the number of alarms within the out-of-sample time window. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0199

Your Google searches and Twitter accounts alert marketers about what items you might like to purchase. But could they also serve as an early warning system when COVID-19 levels are about to take off?

A team of scientists including Northeastern University machine learning expert Mauricio Santillana says internet users' "digital traces" can be adopted to alert public health officials to sharp increases in COVID-19 at the county level one to six weeks ahead of a major outbreak.

In a paper published Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Science Advances, Santillana and other authors say digital data will help close information gaps left by existing surveillance methods.

Analysis of the data streams will allow policymakers to get a jump on decisions such as whether to reissue masking recommendations or bump up vaccination and boosting campaigns, says Santillana, director of the Machine Intelligence Group for the Betterment of Health and the Environment at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern.

"What we aspire to do is to use the same information that Google or Amazon or any of these big firms use to send ads to you" to inform public health decisions early on in an outbreak, Santillana says.

COVID-19-related digital streams include internet searches for fever, clinician searches for COVID-19 treatments and Twitter users' comments about being too sick to work, among other things.

The researchers also used machine learning methods that took historic information from outbreaks in 97 U.S. counties from Jan. 1, 2020, and 2022 and combined them to create a single predictive indicator.

"The goal is not necessarily to quantify how many infections there are but to quantify when sharp increases in infections will happen," says Santillana, who participated in the research with scientists from Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Oklahoma State University and other organizations.

Researchers found that the predictive capacity at the state and county levels was roughly similarthe early warning system deployed at one to six weeks in advance at the county level and four to six weeks at the state level.

The study says the digital data will help fill in vital missing information for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which it says has failed to reliably forecast "rapid changes in the trends of reported cases and hospitalizations."

"When CDC COVID-19 forecasts were shared with the public, they very frequently missed the timing of when outbreaks were starting," Santillana says. He says by the time actual case numbers were tallied, surges were already well under way.

"The next chapter would be for the CDC to say, 'We know that this is an alternative and complementary way to anticipate outbreaks. We will implement it inhouse, and we will have it as an additional tool in our toolbox," Santillana says.

"He says the study is part of a new CDC initiative started by President Biden called the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics within the CDC."

"It is within that effort that we did the work in this paper," published in an open access journal of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, Santillana says.

He says he and his team already had been working with the CDC for three to four years on predicting flu incidence and flu hospitalizations, but he wasn't satisfied with what he considered the CDC's inability to incorporate novel Internet-based sources of information into their prediction systems."

"When COVID hit, they called and said, 'We need all hands on deck. So please do what you can.'"

"I asked if they could be flexible, because my team and I were interested in innovating rather than just continuing to implement the exact same models," Santillana says.

"The model is not perfect," he says.

The counties studied were only a fraction of the 3,006 counties in the United States, according to the paper on using digital traces to build prospective and real-time county-level early warning systems.

"Our internet search-based methods may struggle to perform well in areas with poor literacy rates and limited access to internet resources," the paper says.

The researchers say a possible solution for counties with poor internet access or literacy challenges may be to use state-level early warning systems to guide county-level decisions around outbreaks.

"When we navigate the internet on our computer or phone it leaves traces," Santillana says.

"Whether we like it or not, the reality is that most companies use this information to increase their profit or their margins," he says.

"Instead, we want to use that information to inform public officials when the next outbreak will happen."

More information: Lucas M. Stolerman et al, Using digital traces to build prospective and real-time county-level early warning systems to anticipate COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0199 Journal information: Science Advances
South Africa: Class of 2022 defies odds to score 80.1% pass rate

The Matric Class of 2022 has scored a remarkable 80.1% pass rate, despite being the group that was mostly hit by the devastating effects of COVID-19 and load shedding.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekgas announcement of an overall improved pass rate at the Mosaiek Church in Fairlands, Gauteng, on Thursday, was met with applause.

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate is slightly higher than the 76.4% recorded in 2021, an increase of 3.7% compared to the previous year.

Motshekga noted that this cohort was exposed to the pandemic for two consecutive years when they were in Grade 10 in 2020 and Grade 11 in 2021.

The Class of 2022 is the first cohort to write the NSC exams, post the pandemic. Exacerbating the devastation caused by the pandemic, this class was subjected to the challenges of enervating load shedding and sporadic service delivery protests.

However, she noted that despite the challenges, the learners managed to bag high-quality passes and distinctions.

Motshekga said 725 146 pupils sat for their exams across the country, with 278 814 achieving Bachelor passes, an improvement of 8.9% from 2021.

In addition, 193 357 learners qualified to study towards a Diploma, 108 159 achieved higher certificate passes and 117 achieved plain NSC passes.

By the way, the 2022 Bachelor passes in number are the highest attained in the entire history of the NSC examinations; but the second highest to that attained in 2021 when expressed as a percentage, the Minister said.

Provincial results

The Minister singled out KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the two provinces that contributed the most Bachelor passes, with 69 849 (an increase of 12.9% from 2021) and 58 119 (an increase of 4.1% from 2021), respectively.

In addition, Free State was once again named the best-performing province, with an 88.5% pass rate, when the Minister announced the much-awaited Matric results.

We should state that none of the provinces performed below the 70% pass rate; and none had a decline when their 2022 results are compared with those of the previous year, Motshekga said.

In addition, she said five provinces performed above the 70% pass rate, while four achieved over 80%.

The provinces with the highest improvements in their performances are KwaZulu-Natal with a 6.2% improvement, Limpopo with 5.3%, and the Eastern Cape with 4.2%.

More female candidates

According to the Minister, there were 89 334 girls  an improvement of 20.3% from 2021, who wrote the 2022 NSC examinations.

Of these, 161 235 female candidates obtained Bachelor passes  an increase of 10.3% from 2021; while 117 579 male candidates obtained Bachelor passes, up by 7% from 2021.

No fee schools

In addition, Motshekga said quintiles 1 to 3 schools, also known as no fee schools combined, stand at 387 401  an upturn of 9.2% from 2021.

Bachelor passes achieved by learners in no fee schools were 169 903  an increase of 13.4% from 2021.

The significance of this enormous and unequalled achievement is that the gap between the Bachelor passes produced by no fee schools, versus those produced by fee-paying schools, has significantly and progressively increased from 2% in 2015 to 16% in 2020, to 24% in 2021 and 25% in 2022, the Minister said.

She acknowledged that the dropout rate was a concern, and vowed to address the matter and the repetition rates.

However, according to Motshekga, the number of learners reaching Grade 12 has been increasing progressively in recent years.

It is therefore, not coincidental that 775 000 of the cohort of learners from the Class of 2022 reached Grade 12, from about 1.18 million learners who entered formal schooling in 2011, she said, adding that 96% of these learners wrote last years NSC examinations.

The Minister has paid tribute to a happy, young cohort of teachers, principals, support staff and parents.

What you do at the school level is what matters the most. The future of our learners and the prosperity of our nation, is in your hands.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-01-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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In research published in Nature Medicine today, AI biotech company Owkin has demonstrated for the first time that federated learning (FL) can be used to train deep learning models on data from multiple hospitals on histopathology data without the data leaving hospital firewalls.

The discovery paves the way for AI-powered medical research using larger multi-centric datasets, allowing models to escape the biases of single-centric studies. This has the potential to unlock breakthroughs in precision medicine through the use of secure and privacy-preserving AI.

Using data kept within four leading French hospitals, Owkin built AI models that can accurately predict the future response of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. By using interpretable AI to extract information from digital pathology slides, Owkin was able to find potential novel biomarkers. This could in the future help funnel patients towards either less toxic treatments or new experimental treatments, improving the personalization of medical care.

The project used federated learninga collaborative AI framework that preserves data privacy and security through Substra, Owkin's recently-open sourced software that make every operation traceable using hyperledger technology.

The research is the first time that machine learning models have been trained using histopathology data from multiple hospitals without the data leaving the hospitals. Previously, most studies were restricted to simulating FL by artificially splitting data. It is a landmark proofpoint of FL in medical research and represents a breakthrough in the realization of AI's practical benefit to research.

The study used digital pathology data and clinical information from 650 patients from Institut Curie in Paris, Centre Leon Berard in Lyon, Gustave Roussy in Villejuif and IUCT Oncopole in Toulouse, making it one of the largest TNBC cohorts of its kind ever assembled for such kind of analysis.

The research builds on Owkin's pioneering use of FL to enable pharmaceutical companies to collaborate on drug discovery research while safeguarding privacy, security and competitive considerations.

The MELLODDY project's results, published this year, showed that collaborating in AI for drug discovery is possible at industrial scale thanks to FL, a first for the industry. In addition to addressing privacy and security concerns, FL can also simplify data governance issues, removing the need to transfer data and fostering more collaborative research.

Jean du Terrail, lead author and Senior Machine Learning Scientist at Owkin, said, "Thanks to our partners, we are proud to have performed an original federated analysis on medical data in real-life conditions, and the first of its kind on histopathology data."

"By connecting institutions in a federated manner we were able to reach the critical mass of triple negative breast cancer data necessary for the AI to discover, on its own, histological patterns predictive of the response to treatment. We hope that this proof of concept will inspire medical institutions to collaborate in federated learning networks in order to move research forward while keeping patient data private."

Julien Guerin, Chief Data Officer at Institut Curie in Paris, France, said, "We reached an important milestone with the deployment of this federated learning infrastructure, showing a new cutting-edge approach of building AI in cancer research. We are really happy to have been part of this adventure and hope this will open promising perspectives for the future of patient care."

Dr. Guillaume Bataillon, pathologist at IUCT Oncopole in Toulouse, France, and former pathologist at Institut Curie in Paris, France, said, "Through this multidisciplinary partnership, we verify the feasibility of an inter hospital collaborative federated learning approach on a relevant biological question. This allowed us to create pooled heterogeneous dataset in a secure and faster way in order to develop reproductible, transferable and even interpretable models. This proof of concept has the potential to become a tool for therapeutic decision."

Dr. Pierre Etienne Heudel, Medical oncologist at Centre Leon Berard in Lyon, France, said, "The rise of digital pathology coupled with the explosion of different machine learning techniques should enable increasingly precise and personalized medicine. Moreover, the federated learning, achieved in this project by avoiding external data streams, facilitates and secures the process for future daily clinical practice."

Dr. Magali Lacroix-Triki, pathologist at Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, said, "Digital pathology and AI represent the third revolution in the world of pathology, and pathologists are excited to lead this new change in their practice. Federated learning, pioneering AI research in digital pathology, brings us one step closer to identifying new biomarkers in oncology while ensuring data privacy and security."

Dr. Camille Franchet, pathologist at IUCT Oncopole in Toulouse, France, said, "By enabling AI models to be trained on multicentric data without centralization, federated learning unlocks one of the major obstacles in machine learning on medical data with no compromise regarding the respect of personal data."

More information: Jean du Terrail et al, Federated learning for predicting histological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer, Nature Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02155-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02155-w Journal information: Nature Medicine

Provided by Owkin, Inc.
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Manhattan plot for the cross-ancestry meta-analysis. The results of the cross-ancestry meta-analysis (77,690 AF cases and 1,167,040 controls) are shown. The log 10 BFs on the y axis are shown against the genomic positions (hg19) on the x axis. Association signals that reached a genome-wide significance level (log 10 BF > 6) are shown in blue if previously reported loci and in red if new loci. Credit: Nature Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01284-9

In the largest genetic study of heart arrhythmia to date, researchers led by Kazuo Miyazawa and Kaoru Ito at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan report the discovery of several genes and individual genetic variations that are associated with atrial fibrillation. Data from over a million people were analyzed, and polygenic risk scores based on the genetic data were calculated. The scores predicted atrial fibrillation, and even stroke and mortality, in at-risk individuals. The study was published January 18 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Atrial fibrillation occurs when the heart beats rapidly and irregularly, causing blood to pool in the atria. This increases the risk of blood clots forming in the heart and then traveling to the brain where they can block blood flow and cause a stroke. In addition to other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, atrial fibrillation is associated with some genetic factors, but exactly how remains a mystery.

The researchers examined the genomes of more than 150,000 Japanese individuals and found five locations within our chromosomescalled genetic locithat had never before been associated with atrial fibrillation. Among them, two include genetic variations unique to East Asian populations. A subsequent cross-ancestry meta-analysis of over 1.2 million peoplethe same Japanese population along with those from two large European studiesoverall yielded 150 critical genetic loci, including 35 that were new. Further analysis found more than 130 genes associated with these loci. The likelihood that variations in one or several of these genes leads to atrial fibrillation is therefore high.

Genes are turned on and off as needed by special regulatory proteins called transcription factors. To find transcription factors that turn on the genes at the loci associated with atrial fibrillation, the researchers performed an integrative analysis with epigenomic data, looking for proteins that bind to the newly discovered loci. The analysis yielded the transcription factor ERRg, which was associated with genes that regulate processes that occur inside heart muscle cells.

However, an association is not proof of causation. To test that overactive ERRg might be a direct cause of atrial fibrillation, the researchers grew human heart-muscle cells in the lab and facilitated ERRg activity. They found reduced expression of several important genes related to heart function. In addition, the heart-muscle cells exhibited irregular beating and prolonged contraction.

"Until now, which genes and how their transcriptional regulation is involved in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation was not very clear," says Kazuo Miyazawa, first author of the study. "In this study, we discovered a key mechanism by integrating genomic data with epigenomic and transcriptomic data."

Polygenic risk score is a statistical tool used to predict a person's genetic susceptibly to diseases. However, when these scores are derived from genetic data from one population, they struggle to predict the risk in another population. By adding the new Japanese data to those from the European studies, the RIKEN IMS team was able to make better predictions. They found that the higher the score, the younger people were when they developed atrial fibrillation. Additionally, the score was significantly associated with stroke, even in people who had not been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and could predict the occurrence of death due to stroke.

"By applying our model to a person's genome, we can find clinically undetectable heart arrhythmias or other related conditions," explains Miyazawa. "This is critical as finding those at risk before they have a stroke is the goal for any risk-prediction analysis."

Simply being able to find people at risk for atrial fibrillation is only the first step. The new study also leads to ideas for treatment. As Miyazawa explains, "As we found that ERRg is likely critically involved in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation, it thus represents a potential target for pharmaceutical intervention for those identified as at-risk."

More information: Kazuo Miyazawa et al, Cross-ancestry genome-wide analysis of atrial fibrillation unveils disease biology and enables cardioembolic risk prediction, Nature Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01284-9 Journal information: Nature Genetics
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A new personalized cancer treatment can radically improve the outlook for some patients with bile duct cancer, finds an international multicenter trial involving researchers at UCL and University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH).

The Phase II open label clinical trialthe European arm of which was led by UCL researchersfound that patients who were otherwise facing end of life care survived for up to two years when treated with the drug futibatinib.

In September last year, data from the FOENIX-CCA2 trial led to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve futibatinib, although the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence has yet to consider the drug.

Set across 13 countries, the trial was sponsored by Taiho Oncology, and the results have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Futibatinib targets a particular genetic alteration, called FGFR2 fusion, which is found in around 14% of bile duct cancers.

Of those diagnosed annually in the UK with bile duct cancer, which comprises cholangiocarcinoma and gall bladder cancer, approximately 300 will have this genetic alteration.

There are very few treatment options for bile duct cancer and the survival is poor, with patients surviving on average for just 12 months. Although the cancer is uncommon, incidence is on the rise globally.

This international trial recruited 103 patients with bile duct cancer who had undergone at least one chemotherapy treatment, but whose cancer had become resistant. The patients' cancer tumors had been genetically analyzed (molecularly profiled) to check that they had an alteration in a particular group of genes, known as fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR). The drug, futibatinib, is known as an FGFR-2 inhibitor, as it targets this genetic alteration.

When the patients were treated with futibatinib (oral tablet), the results were striking. The drug was more effective at reducing the size of the tumor, with the cancer shrinking by over 40%, compared to 25% with chemotherapy. The drug also produced modest side effects compared to chemotherapy.

Patients on treatment survived for up to two years, even though they had advanced cancer and had sometimes tried up to five other treatments before entering the trial. Without this most patients would have been offered best supportive care.

European lead and senior author on the paper, Professor John Bridgewater (UCL Cancer Institute and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) said, "These results turn treatment for this group of patients on its head. Instead of treating them with the blunderbuss that is chemotherapy, which attacks healthy cells alongside the cancer, we can offer a personalized treatment that just targets a specific alteration within the cancer.

"The benefits that patients saw in the trial were remarkable. It's important that patients with bile duct cancer get their cancer tested to find out if they have this abnormality. We can't afford to miss one of these alterations: the difference they could make to treatment outcomes is dramatic."

There are currently other FGFR inhibitors already in clinical use, including one called pemigatinib, which has been approved for use in the UK by the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE). However, existing FGFR inhibitors are known to be susceptible to resistance within the cancer. Laboratory tests have shown this is less likely to be a problem with futibatinib, as it targets the FGFR abnormality in a more specific way, and so is likely to be more effective than existing drugs.

Trials are already underway looking at the possibility of using FGFR2 inhibitors as a first line treatment in place of chemotherapy.

Professor Bridgewater said, "The question these trials now need to answer is not whether patients should be getting this treatment, but when.

"Hopefully, this kind of genetically driven treatment will become the new normal for oncology. Personalized treatment has long been a buzz word in cancer, but this trial is the real thingproving that it can be done and bring huge benefits to specific groups of patients."

Bile duct cancer is a rare but aggressive disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the bile ducts; a network of tubes, which connect the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine.

Helen Morement, CEO of AMMFThe Cholangiocarcinoma Charity, explains, "The success of this trial is warmly welcomed by AMMF and the patients and clinical communities we support.

"For well over a decade there has been little in the treatment armory for those with an inoperable cholangiocarcinoma. Chemotherapy, although it can be moderately effective for some, it is not effective for all, and the effectiveness is not known until the patient has received several cycles of chemotherapy and may have endured a number of difficult side effects, only to find there has been no advantage for them in reducing or stabilizing their cancer.

"Now for those whose cholangiocarcinoma is shown to have the FGFR2 fusion, futibatinib offers an important step forward. Not only is it a more personalized treatment which they know from the outset could have a positive impact on their cancerbringing with it the hope of extending survival over the more standard chemotherapies and/or best supportive care that might be offeredbut, as an oral therapy with tolerable side effects, it has quality of life advantages over conventional chemotherapy, including spending less time in hospital and away from loved ones.

"This important milestone emphasizes the necessity for all HCPs to put their cholangiocarcinoma patients forward for molecular testing.

"Already an approved treatment in the U.S., we now await NICE approval in due course "
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Premature birth, before 34 weeks of pregnancy, is linked to lower scores in math and language tests as a teenager compared with those born at 40 weeks, finds a large Danish population study published today in The BMJ.

The study, however, found no substantial difference in later brain (cognitive) function in babies born between 34-39 weeks and those born at 40 weeks. And the researchers acknowledge that cognitive outcomes are not predetermined at birth but are heavily influenced by social circumstances.

It is estimated that around 15 million infants are born preterm, before 37 weeks of pregnancy, worldwide each year. The final weeks of pregnancy are significant for fetal brain development, and preterm and early-term birth are thought to have a negative impact on later brain function.

However, previous studies have been relatively small, primarily limited to one measure, or didn't sufficiently adjust for other factors that could have influenced the results.

To more accurately determine the impact of gestational ageduration of pregnancy in weeksat birth on long-term cognitive function, the researchers analyzed data for all full siblings born in Denmark from January 1, 1986 to December 31, 2003.

A total of 1.2 million children were born in this period, of whom 792,724 had at least one full sibling born in the same period, which allowed the researchers to take into account hereditary factors such as maternal intelligence.

Using nationwide registry information, the researchers analyzed gestational age at birth, along with their exam results in written Danish language and math at age 15-16, and separately, the results of intelligence tests taken by 227,403 brothers aged around 18, at mandatory military conscription.

Potentially influential factors, including sex, birth weight, parental age and educational level at birth, number of older siblings, and shared family factors between siblings were also taken into account in the analysis.

The researchers calculated how far an exam result was above or below the average grade, and compared this score for siblings at each gestational age to the score for siblings born at term.

Overall, 44,322 (5.6%) of the 792,724 children were born before 37 weeks. Of these, only those born before 34 weeks had significantly lower than average math scores than those born at 40 weeks, and grades progressively decreased with increasing prematurity.

For written language, however, only children born at or less than 27 weeks showed a significantly lower than average grade.

Analysis of military conscription intelligence test scores, measured in IQ points, also showed markedly lower test scores for those born before 34 weeks.

For those born after 34 weeks, there was a less than 1 point reduction in IQ, compared with those born at 40 weeks. But there was a 2.4 point IQ reduction for those born between 32-33 weeks, a 3.8 point reduction for 28-31 weeks, and a 4.2 point reduction for those born at or before 27 weeks.

This is an observational study so can't establish cause and the researchers also acknowledge some limitations. For instance, smoking during pregnancy was not recorded before 1991, and test results may differ from real-life outcomes such as lifetime income.

But they say the study has the advantage of a large sample size and their sibling comparison design most likely accounts for other factors such as maternal smoking. Results were also similar after further analyses, such as including children who did not take exams, suggesting that the findings withstand scrutiny.

While underlying reasons for these findings are still not clear, the researchers suggest that as low cognitive ability is linked to decreased quality of life and early death, their findings "stress the need for more research into how these adverse outcomes can be prevented."

They add, "Cognitive outcomes are not, however, predetermined at birth but are heavily influenced by social circumstances and nurturing, and this is why early intervention is warranted for children born early preterm."

In a linked editorial, Canadian researchers acknowledge that cognitive deficits in early life could have a lifelong influence on a person's capacity and capabilities.

However, they say that although parents and clinicians should be aware of potential educational and cognitive difficulties associated with preterm birth, "parents should be reassured that the magnitude of these differences is not always substantial, particularly for those born at later gestations."

And they suggest that sibling comparisons have caveats and that since the causes of preterm birth are complex and poorly understood, "efforts to identify and improve on other socio-environmental factors could be a more successful approach to mitigating any associated neurocognitive deficits."

More information: Gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes in adolescence: population based full sibling cohort study, The BMJ (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072779 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ)
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COVID-19 swept swiftly through southern China's rural mountain villages last month, and the wave appears to have subsidedsupporting expert theories that the country's most recent outbreak preceded the lifting of restrictions.

China abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy in early December, and the explosion in cases that packed hospitals and crematoriums was widely attributed to the sudden reopening.

But in over a dozen communities visited by AFP in Yunnan province and other parts of rural China this month, the surge appears to have peaked weeks earlier than predicted.

On Yunnan's Jingmai mountain, where a handful of mostly Blang ethnic minority hamlets perch on slopes next to tea fields, doctor Zhong Qingfang pinpointed the height of infections to around December 20.

"There is basically no one who hasn't been infected," she said, adding that she had to work while ill herself.

Last Wednesday, it was clear cases had ebbed as just three elderly patients sat at the entrance to Zhong's clinic, hooked up to IV drips.

Health centres visited by AFP in east China's Shandong and Anhui earlier this month also appeared less busy compared to the villagers' descriptions of what had happened just weeks before.

The fact that the virus has already passed through even small rural communities suggests "the tail end of the current wave in China", said Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

"There is good evidence that cases were beginning to rise in late November," he said.

The World Health Organization has said it believes the current outbreak "started long before any easing of the zero-COVID policy".

Tambyah said that the uptick in infections was in fact the "most likely explanation for the abandonment of the zero-COVID policy in early December".

Empty clinics

At a hospital in Yunnan's Mayidui Township, signs directed visitors toward a specially constructed fever clinic, while a bright red placard marked the "COVID-positive zone".

But on a sunny afternoon last week, no COVID-19 patients were in sight in the largely empty facility.

Tan, a Chinese medicine practitioner, told AFP she and her colleagues had received up to 80 COVID patients each day during the peak of infections shortly after January 1.

In another village, the sole medical practitioner Luo Yongping told AFP that "around half" of the residents had already been infected.

"The peak was one week ago," he said, adding that demand for medicine to treat COVID symptoms had quickly depleted the village's supply.

Most people AFP spoke to said they had been vaccinated.

But Xi Chen, a health policy expert from the Yale School of Public Health, said that in China's rural areas, the efficacy of the jabs was "fast eroded" because the last doses were administered a year ago.

The "unprecedentedly swift COVID spread" points to low levels of immunity among the population, he said.

In contrast to locals AFP spoke to in the country's east in early January, most people interviewed in Yunnan said they didn't know of any deaths in the wave that just passed.

Zhong knew of only one elderly patient who had succumbed.

Central authorities reported almost 60,000 COVID deaths across the country between December 8 and January 12, though the true toll is likely higher as the figures only include deaths in hospitals.

Second wave coming?

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday he is "concerned" about the virus situation as people head to their rural hometowns ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations.

With hundreds of millions expected to travel, medical staff are on alert for a potential second wave.

Tan from the Mayidui hospital told AFP that its staff had prepared kits for the surrounding villages with antigen tests and medicines.

But in areas AFP visited, few wore facemasks and many downplayed the threat of the virus.

Smoking a cigarette through a metal water pipe, Zhang, a village store owner on Jingmai mountain, dismissed COVID as similar to the flu.

"We would've caught colds anyway in the winter," he said.

"Lots and lots of people got infected," said a woman running a roadside stall in Xinghuoshan village, one of many selling homemade red wine.

"It's not that serious."

 2023 AFP
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

(A) Blood samples with different characters. Whole blood is the raw material for DBS preparation by stabilization and homogenization. A whole spot is a 12-mm diameter circle of dried whole blood with a volume of 50 L taken from the filter paper (DBS card) by scissors. A disc is approximately a 3-mm diameter circle of dried blood taken from a whole spot by a paper puncher, and the remainder is the remaining part of the whole spot after removing all discs. A maximum of six discs were punched out from specific locations as numbered. (B) Precut mass defined (3  4 cm) paper for DBS preparation with various sampling volumes from 0 to 100 L. Three discs were punched out from each DBS sample in the same position, and one disc each was taken from the 0 and 10 L DBS samples. Credit: Analytical Chemistry (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01349

Babies undergo a newborn screening test for inherited metabolic disorders within seven days of birth. The test checks for risk factors such as hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria and maple syrup urine disease, which can lead to developmental disabilities if not detected in their early stage. Every year, one in every 1,000 newborns are diagnosed with inherited metabolic disorders.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has developed Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) that can enhance the reliability of using dried blood spot testing for newborn screening.

A CRM is a reference material that serves as a standard in determining the accuracy of measurements and analytical methods.

A dried blood post (DBS) is a sample obtained by drying a drop of blood from the finger or heel on a piece of filter paper. This approach is used for screening rather than actual diagnosis, as it is less accurate than venous blood sample tests. Its common applications include newborn screening for inherited metabolic disorders and doping control during Olympics.

The proposed CRM provides eight certified values and 10 reference values for amino acids, glucose, galactose, and acylcarnitines, which are diagnostic markers of inherited metabolic disorders in newborns. This allows accurate measurement of the amount of target compounds in the DBS.

The lack of reference values has made it difficult for DBS testing to be considered reliable for medical decision. In addition, there has been a problem with measurement bias caused by the need to retrieve portions of blood spots using a paper puncher.

The KRISS Biodiagnostics Analysis Team found that a 0.4 mm bias in diameter led to a 0.78 L (one millionth of a liter) difference in sample volume.

The research team controlled the sample volume to 50 L during the CRM manufacturing stage, and proposed bias-free measurements as certified values, thereby successfully creating CRMs with complete measurement traceability to the International System of Units. This is the first-ever development of DBS CRMs.

Dr. Ji-Seon Jeong, a principal researcher at KRISS, said, "DBS has come under the spotlight as a convenient way of blood sampling, which satisfies the high demand for remote healthcare and home sampling in the days of the pandemic. Our study has laid the foundation to improve the reliability in DBS sample measurement, opening the door for DBS to become an effective tool not only in screening but also diagnosis."

KRISS plans to develop more CRMs for other diagnostic markers used in newborn screening.

More information: Sangji Woo et al, Development of Certified Reference Material for Amino Acids in Dried Blood Spots and Accuracy Assessment of Disc Sampling, Analytical Chemistry (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01349 Journal information: Analytical Chemistry

Provided by National Research Council of Science and Technology
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials say they plan to investigate whether some nursing homes are falsely labeling patients as schizophrenic so they can administer sedating antipsychotic drugs to them.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) noted that evidence of this abuse has grown over decades. It plans to launch an investigation of select nursing homes this month, the Associated Press reported.

"No nursing home resident should be improperly diagnosed with schizophrenia or given an inappropriate antipsychotic," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. "The steps we are taking today will help prevent these errors and give families peace of mind."

In 2022, a government report showed that some facilities may be coding residents as having schizophrenia without having signs of the disorder, the AP reported. While less than 1 percent of people have schizophrenia, 99 U.S. nursing homes have claimed that at least 20 percent of their residents have the condition, the news report noted.

Antipsychotic drug use by nursing home residents had dropped before skyrocketing between 2015 and 2019, according to a report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. "The number of unsupported schizophrenia diagnoses increased and in 2019 was concentrated in relatively few nursing homes," the report concluded.

The agency will use targeted audits to seek documentation of schizophrenia diagnoses in nursing homes that have coded patients as having schizophrenia, the AP reported. CMS plans to monitor those facilities to ensure the improprieties are corrected. Finding a pattern of inaccurate coding will affect rating scores for the facilities, CMS said. It did not say that it would fine facilities, change patient care, or notify patients' relatives.
Recently the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee heard House Bill 170, a bill to repeal Montana's energy policy. As committee members, what we heard about this proposal is concerning/troubling.

Montana's current energy policy is an evolving roadmap with 30 years of bipartisan legislative input. It contains coal, oil, gas, wind, solar, and hydroelectric power sources. It gives thoughtful guidance about innovation and responsible development. It's not a liberal or conservative wish list, and we worked across party lines just last session to update it.

This is a power grab by the governor under the guise of red-tape reduction. The only proponent was his natural resources policy advisor, who testified that the governor wants a "clean slate," but that clean slate strips away decades of legislative expertise and involvement. In fact, the legislative files show correspondence from his office with this language "Repeal 90-4-1001 and replace with: Give the governor the ability to craft a new energy policy if he desires."

It is also worth noting that there were no industry proponents for the bill. If this was really about red tape and cumbersome regulations, wouldn't they be in the hearing testifying in support?

Repealing the state energy policy is stripping away the people's voice. Each legislative session, there is the opportunity for testimony and feedback from citizens across the state. Then people's representatives debate the pros and cons and craft a blueprint for how the state should operate in the coming years. It lays out a plan to direct state government when making energy decisions when the Legislature is not in session.

We all know how vital energy is to our daily lives. Whether your car runs on diesel, gas, or electric or whether climate change keeps you up at night or not, our energy policy matters. It must be guided by the citizens and their representatives, not by one man.

We've all worked for or watched organizations or businesses where one person had too much power  where their decisions went unchecked. Inevitably concentrated power benefits a few, but it rarely helps the many.

We should look deeply at the bill whenever we hear "red tape reduction." Is it really about reducing roadblocks and making things easier? Or is it about power and taking away the people's voices?

House Bill 170 would give the governor the power to do whatever he wants. Repealing Montanan's energy policy is a terrible idea and will have negative consequences for years. We encourage everyone to call or message their representative and tell them to vote against HB170.
VALDESE  A man was injured in a fire at his home in Valdese on Tuesday.

Firefighters were dispatched to the home on Temple Street Southwest around 3:20 p.m., according to firefighters on the scene.

Triple Community Assistant Fire Chief Michael Carswell said units arriving to the scene saw heavy smoke and heavy fire coming from the kitchen area of the home.

Firefighters laid in on the fire, getting it under control in a few minutes, Carswell said. He said they cut a vent hole into the ceiling to help draw the fire up and out of the house. That improves conditions both for firefighters and anyone who may still be trapped inside the home.

No one was trapped inside the home, but the resident of the home was transported to a hospital for treatment, Carswell said.

Deputy Fire Marshal Robert Bishop said the man had burns on one of his hands, but his injuries werent believed to be life-threatening.

The fire remains under investigation, but Carswell said firefighters were told the resident went outside to check on his dogs and came back in to find the stove on fire. The man tried to put the fire out and was injured in the process.

Fire damage was mostly contained to one room, Carswell said, but the majority of the house had smoke and heat damage from the fire.

Firefighters from Triple Community, Valdese and Lovelady fire departments all responded to the scene along with Burke County EMS and the Burke County Fire Marshals Office.

The American Red Cross was called to assist the family.

More information will be published as it becomes available.
A local organization is providing a fun way for people to support one-on-one mentoring for children in need of guidance.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Burke County will hold its annual Bowl for Kids Sake event from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Valdese Recreation Center at 312 Massel Ave. SE in Valdese, according to a press release on the fundraiser.

People in the community are invited to form teams to bowl during the event and register online at http://bit.ly/3klKelW.

There is not a set deadline (to register), but we ask sponsors to have their information to us no later than Feb. 20, said Dorian Palmer, vice president of philanthropy for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina. We ask for team commitments around a week after that, the sooner the better.

Bowlers are asked to raise at least $50 each from their friends, family members and co-workers, so that the four- to five-member teams raise at least $250.

Palmer said participants may choose one of four two-hour slots available for bowling the day of the event: 9-11 a.m., 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 3:45-5:45 p.m. Shoe rental is included. There will be door prizes and contests.

Proceeds from the fundraiser, one of several to be sponsored regionally by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, will support the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Burke County, which provides adult mentors for local children identified as needing extra guidance. The mentor or Big meets with child, called a Little, on a regular basis to provide support.

As is always the case, the funds go to continuing our program in Burke County, Palmer said. Our mission is to ignite the power and promise of youth through one-to-one mentoring. The proceeds from this event allow us to live our mission in our community.

Funds will be used for BBBSWNC staff to recruit and vet prospective Bigs.

Bigs commit to being a steadfast presence in the childs life for at least a year, the press release reads. Supported by professional BBBS staff locally in each of the 18 western North Carolina counties that BBBSWNC serves, these matches have shown that they improve a childs success in school and in life.

The theme of this years Bowl for Kidss Sake fundraiser is Once Upon A Time.

The theme reflects BBBSWNCs commitment to improving its Littles reading skills, the press release reads. BBBSWNC is enlisting literacy partners locally to make books and reading more available to Littles here at home. The literacy initiative is meant in part to help local children make up ground they lost during the pandemic.

Participants are encouraged to dress up like their favorite literary characters to reflect the Once Upon a Time theme.

Palmer said last years Bowl for Kids Sake in Burke County raised $15,000, and the organization hopes to raise $20,000 at this years event. BBBSWNC has set a regional fundraising goal of $100,000.

BBBSWNC has dozens of children waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister, the press release reads. Bigs spend as little as an hour every couple of weeks with their Little, just hanging out and talking. Some Bigs start out with their Little at school, during school hours. Some matches move on  or begin  as community-based matches and do things like hike, bike, get a snack or participate in other activities, many of which BBBSWNC organizes or has discounts for.

Palmer encouraged people to bowl for a good cause.

Its always a good time  a lot of smiles, and you are doing so much good for our community by participating, he said Come out, dress up like your favorite storybook character and have a good time!

To learn more about the organization or how to become a Big and make a difference in a childs life, visit bbbswnc.org. For more information on the Burke County Bowl for Kids Sake, contact Wendi Craven, BBBS Burke program coordinator, at burke@bbbswnc.org or 828-502-9366.
Cops are warning residents not to fall for arrest warrant scams going around.

The Morganton Department of Public Safety said in a release Wednesday it has received multiple complaints about scammers identifying themselves as law enforcement officers, then demanding payment via gift cards or prepaid debit cards to avoid arrest.

Law enforcement will never call you to inform you about a warrant and demand payment of any kind, the department said in the news release.

If someone really had a warrant, officers instead would come knock on their door to serve it and they would never demand money, gift cards, money transfers or crypto currency as payment to avoid arrest, MDPS said in the release.

The department wanted to remind residents that callers can manipulate phone numbers to make it look like theyre calling from a government agency. They encouraged anyone with concerns to look up the agencys phone number and call them directly.

They also said to never share personal information with anyone who contacts you. Legitimate officers will never tell anyone to pay them to avoid arrest, and government agencies wouldnt call, text or email to demand payment out of the blue.

They said anyone with questions or who needs to file a report can call the department at 828-437-1211 to speak with an officer. Reports also should be filed with reportfraud.ftc.gov and www.ic3.gov to help federal authorities stop scammers. Anyone making a report will need to provide as much of the following information as possible:

The date and time of the call.

The person and agency the scammer used.

What they wanted the person to do, pay or share, including amounts.

The phone number that displayed on the screen when the scammer called. The department said even fake numbers can help law enforcement track down scammers.
BOONE  A man accused of stealing a John Deere tractor in Boone, North Carolina, led police on a chase through the small town, authorities say.

Boone Police Department was called on Tuesday, Jan. 17, following reports that a tractor was being driven around a parking lot erratically, attempting to hit pedestrians. When officers responded, they found a man driving the tractor that they were very familiar with.

Police say the man then began to drive the tractor down a main road into on-coming traffic.

We did attempt to use stop sticks, Boone police Chief Andy Le Beau said in a Facebook post, but they were not terribly effective on the tractor.

Le Beau said at this point the tractor intentionally drove into a Boone police vehicle and began to drive toward an elementary school.

(We) were determined not to let him get that far, Le Beau said.

Once in an isolated area, police shot at the tractor tires, hitting a front tire and deflating it. Now at about 20 mph, according to Wataugaonline.com, the man continued to drive the tractor without a front tire, leading police in a slow speed chase before turning onto a private road.

Once the road ended, police say the man jumped off the tractor and was wielding a knife. An officer used a Taser to stop the man, and he was taken into custody.

In total, the man in the tractor hit multiple cars, a dumpster, a police vehicle and a church, but no injuries occurred to the man or the police officers pursuing him.

We are still trying to sort it all out, Le Beau said. Be safe out there.
One bullet narrowly missed the judge, burrowing into his bench. Another bored a hole in a rear courtroom door.

The date was May 21, 1924, and Prohibition reigned somewhat haphazardly in rowdy Butte. Bootlegger John OLeary pulled a gun (or two) and fired wildly about the crowded federal courtroom before turning the firearm on himself (or being shot). He survived. No else was injured.

News stories reported that OLeary had been convicted at trial two days before of possessing and selling intoxicating liquors at his cigar store and was facing a short jail term.

Decades later, in 2002, the handsome federal building in Butte was renamed to honor Mike Mansfield, a Montana statesman who once worked as a mucker underground in Buttes copper mines.

Now, roughly 118 years after the buildings dedication on 400 N. Main St. in Uptown Butte, the Mike Mansfield Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is slated to receive about $25.8 million in Capital Investment Funding.

The work will include facade repairs, seismic upgrades, structural repairs and roof replacement, according to the General Services Administration. In addition, there will be upgrades of various building systems, including HVAC, plumbing, water heaters and electrical, the GSA said.

The building was dedicated Dec. 8, 1904, and designed originally to serve also as a post office. The new federal building helped process Buttes immigrants as people arrived from other countries to labor in the mines.

An official history of the building reports Architect James Knox Taylor expertly adapted the building design to the sloping terrain. The edifice is described as an excellent example of the Renaissance Revival style of architecture, popular during the Victorian era, but also with elements of the Beaux-Arts style with neoclassical embellishments and an ornately appointed interior.

The architect chose the Renaissance Revival Style to display the governments taste and refinement; the massing and materials lend a sense of permanence to the structure and assert the federal governments presence in Butte, the official history reports.

The $25.8 million seems destined to continue that presence for some time.

The stately courtroom housing the U.S. Bankruptcy and District Court features a soaring vaulted ceiling and tall windows topped with round arches and flanked by marble pilasters.

Other areas of the building include terrazzo flooring, polished white Vermont marble baseboards, wainscot and pilasters.

In addition to the court staff and court security officers, building tenants include the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, an Air Force recruiting office, a federal probation office and the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Station.

Dan Hill is the GSAs property manager for the Mike Mansfield Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse.

My tenants all consider this building a treasure, Hill said.

He said his favorite events in the building are naturalization ceremonies. He said he can even embrace the occasional messes that accompany the celebrations.

I smile when we see the cake rubbed into the carpet, Hill said.

As for the fate of Butte bootlegger John OLeary

Newspaper accounts report he was acquitted in 1925 of a charge of firing a gun with the intent to commit murder. The judge chewed out the jury for that verdict, but OLeary walked free.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, will deliver the keynote address March 4 for the 45th annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner in Helena, the Montana Democratic Partys biggest event of the year.

Kelly is a retired U.S. Navy combat pilot, engineer and NASA astronaut.

This years celebration will be at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. Tickets will be on sale beginning Jan 24 at montanademocrats.org.

Kelly took office in December 2020 after Arizonans elected him to fill out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCains term. And in 2022, Arizonans elected him to a full six-year term in the Senate.

Kelly lives in Tucson with his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords. They were married in 2007. She has retired from Congress after an assassination attempt nearly killed her on Jan. 8, 2011.

We are thrilled to host Senator Kelly in Montana. Although its a much shorter trip to Helena than to the International Space Station, we are honored he is making the journey, Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Sheila Hogan said Wednesday in an email.

She said Kelly has dedicated his life to service, protecting Americans, and fighting for working families. "Hell feel right at home among Montana Democrats.

Past speakers of the Mansfield Metcalf Dinner have included Joe Biden, who was then a former vice president, in 2018, Sen. Cory Booker in 2017, and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison in 2021.

Kelly is the son of two police officers and attended public schools through the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

He flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. He has logged more than 5,000 flight hours in more than 50 aircraft and completed over 375 carrier landings. Kelly is the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and multiple Air Medals.

Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996 in the same class as his twin brother, Scott. He flew his first of four missions into space in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour.

He spent more than 50 days in space and has lived on the International Space Station.
This legislative session, Montana has an opportunity to significantly strengthen our health care delivery system, particularly for people most in need of health care. Last session, the Montana Legislature commissioned a provider rate study to study the reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers. The study focused on services primarily used by people on Medicaid, including addictive and mental disorders, developmental services, childrens mental health, and senior and long-term care.

The study, conducted by an outside consulting firm, recommended that the state invest $27.7 million more into its Medicaid program. Because Medicaid is funded with both state and federal funds, increasing provider rates would bring in roughly $54 million in federal funds. During a time when our health care system has been stretched to its limit, bringing funding up to adequate levels is key to making sure everyone has the care they need.

After investing years, listening to stakeholders' input and spending $2.7 million on the study, Gov. Greg Gianfortes office has proposed to fund only a fraction of what the study recommended. The governors budget proposes funding 10 percent of the recommended increase in 2024. In 2025, the governors budget calls for funding 36 percent of the recommendations in the study.

While the budget also contains a $25 million unrestricted pool of money, purportedly to be used for a temporary boost in provider rate increases, these funds are for one year only. In 2025, providers will receive less in reimbursements than they had the year before and will be left facing the same crisis they are now.

Provider rates are not simply in-the-weeds Medicaid policy. When reimbursement rates for Medicaid are too low, it limits access to health care and risks poor health for tens thousands of Montanans. Children in need of residential psychiatric treatment , for example, are routinely sent out of state due to low provider reimbursement rates in Montana. Closing the gap between Medicaid reimbursements and private pay insurance would also reduce disparities in access among adults and eliminate access disparities for children . Provider rates are a racial justice issue, as well. Fundamentally, adequate provider rates determine Montanans access to health care.

Sufficient provider rates are also an investment in the Medicaid system, by allowing for community-based care rather than high-cost hospitalizations down the road. Appropriate reimbursement rates will also help stabilize Montanas health care workforce at a time where there is a shortage of health care workers across the state.

Montana is sitting on a $1.9 billion surplus. The state can and should invest in the health of Montanans as well as our health care workforce. Instead, the governors budget is calling for large tax cuts for the wealthy. After spending two years studying the pay Medicaid providers receive, the Legislature and the governor fully understand the gaps in our health care system. Medicaid provider rates influence access to health care, our economy and how we prioritize spending in our state budget. We ask the Legislature to fully fund the provider rates demonstrated in the study.
Across the West, federal and state land management agencies are strategically logging, thinning and burning forests with the goal of making them more resilient to uncontrolled wildfire, as well as diseases. But conservationists and wildlife advocates worry the work will harm grizzly bears and other federally-protected species that call those habitats home.

In Western Montana, three projects from different agencies have drawn criticism and lawsuits from stakeholders that say the work will damage grizzly bear habitat.

With me today is Joshua Murdock, the outdoors and natural resources reporter at the Missoulian, to talk about the projects and peoples concerns.

This podcast is created in partnership across five newsrooms  the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.
WAPELLO  A contingent of Louisa County Compensation Board members, elected county officials and other staff met with the board of supervisors during the boards regular meeting on Tuesday and presented the compensation boards Fiscal Year 2024 salary recommendation for Louisa Countys elected officials.

Compensation board member Tony Hammer, who represents county sheriff Brad Turner, distributed the recommendation, which the compensation board had established at its Dec. 15 meeting.

The recommendation calls for a 33% salary hike for both Turner and county attorney Adam Parsons; 16% increases for county recorder Tammy Hayes, treasurer Vicki Frank and auditor Sandi Sturgell; and 10% raises for supervisors Brad Quigley, Chris Ball and Shawn Maine.

If those percentages are approved by the supervisors, it would boost Turners pay, effective July 1, to $109,313 and Parsons to $96,542; while Hayes, Frank and Sturgell would all see their annual pay increase to $67,830. The salaries for the three supervisors would grow to $32,667 per year.

The supervisors can accept the recommendation or reduce all the proposed increases by the same amount.

Hammer, who emphasized he was speaking as Turners representative, said the raises were needed to bring Louisa Countys salaries up to the level of other counties.

We are significantly lower than where we should be in the state of Iowa and this is where we all believe, our elected officials should be, he told the board, providing data that showed where Turners salary currently compared to other county sheriffs.

Brads salary is the ninth lowest salary of all ninety-nine counties in Iowa, Hammer said, pointing out previous small increases were a major factor for the low ranking.

Leanne Black, who represents Hayes on the compensation board, said the need for higher wages was becoming evident.

Turnover has been tremendous, she said, reminding the supervisors that in the past people could not wait for an opening at the courthouse.

Now, it doesnt seem like we can keep them, she continued, suggesting higher wages in the private sector were contributing to the problem.

Responding to the compensation board members, supervisor chair Chris Ball said he was hearing from taxpayers who were concerned about the size of the salary increases.

We work for the taxpayers and the taxpayers Ive been talking to, Ill send to you, he said.

I hear you, Hammer said, acknowledging the supervisors were in a tough position.

Sometimes you have to make decisions that are not fun, he said.

The supervisors did not indicate when they would act on the recommendation.

In other action, the supervisors:

Met with veterans affairs service officer Adam Caudle and public health administrator Roxanne Smith for their monthly department updates;

Approved the recorders quarterly report;

Concurred with Muscatine County on the re-appointment of Richard Buser to the Conesville Benefited Fire District;

Reviewed the monthly ambulance reports from the Morning Sun Ambulance Service and the Wapello Community Ambulance Service.

The board also met with county engineer Adam Shutt for his weekly report on the secondary roads department. Shutt said work on replacing the bridge on Louisa County W66 north of Cotter could begin before the end of January.

Shutt also reported work on the Grandview Bypass (160th Street/G44X) would likely begin in mid-May.
MUSCATINE  Allsteel officially announced that it would be moving its Muscatine sales office and showroom to Fulton Market in Chicago where it will act as the companys newest Experience Center on Tuesday.

According to Allsteel officials, although this move will mark the closing of the Allsteel facility on the HNI campus, located at 2210 Second St., no jobs will be affected.

The Muscatine building that currently houses the sales office/showroom will be placed on the market in early 2023, while the new Experience Center is set to open in late spring 2023.

In a public statement, Allsteel President Jason Hagedorn said, As we look at how our brand has evolved, and at the large-scale initiatives weve mapped out, weve prioritized repositioning our investments to focus where our clients need us and want to interact with us. With this new Experience Center in Fulton Market, a continued focus on sustainable practices, and expanded perspective on the evolving workplace, we are excited about placing our investments in the critical areas we know our clients need us most.

The members who are working in the current Allsteel building will move to one of the other buildings on the HNI Campus in Muscatine, Sara Nichols, VP, Member & Community Relations said. The reset of our corporate campus allows us to deliver an exceptional workplace experience for our members with the right people in the right places. We will only move our sales office and showroom to our new experience center in Fulton Market in Chicago.

The Experience Center is set to include a series of interactive design areas as well as an immersive learning space and several hospitality hotspots for clients to enjoy. The space will also serve as Allsteels main client interaction space in the hopes of providing its customers with a more central and convenient hub for future collaboration engagements.

Allsteels showroom presence in Chicago has been long standing, Nichols continued. We are making new investments in an Experience Center in the up-and-coming Fulton Market area and are excited to be investing in the capabilities that our stakeholders need, allowing them to easily navigate the process of buying office furniture.

Nichols then emphasized that Allsteel would continue to support visitors in Muscatine at other facilities within its campus.

HNI continues to have a strong presence in Muscatine, through our portfolio of office furniture brands, with visits from our customers to our manufacturing facilities, the HON showroom, and a large member population to support local businesses, she said. As an HNI company, it is our goal to create the best workplace experience for our members, regardless of their location. We will continue to support and build the Muscatine community and the surrounding area.

In addition to the one that will soon be in Chicago, Allsteel already has several other client experience centers in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. For more information on Allsteel and its offices, residents can visit www.allsteeloffice.com.
The next 30 years are expected to be crucial for the transition into renewable energy, and for the team at Progress Muscatine, the more it can spread the word about how to more effectively begin this transition, the better the community will be.

At 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, Progress Muscatine will host What is Muscatines Energy Future? A Conversation with Progress Muscatine, a virtual event that will be held through Zoom. This is an event that is open to the public, with attendance being highly encouraged.

Whether your motivation is to save money on your energy bills at your home or business, or you are concerned about continued dependence on fossil fuels and the influx of climate disasters, our hope is to showcase solutions that will be helpful for everyone, said Jessica Brackett, president of Progress Muscatine said.

During the event, Brackett and her team will discuss several different topics all relating to local energy conservation and renewable energy as a whole, with information backed by research provided by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. These topics include a brief discussion on the legacy of fossil fuels; renewable energy and storage; ideas about how the collective resources of the county, the city and the school district can be used to save taxpayer money; and providing ideas for local business, nonprofits, homeowners and renters about efficiency efforts to save money.

We are holding this event because Muscatine Power and Water is at a transition point and because its a community-owned utility, we want to talk to the community about options that can be taken in the community around energy and energy efficiency, Brackett said.

Although Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) has already announced a plan involving solar panel installation that will take its production of electricity from renewable energy from 5.5% to 11-12%, the Progress Muscatine team feels that MPW can do more, citing that the state of Iowa as a whole already produces roughly 60% of its electricity from renewable energy sources.

At this point, we want MPW to plan with the community, Bracket continued, stating that while MPW has presented its plan to the community, it hasnt had the community involved in the planning process as much as other community projects, such as the riverfront development project.

The same time of planning can be done around energy, and so the hope is that different organizations and different energy users within the county, city and school district can learn about how these entities can use new available money and programs to increase renewable energy and increase efficiency efforts, she said.

Brackett added that with more involvement from a knowledgeable community, she hopes that MPW will take these concerns into consideration in order to further its own journey toward using more forms of renewable energy. "We hope to start building a community plan to help Muscatine catch up with Iowa's renewable energy success story," she said.

For those interested in attending the Zoom event, residents can send an email with their name and the word "Energy" in the subject line to Together@progressmuscatine.org.
Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles is a true crime podcast that pairs dramatic readings of articles with interviews conducted with journalists who covered the stories.

For this set of episodes we're looking at a multi-part series from the Buffalo News Watchdog Team of Lou Michel, Dan Herbeck, and Mike McAndrew that launches Friday, Jan. 20, about a decades old murder of a Catholic Priest. The homicide went unsolved amid vague rumors of a cover-up.

Before that series kicks off, though, we want to set the stage with Dan Herbeck's article from 2018 which acts as something of a primer for the series:

We certainly encourage you to subscribe to Late Edition Crime Beat Chronicles wherever you get your podcasts to catch all our upcoming coverage of the series as well as keep an eye on Buffalo News for the articles as they publish starting this weekend.

"Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles" is a product of Lee Enterprises. It is produced and edited by Chris Lay, with interviews produced and recorded by Nat Cardona.

Previous episodes in this series

Get caught up on this series through the story links below. (Note: Tap here if the links are not loading on your device.)
CEDAR RAPIDS  A medical examiner Tuesday said Jan and Melissa Jackson and their daughter, Sabrina, all died from multiple fatal gunshot injuries June 15, 2021.

The only evidence of close range shots  soot left on the skin from gunpowder  was to Melissa Jackson, 68. She had a gunshot to her left eye, which left soot, indicating the gun was only inches away from her when she was shot.

Dr. Kelly Kruse, an associate state medical examiner who performed the three autopsies on the family members of Alexander Jackson, who is on trial this week for murder, testified there was no gunpowder or stippling at the wounds to Jan, 61, and Sabrina, 19. She couldn't determine how far the shooter was from them.

Testimony began last Friday and the trial is expected to last through this week.

Alexander Jackson, 22, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting his parents and sister.

Alexander Jackson told police an intruder got in that day and shot him in the foot and then fled out the back door. He could only describe the intruder as a Black man wearing black clothing and green shoes.

Officers testified Friday and Tuesday there was no forced entry into the house at 4414 Oak Leaf Ct. NE, and no signs of a struggle.

Kruse said Jan Jackson had five gunshot wounds to his chest area, neck and back of his head. The gunshots injured his brain and other vital organs, and each individual shot could have been fatal. The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.

Jan Jackson also had a blunt force injury and laceration to his face and inside his lower lip, which could have been from falling to the floor after being shot.

During Kruse's testimony on the autopsies, Alexander Jackson never looked at the television screens in the courtroom. He mostly looked down at a notepad in front of him.

Melissa Jackson died from two gunshot injuries to her head, Kruse said. She had one next to her left eye and another to right temple area. The gunshot to her eye was fired at close range, which left soot to indicate the gun was fired inches from her head.

Both gunshots to her head entered her dura and brain, Kruse said. Either injury could have been fatal.

Kruse said their daughter, Sabrina, also died from multiple gunshot injuries. She had one to the left side of her torso, which exited through her arm, and another shot to her left eye.

The torso shot entered her abdominal cavity, injuring her liver and exited her front stomach area. The gunshot to her eye injured her brain.

Kruse said there was no soot or stippling on the wounds, so the gun wasn't fired at close range.

Each of her injuries could have been fatal but the one to her eye would have been more "rapidly fatal," Kruse noted.

On cross, Tyler Johnston, Alexander's lawyer, asked it would be possible to have blood or tissue on the shooter or gun on the close range shots.

Kruse said it would be.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter, on redirect, asked if size and strength of bullet would impact that  finding blood or tissue on shooter or gun.

Kruse said it could.

In earlier testimony, Cedar Rapids Police Officer Tim Brown said there was no evidence of a home invasion. As he and other officers were clearing the house for a possible intruder, who wasn't found, they left Alexander downstairs. When Brown went back downstairs, he found Alexander had crawled down the hall to his father's body.

Alexander again told officers a man had been in the house, but he couldn't provide much of a description.

On the way to the hospital, Alexander told the paramedic he had been sleeping on the porch and he ran into the "man"  the intruder. Alexander said he hit or charged him and the intruder shot his foot.

Brown said Alexander, who cried "quietly and briefly" during the transport, told the paramedic his pain level was "10." He asked if they got his mom and Brown said they were getting everyone. Brown said he thought Alexander might have been in shock.

Alexander also asked if they got an ambulance for his dad and if his sister was OK, but nobody answered him.

Ryan Dunbar, a police investigator, testified about canvassing the neighborhood to ask if anyone saw or heard something unusual that morning at the Jackson home or in the area, but nobody saw or heard anything.

He also looked for neighbors who had surveillance cameras. The neighbors across the street had two cameras but the video footage from those didn't show anyone in the area before police arrived, Dunbar said.

Dunbar also returned to the neighborhood later to do a canvass of the wooded area to the north and east of the home because that could be an escape path of the possible intruder. He tried to walk through the woods to Ushers Ferry Road, thinking that might be a pathway, but he couldn't. There were too many downed trees and debris, possibly from derecho damage.

He also drove around to Ushers Ferry and tried to walk south, but it was difficult and he had to climb over trees to make it toward the Jacksons' house.

Counties with the most motor vehicle fatalities in Iowa Counties with the most motor vehicle accident fatalities in Iowa #19. Linn County, Iowa #18. Black Hawk County, Iowa #17. Polk County, Iowa #16. Dallas County, Iowa #15. Woodbury County, Iowa #14. Scott County, Iowa #13. Warren County, Iowa #12. Pottawattamie County, Iowa #11. Marion County, Iowa #10. Boone County, Iowa #9. Mahaska County, Iowa #8. Lee County, Iowa #7. Cedar County, Iowa #6. Mills County, Iowa #5. Plymouth County, Iowa #4. Hardin County, Iowa #3. Iowa County, Iowa #2. Madison County, Iowa #1. Adair County, Iowa
Republicans in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature passed Gov. Kim Reynolds' private school assistance proposal out of committees on Wednesday, moving the bill one step closer to floor votes.

"This is just the first step in giving educational freedom to Iowas students and parents," Reynolds said in a statement after the bill passed both committees. " I look forward to this bill reaching the floor in both chambers. Iowans deserve to see where their elected leaders stand.

The bill passed 11-5 in the Senate Education Committee, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. The bill was then referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will meet to consider the bill on Thursday at 10 a.m.

Democrats raised similar concerns as they have over the last week as the bill has quickly made its way through the lawmaking process. They said the bill deprives already underfunded public schools of funding, siphons money to wealthy families, and they raised concerns about private school accountability.

I dont know where were going to get another $341 million to put into this program, except by short-changing the public schools again, Democratic Sen. Herman Quirmbach, the ranking member of the committee, said.

Republican Senate President Amy Sinclair of Allerton, who managed the bill in subcommittee, said in response to concerns about private school accountability that they go through the same accreditation process as public schools and teachers require the same licenses.

"Don't tell me they're not accountable," she said. "They are accredited by the same agencies that our department of education utilizes. The same processes."

The proposal passed out of the House Education Reform committee Wednesday on 3-2 party-line vote, with Democrats opposed, making it eligible for floor debate next week.

It's a stark contrast to last year, when debate over a much narrower proposal failed in the House, with Republican holdouts joining Democrats in opposition, and delayed the end of session by weeks.

This year, top Republican lawmakers have advanced changes to eliminate potential obstacles and fast-track Gov. Kim Reynolds top legislative priority, pushing it through the committee process before the end of the session's second week, despite Democratic opposition and a packed public hearing on Tuesday.

House Democrats accused Republicans of rushing the legislation through without adequate vetting.

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said the only information Republicans have provided about the bill's cost come from their own estimates and those of the governor  not the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

"This is not ready for prime time in any way, shape or form," Konfrst, who sits on the House Education Reform Committee, told reporters. "We have a lot of questions. We dont have any information from a nonpartisan source that tells us what the bill will cost."

Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, who also sits on the committee, said parents should have the freedom to make a decision about where and what values their child is taught.

We have an educational monopoly in this state, Will said. We forget about the child and why we fund education in Iowa. Its not to fund schools.  What I care about is the kids and how we teach those kids. Parents want to be in charge of the childs education and their childs future.

Iowa National Guard adjutant general to retire

Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, will retire March 1 after more than 30 years in the guard and three years at its helm.

Corell, 61, mentioned the upcoming retirement in a ceremony for veterans at the Iowa State Capitol on Wednesday. He said he wants to spend more time with his family and more time on his hobbies in his retirement.

The Iowa guard is in great hands, he said. The leaders that are below me, I have imprinted my fingerprints on them through their career. Its time for me to rotate out and somebody else to take this role.

Corell said he has given his recommendation for his successor to Gov. Kim Reynolds, who will appoint the next leader of the Iowa National Guard.

Corell first enlisted in the guard in 1986 and became a commissioned officer in 1989. He assumed the role of adjutant general in 2019. Corell said hes proud of keeping the readiness of the Iowa National Guard intact under his leadership and building future leaders in the organization.

Ransomware penalties

Launching a ransomware attack would become a crime in Iowa under a bill that passed out of a House subcommittee on Wednesday.

Ransomware is any software that blocks access to a computer system until the owner of the system pays money. It has become a rising concern in Iowa and nationally as several school systems, including the Cedar Rapids and Davenport public school districts, have suffered attacks.

Launching a ransomware attack is not currently a crime in Iowa, and the bill would make it up to a Class C felony to do so, depending on the amount of money the affected entity loses. If the losses are less than $10,000, the person would be charged with a simple misdemeanor; between $10,000 and $50,000 would be a Class D felony; and any losses over $50,000 would be a Class C felony.

The bill applies to ransomware launched against the state, public and private utilities, hospitals, and public schools, colleges and area education agencies.

The bill received bipartisan support in the subcommittee, with two Republicans and one Democrat recommending passage. The bill will need to pass through the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee before coming to a vote in the House.

Gender balance mandate repeal

State and local boards and commissions would no longer be required to have gender balance under legislation that moved in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, cast doubt on whether the gender balance requirement for government boards and commissions was ever needed, and suggested even if it was, it has since outgrown its purpose. Schultz said he hears from leaders who say they have a difficult time filling open board positions, in part because of the gender balance requirement.

Opponents of the bill questioned the veracity of Schultzs assertion, and said the requirement has produced positive results in government representation in Iowa, and is still needed because more grounds needs to be made.

Iowas gender balance requirement for state boards and commissions  the first of its kind in the nation  has been in place since 1987. The law was extended to local government bodies in 2009.

Schultz and fellow Republican Sen. Cherielynn Westrich, R-Ottumwa, signed off on Senate Study Bill 1037, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate committee on state government. Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, declined to sign off on the bill.

Chief judge elected

Thomas Bower, of Cedar Falls, has been reelected as chief judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals.

Bower has served on the appeals court since 2012, and was first elected chief judge in 2019, according to an Iowa Judicial Branch news release.

Appeals court justices elect the chief judge, who serves a two-year term.
CHICAGO  Two Illinois paramedics face first-degree murder charges, having been accused of strapping a patient facedown on a stretcher while taking him to a hospital last month.

Illinois authorities filed the charges against Peggy Finley and Peter Cadigan on Jan. 9, nearly a month after 35-year-old Earl Moore died. Under Illinois law, a first-degree murder charge can be filed when a defendant "knows that such acts create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm."

Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright announced the charges at a Jan. 10 press conference after an autopsy. The autopsy report listed Moore's cause of death as homicide, caused by compressional and positional asphyxia as he lay facedown on the paramedic stretcher with straps tightened across his back.

If convicted, Finley and Cadigan could face between 20 and 60 years in prison.

They remained in the Sangamon County jail on Tuesday and were being held on a $1 million bond each. A message left Tuesday at their attorney's office was not immediately returned. They are next due in court on Thursday.

After announcing the charges, authorities released body camera footage from three Springfield police officers showing Moore's encounter with the officers and the paramedics. Wright said Moore's family and community groups were consulted before the footage was released.

The Springfield police department first responded to Moore's home around 2 a.m. on Dec. 18. The police footage shows that a woman inside the home told one of the officers that Moore was in withdrawal from alcohol and hallucinating.

The video shows Moore lying on a bed, occasionally speaking incoherently or gasping. At one point he rolls onto the floor. Wright said the officers felt Moore was in "medical distress" and called paramedics.

When Finley arrives, she comes into the bedroom where Moore is still on the floor. Soon after, she yells at him to sit up and asks repeatedly for his birth date.

"Sit up," she said. "You know what, I am not playing. Sit up. Quit acting stupid. Sit up. Sit up now. I am not playing with you tonight."

"You're gonna have to walk cause we ain't carrying you," she adds as police tell Moore he has to walk outside to get to the hospital.

Police then lift Moore to his feet between two officers and slowly move him toward the door. Outside the home, police lift him onto the stretcher. The second paramedic waiting outside the house forcefully puts Moore onto his stomach and the two paramedics are shown tightly strapping Moore to the stretcher in that position.

According to a statement from Springfield police, the department later learned that Moore died after arriving at the hospital and Chief Ken Scarlette asked the Illinois State Police to conduct an independent investigation of Moore's death.

"The officers, who are not emergency medical professionals, are not trained nor equipped to provide the necessary medical treatment or to transport patients in this type of situation," Scarlette said in a statement. "The officers turned over care of the patient to the licensed, medical professionals at the scene in accordance with Springfield Police Department policy."

Douglas Wolfberg, a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth a law firm that concentrates on representing emergency medical services, said it's immensely rare for a provider to face a murder or homicide charge in connection with patient care and it's difficult for prosecutors to make a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt. Wolfberg said he was extremely troubled by the video and believes the pair at least provided "wholly deficient care" from when Finley first interacted with Moore to when the paramedics strapped their patient in the prone position.

"EMS is a profession of highly trained specialists who provide emergency care in the most difficult and stressful of circumstances and give their best," Wolfberg said. "This was a very unfortunate and tragic example of providers who did not give their best."

See the body camera footage below. Warning: This footage may disturb some viewers.
BROVARY, Ukraine  A helicopter carrying Ukraine's interior minister crashed into a kindergarten in a foggy residential suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, killing him and about a dozen other people, including a child on the ground, authorities said.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw the country's police and emergency services, is the most senior official killed since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago. His death, along with the rest of his ministry's leadership and the entire helicopter crew, was the second major calamity in four days to befall Ukraine, after a Russian missile struck an apartment building in the southeastern city of Dnipro, killing dozens of civilians.

There was no immediate word on whether the helicopter crash, which occurred on a foggy morning in the capital's eastern suburb of Brovary, was an accident or related to the war. Ukrainian authorities immediately opened an investigation. No fighting has been reported recently in the capital region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by video link  said the crash had a broad connection to the war.

This is not an accident because it has been due to war and the war has many dimensions, not just on the battlefields, he said. There are no accidents at wartime. These are all war results.

Ukraines State Emergency Service, which operated the French-manufactured Super Puma helicopter, said at least 14 people were killed, including nine on the helicopter, and a child on the ground. It said 25 people were injured, including 11 children. Early official reports gave differing numbers of casualties.

At the scene of the crash and ensuing fire, plastic sheets covered at least four bodies. Workers cleared charred and mangled wreckage lying against an apartment building and in the kindergarten's playground. Some walls were partly demolished and blackened. The helicopter's blackened rotors protruded from a destroyed car and rested on the roof of a building's entrance.

Kyiv regional Gov. Oleksii Kuleba told Ukrainian television that emergency services were still identifying remains and that the death toll could rise.

The crash killed five Interior Ministry officials, one national police official and all three helicopter crew members, the Ukraine National Police said. Monastyrskyis deputy Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych were among the dead, the police said.

Monastyrskyi, 42, was in charge of police and emergency services that dealt with the consequences of Russian strikes and de-mining, political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said National Police Chief Ihor Klymenko has been appointed acting interior minister.

Senior Ukrainian officials routinely travel by helicopter at low altitudes and high speed during the conflict, increasing the inherent dangers associated with the flights. The tragedy may prompt Kyiv to institute a rule many countries and companies follow stating that top officials shouldn't fly on the same aircraft, Fesenko said.

The officials on the helicopter were due to visit Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region, local police chief Volodymyr Tymoshko said, adding on Facebook that they were not just leaders," but friends who I respected.

The helicopter was sold to Ukraine before the war in 2019, a French defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be identified, according to ministry policy.

The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating all possible versions of the crash, prosecutor general Andriy Kostin said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is finalizing a massive package of military aid for Ukraine that U.S. officials say is likely to total as much as $2.6 billion. It's expected to include for the first time nearly 100 Stryker combat vehicles and at least 50 Bradley armored vehicles to allow Ukrainian forces to move more quickly and securely on the front lines.

The officials said the numbers could change as the Biden administration goes through final deliberations on the package. An announcement is expected this week when defense leaders from the U.S., Europe and other regions gather in Germany to discuss military support for Ukraine. The aid is also expected to include thousands of rounds of ammunition, including rockets for air defense systems.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not yet been made public.

Wednesday's helicopter crash came at a particularly dark period in the war for Ukraine, just days after the Russian strike on the apartment building in southeastern Ukraine killed 45 people, including six children  the deadliest attack on civilians since the spring.

The pain is unspeakable, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Another very sad day today  new losses, said his wife, Olena Zelenska, dabbing teary eyes as she responded to the news at the economic conference in Davos, where she was mustering support for Ukraine.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the crash heartbreaking.

British Home Secretary Suella Braverman called Monastyrskyi a leading light in supporting the Ukrainian people during (Russian President Vladimir) Putins illegal invasion. She said she was struck by his determination, optimism and patriotism.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is facing pressure to send tanks to Ukraine, tweeted that the crash shows once again the huge price that Ukraine is having to pay in this war.

Photos: Scenes from Kyiv helicopter crash that killed 18
What looked to be a routine American Canyon City Council appointment to a commission turned into a two-meeting saga intertwined with city growth controversies and charges of gender discrimination.

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It ended Tuesday with the council reappointing Councilmember Mariam Aboudamous to the Local Agency Formation Commission of Napa County. But there were bruised feelings stemming from the first session on Dec. 20.

Aboudamous' complaint wasn't so much with what council members said that night, but with what they didn't say after audience suggestions that Aboudamous might have too much on her plate already as a mother.

Im upset. I'm offended, Aboudamous said. I appreciate the apologiesBut what happened on the 20th was not OK, and we do need to do better.

Mayor Leon Garcia said he wants the council and city staff to take gender equity training, responding to a request made by Aboudamous.

I would like to say again personally, I am sorry for the hurt, Garcia told Aboudamous, who is the only woman on the five-person city council.

Final Napa County election results resolve close races Napa County's Nov. 8 election had close races, but the outcomes are now known.

The saga began when the city council last month considered appointments to various committees and commissions. Aboudamous expected to be reappointed to LAFCO, given reappointments are usually routine, but Councilmember David Oro said he wanted the position.

LAFCO has elected representatives from Napa County and its cities, as well as public members. Among other tasks, it approves or rejects annexations into cities, which will be an issue as American Canyon continues to grow.

Ive only been in this position for a year, Aboudamous said. I just went to my first LAFCO conference. Im barely learning LAFCO law. I dont want to give it up yet.

Councilmember Mark Joseph called her request "reasonable," but no one else rushed to either reappoint Aboudamous or say she had done anything wrong during her LAFCO tenure.

Councilmember Pierre Washington said he wasnt prepared for this awkward moment and asked to delay the vote until a future meeting, so he could gather more information.

I just dont understand whats happening at this point, Aboudamous said. Weve traditionally allowed the incumbent to decide whether they wanted to stay on the board or notThis is blindsiding me.

Two residents  both women during public comments suggested that Aboudamous might be overwhelmed by her home life and might not want to continue with LAFCO. One noted Aboudamous has a baby.

American Canyon voters to decide Measure J bid to move farm tract closer to annexation American Canyon voters will help decide a controversy over whether 157 acres should be subject to Napa County's agricultural preservation policies.

Those sentiments echoed part of a city staff report to the council that didnt apply to Aboudamous in particular. The report said councilmembers who are retired or without child-rearing commitments might have more time for commissions than those who are employed fulltime or who have children at home.

Aboudamous said thanks, but that she can manage her time and has never missed a LAFCO meeting. She also saw a different motivation for wanting to take her off LAFCO.

This awkwardness is clearly related to Measure J, she said. I was not in favor of Measure J and now the proponents are trying to have me taken out of LAFCO and put in someone who was an advocate of Measure J.

Measure J would have added 157 acres of farmland near the wetlands to the citys growth boundaries for future industrial development, though the land would still need to be annexed. Voters in November rejected it.

David Gilbreth, a manager with landowners Green Island Vineyards LLC, sat in the front row during the Dec. 20 LAFCO appointment discussion, but didnt speak during public comments.

Various people have since spoken out about the December session, both on the Measure J issue and the suggestion that Aboudamous as a mother might not have time to be on LAFCO.

Gender bias has no place in American Canyon and especially at a city council meeting, resident Tammy Wong told the council on Tuesday.

The apologies came quickly.

It is clear my remarks in the staff report from Dec. 20 struck a chord and it was not my intentionI apologize for the angst it caused many of you, City Manager Jason Holley said.

Washington said the only reason he wanted to pause the LAFCO appointment on Dec. 20 was to gather information, being the newest person on the city council.

I want to personally apologize to you, Mariam, he said. Not only are you my colleague, youre my friend. By no means should any woman have to feel the way you felt.

Oro said his desire to be on LAFCO is not about Aboudamous work-life balance.

Frankly that evening, I was shocked and stunnedTonight I apologize for not nipping it in the bud and getting it to this point, he said.

Critics said council members should have spoken out on Dec. 20.

I personally take this seriously, the passive and direct accusations of the community, Oro said.

He then withdrew his bid for LAFCO and nominated Aboudamous for reappointment. The vote to reappoint was unanimous.

Aboudamous accepted the apologies.

But I also think the loneliness I felt that night, I shouldnt have felt, she said. It should not have come to this unnecessary stir for my colleagues to realize that discrimination did occur that night, and nobody stood up.
Napa city staff will soon be writing up a safe firearm storage ordinance, which would regulate the storage of firearms when theyre not in use, after the idea received unanimous support from the city council on Tuesday.

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The actual ordinance that would put regulations in place will, once written, come back before the council for approval at a future date. If the council then votes to adopt the ordinance, Napa would join several nearby cities  including St. Helena and Yountville  that have passed similar laws over roughly the past year.

No one who spoke at the Tuesday meeting opposed the idea of drafting the ordinance. Several  including many from the local branch of Moms Demand Action, which has played a major part in advocating for safe storage ordinances in local cities  talked about the importance of gun safety, and said the council should move forward with regulating gun storage.

That included Liz Burrell Russell, a former manager of The Pathway Home in Yountville and survivor of the 2018 mass shooting there. Russell said that roughly one small child dies almost every day in the United States after finding an unsecured firearm, and that two older children die by suicide from an unsecured firearm daily.

Russell also noted that unintentional deaths of small children and teen suicides have risen substantially through the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we cant change the past, we can spare others from future tragedy with commonsense public safety measures, like a secure storage ordinance, Russell said.

Napa Police Chief Jennifer Gonzales, who gave the presentation introducing the item to the council, added several other facts about firearm deaths. She noted, for example, that firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and that a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health survey estimated that 54% of gun owners dont properly secure their weapons.

St. Helena City Council passes law to require safe storage of firearms A new ordinance, the first of its kind in Napa County, will require St. Helena residents to lock away firearms when they're not in use.

St. Helena Councilmember Anna Chouteau, who previously worked with Moms Demand Action and St. Helena Police Chief Chris Hartley to develop that citys ordinance, also spoke at the meeting.

She said that passing a safe storage ordinance would save lives and noted that the county should keep working to take action to prevent gun violence.

The ordinance is about doing more in our local communities to make it safer to live with guns in our homes, Chouteau said. There is an alarming amount of gun violence in our country and an alarming amount of guns. We all live with the steady stream and trauma of gun violence and death. There is no one quick fix. Weve heard about that in the statistics. We know the way we make it better is to keep doing multiple policies and actions that are proven to decrease gun violence.

The five Napa councilmembers also expressed support for developing the ordinance.

Councilmember Bernie Narvaez  a former U.S. Marine  said hed been a gun owner for most of his adult life, and that safety was the most important thing when it came to firearms. He said bringing about firearm safety education would be an important aspect of the future ordinance.

Mayor Scott Sedgley said he supported the ordinance, but he wanted to make sure Napa police officers werent put into situations where they were responding directly to anonymous reports of unsecured firearms.

Councilmember Liz Alessio noted that as a daughter of a former police officer and hunter, she knew it wasnt unusual for Napans to have guns in the house. But keeping those guns securely stored is critical to the safety of families and the community, she said.

Councilmember Beth Painter noted that she agreed with speakers who said the ordinance wouldnt solve gun violence, but that it would be a helpful step in the process.

Councilmember Mary Luros  who initially brought the idea of pursuing an ordinance to the council in September  stressed the educational value of creating the ordinance. She said even having the discussion about it at the council meeting was helpful because it helps normalize the conversation about gun safety and shows the Napa community that we think its important to take responsible actions that can prevent gun deaths and injuries.

I think the research is clear at the local level, the national level and the state level, that there is a real problem, Luros said. And theres evidence that keeping guns securely stored does help prevent deaths. So were not talking about taking anybodys guns away, or even going into homes and looking for guns and how theyre stored. Were simply talking about educating people about responsible gun storage, in the hopes that they will then change behaviors.
The Napa Valley is alive and well. As proof there are a number of new businesses that cater to both locals and the growing number of tourists alike. In this shortlist I celebrate the exciting 2022 openings that add to the many establishments that make Napa a world-renowned destination.

 Los Agaves

A lively and inviting Mexican restaurant with an elevated array of thoughtful classics, along with a complete full bar highlighting agave spirits, playful cocktails and local and great local.

Personal must-haves include the quesabirria, a crisp corn tortilla with beef birria and melted cheese served alongside the consomme to dip, decadent and memorable. Recommended for watching a game with friends at the bar, business lunch, or date night.

660 Main St., Napa. Open for lunch and dinner every day.

 ArBARetum

First Street Downtown Napa aesthetics meet sophistication and balance in every cocktail Ive tried. You cannot overlook this charming and detailed space bursting with life. The ultimate place to see and be seen.

Proprietors and visionaries Arthur and Lulu Hartunian, founders of The Napa Valley Distillery, along with seasoned director Hanzel Dingler make this place feel like a home away from home.

Highlights include the impressive spirits selection and, of course, the cocktails and small bites.

Favorites up and down the menu for those who enjoy spirit-forward cocktails.

Excellent for pre-dinner drinks with friends or a date night.

1149 First St., Napa. Open every day.

 Bar Zuzu

This new spot captures the beauty and energy of a Barcelona gin and tapas bar. Mick Saylers Midas touch, along with manager Ben Robinson, delivers a timeless culinary attraction, along with Josh Weed and Kayla Mayz behind the bar. Their approach is both ingenious and unique along with Chef Armandos famous cuisine.

Some of the main attractions include the comprehensive list of gin and tonics with house-made options and a fun gin-focused cocktail list.

One of the cocktails that stood out is the Saffron Jeremy ($16), which is highly reminiscent of paella flavors in a glass.

Ideal for after dinner drinks with groups, solo dinner, light bites at the bar.

In addition to the Bar Zuzu, Mick Sayler and team just opened The Bitter Bar adjacent to Zuzu Bar at the former Henrys spot where Josh Weed and Kayla Mayz showcase their mixology talents in a speakeasy environment. The Parangaricutirimicuaro Sour ($20) is a must.

Perfect for before dinner drinks, dates, or nightcap.

Both new spots are located between Zuzu and La Taberna on Main Street Napa. Open Wednesday to Sunday.

 Morimoto Asia

Chef Morimotos second Napa venture offers diners homage to Asia with Chinese dishes including dim sum, as well as Thai and Vietnamese that spark conversation. Complemented by exciting cocktails, a Napa-centric wine list and sake to pair.

A few of the highlights include the perfectly cooked Liberty Farm half roasted Peking Duck ($46), Pork & Shrimp Shumai ($12) and Angry Lobster Pad Thai (m.p).

Definitely bring friends and share the bounties.

790 Main St. at the Riverfront, Napa. Open every day.

 Waterfront Seafood Grill

Napa culinary duo composed of Jesus Mendez and consulting Chef Greg Cole (formerly of Coles Chop House and Celandon) pair with Talani Miranda and other Napa mixology stars behind the bar. Timeless and perfectly executed classics both on the plate and in the glass.

Highlights include the Mexican White Shrimp Cocktail ($20) and the Crab Enchilada ($35).

Excellent spot for a power lunch, date night or drinks at the bar with the locals.

720 Main St. at the Riverfront, Napa. Open every day.

 Osha Thai

A both visually and deliciously stimulating experience with a mastery of presentation combined with attentive service and a vibrant ambiance.

Some dishes worth prioritizing include Tom Yum Soup ($12), Tom Yum Seafood Paella ($45).

Bring friends and share or prepare for substantial leftovers (also encouraged).

1142 Main St., Napa. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

 Bear at Stanly Ranch

A true hidden gem tucked in at the new Stanley Ranch resort. I was fortunate to have a couple standout dinners with friends, back to back. Inspiring dishes with Asian influence and excellent sharing side dishes with a thoughtfully populated wine list with very reasonable prices.

The one dish that encapsulates this place for me is the peppercorn roasted short rib ($95) served with an array of herbs and chili sauce to build lettuce wraps, ideal for sharing.

Perfect for business lunch or group dinners.

200 Stanly Crossroad, Carneros. Open every day.

 The Calistoga Depot

Another home run by Jean-Charles Boisset and his team, reminiscent of a European all-encompassing eatery.

The menu includes pizzas to sandwiches and salads with an extensive list of beverages to try from kampucha to sake spritz and of course wine.

Favorites include the muffaletta sandwich with Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella, salami, Provolone cheese on a baguette ($16).

An ideal stop between wine tasting appointments in the middle of the day with endless choices.

1458 Lincoln Ave. Calistoga. Open every day.

 Benevolent Neglect

An excellent addition to the downtown Napa tasting room experience. The brainchild of winemaker Matt Nagy and Ben Brenner, the Benevolent Neglect tasting room offers a welcoming vibe with thoughtful decor. Highlighted are their small batch, soulful wines along with works from local artist Penelope Moore.

Some of my longtime favorites include the Ribolla Gialla and the playful Conoise, along with great music, all playing on vinyl.

They have an ongoing list of pop-up partnerships with guest chefs that sell out fast.

1417 Second St, Napa. Open Wednesday to Sunday.

 Scalas Osteria

Naples native, Giovanni Scala (Bistro Don Giovanni) is without a doubt one of the best restaurateurs in the valley. I have learned so much from him in regard to service and dining as well.

The new Scalas Osteria captures the essence of the Italian culinary landscape with a variety of appetizers, raw bar, pastas, pizzas and entrees, along with an exciting wine list and cocktails. The team, led by Chef Bryce Palmer and GM Cristian Corro is composed of Rosa Diaz and Minta Scala all giving exceptional attention to detail.

The vibrant dining room is filled with locals any given night, already a proven Napa staple.

Some of the favorite dishes include the whole roasted Branzino ($36), Pork Chop Milanese ($32) and the warm octopus salad ($19).

1141 First St., Napa. Open every day.

Photos: Go inside Osha Thai: One of Napa's newest restaurants Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Inside Napa restaurant Osha Thai Chef Lalita Souksamlane
The Napa Valley, widely known to produce high-quality wine, is naturally home to a collection of exceptional independently owned wine shops. Each one invariably carries locally made wines, and with thousands of such wines from which to choose, each store has its own wine-style personality.

Calistoga

The Calistoga Wine Stop (1441 Lincoln Ave.) specializes in wines from Calistoga. Owned by the Pelter family for more than 35 years, the shop carries over 300 labels, many of which are hard to find anywhere else.

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It is our great pleasure to represent smaller local wineries, many of whom weve known personally for decades, Tara Pelter said. We love small family operations, and thats what we are, too.

Pelter said a good example of the shops focus is the Stellareese Cabernet Sauvignon ($55 per bottle, 256 cases made). The shop has carried this wine for nearly two decades.

Not only do we love this wine, but we adore the people behind it  locals Rachel and Geoffrey Davies, she said. Ive been representing many of these brands for my entire adult life.

The newly opened Papa Lou's Wine, Spirits, Cigars and Provisions (1430 Lincoln Ave.) sells some hard-to-find bourbons, but the theme of this shop is affordable wines that overdeliver on taste and complexity, according to Kelly Barrett Coudert, provisions buyer and co-owner.

As an example, Coudert highlights the 2021 Keltom Roots Pinot Noir ($50 per bottle, 90 cases made). This brand was launched only a few years ago by Brycen Hill, whose day job is as viticulturist for one of the regions most influential winemakers, Paul Hobbs.

This wine shows cool-climate elegance with fruit that is balanced and bright, Coudert said. Complex and multidimensional, the wine unfolds with earth and umami just like a wild chanterelle mushroom.

The Calistoga Depot (1458 Lincoln Ave.) is another new wine shop. The recently refurbished train depot, originally built in 1868, now houses a deli and wine shop owned by Jean-Charles Boisset (Boisset Collection), who also owns many wineries, including Buena Vista, DeLoach and Raymond Vineyards as well as retail shops such as the Oakville Grocery.

We focus on wines from Calistoga as well as an assortment of wines in Napa and Sonoma with a wide range of price points, said wine buyer and Master Sommelier Jamie Pyles. On the one hand we carry Eisele Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga ($575 per bottle), but on the other hand we also carry Five Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon ($45 per bottle) by Krisi Raymond.

As an example of the shops focus, Pyles suggests the 2019 Les Bouquinistes Red Blend by Kent Jarman.

With fewer than 500 cases made, this Bordeaux-style blend is simply stunning, Pyles said. Between the exceptional winemaker and attractive bouquet of red and black fruits framed by floral and mocha aromas you simply cant go wrong at $68 per bottle.

Beyond these three Calistoga shops, wines for sale can also be found at Calistogas Cal Mart, which has a wonderfully diverse collection of locally produced wines, along with some more commonly known name brands. Although technically not a wine shop, the Tank Garage Winery offers a super-hip vibe and dozens of their own wines. The same goes for Vault Wine + Artifacts, which offers a small, curated wine list within a wonderful tasting space that has been decorated with winemaking accessories and antiques.

St. Helena

For nearly two decades ACME Fine Wines (1080 Fulton Lane) has provided its customers with access to some of the most sought-after wines made in the region. According to founder Karen Williams, the focus is on discovering the newest creme de la creme wines from Napa Valley and then sharing their extensive portfolio of wines with their clientele through customized offerings and private tasting events.

Weve been Napa Valley's incubator-style wine company since 2003, Williams said. We welcome anyone to visit us and explore our just-launched curated brands in their infancy while tasting the legends whose reputation is firmly cemented in the pantheon of Napa Valley.

Williams points to the Loveland Lee 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($127 a bottle, 35 cases made).

We are so incredibly fortunate at ACME to announce the debut of new wine labels such as this, she said. The wine unfurls with seductive aromas of brambly blackberry, clove and rose petals. The palate is awash with lovely black cherry notes, full-bodied texture and fine-grained tannins. This Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is eminently enjoyable now, but the patient will reap the rewards of laying it down for five to seven years in the cellar.

Gary's Wine & Marketplace (in the former Dean & DeLuca space, 607 St Helena Highway) was purchased in 2019 by Gary Fisch, who has since revitalized the wine program. Fisch is no stranger to wine. For decades he has owned and operated numerous Garys Wine & Marketplaces on the East Coast and has also been a fixture within the Napa Valley wine scene as both a fan and supporter for years.

We cast the widest net in all of Napa and hopefully have something for every wine drinker in the valley, said Bryan McCall, the stores wine director.

Prior to Garys, McCall  an advanced sommelier  had worked as a sommelier at the French Laundry in Yountville and Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco.

We have everything from Grounded Cabernet made by our good friend and local winemaker Josh Phelps that is a staple on the shelf at $13.99 a bottle to the most sought-after cult cabernet producers like Colgin, Hundred Acre and Harlan that can be $1,000 a bottle or more.

According to McCall, nobody in the valley has a better Champagne and sparkling wine selection.

We have the largest stocks of Krug and Dom Perignon, he said, as well as smaller highly allocated producers like David Leclapart, Christophe Mignon and Pierre Peters, while still supporting larger national producers like Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon.

Beyond these shops, Sunshine Foods Market has an excellent selection of local wines, and although technically not a wine shop, The Saint on Main Street is a cool-little wine lounge with a small but thoughtful selection of wines. Not technically in St. Helena, the Oakville Grocery has a similar wine-focus to that found in the Calistoga Depot, their section includes a decidedly Oakville focus, showcasing many wines made by producers of the famed To Kalon Vineyard, which is just across the street from this historic grocery.

Yountville

Located in the beautiful brick marketplace known as Vintage 1870, V Wine Cellar (6525 Washington St.) is less a shop and more a semi-swanky wine lounge for those in the know. It isnt uncommon to find local winemakers hanging out in one of the various comfortable seating areas as they commune.

About 80% of our wines are locally produced, but we also have a fantastic selection of imported wines with a more French-driven allure, said Scott Lewis, sommelier and co-owner. According to Lewis, two local producers  Kale Wines and Hossfeld Vineyards  represent good examples of what a customer of V Wine Cellar might expect.

The A18 Kale David Chardonnay ($75 a bottle, 131 cases made) is rich with flavors of pineapple, pear, apricot, lemon curd and blend together with toast, floral notes and honey, he said, while the Hossfeld Vineyards red blend ($100 per bottle, 500 cases made) is velvety and dark in color with a fruit-forward nature and beautiful tannins.

The location of Wine Country Connection (6484 Washington St., Suite E) might ring a bell because its in the same site as the historic Groezinger Wine Co., which was originally founded in the 1870s. Today the shop continues its long tradition with a highly curated wine list and nearly 70 wines to taste by the glass.

To keep their selection vibrant, owners Daniel and Ana Pressey and their business partners, Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt and his wife, Lynda, have gathered a panel of wine experts that include Joel Aiken  BVs winemaker for 27 years  and others who taste through thousands of wines per year to whittle down the list for their customers.

Our panel tastes anywhere from 30 to 100 wines on a weekly basis and selects only a small percentage of the best wines to feature in our emails and in the store, Pressey said. Our shop has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, and we carry wines at all price levels.

This year the Wine Country Connection team picked the Di Costanzo's 2019 Farella Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($140 per bottle, 350 cases made) as their overall No.1 wine of the year.

This wine's site identity is brilliant and delivers with elegant precision, keen focus and faultless balance, Pressey said. This wine has everything dialed into perfection.

Other wine shops to explore in Yountville include the super-cool Kellys Filling Station, the JCB tasting Salon & Wine Shop and the Ranch Market grocery store, which has a small collection of wines at reasonable prices.

Napa

One of the Napa Valleys most respected wine advisers, Dan Dawson, recently opened Outer Space Wines in downtown Napa (974 Franklin St.) The shop reflects Dawsons view of the wine world, which often translates into well-made wines that are reasonably priced.

So much of wine is about context, Dawson said. For example, how does a new wine compare with a wine a customer has liked in the past? Or how does it differ and why? Understanding how a wine relates to the customer in front of me is one of my superpowers.

Pointing to value at a reasonable price, Dawson highlights the 2018 Post & Vine Old Vine Field Blend  Testa Vineyard made from grapes grown in Mendocino County ($32 a bottle, 276 cases made).

Made as a passion project from one of the Napa Valleys most accomplished winemakers  Rebekah Wineburg (Quintessa)  this wine blends roughly equal parts Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Sirah to reveal layers of blue and red fruits accented with peppery Asian spices, ginger, wild cherry, leather and tangy pomegranate.

Compline Wine Shop (1300 First St., Suite 319) has two expert sommeliers at the helm  Matt Stamp, the former sommelier at the French Laundry and Ryan Stetins, the former wine director at Charlie Trotter.

We have a worldwide selection of over 600 wines, all kept at cellar temperature  58 F., Stamp said. We have a comprehensive selection of European classics  Burgundy, Barolo, Champagne, Bordeaux, German Riesling  but we also carry a large selection of wines made here in Northern California.

To highlight their sommelier prowess, Stamp suggests trying the 2022 Alfio Cosentino Etna Bianco Superiore Vigna Don Paolo ($42 a bottle). The Sicilian Carricante grapes that make this wine are grown at 2,500 feet above the sea in a vineyard first planted in the 1800s, and the resulting wine is savory and saline, with a medium body that is textural and cut through with a grip of acidity.

This wine makes wine geeks weep with joy, Stamp said.

Another new entrant to the Napa wine shop scene is Bay Grape Napa Wine Shop & Wine Tasting Bar (2999 Solano Ave.) This small shop has a fantastic collection of super-hip and intriguing obscure wines, many of which carry the distinction of being made using natural, sustainable techniques and sourced from organic vineyards.

We especially seek out small producers who are working with diversity/equity/inclusion and sustainability top of mind, said co-owner Stevie Stacionis. A lot of Napa establishments are focused on serving tourists, but we focus on affordability and accessibility for locals. Were outside of downtown quite intentionally.

Stacionis points to the Posip Special Korcula 2021 ($22 per bottle, 1,500 cases made).

The Posip grape is basically only grown on the Croatian island of Korcula, Stacionis said, and true to its origin, the wine is all airy sea breeze and wild mountain herbs with fresh acidity that makes your mouth water and keeps you coming back for more.

Beyond these, Napa has a wealth of other shops that sell wine. Some of my favorites include:

Back Room Wine, Bounty Hunter, Calwine, First & Franklin, Luckysomm, Napa Valley Wine & Cigar, Napa Wine & Spirits, Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, Vals Liquors, Vintners Collective and a few others, each worth exploring for their specialized focus and curated offerings.

Between wineries, tasting rooms, wine shops and restaurants, there are literally thousands of places in the Napa Valley to enjoy wine. Each has its own particular pleasure; however, for those looking for expert insights, the small, independent wine shops often provide the biggest bang for the buck.

My best wine recommendation for 2023? Get out there and try a new wine retail shop and see if you walk away with a fresh new perspective. Over time, building close relationships with your local wine shop can pay dividends.

Undoubtedly I have missed some other excellent venues. If I have, please let me know via Instagram @carltf or email me at tfcarl@gmail.com and Ill be more than happy to visit.

Wine Shops in the Napa Valley
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The names of the Armenian army officials dismissed in connection with the fire that caused the death of 15 servicemen are known.

According to First Channel News, the release of the following officials has been announced so far: Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Vahram Grigoryan, Chief of Staff-Deputy Corps Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Mihran Makhsudyan, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Shiraz Khachatryan, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Artur Ohanyan, and Chief of the Fire Safety Service of the Armed Forces Sargis Mazmanyan.

In connection with the aforesaid fire, Rudik Hakobyan, brigade chief of staff-deputy commander; Gor Aghekyan, deputy commander of the brigade; Tigran Ghazaryan, head of the brigade's engineering service; and Gor Sargsyan, commander of the brigade's engineer sapper troop, will also be dismissed by the order of the Minister of Defense.

At around 1:30am on Thursday, a fire broke outunder still unknown circumstancesin the shelter of the engineer sapper troop of the military unit located in the territory of Azat village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

According to preliminary data, 15 servicemen have died as a result of this fire, and three others are in severe condition.
In Azerbaijan, they continue to circulate slowly, but with great persistence, the concept of occupying the entire territory of Armenia.

This is done personally by the president of the country, Ilham Aliyev, who has repeatedly voiced territorial claims from Armenia, up to the capital Yerevan.

The aforesaid concept is being circulated through the expansion of the activities of a fake organization called "Community of Western Azerbaijan." By saying "Western Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijanis mean the entire territory of Armenia.

The aforementioned fake community makes regular announcements, and on Wednesday, "hearings were held with the intelligentsia (which is represented in the leadership of the community) and with a group of scholars and specialists, about the recommendations regarding the Return Concept project.

As can be seen from the name, this fake community is developing the "concept of return" to Armenia.

Taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan has been disseminating disinformation for many years, exaggerating the number of Azerbaijani refugees and announcing "one million refugees," and then even reaching "one and a half million," this concept is not as stupid and harmless as it seems at first glance.
A monstrous incident happened at night, and 15 servicemen were killed as a result of the fire in the accommodation of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) military unit located in Azat village of Gegharkunik Province. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the beginning of Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government, then he asked the attendees to stand up and pay respects the casualties of this incident.

"Since last night, we have been working on the incident, particularly with the Ministry of Defense," he said, asking Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan to present the details of the incident.

Papikyan said: "According to the preliminary data reported by the Military Police, a fire broke out as a result of the violation of fire [safety] rules, during which a prohibited means was also used. It also refers to automotive gasoline, which could not be extinguished later."

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that at around 1:30am on Thursday, a fire broke outunder still unknown circumstancesin the accommodation of the engineer-sapper troop of the military unit located in the territory of Azat village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province. According to preliminary data, 15 servicemen have died as a result of this fire, and three others are in severe condition.
Of course, the prosecutor's office and the investigative committee will reveal all the circumstances. But when various combat positions and divisions of the Armed Forces were toured on December 31 of last year, at that time the instruction to the Minister of Defense and the arrangement was as follows: the traditional approach, according to which the problems in the army should be dealt with in a slightly different way, should be stopped. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the beginning of Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the Armenian governmentand referring to the tragic incident that happened in a military unit in Gegharkunik Province.

"I gave a clear instruction at that time that there will be no compromises. Even visually, if the [military] service is not in a proper situation, the discipline must be followed by concrete responsibility. In this regard, I made a decision in the morning, I submitted a petition to the Armenian president to dismiss the commander of the Second Army Corps. He has already signed the decision. But, also, I instructed the Minister of Defense that there should be very specific individual consequences," Pashinyan said.

In his turn, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan added that several other high-ranking military officers were also relieved of their positions in connection with the aforesaid incident.

PM Pashinyan continued: "In this case, its about official accountability. Who the objects of criminal and other kinds of accountability are, that should be clarified already during the criminal proceedings.

It is clear that the accommodation has served as a military unit since 2020, it is clear that the conditions there are not normal, but that has nothing to do with anything. Any accommodation in which a person is serving must comply with fire [safety] regulations.

There shall be no compromise. Where it doesn't meet the fire [safety] regulations, go and shut it, physically shut it. Let the investor either make proper investments and observe the fire [safety] rules, if not, let those who do trading there go and do trading elsewhere. Otherwise, go ahead with this record! From today, definitely go, shut! This series must be stopped."

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that at around 1:30am on Thursday, a fire broke outunder still unknown circumstancesin the accommodation of the engineer-sapper troop of the military unit located in the territory of Azat village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province. According to preliminary data, 15 servicemen have died as a result of this fire, and three others are injured.
The resolution of the European Parliament is very important and expresses unbiased reality, said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the meeting of the Armenian government on Thursday.

He expressed gratitude to the European Parliament and colleagues who have consistently worked to convey objective reality. "We must continue to work and achieve the implementation of the proclaimed political agenda," Pashinyan added.

The Prime Minister recalled that the European Parliament resolution sharply condemns Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia in September 2022, assessing it as a violation of the ceasefire and an action with serious negative consequences for the peace process. "The European Parliament reaffirms that Armenia's territorial integrity must be fully respected and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately withdraw troops from all parts of Armenian territory," Pashinyan said.

He added that the European Parliament expressed its belief that a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be achieved by military means but needs a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, as well as the fundamental principles of the 2009 OSCE Minsk Group on territorial integrity, self-determination and the non-use of force.

"The European Parliament expressed its concern over the war crimes and inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians by Azerbaijani military personnel and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to release all prisoners of war. The European Parliament reiterates that in a comprehensive peace treaty Azerbaijan must address the root causes of the conflict, including the rights and security of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh, the return of displaced persons and refugees to their homes under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, inter-religious dialogue, protection and preservation of cultural, religious and historical heritage and territorial integrity. The EP welcomes the deployment of an EU civilian monitoring mission along Armenia's international border with Azerbaijan, encourages the EU to increase the number of deployed experts and the capabilities of the mission, and calls for a reinforced presence in the region. The European Parliament strongly condemns Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor in breach of the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020, as it could provoke a deliberate humanitarian crisis for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh," the Armenian Prime Minister said.

Pashinyan also recalled the European Parliament's demand to the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately restore free movement through the Lachin corridor.
The US Embassy in Armenia has expressed its condolences on the tragic death of 15 servicemen as a result of a fire at a military unit in Gegharkunik Province. Chip Laitinen, Charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Armenia, issued a statement in this regard on Thursday.

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, I wish to express our deepest condolences for the tragic loss of the Armenian servicemen who died as a result of a fire at an Armenian military base today and hope for swift recovery for those injured. We hold in our thoughts those who perished, as well as those who mourn their loss during this difficult time, reads the condolence message.

At around 1:30am on Thursday, a fire broke outunder still unknown circumstancesin the accommodation of the engineer-sapper troop of the military unit located in the territory of Azat village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province. Fifteen servicemen have died as a result of this fire, and seven others are injured.

Immediately after the incident, the commander of the 2nd Army Corps and seven other high-ranking military personnel were relieved of their positions.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the government that an officer had poured gasoline in the stove of the aforesaid accommodation. After which, when the fire had gotten to him, he had thrownwith a self-protective instinctthe 5-liter can of gasoline in his hand towards the accommodation, and this had caused the fire.

Criminal proceedings have been launched into this incident.
The European Union and its members should push for the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine committed by Russia's political and military leadership a European Parliament resolution noted adopted Thursday, January 19, in Strasbourg. It was voted for by 472 MEPs, against - 19, abstentions - 33, DW said.

The Special Tribunal, by analogy with the Nuremberg Trials after the Second World War, where Nazi leaders were tried, must be set up in close cooperation with Ukraine and the international community, preferably through the United Nations, the European Parliament decided. Such tribunals were established by the UN Security Council to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

The main task of the authors of the initiative is to find a common legally sound way for this, and the main condition - the court must have jurisdiction to prosecute Vladimir Putin, the political and military leadership of Russia, as well as Alexander Lukashenko and the leadership of Belarus as a state from whose territory and with the support of Russia waged war against Ukraine.

The fact is that the top leadership of the country is responsible for the crimes of aggression, but it is subject to international immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction. This means that immunity must be lifted for such a tribunal. This is what the strong support of the world community is needed for, because the UN Security Council is paralyzed in any issue related to the war in Ukraine, because Russia is its permanent member with veto power.

Therefore, the EU and Ukraine should seek support in the UN General Assembly and other international forums, actively using public diplomacy and strategic communication, the European Parliament resolution stresses.




Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has met with Germany's new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to pressure Berlin to authorize the transfer of German-made tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, as the two allies remain at odds over the issue.

Germany will allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine for defense against Russia if the United States agrees to send its own tanks, a German government source told Reuters.

But U.S. officials have insisted publicly and privately that Washington has no plans yet to send American-made tanks to Ukraine, arguing that it would be too difficult for Kyiv to maintain them and would require a huge logistical effort just to get them up and running.

Before the talks began, Austin thanked Germany for its support of Ukraine. Germany remains one of our most important allies ... I would like to thank the German government for everything it has done to strengthen Ukraine's self-defense, Austin said, without specifically mentioning the issue of tanks.

A senior U.S. Defense Department official believes that supplying Ukraine with German-made Leopard tanks makes the most sense because a number of countries already have them and are ready to hand them over quickly.

A second U.S. official said that the administration of President Joe Biden must approve a new aid package to Ukraine worth more than $2 billion.

The package, which could be announced as early as Friday, will likely include Stryker armored vehicles, but not M1 Abrams tanks.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. The resolution was adopted by a show of hands, without an actual vote count.

In the resolution MEPs deplore the serious humanitarian crisis caused by the current blockade of the Lachin corridor by self-proclaimed environmentalists from Azerbaijan.

The resolution stresses the need for a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan guaranteeing the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. It calls for international organizations to access the area to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance, and for a UN or OSCE fact-finding mission to visit the Lachin corridor to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground.

MEPs also condemn the inaction of Russian peacekeepers in the area and say they should be replaced by international OSCE peacekeepers.

What amendments MEPs did not adopt

MEPs refused to accept a number of amendments during the voting on the resolution. In particular, that the European Parliament:

- Deplores President Aliyev's repeated inflammatory rhetoric and his call for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to leave, which would provoke ethnic cleansing;

- Calls on the UN Secretary General to visit the Lachin corridor and state the illegal nature of the blockade;

- Condemns Azerbaijan's continued policy of destroying Armenian cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in violation of international law and the ruling of the International Court of Justice; calls for the restoration of damaged sites; and urges Azerbaijan to allow a UNESCO fact-finding mission without preconditions.

All of these amendments were rejected in the vote.

Below is the full text of the resolution adopted:

Taking into account its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan, bearing in mind Articles 144(5) and 132(4) of the Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, the Lachin corridor, has been blockaded since 12 December 2022 by self-proclaimed environmentalists from Azerbaijan; whereas this has obstructed access to essential goods and services, including food, fuel and medicine, for the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh by effectively placing them under blockade

B. because the blockade has led to a deep humanitarian crisis, which has seriously affected the most vulnerable populations; the transportation of the seriously ill is virtually impossible, which has resulted in human deaths because of this situation; hundreds of families are still separated

C. whereas this humanitarian crisis has continued to worsen due to Azerbaijan's cutting off the supply of natural gas to Nagorno Karabakh, leaving homes, hospitals and schools without heating;

D. whereas, if Azerbaijan continues to support the blockade of the Lachin corridor, it will violate its international obligations under the tripartite ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, which requires Azerbaijan to guarantee the security of people, vehicles and goods moving along the corridor in both directions

E. because obstacles to the use of the Lachin corridor have stalled the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and weakened international confidence;

The European Parliament:

1) Deplores the tragic humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict;

2) Urges Azerbaijan to respect and implement the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020 and to immediately open the Lachin corridor in order to ensure freedom of movement and access to basic goods and services, thereby guaranteeing security in the region and preserving the livelihoods of residents;

3) Stresses the need for a comprehensive peace agreement that must guarantee the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh; Calls on Azerbaijan to protect the rights of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and to refrain from hateful rhetoric calling for discrimination against Armenians and calling on Armenians to leave Nagorno-Karabakh;

4) Calls on Azerbaijan not to weaken the transportation, energy and communication links between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in the future



5) Strongly condemns Azerbaijan for blaming human rights defenders and civil society organizations, and calls on EU and member state missions to support their work;



6) Condemns the inaction of Russian "peacekeeping forces"; believes that their replacement by an international OSCE peacekeeping force, according to the UN mandate, should be urgently agreed;

7) Requests unhindered access to Nagorno-Karabakh for international organizations to assess the situation and provide the necessary humanitarian assistance;

8) Requests a UN or OSCE fact-finding mission to the Lachin corridor to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground;

9) Requests that negotiations based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act be resumed without delay and without preconditions;

10) Calls on the EU to actively engage and ensure that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are no longer held hostage by Baku's activity, Russia's destructive role and the inaction of the Minsk Group;

11) Instructs its President to pass this resolution to the Council and the Commission.
Anahit Manasyan had a phone conversation with the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh

he 12th protest against pension reform takes place in France

MFA: Shushi is Artsakhs integral part in territorial, cultural, economic, historical aspects

An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 occurred in southeastern Turkey

Charles Michel explains his activeness in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations normalization process

Armenia PM to Bujar Osmani: This visit is good opportunity to get familiarized with complicated situation

South Korea bans its citizens from traveling to Armenia-Azerbaijan border region

Karabakh President convenes working consultation, security challenges discussed

OSCE Chairman-in-Office: I am here to find out if there is possibility to build bridges between Yerevan and Baku

Armenia PM chief of staff: Azerbaijanis are already in Yerevan, we have ensured their safety

Chairman-in-Office: OSCE toolkit provides mechanisms to assist peace process between Armenians and Azerbaijanis

Osmani: We are ready for any efforts to achieve positive dynamics between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Armenia FM: Replacing army with guards on Azerbaijan border should be part of final settlement

Armenia MFA: Rumors about OSCE Minsk Group activities termination are greatly exaggerated

168.am: Who is the Azerbaijani already rendered ineffective in Armenia? What does he say in video?

Armenia village youth tell how they caught Azerbaijani

Armenia Investigative Committee issues statement on murder of security guard, 56, in Syunik Province

Azerbaijani who crossed border into Armenia is caught by locals, found in Achanan village territory

2nd Azerbaijan soldier found, detained in Armenia

Armenian health minister: Wounded soldier in critical condition due to Azerbaijan provocation has stabilized

Which Armenia company is put on US sanctions list?

Premier: Armenia ready for reopening of transport links, delimitation of borders

Pashinyan: We are ready to withdraw troops to safe distance along Armenia-Azerbaijan 1991 border

Armenia to have trade attache in Germany

Azerbaijan MFA accuses France foreign ministry of smear campaign and unfair position

Armenia PM: It failed to deploy border guards without escalation of tension

Newly elected Armenia ombudsperson announces her priority objective in this capacity

Armenia deputy PM, US Deputy Secretary of Treasury acknowledge high level of cooperation between both countries

Newspaper: Karabakh soldiers who showed necessary resistance to Azerbaijan military are rewarded

Armenia FM, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office tete-a-tete kicks off (PHOTOS)

Armenia deputy PM, USAID official discuss opportunities for deepening cooperation

Mher Grigoryan, Todd Robinson exchange views on ongoing democratic reforms in Armenia

Armenia FM to Derek Hogan: Provocation near Tegh village was another manifestation of Azerbaijan aggressive policy

shamshyan.com: Murder in Armenias Syunik Province, 6 gunshot wounds found on body of security guard, 57

US State Department on Armenias Tegh village incident: Use of force to resolve disputes is unacceptable

MFA: France deeply concerned about violence that took place near Tegh village of Armenia

Legal entity from Armenia on list of those subject to US export restrictions

Russia MOD: 4 ceasefire violations recorded in Karabakh

EU monitoring mission in Armenia not present in the area when Azerbaijan attacked

Armenia National Security Service Border Guard Troops commander dismissed

Armenia MOD: Tegh village incident that led to undesirable consequences was due to deployment adjustment

Mayor of Frances Lyon expresses unconditional support to people of Karabakh

Pashinyan: Armenian side had recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan

Criminal proceedings launched into Armenia soldiers being killed, wounded by Azerbaijan near Tegh village

Chairman-in-Office: OSCE supports continuation of Armenia-Azerbaijan direct contacts

MFA: Russia asked Armenia to explain information about participating in joint military exercises with NATO

Zakharova does not disclose details of Russian, Turkish FMs talks on Armenia-Turkey relations

Russia MFA spox: CSTO mission deployment details can be talked about when Armenia is ready

Zakharova: Russia favors complete unblocking of Lachin corridor

Russia MFA: Other players engagement will lead to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations destabilization

EU calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to intensify border delimitation talks, until then to respect 1991 line

Russia MFA spox: Yerevan, Baku accepted proposal to hold another bilateral talks

Pallone: This is another senseless provocation from Azerbaijani forces against Armenia

Zakharova: Russia Border Guard Service, army took measures to de-escalate situation near Armenias Tegh village

Armenia deputy defense minister on possible Azerbaijan provocations again: Nothing can be ruled out

Armenia MP: Azerbaijanis demanded not to do engineering work, our soldiers responded, battle started from that

Marukyan: This is continuation of attacks carried out against Armenia in May and November 2021, in September 2022

About 100 killed in airstrikes in rural Myanmar

Criminal proceedings to be launched against Armenia opposition MP Mher Sahakyan

Armenia MP: Army corps commander was there, talks were to be held but Azerbaijan resorted to provocation

Mher Grigoryan, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discuss security issues in Armenia, region

Parliament observes minute of silence in memory of Armenia soldiers who died yesterday

Newspaper: How Europe reacts to yesterday's provocation by Azerbaijanis?

Anahit Manasyan is elected Armenia ombudsperson

Armenia MOD: No significant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan recorded at night

MOD: 3 of wounded Armenia soldiers in satisfactory condition, other 3 in moderate, severe, critical condition

RA MOD announces names of soldiers killed by Azerbaijani Armed Forces

As of 10:15 p.m., the situation on the frontline is relatively stable. RA Ministry of Defense

The destruction of Artsakh and Syunik is a key issue for Turkey and Azerbaijan. David Babayan

Suren Papikyan interrupts his working visit and returns to Armenia

Azerbaijans provocation is another encroachment on the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. MFA

Azerbaijan MOD publicizes data on own losses during latest Baku provocation

Russia MOD: 2 ceasefire violations recorded in Karabakh

The reason for Azerbaijan's aggression is not being sanctioned by the international community. Edmon Marukyan

Four Armenian soldiers killed, six wounded because of Azerbaijani provocation. MOD

Video shows how Azerbaijani soldiers approach and open fire at Armenian soldiers

Armenia National Assembly cancels special session

Legislature deputy speaker on Azerbaijani infiltration into Armenia: Not case where accountability is implied

Azerbaijanis opened fire in direction of Sotk

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan army continues provocation, uses mortars

Azerbaijani shooting resumes in direction of Armenias Tegh village

Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenia Special Army Corps commander wounded in skirmish

MOD: Armenian side has casualties and wounded, according to preliminary data

Shots fired at Tegh village area, Armenia has casualty

Armenia parliament vice-speaker: Turkey border shall be open for 3rd countries citizens at summers beginning

Armenia lawmaker: Azerbaijan has violated mutual understanding on Karabakh issue

Sargis Khandanyan: Armenia does not play football on CSTO issue

Armenia Prosecutor General submits petition to parliament for consent to prosecute opposition MP

Ruling force MP: Before sending mission, CSTO must record Armenia territorys occupation

Photo traps of Armenias Khosrov Forest State Reserve capture grizzly bear again

Peskov calls information about Egypt president's covert shipment of rockets to Russia sensational lie

The Washington Post: Egypt planned to secretly send up to 40,000 rockets to Russia, leaked US document says

Earthquake hits Iran-Turkey border zone, also felt in Armenia

Sharm El Sheikh-Yerevan flight that landed in Turkey arrives in Armenia capital

Bortnikov: Terrorists want to destabilize the situation in Caucasus

15 more people from Karabakh transferred to Armenia medical centers, 10 patients return

Russia airspace to be closed for flights to Europe until 2029, Eurocontrol announces

Armenia defense minister visits NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (PHOTOS)

North Korea leader announces strengthening of war deterrence forces

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Turkey has appealed to the United States to expedite the sale of F-16s. Some U.S. officials hope the sale may persuade Ankara to drop its objections to NATO expansion, but a key senator strongly opposes it.



In a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he intended to discuss his country's request for upgraded versions of major F-16 fighters.



"As we said earlier, this is important not only for Turkey, but also for NATO and also for the United States," Cavusoglu said. "So we expect approval in line with our joint strategic interests."



The United States is finalizing a $20 billion package for Turkey that is expected to include about 40 new F-16 fighter jets.



The United States has been looking for ways to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to withdraw objections to Sweden's and Finland's admission to NATO. President Joe Biden announced his support for the sale of F-16s to Turkey.



Blinken, in a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, called Turkey a close ally and praised its role in talks with Ukraine and Russia to allow grain shipments from the world's key breadbasket.



But Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vowed to block any sale.



In his remarks, Menendez said Erdogan's threats of a missile strike on Greece were "totally unacceptable," and condemned the political ban on the popular mayor of Istanbul, previously seen as Erdogan's main rival in the May election.



"He might be doing it out of spite. Or he might be doing it because he is a thug," Menendez said of Erdogan. "But one thing is clearthe United States must take the Turkish Presidents actions seriously," he said, promising to detain the F-16s until Erdogan stops his campaign of aggression throughout the region.



State Department spokesman Ned Price, who was asked about Menendez's position, acknowledged resistance from lawmakers.



But Price noted that Congress was also united in its desire to see a way forward on NATO. The U.S. Congress strongly supports Finland and Sweden becoming new members of NATO, Price said.



Nevertheless, Price acknowledged concerns about Turkey's potential offensive against the Syrian Kurds, reconciliation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and human rights concerns. " We remain deeply concerned by the continued judicial harassment of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey," Price said.



Yet despite all these "concerns," Blinken said in a meeting with Cavusoglu that they are close allies and partners. That doesn't mean they don't have disagreements, but it's because we they allies and partners that they get over them.



The outcome of the meeting



According to a State Department report from the meeting, Blinken and Cavusoglu reaffirmed their commitment to a concrete and results-oriented, positive bilateral agenda. They discussed strengthening the U.S.-Turkish defense partnership, including the modernization of Turkey's F-16 fleet.



The sides emphasized their unequivocal support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia's unacceptable war and reaffirmed their support for finding a solution to end the war.



The two foreign ministers decided to increase coordination and cooperation to promote peace in the South Caucasus.



They also discussed ways to strengthen NATO coordination and solidarity in the face of current threats and challenges. The sides reaffirmed their long-standing commitment to collective defense as allies as well as to NATO's open door policy. They discussed the implementation of the trilateral memorandum signed by Finland, Sweden and Turkey to advance Finland and Sweden's application to join the NATO Alliance.



In addition, Blinken and Cavusoglu discussed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria.



Both sides endorsed the Climate and Energy Dialogue to improve energy security and move toward a cleaner energy future. They decided to continue their interaction under the auspices of the Strategic Mechanism to review progress and maintain the momentum of their positive bilateral agenda. Both sides welcome the increasing number of bilateral meetings, including summit meetings, under the auspices of the Strategic Mechanism.



Unreliable Partner



Ahead of the meeting, American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President Nick Larigakis wrote a letter to Blinken urging him to demand that Turkey withdraw its support for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. The letter cites numerous examples of Erdogan's dangerous rhetoric, including his calls for an invasion of the Greek islands.



Turkey is actively working against United States interests and values, Larigakis wrote. Appeasing a rogue dictator such as President Erdogan will not result in better behavior.



In a statement to Reuters news agency, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said that Erdogan's repeated attacks on Syrian Kurdish allies and continued flirtation with Russia, including the delay of Swedish and Finnish NATO membership, remain serious causes for concern. According to him, in order for Turkey to get the F-16s, they need assurances that these problems will be resolved.



The sale of F-16s now becomes another way for Ankara to make demands for more weapons and to try to exchange this sale for a waiver of its objections to Finland and Sweden joining NATO. NATO's founders probably never foresaw a situation in which an alliance member would become a dictatorship and then prevent democracies from joining, or in which a NATO member would openly oppose things like freedom of speech or democratic values and seek to trade membership for weapons. This puts the U.S. in a stalemate, writes Jpost.



The difficulty for the U.S. is that while some members of Congress are tired of Ankara's threats, many government officials see it as an imminent evil, a recalcitrant ally that is needed because of the shift in power in the world.



This political analysis sees Turkey as important because of its large economy and its "geopolitical" position, since it is physically located between Europe, Iran, and Russia. If Turkey were where Brazil is, this would not be a problem; it could continue to be anti-democratic and threaten the West, but it would not be "strategically" located next to Iran and Russia.
Ada Limon, the current U.S. poet laureate, will give a public reading at Emory University on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at 3 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium. Books will be for sale at the reading, with a signing immediately following the event.

Attendees can register for the reading, which is open to the public at no charge, at the Emory Libraries Eventbrite page. The event is part of the annual Raymond Danowski Poetry Library Reading Series founded by Emorys Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.

We are so excited to welcome Ada Limon to Emory University, says Rose Library director Jennifer Gunter King. Her beautiful and masterful poetry is the perfect opportunity to gather and celebrate the power of words to convey the meaning in our lives. We couldnt be more thrilled that she has agreed to spend time visiting us.

During her visit to Emory, Limon will meet with students to talk about poetry and writing.

Known for her accessible and engaging writing, Limon was named the Library of Congresss 24th U.S. poet laureate in July 2022. Her poems often focus on the beauty of nature and how it centers and grounds the soul. Limon is the author of six poetry collections, including her most recent, The Hurting Kind (2022), and The Carrying (2018), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her book Bright Dead Things (2015) was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award and was nominated for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Limons first book, Lucky Wreck, won the Autumn House Poetry Prize in 2005. Her second book, This Big Fake World, was the winner of the Pearl Poetry Prize in 2006.

Poetry is a particular kind of storytelling that goes beyond narrative and calls us to pay attention to the language as well as the story, says Karen Stolley, professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University. I share Ada Limons conviction that daily doses of poetry help me move through the world with a bit more groundedness, a bit more humanness. Ive found that students embrace Limons work as a reminder, in her words, not to miss the world, not to miss this life, and instead lean into what it offers.

Born and raised in Sonoma, California, Limon, who is Mexican-American, now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. A Guggenheim fellow, she also recently served as the host of The Slowdown, a critically acclaimed poetry podcast and newsletter by American Public Media.

Limons visit is sponsored by the Hightower Fund; Emory Libraries and the Rose Library; Emorys Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Creative Writing Program; the Decatur Book Festival, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Glenn Auditorium is located on the Emory University campus at 1634 N Decatur Rd., Atlanta, GA 30307. Parking is available in the Fishburne deck.

Limon is also the guest poet at the Rose Librarys annual 12th Night Revel fundraiser held the day before, on Friday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m. The gala offers an intimate experience with poetry readings by attendees and personal interaction with the guest poet. Tickets can be purchased on the Engage Emory website. The generosity of donors enables the Rose Library to offer free readings to the public.
The University of Miami School of Law has created a new degree-seeking legal educational pathway, with a leader in the field, Associate Dean Beth L. Haas, at the helm.

A pioneer in online legal education, Haas comes to Miami Law from Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she served for the past five years as associate dean of graduate studies and associate professor of law. She was one of the first legal educators in the online teaching space, building and teaching online J.D. courses more than a decade ago.

"I am excited to announce that we have created a new position of associate dean for online education to develop online degree and certificate programs," wrote David Yellen, dean and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law, in the announcement. "I am also delighted to announce that we have hired Beth Haas to fill this role.

"Under Beths leadership, Drexel Kline became a leader among law schools in online learning programs. I cant think of anyone better qualified than Beth to help us build our own set of online programs at Miami Law," Yellen said.

Haas created for Drexel Kline the largest home-grown online Master of Legal Studies program in the country and developed, from scratch, an innovative, rigorous, and highly engaging curriculum that their graduate students, including master's, post-bac certificate, and LL.M. students, report has helped them in their day-to-day work lives and to advance in their careers. She also created a first-of-its-kind Virtual Career Office to serve their online students and online alumni and a first-of-its-kind virtual faculty lounge to connect online faculty to each other and the law school.

"I'm looking forward to creating exceptional graduate online programs that take advantage of the many unique strengths of Miami Law," said Haas.

Before joining Drexel Kline, Haas was a partner at Blank Rome, LLP, in Philadelphia, where she maintained a nationally recognized aviation litigation practice. She holds a J.D. from Villanova Law School  where she was an associate editor of the "Villanova Law Review"  and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

A Philadelphia native, Haas is active in the nonprofit community, is a member of the prestigious Forum of Executive Women, and serves as an investigator for the Philadelphia Bar Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention. She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her husband, and her daughter is a proud 'Cane (class of 2024).

Read more about the Academic Programs at Miami Law
Arlene Clachar, who taught linguistics at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development for 20 years, was selected late last fall to participate in the English Language Specialist Program, which is geared to foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through cultural exchange.

The project met her goal of a retirement endeavor that would allow her to travel the world and teach, while continuing to do research, and the opportunity to do research in Uzbekistan was especially intriguing because of the sociolinguistic changes taking place in Central Asia.

After 9/11, the United States and Western nations became more interested in Central Asia, and especially Afghanistan, because of security concernsthats one aspect of the study, Clachar explained. Second, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, there has been a transition from the teaching of Russian and the teaching of English based on Russian pedagogy to the teaching of English based on Western ideology.

While Russian pedagogy is more rote and memorization-based, Western pedagogy is more focused on the communicative aspects of learning, Clachar explained.

Based on her linguistic specialization that explores how language interfacessuch as syntax-phonology, syntax-morphology, and syntax-pragmaticscreate challenges for English language learners, Clachar was selected for the study.

Professor emerita Arlene Clachar has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for a prestigious English language specialist assignment.

Unable to travel to Uzbekistan in large part because of the pandemic, she has spent the initial facet of the study analyzing data shared by a colleague from the Uzbek State University of World Languages, the countrys main institution of language study.

The data is specifically focused on English speech acts, communications that include requests such as apologizing, complimenting, complaining, and giving warnings, Clachar noted.

These become more complex based on the level of impositionfrom please pass the salt to may I borrow money and become more challenging in the case of Uzbekistan, a multiethnic and highly multilingual country, she said.

Both Uzbek, the native language, and Russian have been official languages in the country. And English, because of Western influence and its global use, has gained in popularity. The nationalistic push to make Uzbek the official language was stymied when Uzbek workers who traveled within the region to find work realized that Russian remained the lingua franca for commerce.

Theres a great deal of allegiances to each of the languages, and each of the ethnolinguistic minority carries its own ideology and its own attitudes toward its language preference, Clachar explained. These factors affect how people express their requests.

Uzbekistan has the largest Muslim population in Central Asia, and religious preferences further complicate the decision as to which language is preferred, Clachar pointed out.

Our goal is to develop pedagogical teaching devices to get students to understand what happens if a speech act is not properly executedit can come across as being rude or arrogant if not voiced according to the cultural norms of the society and cause conflicts, she said.

The linguist is hopeful that she will be able to travel to Uzbekistan and ultimately produce a textbook with instructive exercises based on the research findings.

We hope to find out how we can help teachers, and eventually students, to understand where breakdowns with respect to speech acts take place and tend to create interpersonal conflicts, Clachar said.

The project is one of some 240 funded by the English Language Specialist Program annually and serves as the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad, according to a State Department news release.
During his two-day visit, Jaishankar will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, besides having an official discussion with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry.

Sabry told the media that Sri Lanka would focus on expediting the proposed Indian investments, including renewable energy projects. Instead of depending on financial assistance, Sri Lanka would focus on seeking investments from India for economic development, the minister said.

With a senior delegation representing the External Affair Ministry, including Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri, Jaishankar's visit comes close on the heels of a written assurance given by the Indian Finance Ministry to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, assuring strong support for crisis-hit Sri Lanka.

In a letter to IMF dated January 16, Finance Ministry official Rajat Kumar Mishra confirmed India's "strong support for Sri Lanka's prospective EFF-supported programme and commitment to supporting Sri Lanka with financing/debt relief, consistent with restoring Sri Lanka's public debt sustainability under the IMF-supported programme and ensuring that the programme is fully financed as projected by IMF staff".

According to media reports, Mishra stated in his letter that the financing and debt relief to Sri Lanka would be provided by the Export-Import Bank of India.

--IANS sfl/arm

( 261 Words)

2023-01-19-19:14:01 (IANS)
India aims to produce more than one billion tonnes of coal during the year 2023-24 and an in-depth review has been carried out by the coal secretary to reach the intended target The coal secretary held the review meeting with all coal companies, an official release said on Wednesday. "It has been decided to fix 780 Million Ton (MT) target to Coal India, 75 MT for Singareni Collieries Company Ltd and 162 MT for captive and commercial mines. A total of 290 mines are operational in Coal India, out of which 97 mines produce more than one MT per year," the coal ministry said. State-owned Coal India produced 622 million tonnes during the year 2021-22. In 2022-23, registering a growth of over 16 per cent , it produced 513 MT so far. It is expected that Coal India will surpass the target of 700 MT fixed for the current fiscal and accordingly will achieve 780 MT for the year 2023-24. This annual coal output target by the government is part of the plan to reduce the import of thermal or non-coking coal, used in power generation, in the coming few years. For those 97 coal mines, issues of land acquisition, forest clearance, environment clearance, rail connectivity and road connectivity have been discussed and timelines fixed, the ministry said. "It is noteworthy that with the continued effort of coal companies, out of 97 coal mines, there are no pending issues in 56 mines. Only 41 mines have 61 issues, for which continued co-ordination and monitoring is being carried out by top management of coal companies with State Govt. authorities concerned and the Central Ministries," the coal ministry said. Last week, the coal ministry said it intends to engage Mining Developers cum Operators (MDOs) in coal mines, through open global tenders. Through this, the ministry aims to ramp up domestic coal production and a subsequent reduction in import dependency. The contract period of engagement would be for 25 years or for the life of the mine -- whichever is less. Meanwhile, India's overall coal production increased 16.39 per cent so far in the financial year 2022-23 to 607.97 million tonnes, official data showed recently. (ANI)
Geopolitical instability is exacerbating the risk of catastrophic cyberattacks, according to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 report, which was launched at the World Economic Forum's ongoing five-day annual meeting in Davos. Over 93 per cent of cybersecurity experts and 86 per cent of business leaders believe "a far-reaching, catastrophic cyber event" is likely in the next two years and that there is a critical skills gap that is threatening societies and key infrastructures, the forum said in a release on Wednesday (local time). The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 findings were based on surveys, workshops and interviews with over 300 experts and executives. Half of the companies surveyed said the current landscape is making them re-evaluate the countries in which their organization does business. It said despite challenges, organizations are improving cyber resilience, which is one of the key priorities of the World Economic Forum's Centre for Cybersecurity. The report, written in collaboration with IT services firm Accenture, said that awareness and preparation will help organizations balance the value of new technology against the cyber risk that comes with it. "As global instability increases cyber risk, this report calls for a renewed focus on cooperation. All stakeholders from public and private sectors who are responsible for our common digital infrastructure must work together to build security, resilience and trust," said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, in the release. Moreover, the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 report highlighted the need to address the shortage of talent and skilled experts. About 34 per cent of cybersecurity experts said they lacked some skills in their team, with 14 per cent saying they lacked critical skills. "The problem is more pronounced in key sectors such as energy utilities, where nearly 25% of cybersecurity experts said they lacked the necessary critical skills to protect their organizations' operations," WEF's release said, adding that greater cross-industry and public-private collaboration is needed to overcome this. (ANI)
Gurgaon (Haryana) [India], January 19 (ANI/NewsVoir): Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, the World's No. 1 Air Hostess Training Institute again made history today. At the 14th International Conference cum Awards on Civil Aviation- 2023 organised by ASSOCHAM on Wednesday 18th January 2023 at Hotel Leela Palace, New-Delhi, Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training received the prestigious Award for the 'Best Air Hostess Training Institute - 2022'. The award was handed over by the Honourable Union Minister, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia along with P K Thakur, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India and K Narayan Rao, Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Civil Aviation and Deputy MD, GMR Group to Shri K.S. Kohli, Founder & Non-Executive Chairman, Frankfinn Group. Some of the other winners were GMR for the Best MRO Services, Airbus for the Best Aircraft manufacturer, Pawan Hans for the Best Helicopter flights, SpiceJet for the Best Cargo Carrier, Adani for the Best Airport Technology and more. Also gracing the occasion were Kamal Hingorani, Co-chairman Assocham's National Council on Civil Aviation, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India and other important dignitaries from industry & media. The Award is instituted to acknowledge and honour the selected organisations who have worked incessantly and have taken leadership in their services and quality achievements. This award is in recognition of the best quality training being provided by the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training from last three decades through its Institutes spread Pan India including the smaller cities. Quality Training & Excellent Placements Track Record has always been the hallmark for Frankfinn. Earlier the award of 'Best Air Hostess Training Institute' has been awarded to Frankfinn for ten years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and in 2021), which is the testimony of Frankfinn's Quality Training delivery and Highest Placements Track record. Frankfinn has also been awarded the Gold Award for 'Best Higher Vocational Institute for Skill Development' in 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019, received the 'Best Aviation Training Institute' award in 2021 and received the 'Best Institute in Placement' award in 2022. Frankfinn is an approved Training Partner of NSDC & THSC. Frankfinn has also received the award for the 'Best Training Partner for 3 years in a row "2017- 2018', "2018-19" & 2021-22 from the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC). Pioneers in Air Hostess training, Frankfinn provides Skill training to aspirants for jobs of Air Hostesses, Flight Stewards and Ground Hostesses, Air Ticketing Executives and Guest Relation Executives, Front Office Executives in Hotels, Travel Industry and Customer Service Industries, empowering them with world-class opportunities across India and the world. Frankfinn has tied up with Air India for detailed Cabin Service Familiarisation for its students. At the end of this training, Frankfinn students receive a co-branded certificate from Air India. Frankfinn students have touched the pinnacle of success and have an excellent track record of its placements across Domestic Airlines, International Airlines, Hospitality, Travel and Customer Service Industry. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Assam Electronics Development Corporation (AMTRON) and RC Hobbytech Solutions (RCH) aimed at working on strengthening and expanding drone-based training, research and development, manufacturing for varied sectors. The potential sectors include agriculture, disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care. Speaking during the MoU signing event, professor Parameswar K Iyer, Officiating Director at IIT Guwahati, said, the three organizations will work in tandem to actively engage in the research and development activities and the esteemed members of IIT Guwahati Drone Centre and Technology Incubation Hub will be integral parts in this endeavour for the greater good of the region. The scope of operations under the new collaboration will include the establishment of a commercial drone-flying school at the IIT Guwahati campus, a press release said on Thursday. "The Commercial Drone Flying School will offer commercial drone flying fresher courses and other related advisory and consultancy services such as renewing their drone flying license, securing necessary commercial drone permits and helping prepare students for drone flying tests," the release said Along with this, the school will also connect the students with organizations that need professional drone flyers. Professional Drone Courses: Professional courses in the field of drones that will offer a wide range of services such as drone-based survey and mapping; Geographic Information Systems courses; coding and AI-related courses, and other related courses will be a part of this objective. The classes for these courses will take place at the IIT Guwahati campus. Research and development for the initial development of a few prototype drones for agriculture and surveillance purposes: IIT Guwahati, along with the industry partners will work on initially developing a few prototype drones with an aim of getting them certified by the Quality Council of India (QCI) which will be used in activities including Agriculture; Spraying/ Seeding and Crop health monitoring, and Vertical Take-Off and Landing fixed wing Drone for payload delivery, mapping and surveillance. Development of a Disaster Response Management System to Identify and Actuate any Disaster Response within the State of Assam: By utilizing the expertise of all stakeholders, a Disaster Response Management System will be developed to address the identify and actuate any disaster in Assam. For the same, a team of students, and professionals along with ready-to-fly surveillance and payload delivery drones will be set up for emergency response, the release said. For the same, IIT Guwahati will develop drones to cater to the needs of the state to contain disasters, AMTRON will provide communication support, and RCH will provide the necessary technical expertise in developing the drones and associated systems, it said. Along with this, a Disaster Response Cell will be established at IIT Guwahati which will be operated by the Drone Helpline Student Volunteer Team of the Institute and AMTRON Drone Team, the release said. (ANI)